Happy Friday Friends!!

Spring is definitely in the air! We have almost one week of the time change under our belts and I’m loving the longer days already!! We’ve gotten the kids’ bikes and scooters out and that little bit of extra sunshine seems to give everyone an extra boost!

I haven’t decorated much for spring before, but blogging seems to have changed me a lot (in good ways!) and I’ve been adding some lil’ spring touches here and there…. and planning some more, too! Can’t wait to share some more springy DIY with you soon!

 Today I’d like to show you that decorating for Spring doesn’t have to break your bank account! Earlier this year I shared my DIY Coffee Table and ever since my husband built it for me, it’s been soo fun to style and create different vignettes! Flowers always add such beauty and color to a room, but if you’re like me, you might not be able to afford flowers every week. So, the next best thing…. faux flowers!!! And a trip to your local thrift store! Come along and I’ll show you my finds!

I bought three bunches of faux tulips from The Dollar Tree. I usually buy our faux flowers from Michaels or from a décor store in town, but last year I bought these same tulips in orange and got TONS of compliments on how beautiful they were! When I told one friend that they were fake, she could not believe it!  Nothing says spring to me like the color yellow, so these prettys came home with me!

The DIY Tray Makeover was $1 garage sale find last year and I love it still! The distressed finish is perfect and I love how it’s large enough to hold a variety of items! Last week I had an appointment and I got sidetracked majorly just a little bit because my favorite thrift store was just a round the corner! These two vases were exactly what I was looking for! The “clear” one is actually quite green but you can’t really tell in the picture. Who knew thrift stores had holiday displays?? Apparently they do, but I have never noticed that before! I found it on their all-things-green St. Patrick’s Day display

I just love this white milk glass vase! I’ve done a little searching online trying to find out how old it would be. My husband was surprised when I came home with it… he said I needed to go raid his mom’s collection of vases. She has lots of these! Well, good to know! (*wink*)

 Don’t you think flowers make a room so happy and cheerful?  And one more just because! Oh! And I just had to add a picture of these precious little ones… there’s our two little ones and my sweet lil’ nephews!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I just might be found curled up right there with a good book! 

By the way, if you’re on Instagram or Pinterest I’d love for you to come on over and follow along! 
Thank you for stopping by today!

-Kendra

Linking to these fabulous parties:

 Frugal Friday, Inspire Me Tuesday, Time To Sparkle, On Display Thursdays, Tuesdays At Our Home, Motivational Monday, The Dedicated House, The Makers Link Party, Party In Your PJs, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Whimsy Wednesday, Moonlight and Mason Jars, Work It Wednesday, Pin Worthy Wednesday, Wednesday Roundup,  Artsy Fartsy Link Party, Inspire Me Please, Grace At Home, Creative Collection, Weekend Wind-down Party, Best of The Weekend,  Super Saturday, Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop, Share It Sunday, Talented Tuesdays, Pretty Pintastic Party, Think and Make Party, Something To Talk About, The Creative Circle, I’m Lovin’ It, The Party Bunch,

Hello Friends!

This past week has been super busy with back to school and trying to settle back into a routine, but I’m hoping with fall approaching, things slow down a little and I can post more regular. I have many exciting projects to share with you in the next few weeks! But first, I have to show you this super easy way to update your fireplace.

Our home was built in the late 90’s and therefore has a lot of gold accents. We’ve replaced all the light fixtures and door knobs but one thing that remained gold was the fireplace. And it’s so simple to redo, we could’ve done it the day we moved into our home. 😉

Here’s what it looked like before…

The face of the fireplace is very easy to pop off. I feel bad I didn’t get step by step pictures of this makeover… I’m sorry! We were knee deep in a fireplace makeover (this was just step 1! The makeover didn’t stop there!). So while my husband spray painted this, I was off doing something else.

We found this Rustoleum High Heat spray paint at Home Depot for about $8. It resists heat up to 650C so it is perfect for barbeques, wood stoves and more. Before spray painting, I wiped the “face” to remove any dust or dirt.  We then gave the fireplace face 3 coats and it went on so nicely and dried immediately. It really is a super quick makeover as it only took an evening to do it, including the drying time.

Here’s how it looked after… I love how black it looks and it just “pops” against the white!

My husband totally redid the rest of our fireplace after this. I can’t wait to show you the finished pictures! There’s just a little bit of grout work to do before it’ll be totally done!  I hope to post the finished makeover next Monday!

So, if you have any gold you want to get rid of on your fireplace, run to Home Depot and get that spray paint! It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3! Thanks for stopping by, friends!

Linking to: Hit Me With Your Best Shot,

Happy Monday Y’all!

