Duplex~

Our house went from a single family dwelling to a duplex almost overnight. So if you're interested in buying a home with the possibility of rental income....boy do I have a deal for you.

A sweet little rental unit is now attached to our home, and it comes complete with tennants!! But I'm afraid they might pay their rent in worms...

Have a great Monday~

Shabby Nest Summer Sale~

To celebrate the beginning of summer all inventory at my Etsy Store is now 20% off!

Hurry over and snap up some of my pretty pillows, cards and scrabble tile pendants! Sale ends July 3rd.

Have a great Thursday~

Silhouettes~

In my quest to depersonalize my house, without depersonalizing my house (remember my house staging mantra: depersonalize, do not dehumanize) I was trying to come up with a way to replace the photos of my boys in their room. Silhouettes to the rescue! I just love silhouettes...so timeless!

I have talked about easy ways to do silhouettes before, but this literally only took me 5 minutes! I simply print out photos of my boys in profile to use as templates, then placed them on top of some brown kraft paper and cut them out. That's it! I tried to get the sizes to match, but because I am not a tech-y genius, I just couldn't do it. So I opted instead for graduated sizes with Mr. One being the biggest and Mr. Three being the smallest...just like real life!

Linking to DIY day at A Soft Place to Land.

Have a great day~

Inspire-Me Tuesday~

Here's a fun and easy idea to give that little table that's hanging out in your basement a new lease on life.

Photo from BHG.com

This sweet little table below actually came from the family ranch where my father-in-law spent his childhood summers. The hubby and I inherited it from his grandma many years ago. I love it! It is a sturdy little thing that was probably made out of scrap wood at one point. I wanted to use it as a side table in our bedroom, but it was looking a little worse for the wear. I wanted to dress it up a little bit, so I just added some pretty tan linen to the top with nothing more than some upholstery tacks.

I cut the fabric a little larger than the table top.

Then all I did was fold the raw edges under and wrap the fabric around the table top.

I secured it on the sides with upholstery tacks. Making nice tight "hospital" folds at the corners.

That's it!

I didn't want to spend any money on this project so I just used upholstery tacks I had lying around, but I plan on dressing the look up even further in the future by purchasing the "rope" tacks to fill in the gaps - like the table in the inspiration picture. But for now I think it looks great!

Have a great day~

Fashion for the Under-4 Set~

Okay, so today I'm departing from my home decor emphasis and getting back to my fashion roots. (I bet you didn't know I had any roots...let alone "fashion" roots. ) Actually, my degree is in Fashion Merchandising, but I digress.

Today, I bring you Fashion as defined by my Toddler Demolition Team...Mr. Two and Mr. Three. These two have a very unique sense of "style". Basically, it boils down to: wear whatever you can find until mommy gets a hold of you...then you may have to suffer with matching clothes. Ha!

Mr. Two loves to wear his rainboots with everything...notice in this photo it is sunny...no water anywhere...but he definitely looks happenin'.

And speaking of shoes...I know you probably can't tell very well in this photo, but Mr. Three is wearing mismatched crocs (both left shoes) and not only are they mismatched, but they both belong to the Princess...hence the flowers and the pink. Mr. Two is wearing his older brother's crocs...about three or four sizes too big for him (but at least they match).

Then there is the ever-fashionable raincoat with jammy bottoms.

And finally, I had to throw the last one in just because I actually really love the little embroidered doggies on these shorts...oh so preppy.

Kids! You gotta love 'em!

Have a great weekend~

Cozy Inspiration~

Since I was all caught up in my house staging posts...I neglected Inspire-me-Tuesday this week. Will you all settle for an Inspire-me Thursday post?

I got my new Serena & Lily catalog in the mail yesterday. I have praised Serena & Lily here on this l'il ole blog before....and I'll do it again!!! I loved their stuff when all they had was a line of children's bedding...but now that they have added bedding for grown-ups (like my 30-something self) my-oh-my!!! My latest Serena & Lily crush is this beautiful Ruched Quilt. I. am. in. love. Seriously.


I love white bedding, but the texture of this baby has me wanting to snuggle up with it and take a nap for an hour or two or three...mmmmmmmmmmm. And I really love the citrine green they've paired it with in this photo...so fresh and summery! (I wish New England would figure out that it is almost summer...I can barely get away with short sleeves most days! sigh.)

Now go forth, inspire, and be inspired~

Birthday Treasures~

So I turned another year older this past weekend. I must admit I wasn't very excited for this birthday...the further I get into my 30's, the harder it is for me. But I also must admit that I have a seriously thoughtful group of friends and family that made my birthday quite bearable!

Here are some of the little treasures they gave me....do you see a theme here??

Darling birdy earrings and necklace made by my ultra-sweet sis!

I shared this fun little bird tray with you all earlier. My amazing friend Trisha gave it to me as an early birthday gift!

And my dear friend Lynette saw this little birdy figurine and thought of me...do you believe it has a little crown....how perfect is that??

This last one isn't in keeping with the birdy theme, but I had to share it because I've wanted one of these tiny floral frogs FOREVER, and my sweet mother sent one to me for my birthday! Gotta love a mom who gives up part of her personal collection to make her daughter happy! Thanks MOM!

Have a great Wednesday~

Curb Appeal~

It doesn't matter how much work you put into the interior of your home if people don't like the exterior, you've probably already lost them. Curb appeal is very important when it comes to selling a home.

I didn't have much of a budget to perk up the exterior of my home. So here are my low cost/no cost tips to spruce up your curb appeal.

1. Mow your lawn. Duh. Nothing is more unappealing than a lawn full of weeds. If your home is on the market you are probably going to want to mow your lawn a little more often than usual. (Keep in mind that if you live in a dry climate you'll want to make sure you keep your lawn sufficiently watered if you're cutting it often otherwise you'll end up with a brown lawn which is almost as bad as one full of weeds.)

2. Take care of your landscaping. I have a lot of planting beds around my home. I didn't have a budget for new mulch etc. But what I did do was rearrange some of my perrennials so my flower beds looked fuller and balanced. Then the day of a showing, I always rake my planter beds to loosen up the soil and make it look a little darker, more moist and more like mulch.

3. Paint your doors or any trim that may need it. You don't need to change the color, but a fresh coat of paint makes everything look crisper.

4. Add some color. Hanging plants, new flowers in your beds, potted flowers on your doorstep. These things make your home look inviting and say "come on in!" I did invest in some new hanging flowers for the stakes on either side of my front door. They add just the right pop of color!

Have a great day~

Restaged Living Room~

Hi Everybody!!! I had a busy weekend. But I promised you all photos of the living room...so here they are.

We repainted this room...the name of the color is Oatmeal, but I'm not sure what brand it is...and I can't find the can...I'll look and hopefully I'll be able to get the correct brand to you all later. I really like this color. It's darker than what we had on the walls before, but it is still neutral and it lends itself well to our decor.

And after my rant the other day about not removing all family photos when you stage your home, I had a commenter who mentioned that you never know who is going to see your home, and having photos of your kids on the wall may not be the safest thing to do. Well, when it comes to my kids, I may be just a little overprotective. So I took her comment to heart. I traded out the photos of my kids for some great botanical/bird prints I found on Vintagemoth! They look very Ballard-ish, and now the worry-wart in me doesn't have to worry.

And remember these little beauties from my trip to Brimfield? I borrowed this idea from those awesome sisters Kari & Kijsa and hung them on the wall above my piano.


Have a great day~

Tomorrow For Sure~

I bet you thought I'd never get around to talking about home staging. Can you believe that I'm actually going to start today? That's because I'm a big believer in photos...and my house has been in a complete shambles for the past several days while the Hubby and I repainted the entire main floor. But now that it's put back together, I have some pics to share!

Since I had to move everything to paint anyway, I took the opportunity to declutter and depersonalize.
Those two "d" words are two of the cardinal rules of home staging.

Decluttering actually helps your home to feel larger. But you want to avoid the stark feeling of a furniture showroom...you know what I mean...nice furniture, no personality! You need to walk a fine line between having too much "stuff" around, and not having enough. My rule is to remove about 1/3 of the stuff you have lying around. This includes family photos.

That brings us to Depersonalizing. Here again, a fine line needs to be walked. The Hubby is a photographer...we have lots of amazing family photos around our house...mostly because I can't decide which ones I like the best and I have a difficult time "editing". But for the sake of selling my home, I took almost all of them down. Notice I used the word "almost". Let's get real here people...those who come to look at your home realize that a family lives there. They expect to see at least some sign of human life...in my house that equals photographs. I have one portrait of each child up on the wall in my living room. I don't think they will keep anyone from buying my house. Now I know someone out there will try and contradict me on this...but I'll stand my ground. Depersonalize, but do NOT dehumanize. "Nuff said.

Today, I want to share some photos of my "staged" dining area.


We neutralized the color scheme in here. We painted the walls the same color as they were before (Cathedral Gray by Ralph Lauren)...they were in dire need of touch ups. I love the calming whites and beiges with a touch of black for accent. And hanging the drapes all the way up to the ceiling really enlarged the space.

We also took one of the leaves out of our dining table to help the space seem larger. (We can still all fit around the table, it's just a little cozier than before.)

I removed my bay window cushion but still added a few pillows for softness. All in all, a job well done!

Join me Monday for the living room~

Celebrity x 2~

So a couple of days ago I get a little package from Meredith publishing.


I say to myself, "Self, what do you suppose this is?"


I open it up and inside is a copy of BHG's latest issue of 100 decorating ideas under $100 with a card that says "This issue comes to you with our compliments...The Editors."


I think to myself, "Self, hmmmmm, I wonder..."


