Guest/Playroom Update
We finally have an official guest space in this guest/playroom!!
What is the best way to keep the space usable for playing while also functional for housing guests?! A sleeper sofa, of course!
We found just the one at Slumberland Furniture too!
This one is not only comfy and gorgeous, but is the perfect color to be stylish and playful, and has a hidden bed!! Win!
Plus, Slumberland is having a big Anniverary event right now with a HUGE Travel Giveaway!! When you spend $1000, get 10% off Slumberland Low Prices + 2 complimentary Hotel Nights. When you spend $2000, get 15% off Slumberland Low Prices + 3 complimentary Hotel Nights. And when you spend $3000+, get 20% off Slumberland Low Prices + 4 complimentary Hotel Nights!! Check them out for details!
So what do you think of the room progress?!
XX,
Jess
A New Mud Room
Check out this horrible mud room!
I know it doesn’t show it well, but behind the open back door is a small closet and then a sink. Yuck.
It is an old farm house, so once upon a time the sink had a purpose. Now it was just wasting space. Valuable space. We knew this room could be better utilized. Little did we know, we would, as usual, open a giant can of worms…
We thought we’d tear out the sink and old paneling, paint, add barn doors and call it a day. No.
The walls had to be redone down to the studs. A new false wall had to be added above the closet, since we were taking out the drop ceiling. Then we found that the paneling went behind the flooring. This removal ruined the flooring (not sad about it) and in removing the tile we found we had a rotten spot and needed to even replace subflooring. The house is 1862, but still, whew!
We did make the closet go all the way across the space and Jason built custom barn doors and trim. Gorgeous!
Look what we found under the flooring! Lots of these old papers from the 40s!
But now… she’s about done. (I say about, because we do still have an antique flag we are making a custom frame for to hang about the coat rack, but still, very close)
What do you think?! I think I love it so much that I need to add a chair for company. Come in further and you will see the dining room and hallway that we need to do the same too. 🤣
XX,
Jess
Deck Updates- Easy Ways to Make Outdoor Spaces Cozy
Summer is finally on the way! And we’ve been getting the deck and yard all ready.
Last year getting the deck built was our project. This year making the deck cozy and entertaining worthy is my mission. So we added a few things. Not done yet, but progress!
Plenty of cushions and a new rug make it cozy! Rug is from Mark and Day, our favorite rug place! (You can still use my code at Mark and Day too- JESSI10). AND, they are doing a free rug pad promotion right now too!
Some cushions and Walmart and Dollar General, but old, and the two darker green are new from Target Dollar Spot. Scotch Guard them to keep them longer, and I take in or put in a deck box when weather is bad. 😉
The other cozy trick is to add little areas. When we have company, chairs can get pulled anywhere, but they start out set up in cozy little spots. These stackable chairs we got to have extra seating, are from Best Choice Products. Different rugs also help tie different conversation areas together.
Another easy thing to add for coziness is plants. Plants bring brightness and life to spaces, and same with outdoor spaces! You don’t have to have a green thumb, mine mostly isn’t 😉, even fake plants do the trick.
I like my plants colorful! Plus, remember the rule of three, add a centerpiece, and outer plants that will grow and hang and you will be potting like a pro. These were all recently planted, but will soon be big snd overflowing! 🤩
One more cozy add is lighting and sound. This can be super simple too. My lanterns are all inexpensive and have solar lights in them. We also added this umbrella light from Brilliant Evolution recently and it adds such a beautiful glow in the evening! You can use code JESSICA15OFF on their lighting too!
The quickest, easiest DIY to up your outdoor game!
Right now I use a simple Bluetooth speaker sat on the table too, but we are in process of installing a whole system with speakers on the house wall. Either way, tunes add to the vibe!
What else would you add?!
XX,
Jess
Guest/Play Room Update
Added a new rug! Small update, but so gorgeous I had to share!
Rug is from Mark and Day, and I LOVE their selection and prices! Highly recommend! AND, you can use that link and save 10% 😍
Wall hangings, shelves and a couch coming soon…
Plus, a total gut of our mudroom in process to share soon! 😉
Jess
XX
Guest/Play Room Transformation
When we moved in a few years ago the rooms were all boring and ugly…
Then we painted and added some fun flair to make this one a bright teen room…
Then, the teen grew up and moved out, so we had an empty space. 💡 We had an idea! A play room. But also make it a guest room, so that we still have a space for company to sleep…
And so the room became a guest/play room.
Paint again. Tone down those walls. New floors. New furniture. Make it fun, but grown up enough for guests… viola!
We went gray on the walls, but a touch darker than normal since we have lots of sunshine in here. We did snap in wood floor, since they are durable and easy to clean. Then the fun part…
We added a wall mural from PhotoWall! What better way to keep it fun for play and interesting but adult for guests?!
How cool is that?! It was actually super easy to install, just wallpaper in vertical strips, and it even comes with the paste. The boys are in LOVE with their new space!
You can head to PhotoWall too and use code ‘makemineeclectic25’ for 25% off any of their art, canvases, or wallpapers!
