Well, it’s Monday, folks. (Right? I didn’t, by some happy accident, sleep Monday-Thursday away, and it’s Friday or something cool like that?).

And you know what that means:

Time to MOVE IT!

Source: someecards.com via Abbie on Pinterest

 

{Ain’t that the truth?}

Actually, after several weeks of traveling (and then recovering from it in between), I’m excited at the prospect of a productive week—especially when it comes to house projects.

The husband is work-tripping it for a while, and the boys are going to VBS (and I’m seriously contemplating waking Della up early just so she’ll be sure to take good morning naps), which leaves me time to accomplish the following (I hope):

  • Finish prepping the twins’ room for painting (caulking, puttying, trim-painting, etc….while wearing a mask, of course)
  • Paint the twins’ room (still with the mask, people; nobody panic!)
  • Order the fabric I need for curtains for the boys’ room, Della’s room, and an upholstery project I’ll show you in a minute
  • Make at least 2 double batches of dinner to freeze for when the twins come (I’ve already got a decent stash, but I’m pretty much going to keep at it until I can’t cram anything else in, or I run out of Tupperware).

There are plenty of other projects I could get a move on, but these are where I’m putting my energy during the mornings when the boys are gone so that I can be free to be “fun mama” in the evenings (at least the ones where we’re not at the gym).

I never like it when Shaun’s gone, but it helps the time to go more quickly when I stay busy(er), so that’s the plan.

Speaking of plans…

I thought I’d give you guys a general idea of the feel I’m going for in the garage addition, since I haven’t mentioned it in a while.

With all of the twin excitement, Shaun’s trips, more travel, and just general Spring/Summer busyness, we haven’t made much headway on any of the “fun stuff” (that would be the actual finishing details and decorating) in the main portion of the upstairs addition, which will be our schoolroom/family room when it’s done.

But even without any furniture or other goodies, I absolutely love the concept of this room, since it’s basically one big open rectangle with tons of windows (hoorah for natural light!), vaulted ceilings, and an entire wall of built-in cabinetry.

We’re even leaving one wall completely blank so we can use it as a projector “screen” for family movie nights (we already scored the projector on Craigslist!).

I had my hubby take a before shot or two of the space in its raw state, but I’m not sure where those pictures ended up, and I’m writing this at a too-late hour to call and say, “Hey, baby, where are those pics so my blog-readers can better envision what I’m talking about?” (not that he wouldn’t just love it if I did, I’m sure) so you’ll just have to use your imagination for the moment, and I’ll update as soon as possible.

ANYhoo, you know me and color.

And if you don’t…

…let’s just say it’s a good thing color’s not a person, or my husband might get jealous.

And, as you’ll see from the mood board that I put together for the schoolroom/family room, the love affair ain’t ending any time soon.

OB-Schoolroom

A few notes:

  1. I already have the rug (which I scored on major sale…woot!), so it’s a for sure thing.
  2. Ditto the flooring, which isn’t exactly the same as the wood in the pic but is very close.
  3. I’m trolling craigslist for sectionals, so the likelihood of finding anything as sleek as the one in the pic is practically nil. I’d be happy with leather since the point is comfort and loungeability over style, but I’m not ruling anything out yet.
  4. I have two chairs that I plan to reupholster with the floral swatch you can see beside the chair in the picture, but they’re not nearly as “stuffy” as the one on the board (it’s just the closest one of the options I had to choose from).
  5. That wall of built-ins I mentioned? Yeah, my husband just finished spraying all of them with oil paint (that man is my hero in so many ways, not the least of which is that he spent his entire Saturday tackling that nasty, hot, smelly job). And the color is what you see on that console there in the middle of the board. It’s called Emotional by Sherwin Williams, and I’m not gonna lie—it turned out considerably more coral and less red than I was expecting (the pic of the console is very true-to-life). But I still like it. And I think it looks great with the fabric swatch (Alexander Henry’s Barcelona in Soft Pink, in case you were wondering).
  6. I don’t actually know the name of the paint color for the walls, since we had it color-matched, and it wasn’t tagged properly, but it is very close to Sherwin William’s Sea Salt:

sea salt

{Which we used in our living room}

So, basically, you’re looking at shades of gray/blue, navy, and coral, underscored by warm tones from the floor and sectional.

I spent, ahem, waaay too much time deciding on a big, bold floral fabric for the chairs that will work with that rug (I had something a little different in my head, but I can’t seem to find it), and while I really love the Barcelona option, it’s not technically an upholstery fabric, and I’m a little worried about how it will hold up to getting mauled crawled on by the kids.

Like I said, this room is meant to be used, and, while I want it to be warm, inviting, and attractive, I don’t want to go with anything that will make me worry about its getting messed up too much.

SO!

If you are a fellow fabric junkie and happen to have run across something you think would be fabulous with the navy chevron rug in an actual upholstery weight material, puh-lease shoot the link my way so I can check it out.

I’m not much of an upholsterer, and I would hate to put all that effort into something only to have it ruined right away because my fabric couldn’t take the heat.

Oh, and feel free to weigh in with any other suggestions you might have for the room as well. (Just don’t knock the rug, please; it’s a’staying).

You know I love it when you guys tell me what you think!.

10 Comments

  1. I’ve recently discovered your blog… strangely enough, it was when I was looking for hairstyles for thick curly hair 😉 (just about due for another cut, everyone commented on how nice it is btw!)

    in response to this post, can’t wait to see finished pics, oh DIY lists, how I love them. I’ve got a huge one for my home too, I wish I had more time to chip away at it, and some warmth for paint to dry would be good too – it’s winter here in NZ now!

  2. Can’t wait to see finished pics! Looks like it is going to be gorgeous and warm and inviting. Good luck on all your projects this week. Hope you don’t miss your hubby too much. 😉

  3. Fabric Junkie here! I don’t have anything on my pinterest board that fits the bill, but I will keep on the lookout! I’ve been checkin out some online fabric stores so I will let you know if I find something. I think yes, you need home dec weight fabric, otherwise, you will be disappointed. It will pull & tear at the seams especially w/ heavy use…..kids! Love your color scheme & idea board! I’m really lovin’ coral & navy right now too!

  4. What are some of your freezer meals? I’m not very good at this, but need to be. Our little one will be here in 20 weeks or less and I think I’ll need a trial and error process. Please Help!!

  5. Knock the rug? No way. I love the rug! I bought a chevron rug for Baby Ardis’ room and it’s one of our favorite elements. Your mood board looks so good!

  6. Abbie you have a great sense of style.. I say follow your heart. You love colour and it always works for you so just go for it. Cant wait to see the twins room and the new family finished. I absolutely loved Dellas room and your kitchen and your lounge room.. and your wardrobe.. Love seeing photos of your house full stop. 🙂

I love hearing from you guys!