:: A Room to Grow In ::

I finally got around to visiting a client in Vestavia to take some pictures of this finished space and it is gorgeous!  It says a lot when my seven-year-old little boy looks over my shoulder as I'm uploading these pictures and exclaims, "Whose room is that?!?  It's awesome!  I wish I had a room like that!"  Enough said.  Every little boy's dream room come to life!

My client's husband had the great idea to carve out the bunk-like niches into the wall when they were remodeling their house.  We propped an Olivia Charles Antiques ladder up against the wall for easy access and I commissioned an etsy shop owner to make the bottom bunk curtain out of vintage nautical flags and a vintage military tent.  (She also makes great pillows!  Check out her "Cove Cabin" shop here.)

My client picked an awesome rug from Dash and Albert (one of my favorite companies for rugs, especially for children's rooms!) and got the burlap storage bins from The Good Life in Vestavia.

She already had the awesome framed Auburn jerseys - one for each of her boys - and the gorgeous antique twin beds, so before I got there she was already off to a great start!

The wooden Whale with the aged nautical scene was something I loved on etsy months ago.  I was excited to have a project to use it.  Similar items can be found in "Edie's Lab" here.

The striped blue and white fabric we used on both the bolster pillows at the end of the beds AND as backing for the antique fishing lures we grouped above the boys' dresser is reminiscent of menswear - think button-up shirts - and I love the nod it gives to becoming a big boy while still retaining the youthful fun of a bold pattern.  If you ever have remnant fabric, I highly recommend this unique use of your scraps.  It adds pattern, depth, and an element of the unexpected to your walls.

The room has a fun alcove where we added a custom Olivia Charles Antiques storage bench so the boys can read and mom has another place to store toys and necessities when they're not in use.

We wanted each boy to have a special sense of belonging in their room, so we chose an oversize monogram on a standard pillow sham to help them lay claim to their individual beds.

The reclaimed wooden ceiling and antler chandelier are stunning and were already there when we started this project.  I love the way the wood brings the height of the tall ceiling down and the chandelier just screams "boy."

The antler pillows on the window seat were made from Lee Jofa's "antlers" fabric in rust. And the box pleated valance was designed to coordinate with the drapes on the other side of the room and hung where the ceiling meets the wall above the window so no natural light was blocked, the window seems even taller, and the backside of the valance can't be seen when looking at the front of the home from the outside.

What little boy wouldn't love to climb that ladder to a secret hide away??

I found the antique dresser in this picture for a steal at an estate sale.  With a little elbow grease it cleaned up nicely and looks very stately, if I do say so myself!

One of my favorite parts of the room is the art rail that I created from the left-over rod in the double curtain rod pack used to hang the drapes and oar above the beds.  All I did was add twig ball finials to the end and purchase x-small umbra curtain brackets at Bed, Bath, and Beyond to hang it from the wall.

Another etsy find, the precious and coloful animal prints were personalized for each boy's first and middle initials.  "C" is for Clay, "H" is for Harris, "M" is for Miller, etc.  The images are playful but have a feeling of age which just fits right in with the overall feel of this space.

Here is an image of the small clips I used to hang the boys' artwork.  These were actually left overs from the double curtain rod pack too.  However, you can easily do this same thing using mini curtain rings with attached clips, which can also be found at B,B and B.

The military curtain was personalized with the client's last name using an old WWII metal stencil and off white paint.  I love the authenticity it gives the vintage materials.

Folded at the end of each bed is a "Badlands Park" Pendleton blanket.  I love these blankets for boys' rooms...each one in this series carries the name of a different state park as well as a unique design.  They are at once rustic and refined, little boy and grown-up.  See all the choices here.

The narrow space between the beds was the perfect spot for our Olivia Charles Antiques bedside table bookcase.  These can be made in any color and size.  Email info@oliviacharlesantiques.com for information.

The vintage wooden moose dress up the window trim and playfully peak through the drapes when they are closed.

My favorite part about the window treatments is the jute "fringe" trim we used to frame the fabric band.  In my opinion, if you are going to pay for custom window treatments they should look just that...custom.  Using trims and tapes is a simple and easy way to create something truly unique.  If you don't have the money for custom drapes from scratch, adding embellishments in the form of trim or tapes or fabric bands is an inexpensive alternative that will give you a similar high-end and custom look.

