4 space updates: befores and afters! (and a curtain rod made from a tree branch!)

Here are some space updates/redos that I've done in the past few months!

Most recently, I did a mini-makeover on my front porch.  I like sitting on the porch with my husband in the evening, so I wanted it more cozy.

Here's the BEFORE:

blah and boring

Here's the AFTER:

 Everything was re-purposed or thrifted except for the tall grassy plant (Ikea) and the rug (Target).

I made a little cushion for the bench, added a padded footstool, and a little brass stand for Dax to set his drink on.

Come visit and sit on the porch with me!

Someone with a pulse lives here! And now it shows.

Next are my friend Jo's girls' rooms. She hated this bedroom the most and I don't blame her. There was a conglomeration of decor and furniture that puts me on the verge of a panic attack.

BEFORE:

We decided to put Jo's daughter Paige in this room. Paige is a smart, fun, and sassy 11-year-old girl that lives in the country and raises sheep and pigs in the summer. The vibe we chose was Farm Girl Glam.
We used furniture they already had, plus a couple thrifted treasures, and gave it fresh paint. I think it looks completely different!

AFTER:

This is the same view, just before and after...

before

after

So different!

Jo and I dug through her crawl space and found this beautiful quilt her grandma made just stashed in a tote not being used. The antique desk was also her grandma's. We needed a chair for the desk so I called my neighbor who has a chair collecting problem (like me) and asked her if she had an extra metal chair lying around. She gave me this cute yellow one out of her back yard!

The curtains are one of my favorite things in here. I hopped my back fence and grabbed a tree limb out of my neighbor's burn pile and used it for the curtain rod. I used 2 random curtain brackets I had to hold up the branch, and the lace curtains are made from a buttload of lace fabric that I bought at a yard sale. The entire curtain set up was TWO dollars!

I scored some furry cow print fabric and this little side table at the same yard sale where I got the lace. The table was $5 and the cow fabric was a buck.

I made the pillows with the cow print fabric and the pink one I made out of a sweater that was in my donate box.

Jo splurged on the chandelier floor lamp. I found it at my local consignment store and called Jo over to look at it. It was marked at over $100 but we talked the owner lady down to $80. It became Paige's early birthday present. It adds such a fun glam vibe to the room!

I should have turned it on before I took pics!

The room was completely transformed very inexpensively. I love using what you have and making it work. Fun to see it all come together. Paige loves her new room and it shows by how clean she keeps it.

Next door, Paige's little sister Maelee wanted a new room, too!
Here is the before picture:

Jo picked out a pale pinky coral for the walls and we went from there. The room turned out great!

 Jo already had the brass head and footboard (which she took from Paige's room and painted), comforter and all the picture frames. The only things purchased for the room were paint, curtains, and a throw pillow. She got the nightstands and chair at yard sales. The swirly decor above the bed was donated by a friend.

 Maelee loves her pretty, new room!

Jo was on a roll and redid her son's room, too! That girl is a worker! She didn't get a single before pic, but trust me, it was not as cool as it is now.

The inspiration piece for the room was this rad 70s velvet ship painting we found at Deseret Industries for $3. 

 Jo's son Porter LOVES it and he loves his fresh clean room. It's perfect for an awesome jr high boy!

 I love this antique dresser from Porter's great grandma. The metal bed frame is from his other great grandma. The paint Jo used is a muted gray-blue. It looks awesome with the gold in the ship painting and the warm wood of the dresser.

 The thing I love about all these bedroom makeovers is that Jo didn't buy any new bedding, furniture, or decor. We shopped her house and the rest was thrifted.

Her kids all had things that were special to them and we incorporated them in their new rooms. If a teen boy wants to display his animal fur and bottle collection, he should! These aren't show rooms; they are rooms that kids really live in and the style reflects them and their family. Buying nice bedding for a kid is a waste of money. Use the cheapest bedding you can stand because it will get ruined our outdated quickly. We didn't add a lot to the rooms; we mostly took things out that didn't serve a purpose and arranged everything else to best fit the space.

What do you think? Which is your fave makeover?

