A Girl After My Own {Heart}

I'm catching up...two posts in two days!

WOOT!!

Remember my earlier post here where I did the Paris bedroom makeover? In there, I mentioned that I now have multiple rooms to redo...and I finally got the second room DONE. Check it off the list!

Luckily this room didn't require a lot of painting, so I was able to get it done in a weekend. Here are the before pictures...

The room hasn't looked like this for long...only about 2 years and now it is time for a redo. I am hoping this new decor will survive the high school years!

She wanted zebra print...ah, a girl after my own {heart} for sure! She knows I can't say no to that! LOL

My "jumping off point" was creating a desk closet. I've seen these all over Pinterest and have been dying to do  one. This room is the perfect place because it is so small and the closet is just shelves (no hanging space) AND my daughter needs a work surface.

So out came the hammer, screwdriver and drill...moved some things around, did some painting, added some chalkboard pain, zebra duct tape (yes, you read that right) and zebra accessories and viola...a study space!

Pretty Girl is at an age where she has a lot of stuff...make-up, hair accessories, hair spray, brushes, blow dryers, lip gloss, etc...you get the idea.

This stuff was scattered everywhere in the room. So I bought an over the door shoe holder and hung it on the back of her door - now all of here stuff is organized and within reach of her new "primping" area.

I wanted to do some creative lighting and I found this paper zebra umbrella at Hobby Lobby (where else?) for $9.99 plus 40% off! It took some doing but I've got it rigged up there and it looks pretty cool.

I still have a couple projects to finish - spray the ceiling fan and make some poofs for the corner above her dresser...and most importantly, find her a piece of artwork for her wall. But here is how it looks until I get that done...

I did a lot of re-purposing...as I was spray painting that bookshelf glossy black, I was reminded that I bought this 12 years ago when I redid the boys' room in our old house. It is one of those "put it together yourself" pieces of furniture, but boy it has really held up well...after 3 kids and 3 colors of spray paint.

I also bought this pillow for Pretty Girl...got it at Bed, Bath and Beyond on clearance for $6.00 a couple of years ago. The ribbon on it is brown (matched her other room perfectly), but it is Roxy and oh so cute...I hated to part with it. So I dug around my craft closet and found some zebra print ribbon that is sticky on one side...cut it, stuck it on and added a little heat via the iron to make sure it held...you'd never know it didn't come with zebra on it!

It's interesting to me that both my girls' rooms have similar color schemes and yet are so different...just like they are different from each other. I love hanging out in their rooms - what I would have given to have a cool room like that growing up...I guess I just get to enjoy it now.

One bedroom left and by the time I get them done...it will be warm enough to paint the outside of the house. We got a new roof in November (what a mess!), and now it is time to freshen up the look of our home on the outside.

Thanks for stopping by!

{alicia}

I "Moustache" You...Were You Surprised?

Been a little busy around here...haven't had time to edit pictures and type up the blog. Today, I have a few minutes while I am watching that train wreck of a show, "The Bachelor."

I can't believe I just admitted out loud...in writing...that I watch this show. Yes, yes, I know...let's not even go there!

Anywho...

New Year's Eve is a special day at our house - it is our oldest daughter, Bella's, birthday and this past year she turned 14. {Gasp...she will be a freshman in high school this fall!}

Isn't she BEAUTIFUL?!

Birthday parties seemed to end at age 12...every time we ask what she wants to do for her birthday, she says, "nothing." We ask if she wants a party...the answer is "no."

And then...later in the year, it is thrown back in our faces that we "never do anything for her birthday." So this year, we decided to take matters into our own hands and planned a surprise party.

I made some cute invitations and her best friend passed them out at school before the Winter Break...and then she created an event on FaceBook that Bella could not see. Aye...maybe that wasn't the best idea!

The night of the party came - we managed to get Bella out of the house and got the garage decorated (um, those decorations last all of 5 minutes) and heaters, music and food all laid out.

I was not prepared...for the onslaught of about 30 kids - 23 of which were boys!

And I have NEVER seen a 6 foot Subway sub get eaten in under 7 minutes!!!

Everyone rushed out of the garage when she pulled up in her brother's car...

And then the chaos...er, party, began.

Let's remember, I am NOT the Cake Diva that my daughter is...so I managed to make cupcakes {without burning them} and frosted them. BUT WHAT TO DO? No creativity flowing...Paige suggested moustaches, because her Sis loves 'em.

BRILLIANT!

We were lucky enough to find some at Party City that had adhesive on the back...moustaches aren't just for cupcakes anymore! 

And here are some miscellaneous pictures from the evening...these were taken somewhere between the disco ball being broken and the police showing up (they had complaints from our neighbor that there was "a lot of noise coming from your garage." Really? I have 30+ 8th graders in there...you should come inside and hear the noise level!

{rolling my eyes}

 As if the police showing up once was not enough...we forged ahead with our illegal fireworks display, which is a family tradition at our house on New Year's Eve...everyone raised a glass of Sparkling Cider and watched as Handsome nearly blew up the neighborhood!

 All-in-all, it was a great night...we were exhausted but it was great to see Bella so happy and to meet all of her awesome friends!

Happy New Year!

{alicia}