help me

Barn Light Electric

2011-09-29T11:19:00.001-07:00

i've been trying to pick out lights for our house and i'm having a hard time--because i'm on a budget. and i'm indecisive. after HOURS of browsing the internet, i finally decided on this light to go over the island (three of them in black) from barn light electric:
before checking out i did a search to see if there were any promo codes. i discovered that barn light electric is doing a giveaway. there are so many cool lights on their site and so many colors/finishes. if i won i would buy some outdoor lights. maybe this one:

and some flush mount with the cool cage things for the hallways. i can dream.

here is the link to the contest rules.

Chloe's Storage

2008-08-13T09:34:00.000-07:00

We planned on installing cabinet doors on the bottom four shelves.

Nursery--DONE

2007-10-22T10:17:00.001-07:00

BEFORE (when it was stella's room):

AFTER:

the jeeto picture was on sale for $15. i made the pillow and crib skirt. the mobile is from our trip to costa rica.

the chair is from ikea. i made the nightstand in a woods class. and the poster is from binth.

the clothes and teddy bear were dan's. my brother zach made the shelf. the poster is from thumbtack press.

i want a clock...

this is what i was thinking:

the first is a ewecoo clock. (it turns off in the dark.) the second is a mirror.

what do you think? anyone seeen any good clocks for this space?

Trundle Bed -- DONE

2007-09-16T22:09:00.000-07:00

i found this trundle bed on craigslist ($30). it was white with brass accents. ugly. i was just going to use the trundle part of it under a different bed frame but then we decided to sand blast it ($40) and have it powder coated ($70). we're happy with the results.

as always, more pictures to come.

Thanks Folks

2007-08-14T11:43:00.000-07:00

my parents (mostly my mom) have come up on multiple weekends to help me with projects. my mom has--sometimes with, sometimes without my help--painted four rooms, shelves, and the baseboards, doors, walls and ceilings of my hallways. she also weeded my yard and completed various other tasks around the house. plus, she always cleans the house before she leaves.

the last time my dad was here he had me put him to work. first he installed this shelf in my bathroom:
then he fixed a towell rod (those things are always pulling out of the drywall). then he put the hardware on that white cabinet i made. then he finished (dan started) installing the shelves in chloe's closet:then he hung the curtain:then a man came over to give us a bid on wall-to-wall shelves. (the first bid we got was $1300.) i didn't have much confidence in this last man and when he left my dad said, "i could do it." and he did. we went to home depot for supplies. he worked from about 3:00-9:30 that night and then finished in the morning:then i sanded and puttied and dan caulked and my mom helped me paint. its something i've wanted done for a long time. i'm very excited about it . i'll post pictures soon.

DONE Community Ed

2007-08-14T11:13:00.001-07:00

i made two of these in my community ed. woods class.

and i made this. the bottom drawer is huge and is full of art supplies and other activities.

Stella's Room

2007-08-14T10:42:00.000-07:00

the chair is from a thrift store.
the mobile is from a trip to france.

the art is from national badger (i bought it for the baby's room but stella liked it so much i decided to let her have it).

the book shelf is from another room of the house--repainted.

my grammy crocheted the dress for the cupie doll when i was little. i have a matching one.

the balloon is from tai pan trading discounted because of the dent.

we bought the bed off ebay but i think you can get it at walmart.

the quilt is from target. it was chloes. i cut it in half.

the curtains are from ikea (need to be hemmed).

my mom helped me repaint the walls.

this bird is from frosty darling in slc.

Out of Time

2007-08-14T10:36:00.001-07:00

yesterday was my due date. tomorrow i am going into the hospital to have my water broken. that leaves today to wrap things up.
i've had so many projects. every room of the house has a to-do list. i wanted to wait to post pictures of complete rooms but that hasn't been accomplished. i'll go ahead and post pictures of some of my accomplishments. then i'll go pack my hospital bag.

