Fairy House

Somewhat randomly, we decided today would be a rather perfect day to make a fairy house. Arming ourselves with only a somewhat vague picture in my head of what we were looking for, Julianne, Lilian and I scoured the aisles of Bennion Crafts hunting for little plants, little stones, little mirrors and other little fairy-like things.

And then entertained ourselves on the back porch for a few hours...going through a few different versions in a sort of trial and error sort of way as we got the whole thing put together.

And when I say we, I mostly mean Julianne because realistically, she was the creative force behind the thing....even if I came up with the idea to begin with.

And because Lilian and Julianne didn't always see eye to eye in terms of fairy house interior design... we made two.

Lilian decided on a beach scene...with the orange beads as the beach, and the moss as the waves. See the little beach house in the middle made of terra cotta pieces and and topped with a white crystal/stone? Yeah, she was proud of that thing....along with all her shells and fancy rocks.

We talked about the chickens potentially coming up to the deck and causing mischief with the fairy houses. Lilian put hers up on a little deck side-table to help protect it.

Well, clearly that didn't work.

Wall art

I've been changing things up a bit with some different wall art.

First things first....
I'd never really found anything great for this wall in the master bedroom. Temporarily I had hung a wedding picture but despite how big it looked on it's own, it just seemed to get swallowed up on this wall once I hung it. Still, there it stayed until I came across this post from Maillardville Manor a few months ago.
It looked really neat...and even better, very do-able! Just a poster board, a vinyl wall decal from Target and a couple of frames! So I totally copied her. And although I think hers turned out better, overall I am quite pleased with how the finished product looks over our bed.



Next project...the kitchen. Specifically the space between the cabinets and the ceiling.
Originally it looked like this:Not the best of pictures but you get the idea...lots of pottery and greenery. And while I liked the idea of bringing some color into the kitchen this way, I've never been 100% satisfied with it.

I'm a big follower of design blogs. Not that designing and DIY-ing is my forte, certainly, but I enjoy reading about and seeing the pictures of the beautiful rooms and fun projects that others take on. While surfing through some of these sites a few days ago I had a realization. I immediately started hunting through blog after blog searching specifically for "kitchen reveals" and home tours...

Ah-ha! No one really puts stuff above their cabinets anymore. Part of this is because cabinetry is being built taller so there is less room up there. But there is also a trend toward simpler, sleeker lines. Kitchen decor of any sort tends to be on counter tops and table centerpieces.

So I took all my stuff down immediately. Just needed an excuse...
But then wondered if I had done the right thing. It looked SO bare! Was it because I was so used to having decor up there and it was just a matter of getting used to the emptiness? Or did I really need SOMETHING because my cabinets aren't as tall?

I thought on it for awhile and remembered this blog post from A Thoughtful Place. As she writes in her post, she found some awesome botanical prints from an old botany book on-line and printed them to hang in her dining room.

I decided to try it. I printed out 5 prints that I liked (out of over 80), put them in frames and propped them up on my cabinets.
Wow.
What a difference! So much better...in my opinion, anyhow. Less cluttered, more simple. And I love the idea that these prints are from an old botany book. How cool is that?

Next up....I think I may attempt a gallery wall at the bottom of my stairs.

Lilian's "Tangled" birthday party

Lilian's "Tangled" themed birthday party took a lot more effort that I originally anticipated. All my fault, of course. I got all sorts of excited about a website that had all these great ideas....and then found myself up till 1:00 AM Sunday night trying to get it all put together for Lilian's 10:00 AM Monday morning party.

1. The invitations. How cute! And how hard could it be? Not too, really. But time consuming, yes.


2. Take home gifts for the party attendees...because Rapunzel loves to paint, remember?


3. Pascal party blowers. Originally I was going to have the kids make these during the party. But then I made one myself and thought...a bunch of 4 year olds putting these together? Nah, not going to happen. So I made 12 of them myself. Julianne, however, took one look and claimed they looked more like fish rather than chameleons...so she took on the task of making them some curly tails and feet.


