SEASON'S CHANGE

Seasons change. So do priorities. When Archer arrived I knew something had to give. After much reflection I had to admit that I couldn't do everything. So, it is with sadness, but with peace I won't be posting as often as I used to. I've truly enjoyed my blogging adventure that started a year ago and maybe one day this will become a space I can frequent more often. Thank you to all my readers, I've been so blessed to know that I've inspired many to live a bit more beautifully.

Follow me on Instagram @jlmeyer and on Pinterest for daily glimpses into my life and for fashion, recipes and DIY projects. 

Joanna

P.S. Don't you just love Archer's mobile?? It was handcrafted by the talented, and hilarious Alison Show. I recommend visiting her blog, it's full of fabulous things. And let's not forget Archer's sheets. They are also handmade by the talented Iviebaby, you can see her Etsy shop here.

DIY TRIANGLE SHELVES

I'm so excited to share with you our DIY triangle shelves inspired by A Beautiful Mess! 

The triangles are hanging above our little one's crib and make the perfect statement as you walk in the room. The husband and I went back and forth as to what colors to paint or stain them - here are the final results and we couldn't be happier how they tie the room together! We chose white and a metallic gold and copper.

With these shelves done Project Shared Room is pretty much complete - except for a few finishing touches that probably won't happen until after our little guys arrival. Keep an eye out for a post on the whole room. I can't wait to share it all with you!

Supplies Needed:
Wood (see instructions for amount)
Miter Saw
Tool to measure angles
Hammer/Nails
Paint

Instructions:
1. Purchase wood - This varies depending on the size, amount and depth you want your triangles. We wanted three triangles measuring about 20inches per side - so we purchased 180 inches of 1x2inch boards.
2. Figure out angles to cut corners - Ours are 60 degree triangles so we had to make 30 degree cuts in the wood.
3. Using a miter saw cut the wood - for each piece of wood the angles on each end should be opposite. We used the wider of the two ends to measure the length of 19.5inches - when we put all the pieces together each side would measure 20 inches. Hold wood slats up to each other to make sure they are the same length.
4. Once all pieces are cut,  begin nailing pieces together.
5. Paint your triangles - ours needed 2-3 coats each
6. Hang on the wall and enjoy!

And to top things off, The Husband and I couldn't believe how cheap this project was. We only spent $5 on wood and $10 on paint - making our project cost a total of $15!

PROJECT SHARED ROOM {Half Way There}

We've made progress on project shared room, our side of the bedroom is finished! This past month I was finally able to find a few the perfect pieces I wanted for our room. 

1. Wall Art - The husband and I went back and forth about what to do with the empty walls surrounding our bed, do we building shelving or hang wall art? We ended up with wall art and I couldn't be happier with our little collage! The large matte wood frame and the funky gold frame are both from Target. The artwork in the large frame is from here. The white shadow box was an item we've had for a couple of years, originally from Marshalls. I like the option of having something we can easily post new pictures to. The combination of wood, white and gold on the grey wall really ties everything together.

2. THE DRESSER! - I searched for months on craigslist, at thrift stores and garage sales. I was ready to give up. I knew I wanted a mid-centruy modern dresser that was buffet style and needed to fit under our window. Finding something cheaper than $500-$1,000 was looking impossible. And then, I found this beauty on craigslist...all ready re-purposed. It was the perfect size, price and just so stinkin cute! 

3. The Light - After getting an very expensive estimate from an electrician, we ended up having the husband and his dad hang the light. It is so nice to have light coming from the ceiling. If you missed my last post on the room, the light is from here.

4. The Orange Bowl - I love little details. I've been searching for the perfect bowl to put little baby things in. This past weekend I found this at the thrift store. I love the burnt orange color and aztec detail. 

5. THE OTTOMAN! - This one deserves all caps and an !, too. Why are ottomans so expensive!?! Once again, I've been searching everywhere for the perfect ottoman for our chair. Just two days before I told the husband to be mentally prepared if I end up spending $100-$200 on an ottoman. I knew it was crazy, but I wasn't finding anything cheaper. AND THEN I struck gold. I found this little brown leather beauty at the thrift store for $2!!! I'm all about repurposing items, but sometimes it is so nice to find something that doesn't need any TLC.

6. The Pillows - I'm pretty sure the yellow pillow from Target and the black and white pillow from Ikea are the two most popular pillows in the U.S. I flipped the Target pillow over to the geometric side and moved it from the chair to the bed - it is like new. On our last trip to Ikea I was happy to find the black and white item wasn't out of stock. 

Things are coming along! Now for the really fun part. Baby's side of the room. Can't wait to put it all together and share it with you guys.

Happy Monday!

Joanna

MOTHER'S DAY

I've followed the artist Kelli Murray's blog and Instagram for a while now and have come to love her beautiful art. But when she posted her latest drawing in honor of Mother's Day I about died! I felt like she personally drew it for me and I had to have it. All that to say, I'm now the proud owner of this watercolor drawing and I'm smitten. Be sure to check out her Etsy shop, you won't be disappointed!

Happy Mother's Day!
Joanna

PROJECT SHARED ROOM {Our First Purchases}

1. Urban Outfitters >>2. West Elm >>3. & 4. Ikea

Because I love making collages, I made one to show you a few of our first purchases for the room. The one I'm most excited about is the West Elm light. As you can see from my previous post's pictures, there is only one window in the room and no ceiling light. Installing a light from the center of the ceiling will bring some much needed brightness and cheer to the room. Hopefully, the electrician will be here to install it next week. (We are all about DIY, but when it comes to electricity, we figured we should just call the pros) And the rug, light and pillow are brining in the aztec and geometric style while still remaining masculine enough for my men to call it theirs, too. At last but not least, the ikea shelf will provide some much needed storage for my little buddy's things. 

Have a great weekend!!!
Joanna

PROJECT SHARED ROOM {The Before}

Designing a room in my home takes quite a bit of thought. I've noticed there is a natural process for me, a series of things I always do before and while starting a room. Maybe this will help you as you tackle your next project. We are currently in the process of designing our combined bedroom/nursery. This might be my toughest challenge yet, but so far I am loving it.  

First, I start off with drawings. It always helps me to draw sketches of my room so I can see how the many ideas in my mind might come together. It helps me answer the basic questions of, is this realistic and will it flow?

I knew I wanted this room to have both aztec and geometric elements to it. And while I tend to love feminine design, I will be sharing this space with two men, so my design need to compliment their style also. 

Here are a few of my sketches...

The second phase I spend an insane amount of time on, online shopping. This is important for me. I need to know I have shopped around and haven't made an impulse decision. I'm very particular so when I find something I love and it is in my price range I make sure to really ponder it for a couple of days/sometimes weeks, show the husband and then purchase it.

Here are some pictures of what the room currently looks like...I guess you can say these are my "Before" pictures...

We've lived here for almost two years, and hoping we would have a little one join us eventually I did minimal design for this room. The curtains, furniture, lamps, mirror and bedding are what we've been using and helped give me a base of where to start as far as colors and inspiration. 

Make sure to check back and see the progress of our shared room. I can't wait to see how it all turns out!

Joanna

Curtains/Urban Outfitters >> Comforter/West Elm >> Lamps/thrifted&handmade >> Furniture/second-hand >> Mirror/Marshalls >> Rug/Urban Outfitters