Gah!

I feel like life has all of a sudden been put in fast forward around here!!! 

There is SO much going on that I just can not seem to find the time to sit down and edit photos for a post but here's a bit of what we are up to: 

First, I found that massive bed for the girls on CL. It took 3 days to put it together between taking care of the girls and my work schedule. That meant that it was taking up the WHOLE living room and most of the dining area. So even after I had gotten the bed back together the whole house was a mess. There are a few related projects I have been working on that I'll show you as soon as I get it all cleaned up. 

Then, even thought the girls had been sleeping on the same bed for like 6 months despite having bunk beds they WOULD NOT let each other sleep. So we had to move Anberlynn to the craft/playroom. That meant that it needed purged of anything unsafe for a 4 year old which meant moving large pieces of furniture to other rooms in the house. 

THEN, we got approved for a weatherization program and they needed to be able to check all the vents and windows in the house and THAT meant moving a bunch of stuff around and Craigslisting a few pieces too. The hardest part was the fish tank. OY! Somethings are all over the place like the girls closet. The clothes are all over the room while they use the closet for attic access to add insulation and work on duct work. There is ongoing work (Done by next Monday!) that is keeping me home and slowing down my DIY plans- not that I'm not SUPER grateful that we are getting everything done for *FREE* thanks to state and federal grants! Wahoo! 

While I was out yardsaling with my mom I managed to find a vanity that will fit perfectly in the downstairs bathroom for $20. It came with a sink that has a crack in it but I already have the other one from the Habitat for Humanity Resale Store. It's patiently waiting it's turn in the garage. 

Then I was helping a friend with a mural at her house and in return they offered to buy the supplies for a chicken coop!!! So we have been building that in our spare time too. 

In just 2 weeks I leave for a Scentsy Convention in Vegas. I had a room mate but due to an accident she won't be coming. I am trying to wrap my head around how exactly I am going to pay for things now and what is going to be put on hold for a little bit. 

Oh, and somewhere in there we had Anberlynn's 4th birthday, I redid the entryway, and I painted a Tangled themed mural in Evelyn's room. Yesterday I got the dates for my husbands training for work in August!

Ya, we know how to cram it in there. 

Pics coming soon though, promise. 

A Yellow Entry

I'll start you out with just a peek before we get into all the details. 

Isn't this mirror swoon worthy? 

I am in LOVE. 

*wipes drool from face*

OK, I'm back now. 

 First of all lets recap where I started. 

It wasn't pretty. Or functional really. You just kind of shoved what you could in there and took what you got. We didn't need the storage right here because right across the hall is a walk in closet. 

So I took it all out and started fresh. You can read about that process here. I tried to use as much as I could with what I had. It was fun and spunky. 

Later I got schmancy and gave a $6 light from the habitat store a face lift. You can read about that here. It reminded me of a Restoration Hardware piece and I love the light it casts on the wall. 

I really loved the light but the greens and pinks in the room were a little too spunky, even for me. I do love to be unpredictable but it felt teenage-ish to me and I would like to have a more adult version of myself reflected in my home. 

We all know I have a secret desire to paint all the wood in my house white (more on that here) and how I got a bunch of free beadboard from my parents (I stained some here too) so in keeping with "Plan A" I used both wood tones AND white! Combine that with my recent crush on Yellow and you get....

BAM! I got super cheap crates at Target (less than $3 ea) and used my Cricut to monogram one for each of my family members. 

 The bench my hubby built in for me. For support he used scrap pieces of wood and I painted it to make it all blend in. I think the bench board was $16 from Lowes. It took the stain so well and coordinates the entry with the surrounding trim so perfectly that I can't bring myself to cover it up with a cushion. 

The mirror I am so in love with I got for $40 (WAY more that I have EVER spent on something so frivolous) at Burlington. Who knew the "Coat Factory" was a great place to find amazing mirrors? 

The pillows are from Target too- you can find them for a little less than $12 for 2 pillows in the napkin isle ;) 

One more before:

And after: 

Things I love about it:

It has nice clean lines and simple, changeable patterns. 

The white bead board- need I say more?

The labeled baskets make putting away shoes super easy for my 2 and 4 year old. 

The dark wood against the white bead board just warms it all up and pulls it together. 

I craigslisted the previous bench, re purposed the white organizer and crib railing and used the frames in another part of the house so nothing from before was tossed out in vain. 

It is still a little spunky but more adult. Mission accomplished!

While this is definitely NOT my most thrifty project I did save up for it and work on it over a few months as the $ came in. I think the changes add a nice value and character to my home that was well worth the price. 

In My Pretty Garden...

...the green stuff is growing!!

There's not much prettier than bleeding hearts against an old wood fence.

They are just getting warmed up! 

We have actually harvested some rhubarb already to make some of my delicious rhubarb coffee cake!  

The tire garden is full of edible things. It's just getting going too but I have already been sneaking a lettuce or mint leaf here and there. 

There is one really bad eye sore. We found out the hard way that chickens REALLY LOVE raspberry leaves. Chicken wire will be going up this week but in the mean time some left over baby gates have to hold off the little peckers. 

I am trying a new weed defense this year. This is my strawberry garden. I am using the leaves from the rhubarb I picked for weed control. Think it will work? 

More rhubarb! 

It's almost bigger than the gooseberry bushes next to it! 

And the thing I am most excited about? This is our first year with these lilacs I got from a friend last year. I wasn't sure how they would do with transplant shock and the winter that came right after but they are BLOOMING!!! 

I can't wait to smell the fragrance as a walk around our property!