4. Rapunzel hair. Ten minutes from start to finish, the website said. Umm...no. Apparently making an 18 foot long braid with 36 strands of yarn takes 4 sets of hands and a whole lot longer than 10 minutes. But it makes for a fun decoration. And came in handy for some games later...

5. Julianne has been into making these tissue pom poms every since my sister Melissa taught her how at a baby shower a few months ago.


6. THE CAKE! (No way, no how was I going to attempt the fancy tower cake in the website I was shamelessly copying. It's one thing to do the invite or the braid...but the cake? I ordered this one from the local bakery. Much easier.)


7. While the kids were arriving we had them coloring Rapunzel and Flynn Rider pictures. After everyone was settled, I pulled out some sun-shaped sugar cookies, yellow frosting and sprinkles and let them go to town.


8. Games were next. First, Pin the Frying Pan on Flynn Rider. My brother-in-law, Jeremy, drew the poster for his daughter's "Tangled" party last month and they kindly let us borrow it.


9. Then tug of war with Rapunzel's hair.


10. And finally jump rope with Rapunzel's hair. (Julianne came up with that one on the fly. Can I just say...I never could've pulled off this party with Rebekah, Julianne and Brandon????)


11. Opening presents. Lots of chalk and art supplies. Lots of Rapunzel paraphernalia. All good stuff. (Funny enough, Lilian was pleasantly surprised when she realized her friends were bringing her presents. She thought the party was only about friends coming over to play games and eat cake.)


12. A "thank you" and a hug for each and every guest at the party.


13. Blowing out the candles on the cake after everyone sang "Happy Birthday." Come to think of it...I'm not sure we've ever told Lilian that you're supposed to make a wish first. Hmm....

An admission

There was a little bit of Spring in my kitchen today. After a trip to the local nursery, Lilian and I potted a fern for the living room, a cactus garden for the computer room/library and a rosemary plant for the kitchen. The smell of the soil and the plants, pulling out my garden gloves and tools, dirt down my shirt and in my eyes....ahh, Spring.Oh. Wait. Wasn't my last post about loving Winter?
Yes, yes it was.
Hmm....
Okay, fine. I admit it. As much as I love winter, there is a part of me that is getting excited for Spring. There! I said it. Happy?
(My dad is gloating right now...)

Oh, and by the way? I don't really love getting dirt down my shirt and in my eyes. Don't know why that always happens.

And also, I named the fern Harvey. Just in case you were interested.

Have I mentioned recently how much I LOVE this place??

Happy February!

Happy February all! I decorated for Valentines a few days ago. Do you like my Valentine tree? Bought last year on a Pottery Barn sale, it's supposed to be an Easter tree. And I fully intend to use it as such come April. But I think it can easily do double duty with hearts in February. (I can't take credit for the idea though. I totally copied my friend Mylissa.)

I stayed up late reading "The Lightning Thief" to Brandon. Well, actually...it wasn't all that late, but I was tired. I shouldn't have let Brandon convince me to read that "one more chapter, please Mom!" I soon found my head nodding and my eyelids drooping. And kept catching myself reading words that weren't actually on the page. (I'm sure this confused Brandon...time and time again, asking him "What did I just say? Oh. Sorry. It really says this...." And eventually I must've fallen asleep on the couch because I woke up around 11:30, all the kids having put themselves to bed after turning off the lights and covering me with a blanket. I really need to stand firm and not let Brandon talk me into reading more than I've originally promised. It's just so hard to say no when he starts rubbing my back and playing with my hair....
One quote from the book that I do remember...you know, before I started nodding off. It's when Percy and his friends are down in the Underworld looking for Hades. And Percy is describing the scene: "To the left, spirits flanked by security ghouls were marched down a rocky path toward the Fields of Punishment.....Even from far away, I could see people being chased by hellhounds, burned at the stake, forced to run naked through cactus patches or listen to opera music."
hahahahahahaha....breath.....opera music!....hahahahahaha!! :)
Maybe I should double check with Bryan to make sure that listening to opera music isn't a form of punishment for him....seeing as I sing opera music frequently....

