DIY/Decorating Bucket List

Matt and I have recently been adding to our personal bucket list, and it’s got me thinking about a DIY/decorating bucket list.  Although some of these may be pie-in-the-sky dreams, as well as expensive, extravagant, and a loooong way off, I find that writing down my goals motivates me, so for what it’s worth, here’s the list (in no particular order), along with some eye candy. 

Board and batten

Chandelier in a bedroom

Built-ins

Logs in a fireplace (although I think I’d prefer a working fireplace, if given the choice)

Dark window panes

Mudroom

Stairway runner

World wall map

Bedroom wall sconces

Plank wall

Pergola

Outdoor string lights

Stain cement

Wallpaper

Crown molding

Finally, I would love to create a room using only second-hand items.  While I don’t have an extra space to decorate at the moment, I plan to do this at some point in the future.  It would basically involve scouring thrift stores, Craigslist, yard sales, and even our own basement storage.  I would be restricted to used items, but I’d be able to update them with paint.  Look at my rule-setting self.  : )  I’ve even wondered if it would be possible to sell this type of creation as a “set” on Craigslist, but I have a feeling that it wouldn’t work well, since Craigslisters tend to be looking for cheapo stuff.  Do you think it could work? 

I realized once I started writing this list that there are a bazillion more projects that I could add on both a big and small level, but I think this is a good place to start, as these things tend to ebb and flow.  I really don’t expect all of these to happen, but I’d be happy to work them into our living space, a friend’s, or even a house staging.  Or perhaps just a blog post.  : ) 

So what about you?  What are your DIY dreams and schemes? 

Fresh Blooms

My brother and sister-in-law are great at bragging on one another, and they’re always encouraging others to do the same.  So, consider this post a little brag on my boyfriend. 

On Valentine’s Day morning, Matt work up extra early and whipped up waffles, served with a homemade caramel syrup, before work.  Yum! 

He also snuck these lovely tulips (my favorite) into the house! 

While we tend to be pretty low-key around holidays, his sweet gestures kept me warm inside all day.  : )  By the way, have I mentioned that he’s been planning the menu, buying groceries, and making meals since Liam was born?  How many gold stars is that worth?! 

Love you, hubbie! 

Snow Day Extravaganza

Snow has finally returned to Colorado—along with several other states—and I am soaking it in!  I awoke to our kind neighbor across the street shoveling snow from our sidewalk and stoop, as he does every.single.snow.  It’s amazing.  And even more amazing is that he does this for all five houses surrounding his, and it’s always finished before I walk out of the house.  Oh, and he often comes back during the day to clean up any additional snow fall.  Can we say neighbor of the year?  Century?  I’m thinking some homemade chocolate chip cookies are in order soon…

After happily hearing that school was cancelled for the day, I decided Liam needed a bit more introduction to the white fluffy stuff, so after a hearty lunch (he mowed down pineapple, white potato, carrots, and oatmeal after nursing), I bundled him up and dragged him around the yard on a cookie sheet.  *My mom and I found this fleece suit for a few bucks at a local thrift store this fall.  I didn’t think Liam would it into it for at least another year, but even though it’s still big on him, it worked great!  Thanks, Gma Mimsie!*

He liked it for about five minutes, but the wind was pretty fierce.  Then I made the mistake of moving him off the cookie sheet and onto the actual snow.  You know—so he could really experience it.  : )

Apparently he wasn’t a fan of having a cold bum, but it was fun while it lasted.  I have determined that even if it takes us twice as long to get ready as it does to enjoy the experience, it’s still totally worth it. 

Well, Liam is snoozing away and I’m off to enjoy some chai and the end of A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle—which I last read in fifth grade, but am really enjoying as an adult.  I hope you’re cozying up on this blustery day, and if you’re somewhere else—say, Costa Rica—say hello to the beach for me!

Mastering Mobility

Independence + excitement over newfound skills + parental terror = baby mobility.

Yes, my friends, it has arrived.  I sense we are on the brink of a very different season in the world of parenting.  Check out Liam’s various modes of transport during this past month.  

Bundled up for a winter stroll. 

Hitching a ride on Dad’s back on a hike through Red Rocks Open Space—enjoying the view from up high!

Paddling his pint-sized squishy canoe on a play date at Whit’s End.

Hanging out with Mom and Dad on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Doing the worm!

Any words of wisdom for this new stage?  : )

Faux Cornice Valences

Faux sounds so much better than fake, right?  Ha.  Either way you put it, our new kitchen valences definitely fall under the “cheap and easy” category. 

I’ve long admired the crisp, clean look of a cornice valence. 