Next we will add furniture, so stay tuned…
XX,
Jess
Quick and Easy Halloween DIY
Happy Spooky Season!
Maybe its that we’ve been cooped up way too long and missed too many “normal” things, I don’t know, but we are going all out extra for Halloween this year. Our house, or yard, our decor, even our snacks, have all gone completely spooky. I’m loving it!
If Halloween time is your thing, or even if it’s not so much, but you want to show the kiddos just a little festive fun, then I have a super easy and cute DIY project for you!
Faux Ghost Macrame Wall Hanging!
Supplies: -stick
-yarn and ribbons in various colors and textures
That’s it! Super easy, but such a cute payoff.
I cut the branch from a tree in the yard, even a dowel would work. Mine is a bit over a foot long. I started with it longer and then cut it off as I worked to make sure I knew I liked it. Decide how long you want things to hang. Mine is all random lengths, but around 14-16 inches. When you cut your pieces of yard, double this. You will fold them in half. I eyeball all of this and er on the long side. You can trim them down later.
With the piece of yarn folded in half, lay it over the stick. Bring your looped end under the stick, then stick the ends back through the loop and pull tight. Viola! I glued the ribbon together in the back around the stick instead of this method so as not to crease it. I love the ball tassel ribbon to give texture too and tied these in a knot around the stick.
The ghosts. Also simple. Wrap white yarn around a book about 50 times. Cut the strings on each end of the book and keep them in a bunch. Fold the bunch over and tie a piece of yarn around it. I took black yarn through a small chunk of the white ghost head yarn on each side and tied this together in back and then tied the black to the stick.
There is no right or wrong with any of this! Keep it fun and super simple. You could glue eyes and mouth on the ghosts too if you want! You can add more or less pieces to the stick too.
Enjoy! 😉
Xx,
Jess
Deck Reveal
Its been a two year wait since moving into this house and several weeks of work this summer… but she’s finally done! We have a deck!!
Now mom has a spot to relax and watch the family magic happen! 😉
Yes, its huge! The land directly behind the house used to be another house attached. This left the ground hilly, dead, full of bricks and glass, and in general, useless. So, cover it up we did. We filled in two giant cisterns and started a deck slab. Next year we will add a pergola to the blank spot of house where the table is now. We will put a pool in down below and then the following year add another piece of deck to half wrap around the pool. It will be the ultimate dream area when we are finished.
We do still want to add trellis to the bottom to keep everything out, but that will happen this fall.
One thing that was super important to us when adding the deck was having some shade, as we have very little from the one small existing tree.
My favorite umbrellas?! From Abba Patio! (You can use code La10 on your order with them too!) The 11 foot red stripe is gorgeous! And so easy to use. We custom installed it with brackets we made, but it can go on a table or a base as well. This keep it so much cooler in the shaded areas!!
Next I need to find some outdoor rugs to tie in the different areas. Suggestions?? I’m being so indecisive!
Also, looking for an outdoor sectional. Maybe a hot tub?! 😜
The table and chairs are from Menards. The wood lantern is from Walmart, along with the orange striped pillow and turquoise planters. The beach bag below is from Amazon.
The kids table is Step 2 and an awesome thing to have if you have littles. We use it all the time!
Tip- use a beach bag or tote like the one below to hold your deck or patio essentials. We take it in at night and bring out each day. Super helpful to keep things corralled while not getting ruined being left outside. We keep sunscreen, bug spray, santizer, sunglasses, beach towels, a speaker, and anything we want for the day inside. So handy!!
XX,
Jess
Why I Love My Cricut
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of <a href=”Cricuthttps://lnk2.io/wjcWg2L”>Cricut</a>. All opinions are 100% mine.
I have had my Cricut Explore Air 2 for a few months now, and to say I’m in love is an understatement! I’ve always been a crafter, but this things really helps me step up my game! Here I am going to talk about the 5 things that I love about my Cricut!
1. Its easy to use! I was truly shocked at how easy this machine is! Not going to lie, I was intimidated at first. I worried where to start and if I would be able to figure it all out. Yup. I was. Best place to start? Pick a project and jump in. They really mean it when they say their motto is “beginners luck every time.” I learn tricks and get braver each time I use my machine, but I definitely agree that picking a beginner level project and diving in head first is a great way to start and will prove to you how easy it is! Check out this shirt I made as one of my very first projects:
2. Support! That brings me to the second thing I love about my Cricut. Its like having a whole community of creators to support you. Have a question? Worried about where to begin or which type of project to do? They’ve got an answer! Not only does Cricut have a team you can email or chat with, but they have numerous pages where you can reach out to their pros or other crafters with tons of experience. They’ve all started somewhere and learned lots and are at the ready to make sure you love your machine and projects. I would know. I wasn’t sure how to customize the design I wanted to make myself for this bag, and the Facebook page group had almost immediate answers for me!
