Plants Plants Plants and more plants!

My computer here at work is down, so I'm using another one that doesn't have all the programs an Admin Assistant such as myself needs to do any much work. Instead I spent the day yesterday absorbing every single last pixel of Flora Grubb Gardens' site.


All this time on this ol' blog and I've been contemplating a new plan for the bedroom pretty regularly. Nothing ever seems to work out. The newest bedroom incarnation is a mattress on the floor (less of a fall for M, who moves at sound barrier breaking speeds these days) after we decided to get rid of the too-big king sized platform bed. We moved the rug from the den to the bedroom and the rug from the bedroom went to the den. Currently the bedroom decor consists of our mattress, the rug, the Wegner-ish chair (where C likes to sit and play guitar, which = awesome), clothes in the closet and dresser, a clothes hamper, and a mountain of Mabel toys.

I like it that way.

Simple, open, spacious and uncluttered. This might be the first and last time I'll ever use those words to describe anything in our house and I doubt I'll be able to say the same for the bedroom in a couple more days.

We do have a low shelf behind the bed (built by Mr. C) that covers all the cords, because, despite M's mountain of toys, she still prefers to play with cords and outlets. A little rebellious from the outset? With the shelf and a massive supply of outlet covers, that issue is taken care of.

There is, however, a glaringly blank wall above the bed. C suggested a bookshelf, but I nixed that idea. I have had a bookshelf fall on me in the middle of the night and have done and will do everything in my power not to let that happen again. I'm thinking a heavy shelf of dirt instead.

Succulent wall, anyone?

I don't know what it is with me and hanging planters. Last time I promised myself the chandelier would be the last version, but uhhh. . . I guess that's not true. So what do you think, totally do-able, right?

(Soda crate image from here, though I bought mine on eBay; succulents from etsy seller Horticopia.)

Browns Abound

I love a surprise. Even more than that, I love a surprise in the mail, even if I have to pay for it myself. So, how does one buy a surprise for themselves? Click on over to Contemporary Cloth and order a 2 pound surprise bag of fabric remnants. They are $27.oo and you receive approximately 7 yards of fabric. The remnants are described as being about 1/2 yard or longer and include Marimekko remnants (which was the clincher for me). They are similar in selection to Repro Depot, of which I often hear accolades.
Back to the remnant bag. I ordered mine yesterday, so I should get it early next week. I hope!
Another option is the local thrift store. The Value Village stores around here sell bags of fabric for about $2 per garbage bag. I also found a half of a roll of brown swirl upholstery weight fabric there for about $6. Wolfie now calls it his, since I used it to make his bed. . . and a chair cushion, and several cafe aprons as well as a multitude of other sewing projects. I still have it on the tube, though, because there is still a ton to go around.
Those kinds of bargains are rare, but I'm browsing around the online stores for a suitable fabric for a bedskirt and curtains.
We decided to move the bedroom to what is now the yoga room/plant incubator. The bedroom is currently the master bedroom which is long and relatively narrow with 2 oddly placed doors preventing a queen bed, desk and dresser to be arranged in a pleasing fashion. The current set up has a lot of empty space. The idea is to use the master bedroom for the looms and for yoga (which actually makes sense, weaving is very meditative and requires a great deal of physical balance and good posture). This will clear up the dining room, which currently houses the new/old china hutch and my 2 four foot LeClerc floor looms. The arrangement is all within a 10 by 10 room, which, needless to say, is not an arrangement that is conducive to either dinner parties or weaving. This is also why I haven't posted any images of the cabinet in place and displaying our Mottehedeh Tree dinnerware.
Anything for a good excuse to ignore the mounds of paper that surround me at work as I dream of new curtains and surf new fabric prints. I wrote the above paragraphs prior to lunch, checked on over at Decor8 when I got back, and lo and behold, Holly had posted about Purl. Augh! Tons of great fabrics, and they have a very similar surprise element: color coordinated fabric bundles. Look, maybe they are destined to choose my color palette for the bedroom. Is there such a thing as too much brown?

