Boys Room Updates

Well, after having an awesome Patriotic room, the boys were getting a little tired of the same things on their walls because they kept pulling down all the decals, curtains and flag- literally all 3 were on the ground at the same point of time after being pulled down numerous times before and I decided it was time for a change.  

Living Room Redo- Board and Batten DIY

So for my birthday this year I requested a little spruce up of the living room/kitchen where I spend most of my time and where there are some things we have been wanting to change and add since we have been living here.  We did board and batten in the living room then decided to use the leftover pieces and get some more to do the bathrooms while we were at it.  It made such a huge difference and after doing that I changed out a few accessories and felt like I had a whole new house!  I also touched up the white paint in my whole house (baseboards, cabinets, dresser, etc) so that made a huge difference too.  I was able to complete the whole house revamp for under $700- here is the breakdown:

Easiest Blackout Curtains for $15!

After having 3 kids and Allie starting school early in the morning my kids bedtime became VERY important to me!  Haha!  Allie and I used to stay up til 1am sometimes when my husband was working full time AND in school full time just so we could see him.  After Macsen came along bedtime was still pretty late- around 9/10pm.  It makes me laugh to say that my kids are now rarely out of their beds later than 8 and I usually get them in their beds at 7!  It is AWESOME and keeps me sane, but when the sun starts hanging around later it created a little bit of a problem- that is, until I made their black out curtains.

How to Train Your Dragon Costumes

I had a lot of questions from my friends about these costumes so I thought I would share how I made them.  I think I ended up spending about 2 hours tops on these and only about $10 or less.  My mom made the boys' Toothless costumes by using Pinterest posts as her guide- you can find those on my Halloween board.

Favorite Things Friday

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday!  I have a couple things today that I am REALLY excited to share and tell you about.  First of all:

1. Apple Cider Vinegar:

I just started drinking a Tbsp. of ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) in a cup of warm water and a little Truvia to make it drinkable and I CAN'T BELIEVE the difference it is making.  Not only does it completely curb cravings and give me energy, but I also have NO appetite lately (not sure if that's a good or bad thing with all this yummy food around haha...)  There are all sorts of health benefit claims of ACV, so I was curious about it and started drinking some of the cheap store brand, then once I noticed such a difference I bought this Braggs brand with the 'Mother' that supposedly adds to the health benefits.

2. Twice! 

Oh my goodness I am beyond excited about the clothes I have gotten off of this site!  I have maybe spent $12 and have gotten hundreds of dollars worth of clothing!  Read more about it here and you can get yourself $80 of clothing for under $5 too!

3. Jamberry Nails

I have to make a confession- I have a bad habit of picking at my nails.  Gel nails only lasted a couple days for me, and regular nail polish looks bad after one day.  Jamberry nails have stayed on longer than any other product!  I'm going on a week right now!  Plus, you can't get super cute designs like theirs with anything else.  Plus, they aren't messy and have no dry time, which makes them super great for little kids (my 6 year old loves "girl parties" and asks me to have them with her a lot, so doing these for our "girl party" was super easy, fun, and not messy at all.) You can buy them here- they make great gifts!

4. These babies I got to photograph this last weekend:

5. Inka Coffee Substitute with Cafe Mocha Coffeemate Creamer.  YUM! 

I have been drinking this in the evening as a little treat after dinner and to get myself warm- it is SOOO cold!  Combined with the ACV in the morning, I have no desire to eat any other treats-which for me has meant losing the remainder of my baby weight!  Yay!  

Allie & Macsen's Room Reveal!

Well, I FINALLY put together the finishing touches for Allie and Macsen's room on Saturday and took some pictures!  Here are a few of my inspiration images for the room:

And here is the finished product:

Wood letters from Craft cuts

Giraffe pillow from Chic Decor Pillows on Etsy

Pompom pillows handmade by me :)

White down comforter from Ikea

Lantern mobile from Janiegirl crafts on Etsy

Pom poms added to mobile from Perfect Poms on Etsy

Steiff bear- gift from the grandparents :)

Stripes on the wall- contact paper (thrifted)

More details about the letters since I get a lot of questions on those:
The font was Quorum Blk BT.  I did the size 16 inch with 1/4 thickness and it is perfect for hanging on the wall with a couple nails at that thickness.  I also had to stain it myself, but that was a cinch and I just bought a tiny thing of stain at Walmart and a foam brush.

