Pretty {Christmasy} in Pink

According to my girls, anything pink, bright, colorful & glittery is IT when it comes to decorating their room for Christmas!

I let them have a little tree in their shared bedroom this year, and we kept the decorations simple & sweet. Snowman ornaments, colored lights, a home-made paper chain (which I thought should be a bit longer, but there's always next year...) & a big glittery pink star! The "tree skirt"? It's a pink & white gingham crib sheet from when they were babies!

We used only what we had, and the girls had a ball decorating their tree!

We placed the tree by the little rocking chair that used to be mine when I was a little girl.

Such a fun tree for little girls!
:)
And the best part was decorating it together using what we already had!
(I know my Hubby liked that last part especially!)

My daughters each chose something that they'd like to collect for Christmas while growing up. This way they'll have a nice collection of decorations when they get their own first place someday!

My oldest chose "Santas" and my youngest chose "Snowmen"....
how fun!!!

I love that my kids get so into decorating too! :)



On a different note:
My kitchen is getting a mini transformation today!

Our electrician is here, as I type, taking out our ugly, 1980's florescent light box & putting in recessed lighting! He's also re-wiring parts of the kitchen to work from the same switch areas & re-working conduit to hide in the wall so that we can either:

1) get new cabinets that go to the ceiling to max out storage in our tiny space
or
2) raise our current cabinets, add moldings, and paint them out.

We'll see!

I can't wait to show y'all pictures & my paint & fabric swatches!!!
Whoo-hoo!


So for today, why don't you do a mini-transformation of your own?
Add something fun to your Christmas decor :)....
What will you do?

Going From A HOUSE to A HOME -- Part 3

Focusing on The Family

In Part 3 of our little "mini-series" on making a HOUSE a HOME, I'd like to share about focusing on your family! This will make your house feel more like HOME for those that you love!!

Ask each member of your family What Makes Them Feel At Home.

You may be surprised at what the answers are! It may be that your kids especially like your hugs and a snack after school to feel at HOME. Or they may like having a kids-only space to play! Your hubby may appreciate "his chair" after a long work day, or enjoy seeing a tidy house. Everyone may agree that they like a cozy, comfortable, cheery feel to feel at HOME. Don't forget to ask yourself what makes you especially feel at home as well! :)

Think about and create "Together Spaces" and "Individual Spaces" in your home.

"Together Spaces" are places in your home where the whole family can interact together. For example, the kitchen table, family room, and backyard are some "Together Spaces". Create an atmosphere in these spaces that encourages warmth, conversation, play, relaxation, and interaction.

At the kitchen table encourage the family to all sit together for meals (at least dinner when schedules allow!), and focus on positive conversation. Set a simple but pretty table, and cook healthy foods!

In the family room make sure there is seating for everyone in your family. Have a basket or shelf to hold games, and have "game nights" together! Read stories to the kids on the couch, or hold a family devotional time. Have "Family Movie Nights" together with piles of pillows and blankets, popcorn and snuggles! Make the family room a comfortable place where you can put your feet up and relax!

In the backyard, have a table for warm-weather eating, and a cozy sitting spot for the adults to relax in while watching kids play. Keep outside play items in a specific spot of your garage or shed, so that kids can get to them easily. Encourage a family game of softball or touch football or frisbee! Roast marshmallows and take pictures of everyone's messy faces! Keep this area of your home tidy and furniture wiped down as necessary so that it can be enjoyed at a moment's notice.

"Individual Spaces" are the places in your home that each member can have some needed "alone time". This is important, too! Cultivate places that encourage rest, quiet, creativity, relaxation, and individual personality.

{a little corner of my girls' room!}

Make your bedrooms (especially the master bedroom) a little retreat. Keep the beds made (teach children to make their own beds before they come down for breakfast), and keep TV's, toys, computers, etc from cluttering up these places for rest and rejuvination! Let individual personalities have a say in how their spaces are decorated, so they will feel more at HOME there.

