Kalli's home tour

I have a friend who just had baby #2. Her taste is amazing and she has the most INSANE luck with great finds. For like, pennies. She recently bought a crib from me and when I went to deliver it, I almost died. Her house was amazing. And she let me take some pictures to show you guys. So this week I'll be showing you images from 4 rooms in her house.

She asked me to help her figure out a plan for her master bedroom. I don't know why it is, but even the people with the best eye for design have a hard time in their own room. I can't wait to get started!

She doesn't have a blog, but you can show her some love by leaving comments here. Enjoy the pictures, and come back tomorrow for the kitchen and dining rooms! And thanks Kalli for letting me swoon!

Favorite barn sale purchase

I usually spend more money than I make at the dang junkrestore markets. My husband figures I basically just end up trading stuff around. At least he doesn't put up a fight about it.

I really couldn't pass up these lockers. I imagined them with a beautiful Christmas wreath and grabbed the tag before the sale even opened. There were two sets and my sister ended up with the other. I'm sure they'll make it back together at some point in their lives.

On a different note, I can't wait until the day after Halloween so I can start putting up Christmas stuff. Everyone thinks I'm crazy and I just tell them I do it for the readers. It takes me a couple of weeks to set up everything, and then another week to photograph and blog about it. So by the time it's all done it's already Thanksgiving.

So thanks blogging world for giving me an excuse to enjoy Christmas for an extra month!

Down time

Now that the barn sale is over, I've had a chance to work on a few projects for my own house. I should be caulking and painting baseboards, but opted to finish up some custom orders and refinish this beauty instead.

My coffee table's been plain old white for a couple of years now. My 5 year old drew a helicopter on it in permanent marker a few months ago and while I'm so very proud he drew the rotor blades proportionately, something needed to be done. I thought about just repainting it until I saw an ottoman at Restoration Hardware that I fell in love with. I wish I would have taken a picture. It was beautiful. It looked similar to this.

But the one in store looked more like grain sacks. So I decided to recover it in foam and a patchwork of burlap grain sacks. I immediately searched pinterest and found this tutorial Jenny did from the Little Green Notebook. It was pretty much exactly how I had planned on doing mine but it was good to see the process before I started. Here's the horrid before picture.

One thing different I did from hers was the foam part. I did not, could not, pay 34.99 a yard for 2" foam. And I needed at least two yards. Even half off that makes me see stars. So instead I bought a twin sized egg crate mattress pad for $12.00 and cut it up. 

I hot glued the foam in a few spots just to keep it in place until I covered it with batting.

There's my helper in the top left corner. He wielded hammer while I held the nails. Needless to say, it wasn't as successful as Dennis the Menaces tree house scene. Anyways, then I stapled the batting to the bottom. After that I cut up the burlap into different sized squares and just kind of sewed it into big patches until it was big enough to cover the whole thing. 

I bought some button nail things and covered them with fabric. Then I nailed them right into the wood top for the tufting. I then flipped it over and stapled the burlap to the bottom, finishing it off. 

I know, it looks weird without a rug. I used to have a gorgeous one in here but had to move it. My kids kept moving it around and rolling each other up in it like a bunch of hit men. It was driving me MAD. So out it went.

I bought all the grain sacks at the barn sale from a few different vendors. I really love all the typography and texture it brings to a piece.

 And now I can look at my coffee table without thinking "dang it, I forgot magic erasers again".

You know what I mean...

Craft class

I forgot to add, I also have some news about the craft class. The date and location haven't changed, it's still on Nov 7th from 5-9 pm at Barney Family Sports Complex in Queen Creek but I am now offering the class for a glitter Santa on canvas...

OR a painted Santa on wood that looks like this...

For the glitter Santa, you don't have to be the best artist. It really is for beginners. But you have to be able to paint a straight line for the painted one. Also, for the glitter one, you only need about 2 hours and you will need the full 4 hours to complete the painted one.

E-mail me if you want to take the class and please specify if you want glitter or paint. The cost for the glitter santa on canvas is $65 and the painted one is $75. I'll send you more info when I get your e-mail. The last day to sign up for either class is NEXT MONDAY, October 29th.

Remember, day care is available at the facility if you need it. There will also be a few deserts to snack on so come after dinner or bring take out there!

