We had an awesome Memorial Day Weekend! I think we're both still catching up a bit… yard sales, barn sales, cook-outs, pool parties, parades, and more! It was awesome! We didn't get much DIYing done over the weekend, so we thought we'd give you a little peek into the fun we had! The Annual Doylestown Memorial Day Parade didn't disappoint! The weather was amazing and we loved honoring all those that served and were walking in the parade.
We thought we'd take a minute and introduce you to some of our Gal-Pals. We really, really value friendship and each of these women are so special to us! So, whenever we mention a Girls' Night Out or anything like that, you can now picture some of our cutie friends!
I offered to take a picture of Jess' cute, little family, and thought a collage was needed to get the full picture… Photography Tip: Don't try and have a flag in a picture, it will inevitably cover up someone's face in every single shot! In the end… just stick with a picture of the mommy and daddy until all the kids are over 3 yrs old! Ha!
My family struggled with pictures for YEARS… one Christmas, this was the inside of our Xmas card… Keepin' it Real People!
But look at us now! 6 People all ALMOST looking and smiling. Go Team Mangin!
There were lots of cool, vintage cars in the parade… this one was my favorite! So cool!
My youngest, Callen was killin' me with his cuteness as he stood and clapped for each service member. (and yes, he asked for a patriotic SNAIL on his face???)
Earlier in the weekend, while Jess was rakin' in the dough at her yard sale, I was spending my dough at the barn sale. Look at these fabulous books I got for $4.00! I needed some as accessories, so I picked them for their color and style… however, The New Book of Etiquette might make for some interesting reading!
And lastly… look what was delivered to my house this weekend? I can't wait to share the beginning of this project with you on Thursday! Stay Tuned!
We have lots of fun projects coming up in the next few days and weeks! It's like a great, big DIY party around here! So, did you have a fabulous weekend? What'd you do?
This is a repost from last year, but it's packed full of delicious drinks that are perfect for Memorial Day, or any other day of the Summer! We hope you have an awesome day honoring those who have sacrificed for and served our country! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Whip out those flip flops, fire up the grill, the unofficial start of summer is just days away! We have come to LOVE Memorial Day Weekend and all of it's festivities. Today we're excited to share some must have Memorial Day (or any day) drinks! We've tasted tested three drink recipes that we think you'll love!
Pineapple Planter's Punch as seen in June 2012 issue of All You Magazine
Although it's not Red,White, or Blue, we think this is the perfect punch for ushering in SUMMER! What says summer more than fresh fruit? Pineapple Planter's Punch Recipe 4 cups pineapple juice 2 cups orange juice 1/2 cup lemon juice 2 liters ginger ale fresh pineapple to garnish Mix all ingredients together and garnish with fresh fruit *You can add rum to make this an"adults only" punch, but then we don't suggest drinking it with breakfast!*
Let me tell you, we were having a good laugh as we took pictures of ingredients etc. We're not food bloggers by any stretch, but we do know what's really yummy!
We thought we'd let Jess demonstrate how to pour, just in case you needed some direction. Have we ever mentioned we're dorks? Look how happy she is to be making punch! Ha!
One thing we actually did learn (from trial and error) is how to cut a pineapple so that it sits nicely on the side of your cup. First, cut a triangle wedge
Then, cut a straight line half-way up the middle.
Most of the time people don't think of breakfast as being special on Memorial Day weekend (the focus is more on BBQ food etc.), but we thought a simple patriotic breakfast would be fun! I know my kids would LOVE it if they woke up to a fun, little breakfast like this!
Combine your Pineapple Planter's Punch with some blueberry muffins and voila! We picked up the cute decorative flags and stars for 40% off at JoAnn's. And, since we're calling this the SIMPLE breakfast, I'll share a secret with you…
These muffins take about 4 minutes to whip together and we love them! Stars and Stripes Sangria We made this drink up…and the name too. Who knows, it might actually be the name of another drink (it appears we're good at taking names from other places- HA!), but for this post we made it up and named it ourselves.
Wanna hear a funny story? I'm not a big drinker, I just happen to like Iced Tea or Coke Zero better than any other drink. So, I headed off to the liquor store for red wine…UGH! It's like sending my 4 yr old into Lowe's to find upholstery tacks. I actually had to Google Merlot, to make sure it was a red wine (it is btw). Then, the checkout lady DIDN'T card me… I was bummed. Does she know I just turned 30 and she wanted to rub that in a bit? It wasn't Awesome.
Stars and Stripes Sangria Red Wine Sprite Blueberries Strawberries You can combine this to your liking. We preferred 2 parts Sprite to 1 part wine (but neither of us are big wine fans). Our husbands thought a 1:1 ratio tasted fine. Layer your fruit in an alternating pattern and add the wine and Sprite. Allow to sit for a few hours before serving. This helped the flavors to blend really nicely.