He lights up my life

I don't remember if it was Thursday or Friday of last week, but on one of those days work was slow. On slow days I wander around the internet and sometimes revisit my favorite items/houses/blogs...whatever pops up in my mind. I visit The Brick House. A lot. Her lamp haunts my bedroom daydreams. After a quick search for cantilevered sconces (and variations thereof) I had a small collection of favorite "one day when we're rich" lamps bookmarked. Starting in the upper left going clockwise: Jean Prouve original; different color scheme and scale lamp like The Brick House's made by One Forty Three; bottom right is Andrew Neyer's Crane Light; bottom left is Brendan Ravenhill's Cord Lamp.

 
So I sent C an email that said something along the lines of, "When we're rich we should get lamps like this for the bedroom." Not that $100 for a handmade lamp/sconce is ridiculous by any stretch of the imagination, it's just we have some things we have to pay for and we need to get it all sorted out before spending on any non essentials.

I guess I lit a spark, because he emailed me back later and said he had some sapele that would be perfect for bedroom sconces. Saturday morning, after I finished my volunteer time at the farmer's market, he went to the hardware store, spent about $5 on parts and came home and started building. They have the same minimalist vibe as the Prouve inspired lights, but a Danish Modern vibe that really fits well with the rest of our house.

By Saturday evening we had new lamps on the wall.  The images immediately above are of his design, but are not the finished version. I'll take a picture of the finished version, but first we have to repaint and redo the bedroom...and the rest of the house. 

where we may be standing for the next several weeks

Between preparing for a craft show, preparing my resume to apply for a job, canning before the fresh fruits and veggies go bad, and allowing myself to enjoy life a little bit, the house got no love this weekend. For those of you who have never been to my house, there are many an unfinished project right now. These are projects I began about a year ago, as the weather eased into chilly and the garden was, once again, put to rest.
This year there is no rest for the garden, but these house projects WILL BE FINISHED. (Is this just another manic Monday?) The stairs have been stripped and revarnished but the walls are mid-painted. The half-finished job is the very same green we used on the bed, but incredibly uninspiring on the stairs. It seems the motivation followed me up the stairs to the bathroom, where the floor is mostly tiled and grouted, but little patches here and there await my return.
I must say, now that the bedroom is in a smaller, cozier room we have kept the clutter out. Though. . . it has only been a week, there is still a lifetime of clutter awaiting that room. It is really peaceful so far; just the bed, a dresser, 2 end tables, and my plant stand/grow-op stuffed to the gills.
The old bedroom was large and long, something like 10 feet by 25 feet and very well lit with natural light (as seen in the pic above, that is about half the length of the room). There are two doors in that room, the main door and one that connects to another bedroom. The second door is on one of the short walls, making the useful space fairly awkward. Now CharlieÂ’s photography backdrop covers the door with a small walkway if one is so inclined to use that door. The connecting bedroom is the office and sewing room.
2500 square feet and we have it stuffed with. . .Stuuuuuuuufffffff.
The moral of this story, ignore feng shui. See how your house flows, blow superstition to the wind (or toss it over your left shoulder with a grain of salt) and set it up with comfort in mind.

Oh, and here is a taste of the coloring book project:

Coppin' feels in the bedroom

Still looking for a color palette for the bedroom. Sophisticated, mid-century, funky, warm, inviting, relaxing, personal with personality.

Yesterday I tried a square of California Paints "I'm a local" yellow.

Not the feel I'm looking for in a bedroom.

ColourLovers (middle row middle image, though this image is missing 2 essential colors), please rescue me!

Andyland (top row far left) via Lena Corwin (bottom row, far left) offers Scandinavian artwork at reasonable prices.


Domino Magazine offers an idea gallery for decorating. Although some of the fabrics used are way out of my price range, vintage, more affordable offerings can be found at local thrift stores.
CB2 also has some wonderful and affordable wall hangings from my favorite-ever Marimekko (middle row far right image).


