Yippee!!! Problem solved.

Which means that I can finally make good on my promise...my too-long-in-the-process British Invasion bedroom.

Before I show any pics can I just say that I love this bedroom, but I am so ready to move onto my next project.

Here was the space before:
Guh-ross!!!

And here it is now:


I started out by moving the bed to the adjacent wall to open up the room . I know I said I was gonna paint the bunk beds red and I still want to, but just not right now. Studly was none too excited when I asked if he would take the thing apart...he's a very practical individual you see {why paint something when it's perfectly fine the way it is?} Obviously he is no David Bromstad, but that's okay. What he lacks in interior design he makes up for in his ability to solve mathematical equations {which means a lot now that we have a middle schooler}. I know it's hard to see, but the accent pillows say "love is all you need" and "money can't buy me love". I don't love them which is why I didn't bother taking close ups. I am going to redo them and see I can get a better result. But, they'll do for now.
I think the study area is my favorite part of the room. I bought two, little dressers from Ikea. I love their simplicity. They were the perfect canvas for the $3 decal I found at Target. Studly put his mathematical skills to good use and concocted this corner table out of scrap board from Ikea {did you know that they sell all sorts of shelves and boards in the AS-IS section of Ikea? I never realized, but I got a huge piece of white, melamine board for $6. That's what I ended up using for the middle section of the desk. I ended up using metal piping for the legs to give it a modern/industrial look. You can have them cut to size and threaded for free if you ask.

I decided to keep this last wall simple and understated. Them room is quite small and I didn't want to make it feel cluttered and tinier that it already is. I opted to showcase a few, fun pictures of the fab four

along with a cherry red electric guitar for an added pop of color...and because it just seemed like the proper thing to do for a rock 'n' roll, fab four, British invasion themed bedroom.

I had a hard time decided what I wanted to use for accessories. The possiblities were endless in a themed room like this. I ended up...

I personalized the space by "jacking" out a "c" for Carter {union jacking that is}

as well as a small picture frame. {Aren't teenagers just precious when they can't talk back?}

And no, I'm not afraid of windex, I cleaned the frame yesterday...which means nothing with a household of five kids.

I knew I wanted to incorporate some "vintage vinyl" into the room. It took me a while to figure out how I wanted to do it, but I finally decided on reinventing them into items a little more functional like :

Paper/book holders {and just FYI, no, listen-worthy records were harmed in the making of this project. I pretty much used the most obscure, hideous albums {whoever heard of Seraphim?} I could find. So no nasty comments, mmmkay}.

Jacket/hoodie hook

Bowl for accessories and odds & ends

And a couple extra's for whatever.

Now, you may have noticed one, very important element that was missing...wall color. That, my dear peepsies, is where you all come in. I'm having a heck of a time deciding on a wall color. So, if you have any opinions at all I would truly love your input. Don't be shy...I won't bite.

I am leaning towards something in the grey tones...something in the medium range to add contract to all of the white furntiture and frames. But, I am open to anything.

Security Scam- Beware

I know, I know, I never posted my British Invasion bedroom.

I will spare you the excuses, but I have to tell you that the little virus my dear Phyllis contracted was not a little virus at all.

Studly spent the bulk of yesterday trying to fix the poor thing. Finally around 1:00 a.m. he deemed her cured. I guess we will find out for sure today.

I only share this with you to warn you. The virus {called Smart Internet Protection} will pop up onto the computer as a warning, saying that the computer has been infected and that a security scan needs to be performed to protect it. Thankfully, I didn't click on anything and "x"ed out of the pop up and continued on with what I was doing. I thought I had avoided any problems.

However, everytime I got onto the computer after that to work, I would see the {smart security icon} on my task bar. I didn't notice anything significant, mainly that my internet accessability was really sporadic, but I attributed that to my crappy internet service and blew it off. I have since learned that this trojan, disguised as a security device was actually the culprit. And...after researching it further, Studly learned that even if you don't run the security scan it can still gather all sorts of personal data...which really freaked me out {I had my purse and identity stolen last year. I had charges on several different credit cards, and two separate checking accounts hacked into. It was the biggest pain and violation of personal space I've ever experienced}.



My biggest concern at this point is that I am a huge interent shopper and few credit card numbers on file. I am just going to have to keep a close eye on things for the next little bit and pray that nothing got hacked into.



The moral of this story, if this stupid trojan pops up on your screen, don't assume that by not clicking on it the problem is avoided. And just be aware, it. If you do encounter it remove it ASAP...there are step by step instructions you can use online.



Have a great, un-trojany, day.



P.S. I will be posting pics of the room reveal a little later, so long as Phyllis cooperates.

P.P.S. I am sorry not to have posted pics of the virus, but I was nervous that I might accidentally catch it again. It pulls up a white window with a red bar along the top that says {Smart Internet Protection}. It will most likely have a little button on it that reads "remove all"...DON'T DO IT THOUGH. You will know you definately have it if you see a red, shield icon on your task bar, that wasn't there before.

