Sneak Peak of the New Bedroom

 

 

 

Even though it's been 2 1/2 months since my family moved into our new house, not every room is finished being set-up. So, for my Birthday Party, I thought it would be helpful to get a few, creative friends together and finish one room. I chose Nye-Nye's room.

 

We are transitioning Nye-Nye from co-sleeping with me in the Master Bedroom, to co-sleeping with Daddy in her own room. Her very first favorite book was "Can You See A Little Bear?" by James Mayhew and Jackie Morris. It was a lovely present from Auntie Julie and Nia.

 

The book is set in a fantastical, magical world and is full of gorgeous illustrations. My Mother and friend, Ed, created two amazing collages from fabric, feathers and paper. When we move, we'll be able to take the collages with us, instead of painting a mural on the wall and having to leave it behind. An added bonus!

 

There are still banners to be hung, the coat-rack to be painted, the reading nook tent to be placed in the corner, a peacock feather to be placed in the red hat, a new child's chair to be brought in and a full-length mirror to be hung. But, we are almost there!

 

We re-purposed almost everything in the room, except for the peacock feather wreath I bought from Michael's for $22 and the crystal drawer knobs, I purchased for $12. I spent $18 on a bedspread, a blanket (that was turned into a pillow cover and part of the reading nook) and curtains from my local thrift store. The small child's bookcase was purchased from  a local auction for $3. My Sissy demonstrated mucho patience in painting the piece.

 

A big thanks to Taryn, Elsye and Mikaela for making the banners!

 

I am going to post photos from the book soon, so you can see what inspired this room. And, of course, many photos will be coming, once the room is entirely finished. Thanks again, for everyone's help!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We Survived My Daughter's First Auction

 

 

 

 

On Sunday, my daughter went to her first Auction. My Mama had gotten some news in the morning that a friend in his nineties had died. She started beating herself up for not having called him back recently, so I agreed to go to the "Emmitsburg Auction" and help distract her.

 

We didn't exactly start off on a great note. As soon as we pulled up to the Auction, Nye-Nye threw up. Thankfully, I had an extra pair of clothes....but no extra coat. Even after a fierce scrubbing, her coat still smelled like vomit the entire afternoon.

 

Taking a toddler to a place where there is tons of breakable things within reach was NOT the easiest thing to do. There was a huge section of matching dishes displayed inside. Needless to say, I carried her quickly through the interior space to outside where there more space to run around. She was definitely the only child under the age of 5 at the Auction. If you plan on taking a toddler to an Auction, I definitely DON'T recommend going by yourself.

 

Nye-Nye and I slowly meandered through all the aisles, eventually giving most things (especially the furniture) a once over. There was tons of junk...but I pointed out the pieces I liked to my Mama and gave her a limit on how high I wanted to go.

 

Nye-Nye and I were both cranky after an hour, so we headed to the car and let my Mama try her luck. She came back an hour and 1/2 later with lots of goodies.

 

 

The first photo is of the child's tool bench Nye-Nye decided makes an excellent perch. I think my Mama paid $3 for it.

 

 

My favorite item is the giant Persian rug bought for $25. It's in amazing shape and is going to look lovely in our new Living Room. Can you believe the size of this rug?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am also excited about the mirror side-table I found. I've been spying similar pieces on different design blogs for hundreds of dollars. How much did I pay? $18. There is a minor issue of having to replace one piece of glass. The photo was taken after my Step-father had patiently removed the cracked piece. Even with the cost of replacing the damaged mirror, it's still a steal.

 



 

 

 

 I'm probably going to cover the ottoman with a different pattern...but that project will wait until after our move and after the Holidays. If I can't clean the chair sufficiently, I going to attempt to re-upholster it. For $20, I couldn't pass it up.

 

 

 

 

 

I bought a few more items but didn't get any photos of them. All-in-all it was a very successful Adventure. Stressful for me. But....totally worth it.

 

 

Birthing....A New Sofa?????

When I spied this post on Design*Sponge, it ignited an obsession. I am now consumed by the desire.... to paint sofas.

