Spring 2013 Inspiration: A Roundup of my latest

I don't know about you, but I am more than ready to say goodbye to the SNOW we've been having and say hello to the SUN and warmer weather. Here is a roundup of some of the things that have sparked my interests this Spring. Take a minute and enjoy looking at these pretties.

(They are all on my pinterest boards so if you want to see where they came from, please go there :) )

This week I was browsing for new sheets and I got an email from Pottery Barn for a % off all purchases so I decided to check out what they had to offer. I went to the clearance section and found a set of 2 Plaza(much needed)king pillowcases in sandalwood for $7.99! That's like Ikea prices for much better quality. They come in the mail next week!

I love the picture of this home exterior and thought what a good idea to add the pergolas on each side of the portico to add interest and character instead of doing a more pricey front-porch add-on. We could totally do this to our house since it has the same front design. (With some magical extra funds, of course!)

I absolutely fell in love with this bedroom. I'd like a little more personality in artwork, but everything else seems perfect. It even inspired me to spruce up and clean up my room yesterday and make it look clean and simple like this.

I found this skirt at Downeast Basics on the clearance rack with an extra 20% off. It looks really cute with a jean jacket and some yellow ballet flats:)

Love this super easy handmade card, could easily make with paper scraps.

More eye candy from Pottery Barn - so pretty. I like the idea of adding a soft blue to the Master bedroom color palette, but I also love my all- white bed :)

Super cute. Need I say more, other than I need to get started on some hair accessories for baby girl?

I've been really itching to get out my watercolors and do a few small projects before baby comes. Lots of inspiration found for birds, and a few other things I've been wanting to do.

I scored this set of washi-tape from Pick your Plum for cheap and have lots of ideas of what to do with it! Already decorated my daughter's magnet board with a border of washi tape, wondering if I should put some on the walls for fun? Also going to make a no-sew triangle bunting for the nursery. This stuff is so versatile.

Well there's my quick Spring Roundup. What has inspired you this season?Have a great weekend!

Kate Spade - Affordable! Home Collection at Bed Bath and Beyond

When I came across this today, it was just too cute not to share! Kate Spade at Bed Bath and Beyond? What?! Why am I just now finding this out! Check out my favorite picks:

Crown Point Picture Frames

Larabee Dot Bath Towels

Spring Street Duvet Cover

Candy Shop Bath Towels

Larabee Road Platinum Tidbit Plates

Larabee Dot Crystal Cylinder Vase

Cypress Point Dinnerware

Now, if they just had some fabulous shoes and bags I could use that 20% coupon on... :)

To view the entire collection go here.

Quick Baby Sewing Project: Car Seat Cover

Just wanted to pop in quickly to say hello and show off these super cute fabrics my sister in law Karen and I picked out for a car seat cover for the babe.

They are called Candy Carnival and Pink Scroll from Hobby Lobby.

It will be something like this:

source, also the link to this Car Seat Cover Tutorial

They didn't really have these with my first two girls, and I didn't get one with the last baby. So exciting to have all these pretty little things for baby girl and so grateful for all the crafty women in my family!

Have a great week!

Project Nursery: Design and Inspiration

We are expecting our 4th little one in about 3 months so I decided it was about time I started to get things ready! This is our last, or as my mom would say, "the caboose," so I am enjoying all things baby knowing this should be the last time. I can't wait to meet her! However, I am not looking forward to sleep deprivation and all that fun stuff that comes with a new one :) I just keep reminding myself to take it slow and enjoy it.

So here are the things I am decorating the nursery around. (The nursery is actually the spare room/office that I moved all the office stuff to one side and is now a nursery on the other side!) But it is a decent sized room so it works just fine.

The beginning point for this space is this fabric line by Sarah Jane called Children at Play for Michael Miller. This particular set of fabrics in that line is called "playhouse." You may recognize it from when I did the girls room a year ago. I bought one yard and made a few small things and incorporated the colors plus purple, yellow, and green into their room. Since then, however, we decided to put big girl into her own room and little boy moved in with sister. So the perfect cute scheme got all messed up since I did not want my son in a room with anything pink! Anyway, I just love this fabric and can't get enough so I decided to take it and expand further with it for the new little one.

My mom is a quilter and I told her my desire to have a quilt, possibly a pinwheel, made with this fabric. My kind mother has spent so much time and effort into locating all the 12 different fabrics, downloaded the pinwheel pattern, and ordering them all and will soon get started on making this quilt! I am so excited and can't wait to see the finished masterpiece.

source

Here is the quilt design.

source

Here is one of the two pillows I made for the girls that is now in the nursery on the rocking chair. This particular fabric is called "On Parade." I bought one yard and made two small pillows, a lamp shade, and a wall canvas, which will all move to the nursery.(See below) (To see the girls room a year ago click on the "source" button underneath.)

source

I mod podged cut out shapes onto this lampshade on our vintage milk glass lamp.

source

My "faux canvas" I just hot glued on and hung it on the wall.

source

I found this one on pinterest- funny someone else had the same idea! And I love the idea of putting her name on it.

