Easy DIY Mixed Planters

Say hello to our new home, sweet home! Yep, that's right... our new house is finally finished and we're all moved in! Well, almost. Does unpacking ever really end? And decorating? Now that's a whole separate animal. I'm slowly working my way room by room and trying to remind myself that every inch of our house doesn't need to be (and quite frankly CAN'T be) decorated immediately. It's so hard to resist. To help with this process I've been focusing on the areas in the house that we use the most (kitchen, living room, etc), but I couldn't neglect the one spot that I knew everyone would see first when they came to visit - our front door! While our yard has been fully landscaped and looks great, our entryway was looking a little bare in comparison. It's not a large space, but by simply adding a doormat and throwing together some mixed planters, it looks much more cozy and inviting. Making our own planters was super easy and I love how they turned out. If you're considering making your own, here are a few tips:

Apartment Living: Bringing Farmhouse Style to Small Spaces

Since we moved into our apartment, it's been my goal to make it feel as warm and cozy as possible. Although we only plan to spend a few years here before (hopefully) purchasing our first home, I've always felt it should still look and feel like a "home" in the meantime. Just because we aren't living in our awesome spacious farmhouse yet (let me dream my dreams, ok), doesn't mean our little apartment can't feel like one! Today I'm giving you a peek into our living room and showing you how I made the most of this little space. You'll see that I love neural colors (white & wood are the BEST together) and botanical accents. Other than our chair and entertainment center, nothing was over $100! Decorating does not have to be expensive!

Life Lately

To be honest, I kind of have a love/hate relationship with blogging. I love having a place of my own to share decor ideas, beauty products, and generally just all of my favorite things. I also love the blogging community. I love meeting fellow bloggers and I'm always inspired when scrolling through all of your lovely posts. However, blogging takes A LOT of time and energy. I can't tell you how often I feel like I have great content for the blog (whether it's a fun outfit I threw together before a night out, or a simple recipe that turned out amazing, or even just a great experience we've had while trying a new place in town), but I didn't take any pictures. I never think to grab my camera in the middle of cooking dinner or to pause for an outfit shoot before going out. It's just never on my mind. On one hand, I'm happy I don't think to stop and document these things, because it means that I'm mentally present in the moment. Living in and enjoying the moment has been very important to me since Day 1 of creating this blog. I didn't want to become that person who can't go anywhere or do anything without making a big fuss over getting pictures for a blog post. It interferes with simply enjoying the experience and the company of loved ones. But on the other hand, isn't it kind of your job to document these moments for your blog? If you want to blog about it, you have to take pictures of it. It is what it is. So while I might be living in the moment and feeling good about the cute outfit I wore out or the delicious dinner we ate, it's frustrating to also feel like I'm constantly missing the opportunity to share it with you all.

A Simple Dresser Makeover

It's amazing how much a coat of paint and some new hardware can completely transform an old dresser! We have two in our bedroom that belonged to my Mom when she was a little girl. I brought them with me when I moved out, despite James's hesitation. In his defense, yes, they were both covered in marks, the paint was a little more grey than white, and the knobs (with colorful, painted flowers) did seem a little girly for our shared bedroom. But, I loved them anyway and I knew we could refurbish them at some point. And I'm excited to say that point has finally come!

Shelf Decor

Exciting news: we moved! James and I have been thinking about upgrading to a bigger apartment for a while now, especially after the wedding when we realized we didn't even have enough space to unpack most of our gifts. We weren't planning on moving for another month or so, but when a great unit suddenly became available we knew we had to grab it. So, we made the switch from a 1bed 1bath to a 2bed 2bath and it is amazing. All the extra space is a dream!

Brown Paper Packages Tied Up with String: A Peek Under Our Tree

Merry Christmas Eve! I honestly can't believe tomorrow is Christmas because it's sunny and 80 degrees outside right now! I actually wore a tank top and flip flops to the store yesterday, can you believe it? I guess that's typical Florida weather for you. So although it may not feel like Christmas outside, I've done my best to make our little apartment feel as cozy and festive as possible. Of all the decorations, I think what I love most is our tree (a little too large and stuffed into the corner, oops!) and all of our pretty gifts underneath. I love using brown craft paper to wrap gifts and I think this year we did a great job of making each package look fun and colorful, despite the plain brown paper. Here's a peek of what's under our tree:

DIY: Quick & Easy Fall Banner

I'm a huge fan of the banner trend. Not only are banners pretty, but they also have such a fun, whimsical feel to them. Maybe it's just me, but I feel that hanging a banner instantly gives a space a "let's celebrate" vibe. There are a million reasons to decorate with banners and who doesn't want each one to feel like a party? Today's your birthday? Let's celebrate! Just married? Let's celebrate! Excited about fall? Let's celebrate! Game day? Let's celebrate! TGIF? Let's definitely celebrate!

Fall Decor

Fall is finally here! In Florida, the summer heat can sometimes linger until late November, which usually makes all the best fall moments and activities hard to enjoy. I mean, who wants to sit outside and carve a wilting pumpkin in 90 degree heat? Yuck. BUT, it's currently cool and beautiful outside and I'm sitting with all the windows open and a pumpkin scented candle burning. True bliss. 

DIY: Deer Head with Glitter Antlers

DIY: Clothesline Picture Frame

I don't know about you, but I have been seeing these adorable clothesline frames all over Pinterest and in stores around town. However, despite my weird love for picture frames and the fact that these clothesline frames are fun and unique, I'm not sure it's worth spending $30 or more for essentially just a frame and some clips! Luckily, if you have a glue gun on hand, you can easily make one yourself! James surprised me by making this one for my birthday and it only cost him less than $10!!

Home Goods Goodies

I have to start this post by confessing that I'm a little sad and ashamed. Somehow I have lived 25 years of my life without experiencing the beauty and magic that is Home Goods. I went for the first time just last week and almost started crying only three aisles in. This might sound a little exaggerated but if you've never been (and you clearly live under a rock like I'd been living) I promise you, it is AWESOME.