Making Over Maggie's Room

I have had SO much fun putting my sweet girl's room together. And now, more than a year after her arrival, I'm finally ready to share a few pics of her space with you. If you can believe it, the room still isn't complete. I have one final element to embroider, frame and hang, but it's pretty close.

Before we get to the pretty, let's take a look at the way it once was.

It started as a beige guest room. Beige walls. Beige carpets. Beige energy. Not what I wanted for baby girl.

I knew color was in order, so I started by selecting a color  scheme. This was BY FAR the hardest part of the whole process for me. So many amazing colors to choose from. I finally landed on gray, yellow, teal, light pink, and deep pink. 

Room Colors

Once my colors were finally decided, I went to the paint store and selected paint swatches in those hues, which I then punched (in the shape of a bird for kicks and giggles) and added to a jump ring, which I carried with me so I could make sure I was color-matching correctly.

Punched paint swatches to carry with me as I shopped for room goodies.

I also put together a few swatch-type samples in my Smashbook, including a lovely shot of a room Maggie Holmes created in her home, which exactly matched the colors I was seeking!

A page from my pregnancy Smash Book. 

Above all else, I knew I wanted to take out the old carpet. It was bland, and it had doggie peep on it, which definitely wasn't going to work for my little love. After much research and trips to many flooring stores, it was determined a vinyl "wood" was best for dogs who peed. So we went with that and my AMAZING Pop and hubby went to work installing it. We got enough for our entire upstairs. But the rest of the house will have to wait for more funds to come in.

Pop and Cor worked like crazy to get the flooring in before baby arrived.

I had pinned a cool idea for DIY wainscoting, so Cory and I got to work on that by making trips to the hardware store for lumber and paint.

First, we measured the wall and marked where the boards would go.

Cory marking where the boards would go for the faux wainscoting. 

Naturally, Biff came out to help!

Biff steps up to lend a hand.

We then taped off at about 2/3 of the way up the wall to indicate where the white paint would end and the gray would begin.

The wall is taped at the 2/3 mark, with the bottom 2/3's to be white and the top 1/3 to be gray.

Time for paint. Cory channeled his inner Bob Ross (he's a big fan) and painted a happy little tree.

Just a happy little tree to get things started.

Wanting to mark this room as Maggie's, I started by painting her name across the wall. (That's an M.)

M for Maggie!

When the paint was dry, we removed the tape and grabbed the lumber so Cory could begin installing the wainscoting, only to find out I had mis measured on the center tape line and all of our white paint was too high. D'oh! We had to repaint. Not fun. :(

Take it from me--measure twice, paint once!

Several coats and a second paint job later (because I mis-measured), the walls were finally ready.

At last, the room was ready for the faux wainscoting. Cory added the lumber, and he and Pop added the additional white paint to create the effect.

On go the boards, the ledging along the top, and an additional layer of white paint.

Pop stopped in often to help. Together, he and Cory transformed the room from pooper to super!

Wow! This is really starting to look like a room. 

Once the base of the room was ready, we went to work on filling it with all things baby. It started with much reading on Consumer Reports. We finally landed on a Pottery Barn Kids crib that ranked well and fit with the look we were going for. Cory put it together in no time.

The first thing we brought in after the foundation of the room was complete was Maggie's crib. It originally had a net bumper, which is supposed to help with SIDS prevention.

For the bedding, I looked and looked and looked. There were so many I loved. Sadly, I had it in my head that I had to have everything by the time she arrived, and she was due in a couple of weeks at this point, so I went with one I liked that I could get in time instead of the one on Etsy that I really wanted. Lessoned learned for next time, I suppose. I like the bedding, which is from Carousel Designs, but it's too short for the length of the mattress, which has always bugged me.

Love the chevron print and the soft, cozy inside lining of the bumper.

Pretty bedding, but what you can't see is that it cuts off about 6" before the edge of the mattress. Probably a mistake on my part with the ordering. 

Fortunately for me, I received a few lovely handmade quilts as gifts, and they actually fit the crib. This one was made by our talented family friend, Edna.

Handmade details like this quilt are the best!

And this one was made by my awesome quilting cousin, Cynthia!

Another handmade quilt. And, my cousin even made a big one for me, which matches this one. LOVE!

Another area where I researched and researched was rugs. So many amazing options! I finally landed on this cutie from Pottery Barn Teen. Alas, when I opened it upon its arrival, it had grease (I think) stains on it, which I've never fully gotten out. Not sure what that was about, but I still love the pattern. But I may not order a rug there again.