source

I fell in love with this nursery when I saw it, from the colors, to the white window length curtains with a trim of bright color, to the tissue flower poms (poofs?) over the crib, to the sweet alphabet sampler. Perfection. My mom taught me how to cross stitch and I've had an idea in my head for a sampler for my children since I was a teenager- I think I better make it now before my babies are grown!

source

I love these banners/pendants/garlands we've seen everywhere for years now but have yet to make one for the kids spaces. (I made one for their dollhouse though!) I can't decided which would be cuter over the crib instead of a mobile- this or the poofs?

source

We have white crib bedding (cause I'm way practical like that!) that I still love and has lasted through the last three kiddos. Now that I know I'm having a girl and this is the last hurrah, I bought some Rit dye in fushia for the crib sheet. So we'll have a fun bright pink pop of color. Just for fun :)

source

source

We have a white changing table like this with baskets with blue gingham liners for all the goodies we need on hand.

source

source

I just scored three of these Pottery Barn Teen blue velvet drapes with blackout liners on ebay for a deal!

• 
• source

For my birthday I bought myself this coordinating Children at Play scrapbook paper. I just bought it 'cause I loved it but now that we are doing the nursery with this theme, I want to do some mod podge-ing on an old canvas I was going to throw away- the one that was in the chalkboard frame I just did.

source

Kind of something like this, but bigger.

source

So, there you have it! All the fun nursery ideas and projects that are swirling around in my head right now.

Isn't this baby girl so lucky? Actually, I'm the lucky one. :)

Getting Organized: My Home Cleaning Schedule

Last week I came across a pin on pinterest about making a weekly cleaning schedule that works for you. Basically taking 15 minutes a day and tackling one chore each day to keep your home maintained. It inspired me to type up a new list for myself and I am satisfied with what I came up with, especially knowing it should be realistic and what works for me.
I took the idea I saw on pinterest and combined it with two other lists I have- one from Martha Stewarts book on housekeeping and one from a Real Simple 2005 magazine. Here is what I came up with, my master cleaning schedule from each day to every year. Feel free to print this for your own personal use!

WEEKLY CLEANING SCHEDULE

MON: 

• All laundry, fluff pillows

• Dust & vacuum thoroughly

TUES:

• Kitchen, wipe down all surfaces, disinfect counters & sink, mop floor

WED:

• Clean upstairs bathroom

THURS:

• Organize papers, desks, file

FRI:

• Clean downstairs bath (kids)

MONTHLY

• vacuum upholstery

• wipe/disinfect trash cans

• disinfect doorknobs

• dust ceiling fans

• wipe down cabinet fronts

• clean inside microwave

• clean out magazines

• wipe windows

3-6 MONTHS

• flip mattresses

• launder pillows

• clean window treatments

• clean out fridge, vacuum coil

• dust baseboards

• scrub shower/tub

• launder rugs, mats

• vacuum lamp shades

YEARLY

• clean inside of cabinets

• scrub tile grout

• touch up paint, wood floors

• clean carpets

Latest thrift store scores!

I found a huge 2x3 foot wood frame and canvas that I repainted and turned into another chalkboard. It looks awesome! I need to take a picture of it and figure out my computer issues to share with you.

Also picked up three small old books to make into a little "book bundle" for decorating.



And... the coup de gras: My daughter wanted a Disney Princess Vanity for Christmas. She didn't get one because we didn't want to spend near 100 bucks on one! But guess what I found for SIX BUCKS!!! And guess who has a birthday this weekend? Score!


It needs a little sprucing up, and a few pieces are missing but nothing I can't fix! I am so excited :)

Have you found any great thrift store deals lately?

Happy Valetine's Day 2013 and technical difficulties

Hello, everyone and happy LOVE day! Yes, I know it's been awhile. My awesome computer that I download all my photos on has been confiscated by the husband for his work. When someone downloaded some business programs for some reason my photo app got deleted. Now I can't download my photos and I'm too mad to pay $15 to get the app again that came free with the computer. Then, my iphone has decided that it will not allow me to send emails from my phone so posting that way is not an option like in the past and no one can figure that one out. SO, for today, we'll have to settle for some good ol' fashioned cuttin and pastin here for some pretty Valentine's eye candy.

These are my favorite Valentine's pins. Please click on the link for my Pinterest account to see the original source of these pins on my Holiday board.

You could easily make these Valentine bookmarks with her template and some scrap fabric or paper for no cost.

Love these simple fabric heart necklaces for the kiddos.

This is the idea I used for my own chalkboard in the living room this holiday. (Wish I could show a pic!)


Cute kid craft.


Arglye design adds fresh style this holiday.


Save up some TP rolls for inexspensive valentines.


Easy paper garland.


Love this personalized candy heart banner - maybe next year???


Simple and cheap.


Cheap but time consuming yet a good craft to keep em busy.


Speiciman art with paper scraps, how simple and cute is that?


XO garland!


Just shape the dough into scrolly (is that a word?) hearts!


Felt decorative balls.


Another super cheap cutie!


More garland! I've seen this done with felt too.


Make sure you CHECK OUT Karen's tutorial on how to make these Pottery Barn kids Valentine Envelope chairbackers.


Pretty.


Simple.


I need some big, fabric covered cardboard letters in my life.

Hope you enjoyed! Have a happy day and make sure you tell your peeps you love them!