decisions decisions

So I saw this amazing dining room makeover on this blog here and I haven't stopped dreaming about it. The hot pink pillows have me drooling! I love how unexpected and completely unique the whole room is! I have a home office right off my entry way that either needs a complete makeover or I need to turn myself into the show Hoarders. It's awful, embarrassing, keep the lights off and door closed at all times BAD! I too have the chair rail and crown molding. I currently have a declaration of independence wall paper thing going on. (Previous owners choice not mine) When I saw this amazing wall that looked like a piece of art rather than wall paper, it made my heart skip a beat. But have you ever tried to search for wall paper online? I have, and it takes me back to 1988 with fruit basket borders and plastic grapes. Eww. Then I came across the mother of all sights for wall papering funkyness called Design Public. Another site I've liked is from Design your Wall found here. I was left feeling hopeful that wall paper has changed and I no longer need to hold back my natural GAG reflex when viewing. So here are my choices and I need some help. I can't decide which color scheme to go for. The whole house is a very neutral gray. The room directly across from my office is the dining room with it's orange ceiling that I'm in love with. Even after 1.5 years, who knew I could keep a room color that long? And the adjoining family room is grey, charcoal, cream and adding some funky yellow drapes soon. So do I need it to go with my whole house colors since I have glass french doors into this office or can I go bold and not care? I also have black painted desks that I really don't want to repaint, so my color choices have to work with black accents. Keep in mind, I'm only wall papering one wall and from the chair railing up, like the above dining room I'm packing my bags to move into as we speak! This black, white & yellow color scheme seem like they would flow into the rest of the house easily enough. I'm tending to want to go this route, but am worried it's too safe.

Some part of me wants people to walk in my front door and just laugh, because that's what I'd do if I saw a hot pink room off the entry. This is definitely NOT safe and I'm quite sure it would make me smile everytime I "work".

This is my very safe, very neutral choice. But you know me, I'm neither of those things. Something about the calm of this room makes me like it. My current office is definitely NOT calm!

I think I like the idea of a black wall. If I ever opened the blinds in this cavernous office, I'm pretty sure I'd have a lot of light coming through so I wouldn't be too claustrophobic. And let me just add, I've NEVER opened the blinds in this room, it's been bad for that long!

Here's another hot pink and silver. I just love this color scheme. It's subtle right? :)

I have other rooms in my home that have turquoise in them so this wouldn't steer too far from home. Hmm....

So my color scheme choices are 1. black & yellow 2. hotpink & black 3. black & white & grey or 4. black & turquoise. Help me pretty please with chocolate on top!

Easiest magnet board ever....

You know how some bloggers out there totally make it sound like refinishing an armoire was a 3 hour project? Or reupholstering a chair could be done during the baby's nap time? Of course while doing these massive projects, somehow they (other bloggers) appear to have perfectly dressed children, immaculate homes and gourmet meals on the table every night. So you think to yourself, "heck, I could paint may kitchen cabinets." But when you try to accomplish it yourself you run into massive problems. So then you spend 5 days (more like 2 weeks in my case) trying to fix all the things that went wrong, spend more money buying more products to repair the damage that you may or may not have caused in your little "freak out tantrum" (that you may or may not have had). And when it's all said and done, you have finished a very large plate of brownies by yourself (I would never do such a thing) just to make yourself feel a little better, for a project that you, in the end, wish you had never started and don't really care for the finished product either! Just so you know, I'm not that nice of a blogger. I can't really sugar coat all the problems I have when starting a huge DIY project, I just sugar coat myself in chocolate as a reward afterward! So when I say this was the EASIEST PROJECT EVER, I mean it. Here are the supplies I started with: Mod podge & foam brush, heavier scrapbook paper & metal sign. (mine was from Hobby Lobby found in the garden section) First cut the paper to the size of the metal sign. Next, place a thin layer of mod podge on the metal and a small coat as well on the paper. Lay the paper down and smooth out the wrinkles. Make sure the edges have been glued down securely. Let it dry completely. Add a layer of mod podge to the top after it's dry for extra protection. I made easy magnets from stickers from K&Co and small magnets I already had. The stickers are self adhesive so no additional glue is necessary, but I added a little bit of hot glue just for added durability. Add ribbon (or pom poms in my case) if you want to embellish your sign and hang it! I hung this on the outside of my daughter's room so I could place personal messages to her. She loves it!

This would also be a really inexpensive birthday gift for a child's party. The metal sign was only $2.99 at Hobby Lobby so the whole project under $5. Match their room colors, add a photo or a birthday card and you just won yourself Cutest Gift award!

M's room reveal!

