Goodwill Goodie Finish Friday

Wow ~ 3 posts in 1 day!  This week's goodwill goodie makeover was a little more time consuming than the past ones I have done.  The roll top of the bread box took a little extra time to paint, distress, and wax ~ but it was well worth the effort.  Here's the makeover result ~

There was a weird glare coming from the bread box in these photos ~ the "white" that is showing up in the corners and other places is not actually there.  I think maybe the sunlight and flash caused it.  Right now, I have those great thrifty candles displayed on it.  It has been great to have some extra storage space in the kitchen ~ 'cause, really, who couldn't use some extra storage in the kitchen.

I'm hoping to get in some painting this weekend.  The weather is suppose to be changing tonight, and I would like to have as many makeovers in-the-process before it gets too cold to paint.  Then I can spend time this winter distressing, waxing, and tweaking ~ plus have something to post about!

Linking Up With Kelly's Korner ~ *Prima Ballerina*

Once again I'm sharing about our children's bedrooms on Kelly's Korner.  Next is DD's room.  Until a few months ago, it was Disney Princess and Tinker Bell ~ complete with canopy.  Then she decided that she wanted a ballerina room.  So out went the princess and in came ballet!

Luckily, the pink still works!  I have recycled the costume from her first recital as decor as well as outgrown ballet slippers, tap shoes, and leos.  She still has a few princess and Tinker Bell items mixed in ~ couldn't get rid of everything!  A few things were mine ~ the white cradle, the vintage Barbie dream house.  The vintage mirror was my great-grandmother's.

I'm still tweaking here and there ~ still have some prints to get hung, but overall very happy with the makeover!  DD is in her 3rd year of lessons and loves to dance.  She also takes cheer lessons.  I think this one is destined to become a prima ballerina and then a dance instructor!

Linking Up With Kelly's Korner ~ Dinoland!

Today I'm attempting to link up with Kelly's Korner and share photos of how I have decorated our children's bedrooms.  They are the farthest thing from prim ~ definitely customized to each child.  I will start with DS's room.  He is dinosaur-obsessed! 

Beware as you are about to enter Dinoland!

This is the product of 7 years (almost 8) of nothing but dinosaurs for every birthday and Christmas!  Every vacation that we have taken has included some kind of dinosaur related activity and dinosaur souvenir.  We're thankful that we live in the Midwest and so many fossil sites, colleges with paleontology programs, dinosaur finds, etc. are within driving distance.  Even when we went to Disney World, he was able to get his fill of dinosaurs at Animal Kingdom. This past summer we headed out to South Dakota and visited The Mammoth Site in Hot Springs, SD.  DS was able to participate in the Junior Paleontology Dig for the second time ~ we had traveled out there 5 years ago so that he could dig away!  It is an amazing place and I would highly recommend it to anyone that has a child interested in dinosaurs/ice age animals.

DS has also had the opportunity to meet 2 important paleontologists and listen to a presentation given by each.  The first was Jack Horner who was a consultant for the Jurassic Park movies.  He spoke at the Iowa State Historical Museum when they hosted "Hatching the Past: The Great Dinosaur Egg Hunt", a traveling dinosaur exhibit.  The other was Dr. Christopher Brochu who has been featured in dinosaur documentaries and he spoke at the Science Center of Iowa when they hosted a traveling dinosaur fossil/skeleton exhibit.

I'm always on the look-out for dinosaurs, books about dinosaurs, or any dinosaur related items.  It's becoming a challenge considering that he owns just about every dinosaur item that's out there!  We have started to upgrade some of his dinosaur models ~ I can't believe how expensive the nicer ones are, but I'm fairly certain that this is not a phase and it's his life's passion.  He's already investigating what colleges have paleontology programs and where they are located.  Time will tell, but I have a strong feeling that we are going to have a paleontologist in the family ~ who knows he may just become world famous!