Emily's Big Girl Room: from nursery to toddler room

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With great joy HHM and I welcomed our sixth grandchild,
 Audrey Ryan Edmonds on October 26, 2014.  

                                                                                            source

When an ultrasound revealed another girl, Ashley and Ryan decided to keep the nursery as is and convert one of the guest rooms to a "big girl" room for Emily.  The room they chose, shares a Jack and Jill bathroom with the nursery so the girls will be able to share a bathroom as they grow.

Ashley immediately began pinning ideas for Emily's big girl room (here), as did I (here).  Ashley pinned several mood boards, but in the end, loved the fabric in this board she found on the blog, hellobee.  As it turns out, this was a guest post by one of my favorite bloggers, Camille of Effortless Style.                                   

Unfortunately, this beautiful Kate Spain fabric, Honey Tea Rose, was sold out everywhere we looked on line. Soooo, we both started pinning other fabrics in a large scale floral in a similar color palette. Neither of us found anything we liked as well.  In desperation, Ashley decided to call Kate Spain headquarters to see if the fabric was discontinued or just out of stock.  Although it had been discontinued, they found us several brick and mortar stores that had enough fabric in stock for the drapes!  Wow, what customer service!  Ashley immediately ordered the fabric and we had our inspiration piece.

Using the Honey Rose fabric as inspiration, we chose Sherwin Williams 6512 Balmy for the walls.  Ryan hates to paint but sweetly agreed to paint the walls, even though he insists the beige the builder chose is a neutral and should go with anything.  He also conceded to my insistence of a pink ceiling if RayRay (also known as HHM) would paint it.  In the end, Ryan helped paint the ceiling as he felt guilty sitting downstairs watching football while RayRay painted the ceiling Sherwin Williams 6595 Amour Pink.

Emily LOVES pink so we decided to go ahead with the pink velvet headboard.  Although we loved the headboard featured on the mood board, we decided this was a good place to save money and went with the Target Juliette Tufted Headboard in pink.  The full size we used is on sale now for $169.00 with free shipping!

People thought we were crazy to pick white bedding for a toddler's room, one word:  Bleach. We were also searching for a tucked duvet cover as we knew keeping a smooth duvet looking neat would be impossible with a two year old.  Hooray for built in wrinkles!  We researched many different white tucked duvet covers, before I stumbled on the Kasey Duvet Cover at the Nordstrom's Summer Sale.  The detailing is gorgeous and with the sale, the price was similar to some of the lower end options.  Sold!

After an extensive search, we came back to the rug on the mood board, the Spectrum Trellis GD40 rug.  This gorgeous rug is 100% wool, gets great reviews, and was a steal with the 75% off and free shipping offer they were running pre-Black Friday.

A quick trip to Ikea and we scored the lack wall shelf, ribba picture ledges, a Kallax shelving unit to use as a window seat and six white picture frames,

The Pottery Barn dollhouse I had in my nursery was the perfect shade of green to match the Ikea storage bins!  (I cannot find this color on the Ikea website anymore, but they may be available in store).The pink pouf was a splurge from Restoration Hardware Baby and Kids.

The chair is a hand me down from GiGi's condo and makes a perfect place for story time or for Mom to nurse Audrey while Emmie plays.  Wall mounted lamp. green throw and brass sea urchins are from Target. All our an additional 10% off right now.  The urchins also make great additions to your bookshelf or coffee table.

I painted several of the E's from Emily's nursery to match the night stand.  They were okay, but didn't quite work for me.  Enter HHM, some reader's digest books and a band saw,drill press and router table.  For 3 dollars each, we created these Anthropologie knock off Library Letters.  LOVE them!  You can now purchase the book letters at my booth at Factory Antiques or email for custom orders.

Sweet bunny was a birthday gift from Audrey and "Who."

The princess and the pea doll, a gift from my sister, also used to reside in Neena's nursery.  I donated it to the cause when accessorizing Emmie's nursery shelves.  She loves playing with it so much it followed her to her Big Girl Room.

