ABCs of Decorating | I

ABCs of Decorating | H

ABCs of Decorating | G

Life moves. Plain and simple, it just does.

Makeover Monday | Union Jack Coffee Table

Yes, I love alliteration. Maybe too much? It sounds clever in my mind and I can't think of anything else more witty for my post titles. I'll be working on that. 

So, I have missed the past two Fridays. It's been busy around here, folks. But I've missed doing my regular Friday posts. It's the one constant for me on my blog. Which brings me to a question. What would you like to see more of on the blog? I'm working on developing recurring content throughout the week. If you have any ideas or desires, please share them with me!!! 

Facelift Friday | Little German Rocker

Today's facelift feature is a fun one. I purchased this sweet little rocking chair from a sweet friend who was downsizing before a move. She told me it was given to her from a neighbor who had purchased it in Germany. 

Settled in, but not settling.

As you probably all know by now, our family relocated to Florida last summer.

 It was a rocky start. There were many delays and mishaps and problems.

But when it was all said and done, we had gained a beautiful home that is just perfect for us.

Our entire family has enjoyed crafting and creating personal spaces that are just right.

Slowly, I've been making our home feel as if we've lived here forever. 

But, there are still so many things I want to do.

I hope you'll join me as I begin to share more about our new place.

Rainy Day Project | Reading Nook

Just a few days ago, I saw this pin in my feed. I immediately repinned it and went to the original source. Unfortunately, it did not come from a blog post, but rather the flickr feed of Kim Rakes. Happily, the idea was simple: Use a tension rod between the wall and a piece of furniture to create a small nook for your child. Seeing as how I have about 13 tension rods in our storage space, I decided the project was simple and easy enough to do right away. I ran downstairs, grabbed one, and got straight to work.

Here is my daughter's room from the doorway. You can hardly see the awesome little space we created. It blends so nicely with the rest of her room.

For the curtains, I just used some old curtains that were folded up in my linen closet "just in case." This was the perfect reason to dig them out.

I added a pillow chair, a favorite quilt, and throw pillow on top of this super soft, super comfy faux sheepskin rug. Don't you want to climb in?

The roof is actually a remnant from some of my favorite window sheers. I bought them at IKEA, so they had to be cut to size. My daughter had been saving them in her closet for fort building.

We both agreed the remnant was perfect for the roof because it is beautiful and functional. A good amount of sunlight still makes it's way into her nook thanks to the sheer roof.

And here is my happy customer working on schoolwork in her new favorite spot. This was definitely one of my favorite projects. It was easy and totally free. You simply cannot beat that. 

Our Homes, Past and Present | Troy, Illinois

In the next couple of weeks I hope to share with you all several photos of our homes in the years past. We have been very fortunate to live in some beautiful places with wonderful people. Our adventure isn't over yet! We will be heading back to the States within the year!

Our very first home was an apartment in northwest San Antonio. Did digital cameras exist back then? They may have, but we did not own one. Our second home was in Edmond, Oklahoma and we loved it. It was our first house. We had amazing next door neighbors, a wonderful church and amazing friends. Digital cameras had been invented during this time, but we still did not own one. I hope to dig up some pictures soon.

The third place we lived together was in Troy, Illinois: right outside of St. Louis. It was one of my favorite houses. Our neighbors there were incredibly warm and friendly.

Looking through my pictures, I can't believe how much my decorating style has changed. We sure loved red!

We finished the basement to add a family room and a guest bedroom. Love the color palette in the guest room.(Minus the red, of course.)  Whew! That is a bright green in the family room.

I think in hindsight, Kate's nursery is my favorite. Obviously, that is due to the very soft color palette and the large amounts of vanilla coloring. It was so relaxing to me then as a mom of a newborn and a nearly 3 year old. It still invokes feelings of relaxation in me today.

Claire's room is a very, very close second. She also had a very soft color palette with very light shades of rose and aqua. 

 

                          

 Oh, that bed. Our basement flooded in Rhode Island and I was more worried about my bed than my wedding dress. True story. Love it so. I haven't gotten to use it in nearly FOUR years. It wouldn't fit up our turning staircases in Rhode Island, so it lived in the basement. When we found out we were moving to Germany, we decided to leave it in storage. It was a good thing as it would never have fit in our bedroom in Simmozheim!

