Homefront: Making a Preschool Playroom for the Boys

I talked about kids room inspirations yesterday, so today, let me introduce you to what I am working with. I thought it best to have my blogging/computer station in the midst of the room, so that is where everything is centered around.

These are my cheap finds: $100~ish Craigslist hutch, two Walmart $25 bookcases, $10 garage sale chair, $10 garage sale student desk, $5 garage sale bookcase (we painted ivory), and a $5 goodwill toy chest. These black bookcases  are already scratched up and marred as soon as we got them out of the box, but I figured, they would be marked up quickly here anyways, and since they are black, nothing tragic should happen that a sharpie couldn't color over.

I was going to paint this hutch a shabby grayish white before I did the whole black bookcase flanking thing, so now I am thinking, paint it black to look like a wall unit. Or I could leave it natural... what would you do?

I still have some bulletin boards and artwork to set up on this big empty wall, maybe some pegs for superhero capes and such underneath those and then the train table to set up again. I'm still trying to decide about a playmat or area rug, for this large space that will be easy on the boys to play and learn.

Caleb even found the reading corner and got right at home fairly quickly.

This little den area meets with the breakfast nook and kitchen in an interesting way... like a triangle of roominess. That doorway leads to the 'formal dining room' that we won't use and the living room. Across from the dining table is the laundry room and hallway to the front door.

 An old Kick-n-vent vintage hood... anyone know anything about these? This home was built in the 60's

 More about that dresser piece, kitchen and table here... I hope you like our pipe cleaner fan extension pulls! Just one more thing on the to do list, get fan pulls. *post included in Censational Girl's Where Do You Blog Party.

Inspired Rooms~ Kids Playrooms

st. kilda's sanctuary ~ apt therapy

The project of the week (besides getting our shower ripped out due to rotting walls), is the boys playroom. Our breakfast nook is so huge, we decided that it would be a little preschool/playroom. I'll work reeeally hard on it today and then show you tomorrow what it needs, because I have some ideas that I need help with! Anyways, here are my two project questions below, and some more inspirational kids rooms that I will be using as a spring board, trying to save as much money as possible here.

1. This perfect blue world map tapestry would look perfect in here, but it's a little on the pricey side, so this scenic forest scene is super cute, and less expensive. Which would I use longer in my home? Price or beauty!?

urban outfitters ~ scenic tapestry $19.99

 urban outfitters ~ atlas tapestry (in blue) for $36

2.  The other thing I am trying to consider, is a foam playmat. Color in tan or charcoal gray ,or mixed colors? Or do I skip that and get a simple area rug? Or go with this awesome natural hardwook floor look foam playmat (though we wouldn't be able to afford the end pieces, so the ends would be the jaggedy puzzle look).

Hardwood look natural foam playmat

Foam Get Rung Playmat... but in charcoal or tan? though we would get the discounted 'factory seconds'

So, that's the end of my questions for now. So far, the colors are on the aqua, deep blue, yellow, and lime.

 land of nod

 

boys room ~truck picture making tutorial ~ all things thrifty

cookie mag ~ editors' kids rooms~ heather pudewa

cookie mag ~ elcectic rooms ~ drawn walls

cookie mag~ elcectic ~ rooms ~ ethnic tapestry

coastal living

hgtv via exquisite design

nursery~ alphabet~ wall letters

treehouse-bedroom-kidtropolis

yellow cabinet makeover ~ design sponge

  cookie mag ~ city~ kids rooms

Vibrant Gardens: Real and Pretend

 flowers by jessica jane

I have been in the yard, trying to salvage the lawn that was left unwatered for who knows how long. We have but a small pair of pruning shears and lots of hedges to trim.... I was left with a very sore hand!

But, we will see, on our very tight budget, what we can do to make this little lawn of ours pretty. Naturally, I tend to overthink and become obsessive, wanting to do everything at once, a compost pile,
a vegetable and herb garden, more flowers! But, only time and patience will tell if our 5 rose bushes will come to life again and how the bare patches of removed dead plants will be filled in.

If you are not a green thumb, but enjoy the vibrant colors of nature, I am sure you will
love these gorgeous garden projects!

This silk ribbon flower garden embroidery reminds me of my grandmother's shower curtain. 

Handmade and available for purchase by Fairstore.

So beautiful, each stitch and square was so lovingly executed. I love how cheerful it all is, I'm sure it is like a little visual journal as well. The 39 squares project by Amy of inspire co. had many different people participating and can be viewed here.

*This post is dedicated to Urangoo. I blogged about her last year as she was fundraising for treatment for Leukemia, the same disease that took my father from me. She passed away today after her Chemotherapy treatment in India had failed. She was a student at Utah University from Mongolia and traveled the world to find healthcare. I pray her spirit and those of her friends and family will have peace.

Color Theory~ Loving Pink

we heart it

Now, I'm not a huge pink person, but when I get involved with a color, I love to see it for all

of the possibilities of it's uses, then fall in love with each one. And today, I'm smitten with pink.

The way it is found in nature, in skin tones, forced into rooms and sweets.

Bending it's gender in interior design and even it's shade of rosiness and tone.

Used in romance, design, fashion, cosmetics, interiors, everyday accents of home and even humor...

 funky trend

If you aren't into pink, try a simple pink flower arrangement, a pink brooch, a pink cupcake, or even... paint your nails pink. I haven't painted my nails for 3 1/2 years,
until Sunday... and what color did I choose? Pink! It made me feel refreshed.

hooked on houses

vogue girl korea

we heart it

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Vanity Fair Necklace, Vintage Flower with Rose Quartz~ Jeweled Amrobosia (aka me)

we heart it

hooked on houses

we heart it

we heart it

jonathan adler

joy isaacs home via house envy ~ tea party crasher

my sis, Pookie the Clown

we heart it

pink vanilla meringues ~ to purchase print~ maria kallin

domino

*post inspired by The High Heeled Wife's Pink Love post

Decorating with Flowers

Well, we are moved and mostly settled...it's amazing how much one can accomplish with no internet for over a week! This rental home needs a lot of work, and we spent about 15 hours or so scrubbing the kitchen alone (in terrible heat without any electricity) before we felt comfortable enough putting food or dishes in the cabinets, and a lot of the appliances don't work.. and the bathrooms need work, (one we don't even go in)... but what can I say, it has a spare room for my crafts and it's our first backyard ever, so the boys love that, though we do miss family dearly.

So, this post will be kept short and sweet. I came across this clever flower arranging idea on Country Living. It's so simple, and easy to arrange. I love the idea of categorizing and keeping the flowers loosely arranged as well.

"A bunch of vintage milk bottles gives this arrangement—featured in Decorating with Flowers—its structure. Simply line up nine same-size vessels in three rows of three. Then wrap gardener's twine around the grouping twice and tie the ends. Finish the blooming display by placing two to three stems in each container."

 Our home also has a few rose bushes in front that need some serious work... so I thought this pressed flower idea would be neat to try with the very first roses that greeted us when we arrived. Also, we were given a handpicked widflower bouquet as a greeting to the area, so maybe I can press those, they are so lovely.

In any case, the whole flower segment is beautiful, I especially love the doily vase and the picture vase ideas.

 "Tightly wrap a doily around a vase. Snip away any excess, then hand-stitch the doily securely in place to create a snug fit. A clear glass vase creates an elegant illusion, but experiment with different vases and doilies to find a combination you like"