The reclaimed barn wood storage bench is also by Olivia Charles Antiques.  4" foam was cut to size and covered with a coordinating tweed fabric.  The client's son slept on this window seat the first night it was in the room, so I think it's safe to say the boys love it as much as mommy does!

I am in love with the tobacco-leaf frames we used for the fishing lures.  I think they scream "Southern gentleman" and the texture and rich color go beautifully on the light walls.

For those of you wondering how we managed to hang the oar in front of the drapes, here is a close-up of the double curtain rod we used.  By purchasing a double bracket with screws we were able to secure the oar tightly, which was important when you consider the number of boys that will be playing in this room!  :) 

With the left over trim we created double-sided pillows using both the cushion fabric and the bolster fabric and used the fringe along the seam.  Don't limit yourself to one-sided and one-look pillows.  Coordinating fabrics can be used on either side, giving you the freedom to change-up your look.

This was such a fun room to work on.  I absolutely love designing for little boys, and I love that my client wanted a room that would work for her boys well into their teenage years....I think we definitely achieved a room they can grow in!

Tweet

:: Big boy design + a few races ::

Over the last month I've been working on a design for a clients son's room.  Her little one is about to make the transition from his nursery to a "big boy" room and mommy wanted me to help her pull the details together. She already had the precious Serena and Lily Dog pillows and bed spreads, but didn't want it to look like a pre-packaged set.  That's where I come in!  

We chose Restoration Hardware's Belgian linen Provence stripe euros in blue to coordinate with the linens and burlap bed skirts the client already had.  The alphabet fabric from spoonflower will be curtain panels.  I love spoonflower fabrics for their hand-drawn originality, but also because most of their fabrics can also be ordered as wallpaper.  How cool to be able to accent the back of bookcases or pieces of furniture with wallpaper in the same pattern that is on your accent fabrics?!   

I found the vintage dog's of the world map on etsy.  Originally a fold out from the back of an antique book, it will be framed wall art.  

Another really fun project we are working on is initial dog tag art.  Using a huge lot of colorful, vintage dog tags, we are going to back two ready-made shadow box frames with burlap using spray adhesive.  Then we will hot glue the tags into the shape of the letters "V" and "S", which are the little boy's initials.  We'll hang them over each of the two twin beds in the room for a fun and colorful nod to the dog pillows on the beds.

Between the beds will be a commissioned bedside table/bookcase combo from our line, Olivia Charles Antiques.  Made of rustic, reclaimed barn wood, the interior two-shelf bookcase will be painted grass green to coordinate with the underside of the bed spreads and provide both functional storage and a great pop of color.

Stay tuned for before and after pictures once the room is complete!  I'm so excited to see it all start coming together.

Had to post a few pictures of what's been going on in our lives over the last month.  It's hard to believe Parrish's Kindergarten school year is almost over!  I had lunch with him and his class buddies Branson, Cole, Graham and Drew a few weeks ago and they were so funny.  Apparently they have a "club" that competes in races during recess and they were not pleased I was going to check out one of their members after lunch and mess up their race plans.

And they weren't the only ones racing!  I ran the Seaside half marathon the first weekend of March and am so proud to have met my goal and completed the race.  My mom (above, middle)  was supposed to run in the race with us but came down with the flu at the last minute. My new stepsister Kelly completed the race at the same time I did.

This picture was snapped just as my running buddy Nancy and I crossed the finish line.  Those are smiles of pure relief!

Tweet

:: Have a little help from my friends.... ::

 Lately I have been struck by just how talented so many of my friends are.  Each in their own way.  As I've prepared for Knox's arrival, I have been the recipient of many of their talents and just had to take a minute to brag on them.  First off is photographer Alisha Baker of Alisha Baker Photography.  I met her for the first time not too long ago at a Blessed Be The Name photo shoot and was so impressed with her Be(tween) catalog photos I asked her if she'd take Knox's newborn pictures.

A few weeks ago she emailed and said she had an idea for a maternity photo shoot for her portfolio and would I be interested in "modeling" (I use that term VERY lightly!).  I said yes, please!  And these images are just a few from our session.  

