Rooms for Little People: Part II

Grahm Robert's room used to be the office.
This was in the newlywed phase and pre-children.
Then it was the "master suite".
This poor boy slept in our bedroom in a bassinet, then shared a room with his big sis until he was two-ish.

When the Mr. and I moved upstairs, the children got their own bedrooms, and alas...Grahm had his own space.  I'm still in search of a few things for this boy's room.  1.  a vintage head/foot board  2.  a "set" of lockers.  3.  a map to hang on the wall.  The "theme" in his room is transportation.  Things that move.  My grandpa (who was born in this house) used to fly airplanes and there is theeee neatest picture of him next to his airplane, that my mother will not give up to me.  I reallllly want to have to hang in Grahm's room!

On another note.  Two city-wide garage sales this weekend to hit up!  Is it terrible and am I a horrible mother because I've been excited all week for this weekend and am hoping it rains so Grahm's soccer game gets cancelled???

Goodnight.

Rooms for Little People: Part I

I have the Spring blues...or I am yearning for summer vacay.  I don't know what it is, but I need CHANGE!  About that time, I feel the need to rearrange my house.  Every room in the house.  Switch furniture pieces among rooms.  Total upheaval.

This past weekend I started in on Addie's room.  She recently acquired a new iron daybed, and it is massive.  We live in a million year old bungalow folks.  These rooms are not large.  We have two closets in the whole house.  Wait.  Three.  Soooo, needless to say, this bed takes up the majority of the room.


















Her room was cute, but I wanted to make it more girly, with a little bit more of a vintagy feel.  I took a tall bookshelf out of the bathroom, that we were using to nest all of our morning supplies, and stuck it in her room to keep her books on.








Pretty!  This book is our current favorite!  I'd like to get to the thrift store, antique store, anywhere, and locate some vintage children's books to display in her room.

Next, I wanted to get her a little desk so she could have a little work station/art area to work at.  But, like I said.  Tight squeeze.  So her toy box, that Uncle Devin made for her a few years ago, is now a little spot to draw and write.  I painted this antique serving tray with chalkboard paint and put some of the kids pencils and chalk in mason jars.  The girl has an entire Rubbermaid container full of markers/pens/crayons.  Like mother, like daughter.

Her dresser has been painted chalkboard for a while...(I paint everything chalkboard).  I just touched up her pretty name with some new chalk and whaaalaaaa.  Instant art.  Tonight we added a little reading nook on the side of her bed.  (She was actually trying to crawl back in there during a little temper tantrum, and I had a revelation...cozy reading nook.  We put a rug down, added a handful of her 5000 stuffed animals, and some throw pillows (that I stole from the couch (weren't using them because they're too matchy matchy)).  I'll be looking for some lovely fabric to recover those baby's asap.  Addie's request was first sparkly, then decided on feathers.  Wish me luck.

Up next, Grahm Robert's room.
Bye.

To Do Lists and DIYs Galore

After the fam spent another enjoyable night out by the fire and played a couple of games of Left Right Center (so fun and both kids can play...even Grahmmie).  I was catching up on some of my fave blogs this evening, and oh my goodness...  I am in the process of jotting down list after list after list of projects and crafts I am going to tackle.

I checked out an older post from Smile and Wave in which there was a home tour of one of the most beautiful homes and rooms I've ever seen.  Check it out here.

So, generally, my brain was sent into full repurpose mode.  I need to update my kids' rooms.  Make them more chic.  Add some vintage flair.  Vintage personality.  So I will be hitting those thrift stores like a mad woman tomorrow after Grahm's soccer game.  I can't wait!

Happy Weekend!

Pretty Purchases

Yikes.  I know I have an addiction.  Shopping.  I have now become an obsessive online shopper as well.  Normally, I'm so impatient and have to have what I want RIGHT THIS MINUTE.  But lately I'm guilty of the one click purchase.  My husband is going to kill me.  I have received a couple of packages (okay, it's really probably a few more than "just a couple") in the past couple of weeks that I'm loving.  And I really love getting packages in the mail, so I seem to keep ordering. Frequently.  There is just something exciting about waiting to see when that package is going to turn up!  Here are some of my recently purchased goods.  Some of these were thrifted and some were not!

I'm slightly obsessed with Tori.  Don't judge.

Vintage Pyrex bowls!  

Pretty glasses.  Thrifted.

Purchased at Home Depot.  Perfect for magnetic spice pots and helpful kitchen tips.

