Shopping for Lamps and Mirrors with Small Children

I ♥ Home Goods - big, fat capital "H" ♥ it. I actually hadn't been there in awhile and was going through withdrawl, and Dave, of all people, found a reason for a visit to the sacred home decorating store. Our living room has no ceiling lights, so we rely solely on lamps for lighting. One problem, we have no lamps. We used to have lamps in the living room, but we moved them to different areas of the home and never replaced them. Four kids, a dog, a cat, and lots of balls, Nerf guns, and general wrestling around do not bode well for lamps and breakable things, so that played a part in why we held off on that purchase, I suppose. But there comes a time when you can't rely any longer on the dim lighting from other rooms, and you have to say "Enough!". Practically no light at all can make for awkward situations: "I can't see! Who is sitting on the couch? Your grandma? Or your grandpa?" We needed lamps, so off to Home Goods I went.

I waited until I was down to two kids; Greta was at school, and Charlie had been dropped off at 4K for the day. I had the pleasure of searching for the perfect lamps with a three-year-old and a one-year-old. Louisa sat in the cart, of course, but Frankie walked beside me and is especially attracted to shiny "beautiful" things, like all of the lamps in the brightly lit lighting section at Home Goods. It took all of my concentration to steer the cart clear of the racks, keep Louisa's hands far enough away from anything breakable, and convince Frankie not to touch anything. We went carefully up and down each aisle of the lighting department three times before I spotted them: a set of gorgeous aqua and green glass lamps with soft beige shades. This was it! I jammed them into the cart {those Home Goods carts are not all that big, you know}, and gave Frankie a spirited high five. And then I maneuvered us past the rugs and the lovely chairs and throw pillows to our final destination: the mirror section. Home Goods has a huge selection of mirrors. Frankie loves mirrors. It couldn't be that bad, right? I won't keep you in suspense; nothing crashed. I was just that mom who said, "Don't touch!" 437 times before picking up a set of small, round mirrors. Two ladies in the mirror section  tried to snatch the lamps right out of my cart complimented me on the lamps I had found. I knew we had made it to Home Goods just in time; if I hadn't spotted those lamps when I did, they would have been goners.

We loaded our prizes into the van with time to spare before we had to pick Greta up from school. Obviously, that meant we could stop at Target. I was forming a plan, and I thought Target might have the last piece of the puzzle: a final set of mirrors that I hadn't found at Home Goods. Into Target we went, and into the familiar red cart went Lou Lou. We made a dash for the mirror aisle where I spotted two mirrors that just might work. "Great work again, Frankie!" Another high five. We left Target and made it to Greta's school right on time.

Back at home, I laid out the day's purchases and gave myself a pat on the back. Two lamps and four mirrors with a three-year-old and a one-year-old - not bad!

When it all came together, was it a success for our living room? Partly. More to come.

A Corny Project? I Don't Think So.

The gurus at Pottery Barn did it again. They sent their Fall Catalog to my home, sucking me right into their perfectly decorated world. I've thumbed through the pages of each and every one of my Pottery Barn catalogs more times than I can count, admiring furniture, room arrangements, paint colors and accessories every time. One particular page that struck me was one that featured a table set for a Thanksgiving feast {or maybe just Tuesday night's dinner} and showcased a beautiful centerpiece with Indian corn and a candle aglow.



Image Via

 I knew this had to sit on our dining room table. It's on, Pottery Barn.

I wasted no time picking up some Indian Corn at a little Farmer's Market {about a dozen ears} and gathered some raffia ribbon and brown ribbon, a large glass candleholder that sits on our patio table all summer, rubber bands, and tape.

With my supplies at hand and my Pottery Barn catalog nearby for a cheat sheet, I placed a rubber band around the candleholder and started adding in ears of corn.

When the entire candleholder had been surrounded with corn, I placed a second rubber band around it for added security.

Next I cut a piece of brown ribbon to fit around the rubber bands and taped it in place. I tied a few pieces of the raffia ribbon over the brown one and called it complete.



Pretty easy! Who's bringing the turkey?

Framed!

