Mudroom Redo - Part One Complete!

In an effort to make my mudroom work as a shoe / jacket / hat / scarf storage area and as a welcoming entrance from our garage the first step was to create a complete mess.  And that is exactly what I did!  Last week I pulled out the old shoe rack and stuffed everything into the closet so I could put some paint on the walls.  (Here are the deets on that.)  But of course the shoes quickly overflowed into the hallway and jackets ended up all over the floor.  Complete project backfire.

Well, today I took the first step into organizing the chaos.

Now before I go any further, let me please apologize for all pictures that come from this space.  Awhile back the overhead light exploded.  No seriously, EXPLODED!  Smoke coming out of it and everything.  It is on the list of things to get fixed, but until that happens it is really hard to get good photos in here.  OK, but back to the story...

So yes, hooks is where I began.  Crazy, I know!  But of course I couldn't just screw hooks into the wall.  I needed a little more style then that.  So I cut two pieces of wood down to size and painted them the same color as the opposite wall, Fire and Ice by Benjamin Moore. 

Then I found the studs and drilled them into the wall.  One at adult height and one at toddler height...

All working around the alarm control panel (big ugly white box on wall).  Next came 5 hooks, Antique Brass Finish from Home Depot.

Throw in some "warm things" and my mess has taken one giant step in the right direction!

So, I'm feeling good about getting this first step accomplished but there is still a long way to go.  My mom and I will be swinging by IKEA on our way home from Chicago this weekend.  She is taking me to see the Opera (wow, I am so fancy!).  So I'm hoping to pick up some storage ideas for the laundry room because my capacity for the mess is shrinking daily.  

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Birthday Party For My Not So Little Girl

Well...it is official, my little girl is 2.  And before I dive into the details of her wonderful birthday party I just gotta share with you a few of the many things I love about her...

~ She is adventurous...just like her mama.
~ She is very rarely shy.  She usually jumps right into the action.
~ She is a little bit of a tomboy.  (Love that!)
~ She has the same sense of humor as her dad.  They both think they are hilarious.
~ She is well lets just call it head strong.  On a daily basis this one can be a killer but in the long run I think it will make her great.

OK so enough about how wonderful my daughter is (truly wonderful, if you missed that) and onto the rockin' celebration!  Just 4 days ago if you looked out the window you would have thought it was April.  Blue sky, green grass and NO snow.  Which was great for everyone else but not so good for the sledding party I had planned.  But then a Birthday Miracle, the snow gods listened to all my pleading and the skies opened up and it snowed for two days.  It will all probably be melted away by next week but who cares...the sledding party was back on!

So sled we did and it was a huge hit!  Especially because the kids had been waiting all winter to pull out the saucers and snow pants.  We ignored those patches of grass and flew down that hill!

Kylie & Dad getting ready to zoom. (Yes, she looked like Randy in A Christmas Story.  "We'll put your arms down when you get to school.")

The indoor decs where a hit as well!  The Martha Stewart Pom-Poms looked great.

And the fabric bunting was my favorite.  Which you can learn more about here.

We used the left over tissue from the pom-poms to decorate the table as well as a few additional mini-pom-poms. 

We filled the table with cupcakes as well as all the fixins for the hot chocolate bar which was a huge hit to warm all those cold little hands.  Graham crackers, whip cream, marshmallows, sprinkles, the works! 

We made easy cut-outs to put above the mantel and filled the floor with balloons. 

And to finish off the grand event we gave play-doh to all the little attendees. 

It was truly a perfect afternoon.  And two cupcakes and lots of marshmallows later my little girl was happy as can be!