tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48325709588427159222024-03-13T06:55:33.849-07:00Little Bits of HomeAdventures in DIYSamanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787893718907837905noreply@blogger.comBlogger249125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832570958842715922.post-17874935512282431762016-04-11T12:56:00.001-07:002016-04-11T12:56:30.455-07:00New Website<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://littlebitsofhome.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VL9-MGi9zB4/VwwBHgdbiiI/AAAAAAAAHag/P2Vw9ejVrPgBSwxKnNHQo4e3_ghb6GZ4Q/s640/screenshot.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #636363; font-family: Karma, serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 24.375px;">I’ve been working super hard behind the scenes to switch this blog baby of mine over to a new, upgraded website! While I was at it, I gave my entire site a makeover! Wahoo for digital decorating! Please click over and check out the new digs at <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.com/">Littlebitsofhome.com</a> and be sure to check out the giveaway and free printable!</span>Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787893718907837905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832570958842715922.post-85771448813376322752016-04-06T19:56:00.000-07:002016-04-06T20:59:48.568-07:00Baby Bottles to Battleships: Nursery to Big Boy Room Makeover {Before}<br />
Hey, Friends! I'm so excited to share that we are embarking on our second One Room Challenge this month! The One Room Challenge is put on by <a href="http://www.callingithome.com/blog/" target="_blank">Calling it Home</a> every April and October and is so fun! The challenge is to take one room in your house and give it an overhaul in just 6 weeks, posting and sharing your progress every week! Remember last fall when we <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/11/one-room-challenge-bathroom-reveal.html" target="_blank">redid our entire bathroom</a>?<br />
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Guess what we're up to this time? Little Man's room! He has been slowly outgrowing his nursery the last couple of years and as much as I try, I just can't seem to slow down time and keep him little forever. So, forward we go! This month, we're taking his room from nursery to big kid!<br />
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I realized I have never actually shown you his nursery on the blog before, so enjoy this little trip down memory lane! While we were eagerly awaiting Little Man's arrival, we got to work on his room. Jeremy assembled furniture...<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5ZjIWWef_r0/VwV0fQbHJ7I/AAAAAAAAHYs/sPRix2I4KNIksEIYz8gO0DEqiCUi-PXWw/s1600/jeremy%2Bassembling%2B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5ZjIWWef_r0/VwV0fQbHJ7I/AAAAAAAAHYs/sPRix2I4KNIksEIYz8gO0DEqiCUi-PXWw/s640/jeremy%2Bassembling%2B.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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...while I grew our tiny human. Here I am a day before giving birth. </div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ia1yX7P7T2U/VwV0nicxJ5I/AAAAAAAAHYw/XfdyeDaKuSoDEkGRdrZHQxhULf11ape7w/s1600/sam%2Bpreggo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ia1yX7P7T2U/VwV0nicxJ5I/AAAAAAAAHYw/XfdyeDaKuSoDEkGRdrZHQxhULf11ape7w/s640/sam%2Bpreggo.jpg" width="402" /></a></div>
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Just kidding, I was only 5 or 6 months pregnant here. I have the shortest.torso.ever. When I'm pregnant, I look <i>really</i> pregnant. Go big or go home, right? Here's the last belly picture (36 weeks maybe?) before Little Man was born... basketball belly, mom haircut, swollen face and ankles, oh yeah! </div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZaOXelA0YFE/VwV08KLr6xI/AAAAAAAAHY4/U2lUR5I1xbUGPJiHSCHylDoZPXivX5QVg/s1600/sam%2Breally%2Bpreggo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZaOXelA0YFE/VwV08KLr6xI/AAAAAAAAHY4/U2lUR5I1xbUGPJiHSCHylDoZPXivX5QVg/s640/sam%2Breally%2Bpreggo.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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So, back to the nursery. Jeremy's one request was that we paint it blue. I couldn't pick a paint color for the life of me and ended up crying at the paint store because I couldn't decide on a color. Pregnancy hormones don't play, folks. Ha! </div>
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We ended up with a pretty blue that we both loved! It was from <a href="https://www.sherwin-williams.com/" target="_blank">Sherwin-Williams</a>, but they have discontinued the exact shade. I should mention, these pictures are from before my blogging days, so excuse the quality. :)</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hqoo3t8XKDE/VwV2kyHqudI/AAAAAAAAHZI/B6IxekDbv9QHx2blj2_i_DkHXIFXy1jWg/s1600/b%2Bnursery%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hqoo3t8XKDE/VwV2kyHqudI/AAAAAAAAHZI/B6IxekDbv9QHx2blj2_i_DkHXIFXy1jWg/s640/b%2Bnursery%2B1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have never been a huge fan of overly themed rooms, so we went with a simple striped crib bumper and solid green textiles. This was, of course, before I knew that curtains need to touch the ground. Live and learn. And take your curtains down to the floor. ;)</div>
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We did bring in some turtle accents, though, which we both loved! The turtle lamp was from my Grandma and aunt and I still love it. The ceramic turtle was an art project Jeremy did in high school! We also had the cutest turtle mobile ever, but I can't find a picture of it. Sad times. The truck was from Jeremy's childhood and his parents collected fun construction vehicles for Little Man to display on it.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nBzcgyrkBUQ/VwV3cCNXz9I/AAAAAAAAHZQ/gbjCxOJkrUsAauPrxormiVov_aFoAVOow/s1600/b%2Bnursery%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="510" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nBzcgyrkBUQ/VwV3cCNXz9I/AAAAAAAAHZQ/gbjCxOJkrUsAauPrxormiVov_aFoAVOow/s640/b%2Bnursery%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Our old house had some cool sloped ceilings, which made for a fun little reading nook in the nursery. That was my favorite spot in the room! </div>
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When Little Man was one, we moved into our current house. To try to keep things calm and familiar, we painted his new room the exact same color and decorated it pretty much the exact same way. I did learn to get longer curtains, though!</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5dJvNthO0K4/VwV4up9tFRI/AAAAAAAAHZc/lDm2uIFP0fgtz0DzntLiHg1bXDVU8-cGA/s1600/B%2BTurtle%2BNursery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5dJvNthO0K4/VwV4up9tFRI/AAAAAAAAHZc/lDm2uIFP0fgtz0DzntLiHg1bXDVU8-cGA/s640/B%2BTurtle%2BNursery.jpg" width="498" /></a></div>
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When we were pregnant with Little Girlie, we transitioned Little Man into a big boy bed. At that point, we weren't ready to redo his entire room, so we made a few changes and tried to work with the existing paint and curtains. Check out some of the projects we have done to help his room grow with him:</div>
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<a href="http://repurposed%20train%20table/" target="_blank">Repurposed Train Table</a></div>
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<a href="http://repurposed%20train%20table/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pWjBgn8wF4s/VOz4FHZ7xMI/AAAAAAAAHPI/dEGI9f2jpY8wCQ6nKpRfjuf61gm9iZ4hA/s640/under%2Bbed%2Btrain%2Btable%2Bv1.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2014/09/to-moon-and-back.html" target="_blank">To the Moon and Back Painting</a></div>
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<a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2014/09/to-moon-and-back.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i4ZK4YfsseE/VCB8EyOvDzI/AAAAAAAAEHM/3_M_FNVqFSEAIp1rlR4nEJAqBa3086DAQ/s640/IMG_8707.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/bed-rails-for-little-guy.html" target="_blank">DIY Bedrails</a></div>
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<a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/bed-rails-for-little-guy.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-riEXUCcNVHk/Ul7KlS2DpjI/AAAAAAAAD20/VW4d6kmBy884qiliTBTiQrcgKcndri2sw/s640/IMG_2623.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2014/02/monogram-car-artwork.html" target="_blank">Monogram Car Art</a></div>
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<a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2012/08/pottery-barn-artwork-knock-off.html" target="_blank">Brown Bear Sign</a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ncvI_Nwbt_k/VwV6Ijbpr2I/AAAAAAAAHZs/k72bQxj2NdUTLaqeR6f28j11O0Fmyjn6w/s1600/B%2Btoddler%2Broom%2Bdetails.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ncvI_Nwbt_k/VwV6Ijbpr2I/AAAAAAAAHZs/k72bQxj2NdUTLaqeR6f28j11O0Fmyjn6w/s640/B%2Btoddler%2Broom%2Bdetails.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's how his room is looking now. I left the <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/02/repurposed-train-table.html" target="_blank">table</a> out just how he left it this morning so you could see how little floor space he has left when he's using his table. </div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Okb2W4CfHkE/VwV70tht07I/AAAAAAAAHZ4/oN60QHp_mFgAuNJgL_BHFzjeThvuiGjyw/s1600/B%2Btoddler%2Brom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Okb2W4CfHkE/VwV70tht07I/AAAAAAAAHZ4/oN60QHp_mFgAuNJgL_BHFzjeThvuiGjyw/s640/B%2Btoddler%2Brom.jpg" width="420" /></a></div>
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That <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2013/07/lately.html" target="_blank">extra closet shelving we added</a> is <i>still</i> waiting for paint. Clearly, we just purged. This closet is usually a mess because the storage bins are not all within reach for Little Man. </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UBR1kJNRkfM/VwV7SlT43YI/AAAAAAAAHZw/pAQTGP1ThjM5qHuvbQilaCiofwZ71IFrw/s1600/B%2Broom%2Bcloset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UBR1kJNRkfM/VwV7SlT43YI/AAAAAAAAHZw/pAQTGP1ThjM5qHuvbQilaCiofwZ71IFrw/s640/B%2Broom%2Bcloset.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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It's starting to look cluttered and hodge podged. He is in desperate need of more floorspace to play and storage solutions that he can actually reach and that work for his specific toys. *cough* Legos *cough* </div>
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Little Man is growing fast and it's time we get his room functioning for a big kid instead of a baby! He is really into Star Wars, so I know he will flip out if I include some Star Wars in the plans. Again, I don't care for overly themed rooms, so expect some Star Wars accents, but not Star Wars covered everything. ;)</div>
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Ready to see where we're headed with the room? </div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F0LL2UQ8Z48/VwV9xSMXh4I/AAAAAAAAHaE/-FcFDeidu-IY5QURriWM6ZLAtoHiDEkaw/s1600/big%2Bkid%2Bstar%2Bwars%2Broom%2Blogo%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F0LL2UQ8Z48/VwV9xSMXh4I/AAAAAAAAHaE/-FcFDeidu-IY5QURriWM6ZLAtoHiDEkaw/s640/big%2Bkid%2Bstar%2Bwars%2Broom%2Blogo%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Images via<a href="http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/reese-bedroom-set/?bnrid=3518512&cm_ven=pinterestads&cm_cat=adaptly&cm_pla=+CPCPins&cm_ite=SpringBedFurn&pp=1" target="_blank"> Pottery Barn,</a> <a href="http://www.rugsusa.com/" target="_blank">Rugs USA</a>, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/iloveprint" target="_blank">I Love Print,</a> <a href="http://www.iheartorganizing.com/2012/05/playroom-progress-bunch-of-baskets.html" target="_blank">I Heart Organizing</a>, <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/7036943146434561/" target="_blank">Apartment Therapy</a>, <a href="https://www.sherwin-williams.com/" target="_blank">Sherwin-Williams</a>, and<a href="http://renovationtracker.blogspot.com/2012/06/fintorp-yeah.html" target="_blank"> Renovation Tracker</a>. </i></div>
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Here's what's on our agenda for the next 6 weeks:</div>
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-Paint the room.</div>
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-Purchase new curtains.</div>
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-Purchase new rug.</div>
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-Rearrange the furniture</div>
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-Add Star Wars art and accessories. </div>
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-Build window seat with storage. </div>
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-Add storage solution for art supplies.</div>
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-Paint closet shelves. </div>
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-Get rid of dresser and add closet clothing storage. </div>
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We plan to keep the light, his bed, nightstand, and bedding which definitely helps out the budget!</div>
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We decided to keep our room design plans a secret from Little Man and are going to try to pull off surprising him. It's like our own little version of HGTV over here. Ha! I can't wait to see his face when he sees his room and realizes we encorporated Star Wars!</div>
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I hope you follow along as we overhaul Little Man's room! Be sure to check out all the other awesome room makeovers going on this month, too! There's some serious talent going on over at <a href="http://www.callingithome.com/blog/" target="_blank">Calling it Home</a>!</div>
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<i style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'century gothic', trebuchet, arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;">Linking up with <a href="http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2015/11/wow-us-wednesdays-246.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Savvy Southern Style</a>, <a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com/super-easy-kitchen-projects/" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Remodelaholic</a>, and <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/p/link-parties_12.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">many other awesome blogs</a>!</i></div>
Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787893718907837905noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832570958842715922.post-50724518347837043762016-04-01T09:35:00.001-07:002016-04-01T09:35:28.954-07:00Shop with Me: Kirkland's Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Hey, Friends! Sometimes, I wish we could all just pile in the car and take a shopping trip together, don't you?! But, since geography seems to be a bit of a problem for that plan, I decided to do the next best thing-- snap pictures while I shop! Come along with me on my recent trip to <a href="http://www.kirklands.com/" target="_blank">Kirkland's</a>! </div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c6XMKEXQZEA/Vv6SuapzvXI/AAAAAAAAHWU/TT4fpVWTUB0S_SfZ0WUUZgOayemCmhcHg/s1600/shop%2Bwith%2Bme%2Blogo%2Bkirklands.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="462" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c6XMKEXQZEA/Vv6SuapzvXI/AAAAAAAAHWU/TT4fpVWTUB0S_SfZ0WUUZgOayemCmhcHg/s640/shop%2Bwith%2Bme%2Blogo%2Bkirklands.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now, two disclaimers for you...</div>
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First, this is not sponsored! I just wanted to share my great decor finds! Kirkland's has no idea who I am. I wish! Hey, is this mic on? Kirkland's? Kirkland's, can you hear me? I love you! ;)</div>
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Second, I was pushing a stroller with a very grabby ninja 2 year old in it while simultaneously corralling my 5 year old and repeating "look don't touch" every two seconds AND trying to snap pictures with my phone. All because I love you. So, excuse the sub par pictures and just focus on the cute decor, ok? :)</div>
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First up, this bottle table runner is my absolute favorite! I asked for it for my birthday. Crossing my fingers that I get it! I know, I know, I could just DIY one, but sometimes it's nice to get something already assembled, you know? And check out the table it's on! Swoon!</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5H24SfETYNM/Vv6AkMhOGII/AAAAAAAAHVk/25qEeZqLvD4sBn9lZR3EXeQ6fVTgeV2mw/s1600/kirklands%2Bbottle%2Brunner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5H24SfETYNM/Vv6AkMhOGII/AAAAAAAAHVk/25qEeZqLvD4sBn9lZR3EXeQ6fVTgeV2mw/s640/kirklands%2Bbottle%2Brunner.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Kirkland's has some great accent furniture! That cabinet on the bottom left reminds me of my <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/06/dining-room-organization.html" target="_blank">teal cabinet</a>. It'd be the perfect stylish small space storage solution for a dining room! And that table on the bottom right would look amazing in an entry way!<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JaKlkQKLxSo/Vv6AkBV2Y0I/AAAAAAAAHVg/lhd5_fKHgI0Yaa2jMOI2qluBhWZCPANTw/s1600/kirklands%2Bfurniture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JaKlkQKLxSo/Vv6AkBV2Y0I/AAAAAAAAHVg/lhd5_fKHgI0Yaa2jMOI2qluBhWZCPANTw/s640/kirklands%2Bfurniture.jpg" width="536" /></a></div>
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The lamps were all unique and very reasonably priced!<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gxNRn0VzMVA/Vv6Aj4r5DuI/AAAAAAAAHVc/h88bYOqotB8sgwdBB3LAxMf3HKdlVrnxw/s1600/kirklands%2Blamps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="536" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gxNRn0VzMVA/Vv6Aj4r5DuI/AAAAAAAAHVc/h88bYOqotB8sgwdBB3LAxMf3HKdlVrnxw/s640/kirklands%2Blamps.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I swooned over the large wall decor! The arched mirror would be amazing on a fireplace mantle, wouldn't it? The wood art on the bottom right catches my eye every time I go into Kirkland's!<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u_u2lg0qyrM/Vv6AkaIjesI/AAAAAAAAHVo/WcpqpjVa2GANSU4WhlPZkW-0oP5BidHdQ/s1600/kirklands%2Blarge%2Bwall%2Bart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u_u2lg0qyrM/Vv6AkaIjesI/AAAAAAAAHVo/WcpqpjVa2GANSU4WhlPZkW-0oP5BidHdQ/s640/kirklands%2Blarge%2Bwall%2Bart.jpg" width="570" /></a></div>
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Their mirrors are always super well priced. If you are doing a bathroom remodel, check Kirkland's for your mirror first! They're big, have great frames, and are a fraction of the price of the hardware store mirrors!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kmry8Ck3SHc/Vv6AkjJ3xhI/AAAAAAAAHVs/VN--cDTUAjgkY53oBzN-kRgFCoGJ4dgmQ/s1600/kirklands%2Bmirror.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="498" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kmry8Ck3SHc/Vv6AkjJ3xhI/AAAAAAAAHVs/VN--cDTUAjgkY53oBzN-kRgFCoGJ4dgmQ/s640/kirklands%2Bmirror.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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There were lots of cute accessories, too! I loved this set of sweet tea cups and they were on sale for only $8! It took all of my willpower (and remembering I have an overflowing cup cabinet) to not buy them!<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UY53a0wo0MA/Vv6KGR40FTI/AAAAAAAAHWE/CWzVRrzZOukCUunx6-C6ZgxkpOPOkTtxg/s1600/kirklands%2Baccessories.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UY53a0wo0MA/Vv6KGR40FTI/AAAAAAAAHWE/CWzVRrzZOukCUunx6-C6ZgxkpOPOkTtxg/s640/kirklands%2Baccessories.jpg" width="608" /></a></div>
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This was actually my second trip to Kirkland's lately. Last week, my bestie Amy and I were supposed to be working out at the gym but somehow ended up at Kirkland's. I have no idea how that happened... ;) We both loved the wood signs! They're the same style as my <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2016/01/simple-foolproof-tutorial-for-making.html" target="_blank">DIY wood sign</a>, so you you could totally make them yourself using my tutorial! Amy went home with that adorable measuring units sign. My picture of that stinks, but you can see it better <a href="http://www.kirklands.com/product/Art-Wall-Decor/All-Wall-Decor/Kitchen-Measurements-Wooden-Plaque/pc/2283/c/3116/197550.uts" target="_blank">here</a>. It's SO cute!<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7eFoEJam7Zk/Vv6Ak3E2lbI/AAAAAAAAHV0/PIiUiweSaYgGttgX4aeN0PmcKpjoyCx-A/s1600/kirklands%2Bwall%2Bart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7eFoEJam7Zk/Vv6Ak3E2lbI/AAAAAAAAHV0/PIiUiweSaYgGttgX4aeN0PmcKpjoyCx-A/s640/kirklands%2Bwall%2Bart.jpg" width="582" /></a></div>
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Ok, ready to see what I bought? Both things were on clearance and I stacked a coupon on top from Kirkland's Spin it to Win it app!<br />
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I thought this sign was perfect for my dining room! I love the saying and how the text picks up the teal in my <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/06/dining-room-organization.html" target="_blank">teal cabinet</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JDXbcyhJgnc/Vv6S47kSYfI/AAAAAAAAHWY/8xurCymQ6_wOIsGndK9NJTWNgfjtgMIJQ/s1600/kirklands%2Bcoffee%2Band%2Bjesus%2Bsign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JDXbcyhJgnc/Vv6S47kSYfI/AAAAAAAAHWY/8xurCymQ6_wOIsGndK9NJTWNgfjtgMIJQ/s640/kirklands%2Bcoffee%2Band%2Bjesus%2Bsign.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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The sign I showed you above had me at hello! It's in our bathroom for now, but I'm thinking it'll be perfect in Jeremy's office!<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uRhwsmqDObE/Vv6S48FmvQI/AAAAAAAAHWc/21H8o21FixU6Oz8y3jZDMIEDJHBURPNEQ/s1600/kirklands%2Blove%2Byou%2Bsign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uRhwsmqDObE/Vv6S48FmvQI/AAAAAAAAHWc/21H8o21FixU6Oz8y3jZDMIEDJHBURPNEQ/s640/kirklands%2Blove%2Byou%2Bsign.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Did you enjoy this little shopping trip? What store would you like to see next?Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787893718907837905noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832570958842715922.post-43799409172848815292016-03-28T09:08:00.001-07:002016-03-31T06:42:28.169-07:00Nursery Gallery Wall Take Two <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Hey, Friends! I'm so excited to share our updated nursery gallery wall with you! </div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k2_ZtsiauZA/VvWo13FQ8qI/AAAAAAAAHUo/fyjY06l5BtQRpZEPyQWcpksY82Q_csC7A/s1600/nursery%2Bgallery%2Bwall%2Blogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k2_ZtsiauZA/VvWo13FQ8qI/AAAAAAAAHUo/fyjY06l5BtQRpZEPyQWcpksY82Q_csC7A/s640/nursery%2Bgallery%2Bwall%2Blogo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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You may remember, this is what Little Girlie's <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2013/12/nursery-gallery-wall.html" target="_blank">gallery wall looked like</a> while we were waiting for her grand arrival. After she was born, we added a picture of the kids to the polka dot frame and her footprints from the hospital to the green plaque. I loved it and it stayed like that for the last two years. </div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OcSyLnVuOFs/UrIEz4EDE4I/AAAAAAAADZ4/9-d999Z9xnkq54rINnT0mavzmpSv8NU_A/s1600/IMG_4373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OcSyLnVuOFs/UrIEz4EDE4I/AAAAAAAADZ4/9-d999Z9xnkq54rINnT0mavzmpSv8NU_A/s640/IMG_4373.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Recently, though, we have had to switch a few things out. The footprints were fading from the window light, so I took those down. Then, after my <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2016/02/for-my-grandma.html" target="_blank">Grandma passed away</a>, I brought home a painting I had done for her a couple years ago and decided to add that to Little Girlie's gallery wall. Here's how it's looking now!</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FubHexAS8zE/VvWp3H432lI/AAAAAAAAHVI/wZGrKb9iwuQwpaq4facVOWtiMVq3MSZPw/s1600/nursery%2Bgallery%2Bwall%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FubHexAS8zE/VvWp3H432lI/AAAAAAAAHVI/wZGrKb9iwuQwpaq4facVOWtiMVq3MSZPw/s640/nursery%2Bgallery%2Bwall%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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See where my <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2016/03/popsicle-stick-mosaic-mirror.html" target="_blank">popsicle stick mosaic mirror</a> landed? I just love it! Who knew I could love popsicle sticks so much?! See the full tutorial <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2016/03/popsicle-stick-mosaic-mirror.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1UCTQ4k4qX4/VvL1i8CyDoI/AAAAAAAAHT4/F9n-YYAAZAEy5Ro4G18dVCAmd_14WgxgA/s640/popsicle%2Bstick%2Bmosaic%2Bmirror%2B2.jpg" width="426" /></div>
