Built-Ins Outta Built-Ins | DIY

Remember our twins?  I don't write too much about how our kids are aging but let me tell you, these twins of ours are aging.  They're TWEENS!  I know, right?!  Nuts.  Anyway, with growing up comes the accumulation of stuff - and I would argue that that is even more so the case with girls.  More clothes, crafts galore, collectibles, books, bags, jewelry, and most recently, make up (just mascara and blush on limited occasions but good grief time, slow down).  All of that is to say, these tween twins were running out of places to put their stuff.  Their room isn't huge though and their closet nothing to write home about but they did have an empty wall that had potential written all over it (and a mess all around it too).

(Painted arches tutorial here.)

So... 

We did NOT need another project this past summer but for several weeks, I kept a side eye out on Facebook Marketplace for a shelving unit/cabinets/whatever I could find that would hold all of their accumulating stuff.  

Then one day, this popped up:

It certainly looked like it fit the bill and it was listed by a good friend who only lived five minutes away.  Bingo.  

Kid Art That Doesn't Look Like Kid Art

I'm back with another painted glass project the kids tackled so long ago that I'm not even going to tell you how long ago because it involves years.  If you've been reading for long, you might've seen me paint glass a time or six.  Let's see, there's...

this coffee table

the "choose happy",

Our Kitchen - Before & After

I almost called this a "Reveal" but we're waiting to get some cabinet doors made to fit over where the old wall oven used to go and there a couple of other tweaks that we want to happen so revealing our finished kitchen I am not, but I am here to show you how far we've come in five years.

Spoiler alert:  Things have CHANGED.  Big time. 

This was move-in day:

And this was last week:

A Little Closet Makeover

Last I checked in with kids' bathroom progress we were talking about the newly smoothed ceilings and cruisin' (maybe more like inching) onto the vanity.  Well so far, we've bought sinks, new faucets should be here Monday, and I'm going to try and hunt down a countertop next week.  I sanded down the cabinet frame sanded down the cabinet frame and need to start working on the doors but I've got an idea I've got to iron out before I keep going there.  Soooo...

I took a quick detour over to the closet.  I'm pretty sure it hasn't seen a fresh coat of paint maybe since the house was built 50 years ago much less a deep, deep clean.  Throw a bunch of stuff inside from a family of seven and...it was time.  Makeover!

First I emptied the whole thing out and scrubbed down every inch.  Then I painted the trim (Pure White by Sherwin-Williams color-matched to Valspar).

Bean Refashioning: Spaghetti Straps to Ruffled Cap Sleeves

Look who's back with a refashioning of her very own (I used to do lots of these, check out the Snips & Tucks section here)!  I found this dress, originally sold at Target, for $6 at Dirt Cheap last year.  I know, steal of a deal.  I love how different it is, with the pleats on one side and color-blocking all over - u to the n to the i to the q to the u to the e.

But as much as I loved it, it never once left our house on me because the spaghetti straps held me back.  It's probably the mom in me or my old age but if I'm wearing a dress like this, I'm usually going to a wedding or church or something like that and I like to cover up my shoulders.  This dress is a hard one to pair with a cardigan and it would have to have the right color scarf.  So, never worn...   

...until this past weekend.  

I spent maybe an hour last week adding ruffle cap sleeves!  I don't know about where you live, but here in the south big ruffled or puffed up sleeves are somewhat of a thing right now (along with Lululemon and pleated tennis skirts...I can see it but I hear it most from my very astute sixth grade girls.)  I don't usually gravite to some"thing" that's trending but this just seemed like a match made in fashion heaven.

Here's how I did it: