Before and After: From Extra Large Master to Kid Bedroom/Playroom Combo

When we moved into our house, almost two years ago, we encountered lots of interesting paint colors, light fixtures and fans. This is the master bedroom in its original (or how we found it) state. It's an incredibly large room, roughly the same size as our living room. Things we loved about having it as a master were the fireplace, wrap around windows and large, double closet (something rare in a one hundred year old home). There were, however, drawbacks to keeping this as the master.

We mostly just sleep in our bedroom. All hanging-out occurs downstairs. It didn't make sense to have such a large chunk of the house for that sole purpose. Our basement is not finished, therefore, when we have our small group on Wednesday nights, there isn't a rec room for all ten kids to play in.

So, we decided to swap rooms with Collin and convert this room into a kids' bedroom/ playroom. Killian will eventually move in here with Collin and, heck, if we wanted to have eight kids, there would almost be enough room to line beds up on every wall, ala Annie or Madeline orphanage! ;)

Anyway, we moved Collin into the big room and, over time, have slowly brightened things up and made it kid-friendly. One of the first things that had to go was the garrish, poorly-painted red on the walls. Nick and his dad tackled this project after Christmas. We went with the same color we had in our Marietta, Ga living room-- Spring Melt by Martha Stewart. It's the perfect, pale minty-aqua-greeny-blue. So soothing and calming! Exactly what that room needed!

I apologize for the grainy iPhone pics! Someday I hope to properly photograph each room of our house, but until then, you get the picture!

I designed the 20x30" "Adventure Awaits" banner from a public domain Ansel Adams photograph of the Grand Tetons. If you are interested in something similar with a custom quote and a similar nature scene or more feminine, floral look. Let me know! I'm planning on listing these in my shop for $199. If it's not there, just convo me and I can make you a custom listing.

You'll see our trusty $5, 70's explosion reading chair is still a fixture! At some point in the future, I'll probably have it recovered, but in the mean time, it's still comfy and kitschy! The rug is a favorite from Ikea, our friend Mary snagged us the vintage chairs from a soon-to-be dumpster pile at the school where she works.

Nick made the chalkboard from a piece of sheet metal, framed it and painted it with chalkboard paint. It's fun to have the magnetic element and I worry less with the old fireplace covered! We aren't big fans of TV's in bedrooms, but it's worked out really nicely to have this one in here for when the brood of ten kiddos at small group start getting antsy and our sweet 10 and 12 year old baby sitters need to change up the activity. 

So, that's that! The boys love playing in here. We love having this space for kids and it just makes more functional sense for our way of life! Someday, if we sell the house, we'll stage it as a master bedroom again. In the meantime, we don't miss having it for ourselves and our livable house space just got a whole lot bigger!

Two Worthy Causes!

Hi people! As we head into the colder seasons, I find myself drawn to more soulful, introspective tunes. Do you ever feel this way? I mean, curling up with a blanket and a pumpkin-something doesn't quite evoke the Beach Boys. Our friends, Caleb and Erin Paxton of the group eine blume (eye-nuh bloom-uh) are, to me, the equivalent of a piping hot mug of cocoa-- rich, sweet and always a treat! 

They are raising funds to release their new album Farewell to Shadowlands: A Narnia Album. We first met the Paxtons at a house concert they were playing in Joplin. I am blown away by their musical talent, profound lyrics and beautiful hearts. Their music has been described as "an ascending into a warm, velvet-y fairytale." I would definitely agree with this assessment and am excited to be a part of making this music available to the public.  

Would you consider joining me in funding this endeavor through Kickstarter? Watch the video, take a listen. You will not be disappointed. They have only 70 hours to go-- let's give as much as we can to extend the reach of their fantastic sound and message!

We have some other really amazing friends (I mean-- wow, how do we meet all these talented people?!) who have developed a portable tornado shield called the Tuuli Armor. After surviving the 2011 EF-5 Tornado that hit Joplin, Steve set out to create a product that would be an affordable option to bridge the gap between no protection whatsoever and a costly safe room. In Steve's words,"We lived just four blocks north of where the destruction started, and we pulled a small mattress off my son's bed and laid it on top of us in the hallway. I realized that wasn't a good option."

