Master Bedroom Plans

I feel like I'm just waking up after a long dream.

I haven't been around in a while, have I?

Yesterday was the last day of the semester for me, and this chick managed to pull off straight As! Studying for exams have taken up all my free time. That is the cause of my absence!

So now I have roughly 3 weeks of free time (except...you know...my job), and as per usual, I have a whole pile of stuff that I want to get done.

Main project: the upstairs flooring.

Each room has a different type of carpet. Most of you that have been with me for a long time know that I. hate. carpet (almost as much as I hate carpet glue! Haha!)

So most of my efforts will be installing seamless laminate dark "wood" floors.

Fun, hey?

But you know how I am. One project makes me take on another...and another....and.....well, you know.

So while dreaming of these new floors, I decided that the master bedroom needed a little refresher.

(This is where a picture of my bedroom would go if I had one. My room is a disaster, and I'm too lazy today to clean it.)

Actually, I still sort of like my bedroom.

However, it lacks my personality. Plus, I have fine-tuned my decorating skills since the last time I have remodeled.

We bought an iron headboard full-price for over $500 when we first bought our house.  I wanted a sleigh-style headboard...

But our bed is right under a window. Unfortunately, it is the only place we can put a bed.

We knew we needed an iron one so that we wouldn't block any light.

I hate it.

I loath it.

I (insert hateful word here) it.

And you know....my husband said that since it was so expensive (for our measly budget), we have to live with it for the next 20 years, at a minimum.

Pfffffttt......

That is.....until I saw this picture over at The Lettered Cottage:

Oh my gosh! Could you just die?

She solved my problem!

So I'm "knocking off" Layla's bedroom!

My plans:

-planked walls just like hers.

-laminate floors, but darker than hers.

-bamboo shades, but the darker version to match the floors.

-drop cloths curtains (like hers), and I already have the curtain rod in storage from a demo project!

-this bedding from West Elm (that I know I'm getting for Christmas)

\

...but in the natural color. I already have the comforter to stuff it with!

-these "nightstands" from Kmart.

Okay, so they are actually considered dressers, but they are pretty small. They have them on display at our local Kmart.

We really need the storage space with these nightstands. I'm going to love having more drawers!

-A small chandelier hanging above the bed. I'm thinking about doing some thrift shopping for this one. I love vintage!

This may take us a while to complete, but I'll keep you posted on the progress!

I still need to do a "wish list" post, don't I?
Hmmmm....that should be coming soon, I hope.

Happy Thanksgiving

I was in a food coma today.

It was awesome.

=D

(Photos are from my "Pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving.)

What I am thankful for this year:

*My family's health. It's been a rough year for many members of our families, but everyone is still here with us today, and for that I am truly thankful.

*The opportunity for my husband and me to continue our education. It's been a tough road, but I know it will be worth it in the end!

*My kids. My kids are great. My 5 year old is one of the top students in his class. My daughter knows the entire alphabet at 2 1/2 years old. My 10 year old shows more morals and appreciation than many of his peers. We are great parents, even though we were young when we had them.  ;)

*My forever-friends. This year has brought a lot of harsh realities to me. I have almost successfully weeded out the toxic friendships in my life. My supportive friendships mean so much to me. I never wanted to have sisters, but I'd imagine that some of my friendships are just as strong, if not more.

*My marriage. I know that he will be making me laugh every single day until the day I die (whether it be with him or at him). He grounds me. Sometimes I can be too serious, and he reminds me to just laugh.

*My Followers. I can't even begin to describe how important you all are to me. You make me feel important. You encourage me to better my home, my cooking....well...my life in general. Without you, I doubt I would have the motivation to accomplish as much as I have. You give me advice. You pick me up when others have beaten me down. Thank you SO much for everything!

Tell me what you are most thankful for. I'd love to hear it!

2-Minute Bathroom Organization

I try to keep all my organization not only functional, but attractive as well.

But you know what? If people aren't going to see it, who cares if it's not attractive!?

Haha!

I (heart) bobby pins. I use them all. the. time.

Now my daughter uses them all. the. time.

However, it seems like I have to buy a new package every other week.

I lose them like crazy!

I knew that I needed some better organization to keep them in place.

A jar?

No. I would have to dig in the bathroom closet for that. And let's face it...I'm lazy.

;)

The medicine cabinet?

It would make sense, since I do my hair in front of it every morning.

No. It's already pretty full.

Then I had one of those lightbulb moments.

Magnetic strips.

I went to Walmart and bought one of those magnetic strip rolls. The ones with a magnet on one side and sticky tape on the other.