We knew we wanted a ceiling fan, (we are in Hotlanta) but the options are so limited!  Everyone is looking for attractive ceiling fans, why isn't this market expanding?  A drum shade from Home Depot, a yard of fabric and some spray adhesive (and lots of clothespins) were all I needed to give this stock fan a little more personality.  The navy blue rug and drum shade are a nice counterpoint to the pastel walls and ceiling.

A target basket houses Emmie's collection of stuffed animals.

Neena's Lulie Wallace calendar was sacrificed for the wall above the bed.  Someday I hope to own an original piece by Charleston artist Lulie Wallace.

Using the leftover fabric from the drapes and drum shade, I made a pretty neck roll pillow for the bed.  As much as I love pillows, we wanted to make maintaining the room simple.

I headed to Anthropologie in search of a flower knob like those we used in the nursery, but ended up choosing this white milk glass knob instead.  Perfect with the white bedding!

A small dresser and some closet organizers in the walk in closet allow space in the room for Emily's play kitchen, also Pottery Barn.  

A floating shelf from Ikea adds space for some accessories. The chalkboard is a door inset picked up at an antique show in Charlotte.  We added a smaller matching one to Audrey's room.  Decoart Americana Clear Chalkboard Coating was used to give them a chalkboard finish without changing the original color.  Artwork purchased on Etsy and a pink corduroy bear she received from her Gigi made the move with Emily

Originally, the princess in the pea doll was supposed to be part of the vignette with her monogram.  However, Emmie loves playing with her so much we made some last minute substitutions by shopping other rooms in the house.  Eventually the candlesticks will return to the foyer when Neena completes a project that needs a little time to process in her imagination.  The pink crepe paper flowers are from her first birthday party.

Hooks for purses and aprons were incorporated to make it easy for Emmie to pick up.

Whew, you made it to the end of the post!  Lots of details to include.  If you would like help with your little one's room, Chapin Group would love to help.  Contact me at chapingroup@gmail.com.

Wendy

Mini Samoa Cheesecakes for HHM's Birthday

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This weekend, close friends joined us for a cozy dinner at home to celebrate HHM's birthday.  HHM always requests beef stroganoff and cheesecake for his birthday dinner.  The stroganoff recipe always stays the same but I like to experiment with the cheesecake recipe each year. I have a variety of recipes on my Pinterest cheesecake board. This year I combined several different recipes to create these mini Samoa Cheesecakes.                                                                                                               

These  adorable pedestal domes were purchased at Pottery Barn
several years ago.  I have used them in decorating in the past but 
doesn't the mini cheesecake look sweet on it?

For the crust I used the directions that came with the mini cheesecake pan, purchased from Williams Sonoma several years ago.  It is no longer on their website but is similar to this one from Amazon.  The pan provides the perfect portion size for this rich dessert.  In addition to cheesecake, these pans are perfect for individual bread puddings or cheese strata.

The filling was adapted from Glorious Treats' mini Kahlua cheesecake recipe.  I substituted a hazelnut liquor for the Kahlua to pair better with the Samoa topping. Apparently, I let my chocolate cool a little too long before adding it to the cream cheese mixture. The mixture was flecked with chocolate rather than spread throughout.  This small error did not effect the flavor.  I was nervous when I mixed the filling, it was much thinner than other cheesecake fillings I have made.  Not to worry, it baked up beautifully.

The fabulous Samoa topping recipe comes from Gimme Some Oven. The topping couldn't have been easier.  Simply toast the coconut in the oven and stir into caramel dip.  Done.  Gimme Some Oven also offers a recipe for homemade caramel sauce but I was running short on time.  HHM loves caramel and cheesecake so this was the perfect combination for him.

Mini Samoa Cheesecakes

Crust:

1 cup crushed oreos (approximately 12)

2 Tablespoons melted butter

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray mini cheesecake pan with with nonstick cooking spray.  Combine all ingredients and press into bottom of mini muffin pan.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Place on rack to cool.  

Filling:

2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

12 oz. cream cheese

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup Frangilico

Melt chocolate in a small bowl and set aside.  Blend cream cheese until smooth.  Add sugar and incorporate.  Add egg and vanilla; continue to mix.  Add melted chocolate and blend.  Stir in Frangilico and bend until combined.

