MASTER BEDROOM REFRESH

I’ve had the itch for a few years now to do a total master bedroom and bathroom refresh. This past winter I finally took the plunge and started on the bathroom, which you can read about here. When that was all finished, I knew the bedroom had to be next! (No more excuses!) It was the last "untouched" room in the farmhouse. Since we bought our "labor of love" in 2010, we've taken on 80s wallpaper, outdated carpeted, and cramped spaces. The master bedroom had been refurbished but was still desperately in need of a face lift.

My goals: make the space BRIGHTER, FRESHER, and more ROMANTIC. I’ve been in love with the sliding barn doors look lately, so I thought I’d incorporate it into the final product.

The first order of business was to give the space a fresh coat of paint. (I used Behr paint.) Since I wanted to lighten and freshen things up, I went with a white on the ceiling and on the walls. I also repainted all the base boards and trim with interior trim paint from Behr as well. I thought the bedroom still needed a little more texture, so I decided to paint the floors to give them a rustic feel.

For the floors, I used a combination of varnish, white paint, white chalk paint and grey porch & floor paint. Whatever you have lying around that fits the “vibe” would work just as well! The original color was beige. I dragged varied colors over the boards with a paintbrush to create that wonderful “weathered” look. Because the end goal was more organic, it didn’t have to be perfect!

By far the biggest change was installing the vintage doors over the closet. These doors were rescued, restored and refinished to give the space a whole new look.

…HOWEVER, their original color (dark hunter green) needed to go. Yikes! I turned to my faithful friend, Citrus Strip. This product does wonders when you’re taking the paint off furniture! Especially four layers of paint!

NEXT: I found some silver tin backsplash panels at Lowe's, in the kitchen department, and knew they would be the perfect "windows" to compliment the arched portion of the doors. They were an easy install - I used superglue! Below, I've included some pictures that inspired the "look.” Truthfully, I just experimented with the look of the doors until I found an arrangement I liked...

Photos via Unsplash

Once the doors were repainted & ready to be hung, I needed hardware. I did my research on a few different hardware companies and knew I wanted a company that put quality and craftsmanship first. After many hours of research (plus visiting several different stores to check out the quality first-hand), I decided to go with a company called Rustica Hardware.

What made Rustica stand out to me was the fact that all their steel is made right here in the USA. Pretty cool, right? When I reached out to the company, they were kind enough to work with me to help find what I was looking for: hardware that would look beautiful contrasted with vintage doors. I ended up going with the “Struck” hardware, and you guys? It’s gorgeous! Bonus, the installation was super easy.

Rustica also sells a ton of furniture and beautiful metal & wooden barn doors. If you’re looking for the perfect finishing touch for your next DIY project, I can’t recommend them enough! I mentioned this on IG, but friends: please go over & say hello to the folks at Rustica. I'm not getting paid to say it, but I stand behind their product! It's great quality and the folks I've worked with have been so kind and efficient.

The hardware came in about a week, and Mr. Maple attached the hangers at the top of the door, then the track. From there we just sat the doors on the track and put the handles on. Easy-peasy! I snagged the handles from Lowe’s for cheap, in black, to match the other pieces.

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1: hanging the track. 2: putting the doors on. 3: handles!

For my FINAL LOOK, I staged the room with sunflowers and lots of sunlight. The bedding is from Piper Classics – seriously, the coziest bedding! Perfect for those chilly fall & winter nights. (IG here.) The chandelier is from Antique Farmhouse. (They have the coolest wooden signs!)

I’m so happy with the overall product, and glad I get to finally share it with you guys! Have you ever refinished any furniture or doors? What’s your latest DIY project? How do you think this one turned out? Let me know in the comments or on Instagram, @maplecreekmarket !

Blessings,

Ginny

#life #diy #famrhouse #farm #vintage #vintagefarmhouse #countryliving #rusticahardware #rustic #doors #bedroom #bedroomremodel #sunflowers #summer

COLLEGE MOVE-IN DAY

Well, here we are folks! Welcome to the start of August! It’s that time of year again: parents starting prepping their college students for “The Big Move” back to dorms or apartments. Over at Maple Creek, we’re getting ready to push the last two chicks out of the nest (LOL!) as they embark on their next adventure at Baylor.

