Monogramming Your Master Bedroom (Like an Adult)

 I am obsessed with monograms. Let's just establish that fact first. You don't believe me? You should check out my wardrobe: monograms galore! Think: fleece vests, sweatshirts, workout clothes (shorts, shirts), baseball caps, puffy vests, fleece jackets, boot socks, my towel wraps....you get it. I have a small (or big) problem. I truly think my only possession that isn't monogrammed is my car (oh! And my laptop!). So when I said to my husband "I want to put a monogram in our bedroom," he rolled his eyes. He doesn't get the obsession, but he lets me go. I must admit that I have been rather proud of myself. The entire downstairs is tastefully monogrammed. There's a wooden H on our bookcase and a fancy H hanging above the landing on our stairs. So I've done fairly well....for me. However, sometimes a very large monogram can seem rather childish, so I set out to monogram our bedroom without the childish flare!

I saw the idea initially on Pinterest (oh yes, another inspiration from Pinterest!). There's so many sweet ways to monogram your home without making it seem like a child's room. I figured out exactly how much space I needed to fill between the top of our headboard and the ceiling, subtracting about 4-6 inches (that's how far the bottom of your picture frames/monogram should be above the top of a piece of furniture). I ended up needing about 30-inches tall for the monogram. I literally went on to etsy and searched "30 inch wooden monogram." The possibilities and options are truly endless. I ended up purchasing from a store called "letterworld." They did a great job and shipped fast (exactly what I like!).

I used a particular kind of spray paint called "Design Master." It dries fairly quickly and the colors are brilliant! Our bedroom colors revolve around the quilt, made by my Grandmother before she passed. We chose navy (titled "Dark Blue" in Design Master world). I bought 2 cans, and I was really glad I did! While you only have to paint one side (otherwise the letters will be backwards!), you have to keep in mind there are quite a few edges and corners you have to spray into.

I used my backyard as my art studio (per usual). I cut open the box that the monogram was shipped in, and used that as my pallet on the ground. I laid the monogram on top of the cut-open box and went to work!

I sprayed one coat and waited about 10 minutes before trying to recover. I was slightly bummed that the paint seemed to be going on unevenly, despite my master spray paint technique. Once I had sprayed 2 coats on (and let them dry), I brought my monogram back inside and let it set for several days (read: 2 weeks until I had time to finish it). I would highly recommend that you lightly sand it before painting. Forget what the descriptions say if you buy online. I pulled out my second can of spray paint and utilized the same method to paint another few coats: paint a layer, let dry for 10-15 minutes, paint another layer. I tried to paint from all sides to try and make sure the sides/edges were covered entirely.

After the first round of painting.

I then let the paint set for another week before I had J hang it up (blue on a white wall would be bad). I had actually ordered a monogram throw pillow, as well, so I threw that on the bed once it was all said and done, and....Wha-la! Tasteful monogram without going overboard (if it were up to me, we'd probably have monogrammed pillow shams, throw blanket, etc.).

Check out these pictures I pulled from Pinterest for some more cute ways to monogram your home!

Add a cute flair to your front entrance!

Maybe you're more of a vinyl girl?!

Or use an adorable ribbon to add to your monogram!

How I Planned My Wedding On a Budget (And Got Everything I Wanted)

Photos Courtesy of Ashleigh Mallard Photography

Weddings aren't cheap anymore. Whatever happened to the good ole days of having a ceremony with some cake and punch in the Church's gathering hall afterwards? Gone. Now, it's not a reception without an open bar (no judgement - there was an open bar at my first wedding). So when round 2 started (cue boxing bell rings), I knew I was planning a wedding on my own dime. And open bar was NOT the first thing on my mind. So what's a girl to do with a budget of $5000 and LOTS on her wishlist?!

1. Start a Pinterest board. No, seriously. The first few months after J and I got engaged, I started a Pinterest board. It let me see what I was drawn to, looking for, not even paying attention to etc.. It helped me see where my priorities were before I even realized it!