Hope you all had a very nice weekend! I crossed lots off my to-do list and even got to put my feet up and relaxed yesterday! As Christmas approaches, I don’t want to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season. I’m trying to get organized and get things done ahead of time so I can enjoy all that December has to offer!

As part of a group of some very fabulous Canadian bloggers, we are all sharing Handmade Christmas gift ideas today. My thoughts instantly turned to some kind of photo display idea.  I love picture frames and  I think you can never have too many. Today I’d like to show you how I made mine…

I absolutely love how these photo frames turned out and I think they’ll be such cute gifts! They’d be perfect for my mom (who can never have enough pictures of their grandkids), siblings, grandparents and even for teacher gifts!

Here are the materials I used:

– 2 pieces of 2X10 wood (my measurements were 9X6.5  and 9X5.5). You can make these in sizes you want, depending on the size of your picture!

– embellishments of your choice (I chose vintage-style keys from Michaels dollar bins)

– clip of your choice (I actually liked the style of the one with the notepad pictured above, so I just bought it from Michaels dollar bins too and removed the clip)  

 First, I used Rustoleum black spray paint and painted the wood blocks. I waited until they were dry before sanding them lightly. Sand wherever you want a distressed look. I then used my glue gun to glue a piece of burlap to the wood. Using screws, I attached the little clip to the wood! Such an easy and fun project!

I love the distressed look and the keys! I think I’m going to add some to the second frame as well!

Are you going to be making any gifts this Christmas? I hope you give these a try! Or if you’ve made some homemade gifts already, leave me a comment below please… I’d love to check them out!

Have a very wonderful week, friends! Thanks for coming by!

-Kendra

Linking to these fabulous parties:

 Your Designs This Time, Time To Sparkle, On Display Thursdays, Tuesdays At Our Home, Motivational Monday, The Dedicated House, The Makers Link Party, Party In Your PJs, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Whimsy Wednesday, Moonlight and Mason Jars, Work It Wednesday, Pin Worthy Wednesday, Wednesday Roundup,  Artsy Fartsy Link Party, Inspire Me Please, Grace At Home, Creative Collection, Weekend Wind-down Party, Best of The Weekend,  Super Saturday, Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop, Share It Sunday,

Hello Everyone!
I am excited to tell you about a challenge I’m going to participate in!!! Linda over at Calling it Home has challenged 20 home-design bloggers to make over a space and show their progress over 6 weeks. This is so exciting for me, because Linda has invited anyone else to come share a room or space we’d like to make over as well.

One Room Challenge

I knew right away which room in our home I was going to tackle. Without a doubt, it’s our master bedroom. We have done many upgrades in our home, but our bedroom has always been put on the back burner. It’s the one room where the door always gets shut when company is coming. Stuff gets dumped there and sad to say, it is in dire need of some TLC! So, without further ado, I am going to show you some before pictures!

This wall has the walk-in closet and onsuite bathroom doors on it. Also the beautiful location of our ironing board, the place where anything and everything gets stored. My goal for this space is a beautiful gallery wall and to finally put that board and iron in its rightful place— in the laundry room. Surprise, surprise!

There are actually 2 windows like this on this wall, both with these gorgeous ugly curtains on them. They are gold and make the room look so blah and dreary. I’m hoping for something white and sheer to give the a brighter look but still give I a soft and warm feel.

The reason I’m entering this challenge is to give me a push to hopefully finish or even get close to finishing this room by May 8. We’re going to be trying to keep the cost to a minimal and hoping to score a few deals on some pieces for the wall gallery and hopefully a bench for the foot of the bed. I have been putting off redoing our dresser and end tables for over a year now but this challenge just might have me busy sanding and painting by next week! Yeaa!!!!!!

Here is our 6 week plan for our bedroom:

* Re-do dresser and end tables in white

* Bigger lamps and a chandelier

* Gallery wall

*  New bedding

* End of bed bench

* Curtains

* and maybe, just maybe…. a board and batten head board! 😉

Here’s our inspiration board… I love all the beautiful whites in these rooms!

Please come join me each Thursday as I share my progress with you. Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous weekend!

Until next time,

Kendra

Linking up to: One Room Challenge

Grace At Home

Hit Me With Your Best Shot
 

Hello Everyone!

I’d love to share the perfect, quick-to-throw-together casserole with you! We’ve been spending all our days outside soaking up the sun and this Macaroni and Cheese can easily be made ahead of time and then just baked in the oven before suppertime.

This recipe comes from an old, old cookbook that was handed down to my husband. The cover is long gone, the pages are yellowed and torn. It’s been made countless times and satisfies young and old alike. It’s comfort food at its finest. I also love how versatile it is… you can add different spices to suit your family’s tastebuds. Or you can add wieners, sausage or bacon. I hope you try it soon!