Trundle Bed

2007-06-18T09:42:00.000-07:00

the playroom/guest room is now chloe's room. we got rid of the futon and now just have chloe's twin bed in there. we want a trundle bed but are having a hard time finding one.

i love the look of this:

but i want one that can pop-up into a king-size bed so couples can sleep side by side. (would it be weird to put up a couple in a multi-level bed?)

this is all i can find. seems kind of expensive ($399).
any ideas?

Nursery

2007-05-30T13:58:00.000-07:00

this is what i have in mind for the new nursery decor:

one or both of these fabrics for the bedding:

from purlsoho.com

art from binth

from jeeto

from national badger

and a mobile. haven't decided yet. maybe one from etsy:

the walls will be a cream color. i might paint the ceiling a light shade of blue. what do you think?

DONE Kid's Bathroom

2007-05-30T13:46:00.000-07:00

the flash washed out the paint a bit, its not white--its a greenish/greyish/tanish color. it matches one of the stripes in the curtain. my sister-in-law, cyndi, gave me the vinyl (she has a business).

it feels good to finally have a room complete. my parents are coming up next weekend to help me paint. hopefully i can keep things rolling.

Chloe's Room

2007-05-24T16:14:00.000-07:00

i have so many projects and only 3 months before the baby comes. we will be moving chloe downstairs and stella into chloe's room (i don't want them to share because one is a good sleeper and the other bad). and the baby into stella's room. we will be painting two of these rooms and re-carpeting the whole house. we are having wall-to-wall shelving installed in chloes new room. this is what else i have in mind for her room:

bedding from ikea. $19.99

pillows from childhood interiors. 15 pounds, euros--whatever they pay in the uk. i will get 5 C-H-L-O-E

i would like for this to be chloe's mantra. i can't remember how much it was. not expensive.

after the shelving is installed the closet doors won't fit. this curtain will cover the closet opening. urbanoutfitters.com. $28.oo

chloe is really into fairytales and anything magical. this was $75 from nucleus.com

she really wants a purple room so we will paint one small wall purple and the rest will be a cream color. now, if i could just get someone to help me....

IKEA

2007-05-24T11:21:00.000-07:00

i went to ikea's grand opening yesterday with my two girls. we went at about 11:30. this is the line of cars waiting to get into the parking lot. it really wasn't that bad. they had a bazillion people directing traffic. the check out lanes were all completely backed up but it was fine. we actually went back that evening because i found out a friend's band was playing. at 7:00 they only had about five check out lanes and they weren't long. chloe loved it. in fact, she loved it "infinity"--that's a lot. she's been wanting an art easle. it was her lucky day.

kid bathroom

2007-05-08T14:54:00.000-07:00

my mom was in town and helped me paint. here are the before pictures:

i like the curtain because any towell can match. i need to install some towell hooks for the hooded towells to hang. i'll post the after pictures soon.

noelle o designs

2007-03-09T11:42:00.000-08:00

remember the apron and girl clothes i bought at a Christmas craft fair? well, the creator, noelle o has a blog displaying her talents. she also has very clever kids.

Tagged

2007-02-16T14:47:00.000-08:00

i just noticed i was "tagged" by sweet mamu. i guess that's what i needed to get me blogging again because, well, we'll just start...
5 things you may not know about me:

i am pregnant with my 3rd kid. that's why i have been a slacker blogger. i just haven't had a lot of energy for projects.
i would really like to adopt. 2 kids. maybe siblings. to make a total of 5 kids.
the ocean kinda freaks me out. i'm fine if i can touch but once it gets deep i get scared of sea creatures/plants and the power of waves.
i don't know how to read music. the last time it came up was in 6th grade when we were learning to play the recorder. i know there is some limerick but i don't remember it. i keep thinking i would like to take piano lessons but when it comes down to it i guess i would rather play on a soccer team and take a woodworking class.
i have really long toes.

