Smile And Wave

Our Colorado Home: Dining Room Tour

Our dining room may be my favorite room in the house. It's large, open, and gets as much sunlight as a girl could want throughout the day thanks to those gloriously large, West-facing windows. Other than having my heart set on a more modern drum shade rather than the original fixture and a second layer of curtains for night time privacy, this room is finally finished. 

It's very different than any other dining space we've had as our last home didn't have a designated area so we made things work at one end of our living room. The rental before that had a medium dining room but I used it primarily as studio space. I've had the yellow fiberglass chairs for about two years after buying them from a friend in Springfield and found the two vintage school chairs in an antique shop near Oklahoma City for a song. They used to go with the kitchenette that I stole those hairpin legs from.

Don't hate me but I found the vintage rug in a warehouse moving sale in a tiny town in Oklahoma for $35. I had asked about a few things in the store that weren't marked and was frustrated that none of them seemed to be for sale and was about to walk out when I spotted it. I almost squealed when she wanted $35 and couldn't get to the cash register fast enough! This is the only room in the house it'll fit since it's so long but I love how it's become the focal point for the rest of the decor.

I found the vintage record table recently at a flea market as well as the minty blue typewriter. It's my favorite out of my whole collection. The yellow typewriter was thrifted awhile back in MO. The wooden #3 was purchased at the Alameda Flea Market in 2008 and the plant and planter are from Lowe's.

The mirror and gas station sign were thrifted in Springfield and the vintage school table was gifted by my in-laws. It makes a great record stand for our Crosley. I keep our growing record collection in a large metal milk crate below the desk but we may need to figure out another system soon.

The large white wardrobe used to be Ruby's makeshift closet but has been repurposed as our office space. I found it at a mom and pop used furniture shop in MO and power sanded it and painted it while eight months pregnant with her. It was a labor of love! The vintage globes have been collected from various thrift stores in MO and the large vintage map was an Etsy purchase. The DIY for adding dowels to a map can be found here.

The vintage kids' table was Ruby's Christmas present. I thrifted it and the brown chair in Springfield but found the aqua school chair way back in 2008 on our move from Fresno, CA to Springfield, MO. It rode on my lap most of the way. 

Our growth chart needs updated.

I found the wooden folding chair at a thrift store for $5 but it had a torn cover so I reupholstered it as a project in my Modern Patchwork e-course. It hasn't had a place to sit out for over a year so I'm glad I can finally enjoy it.

That little nook was a good spot to hang this old sock dryer. I have three of them in various colors that have been waiting for some extra wall space to be displayed! I recently noticed on Instagram that my dear friend, Rubyellen, has one as well in the same color!

You can see into our little hallway and bathroom here. The plant stand was a recent thrift here in CO but the mirror has been in various parts of the last two homes we've lived in.

You can read all about my dining room table search that turned into a DIY here.

I bought this from YeeHaw press about a month ago and just learned they're going out of business. I know they'll be missed.

I'm taking this photo from the front of the house looking through to the back where you can see our kitchen. Our living room spans the front width of the house and I've turned it into two sitting areas but it's not quite ready for it's full reveal. You'll see why in a minute. 

Basically, everything in this photo was thrifted except for the IKEA pillow and sheep skin and the pink Modernica shell chair.

This is the view from the kitchen looking to the front of the house. I've recently taken down the flannel cranberry curtains that were hanging over the sheer drapes and it's made it feel like a whole new space. It's amazing how something that doesn't fit your aesthetic can change your feelings about your environment. It's so much brighter now, although we can't walk around naked at night.

You do it, too.

Just to keep it real, here is the other side of our living room. The laundry pile has been there for over a week, the homeless chalkboard panel was moved out of a previous shot and propped up here, there are toys usually strewn about in one corner or another from that week's activities, and I still have lots of stuff that I haven't found a place to put (floor lamps, picture frames, etc.). You can also see into our little bedroom. Our bed was unmade and those ugly curtains were draped across the top waiting to be folded and bagged until we move out.

I spent a lot of time getting my dining room clean for these photos and while this is the general structure in it's ideal form, things are usually in much more 'lived in' conditions unless company is coming over. We don't mind it that way and I'll gladly share our everyday messes on Instagram and in future posts but I like seeing it like it at it's very best, too. 

I'm going to continue to share room tours of our new space as those rooms feel put together. It's good motivation for me to get things done!