Finally! I finished M's bedroom. You might remember that this bedroom redo was a Christmas gift. Pathetic to take so long, I know. When it comes to decorating I'm a "big picture" kinda girl and get lost in the details. So Christmas morning came, the furniture was in, the bedding & drapes were all there, the room was painted. And then, nothing. Blank walls, no accessories. Accessories are what finish the room & I'm at a loss when it comes to deciding what to use and where. I want everything to have meaning, especially in my decor or it just feels like clutter to me. I like bold "punches in you the face" wall art, I like people to go "what the heck, where'd you find that?". I'd like to be a decor rebel because its the only place in my life where I have rebelled. So I end up getting stuck in every room I do and then gradually add the "clutter" that glams up the rooms. With that said, the room is finally finished and little M couldn't be happier. (holding my breath that she doesn't change her mind on colors in 6 months like I would) Get ready for a super long post. The BEFORE shot.....

And the AFTER shots.... The sparkly white chair she asked Santa for. Santa couldn't find sparkly but furry works right? Clipboards with modge podged scrap book paper to hold her notes, pictures, jewelry and clips. This girl knows accessories, I think I need a lesson..... A 30x40 canvas I painted the same color as the pink wall. Then handpainted lighter pink polka dots. I had my sister Renee print me my favorite quote in white vinyl. Just so you know, vinyl lettering and canvas don't play nice with each other. Applying the letters wasn't the funnest, but I love it now! I cut out birds from scrapbook paper and applied to the wall with glue dots. The girls even helped cut out the birds. The wall just makes me happy, the picture however, does not do it justice. Have you ever tried to take pictures with a glaring hot pink wall? And to top it off, the window has turquoise curtains that really change lighting!

Here's a closer shot of the modge-podged clipboards. They come in handy for all her artwork and notes too! The dresser my husband painfully painted and repainted and then I distressed it with minwax gel stain. I love the glass knobs from Hobby Lobby. Here's the before- And here's a close up After shot:

Here's a close up of the polka dots. Originally I thought about painting them. Then, realized how skee wompus (sp?) they'd be. I also thought about vinyl, but realized that could be pricey. Next solution, and easiest!, was with cardstock. I found a thick, shiny white cardstock and cut them into 12" circles. Next I used 3M spray adhesive to apply. So easy and inexpensive. Total cost for the wall was $13.

This blog here gave me the idea for the poofy mobile, but I couldn't find her actual post, dangit, her blog is really good though. I made tissue pom poms and bought paper lanterns. The bedding was all purchased from Target. The side table and furry chair were from Pottery Barn. Break down of the room, don't really want to add it up, but I'm always wishing other bloggers would so here goes:

Bedding from Target- $90, new bed from a boutique only $200. Paint including oil based for dresser $140. (ouch that seemed high, but I double checked) We paid painters to paint the room since it was right before Christmas for $120. Cardstock for polka dots and clipboards, $14. 3M glue, $4. Clipboards, $6, I had 3 already. Table from PB teen, $40. Furry chair, on sale $80. Grand total is $694. But we could've saved $120 if we painted ourselves. $120 seems very reasonable after painting that dang dresser though! So there you have it. A complete makeover. I think it's the first room (besides bathrooms) in my house that feel done. Wow, I don't know what to think of that!

I've been featured on this great site!

Linking up to these great sites:

All things bright & beautiful

Silhouette- the easiest project ever!

I've been in silhouette envy for awhile now. I thought that only crafters with expensive machines could have silhouettes of their children. I was wrong. Making your own is super easy and quick. This project took me 20 minutes total. All I needed was some cute paper, scissors, and a photo of my daughter printed on regular paper in black and white. I carefully cut out her profile and exaggerated her features like her eye lashes and lips and hair. The more details you include, the more life like it becomes. After that I traced it onto my yellow cardstock and cut it out. I used raised glue dots to lift it off the paper, but wished I used even taller glue dots to make it more dramatic!

I chose to mount mine on a canvas that I already had. Modge podge it on or use a super sticky tacky tape. Either way, it's still only 20 minutes to complete! I cut strips of paper to cover the edges to make it look more finished.

I think this looks better in real life because the paper has a velvet texture to it. I'm thinking maybe I need two more of these on my mantel. Maybe with coordinating paper..... what do you think?

I linked to this party:

Watch out- Mandy's in the kitchen!

Just call me "Mandy- great at copying everyone's ideas." Seriously, I lack in the originality department, but every once in a while I do excel in the follow-through. Like today, got my menu board done. Found the idea on this awesome blog and HAD to do it for my house. I usually try to do just one big shopping trip every two weeks and then we get bountiful baskets every week too. I've been trying to cook more lately and having a plan BEFORE I go grocery shopping helps me organize what I need and I'm not wasting much food since I really try to stick to my plan.(Hello run-on sentence) So I pulled out the old vinyl cutter last night and got to work.

