It's the Little Things that Make a Difference!

The weather has been warming up a little this week so it was a great time to open up the windows in our bedroom and do a little trim painting.  The trim was a creamy white (which I painted a couple years ago) but with the new wall color it looked kind of dirty and drab.  I decided to brighten it up a bit with the same white paint that we used on our kitchen cabinets and on the molding/trim in Eli's new big boy room. It's called Decorators White by Benjamin Moore. 

Before color is to the left, new trim color is to the right.

                                              Before...                                            After...

  Windows and baseboards received some love as well.

Now that the wall color, trim, windows and doors are painted we can put our furniture back together in the room and put up our new light fixture.  I had been eyeing one at Lowe's and finally caved this week.  Post to come once its up and room is semi finished.  The hubby still needs to change out the electrical to white to match the room.  We are slowly but surely changing all the electrical in the house from cream to white.  Next up we have hopes of trying to build/make our own fabric headboard.  Will keep you posted! 

Trim is the most tedious of painting jobs, but sure does make a difference in the big scheme of things.  Any of you out there have a favorite trim color?  There are so many whites to choose from that it can be confusing.  I brought home several swatches and held them up in the light next to each other.  They all have a totally different color undertone.  I like the Decorators White because it has a gray undertone which flows with the other colors going on in the house.   And of course you don't have to just go with white.  We have a green trim color in our living room with cream walls. That may get changed out eventually but for now, it's staying :)  

Monday Makeover: Part 1- Master Bedroom paint is on the "Horizon"

As I said in the last post we were hoping to tackle our bedroom this past weekend with a paint change up.  Thanks to my husband's drive and ambition this task is pretty much complete and the bedroom makeover is finally underway.  When we bought our home almost 3 years ago (this May), I picked a paint color that I thought flowed with our duvet cover.  It was a neutral tan called "Earthy Cane" which I really liked but in our room it just never seemed to fit right.  It always felt dark and blah every time I walked into the room and that's exactly what I don't want to feel when I walk into my bedroom.  I want this to be a space where I can create an oasis that gives me room to relax, shut the door and take a little breather from the business of life.  I want it to have a bright airy feel with a little romantic flare but not too feminine since of course the hubs shares the space as well :)  I struggled with picking the right paint color this time.  I knew I wanted a light color, almost white with a grayish tint.  I had a few picked out and finally decided on Benjamin Moore's  "Horizon".  It is a light silvery/gray color with undertones of blue. Of course I didn't buy the Benjamin Moore paint because I didn't want to spend that much, but instead I brought the color to Lowe's and had them color match it in Valspar's 2 in 1 No VOC-Low Odor paint.  I was SO IMPRESSED with the coverage of the paint and plan to use it in the nursery for our next project.

When I envision this room I see white airy curtains, a crystal chandelier of some sorts, linen fabric headboard  with a small sunburst mirror over it, and a large rug to help ground the room and complete the warmth of the space.  I have an old vintage desk that my dad gifted me and side tables that I bought at the Goodwill last year that I plan to refinish.  But before moving forward with all the decor and fun stuff, here is the foundation and basis of our room, the walls.  I think if the walls could talk they are a lot happier as am I.  We slept in the nursery/guest room last night since the fumes were strong but when I walked into the room this morning I was very pleased with the result.  I'm not a fan of it with the bright lights on at night because it changes the look, but in the daylight its exactly what I envisioned.  I plan to put soft lighting in when we change out the lighting.  It's amazing how the right lighting can change the whole atmosphere and mood!

Here is the process of our painting party weekend:

 BEFORE Color in "Earthy Cane" and AFTER in "Horizon"

 

BEFORE...

 The journey of the process...

           

Removed all the outlet covers and trimmed out the entire room first.

First coat is going up...looks white in this picture still.

The hubs rolled the paint while I trimmed.  He is amazing and am so thankful he will help tackle projects with me. We work well as a team.  I'm the detail perfectionist and Nate is the bulldozer and motivator that keeps me going and gets the job done efficiently.  

