Playroom Final Reveal

Did you hear that?  That's the sound of me letting out a big sigh that I can check this room off my list!  My original plan was to tackle this room right after the boys bedroom last summer - but truth be told I was pretty burned out and decided to change gears to the living room instead.....and it was actually a blessing in disguise!  My goal was to make this room a place where the boys could feel free to make it their own, but still make sure it fit in with the rest of the house because it's right off the loft - not tucked into a basement or a unseen corner of the house, and stepping back for a bit helped me accomplish it.

I did still want the two rooms to relate to each other so they're both painted Nebulous White by Sherwin Williams, and they share a lot of the same colors and finishes, but I hadn't really been sold on the plan I had for the room, so instead of going full steam ahead, I started to move the boys toys in and let them start to play in there and that's where I learned my 1st lesson - if you're going to tackle a playroom, make sure you pay attention to how your children play!  It think a lot of us moms (at least me) dream about a wonderful playroom filled with pretty wooden or color-coordinated toys that our kids keep in darling storage containers..........but snap back to reality - kids toys are probably the least visually appealing and hardest to store things EVER.  But by watching my kids play in the room for a few months I was able to figure out a lot of different ways to give them plenty of space to play the way they want, and also make it easier for us all to clean up when they're done.

The room itself is really big - too big for a bedroom for one little kid, which in part inspired us moving them both into the smaller room.  It's also wonderfully bright due to three windows that face the front of the house.  The first place I started was on the back wall with the built in storage.  The two big towers consist of pieces from the Pottery Barn Kids Cameron Storage system.  We had these in our basement at the townhouse, and have re-organized them a few times.  I love that they have so many different options, and the bottom pieces are really deep so they're perfect for storing bigger toys (because again, hardest things to store EVER).  Down the road, if our oldest son wants to move back in this room, I can keep these two towers in place and easily plop a bed down in the middle.

Once those were in place, I knew I wanted to make the middle portion a feature wall because it's the first thing you see when you walk in.  I moved in the two chairs (also from Pottery Barn Kids) and added some artwork - the small frames hold a group of Lego Blueprints that I got off Etsy, and the "Hello, World" painting I made myself (a request from our software loving daddy).  The sconces I made using these plans from Shanty - 2 Chic, and the small blue toy crates on the ground I made as well (if you follow me on Instagram stay tuned because I'll be offering some options for sale very soon!)

 One of my favorite things is the labels that Blake added to the storage boxes one day - "Blake", "Pokemon" and "Grayson" (which he figured out how to spell by looking at his chair)

The other big under-taking in this room was the Shiplap / Climbing wall.  Like the boys room, I knew I wanted to add Shiplap in here and this wall is exactly opposite the one in their room...it also had a drywall seam starting to show so "two birds".  The Climbing wall was my husbands "you know what would be cool" idea that I ran with.  It took more time to plan this thing that it took to build - after looking around Pinterest for a while I figured out that I just needed to frame out a section and basically attached the wall to that.  It is incredibly sturdy and can hold both Jon and me so I feel 100% confident that the boys can safely climb it.

I just added some simple hooks to the wall (and a big basket from HomeGoods) to hold our dress up stuff and the boys medals.  The question mark shelf I found at Michaels last year, the map is a write on decal that my dad got the boys so they could track him on his travels, and the street sign a neighbor of mine offered when I said "hey you know what fill that space nice - an old street sign".

Wall #3 is our "Art Wall" / Kitchen - Lesson #2, have an art wall....kids love being able to display their artwork proudly!  My boys also love pretending to cook - I thought they had lost interest in this thing, but after I made it much more accessible they are back to serving me bowls of fruit salad and sandwiches made out of doughnuts and lettuce.  The Alphabet Blake made a few years ago and I just love it so much! (the hanger I got off of Pottery Barn Kids a while back but I think they still have a version of it)  The bottom piece I made out of scrap wood and some clothespins painted white - Blake is obsessed with Pokemon and those are his some of his many many drawings of them.

On the little corner of this wall I hung some crates that I got from Ikea - I had Blake show me how high he could reach and then hung these just high enough so that he could access them, but his little brother can't.  They hold even more Pokemon, his Grossery Gang toys (boys right!), and his Lego creations.  I didn't take a picture of it, but the closet I also turned into toy storage by adding some extra shelves (including the one I took out of the laundry room which miraculously fit perfectly).  In there I keep a lot of the bigger toys, and a TON of extra baskets and bags because Blake has an obsession with sorting things into different containers.

The last wall is the window wall;  just like the other rooms, I'm adding Window Trim and Crown as I go along.   I wanted to be able to see something besides toys when you first walk in, so I built a variation of floating shelves (again from plans from Shanty-2-Chic) that feature these cool looking hooks.  I have them styled out right now with some favorite things that I've been collecting (including that adorable little Bulbasaur succulent planter that Blake will be getting for Easter on Sunday..shhh!) but in the future I imagine this can be a space to store trophies or other awards.

The storage rack underneath is a hack I just have to share.  This is actually your basic storage bin rack (mine's from Target) that usually just comes in a tan color.  I used my favorite Espresso colored Gel Stain (which I also used in the boys bathroom) and some black spray paint and PRESTO!  storage rack 2.0!  I think it would also be so cute to do a pink + white version, and you could even add some stencils to the outside panels.

