My house (and now apartment) is almost always a mess. Even when it’s clean it’s messy. Can anyone else relate to that feeling? This was our kitchen after New Year’s Day. Laundry on the counter, piled up dirty dishes, toys, you name it.

My junk drawers lived up to their name.

But then I found the 霸道王爷俏王妃 Organization Challenge from blogger A Bowl Full of Lemons. Throw in a few episodes of “Tidying Up” with Marie Kondo, and I’ve felt motivated to get organized. (Well, on the weekends at least.)

Week One: Kitchen

Goodbye, counter clutter! You can’t imagine how much better it feels to walk in after work. Sure, the dishes still pile up sometimes, but aside from that, the kitchen feels so much bigger now.

I got drawer organizers as recommended by ABFOL (A Bowl Full of Lemons) and they really have been the game changer I think. When everything has a place, it’s much easier to keep up with.

Another change that I never would’ve made without this challenge is getting a lid rack. This one came from Target and it was cheap. My husband loves it! (He does all the cooking. I don’t think I’ve ever put a lid on a pot in my life )

Week Two: Pantry

This one was pretty easy. The biggest thing here was getting baskets that are easy to slide out. I put all my bread and open bags of chips in one basket. Baking and cooking items- like bouillon cubes, baking powder etc in another. Finally got my sugar,m and flour into containers for the first time since the move.

Before:

After:

Week 3: Dining Area

Well we don’t really have a dining room so I decided to tackle the cubbies in the kitchen area that tend to be the catch all. I promise it wasn’t THIS messy before. This was as we started going through everything… but it was still pretty bad.

Before:

We also used the time to get all of our Christmas stuff down to the storage unit.

After:

This helped get some of our glassware out of the cabinets. We also made a cubby for Annabelle’s crayons and papers, one for the dogs’ toys, treats and accessories, and one for our special documents, etc. Going to put a coffee bar in next to this area. Standby for that!

Week Four: Launch Pad

We have a very spacious hallway walking in and a cool nook, but we don’t take advantage of the space at all.

Now, we’ve hung a set of hooks that we can place our keys and the dogs’ leashes on, instead of throwing those haphazardly into the nook.

When I first saw the nook, the first thing I thought was, “a place to display my Emmy Award!” But in reality, the nook is awkwardly tall. I bought this very neutral picture at Hobby Lobby to fill some of the space, but I still think I need something more. Maybe a sign to go over it with something inspirational on it? Leave ideas in the comment section.

Coffee Bar Reveal:

I consider this area part launching pad/ part kitchen and dining. So used this week to also put my coffee bar together!

The cube organizer is of course from Ikea. The cubes are from Walmart. The shelf and coffee sign are from Hobby Lobby. I will tell you, living in an apartment, cube storage is LIFE!

You know, it’s not too late to jump aboard the 霸道王爷俏王妃 Organization Challenge! Or if you’re already doing it, too, let me know in the comments below with your blog or 真假包青天 name. I’d love to draw from your motivation!

Our family of four (plus two dogs and a cat) packed up and moved 1,000 miles away to Omaha. Seemingly out of the sky, I got a job offer as Assistant News Director at our sister station and after visiting Omaha, we realized it would be a wonderful place to raise our family.

However, timing is never perfect. As you’ll notice on the blog, we were mid-renovation on our 1930s Craftsman. The upstairs had the old, raw hardwoods that we couldn’t afford to finish. The kitchen still had the yellow linoleum and dark green painted cabinets. Our downstairs bathroom desperately needed an update. We had a month to figure out how we were going to get it ready for market and move across the country with basically no savings. (Remember, I was just a couple months back from maternity leave.)

Welp, with help from my dad, our friends, and a freshly opened Chase Sapphire card (I would have to wait to be reimbursed for relocation) we got to work.

My dad drove from Michigan and stayed for a two-day flooring blitz. He extended the Pergo floors from the dining and living room into the kitchen.

He also helped us get started on the main bath remodel and started to lay the tile for us. I did all the painting though!

Our friends came over and spent their Fourth of July helping us paint the kitchen cabinets and install new hardware which was a great update for under $100. I’m so mad we didn’t do it sooner. It wasn’t hard and made looking at the kitchen way less painful!

