Art on Display

 

Well, folks, the books on display in our playroom now have a new companion. Say hello to our art gallery! This was a must have for our play space because Audrey loves to be an artist. Our refrigerator at our old house was always covered in her artwork. Since our new refrigerator is stainless steel and not magnetic, I wanted to give her (and Will too) a place to show off their work. And, I  definitely have Pinterest to thank for this awesome idea!

image via Maddie's Nest

 

I always look for frames when I'm at a thrift shop. All the ones that I found were under $2.00! And, I also used a couple that I had on hand so this project was definitely easy on the wallet. I wanted the artwork to stand out and wanted to keep the room looking fresh so I spray painted all of the frames white.

 A friend actually suggested this and I'm glad I took her advice. The white frames balance out the white book shelves that we already hung on the other side. See what I mean?

Once the frames were nice and dry, I attached a piece of wire on the back and sawtooth hangers if the frame didn't already have something to hang it from.

To create the gallery on the wall, I used an amazing trick that I saw on Young House Love. I used a giant piece of paper to plan out where the frames would go on the wall. Once I was happy with the arrangement, I traced the frames and put an x where the hooks/nails needed to go.

I taped the piece of paper to the wall and began inserting the hooks.

I used frame hooks which are great for when you don't have a stud.

Two of the frames were on a stud so I just used nails to hang them. Once all the hardware was in place, I tore the paper down and put the frames in place. Success and it was so easy!

All that was left to do was to add some artwork. I used small clothespins to hang the art from the wire.

I hung a few things Audrey had already made and I used a couple Instagram pics leftover from Will's birthday party for the small frames.

Finally, as soon as Audrey saw the art gallery on the wall she wanted to make something new. She did a self-portrait with oil pastels. I love it!

 

 

The art gallery is a perfect addition to the kids' space. I love that it keeps things looking tidy while also allowing Audrey to feel like a real artist.

 

 

 

Well, the playroom is nearing completion. I still want to add a chalkboard and some more things on the walls. I will be sure to share the details and post a big reveal once it is all done. It might take a little while because our living room definitely needs some serious attention right now so the playroom may be placed on the back burner for the time being.

 

Have you completed any Pinterest-inspired projects, lately? I would love to hear all about them.

 

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Home Library...One Day

Home Library by farrisej on Polyvore

 
 
I told you a mood board was on the horizon and here it is! I debated even doing this, yet, because I  have a feeling that creating this room is a long way off. When I don't have time to actually work on any projects; however, I love to dream up what I hope to do one day. When did summer become so busy? I feel like this always happens! I've actually been taking classes the past couple of days and Audrey had her first sleepover so that pretty much answers my question.
 
As I mentioned in my last post, I don't think we are going to use our "dining room" as an actual dining room. So, in its place I would love to create a home library. Just a place to dedicated to our love of reading! I want the space to have a calm and relaxed vibe hence all of the light neutrals but allow me to elaborate on what I am thinking dreaming for this room.
 
Before I do that, though, let me remind you what this room looks like....

A nice clean slate. Wouldn't you agree? It pretty much looks exactly like this right now except for Audrey's foam hopscotch and a few other games that have trickled in for the time being. Now,  let's talk details of my dream library, shall we.
 
Of course, the main piece for this room has to be the bookshelves and I just love this one. I would like to custom build something like this on the back wall of the room. And, is anyone else as in love with sliding ladders like I am? I think that I've wanted one ever since I saw Beauty and the Beast for the first time. Do you know what I'm talking about? Anyways, the problem is that having one is completely impractical with having a toddler in the house right now. So, it's definitely a dream that will have to wait a little while.  



I have admired this rug from West Elm for a long time and I think it would be perfect for this space. I just think it has a cozy feel to it.

 

And, since we're talking West Elm; can we talk about these two amazing pieces? I love mid century design and I need this desk and chair (not the chair in the first picture but the second upholstered one). We don't have an office space right now and I would love this room to serve that purpose in addition to a library. The problem is that West Elm is never inexpensive so I'll either have to save up for a while or find something similar at a cheaper pricepoint.
 
 



I also want to create a little sitting area in this room. I am considering snatching some chairs from my parents' basement and updating them. They have a mid century vibe with light wood and box cushions. Similar to this...



 I thought painting them yellow and adding grey fabric could be one option like the chair below. I have also thought about going white or charcoal gray with yellow fabric. So, many options! What do you suggest?
 


As for accessories, I would love to make some floor cushions so that the kids also want to use this space for reading. I am definitely inspired by these from Etsy.
 