Johnny-Tapete (top row middle image, bottom row middle image) is a bit unpredictable if you are counting on English translations from their native German, but the vintage wares are gorgeous, the prices are low to middlin' and the wallpaper designs are comparable to the high end stuff I was swooning over yesterday. These are the vintage originals that must've sometimes sub-, sometimes consciously inspired the most interesting designers today.

Which one do you prefer?

On the right track

We're getting there with the bedroom. A lot happened this weekend, more than I had planned!
I'd originally thought I would use a gallon of tan paint I already had and would go home right after work and, well, get to work.


If you're thinking about painting a room, this is where I share my experience: Instead I stopped by Sherwin Williams and picked up a gallon of a Martha Stewart Signature color. Why Sherwin Williams, you ask? Because Domino Magazine's website has a 25% off regular priced merchandise coupon! Which allowed me to get out of there are a much lower price than the Benjamin Moore store. Sherwin Williams offers (now I find out) 2 low VOC options while B.M. doesn't offer this alternative in my area! Though neither of them offered any suggestions or much in the way of assistance at all. Also, I've found, the higher end paints are a worthy investment simply because they require fewer coats to get a nice, even surface. The bedroom was covered in one coat with minor touch ups here and there. Less coats=less work.

Be prepared for the snowballing affect of small changes: We didn't just stop at the paint. (You'll recall this actually started with getting matching bedside tables.) First, new curtain rods were installed. They are brushed nickel with pretty little swirl finials: $15 each from Lowe's, not a bad price since they offer rods in the upwards range of $50 each. We found a ceiling fan with convincingly faux walnut blades and brushed nickel accents on clearance (i guess just in the store?) for $20, originally $40. The mister was inspired to change out the original switches and outlets in the bedroom, add an extra outlet in the bathroom, and change out miscellaneous outlets in other parts of the house. We are moving on up!

Before the snowball gets too big, pinpoint direction. None of the color schemes I'd picked had such a grayish brown wall. I needed to narrow things down on my own a bit, when lo and behold I realized this illustration is it! Even though the final product seems so far away, staying on task is well within reach.

this renovation is longueur

LONGUEUR: lawn-GUR (approximation -- this word comes from French and has sounds with no English equivalents)\ noun: a dull and tedious passage or section (as of a book, play, or musical composition) — usually used in plural

All of this housework is definitely a longueur part of my life. (How much do I love the fact that this word has sounds with no English equivalent??) I worked on the bathroom, the bedroom, and the next room, which is more of a sunny sort of alcove (perhaps a 10 x 10 room that juts off a hall). This alcove received the most attention, however, because I targeted its bare walls as a place to try out a little installation idea I have in the works.

Wall color courtesy of Home Depot's Oops ($1!!) section:

The rest of the photos were taken from the floor, where I collapsed after intensive cleaning and rearranging. Orange shell Herman Miller chair (came with Charlie, what a great deal!), huge white frame on clearance then 40% off that price at AC Moore several months ago. Framed images are Gasoline Alley comics given to Charlie as a thank you for a portrait session with the artist. Lamp acquired from my parents (I think!)

New to us corner table ($25 Craigslist, perfect condition, danish modern details) that serves as a TV stand for our Goodwill purchased TV (also $25, which is a bit steep in my mind) that is all hooked up so I can do yoga tapes!

5' x 7' $35 Orange shag rug purchased at Old Time Pottery, formerly in the bedroom. I believe it was a Target item , they often sell past season/past clearance items from Target and Wal Mart for really great prices.Hans Wagner danish rope lounge chair ("borrowed" long term from my parents!)

Today: Restitution

Such an incredible lightness in being.
I finished this painting yesterday afternoon.
Last night I had a dream where I was in a court rationalizing the shifts in style (No, I'm no abandoning line drawings and patterns, I just need to focus on the air around me) and I remember saying to those judging me, "It's still about the integrity of a good line. A good line is good for the ego. . ." at this point someone on the jury tried to correct my blanket statement by finishing it as I finished it by stating, "into perpetuity."

No, I don't know what it means, but I don't doubt it has something to do with the thoughts I had while I was painting. I can get really excited about a well-drawn line.

