Semi-Homemade Bedrooms: Big Boy's Vintage Trucks

I'm finally sharing Gman's big boy room with y'all!  And I'll let you in on a secret... his room was the first one done in the new house...  and has actually BEEN done (all but switching out a chest of drawers for a black bookcase) for months... Pictures taken... Complete.  But I didn't LOVE the pics, so I kept thinking I'd retake them (because I can be a perfectionist like that).  But you know what?  Life with 3 kids and a more.than.fulltime job is crazy.  I'll never retake those pics.  So... here you go, imperfection and all!

The idea:  Vintage Trucks

The inspiration:  Gman's love of all things with wheels, but especially trucks.  This boy is ALL boy.  Except that he tells me he's not a boy, but a man.  A BIG man.  His words... ;)  So babyish themes with cartoonish vehicles was not gonna work for my lil - err - BIG!! man.

The sentimental touch (and focal point!):  The old truck of mr. fix-it's dad, aka Papa.  This old truck is now solely used on their farm and goes literally only yards in a day.  Papa loves that truck... it's a reminder of a simpler time.... and, to the kids, it's part of who Papa is.

Last June, I took several pics of Papa's truck. I took them with this room in mind (three of them hang over Gman's bed and are the focal point of the room), but I also ended up using them for Gman's Semi-Homemade Vintage Truck Birthday Party last summer.

The fun touches:  There are vintage trucks throughout the room, of course!  This one happens to be a fire truck....

My sister Ellen got Gman these vintage truck pillow cases last summer for his birthday.  I had found them on Etsy (of course!) and they are just too, too perfect!  Love 'em!  They go perfectly with the bedding I (finally!!) found him (it's Tommy Hilfiger from overstock.com, and I love the bold colors of the set, and the stars on the pillowcases!)

Remember back when we lived in the Summer House last year?  Um, yeah, I've mostly blocked it... but while we lived there, I found 2 of these great metal wall hanging on super low clearance at Hobby Lobby.  Each one has 3 vintage vehicles on it, and they're hanging on either side of his red (super cheap - $10!!) curtains.

The color scheme:  Gman's Semi-Homemade Pirate Nursery was - and maybe still is! - my favorite of all the kids' rooms I had designed at that point.  So I decided to keep the elements I loved in that room (the navy blue paint - Pittsburgh's Star Spangled - and the white beadboard) and throw in red to go for an Americana feel... to pull in the patriotism and wholesome feel of the time when Papa's truck was new.

I love the canvas hanging over this dresser.  (This dresser will soon be moved to another bedroom and replaced with a black bookshelf.  When we went shopping for Gman's big boy furniture, we found that we were drawn to black furniture.... again... somewhat similar to Sissy's... what can I say?  We're consistent.)  :)

I love this license plate frame (HL again!!) and a few more metal vintage trucks (yes, HL.  I know, I have a problem.  But the frame, and the trucks... each item was under $10!) 

And the license plate frame ties in to the picture of the US by license plate... which is hanging over the vintage red chair I found on one of my trips to Canton with Mrs. Everything.  That chair was.... are you ready?  $22.  Amazing, I know.  And I took some navy blue vinyl and put Gman's name on it - he loves that!  Lastly, the clock hanging over the door reminded me of a hubcap... and was a $12 clearance item at Bed, Bath and Beyond.  I love it when a ton of clearance buys come together! 

Ahhh, looking at that last picture, with that tiny baby in the doorway.... I took these pics during my maternity leave.  Can I go back?  ;)

Happy weekend, y'all!  Next up.... the Semi-Homemade Modern Black and White Safari Nursery!

Trade Days Treasures

Wow, it's been a month since mr. fix-it and I loaded up all 3 kids (lil Punkin wasn't even a month old yet!) and headed to the Trade Days in the town.where.we.used.to.live.  This isn't the big Trade Days that Mrs. Everything and I try to go to a couple times a year... but it's MUCH closer, smaller (in a good way) and the weather that day was PERFECT.  And here are a few things I found:

I *think* I'm going to hang this in the wet bar off the living room.  When I know... I'll show you.  ;)  (OH, and for the record... we scored this at the same place we got the MASSIVE piece for our entry way.  We were able to negotiate and got them for a steal.  Literally, it was like we stole them.)  ;)

Okay, this is standing on it's side... and since I can't figure out how to turn the pic horizontally... just bend your left ear to your left shoulder.  Got it?  Okay... it's the sillhouette of cowboys.  It matches the ones hanging everywhere in our college football stadium.  And when I'm done with it, it'll be black and hanging (horizontally, of course!) in our media room.  Or man cave.  Whatever.

This is for the nursery and it, too, will be getting a few coats of spray paint.  It'll be part of a collage... you'll see!  :)

These projects are FINALLY coming together - can't wait to show you!

Y'all Come In!

