More on the girls' beach cottage room...

Yet another weekend has flown by! I hope yours was a good one!

I spent this weekend working more on the girls' room and staining the headboard my husband made for our room. 

I played helper, but in the end he was really the one doing most all of the work! {But I watched closely because I have some serious furniture making aspirations!} 

It was his gift to me for my birthday, and I love how it turned out! 



 {photo before staining it}

I can't wait to see how it will look in our room and promise to show pictures! Now I am thinking what we should make for Mother's Day! Ha! ;)

Now then...

I mentioned recently that a beach cottage bedroom was in the works...



{Beach Studios}

And it's true, we are still working away...

Do you remember how after trying many, many samples, I finally found the right robin's egg blue for the bead board wall? I ended up having them make it at 75% of the color, and it is just right! {Is it possible to love a paint color?} I just have one more coat to brush on, and it is done!

{The color is "Enamelware" by Martha Stewart, which can be found at Home Depot.}

I am really happy with the bright white paint on the other three walls, which are a nice contrast to the blue accent wall.

 And the sweet chandelier we finally hung up...{Picture from Pottery Barn Kids}

So, what is left?

Next up will be replacing the old door they have presently with this:

This is especially exciting because we have wanted to replace all of our hallway doors since we moved here! So this is a little step toward that goal. :)


We'll also be putting down wide, white plank floors that I hope will look like this:





{Beach Studios}

{simply delicious, aren't they?} 

This time, we are laying down actual planks {in the girls' room} versus the plank floor look I created on our master bedroom plywood floor...

 


Another thing on the list is replacing the girls' bunk beds with white iron beds like these from Pottery Barn Kids, or maybe like this:

{Charles P. Rogers Beds Direct}


...however, this one might take a while because I'm doing this on the cheap {by way of  Craigslist, garage sales, etc.}

But that's okay, because sometimes good things take time, especially when on a budget. ;)


They will each have a new desk that will also serve as a night stand besides their beds...we'll be doing this one on the cheap as well! More on this later...


So it is coming along, slowly but surely! It just makes me smile to work on these things that I have wanted to do in their room for a long time! It's pure joy!


Well, that is all for now! Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you have a lovely Monday! :)


Blessings,
Jenni

{Making a new headboard}

Hello friends! I hope your weekend has been beautiful so far!

{Martha Stewart} 

This weekend is an exciting one for me! NOT because I am turning 37~ aging itself has lost its excitement!~ but I am childlike in my love for birthdays, I admit it!

{Martha Stewart}

I love celebrating birthdays, and we make much ado about them in our little nest. This has transferred over to my husband and children fussing over me, each trying to make the day special...and you know what? I let them! ;)

{Martha Stewart}

Yes sirree, we go all out! We order a whole  {apple} pie from a local eatery that makes fantastic pies, and this is the "cake". And of course, we eat out at a favorite restaurant for dinner! {This is one of our family traditions~ the birthday person always picks their favorite place!} 

{Martha Stewart}

I love opening the handmade cards my children make, each one such a treasure to me!

And this year one of the reasons I am so very excited is because of the gift of time my husband is giving me as my gift this year.

We are building a headboard for our master bedroom, following plans from Ana White.

I think it is supposed to be a knock off of the Mason headboard from Pottery Barn, but don't quote me on this! Either way, it reminds me of it:

  
 I love the rich dark wood and its rustic look. I love the height of the headboard, but also how the simple "plank" design tones it down a little. 

{You will find plans for a twin and full sized bed, as well as a link to the queen sized bed, if you click on the above link, Ana White.}

SO this weekend you will find us in our garage, working on this and also on our girls' room renovation! To me, there is nothing more fun than home improvement, so I'm happy as a clam! :)

{Martha Stewart}

What is your favorite thing about your birthday, and what is your favorite birthday memory?


I hope you each have a lovely weekend, and a chance to do something you love! That makes such a difference, don't you think?


Blessings to you~
Jenni

The $15 French Bistro Chair

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Monday and that your weekend was good! :)

We had a quiet weekend, which I was thrilled about! Spring break was very busy with activities and sleepovers, and then, of course, it was Easter weekend~ so it was nice to keep things simple this weekend. :) I even got to work some on the girls' room, which was nice...

And speaking of the girls' room, I was so excited when I found these at IKEA a few weeks ago...I couldn't believe my eyes!






Then I looked at the price tag, and I almost jumped up and down right there in the middle of the store! But somehow, I remained {mostly} composed. ;) 

Well, they didn't look quite like this when I found them, but here is a before picture:


 

You see, like many of you, I love those sweet french bistro chairs. But the price of an authentic one is out of my budget this year, as they are often around 75 dollars per chair..There are just way too many things I want to do on our little home right now! :)

So, of course, when I saw almost exact reproductions for 15 dollars a chair, I bought three, planning to buy more if I could "antique" them up right!





