Category: home decor

guest room/office: styled hydrangeas {sponsored}

Every New Year I find myself wanting a fresh start and get into cleaning/decluttering mode as well as “buy all the new things” mode. Great for post-holiday sales but bad for my wallet since it was just Christmas, right?

So this year, I have been in purge and decluttering mode (you should see the stacks and bags full of things in our office ready to go OUT) but have also been trying to re-style and refresh some of the spaces in our home.

In an effort to save on the amount of things we have (as well as saving money) I have been extremely selective about what has been coming into our home. It is easy to just buy all of the things, especially home decor, in order to fit the empty space, but I have taken a new approach and have really enjoyed it much more. Instead of the constant buying, styling, and getting rid of (and then rinse and repeat) I have been editing pieces out of our decor that I don’t really LOVE and then shopping around the house to see if there is something we already have that would fit what I am looking for. Sometimes I can restyle a piece in a new space and it’s perfect and sometimes I do need/want something new and then it goes on my to-buy list for when I am shopping.

One newish thing that I have been really liking in some of our spaces is faux flowers. In the past I wasn’t a huge fan, but some of the faux flowers are really good! So when Silk Plants Direct reached out late last year to see if I wanted to style and blog about silk flowers, I had to say yes!

There are tons (and tons) of options on Silk Plants Direct, so if you are shopping, I would highly recommend setting some filter criteria. I sorted by flower type (hydrangeas and peonies are right at the top for me) as well as by arrangement (I wanted something already in a vase or container). And then it was onto shopping! Faux flowers (good ones at least) tend to be a little pricey, but I think it’s worth the cost. If you buy real flowers, you know how expensive of a habit that can be, and you don’t have to replace faux flowers every week (or change out the water).

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I loved this purple and green hydrangea arrangement and I knew I could style it in a couple of places in our home (office, bedroom, living room). At least for me, I like a simple arrangement (flowers and color) in a simple container (no big designs or graphics) because it is easiest for me to style it with other things. For the time-being, this arrangement will live in our office/guest room on one side of the dressers, though I am sure it will move around the house once I start to get the itch to re-style!

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And after having this arrangement in the house for a bit, I have been really happy with them. The flowers were a little smashed from shipping in a box, but I gently fluffed them up which worked well. From a distance, I think these are pretty good faux hydrangeas, and even the “water” looks pretty real. I will definitely peruse Silk Plants Direct if I find I need more faux arrangements for some of our other spaces and also really love the idea of a faux flower plant for outside during the spring and summer.

Be sure to check out Silk Plants Direct on social media (depending on what your preference is): Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest.

AND Silk Plants Direct is offering 10% off for blog readers for any order (except custom orders) if you use the code BLOGGER10 at check-out.

Do you have any faux flowers in your home decor?

M

This is a sponsored post brought to you in collaboration with Silk Plants Direct. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog!

 

eloise {big kid room reveal}

It’s been a long time coming (especially since we moved Eloise into her new room months ago!) and a lot of you have been asking, but here is a post all about Eloise’s big kid room! (And there will, eventually, be a post about Daphne’s nursery too… shooting the nursery is tricky with a baby and a toddler. And nap times and preschool drop-off and pick-up. But I digress.)

Eloise is (still) so excited about her room. If you come over (or have been over recently) she will want to take you on a tour of it. So sweet and I am taking it as a complement of how much she LOVES it! I tried to keep most of her original decor (though most of the artwork never hung in her nursery though I had good intentions of hanging a gallery wall in there for years!) which was the entire idea when I decorated her nursery to begin with. I wanted it to feel like she could grow up in there and have something familiar even once she transitioned into a new space.

As most of you know, this is the front bedroom which is at the very bottom of the stairs, and formally housed our office. We hadn’t done much to the space (except hang some things on the walls) since we knew it was mostly a temporary space for us to spread out and would eventually become a bedroom.

And without further adieu, pictures (because that is what you all are here for, right?).

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And a source list for those who are interested:

Love your big kid room Eloise!

M

This post contains affiliate links.

project baby #2 {nursery moodboard}

I know I have mentioned a nursery design for Baby Foot, and since I have already accumulated most of the pieces for it, I thought I would share! The loose theme for this new nursery is travel or maps and globes which lends itself nicely to keeping things gender neutral.

If I haven’t mentioned it before, the plan is to leave the nursery next to our room and to move Eloise down one room to what is currently our office. This way the nursery is still right next door to our room (and I don’t need a monitor except for upstairs) and Eloise gets a brand-new big kid room!

Almost all of the furniture is the same from Eloise’s nursery to this new nursery. It just didn’t make sense to replace it all since it all worked so well.

