FAMILY ROOM MAKEOVER

Dear Olive,

Whelp, I pulled the trigger and painted the back room molding.

It all started with our vintage side chair, which didn't jive with the 80s edition molding.  

I planned to paint the trim over the summer, but then I found this gem of a granny sofa at a local vintage shop.  It is actually the exact sofa my grandma had when I was growing up.  I removed the skirt to unearth some keen mid-century legs.  After that, I knew that I had to start painting to keep my ugly couch ironic instead of just ugly in the space.

Unfortunately, while I was taking down our very heavy wooden blinds, I crashed into my beloved blown glass lamp.  A few days later, I found this one at Goodwill for $6 and paired it with a black linen shade.

I finally assembled the Ikea cart that had been waiting in my attic and organized our picture book collection.

Recommended by Joni of Lay Baby Lay, I have loved this union rug from Pattern Society for some time and am pleased by how it works in the space.  

The builder-grade windows actually didn't have any panes in them.  I purchased this product to outfit the windows above the couch and used L brackets to overhang a century old sidelight window over the picture window.

The kids had painted these canvases as a Christmas gift and I love looking at them everyday.

Now I look forward to starting our day in the family room.  

Instead of an afterthought, it has become a favorite space!

PAINTING HISTORIC MOLDING: DO OR DON'T?

Dear Olive,

I have been contemplating painting our dark molding for ages now.  It seems such a historic house sin, but how can that be so when you could go from this:

To this:

I can't get over how Jordan of Oh Happy Day has transformed her turn of the century space into modern vintage with a mere coat of paint.  Maybe it is for us?

PUPPY LOVE FOR VALENTINES DAY

Dear Olive,

This year for Valentines, both of the kids wanted to make boxes in the shape of dogs.  Puppies are a major thing around these parts.

Our dogs thought so too.  Hamilton and Burr may or may not have eaten the loot out of their boxes at the end of the night.  Dogmatic irony.

INVITING SILENCE

Dear Olive,

I have decided to permit winter to enfold me.  To cease in trying to lurch myself into high octane productivity and to instead slow into the grey stillness of the season.

Each winter, I rally against the quieting of nature and the bleak months ahead.  What if, instead of trying to pursue my to-do list with ragged exhaustion, I used the time as a reset.  To read, and rest, and to be still.  To contemplate instead of motivate.

Everything needs silence.  Maybe silence is what I need.

PLAYHOUSE: INTERIOR TOUR

Dear Olive, 

Right before winter, we made some updates to the playhouse interior. 

We painted and added curtains from a vintage sheet, added hooks for some child-size folding chairs, and a table for a garage-sale toy stove I found.

Immediately after the house was built, our neighbor; an antique dealer, put a damaged octagonal inlaid tabletop on the curb for trash pick up.  I hauled it over, certain that it would be the perfect floor for the playhouse.  Alas, the dimensions were too small, but I begged our friend into lending me his miter saw and cut down 2x4s to rim the table and fit into the floor.  We now have parquet flooring in the playhouse.  

PS... I seriously almost cut off my thumb using the saw.

 

The kids and I regularly play monster in the house and have dog tea parties.

There is a loft above with pillows and I have grand plans to wallpaper the ceiling with this paper, and of course to install a chandelier.

There is nothing lovelier than sitting in the house with the windows open and the breeze blowing the smell of our vegetable garden through the space.  

And Ella makes the best tea on the block.

She has a cup waiting for Violet and Johnny.

NEW YEAR'S EVE

Dear Olive,

I can't wait for New Year's Eve this year.  Hoping for good health so that we don't have to postpone the festivities like last year.

We plan to make New Year's hats:

Open our time capsule:

And use this clock to count down to midnight (which we will pretend)

Wishing you the happiest New Year!

THE SECRETS TO MOTHERHOOD

Dear Olive,

via

The secrets to motherhood:

1.  Make two meals for the week on Sunday night.

2.  Shop for everything you can online.  Amazon is your friend.

3.  Some grocery stores will shop for you.  You can order from your saved list on the net and then schedule a pick up.

4.  Make kid outfits when you are putting away the laundry.  Pack each outfit in a shoe rack pocket over the door.

5.  When things are about to get real, crack out the busy bags.  My kids are trained to play by themselves for 3 songs until they can interrupt an adult's work.

6.  Divide and conquer.  Whenever possible, divide the young among the adults for 1:1.  My daughter will run errands with me while my son stays to help dad with a project or vice versa.  They are so much more well behaved when they get undivided time.

7.  Clean the bathroom while the kids are in the tub.  Since there is enough splash water to flood the place, this is basically the only time that I wash the floor anymore.

8.  Start kid chores early.  Even a two year old can contribute.  This helps them feel like a part of the group and lightens the parenting load.  Of course training for chores extends them at first, but eventually the scaffolding pays out in dividends.  Our first three chores that every kids starts with are: carry your plate back from the dinner table, make your bed (basically just pulling up the sheet), and match socks out of the laundry.  Then we gravitate towards this system to earn allowance.

9.  Get a token economy going.  We started the "star system" for Gabriel when he turned two.  I was surprised that it worked for him at such a young age.

10.  Make school lunch supplies when you are putting away groceries.  I take an entire loaf of bread, make individual PB&Js, put them each in a ziplock, and then stack them in the freezer door.  Cheaper than Uncrustables, less daunting than making one each morning. I also love these salad jars for adults, made weekly.

11.  Ditch the baby book.  Use the Day One app to write a sentence or two on  your phone when you actually think about it... I even use the voice text option to write while waiting at red lights.  You can add pictures, locations, and print the whole thing out at the end of the year.