Projects, projects, projects...

First of all, before I get started, I must show you the cutest little thing EVER!

This is Sandee. She is my parent's new Golden Retreiver.

Doesn't she just make your heart melt!?!

Now, onto my projects...

This is my project for the week. I want to make this table runner to go in our formal dining room (aka our waste of space room that is NEVER used except to store the kids' oversized toys).

Just becuase we never use it, doesn't mean it shouldn't be pretty, right?

I don't really know when I'll find the time to do it, but I will...and when I do, I'll post pics when its done.

This was one of last week's projects. I helped my neighbor Krystina paint her son Hayden's room. He is 6 and wants a super cool motocross room, and of course she wants the room to be well designed and put-together, with a touch of motocross. We're gonna try to satisfy both needs. Anyway, step 1 was to paint the room and here is what I came up with. Light gray walls with slightly darker stripes. We kept it very subtle since other things in the room, bedding, fabric, etc, will be much more bold (red, black, white).

A few months back we decorated the nursery for her soon-to-be baby, Ryder (due April 21st)...still need to post pics of his nursery! After doing the stripes in both rooms, I feel like a pro! If you ever need advice on painting stripes, just ask! My favorite part of the whole process is peeling the tape off and the seeing the perfectly straight lines...I think it satisfies some part of my self-diagnosed OCD.

The picture was taken right after the tape had been pulled down (see Audrey's big tape wad?)

yes, my daughter was in her slippers and princess PJs, and yes, it was 3:00 in the afternoon. who has time to get ready when there is decorating to be done!

Here is the Baby Shower invitation that I designed for Krystina.

The blue, white, and brown stripes in the background are exactly how we painted Ryder's nursery.

And here is another Baby Shower invitation that I designed for my good friend Mindy. Her little man, Jake, is also due April 21st!

As you can see, I took out addresses and phone #s on the invitations, just in case there are any psychos out there that want to crash a baby shower or something.

My next project was one of my "one day" projects. I have a LOT of these (just ask my husband!)

I took a picture of my kitchen and photoshopped what I want it to look like "one day".

Here is our kitchen in its current state...

...drumroll, please...

And here is my improved version of our kitchen

I lightened some paint colors, added hardware to the cabinets, did a backsplash, and installed 2 pendant lights over the island.

When Michael and I were at Ikea a few weeks ago, I found these pendants for only $30! I didn't buy them, so hopefully they still have them whenever "one day" comes around.

Here is the photo from ikea.com

Oh, and the other day I was browsing one of my favorite blogs, theletteredcottage.net, when I saw that she (Layla) is going to use the exact same pendant in her reading room.

This totally verified how cool this light is...since I love her decorating style!

If you've got a minute, I defenitely recommend checking out her blog.

Well, I think thats it for now....

and if you have any projects that you're working on, please share!