2009 Rental Home Tour- The Children's Room

Well, Coop and I are sick with some flu/cold type thing, so the house tour has taken a back seat to r-e-s-t. But I did take some pictures of the room that the cuties pictured above call their own.
Well here it is, in all it's simplicity. Toys, chair, bed, bed, bed, rug. Yes, three children in one room. Although we are cheating and have a pack and play set up in the Spare 'oom for times when it's not convenient for baby to be sleeping. My Mom convinced me to put this mega chair in the kids room and I balked. I love the chair- we got it for $4.95 at Goodwill years ago, and I slipcovered it with some of my favorite fabrics and a bedspread. I just thought chairs that could double as beds were too big for children's rooms. Well, as moms will be, she was right. It's a favorite spot for reading books, hiding behind, and jumping. And when you only pay $4.95 for a piece of furniture that has already had a long life, it's okay to jump on it.

Since I haven't hung any pictures or even purchased a new lampshade for their lamp, the only other thing to point out are these:
We bought a cheap laminate shelving unit and then purchased these plain white boxes (that unzip to store flat- which made for easy packing and moving) at IKEA for $5 each. The children all have three: one each for shirts, pants/skirts, and pjs and underwear. They can easily put away their own clothes and each one has a tag with a stamped initial so they know which boxes are theirs. It works really well and doesn't take up much space.

Well, the curtains probably won't get done this week since I'm doing well to get through the laundry. But I do hope to tackle a mound of thank you notes while I'm hanging out on the couch.

2009 Rental Home Tour

Well, our internet is officially up and running and we are living like the modern family we thought we already were. This past week was full of potty training, of which I will not bore you with details except to say that the tears (on her part and mine) during the first three days brought forth great fruit in the end. I'm happy to say that at the ripe old age of 23 months, she has the basics down and has even been dry during nap times and most night times. Further proof to me that she was ready for all this. Anyway, the no-couch/bed ban has been lifted and she is fairly trustworthy, and I'm sure WH is grateful that I have other things on my mind and more diverse dinner conversation.

Friday we had a thank-you dinner for some of the people who initially helped us unload the moving truck when we first rolled into town (and Warren was sick in bed). Three of these people are Chinese students who were so much fun to get to know. It still strikes me as amazing that we can have acquaintances with such different backgrounds and experiences...and yet some things are universal (like the growing up stories we exchanged- apparently boys around the world are all mischievous at times). This dinner was also the impetus for getting the main living areas of my house finished. My mom and sister came for a quick visit last weekend and shared their talent (and encouragement) for moving furniture and hanging pictures. My mom is amazing. That's all I can say. She could make a living redecorating homes and making them feel like the perfect cozy spot you just can't wait to get back to. So, hopefully I can give you a little tour throughout the week of our humble abode. It's certainly not perfect, but thanks to The Nester I know that it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful. :)

So, let's start with the living room, shall we? (Because the dining room doesn't have curtains yet.) When you walk in the door, which I hope lots of you will do this year, this is what will greet you:
As you will see, I finally incorporated the red I've always wanted into my little room. For ages red has been my color choice (red coat, red bags, shoes, etc.) but never has it worked it's way into my decorating. By the way, have you seen this curtain fabric before? It's the header for my blog. I know, it IS great fabric.
The artichoke picture also found a little spot. Thanks Grandpa Glenn! :) I love how my Mom was able to take things I already owned and move them to places I never would have thought to create a whole new look. The kids love having their table in the living room, and I think it welcomes them into "our" space vs. trying to make it look like the children belong in the back of the house.
Not that you really need another angle, but this is my favorite spot in the house. And you can't really tell from this picture, but on my hope chest is a great painting my friend Tiffany gave painted for me on my 30th birthday. She didn't know I would be leaving Chattanooga when she gave it to me, but the "See Rock City" barn she painted has become a sweet reminder of our time there. And it has red in it. :)
Lastly, the living room is long enough that we were able to make an office area behind the couch for our laptops. We won't store a lot of papers here (hopefully) but it will be a nice place to recharge our phones and keep our computers.
Looks like we'll be having lots of happy days here in this room!