I also like this pillow because it added just a touch of color without being too much.

And, wouldn't this art piece be perfect for the space? I'm thinking I might be able to DIY this with an overhead.



And, that is my dream room in a nutshell. I can't say that we will even begin on this room anytime soon because there are definitely other areas we need to focus on and pieces with need to save up for that are more important like our living room. Until then, I'll keep dreaming and try to be patient. It's sometimes hard to take my time with decorating but I'm trying to remember that if we take our time it will be exactly what we want.

Anyone else dreaming up a room in their home that isn't actually going to happen right away? Maybe it's a craft room or closet or an outdoor space. I would love to hear what you have in mind!

**If I did it correctly, you should be able to click on each picture to get the source of the pieces in this post.
 

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Our Dining Area

There wasn't a whole lot of stuff happening around here this past weekend -- wait a minute --I take that back. There just wasn't a whole lot of house stuff going on. Rather than working on the million things that still need to be done around here, we decided to just enjoy our new home. It was so much fun having some friends and family come over and check out our new digs for the first time. We also had a great time celebrating my wonderful husband on Father's Day. My kids and I are so lucky to have such an amazing man to love us! So...since we were busy enjoying our new home instead of working on it I don't have any major updates for ya. I thought, instead, I would give you a quick peek of our dining area as it is looking today. Remember the table that I cursed at painted white from this post? Well, it is feeling right at home now in our dining nook.

Our dining area is in a large room that is also home to the kitchen and playroom. We have really enjoyed this entire area and the dining spot is no exception. In our old house the table was smaller but since adding two of the removable inserts, it is the perfect size for our family. We have four place settings going on right now but that could easily be converted to six for when we have guests. We picked up some black chairs at Ikea. I liked that they had clean lines and the contrast of color with the white table. Aaron liked that they were tall and sturdy. And, we both liked the they were pretty easy on our wallet.

Style wise I've kept everything pretty simple right now. I am definitely hoping to achieve a nice mixture of modern, industrial, and rustic in this room. In the center I've added this lantern because it felt industrial and rustic at the same time.

The black chairs and white table definitely give it that modern vibe. I also chose some place mats that added a little color and texture.

I'm sure I will add and tweak things down the road. That wall is definitely begging for some some art and accessories.

Oh, and you might be wondering where Will sits. I converted his high chair to a booster seat so he gets to sit up here at the table with the rest of us.
 

 He's been loving that and I've considered buying him a little chair like the one shown here from Ikea.
                
                  
I could even paint it black to match the rest of our chairs and I would definitely have to find a way to add a belt. Does anyone have any experience with this type of chair? Have you been happy with it, thus far?
 
Seeing our dining nook the way to is has helped us come to the realization that we may not need a formal dining room. I always just assumed I would have one but I really don't think we would use it very often. So, I'm playing around with some other ideas for my front room that is currently sitting empty. I think I smell a mood board in the works....
 
I hope everyone has a great week! As always, thanks for stopping by! 
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Books on Display

We LOVE books in this house! One of my favorite things is to see my kids with a book in their hands. So, I knew that our playroom needed to have lots and lots of books. I also wanted them to be displayed in a prominent way and be easily accessed by both of the kids. And, after a trip to Ikea for some picture ledge shelves we now have this going on in our playroom! I just love it!

 

We thought to the left of the big shelf was the perfect place to create a little reading nook. I also added a little seating area in the form of a black mid-century style chair and a sheepskin rug.

I originally bought four of these chairs to use as our dining chairs. I love mid-century style and these were a great deal on Overstock. But when I saw them with our table, I just didn't love them. They were also a little small for my tall husband to sit in everyday. So, two of them went back and I decided to put one in here. It's always nice to have a place for adults to sit in a play area. I love how the sheepskin rug immediately cozies up the place.

 

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So, those are the latest additions to the playroom. It's funny how just a few little things can immediately take a room from feeling "in progress" to "almost there". I didn't expect this room to be the first one that I focus on but that is just the way the cards fell. It makes sense, though, because this room is in the same area as our kitchen and dining room. The space has instantly become the the hub of our family where we spend most of our time. So, it just made sense for this room to get a little TLC first. Of course, I still have a few more projects for this room; which we will hopefully get to next week. Thanks for checking in!

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All Ready for Some Front Porch Sittin'

I am hardly ever an impulse buyer which is why furnishing our new place is going to take forever. I have to make sure that I've seen everything that is out there before making a purchase. I also wait for sales or just change my mind about what I want a thousand times. But then, every once in awhile I have a love at first sight moment. That's what happened to me at Target the other day. I wasn't even looking for outdoor furniture but I saw this super cute set and knew that it had to be mine!

