Our family of four (plus two dogs and a cat) packed up and moved 1,000 miles away to Omaha. Seemingly out of the sky, I got a job offer as Assistant News Director at our sister station and after visiting Omaha, we realized it would be a wonderful place to raise our family.

However, timing is never perfect. As you’ll notice on the blog, we were mid-renovation on our 1930s Craftsman. The upstairs had the old, raw hardwoods that we couldn’t afford to finish. The kitchen still had the yellow linoleum and dark green painted cabinets. Our downstairs bathroom desperately needed an update. We had a month to figure out how we were going to get it ready for market and move across the country with basically no savings. (Remember, I was just a couple months back from maternity leave.)

Welp, with help from my dad, our friends, and a freshly opened Chase Sapphire card (I would have to wait to be reimbursed for relocation) we got to work.

My dad drove from Michigan and stayed for a two-day flooring blitz. He extended the Pergo floors from the dining and living room into the kitchen.

He also helped us get started on the main bath remodel and started to lay the tile for us. I did all the painting though!

Our friends came over and spent their Fourth of July helping us paint the kitchen cabinets and install new hardware which was a great update for under $100. I’m so mad we didn’t do it sooner. It wasn’t hard and made looking at the kitchen way less painful!

Upstairs, we laid carpet throughout. It cost us about $1300 from 偷吃爸爸的擎天柱 Depot which was labor and materials. I was happy with that. It was an acceptable quick fix to get it listed. We also finished painting the master bedroom to match its 肥白大屁股bbwbbwhd half-bath reno we had completed a few months before and hung the black and ‘crystal’ glam light fixture.

Then came the time where I had to leave, but Josh had to stay behind. There was still work to be done, but I needed to be in Omaha to start my job. I had a 5-year-old, an 8-month-old, a yorkie and a goldendoodle all with me in the van. Josh packed up what we needed for our new apartment in the U-Haul and we made our way for Omaha.

After getting us settled in, Josh flew back, my mom and cousin flew to Nebraska, and for two weeks they helped me care for the kids while I started my new job.

But Josh had a big job to finish in the main bath so I had to FaceTime in to help with the design. We picked things out over the phone… and luckily, I think we did alright. Check out the before and after.

I love the oil-rubbed bronze finishes and off-center sink! I wish I would’ve had all that extra space for doing my hair and makeup!

We listed the house on the market for a short time, but due to the fact that we were bleeding over $1400 a month in mortgage costs, utilities, you name it… we couldn’t keep it up long enough to sell. Instead, we decided to become landlords! So that’s where this blog is going to pick up next… Stay tuned!

In the meantime, Omaha has been such a welcoming place. If you’ve never visited, you should put it on your list. The food scene is incredible, it’s so easy to get around, and super affordable. We’re living in a lakefront apartment with some high-end finishes (Josh’s favorite is the bidet)– such a big change from the renovation environment.

Annabelle started kindergarten and Hayden celebrated his first birthday. Josh is slaying his new engineering job here, but there still aren’t enough hours in the day. We’re still trying to figure out how to keep our 1,200 square feet here clean and get everyone to where they need to be on time. As the hashtag goes… #AdultingIsHard.

To be honest, I didn’t know for years that’s what it was called despite being a huge fan of plaid. [Put a guy in a plaid flannel shirt, have him roll up his sleeves and put on a pair of aviators and I’m a goner every time. Who needs a suit? SWOON.]

Classically, buffalo check is the large red and black or black and white plaid as seen below.

Conversely, gingham is the small checkered print. To learn more about tartan and plaid, check out this great blog post by Greenhouse Fabrics.

Scroll Down: My Top 5 buffalo check products you need to buy now!

The red and black buffalo check has seen a resurgence in the past few years thanks to hipsters and wannabe lumberjacks. It’s been popular at Christmas time and also become a staple in baby boys’ nurseries.

But now, we’re seeing the black and white buffalo check everywhere– and that’s thanks to the rise in popularity of Farmhouse Style.

Now if you’re looking for an outside-the-box way to use buffalo check, look no further than the 偷吃爸爸的擎天柱 of Becky from @theothersideofneutral.

