Playroom Inspiration and Ideas - Part II

Good Wednesday to you! Let's jump right back into the playroom eye candy, shall we?  The last post was mostly about storage and the bigger things in the space.  This time it's all about the decor - because what fun is a playroom without lovely things to look at and spark the imagination?  NO fun! Seriously, the first thing I'm putting in the room is a pink Christmas tree.  Fo' real.  This past Christmas was the first one where Emmy sort of 'got' what was going on, and let me tell you - the tree and the lights were the most amazing things to her - it was true love at first sight.  So I'm going to have a tree in the playroom for us to decorate for every different season and holiday!  And pink just to save the real green one for Christmas. :)  The hubs even agreed to it!  :O BEHOLD! 

Source: foreveradriana.tumblr.com via Sarah on Pinterest

  I have no words.  We're getting one. To counterbalance the overwhelming artificiality of a pink tree, I want to bring in some living stuff.  I think either a cool potted plant or a terrarium!  I'm leaning towards the terrarium because of the scale of it - I think it'd be more interesting to Emmy than a random houseplant.  Here's a really cool set: 

Source: marthastewart.com via Sarah on Pinterest

  Pretty kid friendly!  And we could have many!  Totally dig the painted lid with the critter on top, too.  The only expense for these really would be the plants themselves!  Score. I'm sure that in time the walls will be covered with Emmys various masterpieces (masterpi?), but until then, the walls'll need some lovin'!  I came across this sort of mini gallery wall below... What struck me was the dress!  I am a big fan of gallery walls, especially ones with unexpected elements; ones that aren't solely framed art. 

Source: covetgarden.com via Sarah on Pinterest

  The first thing I thought of when I saw that was the Sunshine Sunsuit!  It's not going to fit her ever again, so what a nice tribute to hang it on the wall for all eternity, no?!  Plus the bright yellow will be a nice burst of color, since we're talking basement here.  Oh, and I love everything else in the above room too. Another beautiful space with a dress on the wall: 

Source: withtwocats.com via Sarah on Pinterest

  How awesome is like, all of that? Even though we are getting the Expedit units for most of the toy/book storage, I am head over heels in love with this idea for books: 

Source: dejligheder.blogspot.com via Sarah on Pinterest

   Right?!!  All of her favorites right there for her to flip through!  I think it's genius.  And really, what are we talking here - an old dresser drawer and some legs?!?  LOVE.  Making one. Now if I've left any room for anything else, I'd love to have a dedicated art area, like this: 

Source: 2.bp.blogspot.com via Sarah on Pinterest

  Epic, right!?  I think I could make a mini version of this and be just as happy with it. :) And lastly here's what I'm thinking for a rug.  Since rugs are bananas expensive - the ones I like anyway, I think I'm going to use this throw from Ikea, and just put a no-slip pad under it:

Source: ikea.com via Sarah on Pinterest

  It's just a basic black and white striped job, and it's $19.99.  No joke!  I could get two and stitch'm together to cover the whole flippin' basement!  I love how it adds visual interest, but it's still essentially neutral. So there you have it!  I can't wait to really sink my teeth into this!  I know Emmy's going to love it for years and years, and it will certainly help us stay in our small house much longer! Have any of you made a dedicated playroom in your house?  Leave a link in the comments - I'd love to see it!   Much loooooooove! 

Playroom Inspiration and Ideas - Part I

Happy 2012 everyone!  Going good so far?  All's well on my end... no natural disasters to speak of yet in this new year!  Holler!

More good news... Emmylou has been in a speech pathology program for a month or so now and she's making adorable great progress!  A few months ago, we had her assessed for a possible speech delay, as she was only saying about 5 words consistently, and we were starting to worry that perhaps she needed some help.  We were right, she's delayed.  She's almost two (really!?) and she's wicked smaaht as far as her social and cognitive skills are concerned - so the delay in communication was troublesome to us.  But since seeing her pathologist once a week she's got several more words - and they absolutely slay us when she says them!  Her tiny little voice is the most precious music to our ears!  Seriously, I'm going to take a video of her saying "jooooooouice!" just so you guys can swoon with me. :)

Ahh... happy Mama.

Anyhow, let's get down to biddness!  Playrooms!