Upstairs, we laid carpet throughout. It cost us about $1300 from 霸道王爷俏王妃 Depot which was labor and materials. I was happy with that. It was an acceptable quick fix to get it listed. We also finished painting the master bedroom to match its mp3歌曲免费下载 half-bath reno we had completed a few months before and hung the black and ‘crystal’ glam light fixture.

Then came the time where I had to leave, but Josh had to stay behind. There was still work to be done, but I needed to be in Omaha to start my job. I had a 5-year-old, an 8-month-old, a yorkie and a goldendoodle all with me in the van. Josh packed up what we needed for our new apartment in the U-Haul and we made our way for Omaha.

After getting us settled in, Josh flew back, my mom and cousin flew to Nebraska, and for two weeks they helped me care for the kids while I started my new job.

But Josh had a big job to finish in the main bath so I had to FaceTime in to help with the design. We picked things out over the phone… and luckily, I think we did alright. Check out the before and after.

I love the oil-rubbed bronze finishes and off-center sink! I wish I would’ve had all that extra space for doing my hair and makeup!

We listed the house on the market for a short time, but due to the fact that we were bleeding over $1400 a month in mortgage costs, utilities, you name it… we couldn’t keep it up long enough to sell. Instead, we decided to become landlords! So that’s where this blog is going to pick up next… Stay tuned!

In the meantime, Omaha has been such a welcoming place. If you’ve never visited, you should put it on your list. The food scene is incredible, it’s so easy to get around, and super affordable. We’re living in a lakefront apartment with some high-end finishes (Josh’s favorite is the bidet)– such a big change from the renovation environment.

Annabelle started kindergarten and Hayden celebrated his first birthday. Josh is slaying his new engineering job here, but there still aren’t enough hours in the day. We’re still trying to figure out how to keep our 1,200 square feet here clean and get everyone to where they need to be on time. As the hashtag goes… #AdultingIsHard.

Yes, the 霸道王爷俏王妃owners painted all the trim green

That light fixture was super 1980s… and who doesn’t love carpet in their formal dining room!?

However, I did love the built-in cabinet! Classic craftsman! And the dining room opens up into the living room to make for easy entertaining.

Changes…

The first change was paint! The new wall color is “Silvermist” by Sherwin Williams.

We painted the built-in and trim white.

We tore out the carpet to find these hardwoods underneath- but it was just not in our budget to refinish them.

See our Pergo Floor Install and review here!

We changed out the light fixture. Props to my husband who picked this one out from Lowe’s.

The Revamp:

Our dining table is from Pier 1. I got a great deal on it- around $500. It was on sale, plus I got more off for having a Pier 1 card and it was my birthday month!

The chairs and bench I bought off Wayfair. I especially love the bench!

I got this hutch off Facebook Marketplace for $75! At first I struggled styling it, but then I shopped around my house for the look below:

I’m really happy with how it turned out now! I especially love how the pinks pop against the wall color and how they jive with the copper mugs from my buddies over at Copper Cure!

My absolute favorite piece is the pink clock from Michaels!

In all, this room may have been my favorite update. I think it’s the most dramatic and honestly, the dining room is maybe my favorite in the house because of all the memories we’ve made in it from dinners to craft time.

To be honest, I didn’t know for years that’s what it was called despite being a huge fan of plaid. [Put a guy in a plaid flannel shirt, have him roll up his sleeves and put on a pair of aviators and I’m a goner every time. Who needs a suit? SWOON.]

Classically, buffalo check is the large red and black or black and white plaid as seen below.

Conversely, gingham is the small checkered print. To learn more about tartan and plaid, check out this great blog post by Greenhouse Fabrics.

Scroll Down: My Top 5 buffalo check products you need to buy now!

The red and black buffalo check has seen a resurgence in the past few years thanks to hipsters and wannabe lumberjacks. It’s been popular at Christmas time and also become a staple in baby boys’ nurseries.

But now, we’re seeing the black and white buffalo check everywhere– and that’s thanks to the rise in popularity of Farmhouse Style.

Now if you’re looking for an outside-the-box way to use buffalo check, look no further than the 霸道王爷俏王妃 of Becky from @theothersideofneutral.