If you have a desk or office space, make it a place you enjoy being by having a few pretty items about, photos of those you love, and fun desk storage/accessories! Kids really like having a space to call their own, especially for play time. Even a little chair and bookcase in their room with cherished toys and books will give them a quiet place to play and make them feel special!

Make a favorite chair your "reading spot" by placing a basket on the floor next to the chair with favorite magazines and books, reading glasses, a devotional, and a pen and journal for quiet thoughts. Have tea or morning coffee there, and enjoy some moments to yourself at the beginning of the day! Or middle! Or end! :)

Create a Loving Environment in Your Home!

LOVE is the most important ingredient in making a HOME!!! Don't just assume your family knows that you love them, you must tell them so every day! Kind words and warm hugs are the best!!! :) Make it a rule in your home to encourage positive words and tone of voice. To be uplifting. Encourage your family to spend time together often to build strong bonds! Be supportive of the dreams that your family has, for HOME is where they are first dreamt!

And when your family comes home, whether from work, school, or just playing across the street, be sure to say:

WELCOME!! I sure missed you! I am so glad that you are HOME!!!

ps--come back and visit again tomorrow for a FUN SPRING GARDEN PROJECT!

I Shoulda Stuck With the Glue Gun...

Wow, what a fast and busy couple of weeks it's been!!
As you may have read, we are moving back "home" to Chicagoland, and our house is now officially (as of today) on the market!
Whoo-hoo!
(Insert nervous feelings and lots of prayers here...)

We have been getting SO many great projects done in preparation for the sale, and doing lots of staging!!!

I'll be sharing them with you over the next week or so, but here's my most recent project and also the worst DIY mistake I've ever made...
let me warn you, it's not for the faint of heart...
and it's ok if you snicker just a little too...
I did...
just a little later after the fact! :)

To make my daughter's shared room seem more spacious from the doorway, I took down the quilt and rack that used to hang on the wall (seen in this post) and replaced it with very inexpensive white letters found at Michael's to spell "DREAM"!

Too easy, and too cute!

I also took fabric that matches the window mistreatments I had made, and made bedskirts!

The plan was to make 2 bedskirts and matching pillow shams.

NOT end up in the emergency room.

Yup, you read that right!!!

Apparently while you're sewing with a very fast sewing machine you should actually be paying attention to what you're doing, and not thinking of the millions of other things left on your getting-the-house-ready-to-sell-to-do-list.

Cause if you don't actually pay attention to what you're doing something very painful and bad can happen...

Did you know that you can actually sew that needle straight through your finger???

And that it will break into like four pieces?

With one piece left in the needle holder in the machine,
and another stuck out the bottom of your finger,
and another piece actually INSIDE your finger??

Yeah...I didn't know that either!
But trust me, after having minor surgery to get that sliver of broken metal out, I won't be making that mistake again!!!
:)

I know that I should "climb back on the horse" soon and finish hemming bedskirt #2,
but for now, I'll be waiting :)! LOL

No use feeling like a complete tool twice in one week!!!

The pillow shams will be waiting for a bit too!

So now, the one on the left is hemmed, and the one on the right isn't.
*sigh*
oh-well
and
la-dee-da!!!

I think I'll be sticking with my hot glue gun for a while :)!

Window Mistreatment

I thought I would join the Nester from http://nestingplacenc.blogspot.com/ who is doing a show-n-tell today of people's window mistreatments! Easy solutions for windows, not needing sewing or measurements, etc.

I used 1 curtain panel per window in my girls' bedroom to make these mistreatments.

Aren't they cute? And so easy! All I did was put the curtain panel on a rod from Target, gather the material up in folds, and safety pin the folds together in the back to make what looks like a gathered shade!

We tend to move often, and I didn't want to cut the fabric, so this seemed like an easy solution!

I have matching fabric and plan to make pillow shams and dust ruffles to match. Their room has a bit of a shabby chic feel. I'll take more pics after I finish & paint super pale pink!

Well, there you go! Easy-peasy, lemon-squeezey! (As my daughter's little friend would say!)

Hope you enjoyed this, and check out the Nester's other friends who joined in the show & tell!

Blessings,

Stacey