 Loved our back porch and yard. We ate outside very, very often!

 Our house backed up to a farm. We had a lovely view of rows and rows of corn. We loved it there.

The Makings of a Boy's Room | Part 5

For the last post in my labor of love series on creating a fun, well designed boy's room, I am going to focus on the unique accessories. These are meant to be used as ideas; something to spark your creativity. If we all used the same accessories, they wouldn't be quite as unique.

 

On top of my boy's armoire are a few unique and very special items that go nicely with the rest of his room. The boots are authentic cowboy boots that were completely worn out by my very own husband as a child. (I also have a pair of my very own, but I wore the sole off of them and they need to be repaired!) These boots are important to me for obvious reasons.

 

The flag is one that was given to us by my husband's office and was flown at the capital of the United States. It was completely unexpected and completely appreciated.

 

The vintage book is titled, "Cowboy Sam" and is perfect for... obvious reasons.

 

 

This picture is a reprint of a genuine reward poster from the 1870s. They were hung all over central Texas in hopes of finding this infamous outlaw. It is especially cool because Bass actually happens to be my son's middle name.

 

 

These bamboo teethers are a set I found on Etsy made by little sapling toys. I hand picked the three I felt went with the whole Texas theme: a star, a coyote and of course, the beautiful state of Texas.

 

 

Lastly, I just want to highlight one of my favorite things to do in a kid's room. I love to mix functional decor with playful decor. Obviously, the playschool barn is a toy, but it goes so well in this room. The rocking horse is also a toy, but nestles in here nicely. This storage box is a random piece my mom found for me at a gift shop going out of business. I love the beautiful horses on it. It is perfect to pretty up the room. And it is perfect to store matchbox cars. That, my friends, is what I call great design.

The Makings of a Boy's Room | Part 4

Add Complimentary Storage Options

 

One thing is for certain: When you have a baby, you will need storage. In the infant months, it's for diapers, wipes and burp cloths. With toddlerhood comes the invasion of toys and the collection just keeps growing from there. It's best to think about storage options from the beginning. I like to try to find versatile pieces that will grow with our needs.

 

The Expedit Shelving Unit from IKEA is one of my favorites for this reason. We actually purchased it to store toys in our girls' room. When we moved, it became a storage/display piece in the baby's room.

 

 

 

And as he's grown, our needs have changed. We turned it horizontally once again and it's the perfect height for him to play with his toys on... or to climb on and look out his window.

 

 

Another one of my favorite storage options is this laundry basket. I know it sounds crazy, but the color of it works nicely with his room and it's just perfect for throwing in those random toys at the end of the day.

 

 

And of course, there is the armoire I discussed in my Part 3. No matter what storage options you choose, remember to think outside the box and to think towards the future!

The Makings of a Boy's Room | Part 3

Design with your child and yourself in mind.

 

 

When shopping for furniture pieces and accessories for your child's room, choose items you would put anywhere in your home. Try to avoid pieces that are totally marketed towards children. Doing this serves two purposes: Style and longevity.

 

 

 

Changing tables are a perfect example of furniture marketed completely towards children. Yes, they are awesome and there is definitely a place for them. But what happens to that piece of furniture when your child is potty trained? For me, the best option was finding a simple dresser and adding a changing pad on top. We found ours at IKEA. It's very, very basic. It works in Sam's room now. Later, I can paint it, change the hardware and use it as an entryway piece to store shoes. Or I can keep it white and throw it in my craft room to store all of my supplies. I can slap on chalkboard paint and use it in the school room. The list of possibilities is endless. This piece of furniture has a long and happy life in front of it.

As for style...There is just something about walking into a child's room and seeing the unexpected. The armoire in the photo above is a perfect example. It's a statement piece. That doesn't mean it was expensive. It means the piece has a voice. It tells a story. This armoire was a very inexpensive floor model at an already inexpensive discount store. It has served as a tv hutch in our newly finished basement, an entertainment center in a family room, a clothing wardrobe in our master bedroom and now center stage in our son's room. When we chose this piece of furniture we had no idea the roles it would play in our home. That is why choosing a piece you love is so important. Don't settle! Think outside the baby superstore box! Every piece of furniture speaks. What do you want yours to say?