Front Room

2007-01-24T10:53:00.000-08:00

this is my front room. i love the color. it is disney's "owl's nest". this is what our front door opens to.
i need help with the piano. what do i put on it?

Christmas Gifts

2007-01-24T10:34:00.000-08:00

ok, i've been a slacker at posting but i finally found my camera adapter. so, first of all i'd like to tell you that i had the best Christmas ever. as far as presents go, anyway. my two favorites:

the Virco - Zuma Lab Stool i've been using a kitchen chair at the computer for way too long. the thing that is special about this chair is that it is a drafting chair. our computer is on a counter higher than desks. most drafting chairs are black and ugly. virco was the only cool one i could find.

and the Oreck XL® Ultra vacuum. i know, its not the futuristic dyson but i wanted a bag. i hate emptying canisters. we got a dog in november and we really needed a new vacuum. not something i would normally ask for but i didn't want to save up my own allowance for it. i love this vacuum. it has a ten year warranty and it is only 8 lbs. i can whip it around with ease. just keep the kids away. (sorry about the eye chloe)

Community Ed.

2007-01-17T15:26:00.000-08:00

i signed up for two sessions of woodworking. i'm so excited.
all three doors to my house enter directly into rooms. no entryways. no mudroom. so my first project will be a version of this to go by the back door. a perfect place for dog food/leash and snow clothes.

i haven't decided on my second project. i would love a long, simple dining table but don't really have room for it. i could also use a coffee table

or maybe a bench with storage space to go in my bedroom.

so many possibilities...

Men's Dress Shoes

2007-01-11T15:16:00.000-08:00

that was a long holiday. first, a week in st. george, ut. then, a week on the east coast. we just got back late tuesday night.
my husband decided he needed some new shoes to wear to church. so we went to the mall and discovered we have no idea what's in. could someone please fill us in?
he will mostly wear them to church. not always with a suit.

Kid's Bathroom

2006-12-22T09:48:00.000-08:00

in a previous post annonymous left a comment suggesting plates as art in a bathroom. i found the perfect plates....for my kid's bathroom. they are from sprout home and are only $42 for four.

still need art for my bathroom.

A Dream Come True

2006-12-22T09:17:00.000-08:00

its finally becoming a reality. ikea will be opening a store ten minutes from my house sometime in the spring. no more "Sorry, this product is not for sale on our website, check if it is available in your local store."

i'm very excited. i tried to take pictures while driving. here's the proof:

Master Bedroom Bedside Tables

2006-12-11T12:54:00.000-08:00

its time for these hand-me-downs to be moved to the closet. i'm looking for something with at least one drawer.

A Good Source for Lighting?

2006-12-11T12:45:00.000-08:00

la teta iluminada is not my style.

Master Bedroom Pillows

2006-12-11T12:36:00.000-08:00

its a start

Fun Finds

2006-12-04T13:00:00.000-08:00

so left me a comment informing me about Artists with Christmas Spirit, an art sale in Provo last fri. and sat. (sorry you missed it.) here is what i picked up:

apron $8

smock. frock. frockin smock. $10

pillow (chloe picked the color) $10

skirt for chloe $14.50

skirt and onesie for stella $20

i was so taken with the gnome that i forgot to check the size. too small.

stella not willing to model her skirt

and some shoes for both girls from sassy mia. i couldn't get another picture to load so go to their website to see the shoes.

the apron, smock, and clothes are by
noelleolpin at yahoo dot com

Master Bathroom

2006-11-29T15:32:00.000-08:00

ineed to hang something on my bathroom wall(s). i would like to carry the green into the bathroom. so keep an eye out for stuff i can use to spruce up my bathroom. anything. green or not.
and, any tips? bathrooms get steamy so what can't i hang?