90% of tornado injuries are due to lacerations and this bag, made of puncture resistant, ballistic-grade nylon, shields you from the worst of it. As Steve puts it-- "You have no control over the two by four coming at you, but a large bruise is much better than a two by four going through your body." I wholeheartedly agreed. The Tornado Shield can be kept at home or in your car.

Check out their Indiegogo campaign here, watch the video and consider supporting their fundraiser to mass produce the shield or, if you live in Tornado country, pre-order your very own!

Toddler and Baby Raves

No, I'm not blogging about wee ones bopping to techno, I thought to share some of the things I always rave about to other friends with kiddos.

We all know there are a million and one products out there, designed to make bringing up bebe easier, but 99% of it is non-essential. I mean, what did people do before Boppies?! The horror. So, I wanted to start off by saying I am confident our children would survive and even thrive in an environment without the highlighted items. That being said, I have run across a few products/books, etc that have been a mainstay in our home during these baby/toddler/early preschooler years and you might be interested in hearing what they are!

1. The OK to Wake Owl Right around the time we transitioned Collin to his big boy bed (at two years), he began waking at the crack of dawn and coming out of his room. This owl is amazing. You program it for the desired wake time and it turns green at the appropriate time. Every time he wakes early and tries to get out of his room, we ask him if his owl is green. He'll go check and if it's not, he's totally cool with reading books in bed until it turns green. You had better believe the minute it lights up Collin flings the door open and yells, "It's greeeeen!" like it's a miracle every time. We love the owl!

2. Rain for Roots are modern Biblical folk songs for children by Sandra McCraken. The slogan is "Making new songs, for children, about the old Story." Such good, Truth-filled music that's fun, singable and easy on mom and dad's ears too!

3. If you haven't picked up a copy of the Jesus Storybook Bible yet, do so now! Even if you don't have kids, you'll benefit from it. It does such a good job of weaving the Bible together and giving children, and adults, such a enlightening, birds-eye view of God's master plan for humanity-- his relentless love and pursuit of his children! Half the time we read this, I am in tears.

4. The Tommee Tippee Explora Easi-Roll Bib is a recent find. I was getting sick of wiping/washing flimsy bibs that took for every to drip dry and looked awful after a month's use. These bibs are comfy on baby's neck, easy to wipe/wash and they roll-up nicely for on-the-go mealtimes!

5. Soft-soled shoes are so good for baby's feet as they learn to stand and walk. With hard soles their feet don't learn to grip and maneuver as well. I didn't know this with Collin and went straight to tennis shoes when he started walking. I have since learned more and have loved having Killian in moccasins. There are some pretty pricey versions out there, but I have fallen in love with designs and price point of Starry Knight Mocs. I've bought them a bit big so that Killian can grown into them. They are truly just so comfy, well-made and cute!

6. Duck Goes Potty. This is a really sweet, fun book that helped Collin during potty training. I first checked out a copy at the library (I'm hoping they sanitize their board books!). Collin loved it so much I decided we should have a copy of our own.

7. Lollacup. This cup was originally introduced to me by a friend who saw the inventor, a mom-trapeneur, pitch it on Shark Tank. I was getting really frustrated with no spill cups that shot liquid out like a geyser when the cool liquid warmed to room temperature-- not to mention they were difficult for Collin to drink out of. Cue in Lollacup. This cute, penguin shaped receptacle has a weighed straw, making for easy drinking as the straw follows the liquid to the lowest point of the cup, when tipped. You can use it with or without the handles. It has been a mainstay for us!

The Long-Awaited Bathroom Reveal!

Friends, family, countrymen we have a complete bathroom! It's been a long, exciting, sometimes tiring process and we are finally done. My husband is truly the most handy and clever man on the planet. He started this project having never remodeled a bathroom, never ripped a room down to the studs, never re-wired a room to this extent, never having replaced plumbing and never having tiled! My contributions were the overall vision for the space along with internet scouring and thrift store/ antique mall visits, so while this is kind of a team effort, he did the lion share of the work and I am ever so grateful!

Let's take a little journey down memory lane...  Please read on, there will be more photos of the completed space at the end.

At first glance, the bathroom wasn't awful. Upon closer inspection, the floors were stick on tile, the walls a stamped particle board of sorts that was meant to look like tile, and the plumbing was in bad shape (no sink and awful pipes). There was no ceiling fan, you couldn't open the window and the wall plaster was cracked. Definitely seemed like a good first room to remodel!

