Thank you, Creatively Christel, for sponsoring this post, Our Fixer Upper: Guest Bathroom. I was selected for this opportunity by Creatively Christel; the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Fixing up a home is a long road. Whoever actually feels like they can flip a house in a 30 minute style like they do on television is insane. Even those shows that show the real timeline of things and some of the struggles, they tend to have unlimited financing for things that pop up and for all of the "nice to have's". Our house was more realistic and a traditional flip. We did not contract a lot of the work out which made our timeline longer and our budget better. Thankfully, my father has a history in construction and knows a thing or two about how to navigate a Lowe's or Home Depot and my husband has been willing to learn along the way.
I can honestly say that this is the first season that I feel like we have a complete home. We sort of did last year, but in a season of Ollie being an infant, my energy was nowhere near in decor mode. Now that fall is among us and even though the temperatures in the midwest is still blazing hot, our home is starting to appear more like the holidays.
I traditionally stay away from Halloween decor, because 1) I do not necessarily enjoy all of the creepy things, and 2) the window of decor is so short. However, my fall decor game is in full swing. I wanted to add some touches throughout the house, even in the little spaces.
Our guest bathroom resides smack dab in the middle of our home. It is only bathroom on our main floor and gets used a lot by guests. Going back to the "nice to have's" in a fixer upper, I would have loved to knock out the dated sink and cabinetry; however, the budget just did not allow. When we moved in, the walls were screaming with a green color and the floor was super dated. Add some cheap looking fixtures and there was still a lot to do in this little room. Add a little better choice paint colors, some new fixtures, homemade cabinets and some floor that we repurposed from the original kitchen and we had ourselves a styling place!
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One of the things that I love about this transformation was that just with a little love and decor, the room really transformed. Like I said earlier, I am so excited to allow a fall decor explosion on my home this year and this guest bathroom is no different.
One of the things that I am loving about my fall decor is this perfect piece from Creatively Christel, a small shop on Etsy. If you have been around for awhile, you know my love for small shops and how much I adore supporting them. The idea of lending a helping hand to somebody that it impacts so directly just makes my heart melt. That is why I knew that her chicken-wire framed pumpkin would be a perfect match for our home!
Christel is no expectation. She started to dabble with wood in her dad's shop after a few attempted sales on Etsy with food! She absolutely loves creating new pieces for her shop and still does!! Now, most of her shop is some sort of wood creation. Although, she has added a small vintage section and she has a few wheat pieces, which are mostly made to order. I loved how individualistic this item is. I had never seen anything like it. When it first came in the mail, I thought I would find a tiny clothes pin and use it as a photo holder; however, for now, I love it as it is. The piece will go with me all the way up until Thanksgiving, giving it a good shelf life each year!
Her designs are so well priced y'all! From garland to ornaments, wooden sign, and more, her items are as low at $6, which beats any local craft fair that I've been to lately. They are adorable and vary according to what you are looking for so I highly suggest going and checking her out. She is also give you a 15% discount code with your order! Use "blogreaderspecial15" for 15% off in her shop!
Here is a little bit more about Christel, the owner of Creatively Christel:
How did you get your shop started?
Interestingly enough, my shop got started by selling sweet treats not wood decor. I made chocolate covered, peanut butter filled Ritz crackers and pretzels with a white chocolate wafer and an M&M on top. However, I quickly realized that the food industry was not for me. Soon after, I began dabbling in woodworking in my dad's wood shop and was pleasantly surprised when a few of my original designs sold. Of course this fueled my passion in wood crafts and I started creating new pieces to sell on-line.
What is the hardest part of owning a shop?
The hardest part about owning a shop is finding the time to create new things on top of the orders that have to be made.
What is one thing unique about you?
While I was in college I learned to weave wheat into decorative wall-hangings. For several years I participated in local craft shows selling my designs. When I opened my Etsy shop, I began selling my wheat on-line as well. Although my wheat was/is quite popular, the majority of the items that I currently sell in my shop are wood or vintage pieces.
What is the best part of owning a shop?
The best part of owning a shop is that I get to set my own schedule.
How did you get your shop name?
All of my life people have always told me that I was so creative because I was always using my hands to create things. So when I chose my name, I knew I had to have the word creative somewhere in the title.
What is one way that you keep organized?
One way that I keep organized is with lists. I make to-do lists for items that I want to make (that includes sketches), items that I need to make (restocking and sold items), materials I need to purchase, and lists for shipping timelines.
How do you balance family life and work life?
I am still working on finding a balance between family life and work life. But, typically I work in my wood shop on my husband's day off and he watches our son. On other days, I work at home while my son is napping or in the evening after he is in bed.
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