Big girls room

Once I finished my boys room my youngest daughter was very jealous. She felt she had the best room until the boys room was done. Her room had her bed, dresser, an old table with a blanket on top for a nightstand, play kitchen and a couch that I slept on and nursed 3 babies on. All her "stuff" was in piles all over the couch and all over the floor. It was impossible to get to her closet. I hated going in her messy room. Every time we cleaned it she'd be amazed at the toys she'd find hidden in all her other stuff.
I got rid of the couch, moved the kitchen downstairs and re-did her plain white dresser. Then I borrowed an old desk from my folks and re-did that one to match the dresser. I put chalkboard paint on the top of it and that was a huge win with her and my littlest guy. The desk helped a little, but I needed more. I ran back to ana white and built another bookcase. I love Ana. I love the confidence she's given me. I love that my kids have told me that I can do anything and that's how moms should be. My mom could do anything. She still can. Anything.

Here's the room now...




Oh, I also made the curtains and quilted a cute little throw pillow with her name on it for her bed. And the night stand got a paint job and I made a tutu to go around it. So cute and girly now.

There's a few things to finish up, but like the boys room...for now it's done!

Boys Room

When I moved my boys in together, my older son wasn't so happy about not getting his own room. I decided I needed to re-do it. I painted and put up a wall paper border and then realized I didn't have furniture. We have bunk beds and the hard part about that is there's no where to set a book or a cup of water. I found knock-off-wood and built a little book case to go by the top bunk. I found a clip on light at Target to go on the bookcase and my kiddo has been so happy to keep books, his journal, and some water close by. He hurries to bed to be able to read and write in his journal each night. I wish I would have made this years ago.


I also built the bankable book case so we could get lego creations off the dresser and have a place for trophies. I was amazed how easy these were to build.


Now I need a big desk and then I need to re-do a dresser. And I have a quilt to make for the bottom bunk.

For right now though, the boys room is done!!!

More stuff I've made

I've been working hard on more projects. Here they are:

Quilted Pillow from Moda Bakeshop



I finally did the cute felt heart wreath Amy did last year at The Idea Room


And I made a bunch of 2x4 snowmen and gave them ALL away as gifts. I'll have to make them again next year so I can keep one for me. I saw this idea at Next2NothingCrafts


Doing these snowmen made me grateful my parents have an electric sander, but I was really wishing I had a table saw.

Then I finally tried my hand at the freezer paper stenciling that's been all over blog land. Google freezer paper stencil tutorial and you'll find a boatload of tut's. Here's one of the shirts I made:


I have a bunch more projects in the works since I'm about to finish re-doing my third little monkey's room. I'll post those when I'm done with the bunch.

A Pumpkin And A Princess: Halloween candy jar

I blogged surfed forever today determined to find the blog where I saw the candy jar. I found it! So glad. Mine's a little different since the vase has a fluted edge and the lid goes on the inside instead of around the outside.

Here's her original post....


A Pumpkin And A Princess: Halloween candy jar: "I made a candy jar a few years ago but couldn't find it after we moved, so this past weekend Jay and I made a new one. I spray painted the p..."

Halloween decorations

I love to blog surf. I have blogs I check all the time, and they often have link parties. I think it was from one of those that I saw this Halloween decoration. I had this homemade gumball machine thing that my oldest had made years and years ago. She was throwing it out this summer so I snagged it and put it away thinking I'd re-paint it red and fill it with peppermints and give it away as a white elephant gift for Christmas. If I can find the blog I saw this on I'll post the link since they did a tutorial and everything. All I did was tape the glass and spray paint everything black. Add a little orange Halloween ribbon and ta-da!

Here is the before: (Yes, it's lovely -- she says she was 7 when she made it, but I think she was 9 or 10)


And here it is all done! If I had a cricut thing I would add little lacey spiders crawling up the sides, but I don't and I don't free-hand paint very well.

Things I've made

I decided to stop saying someday and start doing. So, I made a bunch of things over the past year. Here are some of them....

Tooth Fairy Pillow from mmmcrafts


Marker Roll -- the tutorial for this is all over the web. I took from several and made it my own way.



Fondant cakes My 4 year old wanted EVERYTHING for his birthday and he liked the picture we found of a scarecrow cake, so that's what he got. Last year he got a pirate.

Beautiful

I often wonder if I'm doing any good at all while raising my kids. The other day I got breakfast going for everyone and then ran to the bathroom. I barely got the door shut when I heard little feet running down the hall after me. My "what" in response to the "MOM" that was shouted was a bit tense.....Then I hear these words "you're beautiful". All my little guy waited for was a thank you before he ran back to the table. I must be doing something right or else I'm just blessed with wonderful kids.