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I'm still head over heels for <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/86525517/you-are-so-loved-print-watercolor-quote?ref=shop_home_active_9" target="_blank">this print from Katie Daisy</a> and the letter C that I ordered from a friend for Little Girlie's room, so those two things stayed put. </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YXPrloqGC5M/VvWpGPVdn1I/AAAAAAAAHUw/ebN0UeM3V24KAI7yrTvnWcABxMt4FOmpw/s1600/nursery%2Bgallery%2Bwall%2Bkatie%2Bdaisy%2Bprint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YXPrloqGC5M/VvWpGPVdn1I/AAAAAAAAHUw/ebN0UeM3V24KAI7yrTvnWcABxMt4FOmpw/s640/nursery%2Bgallery%2Bwall%2Bkatie%2Bdaisy%2Bprint.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I fell hard for Bre from <a href="http://www.averageinspired.com/2016/02/personalized-peg-doll-family-craft.html" target="_blank">Average but Inspired's peg doll family</a>, so just <i>had </i>to make one for our family! You have to check out Bre's and her tutorial over on <a href="http://www.averageinspired.com/2016/02/personalized-peg-doll-family-craft.html" target="_blank">her blog</a>! My little peg family fit perfectly on the green plaque and brings a giant smile to my face whenever I see it! </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7JeYoRqUHc8/VvWpF0Bq_2I/AAAAAAAAHUs/0renJK0QlVgrmEESzX3TdB8BMC8MSFZpg/s1600/nursery%2Bgallery%2Bwall%2Bdetails.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7JeYoRqUHc8/VvWpF0Bq_2I/AAAAAAAAHUs/0renJK0QlVgrmEESzX3TdB8BMC8MSFZpg/s640/nursery%2Bgallery%2Bwall%2Bdetails.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's where the painting I did for my Grandma's 93rd birthday landed. I painted this for her a few months after she broke her hip and moved into a nursing home. I wanted something bright and cheery for her room. I was inspired by a gorgeous painting at World Market. It's such a happy/sad feeling to see it in here. It can be a painful reminder that Grandma is gone, but it also makes me smile that Little Girlie has this link to Grandma in her room. </div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LxBdAHZB1Mg/VvWpweuva8I/AAAAAAAAHVA/TY8HJ9V29a0gKP333Y_drJYkgL5Z3wyXw/s1600/nursery%2Bgallery%2Bwall%2Bpainting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LxBdAHZB1Mg/VvWpweuva8I/AAAAAAAAHVA/TY8HJ9V29a0gKP333Y_drJYkgL5Z3wyXw/s640/nursery%2Bgallery%2Bwall%2Bpainting.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vIZhvPaLiHI/VvWpTY4eBFI/AAAAAAAAHU4/geZTEZGLVjU6aSP7qTaN9X0ar6tv4mK8Q/s1600/nursery%2Bgallery%2Bwall%2Bside%2Bangle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vIZhvPaLiHI/VvWpTY4eBFI/AAAAAAAAHU4/geZTEZGLVjU6aSP7qTaN9X0ar6tv4mK8Q/s640/nursery%2Bgallery%2Bwall%2Bside%2Bangle.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm loving the changes! Amazing how just a couple changes brought a whole new life to the wall!</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k2_ZtsiauZA/VvWo13FQ8qI/AAAAAAAAHU8/c5VIqY_-hoMoqvwwQ4wRXuEI07Z3TTpSg/s1600/nursery%2Bgallery%2Bwall%2Blogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k2_ZtsiauZA/VvWo13FQ8qI/AAAAAAAAHU8/c5VIqY_-hoMoqvwwQ4wRXuEI07Z3TTpSg/s640/nursery%2Bgallery%2Bwall%2Blogo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Wall Color: <span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "century gothic" , "trebuchet" , "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">Panache Pink by Sherwin Williams</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "century gothic" , "trebuchet" , "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">See Board and Batten Makeover <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/board-and-batten-reveal.html" target="_blank">here</a>!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "century gothic" , "trebuchet" , "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">Catch up on all of the nursery posts <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/search/label/Nursery" target="_blank">here</a>!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "century gothic" , "trebuchet" , "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<i style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'century gothic', trebuchet, arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;">Linking up with <a href="http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2015/11/wow-us-wednesdays-246.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Savvy Southern Style</a>, <a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com/super-easy-kitchen-projects/" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Remodelaholic</a>, <a href="http://www.thriftydecorchick.com/" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Thrifty Decor Chick</a>, and <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/p/link-parties_12.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">many other awesome blogs</a>!</i></div>
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Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787893718907837905noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832570958842715922.post-64308281771321023432016-03-23T17:00:00.000-07:002016-03-29T06:32:00.045-07:00Popsicle Stick Mosaic Mirror <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<i style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Century Gothic', Trebuchet, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;">*Affiliate links provided for your convenience. For more info, <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/p/disclosure.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">see my full disclosure here.</a></i></div>
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It's finally starting to look like Spring around here! Flowers are blooming, trees are getting leaves, and pollen is descending upon us in clouds. Ha! With all of the color outside, I was itching to bring in some vibrant colors inside! </div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ihy8wqz-uuo/VvM2AshaWJI/AAAAAAAAHUU/MVFzmKwCdMQ8jkGGIKHiad7FkwVy3cOYw/s1600/popsicle%2Bstick%2Bmosaic%2Bmirror%2Blogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ihy8wqz-uuo/VvM2AshaWJI/AAAAAAAAHUU/MVFzmKwCdMQ8jkGGIKHiad7FkwVy3cOYw/s640/popsicle%2Bstick%2Bmosaic%2Bmirror%2Blogo.jpg" width="462" /></a></div>
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I've been needing something round to complete Little Girlie's gallery wall, so I decided to make her a super colorful mirror! I wanted the mirror to incorporate the colors in her room and have a bit of texture. After a bit of brainstorming, I came up with a design that used the most unlikely of materials... popsicle sticks! </div>
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Here's what you need to get started! </div>
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-<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BMU92P6/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00BMU92P6&linkCode=as2&tag=litbitofhom-20&linkId=FXBTNQ27DZSYXWBK" target="_blank">Popsicle Sticks</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=litbitofhom-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00BMU92P6" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />* (I used the wide, thinner ones so they would be easier to cut)</div>
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-Acrylic craft paints</div>
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-Beveled edge wreath form similar to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018N6OPS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0018N6OPS&linkCode=as2&tag=litbitofhom-20&linkId=IPSQS6DR3VBMEN4U" target="_blank">this one</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=litbitofhom-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0018N6OPS" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />*</div>
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-Hot glue</div>
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-Paint brush (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FNDZUO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000FNDZUO&linkCode=as2&tag=litbitofhom-20&linkId=RLWE4UDTQ6CETH2Y" target="_blank">This one</a>*<img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=litbitofhom-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000FNDZUO" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
is my favorite for knocking out a job like this quickly!)</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-88TFsw9v0hI/VvL1DEuAKwI/AAAAAAAAHTE/l_hn7l0xqKQLo7Jxoa6cwescaTL9sd-Xw/s1600/mosaic%2Bmirror%2Bsupplies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-88TFsw9v0hI/VvL1DEuAKwI/AAAAAAAAHTE/l_hn7l0xqKQLo7Jxoa6cwescaTL9sd-Xw/s640/mosaic%2Bmirror%2Bsupplies.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I started out by prepping my popsicle sticks for painting. I only needed the rounded tips, so cut the sticks in half so I could paint both tips at the same time. I knew I needed to get the tops and the sides/tips painted and would have a million to paint, so came up with a quick way to paint them... tape them hanging off the edge of the counter! That way, I could paint them all at once and could easily get to the sides without them sticking the a surface. </div>
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<i>Quick tip: I taped them on in groups of 10 for easy counting. </i></div>
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Of course, I underestimated just how much counterspace I'd need to tape 240 popsicle sticks onto! </div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1F-KjBM0aU/VvL1IDdowhI/AAAAAAAAHTI/BPLTb9QCxvEIADcG7bnV7Mxv7WxZZjk3Q/s1600/mosaic%2Bmirror%2Bsticks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="636" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1F-KjBM0aU/VvL1IDdowhI/AAAAAAAAHTI/BPLTb9QCxvEIADcG7bnV7Mxv7WxZZjk3Q/s640/mosaic%2Bmirror%2Bsticks.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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After I finished taping, I stepped back and surveyed the kitchen. It looked like a crazy town. It was then that I realized I had crossed over to the crafting dark side and needed to be admitted into a support group. People probably fear coming to my house for fear that I'll paint doodles on them or hot glue embellishments to their clothing. </div>
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Anyway, back to the crazy town kitchen with 240 popsicles hanging on for dear life... I gave them all two coats of paint and am happy to report that my wacky taping method worked wonderfully. I was done super fast! </div>
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Side note, if you wanted a more neutral color scheme, you could stain the sticks different shades instead of painting them! Ohhh, so sophisticated! :) If you do that, tag me in a picture. I want to see! </div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DLG5Fmnfnwg/VvL1O4Z5faI/AAAAAAAAHTM/lopCn55kh2cypOniYWanXFisO7Z1wUlWQ/s1600/mosaic%2Bmirror%2Bpainting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DLG5Fmnfnwg/VvL1O4Z5faI/AAAAAAAAHTM/lopCn55kh2cypOniYWanXFisO7Z1wUlWQ/s640/mosaic%2Bmirror%2Bpainting.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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To assemble, I cut the popsicle sticks down and glued them on to the wreath form in overlapping rows. I worked in vertical rows until I had gone around the entire wreath. It's helpful to cut the sticks as you go because the inner ones need to be a bit shorter (about 3/4") and the outer ones need to be a bit longer (about 1- 1/2"). I could only get in 5 full rows across of sticks, so ended up cutting my popsicle sticks lengthwise to create a sixth row and cover the remaining exposed outer edge. </div>
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<i>Quick Tip: When you start, only glue the first row near the straight end, leaving the curved tip unglued. This will allow you to slide your last row under your first row and avoid a start/stop seam.</i></div>
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When I was done, I simply glued a mirror and picture hanger onto the back!</div>
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It was a bit of a process, but really so easy! I just love how it turned out! </div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1UCTQ4k4qX4/VvL1i8CyDoI/AAAAAAAAHTY/-AGXGb9WHPMORhzJd6hgLJ13m0jeYm3QQ/s1600/popsicle%2Bstick%2Bmosaic%2Bmirror%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1UCTQ4k4qX4/VvL1i8CyDoI/AAAAAAAAHTY/-AGXGb9WHPMORhzJd6hgLJ13m0jeYm3QQ/s640/popsicle%2Bstick%2Bmosaic%2Bmirror%2B2.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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It's the perfect finishing touch to Little Girlie's gallery wall! I'll show you the rest of the updated gallery on soon, so be sure to check back! (<a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2016/03/nursery-gallery-wall-take-two.html" target="_blank">Update: check out the updated gallery wall here to see where this cute mirror landed!</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yQlv85cXOr4/VvL1yAMVfMI/AAAAAAAAHTs/x4WsFgSr6kUOmOKALv6gdo3L8JRUdqtHA/s1600/popsicle%2Bstick%2Bmosaic%2Bmirror.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yQlv85cXOr4/VvL1yAMVfMI/AAAAAAAAHTs/x4WsFgSr6kUOmOKALv6gdo3L8JRUdqtHA/s640/popsicle%2Bstick%2Bmosaic%2Bmirror.jpg" width="434" /></a></div>
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I love the bright, vibrant colors!</div>
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What's the craziest thing you're ever done in the name of crafting? I want to hear your stories!! :)</div>
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<i style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'century gothic', trebuchet, arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;">Linking up with <a href="http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2015/11/wow-us-wednesdays-246.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Savvy Southern Style</a>, <a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com/super-easy-kitchen-projects/" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Remodelaholic</a>, <a href="http://www.thriftydecorchick.com/" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Thrifty Decor Chick</a>, and <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/p/link-parties_12.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">many other awesome blogs</a>!</i></div>
Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787893718907837905noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832570958842715922.post-27792470194828603072016-03-17T14:41:00.000-07:002016-03-17T14:41:38.163-07:00Anthropologie Inspired Ikea Play Kitchen Hack<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Hey, Friends! I've been so excited to show you this little Ikea hack for months now! Little Girlie had been raiding my kitchen pans and utensils for items to play with, so we decided to buy her the <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70129801/" target="_blank">Ikea play kitchen</a> for Christmas. I was super excited to give it to her since I loved my play kitchen as a kid! Of course, you know I just had to jazz it up a bit for her!</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-liNTK-9jh3U/VusaSbP1p2I/AAAAAAAAHSg/a-AYmWouRX8AECrjsnippHxOALOf5u81A/s1600/anthropologie%2Binspired%2Bikea%2Bplay%2Bkitchen%2Bhack%2Blogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-liNTK-9jh3U/VusaSbP1p2I/AAAAAAAAHSg/a-AYmWouRX8AECrjsnippHxOALOf5u81A/s640/anthropologie%2Binspired%2Bikea%2Bplay%2Bkitchen%2Bhack%2Blogo.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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Little Girlie is into pink and purple, bows, jewelry, and accessories right now, so I wanted to give it a feminine touch without being too in your face pink, if you know what I mean. ;) I have LOVED <a href="http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/home-room/20545554.jsp#/" target="_blank">this Anthropologie wallpaper</a> for years and wanted to use it for the backsplash on the kitchen, but it was way out of the budget. Instead, I grabbed some craft paints and got to painting! </div>
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We cut a 1/4" sheet of plywood to fit the opening in the back of the kitchen, leaving a lip so we could nail it in. After giving it a good sand, I rolled the entire thing in a pretty blue-green. </div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--qSuBogmR00/VusZplXztfI/AAAAAAAAHR8/J9Or2vZT1l097ol6tHwayzdYvbyEXlWDA/s1600/painting%2Bplay%2Bkitchen%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--qSuBogmR00/VusZplXztfI/AAAAAAAAHR8/J9Or2vZT1l097ol6tHwayzdYvbyEXlWDA/s640/painting%2Bplay%2Bkitchen%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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For the flowers, I used two shades of pink for the petals and just randomly alternated the colors as I went around. If you look closely, you will see the petals are just blobs with a bit of blank space in between. Super easy! For the leaves, I painted them in one shade of green, then streaked on another shade of green. The trick here is to not have very much paint on your brush so the bottom color peeks through. Again, super easy, I promise! The centers are just yellow paint that I dotted on, followed by a few dots of darker yellow. </div>
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I left off some of the details from the original wallpaper, because, elementary painting skills, that's why. ;) That's why I called it "Anthropologie Inspired" instead of "Anthroplogie Dead Ringer". Haha! </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8zsagbeMKBk/VusZukGTt5I/AAAAAAAAHSA/5DcFw6YHTzkDKyOjX7fZAmuT5N95VTDiA/s1600/painting%2Bdetails%2Bplay%2Bkitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8zsagbeMKBk/VusZukGTt5I/AAAAAAAAHSA/5DcFw6YHTzkDKyOjX7fZAmuT5N95VTDiA/s640/painting%2Bdetails%2Bplay%2Bkitchen.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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After the backsplash was dry, we just attached it to the kitchen from the back! That's it! I really wanted to paint the wood parts of kitchen white, but decided against it for durability sake. I knew it would be played with hard and didn't want to worry about the paint chipping on the more trafficked areas of the kitchen. </div>
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I love how the colors tie into the playroom decor and add a feminine touch! </div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-esehhMSAjMQ/VusZ_IOFnOI/AAAAAAAAHSM/fxo3tdq5xWwHrG-5VboKdFZApr-flkyQA/s1600/IMG_3101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-esehhMSAjMQ/VusZ_IOFnOI/AAAAAAAAHSM/fxo3tdq5xWwHrG-5VboKdFZApr-flkyQA/s640/IMG_3101.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now it's the perfect place to sip some pretend tea made by the sweetest little girl I know. </div>
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I added a couple kid-safe finishing touches to the top cubbies since Little Girlie is too short to reach those spaces anyway. The tin vase is from the Dollar Spot and the frame was one my Grandma had that she picked up at the Dollar Tree. See where I get my dollar item obsession from? I like that the frame is sentimental and that it doesn't have glass in case it falls. </div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AwGYSVr9e5s/VusaJifCPTI/AAAAAAAAHSU/e-Infn4iubMKKJH63CN2kQ9onqArHrCVA/s1600/play%2Bkitchen%2Bfinishing%2Btouches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AwGYSVr9e5s/VusaJifCPTI/AAAAAAAAHSU/e-Infn4iubMKKJH63CN2kQ9onqArHrCVA/s640/play%2Bkitchen%2Bfinishing%2Btouches.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Little Girlie was SO excited about her kitchen on Christmas day! She opened it up then ran over and gave me a big hug before playing with it. Love!</div>
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<i style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'century gothic', trebuchet, arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;">Linking up with <a href="http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2015/11/wow-us-wednesdays-246.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Savvy Southern Style</a>, <a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com/super-easy-kitchen-projects/" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Remodelaholic</a>, <a href="http://www.thriftydecorchick.com/" target="_blank">Thrifty Decor Chick</a>, and <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/p/link-parties_12.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">many other awesome blogs</a>!</i></div>
Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787893718907837905noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832570958842715922.post-59219924859634441362016-03-15T18:09:00.000-07:002016-03-15T18:18:35.257-07:00Beautifully Simple Easter TablescapesIf you've been reading my blog for long, you know that I'm a less is more kind of girl. Simple decor and I are BFF. I like my home to feel calm and soothing and simple decor is one way that I accomplish that effect!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_-IC4-AtHYE/Vui0TGikjQI/AAAAAAAAHRo/YE0UQ-WddSolMI9QlsUibxEPJl4ePhPcg/s1600/easter%2Btablescape%2Blogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_-IC4-AtHYE/Vui0TGikjQI/AAAAAAAAHRo/YE0UQ-WddSolMI9QlsUibxEPJl4ePhPcg/s640/easter%2Btablescape%2Blogo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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When it comes to tablescapes, I predictably stay on the simple side. If the table is too crowded, I feel claustrophobic while I'm trying to eat, which is not the relaxing and enjoyable dinner experience I'm after. I rounded up some of my favorite simple Easter tablescape from around the web, just for you! I love that they are all beautiful without feeling cluttered or overdone! I seriously love all of these and am having trouble picking which one to do for our Easter table! Enjoy!<br />
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<i>Please pin from the original source! </i><br />
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<a href="http://www.bhg.com/holidays/easter/decorating/easter-table-setting-ideas/#page=25" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EELWlVwQR1s/VuiqtMdd_hI/AAAAAAAAHQI/tQ1kPGcKIvgPRw4Pg1pVUvlNgla1pPS3Q/s640/BHG.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<i>via <a href="http://www.bhg.com/holidays/easter/decorating/easter-table-setting-ideas/#page=25">BHG</a></i></div>
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<a href="http://www.blog.birdsparty.com/2012/03/tutorial-painted-easter-eggs.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X-UOedqaSQQ/VuirCHDb9yI/AAAAAAAAHQM/MBF4GGS-RR8BpZinWIpeQReq5shfNyAIQ/s640/birdsparty.JPG" width="424" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.blog.birdsparty.com/2012/03/tutorial-painted-easter-eggs.html" target="_blank">via Birds Party</a></i></div>
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<a href="http://www.blog.birdsparty.com/2012/03/tutorial-painted-easter-eggs.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OfscWoI2TKU/Vuirn1U_mBI/AAAAAAAAHQU/Rys1jAREvsUs0saDBjujECBEWOe_mrdbQ/s640/boxwood%2Bclippings.png" width="410" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.blog.birdsparty.com/2012/03/tutorial-painted-easter-eggs.html" target="_blank">via Boxwood Clippings</a></i></div>
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<a href="http://www.thecasualcraftlete.com/2015/03/24/easter-floral-arrangement/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-isyRVKEUcQY/Vuir5yb5dpI/AAAAAAAAHQc/HVmGlfJog5QLlHYZLu5WeRKC0WJfjDJHw/s640/casual%2Bcraftlete.jpg" width="412" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.thecasualcraftlete.com/2015/03/24/easter-floral-arrangement/" target="_blank">via The Casual Craftlete</a></i></div>
