Simple Valentine Decor
This week the kids and I took a little field trip downtown to the local craft store, Idee. While there I found these super cute miniature wooden hearts with vintage inspired stickers on them.
I fell in love with them and knew I needed to do something with them. These particular hearts came in a pack of 6 for €1,99. I grabbed them and continued perusing the store. I then came upon the same heart with a little clothespin on the back and had a brilliant idea. I would make a garland with these to hang in my kids' bathroom! However, the cost for one heart with the clothespin attached was €2,29! It was then I remembered this box of mini clothespins I had stashed in my craft closet. I picked up another package of six hearts and headed home.
Once home, I pulled out the clothespins, my hot glue gun and got right to work. It took less than ten minutes to glue these clothespins onto 12 hearts. At first, they looked like this:
Now to hang them up, I had this great twine my mother in law had given me. When I hung them up, the hearts were so top heavy, they flipped forward. So, I took them down, pried off the clothespins and reglued them on the opposite way. I hung them up again and they still tilt forward a bit, but I called it good. I don't embrace perfection too much when it comes to crafts and decorating. I absolutely believe that adds loads of character to my projects. Here is a shot of the finished product.
When my girls first saw it, they were very excited. And bonus, my hubby doesn't even mind it!
Declutter With Me On Monday | Week 2
When I should have been decluttering, I was soaking up this:
Thanks to the {fabulous} long weekend, I am behind in my decluttering post this week. Join me next week when I will be tackling the junk drawer!
Heart Twig Wreath With Rosettes
It's the season of love. Ah, love. I know it's so soon after Christmas, but I really enjoy decorating for the seasons.
I think this wreath is my favorite. I picked up this heart shaped twig wreath on clearance at a local department store. I then added a simple burlap knot in the center and just a few rosettes made out of burlap ribbon and some pink and red felt.
I used two types of rosettes on this wreath.
A tutorial on burlap ribbon rosettes can be found here.
Instructions on the felt rosettes can be found here.
I love the imperfection of this. I love the mix of textures, shapes and sizes of the rosettes.
Grab what you have laying around your house and make something imperfect and beautiful of your own!
Heart Shaped Sweater Wreath
For a cute, simple Valentine project, try making a heart shaped sweater wreath. All you need is a styrofoam wreath form in the shape of a heart and boucle' yarn in the color of your choice.
The process is very straight forward. This is a great project to involve your kiddies in.
1. Start by tying a knot at the bottom of the heart.
2. Begin wrapping your yarn around the shape of the wreath. For little ones, it may be easier to give them smaller sections of yarn rather than having them hold the entire ball.
3. As you wrap, wind the yarn around the stray pieces from the knot so that there are no rogue pieces hanging out.
4. To finish, simply tuck the end under the previously wrapped yarn and tie a knot.
5. Adorn with a bow, a monogram, a trinket.
6. Hang in the place of your choosing with double sided picture hanging strip. Voila!
Tip | Some heart forms have very pointy bottoms. Needless to say, trying to wrap yarn around them is frustrating. To remedy this for myself and my daughter, I cut the points of the heart so they were more blunt and easier to wrap.
tips for less clutter
In my many years as a military wife, I have picked up some tips along the way. Many of them have been extremely helpful, but none as essential as this:
I haven't always followed this rule myself. I used to stockpile things. I'm not sure why. I think it had something to do with avoiding the grocery store whenever possible. Truthfully, if you have space to stockpile, I am all for it. Right now, we don't have the space. We also move a LOT. It's just easier to keep a small supply of things on hand. In living this way, I've found it MUCH easier to keep our home picked up and organized.
When I am out shopping or find myself faced with all of those sale emails {you know the ones!}, I stop and ask myself, "Do we really need this?" Most always, the answer is no. I am not saying to stop buying things. I love shopping. I've just come to a place where it no longer makes sense to be so frivolous about it. Buying unnecessarily creates more waste, taxes the environment and builds clutter in my home. I really try to wait until we do need something before I buy it. When that does happen though, I get very excited about it!
In follwing these simple guidelines, we truly do have a place for everything. If you don't have a place for everything in your home, it's probably time to let go of some stuff.
Declutter With Me on Monday | Week 1
How is the decluttering coming along? Have you enjoyed your first week? I have to be honest and say that like the true procrastinator I am, I waited until today to do everything on the list. Everything. I did create my donation station last Monday, but kind of fell off the wagon after that. Thankfully, the daily tasks are so small, it wasn't hard to catch up. Here is the list of things on the list this week along with what I have done.
Monday: Set up a donation station. Check! Post can be found here.
