The Good Daughter's Big Girl Room

The Good Daughter turned 3 in June. A month later The Good Son was due. We thought it would be a good idea to make a new big girl room for her so that she could have her own space that was all hers and that she could have something special before her world was about to get ugly with the addition of a new baby. 

The theme of her room is woodland friends. 

And it all started with this:

TGD needed a nightlight for her room. I saw this little one at Target a long time ago and picked it up b/c I love hedgehogs. I mean look how cute he is. ~Awwwwww~

Then I found out that it was part of a larger line of bedroom stuff at Target that had all sorts of woodland critters. But it only had bedding for a twin bed and TGH has a toddler bed. And then everyone and their mother jumped on the owl trend and soon everywhere I looked every little girl had an owl room.

Shit, that won't do.

So I started collecting ideas on Pinterest. You should know how much of a Pinterest whore I am by now.

And now her room is this pink and yellow wonderland:

She picked the wall colors. Well, she said she wanted pink and yellow. I picked out the actual colors.

I was able to find fabric that had owls, deer and hedgehogs on it. My grandma and I made the bed skirt, the sheets, the pillow cases and pillows, a summer comforter and a winter quilt.

One great thing about giving TGD her own room is that I was finally able to get her toys out of the living room. She still has the fucking pink play kitchen.

I wanted to set her room up so that she has different areas for different kinds of play. I also wanted a large area in the middle of the room to allow her to space out with all her stuff and play.

She has the imaginative play area above.

By the window, for the best light, is the art center. She can color with markers and crayons and well as chalk here.

Next to her wardrobe is where most of her toys are. I got her a fox storage bin (sources at the end of post) to keep most of her toys. The bigger toys and the ones she plays with the most are kept on top of her bookcase.

  
Next to her bookcase is a reading corner with a pillow and blanket. She also has a music corner with her play piano.

I tried to incorporate different styles of woodland creature. The terrarium features a tiny hedgehog. She has a fox print of a family as well as a fox on her toy box. She has an owl blanket as well as an owl hanging with her name on it. 

I still have some odds and ends I want to add to the room but for now it is mostly complete and makes me smile like a 3 year old.

~source list~ 

Fox  Storage Box - 3 Sprouts

Good Manners Cards - Abe's Market

Bookcase - Target

Fabric - Doohikey Designs for Riley Blake - Hoo's in the Forest {most of this line is sold out but you can still find some on etsy and ebay}

Owl Blanket - Kohls

Floating Shelves - IKEA

Fox Family Artwork -Etsy, seller Lulu Froot

You Are So Loved Artwork - Etsy, seller The Wheatfield
My Favorite Weather Artwork - Etsy, seller The Wheatfield

Hedgehog Terrarium - Etsy, seller Lovely Terrariums

Paint Colors -  Valspar Fairytale Pink and Star Bright

We Finally Decorated

Remember this post? My update to my cry for help to the interior design gods? I had finally decided on what I wanted above the fireplace. The Good Husband had wanted a clock. I had wanted a mirror. Then we reached a compromise with photos. But what? I had the layout decided in my head but we never really got around go commissioning the photos from our cousin.

Then a few weeks ago we were out for a night sans The Good Daughter and we happened to see these photos in  - of all places - a sporting goods store. TGH saw the top photo first and feel in love. When we asked if there were any more, we quickly found the two other smaller photos and ordered them. I second guessed the placement for a long time but I am happy with they way it turned out.

Eventually I will move most of the photos off the mantle since I think it looks too crowded. I just need to figure out where I want them and how.

And to date, we now have only 5 things hanging in our house. Yay for commitmentphobes.  

And yes, the plan is still to paint. I don't know if baby #2 will hasten or postpone that.

Update on my lack of interior design skills

Remember when I didn't know what the hell to do with our fireplace?

This is what I looks like currently, although The Good Daughter's first birthday photos are now replaced by Christmas ones. However, it is still basically the same stuffed mantel and boring white walls.

before

Since I have no creative bone in my body, I have been searching and searching for ways to make my mantel pop. Then last week I was over at The Good Aunt's and she suggested whatever we do, make it an odd number so it would be more interesting. I dismissed that right away since I am way too anal to have anything but even numbers.

I thought I would find four photos, maybe of mountains or a field and group them into one large rectangle. Then I couldn't find any prints I wanted and a poster of an Ansel Adams photo just seemed too tacky.

