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Boys Room Design Inspiration + Before Photos

I’m going to be completely honest and say that I really don’t find much joy in dressing or decorating for boys/men. The pickings are usually slim and lack a ton of the WOW factor that comes with girls/women items. I’ve been putting my son’s room off long enough, I mean I even started taping and prepping his room for painting in OCTOBER and stopped to start and fully complete my daughter’s room. I know. Bad mommy

Now that my daughter’s room is 90% done, I’m moving on to my son’s room and he can’t be more excited. I plan to have it completed before school starts which is in just over a month. We’ve had the paint since OCTOBER, I even have his bedding and a few decor items so my timeline isn’t too ridiculous considering.

Here are the paint colors we chose…I am thinking about changing the blue to a deeper navy. We’ll see.

Colors are Behr Dolphin Fin and Star Spangled

Since he is likely not to get his room changed again for a few years, at 9 I think he should have some input so I’ve run some things by him and we are on target to do an “Industrial Prep” look for his room complete with a DIY built in over his bed and shelving to hold his awards and books.

Here a few of the inspiration photos him and I have agreed on that will be recreated somehow in the space.

A. {Source} I love chalkboard walls. Thinking about putting behind his door and adding hooks for his hats and bookbag.

B. {Source} Definitely have my eye on a locker night stand. This color scheme is delightful.

Source

Kind of excited to DIY something similar. Not sure where it will go yet but I like the look, and its functional for displaying his awards and trophies.

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Source

Not sure yet if I will do something like this or frame all of his first sports jerseys. Leaning toward the latter but I love the look of this so it may end up getting recreated somewhere else in the house.

NOW: Here is what I am currently working with.

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I have grand plans for this little niche. I thought about planking it but will likely frame out the chalkboard like the above inspiration photo on a smaller scale and add some hooks at the bottom to hang things.

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Not sure what the kid who lived in this room prior to us moving in was doing but there are so many dents and holes in the wall. I’ve managed to spackle and sand all of them. I have to do another skim coat over a few because they aren’t as smooth as I would like.

There used to be a TV hanging from the ceiling and the long line in the crease of the wall had a thing over it that covered the wires and when we removed it, it took off some of the dry wall. That probably won’t be the smoothest but I’ve gotten it real close. I plan on putting a chair and reading lamp there to disguise it.

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Been looking on Craigslist for a long dresser to go here. I think this wall would be perfect. His framed jerseys will likely go above here.

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My baby will finally get a new Queen mattress. He’s been rocking with this twin since he was 3. It is time!

Work starts Saturday morning. Be sure to follow me on Instagram for sneak peeks!

Do you have any home projects going or planning on starting any soon?

BoysBoys

Breakfast potatoes
Photography

{#OurProject52} Food

Those of you that have been around these parts for the last four almost five years, I know you remember a day when I was very vocal about my disdain for cooking. I suppose the saying, “The apple doesn’t fall from the tree” is true, seeing that two of the things my parents love(d) are now two of my favorite hobbies. Who knew the cooking and photography chicken would come home to roost at my address!!

Today we are talking about food and although I am not the best at food photography I am working at getting better and trust me it is harder than it look.

Lemon chicken potato casserole

Lemon Chicken Potato Casserole

Blueberry Morning Bake

Blueberry Morning Bake

Tip: When shooting food try your best to get natural sunlight. There are tutorials on Pinterest regarding how to build lightboxes to get those natural light food shots but nothing is better than the real thing if you can manage. Also be sure to add props and play with your angles to find the best light and shot.

Be sure to head over to see LaShawn and what she has “cooking” this week!

Project 52


Living

Marriage Goals + Nautica Life Gift Set / $4K Cruise Vacation Giveaway

I don’t speak much about my husband except in passing. Not because I don’t think he deserves the recognition but because everything can’t be in the open, some things have to be kept for self and my marriage is one of those things that I like to keep underwraps….except for times like his birthday or Father’s day or when he buys me something really nice!

As Father’s Day nears, I do want to shine some light on this amazing man that asks for little but offers so much in taking care of our little family. September 2 will mark our 10 year wedding anniversary and I must admit this has been the hardest year yet as we journey forward into our next decade together. My husband takes his role as a father and provider very serious. I would venture to say he takes our finances a little too serious but at least we’ll retire with something in the future instead of settling for instant gratification right now. In fact, the flashiest thing he’s probably ever bought himself is the Omega watch from https://www.watchshopping.com/omega that he got himself with on his last birthday because “I deserve it”.

I digress.

