Laundry Room Final Reveal!

Happy New Year's everyone - 2016 is finally over!!!  And so is my laundry room re-do!!  Now - I know a lovely laundry room is pretty low on the list when it comes to priorities in life, but as we were desperately in need of a new dryer and I'm never planning on ever moving, it made sense to do everything that I could while the space was cleaned out - so here we go.....

I had a general idea in mind of how I wanted the space laid out - and we did toy around with the idea of getting the pluming reworked so we could do stackables and add a utility sink (which is the one thing we are really missing in the house) but that would mean that we would have absolutely no counter space and as this is the one room upstairs that we can store things out of site, or I can store my tools out of reach from the little monster, the counterspace won out in the end.  I also went back and forth on whether to tile the back wall (but without the sink it seemed like a waste of money), then I thought of stenciling it (but couldn't really settle on what stencil to use) but then I saw this picture on Pinterest and it sealed the deal.  I love the look of floor to ceiling, painted beadboard but no other space in the house seemed right - until now!!  I used the same PVC beadboard as the bathrooms so that it would be moisture resistant - the one downside is that it doesn't hold the paint that well and scratches easily - buuutttt since it's on the back wall and nothing really comes in contact with it it's absolutely perfect.  I chose Sherwin Williams Gauntlet Gray for the beadboard - and wouldn't you know the lighter version of it is Nebulous White (the same color that I painted the boys room and I had just enough left to paint the room...pretty much DIY destiny).

The appliances that we settled on were a set of Samsung front loaders that we grabbed right at the end of the Black Friday sale from Home Depot.  No big frills or special features but they had good reviews, and I didn't realize until a few weeks later that my mom actually has the same dryer.  For those 5 people who didn't already hear our dryer woes, we honestly hated the dryer since the day we moved in - it took HOURS to dry one load, it had the dumbest lint holder I've ever seen that not only spewed lint all over the room when you opened it, but never fully got clean, and the final straw was that the knob broke off so we pretty much just started turning the dial with a pair of pliers and hoping that we landed on some kind of setting.  So once we pulled the old appliances out (I ended up donating the washer to Habitat for Humanity) and then the 500 staples that were holding down the subfloor, I set to work tiling.  The floor is a really light grey tile that we found at Lowe's - which I'm hoping will hide any lint but happily since we got the new dryer the lint cloud seems to have finally lifted!!  Oh, and since my family is all a little vertically challenged, I picked up a little stool from homegoods that fits right along the side of the washer.

The final big change to the space was installing a new cabinet to store all of our supplies - and - because I always have about 10 projects churning in my head at once - I stole this cabinet from our kitchen, so now there is a big empty space next to our refrigerator just winking at me and begging for some open shelves : )

Speaking of shelves, along the back wall I used my favorite material - black plumbing pipes - but in a slightly different way so I could incorporate a bar for hanging clothes.  The sign I got from World Market, the pitcher is from IKEA, and then I put some color in the room via some fake plants and lavender.

 

For the countertop, I took some 1x6s and put them together the way I would a table top and stained it in my new favorite stain color (Briarsmoke by Varathane).  I also grabbed some mason jars from my stock (note to self, make sure you keep your craft mason jars separate from your pickling ones!) added some pincushions on top, and am going to use them to store my simple sewing supplies and all of those extra buttons that you get when you buy clothes.

On the wall, I added some hooks for my boys swim bags and then wanted to add some kind of artwork - I had plans of going to the antique store and trying to find an old washboard, but then I remembered I had some Kohl's Cash and was able to pick up both the clothespin frame and the doorknob hooks for $3 (can't beat it!)  I had bought these little bird postcards from IKEA months ago and kept waiting for the right place to put them and I think they bring in just the right amount of color (and they make me smile). 

On the opposite wall I squeezed in some hooks for our Ironing board, our new collapsible laundry basket (I didn't know it was a thing either - thanks Amazon!), and a drying rack from IKEA.  Truth be told, it's a little tight, but it all just fits and will be perfectly functional for us as we hardly ever iron and the main thing I air dry are my leggings.

