It’s Feature Friday!  On Fridays, I’ll be featuring one room in my house in its current condition even if there are some things I’d like to change about it.  If I do happen to improve something later, I can always revisit it when the time comes.  Plus, I’d kinda feel dishonest if I only focused on “finished” rooms in my house.  And if what they (the professionals) say is true, a room is never really finished anyways…you’re always tweaking it.  Concentrating on just one room weekly should give me some time to tidy it up a bit, too.  At least, I can throw all the toys into another room!

If you were ever-so-observant last week, you may have caught a sneak peek at my mini mudroom reflected in the mirror of the powder room.  The catchall mudroom use to be a poor attempt at a hall closet.  Its door was 1 of 3 that opened into a short hallway leading from the garage to the kitchen.  It was a pain to open the closet door because usually the garage door was still open letting others in, so the 2 doors would just bang each other, back-to-back.  One night I had an epiphany to remove the closet door, widen the doorway, install recessed lighting and add a bench to act as a mudroom of sorts.  Handy Hubby did the dirty work (he’s awesome) and I organized the space with baskets, hooks and hangers.  And we did it all for less than $160!!

Here’s our hardworking mudroom…

I painted and recovered a bench we already had then added baskets to dump shoes into.  This makes a great spot for putting on and removing shoes…which keeps my house a little cleaner.

Hooks provide quick hang-ups for purses, hats, backpacks, lunch boxes and hats.

The wooden hangers get utilized during cooler months for jackets, scarves and heavy coats.  Another basket holds gloves and ear warmers.

The ‘MILLER’ black-and-white photography art was a gift from Handy Hubby’s sister.  She took the pictures in Cincinnati and matted them herself.

More than anything, I love the function of this space.  As the homeowners, we nearly always enter our house through the garage, so it made sense to have our dropzone in proximity to the garage versus the front door.  We use this space daily and it helps keep clutter (shoes, bags, coats, etc.) in check.  It’s amazing how much a small room can do if you utilize it to the best of its abilities!

It seems I struggle to keep a good balance in life.  Between all kinds of things…work and play, doing and being, responsibility and carelessness, mom and wife, the moment and the future, wants and needs, keeping quiet and voicing my opinion, family and friends, anticipating my boys’ next milestones and wishing they would stay little, organization and chaos, time for me and time for others, silence and noise, getting things done and letting things go, saving and spending, cleaning up and making messes, observation and participation, dressing down and dressing up, buy it or DIY it, keeping a straight face and laughing out loud, or early bedtime and late bedtime.  No one is either right or wrong.  But there’s usually a good time for one and another good time for its opposite.

Unlike me, here are some interiors that have the ‘perfect balance’ all figured out…at least, in my eyes they do.  I like a room that plays both sides of style and comfort, light and dark, soft and hard, smooth and textured, shiny and matte, colorful and neutral, fun and restrained, crisp and eclectic, contrite and whimsical, old and new.

Sadly, this is the only action my bathtub has seen in the last 2 years.

No bubbles.  No long soakings.  No champagne.  No candles.

I do see 3 handsome, half-naked guys in there every once in a while.

You see, our corner tub is a makeshift barber shop for cutting our boys’ hair.  Handy Hubby trims ‘em up (with the drain closed) on a chair in the bathtub to corral the furry mess. 

It saves us lots of money.  Our boys are hairy!

It’s Feature Friday!  On Fridays, I’ll be featuring one room in my house in its current condition even if there are some things I’d like to change about it.  If I do happen to improve something later, I can always revisit it when the time comes.  Plus, I’d kinda feel dishonest if I only focused on “finished” rooms in my house.  And if what they (the professionals) say is true, a room is never really finished anyways…you’re always tweaking it.  Concentrating on just one room weekly should give me some time to tidy it up a bit, too.  At least, I can throw all the toys into another room!

On the other side of my pantry, lies the only bathroom on the main floor…the powder room.  It’s painted one shade darker than the rest of our downstairs main living space.  I wish it had a window.

I’ve never quite figured out why it’s called a ‘powder room’.  We don’t do any powdering of any kind in here.

I replaced the frameless builder mirror with an oval oak one that I found at a local antique store for $20.  Of course, I painted it white.

I secured a towel hook to the wall at kid-level for the lil’ people in our house.  They really do use it!

