One room hasn't been shown, and that is our Master Bathroom. Let me show you what we started with.  It was yellow and pretty gross. The following photos were from when we walked through the house right after buying the house + are with the previous owners stuff. I honestly look back at these pictures and think we were pretty brave for taking this house on...

Awesome eh? But we had no room in our budget to replace anything. We were faced with a dilemma. What was a way that we could update the bathroom temporarily and inexpensively, to help us hold off on doing any renovations. I also wanted a nicer bath, as I love my baths. So, our fix was...you paint!

 We hired someone to come refinish our tub, and at the same time, paint the yellow tiles.

It was a temporary fix that cost us $1,000. It was money well spent as since them I've been able to enjoy baths and feel as though our bathroom is somewhat appealing. 

But here is the flip side. With any temporary fix, there is that word temporary. The bathtub is showing signs of wear and the paint is chipping in certain spots. We are doing everything in our power to extend the life of our little bathroom. The two rooms, our Kitchen, and Master Bath are the only 2 rooms we never touched, and, the two rooms that are showing MAJOR wear. Aubrey actually said to me "It would make sense to do the bathroom at the same time as the kitchen." to which I freaked out at the idea of TWO renos going on. (Not a good freak out, but panic freak out!) So we kind of have two renovations that we are researching now....Give me strengh.

I've done a lot of work in our guest room since we moved in, so I thought I'd share my progress - along with some of the projects that are still on my 'to do' list. After filling tons of nail holes, I gave the trim, window and walls a fresh coat of paint (when we install new flooring, we'll paint the ceiling too). I also sewed new cushions for a thrifted and spraypainted bamboo chair and transformed a basic floor lamp by adding a new painted shade.

I sewed these curtains for our old apartment's dining room and they were the inspiration for this room's colour palette. The dresser was a hand-me-down from Adam's parents that I painted and added new hardware.

The fabric headboard was another DIY project. I still need to hang some art above the bed and add a couple of accent pillows, and we'd eventually like to upgrade our guests from a futon to a real bed (although I find sleeping on the futon kind of fun - it reminds me of my mattress-on-a-floor college days).

(New doors have been purchased, but still need to be painted and hung).

This gorgeous little desk/vanity was another hand-me-down from Adam's parents. I added new knobs and I'm on the hunt for an upholstered x-bench like one of these. The books are a temporary placeholder - they'll be replaced with a laptop when this becomes my little blogging spot (I'm big on ripping pages out of magazines for inspiration, hence the bulletin board).

The patterned box holds all my office supplies and I filled my silver-leafed frame with this free chair printable from Danielle Oakey Interiors - so cute!

So there you have it. I've still got a few things to do to make this room complete, but it's well on it way.

I'm honored to have a guest post today from Arcadian Lighting.
Take it away Susi...
***

Today’s guest post is from Susi, a writer for Arcadian Lighting. Founded in 2002, Arcadian Lighting started selling decorative home lighting fixtures and lamps online, and has become one of the top Internet retailers for home lighting products. Visit their website and cool blog for more information.

Rustic vintage décor is a popular trend in design right now. Natural materials like stone and reclaimed woods are mixed with vintage cabin, farmhouse and even modern styles to create the charming rustic vintage décor we're seeing in shelter magazines and on design blogs. We've pulled together some examples of retro vintage style. Have you noticed this trend? What do you think? Love? Hate? Let us know!

Image above (via) I'm So Vintage

Rustic cabin style is having a bit of a renaissance in design right now. Mixed with other styles like vintage, modern and even contemporary, rustic elements are trending hot right now. Even taxidermy.

Image above (via) Country Living

Rustic and vintage elements fill this new kitchen with charm befitting a 19^th century homestead. Recycled wood beams add a rustic feel while accessories like the hanging lantern add vintage charm.

Image above (via) Pinterest

A popular way of adding a rustic feeling to a room is by using antlers as decorative elements.  Hung on walls or displayed in cabinets, antlers add a natural element to a room. This dining room features vintage lighting as well as a vintage bookcase used as a china cabinet.

Image above (via) Pinterest

Reclaimed beams create a dramatic rustic style headboard in this bedroom. Vintage style clip wall sconces add a vintage touch to the rustic chic style room.

Image above (via) Birch and Bird

The white antler chandelier and barn doors add rustic charm to this entry. A vintage Navajo rug adds color as well as a feeling of nostalgia.

