Sprinkles Of Charm

LOVE decking those halls!!

This really is my favorite time of the year.  Pulling out the glitter, sparkles, bows and nostalgia are so much fun for my family. We are in full swing reading Christmas books each night and began our NEW advent calendar. We've had the same advent for several years and I knew we were due for something fun and creative.  With the HUGE snow day yesterday I stayed home and made this advent from things I had laying around. The kids LOVED it!

I just decorated mini-bags with paper, ribbons, buttons and glitter. I glued numbers to simple clothespins. I found some great stories and neat facts about the history of Christmas here (great resource for advent ideas). I included one story/history in each bag.

I attached the clothespins to a 3-tiered stand I already had. Next, I made simple treat packets by sewing 2 pieces of Christmas paper together and filled with candies. Each night my kids take turns reading the story and picking a treat pack to share with everyone. You leave the thread long when you're done sewing so the kids just rip and pour!  I filled them with m&m's, peppermints, chocolates, etc... There is a great tutorial for these here.

More fun decorations up...our house is feeling cozy and ready for fun!

Vintage ornaments in a large bowl...

Glass apothecary jars - I chose pink and green this year. I do have 3 girls after all....

Non-traditional Christmas colors in the front room...our favorite place to read books and have family talks....

My favorite - Nothing better than a HUGE bin of sparkle and pine cones...

Homemade garland from last year...still love!

Deck the Halls

Oh how I LOVE Christmastime!  We are busy at the Polson household with wrapping, concerts, recitals, parties, school projects, baking, decorating and overall holiday excitement! I have so many things to catch up on - especially the Western Party I did for a friend's daughter - so fun! But for now I'll send a little Christmas cheer from our house to yours...enjoy the next few weeks weeks with loved ones - we are loving it!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

There's "P" in my Bathroom!

Quick post about the decorating of my little powder bathroom downstairs.  I had never done a thing with this until now.  Once the family room was done, that little bathroom seemed so drab.  My initial thoughts were to go crazy with it and paint it bright peacock blue or chartreusse.  But, in the end, a calmer, more mellow color prevailed (Silver Sage from Restoration Hardware).

Nobody can say I don't have a sense of humor.  My collection of P's seemed very appropriate in this room.  I hung them in old vintage frames ("vintage" meaning thrift store cheapo's) and even repainted a few of them to fit the theme a little better.  It's hard to tell in the pictures, but the P above the toilet is that peacock blue that I love.

The shelf is made from a junk yard shutter (repainted and rusticated of course) and iron brackets. The window is an old $3 find at the junk yard. 

I LOVE the colorful rug and my favorite is the mirror!  I hung the "P" towel holder and realized it was too tall for Hadley to reach so she picked out an iron crown (that I painted white and stained).  She gets her very own towel and thinks she's very important.

Once again, I enjoyed every minute of this.  I've painted a few little nooks in my house and done some little projects, but I think this was the last decorating re-do for awhile.  Here are the pics!

BEFORE

AFTER

   

 

 
 

 
 
 

Car accident, More Projects, Sawyer's Wig and Snow Day!

Schools are closed today for a snow day!  Kiddos are thrilled to have a cozy day at home with movies, hot chocolate and snuggling.  I'm not sure how much snow we got but it fell for 24 hours straight.  I got in my first weather related accident Tuesday night.  I was coming home at about 6:00 on the back dirt roads.  Only, they were starting to get muddy because the storm was coming in right around that time.  I was going about 40 mph and went to hit my brakes for a stop sign, only I couldn't stop.  I must have had caked on mud because the brakes were doing absolutely nothing.  It was the scariest moment with 3 kids in my car, going 40, unable to stop and there was a HUGE barricade I was about to hit.  It was either the barricade or the ditch - I chose barricade.  It was slow motion, barreling through that 6 foot barricade full speed.  We finally came to a stop after some screams from all of us.  I completely shattered the barricade and there was tons of fluid leaking from my car and some body damage (to the car that is).  I barely made it home - I could feel the car slowly dying (as the fluid was leaking out).  By the time Nolan got home it wouldn't move.  He jacked up my car to remove the 4 foot orange barrel I had crushed to smithereens.  We had it towed yesterday and so far the engine damage is $1300 - we haven't taken it to a body shop yet.  Yuck!  Nolan and I went back to the crash seen and he couldn't help but smirk, take a picture and say it must have been like dukes of hazards barreling through that huge "Road Closed" sign.  Car problems are like dental work - they stink but it's just part of life.  He took pictures with his phone, I'll have to post those later.  We are all fine, except my muscles are sore from tensing up.  Thank goodness.