My 2 big kids are gone for a few days - making memories with mr. fix-it's parents - so I'm trying to finish as many half.done projects as possible.  First one done:  entryway. 

I never liked the way it was decorated in the last house (below).  So we'd been searching for the perfect oversized something to hang on that wall.  And I wanted to hang crosses around whatever IT was to make the look even bigger.  And I love it!

Next on the list:  working on some projects for each of the girls' rooms today, then finishing up Gman's room this evening when mr. fix-it gets home.  Stay tuned for more semi-homemade decorating!  :)
xoxo,

Sneak Peek: Semi-Homemade Black & White Nursery

Because I want to prove to y'all that I really AM still here... because you haven't seen peeks of ANYTHING fun and semi-homemade out of me in forever..... because it's spring and nothing says spring like LIME GREEN!.... and because, if you're like me, it's been one of those weeks where you could definitely use a pick-me-up.....

Here's a sneak peek of Baby #3's nursery! 
There will likely be a decal in the space above the crib... Just waiting to see if it needs to be boyish or if we're gonna go girly!

I just LOVE the bedding!  I sent some fabric ideas to Mellissa at Mellissa's Boutique on Etsy and she made it happen!  She let me mix & match my own set, based on what I wanted or didn't want... and that helped me keep my costs low. 

I also got some great stuff for #3's room at my shower last weekend! 
My sister ordered a custom mobile - elephants in black, white and chartreuse! - from Lollipop Moon on Etsy.  Looks like Sarah is trying to catch up on orders, so she's taken her listings down... but as soon as mine comes in, I'll be excited to share it!

And my brother and his girlfriend (okay, let's not kid ourselves,  my brother probably STILL doesn't know what they got the baby!) bought us this cute hamper!  Now GT can have his blue one back, and the nursery is set for all the onesie laundry this kiddo can bring!

Whew!  After an evening of Braxton Hicks, lower back pain, and spending the entire evening on the couch... this momma is off to bed.  Happy weekend, y'all! 

Oh, Alice!

It's come to my attention recently... just how closely my emotional well being is tied to our HOME.  Most specifically, I'm at my happiest and most creative when I'm entertaining, decorating, project-ing (that's a word, right?)  And so... this summer.... (in the Summer House)... I just haven't been myself.  Have I? ;)

So, I'm going to start virtually working on the new house.  I'm starting with Big Sis's Madhatter room.  I was going to explore a couple more options and build storyboards around them, but... let's be honest.  I've had that on my to do list for 5 months, and it's not any closer to happening.  So... here we go!

I came across these Antique Keys in my search for a 'key to Wonderland' feel... and I figured, at $5, they'd satisfy my need to buy something (even though that's not fitting in the budget right now!) 

Right before I sealed the deal on this purchase, I decided to browse the rest of Queen Flourishes antique shop on Etsy.  I came across this Vintage Frame and I'm wondering if a) I can pop that picture out and replace with something else, b) if I could spraypaint the frame black, and c) if I'd even love it after all that.  What do y'all think?

She also has this Vintage Silver Creamer set, but looking at it again, I'm undecided.  I originally got a funky/creepy feel for it, but... I'm looking for teacups/teapots with lots of fun color, so maybe I stick to that.

I'm building my ideas on KEYS and CLOCKS - can't wait to share with y'all!

UN-decorating

It's kinda like UN-packing. Not nearly as much fun as packing... the fun is over and now reality is setting in. 

But that's life when you move alot, right?  So.... y'all remember G's room.  My pride and joy and my first taste of really decorating my own child's room and getting into it!  (Hey, they say second children are neglected... there aren't as many pics of them, they get less alone time with parents... but G scored in the room dept!  Sissy's nursery was boring compared to this!)

I spent an hour and a half on Tues night working on 'bringing down the boat' and other decals 

I have to say, I was totally impressed with how well the walls looked once I pulled down all the vinyl.  Totally recommend it for decorating and will definitely do it again.  All you do is take a hair dryer to the decal, warm it up, then pull it off.  (I may have been a little impatient anxious at first and didn't heat the decals up enough.  mr. fix-it had to do a little paint touch up!  But I caught on quick and the rest was perfect!)

Did I ever tell you that the pirate ship was 2 pieces?  Ahh, the memories of putting that up.  I supervised, 8+ months pregnant, while Mr. Fix-It and both Mr. and Mrs. Everything all worked to put up the 6 foot pirate ship!  I totally cried half the time I was pulling it down...

Those of you that have been around Our Semi-Homemade Life awhile will remember this pic of baby G.

This is what's left of It's a Pirate's Life for Me!  Nothing but shriveled up vinyl all over the floor.  Did I mention how long it took?  And that I burnt my fingers?  And that I think I aged my hair dryer considerably?  ;)

Part of my Tues decal destroying was the monogram and a few of the birds in Big Sis's room.  Finished the last 6 birds tonight!