Bedding Update

2006-11-16T10:11:00.000-08:00

thank you all for your comments. especially the marathon comments. especially the links.
turns out this green is hard to find. all the pillows below are over $60. i really don't want to pay that much. so i'm going to check out the fabric stores.
i've decided to go with a nuetral bedspread so i can switch out the pillows when i get bored. i've decided to go with this quilt from west elm. i have to be patient though because it is on backorder. i didn't want to go with brown because that is the color of my walls, carpet and bed.

anyone know of a good place to buy fabric?

Master Bedroom Bedding

2006-11-15T13:00:00.000-08:00

this is embarrassing. just know that i DO NOT like this room. that is why i’m asking for your help. the only thing that must stay is the bed. i made it in a community ed. carpentry class. There are so many things this room needs but for now I’d like to focus on the bedding. We’ll get to the other stuff later. For now, help me transform this

using this color scheme.

i love the green. but i, of course, do not know how to make it happen.
do i get a blue bedspread like the rug?
how can i tie everything in without a bazillion pillows?

while surfing the net could you please keep an eye out for green bedding and accessories (bright green, grass green, not moss or light green)?

please help.

DONE Gift Exchange

2006-11-13T09:01:00.000-08:00

i'm a jerk. my first completed task and i didn't even take anyone's advice. let me explain.
this trip to puerto rico was not planned. it came at the end of a pay period and i hadn't saved for it. so instead of spending $20 on a table cloth i decided to give away the magazine subscriptions i had just ordered for myself. all i had to spend was $1 for the magazine file folder. (i learned about ebay subscriptions from jordan so in a way it was her idea.)
the gift was a hit. it was the first present to be frozen (after it is stolen 3 times it becomes "frozen" and can't be taken again).

Kitchen Window II

2006-11-03T21:23:00.000-08:00

i thought this blog would make decorating easier because i didn't have good ideas. now its hard because i don't know which good idea to choose. thank you for your good ideas.
i really, really like the idea of glass because of the sun. and i especially like the color wheel suggestion. i'm not good at free-form, this way i have a pattern to follow.
i also like the idea of herbs. especially since i saw this sign via design mom.

so as soon as i get back from puerto rico i will go shopping (unless i find something there by chance). i'm looking for small pots for the herbs or colored glass vases. dudes, i don't even freaking know where to shop for vintage stuff. could someone tell me? i live in-between provo and slc. thanks.

p.s. i don't really talk like that, i was just kidding about the dude and freakin lingo.

Gift Exchange II

2006-11-01T07:52:00.000-08:00

Last night my friend went into labor (two weeks early) and asked me to take care of her 18 month old. after i put him to bed, i couldn't go back to sleep. in this wakefulness i thought of an idea for a present.

i saw these trays on Design Mom. i thought i could combine them with a cooking with kids cookbook.

but when i woke up this morning i had comments! i'm going shopping for a table cloth. (thank you stanley girls and your network of ingenuity.)

Chloe Needs New Shoes

2006-10-31T07:07:00.000-08:00

last year chloe had the black and white checkered vans. i loved them, they seemed to go with everything. i loved them so much that, just in case i decide to get some for myself, i bought her a different style. i think she will like the kitties better. $25

she also needed white shoes. the usual places (walmart, target, payless) didn't have any--what the..--no white shoes? so i had to spend way more than usual, $38! oh well, i didn't have time to shop around. and they will be passed down to stella.

she over-spent her allowance. she owes me.

Gift Exchange

2006-10-30T12:00:00.000-08:00

every november my Grammy has a sleepover for all her granddaughters and g.daughters-in-law (there are a LOT of us). we have dinner, lots of junk food, stay up till at least 3 am, and have a gift exchange--the kind where you roll dice and can take from other people. it's very fun and i look forward to it every year. but i have the hardest time deciding on a gift. please give me some ideas. the budget is $20.
some thoughts:

every year there is a "movie night" gift, a "pamper yourself" gift, and holiday decorations. so if you suggest something along these lines i'll probably veto it unless there is some added element of creativity.
most of the granddaughters are also mothers so the gift can be family-oriented.

