Office makeover

As embarrassing as it is, I have to be honest about how terrible our office used to look so you can get the full effect as to why I’m so proud of it now. I took these pics back in early 2010, and between work and life in general, I just finished with it’s much needed revamp about a month ago.

When we moved into our house in January 2008, life was coming at us in full force. I feel like it wasn’t until last year that we even started making this house our home. Consequently, for two years the office became a dumping ground for junk, papers, and more junk. I hated going into this room! Can you imagine why? =0)

I hated looking at the blank wall when I was on the computer, and I hated having my back to the door. It felt completely closed off from everyone. (Sorry for the bad picture quality here!) And please pardon the disaster and Cooper trying to scratch that hard to reach spot. =0)

The office closet:

I wanted a deep charcoal color in this room, because I love that color but I’m not daring enough to use it in anywhere else. I lucked out on a random trip to Home Depot and got a gallon for $5 in the oops section. Score! But it didn’t cover the whole room so I had to get it matched later and the guys at Home Depot weren’t able to get it right. Fail. So I called off the project till after the holidays. Lowe’s was able to match it no prob, and I’ve gone there ever since for paint. (Sorry Home Depot, I still love you, but Lowe’s is the winner in this paint competition. lol!!)

Here it is today.  I still need to add shelves to this wall and the one on the right.

The wall to the left of the desk is going to be a hodgepodge of mine and Haley’s random art pictures, maps, etc.  Maybe a few design inspiration pics…but I want it to be very casual, which is why most of it is taped or held up with thumbtacks.

The above pic is taken with a flash, and below is without. Both pictures represent how the color shifts and changes throughout the day.

The wicker hamper below is home to all kinds of fabrics for when I get the whole sewing thing down. The bookshelf I’m hoping to paint white soon. When I do, I’ll show you the after for shizzle!!

Bad picture of the other side of the room, facing the closet. I love having the desk facing this direction because I have a view of the outside facing the street, and I can also see the hallway from here.

This wall is one day (hopefully soon!!), going to hold lots of shelves so I can even better organize all my craft supplies. The table in that back corner is actually an old miniature ping-pong table that’s been sitting unused in my garage for probably a year. I covered it with a drop cloth and it currently functions as a temporary craft table.

This is the closet. I moved this huge dresser from our bedroom in here after I wasn’t able to sell it on Craigslist for what I wanted. It turned out to be just what we needed for this space. I’ll probably paint the parts of the wall that are exposed around the dresser

The small drawers hold things like stamps, craft paper… one holds product manuals. The large one at the very bottom houses almost our entire cd collection, and the other two large drawers are filled with wrapping paper in one and gift bags and tissue paper in the other.

I took the door off to save space, and if you haven’t noticed I still need to paint where the hinges were. =0)

I hope that wasn’t picture overload!!

I feel like this room is in it’s ‘during’ phase. There is a lot I need to do over time to get things just how I want them, but my short term goal was to de-clutter and make it an enjoyable place to be at this moment.

Check out my parties page for all the places I’ll be linking up to this week.

Thanks for reading!!
Edited to add: Oh I almost forgot! I started up an Etsy shop so please check it out here. I only have a few items listed for now...still figuring it all out! =0)

Cheap & meaningful wall décor

About a year ago I painted stripes on one side of my hallway. (Read that post here.) It was just what was needed to liven up the space and give it a little character and I still love it. Here’s a few pics before stripe-age. (Yep, I’m making up my own words again.)

I know…pretty bad. Everything is so close together!! And unbalanced. I don’t know what I was thinking, but let’s not linger too long here shall we? not? Anways…

Here’s a few pics from last year after the striped treatment.

Way better, right? Maybe not amazing, but better? =0)

Well, the hallway has undergone another minor makeover, after I found my little flower petal, sunburst-mirror thingy at Target for $7.50, originally $29.99. I know peeps, believe me. That’s 75% off, so I was pretty excited. =0)

So here’s the striped wall, as it looks at this exact moment. B-e-a-utimous. Do you love it!?!!

In addition to the mirror I added a few photos to oomph it up a little more.

I also added this number 8 to the top of the collage.

Eight seems like our family’s lucky number for a long list of reasons. I’ve been thinking of getting a very tiny tattoo of it just for fun, but until then I decided to frame it and put on our wall instead. =0)

So I started with this frame. I bought three of these for .79 cents a piece at a thrift store, so I have two more left to do who knows what with.

I spray painted it black, printed out a number 8 at the library since we are currently out of printer ink and keep forgetting to buy some, (lol!), and slapped that puppy in the frame and onto the wall.

