I'm sharing my tutorial for my Back -to-School countdown pallet board at Simply Klassic Home... hop on over to say hi!
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Printer’s Drawer Wall Storage
When you’re making over a room on a slim budget, you learn to rethink old items for new purposes. Such was the case with this vintage printer’s drawer. As soon as I saw it, I knew it’d be the perfect wall storage for my daughter, lover of all things tiny and shiny.
You see, my daughter’s never met a trinket, a lost item, a special treasure that didn’t somehow make its way home with us. She’s part hoarder and part treasure hunter. Call it what you will.
After giving it a good cleaning, I secured it to the wall with drywall anchors (this thing is heavy!) and she got to work filling up all of the little cubbies.
Among the treasures… shark teeth, lava rocks, bendaroo sculptures, and a tiny antique iron horse she scored on one of mama’s treasure-hunting expeditions (my term for going to my fave thrift stores).
This is part of the never-ending safari room makeover that I started at the beginning of the summer… there is a light at the end of the tunnel, I’m happy to report.
Until then, if you can’t find me, I’ll be buried under a pile of my little hoarder’s stuff.
What creative ways have you repurposed items for your home?
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Back to School Mantle
Since both of my girls are starting school tomorrow morning, I decided to celebrate the occasion by decorating our mantle…
I made a little chalkboard school countdown sign, complete with a tutorial that I’ll be sharing later in the week over at Simply Klassic Home, while Kristen is in Hawaii.
I covered some cardboard letters from Hobby Lobby with torn book pages, glitter, and a page from my oldest daughter’s handwriting book from kinder *sniffle*.
A glittered apple garland will transition well from school days into fall…
And I finally found a use for the big bag of crayon pieces… they make a perfect accessory for a back to school mantle!
It’s a sweet mantle… and a bittersweet reminder that tomorrow, my baby is starting big kid school:
She’s so excited about it that it makes it hard for me to feel sad that she’s growing up…
But I took the day off anyway, just in case I need time to recover.
Are your little ones ready for back to school??
Linking up with these fab folks:
Saying Goodbye to Summer
It’s officially the last day of summer vacation, as both of my girls will be starting school tomorrow. We’ve had a great last summer weekend – my oldest invited a friend to sleep over, and us four girls have had a grand time… painting nails, eating froyo, swimming, making mini pepperoni and fruit pizzas, and of course, staying up late giggling. (Okay, that last part was just my three younger counterparts…)
I’m drinking coffee, enjoying the view of the still water in our pool, and awaiting the stirring sounds of three little girls who will, most likely, be ready for chocolate chip waffles…
Happy End of Summer!
***Stop by later – I’ll be posting my Back to School Mantel!
Friday, August 24, 2012
{Saturday Spotlight} Vintage Industrial Teen Bedroom
Happy Saturday everyone! After a bit of a summer hiatus, it's time again for Saturday Spotlight, where I showcase fabulous projects from bloggers like you! You're in for a real treat today - a fantastic teen boy's bedroom makeover from Simplicity in the South.
Tricia did a fabulous job transforming her son's room while he was away... my personal fave of the entire room is this planked wall she installed in a closet turned office. Is that not amazing?! I love the warmth and depth the wood planks bring to the space.
Go ahead, just try and look at it without drooling. I dare ya.
She added some DIY personal touches, including this genius cage light (complete with tutorial!) -
She used the space of the small room wisely, choosing to use a single bed that expands to a king with an underbed trundle.
Every detail is perfection, from the wood accents to the smart use of galvanized metal. Such a sophisticated space for a teenage boy (or for any age man for that matter).
For more of the details, including all of her great tutorials, click on over and visit Tricia at Simplicity in the South... tell her I sent ya!
Monday, August 20, 2012
Back to School Ideas
It's that time of year again - time for newly sharpened pencils, composition notebooks, and new backpacks... it's time for school to start! My oldest will be in second grade and my baby will be starting kindergarten a week from today - *sob*!
To distract myself from the fact that my chickies are growing up before this mama is ready, I've been looking into fun back to school ideas. Here are a few to share!
This bento lunch would be so cute for the first day of school!
Free printable for first day of school pictures...
How about an adorable back to school dinner with the kiddos?
Love these clipboards from the 36th Avenue - what a great way to organize after school duties!
And I'm hoping to make these delicious breakfast cups for the first school morning!
What about you? Are you ready for your kiddos to go back to school?
If they've already started the school year, what fun things did you do to celebrate?!
Monday, August 13, 2012
35.
Today is my thirty-fifth birthday.
It's funny. As I get older, it seems that birthdays come and go without much pomp and circumstance, and that's perfectly fine with me. I find that rather than it being a day to celebrate my seemingly small existence in this gigantic world, it's become more of a day for me to reflect on how well I used the past year...
Did I hug without holding back?
Did I love well?
Did I let my girls know enough how deeply I adore them?
Was I a good spouse or a good friend?
Did I make it count?
While I'd love to say that every moment of year 34 was spent wisely, I must admit that there were moments I missed because I was tired, or irritated, or just too caught up in my to-do list to look up at the world around me.
But there were also times that I think I got pretty close to getting it right...
35. (sheesh)
Here's to making life beautiful, one day at a time.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Getting Floors Clean with Swiffer Wet Jet
When we first looked at our home, I fell in love with the hardwood and tile flooring and was thrilled with the idea of having carpet in only one room. If I would've known what work it was to maintain those floors, maybe I would have felt differently! With a carpeted room, it's not so obvious when I don't get a chance to vacuum... but with hard flooring, the evidence is right before your eyes. Drips from children running in from the pool... dribbles from popsicles... not to mention the sticky spots that no one seems to know anything about. (Please tell me I'm not the only one who deals with this!)
I tried to keep up with regular mopping, but sometimes I just didn't feel like lugging out the mop and bucket again. That's when I got myself the Swiffer Wet Jet Starter Kit, and it has been a great solution.
Here's what I love:
The Wet Jet is always ready to go when I need it (no bucket required).
I can use the Wet Jet on all of my hard flooring with a simple switch of the cleaning solution (I use the Hardwood cleaner and the Lavender and Vanilla cleaner - my fave)!
It's easy to spot clean my floors when drips and spills occur (inevitably the moment I finish mopping the floors...).
I'll admit that I am a mopping purist, so nothing will ever completely replace my old mop and bucket for those good deep cleans, but the Swiffer Wet Jet is a nice stand-in for all of those "oops" moments that happen in a household with children, a husband, and a few pooches.
Here's the best part:
If you haven't yet tried a Swiffer Wet Jet but you'd like to, now is the perfect time because P&G is offering 10% off all items now through August 31st AND free shipping for purchases over $25! As an Olympic sponsor, P&G also has some great Olympic-themed bundles and deals (Go Gabby Douglas!)
To get in on these great promotions, just click through to the site below. This widget is unique to the home.made. site, so P&G will know I sent you!
*Disclosure: I am a Swiffer Wet Jet owner by my own accord and these are my honest opinions of the product. While I was not paid for this post, I may receive commissions from any sales purchased through the above link.*