Category Archives: DIY

5-Minute Wall Art Project

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As many of your are, I am in love with Instagram on my iPhone but hadn’t found a way to use any of those little square pictures in real life. Then recently, I stumbled across PostalPix, which is genius. It is an app that you can download that allows you to order your Instagram pictures to be delivered to you by mail. I love that it can all be done right through an app. It was so easy and at less than 30 cents each for a 4×4 print, you can’t beat that. So, I ordered some for my travel journal projects (I’ll share those soon). Then an hour later, I wanted to order more to try my hand at a DIY idea I had. So two orders down and a few days later… I had some pictures in my mailbox! I gathered my materials and was ready to go! I grabbed two IKEA Nyjjta frames, some mini clothespins I already had, some wire, the pictures and my manual staple gun.

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I removed the plastic front (glass if you are using a frame more expensive that $1.99) and the cardboard backing so I was left with just the white frame. I then cut a piece of wire and stapled it to the back of the frame and cut off the excess wire.
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I also made sure to bend back the black metal flaps that used to hold the backing on rather than breaking them off, just in case I want to use these as regular frames in the future.

ImageThen it was as easy as using some mini clothespins to hold some of the pictures. Truly the hardest part was deciding which pictures to put up first. I like that I can easily change out what pictures I keep up there. Yay for ever-changing art! One thing to note is that I didn’t have any picture brackets so I cheated and just stapled more wire to the top to be able to hang them on the wall. I have plans to change it to real brackets, but if the stapled wire holds up… I will probably forget.

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Don’t mind how empty the rest of that wall is… I’m working on it…

But, see! Simple, easy and really quick… my favorite kind of project :)

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New Year, New Start

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Why hello everyone!

It has been months since I have blogged. Months. Which is just awful, but I think you all understand that time slips away sometimes… especially in the months before the holidays.

Anywho… I’m back! I can’t say I am going to be a stellar blogger and post multiple times a week because then you would just be disappointed in me. I will just continue to mosey through the world of blogging and see where it takes me :)

I have some exciting news! In 2013 I will be traveling to Disney World as well as to Europe. To say that I am over-the-top thrilled would be a severe understatement. It is all I think about, all I talk about and certainly all I dream about.

Well as I have been thinking about this upcoming trips, I started to wonder how will I ensure I never forget everything about these trips. Both are with family (Disney with Brett’s and Europe with mine), so they are going to be memorable. I used to be an avid scrapbooker years ago, but now I just find it so hard to decide which pictures I love most out of the thousands I took. And then find it hard to scrap that event before I am already faced with a new one. So for most things, I have moved on to hardcover photobooks, but that is a post for another day. The reason I bring up scrapbooking is because I loved it for all the memories I could store. I am that person that has drawers full of tickets and receipts and pamphlets so that one day I can look back on all of the great things I did. With my upcoming trips, I wanted to find a better way to store all of those little things, along with some pictures and some journaling. Ultimately I found K&Company’s SMASH books and fell in love.

If you don’t know what they are… watch this little video…

They are just beautiful notebooks that you can do whatever you want with. For me… travel journals! Here is the genius thing, they come with a pen that has a glue stick on the end of it. That way, you don’t have to wait until you get home or back to your hotel to adhere something. Seriously amazing, right?

Well Brett me got two for Christmas, one for Disney and one for Europe. He also got me some of the accessories that go with it. There are fun little pockets and tags and little knick-knacks to personalize it. You can check out all the fun little things on their site! I have found their products at Michaels and Target and they are really well-priced. But really, can you put a price on preserving memories? I think not.

I immediately wanted to start “smashing” but obviously I have not gone anywhere yet… so I started with all of the pre-planning things, such as hotel reservations, places we wanted to see in Europe, park hours in Disney… that kind of stuff. I will be doing some posts on the pages I have done so far at some point soon! But to get you into the “smashing” mindframe, watch this YouTube video of this girl’s Travel SMASH book. It is the stuff of legends, really.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1X0FZf0UeI

Enjoy :)

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Halloween Costume Ideas

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I can’t believe we are already halfway through September…however that does mean Halloween is right around the corner! I love Halloween! I am especially excited for it this year though because Halloween was “cancelled” around here last year. Yeah cancelled. This is why…

Yeah.. we had a crazy snowstorm in October that did some serious damage. We didn’t have power for about 10 days. So unfortunately for all the kids around here… Halloween got cancelled because it wasn’t very safe out. So this year… I’m going full out with the decorations! More about those to come..

However… today we are going to chat about costumes! My mother always either made our costumes or found really adorable ones..

Here is me and my brother Tim… I mean, come on… he is in a little baby sized suit. Could it be any more adorable? Actually it could… here is my most favorite Halloween costume picture ever…

How is Greg almost 19?!? He needs to be this adorable again. I can never get enough of that picture!

Well I have some fun ideas for Halloween costumes to share with you  from Spare Time Treasures :)

What about a Disney Princess?

{photography via Bayou Belles Photography}

Maybe a variation of your favorite flower instead?

{photography via Beemer Photography}

Another springtime staple… a Ladybug, perhaps?

