I've Been Working On.....

A New Bathroom!

The guest bathroom was the last on my list of priorities when we moved into this house.  I let it go in it's pitiful state for way too long because I thought whatever I did would end up costing a lot of money.  I wanted to  wallpaper and I wanted a specific white wallpaper with silver stars.  I was quite obsessed!  After spending a lot of time looking and not finding the right paper I decided that I wasn't going to spend the money to wallpaper if it wasn't exactly what I wanted.  I decided to paint the stars on myself.  I did find a few stencils but felt they were a little annoying to work with so I gave up and did it free hand.  Each star looks different and I like the character.  After measuring the distance and drawing in each star I went back and painted them all in with gray paint.  Originally I tried to paint it in with silver paint markers and silver paint but it was too transparent and you could see the lines of my drawing through it so I had to resort to gray paint, which I think turned out great.  Steve's cousin Julie picked up the oars for me on the side of a road for $5 and I enhanced them a little with yellow paint and silver stars.  We added the rope to hide the mistakes we made while hanging them.  I made the shower curtain with clearance fabric the I picked up for a few dollars.  The Stargazing print is from Katy Daisy available through Etsy and I framed it with a dollar store frame.  I think one of the things that makes a huge difference is the mirror.  We took it off the wall, had a carpenter frame it and then I painted it that happy yellow color.  Still on the list is a new counter top which will happen sometime in the future.  I love how it turned out and the best part is that I did it for under $100 total! 

Introducing the Gia Stool

I'm happy to report that I found the perfect stool to go with the Gia desk/vanity.  Visit Conversation Pieces for the information.  If I had a little girl this would definitely be a focal point in her room.  I think it would be great with cream walls and I'd pull the "robin's egg blue" out in the window treatments or the bedding.  If your a little more daring you could go ahead and paint the walls that beautiful shade of blue!  I'd pair it with a great lamp and mirror and place it next to the the bed in place of a nightstand.

Yes, I'm Still Here

picture courtesy of

For all of my loyal followers who are expecting a post every day ......  I'm so, so sorry!  I'm sure you will understand when I tell you that my kids have been sick now for over a month, viruses, strep, fevers, you name it and now it has hopefully ended with me!  I'm still nursing myself back to health and have not had any energy to put toward my precious blog!  Hopefully, I'll be back in business soon!  We've also had some sick family members in our family...my father-in-law and my sweet little nephew.  Please keep them in your prayers!

I have a lot of things I can't wait to post about over the next week or so please check back in a few days.

Spring Inside All Year

I love flowers indoors and here's a way to keep them alive year long.  Decorating with tissue paper flowers is a great idea for parties from birthdays to weddings.  I can picture a wonderful, whimsical baby or wedding shower, wish I had one to plan.  The ones above are from Pom Love through Etsy.  To get the biggest bang for your buck mix the sizes and styles.  For a more elegant look stay in one color family or for a more youthful, fun look mix size, style and color.  The possibilities are endless!

The poms above are from Sweet Tea Paper.  They're great in the dining room and would even be beautiful with Christmas decorations.  I love them in the nursery.  You could even buy a few in a smaller scale and attach them to a mobile.  If your nervous about hanging them over the crib, hang them over the changing table for the baby to watch while they're getting dressed!  Give it a try - they're guaranteed to make you smile!

I'm Dreaming of Spring

pictures courtesy of house and home uk, house beautiful and house and home uk

I'm dreaming of Spring - it should be Spring but it feels like Fall.  I spent all last week planning my flowers and at the last minute I didn't plant.......thank goodness!  It started pouring and got cold!  My Mom always said wait until May 20th and I guess she's right.  Next weekend will be the weekend to plant our flowers and vegetable garden.  I can't wait!  Also on the list for the Spring is sprucing up my cutting garden (more on that later) and putting together a eating area with a new pergola (more on that later too). 

My sister in law Julie and I will be doing custom planters this Spring.  If anyone is interested go to www.hsl-conversationpieces.blogspot.com and leave me an email.  We'll use your planter or we can provide one and we'll work with any price range.  We'll be posting samples soon!