Reduce oven temperature to 250.  Fill wells in cheesecake pan approximately 3/4 full.  Bake until set, 22 -25 minutes.  Cool on rack to room temperature and then chill in refrigerator for several hours.  

Topping:

2 cups shredded sweetened coconut

1 3/4 cups caramel dip or sauce (you can either buy the 16-ounce store-bought tubs of caramel dip, or use 1 3/4 cups homemade caramel sauce)

4 ounces dark chocolate 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown coconut on a parchment lined cookie sheet, about 10 minutes.  Stir half way through.  Pour into bowl and add 1 cup caramel sauce.  Stir to combine.  

Place approximately 1 tablespoon of caramel sauce on each cheesecake.  Top with coconut caramel mixture.  Melt dark chocolate and drizzle over top.
Happy Birthday HHM!

Ticket Give Away - Atlanta Home Show

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I know I have been missing in action for a few months, juggling one too many balls in the air, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share a give away with my readers.  The Atlanta Home Show is this weekend at the Cobb Galleria and Chapin Group Interiors has received four pairs of tickets to give away to our readers.

I know HHM will enjoy touring the Hope Atlanta exhibit and tasting some local brews.

"It's a backyard to behold!  Marietta's own, Red Hare Brewing Company, returns to team up with Hope Atlanta and Landscape Plans Plus to offer home show attendees the chance to sample some local brew while strolling through a beautiful backyard!  For just a $5 donation to Hope Atlanta, attendees in the garden can sample Red Hare Brewing's Long Day Lager and Gangway IPA.  Both were winners of multiple People's Choice Awards in 2011 & 2012.  Watership Brown, an Atlanta Home Show favorite, will also be available."

Be sure and check out the stage schedule Here to learn when speakers such as HHM's favorite Walter Reeves and HGTV celebrity Alhmed Hassan, among others, will be appearing.

You have three chances to enter the drawing:

1.  Leave a comment about what home improvement project you want to tackle.

2.  Follow Chapingroup.blogspot.com and leave a comment saying you are a follower.

3.  Like Chapin Group Interiors Facebook page, and again leave a comment telling us you have done so.

Contest closes at midnight on March 19, 2014. Winners will be announced March 20th.  Please be sure to include your email address so we can contact winners.

HHM and I will be there on Saturday looking for ideas.  Hope you can join us.

Wendy

Creating Garden Art from Family Treasures

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Do you have a stash of glassware floating around that you don't have a use for but hate to get rid of?  One of my clients created beautiful art for her garden using a variety of glass items she had inherited from her family. 

As you wander the paths through her lovely garden, you just happen upon the glass sculptures. Hesitant, at first to alter these items her Mother had given her, she decided to take the plunge when she considered they had been boxed up in her basement for years.  Now, she gets joy from seeing them in her garden daily.  (I think she has a magical basement, it is a never ending source of treasures!)  

To assemble the heirloom garden sculptures she used a tube of E-6000 -- available at craft and home improvement stores or on Amazon.  Using an upside down vase or bottle as the base makes it easy to simply slide the sculpture over the top of a stake anywhere in your garden and to empty any rain water that may accumulate 

Follow directions carefully as the glue needs to cure for ten minutes and is hard to re-position when dry.

I missed this beauty on my first trip through! 

The bird and flower shapes are such a natural complement to the plants.

Sunlight playing on the glass adds a bit of sparkle to the garden.

If you don't have a magical basement full of treasures, check out your local thrift stores

 and neighborhood yard sales.

Bonus Feature:  The galvanized bucket she bought on my opening day at Factory Antiques

 holds a Mum in her deck herb garden.  

The child's rake, pumpkins, and Pottery Barn owls complete the Fall vignette.  

Watch for a more detailed post on her garden next Spring.

Happy gardening!

Wendy

Holidays: Halloween Mantle

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With Halloween only a few days away, I wanted to share

 this amazing Halloween mantle by my intern's daughter.

