This is my nephew’s bedroom.  It is a great balance of bright and cheerful and calm and serene.  It is such a fun spot too.  The orange locker holds toys and treasures.  The cut-out above the top bunk leads to the playroom (see here). 

     The best part of all ( from a Mom’s point of view) is that most of the toys are next door in the playroom, so the bedroom is always clean and neat.  Love it!

     The weather has been pretty nice (for February) for the last week.  The sun has been shining and it has been warmer, making me think that maybe the Groundhog was right and we will have an early Spring.  I was inspired to make some brighter and fresher pillow covers to welcome Spring.  I made the covers double-sided.  I didn’t make the covers for the green and white pillows in the back.  I bought those at Ikea a couple of years ago.  

     I made the flowers with felt and scrape material.  I attached them with fabric glue.  I learned how to do the flowers from Autumn over at Design Dump.  Here is a link to her tutorial.  They were quick and easy to make.  They were low cost too.  I spent about $15.00 for everything (I already had the white material.  It was a curtain panel I wasn’t using anymore.).  Here a couple of close-ups.  

     So, I was feeling pretty happy with the weather and the happy pillows.  I was even thinking about pulling out my flip-flops and then this happened.  

     I guess I will hold off on the flip-flops and keep my boots out for a while.  I just hope this year is not like last year.  We had snow showers until the end of May!  Hope your corner of the world is a little brighter and warmer than mine.

     I have finally finished redoing my living room (for now).  Below top is a picture of my first attempt at decorating the living room, and on the bottom is the second try.

     My husband liked the first try and I liked the second, but neither one of us loved either one.  I decided to let my husband call all the shots (well, maybe not all the shots) this time.  He wanted something more masculine, and something less “Churchy”.  He wanted warm, cozy and comfortable.  Okay, so far, so good, that’s what I wanted too.  But how do I all that on a budget that is almost nonexistent?  The easiest thing we did was to change the vibe of the room with paint.  The paint was also the most costly expense.  I wanted good paint that wouldn’t scrub off.  Next, I wanted to change the look of the furniture so I fashioned slipcovers from canvass drop cloths.  I tucked and pinned a lot but there was no sewing involved.  They stand up well to the kids jumping and lounging on them too.  When they get dirty, I just throw them in the wash.  They do look a little rumpled and slouchy most of the time, but I can live with that especially with a cost of $50 for all three covers. 

  Most of my accessories just got shuffled around. 

I did buy the map picture and the mirrors flanking it (below).  All three were on clearance.  I paid full price for the Frenchy pillows.  The throw and the plaid pillow were Christmas gifts.

     I have already talked about the things I added to this “dining room” part of the living room, I just wanted to show a little better detail. 

     I know this look isn’t for everyone.  We like it and it works for our family.  The point I wanted to make with this post is that you can decorate or redecorate without breaking the bank.  Everything we did was easy and inexpensive (I spent about $250.00 for everything).  And best of all everything is relatively kid proof but nice enough for guests.  Please click the link below and stop by Between Naps on the Porch to see some really great transformations.

     We love gingerbread houses.  We make them for most holidays.  This is our Valentine Love Shack.  We made this one totally from scratch since I have not seen any kits in the store.  I usually make a batch of gingerbread cookies for my husband’s birthday (which is in a few days) since he doesn’t like birthday cake and loves gingerbread cookies.  It was a fun project.  I don’t know if I can call it a Valentine’s Day decoration though, it’s already half eaten.  At least the kids let me get a few pictures before they dug in!  Happy Valentine’s Day everyone, hope your day is filled with love.

     I have received a few requests to show more of my black trim and doors.  Above is a picture of my kitchen/dining area.  I have a lighter color on the walls.  It is a light khaki color from Pratt and Lambert.  It’s called Timidity.  It is discontinued but my local paint store mixed it up for me anyway.  I love this color!  It is so calming.  It is a complex color that changes depending on the light.  Sometimes it looks green, sometimes, grey, and sometimes tan.  I love the durability of Pratt and Lambert’s paints.  They wash well without scrubbing off.  The black is a Behr paint called Beluga.  I had Home Depot mix it in the Premium Plus Ultra.      

     The picture below left is my entryway.  The color on the wall is Lightweight Beige from Sherwin Williams.  I wasn’t sure about this color when I first put it on the walls.  It is slightly pinkish.  Now I love it.  It is soft and comforting and gives everything a warm glow.  The picture below right is my bedroom.  The paint color in here is Requisite Grey, also from Sherwin Williams.  (Can you tell I am a big fan of Sherwin Williams?)  It is a warm grey.  It is serene and sophisticated. I am not painting the trim or the inside of the doors in the bedrooms or bathrooms.  I want the private areas of the house to feel a little different than the public area, besides these rooms don’t take as much abuse as the public areas.  Our whole family is really liking the black.  I love it paired with the lighter colors in this post.  My husband really likes it paired with the darker colors in the house (see here).  What do you think?  Are you ready to cross over to the dark side?