Three on Friday

Happy Friday!

I am always glad when it's Friday...a nice couple days off to rejuvenate, catch up on household stuff and spend time with my kids. And this weekend we are supposed to see high 60s/low 70s weather...with maybe a tad of rain here or there, but I'm really hoping we can make it out to the beach. Jake and I will also get a date night on Saturday, as we did not get to do all the Valentine's Day hoopla with his having to work for USCG that weekend.

{one}

The master bedroom is coming along! I received the rug I ordered from RugsUSA and even though my walls are still half blue {the other half is white wainscot}, I couldn't resist rolling it out already. So it's a bit of a color clash in the space right now, but it's a transition in progress. I also got our new bedding. I plan to paint the blue part of our walls gray this weekend. I also got new lamp bases...I had a vision in mind for what I wanted and whaddayaknow, I found them while at Wal-Mart {of all places} this morning!

{via}

The nightstands we have are either going to be replaced, or painted white when I can find the time. I have a lot of things I need to paint white right now, so I just need to carve out a few hours for it and do it already. I also need to decide on a curtain, but I'm waiting until the walls are gray so I can decide which route to go there.

{two}

I am preparing our outdoor spaces for spring weather...I still need to fill some pots with new plants, but I love the areas.

 

My biggest wish for this house was that we had a screened-in back porch, but this is working for now. I've been pulling in my new seat cushions before it rains because I am so tired of replacing them. I also got a new outdoor rug from the RugsUSA Valentine's Day sale.

{three}

I am just absolutely loving my Young Living essential oils. Right now, a few of my favorite uses are:

1 drop Frankincense to 1 tsp carrier oil
Rub on Tanner's, Breckin's and Farrah's spines in the morning to help support their immune system during this yucky season. Especially after Farrah's already gone through the past month!

Vetiver diluted with carrier oil
3 drops in Tanner's hands to rub together, put on the bottom of his big toes and then inhale by cupping his hands over his mouth and nose. We do this nightly. It is supposed to help with behavioral issues and anxiety.

1 drop Peppermint diluted to 1 tsp carrier oil
Rub over my sinuses {avoiding eye area} and temples to rid of headache and provide focus. This worked wonders on me yesterday!

Stress-Away roll-on
I just rub this on my wrists and inhale...I love the scent and it is very relaxing. I do this before and after work mainly...or whenever the kids are driving me batty. :-)

I also just ordered some organic coconut oil that I will be using for my skincare regimen, along with a few drops of Frankincense. I've seen some AMAZING results, especially pertaining to youthful looking skin with the use of Frankincense.

I have joined as a distributor and have put in an order for some more oils already in addition to the ones I have. If you are interested in getting a starter kit of your own, please go here!

That's it for me - have a great weekend!

 See where I like to Party.

Become a Fashion Designer

A Place to Sit & Relax {Front Porch Redo}

OK, so I'm FINALLY posting this!

I will start off by saying that it's not completely finished, but all of the very crucial elements are in place and other little things will be added here and there as accumulated.

I didn't get a "before" picture unfortunately, but if you can gather by the size of the space in the pics and imagine one wicker loveseat, coffee table and wicker chair all cohabitating here, you can probably guess how crowded it was. The furniture was way too bulky. As a result, it was left unused and un-enjoyed. I also even had my beach cruiser chained to the railing for a while, and often strollers were stored there when I was too lazy to put them back in the garage. So you get it - messy, bulky and unwelcoming. Not the first thing you want people to see when they come to your door!

First, I will show you my inspiration for the space - of course, one of the always organized and super-cute spaces of Jen's:

I started off by going on the hunt for a cute little bistro table. I was of course open to something that needed a little TLC, as I knew I had planned on painting one anyway {highly unlikely I'd find one in the color I wanted}. If y'all remember, this table was $10 and you can see how I upcycled it here.

I then needed a couple of chairs. My goal was something laid back, but not bulky. Something along the lines of wooden rockers, but maybe not quite as large, or didn't necessarily need the arm rests. When I found these two chairs on Craigslist, I knew they were exactly what I was looking for. I haven't painted them, but might someday decide to.

