Ever feel like this?

Have you ever just had one of those days??? Where you feel stuck and (with out sounding cliche) every step you take forward you take about a dozen back...

That is how it has been around here; not to sound glum, but sometimes I wish I could just hit the "easy button." It would just be...well...so much easier!

Unfortunately, like you all know, life doesn't work that way. Sometimes you just feel stuck!

No matter what you do or how hard you try to get ahead of the day- there are somethings that just fight against you.

Image found from here: you can read the whole article about this poor little filly!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1079059/Having-mare-The-horse-got-head-stuck-tree.html

If I started listing the "days troubles" it would just come across as whining or complaining- and might not even seem a big deal to a lot you. I guess it is all about perspective. Somethings that seem so massive and completely out of control- really aren't so big after a good 5 or 10 minute break.

http://www.google.com/imgres?

So what am I rambling on about? I guess, when it comes down to it- just know that those impossible days you are having; when things seem like they are NEVER going to be right again- just know that you are not alone; many of us have gone through it too. You are not abnormal and you are going to make it through.

I am writing about this because I feel like we have all felt overwhelmed at one time or another; and because let's face it, sometimes things just get tough! The kids, the house, laundry, mud on the carpet from a certain large obnoxious beast, the kitty being locked in the dishwasher and then surviving the rinse cycle (no??? never happened to you?), carpool, TAXES, or paying a ticket (arghhh), or more SNOW- sometimes you just feel worn out.

For the rest of this week I am challenging you all to "let it all go" and truly focus on the things that are important to you. Let me know how you all do- and happy Wednesday (were half way there)!

~Cheers & and lots of love~

Melissa

What's to come...

Happy President's Day Everyone!!!

Over the weekend I spent some time updating our bedroom, and I have to say I am truly in LOVE with it. WARNING: I say the word LOVE way too much in this post.

After a bit of tweaking, and a little more rearranging- I feel like I am in heaven!

I have ordered a pharmacy task lamp for Greg's side of the bed and a lovely little chandy. I am almost giddy with excitement! Keep in mind that we are renting, (we were too scared to jump into the market knowing we were only going to be in Kansas for a short period), so there are things that I would change if this were our forever home. For example, I would paint all the wood trim white, change out all the doors, and get rid of the off white carpet; just to name a few.

Once again here is another little update:

Even without the giant letter press 'M', you would know this is my side of the bed, simply because of all the design magazines.

My lovely Mary Gamelin pillows http://www.etsy.com/shop/marygamelin 

(they just keep circulating around the house).

Now...these are the lamps that I have bought and am just anxiously awaiting their arrival!

I LOVE all the sparkle! Oooh, I CAN'T WAIT until it comes in! There is just one problem...I am going to have to figure out how (or who) is going to take the fan down and put this beauty up.

I LOVE the details of it!!!!

And here is the task lamp that I ordered for Greg's side of the bed...hopefully he will like it's "manliness" ha, ha! 

Also, I thought I would give you all a sneak peak of Evelyn's room. It is definetly not done, but well on it's way. I appologize for the lighting - I couldn't get my camera to cooperate well- so the pictures really aren't that great. None-the-less here you go...

I really wanted something that would grow with her...so we went with neutral bedding that would be easy to pop in colorful pillows. The puppy painting (above) was my inspiration for the rooms color pallet of white, black, greens, and blues.

I took off the closet doors and slid her dressor inside to make more room ...

Upclose details of the bedding- I went with green "pearls" from Pottery Barn.

 In keeping with the same "shape" as the bedding, I got these round mirrors from Target to tie the bedding in with the room.

Remember these shadeless lamps everyone??? Still looking for the perfect shades, but feel that they are a much better fit in here. The dressor and desk were antiques I found out in California at a thrift store and just painted white and changed out the fixtures.

That is all for now on Evelyn's room I will be doing an entire post on her room "before/after" once it is complete. Hope you enjoyed the sneak peak!

Happy Monday Everyone!

~Cheers~

Melissa

"Headboard"

A few weeks a go I had posted pictures of our bedroom. Although, I am still not quite finished with it, and  need to add a few little things here and there (like lampshades- ha ha), I thought I would give you an update.

