kirstencan

Running Water

You guys:  Water!

Water running UPSTAIRS!

I may not have mentioned this, but we've been in the midst of a bathroom remodel (...since August...).  The kind your house insists that you do on it's time schedule, without warning or financial preparation.  Last year it was the kitchen insisting...  Someday we'll do something that's on the top of OUR list.

Anyway, we've been sharing the downstairs half bath, and showering in the basement weird bath.

Seriously, it's weird.  Big and partially unfinished, partly storage, partly FREEZING.  No towel racks.

Also, spiders.

So not to jinx it, but I'm thinking I MAY not have to run downstairs in the middle of the night to pee much longer.  Cross your fingers for me, please!

Surprise room makeover

Spoiler:

Okay, keep reading!

My daughter just got back from a three day 'pioneer trek' where they basically have to hike, pull handcarts, and camp.  It's a big deal.  I realized a few weeks ago that it'd be an awesome time to surprise her with a little room redo!

Let's go back to some before shots. Yikes.

Notice anything missing?  Like a BED?  She was sleeping in a loft bed, but decided she was tired of it this winter and put her mattress on the floor.  And we haven't done anything about her bed situation since then!

So after I dropped her off for her big adventure (at 7am!), I came home and spent the rest of the day (with help from my AWESOME MOM) cleaning and organizing her room.  It got crazy.  Worse before better, right?  She has So. Much. Stuff. 

I didn't count, but pretty sure we found at least 100 pencils/colored pencils.  Also about 100 hair elastics. No joke.  We organized her stuff, but didn't get rid of anything important, I promise. 

We did box up a lot of toys that were still hanging around with nowhere to go, which really freed up space and visual clutter.

When she got home, she walked in to see this!

So we didn't paint or change her curtains.  But, we did do a lot.

We setup my old bed (it goes back a couple generations, it was my grandma's bed!), got her a bedside 'cart' (which holds books, charge cords (in her record bowl!), etc.), and hung up some new stuff. 

She's had the chinese parasol (from her Grandparents' trip to SF chinatown) for years, but I'd never figured out how to hang it.  Um, it took less than 30 seconds.

My mom made all the awesome pom poms! (print is a silkscreened handkerchief from Mikodesign).

The girl made the yo-yo pillow a couple years ago with Nana.  We got her a cute aqua sham and a new big pillow, with a pillowcase made from a thrifted sheet.  The morning she came home I stitched up the felt + pink houndstooth pillow. 

I spy a succulent!  I had fun playing with layers, COLOR, and mixing patterns like a crazy person.

We weeded/straightened her bookcases, but left them largely alone.  She still has her blossom branches from her 8th birthday party!

Nana gave her a new quilt for her birthday.

My mom gave her this letterpress print from Sycamore Street Press.  It looks sweet above her dream hooks.

We pom-pommed up her barre mirrors and added a few dance portraits.  two from when she first got her pointe shoes, the other is poster-sized above her cubbies, and is of her during a performance a few years ago.

I put her fedora from tap up on top of the cubbies, along with her fave dolls.  I wasn't totally sure she wanted her dolls on display, but she does (yay!).  We didn't clear out her lego display cubbies.  She loves lego, and had awesome sets on display there.  But she also has little brothers.  So we will help her rebuild those soon.  Packing away a lot of her toys meant extra cubbie space for a belt/bag box and a dance clothes box.

Not pictured:  an organized closet and under the bed boxes!

I thought this would be a good thing have by the door. All teenage girls need reminders that they're beautiful, right?

We were talking about how cool her 'stuff' is.  Quilts from Nana, lots of handmade stuff, vintage stuff, dance stuff.  Her stuff has stories.  That's good.

She came home hot, dirty, sweaty, tired, and thirsty.  Headed upstairs to grab comfy clothes before she showered... and she was surprised!

She loves it!

So fun to do something awesome for our amazing girl.

Awesome / Not Awesome

AWESOME:  mudding over old backsplash, cabinet,  previous owner's security system panel, windowsill (after removing wood sills) and the many, MANY holes in the wall from their old window coverings (forget we've lived here for ten years, will you?).

NOT AWESOME:  I'm tired of looking at it, but decided painting isn't going to happen this week, boo.

AWESOME:  my dining room/kitchen curtains, but also my windows with NO curtains.  Shades it is.

NOT AWESOME:  Being blinded by the sun in the evening right now (we miss the trees!).

AWESOME:  finding/agreeing on/installing faucet

EXTRA awesome:  RUNNING WATER IN KITCHEN!!!!  It's been like a month! (cue angelic choir!)

Bonus points:  I want to keep that beautiful sink extra clean!

AWESOME:  my neighbor last week for secretly snagging my last two dirty dishes (the melted chocolate from the 8 pops wouldn't wash out with ice cold backyard water!) and returning them clean.

AWESOME: the amazing flourescent duct tape drawer pulls I made since the drawer fronts (and cabinet doors) are still awaiting 3.5 coats of paint lined up in the garage.

NOT AWESOME:  Did I mention we have company coming this weekend for Monkey's baptism? 

Except they're all AWESOME.  But still...aren't we looking classy right now?

