The Family: A Proclamation to the World

Ok peeps. I have obviously been mia with my blog posts and my tutorials in particular. I have SO MANY tutorials to post so keep an eye out because they're FINALLY coming! My 2 1/2 week vacation this Summer was definitely needed, but put a hole in my plans to blog. Oh well. ha. I'm sure many of you have seen these gorgeous Proclamations floating around online, in your friend's home, in your dream home, etc. They are very popular right now.
For those of you that are not familiar with what the heck this thing is, head on over to here to read it. It was read in an address to the women of our church that was broadcast live in 1995 and read by our beloved Prophet (at the time) President Gordon B. Hinkley. It has since become an iconic piece of our religion that helps us understand a bit more about our purpose here on this Earth.
When I first saw this ginormous piece of wonderfulness, it was on a local buy/sell/trade page on Facebook. She had started out making them with the frames but pretty quickly switched to selling just the file for a WHOPPING $5 and mentioned where you could get it printed. Literally YEARS later (like 2) I finally decided where I wanted mine to be and set out to make it happen. (Check the end of the post to see where you can download a proclamation of your own!)

I started out by purchasing, downloading and printing this particular Proclamation from The Rain Barrel on Etsy. She is local here in The Valley of the Sun, but you can download it from anywhere. Obviously. ha. When asked by others where to get it printed, she suggested Office Max or Staples. I did neither. I researched to make sure I was getting the best quality for the money that I had. I ended up at Costco and printed a 20"x30" Poster Board. This is different than a regular poster. It is thick foam board that is very sturdy (for these purposes). I would not recommend letting a toddler play with it but it will withstand whatever happens to a picture hanging on the wall. Mine has been pelted with Nerf arrows and darts and is still ticking. I digress. I don't know if all Costcos do, but mine had the option to get this 20"x30" poster board printed in an hour! Say what!! This was particularly fantastic for my impatient self, because once I want to start a project, I want to start it NOW. So naturally, Big Sis and I set out to do this together. 

The next step was the wood. I wanted a frame with a little more substance than some that I've seen out there so I purchased 1" x 4" pine boards for the main frame and 1" x 2" boards for the trim around the edge to add a little something extra. I couldn't find the right color on its own, so I mixed my own. I stained the wood using a 50/50 mix of Minwax Special Walnut and Classic Gray. It was the perfect color for what I wanted.

Once the boards are stained and cut, be sure to do a dry fit so you can make adjustments BEFORE it is screwed and nailed together!

I cut the pieces at a 45* angle to get a mitered joint. To attach them securely, I used a Kreg Jig to make the pocket holes so that I could get a tight and strong hold in the joints. This was my first project using a Kreg Jig so I followed this simple tutorial to get the idea. Gotta love Shanty2Chic! Once you get the main pieces cut out and the pocket holes drilled, screw it together using countersinking screws. The easiest thing to do is to buy the screws that are the Kreg Jig brand to make sure they are the right kind. I used 1 1/4" screws for this project.

When attaching the 1" x 2" boards to the outside of the frame, make sure they are standing on their side so that they are taller than the 1" x 4" so it actually adds some dimension to the frame. For this part I simply used a nail gun to attach the 1" x 2" to the frame.

The final step was attaching the print to the frame. Ideally I would have had used a router to make a ledge on the back of the frame for the print to sit in, but alas, I don't have a router. Instead I opted for staples. Because I wanted my print to be straight when I flipped it over to attach it with staples, I applied a piece of packing tape to the BACK of the top and bottom of my poster board. Then flipped it over so the print was facing up. Next I simply laid the frame onto the poster and pressed down where the tape was. I was still careful when flipping it but the poster stayed in place and I was able to staple it down.

DISCLAIMER: When putting this together, I realized that some of the wood had warped in the awesome record heat that we have had in AZ this year. My joints are not perfect because I only had the weight of my sister standing on it to help get the wood tight. I had the option to follow some tutorials to get the wood less warped, start over or live with it. In the end I decided to live with it for a few reasons. 1. I was not in the mood to start over. 2. It actually added to the rustic feel that I was going for. 3. I don't always mind when something LOOKS homemade. Overall I LOVE how it turned out and it adds the perfect touch to my stripe wall that I did when we first bought our house over five years ago.

Get your own Proclamation!
TheRainBarrel
MandyBradyDesign
TheGroveCo
WestWillow

Home for Christmas

I didn't post my house at Christmas last year and I was so bummed. It's not like it's something crazy special, but it is to me! It's home and at Christmas, it's my favorite. We mostly just have one room really decorated but this year it started spilling into the family room and kitchen. I almost feel like I want another tree for the piano or something. Oh! If you follow me on facebook, then you know I have these 2 HUGE snowflakes that a friend makes and sells at boutiques...I found a home for BOTH of them! So check it out;
 Christmas with the Gilletts.

