Updates on the room most lived in.

We have been busy little beavers over here and I'm so excited that things are finally calming down, for a while at least.  It seems like we always get caught up in a crippling stand off when it come to house stuff, a battle of the wills..or will nots..or budgets..or screw the budget 

I WANT ALL THE THINGS!!

Okay snapping right back to reality now..  Everything we do around here runs on a tight budget and most of the time I like the challenge.  It's like a giant Tetris game of trying to make all the pieces fit with little time and just enough space,  some how I've figured out how to do most of what I want done and often times that involves a lot of good ole fashioned bartering.

It started with scraping the lovely 1980's popcorn off of our ceilings, which was exhausting but also convienient since I counted it as an upper body work out.  Seriously try being 5'2" and scraping over 400 sqft. of ceiling that is several feet over your head (up the ladder, spray, scrape, down the ladder, move the ladder, repeat often).

Once all that was done, it was sanding which made me look like the abominable snowman.  

Then priming and then painting the beautifully flat new ceiling!

After that we moved onto painting over the golden mustard colored walls that were all the rage with the tuscan decor style that I got sucked into over a decade ago.. :/  

They are now an amazing shade of blue/gray/green from Behr called Horizon Gray.

It's super cool how the wall color changes with the light, it's a light blue gray in the daylight and more of a green beige under lamp light.

Then the cherry on top... I spent my days painting sheds (another upper body workout) in exchange for a custom bookcase which was built for the back wall of my living room. We beefed up the trim and painted it Pottery Barn's  'Simply White'.  I would love to say there was a researched and tested train of thought behind picking the "perfect" white for the space, but honestly I was so fried at this point that I just  picked what Pinterest told me to and it ended up being perfect! 

YAY for a Pinterest win! 

That was what this space has been needing for so long!

Ahhh...  It's amazing how dumb I felt since it took me so long debating if I really wanted to put a bookcase in that back corner or not...  It completed the room and added so much instant charm and warmth, don't even get me started on the storage and practicality of it.

All of this had to be done back to back.. since our house is small and EVERY square foot of it is put to good use it's not like we could just sit back and take a break while we avoid the rooms that are "in progress".   There are no short cuts in our house, you really have to walk thru the whole thing to get from the kitchen to the bathroom, or bedroom, or upstairs, or back deck...  It may have taken a while but I am so happy with the outcome, I laugh and shake my head every time I think of how long it took me to get up the nerve and actually get it done.  

Life lesson...  Just do it!  Nike is so wise :)

Family bathroom gets a makeover ~

You guys remember that brown bathroom that I posted about (here) a while back, the one that I loved how it looked bathed in candle light and bubbles,  so relaxing and calm and adult.  Well with a toddler running around like a crazy person that just wasn't practical anymore.  

 

This bathroom is our only downstairs bath and is located in the hall between the living room and our bedroom, which means that not only does it need to look pretty and clean for our guests, but it also needs to serve a practical purpose for hubby and I. 

 I love having these tea towels in here instead of the normal hand towels, it makes the room feel more like a part of the rest of the house.

Even 'little bit' can come in here and wash up (mostly) on her own.

We've really enjoyed having a fresh new bathroom that functions well for the whole family.

Thanks for stopping by. 

*Angela*

Bathroom Makeover

It's time...   

It's something I have wanted to do for a long time now...   

It's something that needs to be done...

One of those things that you just shut the door on,  you know "out of sight out of mind" well it was working for a while, at least until the popcorn ceiling started falling down all by itself (easiest popcorn removal ever).  To be honest I left it like that for about a good two weeks, with a bare round spot right above the tub... I was kinda hoping it would continue to fall on its own.  

Finally I just couldn't take it anymore, staring at those loose bits of popcorn precariously hanging over the one place that is meant to be clean and shiny, where we go to bathe and wash away all the dirt and grime from our busy days... it just made me feel so dirty and grimy, also I was tired of all the "bob and weave" tactics we've had to perfect just to take a shower with out getting covered in plaster. 

So after two weeks of getting in a mini workout during our shower times, I decided to go ahead and handle the situation.  

It's funny how your style changes over time and what you were once so excited about later on you feel the need to explain your decision so that people will understand and not judge so harshly.  Hopefully no one is really that "judgie"  "judgy" whatever I don't even know if it's a real word but I do know that I have walked into places and been like " ok..that's different,  what were they thinking".  

 So before you start wondering...

 It took a lot of time to choose the right color of brown for a bathroom,  this one is 'Birds nest' brown.  It was the only one that came across as a more natural brown.