Because I promised Julianne that I would drive her to Taylor's house at 6:30 this morning (she and her friends frequently like to get ready for school together, swapping clothes and doing each other's hair and all that) I couldn't go to the gym. I talked myself into running on the treadmill. I was fifteen minutes into my run before Rebekah came in and begged for a ride to the bus stop. Knowing that it was only 12 degrees outside, I consented. I threw on a big trench coat over my shorts and tank top for the quick car ride around the corner and down the street. (And laughed when I realized how silly I must look...) I resumed my workout with a speed walk on a steep incline. But 15 minutes into that I realized that it was time for Brandon to wake up. Sigh. I got him moving and made him breakfast. By the time he was out the door, Lilian was up. She did not want me to get back on the treadmill. "Too loud!" she said. So after turning on "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse," I did some pilates and some sit-ups on the floor next to her before deciding that maybe I could declare this piecemeal workout complete. Sheesh. Talk about multi-tasking. Maybe tomorrow will go more smoothly? I'm hoping to win the "mind over mattress" battle and get myself to the gym to do some spinning. We'll see.


My Paperwhites are blooming on my kitchen table. Aren't they pretty?

My new TV/sitting room

Remember this room? The one that used to be Lilian's before the bedroom shuffle back in November? Remember those plans I had to turn the room into a TV/sitting room? Guess what? I did it!


A first glance from the door. (And yes, that is a Christmas wreath STILL hanging on the window. Sigh. I've got 8 wreaths still hanging on various windows and coach lamps outside. Can I pretend that they are Valentine decorations? They do have red ribbons!)

A piano in my TV/sitting room? Yeah. This is where Bryan and I decided to compromise. He's not a big TV watcher which meant that he was less than thrilled about my ideas for this room. This piano used to sit in our living room...and when the Christmas tree went up in December we moved the piano to the empty room to make space. He decided that having the piano in this room was actually kind of nice. I remembered that he'd said before how he wished he had some kind of screen up on the wall above the piano for his lessons and tutorials. Ding, ding, ding!!! I suggested that we mount a TV on the wall above the piano! It could be a TV room for me and a piano room for him. He agreed and the rest is history. :)

This is a love sac couch. We have another matching one downstairs. I originally pictured an entirely different kind of couch in this room but in the interest of saving $$$ we decided to use this one for now. We may swap it out in the future but in the meantime, I pretty much wrapped my entire decorating/color scheme around a black couch and a black piano.

Skinny little mission style bookshelf from Home Decorators Collection. I built it myself! Well, I didn't actually go out and cut the tree down or anything....but I did put the thing together when it arrived in numerous pieces. How cool am I?

The matching mission style table and cute little lamp from Target.

The past year or so I've been enamored of this whole "Keep Calm and Carry On" theme. Always liked the message of it all...especially in times when I am dealing with anxiety. Then I learned the history behind it. The British Ministry of Information produced these posters at the beginning of WWII in an attempt to raise public morale in the face of impending invasion. Which got me even more excited about it, being the history buff that I am. I decided that my TV/sitting room was the perfect place to hang one of these posters.
The pictures of London's Big Ben and Paris' Eiffel Tower also came from Target. I stumbled across them back in December, fell in love with them, and bought them on the spot...deciding that I would work them into my decor somehow. I think a good portion of this room comes from Target...the rug, curtains and square wall shelves are also from there.

And, of course, the craft closet....


And what about that corner of the living room where Bryan's piano used to sit? Now that the Christmas tree is down, is that corner just sitting empty and lonely? Nope! Check this beauty out:This is what I officially spent my Christmas money on. (Thank you, Lynn and Carol!!!!) Although Bryan claims that with all my other TV/sitting room purchases, I've spent his Christmas money as well. Hmmm.....
I'm still experimenting with what I want to put on top of it which is why there are some empty frames up there. But isn't it pretty?

