2012 August |

An Organization Epiphany {Homework Boxes}

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Amy

So, this last weekend we celebrated my husband’s birthday, and even though it was his big day, I am the one who learned something.

On Saturday I was enjoying a rare child-free trip Target to finish up some back-to-school items {and yes, buy him a birthday card}, when I suddenly got anxious about getting his birthday gifts wrapped. I know, if I was a “good” blogger , I would have a perfectly organized wrapping area and this task would be a pleasure, right?

Traditional Home Office design by Minneapolis Interior Designer Martha O’Hara Interiors

So, when I got home I was thinking about how, since we moved last fall, I still had wrapping paper stored under the guest room bed, gift bags stashed in an armoire, gift cards in a drawer in my office, and {hopefully} tape and scissors somewhere in my kitchen drawers. It would certainly make sense to pull it all together in one place. After all, with three kids there is always a present for a party, teachers etc., and the holidays are coming, yikes!

{source}

But then, I started thinking about how if a wrapping “kit” helped with one chore, wouldn’t the concept work for all the other areas where I felt some stress my life? So, I sat down with a pad of paper made a list of all the small chores, events or activities that might possibly be made less stressful with a “kit.”

Things on the list–I randomly jotted down anything that popped into my head–like the morning rush to school, the afternoon dash to activities, school papers, homework, meals, cleaning, etc.

None of these are novel ideas (and all have been done at some point in “Blogland” and easily found on Pinterest), I just haven’t put a priority on using them as a method to keeping myself more sane.

This sudden manifestation of my OCD is definitely a result of the impending start of school. Over the last few years, with my kids getting older I feel like I have a harder time managing the three different directions they are going in, not to mention that each child has different needs and skill sets.

So here is what I am going to try to do. It will likely take several posts but I am going to look at different components of my/our life and trying to figure out some better systems. While a “kit” might work in some cases, and even in some ways I hadn’t thought of before, some trouble areas in our life just need better systems.

So, I am still working through all the parts of life that I can fit into this category–have suggestions? Areas you struggle with? Please leave them at the bottom of the post. I wish I could say I thought I would have some life-changing solutions to some of the big ones–like organizing pictures (the bane of my existence) or cleaning the house–but getting a grip on the small things may make more time for the bigger things, right?

So, I debated over the several projects I jumped into this week and with school starting, the homework boxes I made seemed to be a good as any place to start.

My kids still need oversight with their homework, so they work right at our kitchen table, and we have had nights of tired meltdowns when the lack of a readily available pencil sharpener was just too much to handle on top of 20 waiting math problems. So I created not one, but two homework boxes.

{Sharing? Why borrow trouble! Each of my boys got their own box.}

The boxes are filled with a ruler, a pencil sharpener, plenty of extra pencils, crayons/markers, scissors, tape, and erasers. I grabbed everything at Target during the back to school sale. I also made a new folder for all the classroom papers regarding homework, like weekly spelling words, so we won’t have to track them down each night. I want them to learn to manage their own work, and have all the supplies they might need so they can function independently. Since these boxes are portable, if a quieter spot is needed then the kitchen table, the box can just be taken along. In the meantime, my new kitchen hutch has the perfect little spot to tuck them away when they are not needed.

I have also spent time this week organizing mealtime, meal planning and my food shopping. I can honestly say that while this overhaul has been in the works for longer then 24 hours, it has really made a difference in my life. {In the meantime, see Terry’s In the Kitchen Series HERE which provides meal plans and shopping lists and are such a huge help to me}.

I received this cute fridge calendar as a gift {thanks Caroline!} and its going to be a nice part of my meal planning endeavor.

Also on my list are topics like the morning rush/lunchboxes, cleaning, managing activities, school paperwork, the holidays (that’s the big one!)… my list is still growing. Feel free to chime in, I don’t profess to have any better clue then anyone else out there, I am just committed to helping my children (and myself) function better by providing a calmer, organized environment for us all. So, please feel free to make this a Magnolia Lane community effort–leave your tips, comments, problem areas, suggestions, links to posts with solutions, you name it, I can’t wait to see it.

