finola's room // an update!

Three years ago, when we found out at her birth, that Finola was a girl indeed, the nursery was very gender neutral. We had basically mimicked Cormac's nursery in our previous home, using all the same decor, crib bedding and furniture.   We even used the same pale gray wall color. You've gotta love the versatility of gray!
I figured I would add more girly details as time passed, and we got to know Finola personality a bit better.

Here was the post of the renovated nursery, way back then.   I can't believe how sparse and boring it looked.  You can certainly tell it had not been lived in by a sweet baby yet! So many cool memories have taken place in this room since she arrived.  Endless milestones, games, conversations and stories.

A lot has changed aesthetically, too! Since then a lot of pink, both pale and fuchsia, has been intermingled with the turquoise. The green was basically done away with. Some florals, glorious florals, were also worked into the space! I have a flower weakness.

Her room is basically a mish-mash of pieces - much more eclectic now.

She got a big girl bed (daybed from IKEA) - that is kinda awesome with it's storage drawers and ability to pull out to become king-sized!  I upcycled a crappy little bench I found at Goodwill for $10 and made it a window seat with a cushion.  I chalk-painted the little side table by the chair turquoise -- another "free" item!  The stool by her bed I acquired from my parents and painted/stained. We sold the white wardrobe on Craig's List and are in the middle of converting the closet into a real closet again.  (You'll notice there are no doors yet, and it needs more shelving.)  I've added art prints that are more feminine and reflective of Fin's personality : Bright!  Loud!  Full of life!

So there has been a lot of girlishness happening in Fin's room!  (Which is obviously no longer a "nursery" but a toddler girl room.)  I thought it might be fun to do before & after pics of her room from when she was first born, to now as a three-year-old...

Disclaimer : I did spend ten minutes picking up toys/books in the room prior to taking these pics, as well as making her bed (which I only remember to do half the time.) I did not dust or vacuum or sweep or go to any extraordinary lengths to "organize" her stuff, nor did I edit them the pics any way.  All that to say...usually it looks much messier...but not much"different." 

Here is then and now...

Then...barely used...

Now...more personality!

I have no idea why we originally put the changing table in the closet.  I get weird notions sometimes. You live, you learn!

I have no idea where to put the tent I made.

the frilly pink lampshade I put on the eiffel tower lamp is off-kilter...but that's okay. 

it's nice to no longer need to use this as a changing table!

p.s. that is not fin's afternoon coffee.  my kids don't need caffeine.

Then and now!

You'll notice in the below before and after we moved the dresser out of the closet so we can eventually put doors on and she can have a "real" closet.  Plus, there is much more LIGHT!  Since Fin's birth the magnolia tree outside her window was cut down.  Yes, very sad, as it was a beautiful tree...but I actually love the extra light!

I love how things have evolved in this space.  I love that we have lived in a home long enough to see things evolve!  Yes, we have officially lived in 'the dream home' for four years, making a record for us as a married couple in a home!

I hope we are here another fifty!

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How have things changed in your babies rooms as they transitioned from babe to toddler?  

january diy : colorful play tent!

I love crafting and just being creative in general -- despite not having a natural propensity for it (meaning : I am impatient and disorganized!) So crafting for me usually means a lot of unfinished projects lying around the house, and lots of mess! Sure, I do get a lot completed...and it is that satisfaction that drives me to keep on crafting/diy-ing. I love seeing things in my house that I had a hand in creating!

This year I decided to pick one project per month, in an effort to focus more on one task at a time and be more organized!  Oh, and save money by buying only what is necessary for that month's craft.  (Seriously, I have a lot of crap I've never used in my basement and crafting bin.)

Last month's project: A play tent for the family room!  I blogged in this post about wanting a striped play tent.  But instead of spending lots of cash ($160!) for this cute one...I made my own humble, yet still cute, version! (around $40!)

There are plenty of DIY no-sew tutorials out there for tents, but I fell in love with this tutorial about making a simple A-frame with colorful yarn-wrapped posts.

Here is how mine turned out....

I might eventually get a rug for underneath...but for now these colorful tiles do the trick!