At the same time I was at the library I also printed out this quote from L.M. Montgomery. Haley and I are currently reading Anne of Green Gables, one of my favorite books of all time. I love the entire series.  I spray painted a Dollar Store frame black… and you probably get the idea. =0) (I hung this on the opposite wall, which I haven’t showed you yet, but will soon.)

Click on my Parties page for all the places I’ll be linking up to this week!

Thanks for reading!!

Goodwill goodies

Ok, well yes, I’m finally getting some blogging done around here. What’s going on with that? lol.

Last week I found a few lovies at Goodwill while Haley was spending some quality time with her grandparents that I’m so excited to show you.

Found another cute shelf similar to this one, also from Goodwill. It will probably get the same treatment, but will go in the guest bathroom instead. (Oh, and btw, that other shelf has a whole new look going on, thanks to a beautiful new paint as it’s backdrop. Hope to write about that this week!)

I kind of liked this teacup saucer while I was in the store so I decided to buy it, and I’m so glad I did because I’m in loooove with it now.

It looks so pretty sitting on the counter…the pic above doesn’t do it justice. The edges are all white, so when it’s in the cabinet it will blend in with all the other white dishes I’m collecting.

(I’m trying to collect tons of white and cream dishes to replace our others that are chipped, ugly, and don’t match.)

Plus, I’m trying to convince the hubs that I should paint our cabinets and remove the upper cabinet doors, but right now we don’t have pretty dishes to display anyway so I’m not really pushing it too much. Yet. He’s kind of hesitant about it, but I’m sure in the end he’ll let me, so I’m starting my collection now so that when he gives me the green light I can get started and finished before he can chicken out and change his mind.

bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!!

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So anyways, also got this sweet little ivory pitcher for .99 cents.

I got a few other items that I’ll show you later, but since this post is getting a little long I guess I’ll get to the point. =0)

This fuchsia (uh, totally had to spell check that word!) metal bucket was $1.99, and it was perfect to hold my faux  branches in my entryway.

I sprayed it with two coats of chalkboard paint,

covering the handles with a paper towel.

Then I wrote on it in chalk. =0)

(Uh, hello! Trying to make this tutorial seem harder and more detailed than it really is here people.)

Is that a bug? Pretend you didn’t see that mmmkay??

Lol it’s not really a bug. It’s a piece of ash from the fireplace, where I was originally going to put the bucket after I painted it.

But I decided to put it where the branch-y stuff was to begin with, because it helps cover up the extension cord plug in that corner. The branch-y stuff has been sitting right here for over a year, held together at the base with some twine. I’ve been looking for something that was just the right size to put it in.

I think this work pretty well, what do you think?

I was really messing with the white balance and exposure…and I’m amazingly getting better at taking pictures without a flash, or any natural light.

I should have turned off the lamp on that entryway dresser I think, but I love how bright this space looks here, almost as if it’s flooded with natural light! I took this picture at 11:30 pm!

Here’s a better representation of the entryway at night, taken a minute or two before the above picture, camera settings changed of course.

I’ve been trying to improve on my photography skills, which are about a level zero. =0)

Check out my Parties page for all the blogs I’ll be linking up to this week!

Thanks for reading!!!!!

It's llama time!! and a few other things...

Even though it's a little cooky I'm really loving my friday llama.
Yesterday I even got excited about looking for a picture to post.
Here he is.
Cute and fat.

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Are you loving him?

Me too!!

Also loving all that green grass.

Whenever Haley and I think of what to name them we always come up with "Fatty, Chubster, Sir chucks-a-lot"...and I can't remember the others.

Aren't those names flattering? lol!

My allergies haven't been bothering me TOO, too much yet, so hopefully it will be a nice

pleasant Spring that I can actually look forward

to and enjoy.

I'm hoping to plant some of these in cream, white, and pink.

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Love that aged fence...looks just like mine.

When we moved in Eddie thought we might stain it but I convinced him we shouldn't.

I'm so glad he lets me make all the design decisions. =0)

(Not getting very far on convincing him we should paint our kitchen cabinets though.)

=0)
This week I've started painting our master bathroom.
Love the color so much I want to stay in there all day and just stare at it.
Pictures coming soon. Promise.
Yesterday I went to Goodwill while Haley was at her grandparents,

and scored some pretty cute stuff~

or at least it will be after a few cans of spray paint!

I'll show you when I get around to it..hopefully tonight! lol!

Have a great weekend!

psst!! This morning didn't start off very well for Haley since apparently the

Tooth Fairy forgot to pay her a visit...

I think he/she fell asleep while watching CSI and waiting for Haley to fall asleep.

OOPS!!

Parents-of-the-year award??

Probably not this time around.

=0)