...and it looked so cozy in the candlelight with all the lights off and it was just me and the bubbles in our own little world... but lets face it with a toddler running around the house, those bubble filled tub days are over (for a while) unless it's also filled with yellow ducks and a giggling youngin in which case I don't really feel that the candles would be wholeheartedly appreciated.

The brown will be leaving,  and will be replaced with a much lighter but still very grounded feel. 

Since this is our only downstairs bath, and our bedroom is on the first floor, it acts as a "master" bath and "guest" bath.  Storage will be a main key, but it also needs to be hidden or at least pretty.  I don't want guests to feel like they are intruding into that private area of our lives just because they have to go potty.  

 Not to mention how much stuff do you really need in a bathroom?  I love Bath & Body Works as much as the next person, but do I really need 3 new scents for each season...NO!

So storage and simplifying will be the focus. 

I kinda feel like that is the mantra for our lives right now, not a bad one to have.

*Angela*

Burlap + Letters = so cute!

Melanie over at My Sweet Savannah (here) is doing a burlap letter giveaway today so be sure to head on over and check her out! 

Really one of the cutest blogs out there!

Bird & Garden Baby Girl Nursery

We finally have Lil' A's room done, and I have to say it is my FAVORITE room in the whole entire house! 

If you remember a while back I had found a little birdie that helped me make up my mind on the direction I wanted to go with the nursery. 

This little guy here

For the most part I feel that I have held true to the original plans (although nothing stays exactly the same way it was planned) with the exception of the fabric I wanted to use.  

Throughout most of my pregnancy I swore to myself that I would not go super girly in the baby's room, I myself am not a girly girl and I wanted to create a room that my very masculine husband would feel comfortable spending some time in as well.

*Turns out it wouldn't matter if I painted it hot pink, if the baby is in there my husband is in there.  He only has eyes for her (and me)!

 

However the closer it was to her being born the more girly I got, so when one of my friends passed down her crib bedding... all pink and green and flowery, I took it and ran.  I adore the garden theme anyway and it still goes perfectly with the birds and green in the original plan.

The overall effect is very calm and peaceful (we're hoping that rubs off on the child =)

I still kept the room toned down on the girly side but I love that it is just feminine enough to let everyone know that it is a room for a sweet baby girl.

I love the frame over her bed, it was so easy to make and I wanted to pull together the birds with the chicken wire

 (I thought it was very appropriate).

 Her dresser was a yard sale find that was a a cheap looking yellow pine piece (Uggg).  We stripped down the top and brought it back to a nice natural look that matches very closely to her crib, then painted the lower part a soft ivory.   I wanted it to have a little more definition against the white beaded board walls and not get lost so much.

The "colly birds" dish I just snagged at Pottery Barn has moved upstairs to hold onto all of baby's hair bows.  I think their adorable but hubby thinks they look like brain constrictors, so right now they are decor!

 I love how the curtain filters the light shining in thru her window,  this room is the brightest in the house but it also faces the neighbors back yard.  Now... we are much closer with our neighbors than anyone should be (love/bicker with them like siblings) but I don't necessarily want them to witness our 3am nursing time while their dogs are doing the 3am peeing thing, hence the single panel over the entire window.

This banner was super easy to make...scrapbook paper, glue stick, and a ribbon. 

Trust me you can figure it out.

 

This little guy is battery powered and flutters around in his jar when he detects movement, 

I can't wait till baby is alert enough to actually watch it.

On the other side of the room is the changing station, again with some cute little birdies hanging around.  

I am all about the functionality of a proper changing table,  but not at all about the exposed and necessary storage of baby mess.  So up went the panel I made to hide the storage with fabrics that kinda matched the crib set.....so nice and pretty now!

See baby mess is still there...

The birdie mobile is a "mommy made" project, this was really fun to make... for some reason I always feel like things come to life when I get to stuff them! 

(sounds weirder than it is)*

Hey look....my little guy found a home!

The door handles are going to be switched out with black ones.

This little green house was pulled out of the trash a while ago...

I have always adored the little bird perched on top, but it is missing the top layer of glass so not really effective anymore, just pretty!

OK.... 

now the functional side of things that we cannot live without! 

No. 1   Baby Monitor

My in-laws gave us an awesome baby monitor, it is the "Summer" brand. Really all their monitors look great. This one has an eye in the sky to spy on the baby. (sorry.. I went a little Dr. Seuss there).  You can even rotate said eye and spy around the room as well as zoom in on the picture.

