Toddler Bedroom Update

You may remember that I redid my son's bedroom in November. I have since added a new toddler sheet set from Land of Nod that my son got as a Christmas gift.

5-Day Do-Over: My Dining Room (and it took me MONTHS)

The After Photo

This didn't have to take me months, but it did. I had a baby, and my priorities changed during the "newborn" period.  Now that I have finally finished the room, here is how it went. I didn't do all of these steps exactly in order, but you get the idea. Note that I previously did this for my living room (see that post for more info.).

The Before Photo:
We subsequently replaced the tired rug, sold the console table, repainted, and cleaned

The end of the first day

The furniture was rearranged, and this is the new rug (based on people's comments, I moved the table closer towards the center of the room later on)

The console table is gone; the art is still the same

Another shot of the same thing; note the relatively small and dark art on the walls and the different objects on the table

A close-up of the old art

Notice the blue kitchen cabinets, which were subsequently painted white, and that I'm experimenting by trying different artwork on the walls

This was the photo that convinced me to change the railing (behind the table / in the background) to a half-wall - it's just a lot of bars to have in one room given the obligatory baby-gate to the kitchen (in the foreground)

The baby that changed everything

It got messy

Once we repainted the walls a calmer blue-gray color, the autumn colors outside really popped

Notice the white kitchen cabinets, and the kitchen walls were repainted gray (before they were a buttery color)

Obligatory cute kids photo

The after photo!

The after photo, zoomed out so you can see the half-wall

A close-up of the items on our table

Another photo of the half-wall

A significantly zoomed out shot

A close-up of the new artwork

"Day" 1

• Pick a room: I chose our dining room.
• List all of the decorative items in the room: I had several photographs on the walls and also several smaller framed photographs on the desk (photos of horses, rams, reindeer, and an owl), as well as a cat postcard, and a green placemat that was serving as a small table runner.
• Of the above items, which do not seem to fit in: The ram photograph and the black horses photograph didn't seem to fit in the most (they didn't convey the airy, spacious feeling I was going for).

"Day" 2

• What categories* of decorative items are there too many of: I had way too many realistic photographs - I needed more variety in my artwork.
• Remove a few of those: Okay, so I removed all of the photos. Maybe I went overboard?
• Look around the house for some items with more variety to add to the room: I added sculptural items via the Korean wedding ducks, and I added a tray (at first I added the colorful circles tray, but later I swapped that out for a wooden turkey-shaped board). I tried adding a candle too but my toddler promptly destroyed it by trying to eat it.

*Categories could be: pillows, textiles, photos, prints, trays, vases, bowls, etc.

"Day" 3

• What items can be removed because they are not beautiful, useful, or meaningful: I feel like this is sort of a repeat/reincarnation of Day 2, but in addition to the photos I removed on Day 2, I removed the "desk" (or was it a buffet table, a sofa table, or a console table? whatever it was, it now lives happily in someone else's home), and I removed the extra chair. I also added a faux cowhide storage ottoman because the room lacked upholstered pieces.

"Day" 4

• Instead of buying things, create a "wish list" of items you would like to add to the room and gradually add those items over the next few months: I wanted a new highchair for the kiddo, a pony wall (also called a knee wall) instead of the metal railing, and to repaint the room - these last two things actually happened! I replaced the rug because it was old and stained, but I did that before I got to the Day 4 step.

"Day" 5

• Write down the colors in the room currently: The room had light brown, white/ivory, and blue-green.
• Choose a fresh accent color to add to the room and add it in at least three places: I chose maraschino cherry and added it in the framed print on the wall and the tablecloth - I guess the bill on one of the ducks is also red so that's three!
• Remove a color (optional): I removed some of the brown (thanks to the artwork swap) and I also removed all of the blue-green thanks to a new ivory rug and new steely-gray wall paint (the new wall paint harmonizes with the gray and dark blue in the adjacent living room).