Image above (via) Country Living

Vintage and antique flea market finds and heirlooms decorate this stone and wood filled rustic cabin bedroom.  Love the painted chest at the foot of the bed that adds color to the room.

Image above (via) Flickr

Shabby chic vintage style meets rustic in this pretty bedroom.  The masculine wood feeling of the vaulted wood ceiling is offset by the feminine lines of the chandeliers.

Image above (via) Birch and Bird

It may surprise you that vintage modern can also work in a rustic style room.  This large barn style living room has an airiness that works with the clean lines vintage modern furniture and those stunning pendant lights.

Craving more of the retro vintage style? Stop by Arcadian Lighting for more inspirational design ideas.

Wow! Don't you love all those inspiring photos?

Yum.

Thanks Susi, and be sure to check them out!

This is one of yesterday's wedding thank-you gifts all wrapped up and ready to go. I love wrapping gifts with kraft paper - it's so simple on its own, but you can dress it up for any season or occasion with a little ribbon and a few embellishments (and it's easy to re-use, too). I used leftover twine from our wedding and a few semi-dried chive flowers (picked from my mother-in-law's garden a couple of weeks ago) for a little pop of colour.

Oscar is 16 months tomorrow. I am rather shocked when articles make reference to my "toddler". Surely they are mistaken. I can't believe he is a toddler.

He's at the stage where he is asserting his opinion. Like refusing to allow me to put pants on him.(Hence the missing pants above) or deciding half way through our walk that the stroller is not the mode of transportation he wants - so he starts to whip toys out from the stroller and I know that a meltdown will soon follow. I end up carrying him home to avoid nice old lady neighbours commenting that "The pour child is likely hungry*". (Um, no. He is not hungry, he is just super pissed off at me because I won't let him run into the street...But thank you for your help)

But as quick as he is to turn red and throw himself against a couch in protest to something, he is just as quick to run over with a book and snuggle. He wakes up with me up by putting a toy lion in my face and with a little voice says "ROOOOAR". He's loving the vintage Fisher Price toys I've picked up at Value Village and also on Etsy, where I found this awesome Fisher Price train.

I wanted to say that many of you have commented on my Oscar posts sometimes, offering comforting words. You may not know they are comforting, but to know that for example sleep issues are just at our house, makes everything seem "normal".

Okay, so I mentioned in my last post that it's been a really long time since I've been able to "pour" myself into making my house a home and how exciting it is to be able to do so!

After 10 years of military life, our family is finally settling into the civilian world and IT. FEELS. GREAT. Not only because our kids will have a home to call their own even after three years of living here but also because I now get to make my house feel more like a home.

I can finally sink in, plant roots and cozy up the place without feeling the overwhelming sensation of the temporary life that belongs to so many military families across the country and world. Don't get me wrong, military life wasn't all bad by any means. There were so many great opportunities and friendships we were afforded through the benefit of being military. However, just like everything else, it had its downfalls and negatives and we just felt like those began to outweigh the benefits more. And so...after much prayer, tears and even laughter...here. we. are. And here we go...

In the next few weeks (and maybe even months), you will listen to me share this new season that God has brought us into and,specifically, how making our house a home involves more than just aesthetics. And while I know that God has given me a gift and a passion for the restoration of old things, He is the One who  makes ALL things new! For that, I am thankful!  

So, grab your favorite blanket or sweater and a warm mug of hot chocolate, coffee or tea and snuggle up for  a freshly brewed cup of inspiration. 

So, with all of  that being said, some of you asked what colors I used on the pieces from my last post. Well, here ya go! 

Dresser turned Media Stand: Sherwin Williams, Annie Sloan Dark Wax

Cedar Chest turned Coffee Table: Annie Sloan Cream, AS Clear Wax

Dresser turned Entry Table: Annie Sloan Cream, Annie Sloan Clear Wax

And here's my latest project...again, for my house. 

BEFORE
 This is by no means in horrible condition with the exception of a few scrapes and scratches on the top

I am attempting to put our living room together and it's coming together quite nicely. I am learning to take my time in decorating my own home and not feel so anxious about getting things done. Anyone else feel that way? Like you just have to put all together in a snap?? 

Well, I don't really have a choice in the matter since finding pillows for my sofa seems to be like finding a needle in a haystack! But....I digress...back to the table.

I really liked it. Had good bones. Only $30 and just the size I needed as an occasional table beside our sofa. So, just like any savvy shopper...I grabbed it and began to dream up all the wonderful and yummy colors and finishes I could give it.

This is what I came up with...

