September 15, 2013

A Little Bling for My Birthday!

And when I say "bling", I mean the kind that lights up and hangs from the ceiling.  That's right, the ugly builder chandelier is gone!



Here was my dining room before...

And here it is now!

I am so happy!  I have been obsessing over this chandelier from Ballard Designs for years.  They must have known I had a painful big birthday coming up because they finally put it on sale for half price just for me!

I showed it to my husband and told him it was the only thing I wanted for my birthday.  It turns out that he was actually listening (okay, so I probably mentioned it more than once).  Not only did he listen, but he didn't procrastinate either.  Apparently it wasn't on sale for my birthday at all.  It was on sale because it was being discontinued.  He ordered just days before it was no longer available!

I love it way more than a sane person should probably love a light fixture, but it is so pretty!  You should see it at night.  It just sparkles!


My husband and kids gave it to me the morning of my birthday and we had it hung by noon.  Thank goodness my husband is handy and likes instant gratification as much as I do (and for the fact that the dining room table didn't collapse with both of us standing on it).  

After it was hung and we both looked to admire it, he admitted that he never understood why I hated the other light so much until he saw the new one hanging in its place.


So once again, just in case I wasn't clear... I absolutely love my new chandelier!!  Thanks to my sweet husband and awesome kids for making this birthday the best one yet. 





September 08, 2013

Sis's Room Reveal

Decorating my daughter's room was definitely a collaborative effort.  I think it is important for kids to be involved in decorating their own rooms.  I say this as if I had a choice in my particular situation.  It seems that Sis has inherited my need for creative expression and had lots of input.  I had ideas of what I wanted and she had ideas of her own.  We merged all of our ideas together and came up with a bright and cheerful room. 

It all started with the Pool Blue paint color from Sherwin Williams.  Sis picked it herself.  Well, actually she picked a much brighter version of what you see here.  I went up two shades on the paint card when purchasing the paint to tone it down a bit (she didn't even know the difference). 


After the paint color, the second biggest impact came from the new corner bed.  Because floor space is important in kids rooms, we pushed the bed into the corner.  I made two separate headboards out of plywood.  They were cut to size, covered in batting and fabric and then secured to the wall.  I made the bedskirt to match with left over fabric.



Because there is SO much color in the bed, I chose a plain white duvet cover.  Sis can't quite come to terms with the fact that it is white, but I just don't think the room could tolerate much else.  I made the navy fretwork pillows with fabric from Hobby Lobby.  

The shutters on the small window are actually functional.  They close to block out the light (and the creepy red eyes that sometimes peek in on her at night - so she tells me).  I made these when we first moved in about 7 years ago.  These odd little windows can be a challenge to cover.


The light up "B" is one of my favorite elements in the room.  I made this one for Sis and a "G" for little brother.  It was a weekend project (that took ALL weekend).  It is made out of MDF, strips of sheet metal and string lights.   (I do plan on posting exactly how I made it....one day...)


Other than what was mentioned above, we had everything else in the room.  It all took on a new life up against the blue paint. 

The little coat rack in the corner is perfect for hats and bags.  She has a bag addiction (also inherited).  It has been edited for the photo.  

The curtains are the LILL Sheers from Ikea.  They are my absolute favorite for little girls.  At only $4.99 a pair (YES, only $4.99 A PAIR), you can buy multiple sets to make them really full.  Here, I used 3 sets.  I should also mention that they come in 110" panels which means you can use them on the tallest of windows or drape them from the ceiling around a bed.  Because they are made of tulle, you can cut them to the size you need without needing a hem.

For a little punch of color, I added grosgrain ribbon in hot pink to match the existing chandelier.   


 We kept the walls fairly sparse with only a few key pieces.  Most of them were handmade or repurposed.  You can read about the canvas wrapping paper art here.



I loved working on this room with my sweet girl.  I look forward to more projects as a mother / daughter design team!