The Guest Room Saga Continues

Remember how I was once working on our guest room? Oh yes. Apparently I forgot, too. A few weeks ago Jordan had the idea to move the furniture around in the guest room to make more room. We dragged our feet on it a bit and kept saying 'tonight let's work on the guest room.' Once Lucy was in bed, the dishes washed and put away and any other little things done around the house, we were both too pooped and falling asleep on the couch. So the other night after a cup (or two) of coffee, I got to work and moved the furniture around.

So while the room isn't finished, here is how it's currently looking. 

You can see some junk piled up against the wall across from the dresser. This is the wall that still needs work. The pallet will be going up and I'd like to have the chair next to either a bench or a table of some sort. A bench under the pallet would be ideal so our guests have somewhere to put their luggage other than the floor or bed. I just haven't found a bench I like.

Here's the messy view from the door. It might be hard to tell, but there is so much more room with this new furniture arrangement. We should have done it sooner. I'll give him credit, Jordan has some good decor ideas from time to time.

I'm loving the dresser with the vintage books and suitcases. And of course my dipped table. Can you tell I'm loving clear lamp bases with white shades? I recently replaced the lamps in our living room with the same type. 

This swap has motivated me to finally finish this room. I'll admit I'm undecided about the curtains now (which is why I have yet to hem them). I'm also on the hunt for a large area rug, if I find one I like. Of course, the pallet (remember that project from forever ago?) needs to be hung. 

Just wanted to let you all know that I didn't forget about this room! 

Gettin' Thrifty

Last Thursday after work I went straight to my thrifting gold-mine, Goodeals. I hadn't been for quite some time and was itching to score some goodies. I mentioned before that this week is my 'staycation', aka the week I plan to catch up on some house projects and tackle a few things I've been dragging my feet on. To start, a good thrifting adventure.

Ever since Lucy's 12 month milestones when I borrowed this chair from my grandparents, I have been wanted to find a small mini rocking for our house. I figure she could use it to sit and drink her bottle whiel she catches up on her shoes, or even while she laughs and watches the animals run around the house like a zoo. I couldn't believe my luck when I spied this perfect little seat at Goodeals.

Since it has been on sale for a few weeks now, the price was knocked down from about $18 to $10. (Goodeals reduces the price of their items by 10% each week that they haven't been sold. Any items left after 10 weeks are free). 

I love the smooth clean lines and the finish of the wood. The chair is still in great shape, which might not always be the case with antiques, but is very important when it comes to where my little one sits.

While Lucy loved the chair as soon as I brought it home, she doesn't quite get the concept of how to use it. 

My next score was a simple frame. I love the look of thin frames with thick, slightly off centered mats. I was prettty excited when this one was marked down to $7 after just a few weeks on sale. It's currently residing on the dresser in the guest room (wait until you all see the changes I made in there! More on that tomorrow). While I like how the print looks in the frame I want to swap it out for something else, but I haven't decided what. Most likely something DIYed, which I will of course fill you all in on.

My final thrift find was this great luggage rack/tray with stand.

What? You don't think it's pretty? 

Well, honestly neither do I. Of course I plan on painting that baby. Painted fruit is just not my thing. 

I've got a few ideas for this tray. I haven't quite figured out how I want to paint it, but I will tell you it will most likely end up in the guest room.

A successful thrift trip was just what I needed to start off my staycation and get motivated. Tomorrow I can't wait to share with you all the big change we made in the guest room.

How Do you Washi?

I finally make my first Washi Tape purchase last week. I purchased these 8 rolls from Freckled Fawn and they arrived yesterday. I have a few more on the way that I purchased from The Plaid Barn. They were 62% off and I received each roll for $4.50 a piece. Still waiting for these babies to arrive in the mail. Sorry, they are sold out as you can see below. I'll have to share the amazingness of Plaid Barn with you all another time. It's a crafter's dream for discounted supplies.

I've been trying to gather some ideas of how I want to put my new Washi Tape to use. I have never worked with it before so I relied on some fellow bloggers as well as Pinterest for ideas. I found that people literally use Washi Tape on anything.

