We have driven up north of us and looked at possible locations for years.  I realize that sounds ridiculous, but things have happened each time we were considering that kept us where we were at and as the saying goes- “All in good time.”

With all of our moves, things have just felt right.  This move was a little different for me because it’s the first time I have moved with kids and that added so many emotions to manage that I have definitely been overwhelmed! But I planned out the best ways to get them settled in as quickly as possible, which I will share soon to maybe help others.

So blah blah blah… you want to see pictures, right?! Well today I am going to show you some bare bones pictures and then a vision board of where I’m hoping to take this new home.  It was a spec home, which means the builder built it in a new neighborhood to get the ball rolling and when we found it, it was nearly completed.  So I didn’t pick any of the finishes in this home but I do really love them because I wanted neutral and they did a great job of making it all very simple and classic.  But y’all know I love an old feel so my challenge will be adding in my own details to knock down a bit of the “shiny new” and make it feel like us!

Top of the list of what sold us on this property was that it was on a half acre and backed to woods.  The view out of the back of the house is priceless and with HUGE windows and sliding glass doors, I could just sit and stare out back all day long! (iPhone pics for the win here)

We back to a small creek and woods- more privacy than we have ever had! And still in a neighborhood with a school in it.  So you can see in the above picture of the back of the house the windows.  Those are out family room, kitchen/dining, and master bedroom and above is the playroom.

So let’s start in the kitchen! These photos were taken while work was still finishing up so there is still paper over the hardwood floors.  The kitchen opens to a 12×14 dining area and it is the only dining space in the house- no formal dining room which was fine for us as we only used it a couple times a year:)

So much light! And more storage than I could have ever dreamed of as I used to have to keep pots and some pans out on my stove in the old house because there was simply no where to put them! I have a lot of ideas for that dining space but am still playing around with it all.  I need to live in the space for a bit- I will say though that my oriental rug from the old family room has been put down in the dining space and I looooovveee it in there!

Next up is the family room- super simple but I love how the fireplace is grand and while the tiles are a little more modern than I am, the woodwork contrasts it enough to bring in some traditional.

The sliding glass doors out of the family room are my favorite.  It will be indoor/outdoor living here for sure! (there might be a pool post coming soon!)

Off of the kitchen is a nice nook that I will make family planning central! And I love that the granite is carried over to it.  Such a nice neutral.

The playroom upstairs also has the beautiful views and large windows…

And a cute little barn door leads to a fun media room that will remain empty until my husband can’t stand it and breaks down and gets a screen for in there:)

And the last spot on this first tour is the master bedroom which is where the final gorgeous windows are.  I have so many ideas for this room that I really need to start narrowing it down!

This has been an exciting, albeit bittersweet, move for our family! But we aren’t too far from where we were and plan on forcing our sweet neighbors to come see us often.  The boys are adjusting and we are excited to meet some new friends and explore the beautiful trails and ponds around us… I sang the Green Acres theme song the other day and it fell on deaf ears around here but I thought I was funny and clever so it’s good to know that some things don’t change

And here is your first sneak peek and my first stab at where this new home will go decor wise… lots of color and bringing the outdoors in…

Can’t wait to share this journey with y’all! First up will be figuring out widow coverings because while I love the view, we also need some privacy options and to block some of this Texas sun sometimes too! What would y’all do? Plantation shutters, curtains, blinds, nothing?

xoxo

B

The post New Home: Time to Dream appeared first on Windgate Lane.

It’s a phenomenon spreading through homes across the world! It starts out with that one pile on the kitchen counter top.  It’s just one pile… it will stop there.  But then company is coming and you quickly move part of the pile to the office and the other part up to your bedroom.  Night falls.  The pile in the office is out of sight out of mind.  The pile on the bed needs to get out of your way so that you can sleep so it moves either to the bench at the foot of your bed or on the bathroom counter.

There’s no ill intent with this pile.  There is a positivity that it will get taken care of any minute now.  But the truth is harsh.  That pile is added to day after day and before you know it, the counters, the benches, the office, the secret two drawers in your kitchen, even the cabinets under your sinks… yeah.  And at some point it’s just easier to ignore, until that one day.  That one day when you realize that you have no idea what is even in the pile and you start looking and the horror and discovery sends you down a rabbit hole.