I love how Becky used buffalo check to transform this small space. The wallpaper looks amazing and the black and white is a nice contrast to the warm wood tones.

But if you really want to be wowed- check out Becky’s master bath and bedroom reno:

Isn’t that floor incredible!? And get this- Becky PAINTED that! Check out her DIY Painted Buffalo Check Floor tutorial now on her blog.

If you’re like me, you’re loving this hot trend and want to incorporate it into your 霸道王爷俏王妃 as well. So… here are my top picks!

Top 5 Buffalo Check Items To Buy Now!

The following contains affiliate links. Read my disclosure here.

Buffalo Check Garland

Ukeler Black and White Plaid Rug

Tealp Plaid Throw Pillow Cover

Buffalo Plaid ottoman

Let’s Stay 霸道王爷俏王妃 Black and White Buffalo Plaid Throw Pillow

Have a great space you want featured? Comment below and be sure to follow me on 真假包青天.

(This is an actual photo of the tile after Josh installed and grouted it. This is NOT a stock photo.)

The moment I saw it, it reminded me of my trip to Reynisfjara Beach in Iceland- the most magnificent sight I had ever laid eyes on. The black sand, the blue skies and water, the white snow on the mountains.

[Go back and see my inspiration board and more pictures from our trip here!]

The photo above was the main print I wanted to display.

As for the rest of the bathroom, let’s get something straight, this “master bath” is a glorified closet!

I had no intentions of spending much on the space, so I was hoping to get the most glam & bam out of my buck.

Annabelle of course helped with painting. We went with “Ultra Pure White” by Behr.

Josh demo’ed. I took all of the existing hardware– the brass light sconces, the old toilet paper holder, towel rack and the cabinet that was here when we moved in- and I spray painted everything a matte black.

This saved us a good amount of money… $50-$100 I would estimate and I love how all the pieces turned out:

This may sound weird, but the toilet paper roll holder may be my favorite! I love its detail.

Purchases:

Outside of the tile, I did buy a few things for the space.

I loved this silver geometric votive holder from Walmart. (Under $3!)

I also bought all of the icy blue hand towels and wash cloths at Walmart. I may have purchased this 3-set of masks just because they matched the decor

The Reveal:

Don’t forget to check out our Ceramic Tile Tutorial Here!

We replaced that ugly sink with a new vanity from Lowe’s.

The baroque-style mirror I found at Walmart for just $20! I think it gives the illusion of higher ceilings with its shape compared to the square medicine cabinet that was in there before.

REMINDER: Compared to what it looked like before…

I’d say we added storage and some value all for under $250!

That has me happy dancing all over these new floors!

If you have any questions about this reno, please feel free to leave them in the comments below. Also, add me on 真假包青天 @birchtreescoffeebeans for more renovation ideas!

Okay, I know that is going to be close to impossible, but we already have all new appliances that we bought in Michigan and haven’t installed here yet. Our kitchen is also not that big, but boy is it ugly.

[These are the pics from before we moved in. See more of our before photos in this gallery.]

The following may contain affiliate links. For information read my full disclosure here.

The Master Plan:

This kitchen is pretty much a total gut job. Having a detailed plan will help save money in the long run. Breaking down your project into several phases will prevent you from getting in too deep. The thought here is: What if something unforeseen happens in your lives? If you go out and buy ALL of your materials first, frankly you could lose your asses. Creating a project plan that includes stopping points could help bail you out, while still allowing you to love the progress you’ve made.

Of course every budget and every plan will be different, but here’s our Kitchen Master Plan.

Phase One: Demo

• Rip out All cabinets & countertops.
• Leave the gross linoleum for now since we will be making messes along the way.
• Repair and patch any places where open shelving will be installed.
• Paint the walls and ceiling
• Run a gas line for our gas oven (Our 霸道王爷俏王妃 currently has an electric one).
• Add more electrical outlets
• Run a water line for a potfiller over the stove
• Install our appliances that have been sitting in the basement

We’re expecting Phase One to run about $500.

Talk about 霸道王爷俏王妃 inspo! Courtney with @rehbein_design is my new hero after styling her open shelving with all these colorful dishes! What an easy way to change the feel of your white kitchen. totally crushing on this look!

