My very first feature

I was featured at a blog called Corner House yesterday. Check it out here!

Playroom Alphabet Bunting

I'm loving the different buntings I've been seeing all over the great blogs I frequent. I decided to make an alphabet version of my own for the boys' playroom. I just headed up to Michaels and found some patterned scrap booking paper and got to work. The scrapbook set actually included a page that had different font letters on it, so I just cut those right out. Then I layered the letters onto solid print cardstock, cut out my triangles, and glued it all together. The last step was to hole punch them and thread some ribbon through the holes. I love how it all came together.

I also repurposed the blue shelves we had in there originally and replaced them with IKEA expedit shelves. The blue shelves are now being used as storage in the playroom closet. I found the guitar art on major clearance at Michaels and framed it with an IKEA frame. It will eventually be hung on the wall, I just haven't gotten around to that yet.

I added a map you can see on the right. The boys enjoy finding where they live, where we've vacationed and of course California...the home of Lightning McQueen.

I also painted some MDF letters I found at Michaels to add some interest to their reading area. I have some matching yellow curtains to hang and I'm contemplating replacing their toy bins with a more industrial/locker look. One project at a time. I'm happy to report that the boys are enjoying their newly decorated space! Linking up to Tatertots and Jello for the weekend wrap up party and The Lettered Cottage for Home May'd.

My Little Dragons

The boys had their first Karate lesson last week. They are in a trial period right now to see if they have the interest level and maturity to join the little dragons class. They both absolutely love it and oh my goodness do they look adorable in those little outfits! I was proud of how well they did in class. Not only did they follow the directions and do what was asked of them, but they were just exuding pure joy and excitement. We go back tomorrow for our second class and I'm hopeful they will do just as well. Both of them have been practicing counting in Japanese and can't wait to show their teacher what they've learned.

Creating My Own Space

This our den. It has served no other function except as a dumping ground for misfit furniture. We moved into our home 8 months ago and it just kinda became the spot for all the furniture that just didn't have a spot in our new home. As you can see it also houses about 100 ft. of cable and Internet cords and let's not forget the random hockey net as well.

It is a beautiful room architecturally with the wainscoting, wood floors, and large bay window so I knew I owed it to her to dress her up a bit. I wanted to create a work space for my sewing machine and some crafting. It also had to be feminine and outside my comfort zone. Most of our home is fairly neutral so color was at the forefront for me.

The fun part was I didn't want to spend any money on reinventing the room. We had a pair of old leather couches that weren't being used so I put them up on Craigslist for 400 dollars. I sold them in just a week for $375. I now had my budget for my mom cave.
This desk is about 8 years old that we purchased from Cost Plus World Market. The original chair broke so this teeny tiny red Ikea chair was its replacement. The shelf on the right was bought at Target years ago. I decided a new desk would eat up too much of my 375 dollar budget, so I would attempt my first furniture painting by re doing the desk.

The two things I knew for sure that had to go were the rug and the accent pillows. Eight years of the squares and circles was enough. I would have loved to have replaced the love seat and chair with something more light and bright, but with 375 dollars that just wasn't going to happen. My focus was painting the desk, finding a new chair for the desk, an area rug and new accessories for the room. Here is what I came up with.......

The rug came first. I searched high and low in stores and on line for a rug that would compliment the sage couches and it appeared to be a lost cause. I had resigned myself to a solid cream rug on Overstock but thought I'd give Pier One one more try. Buried deep behind several other rugs I saw something creamy sticking out. The rug had been repackaged and the picture on the package looked promising. The only problem was that it was 300 dollars. I had a 20 percent off coupon so I figured I'd at least bring it home to try it out. I was pleasantly surprised when the sales associate told me my total was 50 dollars and some change. What?!?!? I was no longer bringing it home to try it out....I was going to make this work. Now I had my color pallette to work with and the rest just fell into place.

The accent pillows are from Pier One and Home Goods. The yellow ones I already owned. The shelves on the wall I picked up for $2 from a garage sale. I just sprayed them with some of Rustoleum's Heirloom White. I also already had the mirror above the couch and the lamp. Note the hot pink throw on the chair. It has a great ruffle texture and the color was perfect. The throw is from TJ Maxx and was on clearance. The chalkboard was originally red and in our kitchen, I sprayed that as well.

 

Love this beautiful bird pillow from Pier One. I found the chair at K-mart of all places. The nailhead trim and distressing on it are quite nice. The chair cost twice as much as the rug.

I primed, painted, sealed and distressed the desk. It didn't go quite as I planned but it turned out nice nonetheless. Not bad for a first time experience. Now I know a bit more for the next project

I had a great time recreating this space. I have to say the best part was setting a budget and getting creative to stay within the budget. Most things that I bought were on clearance. I actually have about 30 dollars left in my budget for more accessories. I was able to take couches that were collecting dust and use the money to create a bright and cheery space that I can call my own.

I'm linking up to Thrifty Decor Chick's Before and After party, Evolution of Style and Tatertots and Jello. Come check out all the great projects!