A few months back I partnered with 3M Scotch Blue to work on a fun project. I had to wait to share it with you guys, but I finally can spill the beans and show you the coolest planters ever! Now that it's summer, it matches with my outdoor decor and the flowers are thriving!! Enjoy! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We had a 60 degree day this weekend and it totally put me in the mood to get ready for Spring! It was perfect timing because I teamed up with 3M ScotchBlue and had a super simple, and fun project to work on.
Southwest decor is all the rage this year, so I wanted to bring a touch of this trendy style to my outdoor living space this Spring. Here's what you need to make your own: 2-3 Planters in a variety of sizes 3M ScotchBlue tape Craft Knife Spray Paint Dirt Flowers or Plants I found these planters at my local Target and immediately thought the colors went perfectly with my outdoor cushions.
See the red, aqua, and grey? It was like a match made in Heaven!
Step 1- Cover the surface of your planters where you plan to add your Southwestern flair. I totally knew ScotchBlue tape would seal tightly and prevent any dripping.
Step 2- Trace your pattern. I printed out a steer head and traced it with a pen, so I could see where to cut. It doesn't actually make a clear line, but more of an indent in the tape, that you can see.
I used the exact same process for the arrows on the other planter.
Step 3- Use a craft knife to cut the outline of your shape.
Step 4- Remove the shape cutout. Use the edge of your craft knife to get under the tape and peel away only the inside of your shape.
You'll be left with perfectly crisp lines ready for some paint!
Step 5- Spray paint your shape. Now, make sure you tape off any area that might get paint on it. See the top there… it would be blue, if I didn't tape it off.
ScotchBlue tape is the perfect seal while you paint. Use two thin coats of spray paint and then allow it to dry for about 30 minutes before removing the tape.
To add a little more color, I popped the bottoms off the planters and gave them two coats of spray paint as well.
Step 6- Plant & Enjoy! After everything has dried for 24 hours, you can plant and stack your planters. Just remember to leave enough space to stack the upper planter on top, as you plant the lower one.
I'm hoping for plenty more warm days ahead, so I can enjoy hanging outside and relaxing near my super-cute Southwest planters!
Apparently I have a thing for cool planters- if you missed my original tiered planters you can check them out HERE. (They were featured by Apartment Therapy last month- So exciting! woohoo!!!)
So are you digging the southwest trend or are you ready for it to take a hike??
**This post was sponsored by 3M, but all opinions belong 100% to yours truly! **
We'll be getting back to our regular Fab Find Fridays next week, but today we want to share the project that won Round 3 of CWTS! We love it so much and I'm kind of jealous that Monica gets to enjoy it every day. (The next big project better be at MY house.; ) Enjoy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What are girls to do when they CAN'T SEW and are part of a fabric challenge? Hmm… well, we're kind of lovin' wallpaper lately, so we thought we'd use fabric in a non-traditional (and non-sewing) way! Fabric Wallpaper I had ordered some fabric a few months back, but never used it. Amazingly there was just the right amount to cover the width of my office wall. While we're talking about my office… this is a judgement free zone, so go easy on me about the state of my office. Yikes!
There wasn't enough fabric to cover the whole wall, so we came up with the idea to put board and batten below the fabric. The big decision was what color to paint the moulding… Grey, White, or Yellow. We kind of hold to a"Go Big or Go Home" mentality, so we went with yellow! Darn that the color paint we bought wasn't made correctly and looked like Sunshine Yellow, not a cool muted color.
Once the paint was dry (ok, well almost dry) it was time to start working on the fabric. We measured the height and cut accordingly. We left about 6" extra that we trimmed later.
This is NOT a glamorous process… it's a lot of holding & pinning and really would be great with two people, but with only one ladder, Jess got to give advice from below and take awesome pics of me!
There are lots of methods for hanging fabric, but we thought the pin & staple was our best option. We used pins to get it lined up correctly.
Somehow we forgot to take a picture of the stapling process, but it's simple… just staple along the edges. After stapling, we used a razor to trim the edges.
Once again we were wrapping up a project at midnight… Jess is awesome at styling, so before she headed home, she got to work on the desk accessories. The Love sign is something we made for our etsy shop, but I kinda love it, so I haven't listed it!
The next morning we finished all the painting and got to work on the rope. Unfortunately, rope doesn't come in many colors…just rope color. So, we decided to stain it grey. I had no idea my table stain would get so much use! It gave the rope just the look we were going for!
We used a hot glue gun to adhere the rope around the outside edge. We liked the idea of adding a cool detail, and we also had to hide the staples!
We couldn't be happier with the finished product! The total cost was under $50.00 (and most of that was for the gallon of paint we didn't even use!)
It totally looks like wallpaper and at a fraction of the cost. I'm so glad this challenge inspired us to finish my office!
So, how's that for a fabric project from two girls that can't sew? Monica & Jess Linking up to: TT & J, Show & Tell Saturday, Tips & Tutorials Tip Me Tuesday, Sundae Scoop, Sunday Showcase
Ok, folks. Yesterday we shared our BLOG goals with you and today's the day we publicly lay out our plans for our homes in the hopes that putting it down in writing for the whole world to see will motivate us to actually geterdone. These goals include our big plans for the year, but we'll be sharing lots of little projects and ideas along the way. So, here goes:
1.Finish the dining room, goshdarnit. I'm the worst at putting the finishing touches on a room (ugh, the details!), but that's all I have left to do. Look for the full reveal later this month!
2. Update the Living Room. This room is attached to the dining room, so it looks a bit drab compared to the new cottagey/coastal dining room. The stenciled fireplace is just waiting for the rest of the room to catch up!
3. Tackle the Master Bedroom. Oh, this room. It's dark, dingy and in dire need of some love. I'm ready to paint, add an accent wall, change out the bedding, refinish the furniture, and make some art that speaks to my hubs and me. This will be the last room on the main level that gets done! (Oh wait, there's the master bath too…)
4. Create an organized (but beautiful!) desk area under the stairs in our finished basement. We need a place to keep our files (instead of my husband's underwear drawer. I kid you not!) and house our computer. I'm not entirely sure what I want to do there, but I know it will include this fabulous antique door. We planned to use it in our Guest Room Makeover, but we went with shutters instead.
