Hello!

Hello friends!  It's been awhile since my last blog post.  There really isn't a good reason why I haven't blogged much.  Just been busy doing other things, I guess.  I hope to do better!  Here's a mini roundup of what I've been up to...

  

We had so much fun celebrating Valentine's Day this year.

No big bucks on fancy restaurant dinners.  

We enjoyed quiet evenings at home preparing our favorite snacks and beverages.

Silky-smooth hot chocolate, with heart-shaped marshmallows

Frozen hot chocolate, topped with whipped cream and sprinkles

Browned butter in a cherry-vanilla milkshake?  Yes please!  I tried it for the first time last summer.  Bobby Flay introduced me to the idea.  Can't wait to try this recipe next.

 If you want to make your loved ones feel extra special, serving them breakfast in bed is always a good idea.

I treated my husband to simple heart-shaped pancakes topped with fresh fruit and whipped topping.  Such a sweet way to start the day!

Who else is ready for spring?  Only a few more weeks to go.  I'm excited for trips to our farmer's market for fresh herbs, produce and beautiful flowers.

I'm ready to fill my home with plants and trips to Home Depot for flowers this spring.

I love dressing up the deck with container gardens.  I love the variety and they stay healthy all summer long.

Last year we said goodbye to our dog, Princess.  After 10 years, it was heartbreaking and sad.

  

Sasha and Bella have always got along so well. 

 Thankful for quiet moments.

They're truly well behaved and comfortable with everyone.

  

My kids are growing up(insert sad face).  As they grow more independent it makes me want to cry.

  

Caleb's 14 and will start high school in August.

Jade's 19 and started her first year of college.

I spend my quiet time reading, doing housework and enjoying breakfast alone.

Taking time to enjoy a cup of coffee is such a simple pleasure.

I still use my cheap, drip coffee maker.  Maybe one day I'll invest in a Keurig?  One day...

Lastly, I love trying new recipes.  We eat a lot of pizza and enjoy making our own.  My husband found a great, no dough-low carb crust recipe.  It was delicious and really satisfied our craving.  You can find the video recipe here, if you'd like to try it too.

Thank you for sticking around, friends.  I'll be back in few with our garage bedroom update!

Quick Cleaning Tip: Another Use for a Lint Roller

Having dogs that shed, I use a lint roller constantly.  Dog hair on my clothes gets under my skin.  But over the years I've found a few other unexpected uses, so I thought I'd share.  Maybe you already do this too! 

Before- The material on the back of picture frames collects dust.

  

After- To keep it clean, I go over it a few times with the roller.

 Throw pillows get tossed in the washer regularly.  But for those moments in-between, I dust them with a lint roller.

Especially anything with a texture; like velvet, felt or burlap.  

They seem to attract lint.

Over time, my lampshades get pretty dusty.  Dusting them with a lint roller works great.

  

 As much as I love using my vacuum cleaner's dusting attachments, I don't love pulling it out all the time.  A lint roller does a great job on furniture, especially around the edges.  

Any lint roller will do, but I love the fresh scent of Bounce.  The clean scent it leaves behind is really fantastic!

*Interested in more of my tips and tricks?  Click here, then scroll down to the bottom of the page for a list of my favorites.

Hallways: Making the Most of a Small Space

We have a small upstairs hallway that lacks natural light and wasn't used for much more than a place to store the laundry hamper.  Womp womp...

Although a tricky area, I knew I could make the most of it.

  

We had chair rail moulding installed.  Then I painted the walls Revere Pewter and the area underneath white.

We replaced the light fixture for something better.  I really love the look with the Edison bulb.

I bought a new rug from Overstock.  For a cohesive look, it's the same as the one I'm using in my entry, just a different size.  It was affordable and really brightened up the space.

I found this dresser at the thrift store for $15.  It was old and beat up, but I knew it would be perfect to store overflow from the linen closet.  

Before bringing it inside I gave it a good scrub then painted it with a can of "oops paint" found at Home Depot.

The changes were dramatic and I instantly fell in love!

Some of the decor on top of the dresser has changed.  And I replaced the art for something that was more size proportionate.  I'm constantly changing and rearranging my home as it evolves.

Now this space, albeit small serves a purpose.

 *P.S. Today I'm over at my friend Lisa's blog sharing a favorite corner in my home.  Click here to see what it is!!

Garage Bedroom Progress: Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Hello friends!  I hope the new year finds you well.  It's been a few weeks since my last post.  I've had my hands full, but I'm here today with a few updates.

I started journaling again.  The writing prompts really help to jump start my brain.  Having a dedicated space encourages me to write.  Mentally, I feel much better after writing down my thoughts.

We've made some progress since our garage conversion.  Decorating a new room is certainly a process.

With so many options, it takes time to find the right pieces.

We created a budget and decided to begin with a few key furniture pieces.  I don't want the rooms in my house to feel matchy-matchy or trendy.  

