The Pink Frame... and everything else that goes with it!

Remember my sneak preview post? Well, now, it's finally here... THE BIG REVEAL, if you will. These three little pink pieces, one of which is the pink frame some of you so sweetly enthused about, sitting atop this black shelf (perfect for purse-hanging!) belong here:

My ultra-girly, oh-so-fun, super-fab laundry room!

It's a tiny little space, just big enough for the washer and dryer and space to walk through to the garage. But it's MY space. My sweet husband gave me his full permission to go as all-out girly and pink as I wanted to, so that is exactly what I did. Since I completed this project, it has become one of my favorite rooms in our home-- silly, I know, but true.

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I began by painting it yellow, using leftover paint from our dining area-- it's a perfect, cheery, laundry room color, and this way I didn't have to go buy another whole can of paint for this tiny room. After the painting was done, then the REAL fun started: decorating. And oh! the deals I found! It all fell together so perfectly once I started looking and my creative juices got flowing. But enough chit-chat from me: let's see the pictures and I'll give you the run-down as we go.

I had to take this shot so you could see the cute pink rugs I found at Target: $6.99 for the pair. It was so perfect that I happened to be looking around Valentine's Day-- I don't usually see pink rugs any other time!

Purse peg-board/shelf: already had it, spray-painted it black. Vintage metal frame from Goodwill: $1.75, spray-painted pink. For the insert, I glued a peony cut out of a greeting card onto pink-polka-dot fabric and added black ribbon and a sweet little vintage button I found in my "button jar". This "frame" is actually an antique black outlet plate (I got it thrown in for free at some yard sale, never quite knowing what in the world I would do with it, since it didn't fit any of our outlets) that I spray-painted pink. Then I just cut paper to the right size and glued it on, next adding some scrapbooking stickers and colored pencil embellishments.
Plastic frame from Goodwill: 75 cents, spray-painted pink. For the insert I googled "vintage laundry" and found this image, printed it out, colored in the washing machine, glued it over some scrapbooking paper and the same black ribbon, and added a sparkly button as the finishing touch.
Glass pitcher for vase: $5 at Ross. Peonies: $2 a bunch at Michael's. I already had the glass gems sitting in a drawer. Vintage white vase: a house-warming gift from my dear sis-in-law way back when we moved into our second tiny apartment! It was just waiting for the perfect home, and it looks so charming with a touch of ribbon and vintage button to dress it up. Pink beaded garland: $9 in the wedding section at Michael's.

Basket in which to keep all my cleaning refills and extra laundry things: had it for years, spray-painted it white. Peony hat-box: $3 at Ross. Good ol' Ross!
Black polka-dot ironing board cover: $20 on eBay. How cute is that?? Glass jar in which to keep my laundry detergent: already had it, it just needed a good use-- and boy does it work perfectly for this. Blue flowered wastebasket (for all that pesky dryer lint): $6 at Ross. Box: I already had this, but it was a rather ugly green and cream with huge roses on it. So, I spray-painted it pink, glued on the same black ribbon used other places, and adorned it with some pretty vintage buttons. And look, it was made to serve a purpose too:
It holds my dryer sheets perfectly! So much prettier than that ugly orange dryer sheet box sitting around.
Shutter "wall hooks": hand-me-down decor from a friend, spray-painted them black. I wanted a place to hang my "errand list" so I could grab it on my way out. This adorable notepad was a birthday gift from a friend.
"A reminder of all the fabulous things I need to do"

There you have it, my happy little haven of girly-ness, pink and flowers. Maybe it seems a bit cheesy, maybe a bit overdone-- I don't know. But I love it. And it is well worth it every time laundry day rolls around and I find myself standing in that tiny room pulling clothes out of the dryer. I revel in my God-given roles of wife, mommy, homemaker, even when it means chores and tasks galore-- which is pretty much all the time. However, everyone needs a little help in the day-to-day grind-- as evidenced by plants in cubicles and smiling family pictures on work desks. One way we can bring joy to these tasks is by taking the time to make them enjoyable, to surround ourselves with a cheerful, orderly place that brings happiness and keeps our good attitudes afloat. This little laundry room of mine is just one example of the many ways we can do that.

No matter what your calling or job, remember this: Nothing is too commonplace, too lowly, or too mundane to be lifted higher and made beautiful in some way-- not even laundry.

"Whatever you do, do all for the glory of God."

1 Corinthians 10:31