Something Old, Something New; A beautiful collaboration

Today's Garage Games submission features photos from an extraordinary woman; my Mom-in-law! If this is your first time visiting Chelsea's Garage, I am so glad you stopped by! Let me fill you in really quick so you can join! I am doing our very own Garage Games right here on the blog over the next two weeks spanning the Olympics. I am asking anyone and everyone to email me, (chelseasgarage@gmail.com), at least one photo of a home decor piece/project/craft/room that is reflective of their style and personality. It can be anything you want so long as it represents you. I will post the photos right here on the blog as they come in as a fun way of sharing our creativity and inspiring one another. At the end of the two weeks we will do a random drawing of all the people who submit photos for a chance to win a piece of jewelry from my jewelry box clean-out! I love accessorizing and have 14 fun pieces that have served me well for several years now, but alas, it's time to change things up and pass them on! So, please don't hesitate to submit your photo(s); you never know who you'll inspire and you could get a cool piece of jewelry out of it! See this post if you'd like more details and a peek at the jewelry pieces! Photos will be accepted until Sunday August 12, (closing ceremonies day for the Olympics).

Moving on to today's photos - I was so excited when I saw that my Mom in-law sent some photos in because her home is the most awesome mix of passed down antiques and new finds from all over the world! Through my father in law's work for the government they have had the opportunity to live in various places all over the world. Wherever they have lived, you can always find pieces that trace them back to their PA roots. I've learned so much from her about pairing old with new.

"On the table is a seashell from FL, Botero picture from Colombia, and a vase that welcomed me to Okinawa upon my arrival. The table is, of course, made by the Amish of Lancaster Co." -D

This GORGEOUS bedroom set is from her grandmother's side. Not sure how old it is, but her grandmother's maiden name is written inside a drawer of the dresser, (right, D?). So awesome! The beachy bedding is such a fun nod to their current residence in FL.

This dining set they picked out when they lived in Colombia for this house that, at the time, was being built in FL. The sparkling one-of-a-kind sunburst mirror is also from Colombia. Perfect accessory for a home in the Sunshine State!

A special thank you to my Mom in law for the lovely peak into her home! Isn't it beautiful?!

We've received some truly unique and stunning photos and ideas so far! Don't forget to send yours in as soon as it's ready - there are no 'wrong' photos! Whether it's an entire room that you just love spending time in or a particular accessory that caught your eye and went home with you - all are welcome here! I can't wait to see what you send!

As they say in Colombia, por favor devuelva! Please come back....I think.:)

~Chelsea

Garage Games Pics and Setting the Mood

Hello Monday. The end of the weekend is not a feeling I particularly look forward to, and I'm preeeeeettty sure I'm not alone here. But, hopefully this Garage Games submission perks you up just as it did me when I saw it!

If you are new to my blog, Welcome! Let me fill you in really quick so you can join! I am doing our very own Garage Games right here on the blog over the next two weeks spanning the Olympics. I am asking anyone and everyone to email me, (chelseasgarage@gmail.com), at least one photo of a home decor piece/project/craft/room that is reflective of their style and personality. It can be anything you want so long as it represents you. I will post the photos right here on the blog as they come in as a fun way of sharing our creativity and inspiring one another. At the end of the two weeks we will do a random drawing of all the people who submit photos for a chance to win a piece of jewelry from my jewelry box clean-out! I love accessorizing and have 14 fun pieces that have served me well for several years now, but alas, it's time to change things up and pass them on! So, please don't hesitate to submit your photo(s); you never know who you'll inspire and you could get a cool piece of jewelry out of it! See this post if you'd like more details and a peek at the jewelry pieces!

Note to all - closing ceremonies for the Olympics is Sunday, August 12. Please submit your photos prior to that date, (preferably as soon as possible so I can post a few photos each day rather than having a whole bunch in the last few days). :) Thanks!