She totally dreamed up the wish lantern idea and made them all by hand.  It was absolutely hilarious to watch us try to corral the lanterns from blowing away too fast and even more of a sight to see Cannon and Parrish on the bass cat boat going to gather them from the middle of the lake after we were done!  Parrish definitely loved the adventure and by the end of it, Cannon was already coming up with ways we could get them to stay put longer next time.  It was so much fun and Alisha is such a talented photographer.  I am so thankful I will have these images to look back on.  When I look at the pink sky I think of Livy smiling down on us...me carrying the baby boy she helped Jesus select just for our family.

Another Über talented friend is Brantley Bowden of Southern Stationery.  I've known Brantley since Auburn and at my baby shower my friend Autumn gave me some of her absolutely precious (seriously - I couldn't stop looking at them) stationery, stickers, and gift tags.  

I loved everything so much I contacted Brantley about doing Knox's announcements, and then I got a little carried away (shocker!) and had her do some cigar wraps for hospital favors too (I wrapped them around the blue bubble gum cigars and they are so precious).

And some baby bag tags for Knox...

And not to be left out...some new luggage and backpack tags for Mr. Parrish.

So many talented friends....I love being the beneficiary of their God-given gifts!  Thanks, ladies!!

Tweet

:: Master Re-do Part 3 & Random Acts of Kindness ::

After almost a year of living in our new home and sleeping upstairs in the guest room to be closer to Parrish, we have finally made the transition to the master bedroom on the main floor.  After always being people who didn't see the need for a King-sized bed because we like to snuggle, we have officially crossed over to the "other side."  Mainly because Parrish tends to end up in our bed at some point early in the morning and the extra room is a must for 3 people.  :)  

This is how the room turned out and we are really pleased.  To show you where we started, here is a "before" picture.

The bed was a hand-me-down from Cannon's parents when we got married.  And while we liked it, we really wanted to make the room our own.  We've focused so much on the rest of the house, so it was time to put some of that energy into our master retreat.  The walls were a dark brown (BM North Creek Brown to be exact) which we have in our main great room and love because it is lightened up by breezy white linen curtains and light grey cabinets in the kitchen, but in the master with all of the heavy dark wood furniture, it seemed depressing.

 So with the help of our super-talented friend and carpenter, David, we added built in bookshelves designed to encase the headboard we made.

The next step was to paint the walls (BM berkshire beige), bookcase (cream), bookshelf backs (BM Polished Slate), and ceiling (BM Wasabi).  We designed the lower half of the bookshelves to be enclosed storage so we could hide our mess instead of putting it on display. 

The bottom cabinet extends 6" from the bookcase so we have a place to set our books and glasses of water at night.  David even thought to drill a hole in the corners of the cabinet to run the wires from our phone and alarm clock through...genius!

 Decorating bookcases is not my strong suit, but I just "shopped" my house to fill them with books, family photos, my collection of baby silver from each of our children and ourselves, and baskets on the lower shelves for storing our tv remotes, hand lotion, etc.

 The top 9 shelves are decorated with antique butterfly prints from ebay.  They are actually printed on fabric and were used in old field guide books.  They were super cheap and easily framed for a reasonable price because they fit into standard 5x7 pre-made frames.

If you don't already decorate with antique prints, I highly recommend it!  Just about anything can be framed and old print pages from antique books just give your home that since of nostalgia that only items collected along the way can bring.  My favorite place to search for antique prints is on ebay, and they always have a great selection at Scott's in Atlanta as well.  To make the most impact, group the prints together.

 Excuse the glaring flash in this picture, but I was trying to show some of the things I filled the bookshelves with.  One of my favorites are these pieces of white coral we collected on a family trip to Barbados years ago.  I think I was pregnant with Parrish when we went.  I remember being so excited to find this white coral all along the beach and have decorated with it several places in our home throughout the years.

Master sitting area before, and master sitting area after.

 We still need to hang the mirror (vertically) for some height, but I love that we're using our larger buffet from the living room in place of the oak chest of drawers because the large wall called for something with a little more bulk.

 I love monogrammed pillows with a coordinating stripe of fabric down the center.  In our case we used left over fabric from our bedskirt to accent the medallion fabric we used for euros and a throw on the bed.

