Jess and I are super excited to share today's post! Back in the fall, we had a fun double photo shoot with both of our families. Choosing a photographer is a big decision. It's an investment and you want to be sure that whoever is taking the pictures will really capture your family as they truly are. This is where Stacy comes in. I might have broken some laws, but I used my snipping tool to steal her picture from her website! Stacy is crazy talented, I'm a snooper and so I kept looking at her pictures SOOC (straight out of the camera) and they looked amazing. I'm jealous of her skills, but thankfully have her around to take pictures of my family!
Stacy is super laid back, which is a must for someone with kids. Her fun approach to a session made it really enjoyable and not like my JCPenney torture experiences of the past. My kids played in the leaves, ran around the park, climbed fences, and lived life just as we would on any old day (although dressed in semi-coordinating outfits-ha!) Now for a peek at her incredible work with one of the cutest families I know. The Jackson Family… Since I'm writing this post, I get to add comments, in where I want, so I have to tell you a funny story. See the picture on the left? Jess used one really similar to it for her Christmas card… well, about half the world, saw the"waiting room" and thought she was prego! HA! I was loving it. They were really at a train station, but apparently"waiting room" is code for"we're announcing we're pregnant!"
Miss Campbell has the most amazing eyes ever.
Charlie or Charlie-man as we always call him is beyond adorable.
cute couple alert!
The Mangin Clan… Apparently a family of 6 is a clan in my mind… Eric and I had never had family pictures taken. Can you believe that? 10 years and this was our first full family session.
Boys vs. Girls
I totally snagged this idea from my blogger pal Beth. It could be one of my favorite pics ever! E and I aren't touchy feely people, so this pic is just perfect!
I'm a sucker for a good shoe pic. I'm thinking this is going to be blown up very, very large and put in my bedroom. I have to tell you that Kira (far left) calls those shoes her"Pumped up Kicks" My kids make me laugh.
Thank you Stacy for this picture. It's worth so much more than I can explain!
Of course we had to have some blogger pics… Did we mention we're total dorks? And how did I end up on the bottom!
Jess and I never had pictures of us together before this blog came along. I'm so glad we do now.
I'm now a huge believer in family pictures and I will be calling Stacy this summer for another session! If you want someone that's talented, great with your family, and reasonably priced Stacy is your girl! Go check out her website and then contact her to get some pics done! Make sure you let her know we sent you, then she'll know to take extra good care of you! Have an awesome weekend!
Can you believe it's Monday already? I (Monica) had an awesome weekend with lots of family time and a whole day with my BFF as well! Today we have a special guest that we're super excited about, but first let me tell you about an event you should attend tonight!
Jess and I will be at the Chick-Fil-A in Quakertown Monday night supporting an amazing cause. Our friends are starting a ministry called Worthwhile Wear and its mission to to stop human trafficking and free girls from the sex slave trade. We'll be sharing all about this ministry on the blog soon, but for now, we'd love for you to join us at Chick-Fil-A Monday night anywhere from 5-7pm. Just let the cashier know you'd like to support Worthwhile Wear and 15% of your sale will go to the ministry. We'd love to see a whole bunch of EC2 readers come out! Monday, September 17th 5-7pm Chick-Fil-A Quakertown PA ********************************************************************* Now, onto our awesome guest for today. Erika is part of the Dating Divas team. We've been huge fans for ages… Before Jess and I even considered starting a blog, we visited theirs to get awesome date night ideas. If you haven't checked it out before, you really should. Being a married gal isn't always a cake walk and they have so many ideas that can help bring you and your hubs closer together. We're truly honored to have Erika here today! Take it away… *********************************************************************
I'm so excited to be here at East Coast Creative sharing a fun family idea with you. I found this amazing site while I was browsing Pinterest for a fun Valentines idea and came across their Game of Love. So much fun! After seeing that post, I was hooked. I'm Erika and I'm one of the gals visiting today from The Dating Divas. We are a group of gals sharing ideas to strengthen marriages. Each week we share creative date ideas, marriage tips, quick and easy romance ideas, and SO much more. Often times we have everything ready for you, all you have to do is print off the free printables and go on the date.
Today, let's talk about some HOT TOPICS!
Today I want to share with you a fun family idea Corie came up with. We all cherish the time we spend eating dinner with our family each night. It is a great opportunity to sit, eat, and talk with your kids and husband. One night a week, you pull out a box of"Hot Topics." Pass the box around and each person takes out several questions. As you eat dinner, ask each other these unusual, fun, or interesting questions. You'll never believe that dinner could be SO MUCH FUN. Pick a night to pull out the box each week, and soon you'll have a fun family tradition to look forward to each week. You'll need to add to the questions each month (to keep them going,) but I have included a list to get your family started! These 15 questions will be the perfect start to the"Hot Topics" discussion at your dinner table. Your"Hot Topic" box can be made out of anything you have in your house. It is super easy and can be pulled together in a matter of minutes. Let me show you how… To make your"Hot Topic" box…
Find a box.
Decorate the box with scrapbook paper.
Download the"Hot Topic" list and cut out each question and place in the box.
4. Bring your box to dinner and start passing out the questions. To download your list of"Hot Topics" head over to our site and print away. What family traditions does your family enjoy during dinner? Thanks again for having me! -Erika
The hubs and I had a little chat a few weeks ago… we were both pretty sick of having a semi-finished family room. We’ve had bare walls for pretty much ever. I just couldn’t decide what to do… stalking other blogs and design sites had me leaning a different direction every day. Finally, I decided to just do something! Remember my fingerprint artwork? I still really love it, but decided it needed to be relocated to the other side of the room.
What, you might ask, did I have planned for the striped wall? Welcome to my Ginormous $4.99 Family Art work
Pin It Right off the bat… YES, I know the picture comes beyond the frame, and I did do it on purpose. My kids have asked me about that about 214754 times in the past two weeks. Here's how I made a 4x3 Ginormous piece of family art for only $4.99! I headed to the Bucks County Re-Store on Saturday afternoon without anything specific in mind. I just knew I hadn't done a project in forever and I needed some inspiration. I only bought one item, but it was $15 and just what I needed to spark a project idea!
Check out my new $15 mirror and my super-cool dance move! (Yes, I was doing that while taking the picture. Too cool for school, I know…)
This was how it came from ReStore and where my demo needed to begin.
I unscrewed the wooden boards from the back and then took a screwdriver to pry off the wooden backside. I just tapped it in with a hammer and then angled the screwdriver. I did this all around the edges until it came free.
I was left with a big mirror (still plotting what to do with it), the frame I needed, and a piece of wood that headed to the trash.
I primed the mirror first… do you know how rare it is that I take the time to prime? I was proud. After the primer I gave it two coats of Valspar's Navy spray paint.
