Creating a Dream Room for the Kids

If all goes to plan, Magic Man and I will be moving into a new home in September.  Of all the rooms, I'm most excited about the kids' room.  Our last one was kind of fun even though we were limited to what we could do in an apartment.  

Their bed is my absolute dream come true: easily sleeps four, works as a guest bed and has storage built in.  Amazing!  I only have a few blurry photos (but it was my favorite place in our apartment):

Ikea fabric is the greatest for easy to hang and then remove decor.

I started to research alternate closets because one small closet is not enough for 4 kids.

Then I started to look at isolated play areas for make believe time (they love their Ikea circus tent at my parent's house). 

Then I started to pull photos for inspiration - and see what overall look I wanted to go for.  Apparently it's chaos and color. Beautiful, beautiful chaos (and color).  Because you know they'll turn it to chaos anyway.

Ahhh, Apartment Life. Tres Dreamy...Sort Of

 When we first moved in the apartment looked like this for a while.  

But now it looks like this:

Just kidding.  It usually looks like this:

I have a bad habit of subscribing to a newspaper and not reading them right away, then letting them pile up and eventually binge reading all of them.  Hubbo once walked in and saw the giant pile on the floor and said 'Worst $20 I've ever spent.'   

I bought this table and rug when I was single the rug I wasn't crazy about but it was cheap and I needed one STAT.  Now I'm glad we have it because it's the dining room rug and if it gets drawn on with purple marker or stained with juice I'm like, 'eh, no big deal.'  Now the purple marker on the table made me a little sad but I got over it.  At least we are getting good craft-use out of it.

 We DO have two nice patios that we try to use anytime the weather is nice.  

It's like a little Mississippi (we had bonfires weekly there) - only illegal.

So what does the apartment look like when THIS guy has a birthday? 

Well, like this:

 We had: 2 twin brothers + 1 perfect mom-in-law + 1 sister-in-law and 1 husband + 3 kids stay with us 2 in a 2 bed/2 bath apt for 7 days. 

I think most people would say that might be a bit much but I happen to have amazing in-laws who WANT to spent as much time together as possible.   

Magic Man's Birthday was a week-long celebration.   

I love this because he really IS saying 'let me open my own gift.'

Hubbo and his girls.

And where was Lil'Dude?

  

Protecting his precious toys.

New Southern Dream Life

So now I have a new Southern gentleman husband . . . 

 . . . & four new kiddies (yes, 4), who I cannot stop taking photos of.  

I especially like it when they blend into my apartment.

Who knew the South would be so magical?

P.S. Someone sent me this necklace and I have no idea who but I love it more than kittens.

Dreamiest invention yet? Probably Contact Paper

Not only do I line all my shelves and drawers with it - but I can't stop putting in on my furniture as well.
I scoured TJ Maxx and Home Goods for rolls and rolls.  The more patterns and colors, the better.

For my mini-bookcase I used three different patterns (because I can't stop).  Plus, I considered painting the bookcase like the Roll Top but just the thought exhausted me.   

This night stand came off lucky since I only used one and one color of paint.

I dreamt I had money to buy an awesome sofa

I mean like real money, like ABC Carpet & Home money or Anthropologie money (don't act like they aren't high end - their prices and patterns are so alienating they screams 'high end').

But alas, I do not have said money, so I had to settle for a Rooms 2 Go sofa, which was tres comfy. 

And brown.

Again, like the Roll Top (not to be confused with Roll Tide), I do not have a before photo but you can imagine a plain (read: ugly) brown and black fabric-covered sofa.  I dare say it's made of terry.  

So I took two table cloths from World Market (my version of ABC Carpet & Home in AL) and stapled it to the back and bottom frame and wrapped two cushions in it.

Since it's backed against the wall, you can't even tell how horribly I stapled it to the back.
But soon that wasn't enough - with no experience and without reading about upholstery, I bought a few more table cloths and literally sewed it on the arms.

  Suddenly, a thimble sounded like the best invention in the world, but I was working with such bare bones material, I had to suffer instead.  

Of course, if you look closely you see seems don't meet or match but who's looking that closely?

Not this guy, he just wants to cuddle. 

Did I mention that in AL I met and married a MS boy?  He's so patient with my hobbies and interest as I am with his.

(I am still learning how to dress for these activities.)