Are you wondering what's going on with the the nesting portion of this program? Well, the bathroom is nearly finished (hooray for me for staying on track!) and I've decided a new shower curtain is in order. I'm thinking seersucker may be what I'm looking for, although it's fairly summery and we'll soon be into fall. I'm kicking out the chrome corner caddy where we keep our 2 bottles of shampoo, 1 bottle of conditioner and 1 bar of soap, and mounting a single glass shelf. 4 shelves for 4 items is really not necessary.
Then I'll move back to the bedroom. I still haven't painted the bed black, though I've been planning to do that for a while. I just might paint it that black chalkboard paint, it would definitely give "doodling in bed" a whole new meaning. I ordered a rug from Sherwin Williams, an 8 x 10 for about $200. It reminds me of Rothko, exactly the calm and serene vibe I want for the bedroom.
My home is, after all, my sanctuary.

I'm still day dreaming of ways to improve the bedroom, and the curtains are still the biggest issue. They aren't so much the issue as I am: I get tired of curtains easily, which makes me cheap when it comes to buying them, but at the same time, the parking lot lights from the condos next door keep the room swathed in light {read: daylight all night long} so thickness and light blocking are as much an issue as anything.

Have I mentioned I have 2 sets of fully lined curtains on the window facing the parking lot?

The cheapest solution would be a couple of rocks, a good throwing arm, and exceptional aim, but C won't let me do that.

But I guess I'm in the throes of nesting, and there are some stressors that I'm trying not to dwell on, so thinking about the bedroom seems like a good distraction. Distraction. Distrac. . . Tomorrow I have my second perinatal specialist visit, where they do a detailed ultrasound (30 minutes of baby watching = fun, followed by conclusions and more worries, not fun). Thanks to the uncertainty of a special Mr.'s job, the last time I went, I went alone. This time my mom is going, and she's been ordered to ask all the hard hitting questions. Anybody know anything about fetal hydronephrosis? I have to go back in to the obstetrician on Friday for a 3 hour glucose test because my glucose levels in the 1 hour version came back high. So yeah, curtains. . . distractions. . . and wondering if I'm already a bad mama, letting Mabel down from the get go.

Me and Mr. C (who has been working his 40 hour/week real job and doing all sorts of extra jobs and favors for friends) need our own summer camp/get away room.

Progress

We picked up the new bed this weekend, but since we're still switching the studio over from this room to the former bedroom, we haven't finished painting the floor...which means no rug in the new bedroom yet. Still, it's progress.

I had a chance to work on the knot painting again, while the little one tested out the new bed (nap time!) but made it too mauvey/muddy for my taste, so let's just consider it still in-progress. 

Hootin' N Hollerin'

Just wanted to take a moment to point out some clicks of interest:

Have you seen the new Modish Giveaway? Lovely, lovely goodies! Notice Lisa's lovely earrings? Tempting enough to make me want to pierce my ears again!

Vanessa commented about my Jesus picture. In brief, the image is from an Asian imports store, it came framed in a very ornate, hollow, plastic frame. I made a very rough mold of the original frame, then cast it with pulp made from water putty and paper ephemera from a particularly frightful post Sept 11 flight I took (when the US was subjected to terrorist warnings left and right.) It's called: The closest I've ever been to God is on an airplane. Here's another, less sarcastic, religious piece I worked on.

Read Vanessa's post on religious iconography. (As an aside, I did a project a while back that involved 15 people subjecting themselves to what I considered art. They were all very willing and able helpers, but I was dirt poor. I found some Virgin Mary night lights at the dollar store as a thank you for them volunteering to help out. I still have mine, I wonder if anyone else has theirs?

The rug never came. The bedroom is in limbo, as is the hall floor and any other projects we began pre-bag making bonanza.

Did anyone else watch Oprah last night? She and Nate waxed poetic over living in small spaces and the satisfaction living a minimal impact life can have. I watched because I wanted to see the Gillingham-Ryans, it was all a bit dull to me because as they chatted, all I could think about was Oprah's house in Hawaii. . . and that her Santa Barbara guest house is twice the size of my very spacious 3 bedroom house. I can't really give her that much street cred for "living small." Is it really bad not to believe Oprah has all that answers for a meaningful life??