Or if a headband isn’t her style… a clip to match!


{photography via Oak Hart Images}

Or maybe she is seeking an adventure as a pirate!

{photography by Portraits by Katie}

Just some ideas to get your creative juices flowing! Let me know if you have any questions about the costumes featured above or on our Facebook page :)

 

 

Office Inspiration

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Brett and I decided that we needed a little bit of an office makeover the other day… Nothing is wrong with the office but it is just… there. It is just there with a brown and tan color palette. I was going for an old world vintage thing but ended up with a sea of brown. Needless to say, it needs a little something.

There are many things I love in the room…

The map pillow in the back is from Ikea and fit the look I was going for. The pillow in the front however is really special to me. It is made from fabric my mother used to make herself a dress when she was pregnant with me. Plus, it has polka dots so clearly I’m sold.

This chest has proved itself to be quite useful. It holds some odds and ends but most importantly our printer. I rarely have to print anything so it stays stored away!

I have lots of fun decor in the room already including this canvas I made from old vintage stamps. Here is the tutorial to make your own!

As you can see… there is a lot of brown. An office should inspire you, I think. So I have set off to find some inspiring rooms to get the gears working!

 

Love does not even begin to describe Katie Bower’s Office. I love how fresh and bright and colorful it is. I don’t know how Brett would feel about such a color palette but I’m sure he would go along with it. I think this office is unexpected but truly just comes together seamlessly. I love everything Katie Bower does… but this is certainly one of my favorites.

This desk from Crate and Barrel is gorgeous. It looks old and could be very versatile depending upon the decor you pair with it. But, at $1500… I won’t be purchasing it anytime soon. I bet I could get Brett to make something like it though…

This DIY desk for two from Young House Love is actually exactly what we need. I need either two exact desks to pair next to each other or to build one continuous desk for the two of us. Everyone likes to have their own space, right?

This shelving from Martha adds some color to the room. You could wallpaper or stencil some Ikea Lack shelves for the same look! Organization and design? Couldn’t be better!

Well for now that is some of the inspiration I have found! Hopefully I will have some updates for you soon and we start to tackle this room. Let me know if you have any spectacular office ideas :)

 

 

 

Favorite Places to Shop for Home Decor

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I wanted to share with everyone two of my favorite places to shop for home decor online. Two of the best places I have found are Joss and Main and One Kings Lane. Both of these sites feature marked down sales that last for a few days. The items can range from rugs and furniture to quirky home decor items. Everyone likes to feel like they are getting a good deal, so its fun to look around these sites. Plus, I have found some really fun items!

My most favorite recent purchase was a metal wire ferris wheel sculpture from Joss and Main. I had fallen in love with a metal ferris wheel sculpture at the Grand Floridian in Disney a few years ago…

Seriously in love. Then a few months ago, I came across this ferris wheel from Pottery Barn…

 

It is no longer available but at the time it was over $200. For a ferris wheel? Certainly not something I could justify. Then someone answered my prayers and there was a metal ferris wheel on Joss and Main for $30! Yes! I could not contain my excitement! Here it is now on top of the bookcase in our office…

While it is not as hefty as the other ones… I still love it just as much! Such a fun purchase. I also recently made a more useful order at One Kings Lane. They had a set of two vintage-y wire baskets. I’ve been on an organizing kick lately, so at $15, I was sold. I like when everything has its own place!

Bigger one to hold recent mail… and smaller one to hold some towels in the guest bathroom…

 

They look old and worn… just how I like it! I have bought other fun goodies on these sites but these were two of my most favorite purchases! Check these sites out because their sales change every few days! These sites are Member-only so use the links below to join :) One Kings Lane gives you a $15 credit when you sign up! How great is that?

https://www.onekingslane.com/invite/megangomperts

http://www.jossandmain.com/invite/sparetimetreasures

Let me know if you purchase anything fun!

 

 

 

 

DIY Easy Fall Burlap Wreath

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This wreath is really easy to make… so trust me you can do this! Since today is September 1st, I decided it was time to get a fall wreath out on the door. As I mentioned here, Fall is always hard to decorate for without being too Thanksgivingy or Halloweenish (like my made up words??).  I wanted to create an easy fall wreath that anyone could whip up in just a few minutes! Here you go…

I gathered materials I had around the house… a wreath, burlap, rosette trim, twine and a hot glue gun. I started by cutting a rectangle of burlap about 12 inches long.

Then I folded it in half..

 

 

And tied a piece of twine around it to create a bow…

 

Then with the rosette trim and a hot glue gun, I covered the twine. You could always use ribbon if you don’t have any trim or even a prettier striped twine! I also pulled off any hanging lines of burlap to create a more finished look.

 

And then hang it on your door!

 

 

I think it looks great! It was really easy to make and I love the rustic chic look of it. I hope this inspires you to create a Fall wreath of your own!

 

 

DIY Washi Tape Computer Makeover

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Computers deserved to be adorable too, right?!? Well, as usual I was on Pinterest recently and I stumbled upon a tutorial from Her New Leaf and I needed to try it. It involved Washi Tape (my favorite) and my compter (live on it)… so what could be better??

