Playroom Progress

Alert the media, we have another playroom progress update. The big reveal will be soon y'all, I promise. So I finally (even though I am as slow as molasses) got around to making the curtains for the playroom. I've shown you the wonderful, beautiful fabric that I bought for them.

Well, that fabric just sat around on my desk a while. Every.single.time I would go to the sewing machine something would happen, a child would need attention, the thread would break, the bobbin was threaded incorrectly (this was the story of my life). Finally today I was able to get everything in order and as soon as Ms. M went to bed I started. Now readers beware, I am NOT a avid sewer, I just like to think I am ;) I make curtains, pillow covers, blankets...things with straight lines. I probably don't do everything right, I always NEVER pin. I just hope I go in a straight line. Things work out usually, they are not perfect but I am okay with this. Life isn't always perfect but my products usually turn out nice and everyone is happy with them!

Firstly I threaded the machine.

 

Then (and some people would frown at me) I started to sew. I pray that I continue to go in a straight line ( doesn't usually happen) but I can always usually stay within my folded line.

 

Then voila, you have curtains. I love them and I believe they give the room some personality. C loves them too.

Another great thing about this material is that it is an indoor/outdoor fabric which I figure will work out great in a playroom meant for little kids and their little sticky fingers!

I also got around to hanging my alphabet cards. My idea of twine and mini clothespins was an EPIC FAIL! The cards were too heavy, and they came crashing down. I just put them up using sticky tac. I think they look great. Pictures of that will come very soon. I still have a few more projects to do before I post the full playroom reveal, but I think the room is coming along very nicely.

Painting laminate bookcases

I am sure you bloggers with children understand me when I saw children have A LOT of toys. Literally, they are everywhere. If your house is anything like mine, the toys start in one room and trickle into every.other.room! Seriously, I don't know how my children do it. They start off in one room and the next thing you know is there is a Hansel and Gretel cookie toy trail down the hallway into the kitchen, dining room and living room (which also leads up the stairs to the bedrooms and surprisingly the bathroom as well) I just couldn't take it anymore. We had a playroom, it just wasn't working for us. There wasn't enough storage space to host all those toys. I needed more shelves but really didn't want to fork out the money to buy new white ones.

"Ah-ha" I had 3 laminate blonde colored bookcases down in my basement. They really weren't serving a purpose. A while ago I had all of my teaching materials on them but then I got some new shelving and was using that. So I decided to search the lovely internet to find some tutorials on how to paint laminate products and I came across this one from Centsational Girl. She really sums it up nicely, so instead of me trying to go through the process step by step in great detail you should just go and visit her blog, she's awesome!

I started by sanding my bookcases lightly (sorry no pic). Then I dusted off the, well, dust.

 

Here I am getting ready to start priming.

 

Like Kate says, make sure to use a good primer. I used Cover Stain BIN oil based primer and it went on as smooth as butt-er!

It was beautiful out so I was able to do my painting outside, made for quick drying!

 

I then let those dry overnight. I stored them in my barn. The next morning (after I dropped the kidlets off at preschool and the babysitters) I tackled the rest of this project. I used some left over paint that I had lying around to save some cash.

Paint

 

After I painted, I let them dry and since it was so darn hot out they dried within an hour. I then repeated this step twice. Once they were fully dried I wanted to add some "pop" of color to the backs. I couldn't find a wallpaper in stock that I loved, nor could I find any fabric at the fabric store. So while I was at Wally World getting my necessary things I came across these outdoor table clothes on clearance for $2...Yup...SCORE! I loved the geometric print and it was navy blue. Perfecto. 

Fabric tablecloth for back of bookcases.

 

I laid the cloth out and made my necessary cuts and lined the backs of the bookcases. I was going to use a fabric glue but that didn't work so I just used hot glue on the corners to hold it in place and then I nailed the backings back on the bookcases. 

Laying out the fabric.

 

And well, tada, here they are!

 

I still need to touch up some of the shelves because they got chipped in transition into the house, but over all I am totally in love with the way they turned out. 

 

More playroom sneak peeks to come within the week.

 

Wonderful Weekend Fun

Well I am a little late on posting. As you with children can imagine sometimes life can be a little hectic. Children fall, hurt themselves, cry, and are super needy at times. While that was not my case. My weekend started on Thursday and we had a blast!! We were so busy I'll give you a little re-cap of all our awesome-ness ;)

The exhibition was in town and so needless to say while hubs was at work Momma, C & M headed over to "The Ex" with Nana and Papa. C had so much fun! He loved all the rides, food, games and animals. We got a few pictures and if y'all follow me on Instagram I posted a few there. Little Miss M loved really disliked the carousal. I tried to take her picture on the horse but she wouldn't even sit on it.  

Connor on "The Crazy Bus"

This face says it all!

Looks like Madeline is trying to run away.