While classic, the mirror was rusty and the wiring was scary. There was a revolving panel of sorts that was above where the sink should have been. I think it was originally to hold a cup and toothbrushes, but it had since corroded and was kind of a waste of space.

Below are some shots of the process.

We encountered all kinds of fun treasures under the floorboards and in the attic floor when Nick was doing the electrical work.

My favorite day ever was when we had a crew of guys swap out the existing tub for the claw foot we found of Craigslist! In it's original state it was a dingy, dirty white. We painted the exterior a charcoal grey and re-glazed the inside of the tub.

So, back to the completed space. Feast your eyes on the finished project! 

Ah, it's so nice to have it all done.

Here I am, taking a selfie with my shelfie!

Thanks for listening to us talk about his for ever and ever! Woohoo!

Addendum-

Wow! Getting featured on Apartment Therapy was the stuff of dreams! Never did I anticipate so much traffic on this little old blog. I'm so flattered to have received such great feedback and compliments! Some people thought the bathroom wasn't matchy-matchy enough, was too eclectic or not sleek enough. I get it. Not everyone will like our style, but we designed the bathroom to suit our tastes, while honoring the house's past, and are thrilled with the outcome! To those who were lamenting the loss of some of the pre-existing elements I'll say this- We put a lot of thought into keeping things and working with what we had. We are huge proponents of historic preservation and decided, from the start, that if we had to make replacements, we'd make sure to stay contextual with the style of the house. That being said, the built-in tub was not original to the house (most likely installed in the 40's) and it was not in good shape, so we found a claw foot from the era the house was built in, the mirror, as mentioned above, was a rusty safety hazard and the shutters were from the 70's and also in bad shape. Hopefully that gives you some more insight into our choices. Thanks again for all the love!

Peace in Faster Seasons

I am in the midst of a busy and sometimes chaotic season full of amazing things like developmental leaps in both my sweet boys, increased business and exciting, new projects with my graphic design company, co-planning a fall church camp, being a part of the launch of a new women's ministry at our church, finishing and starting lots of projects around our old house, leading a small group in the fall, supporting my husband as he works and takes a theology class, trying to workout more, spending more time in prayer as a couple, seeking out friends in whom we want to invest and the list goes on. Whew!

This season is also full of "fun" as Collin seems to do his best to un-do everything I do. He's all boy-- silly and playful and an absolute explosion of activity at.all.times. The house can start out spic and span in the morning and by the time nap time rolls around, I am scratching my head, wondering how things devolved so quickly! Add Killian's new-found mobility and penchant for plants, cords, the tiniest, most microscopic crumbs and who-knows-whats under the fridge and I am constantly on the go, trying to stay one step ahead of things at home.

It's still blazing hot outside, but the rhythms of autumn have already begun and we have recognized that the only way we can be fully present in all of these things without seeing our marriage, family time and relationship with the Lord suffer, is to be purposeful and organized.

We recently spent a week in Chicagoland with Nick's family and coming off that wonderful week of fun and relaxation, we decided we were ready to get serious about prioritizing what is important. At the end of the day, when the boys are tucked in and we tiredly flop on the couch, it's easy to flip on Netflix and veg. There is nothing wrong with this from time to time, but we have continued to come back to the reality of where we are, where we want to be and what it will take to get there.

So, we sat down and made a weekly schedule of sorts. Chores are spread throughout the week so that things don't pile up for one day or a weekend. Household repair/fixer-upper projects are reserved for Saturdays. Specific nights are blocked out for me to workout while Nick studies or Nick to workout while I do design work. I am mustering up as much strength as I can to wake up when Nick wakes up to go to work, at o'dark thirty, so that we can pray together. Not surprisingly, when we pray together the day goes smoother. Friday and Saturday nights are set aside for relaxing and date/family nights. It's important to know that there is still room to just hangout as a couple and as a family. I think that is one of the only ways our new routine will be sustainable.

What about you? Are there ways you stay organized and on top of things? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this! I don't consider myself to be super organized by nature, so I'm in need of some of my more structured friends to share hints and tips to a smoother, more productive routine.

P.S. If you haven't noticed, my Mostaza Seed Facebook Page is now exclusively dedicated to this blog and I have started a new page for Mostaza Seed Graphics on Facebook. Please give me a follow!

