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!

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Five on Friday

 Happy Friday and Happy {early} Valentine's Day! Also, happy Friday the 13th {try to make it happy, not unlucky}!

 

It's been a busy week over here...I put in a few hours of overtime this week, so I didn't spend much time here on the blog. Farrah has been feeling a lot better and it's great to have her back to her happy self. But anyway, on to my five for this lovely Friday.

{one}

Jake and I won't really be celebrating Valentine's Day this year. His USCG Reserves weekend falls on the second full weekend of every month, so he will actually be in Georgetown, SC all weekend. It's OK though, I've never been one to make a big deal about this holiday. We will try and get a date night in next weekend. And if this e-card didn't just hit the nail on the head:

{two}

I feel like once I'm beginning to see the cusp of springtime and Daylight Savings, I tend to start to make my running list of things I'd like to accomplish around the house. One project I've put on the back burner for a couple of years now is redecorating our master bedroom. We have had it blue and brown since we moved into this house almost 7 years ago.

I am ready for a change. I'm starting to try and have our house sort of flow more with its colors...our living room went to pink/yellow/gray, our office/home gym is black/white/gray with pops of teal and pink and our kitchen is now black/white/gray with a couple small pops of pink. Upstairs where we all sleep, Farrah's room is pink/orange/gray and Tanner and Breckin's shared room is blue/orange/brown mostly {I don't intend on having theirs flow with the house considering the common denominator of the other rooms is pink, so they will be the exception, being boys and all}. For our room, I've wanted to paint the walls gray {surprise} and do a lot of white/gray/pink in the decor. This is my inspiration, but I won't go as heavy on the pink for Jake's sake:

{via}

I bought this rug from the awesome 75% off Valentine's Day sale at Rugs USA {use promo code: HEART75}, so I'm going to build my design around that. I also want to go all white with our bedding like above. {P.S. Those of you that loved Farrah's nursery rug, it's back in stock and on sale!}

{via}

I'll be sure to update you as progress goes along. We do have a dark brown bed and dressers, but hopefully it will still all work nicely.

{three}

Farrah turned 9 months on Monday...I can't believe my last baby is 3/4 of the way through her first year. It does make me sad knowing I'll never have a baby again...I'm just trying to cherish these moments with her as best as I can. I've already gotten started on her birthday party planning...I am so happy I will be throwing a rainbow-themed party in my lifetime! Of course, I turned to Pinterest for inspiration, as well as have a few creative ideas of my own!

{via}

I'm starting early with planning because I know how fast 3 months flies by in this house, especially when I'm working full-time. I don't want to procrastinate on the details or I'll never get around to doing most of them.

{four}

Tomorrow's weather is looking to be pretty sunny, but only a high of 56...I'm debating taking the kiddos out to the beach {with layers, of course} to play a little bit. I can't wait until every weekend is a beach weekend.

{five}

It's official...my life has gotten so boring that I can't think of a 5th thing...either that or my brain is officially fried from this week. Maybe it's a bit of both. Have a happy weekend!

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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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Front Porch {Progress}

I'll be the first to admit that keeping plants alive is not my strong point. But nonetheless, with this new front porch area, I wanted to brighten the space up with some potted plants. I'm going to do my best to tend to them.

Here's a sneak peek of some progress I've made with my front porch so far:

I've got some more flowers waiting to be potted, but I think those are going into my garden just in front of the porch. I have two large barrel pots that have been dying for some flowers for a while now. The last batch died, so I need to start over.

Doormat - Target - $12.99 {I absolutely fell in love when I saw this, it's so "me".}
Yellow Container - TJ Maxx - $16.99 {This is actually a pretty lightweight pot, and I love the pattern.}
"S" on Door - TJ Maxx - $6.99 {I plan on spray painting this a bold color, maybe teal, but haven't yet decided. Waiting for the other things to come together first.}
Hibiscus Plant - Abide-A-While {local garden center} - $14.99 {These are my favorite flowers ever.}

I'd love to paint the front door a bright color, and even the red brick {white?} - but I need to convince Hubby of that first.

Hope you like it, always love to hear your thoughts!