Getting crafty...

Been on a craft kick the past week or so....

These wood letters are wrapped in yarn. And let me tell you, it's a lot harder to do than it looks. And time consuming too.
While I was working on them Bryan walked in, watched me for a minute and then said, "Are you sure Brandon will even want to hang those in his room?" Well, shoot. Hadn't really thought about that. What if he didn't like them?
I finished them anyhow but instead of doing a big "Ta-Da!!" reveal, I just put them up in his room and didn't say anything. He walked in while I was making his bed, noticed them immediately and said, "Mom!! Wow! Those look SO cool! Thank you!!"
Phew.


When Lilian was a baby I bought, painted, distressed and then hung wooden letters in her room spelling out her name. This past week I took those same letters and jazzed them up a bit by putting them in a frame lined with coordinating patterned paper. This project, unlike Brandon's letters, took me only about a half hour. Maybe because I already had the letters done...


Years and years ago I started a Thanksgiving tradition where my kids and I would make little crafty place settings for the big feast. We've made turkeys out of pinecones, mini leaf collages from leaves we've collected up the canyon, Pilgrims out of foam pieces...you get the idea. This year we made little Pilgrim hats out of upside down terra cotta pots, some ribbon and felt. We painted them with chalkboard paint so we could write the names right on the hat. It was fun to put these together. (Thanks, Mary, for your help!)


And while making the Pilgrim hats, Julianne also went to town on these beauties. Cloves in oranges...what a great, holiday smell. But Julianne also decided to jazz them up with ribbon and buttons as well.

The Bedroom Shuffle

We spent the great majority of last weekend making some bedroom changes. If I had realized beforehand how much time and effort it would take, maybe I would've said no when Brandon broached the subject. I am pleased with how it all turned out, but after the craziness of last weekend and then a full week of fine tuning, tweaking and de-junking it all, I'm glad to be done! (Hanging pictures and blinds in Brandon's room got finished up this evening.)
Here's what we did:

This room in the basement has been a craft/excersize/junk room. Brandon, desperate for a change, decided he wanted to take over that room. I told him I needed to talk to his older sisters first. For the past few years that wing of the house has been dubbed "Estrogen Alley." Would they be okay with Brandon encroaching on their domain? After extracting a promise from him that he would wash his hands each and every time he used the common bathroom so as to not spread boy germs on handles and doorknobs, they agreed to welcome Brandon to the basement.Moving out all the "stuff" to make room for Brandon's furniture. Find a new home for it all was arguably the hardest part of the move.


Brandon's new room:



We quickly decided that Brandon's vacated upstairs room would actually be better for Lilian than the bedroom she was currently in. So the day after moving Brandon down, we started moving Lilian over. Her move was easier, obviously. Moving furniture next door was much easier than hauling it down the stairs.

Lilian's new room:


All that other "stuff?" The treadmill went in the basement family room. Some things got boxed up and put in the storage room. Other things went in the garbage can. And all those scrapbook/craft supplies that used to just sit out and available...they got organized into containers and stashed into the closet of the now empty room that used to belong to Lilian:
And the rest of this room? I thought about taking it over and making it into a "Mom Cave." But I don't need a craft room, really. I don't scrapbook anymore. (Thank you Blogger.) And I don't really need my own den....we already have a computer room/den/library that has more than enough room for Bryan and me to each have our own work space and I really love that room. What I really want is a little TV/sitting room. We have one TV in the house. Just one. I can't count how many times I've wanted to watch something but couldn't because the kids were down there playing playstation 3 or hanging out with friends or watching some teeny bopper Disney channel show. My parents turned my old bedroom into a TV/sitting room a few years ago. And it is the coziest, neatest little room. I love to spend time there when I am visiting. So I am hoping to create a room like that in this empty space. It may have to stay empty for a few months while we get through the holidays. But then...oh, I am so excited and anxious to get to work on it! Stay tuned....