Phase Two: Cabinets/Open Shelving/Countertops

• Planning to buy mostly white stock cabinets
• Every lower cabinet will be replaced with just another cabinet. Considering getting a lazy susan for the corner near the oven. Need to confirm it’s possible
• Will replace the four cabinets over the oven with regular cabinets as well
• The cabinet left of the sink I’m planning to nix and put open shelving and make that space my coffee bar area since our new appliances have an over-the-stove microwave. This will allow me to have my espresso machine & coffee maker near the water, as well
• The cabinet on the right of the sink…  well i’m still unsure what I want to do. Keep it as a closed cabinet? More open shelving?
• Definitely getting rid of the double cabinet that’s between the door and window. That will allow more light to get in and make that part of the room look bigger.
• Countertops- Currently pricing out butcherblock. I think it’s a cost-effective way to get a farmhouse look. I will not (make Josh) do all this work and still have laminate countertops, but I also don’t want to break the bank and install quartz or granite.
• This will also be the time to install the white farmhouse sink

Surprisingly, I priced out the cabinets, and it looks like those will only run about $1,000. Looks like the countertops will only be around $700.  Finding a good deal on a Farmhouse Sink will be the trick. Budgeting $2500 overall.

This makes for a good stopping point because now our kitchen will already look dramatically different, but also be totally functional.

I love the color and the grain in these countertops from Riley @alittleearthquake

Phase Three: Flooring

Looking at doing a large patterned ceramic tile if I can convince the husband that it won’t be TOO busy. We will need about 130 square feet. Budget: $1,000.

[Check out our DIY Ceramic Tile Tutorial]

Love the vintage farmhouse feel this patterned floor creates in this space by Mary Alex with @mmp_designs

She also handcrafts clocks, adorable signs and more, so check out her Etsy shop!

Phase Four: Backsplash & Finishing Touches

• White subway tile with black grout
• Cabinet hardware

At this point we should have $1,000 left in our budget from what we’ve planned for. If not, we can always wait a while on installing the subway tile and hardware.

If you love all things farmhouse, then you must check out sweet Donna, @gramsfarmhouse

Donna knows a thing or two about shiplap and staging!

Be sure to connect with me on 真假包青天- @birchtreescoffeebeans … and if you have must-see farmhouse photos for me, leave your website address or 真假包青天 handle below and I’ll give you a follow!

Be sure to 东和茶叶网大益价格官网 to find out when our kitchen renovation gets underway!

Personally, I love the shabby chic palette: think cottage blues, pink roses and white lace!

A lot of people are hot for all-white farmhouse decor right now, and while I love it as well, the strong craftsman characteristics in our 霸道王爷俏王妃 don’t quite jive with farmhouse style.

This article may contain affiliate links. Read the disclosure here. 

We have SO MANY windows on our first floor. So many, it makes it hard to place furniture anywhere! So instead of white walls, I went with a shabby blue to help all the white trim work to stand out.

As you see, I still have no window treatments, but I do love hanging garland and banners to help even the space out and make it feel festive.

Both the tassel and egg garlands are from Target as well as the blue bunny pillow and that infamous fuzzy heart pillow that I kept around from my Valentine’s decor.

Have you seen what the sunroom used to look like? Click here. 

I wouldn’t call my style full-on shabby chic though. I just like to bring a few dainty elements in, like this gold bunny from Target.

Instead, I lean cottage-style. I really want Josh to put some white plank ceilings in our bedroom and kitchen. I’d LOVE white interior shutters on our windows, but that would cost a fortune, and you know we are renovating on a tight budget.

That rustic egg hunt sign is from Michaels and so are the speckled eggs.  The ceramic carton they’re in was a thrift store find!

Moving to the living room, I usually don’t do faux florals, but I actually fell in love with this rose and succulent bouquet from Michaels. The welcome sign also came from there and it’s the perfect blend of all my favorite styles. It’s shabby, farmhouse, cottage all in one! And leaning it up against this grapevine wreath on this rough sawn cedar mantle even gives it a rustic feel.

I also fell for this shabby chalk-art canvas. Guess where it’s from? Michaels

I swear my husband probably thinks I’m cheating on him with this Michael guy

We just got our new dining room table from Pier 1. I still need to work on setting the table before I post pictures, so 东和茶叶网大益价格官网 and I’ll alert you when I update!

