Happy Fall Y'all

And since I promised to share some of my Pinterest projects, here's a shot of Toddling M's re-vamped room. I spy 8 projects on this wall

Making the House a Home

I thought I'd share some recent photos taken for this home's MLS listing-we're ready to SELL, SELL, SELL!

I mentioned Kitchen updates {HERE}, but here's the MLS photo...

Living Room...
2nd view of the Living Room... {Spy the Ikea finds: frames, throw, lamp}

Bedroom {Ikea find: rug & wall sconces not yet installed}
I have to remind myself there are layers to decorating a house. Ours isn't where I'd like it to be and I have to keep things neutral to keep it marketable {because this is temporary} but it's much warmer and more like home.

What's Been Cooking

While our Ikea trip isn't until today, I've tried to make a few additions to kitchen decor in the meantime. Since we don't have a decor budget per se, it's been some small changes here and there. Here's what 2 hooks, 1/2 yard of fabric, and a 50% off chalkboard can do:

A balloon valance & 2 of my hobnail pitchers on display...

The 50% off chalkboard had a very silly print on top that I easily painted over. Then I used a hook to hang it on our refrigerator...

Preppy Art

I have to admit I've been intimidated to tackle even the simplest of art. But today when Mason went down for his nap, I went for it!

My Mom, the "artiste extradordinaire" always sketches out her ideas and even determines patterns and her color palette on paper first. Smart woman!

I taped off parts of my design and then mixed my colors. I'm proud to share that I made an exact match to the blue in the bathroom. I wanted to replicate the paint color for a cohesive look.

I chose to go with 3 colors total since the design was simple and I wanted an elementary-feel to the art. Here's an in-progress view...

And now here they are on the walls... {our Skip Hop whale spout cover was the inspiration for my first canvas}

Et Voila!

I like how when the door is open, you can see both canvases with the mirror. I have some ideas with changing out the shower curtain and towels, but the look works for now and I'm fairly pleased with the $8 change {oh yeah, the 2 canvases are in a value pack for $8 at Hobby Lobby...it's the regular price for the 2!}

Shades of Grey

Leave it to Overstock to tempt me with their lovely grey rugs! Our Master Bedroom has a mostly white duvet cover with a grey and beige abstract cherry blossom print. The room is just screaming to be repainted in steel grey and begs for a cream upholstered headboard...I've been trying to convince Scott of this for the past 3 months, but the dark wall color scares him. I may have to surprise him one day to prove him wrong {joking...well kind of}.

But any of these rugs would be lovely in our future grey room:

Martha Stewart Terrazza Grey $110

Jullian $152

Jullian Grey Shag $156

Hand-tufted World Classic Bluish Grey $165

Andorra Blue $117

Naked to Clothed

These barren windows have driven me crazy the past 3 months. I'd bookmarked this easy peasy curtain tutorial {HERE} from Life to the "T" over a year ago and So Monday I finally decided to do something about it.
Look Mom...no sewing!

Thankfully I've had a huge roll of burlap leftover from my sunroom redo {HERE}
I needed 4 panels x 8'. I kept the rustic look going and didn't sew the edges of the curtains, but I did at least iron the burlap and folded then ironed down a 1" hem at the top and bottom of each panel.
Then I ironed the hems down using Stitch Witchery...

And I used simple "O" ring clips and hung the panels. But followed Life to the T's advice and used clothespins to "train" the curtain shape overnight.

Et Voila!

I know the room needs many more things and much more work to warm things up, but baby steps are getting us there!

Tis the Season

Well, while Toddling M and I have been doing some crafting together {HERE}...

I found some other really cool printables and ideas to tackle myself. Like this paper Santa Claus with free downloadable {HERE}. We surprised Scott last night and put it in his computer office. I thought the little guy was fun and quirky!

And I just put up our Merry Christmas banner in the living room...framing our lovely huge TV above the fireplace {yeah. not a fan of exposed electronics...hide them if you can!}.

I first saw the "Believe" banner featured on I Am Momma Hear Me Roar {HERE} and then there's the "Merry Christmas Banner" directly {HERE}.
And we went about a week without a tree topper, so I wanted to try my hand at one of the oversized boutiquey bows. But when I went to a local shop to buy the big ribbon, they had some already-made ones on sale for less than the original cost of the ribbon. SOLD! They also have some pink ribbon too, so I'll probably make one of these for when Baby D arrives too.It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

The Old, The New, Some Shopping, Bye Bye Blue

Well yesterday we found out that Baby #2 is a GIRL!

THE OLD

After a 14-wk ultrasound, the tech had me thinking this baby was likely a boy. She "saw a nub" and while she strongly advised to not buy anything gender-specific, Scott and I prepared ourselves for a little boy. So originally I'd dreamed up a more modern nursery with slimline Ikea furniture...