After those main pieces were found, it was accessorize, accessorize, ACCESSORIZE! I knew I wanted to use a lot of pops of color - making it a bright and cheery space.

You might remember me posting this pic of the front door area the other day:

And now without further adieu, here is the rest of the space!

I also wanted some type of storage bin to keep outdoor toys for the front yard, i.e. sidewalk chalk, bubbles, sprinkler, baseballs, etc. This basket on rollers was perfect. It easily rolls out when the boys want to play and back out of the way when they're done.

Unfortunately, as you can see, the humidity got to it quickly and added some black moldy spots. I have since taken it in, scrubbed it clean with a hand brush and I am going to spray it with a protective coat to prevent it doing that again. Live and learn.

As far as things I still want to add to the space - I would like more containers for plants. And also looking for the perfect piece of decor to hang on that empty space on the brick between the door and the window.

Here is a tally of what I've spent so far:

Bistro Table: $10 {Facebook group of Moms that sell used items}

Chairs: $40 {Craigslist}

Door Mat: $12.99 {Target}

Yellow Pot $16.99 {TJ Maxx}

Hibiscus Plant: $24.95 {Abide-A-While Nursery}

Teal Citronella Candle Pails: $5.99/ea {Kmart}

White Plant Stand: $5.00 {Goodwill - last year}

Basket on Casters: $29.99 {Marshalls}

"S" on Door: $6.99 {TJ Maxx} 

Small Runner: $12.97 {Walmart}

So there you have it, my friends! My new favorite place to enjoy a glass of vino and wind down after a long day. 

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What Is Old Can Be New Again {Front Porch Bistro}

I let y'all know yesterday that I have begun working on redecorating our front porch. Let me show you the first piece that kicked off the redo.

I got this bistro table off of a Facebook group of local mommies looking to sell their stuff. A Craigslist of sorts, but much less creepy.

Yep, obviously a little used and rusty. But for $10, I thought it was worth it. It came with a round glass top that I took off before taking the pics.

First step was to take a damp washcloth and clean off all the dirt and grime. Then, I added coat of spray primer. I used Krylon's spray paint primer. I let that dry and then added another coat. I let that dry and harden overnight. The next day, I spray-painted it yellow. Again, Krylon brand. I believe it was called Sunshine or something like that. I don't have my cans anymore since I used up the rest that I had. I let that cure overnight again and then I was able to put her in her new spot on the front porch.

This is the final piece:

Not too shabby, huh? I am still in work on decorating the rest of the porch and can't wait to reveal it to you soon!

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Contain{er} Yourself

OK, I have to admit...I do not give my mother enough credit for her great eye for decorating and her remarkable green thumb. After spending the week in Idaho with her, I have so much inspiration. My main inspiration being her garden.  

Woman has mad skills, yo.

She does a lot of container gardening too {which I am most inspired to do since our soil here might as well be pure sand}...and told me one day she decided to count her pots and found out she had 85. {Obsess, much?}

But seriously, take a look at this beautiful garden. I'm envious {and also hoping the talent is genetic}.

I am going to start mainly with some containers...so I have full control over the soil quality...South Carolina soil is a bit tricky to work with. Here are some pictures of container gardens in outdoor spaces I also found inspiring...I love the eclectic look that can be achieved with a mix and match of decorative containers.

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{The pool ain't bad either...}

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Oh, and just linger over these window planters for a while...

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I also love how just about any thing that can "contain" can be a part of a container garden.

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I can't wait to start on my garden...er, rather...get a little further than I have. I have made several attempts at gardening...I just need some better planning...and to devote more time to actually tending to the plants after I've planted them. With fall right around the corner, I'm hoping I can have some pretty fall blooms to begin with...I can't wait until the spring! {Mom may even come for a visit at that time and lend me a hand, er, thumb I mean.}

What about you? Tell me how your garden grows...xoxo.

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