This drink is the perfect color for the holiday weekend, and the taste is really light and fruity. Taking a few extra minutes to garnish your glasses is a must. Blueberries on a skewer, a little flag, and some strawberries make all the difference.
East Coast Creative's Favorite Drink Lime Rickey We've been enjoying this drink for years. An old friend of mine taught me to make them about ten years ago and I'm so glad she did!
Lime Rickey Ingredients 4 or more limes 1 cup sugar 1 cup water Seltzer water Lime zest Juicer (not required, but recommended) Combine 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water in medium saucepan. Heat over medium until sugar has dissolved (cooling is recommended, but we're usually too impatient) Juice 4 or 5 limes. (We love the Pampered Chef juicer because it gets out ALL the juice.) Combine lime juice and simple syrup. Zest a few of the limes and save zest for garnish. Add ice to a glass, fill 3/4 of the way with seltzer water, add about 3 Tbls. of the lime syrup and garnish with zest. There's no exact ratio of seltzer to syrup, because everyone likes theirs a little differently, but you can add more or less syrup to taste. This recipe will make about four drinks, but we usually double it up to make lots more!
We hope you enjoy these drinks as much as we do! Be sure to let us know if you try any of them over your holiday weekend! What are your weekend plans or traditions?
Sorry guys, no DIY project today, but I thought I'd share a little bit of what's going on in my world. We know you guys love project inspiration here on the blog, but we're always hearing from many of you that you like the real life stuff too! So, the big news in my world is that I've Retired!! Yup, 31 and Retired!
As of last Friday I'm no longer working in education- it feels strange even to type that! I gave my notice that I wouldn't be returning to the cyber school where I've worked for the last 5 years. Let me tell you that it wasn't an easy decision…
Here's how it all went down… starting in February, Jess and I began working for Knock It Off and the network was super awesome about my commitment to finishing out my school year. We worked almost every weekend from Feb.-June and we worked really long hours. I knew I was falling head over heels in love with our show and wanted to make it my full-time job! Who wouldn't want to work with their BFF, doing what they love, and getting paid to do it! Here's the catch… do you know how many people think it's totally legit to talk about how many shows fail?? A LOT. So, I was torn, take a risk and pursue this once in a lifetime opportunity or play it safe and just keep teaching. It sounds like a no brainer, but when you have 4 kids to think about, it wasn't easy.
Thankfully, the shows' producers were giving us nothing but positive feedback and finally Eric and I decided it was time to take a leap of faith and give 100% to this crazy new venture of Knock It Off! Can I tell you how relieved I was once I made the decision?? It was like about 2000 lbs off my shoulders.
Being a TV show host was never in a million years something I thought I'd do, but life doesn't always work out as we think it will. God has some crazy, whacked out plans. I have no idea where we'll be in 5 years, but I'm secretly hoping Jess and I will be in a 5th Season of Knock It Off!: ) Making a major life change can be scary, but we only have one shot at this life and I feel like with the support of my awesome family and friends this new venture is going to be awesome.
For now, I'm just so relieved to not be working two full-time jobs! Major props to my amazing husband and kids because the last three months took busy insanity to a whole new level. We're enjoying the simplicity of one job and spending a whole lot of family time together. So, that's what's new in my world. Have you ever had to make a crazy, life-changing decision? Do tell!
PS- Oh, I also bough a MAC this weekend- I'm loving it! Thanks to all of you that gave me input on Facebook! PSS- One of our favorite Sponsors, Moo&Puppy is having an amazing sale starting this weekend. She's where we get all of our awesome digital papers from! Make sure you check it out- start thinking of patterns you might want in the fall for back to school, Halloween, and then Christmas of course! Click HERE to check it out! Sale starts this weekend!
Well, we have a weekend full of ideas for things to do in Bucks County. So many great opportunities to enjoy your long weekend! FRIDAY
Friday Night Fireworks- Lights on the River Every Friday night throughout the summer, the New Hope/Lambertville boroughs sponsor a fireworks display at 9:30 PM (Memorial Day through Labor Day). I (Jess) have witnessed these fireworks and they're awesome- mostly because it's such a beautiful area and takes place right over the Delaware River. SATURDAY
We just found out about a HUGE barn sale this weekend. This guy, Hugh, has been having an annual barn sale for 20 years and claims it is the largest barn sale in Bucks County. Count us in! We are heading there on Saturday morning, but the sale is Saturday, Sunday and Monday from, so there is plenty of time for you to go and take a look. The address is: 3054 York Road, Furlong, PA (We'll update you with the hours as soon as we find out. We're waiting to hear back)
This is a FREE concert at Planet Smoothie in Doylestown. Calling Out Closer is a young, Christian band, and your kids will love them (you may even like them too!) Free smoothies, free food samples and free music- why wouldn't you go??!!
