whatever

i took on a big project this weekend.
i was finally ready to organize the art supplies, clean up all the piles of junk that i had piled up here and make this “room” look nice.
there were a lot of art supplies and a lot of junk.

please ignore the gold light fixture… i haven’t found what i want for here quite yet.
AND a rug would look great under the table.
but that is liking begging my kids to spill things?!

we found this furniture on craigslist for a steal on memorial day and worked all summer on it.
it was so much priming & painting.
oh so very much.


but it was totally worth it!

we don’t own any china to put in the china hutch.
we don’t even own a set of regular dishes.
for real.
i have lots of mismatched random dishes.
but not in a cute way…. it’s just mismatched.
but someday when i won’t have to worry about plates breaking often i will get cool plates.
and a rug under the table.

anyway… i knew this cabinet would be the perfect place for all of our arts & crafts supplies.
easy to access and pretty too!

so this is what i started with….

and this is when i finished.

the watercolor paints are from Michaels – $4.99!!
we use SINGER Heavy Duty Sewing Machine.
we love it so much that we have two.   🙂

it feels so good to have it DONE!
and now i know where everything is and where it goes.
i would like to paint the back wall of the hutch white.
but let’s be realistic… ain’t nobody got time fo’ dat!
it’s staying green.

remember my trip to the sunflower field a few weeks ago?
i had my favorite photo from that morning made into a canvas through mpix.com.
it is kind of amazeballs?!!

it looks like i am standing in that field all over again.
it is slightly bigger than actual size… but not much!
the colors are so bright!

i decided that this canvas was worthy of the first nail hole in the wall at this house.
the little house painting is by noodle and lou.
it pretty much completely adorable in every way.  it’s a drawer.  she painted the inside of a drawer?!
and the roof has polka dots?!  seriously.
she usually lets her fans know in her instagram feed when she puts some goodies in her shop.
and they are gone in an instant.

i brought my gumball machine home from the Craft House.
i loved looking at it there but thought how sad i would be if anything happened to it there accidentally.
and all my heart rocks are in that jar.
sigh.
i love those rocks.
it’s weird to love a rock.
but i do.
cause i am weird.  🙂

we painted the chairs and we also recovered them.
i found the floral fabric curtain panel at our local thrift shop and broke into a sweat immediately.
it was like finding treasure!
i still walk by these chairs all the time and say out loud to my empty house “gorgeous!”

hi stan.
please move now.

(the gingham napkins are a target clearance purchase)
just for fun… a peek into the kitchen.
dirty dishes and all.

everyone asks where the lights are from… Menards.
and the paint color is Sea Shell Gray by Valspar.
i will post more about the kitchen later.

we have two tiny goldfish in that tank filled with neon pink rocks.
i think my girls are ready for something a little bigger in there to keep them company.

my 4 youngest kids started school today.
it feels like we JUST got out for summer break.
i didn’t even get a tan line!
how is summer over?
scott was already at school for an early morning football practice.
i made waffles and we shoved out the door.

i picked up the house (a bit) today and painted things.
the internet was out ALL day and i realized i get much more done with no internet…
who knew?!

i am feeling anxious to decorate but the ideas haven’t all hit me yet.

but a couple of ideas….like my sign letters… are making me so happy!

i found several of the letters at Finding Great on Etsy.
i loved all their choices!
29 pages of sign letters??!!
it is sooooo awesome!
i may still hang them on the wall but i love them leaning here too.

