Snapshots From A Sunday At Clan Donaldson!

Check ME out, all famousy famous at Cari's blog today.

(Ok, ok, the picture wasn't really taken at 7pm.  But it was taken sometime between 4-9 because I was alone with Samuel and trying to distract him from the hammer I used.  And it was probably taken after 5pm, because it took me a while to, you know, feed my child grapes and a milkshake for supper and all.  But it definately wasn't taken after 7:30pm because that's when I cried with exhaustion and insisted that bedtime be moved forward.)

Meh.  Close enough.

A Pinterest Inspired Project

I've mentioned my oh-so-minor Pinterest obsession, right?  Well, I thought I might tackle one of the simpler projects currently in my queue.  Fabric, tightly held or glued in embroidery hoops and displayed on the wall as art.  I needed something simple and pretty for the girl's 'nook' while she sleeps in our room, and this seemed like the perfect solution.

I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out.  I had another hoop, and debated making the display bigger, but I really didn't want it to become an 'embroidery hoop wall', just a bit of whimsy in the middle of a grown-up room.  To make it even more special, the white fabric at the top is shantung silk from my wedding dress.

Inspiration of the week - painted bottles

http://www.marthastewart.com/268444/bottle-beauty



http://poppytalk.blogspot.ca/2010/03/weekend-project-bottle-painting.html





http://www.deniseinbloom.com/27-creative-uses-for-jars-and-recycled-bottles/



Free decor!

I'm becoming obsessed with Pinterest!  I think what I love the most about this website is that it caters to my three strongest decorating-oriented personality traits: I'm cheap, I can't throw things away, and I like to be creative.  Not always a successful trio of traits, but it keeps us on our toes around here.

And how much thriftier can you get than free?  Take a look at these crafts, all made with entirely free paint chips.

A simple paint chip mobile from http://www.sayyestohoboken.com/

Paint chips laminated together to make placemats from http://www.betterlivingthroughdesign.com/

Paint chip gift tags from http://www.ohandtheworldspinsmadlyon.blogspot.com/

A paint chip table top from http://www.atypicaltypea.com/

Paper and silk flowers...

Easter decorating inspiration...

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/231155/how-make-paper-and-fabric-wedding-flowers/@center/272429/diy-weddings#/174603

http://seakettle.com/?p=5226



http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/231155/how-make-paper-and-fabric-wedding-flowers/@center/272429/diy-weddings#/174603

 

Multiple children in small bedrooms - is it possible?

This is a very long post.  It's so long I should split it into sections, but I'm not going to.

I'm fascinated by the sleeping options there are now for children sharing a small room!  Take a look at these:

This is a trundle bed


Your general service trundle bed.  Buy it anywhere, in any colour.

You can buy it alone, for a few hundred dollars, and roll it under an existing twin bed to make room to sleep a second child.

But, I mean, why stop there?

Let's say you need to fit two children in one room but can't sacrifice the storage provided under the bed?  You can also get the trundle bed with drawers.

A twin bed with a trundle and three storage drawers.

Ok, but let's say you need to fit two children in the room but also have the room be a playroom or even a living space?  You can get a daybed with a trundle bed, to maximize the use of a room...

Or..

you can get a daybed with a trundle bed, and the storage drawers as well.  So, you get a sofa, two beds and a storage space!

Ok, so you like that, but the drawers make the trundle too high up for your little person?  No problem.  You can get a daybed, with a trundle bed BELOW the drawers.  And lest you think the drawers opening would be inconvenient and squeeze the mattress, you can have the drawers come out either side of the bed.  Now the mattress is low, the storage isn't sacrificed, you fit two children in the room and you have a sofa space.


Sleep two children, with three storage drawers and a sofa space for $500 new.

Or you could get a pop-up trundle bed that converts from a twin to a king size.