Remember the awesome family pictures that the fabulous Stacy Salvatori took back in the fall? Well, I knew I was ready to have one blown up really, really big, but I didn't want to pay big bucks for a massive print. Thankfully, Staples will print huge black and white pictures. Just ask for an engineering print. They can go over 3 feet wide and really long. I just brought the jpeg on a flash drive and they uploaded and printed in about 5 minutes. The best part… It cost me $4.99!!
Do you recognize that black paper behind the photo? It's the infamous Nate Show Tar Paper! I was wicked excited to use it for another project!
I got out my trusty yet my nemesis spray adhesive and got to work sticking the pic to the tar paper.
The engineer prints aren't on heavy paper, they're on average copy weight paper, so I wanted to give it a bit more stability with the tar paper.
I adhered it, trimmed the edges with a utility knife and then got out my favorite new tool… my grommeter! I only had gold grommets, so I spray painted them a hammered metal first. I put one grommet on each side.
I had two copies of this framed print laying around back from my old homestaging days. I decided to ditch the boat and use the frames.
I also had about five of these frames laying around in my basement and decided to have them join the navy spray paint club as well.
Here's the arrangement as it looks now. I added gold chain to the grommets and I'm in search for the perfect doorknob to hang it from in the middle. I might need to head over to Architectural Antiques this weekend. I'm also going to add sketched artwork to the 4 empty frames.
All-in-all, I'm thrilled with how this completely inexpensive family artwork turned out. I love having my family's faces right in our main living space, and I love that it's a little quirky and unique.
Don't worry, I'll share the true finished product once I get a knob and artwork added. I was just too impatient not to share the family pic right away! So, how many of you are running to Staples to BLOW-UP some Ginormous pics?
Hey Everyone! I'm so excited that I can finally share my Christmas Countdown with all of you! I had to wait until P&G was ready for it on their pgtryit.com site, so I'm sure you've already created yours for 2012, but hey, Pin it for next year! Tomorrow is Jess' Christmas home tour and I don't know about you, but I'm really super excited (okay, yes I've seen it all, but not in pictures!) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hope your Thanksgiving was awesome and you're ready for the crazy holiday marathon that is the next few weeks! I don't know about you, but the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is probably the most exciting time of the year for my family. It's also really easy to get so busy that we miss taking time to do some of the things we love! As the Trend Trio Home Expert from P&G’s Have You Tried This Yet? I'm going to share with you a fun craft that you can make to ensure the month doesn't pass you by!
Christmas Countdown Tutorial Christmas Countdown Tutorial This is not yo mama's countdown where you just get a little piece of candy that most likely was packaged last year… This is an interactive family activity that I know your family will love. The best part is that it will ensure that none of the special activities and traditions slip through the cracks. Step 1- Start with a plain Jane piece of plywood. I'd recommend looking for one that has really cool patterns in the grain like this one does!
Step 2- Lightly spray paint. I gave the wood the lightest possible coat of white spray paint. Keep the can far back and move it back and forth very quickly. The spray paint got rid of the warm brown tones and began to highlight the grain. Step 3- Paint the grain to highlight the details. I used about 1 part paint to 3 parts water to paint over the awesome grain! I dipped my brush in the mixture and then dabbed it dry on some paper towels. I used a really light hand and tried to feather the paint on, so that it looked natural.
Step4- Use Stencils to title your board. I used a simple, industrial font and stencils that are adhesive backed. They make my crafting life so much easier.
Step 5- Spray paint 25 wooden clothes pins. I picked a cool-toned grey blue color that would pop on the white-washed plywood.
One tip about spray painting- have an old drop cloth handy. I use this piece of plastic when I need to paint in my garage so that I don't get it all over the floor.
Step 6- Choose some washi tape colors. Washi tape comes in almost every pattern imaginable these days. You can order from a huge selection online, but I actually got these colors at my local craft store. Washi tape is really versatile and can be used on all kinds of surfaces.
Accent each mini envelope with your washi tape and then either hand write or stamp your countdown numbers.
Step 7- Measure, Place & Hot Glue your clothes pins. The easiest way to do this is to just lay it out on the wood and then measure your spacing to keep it consistent in each row.
I just love the end result!
Step 8-Plan 25 Awesome Family Activities. Write down 25 things that you want to do. Each day you will open an envelope and do what's written inside. I recommend using a calendar to plan out your activities before putting one inside each envelope.
Our activities range from something as simple as reading a holiday story as a family to going out to see all the Christmas lights in our neighborhood.
I hope your 2012 holiday season is super special and that your family enjoys all the awesome activities you plan for them!
The countdown is on! What kinds of activities will you choose for your family to do this month?
Make sure you check back to keep up with all of the Trend Trio videos, blog posts, and product tips to help make this holiday season the best one yet!
You might have noticed that once in a while we start a project here on the blog and then pretty much never mention it again… leaving you hanging. Sorta like the awesome guy on a date that never calls again. We don't want to be"that guy," so today I'm doing a little blast from the past update! Remember my family room last January? I was getting ready to stencil some wall panels…
So I painted them and then decided they just weren't working. Far too much going on…
Since I loved the stencil pattern (just not on that wall), I used it on my outdoor rug!
BUT… I left ya hanging with my family room! What happened to the walls?
Here's what we've got going on now… I had these two pieces of art in my completely mishmashed piano/craft room, and thought the colors would work in the family room. It took me a few weeks to decide if they worked or not, but I decided I think they do.
Let me be honest with you for a second… I HATE decorating around my TV! (Although, I am thankful for the TV) I'm constantly grumbling about it in my head. There's only so much you can do around it and to be really honest, I sort of just put together semi-lame mantles because of it. At least I have Jess' super awesome mantles to drool over!
Even with my semi-lame mantles, I usually manage to find one or two things that I like… This season my light-bulb-meets-lantern is enough to keep me happy!
So, as of right now, my family room is feeling 95% finished. I'm pretty sure that as a mom of four kids, I'm never going to get to 100% and I think I'm okay with that. We play soccer, make Wipeout obstacle courses, and of course make cool forts in there all the time. I never want my design plans to get in the way of that! So what do you think of the family room walls? Think the art works alright?
Welcome to my Christmas House Tour! Last year our homes were decked out for all of America to see on Nate Berkus, but this year it's just for my family to enjoy. Sometimes in the blogging world it can feel like there's a lot of pressure to have an HGTV worthy home, but guess what? This mom of four, that works a full-time job, is not going to cave under the pressure. I proudly present to you, our Very Merry & Realistic Christmas Decorating for 2012!
(it's going to be a picture heavy post, so get ready and Pin it if you like it!)
I'm still loving my Grinch Front Door. Last week I gave the full tutorial.
Before and After- LOVE it!
Welcome to my foyer and my favorite Christmas tree of all time…
I follow Urban on Instagram, and saw that they had put staff pics on a tree at one of their NYC store locations. I was smitten! I got a Fuji Mini (which all the kids call the"Magic Camera") and snapped a ton of fun pictures of our family and some special friends. I added spray painted bicycle ornaments (from Target), some orange ribbon, brown ornament balls, gold lights, and leftover fabric to create the coolest tree ever!
