::A Minecraft Master::

Hello!
I need a little help brainstorming about my master bedroom.
Here's what I'm working with.  I thought it'd be nifty to have those two square windows, but now I'm not so sure.  They're just kinda hanging around up there...floating in nothingness.  With 9 foot ceilings, they remind me of  2 ginormous eyes, and my headboard is a frown. Like some sorta creepy, blocky Minecraft character.

Lemme show you a wider view:  See the frowny face?

And while I'm at it, lemme just say that the ding dong dang framers (Amish Dudes) didn't get them even from the corners.  The one on the left is farther away from the wall than the one over the blue table....which shifts the whole bed towards the bathroom door, leaving more space on the side with the big windows.  Kinda irritates me, but whatev.

So, I'm also not sure I'm in love with the color (though I love it in the ajoining bath).  I used this color (Martha Stewart Brown Alpaca) in my old kitchen and loved it, but my cabinets were white.  Maybe I need to paint the nightstands white? I'm also kinda over the headboard.  I think I need a statement headboard to fill up some of that wallspace...also one that I can lean against as opposed to say, fall thru when I'm blog-stalking before bed on my laptop.  *rolling eyes*

One of my tricks when I'm feeling stuck is to take pictures.  Sometimes it helped me get a 'big picture' of what I'm dealing with.  Unfortunately, all it did for me today was show me a Minecraft face.

Here's some of my inspiration pics from my sah-weet master suites Pinterest board.....(and I just went to take a gander and realized EVERY picture except one features pale blues/greens, cream or white walls.  Ugh.  Think I'll be doing some painting in there.....)

A shutter headboard?

(source)

A canopy bed?

 (dead link)

Here's the only one with dark-ish walls, and it's surrounded by white....

(source)

So....your turn.  Ideas?  Opinions?

Should I just draw a giant nose over the headboard and call it a day?

::Happy Things Part 2-The Kitchen and Master Bedroom::

PSSSST...I'm no longer blogging here!

You can now find me at

www.acottagegirl.com

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If you read my previous post about my great room  you'll know I spent some time snapping pictures of my home in an effort to capture those spaces that make me happy....because I'm in a pretty nasty season of life right now, and want to put whatever energy I can muster into creating gratefulness to offset the blues. That didn't include cleaning up before taking the pictures, don'tchaknow.

In looking thru the pics from my last post, I began to see my intentions in bringing in more color to my spaces and in using pieces that have sentimental value regardless of matching are serving me well so far.  In sticking with my 'loves' and letting go of some 'likes', I've made space for the things that support my energy, and have become tools in navigating my way thru the aforementioned nasties.

So here's the kitchen.  (Blue color on cabinets is SHERWIN WILLIAMS 'Watery') My Target clearanced boxwood wreath makes me all kinds of happy.

Please note I am missing a knob on the upper cabinet, and that stack of dirty pots from 2 days ago.  

:)

Those would be my brown socks.  On the counter.  And an almost empty bag of valentine M & M's in the fruit basket.

No judgement.  They also make me happy.

Hard to see, but lots of birdies from my ever-growing collection have found their way into this space.

The painted box next to the vintage mason jars belonged to my  mama.  She is everywhere in my home.

That makes me happy.

A couple of $15 Target stools I painted up quick until I can find some counter stools I love.  

They make me happy because they remind me that temporary solutions can be perfect for a season.

A colorful runner I picked up on a whim several months ago just happens to match my kitchen cabinets perfectly!  Happy, happy...

Looking into the entryway, the vignette on my gramma's dry sink holds my mom's old gold oil lamp, and the signage my blog friend Julie Rose made for me hung on a thrifted beaded board door I painted.  A rubbermaid tote just hanging out, as well as my winter coat thrown over a chair....whatev. It has ruffles on the be-hind, and of course that makes me happy.

Pretty clearanced runner on the table, with a zillion little things that say "a family dwells here".

Yes, happy.