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<a href="http://www.uncommondesignsonline.com/how-to-make-birds-nest-napkin-rings/?utm_source=MadMimi&utm_medium=email&utm_content=How+To+Make+Bird%E2%80%99s+Nest+Napkin+Rings+%7C+New+on+Uncommon+Designs&utm_campaign=20150317_m124861241_RSS+Feed+for+http://www_uncommondesignsonline_com/feed/&utm_term=How+To+Make+Bird_E2_80_99s+Nest+Napkin+Rings&crlt.pid=camp.jz9s3824Vq8v" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-STsENoCzhSE/VuisPFMJFHI/AAAAAAAAHQg/sADkjT8-3gwKObDLgVXSnTuiE8l7D5FoA/s640/uncommon%2Bdesigns.jpg" width="458" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.uncommondesignsonline.com/how-to-make-birds-nest-napkin-rings/?utm_source=MadMimi&utm_medium=email&utm_content=How+To+Make+Bird%E2%80%99s+Nest+Napkin+Rings+%7C+New+on+Uncommon+Designs&utm_campaign=20150317_m124861241_RSS+Feed+for+http://www_uncommondesignsonline_com/feed/&utm_term=How+To+Make+Bird_E2_80_99s+Nest+Napkin+Rings&crlt.pid=camp.jz9s3824Vq8v" target="_blank">via Uncommon Designs</a></i></div>
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<a href="https://loveoffamilyandhome.net/2013/03/simple-spring-tablescape-green-white.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HsUX5NsJHCw/VuitOfYycDI/AAAAAAAAHQ0/buMcd1aY3Mgs_v-c5seR3maLSn3U8biUQ/s640/love%2Bof%2Bfamily%2Band%2Bhome2.jpg" width="388" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="https://loveoffamilyandhome.net/2013/03/simple-spring-tablescape-green-white.html" target="_blank">via Love of Family and Home</a></i></div>
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<a href="http://blog.williams-sonoma.com/spring-centerpieces-with-blue-eggs-daffodils/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jYrpCg7DX7s/VuiteyAWaQI/AAAAAAAAHQ4/fjd9GFh5Cnw9sjSWzbqWNXeRp0HhiN2Lw/s640/williams-sonoma.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://blog.williams-sonoma.com/spring-centerpieces-with-blue-eggs-daffodils/" target="_blank">via Williams-Sonoma</a></i></div>
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<a href="http://tulipina.com/shop/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s1E_GrEF2N4/VuiukF5d0-I/AAAAAAAAHRI/OsCtUjkE7SQc0xDocJF6xJHMLRVBqKrwA/s640/all%2Bthings%2Bheart%2Band%2Bhome.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://tulipina.com/shop/" target="_blank">source unknown-- possibly Tulipina? </a></i></div>
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<a href="http://www.onsuttonplace.com/2015/03/easter-table-setting-ideas/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tKEpQt_xTyo/VuiwjdtT69I/AAAAAAAAHRU/MevXiB4DAl0y-6nO2-e8-vchDg0pgiXgQ/s640/on%2Bsutton%2Bplace.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.onsuttonplace.com/2015/03/easter-table-setting-ideas/" target="_blank">via On Sutton Place</a></i></div>
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<a href="http://www.lizmarieblog.com/2016/02/easter-tablescape-handmade-candle-holders/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AzYMU9sw5BY/VuixNsN1K9I/AAAAAAAAHRY/RXK1brJP5G8CPO3nPlufrUlZ0Wg3fZpIw/s640/liz%2Bmarie.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.lizmarieblog.com/2016/02/easter-tablescape-handmade-candle-holders/" target="_blank">via Liz Marie Blog</a></i></div>
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Which one is your favorite?</div>
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<i style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'century gothic', trebuchet, arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;">Linking up with <a href="http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2015/11/wow-us-wednesdays-246.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Savvy Southern Style</a>, <a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com/super-easy-kitchen-projects/" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Remodelaholic</a>, and <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/p/link-parties_12.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">many other awesome blogs</a>!</i></div>
Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787893718907837905noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832570958842715922.post-19710060351880161832016-03-10T13:00:00.001-08:002016-03-10T13:01:38.450-08:00Easter Egg Topiary Hey, Friends! Hope you are having a great week! Popping in really quick to show you another piece of our Easter decor!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VWGAmUXxE9g/VuHeRnPtfAI/AAAAAAAAHPQ/JenoQ-LeWKk/s1600/easter%2Begg%2Btopiary%2Blogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VWGAmUXxE9g/VuHeRnPtfAI/AAAAAAAAHPQ/JenoQ-LeWKk/s640/easter%2Begg%2Btopiary%2Blogo.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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I saw Kim from <a href="http://sandandsisal.com/2015/03/easter-egg-topiary-tree.html" target="_blank">Sand & Sisal's egg topiaries</a> and got all heart eyed over them! I happened to have a bunch of Easter eggs from <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/03/a-touch-of-easter.html" target="_blank">last year's Easter display</a>, so decided to make my own topiary for the entry way.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_lcMPIqCI7A/VuHekrLuOXI/AAAAAAAAHPY/M-wuxXhQPHA/s1600/easter%2Begg%2Btopiary%2Bdetail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_lcMPIqCI7A/VuHekrLuOXI/AAAAAAAAHPY/M-wuxXhQPHA/s640/easter%2Begg%2Btopiary%2Bdetail.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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I followed <a href="http://sandandsisal.com/2015/03/easter-egg-topiary-tree.html" target="_blank">Kim's tutorial</a>, except I used pre-painted eggs and instead of purchasing a styrofoam cone, I just make a cone out of poster board.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hlqUFmjV2tw/VuHgQwCAFwI/AAAAAAAAHPs/dlC5YoYEyrQ/s1600/easter%2Begg%2Btopiary%2Bclean.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hlqUFmjV2tw/VuHgQwCAFwI/AAAAAAAAHPs/dlC5YoYEyrQ/s640/easter%2Begg%2Btopiary%2Bclean.jpg" width="388" /></a></div>
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I tried a couple different dishes for the base, but nothing was quite right. I finally got creative and rested my topiary on a cappuccino mug! There were some really cute hobnail mugs at Target that would have been fancier, but my friends reminded me that I should pick the best one for drinking coffee. The big, fat cappuccino mug won, hands down. Ha! #priorities<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LicF6WU8UeE/VuHeZTcU6uI/AAAAAAAAHPU/htyku3EDqLI/s1600/egg%2Btopiary%2Bentry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LicF6WU8UeE/VuHeZTcU6uI/AAAAAAAAHPU/htyku3EDqLI/s640/egg%2Btopiary%2Bentry.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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I love how it looks in our entry! It's festive without being too in your face Easter pastels, you know?<br />
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Have a great weekend and be sure to soak in some of this sunshine!<br />
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<i style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'century gothic', trebuchet, arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;">Linking up with <a href="http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2015/11/wow-us-wednesdays-246.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Savvy Southern Style</a>, <a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com/super-easy-kitchen-projects/" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Remodelaholic</a>, and <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/p/link-parties_12.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">many other awesome blogs</a>!</i>Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787893718907837905noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832570958842715922.post-16520977208505062072016-03-08T14:13:00.000-08:002016-03-08T19:31:50.695-08:00Office Plans + Inspiration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Oh my goodness, I hope the weather where you are is as beautiful as it is here in NC! I even broke out my flip flops today! Yay!</div>
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A few weeks ago, I shared the <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2016/02/office-before-progress.html" target="_blank">current state of our office</a>. It's a bit of a mess, isn't it?! I'm back today to share all of our plans and inspiration to whip this space into shape. My brain is waaaaay ahead of my wallet right now, though. Haha! As much as I'd love to wave a magic wand and do everything now, this room will have to evolve over time as the budget allows. #reallifebudget But, I'll be sure to share our progress as we go! </div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cZPoFTVBfUs/Vt9L-jYCg7I/AAAAAAAAHO4/-4qp0h0x8gg/s1600/home%2Boffice%2Bmood%2Bboard%2Blogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cZPoFTVBfUs/Vt9L-jYCg7I/AAAAAAAAHO4/-4qp0h0x8gg/s640/home%2Boffice%2Bmood%2Bboard%2Blogo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's what I'm planning... </div>
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I'd love to add a couple ledge shelves like <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/01/ledge-love.html" target="_blank">we did for our living room</a> to the wall above the piano. It has an eyesore of a thermostat on it, so it'd be nice to be able to disguise that a bit. Plus, it would be a great spot to display our degrees. I'm thinking of decorating it with a black/white theme in a simplistic style like Katie from Bower Power did in her guest room. Me want simplistic style?! Shocker, I know. ;) #sarcasm</div>
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<a href="http://www.bowerpowerblog.com/2015/07/updating-our-guest-bedroom/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3SnKy8yHKiM/Vt5IIbRPuvI/AAAAAAAAHNA/7Yc9GXo5Axg/s640/Bower%2Bpower%2Bshelves.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.bowerpowerblog.com/2015/07/updating-our-guest-bedroom/" target="_blank">via Bower Power</a><br />
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I scored these curtains at Target this week for 50% off! I had to go to four different Targets to find a second panel on clearance, but I found one! They are still full price online. :( They look great in the office and add some much needed interest, plus they match the futon perfectly! </div>
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<a href="http://www.target.com/p/threshold-flocked-scroll-curtain-panel/-/A-15424047#prodSlot=medium_1_1&term=gray+white+flocked" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="365" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sm91Wev2QQA/Vt5KkXjPd8I/AAAAAAAAHNI/fljQWstN4Pw/s400/Target%2BCurtains.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.target.com/p/threshold-flocked-scroll-curtain-panel/-/A-15424047#prodSlot=medium_1_1&term=gray+white+flocked" target="_blank">via Target</a></div>
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I'd love to make some faux roman shades for above the kitchen windows. I <i>love</i> these from Pottery Barn! I want to make an extra for my front door, too! </div>
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<a href="http://www.potterybarn.com/products/grosgrain-ribbon-roman-shade/?pkey=croman-shades&&croman-shades" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_0u86nIiIhI/Vt5UqiNZCqI/AAAAAAAAHOA/QuiaIPG4dos/s400/curtain.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.potterybarn.com/products/grosgrain-ribbon-roman-shade/?pkey=croman-shades&&croman-shades" target="_blank">via Pottery Barn</a></div>
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This next one is the last on the priority list, but I think it would be so beautiful! Since we no longer rent out the office, we don't use or have a need for the washer/dryer. We'd love to sell the washer/dryer and add some bright white built in bookshelves to the laundry nook. It would be so cozy! I love how these go floor to ceiling and wrap around the window! </div>
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<a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/an-inspiring-attic-studio-167353" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hRNqM9Y454E/Vt5LEkoCZZI/AAAAAAAAHNM/gH6S_DFIvNQ/s640/Bookcase%2Baround%2Bwindow.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/an-inspiring-attic-studio-167353" target="_blank">via Apartment Therapy</a></div>
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I'd love to find some inexpensive pillows for the futon. Right now, Jeremy's using the pillows that came with our sectional and they are way too big for the futon. I'm loving these gray and white options!</div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/214535399/lyon-french-ecru-zippered-throw-pillow?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=grey%20white%20trellis%20pillow&ref=sr_gallery_41" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OFvYkcItnlw/Vt8_lwKbbKI/AAAAAAAAHOo/gyimOhl8x3I/s400/il_570xN.696483217_9bw5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/214535399/lyon-french-ecru-zippered-throw-pillow?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=grey%20white%20trellis%20pillow&ref=sr_gallery_41" target="_blank">via Etsy</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/182170757/grainsack-pillow-burlap-pillow-cottage?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=grey%20cream%20white%20pillow&ref=sr_gallery_19" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0KFfRATRcLg/Vt5PTmOV2QI/AAAAAAAAHNg/sPYK_2VLUyU/s640/pillow%2B3.jpg" width="520" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/182170757/grainsack-pillow-burlap-pillow-cottage?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=grey%20cream%20white%20pillow&ref=sr_gallery_19" target="_blank">via Etsy</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.target.com/p/love-you-more-throw-pillow-surya/-/A-50651335#prodSlot=medium_1_30" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LWyEc_sa_k0/Vt5PmlbkmPI/AAAAAAAAHNk/pTVT2dj5Olw/s1600/pillow%2B4.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.target.com/p/love-you-more-throw-pillow-surya/-/A-50651335#prodSlot=medium_1_30" target="_blank">via Target</a></div>
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The biggest project we need to complete is building Jeremy a desk. I love the style and aesthetic of this desk! Jeremy likes it, too, but wants to replace the legs with bookshelves to house the printer and his binders. We've both scoured the Internet looking for something similar to what we have in mind, but have come up empty, so you'll have to wait and see it when we finish! ;)</div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/197532259/l-shaped-desk-wood-desk-pipe-desk?ref=sr_gallery_1&ga_search_query=L+Shaped+desk+&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ROzeC5UUGLs/Vt5R-Q6qlFI/AAAAAAAAHN0/SEvlGZDt7oA/s640/desk.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/197532259/l-shaped-desk-wood-desk-pipe-desk?ref=sr_gallery_1&ga_search_query=L+Shaped+desk+&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery" target="_blank">via Etsy</a></div>
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I'd love to make a mini mudroom at the top of the stairs going into the office. The office is above our detached garage, so he needs a place to store his jacket and shoes when he comes over. I was going to do a basic coat hoot, but Jeremy requested it have a shelf for him to empty his hands while he is hanging up his coat. I love this style!</div>
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<a href="http://www.shanty-2-chic.com/2011/11/hook-shelf-for-the-entry.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k3eFHMUEQr8/Vt5iA2suP2I/AAAAAAAAHOM/8m5aAe4mlP8/s640/coat%2Bhook.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.shanty-2-chic.com/2011/11/hook-shelf-for-the-entry.html" target="_blank">via Shanty 2 Chic</a></div>
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Of course, I saw this picture and thought that the little bench area was awesome and would be so practical, too! It's more involved of a build, though, so we'll see...</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qTrVwr9F8Ow/Vt5iOrR9MTI/AAAAAAAAHOQ/AO6fGkk2JKo/s1600/mudroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qTrVwr9F8Ow/Vt5iOrR9MTI/AAAAAAAAHOQ/AO6fGkk2JKo/s640/mudroom.jpg" width="422" /></a></div>
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Finally, I'd love to build a cute boot tray like this one for him to place his shoes on. I was going to do it during my no-spend January, but didn't get a chance to yet. Hopefully, soon! </div>
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<a href="https://magnoliamarket.com/diy-boot-tray/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kkDPfp01NiY/Vt5ioiA0jlI/AAAAAAAAHOU/0_H3VZskQd8/s640/boot%2Btray.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://magnoliamarket.com/diy-boot-tray/" target="_blank">via Magnolia Market</a></div>
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Here's the to-do list: </div>
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<strike>-Sell bed</strike></div>
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<strike>-Get rid of large bookshelves</strike></div>
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-Get rid of old end table</div>
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<strike>-Move cube bookshelf to closet</strike></div>
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<strike>-Purchase futon</strike></div>
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<strike>-Purchase rug</strike></div>
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-Sell washer/dryer</div>
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-Purchase chair pad</div>
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<strike>-Purchase curtains</strike></div>
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-Make faux roman shades</div>
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<strike>-Replace vinyl roller shades with blinds</strike></div>
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<strike>-Repaint walls</strike> </div>
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-Build ledge shelves</div>
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-Build desk</div>
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-Take down two upper cabinets</div>
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-Purchase desk lamp</div>
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-Built coat hook shelf</div>
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-Built boot tray</div>
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-Modify futon legs</div>
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-Purchase/make throw pillows</div>
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-Hang artwork</div>
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-Build built-in</div>
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-Purchase new office chair</div>
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-Paint stairwell (see how I painted the one inside the house <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/03/how-to-paint-stairwell-without-hiring.html" target="_blank">here</a>)</div>
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Yikes, it's a hefty list! But, I think it'll look so nice and be so much more functional when we're finished!</div>
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What are you guys working on these days? Any local friends need a washer/dryer? ;)</div>
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<i style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'century gothic', trebuchet, arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;">Linking up with <a href="http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2015/11/wow-us-wednesdays-246.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Savvy Southern Style</a>, <a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com/super-easy-kitchen-projects/" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Remodelaholic</a>, and <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/p/link-parties_12.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">many other awesome blogs</a>!</i></div>
Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787893718907837905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832570958842715922.post-65369127413131692072016-03-03T12:24:00.002-08:002016-03-08T19:31:43.703-08:00Quick & Easy Easter Bunny Craft<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Century Gothic', Trebuchet, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;">*Affiliate links provided for your convenience. For more info, <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/p/disclosure.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">see my full disclosure here.</a></i></div>
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Thank you so much for all of your sweet comments regarding <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2016/02/for-my-grandma.html" target="_blank">my last post</a> about losing my grandma. I go back and forth from disbelief to feeling liking I can't breathe from the weight of it. But, your comments were a bright spot, especially the ones with stories of Grandma. I love hearing how much others loved her! She had a big fan club! </div>
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I'm trying to get back into the swing of things around the house and get things decorated for Easter. I don't do a whole lot for Easter, just a few cute touches here and there. I decided to make a bunny to add to my <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-clean-table-club.html" target="_blank">everyday centerpiece</a> and just love how it turned out!</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A0sE2MbgFDg/VtiS1dUrMZI/AAAAAAAAHMU/H6Ti_IKpkrI/s1600/easter%2Bbunny%2Bcraft%2Blogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A0sE2MbgFDg/VtiS1dUrMZI/AAAAAAAAHMU/H6Ti_IKpkrI/s640/easter%2Bbunny%2Bcraft%2Blogo.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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Here's what I started with: a wooden bunny from Michael's (scored this week for only $2!), <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XZVP24/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000XZVP24&linkCode=as2&tag=litbitofhom-20&linkId=6PCTRMJI2Y74LNHJ" target="_blank">craft paint</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=litbitofhom-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000XZVP24" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />*, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HWY6EM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000HWY6EM&linkCode=as2&tag=litbitofhom-20&linkId=KUUZGNVX4X27N4E3" target="_blank">Mod Podge</a>*, paint brush, scrapbook paper, and twine (not pictured). </div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RtO0uqQytSg/VtiS6xgYWUI/AAAAAAAAHMY/OHSeQvvQIkE/s1600/bunny%2Bsupplies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RtO0uqQytSg/VtiS6xgYWUI/AAAAAAAAHMY/OHSeQvvQIkE/s400/bunny%2Bsupplies.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I started out by giving the bunny two coats of white paint. When that was dry, I attached strips of scrapbook paper to the edges using thin dabs of hot glue. Then, I gave the entire thing a coat of Mod Podge to seal it off. </div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QVcam5qfq90/VtiS-0kMxMI/AAAAAAAAHMc/LDxbInNsme8/s1600/bunny%2Bprogress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QVcam5qfq90/VtiS-0kMxMI/AAAAAAAAHMc/LDxbInNsme8/s640/bunny%2Bprogress.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I was going to stop there, but the seam where the paper met the wood was bugging me. It wasn't laying flat. Maybe I should have used fabric instead of paper and attached it with Mod Podge? Anyway, I decided to hot glue twine around the edges to finish it off and cover up the seam. That worked great and I ended up liking the last minute twine addition! #happyaccident</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CIZT8pmAIMQ/VtiTDaUynXI/AAAAAAAAHMg/KwR5eMPjX8g/s1600/bunny%2Bdetails.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="560" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CIZT8pmAIMQ/VtiTDaUynXI/AAAAAAAAHMg/KwR5eMPjX8g/s640/bunny%2Bdetails.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I mean, look at that cute little bunny bum! </div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y0wP65lo5aU/VtiTLN6eg0I/AAAAAAAAHMk/zy9MThwoEOI/s1600/bunny%2Bin%2Bbasket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y0wP65lo5aU/VtiTLN6eg0I/AAAAAAAAHMk/zy9MThwoEOI/s640/bunny%2Bin%2Bbasket.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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I love how it looks peeping out of our table centerpiece! </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k4bb4LrL9yc/VtiTPjf3hDI/AAAAAAAAHMo/YHuLJKQv0zs/s1600/easter%2Bbunny%2Bbasket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k4bb4LrL9yc/VtiTPjf3hDI/AAAAAAAAHMo/YHuLJKQv0zs/s640/easter%2Bbunny%2Bbasket.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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This little guy didn't take much time at all and is such a cute Easter touch! What are you doing to decorate for Easter? Do you go all out or add just a few touches? </div>
