A barn bed for Carter

Ever since we made our bed last month we have been drawing up plans for more like crazy.  First, Brandon was hired to make one for his good friends son. He wanted to make it a little more childlike so made it with a barn peak. Carter also got to pick out the light for it, which was one of our favorites, good taste Carter! He also made little steps for it since it's big and chunky and it's occupant is a small cutie:) Here it is in the making....( we get going and forget to get many shots of the process:)

                                

                                  

                                    

                               

Here it is finished in its new home:

                            

                             

                                                 

And one happy little boy:)

                  

HUGE Christmas sale

Who couldn't be jolly this time of year?! Especially here in North Idaho right now. We just got a fresh batch of snow that is sticking around for awhile and it is soo beautiful! It really makes it seem like the Christmas season. Its been so long since Ive blogged I am about to throw out a whole lot of pics and info. Heres some of the winter fun we've been having:

Santa!! (So sweet, Emma told him she wanted a "jiggly" tooth brush(the electric one), so she is convinced, and fine with that is all she is getting for Christmas:) I love these young years, when they are still so easily made happy with  little toys and simple things)

A morning at Macies school. 

Helped my bestie decorate the church stage for the season

Its the holidays in here!!

Decorating up the house

Brandon took the girls into the woods in the back and let them pick out the tree this year:) and I then let them decorate it. It was soo hard for me when I'm so set in my ways about the decor, but I let go, and they LOVE it! Next year, I think we'll have two:) One for them and one for me:)

Brrr!!!

And last weekend I had the privilege to sell at a great annual show "Home for the Holidays". It was so fun! Here are some pictures of my booth and what I still have for sale. I've lowered prices as we get closer to Christmas, so contact me for questions!  

beamdesign4@gmail.com

One view of my booth

(Still for sale: "On Lake time" barnwood signs-$20

'Noel' and 'Peace' barnwood signs-$12

'Joy' blocks -$8

earrings and rings-$6.50

dishtowels-chevron and anchors-$5

Still for sale:

gray baby cradle from this post-$30

gray chair-$22

Still for sale: 

'home is where the anchor drops' sign-$20

"LOVE" sign-$15

"Let it snow' barnwood sign-$20

6' growth charts-$20

burlap stockings-$15

joy manger sign-$20

Grateful barnwood sign-$12

Growth charts in the back still for sale-$20
childrens vintage anchor chairs-$10 each
burlap stockings-$15
Let it snow sign-$20

$15

 6.50

$15

Buy local, peeps! Handmade love is the best kind of gift:)
Happy Holidays!!!!

A nursery makeover!

I redid my sister, Robins office into a nursery a few months back for sweet baby Mckinley(who is now 6 weeks old!)

 I keep meaning to go back and take better pictures, but never have, so I figured Id just do the post already:) I will come back and add more later when I can figure out how to get pics off my old phone. I have a few tutorials I took pictures for. 

Heres the room just getting started:

(We didnt get the crib before. It was your basic wood crib and we painted it white.)

And after:(Its hard to get a shot of the whole room cause its so long.

I painted this dresser coral and white. I still plan on putting a large black owl silouette on the front, but need to find a projector. I painted the two lamps Robin already had white and then recovered the shades with some cute teal polka dot fabric. The candlesticks were pink and I painted them aqua. Right now they act as book ends.

Theres no closet in this room, so Robin came up with a great idea to utilize the space. This was originally her husbands desk, so he added a bar along the bottom to hang the itty bitty clothes.

The crib we painted white. (5 cans of spray paint later!) The bumper is 

one of those new

 breathable  ones that we got in white and I tried to dye. Little did 

I realize that Polyester + dye = no go. I had even gotten onesies and practiced before getting the bumper .

Totally different fabrics:) The velcro worked and the rest is a baby pink, 

but it actually works. I didnt want it too matchy matchy anyway.

The crib sheet was white and I dyed it coral. The curtains are a 

white with gray pinstripes(better picture to come i promise!)