Biggest Slacker Award

...goes to ME!!!

I am the worlds biggest flake, I know. I hope you can forgive me.

I wish I had a really good excuse for my hasty and unannounced exit {something along the lines of..."I was having an organ transplant"} but truthfully, I just needed a little break...I didn't anticipate it would end up this long though.

The first few days of my break were great, I cooked {meals that didn't originate from a box or can} and I cleaned {believe me it was much needed}. Then I spent the next few weeks...ordering take-out and watching my newly cleaned house turn back into a pig sty as my duties turned to disinfecting the joint, taking kiddos to the doctor and doling out medications. I felt like I was on full time HAZMAT duty {with a house full of strep/sore throats, coughs, runny noses and a gut wrenching case of the "rhea's" to round it all out...thankfully that one skipped me.

The kids were not the only ones catching things...it appears my sweet, innocent little laptop also caught a nasty virus whilst on holiday {that's what the Brits say}. Every time I tried to access the internet I was promptly booted off...left to wander the barren land that was my desktop. I have never felt so lost and alone.

The problem is still not totally fixed. Studly, tried his best to restore Phyllis to her former , internet accessing glory, but was unable to. I am left with intermittant access to the world wide web, usually in ten minute increments, but at this point I'll take whatever I can get.

In keeping with this title's post, I have yet to finish the British Invasion room. Tut, tut, tut, I am almost done. But, it is still missing something and I want to make sure it's up to your standards before I reveal.

I know you probably don't believe me, but I swear it will be soon...by this weekend even. No really, I am serious. I have to get it done, my ADD is kicking in and it's time for me to move on. So, for realsies I will have the room ready to reveal within the next couple of days...{I hope, j/k, I will}.

In the meantime, here is a sneak peak at some of the projects I have been leisurely working on the past few weeks...hope you enjoy.

And...I'll see you back here in a few days. No seriously, I will.

The room was in sore need of some color, so I painted the closet doors to resemble one of those fantastic red, phone booths. I had in mind to actully make a phone booth to put in the room. I was gonna use old patio doors...the twelve paned ones, you know what I talking about right? I wanted to put a little desk area inside where the boy could work on homework in quietude. But then I remebered that the boy doesn't ever do his homework, so I didn't want to waste my time...no j/k. Kay, but kinda not. Really, the room just wasn't big enough for a "real" phonebooth, so I just did this. Not my first choice, but it brings in a nice pop of color. I vow here and now, however, that I will make a phone booth someday and it will be epic.

Abby road is one the first things I think of when I think of the Beatles. This picture is my homage to that. I painted the union jack and then distressed it. I finished it by adding cutouts of the fab four from old sheet music. This is probably the project I am most proud of in the whole room.


Besides the Abby road picture, this is all the union jack I used. I really like how the cushion turned out.

Here it is on the red chair, and along side the boy's cherry red, electric guitar. Maybe, this room will inspire him to dust it of and start playing again.


I love my $3, Target score. I had almost forgotten about this cool, vinyl decal I picked up awhile back. I didn't want to just use it on the wall, however, so I opted to dress up a plain, white dresser I picked up with it instead. I love it.


Here it is at a wider angle so you can see it a little better.

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British Invasion Room- Update and a feature.

Howdy peeps,

I am still working on some projects for the {British} Invasion themed bedroom. My biggest obstacle has been narrowing down all of the fun ideas and projects to just a select few. There are so many great ideas out there and I have had a heck of a time deciding. I can hardly wait to show you them.

I will be posting a few pics later on today, hopefully, if I can run away from the kids long enough to post...so, check back later.

I also wanted to give Cassity, over at Remodelaholic, a shout out for featuring my lamp revamp post. I love's me some funky fresh lamps and if you're in the market for some you should check it out.

Peace out.

{10} minute curtain rod revamp...and a $3 treasure

Howdy peeps. Life seems to have caught up with me and I haven't had time to post much, so I apologize.


Even on crazy days, though, I try to fit in some kind of project whether it be organizing the silverware drawer or changing out some throw pillows. It just helps me feel like I'm still in control and allows me a little creative outlet for the day...sometimes it's all about the small things, ya know.


Today I've already primed an old picture frame for some turqoise paint and I'm feeling like I still have it together. Granted it's only 11:00a.m. so there's plenty of time for things to still fall apart.


BUT..I also squoze in a little curtain rod revamp in the girls room.



Some of you may remember my mantle/swag made of willow sticks that I gathered from my backyard. As I was dismantling the mantle I was sick at the thought of tossing all of the perfectly useful sticks and then the light bulb went off. I could use them as a curtain rod in the girlie's bedroom. The white rod I was currently using just seemed to get lost on the pink wall. It was the perfect fix...quick and cheap, just the way I like it.



I used two willow sticks that were about the same length and attatched them together using twine.


