friday diy: baking cup art

happy friday friends!

with monday being a holiday this week seemed to zip on by, and last night I was so happy when I realized tomorrow is the weekend again! we live for the weekends around here...

for today's diy project I found this super easy + genius idea from the amazing shavonda over at a home full of color blog. she is such an inspiration, has so many great ideas, projects, and always incorporates lots of beautiful color.

I'm sharing her baking cup art tutorial, where she found inspiration through a wall display at west elm. here is the actual wall display and next you will see what she did with that inspiration!

now here is her amazing piece of art

the basic supplies you will need are:

1. canvas (whatever size you would like will work

2. white baking cups (enough to fill your canvas)

3. paint colors

easy peasy right?! check out the full tutorial HERE

see you back monday! xo

currently loving: nate berkus

happy hump dayyy! (in my best camel voice)

I took a stroll around target the yesterday, this is usually an at least once-a-week thing, but it's been a few weeks I might dare say!? too long.

anyway, as I was checking out all the new stuff I kept gasping as I looked here and there and everything I saw was yelling "BUY ME!!!"

nate berkus is killing it with his line at target. pretty much everything he's designed speaks to me and if I could, I would have bought it all and made my home a whole lot cuter in the one shopping spree.

here are some of my faves you can find at target right now

most are on sale...a few I had to throw in because I love + think are totally worth buying at full price!

v>

memorial day sales

happy memorial day!!

hope most of you are able to enjoy the day off with friends or family! along with today comes some super awesome sales....here are a few I've found, check them out to save big--- most end today, so don't delay!

west elm. buy more save more! 10% off $100, 15% off $250, 20% off $500, 25% off $1000 with code: SUMMER

pottery barn. free shipping on almost everything + up to 60% off on hundreds of items

serena + lily. save 20% off everything with code: SUMMER20

world market. save 10% off everything online + free shipping on $100+ with code: HONOR

restoration hardware. save up to 20% off everything

kohls. $10 off your purchase of $25 or more with code: HONOR10 + select items 50% off!

williams sonoma home. 20% off pillows + 20% off all living room

crate + barrel. 15% off with code: SAVE15

target. up to 30% off patio furniture + free shipping on patio over $499

dwell studio. 20% off everything with code: MAY20

happy shopping!!!

xo

friday diy: silverleaf desk

happy friday friends!!

for today's friday diy I wanted to share with you this awesome desk makeover by virginia from livelovediy blog. she is an expert on painting pretty much anything--- so if you ever have questions running through your mind on how/what paint to use on a piece of furniture go to her blog!!

she originally thrift-ed this desk and decided to transform it into something she now loves!

check out the before + after...what do you think?!

and after...

amazing right? such a beautiful transformation. now she uses it as a vanity to get ready each day.

 check out her full tutorial for this project here

+ I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!!

memorial day early access: L&G

have you heard? lulu & georgia are starting an early access to memorial day with code: memorialday25 for 25% through monday!

if you aren't yet familiar with lulu + georgia...now is the time to be!

they are an online home decor boutique specializing in rugs, furniture + accessories for the inspired home.

amazing taste + pretty much every single item they offer I would love to have in my home.

just take a peek at their cute site + I promise you will find something you absolutely love!

tuesday huesday: radiant red

classic and ravishing red.

too much red in you home can be a bit overwhelming-- so I would stick to accessories, artwork, lamp, or a few pieces of furniture here and there.

in fashion + beauty, red is always a go-to.

I have always loved the natural face look with a bold red lip-- no matter what age you fall into, your 20's or 50's it works!

what do you think, how do you feel about red?

floor style on a budget: where to score rugs

rugs are an important piece in completely a space.

a rug will ground your space, can soften the look + really pull the look/style together.

a few years ago when I did an interior design internship + my jaw about hit the floor when I heard how much a client was paying for one rug for their living room floor. thousandsssss of dollars for one beautiful-- but still-- one rug.

I have eight sources listed where you can always score a great deal on a cheap + well made rug. plus keep an eye out for a sale to save even more!

1. target. #targetdoesitagain we can always count on good ol' target to have what we want + need for a pretty reasonable price. they have a pretty great selection in-store and like a million more online. they do sell from a range of styles + quality--- so beware, some items may not be too great of quality.

2. ikea. don't we all love/hate ikea? I am always a bit confused because they have quite the reputation for being "cheap" in both their pricing + sometimes quality, but I do have to say I have bought a few rugs from them and I have been really pleased with both pricing and quality. check them out online to make sure you can find what you want before heading over to the store...because if you don't know what you want before you get there you will be overwhelmed by the millions of items in the store!