5. My baby turns 3 this year and it's time for a big boy room! I'm so torn about the direction I want to go in for Charlie's room: preppy and nautical or vintage baseball. I know he'd go nuts for baseball, but I'd go nuts for nautical! Who will win?!
Pottery Barn Kids & Source Unknown 6. Be content to just live in and enjoy our home without constantly scrutinizing it for problem areas. I'll be honest. Sometimes being in the home blogging world feels like everyone has the perfect house. I don't and that's ok. I'm going to try to read a book in my ugly bedroom every once in a while and just enjoy it, instead of wishing it were someone else's gorgeous retreat. You know why? Because I am blessed…ugly rooms and all.
1. Eliminate Wasted Space. Almost everyone has that one room (usually the formal living room) that is just totally wasted space. Either, it looks pretty, but no one uses it or it's kind of an unfinished eyesore… Mine is the later. When you walk into our foyer you see our bold wallpaper, fun word art wall, and then BAM it hits you… to the right is a completely unfinished jumble of a room. I was going to make it a completely predictable formal living room, but I'd never really use it. Jess, the hubs, and I have been brainstorming and I think we just might have a plan! (this is part of the current jumbled up mess- don't worry I'll just be relocating this area, because the kids do use the crafting area all the time)
2. Compromise in the Bedroom No! It's not what you think (geesh you guys!)… Eric and I recently discovered (okay, he knew, but I was oblivious to the fact) that we both have really different styles. He would love a bedroom that's warm and I believe he used the word"Lodgey" (like a ski lodge). If you look at my home for even a second, you will notice that nothing about it fits that bill. So, we're making it a 2013 goal to finally design a bedroom that we both love (Honestly, I'm okay with me loving and him liking… just keepin' it real) and I'm thinking it will be sort of Rustic-Industrial. So, as embarrassing as it is to show you… welcome to my current master bedroom.
3. Details. Details. Details. I am not good at the little details of designing a room. I am a big-picture, big-ideas kind of gal. Once the walls are painted, a few pieces of furniture are in, I tend to walk away and never bring it all together with accessories etc. It's my goal this year to work through each room and make sure it feels finished. So you'll be seeing a lot of thrifted accessory upcycles, fabulous accent pillows, and who knows what else.
4. Kenzie's Room (Heaven Help Us All!) Man, if you could meet one of my kids, I'd want it to be Kenzie. She's a trip (and I sounds 98 yrs old for saying that)! She's funny, spunky, sassy, and adores animals like no one I've ever met.
Anyhow, she has been promised a room makeover this year and it's going to push my design skills to the limit. Have you ever seen this guy?
He's the"TurtleMan" and he has a reality show where he rescues"critters" and it's by far Kenzie's favorite show (sometimes I feel like I live in the Twilight Zone). Anyhow, she would like a combination Turtleman and Equestrian room. I have a strong feeling that will be a first on Pinterest! Ha! So far, her only specific request is a pallet wall ceiling. This project is going to be a challenge to say the least.
So, there you have it. Our home goals for 2013! We know there will be about 2 million other projects we tackle this year, but hopefully all of these will make the list too! Now…who wants to keep us accountable?!! What are YOUR home goals this year?
If you thought Round 1 was impressive, what do you think of these Round 2 Knockoffs? If you haven't already, stop everything and click here to vote for your favorite 3 knockoffs! We aren't exaggerating when we say we were blown away this round. And… lucky me, I get to share my knockoff today… no pressure right! Ha!
Before I share mine, let's enjoy a Blast from the Past and look at the Knockoff that won us Round 2 of Creating with the Stars in 2012. It appears that Anthro is DIYers favorite store to knockoff. Last year we tackled their Ordinal Dresser (you can see the full tutorial here)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now, onto my little ol' knockoff project…
I really wanted Anthro's Woodcut Print, but at ahem $1600… are you kidding me?? At that price, it had better grow into a money tree!! I'll take my $6.99 version thank you very much.
Here's how I made mine… it took about 5 minutes. I searched Google images for a woodcut picture I liked. It was black and white, but I wanted a red tone similar to the original. I brought it into PicMonkey (love that site) and used the tint effect to choose a new color. The options are endless as you can see from my screen shot below.
If I wanted a smaller size this project would have been FREE, but I needed a 12x12, so I printed it at Staples for $6.99. It's not an earth shattering knockoff, but I saved $1593.01- Woohoo! Jess and I love getting a high end look for less… Why pay full price, when you can just Knock-it-Off? The woodcut art is part of my new Kid Friendly Gallery Wall! Every single item on this wall is plastic, wood, or just plain paper. With 4 kids, and after about 7 broken frames I knew I needed a plan B!
I'll be posting more about this wall after CWTS, but here are a few pics for you to enjoy…
And yes, those prints are just paper, framed in washi tape. Break proof!
That metal print is SO us! Eric and I might be a wee bit sarcastic… It says,"National Sarcasm Society… Like we need your support"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alright, enough about me, let's talk about you! Are you ready to link up your favorite Knockoff project?
The winner of Round 2's link up will receive an awesome prize package from Belmonili and Perfectly Imperfect Shop, and we promise you're going to love it!
This link party will be open until Friday, March 22nd at 10 PM EST. Jess and I are going to be choosing our absolute favorite knockoff project and revealing the tutorial for it on Sunday! If you win this week, we'll be contacting you sometime on Saturday for the tutorial, so be ready! Please remember a few things before linking up: 1. Before linking, please LIKE us on Facebook (Thanks!)
2. Make sure you link back to us in your post. Only those linking back will be eligible for the prize! 3. Only one submission per person. 4. Choose a project that you've done in the last 12 months. Want to see all the amazing Upcycle projects that were linked up last week?Click here!The Round 1 Link Up Winner was thisawesome light fixture!
Only 11 days until Christmas, everyone! Start panicking! Just kidding- I absolutely love this holiday season (September through December is my FAVORITE time of year!) and have been tweaking, arranging and rearranging my Christmas decor for the last few weeks. And guess what? I probably won't stop until I take the stuff down on January 1st. I'm so excited to show you around on my first official home tour. Come on in and make yourself comfortable! (Warming: LOTS of pictures to follow, and hopefully, I'll be able to keep my mouth shut and let you enjoy it!: )
I'm still in love with my blue front door, and decided to forgo the traditonal holiday colors in favor of a rustic, woodsy color scheme. Browns, creams, copper and a few wood tree trunks!