 And the quilt I made one side out of this adorable dandelion silouette 

and the other side out of a piece from every other fabric in the room.

The curtains are a white with gray pinstripe with this great Amy Butler fabric

 on the bottom. It said "cherry" as the color, but I just knew it would work! 

The curtains totally lightened up the room! The gray was on sale for 2.99 a yard! 

You cant beat that and I think the flowers for the whole thing would have been too busy.

Heres the comforter on one side

I made this mobile with circles of coordinating fabrics , coral ribbon and an embroidery hoop. I just love how it turned out!
The artwork I did also. It was so simple. I just stretched some fabric over an old canvas with my staple gun(on the back), and used my cricut to cut out different sizes and shapes of flowers(and painted some aqua).
The framed flower I made out of fabric, painted an old frame and attached it to some chevron paper I stamped. Sooo easy!
The 'M' is the same paper I stamped, cut out on my cricut and attached it with some baby clothes pins to a strip of lace.

Heres the two drawers I painted, distressed and lined. I originally was going to hang these on the wall as shelves, but ran out of wall space.
So I decided an under the crib storage worked just as well.
(And the other side of the comforter)

This owl I am very proud of:) I couldnt find a cricut cartridge with an owl that had any more images I would use much. So I finally just used the basic one I have and cut out all different shapes to put him together! Isnt he cute!!? I got all these frames at garage sales this summer and painted them all white.
The "you are loved always" was a quote on my sisters pinterest, and cut out with my cricut.
The little two are just scrapbook paper and stickers I already had(with the right colors!!!)
And the 'M' I cut out of some old mat board and covered in glitter. That was a mess:)

So there it is!! Mckinley is still sleeping in her mommy and daddys room, but I know she will enjoy this room soon and her mommy already is!

And one more picture because I cant help myself:

Partying at :

DIY by design

Primp

My uncommom slice of Suburbia

My repurposed Life

Miss Mustard Seed

Rock a bye baby

The girls have wanted a baby cradle for their dolls for as long as i can remember. We got them a doll bunk bed a few christmas ago, but the cheapo plasic thing was finally breaking down. 

I got this cradle a few days ago and didnt tell the girls about it until i redid it. They were soooo excited:)  Here it is before:

I added a little embelishment to pretty it up and then Emma and I applied a good coat of gray chalk paint. And that was it!

Then of course I had to make some blankies and a piilow for the babies:)

I have some vintage fabric Ive been collecting. I love it so much that I keep 'saving' it. So I think this was the perfect project to use a little. Im made Macie the stripe/flower one and Emma picked out her butterfly/damask one:) The pillow I just traced a crown off this french graphics site and then sewed the pillow. Macie wanted a crown sign I had made, so she was pleasently surprised with the pillow. 

shhhhh, the babies are sleeping.................

Be Present

Today a few boards taught me a lesson. Sounds weird right? Let me explain. I had all these goals today:

Finish unpacking the house

Finish enough projects to take pictures and apply to Farmers Market.

Make another sign for my booth.

I didn't fully finish any of them, but it was a GOOD thing. 

I found the perfect old cupboard door to make a sign on that Ive been thinking about making for awhile. I want to make a sign that says "BE PRESENT". I feel like it would be a good reminder. I get going on so many things and I just go go go and don't slow down. I tell the girls "one second" or "we will tomorrow". I hear myself doing it too much and I can see them being disappointed. So today the girls and I took a trip to the dump for our weekend scavenger hunt in the lumber pile and there was the top of a play fort. Macie wanted it sooooo bad.  We came home and after 5 minutes of puppy dog eyes, papa hopped on his tractor, headed over there and hauled it back. The girls were thrilled!! So then they wanted to do a "project like mommy" for their new clubhouse. I told her, "maybe later this week, I have to finish a few projects". Macie said "Mom, you do so many projects you are always so busy." That twisted my heart a little. I explained that I am doing it so that I CAN stay home and get to be with them more. Its such a hard balance. Especially just starting out my little business, I need to do a LOT of work, but I can tell it really puts a strain on the girls. I need to find balance. SO,  as I was sanding the sign I realized:  HELLO!! EARTH TO APRILL!! LOOK WHAT YOU ARE MAKING! NOW ACT ON IT!!

