DIY: Moss Topiaries

I have been looking for something to fill the bare space on top of my kitchen cabinets. Something different, other than plates or picture frames. While that looks awesome too, I have plates already on the wall in the dining room & frames all through out my house. So I felt the need to mix it up a bit. 

The space is still not quite finished but here is a peak at the DIY: Moss Topiaries I chose to begin with! 

What you will need:

1. Faux Moss.- Comes in different shades & Textures at Michaels, Hobby Lobby or a Local craft store! 

2. Styrofoam balls or Pre-made topiary. If you buy the pre made -you will not need #3.

3. Wooden Dowel & Styrofoam base.

4. Planter Pot

4. Hot Glue gun & Lots of glue sticks!

Don't forget to use your coupons that can be found for most craft stores in your local ads & smart phone apps!

*** The faux moss comes in big sheets, I cut into small squares and glued on, overlapping in some sections to create a more natural look, Decorate your pot if you would like. ***

Well? I have seen Moss topiaries like this at the store that run for $30+... I say Hellzzzzz no! 

This DIY was less expensive than pre made store bought topiaries, Simple & gave me inspiration on what direction I am going in with my kitchen! 

Do you have a space above your cabinets? What do you have up there?

I would love to hear what you think of my Moss Topiaries?

Happy Hump Day! 

Amanda

P.S. Baby B started crawling today!! I'm one proud Momma... time to put the baby gates up! 

2:1 Vintage Scale Makeover & Easy DIY kitchen Curtains.

I have been so busy busy busy! So please forgive me for my lack of posts!

I have most definitely been holding back! 

I recently began school again, working on my photography certification, & have been focusing on spending as much quality family time as possible. The marine corp is working my hubbies to the bone, preparing him for another upcoming deployment. So every chance we get is spent out & about with Daddy! 

Which brings me to whats happening this week!! So excited to say that we will be road tripping to see family in Long Island, NY! About time! We've been trying to make it to see this side of my family since before Jim and I were married 3 & a half years ago! So it will be really exciting for us to all get together & for everyone to get to meet and spend time with us & little man. 

I'm hoping to maybe get a chance to do a little thrifting/shopping & maybe bring back home a little inspiration with me. I'll be sure to take tons of pictures! 

90 degree weather and I sit here hot cocoa in hand (yes... I know, wrong season) debating where to even begin todays post.  

Both posts today take place in my kitchen. 

A few weeks ago, while thrift store hopping with my Mother in law & Sis in law, I stumbled upon this vintage, weathered gold scale. I debated even touching it but after weighing my options (haha.. get it ;),  I opted to give this beautiful piece a fresh new look. 

 Here is the Before:

& here is the after: 

Look closely & you may find a few sneak peaks into some future DIY's!

Well... :)))))? It looks better than I even pictured in my head! 

Any excuse to purchase new cactus friends. (guilty obsession.. could be something worse.) 

For this project I decided to work with white, I wanted a clean fresh color that would really make the colors in the cacti, POP! I took the scale apart, drilled a small hole in the bottom of each bowl for excess water to drain out, spray painted each piece individually with valspar spray paint with primer (saves you having to prime beforehand). I gave the scale a nice matte clear coat to lock in the paint, being that it will be getting wet when I water my plants. Last but not least I planted these cute little babies!

How much did this project cost?

Vintage Scale - $4.00 

Valspar White Spray Paint with Primer - Left Over from a previous project.

Rustoleum Clear Coat in Matte - Left Over from a previous project.

Cacti - $2.89 a piece at Lowes.

Grand Total: $6.89!!!! 

Worth every penny!

Now onto the next topic of discussion tonight... 

The DIY Kitchen curtains featured in tonights post! 

I'm so in love! & let me just say how simple & inexpensive they are to make! 

All of my supplies were purchased at Target:

1. Tention Rod. 

2. Fabric Napkins. 

3. Curtain Clips. 

Assemble. Really no lie that's all there is to it! 

I decided to make the curtain a half curtain, I have a shelf in the works that will be hung above the curtain as a plant ledge. However, you could virtually use this curtain technique in any room on any window, maybe not with these napkins but how about a table cloth?.. sheet?.. just a fabric you picked up?.. You decide what best suits you!! 

I love my new dolled up little window! 

What do you think?

Hope everyone had a fun filled weekend! My cocoa mug is empty.. oh no!! ;)

Amanda 

Suitcase Side Table & Bennett's 7 months.