I could see the girls using them as desk chairs in their room...bistro chairs have that beach cottage look to them, don't you think? ;) 

Now I had seen a post on making your own chalk paint, on Craftberry Bush. Lucy shared a recipe from Martha Stewart that she used on a chair that turned out amazing! 

So after giving my little chair a coat of spray primer, I gave this recipe a try...





Some things I learned about DIY chalk paint:

I found that this chalk paint was better if I only made what I would use in one painting session. Even by the next day, it was quite hardened, and even if I added water, it went on way too gritty, and didn't dry smooth. But if you find it is not smooth, you can sand it lightly after the paint has dried to buff it.


I also halved the amount of unsanded tile grout I added to the paint, and liked the consistency much better. So don't be afraid to play around with it a little until you find what works for you! 

Next time, I am going to spray paint the chair next time for a base coat, definitely the metal parts. I can still use chalk paint on the  wooden slats to get that soft, matte look. But now that I have found out how simple and affordable it is to make your own chalk paint, and how well it turns out, I will definitely be making more of my own!

Lucy from Craftberry Bush gives a couple of links to other chalk paint recipes as well in her post, in case you would like to check those out as well! I want to try out the other ones, just for the fun of it! :) 





Again, here is the chair before:


And after:







So, although antique chairs would have been my first choice, I am so happy with the results that I am going to be putting four of these around our dining table. I decided to keep this one in my room, and paint the other two I bought for the girls room...

{I am linking this to Coastal Charm's Nifty Thrifty Tuesday, the Weekend Wrap up Party at Tatertots and Jello, Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest, and The Sunday Showcase Party at Under the Table and Dreaming.}


Well, that's all for me tonight! Thanks so much for coming by, and I hope you all have a good night! :)

Blessings,

Jenni

Finding the right robin's egg blue {The up front and honest truth}

Happy Tuesday to you, dear friends! I hope you are doing well, and having a good week so far! :)

I know I have been a bit scarce around these parts lately...We had a little crisis over here~ nothing at all life and death {thank goodness!} but enough to take some extra time and effort! :)

BUT, in other news, David and I finished putting up the bead board ceiling almost two weeks ago! :)

Yes, we got the whole {darn} thing up there...with a lot of help from this thing:

The Saturday before that, my husband hit his hand with the hammer WAY too many times to count just getting one 4' x 8' up, with both of us trying to hold it up....We voted to wait until the next weekend and use a nail gun!

Let me tell you, that was a good decision! It made such a difference! Now both the bead board ceiling and wall are up and primed and I am painting them, as well as the other walls...

The walls are to be white, and the bead board wall robin's egg blue. 

I would have never guessed it would be this hard to find the right robin's egg blue, but I really should have known better!




For me, finding the right paint color is very, very tricky. And no other but the just right color will do...

Along the way, I tried many colors in the attempt to find the right one, far, far exceeding my three sample cans rule...ahem...





...only to be left more confused and bewildered than I was in the first place...


And then I found THE color, but there was just one little problem...

I found it by painting a blue sample color on top of the greener shade that was already there. But it made the most gorgeous shade of robin's egg blue ever. A complex color that was neither just blue nor just green, but a wonderful blend of both. It was calm, yet had such a vibrant *pop* to it!

I tried mixing the two colors in different ratios, and came close. Close but just not quite right.

BUT then I found a Martha Stewart paint color at Home Depot, and it is the right color exactly! I think I need to try it at 50% or 75% of the color, though, and make it a bit paler...

*Edited to add: The name of the Martha Stewart color is "Enamelware", and Home Depot will make the color for you in their Behr brand paint. And have your heard of their Behr paint and primer in one? What a fantastic idea! 





 And I have help:







This little one wanted to paint with me for a while. She is very serious about it. :)





Here is a little peek of what we were working on, and it lets you see the color of blue a little bit.

And we have a theme: a beach cottage room it is! This I am so excited about, because it lets me decorate in a different way, which will be fun!

So things are looking up. We have a color, and we have a theme. :)

Before I close, though, I do want to apologize to you for getting so behind on my emails! I am trying to catch up, and plan on doing just that this week! :)

Thank you for coming by, and have a lovely night!



Blessings,
Jenni 

Potted shamrock and a new wooden caddy

Happy {almost} Friday to you, dear friends! I hope you are well! 

I was shopping this week and saw this sweet potted plant:




I have decided that I love shamrocks.

 And I am loving the way it looks with this little wooden caddy I found at a nearly shop. :)

 I must confess to giving St. Patrick's Day only a nod of acknowledgement in the past, mostly due to my not placing much weight on the whole idea of luck.

Do you believe in luck?

On my way out of the market with my potted shamrock, a woman passing me said, "And the luck o' the Irish be with you!"

