Goodwill Finds

I've been shopping at the Goodwill lately and having lots of fun finding treasures. Here are a couple of things I've found. These shoes (I know, terrible picture) are super cute, casual, and fun. They are a khaki color with orange stitching. I've been wearing them with jeans and a t-shirt. We went camping this last weekend and I was sporting these and even when I felt smelly and gross, I still felt cute with my shoes. They just make a plain outfit fun.

This was a find!! $20!!! This is an antique and is totally stripped and ready to paint. It is actually a mini vanity/jewelry case. It has an old mirror that attaches to the top and shelves inside. All the peices were neatly packaged to go with it. When I decided to get it and was waiting to get it tagged a few people stopped to look at it. EVERYONE was telling me what a great deal it was. Like I said, great find.

I put it in the entryway. I thought about redoing it, it would be so easy to spray paint, but I love the distressed look. I can always paint it a bright blue or a funky purple later, right??

A Little Project

So I have been wanting to make some floral arrangements ever since I saw Becky Higgens show some adorable arrangements on her blog. When I went to Tai Pan this last summer with the Huish girls I decided it was a good time to try.

This first one is in my bedroom. I love the cream/orange combo with a hint of deep purple. This is sitting in my room on my dresser. Got the sign in Utah from this last trip.
This next one I wanted in our main living area. I so wanted to do it in the creamy/orange combo, but I knew that it wouldn't go with all my red!! So, I did a creamy/red combo with a lovely blue dish. I love bringing those touches of blue into my home.

These were really easy to do!! My SIL Erin helped me figure out what/how/where and I just had fun these together!

I mentioned earlier the scrapbook retreat I went to this last weekend. We made a few projects that I wanted to share with you this week. I was determined to get them done at the retreat, I didn't want to bring them home and have more half finished projects that just sat around and added stress to my life. Well, there was no way I could do it, there just wasn't enough time! I did stay late and worked on the projects. The Sunday after I was inspired to get up early and finish a couple of the projects. I also stayed up late Sunday night (I took a late afternoon nap) and finished a couple more. I just have one more to finish and I'm excited to have completed projects and not to have these hanging over my head!

Below is a cute house that we made. This was probably my favorite project of the retreat.

Lilacs

I have lilacs!! I grew up with lilacs in practically every house we lived in. I remember my mom bringing them into our home, putting them in vases around our house, and loving to breathe them in! In our first home in Banks we had a tiny lilac plant. I think the first year we had 1-2 flowers. I have about 10 lilac plants in my yard now, a few of them are quite a bit taller then I am. I filled my kitchen with them this last week. They are a lovely reminder that Spring is here and Summer is on its way.

Rearranging

I've rearranged furniture again and in the process decided to create this little corner. I love it, the kids love it, it is so perfect!! A lovely place in front of a sunny window. The kids have spent a lot of time sitting, playing, reading, etc. the last few days. And to think, all it took was a little rearranging.

Done . . . For Now.

I finally got the mantel and the bookcases filled. I still want to do so much more, I'm not totally satisfied. BUT, they are done and I'm happy with how they are right now. They are (and will continue to be) a work in progress and I'm sure they will change a lot over time. I already have a few ideas of things I want to do, which will include more baby blue, some frame profiles of my favorite people, etc.

I love having all the books close at hand. The kids are staying out of the books and only getting the ones that they should (for the most part.) It is great to get these things unpacked and feel settled into our home.

Calendar

Here is the calendar I made to put in my calendar holder. I have never been a big fan of any of the calendars you buy at the store, nothing has ever really appealed to me. One year I made a calendar and I just loved it!! BUT, it was way too much work and too hard to keep up with. So, I came up with a plan to make my own calendar where I could change the month below without changing the decorative page above. So, I can switch the month when I need to and switch the page above when I have the time to scrapbook something new. Love this solution!
This is on the wall above my desk in the kitchen. I'm working on finishing this corner. Trying to make it pretty and functional. I just bought a clock that I love and am considering putting some of my kid's artwork on the wall. I also have a Family Home Evening sign and need to get the letters for and put on the wall. One day it will be finished.

Photos Framed!

Is anyone like me?? Does it take you what seems like FOREVER to finish a project that has been in your head for the last few months? (Sometimes the last few years??) Well, this one I have wanted to do since we moved into the home. It included having my parents buy and transport the frame from Utah. (Thanks Mom and Dad!) After it arrived it sat downstairs while we waited for our kitchen remodel. It survived the dust and the moving it from place to place.
When the remodel was finished we had Christmas and New Years, having 3 family parties here at our house to celebrate! I was consumed with moving back into the upstairs and getting order back in our lives. Finally, this month I have had some time to do the fun projects! This was super simple once I made the time to work on it. Photos, paper, some embellishments. The M was an afterthought. Last Saturday Steve gave me a chunk of the day and occupied the kids. I was putting the frame together and thought it would be fun to add the big M I saw at JoAnns. I jumped in the car (something I just can't normally do with three kids in tow) and went and got the M. My handsome husband hung the frame and M on Valentine's Day (how romantic!). The photos look like the frame and M are lost on the wall. They really do fill up the space. I will get full room phot0s once the mantel and bookcase are complete. I love that feeling of accomplishment that I get when I look at that wall. Something that won't be undone in 5 minutes. Something that will stay for a long, long time!