I purchased the fabric from IKEA!

I took these pics right after I finished it.  Lil Girl is checking things out cautiously...while wielding some sort of weapon.

We've been playing in it quite a bit -- usually filling it with pillows and blankets and having "sleepovers."  I love how it adds to the "kid-friendliness" of our family room...and I am excited to add more decor to this room to make it feel more "done."  

Things to come in this space...

• A large antique "built-in" cabinet that purchased at an antique store -- which will replace the old + ugly cabinets/shelves we currently have.

• a DIY coffee table made from salvaged barn wood from my parent's farm

• curtains!  I plan to make them myself...so it could be a while...

• a cute gallery wall!  I am currently gathering items I want to put here.  I have a vision and it is VERY slowly coming together.

What are you currently working on in your home?

design rule to break : separating kid + adult spaces

If you have a smaller home without a bonus room to fully dedicate to toys/kiddos stuff you may be tempted to sacrifice one of your "adult rooms" (dining room, main floor guest room, office) to make way for a convenient "play room." 

Parents want a room near their kitchen to spend time in (talk to other adults, get stuff done) while the kids play.  A room that houses an unspeakable amount of toys, that perhaps does not have to be fully cleaned up.  Ever.  It tends to be an "all or nothing" situation.  Explosion of toys or fancy adult room.

I have to challenge this.  Do we really need to completely eliminate a main adult space to make a giant space for kid play?
Through creative design can we make our living rooms do double duty - in a stylish way?

Can a living room be adult chic and kid-friendly?

Yes to all of this!

The modern furniture store Modani Modern Furniture is currently featuring 'design rules to break' -- and this is mine: You don't need to separate you adult spaces + kid spaces.  Make one space do both! 

A living room can be a fun, modern, playful, yet chic spot for everyone. One that still reflects your adult decor style while housing a copious amount of toys. (Well, maybe not. You might be over-run by toys.  It happens.  Perhaps consider keeping the majority of toys in their bedroom...or if you truly feel you need an entire room - besides their bedroom - to house toys...consider a purge!  Donate, have a yard sale, or sort everything into bins and keep some bins in storage, rotating them on occasion to keep things interesting for your little ones.)


We are currently working on making our back living room a double-duty, kid-friendly space.  This post shows how far we've come in the dream home with transforming it.  We still aren't using the room fully as we need to over-haul the built-in cabinet so that it can house the TV and become our main family space...but, it is close. 

The kids already have a TON of fun playing here.  They go crazy wrestling/throwing pillows on the sectional. They love the soft rug to tumble on, and of course have various bins of toys that get strewn everywhere most days.  That is just life when you stay at home with two kids.

I love that my little ones adore the room already -- it is bright and cheerful and I want to keep it colorful and fun!  However, I also want it to be stylish and reflect my decor style/personality.  

Here are some of my picks from Modani for combining the current black + white trend (which I adore, clearly!) with playful pops of color that work in a playroom...while also mixing curves and straight lines.  You know, for all you artful types that notice stuff like that.

paris print // bright pillow // LOVE pillows // coffee table

I think any of these could work in our space, and prove that even if you love sleek and chic you can still have a kid-friendly vibe.

Here is what needs to happen (and some things we've already done) to accomplish this in our living room: 

• Toy storage . That will be in this built-in cabinet that will be re-done to house the TV + toys/games.  I think to quickly convert the space to adult-chic you need to be able to quickly stash all the kiddo stuff away out of view!   
• A play tent - I really want a fun play tent for the kids...that can house (hide!) more toys and/or be taken down easily if needed.  I love this striped one!
• A play mat (again, can be easily put away) for extra "tumbling" space.  If your space is carpeted this is not as crucial, but we have hardwoods throughout our home, so I am always on the hunt for fun + reasonably-priced rugs.

• Lots of fun pillows!  Kids loooove to throw pillows and build forts in living rooms.  (Or at least mine do.)  So just mentally prepare yourself for this and buy pillows you are okay with getting thrown everywhere.  I am going with black + white right alongside bright teal + chartreuse solids and prints.  I like the bright color and playfulness of these as well:

• Bold artwork.  I need to fill that blank wall so I plan combining more black and white photography with pops of color and some large letters in a mix of materials.  It is interesting how observant kids are about photos and art.  It really does matter what you put up - they will ask questions and be influenced by it all!  Make it fun!