Then a combination of things fell into place to inspire me into the perfect grouping. Check out this idea:

please imagine this completely centered and everything even

The Good Husband and I were watching The Last Picture Show on TMC the other night and I just happened to catch this as the layout over the couch in the living room as Ellen Burstyn was talking on the phone. It had everything. An odd number to keep your eye interested, but matching end features to appease my anal ass. I even made TGH pause the show on the DVR, so I could sketch the design. We also learned a cousin in the family is taking photography lessons and we saw some of his work and loved it.

The plan now is to commission three black and white photos to be the same size as the actual fireplace (black part only, not the title or trim) with one large photo and two smaller ones. They will most likely be farm fields, so we will have to wait until summer to get a beautiful shot of corn swaying in the breeze. I want to find to small silver oval mirrors for either side of the smaller photos and I already have some sconces for either side of the larger photo. Then I can clear the mantel off and move the photos to another wall, as yet determined.

We are also going to paint the wall with the fireplace red and the rest of the house tan. I will update as soon as our lazy asses paint since we are both too scared to do it and then hate it.

I'm Betty Draper. You be the interior decorator

Remember in season 3 when Betty had the formal living room redecorated and then bought that fugly fainting couch all because Henry Francis pointed it out to her?

Well I already have something similar to the fugly fainting couch and I need help decorating around it. Right now I have new construction white walls with nothing hanging on them. We have been too scared to nail any holes in the wall even though we plan to be here for 20 years. I also have no sense of style and I have never painted anything before in my life.

The Good Husband hates what he calls fun houses - where every room is a different color. So the plan is to paint all the common areas - living room, dining room, guest bathroom - all the same color and paint The Good Baby's and our bed and bathroom separate colors.

This is how our living room looks now (click to enlarge)


To the left of the armchair (and notice our super fancy tv tray end table) is the kitchen and dining room. To the right of the couch is the hallway to the bedrooms and bathroom. The tv is out of frame, opposite the sliding glass doors.

The couch and the chair and ottoman are a tan-ish olive color. The drapes are a khaki color and the carpet is grey.

I was thinking about painting the wall with the fireplace and the half wall a dark grey color and all the other walls in the house 2 shades lighter. I think the grey would look good with the carpet but I don't know if it would look good with anything else. I can move the couch and chair and into the basement and buy something more compatible with grey walls if I had to. The curtains will have to stay for now since we just bought them and you know TGH is too cheap to let me change them.

I like the Colonial Cobblestone and Family Tree colors of Dutch Boy paint. I don't know if I can get them in a low VOC however and that is important to us.

The fireplace is another issue in itself. I want a large sliver frame mirror over the fireplace and only a few photos on the mantle. The rest of the photos I want to move to floating shelves on a wall - either the one next to the arm chair or the one opposite the sliding glass door (more decisions!).

TGH is not fond of mirrors over the fireplace but I don't know what else to put there.



So any suggestion would be great, whether paint colors or mantle ideas. Anything is welcome.

Nursery Decor, Part 2

Another cheap and easy way to decorate any room in the house is to make a hand-painted sign. However, if you lack wood or any skill needed to cut, sand, paint and hang a wooden sign, you make the next best thing:



I had originally wanted vinyl wall letters for The Good Baby's room but since we have textured walls that wasn't happening. So I decided on the sign instead.

I bought the frame, matting and a few pieces of card stock. I wanted to print the phrase onto the paper and then paint over it, but the paper was too thick for my printer. Instead I had to trace the words onto the paper in pencil and then paint over it.

The letters are a little shaky in some parts, but that just makes it all the more unique. I tell myself that is a sign of a good, handmade craft.

Nursery Decor

For the first 20 weeks or so of my pregnancy, I swore I was having a boy. And then we had the big ultrasound and there was no mistaking The Good Baby was going to be The Good Daughter.

Now this presented a dilemma for me. Number one - I hate pink. I really don't like pink-ifying babies and little girls. Yes, I am a crazy feminist like that. Number two - this was going to be the first of (hopefully) five children so I wanted something that would be gender neutral enough for any following babies. Number three - my favorite colors are blue and green, so it was a challenge to find something in those colors that wasn't too masculine.

About the 30th week I started to register for baby bedding. I found one I loved that was modern, blue and green polka dots. And then it was discontinued the day after I notified everyone about my registry. So I registered for another bedding, but again that one was discontinued too.

