{Tour} Lily's Room

After posting Nate's room (before the bed switch), I realized that Miss Lily's finished room has never made it on here. We documented the creation of it and how we took it down to the studs, ripped out both windows, moved a closet, and built it all back up but we never took finished photos. I blame the pregnancy on that one. And a busy schedule. 

Anyway, almost two years later, here it is. It's a bright, colorful, little girl's dream come true. 

We recently upgraded her twin to a full with the donated mattress from my aunt. The bed frame matches the night stand and the dresser (plus a small rocker that's not in the room) and it was my grandmother's. I inherited it almost 20 years ago when she passed and used it until Doug and I upgraded to a king. 

Her My Little Pony plushy collection sits next to a few other favorites on her bed. She fixes these so they stay like the picture.  

A few favorites, above, that she sleeps with. The sheep is a pillow pet and she normally uses it as a pillow. 

I had to have the Rise & Shine canvas before I even found it and I, luckily, snagged the last one at Target years ago. The Lily perspective drawing was one I created as an example in my classroom then framed and gave to Lily. It's pencil and colored pencils. 

Her room isn't large but definitely fits all of her stuff. Next to her bed is her night stand. Inside holds most of her books (we have a huge collection in our living room but these are typically "her" books), plus a basket on top holds her recent reads as we cycle them through, a jar of Squinkies, and her lamp. She picked out the lamp and loves the bright pink. 

Her dresser is covered in a lace doily that was on there when my grandmother had it. It's been covered in the glass forever and I love it. On top is more of Lily's collections - jewelry, more My Little Ponies, and her toys. She made the recycled melted record bowl and it holds random stuff. Right now it's small toys, lip stick, and bubble gum to name a few. 

Above her dresser, when this wall was for her bed, we hung an IKEA hanging system for her artwork. I don't recommend them in bedrooms but with it being by her mirror now, it keeps the art from moving and making too much noise at night (which was something she had issues with for awhile as she likes to sleep with her fan on). 

  

This amazing doll house deserves its own post soon. My dad built it after I saw it on Pottery Barn's site. I loved it and so does Lily. She doesn't play with it as much as I thought, but she's only 6. I loved playing with Barbies growing up and would have loved this house. I typically made one all over our playroom floor out of books for walls after my doll house fell apart (it was plastic and a weird thin masonite/cardboard type material).  

As you first enter her room, you almost go through a small hallway. There's her toy closet on one side and her gallery wall and hooks on the other side. She loves the gallery wall and adds to it occasionally (or wants me to add more too it) and she loves the hooks. It can get a little messy but that's when I step in and remove bags and clothing. Right now it holds her random bags, her Rainbow Dash sweat shirt jacket, and her softball things - her bag and helmet.  

 I didn't take a picture of her closet but it's just to the left of the board and batten in the above photo. It's a nice size closet with double mirrored doors. She loves it. 

We actually moved her closet into her room a couple of feet to make the bathroom bigger (once we get to that…soon!). It did make her room a little smaller but nothing too bad. It'll make a world of difference in our bathroom though so stay tuned for that! 

Sharing at: Work it Wednesday No. 103, Dream. Create. Inspire. Link. Party #3, Hit Me with Your Best Shot #73

{Christmas} Home Tour

Hello and Merry Christmas! 

When you enter our home, you come directly into our living room and that's where we have our tree. We may change up the color of the lights from  year to year and add a few new ornaments, but it's where all of our ornaments go - both handmade, gifted, and the sparkly kind I can't get enough of! 

This year I didn't get out of all of my ornaments and didn't even touch a whole box of my vintage ornaments. But, I did get out a few and Doug put them into this hand carved vintage bowl of my grandmother's. Lily likes to look but is old enough to know not to touch them. Next year may be different as Nate will be 14 months at Christmas.

See that big gift in the above photo?! It's for Lily and it's driving her crazy. She has told us many times that it'll be the first gift she opens. Little does she know that she has an even bigger gift coming her way (both are from my parents). 

Speaking of gifts, don't you love how Lily addressed this? She knows words go in a line but when there's not enough room, you make due! 

Nate's handblown glass ornament my mom gave me. Isn't it adorable? One of my mercury glass ornaments is in the background.

Another Santa to add to my collection, this one given to me by my mom. She finds the best ornaments! This Santa is another handblown version with adorable painted features on both front and back. He's hanging out with my "Peace on Earth" sign that's covered in glitter. 

A creepy (but fun) snowman box (the hat comes off) next to some vintage elves. I have one little pine cone guy, my mom has several. They are hard to find but we love them! And of course, my mercury glass candle holders that pretty much live on my mantel year 'round. 

Last year I went on Etsy and picked out these stockings, not knowing that I'd need a 4th (well, kinda, but long story...) for this year. Luckily the lady was still making them so I got Nate's this year. Lily's name is embroidered in pink, of course. 

Our Dining Room: 

My dad made Lily this easel for her a couple years ago. Isn't it great? Both sides have a shelf and the other side has a roll of paper for to paint/color on. She is definitely a painter! This side features a chalk board with a message left over from a visit from Isabella, our Elf on the Shelf. She was found hanging on the top one morning, visiting our vintage Santa. 

The buffet was in my grandmother's house and although it doesn't match the rest of our living room furniture, I like it! It holds a ton of stuff, which is much better than the last buffet. I may replace the fabric on the far right side with something but the rest is in perfect condition. 

It houses more of my mercury glass obsession - trees that my mom and Doug have bought me in the past, plus a tinsel tree I made, our Advent calendar (Lily loves it) and our tree forest in the old Pepsi crate. 

