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Make Room for what you Love- 5 week challenge

Hello Friends!  We are getting so close to moving into our new home, and I feel the need to simplify and organize!  Big time!

I've joined Melissa's Make Room Challenge....and thought it might be fun to have you join  me too!  It is just for 5 weeks and at the end you will have a home you love!

Check it out- Here and Here. 

Week 1- Master bedroom - focusing on the decluttering your dresser-

 

Here are Three decluttering steps/tips Melissa shares-

1. Empty your clothing and belongings from dresser drawers.
Take advantage of this moment to wipe them out and even add new drawer liners if you want to.
2. Take stock of how much drawer space you have. What do you need your drawer space for? Assign each drawer a purpose, with space for each category of belongings (such as socks, undies, slips, tights, PJ’s.).
3. Now it’s time to put back what you really use. What is in good condition, fits, and you actually like to wear? Put those items back in the drawer in the designated space. Match up socks. If you have lone socks, start a lonely sock basket, and if the mate turns up, you’ll be able to return them to the dresser. If the drawers become too crowded, pare down or relocate items if you have another option.

Get Organized Tip: You can make easy DIY drawer dividers from old shoe and gift boxes.

 

This drawer organizers came from Ikea...love their drawer organizers.  I also love to use old boxes.

I love how simple this was to do ( I used Heidi's room, thanks Heidi) Just using things we already had on hand..

• a basket for bedside necessities- tissue, water, chap-stick, phone
• a little greenery and candles from her home. 

It doesn't take much to get started....and the reward is awesome!   Just a few "Simple little steps."

Love this quote from Melissa's Book-

"The chaos in our physical world can reflect and even alter the state of our mood, body, mind, and spirit." 

Come follow along with me!  The Make Room Challenge  The Inspired Room 

 

Happy Day!

$5 Table make over-

This is the little table I found at a garage sale for $5 a month ago ....couldn't pass that up, even if I didn't want it....someone could use it! (a happy meal is more money than that!)

I used some left over Annie Sloan chalk paint in Paris Grey  that was used to paint the guest bathroom ...chalk paint goes a long ways. ( and really she looked fine in her original stain...but I wanted something a little bit lighter) 

 She makes a cute little side table- down the road I plan to add either mirror or  white marble to the top...not sure which yet. (the table has a little raised lip....so it is just begging for something like that)

 

 

What do you think....marble, mirror, or glass....for the top?

Never pass up a $5 side table.

Happy Day

 

No sanding or priming....just went for it with the Chalk Paint.

 

Mood Board- Living Room

(Mood board for Poppy Hill Living Room)

 

I have so many ideas in my head, I sometimes don't know the direction I was going in a room design until I didn’t like where it was headed.  (smile)

But once I started piecing together room design ideas onto a mood board?  Boom.  Instant game change.  

I take pictures of things I have and find pictures of things I would like in a room (pinterest is awesome for pictures)....then I just start putting the room together.

(in the olden days I would make my mood boards by cutting pictures from magazines to make a collage...much easier this way...but I do still keep a binder...still need to see it on paper. =) 

I can usually tell right away if I like things together.  

I like to call the game..."do they play nice together"   I can add or take away pictures to my hearts content....and bonus...no money spent....so no worries.

It's kind of my way of making sure I'm going in the right direction ...before any money is spent.  Then once I come up with a plan...I start shopping . 

There's another game I play its called...how can I get this look for less.   

Which can be really fun until its not. (smile) 

I make my mood board in Picmonkey, really user-friendly (not to mention free.) 

 I don’t have Adobe Photoshop software- it seems overwhelmingly complicated and costs a pretty penny. 

I’ll warn you now: Designing rooms like this can get super addictive.

Start something new...just for fun! (It is easy and free)

 

Happy Day

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Building Poppy Hill: Foundation

Second Skin- Perfect Linens

 I was approached by the people at Perfect Linens  inquiring  if I would be interested in receiving  a complementary set of Second Skin sheets to review- I'm always on the hunt for a good set of sheets so of course I said yes.