After I got out of the fetal position, I decided to formulate a realistic plan.  Because let’s face it, this happened because there are 8 million other things going on around me, so it wasn’t going to get better if I spent all day fixing it all because then it would result in chaos in every other part of the house.  Funny how that happens so quickly.  Actually it’s really not funny.

So let’s just start with 5 Degrees of the Clutter.  Last week I picked 5 frightening spots in my home to organize and declutter.  None of which are huge and would only maybe take an hour each to do.

1.  Kitchen counters and junk drawers
2.  Chair in the Master Bedroom
3.  Under the bathroom sinks
4.  The pile of bills in the office
5.  My dresser.  This may not sound like much but as a whole it is a task.

I know you all are just chomping at the bit to see the before pictures.  Wondering if I am the fraud who says my house is a mess but there is one single cup on the counter… no my friends… I am no fraud.  In fact my honesty usually gets me in trouble… just ask my school and the PTA! I show lots of pretty pictures here because let’s face it, that’s really what you want to see the majority of the time, but this is going to give you the satisfaction of some nice before and after shots.

Before:  Kitchen counters and Junk Drawer(s)

Kitchen Make-Over Here

Basic instructions:  Take everything out of them and place on the floor.  Look at it all in disgust.  Throw out all obvious trash.  Throw out everything you didn’t even know was in there anymore, like the 4 cute planners that you never used, the 45 chapsticks you were looking for, the hair clips because you know you have 400 others, and the copies of recipes you saved which you can now google in two seconds.  Now divide and conquer.  What goes where and before you go buy all the cute little organizers that would make this project fun, actually see what you need.  (That was hard for me because I reeaaalllly love buying organizing stuff.)

Ummm… here’s a back scratcher…

And After: (the boys insisted we keep the back scratcher)

That is a glorious cleaned off counter!

Before: Master Bedroom Chair

Let’s all just fess up.  Everyone has that chair or bench in their room that is not used for it’s intended purpose.  It would probably be extremely helpful to just not have it so you wouldn’t put things on them! But they are cute and we have them so let’s just get on with it.  All of my kid’s laundry?  Put away.  All of my husband’s laundry?  Hung up neatly.  My laundry? Dirty and clean ends up here.  Also paperwork that I intend to go through after I hide it (read first paragraph) and other odds and ends that are in my hands and I set down when I get distracted by said kids and husband.  All here.

This is pretty simple, but it actually has to be done.  Put clean clothes away, wash dirty clothes and actually put those away, file or trash paperwork, put toys in appropriate places, and put caution tape across the chair to try and avoid this same scenario the next day.

And After:

Restored! You can find the DIY fabric and painted chair tutorial here.

Before Bathroom Cabinets

I’m not proud of this one.   It’s been awhile for all of them.  Old product, old cleaner, old hair tools (have to keep the crimper though because people need to borrow for 80’s parties all the time).

And because under your bathroom sink is the only place to keep space ice cream…

It’s time to get real.  If you haven’t looked for it in at least a year, it’s out.  Now I can actually see what I have and what I need when it’s running out.  Amazing concept but when you run a household these are the places that come last.

After Cabinets:

Before: Bills in the Office

I hate mail clutter.  Why don’t you just pay them all online and go paperless you ask? Because I tried that and for whatever reason I didn’t see the emails or my brain doesn’t work so then I paid bills late.  You want money from me? I need notice in my hand.  So my plan is usually keep the last 6 months and shred the rest.  Sounds good and attainable but as noted about every other situation in my house, life happens.  This is a dirty job and an annoying one and just has to get done.  Separate by bills and then file or shred.

Side note: The best part about making these little tasks each day is that they kind of naturally lead to a general tidying around the areas.  Did I need to have spray paint in my office… ummm no.

After:  Bills

To see the office make-over head here (yes this 70’s file cabinet is going to get a make-over soon)

Before: My Dresser

Ugh.  A dumping ground.  I appreciate all of you that don’t let these things happen but in my world, it just happens.  The kid’s masterpieces need to be displayed, I leave my jewelry out, 5 legos that I found and could possibly be needed, the bandaids that were brought up in an emergency play room situation, bug bite cream, and the glass of water I meant to drink.   And the cords that still need to be hidden from getting a new TV.

