Update on New Years Resolution... (insert Happy Dance here) :o)

Well, I'm proud to say that I have actually made some progress on my New Years Resolution! And February isn't even over yet.... whoo hoo!  This is the first year I've actually made a resolution, because...  well...  I know myself and my terrible memory. I can't remember to take a vitamin when the bottle is sitting right out on the counter, how did I think I was going to expect to make a change in something and actually remember to do it? But this year I vowed to get to work on our house that we had built 3 years ago and still has only the builders primer on the walls. You can find the original post here. 

Well, I am here tonight to give an update and share what I've been up to. The transformation starts with the entry way. I don't have before pictures, so just imagine a tiny space with a tiny coat closet and completely bare (the gross kid hand prints and dirt smudges don't count!) off white colored primered walls. Oh and my bench from when I was little that now houses the kid's play dress up clothes.  So basically, a bunch of BLAH, with "lovely" touches of kid added grime. Not ideal.

And, now, we have an entry way that looks like this!

It's not perfect, but it turned out really cute! Now there's a place for the kids to hang coats and back packs because that closet really is pretty small inside, we have everything SHOVED in there. The circles on the door are magnets I diy-ed from old cd's and scrapbooking supplies before we moved to this house. The kids love to move them around and look at the pictures of  family that is far away and pictures of themselves when they were babies.

I got some wood and paint from Home Depot and got to work! After i screwed the wood pieces vertically onto the wall I taped off and painted the boards and bottom half of the wall in a bright white. I used the paint that is paint and primer in one...  wow! It is more expensive, but I almost don't want to ever use "regular" paint again! This picture is after only one coat (both colors) and it only took a quart of the gray to do the entire space (more pictures below). I'm very happy with the coverage and color :o)  Then I put white molding across the top of the boards for a little stylish texture and voila! DIY batten-ish treatment. I had planned to buy hooks and nail them into the boards for the back pack hangers, but purchasing a pre-made 5 hook coat rack and matching 5 hook mini rack for keys, etc. turned out to be easier and basically the same cost.

Here's a quick picture of the other wall. Sorta boring, but for now I'm enjoying the much needed color on the walls and simplicity of the small bench and single shadow box. The shadow box has a picture from our wedding along with the invitation and a (silk) sample of our flowers. I made it a very long time ago and am enjoying seeing it displayed as such a "spotlight" piece.

And that's the first project finished! It was a great start because it's a small area (which meant I was unlikely to get bored and leave it half done) and it is the first and last thing we see as we leave/enter the house. It makes me happy and inspired and ready to get down to more work every time I walk through it. And, the best part? As a family we have managed to keep it clean and tidy! No one wants to ruin the rooms "pretty", lol. Hopefully it doesn't become old and comfortable and revert back to "normal" too quickly, we could use a little time to form good habits. The big ones as well as the little ones ;0)

Let me know what you think! Do you have any suggestions for the space? Do you have something you're proud of ? Share it! I love comments and want to hear your stories.   

<3 Melissa

p.s. I have already started on my next project! It's almost done, but I ran out of painters tape (whah, whah...)  A post will be up soon, so stay tuned!

shout outs to some fellow bloggers

Well, I have been spending so much time organizing and revamping the blog that I haven't done any crochet work in 3 days! OH NO! So, today i am just going to send a shout out to a couple of Blogs I think you should check out.

I found this printable on Pinterest and fell in love with it. 

You can find the creator Landeelu and her blog @ 

Landee See, Landee Do 

The other Blog I think you should check out is Mommy Trial And Error. 

This is written by my friend and neighbor Savannah. She has 3 small children so there is no shortage of funny and heart warming things said and done in her home. 

well, now I need to go get some work done, hope you have fun checking out these lovely ladies and their stories. 

If you have or know of a blog you think I should check out, let me know!

One small step for the Malloys, one huge step towards resolution completion! Step 1

Yesterdays entry had me so excited I got started right away.  My Kindergartener is soooo thrilled, this one change made her room seem so much more like a big girl room. It's now a place of her own where she can be alone when she wants to.  I'M soooo thrilled because i tackled one of my most aggravating daily "yucks" in the process! 