The wooden step stool serves double duty.  1) It gives the kids a boost to reach the sink when they wash their hands.  **Key word being when.**  2) It hides up to 3 rolls of toilet paper surplus.

A wall shelf contains typical toiletries:  toothbrushes, toothpaste, fingernail clippers, mouthwash, etc.  And a few atypical ones as well:  sunscreen, bug spray, boys’ hair pomade.

The shelves are necessary storage since the pedestal sink offers none.

I DIY’d this reed diffuser using a 25-cent Goodwill vase, 99-cent chopsticks and vanilla bean scented oil from Wal-Mart.  Everybody asks what smells so good in our powder room.

My dream powder room would have white wainscoting.  I ‘made do’ by painting this border around the room one day while my kids were napping.

I used the end of an empty toilet paper roll tube and the leftover trim paint that the builder gave us.  It cost me $0.

I added pops of pink with the faux orchid vase and orchid print.  You could say I’ve gotta thang for orchids.

So, there you go.  That’s where I’d powder my nose if I did powder my nose.  Which I don’t.  Stay tuned for next week’s tour of another teeny space located outside the powder room.  Then, I promise, onto a bigger room.

For the first time in a looooong time, we had a few uneventful days last weekend.  This is what ensued…

Layne and Everett constructed this indoor tent out of our dining chairs, some blankets and several pillows. 

I love it when they do this – make playthings out of non-playthings.  It reminds me of my childhood.  We had a large family and a not-so-large income, so creativity was a must.

Maybe that’s where all this crazy ‘nesting’ stuff inside me was born from.

On any account, I’m glad my boys have picked up on it.

My good friend, Robyn, and her hubby, Scott, are finishing their basement.  Robyn asked me for some input on furniture pieces and colors for the new space.  Don’t let her fool you…she’s an amazing decorator herself.  But since I like to pretend I’m an interior designer, I put together a little mood board for her.

I broke the basement into zones: 1) an eat-in kitchen 2) a TV area 3) a sitting area 4) a kids’ play area.

1) A mocha pub dining table would contrast with white chairs while a round jute/seagrass rug and circular mirror soften all the hard lines of the basement.

2) A few green and navy pillows in fun geometric patterns would add interest to a comfy, khaki sectional.  Large number art (possibly DIY art that celebrates Robyn and Scott’s anniversary date?) above the couch would anchor the couch and hide a fuse box on the wall.  A modern mobile could fill the empty area above a tricky corner that houses a sump pump.  A flat screen TV hung above/set upon a streamlined console makes this space perfect for family movies.

3) A small reading area off of the TV room could house a pair of slipcovered chairs angled in towards each other.  Two seagrass ottomans could be stacked on top of each other to mimic a coffee table.  Just add a green tray!  The dark ladder shelf would add some contrast, height and storage.

4) Last, but not least, we can’t forget the kiddos!  A large bookcase placed against one wall and stuffed with baskets, bins and toys would keep the little ones occupied.

All the white, mocha, khaki, navy and green would be set against a taupey greige backdrop…possibly Benjamin Moore’s Coastal Fog?

Makes me want to finish our basement!  All in good time.

It’s Feature Friday!  On Fridays, I’ll be featuring one room in my house in its current condition even if there are some things I’d like to change about it.  If I do happen to improve something later, I can always revisit it when the time comes.  Plus, I’d kinda feel dishonest if I only focused on “finished” rooms in my house.  And if what they (the professionals) say is true, a room is never really finished anyways…you’re always tweaking it.  Concentrating on just one room weekly should give me some time to tidy it up a bit, too.  At least, I can throw all the toys into another room!

This week’s feature room is my pantry.  For a ‘room’, it’s small; for a pantry, it’s big.  At least, to me.  It’s right off the dining area and can be entered through this chalkboard door that I painted here.

Somehow, it’s turned into our “I’m Thankful For…” door.  On a whim, we scribble down things that we’re especially thankful for.  It’s nice.  Sometimes I forget it’s there and guests will giggle under their breath at the dining table.  Usually it’s because of something they’ve read on our pantry door – or maybe it’s my cooking? 

This is what lies beyond the door…

The wall to the left holds food items.  I have them separated into baskets by genre per say.