 We grouped together our large framed family photos in our master hallway and I love the impact hanging them all together gives versus hanging them separately (as I had them before).

 We used the popular velvet octagon fabric for our headboard.  My super talented seamstress sewed the fabric together for us and David cut a piece of plywood to size for us to glue 3" foam to the center of, cover with batting, then stretch the octagon fabric over it.  The french brass nailhead trim was so much easier to install than I anticipated because it came on a roll and I only had to nail a head every fifth one. Because of this we did two rows...one by the foam and one on the outer edge of the plywood.

You can see in this picture that we ran electrical for two drop pendants on either side of the bed.  This is really my favorite part, a) because I love the steam punk light fixtures from Shades of Light and b) because we had the electricians install switches with dimmers on the inside of the bottom cabinets.  It is so nice to be laying in bed reading and be easily able to switch off the light before falling

 asleep.

 We love the finished product and are finally enjoying our master bedroom!

  In the master bath I changed the wall color to BM Boca Raton Blue, changed the hardware to yellow milk glass and added the coordinating striped bath mats from CB2.  

 The only other change was our fabulous octopus triptych I hung above our tub.  I had seen this on a tv show and found out the original cost thousands of dollars.  Luckily other people liked it enough to do a knock off poster version on allposters.com, so I was able to order those with an online coupon then use a groupon deal to have them custom framed for half price.

You can also find the octopus graphic for free on thegraphicsfairy.com.

 Other happenings in our family over the last week have included a father's day lunch at the river with Grandaddy Jack (I love this picture of three generations of Prickett boys) and the arrival of the shirt Parrish designed from Bundle NYC.

 The look on Parrish's face when he opened the package was priceless.  He put it right on and is so proud.  Especially of the back label where they printed "Parrish Designs."  He said, "it looks even better on the shirt than on the paper!"

We're in full summer swing with daily trips to the pool or slip n slide parties in the backyard and yesterday one of my friends, who owns a restaurant in Childersburg, brought a baby gift from one of her customers to our back yard gathering.  Apparently this customer has followed my blog since she heard about our loss and prayed for us and asked about us since.  When she heard I was having another baby boy she hand knitted me the most precious baby blanket, booties, and bonnet.  On the card she simply wrote, "For the child I have prayed for, for you".  Cannon and I were so touched by this random act of kindness and continue to be amazed at how we can be having a particularly hard week emotionally (which has been going on a lot for me lately) and someone being the hands and feet of Christ will do something or say something so kind that it is like salve for our aching wounds.  There is so much bad in this world...we are inundated with stories of depravity daily in the news, but it's rare that you hear stories like this.  The small random acts of kindness of strangers that are so unexpected but so meaningful. 

Lately I have been wrestling with coming to terms with the fact that we will never really "heal" from loosing something as precious as our baby girl.  Time passes and on the outside we seem better, but it will always be hard and messy.  We have just learned to function and live in spite of the constant hurt that is in our chests.  I didn't think it was possible for a heart to actually ache until we lost Olivia and now I go to bed with this ache and wake up with it in the morning.  Some days I wonder why I am bothering to put one foot in front of the other because it hurts so bad.  I wonder how I can possibly be expected to "do" another day's details while missing her.  The hurt makes it so hard to be able to function the way I used to.  Little things - organizing schedules, making decisions, and managing daily relationships - that used to come so easily, suddenly seem much harder with this ache in my chest.  Something seemingly small that wouldn't have otherwise upset me can now have the power to send me into a depressing crying jag.

And then I think of Parrish and how horrible it would be for him if his mommy never got out of bed and let the hurt consume her.  I already worry that he has to see me cry so much.  I reason that this will make him a very empathetic person.  I not to cry in front of him, but it's like he has a sixth sense when I am upset because he always seems to find me and when he does, he just puts his little arm around me and rubs my back like I do to him when he is sad.  The other day he said, "we did all we could to save her, mommy."  It breaks my heart to hear such grown up words coming from my baby boy's mouth and that he has to comfort me when he shouldn't have to.  

I lay these worries and so many others at the foot of the throne on a daily basis and pray that one day I will be able to leave them there permanently.

Tweet