Welcome to my foyer! This is what greets you as you come in the front door.
Isn't that houndstooth wrapping paper fabulous? Monica has great taste in (and an obsession with!) wrapping paper, so I have her to thank for it.: )
I tried my hand at making a wrapping paper leaf garland this year. It's pretty cute, but took a long time!
Living Room
I had fun decking out my mantel- again going with the rustic,woodsy theme.
I had to include my wood slice wreath, threw in some cut greens leftover from our tree, wrapped a few little presents with cute wrapping and added those charming. brightly colored reindeer from Target.
I love the Pottery Barn stockings that were a gift to us from my mom, and think they look great against the stenciled fireplace.
On the other side of the room, the moss monogram made it's appearance again this year.
I can't wait to show you how I made this faux-console table for behind the couch. So easy and makes a world of a difference!
Dining Room
I'm so close to a full reveal of my dining room (coming January 2013!), but couldn't resist sharing a few little glimpses. It's beautiful and I often think,"This can't be my house."
Family Room/Basement
I recycled the Nate Show ornaments that Monica made for me last year (why buy new when the old stuff is so cute?!), and bought two adorable plaid pillows on clearance from Target to stick on top of my old thift store trunk. And of course, what makes the space is the reindeer sillouette art.
I totally dig this space!
And see that little red pillow with the zipper? Monica and I made that last year for our fourth Nate Show episode. So cool, right? Kitchen
I kept it clean and simple in this room, folks.
I made that felt garland and let me tell you, it was a bear to make. Worth it, but oh-so-time-consuming.
We broke out the framed Advent calendar again since it was such a big hit last year.
Hall Bathroom
I had to show you this fab plaid rug I got from Target (yes, Target again, and no they don't pay me). It's so cozy, but doesn't scream Christmas. Love it.
Thank you, Jones Design Company, for the pretty (and meaningful!) printable! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- But nothing in my home beats watching these two enjoy the holiday season. Celebrating Christmas with kids is so.much.fun.
And not to be outdone by the fun, crazy Mangin picture, here's a greeting from my cuties!: )
I hope you enjoyed my Christmas home tour! Let's play the favorite thing game. Ready, set, go! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And oh yeah, if you missed Monica's tour earlier this week, check it out HERE. There's some good stuff in there, folks!
This post is being interrupted to wish a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our very own Jessica! Happy Birthday friend- so glad you're in my life! Ok… on with the Brookie Bites Post… You have not lived until you've tried a Brookie Bite.
Now, I can take no credit for these delectable bite-sized pieces of heaven. I got the recipe here, but changed a few things to make it a bit easier for me. You might remember that I mentioned I do not bake. Ever. There are two reasons for this: 1) I don't measure ingredients very well. This makes for a decent cook, but an awful baker, and 2) I am not a huge fan of sweets (Don't hate, it's the way God made me). However, there are two desserts that I do enjoy immensely and they are chocolate chip cookies and brownies. If these two things are combined, you pretty much have my dream dessert. Lucky for you, I'm willing to pass this recipe along to you. This dessert is a huge crowd-pleaser, and it's so easy that even I can do it!
Here's what you'll need: 1 package of Chocolate Chip cookie mix 1 box of brownie mix All the ingredients listed on the boxes to make the brownies and cookies (eggs, butter and vegetable oil) Colored sugar Step 1: Bake brownies as directed. Remove when done. Step 2: While brownies are baking, mix up the cookie dough according to the directions. Place in very small spoonfuls on a cookie sheet. (You want them to be small. because the Brookie Bites will be, well, bite-sized.)
Step: 3: Bake cookies for the minimum time required, so that they are nice and gooey (crispy cookies won't work in this recipe!). While still warm, roll the cookies into bite-sized balls. This is very messy, and you'll have to wash your hands several times (or I guess, lick them clean) during the process. Place cookie balls in the freezer until frozen.
Step 4: Place frozen cookies inside a brownie, and smush the brownie all around the outside of the cookie. This is not at all glamorous, but trust me, the end result is worth it!
(Please excuse the blurry picture. I might have gone into a sugar coma at this point) Step 4: Roll Brookie Bites in colored sugar and freeze again until frozen.
Step 5: Eat and Enjoy!
P.S. Please don't leave me comments saying that I helped you fall off the dieting wagon. You are a grown person, and if you can't stop yourself from making these Brookie Bites from heaven and then consuming every last morsel, that's your own fault.
This Fab Find is kind of silly, but is truly knock-your-socks-off delicious.
Many of you grow your own veggies and may be looking for something to do with all those ripe tomatoes and cucumbers, or many of you, like me, may hit up your local roadside stand to help them get rid of all those ripe tomatoes and cucumbers. This recipe from my mother-in-law is so simple, but I managed to cut and eat 5 tomatoes and 3 big cucumbers in 2 days because of it. Are you ready? Here it is:
Just add enough blush wine vinaigrette (I used Brianna's which is to die for, but any blush wine vinaigrette will do) to cover the veggies and let marinate a few hours in the fridge. And voila! A refreshing, delicious salad to enjoy on these last few summer evenings…or afternoons. Probably most of you won't eat it in the morning like I did. Enjoy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Also, we have a winner of the Salvatori Photography giveaway: Congratulations, Amy Z!
Just email us, Amy, and we'll hook you up with Stacy so you can schedule your"momography" tutorial (no, that's not mamography, for those of you who were wondering. Do you really think we'd give away one of those?!! True, it could save your life, but really…). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And finally, announcing…
Come back next week to get yourself in the back-to-school spirit! Have a FABULOUS weekend!
It's been over a week since we've blogged! It seriously felt like forever (okay, being slightly dramatic, but it did seem really long). Since we're totally still rookie bloggers (still in the first year) we're kind of noticing that the trend is to do a little old recap post, so here it goes… RHBC Style…
Monica's 2011 Blogging Favs (click on the title to link to that post) #1 Farmhouse Table Remix Don't you love how that title makes me sound all"gangsta?" That's right… I'm a gangsta that makes DIY farm tables. Baha!
