A Lo and Behold Life

Mom! Where's My Car? In the News

2016-12-15T12:43:00.001-05:00

Christmas came a little early this year for Mom! Where's my car? On stands now check us out in Better Homes and Garden Specials magazine "i did it!" There's lots of super ingenious inspiration in the issue to get your creative juices flowing in the new year. Cuz lets be honest, who has time right now to do anything other than shop, wrap, stuff, bake, cook... drink wine... and repeat. Am I right? Christmas is only 10 days away so get to it ladies!

Mom! Where's my car? wall garage

2016-10-28T11:25:00.003-04:00

Hi friends! So much has changed in the daily routine over here at A Lo and Behold Life. If you follow me on Instagram you know that we welcomed our sweet baby boy on September 10th! Juggling a newborn, 6 year old twins, the blog and a growing small business has been an interesting (let's call it) challenge. It's been business as usual over at www.momwheresmycar.com - my customers don't care about 3 AM feedings. They want to get that growing collection of Matchbox and Hot Wheels off the floor and stored away!! And I don't blame them!! Trust me, this wall garage is life changing! L I F E C H A N G I N G ! !

<< Click here to Buy Now >>

I love hearing from my customers and seeing how they put the "Mom! Where's my car" wall garage to work. Check out some of these rad "Mom! Where's my car?" wall garages...

"Just thought we would share this picture of our son enjoying his "masterpiece". Thanks for the high-quality work and thoughtfulness that you put into your work. We would recommend this product to any family drowning in Matchbox/Hot Wheels cars." - David from Arkansas

"We recently received our little guys wall garage and he is over the moon excited. He loves it so much!!!" - Stephanie from Georgia

"Not sure who loves this more - my son or me!! Take a peek at our collection! Thanks so much!!!" - Lisa from New York, NY

"Nash loves his great wall of Hot Wheels!" - PJ from California

The "Mom! Where's my car?" wall garage even works for corralling Thomas the Trains!

Thanks for sharing your photos guys! Keep sending them!!! And for those of you out there with little boys (or girls) that are obsessed with Matchbox cars there is no time like the present. You know who you are - I know you are tired of stepping on these little metal cars. The "Mom Where's my car?" wall garage is an affordable and really cool solution for storing and displaying your little man's collection of Matchbox and Hot Wheels. So head on over to www.momwheresmycar.com today!

<< Click here to BUY NOW! >>

DIY Yarn Wrapped Bunny Tail Grass

2016-09-08T06:00:00.000-04:00

There is something about the first week of September that gets me giddy. Maybe it's the smell of new school pencils and erasers or the fact that we've had some abnormally crisp cool mornings this week in Pasadena but I am all sorts of excited for the Fall season. It's too early for Halloween decorations but I'm dying to start decorating the house for the upcoming holidays. If you follow me on Instagram...
you know that I'm just a few days shy of having baby #3! I've been logging in some

serious hours on the couch as of late. You know what that means... craft time from the couch for this large and in charge mama! My latest DIY is some transitional Summer to Fall Mantel decor. These DIY yarned wrapped bunny tail grass stalks are super easy.

I was original inspired by the Color Wrapped Wheat project I pinned by the uber talented Michael at Inspired By Charmed. His blog is chock full of amazing decor, DIYs and recipes. I especially like the specialty cocktail posts like his Peppermint Espresso Martini... tastes SOOOOO good when it hits your lips...

Back to my DIY - like I was saying, it's too early for Halloween and Thanksgiving decor so I wanted to create something that was transitional from Summer to Fall. I combined a couple of traditional fall colors with some summer coastal colors. Since Navy is my JAM I chose a Navy, Cream, Gold and Orange color scheme for the yarn.

Supplies needed for this project are:

Dried Bunny Tail Grass from the craft store
Variety of Colored Yarn from the craft store
Scissors

Step 1: Gather 7 stalks of bunny tail and bunch them together tightly with your fingers. Tie a knot of yarn around once at the top to secure the stalks together.
Step 2: While holding the string of yarn in place twist the bunched stalks of bunny tails around and around so that the yarn twists down the stalk about 2 to 3 inches.
Step 3: Tie another knot at the bottom to hold everything together
Step 4: Trim the excess yarn at the top and bottom with scissors

And repeat!

.... aaaaaand you're done! Super simple. I did the entire bunch of bunny tail while watching my guilty pleasure Soap Opera General Hospital #sorrynotsorry (I starting watching it with my mom when I was a kid while she folded laundry on her bed.... thank god for DVR!!!)

The bunny tail grass is so warm and cozy am I right?! They look so cute in the white summer lantern I picked up at HomeGoods which sits pretty on a couple of rustic wood rounds from Target. I'm thinking this is the perfect combination for the seasonal transition from Summer to Fall. Especially since September is usually scorching in SoCal!

What hints of Fall decor are making their way into your home this September?

IKEA Expedit Hack

2016-09-02T06:00:00.000-04:00

I can't resist a good IKEA hack. With a few simple upgrades you can instantly elevate an affordable piece of basic furniture and turn it into a customized and unique piece of furniture. The original IKEA Kallax shelf has a very simple design. For this project we gave the $50 budget friendly bookshelf a modern makeover and transformed it into a chic storage unit for the twins bedroom. And turned this...

Into THIS!

The purpose of this IKEA hack was to create a custom bookshelf that coordinates with the other pieces of furniture in the bedroom which have a modern coastal vibe.