2. Involve your family and friends! Got an aunt who's a whiz at flower arrangements? See if she's willing to help you (for a small price of course!) for the cost of the flowers/vases/etc. Maybe even a little on top to compensate for her time. Your mom has an amazing jewelry collection? See if she'll let you raid it for your special day. Your sister's the bomb at making burlap wreaths and bows? Include her! You get the picture. I'm sure that you are surrounded by talent, so ask if those people are willing to put their talent to use for you!

3. Find hidden resources. The church that J and I got married in has an option for members to purchase flowers for the altar on Sundays. 1 arrangement is $35 (vs. the florist's arrangements at $200 a pop!), so we bought both of the arrangements (only 2 are available). We requested some extra peacock feathers/orchids to match our bouquets/corsages/boutonnieres (and additional $30/vase) for altar arrangements totaling at $130 (for both arrangements!). While we couldn't take the arrangements home with us, as they had to remain in the church for the Sunday morning services, it was a nice price break!

One of our altar arrangements.

4. Shop around. Who says you have to use the first vendor you find? Shop around! If you don't take the time to look and see what is available for what price, you might miss out on a huge budget saver!

5. Give yourself plenty of time. J and I got engaged 13 months before we got married. Why? Well, 2 reasons. (1) So that we could get married the same week as our parents and my grandparents, but (2) so that we could spread out the cost of our wedding without living above our means. We paid a few vendors in smaller amounts for several months, paid them off, then moved on to other vendors! It took more time, BUT it gave us plenty of time to pay every one without struggling to eat, pay the bills, etc.

Next up on the agenda for planning your wedding on a budget: prioritizing, opportune times to book/shop, and finding vendors that work within YOUR means!

5 Pictures to Take This Fall

With fall just around the corner, what better way to celebrate than to take some pictures! The weather is a little more cool (allowing for some adorable boots-leggings-scarves combos), the leaves are changing and falling, and it's prime time for some snuggling (adorably and PG, please!). So while you're wondering what to do about Christmas cards this year or updating the pictures of the kids - look no further!

1. A Pile of Leaves: What better way to bring out the kid in anyone than a pile of leaves to jump in?! Pile the whole family in. Start a leaf-throwing fight with the kids and then move out of the way for some adorable kid pics. OR stay in the frame with hubby for some hilarious pictures! Make "leaf angels," spell out something and lay next to it, or form some leaves in to your kids' ages and have them take a picture next to it so you can remember how old they are! Or just pile some leaves on your kiddo and snap a few shots like below - adorable!

Original Source: Pinterest

2. Fall Leaves Scenery/Backdrop: As we established in post #1 (5 Things to Do in Fall) I love the changing leaves. What better (or more gorgeous) backdrop for some family photos? I think this picture from Pinterest (below) speaks for itself.

Original Source: Pinterest

3. Pumkpin Patch: Is there a better way to represent the fall season? Take your kids, drop them in the middle of a pumpkin patch (one that isn't too crowded) and snap some pics. Maybe even carve one and drop your littlest one in the pumpkin itself!

4. Halloween Costumes: Uh, I think this kind of comes with the answer of a bunch of resounding "Duh"s. While this may seem like a simple one-picture snap and head to trick-or-treating, it's not. Your kids are only little once (Sorry to remind you - again). Why not take an extra 15 minutes to get some extra pictures of your kiddos - to frame or send to Grandma and Grandpa? A painful little reminder that your kids are only little once, so snap some pics (just don't ruin the moment by taking HUNDREDS of pics!).

5. A Flannel Blanket: This is particularly perfect if you have a photo session planned, whether a couples session or family session. To me, nothing says fall more than a cozy flannel blanket (or fleece, if that's more your style!).

Don't want to pay for some pictures?! Grab your kids, your significant other, your pet...step outside and start snapping. We probably take WAY too many pictures of little T, but the best shots are candid pictures! Don't have a fancy $500 camera? No sweat, I don't either. I have a little point-and-click which works great. Have fun! Want to hire a photographer? Start a Pinterest board. That way when you find a photographer you like, you can show them what you have in mind! Be mindful, though. Some photographers really dislike copying images you find on Pinterest, but they may be willing to do their own version of the picture.

