Cuz Everyday I'm Shufflin (New Office Reveal!)

Y'all know me, always shufflin' my rooms all around.  The latest project was to move the: 

Playroom to the Guestroom

Office to the Playroom

Craft Stuff to the "Office" (a desk in a hallway)

My poor guests now have to share their space with a thousand Hotwheels.  Such is life.  So, can I show off my new office a bit?

A Room of My Own!

Where I work.
I love mixing up textures like my linen pinboard with sparkly letters, and of course those peacock feathers.
Desk lamp, Hobby Lobby.  Pinboard, DIY linen with upholstery tacks.  Desk chair, Walmart.  Feather wreath, Pier 1.

I keep three notebooks handy: one for work, one for homeschooling stuff, and one to sparkle:

My shelving:

Constantly working on staging.  Who wants to come help?
Shelving, Ikea.  Vintage soda crate and orange crate up top, thrifted.  File baskets, Ballard Designs.  

The larger shelf on the left.
LOTS of storage for work stuff, shipping supplies, craft supplies, and kids' stuff.

Speaking of kids' stuff, this is where my boys work, on the right-hand wall of my office:

Yes, indeedy.  We are homeschooling two days a week (through THIS fabulous school).
Needing a place to homeschool is how I justified this whole project to the Hubs.  Holla!
The table is an interior core door which I stained pale gray and glazed.  The table legs, desk chairs, shelving, task lights...all Ikea.

A closer look at my framed printable:

The new slogan for obedience in my house.  It came from some brilliant woman at my church.

I added labels to my organizer so I could stop repeatedly pulling out the wrong drawers.  This would go into the category of Silhouette projects that I just love.

Yay for colors!

I really wanted my boys to feel happy in this space...wanted it to be colorful for them, but still be able to blend with the other motifs I wanted in an office...industrial, chic, a bit sparkly.  Oh!  Speaking of sparkle, check out my most favorite upgrade to the whole room:

Originally $189.  I got it for $45 during the Lowe's lighting clearance.  It was the floor model, so it did not come with a manual.  Bless my dear, sweet husband.

Another subtle thing I am doing to add some shine?  Upgrading my Ikea shelving with a vintage mirror treatment on the glass shelves using this technique from Anna at Take the Side Street.  Krylon Looking Glass paint is pricey, so this is a gradual upgrade, but I totally love it.

Still on the wishlist: linen curtains.  I'm thinking I will have to pick up some linen in Belgium, where I am going in just TWO WEEKS.  I'm just so blessed to be going back on another diamond-buying trip.  For all the latest on THOSE shenanigans, you can always hop on over to my Facebook page and follow me there.

In the meantime, I will be here shufflin!

More Mantel Madness

Hey friends!  Thanks for your sweet feedback on my Spring mantel!  It is a fun one, and I am still loving it...and I had to share this update with you.  My sweet cousin, Naomi, used my mantel as her inspiration and created a beautiful and thrifty vignette of her own.

Isn't it awesome?  This girl is probably the sweetest person ever, and obviously has some mad decorating skills too.  Naomi, you gotta tell us how you made your "M" artwork!  It's adorable.  Anyway, I love how she used some of the same elements I used (pops of orange and green, books, personalized artwork) but it still reflects her style and her family.  Love!

My Musical Window and a Giveaway!

There was a time, not so long ago, when I was going to turn my Dining Room into a Music Room. Then I put my house on the market and it promptly turned back into a Dining Room.  Boo!  The Music Room will have to wait...but some of the decor has found a home elsewhere, including this old window which is now strutting its stuff on the mantel.

The Snowball Song, also known as "Mahna Mahna."  We love this song!

I bought this window for ten bucks at an antique show several months ago.  Cleaning the thing was the hardest part!  Once I got all the dirt and wasp's nests and dust off, I decorated it with sheet music for six songs that are meaningful to my family.  I found the music online and printed it onto heavy paper.  Sheet music for specific songs can be tricky to find, but one great resource I stumbled upon is here.  I then layered the music on top of blue cardstock, and simply taped the pages into the window.  So easy.