The trees, and reindeer are from the dollar store! (SCORE!) The 'Let it Snow' sign and the garland with it are from Tai Pan Trading Co circa 2010. Stocking are from WalMart (2005) Target (2009) and Target (2014). My North Pole arrow is a combination of a facebook buy and some glittery red vinyl.

'Dashing Through the Snow' and my buffalo check Moose pillow are from Pillows4Everyone on Etsy You .see! WAAAY up there! My giant snowflake!

I printed the chalk printables a year or two ago. They were free but I can't seem to remember where they came from. I'll look into it.

This little Santa head is a new favorite of mine. I got him at Hobby Lobby last year and he is my FAVORITE!

This corner is probably my most favorite of all. Santa is from an old boss of mine when I worked at The Gingerbread Cabin in the White Mountains of Arizona. He was our Christmas gift from the owners and I cherish him. I was right out of High School and he was my first 'real' Christmas decoration. The little boy with the Christmas tree is also from there. I got him because at the time, he reminded me of my little brother. (he's now 21 and waaay taller than me). The Christmas Carol book that he is standing on is an Usborne Illustrated Book and it is B-E-A-UTIFUL!! The little tree with bells is from Tai Pan (2010). The Santa cookie plate and milk mug were inherited from my Grandma. We had one exactly like it growing up and this had been a gift to them from my parents. I was beyond excited when she gave it to me. The Christmas Carol book that he is standing on is an Usborne Illustrated Book and it is B-E-A-UTIFUL!!

This Bear Nativity and 'Twas The Night Before Christmas' book are also from The Gingerbread Cabin. I purchased the book so that someday I could read it to my littles on Christmas Eve. I do. Every year. The Hubs purchased the Beartivity for me our first Christmas together. If you know him, you know that it's completely appropriate.

This nativity is also a previous gift from my grandmother. I'm not sure how I got so lucky to get this, but I was. It also has a GIANT stable with animals and baskets and a well. It's amazing but I just don't have the real estate in my home to display it. Not safely anyway.

These 2 things are new additions this year. The Sleigh Rides sign was made by me with a stencil made by my neighbor's cousin and pallet boards that I stole from my other neighbor's pallet wall when they were moving out. It was just the top row. They never even noticed! ;) hahaha. Confession: she knew. HE didn't. The crib spring came from Sadie Mae's vintage crib that I just took down a week or so ago. I have seen people display several things on them so when I needed somewhere for incoming Christmas cards, I knew I needed to use this. I clipped the cards on with bow alligator clips because I already had them. They work great! The Merry Christmas sign is from Tai Pan 2010.

HEY!!! HEY!!! It's my other snowflake! My kitchen was a bit messy from dinner so I spared you the gory details and just took a picture of where Christmas is in it. 

My dining area got itself a poinsettia and some beads, from Hobby Lobby, for the chandelier. 

Despite the fact that the center of the tree has no lights on right now, I still love it. That little train has been with us through 10 Christmases and 2 little boys. When my "little" brother was 10, he saved and bought this for The Hubs with his own money. Who knew that it would be our dainty daughter that would annihilate it? (yesterday) The back wheel on both the caboose and the dancing Santa car are no longer working. :( Despite that, it still makes a great decoration and if we want it to run and sing, we can always run just the engine and the coal car.

So there you have it! I hope someone finds SOME kind of inspiration from my little home. I reminds me that I don't have to have a mansion with thousands of dollars worth of new decorations every year to love my home. As I mentioned before; it sure warms MY heart. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Holidays! 

Sadie Mae's Nursery.

Have you ever been so out of your groove that you just don't know who you are anymore? I have. After having baby Sadie, I had some pretty severe late onset Postpartum Depression. It was bizarre and uncomfortable and something that I may or may not go into detail about later. Ya know, if I want to feel all exposed and vulnerable. Long story short, baby girl is almost 2 and I am just now starting to feel like myself again. In light of me feeling a little more normal and excited about life, I decided to finally share pictures of her nursery. They are pictures that I took with my phone when it was first completed but they are the best I have of the original nursery that I love so much. I hope you enjoy.

This is obviously after the furniture was in, but I hadn't even taken my sewing equipment out yet, but this was the first time it felt like a nursery. The crib was my cousins' in the 70's and somehow I was lucky enough to inherit it. (It had something to do with having 2 children 53 weeks apart, making it a week after my husband graduated from college. We were broke to say the least and my Uncle wanted this out of his garage. YES PLEASE! Luckiest find EVER! It just makes me happy. The dresser was a FB find for $10. It was a bit rough when I got it and this is 'after' its SECOND makeover, both by me. The top knobs are from Hobby Lobby to add some sparkle, but the rest are original to the dresser.

