Friday seems like a good day to be spontaneous and step off the beaten path. I’m going to try sharing five things on Fridays. They might be five things I do every day, five things I would buy if I won the lottery, five things every stylish house should have, five things in my wardrobe, five things I’m good at, five things I’m awful at, five things I love to eat, etc. You get the idea. So, here we go.

I have not been a very good pinner. My pinterest account was lacking. But if I had to choose one thing to fall by the wayside, I would choose pinterest over my kids, piles of laundry, blogging, a DIY project, sleep, New Girl and wine. Yes, those are things that have been preoccupying my pinterest time. Sorry pinterest.

A little over a year after welcoming #3, I finally feel like I am starting the slow return to normal. Whatever normal is. Is it just me or does it take longer to find “normal” with each sequential kid? #3 was a doozie for me. My worst sleeper by far. But the good news is she’s developed into a great little sleeper {hallelujah!} and she’s pretty much the cutest thing ever {I might be biased}. And, yes, those two things go hand-in-hand. The better she sleeps, the cuter she gets. So keep sleeping, pretty girl.

Anyways, I found some time last week to update my pinterest boards. I deleted some {goodbye pregnancy} and added others {hello shelf styling}. They are by no means a done deal but they reflect my style much better. I want to keep curating and adding as I discover inspiration online and now I have a good foundation to do it. Here are five things I added to my pinterest boards.

Sources: design*sponge // Olson Kundig Architects // Emily Henderson // Miles & May // Chez Larsson

I love the feel of that living room. Simple and laid back. The modern cabin on stilts is HH’s and my dream abode. Emily is so good a creating little moments within rooms. I wouldn’t be upset if that wood and wenge bench decided to take up residence at the foot of my bed. And the literal indoor/outdoor mat puts a whole new spin on “cuttin’ a rug”.

What have you been pinning lately? If you want, you can follow my continued pinning efforts here.

My below average, off-the-shelf iPhone case broke a few weeks ago. Since then, I’ve been on the hunt for a new one. I would love a leather one. {On a side note: did you watch season 5 of Project Runway a few years ago? Anyone remember Stella and how she always referred to leather as “leatha”? Well, that’s how I always pronounce it now. Leatha.}

Whilst browsing etsy this week, I came across TRIMleather. The shop offers quality handmade leather accessories – everything from belts to phone cases. The craftsmanship is impeccable. The pieces are constructed using vegetable tanned vintage leather. The stitching, embossing and metal details give a luxe look.

Whenever I come across a new {to me} creative shop, I’m always interested in the story behind it. It turns out, the creator of TRIMleather is Corey Le Me, an interior designer by trade who quit his day job and decided to teach himself how to craft with leather. He says his very first coin purse was a disaster but he kept at it until he reached the high standard of quality that his shop is known for today.

Corey keeps three things in mind when designing new pieces: user friendliness, environmental friendliness and minimal design. “Easy isn’t interesting” is one of his favorite mottos.

Personally, I would love to own a piece of Corey’s work. I think the leather phone cases would be a hit with guys {father’s day gift?} as well. Leather is so versatile and durable.

P.S. – I have received a few emails from House*Tweaking RSS subscribers saying they are having trouble receiving posts via the feed. Anyone else having problems? If you wouldn’t mind letting me know what you use to read your blog feeds, I’d appreciate it. I’m trying to figure out what the problem might be. So far, everything looks okay on my end. Sorry for the inconvenience!

images: TRIMleather

Mabrey Larew was born March 30th, 2012, at 5:00 a.m. on the dot, weighing 7lbs 12oz and measuring 21″ long. She has taught me how to live fearlessly. This is the story of her birth.

During week 34 of my pregnancy with Mabrey, I suddenly became fearful.

My last pregnancy {with Everett} had ended with an intense precipitous labor and delivery. 48 minutes start to finish. It might sound desirable but I wouldn’t wish that kind of labor on my worst enemy. I had no control, no down time, no vision – literally, I couldn’t see. What I did have was a hellacious kind of pain that makes my uterus itself curl up in the fetal position just thinking about it now. Fortunately, everything turned out okay even though babies born precipitously are at risk of complications from moving through the birth canal so rapidly. Everett was healthy, perfect.

When I unexpectedly found myself pregnant three years later, I was told I was at risk for another precipitous labor. I figured I had nine months until I needed to worry about it so I filed the idea of precipitous labor away in the back of my mind behind “holy cow! we’re having another baby.”