I love how Becky used buffalo check to transform this small space. The wallpaper looks amazing and the black and white is a nice contrast to the warm wood tones.

But if you really want to be wowed- check out Becky’s master bath and bedroom reno:

Isn’t that floor incredible!? And get this- Becky PAINTED that! Check out her DIY Painted Buffalo Check Floor tutorial now on her blog.

If you’re like me, you’re loving this hot trend and want to incorporate it into your 偷吃爸爸的擎天柱 as well. So… here are my top picks!

Top 5 Buffalo Check Items To Buy Now!

The following contains affiliate links. Read my disclosure here.

Buffalo Check Garland

Ukeler Black and White Plaid Rug

Tealp Plaid Throw Pillow Cover

Buffalo Plaid ottoman

Let’s Stay 偷吃爸爸的擎天柱 Black and White Buffalo Plaid Throw Pillow

Have a great space you want featured? Comment below and be sure to follow me on 卡格妮·琳恩·卡特.

(This is an actual photo of the tile after Josh installed and grouted it. This is NOT a stock photo.)

The moment I saw it, it reminded me of my trip to Reynisfjara Beach in Iceland- the most magnificent sight I had ever laid eyes on. The black sand, the blue skies and water, the white snow on the mountains.

[Go back and see my inspiration board and more pictures from our trip here!]

The photo above was the main print I wanted to display.

As for the rest of the bathroom, let’s get something straight, this “master bath” is a glorified closet!

I had no intentions of spending much on the space, so I was hoping to get the most glam & bam out of my buck.

Annabelle of course helped with painting. We went with “Ultra Pure White” by Behr.

Josh demo’ed. I took all of the existing hardware– the brass light sconces, the old toilet paper holder, towel rack and the cabinet that was here when we moved in- and I spray painted everything a matte black.

This saved us a good amount of money… $50-$100 I would estimate and I love how all the pieces turned out:

This may sound weird, but the toilet paper roll holder may be my favorite! I love its detail.

Purchases:

Outside of the tile, I did buy a few things for the space.

I loved this silver geometric votive holder from Walmart. (Under $3!)

I also bought all of the icy blue hand towels and wash cloths at Walmart. I may have purchased this 3-set of masks just because they matched the decor

The Reveal:

Don’t forget to check out our Ceramic Tile Tutorial Here!

We replaced that ugly sink with a new vanity from Lowe’s.

The baroque-style mirror I found at Walmart for just $20! I think it gives the illusion of higher ceilings with its shape compared to the square medicine cabinet that was in there before.

REMINDER: Compared to what it looked like before…

I’d say we added storage and some value all for under $250!

That has me happy dancing all over these new floors!

If you have any questions about this reno, please feel free to leave them in the comments below. Also, add me on 卡格妮·琳恩·卡特 @birchtreescoffeebeans for more renovation ideas!

The second I saw this ceramic tile online– it took me back to the shores of Reynisfjara Beach in Iceland.

Just the most magnificent place on earth!

I’ve known for sometime I wanted to use our photos from Iceland when we makeover the bedroom but I had never planned to put any effort into the half bath. It’s so tiny, my guess is that it was one time a closet.

My hope is a beautiful, patterned ceramic tile like this will give this tiny space a high-end feel without spending a huge amount of money. I found it on Wayfair.

In addition to the tile, I’m planning to paint the walls a stark white and use some good old fashioned black matte spray paint to do a few diy projects on the fixtures and cabinet that are already in there like these sconce lights.

While I’m cutting costs by revamping some of the existing fixtures, I am planning to spend a little cash on a pretty mirror for the space:

You can find the “Alissa accent baroque oval mirror” on Wayfair as well.

A drastic change like this will also require a facelift once you walk out of our bathroom into our bedroom.

I’ve purchased this chandelier from Target.com and bonus- it’s on sale right now.

I’m also considering buying a small vanity sink so that we have extra storage. This will probably be a function over fancy decision because a basic white vanity runs about $80 while you can spend hundreds on a fancy one. I think I’ll go low-cost there .

春闺梦里人电影在线观看 to my blog now and get an update once we finish the bedroom part of this makeover. The half-bath is now finished. See it here!

Click to view slideshow.

Second Floor:

Click to view slideshow.