Nolan bought this Halloween wig and Sawyer thinks it's pretty cool.  It is hysterical that he will just leave it on and crawl around the house doing his thing.  We've had a lot of laughs out of this one!

So, we painted the kitchen the same as the family room except I did a lighter yellow in the kitchen nook.  I made a cute curtain from a tablecloth and have started an old bottle collection on top of my black shelf.  I'm looking forward to buying one here and there in hopes that each has a story.  I found some really neat bottles at all the flea markets I've been going to.

 
The branches.  The idea started with me wanting to make a simple curtain rod out of a branch.  My plan was to make curtains for the rod.  First of all, the picture of Nolan hauling the dead tree we found home out the car window was hilarious.  The girls were laughing so hard as we were driving down the road with a tree hanging out our window.  I'm sure our neighbors thought we were smoking something fierce.  Well, one thing led to another and before I knew it I was screwing various branches into my wall above the kitchen sink.  It really looks neat in person - I could NOT get a good picture with the right lighting.  I decided it was a window treatment in itself - no curtains necessary.  And free - who can beat that!

I also covered $1.50 chipboard letters with batting and fabric to make "EAT" somewhat charming.  It was a fun project.

I've had this last project in my mind for a long time.  I bought an open back fancy frame and a chalkboard at Hobby Lobby (1/2 off of course)!  We cut the chalkboard down to size and whala- gorgeous chalkboard.  I've had a ball writing cute messages to the girls or inspirational quotes.  Today it says "Let it Snow".  It hangs in the kitchen and I love the way it turned out!

 

Decorating Part 1

As mentioned before I had such a great time making this room come together.  It was really nice to have a project to direct my creative energy to.  It's amazing how much happier I am when I can make things - turn things into something different than they were.  I just love it - it's a passion of mine.  Here is the room!

     

Here are my stories about this room.

I've decided more color would be a great, new thing for our home.  The fabrics were so fun and cheerful and I had such a ball turning them into pillows.  I tried putting a few zipper in those pillows.  I finally figured out how to do it with a tutorial on-line, but decided that the envelope style pillows were much more practical to sew.  Plus, you can still remove them to wash.  I also used dishtowels and cloth napkins from Anthropologie to make unique pillows.  Take a look.

 
 
Next, my glorious chair!  I've always wanted a great big slip-covered chair from Pottery Barn.  Well, they are SO darn expensive.  And then I found that good ole' JC Penny store!  We had ordered some look-alike Pottery Barn Bedroom Furniture for Madison's room a few years ago and have loved it.  Granted, it's probably not as good of quality as Pottery Barn, but we don't need top of the line. So, JC Penny had these darling chairs for 1/3 the price and we went for it.  I picked the butter color and love how it compliments the golden walls but is still neutral enough to work if we ever change our color scheme.  A few pillows and a clearance Pottery Barn chocolate brown throw - so cozy for reading and snuggling!

The jars. The jars. The jars, the jars, the jars.  I have always HATED this alcove above our mantel.  I just wanted a nice thick mantel I could put pictures or mirrors or candles on - with a plain, flat wall behind it.  I had never found anything that worked in there.  In fact, Nolan and I had many conversations about getting it patched and covered so it wouldn't give me anxiety anymore.  WELL, I fixed it!  I love the over-sized jars in there.  I decided to try to embrace the big hole, and I thought about how to make a statement.  It took about 10 trips back and forth from Marshalls and Ross, but eventually all the right jars became a family:)

We painted the high alcove a chocolate brown and I repainted my red stars cream to pop against the chocolate.  The wreath is okay up there, but I think I need something orange or turquoise - any ideas?  The basket liners were fun to put together.  I thought it added some nice color up high.

 

The lamp shades were an adventure.  I ordered an Anthropologie shade off Ebay (the bee and flower one on the sofa table).  I covered the other floral shade with some leftover pillow fabric and trim - I think it turned out really cute.  The white lamp I found in the clearance section of Anthropologie - it was cracked a bit - but not enough to bother me!

The little side table on the far side of the couch was found at a flea market.  It's super rustic with a barn wood top and banged up legs.  It came out of a backwoods cabin in Oklahoma.  I love keeping those rustic touches in the room to add character.

