Tuffet Whimsy

Thursday?!

2012-03-08T06:29:00.003-08:00

Y'all, I have had an unexpected redecorating project come up.

(And you know it is unexpected if I bring out the y'all from the depths of my brain.)

This is the state of my family room as of this morning:

I used to have a rug.

I used to have throw pillows.

I used to have couch cushions.

I used to have nice drapes.

Goodness, Samantha, what happened?!

Norovirus, 2012.

PS: I'm sorry for not visiting your blogs and leaving notes or responding. I'm sure you want me to keep my contaminated house to myself anyway!

Wilson Wednesday

2012-03-07T08:13:00.000-08:00

So I have been quiet around here. Wilson is under the weather so I have been furiously disinfecting bathrooms and doing laundry to try and keep it all from spreading. I'm exhausted and fell asleep at 8 pm last night to prove it!

I missed my project Tuesday update, and truthfully, it wasn't exciting anyway, but I was happy with the way these two footstools turned out that I made for my shop!

So back to Wilson Wednesday. The sickies going through my house reminds me of a terrible (but somewhat humorous now quite a few years passed) story.

This is Wilson at approximately 2 months old. He is in his bassinet which was in our family room at the time. He wasn't in there much (this baby was hardly out of my arms, I am a snuggle mom!) but when my other kids were rushing around trying to get out of the door in the morning it was helpful to have him in there.

So. One morning one of my other children (who, to protect their dignity, shall remain anonymous) decided s/he had to throw up. And s/he proceeded to run around in circles in the kitchen announcing such news. My husband and I were hurriedly trying to rush said child to the bathroom. No such luck.

Do you see where this is going?

Anonymous child finally tried to run to the bathroom. But didn't make it. S/he made it as far as the family room.

You have a sick feeling yourself about what is going to happen, don't you?

Vomit got spewed. All over the bassinet and especially over the head of poor Wilson who was laying so contentedly.

Yep, you read that right.

My poor 2 month old innocent baby was dripping in vomit from his sibling.

Yes, you are welcome. I like sharing gross stories.

Yeah, it is times like this when Wilson is sick that the memories come flooding back.

The good news is I don't think what Wilson has now is contagious through the internet.

Happy Wednesday!

Sharing at: Finding the Funny

Monday Love #3

2012-03-06T05:11:00.002-08:00

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! And yes, it is Tuesday. I'm a day behind and a dollar short!

Monday Love #3

Source: thesalvagecollection.blogspot.com via Samantha on Pinterest

I came across this image from a blog the other day and it was linked back to CountryLife.com. I tried to find the pictures somewhere on that site because I loved the pouf and wanted to see if I could find more info on it, but I couldn't find it on the site. So I was soooo excited to see Janell (Isabella & Max Rooms) describe how to find the source of an image. Hooray!!!! I decided to put her simple instructions to the test.

And sure enough - I found it easily! Turns out that image was the cover of the Country Living March 2011 issue and Victoria Pearson was the photographer. Still didn't get any info on the pouf. Darn. Don't you think it should be mandatory for mags to give a source list for every photo?!

This is definitely information I wanted to remember and pass along in case you all fall into the black hole of photo sourcing like I do! Click over to Janell's site for the full how-to.

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So this probably isn't very nice of me, but telling the truth here, I laughed really hard at this website the other night! Basically they write snarky comments about images found on Pinterest. Some are overly mean, but most of them are just the right level of snarky - the kind you don't feel bad laughing at!

Here is an example that spoke to me as a 5'4" and 36 year old female:

(Okay. I'm 39. Sue me.)

Here's another that made me giggle:

If I hadn't seen the caption, I would think this was a cute baby momento!

(I seriously hope I don't see my Ode to a Toilet Seat or anything else of mine on there for that matter. Eeek.)

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Have you ever wondered how blogs do mood boards? I have tried various programs and given up because it was too difficult. I came across Beeclip.com and it is pretty darn simple to use! I very quickly threw together a mood board for my Master Bedroom redo:

(So, yeah, the mood board itself is a hodge podge of things, but lets just focus on the ease of mood board making, okay?)

It seems Bee Clip is still in Beta mode and it did freeze once and act quirky with some functions, but I will definitely use it again! Mood boards for everything! ;)

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So Happy Monday on a Tuesday to everyone! It's always great to skip Monday anyway, isn't it?!

What do I want to be? Hmmm.....

2012-03-01T19:28:00.001-08:00

I'm sure you are all well aware that the lovely ladies of Eclectically Vintage, It All Started with Paint, Thistlewood Farm and of course The Space Between are throwing a blog party today all about our hopes and dreams in the bloggy world.

I *just* started this blog in January, so this sentiment sums up a lot about what I feel right now:

Source: i.imgur.com via Dawn on Pinterest

I have a lot of work ahead of me in both this blog and my tuffet business. And I like to do things well and it can be a struggle for me not to get something right the first time. I have to remember that it takes time to do things well and to do things right.

Source: sweetbeebuzzings.blogspot.com via Amy on Pinterest

So here are my five blog items I want to accomplish:

1) I want to use this blog primarily as a source of motivation for myself. I have great ideas (hopefully!) floating around in my head that are half planned out. I want to stop half planning and start actually doing them. By creating my blog organization list the other week, it has already helped me work on this goal!

Source: geekytechnews.com via Jonna on Pinterest

2) I want to have my blog and my storefront all in one spot. I tried when I first set this up and it just became too impossibly complicated to get my blog to be a second page to the storefront that I gave up and just went with two separate sites. I just didn't realize how to do it then, but I am ready to try again!

Source: imgfave.com via Sarah on Pinterest

3) I want to keep blogging something I like and look forward to doing. I'm not interested in blogging becoming another chore - I have plenty of those already! So if I don't post, it is because I don't feel like it. No excuses needed.