But by week 34, the fear of precipitous labor had climbed its way to the forefront of my thoughts. What if I’m home alone with the boys? Will I scare/scar them? What if Steve is at work? What if I don’t make it to the hospital on time? {Everett was ten minutes shy of being an in-the-car, on-the-highway birth.} What if this baby doesn’t fare so well? All of these what if’s.

I mentioned something about it on the blog and asked for suggestions to help me mentally during labor. I received many comments and appreciated them all but one really stuck with me. It was Kara Sue {Kara Sue, if you are reading this, you are my hero} who said:

Have you read Ina May Gaskin’s Guide to Childbirth? I don’t remember taking specific breathing exercises from it, but the overall positive tone on unmedicated births, especially in the personal stories, greatly helped me through mine. The book made me feel very empowered, much more so than any hospital birthing class did.

Could reading a book – as opposed to actually learning a coping method – really get me through an unmedicated birth? I like any excuse to read so the next day I checked out the book from my local library. The librarian said “oh, this is about the midwife who delivers babies on a farm in Tennessee.” I froze. WTF? I am not giving birth in a barn stall.

It took several chapters to shake that WTF feeling. The majority of the book is a compilation of true birth stories attended by Ina May. Yes, the births take place on a farm in Tennessee but there are proper accommodations for delivery. Usually small cabins. No barn stalls. There are graphic pictures. It all felt a little hippie-ish and free-spirited to me at first. But by the end, I was empowered. I can’t explain it. Somewhere between page 1 and page 368, I discovered confidence. Confidence in myself as a woman. Confidence in my body. Confidence in nature. Confidence in the birthing process.

One of Ina May’s suggestions for pregnant women is to have a doula present during labor and delivery. Is a doula really necessary? I thought. I mean, Steve can rub my back and tell me I’m doing great. I’ll handle everything else. But the personal birth stories in the book kept coming back to me. Then I realized something profound. At nearly every single birth, the birthing mother was surrounded by other women. The women talked with her, laughed with her, breathed with her, pushed with her, sweat with her, swayed with her. The woman’s partner was usually in attendance as well for support but I couldn’t get over the women.

It wasn’t the same as having a mother, a sister or an aunt in the delivery room. No one crying and holding a leg. No one in charge of taking pictures. No one posting updates on social media. Okay, maybe social media didn’t exist when the book was written but you catch my drift.

That’s when I decided I needed a doula. I told Steve and he was a little weirded out but totally supportive, like always. Here’s the thing. Men {even male obstetricians} can read every book on pregnancy, labor and delivery but they will always lack personal experience. They do not and will not ever know what it is like to give birth. And my man isn’t all that comfortable with blood and pain {he once *almost* fainted at the podiatrist} and the fear of childbirth shows on his face no matter how hard he is squeezing my hand. That’s why I needed a doula.

The next day I found a certified doula on DONA.org. Her name was Janet. She was local. I told her my fear of another precipitous labor. She reassured me she would be present even if I couldn’t make it to the hospital. We met several times during those last few weeks of my pregnancy. Sometimes she came to our apartment. Sometimes we went to the park. Sometimes we met for lunch. She shared her own birth stories with me {one of which was a stillbirth}, recommended more books chronicling real life birth stories, helped me nail down a birth plan with my OB and gave me things to keep in mind during labor.

On Thursday, March 29th, 2012, I had a checkup with my OB. I was 4cm dilated but baby’s head was still high. I was due in one week. I had never made it to my due date with my previous children and I had an inkling that this baby would make an appearance over the weekend. The boys’ spring break started the next day so Steve and I decided to let them spend the weekend at my dad’s just in case it was the weekend. We drove them out to my dad’s, stayed for dinner and a movie then returned to our apartment.

At midnight I was wide awake in bed. Steve was sound asleep. I was waiting. Waiting for something. Anything. Then a mild contraction hit me. Then another. And another. They weren’t awful but I could tell they weren’t Braxton-Hicks either. I muffled my labored breathing during contractions with my pillow. I didn’t want to wake up Steve. By 1:00 a.m., I was contracting regularly but I could tell this labor wasn’t like my last one. It had already lasted fifteen minutes longer, the contractions weren’t as intense early on and I had down time in between them. While my doula wasn’t particularly worried about a precipitous labor again, she did think I would progress quickly and thought we should play it safe as far as leaving for the hospital. So I woke up Steve and told him I was in labor. I thought we should call Janet.