3. Ideas! This also leads me to another thing I love about Cricut, the ideas! I never worry about having a creative block. There’s no way. The ideas of projects to make are endless, for every single occasion you cak dream of. Really. You can find ideas galore on Pinterest, and Instagram, or Cricuts’s Facebook page. And my favorite place for inspiration? The Cricut emails! They send seasonal emails showing the new ideas and templates added to Design Space, their app for making. How did I know about the new infusible ink and coaster blanks to make these? One of their idea emails! Light bulb!
4. The options! Got a bright idea to make? You can! And Cricut can help you do it! The options they supply for you is endless. Or almost. Not only do they help with the ideas, but they make it easy to find all of the supplies you need to make visions come to fruition. They have coasters, bags, shirts, materials, pens, markers, vinyls, decals, iron ons, and the widest variety of patterns in their supplies you could imagine! Sparkles, holographics, leopard, wood grain…their possibilities are never ending! Not to mention, cricut has other machines like the EasyPress, and tools like mats, cutters, Nd weeders, to make all of the options come to life!
5. Capabilities! This machine not only cuts paper and vinyls. I was shocked to learn what all it really can do. Like blown away. It can cut leather, poster board, felt, fabric and even wood. But it doesn’t just cut, it can score. And it can draw! Yup! Shocked?! Me too. You can insert pens and markers into the blade holder and it can draw or write, making handmade cards, letters, signs… mind blown.
The capabilities combined with the Cricut options alone shows you that the possibilities are truly endless. I cannot wait to do another project every time I finish one! And now all of my gifts will be one of a kind made by yours truly!
Here’s a quick breakdown of my latest project, a sign for our kitchen.
Choose a board and a quote. My board is a faded, chipped, barn board from our barn. (I’m sure to some the white paint left on one corner and the odd shape caused by years of cattle wear are not pretty, but we loved this board! 😉
Then, start on the Design Space app, and find my design template here. My board is 5ft long, but you can edit the design to adjust measurements. Once you send the design to the machine and it cuts it on vinyl, weed the excess pieces out. Use transfer tape to pick up your design and stick it down in place on your board. You could add flourishes to the ends of your quote too! You can change this design and even choose your own color vinyl. I used matte clear coat over the board to ensure no edges lift since I chose an old, rippled barn board for my project. Add a hanger or two on the back and hang. Easy peasy and a great one-of-a-kind, beginner-friendly project!
Have questions? Need help or ideas? Just ask! 😘
XX,
Jess
The Landing Strip
A landing strip, a command center, the drop spot. No matter what you call it, every house should have one. It’s a place for all the family “stuff”.
I call it a landing strip. In this house we actually have it split up a little, but it’s whatever works for you! When you come in our backdoor, we have hooks for each family member. Bag and coat go there. There’s a little hook station for car keys. And we have a small rack holding bug spray, sunscreen, sunglasses, wireless speaker, etc. But there’s still other “stuff” that accumulates. What do you do with it?! Enter our landing strip.
He we have a stash spot for everything else so that we stay organized and don’t lose important things! We use the chalk board for calendar notes and grocery lists. And each of the boys and mom and dad have a basket. We put bills in ours. The boys put homework and such in theirs. I keep a pen jar on the shelf. Here is stash stamps, a candle lighter, a marker, and pens. If you need more than that they you have to go upstairs to the office. 😆
The antique mirror got a metal insert painted with chalk paint. The little chalk marker tray below it is an antique door stop out of an old barn. The baskets are from Hobby Lobby. The shelf is a custom design I requested from Jason. He added and welded the flourish at the top of the brackets.
Here’s my tid bit of advice. Have a place for the “stuff”, whatever you may call it. I truly believe in “a place for everything and everything in its place.” Even if you don’t organize that far, at least set up a zone with a calendar and pens and notepad. Have a spot where you put mail and homework. Always put your keys in the same location. I promise you that these tricks will prevent you from losing important things or searching frantically for the lost items!
And just for fun, here’s a shot of what it looks like more often than not. 😉
Anything else you would add?
XX,
Jess
Permalink Comments Off on The Landing Strip
Bathroom Update
I thought we were going to live with the 85% bathroom update for a while. But we got a little shove to take it to 98% done now. 🤣 What this means is that we redid the flooring! Yay! And we added a mirror and a couple more custom shelves in the laundry room.
We used snap-in wood and vinyl flooring and it was super easy! Except for dealing with the uniqueness of an antique house with crooked walls and missing trim, etc, but we managed and it’s been amazing and seems super durable already. We ended up going with large quarter round as trim because we need to hide some of those flaws from a very old house. But I love the look here!
The ONLY thing left is to replace the faucet. Soon. We are going to live with the sink and counter top for a while, but I can deal with that.
How cute are the little shelves holding laundry items?! We made them the same way, with plumbing pipes and hand whitewashed boards.
Remember, this is a mini refresh, (see the before shots, yikes, 2 posts back!) not a total overhaul, so this girl will still have to dream of one day having a stacking washer and dryer and wall cabinetry. This is gorgeous to me for now! 😉
Xx,
Jess
Permalink Comments Off on Bathroom Update
Make Mine Eclectic 