Elise's Washi Table Desk. 

(via Enjoy It)

Take an cheap thrift table or buy an Ikea Lack table for under $30 and give it a quick and bright makeover with different alternating strips of Washi Tape. You can get really creative with this project as there are so many different colors and patterns of tape available.

This washi cork board cleans up anyone's inspiration board in their office.

(via dot coms for moms)

Dress up your office supplies like this Washi Tape notebook 

(via Oh Hello Friend)

Keyboard with washi tape letters really make your laptop POP!

(via Her New Leaf)

Something as simple as a tin can can be turned into a gorgeous vase with just a little Washi love. I love the ideas of taking something 'ugly' and making it not only functional, but pretty with just a few strips of Washi.

(via Crafted Sparrow)

(via Sarah Hearts)

Dress up your stationary with a touch of Washi

(via sweetrosestudio).

Design your own coasters with a $.30 tile from Home Depot and a little Washi.

(via Page Thirteen)

How about using it for what it is? Tape!

(via Cherished Bliss)

Make a an easy banner for a party or every day room decor.

(via Think Crafts)

A few outtakes while trying to snap the above picture of my Washi purchases. Someone else was pretty excited about my rolls of tape, too.

So, how do you Washi? Any tips for a first time Washi user?

Fabric Pom Poms: Abigail's Room

The fabric pom pom tutorial from Lucy's nursery is by far the most visited page on the blog. I get over 5,000 views each week on that tutorial alone. A huge part of the popularity is thanks to Pinterest. So many Pinterester's (is that even a word?) pin Lucy's nursery pom poms each day. Many of you have also commented on the post with questions regarding fabric type, circle size, amount of fabric, and even suggestions to make the project easier, which I appreciate. Hopefully I've answered all your questions.

Last week Susan emailed me photos of her finished pom poms in her daughter Abigail's room. They look amazing! I love the color of the green rug in front of the crib against the bright pink pom poms. And having the crib at an angle in the corner is something I never would have thought to do, but it works great!

Here are a few photos that Susan shared.

If you've made your own fabric pom poms and have pictures, I'd love to share! 

Email me at simplekindoflifeblog@gmail.com

Blog Crushes

I get legitimately excited when I stumble across a new blog and fall in love. There's just something about finding a new goldmine for DIY projects, or getting to peek into the home of someone whose taste I just adore that gives me the motivation and DIY-bug to get my butt into gear and start working on our house.

While I'm working on getting back into my project groove (I've got a nice to-do list set for this weekend), I thought I'd share with you all some of my favorite blogs that I've recently found and now visit on a regular basis. Maybe one of these will become your new favorite.

sfgirlbybay - I find so much inspiration from this blog, in both home decor and personal style. She has great bohemian-modern taste that I just adore. I'm a follower on her Twitter and Instagram, too! I crave the decor in every picture she posts and it makes me want to redo every room in my house (but I won't).

A Lovely Life - I recently stumbled across this blog by accident (I forget what I was even googling...) and now I'm hooked. I especially favor blogs that feature not only home design/decor topics but some family/motherhood posts as well. This blog certainly covers all those aspects for me. She has been sharing her tips for traveling with a toddler (I've had my infant traveling tips post on the back burner since our trip in April) which I definitely plan to bookmark for later use.

Enjoy It: Elise Blaha - I have serious blogger envy for Elise and how she is able to tackle so many projects (including Project Life which I'm dying to do). She has great taste and her blog has opened my eyes to a decor style that I never would have initially considered for our house. Her skills range from DIY projects, organization, photos, baking/cooking, gardening and even running her own business. She's definitely one I'd like to sit down and ask 'how do you do it all??'

A Beautiful Mess - This blog has some of the easiest, but most unique DIY projects I've come across. Hair, clothes, art, food, they prove that you can pretty much DIY anything! I always have one of those 'why didn't I think of that?' moments when reading this blog.

August Empress - Another blog filled with inspiration. I love scrolling through the pages and exploring all the detailed, colorful pictures. Also where I purchased my social media buttons.

What are some of your favorite blogs that you check out on a daily basis? I'm always looking for more!