Beautiful spaces

Do you have a space that is your's?  Somewhere you look forward to going to?

I do now.

And this is during the day.  

There are "fairy lights" {a.k.a. Christmas twinkly lights} for mood lighting at night. 

Source: capucha.tumblr.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Inspiration Workshop: Red

This week's prompt for Gussy Sew's Inspiration Workshop is:  Red!

And I couldn't pass this up, because I love red.  In decorating {we've painted two of our past dining rooms red}, in clothes {love red sweaters}, anywhere.  But right now my mind is on...decorating, of course.  Just a few weeks and we will be moving into our home in Scotland.

Just a little side note. They are going to pack up all of our stuff in the Netherlands on a Tuesday.  And it is going to be delivered to our new home in Scotland on a Thursday.  WOW!  That is all I have to say about that.  But how exciting. Only a night or two in a hotel.

And then I get to start decorating.  'Cause peeps?  We are going to live there for TWO (!) years.  That is the longest we have lived in one place since 2007.

So, here is some red inspiration to get my mind rolling...

Source: realsimple.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Low key red additions on the chairs, fun light shade. Great option when you have a neutral paint shade on the wall, and can't do any painting.

Source: countryliving.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Love the subtle red additions to this kitchen.  The window covering?  Awesome.  Wouldn't even have to do any sewing!

Source: yourdecoratinghotline.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Again, subtle additions add such a punch to an otherwise neutral room.  Oh, and have I mentioned we are going to put a fireplace with a stone surround {hopefully} into our Minnesota home when we get back there?   Love.

Source: designdazzle.blogspot.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Okay, so we have permission to paint in our new place {its a rental}, but I don't think this would be considered neutral, would it?  {wink}   But, if it was our own place....let me just tell you, J#3 LOVES Dr. Seuss right now, especially The Cat in the Hat.

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Alright friends...so head on over to Gussy Sews and link up with this weeks Inspiration Workshop.  You'll be glad you did.  Its a great group of ladies linking up, and there are always tons of fabulous ideas.

Sweet notes :: Day 8 [31 days to being a better mama]

7.  Leave a sweet note for them. 


Well, this may not apply to me so well...seeing as how both of my children are under three years old. So they can't read.  But I do have some ideas of how to let them know that they are my sweets.

I love the "You are my sunshine" tune.  And there are so many things available on Etsy and the world wide web that I could use for the little's room.

Love this for when J#4 is old enough for a pillow...

Source: flickr.com via Jenny on Pinterest

When they ARE old enough to read, these would be great...

Source: etsy.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Love the idea of hanging string and having clothespins on it.  Could have cards {like the ones below}, photos with the kiddos, their artwork...

Source: etsy.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Great wall decal.  Perfect decorating option for us, since we are renters right now...

Source: etsy.com via Jenny on Pinterest

And a great sign {I think this would be perfect for a playroom}...

Source: etsy.com via Jenny on Pinterest

All good options, right?  Especially with our move to Scotland.  Because if there was ever a place where the skys were gray {or grey}...




If you are just joining me, please be sure to check out my 31 days to being a better mama page for previous posts.

Inspiration Workshop: D.I.Y.

Finding our {rental} home in Scotland {my reason for missing last week's Inspiration Workshop} means that we will be on move #11.  We have been married for just over 10 years.  Someday maybe I will tell ya'll why we move so much.

Well, maybe once I figure it out myself.

So we have lived in a few places, owned a few homes. And done just a few D.I.Y. projects.  So this week's inspiration prompt {D.I.Y} was perfect for me. Gussy said "Maybe you've remodeled a room in your home, or you refinish furniture, or you make tote bags (*ahem* ;] )."

Remodeled a room?  Nah, we remodeled the whole house.

Lets take a jaunt into the past, shall we?  And please forgive the photos.  We are stepping back in time.  To 2003.  Photography wasn't a hobby for me in those days.

This is the house.  We didn't do much to the outside (you can't do much with stucco), but I just wanted to give you an idea.  