Source: etsy.com via Karis on Pinterest

4) Of course I want people to read my blog, who doesn't? But I'm not going to work to death to try and grow my blog exponentially because in real life, that is not who I am. I am not the person with lots of friends all over the place - I have a small group of true friends who support me and I support them. I like that.

Source: theinspiredapple.blogspot.com via Mardel on Pinterest

5) The most important thing I have to remember with this blog, my tuffeting (ha, it is now officially a verb!) and my life, is that happiness has to be #1. If happiness isn't happening in my house, then something has to change. Life is too short to be unhappy, but sometimes life is trying and there isn't anything you can do about it. So you have to change your mindset. Make lemonade with lemons.

Source: weheartit.com via Lauren on Pinterest

Hence, my blog name Tuffet Whimsy. I want to stay on the playful side of life. I want to express my quirky sense of humor. I want my kids to remember the way I laugh at myself. Because, let's face it, a whimsical life = a fun life!

So, if I am changing a toilet seat and you get an Ode, just remember this post and blame it on the whimsy!

Organization Thursday: Bathroom

2012-03-01T03:56:00.000-08:00

I am joining in with The Uncluttered Lifestyle's first organization linky party today!

I was cleaning my bathroom cabinets the other day and putting down new drawer liner so I thought I would share how I organize my bathroom. Now, I am *not* an organized person by nature - I have to work at it to keep organized, but the bathroom has worked for me for awhile and has been pretty easy to maintain.

My bathroom is not large or fancy, but it has plenty of storage space for my husband and myself.

My medicine holds my items I need every day. High up are the things I don't want Wilson to reach! My husband has a medicine cabinet on his side, too.

Now, I am not very girly. All of my makeup (which I rarely wear) fits into this bag. Its looking a little grotty - I definitely need a new one!

I keep an extra of Wilson's and Lily's toothbrushes in here as well as the hall bathroom so I can always corner them to make sure their teeth are brushed well!

I'm thinking I need to go stock up on supplies, don't you?! Target here I come!

I would show you my husband's side of things (it is neat and organized too!) but I don't think he would appreciate pictures of his stuff for public consumption!

I took the time today to replace the worn out bumpers on my cabinets. If your drawers are banging, it is such a quick and cheap fix!

I know this has been the most scintillating post you have ever read, so I will leave you with a little ode I wrote in my head today as I installed a new toilet seat!

Ode to A New Toilet Seat

Oh new toilet seat,

How do I love you?
Let me count the ways!

I love you to the depth and breadth my bottom can reach.

I love your shiny clean whiteness,

Your non slam lid is music to my ears!
Your box promised a Sta-Tite fit...
And I pray your word is true.

Your brushed nickel hinges,
your bright glossy sheen,
your molded wood cover,
All make my heart beat faster at the sight!

Please, beloved toilet seat,
can you fulfill my heart's last desire?
I ask so little, really, so can you...
Learn how to clean yourself?!

Wilson Wednesday

2012-02-29T03:26:00.000-08:00

This little boy looks *so sweet* doesn't he?

Just *adorable*!

So *innocent*!

Innocent? Yeah, right!

Just imagine:

It is 4 am Tuesday morning. Everyone is fast asleep. Still very dark outside and in the house.

Tap, Tap, Tap...

You are startled awake by a noise

Tap, Tap, Tap...

And you realize in horror that the tapping is coming from underneath your bed!

Tap, Tap, Tap...

Your heart is about to pound right out of your chest!

And then you hear a little giggle.

Yep, Wilson is not quite as innocent as he looks!

Master Bedroom Update

2012-02-28T07:33:00.001-08:00

So one of my goals for this year is to whip the Master Bedroom into less embarrassing shape. Seems as it is almost March, I figured I should do *something* to get started.

And so I decided to rearrange the furniture. I know, I know, it is really just a way of putting off making any *real* decisions for this space yet again ;-)

The Before Layout:

Remember that you couldn't see the TV from the bed? And that the TV was the first thing you saw as you walked in? Just awful.

I moved the bed onto the wall between the two windows and moved the armoire over to the longer wall.

Now the TV sits on top of the dresser that is in the nook by the door. If I decide to leave it here, I will mount it to the wall and create a gallery wall to further distract from the TV. But look! I watched TV in bed last night without a pole blocking the view. It made House Hunters so much better ;-)

(Did anyone watch the episode last night in Wilmington and notice the stuffed swan in the middle of the dining room table of the first house?! Your house is going to be on National TV and you leave a stuffed swan on the table. BIZZARE!!!)

The mirror will not stay here - I just propped it here out of Wilson's way. I could imagine a nice comfy chair in that corner. I did paint the blue chair there - just have to repair the seat! And notice the cable cord? Sigh. I will have to run it through the attic seems as the outlet is on the other side of the room. *Why* do they not have wireless TV cable yet? Or maybe they do.... must research that!! (wireless cable - is that an oxymoron?)

I took out the two pine nightstands - the ones I put here will not stay. Doing that makes a difference so things are not so overwhelmingly piney matchy! Obviously lamps (and most everything else in this room) need to be changed. And look how well I made the bed today! Sorry, mom!

I have made two purchases for this room - a brand spanking new duvet insert so we don't have to use the teddy bear comforter anymore (!) and the lumbar pillow that I got on clearance from Pottery Barn. Hubby approves.

The two things my husband said that surprised me when I told him I was going to make major changes to this room were 1) can we get rid of the rug (okay! twist my arm!) and 2) can we get a different bed?

Well, I don't mind the bed, but considering Fireman Wilson is always sliding down the bedpost despite having a real pole downstairs, it might be for the best!

So a small layout change - at least I have done *something* to the room!!

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Monday Love #2

2012-02-26T17:38:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday!

So last week got away from me. What was keeping me so busy? Well accepting awards of course! Thank you Karah from The Space Between for honoring me with the Liebster Award!

