Easter Decor

I don't do much for Easter, but here are the few changes that I make for the holiday (especially since we hosted this year:)

My egg banner (Target):

Close up of the eggs:

Buffet in dining room:

 Entryway:

Now it is time to pack it all up and go back to our neutral decorations again!

Christmas Decorations 2012

 Our 2012 Christmas decorations!

Last year, I searched high and low for an artificial tree I did not hate.  At the end of last season, a strand went out.  It was our floor model and could not be returned.

When I set it up this year, two strands were out:

 I added some lights, but next year, I need to do it differently because I could still see stripes of burned out strands.

My pretty girls.

Playing with the twinkle lights.  Need practice.

With my girls:

 Our living room:

 I put the snowflakes up for Logan's birthday.  They were whimsical and made me happy, so I left them up.  (dining room post-cookie exchange):

I try to have some general winter decorations and snowman things that I can leave up all winter.  Taking everything down is such a bummer:

That is the extent of our decorating this year.  Next year, I really hope to add some new items and change things up.  I would love to have a fancy tree in my living room and a family tree in the family room.  Not sure if I can convince C to let me take over "his" room any more than I already have!

Main Bath: Where are we now?

So. Our bathrooms. I pretty much hate them. Actually, I hate the tile. Its the same ugly harvest gold as the outside of the house. Here is where we started.

Pretty hideous, right?

Then it became this:

I hated the color on the wall because it looked too pink and I felt my upstairs was too beige and I am not a beige person. Plus, the cabintry needed to be painted. So it became this, which was a little better:

At that point, I was ignoring the yellow instead of working with it.  Before Logan's baptism last year, OF COURSE I needed to take on some sort of project (duh) so I decided that I would try to become friends with the yellow.

Thus, this bathroom was born:

This print picked up the blue and yellow really well, so I was super excited with I found it at Michael's:

I still hate the tile, but at least I can live with it now, until I get the bathroom of my dreams (which will be never, in this house :) ).  And although the vanity is ginormous, I hate the brown.  But, like I said, livable.

Wall Color: Behr Smokey Blue

The Girls' Room: Phase One Reno

When we moved in to our house, one of my favorite finished rooms was Jamie and Lexy's room.  I loved the colors, the brightness, the cute-ness of it...I just felt I did a great job putting it all together.  I never blogged about it, but here is what it looked like before:

I know SOMEWHERE I have pictures of their names above their beds (they were in white) and please note their nightstands became white shortly after, and we also got rid of their debunked bunk beds for just normal bedframes. It all came together wonderfully and I was super proud of it. 

Before Jamie decided to move home, Alexys and I had discussed redecorating their room.  When we moved in, I was able to incorporate their favorite colors.  Well, times have changed and I was certainly not going to 1) paint the walls lime green (even more limey than this), orange or black OR 2) paint the entire thing pink. 

We compromised.  I had a vision and I ran with it. And this is what it became:

 PLEASE NOTE THE PURPLE CHANDELIER!!!

 Zebra.  Sequined pillows.  Amazeballs.

 Their nightstands are painted with the same black metallic Rust-o-leum spray paint that their names are in:

 They each have one of these above their beds:

 Their chandelier lit up.  I will be attaching black beads/crystals eventually.

I worked my ass off to get it done before Jamie came home last Sunday.  I was working around all my end of the year stuff and in-between naptimes (Logan's, not mine).  I repainted the trim and everything.

Both girls are in high school now (9th and 10th grade...help.), so we are lofting their beds and building desks under each one so they have their own space.  They also need a zebra rug in between the beds, don't you think?

Overall?  I am IN LOVE with how it turned out.  Could not be happier and the girls were THRILLED.  I made Lexy sleep on the couch in the family room for a week so they could both see it for the first time together :)

Colors:
Top of chair rail: SW Grey Matters
Bottom of chair rail: Behr Victorian Iris
Trim/Chair Rail: Strait off the shelf Olympus in semi-gloss

Utility Tub Skirt

Our utility tub is awful.  But honestly, I have looked at it and how well it is secured to the wall and it is just not worth the trouble to remove it (especially now that we think we have a link in our bathroom.  Awesomesauce).

Anyway, I keep a bucket, trash can (overflowing at this point...awesome).  and the extra cat little usually under the tub and I wanted a way to disguise it.  I googled around for some ideas and pieced together a way to create a skirt for the utility tub.

First, I bought some clearance brown and blue vine-y fabric from JoAnn's on Friday,  I bought 3 yards, knowing I was going to create a front and only one side, because the second side butts up to the washer and I didn't feel it necessary to cover it.  Oh, and I bought all the fabric they had :)

Second, I measured the sides and added on one inch per hem so I could fold it over.  And for this project, I decided to use hem tape and NOT bust out my mom's ancient sewing machine.

So, I cut 3 panels, the front, the side and one for the corner to give it some room and so we could easily access what is stored under it.

Then, I folded over the hems, allowing approximately one-inch per hem fold.

Accuracy is overrate.

After ironing all the hems, I did a quick stitch to hold the corner panel to the two large panels. 

I lined the top of the tub with adhesive velcro and secured the panels.

I am so excited about how it looks!!  What a difference!!