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{1} glider – the same Land of Nod Milo Glider which we are still in LOVE with. it is super comfy and I know that we will spend so many more hours nursing, cuddling, and reading in this chair!

{2) curtains – these metallic grey curtains should work well as a neutral against the striped ceiling and a tiny pop of color against the white walls. I may still need to add a blackout liner though.

{3} footstool – this faux fur one which is really different than the floor pouf I had for Eloise but a good height to put our feet up (so important in a nursery!).

{4} crib – this is E’s old crib and the Hudson by Babyletto and we really liked it. I may add a crib skirt if I have time since I think it would look better when the mattress is raised up.

{5} hand-painted globe – this is a project that is on my to-do list. I am trying to decide whether to keep the continents and paint their names, or paint the entire globe and add a quote.

{6} table – this scallop one from Pillowfort is so whimsical and I love it! Even E exclaimed that it looked like a birthday cake the other day. I know I need a table for a lamp, a clock, my phone, and about a zillion other things. Plus, it will be great for a future playroom.

{7} picture ledge bookshelves – keeping these from Eloise’s room. These are the old IKEA picture ledges (which I love!) and worked well for keeping books on the wall for before naptime or bedtime, but not so many books that it was overwhelming.

{8} rug – this Rags to Riches one from Land of Nod. I had another rug in mind, but as soon as I saw this one (and felt it – it’s so soft!) I knew it was the one! It is tricky to find such a large rug (8 by 10) that is affordable (I splurged on E’s) and kid-appropriate. This one will be great for the nursery for tummy time and lots of floor time for E.

{9} mid-century dresser – keeping the same one from E’s nursery since it worked so well as a changing table! There was so much drawer space which came in handy for when we started cloth diapering, and also when the baby’s clothes are way too little to hang!

{10} bean bag chair (not pictured) – I am thinking of making Eloise a chair (like this) for the nursery since I know she will be spending a lot of time in there with me and Baby Foot. She does well playing quietly and reading to herself and I hope this continues! Plus, how cute is this maps print fabric by Rifle Paper Co?!

{11} mobile (not pictured) – this is the part of the nursery that has me the most stumped, mostly because I don’t like any mobiles… I have considered this one but am also thinking of making one with tiny globes. Stay tuned.

And for Eloise’s room, we are planning on moving a lot of décor from her nursery over to her new room, but here’s a bit more detail:

  • this West Elm Safari rug, these baby animal prints, this colorblock lamp (seen here), this elephant laundry hamper and white curtains (with red pom poms added) will move with her
  • this wood bead chandelier from Pottery Barn Kids will be a new addition
  • I am thinking of painting the walls this purple-grey color (London Fog by Benjamin Moore) since E has requested purple walls (though I still need to test it!). I swear it looks more purple in real life; we tested it in our entryway and nixed it because it was so purple!
  • two picture ledges will be hung low for books with room for a gallery wall above
  • a low-boy mid-century dresser that I still need to find!
  • a few empty picture frames to showcase all of E’s artwork from school (like this)
  • a big kid bed (a twin) which we have the head and foot board for but Aaron still needs to build out the frame
  • a hand-made quilt and pillow sham (here’s my inspiration)
  • and I am thinking about reupholstering a chair that we inherited from my grandmother that is currently in our living room, but E loves and I thought it would be fun to put it in her new room (since the glider will stay in the nursery). Even though I have reupholstered, this chair is WAY beyond my skill level, and since there is so much sentimental value with it, there is no way I would take it on. So I am waiting for Calico Corners to have an awesome sale…

It is crazy to think that in a few short months we will have two kids in two rooms, but I know it is right around the corner. I am stashing all of the things for the two new rooms in our old office and at some point in the near future (probably while Aaron is home for Christmas/New Year’s from work) we will start to transition the rooms and then pick a date to move Eloise (maybe early February).

Any mamas out there designing nurseries or big kid rooms? I’d love to hear what you are thinking for the design!

M

This post contains affiliate links.

Pinterest Christmas: DIY Window Wreaths {Linky Party}.

Welcome to the last week of the Pinterest Christmas series for 2015! {See week one, two, & three here!}

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This last week I wanted to share a quick & easy wreath display. We have two huge picture windows in our living room, one in the front of the house & the other on the side. The front window always showcases our Christmas tree (though this year & for the foreseeable short term our tree will sit off to the side of the room to keep Eloise’s play area in tact). I have always wanted to do something fun & festive on the side window that sits behind our dining room table. Enter wreaths. I think I have pinned every single hanging in a window wreath picture!