With a little research online I found this super cool company Pretty Pegs that sells custom furniture legs. Amazing right?! They have a wide range of colorful options to choose from. I immediately fell in love with the shape of the Pretty Pegs Hellivi furniture legs. My order was in the shopping cart and I was ready to click "buy now" when handy man husband swooped in and said "I can make those out of some scrap wood!" SCORE!

He did a pretty bang up job - Am I right? Realizing that not everyone has a live in handy man the price for 4 Pretty Pegs Hellivi furniture legs is just $68 - not bad!! Raising the basic IKEA Kallax unit off the ground instantly elevates it (figuratively AND literally) into a designer looking bookshelf!

To create that coastal vibe that coordinates with the bunk bed we surrounded the IKEA Kallax with a piece of 3/4" birch plywood using wood glue and a nail gun. I didn't want the different layers of the plywood to show so the edges of the boards were cut at a 45 degree angle using a compound miter saw. We then stained the plywood using Minwax Wood Finish in Classic Gray that you can find at Home Depot. The entire bookcase wood surround was stained using just a $5 sample size can.

It's a perfect match to the weathered gray stain on bunk beds.

Finally, we finished the piece off with a simple bullnose molding trim painted semi gloss white to match the molding and base boards in the bedroom.

So there you have it. For a whopping $50 extra dollars we turned a basic white cube into a super unique and modern piece of furniture. And it's kid approved by this guy!!! Would love to know what you think!

Big Boy Bedroom Makeover: The Big Reveal

2016-08-31T06:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the twins' Coastal Blues Big Boy Bedroom! Last week I shared 3 design options and while I loved all three the bright and breezy vibe of the Coastal Blues was the way to go for my guys. The crisp whites and blues with pops of orange and turquoise give a playful personality to the room. Perfect for my soon to be Kindergarteners!

Sources for the above mood board are....

1. Sketchpad Curtians 2. Oxford Embroidered Shark Bedding & Shark Bite Sheet Set 3. Benjamin Moore Patriotic White Paint 4. Wrightwood Bunk Bed 5. Pillowfort Gray Shark Head Wall Decor

6. Pillowfort Blue Shark Head Wall Decor 7. karimachal Brother Wall Art 8. Cubic Bookcase

9. Oil Rubbed Bronzed Mirror 10. Wrightwood 3-Drawer Dresser 11. Stark Tara Rug 12. Pillowfort Stried Fabric Bin 13. Everyday Chair

This space was previously being used as our guest room.

And the after!! We chose a super neutral wall color called Benjamin Moore Patriotic White. It has the slightest tint of blue in it and really makes the room feel a lot bigger and airy.

There were a few DIY projects for this room like the 3-draw dresser, the diamond planked panel closet doors and an IKEA expedit hack. I'll share more details on those projects in the next coming weeks.

The light neutral color pallet is totally relaxed and the pops of coral & turquoise in the gallery picture wall of art and window treatments bring brightness and fun to the decor. How adorably sweet is this "Brothers Word Art" from the Etsy shop PaperMints?! The shop owner, Samantha, customized the colors to match the DIY roman shades I made out of Land of Nod Sketch Pad panel curtains.

Gotta have a little East Coast representation - Boston in the house!

My babes when they were about 8 months.

And now... how fast they grow!

I hope you enjoyed the tour of the Coastal Blues Big Boy Bedroom! The boys are fully loving their new space. I still need to add a few playful accessories and of course figure out a way to store all of their Legos and Lego creations. But a girl can only do so much at 37 weeks prego!

If you are into this decor vibe come back tomorrow and I'll share how you can get the look with our cost saving sources!!!

Quinoa & Steel Cut Oatmeal Power Breakfast Bowl

2016-08-26T06:00:00.000-04:00

Ever have one of those nights when you wake up at 2 AM and just can't fall back to sleep for hours? I've been having those on a regular basis as of late. I think it's my body getting me ready for 3 AM feedings (#yikesthisishappening). On those mornings I need a serious pick me up in addition to my morning coffee. This Power Breakfast Bowl will get you moving and keep you satisfied until lunch. It's packed with yummy superfoods to rescue your body from going into a complete meltdown!

This breaky bowl only takes about 10-MINUTES to make from start to finish. When food shopping at Trader Joe's I always try to buy one thing that I've never tried before There are so many hidden treasures in that place! The Trader Joe's Quinoa & Steel Cut Oatmeal was a major find - it's in the frozen breakfast area and is DELISH and super fast to "make" (if heating in the microwave counts as cooking). I also like to add a little heat to spice things up. I'm obsessed with Chili Garlic Sauce - you can find it in the International aisle in most groceries stores in the Asian section. It adds quite the kick! And you can't go wrong with starting your day off right with a healthy poached egg and the holy grail of all superfoods... KALE which is packed with all sorts of antioxidants and vitamins.

INGREDIENTS

One package of Trader Joe's Quinoa & Steel Cut Oatmeal
1/2 cup of chopped Red Kale
2 Slices of Jennie O Turkey Bacon
1 egg
1 teaspoon of Chili Garlic Sauce
Dash of lemon or white vinegar
Salt & Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Bake turkey bacon according to packaging and set aside.
2. Pour about 2 inches of water into a sauce pan and heat on the stovetop until it reaches a steady simmer.
3. Add Kale for about 30 seconds and remove with a slotted spoon
4. Stir the simmering water with a spoon to create a gentle whirlpool in the water (this will help the egg white wrap around the yolk). *Tip* Add a dash lemon juice to the water - it helps the proteins in the egg whites coagulate.
3. Crack egg into a ramekin and slowly tip the egg into the whirlpool of simmering water. Cook for 3 minutes
4. In the meantime, microwave the Quinoa & Steel Cut Oatmeal according to packaging (about 3 minutes.
5. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and ENJOY!

