My Daughter’s Room–Updated {Yes, Again!} in Aqua Blue, Brown, and Pink

Chair as nightstand at 11 Magnolia Lane

This post feels a bit like Groundhog Day, because this isn’t the first time I’ve written a post on my daughter’s room redo!  My daughter’s style is constantly changing, and her room has changed along with it. In our historic house in North Carolina, her room was pinks and greens with tons of vintage touches, perfect for the first and second grader she was at the time (click HERE to read the post):

Pink and green little girls room at 11 Magnolia Lane

When we moved to Tennessee, she told me she wanted to get rid of ALL the pink in her room.  Gasp!  That was pretty much her entire room.  We tried aqua blue, green, and white for awhile, but the pinks kept creeping back in.  Finally, we decided to embrace it and added pops of hot watermelon pink to her color scheme.  Here’s what we wound up with, read about it HERE:

Aqua, hot pink, and green girls' bedroom at 11 Magnolia Lane

I lived with it for about six months, but then my daughter and I both realized that it was a little, well, much.  So we turned to Pinterest (of course!) and found two rooms that we adored:

Edie at Life in Grace did this gorgeous room for her girls (swoon!), and I loved how she used brown to make the bedding pop:

Life in Grace Girls’ Bedroom

Then, Chris at Just a Girl did this gorgeous room for her daughter:

Little Girls’ Room at Just a Girl

I love the way that they both use brown (chevrons and zebra) to set off the bedding.  And, of course, it’s the same bedding–Serena & Lily’s Annabel duvet cover.  My daughter is named Annabelle, so obviously it was meant to be!  We ordered it, and the game was ON!

Here’s how it turned out:

Tween girl's room in aqua, brown, and pink at 11 Magnolia Lane

I spray-painted the iron headboard–again–covering up the hot pink with white.  I was tired of the brass accents that were there from the 70′s (it was my headboard as a girl), so that worked out well (I was tempted to do the antique brass that Edie has in her girls’ room, but chickened out).  Then I spray-painted her flea market nightstand from robin’s egg blue to metallic silver.  Here’s the before:

Bright blue nightstand at 11 Magnolia Lane

And the after:

Metallic silver nightstand by 11 Magnolia Lane

The lamp was a Target purchase and the drum shade was white.  I covered it with brown zebra shelf paper from TJ Maxx (we’ve given several rolls of this away on the blog and it’s in stores now).  The quatrefoil monogram is a free printable from the ladies at For Chic Sake (thanks, girls).  I used a different color combination in my closet.  The brown bedskirt is from Goodwill ($2–score!), and I already had the sheets and the pillows.

Closeup of nightstand

Amy gave me these square polka dotted plates when she changed her color scheme in her kitchen a few years ago–I think they were a TJ Maxx purchase.  We pass things back and forth more often than we’d care to admit, and it’s probably a good thing we don’t live near each other, because our houses usually sport pretty much the same decor.  I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut letters out of that same roll of vinyl shelf paper and stuck them on the plate–instant wall art!

Monogrammed plate wall art at 11 Magnolia Lane

The little table got a coat of brown spray paint, but it’s lived several past lives.  I wrote a post about it HERE and you can see all the different ways we’ve had it painted.  It was a $3 yard sale find.  There’s a big wooden “A” on the wall above it, and I spray painted it metallic silver (it was hot pink and then celery green prior to that!).  By the way, I also spray-painted the lamp shade brown–why not?Brown and white side table at 11 Magnolia Lane

At the foot of the bed is my daughter’s armoire–it’s been in my kids’ rooms since my son was born, and the door panels have had different paints, fabrics, stencils, you name it.  For this project, I gave it a shot of brown zebra!

Armoire panels covered with sticky shelf paper at 11 Magnolia Lane

 

To the left of the armoire is my daughter’s ballet barre.  You can read the tutorial on that HERE.  It only takes up about 3′ of wall space, and was under $20 to build–one of my favorite ideas ever!

