I LOVE IT!!

Well, we are finally ALMOST finished with the play room.   I thought I was done once, but I was wrong...    Two of my dear friends have moved out of state recently, and both of them had bookshelves they were getting rid of.   I can't pass up a good bookshelf.  And a free or cheap one from a friend is even that much better!!  So with a few coats of paint, and a little Pinterest inspiration, I turned three cast-off bookshelves into Play Room Perfection!!!

 

 First, we painted the three bookshelves a nice
"Lego Blue" color.  We brought them in the basement & got them positioned where we wanted, then screwed them together & used brackets to anchor them to the wall.   We wanted the two end shelves to stand up like traditional bookcases for storage, and the 3rd one we laid down to create a window-seat type sitting area, which AJ was more than happy to demonstrate.   Hunter insists that is not the only good sitting space....

Here it is after we got our stuff organized into bins & boxes, labeled, and put on the shelves.   We are putting some of the boys books here too, but keeping the majority of the books in their bedrooms.  The small wooden shelf is one my father in law made years ago that is perfect for those Lego storage boxes by Iris.  I am going to paint or cut letters on my Cricut for a quote I want over the shelf.  It will say "PLAY is the highest form of research. - Albert Einstein" 

Gotta love labels on boxes!  I printed labels off the computer with pictures of what is in each box and the words to help my learning-to-read 5 year old know where things go.  Eventually there will be a nice soft cushion on the bench part to make it a cozy spot to curl up with a good book or the latest Lego Club Magazine! We just have to go pick out the fabric.  Both boys want Lego fabric, but alas, I cannot find it

This corner has chalkboard paint on the wall, which the boys have really enjoyed.  They use that wide windowsill for displaying some of their favorite Lego builds, and store chalk and things on the Crayola shelf they got from Aunt Jenn.

This wall is where my Gramma and I have been painting Legos on the wall.   They aren't quite finished yet, but you can get the idea. 


It is definitely a Lego inspired room, but that is what my boys are really into!   We love the bright colors, without it being overwhelming. 


So, I think I will call this my Jane & Jill shelf, in honor of those friends who made this whole project possible!

Momma's Little Monster

I have always hated those t-shirts for kids that say "Mom's Little Monster" or "Here Comes Trouble" etc.  Tell a kid they are a monster, or trouble, and guess what?  They believe you.  And they live up to that belief.  (geeez I sound like my mother....)

But THIS little monster is ADORABLE!!!!!   Found the idea on Pinterest, my new obsession, addiction, whatever you want to call it, there are some really great ideas to be found on there!

So, I took a pair of Hunter's jeans that he blew the knee out of, and magically transformed them into these super-duper-cute monster jeans.   And the best part??  HE LOVES THEM!!!! 

I used a pair of jeans, complete with hole in the knee, a piece of t-shirt scrap left over from a t-shirt quilt I made, a piece of felt scrap left over from AJ's Native American Diorama, (which I still need to post photos of...), buttons, a needle & thread.  I used embroidery floss because I wanted it to have that big, wonky, uneven look.

First, I stitched the felt to the t-shirt scrap.  I did this part on my sewing machine because I wanted it to be on there really well. 

Next, I cut the white felt into triangles to look like teeth.  I took this part, and put it inside the pant leg, glued it in place with fabric glue, then stitched around the perimeter of the hole.  Add a couple of buttons for eyes, and presto-chango... plain old holey jeans are magically transformed in to super-cute Monster Jeans!!!  RAWR!!