Tuesday: Declutter the top of your cabinets and dust. Well, I lucked out here. We have soffits above our cabinets, so there was nothing for me to do. I could have done the top of the fridge, but I am guessing that may be on the list further down the road.
Wednesday: Declutter the top shelf of one of your cabinets. Hmm. Which one should I choose? I decided to go with the cabinet that I keep my spices and cooking essentials in. I have everything from rice vinegar to safflower oil to good ol' crisco in here. I like to have everything right by the stove and above my mixer. It makes cooking so easy when it's all in arm's reach.
Thursday: Go through your spices to discard old and expired ones. Again, I lucked out. We moved overseas about 18 months ago and had to buy all of our spices brand new once we arrived. Instead of buying everything at once, I have only bought them as I needed them. To date, my collection isn't too big... or too old. I found about three things to throw out. Here is a before and after shot of that entire cabinet:
Friday: Put all of your cans together on a can shelf. We don't use a lot of canned food. I do use jarred spaghetti sauce and canned beans. Honestly, I could easily make those things fresh, but that's a different post for a different day. So, here is our shelf of beans and sauces.
Saturday: Go through your freezer and let go of old, freezer burned food. Fairly easy process. I'm weird about old, expired food, so I don't usually have too many things that need to be discarded. I did find a few things to throw out though.
So that is it for week one. How did you do? I know, I didn't have far to go in organizing my cabinets. I have learned some tricks and tips along the way that may help you as well. More on that tomorrow.
Monday: Set up a donation station. Check! Post can be found here.
Tuesday: Declutter the top of your cabinets and dust. Well, I lucked out here. We have soffits above our cabinets, so there was nothing for me to do. I could have done the top of the fridge, but I am guessing that may be on the list further down the road.
Wednesday: Declutter the top shelf of one of your cabinets. Hmm. Which one should I choose? I decided to go with the cabinet that I keep my spices and cooking essentials in. I have everything from rice vinegar to safflower oil to good ol' crisco in here. I like to have everything right by the stove and above my mixer. It makes cooking so easy when it's all in arm's reach.
Thursday: Go through your spices to discard old and expired ones. Again, I lucked out. We moved overseas about 18 months ago and had to buy all of our spices brand new once we arrived. Instead of buying everything at once, I have only bought them as I needed them. To date, my collection isn't too big... or too old. I found about three things to throw out. Here is a before and after shot of that entire cabinet:
Friday: Put all of your cans together on a can shelf. We don't use a lot of canned food. I do use jarred spaghetti sauce and canned beans. Honestly, I could easily make those things fresh, but that's a different post for a different day. So, here is our shelf of beans and sauces.
Saturday: Go through your freezer and let go of old, freezer burned food. Fairly easy process. I'm weird about old, expired food, so I don't usually have too many things that need to be discarded. I did find a few things to throw out though.
So that is it for week one. How did you do? I know, I didn't have far to go in organizing my cabinets. I have learned some tricks and tips along the way that may help you as well. More on that tomorrow.
One Little Word :: It's Not a Resolution
I am very excited to be joining Ali Edwards in her One Little Word class. Rather than making any resolutions in the new year, I am choosing one little word to represent everything I am striving for. You can read more about Ali's class here. It's not too late to join in!
Throughout the year, I hope to share with you some of my documentation in relation to my one little word. This year I chose the word "discipline."
There are so many aspects of my life that could use a little shot of discipline. And of course, there are some parts of my life that need a lot of it. When I really stop and think about it, I realize most of the things I currently desire for myself and my family can be attained relatively easily... if I exercise self-control, i.e. discipline. If you know me, you know that self-control and discipline are not words that would describe who I currently am. This year, I hope to change that.
Throughout the year, I hope to share with you some of my documentation in relation to my one little word. This year I chose the word "discipline."
There are so many aspects of my life that could use a little shot of discipline. And of course, there are some parts of my life that need a lot of it. When I really stop and think about it, I realize most of the things I currently desire for myself and my family can be attained relatively easily... if I exercise self-control, i.e. discipline. If you know me, you know that self-control and discipline are not words that would describe who I currently am. This year, I hope to change that.
The photos above are of my title page and introduction photo. The overlays and digital content used on my photos and cardstock are exclusive to Ali's class. The page protector is from Becky Higgins' Project Life collection. I just trimmed it down with my paper trimmer to accomodate the 4x6 size of my title page on one side and photo on the other. I'll slip it right into my album with the other pages for a nice layered effect. Throughout the year, I will be sharing with you the album progress of my One Little Word. Thank you for sharing my journey. Welcome, 2012!