Papa Bear and I moved into our apartment in Old Town Alexandria in August. The previous owner had left behind a grungy white sofa. Our previous sofa was not comfortable enough for my husband and this sofa, while scruffy, was at least relatively comfortable. It also has a pull-out bed, so it stayed.

I took off it's slip-cover and the gross back pillows and that helped. But it was still not enough....so we placed a thin, black duvet cover over the sofa, threw some interesting pillows on the sofa and called it a day.

Now, I think I've stumbled upon a solution. For less than $100, we can have a new leatherish-looking sofa.

We just have to decide...should we paint it black like this sofa....

Source

or this one....

Source

or should we go brown with high gloss?

Source

I am so excited about being able to re-purpose an existing piece of furniture with just some interior paint, some texile medium and some elbow grease. Our sofa is about to be reborn!!!

I Love....Goodwill

I have mentioned before my deep love of yards and thrift stores. Two weeks ago, I went looking for materials to make a few cakes stands for Lina's First Birthday. I found what I wanted and then some...

Here are two wooden candlesticks, I found for $2 each. I have two wooden plates which I'm going to glue them to and make two cake stands. Much better than the $60 cake stands I saw at Pottery Barn last week!

I got this book for $1...it seriously rocks! I had never heard of this series before but they are great, interactive restaurant companions. You can find this particular book here.

Obviously, it was a success.

This is Lina's favorite page. I think she has a thing about mice. Maybe her first stuffed animal shouldn't have been Papa Rat.

This book was also $1. I couldn't resist a book about growing up in the country, now could I?

This statement is true. True of me and true of my daughter.

Here is a funny little book I found about nursing. At first glance, I thought it was a homemade board book because the photos look so unprofessional and grainy. But, no...it's actually one of the few board books which depict a toddler nursing. The idea is sweet - the execution definitely needs some work. It cost me a $1, so I won't complain.

Lina adores carrying her toys in a basket with a handle. Can't beat the price.

Needs some polish. But, I am always on the look-out for little trays for Montessori materials.

Also needs a little bit of love.

At $1.50, I couldn't resist this sweater for Valentine's Day.

I walked away from my little Adventure very, very happy with my Luck. What was your best thrift store or yard sale find?

Yard Sales Are in My Blood...

Yard Sales are in my blood. The frantic split second decision of whether or not to pull off the road, the first glance over the goods, the casual questioning of pricing, the potential negotiation and the glorious feeling of the Find. I've always loved Yard Sales but now that I have a baby, they have taken on a whole new meaning.

Last year at this time, I did my share of yard saling but I was still weeks away from finding out the sex of my baby. So, I bought a slew of gender neutral clothes. At $1 a pop, it was okay if the baby never wore something. This year it's a lot more fun having an actual little person here when shopping.

For those in the NOVA area, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. You need to get yourself to the Catoctin Mountains the second weekend of October. That's Colorfest weekend and that Friday is your chance to yard sale until you collapse. Hundreds of yards sales offer countless chances to walk away with a smile on your face and some amazing stuff in your bag. I am convinced that as thrift stores continue rise their prices, yard sales are more and more the way to go. Yards sales are also really wonderful if you are a family creating a Montessori "prepared environment" for your child. It's easy finding small, beautiful trays, bowls, baskets, etc... all for a dollar or two (sometimes even less).

Here are some things to remember when Yard Saling (I forgot 3 out of 4 of them this go-    around...whoops)...

1. Bring those $1 bills and change (dig into that change jar)
2. Bring a few grocery bags or reusable bags
3. Don't forget your bottle of water and granola bars
4. If you can, leave your children behind (the one thing I remembered)


These are the things I bought this Colorfest that made me smile...

Snowpants- $5 (I'm determined that we are going out to the playground unless it's pouring)
Melissa and Doug wooden frog- $2
Melissa and Doug wooden stacking and sorting set- $3
Shoes- 25 cents
Preschool Cooking book from Moosewood Restaurant- 25 cents (never too early to build up your library)
Children's chair- $5

What have you bought at a Yard Sale that has made you smile?