I flipped it open, and there on page 8 is my mini-mudroom with a great little write-up (and they got it right this time....beadboard not wallpaper!)


I exclaimed to myself, "Self, this is so exciting!!! More magazine-love for my little mudroom!"


And for your viewing pleasure...I scanned the article...you can enlarge the pics to read it!! (Just being a proud stage-mom again!)

And, I will post about some home staging tomorrow for sure! Anybody ever seen that episode of Spongebob where Patrick and Spongebob "adopt" a baby scallop? And Spongebob keeps asking Patrick to give him a break, and Patrick says "Tomorrow for Sure!" Yeah, well I really will post about it tomorrow for sure...unlike Patrick who never does get around to giving Spongebob a break. (Okay, yeah, it's pretty scary that I have almost every Spongebob episode memorized...I think I let my kids watch it too much...okay I know I do. sigh.)

Tomorrow for sure~

Still Life~

Beauty amid the chaos.

The Hubby and I spent all day again yesterday painting. Grandma had the two little boys, and Mr. One and the Princess are still in school until next week, so we were able to make some good headway. We piled most the accessories and pictures from the living room on the kitchen table, and as I was walking by, I noticed how pretty they looked just sitting there...so I snapped a few photos for my dear readers!

Guess I am in a "glass is half full" mood today.

Have a great Wednesday~

For Sale~

Last Monday I told you all that some big changes were coming around the Shabby Nest that were keeping us pretty busy. Okay, so this is it! My big news!

The Shabby Nest is on the market officially as of this weekend. Yes, we are selling our house. I must admit, I am a little melancholy. This sweet little home is our first, and I will miss her very much!!

So for the next little while I will be sharing the process of getting our little nest "Staged to Sell." Hope you will all come along for the ride. Should be fun...frustrating...stressful...a little sad...but mostly fun!

Have a great Monday~

Frugal Friday~

For today's Frugal Friday we're talking drop cloths and burlap! Doesn't that sound elegant? Well you might just be surprised.

I'm sure many of you have seen Layla's drop cloth drapes. Well, here's my drop cloth tablecloth! And see those pretty plaid drapes in the background? Love them. But they're a little winter-y... so they are going to be replaced with drop cloths one of these days soon! In the meantime one dropcloth measuring approximately 5' x 8' makes a perfect tablecloth and only costs $9.99 at the big home improvement stores.

And to give the table a little texture and interest I added this burlap runner. (Do you like how I ironed the tablecloth and runner for you all? I aim to impress! ha!) I added this little monogram "H" using photo transfer paper (what else?) I wouldn't recommend using it on burlap if you're going to a do a large design, but for my small monogram it was perfect! The whole runner probably cost me about $2.00. Not bad, huh?

Now maybe I should go iron out those wrinkles ;-) I mean the ones on the table cloth...too bad I can't just do that to my crow's feet. ;-)

Have a great weekend~

My Favorite Paint Colors~

Hey y'all! Today I'm joining the "My Favorite Paint Colors" party over at 320 Sycamore!


This is what my kitchen looked like when we moved into the Shabby Nest...(yeah, so there's a mess all over the counter...just keepin' it real.)

And thanks to the magic of paint, this is what it looks like now...(these pictures were taken a long time ago, and I dare say I could take better ones now, but I'm just lazy enough not to...hope you'll all forgive me.)

These cute shelves replaced the ugly floating cabinet that was to the left of the window when we moved in...

This photo shows the black beadboard we added to the bar.

It's amazing what paint can do! I wanted a cottag-y feel in the kitchen so we chose Nantucket White by Ralph Lauren. It's a warm cream with slightly yellow undertones. It looks fabulous in any light, and really opened up the kitchen.

The walls are Cathedral Gray also from Ralph Lauren. Cathedral Gray is really more of a gray-green. It is neutral enough to blend with pretty much any palette but still adds interest to the walls.

The bar and the refrigerator surround are painted out in a true black. I adore the addition of black to the color scheme because it adds a lot of sophistication without being overpowering.

Hop over to 320 Sycamore and check out the favorite paint colors of others all over blogland!

Have a great day~

Art On The Cheap - Again~

Today I wanted to share with you all another art project that I did on the cheap. (WARNING: copy cat alert)

Perhaps some of you have seen this sweet little framed Nest from Melissa at 320 Sycamore.

Photo from 320 Sycamore

She was inspired by this sweet little Nest from the Nester herself!

Photo from Nesting Place

Well, these have both been sitting in my idea files for a long time. Since a girl can NEVER have enough nests... I finally got the bug to put one of these beauties together this last week. Here's my version...

I had a shadow box frame lying around just begging to be used, so I found some scrapbook paper that lends itself well to the color scheme in my master, and then just hot glued the sweet little nest and eggs right on! Project total: less than $3!

Edited to add: I have had a lot of people asking, so ....I purchased both the little eggs and the nest at Michael's Craft.

Now go get your nest on!!!

Have a great Wednesday~