My Office Inspiration Board

Our house is still in the throws of renovation. We've now been out of our home for almost one year and seven months. Crazy. But the good news is that we are inching closer to the finish line. Enough so that I can finally start coming up with concrete plans for the various rooms of our house. Every single room will need a makeover as each wall has been torn down and rebuilt. New paint colors need chosen, new curtains to be made and since we are moving home with a new member of our family - our daughter, Aubrey - life will be completely different so many of our old systems and furniture layouts will need to be rethought.

I pretty much redecorate my house every day in my head but now it's coming to the point where I really need to actively make some choices about what I want our home to look and feel like. It's been a lot of fun with Pinterest as it makes seeing a variety of inspiration easy. I even have a board dedicated soley to "To Recreate In Our Home".

So today got me thinking about my office. Since moving out of our home, I've become a business woman (a fancy term I like to call myself :) ) but when I signed up to become an Independent Scentsy Consultant, I decided to really treat it like my business. This will also be the room I use to carry on the paperwork side of running our home. Here I will keep our files, bills, and all of that kind of paperwork type stuff so good organizational systems will for sure be needed. But in the meantime, I'm thinking about how to make it pretty!

Inspiration truly hit today and I've pulled together a quick inspiration board while Aubrey was napping.

So here it is!

Let me break it down for you and give you the resources where you can find these items yourself.


The rug is from Dash and Albert. Oh how I love SO many of their rugs. I think this classic stripe in a fun pink will be just the bit of fun that my office needs. I love pink but don't want to bathe my office in it. I think this rug would be fantastic!

The fabric bunting is from a sweet shop on Etsy called A Fete Beckons. Aren't these things so darling? It took me awhile to jump on the bunting bandwagon but I truly think they are so darling.

The lamp is from Shades of Light. This is a jumping off point for my creativity. I cannot do the price that Shades of Light is asking but I do so adore the subtle pink of the lamp and the lines of it. I'll be looking for a similar shape of lamp and then paint it a pale pink. Thanks for the inspiration Shades of Light!

The desk is from Ikea. In my office will be two work surfaces. Currently I have a large, heavy, white farm table as my desk. It's pretty beat up and needs a new coat of paint. Though I love it, it does not offer the storage that I need in a desk. It's quiet big so it will be my work surface where I do messy projects and wrap my Scentsy orders....not at the same time though. :) The Ikea desk will be on the opposite side of the room - sitting under the window. With two drawers and a cupboard, there is plenty of space for my doodads and office supplies.

I've been in love with these cabinets from JCPenny for years. Literally, years. My plan is to get two of the white cabinets and place them side by side. One will house my Scentsy stock and business supplies. The other will be for craft supplies and other office basics. I could also see that black cabinet somewhere in my house but that's another post for another day!

Now, this fabric choice may change - but for now I'm liking this paisley print from Michael Miller. I think I would use it as curtains. The overall scheme of my office is white with touches of pink and soft torquise blue thrown in. I've yet to find a fabric I've truly fallen in love with but the whismy of this print has caught my attention. I'm picturing it as drapes. We'll see though. :)

When we go to do the baseboards of the room, I'm really hoping to beef them up like the above picture. I love the look of a strong baseboard so this is something I hope to implement in my office.

And lastly, I'm just loving this arrangement of pictures from Talia at Pieces of Me. What a statement! They would be perfect on the wall near the office door. I have so many fun prints I'd like to frame. I just adore this arrangement. If it's not used in my office, you bet your boots it will be used elsewhere! Click through to see the arrangement in Talia's home. It's breathtaking!


So that's about it for my inspiration. We've got a ways to go when it comes to actually purchasing these pieces and only time will tell if we really do use these things - but it is certainly a jumping off point! This will help keep me focused. Already I have chosen to NOT buy some things because it didn't go with the vision of my office. I just like too many things. :)

Organizing My Jewelry

My jewelry organization - or lack thereof - has been bothering me lately. I needed a pretty way to display my jewels instead of just tossing them in a dish or jewelry box. I came across this post almost two years ago from Kevin and Amanda blog. Amanda's earring organizer always stuck with me and it's taken until now to finally recreate my own version.