The large candle was in our wedding. It was hiding downstairs so I figured I'd put it to use. You can see it's only been used once, at our wedding, over 7 years ago. An old picture of Lily in a snow globe sits next to it. I need to update it with it a pic of both Lily and Nate (it's two sided). 

Our wine cabinet decor doesn't change much but I did find this cool glittery Santa at Marshall's a month or so ago and had to have him. He reminded me of a Santa I passed up years ago at a fancy art and antique store that even on extreme, going out of business, discount was too much. This guy? He was maybe $20. He hangs out with Doug's hippo collection (there's a teeny tiny little guy right next to the tray by the big yarn hippo). The tray got a little extra sparkle with a bunch of gold mercury glass ornaments. Yes, you're supposed to take them apart but I liked them group together so they stayed that way. The large chunk of coral was a great find from our Florida trip two years ago. 

A better view of the Santa. His jacket "fabric" is made out of old street maps. 

One last view of our living room from the dining room. 

Artwork made by Lily at preschool. I love this frame that can house her creations. I bought another one for once a little guy starts his own artwork collection. 

For more of Nate's tree, click here. 

And our last tree in our house (but certainly not least) is Miss Lily's festive pink tree, which you can see more of it here. 

Merry Christmas! 

For those wondering..I did not include our TV room, kitchen, bathroom or our bedroom because I don't typically decorate in those rooms. I may decorate in our kitchen once it receives a major remodel but time will tell on that one (and then I'd have the space to do so). 

For more of our house, check out the Home Tour page and be sure to check out our crazy Before Photos page! 

{House Tour}Little Man's Room

I think this room may end up as my favorite of the house. If not, it's only because of Lily's new room beating it out. 

Little Man's room isn't completed yet but it's pretty darn close! His bed and changing table/dresser have been in for awhile, I bought the green rug you can barely see, my parents bought us the leather chair, and we covered the closets with curtains, he has a window covering (same as when Lily was there) and some decorations. The first piece being the old bed frame I spray painted for Lily who didn't want it anymore. The second being a Lily original painting that is now up near the changing table. And now, the best piece of all... an old school, pull down map. There are 3 or 4 different maps on it and it's great. 

My parents bought it at a school auction here in town when they did a surplus sale awhile back. I don't think they paid more than $10 for it but I could be wrong. Things were going super cheap! I picked up a solid oak desk for Lily for $3. It'll eventually be painted and put in her room. 

But this map... it's great, isn't it?! The colors are great, it's vintage and fun, plus it allows for some changes because my dad hung it and we can change the maps as we feel the need. Right now it's obviously on the US because we all liked the colors the most. 

Little Man's room still needs some additional storage, especially as the toys start rolling in (or coming down from the attic) but we'll deal with that later. I'm just happy that there's a bed for him to sleep in (plus a couple extra throughout the house... a bassinet and a sleep cradle thingy), a place to store his clothes and diapers, and a spot for me to sit while nursing. 

I'll do a full tour some time soon. There's still some stuff in the way like our double stroller that will eventually live in my car once it gets detailed and we don't need our hospital bags. 

{Home Tour} Dining Room

This room has come a long way from when we bought the house (almost 6 years ago!). We've removed wallpaper, painted the ceiling, walls and trim, added a new curtain rod, added new curtains (I so wish I had a true before photo of what was left!), and a new rug. We've added lots of details and I still need to photograph some of what we've done. But here's where it is now.

The double curtain rod allows for the white sheers (made my mother-in-law after not finding the right length) and light blue curtains also now hold my collection of silver and mercury glass globes. It was a holiday decoration that I've left up for now. I like the extra sparkle.

This small liquor cabinet (for lack of a better name since it does hold a bunch with it's built in shelves) matches the china cabinet and dining room table. We actually bought the three piece set with the house. We liked it then and I still like it now, although I'm not sure if it would be what we'd pick out but if we hadn't bought it at the time, I don't know how long it would have taken to deal with this room. It holds a couple photos (one of Doug and I at a wedding) and one of Doug holding a newborn Lily in the hospital. It also holds our salt rock and many other rocks and geodes (my grandfather was a collector and he actually donated a good portion of his collection to Harvard).

A small candle from Bath and Body (Sparking Icicles, my favorite and I'm almost all out), and some rocks of my grandfather's.

One of my favorite glass ornaments from my mom. I have a seahorse and two different peacocks. I love their bright, vibrant colors.

 This sweet little bowl (it has a heart on the bottom) holds some of Doug's grandmother's collection (and some from my family) of rose rocks. There's a geode on top too and is so much prettier in person. As Lily would say, it's "sparkledly." 

A bottle that my grandfather had made up when he was running for an office, I believe.

A random collection of Asian inspired china from various family members. 

One of the peacock ornaments mentioned earlier. He clips onto my plant. 

A tray full of random goodies... a neon green pothos, a candle holder with sand from our trip to Florida, a giant chunk of coral from the Florida trip, and some rocks from my grandfather.

Table view. 

Our new light, it's so much better than the old chandelier.

My knick knack shelf. It's almost all from our two beach trips but there's some other stuff there too. It's an old printer's drawer that I've had forever and finally decided to use (instead of almost giving away for free!) by hanging it up vertically instead of horizontally. The door to the left goes to our basement and the one on the right is to our kitchen.

Some finds from our Alabama trip. 

Here's some before photos, just so you can see:

Before paint and after most of the wallpaper removal.

The ceiling before painting it a light blue.

Ohh... the wallpaper. It's been in every room of the house almost (minus the upstairs and our TV room).

After removing the wallpaper on the trim.

The old chandelier.