Thanks for stopping by~

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Posted in General & About Us, Organization, Projects & Printables | Tagged family', homework, Kids, organization, organizing life | 13 Comments

An AMAZING Ice Cream Birthday Party!!

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Terry

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!!

What little girl or boy wouldn’t want an ice cream birthday party? I just had to share this amazing event that my dear friend Courtney put together for her daughter’s 9th birthday.

: Invites from Etsy

: Ice Cream Cart Courtesy of her hubby!

Courtney is an amazing woman, friend, and mother! She designed this party for her daughter after just giving birth to her 3rd child. I am not sure where she found the energy or the time, but she put together a smashing event that her daughter and all her guests loved. She also found time to shoot the party and blog about it. Yes, Courtney is amazing not only because she is a mother of 3 gorgeous girls, but a working mother of 3! She owns her own photography company, Courtney Anderson Photography, and her creativity blows my mind. As most of you already know, I plan events for a living, so I know good photography and I have worked with many photographers over the years. Courtney’s creative style and her artistic eye capture the most amazing moments, a gift only the most talented photographers have. I am so lucky to know this talented woman!! Here a bunch of detail shots that Courtney captured during her daughter’s party:

: Ice cream cups with a cookie cone party favor

: I am loving the pink cones, how cute!

: Mason jar beverages adorn with a cool straw- PERFECTION!

: Make a wish!!

: Time to Eat!

Her handy hubby designed the ice cream cart and her mama made this ice cream cone birthday cake. I think they all need to go into business together creating fabulous events, don’t you???:)

: Ice Cream Birthday Bash!!

: One Scoop or Two?

: Courtney’s mom created the perfect cake for an ice cream party!

Here are some of my favorite shots of the birthday girl!! She is just adorable and I would go as far to say that she is comfortable in front of the camera . Watch out, Vogue!

: Best gift ever: Gift certificate to learn how to sew: Little Pin Cushions

I hope you all enjoyed this amazing ice cream party; I sure did. Check out more pictures and parties from Courtney Anderson Photography. Also, if you feel inspired to host your own ice cream party but don’t have an amazing cart like picture above…. you can RENT this one!!! Contact Courtney for all the details through her site. Lastly, don’t forget to share your next amazing party with me in the comments section!

{Stay in touch with us}

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Posted in Birthday Parties, Children's Activities, DIY, Entertaining, Events | Tagged 9th Birthday Party, Birthday, Cones, Girls Party, Ice Cream, Ice Cream Cart, party, Sprinkles | 1 Comment

Easy Screened Porch Update: Sheer Outdoor Curtains Add Privacy (and Pizazz!)

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Christy

It’s the end of August, and while I try to use our screened porch from March to November (seriously!), it’s just starting to cool off enough that I can enjoy being out there during the daytime. In the heat of the summer, I tend to utilize it in the morning, with a cup of coffee and my Bible, and in the evening, with a glass of wine and whatever book I’m currently loving, because it’s just too HOT to sit out there during the day.

A screened porch is always at the top of my wish-list when we’re moving to a new house, and while we don’t always get one, I love it when we do. My husband is one of those sweet-blooded people who will get a thousand mosquito bites every time he ventures outdoors in the evening, and a screened porch gives me a chance to actually see him outside every once in awhile. The porch here is great–we back up to woods and so there are lots of trees and birds–but while we really like our next-door neighbors, our porch is situated pretty close to their deck. I’ll confess that I sit on the porch in the morning in my bathrobe, so I’ve been mulling over ideas that would give us a bit more privacy, and look pretty to boot.

