Master Bedroom Revealed

Have I blogged lately...um, no! I have been too busy doing stuff.  One of the things I have been doing recently was finally completing my master bedroom (remember when I started this like three months ago, if you don't you can see it here).

BEFORE

IT'S DONE

(well, at my house nothing is ever really done. I still have stuff I want to do to it, but the major stuff is done anyway).

 

 

I really didn't do too much to it:
-Hung curtains (found them at ZGallery. They had been discontinued, but they had 10 left so I snagged 4 because they matched my bedding exactly).

-Bought a few throw pillows (from Target, of course)
-Hung picture frames on the side wall and above the bed (also Target, duh. I just put scrapbook paper and a couple pictures in some and printed out the words for above the bed)

 

-Changed out the old T.V. stand with an end table (Kohl's)
-Made a little white flower arrangement (Hobby Lobby, gosh I love that store)

-Oh...AND I STENCILED THE WALL (bought the stencil from cutting edge. For less than $100 including paint and supplies and just under one day's time, a whole new wall)

In case you were contemplating stenciling...DO IT! It is cheaper than wall paper, and much faster than I anticipated.  The stencil I bought had a really easy way to line it up without measuring or anything (my one recommendation is DON'T DO A PEAKED WALL, stencils aren't really made to tackle that challenge, let's just say you shouldn't look too closely at the top please:)

Now, for some of my other projects I'd like to do in there:
-Re-decorating the dresser
-Finding the perfect (cheap) rug
-Framing the T.V.

....Those things might just need to wait a little while.  It's time to enjoy summer!!!

Happy Mother's Day

Four years ago on this day, I told my own mother that I was going to become a mom (you can read that story here).  What I didn't realize at the time was how my relationship with my mom would grow once I held my own baby in my arms!

Becoming a mom has made me appreciate and respect my mom in ways I never even knew that I didn't before.  The patience and sacrifice my mom demonstrated on a daily basis I never recognized until I had my own two year old.  Her ability to see the big picture and not get hung up on the little things is a gift.  Being able to stay level headed in emergencies is one of her many great traits.  Consistency is a skill I long to learn from her. Always trying to follow God's will and not caring how it looked to outsiders was something I can only now fully appreciate!

My twenty year old self probably wouldn't imagine the new found admiration I have for my mom.  That's because my childless self hadn't experience the challenges of motherhood; the deep, unabashed love for your child and the fear of messing them up everyday. The worry of failing them miserably and wondering if doing your best is going to be enough.

And then I call my mom.  I can rely on her to give me words of wisdom, a laugh because she has been where I have been (only x5) and a boost of confidence and encouragement with her simple reminder that I'm doing a great job.

I have been so blessed to learn from my mom both passively when I was younger and directly now.  My girls will be blessed because of the values she instilled in me.  I love and respect my mom and am truly grateful that motherhood has taken our relationship to the next level.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!!!

DIY Lanterns

In an attempt to spruce up my porch, I bought some urns and put ferns in them on either side of my front door (the urns were only $11 a piece and the ferns were only $8 each at Lowe's...for less than $40 it give the front a whole new feel).

 

I really wanted some lanterns to complete the look, but after shopping around I realized THEY'RE EXPENSIVE (I saw some big ones at Hobby Lobby for $140 and some at Target for $60.  The cheapest I found decent sized ones was at T.J. Maxx and they were still about $30 a piece.

There had to be a way to make them cheaper.  I went on Pinterest and found the idea of using picture frames to make a lantern. 

FOR LESS THAN $25 I MADE TWO LARGE LANTERNS FOR MY PORCH!

Here is how I made mine:

Supplies:
4 of the same picture frames (I had mine since college, I figured it was time to put them to good use)
1 long piece of wood to cut the tops and bottoms out ($6 at Lowe's)
Sand paper
Drill
Saw
Decorative pieces for the top (I mostly found this stuff in the hardware section by the newel post stuff in Lowe's.  For both lanterns, this stuff cost me $13)
Glue (could be wood glue or all purpose glue or even a glue gun)
Hinges ($2 at Lowe's)
Spray paint ($3.50 at Walmart)

Started out with one long piece of wood and cut it into a square for the base and top of the lantern.  Then cut out smaller squares for the base and top of smaller lantern.

Sanded all the edges down

 Pulled out all the pieces for the decorative top...I mostly found this stuff in the hardware section by the newel post stuff in Lowe's

 

Used this glue to start gluing (and I used some screws too) to keep the top pieces together

 

 Glued and screwed the top together

Smaller top

Drilled the holes for the hinged 'doors' (if you don't want to do hinged doors you can always just take the glass out of the picture frames and not have glass, that way you can still get your hand in and out for the candles.

Screwed the hinges on the picture frames

 

I spray painted the tops and bottoms as one piece and let it dry overnight.  The next day I glued the four picture frames to the bottom and to each other and then glued the top on.  I secured the sides with tape while the glue dried.

 

In less than 3 hours over the course of 2 days I had two large porch lanterns!

 

 I chose to put the hinges on the inside of the frames

 

Functional large lantern (with REMOTE CONTROL flameless candles inside...I can literally light them up by remote from inside the house...AWESOME!)

 

I think they add a nice little southern touch:)

 

Some other ways I found you can make lanterns (with better tutorials, I'm sure):

While He Was Napping

 

This blog apparently doesn't exist any more, but you can get an idea of how to do these:

 

 

Here is the blog I got my idea from, The Country Chic Cottage:

 

And one more that had the same idea, Craft Goodies:

 

 

LET ME KNOW IF YOU ATTEMPT TO MAKE ONE FOR YOUSELF...EACH ONE IS SO UNIQUE...I'D LOVE TO SEE HOW YOU PERSONALIZE YOURS!

Pinspired Outfit ~ Blazer with Pastels

Phil and I went to the theatre to see A Midsummer Night's Dream (which was wonderful, by the way).  We love going to the theatre and try to do it a couple of times a year (it's a nice alternative to a movie).

 

As it was still pretty cold here, I needed to wear something warm, but it's also spring so I wanted something bright. 

 

Outfit Inspiration:

Blazer with pastels

 

 

 

My Quick Pinspired Version:

Unbuttoning the jacket made it look better and more comfortable.  I love these pink pants.  They seem to go with everything. 

Photobombed by a two year old:)

 

(who looks quite please with herself for having sneaked in the picture with just her diaper)

 

Capris Turned Shorts

I have been doing a lot of thrift store shopping lately AND LOVING IT!!!  It is amazing what you can find, if you are willing to look long enough (and if you have enough snacks to keep your kids entertained while you shop).

I found these capris for $2.  I picked them up because I liked the color and they were my size.  BUT, they were ugly!

BEFORE 

So, I simply cut off the legs by folding them in half and cutting straight across. 

 

Then I turned them inside out and pinned them a 1/2 inch up.

Used a straight stitch all the way around to hem them and VOILA...

Cute Aqua Shorts

 

 

 

 

I did a little searching and found these other mint shorts at much steeper prices.  So for my $2 and 15 minutes of altering, I'll keep mine, thanks!

Madewell $59

 ChicWish $38

The Hunt $46 

 

Maybe I'll keep this in mind for a 'Pin'Spired Outfit:)