This is round three for us, and I’d like to think that I’ve learned a few things from my first two experiences. It wasn’t always pretty – or peaceful! – but we got everyone settled in and set up for their first semester away. For my fellow college-student mommas, I thought I’d share some tips and tricks that helped make move-in day a huge success. The goal is to keep the process as stress-free as possible from start to finish!

My NUMBER ONE recommendation is….

When you get that first college essentials list, it’s tempting to rattle through the whole thing in an attempt to be AS PREPARED AS POSSIBLE, which tends to mean more bags, more packing, and more mess.

I’ve found that you can wait on buying many on these “essentials” until you arrive at the dorms and start to get settled. Make a list of things that you think you may need (or know your kids can’t live without, like favorite shoes, or a blanket or comforter from home) and compare lists when you get there.

It’s definitely a different generation from when us mommas went to college, and with the touch of a button most major retailers can have what you need in a day or two. When my oldest moved in I made the mistake of purchasing everything but the kitchen sink. Lots of the stuff, he never even used! So be cautious when packing up the car. If you, like us, have a one- or two-day car trip ahead of you, a lighter packed car can be helpful!

Photo by Erol Ahemd on Unsplash

Unless you’re flying, there’s no real need to buy a ton of suitcases for clothes…because, as we found out the hard way, where do you store them once they’re empty?!

Large heavy-duty garbage bags work great to put clothes in. For nicer garments, you can keep the hangers on and pull white garbage bags up from the bottom to tie at the top. Voila! Cheap, inexpensive garment bags that can be recycled and reused.

Photo by Erda Estremera on Unsplash

Yup, that’s right…make sure your student has their very own first aid kit! Not the coolest accessory on the block, but definitely one that will come in handy.

Fill with band-aids and the usual supplies, PLUS extra goodies like Emergen-C, cold medicine, multivitamins, scissors, a tiny sewing kit (for those at-the-worst-moment loose buttons) and even different kinds of tape. The essentials are up to you!

Just make sure you have a well-rounded kit that’s ready to face down any emergency.

Photo by Jesse Ramirez on Unsplash

This is a big one! Make sure you check the college’s website for all move-in day policies & procedures.

At Baylor, where my children attend, they have teams of students waiting curbside to help unpack cars and direct students to check-in.

The website will also have schedules for parents, things that might be banned from dorms (such as blenders, coffee makers, etc.), parking information and directions to your child’s dorm.

Putting my crew to work!

It sounds simple, but we forgot it in a big way the first time around. Moving in is a lot of work!

It tends to be hot in August, no matter what part of the country you’re in, so bring a small cooler with ice, drinks and snacks to help provide a little pick-me-up during the long day.

If at all possible, bring a small tool kit for hanging things and putting containers and shelving units together.

Figuring out efficient storage can be a little chaotic, so it helps to have at least a hammer and screwdriver.

You can even leave it with your college students so they have it for future use (or if any of that DIY furniture falls apart!).

Photo by Liana Mikah on Unsplash

…and make the bed last. Use the bed as a docking station to put bags and cases.

Once everything is organized and put away, then make the bed. It’s an easy final touch to the dorm room and helps to pull everything together.

Congratulations! You’re almost there! This time next year, you’ll be offering up your own tips & tricks like a pro. If I can gently remind you of one thing – that I constantly, constantly remind myself – it would be to be PATIENT.

This is a huge transition for you and your student, and it isn’t easy on anyone. While this time of growth can be challenging, it’s incredibly rewarding to help set your student up for success as they step into this next chapter of their lives.

Photo by Anton Darius on Unsplash

Friends, do you feel MORE PREPARED for this year? Let me know in the comments if any of these tips helped! Be sure to tag me on Instagram if you try them! @maplecreekmarket ! What’s your college move-in essential? Your favorite moving day memory?