Crib Skirt from Carousel Designs

Changing cover- Wendy Bellissimo (thrifted)

Turquoise vase- thrifted

Horse piggy bank- Dollar store

Mirror- thrifted
Flowers- thrifted

Quilt- Made by my mom!

Thermal blanket- my old baby blanket with satin edge added

Sunshine print- Sugarfresh Etsy shop.
Frames- thirfted

Embroidered Picture - gift from my sister :)

It is so nice to finally have this room done!  Now my goal is to have Macsen sleeping in his crib before he turns 3 months old in February!  

Living Room Remix

If you like change like I do, you get bored of your home every six months, pretty much on the dot.  Since moving wasn't in the cards this time, I decided to mix things up a little bit.  There are so many little easy and cheap things you can do to change things up in your home.

First of all: Declutter

Getting rid of odds and ends that you don't really need (or don't need out where everyone can see) makes SUCH a huge difference in the way your place looks.

Accent Pillows

They are so easy to change and inexpensive if you buy fabric on sale or clearance.  I took all my mismatched pillows and made 4 faux leather covers for them.  I LOVE them!

Picture Collages/Big Statement Pictures

You can tell I'm a photographer when you walk in my house because I hang photos EVERYWHERE.  They are inexpensive when you buy frames secondhand and get your pics printed online.  I actually really like this online company when they have deals going.  Just don't print at Costco or Walmart, unless you don't care how they look I guess.  It is fun to be able to change them with the seasons.

Accent Lighting

I actually just bought these paper lanterns secondhand for 50 cents each and strung white Christmas lights through them.  You can find all sorts of cool lamps in secondhand stores or yard sales.

There are still things I need to work on in this room...but for now I am happy with the changes.

What are some things you do to mix things up in your homes?

This will be posted HERE

Frugal and Fabulous: Inexpensive Ways to Look Like a Million Bucks

This guest post was written by Gemma O., who has written at length about the importance of radiology technicians and regularly discusses the pros and cons of Christian counseling degree programs.

Inexpensive Ways to Look Like a Million Bucks

When you’re raising a family, your own wants and needs often take the back burner to those of your children or partner. Unfortunately, this often goes out the window along with your free time to shop, accessorize, and create outfits that make you feel great about yourself. But looking good helps you feel good, and feeling good makes you approach the world from a place of confidence and poise. Luckily, it’s not difficult to look like a million bucks, even when you’re shopping on a frugal budget. Below are some easy, helpful fashion tips to make you feel great about the way you dress.

• Accessorize! Nothing spices up an outfit more than gorgeous accessories. They need not be pricy to look fabulous – sometimes the best bangles, scarves, or headbands can be found in stores’ sales sections with clearance price tags on them for $1, $2, or $5. Start a collection of hats, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, scarves, watches, etc. to draw from when you get dressed every morning. Goodness knows we’re all in a hurry to throw on some clothes and make it out the door, but a couple of accessories thoughtfully added to an outfit will make you look more put together.

 via ActressSnaps.com

• Shop at discount stores. Places like Marshall’s and Ross are excellent places to find brand-name clothing are rock-bottom prices. You might have to do some digging to find pieces that look chic, but there are plenty of well-made, classy clothes for the finding. Many designers and major department stores send their leftover, unpurchased goods to stores like this, and there are unbelievable deals on designers like Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, and Tommy Hilfiger.
• Find a fabulous, good-for-everything purse. Women’s purses are a catch-all for everything – phone, wallet, the mail, makeup, paperwork, you name it. But finding one versatile purse that matches any of your outfits and that is the right size for your needs will make all the difference in your fashion style. Rather than spending a bunch of money on several purses and have to hassle with switching between them, buy one solid well-made purse that you will last you a long time, and that you’re confident will accessorize well with most of your wardrobe.

image via the cherry blossom girl

• Become a thifting fashionista. You can find amazing things at thrift stores! And thrifting is half the fun – sifting through racks, digging through bins, and trying on funky things lets you explore and push your fashion boundaries without breaking the bank. Look for statement pieces and accessories especially. The best part about thrift stores is that you’ll buy and wear things that no one else is wearing because they aren’t this season’s rage at all the stores. Thrifted clothes will set you apart, and won’t make a sizeable dent in your pocketbook.
• Wear shoes that make a statement. Even if the rest of your outfit is neutral, plain, and ordinary, wearing a pairing of fun shoes makes all the difference. Whether it’s the color, fabric, heel height, peep-toe, having fun shoes makes you feel fun! Check out stores like Payless, Target, Cathy Jean, DSW Shoes, JC Penney for great shoes at low prices.

