Category Archives: DIY

Baby Sprinkle Fun!

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A few weekends ago, my mom/stepmom/myself teamed up to throw Liz a fun baby shower!  We are beyond excited to meet the new baby and Liz definitely deserves to be pampered before the next bundle comes along.  We were on Pinterest quite a bit trying to find the cutest things for the shower and we found lots of goodness.  I thought I’d share some of the shower on here in case you are throwing a shower for someone special anytime soon 🙂

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Since this will be baby number 2 and it’s called a sprinkle, we went with sprinkled donuts of course 🙂

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We also had a simple but delicious DIY parfait bar.

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Mini bacon wrapped sausages baked in brown sugar.

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A DIY headband stand!  It’s a fun way to make something for the baby 🙂

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Party favors for the guests – OPI nail polish in color “It’s a Girl” – it was perfect!

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My stepmom Vicki is so creative, she really added such a beautiful touch to the shower and my mom is so great at cooking and baking, the food was excellent.  It was great to work together on this and celebrate my awesome sister, Lizzy!  Hope we gave you some ideas that are helpful and would love to hear any ideas of things you may have done in the past in the comments!

Perfect Pumpkin Pie.

IMG_6022With Thanksgiving coming up, I thought I’d share a recipe with you all for the perfect Pumpkin Pie.  My mom is from the mid-west and therefore she is a pie master.  However, this recipe came right from the can of pumpkin but is perfect because it’s not too sweet but it’s still extremely tasty.  Also, Chelsea and Lindsay got me this awesome pie pan and server from Anthropologie for my birthday so it was so fun to put it to use!

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3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Ginger
1/4 Tsp Cloves
2 Large Eggs
1 can pumpkin
1 can evaporated milk

Mix the above together and bake @ 425 degrees for 15 minutes then 350 degrees for 40-50 mins.  I used a pre-made pie crust but you can choose a crust of choice.

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Post Halloween Fun.

2015-10-31 08.36.20Nick and I had a few friends over to hand out candy to trick or treaters and play board games this Halloween. Nick makes an amazing guacamole, he has a secret ingredient and everything. Since it was Halloween and we had an extra pumpkin, we decided to present the chips and dip in a fun/gross way (see above).

2015-10-31 08.36.36(The dip went quick!)

2015-10-31 08.36.45(We made a spiced apple cider cocktail and had cold beers on hand too)

2015-10-31 08.36.54(I cooked up the pumpkins seeds and put pomegranate seeds and rosemary sprigs aside for garnish- both from our backyard!)

All in all, the gathering was a success. Fall is my favorite time of year so it’s a real treat to get to eat some of my favorite flavors (pumpkins included).

Room Re-do.

DSC_0958Nick and I recently made the big move out of the city and into Marin County. We now have an extra room to turn into an office/recreational room. Here are the steps we took to make the transformation.

DSC_0954(The room was originally this honey color that I wasn’t a fan of)

DSC_0960(So we changed the wall color to a light blue-gray)

DSC_0962(We purchased this multi-color rug from Overstock and love how vibrant it is)

DSC_0963(I had an old shelf and wasn’t sure what to do with it. I filled it with succulents, candles, and books. It still doesn’t feel done so this is a work in progress)

DSC_0965(Basic guitar stands to display an acoustic and electric guitar)

DSC_0961(A small indoor plant, amethyst crystal, and candle sit on our desk)

We still need to add pictures to the wall but haven’t settled on images yet. Any suggestions?

Pinterest Picks – Halloween Edition!

I’m not one to spend hours on Pinterest but I think it’s incredibly clever and I get a ton of inspiration and ideas from the site.  I have a hard time committing to laborious crafts but when I see a simple but awesome craft, I love to make them and share them.  Here are a few that are on my list for Halloween.

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1. THIS awesome DIY wreath.

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2. These beautiful lace candles.

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3. I love making pumpkin seeds, they are such a great snack!

These are three manageable crafts to conquer over the next month.  Happy October!

DIY Coffee Zone.

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I saw this great idea on Pinterest and was eager to give it a try.  In my apartment, my roommates and I have an overwhelming amount of coffee mugs that take up multiple shelves so I was on the hunt for a fix to save space.  We now have a lot more counter space and a cute coffee area.

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This is the before, we needed some major organizational help.

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I started from the top down, setting the new wall mug hangers first.  I ordered them off of amazon.

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The after!  So much better.

What DIY projects are you getting into this weekend?  Or share any links in the comments section of some of your DIY’s, I love getting ideas from other blogs and will link back 🙂

Anthropologie’s Best Kept Secret.

Brittany turned me on to Anthropologie‘s kitchen wear about a year ago when she got me an awesome ceramic muffin dish that I absolutely adore. Since then, I have dreamed of updating my tiny kitchen with unique pieces from our favorite store! In case you haven’t checked out what they have to offer, I have picked out a few of my favorite items that they have right now. The price point is fair and everything that they offer is of very high quality so you really can’t go wrong!

Copper(These puts my bland colander to shame! I love the legs and of course, the copper tone. $30-58)

35790328_010_b(This would make a great DIY project! $40)

35858570_010_b(Marble, glass, and wood. A very modern way of presenting cheese at a party. $78)

36128510_027_b(Not a must have by any means, but extremely cute! $78)

32578031_028_b(Lastly, these copper measuring cups are classic! $28)

Do you have a favorite place to shop for kitchen wear? Let us know!

Favorite Summer Snack.

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I never liked tomatoes until a few years ago and I can’t believe I never used to like them because I LOVE them now.  Caprese salads are one of my most favorite dishes.  I found this simple caprese kabob idea on Pinterest and it’s been my go-to appetizer to bring to parties hosted by other people.

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The ingredients are this simple: toothpicks, mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil.  I like to add sea salt and some balsamic/olive oil drizzled over but you can eat them without those and they are just as tasty.

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They are simple, non-messy, and usually a big hit since they aren’t too heavy.

Enjoy!

Dreamcatcher Inspiration.

DSC_0841You might remember this project I did a few months back. I had a bunch of yarn leftover and got inspired to make a dreamcatcher type of replica for a friend this weekend.

DSC_0836(You’ll need: a hot glue gun, leather strips, different colors of yarn, feathers [optional] and an embroidery hoop)

DSC_0837(Step 1: Use the hot glue to wrap and affix the leather around the embroidery hoop)

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DSC_0839(Step 2: Wrap the yarn around the hoop in individual strings. I experimented with strings inside of the hoop as well)

DSC_0841(After some trimming and the addition of feathers, it was complete!)

DSC_0843(It’s a great addition to any bare wall!)

Found Object Art.

1About a year ago, my friend Lindsay dragged half of a broken tree to my doorstep because she knew I was on the lookout for good piece of branch for an art project. What a friend, I mean she stumbled up them gem on a walk and carried it to me! I didn’t have the end result in my mind at the time but I knew it needed to be big; it had to with a start like this one. I began by taking my favorite piece and spraying it gold. It sat like that for about a year until I was inspired by something I saw on Pinterest. After scooping up some yarn and strings of leather, I quickly put together a great piece of wall art.

2(I tied together pieces of leather in order to hang the branch)

3(I chose colors that tied in with what I am using in my apartment)

4(Close up of the gold branch)

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I really love the end result. It is so simple but adds a lot of color to our room. The teal is the same color as a desk that I have and the orange flows nicely with our duvet. There are somethings that you have to go out and make in order for it to be exactly what you need.