Monday
Ok, I alluded to this before, but this parade is one of my favorite events of the year! Doylestown is holding their 145th Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 30th at 10am. The parade starts at CB West, goes east on West Court Street, then east on west State Street, and finally north on North Main Street to Doylestown Cemetery for a special service. Get there early to save seats, and then go have breakfast somewhere in town. Such a fun morning, and nothing beats that patriotic small town feeling!
I can't believe Father's Day is next weekend. I have nothing planned yet (ugh! Slacker wife!) so, I thought I'd share some Father's Day Gift ideas that I found throughout blog land. Now, I have to warn you that my hubs isn't into ties, golf, or the TV remote and I found SO MANY project ideas like that, so if you want that stuff look on Pinterest. These are just ones that I thought were really cool and that I'd actually try myself. Free Printable Props from Paper Coteriefind them HEREI know my kids would have a blast taking pictures with these props! Even if we didn't print them out, we could show dad a silly slideshow!
Wall of Surprises from Oh Happy Day find the tutorial HERE This idea is my favorite and I think that we'll be trying it out next weekend. I was thinking that each of the kids could pick one activity they'd like to do with Daddy and we'll do them throughout the day. We might even include a few clues leading to our big present!
Personalized Book from Paper Coterie Use this link and the code DADSDAY to get 60% off!
I love how this book can combine pictures, printed words, and kids drawings & writing. My hubs isn't a big fan of crafts (I mean he likes the ones my kids make) but he LOVES photo books and things written from our kids. This is on my to do list tonight.
Scrabble Frame from Just Another Day in Paradise find the tutorial HERE This project has been on Pinterest since it started and I still love it just as much. I love the simplicity, but how it instantly grabs your attention.
Father's Day Photo Collage from Positively Splendidfind the tutorial and downloads HEREThis is really creative and cute. If I have time before next weekend we might give it a whirl!
The font wasn't totally my style, so I threw together another image that I'll use for the writing. Feel free to save as and use it too! Amy's tutorial uses Picasa, but I'm loving PicMonkey's collage tool and will probably use that for mine.
I hope this little Round-up got your wheels turning. What do you have planned for the fathers in your life?
I feel like this post title sorta sounds like Un-dressing Granny. Ha…well, no worries, this post has nothing to do with grandmothers, and everything to do with making ornate frames insanely awesome.
If you missed my decision to"Go Green" with my frames, you can catch up here. I loved the green color, but it was a tad St. Patty's Day for me. We needed to tone it down a bit.
Distressing frames is a total piece of cake! Here's what you'll need… Frames, dark glaze, a rag, and a cheapo brush. I chose Martha's Metallic Glaze in Black Coffee (and yea, Martha and I are still on first name basis… we're tight like that). I also really recommend using a cheapo brush because you'll be really pressing the glaze down into the cracks and I wouldn't want to do that with my awesome (yet pricey) Purdy brushes.
If you paint your frames, make sure they're really dry before you try to distress. I'm the queen of impatience, but even I waited 2 whole days! (Seriously impressive)
All you need to do is bush the glaze on. Work in one, semi-small-ish area at a time.
You really want to jam your brush into all the nooks and crannies (this is where the cheapo brush comes in).
Let it sit for about a minute or so and then use a rag (or in my case an old baby wash cloth) to wipe the stain off. It's up to you how much you leave on.
The difference is awesome. It's like going from Peter Pan to… umm… Robin Hood Men in Tights?? Okay, perhaps that didn't help any, so I'll just show you.
I love how it tones down the shine and brings out all the rich character of the detailing.
You know that moment when you couldn't be any happier with how a project is looking? That's how I felt about these frames. If you need a super simple project to lift your DIY spirits, distressing frames is for you!
Later this week I'll be revealing the entire gallery collage. It's almost finished! I actually had a little bit of extra DIY help this weekend. One of my life long bffs came down for my 30th birthday weekend. Seth is one of my favorite people in the whole world. We've been friends since we were 13 years old and I was so happy he made the 5 hour trip to help me hang curtains! Ha! Seriously, I totally love having friends that enjoy a good DIY… He hung my new dining room curtains, helped figure out the layout of my wall collage, and even took a trip to IKEA (The shopping might have gotten a slight protest!). Don't worry, I didn't torture him all weekend, I included lots of good food, movies, and a night of snowboarding. All kidding aside, one of the things I'm most aware of as I'm turning 30 this week, is just how blessed I've been by so many friendships in my life.
So, are you going to distress any frames and what do you think of my green ones so far?
P.S. Do you have any BFFs that have made your life that much more awesome? Do tell! *************** Red Letter Words-We interrupt this post to let you in on something AMAZING!Red Letter Words just launched a new Hymns Collection and we're loving it! I don't know about you, but I grew up in a small church, singing some old school hymns and those words have stuck with me throughout my life.
