Kids' room

Remember, forever ago when I decided to decorate and paint the kids room and promised update pictures?

I know, right?

Well I actually worked on and completed the project and HERE just for YOU are pictures of the finished room. Because I love you.

The challenge of this room was to pick a color-scheme that both a boy and a girl would like. And then I had to incorporate the bright colors that both kids love, with an overall look that is not blindingly bright. The husband would have let them paint each wall pink, blue, purple and red in a crazy-go-nuts festival of color, but that sort of thing makes me itch.

What I decided on was a neutral base with really bright accents. I really wanted to try a grey wall, since I had never done that before. Grey feels very fresh and modern - you can add crazy, high-intensity colors or make it very sophisticated with other neutrals. Violet has a really pretty plum bedspread that I love and it became our first accent color. I added a cool blue for Dash and then yellow because... I love yellow and grey! The paint colors are:

Valspar Spa Pool
Valspar Soft Duckling
Valspar Plumberry
Olympic Goose Grey

You can buy a 7 oz. paint sample for just a few dollars and this was more than enough for the accent pieces. I have more than half of the Valspar colors left.

This is also a design on a dime type of project because almost everything is re-purposed or re-finished. This dresser lived in my sister's room and was very 80's-fabulous. Instead of getting something new (it is a nice solid-wood dresser after all) we decided to give it a new life with a fresh coat of lacquer and some fancy, mis-matched drawer pulls. There are lots of Anthropologie-style pulls at Hobby Lobby - for about 1/4 the price!

The pennant banner is one of the few brand-new things. It took about $10 of fun fabrics, fusible fleece and bias tape to make. The valance was very simple to sew - two panels with two ruffles. The raw-edged ruffles are as easy as they are adorable.


This art wall is an idea I particularly love. I gathered up random, unused picture frames from around the house and found others in clearance aisles. I mixed in a mirror and clock for variety. Then everything got a coat of paint. The empty frames are great bursts of color, but they serve an even better purpose. Each frame is easy to take down and fill with anything the kids like - artwork, dried flowers, Lego sculptures, photographs, patterned papers...

So, fun yes?

Things of wonder

I did wake from a nap in my chair. And behold, I discovered a multitude of toys dangling before me.

I will reach out unto them and I will eat them for my own.


I will continue to reach out...

Golly these are hard to get!

And lo I did give up on the stupid dangly toys and did discover that there are also feet in this chair.

Feet I tell you!

And lo I did taste them and lick them and eat them for mine own.


And they were good.

And yea, after much squirming and murmuring and arching of backs, I did finally get what I wanted all along.


Also it was totally time for a blog redesign - do not you think?

Pop and lock

Is anyone else tired of the word 'pop'? Colors pop. Accents pop. Every time I turn around, someone is talking about something that pops. And sometimes the poppable items are things that should never be popped, for any reason.

Like your eyeballs.

I instinctively mistrust anything that claims to make my eyes pop. When you say your product will pop my eyes, I feel like I have two very clear options:

Option A: Back away very, very slowly. Check for obvious exits.

Option B: Ram my elbow into your solar plexus.

I bet that would make your eyes pop.

For absolutely no reason, I will list other words that I've come to hate:

Green
Wow-factor
A-ha moment
Organic
Epic
Chillax
OMG

Let's just finish this post up with some unrelated cute pictures, okee dokey?


This baby goat tried to steal my keys.

Yes or no?

I'm trying to be more creative with my hair. You know, something other than a plain ponytail every day. Ponytails are so fabulously easy and simple... but maybe a little boring.

I don't know why I have the need to spice up the ol' hairstyle. You can tell how fashion-conscious I am just by observing how much makeup I've put on. (The answer is none. Wait, I might have chapstick on. It's from last night.) I can't leave my hair down because baby pulls on it. Plus I hate having it fall in my face all the time.

So I'm experimenting with scarves. I got two really cute ones while I was in St. George, this yellow silk and a wide white one with shiny silver stripes. Cool! The problem is, I don't know if scarves look good on me. Unless I slide it really far forward on my head (like Axel Rose) the stupid things always want to slip backwards.

Any thoughts? Advice? Cute hair-scarf styles you want to share with a not-so-trendy mama?