Fox's Lair

We have a clearance sale going on in the shop until mid-April, when things will be shut down so we can welcome kiddo #2 into the world with minimal distraction. Check it out, all the 8 1/2 x 11" prints are marked down to $10! In order to set up our new bedroom, I've disassembled the computer and printers to move to the old bedroom. I print each larger print upon order, which means the larger prints won't be available again until some time after Fox's arrival.

Interestingly, we haven't created a nursery for him. We worked and planned so much for M's nursery and never really used it as one, it just functioned as a studio decorated as a nursery. Carried over from that experience, we haven't felt the pressure to get a space ready for him. Since finding out #2 is a boy, I've been sorting and purging the attic full of M's old clothes and nursery items, keeping those that are unisex. Thankfully we're all set with clothes, sheets, and toys.

After a little time over at the Lay Baby Lay blog, though, I realized there was something missing. One thing I wish we'd gotten for Mabel's nursery was a comfy, sleep-in-able glider/rocker and ottoman. The Eames rocker just didn't work out for those exhausting nights of rocking M to sleep...I can only imagine how nice it would be to snuggle up into a cushy arm chair rocker and lull myself to sleep snuggled up with both of the little ones.The dream of a modern, clean lined glider prompted me to pull together a few ideas for Fox's room.

Now, if I sell a measly (ha!) 50 prints in the next 5 weeks we just might make that dreamy glider happen!

a. Little Castle Charleston swivel glider; b. Brainstorm Print and Design Plant and Animal print ; c. DaVinci Jenny Lind Crib (we've since passed the crib M used along to her cousin, looks like it's pretty easy to find a similar one on craigslist); d. A + B + C pillow from Land of Nod; e. shaggy orange rug we already own; f. And just for the sake of pulling the look together, swatches of brown (gray or navy would also work) gingham crib sheet and chambray for the crib skirt. I have no real source for those, I just like the pattern and color plus we have an abundance of white crib sheets.

Green 'n clean carpet follow-up

I meant to spend some time with a few rugs this past weekend, testing out the Earth Friendly Products Carpet Shampoo. Between Fox officially crawling (and trying to crawl up the stairs) and prepping for a 30 day detox I didn't get to all of the rugs, but I did try out the goods.

The EFP shampoo is more concentrated than the Bissell (uses 1.5 oz to Bissell's recommended 2.5 oz). It also uses essential oils for fragrance rather than artificial fragrance, which meant I didn't end up with a migraine post-use. In fact, the EFP fragrance was pretty much undetectable after the rug dried, the Bissell lingered for the next 24 hours or so.

Did it clean as well? Absolutely. I cleaned this small rug from C's and my bedroom, one that sees the most traffic in that room. Though it's relatively new, it needed some attention. For several weeks M had a nighttime cough that I approached with Hyland's Cough Syrup (disappointingly, I realized it has Sodium Benzoate, so out it goes) and raw, local honey. There were spots of gunk across the carpet thanks to the combination of those 2 sticky substances plus nighttime doses.

A quick steam and the dirty water that cycled back into the tank was a murky medium brown. I still had some clean water and shampoo in the tank, so I used it up on an area of the main rug in the den...that very same rug we'd cleaned 2 weeks ago. The 3'x5' area of that rug cycled black water back into the tank. Total yuck to the nth degree.

The visible results: The sticky mess from the bedroom rug is gone. A few of the stains on the larger carpet are significantly less visible than they were after the Bissell round. 

The short of it: I'm glad I researched and decided to try this particular carpet cleaner! While I'm pretty sure nothing can return our carpet to it's new glory, I can definitely breathe easier having little hands and feet playing on it all the time.

Here' s a little montage to keep me on track and fill you in with the direction of the bedroom:

Taryn asked when the big unveiling will be. I'd been thinking we were actually months away from a finished room since 8 x 10 rugs are a sizable investment. I'm still practicing buying for the future rather than temporarily appeasing desire, so I had durability and design in mind while pricing said rugs.

