progress progress progress

Hello! I'm here, just so very busy! I've been enjoying busy with three (yes, three!) Thanksgivings this year...and I made two of them! More on the details of that later!

I'm now in full on Christmas crafting mode. In retrospect, I think was a bad time of the year to launch my little etsy shop, because I haven't given as much time and love to it as I'd like. I'm juggling gifts for people, along with some amazing and very exciting things for my shop. Woo hoo! Hopefully I'll get some stuff up there in the next couple of weeks.

I have many fun things to share, but I thought I should show some fabric that just arrived on my doorstep! I designed it! I couldn't wait to take better pictures, so these will have to do for now. I'm debating what to make with them - the whole idea was some throw pillows for gifts. Can't have enough of those, right? I've got more fabric that I've created and will definitely share when it's here!

come together, right now!

Slowly, but surely, things are coming together. Everything - daily routines, house stuff, re-acclimating to Michigan-living - it's all coming together.

As far as house stuff goes, I feel like most of my energy goes into Jack's room. Having never decorated a kid's room before, I've been having so much fun. While I was very excited when the shower curtains came in the mail, I find myself very excited finding things for Jack's room. I found a ceramic semi-truck planter that I fell in love with. I smiled the whole way home after having successfully bartered with the woman at the antique shop.

Baby/kid things are cute, bright and adorable. I really don't think things like a painted alphabet or adorable wooden trucks would be appropriate decor for the living room or the bathroom. That being said, I've had certain things in mind that I've wanted (this goes for the whole house, not just Jack's room!). I spend an embarassing amount of time in the late hours of the evening perusing Etsy and other design blogs and sites for things like beautiful screen printed aplhabets, cute framed sayings like "Let's be adventurers" and kid-friendly wallpaper. Seriously. Hours of clicking through framed alphabets, just not wanting to fork over $50 for the perfect one.

Since I knew what I wanted, I figured I should just make my own. After spending time actually thinking about the design of his room, I decided on a more subtle theme - a nod to Jack's place of birth that will certainly turn into bragging rights on the playground some day. "I used to live in San Francisco, California!" then a few years later he'll be claiming, "I grew up in San Francisco," which will inevitably grow into "Oh yeah, I used to play on the Golden Gate bridge every day."

Here is a sneak peek into his room. The walls have yet to be painted the chosen color of the San Francisco fog, but I am excited about the new art on the walls.

Good Morning, Golden Gate Bridge!


and now I know my A-B-C's




To be continued...hopefully sooner than later!

more painted wood, friends

I am on an old wood painting kick here, folks! I feel like I'm seeing this a lot everywhere, which isn't a bad thing. I am an emphatic natural wood fan, but seeing how our house has the original wood floors and woodwork throughout the house, adding some colorful painted wood breaks it up and adds some needed excitement for their respective rooms.

Do I sound a bit defensive about painting wood? I have no idea why I feel like I have to explain myself away here about painting old dressers. I swear painting it was giving this ol' hum drum hutch a new life!

We snagged her up at the Goodwill Midnight Madness sale where everything was 1/2 off! Score!


I've had that lampshade made of slides for a handful of years, and I've always thought it would look good on a yellow table, in a yellow room, or just near something yellow...

Something yellow


Such fun! And my shower curtains came in the mail today. Never thought I would be giddy getting shower curtains in the mail! But, they are perfect and worthy of some serious excitement. Pictures soon!

collage not college

We've had this old window just hanging out on our front porch for quite some time. Classy, I know. We have no idea where the window once belonged, but its life under/on the porch had not been easy on her. I've had plans for that window, and finally talking turned into action this weekend.



My old window collage was so easy to make! I sanded it, threw on a fresh coat of paint, added two eyelet screws on the top, and then some wire to hang it with. I got some magnets from Michael's craft supply store, and grabbed the nearest pictures we had laying around! Voila!



It's going to be so easy to swap out the pictures whenever we feel like it!

Here's the whole wall the collage is a part of in the dining room.

magic wands and decorating

We're still in the midst of getting the house in order. Finding the perfect pieces of furniture and perfect knick-knacks for every shelf. I had the unrealistic expectation to have the whole house put together before Jack's birthday party. Like I said, unrealistic. I wish I had a magic wand to paint every room the desired colors. That would just be perfect.

(I think the idea of magic wands is on my mind because I just read a post from Pacing the Panic Room with Ryan's review of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Quoting the fantastic Liz Lemon, "I WANT TO GO TO THERE!")

I just found a stack of French alphabet cards that I've had socked away for years. Trying to figure out how to display them in Jack's room...maybe picture frames? Hmmm...




And here is a sneak peek at the decorations I'm making for Jack's party...



Coming soon-ish...our "Home...again!" photo tour!

ceiling fan woes...

Ceiling fans. Not the biggest fan, (haha, no pun intended, but re-reading it before I posted it I find my subconscious self funny!) but I have been inspired to find cute ones.

Design*Sponge never fails with the goodies. Their round-up of amazing ceiling fans gives me hope!




Ick. Quite expensive! Nothing under $200 and my faves are upwards of $600. I have now been inspired to find a cheap one, like this one maybe? (Still more money than I'd like to fork over! Or I could always find ways to improve upon an old ugly one, like my friend Laura. She seems to be constantly revamping ugly stuff into chic and trendy stuff using glue, spray paint and elbow grease. Check out this chandelier make-over! Impressive. This just may be the budget-friendly route I need to take.

projects...

I have a million unfinished craft projects right now. Between home and school I haven't much time to even think about them...laundry is piling up again, and I am getting behind in grading stuff...AGAIN! Ugh, don't even want to think about that on this nice and cozy Friday night as I am nestled in my favorite corner of the couch with a happily sleeping baby in his crib, husband rubbing my feet, and drinking a Blue Moon.

What I do want to think about are the creative things that are patiently waiting for me on my quaint crafting shelves..,and the projects that have just piqued my interest.

Very excited to replicate these pillows to add to our cozy couch.




And I have so much spare fabric that I am always wondering just what to do with. A project like this would be a perfect use for that fabric, and an adorable addition for Jack's room. (That is when we have a place where he has his own room...) So easy, just cut the fabric, spray mount, and frame!

plants

I never really make New Year's resolutions, but this year I seem to have made a few. Okay, a lot.

#3452 Keep house plants alive.

I've never been good at keeping plants alive. I'll currently blame it on the cave of an apartment we live in. These were my favorites, and I was doing so well. We left for a week to get married, and came back to dead/dying plants. Forgot to tell the dog sitter to water them, I guess.

Exhibit A:

I am thinking ferns. I've heard they don't need much sun. And there's one forever imprinted on my arm.