I'm happy to respond to any questions about my aesthetic or where I found something in the comments below. I've also shared almost everything I know about designing a home you love in my e-course, Style Your Space, if you're looking for something much more in depth.

Thanks for reading!

-Rachel

How I Built My Own Table All By Myself

Our last dining room table was a charming little white number that we'd found on Craigslist in MO for $30. It served us well and made living in a home without a dining room (last rental) doable because of it's smaller size. One of the most exciting parts of our new home was finally having a designated dining room, and a large one at that! 

Our old table felt a bit swallowed up by all of the space and Brett and I found ourselves fighting for elbow room on our side of the table so about a week after we moved in I started searching Craigslist again for something bigger. I was hoping for something mid-century but the only ones I found were either part of a dining room suite (hello, big bucks) or not quite what I was looking for. I found one that was going for $250 and set up an appointment to see it thinking I'd probably be bringing it home but when I got to the location I couldn't find a house. It was then that I realized the seller wasn't in the Springs but in Denver and without much free time to drive up there by myself I decided to hold out a bit longer. It sold a few days later.

I'm so glad it did because it gave me the chance to try something new and carry out an idea from start to finish with it actually ending up better than I imagined.

I have had these hairpin legs for about a year after thrifting a kitchenette in MO. We used it as our kitchen table and workspace in our last place and it served as a pile collector up until this week. After deciding the only way to build a table myself was by using these legs I started looking up table DIY's to see if it was possible.

Around that time my friend, Sarah, of Arrow and Apple thrifted a table similar to the one I'd been dreaming about! It was then that I was able to firm up that I wanted it to look more mid-century with a smooth surface and clean lines and less farmhouse-industrial although those tables are beautiful.

I stumbled upon this DIY and decided it was my best chance with my skill level as far as woodwork was concerned. I firmed up my supply list and headed to Lowe's. As soon as I walked in a male employee greeted me asking if I needed any help - which I always appreciate because so often as soon as you do there is no one to be found. I vaguely told him my plans which I'm assuming he took for inexperience because he then started telling me how complex this project might be and that I might be spending more money than it was worth and that there was this great place down the road that could build it for me. He was trying to be helpful and maybe I misrepresented myself but instead of filling in the gaps he was discouraging my idea.

After wrapping that up I went over to source some clamps and then ran into another employee who solved all of those problems I was running into without much conversation at all. He gets a gold star. I left feeling like this project was going to be a toss up. I'd either end up with a table I was proud of or have some expensive wood to paint with chalkboard paint and add to the kids' room. Ha! 

Here's the basic rundown of what I used and how I made it. I started it after the kids went to bed thinking I'd get it done in time for dinner guests the next night but that was just silliness. I also wasn't really confident turning this into a tutorial so I only have iPhone photos and the first half were taken after dark. 

SUPPLIES:

3 - 3/4" 15" x 72" aspen panels. You could use pine but I wanted a harder wood without lots of knots showing. I wanted it to look like one seamless top but had to fit the wood in my Volvo so I went with three panels. 

2 - 1" x 4" x 8' aspen boards. I used the same wood for consistency but since it doesn't show you could downgrade to pine to save a little. 

4 - Metal hairpin legs with screws from previous table. Find your own on eBay, Etsy, or directly from here. They aren't cheap but I think they're worth saving up for. You could substitute these for something else from IKEA. 

1 - small tub of Briwax in Golden Oak as recommended by Veronika who made a table with her husband and used it rather than stain. I give it two thumbs up as well.

1 - Box of #8 screws measuring 1 1/4" similar to these.

1 - Wood glue 

1 - Small tub of wood filler.

2 - Terry cloths for waxing and wiping up glue.

8 - Table clamps. I had four already and bought four more.

1 - Power sander and sanding pads (you could use a sanding brick instead). I used a 120 and an 80 to get a nice, smooth surface.

I used my original kitchenette as my work surface but it wasn't ideal. The second employee at Lowe's told me to clamp one panel to the edge of my work table and then glue the second panel on and then glue the third panel on before squeezing them tightly against each other and clamping the third piece to the work table as well. This saved me money since I didn't want to spend $40 per long pipe clamp and it worked exactly like he said. 