Janet arrived at our apartment at 1:30 a.m. My contractions were getting stronger. I was sitting on the bed with my legs bent under me. When I felt a contraction coming on, I instinctively raised up onto my knees, bent at the waist and buried my head down in my pillow. It felt so good to be on my knees blowing into my pillow during the contractions. Steve pressed into my lower back.

I was having a lot of back pain like I did with my very first labor. My first baby was posterior, pushing up against my spine and tailbone. This pain was familiar. I got a little worried because after 15 hours of labor my first time around the labor & delivery block, my baby was literally stuck. He was facing the wrong way for his head to properly maneuver through the birth canal. He was under distress. My OB had suggested a “walking epidural” to help relax my uterus and get me on my hands and knees. One hour later, Layne was born vaginally sunny side up with a huge purple cone head and a low Apgar score. But he ended up being just fine. {I put a hat on him until he was a few weeks old and his head was no longer molded and bruised.} Still, I worried about delivering another posterior baby.

Janet was reassuring. She was vocally encouraging during contractions, her voice soft and kind. Knowing. In between contractions, she smiled and talked. An hour later, I started whimpering during the contractions. Janet reminded me to keep my mouth open and my voice deep. She suggested we head for the hospital. Part of me wanted to stay at the apartment in my bed. I was leery of my labor petering out and slowing at the hospital because of its cold rooms, hard beds, bright lights and constant prodding.

Steve dropped me off at the emergency entrance. I waited leaning against a wall while Steve and Janet parked their cars. The receptionist offered me a chair or a wheelchair. I declined. Sitting was the last thing I wanted to do. I wanted to move.

We all made it to the delivery room. It was 2:30 a.m. I was 6-7cm. I had the best nurse. She upheld my birth plan without criticism and I was able to move around without being hooked up to an I.V. or fetal monitors. She even turned off the bright lights. I worked through more contractions and more positions. I circled my hips on a birthing ball. I got on my knees in the bed. I stood and wrapped my arms around Steve’s neck, swaying. If I stopped moving my body, my mind would take over. This is what you wanted? This hurts. It’s going to get a lot harder you know. You can’t do this.

And then I would hear Janet. “You are so strong. You are doing good work. You have progressed so well. It won’t be much longer. Baby will be here soon.”

I was still having intense back pain. I asked the nurse if the baby was posterior. She said it was a possibility. I took that as a yes. At 4:00 a.m., I was nearing the end. I was tired. Really tired. I was having doubts. I was having trouble staying on top of the powerful contractions. The OB on duty came in and introduced himself. He was from my OB’s office but I had never met him before. He was short and reminded me of the dad on Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. He asked if I wanted to have my water bag broken to speed things up. He was on his way to an emergency D&C in 15 minutes and wouldn’t be able to deliver me until after that if I waited.

I thought he was an asshole and secretly hoped the baby would come during the D&C. I nearly got my wish.

Everyone says there is so much pressure at the end of labor but I say there is pain and burning and PAIN. Maybe a little pressure. My younger sister who is a marathon runner and not a mother once asked me about natural childbirth. I told her if she could run marathons, she could have a baby. She replied, “Yeah, but it’s not like I’m running marathons with my vagina.” So, I guess natural childbirth is like a triathlon for your vagina. And I was about to cross the finish line sounding like a dying cow.

I felt like the baby was coming any minute whether I pushed or not. I told Janet. Then my water broke. On its own. Not ten minutes after the OB had asked to rupture my membranes. Take that Rick Moranis wannabe. I was getting feisty. More nurses had set up shop in the room. Somehow I had missed all that while my vagina was sprinting. The new nurses were telling me not to push. To wait for the doctor.

Wayne Szalinski entered the room. I could barely see him over the delivery bed. I was already pushing. I couldn’t help it. It was the first time my back had touched the bed. It was so uncomfortable. The OB told me to move down towards him. In my head – not out loud – I cursed him. It wasn’t my fault he had short arms. I was squeezing Steve’s arm so tight. Janet said the baby had lots of dark hair.

Instant relief. The OB laid the baby on me with its crotch right in my face. “Congratulations, it’s a girl!” Well, yes, I can see that. Thank you, Mr. Obvious. I looked up at Steve. I will never, ever forget the puddles he had for eyes at that very moment. Janet was beaming.