DIY ballet barre for little girls' bedroom at 11 Magnolia Lane

To the right of the armoire is her “bulletin” board–a thrift store picture frame I filled with chicken wire (the tutorial is HERE).  A little girl needs somewhere to put all her paper bits, right?  The kitty cat collection is OLD, because it was mine when I was her age!

Chicken wire frame as bulletin board at 11 Magnolia Lane

In the corner to the left of the window is her reading area.  Right now there’s a patterned papasan chair from PB Teen there, but I’m hoping to have an old slipper chair from my bedroom recovered in white and put in its place.

Little girls' bedroom at 11 Magnolia Lane

 

Reading nook at 11 Magnolia LaneHer desk was a find at the Cameron Antiques Fair in North Carolina.  It’s a junior size and just right for her.  Last time I checked, there were twelve tons of junk in the drawers!

Antique desk at 11 Magnolia Lane

I’m planning to change the window treatments–the panels were on clearance for $10 at Ikea, so I’ll just pop them on Craigslist and buy another pair in a softer pink–or maybe brown.  Thoughts?

I only shot the top of the bookshelf, because we have TONS of books in our house, and it’s hard to make them look cute when they’re jammed in there every which way!  The little white shelf was from Goodwill, as were the vintage Bobbsey Twins books.

Bobbsey Twins books at 11 Magnolia Lane

 

And last, but not least, here’s a repeat of the first shot.  The chair was given to us by a friend.  I painted it white with brown accents and covered it with a brown and white striped fabric that I had in my stash.  This little chair has seen a lot of different styles over the years, too.  Right now, instead of a stack of books, it holds my daughter’s Kindle, because that’s as good as a couple of thousand books, right?!  You can also see the close up of the duvet fabric–so beautiful.

Chair as nightstand at 11 Magnolia Lane

 

We are not changing this room again until she goes to college.  Or, at least for a couple of years!  And for those of you who are wondering, my son keeps saying that he doesn’t want his room updated–he likes it just the way it is.  HERE’s a post of how it looked in our North Carolina house, and it’s pretty much the same here.  One of these days!

Do you have any rooms in your house that you obsessively redecorate, or is it just me? :)

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Lalaloopsy 4th Birthday Party

 Since it’s been the holiday season, I didn’t want to jump back in with a post about all that was pink, girly and Lalaloopsy until now. But, a few weeks ago we celebrated my daughter’s fourth birthday in grand style.

To give you a little background, this was her first ‘party’.  I said to someone the day of the party, I have thrown approximately 17 boy parties {My boys are 7 and 10 so think Star Wars, Army, Ninja Turtles, Transformers–you name it, we’ve done it}, but this was my first GIRL party so I may have gone a little over the top. It was a TON of fun to finally create something related to dolls, pink and totally girly, and I can definitely say she enjoyed her celebration too.

The theme of the party was not without much debate. During my last visit with Terry (who among her many talents is a professional event planner) together– with Pinterest– we planned a beautiful silver and white Snow/Winter Fairy party for her. That lasted about a day. Then my daughter decided she wanted a Hello Kitty party. Again, after much discussion and maybe a little hopeful persuasion from her mother, she finally settled on a Lalaloopsy theme for her big day.

Putting something together with the doll concept with buttons and sewing was too cute to pass up. I prefer to use mostly homemade items for parties, especially since I used to make and sell many of the party accessories such as you see in the photos.  I was really in for it when we {she} found LalaLoopsy party plates, cups, etc. at Wal-mart. So, again we compromised, and she got to set the table, which she did days in advance in her excitement.

I used generic white and pink cups, made stickers for them and filled them with popcorn and served the drinks in them. The straws were leftover from this Baby Shower we had last year.

The party was in the afternoon, so I didn’t do too much for food, just lots of snacks and sweet treats for the little girls to enjoy.

We did cupcakes, pink of course, with little toppers I made.

I knew I wanted to have a seat for each little girl, so we rented some extra chairs, a large round table and a white cloth. It made things so much easier to have everyone sitting instead of running wild, then we just packed it all up and returned it the next day.