A quick trip to Hobby Lobby provided the necessary Halloween accessories 

to transform her mantle.  I love the way the black bird decals add a sense of 

movement while the banner grounds the display.  The traditional Halloween 

orange has been updated with a deep cinnabar for the candles.

Note the use of odd numbers:  Seven candles, three pitchers, one skull.

There is an art to getting a 99 cent package of spider web to look this good.  

(A skill I have not mastered).

Happy Halloween!

Wendy

PINTEREST PROJECTS: Mason Jar Shower

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I am the first to admit I am a Pinterest addict!  With 162 boards and over 13,000 pins, there is no denying it.  My boards include recipes, party ideas, yard and garden, blogging tips, inspiration for clients, and articles I want to share with HHM.  My memory has never been great and it continues to spiral downward with each passing year.  Pinterest keeps all the great ideas I see on the web in one place for me. 

 

So, when I started planning a wedding shower for a dear friend and his fiancée, Pinterest is where I began.  My Mason Jar Board had many ideas that I have been wanting to try so that was my jumping off  point.  I did a quick search of Mason jar invitations and fell in love with this one.

 

 

A quick change of wording, a click of a button and my invitation digital file arrived in less than 24 hours.  Thanks Sprinkles of Sugar Etsy shop!  Not only did I have an inspiration for my decorations, I now had the color scheme:  coral, gray and white.  Be warned if you choose this color scheme - coral paper goods and fabrics are few and far between in local retail stores.

 

After browsing through my Mason Jar Board, I decided to bake apple crisp in mason jars.  Although I used my Mom's recipe, I checked several different pins for converting the cooking time for the small jars.  (Approximately 30 minutes, then broil for 2 or 3 minutes to brown topping).

 

 

Using  four ounce jelly jars, I found it took about one chopped apple per jar.  The apples need to be mounded high as the they will cook down.  Growing up in Michigan, my Mom always used locally grown McIntosh Apples and they are still my favorite.

 

 

After a little experimentation, I found packing the crumb topping on over a bowl  prevented it from spilling everywhere!

 

 

Six pounds of apples made about 24 individual jars of apple crisp.  That's a lot of peeling.

 

 

The finished product was worth it!  Notice the great tablecloth my trusty intern found on sale at Williams Sonoma.  The colors were perfect! 





 

This pin from Décor 8 was the inspiration for the floral arrangements.  (I repined this from my future daughter in law's board.  Thanks, Ashley!  Yes, we will have both a daughter and daughter-in-law named Ashley)
 

 

I substituted canning jars for the bottles.  The scrapbook paper on sale at Michael's and the striped string came from Hobby Lobby.  And of course, Trader Joe's is always great for fresh flowers.

 

 The extra paper made cute decorations for the mason jar drink glasses.  The striped straws are from Michaels.  HHM made a great apple cider drink with vodka and sour apple schnapps!





We feasted on mini chicken waffles in the chafing dish (inspired by this pin), almond stuffed dates wrapped in bacon, homemade caramel apple dip, mini corn muffins, home made cookies and goat cheese & fig preserve bruschetta!  Thanks to all my PB friends for their yummy food.  The groom to be added some caramel sauce to his apple crisp, delicious!

 

The one disappointment of the night was the home made pimento cheese served on crackers.  My plan was to serve all easy to pick up finger food.  However, the crackers quickly became soggy! Live and learn.

 

Can't go wrong with goat cheese and figs!

 

 

Bacon wrapped, almond stuffed dates:  not pretty, but oh so delicious.

 



Self serve beverage service 

 



 

This cute ribbon banner, again found on pinterest, was the inspiration for my fireplace fabric banner.

 

 

Entertaining is such a motivator.  The day before the party I exchanged my summer mantle artwork and display.  I was quite pleased with this arrangement composed of items I already owned - - pays to be a pack rat antique dealer.  

 

The white eyelet was a remnant from sweet Emily's nursery.  I purchased five fat quarters - - two gray and three coral.  Again, the selection of coral fabrics was limited but I was very happy with the end product.

 

Well, that's 5 pins out of over 13,000 I used for the shower!  Look for a post next week on another pinterest inspired project.

 

Wendy