What do you think? I just love it and think it fits in so well with what I want the room to feel like. A little formal. A lotta cozy. And a lot of chippy.

I'll be revealing more of our living room in weeks to come...stay tuned! 

p.s. For those of you wondering, I used SW Jogging Path for the main parts of this table and Dover White for the accents. ;)

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Did you see Steven + Chris today? Look what project they did... Framed Bow Ties in Ikea Frames! Maybe one of my favourite Designing Duos* saw Oscar's Bow Tie?? :) Love those two.

*Sarah and Tommy are obvioulsy the other Design Duo that we all love!

My little brother (the baby of our family) and his wife are having their first baby in a few months.

My brother is one one of those freakishly talented people with an over abundance of creative skills.

I just know their baby will arrive with a camera in one hand and a mac in the other.

They are both photographers so skill with a camera is a given:-)

They don't know what they are having (so fun!) so I made them a bit of both.

Their baby shower is today and since it's in Virginia and I'm in Texas... I'm a little sad.

Needless to say, I am very excited for them! This is the last "first" baby in our family, so it's bittersweet.

 I can't wait to meet him/her in a few months!

I will share where I got all my patterns and inspirations in another post.

(By the way, they also are redoing a little old house that is amazing!

I'm hoping they will let me share some before and after photos some fine day.)

Our DIY wedding wouldn't have been possible without loads of help from our parents, so of course we wanted to do something to say thanks (aside from actually saying thanks, which we've done many times now). Unfortunately, we don't have a lot of extra money to spend on gifts right now and I can't imagine my parents or parents-in-law wanting any of the thank-you gift ideas I found online (how many engraved objects does one person need?). And since our photographers took so many beautiful pictures that day, we decided to frame a few for my mom, my dad and his wife, and Adam's parents.

I found some pretty silver frames at Winners, all on clearance for $7-$8 (unless you're my parent or parent-in-law, then the frames are solid silver and cost hundreds of dollars). I ordered a few prints and bought a piece of mat board ($3), then got to work with my handheld mat cutter. As an aside, I highly recommend cutting your own mats. It's easy to do (with a little practice) and it's so much cheaper than having custom mats cut (I almost always prefer the look of custom mats to standard mats, even though I cut these to standard-size haha). Eventually I'd like to invest in a heavier-duty model, since my handheld occasionally slips and doesn't do corners as cleanly as I'd like. Anyway, enough about my mat cutter dreams, here's how the frames turned out:

I think this is a nice, simple thank-you gift that our parents will enjoy (at first I told Adam this was my new mantle-decorating idea: an homage to ourselves). Now I just need to find a pretty way to wrap them. 

I went to my cousins wedding on Saturday night. Apart from being a gorgeous evening, the event was adult only affair. I'm not unfamiliar with "adult only" weddings - we made our wedding adult only aswell (young babies who needed their Mommies came, but no toddlers). Oscar needs one of us at home at night* so Aubrey took one for the team and I attended the event with my immediate family. .It was such a nice time. It was a different event (for me) having no child.

My Dad asked me to dance, my sister, Mom and I boogied on the dance floor, and I had amazing conversations with my brother and his awesome girlfriend.  I even got to come home with one of the gorgeous centerpieces thanks to a mutual friend and bridesmaid (Hi Courtenay!) who helped make sure I could have one. Not having little Oscar there, I ate at a regular pace had some lovely conversations with those I love. And although I wouldn't change the food being thrown at me at home, it's definitely nice to have a night out with just adults.

*Why didn't we get a babysitter? Oscar is not an easy "bedtime" child, and also sometimes wakes a lot during an evening. We have to go in and help him get back to sleep. So, an event like this we devided and conquer. He's getting better at sleep but for now, we don't want him to wake to someone else and really freak out!

Last week was a tough one, but losing my grandmother was a powerful reminder of the importance of family and of spending time with the people you love. I think she would have been happy to know that she brought us all together, one more time.

Before that unexpected road trip, I managed to remove the old hardware and sand our thrifted night stands. Last night, I applied a coat of primer.

Snapped with my BB

Sure, the photo's a little dark (it was early), but I can already tell how awesome they're going to look when I'm done. The plan is to paint them white and add glass knobs. Stay tuned for the reveal!

Exciting news - The basement is 100% done. All I needed to do was pay some attention to adding extra detail and hanging some art to get me to the finish line. And although the entire basement is considered as my workspace + studio, the space naturally divided itself into sections.  This was probably our biggest DIY of all, having broken up the concrete ourselves, replacing the drains, moving plumbing, it took a whole 6 months. I thought a proper showcase of the finished space would be a nice way to close the door on the design process for this space.