Declutter With Me On Monday
Thanks to a post from a friend on Facebook, I found this amazing declutter calendar. It was put together by Beth at My Simpler Life. When following Beth's calendar, you will declutter your entire house this year by doing just a little bit each day. No matter how chaotic or calm your house may be, I think this plan is something we can all incorporate into our daily lives. I also believe it is something we can all benefit from!
For January 1, Beth invites us to think about who we'd like to be in 2012. I've given this quite a bit of thought already as I am participating in Ali Edwards' One Little Word challenge. {More on that Wednesday!} In 2012, I would really like to step up my self discipline. And by step up, I mean acquire some. I have none. Having a clutter free, organized home is a great jumping point for more self discipline.
Today's task is to set up a "Donation Station." Beth gives this site as a sample of a donation station. It's fantastic. However, I found I didn't really have the space for something so big. And to be honest, I didn't want my donation station to be out in full view.
I read through the post at The Red Chair Blog and quickly realized I could get by with only two bins. We definitely needed a bin for donations. We are constantly cleaning out clothes and shoes. The other three bins though, could be combined into one.
First, I needed to decide where to put this station. I definitely wanted it near the front door. I also definitely wanted it out of site. My husband and I decided the coat closet would be just the place. He also decided he would like to be able to store the vacuum in there. {?!} We had our work cut out for us. Believe me, our front closet did NOT look like this in the morning. We sorted and stored and moved things around for a couple of hours. It was definitely worth it.
Next, I needed the actual bins. Because I have a longstanding addiction to baskets and bins, I knew there would be something in my home that I could use. I was right! I found one of these baskets completely empty in my daughter's room and the other had a few toys I was able to transfer to some shelving in her closets. They are stackable and large, so they are perfect. I still need to label them, but here is what they look like in the bottom of our coat closet. The bottom basket is for donations {anyone need some faux orange tree branches?} and the top is for things to be returned and/or gifted. It's amazing how quickly it's filled up!!
How is your first day of decluttering going? I'd love to see your donation station as well!
For January 1, Beth invites us to think about who we'd like to be in 2012. I've given this quite a bit of thought already as I am participating in Ali Edwards' One Little Word challenge. {More on that Wednesday!} In 2012, I would really like to step up my self discipline. And by step up, I mean acquire some. I have none. Having a clutter free, organized home is a great jumping point for more self discipline.
Today's task is to set up a "Donation Station." Beth gives this site as a sample of a donation station. It's fantastic. However, I found I didn't really have the space for something so big. And to be honest, I didn't want my donation station to be out in full view.
I read through the post at The Red Chair Blog and quickly realized I could get by with only two bins. We definitely needed a bin for donations. We are constantly cleaning out clothes and shoes. The other three bins though, could be combined into one.
First, I needed to decide where to put this station. I definitely wanted it near the front door. I also definitely wanted it out of site. My husband and I decided the coat closet would be just the place. He also decided he would like to be able to store the vacuum in there. {?!} We had our work cut out for us. Believe me, our front closet did NOT look like this in the morning. We sorted and stored and moved things around for a couple of hours. It was definitely worth it.
Next, I needed the actual bins. Because I have a longstanding addiction to baskets and bins, I knew there would be something in my home that I could use. I was right! I found one of these baskets completely empty in my daughter's room and the other had a few toys I was able to transfer to some shelving in her closets. They are stackable and large, so they are perfect. I still need to label them, but here is what they look like in the bottom of our coat closet. The bottom basket is for donations {anyone need some faux orange tree branches?} and the top is for things to be returned and/or gifted. It's amazing how quickly it's filled up!!
 |
| our donation station |
Simple Christmas Decor
Enter Christmas 2011. I don't know what it was this year. I found myself itching to get started on my Christmas design plan. I cooked up this grand scheme in my head while in Texas this fall. I found myself shopping like mad thinking that when we returned home to Europe, I wouldn't be able to find what I wanted. Unfortunately, I was unable to find anything I really liked in the US. Surprisingly, or maybe not, I found so much of what I was looking for here in Europe.
So, what was my plan exactly? I pictured this stunningly simple farmhouse style Christmas. I wanted lots of creamy, off white accessories. I had visions of the most simple stockings in my head. And to top it all off, lots of gifts covered in kraft paper under the tree.
I had my work cut out for me. Not only was I finding it difficult to find the things I desired, I am married to a man of great tradition. He thinks of Christmas and he things of red and green. There may even be a little bit of tartan plaid thrown in there. I was really going to have to pull a fast one on him.
