My Own Home Makeover!

We've been in our house a little over 6 years now and I was itching for a make over.  Lucky for me, the furniture that we were told when we bought 10 years ago and were told it would last 10 years came true to the salesperson's promise.  It was like it turned 10 and it was screaming to be retired.

So what started out as just needing a new couch and chair and ottoman turned into a living room and dining room makeover.  I wish I had good before pictures, but I don't.  I was just so eager to get this party started that I forgot to take before pictures.  Because we have an open concept house, I thought I had to have our living room and dining room one color.  So the entire living room and dining room was the same color yellow. I love yellow.  I also love red.  At our old house, I made Chris paint one red wall.  Have you painted red?  It takes a gazillion coats.  I promised him I would not do that again.  But we had red furniture.  In that great material that the furniture people promise you wears fabulously.  Here's a tip - it doesn't.  I'm a clean freak.  We vacuum our furniture regularly.  It didn't stay clean.  It didn't repel spills.  Instead, it was like it sucked the spill into just to prove otherwise.  But, I do love red :)  Just not my furniture anymore :)

Here are some pictures to get an idea of what the living room and dining room looked like (ignore the various holiday and party decor):

Living Room:

Fireplace

Window Treatments and Furniture

Pillars Separating the Living Room and Dining Room

Dining Room (this is all I got...):

And here's my new living room and dining room!  I love it!!!

The pillars and fireplace were painted "Silhouette" in a matte finish.  I eliminated the cornice treatment and just went with a plain curtain rod.  The curtains are from JC Penney.  They worked perfectly!  The frames are from Hobby Lobby that I placed fabric in.  I put new lamp shades on the lamps from Target.  The living room color paint is Kingsport Gray.  The entryway wall and dining room are Shaker Beige.

Here is the fireplace :)

The entryway. 
The canvases are from Ballard Design.  They were in our bedroom.  The rug is from Joss and Main.

My black and white photo wall.

I took a grain sack, cut the back off and put it in an embroidery hoop that I painted the Silhouette color.  The mirror, pin board and "C" are from Hobby Lobby.

I took leftover fabric and put it in embroidery hoops that I painted as well.

 The dining room:

I really did not buy anything new for the dining room.  I did a lot of "shopping my house."  Our amazing painters (who are TEACHERS by trade - shout out to the teachers!) helped me pick the colors and also helped me shop my house and rearrange things so it looks like have a new house.  I've had these barn windows for 10 years as well as the antique silverware in the shadow boxes.  The antique silverware is from my Great Aunt. 

My painters/teacher/interior decorators had me rearrange my Ikea frames and paint them the Silhouette color.  I love them!

I bought this shelf at Kohl's on super sale with another 30% off.  It's not the highest quality, but it does the job! Everything on this shelf I had (except the monogram).  The curtains are from Pottery Barn Teen of all places!

I thought I'd miss all the color from the previous living room and furniture.  I'm not.  I absolutely love my new rooms!!!

Thanks for looking!

{Real Party} Let's Roller Skate - Grace is 8!

It sounds cliche to say, but I really cannot believe that my baby girl turned 8 today!  It really does seem like yesterday laying in that hospital bed, staring down at this little thing in my arms with bright red lips, porcelain white skin, and a full head of dark hair.  That little girl never lost that beautiful dark hair, has lots of freckles dotting that porcelain skin and is just as beautiful today as she was 8 years ago - inside and out!

Grace's shirt - Stitch This Custom Embroidery and More

Because Grace's 1st Communion was a week prior to her birthday (here, here, and here), we decided not to do the all out extravaganza at the house for her birthday party this year.  {Insert tear...}  I think Grace was somewhat relieved she got to have a "normal" party like all of her friends - not at our house, in the garage with her mom losing her mind because the background to the sweets table is not how she imagined it! 

Grace's newest love is roller skating, correction, roller blading.  She decided she would have her friends to the roller skating arena for a roller skate party.  At the end of the day, a party without the 6 months planning (most of this was done this week prior to the party) ended up being a lot of fun for Grace and her friends.  Tonight as I tucked her into bed, she told me it was a great party, but her Prom Party and Hannah Montana/High School Musical Party were still her favorites.  That made my heart smile :)

So, here is what a scaled down party looks like from me.  I worked with Carli at Dimple Prints again for the printables.  They were adorable and perfectly Grace!

I made this wreath out of zebra print cupcake liners.  SO easy.  I used about 150 cupcake liners to fill in a 12 inch wreath form.  I think I found my new go to party decor!

I love paper fans.  They are SO easy to make and so inexpensive.  This was the first time I tried using wrapping paper to make them.  They are not as sturdy as using scrapbook paper, but the nice thing was the ability to make them as large as needed.

Only cake and ice cream at today's party :(  I still found a way to use the adorable printables.

In planning this party, I originally was on the hunt for real roller skates I could spray paint for a table centerpiece.  I didn't have much luck finding them, but my good friend Jen found these skates at TJ Maxx.  They are piggy banks!  They came purple.  I spray painted them with black chalkboard paint so that the girls could sign them for Grace as a memento from the party.  The spray paint crackled a bit, but they still turned out cute.  I added the coordinating ribbon to the top for a little extra touch.

 

My good friend Jean made the favors.  They are no slip reversible headbands.  She is such a talented seamstress (and a mother to triplets and an adorable boy).  I love being able to utilize my friends' talents!!!

My party limitations end at cake baking, decorating, etc.  The baker I usually use for parties was unavailable for this party.  (Editorial - her name is also Melissa and her adorable son is in Grace's class and she happens to make fabulous GF cakes!)  She found the fondant toppers for me from Sugar Kisses on Etsy.  I attempted to make my own cake.  I think I'll stick to party planning :)

It was a great party.  I even learned a few lessons - (1) It's okay to not go over the top on parties.  8 year old girls just want to hang out with their girlfriends and do things 8 year old girls have always loved to do; (2) Parties CAN be planned last minute; and (3) DIY is just as good, if not better than having a professional look :)

After two parties in two weeks, I am burned out!  Add in a 50-60 hour per week job and running, running, running with the kids, it's hard not to be exhausted.  But as every mom knows, it is all worth it when you see the smile on their faces :)  Thanks for looking :)

Shabby Chic First Communion/8th Birthday - Sweets Table

The last of the features from Grace's 1st Communion / 8th Birthday Party is our sweets table.  This table was so fun to put together and was done on a budget, using things I've owned and making most of the treats myself.  I just want to add an editorial here...  I know that labeling food items is yesterday's trend.  However, in our family, (including me) we have several Celiacs.  For us, labeling food items is not whether it is on trend, but necessary to avoid food issues.  Hence, my table has labels :)  (And I think they are pretty cute anyway!)

All printables are from Carli at Dimple Prints.  I love, love, love them!

For a DIY tutorial on the backdrop, see here.

I found these pink trays at the Target Dollar Spot.  I used my Silhouette to create the quatrefoil design out of vinyl and then applied it to the front of the trays.  I attached a lace flower to the label.

Kim from Sweeties by Kim graciously made gluten free chocolate covered Oreos for us!  They were wonderful!

The cake pop containers were Easter decorations I found at Kohl's on clearance :)  I simply covered up the bunny on top with a lace flower and covered the bunny on the face of the container with a label.  They fit the cake pops perfectly!

This is my attempt at a cake...  Needless to say the professionals do a much better job!  Grace decided she wanted a Dairy Queen cake.  Seeing as how I couldn't plop a ice cream cake in the middle of a sweets table and that some of our family does not like ice cream cake, I made a chocolate cake.  It tasted better than it looked :)

Happy First Communion Grace!  It was a beautiful day!