Anyways, I hope you get the family outside to enjoy the weather. And maybe get some adorable pictures this fall, too!

A "Pinteresting" Life: Wine Bottle Night Light

I saw this amazing idea on Pinterest a while ago and immediately pinned it to my board. I have kept it in the back of my mind because I hadn't found a bottle that I thought was "interesting" enough to use until recently. Backstory: I was wandering the wine section at Sam's and found this incredibly different, HUGE, blue wine bottle. Now, they had a smaller option, yes. BUT we were having company for dinner (and we know about their love of wine), so we thought we could stock up by purchasing just this one bottle (and I could totally use it for a craft later).  Once it had been annihilated... ahem, I mean, emptied...I had a "lightbulb" moment. Why not use this incredibly different, fairly unique, wine bottle as my "night light" for the downstairs in the hallway between the living room and the kitchen (And next to my liquor cabinet!)?!

What You Will Need (And Where to Find It):
1. A fun, interesting bottle! I recommend either some Kraken Rum or Falkenburg Wine if you want something fun or funky. Kraken Rum can be found at most local package/liquor stores. We actually have one as decoration on a set of shelves in the living room. It has such a cool look to it. Falkenburg wine (the big bottle) can be found at Sam's. I love how tall the bottle is (so unusual!) and the blue color.  You see lots of green/brown/black/yellow bottles, but I've never seen blue! We haven't found it anywhere else other than Sam's Club.

2. A Glass/Tile Drill Bit: I found one at Home Depot. This was the only brand that we found that had glass/tile drill bits in the store. I picked a fairly large drill bit (1/2 Inch) so that I would have room to push the lights/light strand through the hole into the bottle. We purchased a Bosch 1/2" Glass/Tile drill bit from Home Depot. The reviews on it online aren't great, but for craft purposes it's awesome.

3. A Strand of Lights With Only ONE Plug: I finally found a strand of lights here. The strand of lights I bought was called "Craft Lights."  It's only 35 lights, BUT there's only one plug (rather than one on each end). That way, I can stuff the lights into the wine bottle without trying to figure out a way to get a plug inside the bottle.

4. A Drill: I would recommend if yours is battery operated that you charge it first. That way you won't have an "Uh-Oh" moment in the middle as your drill dies. Speaking from experience, yes....

Here is ours. Charging - after 30 minutes of drilling.

5. Safety Supplies: This means goggles, gloves, and a safe drilling space/area! You can use construction goggles, found at your local hardware store, lab goggles found at a local community college...I don't really care. I just want you to protect your eyes! Gloves (J refused to wear these. He stablized the bottle with his feet - no joke). We laid down a moving blanket from our "recent" move (5 months ago) on our hardwood floor. We spread it out so that it covered about a 3 foot x 3 foot space. When you drill, it starts to look like a fine sand or dust accumulating on the bottle and ground around it - that's fine shards of glass, so please take these precautions when you start to drill!

Those white splotches you see?! That is the glass shard dust
that you will produce! Impressive, huh?!

Proof that J doesn't follow directions ;)

6. A Handy Man (Optional): I had J help me. I am totally fine using tools for a less fine-motor-skill activity, but drilling through glass requires more fine motor activities. However, I am fairly clumsy and I would like to keep my fingers intact! J was sweet enough to  agree to help me. But if you are comfortable with your drill-wielding skills, I bow to you girl! Go get 'em!

J - not following any of my directions...at least
he's using his hand to stabilize in this picture!

How to Make It:
1. Set Up: Once you have all of your supplies (it took me several days to accumulate mine!), and some muscle, set up your "construction zone." I would recommend that you do this away from kids and pets. One blog I read recommended duct tape in the area you are going to drill. This will provide traction for the drill bit so it doesn't walk all over the glass and it will help reinforce the glass. We decided to leave the labels on (as we felt it was part of the bottle's charm), so we did not to place duct tape where we were going to drill. Don your gloves and safety goggles!

