Maggie's 'Big Girl' Room

I am so excited about Maggie's toddler room.  I was a little worried about the lilac and buttercup colors at first but it turned out better than I pictured it in my head, and she loves it!

More details including paint colors and resources are listed on Project Nursery.

Maggie's Lilac and Yellow Semi-Vintage Toddler Room

She's very proud of her big bed.

The best I could do to get a full view photo.   The curtains are actually shower curtains from Anthropologie. They are double layered with beautiful lace on the scalloped bottom.

I love this bed! Jared had to cut the rails shorter to fit a modern day full size mattress but it was worth it.  Thanks to my friend Lindsey for finding it.  

Just in case the yellow and lilac didn't work together on their own, I had a pillow made with a purple bird and yellow bird to help bring them together.  And because I'm slightly obsessed with birds (the lamp also has 3 little birds on it)

This antique mirror is the perfect 'full size' mirror for a toddler. Hung low on the wall it reminds me of a fairy tale.

Inexpensive art!  Paintings by Oopsy Daisy Too at Target.

I updated the old brass knobs to these adorable floral knobs from Anthropologie.

This was Maggie's great-grandmother's toddler chair.

A few things stayed from her nursery. This bird feeder lamp from Land of Nod and this watering can a friend's mom made with her name on it.

From John Deere Room to Play Room

Finally the reveal of our John Deere Room turned Playroom!
Unfortunately for my husband this means no green tractor in his immediate future, but I think this room is better used for corralling toys and art supplies. When we moved into our new house the John Deere Room had been turned into a home gym by the previous owners.  Lucky for us they had already added an epoxy coating to the concrete floor and finished the majority of the walls; all we had to do was add a little paint and some storage solutions.

The colors of the room were inspired by Dr. Suess's "Oh The Places You'll Go."

The Before Photos

The After Photos

Cozy nook for playing games, reading books, and tickle wars.

Arts and Crafts Corner, Complete with Chalkboard Wall

Dress Up and Dance...Or Go Shopping

Great Storage Solutions from Target and Land of Nod

When Your Kids Aren't Old Enough to Read, Use Photo Labels

Little Bins Hold Markers, Crayons, and Stickers

Inspirational Dr. Seuss Quotes are Scattered Along the Walls

Book Corner.  Big Books Go In the Book Rack.

Small Board Books Go In Bins

Huge Mirrors...Great for Dancing and Making Silly Faces
(I see a ballet barre in our future)

The Best Thing...The Room's Double Doors Open to the Backyard

We Tack Our Paintings to the Wall in an Art Corner

Making Art. 

Coming Soon...

There's one update to this room I'm desperate to do but it didn't fit into the playroom make-over budget just yet.  Eventually I'd like to replace the storm doors with these great dutch doors. Dreaming...

My Little Girl's Room

I'm obsessed with googling "Jenny Lind Twin Bed."  I've fallen head over heels for this bed from Land of Nod but with the bed, mattress, trundle, and trundle mattress I'll be spending a small fortune.  I'll probably just suck it up and spend the money because it's as cute as can be and I know Land of Nod has the best quality, but in my googling furry I keep hoping another equally great and cheaper option shows up.

At least I have come to a decision on the walls and the bedding.  We (I say we so I can hold the Mr. to helping) will be paining the walls yellow and white stripped, similar to this but with yellow obviously.

And I've settled on this bedding.  I've admired this comforter for over a year but abandoned it when my daughter's first color became "purple purple purple."  However while searching for yellow and purple textiles I kept coming back to look at his.  Hopefully her next favorite color will be "pink pink pink."

My Newly Organized Gift and Craft Closet

I have this little closet under the stairs in my basement.  It's plain and awkwardly shaped but it's one of my favorite places in the house.  The moment we moved in I declared it my gift and craft closet but for months it's been filled with boxes and random items.  Until now.  I finally had enough with the mess and took a couple hours to organize the closet.  It only took a little time and less than $20.

Whether it be a closet, a drawer in a dresser or a box in the attack having an organized space for tissue paper and craft items will save a lot of time, money and frustration over time.

Storage Items:

• Over-the-door Shoe Organizer for bows and ribbon
• Rolling Laundry Cart for wrapping paper, gift bags and boxes
• Old Wicker Shelves for tissue paper
• Rolling Plastic Cart for craft supplies

A shoe organizer works great for storing ribbons and bows.  It's an inexpensive solution (less than $5) and uses door space that would otherwise sit empty. 

This old wicker shelf sat on a dresser in my childhood bedroom ages ago and I've never found a good use for it.  I'm so glad I kept it because it's perfect for this closet.  A large roll of craft paper that I use for everything sits on top.  Tissue paper organized by color lines the shelves.

An inexpensive ($12) three-bin laundry cart organizes the rest of the gift wrap.  Wrapping paper is in one bin, gift bags in another, and boxes in a the third. The cart is on wheels so I can easily take it to a large table in the living room when I have lots of wrapping to do, like at Christmas.

A rolling plastic storage unit I've had for years houses all my nic-nac craft supplies from glue to stencils.  The clear drawers let me see what's inside and labels make sure I put everything back where it belongs.

House Flowers: Carnations

In general I don't love carnations, but every once in awhile I'll come across a bunch that are too cute to pass up.  Since carnations are very inexpensive and usually last quite awhile it's a great flower to use in as an accent somewhere in your house.  Y'all know I'm a huge fan of keeping fresh flowers in a house at all times.

I saw these pretty little white flowers while picking up groceries this morning. They look full and fluffy and fun.  I cute them short and arranged them in a small square vase for my great room side table.

My Little French Country

I'm drowning in brown and beige.  The house is brown and the walls are beige (well, maybe taupe).  It's beautiful but after staring at brown corrugated boxes for the past month I need some color! I see lots of paint and wallpaper in my near future. I digress...

So, this is our new house.  It's a sweet little french country home in new-ish neighborhood filled with sweet little french country homes, every house having the same feel but very different looks.  Our neighborhood is off a country road and has rolling hills.  It's a little bit charming I think.  Did I mention we purchased the house with out seeing it?  Yep! Now if you know me this is probably quite shocking to you.  After looking at dozens and dozens of houses I was about to give up when my mom called one day and said she was standing in the perfect house for me.  "Buy it," I said and that was that.

I have a few...well, maybe more than a few, projects planned for our new pad but for now I'm just enjoying being unpacked.

The House

The Great Room

I really like how our little sitting area came together. 

Formal Dining

I want to decorate in french COUNTRY in this new house,

emphasizing the country. So I used this antique pine wall piece for my china cabinet, instead of my more traditional dark wood buffet and hutch.

The Kitchen

and my new farm table! I'm a little bit obsessed with this table.

from Nell Hills (of course)

Master Bedroom

Our bedroom has five windows facing north and east.

The sunshine in the morning is incredible! 

What makes a house a home for Jared and I is hosting people regularly.  It's our passion to entertain friends, family and strangers but our house is no where near dressed to impress yet.  Thinking about this, while planning dinner for our first guests, I was reminded of a passage from Romans 12:13.  

"...And get in the habit of inviting guests home for dinner or, if they need lodging, for the night."

Hospitality differs from social entertaining.   To be hospitable the house doesn't need to be clean and the food doesn't need to be gourmet.  Hospitality is not about the host, it's about the guests and focusing on the guests needs, and enjoying the fellowship of company.  

So, I wasn't embarrassed when my dinner guests last night saw my basement looking like this.  Honestly, keeping your drill and vacuum next to your bar can be really quite convenient. 

Nici