A Milestone

It's a happy day in my home.

Why?

Well, the very useful, but completely ugly child gate at the top of the staircase has finally been removed. Oh My! I can't tell you how excited about this milestone I am. It's been on its last leg for more than a year and can only be closed and opened a few times before it falls off it's hanger - needless to say it was a troublemaker. But now, No more kids calling out "mom, I can't get the gate open", no more listening to the kids swinging it into the wall - because it's fun and no more struggles trying to hang it back on the wall.

Oh Happy Day!

Walking With My Girls

This time every year the girls and I enjoy evening walks together. It is one of my favorite fall activities. The air is cool, the views are beautiful and I'm able to spend some time catching up with the three little girls I love the most. Within a couple weeks flashlights will be required, and much to the girls delight "flashlight walks" will commence.

The Plan: Basement Bathroom

I've been told by the kids that the downstairs bathroom is SCARY! And it is - the whole family avoids it if at all possible. Which is weird because it is a fully functional bathroom. I love the paint color on the walls but I hate the rest of the room. The time has come to add a little Country-Cottage Charm to the room. I'll be keeping the wall color the way it is but plan to change the rest of the room as much as possible.

Here's the plan:

I'm hoping to complete the room by Thanksgiving. Wish my luck.

A Stroll Along Memory Lane

This past weekend I stumbled across an old picture of the first home my husband and I owned.

Within those old walls many first's were celebrated and memories made.

In this house, I became a pet owner.

In this house, I learned how to be a wife.
In this house, I celebrated the birth of my first child and two years later my second child.

In this house, I grew comfortable in my new role of being an "adult".

In this house, I became confident in my own abilities.

In this house, I learned mom's take the good along with the bad - and keep on moving forward.

The memories made within the wall of this old house are good and the lessons learned priceless - amazing what a old photo can do to warm the soul!

Kitchen: Simple Shelves

Outside it's COLD and SNOWING but inside it's warm and toasty (what a crazy October were having!).

I'm so happy to be in my kitchen today thanks to a new set of shelves installed this morning. They have added a tiny touch of warmth to my heart, not to mention a little country cottage charm to the room.

Want to see?

Here is a very bad before picture. This counter area of the kitchen is my "command central". It's where paper work get done, phone calls are made and lists are complied. I spend so much time in this little spot I thought it should have something hanging on the wall to make me smile. I took some scrap lumber and added shelf supports, then painted them all up and here is the results. Ahhhhhh! Much better. Now I think it's time to bake some cookies, the kids will be so happy.

Hope you all have a great weekend, see you Monday. Robin

Favorite Book: Celebrating Home

For the past two years I have been a proud owner of the Seasons of Cannon Falls book "Celebrating Home".

It's a fabulous book and still my go-to book when I need inspiration.

I love each and every page. I think it was a wonderful idea to show the house throughout the year with all it's different seasonal decor. I wish there were more books like it.

Here's the spring kitchen. Aren't the shelves fabulous! Oh, and the sink and the counters and the light fixture. Oh how I wish my kitchen looked the same.
Here's a look at the kids bedroom. Love the garland on the doorway and all the red and white. Also like the yellow walls and the touch of blue on the bedside cabinet.

Take a look at this slipcovered chair! I can't stop thinking about it.

Here's a closer look. Love the ruffles along the edge, the skirt and the adorable tie back. I'm going to attempt to make a similar cover for the scrapbooking desk chair.

Today

Today I am tired.

Today I am grumpy.

Today I am frustrated;

Today my kids are happy.

Today my family is healthy.

Today I am blessed.

Life Is Good Today!

A beautiful sight outside my front door to remind me all things change with time and to celebrate moments.

Halloween Craftiness

I'm feeling crafty!

Since I needed to finish up my Halloween decorating out came the black paint and glitter. I had to think real hard - almost giving myself a headache - and "bing" an idea came to me.

I started with this - (bet you can guess where this is going) - A basic wide wood frame from Micheals.

Next came the fun part - painting and GLITTERING! I always forget how much I love to glitter stuff up. It's just so darn messy and fun - who could hate it!

