Mom Cave Revisited

Hello!

I haven't blogged about the Mom Cave in awhile, mostly because there hasn't been anything of interest to share.  That is, until I went to IKEA this weekend.  Suffice to say, I went to IKEA looking for some cabinets to tame the mess that is our garage, and walked out with everything but that.

My office is a great little nook, tucked away in the back corner of our basement, just beyond our media area.  I love having a dedicated space (besides the kitchen) that is all mine.   There is lots of storage and everything a mom could want in a dedicated space.  Best part - it has doors.

And then there is this little niche area off of the office.  It started out like this.

Then I painted it and added a great stencil ala Hobby Lobby.

And this is how it sat, except I had the armoire there - but I can't find any pictures of that!

I just really wasn't digging on the armoire in this space - it just didn't work and didn't fit.

So, I've had some ideas spinning in my head for awhile for this nook and the office in general. I have been thinking that this area would be great for some shelves and maybe some sort of built-ins or credenza along the bottom.

And then I came upon some lovely shelves at IKEA that fit the bill.  Literally.  They were $20 each - it just doesn't get much better than that.

Voila!

The chairs are temporary, until I find something to put beneath them (or my boys steal them and put them back in the media room 

I also scored a new desk chair that looks as if it was made for this space.  Isn't it fun?

 I just love it when an unplanned plan comes together.

Have you found any unintended discoveries lately?

Linking to: Savvy Southern Style - Wow Us Wednesday
Beneath My Heart - Best DIY Projects of September
Not Just a Housewife - Show Me What Ya Got
Thrifty Decor Chick - October Before & After Party

Outdoor Fall Decor

Hello friends!

We have been experiencing some true fall weather here this week, and I'm loving it!  Gorgeous blue skies with cooler temps leaves me itching to bring fall to my front porch.  Although, I think some people must think I'm crazy.  When I was at the grocery store with my cart 'o pumpkins, I heard a convo between a little boy and his mom.  

Little boy:  "Mom, are we getting our pumpkins?"  
Mom:  "It's too early, they'll rot."
Little boy:  "She has pumpkins in her cart."
Mom:  "Well, maybe she has a place to put them where they'll be ok."

So, even if they do get mushy, pumpkins are pretty cheap (unless you go somewhere where they charge you by the pound).  I can always buy more, right?

Normally I don't pull out my berry wreaths until Christmas, but really, they totally work for fall too.  Especially with the color of my mums.

I added some green with the cabbage/kale too.  Such a great fall plant to add to the mix.

I'm digging the white and orange combo on some of these pumpkins too.

I added some corn stalks to the front porch this year too.  I'm liking it.

So, are you decorating your outside areas for fall too?  Are you pulling out the pumpkins yet?

Joining in with the fun outdoor decor link party at  over at Southern Hospitality today!
Also linking up to:
Chic on a Shoestring - Flaunt your Fall
Jennifer Rizzo - Fall Impromptu Party
Between Naps on the Porch - Metamorphosis Monday
The Inspired Room - Fall Nesting Party
House of Smiths - Creative Fall Linky Party

Fall Entertaining - Take it Outside

Hello!

The weather here this weekend was glorious - sunny and mild during the day, with the evenings getting that crisp fall feeling.  If only Fall lasted longer!  But, it's not too chilly to entertain outside, so I decided to change things up and head outdoors in honor of today's fall tablescape link party at The Lettered Cottage.

I used a lot of nature-inspired elements, and it made for a great look.  I picked up a bunch of these gorgeous ruby-velvet looking flowers at a local farmer's market, and they were a great inspiration point (although I can't remember their name to save my life at the moment!).

A pretty mum in one of my antiqued pots works just fine...

Some mini-pumpkins are a must-have.  I picked up some white ones too.  So cute.  I wanted some bigger ones, but they were selling them for 59 cents a pound.  The little ones do just fine for now.