...and an Ugly Doll theme with these critters scattered on wall shelves throughout the nursery

...some fun, funky touches like this

...paired with a green, yellow, and hints of blue throughout the room {walls were going to be very wide horizontal stripes of green/yellow}.

So imagine our surprise when the sweet baby girl was finally detected {after about an hour she cooperated!}.

We're elated!

First of all we wanted a healthy baby, but if you twisted my arm I would have admitted I secretly wanted a little girl so that we'd have one of each. Scott won't admit this, but he wanted one too. I warned him that if Baby #2 was a little boy that we'd have to keep trying for a girl and I think this had him petrified were this baby a boy {this pregnancy hasn't been the cheery one I had with Baby M}. And Baby M will definitely be a fantastic big brother to his little sister!

THE NEW

So we're going Team Pink now. And that means all new preparations: new clothes, new accessories, new mindset, and back to the nursery drawing board. Oh and we're still not certain about plans for the nursery since technically all rooms are being used in the house. Design Challenge: ACCEPTED!

And I'm holding off going crazy on shopping for Baby D. While I want to go wild, we obviously can't do it financially and there are other priorities before her May arrival.

TO DOs:

1. CHRISTMAS- all presents purchased, but must make/bake Christmas treats & finish planned crafts for Toddling M {by the way, since he's no longer a Baby, I suppose Toddling M fits him better}
2. TODDLING M'S BIRTHDAY- must find a cheap venue, preferably indoors because it seems to be particularly cold this year and I'm not going to trust that mid-February will be warm enough for an outdoor event...although our new backyard would have been perfect. At least I've decided on a theme: Mickey Mouse, since his absolute mostest favoritest show is Mickey Mouse Playhouse. Every. Single. Day.
3. ALL THINGS GIRLIE for BABY D- I'm going to try and DIY as much as possible for Baby D. I'd like to make a lot of her nursery decor, clothes, hairbows etc. to try and save money.

SOME SHOPPING

But for those of you who haven't yet exhausted your Christmas shopping list and/or you just enjoy shopping in general, did you know that this Friday, December 17th is Free Shipping Day? Omigoodness...I'd take advantage of it like crazy if I could =)

But thought I could at least pass this along {HERE}BYE BYE BLUE!

Nesting Challenge

Alright, alright, alright. I know I've completely slacked on this blog, but it's been with good reason.

To catch you up, in the past couple of months I...

1. got married
2. moved me & Baby M into Hubby's house
3. put both houses on the market & have kept them both "show ready"
4. held my first yard sale
5. oh & PS, we're expecting in May!

I posted some pics on Baby M's blog, but today I pre-dated the Wedding details over {HERE}

While we definitely want to sell both homes, my house is a bit larger & very nested already. Our strategy for the move was that one would sell faster & Hubby's almost-empty garden home was in dire need to be staged.

Now here's the challenge I'm starting to tackle after moving into Hubby's house:

With the tiniest of a budget {as in $ZERO if possible}, make this house a home to live-in until it sells AND decorate, but not overdecorate so that it's "show friendly."

I'm almost embarassed to share this, but we currently have no curtains, minimal furniture and decor. There's been some debate with Hubby as to painting the walls; they're in dire need of a new coat, but he says builder's grade and I say warm & friendly. So thus far, they've been left untouched.

For the Christmas season, I've tried to add little sprinkles of holiday decor to warm things up.

Mistletoe in the entryway...

Little vignettes on the shelving...
Tabletop decor...

And who needs curtains if you deck wreaths on the windows? {joking...no, we really NEED curtains/window treatments to warm things up}

And then stockings hung by the chimney with care... {thanks to Gigi for Baby M & our pug's stockings in the center}
Nesting To Do List:

• Paint Walls-arrrrrggggghh, pretty please dearest Hubby?
• Make curtains
• Create wall art
• Headboard for Master Bedroom? {am really loving these temp options HERE}
• Sew pillows

And then of course, we'll soon have to tackle the bigger challenge of making room for Baby Deuce. Right now the 3rd bedroom/closet is Hubby's necessary workspace.

*SIGH* But I suppose these are the types of challenges that allow our creativity to thrive...

Light Touches

I've been wanting to make candle sleeves for some time as my light fixtures have been "nekked" for almost 3 years now!

I printed off a matching black and white chevron/zig-zag pattern.
And then measured the candlesticks so I'd know the size for each sleeve.

I cut out 6 rectangles and then used double-sided tape to make 6 paper cylinders.

Then I began to slip them onto each candlestick {notice the writing on the barren candlestick on the left}

It was a an easy transformation.

And just one of those tiny details that helps finish off the look.

Of course, then I realized my dining room lighting was in dire need of help too.

So I ripped another page from my Botanical Print book {Taschen, the same one used for the prints framed on the wall}. What an easy change!

Cheers to a fun & safe Fourth!