Making Memories...Balloon Style!

 

I saw THIS recently on Pinterest and had to share.  What a brilliant idea for an anniversary or a birthday for that someone special in your life.  Think of how fun this would be to do for a child or teenager too?!  The possibilities are endless.

Just one more reason that I love Pinterest.

Room Tour: A 3 year old's space

One of my daughters is 3 and she recently moved into her own space.  She is happier in her own little space and the size of this room suits her well.  We kept it simple, with the things that she likes.

I took this "S" from Michaels and wrapped it in fabric years ago; vinyl wall decals from Target.

This is her favorite element in the room, a thrifted and cleaned up play kitchen.   My favorite item I added was the coat hanger repurposed as a faucet!  I also added trim and bun feet to the base to give it a little more height.  It is REALLY solid and heavy - great piece.

I made this fabric banner garland for the back wall of her room and hung some ribbons from either end.  It is too high up for her to pull on but still adds a little visual interest to an otherwise blank wall.

This quilt was made a few months ago from my stash fabric and backed with really soft minky chenille.  Pink down comforter from Ralph Lauren.

Finally, this has always been her dresser; originally found at a local Goodwill for about $15 I refinished it with a high gloss pink spray paint and then added pink glass knobs.  Its not the sturdiest dresser ever but it functions well for now.

Such a happy little room.

Room Tour: A Girls Room

 

My daughter recently turned eight.  We have four kids...and each currently NEED their own rooms.  So after shifting people and rooms around, my eight year old again has her own room.  And she lucked out in that its the largest kids bedroom.  She requested purple purple purple.  We had a ball getting it all ready and she loves the space.

Her bed is SUPER comfy and has lots of mixed patterns and colors. (Bedding a mixture of Ikea, Pottery Barn, Target, Home Goods.  Bed itself a hand-me-down from a friend and painted purple by moi).

Tissue poofs hanging from the ceiling.

(Horse painting from Target)

 This dresser is as old as I am (37) and has gone through numerous coats of paint over the years (it was my dresser when I was a baby).  Its latest incarnation is a lovely lavender with clear glass handles.  Its a great, solid piece.

And finally a place for all of her trophies and ribbons.  I believe that it is important to display these; sometimes you need to remember how far you have come and what you have accomplished...even when you are only eight.

Halloween Decor: Make a Creepy Tree

I was at Target a few weeks back and was admiring their very creepy black Halloween trees.  I grabbed one to put into my cart...and then I saw the price tag $49...per tree! 

No thank you.

Upon closer inspection I realized I could make my very own creepy Halloween decor for a fraction of what I would be paying for the Target version.

I set off to find 1) creepy looking branches, 2) black spray paint 3) floral foam and 4) terra cotta pots.

Finding branches was easy; me and my oldest daughter found what we needed on our side  yard in about 5 minutes.

I picked up the rest of my supplies at Michaels.

Step 1: unwrap the styrofoam floral ball and shove it down into the terra cotta pot.  Repeat for the 2nd one.  Really jam it in there good.

Step 2:  arrange the branches you found in a "creepy manner" (I just made that up...just now).

Step 3: spray paint everything black.  Multiple coats.  You want this to be really really black.

Step 4: admire your handiwork.

I love how it turned out.  I also love that I spent about $15 total for both creepy trees. 

Book this Bookboard!

Love books?  Need a great headboard?

Introducing Bookboard!








Isn't it just so pretty?  I love this idea. For the first 3 years of our marriage, me and my husband didn't have a headboard.  Comfy mattress, yes.  But no headboard.  I came up with a few ideas that worked but THIS I would have tried and loved.

That RUG

I have a thing for amazing rugs.  Now, I don't actually own any amazing rugs...but I appreciate the great ones as works of art.

So here is a lovely gem:

One of the coolest I've seen yet.

Spooky Steps

In honor of the approaching Halloween holiday, I bring you this gem:

 
So easy to do with just breaking open glow in the dark bracelets and necklaces! So spoooooky!

A British Bedroom

I have a 9 year old son who is interested in all things world travel.  He is also a boy...and not terribly interested in room design/ interior fashions.  I've made a little headway in his room but I'm not sure that it accurately captures what he is interested in or what he LIKES.

Then I saw this bedroom and thought, "BAM!  What a great room!  Pulled together, stylish, a little out of the box".

Makes me think I need to revisit that room at the end of the hall again and see if we can come up with some better design choices :)  Perhaps I need to sit him down with Pinterest!

Candy Striped Dreams

There is something both delicious and whimsical about this bedroom set up.  Fresh and clean, chic but still fun.  Perfect combination in my opinion.

A Treehouse in your Bedroom!

OK, its not an actual treehouse...but its close!

Can you imagine sharing a room with your sibling...but at the end of the day retreating to your own little treehouse/clubhouse within the bedroom?  I want to do this! 

What an AWESOME shared children's room.

Places to Rest your Head

We just bought some blackout shades and new curtains for our master bedroom and holy cow, it has made all of the difference in the world.  Dark and beautiful = perfect sleeping accommodations.  Plus we have the MOST amazing mattress.  And finally, I just treated myself to a much needed new pillow; down of course. 

So our master is in good shape right now.  And having 4 young children I have found that the last place in the house we ever pay attention to is our master retreat.

This led me to a few favorite places to rest your head.  Aren't these inspirational spaces?

The furnishings in this space make me swoon.  That chandelier?  Perfection :).  It feels like a calm, elegant and restful place.

