One Of My Favorites…

So far in my blogging adventures, I haven’t shared too many rooms in my home. So, today I thought I would share one of my favorite rooms, my ‘baby’s’ bedroom.  One reason being that she is 4 going on 15 so I thought I better document this sweet space before she wants a bedroom makeover, and another reason being that it was actually quite clean….for the moment. ;)

 

My little sister and my oldest daughter both had rooms similar to this one so when they moved on I had a whole lot of fun decor to choose from to mold into this space.  So most of what you see are items passed down, or made from bargain finds. 

I love, love the chandelier in here.  It was one of my very first purchases when Mr. Husband and I married.  It was from PB and it was black.  (Don’t worry, I bought it from a discount store, of course.)  It has followed us with all our moves and now has a nice aged white finish.  I added the little shades I bought from Big Lots for $2.99 each, and the cord cover I got for a steal off of eBay. 

The blessing dress was mine and my Mom painted the little angel pic on the right.  She is so talented in so may ways! I love adding personal, sentimental pieces in decorating.  It makes the space special and ‘yours’.

 

I found the aged tin and barn wood on eBay and simply hung it from some ribbon.  I loaded the top of this pretty armoire with fun stuff and hung a cottage-y wreath I made above.

More sweet stuff from my Mom’s house.

I bought this furniture from my Mom. (more like she gave it to me…she is so good to me) It was my little sister’s and I always loved it!  The bedding was my older daughter’s until she decided she wanted her big girl room.  It was Rachel Ashwell’s Shabby Chic line from Target.  Still so pretty.

 

I love this little cupboard.  I picked it up at a yard sale for $10!  It had the chippy aged paint, I just cleaned it up good and put a clear varnish on it.  I added the little crystal knobs too.  (sorry the lamp and it’s cord need adjusting)

 

 

 

And just so you know a little girl really does live here… A few pictures of all the toys I “hid” for the pictures. ;)

I hope y’all have rooms in your home that make you smile.  Remember that’s the direction you need to take when decorating.  Do what makes you feel good and comfortable.  Stay true to you, do what works for your family and it will all come together.

  Thanks for stopping by. :)

P.S.  When I was finishing up this post, the little princess who lives in this room brought me a piece of scrapbook paper saying, “these are the colors I want my room to be”.  It looks like my days with this room I love so much may be numbered.

Linky Love…
Go check out The Parade of Home Linky Party at Poppies at Play!

Spring Table

 

    

The Stories of A to Z is having her Vignette Party today and I love tablescapes, vignettes and mantels!  I wanted to be a part of it, so despite a sick Mr. Husband and kids this week, I managed to get my dinette table done for Spring.  I have been meaning to change it up so this party was a good kick to get something pretty and Spring-y on the table. 

I didn’t really have a plan, I just “shopped” my house.  I had picked up this cute pair of tin buckets on clearance because one of the handles was broken off.  I think I got it for like $5 and all I had to do was epoxy the handle on!  Love, love easy damage fixes!  I filled it with some pretty hydrangea I had and simply added a little vintage doily.  Once I got the flowers on the table I decided they needed some grounding.  I wanted to go for a kind of rustic country feel, so I used a scrap of burlap I had.  I left the edges raw and uneven because I was being lazy to play on the rustic country vibe. ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next I got to plates out of my cupboard along with some mason jars.  I plopped a little candle in each jar and added my clearance pears around the edges.  I then wound some grapevine from my Grandpa’s garden (thanks Gpa) around and throughout the centerpiece.  So, I did have more vines up and around but,  A. it looked too busy and,  B. I literally caught one on fire from the candle.  Needless to say I decided to simply lay a few pieces to one side. :)  Seriously, fire.  Apparently the grapevine is highly flammable.  Who knew? LOL (Just please don’t tell my Dad, the Deputy Fire Chief ;)

I’m thinking, not bad for a little house shopping and about 10 minutes?   Oh, and for all the faux-phobics out there;), this could be beautifully done with fresh fruit and flowers.  I’m actually thinking it would be fun to put my fresh flowers in the tin.  I’ve been buying flowers and putting them by my sink to bring in the spring, so this would be a fun spot to change them out.

Remember to shop your house and move things around.  Just because you bought one thing for a specific spot, doesn’t mean you are legally bound to keep it there.  Often times I have found I like things even better once they are moved.

Keeping it true to life, I am linking up LATE…

My Custom Clearance Pillow

I found this pillow a while ago on clearance at TJ Maxx.  Let’s pause for a moment and give a round of applause for TJ Maxx clearance…LOVE.  Ok, sorry moving on.  It was $3 so of course I had to grab it, right?  Well, it’s been hanging around a bit and I finally got around to customizing it the way I had envisioned.  I took my gorgeous ribbon and I was going to tie a simple sash around it, but when I was looking for my thread ( yes, thread. I think that is the first time I have used that word on my blog) I found this cool little buckle thingy.  It came in an old sewing kit I found at a yard sale.

