Here are the projects I’ve completed this week. I had an extra board laying around from the family name board I made and added some molding around the outside. So I decided to make a calendar holder. Every year I make my own calendar with fun family pictures from last year. It includes all the birthdays, V.T. reminders, yearly activity reminders, etc. It’s looked kind of dull just hanging on the wall, but now it matches my decor! I used vinyl lettering to do the “Turk Times”. (Turk is my last name)

Here are the place mats I made for my round table. They are reversible and in some fun colors and prints.

I made 2 sets so I’d be able to wash them often.

I finally started on the window treatment to “black out” my media room window. The idea is I can pull the curtain from the metal holdback and cover the window completely. When we’re not using it it will look decorative like this. Here’s what I have so far, but it just doesn’t seem finished.

Here’s a different angle of the room.

I’m thinking I might buy more fabric and make one swag (similar to this) to cover the top. The only problem is that I’m a beginner seamstress at best. I’m worried I couldn’t pull it off. Please help. What do you think I should do?

Keeping the Family Room clean can be a time-consuming project. Try this:

1. I have a rule that no toys (except baby toys) are allowed downstairs. We have bedrooms and a game room for them.
2. I also keep a cute basket under my side table and as I go along during the day I’ll pick up the toy, sock, or other stranded item and throw it in the basket. About once a week I’ll carry it upstairs and put it away.

This has really cut down on the stress of running up and down the stairs. I’ll also get my kids involved and when we’re cleaning up (at 6:00 right before dad comes home) I’ll have them drop the items in the basket as well. That way we can get it done faster and with less resistance.

My basket was completely full so today I sorted through it and put everything away! What tips do you have for keeping your family room clean?

When my dad’s in town I try to come up with a project for him to do. He’s extremely talented and he likes to be busy. A couple months ago, I asked him to make me a couple tables and he did a great job! I finally painted the one for Davis’ room blue.

Here’s the before shot. It was really easy to make. My dad used a piece of left over shelving (ply wood), screwed on legs that we bought at Home Depot, and he finished it off with some molding.

I calked it and spray painted it blue. Not an hour later, Davis used packing tape to tape his Bionicles in place. Geez. (The note on the floor said, “Do not touch”.) Looking on the bright side, at least he didn’t use duct tape.

I still need to paint the one my dad made for My Loving Family doll house. I’m going to paint it black. I had him put the molding higher on this table so the doll house couldn’t be pushed off. (There isn’t any molding on the back.) It’s now at the perfect height for optimal playing!

Yes, even though I have all boys I do have a doll house and a kitchen. They’re in my guest room that one day will be pink toile with back accents and furniture. It’s the only chance I’ll have to decorate a pink room. Turns out the boys play in there all the time. I’m constantly having to “clean house” in there.

I’ve been working on my game room walls for a while now. (I’m still not satisfied.) I arranged a bunch of frames to create a travel wall. I want to display pics of our family vacations. Since this has been an ongoing project I haven’t given it much thought until Rochelle and Chanda came over for Movie Night. Rochelle went to go look at all the pictures – and well – there weren’t any. My bad?

So, I decided to go ahead and put in pictures of trips we’ve already taken. In the big frame on the middle-right I’m going to put a picture of the fam on the Seadoos. But other than that, I’m pleased to announce that I’ve filled all the picture frames with photos of my family. Yeah!

Do you think the frames are “too uniformed”? I feel like there’s something missing, or maybe too much? What do you think? I need some advice.

I also have a wall of some of our Halloween pictures. Halloween is my favorite holiday and we usually dress up with a family theme. I’m still looking for a big, square, leather clock to go above these frames. I think that would work perfectly.

I think it’s important to have pictures of the “good times” you have as a family around. It makes me smile and try to creating more bonding memories. How do you display your family memento’s?

I made this name board (btw: Turk is my last name) and I decided to frame it in molding instead of doing it on a regular 2 x 4 board. (It’s big, the picture is decieving.)