Click here to print this recipe

Big Boy Twin Bedroom Ideas

2016-08-24T06:00:00.000-04:00

Ummm hello?? Talk about taking a serious vaca from the blogging world. I have lots of reasons (ahem, excuses) for my absence but do you need me to go into every reason why? Probs not. We all know that life happens and priorities shift at a rapid rate throughout the years. Bottom line... I'm ready to get back into A Lo and Behold Life. I'm motivated, inspired and dying to share with you.Yay for me. Yay for you!

I can tell you with 100% certainty that my recent rise in motivation is due to the fact that I'm in a serious nesting frenzy. That's right, I'm preggers with baby #3. And I'm due in just 3 short weeks! We've been working frantically on getting the twins' new room ready so that the babes can move into the twin's old room. Today I'm sharing a few mood boards for Big Boy Twin Bedroom Ideas that I pulled together - each with a slightly different vibe: one rustic, one modern and one coastal.

It's no secret that I'm obsessed with navy blue. It's the dominant color in all 3 design options for the Big Boy Twin Bedroom.

The Rustic Big Boy Bedroom draws in warm textures with the natural wood furniture to give off a rugged vibe. Adding pops of earthy orange in the bedding and accessories play nicely with the navy. Below are all the sources for this option.

1. Benjamin Moore China White Paint 2. Block Stripe Quilted Bedding & Decorator Sheet Set 3. Monique Lhuillier Geo Roman Shade 4. Owen Twin-Over-Twin Bunk Bed 5. Every Brother Is a Super Hero Art 6. Pillowfort Wide and Frree Wall Decor 7. Cubic Bookcase 8 Scatter Print Small Bin 9. Everyday Chair 10. Arrow Throw Pillow 11. Oil Rubbed Bronzed Mirror 12. Chenille Border Rug 13. Aiden Chest

The Modern Big Boy Twin Bedroom option showcases simple clean lines for the furniture, geometric patterns for the window treatments & striped rug and pops of bold orange in the accent decor. Below are all the sources for this option.

1. Skylar Blackout Panel 2. Linen Duvet Cover & Decorator Sheet Set 3. Benjamin Moore Gray Cloud Paint 4. Floating Wood Mirror 5. Cargo Bunk Bed 6. Cargo 4-Drawer Dresser 7. WillowLanePrints Brother Art 8. Everyday Chair 9. Pillowfort Be Awesome Today Pillow 10. Cubic Bookcase 11. Surya Chic Area Rug 12. Pillowfort Woven Storage Bin

Lastly, the Coastal Big Boy Bedroom is bright and breezy with crisp whites and blues. The light neutral color pallet is totally relaxed and the pops of coral & turquoise in the window treatments and art bring brightness and fun to the decor. Below are all the sources for this option.

1. Sketchpad Curtians 2. Oxford Embroidered Shark Bedding & Shark Bite Sheet Set 3. Benjamin Moore Patriotic White Paint 4. Wrightwood Bunk Bed 5. Pillowfort Gray Shark Head Wall Decor

6. Pillowfort Blue Shark Head Wall Decor 7. karimachal Brother Wall Art 8. Cubic Bookcase

9. Oil Rubbed Bronzed Mirror 10. Wrightwood 3-Drawer Dresser 11. Stark Tara Rug 12. Pillowfort Stried Fabric Bin 13. Everyday Chair

The finished room is almost ready for it's big reveal. Leave a comment below to tell me which option is your fav and which to you think I went with! You will soon find out!

Pink & Gold Sip and See Party

2015-08-12T00:19:00.000-04:00

Oh my gosh - it's been forever. I've missed you and my blog! Life has been one exciting event or activity after the next. My new business "Mom? Where's my car?" is going great and is keeping me super busy. I'm also trying to soak up as much summertime fun with my boys while they still think I'm "cool" and want to hang out with me!

Speaking of exciting summer events, I had the pleasure of co-hosting a Sip & See for my dear friend Neha and her beautiful 3 month old daughter Zanna Belle. For those of you who have never heard of a Sip & See you are not alone. This was my first! It's not your traditional baby shower with pregnant mommy, present opening and games. It's a party to celebrate mom, meet the new baby and have a drink... or two! And that's just what we did.

Party planning can be very overwhelming. My rule of thumb is to zone in on the "vibe" I want party guests to experience. Everything falls into place from there. I remember the sights, sounds and smells of events and the people I share them with. These little details bring life to everyday experiences and my best experiences will always be my best memories.

Zanna's Sip & See was all about creating a casual and relaxed environment for Neha's guests with simple decor, refreshing chilled mimosas & bellini's and mellow tunes playing in the background. Andrea, my co-host, put it best for the 10 ladies who attended, "Come for 5 minutes or stay for 3 hours!". We themed my back patio with whimsical pink & gold decor and offered a light brunch to snack on while we toasted Neha's 3rd addition to her family.

Guests were greeted by a "Kisses & Hugs" sign that pointed them directly to the casual backyard party.

