Notes from the Field | 006

There are a lot of perks to being a stay at home mom. When it's cold and dreary - we can stay cuddled up by a fire. When the first day of spring weather hits (whenever that decides to happen!) we can visit a park and play outside all day. We can road trip to antique stores, make play dates, and I also have the ability to work on a lot of projects around the house that I enjoy, especially now that my kids are a little older and able to play together or solo. 

But there are also some drawbacks that I think a lot of stay at home parents feel bad venting about. There can be a lot of isolation - especially on those cold winter days. Play dates revolve around naps and schedules, so as much as I'd love to have them every other day, they seem to happen every other week. I miss the adult only interaction and lunch dates. I miss phoning it in from time to time. I miss using the bathroom alone. I especially miss having goals outside of a clean house or errands completed. 

I also miss having formal feedback, as weird as that may sound. I never dreaded performance reviews. I like having goals and crushing them. No one will be shocked to learn I was more or less a straight A student (minus a few college level math and econ courses. Solid B-s there!) I mean, does it surprise anyone that I started a blog and lived off the comments and likes for so long? 

I thrive on words of affirmation! I've made a big effort to tell myself you're not cleaning the house for praise or this outfit is for you, no one else, etc etc. I'm doing those things because they're either things that need completed or things I'm doing for myself. But when someone else notices a job well done and says something, man. That makes my day. Or week. Probably not month or year, because even though I wish I could, I can't hang onto that thread for longer than a few days

I guess this is all to say, over the weekend, my little laundry room makeover got picked up on Apartment Therapy and it really felt great to be mentioned by what i would consider an authority on interior design. Of course you guys have realized that over the past six months I've pivoted from personal style to sharing more about my life and home. This blog has gone from our family income to my hobby. Something I'm just doing for fun. I mean, I would not turn down a sponsorship to tile my sunroom floor or new kitchen countertops (WHO WOULD!?) but that's not the goal anymore. So a little (or big!) pat on the back reminded me of how important praise is in my life. I'm not sure if it's a good thing to realize (TELL ME YOU LOVE ME! jk jk) but at least I've come to terms with it. Getting to know myself a little more. Also getting to realize that sooner or later, I do want to get back to work - with goals and expectations outside of the home - and I have an idea of how I want to do it.  

I have no formal training, but I've been rearranging my spaces since I was a little kid. I love choosing paint colors, sewing window treatments or pillows. I freaking love rehabbing furniture. I've started doing minor electrical work and carpentry. And for now it all might be in my own home, but why not make a go of it for others? For years I urged others to jump into what they love via the blogging path, so could I afford to take some of my own advice? I love this stuff. And trust me, I don't think I'm in line to get my own show on HGTV because of one little feature on another site, but I do think it would be fun to help my girlfriends who have new houses.

Anyone else out there who went down a new path after staying at home with kids? Is this just a case of the grass being greener on the other side? I don't know, but it's worth a shot. I'd rather try and fail than never try at all. We shall see! 

Our Farmhouse | Spring Bedroom Refresh

Finally! The sun came out! So here we are with my latest interior project - a master bedroom refresh. Right now we're not in a place to dismantle our lives (ie the kitchen) for a big renovation, so decided to take on a smaller project instead. When I'm styling a space I tend to borrow from other rooms, and after I completed the master last year I moved around a lot of plants, books, odds and ends. The space was feeling a little empty. Time to refresh!

First let me share what stayed the same, which is actually a lot. The paint, window treatments and almost all of the furniture are still in use. We moved the crib over to the kids' room and in it's place I finally assembled a desk Adam gave me for mother's day last year (which was also the weekend we closed on this house and moved it, so that box became hidden under other boxes and on and on). I should also note that I kept my 'Secondhand First' mission with this space! My mom did bring me to a new set of sheets as a gift, but everything else is either second hand or self made. I'll go into detail below!

So what's new, Jess? Come on over and have a look!

