Operation Playroom Has Commenced.

We are officially turning our office/guest room into an office/playroom! It will still be considered the office because we have no other place for the desk and computer to go, but it will be like 80% Liam's playroom. It will also hopefully 100% be the place we spend our days because I'm also ready to have a normal living room back!

Here's a before of what the office/guest room looked like:

(pretty blah...)

We started by taking out the daybed. I LOVE our West Elm daybed and refuse to part with it, so it's in the attic until I find another home for it. But it was taking up a ton of space and the only family member who used it was Toula. She will just have to find a new place to sunbathe :)

And here's what it looks like at the moment...

This room feels worlds bigger without the daybed! We moved Liam's toy shelf thing in here too which I know is ridiculous because just last month I went on and on about how perfectly it fit in our living room nook. BUT in the living room it was standing upright so Liam couldn't actually access any of his toys, and isn't that kind of the point of having toys to begin with??

The other half of the room is still all "officey" and not childproofed yet so we have a ways to go. And it still needs art on the walls, a rug, and new blinds and curtains, but it's a start!

Here's some playroom Pinsperation I've been eyeing...

{via}

I would love, love, love to have a reading nook, but our room is not big enough. Liam has about a million books though so I do plan on creating a little library area!

This pin didn't have a link, but I love the use of the IKEA spice racks and the framed book covers! This would be more along the lines of what I have to space to do.

{via}

I would love to incorporate a small chalkboard somewhere in the room. I even have a little chair already for Liam to sit in and doodle!

{via}

I also want to hang a cookie sheet like this up somewhere because we have some great magnetic toys and letters, but NONE of our appliances are magnetic. Isn't that weird? We knew our refrigerator wasn't when we bought it, but we didn't know about the rest until recently.

{via}

And in my dream playroom, I would have this amazing teepee for Liam! I can just picture 3 year old Liam hiding out in his little teepee reading or building with blocks for hours! Oh wait, three year olds don't hang out alone and quiet for hours?!? Wishful thinking, I guess!

iShop.

Yesterday was a shopping day for me and Liam. We ran all over town picking up goodies for his birthday. Sidenote: I have just about everything I need for Liam's party two months in advance! Now I just need to get busy crafting.

I popped into World Market while we were out because it had been awhile and we don't have one in our town. Um, it took every ounce of self restraint I had to not walk out of there with the entire store! I loved everything!

Not only did they have a ton of new arrivals - but almost everything is sale! You know I have touble passing up a good sale.

Here are a few pieces I am still drooling over...



Technically this is considered a console table, but I am picturing it in my kitchen stacked high with gorgeous white dishes.



How perfect is this loveseat for a craft room to relax in and dream up your next creation? Or for book reading in a master bedroom or cozy little nook.



Check out those legs! In person it's a much darker, richer stain. I'm thinking a bench on one side an some geat upholstered chairs around the rest.



I love, love, love pendant lamps in kitchens! I want some similar to this hanging over my island in my (someday) beautiful white kitchen.

If it happens to look just like this that would be fine :)



{image source}



These remind me of the beach. And they are HUGE in person!



I am a basket lover. Don't these look very similar to the Pottery Barn ones below? For $20 instead of $70, I think they are pretty darn close.






Same with these two. Above - $40. Below - $80.

Good job, World Market for making me feel like I need all new everything. Again.

Now I need to go ask Will to hide my wallet.

Controlled Chaos.

Christmas gifts for the little man were rolling in all month long, and I took a survey of the damage love afterwards. Yikes!

This boatload-of-gifts-with-no-place-to-go wasn't exactly in line with my whole "simplifying things" plan.

Thankfully, Costco came to the rescue once again!

When Will, his mom, and I were exchanging Liam's activity table (which we got a new one in last week and he looooves by the way!), Will spotted this gem and we snatched it up right away!

Don't you love it? Will put it together in under 30 minutes, and it's super sturdy and came with gigantic canvas bins.

I made labels for the bins with cardstock and popped them in. Quick and easy!

It holds all of Liam's Christmas gifts, toys he already had, and there's still some room to spare.

We chose to put it in our little nook in the living room, but we are considering getting another one for the office. We would turn it on it's side along the wall though. I love how easily it can be used for multiple spaces!

It totally took us from, "Where are all of these toys going to go??!" to "Where did all the toys go??!"

L-O-V-E!

A Forest Bridal Shower.

Last Sunday my mom and I threw a bridal shower for my good friend, Katrina. Her wedding has a wintery forest theme since it is in January, so I went with the same theme for the shower. It turned out really pretty, and Katrina loved it! I was so happy to host this shower to honor my friend and soon to be Mrs.!

Aaron + Katrina

DIY moss letters.

The entrance table with some fun, printable mad libs I found via Pinterest.

Cupcakes by moi :)

Woodsy centerpieces.

My dad helped make these by cutting firewood from the backyard!

The food was all so delicious!

Woodsy decor scattered about.

Martha Stewart printable banner.

Starbucks gift cards for shower game winners.

The Bride!

For the favors my mom and I put together cups with hot cocoa mix, marshmallows, and these fun tags.

Christmas Tour!

Welcome to our home at Christmas!

{The entryway}

DIY felt wreath.

{Dining room}

At night we move the end chair and put the tree in front of the big window for passerby's! I've always loved the look of a glowing tree through the front window of a house.

{Entryway bookcase - top}

{and the bottom}

{Living room}

I got these reindeer from Pottery Barn after Christmas a couple years ago. I think they are so cute!

{Mantle}

3 stockings this year!

{Our main tree}

I've never found a tree topper that I love so this year I just stuck a bunch of gold beady-stick things up in the tree. They used to just be in a vase, but I kind of like them better this way!

{Kitchen}

Snow + cranberries = simple centerpiece for the kitchen table.

{Liam's room}

DIY felt lights.

{Guest bathroom}

See that cute book?

My parents' gave it to me when I was six! They're giving one to Liam this year :)

And we all know what who MY favorite Christmas decoration is!

MeRrY ChRiStMaS!

Linking up with Kelly's Korner & The Nester!