Pictures of special moments of mommy and baby were trickled throughout the decor in pretty mother of pearl frames that I got at World Market. My favorite is the one of Zanna's older siblings seeing her for the first time. Such a "wow" moment to keep in mommy and daddy's heart forever.

You may think I'm crazy for having a scented candle outdoors but this Voluspa Candle gave off the most wonderful sweet aroma. The Prosecco Bellini fragrance was the perfect scent to accent this party especially since we were serving bellini's at the party!

My co-host and I had grandiose ambitions to make all the food ourselves. And then reality set in 2 days before the party and we decided to have all the food catered by The Spot Gourmet. Best decision.... ever! Party tip: never bite off more than you can chew. We were able to relax, enjoy the party and create great memories with the ladies and baby Zanna. And that's what it's all about - creating a memorable experience for all to enjoy!

Zanna's favorite spot to hang all afternoon was on the couch underneath the ribbon back drop. It was so sweet how mesmerized she was by all the ribbons blowing in the california breeze.

Me and my co-host with the guest of honor!

Momma with the hostesses!

And one more of lovely baby Zanna Belle. I simply can't get of enough of this little cutie! We love you Zanna!

Having a baby is an exciting and momentous part of life. Not all expecting mom's want to be the spotlight of a baby shower. A casual "Sip and See" is the perfect way to celebrate a friend who is expecting their 2nd, 3rd or even 4th baby. Take lots of pics to capture the day of all mom's favorite people meeting and making new memories with her new little one.

Lo's Picks - Black & White Obsessions

2015-02-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday friends! Do you ever get the itch to treat yourself to a mini shopping spree? This is happening to me right now. It's probably because I put myself on a spending freeze in January after the holiday madness. Well, guess what? It's February!

Wrong or right. Black or white. The black & white craze is still going strong. Whether it's clothing, home decor or jewelry the opposite tones play together so well. I've been swooning over these items at my fav shops as of late. You won't break the bank with these sweet finds... all under $100!!

1. / 2. / 3. / 4. / 5. / 6.

Big News... Mom! Where's My Car? Wall Garage Launch

2015-01-15T11:43:00.000-05:00

Hi friends! There has been such an overwhelmingly positive response to my Do-It-Yourself car garage project that it became very clear to me that I was not the only one in desperate need of getting their kid's growing collection of toy cars off the floor.

Knowing that not everyone out there has the time, resources, or interest to be a DIY'er I've been thinking, "How can I get this car garage to the masses?" And so with encouragement from family and friends the Mom! Where's my car? wall garage has been put into production!

I am thrilled to announce the opening of the Mom! Where's my car? online shop!

Buy Now

Remember when I mentioned that I've been working on something here? This is it! It's been a very long but very exciting process to get this business up and running and I could not have done it without the support and urging from many of you to make it happen.

We designed the Mom! Where's my car? wall garage to be convenient, customized and made with high quality materials. Without having to leave your home you can shop, receive and hang your way to a toy car clutter free floor.

The Mom! Where's my car? wall garage improves upon the original converted shoe rack by having customized consistent spacing between each shelf and most importantly comes completely assembled with all mounting hardware included. All you need is a pencil and a Phillips screwdriver and in 4 easy steps you can put the brakes on toy car clutter! Click here to buy now.

If you told me two years ago that this seemingly simple idea would be as popular as it is and could potentially be the little engine that could clear toy car clutter forever I would have laughed. But if my family and I can bring some peace, independence, and organization into your home then all our efforts to bring it to you will be worth it.

Come along with us to put the brakes on toy car clutter at Mom! Where's mycar?

Christmas Home tour

2014-12-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

Well hello! Welcome to our Christmas home tour. Every year when the plastic bins filled with Christmas decor come in from the garage I think "Jeeze, I thought we had more decorations than this!?" Truth be told, most of the holiday decor in our home are live greens. I like to keep things fresh and super neutral so live greens like cedar gardland, mini wreaths and pines trees, potted paper whites, fresh mistletoe and of course a fragrant Noble Fur christmas tree work perfectly. Adding pops of red with velvet stockings, red plaid place mats at the dining table and grosgrain ribbon tied in little bows throughout the house also add a traditional Christmas vibe. Come on in and take a look!

The tree

2014-12-12T11:13:00.001-05:00

The tree is up and looking smart and especially twinkly at night. Do you have your tree up yet? Only 12 days till Christmas!

What we've been up to

2014-12-11T16:21:00.000-05:00

Hello hello! December is just flying by, am I right? And where the heck did November go?? We've been up to lots of good stuff in and around the house these last few weeks trying to get ready for a big family Christmas. The electrician is here today installing a few extra outlets. As soon as he's done we'll be able to finish up this project. Can't wait to share it with you!

We had our holiday card photo shoot earlier this month. They were dropped off at the post office on Monday. I'll share the card once everyone receives their's in the mail. Any clues as to what we did this year?

A time saving holiday tip I learned from my Mom years ago is to make as much as you can ahead of time. Last weekend I prepped all of our holiday pies and put them in the freezer. All I have to do the day before Christmas is take them out of the freezer and bake them. Easy as.... well, pie!