2. Go To Work: Set your drill bit in your *CHARGED* drill. Now, here's the tricky part: start drilling. I read on another blog while researching the best way to do this that you need to have the mindset that you are etching a hole into the bottle, rather than drilling a hole. You need to have a firm grip on the bottle and the drill, but DO NOT bear down hard with the drill. It took us a total drill time of one hour to have a complete 1/2" hole through the entire thickness of the bottle. If your press down with the drill bit too hard, the bottle will shatter. Take your time, and take breaks if you need to! Slow and steady makes the most perfect bottle night light ever! This is where patience truly is a virtue!

After 15 minutes of drilling.

After a half-hour of drilling...Just after J's drill died.

3. Clean Up: The bottle will need to be dusted off (hopefully, into a trash can!). We dusted the bottle off onto the blanket we drilled on, and then threw the blanket away. No need to re-use a glass-shard infested blanket for anything else. I would highly recommend that you leave your gloves ON for this (as well as your eye-protection gear). Rinse the inside of the bottle as well. Point that little hole you drilled away from you. Yes, again...speaking from experience.

4. Test It Out: Plug those lights in and make sure you didn't get a faulty strand or a burned out light. I know that I personally would hate to find out the lights didn't work after I had stuffed them into the bottle!! Better to find out sooner rather than later if they don't work.

5. Stuff It: No, really. Stuff those lights in, sister! This is a fairly slow, tedious process as I am OCD and a perfectionist. However, it's nevertheless worth wriggling the lights around to make such a beautiful final product! I would recommend leaving the lights plugged in as you stuff to make sure that you are spreading the lights around the bottle adequately!

6. Enjoy It: It's that simple! You've worked hard to make such a beautiful product! Put it in a highly visible spot and enjoy! :)

A "Pinteresting" Life: Behavior Chart

J and I have really been struggling to find a consistent means of handling T when he becomes cranky, defiant, etc.  We have tried essentially everything in our arsenal with some limited success.  Enter Pinterest. I had suggested a behavior chart a while ago when I stumbled across an adorable Super Hero-themed behavior chart. J had originally vetoed the idea.  Then we found out that T has a behavior chart at home with his mom. Once we found that out, J was on board with doing a chart of our own for T at our house! While the one I found was originally designed for a classroom, it essentially met our needs for a behavior chart at home (with some minor DIY and tweaking involved, of course!). Here is my inspiration (How adorable, right?!):

T is obsessed with super heroes, so what better way to mark how well (or not so well) he has done that day?! So where to start?! I swung by my local Michael's (Don't worry - I paid cash with the recent card breach that occurred with this company!) and picked up some supplies:

1. Paper. Rather than use 7 colors, I used 6 (Sorry, Indigo - you've been voted off the island).

2. Ribbon. I needed some way to connect each individual piece of paper together. Closer inspection of the original picture revealed it was held together with 1.5-2 inch wide ribbon.

3. Stickers: My handwriting is cute and all, but I wanted some uniformity with all the different "levels."

My supplies that I had to purchase!

I spent several days drawing these little super heroes and cutting them out. I even drew a little T for the green sheet of paper, where he will start off each day. Here are some of the little super heroes I drew.

Then I laid out each piece of paper in the order I wanted to have them hanging (purple on top all the way down to red on the bottom). I cut out the individual sticker letters and laid them out in the general spacing pattern that I wanted to follow, choosing which hero I wanted on each level. I put Batman and Superman on the "Super T" paper (purple) since those are his 2 favorites. It let me play with the spacing of the letters and figure out which super heroes would work and be most visible on each color! Here is the Green Lantern on "Warning!":

Once I had each pice laid out like I wanted, I stuck the stickers down and used rubber cement to glue down the super heroes. Once everything had been stuck down and/or glued down, I wrote a Reward at the top of each page and a Punishment at the bottom of each page, giving T motivation to work hard to improve his behavior, but providing punishment should his behavior warrant it.  It also gives him a visual of how his behavior has been that day (and what he has lost by being ugly). This is how all the pages look once put together:

It's coming together so nicely! I was so excited! Then I laid out the 1.5" wide ribbon to see about how long I would need for my ribbon to be to connect all of them together on one piece.