UN-decorating.  It's like a sweet trip down memory lane.... there is laughter, there are tears... I ended up talking to a friend after the boat came down and she offered a moment of silence.  LOL!  Then she said... Now that the ship has sailed, bring on the trucks!  Yep, I'm working on a vintage truck theme as one idea for G's next room.  Will share it soon!

And on that note... The Semi-Homemades go unplugged this weekend, so enjoy your holiday!  We'll be without internet (gasp!) in the summer house until Tues.  Boo!  Tomorrow evening we will officially live at the Summer House (just send our mail there!)  ;)  Happy Memorial Day, y'all!!
xoxo,

Semi-Homemade Girly Bedroom Concept #1: A Mad Hatter's Tea Party

I was originally going to share with you the millions of ideas I have come up with or come across for Alice in Wonderland parties... but.... as I thought about it more and more, I've decided:
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Alice in Wonderland is a contender in the next theme for Big Sis's room!
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What do y'all think? I'm going to brainstorm other ideas, too... Show you some of the details.... then maybe I'll set up a vote! ;) What's funny is, I swore to myself before I ever became a mother, that I'd never.ever.eva! do one of my child's rooms in character. But... this is kinda character couture, dontcha think? ;)

And so... concept #1..... Big Sis in Wonderland!

The inspiration:

Alice in Wonderland by Tim Burton, in theaters now

The color palette:
What's awesome about this theme is how the color palette plays into Big Sis's current bedding perfectly. Woo hoo! This takes the pink & green from her bedding... color scheme from Paper Presence!

But this adds the dimension of color I want... the purple and blue that are totally necessary...

The walls:

Y'all know how much I love vinyl decals for a big bang for your buck! Lil Decal Shoppe has the cutest stuff! Like this big Alice decal

and these chess pieces! So cute, marching around the room! (Also found some fun teacups that could also be set up to parade across a room, too!)

Oh, and then you can customize the room (y'all know how much I love that!) with this decal from Personal Touches

It almost seems necessary to have a big tree decal in a corner... but it would have to be really dense, if that makes sense... and almost dark... maybe too scary! ;)

The new Alice movie is so vibrant and bold.... I'm thinking I'd want to incorporate lots of color on the walls.... and her hot pink/lime green bedding (which I don't have plans to replace yet!) would work in perfectly. Still brainstorming on details like chair rails, bead board, anything as a wall interest!

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The furniture:

Teacup nightstand ~ I'm waiting to hear back from Donna on where to find these giant unpainted teacups.... I'm picturing painting them vibrant colors... (love the Cheshire cat one!) and then putting a tabletop on it.... as a nightstand or something! Check out the amazing Mad Hatter Tea Party she threw - love it! Here's the inspiration for the teacup nightstand:

Read me bookshelf: I love all the fun phrases in the movie! I've been thinking I'd get a (cheap!) black bookshelf for her room.... and put a vinyl decal on the side that says Read me! (a play off Eat me and Drink me!) To give you an idea, here's what I'm thinking, shown on my armoire...

A simple decal on a closet door and the closet is playing along, too! This is Big Sis's current closet.... Alice'ed up to say Dress me! (Don't ya love that font? With a viney, fantasy look?)

The repurposed table & chair set: Remember this set from Big Sis's current pink & green preppy room?

Imagine if I... spraypainted it all Cheshire Cat pink. Painted light pink stripes on the table legs. Then got a decal of the Cheshire Cat's infamous grin... to put on the tabletop? So cute!

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The accessories:

I'm picturing fun throw pillows with lots of the catch phrases from the movie. Like "curiouser and curiouser!" Maybe "Dream This" (again, as a play on the "Eat this" and "Drink this" phrases). Appliqued white rabbits, pocket watches.... or maybe a set of 4 pillows, art prints of a heart, club, spade, diamond! These pillows would be cute in hot pink & lime green!

And you can find anything on Amazon... like this cute, plush Cheshire Cat.

The bedding: You could go over-the-top on bedding....

But we're going to stay with color-as-a-theme bedding that we already have! (At least until the next house...)
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The lighting: last but certainly not least!

I found a very similar (maybe this exact!) chandalier last weekend when Mrs. Everything and I went to Canton. How perfect is it?

Lamps: I'd either try to fashion a lampshade out of a Mad Hatter's hat... :) or repurpose what we have to say Light me!

So..... what do ya think of this Alice in Wonderland themed bedroom?

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The pros (as I see it):

Super fun

Super unique

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The cons:

Too trendy (but don't forget, we only have to live with this for 2 yrs!)

Too loud (but we like loud!?)

Too character-y (anyone buying my idea of character couture?)

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And for those just getting to know me.... my hubby is a builder and we move about every 2 years. I loooove decorating, esp kids' rooms, and if I had enough time and money, I'd go all out and do 1 of the kids' rooms every year. As in, over-the-top. But, I'm limited on both time & money, so I get creative and do it all semi-homemade!