Even the tree has the shabby look I was going for, do you want to know how I achieved that look? I cut the tree on October 5th and it's been sitting in my house ever since! Ha! It's dead as a door nail and I love it! (I needed it for some P&G videos- coming soon!) Fuji Mini Pics
Brown ornaments
Bicycle ornaments- I spray painted gold
Added hooks to each picture using a finishing nail
Ready for the tree
Best.Husband.Ever
This tree make me really, really happy!
Directly off the foyer is our formal living room/kids' craft room. It's the most unfinished room in our house (it's a hot mess), but I still did one little vignette in front of the window.
I love the chalkboard printable, and you can get it (and many others) free here. I also love my little yellow bird, and while she's not super Christmasy I think she looks mighty fine!
Here's the whole thing together
Even though we're no longer"The Real Housewives of Bucks County," I'm still gonna keep it real for you… here's what the rest of the room looked like. I'm showing this to you, so you remember that we're totally normal girls with messy houses, crazy kids, and so not perfect. Hopefully, you can relate! (The Christmas boxes and decor are still there, but they're on my TO DO list tomorrow to put them all away!)
Okay, enough reality, back to the pretty stuff… This is on the console table in my family room. I love that crazy picture of all of us!
Here's the wood grain Christmas Countdown I made this year. I LOVE plywood projects where the wood grain is highlighted. You can check out the tutorial here
We have 3 trees- #1 Family Tree (below) #2 Mommy's Tree (foyer) #3 Kid's Tree (not shown) Here's the"Family Tree." We decorate this one together as a family and it looks pretty much identical every year. Some traditions are too important to change for the sake of decor: )
Did you notice the stinkin' awesome lighted silhouette artwork? We'll be posting the full tutorial on Infarrantly Creative on Dec 13th. Jess and I love it and it was so simple to make!
Of course Charles loves hanging out in our tree sometimes
It seems that I have a thing for pictures on trees. We got these ornaments at Crate and Barrel about 6 or 7 years ago. The picture on the left is our ultimate favorite Christmas picture ever. It was taken of Kaden when he was 3 (he's now 8).
This year I'm proud to say that we have 4 kids on the NICE list… Last year the eldest might have made the NAUGHTY list. Oh Snap!
My mantle is Lame with a capital L… The dang TV always limits me, but it is what it is…
This year I was into the traditional nutcrackers with primary red and blue
This little guy rocks. I picture him talking with a Russian accent- don't ask me why!
I've had these stocking holders for 9 years, but this year I hit them with a tiny bit of white paint, so they popped a bit more. They were originally dark brown and got lost on the mantle.
Target had this cute stockings this year and they totally worked with my red and blue nutcrackers.
Michael's had some really fun graphic words in their dollar bin and I picked up a few.
Well, I hope you've enjoyed this little peek into my home. It's definitely not perfect, but we're pretty darn happy here. I mean, just look at us, don't we look happy??: )
I'd love to know what's your favorite part of my Christmas Decor? Leave me a comment and let me know!
The evolution of a house and style is an interesting thing. I take great pleasure in changing, rearranging and tweaking the rooms in my house. My style has changed pretty drastically (since I basically started out my married life with no style preference at all), but I'm still developing my tastes and preferences. Things rarely stay the same for long, which is exactly how I like it. My desire is to create a home that is comfortable for my family and welcoming to guests, that is pleasing to the eye, but that is also practical for raising two kids. I'm fairly certain that this will be a life-long quest. However, money and time (or the lack there of) make it a little more difficult to decorate and change things like I'd like. Kevin and I have had a few rough years financially, and so, I am finding that if I want to redecorate, I have to be resourceful and creative, and most importantly, learn how to repurpose items we already have. I've been learning the very difficult lesson of contentment (Melissa, at The Inspired Room, said this about contentment that really resonated with me), and am realizing that I don't have to have the perfect house, just one that my family considers beautiful and can enjoy living in.
With all that said, Monica and I will be showcasing our houses to you; not because they are perfect, far from it actually, but because they are a huge part of who we are. So, welcome to the evolving house.
This is C1's bedroom. Just recently, we changed her over from a toddler bed to a full-sized bed. In one afternoon, it seemed like she grew older right before our eyes just because of the furniture! I love her room- it's girly and sweet, but can also really grow with her. We painted the walls a really pretty shade of green (I'm sorry I don't know the paint color anymore!), and we used all-white furniture. Every piece of furniture (except the headboard) is hand-me-down or was hand-made by my hubs. Her cute butterfly and flower bedding came from HomeGoods and was a gift from my mom. She has a great dormer window, in which Kevin built a toy box/window seat. When we were creating her baby nursery, I envisioned that little space as a great reading spot for her down the road. For now, she uses it to play and look out the window.
This shelf came from my mom's attic (she has a great supply of decor and furniture she's not using and is really generous with it!). I made the monogram, using adorable patterned and hot pink card stock, and put them in frames we already had. I hot-glued ribbon to the tops to make them a little more feminine.This monogram project cost me no money at all, since I used items I already had! The little porcelain shoe to the left of the frames was a gift from her great-grandmother and has all her birth stats painted on it.
This is my favorite feature in her room. Inspired by something I saw in Pottery Barn, Monica and I created a tree stencil for the walls. I then hand-painted the trees (there are two of them- one on either side of the dormer window area), and added leaves and pictures of our families to make it a family tree. One side is the hub's family, and the other side is my family. I wanted C1 to have an understanding of the importance of family, and how blessed she was to have such a Godly inheritance, from an early age.
Isn't this chair the most precious thing you've ever seen? Ahh, I can't get enough of it, and you'd never guess that I got it at Big Lots for $40!
But really, these pictures show what I love most about this room: My two kids living in it.
Occasionally, Jess and I do or see a project that is deserving of the"Try this Now" title. The project needs to be super simple to execute and have a major awesomeness factor. We know it's easy to have an ever-growing DIY list, but these babies are projects that you should try right away. We've started a page on the blog where we'll catalog these super-simple projects, including today's Family Valentine's Idea. So be on the lookout for our fun Try this Now logo. TRY THIS NOW PAGE
I was browsing the Target dollar bins and spotted these cute mini mailboxes. We have a little over a month before Valentine's Day, so I decided that we were going to create a little family mail center!
Here's the plan… we set these mailboxes in the family room with a stack of blank notes where anyone can leave a note for the kids and they can leave notes for each other. We're encouraging them to write something nice to one of their siblings each day. Of course I wouldn't leave you hanging without free printable notes of your own! You can download the ones I created HERE.
I printed them on plain,old computer paper, but I think they're pretty cute!
I had bought one mail box for each kiddo and some Valentine's stickers. I pulled out some washi tape and a bunch of Sharpie markers.
After dinner last night, the kids went to town decorating. They were really into it!