Corners of My Home

This dresser replaced the bookcase that was in the boys room. I put Karter's clothes in the top three drawers of the dresser and a bunch of Jakob's random legos in the bottom drawer. His sets of legos are seperated into tubs in his closet. Karter's clothes were in bins in his closet. His closet is quite empty now. What can I put in there?? So many ideas.

This dresser belonged to my Great Grandparents. I started refinishing the bed and dresser before Steve and I were married and finished it while we were in our first apartment.

I've been trying to use baskets to help divide dresser drawers. I have a hard time finding baskets that are shallow enough, but these drawers are deep.

FYI - I just bought a couple of those white boxy storage units from Target to keep Jakob's clothes in. All his clothes are in his closet.

Corners of My Home

So, planning to post some photos of some changes I've made to different places in my home this week. This is a bookcase I took from the boys room. It housed thier toys. I didn't like what a mess they would make in thier room with their toys, it is such a small space. I decided we already have a playroom and I wanted to keep most of their toys in there. With the exception of Jakob's legos, their are no toys in the boys room. So, I moved this to the back of our sectional and I love how it turned out. I put most of Karters toys that were in a big basket in the bottom baskets and boxes. I like having the option to pull out just a few of his toys instead of all of them. I put fluffy movie watching blankets in the big basket I took Karter's toys from. I love that we have a place for these blankets and that I can just throw them in the basket without folding since it has a lid to hide them.
There are a couple things I'm still working on. The top baskets and boxes need items in them. I have lots of things that need homes, I just want to be smart about what I put where. I also am not sure if I like the green boxes. It is the only green in my main living area. I'm living with it and seeing what I think. I also want to play around with the placement of the sectional. Steve does not like it coming away from the wall, he wants more floorspace in the middle of the room. I think it looks funny pushed back. Well, we will see what I come up with.

Tomorrow I will show what I put in the boys room in place of the bookshelf.

Dining Room Light

I had fun with these ornaments I got from Pottery Barn at their after Christmas Sale. This is the light fixture that we hung over our dining room table. I thought that it needed a little something.
So fun to have our house back to decorate as I see fit. I have a few home decoration ideas twirling around in my head. Hoping I can find some quiet moments to get some things done.

Sneak Peek

Here is a glimpse into Isabelle's room. I did a wall grouping in her room, just a bunch of stuff I had up in her old room that I decided to put together on one wall. The green walls look much greener in person!! Hopefully I'll get good pictures of the color when I take more photos of her room. We are still waiting on closet doors!! I will take some finished photos when it is completed.

Garage Sale Finds

Found these frames at a garage sale, painted them black, and put pictures of the kids with each of their grandparents. I did these before we moved. Never found a place for them in our old house, hoping to find a great home for them in our new one.

My Rocker

Here is my latest purchase!! I love this rocking chair with its soft, chocolate brown fabric, its oversized seat, and it even reclines! Such a fun chair!! It has already been used to rock Karter to sleep and to read lots and lots of books to my little ones. It is also my favorite spot to sit, relax, and watch TV.

So, I finally replaced the pillows that came with the couch. The two horizontal striped pillows came from my lovely neighbor (Thanks Amy!!), the brown floral one was one I had around that I still love, the brown and white pillows were ones from Ikea, and the vertical striped pillows covers were on clearance at Pottery Barn with inserts from Ikea. I love the feather inserts and Ikea has them at a great price. So far they seem to be holding up well. As you saw in my earlier post, I'm planning to do more pillow covers. Excited to make some black and orange covers for fall so I can switch these out. More on that to come.

Spring Has Sprung

The planters are full of new flowers, the decks and the fence are stained, and we have been enjoying a few days of beautiful weather. Love my gerber daisies!! They are on our back porch. We have the front door/patio with planters full of purple and white. Lots of starter plants that will fill these pots in the coming months.

The patch of dirt by our parts still needs something. I've been thinking of a couple possibilities. Still trying to decide. The plants in the center of these pots are perennials. I'm so excited that they survived the winter in our pots and have come back this year. They are looking great!

And the kids have been excited to help. I just fill up their trusty water can and they run outside to water our plants.