The story: My children have decided that when tidying their rooms, to clean up the clothes and shoes means to toss them onto the floor of their closets.. And if that wasn't aggravating enough? (This is where my pet peeve comes in....) THEY NEVER SHUT THE DOORS!  I am forever walking into their rooms saying "Shut your closet door!"  Well, not in my daughters room, not any more.    

The transformation: (sorry, i didn't think to take before pictures. live and learn...)
It still looks a bit on the messy side, I was so excited I just went through like a whirling dervish and threw everything out of the closet and started with a blank slate.  keep that in mind when you look at the pictures, lol. Plus, i say it's probably more like step 3/4 because I really intend to paint, stencil, SOMETHING on the walls to spice it up a bit. But for now, the posters will do....

I stole my hubby's tie rack (love you babe :D) which now hangs above the small set of drawers to hold all her many, many purses.  The dresses are (semi) hidden behind that. The pink hanging shelves are for school outfits (5 slots) and the bottom few can hold special treasures (at the moment bubble wrap left over from some Christmas presents).

Next... I grabbed one of her many blankets, and a few of her zillion pillows and made her a little reading nook/relaxing space all of her own.

  And now for MY favorite part!

I removed the door and  hung the lacy curtains along the door frame. Now it looks "super duper fancy" and there will be no more door angst. Yes!  The curtains are tied back with ribbon and can be closed if she wants privacy. 

The walls are not as i envision, needs to be more "designed", but until I get paint or stencils, or wall paper, these posters will do. ...

So that's it! I will leave you with one final picture and a thought... Making something beautiful goes a long way! I have discovered that in the process of making something special I didn't mind purging things that didn't fit into my "vision". As I said in my last post, the hardest thing for this family is letting things go. Every time I thnk "I can't get rid of that!" I vow to go stand in front of my 5 year olds special place and  snap out of it.


Thanks for checking out my blog, hope to talk to you soon!           
                                                         <3 Melissa


p.s. She slept in there last night and has had to be tempted with various things to get her to come out. I think I did alright.... ;O)      

See the final picture, let me know what you think!   Do you have any ideas for spaces?

#1 New Years Resolution......

"Give yourself permission to let go of the things that aren't helping you to build an extraordinary life. You and I aren't here on this earth to amass a home full of meaningless junk and earthly treasures.


And while you're at it, give yourself permission to keep the things that matter to you. Keep the things you use to live and serve, love and create. Keep the things that inspire and delight. Keep the things that remind you of past seasons of your life or that fill you with excitement for the future. Keep these things without reservation or guilt."

Kelly said this perfectly in her blog, (found here  http://www.imperfecthomemaking.com/2011/10/organizedhome-day-9-permission-to-let.html).






This is exactly how I'm feeling right now! We have entirely too much stuff. You would think that having all the things you want would make you happy, right? Well, lemme tell you, I am finding that the more you get, the more you want, and that leads to a never ending road of frustration. I need to simplify this crazy house, so the family can enjoy each other, instead of spending all our "free" time tidying up, or looking for a mispaced shoe that has found a FANTASTIC hiding place under the doll bed, behind the bulletin board that is propped up on the floor because we are searching for the box of nails that is needed to hang it up on the wall.  Phew. See what I mean?  So, this is going to be the hardest thing for me to do, the ENTIRE family consists of pack rats and "i may need this!"-ers, but we need a purge! A new fresh, uncluttered, simplified house.  






Then maybe I can start on New Years resolution #2...... Finally making this house a home.  We have all the necessities (and MUCH more), now it's time to finally decorate this house! We built it 3 years ago and STILL the only rooms that have more than builders primer paint on them are the kids rooms.  After purging and painting and prioritizing this will be the best year yet.    Bring on 2012!


(ok. So now who wants to help me keep this butt in gear? Berating is always a helpful motivater....lol)         


     Hope to talk to you all soon!     <3  Melissa



Special thanks to Kelly @ http://www.imperfecthomemaking.com/ for the inspiration!