A Big Hearty Thank You

I'd really like to thank all of you who have left such kind comments. I can't tell you how exciting it is to receive them and how much I appreciate hearing from you!

Being such a new blogger I especially love and appreciate the fact that anyone might enjoy reading my blog and I do have to admit I love hearing from the people that do. It makes it so fun!
I myself am trying to be better at commenting on the various blogs I read as there are so many inspiring and fun bloggers out there that deserve to hear so!

Corners of My World

Big Brothers Room

Over the Christmas holiday Big Brother was moved from what is now Baby Sissy's room to his 'brand new' big boy room (former guest room). We painted the walls in a khaki color so that we could use the bold primary colors w/out overwhelming the space. Although the room is not huge it feels more spacious with its vaulted ceilings.

The bedding, a turtle duvet and bright striped quilt are from Pottery Barn Kids. The canvas picture is one I found at Target for only 39.99 and immediately knew I had to have for his room. I made the curtains (hence the lack of close up pictures) :) I found some adorable red star tie backs from this great store http://www.thecompanystore.com/ for kids, that I'd like to use for the curtains.

Eventually we'd like to get him a bed similar to this one except in white. I like the idea of a trundle for future sleep overs with his buddies and for when we have guests.

My husband made the little table modeled after the PBKs Carolina table. The little red chairs I picked up at an antique store in Iowa and decided to spray paint red to match his room. They are old school chairs and I bought them for only $15 for both!

The blue chair in the back ground is a garage sale find. It too was quite a deal, it swivels and rocks and I picked it up and another matching chair for under $25 total. The chair was a horrendous orange velvet but it has great bones and was in good condition so I had it slip covered and ta-da it's new again!

The little 'A' pillow was a recent find at the Home Goods store. If you have a Home Goods store in your area you really do need to check it out. There are some great finds to be had but it is the type of store you need to frequent as the selection changes constantly.

Eventually I'd like to add some gallery style white frames along the wall on the right (next to the table) for Big Brothers art projects. He's already bringing home some cute pictures done at daycare! (Shall we pause for a proud momma moment?) :)

As with nearly every room in my home this one continues to evolve. The overall feel is there but I have plenty of tweaking I'd like to do in the future. For example, there is a large plant shelf above the closet that is a bit of an awkward space. I think I'd like to start slowly collecting some vintage globes at antique and junk stores for the plant shelf. Not only would they look great grouped together but they could be used educationally too.

I'll be sure to post some additional views of his room in the future and pictures of any tweaking I do to the room.

Hope everyone is having a great start to their week!

Baby Sissy's Side Table & More

Well he did it! My handsome hubby finished the much anticipated side table for Baby Sissy's room. I think it turned out fabulous and already have more projects lined up for him as a result! I'm sure he'll be more then pleased to hear what my ideas are. LOL

I also have the curtains hung in this picture which I don't believe I had up in my earlier pictures of Baby Sissy's room.

One of the projects I've added to handsome hubby's 'honey do' list is a dollhouse bookcase. There is a small section of wall situated between two doors that is begging for something special.



I'm envisioning something similar to this except I'd paint it white and perhaps paint the back 'wall' color a pink to match the curtains. What do you think? Cute huh? This would give us a great place to hold her many children's books and other cute decorative pieces that every little girl collects.

Speaking of, I love of children's books, especially those with great illustrations. In fact, I think framed pages of a beautifully illustrated book makes GREAT wall art! Something I always like to keep an eye out for.


Another 'honey do' project I'd love for handsome hubby to make is a step stool for next to Baby Sissy's crib. I promised her big brother that I'd get a little stool for him next to her crib so that he could peer in at her too. For that project I'm envisioning something similar to this, or perhaps something even more simple in design.

I feel so fortunate to have a husband who understands (for the most part) my love of decorating and can appreciate (most of the time) all the ideas and projects I have going in my head. I think the key is that he realizes that it's something that I truly enjoy doing. Earlier in our marriage I don't think he understood it as it was obviously not something he was particularly passionate about. As time has passed and as he has seen our house evolve and the joy it brings me, he has come around. Either that or he's just given up! :)

From the Department of Clever Ideas

Size It Closet Organizer

I found this idea on another blog and had to check it out for myself. The 'One Step Ahead - Size It Closet Organizer' is a great idea for parents of young ones.

Brand new...and too small already? What a shame! Sometimes the cutest outfits end up in the back of the closet, and your child outgrows them before they're even worn. These clever dividers allow you to organize your child's clothing by size, so you'll never overlook another darling ensemble. Includes five plastic dividers plus 15 removable labels that will take your little fashion plate from newborn to size 8. Colors may vary.

With our first we had received so many adorable outfits, unfortunately many were never worn due to the fact that he outgrew them so quickly and several weren't in the weekly rotation and were missed. Had we had his closet organized with these we would have known exactly what we had in the say, 3-6 month rotation and would have used them all.

The 'Size It-Closet Organizer' comes with five blank room dividers and 15 removable labels includes labels for sizes 'newborn' to 'size 8', plus six blank write-on labels and can be purchased for just $6.95 at http://www.onestepahead.com.

Mother's Little Helper

Behold the Bumbo

Not around just 2 1/2 yrs ago when I had my first child, the Bumbo has apparently become one of the 'must have' items for any new parent.


"The Bumbo Baby Seat is a snug and cozy environment for your baby. This revolutionary infant chair is uniquely designed according to the baby’s posture. The Bumbo enables babies to sit upright all by themselves! Bumbo Baby Seats are suitable for babies from as young as six weeks (or as soon as they can support their own heads unaided) to an age of approximately fourteen months.
This award winning infant chair is manufactured to the highest safety standards from low-density foam material, which makes it lightweight and portable. It is soft and comfortable for the baby, safe, hygienic and nontoxic. The integral outer skin of the material is durable and easy to clean."

After digging a bit further I was surprised at all the positive reviews I've read about this little wonder seat. You can buy your Bumbo at Target, Babies R Us, www.bumboseat.com and several other online sites. Most cost around $40, a small price to pay for a happy baby I think.

And, yes, this is on my wish list!

The Too Cute (and practical) Project

Decoupage Bucket Project

Picture frame I matted to match

After deciding I wanted something fun and pretty for storage in Baby Sissy’s room I decided to take on a decoupage bucket project. The bucket turned out so well that I have several more in the pipeline.

Supplies Need:

- 1 galvanized bucket – purchased mine from the garden center area at Home Depot – cost approx 7.00
- Scrap book paper, leftover wallpaper, or pretty wrapping paper – I used scrap book paper from Hobby Lobby – cost approx 1.50. I do recommend that you use dark colors and/or a ‘busy’ whimsical pattern like I selected for my featured bucket.
- Mod Podge

How To Instructions:

1. Cut paper to fit height of bucket
2. Center paper between the side seams of the bucket so that each 'side' looks even.
3. Use Mod Podge to adhere paper to bucket, modify fit at this point if necessary, while the glue is still wet.
4. Repeat around the bucket, overlapping as you go. Remember precision and perfection are fruitless here but overall symmetry is important.
5. Let paper dry a bit then apply a liberal coating of Mod Podge over the bucket to seal it.

There are so many fun uses for this bucket be it a beverage tub for your next party, a diaper caddy, mail catch-all, or for magazines. The list of uses is endless.
I have a fun one in mind for my son's room. Once I finally get around to making it I'll share it with you.

Side Note: The bucket liner is one I bought from Pottery Barn Kids for 2.99! I ordered several more for future buckets but these would be super easy to make with fun, coordinating fabric if you are even just a tad handy with a sewing machine.


In the works: Diaper Case, fun coasters and a couple of 'secret' projects I'll reveal later.

Have a great weekend my friends!

Great Gift Ideas

If you're hunting for fun and unique gifts for children eeBoo is a fabulous place to start. There are so many cute products I don't even know where to begin. http://eeboo.com/startpage.php

About eeBoo: eeBoo is about producing beautiful, useful and well-made products for children. Using only the original art of well-known and well-loved children's book illustrators we create vibrantly original toys and gifts that hopefully children will affectionately remember.

I particularly love the Wall Cards and think they'd be great for Baby Sissy's room. They are large sized at 8x10 and are printed on heavy card stock. I think framed and matted they'd look adorable on the wall!


I also love their Tot Towers. They too come in a variety of styles and are currently on sale for $19.95, down from $24.95.


Also fun is their selection of Matching Games, Flash Cards and Party Games.

Happy hunting!

A little at a time...

Bulletin Board Project

Supplies Needed:

- basic bulletin board - I purchased mine from Target. It's 48 x 24 inches and had a simple unfinished wood frame. cost - 12.99
- Acrylic Paint - (color of your choice). I chose 'Burnt Umber', brand Apple Barrel, purchased at Hobby Lobby. cost - .50
- 1 yard of fabric - (fabric of your choice). I chose a pink paisley print from Hancock's at 50% off. cost - approx 5.00
-4 yards of trim - (trim of your choice). I purchased brown trim from Joann's as they had a good selection. cost - approx 3.50

How to Guide:
1. Paint unfinished frame
2. To recreate simply cut your fabric to size of the cork board (inside frame).
3. Staple or use clear tacky glue to adhere to cork board.
4. Cut trim to proper length for all four sides and adhere with tacky glue.
4. Hang and enjoy!

Total project cost - approx 22.00 Total time spent - approx 45 mins

If simple clear or silver thumbtacks don't appeal to you, especially used on such a pretty bulletin board, there are a couple of great sites and options for decorative pushpins, www.jimclift.com and www.ballarddesigns.com .


Home Office Decorating

I decided in the midst of working on Baby Sissy's room that I also needed to begin working on revamping my home office. Truth be told I have worked full-time from my home office for nearly 1 1/2 yrs and have hardly done a thing to it; not typically my style as I love to decorate. Surely I could have found time in the past 1 1/2 yrs to decorate this space right? Wrong. I'm sad to say this room as been sorely neglected as I've spent time decorating and re-decorating other rooms of my home. So, because my timing couldn't be better (snicker, snicker) I've begun work on this room.

I will blame this latest endeavor on the maternal nesting instincts that commonly come out in the later stages of pregnancy, combined with my '2007 Mission Organization' goal. Inspiration came after perusing one of my favorite blogs http://jeanettes.typepad.com/. Aside from having many great ideas herself, her 'Studios that inspire' truly does inspire this Suburban Momma.

My home office is actually a sitting room off of my master bedroom. It's the perfect size for me and has a ton of potential. I will be posting some 'before' shots soon and then pictures of the room as it progresses.

Baby Sissy Room Update - Due to some unforeseen things that came up last weekend my handsome hubby was unable to work on Sissy's side table. However, fret not as he has begun work on it today which I hope means it will be done and ready for some fresh white paint by the weekend. More pictures to come my friends.

Have a great day!

Fun Find Friday

Happy Friday to all!

It's Friday morning and I couldn't be happier. After a terrible nights sleep I'm ready to get this work day done and over with and start the weekend!

Last night we picked up the supplies needed for my handsome hubby to make the side table for Baby Sissy's room. He plans to work on it this weekend so hopefully I can post some new pictures soon.

I'm working on a bulletin board project for my home office and plan to post some pictures for you with instructions by the first of next week. The project is coming along nicely so far and I think you'll find it super cute!

Fun Find Friday item: Found this cute tote at Old Navy this past week for only 10.00, down from 20.00! I think it's super cute with its brown and khaki color combo...perfect neutral tote to carry this Spring.

Corners of My World - First Installment

Baby Sissy's Room

Here in suburbia my family has been busy preparing for the arrival of our newest addition, a little girl, who my son has affectionately dubbed 'Baby Sissy'. We are still tossing around baby names, who knew naming a girl would be such a challenge!

Since finding out that we were having a girl I have been busying myself with plans for the nursery. I do not like themed nursery rooms as I grow tired of those kind of looks, aside from the fact that they tend to out-date themselves quickly. I do however love the idea of getting to use pinks and greens and other 'girly' colors for her room.

Bearing in mind that this is a room in progress above are some pictures of what we've done so far. Had I been thinking I would have taken some 'before' shots.

Previously my son's room, the walls are a suede color from the Ralph Lauren paint collection. Since we decided to add the chair rail and molding below we felt like the tan walls could stay the same as pink walls with the pink bedding, pink chair and pink curtains would a bit too much. The crib bedding is Pottery Barn Kids, from the Kelly collection.

To Do List:

1. Side table for next to chair - my husband is going to build a little side table. It will be a simple, white table with open shelves to store two seagrass baskets. I plan to add a simple lamp, and some accessories.

2. Formally 'dress' the wall shelves - I need to add photos to the frames and some additional accessories. I made the frames, the matting, and will show you how you can do the same in an upcoming post. Super cute and super easy!

3. Finish hanging curtains - I do not have a picture yet but we have already begun by hanging the rods as well as two panels. I bought 2 sailcloth panels, in Bright Pink, from Pottery Barn Kids and wanted to see how they looked with the other pink in the room before I commited to buying all 4 panels. I think they're going to work so I'll be heading back to PBK's to pick up the rest.

4. Add cute pillow & throw to chair and ottoman - in the picture I've posted I have a little pillow and throw on the chair, however, these will not be staying. I just wanted to get an idea of how it will look. Not sure what I'll find in the way of a pillow so I may end up making one.

5. Lastly, add some artwork to the walls

I'll be sure to post additional pictures as the room progresses.

2 1/2 months left and counting before the rooms occupant arrives!

A Work in Progress

While I'm still working to get familiar with my blog site and all it can do, I have been drafting future posts. I need to take some additional pictures for those posts so hopefully I'll have them posted later this week.

In the works:

1. 'Corners of my world' - pictures of different areas/rooms in my house that I've decorated or am working on decorating. I've seen this idea on another blog and thought it was a fun and with all the decorating and re-decorating I do there should be plenty to feature!

2. 100 things about me list

3. Pictures and 'how to' instructions for projects I've made or am planning to make

4. Fun shopping finds There are some many other ideas but those are a few that I'm working on right now.

Stay tuned!

Making Formal Introductions

I suppose before we get started I should formally introduce myself!

I'm a 31 yr old wife, mother of soon to be two. I've been married for 7 yrs to a terrific man and we have a 2 1/2 yr old son named Aidan. We are currently expecting our second child, a girl, with only 2 1/2 months left to go! We live in the suburbs in a house we had built about 5 years ago. We enjoy working on projects around the house, spending time as a family and spending time with our friends.

I work from my home office doing project management for a company I've been with for 9 yrs. Often times when people hear this they assume that I keep my son home with me during the day. Unfortunately that's not the case. I would not be able to get my work done if I had him home with me so he goes to daycare. I plan to continue working after I have my daughter in May.

I feel so blessed to work from home, especially at this time in my life. My job is relatively low stress, does not require much travel and my commute is non-existent which allows us to avoid a true morning rush to get ready and gives us more time to spend together during the week nights.

I can truly say that most days I wake up realizing just how fortunate I am. I am so grateful for my life, for my loving and might I add handsome husband and my adorable, healthy son.

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. - Jane Howard (1935-1996)

Humble Beginnings...

Well, I finally did it! After tossing around the idea of doing it I finally started my own blog!
I am admittedly 'new' to the blog world. I discovered the world of blogs about 6 months ago and have been hooked reading them ever since. I have several favorites that I enjoy reading on a daily basis and am always excited when I stumble upon a new one.

Ultimately I have my lovely neighbor friend to thank for finally taking the plunge. After ranting and raving to her about all the blogs I love to read she decided to start her own. What a concept! She made it look so easy and so obvious a thing to do.

I'm not certain where I'll go with this blog. I have so many ideas floating in my head. Ideas about things I've made, or could make, things I've done to decorate my home, things I'm planning to do, fabulous 'must haves' I've discovered or just random everyday things. My blog will probably cover them all!

Shall we begin?