I love photographs - love, love, love them. I have photos framed and placed all over the house.

My husband thinks I have an unhealthy obsession with trying to get just the right shot. Can you blame me? I'm trying to capture a moment in time! He'll thank me someday. A home filled with photos tells several stories, reminders of people and places and pets and special events - memories. But over the years I've found that photographs aren't the only items suitable for frames. Special letters, love notes jotted down in hurried moments, cards, and oodles more can all be framed, and they all have that same effect of evoking memories and personalizing our spaces.

One of my favorite framed items is my mom's recipe for chili. Before my wedding, I asked her to handwrite several of her recipes for me. Her recipe for chili is a favorite of my husband's and mine, and I placed it in a double frame alongside a picture of her and myself on a day that we were doing some shopping for my wedding.

I keep the frame on a counter in the kitchen. It's both functional and personal; it's something I'll cherish for the rest of my life.

We have a space downstairs that outfits a bar and a second family room/game room/media area, and we've devoted the wall space and decor to photos and momentos from vacations. One of my favorites includes a frame with some memories from a trip to San Juan. My husband and I were there for an evening, a stop on a cruise, and we had dinner at a restaurant called Barrachina. Barrachina's claim to fame is that it's the birthplace of the Pina Colada. Obviously we had to indulge in that! I picked up a business card from Barrachina along with one from a cigar shop we stopped at that same evening and put them, along with a photograph, into a frame to remember the trip.



Cigars and Pina Coladas
Old San Juan
Jan. 2008

In that same room, along with vacation photos {and business cards!}, we've included maps from some of the places we've visited. This is a tradition that started on our honeymoon in Jamaica. A framed map of the country is displayed in the middle of some of our most favorite honeymoon photos.

We bought a map of the Virgin Islands and framed it among pictures from that trip, as well.

One of the most special things I've framed isn't a picture or a map or a card. It's a small pin of a Lily of the Valley.

The Lily of the Valley is the birth flower for the month of May. My father's birthday was in May, and the Lily of the Valley happened to be his favorite flower. He passed away several years ago, and whenever I spot the special flower, I think of him. This one sits on my dresser where I see it everyday.

Letters or quick notes from loved ones also make the list of frame worthy items. They're personal glimpses into special relationships; framing them is a great way to fill your home with memories.

Just make sure whatever note you're framing is something you're comfortable with your grandmother reading when she comes to visit! {It's probably best to keep anything hot and heavy tucked away in a box labeled "Bills and Boring Documents"!}

Of course, you can always get crafty and frame something you made, like the "W" in our master bedroom.

What an easy way to add personality to a space!

I'm kind of on a roll with framing anything other than photographs; I'm even thinking of framing my daughter's school lunch menu. Why not? I look at it Monday through Friday! I think it deserves a frame. What have you framed today?

The Master Closet

As promised, the master closet.

I always wanted a walk-in closet, one with space for bags and shoes and pretty things - oh yeah - and clothes, too. The closet we designed for our remodeled master suite was a decent size, much bigger than any closet I'd ever had before, but the space that I'd always wanted was left neglected as we simply threw our shirts on hangers, and well, that's about it. I did paint the walls before we placed everything inside, but the color I selected was one I ended up hating.

If you hate the color of the closet before, me too. If you love it, why thank you.
I picked it out myself, and it's called Beachwalk by Behr.



Because life is busy and there are always more important tasks on our lists, I left the closet alone, leaving it to "Someday." Well friends, that someday is now.

I decided that I deserved a space that made me smile when I walked inside, one that reflected me. I knew I wanted a nice color on the walls {something that didn't make me cringe}. I knew I wanted a pretty way to display my shoes and bags. I knew I wanted a special space for my jewelry, scarves, and other pretty things.

I cleared everything out of the closet, taking a good look at each piece along the way. Having four kids in five years didn't leave a lot of time to build a good wardrobe, and I had pieces dating back to college. By trying on almost every piece and taking inventory of what I had {Hello FIVE black long sleeved shirts!}, I made a sizeable pile of bags and clothing {and a pink cowgirl hat} to donate.