3. homegoods. the only downside here is that you never know what you are going to find. you just have to check in regularly and the day you find that gem of a rug will be the best day of your life. worth the gamble of going to the store and most times finding nothing because the day you find something is amazing!

4. west elm. beautiful, modern but a little more pricey for the average person. however west elm pretty much always has a sale going on for something and items are always lingering around in their clearance section as well. plus, through today only they are still running their 15% off clearance section-- click the link to be headed right over!

5. urban outfitters. most of us just think of their clothing, but they really do have an awesome "apt/home" section. they have a lot of fun printed rugs + colors for fairly cheap.

6. world market. love this store! prices are pretty low for rugs although they don't have a huge selection of larger area rugs. they also have a great selection of outdoor rugs.

7. rugs usa. the largest variety of styles, prices, + runs a lot of awesome promotions-- rugs can be found up to 80% off! if you need a specific color/style, etc. check rugs usa!

8. land of nod. definitely the most pricey on this list, but incredible quality + satisfaction. yes this is a "children's store" but a lot of their prints/patterns aren't screaming "children only" and most likely you can always find some awesome stuff in their sale section.

friday diy: detailed frame mats

happy friday babes! 

boy am I ready for the weekend, last weekend didn't seem quite long enough so everyday this week has been a little bit of a struggle. 

warm weather is upon us here(like in the 80s!!!) so you can find us outside at the park until sunday

today I am sharing a super easy + fun diy from little green notebook---

when making a photo gallery on the wall, there seem to be just two ways to add in color

1. colored frame(s)

or

2. picture inside colorful/ colorful artwork 

buttttt guess what, now you've got number 3

3. adding colorful detail to the frame mat

can you say simply genius?!

so simple + easy, yet makes a plain- slightly boring picture/frame exciting!

here is another example from little green notebook

all images from LGN

head over to LGN's page here to see her full tutorial + her other ideas

enjoy your weekend babes, see you back monday! xo

west elm sale

in case you haven't checked out one of my favorite stores lately, west elm-- check it out now!! there are so many sales running right now, you are sure to find something you need(or want) for a great price!!

20% off headboards

+

20% off trays + butler stands

+

20% off parson's mirrors

+

20% off summer candlelight + outdoor

+

10% off select bedroom sets

+

up to 50% off kitchen essential

+

an extra 15% off all clearance [already marked up to 70% off] with code: bottomsup

here is a quick run through of a few of my favorite clearance picks-- hurry before what you want runs out of stock

living room inspiration

happy hump day babes!

as I'm [slowly] trying getting our living room look completed-- I found myself looking at a lot of images for inspiration. sometimes I find myself struggling with what colors, textures + styling I want to go with, but these are a few of my favorite images that I would absolutely LOVE to have in my home.

all images via pinterest

what do you think? what are your favorite images?

tuesday huesday: au naturale

welcome to tuesday huesday!!

today's color crush is au naturale. you can never go wrong with a nautral or flax colored shoe, pillow, sofa, rug or handbag. 

best thing about anything nautral---- hello- it goes with everything, including more natural color.

it is also an all season color, I love it paired with neon or yellow for spring/summer! here are some of my picks! all pictures clickable

before + after: breakfast nook

happy monday babes!

I hope you all had a lovely mother's day weekend. mine was pretty great, we had family in town + it was my little guy's first birthday on saturday! so it was pretty jam-packed, super fun weekend!

today I want to share with you an awesome before + after by the super talented tobi fairley. you can always count on her to give you something bright, bold, with a classic tailored touch. 

this project was a breakfast nook needing some life and I absolutely love what she has done, what do you think?

before

+ after....

I love the blend of traditional + contemporary elements and the bright pops of yellow. personally I would maybe mix up the pillows a little on the window seat-- add in a few different textures and patterns, but it is so lovely!

diy friday >>>sharpie wallpaper

okay, I don't know how I hadn't seen this sharpie wall by vintage revivals until the other day...it is seriously genius!!! everything she does is pretty much genius, but this is one of my top 5 favorite diy's. it takes a little time, patience, + ability to draw straight lines--- but nonetheless the result is AMAZE. I love that the lines are thin + most of the wall remains white. my perfect statement wall.

check out the full tutorial from mandi here

here is a progress picture

happy friday babes!

this is a big weekend for us....our baby's first birthday!! (tear :/) I can't believe it! see you back monday

xo

curtain sale! save up to 35%

in need of some window draperies for your bedroom, living room, or office??

west elm is currently running a sale now until monday--- 

up to 35% off + free shipping!