  

In my bedroom I'm using a gray color scheme with wood, metal, glass and different neutral textures to organically create a look of my own.

Since choosing darker furniture, I decided to keep things bright and airy with white accessories.

I added color through books and artwork.

My goal is to create a space my family and I can be proud of.  A room that my husband and I can relax in at the end of our day.  We still have so much more to do to make the room feel complete; a DIY project for the window seat, exterior shutters and window boxes.  We're getting there slowly, as we piece the room together.  

*Thank you all so much for following along as we complete our project.  I'm truly grateful for each of you being here.    

Art Crate: Curated Art Prints for Your Home

Just when I thought finding the most original and unique art prints could not get any easier, I came across a wonderful site that sends you personalized hand-picked styles to your door each month.

This website, Art Crate, specializes in transforming your space into a work of art by using your personal tastes as a backbone for ultimate style.


 Like many other monthly mail-in services, Art Crate sends you an art print based on your preferences every month. When you think you know what you truly want, you could have a totally new style at your doorstep that you will absolutely love.


A while ago, I received an eccentric art piece with a pop of vivid colors. As most of you know, I typically stay within the neutral tones and themes. However, I was pleasantly surprised with what I had to work with. It is something completely different for my home, but that's what I love about it. The strong design makes a big statement that I cannot wait to decorate with. 


 Art Crate is a perfect website for those who are in their first home and are indecisive about artwork or even experienced decorators that want something out-of-the-box. With such an easy step by step process of completing a design survey, having an Art Crate curated artist handpick a design, then having it in the mail within a month, makes the service hard to resist. You have the foundation for the most amazing art prints that could be a part of your home, which is a power worth having.

Below is an outline of the way the service works:  

1. Customers take the design survey and sign-up. 

  2.  3 prints curated based on their design survey. 

 3. The customer receives an email with images of the curated 3 prints. 

 4. The customer replies with the 1 print they want to receive that month. 

 5. Print is shipped. 

 6. Based on the Perfect Print Guarantee, Art Crate will accept and replace any print if the customer doesn't love it.

* You can use code CHRISTMAS20 at checkout to receive 20% off your first month.

This post was sponsored by Art Crate.  No financial compensation was received, however I did receive a print to review.  All opinions are my own.

We Converted our Garage into a Living Space

We moved into our house in June 2008 and always dreamed of converting our garage into a living space.  We never parked in our 2-car garage.  We always kept our cars in the driveway.  Over the years our garage became packed with junk and unfinished projects.  We accumulated way too much stuff!

  

Once we decided to move forward with making the garage into a room we got serious about getting rid of stuff we didn't need.  We donated a lot of things to charity and utilized their free pick up service.  We worked together every week on trash collection day, until the garage was organized.  It felt so good to be rid of the clutter.

    

 Where do you store the stuff that would normally go in the garage?  

We considered purchasing a shed, but don't want a big unit in our backyard.  The lawn mower and pressure washer are covered outside on the deck.  I reorganized our closet in the entry for general storage; leaf blower, carpet cleaner, steam mop, a few paint cans and tools.  Cleaning supplies are now stored under the bathroom and kitchen sink.  We used to keep our shoes in the garage.  Now we're using clear under-bed storage boxes.  Everything has its place rather than being thrown in a corner of the garage.  

  

 A few people have asked, what if we plan to sell our house in the future.  We don't plan on moving!  We make changes in our house to fit our needs, not the needs of an unforeseeable future homeowner.

 We worked with a contractor to plan our conversion.

 We did our homework, discussed our goals and planned the design before moving forward with construction.

 It's been so fun watching the transformation!

    

 We had amazing contractors that helped us create this beautiful space.

 But, oh my goodness, the mess!  I forgot to mention the dry wall dust.  For the last few weeks, our home became a construction site.  Our daily routines were interrupted as someone was always walking through our kitchen.

 It's truly been a positive experience.  The messy details ensured beautiful results.

 The paint color has been carefully chosen to fit our my style.  I chose a light color to keep the room bright.  Benjamin Moore- Abalone (matched to Glidden Paint)

 My husband let me have my way with every decision, except for the fans.  I wanted pretty light fixtures, but he insisted on ceiling fans for air circulation and to keep the room cool in the summer.  It makes total sense!  We preferred the look without lights.

 I've ALWAYS wanted a window seat.  I dreamed of a window seat with a cushion and lots of pretty pillows.  I love having the extra space for storage too.  Oh the possibilities...

  

Just a few more things to finish before we can call this room complete.  But we're all so amazed how different it looks.  My creative juices have been flowing and I cannot wait to decorate.  We gained 480 square feet of living space and I'm really excited to make it cozy.  I'll be back in a few months to share the full reveal with you!  Yes, months!  Unfortunately it's expensive to decorate a big empty room.