Besides that, the weather here was beautiful and Wilson and I spent a good chunk of time outside. Inside, I was very frustrated by ruffles. After the third time of trying to get the ruffles sewn onto my fabric without puckering, I gave up and decided to start on a new project - a Union Jack Footstool. I am really happy with the way this one turned out!

Monday Love

So last week I came across a link on Pinterest on how to clean your bathroom like a pro! It was on the blog One Good Thing and a retired home cleaner shared a step by step tutorial. But it was really in the comments where I gleaned the best information! So now hopefully when I clean the bathrooms tomorrow, I'll do them a little bit better? Maybe?!

One Good Thing Blog: How to Clean Your Bathroom Like a Pro

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At the grocery store, I came across these seasonings packets that are such a good idea!

No more buying tons of little containers for one recipe that go stale before the next time you need it anyway! The recipe is also included on the back - how convenient! Several different varieties were in my store. Of course, I haven't actually tried any yet, because that involves cooking, but I have high hopes!

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And I leave you today with this funny quote my daughter texted me while I was sitting here writing up this post for the second time after it didn't save the first time (grrrr)

Have a good day, everyone!

Craft Room Update & Homemade Chalk Paint Review

2012-02-21T09:43:00.000-08:00

So last time we left off in my craft space, I had hung the fabric rack and loaded it down with some of my fabric. Over the weekend, I decided to maximize more wall space with the ubiquitous pegboard.

I painted it the same tangerine color as the fabric rack and finished it off with some left over trim.

It is located on the wall to the left as you look into the space. I like the punch of color through the door!

On the far end of the room, I hung simple shelves to hold some of my foam and tuffet feet.

I buy my foam in bulk for the cheapest price for high density furniture grade foam (that stuff is expensive!) so I store the rest of it in a nearby closet.

My ironing board, which is in desperate need of a new cover, tucks nicely in the corner.

Homemade Chalk Paint Review

The shelves were painted in a homemade chalk paint concoction using the advice from Sherry@No Minimalist Here. I had some plaster of paris, so I used 1 part of that to 2 parts latex paint (Behr Light French Gray.)

The homemade chalk paint was more gritty. The surface had visible bumps in it (it was hard to mix the plaster of paris well enough to get fully dissolved. I did add a small amount of water to it to thin the concoction. It went on the shelves (unprimed MDF!) in one coat though. It dried fast and the finish was less chalky than the Annie Sloan stuff. I suppose if I had used the calcium carbonate it would be chalkier. It dried so hard that I didn't bother waxing it. Something I would never have done with the Annie Sloan stuff - that has to be waxed otherwise a fine dust will appear if it gets scratched! I like to sand the Annie Sloan chalk paint a little though before waxing - it can get pretty smooth to the touch. The homemade chalk paint didn't sand easily and I gave up considering where the shelves were going anyway!

My conclusion is that I will definitely make homemade chalk paint again. It is much cheaper and easy to make small batches using leftover latex in just the color you want. However, I will definitely use the real Annie Sloan chalk paint on pieces that need to have a smoother finish.

Now I have the functional aspects of the room mostly taken care of, I can work on making it a pleasant place to be! Right now, the walls above the desk area are devoid of any decoration!

Sharing with:

Power of Paint @ Domestically Speaking

Monday Love #1

2012-02-20T06:08:00.000-08:00

Monday Love #1

Time for my first Monday roundup of things I have come across that I love, would like to do, or just simply want to document.

First up, I am working on hanging up some pegboard in my craft space and wanted to find out the easiest way to hang it. My search brought me across this:

Source: blog.craftzine.com via AmberMamberBoBamber on Pinterest

Cross stitch on pegboard?! Who thinks of stuff like this? Not something I think I would ever do, but unique for sure!

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Next up I read a really interesting article last week on how our favorite store, Target, mines data from us and can accurately predict if a woman is pregnant and when her due date is!

Forbes: How Target Figured out a Teen Girl was Pregnant Before Her Father Did

In the Forbe's article, a dad gets mad at Target for sending his teen daughter coupons for baby supplies... uh oh! Really good article.

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Have you ever used the Chip It tool from Sherwin Williams? I love it! You simply put the URL of a print or picture you like and it identifies the color pallet for you!

Maybe I will actually get some motivation to get started on the Master Bedroom with this tool?!

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Kids are off school today, so I am busy keeping them entertained! Have a great Monday!

Fabric Hanging Rack

2012-02-17T10:43:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday!

I made this rack to hang some of my fabric from for inspiration.

It was very simple construction. Three pieces of poplar scant, six 1/2" dowels, and eighteen 7/8" cup hooks screwed in. I used a tangerine color spray paint to add some whimsy and cheerfulness to my windowless space!

The hooks are just the right size to prevent the dowels from spinning.

Adding the middle piece of poplar helps support the dowels to prevent them from sagging.

I am loving the colorful addition to my craft space! Now I can move the fabrics around to see what I want to coordinate with each other and inspire me to come up with some new tuffets!

I have struggled with how to store my fabric. The rack will definitely not hold all of it so I am still looking for more ideas. How do you store your fabric?

Have a wonderful weekend!

Sharing with:

Feature Yourself Friday @ Fingerprints on the Fridge
Remodelaholic's Anonymous
Pity Party @ Thirty Handmade Days
Feature Friday @ Five Days Five Ways
Frugal Friday @ Shabby Nest
Weekend Wrap Up Party @ Tatertots and Jello
Show & Tell Link Up @ The Delectable Home
Met Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Beneath My Heart February Party

Organization

2012-02-16T09:59:00.000-08:00

Fun Dip Valentine Gone Wrong

This picture will make more sense as you read on!

Are you a naturally organized person? I am not. I really like to be organized, but it certainly takes continued effort on my behalf to stay that way.

I work better when I am organized. I am sure most people do!

I am working hard on getting my craft space organized so it will work for me.

In the meantime, I have been thinking about how to make this blog organized so it will also work. And a day to day category of postings will work best for me by keeping me organized.

