Aaaand... It's Done!

Quite a few weeks ago I shared the beginnings of our little shed project with you.  Well, here it is in all it's cute little shed glory.  I can't tell you what a difference it is soon to make--as quickly as my husband can install all the shelves and hooks--in our lives, in terms of organization.  All of our gardening supplies can vacate the garage...exit stage left all you rakes and sprinkler fittings!  It sounds so silly but I am very happy.  Thank you Daddy and my Ty!

My darling little salvaged windows look right at home.

 After we move a bit of dirt up here to even out the level, I'm thinking I need to plant another Japanese boxwood border around the base of the shed.  I just need to soften it so that it doesn't look as though it was just dropped onto the dirt, like it does right now.

 My cute little blue barn doors are the same color as the other gates and my front door: "Homecoming Blue" by Valspar.  We went with a diamond detail to match the window on the other side.

Also, I'm thinking that a little English Ivy creeping around the far side and up over the barn door wouldn't hurt either.

Isn't it so rewarding when a project comes to a successful end?

Mary Poppins: Magical and Organized Childrens' Rooms

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Usually we all find that the book is better than the movie but once in awhile there is the rare exception.  I read the first Mary Poppins book to my son and didn't like it much.  Maybe I should try the other books in the series before I make up my mind, but I'd rather just watch the Disney movie again instead.  

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One of my favorite parts in the movie (especially as a kid) is when Mary Poppins first sees the Children's nursery and it is a disaster, as most childrens' rooms tend to be.  That's when the magic happens: with just a snap of a finger the room tidies itself.  How many times have we wished we could do that?!

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Each room of Jane's dollhouse magically "snaps" into place.  It's a reminder that everything should have a place.  Storage in a kid's room is essential to a beautiful and magical childhood bedroom.

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Before we have kids we assume that the above picture is how our child's room will look.  We can picture them in there reading or playing with one toy at a time, everything else is neatly in its place.  I am a mother of two small children and I know it doesn't quite work that way and it isn't easy but it IS possible to have a child's room stay organized (most of the time).  It just requires a bit of problem solving.  

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First of all, there has got to be a ton of closed and open storage solutions.  Shelves, desks, dressers, side tables, baskets, buckets, bags and all.  Think you have all the storage they will need? Add more!  Also, steer clear of plastic storage bins because there are so many other, far more, attractive options.  

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What little girl wouldn't love an over-sized dollhouse bookcase.  Add a few boxes and baskets for all the bits and bobs so that it is practical as well as pretty. 

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Kid's have so many little pieces and small items.  I like these jars because they can see where things are.  It can't get much cuter or more practical.

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For very little ones, these baskets are a great way to start them out.  They will love to help put things away in these baskets (and pulling them out again too).  Just make sure they are anchored very well, because most little ones will probably try to climb in.

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I am dying to do this in my kids' closets.  It is perfect for smaller bedrooms where a large dresser may not fit; or in my daughter's case where an extra dresser has become a necessity;)


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Just like in the above room, Lori's daughter uses vintage suitcases for her things.  Such a pretty storage solution.

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These large fisherman's baskets are perfect for a quick clean-up solution.

There are a ton of attractive storage solutions out there and they make it a "snap" to keep your childrens' rooms a magical sanctuary where they know right where to get their favorite play things and right where to put them back.  You might still have to pester them a bit, but they will learn and enjoy having their spaces tidy after they get into the habit.  My kids do...most of the time.
What do you use for storage in your kids' bedrooms?  We are always looking for new, pretty, options that really work!

Faith's Bedroom

Before I began this project, Faith's bedroom was empty.  It was painted a peanut beige, but it is a good size room with high ceilings, though, like many kid's rooms, it is a box.  The first thing I wanted to do was paint the room and brighten it. 

I decided on a cream for the top ("Muslin Wrap" by Valspar) and a blue-green (""Sparkling Sage" by Valspar) for the bottom.  My husband installed the chair-rail molding and this made the biggest difference in the room.

Here is the finished room!  The first thing you see when you enter are the fun curtains.  They have every

color that we used throughout the room, so they pull everything together.  The room is contemporary,

fun, unconventional and playful.  

The homeowner, and my friend, picked the duvet, rug and sheer curtains (under the tree ones)

as a starting point.  I liked the checkerboard pattern especially because the carpet we had to

work with has a similar pattern already.  I repeated this pattern in the shadowbox display as well.  There are lots of neutrals in the rug and duvet, but the curtains had a soft avacado, rust, turquoise and mustard

as well as the animal theme.  I RAN with these as inspiration!  They are not typical color combinations, especially for a girl's room, but that is why I think the room is so successful and unique.

Since there is brown in the curtains, I chose to go with a wood frame for the alphabet cards that

spell FAITH (of course).  With all the white it is a nice focal point on this side of the room.  White

would work too, though.  I also like the mix of patterns here: floral bed sheet, gingham duvet, striped

sham and embellished accent pillow.  These elements make the room interesting.

There is a slight, 1 inch difference in the frame height of every other picture; this references the pattern of the shadow boxes on the opposing wall, and keeps it from being too serious.

By now you know I have a thing for making curtains with shower curtains.  When I saw these at Target, I knew they were perfect.  There was even left over fabric for the pillow sham!  Talk about value.  I think layering both sets of curtains absolutely makes the room.

Most of the furniture in the room came from Ikea, which is a great source considering most of it will only be used for a few years, but I added a few antique and vintage finds.  This mirror is vintage and I have had it for a long time but never really had a spot for it in my house.  I knew right away that it belonged in here; I painted it with some left over paint from the shadow box project, and....perfection!

You may recall a post I did months ago entitled "White Elephant."  This is a vintage table

I found at an antiques store that is one of the homeowner's favorite things in the room!  He

is so cute and adds just the right amount of character to the room, while carrying on the

animal theme.  I hate to call it a theme, but I guess I have to!

See!  He can hold books or the sweetest little girl on the planet!

I mean, really, that is just too cute!  By the way,
her talented mom MADE that dress (and Gwenna's
lamb costume for Halloween, too).

A girly little hook to hang her coat or hat on....I had to include

a few very feminine touches, it is a little girl's room after all.

The bench is actually a bookshelf turned on it's side with a custom cushion on top.  It is the perfect storage solution in a child's room, and makes the most of the limited space for seating.

The shadow boxes are my very favorite things in the room.  Probably because I designed

them and my husband built them.  I wanted something unusual that could be changed later. 

They could be painted and/or moved into a different space later when Faith is older.

Soon I will post a DIY on how to make these boxes, but they were simple and inexpensive.  I used the accent colors on the frames and chose to have a beadboard back for interest, painted the same color as below the chair rail.  I also alternated the direction of the beadboard, three horizontal and three vertical.

The animals in the boxes are the Schleict brand, painted white so that they almost look like

little statues. I think my friend Kaley had this idea first!  Don't make my mistake and use

any old spray paint, I found out later that they make one for plastic.

The homeowner did an incredible job on this cushion!

Ceiling fans are usually ugly, but not this one!  We live in the desert

so, like it or not, fans are just a part of life here.

We are still trying to figure out how to make this work.  The homeowner bought this

perfect doorknob at Anthropologie, but the back plate is too small for the existing

hole in the door.  Hmmm, we will have to get creative.

I love the fact that these boxes can be changed out seasonally!  

The perfect little snuggle spot.

Nothing is as cute as that little face, but her room runs a close second! Thank you so much for trusting me and allowing me to decorate this important room; the room that Faith will remember always.  Soon I can share her, soon- to- be- born, baby sister's room!