Kitchen Window

2006-10-23T16:15:00.000-07:00

this isn't very inspiring but i wanted to start with something simple. this window faces west and receives lots of sun. i always leave the blinds open because i like the light and the view (past the houses).
some thoughts:

plants would be fine (hardy ones).
this would be a good place for cacti because my kids can't reach it.
something that the sun can shine through--vases, a mobile?

and while we're at it, i'm looking to replace that quote thing hanging above the window. it was given to me and i don't care for it. (i do care for the words of a prophet, just not in this form.)

My Design Style II

2006-10-16T15:43:00.000-07:00

i took a quiz on hgtv.com and here are the results:
"eccentric. for you, it's all about the mix. any style is welcome in your world as long as it complements something else. you're drawn to funky interiors and eye-catching color combinations (think red and blue, orange and turquoise, purple and gold). you like contrasting patterns and unconventional architecture. you enjoy furnishings that remind you of your travels mixed with modern pieces and offbeat antiques."
sounds about right. i do have red and blue walls.
also, here's what it says about virgos:
Being the most logical sign, you desire an orderly space where everything is kept neat and precise. Shelves for organization are a must, but you also enjoy vintage pieces, light wood and glass accents.Your colors of choice are light blues, yellow-greens and creams.
According to your sign, these four spaces suit your style:
Sleek Master Bedroom the master bedroom is nice.
Tranquil Blue Bathroom i love blue.
Airy Bedroom with Built-In Shelves i do love built-ins but not that bedroom.
Home Office Meets Library i DON'T like the office. (love the t.v. show--not the room in the link.)
that should be enough to go off. feel free to ask follow-up questions

My Design Style

2006-09-30T08:56:00.000-07:00

i guess if you are going to help me then you should know my design style. unfortunately, i don't even know it. i don't know much about design but i'll tell you what i think i know about myself.

muted colors--yes
bold colors--yes
country/cottage--i don't think so, maybe some things
art deco--no
shabby chic--maybe a little?
mid-century modern--i just learned this one and yes, i like it
modern/contemporary--yes, if its functional, comfortable, kid-friendly, not too abstract or cold
traditional--i probably like some aspects but not the boring ones
victorian--if that means frilly and fancy then, no
antiques--yes, if they are functional or have meaning to me
vintage--yes
eclectic--if that means a room full of random stuff: leopard print rug, modern coffee table, antique side table, victorian chair, antlers, traditional couch, and this lamp, then no. if its a room full (not really full) of stuff i like that happens to be from different styles and periods but still flows well, then yes.
lots of stuff--no
clean lines--yes
southwestern--no
dried or fake flowers--no. maybe branches.

that's all i could think of.

The Whole Idea

2006-09-30T08:42:00.000-07:00

im looking for artistic, stylish people to be my personal shopper, designer, stylist. i cannot pay you --you'll just do it for your love of design. there are so many cool bloggers out there with so many cool ideas. this blog is to help you help me be just as cool, well, at least a little cooler than my current status.
i will post a design challenge that i am having and anyone who has an idea can add it to the comments. i will implement what appeals to me and then post the result. mostly we'll be dealing with interior design but may venture into books, parenting, travel, gift-giving, and when i get brave, my personal image.
i've lived in my house for about 3 years and there are so many undecorated spaces. this is not my dream house and i've known all along that one day we would out-grow it and move on so i haven't put too much effort into it and there are some investments i won't make (replacing kitchen cabinets for example). we are at least two years away from moving; i want to make them happy, comfortable, visually pleasing years.
unfortunately (and fortunately) i have a budget. each month i get:

$200 personal allowance
$100 home allowance
$50 clothing allowance for the girls (i'm sure they would be willing to sacrifice)

this rolls over so i can save up for larger items. i will document my purchases.

so if you think you're cool--or at least know what's cool--then go ahead and tell me what's up. just because we've never met doesn't mean i won't value your opinion