Spring "cleaning"

So one of the things that Jimmy and I have been tossing around the last month is should we move or not.  There are just things about the layout of our house that we are not fans of now that Charlie is here...things that we never thought about 4 years ago when we bought our house.  We called our realtor, looked at open houses, made a list of the to-dos to get our house "sale-ready" and talked numbers.  Lots of energy and thought was put into it.  But in the end, we've decided to stay put at least for another year.  We have done SO much to our house (literally redone every room, remodeled the kitchen and both full baths, etc.) that we know it will be nice to have some time in it to just enjoy all the hard work we've put in to make it our home.  Plus - I need one more summer in the cute little town of Prairie Village.  The big trees that line the sidewalks and the city pool just down the street - let alone the parks a block from our house and of course...our neighbors (my sister and our friends).  So that's it - we're staying - decision was made and all are happy.  The best choice for us right now.

With that said - now I'm getting a little inkling to do some fun decorating projects.  Nothing crazy or expensive, but just make it a little more fun and functional to live in for the next year or so while Charlie grows and starts getting to be on the move. 

Here are my spring/summer projects that I want to do! 

1. Transform the basement/man cave into a little more functional room.  Particularly, carve off a corner or side of the room for a legit home office.  I tried to make something of the sorts in our family room and it's fine for filing papers, etc.  However, with grad school in full force and after this semester just TWO classes left (which I'll be taking both in the fall - gross), I really am in need of a space to sit down at do studying/homework and not have distractions (these include my child, 3 dogs and the TV).  I'm loving this desk design and the corkboard on the walls.  Good colors too!

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 2. A little color makeover of our downstairs family room.  We just got a new sectional down there that we custom ordered for the size and it's perfect.  However, I'm not loving the red beam any more.  The walls would still stay the beige neutral, but I would like to make it a little more subdued with the curtains and the beam and then get some cute and cheap pillows for pops of color and fun wall accessories.  I like these curtains a lot. 

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 I really like these pillows and the ottomans - good fabric!

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3. This might be the MOST important one that I want to change.  Our laundry "room" or lack thereof a room.  Our laundry is in the basement in the unfinished part.  Which is fine.  We live in an old house and I'm just happy it's not in the garage and that we refinished part of our garage to make the basement entrance all inside.  But if you are a parent - you have an idea of how much laundry is done in a week.  I didn't think it was possible for this small child to go through so many clothes, PJs, burp cloths, sheets, etc.  But he does.  That means Jimmy and I are constantly changing and folding laundry.  I would just really like a little happier space where I spend so much time (is that too much to ask???).  I'm thinking of hanging some "curtains" on the walls so I don't have to look at the concrete and then getting some folding stations or something like that.   I LOVE this look below.  I feel like it wouldn't be too hard or expensive either.

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 4. I need to do something with flowers outside.  I'm horrible at planting and keeping anything alive (just ask Jimmy).  But I want to plant some and maybe even do a garden this spring/summer to get some fresh veggies too.  Just a few pots or something like this will do (Lord knows I need to start SMALL on this one...)

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Anyone else have any big plans?  I have NO idea when I will even have time to get all these things done or plan them out...but who knows, during the summer I'm not taking any classes, so I'm thinking maybe then??