The curtains were fun and probably took the longest to figure out.  I couldn't decide how much pattern I wanted and if I wanted a lot color in them (in case I even wanted to switch color schemes).  I had pinned 12 different ideas up on the wall and nothing felt quite right.  I had seen burlap used on curtains a few times and had that in the back of my head.  Then one day walking through Target I saw a shower curtain that I loved!  I bought a few, cut them up, added some pom pom trim and neutral burlap to the bottom and ta da!  After I hung them it took me a few days to decide I really loved them.  It's just enough pattern to create visual interest, but not too crazy that it distracts from the pillows.  I also couldn't believe the $1000 rug from Anthropologie matched so perfectly.  Of course, you know I would NEVER pay that.  I got lucky one day (again in the sale room at Anthro).  A designer had ordered the rug for a room and decided she didn't like it.  She brought it back to the store and they just needed to get rid of it for $198!! Steal.
   
 
I've done some fun things in the kitchen and powder bathroom as well.  I better save that for another post since I've got to get myself and 4 kiddos ready for church in an hour!   Happy decorating...

New Decor - Sneak Peek!!

I recently (mostly) finished decorating my family room.  There are still some pieces here and there that I need to add as I find special things I like.  I have had this idea in my head for a good 8-10 months and have been working the last 3 months to bring everything together.  I've always done very traditional decorating with many rustic touches (which I still adore).  But, this time I wanted to go with something completely different and fun.  I've been thinking of orange and green for a few years and I decided to go for it!  Well, in the process I ended up adding a ton of blue as well.  I started with fabrics that made me smile and had lots of energy (some from Amy Butler, others are random finds at cute stores).  I also started with the great orange tin "P"  I found in Arizona.  It was my inspiration to begin.  My recommendation when starting a room is to ALWAYS have one piece that inspires you and motivates you.  The "P" was mine.  There are stories behind everything in the room.  We started with trying about 15 different paint colors before deciding on this cozy and warm golden tan.  I LOVE it!  I'm starting with a sneak peak of a few things and will post details of all my projects over the next few days.  Enjoy!!

Flashback to First Day of 5th, 2nd and Preschool

Sometimes it's hard to believe I have a 5th grader who is almost 11!  She is so big and responsible and becoming such a pretty young woman.  She's had her face buried in Harry Potter books for about 5 days now.  This is the first time she's read them and I do believe she's head over heels.  Of course she wants to be Hermoine for Halloween. She looked cute on her first day with crimped hair and a new outfit picked out on her own. She's queen of the school this year before heading off to middle school next year!  I told her to enjoy every minute of it - including getting to rule and reign on the back of the bus!

Bella, the 2nd grade fashion queen.  I love her choice of outfits and she always knows what she wants to wear. Her year started out great with getting the teacher she wanted and rough because her best friend isn't there with her.  She's been doing so well, especially excelling in reading like her big sister.  Nolan and I have often wondered what we did right to get two such advanced readers.  I'm not really sure other than reading to them every night before bed.  It's amazing how those simple routines can add up to such important life skills.

By little Hadley, off to Preschool a few weeks after the girls started.  This is her second preschool year with Ms. Sara's Montessori.  She is in heaven at Ms. Sara's class and is only one of six students. She's busy practicing her letters and numbers.  She looks forward to the monthly field trip and adventure.  Next week we're off to the pumpkin patch with her classmates!  She and I still enjoy our afternoons together - with the additon of baby Sawyer of course.  She enjoys this time to be the one and only big sister to our sweet little man.

And, as mentioned in my last post, I've been super busy decorating and sewing.  Here's a sneak peek at a few pillows I made.

And, I couldn't leave without posting a picture of Sawyer. He's acquired many nicknames; Chewy, Chewbacca, Snoopy, Buddy, SoyBoy...We love him! And, as you probably guessed, his choice of onesie provided by his Daddy!  I think all these females wear him out...a man's just got to escape.

 
 
  
 
 
 

Sawyer and Princess Movie Night

Sawyer is getting huge.  He weighed in at almost 15 pounds at his 2 month appointment.  Yup, 90th percentile in everything.  I love that chubby, squishy guy.  He's smiling a ton and starting to coo.  It melts my heart everytime.

     

When Nolan was gone on a campout a few weekends ago the girls and I had a Princess Movie Night.  It was a made for TV movie that I rented.  It was actually pretty cute for the girls.  They were entertained and enjoyed princess style smoothies and tiaras.

 

Getting Ready for Baby!

