toy room before & after

when we purchased our house there were three separate living room type areas. one we use as a living room, one a dining room, and last but not least is the toy room. besides the kitchen, it's my favorite room in the house. like our other home improvements, this room was a family effort.

the credit goes to:
bookshelves- brian & levi
rug- $10 ikea find
toy organizer- ikea (assembly by tiff)
dress up coat rack- home depot
millions of toys- lovely friends & family
paint brush & pallet- brian & marisa
art work- mia & miley

the brush and pallet were inspired by this pricey set from pottery barn kids (by 'inspired', i mean totally ripped off). brian is super handy. all i have to do is explain what i'd like and he cuts, sands, and nails it to life. he put 350 pipe cleaners together to make paint brush bristles- genius.

the girls artwork could be my favorite possession. when they come home from school with a new project it feels like getting an unexpected package in the mail. the monkeys are also proud of their display, constantly dragging unsuspecting guests into the room to showoff their work. the clips allow me to easily change projects out as new construction paper pretties come home.

to answer your burning question: yes, of course the toy room is always this strait.

the means to a much better end

this is my new school bag. isn't she pretty? another (slightly modified) pattern from this talented artista. while working on my bag the other night, brian asked me when i turned 80. it's true- i love needlework. the canvas tote is a long awaited replacement for my red high school jansport. all of my school supplies fit snugly inside, but it does much more than simply carry my things.

i have a lot of regrets about not completing my education the first time around. i'm constantly reminded of the sacrifices being made so that i can fulfill my scholarly obligations. the bag reminds me that all the tribulation is the means to a much better end.

boy babies and birdie burps

while i was out shopping for my first set of embroidery needles, grandma c was busy welcoming her fourth grandchild into the world- a beautiful baby boy with two doting parents and one awesome name.

i have always wanted to learn how to embroider, and it's turned out to be the perfect craft for a girl with ADD and a tight budget. one tutorial from this crafty site, a few rad patterns from this talented lady (the cute bird is one of them), a couple tips from this sweet seamstress in scotland, and we were in the handmade gift giving business.

for my chubby little niece- a set of birdie burp cloths to help with all the drool of teething.