After gluing and clamping the three panels together, I wiped off the excess glue from the top with a damp cloth and clamped the panels together at the seams to keep them from being uneven. NOTE: When purchasing wood, I suggest double checking that your sides are mostly straight so that they'll fit together nicely without needing to be planed. I, for one, don't have that kind of set up at home. Thankfully, these aspen panels were straight.

I let the glue set for about 20 minutes while I cut my boards into 30" lengths. I used four cuts of wood for cross boards and centered them about 12" in from each short edge and again about 25" in. I covered each with wood glue before carefully setting it down and wiggling it around a bit to help the glue spread. Then I pre-drilled and screwed in my first screw to secure it before pre-drilling the rest of the holes and screwing the whole cut down. Be sure your glue is pressed down because it will set quickly and if it's not flush your cross- board might end up wonky. I drilled about 10 screws per cross board making sure all three top planks had enough support. Repeat with the other three boards.

Next, I wiped off excess glue and flipped my table top over. I left the seam clamps on overnight just in case. The next morning I removed the clamps and used a little bit of wood filler in between two seams that had about a 1/8" gap between them. After it was set I sanded the table down to remove the glue drips between the seams and to get a nice smooth surface. After wiping the excess sawdust off I sanded it again with a finer sandpaper. 

Then I unscrewed the legs off the old table and added them to the new one with the help of my tiny assistant. Once my Briwax arrived in the mail I wiped down my table top and added two thin coats of wax and then buffed it. I let it sit outside overnight to help with the smell of the finish before bringing it inside. 

Project total: $152

Cost breakdown: $110 for the lumber, $15 for my legs thrifted from another table, $4 screws, $8 wood fill, $15 clamps. I already had more clamps, wood glue, a sander, sandpaper, and terry cloths. 

Skill level: Beginner

Time: Broken up over a week but easily a weekend project.

I'm really proud of this table and the fact that I spent less than half of what it would've cost to buy the other table off of craigslist. How about this one that I found on eBay for $695 plus S/H! 

Check out how Casey used hairpin legs to build a desk for their new home. I really like her idea of using reclaimed wood (next time) and that frequent movers like us can always unscrew the legs and find or make another tabletop to fit the parameters of a new space. 

Check out the shine on that table top! I'm so happy with the wax as opposed to a stain or lacquer. It's warmer, adds depth, and feels great to the touch. 

It was a bit rainy the day that I had the table flipped over to screw the legs on so you can see where Sunday walked across it. Ruby also got ahold of my pen and added some doodles. 

So, I didn't exactly build this table all by myself. I had the advice of others to fill in the gaps, the encouragement from my husband to take the project on, and the company of both kids through various stages of construction. I still feel like going back to Lowe's to find the employee that tried to talk me out of such a 'complicated' project that might leave me feeling 'pretty discouraged' to show him how it turned out.

Thinking about making your own table? I'm happy to answer any more questions about my process or just reassure you that you can, in fact, do it yourself. Feel free to leave them in the comment section below. Thanks for sharing in my excitement over this project!

-Rachel

Hanging Map DIY

I ordered this gorgeous map from Austin Modern on Etsy in January after having had it in my favorites for months. I love the pink and yellow combo - basically the only reason I chose this one. It came from an old school map that had more than one pull down chart so it was a bit wrinkled. I knew I didn't want to just thumb tack it to the wall like in college days and I couldn't afford to get it custom framed so I started brainstorming ways to display it. 

I've recently hung another map in the kids' room that had a wooden dowel across the bottom and someone on Instagram asked if I was going to be doing a DIY on how to add rods and suddenly I realized my other map problem was solved! I'm not sure why I hadn't thought of it before! So, here's how I turned my paper map into a more aesthetic wall hanging.

Supplies: Paper map (or other print/image), 2 - wooden dowel rods measuring at least the width of your map and between 1/2" - 1" thick depending on the size of your map/print. Mine were 1" x 48". You'll also need Elmer's glue (or substitute that dries clear), a staple gun, staples, twine, 2 - eye screws, a drill. One: Drill a pilot hole into each end of one rod. This will be the top one. Two: Screw in your eye screws. Three: Glue across the top 1/2" of your map/print and carefully center your rod so thatyou fold the paper over it. Hold in the center and staple every 2" out to each end. This will keep your paper from getting crooked. Wipe off excess glue. Four: Repeat with your other rod. Be sure your top rod is the one with screws in it! Five: Attach twine and hang it on your wall. 

I found my dowel rods at Lowe's but I'm sure other hardware stores carry them. Smaller sizes can be found at craft stores depending on what you need.