See... an aerial view of the crib.  This one is very sensitive on hearing as well, it can pick up even the slightest whisper, or you can turn the volume off to watch the baby in peace and quiet.  Then if you are really brave you can turn the screen and volume off, it has a nifty thingy at the top that shows the volume (when baby screams it goes red) this feature works well for me, baby screams for 5 min when you put her down then passes out.  It took a while to figure out she was just working herself to sleep, if I hear her or see her flail I want to pick her up but for some reason the volume meter isn't as unsettling.  *go figure

No. 2   Mobile

This works well at night with the projector that show a nature scene on the canopy and plays music,  then at nap time she just watches the animals dance around her head and listens to music.  In the mornings sometimes she wakes up and starts talking to the animals, we listen in on the conversation thru the baby monitor.  Love that girl!

No. 3   Storage

A while ago we started to give our closets an overhaul

Well they are finished (for now) and are providing plenty of much needed storage space. 

Door #1

hubby built me some shelves to contain even more baby mess, eventually this side will be turned into a reading nook but for now it holds all the extras. 

Door #2

Cute baby clothes! 

Plenty of room left but their clothes are so small.

There you have it, now I'm already planning her "Big Girl" room. 

I know I know...I need to slow down!

*Angela*

What time is it?

I don't know let me look at my HUGE clock......

I found this super cool pocket watch style clock about a year ago at Home Goods (awesome place).  It was one of those things I would normally never buy, had no clue where I would put it, but couldn't get it out of my head.  I put it in my cart and took it out again at least three times before I made it up to the register with a HUGE red clock.

 

Well big red came out of storage and was about to go home with my mom because I couldn't decide where I wanted to hang it, then she asked if I thought to put it over the fireplace.... of course I thought of that you crazy woman.  *Crap* why did I not think of that!

After scrounging around to find a "Hercules Hook" to hold the weight and not leave a huge hole. (I love these hooks...they work!)

Big Red finally found a home over the fireplace.  Really wish I would have thought of this earlier, don't you just love it when moms point out the obvious?

 

I think that I will need to add a little more to the collection, it looks a little sparse to me but the big red clock is hanging proudly!

 The berries and branches came from the bushes in front of the house, it's free seasonal foliage I don't have to worry about it getting too dusty or dying, I'll just clip more...yay!

The little birdie came back from South Africa with one of my good friends.  I have really gotten into the whole bird trend but I'm trying not to fill my house up with adorable owls and cute birdies so I'm glad this guy has a story to him, it makes him more personal.

My husband and I found this rock on our 6th anniversary,  we were hiking in the Blue Ridge mountains and talking about dreams, goals, plans for the future, generally what we want out of life.  To me the rock looks like a solid little house, it will always represent the home that we aspire to build, filled with the hopes and dreams from our hike that will one day come into fruition.

*Angela*

Gallery Wall

It's a tough decision....

Do you hang the pictures in a box formation, free form, do the edges need to line up? Better yet what color frames do I need to use, should they match..size or style, should the pictures be color, black and white, or a combination? 

No wonder it took me so long to do a gallery wall.  I scoured the internet and magazines to find inspiration and loved what I saw... really there is absolutely no rule.  Just hang what you love!

Here are a few that caught my eye and gave me inspiration.

 (unknown source)

 (Pottery Barn)

 (Pottery Barn)

(Pinterest)

So I finally decided to give it a go, I left some room in between pics so that I can move them around and add in more as I go along, but I really like the way it turned out.  The arrangement definitely livens up that wall which was a blank slate before and made that corner of the living room seem so dull.

 

Many of the frames were collected from other spaces in the house, I'm trying to put more of an emphasis on our living room since that's where all the people hang out....duh!  No clue why I've neglected this room for so long while I focused on the other rooms that no one but us goes into.  That does not make sense! 

I love that the small keys hanging on the wall actually go with this buffet,  we got this piece off Craigslist and it did not have any keys with it but the locks do function.  Since the flea market is a great place to find random things, we carried one of the drawers around to different vendors until we found two keys that would work, although the keys are different they both fit the locks!

Unfortunately in our small house we don't have (or have space for) a Liquor Cabinet so we just corral all the bottles in this tray, a trick I carried over from my mom.  At least most liquor bottles are very pretty and have nice designs on them.   

 

No... I don't paint, although I would love to know how.  Not sure how I started a collection of art easel picture frames but they are some of my favorites!

Now I have a whole corner of people, places, and things that I love, what a better thing to look at than a blank wall!

*Angela*