I also bake all the holiday cookies and bars ahead of time and put them in the freezer. I was supposed to bring these amaretto bars to a cookie bake-off party a couple of weekends ago. Andy and I drove all the way down to the West Side (all you Californian's know how far that is from Pasadena!) and realized that we had left our dessert on the kitchen counter. #FAIL! Well not a total fail... they are in the freezer now and will be a happy addition to our holiday dessert platter. The only issue is that I have zero will power. It's literally torturing me knowing that these delicious treats are waiting to be devoured in the freezer.

It will be a full house next week with all my family flying in so I've been busy trying to consolidate and organize as much as possible by cleaning out cabinets and drawers and closets... oh my!

I usually cringe at a beautiful piece of wood furniture painted an obnoxiously bold color. But the TV stand in the corner of our family room desperately needs a pop of color. I'm going against everything I believe in and painting this antique piece using Deco Art Americana chalk paint in Romance. We'll see how it turns out. I hope I don't regret my decision!

I've been holding off in teasing you with a big announcement. It will help explain why I've been very infrequent with my blog posts as of late. This project I'm working on is taking up the majority, if not ALL, of my free time. I plan to share a big reveal either right before or right after Christmas. Any guesses??

Thanks for stopping by today!

Master Bedroom Progress and updated Home Tour

2014-11-13T15:55:00.001-05:00

When updating our "Home Tour" page with the new Playroom Office makeover I realized how outdated the Master Bedroom pictures were. I'm not exactly sure why it has taken me so long to snap some photos after the renovation project. Probably because decorating this room has been a process in itself… or maybe because there is usually a pile of clothes on the bed to be folded and dirty clothes scattered on a chair and floor.

At this point in my life I consider myself to be an organized person - HOWEVER, my bedroom is always a mess. I can still hear the echo of my mom yelling from upstairs, "LAAAUUREN, CLEAN YOUR ROOM OR ESLE!!" What is the "or else" about anyway? I'm not sure but I definitely find myself saying those exact words to my kids. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Like most rooms in our home I feel like it's never "done". Nevertheless, I'm ready to share some of the progress and have updated the home tour page. Come on in and take a look. I love hearing from you so leave a comment and let me know what you think!

One Room Challenge: Week 6 Reveal!

2014-11-08T18:29:00.003-05:00

Just moments ago I literally just finished the Playroom Office makeover for the One Room Challenge hosted by Calling it Home. To see a recap of how the room has transformed over the past 6 weeks check out these posts:

Week 1: The Plan
Week 2: Play table and chairs
Week 3: Closet Re-Org
Week 4: Reading Nook Progress

It's been a whirlwind of cleaning, donating, painting, building, more painting, organizing, sewing, more painting and more sewing. Even though I did not complete everything on my list I am so proud with how far along this room has come from it's previous state of chaos and utter grossness. If you don't believe me you can check out the before pictures here.

You're probably like, "Enough yapping' and get on with it!". Since pictures are what you love, pictures are what you'll get. Without further ado… the Playroom Office Makeover reveal!

Hope you enjoyed the tour! Be on the lookout for some more updates that I wasn't able to complete within the 6 week challenge.

Thank you to Linda at Calling it Home for hosting the #OneRoomChallenge and inspiring me to get my act in gear to transform this room into a functional playroom office combo!

I'm sharing this post with these fun parties this week:
Get Your DIY On at House by Hoff * Hit Me With Your Best Shot at Just a Girl and Her Blog * Work It Wednesday at The Turquoise Home * Your Turn To Shine at Anderson + Grant

Orange is the new black halloween mantel

2014-10-27T13:39:00.002-04:00

There are so many things I love about October. I've mentioned before that it's a big celebration month for my family with 6 birthdays and four wedding anniversaries. And that's just in the first two weeks of the month! You know what else I love about October? It marks the beginning of my total obsession with the holidays. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's. So many decorations, so little time.

There are countless creative ideas and ways to style your home for each holiday. It can almost become overwhelming especially if you're a Pinterest stalker like me. You want to do everything! Here's some friendly advice - to help get centered focus on your mantel first (or create a vignette on a hall table if you don't have a mantel). Mantels are often the focal point of a room. Their design and structure practically tell you to dress it up with decorations for the holidays. This year our Halloween mantel is a classic orange and black spook fest with a chilling spider web back lit with orange lights, lots of evil skulls, lurcking eyes and creepy branches. Take a look.

Have you checked out the latest HGTV magazine? If you have the chance, flip to page 38 to see my red kitchen door featured in the "Wow, what is the color?" section!

I'm sharing this post with these fun parties this week:
Hit Me With Your Best Shot at Just a Girl and Her Blog * Work It Wednesday at The Turquoise Home * Inspire Me Please at Liz Marie Blog * Your Turn to Shine at Anderson + Grant * The Pin Junkie * Vintage Chic * Weekend Bloggy Reading at Serenity Now * Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest * Link Party Palooza at I Heart Naptime

Week 4: One Room Challenge Reading Nook Progress

2014-10-23T15:21:00.003-04:00

We're moving full steam ahead into week 4 of the 6 week One Room Challenge. Just in case you're not familiar with the ORC, it's that challenge hosted my Linda at Calling it Home where participants go totally crazy transforming a room from start to finish in just 6 short weeks. It's my first time participating and I must say that I'm loving every crazy moment of my Playroom Office Combo makeover.

To get caught up to speed on how the room has transformed check out the previous weeks.

