Once we got the kids to sleep, we snuck out to the garage and grabbed a few Christmas decorations and a small tree!

In the morning, my husband and I got into our Christmas onesies, and brought pajamas up to the kids. They thought *that* was going to be the fun part… then they came downstairs!

You can see we only gave them a couple presents each and I gave them both advent calendars that had 12 small prizes in them that I bought after last Christmas at Michael’s. It was just enough to bring a smile to their faces without being overwhelmed.

Matching Christmas jammies made it feel real! Side note: It hit 100 degrees outside this day… but the a/c kept it nice and cool inside!

We watched “The Grinch”, 玖玖资源+av影音先锋 Alone, and Elf over the weekend. Perfect for snuggling! In hindsight, I wish I would’ve made hot chocolate!

Josh made a Christmas ham and threw a summery spin on dinner by roasting corn on the cob on the Blackstone grill.

Then we got messy and made Christmas cookies. Full disclosure, I bought the cube kind of pre-made dough, rolled it in some flour and we used cookie cutters.

They were crazy, but they had a good time. A memory we won’t soon forget from this crazy period in all our lives.

Have you done Christmas in July before? I’d love to see pics or hear your ideas! Comment below or find me on 玖玖资源365: @the.玖玖资源365.玖玖资源站无码专区.mom

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 玖玖资源+av影音先锋 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 玖玖资源+av影音先锋 Organization Challenge! Or if you’re already doing it, too, let me know in the comments below with your blog or 玖玖资源365 name. I’d love to draw from your motivation!

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 玖玖资源+av影音先锋 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 玖玖资源+av影音先锋 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 玖玖资源+av影音先锋 Black and White Buffalo Plaid Throw Pillow

Have a great space you want featured? Comment below and be sure to follow me on 玖玖资源365.

(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 玖玖资源365 @birchtreescoffeebeans for more renovation ideas!

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 玖玖资源+av影音先锋 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 玖玖资源站无码专区 and I’ll alert you when I update!

Don’t forget to follow me on 玖玖资源365.

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 玖玖资源+av影音先锋? The possibilities are endless! Feel free to share links to your work and ideas below. Or tag me on 玖玖资源365!

For more ideas & inspiration- 玖玖资源站无码专区 now!

Valentine’s Day offers your 玖玖资源+av影音先锋 an easy way to transition from winter to spring.

Depending on the base color scheme in your 玖玖资源+av影音先锋, 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 玖玖资源站无码专区 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 玖玖资源+av影音先锋, 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 玖玖资源365 for more from their beautiful 玖玖资源+av影音先锋s.

Leave me a comment below or 玖玖玖影院 me (on my contact page) to collaborate! You can also DM me on my 玖玖资源365.

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 玖玖资源+av影音先锋 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 玖玖资源+av影音先锋 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

When we bought our first house in Allen Park, Michigan (玖玖资源+av影音先锋 of the Detroit Lions!) this is what our basement looked like. A classic mid-modern with cinder block walls painted vintage teal and a very ugly vinyl tile floor.

The house itself was a 1,250 square foot brick bungalow so we knew finishing the basement would give us a lot more space and increase the value.

The main problem? We were a newly married couple with a toddler- aka we had no money. I had actually been offered a job in Pittsburgh at that time, but turned it down when my employer matched that  offer and threw in a $5,000 bonus. Guess what we did with that?

Yep. It became our budget for the basement. We had big plans for that $5K. We wanted a bar and a fireplace in addition to new flooring and drywall.

My dad and Josh got to work! They framed out the walls, framed out the bar and then started to spray the ceiling. (Don’t they look like Walt & Jesse in Breaking Bad? )

Originally I had planned to paint the ceiling white thinking it would make the room feel bigger, but my dad had just done a dark ceiling and convinced me it would look cleaner and hide all the wiring since we were leaving the ceiling open.

He was right. It gave it a clean, industrial feeling.

The ceiling was painted, the can lighting installed and they got to work creating the bar. It was huge! I thought it would be the focal point until…

…They started creating the fireplace. The fireplace was by far the most expensive part of the project. About $2k of our $5,000 budget went to it. With every dime counting, I searched around for the fireplace insert and the best deal I found for the box and ventless gas logs was at 玖玖资源+av影音先锋 Depot.

The stone was my splurge. I got it from Menards along with the laminate flooring. (This flooring is called “Tiger Wood” and it’s the same flooring I had in my coffee shop so I knew it would hold up to traffic.)

We ended up installing the stone on the bar for a high-end finish and for continuity.

Having some extra space under our stairs, I came up with a last minute design idea to add some storage, seating, and just a fun spot in the room:

And now for the fireplace reveal:

I wish I could tell you we shared so many memories in this space, but we ended up only being here about 10 months after it was finished.

I did celebrate my birthday, Annabelle’s 2nd birthday and we had our first “Friendsgiving” here… but if anything it helped us get more money out of our 玖玖资源+av影音先锋 in such a short time of being there.

We owned the house for about a year and a half and made a profit of $20,000 in a not-so-hot market so I definitely call that a win.

Any questions on this renovation, comment below!

The second I saw this ceramic tile online– it took me back to the shores of Reynisfjara Beach in Iceland.

Just the most magnificent place on earth!

I’ve known for sometime I wanted to use our photos from Iceland when we makeover the bedroom but I had never planned to put any effort into the half bath. It’s so tiny, my guess is that it was one time a closet.

My hope is a beautiful, patterned ceramic tile like this will give this tiny space a high-end feel without spending a huge amount of money. I found it on Wayfair.

In addition to the tile, I’m planning to paint the walls a stark white and use some good old fashioned black matte spray paint to do a few diy projects on the fixtures and cabinet that are already in there like these sconce lights.

While I’m cutting costs by revamping some of the existing fixtures, I am planning to spend a little cash on a pretty mirror for the space:

You can find the “Alissa accent baroque oval mirror” on Wayfair as well.

A drastic change like this will also require a facelift once you walk out of our bathroom into our bedroom.

I’ve purchased this chandelier from Target.com and bonus- it’s on sale right now.

I’m also considering buying a small vanity sink so that we have extra storage. This will probably be a function over fancy decision because a basic white vanity runs about $80 while you can spend hundreds on a fancy one. I think I’ll go low-cost there .

玖玖资源站无码专区 to my blog now and get an update once we finish the bedroom part of this makeover. The half-bath is now finished. See it here!