Love the look of this rug; I only wish I would have come without the stains.

Naturally, the pups thought this meant a new bed for them.

Jack (Biff) trying out the rug.

Not wanting to be left out, Kisses also gives the rug a go. In fact, this is often where you can still find him. He likes to stay close to Mags!

Furtniture. Another area that required a great deal of research and shopping. I wanted something that would look lovely, stand the test of time, and fit within my budget. I must have been to every furniture shop in town. Multiple times. I found myself returning to Ashley Furniture over and over again over the course of several months. It was a bit out of my price range, but I knew I would regret it if I didn't take the plunge. So I... gulp ... bought it on credit with zero interest for 12 months, and I'm pleased to say I managed to get it paid off in time. Hooray!

The changing table is actually a media center, but I'm so tall (5'11") that it was just the right height for the changing table.

Love this media stand turned changing table. 

I found gray baskets at Jo-Ann that fit just right in the slots where the DVD player and/or gaming system would normally go. I keep diapers in three of the baskets and basic supplies (lotion, diaper cream, brush, etc.) in the fourth basket. This has worked out SO well for us.

The baskets are so helpful and right at arm's reach.

Each of the three drawers are perfect for holding other basic supplies. The bottom drawer contains parenting books, bath supplies, pacifiers (that she never used), etc. The middle drawer holds basic medical and cleansing stuff (extra shampoo, medicine, thermometer, etc.). The top drawer holds additional daily used supplies (wipes, Q-tips, her medicine, extra Diaper Genie cartridges, etc.).

I keep the drawers organized with different bins, baskets and tubs. 

I found the cutest little glass butter dish at Target (similar to this) that I use to hold Q-tips.

This glass butter dish is just the ticket when it comes to keeping the Q-tips clean and accessible. 

The lamp is one of the very first things I bought for the room after I finally decided on a color scheme. It's also from Target. And the little pink drawer unit is an antique that my cousin Teri found at a flea market in LA. She spray painted it pink and sent it to me for her room. It now holds Maggie's smaller hair accessories.

Thanks to my cousin for this lovely set of bitty drawers, which she painted pink. 

This piece is what made me fall in love with this set. I simply couldn't get enough of the shallow, pull-out drawers. As soon as I saw them the first time, I knew her bitty shoes, socks and other accessories were meant to go in them, and it has worked like a gem.

Oh, these little drawers! They're my favorite. They're why I couldn't let this piece go. As soon as I saw them, I knew they were meant to hold bitty shoes, socks, and hats!

See what I mean? Just right!

I keep clothes in the drawers on the left side, including pajamas, onesies, pants, and t-shirts. And I store bibs, burp cloths, extra crib bedding, blankets, and other linens in the shelves above the shallow pull-out drawers.

And all of the drawers in this piece are so nice to have.

Next item on my list of musts was a rocking chair. Cory and I had one, but it was in desperate need of a makeover. Paula, an amazingly talented friend of mine, offered to create new covers for the chair, which was no easy task. So we stripped the cushions off it, bought some fabric using the awesome 40% off coupon at Jo-Ann, and sent it her way.

Plain faux leather cushions once sat atop this chair frame, but they were in desperate need of a makeover.  

I love, love, love the way the chair turned out. Paula is a miracle worker. You can find her awesomeness in her Etsy shop. Yum!

Paula to the rescue with this a-freaking-mazing updo. The pockets look a little off, but that's because that's where I now keep the story books I read to Mags at night, so they get much use. 

Bitty baby in a big chair!

Paula also made the pillows that sit on the chair. Isn't she awesome? I use this chair every. single. day. It's our favorite place to sit and read stories. Speaking of stories, Maggie can't get enough of Bubbles, Bubbles, which was a Dollar Spot score at Target. She has so many fab books, but this is her go-to. Gotta love a deal!

Maggie's FAVORITE book.

You may have noticed the awesome clock above the rocking chair. That is another one of the handmade gifts that fills Maggie's nursery with such love. The incredible Holly Jones, a dear friend of mine, made it and gave it to me at my shower. She sells cut-outs in numerous styles and finishes, including wonderful wood designs. You should check her cute Say Hello Shop when you have a minute!

Love this lovely clock my friend Holly made for Miss Mags.

