Free Vintage Ballerina Poster Printables

For the bathroom my two little girls share, I wanted artwork that was girly, but not frilly since the boy uses it sometimes as well when it's more convenient than his Barber shop bathroom.

I decided on antique ballet.

Unfortunately I couldn't find what I wanted ANYWHERE.
So… I turned to photoshop to create my own awesome artwork.

Fall Cleanout: The Craft Room

Ah the craft room.

Also known as my happy place.

I'm not a hoarder.  That "before" pic was taken the week we moved in.  This room was really just a dumping spot for everything that didn't have a place to live yet.
Enter, makover time!

Fall Cleanout: The Laundry Room

The time finally came to purchase a new washer and dryer.
I've been waiting and dreaming about this day for soooo long!!

So I got busy designing and my Mr. got busy woodworking and VOILA:

Fall Cleanout: The Garage

I'm totally embarrassed to say that we have lived here for almost a year and my garage, and by extension, last of the moving boxes, are finally unpacked and organized. I have no excuse, other than the garage is the room I care about the least, therefore, put the least amount of thought and time into.
But alas my dears!
The day has finally come and here we are…

Lead Me, Guide Me, Walk Beside Me Artwork

There is a children's song in our church called "I Am A Child Of God."

The chorus says:

Lead Me,
Guide Me,
Walk Beside Me,
Help me find the way.
Teach me all that I must do,
To live with Him someday.

You can listen to the amazing song here.
Can't promise you won't cry.
It's beautiful.
And for everyone.

So when trying to come up with an idea for some beautiful, timeless and uplifting artwork for my music room, I knew I wanted to do something with my children, and something with those lyrics.

Travel Memories: Keychain Ornaments

The Mr. and I love to travel.

Each place we go we try to collect memorabilia.

We collect bells for Eden, thimbles for Ada, and postcards and keychains for Connor.

While waiting in the excruciating lines to see the Sistine Chapel on our last trip, we had the idea to collect keychains for ourselves, the prettiest ones we could find, and use them as Christmas tree ornaments.

DIY: Silhouettes

How to make an old fashioned Silhouette.
So easy and so gorgeous!

And I can show you a simple way to get the look without having to have the talent.

Wooden High Chair Makeover

My mom got this high chair for me from a friend who was moving.

It had a honey oak finish on it.
I thought it would be much more darling painted Tiffany blue (every girl's favorite color) with a red polka-dot cushion for comfyness, non-slippidge and extra adorableness.

A little elbow sanding elbow grease, A bum load of spray paint and a touch of sewing later...

Mission Accomplished!

Old Car Themed Room For Boys

Now for those of you who don't know Connor like I know Connor...

He's an old soul.

The boy has style, but for another decade.

He loves the Beatles.

Loves to wear his pants around his waist (what a clever concept).

Uses phrases that always take me by surprise ie. "May we continue our game after dinner?"

(what 7 year old speaks like that?)

Wants to find out the history and stories behind EVERYTHING.

Favorite game at bedtime is to have one of us name a country and he finds it on one of the 3 world maps he has hanging by his bunk-beds.

If you tell him something that doesn't make sense, he will question it/you until he gets all the answers to make it make sense, unless it never does then he will render it/you as indefinite hokum.

So when it came time to decide what wall art would best represent my boy, the choice was obvious.

Old Cars.

Timeless, just like my Connor!

I took him to a car show downtown.
Let him pick his favorites and photographed them.
He obviously was in HEAVEN.

Now the prints are back, framed and hung snugly on his wall.





You can view each individual picture HERE
(prints available for purchase)

Also included a couple pics of him with the cars for his dresser.
He declared that these are his favorites.

Coolest boys room EVER!

Seriously, the Mr. is a little jealous.

You're welcome to sleep in one of Connor's bunk beds my sweet Mr.

But you may find the sleep overs with me to be more enjoyable.

...That's what I thought.

Happy Creating!!

Train Nursery Artwork

Little Boys Train Room.
Materials:
9- 16x20 Canvases
Artists Paint

Paint one train car per canvas.

Hang around the entire room.

I did these when I was pregnant with E for Connor's new big boy room at our old house.

We kept the door closed until it was completely finished.
This is from the reveal.




Look how tiny he is!

Happy Creating!!

Hot Pink with Black & White & Damask Nursery

Making room for baby!

Before:

Guest/Art/Catch-All/Hoarders Room
(granted this picture was taken after the clean-out had begun, it always looks worse before it looks better)

After:

Gorgeous baby girl nursery.

Found the perfect soft baskets for her changing table
(ah...perfect fit too. I love it when that happens)

My old antique dresser
(also found the perfect little tutu's for her first photo-shoot with Mom)

How do you get a one of a kind custom nursery?
Become a sewing fool!

It took me 3 hours to make her quilt.
An entire day to figure her curtains out, but only about 2 hours to actually make them

(my pregnant mind is incapable of doing math it seems)
It took me 8 hours to hand-stitch that bumper pad.
I now understand the statement "worked my fingers to the bone".
For her artwork I went a little less artistic and more crafty.
A touch of extra damask fabric, 3 matted frames, some wood letters, hot pink spray paint and...

Viola!

Custom Art!

The perfect Chandelier.



Oy Vey!

This thing almost defeated me...
Almost!

First, they didn't have it in stock and said they'd re-ordered it a couple times but the company just wouldn't send any more.
I got a rain check and they told me they'd call when/if it came in.

4 weeks later and still no call.

Found other ones, but couldn't bring myself to spend $300 on a chandelier for a baby's nursery.
I was in the store the other day getting the last things I needed for her artwork and just happened to check the lighting aisle.

There, on the shelf I see it.

Everything else goes dark and blurry.
A spot light shines on the glowing chandelier,

And MO-TAB starts singing "Hallelujah" in the background.

I'm elated! (oh and thanks for the "call when it's in stock")

I attempt to purchase it, handing the lady my rain check when she points out that the rain check has the wrong price on it.
Then I point out that she is the one who originally wrote out the rain check for me.
She says that she can give it to me for that amount but I wouldn't be able to return it.

"Are you planning on returning it?" She asks.

"Not unless it's broken."

Some haggling, children running around noisily and chaotically, frustrating the lady with sideways glances and deep sighs, me doing nothing to remedy it (on purpose) and I end up getting the Chandelier for $19.99 .

I never thought I'd be thankful for children who lose all sense of how to act normal in public.

The Mr. comes home and I smother him in kisses and hugs and with batting eyes while rubbing my enormous belly I hand him the chandelier.

He laughs then takes it upstairs to install.

Turns out it's not a normal light fixture, but a hanging lamp, with a normal plug and everything.

It comes with 2 lines of installation instructions.

1. Screw hook into ceiling.
2. Hang light on hook

Gee thanks!

If only it said that ON THE BOX!! (which it didn't)

Now of course I'm unable to return it.

No worries though.

My amazing Mr. put his genius mind and engineering degree to work.

Some mathematical calculations, electrical ingenuity, spare parts from Eden's old light fixture and...
TA-DA!!
The perfect Chandelier is once again PERFECT!



There is no end to this man's amazingness!

The Mr. thinks it's a little "goth", but works.

I think it's completely Haute Couture and love it oh-so much.

Her whole nursery turned out exactly how I pictured it.

Ah, I love it when that happens!

Happy Creating!!