I am always coming across really neat ideas or products I love or think are really cool or ideas of things I would love to do. I thought on Monday's I would like to post a list of some of those things. Some are pretty, some are useful, some are just things I think are cool. And usually on Monday I am busy, busy, busy and my mind is bustling with ideas. Monday will be a way to document these things.

Monday Love

On Tuesdays, I am usually in full project mode after my Monday house cleanup. Depending on what I am working on, Tuesday's post might have just an update, a tutorial, or general complaining over how something isn't working!

Project Update Tuesday

Every day, Wilson is making me laugh or cry, or laugh and cry depending on the situation, so I thought I would like to document some of those here. The picture above is an example! Feel free to laugh or cry along with me!

Wilson Wednesday

As I have to work hard to keep organized, I thought Thursday's would be a good place to share some of my organization tactics.

Organization Thursday

And Fridays? Just like Friday Dinner, we never have a set plan!

Anything Goes Friday

New Craft Space (The Before)

2012-02-14T11:50:00.000-08:00

So the last time I updated you on my work space, I had cleaned out my dining room and it was looking spiffy, well, except for this:

And I had cleaned out the former homework space:

I decided to make a wise decision and use the space for a week or so before I decided to really start organizing and prettifying the space. After getting out a few custom orders this week and shifting things around a few times, this is how the space is forming up:

Not very inspiring at the moment, but I have made progress in that I know how the space will work best for me.

The desk area to the left is going to be my fabric cutting and assembly area. I will be placing some sort of hooks against the wall to hold my various cutting guides.

Some of the supplies in the bookcase will be moved to drawers and the cabinets underneath. I also plan on replacing or making over the various miscellaneous containers. Oh Capri Sun cardboard box, you have served me well!

My sewing machine will stay on the right and I need to come up with a better way of storing my bobbins and thread as well as the various sewing machine feet. Speaking of which, I got a ruffler foot attachment and I have been having lots of fun playing around with it!

My fabric stash is overflowing. I am working on a DIY project to help with that, but as of the moment, it appears to be a major FAIL! Hopefully I can turn that around, but if not, it hasn't cost me anything but my time and dignity! Here is a glimpse of what I am working with:

If it doesn't work, lets pretend I never showed you that, okay?!

This old storage piece is falling apart which is a shame as it is perfect for holding various feet.

So that is a snapshot of the very much work in progress craft room. Now I have the functional areas of the space ready in my mind, I hope to get it looking good soon!

However, the best part of my new little craft room is that now I can close the door and leave the inevitable mess behind!

Delectable Home and Daisy Eyes

2012-02-13T11:45:00.000-08:00

So not only did I get the Apartment Therapy surprise this weekend, I also received an adorable embroidered wall hanging from the Etsy store Daisy Eyes Handmade!

It looks just *perfect* in Wilson's room and sums up exactly what I feel about the little guy!

The Daisy Eyes shop features hand embroidered creations by Aimee and I am especially digging her little lockets, and they are not expensive at all!

And the icing on the top of this surprise is that I won my wall hanging through The Delectable Home's Show & Tell Monday party!

I'm assuming you know Tisha of The Delectable Home, but if not you should definitely add her to your feed reader! Her blog tag line is, "Living in a graceful home with a grateful heart." How perfect is that? She always has great posts.

Thanks again Tisha and Aimee!

Apartment Therapy?!

2012-02-12T06:52:00.000-08:00

Um, the title of this post says it all. Seriously?!

Check it out here!

Featured!

2012-02-09T10:40:00.000-08:00

One cool update, one small update, and a funny for you today:

First the cool, Wilson's Fire Station is going to be featured on the Power of Paint blog today! That is the spin off blog from Domestically Speaking's huge Power of Paint linky party every week. Super cool!

Next, the small update: I took down the entry way light and realized that I had put some screws in the wrong spot and that is why it wouldn't sit flush with the ceiling. So voila, ceiling medallion nixed, thank goodness.

And because I liked it so much (it looks very pretty lit up at night), I decided to add the flush mount version in the nearby hallway.

Now I only have *one* more of those dreaded ugly octagon lights left downstairs. Unfortunately, the lighting budget is at zero right now to change that one too!

Good bye! So long! Won't miss you!

Now the funny. The point of this blog is to help me remember the whimsical- the funny- side of life. After a really rough 2011, I need 2012 to be really light hearted!

Meet my dear oldest son, Elliot. He is awesome. Every single one of you would love this ~~kid~~ young adult!

Crappy Iphone photo, sorry!

I received his report card via email last night and I haven't stopped laughing since. One of his classes is drama (which is really a social skills class.) It isn't Elliot's favorite, but he will always put forth effort because that is just who he is.

This is just a snippet of what the teacher wrote in the comments,

At the beginning of the year, many of Elliot's scenes revolved around the theme of being an evil mastermind trying to take over the world. Currently, Elliot is able to expand his creativity to develop scenes that adhere to the initial instructions and do not revolve solely around world domination.

Can't. Stop. Laughing. *Do not revolve solely around world domination!*

That teacher must have some whimsical sensibilities to actually write that on a report card!

2012-02-08T10:43:00.000-08:00

Joining in the Linky Party Blog Hop started by Cheri at It's So Very Cheri! I like that the new Linky Follower tool works on every platform and won't be discontinued in the future! As a new blogger, I had not even set up GFC and am starting from scratch with Linky Follower instead.

Here are the rules for the blog hop (borrowed graciously from Maryann@DomesticallySpeaking):

RULES:

1. YOU MUST HAVE THE LINKY FOLLOWERS TOOL ON YOUR SITE TO PARTICIPATE.

{You can have both the LINKY FOLLOWERS & GFC on your site but you must have the LINKY FOLLOWERS to participate in this party hop.}

2. YOU MUST FOLLOW THE PERSON WHO HAS THE PARTY ON THEIR SITE AS A THANK YOU.

3. JUST ADD YOUR BLOG BUTTON TO THE LINKY PARTY BELOW.

4.THEN GRAB THE BLOG HOP CODE

You will find the code right under the Linky Party where it says CLICK HERE TO ENTER–

just under that it says: WHAT IS A BLOG HOP? GET THE CODE HERE

Click on GET THE CODE HERE and enter it into a post on your site.