1. COMPUTER AREA
My DIY Desk is still going strong. Coming in at around $300 for the project, it really is one of my favourite DIYs. The baskets on the Ikea units acts as drawers, keeping useful things like camera cords, stamps, personal stationery. In this area there are actually 3 bulletin boards (1, 2 having their own blog posts) - and - all different sizes. But I upholstered them all in the same fabric to give them a unified look. Bulletin boards are a necessity in my life, as it helps me be creative.




2. Work TableBehind my DIY Desk and Computer is my IKEA Table where I put together orders and  pack + get orders prepped for mailing. The table height is much taller than my desk - a great height for crafting. On the shelves I keep packing materials organized in handy clear boxes to see what is inside. Running an online shop requires a lot of little things, so organization is really key in my space.

3. Lounge I love this area as I think it will be a spot where Oscar can come chill when he is older. With a casual couch covered in a slipcover, and wall mounted TV  - it is the perfect space to take a break from work. Unique artwork hangs in this area - I've framed my art that I sell in my shop, as well as pieces like Oscar's first bow tie, and also his awesome moustache on a stick that was wandering around the house looking for a home. Instead of it getting lost, I framed it. New pillows and a great coffee table make this space comfy.



Little Nook By the stairs to the main floor I fit a little vintage desk, where we've put Aubrey's laptop. Aubrey needed a space to work, so this area was perfect as it is separate from my space. This desk was $25 and I updated it by painting it white and adding in new knobs. For seating, you may recognize this chair as the same as in our dining room. Since we had 2 extra chairs from the dining room we put one down here for Aubrey - and if we need it for a dinner party we bring it back upstairs.


 
There are other areas down here that are worth mentioning. Our Washroom, and Washer + Dryer area. There you have it. A few unique awesome spaces developed over the course of decorating this area. It is kind of nice to look around and not have blank walls that keep screaming for something to be on them. And it is the perfect space to be creative. For those of you just joining my blog --- this is what we started with....


 
I am sooo proud of this space. And the fact that we did it 99% all on our own, is kind of crazy. :)

I haven't been ignoring you.

Well maybe a little.

I've actually been getting ready for Just Between Friends.
If you have kids, and they wear clothes, then this is something you need to check out!

The size varies, but our sale  is 75,000 square feet of clothes, shoes, toys, baby stuff, maternity clothes and so on.

So I've been sorting and tagging clothes for the last week to sell.

Next week I'll be back to being part time sign maker:-)

Don't forget the giveaway over at The Vintage Bricoleur!

"If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it's yours forever." -UNKNOWN

This seems to be true in the case of my love for all things JUNK and my passion for all things chippy and lovely. 

If you've followed my blog for some time (thank you, BTW), then you've read about my love for old things. Shabby. Chic. French. Distressed. I LOVE it all...

After months of traveling and moving we are finally settled here in our new home in Seattle,WA. After being in HI (which was a great place to be and not because of the weather) being here is like a breath of fresh air.

"Why is that?", you say. Well, it's like a junker's heaven here. From Ruffles and Rust to Snohomish antique shoppes. From Haystack to The Classic Farmhouse to Haley's Cottage. 

I am LITERALLY in heaven!!! And while I am still learning the junking ropes and hoping for some junkin' mentors along the way, I am enjoying the ride. 

Along the way, thanks to "the bug" I've picked up a few yummy pieces. 

Like this...

BEFORE
An old pine dresser...

                       Oh, this one was just screamin' for a rescue! And, boy, did I answer the call!                                                       

DURING
The process...

BEFORE
Cedar Chest...worn and lots of  love marks

AFTER
Restoration House delivers...(disregard the bad pics and books!)

AFTER
The first of many pieces in my living room...

BEFORE

Yucky Dresser Top with Cup Rings

AFTER

Okay, so did anyone notice in the above pic that the dresser looks a little two-toned? Ummmm....well, a confession...IT'S NOT FINISHED! I know, I know...I just couldn't wait to take the pics and post it. This piece kinda scared me in the middle of the process. 


I really didn't think I was going to like it. BUT...I. LOVE. IT. That is...I will once it's complete! 


You may also notice that some of those pics are a little out of order. Well, that's because my blogger skills are quite a bit rusty after not blogging enough for such along time. Go ahead...you can laugh. I won't be offended. :)

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