So there you go, one last project to close out the year - one more room checked off my list.  I'm ready to kick off the new year running by finally finishing the boys playroom so I can get all of these damn presents out of my living room!  I hope you all have an awesome New Year and wish you luck on any resolutions that you are making (mine are to yell less and to spend less time looking at my phone).  I'll leave you with a Before/After and will see you in 2017!

A New Christmas Tradition......

Happy Holidays everyone!  I have been working feverishly on my laundry room for the last two weeks and now that the washer/dryer are FINALLY IN I plan to put on the finishing touches before the New Year and then will share all of that project....

BUT FIRST - I wanted to share a special "project" that put together for my oldest son that I'm hoping will turn into a new Christmas tradition at our house.

Last year the lead up to Christmas was honestly terrible at our house.  My youngest son was still too little to really get into the holiday spirit beyond just decorating the tree, but my oldest son Blake was all too ready for the big day, just not in a good way.  We have a traditional advent calendar that I would fill with leftover Halloween candy, but then I saw the great idea on Pinterest to wrap up 25 books each day and leave them under the tree - perfect right! - well it totally blew up in my face.  Blake would get up every day around 4:30 - 5am, open the present, find the candy, and then start asking about the next day....and complaining about what book he got, and that he had to share with his brother, and basically everything else you can think of.  Then - when the big day finally got here - he would open his presents, throw them aside, and then topped the whole thing off with pouting that there were no more presents.  The whole month honestly made me feel like a terrible parent who was raising a completely unappreciative and just plain spoiled kid - so much for the holiday spirit : (

This year I was determined to make something change!  So I decided to do away with the candy, and the books (which BTW I still think is a great idea!) and instead give Blake little tasks to take the focus off of himself and put it on other people.  So on the first day of December I wrote him a letter from Santa -

Every day, I'd put a rolled up piece of paper in the advent calendar with a different task for him to complete, and once done we collected them in a small mason jar that I tricked out (LOL).  I kept the tasks pretty basic (draw so and so a picture, help with dinner, clean up the playroom, buy so and so a Christmas present) and didn't put a time limit on any of them - as long as he completed all of them by Christmas Eve there was the promise of a "special" present from Santa as a reward for his help.

I highly anticipated some kind push back - crying, whining, I even thought the first week would result in a pile of un-finished tasks.  But - HE WAS TOTALLY ON BOARD - from the very moment he thought that Santa had personally wrote him a note he was hooked.  A few days before Christmas we were driving in the car and he said "Mommy, Christmas isn't just about Candy or Presents...it's about loving one another".......I gotta tell you, that felt really good!!!! (He then followed it up with "Some people eat too much candy....my brother eats too much Candy" but hey, still a win).   I couldn't have been prouder of my little man and in his words again "This was the best Christmas Ever."

In proud mom moment #2, he has even said that he wants Santa to do this again next year!!  As they grow up I have plans of taking this idea beyond just our family and friends (things like "Visit a retirement home" or "volunteer at a food pantry") and may sprinkle in some candy treats every few days (more to get rid of the Halloween candy than anything else) but baby steps.  And if any of this idea appeals to you, PLEASE feel free to pass it forward!!  The more children we can inspire to help others (even in the smallest way) the better we can make the world for everyone.

I wish everyone a very happy holiday season and a wonderful New Year!

Happy 3rd Birthday GOB!

Just last week I took GOB to his gymnastics and was sitting in the lobby working while he was in class.  A few minutes into class the woman in front of me asked "Who's little boy is the one in the gray shirt?"  I knew she was talking about GOB and I honestly thought "Oh please tell me he still has his pants on".....as I stood up to look the woman said "He is the happiest little guy!  He has had the biggest smile on his face since they started class!"   Those are the moments that make me feel so lucky to be his mom!

Although we've definitely started to feel the two (and three) year old blues, GOB is still the same crazy, smiley, undeniably unique little man that he's always been.  He is finally starting to talk more and even though Jon and I are sometimes the only ones that can understand him, I secretly love it...it's like we have our own little language that connects us as a family.