And I wrote down all of our favorite meals and typed them up, I think this should also help when I'm trying to decide what goes on the menu since I sometimes seem to forget what we actually EAT for dinner. Double bonus: I actually had the contact paper to laminate the cards AND I also had the magnets! So yay to me for not having to run to the store to make this!

And speaking of cooking, have you gone out and bought this cookbook yet?! Oh my. Rock my world. I am actually making some pretty tasty meals lately thanks to these two wonderful ladies. Go check out their awesome blog, someone should give them a medal or something for making me actually ENJOY cooking!

Linking up here:

It's almost here...

Well, I still have snow in my yard, but it's almost gone and I looked at the calendar and guess what tomorrow is?! SPRING!!! Hooray! Although that means almost nothing here in Arctic Idaho (other than crazy, crazy wind), but it did mean that after 4 months of ignoring my backyard, I got to experience the sheer awesomeness of having an outside dog. Ugh. Wish someone would've told me how much it stinks (literally) to have a BIG dog making a mess of your yard when I was emotional and didn't-know-I-was-pregnant-yet and felt bad for the dog to have to go to the pound. Sigh. 'Tis the life of a compassionate person, I suppose. (That was my sarcastic voice) Moving on.
Had to make myself a little Spring table runner. Totally perks up the kitchen for me. But then I moved it to the top of the piano, because this 2 year old HATES tablerunners. Always throws them off the table before he eats.

And I made a little Spring sign with some 2x4 pieces that were laying around and paper and mod podge and vinyl. Yes. I do realize the Spring in white is super hard to read. No. I do not plan on changing it because I'm l-azy!(That was my singing voice) Alrighty, let's see if I can get some more crafts pounded out here soon, huh? Chao.
I linked to this great party:

My rainbow cupcakes

I know, I know. But better late than never, right? So run out right now and get the stuff to make these cupcakes to take to your neighbors! First of all, just skip the whole layered rainbow cupcake thing and just do rainbow chip cupcakes, k? Man, it was one of those projects that you start and then totally regret, but you have to finish because you're stuck in the middle of it. But I'm sure all my Visiting Teaching ladies thought it was worth the effort- haha. I saw these on Sisterstuff and just thought they were too cute to not try. Happy St. Patty's Day everyone!

Not your Grandma's living room......

Have any of you gone back home and looked around your old home and everything looks the same. It's like you never left...... sigh. The memories rush back. Well, not so much for parents and the home I grew up in. Every time I come home, they've redone something in EVERY room! And even though I'm incredibly sentimental, for some reason it's never bothered me that home never looks the same for long. Instead, it feels more like Christmas every time I come home. Each room I enter is better than the last and it's exciting that my parents are pretty cool and hip! My dad and I love to look at architectural magazines, he dreams of building an incredible home, while I dream of winning one in the many drawings I enter, much to my shock that I STILL have NOT won! The planning of decorating a room is almost as fun as the result for my dad and me. Meanwhile, my mom is a "get her done" kind of girl. And that helps us slow moving, day dreaming types. Here you can see that there was nothing wrong with the room before hand, other than the couches have been around for........ well longer than I can remember and they've been re-upholstered. Although we all love red, it's best in smaller punches I think.

Yellow and red are classic color combinations. They also had a formal wool/tassle rug and recently switched to this rug. Much more neutral. After drooling over the new Restoration Hardware magazine, my parents got the itch to change things up a bit. And start with a more neutral background. First they ordered couches. They really wanted leather for easy maintenance but white/cream leather can look extremely cheap if not done right. Simple tufting and tight small arms make this modern and chic. Leather is a MUST for the "book reading with a box of Sees chocolates" type of girl (not that I'm judging, I learned from the best) but it's also great for grandkids and the kitty too. Don't get me started on the kitty peeps. I hand the phone to my kids to talk to Grammy and she hands the phone to the cat. Seriously. She thinks she taught the cat to say Ma. I'm pretty sure the cat is old and too lazy to say meow and it comes out MA. But she adamantly believes her kitty is as brilliant as my two year old. And she may be right. After all, that cat has her wrapped around her paw. Or should I say MA! But, I digress. Let's get on to this awesome reveal.....

The new sofa tables. One behind each sofa. Made by my padre! Definitely balance the room. It is in fact a HUGE room. It has hosted many after dinner gatherings & 5 wedding receptions!

The 4 pictures hung on that wall are 4 architectural pictures from really old books. I love interesting decor, especially when there is a story behind it. Sentimental me kicking in.....

They debated about the colors in this room. Should we do a little red? Should we do yellow since it would flow into other rooms. But in the end they went with the most expensive peices like the furniture being very neutral and just pumped up the energy with turquoise & lime green accessories. I absolutely love it and am completely impressed! Now when can I hire you to redecorate my house?