Week 1… It's On
Week 2: Play Table and Chairs Reveal
Week 3: Closet Re-Org

This week I'm checking in to share how the cozy reading nook is coming along. Take a look. Construction, installation and the first coat of primer are complete. It still needs some finish work and another couple coats of some semi gloss white paint to match the trim. And course it needs all the bells and whistles - like cushions and pillows to actually make it "cozy".

I've been Instagraming sneak peek photos of our progress each week. Here's a couple pics posted of the construction.

A Lo and Behold Life Instagram

Before the built-in could be installed "we" (Andy) had to relocate the cable/internet wire about a foot to the right. This required an adventure underneath our house in the 3 foot crawl space that is covered in spider webs and God knows what else! GROSS!

Here's Andy entering. Loving the thumbs up enthusiasm, babe! Also loving Ben's Storm Trooper PJs.

A picture says a 1000 words right? My PixelateImage app came in handy on this one. He is definitely not holding up that same "thumbs up" finger. HA! Needless to say Andy did NOT enjoy his adventure underneath our 100 year old house. But he got the job done. Relocate cable wire - check!

Aaaaaaannnnyyyway. In other news, my fabric samples arrived! I could not be more happy with the color and quality of each sample. The plan is to use the blueish green with cream geometric pattern fabric for the DIY roman shades, the gray arrow fabric for the reading nook cushion and the yellow and colored arrow fabrics for a few oversized accent pillows on the reading nook.

I need to order the yards of fabric ASAP if I want to complete everything within the next 2 weeks. YIKES!

Don't forget to check out these amazingly talented bloggers that are participating in the ORC at Calling it Home.

Abby M. Interiors * Because It’s Awesome * Bijou & Boheme * Chinoiserie Chic * The Decorista * Design Chic * The Design Daredevil * Design Darling * Design Indulgence * Design Manifest * House of Turquoise * Jana Bek Design * Jill Sorensen * Maddie G. Designs * Mimosa Lane * A Piece of Toast * The Pink Pagoda * Stone Textile * Waiting on Martha * The Zhush

Land Of Nod Play Table Knock-off

2014-10-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

When we decided to tackle the Playroom Office Makeover a play table was on the "Must-Have" list. The boys were always trying to find space on the floor to color or play a board game amidst a clutter of disorganization. I'm sure it didn't bother them as much as it bothered me. It drove me nuts! I started flipping through my fav kid's catalogs and of course loved all the options and hated all the prices. At this point in time dropping a couple hundo (plus tax and shipping) on a toddler table seemed silly. Realistically we're going to get 2 more years out of a kid's play table and then I'm sure we'll need a proper desk and chairs as they grow. Enter super awesome husband slash carpenter.

I showed him this piece from the Land of Nod catalog…

via Land of Nod

and after a trip to Home Depot for supplies that cost just shy of 50 bucks we were on our way to a custom fit table for the playroom. Here's how….

Supplies & Cuts

TIP: for a custom look cut a 15 degree angle on the bottom of each 2" x 3" legs

TIP: for a custom look round the top edge of the pre-cut wood top with a router and sand down the edges

How To

TIP: for custom look add decorative trim along the bottom of the shelf

Not a bad Land of Nod knock-off for $50 right?

One Room Challenge: Week 3 Closet Re-Org

2014-10-16T04:00:00.000-04:00

The One Room Challenge continues as we enter into week 3! Jeeze, the weeks seem to be flying by and I find myself at the half way point of this crazy challenge I volunteered myself for. To check out my progress from week 1 click here and week 2 click here.

As a former project manager in the advertising world I work best with to-do lists and a well thought out timeline. When I convinced Andy that I (code for "we") was signing up for the ORC I went through a list of action items (that is such an agency word… the next thing you know I'll be writing up call notes after each completed deliverable (another agency word) ... DORK!). Enough of that… let's get to it. Here is the list of tasks and projected schedule for our Playroom Office Combo makeover.

Week 1

Put a plan in place with a design board
Define what is realistic and what are nice to have's

Week 2

Order fabric samples
Build play table and chairs
Paint play table and chairs
Set up craft supplies for table top

Week 3

Clean out useless junk from the closet
Re-organize craft supplies
Organize the the boys' dress up/costumes
Organize shelves (house paperwork, envevelopes, photos etc)
Purchase supplies for reading nook and part of desk unit

Week 4

Create storage for board games, puzzles and extra craft supplies
Start building reading nook
Build book storage for reading nook
Plan how to use fabric
Order fabric
Order supplies for roman shades

Week 5

Start building desk unit
Paint reading nook
Hang book storage
DIY roman shades
Order art and accessories
Start to sew reading nook cushion and pillow covers

Week 6

Hang artwork
Install roman shades
Finish sewing reading nook cushion and pillow covers
Style room
Take final photos

I'm sure things will shift around. And some of these things may not be realistic from a budget standpoint within these next few weeks. But like I said, I work better with a to-do list and a thought out plan of attack.

Soooooo, without further ado, week 3 progress. Take a look! If you follow me on Instagram you may have noticed that I tackled my craft supplies on Monday and Andy picked up some supplies for the reading nook last night.

via aloandbeholdlife Instagram

Week 3 tasks completed. Next on tap for week 4… figure out where to put all these board games and puzzles and toys.. oh my!

Also, don't forget to check out these amazingly talented bloggers that are participating in the ORC at Calling it Home. Thanks for hosting this amazing event, Linda! So much inspiration!