Tambourine!

Source: polkadotsandpuppies.blogspot.com via Sarah on Pinterest

We live in a one-freaking-hundred year old farm house.  To say that we are tight on closets/room/storage in general would be a negligent understatement (people, my sewing room is in our laundry room).  The bulk of the actual 'space' in our house is in the unfinished attic (that has like, 12 foot ceilings - helloooo, master suite!!?!), and in the partially finished basement.  Our living room, dining room, and kitchen are pretty small.  Cute and functional, but small.  And they're FULL of Emmys flotsam and jetsam.  So with her second birthday approaching we've realized that she cannot receive one more toy/book/thing unless it has a place to go besides under the couch or in the bathtub.  So we're putting our responsible adult pants on and changing the basement from what currently looks like a college frat house (we literally have Tool posters on the walls and coins glued to the floor ala Empire Records) into a playroom for the Emski!  There is a TON of usable space down there and it would be much better served as a place for her than it is for guitars and beer cans and karaoke machines, amiright?

The basement is finished enough to get right to it, so all we need is some good storage and some delightful accents!  Here are some of my inspiration rooms thus far:

First things first - we are going to get two (three?) of these Expedit book shelves from Ikea.  They are the Holy Grail of storage solutions.  Then I can hit up HomeGoods for all the lovely baskets my heart desires.

Source: younghouselove.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Books, toys, more books... Perfect!
Here's another room with Expedit units, two of 'em!:

Source: houzz.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Now that's what I'm talkin' about!  So much storage, and yet they don't take up much floor space.  Win win.  I'll take 3, thankyouverymuch.

I love the idea of having a swing in the basement!  I think Emmy's a tad too young right now, but in the future I can see this being really fun:

Source: remodelista.com via Sarah on Pinterest

And see that HUGE map there?  I love that too!  But maybe just a US map for now - I don't see us setting off to tour Switzerland any time soon.  I realize that a world map has wonderful educational purposes, but she's not even 2.  ;)

Here's another playroom with a swing:

Source: blogs.babble.com via Sarah on Pinterest

So cool.

We also want to have a cozy place in the playroom, for movie nights and book reading and spontaneous cuddling and such.  Here are a few adorable inspirations for such coziness:

Source: shelterness.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Source: fancyhouseroad.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Hey, another world map!
I LOVE the storage in the above room.  It's a whole wall of cozy organization.  Ahh...


Ok, wow!  That's enough for now!
Stay tuned for Part II!

Much love!



The Sewing Room Re-Reveal

Hey all!  Check out where Foxy Pillow is today!  :O

So, I wanted to repost the grand room tour here in case you missed my big fat feature on Craftaholics Anonymous!

It looks a bit different now than it did when I first posted about it here.  It's much more lived in and stocked! 
So, here she is!  The sewing room in all her sewy glory!  :D

!!!%^%&%#%@@@#!!11!!!!!

So first, a little background... This was actually my laundry room.  Still is, except the laundry goings-on live to the right of this picture.  And that's where they'll stay.  You're welcome. ;)

If you want to see some of the construction photos, check out this post.  

The actual area I occupy in here is only about 7 foot by 7 foot.  So, anyone out there who's short on space, let this be your inspiration!  You don't need a whole entire room to store a lifetime supply of fabric and patterns.  Trust.

 Here's my ironing area.  Beneath that is my Unfinished Business Box.  Sadly, it's at capacity.  Hanging above is my press cloth, a pattern I'm working on, and my favorite little sign.

   Under my ironing board to the left is a pot (?) where I keep my freezer paper and rolled-up patterns waiting to be traced... some embroidery hoops... a bookshelf with my glue gun and glue related paraphernalia, sewing machine manuals and books, fabric paint, dye, and a basket on top with all of my needles and feet and whatnot. 

Did you notice my ribbon holder?!  It's an old CD rack!  Holler! I highly recommend scooping one of these up if your out thrifting.  Most can be hung on a wall, and they are perfect for ribbon-housing.  Awesome.

And a hammer and pliers, 'cause every girl needs a hammer and pliers at the ready. 