Alright, but what about when you don't need a trundle bed forever?  Your children aren't going to want to sleep in this configuration for good, so then what?  Well, you could get a twin bed, with a trundle bed that has three drawers...AND a separate unit to use once you no longer need the trundle bed.  Pop out the trundle with three drawers, and slide in the large, four drawer storage unit.  And the trundle and drawer unit can go fit under another bed.


Shown with the trundle/three drawer configuration but available as a four-drawer too.

Now, you've clearly fallen in love with the daybed/storage/trundle configuration, as I have, because you're no fool.  But the child on top - won't they fall on the child below?
Nope. 

 - You can get the twin bed with a safety rail and a trundle bed.
 - Or the daybed with the safety rail and a trundle bed.
 - Or a toddler bed, which has built in safety rails...and a trundle bed.

But you have MORE than two children to fit in this room, right?  You have a six year old, a four year old, and a two year old.  It's a little room and you've got a lot of children to squeeze in.  So you can use bunk beds with a trundle bed.

Ok, ok, let's just say it.  You hate bunk beds because of the ladder-is-dangerous bit.  No problem.  I present to you, bunk beds, with a trundle bed, with three large storage drawers, and stairs.


It solves practically every problem there is in the world.

If you can squeeze two people into a full-size bed, you can do the same configuration but a bit wider (with or without the ladder):


Four people can sleep here!

Or if space is very, very tight, you can use a bunk bed, with the bottom bunk made as a futon for your sofa option, but able to fold down to sleep two.  Add a trundle bed to that and you can sleep four people in a room.  When it's all folded up in the morning it won't take up much more floor space than a twin bed.

That's crazy compact. But not as crazy as this:

Yeah, that's a set of bunk-cribs.  Where are your children sleeping, the closet?

Now, all of these are cool, without a doubt.  But at some point you get into 'barracks' mode and you need to pull out the BIG GUNS.  Take a look at these inspirational spaces:

I imagine that four girls would adore such a grown-up looking room.  Though, do
those top bunks look ridiculously high to anyone else?



Perfect for a smaller space.  You could even make those under-the-bed areas built in drawers
for a more streamlined look.



A bit 'too' barracks?  Still, imagine how light and airy!

This looks incredibly treacherous to me, but whimsical, too.



I had my wedding reception in a smaller area than this, but it does show
you how lovely a few architectural details can make a room.

  

My goodness.



An excellent use of a long, narrow attic space.

 And if you start to think about space-saving, you really need to consider the usefulness of the space you do have.  The last picture up there illustrates a great use of a long, narrow space to fit four beds with under-bed storage.  Here are some other long, narrow space options:

Anyway, clearly space doesn't have to be an issue.  Anything, simply anything is possible.





How do food and quilts collide?

It occured to me last night, while I was too tired to do anything about it, that I sorta jumped from one topic: "I need to figure out how to spend less money on food!" into a completely different and opposing topic that looks like: "let's spend money and re-decorate my bedroom!"

Blame it on the pregnancy brain, y'all.  Sorry.

Let me back the train up a bit and explain myself.  The week of food counting was very informative.  I learned several lessons, all of which are going to serve me well.  To start with, it is completely possible to feed my family for $75 a week, only it doesn't look like it at first glance.  That's because I need to spend $100 the first week, and then about $50 the second week to restock perishables.  Or maybe $110/$40.  I'm not certain about that yet.  So, the next step is more menu planning, and some cash vs. plastic purchasing debates, but I think I have my food answer.

Now, this made me think of the things I would like to do before I leave my job and its paycheck!  My husband and I have spent our whole relationship with a sub-par bedroom. We've decorated it in 'early attic' style, or, like my friend Amanda calls it, 'frat boy'.  It's true.  If you don't believe me, watch the video.  Or save me the humiliation and just believe me.  We had a duvet from Zellers, a dresser from someone's basement, and a free bookcase.  Our style was non-existant, which is odd, since both of us are actually very particular about what we like.  Instead, our decorating budget and resources went into getting a room ready for our son and preparing for baby #2.