Our neighbor in North Carolina had a gorgeous side porch on her big old historic house, and she hung huge white sheer curtains that just looked amazing. I always thought I needed an open porch to achieve a similar look, but a few weeks ago when Amy and I were in Ikea, I found these sheer panels that were $5 (for TWO!):

They’re the same panels I used in our master bedroom and sitting room, but for some reason I thought they were on clearance or being discontinued. How great to know I can pick up a set or two anytime I need them!

I bought two sets for a rocking grand total of $10, and then let them sit in the corner for a week or two while I thought about whether I wanted to hang them on tension rods or with a staple gun. They are machine washable, and I’ll likely need to pull them down once or twice a year to wash them and maybe even bleach them. Obviously a tension rod would make that easier, but a staple gun would ensure that they hung exactly the way I wanted them–plus it would be cheaper. The staple gun won.

I stapled each side up and then folded the panel to find the center. I stapled the center in place and then continued to fold the panel, find the center, staple, and so on. In the end I had about nine staples per panel and the panels hung in loose pleats, like this:

Then I tied them with a scrap of burlap feed sack…I didn’t spend too much time on making sure they were hung “just so” as I knew I’d take the ties off and just let the drapes hang from time to time.

Here’s what I started out with (be sure to note our neighbor’s deck–as if you could miss it!):

And here’s how it looks with the sheer panels:

Of course the curtains are sheer–I wanted them to let light and air through, and because they’ll probably get a little wet when it rains, they’ll dry faster than heavier panels. They add a bit of privacy without blocking our view, and the price was right!

I hung a couple of ferns in the corners; they were on sale for $4 each since it’s so late in the season. Our wrought iron table and chairs are great for al fresco meals.

It might say “Martini Time,” but it’s really a beer (and juice box) fridge! I snagged it at the thrift store a few years ago.

The fridge holds long matches for the firepit on the patio, a candle, and a wine bottle stuffed with twinkle lights that my clever neighbor gave me for Christmas a few years ago. It looks so pretty at night!

Here’s my “boring corner.” I’ve thought about adding a bookshelf, a big basket with blankets and magazines, or even an outdoor bar area, but right now it’s the catchall corner for rain boots and garden gloves (and I see the muzzle of a BB gun in the corner of the picture, too!). The big white “B” is from the Cameron Antique Fair in North Carolina; I also bought a big “A” for my daughter’s room from the same lady. Lots of monograms in my house!

I’d like my next project out here to be painting black harlequin diamonds on the floor (which is just pressure-treated deck wood), but that might have to wait until after I clean out and paint my closet. You know I’ll keep you posted!

OK, I hope ya’ll enjoyed the update, but it’s 5:00pm and my wine and book are calling me!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Posted in Before and After, DIY, Home Inspiration, Home Tours, Porches, Real Spaces | Tagged cheap, curtains, drapes, inexpensive, Porch, screened, sheer, Window Treatment | 10 Comments

Fabulous DIY First Birthday Hat

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Terry

Custom made party hat for baby Siler

A couple weeks ago I posted a fabulous 1st birthday party that my dear friend Trinity hosted for her daughter. It was bright, colorful, creative and over the top fun! If you missed it, check it out here!

Trinity did all the work for her daughter’s birthday bash but she did ask for a tiny bit of help when it came to sewing her daughter’s 1st birthday party hat. I was thrilled she asked me to make it as I am always up for a sewing challenge! Here are the step by step instructions on making your very own party hat.

Materials

1/4 yard fabric of your choice
1/4 yard felt in a coordinating color of your choice
1 paper/cardboard party hat to use as a template
Needle/thread (or sewing machine)
2 yards of fabric ribbon
Decorations of your choice (Flowers, Butterflies bows…)

Directions

Step # 1

Step # 2

Step # 3

Step 3 Continued

Felt is on both sides to ensure hat is soft and durable

Step #5: Cut out your outside fabric a bit larger than the actual hat (1/4 inch more around)