Me, your dad, and your big brother all love you very much and we wish you the happiest third birthday!!  Now let's get ready for Chuck-E-Cheese (or as GOB calls it "Hach-ee)!!

Built in Heaven

Last week I took my 2nd annual stay-cation - and the project I decided to tackle this year was a big one....re-tiling my fireplace and adding built ins to either side.   The "bigness" of this wasn't so much the size, but the amount of detail and planning that was involved in each part of it.

 I started with the fireplace and after a lot of discussions between me and myself (and some helpful input from Eaphis!) I settled on a white small subway tile for the surround, and a marble herringbone for the hearth - I know, FANCY right!!  I had re-done our fireplace surround in our first home while we were getting ready to sell it so I had some good experience behind me for that part, but the hearth was a new one.  It took quite a few hours of cutting and pre-fitting everything, which is why this was a perfect thing to tackle when I could give 100% focus to it.

Next it was onto the built ins...I really thought a lot about getting something pre-made and fitting it into this space, but the height/width/depth I wanted was such an usual size that in the end I decided to build them myself.  In all honesty, I was really nervous about this part and wasn't sure if I could pull it off.  I had to be very careful to keep everything extremely square and then make 4 sets of pretty exact doors - which was a challenge all by itself!  Mother nature must have been smiling on me because in the midst of a crazy heat wave, she gave me two beautiful days to work in the garage and crank these out.

Now that they're in and have the doors on I'm really happy with how they came out.  They're not perfect, but I think they're pretty damn good for a first attempt at cabinets.  We used to have 10 year old DVD racks on either side (which fit surprisingly well) but were extremely skinny and couldn't hold that much.  Now - we have more than enough space to store all of the boys toys that seem to accumulate in the living room no matter how much I straighten.

To finish this project off, I added a faux shiplap feature over the mantel where I could finally hang my antique window frame like I always intended.  I wanted to keep the mantel really simply so I took a bunch of different candle holders I've been collecting and sprayed them all with gray chalk paint (finished with an antiquing wax) and got a lot of white candles from World Market.  I'm now obsessed with them and think I'm going to keep on collecting them until I have enough to spread across the tops of the built ins!

BEFORE

AFTER

I love how bright and cozy the living room feels now - all of the white and shiny surfaces just reflect the sunlight throughout the whole room.  I can't wait until it's cold enough to light the fireplace and all of the candles......I am also very relived to be done!!!!!!!!!!!  I have a lot to still add/replace in this room, but have taken a huge step forward and now I feel like I can sit back and relax for a little bit.

Happy 5th Birthday Blake!!!

Why does 5 seem so old?  When you actually think about it, knowing somebody for 5 years doesn't seem like that long a time in the grand scheme of things, but realizing that your baby is now 5 years old is a whole different thing!  All the traces of the little toddler are gone and now my Blake has become an actually kid!  He has best friends and can tell jokes; he is starting to spell and knows how to write; he's starting to realize his role as a big brother and how to play and protect as one.  The one thing that hasn't changed is that from every teacher, every instructor, every progress report they mention what a big heart and a big smile he has!!  We love that about him and hope it never changes no matter how old he is.

HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY TO MY BLAKE!!!!!

 

Big Boy Bedroom - The Final Reveal!

No more #SundaySneakPeak's for this one - officially moving the boys room to the done pile!  I was on a tight deadline to get this room done before Blake's bday week, and I finished right on time.  I decided just to share a blog of this room all at once instead of breaking it down, so check out the included links if you want to see the step-by-steps for all the projects or feel free to shoot me a msg and I'd be happy to share my method!

I pushed myself building-wise with this one and am actually very proud because I think I was able to bring my skill level up quite a few steps.....the biggest challenge of course was the bunk bed for my little monsters.  Even though we have the space for both of them to have their own room, I really wanted the boys to share a room while they're small to 1) give them a chance to become closer but 2) be able to give them a dedicated play space, which is what Blake's room will eventually become. 