Ingredients:

2 cups macaroni

1 1/2 tsp. butter

1 tbsp. flour

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cup milk

1 cup grated cheese (packed)

1 cup bread crumbs (slightly toasted)

Optional: sliced wieners or sausage; cooked

1. Cook macaroni according to directions on package. When tender, drain macaroni and rinse with cold water and set aside.

2. Melt butter, whisk in flour, salt and pepper.

3. Add milk and stir over low heat until slightly thickened.

4. Add cheese and stir until melted.

5. Add sauce and (meat if using) to macaroni and mix well in a greased 9X9 casserole dish.

6. Cover with crumbs and bake in oven at 350F for 20 minutes. (Note: Baking time will vary depending if you refrigerate this ahead of time.) Cook until heated through.

Cooked macaroni and wieners, cheese sauce and bread crumbs

Thanks so much for stopping by and hope your day is fabulous!

Until next time,

Kendra

Linking to: Grace At Home, Everyday Enchanting, Inspire Me Tuesday, Sweet Haute,

Welcome back once again to Your Turn To Shine!! After a 2 week break for Christmas and New Years’, we are excited to be back and to see what you’ve been up too! If you are new, Your Turn To Shine is a weekly link up party where you can share any DIY, crafts, home décor, recipes, etc! If you’re returning to link up, thanks for joining us once again! We sincerely hope you all come back each week to share and to see all the inspiring posts!

 I shared this delicious French Onion Soup this week! If you have some chilly days in your forecast, please make a pot of this… you’ll love the it and it’ll warm up your kitchen and tummies!

 I also did a “Year In Review: Top 10 Posts of 21014” post and these Metal Chair Makeover are still one of my favorite (and colourful!) projects I did!

   Triple Chocolate Cookies from Simply Suzanne’s At Home

 Quick and Easy Peppermint Mocha from Home Remedies Rx

 Turns Coffee Table from Lake Girl Paints

 Hot Cocoa Bar from DIY Beautify

Rich Holiday Fruit Bread from Yesterfood

Lace Doily Christmas Tree from Little Red Window  Wintery Christmas Mantle by Beyond the Portico    Quick and Easy Peppermint Mocha from Home Remedies RX

1. No Etsy stores, giveaways, or link parties.
2. Please link to a specific post on your blog, not your blog’s home page.
3. Link back to one of our blogs with a text link or party button.
4. By submitting a link, you’re giving us permission to feature your project on our blogs and on social media.  Proper credit and a link back to your post will always be given.  
5. Each week, a few of our favorites will be featured on all four of our blogs.  Features will also be pinned to our Pinterest Party Board for even more exposure!  If you were featured, be sure to grab a button! 

And now it is your turn to share what you have been up to! Happy linking!  

Happy Friday Friends!

Who’s happy it’s the weekend? My hands are both up! It’s kind of an early weekend here as there’s no school today, plus my husband is off! Hope you all have a very wonderful one, whether you’re enjoying a last bit of summer weather, or some cooler feels-like-fall days!

I’ve been pulling out some fall décor here and there and even made a new wreath that I shared a few weeks ago. You can check it out here in case you missed it.

This summer I bought these decorative jars filled with sand and tea lights at Ross’s. They were perfect for the deck but when I saw Kelly at Live Laugh Rowe post her Pottery Barn knock off hanging mason jars, I instantly knew these jars would work perfectly for that. If you’ve never checkout out this sweet lady’s blog, you have to go visit it! She shares lots of other amazing DIY! 

Here’s what I used to fill my jars but you can fill yours with whatever you’d like. I didn’t end up paying a penny for this décor as I had everything on hand already. A few years back we visited Amish country in Berlin, Ohio and these mini pumpkins and dried berries were everywhere! I fell in love with their cuteness and am so glad I brought some home with me! They were perfect for this! For the third jar, I used popcorn kernels.

For the candles, I used Bath and Body Works mini ones. I always have lots on hand and they’re my favorite candles ever. You could use little glass jars as well and put votives or tea lights in them, too.

I love how these turned out and they look so cozy burning on our new fireplace mantle! Have you decorated for fall yet? I’d love to hear what you’ve done… leave me a comment below please. I love hearing from my readers!

Enjoy your weekend!

-Kendra

Linking To: Carrie This Home, The Dedicated Home, Motivational Monday, Time to Sparkle, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Work It Wednesday, Get Your DIY On,

Hello Everyone!

Hope you’re all having a fabulous day! It is kinda cool here today but loving how it feels springy and the grass is starting to show signs of green! Yay!!

Do you decorate much for spring? We don’t do too much, but this year I did go out and bought some hydrangea bunches and other greenery to make the house look springy and add some pops of color. After seeing mason jars popping up on Pinterest everywhere,  I decided to paint my own. They are super easy to make and I thought I’d share the tutorial with you today.