These twin beds pushed together are perfection.  Such a darling girls bedroom, right?

Ohhhhh that gorgeous BLUE!  And the hand painted tree on the headboard area?  Its powerful but still restful.  Divine.

What makes your sleeping space perfect for YOU?

Back to School Printables

 
In honor of my kids returning to school this week and my little ones starting preschool, I thought this idea was brilliant.  Just click, print and create a photo moment with your kids, capturing their back to school day.

Love it!

I think I'm also going to set these on the kids chairs on the first day of school; kind of a congratulations you're now in ____ grade thing...

Hole to Another Universe!

Yes, I will be buying this.  How AWESOME for a kids bedroom or playroom?  Or even better, in a random place like the powder room?  The possibilities are endless!

Home Quote

Absolutely TRUE.  Wouldn't this be great framed?

Your Laundry Room - You CAN have it all!

My laundry room/pantry/hub is the hardest working room of the house and gets the least amount of credit.  It is also not a terribly attractive room; I haven't taken the time to decorate or really clean it uncover its full potential.

That is why when I see pictures or posts of great laundry rooms, I always feel inspired.

For example, this laundry room has had the upper cabinet panels jigsawed out and chicken wire installed in its place.  The result is airy charm...while still maintaining function.  LOVE this idea.

Then there is this genius example; the homeowner added slide out laundry baskets.  Seriously, most brilliant idea ever, right?!

And then for sheer BEAUTY, check out this laundry room.  Black cabinets, black countertop over top black front loading washer and dryer.  The effect is very clean and classic.  And lovely!

Do you feel inspired yet?  Ready to make some changes or updates to your laundry area?

BE AMAZING

I just saw this print via Pinterest and decided on the spot to buy it.  Perfect for every home.  I've already got a spot picked out upstairs for this one...

iPhone Helpful Hints

I am a great lover of the iPhone. However, without knowing all of the little tricks I am not making it work FOR me as well as it could.

I just came across this great article that outlines 25 awesome tips and tricks for the iPhone.  Check it out and report back on anything new that you have learned. We need to help each other, right?

Olympic Crafts

 

The Olympics are coming, the Olympics are coming!  Are you as excited as we are?!?

Of course you are - the Olympics are amazing!  Our kids are all into the various trials right now and eagerly anticipating the opening ceremonies.  There is such a feeling of hope and unity and strength that comes from watching the Olympics.  I just love it.

Anyway, here are some great crafts, ideas and activities inspired by this years Olympic Games in London.  Perfect to do with kids young and old.  And with two full weeks of Games, there options for every day!  Try some out and let me know how it went...I promise to do the same.

Get 'Em Organized, Keep 'Em Organized!

We've all seen loads of the hook/shelf/shoe cubby organizational situation.  And differing variations on the same theme.

But this looks both smart AND classy.  Hang as many hooks as you have backpacks.  Use 4 same size frames (pop out the glass and add corkboard...) and paint a unifying color.  Initial for each persons spot.   Sign me up; I'm doing this before my brood goes back to school!  Great idea.

On a Clear Day...

 
If I didn't love my current bar stools, I would be all over these clear lucite ones.  Lucite makes objects looks cleaner, more modern.  And even though I'm not a modern furnishings kind of girl, a clean clear chair does something for me.

Do you use lucite in your home furnishings? Should I convert?

Stairway to Creativity

Saw this staircase on Pinterest and LOVE it.  Wouldn't this be a great project for kids to work on (with supervision, of course)?

Inside Out Canvas Frames

While I was in Anthropologie recently, I fell in love with their backwards canvas displays.  They have taken a standard 5x7 or 8x11 canvas, turned it back facing out (so that you can see the wood frame and the canvas stapled to it) and placed a picture inside of it.  Then they have nailed groupings together and hung as art.

Genius.  And inexpensive.  So of COURSE I wanted to try it here at home.

 

First I attached all of my frames back facing front together in an appealing, random grouping.  It took more nails than I would have expected to keep it together and sturdy.

 

Next I glued in a bunch of our favorite black and white shots.

And finally, I put up a few groupings interspersed with other favorite collages.  I get compliments on it whenever someone new stops by. 

 

 

Trulaaluu on Etsy

I've put a few new things into my etsy shop, Trulaaluu.   Something about the kids being out of school and warm weather makes me feel extra creative.  So stop by and take a look. 

Summer Planting...

It's practically summer already, right?  School is out, kids are back in swim team, the heat index is starting to soar.  We're all spending more time outside; shouldn't we put some of our creativity to use and beautify our outdoor spaces?

Do you have a spare car in need of a fresh coat of grass?  No?  Darn it; the picture makes a grass car look like such fun :)

I am loving this idea for colorful landscape grooming.  It doesn't look difficult to replicate either.

And finally, the flowers spilling out of the pot look painting perfect, don't they?  Planters don't always have to stand upright; its alright to tip them over when beauty is pouring out!

How are you planning to mix up your summer planting this season? Do any of these ideas inspire you?

Ribbon Tent

If you are new to this blog, you may not know that I have a thing for tents.  There is a sense of mystery about a tent; it is not a permanent structure yet commands a sense of safety and refuge.  It can be assembled and placed anywhere. 

So when I saw this genius crepe paper/ribbon tent I went a little gaga.  Isn't it so pretty?  And while it could be a little time consuming to assemble, its not any harder than your standard camping tent. 

Love.