 

 

To fit them in the smaller of the two rooms, I decided to go with a loft twin bed / full bed inspired by this Pottery Barn Kids photo.  Our crib was this model, and the headboard is designed to turn into a full size bed, so I used the plans from the awesome Ana White to build a full size storage bed to attach it to - bonus is that I can use the storage underneath to serve as GOB's dresser!  For Blake's bed, I modified Ana's plans for her Camp Loft bed and raised it up about a foot.  I love this design because I didn't feel comfortable having Blake climb a steep ladder to get to bed each night, so the stairs in front give an easier climb and a place for them to hang out (another bonus - Cash the Dog's bed fits right underneath the platform so he has a perfect place to cuddle up at night and help "protect" the boys as they fall asleep).  I painted the whole bed, and the headboard, with gray chalk paint to tie it all together.  I'm beyond happy to say that the whole thing is incredibly sturdy and both the boys (and myself) can safely sit, lay, and hang on all parts.

The other really big project in this room was the Shiplap wall behind the boys bed.  I usually like projects that are fast, cheap, and easy - but sadly this project does not fall into any of those categories!  To be honest, it wasn't terrible, but if you want to take on something similiar just be prepared for the long haul!  There are a lot of different ways that I've seen to achieve the same look, but the basic method I used was to cut 1/4" plywood down into 6 inch strips and then use my nail-gun to attach to the studs in the wall (I'm still planning on writing a full blog post outlining my exact process when I do the playroom so stay tuned if you want the details).  Once it was all said and done, I love the way it came out!  I think it ties the bedroom to the rest of the house perfectly and adds the perfect amount of character.  I also took this room as my chance to test out adding window trim, which I eventually plan to do to the whole house especially after how good it turned out here!

To round out the other walls in the room I put together a mix of new and old and tried to go for a room that is perfect for two little boys, but also one that will grow up with them.  One wall holds our old Pottery Barn bookcase, but also some small book ledges that I built to hold some of our nicer books and pictures.  I also added some big canvas baskets I found at Michaels to hold stuffed animals, a stuffed dinosaur head and dog lamp from Target, and I finally got to hang the super cool growth chart my dad got the boys from Australia.

 

On the other wall, I used this idea from my favs at Young House Love to turn two Ikea bookcases into one large desk that they could share and found some small metal schoolhouse stools on Amazon.  I framed out some cork board that I snagged a while back at Michales for super cheap to have a place to hang artwork (those green baskets were also a super cheap Michael's find!) and tried my hand at some string art for the boys initials (The blank spots on the wall are for some special artwork that we're planning on getting the boys for XMas : )  Oh, and if anyone cares about paint colors, the door is painted Sherwin Williams "Sensible Hue" and the walls are "Nebulous White" which is a really light blue-gray. 

I finished out the room with some handmade artwork - which I try to put in every room.  The star print has their zodiac signs and a Galileo quote that I just love, and the Scrabble tiles are a little nod to both Eaphis and my grandmas who loooovvveeed to play scrabble.  It's so great to watch them climb, play and draw in this space - and to hear them have little conversations with each other as they fall asleep.  This is when working on my house goes beyond just making things look pretty....it goes to making this a happy home where we can create memories to last forever!

2 Years In

Happy Memorial Day everyone!!  This year not only does the 2 year anniversary of us being in our new house fall at the same time, but also the 6 month anniversary of Eaphis being at his new job which = a more flexible work schedule and more time spent with us ---- so it feels like a great time to take a look back at how far we've come before we move forward (and a good excuse to give everything a spring cleaning).  So without futher ado, here is a little before and after of the house (and us) two years ago and today!  I've been doing some smaller projects here and there while finishing up the looonnnnnngggg journey to get the floors done so I'll share those along the way.  This is a wordy post so feel free to just scroll through the pics and ignore my rambling if that's your style - I don't mind!  

Kitchen

I feel like holding a Photo Hunt contest for these pics of the kitchen - there are so many small but great changes we've made to not only make it look awesome but also make it super functional!  I just put the backsplash in a few weeks ago, and we added the under cabinet lighting right before that - so pretty and shiny!  

I don't think I ever shared a pic of our "Command Center" which resides right between the kitchen and the dining room.  It holds our schedule for the week, upcoming big events, grocery lists, and Eaphis just hooked up his new Amazon Echo....I'm not sure if I like it or I'm terrified it's going to kill me one day.