My husband is one of those extremely likeable people that can easily fit into a crowd, and is very hard to dislike. We are both energetic and full of life but lately we’ve really been putting taking care of “us” on the back burner in exchange for long work hours and dumping all of our energies into our children, home etc. I’ve put my foot down and the time is now for us to really get back to nurturing one another and our marriage because it is so important to remember why you fell in love with your spouse even when life gets hectic. As the journey begins for us into the next decade of marriage I would love to see us really get back to the things we like, and treat ourselves because life is really no good if you aren’t living.

One of my husband’s favorite things is cologne. Over the years he’s slowed his collection down to halt, but I’m encouraging him to start seeing what’s new on the cologne market. I recently ventured out to Macy’s at Lenox Mall to pick him up a Nautica Life Gift Set to jump start his new collection. The scent is so amazing, like him. It’s cool, light and laid back, and overall likeable. Nothing better than a good smelling man.

Nautica Gift Life Set

 

Nautica Life Gift Set

 

Nautica Life Gift Set

The plan is for us to get out together more, you know make date nights a priority and really focus on us now that the children are getting older. I’m looking forward to “dating” a good smelling man again!

Nautica Life Gift Set

You can purchase this gift set at Macy’s online.  Nautica has tons of new offerings so be sure to check them out on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Now for the fun part, Enter to a Giveaway where:

 

1 Grand Prize Winner will win a $4,000 Cruise Vacation Package

5 Second Place Winners will win a Nautica Men’s Fragrance Gift Package

Winners must be 18+

Nautica for Dad

Living

Can You Be Lazy and Driven at the Same Time?

A few days ago I came across a post on Facebook called 17 Things That Happen When You’re Very Overdriven Yet Also Extremely Lazy At The Same Time   that handed me my whole entire 36 years of living in a little under 17 succinct bullet points. I mean, I was really thinking that Brianna, the author somehow knew me in a never met me kind of way.

I spent the better part of the last two weeks with the poorest attitude ever. Nothing new but the usual..you know what am I doing with my life etc… and then the whole Mercury retrograde thing I’m sure wasn’t helping the situation at all.  I’m sure my husband wanted to pack my things up and send me on my way……to the spa I hope.

One of the issues I was dealing with during those weeks was comparing myself to others and how they do things and why I couldn’t seem to complete things in the same manner. Yes, I know all about the comparison and thief of joy analogy thing…yet and still I found myself studying peoples behaviors and wondered why I couldn’t get my act together and color code my planner, and dust my floors and keep a spotless house.

Then this post was shared to my timeline as if the person that shared it knew that I needed to give myself a little break and be amused that someone knew that my quirks and idiosyncrasies were worth writing about, almost as if to tell other people that I’m not off or lazy but really driven and my behaviors are somewhat normal?

Here are a few that really hit my personality and behaviors nail on:

  • You’re incredibly indecisive, and the things you’re usually choosing between are what’s best and what’s easy. You always find yourself caught between the more expensive item you really want, and the more affordable one you know it would be smarter to choose. Caught between wanting to work more and make your product perfect and knowing you need time to recoup and relax. It’s always a matter of what’s best vs. what’s easy, and it’s a war you’ll be fighting within yourself until you create your own middle ground.
  • You’re either doing everything, or you’re doing nothing at all. There is no in-between. You’re working 14 hour days and meal prepping organic, vegan dishes for you and your coworkers and planning your latest lifestyle reinvention or you’re laying in bed watching Netflix not moving for a week. No matter what it is, you epitomize the “all or nothing” “A-Z” personality (for better and for horribly worse.)
  • You’re either dressed to the nines or you haven’t changed your sweatpants in days. When you deem it appropriate, you know how to craft yourself into an avatar of stylish, fashionable, groomed, suave perfection; but the rest of the time? You wear leggings. And postpone any clothes with structure for as long as you can manage.

I think I’ve always known my train of thought and demeanor was a little different from others and I’ve always shied away from really explaining to people how my gears work and just tried to fit in but I’m at a point in my life where I just need to be me….unapologetically. Like seriously. I will do me, but for some reason always have the feeling that I need to explain myself to SOME people. When in actuality I owe no one an explanation on how and why I do the things that I do.

That article really tickled me and let me know that I’m good. I just march to my own drummer and I need anyone dealing with me to get with it or beat it. I’m getting there but in the meantime I got a good chuckle out of the fact that I think I am so complex when indeed I was broken down into under 20 bullet points written by a total internet stranger!

Mercury retrograde mess with any of y’all? Ever gone through a period where you felt the need to evaluate every aspect of your life? Are you driven and lazy at the same – – – – time?