I'm trying to make a sign to remind myself to be present and in the meantime pushing the girls aside so I can get it done. Makes no sense.

So I stopped what I was doing and went and grabbed the girls and we went on the hunt for a special project just for them to do with my FULL attention. I accepted that I would not meet my goals for the day, but that that was ok. There's always tomorrow for projects. But Macie and Emma will only be these amazing girls THIS age for THIS day. 

 Macie insisted she needed this wooden sawhorse, but couldn't think of what she would do with it. Then we found a giant spool like for wire and decided it could be a table for their new fort. I let them paint it themselves and we even had a paint fight. I pretended not to notice when they painted pink stripes on my butt and they thought it was so funny. I love when they giggle so hard. They were amazed I was letting them use "real" paint and do it themselves) They want me to use my cricut and write "The Lytton Clubhouse" on it. So cute. Macie definitely has the 'trash to treasure" bug.

Don't you love their paint clothes:)

So, I didn't get my application sent to the market. It will be there tomorrow. I still have the same six boxes sitting in the kitchen. But the girls don't care. I did get to have an awesome time with them...and made a table we will look at, play at and remember for a long time to come.

DIY Heat packs for the babes

Who doesn’t love to be comforted when not feeling well? My girls have always been big on ice packs when they are not feeling well. Any owie needs an icepack in this house. 

Bump your tooth? You're going to need an icepack.

 Bonked your head? Your going to need an icepack.

 Didn't get that toy you wanted? You're going to need an icepack.:) 

 So I thought it would be fun to have a warm pack too.  For belly aches, head aches or any other aches. I made these rice packs for the girls last week and now they want some HUGE ones to warm their whole bodies. 

Just stick them in the microwave for 60 seconds and you feel better.

Taking this picture made me realize I need to clean my microwave:)

Now, go, get your ice or heat pack and feel batter!

Macie Grace is turning 6!!

I cant believe our little girl is 6 this week!!!! Where did the time go?!! I remember bringing her home from the hospital, her first bath, her little badger baby cooing sounds, cuddling her up in her blankies….oh the memories.

I know, even though I say I don’t, I like to have my birthday be MY day. Brandon and the girls make my meals, get me things, do whatever they can to make it MY special day. So I want the same for the girls. I want them to remember their birthdays as special days. I want there to be traditions they look forward to and cherish. This year are in Vegas away from most of our friends and family, so I don’t want Macies mind to be on that. We are having a little party with just us and her grandparents ( thank goodness for them), but we are going all out. Well, $20 all out. No, really! I am challenging myself to only spend $20, but make it big. I have so many supplies already and so many ideas floating around in my head (and on my pinterest board) So, I'm going with the motto: “why buy, when I can make” Now on the third hour of making the giant ‘6’ pinata I was seriously questioning this motto, but I forged on. I have made a bunting banner, a pinata, tissue paper flowers, cake stands, cupcake flags, painted trays and frames and still have lots to do. Brandon is also making a slideshow to music to show at her dinner. She chose hamburgers, hot dogs and fries as her bday dinner. I cannot wait for Wednesday and to show you all the pictures of the result. I want to show how much you can make without the party store. I think homemade is way nicer looking too. I'm also hand making some gifts for her. A quilt, a mermaid costume for her doll, a chair and a birthday tshirt. Here is the shirt for her to wear on her birthday to school.

Who wouldn’t want to wear a giant number shirt???? Well, I guess at a certain age you wouldn’t, huh? Please no one make me a giant 3-0 shirt in 18 months. I may cry. But, 6 is cool.

We also made cookies for her class tomorrow and cupcakes for the party.

Heres a couple sneak peaks at her bday preparations. Ill be back in a few days to show the party.....cant wait!!!

You getting the color theme here?

Happy Birthday tomorrow baby girl!!!