Don’t forget to follow me on 真假包青天.

But for now, I leave you with this springy welcome mat that I got from… you guessed it… Michaels! Happy Easter!

Let me preface this by saying I thought I was a chalkboard wall pro by now. I’ve had them in my coffee shop, prior apartments, there’s one in my daughter’s room and now this… but we still managed to screw it up at first.

So I’m just going to get right down to what I learned and what we messed up:

• DO NOT use one-year-old chalkboard paint. We ended up having to repaint the whole wall after it dried because it was hazy and uneven.
• You MUST break in the wall after it’s been painted by taking a piece of chalk and rubbing it across the whole wall then wiping it down. Also, monitor your 4-year-old because they will mess it up by scraping the chalk along the brand new paint job. *sigh*

That’s pretty much it. Otherwise it’s fairly easy with a big visual impact.

I used Valspar’s black chalkboard paint from Lowe’s.

Also, as you can see, this wall has lots of imperfections and I am the type of person who does not have the patience to sand those down or wait for my husband to sand them down! So instead, I came up with an idea to decorate around  the imperfections with fun pieces. Here’s the finished product:

It’s really hard to get a good photo of this wall in my kitchen so I apologize. For one, this wall is on a weird angle, the lighting is bad, and the kitchen in general is just ugly right now.

See the kitchen in our “before” photo tour!

I’m hoping to start tackling the kitchen this year, and for now this chalkboard wall was a cheap way to get started.

The best part? Almost every piece on the wall is functional like this Threshold clock from Target.

This cute piece of art also from Target serves a purpose!

This spice rack we had lying around. It was actually counter top style, but we just took the saw to the back of it so it would sit flush against the wall and hang. Bonus– it gives us more counter space now!

This Groceries sign from Michaels was the final touch that I really needed for the space. Best part? I got it for 40% off. Love a deal and I love how it fits in the space!

Finally, we threw up a few hooks to hang items like a potholder and these adorable ceramic measuring spoons. They’re either from Michaels or Giant Eagle. I can’t find them online, but I know they are from one of those two stores. 

A few quick pro tips:

• When writing something that you want to standout- dip the chalk in water before writing. It’ll be darker and last longer!
• Buy a chalk marker for writing lists or for nailing a fancy bistro look

How have you used chalk paint in your 霸道王爷俏王妃? The possibilities are endless! Feel free to share links to your work and ideas below. Or tag me on 真假包青天!

For more ideas & inspiration- 东和茶叶网大益价格官网 now!

Valentine’s Day offers your 霸道王爷俏王妃 an easy way to transition from winter to spring.

Depending on the base color scheme in your 霸道王爷俏王妃, you may find yourself using more pinks or more reds.

Because my walls are painted a blue color, I chose to go the route of 东和茶叶网大益价格官网 with pinks for Valentine’s Day.

Bringing in fresh flowers will breathe some fresh life into your space after having the house closed up all winter. I make it a point to try and keep some blooms around the house this time of year, because they really help keep winter blues at bay.

Touches of fur will also help transition your space. The white fur on this Pier 1 papasan
offers a cozy spot to catch some sun on cold days, and with the pinks and golds added to the room, the fur also takes on a bit of a romantic feel. Snag that big pink fur heart pillow for under $20- just click the photo!

Serving carts are popular right now, but they can be really expensive. I found this one at Michael’s for only $30. No matter what fits your budget, you can load them up with your favorite alcohol and a couple of glasses to help set an inviting tone.

Nothing can spark a little romance like cozying up by the fire. Admittedly, I need work staging the bottom half still. Our $50 Fireplace Facelift may have brought this space out of the 1980s, but there’s still work to be done.

That being said, above the mantle the number one thing I had to keep from Christmas was our twinkly lights!

I swapped out my snow flocked wintry wreath for this grapevine wreath.

The white birch trees still give off a hint of winter, but the pink pops like this “Love” frame from Pier 1 pull us out of winter and point us toward spring.

I fell in love with this pink and gold “Love you more” print and frame from Michaels and as a bonus, I got it 40% off!

