So excited to be sharing a local California girl's home today on If These Walls Could Talk! Christina from
you can call me chris, has been a longtime blog buddy of mine. She was in the core group of bloggers I formed a friendship with online when I was early on in my blogging career. Her blog is full of fun, creative and family-friendly finds, creates occasional
free downloads and has a great
etsy shop selling invitations and stationary too. Let's take a peek inside her home...
Hi, I'm Christina, but
you can call me chris. I'm so excited to be here on SPPN today. Jackie was one of my very first blog friends, and I was thrilled when she asked me to give you a little house tour.
I live with my husband, Bryce and our kids, Hudson and Charlotte, in California's Bay Area. We moved from San Francisco to the 'burbs a couple of years ago, but moved into our current home just over a year ago when I was pregnant with Charlotte.
We live just off a busy street, in a little row of duplexes. The front of the house is not much to look at; the "front door" is actually around the side. We've got a neighborhood pool and a little park up the street, which we fondly call "Up Park". The back of our house sits right on a canyon, so we enjoy the company of visitors: deer, raccoons, squirrels, and hummingbirds, along with gorgeous sunsets and plenty of privacy.
Family room:
Since we're renting, we can't paint and we're bound to 80's tile and lighting, but it's growing on me. We don't have a coffee table, because the open floor plan is perfect for fort-building, soccer matches and pillow fights. My decorating theory is that I want everyone to feel comfortable here; I don't want our home to feel un-touchable. The couch is from
Ashley Furniture. The pillows are
Crate and Barrel, and the wall above our couch is a rotating gallery of the kids' artwork and our favorite family photos. I bought the green cabinet at a local flea market and re-painted it. The recliner is from
La-Z boy. Hudson took an immediate liking to the wet bar when we moved in, so it's been converted into a "clubhouse" for the kids' toys. The clubhouse is a pretty big hit with his buddies too.
Dining room:
Most nights, it doesn't get any fancier than mac n' cheese, but it is fun to have a formal dining set. Plus, I love having a place to display all my colorful dishes. The dining set is hand-me-down
Ethan Allen. Some relatives of mine were looking to sell their old dining set. My mom and dad bought it and drove it out to us in a U-Haul for Christmas. A real dining room is a must-have in my book. I just don't want mine to look stuffy and unusable; friends are always welcome at our table.
Charlotte's Room:
Charlotte's room was so much fun for me to decorate. The bedding (a baby gift) is
PB Kids. The furniture is Bassett Baby for Target, circa 2006. I sprayed the picture frames yellow to add some color to the walls. I made the alphabet print and the footprints (with Charlotte's help). The bicycle print and the flapper girls are from
etsy, along with the tree decal and the poms hanging in the window seat. I made the
bird mobile, but didn't trust my skills enough to dangle it over her crib. My grandfather made the rocking horse, and my sister made the toy box. I recently added C's name to the bedroom door. With a name that long she's gonna need a head-start learning to spell it :) Charlotte's room is special because many people who love her contributed to this room. I think it's pretty cool to grow up with visual reminders of the people who love you.
Hudson's room:
Hudson's room has taken on a life of it's own. Mr. H is totally opinionated and hands-on with making his space exactly how he wants it. He's still in a toddler bed...the main reason being when he moves to a twin bed, there won't be enough room for all his furniture-it'll be train table vs. the dresser. And that could get ugly. The dresser is from a
Babies R Us floor sample sale. The train table was a gift. The kitchen is from target, and the solar system mobile is from
PB Kids. Hudson also insisted that he have a line to hang up his projects-complete with "snippers" (clothes pins)-just like they have at preschool. He picked out all the framed artwork (mostly from
etsy) And recently he helped me make the vinyl wall clock. Hudson's room is great because it truly reflects the charismatic, imaginative person he is. Hanging out in Hudson's room is guaranteed to be fun.
Thanks, Jackie for having me here on your spectacular blog. It's truly an honor. And please feel free to
stop in and visit me anytime.
Don't you just love her colorful and creative home? My fave is the "hello" decal by her doorknob-I must do that! Genuis Christina! Thank you so much for opening your home up to us, and for leaving us out some cookies and milk-they were delish ;)
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