Spring Home Tour

Since I've last logged into this blog (about two years ago), there's been plenty of art created and furniture rearranged, but the most precious addition to our family, is a new baby! He's now scooting around with a huge smile on his face, and loving the attention he gets from morning to night. He might just be the cutest baby on the planet... yes, I might be a little biased.

Even though I'm not quite ready to start blogging on a regular basis just yet, I thought I'd sneak on here and share some recent photos while the baby is napping and the older three are outside playing "camping". These photos were snapped after the house was cleaned and the pillows were fluffed; my house does not look like this on a normal day. If you're coming over for dinner, it might, but stop by unannounced and mostly likely you'll walk through legos, and blocks, and school papers and books stacked on just about every table, dirty laundry in a pile, and folded laundry that has a hard time making it to the bedroom closets.

It's fun to look at these clean photos; I love a clean house! But as I'm going through this season of life I'm trying to embrace the messes and love life with these little ones who I've been called to raise. They're precious and much better than a clean and perfect house!

We Love The Daddy

The husband's birthday was earlier this year and for his special day I helped the kids put together a frame with personalized text.  I asked the kids what they wanted the text to say... their response, "We love the daddy".  Around here, we call him "the daddy".... the daddy's coming home, the daddy's here, etc.  I know, a little weird, but we love it!

My four-year said he wanted the colors to be blue.  He couldn't have picked a more perfect color.... the frame will eventually rest on the desk in our master bedroom's work area, and blue perfectly coordinates with the colors in our bedroom (not that our room is anywhere near finished, it's barely unpacked).

I typed up the text, printed it, and then distressed the paper... a little.  Here's what it looked like when I printed it out....

Then I took a hand sander and lightly slid it over the paper horizontally, from the bottom of the page to the top, about two times...

Here's what the print looked like, once I was done distressing the paper.... a little more worn in... and old.

The I trimmed the edges, put it in the frame.... and now it rests on the temporary desk in the master bedroom...

Check back tomorrow.... I'll have a free printable for you, just in time for Father's Day.

Frame It

I've been unpacking box after box, and there seems to be a reoccurring theme..... picture frames.....

and more picture frames....

and more....

I'm certain that I have enough frames to create a gallery and I absolutely love the picture galleries created on these walls... great inspiration!!!

Domino

Michelle Adams via Design*Sponge

Domino

Caitlin Wilson

Apologies, Source Unknown

Apologies, Source Unknown

Alaina Kaczmarski

Time to sort through my piles, and piles frames...

Dazzling Drapes

When we were house hunting in TX, this floor-to-ceiling window and the enormous amount of natural light flowing through the main living areas were the first two things that caught my eye in this house.  Then I realized I would also have a great view of the kids playing outside from just about every angle... this was perfect!  So... offer extended.  Offer accepted.  SOLD!!!

Now, about those drapes... I'd like to keep them (and save some $$), but I'm thinking about giving them a little flair.  Sewing a thick (or thin) piece of trim down the side or adding about one or two feet of printed fabric along the bottom edge would really help with the "wow" factor.  Something like these...

Traditional Home

Apologies, No Source

Elle Decor

Leeann Thornton

Simple touch, but such a great effect!

West Elm = Inspiration

I opened my mailbox yesterday to find one of the greatest designed catalogs ever, West Elm.  I love West Elm, and now that they've revamped their catalog I love them even more!  Maybe this is just the graphic designer coming out in me, but everything from the size, texture, layout, font, colors = AMAZING and so inspiring to flip through!!!  It almost made me want to drive straight to West Elm and shop.  Then I remembered.... I have three kids who need to be fed (and I'm also on a budget). 

So, I will daydream...

amazing...

Pink Fancy Shoes & A Ceiling

These little pink shoes are absolutely adorable.  They are so incredibly cute, I wish they were made in my size!  My almost two-year old loves them too, so much so that she insists on wearing them even during nap-time (everyday).

When I saw her wearing these shoes (again), it reminded me of our guest room in Virginia.... I decorated this room for a friend who lived with us for a summer.  She was finishing up her degree in nursing and doing an internship, so I wanted to give her a relaxing space to unwind (in the midst of three rambunctious preschoolers constantly knocking on her door).

 

Wow!  Looking at these photos makes me realize how much I really need a to take a photography class.  Well, it's the perfect time of year to set a goal... so, 2011:  I will take a photography class!

Anyway.... back to the room, my favorite part is that pink ceiling.... it made the room feel so cozy (I actually slept in here a couple different nights just to experience the coziness!).  The upper 1/4 of the wall and ceiling color is Royal Fuchsia, and the walls, trim and doors are Simply White, both by Benjamin Moore.