Pinterest Picks of the Day

Hey all! I'm going to be starting something new around here. I would like you all to get to know me a little bit more. And by doing so, I will be starting my Pinterest Picks of the day where I will share my top 5 Pinterest picks from 5 different categories. DIY, Women's ..., Decor, Humor and Children's. I will be explaining why I like the picks I've chosen and how they inspire me. 

I love DIY projects. I'm a little slow to completing them though. Most times it's because funds run out do to unforeseen circumstances involving children lol. I love finding something new that I can actually accomplish. It's a rush and a thrill. I also love the challenge I set before myself to put my own little spin on a project.

I think that every woman out there should be inspired in beauty, wardrobe, and just in their daily lives. That's why I'm sharing something that deals with women in general. This could be a recipe, or make up, or an outfit or article of clothing. It could also be a trend or an upcoming fad. 

Decor is something that I recently fell into. Now I don't consider myself educated in decor by any means. But it is something that I really like and will be learning about in the near furture. I am currently trying to redecorate my entire house kind over the next year. And with moving it's proving to be difficult. I'm on the DIY bandwagon for decorating my home and finding cool things at HomeGoods, TJMaxx and local thrift stores.

Humor in one's life is a good find. If you can laugh at yourself, you've got it made. People who tend to take things seriously end up more stressed and sick because there is no relief and laughter can bring relief to everyday challenges. So I will be sharing something that most of us will be able to laugh our butt's off at.

I have children. Simply put, I am ALWAYS on the look out for things to do with and for my children. I love them to death and they are the apple of my eye. Plus I know a lot of other mommies out there who would love to see inspiring things about children and activities.

No.1 DIY

DIY No Sew Tree Skirt!!!!!

I have been looking for a new tree skirt. How cute is this? And the fact that there is NO sewing!!!! I love the burlap and the red red color. It screams Christmas and holiday to me. Look at all that texture! I will be trying this one out this upcoming holiday season :) <3

No.2 Women's...

Fall Outfit of Choice.

I found this little number and I fell in love!! I absolutely adore the layering in this outfit. But I also love the sheer simplicity of it as well. It's just a simple pair of pants and shirt with a leather cropped jacket. But the chunky infinity scarf and sueded over the knee riding boots adds the final touch of this new classic. These pieces should be staples of every young women's closet. I know I have all the above minus the jacket, which is making it to the top of my must buy list this fall season.

No.3 Decor

Closet Playhouse

Ok so just for a minute...HOW FREAKING COOL IS THIS???!!!!! We're making this the moment, ok maybe not the exact moment, we buy a house! This is soo stinking cool. It's almost unfathomable until you realize that you can build this. This is something that stood out to me within the first five swipes of my mouse. It's so unique and inviting and cute and friendly and just darn adorable. I love the idea of having an indoor cottage playhouse. And beat of all, you're decorating a wall. Because it's just a closet. I mean sure they probably built some cool play furniture for the inside, but who cares about that right? I love the stable door. And the cedar shingles. I think this is my favorite home decor/DIY project ever. Ever.

No.4 Humor :)

What I love about this, is that my husband just washed our car on Saturday. I mean he cleaned and detailed it. It looks amazing, right? He spent a couple of hours on the vacuuming, washing the inside of the windows and shampooing the carpets. Now mind you, we have four children. Three that can do permanent damage. So when I say he washed the inside windows I mean he scrubbed the inside windows. And he also scrubbed the ceiling and the carpets lol. That same night a bird crapped on our car LOL!!! I mean it could have rained. But no. It was poop. At the very least it stayed in it's place. It didn't drip or anything lol.

No. 5 Children's

Dresser Re-Do 

This little DIY make over reminds me of an upcoming project that the hubs and I are about to spear head. I'll tell you more of that story in a future post *wink wink*. Our daughters need a new dresser, and we have one chillin' out in our garage. Now, I'm not going to be doing anything this bold. This dresser we remade into a storage piece for a kitchen. We're keeping our dresser's purpose the same. But, I wanted to share with you all and give you a glimpse of what we're about to do...

Now, seeing these picks I hope that you have a better feel for me and what my interests are. I hope that you visit the sites that the links(pics) are associated with. These picks came from a  lot of talented people and I hope that you enjoy their blog or websites and leave a shout out if you do visit them.

Summer Living

We have taken quite a hiatus haven't we? So far spring in CT has been challenging. In March we have mid summer temperatures. Now that it is June we're having temps in the 50's!! CRAZINESS!! Wouldn't you agree? My son, Seamus, has his end of the year beach field trip cancelled/postponed until three days before the end of school. Talk about cramming everything in!

Hmm what's been going on with us? Not really anything. We've been contemplating purchasing a home here in CT in the upcoming fall season. We are ready to be homeowners. We're a little nervous though. 

As for summer time fun? We've pulled out our kiddie pool once. That's it. One time so far. The kids had a blast though. The love to be silly and to play in water.

