Mudroom lockers in garage or laundry room...

...that is the question.

My laundry room:

Ya.  It's really that bad.

Before we moved our washer and dryer into the space it looked like this.  It 'looks' good but the functionality of those corner cabinets was so bad it was big waste of space.  So.....

Out they came......almost two years ago.

I love the additional space and have been waiting to finish the area until I figure out what I want.  There is a sink on the left and so I will be replacing it with a stainless steel sink and new countertop.  But nothing on the back wall (the wall you face when you enter).  As for the area on the right, I'm thinking about the following two options:

1.  Slide the washer and dryer over to the left and build three lockers for my kids and all their gear (minus the shoes which are in the garage).  ...Space might be an issue.

2.  Leave everything where it is and just add a nice counter top from wall to wall over the washer and dryer.  I would then buy three (or five) modular mudroom lockers for my garage.  But would the nasties of the garage ruin our stuff?  hmmmmm.....

Here's a photo of the type of mudroom lockers I'm thinking about building or buying:

Should I build mudroom lockers in my laundry room or buy modular types for my garage?

Keep Thriftin', like the do-dah man, just keep thriftin' o on, o o on!

Did a little thrifting today after dropping the kids off at camps.  My friend Alyssa and I met at the Goodwill and had fun browsing the aisles and filling our carts with completely random and highly necessary items.  The indoor golf thingamajig is a perfect present for my son who will be 8 next week.

Gotta love the boutique section at the Goodwill.  I got this cool shell bracelet and a metal hinged black beaded bracelet.

A fun owl clock to add to my clock collection in my tacky bathroom, a black skater helmet for my kids, and my new favorite green scarf!

A shower nozzle so I can rinse the sand out of my son's hair, a timex alarm clock/sound machine so I can drown out the voices in my head, and a cute Indian style top for my daughter.

And what is that you ask?  What is that fabulous upholstered piece of furniture under my display of thrift store goods?

That is my new couch I was drooling over for weeks at another thrift store.  I picked it up 30% off for $20 when I got my new dining room chairs.  

Here's the photo I carried on my phone for over a week.  My iphone made it a little brighter then in real life.  I even went back twice to check it out again.  I was originally thinking of putting it in my bedroom, but when my husband saw the picture he said it made him want to puke.  So.....I rearranged my office because that baby had to come home with me!

I love it.  And so does Milton.

Tree Branch Curtain Rod

You may remember about a year ago I shared a picture of an aspen tree (gnawed down by a beaver), tied to the top of my truck.  Or maybe not, since you probably have a lot better things running through your head!  Anyhoo, I've been collecting branches and well, trees, to use as curtain rods in my master bedroom.

3D wooden blocks - Children's Auction Art Project

Remember last year's (2010) auction art project 'Vase with Flowers'?  And last February's  'Our Neighborhood' from the primary students? Well I'd finally like to share the lower elementary class auction art project 'Our Universe.'

Watercolor Tricks & Techniques

The following photos are taken from a poster I made as a reference guide for lower elementary children during an art project for the school auction.  For more about the art project please check out 'Our Universe.'

Shutter Wall -- New Dining Room Chairs!

I was thrifting around the other day when I came across a pretty sweet couple of finds.  It was 30% off day and we'll just say I had to take like 6 trips to bring all my goodies home.  I saw this beautiful dining room table from the 1920's and just had to figure out how to use it.

I first discovered it earlier in the week, but once it hit 30% off I knew it just had to be mine.  The table is now my new office desk (post coming soon), and the chairs are perfect in my dining room with my Shutter Wall.

 I'll probably recover their seats with a fun bright color, (maybe turquoise?) and I hope to someday construct a larger dining room table with a concrete top.  Check out the detail in these chairs, aren't they gorgeous?

Are room designs ever complete in your house?  I'm beginning to think that my house is always in a state of evolution!

On a personal note, I hope to share more posts soon from my explosion of creative projects on which I've been working.  My son and I tried homeschooling these past few months.  More power to you homeschool parents!  That is some serious hard work.  All in all it was a wonderful experience however I have decided that sending my son TO school is a better option for me.  I missed my selfish creative projects, I missed having the laundry done, and I missed my sanity.  All I can say right now is....yay for summer camp!