Finding Great was really easy to work with… they combined shipping for me…sent them right away.
just think of all the words you could spell!
or just an initial?

i love typography.

back in june i found furniture on craigslist.
a dining room table, 6 chairs, a buffet and a buffet with a hutch on top.
the buffets were identical.
so we painted them gray (Anonymous by Behr) and put them in the inset part of the living room.
it was a perfect fit!
i had exactly 6 pulls left over from the kitchen remodel.
done.
and we had another dresser that i thrifted that the hutch will sit on.

i know what you are thinking….  “it’s very white”.
but this is just the beginning.
the layer before all the color comes in.

the walls are Sea Shell Gray by Valspar.

there needs to be some height back behind the smile and the cow.
but i don’t know with what just yet.
the cow may not stay here forever… but she was lonely in the closet so she’s hanging out with us now.

it’s certainly not done in here… there are lots of things i want to hang on the walls, pillows i want to make, etc.
but we are getting there don’t ya think?
these are the couches and chairs we ordered from Ikea.
there were lots of questions about them before.
basically… YES i love them.  the reasons i think it works:
1. this is not our MAIN kid sitting area.
2. it gets used but the boys camp out in the basement not here.
3. and we have forbid food or drink in the living room.
(mom gets to do what she wants because “mom” does the washing of the slipcovers if she spills)

also i found pet alarms to keep the dogs off the furniture when we aren’t home.
they really work!
it sounds like a smoke alarm when you touch it… CRAZY loud.
it beeps only when you are touching it, as soon as you stop touching it the sound stops.
they don’t go anywhere near the couches now.
amazing.

this room needs curtains.
picking fabric for curtains… ughhhhhh.
i don’t want to do it.
but someday i will be out shopping and i will find “IT”.
and i will know that fabric is the one and the decision will be easy.

and i don’t know what to put in this corner.
but i do know that it is not this.
those cabinets got put there when we moved in… and haven’t moved yet.

i may hang family pics all over that corner wall.

and these walls…
and i might even put that shirt away that is on the railing.  (HA!)

remember when i said i cleaned up (a bit)?
this was behind me…
i just cleaned one side of the house.
🙂

the hutch is almost done!
the green is bright but i am digging it.

i need some way to conceal all those electronics….what could i do?
everything needs to be accessed at least by a remote.
i haven’t come up with a plan there yet.

and suddenly i am distracted….

zinnias and black eyed susans are pretty dreamy.

i kind of want to blow up these pictures into gigantic wallpaper!
these colors…..these are ME!

so the state of our living room?  i think i’d say…she’s coming along!

🙂

do you know what i should do with those electronics on the right buffet?
would you ever get white furniture?

go check out Finding Great and tell me which letters you get for your house!
because i know you will find some great ones!

the Giant G…   the hi….    the transparent O…. i want them all.

so people keep saying “when are you going to show us your house?”
and i have been like “it’s not even close to done?!”
but then today i rethought that.
i decided how will you know what is different if i don’t show the stages?
so here is our house after living here one month.

when you first walk in the door this is what you see.
complete with swimsuits on the dining room table.

the door by waffle goes out to the patio area and back yard.
we have ikea couches on their way to live with us.
there are still boxes in the corners of art supplies… i am not sure where to put them yet.

the dining room.
i have fabric (hobby lobby) to make some simple curtains… love straight stitching projects!

i have an old chandelier covered in old crystals to hang here.
but i have to paint it first.
i think it is safe to say there is a lot left to add in this space.
ha!

the entire main floor is Seashell Gray by Valspar.

front door is now on the right.
remember before when it had carpet?
for as many accidents that stanley has had since we moved in… hardwood was a smart move.
and it’s pretty.

when you are in the kitchen you can see the whole first floor.
i like that!

down the hall is a bathroom & 3 bedrooms.
we have only worked on our bedroom so far.
we put hardwood in here and painted.
i don’t feel like you can acurately tell the color of gray because of the light from the windows.
we chose Foggy Mirror by Valspar.

i am so excited (and nervous) to attempt to make this buffet look like this one.
i found an expert to walk me through it and she had all the supplies in her shop too!