The best part wasn't the decorating though… it was seeing how excited they were to write each other notes! Kira is really sweet and put so much effort into her brother's note.
Here are a few of the notes that are going to be read this morning…
Kaden is honestly the best big brother on the planet!
He actually wrote 2 notes for Cal!
I'm really excited about the next month and how excited my kiddos are to send each other thoughtful notes. We're not a super touchy-feely family, so this is one way we can do Valentine's Day on our terms!
Are you ready to Try This Now? Will your family be getting a Valentine's Mail Center? Linking up to: I Heart Naptime
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!
(created by Jones Design Company) This is my motto for the year 2011. Lest you think I am superwoman, super-organized, or even know what I'm talking about, this is my first time ever that I've chosen a motto for the year. I have just been feeling motivated to do more with the beautiful, crazy life I've been blessed with. I'll be sharing more about this in future posts, but there are endless possibilities and ways to be intentional. Remember the story in the Bible (Matthew 25) that talks about the men who were given talents by their master, and what they did with those talents? I want to be like the one who used his talents well, did more than was expected with them and turned them into something great. If everything in this life has been given to us, including our abilities and passions, then why I have I been so selfish with mine? You can be sure you'll be hearing more from me about this!
For now, I'm going to share with you one practical, less abstract way I am trying to be more intentional. It's with regular meal-planning and grocery shopping. If you know me, then you know I am a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants girl. I realized, however, that this was not serving my family well, nor was it managing my money well, in the area of meal planning. There are a lot of reasons that planning meals with variety and regularity don't come easily to me, but let me tell you what has been working for me. First, I begged and pleaded with my friends on facebook, and with family members, scoured my cookbooks, and hunted online for excellent, tasty recipes that met my very simple criteria. 1. Must have very few ingredients. 2. Must have common, not-too-difficult to find, or strange (I am an adventurous eater, but I'm in the minority in my family) ingredients. 3. Can be crock-pot-able (is that a word? If not, it is now.) Secondly, I put those recipes in an easy to find, and easy to read form. For me, I picked up a set of color-coded 3x5 cards that were already on a ring-binder. Each colored card has a category (poultry, beef, side dish, fish etc).
Thirdly, (this one is so silly, but it works for me), I put a peelable chalkboard tile on my refrigerator (a gift from my sister, but you can find them here), where I write the next day's meal. This keeps me on task, and makes me less likely to be lazy about making the meal that night.
I do a big grocery shopping trip twice a month (we do run to the store weekly for things like eggs, milk and bread). I plan ahead for 4 meals a week (8 dinners total for the 2 week period), because usually this is how many nights a week we actually sit at home together for dinner. Then I make my shopping list and shop accordingly. I've been doing this for one month, so far, and it has been great! Hunky has loved the variety and I actually feel that I'm being really effective with my time and money! Hooray!
Here are a couple places that might help you in your quest to be a meal-planning guru!
E-mealz — sign up for $1.25 per week, and get specific meal plans, shopping lists and more for any size family (Bonus: if you have special dietary needs, they'll give you a plan for that as well.)
Meal Planning Mommies give tips for meal planning, and lots of easy, kid-friendly meals, perfect for busy families.
Crystal and Co. is my personal favorite site for all things related to meal planning. From Menu Planning Mondays, to how to display your menus, to recipes, she's got the whole thing covered! And maybe, just maybe, I would be a little better at menu-planning if I had something cute like this (below) to display my meals on. You may be seeing something like this from me in the near future. Stay tuned!
All Things Beautiful
What's your method for meal planning? Organized or Fly-by-the-Seat-of-your-Pants?
A few weeks ago, I announced that I'm expecting baby #3 ) early this Fall (it's a pretty funny story actually, if you're int he mood for a laugh)! It came as quite a surprise to us but we're looking forward to meeting this new little one that God has chosen to give us in His perfect timing. With my first two kids, we chose not to find out the gender and waited until they were born. However, with this baby, I really felt like finding out ahead of time would help me connect with him/her and plan appropriately. And so, without further ado, our new baby is a…
Woohoo! I can't believe I'll be holding another baby boy in my arms in a few months. Crazy!! I did NOT want to find out the gender in a doctor's office with no excitement or hoopla, so I called my go-to photographer friend, Stacy, and asked her if we could come up with a way to capture this special moment for our family. Of course, with the help of Monica who was the ONLY person who knew what the gender was, she delivered big time. Take a look at what we did…
Monica created this awesome huge box and dressed it up really cute. Check back tomorrow for how she went about setting this whole thing up. She's awesome.: )
And then we opened it up and…
My parents couldn't be there, so my sister face-timed them in. It was so fun for them to"be there" and I'm so glad Stacy captured that moment. Thank goodness for technology!!
Stacy does an amazing job getting great family pictures. I'm in love with so many of them!
The boys are pretty psyched about adding another boy to the family. Uh-oh, Campbell and I are outnumbered.
Campbell isn't so sure about it…
Isn't that backdrop adorable? Stacy and Monica set it all up and it looked so cute. It helps that my parent's have a gorgeous property they allowed us to use for all these photos, too!; )
BLUE!
Two blue balloons and one pink.I'm still not quite believing that I'll be mom to three kiddos.
I HIGHLY recommend Stacy of Salvortori Photography for all your family pictures! Remember Monica's day-in-the-life photo session? That was downright awesome too, so no matter what your"theme" or event, Stacy is your girl. Thanks so much for capturing this exciting time for us, Stacy! I want to know: are you a fan of finding out the gender before the baby is born, or do you like to wait until the delivery? Do tell!
I know there are all kinds of seasons in life and I'm cool with that, but this season of our life could possibly be entitled"On the Brink of Insanity." I've been keeping up a pretty intense pace the last few weeks and felt pulled in so many directions. Thankfully, things are simmering down, but when they were at their peak, Eric and I talked about making sure we're both being intentional with doing special things with our kids. We spend tons of time as a family, but my"thing" is crafty things with the kids. Eric pointed out that I had been letting my busyness get in the way of my"thing". So, I did what any good mom would do… GOT ON PINTEREST! Ha! Here's what I found and what's on my To-Do List: 10 Fall Kids' Crafts My Kids Will Love! (and yours will too!)
1- Felt Animals My oldest daughter and her BFF are obsessed with making little felt animals. They've made some adorable cats, penguins, and giraffes! I can't wait to make some cute woodland creatures with the girls!
Red Marionette 2- Felt Garland Since we have a lot of felt around, I thought this project would be fun and simple to make for the kids' playroom. We have a cool, stone fireplace in there, and I think it will look so cute with a pop of handmade color. I am 100% aware that my kiddos' cutting and stitching won't be perfect, and I'm totally fine with that!
A Beautiful Mess 3- Painted Pine Cone Swag I like this project idea because first we'll be able to go on a hunt through the woods to find pine cones.