  

2nd and last coat is up!  Planning to repaint trim "Decorators White" like in Eli's room so it's a little brighter white.

Choosing a paint color can be intimidating and scary, but don't let it keep you from taking a risk and diving in.  To be honest, I'm repainting almost every room in our house that we painted almost 3 years ago because after living in the home, I realize what I really like and what I want to live with long term.  When we moved in, I was picking colors in a flurry so we could get our things settled.  I would advise new home owners not to rush too quickly in painting your rooms because your perspective and liking can change once you live life in a space.  The great thing about paint is that it can be changed easily so you are never locked into it.  Keep in mind the lighting in a room when picking your paint color because that can completely alter the look.  I have had paint swatches hanging along our door frames for a while now so I could think about what I really envisioned and wanted.  And of course, you can always pay a few dollars for paint samples if you need to see larger samples side by side to make your final decision.  If anyone out there is questioning a color or needs help picking one, shoot me an email and maybe I can help brainstorm with you :)  I will be back soon with the next step in the process of the master bedroom makeover!  

As we head into our week leading up to Good Friday and Easter/Resurrection Sunday, may we all  be reminded to fix our minds and hearts on the sober reality of what this time and season represents.  My prayer is that we would all be opened up to new "Horizons" as we set our eyes on Jesus, the source of true life and the answer to all our needs!  

Happy Monday!

Getting My Organization On...

So today is another snowy day and I decided not to venture out on the roads.  Eli and I have had a pajama day and I thought it would be a good time to take advantage of doing a little organization in the basement, pantry, refrigerator, and junk drawer.  I reorganized mine and Eli's closet the other night so I think that jump started me on wanting to get more in order elsewhere.   Organization used to be more of a strong suit for me but when life gets busy things often get misplaced and it soon looks like chaos.  If I have a place designated for certain things then when I go to put them away it makes it easier to keep it more in order, otherwise, things just get piled on top of one another and then I'm swamped.  This gives you a good idea that my house is so far from being perfect and it's just like anyone else's.  I do love when my house feels organized though because it makes my life feel so much better in every area.  It's truly amazing how it can effect the mood of your entire life!  With that said, today I got my organization on and hoping to tackle more as the week goes on!

First up on the agenda was the basement.  It was in total disarray and I wanted to tackle the storage section of the basement where all our totes and boxes are stored.  There were totes opened and off the shelves everywhere from trying to find things.  I had miscellaneous items laying around waiting to be either stored in a tote or put in a Goodwill box.  The basement still needs more functional shelving and I need more totes to make it feel more "orderly", but for now I'm feeling so much better after what I accomplished this morning. In the future here soon, Nate has plans to build wood shelving down there and buy more totes and label everything so it feels more uniformed and easy to find everything.  Post to follow once we get to that step!

Before...

 After...

 Before...

 After...

Next up on the agenda was my small little pantry.  I would LOVE a walk in pantry closet someday but for now I am thankful for what I have.  This too needs some revamping in the future as well.  We have wire shelving which is started to warp in the middle because of the weight of the goods that are stocked on the shelves through the years.  Hoping to remove those and replace with real wood shelves to make it once again more functional.  I went to the dollar store recently and found small plastic totes with the chevron pattern on them.  They had other ones with different geometric shapes as well that were very cool and modern looking.  I knew immediately that I wanted them for some sort of organization in the house.  When I was glancing at the pantry this week I realized that's where they belong. I spent a total of $5 on these plastic boxes and it gave the pantry a nice face lift.  I also found some other containers laying around (2 from Ikea) and a glass jar that wasn't being used as well as some canning jars to help organize the food and give it a more aesthetic appeal :)  The bottom of the closet is where we put our recyclables which should be picked up tomorrow. Here is before and afters...

Before...

 After...