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<i style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'century gothic', trebuchet, arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;">Linking up with <a href="http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2015/11/wow-us-wednesdays-246.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Savvy Southern Style</a>, <a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com/super-easy-kitchen-projects/" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Remodelaholic</a>, and <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/p/link-parties_12.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">many other awesome blogs</a>!</i></div>
Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787893718907837905noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832570958842715922.post-76636510200624978192016-02-27T18:37:00.000-08:002016-02-27T19:14:05.930-08:00For My GrandmaHey, Friends. I'm sorry for the sudden silence over here on the blog. Three weeks ago, I got a call that my Grandma had a stroke and was not doing well. After it became clear to me that she was not going to be recovering, I drove down to FL to see her. She passed away the next day. The next week was a rush of grief, arrangements, traveling back home to NC, then traveling back to FL for her funeral, getting to hug and spend time with my family, and lots of crying.<br />
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Growing up, we lived just down the street from my grandparents. They were a huge part of my upbringing and were so good at being present for the everyday. I moved in with them when I was a teenager and lived with them until I got married. After I got married and moved away, I talked to them several times a week. Then, after Grandpa died, Grandma and I talked on the phone every day for 5 years until she moved into a nursing home and wasn't able to use the phone anymore. Then, I switched to letters and trying to visit as much as possible. I'm <i>so very thankful</i> for the years and close relationship I had with both of my grandparents.<br />
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I was going through pictures for the funeral and was so thankful for my pack rat tendencies. :) I have literally kept almost every single note Grandma has ever sent me (and she loved writing letters!) along with boxes and boxes of pictures. As I was going through them, I was just flooded with all the memories and all the life lessons Grandma taught me.<br />
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Don't just think nice things about people, go out of your way to tell them.<br />
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Listen and consider the other point of view.<br />
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Don't procrastinate.<br />
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Don't spend more money than you make.<br />
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Save money.<br />
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Be frugal.<br />
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But, make sure to take trips and enjoy life with your loved ones.<br />
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Be polite. Say please and thank you. Write thank you cards.<br />
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Get an education.<br />
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Have a career.<br />
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Work hard.<br />
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When buying a house, location, location, location.<br />
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Help others in need.<br />
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Be generous.<br />
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Open up your home to others.<br />
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You never know what others are going through.<br />
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Waste not, want not.<br />
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Don't say "Huh" :)<br />
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The best style is casually elegant.<br />
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Never go to bed mad.<br />
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Be a strong, independent woman.<br />
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Never stop learning.<br />
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Everything in moderation.<br />
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Seek wise counsel.<br />
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Grandma was an amazing seamstress and used to sew me all kinds of clothes. She even sewed my Barbies clothes! Here, I have the chicken pox (and an unfortunate mullet compliments of my brother!). Grandma slathered me with calamine lotion and sewed my Barbies new clothes.<br />
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Grandma used to tuck me in bed at night and sit on the side of the bed and pat my arm. I loved it. I remember when she was in a ton of pain late one night when I was living with them, I sat next to her and patted her arm. She used to call my Liddy when I was little and dress me all up and do my hair.<br />
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My grandparents used to pick me up from school a lot and take me back to their house to swim and have a snack. I used to sit at the kitchen bar and tell Grandma all about my day and she would always rejoice in the happy moments and offer advice when I needed help. I was the only girl in my class in 6th grade, so I definitely needed help. :) She always listened and I knew she always had my back. </div>
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I traveled a lot with my grandparents. (I got to enjoy retired life with them!) I spent summers with them in the mountains and took many road trips with them. We traveled to the majority of the eastern states together. We always took our time and stopped and stayed in towns along the way to our destinations. We'd always bring in a cooler of food to eat on the road to save money and would spend nights on the road playing cards and swimming. When I was in high school, we went on a cruise together which was so fun!<br />
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<i>One summer, Grandma decided to perm my hair. The most ironic part is that now my hair is naturally curly! </i></div>
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Grandma had a toughness and spunk to her. She was tough when I was acting up, but I always knew she loved me and wanted what was best for me. But I also knew I had better do what she said! Ha! She was spunky, active, and youthful, even into her late 80's! She took me on my first roller coaster, she and Grandpa took me on my first trip to Disney, and in Grandma's mid/late 70's she went horseback riding with my cousin and I in the mountains! Look at her saddling that horse!<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XhI2kn6vQqc/VtJI1xQQOiI/AAAAAAAAHJs/Fk6VVvoa0ec/s1600/grandma%2Bhorseback%2Briding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="514" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XhI2kn6vQqc/VtJI1xQQOiI/AAAAAAAAHJs/Fk6VVvoa0ec/s640/grandma%2Bhorseback%2Briding.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Grandma was a great cook and was famous for her cinnamon rolls. She used to love the cinnamon rolls at her favorite coffee shop, so she set out to make them herself. She finally figured it out and has been making them for our family ever since. I have made them with her since I was a little girl and every time I make them now, I think of us standing side by side in the kitchen talking and making them together.<br />
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<i>Making cinnamon rolls together (Don't ask about my hair. FL humidity + my thick hair = Whoa)</i></div>
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Grandma loved to entertain. We always had a big New Years party and Grandma thrived on getting ready for it, cooking for it, and getting to host a crowd of friends. She always planned her menu with dessert first. Smart woman. ;) Our house was always an open door for friends and family. I loved when family would visit from out of town and our house was bustling with activity.<br />
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Grandma used to worry about everyone in the family. She worried a lot, but it taught me to care about others and their struggles and to invest in people. She used to love talking on the phone with everyone in our family and getting to hear all about what was going on with them!</div>
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Grandma had a lot of health issues when I lived with her. I've called 911 and followed an ambulance, watching her white, curly hair in the back more times than I've cared for. I can hear the sound of a blood pressure machine a mile away and could wake from a deep sleep when she stirred across the house. I worried myself sick over them, but along the way, learned that God is in control, not me.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IWtQofe2obs/VtJKyULIreI/AAAAAAAAHKE/4jnvwHe5qJQ/s1600/mountains.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IWtQofe2obs/VtJKyULIreI/AAAAAAAAHKE/4jnvwHe5qJQ/s640/mountains.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<i>Clearly, I need to clean my scanner, but this is the three of us in the mountains when I was about 15.</i></div>
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My grandparents had two careers. They owned and operated a grocery store, then after they sold the store, they went on to have second careers as Realtors. After they finally retired, Grandma took up painting. She took lessons and painted dozens of paintings, including the pink flowers in my hallway gallery wall. She hand painted designs on several pieces of furniture as well. She taught me to paint, spending hours teaching me the different techniques and painting several paintings together with me. She always used to tell me that once you start painting, you see the world differently. You notice how the light hits and shadows fall. So true.<br />
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Both of my grandparents loved music and dancing and could play the piano. Grandma taught me how to play piano. I can still picture us playing The Rose side by side and hear her singing along as we played. She also taught me the waltz and we waltzed all around the living room as she sang and counted off. I was horrible at it, but she and Grandpa were great together!<br />
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Grandma loved to shop for bargains! We would scour thrift stores for great deals and could comb through clearance racks together like no one's business. Grandma used to shop throughout the year for Christmas presents and would always have us try on the clothes as she bought them, then wrap them up for Christmas. We usually knew what we were getting for Christmas months ahead of time! Haha!<br />
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Speaking of Christmas... One Christmas, I found out Grandma and Grandpa weren't planning to do stockings. I incessantly teased them about it and gave them a hard time, trying to persuade them to do stockings for tradition sake. They insisted no stockings, but then on Christmas day, pulled out this gigantic stocking they had found and Grandma had decorated to prank me with. They got me back good! Ha!<br />
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I love how much my Grandparents loved Jeremy. Grandma always used to worry when I was out, but used to tell me she never worried when I was with Jeremy because he was so sensible and trustworthy. Grandpa passed away before Jeremy graduated grad school or we had kids, but Grandma was so proud of Jeremy for getting his PhD. She loved our kids so much and I'm so thankful for the memories I have of Grandma holding Little Man and making over Little Girlie. </div>
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I could write a thousand more things, but you know the memories I hold the most dear? The everyday moments. The three of us eating dinner and talking about our day. Grandma and I teasing Grandpa about his love for her cooking. Grandpa and I teasing Grandma about anything we could! The laughter. The hugs. The late night chats. The phone calls. Doing the dishes together. Swimming together. Riding in the car together. Watching Reba. Grandpa and I watching Friends and chuckling when Grandma would turn off her hearing aids so that she didn't have to hear it since she didn't like it. The nightly search for Grandma's glasses. Grandma sitting at the desk with her legs up talking on the phone and Grandpa next to her in the chair... on and on and on...<br />
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I cherish the relationship I got to have with my grandparents and am so thankful that they gave up years of their retirement to raise a teenager. Not an easy task, but I'm forever grateful and forever shaped by two wonderful people I was incredibly lucky and so proud to have as my grandparents.<br />
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Love you, Grandma, and I miss you every day.</div>
Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787893718907837905noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832570958842715922.post-27505212505829444072016-02-09T13:48:00.003-08:002016-02-09T13:48:37.659-08:00Neutral Winter Wreath<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Hey, Friends, how was your Super Bowl weekend? I have to say, I was really pulling for the Panthers to win the Super Bowl for my hubby's sake, but we all know how that turned out. Sigh. On top of the stinky game, Little Man came down with the stomach flu and is absolutely pitiful. I haven't seen him this sick in a long time! Poor guy! </div>
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Before the sickness set in, I did get a fun craft done this weekend! I don't know about you, but after Christmas, I never know what kind of wreath to put on the door. I'm not quite ready for a spring wreath, but can't do much in the way of Valentines decor because my door is coral and does not play well with Valentines colors. </div>
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This year, I decided to create a neutral winter wreath, focusing on texture instead of pops of color. I'm a color lover at heart, so was worried it would look too lifeless, but I ended up loving the results! As an added challenge to myself, I decided to try to make my wreath exclusively with materials I had on hand already. Free decor for the win!</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jo4HOo1zwU0/VrpOnVghIxI/AAAAAAAAHIg/6tdd-flYX-U/s1600/neutral%2Bwinter%2Bwreath%2Blogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jo4HOo1zwU0/VrpOnVghIxI/AAAAAAAAHIg/6tdd-flYX-U/s640/neutral%2Bwinter%2Bwreath%2Blogo.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
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You'll notice it is very similar in style to the <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2013/02/springing-up-front-door.html" target="_blank">spring wreath</a> I made a couple years ago. I love, love, love that wreath, so thought this was a good neutral version. </div>
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I had a spare wreath form in the closet that I picked up during a sale at Michael's about a year ago for a couple dollars. Then, I rummaged through my fabric scraps from previous projects and came up with enough stuff to create the embellishments! </div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jj9GdjiIS7o/VrpOva9sSTI/AAAAAAAAHIk/lYpck5drhcM/s1600/wreath%2Bflowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jj9GdjiIS7o/VrpOva9sSTI/AAAAAAAAHIk/lYpck5drhcM/s640/wreath%2Bflowers.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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I used leftover polka dot burlap from my <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/09/diy-no-sew-pumpkin-pillow.html" target="_blank">no-sew pillows</a> and <a href="http://www.bowerpowerblog.com/2013/02/fabric-flower-tutorial/" target="_blank">this flower tutorial</a> to make the burlap flowers. I used leftover felt from the <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2013/02/springing-up-front-door.html" target="_blank">spring wreath</a> and <a href="http://www.papernstitchblog.com/2011/12/14/diy-felt-flowers-five-ways/" target="_blank">this tutorial</a> to make the loopy flowers. I had a roll of ivory yarn that has been floating around for years now to make a couple pom poms to look like snow balls/flakes. Here's a great <a href="http://www.adventuresofadiymom.com/2014/02/how-to-make-pom-poms-from-yarn.html" target="_blank">pom pom tutorial</a> if you need it. </div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iip_1edCXMo/VrpO1KRFmSI/AAAAAAAAHIo/YOq56NaiJ8I/s1600/neutral%2Bwinter%2Bwreath%2Bdetails.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="486" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iip_1edCXMo/VrpO1KRFmSI/AAAAAAAAHIo/YOq56NaiJ8I/s640/neutral%2Bwinter%2Bwreath%2Bdetails.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Then, I finished my wreath off by gluing on some pearls (again, leftover from my spring wreath) and wrapping some twine around a section of the wreath. I think the twine gives it a rustic touch and adds some balance, but my husband thinks it looks weird. Haha, gotta love the honesty! What do you think? Both the twine and leaves were inspired by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/93952197/rustic-rancher-the-original-pinterest" target="_blank">this wreath</a>. </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D_9VxuBcdjE/VrpO5vnsM4I/AAAAAAAAHIs/VwHy_u7_K1Q/s1600/neutral%2Bwinter%2Bwreath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D_9VxuBcdjE/VrpO5vnsM4I/AAAAAAAAHIs/VwHy_u7_K1Q/s640/neutral%2Bwinter%2Bwreath.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm so happy with the results and thrilled that I was able to pull it together for free! Hope this inspires you to rummage through your scrap piles and see what you can come up with! </div>
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<i style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'century gothic', trebuchet, arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;">Linking up with <a href="http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2015/11/wow-us-wednesdays-246.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Savvy Southern Style</a>, <a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com/super-easy-kitchen-projects/" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Remodelaholic</a>, and <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/p/link-parties_12.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">many other awesome blogs</a>!</i></div>
<br />Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787893718907837905noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832570958842715922.post-35590816380643755172016-02-05T15:32:00.000-08:002016-02-05T16:46:47.145-08:00Office: Before & ProgressIt's finally time to show you our office! I've never shown it before on the blog because it is a hot mess! But, it's the room we've been working on lately, so I'm giving you a glimpse inside.<br />
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The office is actually a mother-in-law suite over our detached garage. It was mainly a catch all room until right before Little Girlie was born. As we were preparing for Little Girlie, we moved our guest bed out of our third bedroom to convert the bedroom into a nursery. We then fixed up the office to rent out to a friend for a few months (Miss you, Nicole!!).<br />
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I say "fixed up" in the loosest way possible. We gave it a fresh coat of paint, replaced the warped and ripped vinyl roller shades with blinds, and purchased a washer, dryer, and mini fridge to make the apartment fully functional. It was still completely undecorated and a catch all for furniture we didn't need or have room for in the house anymore.<br />
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Ready to see? Oh goodness, after my <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2016/01/five-organizing-projects-that-flopped.html" target="_blank">organizational flops post</a>, I can't believe I'm about to post these pictures on the Internet! Excuse the quality of these first pictures. They were phone pictures I snapped to send to Nicole when she was searching for an apartment.<br />
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When you first open the door, you see the kitchen area. For a one room in-law suite, it does have a pretty good kitchen. I love all the windows!<br />
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If you turn to the left, you see this little nook that we pushed our spare bed into. You can see that it's a hodge podge of furniture we've collected over the years. The school chair has been in my family for 50+ years and my Grandma painted it for me when I was a teenager. The chest was made for my Grandma when she was a baby and she and I painted it together 15+ years ago. Sweet memories! The black bookshelf stored Little Man's toys in his play area at our old house and the big bookshelf was Jeremy's growing up. The lamp was another hand painted item my Grandma made and the beach painting was my first painting I did without Grandma's help. Lots of memories, but also a crazy mix of stuff, right?!</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uDxJ9pxtKyU/VrUgYWjaRQI/AAAAAAAAHHM/EYjCA1b5p1Y/s1600/office%2Bnook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uDxJ9pxtKyU/VrUgYWjaRQI/AAAAAAAAHHM/EYjCA1b5p1Y/s640/office%2Bnook.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's the view from the kitchen looking back toward the door. The rug totally didn't fit. It was another thing from our old house that we held onto over here for a while. We bought the desk the second year we were married when we lived in a tiny one bedroom apartment and I used to sit at it Skyping my mom who lived in another country at the time! </div>
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Here's the view from near the bed. You can see the laundry nook which now has a washer and dryer and the door to the bathroom. The piano belonged to my grandparents and they gave it to me when I moved away. My Grandma taught me piano basics on this piano. She and Grandpa could both play beautifully! </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XQ2zl_S-09Y/VrUiZxAw0fI/AAAAAAAAHHg/om3rK_y-A7M/s1600/laundry%2Boffice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XQ2zl_S-09Y/VrUiZxAw0fI/AAAAAAAAHHg/om3rK_y-A7M/s640/laundry%2Boffice.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So, are you scared off yet?! Do you see why the office has been our recent project?! </div>
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Jeremy has been working from home for a year now and has been living with the crazy. But, it is high time to spruce it up in here and inject some life to this poor space! Our plan for this room is to make it more cohesive, warm it up with some decor, and make it a more organized and functional office. Here's where we are at now!</div>
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About six months into working from home, Jeremy couldn't stand being pushed against the wall anymore, so moved his desk near the window. That left the bed in a super weird spot right behind the door, so we got rid of the bed. Getting rid of the bed already makes the room look so.much.better! We also got rid of the rug and stored the school chair and chest for now. I'm thinking of using those pieces in Little Girlie's room when we convert it to a big girl room. We still needed the big bookshelf, but we moved it into the closet to get it out of the way. </div>