Pretty tray.  Thrifted.

Tulips in a mason jar.  Pretty for Easter!

Turns out the book was the only on-line purchase in this post after all.  However, I "accidentally" ordered a pair of sandals for myself and for Addie.  Not to mention my items from Parcel and Paper, my darling dress and clutch from Red Velvet, and a gorgeous bag I'm waiting on to haul all my planners around in that doesn't ship till the end of April.  

I blame my mother for this addiction.

XOX  

P.S.  Oh yes.  I changed the name of the blog.  Hope you all can find me.  Ha.

Outdoor Nights

I love plants and flowers.  I am sooooo itching to buy some pretty annuals to pot in the bazillion pots around our farm...but as my mother warned me even just today, it could still freeze.
Rule of thumb.  Don't plant anything (except for pansies) before Mother's Day.

I did, however, get a few herbs planted.  So far I've got sweet basil and lavender potted and I have some seeds for mint I need to get growing.  (Never done herbs from seeds before, so we'll see how it goes.)  I found some darling pots at Crate & Barrel on my last trip down south to Kansas City, and was second away from purchasing them when my mom reminded me that I could make them.  So I did.  I spray painted a couple terra-cotta pots white and then, as I do paint most everything with chalk board paint, I painted a little square on the front so I could chalk in what was grown.  Waalaa.  Eat that C&B.  

I also have chives growing and am going to put in a tomato plant.  I realllllly want a big ol' garden with lettuce and onions and strawberries and cucumbers and peppers...but I am afraid I won't tend to it and it'll turn in to a ginormous week patch.  I keep saying maybe next year.  So, maybe next year.

We spend a lot of time outside in the spring and summer.  And we finally got a new fire pit for our patio area!!!  Yay!  We took her for a test drive the night before last...and it was perfect.  It's made from recycled copper and it's about twice the size of the old pit.  (We burnt through the bottom of that thing.)

Two in two days.  Boooyeah.

Blog. Blog. Blog.

Oh my goodness.  It has been almost a month.  I do not know how to be a mom, a full-time teacher, a housekeeper, and a blogger.  I don't have enough time in the day.  : (  I must say...I have been on Spring Break this week, and each day I've been thinking I could maybe just stay home everyday.  Drink coffee.  Bake/make a breakfast pastry, (Blueberry Coffee Cake...  Delish.)  I'd be watching Rachel Ray, The Young and the Restless, The Chew (a new fave), and follow up with Ellen.  And then I could blog in between my day-time television watching and DIY projects.  No?  Well, on the plus side.  I do believe I only have 30 days of school left.  Hallelujah!

This is going to be some randomness up in here.  I suppose, I'll begin with this week.  As I mentioned it's Spring Break.  So, my goals and to-do lists consisted mostly of house work and DIY home projects.  I have been busy. The biggest, and most time-consuming project I've attempted is painting the "hallway", landing, and stair case that leads upstairs to our bedroom.  It looks one thousand times better than it did.  And I'm not even done with it yet...because I cannot complete a project without getting sidetracked 22 times in a time period.  My goal is to get 'er done tomorrow.  I had pinned a staircase on Pinterest with stenciling and patterns on the backs of the stairs and I am attempting that too.  I've brainstormed some designs...chevron, arrows, and polka dots to name a few.  Here are some "in-progress" photos.

I've also been working on some silhouette projects out of this book by Vana Chupp  This gem was a find at a great store on The Plaza in K.C.  It's from The Paper Source.  I matted the silhouettes on pretty paper and framed them.  Pleasantly pleased.

Since I am obsessed with paper products, I recently purchased some cute washi tape from Parcel and Paper and from Archivers.  I mad a chevron covered notebook to stick in my purse so I could jot down lists on the run.  I'm thinking these will improve with time...still working some kinks out.  I also purchased the most darling paper straws from this Etsy shop too.  Addie noticed them right away!

Hmmmm.  What else.  Ooooh.   Another big project will be going down on Sunday/Monday.  I am going to attempt another Pinterest project like this.  We got a beautiful new copper fire pit, since we spend most summer weekends sitting by the crackling fire, sipping on ice cold adult bevies, and hanging out with my sister-in-law (who just got engaged a few months ago and I am soooooo super excited to help with decor for this event!!!)  Be prepared for a post or two on this topic! 

wedding dress shopping

I'm back.  Hopefully.