Mud Room Update

We are so lucky that this little "mud room" came with our house. I would have never been able to pull off the mud rooms you see on Pinterest. People amaze me!!! Anyway- our mud room had 2 hooks. There are 5 people in our family. That have purses, backpacks, dance bags, coats, sweaters, bathing suits, towels, etc. All for 2 measley hooks! Not working- our mud room was more cluttered that peoples homes that don't have mud rooms. So I added some hooks, and wanted to dress it up! Here is what I did, in pictures: 

What I started with- 8x10 chalkboards (Amazon), and $12 frames from Target (glass and matts removed). The chalkboards were gray, and had an annoying border on them. So I painted them with more chalkboard paint, and popped the borders off (so they'd attach behind the frame without causing issues with hanging them). The borders were easy to pop off- probably not a pro most of the time, but for today it was great! 

I also had to paint the frames gold. Like, HAD TO.

The paints I used were:

Finished with step 1!

Step 2- glue the chalkboard to the frame. I used "gorilla glue" bc it's what we had on hand. Kind of annoying bc it dries white so you can see the seepage on the front of the chalkboard- but whatever. Then place them upside down to dry with something heavy on top. We used training skates :) (I left the open space to leave room for hooks- my wall space wasn't long enough for the frames and hooks underneath!)

This was the best before picture I could get. Before pictures aren't my forte. Usually I remember mid-project.

And after!! Love it! 

Got the hooks at Target- $6 for each "rack":

Mud Room Update

We are so lucky that this little "mud room" came with our house. I would have never been able to pull off the mud rooms you see on Pinterest. People amaze me!!! Anyway- our mud room had 2 hooks. There are 5 people in our family. That have purses, backpacks, dance bags, coats, sweaters, bathing suits, towels, etc. All for 2 measley hooks! Not working- our mud room was more cluttered that peoples homes that don't have mud rooms. So I added some hooks, and wanted to dress it up! Here is what I did, in pictures: 

What I started with- 8x10 chalkboards (Amazon), and $12 frames from Target (glass and matts removed). The chalkboards were gray, and had an annoying border on them. So I painted them with more chalkboard paint, and popped the borders off (so they'd attach behind the frame without causing issues with hanging them). The borders were easy to pop off- probably not a pro most of the time, but for today it was great! 

I also had to paint the frames gold. Like, HAD TO.

The paints I used were:

Finished with step 1!

Step 2- glue the chalkboard to the frame. I used "gorilla glue" bc it's what we had on hand. Kind of annoying bc it dries white so you can see the seepage on the front of the chalkboard- but whatever. Then place them upside down to dry with something heavy on top. We used training skates :) (I left the open space to leave room for hooks- my wall space wasn't long enough for the frames and hooks underneath!)

This was the best before picture I could get. Before pictures aren't my forte. Usually I remember mid-project.

And after!! Love it! 

Got the hooks at Target- $6 for each "rack":

Mother's Day 2013 <3

What an AWESOME Mother's Day with my sweet fam! Here are some pictures :)

Trying to get a decent photo while everyone's in their Sunday best. HA! I love Dax scampering off with my rose he'd given me then snapped in half, me pulling his shirt, Ada's expression & body language, and Tate's screaming. It doesn't get more classic Dowell fam than that!!

My boys working hard to grant mommy's Mother's Day wish- some colorful plants and black mulch in the front yard. 

Maybe if I get IN the hole...

Ada had a blast digging, planting, and watering. Of course! So pretty- 

Tate did decently well! I had to watch from the sidelines about 75% of the time holding the bubbs, but when he was in his chair he was having fun punching and kicking his toys like crazy :)

After we'd gotten the kids to bed (sort of - Tate's in my lap and Dax wouldn't stay in bed)- we are grilled burgers and drank Coronas on the driveway, enjoying our freshly beautified front lawn! (I wish I'd taken a before and after picture- it really looks so great!)

My gift the boys made at Sunday School, so precious!! Ada made me several precious gifts too. Definitely a WONDERFUL Mother's Day!!

And I'll leave you with a picture of all 4 generations of my grandma, mom, me, and Ada from several years ago <3

Engineering Prints Project

I've had a black and white wall since our first Europe trip when I was 22.  

It gradually evolved after we got married, had kids, etc.  And it was starting to look scrappy to me.

A few months ago I came across THIS idea on Pinterest.  

Massive black and white photos for, like, pennies at Staples! 

Mental note: do this ASAP.

I'd intended to do it exactly like the genius from Sugar Bee Crafts did it- by applying it to foam insulation board, etc.  But I chickened out at the last minute and decided to step it up a notch and use canvases.  Guess what?  Hobby Lobby has canvases 30% off this week!  Plus I used that 40% coupon on one of them each trip. :)  

So, it did end up costing a little more- but I still scored big bargains AND I knew the final product would be a higher quality.  Plus, I would screw up cutting up that foam board so many times I'd waste just as much money as I'd spend on canvases.  

So, justified.

So, without further adieu- here's how I did it, and what you can expect yours to look like when you do it,since you won't be able to resist the project either! :)

Paint the edges of the canvases black- it looks classier. 

