pinspiration / living room makeover

here is a peek at one of my top secret pinterest boards. don't you love them!? after massive hand hooked rug research, i fell head over heels with that pretty graphic one, top left. i couldn't stop thinking about him and hope he's every bit as glorious as i've built him up to be. i wondered if that rug may paint me in a tiny box, decorating-wise. then i realized that one of my favorite artists, maynard dixon utilizes the full range of those same colors. thus, i am gaining more inspiration from the hues in his artwork; every blue imaginable, orangey reds, whites and creams into grays and tans and browns. earthy and vivid. we'll see how it whips into shape. i'm thinking a few accent pieces and pow, a whole new room.

for now we have:
benjamin moore revere pewter walls
honey-colored hardwood floors
white molding
pretty basic furniture that can roll with whatever hits it

decorating book recommendation and dream house ideas

better homes & gardens small space decorating

when i get on a kick, i kind of get on a BIG kick. like benji and his latest excitement with ninjas (and weaponry). more on that later. so i picked up six or so books at the library about decorating. mainly because i had two hungry kids with me and i just grabbed a stack and checked them out. (i am searching for rug inspiration. any tips on where to get an amazing hand-hooked rug? one that won't cost a million dollars?) this book is the only one of the bunch i even liked. i stayed up all night reading it (and wishing i could circle stuff with sharpie and write notes in it). i got schooled on making a house a home. it's full of gorgeous pictures and straight talk about decorating. i'm a visual person when it comes to stuff like this.

here are some things i got out of it..
+ marble countertops in kitchen. on wishlist.
+ pretty light MINT walls in kitchen. yes, yes.
+ subway tile backsplash. yes yes. (no we're not re-doing our kitchen. ha!)
+ gallery photo wall. must-do list.
+ breakfast nook or at least a long farm table with benches. someday.
+ seasonal bedding choices.. why not!?! crisp whites! and lots of texture!
+ white kitchen cupboards and a giant farm house sink. and marble counters. and mint walls.

okay then. sometimes dreaming up plans is my perfect escape. (not unlike filling up an online shopping basket and never making a purchase!)

valentine's at our house

this month we hosted a sweet n' salty february fiesta and a cousins cupcake party. (avengers included.) today we got to take cupcakes & valentines to preschool. it felt a little like a badge of honor carrying those funfetti cupcakes in. like, welcome to the club. (i can't help but think of the millions of moms frosting cupcakes and telling their kids not to double dip their spatulas!) i never met a valentine i didn't love. enjoy celebrating and spreading the love.

 happy valentine's day.

ready when you are / nursery meets big boy room

anticipating the big arrival. (he can hardly wait for bunk beds.)


resources
+ the B print is actually benji's and it comes from an amazing designer in england.
+ i love the davinci brand mini cribs. it fits this small space perfectly.
+ the special size mini crib bedding comes from carousel designs.
+ the train quilt was a hot find on amazon.com (loads of cute quilts here too).
+ the shelving is expedit from ikea 
+ storage bins and baskets have been collected from all over, mainly tj maxx.
+ walls are boothbay gray by benjamin moore.

DIY glossy red table / from drab to fab

forget the year of the dragon, for me this has been the year of the paintbrush. in all my years of apartment dwelling i longed for a space (garage / yard / driveway) to drag furniture out and paint it. i dreamed big dreams of do-it-myselfing. so now i'm putting my money where my mouth is and starting to accomplish little projects. this one quite easily landed in my lap!

i snagged this little black nightstand at the swap party a few months ago. and, no, i didn't even have to fight anyone for it. it was left there–lonely and sad–after the guests left, just waiting for a new home. i thought it may be perfect in benji's room. plus i've always wanted something lacquer, glossy and red.. this was the perfect non-committal piece to try it on! painting something for a toddler's room is also a great place to start, no perfectionism or scrutiny here.

it was a quick project; one night i stayed up late and hunted pinterest (see my home improvement board) and jenny komenda's blog (she's amazing!) for good advice on re-painting furniture. these two articles were very helpful to me: tools for painting furniture and i heart oil-based paints. one morning trip to home depot, one drippy can of paint, and one bright red paintbrush later, we had ourselves a shiny red table. three cheers! i love admiring it in his bedroom and try not to look too closely at the imperfections (the spindles were a bit tricky!). the red is the perfect pop. am pondering how i can use up the rest of that can of paint!

supplies for DIY glossy furniture
+ sandpaper and rags
+ plastic drop cloths
+ an old but decent paintbrush (oil-based paints don't come out easily)
+ paint thinner to remove paint from brushes (and limbs!)
+ Rustoleum brand oil-based enamel paint (i used gloss sunrise red)
+ use 2 coats of paint and voila!
+ at least 24 hours to dry

projects and lemonade

it has been quiet on the blog lately but the house has been anything but. life is in a bustle and the house is currently a mess full of projects. dan is installing patio twinkle lights (with help from his little handy manny who is wearing safety goggles and carrying his plastic tools from room to room). i am attempting to gather up goods for the big swap party this week. have you ever been to a swap party? do you have tips for me? i'm excited to host this swap meet & mingle and hope everyone goes away with a new-to-them treasure. being in the party mood, i bought giant bags of red vines and peanut m&m's for the snack table. what's a party without red vines?

in other news / i am serving lemonade (with mint sprigs from my garden!) in this fantastic pitcher. the babe is moving and dancing like crazy; my stomach is no longer mine. it morphs into all sorts of crazy shapes. i met a blog reader at church today! hooray for saying hello! there was a major carnival in our neighborhood (dunk tank and all) on saturday. benji got his face painted, a balloon sword and gobbled up honey buttered scones. meanwhile i got asked if i was carrying twins. umm. why are these cliche pregnant questions still happening among women?! dan rode 100 miles. yay, dad. my first letterpressed design arrived in the mail. can't wait to show you! and last but not least, we started friday night lights. hello. everyone was right, best show ever.

recently / april

+ it's cobbler season again. blackberry and peach for guests on sunday.
+ walking a 5k, toddler in tow for the big finish.
+ eating outside is my new hobby.
+ this boy is in the perfect small–but getting big–stage. i love it.
+ keeping up with work (and the kardashians).