I made the banner out of fabric scraps to hang above the buffet table; it’s been repurposed and now hangs over her bed in her room as a little reminder of her day.

We had a craft station set up in my office.  The girls made three different Christmas ornaments {under the supervision of some gracious middle schooler helpers} which of course, I don’t have pictures of to show, but it kept them busy and the ornaments served as their little “take home” gift.

 All in all I think the birthday girl had a ball!

XO,

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My Pink & Silver Closet Reveal–Organized Bliss!

 

Last weekend was our 17th wedding anniversary.  I got married as an infant, I promise you!  We went out to a trendy restaurant in East Nashville to celebrate (so you know we were out of place with all the young hipsters :) ), and then on Sunday, I decided to celebrate by painting my closet!  My husband just rolls his eyes–he knows that’s as fun for me as playing a round of golf is for him.

We are fortunate to have his-and-hers walk-in closets in our room; this is the first time we haven’t had to share a closet.  It probably works out well for my husband, because even though his is a tiny bit smaller, he doesn’t have to worry about all my stuff crowding him out! When we first moved in, I was having a hard time making the closet work.  Finally, I realized the fault was my own–I had too many clothes!  I did a huge purge and took bagfuls to Goodwill.  There were so many things that were nice but I just never got around to wearing.  Why not bless someone else with it?  And then there’s room for MORE!  Never mind, I didn’t really mean that–well, sort of. If you promise not to hold it against me, I will let you look at the disorganized “before”:

I know, it burns, doesn’t it?! Everything worked so much better once I got rid of some things.  I love all those gorgeous closets on Pinterest–the ones with accessory islands, chaise lounges, refrigerators, swimming pools, etc.–but that’s not real life for most of us.  And I am perfectly content with my life, and my closet! I LOVE harlequin diamonds, and decided that I wanted to go with a pink and silver wall treatment to honor my love of all things girly and blingy (if that’s a word).  I’m going to do a separate post on how to paint harlequin diamonds, if you’ve never done it before.  It’s a bit tricky and time-consuming, but SO worth it in the end result.

My paint color was “Princess” from Valspar (from Lowe’s).  There was a $5 rebate on paint that weekend and while I intended to buy a can of pink paint from their “Oops” section, they only had quarts and I figured I’d need a gallon since I planned to paint the ceiling, too.  I used Martha Stewart’s glaze (from Home Depot) in Mercury, and while I’ll cover the process in more detail when I write the “diamonds post”, I used 1 part paint to 2 parts glaze to give a silvery sheen to the harlequin diamonds.  The last part of the painting process was to use a silver upholstery tack to embellish the diamonds.  I snagged those at Hobby Lobby. I painted the ceiling pink, too, to disguise a pop-up entrance to the attic, although I didn’t put any diamonds on the ceiling.  Here’s how the diamonds looked when I was finished (they’re very subtle):

After I reinstalled the shelving (yes, I had to take it out to paint), I moved on to the fun part, installing the chandelier.  I bought the Kristaller chandelier for $40 the last time I was at Ikea, and that’s what I hung in here.  Perfect! As I’ve mentioned before, I despise white wire shelving.  I ripped it out in my laundry room and my pantry, but since we know we’re moving in a few months, I just didn’t feel I could justify the expense of doing the same thing in my closet.  So I didn’t have to stare at SO much white wire, I used a couple of black lamp/chandelier cord covers to disguise the front of the shelves.  The little velcro closures made them fit like a charm.  Check them out in the “after” pictures…

While I’ve had my shoes stored in plastic Sterilite bins for years, I upgraded my labeling system with chalkboard labels.  I’ll write a separate post about them next since they were so easy but made such a big difference.  I’ve also set a strict limit for myself–I can only have as many shoes as will fit on the top shelf.  And in the shoe organizer (below).  That’s it.  REALLY.

I had so much extra space that I got to hang a gorgeous quatrefoil monogram in pink and gray from one of my favorite sites for free printables, For Chic Sake.  Thanks so much, girls!

