{diy: my version of the overdyed rug}

i have had this throw rug in front of our door for like 12+ years now.  the size is great, but i am so over the color.  the washed out green went great when we had a vibrant area rug in the adjacent family room, but now that the rug there is neutral, this rug makes me snooze.  it just is boring.

since the rug was from the crate and barrel outlet and wasn't expensive to start with, i wasn't too afraid to try and update it a bit.  i keep seeing over-dyed vintage rugs all over the place and thought the same concept might work for a rag rug. 

aren't these rugs gorgeous?!  they are a bit bright for my taste, but i love the concept of redeeming and rethinking vintage rugs.
 

from abc carpet and home

and here is a dip dyed IKEA rug via Martha Stewart

the color turned out a bit greener than i had hoped, but SO much better than the original.

for round 2, i bought rit dye again in navy blue.  this color is better, but has some purple undertones i could do without.  i am still really happy with it though.

i may run back to joann's (coupon in hand) for another box of denim dye.  maybe just a bit more of the green would make this my perfect blue.  i can be a bit neurotic like that.  or maybe i will try out this new motto...HA!

print from dorothy jeanne goodswww.dorothyjeannegoods.com

{craft hope: beanies & bags}

check out my post over here on craft hope.  this one should be fun!

{guest room-to be}

we have decided to switch out the office for a guest room.  truth be told, it was always more of a dumping ground for things without a home than it was an office anyway.  (i think we dubbed it the office since the desktop and printer lived there.)  i don't think anyone will miss the office.

but a guest room...now that sounds useful to me.  the air bed sprung a leak and so any guests that now stay over bump the boys from their room to aiden's floor.  (which they do not mind in the least.  they are huge fans of sleeping in "nests".)  it's just that the boys have a queen-sized bed that they share and it is really the only logical place to put anyone.  but...they have recently become way too squirely to share a bed.  and their mattress is shot and needs replacing.  and our awesome neighbor recently moved and gave us a double mattress in great condition that we can use in the guest room.  (yes a double is a bit small, but snuggle up people, it's not forever.) guest room it is!

since the room is technically the attic and is finished off in some *lovely* wood paneling, i am hoping to make the space feel a bit more open and airy.  i have gone through way too many cans of white paint and the albeit-it-tiny room is already feeling more spacious.  i am trying to go for a bit of cottage meets beach house.

our room has a window and ceiling slant just like this.  i ripped down a small ceiling that someone had put up and so we now have a few small beams like this showing as well.

Source: cococozy.com via Karen on Pinterest

i have some oil on canvas auction finds i may consider hanging in there similiar to this.  i will also need to paint the subfloor and this floor looks like it may be painted as well.  trying to decide now if the floor should be white to blur the lines of this super small room, or if i should paint it the same dark blue/green (benjamin moore narraganset green) as the playroom to help ground the space since the ceiling is high in there. 

Source: alifesdesign.blogspot.com via Karen on Pinterest

i really like this neutral palette with small touches of black.

Source: honeyhouses.tumblr.com via Karen on Pinterest

so here's the latest dilemna in the space.  we are going as cheapo as possible up there.  i found two great light fixtures (at lowe's of all places) that i think will look nice above the door.  this is the only place there is wiring for a light and so i need a sconce of some sort for there.   both of these are about $25.  (sweet, price right?!)

do we go for the barn light inspired sconce in galvanized metal?  (which is already cool looking but may look good painted up all glossy)

or the more nautical inspired fisherman's light that speaks to the wall mounted lights next door in the playroom?

playroom lights from pottery barn kids

whatever sconce we pick will probably also go outside the door in the hallway to downstairs.  (the 70's called and they want their brady bunch looking light back.)

so...what's your vote?  which light is your favorite?

{how pinterest saved Christmas}

i have always tried to make at least some of the Christmas gifts we give each year.  creating and working with my hands is something i really enjoy doing, but don't find time for nearly often enough.  (unless you count laundry and dishes as working with my hands.)  the holidays always seem like the perfect opportunity.

here's the thing though.  i am really not creative in my own right.  i copy others ideas really well and often tweak them to make them my own.  i just don't always come up with alot of *new* ideas.  we'll call this my disclaimer.

enter pinterest...

i have shared my loved of pinterest here, but let me just say, seriously, it made coming up with gift ideas SO MUCH easier.  here is the board i made with ideas of advent conspiracy gift ideas.

here are a few of my favorites: (links are to original posts & instructions)

these wooden spoons  were so much fun to make for the grandparents.  (i should have had the kids make some for me too!)  aiden and miles drew the designs and mike burned them in with a woodburner.  this would be great for mother's day as well.