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We purchased a futon to give Jeremy some comfy seating as well as serve as a guest bed if needed. It's more modern then we normally go with, but it was the nicest of the dirt cheap futons. :) We hate the legs, so I'm cooking up a plan to make some new futon legs. The pillows are placeholders for now. They came with our couch and are way too big, but they've come in handy while we save for pillows. </div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7ZQaJ4DC2fM/VrUlYrlGEpI/AAAAAAAAHHs/kknoGuGNHuU/s1600/futon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7ZQaJ4DC2fM/VrUlYrlGEpI/AAAAAAAAHHs/kknoGuGNHuU/s640/futon.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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The office seems to have no insulation at all because it is freezing over here in the winter and hot in the summer. We purchased a big shag rug to help the temperature out over here and so far it has worked surprisingly well! It's such a comfy rug! The end table is on it's way to the thrift store. It used to live in our living room. I thought about giving it a makeover for the office, but the shape and style just doesn't jive with the futon at all, so out it goes!<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WSfxXBvP8-c/VrUlaBWw5kI/AAAAAAAAHHw/gUWqtWDKWBI/s1600/office%2Bcouch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WSfxXBvP8-c/VrUlaBWw5kI/AAAAAAAAHHw/gUWqtWDKWBI/s640/office%2Bcouch.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The Panthers collage was my gift to Jeremy last Christmas. He's been a huge Panthers fan since before we even moved to NC (hoping they win the Superbowl on Sunday for him!), so I pulled together some cool and meaningful photos and made a custom photo mat for them. It's a big picture, but it seems a little lost on the wall right now. After we finish everything else, I may add some other artwork around it if it needs it. We'll see... </div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fN6vGE3qtLg/VrUmt3rBuQI/AAAAAAAAHH4/RCkTD5vev-c/s1600/Panthers%2Bcollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fN6vGE3qtLg/VrUmt3rBuQI/AAAAAAAAHH4/RCkTD5vev-c/s640/Panthers%2Bcollage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The last big thing we need to do before we can get to the fun decor stuff is build a desk. Jeremy wants an L-shaped desk with built in storage for the printer and some books. He slid our existing desk and little bookshelf together to create a makeshift L-shaped desk for now. Yes, Jeremy is crazy. This is what I'm working with, people! Haha! And, yes, his chair is on cardboard. The chair was marking up the floor, so Jeremy threw down some cardboard to protect the floor until we could get a chair pad. A year later...he's still on that blasted cardboard. Ahhhhh!<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kml87Tw469M/VrUnka2SpuI/AAAAAAAAHIA/jUW6sFVGM8c/s1600/crazy%2Bhusband.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kml87Tw469M/VrUnka2SpuI/AAAAAAAAHIA/jUW6sFVGM8c/s640/crazy%2Bhusband.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have lots of decor ideas swirling around my brain! I've been letting Jeremy call the decor shots over here since it is his office, after all. ;) I'll be back next week to show you some of my decor ideas!<br />
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Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!<br />
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<i style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'century gothic', trebuchet, arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;">Linking up with <a href="http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2015/11/wow-us-wednesdays-246.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Savvy Southern Style</a>, <a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com/super-easy-kitchen-projects/" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Remodelaholic</a>, and <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/p/link-parties_12.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">many other awesome blogs</a>!</i>Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787893718907837905noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832570958842715922.post-2175909736771074342016-02-03T13:53:00.002-08:002016-02-03T13:53:39.719-08:00Ten Gender Neutral Valentines for Kids<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Hey, Friends! Are you all getting ready for Valentine's Day? My hubby and I don't do much for Valentine's, but Little Man has a class party at school and where he'll be exchanging Valentines with his sweet little friends. I'll admit, we bought a $4 pack of character Valentine's this year and called it a day. Of course, I've since seen a million adorable Valentine ideas around blogland. If only I had looked for ideas a little earlier, right?! Oh well, there's always next year for us! </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hz4XeWPTrug/VrJ17lBG9jI/AAAAAAAAHGs/XqLYNCN8s_Q/s1600/valentines%2Bcollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hz4XeWPTrug/VrJ17lBG9jI/AAAAAAAAHGs/XqLYNCN8s_Q/s640/valentines%2Bcollage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Thankfully, you still have time! Here's a few of my favorite Valentines from around the web! They are so creative and are all gender neutral. Score! Enjoy!</div>
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<i>Click the images or the links to go to the original blog posts to obtain any printables or instructions. Please pin from original sources and leave some love while you're over there! :)</i></div>
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<a href="http://www.simplypchee.com/p-chee-prints/color-your-heart-out-preschool-valentines/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XtnKIVmzIWw/VrJlqWKLtrI/AAAAAAAAHFg/VbHGKshUp-I/s640/IMG_7992.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.simplypchee.com/p-chee-prints/color-your-heart-out-preschool-valentines/" target="_blank">Color Your Heart Out via Simply Pchee</a></div>
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<a href="http://thebluerobincottage.blogspot.com/2013/02/will-zoo-be-mine.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cRu87PS6Uf8/VrJkg6Id4RI/AAAAAAAAHFU/HQYwSo7V8v4/s640/zoovalentines-0448.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://thebluerobincottage.blogspot.com/2013/02/will-zoo-be-mine.html" target="_blank">Zoo Valentine via The Blue Robin Cottage</a></div>
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<a href="http://overthebigmoon.com/stars-wars-printable-valentines/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5pSQ0YcFqbI/VrJrcoeOwTI/AAAAAAAAHGc/jkAf6WjN44M/s640/Star-Wars-Free-Printable-Valentines-copy.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://overthebigmoon.com/stars-wars-printable-valentines/" target="_blank">Star Wars Valentines via Over the Big Moon</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.yellowblissroad.com/smores-valentine-treat-free-printable/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j4U_TPmAgfE/VrJq_-ikdCI/AAAAAAAAHGY/3HOFj2IcWzo/s640/smores%2Bpackage.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.yellowblissroad.com/smores-valentine-treat-free-printable/" target="_blank">S'mores via Yellow Bliss Road</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.dandee-designs.com/2012/02/love-bug-valentines.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" Love Bugs via Dandee Designs" border="0" height="420" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aIjhaK8ZqxY/VrJl6Y8BoWI/AAAAAAAAHFk/0SMJe3nx0uo/s640/lovebugvalentines4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.dandee-designs.com/2012/02/love-bug-valentines.html" target="_blank">Love Bugs via Dandee Designs</a></div>
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<a href="https://liagriffith.com/kids-valentines-candy-huggers/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U-BKj7Mp8-8/VrJmyROYRTI/AAAAAAAAHFo/BZLDmo4_iLs/s640/Valentines_DIY_Candy_Huggers.jpg" width="578" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://liagriffith.com/kids-valentines-candy-huggers/" target="_blank">Candy Huggers via Lia Griffith</a></div>
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<img alt=" Hooked on You via Frugal Coupon Living" border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eD21VcIkr3E/VrJnIt8wXLI/AAAAAAAAHFw/cPgLgSo-3fQ/s640/hooked-on-you-bag-topper-valentine-frugal-coupon-living-fcl-685x1024.jpg" width="428" /></div>
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<a href="http://www.frugalcouponliving.com/diy-valentine-series/" target="_blank">Hooked on You via Frugal Coupon Living </a></div>
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<a href="http://www.cupcakecutiees.blogspot.com/2013/01/beary-love-valentine-card-diy-party.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-72ox58Z_9x8/VrJnwiO68PI/AAAAAAAAHF0/f8CjekB914o/s640/beary%2Bmuch.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.cupcakecutiees.blogspot.com/2013/01/beary-love-valentine-card-diy-party.html" target="_blank">Beary Love via Cupcake Cutiees</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.itsalwaysautumn.com/2014/02/07/valentines-day-card-make-kids.html?crlt.pid=camp.crlizQtEtl0E" target="_blank"><img alt=" You're a Star via It's Always Autumn" border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lAs0q_gH1xE/VrJogIxTgeI/AAAAAAAAHGA/C7WrnizkZjw/s640/valentines-cards-star-cute-printable-easy-diy-kids.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.itsalwaysautumn.com/2014/02/07/valentines-day-card-make-kids.html?crlt.pid=camp.crlizQtEtl0E" target="_blank">You're a Star via It's Always Autumn</a></div>
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<a href="http://thenerdswife.com/you-blow-me-away.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0U02BQyoHIc/VrJpBaS4M5I/AAAAAAAAHGM/QdyBPNE-kAE/s640/11876885513_23880c40b7_c.jpg" width="458" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://thenerdswife.com/you-blow-me-away.html" target="_blank">Blow Me Away via The Nerds Wife</a></div>
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<i style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'century gothic', trebuchet, arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;">Linking up with <a href="http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2015/11/wow-us-wednesdays-246.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Savvy Southern Style</a>, <a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com/super-easy-kitchen-projects/" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Remodelaholic</a>, and <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/p/link-parties_12.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">many other awesome blogs</a>!</i></div>
Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787893718907837905noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832570958842715922.post-90455383821553496132016-01-28T15:03:00.000-08:002016-02-04T16:09:18.737-08:00How to Frame a Wood SignHey, Friends! As promised, I'm back to spill all the details on how we framed our DIY lettered wood sign! If you missed the tutorial for making the sign, check it out <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2016/01/simple-foolproof-tutorial-for-making.html" target="_blank">here</a>! <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MvxVcs_2ZTc/VqqEgfAllhI/AAAAAAAAHCc/xj-2LbqpRB8/s1600/wood%2Bsign%2Bframe%2Blogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MvxVcs_2ZTc/VqqEgfAllhI/AAAAAAAAHCc/xj-2LbqpRB8/s640/wood%2Bsign%2Bframe%2Blogo.jpg" width="326" /></a></div>
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We designed our frame to have a groove inside for the sign to fit into. This allowed us to be able to frame and hang our sign without putting any nails into our sign. Here's how we did it!</div>
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<b>Step One- </b>Measure and cut a 1x2" board to the length of each side of your sign, <i>adding 2-3 extra inches per side to allow for adjustments or mistakes. </i>If you try to get a precise measurement before cutting your grooves, your measurements will be off. You'll trim the boards to exact length in Step 4.</div>
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<b>Step Two- </b>Next, make a groove in the wood for your sign to slide into. To accomplish this, lower the saw blade so that it is only sticking up about 1/3". Then, place your wood, broad side down, so that one edge of the wood extends about 1/4" past where the saw blade will hit. Place your saw guide along the other side to hold the wood straight, then make your cut all the way down the length of the board. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RjqEvM4QZB0/VqqNM2P61QI/AAAAAAAAHDQ/NHoohFgqgh0/s1600/table%2Bsaw%2Bset%2Bup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RjqEvM4QZB0/VqqNM2P61QI/AAAAAAAAHDQ/NHoohFgqgh0/s640/table%2Bsaw%2Bset%2Bup.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VcH-vmtS26Y/VqqNSpuus8I/AAAAAAAAHDY/ugGVJsnorbg/s1600/table%2Bsaw%2Bpusher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VcH-vmtS26Y/VqqNSpuus8I/AAAAAAAAHDY/ugGVJsnorbg/s640/table%2Bsaw%2Bpusher.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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After you've made your first groove, you'll repeat the process 2-3 more times on the same board, moving your wood over less than the width of the saw blade each time. As you do this, your groove will gradually get wider and wider. The goal is to get your groove wide enough for your sign to slide into. You want a good, snug fit. We ended up doing 4 passes over the table saw to get the perfect sized groove, but it may take you more or fewer passes depending on your sign width. After each pass over the table saw, do a check to see if your wood will slide over the sign. </div>
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See how the groove gets a little wider with each pass? </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Niizi0TeKh8/VqqNHYwhqBI/AAAAAAAAHDI/xNwz26vCayo/s1600/table%2Bsaw%2Bgroove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Niizi0TeKh8/VqqNHYwhqBI/AAAAAAAAHDI/xNwz26vCayo/s640/table%2Bsaw%2Bgroove.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Step Three- </b>Now that you have your grooves finished, dry fit your wood by sliding your two side boards onto the sign. Once your boards are in place, measure the width of your sign <i>inside the side frames. </i>This will give you a precise measurement for the top and bottom boards. Trim your top and bottom boards to your precise measurement. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--36ohJgbOJc/VqqOAD17FSI/AAAAAAAAHDg/YA5v0YBcX0Y/s1600/sign%2Bdiagram%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--36ohJgbOJc/VqqOAD17FSI/AAAAAAAAHDg/YA5v0YBcX0Y/s640/sign%2Bdiagram%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Step Four- </b>Dry fit all sides of your frame, squaring up the corners. Both side boards will be too long, so mark and trim off any excess wood. The boards should be in the order below. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Dbw_bJ3fBw/VqqRTXoXwwI/AAAAAAAAHDw/5iP3Xl-5BaY/s1600/sign%2Bdiagram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Dbw_bJ3fBw/VqqRTXoXwwI/AAAAAAAAHDw/5iP3Xl-5BaY/s640/sign%2Bdiagram.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Step Five- </b>Paint or stain your boards. I only bothered painting the sides that would be exposed. Hey, ya gotta save time where you can, right?</div>
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<b>Step Six-</b> When the paint or stain is completely dry, assemble your frame and secure it with a nail on each corner. We used a nail gun for this and it made it so easy! You can go back around and fill the groove and nail holes on each corner and touch up your paint, but I found that it wasn't even noticeable on my frame once on the wall, so I didn't need to. Your choice!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ty11wr4G3Eo/VqqUOopngUI/AAAAAAAAHEI/2iSiON-rvo4/s1600/nail%2Bgun%2Bframe%2Bplacement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ty11wr4G3Eo/VqqUOopngUI/AAAAAAAAHEI/2iSiON-rvo4/s640/nail%2Bgun%2Bframe%2Bplacement.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Step Seven- </b>Screw two short screws onto both of the back sides of your frame, leaving them sticking out about a quarter of an inch. Make sure not to screw them in too far or they will come out the side of the frame and that would be sad. ;) Wrap and string a wire from the screws to hang your sign. Done!!!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mfaD8g4kVXA/VqqWexw439I/AAAAAAAAHEc/j0lmPmu8Pd0/s1600/frame%2Bhanger%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mfaD8g4kVXA/VqqWexw439I/AAAAAAAAHEc/j0lmPmu8Pd0/s640/frame%2Bhanger%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Both the sign and the frame ended up being so much more simple than I anticipated! Can you believe that I had figured out my plans and purchased the supplies months and months ago, then procrastinated because I was intimidated and thought would be hard?! Seriously, if you love these signs, try this method out! It's so simple!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6YWQ5-JiKa0/VqqglsujdgI/AAAAAAAAHE8/BHjqpHLSbGQ/s1600/IMG_2808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6YWQ5-JiKa0/VqqglsujdgI/AAAAAAAAHE8/BHjqpHLSbGQ/s640/IMG_2808.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2016/01/simple-foolproof-tutorial-for-making.html" target="_blank">Click here</a> to see the simple and foolproof tutorial for how I made the lettered wood sign!</div>
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<a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2016/01/simple-foolproof-tutorial-for-making.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VAxCLq3gMNQ/VqFlWcNTw5I/AAAAAAAAG6k/xivQj7oVnwM/s640/lettered%2Bwood%2Bsign%2Bthumbnail.jpg" width="316" /></a></div>
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<i style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'century gothic', trebuchet, arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;">Linking up with <a href="http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2015/11/wow-us-wednesdays-246.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Savvy Southern Style</a>, <a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com/super-easy-kitchen-projects/" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Remodelaholic</a>, and <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/p/link-parties_12.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">many other awesome blogs</a>!</i></div>
Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787893718907837905noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832570958842715922.post-81526458020849699282016-01-26T19:56:00.000-08:002016-01-26T19:56:16.304-08:00Five Organizing Projects that FloppedAlright, friends, it's about to get real up in here. Like, real people living real lives with real kids with real busy schedules, kind of real. No pretty, styled pictures today!<br />
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Last week, I showed you our <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2016/01/top-5-organizing-projects-that-actually.html" target="_blank">top 5 organizing projects</a> that actually worked and stood the test of time. Check out that post if you haven't already and burn the images in your brain, because you'll want to remember them after you see the pictures I'm about to show you. ;)<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zleg5pcCNPY/Vqg_oUERPAI/AAAAAAAAG9w/3x1pPNHpt34/s1600/PicMonkey%2BCollage%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zleg5pcCNPY/Vqg_oUERPAI/AAAAAAAAG9w/3x1pPNHpt34/s640/PicMonkey%2BCollage%2B2.jpg" width="584" /></a></div>
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So, without further adieu, here's five organizing flops from around our house as well as my thoughts on what went wrong and what we're going to do about it. Be sure to check back over the next couple months to see how we remedy the problems!<br />
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<b>#1- Under the Kitchen Sink</b><br />
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When we first organized under the sink, we put in a large basket for dish towels, two baskets for napkins and bibs, and a wire shelf for baggies. Not too bad for a cheap storage solution, right? Heh...<br />
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<i>What went wrong?</i> The gray basket was too small and is constantly overflowing. It was literally the biggest basket that would fit, so I tried to make it work. But, ultimately, it's too small. The little baskets are the same story. They're too small and hard to access, especially when they're overflowing. The shelf is too long, restricting the gray basket size and slides back and forth causing the baggies to fall everywhere.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K1kMKyuOtfY/VqfurnDE6qI/AAAAAAAAG7o/yizK25Ox-lM/s1600/sink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K1kMKyuOtfY/VqfurnDE6qI/AAAAAAAAG7o/yizK25Ox-lM/s640/sink.jpg" width="474" /></a></div>
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<i>What are we going to do about it? </i>For this space, I think stackable storage baskets that actually fit the space is what we need. I'm thinking either of these would do the trick nicely! </div>
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<a href="http://www.containerstore.com/s/storage/stacking-storage/our-basic-stack-basket/12d?productId=10006896" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2LcfBwsBznE/VqfwpO1M3nI/AAAAAAAAG70/byGJhLPVy5Y/s400/OurBasicStackBasket_xl%2B2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.containerstore.com/s/storage/stacking-storage/our-basic-stack-basket/12d?productId=10006896" target="_blank">via Container Store</a></i></div>
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<a href="http://www.containerstore.com/s/kitchen/cabinet-organizers/lower-cabinets/2-tier-pull-out-cabinet-organizer/123d?productId=11000852" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZEVHxoTxfWo/VqfxwDfH8FI/AAAAAAAAG78/lp_FXCjKPDg/s400/10064781_2TierOrganizer_600.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.containerstore.com/s/kitchen/cabinet-organizers/lower-cabinets/2-tier-pull-out-cabinet-organizer/123d?productId=11000852" target="_blank">via Container Store</a></i></div>
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<b>#2- Winter Accessory Storage</b></div>
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I'll be honest, this one surprises me. Back when I was pregnant with Little Girlie, I was overdue and nesting and threw this hanger and Command Hooks onto the back of the coat closet door to store our winter accessories. It wasn't pretty, but it worked other than having to swing the scarves in as you were closing the door. Because it was working pretty well, I finally broke down and bought an official scarf organizer at Ikea thinking now I'd have more room for scarves and wouldn't have to do any maneuvering to get the door shut. Wrong. It's worse now and driving me nuts!</div>
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<i>What went wrong? </i>First, I have accumulated too.many.scarves. I need to purge. Second, not all of our gloves have clips to hang them with, so they get shoved into the bottom of the coat closet. I recently reorganized the coat closet and repurposed the hat basket for wrapping paper storage thinking I could store the hats on the scarf holder. Dumb move! The hats fall off all the time. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4MyFqwO2DWQ/VqfyQoBNGKI/AAAAAAAAG8E/xz1tu2vW8Qk/s1600/coat%2Bcloset%2Bdoor.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="450" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4MyFqwO2DWQ/VqfyQoBNGKI/AAAAAAAAG8E/xz1tu2vW8Qk/s640/coat%2Bcloset%2Bdoor.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>What are we going to do about it? </i>We need two designated baskets on the back of the door to toss gloves and hats into as well as some type of storage for my scarves after I pare down my collection. I'm thinking an over the door Elfa rack would be a great way to go! I like<a href="http://www.containerstore.com/s/elfa/best-selling-solutions/elfa-utility-door-wall-rack-systems/platinum-elfa-utility-closet-door-wall-rack-solution/123d?productId=11001383" target="_blank"> this one</a>, minus the jewelry part.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O3hRaR0anIo/Vqf1fMtMsHI/AAAAAAAAG8Q/lwzzEJFHmLk/s1600/PlatinumElfaDoorWallRackCloset_600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O3hRaR0anIo/Vqf1fMtMsHI/AAAAAAAAG8Q/lwzzEJFHmLk/s640/PlatinumElfaDoorWallRackCloset_600.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.containerstore.com/s/elfa/best-selling-solutions/elfa-utility-door-wall-rack-systems/platinum-elfa-utility-closet-door-wall-rack-solution/123d?productId=11001383" target="_blank">via The Container Store</a></i></div>
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<b>#3- Kids Schoolwork Storage</b></div>
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I love<a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/03/conquering-school-paper-monster.html" target="_blank"> the boxes</a> I bought for Little Man's schoolwork, the bulletin board is great for displaying masterpieces, there's a paper tray for blank paper, and a mounted paper file for finished work. Each piece is useful and well thought out and we love them. </div>