I started with an "as-is" frame from a decor store. There was no glass but it wasn't needed for my project so it was perfect! I also scooped up this photo hanging kit from the dollar store. I mainly needed the photo hanging wire, but there are some really great hooks in this kit. This whole project cost $3.

The wire can simply be cut with some heavy duty kitchen shears.

I painted my frame with some cream acrylic paint and a foam brush. I would have loved to have spray painted it as it would have been MUCH easier, but at the time, there was snow on the ground. Not spray painting weather.

I then twisted the wire together to give it some dimension. You could also stick your stud earrings in those little bumps in the wire but I haven't got that far yet.

I decided to use thumbtacks to hold my wire in place. I just wrapped the wire around the tacks and pushed them into place. I can easily move the wire one day should I need more rows for my earrings and plus, Christine's son had finally went to sleep so I was not about to use a staple gun or hammer and nails to secure my wire.

And wa-la!

I hung my earring holder on the wall on an existing nail.

Here is how I'm storing my jewelry right now. The wrought-iron necklace holder is an item from Pier-1. It was sold a couple of years ago so I doubt it will be in stores now. I have it holding a basket with some body sprays and perfume in it. When I find the right sized plate, I'll add that and make a more pretty display, but for now, I'm working with what I have. :)

I also purchased this little rectangular plate to hold a little dish that houses the rest of my stud earrings, a few bracelets and some odds and ends. I like to keep my flower pin right on top. This plate also holds my wedding rings at night.

Baby monitor in the background. Just keepin' it real.

So there you have it! Jewelry storage! I love looking at all of the dangly bits and bobs. Now, I'm wearing so much more jewelry than I had when it was shoved out of site!

Aubrey's Temporary Nursery - Picture Heavy!

I wanted to come and share a few photos of Aubrey's temporary nursery. I almost hate saying "temporary" but since we are living at my inlaws, it is her temporary space. Either way, I'm excited to show you how we've put her half of the room together. Get ready for a photo overload! I apologize for the quality of these photos. I was too anxious to wait until the light of day to take them - plus the camera was a little shakey. But you can get the idea. :)

My sister-n-law had this great shelving unit in her room. It's perfect for holding all of Aubrey's belongings. The baskets are from Michael's craft store. I bought them on clearance. When we move back home some of the baskets will go on Aubrey's book shelf and others will go in her closet. The laundry basket on top is for Aubrey's dirty clothes. And the tree is a gift from dear friends. It's from Restoration Hardware Baby and is a "family tree". There are little frames that you place family photos in. I don't have the photos hanging right now since you wouldn't be able to see them well. But I love the tree way too much to leave it at home in storage. Can you see our hospital bags on the right?

This little bucket holds Aubrey's bath supplies.

I bought these little buckets at Michael's in their dollar section. They were originally galvanized metal but I spray painted them "Ballet Slipper" by Krylon. I cut the little tags with my Cricut Expression.

I love penguins and figured that Aubrey definatly needed one. The bottom shelf holds a few books and some baby dvd's and cd's. The rest of Aubrey's books are packed away at home but I can't wait to read her some of what we have right now.

The pink basket holds washcloths and towels. It also holds my slings.

Blankets!

The purple basket holds Aubrey's first-aid kit as well as extra toiletries. The pink basket holds bottles and other feeding supplies. The swirly bag is an insulated bag to put in our diaper bag.

More blankets and our Ivory Snow.

This little rabbit says a prayer if you squeeze its foot. My sister had a lamb that said the same prayer and she would play it for my neice every night. I plan to do the same thing for Aubrey. I actually got tears in my eyes when I unwrapped this gift at my shower!

A jack-in-the-box! This little guy was holding $50 in his little hands! A fun shower gift.

Bouncer, Boppy and toy basket. Gotta also throw in the Diaper Genie too.

Some of Aubrey's toys.

Bouncer that my mom bought for $5 at a yard sale. The Boppy was purchased on amazon.com. I just love the cover!

