What I've Learned While I've Been on a Blog Break - Paint Is Your Friend

Well hello, Becoming Paige!  I've been gone for far too long...unsure of why exactly - just busy with the ordinary and allowing writing to slip a place of priority in my life.  But I'm back, and I thought I'd share a few things I've learned over the last 3 months!

I was going to make this one post, but it has become so long (apparently I've learned a lot over the last 3 months) that I've decided to make this a 5 part series...and I've actually written all 5 parts so come back later this week for more that I've learned.

Now, to the first thing I've learned: 

1.  Paint Can Totally Transform a Space
If you have ever visited my house you know that it is covered (wall to wall and ceilings too) with wood paneling.  When I first moved in I loved the wood - it was beautiful real wood (not cheap paneling) and the house had the ambiance of a lodge or cabin.  I would welcome people to "The Lodge" when anyone came to visit and I was happy and cozy in my cabin-like atmosphere...

UNTIL...

I had Haven.  I'm not sure what happened with the second baby.  Maybe it was the hormones or maybe it was that we now had another person in The Lodge...but for whatever reason, the wood no longer felt homey - it felt clausterphobic.  Some days I felt like the walls were closing in on me and so I began dreaming of painting everything white.

My dream became a reality - thanks in large part to a wonderful couple - Gayle & Kay Whitten, and I AM IN LOVE!  I love my home again.  It now feels like a beach bungalow.  It is white and bright and feels LARGE!  I think the pictures speak for themselves.

BEFORE
(PLEASE NOTE I DID NOT TAKE TRUE BEFORE PICTURES...SO THIS IS THE BEST OVERALL PICTURE I COULD FIND)

AFTER

 

BEFORE

(AGAIN...JUST FINDING OLD PICS)

AFTER

(OH, AND I'M KEEPING IT REAL & TAKING QUICK SNAPSHOTS WITH MY KIDS' TOYS OUT) 

Mr. Whitten in the midst of sanding (for over 8 hours)!!!!

Can you see why I'm giddy?!  So, before I move to the next thing I've learned I want to say a GIGANTIC thank you to Gayle & Kay Whitten.  It ended up becoming a difficult project even for these professional painters & you should come feel my walls - they are perfection - like butter!

If you need a true transformation in your home, perhaps you should consider paint!  I've kept all my decor & furniture in the living room, but the pain has inspired me to rearrange, purge and redecorate - it's been fun!

That is my first lesson while I was away!  Next up....the secrets to a phenomenal garage sale!  Have a great weekend

An Ode to the Pumpkin

I must confess that I am discovering a new found love for all things pumpkin this fall.  It is surprising because up until this point I merely saw the pumpkin as an adversary. 

As a child I turned my nose up at any offer of pumpkin goods - no pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving or any other pumpkin treat for this girl...I just couldn’t seem to stomach that spicey sweetness even though my sister claimed it was the greatest thing ever to touch her taste buds.  And I was terrified of jack o’ lanterns as a child too - they seemed spooky and ominous, and the one time that I actually tried to carve one the knife slipped and the lantern’s eyes merged with the nose making for an unsightly mess that I was embarrassed to say was mine.

So for years I have kept my distance from the orange produce refusing to cook or decorate with fall’s bounty.  But something happened this year.  Selah and I were at the grocery store and we found ourselves walking through the pumpkins and it was as if I saw them through her eyes.  Some were large while others were dainty and my little girl begged and begged for a pumpkin of her very own.

We left the store that day with 5 small pumpkins, one large and an assortment of gords to boot.  I was unsure what was happening but it felt right and I started to remember the many cute pumpkin crafts I had seen on pinterest.

And so, may I present the many ways we are embracing all things pumpkin this fall - perhaps you should join in the fun!

Painting Pumpkins
The first craft we embraced with our little pumpkins was to simply paint them!  I had visions of making chevron patterns or polka dots on my pumpkin to be cute and crafty, but Selah took charge and I actually fell in love with her creative mess.  The colors melded together in the most lovely way...and we have since painted 5 pumpkins that lie around our house!

Pumpkin Trail
Our local garden and arts center had one weekend where the Pumpkin Trail was opened.  Over 2,000 carved pumpkins had been donated and they lined the pathways to our delight.

I loved seeing people’s creativity and was almost tempted to go home and carve my own pumpkin...almost is the key word.  Perhaps we will embrace that next year!

Pumpkin Treats
Two weeks ago I was still on the fence about using pumpkin in any type of sweet treat, but then I took a bite of Carol Gary’s dessert (I don’t know what it was called but I think it should be named "super delicious pumpkin goodness") and all of my preconceived ideas about pumpkin staying away from desserts left.  Her dessert was divine & I realized that my taste buds should be reintroduced to the option of pumpkin.

As a result I have tried Starbuck’s Pumpkin Spice Latte (I give it a thumbs up)...

And I’ve been eying a few pinterest recipes.  Here is one that I’m planning to make this fall.  It is called Pumpkin Lust Cake from SweetTreats

Source: sweettreatsmore.com via Paige on Pinterest

What about you?  How are you enjoying the illustrious pumpkin?  Any crafts or desserts that I should be aware of?

Hallway Transformation for CHEAP - My March Pinterest Challenge

Addicted to Pinterest?  Oh, me neither...I only glance at it on my phone at least once a day - just hoping I don't miss that idea that is going to change my life.

I have gotten more selective about what I post on my boards though - I try to limit to those images or links that I might actually use one day...and let's be honest those days don't come around too often.

So, this weekend I decided to take up the Pinterest Challenge (something that I hope to do monthly) and actually follow through on an idea that I saw on this addictive site.

I've posted a few images of black & white picture collages with the hopes that I would somewhat replicate this in my little nook of a hallway.  Here are the images I had posted:

Source: google.com via Paige on Pinterest

Source: emilyaclark.blogspot.com via Paige on Pinterest

And I especially liked the first image...but I had a few issues:

1.  I didn't want to spend much money
2.  I wanted to keep it simple since it is a small area
3.  I wanted it to flow well into my girls' rooms (they both have a somewhat vintage feel)

So, I went through boxes of old frames and found a shelf that I had used a few years ago and was saving just because a shelf is always something nice to save.  I then chose a few of my favorite pictures and photoshopped them all with the same finishing.  I then sent them off for printing & here is the final result!

And the best part...it cost me a grand total of $12.  Yep, a little transformation for $12 definitely makes this girl happy!

And I also get to daily see some of my favorite snapshots of our little family.

Like this one of Selah last Easter so happy and taking the stage in front of all the family!

As you can tell, I used all sorts of frames, some with mats and others without.  I tried to keep everything black and white with the exception of the desk and an antique clock from Josh's family.

Do you have any cheap transformations in your house?  It's amazing how a new look just makes you feel excited all over about where you live!