Seasonal Sprucing

Forget spring cleaning. I don't know what it is but I go through the same cycles every year. In January when all the holiday decorations come down, I get the urge to deep clean the house from top to bottom and in September with back to school and the end of summer, I get the urge to organize and redecorate. Of course, I don't have the budget to redecorate the whole house but I did manage to do some sprucing up in several rooms (with the tremendous help of Joe and his handy painting skills). This endeavor has preoccupied much of our spare time for the last two weeks and although we are not completely done, we are getting there.

First up - Jake's room. The sports themed border in his room starting peeling and the cats helped it along one night when they decided the hanging corners would make a good toy. Having wanted to do a transportation themed room more befitting of Jake's obsession for awhile, I seized the opportunity helped along by the discovery of a bedding set I found on clearance on Target made by Dwell Studio. I loved the fact that it was boyish but not baby/toddlerish and I thought the blues, orange and chocolate brown would be fun to decorate with. Although the paint proved to be quite a challenge and we still need to add a little something to the walls, I am thus far very happy with the results. The sleek orange bedside table and canvas bins from Land of Nod accent the bedding quite well I think:

Second up - the kids/guest bathroom. I have been wanting to redo this bathroom for awhile now. I liked the beachy water theme but was sick of the yellow and blue colors and the fact that the paint on the walls were still white. I picked up some bath coordinates in aqua and brown and was still able to keep the beachy feel. We still need to put ceramic tile in this bathroom and touch up the cabinets but otherwise, it is done. I think the end result is a good mix for a guest/kids bathroom:

I also picked up some new fall candles and accent decor so my living room reflected the changing seasons. I love the colors of fall, especially since they go so well with the existing colors in our living room. I also like the way the collage frames on the fireplace really uncluttered the space.

Finally, Jadyn and I went to a local nursery last week and picked up some flowers to replant in the hanging pot I have on our porch. It is Jadyn's job to remind and help me to water them and if I can keep them alive, we will be adding some additional shrubs in the other borders around the front walk. I have such a black thumb and living in the desert does not help but I must say, no more shopping for landscaping at Home Depot. I will stick to a mom-and-pop shop that can provide me with info on plants that will do well in our area. Jadyn is very excited about these flowers too by the way:

So while I do not pretend to be a Martha Stewart by any means, I still enjoy trying to keep my house looking nice and I am so excited for fall. I love the colors of the falling leaves, trips to the pumpkin patch, apple picking, hikes in the national park, cooler weather and holidays enjoyed with family and friends. Fall is upon us.