I couldn’t get over how cute, calm and alert our babygirl was. She didn’t cry. She was taking it all in – even lifting up her head to look around. I had always envisioned myself surrounded by a family of boys – big and little – and here was this girl. What in the world do I do with a girl?

Talk with her. Laugh with her. Breathe with her. Sweat with her. Push with her. Share with her.

Let her move freely. Remind her of her strength. Encourage her and tell her she is doing good work. Reassure her when she is scared.

Because even non-girly women need women.

images: Dana Miller

Our patio reveal is up over on The Home Depot’s blog, The Apron. Here’s where we started…

…and here’s where we ended up…

The goal was to create an outdoor dining space that jives with our simple, modern, cozy style. To see more pictures {day and night!} and hear all the details, check out my post over on The Apron. Bonus: There are many great ideas from other bloggers over there, too, to get your creative juices flowing.

Sprucing up the back patio jumpstarted more outdoor projects. Stay tuned…

Click here to see who won last week’s giveaway.

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

I’ve had requests to share my favorite etsy shops and finds. Dare I say I spend more time browsing etsy than pinterest? It’s true. I’ve decided to try weekly etsy features and see how they go over. Let me know if you enjoy them!

This week on etsy I stumbled upon the most amazing collection of handmade chandeliers and sconces via Stimulight. The urchin-like starburst lighting has a midcentury vibe that reminds me of the Sputnik but is more affordable than the popular vintage pieces. Most of the fixtures are listed with a price tag of less than $400 while true Sputniks and even high end replicas can sell for upwards of $1,000.

The custom fixtures are made with the utmost attention to detail. The metal spines are crafted from high quality wire and can be adorned with hand painted wood beads for an explosive effect.

Along with chandeliers, the shop also offers handsome wall sconces and table lamps. I could see a pair of urchin sconces above a buffet in a dining room or flanking the bed in a master bedroom. A single sconce near a rocking chair or glider would be so adorable in a nursery.

After discovering this inspiring little shop, I was delighted to find out more about the maker and designer behind the pieces. The shop is the result of a creative collaboration between a visual display manager and an engineer. Zach Dutton, one half of the Stimulight duo, is a visual display designer for West Elm. Yes, THE West Elm. I’m a huge fan of West Elm so it’s really no surprise that I’m drawn to the experimental lighting gig spurred by one of their designers. I don’t think this newly introduced tangent shop will be sitting on the sidelines for long!

What do you think of these affordable spins on a vintage design? Are you a fan of West Elm too?

images: Stimulight

Some of my favorite bloggers have a case of the kitchen blues.

John and Sherry of Young House Love recently painted their kitchen walls a happy blue. The blue-gray walls play nicely with the white cabinets, warm wood tones, gray accents and bursts of cheerful color.

Lauren Liess of Pure Style Home is using blue bead board in a client’s kitchen. I think it gives the farmhouse style kitchen a youthful feel.

Chris and Julia are in the midst of a complete kitchen overhaul. They updated their existing cabinetry with new paint – white on the upper cabinets and sophisticated navy on the base cabinets. I’ll be checking in on them tomorrow to sneak a peek at their new walnut countertops which are sure to look rich and handsome next to the navy.

What do you think of using blue paint in the kitchen? Would you try it? Where? Walls, backsplash or cabinets?

images:  1) Young House Love  2) Pure Style Home  3) Chris loves Julia

I bought a new coffee table. Technically, it’s a bench but the proportions were right. Our previous coffee table was almost five years old. It was West Elm and I found it at a Pottery Barn outlet for $40. It was originally red but, for the price, I primed and painted it white. It worked really well in our previous living room but it was too high, too round and too chunky for our current living room. I envisioned something longer, lower and narrower. I bought the bench/coffee table from Overstock although it looks like it’s currently out of stock and they’ve raised the price. I used a coupon and paid $171.58 total for it two weeks ago. The dimensions are working out perfectly and I’ve been having fun styling it.

With the help of Target and their new Threshold collection, I’ve put together three different coffee table looks for you. I took Mabrey shopping while the boys were in school one morning in search of tabletop accessories and, boy, did I find them. Candles, vases, figurines, bowls, hurricanes…you name it. You guys, Target is killing it right now. And that’s why I agreed to work with them. Everything I’m about to show you are things that would be on my personal wish list even if I wasn’t partnering with them.

Without further ado, look #1. POPPY & GRAPHIC

This is probably the “springiest” look. It’s a combination of graphic patterns, red-orange pops of color, gold and wood.