Please tell me.. where in the world does the time go? 

It seems like just yesterday I was in the hospital holding this boy in my arms for the first time.. (Photos below,please excuse my appearance.. I had just, well you know.. had a baby & all.) 

 My 7 lbs 3 oz, baby boy Schmidt, all warm and snuggly. We blinked & tomorrow this itty bitty baby, Bennett, will be 7 months old & is now weighing in at a whopping 17 or so lbs! Still, just as adorable of course! 

I am so beyond in love with my boy! Everyday I wake up & can not wait to see his beautiful face, hear his little laugh & hold his tiny hands. ( :( Slow down Bennett, Mommy wants you to stay little forever!!)

Ok, ok I will stop with the mushy stuff now.

Here is a peak into Mister B's room, with my DIY suitcase side table plus a few small added details to add to our story nook corner. 

& here it goes... 

  

What do you think? 

I had the suitcase from previous photo projects & was waiting for the perfect project opportunity to present itself. I considered turning it into a foot stool or small ottoman for the end of my bed, however was inspired by a friends fathers suitcase turned side table he had made for her. 

I fell in love but wanted to twist it to make it my own unique creation. I think the outcome is  quite adorbs!

All of my supplies other than the suitcase itself were found at Lowes. 

I chose to use a light blue color by Valspar called Tranquility. When I reveal Bennett's full room you will see it is the same color as his bed spread and a shade or two lighter than an accent wall I painted, so it really pulls the whole room together. When he grows out of it, it will look cute in any other room as well! 

I sanded, painted, clear coated, & assembled & there we have it! A fresh look to something old!

The shelf was built from old pallets, originally made to display my wine, but now nicely displays a few of many Bennett's books & a few abc's! The photo behind the chair was an old frame I had sitting in my decor closet (yes.. decor closet.. doesn't everyone have one of those? ha ha), I lined the inside of the frame with a colorful patterned wrapping paper, for easy and inexpensive art work! 

Happy 7 months my baby B! 

I can't wait to read many more stories with you in your new story time nook!

Isn't he the sweetest. How did I get so lucky?!

Amanda (Bennett's Mommy)

Dining Room Plate Wall.

First post of May & it's Cinco De Mayo!
Plates plates plates! 

For the past few months I have been keeping my eyes peeled, thrift store after thrift store, for an eclectic collection of plates. With no set in stone plans or ideas what exactly I was looking for, I set out with a general idea. I soon found myself loving the ornate blues and rustic reddish/brown tones of some of the plates I was coming across. 

The dining room is still a work in progress, that is a given, but with a new GIANT dining table, chairs & now my 'did it myself' plate wall, it is beginning to look like a room that I would love to host family dinners in every night! This is how it turned out! 

I will be keeping you updated on the progress being made in this room but Not to shabby for now! I'm beyond in love! I can't wait to get a dinette table for underneath! 

What do you think of my Plate Wall?

Hope everyone had a beautiful weekend, take this last day & do something crafty, while enjoying a margarita! ;) Happy Cinco De Mayo!

Back to the garage, so many projects in the works!

Amanda

DIY Chalkboard

I've been meaning to get to this post for a while now!

As of late, Chalkboarding seems to be the trend. You can't go into any home decor stores without spotting something that has been chalkboarded up!

My motto, Why buy when you can do?!

After exploring all the chalking possibilities I decided to go in a more traditional direction. I needed a chalkboard that could go in my kitchen & still keep to my rustic feel of my living room being that it is all one big open space. 

My original plan was to make a magnetic chalkboard for the side of my Island, so when a little older,my son, could use this as his magnet letters space, rather than adding clutter to my fridge. However this plan only made it as far as paper. I opted not to attempt this due to I didn't want to take on the hastle of cutting a sheet of metal while the hubs was no where to be found. If you are more daring than I, this would be a great idea for a family with children! 

Instead a friend of mine, Jordyn 'Petunia' Pruitt ;)Inspired me with her DIY chalkboard. {Link to Jordyns Chalkboard Post & Blog Here!} Check it out!Thanks Jordyn for the inspiration!

I did a little tweaking & adding to make my chalkboard creation my own unique creation. 

& Here is what I came up with!

You likey???

You can make your chalkboard in any size, shape, for any room & may be used to jot down many things! Mine normally has our dinner menu for the entire week but I am currently chicken scratching down my To do's for the day! (Helps me to visualize a bit better..)