They have several different color choices, by the way.  Here’s a close-up:

I also printed out their hanger tags {here}.  My daughter might get more use out of them, but they sure are fun!

I brought in my black and white mannequin to show off some jewelry.

A set of hooks that I snagged at the thrift store holds necklaces, or tote bags.

Another little shelf (also from the thrift store) holds scarves and pins.

By the way, I spray-painted the light switch plate metallic silver…I thought it would be a fun touch.

The big wicker trunk was my mom’s.  It holds my purses and tote bags; I just can’t make them look good when they’re out in the open!

The hat box on the floor holds–you guessed it–hats.  Go figure!

Here are a few last shots of the “After”.  I hope you love it as much as I do.  Oh, and keep reading at the bottom, because I’m going to let you in on a secret!

OK, in case you were wondering, not ALL of my clothes are black, white, and sequined.  However, wouldn’t it be easier if they all were?!  While I had fun staging the closet for the pictures, that’s not real life.  Here’s what it really looks like:

I might spray paint those natural-colored baskets silver.  What do you think?

Thanks for keeping it real with me, and thanks for stopping by!

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

 

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!

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Turquoise, Pink, and Purple Bulletin Board

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

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

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!

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Workroom/Craft Room Reveal!

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.

Thanks for viewing this space, working on it was a ball and I just hope that my Mom feels happy every time she enters her room. Happy Birthday Mom!

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~Thrift Store Tray Gets a Bright Makeover~

A few months ago, I was making my usual weekly stop into Goodwill, when I came across the cutest breakfast in bed tray.  It was dark red and $5, which seemed expensive to me (for a thrift store, at least!) but I saw potential.  I debated painting it white or black, my usual colors, and using it in the kitchen or the screened porch, but then I thought it would also make a cute piece for my daughter’s room, which we’re currently updating with pops of watermelon pink (read my first post on her room HERE).  Enter my trusty can of spray paint…I used Krylon’s “Watermelon” gloss and gave it a couple of coats.  Here’s how it turned out:

When I first sprayed the top, it looked a little bare, so I used my Silhouette Cameo and some white vinyl to make a monogram to put on top.  The font is a free one called “Contribute” and it’s one of my favorites for monograms.  My daughter is a Francophile and wants to bring a little bit of Paris into her room, too, so I debated putting something French on the tray, but I want to avoid “Paris Overkill” if at all possible!

The more I get to know this little tray, the happier I am that I spent so much $$ on it. :)  The legs fold under and secure so it can be used as a regular tray, too, if we ever want to put it on top of her bookshelf or desk as a display piece.

I’ll continue to share pieces from her room as we go, and hopefully we’ll have the full reveal for you in a week or two!

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Carnival-Striped Side Table for My Big (Little) Girl’s Room

 

My 8-almost-9-year-old’s room is getting another facelift–not a huge redo, just a little tweaking.  When we moved to Nashville last summer, she told me she was done with the pink and green bedroom she had in our old house (below):

Sigh.  I loved that room!  But, I understood that she was ready to be done with pink.  She chose a pale aqua for the walls and we paired it with white and celery green.  It was nice and peaceful, but that’s not really what she had in mind.  I talked it over with her and we decided that bold punch of color would help jazz the room up a bit.  After much deliberation (red? peach?) she actually decided on watermelon pink.  Yes.  PINK.  Again.  Granted, a brighter shade than she’d had before, but still, pink.  I had a quick giggle and got to work.

When I grabbed this little table at a yard sale for $3, it was brown and kind of homely.  The first time I painted it, it wound up with a pink top (Krylon’s Ballet Slipper, I think) and white legs, and an awesome pom pom fringe trim.

Sometimes this little table was used as a nightstand, and sometimes it went at the foot of the bed, depending on the time of year.  When we moved to Nashville, it lost its pom pom fringe and gained a celery green top:

In case you’re wondering, I loved both of those previous iterations, but hey, you’ve got to roll with the changes!  It’s her room, after all, and for $3 I can’t exactly complain that it’s an expensive antique.