The china hutch.  Oh the china hutch.  This is it's current incarnation (the 3rd so far), while I decide if I like the color.  It came from my hubby's uncle.  It's a happy color, but I'm still trying to decide if it plays nicely with some other elements in the room.....It's a couple shades darker than my blue cabinets on the opposite side of this space.

I haven't started on the bottom yet, so it sits in all it's mismatched glory while I ponder the color (It's ASCP Provence, rubbed back to show Shabby Paints Worn White).

Love me some thrifted white ironstone and pretty platters, though!

Under the stairs, in plain view of the dining room and great room is this office nook/dump station.  It makes me happy because I know someday it will be awesome.  For now, it's functional, and this pic will make a fabulous 'before' shot, yeah?

My bedroom.  I never rarely make my bed.  No real curtains or stuff on the walls yet.  But it's a haven.  That headboard was a $40 bright brass beauty from the 80's that I sprayed with textured brown paint.  Can't decide if I love the wall color, but I love that this room is on the first floor!  Steamer trunk in a lovely shade of blue belonged to some of hubby's relatives.  It makes me happy except when I jamb my toe into it on one of my nightly jaunts to the ta.

Mom's corner cabinet found it's home in here too, showing off my collection of pitchers. 

Happiness!

By far, my most happiest place in the house can be seen thru this pocket door...

I get giggly every time I walk in here.....

I painted the secondhand mirror with ASCP in Duck Egg and distressed it.  PERFECTION. And my wee china hutch fits perfectly between the vanity and the tub.  Beadboard also makes me very happy.  Duh.

And lastly for today, my little glass collection of birdie things....just sitting here on my gramma's old sewing cabinet-turned jewelry holder until I get inspired to dust them move them to a more permanent location.

I'm surrounded by family heirlooms and items that make me happy.  Don't underestimate the power your own spaces and things carry that can affect your moods.....I'm really gobsmacked by how documenting all the pretty things I have curated for my home conjur sweet memories and connect me with what's important in life.  My house doesn't look like a magazine shoot or frumpy catalogue, but it fills me with peace and comfort for my frazzled emotions and twirling thoughts.

I think I may need to have an impromptu linky in which you, dear ::cottage:: readers, can share 'a day in the life' of your own home, even if it's in the middle of a renovation (ahem, Suzan...), singling out the decor that speaks to you, feeds you, and makes your home YOURS.  Cleaning beforehand not necessary or recommended.

What say you?  Wanna play?

(pssst:  sharing this with That DIY Party, Mod Mix Monday, Nifty Thrifty Tuesday, The Scoop, Tweak it Tuesday, Inspire Me Tuesday, Inspiration Exchange, What We Accomplished Wednesday, Be Inspired, Twirl and Take a Bow, Knick of Time Tuesday, Be Inspired, The Inspiration Gallery,

::Happy Things::

Just about every year, at just about this same time, I begin battling the blahs.  I've written in the past how I struggle with Major Depression, and this year with winter really making an obnoxious appearance, I'm noticing the old familiar patterns.....lots of sleeping, loss of interest in anything, negativity, etc.  I've also been dealing with and processing some very painful personal health issues, some family relationship issues, and the simple stress of getting settled in our new home.

Anyway, today I decided to get out my camera with the new tripod my kiddos got me for Christmas, debated whether or not I would clean up first (didn't), and just took some snapshots of my life in the moment.  What my beautiful new house looks like with mounds of ice and snow outside reflecting the sun's rays into my living spaces on January 23, 2014.  To literally focus my attention on the things that make me smile....and I want to share them with you.  I'm attempting to cultivate gratefulness, and my word this year is 'creativity'....so I"m being creative in battling my depression by taking pictures of stuff that makes me happy. In no particular order:

My new retro celery green velour side chairs, picked up on craigslist for $35.  Yes I did.

The spray of (fake) pussy willows in my favorite shade of blue IKEA container.

Old shutters framing a work of art depicting my husband's vacation spot growing up....his family owned an island with a camp in upstate NY on Big Moose Lake.  A family relative painted this for his parents years ago, and they gave it to us as a housewarming gift.

