The Desk

When we first put the desk downstairs I couldn't resist snapping a few pictures. It was a sunny evening (yay) so that helped a bit too. The colour is somewhere in between the detail shot below and the picture above, not orange but not yellow either.

Look at the carved pulls, lovely!

I have seen long rooms where they place a desk behind the couch so that's what we tried. I think it works well in this space. Plus it will be easier for the kids to climb on if the couch acts as a ramp. Just kidding, sort of. Actually if you look closely in the top picture you can see a hand peeking out from under the chair. That's K.

I am seeing us using that room a lot now that it is (mostly) done. Maybe working or sewing at the desk while the kids play? Here is my baby reading the corner next to the desk. Nevermind the hole behind her, we will make a door and get that access to under the stairs covered up sooner or later. Instead direct your attention to the cool tin bucket I used to pile up the story books. Or at the cutey pie reading, that works too.

OK, back to the desk. Great isn't it? Beautiful! And all those drawers... I'm just trying to decide how best to fill them!

Reno News - yay for "new" furniture

I heart hand me downs. Bet my mom never thought she would hear that come out of my mouth when I was growing up!!! But I am coming more and more to appreciate older furniture that is well made. Our free bed from my mom and Skipper is the first example, check that post out here to see what I mean.

But the latest basement addition is a huge oak desk...

sneak peak

My mom and dad bought it at a garage sale a few years back and striped it and oiled it. I have admired it ever since! It is lovely and expansive. Maybe a bit too expansive- it fit easily in the minivan but can't say the same for the doorway... haha.

Don't feel bad, my handy man had it off then fixed all in a half an hour!

The other side of the room still looks like this...

But they say it has to get worse before it gets better!

So here is to 'better' hopefully coming later this week.

Stay tuned for more desk pictures soon.

Matchy Matchy

Got this robot book from Grammie for Christmas. Very cute, fun moving parts and well, it matches the living room!

Downstairs painting projects are underway so there might be something to show there after the weekend. Maybe ;^)

Reno News - preliminary decorating

With all the things going on in this family, the basement reno has arrived at the sad state of 'good enough'. Walls, check. Flooring, check. Gas fireplace and heated tile, check. Gigantic TV and headache inducing surround sound, check and check. Random furniture relocated to the family room, check. Well what more do you want really? Oh, windowsills, countertops, rugs, decorations? OK then. Demanding aren't we?

So after a long hiatus, progress on the family room has resumed. Check out all that we have done in the last 2 weeks.

mantel decorations

area rug

windowsills

reading lamp

And there is much still to be done - painting of the electrical panel, tiling the fireplace surround, window treatments, um, hanging things on the walls, picking up the beautiful desk for behind the couch to name a few. But just for fun, here are some before/during/after-ish photos to make me feel good.

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER-ish

Yep, it worked. That really does make me feel good!

what I wore

Inspired by a picture I saw on pinterest, I picked up this blouse the other day while shopping for the Ninja Birthday extravaganza.

The original picture is a blue patterned dress and a green sweater, mine is a green patterned blouse and navy sweater. And I wore my new boots. Any excuse for the new boots. I fired the 5 year old who suggested this pose:

Then this little sweetie had to match me so she's wearing flowers too.

linking up to the pleated poppy for what I wore wednesday

Rearranging the Boys' Room

Someone (ahem, husband, ahem) got the bright idea to rearrange things so the boys are in bunk beds now that my lovey is 5. More room to play LEGO he said. More room to make a mess I think...

Anyway, I was at work last night when the plan was set in motion. When I came back from school drop off this morning the room that used to look like this...

BEFORE

had turned into this.... thanks to a little help from Grandad.

DURING

And by lunch looked more like this....

AFTER-ish

The shelves had to move, all the furniture needed to be rearranged, lamps and posters repositioned. Not to mention the 5 year old who needs to be comforted at the discovery he will be on the bottom bunk. All of it. Sigh. The spackle is drying in all the holes as I write.

And now I am off to find ideas on a new look for the room. Hey, it was his idea to change it, I am not going to let that opportunity slip on by with out buying at least a few new accessories!

Go see Rosa's inspiration post on shared rooms and Jones Design Company's boys' room for yourself.

Ninja Party

My creative energy (well, all my energy, really) continues to be limited. So this last two weeks it has gone entirely into planning the best ninja birthday that my little mind can imagine. That would be for the cutest 5yr old-to-be that my little mind can imagine. Here are the treats for preschool....

Cake Pops that are supposed to look like ninja heads... can you see it now?

This was way harder than I anticipated. I know myself and anything in the kitchen is not my strong suit. But little balls of mashed up cake? Sounded easy. Notsomuch.

first batch - too big and most fell off the stick

It took a few tries to get something passible, although even the failed attempts were delicious.

cutest 2yr old enjoying the mistakes

When I ran out of lollipop sticks the rest became cake balls. Ninja cake balls.

Idea courtesy of Bakerella. Cake pops here. Cake balls here.