Next, I painted the walls what I have deemed the most beautiful color of paint on earth: Rhino by Behr. It's a wonderful light gray blue that just soothes. The closet is the third space in our home to be lucky enough to wear the shade, and it wears it well.

After a quick coat of Rhino, I called in my husband to help me with the next step. When we remodeled the downstairs, my husband and father-in-law put together a quick storage system to stow our shoes.

It's great, but I wanted to move it to accomodate an extra piece of furniture.



Wasted space!

I used to have a couple lonely hooks to the left of the shoe shelf to store my bags. We removed the hooks, shifted the shelving system a couple feet closer to the door, and voila! I was left with enough space to incorporate my own accessory area! I had a narrow desk that I had picked up at Home Goods {and painted probably four times}. It had been in my oldest daughter's room and the entryway and was currently sitting in the garage. It was narrow enough to fit the space, it had three drawers made for storing lovely things, and it was just plain perfect. I made my way to the paint department at the local Home Depot {where I think they recognize me} and selected a new shade for the desk. Since I only needed a tiny bit of paint, I asked for the color to be mixed in one of Behr's sample sizes. The 8-oz sizes are less than $3.00 - perfect for testing on walls or painting a small piece of furniture.

This cute mini size is more than enough paint for this project.

We mounted some wall hooks that we already owned above the desk for hanging bags and jewelry. A few finishing touches, and this project was complete - one of my favorites to date! Welcome to the closet.

Rolled up magazines or catalogs will help your boots keep their shape while sitting pretty.

Rocks from my honey spelling LOVE from a trip to Door County {way back on a high school band trip!}
are now in a place where I see them everyday.

Necklaces and bags are hung on hooks. Easy to grab, and I can see everything at one time -
no more digging for the perfect piece!



Hello my Lovelies!





Earring are hooked on this piece of iron decor I stole from the nursery.

Bracelets sit in the Woman of the Year bowl from my last trip to Goodwill.

Drawers in the desk hold scarves and belts.



I knotted my new favorite scarf on the doorknob near the desk - fun to see and wear!



I own a pair of long black leather gloves that belonged to my husband's grandmother.
They sit safely in one of the desk drawers during the warmer months,
but I see them when I pull out a scarf or a piece of jewelry and think of her.

Shirts, pants, dresses, and skirts hang on the other wall.
Extra floor space holds our "sleeping pillows" and step ladder.

My hubby's ties and belts are kept on the back of the door - easy to see and grab
{no excuses for being late to work!}.



The high shelves add extra storage space.



I love the new space, my "dressing room." And I don't even mind putting laundry away anymore.

How We Mantel

I love our master bedroom. It's in the basement, it's very large, and it's all ours. When my husband and I bought our house, the whole basement was unusable space to us. It was unfinished and had been used as a wood workshop by my husband's grandfather (the previous owner). After a couple years of thinking and drawing and dreaming, we remodeled the entire basement, adding a second family room with a bar and transforming the former wood shop into our master suite.

One problem: we were so busy moving into our new space and putting our furniture in place and our clothes in the new closet (not to mention moving one child to our old master and then having a third and then fourth baby), that we sort of forgot about accessorizing. See that big old empty space above the bed?

A huge amount of empty wall begging me to do something, anything!



Remember the two brand new mantels I scored from Goodwill for 15 bucks a piece? I knew one would be perfect centered above our bed. I originally saw the idea in the latest Pottery Barn catalog and fell in love.

Pottery Barn Decorative Ledge

Rather than fork over $349 for Pottery Barn's version, I decided to create my own. Enter Goodwill $15 Mantel Number One. The mantels had a light maple finish (which would just not fly), so I painted both of them with the same white paint we'd used for all of the downstairs trim. Because I wanted a slightly distressed look (not as drastic as Pottery Barn's), I brushed them over with the warmer creamy white that we used for our upstairs trim and cabinets.

The finished product:

A closeup of the paint to show you the warmer color I used over the white.

I threw a wreath and a candleholder from other Goodwill trips on top of the mantel and then did a little home project framing a W to complete the look.

Stay tuned to see where I used our second Goodwill mantel!