 Close-up of the boxes and containers I used.

 Very top shelf is where we store water pitchers, popcorn maker and things that we don't use that frequently since it is hard to reach.  Second shelf down is this one below.  To the left we have extra pantry items on hand in the back in case we run out.  We often buy in bulk at Sam's so we store some of the extra here or in our jelly cabinet.  The plastic box is our treat box with something for the sweet tooth and gum.  I have some of my canned tomatoes (that I canned this summer) sitting on the shelf along with my rice and pasta that I have stored in canning jars as well.  I usually keep my oil over by my baking area but the bottle is too tall for my cupboards so it stays in the closet.  I need to get a smaller glass bottle to transfer the oil over and keep it with the rest of my baking items.

 Third shelf down is home to some of our snacks and cereal.  We always have cheeze-itz and animal crackers on hand.  The other tall container has cereal in it and it's great for that.  I purchased those at Ikea this past year.  In the box is granola and rice krispies that I use for making granola bars.

 Bottom shelf is our snack area.  Eli likes to help pick out a snack so I put this one at his level.  One of the boxes has nuts/dried fruit, one has chips (we always have tortilla chips in our house since chips, salsa and avocado is a favorite here) and the other box houses miscellaneous snacks.

Next up was our junk drawer.  I had bought an organizer at Ikea this past year as well as another dollar store bin so this drawer looked neat and orderly months and months ago, but again it became mass confusion after a while.  The plastic bin that I used in this drawer has several compartments which is nice to split things up.  One compartment houses tools such as screwdrivers, pliers, measuring tape and flashlight that we like to have accessible.  Another compartment has cords to our computers and phones in it.  Some of the smaller compartments have extra batteries, paint swatches, sticky notes, etc.  In the bin to the right I have pens, extra paper, coupons and menus to local restaurants that we like to have available.  In the back in my address book and stamps.  Everyone needs a junk drawer for those small miscellaneous things that need a home...I just like to have one that has some sort of order to it so when I'm looking for something I know where it is at a quick glance.  Here is the drawer...

Before...

 After...

 Lastly, the refrigerator got some love but I didn't document it with pictures.  Nothing too exciting happened here, but it does feel clean and more organized. I like to do this every time before I go grocery shopping so when I come home with groceries I can put them right away without fighting for a place to put them.  Anyone else have any handy tips on organization?  Or have recommendations for organizational tools.  I find that the dollar store has an abundant of tools for smaller spaces/closets.  Enjoy the rest of your day and thanks for stopping by!

The Full Reveal Has Come...Boy's Room Is Done!

I love room transformations...and this one is by far my favorite in our home!

I am so excited for this one to be done so Eli can now enjoy it!  Thank you "Nemo" for giving us the time and incentive to finish it this week! Having a couple snow days in a row has pushed me to get the room back in order.  It is pretty much complete except for some decorative elements I still want to implement such as a curtain on the closet, new bedspread/pillows and additional art work.  I bought very little decorative items for the room...a lot of stuff I already had on hand throughout the house so I did a little shopping in my own home and tried to use Eli's things as decor:)  That's how I like to roll around here....move things around now and again and makes it feel like new!  Eli is so excited to have his new big boy room complete that he didn't even give us a problem last night before bed or before nap today.  It has such a cozy feel...I'm actually kind of jealous that he has one of the nicest rooms in the house now :)  He is one special little boy and I love that this room will grow with him and his siblings in the future.  Without further a do....welcome to Elias's room!

Side table- already owned and matches bed perfectly. Lamp- already owned.  This was in his nursery, I switched the shade out from a different lamp in the house so it would match the burlap/natural fiber in the room.

This is a copy of a second draft of the Gettysburg Address given by Abraham Lincoln.  We visited Lexington, Mass a couple years ago while my brother lived nearby in Waltham.  We went to the grounds where the battle of Lexington took place.  They had a shop with memorabilia and we bought a set of copies of the Decleration of Independence, Gettysburg address and a couple others.  We were thinking of putting them up in an office, but when I came across them recently (while cleaning out a closet) I thought they would be perfect in his room.  I love how it is copied on old vintage looking paper and the words are quite powerful.