This morning, I was kind of a crappy mom and wife (I really was grouchy and not so nice) and I would have benefitted from this reminder.
I'm so thankful to have a faithful God and one that forgives my crappy attitude… now I just need to say sorry to the hubs and kids as well.: ) Dee's products are fabulously cool, but this collection takes it a step further and makes art something that can really change the outlook on your day. Go check it out and tell her The (not cranky anymore) Real Housewives of Bucks County sent you! www.redletterwords.com and of course LIKE her on Facebook, because we all love a good LIKE! http://www.facebook.com/redletterwords
Two weeks ago, Eric and I (Monica) had a chance to attend a benefit dinner for Liberty Ministries. It's a prison ministry aimed at transforming the lives of offenders and recently released ex-offenders. It was a really awesome night and it was amazing to hear the stories of the men whose lives have been changed through the ministry.
Liberty Ministries runs 5 thrift stores in Bucks and Montgomery counties. The money goes towards the operational costs of the ministry. You know that Jess and I love a good thrift store find, so we're thrilled to share these stores with you. Look at all those tables just waiting to be painted… or the chairs begging to be part of the 2011's decor!
This weekend is the GRAND OPENING of the new Quakertown Location and to celebrate, they're offering 50% off of EVERYTHING at that location.
I know that I'll be going Sat. to get some awesome items to DIY, but just to convince you to come too… We're giving away TWO $10 giftcards that can be used at any of the five locations anytime in the next year. Since the Grand Opening is tomorrow, this is a quick giveaway. We'll be choosing a winner at 11pm tonight and the giftcards will be waiting for you at the Quakertown location (unless you want it mailed to you). Even if you don't win, check out one of the stores and if you want more information about this ministry, head over to their website here. Thanks for letting us share this with you, now come on local readers… Here's how to enter: 1. Leave a Comment on this post (1 entry) 2. Like Liberty Thift Stores on Facebook Here (1 extra entry) Good Luck and Happy Thrifting this Weekend!
P.S. Jess and I are super excited to finish taping our Nate Show segment this weekend! We can't wait to share all the details with you soon! Also, if you're in the NYC area, we're taping our live show this coming Thursday, so you should try and get tickets to the taping. It would be awesome to have a little RHBC posse!
If you follow us on Facebook, you might have seen that we have been working on a fabulous room redesign for a friend of ours. We spent a few hours hunting for the perfect accessories, paint, furniture, and bedding this weekend at HomeGoods, Architectural Antiques, Liberty Thift store and a great new huge thrift store called Impact. You know how when you have money to spend, and you can't find anything awesome to spend it on? Well, that did not happen to us this weekend! We hit the jackpot at each of those stores and can't wait to fill you in on all the details. But for now, here's a sneak peek at the room BEFORE we attacked it with our mad decorating skills. (Ha!)
Looks like we have our work cut out for us, right? We're totally up for the challenge!; ) We bought this chair for $10 and are so excited to change it up!
Oh, look! Another industrial push cart-thingy. It seems we have a soft spot for these guys (and for only $8, we'd be crazy not to bring it home with us!)
Oh, hello, cute little dog figurine. Life as you know it as a silver dachsund is over, my friend.
Lots more to come about this project.: ) So, fill us in on what you did this weekend! Any hard-core shopping excursions?
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I 'm almost too tired to type. We put in another full weekend converting the old sauna into our home gym. But due to my inability to focus on just one project at a time, I also managed a few other side tasks. One task was a five minute bed makeover....explanation to follow.
Hubby worked every second of the weekend putting in fir floors.
While he cut, I pitched in by installing some of the boards. The paint on my jacket is from painting this room last weekend.
The tongue and groove fir flooring went over the concrete floors. It was surplus from the wraparound porch. Some of the boards had been pre-primed and some had not, but for our purposes, it doesn't matter because we plan to paint the floors grey. These boards are mostly seconds, so the paint will cover a lot of the imperfections in the wood.
I took advantage of Hubby's every pause, and wandered inside where I replaced our old beige quilt with the above antique popcorn quilt.
I also managed to repair an antique frame (a piece of the rounded detail was missing).
After the spackle was dry I touched it up with gold paint, which I need to finish.
Lucy provided the supervision needed to accomplish all of our tasks (even my multi-tasks). She is still wearing the bright yellow bandanna she received when she had her hair and nails done at the beauty spa.
I like the brightness and the old-fashioned charm the popcorn quilt offers. I also think it defines the bed better than the beige quilt did against the jute rug.
And of course the detail of the crochet is just beautiful. As you can see, I haven't yet reupholstered the Victorian chair. I ordered some velvet samples but none of them were the right color. And after the bench upholstery job I did for the closet vanity, I know I will have to take it to a professional. No doubt about it.