A shot of this in an attempt to keep my glitter in place.

And there you have it. A glittery, fabulous black frame. OH, I LOVE IT! I love it so much I made TWO!

My final step was adding a cute little Halloween stamp. So cute!

I added both new frames to my dinning room display. All year round this shelf area is a constant thorn in my side. I never know what to do with it - but come Halloween it's the perfect place for my glitter silhouette houses. Last year Micheals sold them unfinished and I was hoping to pick up some more this year but bummer they don't have them. They did have the tree and the BOO. Both received a coat of paint and glitter also this morning. See I told you I love glitter. I find it impossible to stop until the glitter runs out. Little Ms. Z thinks I'm mean since I won't share! Ha! get your own kid, this glitter is mine! (ok I'm not that mean - I did dig out some left over Easter glitter and let her go to town)
I think I'll pick up a few flameless votive candles to scatter around for some nighttime sparkle and then it's done.

What do you thing?
(Come join DIY day at A Soft Place To Land)

A Weekend In The Country

It's always a treat to visit grandma and grandpa, this weekend was no exception.

Grandma took the girls to the pumpkin patch to enjoy the fall season in all it's glory. Petting zoo, hayrides, hot coco, pumpkin picking and a corn maze thrilled the girls into giggly delight!

Curtains: Dropcloth Style

I have received so many compliments on my new curtains for the Family Room I thought I would show how I made them.

Since seeing Layla's dropcloth curtains over on her blog The Lettered Cottage I have wanted to make my very own. And I had the perfect place for them.

I first laid out the fabric on the floor, then cut the ribbon to length. I used two different widths of ribbon, 1/2 and 1 inch.

Next I used my husbands T-square measuring thingy (I think it is used to hang drywall - not sure though) to draw straight lines. Next I pinned the ribbon onto the dropcloth.

Look, I even have a "helper"

After all the ribbon was pinned on I took out my sewing machine and went to work. I'm sure iron on adhesive would have worked also, but I'll use any excuse to breakout the sewing machine.

And there you have it, perfectly wonderful dropcloth curtains.

I think Layla would be proud.

A Bit Of Halloween

Today I'm running a little short on time, so I thought I would share a few of my fall decorations shattered around the house.

I love this arrangement of pumpkins, leaves and berries all resting above my kitchen sink. I love how my feather boa wreath turned out. May have to make some more. The girls love these photos of themselves all scary and red eyed.

The little Halloween town made by the girls

My little bat cutting helpers.

Precious Moments

Today I'm elbow deep in Halloween decorations. I'm finding it very difficult to decorate since I have no real plan or vision this year.

Instead I'm playing with photos on Picnik and avoiding the mess on my dinning room table, desperately hoping inspiration will strike while I'm not thinking about it!

I thought I would share a few photos (newly doctored up on Picnik) that I find sweet.

Ms. Z building your first snowman all by herself.

Mr. Z "helping" mommy sew curtains

Ms. E taking a self portrait.

Family Room: Before and After

Today's the day I'm FINALLY able to show off all that has changed in the family room.

It's a large and busy "L" shaped room. It has a TV/Movie area, a mudroom area, a scrapbook/kids craft area, a kids media area and a playroom area. The walls were dark and it felt like you were in a cave. My plan was to lighten up the room and give it a little character.

Light. Clean. Minimal. That was the plan.

Enough talk, time to get to some before and afters!

This was the before view from the doorway looking towards the TV area.

After.

Here is the before view from standing in front of the TV, looking toward the kids media area and the play area.

After

Here is the before view of the mudroom area.

After

Love how the new curtains turned out. Using inspiration from Layla over at The Lettered Cottage(love her blog!), I uses drop cloths and added ribbon, for some graphic flare.

Here is the before view of the mudroom area and scrapbook/kids craft area.

Another view showing the hallway to the laundry room.

After

Here's another view.
And last, but not least, I love how my newly slipcovered chaise looks all spruced up. It looks like I might have hung the frames a little high, but I plan to fix that with another row once I find something to put in them.

Ahhhhhh, nothing better then a beautiful space you can be proud of.

Until tomorrow, Robin