Around Here Lately...

Phew... we had a very productive weekend here at the Heckman household.

We completed a couple of projects that have been on my "To Do" list for - I'm not kidding - probably two years!

It feels so good to get a couple of things marked off the list, and it inspires me to get moving on some other fun projects around the house.

First off, and most importantly, we made huge progress on converting Payton's room into a joint room for both boys.

Some people have suggested that they are too old to share a room, but they both really wanted to give it a try and we desperately need the 3rd bedroom converted into an office for Brian, so we're going to give it a shot.

The good thing is, we're holding on to the trundle daybed that is currently Parker's bed, so if things don't go as smoothly as we hope, we can always give them separate rooms again down the road.

But for now... we finally painted Payton's room, which I've been wanting to do for years. It was still the baby blue color that we painted it when he wasn't even born yet. It was perfect for a nursery, but way too baby-ish for a 10-year old.

After much research on Houzz and Pinterest, I decided on a gray & white paint palette, with dark brown espresso furniture and white bed linens with accents of orange. It may sound strange, but trust me, it's going to be SO sharp!

Here's a little sneak peek of the paint:

We did one wall in stripes, which I love. I wanted to do more, but Brian felt it would be too busy. So, I told him for now, we'd keep it at one wall, but if I change my mind, he has to help me measure out the stripes for the other walls. :)

We also finally decided on bunk beds, which has been a never-ending discussion for over a year now. I wanted dark wood, a twin over a full, beds that could be separated into single beds (should we so choose to do so), and sturdy enough for both boys to lay on the top bunk if they want.

I am thrilled with our final choice, and can't wait to have them delivered later this week!

And since we were on a roll with home improvement projects, I also had Brian install window sheers in the family room.

I am not in love with our blinds that are currently in there, but until we have the cash to buy plantation shutters, I am just looking for a way to "conceal" them a bit. Again, after much research on Pinterest, I thought these breezy sheers added just the right amount of texture and coverage for these windows.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

And since we saved so much money painting the boys' room ourselves, I treated myself to a little online shoe shopping! Check out these gorgeous calf-hair heels!

I know the heel looks high, but they are SO comfortable! And you'll never guess the price!

I scored these beauties for just $42! Come on now, that's amazing! Click here if you'd like do a little shoe shopping of your own. I also love these gorgeous ones, but they're closer to $100, which is still a great price for a pair of Vince Camuto heels:

And a couple more cute pictures to end this random post...

Parker has learned how to "pump" his legs on the big-boy swings, thus not needing mommy to push him anymore. It makes me very proud, but kinda sad at the same time. He's growing up so quickly these days. :(

Good thing he still likes to wear costumes to the park and be silly even when it's just a random Tuesday. Gotta love the free spirit of children!

That's it for today. I have lots of great posts brewing backstage including a new recipe for Slow Cooker boneless pork chops, and the next installment of my "Marriage & Family" series where I'll be talking about marriage counseling. In the meantime... this was just too funny not to share...