So, not only is this project the one that gets the most use in our household, it also took the cake for our most popular post of the year. Over 14,000 people have peeked at the hub's handiwork… Of course this now has given him bragging rights, so I needed an amazing project in 2012 to put him in his place! If you haven't checked out this post, I highly recommend it… it sorta makes you think you just might be able to accomplish any DIY project out there!
#2- The Year of the Pallet Obviously, pallets made a huge impact on 2011 DIY projects. Everyone was coming up with amazing ways to use them. My very favorite way we used them was building pallet walls.
#3- Painting the Perfect Stripe This post is a perfectionist's dream come true. The crisp straight lines make my heart skip a beat. (again, slightly dramatic…sorry!)
I do love the direction they started taking my family room in. It's sort of lacking any personality… just has a lot of toys and broken accessories and lamps (because we play ball in there all the time). I do hope to work on this room early in 2012.
#4- More Stripes I was pretty thrilled to finally try out painting on fabric. Since we can't sew, I was thrilled to find something else I could do with fabric.
#5- Foyer Wallpaper The very first thing I tackled when we moved into our house last November was the foyer. The funny thing is that no one actually comes in our front door… Honestly, if you ever come visit, just come on in through the garage door. We're tight right? It took me forever to find just the right wallpaper, but I am soooo happy with what I chose. It makes a bold statement and it's totally me.
#6- Paint Chip Artwork This is one of the most popular projects from 2011 and I was pretty happy with how it turned out, but… I'm about to take it out of my bathroom and re-do the room. I'm so darn fickle. I'll put it up somewhere, but for now it's taking a break. This project has become my 9 yr old's favorite craft to do lately. If she can do it, I definitely think you should try!
#7- Make a Hideous Dresser Awesome and then Give it to a 2 Year Old. Jess and I LOVED our Anthro knockoff SO much. Seriously, it was a labor of love and it still makes me laugh that my 2 year old has it in his room.
#8- I HEART yellow I really do love yellow. Whenever I'm thinking of an accent color I'm always like,"Oooh yellow!" and then I remember it's not cool to use the same color in every single room of your house. I am glad that I went with it for my buffet that it became quite famous as the"challenge in the room" on our first Nate Show episode. Ha!
To be completely honest, the buffet still smells like dead people (I got it at a barn sale) but I love it and I just don't ever open the doors! #9 Under Pressure Dining Room Nothing like a little pressure to get a renovation moving along. My dining room still isn't accessorized, but it was ready just in the nick of time for my fabulous family (all 36 of them) for Thanksgiving.
#10- Discovering I enjoy being in Small Crates and taking Self-Photos 2 ways I expanded my horizons this year… Apparently I enjoy spending time with my knees up near my ears while being crammed into a small crate, and I take oodles of cheesy self-pics for our blog. I never could have imagined how much 2011 would grow me as a person. HA!
Honestly though, being on The Nate Show has been one of the coolest experiences ever. We thought one visit was amazing, a second a dream come true, and a third just rocked our world and made us so amazingly thankful for the opportunities we've had. So, thanks Nate, we REALLY appreciate it.
#11- Did you really think I'd actually post 11 things? Don't you know I procrastinate and wanted to be in bed like an hour ago??? In true Monica style, I'm ending this at 10 things, because well I don't feel like coming up with a # 11 and because all the other bloggers did 11, so 10 makes this way more original right?
Looking back over our blog for the last 10 months has been pretty cool. We've done some super-fun projects and I'm just beyond thankful that Jess and I can do this together and that you come and read what we have to share each and every day. Thank you. Really, I don't get touchy feely, but we appreciate our readers so much. Ok, that's all. Mushy moment over. Tomorrow Jess is recapping her 2011 year and then Wednesday I'm letting you know what's to come in 2012… and I'm crossing my fingers that Eric and Kev don't read that post because they might freak out if they know how many things we have planned! So, welcome to 2012…
We've been crazy excited about this post since our friend Staci agreed to partnering with us! From time to time, we revisit our Be Intentional series. Staci's story is one that we hope encourages you to set goals in your life (in any and all areas) and then take intentional steps to achieve them. We love this girl, we're so proud of her, and are honored to share her story today!
Meet our friend Staci… ********************************************************************************** I am going to be honest. I am"no good" at home decorating and DIY design and crafting. To be brutally honest, I flat out stink! Oh, believe me, I have dreams about a beautifully decorated bedroom and a warm and cozy living room with amazing wall colors and fresh flowers in beautiful vases accented on my tables and shelves. But, I am just not good at putting everything together to transform a room. So, thankfully, I am NOT writing this post to give you tips about DIY design! Really…you should be thanking me!!! Haha! On the other hand, I thank God for making us all unique and designed for the purposes HE designed us for. So, you may be wondering who am I and why have I been given access to writing to an audience of DIY pros and creatives?!?! I may not be good at DIY design and transforming the rooms of my living space, but I have been on a little DIY transformation…in my body and in my life. My name is Staci. This is me in January of 2010.
I know what you are thinking. Oh goodness. Yikes. I am thinking it, too. "Did she stuff her shirt with melons?""Did she put pillows in her pants?""Is she a really grouchy person?""She looks angry." All to which I can reassure you…NO. I did not put melons in my shirt. I didn't add pillows to my pants. And no…I am not grouchy nor angry!!! Okay, maybe you weren't thinking"exactly" that, but when I look at these pictures of who I was 2 years ago, I can hardly believe that was me. The reality is, I was 260 lbs. of hurt. 260 lbs. of frustration. 260 lbs. of failed diets. 260 lbs. of zero confidence. 260 lbs. of someone I never, ever wanted to become. Sad, unhealthy, embarrassed, lonely and hopeless.
Have you ever been at your rock bottom? The place where you feel that you are never going to get out of? The place where you feel that no one understands? The place where you feel so far away from where you truly want to be? That was me 2 years ago. I don't exactly remember what it was that sparked a deep desire in me to change once and for all, but I was really starting to think that God didn't create me to be any of the things I was becoming. And he surely didn't desire for me to be trapped in a body that I was ashamed of, embarrassed about and so hurt to be in. Although, one post is not nearly enough to share with you all that has gone on in my life and my transformation over the past 2 years; I will share with you where I am today and the main reasons I am where I am.