 

It's from the Threshold collection (which I'm loving by the way) and it was on sale for $200 off the original price. I was sold. Of course, I had to consult with Aaron first but before long it was coming home with me. Sometimes with an impulse buy I end up regretting it later but that hasn't been the case. We are just so happy to have a nice place to sit on our new porch and enjoy the summer. The set came with the yellow cushions but I purchased the pillows and lantern for a little extra something.

 

I love how the footstool can be pulled out or tucked under the chair.

 

 

I think it ties in nicely with the mat that I found. If your remember this post when I talked about choosing our front door color, I knew I wanted to add some bright, happy colored accessories and I have definitely done that. I also plan to add some plants in the near feature and maybe work on a few DIY projects for this space.

 

If you are looking for me at any given time you might just find me out here with my favorite beverage. Oh summer, how I love you! I also love when an impulse buy works out. I hope that I have more moments like this where I find a piece that I just speaks to me right away. At the same time, I know that sometimes finding the perfect piece for your house takes time. I'm trying to be patient and know that if I don't rush into things it will be a home full of things that we love.

 

How about you guys? What's your approach when purchasing items for your home? Do you know what you want right away or do you have to take your time and mull it over a bit? Have you made any impulse buys lately that you're loving? I would love to hear all about.

 

In addition to sittin' on my new front porch, I've also been adding a few things to the playroom. I'll be back later this week to share the details!

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A Place for Play

I'm finally back! I feel like it has been forever since I've written a post. Well, that's probably because it has been forever. I needed the little break to finish up the school year. I am moving to a new school next year so I had to pack up my entire classroom. It's just been a crazy time with moving into our new house and everything going on at work. Needless to say, I am going to be so sick of looking at boxes by the end of the summer. That's okay, though. There are so many amazing things going on in our life right now and I definitely feel blessed. I am also so happy summer is here! I am ready to soak up some sun, play with my kids, spend time with friends and family, and just RELAX! I am also excited to share the summer with all of you. I have a TON that I am hoping to accomplish and can't wait to share it all with you one step at a time.

It's been a month since we moved in but I'm not sure anyone coming into our house would be able to tell that. We still have rooms with boxes, rooms with absolutely no furniture in them, and there is a constant echo in our house due to the lack of furniture and curtains. I am hoping to address all of those things in the near future.

Today I thought I would share the playroom and the progress that we have made, so far. Here is what it looked like a couple of weeks ago. Hello, blank canvas!

 

I created a mood board for this room forever ago that looked like this. I am definitely using this to help guide the room but I can see myself making some tweaks.

 

Here is what it looks like now. There is definitely a lot more going on. It does look a little like Ikea threw up in here so I'm hoping to remedy that with some personal touches.

 

 

The little white shelf holds most of Will's toys. I tried to categorize each basket. So, there is a basket for cars, one for tools, and one for musical instruments.

 

 

I also decided to put in the little door because Will is obsessed with opening and closing doors. I had the insert from Ikea already on hand. I just added a new knob. First of all, because he needed something bigger to be able to open it and also because I loved, loved, loved the adorable owl knob that I found at Hobby Lobby.

 

 

 

On the other wall, is a larger shelf. We had this in the old house and I do love the amount of space if provides. Unfortunately, I feel like I am already close to filling it. I also worry that it looks a little cluttered. Are you seeing that too? Any suggestions? I definitely didn't "style" it officially. I just threw some stuff up there.

 

 

The larger baskets hold Audrey's tea sets, play food, and coloring books. The white boxes hold all of our craft supplies, such as, paper, string, tape, glue, and plenty of other random stuff. The turquoise drawers hold paint and stamps. Oh, and can we talk about those drawers for a sec? They used to be red and I just didn't like the way they looked so I painted them! I used Rustoleum Seaside and I now love them!

 

 

I also added these fun bicycle knobs that I also found at Hobby Lobby.

 

 

So, here is the whole room one more time. I definitely don't see the rug as something I will keep forever. It has seen better days as it has been in my classroom, the old house, and now here. I still hope to add a little reading nook, a place for writing and art, a place to display the kids' artwork, and maybe even a little science exploration area. I have lofty dreams that is for sure. Oh, and I almost forgot that we need some curtains for the windows.

 

 

Thank you for poking around today in our little play space. Is there anything that you see that I could add or change? I love getting your feedback.

 

I also hope you like the new look of the blog. I thought it was about time for a little refresh. Have a great weekend!

 

 

 

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