Step #6: Add fringe or ruffles to the bottom edge of the outer fabric

Step #7

Step #7 continued

This was such a fun little project. I still would like to add a bit more flare to this hat especially if I end up giving this away to a special little lady for her birthday. I was thinking that some feathers and a vintage diamond broach would be over the top amazing!!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Posted in Butterfly Party, Children's Activities, Crafts, DIY, First birthday party, Uncategorized | Tagged Birthday, Birthday hat, diy, Hats, Party hat, sewing | 1 Comment

Hot Pink, Aqua Blue, & Light Green (Oh, My!) –My Daughter’s Room Reveal

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Christy

I’ve done three previous posts on my nine-year-old daughter’s bedroom, as we updated her decor to reflect her ever-changing style (I’ll link them below). Today–finally–is the room reveal. We didn’t change that much, but it took weeks to get her room clean enough to photograph! I know lots of you can relate!

This was a small update. When we moved into our new house last summer, I painted the walls Ionic Sky by Behr at my daughter’s request, and accented the aqua blue with white and pale celery green. While soothing, it lacked the punch that her vibrant personality requires, so we decided to add pops of watermelon pink to kick the color combination up a notch. Here’s what we wound up with:

First, I spray painted the old iron headboard (it was mine as a kid) with watermelon pink Krylon spray paint. You can read about that HERE. The bedding is from Target, Stein Mart, and the Paris pillow is from Hobby Lobby. My daughter is learning French and has big plans to move to the French Rivera when she grows up (she’s going to work there as a marine biologist). I don’t think my life was as well-thought-out when I was nine!

I recovered her thrift shop chair with Amy Butler’s Love Bliss fabric, and spray painted a breakfast in bed tray pink (read about that HERE). Her armoire door panels got covered with the Amy Butler fabric, too (LOVE that print!).

The tied fabric lampshade is from the Nashville flea market; I bought it although I think it would be a super-easy project to do with an old wire lampshade (you could even use ribbon instead of fabric). I bought the nightstand at the flea market on the same day–it was black but it wound up with a coat of blue paint! I blogged about those two flea market finds HERE.

We added a hot pink throw to her papasan chair (the papasan is from PB Teen); it’s a great corner to snuggle up and read in. I scored the throw a few years ago at a yard sale. The pink polka dot window treatments were at Ikea when I stopped a few weeks ago in Charlotte–they were on clearance for $9.99 for the pair. Score!

I hung this cute lamp from Ikea over her papasan chair so she has plenty of light to read by. I sewed the cord cover from a green and white polka dot sheet I bought at the thrift store for $1. I love buying sheets there–it’s a great way to get yards of fabric for a steal!

Her desk has seen a few different paint treatments in the three years since I found it at an antique fair. Currently, it’s white with watermelon pink hardware and it serves as a desk/dressing table. My daughter is contemplating taking the bulletin board down and putting a mirror in its place to facilitate its function as a grooming station, but where would we put photos and paper ephemera then?!

To incorporate a little bit of the Paris theme into her room, I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut three pieces of vinyl art. I mounted them on hot pink card stock and put them in three 8×10 frames that I pulled out of the attic. They were natural wood so I spray painted them black. The Eiffel tower was meant to be a black one, although they were all sold out of those at Hobby Lobby when we went to buy it, so hot pink it is. It clashes a bit with the other pink, but DD doesn’t care, so I’ve decided I don’t, either!

The carnival-striped table that I blogged about HERE is the first thing you see as you walk into her room, and I think it’s a great piece that ties all of the colors together.

It’s fun, it’s cheerful, and it’s full of personality, just like my Bitty Bear!

Thanks for stopping by!

Jennifer Rizzo

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Posted in Before and After, Kids Rooms, Real Spaces | Tagged aqua, bedroom, french, girl's room, green, Paris, Pink, redo | 18 Comments

DIY Wall/Project Stencil

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Amy

There are tons of fabulous stenciled wall ideas out there right now, and an abundance of wall stencils available for purchase. I searched everywhere for a stencil to match a vision in my head for this nook in my Mom’s workroom {see the whole room HERE}, but just couldn’t see paying $40+ (with shipping) for such a small space.

