Mom Cave in Progress

My Daddy came back to town to help me finish up the workspace table for my Mom Cave.  Here are a few pictures of the work in progress, taken by my 5 1/2 year old and his mad camera-clicking skills.

I wanted a large workspace and this seemed like the most logical place to put a table.  Of course, I couldn't find a table to fit the spot that fit my budget, so I enlisted my retired-and-loves-to-piddle father.  He built a frame for the table and then we cut shower board to fit the frame.  My jigsaw skills lack much to be desired, so we trimmed it out in pretty molding that I picked out.  We used small ballusters (sp??) as the legs and screwed them into the frame. 

Here is the end result.  I'm not finished organizing and getting things like I want them, but you get the general idea.

I got my valance hung and think it looks fantastic!

What do you think?

It's nice to feel loved...

I was featurued on my FAVE blog, Pure + Lovely.  Click HERE for the post!  She showed the pictures of my refinished china cabinet.

Thanks, Ashley!! 

Silhouette Giveaway from Pure + Lovely

My favorite fave blog to follow is Pure + Lovely .  Ashley over at P+L is hosting a Silhouette Giveaway.  You can win $50 in goodies.  You DO NOT have to have a Silhouette machine to use these products...scissors will do! So, get off your booty and go enter Ashley's contest!

                                      Here is her link: 

Yard Sale Finds

Yard sales...Ah, the cool mornings and junk to puruse. I truly enjoy a good yard sale.  I enjoy getting up early on Saturday morning, coffee cup in hand, GPS set and Craig's List ads listed by start time and location. My husband and son have no interest in getting up at 6 a.m. on Saturday morning, so I enjoy this time by myself. 

When my parents were visiting this past weekend, there was a yard sale that they wanted to check out on Saturday morning.  I decided to tag along.  Here are a few things I picked up:



 

Shelf?  Shadow Box?





Ugly mirror, but I liked the shape and detail on the frame (not bad for $.50)



8x10 picture frame



Don't forget to follow my blog.  I'm just starting out and would love your support!  Thanks!

A HUGE THANK YOU!!

Wow...I asked for help and it arrived...in the form of a wonderful lady from California named Linda at lifeandlinda.blogspot.com.  Linda offered to give my disasterous looking blog a facelift and she did a fantastic job!  I am so thankful.  Check out her blog and sign up to follow her.

Another man's junk....well, you know....

My parents came to visit us Wednesday night.  They live about 2 1/2 hours away and were staying until Saturday.  I had previously emailed my Daddy a link to an Estate Sale I found on Craig's List a few weeks ago.  They went to see if they could scope out the goods on Thursday, but alas, nothing was outside.  So, bright and early Friday morning, they arrived on the scene.  (a little backstory....tangent?  No way!)  I am turning a small room in our upstairs into my Mom Cave.  I have never had a place for my scrapbooking/crafts/junk and this house we live in now finally has the space.  I told my Mama I wanted a barrel-shaped light fixture kind of like this.  I thought it would fit perfecly in the dormer area of my Mom Cave.  Back to the present...she called me from the Estate Sale and told me she found this!!  AND, best part is that they only wanted $10 for it.  TEN SMACKERS!  My kinda deal.  They also found this sweet solid wood bookcase for another $10.  Mama said she thought I could do something with it...um, she's catching on to my new hobby well!!!  "Bring me your tired, your weak, your needs to be painted and made fabulous again...." 

But, I digress...let me back up.  I had to intention of working on my Mom Cave this weekend.  My house was a mess, it was Halloween weekend, my parents were there and my in-laws were coming Saturday so I was just going to save it for another day. Well, my daddy had other plans.  He is retired and loves a good project.  I routinely call or email him with the phrase, "I've got a project...can you come help?"  The great part is that he has most any and all tool(s) that I could ever imagine using.  Besides, Logan loves a visit from his grandparents. 

