It's So Good To Be Home

Mom and Dad were here for nearly 6 weeks.  It is always so wonderful to have them here.  Dad has told me that he likes to be busy when he is here.  He has never been one to sit around and I'm glad that I can keep him busy.  I love the additions that he puts in my home.  It feels like my home is finally mine and almost perfect, except for the backyard, that's another story for another post.  And another project that isn't on my radar for a while.

When dad was here in September he put up the cabinets (which were free because the cabinet people never came to pick them up even though I called them at least 5 times) for my entertainment center.  It looked pretty blah.  But now it is complete with shelves, a bead board back and a new, much larger TV.

I found a design with instructions for my mud room.  It just seemed like an empty room, but now it welcomes me home each day.  Dad put up the wall paneling, which I love and mom found this awesome European, very heavy bench at Homegoods.  It saved dad from having to build me a bench. 

When I was home a few months ago I made this sign and just put it up on Sunday.  I love it.  I have full intentions to stain the frame, but it hasn't been done and I don't see it happening anytime either.
 
Dad put some bead board under my bar in September.  The bar has needed some bar stools for the past year.  I've had a hard time finding some that I liked.  Well I just happened to drive by a second hand store and lo and behold they had a set of 3 for 89 dollars.  Total Steal!  I was so happy that I backed into a yellow pole.  And now those bar stools will cost me 589 when I get my little dent and new yellow paint color fixed.  Grrr.

Dad put bead board up in the rest of the family room.  I love it.  This room is so big and needed something.  Mom also switched the furniture from the front room.  I actually like it better.  I also love that I have some white in this room instead of the walls all being the same color.  I had full intentions of getting a wall painted, but that didn't happen.  I got this darling secretary desk from some friends of mine who inherited it from a friends uncle who passed away.  I've been wanting one for a good while and love the size of this.  I had originally put it in my craft room, but it ended up here, which is perfect.

Lauren came from NC for 10 days.  Aside from seeing me, her goal was to come create and organize my craft room.  I don't know many friends who will leave their 4 boys at home and come clear across the country, especially when she is afraid to fly and spend a few days organizing, painting and perfecting my craft room.  It's exactly what I wanted it to look like.  In addition I found some fabulous very gently used Land of Nod furniture from a lady down the street.  I had no intentions of turning this into a bedroom, but I absolutely love it.  We stopped at an antique store in Chandler one evening and I found the exact quilt that I wanted on this bed.  Lucky me it was 40 percent off.  And how often do you see such cute pillows that say, "Hello There Handsome" and on sale!

 This mirror was my grandma Young's.  I love it in this room and so happy I finally got it up.  The desk top I found in my garage, left over from the cabinets.  We got the legs at IKEA.  Can you see the little suitcase?  It was my grandma Jeanne's.  I love the addition that it brings and it is also great for storage.  I also love the shadow box that I found which houses some of my special hankies.

I would never have thought to put a lamp above the bed.  Lauren's idea=brilliant.

I love the few additions to my other guest bedroom.  It's amazing what a new lamp shade will do to a room. The beach picture in the corner was painted by a friend of mine and I found the perfect frame for it.