You can grab the party button code in the FOOTER at Its So Very Cheri

You can grab info from my post if it helps you with your post.

5. THEN YOU FOLLOW OTHER BLOGGERS–(AS MANY AS YOU WANT)
–LEAVE EACH ONE OF THE BLOGS THAT YOU FOLLOW A COMMENT LETTING THEM KNOW YOU ARE FOLLOWING THEM AND ASK THEM TO FOLLOW YOU BACK.

If you want to add the BLOG HOP to your own site you will get lots of new followers–(see rule #2)

…SO DO YA WANT TO GO CRUISIN’?

I PLAN ON HOPPING FROM BLOG TO BLOG TO FOLLOW EVERYONE WHO FOLLOWS ME.

So… what about you? Want to join too?

Lighting Update

2012-02-07T12:28:00.000-08:00

Just yesterday I was complaining about the light above my front door. And today I was walking through the lighting department at Home Depot. Coincidence? I think not!

I found this pretty semi-flush mount light that I thought might look pretty in that spot:

Estelle Semi Flush Light from Home Depot

So I bought it, drove home, and promptly got out the ladder to install it. That darn ugly builder grade light was going to be Out.Of.Here.

But you know how sometimes things just are not meant to be that easy? Well, I could not get the light to sit flush with the ceiling. There was a noticeable gap. I remembered I had a ceiling medallion and used that to cover up the gap and it worked perfectly.

Pretty, right?

And I think it looks good with the dining room light - not matching, but not competing either.

And yes, yesterday my dining room table was clear and today, it is full of tuffeting projects! Sigh.

But to tell the whole truth? I don't like the ceiling medallion. It is too small, too white, too not my style.

So I guess tomorrow I will be taking the whole thing down and trying something else to make it work. Just not sure what yet!

Either way, it is a better look than this:

Take Back the Dining Room (Part 3)

2012-02-06T15:56:00.000-08:00

Did you happen to hear that whoop of joy over the weekend? No? Well let me show you instead.

Remember this?

My dining room now looks like this again:

Gone are all the tools, the supplies, the necessary mess of my tuffet making.

It is so much more peaceful now. More in control. More clean!

You can actually see the molding I put up!

Unfortunately, the reorganization revealed a few things I desperately need to take care of.

My poor Pottery Barn silk drapes are coming to the end of their life span. I have had them 9 years, but they were quite an investment considering I have 8 panels. They are 50" wide, so I may try cutting them down a little in width.

And of course, the table is soft orangy pine. I would have painted it years ago, but I can't decide if I should go white or black. Thoughts? Obviously I would prefer to just list it on Craigslist and start over, but I can't quite justify that expense right now!

And then there is the issue of the light. I redid the dining room light, but the light by the front door is so close and so very basic builder grade ugly. I need to fix it, pronto!

But the biggest heartbreaking problem is this:

Mom, if you are reading, this is the time to decide to STOP reading and go and have a cup of tea! If you decide not to heed my warning, don't call me, I know. It's bad. But it could have been so much worse!

Can you identify the shape burned into my hardwood floors?!

You know when sometimes you feel like maybe the worst parent on the planet and at the same time you also feel like the luckiest because your kid came out unscathed? That's the story of the iron burn.

I was sewing late one night and had the iron and ironing board out. Now, I never iron during the day, so I realized afterwards, Wilson probably had no idea what an iron was or what it did.

I decided to head up to bed, and instead of putting the still hot iron away, I decided to just leave it to cool in the middle of my dining room table. I was being lazy, pure and simple.

The next morning, we were rushing around getting kids off to school and my husband said, what's burning? We looked at the stove - turned off. We looked at the fireplace - turned off. It hit me suddenly and I yelled, "The iron!"

We found it face down sizzling on the hardwoods. And so close to those silk drapes too.

As much as I was upset about the floor, I was, of course, so much much more thankful that dear sweet Wilson wasn't hurt.

We pieced together afterwards that Wilson, wondering what the heck was the thing on the dining room table, pulled it down, plugged it in, turned the dial, and then (thankfully) thinking it wasn't doing anything, left it on the floor. It could have been so so much worse than just a burn in the floor.

I couldn't help but give Wilson extra hugs that day and lots of kisses on his perfect hands, fingers, toes and face.

So even though the mark is burned heavily on the floor and in my heart, it feels so good to walk down the stairs every morning and see this:

Take Back the Dining Room (Part 2)

2012-02-03T07:07:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I showed you my dining room turned craft room and shared how much I want it to go back to just being a dining room. So where is all of the stuff going to go?

Welcome to our basement homework space! In Sept. of 2010, it looked like this:

Cute, right? It worked well for the school year for my son. He was in 8th grade at the time and my daughter in 3rd. But now my son attends a private school and get this - he is not overwhelmed by papers and books and homework anymore! So much so that he doesn't need a space for all of his stuff. He has no need for a dedicated homework space. (I can't even tell you what a difference that has made in our lives!!)

And my daughter has a learning diasbility, so she really needs to have me around when she does her homework and this space was too closed off for her so she never really used it as much as I would have liked.

So since the beginning of this school year, this room has hardly been used. Such wasted space! And I am not one to waste space - one thing I love about our home is that I can make every square foot useable!

Yesterday I spent the day cleaning most everything out in preparation for moving all of my craft items down there.

And now the space looks like this:

It is not a wide space at all - so it is going to be a challenge to get all of my stuff in here!

But I love challenges.