The lovely and talented Brooke over atBlueprint Blissdid a post on our farmhouse last week. She has a beautiful, inspiring blog....go check it out!
We just found out it's THIS WEEKEND!! If you're even remotely local you'll want to make time to check it out. We got SO MANY awesome things last year. My dining room buffet, my Chalkboard Mirror… Check out this post to see it all. BEST BARN SALE EVER! Sat, Sun, Mon 8-5 3045 York Road, Furlong PA
The back part of the barn is crazy, but HOLY COW amazing furniture finds!!
And now I'm re-posting our reminders from yesterday! Well, we're a bit behind the eight ball on this one, but we finally got around to choosing a winner for our Empire Patio Giveaway. (just so you know we use random.org to make our pick!) Empire Patio Covers Giveaway Winner
And the winner is:
Congratulations! Email us at eastcoastcreativeblog@gmail.com to claim your prize! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
YARD SALE We're having a BIG yard sale Saturday (5/26) from 8:00-1:00 PM. Please come on by and say hi…and then buy something.; ) It's at my house, so send me an email if you need the address. Monica will stop by in the morning also and we'd love to meet all of you local readers. There will be lots of kids items, home decor, appliances, furniture, lighting and more! Here's just a small sampling of what's for sale:
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.: )
Want to hear a sad story? Jess and I were supposed to be in NYC this afternoon having lunch with the fabulous Mandy from Vintage Revivals and Emily, one of our favorite Nate Show producers, BUT… my oldest is really, really sick. I fear it might have turned into pneumonia, so we're headed to the pediatrician instead of the Big Apple. Boo! I'm bummed about our trip, but even more so I just want my little lady to feel better!
(Pic courtesy of Salvatori Photography) Anyhow… Can you believe today marks the final weekend before Christmas? I seriously can't! I still have a few gifts to buy, some serious wrapping to do, and lots of fun holiday festivities to partake in! I guess we should get on with it shouldn't we? Today the girl that can barely sew a button is going to blog about pillows. Oh boy, this should be fun! I saw this Pottery Barn Pillow and thought it was pretty adorable. I have no idea why it popped into my head during the challenge, but it did and I figured that I could DIY it without any sewing.
To be completely honest it was one of my LEAST favorite projects in the room and then good old Mr. Berkus had to talk on air about how much he liked it and how he wished he could buy one. All the while I'm thinking, Oh my word. It's a Pottery Barn knock off, just go to the mall, but I can't say that because we have to be super careful about using brand names! I was sweating it big time! They even asked me to write a tutorial for their website, so if you want the directions you can head over to Nate's site for the steps. Here's my finished product, but don't look at it too long or you'll see some of the effects of only having a few hours to do a whole room (and yes, I know my stockings look more like hockey sticks!)
Ugh! It pains me to show you this! Ha! It's good to keep away the pride I guess! Since it's Friday, I also have a Fab Find for you! Woohoo!
Fab Find Friday- Journey through Bethlehem
Living Hope Church in Dublin, PA hosts an amazing semi-annual event and it's this weekend! A huge field is transformed into the town of Bethlehem. It's an incredible experience for your whole family. 2 Christmases ago my kids went with their grandparents and they talked about it for weeks! It's an amazing way to remind ourselves about the true reason for Christmas. Here's the info directly from Living Hope's website
Come. Experience. A Journey through Bethlehem. Follow the path that Joseph & Mary walked in a dramatic outdoor presentation of the original Christmas Story. Show start promptly* Fri, Dec 16 5 6:30 8pm Sat, Dec 17 5 6:30 8pm Sun, Dec 18 5 6:30pm *Dress appropriately for the weather. It is an outdoor 45 minute presentation.
Jess and I will be there with our families and friends on Sunday at 6:30pm. We hope to see you there!
This will be quite a memorable halloween on the east coast. My kids will be out trick or treating with this backdrop…
Yup, those are really pics from my cell phone of our yard! Insanity! Before I get into a little halloween fun, let me just tell you what a crazy weekend Jess and I had. You might have heard that a certain Mr. Berkus gave us another challenge that we taped this weekend. I can't say much, but let me just tell you that snow and power outtages were just the beginning of the craziness! I can't wait until we can tell you all about it! Now, get ready for some randomness…
Every year Jess hosts a halloween party for trick or treating and then dessert. It's always a fun time and the last few years the adults have gotten into the costume fun too! Last year, I wore Kenzie's old batgirl outfit and Jess whipped up a Sherlock Holmes costume. This year we're actually going as Nate Berkus DIYers complete with the Gold hard hats from the show. Slightly cheesy, but really fun, and we didn't need to buy anything for it! Score!! (We'll post some embarassing, goofy pictures on Facebook)
I warned you that this was a random post… here's one of our favorite fall mantles from Pottery Barn. I love the sticks just wrapped up without even needing a vase. How simple!!
