filling in the blanks...

All the Christmas stuff is finally put away.

Well, almost all of it.

There is a little pile of things that needs to go up in the attic that I keep adding to when I come across something I missed.

Anyway, I know some of you will agree with me that it's a little discouraging to see so much "empty space" around the house after the holidays.

My home looked just fine to me before I decorated for Christmas and now it looks so bare.

Today I cleared out my den as I am preparing to give this room a little makeover...again.

I am giving the ceiling, walls and trim a fresh coat of paint.

The trim will go from cream to white and a pale grey will replace the Swiss Coffee on the walls.

To be honest, after looking at way more than 50 shades while making over my master bedroom, I really don't want to look at another grey paint chip.  I might just go with the grey from my master bedroom at 50% intensity.  

(And I promise, the reveal on that makeover really is coming soon!)

In the midst of prepping the room I started filling in the blanks in my living room with some of my treasures from the shelf over our computer.  Here's what the shelf looked like at Christmas...

I put a few of the pieces on my dry sink...

Looking for a new quote for my chalkboard ~ care to share your favorite?

Then I put a few more at the end of my couch, also replacing the french window with my chippy old shutter and a vintage mirror that were in the den as well...

I feel like I gave my living room a no cost makeover today just by using items from a different room!

To be honest, I am a little nervous about putting a color on the walls in my den, which is open to my living room.

I do like the creamy white and how the two rooms flow perfectly, but I am ready for change and it is only paint.  If I don't like it I can change it back!

My master bedroom is a combination of grey, white and cream and I am loving the look of it so I am confident that all my treasures in the den will look just great against the new wall color.

(Maybe even a few new treasures too....sshh, don't tell Jim!)

Eventually the living room will be painted to match the den...eventually.

So, if you have found yourself staring at a lot of empty space after the holidays, try filling in the blanks with some pieces from another room and treat yourself to a no cost makeover!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Joining Timewashed for Blissful Whites Wednesday

and

Common Ground for Be Inspired Friday.

the little room...

I am sure you all have a spot in your home where "stuff" you don't know where else to put ends up.

In our house it is a place I call the little room.

It is in fact a little room in our master bedroom that would be a great walk in closet or even a master bathroom (if we stole a little space from the master bedroom).

Both options have never come to the top of our Fall/Winter project lists.

Can you hear Jim saying "Thank God"?!!

I have wanted to freshen the space up for a while.

I thought this would be a good place to try out a color palette I want to use in my bedroom makeover that I am planning for the Fall.

(After camping season which starts May 1st!!)

So, this past February, when we were up to our ears in snow, I dove in.  Here is the room after I emptied out all the junk...

This room held our laundry hampers, ironing board, file cabinet and a bunch of junk.  I also had some of my favorite works of art that my kids made for me over the years (can you see the dirt on the walls, yuk).   The colors were from when we moved in back in 1999.  I used to watch "Trading Spaces" all the time and on one episode they said to pick your room colors off of one chip ~ lightest shade on the walls, darkest on the trim, and the one in the middle on the ceiling.

I used this method for my master bedroom as well as the kids rooms, one was purple and one was blue.  What was I thinking?!

This was the last of the not so great paint color selections and I was very happy to see them go!

I did not want to spend a lot of money so I mixed my own paint for the walls, using a Martha Stewart gray I already had in an eggshell finish with some of the flat white ceiling paint.

I am happy with the color but when I do get to painting my bedroom, I think I will throw a quick coat on the walls in here.

I do not like flat paint on walls.

Not the best pictures (sorry for the glare), but you have to admit it does look much better...

The carpet will be fixed when the bedroom is done (or hopefully gone).  The hampers went back in and I got a new ironing board cover with my color palette...

I framed two of my favorite works of art...

Picked up a cute stool at the shop and brought the file cabinet back in...

I'd love a new lampshade for my glass lamp and maybe a (vintage) dressform in the corner.

I used a baker's rack to help keep the room tidy...

Picking up some boxes and crates that would look pretty holding some junk...

For now as a window treatment I am using an oops flour sack towel that did not work on a project I did for the shop.  It looks sort of cute!  I am thinking maybe adding a black and white ticking ruffle to the top (if I could sew).

I love my little room now and have been keeping it neat!

I am happy with the color palette and have been pinning lots of ideas for my bedroom makeover.

What do you think?

I am joining Common Ground for Be Inspired.  Debra has featured my post on our At Home With White Show from last week.  Thanks Debra and thank you all for stopping by!

Have a wonderful weekend!!

P.S. ~ Tomorrow is Jim's Big 5~0...Happy Birthday Handsome!

old mirror makeover...

Well, now that I am a proud member of blogland I must remember to bring my camera with me wherever I go! Hmmm...I'm thinking I just might need a fabulous new "photo op" bag to carry my camera in along with a cute little notebook! Anyway, I did remember the other day to take a before photo of a makeover project I've been working on.


This was an old mirror with a spring Currier and Ives scene that was water stained. I thought it needed a vintage white makeover.

I love how it came out, do you? Thank you Karen at The Graphics Fairy for the fabulous french advertising image. I intended this piece to go to the shop but loved how it turned out so I thought I'd see how it would fit in my nest somewhere, first the den...

No...perhaps in the bathroom...
No, maybe in the hall outside the bathroom...
No, what about in the living room on the mantel?


Definately not there...I can't take away my favorite mirror! Maybe it will look good in my craft room...oh and look at this painting isn't it to die for! It was my Mom's!

I do like it there but I decided that the frame is still a bit too country for me so off to the shop it went!
I finally remembered to bring my camera with me so a post on my booth at The Wrentham Country Store is coming soon!

I'm sure you all know the beautiful Anne and her fabulous blog Fiona and Twig! Well she was kind enough to feature my blog and Etsy shop in her post yesterday!!! Thank you so much Anne!!! She has a huge following and so many of them stopped by my new little blog with the sweetest comments. Please visit her blog for amazing photos (love her booth shots), and wonderful tales (she writes from the heart). Don't forget to visit her Etsy shop too...you know she made the homepage!!

Thank you to Kathleen at Faded Charm for hosting my favorite day, White Wednesday so I could share with you my old mirror makeover.