So, our room looks like crumbs.  And we'd like to change that.  I have no intention of spending a whole load of money on this re-do, but I do realize that some money has got to be spent.  So far, that money has rung up to the tune of $29.50.  We bought a quilt for $25 (a lovely antique from a thrift store), two thick white muslin flat sheets and a fitted sheet, and a mattress cover (to protect our mattress from baby spit-up in a few months).  We had matching pillowcases and blankets already.  And our mattress, boxspring and pillows are new as of last year.  I know we need to make a few more bedding decisions, but I feel like we're off to a good start, and the price is right.

We've also agreed on a new layout for the room, and I'm happy to start that tomorrow.  And some free wall art has been started, sidetable conversations are in progress, curtain options have been discussed and we're moving quickly.  I would like the total bill to come in around $100.

If you'd like to be added to the Pinterest board, just comment below!

Decorating Inspiration!

I came across this quote at http://www.thenester.com/ (the exact post where you can find this quote is here) and since I feel that it pretty much sums up my hopes for my new bedroom, I thought I'd share it with you.

"Money really isn’t the issue when it comes to not creating a home you love.


We like to blame it on money because then we can blame it on something we don’t have complete control over. Then we can sit back and whine and do nothing about it.

We like to think money is the difference in having a pretty home and dreaming about having a pretty home.

But really, it takes something harder to come by than money. It’s harder to come by but easier to get, if you are willing.

It’s risk.

It’s initiative.

It’s being ok with trying something and having it look ridiculous and fail.


And it’s being ok with trying something and knowing that someone who’s home you don’t even love might think it’s ridiculous but you love it and therefore, it’s a good choice for you.


Anyone can create a pretty home using measly dollars.


I’d bet that someone with fewer resources than you has a prettier home than you.

Blaming your financial situation on not having a home you love is a cop-out. Start doing something about it today."

A very frugal master bedroom makeover.

Oh.  Oh, my I cannot believe I'm actually posting this video.

This is our master bedroom:

It is very shabby and outdated and so on, and there are reasons that it looks like this.  They are this little person:

And this even tinier person:

both of whom get the majority of our time and attention.  Our bedroom, (in fact, anything that is specifically ours) plays second fiddle.  Or maybe fifty-second fiddle.

Not to mention the fact that money is something you use to buy food, and pay bills, and save a little of so that if the cat vomits blood or someone breaks a bone or the dryer mysteriously 'stops working' you have money to fix the problem.  Money is not something that I feel comfortable spending on myself, or my husband, and especially not in such a frivolous way as 'prettying up the bedroom'!  But, I realize that something needs to be done.

If you'd like to suggest what that something might be, keeping in mind my very miserly mindset and lack of decorating savvy, I've stolen the idea of starting a Pinterest board for people to pin ideas to from my friend Cari.  (Comment on here or on Facebook to get added to the list.  You'll need a Pinterest account for me to add you.  If you don't have one, I can send you an invite to get one, and then add you.)  Her bedroom looks quite nice.  Her bedroom looked fine to me to begin with, but it also looks nice now, so that's what I want, too.  I want the nice bit. 

P.S. I should mention that I bought bedding today.  Now, it looks like this:


This picture is taken in terrible, nightime lighting.  The purple and yellow is actually quite pale and vintage looking.  We bought white muslin sheets to go with the quilt, and have yellow brushed wool blankets and white pillowcases with yellow embroidery on it.  So, the bedding is set.

 I'm not saying it's 'done', but I certainly think it's better.  I'm pretty unsure about throw pillows, but maybe this is where they'd come in handy?

P.P.S.  Also, we rent.  So I cannot paint the robin's egg blue walls, change the carpets, paint the woodwork, etc. etc.  On the other hand, I don't really care about all of that, anyway, since what I'm looking for is a bedroom that would work in a hypothetical off-white room that will happen sometime in our future.