I can't resist adding another photo of these ruby-red lovelies.  They're gorgeous!  And the guy who sold them to me said that if you let them dry out, you can plant the seeds.  I might need to add these beauties to my yard...

Are you planning any fall entertaining this season?

Linking up to:
Between Naps on the Porch - Tablescape Thursday
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia - October'fest of Fun

Great Room Quandry

Hello friends!

I hope you had a great weekend and are getting into the swing of a new week.  I have been hopping from one project to the next, with a lot of painting involved.  Similarly, I'm questioning my painting decisions in more than one place, so there are lots of disaster zones unfinished projects in my house at the moment.

I have been wanting to paint out the area in our great room where we have our tv and built-ins, so I finally made a trip to see my Paint Guy and he color matched the paint to match my trim.  The idea here was to give it a more cohesive look, and now I'm wondering if it just looks too ... sparse.

You be the judge.

Here is the before:

And here it is now.

Is it too stark?  Does it need something more?  Or should I just mark it as an "epic fail", repaint it and move on?

On the upside (no pun intended), I did manage to tackle the band of paint around my coffered ceiling that had been bugging me since I repainted this room in the first place.  It's funny, I was up on the ladder, and I thought, "I wonder if I can reach up here on this ladder?"  And after a(nother) realization that I'm not a big fan of heights, I got my bearings and got to work.

Here is a refresher, since I'm sure you have more on your mind than the paint colors in my home.  See that greenish band around the outer perimeter?  That's it.  Painted.  Done.  Off my list.

I'm happy with that piece of my painting project in here.  And I added a chair from our bedroom that had been unused and deserved to have some face time.  Plus, it looks nice in here (unlike the unsightly red ottoman/bench). 

I loved this chair the moment I saw it, but the pricetag, not-so-much.  (And so goes my love/hate relationship with Arhaus Furniture.)  So, when it went on super-sale because of an itsy bitsy defect, I snapped it right up for about a third of its original price.  Awww yeah. 

I'll share some more basement work and painting dilemmas soon.  In the meantime, I'd love your thoughts on my current quandry.  What do you think?  Too stark?  Repaint?  Or let it marinate for awhile? 

Any epic fails in your decorating world lately?

And I know you haven't forgotten - nor have I - those lost on 9/11, eleven years ago.  I can't believe it's been that long.  Do something nice for someone today, and never forget. 

Source: houzz.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Pins that Win

I know I’m not the only one who could regain many hours in her life if she put down the iPad and walked away from Pinterest. However, I do love Pinterest, and have found amazing design inspiration and recipes, along with tips and tricks that I have put to use in my own life. I mean, that’s the whole purpose of Pinterest, right?

So, I thought it would be fun to share some of the pins that I have found to be “winners” in my book, firsthand.
Aging Terracotta Pots

Source: atthepicketfence.com via Jenny on Pinterest

I'm sure some of you have seen this floating around the blogosphere.  Great tutorial, and I picked up some cheap pots at a garage sale to give this a try.  The result?  Pretty pots!

This one falls under one of those "Duh" moments for me.  Adding corkboard to the inside of a kitchen cabinet - brilliant!  I added this to one of my kitchen cabinets and pin coupons, the kids' school lunch menu, you name it.  Great idea!

Source: justagirlblog.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Caprese Mozzarella Tomato Basil Panini
I have had this sandwich more times than I care to mention, but how is a girl supposed to resist when you have fresh tomatoes and basil in da houzz?  It's so good!  Unfortunately, I just discovered that the link doesn't work anymore!  But, it's really easy to make. 

Take some good crusty bread and spread pesto on one side.  Layer fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and minced fresh basil.  Coat the outside portions of bread with olive oil and grill until golden brown and cheese is melted.  Enjoy!

Source: withstyle.me via Jenny on Pinterest

A Good Neutral Lipstick

After pinning this, I picked up a tube of this Wet n Wild lip color since it's uber cheap (1.99), and what girl doesn't need a good neutral in her makeup arsenal?  Although, admittedly, I don't think I've bought Wet n Wild since I was in, um, 8th grade maybe?

