dining room makeover.

We were so excited to move after Jeremy graduates in June.  SO SO excited.  We've been in this home for 7 years now.  It's only 1,300 square feet.  With our family of 7 we're kind of bursting at the seams.  We're happy here though.  It's cozy.... but we love it.  Things weren't lining up with the move, and after much prayer and counseling with the Lord, we decided that we should just stay put for a little longer.  This way we can really focus on the new practice and save up money for our forever home.  

We have decided to spruce up our house.  Something that I've been dying to do since we moved in.... but we've never gotten around to doing.  It's amazing what a little paint can do!  It's my first experience painting and I am in love with the entire process.  We started with our dining room.  It was a simple project that I was able to complete at night after the kids were in bed or during naptime when I only had Jayne to worry about (the other three were at school).  In a matter of 48 hours, my dining room was transformed!  

 One of my dear friends came over to help me.  She is moving back to Utah in June so her husband can be a big time professor at BYU.  It was so fun spending so much time with her before she moves away.

 Jayne took a picture of me painting the trim.  That was the best part of the process for me.  After seven years and five children, our walls have taken quite the beating.  Painting the trim was SO rewarding!  One minute they were a nasty mess or dings and scrapes.... the next minute they were gorgeous!

 Our JoAnn's is moving locations so everything is marked way down.  I've taken advantage of the sales and was able to get some screaming deals on frames and fabric.  I've banned myself from the store for the next few months.  They've taken enough of our money.

 I made this wreath from the tutorial found {here}.  I made a bright pink heart shaped one for Valentine's Day a few years ago and decided to try it out with linen fabric instead of felt. I adore how it turned out.  The one thing I did differently from the tutorial was pin three circles in at a time instead of just one.  It made the project go a lot faster.

 Here's the finished room from view #1.  My besties husband drilled a hole in the wall so we could move our computer around the corner and out of the kitchen (we only have one outlet in this room, so we had to drill the hole so it could be plugged into an outlet in the kitchen.)

 I found this lovely bird cage at one of my favorite craft stores out here.  It had a mirror on the back of it to make it look round even though it's cut in half.  It tripped me out so I covered it in the same fabric I used for the wreath.  We added some little robins and now we not only have a cute decorations... We have pets!  My kind of pets.

 One of my favorite things added to the room are the new curtains.  I made up the pattern but was inspired by {these}.  I love how they turned out!

 Here's the best before picture I could find of the room...

 And here's the after from almost the same view!  I am so pleased with how it turned out.

Painting is the best.  Not only do I have what feels like a brand new room... I have a brand new clean room!  We plan on taking each room in our house and giving it a little face lift.  Next up is the kitchen.  I think my life will take a true turn when that room is done.  It will be life changing!  We also plan on finishing off a room in our basement for the boys to call their new home.  Lots of projects.... lots of work.... but SO worth it!  I can't wait!