At one end of the table is a stack of colorful books, a pair of single stem vases, a gold dipped bowl and a small matte white bowl painted chartreuse on the inside.

At the other end of the table I put down the marble pastry board I introduced to you here. I topped it with a third single stem vase, a brass hurricane, a black and white canister and a chevron wood box.

I tossed a white pillow with gold embossed edges on the chair and added a punchy patterned pillow with sequins and now they are planning their wedding.

I stole a graphic black and white pillow from the boys’ room for the leather couch.

Cheerful?

A bright red-orange candle brings color to the marble slab vignette. And it smells uh-maaaaaazing. Melon-y.

I can’t get enough of the brass hurricane/lantern and wood box.

Shop the look: dipped bowl / lattice canister / chevron box / brass hurricane / embossed pillow / dot stripe pillow

For look #2 I kept a few of my favorites {the lantern and wood box} on the table and brought in other items. WORLDLY & ECLECTIC {a.k.a. PUT ME IN THE ZOO}

This look is more masculine with ethnic-inspired patterns, animal figurines, brass, wood tones and a little quirk.

I grouped a yarn wrapped gazelle figurine, the same brass lantern {this time with a neutral, less aromatic candle} and a pierced tin hurricane.

Near the middle of the table is a hand painted wood bowl and a thrifted wood sculpture. To achieve a “lived in” look I threw in an open magazine, fresh greenery, a small bowl of cashews and cloth napkins.

The other end of the table holds books, gold animal figurines and another snack bowl filled with cashews.

There is a diamond patterned pillow and sheepskin on the chair.

I threw down a chevron runner under the table. The same embroidered pillow from look #1 is on the sofa along with a Nate Berkus gold mesh & tweed pillow. Of all the pillows shown today, the gold + tweed is my favorite. I love you Nate.

Can you see how the seat of the leather sofa is starting to patina and wrinkle? I love it. Good leather only gets better with age.

The painted detailing on the wood bowl is an art form. Of all the non-pillow pieces I selected, this bowl is my absolute favorite.

The gold rhino and elephant are pure fun. Everett asked me if rhinos and elephants eat cashews. It does look like I’m feeding them cashews out of a fancy trough, no?

Shop the look: yarn wrapped gazelle / brass hurricane / silver lattice hurricane / wood bowl / snack bowls / brass animals / diamond pillow / gold & tweed pillow

Finally, for look #3, I decided to go au naturel. NEUTRAL & LOVELY

This look is casual and effortless. It’s all about matte whites, warm wood tones, piles of books & magazines and glowing candles.

On one end of the table I brought in a white serving platter and topped it with a natural wood vase, two curvy white vases and a silver tea light holder. I cut a few crape myrtle branches {from the store…still no sign of spring!} and stuck them in the vases.

In the middle of the table is a stack of my favorite home design books. The gold & wood box makes another appearance in this look alongside a ceramic tea light holder.

I brought back the marble board and used it as a casual serving tray. I filled a chip and dip server with salsa and tortilla chips. A squatty candle and stemless wine glasses round out the tray. Chips and salsa go with wine, right? I consume them together all the time. YUM.

Our new coffee table has a large open space under it. Here, I slid in a woven basket and a stack of glossies for my reading pleasure. I could get used to having stuff under the table.

On the couch is a simple striped pillow and sheepskin.

When I was trimming the crape myrtle, I thought the fallen leaves looked pretty on the white tray. So I left them.

The tea light holder has a super functional design. The silver top and suspended candle holder are all one piece that lifts up and out of the glass surround. It’s easy to set a tea light in, light it and then drop it into the glass surround. So cool. I think it looks like the tea light is sitting on a swing.

The cutouts on the ceramic vase make for a spectacular light show.

I have to fuss over the squatty candle for a minute. I’ve been around the candle block a few times over the years, ifyaknowwhatImean. I’m a bit of a candle whore. If it smells good, I’ll give it a go. But this candle? It has three wood wicks. Say what? Wood wicks. And, get this, they CRACKLE when they burn. It’s like a mini wood burning fireplace right on top of the coffee table. A mini-crackling-wood-burning-fireplace-that-smells-like-vanilla-dolce heaven. You guys. I could live off of this salsa/chips/server/wine/crackling candle vignette for the rest of my life and be very happy.

