Mr. Little's room

So you guys know that I have plans for little mans room. As of right now, this is what you'd expect to find if you walk into the door.

His artwork on either side of the closet doors are by none other than yours truely. The wagons came from gifts from family and friends.

His name is spelled from pages out of an ABC Superhero book I picked up for a dollar at the local Goodwill.

Ah yes, the rescued chair. It's not finished. Sigh. He's gonna get a new coat of paint. I'm thinking grey and then nailhead trim. Any other ideas you might have for color and trim? Please feel free to share.


It's not bad but it's a modge podge of things tossed together and to be honest, I'm not in love with it. AT ALL! Normally I like eclectic but not here. The picture above his bed is of what looks to be a scene of a grey morning at the side of a small pond and honestly it's just there to hang. Nope. It doesn't match at all and there is no glass in it, BUT, this too shall change. I'm thinking I'll paint the frame in the same grey as the chair. Then I'll just add glass and then a really awesome quote. Well, after I cover up the picture with some cool scrapbook paper.

I'm on the lookout for cool art that I can either make or upcycle from other things. It's no secret that I love Goodwill. Where else can you find cool furniture and everyday needs such as this little gadget?

Personally I feel sorry for the person that had to wear that.

Oh well, my mind is drifting and so I'll leave you with this thought. A car bed, vintage airplanes and a gas pump plus this little cutie...

equals what?

Excuses, excuses

OK, so technically I'm late. I missed last weeks post and I am so sorry. Stop looking at me like that. I said I was sorry. Between getting some new furniture for our sitting room and cooking new foods, I've been a bit busy. Oh yea, it was my birthday too. I'm now 34 years old! GO ME!



Anyway, I've been in the mood lately to redo some house stuff and I think I'll do Mr. Little's room in a transportation theme. My great friend gave me some stuff from her son's room she no longer wanted and I bought a car bed from her so yea...it only seems right. The Hubs was all too excited to help me plan. Umm,




I love you, but no thanks. I got this one. I need to make a few shelves so I can display his car collection. I scored at Goodwill last week. Thanks to whomever got rid of their model car collection. I was able to pick it up for under $40. Not bad when you see what all I got. Mr. 3MD liked it a lot and I think he'll play with them more than Little will.

The plan is to get his room all done up in the cars and planes and then of course the big boy bed. He'll be two soon so I think I'll wait for that as a ig birthday gift for him. I'll video it and post but I'm excited. Can't wait to see the little guys face and reaction.

*Photo's not my own. Courtsey of Photobucket.

Adventures in shopping

The other day I took the littles with me on a shopping adventure. Now, I say adventure because with two children 4 and under the whole "hands in your pockets" rule goes over about as smoothly as screen doors on a sub. Anyway, we went here.



Because while driving down the road I saw this.



Be still my heart. Do my eyes dare play tricks on me? Well, I whipped the car in and took the kids out. We went inside. Mr. Little was in my arms and Miss Little was attached to my hip all because I told her if she touched/broke anything, we would get in trouble. This store is huge actually and held all types of stuff. I went straight to the linens. I love vintage quilts and table clothes. Not to mention pillow cases and the embrodiery some have on them. SO delicate and pretty. On top of a pile of quilts was this little ditty.



Look at those adorable turtles! My heart was pounding and I was getting excited. In my mmid I had bought this already and was putting it on Mr. Littles big boy bed. "Alright Aleigh. Calm down. I will buy it if it's $50 less".



Not. Even. Closs. I asked the owner of the shop if the tag reflected the sale price and he evr so sweetly informed me that it did not. OK, so half of $290 is what? Oh yea, $145. Still over my $50 mental amount. CRUMBS! He then told me all the linens he had were for sale and that I could buy the whole lot for $2500. Umm, that was a killer deal since the man had about 10 quilts alone. Now, I can't afford $145 what makes you think I can afford $2500? I did stop for a full 2 seconds and think about it though. No. I can't do that. Rick would kill me. I WOULD KILL ME! So I sulked away from the linens, broken hearted and beatdown. We decided to look around some more and found a doll section. Little Miss liked it a lot. Cool dolls and doll houses like this one.



Someday I'd like to get one for her if she likes it when she's older that is. But how adorable is that roof and exterior color? It remindes me of a home you'd see in Avonlee don't ya think? The hometown of Anne Shirly. Oh come on! Still no idea? Anne of Green Gables. Anyway, Miss Little being all kinds of cute among the dolls.



I,personally,was reminded about all the scarey movies I watched as a teen. You know the ones, where the dolls come to life and kill you. YIKES. But most of them were adorable and sweet and looked like they had been best friends with happy little girls all over the place. Except this guy.



Mr. Willie Talk you freak me out. You scare me with your void eyes and creepy mouth. I don't like you. You will not be comming to my house thank you very much.