Family Fun 4- Leaf Doodles Seriously, could this idea get any cuter? I can only imagine how cute my kiddos' drawings will be. I'm picturing a cute family portrait of leaf people! My younger daughter will LOVE this activity.
Family Fun
5- Spooky Candy Tree I'll be honest, I am not a licorice fan (I think it tastes like plastic), but it's perfect for these trees! This is a perfect activity for after dinner and homework!
Red Hat Society Store 6- Painted Pumpkin Seed Art We've carved most of our pumpkins, but we saved a few for this week. I'll definitely be roasting 1/2 the seeds and saving the other 1/2 for this adorable project. I'm planning to let the kids watercolor the seeds.
Our Little Nature Nest 7- Styrofoam Felt Owls These are felt animals on steroids- I love them! The inside is a Styrofoam ball and then we can just layer on the awesomeness with craft glue. I envision a few of these babies around for Thanksgiving for sure!
Factory Direct Craft 8- Apple Print Banner I know I'm a tad behind on the apple crafts bandwagon, but I love this and I think we'll try it in some orange and brown colors. My youngest has been learning all about apples in school and this project just might make me even cooler to him than his teacher (maybe, but not likely!)
Multiples and More 9- Marshmallow Shooter I have an (almost) 8 year old son… he will LOVE this project. Although, I have a little tweak for fall- I think we're going to collect acorns and shoot those babies instead. They're going to go so stinkin' far- it'll be awesome!
Come Together Kids 10- Twig Trees So simple, but really cool. We have tons of trees around our house (we live in the woods) so we'll find just the right sticks and then I'll give my kiddos a choice between using either fabric, fun patterned paper, or buttons.
Blog ZuiAs a working mom, it's not always easy keeping everything balanced and under control, but I'm thankful for a husband who can loving tell me when I'm letting something important slide. Today was the first day of"Intentional Mommy" and the leaf rubbings we made were a great start. I love looking at each of these projects knowing that each one will be quality time spent with my kids. How do you wear all your hats and keep a balance? What's your special"thing" with your kids?
One of our blogging icons Shelley from The House of Smiths had a great idea that we're totally borrowing. We SO appreciate all of YOU-our readers- and believe it or not, we think of you guys as our really BIG group of friends! I don't know about you, but we send our friends and family Christmas Cards… hint, hint… We'd LOVE to receive your Christmas Card! It doesn't matter if we receive 1 or 1 million (a girl can dream right?!?) we'll be so excited with each card that arrives!
We're planning to feature some of the cards here on the blog and show you how we're displaying them! If you don't want your card going public, just make a note of that on the envelope. We can't wait to see you and your awesome families coming to a mailbox near us! Since we don't have all of your addresses, we wanted to share our cards here with you! So even though it's online, consider it our personal cards, just for you! The Jackson Family:
The Mangin Family:
2 very different cards, same Christmas message! We hope you and your family are already enjoying this awesome Christmas Season & we can't wait to see your cards!!
Yesterday, Jess posted about her fun gender reveal photoshoot with Stacy Salvatori Photography- if you don't know what she's having yet, head HERE to find out! I was the lucky one tasked with preparing for the gender reveal photoshoot, which means I was the ONLY one to know what they were having! Mwahaha! I knew Jess wanted to do the whole balloons in a box reveal, so I set out to create one cute gender reveal box! I'd seen some on pinterest, but usually it was just a cardboard box with some pink and blue or a little question mark or something…
Source I decided right away that we needed a box that had some style!
How to Make a Stylin' Gender Reveal Box 1- Visit your local Lowes or Home Depot and sweetly ask if they have an appliance box you could have (aka free!). They also sell wardrobe boxes at HD that would work, but I much prefer the price of free! I brought along a little friend to help with the sweet-talkin' (sidenote- kids go through such weird smiling phases! It cracks me up!)
A word to the wise, make sure you plan ahead vehicle wise… Appliance boxes are BIG and luckily I had all the seats down in my van. We got our big ole box home and it was time to decorate it!
2- Decorate the Box- Did you know HomeGoods has the coolest wrapping paper ever? Yup, my favorites are the peacock feather paper and the faux bois paper!
For this project, we wanted something fun, yet classy to fit in with the pictures. It would be sad to have an adorable family, with cute outfits, and then this big old brown box (and yes, I'm aware that sentence sounds slightly dramatic- it's hyperbole people! lol) I simply wrapped 3 sides of the box with Homegoods navy, chevron wrapping paper (knowing you'd never see the 4th side). I also made sure that if you were looking at the box straight on, that the back inside wall was covered.
I also didn't want just the navy chevron, or people would assume boy, so I added a band of yellow fabric so it screamed classy and neutral, not baby boy! (Sorry, I hadn't ironed the fabric yet in the pic above- bad blogger!) #3- Buy lots and lots of balloons! Jess wanted both pink and blue for some of the family shots, but I definitely bought more of the color I needed. I think I got about 30 balloons in all- better to be prepared!
It took me about 30 minutes to go from boring and blah to stylin' and ready for the big reveal!
Now, not all of you know me personally, but I'm assuming you can tell from the blog, that I have a bit of sass in me and I like to give Jess a hard time. For weeks leading up to the reveal I joked that I was going to put the wrong colors in the box, get all green and yellow etc… Since we'd joked about those things, they were out of the question, but then an idea came to me…
I noticed that the box was big enough to hold a person… and that person should be me! Here's how it went down… I called Jess on the way and told her that with the crazy schedule we'd had filming for Knock It Off that week, that I wanted to prep the photoshoot and head home to have dinner with my fam, rather than stick around for the pics. She was fine with that, and I got there, got everything prepped while they waited inside, and then drove my car out of the driveway and parked it out of site… Then, with the help of Stacy (the photographer) I climbed into the box…
I hadn't fully thought about how long I'd need to squat in there… it ended up being about ten minutes and let me tell you, I could feel the burn! I was in there waiting as the whole family came down for the big reveal…
Look at this cute, unsuspecting family… yup, I'm in the box for this pic…
I snapped this selfie while crouched inside, waiting for the surprise!
Finally, it was time!! With excited anticipation they took off the lid…
And found out they were having… A MONICA!!!
I SO badly wish you could have seen the look on Jess' face! I scared her to death and it was awesome! I love how Cam and Charlie are looking up like,"Umm what's going on" My legs were sore for about two days, but it was well worth it for the laughs we all had!
After the fun, I re-prepped the box with the real gender reveal and then we got to celebrate this new little baby! So just a word to the wise… choose wisely who your Best Friends are… you never know when one will be creepin' inside your gender reveal box!
{If you didn't hear, The Real Housewives of Bucks County are now East Coast Creative (Get the story here). You'll still be getting all the DIY, Design, and Monica & Jess that you love, but change your favorites to www.eastcoastcreativeblog.com Thanks!}
You might remember that one of my 2012 goals was to make our family room reflect my style more this year. I still am convinced I don't really have a style… I more or less, just take lots of things I like and smush them all together, hoping it works out okay. Recently, I took one more step in the right direction for the room.