What you’ll need:

Quart sized jars, paint and foam brush

For paint, I used Craftsmart brand from Michaels. The little 59mL bottles were on last week for 66 cents each so I stocked up! The three colors I used for these jars are white, grey and robins egg blue.

I started painting at the bottom and then painted all the to the top, including the rim. I then let them dry completely, about 6-8hours. Waiting for them to dry is the hardest part because I wanted to get that second coat on right away. But this is very important in letting the paint harden…. ahem, I may have learned this the hard way!

I gave my jars another coat after they were completely dry. Depending on the kind of paint you use, they might need a third coat or just some touch ups after the second coat. It is best to seal them with a clear coat of matte or satin sealer to prevent any chipping.

I wrapped some twine around mine and filled them with some hydrangea stems. Our little ones love to bring me flowers in the summertime so these will also look great with fresh flowers as well!

Thanks so much for stopping by and hope you have a fabulous week!

Until next time

Kendra

Linking up to: Frugal Crafty Home Blog, Anything Blue Friday

The Maker’s Link Party
 

Happy Monday Friends!!

It’s hard to believe we are almost halfway through the year!! And with all the summer fun ahead, the days will just fly by! I feel like I want to savour and truly enjoy each day… making time for the most important things first! In case you noticed, (well, I’m hoping you did), I was unplugged from my blog this past week. We had a refreshing and relaxing time away!

So, welcome back to another Motivational Monday.  I am so happy to co-host this party with two fabulous ladies and bloggers, Amanda from Burlap and Babies and Christina from The DIY Mommy. SO glad you are here and thank you to each one who linked up last week. You can catch it here if you missed it! There were so many fabulous DIY projects shared… the perfect motivation I need to get working and posting some projects after my week away.

Hosted by:  Joy In Our Home, Burlap and Babies, The DIY Mommy

Ready to share what motivates you? Link up a picture or post of something that motivates you (or others) to create or just be awesome! Our goal is for this link up to focus on craft, DIY & home posts. Each week, each hostess will feature their favorite from the previous week. Please do not link Etsy stores, giveaways, or other link parties. Link party goes up Monday and ends at 5:00pm PST on Friday.

I am loving this bedroom makeover by Krista from The Happy Housie!  Just look at that floor to ceiling board and batten!!! If you’ve never checked out her blog before, you have to go see all her amazing diy!

You have to check out this (almost) entirely thrifted dining room from The Queen and Her Court. I love this window box Amber rescued from the side of the road and found a home in her beautiful dining room!

And now, it’s time to party! We can’t wait to see what you’ve been up to!!  We’d love for you to stick around as well and visit some other linkers and leave a comment or two (we know we all LOVE encouraging comments, right?) Grab the link up button below and let’s party!

Good Morning Ya’ll!

If you’re still following along on my ORC, I want to say a big heartfelt thank you! They’re definitely not posts that are filled with the most beautiful pictures or with mouthwatering recipes, but thank you for bearing with me while we give our laundry room a huge facelift. It seriously needed it!

You can read all about week 1, week 2, week 3 and week 4 in my previous posts. Next week will be the big reveal! By the looks of things, I’ll be wanting to do laundry every day! I am loving how bright and organized it’s feeling already!

This week my husband painted the walls in the laundry room and said goodbye to good ole’ beige. I didn’t mind the beige too, too terribly but since we were doing a makeover I wanted to lighten it up with grey. But nobody ever told me how hard it would be to choose a grey I’d love. Maybe it’s the red washer and dryer, but when I came home and my husband had it painted I almost fell back! It looked sooo purplish/bluish. And trust me, I’m not a fan of either. I seriously couldn’t believe it was the same paint I chose. We went immediately to our second home Home Depot and looked for a grey we like. The girl in the paint department was so helpful and showed us how many shades of grey have tones of blues and reds added.  We decided to leave it a few days and it seemed to lighten up and now looks more like grey! Whew! The baseboards still need painted and the linoleum will hopefully be replaced this winter.

I love these baskets I found at Michaels… and yes, they’re full already!  

 Another coat of paint and these lockers are done! I am so excited with how far we’ve come! Please don’t forget to check out all the other fabulous makeovers going on over at our host’s blog, Calling It Home. Thank you so much friends, for following along on this One Room Challenge Makeover! Can’t wait to have it all done next week!

While you’re here, don’t forget to check out these yummy Pumpkin Muffins… they really are the best ever!

You can find the recipe here!

Also, our link up party, Your Turn To Shine is still on and we’d love to have you link up and share any of your DIY!

Hope you all have a very wonderful weekend!

-Kendra