When we decided to add pops of watermelon pink throughout the room, I thought about painting an awning stripe on the table top.  I simply measured the width of the top (21″) and divided by 3″ as I thought that would be a good width for the stripes.  I decided to use three different colors:  aqua, pink, and green.   After measuring and taping off my stripes with blue painter’s tape, I got to work.  Here’s the result:

The paint colors were kind of random.  I didn’t paint the green at all as it was already there–that was Krylon’s Celery Green spray paint.  The blue was from the wall paint we used in her room (I think it’s Behr’s Ionic Sky) and the pink is actually from one of those little acrylic paint bottles that costs $1 at the craft store.  If you wanted to use spray paint, Krylon’s Watermelon is a close match.  I used that color to spray the big “A” over the table–that used to be celery green.

Once I added some knick knacks to the table, the look was done.  I moved the multi-colored fabric strip shade to her nightstand as it competed too much with the table.  You’ll see it soon enough when I reveal her updated room.

I just noticed that her cord cover is missing…it must have gone with the other lamp.  Oh, well, that’s how we roll–there’s always SOMETHING that needs fixing up!

I’ve loved all the “lives” of this little table and don’t doubt she’ll get another makeover or two before my girl grows up and moves out.  The moral of the story is:  don’t be afraid to change things around every so often.  Paint is cheap!

Stay tuned for more–the room will be done (again) soon.   Thanks for stopping by!

 

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Posted in Before and After, DIY, Home Inspiration, Home Tours, Kids Rooms | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

April Showers Bring May Flowers: My Front Door Easter Makeover

I am so excited to see all the spring flowers in full bloom and our cherry tree blossoming.  Spring is here and the Easter Bunny is on its way (at least that is what my kids keep telling me).  I wanted to update my outdoor Easter decor this year and create a festive spring welcome for all our guests, especially the Easter Bunny :) .

Over the past few years I have started to repeat my holiday decorations.  Maybe due to time, or simply budget constraints but my Easter decor left a lot to be desired.  I decided to take a bit more time and plan out my Spring/Easter decor that could last a few years without boring me.

I knew I wanted to incorporate both spring and Easter and love the rhyme “Spring showers bring May flowers” so when I spotted this adorable pink ruffle umbrella at JoAnne Fabrics for 60% off,  I had to have it.  I thought it would look amazing filled with some spring flowers although I have to admit, I normally would not have chosen pink!    Not only did I pick a pink umbrella, but I also bought artificial pink tulips at Walmart.  That umbrella is over loaded with pink but I LOVE it!!!

I tied it all together with a sage green tulle bow (left over from our Black, White and Green baby shower).    I have to say, I am loving the pink, especially against the black door.  It is festive, different than what I would normally do and it really captures the season perfectly.

 Now onto my two black urns that sit on my front steps.

I normally fill my two large black urns with flowers but as I said, my front door really needed a spring makeover and the urns are too pretty not to utilize.   So off I went to HomeGoods for some Easter inspiration and hopefully a sale item or two. I guess I started too late this season since there was very little left.

Luckily, I found these two rabbits that I guess were once a part of a topiary set.  At the end of the day I got a great deal but needed to get creative to make them work.

"Mr." Easter Bunny

"Mrs." Easter Bunny

I covered each urn with moss and placed multi-colored speckled eggs around the base.  I actually used long toothpicks to hold the moss and eggs in place.  Then I placed each bunny on a long wooden dowel and created my own topiaries.   One of the bunnies came with a wreath around “his” neck which I just loved.  Since I didn’t have the materials to match the wreath, I decide to create a “her” bunny by using some of the left over green tulle and a pink tulip.  I am loving my new and improved “his” and “her” Easter bunny topiaries.

Happy Spring and Happy Easter!

Linking up to~

Southern Hospitality Spring  Door Decor Party

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia’s Tuesday’s Treasures

Not Just a Housewife Show Me What You Got!

Posted in Easter, Holidays, Home Inspiration, Porches, Yards and Landscaping | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

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