Thankfully, it wasn't too hard to convince him. We agreed I would decorate how I liked and if he hated it, we would change it next year. It was also the first Christmas in a while I was really excited to decorate, so I think he enjoyed that. I am happy to say, {I think, I hope} he loved it! I did have to throw in a few red berries and some green ribbons here and there, but overall, it was a success.
Unfortunately, I didn't get as many pictures as I had hoped. I was so busy enjoying every moment. Here are the few pictures I did get.
There may have been a little bit of an unintentional theme here.
mes choses préférées | Fall Edition
Fall is my absolute favorite time of the year. While many people find Spring rejuvenating, I have always felt that extra pep in the later part of the year. Of course, with the change of seasons, there are many new products to scoop up and enjoy. Here are a few of my favorite things; mes choses préférées.
1. Ali Edwards Halloween Mini Book class. I cannot say enough about Ali's self paced classes. I love her style, her creativity and her approach to memory keeping. I am going to adapt this class to doing a Fall Mini Book. You can find more information on Ali's Halloween Mini Book class here.
2. Fresh Sugar Honey Tinted Lip Treatment. This lip balm is packed with essential oils that work wonders on your kisser and smell divine. You can't go wrong with several shades to choose from. You can find it at your local Sephora or here.
3. Essie Nail Lacquer in Lady Like. This color is perfection. It's a nice mix between a demure pink, the perfect nude and a hint of plum. I am determined to keep it on most of the fall. Essie can be found at most box stores. I got mine at Target.
4. Longchamps Le Pliage Large Shopper in navy. Okay, this is a total splurge. However, I must confess I got a special deal on it. In Germany, there is a French exchange and commissary of sorts. They call it the "Economat." A group of girlfriends and I made the trek to our closest French installation to check it out. Among the French cheeses and wines, there was also a stock of Longchamps. We were stoked. I picked up the large shopper in navy. I felt it was perfect for fall. I am sure I will be making a trip back for a spring bag. If you aren't lucky enough to live in Europe, you can find Longchamps Le Pliage line at Nordstrom.
5. Simple Shoes Sunny Side Loafers in black. These are the most comfortable loafers I have come across to date. I've worn them shopping and sight seeing around Europe. They use egg crate in the sole and it is amazing! Another thing I love about these shoes is they are super eco friendly. They are made with organic cotton, eco-certified leather and even recycled car tires! I got mine at Piperlime, but they are also available directly from Simple Shoes here.
6. Leather Bangles by Amy Fine. I might have a minor obsession with these bangles. I lucked out and got a voucher on Heartsy for Amy's shop. So far, I have these bangles in bamboo yellow and deep plum. {pictured} You can find Amy's to die for bangles in an assortment of colors here.
1. Ali Edwards Halloween Mini Book class. I cannot say enough about Ali's self paced classes. I love her style, her creativity and her approach to memory keeping. I am going to adapt this class to doing a Fall Mini Book. You can find more information on Ali's Halloween Mini Book class here.
2. Fresh Sugar Honey Tinted Lip Treatment. This lip balm is packed with essential oils that work wonders on your kisser and smell divine. You can't go wrong with several shades to choose from. You can find it at your local Sephora or here.
3. Essie Nail Lacquer in Lady Like. This color is perfection. It's a nice mix between a demure pink, the perfect nude and a hint of plum. I am determined to keep it on most of the fall. Essie can be found at most box stores. I got mine at Target.
4. Longchamps Le Pliage Large Shopper in navy. Okay, this is a total splurge. However, I must confess I got a special deal on it. In Germany, there is a French exchange and commissary of sorts. They call it the "Economat." A group of girlfriends and I made the trek to our closest French installation to check it out. Among the French cheeses and wines, there was also a stock of Longchamps. We were stoked. I picked up the large shopper in navy. I felt it was perfect for fall. I am sure I will be making a trip back for a spring bag. If you aren't lucky enough to live in Europe, you can find Longchamps Le Pliage line at Nordstrom.
5. Simple Shoes Sunny Side Loafers in black. These are the most comfortable loafers I have come across to date. I've worn them shopping and sight seeing around Europe. They use egg crate in the sole and it is amazing! Another thing I love about these shoes is they are super eco friendly. They are made with organic cotton, eco-certified leather and even recycled car tires! I got mine at Piperlime, but they are also available directly from Simple Shoes here.
6. Leather Bangles by Amy Fine. I might have a minor obsession with these bangles. I lucked out and got a voucher on Heartsy for Amy's shop. So far, I have these bangles in bamboo yellow and deep plum. {pictured} You can find Amy's to die for bangles in an assortment of colors here.