Hopefully by Monday I will have some in progress shots! Have a great weekend!

Take Back the Dining Room, Part 1

2012-02-02T14:11:00.000-08:00

So I left you yesterday with a glimpse of chaos. This is the view of my dining room when you step in the front door:

Now anyone who comes to visit knows I use it as my crafting area and I'm not trying to impress anyone with the grandness of my house. (My house is very very not grand. Cute, but not grand. And I like it that way!)

But I don't like clutter. Yep, having lived for 9 1/2 years with zero pictures on the walls in my bedroom that should be obvious!

So seeing this everyday kind of gives me hives.

I'm certainly not a clean freak, but I generally like things to be organized and orderly.

So my dining room has just been taken over by supplies for my fledgling little business.

Supplies are EVERYWHERE. (See that cute little apron hanging on the back of my chair? I found it on an adorable Etsy store named SassMyFrass and I love it!)

Every corner is getting filled with partially finished projects and items I need to make my tuffets.

I made this light a year or so ago out of the old plastic fake brass builder chandy. It looks much better, but doesn't give enough light for my work space.

So I end up dragging this little lamp over to help illuminate my space - but then I have yet another cord on the floor for me to trip over!

Our house is very open plan, so directly opposite is the living room, which I at least manage to keep tidy:

Why yes, floral IS my middle name!

That dresser holds a ton of my smaller supplies, all nicely organized in various containers I have saved.

So my goal is to move ALL of this downstairs to a much much smaller space. Gulp.

I'll be back tomorrow to show you the space all of this is moving to!

Because, seriously?

I can't take the mess anymore!

Master Bedroom (Update 1)

2012-02-01T07:58:00.000-08:00

I am so excited and thrilled about all of the wonderful comments about Wilson's Fire Station Playhouse! As a brand new blogger, it is utterly amazing to see positive comments about a fun project my son and I did together!

But now I have to decide what my next project will be.

A few weeks ago, I shared that one of my 2012 goals was to redo my Master Bedroom. And I shared a post on exactly why it needed it so badly.

A very kind friend told me she thought my bedroom wasn't as bad as I thought. Um, yes, a very kind friend!

But then I realized I maybe hadn't shown ALL of the ugly truth about the room. This is what the room looked like this morning:

Do you see the difference? Come closer:

There is a teddy bear comforter, yes, a teddy bear (!!!) comforter, on my bed.

This blog is all about adding a little bit of WHIMSY to my life again, but I don't think a teddy bear comforter is really going to do it. It's not whimsical - just embarrassing!

I used to have a lovely warm down filled duvet. But I decided to give it to my oldest son as his room seems to get colder than ours. (Don't we always put our kids first?)

I thought, oh I will just buy myself a new one. But as I looked at them in the store, I just kept telling myself, we don't really need one that badly, they are kind of pricey, it isn't that cold, and I hate to spend the money on a really good one when we need groceries this week!

But don't you know, at about 10 pm every night, I want to snuggle into bed and it always feels *just* a little cold.

So I started dragging out this old teddy bear comforter. Every night. Since about October.

So, dear kind friend, my master bedroom really IS that bad!!

In an effort to redeem myself from any readers that might be shocked at this after seeing my cute little fire station, I would like to share a Valentines Day gift idea!

See that pillow on the bed with the writing on it? I made that for my hubby for Christmas. I printed out on fabric the words to a song that he plays on his guitar and sings to Wilson every night before bed. It is affectionately called the "night night" song in our house!

California Stars

A very simple little pillow - I could imagine putting the words to a wedding song on a pillow and being a *perfect* sentimental gift!

So back to what my next project should be. It really SHOULD be the master bedroom, yes?

But I am a rebel. If I have lived with teddy bears for this long, I can hold out a little longer.

Especially when THIS is staring me in the face:

I'll be back tomorrow hopefully to explain this chaos and how I am going to hopefully get it put back together as just a dining room!

Firestation Project Complete!

2012-01-30T12:03:00.000-08:00

Wow. It has been a busy week working on my "Imagine the Impossibilities Challenge." I challenged myself to create a firestation under the stairs in the basement WITH my 3 year old, Wilson. Want to see the results of our fun?

We found this bunk bed ladder in an ~~old junk~~ antique store. It was the perfect size to allow Wilson to climb up just high enough to slide down the pole fireman style! (And don't worry, the ladder is bolted into studs for safety!)

Wilson helped paint all of it, he helped caulk the baseboards and the board and batten, and he helped install the carpet squares we got for a steal at the Habitat Restore!

I ordered this firebell online - and it is loud and perfect for his firestation!

I boxed in the pipes and painted it yellow.

The diode light strips can change colors (which make photographing this small space even harder!)

Old rotary phones might just be the best toy ever for a 3 year old.

Once we got to this point I thought we were done.

Then Wilson said, "Where is the kitchen going to go?"

And so we built a kitchen. Big dreams this boy, big dreams.

Can you tell what we built it out of?

An old Ikea Billy Bookcase turned on its side. It was narrow enough to be the perfect fit.

The refrigerator with a basket of veggies.

A drying rack underneath the skirted sink.

Yes, I chopped up Santa so this rack could be used as the inside of the oven.

Tucked on the other side of the refrigerator, is a little foam chair that I plan on covering in the fabric you see here. Perfect little reading nook. If I had any energy left, I would build a little book ledge and mount a light here. Maybe next week!

Want to see the little guy in action?

Sound the alarm!!

Up he goes...

And down again!

Fire is out - time for a snack for the fireman.

Considering we started with THIS:

And ended with THIS:

I think BOTH Wilson and I deserve a good afternoon nap, don't you agree?!