Reflection

• There is a lot of overlap between Day 2 and Day 3, which are the steps when things are added and removed based on their decor category (Day 2) and their use/meaning/purpose/sentimentality (Day 3). Although things are also taken away and added on Day 5, at that point it's based on color and seems like a clearly separate idea.
• I posted a midway photo of the room to people and their main suggestions were: the art is too small (agreed), lower and center the chandelier, add a table cloth (done), and change the upholstery fabric on the dining chairs. Lowering/centering the chandelier sounds like a simple thing, but it's not - first we'd have to remove links from its chain to do it right, and second, it is impossible to actually center the chandelier over the table (because the table would then be too close to the kitchen), which I feel is less noticeable if the chandelier is way up high. However, I did move the table so that the chandelier is closer to being centered than it was. I would still like to change the upholstery on the chairs someday (if we still have them), but it's not a priority for me.
• I'm most happy with the change in paint color (it feels so fresh and sophisticated now), the half-wall, and moving the ottoman here (which frees up a lot of space in our master bedroom). The half-wall was a game-changer because it's better at holding up our baby gate (which is on the other side of it), it's a nice place to put things temporarily, and nothing "falls downstairs" under the railing anymore.

Note: Because I lost my paper files thanks to a rambunctious cat and a spilled Brita pitcher, I can't quite remember everything that happened.

Infographic

I made an infographic because everyone loves infographics!

Sources
The existing table and chairs are from CraigsList. The existing chandelier is from Lowes. The new tablecloth is from Home Goods. The turkey cutting board is from Etsy. The Korean wedding ducks were a gift. The curtains are from JCPenney. The new rug is from World Market, although the fibers aren't strong so I wouldn't recommend it. The new art print and frame are from ArtCrate. The ottoman is from Overstock.

My (new) New Year's Resolutions

Here are my 2016 New Year's Resolutions:

1. Play with my kids - easier said than done when things like cleaning, cooking, errands, etc. get in the way
2. Go to the beach this summer - go at least once
3. Do more yoga and/or take a yoga class at the new gym near my office
4. Finally organize my paper files

And here is how it's going so far:

1. Is it weird that I find it difficult to enjoy playing with my kids when their toys are not organized?
2. Maybe I should preemptively book a hotel room?
3. I should probably figure out how much those classes cost right?
4. I filed 2.5 of the 3 boxes of paper files I needed to go through - hooray!

Image Credit for the paper blower above: Free clip art from Nexusmods.com

Cross Stitch Dala Horse Pattern

Every time I try to use an off-the-shelf pattern, I find things that I'd like to change, and I start to tinker with the pattern. Call me a perfectionist. I look for inspiration from not just cross stitch patterns, but also real-life photos. That is what happened here, leading to the creation of my own original Dala Horse pattern. I think this design works for anyone who has a playful side, not just the Swedish.

DMC colors used:
Green - 910
White - BLANC
Red - 817
Yellow - 726
Blue - 995

Fabric: White 14-count Aida cloth

Finished size: Slightly smaller than 4 x 4 inches

Couple of Birds Sitting on a Branch (Cross Stitch)

This is a pair of birds perching on a branch with three red berries. Note that the beaks are each made with two half-stitches. Be sure to "catch" your longer diagonal stitch with your shorter stitch (the one that goes into the middle of a square) or else your beak won't look tight and crisp (it will look rounded / bulbous). There is also one half-stitch randomly towards the mid-bottom of the left bird.

DMC colors used:

Dark red for berries – To be added later

Light red for berries – To be added later

Dark gray for beaks – To be added later

Blue – To be added later

Brown for branch – To be added later

Fabric used: 14-count white Aida

Small Plane in Cross Stitch

DMC colors used:

Dull purple – 3041 is similar

White (for highlights in the cockpit) – BLANC

Red – 304

Yellow – 972

Fabric used: 14-count white Aida cloth

The finished size for my Christmas ornament was 3.25 inches square.

Small Cross Stitch Train

I'm pretty proud of myself for creating this tiny train pattern from scratch. I turned this design into a 3.25-inch square Christmas ornament using the finishing technique in this post.

DMC colors used:

Red – 304

Yellow – 972

Green – 910 or 699 (similar)

Black for wheels – 310

Fabric used: 14-count white Aida cloth