THANKS jodi!
i will take pictures as i go!
this will be my first ever milk paint project… i am a little scared!

i was planning on painting our bed but then i changed my mind.
it’s staying dark wood.
it’s manly and looks good with the gray walls too.

i have curtains to hang that i got from West Elm.
i picked up the curtains rods and hardware this week.
ready for a little more privacy and not so much light in the mornings!

we have his and her closets in this house.
it rocks.
we had that ikea shelf for over ten years and four houses!
it’s perfect to hold my jewelry now.
and the necklaces are hanging from 3 key hangers from target.

we started painting the cabinets in the master bathroom.
we will continue the Foggy Mirror on the wall in the bathroom as well.
and paint all the cabinetry and molding white too.

back out to the kitchen…

the island is going to have legs on the corners but they are back ordered.
the door by the fridge had to be replaced so that is why it’s missing.

i went with green stools for the island seating.
i ordered two from walmart.com
i bought two at an antique store (and we need to cut them down 5 inches).
one i already had in my old craft room.
and one i found on craigslist and spray painted it.
my mom & dad grabbed two at a flea market last weekend that will fit right in.
the white chair is just visiting from the craft house.

i chose to leave the area around the window very open.
it took a lot of deciding and made lots of people give their opinions.
🙂
i am sure i will fill it with art work or something cool over time.

the light fixtures are from Menards.

the island turned out just the way i drew it.
so many lovely drawers.
and we use the mixer and ninja everyday so i like having easy access but LOVE having it off the counter.
we need to paint the outside of the front door!
we painted the back but forgot the front.
this is the designated computer area.
i have no idea what i want to do with this space.
it’s a wreck.
and everyday there are MORE papers!
many kids means many reminders and schedules.

the laundry room and pantry is the dark room on the left of that picture.
my favorite part of the laundry room is there is a SINK!!!
for the first time in my whole life i have utility sink.
i love it.

there are more bedrooms, a bathroom, a family room and a game room in the basement.
i go down there to say goodnight to kids and once to watch a movie.
otherwise i don’t do basements.
i need windows.
i am so glad we have that space though!
the kids LOVE it!  they love that is has carpet and it’s so cold and dark.
funny how differently we think.

so…there it is.
not done.
not even CLOSE to done.
but no reason not to share it with you.

actually we are getting to the fun part… the decorating!
we are REALLY loving it here.

———————————————————————————————————

annie is picking a dessert from pinterest to make with me for our dinner guest tonight.
OY!
i am strong.
i can do this.

it took me a year and half to get it done…not the actual work but just DOING it.
and it's not as grand as what was in my mind.
but it's done.

and the girls LOVE it.

they got in the first night and talby said "it's like i'm a princess."
and annie shouted "and I'M a PR-WINCESS too!" 

they can close it up when they want to…for princess privacy. 


they share a bed now and it's just sitting on the floor.
it's easier to jump on the bed that way. 


their bassinet from when they were babies is tucked in the corner 
and the 2 chairs hold up the sides of the tent.
they put their dolls in there for night too.

 

the 4 door white cabinet was built-in to our basement in our IL house. 
it was yellow with 70's flower decals on the doors…but also had vintage green glass knobs.
we took it out when we gutted that basement.
it holds annie's clothes now. 


 
 

talby's dresser was from a thrift shop when lauren was a baby.  
the shelves on top i bought at canton days flea market 3 years ago.
i painted both of them.
 


their curtains are just white bed sheets with black out fabric as a liner…works great. 
 
 
   
 

*painting made by talby 2 years ago.                        *heart duvet covers from ikea.

 

*name print from penny people.                              *tutu from the thrift shop.  :)

 

*polka dot sheets from walmart.          *deer print mounted on blue & orange paper from k.bartinski.   
  

to make the tent:  
i wrapped 3 hula hoops with duct tape….yes…..to make it strong enough not to bend.
then sewed the blankets and sheets around it.
we strung a rope through the top sections to hang it…from a big heavy duty hook in the ceiling.

i bet that makes no sense…but there was no pattern…i made it up as i went along.

that is a lot of pink isn't it?