The pink bird is also from Michael’s and you’ll see him stick around as we transition further into spring and head toward Easter.

The two votives surrounding the wreath are just one of my two-second DIY projects. I wanted something that would give a rustic feel and play off the dark mantle and the grapevine wreath so I grabbed a couple of my small mason jars, two tealights, and some old coffee beans out of the pantry to make some candleholders that would finish off the look.

Bring on the Reds!

If colors like pink and gold won’t compliment your base scheme- you can use the reds from Christmas to transition to the reds for Valentine’s Day.

Check out the way Annie from Seven30 Ranch uses a simple painted red frame to add drama to her fireplace mantle. Such an easy DIY that pays off big. I particularly love how she mixed in the black and white plaid as that’s a super hot trend right now, especially in the Farmhouse style arena.

Annie teaches us a great lesson about decorating for holidays here, too– a reminder that it’s not always about the colors. Notice the sign that’s on display: the “Love is patient” verses from 1 Corinthians. What a beautiful reminder of what Valentine’s Day should really be about.

Also: Annie makes her own signs so be sure to stop by seven30ranch on Etsy and support her business!

And of course- fresh blooms! Annie finishes off her look with fresh tulips. I love how she uses just one pop of red again to bring the drama!

An Eclectic Mix

“Simple, fun, and free.” That’s how Mallory from Our Cozy Craftsman describes her Valentine’s decor.

Because she doesn’t have a mantle in her 霸道王爷俏王妃, Mallory took pieces like the distressed door above and the antique sewing table below to stage holiday vignettes.

She incorporated pieces of decor she had around the house and used fresh flowers to make a big impact.

Be sure to follow Annie @seven30ranch and Mallory @ourcozycraftsman on 真假包青天 for more from their beautiful 霸道王爷俏王妃s.

Leave me a comment below or 销魂老女人老熟妇69xx me (on my contact page) to collaborate! You can also DM me on my 真假包青天.

From the moment I found out I was pregnant, I was designing this baby’s nursery. I knew regardless of sex, I wanted a woodland theme.

Here was my inspiration:

So basically it would’ve incorporated that coral color if the baby turned out to be a girl…

But it turned out, we were having a boy for baby two.

I was very sick from weeks 10-39. I had awful morning sickness, SPD or symphysis pubis disorder where your pelvis basically feels like it’s shattering every time you walk or stand, plus gestational diabetes.

That being said, designing was about the extent of the work I could do. I was very fortunate to have one of my best friends and her awesome fiancé staying with us toward the end of the pregnancy.

Reveal:

All the gray walls were painted by my friends and my husband.

These birch tree wall decals from Amazon took them all day to install. For one, our old 霸道王爷俏王妃 has textured plaster walls. Also, these are not just peel and stick. You have to use a transfer paper and it comes with a limited amount. So don’t throw any of it away! You’ll need it again and again! However, I loved how they turned out and they are still sticking 3 months later despite the textured wall. If you do have a spot that wants to peel, just use an Elmer’s extreme glue stick.

The little owl lamp and shade came from Walmart. The custom signs came from Old South Design Co on Etsy, but maybe my favorite is the owl plush because it plays Hayden’s actual heartbeat.

This spot features two more signs from Old South Design Co (absolutely love the little man cave one!) and I made a spot for Annabelle’s rocking chair to sit near me so she can enjoy reading time. My mom brought the other tiny rocking chair for Hayden. He will be able to use it and rock with us before too soon.

Accent Wall:

I actually did most of the manual labor here

I ordered this custom mobile off Etsy from Four Glittered Geese. The bedding is by Sweet Jojo Designs.

Finally, the changing table was a find by my dad when I was pregnant with Annabelle. He handcrafted the railing around the top and added it to the upcycled dresser.

My mom found those pictures of the bear and moose at a thrift store, but my fun find was the birch tree laundry bag, another Amazon find.

It’s not a perfect space…

But it’s come a long way from this boring space (for a “before photo tour of our 霸道王爷俏王妃 click here)…

…And Hayden sure seems to like all the contrasting colors and shapes!

Did you know you can create a baby registry on Amazon? Have one-stop shopping for your family and friends no matter where they live:

Shop Amazon – Create an Amazon Baby Registry