I reached my final goal in November 2011. This is me today at 135 lbs.:
Never in a million years did I believe that this was possible. I still look at my before and after photos and I cannot believe that was me and now this is me. You can only see the images, but I can see the hurt and defeat in the before photos. And I can see the strength and hope in the after photos. I haven't just transformed physically, I have transformed emotionally as well.
This picture of my old jeans is a clear reminder of where this journey started! Staci would love for her story to reach and help anyone that might need encouragement. So, you have her permission to Pin her pictures and share it with anyone that could use some encouragement and motivation!
When people hear of my success or they see it for themselves when they see me, there is always one question that gets asked: WHAT DID YOU DO TO LOSE THE WEIGHT?!?! At first, I used to give people my simple cookie cutter answer of what I did: I started eating right and exercising daily. And I prayed. Sometimes minute by minute. But, after seeing the sometimes disappointed looks back at me because for some reason or other, when people give us the straight up hard truth (even though it is common sense), we somehow think that we could never do that. We believe the lies: "I could never do that."
"I don't have that kind of willpower." You know what? I am not crazy motivated. I don't have any more"willpower" than you. I don't have a magic formula and I sure don't have a magic potion. But, I do have intention and a God who never gives up on me. Even when I give up on myself. Jess and Mon talk often about"Being Intentional". For me, being intentional means doing things even when I don't want to because it is what I need to do. Being intentional means having a plan at all times. Being intentional means setting goals. I am not speaking of having plans and setting goals because I believe I have my future all figured out or that I can truly control what happens tomorrow or next week, but I desire to have a plan and set goals because it is one of the ways that lives can change. It is one way that people can move from an undesirable place in life to a place of freedom and the ability to fully live the life they were designed for! By setting goals, I had to make choices as to"how" I could get to that goal. I set a 6 -week, 90-day, 6-month and"end of year" goal. If the scale wasn't moving, I had to assess what I was doing. And change something immediately. There was no time to go off the path I needed to take if I wanted to meet my goals. This was me about 1/2 way through… I was around 190lbs.
In addition to setting goals, I also had to learn what I needed vs. what I wanted. Monica and Jess have talked about wants vs. needs in decorating. Well, I may have wanted to go out to my favorite restaurant for a big burger and fries, but I truly didn't need a big burger and fries. See the difference? I know, I know…it still seems like it is a willpower thing. But it really isn't. It's looking at my plan. If I want to weigh 10 lbs. less in 6 weeks, a burger and fries isn't what I need. Does it mean I will never be able to have a burger and fries? Not at all. But right now, that isn't part of the plan.
Bottom line, I am not here to tell you what to do and how to do it. I am merely trying to tell you that you CAN do it. Do what works for you. Do what you know you need to do. Even if you don't have to lose weight, it is still important to fuel your body with healthy, nutritious foods. And it is so important to take some time out of your day to get moving. Find something that you enjoy and get moving! Be intentional. And above all else, remember that you were created for a purpose. By taking care of your body; physically, emotionally and spiritually…you are unleashing a power within that no one can take away. And you are unleashing the power to connect and encourage others around you! When I am struggling or having a day where my wants seem to be trying to overpower the intention of my needs, I cling to the words below. Maybe it is with eating, maybe it is trying to get through an intense workout, maybe it's facing the daily pressures of life. Here is what I hold on to:
" I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.For I can do everything through Christ,who gives me strength." ~Philippians 4:12-13
In the midst of the depth of all of this; the tears, hard work, the defeats and the triumphs, I have made every effort to maintain a attitude of openness and realness with others as well as a level of humor. So, I will leave you with one last photo. It is my favorite one of all!!! This is my mom and I in my old pants…yes,two of us!: -) 125 lbs. lost and gone forever!!! I am forever changed!!!
P.S. I must share that I am a recovering sweets & desserts addict! So, I will share one of my absolute favorite treats that I make almost daily for myself! Enjoy! Quick Chocolate Oatmeal(adapted from my absolute favorite dessert blog Chocolate-Covered Katie) 1/2 cup quick oats 1 small banana (broken up into small chunks) 1 1/2 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa 2 Tbsp Unsweetened Applesauce 15-20 drops of Liquid Stevia 1 tsp. vanilla extract 3/4 cup of Light Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk or Light Vanilla Soy Milk dash of salt 2 Tbsp. fat free cool whip (optional) Spray small saucepan with cooking spray. Combine all of the ingredients together in the small saucepan. Stir everything together until thoroughly mixed. Turn heat to high and continue stirring oatmeal until oatmeal starts to bubble slightly and thicken. After oatmeal starts to slowly boil, turn heat off and continue stirring for another minute or so to finish heating all the way through. Pour into a bowl and enjoy! For an extra treat, add some fat free cool whip on top! *You can also add a Tbsp of Peanut Butter to the above recipe for a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup bowl of oatmeal!My husband's favorite!: -) *********************************************************************************** So how's that for some intentional living? I don't know about you, but Staci has encouraged, inspired, and motivated us big time! Staci recently started blogging about all things health,fitness, and nutrition, so check out Musings of a Wellness Hopeful for all kinds of recipes, motivation, and more!
Got questions for Staci? Leave a comment and she'll get back to you!
Only following on the blog? You're missing out. Use the buttons below to join in on all the fun!
A s I've continued to trim the stems of the hydrangeas to make them last longer, they've required smaller and smaller vases. I placed the collection around the sink and realized that they made for a lovely little indoor spring garden. It will sustain me for now as the garden outside is still very quiet.
The only sign of blossoms so far are the sweet baby buds from the old lilac bush. They're the first to bloom in spring and are a wonderful reminder of the fragrances and flowers we'll enjoy in the months to come. That first lilac bouquet will be heavenly. I can't wait. xo
Today we have a Jessica (not our Jess, a different one) from Arcadian Lighting guest posting about blending modern and country designs. We love this trend, so we were excited to see what she had to share. I (Monica) happen to love Arcadian Lighting. We made one big lighting purchase when we built our home. Our foyer needed a huge light and it needed some major wow factor. We must have looked at 192364 stores, and Arcadian was where we found a winner!