This little dresser was given to us from a lady at our church. When we move back home, I'll probably repaint it and change the handles. It also will probably get moved elsewhere into our home as we already have a dresser for Aubrey. But this one here is a perfect fit for Aubrey's space! It holds her clothes so nicely. The pink outfit is actually Aubrey's Christmas Eve jammies.

I made the art in the frame as well as the cupcake block. Another basket from Michael's that holds some special burp cloths. My best friends grandma embroidered them for Aubrey.

A couple of the burp cloths. We have some packed in our bag for the hospital too. They say her name. That way, hopefully, we won't loose them. :)

A view of the room.

Fisher Price Little Lamb Cradle 'N Swing. I heard so many wonderful things about this swing. We bought it for $100 on amazon.com. We also had free shipping so it was really a great deal. This swing retails for $200 here in Canada. I can't wait for Aubrey to try it out!

Aubrey's pack-n-play. Since we knew we would be living at my inlaws, we registered for on that had a changing station attatched as quiet frankly, the thought of changing my baby on the floor or the bed is not my cup of tea. It will happen, this I know, but I also wanted to make sure I had a spot dedicated to changing her little dirty bum.

They are anxiously waiting for Aubrey!

(But of course once she is here, they will be removed from the bed.)

Changing area. Wipes, toilettries, swaddeling blankets, diapers and some recieving blankets.

I purchased this little chair on Kijiji for $5. The pink frame is from her Grandma Cresswell.

And finally, our carseat. This bad boy definatly needs to get installed...like yesterday. The blanket is one of those fleece blankets that you tie together. My friend made it for Aubrey. It's so big and nice that we're taking it to the hospital in case I get cold! It's so cozy!

So there you have the tour of Aubrey's temporary nursery. It was fun putting this space together. I can't wait until she is actually here and using all of these things. I have to admit though, I can't wait to get my hands on her nursery back at our house. I have so many plans! Just think, I got to decorate two nurseries! What a lucky girl am I?!

The State Of Our Home

Well....our house is slowly coming along. The renovations have turned into quiet a nightmare. We've been living with my inlaws since sometime at the end of September or beginning of October. And we'll probably be her for quiet a bit longer. Turns out there was so much more hidden damage than ever anticipated. In fact, my mother-in-law came home one evening and told me the kitchen had been gutted. Yes, gutted. Apparently, as they were taking down the outside stucco, they realized the floor joists were rotten and needed replaced. They were going to try and remove the cabinetry, repair the damage, and then put the cabinets back. But when they attempted to remove the cabinets, they all splintered beyond repair. So....we're getting a new kitchen too!

I'm incredibly excited about that and some of the other plans that are going on but at the same time, I desperatly miss home. Since Aubrey is due in just ten days and there is no way the house will be ready in time, we have resigned to the fact that we will be bringing Aubrey home to my inlaws. I know that we will receive a lot of help but I can't help but wish we were taking her to our own home. It's been quiet an upheaval at my inlaws house. There are seven of us living under one roof, plus our three dogs. One who is coming into heat soon. And soon there will be a newborn here! To say it's crazy at times is an understatement. Please keep us all in your prayers!

Here are a few photos of our house: (Some of these are a bit out of order but you get the general idea.)

The backside of our house.

The backside of the garage.

The side of the garage.

The laundry room sheeted in. Once all of the outside sheeting is done,

we can add Typar and the move inside to do the insulation and drywall.

The backside of my house at night.

Before - all the stucco is being removed to eventually put up siding.

And after. This is looking into the Roger Raglin room from the outside. See our new windows?

Kitchen - Before.

Kitchen - During.

Kitchen - almost After.

Kitchen - Officially After.

Standing in the entranceway looking into the kitchen...err...backyard.

Looking from outside into the kitchen. Shane is celebrating Mo-vember here.

Looking into my home from the outside. God Bless This Home. PLEASE!!

If you'd like to hear how my pregnancy is going and to see some crafts I made for Aubrey, please scroll down!