The staples reinforce the glue and help the edges from curling off the rod. If your print or map is made of thin paper, use a smaller/lightweight rod. If your map is thick like mine, a larger rod will weigh it down so that it hangs nicely. 

Our dining room is coming together nicely! I'm waiting on my Briwax to come in the mail (thanks, Veronika!) before I can finish my table and then the white wardrobe will need a little attention. It's been repurposed from Ruby's wardrobe into our office. I've drilled a hole in the back to stick our printer cord through and have a small filing cabinet in the bottom. It's a work in progress if there ever was one.

When hanging your map be sure to use the 57" rule! Make sure to measure the distance from the top of the twine to the bottom so it's completely accurate. Paper maps are usually less expensive than their pull down brethren so adding your own dowels is a great way to get more for your money.

Here are some pretty maps on Etsy: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

Also some fun charts that you could add these to: One, two, three.

Who knew dowel rods could be so fancy!

-Rachel

Two Rules of Thumb for Hanging Things on Your Walls

Getting art up on the walls in a new place - or even a freshly painted room - can feel like a daunting task but there is an easy way to get it right the first time. I recently took the plunge in our new home and wanted to share two techniques I always use when hanging anything.

Martha, Marth, Martha

I'm pretty sure the first place I saw this trick was in Martha Stewart Living or possibly on her website. In order to make light of what could be a tedious job filled with accidental holes in the wall, Martha suggests placing butcher paper (or similarly large paper) on the floor and then deciding on an arrangement. Once you're happy with how things look you trace around the edges of each frame with a pencil (in case you change your mind).

I bought a large sketch pad from Staples years ago and use it for projects like this. I just overlapped and taped together four sheets of paper to make it tall enough and wide enough for my art grouping.

Once you've traced around each frame, go back and measure down from the top of each frame edge to where your alligator hook, wire, etc. is so that you know how far down from the edge to mark your screw hole. If the hook on my frame is 1" below the top edge of the frame I center a mark 1" down from the top of my pencil silhouette. Repeat with each frame.

I suggest taking a photo of your final arrangement before you remove your frames from the paper in case you forget where things were supposed to go. 

Once your frames are removed, you'll need to tape your paper to the wall. In order to get this part right I suggest the next trick.

The 57" Rule

I first learned the 57" rule on Apartment Therapy three years ago and it's helped take the guess work out of how high to hang anything in any space. 57" is the average person's eye level so galleries tend to hang art work at this height. It's usually spot on unless there's an odd construction reason you can't hang something at that height such as a large piece that would overlap a radiator, etc.

The main thing is to be consistent in how you hang everything in a room so that it keeps your eye flowing. It will help create cohesiveness and balance rather than making things feels scattered. 

Whether you're hanging a single piece or a group of framed art the technique is the same. 

First, measure the height of your piece (or group). Let's say a single framed piece is 18" tall.

Second, divide that number in half. In this instance I would get 9". 

Third, add that number to 57". This adds half the amount of frame height to the average eye level so that your piece will be centered at eye level. 57 + 9 = 66. 

Fourth, flip your piece over to see where the hook, wire, etc. is and measure how far down it is from the top of the frame. Make sure to pull your wire up as high as it will go to simulate how it will hang before measuring. Let's say the distance from the top of my frame to the hook is 2". 

Five, subtract that amount (2" in my case) from the number in the third step (66"). 66 - 2 =64. 

Six, measure that high from the floor on your wall and mark. This is where you will want to drill your hole or attach your 3m hook, etc (64" high in my case). Once hung, your piece will be centered at eye level.

When you're working with a group of art, the concept is basically the same. Instead of measuring a single framed piece you'll measure from the top edge of the highest piece to the bottom edge of the lowest piece. In my case it was about 39" from top to bottom. I divided that number in half to get 19.5" and then added it to 57" to get 76.5". This is where it's different.

When I was marking my silhouettes for each frame I made sure to line up the top of my top frame with the top edge of my paper as seen above. I made sure the top of my paper was taped 76.5" from the ground in order to have my grouping centered. Before I hung my paper on the wall, however, I measured down from the top edge of each frame to the hook or wire as shared before and marked on my paper where the screws would go. 