I was browsing on Etsy a few weeks back and came across a shop I loved! Project Type has so many graphic art prints that I immediately fell in love with. This one in particular caught my eye.
I had been toying around with the idea of vintage cameras in our family room and this picture was too cool to pass up. I contacted the artist to see if I could have a few custom tweaks made (it was vertical and I needed horizontal) and she said YES! I was so stinkin' excited when she agreed! I ordered two prints and honestly even the packaging they came in was super cool! Now, you might remember what was on the wall already. My ginormous family picture with the smaller frame…
Well this time, I was going for the reverse. Tricky aren't I? Bigger frame smaller picture. Once again I used my prized possession, AKA grommeter from Nate. I'll admit I was a tad nervous putting holes in fabulous artwork, but I wanted it to have the same feel as the large print. Want to know how to use a Grommeter??
I keep my grommet tools in the little bin Nate gave me. Who knew one could love Tupperware?
Take one of the female grommets and determine your placement. I traced it with a pencil (a very fancy pencil I might add!)
Next place the cutting tool (might have an official name, but I don't know it) on your traced circle, and put the mini block of wood under it. The wood comes with your kit.
Give it a solid pounding with a hammer and you have a nice little circle cut-out
Pop the male piece through the opening. Make sure the pointy end is on the back of your artwork.
Now start stacking. Add the female part to the back…
Here' the order…The large metal ring goes on the bottom (part of the tool kit), then the male grommet, then paper, then female grommet, then the big mama tool (that's the really official term). Now Hammer, Hammer, Hammer. (Don't do it on your granite counter. I took mine outside in the garage)
Ta-da! Perfectly adorable grommet!
I took my art to the wall and hung it with plain nails. I'll use decorative ones to cover 'em up.
I added my chain, which again only cost me about $1.45 at Lowes
And vioila! I'm also going to add a fun door nob to the peak of the chain. I didn't quite get to Architectural Antiques this weekend as I planned to. Now, here's the question of the day… What should I put in the open gold frames??
Here's the room to give you the full picture…
Side note: Does anyone else have a weird husband that flips the cushions backwards? He does it when we don't have company over because the kids make a mess of the cushions. Sometimes I forget and then it's an awkward, mad rush as people are walking in the door. Weird. I know. So let me know what you think of my retro camera art, and what I should do to finish off this wall!
Pendant approx. 1" "I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance that I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn."
-Henry David Thoreau
American china with bird motif Bluebird China
'Bluebird china enjoyed a brief but spectacular history, first appearing in the late 1800s, reaching its zenith in the early to mid-1920s, and was almost entirely gone by 1930. China decorated with the bluebird motif was produced by over 50 different American companies including Anchor Pottery Company, Atlas China Company and Atlas-Globe China Company, Chippendale China, Homer Laughlin China Company, and Steubenville Pottery Company to name just a few.'
-Excerpt from the book Bluebird China (Schiffer Book for Collectors), above, which can be found Here
Classic Homer Laughlin "Fluffy Bluebird" Pattern
Homer Laughlin Fluffy Bluebird pattern china
Necklace pendant
Necklace Pendant
Bracelet made from a broken tea cup
Broken china mosaic heart with bluebird Bluebirds of Happiness 'The mythology of the bluebird of happiness has deep roots that go back thousands of years. Indigenous cultures across the globe hold similar myths and beliefs about the bluebird. It is a widely accepted symbol of cheerfulness, happiness, prosperity, hearth and home, good health, new births, the renewal of springtime, etc. Virtually any positive sentiments may be attached to the bluebird. ' -Excerpt from Bluebird of Happiness, which can be found HERE in its entirety. Other Bluebird China Patterns
Vintage Lovebirds — Unknown pattern Some examples of a few less common American bluebird china patterns:
Necklace with freshwater pearl and Swarovski crystal
Necklace Pendant
Pin brooch with freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystals
Bracelet displayed on the plate it was made from
Link bracelet How about these sweet little birds? Looks like they've made their nest in a basket.
Necklace pendant, vintage American china
Necklace pendant Entry May 18 'Your words are born not spoken. Dimensional soft-vowelled words palpable to the eye or to the fingertip. Exquisitely curved as the young that flowers conceive. Often I have watched your lips shape words... and your tongue nudge them out like small birds not wholly certain of their wings. Your sweetest words are those shaped ovally like plums or wild birds' eggs. And the long bright ribbons you laugh, the multitudes of hyacinth and bluebells.' -Walter Benton, This Is My Beloved
Pin brooch with freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystals An older, unusual bluebird china pattern, probably circa 1920:
Necklace pendant
Pin brooch with freshwater pearl and Swarovski crystal
Necklace made with Amazonite, Rohodonite, and sterling wire
Necklace
Necklace, unknown pattern Mount Clemens Robin pattern
Heart Pendant
Heart pendant
Pendant
Pin brooch with sterling beads and Swarovski crystals
Heart pendant
Charm bracelet with pearls and various crystals and gems
Silver spoon bracelet
Silver spoon bracelet
Silver spoon bracelet
Pin brooch with crystals Another unusual American bird pattern. These look like lovebirds or budgies. Notice the motif surrounding the heart design in the second photo below.
Necklace pendant
Pin brooch Bird of Paradise & Pheasant Patterns "The bird of paradise alights only upon the hand that does not grasp." -John Berry
Unusual, ornate pattern. Pin brooch with Swarovski crystals and freshwater pearls.
' The birds-of-paradise are members of the family Paradisaeidae of the order Passeriformes. The majority of species in this family are found on the island of New Guinea... with a few species occurring in the Moluccas of Indonesia and eastern Australia. The family has forty species in 13 genera. The members of this family are perhaps best known for the plumage of the males of most species, in particular highly elongated and elaborate feathers extending from the beak, wings or head. For the most part they are confined to dense rainforest habitat.' -Excerpt from Bird-of-paradise, which can be found HERE in its entirety
Antique pattern. Pin brooch with heart-shaped coin pearl and crystal.
Heart charm, approx 7/8"
Pin brooch
Beautiful colors! Pin brooch with Swarovski crystals
Pendant Parrots & cockatoos
Art deco china pattern with parrot motif, American china
Same pattern as above. This pin brooch was made from the design on the center of the plate. This Parrot pattern is from England:
Pendant
Pin brooch
English china, necklace pendant Blue Willow birds:
Pendant
Blue willow porcelain from Japan. Necklace made with glass beads, glass pearl beads and sterling wire.
Necklace A few other bluebird and bird china patterns:
Pendant
Pin brooch
Silver spoon bracelet with 7/8" heart charm
Bluebird china earrings
Heart charm approx. 7/8"
Shelley fine bone china. Flow blue bird motif with gold overlay. "One must ask children and birds how cherries and strawberries taste." -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Pin brooch with amethyst briolette drop. Newer porcelain.