How to Make:

1. Design the vinyl lettering. You can choose the color, font, and size.
* “Turk” is all caps, black vinyl, in 5” lettering. I can’t remember the font, sorry.
* “love one another” – all lower case, white vinyl, Marine Regular font, in 2” lettering

2. Cut the plywood or board. Measure the lettering and be sure to allow lots of space all around.
* If you’re going to glue on molding, measure the width of the molding first and be sure to add that width to the board.

3. Cut the molding. (You don’t have to use molding. See here for some examples. Click the small picture to enlarge.)

4. Paint the board. I painted it a red. Next I painted on a stain and quickly wiped it off giving it a deaper tone.

5. Frame: Next I used gorilla glue to glue the molding together like frame. Once dry, I calked the corners and then painted it black. I used the gorilla glue again to glue the molding right onto the board. Since my board was the same size as the molding, I just aligned it. (You can use any kind of glue – I was just told that gorilla glue would work. FYI: I had to clamp it down for it to dry together.)

6. I rubbed on the lettering. Done!

For my next project, I’m going to make name boards (similar to the one above) with each of my boys name on them with “Child of God” as the overlay. I’m going to match the colors in the boys room and hang it above their door as you walk in. I’m very excited about it and in fact several of my girlfriends are going to do it with me. I love group projects – it makes the journey more fun.

For more vinyl lettering ideas for around the home and gift ideas, click here.

10. My Closet. I’ve put a lot of time into organizing my closet and I love it! I love how it feels when I walk inside it. It’s somewhat decorative with colors like marroon and lime green, it’s soo organized it makes me tingle with pride, and it’s the perfect size for me. (Pictures taken before Father’s Day.)

9. My iron banister. The iron stairs with the iron hall way upstairs is the reason we bought the house. It has so much peronality that I don’t have to add much decorating to it. Every time I look up, I smile.

8. My Computer. I do all my hobbies these days on my computer, I have a website Executive Homemaker, I’m addicted to blogging, I love to scrapbook digitally, and I love making gifts, games, and activities for my family and friends on Microsoft Publisher.

7. This family picture. It is our first outdoor family picture taken in Dec 2005. We knew that we wanted to get pregnant again soon and our life would never be the same. It hangs above our fireplace and I smile everytime I see it because I wonder if my life will ever be that simple again.

6. My Family Home Evening wall. I’m not an interior decorator by any stretch of the imagination, but to me this wall has the perfect balance of design and function. (The lighting is really bad, sorry.)

5. My camera. I was on the photojournalism staff in high school and I’ve always been addicted to pictures. I’ve lost all my technical knowledge but I still have the passion for photos. Also, my boys are completely crazy the majority of the time to it’s so nice to have pictures that capture the beautiful moments we have.

4. My boys bedrooms. For lots of obvious reasons plus: They are completely decorated and finished. I put a lot of love into those rooms and the boys do a great job of keeping them clean. I love how I feel when I’m inside them. I love that they reflect each of their personalities. I love that I was able to give them a room that I always dreamed of but never had myself.

3. My “Boys will be Boys” stair way with professional pictures of the boys that are silly, like the boys in tuxedos sticking out their tongues, the boys bear chested in swim trunks, the boys holding Drake while he was sleeping at 1 month old, etc. It’s a wall that I try to keep beautiful but silly – just like our little family.

2. The cross-stitch of the Dallas Temple where Jason and I were married (I don’t have a picture). My grandmother made it and it is very dear to me. My love for my husband grows more deeply each year. I feel so blessed that we choose to be married for eternity. I have it in our game room next to these pictures of the boys with a quote above in vinyl lettering that says, “As for me an my house we will serve the Lord.”

1. My Bed. I love to take naps and sleep in. It’s also my favorite place to read a book and spend with my honey. (he he)

So what are your top-ten favorite things in your house?!? (Make sure you give me a comment when you post yours so I can check it out!)

FYI: Rochelle has posted pictures of her house. She’s an amazing decorator and has so many cool tips!