I took everything out of my medicine cabinet and noticed that the mirror was much larger than the opening for the medicine cabinet.

I decided to put magnetic strips on the very top, the bottom, and in the middle where there were no shelves.

Cut the strips to size and press them on firmly.

Then add your bobby pins!

Then I thought, "Hmmm...you know...we can never find tweezers or clippers in this house. I wonder if it'll hold that, too?"

Yep!

Is it pretty?

No.

Is it highly functional?

Heck yes.

And I haven't lost a bobby pin yet.

;)

Featured: Someday Crafts

Click here if you want to check out the post on Someday Crafts that featured my kitchen island!

Thank you, Michelle, for the feature!

If you want to get great tips on crafting up anything (decor, clothes, accessories, etc.) check out Michelle's blog Someday Crafts.

P.S. I do have some new material for you. I have two presentations and a final paper to write for school, so that's consuming a bit of my time. I'll be showing you a quick organizational tip within the next few days, and also a few pictures from this year's "Pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving."

Kitchen Island Revamp

My kitchen island was one of the first new things brought into our home.

It was a house-warming gift from my Ma. 

Shortly after this picture was taken, a friend leaned on the pull-out leaf, and it nearly tipped over on him. I really didn't want that happening to one of my children.

I realized that I had to do something to make it safer.

It needed legs.

I browsed the Internet for some inspiration.

It was going to look something like this in the end:

I even have the saddle stools ;)

I realized that I loved the wooden top.

More inspiration:

Love that dark wood top contrasting with the white bottom!

The corbels are pretty sweet, too, but that wouldn't solve my tipping problem.

This makes me almost want an all-white kitchen:

Still loving the dark top and white bottom!

So I pulled off the knife block (that I never used)...

...and the towel bar...

...and wood-puttied the holes.

Then I skirted the bottom with some tall baseboard.

Hailey was helping me take off doors.

What a nice helper.

<3

Then I cut the top from a 3/4" sheet of birch plywood.

(I'll show you how to cut large stock in a separate post!)

I added decorative trim to the outside and secured it with just wood glue and tape.

I didn't want finishing nails ruining the trim, and since the trim is merely decorative (meaning that it won't need to withstand any weight) it doesn't need nails.

After a bit of wood putty and a lot of sanding, I had my top.

I love the grain on birch.

To make sure that I brought out the beautiful wood grain in the best way, I made some sample boards to stain.

I liked the one on the right, but I knew I would have to put a few coats on it to darken it.

It's Red Mahogony from Miniwax.

I put the trim on the sample boards to make sure that it took the color the same as the plywood.

The plywood is birch and the trim is pine.

I also applied a wood conditioner to the wood before staining.

Both birch and pine are soft woods, and they usually take stain very blotchy. A wood conditioner evens out the stain.

I added 3 coats of clear high gloss polyurethane.

 

Next, I had to attach the legs.

I checked online for island legs.

$50+

So I went to Menards. I looked at stairs posts. The cheapest ones that were big enough for my project were $50 each.

50x4=200

$200?!

Heck, I should just buy a whole new island then!

Feeling dejected, I moped to the check-out line with just my painter's tape.

I looked up and I saw the decking department.

"Heck, I bet decking posts are cheaper than indoor posts!"

Sure are!

$12 a piece.

Much better.

;)

So I chopped them to size and added pocket holes with my Kregg jig so that I could attach them to the plywood without drilling through my perfect top.

I didn't stain all of the bottom because it was going to be covered anyways.

Then I placed it on top of the old island and screwed it in place.

I countersunk all of the screws and wood-puttied over them.

After a few days of painting, it was time for new hardware. My current hardware on the rest of my cabinets are aged bronze.

The old silver hardware had to go!

The cheapest ones in the size I needed were $7 a piece.

7x6=42

$42 for hardware?!

Heck no!

So I went home with a $4 can of spray primer instead.

I spray-primed and spray-painted a faux aged bronze finish.

Luckily, I had the spray paint already in my garage.

I used a dark "oil rubbed bronze" finish first (it just looks like a dark grey/brown).

Then a lined up all the hardware on end and gave a quick spray of bronze over the top.

You can't see it in the picture. Sorry.

=(

Anyways, after re-attaching all the doors, attaching the "new" hardware, and adding my centerpiece (of course), I was all done!

Want to see how it turned out?

My mom was extremely surprised that this was the very same island she had bought for me years ago.

I'm thinking that some year I will tear off the two middle doors and make a wine rack similar to this island:

Much prettier, much safer.

I love it!

Coming up:
A quick bathroom organizational idea.
How to cut large stock.