English transferware with swan motif. Pin brooch
Heart charm, approx 7/8" English transferware
Vintage American pottery with doves motif. Pendant Birds are flyin' south for winter. Here's the Weird-Bird headin' north, Wings a-flappin', beak a-chatterin', Cold head bobbin' back 'n' forth. He says, "It's not that I like ice Or freezin' winds and snowy ground. It's just sometimes it's kind of nice To be the only bird in town." -Shel Silverstein Weird-Bird
Birds are one of my most requested china patterns for jewelry. Because they can be hard to find, sometimes even rare, my finished jewelry pieces made from these patterns on average cost a bit more than other patterns. I hope you enjoyed this look into the world of vintage bird china! No matter how often I look at these patterns, they are still delight me each time I see them! -Laura (all jewelry shown above was made by me!)
Source: strictlysimplestyle.blogspot.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest No, I really don't have anything to sell, but I have sold two houses really quickly and helped hundreds of other people sell theirs. Okay, now before you tune out and think,"I'm not moving anytime soon… no need to read this post." give me a second! There's two reasons to keep reading… # 1- You probably know someone that's struggling to sell a home in this market #2- People love their homes right before they sell because it's in the best shape ever. You could follow a few of these tips and love your house even more! Ready? Here are my first 5 tips! Get it Sold… The Mangin Way! (Part 1) (these aren't new ideas…but done right, they really work)
1.Declutter. Pack half of your stuff. Seriously, I actually mean half of everything. It's a pain, but you'll have to pack it anyway. This will make your house seem like it has sufficient storage and room to grow. It's tough to want to move into someone's home that seems jam packed! (FYI- don't do this if you're not selling… that would just be crazy!)
2. Depersonalize. Your kids are adorable… I get it, but now get rid of their pics. We don't want potential buyers looking at your vacation pics and thinking they really need to get back to the Outer Banks and totally not noticing your recessed lighting. Now, don't get too crazy… we didn't get rid of 100% of our pics, but honestly we replaced a lot with generic art from Homegoods and Marshalls. The second part of depersonalization is STYLE. If you're reading a DIY and design blog you either have great style or are style challenged! LOL… make sure the style of your house would appeal to the masses. Not too modern, too country, too plain, too bold. Purple.Tone it down a bit.
Source: yakal.net via Hannah on Pinterest 3. Declutter. Wait, she already said that!! Lame post! Nope, I don't have short term memory loss… now we're talking Pantries, Closets, Garages, Storage areas. You need to keep feeding your family, but you also need to show off the space you have. Donate, eat, or toss HALF of what you have stored. You don't need six cans of cream of chicken soup. Keep two. (House of Smiths weren't selling, but man they have a rockin' pantry before and after)
Same applies to closets… anything you won't wear in the next month should be packed up. If you're near a change of season, just box and store at your BFF's house. That's what friends are for! (We have about 20 boxes of friend's stuff in our basement right now because they're selling). Any place that you would usually hide your junk needs to be super neat and spacious. 4. Give it a Purpose. This is a simple stager's rule. Every room should have a purpose. You want a buyer to see a value in each space. If you have a toy/craft/tv/junk room but already have a playroom, and family room with tv… well what are they paying for the random room for? Choose a purpose. Make it a specific craft/sewing room etc. 5. Clean. I'm not talking lived in clean… I'm talking Martha Stewart clean. A clean house gives the impression of a well cared for, well maintained house. You don't want anything creeping out buyers. Maybe dirty baseboards are just a part of life, but they're not a part of a buyer's dream home. Seriously, who dreams of a kinda dirty, lived in dream house? Does Pottery Barn have gross toilet rings in the Bed & Bath issue? We've done it two ways… once we did an insane deep clean and for our second house we hired someone to do it. Either way is fine, just get it done and then maintain it. Make a little pre-showing, last minute cleaning list. It was a huge help to me!
Source: marthastewart.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest Ok, so 5 simple, totally FREE steps so far… Nothing too revolutionary, but things that really make a difference. Last spring we sold our home in less than 3 weeks… the market was struggling, we didn't know what to expect, but we believed it was the right time for our family and so we busted our tails to get the house ready. Now, you're armed with part one… either share the post with a friend that might find it helpful, or take a look at your own home. Part two is a little more design friendly and exciting, but first you've gotta get through the dirty work of steps 1-5. I'll be back Wednesday with more!
P.S. I bought paint tonight for a super-fun family room project. I can't wait to share it with you! P.P.S. Did you know that we're only 3 people away from 100 followers? We know way more of you read the blog… let's make it official! Let's take our relationship to the next step? And if you're really into us, you could like us on Facebook too! Imagine that! It's like going steady!
We all love Pinterest… there are so many ideas and cool people to be inspired by. I wish I took the time to do more of the projects I see, but honestly this lil' old blog takes a lot of time, so I don't do as many as I'd like to (sounds weird that a DIY blog would take time away from DIYing, but it's true!)
Today I'm excited to introduce you to two people I adore. Meet my adorable sister-in-law Kelly and my awesome brother-in-law Bryan. This cute couple lives in Ohio, so we miss them 24-7, but we have a blast when we're together.
I also have to introduce you to their little stud Jax. He's our one and only nephew and we think he's the best!
Okay, so why are we having this Mangin Family blog reunion?? Well, Kelly is not just a Pinterest addict, she actually does what she pins! {Gasp!} On our recent visit to Ohio, I felt like I was walking through a Pinterest Museum. It was too awesome not to share. Kelly has some creative friends and family, and between them all they have done so many fun projects for her home. So without further ado… Welcome to Kelly's Pinteresting Home!State Artwork Kel is from OH and Bry is from PA.
Aqua Painted Pedestal Table Kel got her table and chairs at goodwill for $75 total. Add aqua and white paint and you have an awesome statement piece!
Funky Pendant Light This was one of the first changes Kelly made to her kitchen when she moved in!
Crossword Names Takes 2 seconds, but is so cute as an accessory. It's just a frame turned chalkboard.
Kitchen Office Space She removed the wall cabinets, added open shelving, and did some adorable accessorizing. Kelly claims she can't decorate, but I'm pretty sure you'd all beg to differ!
Spray Painted Faux Antlers Kel is super lucky to have a Hobby Lobby right around the corner. These beauties came from there and got a coral spraypaint treatment.
Simple Printables She doesn't just PIN free printables, she actually uses them… imagine that! A simple piece of twine, some clothespins, and voila!
Modern Painted Chandelier Bye Bye Brass, hello funky green. The circle bulbs are just right and add a cute modern flare.
Window Frame Kel found this awesome salvage shop in Springfield, OH. They have windows galore!
Family Rules and More Printables Kelly and Jess both have the Be Happy print. You can get it at Sprik Space.
Magazine Paper Frame & Vase These two were purchases, but I liked them too much not to include them. If you're patient enough you can make your own!
House Numbers and Hooks There are so many things you can do with frames, and digital paper. Our favorite site is Moo & Puppy!
