a work in progress...is our bedroom. ALWAYS. I wish I could have shown this puppy to you five years ago, because even though the before pics here look like I've made progress...five years ago would have shown you a dog hair covered cheapo duvet with the bedroom furniture all matchy matchy that I grew up with and a hand me down king mattress. I'm not complaining. But it's nice to have something nice in your own bedroom. To me, its romantic. And I have spent the last five years of our marriage doing children's rooms. So, naturally, our bedroom has taken a bit of a hit on the budget/design factor.

Forgive me for the bad picture quality here. I snapped these hurriedly the other day, as I wrestled Emmy off the bed just in time for her to climb back up again...But I think you get the gist. (anything without natural lighting drives me crazy, but this was just the time of day I took it in.) I invested in this bedding from nautica and the pillows just weren't working for me. Shlumpadinka. So I wanted to {cheaply} do a little upgrade. Our bedroom is an odd shape, so we moved the bed in front of the windows to make room for our armoire and giant chair. {I love having a little reading nook} We have no headboard, so the windows stand as such for now. I plan on making my own someday soon, along with canopies that look like this: {linen + copper pipes mounted from the ceiling=ooh lala.} our ceilings in this house are odd so I will be waiting patiently for the day to arrive SEVEN years from now in our new bedroom when I can make my own!

Image: Domino book of Decorating. {I remember when this image debuted in the mag, and I LURVED it.}

So my point: this is what I've been working on recently. Come back one year from now, and I will (hopefullyl) gradually added other pieces. {think handmade beadboard base and a fun old dresser I want to refinish in a super dark color for uber contrast...}

I painted the dresser for Emmy's big girl room which will be making its debut early next year. I couldn't stand the green and never was happy with it. So until I find our perfect dresser, hers shall be sitting, repainted and hardwareless in our room. If you remember my DIY painting tutorial where I discussed hardware: I need to make an ammendment. I'm such a dork. We've been had. I proclaimed anthro as all so fabo with their hardware. I don't know how I missed it, but Hobby Lobby carries the exact same stuff. What does HL have that A does not? Half off hardware sales, people. So you shall find me non to chalantly STALKING HL until they proclaim their sale yet again. I patiently wait for the day...and I'm thinking melon GREEN knobs.

Still before. Hoping to give you a 360 view...

This is what I've been working on like a madwoman for the past few weeks. Emmy's dresser will be complete with hardware and glass top/fabric cover.

Again, sorry for the quality. I basically did three euro pillows and had them monogrammed by my dear friend Abbie. {these pics are for you!} and tied in the color by doing a generous linen throw at the base of the bed. I love the feeling of having an extra layer, and at the same time, think it really simplifies.The fabric is 100% linen which I scored for a FRACTION of the price at fabric.com along with a 30% coupon at retailmenot.com. {Thanks for that resource, Jillina.}

Remember my eight dollar finds at the flea market? Along with my kirklands vomit tables?

Not too shabby for eight dollars, eh? I got lucky. See that fraction of a large canvas on the right? How's this for a wonderful idea: I scored this off a blog who scored it from another blog...but this woman purchased giant canvases and allowed her children to have at it with their art supplies. I have this large canvas I've never been happy with and plan on letting the kids have a blast with it as soon as Malone is old enough to partake as well. What a fun way to have not so distinguished art displayed hugely in your house-by your all time favorite artists!

I shopped my house and found a few accessories and some sophistocated wall decor. These were previously hanging in my bathroom. Something I acquired for a few bucks at a garage sale around five years ago. Piranesi prints. {Art History, anyone?} I knew I loved them but hated the frames, so with Jamin's oh so wonderful help, I built some new and even finished them off with balsa wood edges for a matted effect. More. For less.

Again, mad props to Abbie. I couldn't have finished these without her {and our bartering system!-I owe you!} This was a simple update. I plan to keep adding pieces over time, to give it a unique, gradually collected look rather than the sometimes overwhelming matchy approach. {I was kind of proud of my mad sewing skillz...since I paid a fraction of the price, Jamin no longer has to resist the urge to STRANGLE ME.}

Coming soon: bathroom redeux. Thanks for reading...hope you feel inspired to get in there with a little elbow grease!