First off when I received the package....they won points for how it was packaged...sweet &  simple... with a touch of we care.   

 

The set I picked to have delivered was Second Skin Blue double stripe in a queen size.

• 400 thread-count
• sateen woven
• 100% Egyptian Mercerized cotton
• generously over-sized flat sheet
• embroidered hems on flat and Pillowcases 

Right out of the box they felt smooth, fresh and soft.

I like to wash new sheets before we sleep in them.... so, following their instructions. I launder them alone in warm water with a mild detergent.

I dried them on low with no fabric softener or dryer sheets. (also per their instructions) 

I removed from my dryer and put them on my bed slightly damp...Yes, damp!  the fabric continues to dry while I smoothed out wrinkles with my hands....super easy.  This is what they looked like after I smoothed them out...this is the bottom sheet.

 

 I did the same thing with the top sheet...it was a little more "wrinkled" but not bad.  

(usually to get to this point I would have to iron...so happy day...a lot less ironing)

Pillow cases....I didn't catch them quite at the damp stage...so I think that is why they came out like this...so I will be ironing these.

( I like my pillow cases iron crisp...I'm kind of weird like that)

they came out better than most sheets I have.... Plus I love the trim... very nice detail.

 

So I touched up the pillow cases with an iron- and they came out perfect.

They were very comfortable to sleep on...didn't cling, felt very smooth and cozy....reminded me of the sheets from a resort that we love.....so happy day bonus!

I plan to buy a few sets to use at our cabin....perfect for the guest beds...plus big bonus...if laundered and  put on the beds damp...no ironing to make them looks presentable!   Happy Day!

 

If you would like to try a set yourself....good news....

I have a discount code for you because you are  super special-(smile)

at checkout enter Whatever35 for a 35% discount.

This is a sponsored post on behalf of  Perfect Linens, but all opinions are my own. 

 

It doesn't have to be perfect-

I believe it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful- This is a buffet I found in a thrift store...pretty dirty and dark when I brought it home...just a little paint and happy day.  See the before link here 

It doesn't have to be perfect - I think so often we put off decorating because we are waiting for the perfect sofa, chair, art etc.  Please don't do that. (smile)

I believe we are all have awesome things in our home that with just a little elbow grease can be good enough to use now....we are all creative because we are all made in the image of a creative God.

Everything in this picture was found at a vintage/thrift store.

(all but the lanterns which I bought at Home Goods a few years ago.)

The art- I took one of my Mother's old garden books...pulled out a few images that I liked and framed them.  (the frames use to be black...found at a thrift store.)

The vintage green/blue trifle bowl belonged to Danny's Mother....given to her from from the ladies in her art class....back in the 1940's ( I believe in using the good stuff now...not hiding it away in a box.)

 I believe that it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful.

My invitation to you today- embrace rick and go decorate without taking yourself too seriously ...bring out the good stuff and have a little fun. (and to make it all the more fun...do it without spending money.=)

Happy Day

The Mill house.

 

 

furnishing a home one piece at a time-

If you have been following my blog for a while, then  you know that in the past year we sold what we deemed to be "our dream home"   We truly thought this would be the last home we would build/buy.

But life happens and things change. A crazy thing about the sell of this home.....all our furniture was also bought in the sell!

So, I'm starting all over again.....that is....furnishing our new home.  

(I think.... May will be our Happy month for starting construction, fingers crossed)

 Starting from scratch can be fun...but also a lot of work.

I thought just for fun I would share with you how I have in the past and plan to in the future- furnish our new home.

I do not like to match- I prefer to say… “I like things that go together.” Retail stores love to perpetuate the fallacy that everything has to match….they would love for us to buy everything in sets, but don’t do it!

For my Home I believe a few pieces with the same styling are fine, but any more than that and I feel like my home has the lifeless, generic look of a furniture showroom.

