design tips for your home

happy thursday babes!

today i wanted to share with you a few tips I've come across when it comes to home design + decoration. 

the biggest thing to keep in mind, is that there are no "rules". everyone has their own style, which is what makes each home unique and special to those who live there.

if you are feeling overwhelmed on where to begin in your own home--- here are 5 tips for you

what do think, are these helpful tips?

diy kitchen shelving $50

I saw this post a month or so ago but then couldn't find it when I wanted to share it. I love this simple idea of making your own open shelving for about $50.

depending on the corbels you decide to use-- price can vary with the $15 ikea shelf.

kristen davis from kfddesigns.com shows how she completed her kitchen space with these fab shelves!

before

after

click here for the full tutorial!

I love these bracket options

tuesday huesday: white on white

happy tuesday babes!

it's been awhile since I posted a tuesday huesday color. today I decided to go with one of my fave color combo's right now--- which is white on white.

I am totally diggin' the look for home + fashion. it's so great because you can experiment a lot with different textures and even patterns while having a cohesive look with the color being the same. it's getting pretty big in fashion and is perfect for the home as well. 

if you're feeling like you don't quite believe me in this phenomenon......

from spring 2014 new york fashion week-- E NEWS: 

The [white hot] standout shade was a hit on the catwalk with models dressed from head to toe in the crisp color. White was a major theme at 3.1 Phillip Lim, Thakoon, Derek Lam, Carolina Herrera, Ralph Rucci, Victoria Beckham and more. 

here are my picks for home + to wear [and like always--- everything is currently on SALE!!]:

trending: ombre book shelves

let's be honest, ombre has been pretty much everywhere the last few years. hair, clothing, rugs, pillows, drapes + now bookcases?

here are 2 relatively affordable options, but this is definitely a diy hack to look into for a much cheaper alternative!

urban outfitters--- $199

land of nod--- $399-449 blue or pink option

here is a minimalist design by jordi lopez that could easily by diy'd

image source

+ last here is a diy tutorial by sisters not designers blog, which is pretty genius! I love the idea of painting the back of the spaces insted of just the shelf. to see full tutorial click here

what do you think? would you want something like this in your home?
happy monday!! xo

pioneer day deals--- utah

hi friends! happy thursday

+ happy pioneer day if you live in utah!

sorry I've been absent the last few days---- family has been in town and we've been playing the days away at bear lake!

today I found some pioneer day deals-- some apply only in utah, other I found deals online that apply to anyone! so take a look

tanger outlets [park city, ut]: today-sunday extra savings during the sidewalk sale

west elm: FREE shipping today only with code: THEBEST

world market: save up to 50% off on all framed art, mirrors + wall decor

crate + barrel: up to 40% off outdoor furniture

restoration hardware: summer bed + bath sale--- save up to 30% off!

target: college must-have on sale plus when you spend $50 save $10 with code: COLLEGE. also target is introducing free shipping on all orders over $50!

z gallerie: summer clearance up to 70% off

pier one: save 25% off all wall art, decor, clocks, wall frames + mirrors. free shipping on order $75 or more. one big sale in july-- save up to 50% off 

have a good day shopping!

friday diy: painted designer pillows

happy friday babes!!

I am so excited for the weekend to finally roll around. we will be heading up to bear lake tomorrow with my parents for some much needed R+R [and lets be honest, raspberry shakes of course]. I am  planning on swimming, watching movies, making crafts with my mom + eating lots of goodies.

I've been trying to think of crafts we can do up there that won't take too much prep or supplies and that can get done fairly quick. I came across these super cute + genius painted pillows that look like designer fabrics by burlap + lace blog. how cute are these?? and would you guess she diy'd all of them?

I especially love the dotted + greek looking ones. these are so simple to make and will save you $$$! you can make these yourself with a sharpie or black paint!

if you want to go the paint route here are the supplies you will need:

acrylic paint [any color choice, doesn't have to be black!]

fabric medium [michaels or any craft store]

pillow covers [she grabbed hers from ikea for $4 here]

paint brushes

painters tape

check out her full pillow tutorial here

bright night recap

happy thursday babes!!

as promised I am sharing with you today the fun I had last week at the BRIGHT NIGHT EVENT! 

basically it was just an awesome idea that came from four women who wanted to put on an event for women and for a good cause.

ashley reeves [academic achievement], shelley smith [house of smiths], haylie studebaker [layers clothing], + amy twitty [pink parlor designs] are the brains behind the operation.

here's what they had to say about why they throw this event:

"Our main reason for hosting the Bright Night Event has always been to continue to support women in crisis, so when you choose to become a sponsor, you are donating right alongside us, because a generous percentage of proceeds from ticket sales goes straight to the local Center for Women and Children in Crisis here in Utah."

there were so many incredible sponsors who gave/made such beautiful things!

when we arrived we checked in, grabbed a name tag, made some friends and gathered around tables for lunch in the main room. here is where our first, keynote speaker began.
alison falkner [the alison show] and boy was I blown away.

first off, if you don't know alison you should. she is not only seriously hilarious-- but down to earth, genuine and all around a nice person. her keynote was titled: awesome tools for awesomeness. awesome right?

here are a few points that really stuck out to me:

*things turn out differently than you thought --- use what you have, change your story!