Here's my desk!  And my Bro's.  :)  This desk is actually an old artists' desk that I've had since I was probably 12 or 13.  It's great.  It's super huge, and it has several little compartments on the right side there.  I didn't get a great picture, but those compartments are where I keep my scissors, rulers, pattern weights, etc.  Very handy indeed.

Getting to the good stuff!  To the left of my desk is my notions drawer unit.  On the wall above is a picture of my sweet Emmylou, and a thing (old spice rack?? No idea.) that is the perfect size for fat quarters.  Further to the left, my fabric and pattern shelves!  Gah!

This wooden shelf has [from bottom to top] a basket where I keep my vintage patterns, another basket with random crafty goodies, cottons for Emmylou, voiles and other lightweight fabrics, and finally flannel and corduroy chillin' up top until the fall.  And some yarn?  Ok...

The bottom part of the wooden shelf holds my large cuts of fleece, and other big, unruly items.



Close up of the notion drawers, and an antique sewing box to the right, gifted by my Aunt. :)

This here green metal shelf has really impressed me.  I totally didn't want to use it in here - it's hideous.  However, it's a workhorse and it holds SO much!  So, from bottom to top - knits and bottom-weights, various apparel fabrics, a basket with trims, another basket with all of my printed patterns - BurdaStyle and the like, a woven basket with the squares for this quilt, a box with my regular envelope-type patterns, and up on the tipy-top (not in this picture) are bolts of quilting cotton from my momma!  They're great for testing things out, and they're cute.  Win.

Now here's where we get really fancy!  I used to keep all my silky fabrics folded like the other fabrics, but they never stayed put.  So, I got some tiny bungee cords and attached them to said workhorse shelf, and that's how I keep my silkies cooperative!  And they're so pretty to look at like this, not all slumped over one another.  

 

Close up of the bungee action.  Excellent.

So that's the grand tour!  Whaddya think?!  I am madly in love with it, and wish I could spend every waking moment here.  Ahhh... :)

I have to thank my step-father and my uncle again for creating this space for me.  THANK YOU BOBBY AND KEVIN!  I'm so lucky to have you guys [and your disturbing willingness to tear walls down at any given chance].

:)



Love to all,

 

Foxy Pillow is Foxy

Happy Easter everyone!  Hope your all having a beautiful weekend. :)

Meantime, may I introduce you to Foxy Pillow:

Oh hai!

Like I said in my last post, pillows are WICKED easy!  For this cute little guy I [loosely] followed From an Igloos' Easy 4-Step Cushion Cover.  I sort of just winged the measurements, but I LOVE how it came out!

Envelope style!  No zipper!

The fabric I used was [I think] this stuff called Roc-Lon.  Don't quote me on that though, I just barely glanced at the bolt label.  It's like a thick, textured, super soft natural looking fabric.  It was in the back of JoAnns with the duck cloth and home decor fabrics.  I heart it big time.  :)

I also got the iron-on fox at JoAnns.  I've had it fo-eva.  I wanted to put it on a shirt for Emmy, but now that we're redoing her room, I thought little fox friend would make a really cute accent.  Isn't he precious?!  Good choice, methinks. :)

hellloooOOOooo!

I would have taken pictures of this pillow on my bed if I ever made it this morning, but alas, the ironing board it is. :)

Again, happy Easter everyone!

And omg you guys, check back here Wednesday! - MAJOR NEWS!  :D

Love to all,

[Foxy Pillow is attending THESE foxy parties!] and

Bright & Eclectic Baby Rooms

Emmylou is moving into some saaweet new digs!  We currently have her in the tiniest room in the house.  Somehow, in my crazy pregnant nesting mentality, I thought that was the best room for her.  I honestly can't remember why now!  Jeebus!

So we're moving her and her effects into the next biggest bedroom we have, which is still the size of a shoebox, but more like a boot shoebox - as opposed to a Ked's shoebox.  And it has a closet.  Lucky girl.  ;)

I want the room to be super ultra white with all sorts of bright accents and colorful playthings.  Will I regret painting a one-year-olds' bedroom white?  No doubt.  But I'm going to humor myself in the name of creative vision.  :)

Here are some inspirational rooms and yummy eye candy.  Enjoy!




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Ahh, I love them all!  So bright and airy!

Stay tuned for some actual productivity around here...


Love to all,