AWESOME:  Monkey's decision to be baptized.

NOT AWESOME:  Guess who forgot the traditional gift of personalized scriptures and handmade case?  Guess (one reason) why we're not painting?

AWESOME:  My mom, who is helping me keep all the balls off the ground this week (including picking up said personalized gift) and coming to the baptism luncheon with a costco cake.

AWESOME:  Succulents.

AWESOME:  My brand new nephew, Lars.  Can't wait to meet him.

AWESOME:  Progress!  (also my beautiful counters)

AWESOME:  May 1st

Definitely NOT AWESOME:  SNOW on May 1st

Uncool.

Framed

Finally.  I've wanted to do this forever!

I finally printed a few beach photos and framed them for above the school cubbies.  There used to be a quilt there, then a... tree.

The boy photos are from 2010, the one of the girl is from last year. I wanted photos of the beach because (it is my heaven and) we now have such awesome family memories there.  I think photos with people in them are more interesting than just landscapes, though.  But I didn't want more oversized portraits of my kiddos (like above my mantel in the next room). So these have my children in them, but they're not ABOUT my children, does that make sense?  Kinda?

I think they look smaller in these shots, but they are each 16 x 20.  I printed them at Costco ($5.99!) and I was really pleased with the results.  They look just like on my screen.  Very pleased indeed.

There is also a little satisfaction in picking these photos because they are straight from the camera - no editing.

The only thing I'm not happy about is the glare from the windows.  Unfortunately there is just too much light in that area and you just can't see them well from some angles depending on the time of day.

Overall, very pleased, though, and so glad they're finally up!

Gifts from my mom

This year I didn't make a single handmade gift for Christmas.  Not one wait, I made melty bead stuff.  Still...   You do what you can do, and goodness knows that 2010 was just not my year.

My mom, however ROCKED the handmade gift department.  She made me some new crocheted necklaces, which I LOVE.

She made each of my kiddos a book sling.  Super cool, since with bunk and loft beds, bedside tables aren't really an option.  And since my mom changes my kids' sheets when she comes up (I know, she rocks), I think she was frustrated by finding piles of books in their beds.  All. The. Time.

Book slings.  Genius.

Hmm, the boys need to clean under their beds...

Here's Monkey's.  Super cute animials including monkeys on his favorite color - green.

BTW, this is how you transition a 5yo from a Monkey room to a space room.  You make a monkey bunk.  He has monkey sheets and pillowcases, monkey toys, his window bunting and monkey pictures were all put up around his bed.

 
Here's Thomas' made of train fabric.  The pink papers are 'posters' of elephants that Monkey made for him and taped up.  Sweet.

And the girl's.  If we ever get her shelves up, I'll show you the rest of her room.  I LOVE it.

She found the idea from an online tutorial - which one, Mom?

Mom's best handmade gift, however, was a Jayne hat for Aaron.

That's right.  A Jayne hat.*

Not only did she start the project several times because she wasn't happy with the colors, and use the softest most awesome wool, she packed it in a cardboard package box with straw packing material and THE NOTE.  She totally went over the top with this gift and it was all her idea. Aaron loved it.  And I stole the hat once to shovel and it's pretty awesome.

Thanks for modeling, Monk!

And a HUGE thanks to my mom!  Great ideas, thanks so much!

*The Jayne hat is from an episode of Firefly.  Watch it.

Shuffling rooms again...

Oh, guys.  I've been having a hard time finding energy to blog lately. 

Sick again.  I've not been wanting to bore you about my stupid pneumonia, but it's REALLY had long-term consequences for me.  Sucks. 

Anyway, let's not talk about that anymore.

So, also in the works are Halloween costumes, and a major reshuffling of the upstairs.  Oh, I guess this is kind of about me being sick, because we're ripping out all the carpeting (it's gross and needed to be done anyway, but the whole asthma thing made it a necessity) and replacing it with laminate.  Like the playroom.

Step one:  Move the boys in together.

We didn't know if this would be something we'd ever do.  We really thought that Thomas needed his own space. However... they both LOVE being together!  They play together even more now.  Both boys loved seeing their bunks actually used as bunkbeds, and I think Thomas likes that the top bunk is actually really cozy (side railing + 'lowered' ceiling).  Monkey just likes having a roommate.  They say that all the time, actually: We're roommates!  It's pretty adorable.

The border is RIGHT above the top bunk now.  I must have planned that perfectly... when I painted it... five years ago?  Before we HAD bunk beds?  Ha.

Negatives:  Not sleeping as well.  Thomas CRASHES at night and wakes up fairly early.  Monkey stalls at night and sleeps in later.  Monkey is adjusting to Thomas' schedule, which is actually okay, for the most part.

Also, Monkey is way messier than Thomas.  He likes his STUFF to be right with him instead of in the playroom.  Thomas likes his room CLEAN and only keeps stuffed animals, books, and lego in his room.  That will be a compromise for both of them.

Positives:  Blanket forts and snuggling.

Step 2:  Aaron goes nuts.

Step 3:  Pretty!

The boys LOVED playing in the empty room.  Until my mom came and took care of...

