New life for trash

I finished the cubby that Michelle and I got out of the dumpster.  I am convinced I have to spend more money and get nicer paint next time I buy some.  This took 2-3 coats of primer and 4 coats of glossy paint.  Just like the free buffet, it took much longer than I expected!  It is now residing in the nursery.  Paddy is thoroughly enjoying seeing lots of baby toys again - so none of these items ever really stay put :)

I bought a few fun New York books for this baby...

My mom made this needlepoint for me when I was little...

My talented friends, Sarah and Haven, gave me these gorgeous, handmade burp cloths...

My old books and brush...

 My sweet friend, Jen, made this adorable hat...can't wait to put the little man in it!

My old shoes...don't these look comfy?

Haven knitted this perfect little hat...love!

Hooray for dumpster furniture!!  Thanks again, Michelle!

The indecisive mirror.

We received this stunning mirror from my aunt for Christmas....

The mirror was bigger than I had thought it was, and I wanted to find the perfect spot for it in the house.  First, I thought I was not going to use this in our downstairs bath, so I went ahead and painted three other inexpensive mirrors to arrange on that wall.  But then, I decided that maybe it would be good in the bathroom.  So, I painted the black mirror white, and my patient husband hung it for me. After all that, I wasn't convinced it was in the right spot.

In the meantime, I finally moved the fiddle leaf fig tree from the middle of the room where it served as our Christmas tree, and I realized that the mirror might be a perfect fit for that wall.  HOWEVER, the now white mirror doesn't stand out enough against our gray owl walls. 

SOOOO...I am contemplating gold leafing the mirror.  Have you ever gold leafed?  I silver leafed once when I made this for my brother, and I made quite a mess.  I guess I am in the mood for gold - I am brainstorming another gold project.

I will update you as the craziness continues.

The mirror in the guest bath.  Two mirrors that I adore, but they compete against each other.


In the living room.  I like the location...now I have to figure out the right color for the mirror so that it pops.

Who is truly the indecisive one?  The mirror, or me? :)

This just makes me realize that I sometimes just need to slow down and think through more options before trying to rush to a conclusion.

Got one!

Finally, eBay and I can be friends again.  I got a mirror for the gray bathroom.

This girl is in the process of becoming glossy white as we speak.

I only wish that the mirror was a little bit longer.  When you have a house full of tall people, I always worry that mirrors/art/etc. will be too high for those shorter than us :)

In Progress - Half Bath

So, I was hoping to have all these blog posts about all the 'finished' rooms in our house and be happy with everything that I posted.  However, a few things...

1.  Our rooms are NEVER totally done...something can always be tweaked.
2.  I was starting to feel like I wasn't being very authentic if I waited for everything to be picture ready...
3.  I would never have ANY posts if I waited for things to be perfect or until I had the budget to buy everything I wanted :)

So, I figured I might as well post about progress and mishaps...trying to 'keep it real'.

So, our half bath...first, it was painted yellow.  It was a very last second color choice that I was never very happy with/sure about.  Again, trying to find something to go with the oak accents felt challenging to me.  After seeing the yellow on the walls, I knew it had to go. 

(Please notice how the towel rack was hung so close to the toilet paper that you almost can't find the toilet paper!  That has since been fixed.)
 The white accessories don't pop at all...

So, the yellow went.  Welcome, gray.  (By the way, I think it is so funny how I have been so anti-gray for so many years, and now I can't seem to get enough of it.  Just one more reminder why I have to remain open minded.)
My Goodwill elephant and some of my milk glass finds...

I love the color...I matched it to the Ikea floor mat.  I decided it might be fun to find some cheap mirrors to paint glossy white and hang on the wall.  This is the most 'petite' bathroom I have ever been in, so maybe the addition of mirrors may make it feel a *little* bigger??

I have been SEARCHING, and SEARCHING on eBay.  I feel like I don't know the right search words to use...do you ever feel like that?  I, of course, don't want to spend much, and thought I wouldn't have any issues after getting such a steal on my federal mirror!  Well, that hasn't turned out to be true...I have lost several last second eBay auctions...it is killing me!!  I would share a picture of the mirror that I am bidding on, but OH.  I was just outbid.

I will keep you posted if I make any progress...

An eye for color?

So, as much as I am passionate about all things 'home', I can't seem to develop my eye for color. I swear, I need to go to a remedial class on this. Let me just tell you, we knew we wanted some sort of neutral khaki color for the nursery. I was so happy that Home Depot has started selling the small samples of color...perfect for the color flunkies like me. I bought four different colors before my parents came, and none of them were close. My p's arrive, and I describe to my mom what we want, and she picks out the perfect color on her first try. Why didn't I get those genes?

Anyways, we ended up with English Tan.