Laundry Room Mini Makeover

                                                         Before:
I didn't like all my laundry and cleaning supplies, etc. to be on display like this, since the laundry room is right next to the kitchen, in plain sight. It looked way too cluttered.

                                                       After:
So, I decided to use some curtains that we had in our bedroom last year in the laundry room to hide the mess. I turned one of the panels sideways and hung it using curtain ring clips, so that it would be the right length and width to hang over the open shelf, from wall to wall. After some trial and error, I found a thinner than usual shower rod that works great! I tried a tension rod first, and it was so flimsy that it bent right away, plus it was always falling down. This rod is very sturdy. :-)

 I had hung some cafe curtains across the middle of the window last year, so I just moved the rod up to the top of the window instead and hung the matching curtain panel using the clips. Way more privacy at night, and it looks so pretty, too! :-)

                                          Nathanael clearly approves of the changes. ;-)

Happy Easter!

I recently added these words to our master bathroom, and they are so appropriate for Resurrection Sunday! I love seeing this quote every time I walk into our bathroom.

It is so wonderful to know that our Redeemer liveth!

"I serve a risen Savior He's in the world today.

I know that He is living, whatever men may say.

I see His hand of mercy; I hear His voice of cheer;

And just the time I need Him He's always near.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!

He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way.

He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!

You ask me how I know He lives?

He lives within my heart.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In all the world around me I see His loving care,

And though my heart grows weary, I never will despair;

I know that He is leading, through all the stormy blast;

The day of His appearing will come at last.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, Lift up your voice and sing

Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King!

The Hope of all who seek Him, The Help of all who find,

None other is so loving, so good and kind."

(By Alfred Henry Ackley)

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/503#ixzz1rGn8SpvI

Spring Has Arrived Early! :-)

It has been so warm this March! I remember last year it was still looking like Winter, so I am very happy it has been so nice. Everything is blooming and getting beautiful and green again. :-)
My "Bleeding Heart" plant is already flowering, thanks to all the lovely rain we have had.


Bleeding Heart flowers...

With all of this nice weather, came bugs and also the need to let the cooling breezes into the house and get some cross ventilation. So, we bought a pretty Victorian/Farmhouse style screen door for the back entrance onto the deck. I love it!!! Ben and the boys (hehe) did a great job installing it while a was out a couple Saturdays ago. :-)

Our baby cherry tree has a few flowers this year. :-)

Hopefully this trellis will have fragrant honeysuckle climbing all over it this Summer! I ordered some along with other plants, from an online nursery. They will probably arrive in April.

From our backyard, looking towards the neighbor's yard. It starts on the other side of the creek....

The boys like to help bring the trash bins back up. :-) It's so cute.

The Reading Room

We use our "formal dining room" as a reading room. :-) It is where I have my desk and (new pink) laptop, a bookshelf and now a little seating area.

I recently added words from a wonderful old hymn to the wall above the window. I love having inspirational words scattered in our house here and there. ;-)

I had been looking for a while for a nice upholstered chair to put into this room, to replace the rocking chair that just wasn't working in here. It kept banging the banister behind it, and leaving white marks.

I found the perfect chair at Homegoods! I saw it the minute I entered the store, and bought it right away. It was a good price, too, a lot less than others I had been looking at.But since it is more reddish than the usual pinks in our house, it began to dictate the things that could be near it. Ha The floral lamp shade on the white wicker lamp had to give way to this new tan lamp shade.

(You can see the old lamp shade in the pic below.)

As you can see, the boys love to read on the new chair, and it is where I sit for the songs and sounds part of our kindergarten each day. ;-)

I put an extra dining chair in here as the new chair's companion. ;-)

Brothers: Best Buddies

Nathanael and Teddy really are best buddies. They don't always get along perfectly, but they will always have a special friendship. So, I thought these "wall words" would be so cute for their room. :-)

I recently found a cute car and truck themed quilt for a great price on eBay for Teddy's bunk, and it came with an adorable matching window valance. I love eBay sometimes. ;-)Other times, when selling, it can be annoying. Ha

I think the window treatment adds a really cute and cheerful touch to their room. :-)

Linking up at Thrifty Decor Chick's "Show Us Your House". :-)
http://www.thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2012/05/show-us-your-kids-rooms.html

Vintage Plates

I love vintage dishes, and was running out of space to store or display them. So, Ben hung these "new" plates I bought from a local vintage boutique recently. We used wire plate hangers with springs on the back.

Teddy discovered them the next morning, and he was all excited. Haha It was cute. He looks at them from the table and points at them every time he eats now. ;-) Maybe the idea of plates hanging up there amuses him. Ha

Happy Valentine's Day!