jilly's breakfast nook, part two

Last week I introduced you to my breakfast nook, a place where we all spend a lot of time.  I've had some fun on the adjacent wall, gathering, creating, and incorporating things that are special and make me happy!

First up is our shoe bench.  There are lots of positive things about this house, but something it is lacking is a mud room on the main floor.  There is a lovely laundry room downstairs, but we use our back door 95% and it opens directly into the kitchen.  It became apparent 10 minutes after moving in that something would need to be done about the piles of shoes left just inside the door.  I had a basket that we used to corral the ever-increasing number of shoes in for awhile, but I hated the cluttered look of a million pairs piled in it.  While perusing my local Savers one day, I spotted this treasure.

I knew it would fit perfectly and hide all the shoes that accumulate on a daily basis.  It got a fresh coat of creamy colored paint by none other than one of the best helpers in the world, my girl G, but I asked her to leave a little bit of the red just to add a bit of interest in the otherwise neutral space.  I'm not a red person at all, but surprisingly, just a touch tickles me.  It's absolutely perfect and a bit beat up, but I love it.  A $9.99 solution to a big problem is what I call closure.

Moving to the wall area, I chose to only use things that were meaningful or necessary because it's a small space and I wanted the look to be simple.  I picked {this clock} from IKEA for it's graphic aesthetic and nice, big size.

 

My brothers are all hunters, so I asked them if they had any antlers that needed a happy home.  Ryan called and said he had a couple sets hanging in his garage that I could choose from.  Every time I look at the antlers, I think about him. (and the $50 he saved me!) 

I did a {tutorial} a few months ago on making plaster monograms.  The word "US" represents my little family, but stretches to include anyone who is spending time in our home at any given moment.  The kitchen is definitely the gathering spot, and I love sharing food and laughter with anyone who happens to be here!

The picture.  Oh, the picture that I love!  I found it at Goodwill for $5.99 and it was in a hideous frame.  As soon as I got it home and out of the frame, I decided that I loved the tattered look of the frayed, worn canvas edges and irregular staples.  I know it's not a valuable piece of art, but something about it speaks to me.

The little twig heart was inspired by this image I saw on Pinterest.

There were no directions, but after gathering some twigs from my backyard and looking at the picture, I figured it out.  I hung it with some dainty lace.  It's so simple but means so much.  I think that's why I love it.

Surprisingly enough, the clipboard calendar has caught the attention of several people.  The fabulous girls of {lollyjane} (who are my friends in real life), created one inspired by mine, complete with a {tutorial}.  My project was done on a whim as a temporary fix for the kids asking what the date was 20 times a day.  Go figure that I really love it now and it's temporary status has definitely graduated to permanent.  I found the flip chart numbers at an obscure consignment shop in Phoenix and have been unable to locate any more.  If anyone knows where to find them, PLEASE let me know!  I just painted a tall clipboard with chalkboard paint and clamped the number charts to the top.  Every morning, I walk into the kitchen, flip the light on, and change the numbers.  To say it makes me happy is an understatement.  Again, so simple.

The (real) butterfly was a garage sale find.  There were a pair of them in small square frames with glass fronts, but the glass on this one had a crack in it.  I bought the pair for $1.  While removing the glass from this one, some of the linen backing tore away as well, but since I welcome imperfection, I deemed it perfect!

And saving the best for last is a picture of my sister's baby, Bentley.  Isn't she the sweetest?  Jaci and I decided to make her a tiny flower crown and do a little photo shoot for Mother's Day.  Jaci captured her look perfectly in this picture, and we framed it and gave it to Erica, along with the flower crown for her first Mother's Day as a Mom.  Bentley is 10 months old now and I usually watch her one day a week.  Not much gets done around the house on Mondays, but that's perfectly fine with me.  She is positively precious and me and my family savor and enjoy every minute with her.

The back door was a big eyesore when we moved in.  The paint was dingy, the weather stripping was shredded by what I can only imagine to be rabid dogs and the wood casing around the door was intolerable.  It was installed poorly, caulked even worse, and painted by someone who had clearly never held a paintbrush before.   Even though it was a relatively easy fix, can you believe it took me over three years to tackle it?

I painted the door the same color as my {front door}, Iron Mountain by Benjamin Moore.  I have been really happy with that color for a dark, moody and muddy gray. After the door got a fresh coat, it was imperative to install new casing.  After I took the original casing off, I discovered the original paint color of the kitchen.  OH MY!

I chose 3.5" wide primed pine boards and added a little something extra with some ranch stop that I found at Lowes for $3.50 per 8 foot board.  We installed it along the outside edge and it makes it a little more special for under $10.   Like I said earlier, we use this door most of the time, so I am really enjoying the simple change.  Andrew actually put all the moulding up and did an excellent job.  Not only does the casing look great, look at those calf muscles, would ya?  I'm pretty sure I have a few more doors that need to be done.....

So there you have it.  Here is the space (almost) all done!  I have a grand plan for a textured wall treatment that I hope to accomplish before I die!

And here is a little sneak peek at what is right outside my back door.  25 hours of labor later, I can still say it was worth it!  I will tell you all about it in an upcoming post.

 

xoxo

jilly