Don't forget to stay tuned for some fun blog news...

Have a blessed week, and thanks for reading!

-Ginny

#vintage #vintagefarmhouse #college #movein #dorm #backtoschool #sheep #farm #farmhouse #betterhomesandgardens #tipsandtrick #diy #life #love

DIY: FLORAL CENTERPIECES

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I have a slight obsession with flowers & DIY projects! When I began to plan my parents 60th wedding anniversary party, I immediately wanted to incorporate both in a fun, whimsical way.

I looked to some amazing floral accounts for inspiration in the Instagram world. John Mark over @johnmarkenterprises had one centerpiece design in particular that I fell in love with and knew would be perfect. It incorporated wood & flowers, which are a huge part of who my parents are!

My parents still live in my childhood home, nestled in a beautiful setting in the mountains of central Pennsylvania. My Dad is an avid outdoor man and my Mom has always loved her flowers & plants. Unfortunately, my Mom is now battling Alzheimer's, a terrible disease, and is no longer able to care for her gardens or even herself. Since I knew this could my parents' last milestone anniversary, I wanted to make it the best one yet.

Sketch in hand, I sat down with Mr. Maple Creek and asked if he thought we could pull these gorgeous centerpieces off. With a little bit of doubt (and a WHOLE lot of determination!) we set out building a model. We gathered some old scrap lumber from around the farm, then determined how wide we wanted our base to be. I thought a circular base around sixteen inches wide should support the weight of the structure.

Here’s a fun DIY tip: can’t draw a perfect circle? Use the base of a bucket! We traced a base onto the wood, and cut the circles with our handy-dandy jigsaw. The bare wood wasn’t quite serving the “look” I wanted, so for the finished base I used a mahogany stain to boost the resemblance to a real log. I decided to make four of the large centerpieces for the four main tables, and then use smaller flower arrangements and lanterns on the other tables.

After the bases were cut, we rounded up some old wood scraps & sticks from around the farm…dead limbs and branches that had fallen from the trees were recycled for a faux-vase around the centerpiece. We used drywall screws to secure the wood in place, and I covered the rest with reindeer moss from the Dollar Tree. That was the only cost from this project – only around five dollars!

Our biggest challenge was the containers on top. WHAT in the WORLD was I going to use to hold all the flowers? When I did a dry run with fake flowers, I used a milk jug cut in half and painted green. This worked perfectly? Until…

The real flowers came. Sadly, the weight of fresh flowers was too much for the shallow containers, so my brother had the idea to use old coffee cans! Again, we were able to recycle and pinch a few more pennies. My sweet brother Wade attached each of the coffee cans to the centerpieces and put a seal around the screw that went into the log so that it wouldn’t leak water.

BUT YA’LL. While the centerpieces were exciting, the icing on the cake were the GORGEOUS flowers from Petal Driven! I wanted to stick with a pink and white theme, so they sent me an assortment of gorgeous pink peonies and lilies. When the flowers arrived on Wednesday, they were fresh and packaged to perfection. I have never met a flower from Petal Driven that I didn’t like!

Get your own fresh cut flowers and gorgeous bouquets with Petal Driven! Friends, you will NOT regret it. Not sure where to start? They have a team of designers that can help you build the perfect arrangement! Or choose your own, from succulents to flowers to greens! Check them out here. Below, I'll include a peek at the flowers they sent me for a fun Petal Driven party in April...

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Beautiful, right? Thank you Petal Driven! We're big fans here at Maple Creek.

That’s a wrap on this week’s DIY! Hope you guys enjoyed and picked up a few useful tips for your next project! Have you tried to build your own centerpieces? How did it go? What’s your favorite DIY project you’ve attempted recently? Let me know in the comments!

#betterhomesandgardens #table #centerpiece #DIY #diyproject #summer #summerprojects #summerdiy #countryliving #courtlycheck #vintagefarmhouse #vintage #maplecreekmarket #flowers #petaldriven