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<i>So, if we love it so much, what in the world went wrong? </i>This one goes to show you that organizational pieces are useless without a good, established organizational process. Instead of putting completed schoolwork into the "Inbox" and adding favorite pieces into the "Pre-K" box, the papers landed on the desktop because many of them were to finish at home or because I was in a hurry and simply didn't take the extra two seconds to put it in the box. Another reason they ended up on the desktop is because there is a "waiting period" before papers can disappear, if you know what I mean!</div>
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The desk organization didn't work because I didn't spend the time to practice the process with Little Man. He creates several drawings a day, so the papers pile up quickly and in just a couple days the desk and paper trays are literally overflowing. Everything is a masterpiece to him, so getting rid of a papers is hard for him. And, he's 5. There's definitely that factor. :)</div>
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The left is the "messy" picture. Thankfully, even though the boxes are completely full and I've started a pile on top, it's not terrible looking yet. The right picture is a picture showing the paper tray and file that I rummaged up. I wish I had a real, messy picture for you, but I just recently helped Little Man go through all of his papers. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8Pia2LMg-FU/VqgpKucJytI/AAAAAAAAG88/q3RJ1mmf7Zk/s1600/playroom%2Bdesk-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8Pia2LMg-FU/VqgpKucJytI/AAAAAAAAG88/q3RJ1mmf7Zk/s640/playroom%2Bdesk-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>What are we going to do about it? </i>I've been working with Little Man, helping him keep up with his desk and remembering where to put things when he's done. The more we practice, the more it will become second nature to him. I've also been working with him, helping him understand why we can't keep every.single.piece.of.paper that enters our home and helping him purge. He threw away a paper from school the other day and I was so proud of him. It was just a paper that he had glued things to, so there was no sentimental value. The fine motor skill practice was accomplished, so there was no reason to keep the paper anymore and he recognized that. Progress! We also cleared the bulletin board and hung up a new slew of masterpieces that he's super proud to display! </div>
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As for the boxes, I need to break my habit of dumping his papers on his desk and sort them as they come in. Basically, I need to buckle down and use the storage correctly! :) Anyone else get storage solutions and then not use them correctly? Anyone? Crickets?!</div>
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<b>#4- Playroom Closet Shelves</b></div>
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Oh boy, this one is bad... <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2013/04/playroom-progress-closet-clean-up.html" target="_blank">Remember our gorgeous closet</a>? Well, the three middle shelves don't look like that anymore, that's for sure. Whomp whomp. </div>
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<i>What went wrong? </i>In a nutshell, it's totally my fault. We moved the printer to the office and I stole the baskets for my <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/06/dining-room-organization.html" target="_blank">dining room cabinet</a>, so suddenly I had shelves of random stuff and no storage bins to contain it all. This closet holds a bunch of random things which makes is so hard to organize. Party supplies, craft supplies, stationary, a file system, coloring books, kids toys, art supplies, camera accessories, electronic cords and accessories, board games, holiday decor... you name it, this is the closet it lives in. Now take that list of stuff and try to organize it using reusable shopping bags you have on hand and this is what you get. A hot mess. Honestly, though, we didn't have the money at the time for new baskets, so we didn't buy baskets. Then, we forgot to add baskets to the budget priority list and this mess is a result. I guess it was out of sight, out of mind?</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SGIZNWTcqyY/Vqgsq_Kc-HI/AAAAAAAAG9I/tXGhBi91-fw/s1600/playroom%2Bcloset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SGIZNWTcqyY/Vqgsq_Kc-HI/AAAAAAAAG9I/tXGhBi91-fw/s640/playroom%2Bcloset.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>What are we going to do about it? </i>Get bins! I'm thinking of the same bins that I mentioned for under the sink because they are stackable and the contents are easily accessible without taking the entire bin out. Thankfully, the rest of the closet still looks great, so a few bins and we should be back in order!</div>
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<b>#5- Breakfast Nook Basket </b></div>
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After we installed <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/05/a-place-for-shoes.html" target="_blank">our favorite shoe cabinet</a>, we popped a cute basket on top for things like keys and sunglasses that we access as we walk in or out the door. However, looking at the bottom picture, you'll notice that keys and sunglasses aren't anywhere to be found in the heaping mess! This one may seem insignificant, but you'd be surprised how much a messy basket can make the entire breakfast nook look cluttered! </div>
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<i>What went wrong? </i>The basket quickly became a place to toss receipts or notes. Then, because our garage is detached, it became the holding spot for tools or hardware/supplies as they came in or were ready to leave the house. At that point, it was messy already, so it further devolved into a spot to put things for Jeremy to sort. It spiraled out of control quickly and hasn't been neat since. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9IvWsJJfQK0/VqguCyZpfdI/AAAAAAAAG9U/3ClkrgVnht4/s1600/basket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9IvWsJJfQK0/VqguCyZpfdI/AAAAAAAAG9U/3ClkrgVnht4/s640/basket.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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<i>What are we going to do about it? </i>There's a couple things that need to happen to fix this problem. First, just like <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/07/wait-no-more-challenge-breakfast-nook.html" target="_blank">I have folders in my mail sorter</a> slots for receipts and coupons, I need to make folders for Jeremy's mail slots, too, so that all of his papers have a clear home. Second, we need to stop making this a holding spot for things that belong in the garage! We have a <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/08/playroom-progress-organized-cabinets.html" target="_blank">bin for tools in the playroom cabinet</a>, so we need to start adding project supplies from the garage to that bin while we're working on something instead of letting them pile up in the basket. </div>
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<a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/07/wait-no-more-challenge-breakfast-nook.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HhseG0lfhI4/VqgyROXvf_I/AAAAAAAAG9g/mGhdNGmeawo/s640/mail%2Borganizer.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/08/playroom-progress-organized-cabinets.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jviVY5pn_Hw/VdOgiGxsaMI/AAAAAAAAGJg/99R_c0ta4J0/s640/organized%2Bplayroom%2Bbuilt%2Bin%2B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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There you have it! My Top 5 Organizing Flops! Do you have any organizing flops around your house? Spill the beans, I'd love to hear about them!</div>
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Don't forget to check back on Thursday to see how I framed our <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2016/01/simple-foolproof-tutorial-for-making.html" target="_blank">DIY Lettered Wood Sign</a>!</div>
Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787893718907837905noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832570958842715922.post-59794188977710780642016-01-21T15:44:00.002-08:002016-02-03T19:45:12.854-08:00Simple & Foolproof Tutorial for Making Your Own Lettered Wood Sign<br />
<i style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Century Gothic', Trebuchet, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;">*Affiliate links provided for your convenience. For more info, <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/p/disclosure.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">see my full disclosure here.</a></i><br />
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Are you all as obsessed as I am with the beautiful, lettered wood signs popping up all over the Internet and design world? I love the warmth, texture, and personal touch they add to a room!<br />
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The last big to-do for our living room makeover was to figure out some sort of large artwork for above the couch. After seeing my friend's wood sign, I fell in love and knew a wood sign would be a great choice for over our couch. We decided to use part of the chorus of the song "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MXtdSHNFxw" target="_blank">Safe</a>" that my husband sings to our kids all the time. It's sentimental and also a great promise to be reminded of throughout the day!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JnVESM--1r8/VqFtmgyELnI/AAAAAAAAG7A/WTFvcDZyv48/s1600/lettered%2Bwood%2Bsign%2Bthumbnail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JnVESM--1r8/VqFtmgyELnI/AAAAAAAAG7A/WTFvcDZyv48/s640/lettered%2Bwood%2Bsign%2Bthumbnail.jpg" width="316" /></a></div>
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Of course, after we decided on the text, I started stewing on how to actually DIY the sign. I read countless tutorials, but everything I found either required a projector which I had no access to, or required me to piece together multiple pieces of printed computer paper to fashion a stencil. That seemed like something I was sure to botch and end up with crooked text.</div>
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I brainstormed until I finally figured out a <i>simple </i>and <i>foolproof </i>method to making these awesome signs. Don't get overwhelmed by the length of this post-- it's a very simple process! The post is long because I wanted to include a picture of every single step to make the process as easy and straightforward as possible for you! Here's how I did it!</div>
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<b>Step One- </b>I started by typing out my text on PicMonkey.com, which you can use for free. We wanted a straight-lined, scripted look, but you could do any style font and layout you'd like! If you don't want all of your text in a perfect line, create your words in individual text boxes for easy maneuvering. PicMonkey has a great selection of fonts to choose from, but you can also use your own fonts which is what I did. </div>
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After I got the text how I wanted it, I saved it in their largest file size called the "Sean" size, like so.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-742EIOxIdoQ/VqFKC-0BeuI/AAAAAAAAG3c/YA8JVqVhWg4/s1600/pic%2Bmonkey%2Bfile%2Bsize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-742EIOxIdoQ/VqFKC-0BeuI/AAAAAAAAG3c/YA8JVqVhWg4/s640/pic%2Bmonkey%2Bfile%2Bsize.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Step Two- </b>Here's my biggest (proudest) lightbulb moment... <b>Make an engineer print of your text to use as a stencil!</b> By doing this, you will have a stencil that is <i>one sheet of paper</i> in the size you need! </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nwk1jT1tyV0/VqFP8pRIoII/AAAAAAAAG4I/qsWDi2K7sOc/s1600/engineer%2Bprint%2Bstencil%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nwk1jT1tyV0/VqFP8pRIoII/AAAAAAAAG4I/qsWDi2K7sOc/s640/engineer%2Bprint%2Bstencil%2B2.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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To make your <a href="http://www.staples.com/sbd/content/copyandprint/engineering-prints.html" target="_blank">engineer print</a>, simply upload your image to your local office supply store in the size closest to the size of sign you are making. I printed mine in the largest size option. There are two keys to getting a successful print; <b>make sure you save in the largest file size like I showed you above AND be sure to click the "Fit Content to Paper" check box. </b></div>
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Clearly, I was stoked to have a gigantic stencil to make copying all that text as easy as pie!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xXfh3jN6NwA/VqFNyT_z6eI/AAAAAAAAG30/0tYyFnrslps/s1600/engineer%2Bprint%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xXfh3jN6NwA/VqFNyT_z6eI/AAAAAAAAG30/0tYyFnrslps/s640/engineer%2Bprint%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Step Three-</b> Now that you have your stencil taken care of, it's time to prep your wood. I like to make the stencil before cutting the wood, because I can use painters tape to hang it on the wall and see if I like the size. Mine was a little taller than I wanted, so I trimmed some of the white space off the top and bottom, then measured my stencil to get the size dimensions for my wood.</div>
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Cut a piece of 1/4" plywood to the desired size. We used 1/4" plywood for this project to keep the sign nice and lightweight and easy to hang. Give it a good sand by hand or using an orbit sander. </div>
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<b>Step Four-</b> Paint or stain the wood. If you're going the paint route, I found that rolling the paint on with a foam roller was the fastest way with the best results. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tqHtaLCSjUI/VqFRbKBK7TI/AAAAAAAAG4U/ZAyf5tfI7FY/s1600/painting%2Bsign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tqHtaLCSjUI/VqFRbKBK7TI/AAAAAAAAG4U/ZAyf5tfI7FY/s640/painting%2Bsign.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Step Five- </b>Here's another lightbulb moment... <b>Use graphite transfer paper to transfer your lettering to the wood! </b>My Grandma taught me this method for transferring onto canvases back when she was teaching me to paint. I was thrilled when I tried it out on the wood and it worked like a charm! *<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000YQE75Y/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000YQE75Y&linkCode=as2&tag=litbitofhom-20&linkId=GNLWJ74TB7WSQMKC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Here's the graphite paper I used.</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=litbitofhom-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000YQE75Y" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> </div>
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Graphite paper is a breeze to use. It has a shiny side and a matte size. Place the shiny side down on your wood, then lay your engineer print stencil on top.</div>
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Line up your stencil exactly how you want it, then use painters tape to tape it down on two sides to prevent it from moving. I like to only tape on two sides if my graphite paper is not quite as big as the board. That way, I can slip my fingers or the eraser end of a pencil in and move the graphite paper over or down if necessary. </div>
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Now that your graphite paper is down and your stencil is taped into place, use a ballpoint pen to trace firmly along the perimeter of your text. Be sure that the graphite paper is underneath where you are tracing at all times. Depending on how much text you have, this step can take a bit of time, so pop in a movie or watch a football game while you trace! :) </div>
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After you've traced all of your letters, you'll be left with a nice outline on your wood! (This method works great on canvas, too!) If there are any stray marks or if you made a mistake, you can simply erase the mark with a pencil eraser. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--cKqQHErJSE/VqFX1JYiyLI/AAAAAAAAG5A/9nErbJSMfAI/s1600/tracing%2Boutline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--cKqQHErJSE/VqFX1JYiyLI/AAAAAAAAG5A/9nErbJSMfAI/s640/tracing%2Boutline.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Step Six- </b>Now that you have your stencil transferred to the wood, fill the outline in with paint! Here's my last big tip for you... <b>Use a liner brush to paint flawless lettering! </b>(No, not <a href="http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod6330145" target="_blank">this kind</a> of liner brush. Ha!) This is another lesson I learned from my Grandma! A good liner brush is only a couple dollars and will get you great results and give you much more control over your lettering. </div>
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Here's *<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XZEFCG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000XZEFCG&linkCode=as2&tag=litbitofhom-20&linkId=PB62WNA7DE6XN5Q3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the brush</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=litbitofhom-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000XZEFCG" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
I used. I also have a longer, slightly fuller one that I love, too. I bought mine at Michael's and used a coupon to make it super cheap. I couldn't find it on their website, but check your local store! </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FxcPWrs0vX0/VqFbO_jxsTI/AAAAAAAAG5M/47yPxYfBY_Q/s1600/liner%2Bbrush%2Blettering.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FxcPWrs0vX0/VqFbO_jxsTI/AAAAAAAAG5M/47yPxYfBY_Q/s640/liner%2Bbrush%2Blettering.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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If you've never used a liner brush before, here's a couple quick tips. Roll the brush in a thin layer of paint, then gently roll it on your plate or flat surface to get off any excess paint. You want the paint to be evenly distributed on the brush. When painting, the harder you press and the closer your brush is to the surface of the wood, the thicker the line will be. I recommend using a nice, light touch for the most precise line. Practice a letter or two on some scrap paper to get a feel for it. It's very simple and gives such great results, so it's worth learning!<br />
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I used the liner brush for all of the text on my sign. I outlined, then filled, all with the liner brush. I used light pressure for the outline and filled using more pressure on my brush to spread the paint faster. Can you tell I love the liner brush?! My Grandma taught me well. ;)<br />
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Again, this step can take a bit of time. I had a little Friends marathon during a couple of Little Girlie's naps and got it done.<br />
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Once you're finished lettering, you're done! After it's dry, you could lightly sand to distress it with sandpaper if you'd like, but I chose to leave mine as is. You can prop it up on a mantle, buffet, or dresser or you can frame it and hang it up like we did. If you are interested in seeing how we framed our sign, <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2016/01/how-to-frame-wood-sign.html" target="_blank">click here</a>!<br />
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We absolutely LOVE it!<br />
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We love the style and personal touch it adds to the living room!<br />
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I hope this tutorial helps you create your own sign without all the stress! If you do your own sign, I'd love to see it! Send me a picture via email (littlebitsofhomeblog@gmail.com) or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/littlebitsofhome/" target="_blank">facbook</a> or use the hashtag #littlebitsofhomesigns on Instagram and Twitter!<br />
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<i>See the tutorial for how we framed and hung our sign <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2016/01/how-to-frame-wood-sign.html" target="_blank">here</a>! </i><br />
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<a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2016/01/how-to-frame-wood-sign.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MvxVcs_2ZTc/VqqEgfAllhI/AAAAAAAAHCg/YF__-G35b5Q/s640/wood%2Bsign%2Bframe%2Blogo.jpg" width="326" /></a></div>
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<i style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'century gothic', trebuchet, arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;">Linking up with <a href="http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2015/11/wow-us-wednesdays-246.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Savvy Southern Style</a>, <a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com/super-easy-kitchen-projects/" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Remodelaholic</a>, and <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/p/link-parties_12.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">many other awesome blogs</a>!</i></div>
Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787893718907837905noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832570958842715922.post-80079392537998888052016-01-19T20:12:00.000-08:002016-01-22T19:43:55.997-08:00Top 5 Organizing Projects That Actually WorkHave you ever seen a great, new organization idea, but then wondered if the new system or solution worked long term? I've shared my fair share of <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/search/label/Organizing" target="_blank">organizational projects</a> here on the blog and am going to give you the scoop. The <i>real </i>scoop. The nitty gritty on what worked and what didn't.<br />
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Today I'm sharing the top 5 organizational projects I've done around my house that <i>actually worked. </i>And, I'm not talking about worked for a week. I'm talking long term, tried and true favorites. Then, next week, I'll be back to share which projects didn't stand the test of time. Or just simply didn't hold up to distractable me! Ha! So, stayed tuned to hear about my flopped organizational attempts!<br />
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Let's get into the successes! Here's my top five in no particular order!<br />
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<b><i>#1- Breakfast Nook Shoe Cabinet</i></b><br />
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I heart this <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/05/a-place-for-shoes.html" target="_blank">shoe cabinet</a>! I knew this IKEA cabinet would be a great fit for our breakfast nook soon after we moved in, but the finances weren't right to be spending money on it. I waited for three years for it to creep its way up on the budget priority list. That also meant that I was three years sure I wanted it and it would be a good solution to our shoe storage issues. I LOVE it so much! It holds a ton of shoes and looks stylish while being super practical. I can't recommend it enough!<br />
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<b><i>#2- Hallway Command Center</i></b><br />
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I have never blogged our command center even though I've had it on the wall in our hallway for as long as we've lived here. Time to remedy that because this spot in the house keeps me organized with our appointments and commitments. In our old house, we had a simple wipe-off calendar on the fridge and it helped me keep up with our schedule better than anything else! I was super disappointed that our fridge in this house is not magnetic so I couldn't continue my fridge calendar. Thankfully, we had the perfect spot in the hallway for a wall wipe-off calendar as well as a little white board for notes and pinning up reminder cards and stamps. Jeremy and I both use and update the calendar, so it's the best way to sync our schedules.<br />
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Last year, I hung our Christmas cards with mini clothespins and twine above the calendar. I loved seeing our family and friend's smiling faces there and ended up leaving the photo cards up all year long! I did the same thing this year and it always brings a smile to my face!<br />
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<b><i>#3- Dining Room Teal Cabinet</i></b><br />