Sunlight streaming in the big windows, over my mama's picture sitting on my old dresser. 

The squishy, pale aqua sofa my parents helped us buy several years ago.....that my daughter graciously traded back to us after I wasn't content with the beige sofa we got from my dad.

My chippy coffee table, a 1700's writing desk my mama gave me, which hubs cut down to size for me.

My new TV entertainment center, purchased for $25 on craigslist.  

Gonna remove one of the middle drawers to make space for electronics, etc. 

Love the green knobs and relief pattern on the doors...

Antique pie safe that belonged to my mom....she painted it this gorgeous color.  

A set of vintage prints from my friend Rebecca (who I hope will take me thrifting when the weather turns!)

My grandbaby Robyn Rose's toy/book shelves, and the hind quarters of my sweet dog Bogart.

My music....I've begun playing and writing music again in my new church.  My daughter told me after watching me play and sing during last week's service that "you are so beautiful when you're doing what you love...." *sniff* (see a snippet HERE)

And lastly...my baby boy lounging around reading his Kindle after school.  

Next up, I'll share some other spaces that bring me peace in the midst of a chaotic season.  

What spaces in your home center and ground you?
(EDITED:  Part 2 of Happy Things is HERE)

::Taking the Time::

Hey ::cottage:: Readers....

We're snowed in here in NE Indiana...they just lifted a snow emergency, but everything is still closed tomorrow.  Wind chills are in negative double digits.  I trudged thru snow drifts up to my hoohah (can I say hoohah on this blog?) to get to the garage next door for paint supplies this afternoon.  Decided to start on this baby:

The hutch, not the dining set.....

I've also spent my time planning my Florida vacation next month :)

And sleeping.  Ok, let's just call it what it is: hibernating.

In the few moments I'm awake I stalk pinterest and houzz and my blogfeed and craigslist looking for inspiration for my new house.  Colors, furniture arrangements, crafts, sewing projects.  All stuff I have little motivation and even less cash.

I'm a leeetle overwhelmed at this point.

(a few signs of spring to get me thru til April)

I'm coming to the realization (that I come to every time I undertake a re-do).  I'm just gonna have to LIVE HERE for awhile.  And then I'm gonna have to listen to what my own style, my furnishings, my budget, my time and energy, and my HOUSE tell me.  Dang it.

The most frustrating thing is seeing ideas I really LIKE, but not yet sure I LOVE....and realizing that without starting from scratch, those ideas prolly won't happen.   I have lots of antiques that mean a lot to me, passed down from my mom and gramma, things I don't want to paint or sell.  Things I love looking at, but don't really mesh with the colorful interiors I'm feeling drawn to on pinterest and such.  I want to make them work somehow in my new spaces without my house feeling like 'gramma's house'.  I'm digging stuff like this:

(no link from pinterest)

I think I love the blue couches and green ottomans.  The floral might be a bit bright except for welcoming spring :)  But I'm noticing for the most part, I'm still drawn to images like these, which still incorporate blue and green, but with softer colors, and can easily handle a few antique wood and chippy salvaged items sprinkled in:

(source)

(source)

There's a few things I know I'm gonna need: soft furnishings....rugs, curtains, slipcovers, maybe even some fabric 'wallpaper' and beadedboard.  The openness and high ceilings are delicious, but it's a bit echo-ey and boundary-less.  Having only lived in homes with small, low-ceiling-ed, closed-off rooms, this open concept dealio is a bit challenging.

I *am* happy with this little arrangement.  The dresser was mine growing up.  The chair is 1000 million years old and for show only from my Mom's stash.  The signage is an old orphaned mirror I painted up to look like a chalkboard using a stencil that cost almost as much as my house.  Other stuff is thrifted or bought on the cheap.

So I'll wait.  And hibernate.

Oh, and go back and read my own advice.  There's an idea.

If you're dealing with the cold and snow, be safe and warm.  If you're not, be thankful.  It's pretty, but it's a mess to deal with.

Sharing at City Farmhouse, Elizabeth & Co.