Coral and Grey Bedroom

And we're nealy complete with our painting project.  I showed you where we begin... and now I show you where we finish.

At first, I regretted the grey.  I am such a bright and sunshiney girl that the darker color had me in a drab mood.   But before scratching it (and wasting our money), we continued on painting.

And boy am I glad that we did, because this sold me:

Something about that grey on the built in shelf gets me.  It looks so relaxing and ...grown up.  Which is also why we decided to scratch the DIY headboard (tear- I know) for an adult bed.  We were looking to buy a new mattress anyway, so it only made since going the Ikea route. 

Again, another satisfying decision. 

I am still undecided on the coral wall - which is why the other side of my bedroom is not shown.  We did paint the coral shown in the previous post grey-- but I still have an accent wall.  Maybe I will build up some guts to share. 

But for now - what do you think?  Worth the wait?

The Orange Couch

As we've worked to update our bedroom, there have been countless times that I have had to stop and think as to why on Earth did I go with a coral/orange scheme?

Why didn't I just stick with my traditional blue:  light in color, relaxing in shade, and serene in hue. The perfect color and my favorite since the ripe age of three. 

Somewhere along the way, I did fall in love with coral. (I am going to say my teen years, as I remember my first coral dress). It was in my wedding scheme, it's a favorite color in my spring and summer wardrobe choices, and has become my second favorite color. 

But, as a home decor scheme? It's really hard for me to swallow. So why again did I go this route?

See the couch up there? That's why.

On a day with little cash in our pockets and time to kill, we went to Goodwill.  There she was; in good condition and as comfortable as she possibly could be. Our bedroom was missing something and we both felt this was exactly what it needed.  $35 later, she was home. And my struggle began.

I've been tempted to just cover it with a Pottery Barn cover and call it a day, but I just can't.  There's something about it that just makes me leave it as is, and allows my struggle to go on.

But, I think it's finally coming together and I think she is finally found her place - orange and all. 

Boston

It seems that we have experienced a lot of tragedy since Kelli established A Happy Place Called Home.

Things that make us feel shaked, scattered, and completely out of our comfort zone.

It is time likes these that I realize how important our home really is.  Whether this home be your residence, your town, your state, your country, or our planet. 

Even though most of us do not live in Boston, may have never been to Boston, or even understand people who speak with a Boston accent; we feel and we grieve. 

We think "what if that were my son? my daughter? my friend?" 

"What if that was my city?"

And while these are answers that we hope to never answer or understand, we can't help but wonder. 

In times of tragedy, I think with my glass half full.  Instead of thinking of how scary our world and country have become in the past few months, I think of what I can do to make it better.

I can teach my children good; to be good, to feel good, to know good, and to do good.  I can change the world with my two children and I can do it by starting at home.

Let your home be a place of good, of comfort, of safety, and of education.  Education to do the right thing, to feel okay to talk, to feel upset, and to know the difference between good and bad.

Our homes are the foundation of our beginnings, of our family, and it is our safety.  Let's do our best to be advocates of this and to open it to whoever needs it. 

Playing Dress Up

Since I was a little girl, I wanted my own little girl. One to play dress up with, paint her nails, do her hair, and be my very own living doll. 

As I grew older, I obviously got a grip on reality knowing that she would in fact be a human and not a doll, but as we planned our second child, I still prayed that God would grant me little girl wish and give me one of my very own. 

Thankfully, He gave me what my husband and I prayed for. 

And even though she is a little human, filled with a personality much bigger than her tiny little body, equipped with her woman card, a huge attitude, and all the little girl splendor she could possibly have, I still play dress up with her. 

And yes, she even likes it. 

Sometimes.

But even with a cranky attitude, I can't help but sit and wonder how I became so blessed to have a little girl with a great fashion sense, and is up for dressing up in frilly skirts, tutu's, boots, sparkly t-shirts, leggings, and fun hair accessories.

What are your favorite items to dress up your children in?  Share your thoughts, funny stories, and ideas below!

Mani Monday: Feelin' Dotty

My original intention for this mani was to be a complete white-out with Maybelline's "Porcelain Party".  

But then, I was inspired by my coral bedroom to add some flair.  Using a bobby pin and my toe separator, I added dots to the tips of my nails.

 The Color?  "Peachy" by Revlon. 

 It's got me feelin' dotty