After: Dresser

Master Bedroom Make-Over

It’s not all about picture perfect on my dresser and I like it that way.  I love seeing my pictures and trinkets that may seem like clutter to some, but are actually momentos from very special people in my life that have gone before me.

So 5 days and 5 areas.  Is my house now clean and amazing?  No.  But at least a new beginning in some places.  Kind of how I look at a new year.  Making a huge resolution seems like a big way to disappoint yourself.  Maybe set your bar a little lower and just focus on being better at what you can one day at a time.  Who knows?  Maybe I will not put things on my chair in my bedroom! I mean that is definitely not going to happen, but maybe I will make myself put my laundry away when I make the boy’s do there’s.  Sometimes the little things add up to a bigger thing.

Organization and life don’t actually go hand in hand.  Be easy on yourselves and know that all the pretty pictures in the magazines and the ones you even see here are just that… pretty pictures.

But organizing a post like this did help me motivate.  So maybe shorter lists is the key to greater accomplishments!

Want to see how some of my amazing friends are organizing there way into this new year?! I do! Secretly I also love some messy before and glorious after shots!  Check out these awesome ladies below!

| Domestic Charm | 11 Magnolia Lane | Evolution of Style | Just a Girl and Her Blog |

| Southern State of Mind | Redhead Can Decorate | Chaotically Creative |

| Robb Restyle | Ciburbanity | Windgate Lane | Suburban B’s |

| My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia | This is our Bliss |

xoxo,

B

The post Five Degrees of Clutter appeared first on Windgate Lane.

This framed, hand stenciled quote was such an easy project! And I am so excited that I got to make it for the sweetest family!

This last fall, I was invited by Charlotte, at Ciburbanity, to be involved in the furnishing of a Habitat for Humanity home.  It has been such a neat experience and I loved working with a special group of ladies and fellow bloggers to make this happen! The primary room I worked on was the master bedroom.  Because all of this was taking place in Connecticut though, I primarily concentrated on what we needed to buy rather than what had to be made.  Charlotte at Ciburbanity and Jilliam at I Am Home Maker were my amazing partners and bless them for the amazing build projects I will link to below!

After traveling out and meeting the family last fall with Charlotte, I was struck by the sweet Momma’s quotes all over her home.  All about love and family- and it was crystal clear that those are the most important things in the world to her.  So it occurred to me that I could create a larger version of one of her favorites for her Master!

“The best thing to hold on to in life is each other.”

I lucked into finding a perfect frame at the thrift store!  The family loves a county taste in their decor and the existing wood frame would tie right into that.

It originally had some birds on it so I primed it with Zinsser first to get a clean slate.  After that, I found some 1 inch letter stickers and placed them on, traced around them, peeled them off and took a black sharpie to color them in!

A fresh beginning for such a precious Momma and her family!

(photo cred Ciburbanity.com)

I’m so excited to keep sharing more and more of this project with y’all! There was so much heart in this that the outcomes in each room were just overflowing with love.  We have also been so lucky to have HomeTalk and Wayfair sponsoring this with amazing donations, not to mention RugsUSA with some of my favorite rugs!  If you would like to follow along with all of the projects, hop over to Instagram with the hashtag: #bloggershearthabitat.  And I will be back soon to share more inside looks and sources.

And to see all of the other amazing rooms, you can jump to all of these amazing women!

LIVING ROOM:
| Jaime from That’s My Letter  | Laura from Finding Home Farms

DINING ROOM/ DECK:
| Kris from Driven By Decor | Annie from Most Lovely Things |

MASTER BEDROOM:
| Jillian from I Am a Homemaker | Charlotte from Ciburbanity | Bee from Windgate Lane |

KIDS ROOM:
| Kristin from A Thrifter in Disguise |

GUEST ROOM:
| Evey from Evey’s Creations | Lynn from On Fern Avenue |

FOYER/ MUDROOM/ BATHROOMS:
| Sarah and Nick from Nestrs |

TEEN ROOM:
| Michelle from Weekend Craft | Stephanie from Sandpaper and Glue |

xoxo

B

The post Framed Quotes: Habitat for Humanity Projects appeared first on Windgate Lane.