Dream Scheme Laundry Room

top row Ikea, Ballard, Pottery Barn

second row Ikea, Urban Outfitters, Ikea

third row Ikea, Ikea, Pottery Barn

Spring Cleaning Plan

picture courtesy of www.cleaningsuppliesexposed.com/

I have a very specific cleaning plan every week.  Monday's I clean the kitchen, laundry room and powder room on the first floor,  Tuesdays I dust and vacuum the first floor, Wednesdays I dust and vacuum the upstairs, Thursdays I clean the bathrooms upstairs and Friday is my day off.  I do laundry and wash floors on the weekend (sometimes I wash the floors again during the week if it's necessary!) I've thought about trying to squeeze it in all in one day but I feel like my house is cleaner when I spread it all out and I'm happy because I'm only cleaning about 1 - 1 1/2 hours a day.  I always have some type of cleaning device out so if I need to touch up something else during the week, it's convenient.  When I Spring clean I use the same schedule but I pick one room every week and give it a complete overhaul.  Mom's that work outside the home need to get creative.  For example, clean the baths during bath time, scrub the kitchen or fold laundry while you're making dinner or doing homework. Enlist the whole family on the weekend to dust, vacuum and change sheets- kids can help with this and it can be done quickly.  Again, staying organized will help during these times.  If you stick to a plan and do the same multi tasking consistently it will keep you focused instead of doing a little here and there and ending up not accomplishing anything.

The article below from www.sheknows.com shares my cleaning philosophy.

Set the scene: Put on whatever music motivates you and keeps your energy up. We suggest classical or fun '80s pop tunes – anything that will keep you going as you scrub or polish.

Stock up: Put all your cleaning supplies, including dust rags, soaps, sponges and paper towels, into a clean bucket to carry from room to room so you don't have to waste time running around in search of the things you need.

Break it up: Rather than try to do everything at once (which can be exhausting) set aside a few days, or even an hour a day, depending on what your schedule permits.

Stay on track: Work on one room at a time, even if you'll be doing similar chores like sweeping or vacuuming in several rooms. You'll save time and maximize your feeling of accomplishment if you finish one room before starting the next.

click here for more great cleaning tips

Guest Blogger Julie Elliot

I can talk about decorating day in and day out but cleaning is another story.  I can't even pretend to know what I'm talking about, I mean I just get by ....barely.  I didn't want to give you half baked tips so I went to the expert - Steve's cousin and my good friend Julie.  We've been trying to get her to write a book, a blog or give classes, anything to share her knowledge and cleaning tips.  I invited her to be a guest blogger this week and I hope make it a monthly addition.

I knew I was in the presence of greatness when I was showing her around my new house 5 years ago and I was telling her how much I HATED cleaning bathrooms.  She responded with "Yeah, with three boys you should just keep a screwdriver taped to the back of the toilet!"  I responded with a laugh and a "yeah no kidding!"  The only thing was, I didn't have the faintest idea what she was talking about.  Come to find out she thought that I should be taking off my toilet seat every week (probably every other day) to clean.  Here are some of her tips for containing chaos:

To Do Lists

 

I make mine as I drink my morning coffee.

I've been told that you should have an "A" list, a "B" list and a "C" list.

"A" being the most important and to to that one first.  To that I say; "BOLOGNA!"

Make one list, do something easy first and then get to the next most doable thing.  It feels good to check things off and it can get really rewarding.  You'll still get that bit of "me do it!" satisfaction you got at 2-1/2 years old.  Now I just say "there, that's done!"

 

Garage Sale

 

Do it!  Get rid of it!  You don't need it!

The best part is that you get paid to clean out your own house. 

I have two rules.  1. I will not let anything that makes it out to the garage back into the house.  2.  3 p.m. on Sunday, when it's over I load everything that didn't sell into the trunk of my car and immediately drive it to the Salvation Army Store. 

Not only do they unload it, but they give me a receipt for my taxes.  Now that's a good deal.

"There, I helped the less fortunate!"

 

Bathroom

 

Soaps, shampoos, conditioners, lotions, make-up, hair products, etc.........