*avoid the comparison trap
*don't poison your well

*you can't please everyone, so why not be pretty damn pleased with yourself

we ate lunch and were all feeling pretty lifted and inspired by her words of wisdom.

after lunch we split up and attended 2 out of 3 classes offered. I was in a major delimma here. diane smith [livy loves to run], becki crosby [whippy cake] + mckenzie deakins [photography by mckenzie] were all teaching and I wanted to attend all.

if I was smart I would have tried to split time in 2 classes maybe, but I didn't want to miss anything-- so instead I just attended diane + becki's classes.

diane smith [livy loves to run] was first. first off- I followed her on IG but really didn't know her personality or anything. and can I just say, she is the sweetest, cutest girl in the world! she was so real, emotional and driven. if you don't know about her story at all, basically she has been overweight her entire life. she has 2 kids and after realizing her weight could harm the 2nd child and seeing her brother return from an LDS mission weighing 100 lbs lighter, she hit rock bottom. she decided to really change her life and get healthy. and that's what she did and continues to do. she talked a lot about setting goals and how to achieve them-- whether it's in weight loss, debt, marriage, etc.

one of my favorite things she said was overthinking leads to negative thoughts. don't think too much, just do it. head over to her blog or IG feed if you want to hear more about her story.

becki crosby [whippy cake] was next. she talked about redefining beauty. her main points were:

1. have clarity

2. personal development

3. behavior

4. regime

"you are what you think"

we then had a break + the 2 more classes before dinner. the night classes I took were from jen hadfield [tatertots + jello] she is just a creative + successful woman! she just released a line of craft supplies, papers, and prints that will be hitting stores next month. she is the kindest and most humble lady ever and we got to use her new craft supplies to make some cool stuff.

last but not least I attended jenna rammell [jennas kitchen] class. she talked about healthy foods to fuel your family. if you haven't heard of jenna, she is one of the 3 behind small fry blog and then started her healthy food journey on jennas kitchen. she posts about healthy recipes and how to fuel your family with good, whole foods.

she is big into #whole30

if you have never heard of it, you can check out her IG. basically it's not sugars, bread or dairy for 30 days. her lasting impression was: good food, good life.

 

then we ate dinner + partied the night away on the dance floor! check out this awesome video from the party--- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZrQCjIMvwk

I learned quite a bit and got to mingle with some truly inspiring and motivational women. we are all awesome and capable of anything we can set our minds to. if you don't like the way something is happening or you can't find the right solution to something--- make a change. find out what makes you happy and shoot for the stars!

I know this was a lot more writing than I usually do, so hope I didn't bore you all to death, but check out these awesome ladies.
have a great thursday babes! xo

add value to your home with a designer kitchen

hey friends, today we have a guest writer-- Helen Wallis, she is letting us know about designer kitchens and how they can add style + value to your home.

Many people dream of having their ideal kitchen designed and then expertly fitted into their homes. If you are an avid cook or just someone who dabbles in the kitchen from time to time, a bespoke kitchen can transform the space into somewhere you love spending your free time. Whether you choose to have an ultra-modern kitchen or something more traditional, it will add a cachet of style and value to your home too.

image source

1. Sourcing Ideas Online

When it comes to finding inspiration, there are lots of websites to browse through which includes companies that specialise in bespoke kitchens as well as online home decor magazines. There's a heap of information on how to go about the initial planning and layout you'd like to have fitted in your kitchen and once you've got an idea of how you'd like things to look, the next stage is to contact a well-established and reputable company to discuss things with them.

2. Getting Advice from the Experts

There's a lot of planning involved when commissioning a new beautiful kitchen apart from choosing a theme and style, there's all the mundane tasks like knowing where windows and doors are and how much natural light can you take advantage of when sorting out the layout of the room. Then there's the plumbing and electricity to think about, which can become a little too technical for most people to enjoy and which is best left to the experts.

This is where the expert knowledge of professional kitchen designers really comes into its own and leaves you free to focus on the type of kitchen appliances you'd like, the type of flooring would be the best to suit your lifestyle, in short, you get to do the fun things and leave the more boring side of things to the professionals.

3. Choosing a Reputable Company is Essential

When it comes to finding the right kitchen design company to suit the style of kitchen you've always dreamed of having in your home, these days the task is that much easier because you can find a bespoke, luxury kitchen design company online. The problem is you'll probably find you're spoilt for choice with a ton of sites coming up in your browser.