My next project will be finishing my basement family room and bath, back patio and building a shed! It's gonna be major! CAN'T WAIT.

summer's end, fave thrift finds, and a brand new project!

 I was sad that summer was over but now that September is here, I am loving the delicious weather! The kids are settled into school and got great teachers. First day pics...

Mack started 1st grade. He says it is looooong, but he likes it. He is so smart, it's freaky. He reads like a champ and decided he wants to be in a movie. He is my old man in a kid's body. He is tenacious and tough with a tender center.
Hunter started 5th grade-his last year in elementary. He is a super mathematician and loves interesting facts about science and anything else. He is kind and sensitive to others and a total homebody. He can do a flip off the diving board and is about to graduate from cub scouts.
Preslie is my sassy 7th-grader. She is into clothes, music and thankfully not boys, yet. She is super responsible and if she wants something, she will figure out a way to get it. She wore my shirt on the first day of school; I was honored!
 Quinn is my little buddy at home this year. She and her cousin play everyday before he goes to kindergarten. She is doing UPSTART online preschool. She loves to paint her nails, play with her friends, and help cook.

I love my kids! They are super cool and I am grateful to be their Mom!

 Here is a peek at the last weeks of summer...

Mack could be found in the sandbox much of the time. Best backyard toy ever. I built this with lumber I had lying around! $10 for a load of sand and boom: instant fun for all ages.

I took my kids and nephew to the annual cousin birthday party put on by my parents. On the way, we pulled over in Daniel's Canyon and found this pretty woodsy stream.

 My Mom has been working her guts out on her family history and temple work. We had a sealing session with several family members and sealed around 80 ancestors together! Super neat.

 Here is the big haul at Toys 'R' Us. Fun shopping spree for the kids!

(notice the giant Jennekah face cut-out. she is on her mission so we brought her face around to each activity)

 Pinata!

We all went swimming at my Uncle Dee's. He has the most fun back yard ever.

 Mack was super brave and jumped off the diving board. Just learned to swim (kind-of) this summer! I couldn't get him to stop jumping!

I've really enjoyed thrifting this summer! I've found some fun things for my house like this wool navajo rug I'm using in front of my bathroom vanity.

 I've been obsessed with little wooden bowls and have found a ton of them at thrift stores. I finally decided to decorate with a few of them. Also found the little vase at D.I.

 Found this cute woven bag at D.I. and it's been perfect for carrying my primary folders. The pottery and the brass sculpture are also thrifted.

 Here is my boys' room where most of the stuff is secondhand. Their beds, bedspreads, lamp (which was a desk lamp that I hung on the wall) were all hand-me-downs. The circle bamboo magnet boards were bought on clearance years ago and were resurrected from storage.

The fun desk I found on KSL. I think I will spray paint it white and change the top somehow. The white chair, blue stool, and vintage metal locker bins were all thrifted.

Found this little play kitchen cabinet at a yard sale for $5. I cleaned it and took the stickers off. I will replace the knobs with some cute little modern silver ones.

I've found a few fun clothes this summer but my all-time favorite clothing find were these gray suede Minnetonka fringe boots! They cost me $2 at a yard sale!

You can buy the same pair on shoes.com or delias.com for around $90!

If you know me, you know I have a list of dozens of small to large projects I want to do. My next huge undertaking is my master bedroom. I am so excited to finally tackle this project. I have never had a real life decorated bedroom that was my style (I've been figuring out what my style is for years). I have never had bedroom furniture that I picked out. I have used the same dresser since I was a kid. I hauled it to college and have used it during 13 years of marriage. My mismatched nightstands are other people's rejects. And for the record, I've been just FINE! I don't think having the newest, most updated and put-together room is the most important thing. But lately I've been ready for a really wonderful place for my husband and me to hang out. My bedroom is usually the last place that gets attention because "no one" sees it. BUT I SEE IT! And I want it to be rad. Here is a peek at one element that will be in my new master suite:

I'm pumped! So fun, right? I just recently got rid of my little kid dresser and found this beastly mid century dresser on KSL. Finally an adult-sized dresser!

I am really excited. The next step is painting the walls. Can't wait!