The big reveal in my One Room Challenge was last week and the master bedroom is so much lighter and brighter thanks to my new bed skirt! (you can see the reveal here).  The good news is that no sew sewing has become my best friend! I spoke about using Stitch Witchery on my Dining Room Curtains here and decided to use that on the bed skirt as well.

I decided early on that this could be a simple project because the bed skirt isn’t going to be roughed up by little hands and is not in a high traffic area.  So now we turn to the best invention besides the Stitch Witch… velcro strips! I felt like doing an evil laugh when I came up with the plan (and I might have). And then seeing this fabric come to life in the room? priceless!

Ironing and measuring… I can handle that.  I measured how long I wanted the bed skirt to drop- most are 14, 15, or 17 inches- I wanted mine to be a bit dramatic so I made it 16inches (I added an inch on each side for the seems).  I then measured the length of each side (I did each side in individual pieces).

Once I knew the hight and length, I gathered the fabric into folds in about 5 places to have extra length for the pleats I wanted to create.  I was going for a gathered look rather than a clean look.

To Use the Stitch Witchery:

1. Fold your seams and iron at about an inch.
2. Cut your length and put Stitch Witch in-between ironed seem.
3. Start out giving a shot of steam from the iron and then immediately turning the heat down to medium with no heat and hold on one section for about 10-15 seconds.  (The directions do not say to use steam but I found that it holds better for me to give it a quick shot)
4. Let sit and cool completely.
5. Done!

Now that my seems were done, I gathered my sections that I wanted to add pleats and used about 2 inches of Stitch Witch to fold over the fabric at the top seem.  This gathered the fabric and gave me the look I was hoping for!

With the three sides finished, I put on a cheapo white bed skirt that I found here.  I did this to add some fluff behind mine and also to attach mine to.  I can easily go back and sew them together later but for now this was my fast no sew solution.   I simply attached the sticky backed velcro to my skirt and then pressed it firmly onto the other bedskirt.  I really don’t think you can get any easier than that! It has been on for almost a month now and no problems!

I even had enough left over fabric for a coordinating pillow… icing on the cake!

Now for the talented sewers out there, I tip my hat to you.  I truly wish I was a better sewer and that it came more naturally to me, but it sincerely doesn’t! Maybe some day I will do a whole tutorial on how not to sew… that’s about the limit to my helpfulness in that arena.

Pin here for later!

I hope y’all are having a wonderful day!

xoxo

B

The post Bed skirt: No Sew Sewing appeared first on Windgate Lane.

I will admit that two of my projects did not work at all… and by that I mean… I did not even try to work on them.  I had planned on painting the side tables, but honestly I am still undecided on exactly what color to paint them!  And the curtains still need something but I was afraid to fight the pattern on the bedskirt to much so they were pushed off the list as well.

What I did accomplish I am pretty dang pleased with though! I already showed you my DIY Floor Mirror and DIY fabric chair, but what I got to add to that little area is my favorite.   This antique needlepoint was the easiest buy I have ever made!

I came across this beauty at an antique fair and the colors and size of it just struck me.  Without knowing where I would even put it, I brought it on home.  It is so intricate and even stamped 1949 from France on the back, which makes me feel a little guilty that I bought a cheapo frame from Ikea and just popped it in there!  I’m sure it deserves a grander frame but for now, Ikea won out.

The bedding is my absolute fave.  A full affiliate source list can be found at the bottom of the post.  This quilt is so simple and yet so bright and playful to me and the euro shams weren’t going to be going anywhere, those buffalo check beauties are staying forever.  But it needed a punch somewhere and when I saw this fabric at Spoonflower, I knew just where I wanted it!

I love what it adds to the simple bedding! I will share the tutorial for how I made it next week… and yes, I did it myself and no, I do not sew!  The matching pillow just needed to happen for my matchy matchy heart and I just loved the fabric that much.

I still intend to do something to the side tables and would love to hear suggestions, but overall this room has become much more me.  Ahem… I mean us.  It’s cheerier for sure!

If you haven’t seen the Dining Room make-over, make sure you pop over to it here and I will be back with tutorials next week from both rooms.  But now… we sleep.

