Beadboard Wallpaper

I made a vow.

I promised myself that wallpaper would never enter this house again. 
I stripped all the wallpaper from this house back in '98. Most of the kitchen wallpaper came off in pieces no bigger than my palm. It was three days of holy terror! 
 That's when I made the vow but who knew that wallpaper would make a comeback?

I had hoped for a very cottage-y look when we installed the wooden bathroom countertop last year. My plan was to do the walls last summer but I lost steam after the other bathroom remodel. 

I love the contrast of the wood counter with the white walls and woodwork.

 After a year of daily use this counter still looks as perfect as the day we put it in. That wasn't the plan. 

It was supposed to be used occasionally by guests but three weeks after we finished the install our daughter had her stalking incident and moved back in with us.

Two months later, our youngest moved back in. 
He moved out last Saturday. 
Daily use and this counter still looks fabulous. 
I love it with the white walls instead of the black.
I'm smitten with the backsplash. 

White walls were part of the original plan but I was afraid that white walls alone would be boring. The other two bathrooms have the beadboard wainscot going up only a few feet. Here it needed to go higher for more impact.

Beadboard wallpaper seemed like  an easier option than those ginormous sheets of plywood. 

The sacred vow to never have wallpaper again has been broken and my wallpapering skills all came flooding back.

Does it look just like the walls in the other bathrooms? 

Does it look like real wood?

No - on both counts. 

Is it still cute?

Yes - it's adorable.

Be careful, this dings very easily but it was an easy fix and it adds a little interest to otherwise boring walls. 
The wallpaper is about $18.00 a roll at Lowes and 
it took less than two rolls to complete this project.
Once it was up and had a coat of paint, I trimmed it out with some molding the neighbor gave me when she moved. 
That's what makes it look more like real wainscot. 
I'd hoped for some better photos but this room is a beast to photograph. It has zero natural light and that huge mirror.
Framing that out is on my project list for this summer. 

Katie 
Happy Friday!   
Linking with,
French Country Cottage    
A Stroll Thru Life
The Scoop
Coastal Charm
Inspire Me Monday   
Savvy Southern Style   
Funky Junk Interiors

  

Guest/Room Office Reveal

About a month ago I told you that Bill and I weren't thrilled with the guest room/office. 
It was awash in creams and golds and I was over it.
The room was just so dark.
One thing led to another and I ended up painting it with a white that reads a little gray.

    

I switched focal points so now when you walk in the room you see the bed and breakfront instead of the desk.
  

It's much brighter and lighter.
I love it.

I picked up the Pottery Barn pillow cover after Christmas thinking it was on sale because it was on the sale table. Silly me!

It wasn't but I loved it anyway even though I had no idea where I would put it. 

The suitcase came from a thrift store in Galveston. 

The art has to coordinate with our antique Blue Bonnet paintings.

I told you how prized they are. I took some photos of bluebonnets on our way back from the coast.

Individually they are pretty ho hum but when the hillside is awash in blue, it is amazing.

Seeing the Bluebonnets should be on everyone's bucket list.
Read about it here.  
I'm serious. Come visit Texas Highways during the later part of April. April is a great time to visit Texas anyway because it isn't so hot that you think you will self combust. 
Do not visit us in August. JUST DO NOT! 

Bill is not that thrilled with the blue and white German porcelain and said it wasn't "manly". 
I contest that Meissen porcelain was probably designed by a man.

All the bird prints came from a book I found at the Half Price Books super store.
Bill asked: "Bird prints?" " Bird prints aren't very manly."
Me: "John Audubon was a man." "I tried to pick out manly birds." 
The bird prints are birds commonly seen in Texas. 
The state bird, the Mockingbird, wasn't the correct colors so it didn't make the cut. 
The frame started out with a series of hunt prints and hunt folderol nailed to the frame itself. [faux horse shoes, a riding crop and a bit.] Cheesy and probably made by my grandfather or my mom. She could have made it for my granddad's mancave. It needed a new life.
 One of the prints was actually a cover for a department store shirt box. 

The gun came from the creek behind our house years ago. Rebekah found it. I think it is a b.b. gun because part of it is plastic. 

 

The desk chair was Bill's dads. 

I love the gold chair now that it isn't lost in a sea of gold.  
The desk got some attention. I straightened up the clutter.

The desk was Bill's breakfast room table growing up. 
Bill picked out the cute desk lamp at Lowes. 
The shelf was a DIY copycat we made from one we saw at Pottery Barn or Crate and Barrel. (I really can't remember which.) I suppose I could do massive amounts of research to find out for you but I don't care that much. :)

The barrel lamp came from a garage sale. I think the bowl his grandfather made filled with baseballs is very manly. ;) 
Instead of being an irritation every time I walk by, this room is put together and cute.

I love the hint of red, white and blue for summer. 

I hope you all had a great Memorial Day weekend.
Katie   

Linking with,
Metamorphosis Monday
A Stroll Thru Life
The Scoop
Coastal Charm  
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia   
Savvy Southern Style    
From My Front Porch to Yours   
Funky Junk Interiors

Visitors at the School

I continued with my purge and move the other afternoon. 
I forgot that we were supposed to have some visitors. 

They looked a little too big for our halls and classrooms.

This was fun and newsworthy because this was the first group appearance for the rookies and the first time they wore Cowboy jerseys with their names on the back. 
Which makes it an exciting day for us and for them! 
Star Telegram
The kids had huge smiles as they greeted and talked to the team. 
Katie   
Linking with,
Savvy Southern Style  

Shhh! I'm a Hoarder

I've been a little out of pocket this week. 
I'm in the process of switching classrooms. 

What happens when a hoarder has taken up residence for a decade?

You wouldn't believe!

As I was cleaning out bulletin board sets, I realized I'm a classroom hoarder.
I have an affinity for lost and lonely bulletin board sets that is similar to my penchant for abandoned chairs.
I used to go all out for every season and holiday and realized two years ago that I was doing that more for me rather than the kids. They don't notice. Now our bulletin boards are about the children's artwork rather than a cute factor. 
Although, they are still adorable! :)

I'm also downsizing my collection of counters, manipulatives and toys. 
If it doesn't fit in a shoe box, we don't need it. 
The children can pull one off of the shelf and it's not too overwhelming for them to clean up.
We are trying to teach them personal responsibility.

  I'm taking a bold step and giving up my desk. 
It takes up too much space.  
I'll have a smaller rolling table for my laptop and storage drawers for office supplies.
The problem is that the rolling table is UGLY.
Brown paper made to look like wood.
It may get a coat of chalk paint this summer. I just hope the paper doesn't peel off. 
Yikes!
I've got some projects planned and in the works for elsewhere in my classroom.
I'll be sharing the reveal in plenty of time for back to school.
I'm making a fabric pennant in different navy and blue prints.

This fabric covered milk crate will hold poems and circle time props.

I cut the plywood to size and upholstered it with batting and fabric. 

This project was a Pinterest find and only took about 15 minutes.

I'm trying to make my classroom more of a reflection of my home environment.

Currier and Ives School Blessing

Hopefully there will be some chalkboard painted accents. 
I can't wait to show you. 
I hope to be back to blogging about home stuff as soon as school is out. 
Katie