Back to today's submission: This chica is as handy as she is beautiful; what she did with this brass chandelier, (which I am sure we've all walked past those without giving them a second thought), is completely ingenious...I'm pretty sure I'll be trying this myself in my daughter's room!

"This project was born out of both opportunity and need (the best kind if you ask me). I found a brass chandelier in my parents basement while I was home on a college break. At the time I was living in campus housing and wasn't allowed to make structural changes to my living space so there was no way I could install it if I wanted. So I disassembled it, painted it, rewired it with a swag line kit from home depot and voila! I had a upcycled chandelier I could hang from a ceiling hook and plug in to the wall outlet with the 20ft of electrical cord that came in the kit. For extra personality, I added wrapping paper to the candle shafts. I didn't need to cut a whole in the ceiling to install it but simply hang it from a hook instead!" -C

Thank you so much, C, for such a fabulous photo and idea! Keep the pics coming, gals!

For today's post I thought I'd share a short tour of our main living spaces in the evening. I look forward to the evening every day. My husband comes home from work. The noise of giggles and squeals from the babes in their excitement to play with Daddy. The smell of dinner. The smell of my babies after their bath. The quiet of my babies when they're all asleep. The peaceful calm of the home which, just a few moments ago, was a hustle and bustle of little feet running around and toys covering every square foot of surface space. I love turning all the overhead lights off and toning things down with lamp light.

{Basement}

{Living Room}

{Dining Room}

Turning down the lights in the evenings reminds me of a scene from one of my favorite movies, Meet Me in St. Louis. Esther, (played by Judy Garland -- love her!), has a scene after a party where she moves from room to room singing as she dims the lights around their massive home. I don't sing, but there is something so soothing about dimming our lights.

I am looking forward to posting more of your photos - this has been so much fun and it's only been a few days!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Chelsea

Garage Games, Day One

Hello, hello! What an amazing opening ceremonies in London yesterday; I both laughed and teared up throughout the event! Well done, London, well done!

If you missed yesterday's post I am doing our very own Garage Games right here on the blog over the next two weeks spanning the Olympics. I am asking anyone and everyone to email me, (chelseasgarage@gmail.com), at least one photo of a home decor piece/project/craft/room that is reflective of their style and personality. It can be anything you want so long as it represents you. I will post the photos right here on the blog as they come in as a fun way of sharing our creativity and inspiring one another. At the end of the two weeks we will do a random drawing of all the people who submit photos for a chance to win a piece of jewelry from my jewelry box clean-out! I love accessorizing and have 14 fun pieces that have served me well for several years now, but alas, it's time to change things up and pass them on!

I have already received some fantastic photos to kick things off for us! I love the little explanations these gals sent along with their pics.

Our first participant submitted an awesome before and after of the ceiling fan in her daughter's nursery. The white really brightens up the room and draws the eye down to the adorable nursery decor. Well done!:

"I thought I would share the fan that I redid for Bella's nursery.  I simply spray painted the base and fan blades." - M

This next gal was the lucky recipient of this fine sideboard table that her talented Mom found and refinished! I love the way she set up this gorg table with items that are as beautiful as they are meaningful to her.

"I love everything about this table. My mom bought it at a yard sale and refinished it to give it the lighter color/ distressed look it has now. The hydrangeas I dried out about a year ago and they came from my parent's yard. And of course the best part of this look is the cute picture of my pup, Lucy =o) The look of my apartment is very "beach cottage-ish" so the lantern and the seashells really pull together the look from the rest of the room." -K

 Nice work! Thank you so much for sharing these awesome photos!

Thirteen days still remain to email me your photo(s)! Whatever you want; nothing is too big or too small to share! It's just fun to pass on ideas and inspire each other!

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend out there! I'll be working on a few newcomers to the garage while Matt works on our new landscape design. I am so excited for a fresh look to the outside of our home!!! The progress will be documented weekly as this will be an ongoing project over the next few weeks.

Thank you for stopping by!

~Chelsea