 Recent purchase at Homegoods: Metal basket for $15.  Eli wanted it to be for his stuffed animals.  He is a stuffed animal lover!

 Below is a painting that Eli did recently.  I framed it in a frame that I already had on hand with white matting.  The shelf is one that we had that I painted blue to match the walls.  On the top (to the right) is Eli's fish, Nemo.  In the middle is a white ceramic globe on an axis and to the left is a jar full of his legos.  He has a set in his playroom but I like having something for him to play with when I'm upstairs doing things.  Plus, it's great color for decor as well :)  On first shelf is a globe he can play with that is sitting on top of his bibles, the white wicker basket is the home of some of his favorite things...tools and his camera, and to the far right is a mason jar full of his "monies" that he is saving.  On the second shelf is two wooden trucks (crane and mixer) that Nate and I painted for him before he was born.  They were part of the decor in his nursery because he had a "digger" themed room.  It was definitely appropriate since Nate works in construction with "diggers" everyday and Gampy (Nate's dad) owns Central Maine Crane.  In the middle of the second shelf is a hand painted bowl from Kenya, Africa that a friend bought me when I was young and inside the bowl are rocks from Grand Canyon and Red Rock Canyon in Arizona/Nevada (very first trip Eli went on when he was 7 weeks old in my belly :). The bottom shelf is home to some of his books and a few games that he likes to play.

 Chalkboard on the wall is a recent purchase from Christmas Tree Shops: $12.  I thought it would be great to hang his hats on and write little messages to him.  On the dresser is a rope basket that I made with a friend a while back.  We took a tin pot and hot glued thick rope around it.  Inside the basket is a fake plant from Ikea (low maintenance which I need).  In the middle is a picture of Eli when he was 4 months old, a white ceramic bowl with his binoculars in it, and a set of books with a plastic bird sitting on top.  He loves animals!

Crates are from a thrift store in Fairfield Maine.  I thought these would be great for shoes and other miscellaneous things.  Originally I was going to use them as a night stand but with the bunk beds I am unable to.  The sign at the top is one that I had been wanting to buy from Etsy but didn't want to spend the money.  Found this metal one at Christmas Tree Shops for $2.99.

Sign that we bought when we were first married and then we put it in Eli's nursery.  I wanted it to move with him because I want this to always be a part of our bedtime routine no matter how old :)

Natural bamboo blind was already here when we bought the home.  The brushed nickel curtain rod with blue glass globes on the end was given to me from my mom who had it in our home years ago.  It was in Eli's nursery but thought it would work perfectly in here.  White curtains are from Ikea and those were also in the nursery.  Since we were able to put the curtain rod right up to the ceiling, the curtains fit better in here.  I may not have to hem them as much as I thought.  The nursery has a slanted ceiling so we were unable to put the rod as high before.

I reused the white duvet from the full bed for the time being.  I would like to get matching bedding for top and bottom eventually...I just need the price to be right.  The natural linen pillow is one that I already owned and the knit blanket at the bottom is one made by our long time friend Kim who gave it to Eli for our shower.  It goes perfect in this room.  The rug is one that I bought our first year married for in our bedroom.  It's only a 4x6 so it's great for a small room and the price was amazing when I bought it 4 1/2 years ago for only $25 at Target. 

Now for Before and Afters...

 When we first bought the home.

Before (how it has looked the last 2 years) and After when you first walk into the room....

Before and After to the right corner of the room...

Before and After of the closet and small wall by the door...

Thanks for stopping by our room reveal.  Any projects on your agenda this weekend?  Next up is to finish the closet with a curtain, find some organizational bins and make a little reading nook.  Happy weekend :)