And I learned after applying one print that you should also paint the inner edges black, too.  Otherwise you'll have white peeking through where it's not adhered perfectly.  

And trust me, it won't adhere perfectly- just brace up for that you psycho perfectionists.  :)

Using some sort of spray adhesive (I had leftover Loc-Tite I bought at Lowe's from my upholstered headboard project, but Elmer's makes one you can grab at Hobby Lobby when you get your canvases). 

Spray the edge of the canvas and corresponding edge of your super huge photo- align as well as you can and plop it down.

Let that dry for a second you so have one secure adhered edge like the picture above.  Then liberally spray the rest of the canvas and back of the print- try to get all the way to the edges.  

Carefully lay your print down and smooth it down with something flat- I used a level-thingy.

Aaaahhhh- Paris.

Careful to work with dry paint, and wash your hands frequently after touching the ink- Dax now has black streaks on his forehead!

This is mid-project chaos.

I'd given Ada the paper scraps from cutting out the pictures, and her work area looked a lot like mine when I came in to check on her!

Now you're ready to hang them!  Some of them I had to go in with Elmer's school glue to get the edges to stick a little better.  Just FYI.

Professional photo by Rob Milton.  Who will probably cringe when he sees his shots blown up on 24x36in computer paper!  But they really don't lose a ton of quality.  I would stick to 18x24 for amateur or even phone pictures (YES!  Phone pictures and Instagram shots worked!)- but if it's a GOOD professional shot, 24x36 will be fine.

Notice some of the bubbling- especially in the one of sweet Ada at 3 weeks old.  Now, some of that is the blanket wrinkled up in the actual picture, but you can definitely tell it's not flat.  It doesn't look THIS terrible in real life- but again, perfectionists beware!

If you're hanging them on the stair wall, get prepared.  

Either be a good, patient girl and wait for your husband to get home.

Or be at least 5'9", and try not to be 8 months pregnant.

I can FEEL my mom cringing at this picture of the stool I stood on while hanging a few.

Here's a big picture shot of the big pictures! :)

Love it. Love it. Love it.

(Stop analyzing my spacing, alignment, angles, etc.  I'm not changing it! Mostly because I refuse to touch up the walls where I scraped black paint or nailed 6 holes.)

The Finished Study

And by "finished" study, I really mean "no-longer-the-armpit-of-the-house" study.

Remember these lovely BEFORE shots from THIS post about our new house, the decor, and the projects?

Embarrassing. This is what you see as soon as you step in the front door!

Gulp.

Well, thanks to my new ultra- 90s armoire I purchased from Craigslist, I can proudly post a picture of the cleaned up war zone!

Much better.

Sighs with relief.

I love it!  Thankfully it was already white, so I didn't have to lift a finger to deal with it.  

Well... Casey, Steve, and Drew had to lift fingers to move it; but I personally lifted no fingers.

The armoire in all its glory!  Although I can totally picture this piece in a room decorated with pastel seashells and pink and green water color paintings in 1992- I still LOVE it!  

It is exactly what I was looking for.  

Casey had to REALLY bite his tongue when he found out how what I'd bought- but he just couldn't visualize it in our house.  But (of course), I was totally right.  It's perfect.

Notice the hidden shelf to the left- perfect place to stash computer paper, cardstock, and laminating sheets.
That's right, laminating sheets.  All I asked for for my birthday was a laminating machine, and CHA-CHING!  My mommy got me one! :)

 I will one day become a Pinterest sensation when I 

formulate the perfect solution to organizing this junk.  

But for now, I am patting myself on the back for being able to shove it all in there without breaking it.

I blogged about our old study organization HERE a few years ago- although I love and miss that peg board, I am going for something a little more grown up now. 

I am 30 after all.  :)

Hey, I know where everything is.  That's all that matters.

Oh yeah, here are those fabric covered canvases I briefly discussed!

Again, get on your phone and pull up the Hobby Lobby 40% coupon.  

Purchase the most massive canvas you can find. 

Return 2 more days and purchase more canvases. (You can only use the coupon once per trip)  

Find some fabric you like (These were all clearance outdoor fabrics at Joanne's, but I also like the "duck" fabric at Hobby Lobby- which is typically pretty inexpensive)- 

and get yourself at least 2 yards of each.

CAREFULLY align and cover- I used a staple gun. 

Perfectionism is not in my nature, so this was difficult for me.

A beautiful view of the Northwest corner of the house :)

And here I sit, blogging about it all!

Oh, and I lied a few posts ago when I said I was done crafting for at least a month.  

We are going to Lowe's after nap time today for foam insulation board 

to paste these Staples engineer prints to- 

and make a massive black and white wall for the staircase.  

I'll post AFTER pictures soon!

UPDATE: it's finished!  See it HERE.

The New Digs!

OK, here are some A TON of pictures of the new place!!  

I am also posting pictures of a few of the crafts and DIY projects I've completed so far- 

nothing spectacular, but I consider it a spectacular feat that it happened at all with everything that's been going on lately.