I don't know about you, but I love willow sticks. I have them all over my house. There's just something about their whispy, curly branches. I love them even more now that I have tree in my backyard and they are free.


I actually left the rod holders up and used them to support the branches. Here's the end result. Not to shabby for a ten minute job. I really like the pop of color and texture.
Doesn't that little bird look right at home in the branches.
It looks better when you can see the room as a whole.


And, in other news, I am still working on the {British Invasion} Bedroom. It's a little slow going, but hopefully it won't be too much longer. I forget that I had this little gem when I posted about the room earlier.

I found this wall decal awhile ago at Target for $3 and completely forgot I had it. I am trying to come up with a new way to utilize it. I don't want to just stick it on the wall. I would love suggestions if you have any.


Stay tuned. I have some awesome projects planned if the kids will let me alone long enough to get to them.

Knock Yourself Out

Okay peeps, I'm giddy right now, giddy I tell ya.

I just came across a cool new blog, via a comment that was left under my zebra bust post. You all know that I am a sucker for a good knock off, right. Well, this blog is all about knock-off decor. That's why it's called Knock Off Decor. If you love a good knock as much as I do, you won't be disappointed. Besides, it featured my funky zebra and even posted that it is better than Anthro's version. What? I don't know about that, but...

So, if you've got some time to kill head on over to Knock Off Decor and prepare to be amazed and inspired.

Pre-Teen Bedroom Revamp-It's in the works

Okay, so on to my next project...my pre-teen son's bedroom revamp.

Here's what it currently looks like. It's a little lacking and disorganized, especially since moving the little guy out and into the {his&her} bedroom .

Pretty sad, huh?...just like the dark side.

But before I go into it, let me take you on a little journey back to the year 1987. I was in the sixth grade and had the raddest {and rattiest} bangs. I was in Mrs. Wright's class and she had just assigned each student a different country for an upcoming oral report. I had been assigned England.

La-dee-freakin'-da!

Needless to say, I was a little disappointed cause England is pretty much America, except with slightly more proper grammer, right? {consequently when I hear a true Brit speak now, it melts me like butta}.

I never woulda thunk that a 6th grade report would result in a lifelong fascination with the place. My life's dream is to someday visit the {mother country} and see all of the sites: Big Ben, Stonehenge, Windsor Castle, Abbey Road... And, if time allows, perhaps I'll don a period gown and run through the purple heath pretending to be Elizabeth Bennett...perhaps.

Then, afterwards, I will probably do a little family history work and see if I can't track down the graves of some deceased ancestors...and hopefully trace my line back to nobility.

After that I will treat myself to some authentic, English fish and chips, wrapped in newspaper of course. And please don't forget the vinegar. I think my taste for vinegar is an English trait passed down genetically...just like my nose.

Finally, the trip will conclude with an unexpected run in with Chris Martin {of Coldplay fame}. We will hit it of instantly. And after a few minutes of chatting he will invite me and Studly to a delicious {vegan} dinner with him and Gwynnie...and we will become fast friends...and...

Uh-hum, my apologies. Sometimes when I start thinking about it my imagination takes over. Back to the topic at hand...my pre-teens bedroom.


Not that I'm trying to force my interests on him or anything, but when I pitched the idea of a British Invasion themed room to him I made sure to talk it up real big. Plus when I told him we could incorporate some Beatles into the space he was sold. Yay!!! I don't know who's more excited, him or me? But it's going to be awesome!!!

Here are some ideas we've talked about as well as some fun inspiration pictures.

*Painting the bunk beds red...so as to emulate the red double decker buses you see all over London. I shall call it...a double decker bed.

*The Union Jack flag. Did any of you happen to see Miss Mustard Seed's union jack dresser. I {heart} that lady so much. I really wanted to incorporate the British flag somehow into the room, but wanted to make it more functional and interesting than displaying the actual flag. Her project was super inspiring.

*A Rock & Roll hall of fame...complete with all of my...I mean...the boy's, favorite British musicians: The Beatles, Coldplay, Muse, Morrisey, The Clash...

*Abby Road wall. The boy and I both love the Beatles. The idea is to paint only the silhouette's of John, Paul, George and Ringo crossing Abby Road. Now if I can just track down an overhead projector.

*An iconic red telephone booth. I have a couple of ideas rattling around the old noggin inspired by ths phonebooth. If I can figure out a way to translate them to real life it will be freaking AWESOME. Now if I could just convince Studly of the awesomeness.

And a few random pics just for inspiration's sake.

Picture from housetohome.co.uk

Picture from housetohome.co.uk

Check out this awesome 10 x 3 foot decal of the london bridge.I'm still not sure which ideas I will incorporate into the space yet, but I can hardly wait to get started.

And, as always, this project will be governed by a budget. Maybe I should leave that up to you guys. How much do you think I can complete this project for?

I guess we will see soon enough. Til then, seeya later. Or shall I say...pip, pip Cheerio?