• A coffee table for family games (and adult game nights, too.)  The plan is to make one our of reclaimed barn wood from the farm I grew up on...but this one is pretty cute and only $99 right now.  I love the glam + fun legs on this!

• A sectional for maximum seating - and playing!  We definitely considered "kid-friendliness" when furniture shopping for this space.  Pushing that ottoman up next to the chaise creates a large "bed" for family snuggling during movie nights...or just a large area for the kiddos to wrestle!  If you are creating a kid-friendly space in your living room I suggest maximizing seating with a sectional!!!  Then during adult entertaining the ottoman can be moved for an extra seat in the arrangement.  We got our couch at Macy's Home after scouring every furniture store in the Cincinnati area.  Make sure when you go looking you have exact measurements of your space and take into consideration floor registers and whether or not you want room for end tables.

  

  yeah...this happens a lot.

  

  the look of a kid who adores whacking + burying his sister with pillows...boy bliss!

Do you have a room that does double duty as a kiddo 'play room'?  What are some ways you keep your home both "kid-friendly" and "adult chic" ?

a simple + cozy porch makeover

When we moved into the 'dream home' I knew that making the outside a useable, inviting space would take a while -- mainly because we had soooo much to do on the inside (catch up here.)

Two years later we still done much to the outside.  A complete overhaul of the backyard is now slated to begin in the spring. 

However, the one area we have done a little something to is our little side porch.  Not a lot, but definitely have transformed it from the dull space it was to a bright and cozy spot to drink a glass of wine and read a book.

Here are some views of the little porch when we first bought the place...

Not exactly a space where I'd like to hang out with my loved ones and enjoy a nice summer evening.  (I especially like the old sink and random plywood just hanging out.)

Thankfully, Hubby and I were able to envision this porch (former entrance to the second unit) as a lovely asset to our home -- someday.   Since we don't have a cool rooftop deck or a big wrap around porch like many homes in our historic neighborhood, we really have to take advantage of the space we do have -- this porch, the little deck above it (Finola's little 'Juliet' balcony!) and our decently sized backyard.

In July, for my birthday, Hubby purchased two lovely white porch rockers and a porch swing.

Even before adding some cozy accessories these additions made me very happy.  My two tiny ones love to sit out there with me during the day.  Sometimes we will all get on the porch swing and rock and I swear they are silent and content for at least three solid minutes.

After we got the rockers/swing I knew it was time to add some personality and coziness if we were to entertain out there...so I tossed on some of my current favorite pillows, a striped throw, and added a little metal table for the aforementioned wine (or beer! or coffee!)

The 'Happy Home' pillow is from Tinyprints.  I didn't even know they sold really cute pillows until I was scouring their website something altogether different.  I fell in love with this one because I could basically put it in any room in our home and like it - the bold typography in black and white...these elements are found in every room in our home.  I personalized the pillow with the year we moved into the 'dream home' which make me love it even more.

The geometric print black and white pillow and striped throw are from Ikea (which, again, I could put in any room in our home and get warm fuzzies from) as well as the round metal table and galvanized pot.  The furniture is from Lowe's.  The rug and teal pillow are from Target.

 I added a few cloth blooms that matched my color scheme to a plain twig wreath to add a little something to the door.  (Pre-made wreaths are expensive! Much better to do it yourself...pretty easy and a fraction of the price!)

BEFORE + AFTER

Clearly there is a lot you can do to any space by painting and adding minimalist yet lovely furniture...and a few styling details to make it personal, of course!   

Linking this post up at...Whipperberry
and Liz Marie Blog and Stephanie Lynn!


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Fall is here! 

The temp finally dipped to the sixties and it feels so crisp + refreshing outside.

I am excited for wine on the porch, fire in the chiminea, kiddos jumping into mountains of crunchy leaves, and sweaters.  Oh, the sweaters!

What are you most looking forward to this season?