Before I get to all of the sugar on top (aka the decorations), I'll talk windows. This was hands down the most difficult thing to find for this space. In fact, it's still not complete. I'm waiting for a good deal on plantation shutters. If you hear of one, please let me know. Until then, I've at least finally found the curtains I adore. The sheer, lattice-print lining and the darker drapes are both from Z Gallerie. I searched high and low, and finally knew these were the ones when I stumbled upon them.

At last, the long journey to new window treatments was over. Z Gallerie to the rescue with this perfect pair. 

Here's a backlit shot so you can see the pattern better.

Isn't the pattern on the sheer liner cool?

The tie-backs are from Pottery Barn Kids. Love the big bulb on the end!

Take off, knob! This is just the tie-back this window needed!

That's it for the big stuff. Now, on to the finishing touches. I feel the star of this show are my frames that sit atop the little ledge shelf created by the faux wainscoting.

Love the frame-lined wall. The large prints and photos make such a statement.

The 12x12 frames are from IKEA. I filled them with photos, like this one taken by the talented Maggie Holmes...

This darling photo was taken by Maggie Holmes.

 ...and the ones visible in this image (on either side of the the "hello" printable), which were taken by another talented photo friend of mine, Elisha Snow.

The adorable image in this frame was taken by Elisha Snow.

I use the Epson Artisan 1430 printer to print my 12x12 images, and it rocks my socks. Best ever!

An incredible printer for adding 12x12 images to any space!

I filled one of the IKEA frames with a piece of scrapbook paper that I dressed up using the Fiskars flag punch and a few embellishments.

Scrapbook paper is sometimes the perfect piece of artwork.

Tiny details are just enough.

And I filled one of them with the sweet "hello" printable, which I purchased from this Etsy shop.

This "Hello" print was one of the very first things I bought for Maggie's room. I adore it.

On the opposite wall sits the BasicGrey frames spelling Maggie. For more on these, including a tutorial on putting them together, see this post.

Let's play the name game with these fabric-filled frames. 

From there, I mixed in smaller fames, like this one, which houses the info on Maggie's incredible arrival. I used paper from Pink Paislee and stickers from BasicGrey. I also painted a paper mache M from Jo-Ann and lined it with washi as part of my Washi Workshop for Studio Calico.

A few of the things I made for Maggie's space. The washi-covered M was part of my Washi Workshop for Studio Calico. So fun! 

For this frame, I glued scrapbook paper to the photo mat that came with the frame to complement the space.

Framed photo taken by Elisha Snow.

And on this one, I simply lined the mat with washi tape for a quick makeover.

Framed photo by Elisha Snow.

I wrapped a second, larger paper mache M with yarn.

Yarn-wrapped M, which was also featured in the Scrapbooking for Babies & Toddlers special issue by Creating Keepsakes magazine.

Using fat quarters of fabric, I cut triangles with my pinking sheers and strung them up on a strand of pom pom yarn. I made a second banner using lace as the topper in place of the pom yarn to mix up the look a bit.

A little banner bidnaz makes any room happier. 

I lined her light switch plate with washi, which was quick and made a big impact. Loved the outcome so much that I later added washi-covered plates to many of the rooms in our home.

Washi-covered light switch plate cover. So simple. So great.

For Mags many hair bows, I use a necklace holder and cute plastic basket (purchased at Target's Dollar Spot).

Hair bows, don't cha knows?

And I keep her toys in a set of barrels I received from the fine folks at BasicGrey.

BasicGrey barrels, just right for holding Mags' toys.

The closet isn't much to look at (beyond all of the darling outfits it contains), but I do like the little clothes dividers that I received as a shower gift.

Cool closet dividers.

And while this isn't anything decorative, my video monitor that my best friend Kirston and her mom gave me is one of the very best parts of this space. I HIGHLY recommend a video monitor to any new mom.

Love this video baby monitor. It allows me to be a peeping tom and look in on wonderful moments like this.

Also on my list of recommendations is a Diaper Genie. This little guy keeps the stank out, which is all right by me!

Not the cutest, but a definite necessity. 

Finally, the part of the nursery I love the most, besides the little lady living here, is this mirror, which once belonged to my dear Grandma Margaret. Maggie was named after her, making this addition all the more special and heartfelt.

This brilliant mirror once belonged to my incredible grandma. I love having it in Maggie's room now. Seems like the perfect spot. 

I think that about does it. Thanks for taking this looong room tour with me. I have a few final touches that are still coming together. As soon as they're ready, I'll be sure to share. In the meantime, you can check out a Studio 5 segment I did on Maggie's space here.