This is our little Sadie Mae when we brought her home from the hospital. She spent 9 days in the NICU and I wanted her home so badly! When they finally said she could come home, she was a whopping 4 lbs 6oz and I sudenly turned to panic! "Sooo, the nurses are coming with us right?" It wasn't so. We were left to care for this tiny tiny human all by ourselves. Good thing she had a spectacular nursery to come home to. Am I right!?!

She was born at the end of November so at Christmas time, I brought a little in to her so that she could feel the warmth of Christmas from her little sanctuary. (The flowers were from her shower that was held AFTER she was home from the hospital. Those things happen when your baby comes 6 weeks early.)

Tah Dah! This was the view as you walk into the nursery. I was worried about how tiny this room is but it fit everything quite nicely and was cozy without being cramped. The bees were a labor of love that made me want to K. I. double L something! We'll get into that ordeal later. I made the ticking stripe crib skirt and the bumper. My little sister bought me the German tack cloth fabric on etsy as a gift that turned into a beautiful bumper, if I do say so myself. The curtains were a clearance find at a store closing sale. It's a gauze type fabric and is just light and feminine. I think total the fabric was about $5. STEAL!! I purchased the chair through a FB forum for $60. The mirror was from HomeGoods and the 'Sadie' banner was made by my friend Kristie that was a co-host for my shower. 

 I recently added this print from Little Kit Design to her room. Her prints are fantastic and hand drawn or painted. psst... She did my blog makeover too! She's just bursting with talent, that one. Anywho, Sadie is in the 3% of other babies her age but is as fierce as could be. It's true what they say about redheads. Strong-headed but ever so loving. (When she wants to be.)

Here is what her dresser looks like today. I added some things for convenience and some others for aesthetics. I'm sure things will continue to morph as time goes on.

This foild cutout of the Gilbert, AZ Mormon Temple is also from Little Kit Design. I'm telling you, ooozing with talent. The Matryoshka nesting dolls were a gift from my brother. He served a mission for our church in Ukraine and brought these back for me. I adore them! The tiny bird print I got for free at a shop in Helena, MT. There's a train tour downtown and you get a bunch of free stuff from shops in the area if you take the tour. The tour itself is worth it, but seriously, this tiny bird painting made my life. I purchased it when I was still pregnant and didn't yet know what I was having. I kept it in a super safe place because it was perfect for the nursery. The little butterfly was added just a few weeks ago. I purchased it on a recent anniversary trip with The Hubs to Seattle. It just screamed Sadie!

   

The two prints on the left are from Rifle Paper Co. and used to hang on the right. pssst. They're having a sale right now! I moved them over when I added the Fierce print.

So there you have it. My favorite room in the house. Thus far anyway. Walking in here makes me happy and genuinely proud of myself. It's one of the few rooms in my home that are actually finished and I don't anticipate changing it that much any time soon. For reals. I went to take the crib down the other day to make room for a toddler bed and I started to cry. I became THAT mom and I couldn't do it. When you know that it's your last baby, things like taking the crib down are all of a sudden so significant. So for now...

Living Room Reveal

This room is the first room that you see when you enter my home. It has seen a lot of changes over the past 3 years, but as of today, this is how it sits. I have been planning, plotting, window shopping and designing this room (and the rest of the house) for years and I'm very pleased with the end results. Who am I kidding? This is the "for now" reveal. Enjoy!

 

    

   

 

So there it is. My front living room from the day we moved in 3 years ago, to today. It was the first room in my house to be “done” and I love it. Sometimes when the rest of my house is a lot little chaotic, I come in here to just sit and relax. It is the one room in the house that I know will always be clean. It’s not too

shabby to look at either. Check back for more peaks inside my home.

Source list coming soon!

Trend Alert

I know they’ve been around for AGES, but a I have noticed that everyone and their mother are adding them to their nurseries. I absolutely LOVE it! Here are a few beautiful spaces that have followed the trend and “NAILED IT”!

Shae McGee Design via DecorPad

Meredith Heron Design via DecorPad

Ashlee Rauback Photography

Dylan's Nursery: Jennifer Jones of Niche Interiors via: apartment therapy

Knox’s Nursery: Honey and Fitz 

Harlan's Nursery: apartment therapy

Madelyn's Nursery: Project Nursery

Opal Design Group

Zoe's Nursery: 346 Living

 Reed’s Nursery: Honey and Fitz 

I don’t think this needs any explanation. These designers found ways to make poufs work in every color of the rainbow. The pouf is a great way to add a punch of personality to any room, but is particularly perfect for plopping (say that 5 times fast!) your feet on for those midnight feedings. My only question is, why didn’t I have one in mine?