I also added this saying (the frame and the print out are both from Shanty-2-Chic) which I had come upon ages ago and thought was super appropriate.

In the middle of the room is their play table - it's also from Pottery Barn Kids and I love it because it has a place on the end to hang a roll of paper, and it also comes with longer legs that you can attach as they get older to make it taller.  The rug in the middle is an Outdoor rug from Target that I bought last year and it makes me laugh every time I see it.  The wooden toolbox I got from Ikea with the idea of storing crayons in it, but as you can see Hot Wheels overtook it.  I also have to give a shout-out to my dad for coming through big time and adding a ceiling fan/light that we really needed!

Of course right after I finished taking pics the boys, and the dog, all had to bust in (and then lick my face).  Even though I did some putting away (and some much needed cleaning) before taking these pics I really didn't style anything differently than how we keep this room on a daily basis.  I usually have a "family clean up" on Sunday night and we put everything back where it's suppose to go.  My boys like to play with all of the same type of toy at once - if we are gonna play Hot Wheels we're going to play with ALL of the Hot Wheels - so having them sorted totally works for us but may not float everyone's boat.  Lesson #3 (at least for my family) - if you give everything a place, the mess is more likely to get cleaned up.


A lot of times I feel guilty for spending so much time worrying about things that are (let's face it) pretty trivial in the scope of what's going on in the world right now, and believe me that fact is not lost on me.  When I talk to my husband about it, though, he told me that while that's true, I'm spending my time making our home a place that makes him and the kids incredibly happy and that's something to be proud of.  When I am sitting in the loft and I can hear the boys playing in this room and letting their imaginations roam free instead of just spending more time in front of the iPad, I think back to that talk and know he's right.

I'm going to be taking the next month to work on projects for some "clients" which I'm thinking of sharing in one big post - and I'm also excepting a super special delivery in the next week that I can't wait to tell you all about!  I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter (or just enjoys the long weekend!) I for one am going to soak in all the good weather I can : )

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)!!

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!

Look Who's 2

I think most people say "I can't believe it's already been x years" when their little one turns a year older, but for Jon and I we can't believe that it's ONLY been two years because it feels like our little GOB has been with us for much longer!!!  But it's true - today my little man turns 2 years old.

I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful little brother for Blake.   When you're having a super stressed out day, 5 minutes of snuggle time with GOB can put happiness back into your soul and make you feel like there's someone out there who just wants to make you feel better.  He continues to make us all crack up as he grows into a fiercely independent, fearless explorer who definitely marches to his own drummer and keeps a perpetual smile on his face.  I love this little guy more than I can say and am so lucky that he is my son.

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY TO MY GRAYSON

 

GOB's Big Top Birthday

The rain kinda washed out our plans of setting up a fun, sunny circus in our backyard....but Grayson's first birthday still turned out being a lot of fun.  I cooked up a big batch of chili to keep everyone nice and warm and we moved the carnival games to the garage.  I didn't capture as many pics of the day as I would have liked to but here's a few of our Big Top touches, and of the cutest ring master to take the stage!

Was really happy with the invites I whipped up for this one and for the teal/red color scheme

All of those empty boxes that had been taking up residence in the basement (which I totally cleaned up for the party - one stone + two birds = Booyah) came in SUPER handy for building our carnival games.  The kids got all tatted up and our tattoo parlor...I think Blake had 6 at one point

Jon did an awesome job building this great train out of some more boxes....the best find was a $20 pop up circus tent that I found at Ikea....it now lives in our living room and as you can see the Jerk Dog has decided that it would make the perfect home for him

And of course, here's my happy baby enjoying his BDay cake

I know I said it before but thank you to everyone who came out to make the day so special.

Happy 1st Birthday Grayson!!!

A few days late, but wanted to make sure that I give my littlest man his very own Happy Birthday post. If you've never met this little man, please believe me when I say that he is the happiest baby ever! It's hard to find a picture where he does not have a huge smile from ear to ear because his natural response to every situation is to be happy. I've gotten to spend almost every day of the last year with this little guy and he can make the sun shine on even the cloudiest day. I am incredibly lucky to have this teeny beany in my life and am looking forward to his smile through all of his next big steps in year number 2. 

 So Happy Happy Happy birthday Grayson...my little smily peanut 

 

Things GOB would rather play with than a house full of toys.....

DVD Boxes

Water Bottles

Cardboard Boxes

Cords, Cords, and more Cords

Doorstops

The Mail

His Clothes

A boy named G.O.B

For anybody wondering, yes, we did make those his initials on purpose.  We were going to name him Oscar, but I was afraid kids would call him Oscar the Grouch or Oscar Meyer, so we changed that to his middle name and went with naming him after a failed "illusionist" instead.  But who could resist this face??

Even though he's been here for 4 months already, I wanted to give a proper spotlight to our cuddle bug Grayson.  I can't say enough times how wonderful he is!!  He is the sweetest, smiliest little boy I've ever known and I just want to cuddle him all day long.  To see his eyes light up with glee when I go in to wake him up in the morning --- It warms my heart every single day.  I can't wait until he is old enough to run around with his brother Blake, but for now he just likes to watch him run around by himself like a crazy man.

I feel incredibly lucky to this happy, healthy little boy in my life.  Stay just as sweet and smiley forever and ever!!!!!