HH is out of town on business. I do some of my best work when he’s away. HH is half joking when he tells people that he’s afraid of what he’ll find when he returns home from a work trip. He’ll be happy to discover that I’ve only made little tweaks this trip. I blame the kids.

For this month’s Wayfair in the House post, I jumped at the chance to add some stylish and practical accessories to the kitchen. The kitchen is finished from a reno standpoint but I’m just now getting to the good part – tweaking ’til my heart’s content. Which, realistically, could take years.

I’ve been dying to add something to the left of the kitchen window. I was holding out for the perfect piece. A living art frame ended up being that piece. It probably has something to do with the fact that I’m aching for spring. We got another 6″ of snow yesterday. Spring? A friend described it best, “Ohio is drunk.”

My original thought was to fill the planter with herbs. But I wasn’t willing to drag three kids around town in search of them. So I went to Home Depot and bought a bunch of small houseplants: succulents, African violets, fern.

I love the mix but am a little worried about how the fern will do alongside drought-loving succulents. There is a watering chamber at the top of the unit. I have a tutorial coming on how I filled and hung the planter. It’s unique and deserves a post all its own.

HH better watch out. If spring doesn’t get here soon, our kitchen may become overrun with plants! All joking aside, I’m loving all the greenery in the kitchen. It makes dishwashing tolerable.

Speaking of dishwashing…the dish towel is new too.

It has a subtle geometric pattern and contrasting ribbon trim. Again, dishwashing is becoming slightly more tolerable.

I get emails all the time asking how our walnut-topped island is holding up. {Read more about how we finished and installed the wood countertop.} My best answer is to tell those who are curious to check out the bar top at a restaurant the next time they’re in one. It’s pretty much spot on for how our island top looks. There are some scratches in the Waterlox topcoat but nothing deep enough that penetrates into the wood. In essence, the scratches could be sanded out if they were bothersome but they don’t bother me at all. You can only see them at certain angles and they’re just signs of life. We don’t cut directly on the walnut but we don’t baby it either. Homework and drawing is done at island. Dishes are slid around on the island. Casual meals are eaten at the island daily. Lunch boxes are packed at the island. It’s the busiest surface in our house and we love it. It still looks rich and is a cinch to clean. I use a wet washcloth to wipe it down and a towel to dry. That’s it.

One thing I’ve been looking to invest in is a marble pastry board. But not for pastries. {I don’t do pastries.} I thought it would be nice for meal prep or to use as a serving tray when knives are involved. And, let’s be honest, I like the layered marble-over-walnut look.

This marble board is substantial. It’s 20″x16″ and weighs a good 25-30 lbs! It’s not an accessory that is easily moved around the kitchen but, due to its size and weight, it stays in place when in use. I like it so much I think I may just leave it out all the time.

Can you spy the new accessory on this side of the kitchen? You may recognize it from my Joss & Main event.

Yep, it’s the pizza peel. I was in dire need of one. Currently, I count 4 scars on my forearms from reaching into the oven for a baking pizza. I’m a bit of klutz in the kitchen. Last week, I singed my arm hairs.

I put it on display instead of shoving it into a cabinet. I wish I could turn it so the handle was up but then it would be too large to fit under the shelf.  It ties in to the wood shelves and walnut island top well.

What do you think of the new kitchen accessories? Layne and Everett especially like the living art frame.

I planted and hung the wall planter at night while the kids were asleep. In the morning, the boys noticed it right away and made a point to tell me how much they loved it. If hanging plants on walls makes you a cool mom, I’m in.

Thanks to Wayfair for supporting my habit.

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

After I wrote this post about using 3M adhesive strips to hang frames in the mudroom/dining room, I received these instagram pics from a reader.

That, my friends, is a dorm room. Let me repeat myself…a dorm room…as in dormitory. Can you even believe it?! Denise hung an eclectic gallery of frames using 3M adhesive strips on the block walls of her daughter’s dorm room to create a homey atmosphere. By far, it is the most adorable dorm room I have ever laid eyes on. Do you spy the stickygram door?

I’m coining a new word. Adormable. And this room is the epitome of it.

So there is something to look forward to when my babygirl goes off to college. She’ll be there before I know it. You guys, she turns 1 in a week. HOW CAN THIS BE?!

P.S. – Five things I’m doing in anticipation of spring.

images: Denise via instagram

I didn’t realize what a pain it is to make bunk beds until we got them for the boys’ shared bedroom. It makes me sweat. No joke. After struggling with the beds for a while, I thought “there’s got to be a better way!” When I googled “how to make bunk beds” all I came up with were a bunch of tutorials on how to build bunk beds. Not what I was looking for.