Seamus and Lylian. They were taking turns filling up a bucket of water and the dumping it out. For what reason? I have no clue. But do they really need one? Nope they were quiet and getting along and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Seamus striking a pose. He always poses for his pictures. Maybe he'll be a model. I'm hoping for a soccer star. He's super talented either way you slice it.

Maddalaena is charming adorable highly energetic and goofy. Always the center of attention. 

And my Lylian. She's goofy too. But she's a little bit more reserved. When she's 16 I'm going to show her this picture. Then I'm going to show her that I shared it with the entire blogging community lol. Imagine her reaction...

Our son Seamus is a budding soccer star and we're also contemplating on sending him to a few soccer camps to strengthen his skill. The girls have been making friends and are enjoying the warm weather.

We've been spending a considerable amount of time with my grandparents. After all they are the only great grandparents that our children know.  And they're the only grandparents to the hubs and myself that we really know. Gotta soak up all that elderly mentality. Learn those life lessons. And enjoy their expressions of their relationships and joy with our children.

As for our home? The DIY projects have come to a little bit of a stand still. We've been enjoying and adjusting to baby Blake. With how much he eats and now he's teething and staying awake longer, I'm finding less time to get things done. As a result I've been calling on the help of my hubby. Speaking of the hubs, he has started college again. Which means I get to handle the baths and he gets to handle the homework and essays. 

Here he is in all his educated glory. The hubs, big man on campus, The Don and the love of my life. What's funny is that he actually isn't all that big physically. He's not tall, or super built like a bodybuilder. But he is quick and knows some cool take-you-out techniques. That's what makes him the big man on campus. And just because he's dad.

I know that some of you browse through these posts for information and some how-to's. Others just take a peek at what's going on in our lives. And I appreciate that soo much! You'll never know truly how much. The hubs and I will be working on some up coming DIY furniture projects in the upcoming months before his/our departure from Connecticut to Maine. We have orders to report to the Miami. Recent submarine to catch on fire. You all might have read about it. Yep we're going there. I'm not too excited. But it will be a new experience. In the meantime we have a to-do list to get accomplished before we leave in Oct/Nov. Here are some pretty pictures with links so you can look at the items yourselves!

Our Bedroom:

Inspiration: 

Farm House Nightstand

Do-It-Ourselves:

Farmhouse Beside Table by Ana White

Hudson Extra Wide Dresser by PotteryBarn

Hudson Dresser by Ana White

1.

2.

Farmhouse Bed by PotteryBarn

Farmhouse Bed by Ana White

The Girl's Room

$10 Ledges by Ana White

Camp Dresser by PotteryBarn Kids

Small Dresser with Open Shelf by Ana White

Kendall Dresser by PotteryBarn Kids

Simple Bunk Bed by Ana White

Photo Credit: margjack at Ana White

The Living Room

Benchwright Tower by PotteryBarn

Benchmark Storage or Media Tower by Ana White

I hope you've enjoyed this post!! Photo credits to PotteryBarn, PotteryBarn Kids and users at http://ana-white.com. Keep a look out for posts featuring these projects and more home updates! Thank you for taking the time to swing by and check this place out.

Finished Projects From Our House Restoration

Today I'm going to share with you some of the completed projects that we have done. I will explain how we did some of them so if you wand to try it at home you'll know how!

This was presented in an earlier post. This is our Tryde Coffee Table. We got these plans for free from Ana White and after a few weeks of use I can say truthfully that I absolutely love it. It is very sturdy and can withstand my three children's bums and my husbands feet lol. I would highly recommend anyone who wants to start out woodworking to build this piece. Especially if you need a table. It only takes a few hours to build with minimal tools. Just finish to your taste.

These are my painted curtains in our bedroom. I like them but I'll tell you a little secret, they weren't supposed to be like this lol. I messed up while painting these so I changed the color pattern. It was supposed to be every other with the "white" and TeePee from Behr Paint. But I accidentally skipped a stripe with the TeePee so I just filled it in with the Soulful Music by Behr Paint. And they turned out like this. I really love it. The euro shams on our bed are reversible using these same two colors. So I'm able to switch them out and still have everything match in our room. Here is a brief tutorial of how I painted my curtains. Then here is the tutorial I used as a guide line.

And this is our new king sized bed!! Farmhouse bed frame from Ana White to come shortly. I'm hoping that by the end of June the frame will be completed.

These pillow covers are a Pinterest knock off. They are absolutely no sew and were made using old curtains I had. Now I would not recommend using this type of material, especially having family who uses these pillows for lounging. You can find the tutorial here.

This is another Pinterest find. Submerged flowers, I love it. It adds a touch of delicacy to any room or table. I had the hurricane vases previously. And I picked up two garlands of spring flowers from Joann's for $12. I trimmed the garland down to the length I needed, times two. Then I criss crossed the two garland strands to form an "x" and then placed the in the vase. And I added water and this is what I got!. It's super easy and with coupons super cheap.