Cheers!

A peek inside.

A little Nat'l Scrapbooking Day organization project

Every year on National Scrapbooking Day, I try to accomplish at least on organizational task. This year, I decided to take things digital. Inspired by a tip I learned in Rhonna Farrer's Instagram class, I decided to organize my Wingding and Webding fonts by creating a font key.

It's nothing fancy, but it does the trick. Now I know exactly what characters I have at my fingertips.

I did this is in a few quick steps:

1. Open Pages (or Word, if you're using a PC) and create a two-row, four-column table.
2. Put curser in column one and select your first Wingding (character) font. Proceed to type each character on your keyboard (numbers included).

Tip: Don't forget to turn caplocks on and type the letters again. There are extra characters this way!

3. Label the column the name of the Wingding font. Ex. Wingding 1.
4. Repeat, doing one column per font. I currently have four character fonts on my comp, so I only needed four.
5. Print your table and store it with your other journaling supplies (pens, journaling spots, etc.) as a reminder of your fun digi options.


I had no idea there were this many fun font to choose from. Here are a few of my favorites that I discovered.

A few of the fun wingdings I discovered hiding in my computer.

I'm definitely going to use the ampersand soon. And how cute is that little clipboard? I want to cut it out and use it as a journaling spot on an upcoming page.

Wingdings, where have you been all my life? Now that I have my key, I have a feeling I'll be using you more often.

How are you celebrating Nat'l Scrapbooking Day? However you are, I hope you're having fun! After all, that's what scrapbooking, and any hobby for that matter, is all about.

Enjoy!

Over-easy Egg Decor Idea

I've always loved plastic eggs! Not only does the Easter Bunny use them to hold sweet treats (awesome!), but they also hold great creative potential. Here's one of the over-easy ideas I created for tomorrow's Easter celebration--an egg garland!

It only requires a few simple supplies.

The trick is selecting eggs with little holes in them. I found these at Target. Then you just thread some twine through those holes...

Position the egg where you want it on the twine, and tape it in place. I used washi tape, but regular tape would work just as well. 

Make your garland as long or short as you want. For added fun, fill the eggs with lightweight treats (dollar bills, y'all) that can be opened on Easter. Quick, over-easy and fun!

Cheers!

Finding My Happiness

Happiness. What does it mean? This question has been on my mind a great deal lately. So much so that I’ve spent time reading books on the subject (currently reading The Happiness Project) and watching happy-based documentaries. (Happy, directed by Roko Belic, was a great little flick. And it’s available on Netflix. Bonus!) 

I don’t think this comes from a current lack of joy in my life. While I have what a consider to be a fair amount of stress, just like the next gal, I’m happy overall. Nope, I actually think much of my curiosity comes from recent moments of feeling deep amounts of happy. Small bursts of happy, for lack of a better description. Allow me to explain with a few recent examples. 

Burst #1: I recently took an amazing Instagram class taught by Rhonna Farrer. I wasn’t able to find someone to attend with me and I was beyond swamped at work, so I almost bailed at the last minute. SO glad I didn’t. I loved the class and the ideas. But, more than that, I felt those overwhelming happiness bursts when I stuck around after class to meet new friends. I met the amazing owner of Persnickety Prints, Chari Pack, and Rick Maddox, an awesome marketing guy with Adobe. I also reconnected with a few old friends, which felt great! Though my conversations and interactions were brief, they left me with an intense feeling of happy on my drive home. A feeling that stuck with me for several days. 

Burst #2: I love going to local shops in the towns I visit. Chat with the locals. Experience the way of life. Last week, I had the pleasure of doing just this in Portland, OR. If you haven’t had the chance to visit this part of the country, you should add to your bucket list. It is such a calm and kind place. Shop owners let you come in after they’re closed. They offer up engaging conversation. They seem to genuinely like what they’re doing and the opportunity they have to connect with customers. Love this! It made an impact. The more I shopped, the more I felt alive inside. Peaceful. Happy! Was it because I was shopping, which happens to be a favorite pastime of mine? Was it because I was meeting new and interesting people (another thing I adore doing)? Was it because I was in a new place seeing new things? Maybe it was a little of all of the above. Not sure. What I know is I LOVED the feeling I was left with, and I want to bottle it. Understand it. Feel it every. Single. Day. 

Some of the local shops I visited while in Portland. Mississippi is a delightful area to visit and experience the PDX flava! 

