2013 House Goals

I really enjoy setting house goals for the year.  It's kind of sick how much I enjoy it and think about what I want to do to our little nest.  In fact, I've gotten so into it, I have already thought some about a few goals for 2014.  Crazy, I know.

So, without further ado, this year's goals:

1.  Give some love to the master bedroom (!)

Not everything in the master bedroom needs attention.  Our furniture is really quite lovely.  And the curtains are pretty new.  But we have totally neglected this space while focusing on other parts of the house.  Now it is time to create an oasis.  We need...

• new bedding
• artwork on walls
• a monogram over the bed
• a bookshelf
• a reading corner (upholstered chair and ottoman or chaise)

I'd also really love to paint the room a darker color, but I don't know if it will happen.  Jim said he would love to add crown moulding, but that isn't officially on the list.

2.  Change and improve the master bath

Our master bath is such a pain.  We knew it would be when we chose the floor plan for this house.  We tried to figure out ways to remove square footage from our huge bedroom and add them to the bathroom, but there was just no good way to do it.  So, we are always banging into each other and locking each other out when using the facilities.

We would like to...

• add a pocket door to the toilet area
• change the light fixtures and fans accordingly
• paint
• add artwork

3.  Get new lamps / lampshades for the family room

These lamps and shades are super dated and the brass ones are a bit stuffy.  It's time for a change!

4.  Finally redo Brennan's curtains

So, Brennan's curtains have been too short since we moved into this house.  I bought another pair from someone who was selling some last year, but they are too short also.  I plan to piece them together somehow to get the right look and length but just haven't done it yet.

5.  Hang a new family photo in the family room

I've never been really happy with this sign under the shelf.  I want to replace it with one of my favorite photos from our recent photo shoot.

6.  Make barn wood artwork to go over the living room sofa

I loved the artwork I made for my in-laws so much I am planning to make one for our house, as well. I'm still trying to figure out what it will say.

7.  Fix up Cora's curtains and window seat

Last year we were able to score a new bookshelf from Ikea to put under the window in Cora's room.  Now I want to:

• upholster a cushion
• make/buy throw pillows
• either shorten the existing curtains or get new ones & move the rod to better frame the space

8.  Make the craft room a functional, organized space 

I am so grateful to have a craft room.  With a door.  However, the space doesn't really work for me.  I end up with piles of paper all over the floor, I have to do all of my painting, assembling, and glueing at the kitchen counter because there is no workable table space, and I am using valuable space to store items I will realistically never use.  I need to:

• purge old inventory and scrapbooking supplies
• get more closed door storage
• get more workable table space
• purchase some paper sorters so I can quickly grab all of the papers I use for my orders
• contain my fabric stash in a more compact, useable manner
• add/improve lighting

These goals are probably lofty (as usual,) but I'll do my best.  Now that I have three kiddos and a small business that's taking off, I don't have as much time as I used to.  I hope to at least make a good dent.  Here's to a beautiful 2013!  :-)

Back in the Game!

Guess what?!  After spending the whole summer without one, I have a new computer!!!  

Gosh, I feel like I haven't had the freedom to blog in forever, and it feels so good to sit down at my computer and have everything at my fingertips!  However, having to survive without a computer all day, every day for months really taught me a lot.  I have learned to focus more on my kids and stop wasting time.  I have gotten a lot done around the house and made the little time I could spend on Jim's computer really count.

While I have been absent from the world of blogging, our family has kept busy with more traditional pastimes, like...

Coloring:

Sleeping:

Grocery Shopping:

Roller Skating:

Learning to Curl Hair (Thanks to Hair-Savvy Teenage Friends):

Rolling Over:

And Sewing:

This is the first outfit I have ever made for Cora! :-)

Also, I mentioned in my last post that we started redoing the kids' bathroom a few weeks ago.  Well, it's done, and it is exactly what I envisioned!  I love it when a plan comes together!!

Jim took this photo, and I commented on the towel being askew and the toilet paper being nearly empty. I think he wanted to have me committed for noticing every. little. thing.  :-)

Check out the before and after pictures!

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

I may do another post with the bathroom details if you're interested in knowing more (let me know in the comments if you have questions you want answered).  In the mean time, I'll leave you with one more picture of my little girl before church this past Sunday:

Have a great day! :-)

Yes, One Small Purchase CAN Make a Difference!

So, I've been helping my friend Hope to change her living room, and it has been so fun and rewarding.  When Hope first contacted me, she sent me a picture and told me that she wished she could have this room:

She ripped this picture out of a magazine a long time ago and has held on to it, dreaming of making a space like this for herself.

After asking Hope what she liked so much about this room and having lots and lots of dialogue about spaces she liked, I learned a few things:  She loves casual, comfortable spaces, she loves yellow, blue, and green, and she likes for the curtains to have a strong presence of color.  Luckily, she is already on her way in several of those areas.

After studying her space, I decided that what we needed to do more than anything was lighten her accessories.  We need to get rid of all of the heavy, gold, gilded frames and lamps and introduce lots of white, some fresh greenery, streamlined frames, and light, fresh pillows. 

Our first mission was to go together to choose those new pillows for her existing couch.  She was worried about having a leather couch when a slipcovered look might suit her style better, but her husband loves the couch and wants it to stay.  I definitely don't think that the couch has to go; it just has to be lightened and freshened up, making it a neutral backdrop.

After Hope and I got back from Pottery Barn the other day, she sent me some before and after pictures of her couch along with the most fun, inspiring email:

"I just couldn't help but email you these photos I took.  I have to admit that I wasn't feeling excited when we were at the store.  I felt overwhelmed by choices and didn't really love anything.  I loved it all together the way Pottery Barn has hundreds of beautiful things pieced together, but I didn't love my measly four pillow cases.  Just being honest.  But I kept telling myself "trust Melissa, trust Melissa...this is why you have asked for her help".  But still no excitement.  When I got home I changed out the pillow covers.  Oh wow!  I was soooo wrong not to be excited!  I really love them and adore the light fresh feeling they automatically bring to the room!  Hooray Melissa!  When we were buying them, I was thinking to myself that I really prefer brighter bolder colors.  Now when I compare my old pillows photo to my new pillows photo I can see how your plan looks so much nicer, cleaner, brighter, etc.
 

Thank you!  Thank you for going with me!!"

Don't her new pillows make a huge difference?  I think they definitely help move us in the right direction. 

 

This is proof that just making a small change can have a large impact.  

So tell me, have you ever walked into a store that you love and felt like buying an item or two wouldn't possibly make any difference in your space?