via space for inspiration

• Layer your clothes for added dimension. Layering doesn’t even require that you buy anything new – it just requires that you play with fun combinations in your closet that you might not have worn before. Instead of walking out of the house in a tshirt and jeans, throw on a cute cardigan, bright necklace, funky bracelet, and pretty scarf. Put on a pair of leggings under your skirt, or a vest over a button-down. This will add depth and dimension to your outfit, and you will look “styled” without looking over-done.
• Shop the sales racks. Half-yearly sales, Black Friday shopping, and clearance sales are a great way to get high-end clothes at discounted prices. If name-brands are important to you as well as cheap price tags, then you should stick exclusively to sales racks. If you see something at full price that you absolutely love, odds are that in one to two months, you’ll see it on the sale rack. Be vigilant and check back in to see when the store is shifting between seasons to score great pieces that are a steal.

Bathroom Remix

Okay, so it is a different bathroom, but with the exact same layout.  The main difference is the sink facet and the counter.  These fake marble counters can either be described as "hideous" or "pretty."  I am a glass half-full type of person (or at least try to be) and I think they are pretty.  I would love to have real marbled counter tops everywhere in our future house...

Anyways, I went with this look for our "new" bathroom.  Here are the results:

I am posting this HERE

Guest Post on Scraps n Strings

Hey! Go check out my guest over here today!

I am sharing a super easy and resourceful project to make with one of these:

Just Add Lace

I'm CRAZY about lace right now. I am so happy it isn't too "grandma" anymore!  A while back I found a HUGE bag of lace at a thrift store for $3.  I added it to a few shirts to spruce them up a bit - you can see that post HERE.  I decided to pull out the ole' bag again...it never disappoints.

Fortunately I haven't even put a dent in the bag yet, so there will be many more lace posts to come.

I am posting this HERE.

5 Problems and Solutions to Apartment Living

Last week was a pretty eventful one.  I was informed of a job opportunity, had an interview, and got it all in a matter of 2 days.  I am going to be the manager of our apartment complex!  I have mixed feelings about this, but have mainly felt excited and like it is supposed to happen.  I have been bored the last couple months and I think this is exactly what I needed.  I thrive on change I think.  I love our apartment and my life, but I just love to mix things up every so often!

So, we are moving September 1st.  Luckily it is just downstairs and the building next to ours.  Unfortunately it is an older version of our apartment (although we are getting new blinds) and the ceilings are a normal height.  I am SO going to miss our 13 foot vaulted ceilings :(  We also will have our own washer and dryer, but it takes up Allie's closet.

Here are a few of my ideas of decorating solutions to these problems:

1. Lower ceilings: mirrors on the walls to make it feel more open and I want to use lots of light colors/white in the main living space

2. Less closet space: put most of our stuff in storage (we get unlimited amount of this) use wicker baskets to store other things we use more often (on top of cabinets, on shelves, etc.)

3. Smaller windows bring in less light: sheers in the windows to bring in more light, use lamps in darker spaces

4. Ugly Counter-tops: There are lots of temporary options for this, I just am not sure what the best option is yet...granite tiles laid on top, large cutting boards, contact paper, tempered glass boards, vinyl adhesive tiles, vinyl tablecloth, or faux granite wallpaper...

5. A little less square footage:  This is similar to the solution for lower ceilings, but I will also be storing more of our furniture.  I will be arranging what we do use to keep the room feeling open by putting the big pieces closer to the walls and not cutting the room in half with the couch.

These are my ideas for color schemes right now:
Main living room: Gold and whites/creams along with some brown (and possibly turquoise)
Allie's Room: Browns (woods) and some accent colors (mainly turquoise/light blue)
Bathroom: White and black, along with some silver
Master Bedroom: Possibly Silver/gray and yellow, as in these colors:

Needless to say, I have a busy couple of months ahead of me: training for the job, going on vacation for a little over 2 weeks, then jumping right into moving and starting the job on Sept.1st.  I will try to keep my blog updated as much as I can, and I am definitely keeping Favorite Things Friday going, but please forgive me anything is lacking in my blog for the next couple months :)