It's one of my favorite things ever (and they have great sales, so of course I didn't pay full price!) So, thanks for being here today Jessica! **********************************************************************************
Hi there! I'm Jessica, a writer for Arcadian Lighting, which is a wonderful online resource for beautiful, affordable lighting fixtures. I'm delighted to be guest posting for Monica and Jess today because I'm going to be sharing a collection of inspiring modern country interiors. Rustic and casual with a sophisticated modern edge, these country interiors are just right for the fresh, airy days of Spring. I hope you enjoy!
A simple checked table cloth and set of traditional English china give this lovely dining table a classic farmhouse feel. The contrasting modern wine glasses and Donghia stacking chairs are cool accent pieces.
A chic neutral color palette and a checked upholstered arm chair in the corner bring together new and modern with old and classic beautifully. The branch candlesticks are fun and unexpected.
A gorgeous mix of crisp, modern furniture and rustic exposed wood beams creates a perfectly elegant, yet relaxing atmosphere in this living room. These types of ornate wooden mirror frames and chandeliers add a bit of drama.
The slate fireplace, twinkling candles and brilliant chandelier give this sophisticated dining room just enough simple country beauty. A lovely bouquet of fresh greenery makes the perfect accent, as well.
The vaulted ceiling and shelving gives this living room a distinctly farmhouse appeal. Weathered antiques and cushy modern furniture make the room cozy and inviting.
The handsome dark wooden floorboards and rustic, industrial stools add a rugged edge to this chic kitchen. The pendant lights overhead are simply beautiful, and the under cabinet lighting is a great touch.
A dusty blue wall color and sheer white curtains make this bedroom absolutely dreamy and romantic. The wood beam ceiling add so much natural texture and color that it makes a perfect accent against the very simple furnishings.
The paneled walls in this bedroom lend a cozy country atmosphere to the room, especially with a serene beige paint color. The rustic nightstand and modern headboard are particularly handsome together. Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 Which of these modern country rooms is your favorite? Let us know in the comments! And be sure to stop by Arcadian Lighting for a modern light fixture or two to brighten your home! -Jessica
I t all began with these beautiful organic cherries. It's cherry season here in orchard country so there's lots of them. After snacking on them for a couple of weeks now, I decided that it was time to make ourselves (Hubby, me and babies included) a cherry pie.
Pitting the cherries is something I really enjoy, pink fingers and all. Hubby bought me this cherry pitter last year — it pits four at once and is completely splatter proof. Good thing. Pie filling recipe: 4 cups pitted cherries 4 tablespoons quick cooking tapioca 1 cup sugar 1/8 teaspoon of salt 1/4 teaspoon almond extract 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
This is the pie before I put it in the oven. I use a pie crust recipe that I learned in a class at the town hall several years ago, taught by a blue ribbon winner at the county fair. Her secret....Martha Stewart's pie crust recipe and really, really good butter. Pie crust recipe: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar 1 cup butter Combine above (I use a food processor) until mixture has pea-sized pieces and coarse crumbs. Drizzle 1/3 cup cold water over flour mixture and work in until dough clings together in balls. Separate into two equal parts and roll out. Bake pie at 400 degrees for 50 minutes.
Here's the cherry pie, fresh from the oven. I spent my first trimester in survival mode. I had to eat whatever I could that didn't make me feel woozy, and had a very strong aversion to sugar. But now that I'm in my second trimester, my dietary aversions are a little more manageable. I'm even beginning to sample a few sweet things...
If you don't already know her allow me to introduce you to Victoria Hagan a New York City designer extraordinaire who owns her own design firm named Victoria Hagan Interiors here that caters to both residential and commercial projects.
Hagan began designing interiors in 1985, founded Victoria Hagan Interiors in 1991 and established Victoria Hagan Home, a line of furniture, fabrics and accessories, in 2002.
Her design philosophy is 'keep it simple', 'keep it comfortable', 'keep it interesting' but most important 'keep it fun'. She keeps interiors very clean with a neutral palette and isn't drawn to any period or style but rather goes for versitility in a room. Her interiors look very relaxed and stylish at the same time.
Love the pop of red, dark wood with the clean crisp white. You get a taste of old with the new. Victoria's interiors are both masculine and feminine.
Designed by Victoria Hagan Victoria's style reminds me so much of Darryl Carter's style, below, I love both. They both use a mix of the traditional and modern, the old and the new with clean lines.
Designed by Darryl Carter, pictures via Elle Decor
Designed by Darryl Carter, Washington DC Row House, photo Simon Upton Darryl Carter used masculine looking leather-covered doors as a headboard, above. While Victoria designed a feminine leather screen, below, for her home collection here.
The Carroll leather screen by Victoria Hagan Victoria's furniture collection it's so stylish and clean and fits beautifully in today's interiors.
The James footstool designed by Victoria Hagan
The Wainscott chair from her home collection
Enjoy more of Victoria Hagan's Interiors here I hope you've enjoyed meeting designer Victoria Hagan and seeing a few pictures of her design work. There are a lot more pictures on her website here of interiors and here of her home collection, I just love her look!
Ok, we all know that the reason we love DIY and home decor blogs is that we can legitimately snoop in other people's houses. Seriously, you know it's true. Well, I'm here to please, folks, so I'm going to give you a little glimpse into the house where my family (parents, both sisters and their families, and my fam) stayed the last week. We have this awesome tradition of spending a week together on vacation every year and we always go somewhere new. This year, my dad found this gorgeous house called"Old Wintersell" right outside of the adorable little town of Oxford, which is situated on the Chesapeake in Maryland. We've been to a lot of places, but this spot was definitely in my top 5 locations. Let me show you why:
This beautiful old house was built in 1845 and sits on a sprawling 14 acres. It was impeccably maintained and obviously nicely updated. Just in case you were wondering, here's the aerial view of the house (taken from the home's website- you can see lots more pictures there. This house is for sale, too!)
The kitchen was well-appointed and had everything we needed!
Loved these decorative spheres (I would have said balls, but that just didn't sound quite right)
The butler's pantry was so big that I couldn't get it all in one shot. On the left was a desk and bookshelves, stocked with loads of Bon Appetit magazines, and on the right was the coffee station and plenty of pantry space.