So I headed over to Etsy to purchase some new fun Washi Tape for the project. As suggested, I went to Le Box Boutique because you can buy Washi Tape by the foot rather than having to buy a ton of rolls. Really great for a project like this! Plus, the tape comes on the most adorable wooden spools that I can save and use for another project down the road. After waiting a few days… my tape arrived!

I’m sure you can imagine my excitement! I decided to attack this project that night! I started by lining up all of the tape in a pattern that worked for me so that there were not any like colors/patterns too close to one another. Then I made a little template on a piece of paper so that I knew the width of my keys to make the process go by much faster. And then I was ready to go!

I alternated my “patterns” with the tape. The first time I went right down the row, they I might have gone every other starting from the end and then every 3rd and so on… that way each piece was dispersed evenly across the whole keyboard. The whole project really did not take me much time at all. I broke it up over two nights… so maybe an hour and a half total. Not too shabby! When I was done, I was elated! Here was the final outcome…

Adorable, right? Not all of the pieces are perfect or exactly the same size. I figured that no one would ever inspect it that closely. Plus, it is my computer and I was happy with the imperfections :) I was worried though about the tape peeling over time so luckily I had a clear cover for my keyboard that will help preserve the life of the tape. You can’t even tell its there, which is perfect!

Let me know if you try it! It really was so much fun and I love how cute my computer looks now :)

 

Fall Decor Ideas

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Fall is quickly going to be upon us. How crazy is that?!? I feel as though “Fall” is the most difficult season to decorate for. You don’t want to make it too Thanksgiving-y when its early in the season and Halloween just throws that whole color scheme for a whirl right in the middle of it all! I have decided that I will start to decorate for the season soon as I feel it is a forgotten opportunity for decor but I needed some inspiration. I of course headed to Pinterest… where else would I go??

Much to my sadness… I did not find the millions of ideas I expected to. Many of the decor ideas I found were geared towards Thanksgiving. However, as I sifted through the Thanksgiving overload… I found some great simply fall decor ideas and I wanted to share!

This first one is a great DIY tutorial for a bookpage covered pumpkin. Really, what could be better?

{via Urban Daisies}

My favorite part in this next one is the brown paper flowers…

{via A Place for Us}

You all know my love of burlap…

{via Sweet Something Designs}

Wood and twigs are a great addition to any fall decor. Brings the outdoors in, doesn’t it?

{via Guyer Family Blog}

White pumpkins and galvanized buckets? I’m sold.

{via Decor Chick}

And back to some burlap…

{via Love of Family and Home}

What did you think? Anything strike your fancy? I now have a clearer idea of what I am hoping to accomplish in our fall decor. I even have plans for a DIY outdoor mat!

Be on the lookout for how it all turns out!

The Key to Organizing

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In the spirit of organization, I’ve been trying to find solutions for the things that just get thrown on the coffee table when we walk in the door…keys, mail etc etc. Well, I have come up with some fun solutions that have been working for us so far and wanted to share!

While at my parent’s house recently, I found an unfinished wood holder that I knew would be perfect.

 

It was little and simple. Just right!

I decided to paint it a pale blue color. I used one from Martha Stewart’s craft paint line that I already had on hand. It took a few coats because the wood really soaked up the paint. After I painted it, I decided it needed a little bit more pizzazz, if you will..

 

And in came the yellow stripes…

I made stripes using painters tape and painted the uncovered areas in some yellow craft paint I had. I didn’t measure the stripes… just winged it!

The yellow paint came out brighter than I was hoping… so out came the sand paper! I sanded down the front until it looked worn and weathered.

Much better, don’t you think?? Once it was done, just hung it up and my keys were already looking better!

 

I am happy with how it turned out! Be on the lookout for more posts regarding organizing soon!

Have you been on an organizational kick lately? Any great tips you want to share??

 

 

 

 

 

DIY Burlap-Wrapped Vase

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Burlap is all the rage these days.. and I am so jumping on that trend. I love burlap because it is rustic but can be chic and is really inexpensive to buy. I have this problem where I will be out shopping with people and they will pick up something they love and go to buy it. Most friends would say “how cute!” or “I need one too!”. Instead I typically talk them out of buying it and explain how I could make it. This happened at a recent trip to Pottery Barn…

They had candles wrapped in burlap that were really cute. We were with Brett’s sister and I explained how she could make the same thing for about a dollar. Well this burlap-wrapped candle got me thinking about the burlap I had at home. And well, that brings us to today…

A burlap-wrapped vase! The vase I used is actually a dollar store contraption I made. I bought a vase and a candle stick from the dollar store and then used some gorilla glue to adhere them together. Yay for cheap and easy projects!

Other than the vase, I used spray adhesive, some burlap and scissors. It was a really simple project. I just cut out a piece of burlap and trimmed it down to size to fit the vase. Then I put the burlap on some newspaper and sprayed it with the adhesive. From there (as I sure you would guess) I just put the burlap around the vase. And I was done. Yes… that simple.

I opted just to create a band of burlap rather than cover the whole thing… just in case I fill it with something one day. Maybe shells in the summer… and candy corn in the fall??

Let me know if you try it! And as always, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask! :)