I taped my paper up at the correct height and made sure it was straight by measuring down from the ceiling to the top of my paper at each end and in the middle. If your house is old and your ceiling is slanted do your best. Yes, that was us two houses ago. Seeing the silhouettes of your grouping on the wall gives you a great visual in case you decide you want to adjust the arrangement or move it over a few inches. 

Once you're happy with where it will be, carefully drill pilot holes (or hammer in your nails if you have sheetrock walls) through your screw hole marks. Insert your screws. Depending on the weight of your pieces and the kind of walls you have you may need to insert some kind of anchor. After inserting all of your screws you can tear down your paper and start hanging your art.

I'm waiting on two more pieces to come in the mail to finish off the rest of my 'floral arrangement' on Ruby's side of the room. She loves her flowers.

Decisions, Decisions

The trickiest part may be deciding what to hang. My first personal rule is to only hang things that I love. There is a lot of great art work out there and I may be drawn to a good 20% of things I see on Pinterest or Etsy but I only want to hang the 5% that I love. That ensures I'll probably like it next year and the year after that, etc. I also think our environments have a strong effect on how we feel and what we think about so I want to make sure they make me feel a certain way. 

For this grouping I knew I wanted pieces that were whimsical, of a certain style, and simple in their color story. Lots of white with pink and yellow accents and black lines to reflect the colors in my rug that's in the same room. I only noticed once I'd purchased them that many of them feature girls. I think I gravitate to people more than animals or abstract shapes in art work and tend to enjoy this color combination of pink and yellow so it came together easily because I know what I like.

I purchased frames from IKEA and used a few I had on hand to frame all of the prints and left large amounts of white and off-white to give them all space to breathe in such a tight grouping. The color story, theme, and use of almost all black frames creates a cohesive group that is pleasing to the eye. 

As far as the layout goes, I like to stagger frames and create balance in my composition by using three different sizes that repeat at least once. I have two large frames, five medium frames, and four smaller ones. I found a great resource for finding compositions that work for you here via Lovely Chaos recently. 

Art featured above: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven.

I've collected most of these prints over the last four months but I've had a couple for years. One was gifted, one was a DIY, one was supporting a good cause. There are great sites where you can purchase affordable art such as 20 x 200 and sites where you can print art off for free because the artists have offered it as such. Here's a chance to support a great cause and choose an art piece upon donation. 

Each of the vintage floral crewel pieces in Ruby's room were thrifted locally in Missouri but I've got two on the way from Etsy. Here are some similar items: one, two, three, four, five, six. Some are cheap while others are exceptional and thus priced higher. Be sure to check that you are buying a finished piece instead of a kit unless you'd like to make it yourself. 

If you've made it to the end of this long post I commend you! I hope either of these two techniques give you the confidence to commit to some holes in the wall knowing you'll be happy with the end result. Also, feel free to share your own tricks for hanging things on the wall in the comments below.

-Rachel

 

DIY Garment Rack for the Littles

A few of my favorite home tours of friends in Springfield (one blogged here) included hand-built, standing garment racks for their daughter's vintage dresses. They were both quite different and charming and I've wanted to make one for Ruby ever since! Seeing as I just fixed up my own closet space down in our basement I decided Ruby could use a smaller (less-expensive) garment rack of her own. 

I decided on something that was tall enough to facilitate dresses as she grows and that could easily fold up to be moved, stored, or adjusted to a variety of width needs. As someone later pointed out, throw a vintage sheet over it and you've got yourself a fort. Or rather, when your pup tent has been outgrown or the kids aren't using it, turn it into a garment rack. Versatile is good. Great pup tent DIY here.

My supply list is slightly different than the image shares but here's what you'll need to make this garment rack.

SUPPLIES: 4 - 1" x 3" x 6' poplar boards, 3 - 1/2" x 48" poplar dowel rods, drill with 1/2" and 1/8" bits, 2 - screw eye hooks, 2' of chain, wire cutters, plyers, hand saw (or miter saw), pencil, tape measure, protective eye wear, gloves, cardboard, 80 grade sand paper, primer and paint (optional). One: Measure 4.5" up and mark across all four boards. Then measure back down 2.5" from your line and mark a dot in the center of each board. Repeat at the opposite end of each board. Two: Saw across your lines (very carefully and with protective gear). Three: Carefully drill a hole at each end of each board where you made a mark. Sand your boards making sure to sand down around the holes and the saw cuts. Wipe with damp paper towel. Four: Insert rods as shown in image to make sure they fit. The rods should fit snugly in the wood but still be able to adjust with pressure. If you'd like a fixed rack I suggest covering the ends of the rods with wood glue before inserting them through the boards. Five: You'll want to take the rods out and pre-drill a hole with a 1/8" bit about 12" up from the bottom of two boards. Screw in your screw eye hooks. Put rack back together. Six: Use wire cutters to cut your chain to desired width and plyers to attach one end to each screw eye hook. This will keep your rack from sliding too wide if it's loose or if your toddler wants to hang from it like a monkey.