However, you need to establish the company you do business with is a well-established firm that boasts customer reviews and preferably independent ones posted on review sites. This allows you to read testimonials on the company's site as well as leafing through a few which have been published elsewhere. If the company boasts great reviews and their designs are just what you had in mind, the chances are you won't be disappointed with the work and service they offer you. Also try talking to someone you know who had some work done in the kitchen or home, talking with someone who has already gone through this process can really help you.

image source

4. A Luxury Kitchen Adds Value to Your Home

With the property market still a bit flat, many home owners decide to make some improvements to their homes rather than move. Installing a new luxury, bespoke kitchen is one of the things that really does add value to a property. The bonus is of course, you get to benefit from something you have always dreamed of having and when the property market picks up, your stylish kitchen will be something that's bound to impress potential buyers and could even seal the deal when it comes to selling your home! If you've always dreamed of having a luxury designer kitchen fitted in your home, it could be the right time to think about making that decision.

thank you Helen for your expertise, have a wonderful tuesday everyone!

monday WE sale

happy monday friends!!

hope you enjoyed the weekend --- it always seems to zoom right on by. this morning I found myself scanning through the nordstrom early access sale online for a few minutes while baby was sleeping...then a second later, I looked at the clock and it had been almost an hour. oops!

if you don't have a nordstrom debit/credit card don't worry, only 4 more days to wait until the anniversary sale begins. or maybe you might have to jump on board and get a card to shop the early stuff!

since we can't all enjoy the nordstrom sale today I found a great sale going on over at west elm. and extra 25% off already clearance items with code: EXTRASALE

check out my picks! items starting as low as $9.99 + extra 25% off!

friday diy: $5 floral letter

happy friends friends!!!

what a week it's been. yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the bright night event put on by 4 amazing ladies for a good cause [proceeds going to the women's shelter here in SLC] 

I learned a lot and felt inspired by so many women! I will go into more detail next week about the speakers and wisdom I heard. today I want to share a quick, easy diy by danielle oakley interiors that will only take you about 10 mins + cost you around $5!

so simple + SO cute!

all images from danielle oakley interiors

check out her tutorial here

supplies needed:

letter (cardboard)

faux flowers of your choice

hot glue

have a wonderful weekend!!

diy simple cacti planter

I've been really wanting to add some more plants/greenery into our place for awhile now, but have felt a little overwhelmed. whether it be the upkeep or just not really knowing what kind of plants to get and how to make them look good.

but today is the day I start by making my own cacti planter! thanks to a beautiful mess blog who has shown me how easy it is!

very little upkeep (water like once or twice a month only) + such a cute, fun look for any kitchen counter, back porch, bedroom or window box.

+ all you need is about 20 minutes (perfect while baby is napping!)

seriously so cute huh?!

supplies needed:

wide, shallow vase

rocks

soil

cactus plants you love (+succulents/aloe if you'd like)

handheld shovel

all images via a beautiful mess blog

check out the full tutorial from a beautiful mess blog here

h+m home sale

happy monday babes!

hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend--- I'm trying to catch up on a lot of things today (sleep being one of them) we stayed up late every single night of the weekend, nixon included so I am hoping he doesn't get into the routine of going to bed super late now!

today I have some awesome steals I found from h+m home. most of the items were already fairly cheap but now they are marked down even more! check out my picks---- 

PLUS brickyard buffalo is having *FREE SHIPPING* week, so get on that now! lots of cute items listed!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 

5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9

nation's holiday sales!

with the fourth of july being tomorrow--- lots of stores are doing a weekend (or at least a 1-day) sale! if you have been eyeing anything in particular- whether it be a rug, lamp, shoes or a dress...you better get online today and check to see if there is some sort of deal going on! 

here are a few awesome deals I found for you

1 // west elm. free shipping til the 4th [including rugs!] + extra 25% off even more clearance

use code: FLASH check out a few of my picks

2 // pottery barn. save up to 60% off hundreds of items now through sunday 4/6

 3 // kohls. everyone gets $10 kohls cash for every $50 spent + red white and blue sale

4 // macys. extra 20% off [extra 15% off home] with code : FOURTH
or extra $10 off your purchase of $25 or more with code: FOURTH25
free shipping + free returns with $99 purchase

5 // urban outfitters. save up to 70% off on summer's last sale

6 // pier 1. free shipping on your entire purchse with code: FREESHIP + huge outdoor sale

7 // serena + lily. now through 4/8 enjoy $50 off $300, $100 off $500 or $250 off $1000
use code: SUNNYDAYS at checkout

8 // world market. today only-- save 50% off on all BBQ grills, toppers + accessories plus save up to 50% on all outdoor furniture + pillows

hope you find some awesome stuff + save a lot of money!

dessert prep for the fourth

the nation's bday is one of my favorite holidays...it's always warm, lots of BBQ-ing, friends ,food, family, pool-time, treats, and late night fireworks...oh an some more food!

with just 2 days left to get ready for such an eventful day I found some awesome recipes for you to make some delicious treats to share! with all these cute ideas people will think you are so creative and will be begging for your recipe!

1 // patriotic cookie dough brownies

2 // RWB cookie cups

3 // ice cream sandwich

4 // berry sparkler drink

5 // cookie crumble

6 // berries + cream trifle

mmm these all look so delicious I might need to make some of each :)

happy hump day babes

tuesday huesday: fourth of july

 okay so I realize last week I did a usa theme for the world cup....so the colors were also red, white + blue. but hello--- usa plays today + the fourth of july is friday so I just had to share a few more of my fave 'merican picks. these are sure to get your ready for friday!

usa usa usa!!

ps--- like always almost everything is on SALE!