Available on etsy

I had some left over items from the barn sale that I decided to make available to everyone on etsy!

You can head on over to my etsy shop by clicking here to check it out! Or if you look on the right side of the blog, I have added some thumb nails and a link there, I don't have that many items left so hurry over!

Also... if you are local... my hand painted fish scale dresser and pillow didn't sell so I reduced the price to only $125. If you're looking to redecorate your little boys room, this dresser is the perfect starting off point. You have to pick it up, but if you were unable to attend the sale and really wanted it, now's your chance! First one to e-mail me at nikki_grandy@yahoo.com gets dibs.

Barn sale sneak peek

The first piece I want to show you was one that I imagined for a little boys room. I based the design off of some fabric I found at ETC in Mesa that I fell in love with. And you all know how much of a sucker I am for fish scales.

I'm selling the striped pillow and dresser together. I absolutely love how this dresser turned out. And hand painting those scallops was really therapeutic for me.

If I were designing a room around this, I would pair it with this super inexpensive quilt from target. And this set of art print from Jones Design Co. Just saying... free consultation! Ha.

Here are a few more fun items in the sale. I've been on kind of an art and sign frenzy lately.

And don't forget, if you come to the barn sale, my November Santa art class will be $10 off! Again, space is limited so as soon as the list fills up, that's all that can come.

See you all there! Here's the info again...

Almost barn sale time!

I am busy getting things ready for the next barn sale on the 19th and 20th of this month. I'm working on a new Grocery sign that I can't wait to show you! 

I decided to help entice you to come to the sale (like you need it :) by offering the November Santa art class for only $65.00 to anyone who comes. We'll have a display and more information available there. You can also e-mail me if you have any questions!

See you all there!

November craft class

I decided to skip Octobers art class because of the barn sale (that I hope you are all planning on going to!) so the next one will be at the beginning of November.

On Wednesday, November 7th, we are doing a Christmas canvas of Santa Claus done in gold, silver, or red glitter. They measure 20" x 20". It is similar to the art from Pottery Barn from a couple of years ago for over $150.00 that is no longer available. You can come any time between 5 and 7:30 and the class takes between one to two hours. We have to be out at 9 so if you are later than 7:30 you probably won't finish in time.

If you think you won't be able to do it, rest assured. A beginning crafter could easily take this class. I also decided to have the class at Barney Family Sports Complex in Queen Creek. It a huge building with plenty of space for us. AND, If you can't find a sitter, don't worry! There will be baby sitting for $2.00 per hour per child available that night at the complex.

Space is limited and last month, it filled up fast. Your spot will not be held until full payment is complete. If for some reason you can't make it to the class a partial refund will be allowed as long as I'm notified two days before the class.

There is a drop down menu at the top right hand side of my blog where you can pay and hold your spot for the class. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me at nikki_grandy@yahoo.com

Fall Mantle

I don't know what kind of bug has bitten me, but I can't WAIT to decorate for Christmas this year. And you better believe I'm starting it on November 1st at 12:01 am. I already have an amazing plan for my mantle. But unfortunately, fall comes before winter so I have decorated my mantle first with Autumn in mind.

I try my hardest to decorate using things I already have. Moving decorative items around the house keeps my many, many personalities happy. A vignette I like one week, I may hate the next. So musical decorating is the name of my game. I kept the saying on the chalk board simple and to the point. It's something I have to remember every time I'm cleaning pb&j's off the ceiling. Be. Grateful. Here are things I'm grateful for today.

I am a stay at home mom thanks to my hard working husband. Everything I do on the side is for fun, not as a necessity.

I am a parent to 4 very sweet children who love me. Sometimes a little too much. Even bathroom breaks require an audience.

I have a huge house with AIR CONDITIONING. Very grateful for that today. October 1st. 100 degrees out still. 

I used some extra burlap ribbon I had to add texture and interest. I didn't want to cut it so I folded it and rolled up the rest, hiding it behind the floral picture I bought at a flea market.

The garland was made out of a bag of mini pinecones I bought a while back from hobby lobby. It was a couple of dollars for a bag and I just wrapped string around them. I didn't even glue it. Everything else was stuff I had shoved in my ridiculously over crowded craft closet. That I still need to finish cleaning out.

So today, count your blessings not your burdens.