Yarn Wreath You know I'm the"anti-wreath," but this one is really cute! I love the homemade pompoms
Paper Flowers Kelly's friend Amy made these for her and they match her aqua table so well. Jones Design Company has tons of paper flower tutorials!
Clip Hooks Are you seeing a clothes pin trend? They're affordable, easy to use, and cute!
Fabric Lined Shelves Kel took plain bookshelves from drab to fab with this blue fabric. Her shelves always look so cute! Her sister gave her the frame with the subway art and has it loaded up with a print for every season/holiday.
Unique Gallery Wall These cool rounded frames are from Ikea and the doorknob is from Hobby Lobby.
Growth Chart I love this growth chart that Kelly's sister made for her. It's exactly like this one from Miss Natalie. No time to make one? You can buy one on Etsy for $56.00.
Last but not least, check out this fabulous fabric choice for a DIY headboard!
What do you think? Are you inspired to go look at your pin boards and actually do a project? I know I have a list a mile long that I want to do now! I also have to tell you that Kel had no idea I was snooping around her house taking pictures, so none of this was staged or cleaned… this is real-deal, everyday life and I think it's great! Have you turned a pin into a project? Share the link, we'd love to see!
Only following on the blog? You're missing out. Use the buttons below to join in on all the fun!
*Due to some technical issues, Monica was unable to post her Mudroom Tour. Stay tuned tomorrow for the awesome rooms she has found!
Designed by Jones Design Company Did you know that Fathers generally have as much or more impact as mothers do in the following areas of their daughters’ lives: achieving academic and career success (especially in math and science), creating a loving, trusting relationship with a man, dealing well with people in authority (especially men), being self-confident and self-reliant, being willing to try new things and to accept challenges, maintaining good mental health and expressing anger comfortably and appropriately (especially with men)? (Source: Dr. Linda Neilsen, Psychologist and Professor at Wake Forest University) Most of you also know that a girl develops her idea of God and her faith by her experience with her father. Dr. Meeker, author of Strong Father, Strong Daughter: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know, who has more than 20 years of experience working in Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, says this; "If [a girl's] dad has not been trustworthy, she will have difficulty trusting God. So if a daughter sees a father who loves God, who turns to Him in times of need, she is more likely to do the same. Also, faith has been shown repeatedly to be a “protective” factor for girls. Research shows that girls who have faith in God stay away from sex, drugs, and alcohol, and are less likely to get pregnant."
All that to say that Kevin and I have realized the importance of developing a strong relationship between him and our daughter. A few years ago we attended a seminar at our church run by the Focus on the Family Institute that talked a lot about being intentional with scheduling quality family time. So, we decided to be more intentional about planning Daddy/Daughter dates. I can not tell you how much both Kevin and C1 love these times together. We are aiming for once a month, but it doesn't always happen that way. Just recently, on a Friday, Kevin told C1 he would be taking her out that night for a"daddy date". C1 was so excited she almost couldn't contain herself, and all day long she kept asking me if it was time for her date with Daddy. When Kevin finally got home from work, she was nearly bouncing off the walls.
These dates do not have to be anything elaborate, and this one certainly wasn't. He just took her to a local pet store, which she loves, so they could look at all the animals and play with a puppy.
Then, off they went to good ol' Mickey D's for some shamrock shakes and french fries (C1 LOVES mint). It was honestly a very cheap date, but it included stuff C1 really enjoys. And that's the goal isn't it? Building a strong, trusting relationship through shared experiences so that in later years, when C1 needs help or advice, she can go right to her Daddy.
Bonus: I got to spend some extra time with my little man, C2. It was a win-win for everyone! If you want to read a little more about this idea, check out this article from the Focus on the Family website. It's never too early or too late to start investing in your kid's lives! What do you do to connect with the little people in your life?
My house has never been without some kind of stripes… EVER. I guess I just love 'em… Back at our old house I actually used all the old paint samples and leftover colors to do a crazy, random stripe wall in my basement office. This picture was before the ceiling went in, but in the end, it was pretty crazy and cool.
We've also done stripes in the same color, with different finishes. This was flat enamel with eggshell.
So, since we're in a new house… we needed some stripes… I was feeling lost without them! Family Room Stripes
. Since we've done stripes many, many times we've learned a few things along the way. Nothing is more frustrating than crooked stripes or bleeding lines. I've told you over and over that I can fall into the perfectionist category… bleeding stripes are NOT COOL in the Mangin house. How to Paint 99 percent Perfect Stripes (It's 99% because I thought Perfect sounded a little cocky!) 1. This step is optional, but I highly recommend it… find a handsome helper. It definitely is a 2 person job. 2. Determine the width of your stripes. For the family room I wanted BIG wide ones, so I did 18 inches 3. On both the left and right side of the wall, use a pencil to mark where your stripes will end. Just a little line will do. 4. Get a chalkline. It's the best thing ever for stripes. Just shake, pull tight, snap, and voila! Perfect guide to tape by.
Eric just loves when I'm supposed to be holding a chalkline nice and tightly and I have a camera in my hand at the same time!
5. I'm the taper in the family. I will ONLY use Scotch blue tape. Eric like the blue tape with the orange inside because it's extra delicate, but I like blue with the blue inside.
The key to taping is just making sure the edge of the tape is in a smooth line and not jagged where your pieces start and stop. I also take a credit card or wooden spoon over the tape when I'm done to seal it.
6. This is the magic step people… Take the current wall color paint (the color that your new stripe will touch, not the color of the new stripe) and paint along the edges of your new taped space. This will ensure that if your paint bleeds (which it will at least a bit no matter what you do) that you won't see it because it's the same color at the wall! It works like a charm!
You can see a difference in the color, but that's because it was still drying. I'll also add that we just let it dry for like 15 minutes, because it's a nice, thin coat.
I've also heard of this technique using ModPodge if you don't have leftover paint, but I can't say I've ever tried it. Let me know if you have and how it turned out! 7. Roll your main color… this one needs no explanation
8. Remove the tape. We always remove the tape before the paint dries. We wait just long enough to be sure we're done and don't need another coat of paint, then we take it down. My technique is slow and steady and at a slight angle.
If you've done step #6 you're guaranteed crisp lines, so this is no longer a stressful"I wonder how it's going to look" moment!
Once the wall is totally dry you might need to take a damp cloth to get some leftover blue chalk off, but otherwise, you're done! Overall, I'm really in love with my new stripes!
But … I'm not so in love with the artwork anymore! I can feel my husband rolling his eyes when he reads this post. I like the shape, but they just don't work anymore… and honestly, I'm not sure I ever LOVED them (and yes, I only bought them 6 months ago!)
The next part of this room re-do is to stripe curtain panels for the opposite wall. I'm excited to try this after my vacation next week!
So, are you a lover of stripes like I am? Have you conquered the perfect stripe?
b-1.jpg)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.jpg)