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The <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/06/dining-room-organization.html" target="_blank">teal cabinet </a>has gotten quite a bit of publicity on this blog, but for good reason! With no pantry, this cabinet is a major workhorse for us, storing all of our breakfast foods and snacks. We use it all day long and love it! Bonus points, it is absolutely adorable!<br />
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<a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/06/dining-room-organization.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uvCK1rlgfW4/VXCxwTcykxI/AAAAAAAAFd8/0IgEmadfqCA/s640/cabinet%2B2.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<b><i>#4- Cabinet Door Organizer</i></b><br />
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This is by far the simplest organizing solution to make the list, but sometimes simple is what you need, right? A couple years ago, <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2012/08/cabinet-organizer-score.html" target="_blank">we attached this cabinet door organizer</a> to one of the cabinets under the sink and it has worked great for us! It keeps our wraps and bags accessible without taking up precious drawer space.<br />
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<a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2012/08/cabinet-organizer-score.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sf07_35oR7U/Vp7-X0yezhI/AAAAAAAAG2s/z9mfvZezVCw/s640/IMG_2699.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<b><i>#5- Playroom Book Ledges</i></b><br />
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I LOVE the <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/04/playroom-progess-book-ledges.html" target="_blank">book ledges</a> we built for the playroom. The ledges allow the kids to see the books at a glance, get them down, and put them back completely independently! So very nice! I love that my kids can be responsible without needing any assistance from me. Win!<br />
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<a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/04/playroom-progess-book-ledges.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="482" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fczqG9NWFwM/Vp63REFj1II/AAAAAAAAG2A/4R_7fiwxYJI/s640/book%2Bledges%2B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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What are your best organizational projects? I'd love to hear about them or see links to your posts! </div>
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<i style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'century gothic', trebuchet, arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;">Linking up with <a href="http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2015/11/wow-us-wednesdays-246.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Savvy Southern Style</a>, <a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com/super-easy-kitchen-projects/" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Remodelaholic</a>, and <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/p/link-parties_12.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">many other awesome blogs</a>!</i></div>
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<i style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Century Gothic', Trebuchet, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;">Linking up with <a href="http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2015/11/wow-us-wednesdays-246.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Savvy Southern Style</a>, <a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com/super-easy-kitchen-projects/" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Remodelaholic</a>, and <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/p/link-parties_12.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">many other awesome blogs</a>!</i></div>
Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787893718907837905noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832570958842715922.post-6122990693534671102016-01-14T13:52:00.000-08:002016-01-15T18:55:35.595-08:00Bathroom Countertop Tray<br />
Hey Friends! I seriously miss you all when I haven't gotten to post! We are finally almost all feeling better at my house. Wahoo! You all know what that means, right? More projects! Yay!<br />
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Today's project is actually one that I finished a couple months ago and has been working hard for us ever since! I'm not sure about you, but our bathroom counters tend to get cluttered really quickly. Hair ties, jewelry, hair products I haven't put away yet... You name it, it gets left out on the counter in a rush. I had to stop the madness and get some sort of organization going on!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bFw9H86p-q4/VpgUQXnWFAI/AAAAAAAAG1w/kpWKib4OGv4/s1600/bathroom%2Btray%2B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bFw9H86p-q4/VpgUQXnWFAI/AAAAAAAAG1w/kpWKib4OGv4/s640/bathroom%2Btray%2B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I've had two little glass vases full of Q-tips and cotton balls out on our counters for years and love them. I think that was literally the very first idea I saw on Pinterest and copied! I wanted to keep those vases, but add a tray to ground them and give me space to set my jewelry and a bottle or two of frequently used products.<br />
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I was planning to DIY a little tray, but ended up finding an unfinished wood tray at Michael's for only a couple dollars after using a coupon. Score! I filled any rough spots and wood grain, then sanded it down nice and smooth.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BfMHHZjbHCU/VpgQ_Sm9q3I/AAAAAAAAG1A/LaBNIvXOdhY/s1600/prep%2Bsteps%2Bbathroom%2Btray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BfMHHZjbHCU/VpgQ_Sm9q3I/AAAAAAAAG1A/LaBNIvXOdhY/s640/prep%2Bsteps%2Bbathroom%2Btray.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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After I got it all prepped, I gave it a couple coats of gray spray paint. Clearly, I'm not a good photographer while spray painting. That, or I really wanted to show you my hand. #notahandmodel<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VvDoeYBrcaU/VpgRg5FdznI/AAAAAAAAG1I/po9GXHuu5XU/s1600/paint%2Bbathroom%2Btray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VvDoeYBrcaU/VpgRg5FdznI/AAAAAAAAG1I/po9GXHuu5XU/s640/paint%2Bbathroom%2Btray.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now comes the blogger fail... I took a picture of the next step, but it has vanished! I can't find it anywhere. Thankfully, it's pretty self explanatory. I cut a piece of gray and white striped wrapping paper to fit the bottom of the tray, brushed some Mod Podge to the bottom of the tray, then working from one side to the other, gently laid the paper down, scoring it with a credit card along the way to get any air bubbles out. After the paper was completely down, I brushed a layer of Mod Podge to the top of the paper to give it a water resistant seal.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b2E2uGqIP8M/VpgTR-sBVpI/AAAAAAAAG1k/3D7TrMGYtik/s1600/bathroom%2Btray%2Bstripes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b2E2uGqIP8M/VpgTR-sBVpI/AAAAAAAAG1k/3D7TrMGYtik/s640/bathroom%2Btray%2Bstripes.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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To further finish off my tray, I attached two decorative handles to the sides. I knew that I wouldn't be moving the tray except to clean, so I took the easy, lazy way out and glued the handles on. #rulebreaker If you attach yours the normal, correct way so you can actually use the handles, be sure to sink your screws so that the tray lays flat on the counter.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Et9ruDehuoU/VpgTNe81nKI/AAAAAAAAG1c/B5_LHTw-UN0/s1600/bathroom%2Btray%2Bhandle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Et9ruDehuoU/VpgTNe81nKI/AAAAAAAAG1c/B5_LHTw-UN0/s640/bathroom%2Btray%2Bhandle.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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I love that I have a designated dish for my jewelry when I'm in the shower and having the cotton balls and Q-tips out is super handy! It's also a great spot to leave my facial moisturizer out without it looking messy. Of course, nothing will help my continual cycle of finding a forgotten bobby pin in my hair while shampooing and trying to throw it over the shower wall and make it onto the counter. It always lands in the sink. Ha! Some people never learn...<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bFw9H86p-q4/VpgUQXnWFAI/AAAAAAAAG1s/0e6mamem9Gs/s1600/bathroom%2Btray%2B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bFw9H86p-q4/VpgUQXnWFAI/AAAAAAAAG1s/0e6mamem9Gs/s640/bathroom%2Btray%2B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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What are your bathroom organizational tricks and tips?<br />
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Product Sources: </div>
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<i>Tray- Michaels</i></div>
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<i>Handles- Lowes</i></div>
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<i>Wrapping Paper- Home Goods</i></div>
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<i>Square Vases- Walmart circa 2009</i></div>
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<i>Jewelry Dish- World Market (only $1.99!)</i><br />
<i>Flowers- TJ Maxx</i><br />
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<i style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Century Gothic', Trebuchet, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">Linking up with <a href="http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2015/11/wow-us-wednesdays-246.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Savvy Southern Style</a>, <a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com/super-easy-kitchen-projects/" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Remodelaholic</a>, and <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/p/link-parties_12.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">many other awesome blogs</a>!</i></div>
Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787893718907837905noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832570958842715922.post-65290454097909764022016-01-06T17:35:00.003-08:002016-01-06T17:35:37.494-08:00No Spend JanuaryHey, Friends! Are you all getting back into the swing of things now that the holidays are over? We have been sick, so getting back into our normal routines has been slow going! But, at least we have gotten all the Christmas decorations packed up and put away. I was really sad to take them down, but I do love how open and airy the house feels without a giant tree and extra decor around.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-juLZsEFdWO8/Vo2_eJd0eCI/AAAAAAAAG0c/v-Nj8vHnXp4/s1600/blog%2Bcollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-juLZsEFdWO8/Vo2_eJd0eCI/AAAAAAAAG0c/v-Nj8vHnXp4/s640/blog%2Bcollage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I don't know about you, but after all the extra spending over the holidays in gifts and groceries, we are ready for our debit cards to cool off! We decided to make January a no spend month, meaning that we only purchase essentials like groceries and household supplies. No buying project supplies or anything for around the house.<br />
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I thought it'd be a great time to catch up on some lingering projects that have been on my to do list that I already have the supplies needed to complete. Here's what is on the agenda. We'll see how many we can cross off during our no spend month!<br />
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-Coat hooks for Jeremy's office<br />
-Boot tray for Jeremy's office<br />
-Hang artwork in office<br />
-Raise curtain rods in master bedroom and <i>finally </i>reveal them to you!<br />
-Hang artwork in master bedroom<br />
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Do you sense a theme? Looks like the office and master bedroom will be getting some loving this month! Have I even shown the office on the blog yet?! Three and a half years of blogging and I don't think the office has appeared on here once! Whoops! We'll fix that really soon. ;)<br />
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Hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week!Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787893718907837905noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832570958842715922.post-87015845854557562412015-12-28T22:32:00.000-08:002015-12-29T10:34:28.000-08:00Best of 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Hi, Friends! I hope your Christmas was wonderful! Ours was so great! I feel like it gets better and better as the kids get older. I'm so thankful for our little family and the time we got to spend together! </div>
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To close out 2015, I thought it'd be fun to recap some of our favorite projects and most popular posts from the past year! As a blogger, it can be easy to look around the house and see a to-do list, but writing this post has really given me a good look at just how much we got accomplished in the last year. Whew, it was a busy one for us and our power tools have barely had time to cool off! </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dS1kFe6QKDI/VoLRqUJZ9_I/AAAAAAAAGzQ/7dKkuR4nCi4/s1600/best%2Bof%2Bcollage%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dS1kFe6QKDI/VoLRqUJZ9_I/AAAAAAAAGzQ/7dKkuR4nCi4/s640/best%2Bof%2Bcollage%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We started off the year with one of my favorite projects to date, our <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/02/repurposed-train-table.html" target="_blank">repurposed train table</a>! Little Man uses it every day for his Legos! I love that he can easily slide it back under his bed when it's time to clean up! </div>
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<a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/02/repurposed-train-table.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dC93aw6fpQY/VoIGQOxQNSI/AAAAAAAAGyE/xG-NRM_yihw/s640/under%2Bbed%2Btrain%2Btable%2Bv1.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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I conquered <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/03/how-to-paint-stairwell-without-hiring.html" target="_blank">painting our stairwell</a> without needing to hire help or buy a special ladder... and felt ridiculously proud of myself afterward. I think I've racked up about 279 victory dances over that stairwell! </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oH25W9gfDc8/VoIGPbPjYeI/AAAAAAAAGyc/0vlAFjpR8XE/s1600/paint%2Bstairwell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oH25W9gfDc8/VoIGPbPjYeI/AAAAAAAAGyc/0vlAFjpR8XE/s640/paint%2Bstairwell.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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After our hallway got a fresh coat of paint, I <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/04/hallway-gallery-wall.html" target="_blank">hung a gallery wall</a> and it quickly became my most popular post of all time! Three and a half years of blogging and this is by far my most viewed post. Who knew?! It definitely makes me smile every time I walk by! </div>
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<a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/04/hallway-gallery-wall.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jb4U07SkMYg/VoIGO1JYJuI/AAAAAAAAGyU/QewapjV76vE/s640/gallery%2Bwall%2Bthumb.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Another post that was super popular with you all was <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/05/a-place-for-shoes.html" target="_blank">this one on how we organized our shoes</a>. I absolutely love this cabinet and am so thankful to have a solution for our shoe mess! It holds so many shoes that we don't need to keep shoes in the coat closet at all anymore! Hello new found storage space!</div>
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<a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/05/a-place-for-shoes.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JyQ6X2yL_TE/VoIGPzIHJ8I/AAAAAAAAGyQ/eWPmo3_V3-c/s640/shoe%2Bstorage.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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Our dining room saw three main changes this year that have made such a difference! We started by hanging a <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/02/a-tweaked-layout-and-new-gallery-wall.html" target="_blank">gallery wall</a> of our favorite artwork and photos. Then, I <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/06/dining-room-organization.html" target="_blank">organized the cabinet</a> and <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/05/haggled-chandelier-for-win.html" target="_blank">haggled for an amazing deal on a new light</a>. The room feels so much lighter and more airy now!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-klQoO_8rOG0/VoIGPJaF3hI/AAAAAAAAGx8/_SXW5Ud-Zag/s1600/dining%2Broom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-klQoO_8rOG0/VoIGPJaF3hI/AAAAAAAAGx8/_SXW5Ud-Zag/s640/dining%2Broom.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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After three years of intermittent playroom projects, we made a big push to finish it up. One of the projects we've been loving is the <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/07/hot-wheels-parking-garage.html" target="_blank">wall car parking garage</a> we built! It frees up storage on the built-in while adding a fun, decorative touch to the room. The kids really enjoy it! </div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nzKZEmVw4Js/VoIGO-8bdGI/AAAAAAAAGxw/J_q7NMJbQ88/s640/car%2Bwall%2Bgarage.jpg" width="426" /></div>
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Our living room also got a big push this year. We <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/03/fireplace-planking-reveal.html" target="_blank">planked above the fireplace</a> and <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/07/prettying-up-fireplace.html" target="_blank">found a great mirror for the mantle</a> that I love! We actually just finished our last big living room project that I'm itching to show you all after the holidays!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wUopNho1360/VoIGPcjJEKI/AAAAAAAAGyk/a7ByfMGfRmk/s1600/mirror%2Bfireplace%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wUopNho1360/VoIGPcjJEKI/AAAAAAAAGyk/a7ByfMGfRmk/s640/mirror%2Bfireplace%2B1.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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One of our biggest projects of 2015 was building the <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/08/living-room-built-in-reveal.html" target="_blank">living room built-in</a>. I still walk by it and just have to compliment my husband <i>again</i> on his woodwork. It is beautiful and just like I dreamed up in my head. Jeremy did such a great job on it! It really balances out the living room and feels like it has always been there.</div>
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<a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/08/living-room-built-in-reveal.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xv5KTs9qYHA/VoIGZbI_yiI/AAAAAAAAGyw/M78z74qSqmk/s640/built%2Bin%2B3.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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In the fall, I created some <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/09/diy-no-sew-pumpkin-pillow.html" target="_blank">no-sew pillows</a> for our front porch and you all loved them! I'm still so excited to have figured out a way to make pillows without needing to do that dreaded sewing thing! ;) </div>
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<a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/09/diy-no-sew-pumpkin-pillow.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tJHPG69vdM4/VoIGPp_3CrI/AAAAAAAAGyM/ccpwgp43wOY/s640/pumpkin%2Bpillow%2Bgraphic.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I also made this <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/10/homeforthefallidays-halloween-craft.html" target="_blank">textured jute pumpkin</a> and was SO stinking thrilled to see it featured on <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hometalk/39-halloween-decorations_b_8278828.html" target="_blank">Huffington Post</a>! Say what?! I'm still grinning from ear to ear over that!<br />
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<a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/10/homeforthefallidays-halloween-craft.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5izGsYn4ik4/VoIGP8LBrCI/AAAAAAAAGyg/q49Ra_YKUAM/s640/textured%2Bjute%2Bpumpkin.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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Toward the end of the year, we made the last sprint to finish the playroom and <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/10/bright-and-cheery-playroom-reveal.html" target="_blank">finally revealed it</a> to you all. It feels so good to have this room completely done! The kids love it and enjoy it every day! I'm so glad we let it evolve over time and really think about storage solutions that the kids could utilize independently! </div>
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<a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/10/bright-and-cheery-playroom-reveal.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lgBy7evoQ7I/VoIGPnzd_5I/AAAAAAAAGyI/PeH4nb4EgNs/s640/playroom%2Breveal.jpg" width="448" /></a></div>
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The last project of 2015 quickly spiraled into our biggest, most intense project of the year! What started out as a simple bathroom refresh turned into a <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/11/one-room-challenge-bathroom-reveal.html" target="_blank">bathroom remodel</a>. What made it even crazier was that the timeline shrunk from 6 weeks to 3 weeks because we were throwing Little Man a party and needed to have this bathroom operational for our guests. That was stressful, but my hubby is a rockstar and we got it done!</div>
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<a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/11/one-room-challenge-bathroom-reveal.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lBgcavRGdP0/VoIGZReM7GI/AAAAAAAAGy0/yeeM92a9VTg/s640/bathroom%2Breveal%2Blogo.jpg" width="624" /></a></div>
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We ended the year by putting down the power tools and putting up the twinkle lights and <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/12/christmas-touches-around-house-2015.html" target="_blank">cozy Christmas decor</a>. What a great way to finish out 2015!<br />
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<a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/12/christmas-touches-around-house-2015.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bsr1ozG9brg/VnHSFUhRYMI/AAAAAAAAGuo/rKC75Vufhlk/s640/christmas%2Bfireplace%2B1.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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Happy New Year, Friends! I'll see you in 2016!<br />
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<i>Linking up with</i> <a href="http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2015/12/wow-us-wednesdays-251.html" style="color: #d0b357; font-family: Georgia, 'Century Gothic', Trebuchet, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22.4px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Savvy Southern Style</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'century gothic', trebuchet, arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22.4px;">, </span><a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com/super-easy-kitchen-projects/" style="color: #d0b357; font-family: Georgia, 'Century Gothic', Trebuchet, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22.4px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Remodelaholic</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'century gothic', trebuchet, arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22.4px;">, <a href="http://www.pocketofposies.com/journal/2015/12/7/dream-create-inspire-link-26" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Pocketful of Posies</a>, <a href="http://justagirlandherblog.com/hit-me-with-your-best-shot-97/" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Just a Girl</a>, and </span><a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/p/link-parties_12.html" style="color: #d0b357; font-family: Georgia, 'Century Gothic', Trebuchet, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22.4px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">many other awesome blogs</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'century gothic', trebuchet, arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22.4px;">!</span></div>
Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787893718907837905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832570958842715922.post-7000348459822003962015-12-16T13:45:00.000-08:002015-12-16T13:45:14.052-08:00Christmas Touches Around the House {2015}I'm not sure about you, but this is my very favorite time of year! Christmas is our favorite holiday, so we decorate for it way more than we decorate for any other holiday. My favorite part of Christmas decor is the twinkle lights. Every year, I find more ways to incorporate twinkle lights into the decor. I love when it gets dark outside and the house is all lit up and cozy!<br />
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I wanted to share some of our Christmas decorations from this year. Enjoy the mini home tour! Come on in!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MlAge5MLq98/VnHaXA8-G1I/AAAAAAAAGw4/Vy3TkmCEe88/s1600/christmas%2Bwreath%2B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MlAge5MLq98/VnHaXA8-G1I/AAAAAAAAGw4/Vy3TkmCEe88/s640/christmas%2Bwreath%2B.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bsr1ozG9brg/VnHSFUhRYMI/AAAAAAAAGuk/n7PmCD-xwUc/s1600/christmas%2Bfireplace%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bsr1ozG9brg/VnHSFUhRYMI/AAAAAAAAGuk/n7PmCD-xwUc/s640/christmas%2Bfireplace%2B1.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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I mainly used things we had on hand already for our mantle. Remember the <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2012/12/christmas-tree-crafts.html" target="_blank">Christmas trees </a>I made a few years ago? They're still going strong!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nHUtqbj8YP8/VnHSOrgOc9I/AAAAAAAAGus/BR72ZDRsXr4/s1600/christmas%2Bfireplace%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nHUtqbj8YP8/VnHSOrgOc9I/AAAAAAAAGus/BR72ZDRsXr4/s640/christmas%2Bfireplace%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I did pick up new glittery garlands last year after Christmas from Michael's. I only paid a couple dollars for them! The mercury glass votives were an after Christmas clearance steal from Target last year. Love them!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t9-XksrTD70/VnHS0CXXB5I/AAAAAAAAGu0/2IYN3YiNhWg/s1600/christmas%2Bliving%2Broom%2B4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t9-XksrTD70/VnHS0CXXB5I/AAAAAAAAGu0/2IYN3YiNhWg/s640/christmas%2Bliving%2Broom%2B4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I threw some greens from Trader Joes into a white pitcher dressed up with some Target Dollar Spot ribbon. The cute little sign is also from the Dollar Spot!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w21NkRz22y8/VnHT7V1Zu9I/AAAAAAAAGvA/PaQRLfDMnG8/s1600/christmas%2Bfireplace%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w21NkRz22y8/VnHT7V1Zu9I/AAAAAAAAGvA/PaQRLfDMnG8/s640/christmas%2Bfireplace%2B3.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Eg1wyqMTeEA/VnHUVEtcO5I/AAAAAAAAGvI/LBJ74m1cBFI/s1600/christmas%2Bliving%2Broom%2B7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Eg1wyqMTeEA/VnHUVEtcO5I/AAAAAAAAGvI/LBJ74m1cBFI/s640/christmas%2Bliving%2Broom%2B7.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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The built-in is another area where I used things from around the house... Vases and gift wrapped books got dressed up with greens and berries for a festive touch. Cheap decor for the win!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EP6Pi6BbLx0/VnHUeZRMaxI/AAAAAAAAGvU/cnFXA773Jo4/s1600/chrismtas%2Bliving%2Broom%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EP6Pi6BbLx0/VnHUeZRMaxI/AAAAAAAAGvU/cnFXA773Jo4/s640/chrismtas%2Bliving%2Broom%2B3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Every year, I host a Favorite Things party (SO fun!) and this vase was one of the things I came away with. I love it and can't wait to switch out the contents to match the seasons! Thanks, Heather!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GK-1wugQeUs/VnHUeTMtXAI/AAAAAAAAGvY/KE7tXVTfnPk/s1600/christmas%2Bliving%2Broom%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GK-1wugQeUs/VnHUeTMtXAI/AAAAAAAAGvY/KE7tXVTfnPk/s640/christmas%2Bliving%2Broom%2B1.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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I bought the reindeer a while ago off a friend who was moving. Our Elf was totally found riding it this morning. Haha! And don't get me started on that wooden snowflake! I found that for uber cheap at Home Goods!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aEdnWmDCznk/VnHUeqF22HI/AAAAAAAAGvQ/k6JA7wlQNMM/s1600/christmas%2Bliving%2Broom%2B5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aEdnWmDCznk/VnHUeqF22HI/AAAAAAAAGvQ/k6JA7wlQNMM/s640/christmas%2Bliving%2Broom%2B5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This basket holds our Christmas books. I wrapped the front book to make it look cuter--and let's face it, we can't set out presents ahead of time with little kids at home, so this is how I get to have pretty wrapped "presents"! ;)<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9lJlRw49Oig/VnHUfafLe3I/AAAAAAAAGvk/WmZK5On8guA/s1600/christmas%2Bliving%2Broom%2B6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9lJlRw49Oig/VnHUfafLe3I/AAAAAAAAGvk/WmZK5On8guA/s640/christmas%2Bliving%2Broom%2B6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Not much has changed with our tree. We use the same red bead garland and silver ornaments each year as our base, then layer on the sentimental ornaments. It's just the right combination of coordinated and homey.<br />
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Little Man brought home this ornament from school today for Hubby and I. Melt!!!<br />
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The stair banisters got decked out in cheap Ikea garlands and wrapped in Dollar Spot LED lights. The dining room got a few basic Christmas touches, but nothing as elaborate as years past. (<a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2013/12/simple-christmas-dining-room.html" target="_blank">Click here for my favorite dining room decor to date!</a>) </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yzYHJ0M2WBQ/VnHWzr8TR1I/AAAAAAAAGwE/uhZGIL1iTK8/s1600/christmas%2Bdining%2Broom%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yzYHJ0M2WBQ/VnHWzr8TR1I/AAAAAAAAGwE/uhZGIL1iTK8/s640/christmas%2Bdining%2Broom%2B2.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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The "joy" sign remains one of my favorite Christmas decorations of all time!<br />
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I found this cute little tree on clearance for a few bucks at Target in spring or summer. It was a weird time, but that is probably why it was dirt cheap!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2SvACj2cxWE/VnHWzvOJP7I/AAAAAAAAGwY/4JU4FQOVWmU/s1600/christmas%2Bcenterpiece%2B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2SvACj2cxWE/VnHWzvOJP7I/AAAAAAAAGwY/4JU4FQOVWmU/s640/christmas%2Bcenterpiece%2B.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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I switched out the ribbon on the <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/2015/12/glittered-reindeer-wreath.html" target="_blank">reindeer wreath</a> for something a little more relaxed and love it even more now!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fR6m1YDwqMA/VnHYCMlkDxI/AAAAAAAAGwc/QDTr4xhFhd4/s1600/christmas%2Breindeer%2Bwreath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fR6m1YDwqMA/VnHYCMlkDxI/AAAAAAAAGwc/QDTr4xhFhd4/s640/christmas%2Breindeer%2Bwreath.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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Our entry got touch of Christmas via a $6 tree from Michael's that I threw into an old metal bucket and topped with some ribbon. The advent calender was another after Christmas Target find that was super cheap. Are you sensing a theme? Shop after Christmas and get decorations on the cheap! I usually buy things when they are 75-80% off!<br />
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Hope you enjoyed the peek into our home! Blogging from now through New Year's may be a bit sporadic, but I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas celebrating Jesus' birth!<br />
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<br />Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787893718907837905noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832570958842715922.post-32830840120157141162015-12-11T14:07:00.003-08:002015-12-15T17:48:52.572-08:00Glittered Reindeer WreathThe other day, you know, back in August when <strike>weird</strike> prepared people start thinking about Christmas decorations, I spotted <a href="http://www.michaels.com/deer-wreath-by-celebrate-it/10454396.html#q=deer+wreath&start=1" target="_blank">this</a> adorable deer wreath at Michael's. I scooped it up super fast and started dreaming up plans for it.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CCXPbdCtSAU/VmtHpKuq0TI/AAAAAAAAGt4/FCXYnpkmQAU/s1600/reindeer%2Bwreath%2Blogo-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CCXPbdCtSAU/VmtHpKuq0TI/AAAAAAAAGt4/FCXYnpkmQAU/s640/reindeer%2Bwreath%2Blogo-4.jpg" width="342" /></a></div>
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I originally was thinking of painting it white and layering it over a boxwood wreath, but sadly Trader Joes hasn't had their $10 boxwood wreaths and I can't afford a good-sized preserved one. Sad times. After more stewing, the idea to use glitter popped into my brain and the rest is history!<br />
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I sanded the wreath down really well, focusing on the rough edges and making sure to get it nice and smooth. I gave it a couple coats of white spray paint. Then, I brushed on Mod Podge where I wanted glitter and sprinkled on a generous coat of extra fine glitter, tapping off the excess. I just had to add a cute little red nose!<br />
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I hung it up using some dollar spot ribbon from Target and command strips. I love how it turned out!<br />
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Happy weekend, everyone!<br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "century gothic" , "trebuchet" , "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;">Linking up with </span><i><a href="http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2015/12/wow-us-wednesdays-252.html" target="_blank">Savvy Southern Style</a></i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "century gothic" , "trebuchet" , "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;">, </span><a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com/super-easy-kitchen-projects/" style="color: #d0b357; font-family: Georgia, 'Century Gothic', Trebuchet, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Remodelaholic</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "century gothic" , "trebuchet" , "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;">, <a href="http://www.pocketofposies.com/journal/2015/12/7/dream-create-inspire-link-26" target="_blank">Pocketful of Posies</a>, <a href="http://justagirlandherblog.com/hit-me-with-your-best-shot-97/" target="_blank">Just a Girl</a>, and </span><a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/p/link-parties_12.html" style="color: #d0b357; font-family: Georgia, 'Century Gothic', Trebuchet, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">many other awesome blogs</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "century gothic" , "trebuchet" , "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;">!</span>Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787893718907837905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832570958842715922.post-41047063922854679792015-12-08T14:20:00.000-08:002015-12-08T17:04:27.805-08:00Miniature Christmas Display<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Hey, Friends! It's been two weeks since I got to blog and I've missed you all! Where in the world have I been?! Well, let me tell you about our last month... I traveled, then when I returned our entire family traveled, then the first night back home our oven control panel shorted out and caught on fire. Thankfully, it was a small fire, but still, two firetrucks (including the giant ladder truck) and 6 fireman later and we are ready for things to settle down! </div>
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The fire was only a week before Thanksgiving, so we were scrambling to get a new oven! Thankfully, we were able to get one in time for all of our holiday cooking! Since then, we've been busy busy busy decorating for Christmas. On top of all the decorating and holiday crafting, I've been on an organizational tear and have been going through every nook and cranny of our house getting rid of things and cleaning. It feels so good! </div>
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I have so many things to share with you all! The first up is this cute miniature Christmas display we created! Growing up, my grandparents had a similar display and I <i>loved </i>it! It was one of my very favorite Christmas decorations and as a small child, I used to imagine who could live in the house what it would be like. I really wanted to recreate the magic for my own family!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-44eHGjJzxyQ/VmdOauCCJOI/AAAAAAAAGr4/xr5F0iIx92M/s1600/mini%2Bchristmas%2Bdisplay%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-44eHGjJzxyQ/VmdOauCCJOI/AAAAAAAAGr4/xr5F0iIx92M/s640/mini%2Bchristmas%2Bdisplay%2B3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I bought a shadow box way back in March and started collecting tiny furniture.<br />
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When I finally had all of my pieces collected, I started arranging them into my shadow box. And it was all wrong. The box looked nearly identical to the one my grandparents had, but the rim was too thick and blocked a lot of the items inside. The openings were too small and some things didn't look right. What to do, what to do?<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VUcR1e5ZDH0/VmdOb1Ud1pI/AAAAAAAAGsQ/sK2-1BNLSXs/s1600/mini%2Bchristmas%2Bdisplay%2B5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VUcR1e5ZDH0/VmdOb1Ud1pI/AAAAAAAAGsQ/sK2-1BNLSXs/s640/mini%2Bchristmas%2Bdisplay%2B5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I went back to the store and spotted a tree shaped shadow box. Little Man loved it, so I decided to give it a try. The items fit perfectly, so I decided to roll with the tree shaped box. I painted the box white trimmed in red with a sparkly silver star.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TA-YIayi92I/VmdOc53pHHI/AAAAAAAAGsY/0lV9Bs--Yxk/s1600/mini%2Bchristmas%2Bdisplay%2B6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TA-YIayi92I/VmdOc53pHHI/AAAAAAAAGsY/0lV9Bs--Yxk/s640/mini%2Bchristmas%2Bdisplay%2B6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I glued on the pieces, stood back, and felt like a complete failure. It didn't look like Grandpa and Grandma's. Theirs was rectangular and white and had a cute little arm chair with a folded up newspaper and an umbrella stand. Mine felt all wrong.<br />
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I was about to hang my shoulders in defeat when Little Man came in the room. He squealed with delight and immediately started giggling about how funny it was that the cookies got to be on the floor and imagining all the fun that must be happening in this little tree shaped home. Jeremy looked at me with a big grin and declared success.<br />
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And you know what? He's right. It may not be just like my grandparents', but it has the same effect for my kids as the one I loved had on me. The kids love it and look at it all the time. They make train noises for the trains, talk about Mary and Joseph and Baby Jesus, imagine cutting down Christmas trees, making gingerbread houses, and decorating trees.<br />
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I originally had it on the entry table, but the kids stole it to add Christmas cheer to their playroom.<br />
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Jeremy's right. It's a total success. :)<br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "century gothic" , "trebuchet" , "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;">Linking up with </span><a href="http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2015/12/wow-us-wednesdays-251.html" style="color: #d0b357; font-family: Georgia, 'Century Gothic', Trebuchet, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Savvy Southern Style</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "century gothic" , "trebuchet" , "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;">, </span><a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com/super-easy-kitchen-projects/" style="color: #d0b357; font-family: Georgia, 'Century Gothic', Trebuchet, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Remodelaholic</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "century gothic" , "trebuchet" , "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;">, <a href="http://www.pocketofposies.com/journal/2015/12/7/dream-create-inspire-link-26" target="_blank">Pocketful of Posies</a>, <a href="http://justagirlandherblog.com/hit-me-with-your-best-shot-97/" target="_blank">Just a Girl</a>, and </span><a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/p/link-parties_12.html" style="color: #d0b357; font-family: Georgia, 'Century Gothic', Trebuchet, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">many other awesome blogs</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "century gothic" , "trebuchet" , "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;">!</span>Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787893718907837905noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832570958842715922.post-5720923568750163842015-11-24T19:47:00.000-08:002015-11-24T19:47:34.129-08:00Holiday Gift Guide for Him<i style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Century Gothic', Trebuchet, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;">*Affiliate links provided for your convenience. For more info, <a href="http://littlebitsofhome.blogspot.com/p/disclosure.html" style="color: #d0b357; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">see my full disclosure here.</a></i><br />
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Hey, Friends! Please excuse the silence over here on the blog last week. Our computer died and we had to wait for a new part to come. But, all is well now and I'm stoked to get to blog again!<br />
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Are you guys starting to purchase Christmas gifts yet? Do you get stumped with what to get for the men in your life? I have just the thing for you--a holiday gift guide geared at the men! This post was supposed to go up last week, but due to the computer problems, I had to wait to finish it up. Thankfully, though, it's up just in the nick of time before the Black Friday deals come out! Whew! :)<br />
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My husband helped me curate this list of items for you. He personally owns and loves every single item on this list! They're tried and true favorites!<br />
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1) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008AGWNII/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B008AGWNII&linkCode=as2&tag=litbitofhom-20&linkId=7YIU7HWYTWRBVWQZ" rel="nofollow">Tape Measure</a>*- Jeremy has two requirements for a tape measure-- it has to have rubber grips and it needs to have the easy read measurements. This one fits the bill!<br />
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2) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003BXMKDS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B003BXMKDS&linkCode=as2&tag=litbitofhom-20&linkId=ZGOICRXY46XWOLBW" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Flex Ratchet Screwdriver</a>*<img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=litbitofhom-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B003BXMKDS" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />- Jeremy's dad had such a knack for rummaging through our garage and figuring out what tools Jeremy was missing or would enjoy using. He gave Jeremy a flex ratcheting screwdriver a few years ago and Jeremy has really loved it! You just attach any drill bit to the end and suddenly screwing and unscrewing becomes way faster and easier!<br />
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3) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001JQY6K4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001JQY6K4&linkCode=as2&tag=litbitofhom-20&linkId=7KUEB6F7JMAGO7J4" rel="nofollow">Dominion</a>*<img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=litbitofhom-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B001JQY6K4" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />- Our good friends introduced us to this game a couple years ago and it became a fast favorite! We love playing it with friends, but it's also a great two player game! It's one of Jeremy and I's favorite things to do together after the kids go to bed and a great alternative to watching TVsince our tastes in TV shows are polar opposites! Ha!<br />
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4* & 5*) Jeremy loves to play video games and has really been loving <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ZJ211Q6/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ZJ211Q6&linkCode=as2&tag=litbitofhom-20&linkId=RZOXP3ZVG2TS7ASQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Destiny</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=litbitofhom-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ZJ211Q6" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DHF39EO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00DHF39EO&linkCode=as2&tag=litbitofhom-20&linkId=WSCP4HISJDH3NIVC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Elder Scrolls Online</a>! If you have a gamer in your life, check out these games!<br />
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6) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O9N404Q/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00O9N404Q&linkCode=as2&tag=litbitofhom-20&linkId=2K5QT7GTAGVJLSFU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gaming Headset</a>*<img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=litbitofhom-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00O9N404Q" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />- Speaking of video games, Jeremy finally broke down and bought a nice set of gaming headphones. They are surround sound and have a mic for chatting with other players. He loves the sound quality and how light they are on his head!<br />
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7) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Natural-Ergonomic-Keyboard-4000/dp/B000A6PPOK/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1448416953&sr=1-1&keywords=microsoft+ergonomic+keyboard" target="_blank">Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard</a>- Jeremy spends most of his workdays on a computer, so a good ergonomic keyboard was critical for him! He's tried a couple different ones, but this one is his tried and true favorite!<br />
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8) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PPVVUMQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00PPVVUMQ&linkCode=as2&tag=litbitofhom-20&linkId=QMIBQ2O3PUM5KJWI" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mechanics Gloves</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=litbitofhom-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00PPVVUMQ" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />*- I bought these gloves for Jeremy the first year we were married and he was having to do car repairs in a scalding hot apartment complex parking lot. He loved having them for mechanic use, but they have become his trusty gloves for so much more! He uses them when doing carpentry work, yard work, car work, etc. Basically, if he's working outside, you can almost bet that he's got these babies on!<br />
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Hope this list helps shopping for the men in your life a little easier this Christmas!Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17787893718907837905noreply@blogger.com0