Bedroom Redo

As if I didn't have enough going on trying to get my family room "redone", and leaving for Florida tomorrow, we started a new project this weekend... our bedroom.

To make a long story shorter, we finally moved the treadmill out of our bedroom last week. That required the carpet to be re-stretched. Re-stretching required all the furniture to be moved out. Since all the furniture was out of the room we decided to repaint. Repainting means that my existing bedding no longer matches and needs replaced.

I had learned about the Cath Kidston Home site and the sale they were having from the Anyone Can Quilt Blog a while back. I had checked out the site at the time, and found a few things I liked, but nothing that went with the existing yellow paint color in the room. I went back to the site to see what I could find to match with my new Aqua Blue walls. I liked the idea of adding my favorite color red, especially after I moved this fun chair (that I had bought a few weeks ago that was suppose to be for our lake house) into the room.

So when I went to the site, this was the duvet cover I wanted...

The red roses with the white background, but they did not have it left in queen. So I settled for this one in the red and blue stripe (very light and summery)...

I added some pillow cases in the same stripe and a second duvet cover and pillow cases in this fun red and white polka dot (I LOVE polka dots) for more of a wintery look...

The total for 2 duvet cover and 4 pillowcases came to $126 with shipping. I didn't think that was too bad for nice Cath Kidston bedding.

But then I thought..."they have the one I really want in a king, I could just get that and trim down the sides". So I went back to that page and added the king duvet cover to my order before removing the red and striped one I was going to replace it with, and guess what happened? Some sort of extra discount was applied because I had bought so much and now with 3 duvet covers and 4 pillow cases the total came to $90.50!!

Sooooo... I went shopping some more. Here is what I ended up buying...

(3) Duvet covers (2 queen and 1 king)
(1) Queen bedskirt
(6) Pillowcases

For a Grand Total of $105 with shipping!!!

I know, you are probably thinking who really needs 3 duvet covers, but for the fabric in them alone they are so worth it. I can cut one up and make throw pillows, or maybe curtains, combine 2 of them and make one reversible duvet and use the extra sides to make a quilt... Who knows, the possibilities are endless...

Transformations...

I am in the middle of transorming some second hand (some possibly even third or forth hand) furniture into some new treasures for me and my family.

It started with this chair I bought several years ago for $10.

I removed the ruffely skirt, and it immediately transformed the look of the chair...

I whip stitched some cute coordinating striped fabric (very nice Robert Allen home dec cotton for only $4/yard) to one side of the cushions and then sewed it on with the machine.

I found this gorgeous pre-washed velvet fabric on line (regularly $36/yard - I got it for only $9/yard!) and ordered a swatch to see how it matched with my chair.

The match could not be more perfect. Here is the swatch pinned to the back of the cushion. I ordered a few yards and am going to put it on the back of each cushion the way I put the strip on the front. Now I will have 2 different looks (summer -stripe, winter - velvet) with the same chair.

The velvet fabric also goes great with the love seat I am also working on, and ties the whole room together.

Here is a sneak peak...

Original $29 love seat.

Removed the skirt.

Covered with a chocolate brown slipcover.

Will cover the gold back cushions withe the same velvet I showed you earlier.

Well, what do you think?

I have new cushion material ordered for both pieces and the velvet. Hope to finish these after spring break. Will post pictures of both when finished.

CHAMPIONS!!

M's team won their cheerleading competition last night. They did an awesome job!!

Needless to say, I think she had a great birthday yesterday!

the video of their routine is posted on YouTube.

Happy Birthday!

This beautiful girl turns 14 today.

She is as sweet, kind and considerate (most times anyway) as she is beautiful. We celebrated her birthday on Tuesday, because we would not have time today as she is competing in her city wide cheerleading contest this evening. GO EAGLES!!!

Isn't she cute...

Her present was this phone...
She has been asking for her own cell phone for over a year, but has also been very understanding when each holiday has passed with no cell phone in the pile of presents. Needless to say she was extatic when she heard the box with the phone "ringing" (the ringtone was her brother, sister and myself singing happy birthday) while she was opening it!

Happy Birthday M!

Here's to another year of fun, happiness, good health and many many good memories!!

Over the Rainbow

Yesterday we went to the annual "River Greening". The fire department turns the St. Mary's river green in honor of St. Patrick's Day and has an all day family fun fest.

The river was quite swollen and muddy due to the recent flooding in the area, so the green dye disipated quite quickly, but I loved how the sun hitting the green stream formed a rainbow!

The girls did not want to go this year. C our middle child's response was... "I don't want to go watch all those Amish people with their ukuleles". I think she meant Irish people with their bagpipes, but I could be wrong. Maybe there were some rogue Amish people playing ukuleles last year that really frightened her. I must say, I would be frightened if I saw that too!!!

We just took P and a friend of his and we had a great time...The boys participated in the Lucky Charms eating contest
We ate Irish Stew
The boys attempted to pull a firetruck
And we even got to see and hear the "Amish Ukulele" players...

Quite Taxing

It has been a "taxing" few days. Literally... trying to get our taxes done - I am the "accountant" in the family - that is scary!!!

And when the numbers get to be too much, I have been taking a break by sorting, folding (using this method - thanks Amanda Jean for inspiring me to get this started), and trying to organize my fabric stash.

Although both are "taxing" projects, and I have miles to go on both, I have at least taken the first step by starting them!!

I did steal a little time between these two projects to start a new quilt project. I will only give you a peak of it. I am still playing with the pattern (I am developing), colors, layout, etc. but a put a few sample blocks together into a small wall hanging or pillow (haven't decided which yet). I am hoping to develop my "vision" into a my first full blown quilt pattern. Keep your fingers crossed!

A Weekend Away

My DH and I spent the weekend with his high school (yes, I said high school) buddies. This small group of guys has remained friends for all these years.


We got together at the "farm". One of his friends married into this "farm" that consists of 23 acres, skeet shooting range, a pond, trails, pens for live birds (for hunting), woods, etc... There are actually crops (soy beans and feed corn) that are grown on the property, but that part is leased out to a real farmer.

It was a couples only weekend, and we had lots of fun reminiscing,

playing games,

laughing,

eating,

shooting,

and drinking.

A good time was had by all. We already have the date for next year's get-together planned...