Only one post this month... I've been busy

Everyday I go to bed thinking... "oh crap!  I didn't finish my blog post!"  Then I go to bed, I wake up in the morning to a new order from Etsy and I go about my day.  Then during naptime I get started on the order and work until the kids wake up.  Speaking of kids, I've also been taking care of a couple of kids during the weekdays to help out friends in need.  We go to the park and/or walk and spend as much time outside as possible.  Then suddenly it's the end of the day and I still haven't written my blog post.  Who am I to complain, an order is an order, no matter how big or small.  At least I am lucky enough to have a fabulous place to work everyday... if I do say so myself!  I even have a great place for yoga in the mornings!

A month ago I posted photos of the new wall in the dining room, well that was the smallest project from the week.  This room may have been my favorite.  With about $250, a day of my wonderful husband's free time, and a few coats of paint I was able to transform my dark, work room into a sun filled studio.  I'm still looking for a few key items: a vintage clothing rack and a large armoire or sideboard for all of the finished "for Sale" items.  But I feel those will pop up one day on the side of the road or at an amazing tag sale.  I'll keep you posted when I find them.

I started with a few coats of simple stone grey paint from home depot, Behr brand.  I like using paint with a built in primer.  Costs around $35, but I only needed one can of paint.  Then I found a great and reasonably inexpensive flooring at Ikea,  It is laminate, super easy to clean and gives a great beach vibe.  The room has a new life to it, much better than the black and grey carpet squares and tan paint.  Since the room is at the back of the house I needed to find a way to bring in some natural light.  I basically turned my studio into a huge light box!

I also did a bit of reorganizing.  I used to hold all my tools and trimmings in these metal pails I ordered from Burton & Burton for my wedding.  They have been super handy, but I figured I was wasting a lot of valuable space in my little room.  I also sacrificed the pails and a table to add in a little sitting area, I do have to admit sitting in my little chair and typing this afternoon has been lovely.  Below is a quick picture of what the room looked like before.  I have to admit a few little things make a big difference.

 

The floor as made clean up easier and the room seems to attract good vibes, maybe its the fact that all of the little ones that spend so much time at my house just love this room.  They point at the mobiles and we practice our colors.  I have been working on a few tea sets and crochet rugs, but those are for another post.  With my days being so busy I hope I get a chance to take some time out in the next few weeks and spend a little bit of time sharing my projects and inspirations.  Sorry about the delay, I'll gear up for the next show and tell!

A little update break.

The last two weeks have been a rush! My husband was on spring break for the last two weeks. We usually take a week and drive to Florida, spend time with family, get some sun, and drive back. This spring break we decided to stay home and renovate. It just so happened that New England was also experiencing 60+Deg weather. We accomplished so much!

The smallest project we tackled over break I actually just finished. It was the last and has made the most impact. I could shoot myself though. I thought I took a "before" photo, but alas I cannot find it. I even rummaged through past holiday and random photos of Max to try and find one. Obviously this was the most boring wall in my house. It was grey and painted white below the chair rail.... snooze... 

So, I spend some free time on Pinterest and found a bunch of sources for "Activity" type walls. Check them out on my Pinterest Board.

Max has started finishing dinner before Charlie and me. So we let him down to play, now he has the perfect space to play where we can still keep an eye on him.

This project took approximately 4 days.  I started on Friday night painting on 3 light coats of Rustoleum Magnetic Primer.    Word to the wise!  This is a very stinky project, keep the room well ventilated.  Also, I suggest asking the paint department at your local hardware store to shake the can in the electric mixer!  If it's not possible to have your can mixed at a store you will need to shake and stir for several minutes.  There are metal shavings in the paint that will settle to the bottom.  Clean up is also a chore, you cannot use soap and water.  I suggest tossing the brush and roller cover after use and using a paint tray liner, no need to clean up, just toss.  I then followed with 2 coats of Rustoleum Chalk Board Paint.  Use a roller for the smoothest finish for both.  The Chalk board paint needs about 3 days to cure. 

This morning I was out running errands, basically out to buy a magnetic strip to hold knives in the kitchen, photos of that project coming soon!  Well while I was looking at them I had a fantastic idea!  I grabbed two more strips and a couple of metal containers from the kitchen area of the store.  They are perfect for holding Max's Chalk and Magnets!  They even had clear lids so he can see what is in each.  I was thinking about using old 35mm developing tins, however since I don't develop film like I used to I don't have the same access to them.  I did find basic square tins at the check out!  There was a rack with "Gift Card Tins".  You know those little squares you see the big box stores use to give gift cards in.  I snatched two, now all of the thumb tacks and restaurant coupons and gift cards have a handy place to live.

Rosie found her way back upstairs from the basement along with an old clock and cork board.  Now we have a nice community area to share news, remind us of bills, and make art all in one space.  I also have to share a close up of our House Rules.  The kitchen has recently been nick named the "War Room" based on our artwork.  Charlie's found a bunch of vintage WW2 Propaganda Posters in his grandfather's belongings.  Charlie had them framed while attending college and we have hung them in the dinning room in the new house.  So this room is now the place where things are talked out and each person gets a chance to say what is on their mind.  Sometimes art might play a part too.  But for right now, we will encourage Max to draw and create. 





























Check back soon for photos of the other projects from Spring break.  I promise they are even cooler than this one!

Coming soon!