When they arrived Wednesday night, I took Daddy upstairs to show him what I plan to do and what I envision doing with the space in the future.  I planned a wrapping paper station, storage and organization for my scrapbook supplies and a large, flat workspace with added lighting.  As soon as I started mentioning things, Daddy started making plans for this and that.  It's so funny to watch him get excited over building things and I love the time he and I spend together planning projects, shopping for supplies and executing our ideas.  I don't know many 30-something women who spend that kind of quality time with their dad's...especially once they are married with children.  Don't get me wrong, my Mama and I are very close and we do ALL the girlie things together, still, but I so enjoy and appreciate the time with my Daddy. Once I showed him what all I wanted to do to my room, we began rummaging around in the attic.  We found all kinds of scrap wood, paint, tile, molding and sheet rock that the original owners/builders left in the attic.  SCORE!  We found some pieces of wood to build the frame for the wrapping paper station.  By the time I got home from work on Thursday, he had the wrapping paper station completed except for painting it.  We finished it all up and got it mounted on the wall.  It looks fantastic and we made such great use of the small, awkward space!  I am so pleased!

Here is my Mom Cave in progress.  I chose some cute Amy Butler fabric and coordinating Free Spirit Park Slope leaf green dot fabric for the valance on my one window.  I may never have a daughter, so this room is going to be girlie.  I found a sweet girl, Tracey Wilson, on Etsy.com to make the valance.  She did a super-great job and I am so pleased!  Shen sent me back the extra fabric that I used to recover the chair that I bought on Craig's List.  The little desk I purchased from a local antique shop that is going out of business.  I found a few cute brass planters at a yard sale which I have painted white and will use for little knick-knack supplies on my table or on the larger surface.  I also scored this bookcase on Craig's List which I have painted white.  Looking now for some cutesie baskets/storage bins to hold inks/paper/scissors, etc. 

                     I am so happy with my Mom Cave in progress!!

gift wrap station

Craig's list chair repainted and seat recovered

Craig's list folding bookshelf; got to find some cute bins

                                  Gorgeous valance made by Tracey Wilson

We added shorter rows at the top for ribbon and larger rows on the bottom for large paper

BIG undertaking...

We have a HUGE foyer/hallway/entryway when you walk through the front door.  We've lived in this house for a year and I have been so stumped as to what to do with this large space.  I mean, it is huge.  It's wide and long....the walls look barren.  I came home one day and my husband had hung some random photo frames and crosses on the wall.  I hated the way they looked, but haven't ever taken them down.  I kept thinking I needed some large piece of furniture, but who has $1000 or more to spend on something like that??! 

I got the inspiration I needed after seeing this and this by two very talented ladies. I was on the hunt for a dresser/buffet/credenza that I could revamp and use it in my large foyer.  After scouring Craig's List for a few weeks, I found exactly what I was looking for!!

 It's now sitting in my foyer full of serving pieces, bowls and wedding gifts (from 7 years ago) that had no home.  A great friend and neighbor gave me two buffet lamps and I am in the market for some new shades for them.  The cost of my new buffet, you might ask???  $40!  It's solid wood, weighs about 300 pounds (or that's what my hubby said when he tried to get it in the house) and has fantastic design and the original hardware is beautiful!  I can't wait to start painting away!!  I am thinking I'll paint it similarly to my china cabinet that I recently redid.  What do you think?  Stay tuned...

Mom Cave Linky Party!!

This is my first Linky Party entrance.                                                     

  Between Naps on the Porch Mom Cave Linky Party!!

I am turning a small room in our upstairs into my Mom Cave.  I have purchased a few small things for this room, but need storage and organization....a rug would be a nice addition, too.

I planned a wrapping paper station, storage and organization for my scrapbook supplies and a large, flat workspace with added lighting.  We accomplished the wrapping paper organization and it looks fantastic.  I'll post pictures ASAP.

Here is my Mom Cave in progress.  I chose some cute Amy Butler fabric and coordinating Free Spirit Park Slope leaf green dot fabric for the valance and to recover my chair.I found a sweet girl, Tracey Wilson, on Etsy.com to make the valance.  She did a super-great job and I am so pleased!  Shen sent me back the extra fabric that I used to recover this chair that I bought on Craig's List.  The little desk I purchased from a local antique shop that is going out of business.  I found a few cute brass planters at a yard sale which I have painted white and will use for little knick-knack supplies on my table or on the larger surface.  I also scored this bookcase on Craig's List which I have painted white.  Looking now for some cutesie baskets/storage bins to hold inks/paper/scissors, etc.  This is what it looks like so far:

I am so happy with how my Mom Cave is coming together and hope to have it finished in the next month!!

I do need a few more things to make it perfect! HomeGoods could help me accomplish this!!

I seriously need more storage space in my Mom Cave!!