Then Chiasso announced a sale! One of the rugs I'd originally looked at was marked 75% off. What does that mean? The 8 x 10 is now less than $100, and after adding shipping I scored a $400 rug for just below $150!

I should get it Friday or Monday. Either way, the bedroom will be well on its way to being complete and cozy by a week from now!

Now to wax romantic: I'm a sucker for well thought out dates, cuddling on the couch, and random surprise flower. I'm never big on Valentine's day and I think a lot of the consumer - romance - traps are wretched. Yesterday, though, my honey came home from work and brought me a Diet 7-Up (my favorite!) and a heart shaped Snickers. Such a sweet (no pun intended) and unassuming surprise!

For tasteful lover-lovely goods, these plates are from Chiasso, and Modish has the most incredible list of V-Day cards!

Bits and Pieces

Thank you all for the kind thoughts about my little boy. Wolfie is still throwing up. He seemed much better yesterday (he's so playful all the time, even while sick!) so I didn't take him to the doctor. He is going today, like it or not. And the mister has the awful cold-flu thing again. Ugh!

The cluttered and disparate bedroom is the next project on the agenda.

OH THE HORROR (see before-ish picture below)
*No, the tv stand isn't how we keep it(wooden boxes stacked on a table?? no way!) We were just deciding what height was best for a tv in the bedroom, you know, maximum comfort to minimize neck cramps.
*The table part of the tv stand is actually the other bedside table. Bad mis-match; doesn't work at all with the lighter colored one.
*There is an overflowing clothes hamper, do you see it?? (How can anyone miss it??) Everything will be washed and there will be a great clothing purge this weekend. One of the downsides to thrifting is finding sooo many clothes. Just because it is fun or funny doesn't mean I have to buy it. And on that note, hopefully, the yard sale will be in full force this weekend.
*The bed may end up getting painted again. The green doesn't seem cohesive with the rest of the furniture now. I'm waiting for Charlie to build us a bed, so this one will be the make-do in the meantime.

This picture was taken the day before the new end tables arrived, so there has been some cleaning and getting rid of stuff, though, obviously, not enough!

WHAT IS/WHAT WILL BE
*The curtains are fabric shower curtains that were on clearance at one of the big box home stores. My mom bought them for me at $3 a piece. She actually bought me several different designs and some gorgeous tablecloths because of their design. I'm not sure which ones will be the curtains when all is said and done.
*The image to the left is a baby step toward progress. The new nightstands ($120 each) are in place, and I put the new Marimekko sheets (clearance on CB2!) down. They were so crisp and clean, it was like staying in a hotel!
*I also got the new spherical lamp from Paper Skyscraper here in Charlotte. I don't know the brand, but it was $30 and I love it!
*The dresser is a mid-century Danish-style score from Goodwill. If only you could see it under the mess.
*The walls need color. What is a good color??

Boy's Bedroom

Sooner or later Fox will need his own room, right? So we'll put him in the room that was our bedroom until the latest switch-a-roo. Though the room currently holds dismantled printers, out of season clothes, and an inordinate amount of fabric, one day soon we'll whip it back into shape and make it suitable for The Boy.

The existing wall color is Sherwin Williams Fawn Brindle.  It needs another coat, but nothing major. I plan on making the crib skirt out of a gray and white ikat fabric, them using the extra strips to embellish the curtains and to make tie backs for them.

Items we already own:  Navy blackout curtains (from Target), globe mobile (clearance from Restoration Hardware years ago), red striped storage buckets (from red envelope), Brainstorm biology print, Clever Fox wall art (a gift from my cousin, from Target).