So, I decided I didn’t have much to lose, and figured I could at least try to make my own. While I was waiting for the workroom paint to be mixed at Benjamin Moore, I saw these heavy duty sheets of paper (I think they are designed for sampling paint?). They were like a plastic poster board and cost just $3.95. I grabbed one, thinking at that price it couldn’t hurt to try it. And, I figured if it worked, I wouldn’t have to wait for a stencil to be shipped as our time in town to work on the project was getting tight.

It worked out GREAT.

First I printed an image off my computer. To make it the size I wanted, I drew beyond what printed out on 8.5×11 paper freehand, which worked out fine. FYI: You will want to chose a very simple design if you try to make your own, or you will drive yourself nuts cutting it out.

Using an exacto knife, I cut the image out with the print as a guide on the top of the plastic posterboard. I found I had to turn it over are re-cut from the bottom in order to cut all the way through the thick vinyl. I found it cut best if you used the knife at an angle instead of straight on. Go slowly, and be very, very careful.

Then I (or I should say Terry) stenciled the space just as you would with a ready-made stencil.

Because I only used half the posterboard (so actually the cost is about $2 a stencil! bargain I used the leftover to create a design for this little pot I have had forever, and to use as a second example.

I used the same technique, printing off a design, then overlaying it on the plastic/paper and cutting it out.

While this isn’t 100% perfect, the little pot is so much more interesting now? And the design possiblities are endless.

Have you stenciled anything creative lately?

Thanks for stopping by!

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Posted in Crafts, DIY, Projects & Printables | Tagged Craft, Craft Room, diy, paint, stencil, workroom | 11 Comments

Turquoise, Pink, and Purple Bulletin Board

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Terry

Big Girl Bedroom with New Custom Made Cork Board

My son’s very best girl friend recently turned 7. Hannah the Banana is a sweet girl near and dear to all of our hearts, especially my oldest son’s. They grew up together, born a couple months apart, and have been connected ever since. It is such a sweet relationship, one that I hope never changes.

Her amazing mama turned her little girl room into a stylish big girl room as one of her birthday gifts. I, of course, wanted to be a part of this transformation and thought that a bulletin board would be the perfect accent piece and a special gift for a growing girl. With new bedding ordered and a color palette of turquoise, purple and pink I quickly got to work.

I have done a few bulletin boards around my house and love to see how a bit of fabric and glue can really change up a cheap cork board. Since this was a gift, I wanted to create something a bit more special. HomeGoods sells amazing framed bulletin boards, so that was my first stop. They didn’t have the color I wanted so I simply spray painted the board bright turquoise.

Bright Turquoise Frame!

Next was finding the perfect fabric to cover the cork. Her new big girl bedding had lots of bright colors and patterns with a bit of a Moroccan feel to it. I felt that I needed a neutral fabric to match her new bedding but I didn’t want a solid white. I found this amazing fabric with a circular patterned print that worked perfectly with her bedding.

Spray Glue works wonders on cork boards... I really love that stuff.

I tacked the corners of the fabric to hold it in place while the glue dried.

I wanted to add a border and found this hot pink pom pom trim that I fell instantly in love with. It still has that Moroccan feel but it is also playful and girly. I didn’t want to choose something too grown-up for the border as she is only 7. My girlfriend and I embrace that our kids are growing up, but we also want to enjoy each phase. I definitely wanted something that reflected her maturing style but I also wanted to keep it age appropriate. I am in no rush to for anyone to grow up fast ! I think the pom poms are a sweet touch of fun and color.

Hot pink pom pom trim makes the perfect statement!!

I finished off the pom pom trim with some silver accent tacks.