But, I can report, it's a good color at a great price - definitely a winning pin.

Source: bdghostriderz.com via Jenny on Pinterest

So, have you found any winning pins?  Do tell!

Fresh Laundry

I hope you had a glorious Labor Day weekend, whether you were a busy bee or just chilling out and enjoying the last remnants of summer.  I was a little bit of both, although I wish I had gotten a little more accomplished, because sometimes having extra time on my hands doesn’t work to my advantage.    I did get started with some more painting in my basement, but even after examining paint samples on the wall, I’m still uncertain about the color.  It has a greenish undertone, and I don’t understand WHY!  So, I’m going to let it marinate for awhile before I go back to the drawing board.

Another item I am adding to my “to-do” list is a laundry room revamp.  I confess that I spent an inordinate amount of time this weekend drooling over laundry rooms I found online. It’s definitely feeding my desire to give my laundry room a facelift.  

I broached the subject with my husband by asking him, “Would you mind if I painted the cabinets in the laundry room?”  His reply, “What color?”  See, after nearly 18 years of marriage, he knows that resistance if futile.  Game on.

I was all ready to get cracking on this project, and headed to see my Paint Guy yesterday, only to find that they were closed for the Labor Day holiday.  Say what?  Don't they know that it's a three day weekend and I have projects to do?  So, I regrouped (ala the basement painting project), and will pay him a visit this week.  In the meantime, would you just look at these inspirational laundry rooms?

Ok, I don't know where the actual washer and dryer are in this laundry room, but there appears to be laundry detergent in that glass container, and fresh towels on the counter, so let's assume it's cleverly hidden somewhere.

Source: houzz.com via Jenny on Pinterest

And this one is loaded (no pun intended) with storage space and classic charm.  I'm loving the swinging door too.  Makes it easy to get in and out with a basket full of laundry.  Again - clever.

Source: houzz.com via Jenny on Pinterest

This one is just dreamy - and would you look at that functional layout?  I love the sink with the window, all of the counter space and the glass front cabinets along the ceiling.  I have a sink and a window in my laundry room, but the configuration is not the same, which is why I love this so much.

Source: houzz.com via Jenny on Pinterest

This laundry room scores points for ingenious function.  My laundry room is always overflowing with lots of laundry baskets, and to have the ability to hide my dirty laundry is quite appealing.  Brilliant.

Source: houzz.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Again, there is no washer and dryer in sight here, but it sure screams laundry room to me.  They're probably hidden in that lovely center cabinet unit.  Or maybe that's where the Mother of the House hides out when she says she's doing laundry.  And would you look at the two windows?  And the sconce?  Yum.

Source: houzz.com via Jenny on Pinterest

This is a laundry room I keep finding myself revisiting.  I love the wall color, the open shelves and just how fresh it looks.

Source: houzz.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Love the chandy and the functional layout of this laundry room.  Not to mention the pretty little canvas bins beside the washer/dryer.  Lovely!

Source: houzz.com via Jenny on Pinterest

This one is just a home run in my book.  Light filled, lots of windows, functional layout, lots of storage, brick flooring, beadboard ceiling, cubbies - I'm weak in the knees!

Source: houzz.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Another sparkly clean and beautiful laundry/mud room space.  Smitten.  (Did I mention I have mud rooms on the mind too?)

Source: houzz.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Since I said I had mud rooms on my mind, I'll digress from my laundry room love for a moment.  I'm loving these lockers!  How totally cool is this?  Minus the locker room smell, of course...

Source: houzz.com via Jenny on Pinterest

So, I'm adding this to my list of projects.  The mud room idea is a separate post altogether, but suffice to say, my wheels are turning...

What did you do this weekend?  Were you productive?  Are you having some laundry room lust like I am?