So at the end of the day we left empty handed. I still dream of the turtle quilt and if I could swing it, I'd snatch him up faster than you could say yee haw!

Mr. Darcy

Yes. Stop blinking your eyes and close your mouth. I'm back. Again. I told you I would be so be nice and let's get this started shall we?

Since moving into the rental we now call home Noah and B have their own rooms. Oh happy day! Well, Mr. Little didn't have any furniture other than a crib and a cubby thing I bought at Target. You know the ones. They are made from cheap fiber board, have a piece of cardboard you tack to the back and then insert fabric totes in them. Sigh. Yes, I fell victim once when they were on sale. Don't judge me.

Anyway, while perusing the local Goodwill I stumbled across this guy.


We shall call him Mr. Darcy because I loved his figure, his solid frame and that he was only $30. The drawers pulled easy, nothing was broken and he would fit in with the ideas I had in my head. I quickly hailed a Sales Associate who stuck a PAID sticker on it and I came back a few minutes later in Rick's truck. When I got him home, I'm sad to say, he sat in the back of the truck for a few days until we moved him into the garage. Where he sat for another few days. Until this morning! I had the itch to get a hold of that dresser and make him as handsome as I could. After all, he was covered in 20+ years of varnish and it looked like some child had a very good attempt at fingernail art in the drawer fronts. It didn't seem fair to leave him that way any longer.





No mind. With my trusty hand sander



and some elbow grease



I got him all sanded down and shiny again. I have to admit, I paused for a moment wondering if I should just stain him. Nah! I wanted to give the old guy some character so after a quick wash in this stuff



I was thinking I made the right choice. See?



Paint washes bring me back to Huck Finn and the fence. Washes look so good on a number of things but personally I like it better on a boys furniture than the chippy style you see. That's more of my Miss Little. OK, I'm rambling now. Why didn't you tell me? Back to Mr. Darcy.

I originally wanted to do the pulls in rope but since Rick needed it out of the garage I decided on these small white knobs.



They were already white, came with the screw and cost a measly $.99! WOO HOO! So after attaching the I had Mr help me carry in my new found friend and place him inside Noah's room.



No, he's not perfect but what is? I see perfect as stuffy and normal and well, here at 4530 we are anything but perfect and this big guy fits in quite nicely.

Oh Mr. Darcy how I love thee. You hold all of Mr Little's things and look so distinguished doing so.

Ummm, yea.

So, I have no excuse. I forgot about this blog! GASP! Can we call it a blog? I see it more like a forgotten diary that was hidden too well. Maybe like an old penny that had fallen between the couch cushions.

What have we been up to you ask? Well, in the YEAR (I am so ashamed) that I have been absent both of mind and blog, tons. We moved into a nice home. We are renting actually. Our cabin is STILL for sale and somehow managed to escape the largest fire Arizona has ever seen. My 2 littles are not so little. My 22 month old is potty trained and Brynn just turned 4! Koley is now a high school graduate who has decided to join the U.S. Army. He's in the process now and will go next Tuesday to take the entrance exam.

I still try and decorate on a shoe string and it drives the Hubs nuts when he gets a call from me asking if I can bring home a dresser or a table to redo. Most of our convo's go something like this...

Me: Hey, do we have room in the garage for a dresser?

Rick: Ummm

Me: Alright, I found the perfect shape and size so I'll be seeing you soon. Gonna need help moving it into the space. I have big plans. Love you! See ya in a sec!

Rick: Umm

I use his power tools but I always put them back in their rightful place. I get paint from the oops section and I find the hum of the hand sander a lullaby. Why can't I have a $20 dresser for Noah? It's a double duty kind of thing. Furniture that is much needed as well as therapy for Mama. Also much needed.


If you haven't learned yet I am very scatter brained. Nope. Can't blame the littles or even the teenager. I just am. Born this way and have honed said craft in my short 33 years of life. Wow. 33. Gonna be 34 in a few weeks and can you believe I forgot how old I was? Yep. Had to take a moment and do the math. Good grief Charlie Brown.

So as far as the chair for Noah, I painted it and covered it and then went "I don't like the color". Soooo, I'm gonna redo the sunshine yellow into a muted gray and add trim. The lamp for Brynn, painted, got the bulbs and crystals but have yet to put it all together since her room isn't wired for an overhead light. What kind of room isn't wired for an overhead light? Even prisons in third world countries have overhead lighting. Oh well, alas, she waits for her jewels to be attached and her rope chain to be covered so she can hang with all the glory this self proclaimed DIYer can give her.

I am making a promise now, to you. To you small few that have read my "blog" at least once in it's short life. I will post once a week and keep you updated in this crazy circus I call home. After all, I am the ringmaster and I hold the, wait, what's that thing called? Oh yea, the bullhorn.