Source: theinspiredroom.net via Shara on Pinterest
Okay, and just to really finish this off randomly… Tomorrow is the beginning of theThanksgiving season (not sure that's even a real thing, but let's pretend it is okay?) and I think this coat is a perfect Thanksgiving Season must-have. If anyone sews and would like to knock this off, well I'd really love that!
Source: anthropologie.com via Janenifer on Pinterest
Happy Halloween!
P.S. We have some fun posts in store for you this week… Design it Forward recap, Jess' final bathroom reveal, and an awesome giveaway on Friday!
We promised that during our maternity leave from filming (I love getting a maternity leave without having to have a baby btw) that we'd do a whole bunch of things, and one of them was letting you have more little peeks into our real life happenings. With that in mind, we proudly introduce… Right Now a series that we'll do monthly… well actually, basically whenever we feel like it.
So, here's what's going on in my world right now… Loving: This amazing fall weather we're having here on the East Coast. Mid 70s during the day and cool, crisp nights!! It's the best sleeping weather ever! September is probably my favorite month of the year and I'm so thrilled to have some time off to enjoy it! Reading: Last night I finished reading Gone Girl. Thanks so so many of you for giving me book recommendations on Facebook! I liked it, but didn't over the top love it. I'm not sure what about it is keeping me from giving it an A+. If you read it, tell me what you liked/didn't like. I'd love to hear!
Waiting For: This weekend, but not excitedly… you probably know we breed Bernese Mountain Dogs with our dog Pennlyn. Well, this weekend the puppies leave and go to their new homes. I LOVE the families that we chose to adopt, but it will be super sad to see them go and I will have 4 miserable kiddos for a few days!
Excited About: A few things… Sunday we're going pumpkin picking and on a hayride with a bunch of our friends!! Our ABC/Live Well Network Season 1 Wrap party for our show- this Thursday night we'll all be celebrating the end of a successful first season. I'm still trying to figure out what to wear… Ugh!!
Trying To: Eat healthier and work out regularly. This is not my favorite thing, nor something I'm good at! But I have a goal of Oct 23rd, and hopefully will come away from this"maternity leave" happier and healthier. Working On: Communicating better with my oldest daughter…my mini-me. We kinda butt heads a lot. She's strong willed and I'm the queen of strong wills and well, let's just say I'm working on it. I want to figure out the best, most effective way to parent her.
Enjoying: The 3 hours each day that I have the house to myself, but then I'm also really enjoying the after pre-school, few hours before naptime that it's just Callen and me. It's really fun and nice to have 1:1 time! Using: Tons and tons of Chapstick!! I'm on a medication that makes me have crazy dry lips, so It's me and chapstick 24-7. Wearing: I'm totally in mom mode and usually wear sweats and my favorite Northface sweatshirt almost every day. What's the point in looking cute, if I'm gonna work out at night?!? Planning: I'm working on and planning my kids' playroom makeover. I totally struggle with designing my own rooms lately! I'm cool doing rooms for other people, but if I'm spending my own money I want to love it. GAH! It's killing me!
Needing: To find a good recipe today that uses a million veggies, bc I have a ton that will go bad soon if I don't use them!! Learning: How to think more before I talk (but don't hold your breath Eric, it's a slow learning process!) Struggling With: Church. We're kind of in this place where we're wondering where's a good fit for us. We've been at the same church for 16 years (and it's a wonderful church! Check it out HERE), but we just want to make sure it's right for us and we're not just there bc it's what we've always done. But, at the same time we're not sure what will be exactly right- it's tricky!
Listening To: The"Sister of the Year" CD mix made for my by my little brother (well, he's 26, not all that little, but little to me). He has the best taste in music and makes me mixes that have tons of songs that are cool well before they become cool. It's a good thing I have him, bc otherwise I'd never have even a sliver of cool within me when it comes to new music. Product I'm in Love With: My Kreg Jig- hubs used it yesterday to build new benches for our outdoor farmhouse table! Doing: Working down my to-do list for the day. I've committed to today being uber productive! (Up next, responding to emails, then making soup, then putting away all Cal's fall clothes) Dreaming Of: Taking another trip to Europe or somewhere amazing with my hubs. Last year at this time, we were counting down the days for our London and Paris trip.
This concludes this first edition of Right Now. I hope you enjoyed my ramblings or at least tolerated them! Want more of our day to day ongoings? Follow us on Instagram! Monica- @Eastcoastcreative Jess- @Jess_EC2blog What are you doing, loving, reading, or dreaming of right now?