I then flipped all the pages over, lined them up like I wanted and used hot glue to attach the ribbon to the back of the pages.

Once that was done (and I had let it cool and dry for a few minutes), I used a piece of skinnier ribbon to form a loop at the top. This way we can hang it up in an area that T can see frequently throughout the day. We also wanted to hang it low enough that he could (for the most part) move the clothespin up or down. Once I got the loop of ribbon situation where I wanted it, I doused it in hot glue.

We then hung it up in our downstairs hallway where T runs through frequently, giving it high visibility. This is our final product, and I couldn't be happier! I say it's "our" product as J did help...by hammering the nail into the wall!

Some rewards we discussed (and some of which we used): earning TV time, one additional TV show, earn a toy back (that he lost as punishment), an extra cookie/dessert item after dinner, come out of his room (he has to earn this by apologizing), extra bedtime story..

Some punishments we discussed: 5 minutes in time out, time alone in his room, lose a toy he is playing with, lose TV privileges for the day, go to bed early...

Hopefully this will help you design your own behavior chart! Thanks for stopping by!

A "Pinteresting" Life: Making Space

T's room in its most recent state is an atrosity, monstrosity, eye-sore...you get it. I am almost embarrassed to even post a picture, but I feel a before and after is a must in this case.  I cringe every time I walk by. It's disorganized, constantly cluttered, and there's very little floor room for him to play in, which means my living room floor is constantly cluttered with matchbox cars and legos (which do NOT feel good when stepped on).

Cue Pinterest. I found an adorable picture on Pinterest not too long ago and got inspired. As you can see from T's before picture he has the staples to making this set up work, particularly the bed (kind of a staple) and the cube shelves. Now, I know the title of the blog this photo was taken from was "Decorating Ideas for a 3-year-old Girl's Room," BUT I am only using it for layout inspiration. And this layout is kind of the bomb.

My Inspiration: http://www.tinyoranges.com/2012/11
/07/decorating-ideas-for-a-3-year-old-girls-room/

So I started by decluttering the room. Literally, I emptied out all the toys into the very tiny space that is our upstairs hallway. I would highly recommend warning your spouse if you do this. I didn't think to mention anything to J, and he about killed himself trying to navigate the mess that was me tossing toys into the hall. Whoops. Once that was done, I moved the biggest piece of furniture first. In this case, that was the bed...and I totally should've asked for some help. And maybe made the bed up first (minus the pillows). With some struggling, I got the bed into the corner of the room and made back up.  I then moved the tiny bedside table out of the way and replaced it with the 3x2 cube shelves.

Once I got the spacing like I wanted it, I put the table lamp onto the shelves to get it out of the hallway and out of the way! I then shifted the 3x3 cube shelving unit so that it was centered under the "You are my Sunshine" canvas. This has a particularly special meaning to us as it was the first song that J would sing to sing T to sleep. 

Once the shelves were set up, I sorted through the toys and formed 3 piles: organize, give away, throw away. Throw away toys were generally happy meal toys from various fast food restaurants that T never plays with. I then took the toys in the "Organize" pile and started to organize them into bins. The toys that had smaller pieces were placed in a little Thirty-One bag to keep them from being lost in the organizing chaos. Matchbox cars were tossed into an old-school metal lunch box with T's name on it (Bought from Sarah + Abraham).

After getting the furniture situated like I wanted it, I was able to add in the toys and books that J and I agreed we would keep for T. After the toys were put away, we were able to lay down an adorable rug that was given to T by J's mom, which is a little town where T can drive all his cars around! Adorable! And plenty of room for little T to play with his "Basketball Arcade" now, too!

J and I are so happy with how little T's room turned out once it was re-arranged! There is plenty of room for him to play on his town rug or open up the tee-pee tent my mom made him for Christmas - without the need to clutter my living room floor with toys, tents, and rugs. I love how we didn't have to change out or buy new furniture to make plenty of room for T to play! It's so uplifting that we were able to make space (well, more space) for T without having to spend any money. Here's a quick comparison of the before and after set-up (Sorry some of the pictures are a little dark!).

Before (*Cringe!*) 

After (YAY!).