Affiliate Sources:

| Similar White Patterned Quilt (unfortunately mine just sold out) | Navy Blanket |

| Buffalo Check Euro Shams | Floral Fabric | DIY Floor Mirror | Lepard Print Tote |

| Similar Accent chair | Similar Headboard | DIY Lamps | Rug |

xoxo,

B

The post |One Room Challenge| Master Bedroom Reveal appeared first on Windgate Lane.

I have always wanted a large, leaning floor mirror in our master bedroom but hadn’t loved the prices when I found ones I liked… big surprise.

So I went on the hunt when I started the One Room Challenge… online, back alley mirror stores… nothing.

DIY ideas started to swim around in my mind and on a trip to Ikea a lightbulb went off.  They sell mirrored closet doors… mirror… tall… cheap… dunzo! I picked up the Vikedal mirrored closet door for $50 and then set about making it my dream mirror.  Scrap trim to the rescue!

The steps are pretty simple…

1. Buy mirror (they do come in different sizes)
2. Buy some thin trim and cut to desired lengths.
3. Adhere wood strips with mirror adhesive.
4. Paint the trim and edges of the mirror to look cohesive.

Side note- I absolutely would have spray painted the wood trim pieces before I cut and glued them on but we have been in the middle of monsoon season here in TX so being outside to spray paint was not an option.

So for $50 and some change, I am happy! And loving it next to my painted accent chair (you can find the diy fabric tutorial here)

And just for fun because I love a good high vs low comparison, one of the mirrors I loved (link here) that inspired me next to my mirror and guess what… $400 difference!

This room is so close to being done! and good thing because we only have 2 weeks left in the challenge!

You can catch up below and don’t forget to jump over and see the progress in the Dining Room!

Week 1 Mood Board

Week 2 Accent Chair

Week 3 Fabric Choices

xoxo

B

Linking to:

Thoughts of Home

The post |One Room Challenge| DIY Floor Mirror appeared first on Windgate Lane.

This week I finally decided on our new comforter! Pottery Barn isn’t always a choice for me due to prices, but this Comforter was on sale and I had a coupon so I decided to go for it.  I think it will look nice with my euro shams and other bedding and really brighten everything up!

I tend to prefer comforters because I get tired of Duvet covers shifting and never staying in place and this one is so soft and just the right weight, not to light and not to heavy… Goldie Locks would be proud.

The other purchase I made arrived and I am just giddy about it! I ordered this beautiful fabric from Spoonflower  and I plan on making a bedskirt from it- I’m pretty sure it will seem crazy until you see it, so I’m just giving you a sneak peak of the fabric until the whole room reveal.   Still undecided on if I will break out the sewing machine or use my Fabric Fusion Tape to keep it simple.

Next week I am hoping to have finished my DIY floor length mirror to share and I’m pretty excited about that!

For now you can see the previous posts here:

To Do List for Master Bedroom

Painted Accent Chair and DIY fabric stencil

And don’t forget to head over and see the gorgeous chairs I picked for the Dining Room Challenge!

xoxo

B

The post |One Room Challenge| Comforter and Fabric Choices appeared first on Windgate Lane.

We are in week two of the One Room Challenge! You can read all of the details here– but the short version is that I am completing 2 room make-overs in 6 weeks and will be showing updates each week on both the Master Bedroom and the Dining Room! This week I can scratch off two things for the master bedroom: the fabric search is over and the accent chair is done!

I officially decided and ordered the fabric for the bedskirt and can’t wait for it to arrive! I am still undecided on if I will actually break out the sewing machine or use fabric fuse and take the easy way out… time may decide that for me.

The accent chair was fun! One of my thrift store finds, it has gotten a couple of transformations (you can see them here) and if we are being honest, this probably won’t be it’s last, but let’s get to it!

Before:

Navy is always going to be a part of this room, and Velvet Finishes was kind enough to send me some of their beautiful blue, Handsome, paint (shop all of there gorgeous colors here)!

Of course it goes on with no sanding or priming which makes me so happy!

The fabric for the seat was a little more complicated for me.  You see, I have a habit of seeing something and falling in love with it only to find out that it is waaaaaayyyy out of my price range.  Enter me trying to recreate a similar look!  I had some white fabric in my stash so I grabbed it and a black sharpie and got to work.