You know what make us thankful? Besides our families, good friends, this blog and each other (of course!), it's Black Friday! So, while Monica is living it up in London and Paris this week, I'll be doing some die-hard shopping with my hubs. Love that man and his passion for finding good deals. (Would you believe he is MORE into Black Friday than I am?!) However, some of the best things you just can't find in brick and mortar stores, and that's what I'm bringing to you today. I've rounded up some red and green favorites from our awesome sponsors. Without them, this blog would not be, so show them some love and snag some good deals this weekend at their shops.
1. Kelly Green Crocheted Scarflette from Twysted Yarn. I am all about scarves this time of year, and this one is too cute! Order by December 6th for Christmas delivery. Use the code ECCFAN to get 10% off your order! 2. Last year, I purchased 12 Christmas books at Liberty Thrift store, and did a 12 days of Christmas countdown. Each day we read a different Christmas story. I LOVE this tradition, and Liberty Thrift makes it possible to do it inexpensively (Photo credit: Katherine Maries.com) 3. This Joy to the Lord Print from Red Letter Words is so beautiful and would make a great gift or a perfect accessory for your own walls. Plus, you just can't beat that message. Get 20% off all Black Friday weekend! (No coupon code necessary.) 4. I adore this Ikat Decorative Pillow Cover from our newest sponsor, Chic Decor Pillows. It's so stylish, but totally ties in with traditional Christmas colors. You HAVE to see the tons of pillow covers in their shop. Gorgeous stuff, folks! Beginning at midnight on 11/23, everything in the store will be 15% off!
5. You better believe that I'll be doing a few Christmas printables this year using this Gem Christmas Digital Scrapbooking Paper from Moo & Puppy. I'm telling you, the possibilities are endless! Use the code EC215 for 15% off your order. 6. I can't get enough of this Red/Orange Paisley Headband from Henle. I'll be buying a few of these for my sister and girlfriends this year (shhhhh…don't tell!) 7. Isn't this Pendant Light with Red Enamel Shade from Lucent Lampworks so much fun? Love the pop of color in this industrial style light fixture. I can't WAIT to show you what Brad designed for my dining room. Ummmm…let's just say, it completes me. Oh wait, I mean, the room. Use the code EC2tenoff for 10% off your order!
8. I know this isn't all that Christmasy, but my goodness, I adore this Herringbone Pattern Wall Stencil from Royal Design Studio. I'm running out of wall space, but I'm determined to incorporate this somewhere-anywhere- in my house. All stencils shown in black and white will be 30% off on Black Friday (gohere for the sale!) 9.Buy a few of theseQuilted Jar Candles in Spiced Pear from CJS EcoChic for a quick and easy neighbor, hostess or teacher gift. You can never go wrong with candle, especially soy ones that last forever! 10. I'm thinking another awesome gift for a teacher would be this Medium Utility Tote in Red Parisian Pop from Thirty-One Gifts filled with fun books for the classroom, survival items (chocolate and coffee, anyone?) or extra supplies. Where's your favorite place to shop on Black Friday? Do you have a plan of attack, or do you go at it all crazy-like?
We were really excited when one of our very first blog sponsors, Mandy, approached us about sharing her story with our readers. This is a little different than our normal DIY post, but it's a pretty awesome opportunity and story we've watched unfold. So sit back, relax, and we'll tell you a little story…***************************************************************************This is Mandy. In 2010 Mandy was a mom to two girls, a wife, and a full-time English teacher.
Mandy was happy with her lot in life, but she was a tad stressed with juggling it all. One weekend, one of Mandy's best friends ever came to visit. During the weekend they had a conversation that went like this…Friend: Hey look at my super cute bagMandy: It's adorableFriend: I just got it from a cool, new company called Thirty-One Gifts. Mandy: Cool bag, strange nameFriend: It's a Christian company and 31 is from the Proverbs 31 woman. They do parties to sell their products. You should check it out, you'd be awesome at it. Mandy: (walking to get laptop) I want to check our their site.-5 minutes pass-Mandy: This is my New Passion!(Mandy proceeds to sign up as a 31 Gifts Independent Consultant)Seriously, the conversation actually went like that. True Story. This is Mandy. It's 2012 and she's a mom to three girls, a wife, and a stay-at-home-mom who's also an Independent Executive Director with Thirty-One Gifts.
Who would have thought starting a business would actually bring calm, growth, and encouragement to a persons life? That's exactly what happened. Mandy went from maintaining the juggling act to joining a group of women that she loves working with, making relationships that will outlast any tote or product, increasing the time she has to spend with her family, gaining personal confidence, and growing leaps and bounds in her faith. People always want to know about money, so we'll keep it real for you. Mandy left her full-time teaching job and is now making three times her previous income. They've been to Cancun and are leaving Friday for a week in Disney, all through Thirty-one.