First thing you should know.  I didn't even want to go look at this house when we saw the photos on the internet.  Mostly because of this room.

This is AFTER we took down the awful wood paneling {don't get me wrong, I don't hate ALL paneling, just the paneling that was in this house} that made my brother and I {allergies, anyone?} start sneezing and sniffling after about five minutes.  

But J#1 convinced me.  And the work began.  Blood, sweat and tears.  Literally.  

Not even completely finished, but SO much better, right?  We {mostly J#1} did EVERYTHING in this room.  Carpet tiles.  Genius. 

Why am I glad he convinced me?  One of my favorite rooms ever... 

Again, this isn't completely finished...but considering where it started?  Much better.  All our handiwork, except the carpet. 

Here is where it started:

Yeah, more paneling.  

And another favorite "spruce up".  The kitchen. 

 This isn't even the worst.  The "before before" photo would have had apple wallpaper.  So, um, yeah.

and last, but certainly not least.  My extremely talented husband {have I mentioned that he was working this entire time?  at a desk job?} created this next room.  It went from this: 

to this: 

We had desks on either side of that red wall.  Like we were at work.  Ha. 

And this isn't all.  We did something to every room in this house.  Made it ours.

These photos?  Total inspiration for me.  Even if we are renting in Scotland, I'm sure that we will find things to do to make that house a home, just like we did with this one.  

We had to sell this house when we moved to New Jersey in 2007.  This is the house we lived in longer than any other during our marriage and will always have a special place in my heart.  You want to know the "kicker"? 

It was for sale at the exact time we moved back to Minnesota about two years later.  Fate, right?  Nope.  The folks who bought it made too many changes.  That family room with the charming wood burning stove and stone wall?  {I know, its not for charming for everyone...but it was for us.} They took that out.  Covered up the stone wall.  

But we'll always have the photos.  And even better?  The memories.  And the inspiration we will be able to do this again.

Linking up again with Maggie at Gussy Sews, check out some more D.I.Y. inspiration over at her place.  This is gonna be a good one.

Top 10 Tuesdays #3: Bathrooms. Really?!

How do I start a post about bathrooms?  Delay it a bit.  Yup, thats it.

No, but really.  First thing first--last week I didn't get a chance to link up because we were in Scotland checking out possible homes.  And the hotel we were staying at had an issue with internet connectivity.  Like, it was pretty limited.  And slow.  But it gave me a good Top 10 topic {that never got linked up}, so please feel free to check it out if you have a few spare minutes.

We DID find a home in Scotland.  Little by little I will share with with you.  I took a bunch of photos.  But you know how it is when it is half vacant, with a bunch of furniture that isn't  yours?

I'd rather show it to you once we are moved in and I get a chance to spruce it up a bit.

But back to bathrooms.  Trust me, we aren't living in any kind of mansion.  But the house has four (four!) bathrooms.  A guest bathroom on the first floor (with a pull string light?!), an "en suite" bathroom in the master bedroom, a family bathroom on the 2nd floor and last, a bathroom on the 3rd floor (think guest suite).

Here is what we are working with when it comes to a few of the bathrooms:

family bathroom on 2nd floor 

guest bathroom on 3rd floor

master bathroom

Are you wondering what this bathroom talk has to do with a top 10 list?  

Well, my top 10 bathroom inspiration photos, of course.  Colors, decorating, and the like.  And I have to get a little creative to spruce 'em up, since there aren't any opportunities for shower curtains.  Or painting.   And notice the complete lack of storage?  Eek. 

1.  If you follow me on pinterest {see that button up on the right?  try it out!} you can see that I have a category called "when i love expedit usage".  You know...the expedit Ikea shelves?  LOVE this usage, never thought of them in a bathroom... 