Burst #3: I was chatting with a new(ish) coworker. Nothing exciting or revolutionary. In fact, it was pretty stupid stuff. Stuff I think annoyed everyone else within earshot. We were discussing childhood TV. Specifically, Today’s Special and Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. It got pretty silly after awhile, but it was so fun. I still think of that conversation and find myself laughing out loud. A giddy feeling I want to capture. (“What’s the deal with Mr. Rogers anyway? Why does he zip his cardigan all the way up, only to then zip it halfway back down?”—Yes, this is one of the comments made in that silly convo. Can you believe Dan remembered this about that show from our childhood? Sure enough. I YouTubed it, and there Mr. R was, zipping that cardigan up and then down again. Hahahaha!) 

Burst #4: Thanks to Facebook, I recently saw a friend accomplish a dream. Kelly Purkey created a stamp kit for Simon Says Stamp. It’s adorable. And it’s clear she’s ecstatic about her fabulous accomplishment. Can you blame her? She works hard and it’s awesome her hard work is paying off for her in such a cool way. (WTG, KP!) This got me to thinking about others I know who’ve accomplished notable things in their lives. I’m blessed to know SO MANY accomplished people. Company owners, product designers, creatives, published authors, teachers, parents, and more! People who’ve turned something they love into a prominent part of their lives. Seeing this success... this joy... makes me happy! I’m talking, deep, take-my-breath-away happy. It gives me hope that I’ll one day take one of my many (MANY) ideas and turn it into something big. Something wonderful. People prove it can be done. Why not be one of those people? 

Kelly Purkey's Project Kit for Simon Says Stamp. Image by Kelly Purkey.

Notes on Happy

“Happy,” the documentary I watched on Monday, had so many awesome things to offer that I eventually started taking notes (nerdy, but true!). Here is some of what it had to offer: 

Practice cultivating happiness and compassion to transform the brain in very positive way. 

Hmmm... practice cultivating happiness... that’s a new way of thinking for me. I never thought of happiness as a skill that required practicing. It makes sense though, don’t you think? We are always given a choice when it comes to how we react to any given situation. Sometimes it takes effort to choose to be happy. I suppose this is where the practicing comes into play. The more we work at actively choosing the happy, the more inclined we’ll be to naturally react in such a way. 

The trick is to be authentically you. It’s a skill, which is no different than learning to play the violin.

A skill, eh? I suppose that’s why it takes practice. How skilled are you when it comes to being happy?

The things we love to do are the building blocks of a happy life. Play. Friends and family. Doing things that are meaningful. Having new experiences. Appreciating what we have. These are the things that make us happy. And they’re free. 

They’re free! Don’t you love that? You don’t have to go out and buy the bursts. I find they come when you open your heart and your mind. Let go of prejudice. Let go of preconceived ideas. Simply let go and enjoy the moment, whether that’s meeting a new person, experiencing a new place, or trying a new thing. Let go and really experience.

With happiness, the more you have, the more everyone has! 

Yes! This is my favorite! The more I have, the more YOU have, and the more we ALL have! How absolutely cool is that? No need to hoard. No need to compete. Be happy. Spread your happy. And watch as those around you, in turn, up their own happys. It’s a wonderful cycle. 

A Few Final Thoughts a la Pollyanna

When I’m happy, I’m more aware. My memory is keener (which is huge when I struggle with short-term memory issues as part of my narcolepsy). I feel more grounded and in the moment. I feel more energetic. I feel more alive. 

I want to model happy for Maggie. I want her to see and experience it so it becomes a natural way of life for her. I don’t want her to find herself at 32, actively trying to seek out the happy, as her mother is doing now. I want it to be so natural for her that she can’t imagine any other way of being. 

Nothing makes me happier than seeing my girl's happy soul bursting with joy!

Okay, at this point (if you’re even still reading at this point), you may be thinking “enough with the Pollyanna (gosh, I love that movie!), Megan.” Fair enough, but I hope my sincerity is coming through. I mean these words. I don’t mean to come across as obnoxious. I realize life is hard. Trust me, after some of the experiences I’ve had in recent years, I totally realize this, but I don’t want the hard to get in the way of the happy. Can’t we be happy even when the going gets tough? After all, can one truly know happiness without their share of adversity? Sure, this may come across as The Glad Game, but that’s okay with me. I like that game. I want to win that game. What about you?

What are you doing to be happy today? Welcome the happy. Attract the happy. Be the happy! Do this, and watch the happy grow around you. 

Cheers!