Step 4:  Moving the boys into Monkey's room.  Thomas' is next!

Step 5:  Sleepover!  The girl couldn't resist the new floor either, apparently.

Now... if you've been paying attention, you'll realize that if the boys DO end up sharing a room, we'll have an empty room.

The girl wants to move back to a bigger room, so she'd be happy to do that.  Her room is teeny.  Adorable, but I haven't even shown you pictures of it, really, because it's hard to capture the adorable details in all the teeny-ness.

So, if she moves (back) to Monkey's room, we'll have a (teeny) room free...

I could move my craft stuff out of the closet! Woo! Into a ROOM!

Aaron REALLY wants my 'stuff' out of the bedroom.  I admit, I'm crazy messy when creating.  And our room suffers.  Seriously, cross your fingers for HIM that this happens.  I drive him crazy.

I'm trying not to get my hopes up...  Aaron, too.

But... I already bought the girl new curtains.

Just in case.

Brighter still..

New (bright!) cushions for the couch.

Because when I took off our cushion covers to put on the Christmas ones I knew I wouldn't want to put the drab ones back on.

And I didn't.

 

So when I saw these fabrics at IKEA, I knew what I had to do.

(Because...Foxes! Mountain Goats!)

The really cool thing about these prints are that the repeat is HUGE - so you can 'crop' different areas for completely different looks - but the same color scheme.

Of course I forgot that the light blue background wouldn't really go with my turquoise walls, but oh well.

So, much more colorful - at least for now.  I may switch them up in the spring or summer.

Oh, and I was planning on doing two in this red print - but what with the over crowded IKEA and people breathing down my neck while I cut my fabric... I forgot it.  Bummer.  Next time.

(See the red fox?)

Oh, and lest you think my house is all calm and stuff...

It's usually not.

******
In other weekend news, I watched Girls Just Wanna Have Fun on Friday with my daughter - her first viewing!  She is all about '80's stuff (and dancing), so of course she loved it.  Aaron, however, quickly left the room.

Also, I subbed in Primary at church(the children's classes) so I was in the room when the chorister asked the kids what song they could sing about a snowman (hinting for "Once There Was a Snowman" of course) and my four-year-old pipes up (loudly) "Jingle Bells, Batman Smells?"

That's right, kid.  Funny and appropriate.

Spaceman room

We've given Thomas' room a little update:

My friend, Whitney, made these rocket and number vinyl stickers for me based on the pattern in this fabric I bought to make his new curtains.  I love this fabric. 

I love any cool 'boy' fabrics!

I got him the IKEA rocket pockets (which, by the time I made up my mind to get them were on clearance for $2.99) to store his little stuffed toys.

The original border was something my sister helped me paint on his wall when he was a baby.  Moons and stars.  Very sweet, but he's not a baby anymore.  I thought adding the rockets might make it 'cooler' without having to repaint his room.

Here's the little brother drooling over the Star Wars Poster.

The other framed Star Wars pictures are pages from DK Star Wars books in inexpensive IKEA frames.  He's still using the $5 quilt on his bed, but most days we flip it over to a solid blue to match a little better.

His hanging chair and space figures fit in perfectly, too.

I think it's a fun little update to his room.  He likes it, too.

Curtains: 2-for-1

Another closet updated - here's Monkey's.  I picked up these (bright! matchy!) curtains at IKEA - um, a few months ago - and finally hung them up last week to replace the bi-fold doors.

Monkey is in and out of that closet all the time.  That's where the dress up box is, and he's set up a nice cozy hideout for himself under the built-in shelves.

Also, he loves maps, and loves taping things to his wall (!), hence the upside-down crumpled map of North America as a decoration.

(And if you spy a few dresses in his closet, it's because Princess doesn't have a closet in her room - so that's where her dresses go.)

Anyhoo, about a week or so after we got the curtains up, I finally took them down to hem them - heh.  And with the 14 or so inches I cut off... I made a little valance for his window.  Very little - but it hides his roller blind (which was covered with sock-monkey fabric, but that fell off) so it looks a little more finished...

... and circus-y.
Oh well, good enough.

Big Red Canvas

In our re-arranging adventure, we discovered that we have a lot more wall space to fill (formerly occupied by bookcases).  That's kinda fun.  We weren't sure what to do with it at first, but started thinking that a Big Red Canvas might just work.  So one day I bought one and did a red base coat on it with acrylic paint.

Soon after, I had my boys help me do another coat (in the garage).  This time with other colors mixed in.  I encouraged them to use a lot of paint.  They enjoyed it, and only one shirt was ruined.

I'm thinking it works.  At least, I'm happy with how it turned out, and that's all that matters, right?  There is still room for some smaller prints, too.

Another cool thing about re-arranging things is that there is more space for a couple of cool things that were formerly in weird, too-high places.  Like Eva's awesome print and our globe. (And is our thermostat set in the stupidest place you've ever seen or what?)

Something else I'm loving - my new tree curtains.  From Urban Outfitters.  They were actually sold out of the curtains, so I bought a 'tapestry' and cut it up.  Easy peasy.

It looks so great in the morning.