Seven: If you'd like to paint your rack, I suggest one layer of white primer in either a spray paint or acrylic paint. Remove screw eye hooks. Let it dry according to manufacturer's directions. Follow with two coats of your color of choice. I used a black satin spray paint because i had it on hand. Eight: Once dry, reattach your screw eye hooks and enjoy.

As I was shooting the styled photos Ruby came bursting in to her room and, after deciding to remove her favorite boots from the scene, started pulling dresses and admiring them before putting them back. She does not need to be told twice how fun dresses can be and fully appreciates the spin factor. 

I'm not sure if she loves dresses because she's been wearing them regularly since she was born or if she would've discovered her affinity for them on her own but it makes me so happy that she's into it. I'm pretty sure when I was a bit older than she is I would only wear leggings with shirts so I'm going to enjoy this phase while I can!

If you have the space I think this would make a great dress-up rack for super hero suits, capes, cowboy vests and hats, and all kinds of princess dresses. Plus, there's that fort option. 

I'd love to see how you utilize your own DIY garment rack if you happen to use this tutorial. Thanks for linking back to this DIY if you repost.

-Rachel

His and Hers

Ruby and Sebastian have been sharing a room since she was born and even though I would've loved to decorate their individual rooms (OH, the ideas!) with a strong girl and boy theme, I'm thankful they are in the same space. I love that they get tucked in together and can listen to stories read to them in the same room. I love that they feel less lonely because they know the other one is sleeping a few feet away. I love that they're learning how to share their physical space and I hope that that translates into being good sharers as they grow older. 

Decorating their shared room has always felt like a good challenge and since this is the third house we've lived in since Ruby was born it's been one I've had to tackle often. They've transitioned as kids from a toddler and pre-schooler to a little girl and curious, school-aged kid. We passed the crib along to some neighbor friends in Springfield and picked up the iron bed on the trip out here. We purged some toys that weren't getting much use or had been outgrown before we moved and have continued to do so in this smaller space. You can see parts of their first shared space here and their second here.

I spent two hours earlier this week trying to nail down their room arrangement so that I could incorporate the most special things while making it work with the large, dark built-in on one wall. I feel like I'm 75% there. Now I need to finish organizing things, hang art on the walls, and decide how to make their closet a fun little hide-out. It already feels ten times better than it was a few days ago.

I am definitely the kind of decorator that has to live in a space for a good three to four weeks before settling on what works for me. It makes me crazy to not have it the way I like it right away but getting those arrangements right is worth it, don't you think?

-Rachel

Boring Basement to Boutique Style Closet

When we moved in to our new house we made the small sacrifice to switch rooms with the kids so they could have the bigger bedroom. That left us with about 18" on either side of our bed to roll out of in the morning before hitting our wall and about 18" between the foot of our bed and our dresser. We sold our canopy bed frame because of the ceiling fan and moved Brett's dresser into the kids' room. Our single closet is smaller than the one in my freshman dorm room which meant Brett's wardrobe and shoes would fit but mine were kind of in purgatory. Basically, we had just enough room for doing married things in our bedroom and not much else.

After much contemplation about how to store my clothing so it didn't look like we were living in a garage sale I decided I could borrow my friend Rachel Burch's brilliant idea of turning part of the basement into a closet! Our basement has a room on each side of the stairwell leading down there so I designated the bigger, brighter side as the potential closet space and the darker, crowded side full of boxes as the storage space. The closet side has a permanent sink and houses the water softener and some other things that came with the house but there was enough of a nook and decent light in the morning and I just knew if I got creative enough I'd be able to make it into something I'd enjoy using.

My first step was to clear out the excess boxes and organize things in the large cupboards opposite the photo above. Then I swept the floors, wiped down the walls, and brought in pretty, multi-faceted light bulbs. My first bright idea was to install a floor-to-ceiling curtain to cover the tiny window and stained wall behind it. It matches the pre-existing white and yellow color scheme and I already had the vintage sheet on hand and still lets plenty of soft light in.

