Never Happened.

Remember those pillows I set out to make? Well to that idea I say a big fat HA! Never happened.

Remember that toddler/tween room I am planning? Since the chair purchase, NADA.

Remember that sewing machine my mom left for me? Hasn't budged. 

Does that stop me from lying to myself about what new projects I want to accomplish around the house? HECK NO!

And now Prudent Baby's bed roll is my latest infatuation and lie to myself, but I suppose I have sometime before Olivia will need one of these to take naps somewhere other than home. I am warning you now, don't EVEN click through to the link or you will want to do it too. Soooo cute!

Now that I think about it, the last sewing project that actually I completed (other than a button here or hem there) were pillows for my college apartment. And btw, I still use them. They are sitting on the built-in benches in our basement. Pitiful.

BEFORE: The Toddler to Tween Room

I can't promise that this room project will be as dramatic as the nursery. The nursery was easier mostly because I had a single inspiration room that I loved to draw from and it was also a small space.This next room for Olivia is bigger (almost twice the size of the nursery) and I'll be drawing from many different places of inspiration.

To keep things honest (and to make my after pics look even better--hehe), we really need to start with before pictures of the way the room looked when we bought the house. A bit creepy and stuck in the era of when the previous owner was 16. You see this was the previous owner's bedroom set when she was 16--IN THE 1960's!!

 horror film scary- before

I actually don't mind the furniture too much. She left it behind, so I moved it to one of our third floor bedrooms with a happier pink, yellow, orange theme.

After my  mom and I put in a week-long effort, we called a professional to remove the 20-plus year-old navy wallpaper, the wallpaper beneath it, and when we got to the third layer of wallpaper, I told the wallpaper pro to JUST STOP. Then my mom and I starched navy/white toile fabric onto one wall and we slapped white primer on top of everything else in the room. So here's a pic of the room as soon as we finished--wrinkled duvet and all...

It was a temporary fix in Summer 2007 so I could focus on getting married and getting the house ready for visiting guests. It worked and is basically a fresher interpretation of the same room. We also experimented with curtains--which is why  ribbon from Crate and Barrel wedding presents are holding them up. The grosgrain gifts that kept on giving. How yah like them apples?

So as you can see, we have nowhere to go but up. Ha! Primer, Crate and Barrel ribbons, wrinkled duvets, king-sized bedskirts finessed to fit queen sized beds, the end table from my old bachelorette pad used as a night stand--this is obviously high-end decorating folks. Go ahead and envy me.

Stay tuned...it's gotta get better...eventually.

Recommended Reading: Prudent Baby

Two weeks ago I discovered a blog that I am convinced is written just for me as I reenter my design phase (it comes and goes). Mommies of the world, Prudent Baby is the shizz-nit.  It contains all kinds of DIY craftiness--and not junk and crap you'll hate in 2 months--stuff you can actually use/gift.

For example: one of the categories across the top menu bar is "Hot Mess Mommy" which includes a list of tips to spruce yourself up as well as DIY accessories you can craft yourself.

Last year, when I spent nearly $40 on a nursing cover from Nordstrom and my mom saw it she nearly had a fit. She said "That is so EASY! Why didnt I think of that?! I could be a millionaire!" And she is right. Prudent Baby teaches you how to make same nursing cover in a designer fabric of your choice (always my problem--hated the fabrics selections) AND for a fraction of the price. BAM! There it is...

Reading Prudent Baby is kind of like watching the Food Network for me. I know I'll never make it, but I really appreciate seeing how it is done and maybe....just maybe...one distant day I will muster up the ambition (and time) to do it. It also takes me back to my childhood summer breaks--when I first realized I loved The Home Show and all it represented. Remember that show? It came on before the soaps. At the ripe old age of 8, I never missed it--until it was canceled.

Crafts are always more fun in groups. I keep dreaming of the idea of teaching a baby/mommy-related craft to the mommies at Olivia's 1st year birthday party---which I have been slacking on planning (yep). 

Anyway---check out Prudent Baby for yourself and get inspired to do something---eventually.

*Also, I must say this is totally unsolicited--the folks over at PB (Jacinda and Jaime?) don't know me from Adam---or Eve. This post could please them--or totally freak them out...I'm okay with either occurrence.