The kitchen opened into the main living area, where we spent most of our evenings hanging out.
This trunk-turned-coffee-table was a fun piece that added a lot of character to the room.
The bathroom off of the kitchen was very dark and stately-the gold framed mirror was a show-stopper!
My favorite feature of the house was this enclosed all-weather sun porch. It overlooked the yard and the water in the distance, and had a gorgeous brick floor and several seating areas. It was light and airy and very long. This space had to be close to fifty feet long!
I loved the sunny mudroom, which had a long bench along one side that was rustic and perfect and an awesome shelf with drawers on the other side. I'm thinking that shelf might be a DIY project calling my name!
I didn't take many pictures of the bedrooms (I tried not to spend my every waking minute taking pictures of just the house!), but this bedroom my sister and brother-in-law stayed in was so peaceful and calm. Plus, that fabric headboard was really cute!
This was their view…not bad, huh?; )
I never would have thought to hang plates in a bathroom, but they look so sweet above the beadboard. And, that vanity with it's marble top is looking mighty fine, as well.
Now, on to the outside:
We had so much fun kayaking, crabbing, and riding the boat off of this dock. There's nothing like getting up early and walking right down to the water. Love that.
The pool was wonderful, but the fence didn't go all the way around, which made for a few nervous moms. But, we spent a good amount of time in that thing, so I can't really complain.
The back of the house and the yard were perfection to me. It felt like I was kind of living in a movie or something. The evenings were absolutely perfect: the kids played in the yard while my parents watched from their adirondack chairs and my husband and brothers-in-law check the crab traps. Just lovely.
Oh, and the flowers…
The Chesapeake is only a 3 hour drive from our house and I highly recommend it as a weekend getaway or a week-long vacation, like we had. It's quiet, peaceful and quaint. It almost feels New England-like, but is a only a short drive away. St. Michaels offers lots of cute shops and good restaurants, and Oxford has the BEST icecream place on the Eastern Shore: Scottish Highland Creamery. If you go down to Oxford, stopping there is a must.
There's nothing I enjoy more than family vacation and being on the water. Combine the two and you have one pretty amazing time.
Can you tell we loved it?
What's your favorite vacation destination? We're always on the lookout for our next one!
Good morning, everyone! It's very rare to meet other blogging duos in this blogland, so when we met Ashley and Whitney of Shanty-2-Chic at Haven last summer, we were thrilled! True story: when we were checking in to the hotel in Atlanta, we were told they didn't have a room for us. So we were sitting like total dorks in the lobby (we were even dressed in scrubby outfits!), waiting for a room, when two gorgeous, personable, cheerful girls entered the lobby. We were clueless as to who they were (what? Were we living under a rock?), but it turns out they were the Shanty girls! These two are the sweetest and prettiest women you'll ever see wielding power tools. Super-talented, down-to-earth. and uber-wecoming to the two of us newbie bloggers. If you haven't been to their site, please do so immediately (after reading about their awesome project!) and you won't be disappointed. Enjoy! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hey guys! We are the Shanty Sisters, and we are so excited to be blog swapping with the ECC girls today! We had the pleasure of meeting them in Georgia last year, and we hit it off from the start! They are sweet girls, and we love that they are a blogging duo just like us!; -)
With Christmas just around the corner, we thought it would be fun to share a quick DIY gift idea! I love photo gifts. This is a super simple, cheap and cute way to display photos. It cost me under $3 a piece to make these… Woohoo! It makes a great gift for friends and family. Here is how mine turned out…
And, here is how I made it!
For those of you that don’t have a saw… This is one you need to have. You can EASILY cut this project and so many others on our site using this. Cheap and easy… Promise! That’s a stocking stuffer gals! Come on… You will thank me! This is a perfect ‘craft’ saw, and you would be shocked at how many projects you can do with it! You can also have the hardware store cut the wood for you. HD has a handsaw just like this one in the wood section at all times.
That's it for the building part! Now you are ready for the printable! I made a few printables for this project. Today I am sharing the 'So Very Blessed' printable. To print it, just click the photo below. Once it opens, just click print from your top browser bar. I printed mine on cream colored cardstock. I like the weight of cardstock paper for this project, and you can get it super cheap at any craft store.
I chose to use upholstery tacks to hold my paper in place. These can be found at any craft or hardware store. They are really cheap and cute. They are also really easy to remove by using a small screwdriver under the head of the nail. This makes changing out your printable really easy!
Your final step is adding photos! I like to print my photos out on photo paper at home. This saves me lots of money, and keeps me from dragging my 5 kiddos to Walmart to pick up photos… Win win! I cut my photos out, put them on the display and I was DONE. So quick, so cheap, but still so cute! My kind of project! And… Did I mention I made these babies for under $3 a piece?? Just making sure! Today I shared the 'So Very Blessed' Printable, but be sure to come visit Ash and I over at Shanty2Chic where I will be sharing the other 3 printables for this project! Here are a few more shots…
A little bit more about the Shanty Sisters…
We are 2 sisters sharing how we transform our homes on a budget! With 8 kiddos between the two of us, we put every naptime to good use; -)! From building projects like this $65 farmhouse table…
To transforming things like this $15 mirror made from a Walmart mirror…
And even offering free printables like our latest free alphabet banner!
We would love for you to come check us out anytime at our site, Shanty-2-Chic.com!
You can also follow us on Facebook! And keep up with all of our posts by following us on Pinterest!
Thanks so much again for having us girls! We are honored; -)!! ~Whitney & Ashley -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seriously, isn't that adorable?! We love us some cheap projects and this is one of the best ideas we've seen this year! Thanks so much for being here, girls!
Today marks our first day back to work filming for Knock It Off! We've had 6 weeks off so that Jess could enjoy time off with Baby Bennett- I was the lucky one to get maternity leave too! We really enjoyed our break, but we're also super excited to get back to helping homeowners with some awesome room makeovers! Before we went on our break we tackled our first Formal Living Room makeover. We were super excited about the challenge because neither of us have particularly formal homes. If you haven't watched the episode- check it out HERE!
Here's where the room started off… The family had a TON of amazing pieces of furniture, but some of them were being hidden because there was a lot of stuff in the room.