Welcome Home!

Front door and foyer- that little door on the left is a half bath-

Nothing spectacular, but I did spruce it up with a soft, white towel  :)

Across the foyer from the bathroom is a nifty little space called a study...

Ooorrrr a nuclear bomb test site.  

That'll hopefully change this weekend- 

I'm going to check out an antique armoire I found on Craigslist today!  

Antique armoire = crap holder.

This is a craft that will eventually be displayed in the office- super large canvases (each purchased on separate days with that beloved 40% Hobby Lobby coupon!) and covered in fabrics.

UPDATE- see the cleaned-up study HERE!

A mudroom- yay!  

Someday I will Pinterest this space.

I have a laundry ROOM- not a laundry closet!  Woo!  

Aka: secondary nuclear bomb test site.  

There is a little nook in that right corner that Casey plans to 

take the baseboards out of so the shelf will fit snugly inside :) 

I will also Pinterest this room someday... in the very distant future.

Dining room with an invisible table and chairs.

And white frames with fabric in it.

And more glossy white Goodwill vases and jugs.

Foyer area still- these vases are from Goodwill for <$1, spray painted a glossy white. Pinterest.  :)

Who loves this mirror?  Meeee!!  

If you love quatrefoil mirrors, don't spend $300.  Don't even spend $70 for the one at Lowe's.  

Go to Hobby Lobby.  When they have their wall decor half off- I only paid $35 for this sucker!  

(Hint: wall decor 50% THIS WEEK!)

Ooohhh, I love my kitchen.

Ohhhh, I love my living room!

Can I just say, thank goodness for such GENEROUS in-laws (Grams and PaPa) 

who bought us our couch, entertainment center, AND the kids' beds as a housewarming gift.  

If it weren't for them, I'd have no furniture worth picturing!  

FYI: Target rug for $80, Target lampshade for $20. :)

Entertainment center.  

And a scooter.

And let's be honest- pan out a few more feet and this is what it actually looks like...

I LOVE the Ikat pillows purchased at Garden Ridge and Hobby Lobby 

(seen in the corners of the couch on the other photo)- 

but these pictured are all homemade or recovered. :) 

AND, the D pillow is actually done with the regular ole sewing machine- 

not the monogramming attachment!  

If you want to know how I did it, let me know.  It's beyond simple. 

Maybe even easier than the monogramming function.

Styled bookcase on a serious budget- more Goodwill vases spray painted.

Hobby Lobby 50% off frames.

Goodwill bookends.

Hobby Lobby gold charger plate- $1!

A silhouette my mom drew of me at age 2.  That was the birth of Baby Shadow.

Don't know who Baby Shadow is?  

Maybe I'll get drunk and blog about my bizarre imagination as a kid someday.

 Covered patio!  

I will not be picturing the rest of the backyard.  It's worse than the study. :)

Playroom.  

A MUST HAVE on our checklist.  

Again, more Pinterest ideas that will probably not happen anytime soon.  

I'm pretty much over crafting and decorating for a while- at least a month. :)

Casey's planning on hiding those TV cords, someday!

Ada's cutie-pie room.

She has her own bathroom!!!  

Dax's bathroom is not pictured.  

It's, you know, a bathroom. With toys in the tub, a stool at the sink, and teal rugs.

Dax's Outer Space Room-

Made these- yes those are glow-in the dark sticker stars.  It's bad a$$ at night!

Dax's big boy bunk beds!!!  It's nap time at our house right now.  

If I'm blogging- it's nap time.

And the baby's.... eclectic... nursery. Poor #3!

And the Master Bedroom.  

I do love our room-  but it will take me a while to decide what I really want to do in here.  

Not much can top our old bedroom re-do!  Visit HERE to see it.  

If you don't remember what our old headboard looked like, I painted it and "upholstered" it.  I don't have a link to a DIY- I just kind of read over a bunch of Pinterest projects and winged it.  Wung it.  How do you say "wing it" past tense??

Here's the headboard BEFORE:

And an up close AFTER: 

I also made Euro-shams!  I could NOT find anything I was in love with (or could afford), so I just used leftover fabric from the fabric canvas project to last me until I know what I want to do in here.

Who cares about the back seam?  Me!  And probably my MorMor.. :)

Another DIY project- this is a $20 writing desk I found on Craigslist that sat in the attic for 2 years.  I just sanded the crap out of it and spray painted it a glossy black.  Casey is going to drill some holes in the back of the little cubbies for my cords to discretely fit through! :)

And my last DIY- this lovely end table my Mom gave me!  I loved it before, but wanted something a Kardashian would put in her house.  :)

Terrible lighting, but I love this little nook.  For now it is a laundry dumping ground.  It will soon be a bassinet/rocking chair place.  And eventually, I plan to make it a sitting area... where I can stare at the massive swing set outside my window! :)

Master bath.  Boring... :)

UPDATE: see the engineering prints project I completed for a big blank wall!  :)

And folks, that's my house!  I'll post decorated study pictures as soon as the haz-mat crew comes and clears it for safety!  :)