Morning Room

Happy to report the table is holding up very well and serving us well not only for meal time, but craft time / hot wheel time / work time..........check out the details of my first big building project here

Living Room

So clearly my will to cleanup died in this room - as you can see not all that much has changed but now that the floors are done we have some big plans for the next year - hopefully in the year 3 update all those toys will have a nice hidden home

Powder Room

Ahhh - that's better..............check out how the Powder Room came together here

MudRoom

The mudroom is like my Moby Dick - I just can't seem to finish it.  But it has everything we need to function right now so slow and steady seems to be working

 

One of the first projects I ever took on was to turn the coat closet off the mud room into a toy closet.  As you can see, we definitely put this thing to use!

Hallways

 

The best view of how long the house looks with the new floors is down the two hallways.  I also don't think I ever shared any pics of my pantry hallway - I used magnetic knife racks and hooks from Ikea to turn this little passage into my own hidden spice cabinet.

Dining Room

Again, not any huge changes in here, but we did hang up my wonderful light fixture from West Elm (super discounted because a sales associate broke one of the glass jars) and added some antiques that I've been collecting

Front Room

Besides changing up the furniture and bringing my favorite antique table up from Florida, Eaphis bought me this awesome butterfly print for XMas and I used a technique from my girl Joanne Gaines to make the hanger

Front Door

Since I walk past the front door of our house 100x's a day to get upstairs, I love that this little corner makes me smile every time I walk past it!  There have been quite a lot of small projects in here recently - I built the coat rack in the corner, painted the front door, made the wooden picture frame (where I can swap out pictures and quotes through the year), hung our new pet antelope, and added this awesome brass floating frame from my mom (I used a leftover drawer pull to hang it - Eaphis literally just noticed that little detail yesterday for the first time LOL)

Loft

The loft has come together great and serve the exact purpose we were hoping - a 2nd living space upstairs where we can lounge, work, and let the boys play - thanks to adding our leaning shelves from Crate and Barrel and two chaises from Ikea.  It's hard to tell but we're also about 75% done painting in here - baby steps right?

Guest Room

Ummm yeah, still a hot mess

Master Bedroom

Wow - I really didn't realize how far this room has come until comparing these pictures!  Goes to show how far switching out a few things (trim, floor, paint) can transform a space!  I also gave in and bought blinds....and I have to admit I love them and Eaphis was totally right about buying them for the whole house.

Master Bathroom

Not much to report that I didn't include in my last post - Check out the details on our first two rounds of bathroom updates here and here

Guest Bathroom

A little bit more lived in, but holding up great and we all still love it!  If you want all of the nitty gritty of how I re-did this space you can find it all in the archives and check out the final reveal here. Two additions - 1) I added crown molding which I didn't get to earlier  2) Made my own Restoration Hardware inspired Eye Chart...Blake loves to test his eye site before bathtime.  Guess I'll know when it's time for glasses!

Grayson / Blake's Rooms

So - now we've come to the moving forward part of this post.........the next rooms up in my master plan are the boys room.  We will be moving both of them into Grayson's current room (as you can see, it's much darker and smaller so perfect for a bedroom) and Blake's room will become a dedicated playroom (again, as you can see much brighter and bigger, and besides the tiny little bed it's basically a playroom already).  I've already started to paint, move things around, built a desk out of two Ikea cabinets, and my dad just stopped by on Friday to hang the ceiling fan....the next step in my plan is pretty big so I will post a much bigger "Phase 1" post then and let you know what's up next.  My goal is to have the bedroom part of this project done by Blake's birthday so need to keep the DIY train going!

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So phew....that's it!  I hope you enjoyed this little trip down memory lane with me.....I actually remembered some things I had forgot!  Oh, and if you're social media inclined, you can follow me on Twitter at @lindseyjoy_diy  Full disclosure, I am not the biggest fan of Twitter but I do find it's a good place to share progress photos before I have time to write a full blog post, and to cyber stalk my HGTV crushes : )  So until next time - enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend and the start to your summer!