Facelift Friday | Bulletin Board Upcycle

Facelift Friday | Let's try this again.

I found this awesome toy box crate at a thrift shop in the spring. It was a bright red, but I saw the amazing potential. It had casters at one time, so it was already perfectly outfitted to add them again. I first painted it in ASCP Paloma and added the French word for books, "livres." Well, it turns out that not everyone is a Francophile like me. (How?) I had it in my shoppe for $18 for months and no one touched it. Not every style suits every person, right? So, I brought it home with me to give it yet another facelift.

Room Refresh | Better flow in the dining room.

Thanks for joining me again for the before and afters of my first room refresh. Today I will be sharing the changes we made in the dining room. I think the dining room ended up being my favorite of the four spaces we converted. My client loved most everything about her dining room except for the flow of the space. 

White Party | Monochromatic Entertaining on the Fly

I had the pleasure of hosting some fellow homeschool moms in my home this week for a night a fellowship. I had planned to do desserts, tea and coffee. When I searched for dessert recipes on Pinterest, I looked for "wintry" desserts. While there were no real winners in the recipe department, I noticed over and over people decorating with white and silver for winter tea gatherings. I was inspired. 

Seagrass Storage Baskets { Local Finds }

I love these baskets. They are pretty. They are functional. And they will forever tell a story for me.

When we moved into our farmhouse in Simmozheim, we quickly realized we lacked one thing: STORAGE. Our house did not have a single closet or cabinet. We made do pretty well with what we had plus a few armoires from IKEA. One area that proved a little tricky was the bathroom. I don't know about you, but I have a LOT of bathroom stuff. Suddenly, I found myself sharing a bathroom with my entire family. This was going to be a challenge.

I envisioned the perfect solution to our bathroom storage dilemma. Something like this:

Or this:

Heck, even this:

One problem, I couldn't find anything remotely close to these options here in  Germany. I looked online and either the item was too expensive to be shipped over here or the option wasn't even available.

A friend of mine told me while living over here you buy what you can when you find it. Basically, you have to settle. I was okay with digging a little more and being more creative. I was not okay with settling. I admit, first I was excited about the challenge. However, my excitement quickly turned to frustration.

I kept looking and looking. Finally, at Mömax I found these lovely sea grass baskets with a hinged lid on them.

I thought they'd be perfect because I could stack them. I put the items rarely used in the bottom baskets and kept the more essentials in the top basket.

We've had them for 18 months now. They worked well at our house in Simmozheim and they have transitioned well into our house on post. I imagine they will be part of our decor family for a long time to come. I can see them having a future as toy boxes or a place to store extra curriculum. Regardless of where they end up. I am sure they will be well loved and look lovely in the process.

{PS to my local friends. If you happen to be on the lookout for products with a safe rating on the EWG's Cosmetic Database, this Pure & Natural soap has a rating of 2 and can be found at the Exchange.}

Making a Temporary House a Home | Fresh Flowers

I love fresh flowers. They have a way of turning a ho-hum day into something special. When I wake up very early in the morning and sit at the table to feed Sam, I currently see these beautiful ranunculus we picked up at the Stuttgart Market on Saturday. They just add a little something extra. I got one bunch for €7,50. This really isn't a bad price considering how many buds there are on here just waiting to open up!

My girls begged for tulips. At €4 a bunch, how could I possibly turn them down? I also want them to have those special little things in their lives whenever possible. They have some in their rooms, but I also get to look at these while I scrub pots and pans.

Also added to my collection this weekend were these lovely narcissus bulbs. Seriously, does anything scream spring more than this? I received these as a party favor at a baby shower. What a fantastic idea! We have enjoyed watching them sprout and bloom quite quickly!

Fresh flowers are an easy, inexpensive way to add a little something extra to your home. They don't have to be complicated or expensive or perfectly arranged. One of the best places I've found fresh flowers at is the local farmers' market. They are all over the world. I am sure there is one near you, too! In the States, I found extremely reasonably priced flowers at Sam's Club. My favorite were alstroemeria. I could get two bunches for less than $10 and they'd last two weeks! Also, try to stick with what's in season at the time. They will be much cheaper and easier to come by. Finally, don't overlook your own backyard. What types of flowers do you have sprouting right now? Cut a few, stick them in a simple glass or jar and sit them on your kitchen counter. They just may add a little bit of joy to your everyday chores.