It was quaint and kind, and I said, "To you, too!", to which she chuckled.

But it left me feeling like something wasn't quite right.

And I realized that it reminded me somewhat of what is said in church each Sunday:

"May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be upon you", to which the people respond:
"And also with you."


To me, although I am sentimental and adore shamrocks and the festivity and fun of holidays, I prefer blessing to luck any day.


And I'm Irish. Yes, somewhere in the rather odd conglomeration of English, German, Danish, Native American, and French, there is also a wee bit of Irish in my ancestry! 


For some reason, I'm very proud of that. Not that I did anything to achieve it! ;)


So, is that why I felt compelled to buy this sweet plant?

 Not really. I just thought it was beautiful  It had to go in my cart!


I love the delicate white flowers in the dark green leaves.
 


So entirely spring, I think.

There is something about raw dark wood mixed with white.





Simple pleasures like potted spring plants make me smile...and remind me of a generous Giver who has blessed us so richly!


And lest you think I am a little bit of a naysayer, I am even doing a St. Patrick's Day post! {I am Irish, after all!}


But I still prefer the blessing:
"May the Lord bless and keep you. May He shine His face upon you and give you peace" to give to you in closing! 


Blessings, ;)
Jenni

Homemade Lemon Foam Soap

Hello sweet friends! How has your week been so far? I hope things are going well for you! :)

Well now...

If you have been reading this blog for a while, you know I enjoy trying my hand at home made cleaning supplies. What began as a deep and abiding love for baking soda and its many uses has become an addiction to coming up with new cleaning concoctions! It has been a lot of trial and error {sometimes resulting in streaky windows or soap residue} but it is so much fun succeeding with that "perfect" cleaner!

One of my new attempts is Lemon Foam Soap. Another is Lavender Foam Soap, and it is a toss-up which smells more lovely!






Even my older children somehow find it easier and less bothersome to use this soap! 

Note: I think foam soap may be the cure for the natural repulsion children have toward hand washing in general. ;)

At a visit to my natural products store, I discovered something new {well, new to me!}: castille soap. In reality, it has been around for a long time!


I saw a recipe there in a little leaflet for foam soap made with castille soap, but it said to mix the soap solution with water with a one-to-one ratio.


I tested it for a while until I came up with what I think is just right: not so much soap you will be rinsing it off for hours, but definitely enough for a nice, soft lather.






To make both the lemon and the lavender soap, I measured one ounce of the castille soap into this little measuring cup.






Pour the castille soap into your foamer bottle, and then add six ounces of water to that.






After this, I added ten drops of lemon myrtle essential oil, and gently shook the bottle a bit to mix.





To make the Lavender Foam Hand Soap, I followed the same recipe, except I used twenty drops of lavender, rather than ten.





The potency of each essential oil varies, and the lemon verbena is about twice as strong as the more subtle lavender. 






It is truly amazing what essential oils add to a cleaning solution, and this is no exception. The castille soap that I use, though unscented, actually has a scent of its own that is very pleasant. The foam soap will smell nice even without the essential oils; but oh! If you like your soap scented as I do, it takes a nice hand soap to wonderful!

A quick review of what you'll need in case you'd like to make your own foam soap:

*a foamer bottle {different from a pump bottle}
*castille soap, such as Dr. Bonner's, which can be purchased at your local Target or online at Amazon. Super Supplements has the lowest price for theirs, bought online, for $9 for 64 oz.
*lemon or lavender essential oil, or your own favorite!
*measuring glass, with ounce markings
*water


And that, my friends, is all it takes to make foam hand soap! Easy as pie. :)

*I am linking this to the Weekend Wrap Up party at Tatertots and Jello.


Thank you for visiting and I hope you have a beautiful Wednesday!


Blessings,
Jenni

A bit of spring and summer...

 On this chilly winter's night, I am thinking of spring. No, I am longing for spring! And for the countless beautiful colors that come with spring, as well as with summer!

I am quite partial to decorating with neutrals, but especially in the winter, I need a pop of color in my little cottage!

They remind me that my favorite seasons are just around the corner...

 A fresh bouquet of ranunculus bring thoughts of long afternoons spent puttering in the garden...

I like a touch of red in my kitchen...

   

It helps to cheer the room. :)

Red strawberries make me think of sunshine and lazy summer days...

And one red rose inside an aqua jar reminds me of Fourth of July, another lovely thought.

The aqua glass jars lend a little sparkle to a cupboard...

 

Soon it will be spring. The robin will visit my backyard again, just as it does every year.

 

Tiny buds on the trees outside will blossom...

 

and the flowers in my garden will return. It won't be long now...

I can almost feel the warm sunshine on my face...Are you ready for spring?

I hope you have a beautiful day! Thank you for stopping by and dreaming of spring with me! :)

Blessings,

Jenni