I had been looking for some old barn wood to make a headboard out of, but unfortunately, I wasn't able to find any. However, I did run across some white barn doors- soooo, I just went with it!

After rearranging my room yet again, (with the help of our dear nanny- Chelsea, thank you!),  we were able to get hopefully get it "right" this time. It is a very awkward room, and doesn't have a wall that is large enough to center the bed on. I ended up taking down the curtains on the smaller window, and "blocking it off" and then placing the bed in front of the window.

And here it is now...

It's Saturday morning...there is no making up the beds around here :)

Moved the ottoman to the window for a nice comfy reading spot...

 I would like to add some shades on our window for added privacy and texture

 

and still no lampshades...

I have two more pillows that are missing from this photo (Evelyn spilled chocolate milk last night on them...).

My WWII "Keep Calm & Carry On" poster is a great reminder each day.

The other side of the room (bassinet will go under the mirror).

And a close up...

Happy Saturday Everyone...hope you all are enjoying a lovely President's Day Weekend!

~Cheers,

Melissa

Feels like Spring!!!

So today it actually FELT like Spring! I was so thrilled that I opened our windows...yes, it was 40 degrees and I was "airing" out the house. Back home in Savannah 40 degrees would still be considered winter, but not here in Kansas. The local K-State kids were walking around in track shorts and flip-flops...seriously!

I apologize for being so quiet this week. I have been very sick, and have spent most the week in bed or attempting to keep up with our two year old. With warmer weather in our midst; I am hoping we can kiss this cold goodbye!

I thought I would show you all a pillow I have bought recently. I have discovered the AMAZING Mary (http://www.etsy.com/shop/marygamelin ) over on Etsy. She specializes in vintage fabrics, and makes BEAUTIFUL pillows from them. I have already bought several and have ordered a few more. I can't help it- they are all so lovely and Mary is so professional. She will even send your lovely pillows beautifully packaged- it's like receiving a gift to yourself!

I love this vintage Waverley fabric!

(My camera was acting up- sorry about the picture being a little blurry.)

A little look at my living room

I will be posting new pictures of Evelyn's room very soon...I ALMOST have it all finished- what a great feeling!

Have a great Friday everyone :)

~Cheers,

Melissa

Valentines Day

So I decided to throw our two year old a Valentine Party and make it really special since our number one Valentine couldn't be with us this year. As many of you already know Gregory, my husband,  is deployed in Iraq right now. He left in November and will return for a short time in June for the birth of our second child and then be back for good sometime this fall.

Although my dear sweet husband is a world away from us, he still managed to make his girls feel so special and loved. Notice the dozen roses on our table- those were sent from him along with a very sweet fluffy puppy for Evelyn. We also got another little surprise in our mailbox today; he had actually made us cards and somehow timed it perfectly so that we would receive them TODAY! I mean the guy is GOOD!

He really knows how to make us feel so loved...

The "table cloth" is a toile Waverly remnant- notice the lovely wrinkles?

Our center piece was peanut M&M's in old pickled jelly jars.

I xeroxed a few coloring sheets from my old teaching books...

We read a book ("The Counting Kisses") and the girls made/ colored "kisses" to give to someone special.

 

A few party favors...

And the party girl sneaking some treats...she didn't know I was watching ;)

Having fun!

The girls had a great time and it was fun to catch up with the moms. Hope you all had a memorable and sweet Valentines Day.

XXOX'S,

Melissa  

Birth

Birth or newness of life has often been depicted through many symbols both literary and directional. When we think of the birth of something it is a newness, an awareness, or creation of something beautiful, innocent, pure, sweet, and gentle.

Ancient Eygptians and Greeks both looked at the sun as a sign of rebirth. They thought of the sun as a symbolic symbol of a persons life; both in directional (rising of the sun to the East), and how it moved across the horizon throughout the day. The sunrise was the birth of a child and continued  growing until a child hit it's peak at "noon"; or when the sun is at it's highest energy above the Earth. The sun then starts to descend just like a person's life until finally reaching a sunset...or death.