One Room Challenge: Week 2 Play table and chairs reveal

2014-10-12T19:38:00.002-04:00

Well maybe a couple days late but checking in to provide an update on week 2 of the One Room Challenge. I decided to jump in as Linking Participant in the ORC that kicked off last week over at Calling it Home. Click here to see week 1.

This past week we made some progress on the play table and chairs! I love how everything came together. The table top is perfect for crafts, coloring & drawing, or playing a board game. The bottom shelf adds extra easy access storage for coloring books and sketch pads. I decided to paint the DIY school chairs a fun and bright turquoise. They contrast nicely with the newly painted white trim and play table.

You all know how I love a good DIY designer knock-off. My inspiration came from this adorable set at Land of Nod. Be sure to check back this week to see more details on how the play table came together.

via

A close up of the DIY school chairs.

I found these adorbs galvanized tins with chalkboard labels in the dollar bin at Target. They work as great storage for all our crayons, colored pencils, markers and paint pens.

The boys are loving the table, too. They couldn't even wait for primer and paint before they started using it. Ben used the bottom shelf to closely store his beloved (and smelly) blankie.

On tap this week - tackling the reorganization of this closet. Oh boy. I have my work cut out for me!

Also, don't forget to check out these amazingly talented bloggers that are participating in the ORC at Calling it Home. Thanks for hosting this amazing event, Linda! So much inspiration!

Vintage Race Car Birthday Party

2014-10-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

Wow... another year has flown by and I find myself planning the boys 4th birthday party. Insane! This year's theme will be Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. They are all the rage right now and to say my boys are O-B-S-E-S-S-E-D would be an understatement. You can check out some ideas I've gathered for the party on my TMNT Pinterest board.

It's crazy how fast little boys' interests change. Last year their world revolved around race cars. So what better way to celebrate their 3rd birthday than with a Vintage Race Car Party! I had so much fun pulling it all together. Check it out…

Party Details & Vendor Credits

#3 checkered flag - DIY

Vintage Race Car Invitation and party printables - Ledingham Paper & Party Supplies

Red, white, black and turquoise checkered felt garland - DIY courtesy of my sister-in-law

Welcome chalkboard message

Custom racing track with vintage wooden race cars for all the kids - DIY

Cupcakes and race car cookies - Danielle at Sheila Mae

Paint your own race car tent

I'm sharing this post with these fun parties this week:
The Pin Junkie * Vintage Chic * Weekend Bloggy Reading at Serenity Now * Link Party Palooza at I Heart Naptime * Show Stopper Saturday

One Room Challenge Week 1… It's On

2014-10-02T17:15:00.000-04:00

Oh, it's SOOOOO on. I've been yapping and yapping about the thorn in my side known as our Playroom/Office. I unveiled the room in all it's grossness here. Then I shared the makeover plan here. Well, now it's time to take the bull by the horns and face the problem head on. I'm putting my plan into action once and for all.

For the past couple of years I've followed the One Room ChallengeTM created by Calling It Home. For those of you who are not familiar with the ORC, Calling it Home challenges 20 bloggers to transform a room from start to finish in just 6 short weeks. Each week these bloggers share their room transformations and provide inspiring design tips and tricks along the way. Super fun right?

This year I'm thrilled (and super nervous) to participate in the 2014 One Room Challenge as a linking participant!

Ok. There it is.. in black and white. I am now officially committed to the Playroom/Office makeover and YOU are my witness.

To recap… here is the room. Ughhhhhhhh… do you have any idea how much is pains me to share these pics? #hangingheadinshame

I've been building my Work Hard, Play Hard Pinterest board to gather inspiration.

Over the course of the next 6 weeks I've challenged myself to bring this inspiration board to life. Here's what's on tap.

#1 Create my own Roman shades.

I'm leaning towards this Robert Allen Fabric.

#2 Build a play table and chairs for arts and crafts

via

#3 Build a cozy reading nook with shelves and toy storage

via

#4 Incorporate elements of design with fun artwork, wall decals and playful fabrics

#5 If time permits, build a proper work station for A Lo and Behold Life. I have a sneaking suspicion that this may be a project for 2015. But a girl can dream...

via

And we're off to the races. Wish me luck!

Also, don't forget to check out these amazingly talented bloggers that are participating in the ORC at Calling it Home.

Ohhhhh do I have news… BIG news!

2014-09-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

Someone pinch me because I still feel like I'm dreaming. Dreaming the most awesome of awesome dreams for any DIY and home blogger. I am going to burst if I keep this secret in any longer!!! I have big news, friends, HUGE news!

BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS WAS AT MY HOUSE!

via

Yes, MY house. What in the World were they doing here you ask? Well, remember my DIY Matchbox Car Garage organization solution for the toy car chaos in my house? Better Homes and Gardens wants to feature it... and me... and the boys in an upcoming issue!!!

Better Homes and Gardens has been my most favorite magazine for years. There are literally piles upon piles of old BHG mags around my house (Andy questions why I hoard them but I have my reasons.) Every month I look forward to the day when I open up the mailbox and see a bright, new and shiny Better Homes and Gardens issue. I immediately retreat to my chair in the living room with a cup of coffee and dive into EVERY SINGLE page. It's my Zen moment. Some people do Yoga - I do Better Homes and Gardens. It's the source of inspiration for many of my decorating, entertaining & party ideas, DIY projects and recipes. So imagine my surprise when I received an email from the Senior Remodeling & Projects Editor at the magazine. My reaction resembled something like the "Carlton Dance" from Fresh Prince of Bel Air….