I felt that I needed to include some fun push pins to tie it all together. Since I already had these silver pins on hand, I figured that I could jazz them up for her girly board. I had some extra pom pom trim and cut off a few poms and hot glued them to the top of the pin. I also purchased a .99 cent flip flop bedazzle kit from JoAnn Fabrics a while back and loved the idea of adding some flowers and jewels to this piece. I simply separated the jeweled flowers from the set and hot glued those to the top of the push pins, which added a bit of whimsy to the board.

Creating custom push pins to match this fun big girl bulletin board

I also had purchased a wooden “H” to personalize her board. I wasn’t sure what to do with it but I wanted to have something hanging on the board when we presented her gift. I had lots of purple glitter and some clear spray paint top coat. It was as simple as that!! I stapled some ribbon to the back of the H and hung it center stage.

I simply covered the "H" with Mod Podge and then sprayed a clear top coat to ensure the glitter wouldn't come off.

Here is the final product hanging in her new and improved big girl bedroom. Check out her new bedding and adorable her peace sign artwork. She is growing up, as is her fashion forward style!

Big Girl Bulletin Board

Thanks for stopping by!

Posted in DIY, Kids Rooms, Organization, Real Spaces | Tagged bedroom, bulletin board, Decor, Decorating, girls, Pink, Purple, Push pins, Turqoius | 7 Comments

Organizing and Projects Recap

Posted on August 15, 2012 by admin

Hello, and welcome to everyone who has jumped over from I {Heart} Organizing today. We couldn’t be more honored to be featured there today!

We are three friends who started blogging together almost two years ago, just for fun, and since then it has grown into a great way to stay motivated, creative and productive. Christy and Amy both moved to new homes this year and have been working hard to make them feel like home. Today we thought we’d recap some of our favorite 11 Magnolia Lane projects.

{You can view a shared tour of our homes HERE}.

Before we jump into our home projects, if you have never seen our In the Kitchen with 11 Magnolia Lane series, take a look while you are here. Its probably our best organizing tool–because it answers the “what’s for dinner?” daily dilemma with menus, recipes and shopping lists designed to keep you from feeling crazed every evening. Terry comes up with a healthy, delicious menu each season, so the new Fall menu will be coming soon.

Back to some inspirational eye candy… since this pantry seems to be a Pinterest favorite, we’ll start here. Christy tackled her small pantry in her historic NC home, not only organizing it but jazzing it up with ribbon, chalkboard decals for shopping lists and mason jars to contain her staples.

Another great idea from Christy’s old kitchen was this week-at-a-glance wall calendar, made from peel and stick chalkboard panels. What a great way to keep the week’s events front and center!

Week at a Glance Wall Calendar

Then, after relocating to Tennessee, she didn’t let wire shelves get in the way of making her New Pantry just as pretty as the rest of her newly redone kitchen. {Her complete kitchen makeover is here, Part 1 and Part 2}. And, we all agree every pantry needs a chandelier! Right?

Shortly after moving in and overhauling her kitchen, Christy tackled her new laundry room, you can see that post HERE.

Terry also undertook a major project earlier this year, turning unused space in her basement into her Kids’ Learning Center. It’s tucked right next to her desk/workspace so the kids have a dedicated area to work on homework and art projects away from the rest of the house.

As Jen mentioned, Amy just finished a huge project. Her Mom’s recent birthday gift was a makeover of her basement work/craft/sewing room. The complete post on that project is HERE.

Thank you for visiting with us today, and thanks again, Jen, for featuring us. We hope you will stop by 11 Magnolia Lane and visit with us again soon!

Amy, Christy & Terry

S T A Y I N T O U C H!

