The boys room @ the Yellow House

 Like I've said, I wanted to keep things cleaner and more neutral this time around. We've kept the walls all the same colors where we have painted (the living room, the boys' room, and our bedroom). I love the color, Cozy Cottage, because it's such a warm tone for being so light.

Decorating on these walls is rough because of the plaster--I don't dare nail or drill. I fell back on a decorating scheme we used before with the boys, posters and maps, but this time we had to put a twist on it. Here is how a lot of the items looked in the Portobello House.

This is the new reincarnation...

I used black electrical tape because a) it is less stickier than normal tape, b) I like the industrial and unfinished look of it, and c) I needed it too look purposeful--as opposed to using clear tape.

His favorite part are the lights, of course. I hate these bastards. I've tried to use them before, but they are SO fragile. Trust me, if you use them, get as many boxes of replacement lights. These bulbs are more fragile than my psyche reading a fashion magazine.

Some old and some new. Grandpa's globe, the refabbed light, homemade curtains, and the same vintage furniture.

A view of Cash's wall and their quilts were made by my Aunt Jeannie. I asked her to incorporate some of their old t-shirts. Creepy Paddy the dog photo bomb.

Close up of taped posters and a banner I made from some cutouts of a map of Montreal and Toulouse Lautrec (one of my faves) postcards. I went with the "fancy men" images. I will save the half-naked dancers and prostitutes for their teen room.

One of my favorite projects was the letter paintings (you can spy them in the pictures above). I love finding art at Goodwill, either to use or to refab the canvas. I found a couple landscapes that had the same map-ish colors and I decided to redo a Pinterest craft. If you're on Pinterest, you've seen it everywhere. Anyway, here is my version.

Get a painting from a thrift store. (Add a good helping of guilt, as you can only imagine someone being thrilled with their "happy trees", never imagining it would end up at GW for $4.)

Use painters tape to block off what you want to keep.

Now this is important. At 10pm, drag out all your supplies to the backyard and begin painting. I used spray paint because it's so fast. Rile up the neighbor dog and freak out the neighbor, who thinks you are a hoodlum tagging his property. When the paint is sufficiently dry (or still wet in my case), pull up the paint, and admire your handiwork.

They turned out pretty good.

Also in the room, is this chest from my great-great Uncle Dick. It needs to be refinished, but it has a perfect spot at the end of Cash's bed.

Their initials stools look great in here, too.

A gem I found at GW the other day is this painting. I don't have space to put it in their room, but I am going to find a spot for it. 

It's an oil painting of two little boys in a bed. It reminds me of bedtime here, since Cash is always trying to stowaway wherever B is and Bradley only half protests. Isn't it amazing?

I still have some other items to get to finish their room, but I no longer feel panicked about not having ideas or motivation to finish.

30 things... Day 10

Day 10. Describe your most embarrassing moment.

(Editorial note. Your dad is sleeping. Snoring very loudly, so I will take this one on my own. #mommymartyr!)

Your dad's most embarrassing...
Without going into too many details your dad had to wear a bag in 6th grade. Yes, a bag. So he could pee. I am sure he will tell you the story someday when you guys are fighting or getting to rough with each other, but one day he and Uncle Brad got into a confrontation. This confrontation led to a particularly vicious kick to an area and your dad was so (ahem) swollen he had to have a catheter in him. Yeah, pretty bad. The good news is there was no lasting damage. You two are here!

Mom's most embarrassing...
When I was in 6th grade your grandpa made Uncle Jonathan and I ride the city bus home from his school, which was across town from our house. Jonathan and I had been bitching so much about waiting after school that grandpa seized a "teachable moment". He made us get a bus schedule, map out a way home, and then we had to follow that route home. It meant two different transfers, which is intense considering buses only stopped about 4 times a day. If we missed a transfer we were screwed. We ended up being late and the bus driver called ahead to hold the bus. We had to run to catch it and I ended up watching my foot on the bike rack and went sprawling. To everyone else I was a clumsy kid, to me it was the end of the world. Of course the guy who helped me up was "totally hot".

30 things... Day 9

Day 9. Describe 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.

In no certain order...

1.-4. Your grandparents, Nanny, Grandpa, Grandma, and Papa.
Basically these are the people who brought us into the world and raised us to be who we are. So blame them. JK. They taught us how to be productive citizens and (hopefully) good parents. Our parents have modeled for us long and lasting marriages, too, which is a lovely template for us to follow. One thing that we appreciate about our parents is none of them have ever sugar coated the importance of being a parent. They have always been good sounding boards for us.

5. Your Uncle Brad.
Most of what you need to know is here. It's hard to describe him. We wish deeply that he could have known you both. He would think it "fucking cool" that Bradley is named after him and Cash would have had a perfect partner in crime.

6. Mr. Richardson, Dad's shop teacher from HS.
Dad's senior year he had three shop classes. I don't even know how one does that, but he did. He was also the man who got your father his job at Burdette, meaning he has been there (as I write this) 14 years!

7. Grandpoo.
Most of what you need to know about my grandfather is here. He was such a good man--not a modern man by any stretch of imagination, he had his flaws, but personality and swear words for days.

8. My students.
Every day I feel lucky to be surrounded by teenagers. How many people can say that? I think they are fun, honest, and interesting. It's funny when people shudder when I tell them what I do. I shudder, because adults are mean, boring, and sometimes thoughtless.

9.-10. You two. Bradley and Cash.
This whole blog is a tribute to you two. The life we make, the joys and trials we experience. To say you've changed/influenced us would be the greatest understatement possible.