I thought maybe something was wrong with me and possibly bunk beds were to be dressed just like a regular bed. When I read about how to properly dress a single level bed, I was in shock. WTF?! I’m supposed to iron bed sheets? You’ve got to be kidding me. Me, the girl who doesn’t even break out the iron unless there’s a wedding or a photo shoot. And all those layers of bedding – sheets, blankets, duvets, coverlets, throw blankets, pillows?? Um, that’s so not happening in my kids’ room. So, I set out to find little tricks for making bunk beds easy – or at least easier – on my own and I’m happy to share those with you today. Let’s do this.

Tip #1 Use a stool. Unless you’re 7′ tall or have go-go gadget arms, you’re gonna need a step stool. At the beginning of my bunk bed-making journey, I would get up on the top bunk and try to make it. Do you know how hard it is to make a bed that you are in? It doesn’t work. Now I keep a small stool in the boys’ bedroom just for making the bed. It’s a lifesaver.

Tip #2 Use sheet clips. From what I can tell, plastic surgery is glorified bed-making. You’re not going to get good topical results unless everything underneath is smooth. Some kids are the busiest sleepers, aren’t they? When my oldest wakes up in the morning, it looks like he’s been practicing swimming from sharks all night.

I use these bed bands to hold his fitted sheet in place. He’s on the top bunk so I can fasten them from the bottom bunk. Basically, you put one clip in each corner, grip the perpendicular sides, clip shut then adjust the tension to hold the sheet snugly. Even if you don’t have a busy sleeper on the top bunk, I’d still suggest using sheet clips to keep the sheet in place.

Tip #3. Skip flat sheets. Kids + flat sheets = balled up flat sheets at the foot of the bed. It never fails.

After trying unsuccessfully to teach my kids the “right” way to sleep – with the flat sheet OVER their bodies – I gave up the fight. We parents must pick our battles.

I did away with flat sheets on the kids’ beds all together and instead use a thicker, heavier cotton blanket right on top of the fitted sheet. Go ahead. Say it. Domestic rebel! I’m a happier mom because of it. Sometimes the boys sleep on top of the blanket {who am I to judge?} but when they do use it as a cover they don’t kick it off.

Tip #4. Choose a fluffy down comforter + duvet cover. It’s nearly impossible to get the outermost bedding on bunk beds perfectly smooth because you don’t have direct access to both sides of the beds. I’ve found it’s easiest to go with bedding that looks good kind of rumpled and that’s thick enough to disguise wrinkly imperfections. A down comforter inside a duvet cover fits the bill. In the winter I use a down comforter with a higher warmth rating and in the summer I use one with a lower warmth rating.

On the top bunk, I tuck the foot of the duvet first. Then I pull the duvet all the way up to the head of the bed. I tuck the wall side then the wall-free side.

On the bottom bunk, I do the same but fold the duvet back a bit just for something different.

Tip #5. Use comforter clips. A duvet cover is essentially a really big pillowcase. There’s a lot of room for the comforter to shift. I use these padded clips to hold the comforter to the duvet cover. It makes for less duvet adjustments in the morning.

Tip #6. Go easy on the pillows. One standard pillow for sleeping and one or two throw pillows are plenty.

Kids don’t care about pillows. Moms do. Keep it simple for your sanity.

More than likely they’re going to end up on the floor anyhow.

And that’s it! Six tips for making bunk beds. None of which require an iron. Of course, you can apply these tips to regular beds as well.

I’ll be honest. I don’t make the boys’ beds everyday. Some days I ask them to make their beds themselves because it’s a chore I think they should be responsible for. But seeing as how I have a hard time making the bunk beds, you can only imagine what the beds look like after an eight-year-old and four-year-old work their magic on them. When company’s coming, I make the beds.

Or I just close the hideout curtains.

The step stool {nearly five years old}, bedding and curtains are all from IKEA. I didn’t plan it that way. It just happened. IKEA has really great inexpensive bedding which is perfect for children. 

I know what you’re thinking. THOSE WALL STRIPES! Sorry, that’s another post.

Do you have any tips or tricks for making kids’ beds? Do your kids make their own beds? Do you make your kids’ beds? A little of both? A little of neither? Yeah, we have those days too.

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking