the quick fix

Happy Sunny Thursday to y'all! Today I'm over at my online and real life friend Heather's blog, Decor Fix sharing my favorite quick fix for a room. I'm also doing a lightening round Q&A so be sure to check it out here! (a small hint of what my fix might be with this picture of the girls' room)

And let me know, do YOU have a quick fix in your bag of tricks?

how do you indie mat

So this post is one of those triple whammies. I've got a quick and EASY super cute project to share, a story about a wonderfully talented and inventive woman, and a gift. That's right, its that good.

I'm going to go out of order and first tell you about this wonderfully talented and inventive woman. That would be my friend Emma Hand who owns a company called Indie Mats. About two years ago I found her wonderful product in a local store and was psyched to find it was locally made and run by a fellow mom. I contacted her about doing a giveaway on the blog and she was totally game. The giveaway went well and life went on. Then a few months later we met in person at an open house and hit it off right away. Since then we meet for coffee and brainstorming, sharing kid and work stories and feeding off of each other's passion for creating. #womeninbusinessrock

Great story yes, but I do have a point. During one chat we talked about how fun it is to see the different things people can create using the exact same tools. And that is when #howdoyouindiemat was born. Basically, send a variety of bloggers the link to Indie Mats, have them pick out some mats and then...create!

This is where part two of this post comes into play. I've used Indie Mats several times in my home and shared my love of them before (here and here, I'm biased I know) but basically you have cool printed mats in all matter of colors, patterns, sizes etc. and they stick to the wall without the need for nails. Making them easy to change, move, reposition etc.

I used some of my stash over Christmas and created a fun way to display our Christmas cards. The girls each made their own (paper) Christmas tree and we put those up, as well as a "Happy Christmas" banner the girls made out of Indie Mats banners. The mats worked perfectly since our plank wall is on our foundation wall, i.e. no nails can bust into that piece of rock.

Well, Christmas came to an end and I started to take down all of the cards and Christmas artwork and I got a little bummed. The basement is our family place; the girls create forts, doll hospitals and frequent works of art down there and I loved how our Christmas wall had shown off some of the fun we have down here. Everything was down except for the 'happy' part of the banner and the quote at the top - Enjoy the little things. SO true about this space. So with that, I decided I had to create a post-holiday version of our happy wall.

So here is how I Indie Mat...

I picked the girls favorite art projects of the moment - a monster and a 'rainbow' from Eve and a family drawing and a portrait of Mom (that would be me) from Amelia. Side note - I'm glad my real hairline isn't quite as suspicious as it is in this portrait. But I'd be thrilled if my neck was really that skinny.
I filled the rest of the frames with some recent family photos.

We used the 'happy' the girls already wrote in marker and traced the letters with glue and then sprinkled with gold glitter. If you are creating a display with a 7 and 3 year old, it is legally required to include glitter.

Without having a photo that was big enough for the yellow mat, I simply placed another mat on top. I love the pattern mix and of course, the colors. That's right, I double matted. I'm crazy like that.

The girls even hung some of the mats themselves - no nails or hammers required, just sticky squares - and they now love pointing out which mats THEY hung up.

I love having something so bright and happy in the family room that truly gives a sneak peak into the people who LIVE in that room. As new artwork comes into the house, we can easily switch out whichever piece they like for the new 'of the moment' option. And I have to say I'm partial to having such a quick and easy project that brings such big smiles.

Saving the best part for last, part three of this post - the gift. Emma (and I) would love to see what you would do with Indie Mats, so she is giving all Little Black Door readers a discount on your purchase. Just use the code LBD15 for 15% off and then show us #howdoyouindiemat

And stay tuned for next Friday when another blogger will be showing her take on Indie Mats. Hint: she's got wicked good style and a new house full of walls to fill.

Do you have a corner that needs a bit of cheer? A spot where nails are a no no? A room that needs to be photographed when the sun refuses to come out? I know your pain.

handmade gumdrop ornaments

Each year the girls and I try to do a few crafts together that we can then use year after year. We've got a few years under our belt and it is fun when we pull them out each year and they say, "Remember when we made these?!" It's all about making memories, right? However I don't want one of those memories to be fighting (the girls) and tears (mostly mommy's) when things go south. Our craft window is short so simple and fast is my theme.

I have long admired these Colors of the Rainbow ornaments from Land of Nod and each year I think about buying them for the girls' tree. And every year that thought is followed by "Nah, that's silly. Surely I can find something cheaper." But I never do.

Then this year we were walking thru Michaels to get something random and totally un- Christmas related when I noticed a little spot that I'm sure I pass each and every year. Glass ornaments. Six for $5. And with the ubiquitous 50% off coupon I always have thanks to my Michaels app (yes I've got a Michaels app on my phone) the decision was made. Ladies and gentleman, we've got our craft.

The piles of craft paint I keep in a junk drawer finally paid off. We went home, popped the top of those suckers, squeezed some paint inside and rolled them around.

This is when I would show you pictures of "the process" but A. it went so fast (that's just how easy it is) I didn't have time to man the girls and take pictures and B. it is really so easy there isn't really much to show. It took us longer to pick out which colors to use than to actually make them.

Once all the paint was swirled around inside I let them dry over night upside down (with the open top facing down) so any excess paint could drip out. And in the morning I had a table full of happy little gumdrops to put on the tree. The colors are rich, they are as happy as Santa himself, and they scream "Wahoo!" I for one love an ornament that screams with glee. It worked so great we went back for more and I made a whole pile of red ones like the Serena & Lily numbers for my mom's tree.

Here is the sneak peak of them on the girls tree. Look for the full reveal of the ornaments, and the rest of the house tomorrow as my house is up on The 12 Days of Christmas Tour of Homes.

Cyndy @ The Creativity Exchange is up today and I can't wait to see her home all decked out. Here is the full schedule of goodies:

12 Days of Christmas Tour of Homes Schedule:

December 1 - Jenny @ Evolution of Style

December 2 - Amanda @ Amanda Carol Interiors

December 3 - Amanda @ Dixie Delights

December 4 - Pam @ Simple Details

December 5 - Lisa @ Shine Your Light

December 8 - Kris @ Driven by Decor

December 9 - Jennifer @ Dimples & Tangles

December 10 - Cyndy @ The Creativity Exchange

December 11 - Elizabeth @ Little Black Door

December 12 - Stacey @ Steward of Design

December 13 - Andrea @ Oak Ridge Revival

  AND

December 16 - YOU - Link up your Christmas Home Tour

So have you tried any DIY projects this holiday season? Have you ever been embarrassed to admit the amount of craft paint you have in your junk drawer? Any ideas what I can make for a 1st Grade Holiday Party?

See you tomorrow!!

where did you get that - home office source list

Monday's are not my best 'clever post title' days. But that's normal, right? I've gotten a lot of questions about my home office, so I thought I'd share some sources, tips and tricks.

Lots of you wanted to know how I had my computer and lady lamps on my desk without seeing any cords. It's easy. I just don't plug any of it in. A Monday joke for you there.

Actually, when I had the electrician put in outlets, I had him plant one directly behind my desk. Then I put the lamps and computer in place and got a bunch of Command Clear Cord Strips and got sticking. I fished the cords around the perimeter (for the lamps) and under (for the computer) the desk and plugged them all into a power strip underneath the desk. The power strip is to protect the computer but also to consolidate all of those cords into one that then runs down the side of the desk. I cut a small hole into my rug, no worries it was only $2, and then the cord is fished under the rug and to the outlet behind the desk.

I looped them out a bit here so you can see the cords a bit better. The process takes a few extra steps but gives a much cleaner look, and eliminates my frequent cord trippage issues. I'm not always light on my feet. And the cord runs right between the legs of my chair, so it is never in the way.

The old bamboo frame hanging underneath the new window is also held in place with Command Clear Strips. And no, this post isn't sponsored by Command Strips. They just happen to be an awesome tool that everyone should have in their arsenal. And I just whipped out the word arsenal, which should more than make up for my lame post title.

As we've discussed over and over again, I tried my best to reuse things I already acquired over the years, but I've tried my best to include sources as best I can.

Red Brunschwig & Fils Gillian's Zebra pillow - Aurelia
Green Block Print lumbar pillow - Meet Me In Philadelphia
Blue and White gallery wall frames - Indie Mats
Walls - White Behr Premium Basement & Masonry Waterproofer
Wicker table - Roots

Library light over inspiration board - Lowes (no longer available)
Gold tape 'framing' inspiration board - Paper Source
Chair - thrifted
Seat cover fabric - House Fabric

Desk - Begonia Amy Howard Furniture Lacquer
Navy double gourd lamp - Target
Lampshade I made using this fabric - HouseFabric.com
Mirror - Craigslist
Floor - Bermuda Turquoise Benjamin Moore

Hopefully I've answered all the questions. If not, let me know. Now on to tackle the week!

why finish one project when you can start another

The week has begun and I'm sure I'm not the only one who could use another day. I think its time to start mandatory three day weekends in the summer. Who's with me?

I hope all that celebrated had a wonderful Father's Day. We had a great afternoon with the hubs and my dad doing what they love - watching the US Open. And there was a Father's Day miracle when I was finally able to snag some peonies from Trader Joes. I had thought they were an urban myth but I ran in yesterday and there they were in all their white and pink glory. I'm sure everyone in the produce section thought I was crazy as I squealed when I saw them.

Another miracle is that progress has been made on the office. I'll share more with you later this week, but needless to say when the pool is calling your name, it is hard to spend time in the basement.

While I was hard at work, I ran to grab something from the hall closet. And I don't know if it's all the pool water in my ears or what but I could not take that black hole any longer. It is one of my goals for the year to get this closet in order so no better time to start than while you are in the middle of another project, right?!

Luckily the paint was drying in the office so I had time to kill. Off to Home Depot for color ideas and I was off to the races. More to come once everything dries.

So how was your weekend? Finish any projects? Start any new ones? Did you see Zach Johnson's hole in one?!

home office makeover - getting to zero

It's been a few weeks, so I thought it was time for an update on my home office. Between being out of town, the end of the school year, work, and general life, work has been patchy, but we have made progress.

Why have I found three extra doors when I can think of only one place upstairs that has a door removed? Good question. The answer is, I have no idea but I'm keeping them for sure. "You never know when you need a door," someone said at some point.

Cleaning out all of this, let's be honest, crap felt so good. I feel like the house has lost 20 pounds. And we cleaned at the right time as our neighbor was prepping for a garage sale, so everything went upstairs and out on their yard. Then the tarp went up.

I got a spray gun for Christmas and what better chance to use it for the first time than in a space where every single surface needs painted. We washed everything down and then went to town. The plan was to start with the ceiling and work our way down. I had grand visions of just spraying the whole space in a matter of hours and then spending the afternoon relaxing with a well earned G&T.  But, it turns out that whole 'you get what you pay for' thing is true.

Our gun was crap. It didn't have much power, in spite of the air compressor, and it was really...sploty (which I've just declared a word). It could very well be the fact that we were spraying a ceiling and maybe the thing wasn't meant to go at weird angles. At any rate, we were just able to get the ceiling done before I was ready to choke myself with the damn thing out of frustration.

So the paint gun went into the trash and I brought in reinforcements.

I love painting white over white. I'm amazed at how un-white the old white is/was each and every time.

I used Kilz and ceiling paint on the ceiling but since this is after all, a basement, I choose to go with Behr Basement Waterproofer paint on the walls. We haven't had any water in here (knock on wood) but an ounce of prevention... The paint went on well, it is nice and thick, and covered like a champ. We did two coats just as a matter of course but we could have easily gotten away with one coat.

While the girls and I painted, the hubs made fast work of drywalling this little spot since I'm not really a fan of the 'here are the back of our stairs' look. God I love a man that can knock out some drywall!

Everyone in the house pitched in and after several afternoons, we have arrived at this. A bright, white, empty space. I told you I got a lot of light down here. Now we can actually start on the room.

Let's take a minute to look at the before and 'in process'...

I love it already. Let's celebrate by crossing some things off the list.

Goals for the space:

- brighten it up

- fix and paint the floors

- do something with the exposed ceiling

- replace the window to let in even more light

- girly this place up to create a happy, adult work space

- add more light

- use what you HAVE

- get organized girl!

I've got great things planned for that floor and several ideas on the lighting situation so let's see what ends up sticking.

Do you like to have helpers when you work on a project at home? Would you rather spread a project out or get it done as quickly as possible? Is it weird that I have about three different light fixtures sitting in my basement and I want to use them all?

a look at the loo - bathroom reveal

The loo? Yes, I obviously have Downton on the brain (does anyone else think that season went rather quickly?) So as promised I am supplying a good old before and after for your Monday viewing pleasure.

Updates to the bathroom were planned, executed and photographed. Let's take a look.

As I mentioned last week, a recharge for the bathroom that remained untouched for (gasp) almost seven years was long overdue. (Take a look at her major renovation here) Nothing drastic, just new paint, fixtures, shower curtain, towels and accessories. That's how I sell these changes to the hubs by the way - always use the phrase 'nothing drastic'.

To go back to the very beginning, here is what she looked like when we moved in.

And this is what she looked like until very recently.

And here she is in her pretty new outfit.

The space may be small but I'll milk it for all the pictures I can. So here we go.

The most visually appealing, best smelling soap a bathroom could have, courtesy of local favorite K. Hall Designs.

I couldn't find a towel bar that I liked for the right price and the right size, so I trolled the plumbing department at Home Depot and gathered up some lovely copper to make my own towel bar. Tutorial to follow.

The first of many prints I hope to own from Janet Hill Studio.

I got these wonderful white and gold fish hooks a long while back but never found any place to properly 'hook' them. So instead I took out the standard issue knob on the freshly painted medicine cabinet and replaced it with Elton the glamour fish.

Last summer I talked about my obsession with finding a unique shower curtain. Well I never did find one that suited, so I followed the lead of the great Tobi Fairley and had one made.

Thank heavens I have a wonderful aunt who can sew like the wind. She did a beautiful job and because of the custom work I was able to have her make it just the right length so I could take the curtain rod all the way to the ceiling. It is amazing what it has done for the room. The space feels bigger, brighter and well...taller. Imagine that.

On the opposite wall I made the wise decision to ditch the towel bar in favor of hooks. Let's be real, more than one person uses this bathroom so one towel bar wasn't cutting it. Yes we have a hook on the back of the door as well, but this is just so functional, and far more fun.

Benjamin Moore Gray Owl on the walls has done a brilliant job of brightening up the space, bringing out the gray in the marble floor and most importantly - makes the space feel clean and crisp even if the maid doesn't get around to cleaning it for a few days. Of course, not having a maid might have something to do with that.

And there she is in all her clean splendor. The changes weren't major but it has done a tremendous job of making it feel like we have a new room in the house. And she'll hold my spirits up until spring arrives. The moral of the story is small changes = big impact. Every time.

Have you made any small changes lately? Know anyone who will come to clean my bathroom? Is it wrong that I want to hug my shower curtain?

And be sure to come back tomorrow for a grand giveaway!

Linking to The Best of The Nest