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Posted in Before and After, General & About Us, Home Inspiration, Home Tours, Organization, Pantry, Real Spaces | Tagged about us, Home Tour, kitchen, laundry room, learning center, organization | 5 Comments

Iron Headboard Gets a Coat of {HOT} Pink Spray Paint

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Christy

It took me awhile to work up the courage to do this project. For some reason, I have absolutely no problem spray painting a piece of furniture that I buy on Craigslist, or at the thrift shop, or from a yard sale, but I freeze up when it’s time to redo a piece that’s been in my family for years. I wonder why? If it takes a coat of paint for me to love a piece more–and it’s not a valuable antique–then why not just go for it? After all, paint is cheap, and I can always change it up again down the road!

This twin-sized iron headboard was mine when I was a girl, so it is NOT an antique–it’s just a little bit old (like me)! It’s been in my daughter’s room since she moved out of her crib, and here’s what it looked like BEFORE:

The creamy white was perfectly fine when my daughter’s room was pink and green (sigh), but now that she’s embracing a different color scheme, the headboard didn’t work. I figured that instead of tucking it away in the attic for my grandkids–this could be decades away, mind you–that I’d just paint it a jarring shade of watermelon pink. Here’s the AFTER (put on your sunglasses!):

At first, I taped off the marble medallion and left it unpainted, but it just looked wrong. I wound up painting it and the decorative brass balls. Honestly, my daughter loves it and that’s the most important thing.

We played around with the pillows on her bed a bit. Here’s another shot:

I never thought of aqua blue and hot watermelon pink as a color combination, but leave it to my daughter! The whole room reveal should be coming up next week…we’re just putting the finishing touches on it. You can read about her new table HERE…

…And her new tray HERE.

While the color palette and design choices aren’t what I would have picked, it’s not my room, after all, and I like that she’s fearless about using bright and happy colors. She may only be nine, but she sure knows what she likes!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Miss Mustard Seed Furniture Friday

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Posted in Before and After, DIY, Home Inspiration, Kids Rooms, Real Spaces | Tagged aqua, bedroom, Girl, headboard, iron painted, Pink, room | 28 Comments

Workroom/Craft Room Reveal!

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Amy

After another quick two day trip to my Mom’s, her birthday present workroom makeover (click to view the back story) is complete! Well, almost complete–the wrapping station was finished up after I headed home, as well as the installation of the ironing area, but its come a long way. I will photograph those final additions on my next trip and hopefully show you next week.

Here is the "in progress" picture

This is by far my favorite room makeover I have ever done, the hardest part was keeping my Mom away from the room the last few days so she could enjoy the surprise of the final reveal.

Seeing this look on her face was worth all the work that went into her room.

I could never have done this without Terry’s help, she was my partner in hauling bookcases from IKEA, figuring out furniture placement, and tirelessly stenciling the inset wall. Not to mention her cute photostyling ideas and photography. My Dad was a trooper through all this, I am not sure he expected this would be this elaborate of a makeover when my Mom and I started talking about it! While he managed to disappear during “Stage One” on a fishing trip, when he returned he built her the wrapping station, and hired an electrician to install a fixture and hang her new chandelier.

Just as a reminder, here are the BEFORE’s of the work/craft/storage/sewing/ironing room.

And…BIG DRUMROLL…. here are the AFTER’s….

These sillouettes were done when my brother and I were in preschool (they are just the “trace-the-shadow-on-the -paper” using an overhead projector kind!) and I found them in the room and had to use them. Terry helped me cover an artist’s canvas and just glued them on. Despite their age, I love that they have sentimental value to my Mom, and her grown kids are still on display!

The room is filled with repurposed favorites, the white chair was part of my grandmother’s dining set. With a little paint, new matching fabric and a vinyl monogram it took on a whole new life. The fabric covering on the table once was my daughter’s window treatment in her baby nursery.

Inexpensive IKEA storage boxes and baskets hide all the decor, sewing materials and other supplies she keeps in the room. My Mom has an entire collection (dating from the early 90′s) of Victoria Magazine, it’s now neatly organized in IKEA magazine holders.

The stenciled wall is probably my favorite thing. The DIY stencil {instructions HERE} cost $3.95 to make and was exactly the look I wanted in the niche.