There are clearly lots of ways to skin this cat…

After seeing pictures of foam valences on good old Pinterest, I decided to try my hand at it.  The burlap covering the bottom half of our kitchen windows was looking pretty bedraggled, plus I wanted to enjoy the view from our new windows (we finally replaced the old ones—two of which were broken).  *I didn’t follow this exact tutorial, but after reading through it, I think I like their process better than mine.  Both will work, so go with whatever works best for you.*

This was one of those projects that really should not have taken very long, but we dragged it out for months by completing it in miniscule steps.  Here was our basic process:

1.  Measure windows—be sure to also figure out how far you want your valences to stick out from the wall

2.  Choose fabric (this always takes me forever, since I want to find a good deal on quality fabric that I’ll like for awhile) *I found that upholstery fabric worked well for this project, as it’s weightier and covers up imperfections*

3.  Cut foam board to size with an Exacto knife (To cover three windows, I used 2 pieces of foam board that I picked up at Michael’s for 50% off—I used the thinner foam board, but if I were doing this again, I think I would use the thicker board for a more professional, sturdy look); use packing tape to piece foam board together if you need to make it longer *I did not worry about perfectly straight cuts, as the batting and fabric hid many of the imperfections*

4.  Cut and add wood blocks to the top of foam board (this will be the part that securely hangs on the wall above your window trim)

5.  Cover valence with batting—I stapled it to the foam board using 1/4 inch staples

6.  Cover batting with fabric—again, I used 1/4 inch staples *Be sure to pull batting and fabric as tight as possible to avoid saggy valences*

7.  Hang cornice valence and enjoy the view!

I’m considering adding some trim for interest and the feeling of dimension, but I’m not rushing into anything yet.  If I do add trim, I’ll just iron it on using iron-on bonding tape.  Overall, I’m happy with the end result.  Our kitchen feels much more finished now. 

Just a Click Away

Finally.  After years of cursing finagling my pathetic car key clicker (at least that’s what I call it…is there a more specific term?), I now can click from inside our house and unlock my car!  Can we say happy dance?!  Believe me, there was lots of it last night.  Ask Matt.  I even had a piece of his leftover birthday cake to celebrate.  So did he.  I mean, happy wife, happy life, right?  ; )

So here’s the story.  Four and a half years ago, we became proud owners of a little Nissan Sentra.  While it’s been a pretty steady Freddy, the key clicker has annoyed me to no end from nearly day one.  I always thought it was just rundown, since the buttons are pretty beat up (there are even holes in a few of them…I’m guessing the previous owner experienced much of the same frustration and maybe pressed a tad too hard at times…).  Somewhere along the line I heard that replacement clickers are expensive—as in, upwards of $50—although I never officially looked into it, so that might not even be the case.  Life went on, until baby Liam arrived.  If you’re a mom, you know what I’m about to say.  A baby brings so much joy—and an insane amount of stuff to cart everywhere you go.  I now average three bags on a good day.  Often it’s four, and that’s when I don’t come home with shopping bags.  Basically, trying to wrangle a baby/carrier/diaper bag/breast pump/lunch bag/shopping bags/miscellaneous items that just seems to fall out of the bags/yougetthepicture is enough to drive anyone crazy, but having to carry everything around to the driver’s side in freezing cold weather (since the car manufacturer decided it would be a good idea to only have one key hole from which to unlock the car) to manually unlock the car was the last straw.  You know, the one that broke the mother’s back.  After whining about it for waaay too long, I finally called the Nissan car dealership in town to find out the cost of a replacement clicker.  The man I spoke to on the phone was a bit brusque, but that was actually slightly comforting to me, as he sounded like an older man who knew his stuff.  I grew up around car guys, since my dad owns an automotive shop, and I was looking for a straight answer.  He was certainly the man for the job, since he got down to brass task and immediately told me to hit up Wal-Mart for a new battery, since that was probably the issue.  Without telling me the price of a new clicker or trying to upsell me, he promptly hung up.  I was a bit skeptical, but figured it couldn’t hurt to check with Wally-World. 

Rarely do I venture into Wal-Mart, but I’m happy to report that a kind employee quickly understood my plight, took one glance at the back of my clicker and determined the battery number I needed,

walked me over to the hardware department, and grabbed my exact battery off the spinning rack.  Picture my mouth hanging open in shock when I found myself in the car less than five minutes after walking into the store, and only paying $3.73 to boot!  I showed Matt my treasure as soon as he walked in the door from work, and he popped the clicker apart using a quarter and slid the battery in place. 

Whaalaa!  Good as new. 

If you’re still following along, bless your heart.  I totally get that this is not the most blog-worthy material, but if there is even one lonely soul out there experiencing the same aggravation, I hope you’ll find solace in my story.  Now get thee to Wal-Mart for a battery and start enjoying life again!  Believe me—everything is rosier with a working car key clicker. 

P.S. Did you notice the lovely bowl in the photos above?  My cousin-in-law made them for her wedding!  In fact, she made enough bowls for every single guest at their wedding to take home their bowl as a keepsake—and to top it all off, every single bowl sported a unique design.  We even ate yummy homemade soups out of them at the reception.  Isn’t that such a cool idea?  Now get thee a potting wheel and become a clay artist!  Haha.  Just kidding.  Here’s some eye candy from their big weekend.

My little sis ogling the bowls during set-up.