Linking to:

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Show and Tell Monday @ The Delectable Home

Show me What Ya Got @ Not Just a Housewife

Best DIY projects of January @ Beneath My Heart

Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style

Winter Blues Party @ DIY by Design

Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Creek Cottage

Crazy Cute Thursdays @ Between U & Me

One Project Closer

Weekend Wrap up Party @ Tatertots and Jello

Fridays at Remodelaholic

February Before and After Party @Thrifty Decor Chick

Small Space Linkup@The Inspired Room

Firestation Playhouse (Part 1)

2012-01-20T15:44:00.000-08:00

Meet Wilson.

Isn't he the cutest? And just like many 3 year old boys, he loves firetrucks, fire stations, and firemen.

Wilson loves to play in the closet under the stairs in our basement. This closet used to be my daughter's clubhouse when she was younger. She would spend hours under there with her friends. A few years ago, I agreed she could paint it.

She did the painting all by herself so I take no responsibility for the really bad paint job! It was pretty cool actually, she lined the back with bookcases and she rigged up a lamp as well as one of those old portable dvd players and sometimes I would find four girls crammed in there watching a movie!

But as I was playing firemen with Wilson the other day I noticed something. That pole. What a PERFECT fireman's pole! Wilson is a little monkey already and climbs on top of that bookcase, jumps to the pole, and slides down it now.

I decided that we should do a little project together, just the two of us, and turn Lily's abandoned clubhouse into Wilson's Fire Station.

So yesterday morning, I gave him a brand new roller, a gallon of paint (no voc!) and actual permission to paint the walls!

(please excuse the terrible iphone pictures, I didn't want to have my good camera anywhere in the vicinity!)

Happiest 3 year old EVER! We worked hard, Wilson and I. He painted the first coat of white on all of the walls. I painted everything above his reach.

This morning while he was at preschool, I cut baseboards and installed them as well as some very simple board and batten to help give it an old timey firestation look. This afternoon, Wilson helped caulk it and fill nail holes. And here we are as of 5pm Friday:

Still a long way to go, but I am pretty impressed with my little 3 year old! He has had such an awesome two days!

Still on the to do list:

Box in the pipes on the back wall.
Install a very simple (cheap!) peel and stick tile.
Attach a ladder to the wall so he can climb up and slide down the pole. Yep, you read that right.
Sew some pouffes in a fireman fabric for him to sit on.
Install some shelves for books.
Figure out the lighting situation.
Install a fire bell ( I ordered a brass bell for $24.99 - I hope it looks good and isn't TOO noisy!)
Print out a map of our town and frame. Gotta know how to get to the fire!
Install an old telephone.
Make a Fire Station sign.
Install hooks for the hats, coats, and big black boots!

I'm not sure who is having more fun - Wilson or I - and is definitely adding a little more whimsy to our life! I'll update with the progress sometime next week.

Have a great weekend!

Pottery Barn Design Tool

2012-01-19T09:43:00.000-08:00

I received the Pottery Barn Bed and Bath catalogue in the mail the other day and I really liked one of the new duvets and thought I could use it in the Master Bedroom. So I went onto their website and low and behold, they have a really cool "Design Your Own Bed" tool!

Pottery Barn

You can change the duvet, quilt, sheets, shams, and even the wall color!

I thought this set up would pass the husband test. I would get sick of stripes pretty fast though.

This is my favorite! This is the new duvet I liked (called the Ravenna in blue). Wall color is Stoneington Gray by Benjamin Moore. I think I'll get a test pot of it.

And when I click on that handy dandy "Buy Now" button, it only comes out to $525 for everything! Gulp.

I wonder if Target has a "Design Your Own Bed" tool?!

Meet My Mom

2012-01-18T11:22:00.000-08:00

Meet my Mom.

Oh what, you can't see her pretty face?

That's because she called me the other day horrified that I would show my terrible bedroom to the entire world.

(She might have a point there.)

To save her further embarrassment, I thought she would appreciate not having her face included on this blog ever.

She followed up the statement about the state of my bedroom with this doozy:

She asked WHAT YEAR I WAS BORN.

My own mother had forgotten the year I was born.

Just to be clear, she was there. She was definitely a major part of the occasion.

And this was no senior moment - my mom is not by any means what someone would describe as a "senior" and I'm definitely blessed that my mom is just as snappy as she always has been.

When I laughed and said I couldn't believe she didn't remember the date of the birth of her only daughter, she laughed and said,

"Well, we have had many important dates happen since then!"

Huh. I guess I can't argue with that!

Love you, Mom!

Armoire Organization

2012-01-17T08:45:00.000-08:00

I have this old TV armoire (like most of America, I'm sure!) that no longer houses the big old fashioned TV.

I really like it (I got it from the now defunct Home Depot Expo Center 9+ years ago.) Once we upgraded to a flat screen, we moved the armoire over to this niche in our family room. I like it just fine here and when the doors are closed, it just blends in with the room.

Unfortunately...dun, dun, dun...

The inside was a disaster!

I'm a piler can you tell?! What gets thrown in here are random papers I need to keep, bills to get filed in our downstairs office, pens, pencils, magazines. etc.

Just a few of Wilson's toys and books end up in the bottom. I generally try to keep the toys in the downstairs rec room, but obviously some end up here.

So I decided to stop fearing the open doors and do something about it.

Much better, don't you think?

I started by painting the back panel, shelf, and door insets with Paris Gray chalk paint to coordinate with the blue accents in the rest of the family room.

Then I added a shelf and stole some in/out trays from the downstairs office. One holds incoming bills and papers and the other is for papers to go downstairs for filing. I also put the pens and pencils up here - away from the destructive hands of the Wilsonator, our 3 yr old who has a penchant for writing on the walls.

Also from our downstairs office, this box holds the pencil sharpener, stapler, and various other supplies. I tucked the power strip behind it too to help minimize looking at all of those darn cords. And yes, I am strange - I keep the one and only phone we have in our whole house in this cabinet, behind closed doors!

I didn't do much with Wilson's toys - just corralled some of the smaller pieces into a basket and put the books where they belong (we have a small ottoman with hidden storage in the family room for his books)

Then I used velcro strips to hang some old clipboards I had. The top ones that Wilson can't reach will hold school papers that I need and I also plan to hang his pre-school art on them.