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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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Monday Musings

Hey y'all! I've again let this blog go on the wayside for the past week. Having a hard time getting back into it - but I've actually been spending some time getting some things organized around the house, redecorating the front porch {post to come!} and well, playing with my boys - it is summer, after all! {And if I don't live a little or get projects done, well, I'll have nothing to write about here!}

Friday evening, I went to Party at the Point at Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant. It's been years since I've been. It was a great atmosphere, a perfect night weather-wise and just nice to get out. I was with my friend, Suz, her husband, Bill and her mom, Sue, who was visiting from England:

Saturday I went and picked up these lovely things I found on Craigslist:

{pic from ad, not my porch}

As I mentioned above, I'm redecorating the front porch - it was a little too crowded with the large wicker furniture I had up there and we never sat out there and enjoyed it, so I moved those to the back for extra seating. I've so far gotten these chairs, a bistro table in need of TLC {I painted it, will post on that!} and a few cute flower pots and decor, etc. I have more ideas for the space - definitely looking for a cute runner rug and the perfect pillows for the chairs. I may paint the chairs, haven't decided yet, so they are staying as-is for right now. My inspiration is Jen's recent front porch re-do:

{source}

Although the front porch is not complete, I was able to sit outside, enjoy a beverage and watch my boys run through their new sprinkler:

That was the whole plan for redoing the space in the first place...we never enjoy the front yard, and I love that the porch is covered, unlike the back deck, so even if it's raining, we can sit outside and enjoy the warm weather.

Yesterday, we went to church and then the beach. I didn't actually get many "beach" pictures this time, but the boys had fun with their boogie boards and it was a gorgeous Sunday. Here's a pic I did get of my crazy guys:

Oh, and in other news, I chopped my hair last week - a whole 6-7 inches!

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Living Room Reveal

You have no idea how long I've been waiting to be able to do this post. I started redecorating my living room over A YEAR ago. It has taken this long to pull the pieces together {and of course there are still some tweaks to be made here and there}, but I am finally in a place where I can say, "It's good."

Let me show you where this living room pretty much started. This is in 2010, though we moved into the house in 2008. The decor was pretty much the same all that time.

You can see the room isn't that large in size, nor does it get a lot of good natural light. Let's just say I wasn't really thinking when I decided to paint the space a medium taupe/brown. It literally felt like a dungeon in the evenings, and the daytime wasn't that great either. I'm a bright, natural-light-lovin' girl.

The first steps I took when I started redecorating last year, was to pick some accent colors that were bright and cheery, unlike my earth tone go-to's of the past. So naturally, pink and yellow it was! {To the discontent of my husband, but it has grown on him as the space has evolved into my original vision.}

Even with these bright changes, the paint color in the room still made it feel dark. I knew we had to go lighter. I thought a nice light gray would be just the right fit, plus I had wanted to paint the kitchen that color too ever since our remodel of that late last year. So here you go...{beware: pic overload!}

I'm sure you noticed the large blank wall above the couch. Before we painted, I actually had all the wall pictures in one large gallery there, but it was a little busy and I really need something to fill the small walls, so I thought splitting the frames up into three different galleries was the best thing. My plan with the large wall is to put my artistic skills to use and make a custom painting on canvas. I will keep you posted on that.

Overall, I am so much happier about the space. It is fun, bright and bold...a true reflection of me. I want our boys to enjoy a happy space...it is modern, yet playful at the same time, and has some personal touches - i.e. my artwork, Tanner's artwork and some DIY pieces. The couch doesn't really go so well anymore, but we are not in the position to get a new one any time soon, so it will have to do...and that La-Z Boy, well it's an eyesore and doesn't really match, but Jake needs a comfy chair in front of the TV. One day it will be replaced with something better. So other than those few things, this room is pretty much done! It feels so good to say that.

Info/Sources:

Paint: HGTV Brand at Sherwin Williams in "Silverlight" - This was the most gray-gray...without purple, blue or green hues in the shade of gray we wanted. I'd say it's a light-medium gray.
Yellow Console Table: Crate & Barrel - but I got it on Craigslist!
3 Paintings in a Row: My artwork
White Frames: Misc. from Walmart, Target, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, etc.
Large White Mimosa Quatrefoil Frames: ZGallerie
Magenta Accent Chair: Overstock
Floral Pillows: TJ Maxx
Pallet Art: DIY Project
Faux Ivory Coral: ZGallerie
Yellow Lamp Bases: Target
White Lamp Shades: Target


So what do you think? Please remember to "pin" it if you love it! xoxo

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