Bedding

To brighten things up, I started with a new-to-me white coverlet (found second hand on etsy). Underneath are the organic cotton sheets my mom gave me, which are also white with a small grey print. I swapped out my navy bedskirt with a white version I already had in my linen closet. I also kept the two quatrefoil cream pillows and blue textured pillow that I made last year for this bed. Although green velvet might not conjure up spring to most, it reminded me of moss and since I have a thing for using houseplants in all of my rooms now, it helped pull those colors into the bed area. I'm not sure that last sentence totally makes sense. For the throw pillow I used a modern paisley with a combo of pompom trims that I made myself. (and for the bench makeover you'll see on the opposite side of the room). I also kept the white throw at the end of my bed. 

Behind the bed, I created a new headboard using 600 feet of cotton cord affixed to an oak base (which I also made). It was probably a week of knotting and Adam and I both love the end result!

Above the bed, I installed an oak shelf (on sturdy brackets, mounted to studs!). I'm still working on how I want to style it, so you'll see two different versions of that #shelfie in this post. One version has a Robert Cox oil painting I love and the other is just plants. I like how the painting brings in some blues and yellows (and in that version, I have the blue pillow on the bed) but I also like just plants. I might rearrange it every time I clean the room! Who knows! I've been playing around a lot with that shelf and I think as the plants mature and grow it's going to be even cooler.

Desk

The desk was a gift from last year and I'm keeping it simple with a couple plants and a framed photo of me and Felix. The chair was such a score for me - I'd been wanting to add something rattan to the space and this baby popped up at the Habitat ReStore just a couple days later. I sanded down the peeling poly and then rubbed on some beeswax conditioning paste I made. Finally, I used some leftover velvet to reupholster the seat. Hello retro! I love it! The woman who cut my fabric was like "is this color coming back in style? It's very 1970s!" to which I answered "I'm not sure, but that's exactly what I'm going for!" Green isn't going to float everyone's boat, but baby, it rocks mine! And velvet is just so lux! I used a 50% off coupon to buy it as well so la-ti-da!

Decor

Over the wide dresser is my ever growing collection of baskets and trivets and anything straw. Everything is second hand minus the hat which I made myself. I also have a Calethia plant that I repotted (it made its first appearance in my upper living room) and is thriving now that I actually take care of it. It's kind of been one of those that I let totter near the edge of death before reviving (or used to!) Now she has more room for her roots and gets enough water to be happy. 

I swapped the location of the dressers, but kept the mirror where it was, so I put a plant, a globe and some yellow billy balls up there (those were formerly on my bedside tables!) Looks cute! On the left is the bench I reupholstered, using the same fabric as the throw pillow on the bed. Before it was a cat scratched mess with a loose leg and after it's sturdy and perfect for... gathering laundry and getting piled up with junk. Seriously. I'll try to keep it empty to use for putting on shoes or whatever. Mainly I bought it because I wanted a project and it was $6 so I'm pleased with the end result. 

Lighting

I kept my same bedside lamps but finally installed an overhead light! You guys - I left the old wiring sticking out of my ceiling for 9 months. WTF?! Earlier this week I installed the new light, which I updated with some more macrame. It's subtle enough but still improves the look of a basic builder's fixture. And because I made it into a project, I consider it a "supply" which is kind of a round about way to keep within the second hand first. (I allow myself to buy project materials new.) Because nothing was up there at all, I couldn't just live with what I had and lights can be tricky finding used (there are plenty of boob flush mounts out there, but not my thing style wise). I hope there's no one out there bored enough to blog about the times I had to buy something new from the store! I'm sure I'm the only one who cares about the whole 'Make, Do, Mend' thing anyways!

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So that's my spring refresh on my bedroom. I grew up with parents who loved to move around furniture and make small changes (or big, my mom would re-paint rooms all the time!) and it makes me happy to do the same thing. Huge thanks to my mom who helped me sew, pry out old staples and watch the kids so we could make this happen! If I missed anything, please let me know if the comments!

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See More of my FARMHOUSE Makeovers HERE!

Notes From the Field | 005

I'm trying to do it all, really I am. Lately I just feel like I can't keep my head above water to do all of the things I want to do, let alone need to do. There's little things that I leave on my to-do list for weeks at a time, when I know I'd feel so much better if I just called and made that appointment or cancelled that subscription (Note to self, stop with the free 7 day trial - you'll forget to use it and curse yourself every time you're billed for it). 