Here's what I tell myself when I get tempted to buy something in a pretty bottle, that smells good and is going to clutter my bathroom, and then a landfill.

"Self, you know who needs a lot of stuff?  Babies and old people."

Babies need more stuff than anyone.  (Or so we're programmed to think.)

And old people need lots of bottles of stuff because they're falling apart.  Not being a baby anymore and refusing to believe that I'm old I will not have all those bottles of stuff.

"There, I have helped the earth!"

Hopefully Julie will be joining us more over the next couple months.  If you have any questions for her leave a comment and I'm sure she'd be happy to answer them.

 

Ohhh La Laundry Room

pictures courtesy of House to Home UK, Country Living and Elle Decor

I made a conscious decision to take the door off my laundry room to show it to the world!  I'm not showing it to you right now because it's a mess LOL!  I decided a few years ago that the laundry room and the kitchen are the epicenter of the house.  The kitchen is the heart of the home and the laundry room is the command center!  It's the last stop before you leave your house and it's the dumping ground when you come home.  I think people don't take the time to decorate it because they don't like what they're doing when they're in it.  What if you like the laundry room so much that you start to enjoy what happens when you're in it?  The rooms above aren't over the top or expensive, they're just plain rooms, organized and filled with pretty things! 

Laundry Room Must Haves

1.  A comfy rug to stand on

2.  Pretty towels, even if they're rags

3.  A place to hold your keys and a place for mail

4.  Storage bins and laundry baskets

5.  Hangers and/or a drying rack

  

Spring Cleaning Week

You can decorate every last square inch of your house, it will be beautiful, but unfortunately it will still get dirty.  As much as we all hate it, cleaning must occur.  This whole week will be dedicated to Spring cleaning, beautiful laundry rooms and tips on how to contain the chaos!

Mother's Day

I hope all of you spend Mother's Day in a way that warms your heart.  I'm looking forward to my day with my boys (at their football game) my Mom and my Mother In Law!  I wish all of you hardworking mom's peace, joy and love.  Have a Blessed Day!

Utica Antique Market

I treated myself to a little Mother's Day gift by spending Saturday morning at the Utica Antique Market with a good friend.  Below are some of my finds!  Two jars of thread that I fell in love with because of the colors, I plan to use them as bookends.  An adorable purse that I can't wait to wear with jeans and a white t-shirt.  I also found an old xylophone and blocks that will be so cute in AJ's room and I collect vintage sports equipment for Jake's room.  No matter what you enjoy collecting from jewelry, linens and china to furniture, The Utica Antique Market is a plethora of wonderful, vintage finds!  If you live in the Metro Detroit area they will have the Market on July 9-10th and September 10-11th!

Gia Vanity/Desk

I just love this new piece!  It's a desk that can also be used as a vanity if you hang a pretty little mirror over it.  I'm in search of the perfect desk chair or vanity stool to go with.  This piece is done in the same finish as the Gia End Table so that if you wanted to use them together they will match.  If I had a daughter I would use it in her bedroom paired with any pastel, pink, lavender, green or blue room.  It is the perfect transition piece for when your daughter has outgrown her little girl room and needs something a little more sophisticated!  If you don't have room in her bedroom consider using it next to the bed as a nightstand.  It's definitely a petite piece so it would be perfect for a little girl/teen.  Please visit Conversation Pieces with any questions or comments!

Feeling A Little Patriotic

These rooms are so much more imaginative than the typical Americana theme!  Personally, we have a flag that we're proud to hang outside and my son's room is red, white and blue.  I've been trying to find a worn, vintage flag for a long time.  If that's not your style, I love the idea of giving a little nod to the USA by using color, patterns, furniture and accessories!  Classic.  

Pop of Purple Please

all pictures courtesy of Elle Decor

I don't know if it's because my phlox and pansies are sprouting or if it's because of the beautiful royal wedding, (purple is the color of royalty)  but I'm scouring my house to figure out where I can add a "pop of purple"!  I don't think I could handle a whole purple room, but it's such an incredible accent color.  I love crisp white rooms with a touch of purple and black or gray.  Very sophisticated!