Disclaimer-

(when we were first married I dreamed of having a beautiful matching set of furniture from a well loved furniture store....and dreamed of that often....but because of budget restrains, that never happened.  So, I learned to collect pieces over time and just make them work together.  I kept telling myself "someday you will be able to walk into a store and just buy it"  Well, that didn't happen....and that's okay, because really I like the "collecting" way better....more fun and I think it makes a home feel more like home.)

So I collect over time…and buy from so many different sources.  Vintage stores, family hand-me-downs, flea markets and of course major furniture and design shops. (smile)

I've started the process of collecting.  In the last year I have picked up a chair, dresser, hutch and a few art pieces.  

(when we left our CV home...I kept all my "treasured art" ...just left behind what I like to call- "store art")

Here are a few steps that have helped me design a room.

1. Create a pinterest board- only stuff you really love is allowed in. Here is my creating a home board

2. When thinking of a particular room you are designing....find a "lead" piece that will be the lead/anchor for the room.....for me the lead piece is not paint.  Lead items I like are- fabric, furniture, rug, art or a pillow. (then just decorate using the lead piece...find pieces that play nice with that piece.)

3. Play with patterns
4. Create a budget

One of the tricks I use to get every-one of these pieces to play nice with each other- I tie everything together with color.

 I find curtains, rugs or accessories in a common hue and see how the pieces begin to complement each other.

This is a little chair I just picked up....planning to add a little pop of color to the back of this chair with some fabric ....not sure what fabric  yet.

Sketch out a floor plan. I know this sounds like a drag, but I do this all the time, and I find it really does help!

You’ll find free floor plan programs all over the Web. My personal favorite is the room planner offered by Jordan’s Furniture in Boston. It is relatively easy to use, is flexible, offers a good selection of furniture templates and doesn't limit you to proprietary furniture brands.

If you want to see how your floor plan translates to real life, make footprints of each piece out of newspaper, towels or blankets. (smile) I've even used tape.

Just sharing- do you have any trick/tips on how you go about planning your homes decor?

Happy Day

PS....if you ever hear of a great estate sale etc. please share.

Here are some wonderful places where I've found treasures.

Remnants of the Past  Their next event is in Pleasanton Ca  April 24-25.  Oh how I wish I could go! Life is so full!  If you go....have fun for me. =)

Vintage Market in Turlock....Just picked up a chair and hutch from their store!

And on a really exciting note-

My Daughter and I will be having our annual Mother/Daughter getaway here!

The Farm Chick show!

I wonder if I can ship a container home? =)

Happy Day

 

 

 

Love the Home you Have: and a giveaway

A sweet blog friend- Melissa from the Inspired Room  (She is the one who first signed me up to write over at Blissfully Domestic she has been a wonderful "cheer- me- on- friend" from "blog land") well... she has written a book!

Now I get to cheer her on...in my own little way.

Her sweet little book has a movie Trailer....that is just so stinking cute!

Love The Home You Have from The Inspired Room on Vimeo.

 

 

 You can pre-order the book at Barnes and Noble and Amazon and it will be delivered to you as soon as the book is released. Just two more weeks!  You can read more about the book at Love the Home you Have.

and just because I want you to have one.....I'm giving one away.

 

 

 

Tell me How you "Love the Home you Have"

From your answers I will pick  someone to receive Melissa new book.

( Giveaway ends one week from posted date)

 

 

 

 

 

Garden Fountain-

A year and half ago Danny and I picked up this garden fountain at a vintage sale....It was my birthday present.  (smile)

I had great dreams for it....which have changed from time to time....never quite being able to settle on where I wanted it to go.

Happy Day, call me crazy...but I finally have a super idea!

Someday when we get to built our new home- (because we sold our Catheys Valley Home) 

This vintage fountain will become a bathroom sink...yes, you heard me right a bathroom sink.

Crazy in a perfect way! (ssssshhhhhhhhhh...I haven't broken the news to Danny yet =) 

Something like this-  (sorry about my silly little drawing...artist... I am not)

• find an awesome vintage table (has to be sturdy)
• brace and mount fountain to wall....resting on table.