After a tearful phone call to my mom and several stressful hours trying to decide on new bedding, I was finally able to pick one that seemed not too masculine and could be used for later babies.



I like polka dots and I like mint chocolate chip ice cream, which is ironic since ice cream was one of the things I craved during pregnancy. I think my lust for a gallon of the sweet stuff poisoned my brain and in a sugary fog, I picked this bedding as a subliminal nod to my dairy lover.

So, I had to have the entire bedding set. The thing is, is it didn't come with cute wall hangings like other bedding sets did. So I got a little crafty and made these letters.

Now I know they way they are displayed present a safety issue, but rest assured, TGB has never slept in her crib and soon I hope to get some floating shelves to sit the letters on. I would hang them individually with some ribbon, but how would I hang the Y? Besides, since our house is less than a year old, I do not want to put five holes in my virgin walls. Two holes will be my limit.

I was able to paint these letters in one weekend, taking my time to sand them before I painted them. The project cost less than $30 and I was able to give TGB something made with love.

Halloween Decor

I first saw this project in the Martha Stewart Living Sept 04 issue. I thought it was a super cute idea and easy to make, or so it seemed. Following are the directions from MS and how I really made these super cute jars.

Tools and Materials
Clean jars
Oil-based enamel paint in black and orange or yellow
Paintbrush
Extra-wide masking tape
Marker
Utility knife
Plastic-covered 20-gauge wire
Needle-nose pliers
Small candle (such as the LED candle)

Jar-o'-Lanterns How-To:
~In a well-ventilated area, paint inside of jar orange or yellow until opaque. Apply masking tape to outside. Press out air bubbles. Draw a jack-o'-lantern face in marker on tape (or print out our templates onto adhesive labels). Cut out and peel away features with a utility knife to form a stencil (an adult should do this).

~Paint stencil with black paint. When dry, peel off tape.

~For a handle, loop the end of wire with pliers. Make a lasso shape that will hug jar. Bend remaining wire over for a handle. Cut wire; make another loop to hook onto ring. Slip ring over jar's mouth; tighten.

NOTE: For the jars, I used baby food jars. I didn't want to waste all that baby food, so I got foods that I would eat - bananas and pudding. I got several different sizes and I thoroughly washed and dried each one.

Then I used acrylic paint instead or oil based. I used Delta Creamcoat in Pumpkin and Tangerine.

Next, I tried to do the stencil but it was such a pain in the ass, that I decided to free-hand it. I used Delta Creamcoat in black and I painted the faces on by hand.

Also, instead of using plastic wire, I just used silver floral wire from the craft store and painted it black. I did use the pliers to tighten the wire but since I thought the jars were rustic, I didn't worry too much about being perfect.

I made these jars back in 04 and someday I might paint some more to add to the collection. All in all it was about a 4 hour project, considering since you pain the inside of the jars, you can paint the outside while the inside dries. You can also save time by either using black floral wire (if you can find it) or by leaving it sliver. I have never actually put a tea light in the jars, since I think they look fine as is, but you totally can.

I put the pumpkins out this weekend and when The Good Husband came home he noted I had them out. He knows how much pride I have in finishing projects I start so it did mean a lot to me that he commented on them. I think he thinks they are cute too.

Our candy bowls, sans candy since I would eat all of it before Halloween

My mummy candle holder

My trick to any decorating is I always go to the craft store the week of the holiday to get the best stuff on clearance. That way I get it on the cheap and I can put it out for at least one day. I have found that if I wait until the holiday is over, all the good decorations are picked over or are removed all together for the next holiday's decorations.

project modified from: Martha Stweart Jar-o'-Lanterns

Fall Decor

I told you about all the festive pumpkins and gourds I got at the pumpkin patch and I decided to use them for a fall centerpiece. The gourds I bought (4 total) along with 4 mini ears of Indian Corn and one orange, one white and one tri-color pumpkin I placed in a large glass bowl I had. I think it is pretty and festive. I want to get two smaller bowls and put acorns and leaves into those. Maybe by Thanksgiving I will.



I also made some candle holders from the mini pumpkins I bought.

They are pretty simple to make. I placed a tea candle on the top of the pumpkin and traced around the edges. I then used a small kitchen knife to cut out the hole and a small spoon to dig out the seeds. I stuffed the hole with some newspaper (otherwise the candle would fall down too much in the hole and I wanted it as level with the top as possible) and placed the candle on top.

Move over Martha Stewart!