Recently bought, need to buy, simply drooling over: Ikea Sniglar crib (recently bought), Java ikat fabric in Pewter (from Magnolia Home Fashions, recently bought),  hamper (Land of Nod, to buy),  rope knot curtain rod finials (Land of Nod, to buy),  Ferm Living molecule set (simply drooling over), chandelier (Serena and Lily...wayyyy out of budget, simply drooling over)

The veggies are tucked in for a snuggly winter in the garden, I'm pruning the bushes with wild abandon (more on this madness to come!) And baby, its' cold outside. Well, okay, it's 50 degrees F, but it is too chilly to be outside without a jacket. So what have we got goin' on here on Honeymoon Farm? I'm pining for Spring under several layers of blankets, wishing these pictures were representative of current weather. Of all the hot weather bemoaning I did, it doesn't seem like it lasted long enough!

Actually, the non-cold hardy plants are finding their corners, windows, and lamps for the winter. CFL bulbs will help boost the beneficial light. The windows are getting sealed one by one by the husband, I'm drinking hot tea and we're both getting in the spirit by cooking hearty meals of cold season veggies. The first of the collards will be ready in the next couple weeks, probably in time for the American Thanksgiving!
It is also time to go out and stock up on fresh cranberries. Canning your own cranberry sauce is easy and delicious!!
We have moved out of the master bedroom to a smaller room (keeps our messes more confined) and my studio is now the old bedroom. This one finally feels comfortable and inspiring, which is so necessary for a studio. I've rented spaces, used school space, and made-do in spare space in the house, but I've finally found my cave. I got 2 pictures before the camera broke for good (we knew it was going, I didn't want to believe it!). Not great pictures, but at least it is on the path to being organized!!

And done I did!

As you might notice, there are 3 pictures showing the same paint color, all 3 are slightly different. None of them really represent the actual paint color, which is Benjamin Moore's Mozart Blue (1665), a greyer, bluer, deeper tone.

This is now what you see when you walk up the stairs. The walls at the top of the stairs and around the banister went from a basic off white (Sherwin William's Dove white) to this! It's now a really soothing, inviting space, and the broad flat panels of color make the ceiling seem higher and the space wider and airier!

So why am I waxing on and on about 2 painted walls? For some reason this is the equivalent of a nomad building a fire pit. It's such a small investment but also personalizes and claims the space.

Hooray! Maybe I'm on a roll now! Now to decide what color the bedroom should be. . .

playful and pretty

In case you don't check into [tend] every day like I do, you might've missed my guest post! It truly was an honor to be invited to write a post, so I do hope you'll check it out. Those gals are so thoughtful!

If you entered to win a poster over at Mine Creations, don't forget to check back soon. Julia will announce the winner in the next couple days.

This weekend we'll be out in the field {literally} finishing up a project that's been in the works about a year!

We're also chipping away at making a big girl room for M. She never cared for her nursery, preferring co-sleeping to a crib and playing in the same room we are in, so the nurdio is back to full-on studio and the middle bedroom will be her room. We've ordered Safe Paint Milk Paint and it's on the way, and Monday we'll start painting the walls a light salmon color (90% white, 10% salmon).



We have a used (vintage?) ceiling fan similar to the one pictured. While looking for a picture of a close match to share I found forums and sites of people desperate for vintage ceiling fans. Apparently, if you've got one you're getting rid of, there's a market people--don't just give away potential beaucoup bucks.

The plan is to make her room have the fragile, fleeting, magical softness of an Abby Trys Again photograph with the playfulness and durability of an active child's room. It takes restraint and that's not my strong point.

Wish us luck and we hope you have a phenomenal weekend. What are you getting into?

The last mile

Sixteen days until my due date, and over the weekend all motivation to finish the bedroom flew out the door. There was about 3 square feet of floor left to paint, and there are papers to shuffle, file, or shred, and a few tools to clean up. There are also some holes to fill in on the walls and touch up with paint. This is what Charlie calls "the last mile", it's when things become "good enough" and I get tired of a project and call it finished.

See? This side of the room is where the floor paint needed finishing (which I did last night!) and some final purging and organizing needs to be done. The clothes on the arm of the chair and the empty pillowcase on the ottoman perform as cat scratch detractors. We'll come up with something prettier over the next couple days, I'm sure. If not, I'll get back to the project in 3 years, when I can tell Fox to go play with his sister.  For now, it's good enough.