My husband took the kids for the morning so all of those tedious computer chores and phone calls are getting done. I mean, let's be honest. They should have been done long ago but I just had to make a macrame lampshade instead of being truly productive. 

Speaking of the kids, we do have one big update that I'm so thrilled about - my son is on the road to being potty trained!! I realize there is a fine line in what is fair to share about my kids, but because there's a lot of stress on parents when it comes to potty training, I do feel ok saying a little bit. 

We've had a little training potty in our house for a long time, but it was met with terror (and by that I mean epic tantrums) upon the suggestion to use it. Fine. You'll be ready when you're ready. And one day, a couple weeks ago, with a bribe for gum balls (and trust me, we've tried all sorts of bribes over the past year!), he ran into the bathroom, shut the door, and came out SO EXCITED to tell us he used the bathroom all by himself. The first day we had a couple mistakes, but no worries kid! we're onto something. He even woke up with a dry pull up overnight. Then I took my friend's advice and went no undies/pants for a full day so he could get in there and not get frustrated with the whole undressing thing. But now, most days, we're all underwear, all day! We've even had full days with no accidents and I think we're on our way. For us, we just had to let him do it in his own time. He's so proud of himself and we let him know we're proud of him too. 

So - potty training parents out there - especially with kids creeping up to their fourth birthdays - they'll get there in their own good time. Solidarity! 

On the home front I have a lot of projects I'm waiting for a sunny day to photograph and share. I've been having excellent luck with treasure hunting at the second hand shops and brought home two pieces of furniture that made their way into my bedroom update (which is also done and waiting on photos!) It's amazing what some fresh fabric and a staple gun can accomplish.

I'm also attempting to keep up with the updates at my etsy shop. I found ahhhh-maaazzz-ing goodies when I was in Indianapolis last weekend and I've started to post some of them (although a bunch sold yesterday, so follow my shop instagram if you want to stay in the loop!)

So I guess that's all for now! Hope the frickin sun comes out because I dunno if I can handle all of the alternating snow storms and thunder/lightening/rain. With that, I'm gonna take some vitamin D! Have a good one! 

Inspired By | Bohemian Bedrooms

Now that I've wrapped up the laundry room makeover, I'm really antsy to do another room. On one hand there's the kitchen, but that's going to be a significant investment and time commitment. I also need to paint the ceilings and cement floor in my sunroom (adjacent to the dining room) but that's also something that will take solo time away from the kids. 

Which leaves me with a third idea! What about a master bedroom refresh? Last year I updated the space with paint and a new set of sheets and goodies from my attic stash to complete it. Since then I've been borrowing from the space for other rooms and the bedroom is left feeling a little lack luster. I wonder if a little re arranging, a real headboard (in my dreams I'd find a gorgeous rattan number like this for a king) and some new plants could freshen up the space? I'd also like to thrift a white quilt to swap with the blue I've had for a few years (UPDATE! Bought one secondhand on etsy!) Maybe make a new throw pillow? It would be a budget based, DIY quickie but I think it would satisfy my urge to change something up. 

Here's what I'm inspired by - bright, plant filled boho style spaces. I could make up some macrame pieces for either plants or wall hangings and I can do that pretty inexpensively. I'd swap out my dark bedding for light (some of which I have in my linen closet). I'd also like do to a shelf over the bed with some trailing plants. If I can find a vintage kilim rug in so-so condition I'd also like to make a bench for the foot of the bed. And last by not least, I still haven't replaced the overhead light fixture, so I need to get on that. I think the best part of bohemian style is that it has a crafted look and gets better and better with the more mixing and matching you do. Lucky for me all of my furniture is second hand and from all over the place so cobbled together is right up my alley! 

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So all of this leads me to a question for you guys - is anyone out there interested in the thought process and planning of making over or redecorating a room? I like it to gather my ideas and narrow things down and I'm considering doing a more in depth posting schedule for my kitchen reno this summer (I plan on doing a lot of the work myself!). Please let me know!