Updating The Master Bedroom In Our "New" House

I realize that I've never documented the changes we've made in most of our rooms here because nothing feels 100% done- there are lots of little things I'd like to do, but that all takes away from our adoption fund. Speaking of adoption, I thought I was going to have a very big announcement to make this week...it hurts so much, but even with the pain, I can feel God's peace and presence, and I will trust Him. You can read more about our adoption plan HERE.

I'm not sure what it is, but I get somewhat paralyzed when it comes to deciding on things for the master bedroom, so the walls are still rather bare and the bedding is on its 3rd or 4th year of being a temporary stand-in. All in all, though, I think things look a little better in here. :)

But first, here's what the master bedroom looked like the very first time we walked through the house...

Three of the walls were neutral enough, but shiny paint in bedrooms sets a panic in my heart, so I knew they would not be exempt from the paint-overhaul. The fourth wall (and matching heaters!!!) were a slimy shade of pink. Not very inviting. 

I did a terrible job documenting the "befores" because we were literally painting every single surface with any and all free time we could scrounge up, with the early morning sun after dropping kids off at school and by lonely little lamps scattered about in the late evenings.

I did have lots of adorable helpers, though!

It was a lovely surprise to find out the seller had left their bedroom furniture and all of their bedding for us. A case of miscommunication we think...thanks, but no thanks. As if all the other work wasn't daunting enough without having to contend with additional {extremely heavy} furniture we didn't want, ha!

I think Ryder's disgruntled face says it all here. That's how I was feeling, too!

It's a good size room (though I sure do miss having a master bathroom!!!) with a smaller closet than I'm used to, but you know what? I have really gotten used to the space now, and it feels welcoming and calm. Now to just decide on bedding...

Here is how the master bedroom looks today...
The proof is in the paw print, oops! The little sneak- I didn't even notice him (or apparently the wrinkles, ha!) jump up there during my little photo shoot!

 (that heater you see above...was pink pink pink- it looked awful!)

In the wintertime, when we moved in, this room gets absolutely no direct sunlight. :(  So I've been soaking up every glorious minute of it this spring and summer! I also like how the light and dark colors complement each other in this room.

It's challenging to capture the correct hue of the wall color - it's a pale blue/grey, and while I adore it, it doesn't seem to play very nicely with the creamier trim/door paint. It brings out a yellow tone, and I think it makes it look dingy. I may need to re-do the doors and trim in a whiter white.

We'll also be installing new door knobs, but I cannot decide on dark or brushed nickel. Also, those closet doors drove me batty for the first several months, but now they just don't seem like that big a deal. We do have a closet system (in a box) gathering dust in the basement, so that will be a nice change when we install it.
We also replaced all of the beige switch plates and outlets/covers with white ones, and my mister installed a more modern thermostat. I think I'll put something to the right of the closet for scarves and such. Or maybe a sconce or picture. Ugh, see what I mean? Paralysis!!!

I made the paisley print pillowcases a couple of years ago, and they seem right at home here.

I was super excited about this linen pillow and the white eyelet pillow (the blurry one you see in the above pic) while I was amking them, but I think I'm slightly underwhelmed with them now. They also serve as a great reminder of why I cannot entertain the idea of an all-white bedroom with cats. They collect the stray hairs like an icky fuzzy magnet!

Pretty details, though.  =)

I'm not in love with the two prints on the wall. And I miss having something on the wall above the bed, like in our other house.

Warning: close-ups, dark furniture, a whole day since I dusted - you do the math.  =)
My greatest treasures in the world smiling back at me!

The crystal fruit bowl actually became a home to my chunkier jewelry because I haven't yet put up a cute little wall hanging that has hooks beside the dresser, so...since the bowl had no real home in the kitchen at the moment, it moved upstairs. At first I really disliked it, but it has grown on me. And it super convenient!

Thanks for looking! Have a great day!

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liz marie blog 

But let all who take refuge in you be glad;

let them ever sing for joy.

Spread your protection over them,

that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

Psalm 5:11

Simple Summer Fun With Older Kids - A Round-Up of Ideas

I had meant to write this post a while ago...and I promptly forgot. I know some kids are heading back to school already, but we've still got another couple of weeks of summer ahead of us, and I intend to enjoy every last moment! Here are some of summer fun favorites this year!