these hex nut bracelets for my niece turned out better than i expected...really cute!  kind of a more grown-up take on a friendship bracelet.  if you have a hard time finding "ball chain", check the electrical aisle.  it's what pull chains for lights are made from.  ;) 

image via design dazzle

owen and i had a great time making these bird feeders for grandparents, teachers, etc.  they were super fast and he could do alot of this alongside me (measuring, stirring, picking the shape of the cookie cutter, cutting the twine, pressing the seed in, etc.)

image via apartment therapy

i didin't get a picture of this, but i made something similiar with six hearts for my mom and jer.  i cut up an old atlas and used the locations of their homes, cabin, cities where the kids and their parents live for my hearts.  (note: buy your frame first and plan your hearts accordingly.  i didn't do this and was then stuck a bit on frame size.  no good.)

image via bluemoss girls

and since i had already cut up the atlas...ha!  i made something similiar to this for my in-laws.  i just backstitched the route between boston and madison and added hearts around the city names.  (if you end up doing something similiar, i would recommed pre-poking the stitch holes since you only get one shot at getting your needle/thread in the right place.)

i typically make an ornament each year as well.  this year we made a few.

the kids had fun making these handprint snowmen that i saw on meg's blog last year.  we used washi japanese masking tape from etsy for the scarves and hats.  the boys used blue and green ornaments for theirs.

these trees are from here via pinterest.  the kids and i took a walk at the forest preserve to collect the sticks.  they easily cut to size with tree loppers.  the kids then painted the sticks and mike drilled all the holes.  these were a bit labor intensive, but fun.  aiden's teacher got one with her birdfeeders!

and last...my favorite.  i was inspired by this image.

Palomas nest

i loved the simplicity of the design and love how great white ornaments look on a dark green tree. 

this is what i came up with.

they also worked as gift tags on our presents

i used sculpey polymer clay from michaels and rolled it out on parchment paper.  the clay is really hard so this was a bit of a workout.  i used snowflake cookie cutters to cut out shapes and then used a toothpick to punch a hole at the top for a hanger.  i got alphabet rubber stamps from the $1 bin at michaels and added the kids names or words like "noel".  then just follow the instructions on the package to bake them.  on some i used the wire ornament hangers and on some i used bakers twine. 

variations of these might also be cute for valentine's day.  i could see using clay in other colors and making knock off conversation hearts.  you could also easily glue a magnet on back.  i just may have to add that to the to-do list.  ;)

{what would have been Christmas pics}

i haven't seen Christmas cards in years.  i absolutely love to get them from friends and family and see pics and read what eveyone is up to.  a few years ago, i just couldn't pull them off.  three little ones and the time and money investement seemed overwhelming.  i instead justified not sending them so that we could give the money we would have spent on cards and postage to advent conspiracy.  and you know what...i never regretted it!

i do, however, love the opportunity the holidays brings to take a new family picture.  most days time feels so fleeting and the kids are growing so very fast.  i don't ever want to forget what our family was like at this stage. 

here are some our sweet friend kate took for us this fall.  i held off sharing because i wanted them to be a surprise for family who got prints with their Christmas gifts.

i know they appear to be hugging but i am pretty sure they were about to engage in a wrestling match.

this one makes me laugh out loud everytime i see it.  seriously...what is happening here?
 (if i had a nickel for everytime i asked myself that question!)

playing his guitar sweater.  not sure this kid could love music more if he tried.

thanks kate for capturing my family so well.  the kids were crazies and i wasn't an easy job, that's for sure!

(btw...i tried Mpix for my photo printing this year and was really impressed.  didn't love the shipping costs, but the print prices were very reasonable and the quality and color were fantastic.  i would totally recommed them!)

{living water}

our church is full of insanely talented and creative people.  people with big hearts for loving others.

as part of our advent conspiracy celebration, REUNION has collaborated with Old Try in making Christmas cards.  these aren't just any old cards, these are cards with a mission.  $3 from the sale of each card goes to drill fresh water wells for those living in developing countries.  those suffering from thirst, drought, and disease.

stats tell us that americans spend 450 billion dollars on Christmas every year.  and the thing is, it is estimated that 20 billion would solve the worls's water crisis. clean water could change the world.  Christmas [can] still change the world.   

pictures courtesy of Old Try

pretty cool, huh?!  if you are local here in boston, you can grab some at any REUNION gathering.  out-of-towners can purchase online through old try here, 

join us in helping to make Christmas Good News for all!

{family pics...some outtakes}

our dear friend kate took pictures of the kids recently...no easy task. 

here are some outtakes.  not exactly frame worthy, but make me laugh out loud for sure!

 

kids wrestling, laughing, not cooperating, making silly faces...generally not interested in picture taking.  (although miles does seem to be posing like a champ in that last photo!)  this is our life.  and while i do wish we had a model perfect family photo, these tell the story of our family so perfectly.  this is real life...ours anyway.  these kids crack me up and bring me unbelievable joy and i am thankful for them (and their crazy antics!)