I have found that it is really hard to find a good quality curtain in the color/pattern you want, unless you pay full price for something you love(which at times is necessary).

so this is a smokin deal-- with west elm you know you are buying quality + they are always on trend with the current colors and patterns we all want.

here's a look at my top picks, but there are many more styles/colors to choose from here

click on any image and you will be linked straight to west elm where you can purchase!

life tips: working at home

as I was contemplating what to write about today, I came across this article-- which I realize doesn't really have anything to do with furniture, interior design, or deals-----

but I know there are a lot of work-from-home mommies these days + as nice & convenient it is to be able to be home with our precious little, there are definitely times when we feel like we can't get  a n y t h i n g  done, both home + work  stuff. 

the article is named "7 tips for work-at-home moms", she has been a work-at-home mom for 20 years and has a lot of good advice that I think many of us can benefit from.

here are her tips in a nutshell, but if you want to read the full article click here

1. create a schedule

set aside specific time slots for business instead of only working when you feel inspired or have enough energy. even if you can only devote 1 hour a day to your business, it's important to know when the hour is and what you intend to do. you can accomplish a great deal in 60 minuted of focused work. with only 5 or 10 minutes here and there you're likely to get stuck in a rut.

2. establish boundaries and eliminate distractions

where most of us struggle. when you set boundaries like designated work space and specific office hours, it gives you the freedom to concentrate fully on the task at hand—whether at work or play. you have to honor those boundaries by not taking personal calls or answering personal emails while you are working, and by putting your phone out of reach when it’s time to be with your children. your family will appreciate the boundaries. they’ll learn to recognize when mom is working and when she is available rather than constantly having to compete for her attention. 

3. reliable childcare

if you can't get what you need done during nap time or when the kids are at school, you need to find a reliable and consistent form of childcare-- even if it means swapping playdates with a friend.

4. let go of something

chances are you were busy before you started a business or working for someone else from home. when you add a new responsibility, let go of something else. you need to cut back and prioritize on activities/obligations that no longer seem fit so you can be a good steward of your time. learn to say no with clarity and without guilt to things you just don't have time to fit in.

5. don't compromise sleep

a cranky mom is no good to anyone. if your're staying up all night every night because that's the only time you can work without kids-- stop now. the lack of sleep will catch up with you + you'll be sick and unhappy.

6. hold a weekly planning meeting

take 30 mins at the beginning of each week to prioritize for the week. this isn't a to do list, this is a chance for you to focus your goals for your business, family and even yourself. 

7. get out of the house

this can be hard with multiple kids or small newborns-- so make attending local networking meetings, conferences, or events a part of your regular schedule. here you will meet colleagues, clients, mentors, and friends for support. fresh air and change of scenery will be good for you!

3 cheap + easy ideas for making a room look larger

few things are worse than walking into your house/apartment/condo/etc. + feeling like it's full of clutter and that you are trapped in the space. your home should being your sanctuary, a place to relax + take a break from the outside world

when your home feels cluttered, regardless of space, sometimes it's more about your own emotional issues with the space itself.

here are three simple tips that can help open up and give back that breath of fresh air that it (or you) so desperately need

1. use light colors, specifically on the walls

white. you honestly can never go wrong with a crisp, clean, heavenly white. from bedroom, bath, to kitchen or dining--- white is classic, airy and always brightens up a space.

2. window treatments to trick your eye

as you can see in the image, the windows don't actually take up the entire wall behind the bed-- but the treatments do line the entire wall + in a neutral light color. that tricks the eye into imagining a much larger window + maximizes the space.

3. shake it up

add a new lamp and a few accessories, and remove that old bookshelf or chair. you can even do some in-home shopping for this part--- move the plant in your kitchen to your bedroom + some artwork from your living room to the entryway. update the outdated.

guide gift: mother's day

don't worry if you still have yet to find that perfect gift for you wonderful momma! I know how hard it is to find something special/practical/unique/thoughtful-- so I've rounded up a few of my favorite finds [on sale of course] that I would get for my own momma (and wouldn't mind getting myself...;))

all images clickable

diy friday >>>easy peasy pillow covers

you made it...it's friday!

hope you all have some fun weekend plans--- it is going to get up in the 80's here so anything outside is what we'll be doing!

today I wanted to share with you some super easy and adorable pillow cover diy's, first up is classy clutter! these girls are so awesome and they participated in CWTS [creating with the stars] this year as vintage revivals being their mentor and lets just say that combo = perfection!!

loved everything they created!

colorblock tutorial

next is this anthro inspired pillow by i heart naptime blog

click here for tutorial

I absolutely love this triangle diy pillow by creature comforts blog

tutorial here

+ these super cute tassel porch pillows by a beautiful mess blog

tutorial here

now get going, you should be able to get any of these done this weekend!!

see you back monday