Source: inspirationfordecoration.blogspot.com via Jenny on Pinterest

2. This idea could really add some "style" to our master bathroom.

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Jenny on Pinterest

3. Simple, inexpensive idea to keep things close at hand

Source: bhg.com via Jenny on Pinterest

4.  Pure genius. 

Source: suziebeezie.tumblr.com via Jenny on Pinterest

5.  Hehe.  This could be useful for J#3 very soon. 

Source: japan.widgetfolder.com via Jenny on Pinterest

6.  I think yellow might be a cheery, welcoming color for the guest bathroom.  With some pinapple accessories  perhaps? 

Source: marthastewart.com via Jenny on Pinterest

7.  Perfect for the family {a.k.a. kid's} bathroom

Source: etsy.com via Jenny on Pinterest

8. Never would have thought of prints for the bathroom.  But, why not?  Especially if there won't be showers.  I think photos of the kids in the bath would be fun.  

Source: laurawinslowphotography.com via Jenny on Pinterest

9. I saw an idea about a vintage pail to use for storage in the bathroom.  I have wanted these pails from Ikea for a while.  Bingo!

Source: ikea.com via Jenny on Pinterest

10. Another creative storage idea...where do people come up with this stuff? 

Source: womansday.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Do YOU have any ideas for me?  Let me know in the comments below!  

Oh, and I know.  This blog is about living in the moment, right?  Well, right now all of my moments are pretty occupied with moving.  And the littles, of course.  

Linking up again this week with these lovely ladies... 

Nicole of Miss Mommy

& Amanda of Oh Amanda!

Inspiration Workshop: Vintage

Alright friends, you get TWO posts today!!

Do you want to know why?   Well, I am going to tell you anyways...

I WON one of the giveaways from Gussy Sews Inspiration Workshop last week.  So that has inspired me to take part in it again!

Remember, she makes these great ruffled accessories, handmade in Minneapolis?  I won one of the medium zippered pouches.  Yippee!!  I picked out this one.

So this week, the prompt is VINTAGE.


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When I think vintage I think "older & awesome".  If it isn't awesome, well...then, it would just be old.

So my mind wanders.  Hmm, it seems to do that a lot these days.

But today when I think vintage I think of one of my oldest and best friends (as in have known the longest, not old as in age--but I am sure you already figured that out) and decorating with vintage items.

Yup.  I told you...my mind wanders.

So first up, the friend.  Hopefully she doesn't mind a few photos on here.

she loves my kids.  

she goes to chick flicks with me. 

she shops with me. 

she comes to all of my going away parties {or fake going away parties...a story for another day}

taken from my facebook page, so bad quality, small photo.  :-(

We've known each other since way back in high school youth group.  {If you ask me it's been longer, but we won't go there.}   Post college and pre-marriage we were roomies for a year.  She is J#3's Godmother.  And one of those friends I know will always be there when I need her.   What more could I ask for???  Love ya Colleen!

Hmm, how do I transition to decorating?  Come on...I wrote television news copy in college, I should be able to do this.  

Huh. Well, here we go.  Maybe with that last sentence I just made a transition. Yes?  

No? 

Oh well...for fear of this becoming the longest blog ever, I am just going to jump right in:

I've always thought of myself as more of a modernist, streamlined girl when it comes to decorating. Except when I am living somewhere for only a year (like our current place),  where it becomes a lot more about function (and what can be found at Ikea) than design, but I digress.   

Lately though, I have been falling for (and getting inspired by) things like this buffet from Victory Road's house tour: 

Source: victoryrd.blogspot.com via Jenny on Pinterest

and this awesome vintage camera display: 

Source: flipflopsandapplesauce.com via Jenny on Pinterest

or having a laundry cart to hold games or blankets: 

Source: thepleatedpoppy.com via Jenny on Pinterest

I am not lying either.  All three of those were on my pinterest "decodecodeco" board before I even knew this week's prompt was vintage.    Once we settle in at a place in Scotland, I have to imagine the vintage vibe will fit in just perfectly.  

Ah, inspiration, dreaming (of how to decorate) and friends.   Perfect trifecta for a Thursday.  

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Check out the link-up at Gussy Sews for what's inspiring a whole bunch of other lovely ladies.