We used a bright, yet sophisticated kelly green on the top portion of the walls.
And added a clean, crisp board and batten on the bottom two-thirds. And of course, we couldn't leave the black piano alone. It looks okay in pictures, but it was pretty beat up and needed some love… you know what that means… Yup! We painted it!! (painted piano haters everywhere are cursing us! lol)
Isn't that so much more fun? The homeowner's kids all play piano and they were excited to have their first lesson on their blue piano. I kinda wanted to be a fly on the wall when the piano teacher saw it for the first time. Mwhaha. Actually, I heard the blue color made the kids play so well that they're all headed to Julliard! From the homeowner's submission video we actually hardly noticed there was even a fireplace in the room! It was so covered up by furniture and accessories.
We narrowed down all the accessories and furniture, replaced the glass shelves with wooden ones, lined the back with fun zebra paper (we couldn't resist adding a fun pop) and then displayed some of their amazing plate collection on the freshly painted white wall.
We kept many furniture pieces the same, but others- like the one below- we changed. The wood dresser on the left is what we turned into a mini office on the right. We painted it, added new hardware, removed the bottom two drawers and it became the perfect place to keep all their office supplies. You'd never know that it's totally functional… well minus the two printers I suppose!
The room had a huge picture window, but it was really covered up by the sheer curtains. Sometimes people think sheers are great because they let in the light, but in this case, they were hiding so much!
We brought in 4 curtain panels (you can only see three), and even though they're solid, not sheer- the window looks so much larger! These curtains are IKEA curtains that we painted to have a custom feel. You can see how to paint your own curtains in this post.
We were so happy with this room- it might have been one of our favorites from Season 1! We can't wait to see what season 2 has to offer!! Check back tomorrow to see how we added the fun pop of gold on the piano wall…
It's one of those twilight days. Still summer but fall is catching in. The green couldn't be greener from the sunshine but when you stick your head out the door it's cold as h***. I'm not sure I'm amused.
Here life goes on, whether it's summer or fall. We're happy and enjoying life and each other. My Black Panther (cat) is running around calling for attention, wanting to go out all the time, which is making me a bit suspicious so today I'm booking her for a vet. 'Snip snap'
A happy day to you all. Enjoy fall, soon the winter is here.
It's the weekend, everyone! Woohoo! We have a fun giveaway for you today to start your weekend off right. Remember our bloggy friend, Denise, from The Painted Home? Well. she's throwing this awesome party called Dine & Design on November 17th.
This sounds like so much fun (espcially for us design-obsessed craftaholics who LOVE to eat, but we've been assured that you don't have to be crafty to enjoy this evening!). Flowers are the"it" accessory these days, so you'll be right on trend and can learn how to make them just in time for holiday gift-giving. Denise, the generous gal that she is, is giving away two tickets to this fab event to one of our lucky readers. And guess what? We'll be there too, and we can't wait to meet you IRL (in real life)! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here's how you can enter: 1. Leave us a comment telling us why you want to win. (Mandatory) 2. Become a follower of RHBC and leave us a comment telling us you did. (Optional for an extra entry) 3."Like" us here on facebook and leave us a comment telling us you did. (Optional for an extra entry). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you just HAVE to be there and can't wait to see if you've won, you can order your tickets here. You don't want to miss this! Ok, enough of my rambling, go enter! We'll pick a winner and announce him/her on Monday, October 31st. Good luck!
*Oh yeah, one more thing! We'd love it if you'd head on over to the awesome blog, Craftaholics Anonymous. Our celebrity for Crafting with the Stars, Linda, invited us to guest post today! Thanks, Linda.: )
all arwork & images copyright Laura Beth Love 2009 Thank goodness springtime is right around the corner! The change of seasons always seems to offer just the right gentle push I need to leave behind the old and begin some new projects. I look forward to the refreshing & soft palette of spring — and to the longer days it affords! I created these pendants with pieces of antique lace & glass. Enjoy! Laura
You guys get to see my home all the time in projects, you get to read my ramblings here on the blog daily, but today I'm sharing something a little more personal… my family and my life behind the scenes. Our photographer Stacy of Stacy Salvatori Photography spent a Saturday with our family capturing pictures of our real life. No coordinated outfits, no posing, just capturing how we roll. I can't tell you how much I love the pictures and I can't wait to make a big ol' display with them! (Don't forget that Stacy is giving away a FREE Session for Mother's Day and you can enter until Midnight tonight! Click here to enter!)
Here's how Stacy describes these awesome story sessions… I wanted to try something new. Something real. I’ve seen a few photographers that I admire and whose work I simply love, start a new journey. One of capturing people’s stories… their real life moments. And I kind of dig it. I like the notion of no posing, no planned outfits, and location? Well, how about your own home. The place you feel most you. I still love doing Family Portrait Sessions, and I always will. But there’s something unique, and something raw about snapping those in-between moments of life. The moments that truly define who we are, and that when we look back on, well, they will help us feel what we did all over again. I had the joy of capturing the Mangin Family’s ‘Story’. Them in their beautiful home, laughing, fighting, playing, and crying… living their life in front of the lens. Here’s a few snapshots of their life. What’s your story? I hope you enjoy this peek into my life… If you would have told me ten years ago that I'd have 4 kids, own a dog, cat, and two ducks, I'd have laughed hard enough to possibly pee my pants. God has some crazy plans up his sleeve and I'm so thankful for this crazy life that's ours.
One of my very favorite pictures!
Hard to see, but if you look closely you can see my crazy hubs was throwing an ax up in the air and catching it while it was spinning. Did I mention our life is a tad crazy?
I hope you've enjoyed peeking into my world. If you're local, you should definitely call Stacy about setting up a story session. Tell her EC2 sent you and she'll give you the VIP treatment! (I completely made that up, but she's always super nice, so we can pretend it's VIP just for you!) Later this week I'll be sharing more projects from the Wood Shim Wall Art projects!
P.S. We're the ones in a contest now and if we win, we get to give $5000 to the charity of our choice! We need your help, though- you can learn more about our project and the charity we chose here, or go vote for us every day for the next two weeks right here (click on the Crafting for Charity button on their FB page). Thank you!