An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Traditional Symbols (New)

by Cooper, J.C.

In honor of the newness of life and with the hopes of Spring just around the corner; I wanted to "talk" about the birth of a design. Many times we seem to "peak" at our highest points and feel that we can't go any further with what we have deigned in our homes. Thus, creating a "sunset" affect until we eventually just decide to turn off the lights on our designs.

We have ALL been in a rut before- taking one thing here and placing it there, moving this and moving that...while never really creating anything or accomplishing much other than frustration.

With the idea of birth in mind- start looking at design and new spaces in your home as fresh starts rather than projects that the sun has already set on.

Nature is a great resource both for inspiration and color pallet. There are shades of blues, greens, yellows, whites, creams that just seem to leap!

 I am a green/white & cream kind of gal and nature has a BEAUTIFUL way of mixing all of these colors together.

Take a look...

http://buildinternet.com/2010/03/color-scheme-inspiration-spring/

(Cream, Yellow, & Greens- Oohlalah!!!)

http://buildinternet.com/2010/03/color-scheme-inspiration-spring/

(Really LOVE the rusty yellows and greens in this picture)

http://buildinternet.com/2010/03/color-scheme-inspiration-spring/

(Wouldn't these colors be perfect in a a little girls room???!!!)

 Try and find a spot in your home that you have given up on and look at it again with a fresh start. Look at things that make you happy and ask yourself why they do- then look at the colors outside or colors that you naturally gravitate toward. You will start to see a pattern develop...just go with it!

Let me know what you all have come up with! I would love to see or hear of any thing you made the "sunrise."

~Cheers,

Melissa

PS~  Here are a few pictures of my little guy/girl (keeping it a surprise...we will find out June 14th when the baby is born).

 Check out that leg!



Lamp Shades

I have been pondering new lamp shades for our bedroom. However, I want to make sure that what I get is "it;" because once I purchase them- they will be "it" for a LONG time.

I have a very dear friend who is a lamp expert! I mean- people she knows her lamps. I gave her a call (actually it was text, I'm terrible at calling), and said-

Dear Kristi,

 YOU are the lamp expert...

 Help!

She referred me over to 

http://www.shadesoflight.com

and I found these little beauties:

I have not decided which one to go with yet...any one have an opinion?

For a refresher- here is what my lamps look like in my bedroom:

Hope you all are having a nice warm day, and thanks for stopping by!

~Cheers,

Melissa

Evelyn's Room

Right now I am working on Evelyn's room. It has been a real chore, as there was wallpaper throughout the entire room of little boy's fishing. I am not a fan of wallpaper to begin with, but this definitely had to go! It took me weeks to get the wallpaper down, but I can report that I finally have it all down. Just a note to all of you "wallpaper fans" out there- you had better LOVE it before you put it up; because once it is up- wow, what a mess it is to take down!

I am going to be brave and show you all what I am working on...be prepared it is NOT pretty!

This is Evelyn's room now waiting to be stripped of wallpaper, painted, and accessorized...

As you can see I have already started peeling all the paper off in this picture. The border of the little boys fishing has been a nightmare to get down. You have soak the paper and then scrape it off with a straight edge. There isn't a steamer in Manhattan to rent and I don't want to purchase one.

 And you gotta love the clouds...

Evelyn is "helping" me gather all of her books and stack them.

The little storage area or "tree house" behind the door has proven a creative challenge...still trying to figure out what to do with this area. I took the closet doors down, and moved her dressor into the space so Evelyn could have more lounging room. I plan on adding additional curtains over the closet to hide unsightly messes.

So as you can see this quite a mess! I will be so glad when it is completed and we can "move on." I am hoping to have everything complete by the first week of March and will repost an update.

Have a great weekend everyone, and if you are up north- stay warm!!! We are expecting more snow Sunday and Monday night in our area. I think Evelyn and I will be snuggling up to some good Olivia books and hot chocolate (she thinks it's real treat if she can have some of mommy's "coffee").

~Cheers,

Melissa