I wish I could give you some amazing tutorial on how I got what I got, but sometimes that’s the beauty of DIY… you just go for it and sometimes your prayers are answered and sometimes they aren’t! Thankfully this time the heavens shown down on me!

I like that it mimics the bedspread I am considering and it is a nice contrast of a classic looking chair with a modern twist… my fave!

Check back next week to what else I have checked off my to do list and hop over to see what I got done in the Dining Room this week!

And if you are interested in a similar chair, I did find some here and here!

xoxo

B

Sharing with Decor to Adore!

The post |One Room Challenge| Accent Chair appeared first on Windgate Lane.

So here’s how the ORC works!

Today kicks off week one where interior design bloggers challenge themselves to transform a room from start to finish, while documenting the process along the way in 6 weeks.

It’s excellent motivation!

So some of you may have seen my finished master bedroom awhile ago, well dropping a bottle of bleach cleaner on your bedspread kind of wrecks things… so the bedspread had to go.  Here it is before (post here)…

So I loved it like this! I still do, but there were still some things left undone at this stage… ok… things I wanted to do but was waiting for funding

So here is the list I want to tackle in the next 6 weeks!

1. Refresh Curtains
2. New Bedspread
3. DIY bedskirt
4. Refinish nightstands
5. DIY Full length mirror
6. Refinish existing chair with new paint and fabric

Here is my initial mood board…

Maybe the bleach was a blessing in disguise for two reasons, one, it makes me feel like I was being punished for cleaning and should therefor, not do it, and two, this springy, brighter look just seems more like me!

Make sure you check back each week to see my progress and don’t forget to check out the Dining Room project as well!

xoxo,

B

The post |One Room Challenge| Master Bedroom appeared first on Windgate Lane.

During my master bedroom make over I had hoped to find some pretty white gourd lamps for our nightstand.   Turns out they aren’t  1. Easy to find and 2. Cheap.  Time to dig in and figure out a plan as one does when they are obsessed with finding a cheap gourd lamp!

I found these at HomeGoods, which is always an amazing source for lamps, and decided that they were a good shape and size and had the potential to work as is… but we all know that’s not how I roll.  So she got taped up and spray painted a gorgeous glossy white!

They came with a very standard lamp shade and of course in my eagerness I only snapped this picture but here is the shade prior to it’s make-over!

And what you see right there in front of the shade is my new secret weapon! I decided to go dramatic and wanted black shades- but wasn’t going to buy them when I had two perfectly fine ones.  I considered trying to spray paint them, fabric paint, and even rewrapping them in black fabric- but then the wheels turned one more squeak and I thought… what about a screen print ink? It’s for fabric, it has great coverage, and dare I say, affordable?

Speedball Screen Printing Ink is what I went with and I am thrilled with the outcome- especially for $6.  You can find several colors here or I have seen them at local craft stores- just ask for screen printing ink.

I was unsure at first on how heavily to paint it on- but realized quickly that it goes a long way and using a bit more actually just gave better coverage and then I wouldn’t have to go over spots a second time.  You can see in the above picture that there were a few areas that I had to go back in and paint some more.  (I used a disposable brush so I wouldn’t have to worry about cleanup)

After making sure it was covered well, I decided to add a fun accent.  The fabric on the inside of the shade was covered with thick, smooth paper, so I decided to give it a little pop with Martha Stewart Metallic Silver Paint!

I debated on gold or silver for awhile and my natural pull was towards gold but because I have more silver accents and cooler colors in the room, I ended up with the silver.  I did two coats and here’s a tip- I did the first coat just painted straight strokes- but the second coat I did in half moon shapes to give a more silver leafed look.

It doesn’t look pretty until it’s all dry and the light hits it- then you will smile like a fool just like me! And don’t think for a second that you won’t see some other lampshade in my house with a gold interior soon

This was pretty big departure for me and I questioned myself every step of the way but I am so, so happy with how these turned out!

You can read about the details and sources in my Master Bedroom Here.

I just love the glimmer of the silver!

I’m excited to have this room pulled together!

If you are looking for my other go to Craft Supplies and Tools, you can head to my Amazon store which will have links for them all Here.  Hope you are having a wonderful day!

xoxo

B

**Affiliates present**

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