Here is what you will need:

1. A Thin sheet of wood. This is for the actual chalkboard itself I found the thinner the better, Any size will do! Sand the front down, so it is smooth & clean the surface before first coat of chalkboard paint!

2. Chalkboard paint. I used Valspar spray chalkboard paint. ( At least 3 coats) To save a bit of time (I'm impatient) I would prob opt to not use the spray paint next time and instead paint it on myself. If you decide to do this.. I suggest using a roller to avoid streaks from a paint brush.

3. Thin Strips of wood for a border. At lowes they sell individual strips such as the ones I used, but if you would like a more decorative board you could purchase base board edging or any decorative molding as well!

4. Wood glue.

5. Wood Stain. I used Rustolium- Dark Walnut.

6. CHALK!

7. Final unique touches! I added a DIY Mossed Letter S to mine! (Maybe a future post? ;) )

& There you go! Assemble!

I have now been using my DIY Chalkboard for a good 3 weeks every week writing and erasing, writing & erasing, writing &... you get the point. I have found it has really held up quite nicely & adds a nice DIY touch to my kitchen!

Hope you like my DIY Chalkboard! I would love to hear your thoughts & see what you come up with!

Happy Wednesday!

Amanda

Bringing Outdoors, In.

It is officially spring, so to get in the spirit & in an attempt to make my house brighter, greener & more alive. I've been bringing the outdoors in! A very inexpensive way to give your home that rustic chic look that is trending, & costing high end prices at many home decor stores at the moment. 

Here was a little Pottery Barn inspiration that fueled my creative side & made me think.. "Hey I can do that...& still manage to make my car payment." haaa

[We all drool over Pottery Barn, but lets face it they're not very budget friendly.]

Project Inspiration- Pottery Barn: Christmas 2012. 

Here is my own version, & I am so pleased with the way it turned out!

For Pottery Barns milk jug with twigs they were charging a pretty penny.. for my mock up total cost was $1!
The twigs/ branches were found in the woods behind my house.. I just went out & started collecting! My neighbors most likely think I am insane, outside picking twigs with a baby on my hip. [I don't blame them!] Be sure to shake them out thoroughly  before bringing them into your house! You could even spray them with a light coat of bug spray or raid. If you chose to do this step, leave outside to air out the smell & keep far away from children for a few hours or so. 

My mother in law had gotten me the milk jug a while back from The Dollar Store! Score!! It was an awful hot pink color but we saw potential! I gave it coat of silver spray paint & perfecto! A quick & easy face lift. I chose a bright crisp silver, opposed to the more pewter like color that Pottery Barn had. I felt like the brighter silver worked more for what I was going for in my home.

I am loving how all these earth tones are mixing with all the bronze, golds & silver accents in my living room! 

I would love to hear what you think! 

Amanda

Staircase Gallery Wall

Recently my husband, son, pup & I have moved. Between toys, marine corp gear, a 60 lb german shepherd pup... and my shoe collection (;D), we had out grown our old home. So we picked up & upsized to a much needed bigger house!

When living on base in the military, you do not get to chose your home, your home chooses you, which doesn't always  go exactly the way you would like, but in our case we were very pleased with the home that chose us! 

A few days before the keys were handed over our way, we were given our new address, as excited/impatient as I am, I of course had to do a drive by.. My husband slowly drove past the vacant house (as I'm pressed up against the car window ha ha) There had been a cleaning lady in the driveway who had been preparing the house for our arrival. We circled the block a few times until she had left & then pulled into the driveway. Jim sat there, not planning to get out but to just admire from a far.. thats just not me.. so I hopped out and peaked threw all the windows I could reach! (yes, seriously! & for those of you who know me wouldn't expect anything less!) First thing that caught my eye was a wall leading up the staircase when you enter threw the front door. It is the focal point of the entry way & I feel sets the tone for the rest of the home. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it! I immediately got to work! 

Without further ado.. this is the first peak into our new home, with our Staircase Gallery wall.

For my walls I chose to paint 2 different shades of gray to make the back staircase wall really pop, I chose the darker of the two. To get the eclectic rustic vibe I was aiming towards, I chose to do my gallery wall with mix matched frames, I first laid the frames out on the floor to determine the positioning, snapped a photo & put the hubs to work! I love the turn out & that now when you first walk in my home it feels so warm & my beautiful family is displayed right in front!

The possibilities for your personalized gallery walls are endless! 

I would love to hear what you think of my gallery wall!

& to see or hear what you have come up with in your own home! 

Amanda