Mandy wanted us to share her Thirty-One story with you because she knows how it has changed her life and now is an amazing time that Thirty-One could change yours. Thirty-One Gifts- Opportunity to Join Incentive!
Mandy is super passionate about helping other women, that like her, feel ready to stop the juggling act, and start doing something that will be encouraging, help to put family first, and making working fun! She'd love to talk to you more, so if you have any questions, leave a comment, click HERE, or use Mandy's Ad on the sidebar to contact her.
Mandy, Thanks for sharing your story and this opportunity with our readers! We love you Girl!
I hope you all had a nice weekend! As mentioned we visited Liseberg Christmas Market and it was beautiful! Since we were there on a Saturday the place was crowded but we had such a nice time still. Certainly a successful weekend.
Here are a bit of inspiration from Danish Vintage Kompagniet.
I'll be honest, I'm not good at living intentionally. Jess made living intentionally one of her goals about a year back, and she's doing a good job at it. I just kind of go with the flow and take each day as it comes, BUT (and this is a big but)… I am very intentional when it comes to my relationships. Eric and I believe that it's far too easy to let the busyness of life get in the way of maintaining community and authentic relationships. We believe that parenting and journeying through life is tough and would be nearly impossible if we were trying to do it alone. Everyone in the picture below plays a critical role in our life. We've all made a decision to listen to Hebrews 10:25 and make intentional choices to spend time together and encourage one another. We host dinner each and every Tuesday night for this crew and it's a time to connect with one another, be real, and build authentic relationships. (And yes, my house is loud, crazy, and messy each Tuesday and we wouldn't have it any other way!)
We thought we'd just give you a little glimpse into our weekend and the awesome time we had pumpkin picking. We hope it encourages you to take a step towards being intentional with your friends & family.
We might be BFFs, but we're so thankful for ALL the women we have in our lives!
We went to Penn Vermont Farm in Bedminster, PA. We highly recommend it- one of the best farms we've ever been to!
Jess' hubs Kev found a beauty
Me and my love
It could possibly have been the most beautiful fall day ever.
We love that our daughters will grow up seeing us putting a friendships as a major priority. And yes, we secretly hope they're friends forever as well.
We managed to get a family pic of Jess's crew- getting my six together is a slightly harder task.
Thanks for letting us share a peek into our lives. We had an awesome weekend and hope you did too! What could you do this week to Be Intentional with your friends? ************************************************************************** And now to announce the Winner of HTC One X Smartphone: CONGRATULATIONS TO:
Look for an email from us soon! Congratulations, Liz! And thanks to all of you who entered!
And don't forget that we're in the running to be the New Face of Proctor & Gamble Home! There are only THREE DAYS LEFT to vote for Monica. You can vote once a day, now through October 3rd. We SO APPRECIATE you taking the time to vote each day!
In case you didn't know, Jess and I spent a week in paradise…
Thanks to our friend, Mr. Nate Berkus, we lived in the laps of luxury at the Iberostar Cancun. Nate and his wonderful staff gave us this trip after our second appearance on his show. Thanks Nate!
If you're looking for a place to vacation, we'd totally recommend this resort. It has only been open two months, and yet the amazing staff made everything run so smoothly. Other than the incredible location, and beautiful accommodations, the entertainment staff,"The Star Friends" were the best part. They got these girls out of our chairs, playing balloon volleyball, doing aqua aerobics, taking salsa lessons and more. Honestly, the staff made this trip amazing. Here's a peek into our week…
Check out the resort lobby. It was beautiful and the decor was unique and stylish.
If you're a mom, take my advice and plan a girls' weekend! We were super excited that two of our gal pals came along on this adventure. This was the first time in years that we'd gotten away and it was so beneficial. Having time away from all the distractions of life let us truly relax and also connect as friends. We spent many nights sitting down by the ocean talking about life. It was so refreshing to be able to be open and honest and go beyond the surfacey discussions that busy life lends itself to. Jess and I are so blessed to have some pretty darn amazing women in our lives. If I didn't convince you to plan a girls' weekend, maybe more pictures will!
Iberostar, you had me at infinity pool.
This trip was a perfect way to usher in our 30th birthday year and to celebrate our first, amazing year of blogging. We've been beyond blessed by this blog journey and we're so thankful to all of you (our readers)!
So, now we're back to reality, (and for me a fading tan is like a slow, death. It's horrible to wake up each day, working my way back to pale white) but we're excited about so many projects and ideas that we're working on! and now the moment you've all been waiting for… The WINNER of the Royal Design Studio/Modello Designs giveaway is:
Congratulations Kara! email us to claim your prize!
PS. Jess and I are super excited and honored to be attending the NYC launch of the New an Improved Ladies Home Journal Magazine this evening. We'll be strutting our stuff trying to play it cool as we have our pics taken on the"red carpet". We'll be sure to let you know all the inside scoop tomorrow!
