Before & After: Boy's Chest

Hello!  I'm back!  It has now been over a year since I posted about a little DIY project for little R's room but I eventually made time for it!  Do you recall this chest???  With all of the missing knobs... 

Well it has remained in this condition with missing knobs until a few weeks ago!

 I did a little digging on my blog and realized the original post to attack this DIY was from September 2011!!!  What??  Ok, so call me lazy or busy but I got it done!!  I ended up ordering these pulls from Lee Valley (ones on the left)  

And I painted the chest with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in the color Napoleanic Blue.  It really was quite easy because you do not have to prep your surface at all!  No sanding or priming, just slap the chalk paint right on.  It took me about 2 coats to thoroughly coat the whole chest.  It is quick drying so I was able to reapply the paint fairly quickly!  After it dries you rub a soft wax, also made by Annie Sloan, onto the surface of the piece you are painting.  That was an easy step as well.  
And voila!

I wanted it to match the small campaign chest across from it.  I found this little number at Charleston Revisions here in Mount Pleasant, SC and it was already painted!  Here you can also find Annie Sloan chalk paint for purchase!  

Have you ever used this brand of chalk paint?  I am thinking of painting a wall in our play room with chalk paint and wanted to get some feedback from you if you have had good/bad luck with any particular brands.  

Bookshelf + Wall Styling

I know I promised pictures of my gallery wall and bookshelves earlier this week.  Well, they aren't complete...STILL.  But I thought I would show you what I have so far.  I got a great idea from Young House Love on how to go about making a gallery wall.  

Lay out your pictures on the floor

I used computer paper because I couldn't find our newspaper to make templates of each piece of art

Taped the paper together to make the right size.

This is where I got impatient and hasty with my work.  I literally eyeballed the paintings that were laying on the floor and just taped the coordinating piece of paper to the wall wherever I thought it looked right.

Once again, eyeballed where I thought the nail should go and marked it with an "X."

The you just hammer a nail into each "X" and rip the paper away.  Then hang your art.  Really pretty easy but I could have been more diligent with my measuring.

This is how I first hung them...

This is how I changed it up slightly. I can't reach the top templates to put a nail in the wall so waiting on the hubs to help me.  I have a few more paintings to add...some below and some to the side so there will be another post with the finished wall to come!

On to the bookshelves.

These really turned out pretty grainy with the IPhone but you get the idea.  I am not loving these and will probably change them around again but for now.....

Still have artwork laying against the wall above the shelves and the bottom shelves need attention!

Not sure if I have shared this piece framed yet?  

It's for sale...any takers????

$100

(The one above on the right is $125)

And while we are on the subject of framed art...I hung a few pieces in Little R's room

His walls are not symmetrical on either side of the window, but I hung the art like they were.

Jut ordered new spreads for him and I'm going to pick up his campaign chest/side table so there will for sure be more updated pics of his room to come!

Boys Rooms

I'm in the process of trying to style both my boys rooms and my brain is going haywire!  There are so many directions to go in but I just can't commit to anything.  Most all the framed pictures/paintings in our house are still leaning against the wall on the floor.  I have a feeling that's what I will be saying a month from now too.  I'm afraid of picture commitment.  H.E.L.P.  This problem transcends into my boys rooms as well.
Here are a few pictures from Pinterest of my favorites.

How great is this side table above?!!

 I think you can tell I lean in the navy/white/grey/tan direction...

Here are a few pics of the boys rooms now...

Washing cushions for the chair in Mr. Big's room but you get the idea.  Also in desperate need of a dust ruffle for his bed.

Still have not properly screwed the headboard to the bed..on the never ending to do list..

I thought about painting them (there are a pair) but I kind of like it now that it's in the room.

New Kantha for Mr. Big's room for now, but I think I'm liking it so much I may want it out in the living room?!?!

This mirror came from my trip to visit my parents a few weeks back and the dresser was in my room growing up. 

Mr. Big's room has come a little further than Little R's room.  These are some letter press prints I got off Etsy.

Moving on to Little R's room.  I need some help in here. These spreads and pillows are about to make their way to the playroom daybeds so I need to get something for his beds ASAP.  I just love the mattress ticking and I am thinking about going this route again in here.  That's ok to have two rooms with mattress ticking, right?  I would love to hang some cool prints in his room...just not sure yet what?  A huge map of the Charleston Harbor on the wall to the left could be cool and I have three framed fish prints that I could do on the other wall...hmmm...  I have a small navy campaign chest going between the beds, just need to pick that up.  And headboards....

That's all for now but I will update you with more pics as the rooms progress.  Headed to St. Simons today for our Novel. trunk show so stop by Petit Maison 3-close if you are in the area!  

Ring Pulls

Back to the ole dresser hardware debate.  I have finally made a decision..or so I think.  I can always return:)  I decided to go with these ring pulls for little R's dresser.  The ones on the far left.  They came from Lee Valley Tools LTD and were only $36.95 including shipping for 10 pulls!!!!  That was just under half the price it would have cost to order the ones I adore from Anthropologie.  Still love them though.

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Sad to say it still looks like this.

I have yet to paint it navy blue, but when I do, and I WILL, I will put these on and show you the finished product!!!  But in the meantime take a look at these below to give you an idea of how they will look.  Good looking, huh?!

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Now make sure you stop by ReFurnish today through Saturday to find some great deals on furniture and accessories!!!! 

Circus Room

I'm loving this room!  How great is it?  I love everything going on in here-stripes, ferris wheel, wooden bed frame, art on the walls..... it makes me happy. 

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and that ferris wheel would be a big pile of debris if it were to land in our house...can't you picture it?

Side note about my day thus far:

  You know the kind of day where everything you touch slips out of your hand?  Went to Whole Foods, put my Nantucket Nectar in the front seat of the buggy and out it slipped and burst into a million tiny pieces of glass.  Great.  I seriously looked around like what was that?  It couldn't have been me, right?  Ughh, so embarrassing and lunch hour too.

Then I head to Artist and Craftsman and pull out a few small canvases from the display and out they all tumble onto the floor.  The whole display. Literally. Loving this.

So, just wondering how this day's gonna end...a few more hours left for some fun times....I'll keep you posted should anything earth shattering happen.....

baby cakes

Well, it's time to address baby cakes (baby g's) room.  The poor child has been stripped of every piece of artwork that was in his room and now he has bare walls.  It's embarrassing when friends come by and say "ooh, I want to see your boys rooms.  I bet you have your work all over the walls!"  

Not so, my friend. 

 I do not have one piece of blue chickadee in either boys rooms.  So, that's my next goal. This is what I am thinking for baby g's room.  Fish.  I love this painting below...

This is a mobile I painted for a friend to hang against the wall in her baby boy's nursery.  I started thinking this may be the way to go in baby g's nursery too??!!

I also have this 30"X40" koi fish picture from Kate's Paperie hanging on one wall now. 

I need something above his crib that he can't pull down.  I'll keep you posted....

Twin Stripes

So, I have been thinking about doing this to little R's room for quite some time. I love the green but I am thinking navy since his room has the white/ navy/ orange thing going on. What do you think? Good idea or not?

can't remember where I got this picture-any ideas???