DIY painting a bathroom during naptime / before & afters

here comes the big reveal on our bathroom makeover. i'm excited.

my cousin whitney and i tackled my purple bathroom head on one afternoon. the key is having all the preparations (paint, supplies, rollers, ladder, tape, etc.) in place before starting. and having a rockstar partner in painting is essential (and a sleeping / distracted toddler is mandatory). so here's the story. dan and i had decided on the paint color long ago (we bought the can of paint back in september!) which is half the battle. we chose benjamin moore creamy white since we wanted something light and fresh. we decided on a butter, creamy hue that would coordinate nicely with the unique tile work already in place. we taped up a couple cream paintchips next to the tiles and found a shade that worked well. i figure, when there is already a color scheme in the works, why fight it?

whit and i worked hard all day rolling the creamy paint and cutting in around corners. our pregnant bellies and the limited space were just the beginning of our adventure. we couldn't be more happy with the result. i am learning to love a good do-it-yourself project, you feel a fantastic sense of accomplishment (even if it's not perfect). now i get to soak in the tub and ooh and ahh over our own handiwork. take a peek at our painting project (and inside my cupboards for even more makeover essentials)...
















resource guide
+ paint color / benjamin moore creamy white
+ shower curtain / pottery barn clearance shelf
(hunting down the right shower curtain should become an olympic event.)
+ fluffy white bath mat (not pictured) / tj maxx
+ oversized blue & white platter / ikea
+ glass containers / found objects from my kitchen
+ small cupboard door hooks / command removable hooks
(looping my headbands and watch on hooks is so handy)
+ towel and toy crate / inherited vintage wooden wine box
+ over the door towel hooks (not pictured) / tj maxx
+ clear makeup organizer / ikea
(every make-up junkie needs a good system)
+ good morning print / dapper paper co. (framed at michael's)

side note / i love these work-out headbands; they never budge or give me headaches. they are created by a boston marathon alum, elizabeth, my sister-in-law. of course i wear them to keep my hair out of my face while making cookies and cleaning the house, which sometimes feels like a marathon.

p.s. if you're keeping track (not sure why you would be), but we amateurs have now painted four rooms in our new home: one (his big boy room), two (our room), three (the studio), and four (the bathroom)!!

real life / still life no. 02

+ coat closet collage
+ chocolate easter eggs (debuting dangerously early this year)
+ forts and flashlights
+ favorite picture books
+ painting with water (and blooming spring greens!)
+ best costco salsa ever (thank you for the intro, hilary!)
+ MAC red she said, rebel and hourglass raven
+ sunny blossoms

preschool projects / art supplies and storage

i'll let you in on a little secret. i want to teach playschool someday. i don't know when or how, but i'm already organizing my supplies like i have an army of kids showing up at my door. we'll see if that ever comes about, but when i do host a playdate with benji's buddies, it has become super simple to grab a project from the closet when they need some downtime.

i keep loads of crayons and glue in my office, but i decided i need kid supplies closer to the kitchen if i'm actually going to utilize them often (which i hope to do). it's more practical to have them nearby so i can start up a project when i'm cooking, etc. i made space in our main shelf and got to work organizing our arts and crafts supplies. (i think it's ironic how my house seems to fall to pieces when i'm organizing one area. i think to myself, at least this closet is awesome and tidy.)

i love the clear sterilite storage bins with the handy handle (i even keep his baby clothes in them). they are perfect for grabbing and hauling to the table. when he's older he can help me out. the open canvas bins are nice for benji to rifle through and grab the play-doh or lacing beads himself or we can bring the whole thing out. little options like these make me happy. an extra ice bin (supposedly for the freezer!) holds our paints and crayons. random, but fantastic. i call our tactile (messy) projects science projects. he loves that, so it just stuck. everything with letters and numbers is labeled learning activities. when we get them out i tell him we're playing school. (he gets into it and likes wearing his backpack to the table.) many of these items have been collected at back-to-school sales, from party favors, the target dollar aisle, and at michaels. you'll find a list of my favorite supplies below. please tell me your favorite kiddie art supplies, i'd love to hear them.








kid arts and craft supplies
coloring books / enough for friends too ($1 each at michaels)
stickers (i keep them in a large manila envelope for sanity's sake)
washable markers
washable crayons
twistable crayons
mad-lib notebooks
watercolors
washable finger-paints
colored pencils
sponge paint brushes
large stamps and stamp pad
scissors
tape
white glue and glue sticks
pipe cleaners
cardboard tubes (and other craft-potential items)
sidewalk chalk
tracing stencils
lacing cards
play-doh and cookie cutters
bubbles
foam sheets
shaving cream
sparkly pom poms
small magnetic white board
flash cards
alphabet letter magnets
foam alphabet letters (originally bath toys)
handmade musical instruments
large foam dice
lacing string and beads