(Photo source)

Eyebrow Raising- Bumbling My Way to a Highbrow Existence

I'm told when I was three years old my mother found me crying in the mirror. When asked what was the matter I tearfully told her "I don't have any eyebrows!!!" Ah, well, when you are as fair as I am, visible eyebrows are illusive. They are even more illusive after a few sunny, summer days in the garden.

I have friends who have the opposite problem-- feeling if they don't keep their thick, dark brows in check they might just take over their face. 

I'm ashamed to admit that in the not-so distant past I succumed to a makeup artist at a salon who told me brow tinting would beautifully define my face. She even offered to do it for free with a brow wax. "Sure!" I said. "Why not?!"

I'll tell you why not. In just minutes I looked like Groucho Marx. I ran home and scrubbed and scrubbed to no avail. Nick came home and blurted out, "What happened to your face?" It was feeling all too much like the scene from Anne of Green Gables when Anne was told by a peddler she met on the road his dye would turn her hair "A beautiful shade of raven black," but instead transformed her hair into a green tinged train wreck.

So, I learned my lesson. Oh vanity of vanities!

I've just always admired good, strong brows. Take Brooke Shields, for example. Her name is almost synonymous with beautiful, eye defining, face shaping, natural brows. They aren't perfectly manicured, but there is clearly some definition and upkeep taking place with these beauties.

Other beautiful brow examples-

I'm sure I'm not the only one who fell into the 90's trap of over plucking. Thankfully, pencil thin brows have come and gone and more natural shapes are en vogue.

Eyebrows just have so much power to alter your face. Here's a funny chart of brows gone wrong. Have you been guilty of any of these shapes? I know I have! I once plucked such a high arch that I looked constantly surprised.

(source unknown)

And here's an interesting article-- 14 Before-And-After Photos That Prove Good Eyebrows Can Change Your Entire Face.

Since my brows are so fair, I can get away with a brow wax every few months and only have to tweeze once a week or so for upkeep, but if your brows are thicker and require more work, that could get expensive. Here is a good rule of thumb guide for brow tweezing. 

This chart below helps to identify good brows for your face shape:

I was once told that, regardless if your brows are dark or light, filling them in with some brow powder makes them look more polished and neat. My mom turned me on to this brow kit and I can't say enough good things about it. It comes with a stencil, which is so helpful in evenly applying the powder. It's a bit on the pricey side, but you truly use so little in each application that I'm starting to wonder if I'll ever have to buy a refill.

So, how about you? Have you mastered a good look for your face or are your brows a source of consternation? Any tips or ideas to help a sister out?

5 Years

This past weekend we celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary by taking a little day trip to Northwestern Arkansas. A lot has kept us busy since we moved to Joplin a little over a year ago, namely a new old house in need of some serious TLC and the arrival of a new baby, so we haven't had the chance to do much exploring. We loaded up our little third wheel, Killian who was along the ride for the milk, and had a leisurely breakfast on the square in Bentonville, AR. We then went to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art-- a true, world-class gem, nestled in the Ozarks. The museum is fabulous and the grounds are gorgeous. We had planned to drive to Fayetteville from there, but we only had a sitter for Collin until 3pm, so we stopped off in Rogers, AR had a fantastic pizza lunch in the historic downtown area and visited an antique shop. I can't wait to do more exploring. It truly is a beautiful area and the rolling hills make for such a lovely drive.

Each year, on our anniversary, we have the tradition of buying a vintage bud vase. It's fun to hunt down something unique and special to commemorate one more year of God's goodness. People have asked if each one has a certain significance to it. Not really. We simply look for something that catches our eye. I love having a visual of our years together and can't wait to someday look at a collection of over fifty or sixty!

What about you? Do you have an anniversary, birthday or holiday tradition in your family?

Riley Clay Duds for the Summer

One of my favorite brands, Riley Clay, is now a Mostaza Seed sponsor. They were kind enough to send over some of their wares and we are loving them! These tri-blend tees are super high quality and extra soft. We haven't experienced any shrinkage after a number of washes and, most importantly, this brand does such an awesome job of delivering a positive message in a fashionable way. Check their line out on Etsy, or if you live down South, in or near Georgia, you can drop by their brick and mortar shop at 118 Main Street SW, Gainesville 30501.

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