One of the biggest projects was to build my own clothes rack from steel pipes. I've always wanted a boutique style rack but have never had the space for one in my bedroom. It's kind of ironic that my lack of space has led me to finally making one. 

Another makeover project was spray painting a vintage, metal stand I found on my last trip to my secret thrifting spot in Southern Missouri for $3. It just needed a coat of black paint to match the rest of the hardware and is the perfect size for storing most of my shoes. The vintage mirror above it was found at a local D.A.V and was $5 with my military I.D. It's pretty and helps bounce light around.

The third big makeover project was turning a cheap rug into something a little more fun. I found this one at Lowe's and went to town with some freezer paper and spray paint. You want one, too? Don't worry. I've got a tutorial for that.

Two little accessories from IKEA that I've always wanted to utilize in my home made the perfect hardware for displaying my vintage silk scarf collection and favorite sunglasses. 

The last big DIY for this space was creating a standing jewelry and handbag display from a pre-cut piece of lumber. It rests against the ugly cement wall covered by the curtain and was a great solution for the awkwardness of that space.

I took advantage of every inch of space by hanging my four vintage, floral suitcases by size on the wall. This not only shows of their great patterns but provides more storage for out of season accessories like gloves, beanies, wool scarves, etc.

I was stumped on how to display my enamel pin collection until I realized I could just pin them onto the back of a pretty quilt square Brett's grandma gave me. There was just enough wall space left and I only had to make one hole in the wall.

I almost stopped at making one little nook in the basement pretty but then realized it would be simple to create a little curtain of sorts to cover the ugly sink and water treatment equipment. Once that was out of sight I realized our full length mirror was still boxed and that it would fit nicely at the other end of the room. Once that was in place I brought down the chair I also found at the same secret thrift spot in Missouri and paid only $3 for, added a basket to hold my belts, and strung up the wire basket turned lamp shade that I've used in my studio spaces for the last four years.

I'm still using dresser space upstairs for unmentionables, work out clothes, and t-shirts and jeans but now I won't have to deal with piles of clean clothes draped on top of it because there is no place for them. It's like a Christmas present to myself!

Best of all, I didn't have to spend a fortune. The most expensive project was the clothes rack but it's something I know I'll always utilize in the future and the rest were either quite affordable little DIY's or thrifted. I'm sure we'll probably bring in our little trampoline or set up a coloring area so the kids can enjoy hanging out in this happy room, too. Let's just hope we don't have a spider problem!

Yikes! Cover that thing up.

It was a lot of work but now I actually want to go spend time in my basement! Ruby's already been through trying on flats, rearranging the jewelry, and walking around with a purse on her shoulder like she owns the place. It's so fun for me to see her pretending to play dress up because I know exactly how she feels. 

Find my full, step-by-step tutorials for the polka-dot rug, steel pipe garment rack, and jewelry stand on A Beautiful Mess.

I hope you've enjoyed this little peek into my mini basement makeover. What kind of closet space do you have? What does your dream closet look like?

-Rachel

Extra Walls Means New Art

Being in a new house means figuring out your new wall space! While I'm happy to keep most of our art and decor from our last rental, we've got more rooms and unique spaces that call for new arrangements. Here are some favorites that I'd love to introduce to my white walls. 

Sources: Laura George, Laura George, Pretty Little Thieves, Leah Duncan, Lisa Congdon, Ashley G, Amy Rice, Linotte, YeeHaw, The Black Apple, Gracey May

Do you have any favorites? 

-Rachel

 

Weekending: Two Adventures in One Day

So, it's like Wednesday almost but let's talk about last weekend some more. It was both deeply satisfying and exhausting and I'm still recovering from trying to shove too much in to one Sunday but sometimes you have to maximize family time! 

We had a slow start on Sunday getting packed for a trip up to Pike's Peak. So many articles of clothing to bring plus an extra few just in case! I'd been thrifting most of our snow gear weeks prior to moving but realized I'd returned a pair of darling snow boots of Ruby's and that Brett was bootless, too. To the thrifts it was! 