Needless to say, my plans changed.  I did a simple stitch to secure the ribbon end, then wrapped it around the pillow and thread it through the buckle.  Then I stitched again under the buckle to attach this end to the pillow.  As you notice I did not share any pictures of the actual “stitching” because I have sort of made up the Krista stitch and it’s not really pretty nor is there a  method to it other than ‘Make it Stay’. ;)

   

There you go.  My clearance pillow turned custom pillow.  $3 and 5 minutes.  Not sure where she is going to live, but I’ll find a spot.

Carry Hope Suitcase Ministry

 

 

So I finally finished my suitcase project for the Carry Hope Suitcase Ministry.  I don’t know if you have heard, but Amanda over at A Lovely Place to Land has started The DI4Y project. 

Short for "do-it-for-you," The DI4Y Project is a grassroots movement with one goal: To inspire you to think about using your gift to show the world that love is an action and not an empty promise.

Amanda has been involved in helping Hope Hill Children’s Home.

 Hope Hill Children's Home in Hope, Kentucky. Founded in 1960 as an orphanage for boys and girls, Hope Hill has evolved over the years into a residential treatment facility that provides a safe, therapeutic environment for young girls with histories of sexual abuse, neglect and chronic runaway issues. Of the 42 girls between the ages of 12 and 18 that live here, nearly half of them are undergoing therapy for alcohol and drug abuse. And an overwhelming number of them have been placed as many as 20 times. The mission at Hope Hill is to make this their final stop before finding a stable and loving home. Until then, it’s up to the staff of teachers, counselors and religious leaders to be the source of the love these girls so long for and deserve.

When the girls arrive at Hope Hill, the little they own is packed in a garbage bag. Through the Carry Hope Suitcase Ministry hosted by A Lovely Place to Land during the month of April, we can make sure the girls of Hope Hill don't have to leave carrying that garbage bag.

They are looking for 50 volunteers to provide a suitcase for one of these girls.  When I heard about this I was so moved and very excited to maybe help brighten the life of a young girl in need.  For more info go check out the website, TheDI4YProject.  Amanda has a great idea here and I am thankful for her and the reminder to use are talents to give to others.  Even if it is just little, a lot of littles make a BIG. ;)  I am hoping to continue to be involved in helping Amanda with this great cause.  Check it out!

Ok, here is how I made over this suitcase.  I found a hard shell suitcase at the thrift store for $3.99.  I had to convince Mr. Husband that, no I did not buy it for him and yes although he would look snazzy traveling with it,  I was indeed going to give it away. Yes, he really did want it.

 

I taped the handle and the latches and then spray painted the rest in a fun pink.

Then, with help from an extra special helper, I attached scrapbook cutouts with spray adhesive.  I also used some vinyl pieces.

 

Once I had them arranged  I free handed some words on with a sharpie.

Love, grow, enjoy, inspire… etc.

 

 

I then applied Mod Podge all over.  Once this dried I sprayed the whole thing in a clear coat.

For a little fun, I added some scrap ribbon to the handle.  I just cut it in various lengths and tied it around. 

 

And she was finished!  Now, I have to convince my daughters that, no they cannot keep it, and yes we will make a suitcase for each of them. ;)

 

I decided to put a little book of inspirational quotes inside.  I made a simple mini scrapbook out of paper bags and added in some of my favorite quotes and sayings.  I didn’t have it finished for this post because my printer is not printing! (*%($*%) But, I plan on printing out the quotes and then tying it with ribbon.

This was such a fun and simple little project!  You could decorate it to match a bedroom to store toys, art supplies, magazines, etc.  Or as… a suitcase!  The possibilities are endless.  Stripes, fabric, photos…  It would be fun for any little girl (or big girl) in your life, but if you want to help Amanda with her Carry Hope Suitcase Ministry  , check it out!

Linking up…

Feeling Spring

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!"  ~Robin Williams

It is finally feeling like Spring here.  The weather has been beautiful and we have been spending time outside…yay!  I am feeling behind in all my projects.  I swear I have like 50 half done projects and 50 more floating around in my head!  I have put a few new things in my Etsy Shop, so that is good.

We are changing this up a bit around the house.  Moving couches to different rooms, turning my guestroom into a den/TV room/playroom…therefore moving the guestroom furniture into my master bedroom.  Fun, crazy stuff around these parts. ;)  Oh, and I also have that great fabric I told you about, but I am waiting to see what furniture ends up where before I decide where to put it.

I will be sharing some of the action along the way, but in the meantime I thought I would share some of my favorite Spring designs I have made in the past.  Maybe this will inspire me to get a Spring wreath on my door!!  (Seriously, I just took down my winter wreath and now my door is empty. Eek! Yes, I know, it’s bad. ;) )

 

Thanks to all my lovely friends here in blogland and for all the wonderful comments and support!  I hope you all have a wonderful week and a nice spring- like sense of renewal. XOXO