I also added a detachable wire shelf to the bottom that holds diapers, wipes and such.  No more running upstairs to grab a diaper while a naked toddler awaits downstairs.

The back wall of the pantry houses everything from potatoes to batteries to the kids’ crayons.  A few empty baskets await any new items in need of a home.

A round metal tub keeps an overstock of toilet paper and paper towels ready for quick dispensing.

Another shelf added to the bottom stores paper and plastic bags.

The right-hand wall of the pantry is used for hanging items such as a master calendar, reusable shopping bags, aprons, and a broom.

We also park our vacuum and the kids’ large dry erase board against this wall.

This teeny room packs big function and allows our kitchen cabinets to remain relatively food-free (except for some spices, oils and baking supplies located closer to the oven).  Since we open and close the pantry door at least 4,288 times a day, we decided to paint the pantry walls the same color as the dining area to keep things cohesive.  I’m glad we did because if either of our boys get in there, it’s a good bet the door will be left open.

Next week, you’ll find out what’s on the other side of the pantry.  Wanna hint?  It’s another small room.

Last week I shared my dining area with you.

I mentioned that I had added the pattern to the rug myself.  It was SUPER easy (think less than a 45-minute project) and cheap (think less than a $6 project), so I’m letting you in on the action.  First off, I was very happy with the seagrass rug in its original condition.  I purchased it from Natural Area Rugs over a year ago and it’s held up to 2 adults and 2 kids extremely well…especially considering the fact that it lives in the messiest area of our house – right under the table where we eat on a daily basis.  But I was looking to add another dimension and maybe a little pattern to our dining area.  I got the idea to stencil the rug from Sunny’s Goodtime Paints.  Immediately, I knew that some rug stenciling would be in my future.

(courtesy of Sunny Goode)

I had thought of using the stencil Handy Hubby gifted to me for Christmas.  After all, I already used it here and here to stencil a pillow cover and laundry curtains.  But after laying the stencil out on my dining rug, I thought it was a tad on the small side and would create a busier pattern than what I had envisioned.  Hmmm?  What to do?  I considered making my own stencil but 2 boys running around like mad men turned me off to that idea.  When would I possibly find the time?  So, in a moment of desperation, I started searching my house for potential stencil candidates.  It didn’t take me long to rediscover this.

The white frame hanging above our guest bed!  I knew the larger size and shape would give me the geometric pattern I was looking for.  And there’s a little side story to this frame:  it was supposed to be a mirror.  I purchased this ‘mirror’ from Home Decorators Outlet (for $20!!!) but when it arrived the mirror had shattered during shipment.  I was sent a new one to replace it but sending the broken one back would have cost the company more in shipping charges than what the mirror was on sale for ($20).  I got to keep both!  I painted the non-broken mirror gloss black and hung it in our living room.  (It was originally a wood tone.)

I couldn’t bear to throw out the broken mirror’s frame, so I painted it white and hung it above our guest bed.  Who knew someday it would double as a stencil?

Okay, so back to the task at hand:  rug stenciling.  I had a stencil.  I cleared the rug of all furniture and vacuumed it.  (Since I was only going to be using a very thin topcoat of stain and because my rug has a latex backing, I didn’t place anything beneath the rug.) 

I carefully measured to find the rug’s center and marked it with chalk that could be swept away easily when I was done.  Then I placed my ‘stencil’ centered up with the chalk mark.

I used a medium brown wood Sharpie (that we normally use to fill in furniture nicks and scratches) to trace the stencil outline.

I traced more outlines of my frame stencil in a brick pattern, working my to the outside edges of the rug.

For the staining process, I used Minwax’s Special Walnut stain, a small plastic paint tray and 2 sizes of foam brushes. 

The rest was like coloring.  I traced the stencil lines with the small 1″ foam brush and my wood stain…

…then filled in the larger areas with the 3″ foam brush.  The 8 ounce can of wood stain was just the right amount.  OH!  It helps to start in the center of the rug and work your way out.  That way you’re not playing Twister with the wet spots you’ve already stained.