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{original Pinterest link – Winter Wreath Windows}

Red and Green Give a red room even more holiday style by hanging green wreaths on every window. These have the added embellishment of decorative plates hung inside each wreath circle. Wide red ribbon decorates each wreath and loops them up in varying heights.:

{original Pinterest link – 12 Styles of Christmas}

tiny garland wreaths in the window. a simple and pretty holiday decoration.:

{original Pinterest link – Easy Christmas Wreaths}

Supplies:

  • Wreaths – I had every intention of making boxwood wreaths using this tutorial, but then I stumbled onto these Smycka wreaths at Ikea & I couldn’t resist at that price point! (I couldn’t have DIY-ed wreaths for less than $9 a piece.)
  • Ribbon – I chose wide red satin!
  • Hangers – I used small finishing nails

So, this isn’t really a DIY tutorial, as much as it is showing you how I hung three pre-made wreaths in my window… wah wah.

I had Aaron help me hammer in the nails at an angle into the top of the window trim (actually it was his idea to hang them this way!) since I am WAY too short to reach the top of the window.

Then I looped the ribbon around the wreath, pulled some slack, & tied a bow at the top. And repeat for the other two wreaths, changing the amount of slack if you want them at different heights. My wreaths twist a little bit from side-to-side because they have a bit of weight to them, but I adore the way they look!

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Thinking about making this project? Feel free to leave questions in the comments or link your own in the Linky Party below! Also be sure to check out Kendra’s Pinterest Christmas projects over at The Gilbertson Family.

Thanks for joining us in our annual Pinterest Christmas series! We had SO much fun & we can’t wait until next year! The Linky Party will be up the entire month of December, so be sure to check out the other linked projects & link your own up too!

Did you DIY any of your Christmas decorations this year?

M

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Here are the instructions if you are a new to linky-party:
•click on the blue button at the bottom of this post – the one with the frog
•add a link to your Pinterest Christmas blog post in the URL field (please do not link to your home page but the specific post page)
•for “name” write a short descriptive name for your post
•if you would like to put the Pinterest Christmas button on the bottom of your post, we would love to see it there!

DIY curtain lengthening {west elm}.

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{our living room in 2012 – this picture is SO dark, long before I knew how PhotoShop!}

Three years ago I finally bit the bullet & hung the BEST curtains in our living room {see that post here}. It was my first real trek into window coverings, & I was so excited about having these beautiful, long, perfectly-pooled curtains {they are these ones from West Elm in 108″ length}. Fast-forward to our house remodel & despite my best efforts to keep these curtains out of the construction zone, they ended up needing cleaned before being hung back up. During that cleaning (a cold wash cycle) they shrunk a few inches. Boo. Then we had to have the curtains cleaned again after I over-boiled my pump parts & caused some smoke damage, & when we got the curtains back & hung, they were so, so short! Like high-water pants short (about 4 inches off the ground). It was awful. I was so embarrassed every time someone came over, & even though not a lot of people probably even noticed, I knew they knew. I didn’t even take a picture. Seriously. Just trust me that they were short enough that it seemed like I didn’t know what I was doing – I promise I know curtain lengths!

Any-hoo, this post is not about never washing your curtains or being mad at West Elm for having magically shrinking curtains (nope, I could never hate West Elm!), this is a post about how I made my curtains longer so they perfectly pool on the ground again!

Over months, I thought about how I could add length to the curtains (rather than replacing ALL of them – eek!) but was caught up on what fabric I would use. Fabric shopping is super tricky these days with a toddler in tow, plus I wanted to make sure the fabric was the right weight & color. Then I had an epiphany: why not just buy one curtain panel, cut it up, & sew pieces to each of the curtain panels? Genius! Plus, my mama gave me the idea to add the length to the top of the curtain, rather than to the bottom (so there wouldn’t be a weird break in the fabric as it hit the ground). So that’s what I did & the bonus was that West Elm frequently marks curtains down 20% (so take note if you are in the market for curtains).

This was my basic plan & it worked! I ripped out the top seam of the hidden tabs on the back of the curtain, & then cut off the bottoms of the tabs right at the seam. Then I cut a 7 inch piece of the extra curtain panel, hemmed the top edge to include the tops of the curtain tabs, then sewed it to the top of the old curtain panel, & finally I sewed the bottom of each tab down. This way the curtain hung in the exact same way as it did before & I didn’t have to cut & sew all of those tabs! I didn’t make an effort to try to match up the patterns on the old curtain panel & the new piece; even if I was that good of a seamstress, I probably would have needed another curtain panel.

In hindsight, I should have added an inch or two more, but I was worried at that point about adding too much length! This is a super simple project that took me just two days’ worth of naps (about 4 hours) & you can’t even tell that I added any fabric!

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have you ever had issues with curtain length or is it just me?

M