Sonatina, a.k.a. the Little Bear theme song.

I also used our Recessional song from our wedding (Joy to the World), our first dance (All the Way by Frank Sinatra), and a couple of songs that remind me of dating my Hubs back in the day.  Good stuff.

Do you have an old window hanging around?  How do you use yours?



P.S. Don't forget!  Today's the last day to like me on Facebook for a chance to win $15 at Starbucks!

P.P.S. Lovin' the Linky's at:

Yard Sale Nirvana

On Tuesday I showed you my giant 50-cent yard-sale frame, and with Nester's yard sale Linky party going on today, I realized I haven't shown you the rest of my loot.  It was an amazing neighborhood yard sale, and even though I didn't find any furniture, I more than made up for it...

Vintage egg basket, giant Fifties-era game-board, oversized carved wooden tray (I actually paid less than $8, but I don't remember how much now), old chandy.  Not bad for $20!

I picked up some smaller things, too, but these were the biggies that day.  The egg basket holds bags of chips in my pantry, for now.  I am seeing the game-board as wall-decor in a playroom.  The tray is, well, up for anything.  And I have big plans for the chandy...will share soon!  Love a good yard sale!



P.S. Lovin' the Linky's at:

Nesting Place

Old Glory

Did you know that today is Flag Day?  I don't really know where Flag Day comes from, but that won't stop me from flagrantly using it as an excuse to show you my latest fun project!

I have coveted this flag from Pottery Barn for roughly a thousand years , how about you?

Photo: Pottery Barn

But...since I am frugal fannie over here...I was just gonna paint one myself until I stumbled upon an even easier idea.

Enter one huge frame I nabbed at a yard sale for 50 cents:

I know!  It was filthy and beat-up, but still...fitty cent aint bad, right?  And, with the Fourth of July just around the corner and visions of red, white and blue dancing in my head, I remembered an old flag I still had...

...and voila!  Me, my staple gun, and about 10 minutes was all it took to turn my old faded flag into Old Glory.

The flag and the frame opening were both 30 inches high, so I knew it was meant to be.  I didn't get all the flag's width in there but I think it's close enough.  I simply stapled the flag directly into the back of the frame:

I didn't iron it or anything because I wanted it to shine in all its faded beauty.

(I can't wait to have a fireplace without a baby-gate.)

Just in time for Flag Day!



P.S. Lovin' the Linky's at:

Truly Lovely

Designer Garden

Finding Fabulous

The Shabby Nest

Fingerprints on the Fridge

Beyond the Picket Fence

House of Grace

Bringin' Home the Gold

I don't know if its my love for Swedish design, or what really...but I love painting furniture.  I love doing it and I love the results.  Latest case in point: this boring consignment-store chair:

I picked it up a couple months ago for $30.  Not bad, but I only paid that much because it is super sturdy and has great carved details.

And it was being eyeballed by a woman who told me if I didn't snatch it up, she was going to!  I had this internal dialog where I told her, "Step back, chica, cuz that aint happenin'."  Then I got a hold of myself and bought the chair.

First thing I did was cut off the fabric to reveal a nice, clean foam pad--good stuff.  Then, as with all my projects, I spent like two months deciding what to do next.  I had seen these chairs at an Antiques show:



And fell in love with the gold and burlap combo.  I ended up going gold, but not quite so much...and am thrilled with the outcome.  Remember that before picture?  Well, here it is now!

After priming with BIN Zinsser primer (no sanding required!), I painted it the same color as my closet dresser--Valspar's Autumn Fog.  Then I painted the gold details (FolkArt Metallic Pure Gold acrylic paint) and distressed the almighty out of it.  Some shots of the details:

And of course I covered the seat with burlap.  I like to imagine this chair has fallen from great heights in aristocratic society all the way down into my humble home.

Can you be in true love with a piece of furniture?  If so, I'm totally there.



P.S. Lovin' the Linky's at:

The Shabby Nest

Finding Fabulous

Beyond the Picket Fence