This little guy should be here any day now...we can't wait to meet him!  I promise to put a picture of me pregnant before he comes - somehow I just keep avoiding the camera.  So it looks like the official due date right now is the 27th according to the last ultrasound - give or take a few days.  My doctor would induce me on Tuesday if I want (the 23rd) but I'm hoping he'll either come before that or wait until after Christmas.  We'll see what happens.  I've been busy "nesting" as they call it - getting the nursery ready, sewing a bit and buying last minute essentials for a little boy.

But first I wanted to post about the adorable baby shower my awesome friend AJ threw me.  It was so charming and perfect.  She had blue and chocolate brown everywhere - dozens of balloons, candy, a diaper cake, cupcakes - everything was perfect.  I was overwhelmed with the amount of work she put into this.  I have always said LOVE IS IN THE DETAILS and this shower was a perfect example of that.  I could tell how much time she spent thinking of little details like blue baby feet suckers and handmade blue candy canes as favors.  We had a lovely brunch of homemade soups, salads and rolls.  There were about 15 ladies there that I love and adore.  We had a great time playing games, visiting and opening gifts.  I got some wonderful gifts like baby boy clothes, diapers, blankets, books, a baby sling and a Bumbo.  I felt SO loved that day and will always remember it.  I think I'm lucky to get a baby shower on my 4th and last baby - it was wonderful!

       

Here are some pictures of the simple, Western themed nursery.  I let Nolan pick the theme - the things you see hanging on the walls are special pieces we already had that have stories behind them.  The wooden plank is a brand from an old family farm, the Western Star is a piece made by my Uncle Rick Merrill who is a western artist.  There's a picture of an old truck up on the shelf which is a photo of Nolan's Grandpa's old farm truck.  I wanted to keep the room simple but still have that touch of Rustic Cowboy to it.  The baby's name will be hung in chocolate brown letters under the picture frames between the stripes.  Of course, we don't know his name yet so I had to wait on that.  If you have any fun ideas what to hang from the shelf - let me know.  I was thinking horseshoes or a cowboy hat.

   

Burp Clothes anyone?  You may wonder why I spent time sewing these burp clothes that will only be used for spit-up!  Well, they are SUPER easy and so cute I just couldn't stop.  I found some adorable ribbon at Hobby Lobby and just sewed it to premade, white burp-clothes.  Cute homemade gift for anyone you know having a baby!

Fall & Home Projects

I sat down to post about our Disneyland trip and realized all our pictures are on Nolan's laptop and he's on a business trip.  So, until he gets home I have plenty of other fun things to catch up on.

Fall is my favorite time of year in Colorado.  I love the changing leaves, the crispness in the air and the smell of pumpkin muffins baking, mmmm....My girls love seeing all the fall and Halloween decorations make their way out and all the candy appear on the counters.  Fall is what really made me fall in love with living in Colorado.  Nothing beats pumpkins on the porch and piles of leaves to jump in.

 

       

I've been trying to get a few home projects done before the baby comes.  I haven't really done much on the nursery, but hopefully it's the next big project to hop on!   I know the laundry room typically isn't a big deal, but I see it EVERY time I come into the house from the garage, so I wanted to make it a little more pleasing to the eye and fresh feeling.  We painted stripes and put in some shelving.  Lemons say "CLEAN" to me, so I wanted to add a bit of yellow. I actually don't mind doing laundry as much and I'm more motivated to keep this room decluttered.  I love the way it turned out!

 

Another project that has been weighing on my mind for SO long is all the girls school work over the past few years.  It's been in a not so organized pile for along time.  I saw this great idea in the Family Fun magazine to organize the school work in boxes with handles for each school year or group of years, depending on how much stuff they had.  The boxes are big enough that they hold art projects and sturdy enough to store in the basement out of the way.  It is SO organized and out of the way - I love it!  Here is a snapshot of a couple of the boxes.

 

Lastly, we finally finished Madison's room!  She has been so patient as many other projects have been completed over the last 2 years in this house.  We ordered her a grown-up bedroom set as an early Christmas present and it is darling.  She has had the beach theme for awhile, but she wanted to try something different on the walls than at the old house (she used to have waves and sand).  She chose a bright, tropical green.  The brightest green is on the wall behind her bed and a lighter green is on the other 3 walls.  I painted some tropical flowers and leaves on the walls - I'm not sure how great they look - but she sure loves it.  One of my favorite touches is the stacking turtle storage boxes I found at Tuesday Morning - they were a steal!  She needed lots of storage so we added lots of baskets in the closet, etc...I've been so proud of her keeping it so clean and being grateful for the nice things we did in there.  She is also working or reading at her desk every night - I think we've already got our money's worth out of that!