Finished it off by adding a small buffet light I had on hand and some family pictures.

Now I don't have to cringe if someone leaves the doors open!

At some point, I will have to tackle everything that's on top of this cabinet, but that can wait for another day!

Sharing with:

Thrifty Decor Chick's Show off your Room party

2012 Word of the Year

2012-01-16T06:51:00.000-08:00

I think it is pretty obvious that whimsy needs to be MY word. Not only because of the Tuffets!

2011 was a year full of emotional lows and tough times. Nothing fanciful about it.

2012 will be full of playfulness, laughter, and fun!

What word sums that up better than whimsy?

http://theletteredcottage.net/word-of-the-year-link-party-2012/

Home Goal: Master Bedroom

2012-01-14T09:17:00.000-08:00

The Master Bedroom.

It's boring. I mean really really boring. And considering we have lived here for 9 1/2 years, it is really inexcusable.

These are completely unstaged photos.

(That was a joke. As if anyone would stage a room to be like this!)

On first glance, maybe it just looks mundane and boring.

But look closer: don't you love the crazy curtain rod in the above picture? Thank the monkey 3 yr old for that addition.

Husbter has started making the bed for us in the morning! Hence, the crooked pillows ;-) It is certainly *good enough* for me though!

Don't you love how the bed side lights are the same color as the basic builder beige walls?

But what's this?! The walls are not so basic after all! Notice where the monkey added his own special decoration:

Don't you love the broken chair seat? How about the tangle of cords in the corner?

The other side of the room has a dresser and mirror in the same matching boring pine. (Oh, and that light? Has sat there for years and it has never even been plugged in!)

Now, here is the view from the bed. What do you notice?

Yes, the wonderful four poster blocks the view of the TV unless you lay with your head just right.

Down the hallway leading to the master bath - just another large expanse of empty walls! The linen closet is the door on the right, the master closet is on the left. Don't miss that stunning light fixture (snicker!)

And while I'm showing off my embarrassingly bad bedroom, I might as well show you the inside of the linen closet. Not *too* bad, but usually it is neater.

And here is just a peak into the master closet. (I don't want to overdose you on boring by showing the whole thing!)

So now I have shown off the worst room in our house to the entire internet, but it does have some good features:

The wood floors. Best investment ever!
The pottery barn rug. I like the size of it underneath the bed.
The furniture provides plenty of storage. In fact, quite a few of those drawers are completely empty!

So, my to do list for this room is going to be very long. Problem is, I am just not even sure where to start! Oh well, as long as it is done by the end of 2012, right?!

Linking to The Nester's 2012 Home Goals Party

Welcome 2012!

2012-01-14T06:23:00.001-08:00

Welcome 2012! I am very excited for a new year to begin and I have many goals and projects on my To-Do List! Here are just a few of the projects I have planned for this year in our humble abode:

1) Redo the Master Bedroom. Considering we have lived here for 9 1/2 years and it still has builder white walls and not one single piece of art on the walls, this is embarrassingly way overdue!

2) Finally make our coat closet functional. Our family of five has one small closet that is overrun with shoes, coats, back packs and other necessities!

3) Redo the Pre-Schoolers Room. Wilson has moved on to a big boy bed, but the rest of the room is void of big boy decor!

4) Paint. Our downstairs is desperately in need of a fresh coat of paint on the walls and especially the trim!

5) Get Tuffet Whimsy off the ground! I am enjoying making the tuffets, footstools, and ottomans, and I would like to break even so I can continue! It is allowing me to explore my creative side and develop new skills.

6) And my biggest goal of all - Enjoy lots of time with my family celebrating every small single thing we can!

Tuffet Whimsy

Thursday?!

Wilson Wednesday

Monday Love #3

What do I want to be? Hmmm.....

Organization Thursday: Bathroom

Wilson Wednesday

Master Bedroom Update

Monday Love #2

Craft Room Update & Homemade Chalk Paint Review

Monday Love #1

Fabric Hanging Rack

Organization

New Craft Space (The Before)

Delectable Home and Daisy Eyes

Apartment Therapy?!

Featured!

RULES:

1. YOU MUST HAVE THE LINKY FOLLOWERS TOOL ON YOUR SITE TO PARTICIPATE.

2. YOU MUST FOLLOW THE PERSON WHO HAS THE PARTY ON THEIR SITE AS A THANK YOU.

3. JUST ADD YOUR BLOG BUTTON TO THE LINKY PARTY BELOW.

4.THEN GRAB THE BLOG HOP CODE

5. THEN YOU FOLLOW OTHER BLOGGERS–(AS MANY AS YOU WANT)–LEAVE EACH ONE OF THE BLOGS THAT YOU FOLLOW A COMMENT LETTING THEM KNOW YOU ARE FOLLOWING THEM AND ASK THEM TO FOLLOW YOU BACK.

…SO DO YA WANT TO GO CRUISIN’?

I PLAN ON HOPPING FROM BLOG TO BLOG TO FOLLOW EVERYONE WHO FOLLOWS ME.

Lighting Update

Take Back the Dining Room (Part 3)

Take Back the Dining Room (Part 2)

Take Back the Dining Room, Part 1

Master Bedroom (Update 1)

Firestation Project Complete!

Firestation Playhouse (Part 1)

Pottery Barn Design Tool

Meet My Mom

Armoire Organization

2012 Word of the Year

Home Goal: Master Bedroom

Welcome 2012!

5. THEN YOU FOLLOW OTHER BLOGGERS–(AS MANY AS YOU WANT)
–LEAVE EACH ONE OF THE BLOGS THAT YOU FOLLOW A COMMENT LETTING THEM KNOW YOU ARE FOLLOWING THEM AND ASK THEM TO FOLLOW YOU BACK.