 

What is perfect about this garden fountain-  It already has all the right "holes" in the right places!

I plan to clean up some of the rust...but keep most...then seal it. (I'm on the hunt for some vintage faucets)

Something like this.

The basin...will be sealed and or thinking about having some porcelain sprayed on the inside of the bowel.

What do you think?

1. keep the bowl as is ...just sealed.  It is already water tight...just need to make it clean and easy to keep clean.
2. add a layer of porcelain to the inside bowl?

What would you do?

 Future Guest Bathroom sink.  (Bathrooms are a perfect place to step outside the box)

Happy Day

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How to say Good-bye

Family treasures on display everyday-

This hutch was in my Mother and Fathers home and before that it was in my Grandparents home.  I love to fill a room with treasures, whether that be vintage or Quirky. 

I  believe that opposites attract- more times than not when a room feels like it is missing something....I know it's because I need to add something "opposite"

Like if my room seems to "matchy" "matchy"... I add something totally different....or if it feels just "came from a box everything is perfect"  I add something old, quirky or vintage.

The Quirky

Anthropologie is one of my favorite stores....not that I buy their clothes or dishes that often. (once in awhile...but what I can't get enough of are the displays.)  I love their window displays, I love how they take everyday items and use them in unique ways.   I so believe its not about how expensive the item is...its about displaying an item that you love in quirky, fun ways.

The Vintage

Dads chair...I bought that live boxwood wreath last year at Trader Joe's...can't believe it is still green.

 

The quirky, vintage & new all together

• War ration book framed
• vintage books
• table pottery-barn
• quirky art
• vintage art

I like everything just a little bit off...a little quirky....I like to decorate with everyday treasure.

(I do try to follow a few decorating rules...just to keep everything from going too crazy. =)

Pages riped from my Mothers vintage garden book...become framed art in my home.

I like to collect....This Sea Shell mirror is something I made....with the help of a glue gun.

A few quirky vintage mirrors mixed with a few new one....can you tell which ones are vintage?

A vintage buffet I found at a thrift store....I painted it Teal of course.

Different homes and different families call for different ways of decorating.   I decorate the way that works for my family.  I try to find things that make me happy when I look at them.  It may not be what you like or even close to something you may try....and that's the beauty of OUR HOMES....we get to do what works for us.

I usually don't worry if anyone out there loves how I decorate...(I do worry about how clean it is... I'm so "A" type) I guess what I'm trying to say is....we can all make our homes a fun, happy pretty place....just incorporate your favorite color, mothers dishes, quirky "starfish" or whatever simple pleasures that you like....no matter what anyone else thinks.

I just what to create a home that represents who we are as a family....I'm okay with imperfection in my home.

My grandmothers music box....my Mother had it, now I have it....someday it will be Shannon's then Anna's.

Home is about Family History.

Happy Day

(the music box plays The Anniversary song.)

Planning an awesome giveaway....on Monday....celebrating my Blog Anniversary.   Stop by =)

 

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The Mill House Entry-

Cabin deer bathroom

The little yellow chair that could-

• n. - A seat for one person, with a support for the back

The little yellow chair that could- that would be this chair.

She is whimsical, and offers an invitation to all that see her, a happy place to sit .   She is like sunshine in my room.

This little chair makes me happy-

• color happy yellow
• clean lines ...something like a cushion Basket chair from the 1919-1933

She has traveled many rooms- bedroom, den, bathroom, living room....and I'm thinking someday adding wheels to her feet ...so I can use her as a office chair.

Do you have a happy Chair?  How do you use her?   Where do you look for inspiration to find such a chair?

Let me share with you one place that is awesome fun the 

Home Decor Resource Guide

at One Kings Lane

 

They have a section of vintage, antique, designer etc.  Plus, if you want to educate yourself on different styles check out this link.

We wanted a little chair that added a pop of color and sunshine to a room....

This little yellow chair is one that could.

Happy Day