Finally!  Another installment of the long neglected William Morris Project!  It’s been quiet here on the blog, but I have been working diligently every week to do a little something to make our house a home.  I’ve been hesitant to share because….well, I’m afraid that the comparison trap got me once again.  So many times, I’ve started drafting a post only to delete it.  It’s not “Pinterest worthy” or “pretty enough” or it seems silly to write a whole post about something like organizing the pantry.  I compare myself to the blog superstars and always come out the loser.  

No more.  I’m proud of the home I’m creating!  It may never make the pages of a magazine, but it’s ours and a constant work in progress.  Today, I want to show you my new pillows!

My original plan was to DIY my own, but I seem to have expensive taste in fabric.  Hah!  So I decided to use a Target coupon, along with my 5% off for using my card, to get a pretty great deal instead.  I picked out one pillow for the colors and aesthetic, while the boys in the family chose the other.  I’ll let you guess who picked which one.

The living room is slowly coming together.  The rest of my to-do list:
+ Paint the bottom half of the room the same Manchester Tan as the top half.
+ Purchase curtain rods and curtains.
+ Decide on artwork or photographs above the TV.
+ Start a vintage globe collection to be held on top of both cabinets (and put away the Hungry Hungry Hippo game!) 

These pictures don’t really do it justice. So, so bright.  I couldn’t wait to paint over it!  I needed one coat of primer and two coats of Benjamin Moore’s Manchester Tan and I had a totally new hallway!  

I am in love with the difference, to the point where I may or may not be finding excuses to run upstairs just to look at it.  🙂


The rest of my to-do list for the hallway:

• Hang photographs
• Find artwork
• Spray paint lamp base
• Install wooden growth chart
• Replace light switch covers 
• Maybe stain the stair railings darker?

All of the broken toys went straight to the trash.  I then went through and took out the toys that I thought were never played with.  A tip that worked for me: Take these toys and put them in a box in the garage for a week.  Wait and see if your kids mention any of the toys.  If you get a “Hey Mom, have you seen my black Spiderman figure?”, discreetly pluck it from the box.  If they don’t say anything, they’re none the wiser and send ’em all to Goodwill!


All of the keepers were put in two big baskets that perfectly fit in my coat closet.  One basket holds all of the dress-up stuff: costumes, lightsabers, and Nerf guns.  The other holds miscellaneous toys like Little People toy sets and footballs.  

Feels good to have a hold on the toy situation for now!  How do you deal with your kids’ toys?  Please share your tips and tricks!  

We have a big wall in our kitchen that was the perfect space.  I picked up eight RIBBA frames from IKEA; I love the clean look and you can’t beat the price!  I used the newspaper method for the placement.

And after a morning of work, here is the final result:

I love it.  It adds so much color to the otherwise neutral area.  I love that the boys are so proud to see their pieces on display.  I also like that it will be simple to change out the pieces as they grow.  

What have you done this week to make your house feel more like home?

We have been in our current house for almost 11 months now.  A little recap for any new readers: Last summer, my husband got a wonderful new job in Northern Virginia.  For the next few months, we lived apart during the week: he stayed in a townhouse with a bunch of commuters and I was home with the kids.  We’d see him Friday night through Sunday afternoon, and then he’d make the two hour trip back.  Did I mention I was pregnant too?  It was a long summer.  

After crunching our finances, we decided to rent out our current house and buy up north. We were dying to live in the same house again full-time!  The buying experience was a whirlwind, which anyone who has purchased in NoVa knows.  That day consisted of a full day of house hunting and making an offer just hours later.  Crazy!  We moved in two weeks before Sophia was born.

The first few months were an absolute blur with a colicky baby and adjusting to my husband’s more demanding work schedule.  Home improvement took a back seat to say the least!  As the months went by, I took on small projects but never really took the time to make the house a home.

Until now.  

I want to be in love with where I’ve been planted.  I want my house to be a reflection of the six of us who live here.  I want it to be a welcoming destination for both friends and family, a gathering place for conversation and memory-making.  I want to make it feel like home.  


So, inspired by Jules at Pancakes & French Fries, I’m starting a new series here on the blog: the William Morris Project.  My hope is to share with you something I did to create an intentional home every week.  This could range from purchasing a new couch ($$$$) to organizing the kids’ closets (free!), but every week, I aim to do something to reach my goal.  And you can come along!


Another thing to note: My decorating mentality is a mix of both DIY projects on the cheap and saving our pennies to get the more expensive item.  So you’ll see both as the weeks go by.


Want a peek at my gigantic to-do list?  A few of the items to look forward to:
+ Paint the boys’ bedroom
+ Organize the kitchen cabinets and drawers
+ Tile the laundry room floor
+ Art for the dining room…maybe try a blueprint copy?
+ Create a mudroom
+ Gallery wall in nursery
+ New chairs for the kitchen table
+ Artwork for above the master bed
+ Simplify and organize my office
+ Add layers to the living room: pillows, throw, etc.
+ Dining room light fixture
…and so much more! 


See you next week with the first project: a gallery wall of my kids’ artwork!