Happy New Room's Eve!

It's been 4 1/2 years since we moved into our home.

It's been 4 1/2 years since the kids have had a "nice" room.

Truth be told, I just could never get my thoughts together when it came to decorating their room.

Noah was born the first year we lived here and he spent the first 2 years of his life sleeping in our room. First in a bassinet, then onto a pack 'n play and finally into a crib.

I guess it didn't seem worth it to do up a room when the 3rd member of the family wasn't IN the room yet.

I really don't know what my reasoning was.

Maybe it was just laziness. Who knows.

I'm super embarrassed at the "before" that was their room(s) (at times, I cannot believe that I actually had the nerve to post the pics on facebook!).

We never even put a fresh coat of paint over the UGLY that the previous owners of the house put up (worst taste EVER!).

Being that I didn't care about the room(s) because they weren't the way that I wanted them, I "let" them get trashed even further. I just didn't see the point, I guess, in keeping not nice...nice.

Honestly, when I don't like something but don't have a solution to make it better, I tend to "close the door on it" rather than face it in all of it's hideousness. Truth.


This is not an excuse. This is an explanation. One that I can finally admit to myself and make peace with...

...because...

...the fact is that all of the "ugly" is finally coming to an end.

Phew! 

♪♫ I can see clearly now the rain is gone...♪♫

I literally can almost see/feel a depressive fog lifting. 

What WAS this...

Turned to this...

(ignore those black specks on the wall - they on the camera lens, not the actual wall)

I've been spending the last few months planning planning and more planning...

Ideas and dreams have been written in notebooks, added to "notes" in my phone, googled, facebooked, blogged and pinned.

Shopping carts have been filled with goodies...

Bank accounts have dwindled... ;)

But this weekend...all of my months of hard work and preparation are finally coming to fruition.

The furniture is being delivered...the room is being set up...the wall decor will be hung...big boy and girl beds will be made (comfiest EVER)...the lights will be lit...and then comes...

The Big REVEAL.

My husband and I have managed to keep the kids out of their room completely since we've started the remodel.

Our goal is to reveal their room makeover to them in one shot.

We plan to have the video camera rolling...pictures will be taken...memories will be made.

I can't tell you how excited we all are.

And EXHAUSTED.

Part of me wants to scream. Part of me wants to laugh. Part of me wants to cry.

So much of me has gone into this project...and I've had so much wonderful support from my family and friends who've allowed me to run ideas by them...thanks for listening to me "dream out loud" guys! XO

I have a feeling that once the beds are in place tomorrow, I'm gonna feel a gravitational pull towards them so that I can throw myself onto one and sleep for about a week straight.

For as much as I am gearing up for tomorrow and being able to see it all come together, I'm also just REALLY excited about reclaiming my house and having it all DONE.

Anyway...alllllll this to say...YAY...HAPPY NEW ROOM'S EVE!!!!

And now I'm off again...so much to do!

Wish us luck tomorrow and I'll be posting the BIG REVEAL hopefully SOON! (as long as I don't fall into a catatonic state of exhaustion)

XO

Brown Nosing: Yummy (and cute) Back to School Teacher Gifts

Source: catchmyparty.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Oh my goodness. 

How cute would these be for a "Welcome Back to School"  gift for Noah's preschool teachers? 

I know I know...I got a little brown on my nose...but so adorable, right?! 

:)

Words of Encouragement

Source: emilia-jane.com via Kelly on Pinterest

There are some days when you have to fight the "mean girl" inside and just.be.nice...because no matter how you're feeling, it's ALWAYS RIGHT to act right.

Thinking Outside the Bath

Source: westelm.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Oh. my. word.

In researching window treatments for our kiddos room re-do, I thought...what the? No way am I paying for those...

Pinterest saves the day...AGAIN.

Shower curtains as window treatments.

I swear...there are so many genius people in this world.

And I love them.

Hello West Elm shower curtains.

Where have you been all my life?

Come to Mama you beautiful (and yet very affordable) things you...

Research for a Furniture Remod

 

Source: bit.ly via elva on Pinterest

Of course, I can never leave well enough alone. 

As if there isn't enough to do with our kiddos room remodel, I've got to throw in a furniture re-mod as well.

Oh joy.

My husband and I currently use a beautiful Ikea clothing armoire to store our clothes. It's a pine color with great glass doors. I've had it since my single days and it's held up unbelievably well....

But all good things must come to an end...

It's time to once again return her to her some-time owners, the smallest members of our family (it's been passed around a bit, if you can't tell).

When you own a smaller home, space saving is key. Since our 3 kiddos will be sharing a room and their beds will take up a good portion of the space, dressers were not an option.

Our beloved armoire is just what this interior designer wannabe ordered.

BUT...of course...I couldn't possibly leave it it's original color, could I?

Oh, heck no.

So, I'm thinking a soft yellow...to go along with our gray/white/yellow with black and white accent "theme".

And I found some really good step by step instructions to do the job.

http://www.thepurplepea.net/2009/05/how-to-make-repainting-your-ikea.html

So...what do ya think?

Have you guys ever refinished a piece of Ikea furniture? How did you do it?

I'm a little nervous about it and might be possibly kinda sorta procrastinating quite a bit on getting it started...not gonna lie...

If you have any good tips, I'd love for you to share them with me...since I know nothing, anything helps!

Let's Celebrate!

Happy Birthday, Pop Pop! 

Tonight we celebrated 89 years of life for the most precious man on the face of the earth. 

The patriarch of our family. Purple Heart donned veteran, loving husband of over 50 years, wonderful father, grandfather, great-grandfather, friend and now published author of his best-selling book (in our circles anyway), The Odyssey of the Iron Knight, a memoir of his life during WWII as a soldier, MIA and POW. 

It is a gift from God to have this man in our lives. 

We cherish him every.single.day. and feel incredibly blessed for his amazing life. 

----- 
 

Happy Birthday, Nana...

My grandparents were born on the same day of the same year. Always thought that was cool.

:) 

Sadly, Nana passed away in April of 1997 but we have many many sweet memories of her and we miss her every day. 

XO

Looking forward to the day that we're all reunited again...

Lots of love always.

Displaced

dis·place  (ds-pls)tr.v. dis·placed, dis·plac·ing, dis·plac·es 1. To move or shift from the usual place or position, especially to force to leave a homeland

 

Sooooooo...yeah.

We're going on 3 weeks at my parents place. (not including the week I was here while Jer was at Lake Champlain)

Don't get me wrong, it's been nice. No drama. The kids have been well-behaved. Things have been overall peaceful.

But...we miss home.

Even though home right now is a mess.

Our upstairs is a blank slate...it's desolate...no furniture, nothing on the walls...

Promise of new.

But downstairs looks like a bad episode of Extreme Hoarders.

Not. Nice.

You should see our dining room. It's literally covered in clothes from our closets and armoires.

Our home looks stagnant. Left. A B A N D O N E D.

It's sad. 

We had no idea that we'd be displaced for so long...

I'm thankful for my parents and for them allowing us to stay here...especially long since we've worn out our welcome...

but definitely missing home.

We're anxious to get our house back in order, finish the kiddos room remodel and hopefully hop back into a routine before school starts on September 10th...

It's all a bit overwhelming right now...


(we're having our hardwood floors refinished upstairs for those who are confused as to why we aren't living at home right now)

“Where we love is home,
Home that the feet may leave,
but not our hearts.”
― Oliver Wendell Holmes