Ice Block Painting

 You'll need a carton of some sort (that will fit upright in your freezer) to fill with water; squeezable food coloring; sea salt. When your block is frozen solid remove it from the carton, place it on a plate or baking pan, and add salt, then colors, and be amazed!  :)

Well, it was supposed to involve actual paintbrushes, but we had so much fun simply squirting the colors onto the ice we never used the paintbrush. It was super hot the day we did this, and it was so cool watching the colors stream and tunnel through the melting ice.

The block started out in a plastic tub but the colors that formed and pooled around the bottom looked so pretty, we wanted a better look. The plate worked fine.
Also, regular table salt will not yield as much color - stick with the sea salt.

 Icy Treasure Hunt
Simply fill the bottom of a bundt pan with water and add a few treasures & trinkets; once frozen, add another layer of water and goodies. Repeat until the pan is full of ice and treasure! (I added a few drops of food coloring and it looked really pretty.)

 Do me a little favor and ignore our scary weed-lawn, 'm-kay?

It was another scorcher of a day so we placed it in the kiddie pool, and they had tons of fun swishing it around. (They started out squirting water guns at it, but that was so slow, and it was so hot...I bet you know where this is going...)

I'm not even going to embarrass myself by giving this project its own heading because it was an EPIC FAIL.
Looks pretty cute, right?
Yeah, well, they were. For a few days.
They were going to be part of our Fairy Garden -- C, J and I picked out a vegetable plant to grow in a pot, and we were going to create Fairy Houses with rocks, twigs and such in each pot. Still sounds cute, right?
I will spare you the melty, sludgy, sticky tragedy that became of these guys. I didn't realize they required a little SPF. Ugh. Let's remember them, whole and cute, and well, intact, like they are here.

Here are some other simple, fun and low-cost things we've done during the summer:

Sidewalk Crime Scene {Chalk Drawing on Sidewalk}

Backyard Water Olympics

Family-Friendly Frozen T-Shirt Contest

Sharing here

instafriday fun

Linking up with Instafriday at Life Rearranged. I'm BETHANYS_LOVES on Instagram if you want to find me. Hope you've had a fantastic week! Ours was a whirlwind between birthdays and concerts and camping and sewing and mini-golf and...

SoulFest 2013

Amazing!

 

I think this is my new favorite picture of Ethan and me  :)
He was just 13 then. Sigh.

waiting waiting waiting for...
SKILLET! Wow! Now I get it when people said they hoped nothing got blown up, burnt up, or otherwise exploded to bits, ha!
Caleb and Isabelle were camping with my parents, we'd had to arrange "doggie care" for Ryder (Bill's parents and neighbors to the rescue!) because we knew it was going to be a loong day- we didn't get home until midnight! That's not a typical thing for us.  :)

Pweease Mummy!

Late-night Birthday Cannolis with the Birthday Boy.
I suppose you can do that sort of thing with a 14 year old.
Although we were watching his new 5-season collection of 'The A-Team' - I must really love him! There are a couple more pictures in this post.

Mini Mama.  =) 

Ethan met up with friends at the one and only amusement place we have here in town (so sad!), so I let the remaining three choose a little something to do. What a surprise when WE saw our good friends there!

Isabelle Kate squealed with joy as did about a million and a half backwards flips on this jumpy thing. Go Isabelle!

Vroom.  =)

 Finishing up some special things...it's so nice to think apples and autumn! Almost!  ;)

Have a wonderful weekend! I'm looking forward to another bbq with friends, finishing up some Back to School fashions for my littlest scholar, and spending more time at the lake. This has been such a great summer...I'm going to be sad to say goodbye!

FOURTEEN.

How is it even possible that this adorable baby boy...

...is now this handsome young man?

14 years old!

Fourteen

Years

Old

!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Ethan Jacob! You are such a gift!

Here is Ethan, not quite 2 months old, in a fancy hotel room in Pennsylvania when Bill was a groomsman in his college buddy's wedding...now that I think about it, I have a picture of the three of us all dressed up- I will have to look for that!

And here we were at SoulFest on Saturday, having just heard Sanctus Real, Crowder Band, and waiting on Skillet, one of his favorites! It was sort of an early birthday present... and it was AWESOME!!  :)