The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind. Which somewhat explains why I've been MIA.

Here's the play by play.

As I mentioned, about two weeks ago I was contacted by the Remodeling & Projects Editor at the magazine. She told me that they want to feature the DIY Matchbox Car Garage in the I Did It! section of an upcoming issue. Before I knew it we had a date on the calendar for the Photographer and Stylist to come to the house for the shoot. And it was in 12 days! And you know what the state of affairs in the playroom was. EEK!

Needless to say, the days leading up to the shoot were filled with donating, purging and organizing toys, painting all the trim in the playroom bright white, vacuuming, dusting and rearranging the playroom to get it in a presentable state.

Next was working on the outfit situation. The issue will hit magazine stands this Winter so our outfits had to reflect the cold season. Which is funny because here in Pasadena our "cold" season is sunny and 70. Here's what I sent the BHG crew as possible wardrobe ideas for me and the boys. They wanted a casual at home look. The term "casual at home look" for me is code for slob - i.e. my usual uniform of workout pants and a tank top. I provided them with pictures of my dressed up look which I assumed was more of the look and feel they wanted me to go for. LOL!

The morning of the shoot was SO MUCH FUN! The crew arrived at our house around 9:30 AM to begin their set up process. The Photographer, Edmund, and his assistance were fast and efficient. They had a vision and immediately knew how to accomplish it. They swiftly set up the equipment. I laughed at my measly little camera and tripod in the corner of the room. Their gear was far more impressive. And Laura the Stylist was so warm and friendly. We worked together to get the cars on the rack in perfect color order. It was so interesting to see how the Pro's work to get that perfect shot.

The other great thing about the BHG team was that they were so amazing and natural with the boys. When it came time for shooting the photo we all had so much fun. Edmund would say to Tyler, "OK, Ty, now play with the car on the road and go VROOM! VROOOM! VROOOM! like McQueen. And Benny, smile at your mom for making you such a cool car rack." It was really cute.

Before you know it, we had a bunch of pics Edmund and Laura thought would work great for the issue. The boys got to take a sneak peak at a couple of the photo options.

The whole experience was incredibly fascinating. Thank you to the entire team for making the day an unforgettable one. I am especially humbled and honored to be a small part of a magazine that is a constant source of creativity and inspiration for me.

Now comes the hard part. Waiting for the issue to hit the stands!

DIY Welcome Planter

2014-09-04T07:00:00.000-04:00

Hi lovelies! Did you know that first impressions are formed in less than 30 seconds? When you invite friends and family to your home, the front-door entry is often the first thing they see. Make a big impact with a charming planter at the front door to greet your guests.

How cute is this little beauty? I literally can not wait to see it with twinkle lights during the holidays! You can check out my full tutorial on how to make your own over at She Knows here.

How to Plan a Room Makeover

2014-09-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

Now that I've totally exposed myself and let you into our disaster of a playroom/office I am totally inspired to put my thoughts down on paper to once and for all determine how I envision this room to function and look. Whether it's your first time tackling a room or you're a seasoned designer, decorating a room can be a very daunting task. I'm certainly not a pro but to keep myself focused I follow these 3 simple steps when planning a room makeover.

Lay of the Land

The most important thing you can ask yourself when decorating a room is…

"How do I want this room to function?"

In this case, we need an approximately 12 x 10 room with a little nook & closet to operate as an office and a playroom. YIKES! Seems like an oxymoron doesn't it?

The second most important thing to do is write out a list of must-haves for the space.

In my oxymoron room I need…

for the office space

office desk for computer
printer & paper storage
modem and electronics storage
storage for house paperwork/bills, photo albums etc
sewing machine and craft storage
blog command central & inspiration board

for the playroom space

open floor play space
reading nook/bench
arts & craft table
arts & crafts storage
toy storage
costume/dress up storage
fun & inspiring decor

HOLY CRAP! That's a lot of must-haves. I wasn't kidding when I mentioned that decorating a room can become quite overwhelming if you don't have a proper plan in place.

Hunting and Gathering

Next comes the super fun part. PINTEREST! If you haven't signed up for a Pinterest account yet… well, you probably don't own a computer and aren't reading this blog. Start by creating a board for the room you want to decorate. I created a "Work hard, Play hard" board for the playroom/office… get it? I have visions of my future self feverishly typing at the computer and then whirling around in a super cool swivel chair (upholstered... of course) to build the most awesome of awesome Lego towers with Ben and Ty. It will happen. But I digress…

Pin all your favorite things you think might work in the space. Don't forget to pin things that fulfill your must-haves list. Fabric choices are a great way to get the creative juices flowing. Once you find a great fabric you can use it as a jumping off point for other textiles and paint choices. Pin furniture, window treatments, lighting, entire pictures of rooms. Anything and everything that inspires you. You'll see that your pins with start to have continuity and your room & design concept will start to take shape!

Plan of Attack

Once you've defined the functionality and have pinned some design inspiration, a great way to really make your concept come to life is to create an inspiration board. Olioboard is an easy and FREE online tool - you can upload your pinned images and click and drag them onto your board. The design ideas are endless!

So without further ado, here is our future oxymoron Playroom Office Combo space!! What do you think?! I'll be sure to share our progress as updates have been made.

So whether you're thinking about freshening up a few things in your living room or moving into a new house that needs new everything, try these 3 simple steps. And don't forget to have fun!! Good luck!