The Food

 

The Games

The Prizes (which of course we didn't win any)

Little kidlets stayed with Nana and Papa for a sleepover and momma headed home to spend sometime with hubs and a nice bottle of vino! We chatted, watched a movie and relaxed. Saturday morning we both slept in, went out to breakfast with the hubs, grocery shopped without children in tow (which is a wonderful, wonderful feeling), got some quotes on in ground versus above ground pools (including hot tubs), went to a fabric store and did some shopping for a friend. It was a lovely day and while I missed my children, it was definitely nice to have some time alone with the hubs and then some momma (wait...it wasn't momma instead I should say "Jen") time.

So what did I buy at the fabric store you might be wondering?? Why some fabric for the playroom of course, beautiful, fun, modern fabric for some curtains.

Curtain fabric

curtain and bench fabric

Isn't it beautiful?! I love it. It's so fun and I love the green and navy combination. I think it is going to look great with the white bookcases and the geometric navy & white backing. (sneak peek of that coming this week) I am so excited for the playroom to come together. Both of the fabrics are indoor/outdoor material so they will be extra durable for little fingers.

On Saturday we laid low and relaxed. Took the kids out to play, maybe did a little work in the playroom and hubs did something with his homemade wine.

Playroom books

Then on Sunday, hubs went golfing and I headed with some friends and their kids to the beach. SO.MUCH.FUN.  Madeline did not enjoy the beach at first, it would be an understatement to say she hated it. Screaming and crying commenced for the first 15 minutes or so of our trip. I guess in reality it isn't that long when you spend 4 hours there but it seemed like an eternity.

Once she warmed up to the idea of the sand (dry and wet) and the water, she liked loved it. We enjoyed some lunch (PB & J for C and just J for Miss M)

 

 

 We got lots of wet toes and found many beach 'treasures'

 

 

 

It was definitely a weekend for the books, everyone had a blast and we are in the countdown before school starts back, which means back to work for this momma. I am so enjoying summer, I don't want it to end.

Inspiration Wednesday

I love coffee, it's what get's me through the day. Kids can drive you nuts, crazy actually, climbing on tables, dumping out bins of toys, hollering "I want a treat" all while the clock hasn't even reached 8 o freakin' am! When you are awake at 6 a.m. it is amazing what you can get accomplished, laundry, dishes, clothes out on the clothesline. So since I get up so early and get so much done I like to take some time for myself. So while my children are playing so well together (and) not killing each other, I sit down, enjoy my second cup of hot, beautiful, lovely French vanilla coffee from my Tassimo, I browse and explore the lovely world of pinterest. I <3 pinterest and I recently found out the 2 of my best friends are pinning as well. Funny, I've only been on there for a year and they are finally joining me. I really don't know what the fascination with it is, maybe it's the idea of being able to save all these fabulous ideas into one space, creating boards for everything and anything. Then being able to go to one great website and sort through all these images. It's just such a great tool.

In keeping with the playroom renovation, there are some fabulous playrooms that I've turned to for inspiration for my kids space.

                                                                    Modern Camelot

                                                                    Love Grows Wild

                                                                I Heart Organizing

Two of these three awesome playrooms have that tree stencil wall that can be found here and I really, like, REALLY want it, I just don't think I can convince hubs to pay that much for it. So if any of you wonderful people out in blogosphere know where I can get a inexpensive version I'd be ever so grateful! Another element I love is that MASKROS ceiling light from Ikea (found here). I just love this fixture and wish they shipped it online, who am I kidding I love so many Ikea things and I am in trouble once I can finally get hubs on board to order something.

So are you pinning? Do you search endlessly on other peoples blogs for fabulous ideas and inspiration?

Playroom's A Comin'...

So just like the title of this post states, the playroom is coming along pretty well.  While I really envision the playroom in the basement and the basement all finished with beautiful wood looking floors, drywall painted a nice shade of gray and bead board 6' from the floor and our TV down there in a beautiful white built in cabinet. I can just see hubs and C sitting on the gray sectional from Ikea with an abundance of modern, muted gray and white throw pillows and me sitting at my U-shaped desk typing up a post for the blog or crafting. Little Miss M would be over in the playroom section feeding her babies or changing their clothes.

(I couldn't find the link this mood board came from, if anyone knows please email me)

I also can envision a more modern space, with a large chocolate brown leather sectional with a million red, navy and yellow modern throw pillows and a fireplace. Although I believe the first vision is more to my style and liking. In both cases the kids play space would look the same and I have grand things in mind....grand I tell you!

It is a glorious dream and will be a reality someday but that day is sure not today and I need the kids at this age to be near me. So while I would love to have an entire room dedicated to my office I will just have to share with these 2 munchkins (and by share I mean they get the entire room and I get the built in desk in the closet!) Yes, it is not perfect, nor is it what I really want but they are happy and really isn't that all that matters :) So stay tuned, I'll be showing some sneak peaks into what I am doing in the current playroom this week.