There were two spots on our way to the mountain and Brett was happy to oblige me. I found boots for Ruby and snow pants for me (and a darling pink Pyrex casserole dish that I'll tell you a funny story about later) but nada for Brett. I think I told him I was heading straight for the snow boots section and he kind of rolled his eyes knowingly. When I came out with my bag he asked me what else I'd found and almost didn't believe me that the lone Pyrex was my only distracted purchase.

We headed out to thrift store #2 to look for his boots and again I said I'd be right back since our trip couldn't start until I was but I was pulled in to the siren song of all those aisles of dishware and came out with boots (hooray!) and a set of floral plates and a set of enamel camping plates (oh, and some fabric). Brett actually tweeted that everything he thought would happen just happened as I got back in the car. Ten years of marriage and that man knows me well.

Long story short, we got halfway up the mountain to check out a frozen reservoir and spent about ten minutes getting everyone layered up. As soon as we got back in the car they were uncomfortable and wanted to go home but I was determined to get as far up that mountain as we could, dangit. We made it 6 miles of road to the peak but the roads were closed to due inclement weather so I took a picture and we headed down to find a fun patch of snow to play in. Those cranky kids were both out cold within two minutes so we never actually made contact with much snow. 

Since they were napping I talked Brett into driving to Denver on a whim so we could get the bed slats and mattress for Ruby's new bed from IKEA. I HAD GIFT CARDS! Burning a hole in my pocket, they were! We dropped S off in the kid zone and got Ruby situated in our cart to get on the elevator when I saw the sweetest mama with her new baby and three older kids. With baby fever still burning bright I asked her how new he was and then we realized we'd actually chatted on Twitter about school districts in Colorado Springs! It was fun and I was so impressed with this mama (Hi, Mindy!) braving IKEA with three kids and a new baby. Then she told us her husband just deployed and I wanted to cover her in gold stars! 

We left two hours later with bed slats and a full cart. We ate the meatballs and mashed potatoes. We didn't even fight. Brett did admit he had fun but I don't know if I'll be able to get him to go with me again any time soon. IKEA on a Sunday is nutso. 

 

I was thrilled to get home and finally put Ruby's big girl bed together. This one has a post of it's own coming soon in case any of you were curious about painting your own iron bed. 

A busy weekend but a memorable one, nonetheless. Years of not having an IKEA handy has taught me to be resourceful when it comes to finding furniture, etc. from thrifts and fleas and garage sales and I'm really thankful for how it's shaped my taste and style. Now I can go in and find things that work with what we have and compliment our style. I'm a happy girl. 

So, do you have an IKEA story? Big fight? More in your cart than you thought was physically possible? Making a friend? Do tell.

-Rachel

Outfit Details: Crocheted laurel headband c/o Rebecca Caridad. Wooden sunglasses c/o Tumbleweeds. Cowl c/o Hey!JenRenee. Sebastian's coat and pants c/o Polarn O. Pyret.

Bedding Details: Triangle quilt handmade by me, Tutorial in Home Ec E-Course. Afghan handmade by me. Vintage floral bedspread, thrifted. Vintage case, thrifted. Vintage iron bed, thrifted.

Green is my Favorite Color

Our family celebrated St. Patrick's day with a late breakfast of green pancakes, green coffee, and green milk, complete with green straws, green flowers, green in our clothing, and U2 on the record player. Then the kids watched cartoons on our green velvet couch while we cleaned up. It was a wonderfully relaxing Saturday morning.

Ruby's milk ended up looking like boba tea for all the blueberries she dropped in it. Sebastian downed his pancakes in record time. Sunday was patient while Ruby tried to dance with her. 

I ran errands and then came home and spent the afternoon cleaning and painting Ruby's new twin sized bed. It's one of the two big scores from our road trip to Colorado Springs that I managed to fit in our car because I was a determined mama. It just needs some slats and a mattress now and we'll be in business!

The kids entertained each other in between arguments over whose turn it was to play with the basketball and Brett made the smart decision to dump everything out of the boxes in the kids rooms onto their beds so that we'd be forced to unpack and organize it before their bedtime. It worked.

It was one of those nights where life just feels so good. The sound of my kids chasing each other through the house with fake swords and squealing when their daddy catches them off guard, the unexpected kisses, the room to sit back and watch instead of corral and hover - the memory of it all has imprinted itself deeply inside for me to recall during the next restless afternoon.

Things are starting to settle again. I'm finally feeling like I can relax a bit. We've all needed this.

I hope your St. Patrick's day was lovely, too.

-Rachel