I let my stained rug dry for 4 hours then wiped the excess stain off with an old rag.  The rug was still tacky for about 24 hours after that because we were having crazy humid weather at the time.  We just made an effort not to walk on it until it was fully dry.  The final product…

The effect is subtle.  I only used one coat of stain.  You could easily do 2-3 coats for a more dramatic effect.  I would’ve liked to have done this project outside because wood stain can be fumey.  But it was sunny and 95 degrees.  Instead, I opened the windows (yes, with the AC running) and aimed a big floor fan at the rug then took the kids swimming while it all aired out.

I feel like jumping up and kicking my heels over this project.  It cost $6 and took me less than an hour.  Plus it gives the dining area that extra something I was looking for.  What do you think?

I received a new lunch bag for Mother’s Day this year and it included fabric sandwich baggies constructed of organic linen. 

After using them a few times (and loving ‘em!), I realized we could probably cut back on our plastic Ziploc baggy use by throwing a couple of these bad boys into our bad boys’ packed lunches.  I searched Etsy for some possibilities – and, my-oh-my, were there possibilites.  I settled on these cute-sy kid ones…

 

 

 

I told ya they were cute.  (And that baby is sweet, too, isn’t he?)  They are the Bebeloosh Mini’s handcrafted by Elena Berlo right here in the good ol’ USA.  I bought 4 bags for $25.  Each bag measures 7.5″ x 7.5″ and is made from recycled hemp and organic cotton.  They’re reusable and when they start looking a little crumby just throw ‘em in the wash then line dry.  I absolutely adore them for sandwiches, crackers, pretzels and other kiddie sides.  Of course, we still use the occasional Ziploc baggy for juicer items like fresh cut fruit but I expect these Bebeloosh Mini bags to be a part of our packed lunches for years to come.  Thanks, Elena!

 

All photos courtesy of their relative Etsy sellers.

I’ve gotten a lot of feedback on the boys’ shared bedroom that I revealed last week.  Namely the “L” and “E” wall monograms.  Today I’m letting you in on how easy (and cheap!) these personalized monograms were to DIY.

What to have on hand:

*level

*tape measure

*pencil                                               

*push pin    

*hammer

*string

*flat paint in color of choice (mine was Lowe’s Valspar Fly-by-Night Blue)                      

*2″ or smaller angled paint brush                                                              

*dry wall anchors and screws

*screwdriver                                                                                                                

*wall letter of choice (got my L & E from Hobby Lobby for $4 each on clearance and spray painted ‘em green)

First, I marked out where I wanted the center of my circle to be on the wall above the bed using the tape measure, level and pencil.  At that mark, I gently hammered a push pin into the wall.  **I recommend using a push pin to mark your center because it leaves such a small hole you won’t have to putty or repaint.**

I tied one end of my string to the push pin and the other end to a fabric paint brush (you could easily use a pencil instead) at the length I wanted my radius to measure.  For example, the circles I made are 24″ in diameter meaning they have a 12″ radius…the length of my string from push pin to tiny paint brush was 12″.

As I said, a pencil would suffice but I chose to use a fabric brush and dipped it in my paint to trace out a circle.  A word of caution…try to hold your pencil/brush at a 90 degree angle to the wall at all times!  Otherwise your starting and stopping points won’t align correctly.  This is what my circle looked like after I drew an outline with one large sweeping motion.

The rest was easy.  I removed my push pin and string then painted inside the outline with a 2″ angled brush.  Here it is after 1 coat…

…and 2 coats (still a little wet)…

After the paint dried, I hung the letters centered up within each circle using drywall anchors, screws and a screwdriver.  I don’t want a sleeping somebody getting bonked in the head from a fallen letter!  The final monogram…

A little advice if this is something you’re wanting to take on:  Paint the circle in flat paint.  Glossy paints can give the look of a sticker or decal.  Instead, paint your letter in a glossy finish to give the monogram more dimension and depth.  Also, choose contrasting paint colors so the letter really stands out from the circle.  Contrast makes a dramatic effect.

So, that’s how I added a little personalization to Layne and Everett’s bedroom for cheap.  (I used leftover paint from the dropcloth curtains to make my circles, 2 metallic gold letters were $8 and the green spray paint for the letters was $4…that’s 2 monograms for $12, peeps.)  I’m pretty infatuated with all things typography.  Some smart alecky people (ahem, Jimbo) think it’s funny to ask me if I had to label my boys’ beds so they’d know where to sleep every night.  That wasn’t my intention but it should help to settle some brotherly fights that are bound to occur!