The Makings of a Boy's Room | Part 2

Start With the Basics
 

 

No matter your budget or design preferences, there are certain basics one needs in a nursery. These are simply a crib and bedding. Sam's crib is a hand me down. It was used by both of his sisters before him. In my opinion, it's a bit girly. But it works. When choosing a crib or your main piece of furniture, go for something neutral and basic. You will get way more mileage out of  very basic furniture than you would an ornate or novelty piece. Get the best quality of furniture that your budget allows. Accessories can easily {and cheaply} be replaced down the road. Try to never skimp on the big things.

 

After you've decided on a crib, it's time to go for the bedding. The one thing I try to avoid is a crib in a bag set. I know they are economical and yes, they are cute. But I do believe mixing, matching and unexpectedness is what can truly make a room. Creating your own mix of patterns and colors with bedding does not have to be expensive. In fact, it can be quite a frugal choice. Let's be honest with ourselves, will we really use that matching diaper stacker? What about the included valance? Maybe you do, and that is totally cool. But I didn't use either, so it ended up being sort of a waste for me.

 

Choosing coordinating bedding may seem a bit daunting, but it can be totally fun. Once you've decided on a "theme" {see Part 1}, you should have a basic idea of what colors you'd like to incorporate into your room. I used the Texas flag as a starting point. I chose red as a main color, as well as cream. There is a little bit of blue in the room, but not a ton. I really didn't want it to be too matchy. My husband and I scoured the internet for the perfect bedding basics and it was difficult to agree on what we wanted. We finally decided we liked the cow print. We loved the faux suede feel of the accent fabric. It is totally reminiscent of a cowboy lodge. So, naturally, browns and tans are very involved in the room as well.

 

Once you decide on the colors you'd like to use, you can go crazy. Don't be afraid to mix patterns and fabrics. As long as the main colors are included in the patterns you choose, you are good to go. I've mixed red horseshoe patterns, brown cow print, brown checks and a lovely quilt my mother in law made that has all three! It flows quite nicely and feels super cozy and fun.

 

The makings of a boy's room. | Part 1

1 | Choose a Theme

 

When embarking on a new room design, you must start somewhere. First, choose a "theme." Make it meaningful to you. Of course you can just pick something you think is cute, such as elephants or stripes. But trust me when I say this: A room built around memories or items of sentiment will feel much better to you than something you only thought was cute. And while I may eventually grow tired of my Sam's Texas inspired room, it will always tug at my heart strings the way Texas actually does.

 

It is no secret how in love with Texas I am. Before I even knew I was having a boy, I knew I wanted a Texas inspired nursery. Deciding that was easy for me.


2 | Find Inspiration Pieces

When I was barely pregnant, I went to a fabric store with my mother in law in Ohio. While there, I stumbled upon a fabulous charm pack by Moda called "Rawhide." I thought right away this would be a perfect jumping point for my {yet to be confirmed} son's room. I snatched it up and brought it in my suitcase with me as we moved to Germany.

The one thing I knew needed to be in his room was a Texas flag. Although I bought bedding and several accessories before I had my greedy little hands on an actual flag, I knew it was to be the "centerpiece" of his room. I searched high and low online for a vintage Texas flag, but didn't find one I was happy with. Fortunately, my mom found a perfect faux vintage Texas flag while shopping in Boerne, Texas. We received the flag as a baby gift from our family friend and I could not have been happier with it. I love that thing.

Of course, I've been able to find lots of accessories and other decor items that go well with the Texas feel of the room and I will discuss those more in detail this week. The most important thing when starting on a nursery, or any room for that matter, is to make it meaningful to you. Surrounding yourself with things that invoke feelings of joy and happy memories is definitely the key to a warm, beautiful room.

The makings of a boy's room.

Once upon a time, I posted a picture on Facebook of my daughter studying in her bed. It was meant to tell the story of how peaceful and quiet our home was for all of those five minutes. Instead, it got quite a response from friends about the decor of her room. One response {from my sister}, lovingly stated, "I bet you can't make your little boy's room that beautiful." While it was in jest, I took this challenge head on. My son's room was already cute enough, but it wasn't quite exactly how I envisioned it. Some changes needed to be made, so I got to work..... slowly. Did I mention the photo and comment were posted on April 11? So, six months later, here I am.

 

Over the next few days, I am going to share with you what I think are key elements of a child's room. Of course, this is just my opinion. But I do hope you find these posts useful or at the very least, entertaining.