These are the painted curtains in the living room. This was supposed to be the pattern in our master bedroom but I screwed that up lol. I used the same tactic in painting these and the bathroom ones(below) as I did for our bedroom.

And these are in our bathroom. We're trying to keep the whole nautical theme throughout the bedroom and bathroom. More decorations are to come!! But it's going to take time.

Let me know what you all think? Do you think it's too much stripe? I got a little carried away lol. Let me know of any other home decor/DIY projects that would look great with these themes!!

Girl's Bedroom Make Over

Ever since my first little girl was born, I have dreamed of creating the perfect girl space for her. Pink, ruffly, super girly you know, a princess room. Then when baby girl number two came along that desire grew. But unfortunately, my husband and I couldn't afford the cost of creating such a room. Back then, I didn't know about Pinterest and DIY blogs that could provide help at a moments notice. 

Recently we inherited two 40 yr old twin beds from my grandparents. Our girls had pretty much destroyed their toddler beds and were in need of an upgrade. Now those ancient beds are falling apart too.   So my wonderful husband, in the next few months, will be building our daughters their own beds and dressers modeled after furniture from the PotteryBarn Kids and PotteryBarn Teen lines. I am SO excited!!! Finally after all this time I, I mean my girls, will be getting the princess room they've been dreaming of.  Now nothing is set in stone yet and I will be doing before, during and after photos of the process. But here are some ideas:

The Bedding:

I didn't want to pay $600+ to cover my girls beds if they're going to pee and puke in it you know? That's how kids are. So I found this beautiful duvet cover set and some sheets and accessories from Target.

Simply Shabby Chic Crystal Lamp

Umbra Loft Clear Ball Drapery Hardware 

Simply Shabby Chic Ruffle Sheets in Pink

Simply Shabby Chic Smocked Duvet Set in Pink

Simply Shabby Chic Bubble Faux Silk Balloon Shade in Pink

The Girls Dresser. Modeled after PotteryBarn's Camp Dresser.

The Storage Bed. It's comprised of three compartment boxes side by side.

The Storage Bed with Corner Unit.

Ana White's $10 ledges. There will be two 2ft. ledges, one above each dresser. And then two 3ft. ledges, one above the other, closer to the ground. These will be the girls bookcase.

This is a paint swatch of Antique White by Glidden. This will be the color of all the furniture, shelves and picture frames in the girls room.

Lace Covered Canvas. The art in the room won't be identical to this. But we will be doing lace covered canvas to decorate the shelves above the girls dressers. One canvas will be be painted in the above Antique White and covered in light pink lace. And the other will be painted in a light pink paint and covered in antique lace. In the center of the canvas' there will be the first letter of the girls nicknames painted in silver.

Keep checking back. There will be a lot of updates of this project and others over the course of the next  two-three months!!! Did I mention that I am SOOOO excited to finally be doing this??!!!

All the images in this post were provided by outside sources such as Target, Ana White, Glidden and Against the Wood Grain. I will be linking all of these pictures to their prospective webpages.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Whew!! I have NOT been on here in a looong time! How's everyone's new year going so far? Any new resolutions? Break em yet? I have a decent set of resolutions. Well I have a set that I'm imposing onto my wonderful husband Richard. Hehehe. This year we have resolved to be more frugal with our spending. I'm a shopaholic. There, I said it and admitting it is the first step to recovery right? 

To start, we will be tackling the mess that is our home. Yes, believe it. The ENTIRE thing is an unorganized mess. I can't find things to save my life. So first order of business is the closets. Cleaning them out, refolding all of the blankets towels and whatnots. Then the cabinets and drawers in the bathrooms. Hair ties and brushes don't stand a chance of surviving in those pits of despair. Then the kitchen. That we just won't even talk about.

During all of this, my wonderful hubby will be building me custom made furniture. I mean like everything in the house will be solid wood. He's done the coffee table. It just needs to be sanded, stained and lacquered. Next, is a bookcase. It's tall, about 6' and 39" wide. I know right??!! I'm already excited! After those comes the computer desk, dining room table and benches, our bed frame, nightstands and dressers. Then a cabinet for me to cure my cold processed soap in. I know it's a lot. But the goal is to have these things done by the time we transfer.

What our table should look like when finished.

The pile of wood that cost $40 including getting it cut at Home Depot

Richard putting up the legs

Building the frame

The frame and legs finished

All puttied up

Angled shot

Hubby's new tool: Rigid Orbital Sander sold at Home Depot

 See we're also building up his man scape. By buying tools every time he's about to start a new project. At the end of this month he'll be getting a new drill. His other one died.

That's basically the latest info. I'll be posting pics as each project becomes finished and I'll have a detailed account of the drama behind it all. Keep checking back for more updates. Next I'll be showing off my Julep Mystery box!!! I received about $120 worth of product for $19.99. I know totally amazing!!!

Love,