Room Makeover... Sorta...

Boy #1 has a little reading nook in his room, and it was looking a little bare.  Time for a project!  An easy one at that.

I added a tension shower curtain rod and a fabric shower curtain to his room.  It adds color and blocks at the sunlight in the morning.

Then, I switched out his previous bookcase / seating area (Ikea's Billy Height Extension Unit) that was under the window and bought a storage ottoman.  The Billy was fine, and he sat on it all the time to look out the widow.  But I found that the books weren't staying in there and it was constantly messy.  And I wanted to make it cushiony, but that required a custom size.  I'm too lazy for that.

Lastly, two prints were framed and placed on the wall.  I found both ideas on Pinterest, naturally.  I created the alphabet one after seeing the idea.  (The post provided a .pdf, but it was not editable.) 

Unfortunately, there are no "before" pictures, but it didn't change that much anyway.  ;)

• shower curtain from Ikea: Hallback (bought in store recently, but don't see it online)
• red storage ottoman from Target: Circo Double Storage Ottoman
• alphabet print: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5gYg6AytK0SWHJiWVlEWk5BX0k/edit?usp=sharing     (In case Google Drive doesn't help, I did in PowerPoint.  Font is Century Gothic.  Alphabet is size 100.  "Is for" is size 66.  His name is size 72.)
• You are My Sunshine print: http://www.designerblogs.com/you-are-my-sunshine-free-printable/
• teal 8"x10" frame from Michaels: Utopia Wall Frame

If you're curious about this bookshelf, I bought it secondhand from a neighbor.  But it's the Kids' Sling Bookshelf with Storage Bins from One Step Ahead.

This Little Piggy...

I had always turned coffee cans into piggy banks.  Even the rectangular Maxwell House International Coffee ones.  I thought they were cute and fun.  Now, I've stepped it up a notch.  Well, a small notch.

I finally got around to making a piggy bank out of a Similac formula canister.  I took the label off and wrapped it in washi tape.  I then used an Xacto knife and cut a slit into the lid.  Next step was to place a sheet of scrapbook paper on top and press down until I got an impression of the edges.  (Since it's an inside lip, it's kind of hard to trace.)  Cut that out.  Use a glue stick around the edges of the lid and stick that bad boy on there.  Last step is to then use the Xacto knife again and cut out the slit through the paper.  (Do it from the bottom.)  The reason I did that last is because I used some of the wording on the lid as a guide as to wear to place the slit.  It is simpler than it sounds!