A little birdie

Sometimes, after the rain, spring really does arrive.

We had torrential downpours, made all the more difficult because we have had a relatively dry winter, so this was the first "real" rain of the year. We spent many days inside, including a three day weekend where we had a spray paint party in the garage. Once it was over, my husband and I decided to head out to Ikea as a celebration of my birthday, and the fact that we could now carry things outside to our car without getting soaked, like this blogger did!

We can back with this mess, which we stored in the library. I'm in the process of styling the shelves and bringing more color in.

We have just started to sort it all out, but one of the first things we did was untie all the branches. And when I untied them I was left with a pile of little strings, which looked just like a bird's nest.

He had to go up onto our spring craft mantle right away.

The branches went into this giant vase in our entry. We needed some height in there.

I'm also guest posting today at Stardust- Decor and Style, so come visit me!

I link to these awesome parties:

Sunday: I Heart Naptime, Nifty Thrifty Things, Inspired Honeybee, Nest for Less, Delectable Home, It's Overflowing  Monday:Between Naps on the Porch, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Thrifty Decor Chick, Alderberry Hill, Debbie Doo's, Home Stories A to Z, Home Savvy AtoZ , Tuesday: Coastal Charm, Tip Junkie, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Carolyn's Homework, Made in a Day, Our Delightful Home, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Get Your Craft On, Kurtz Corner , Organize and Decorate, Natural NestersWednesday: Savvy Southern Style, Mommy Solutions, Power of Paint, Newlyweds Recipe Linky, Southern Lovely , Home Happy Home Thursday: The Shabby Creek Cottage, Made in a Day, House of Hepworths, the 36th Avenue , Bloggeritaville Craft, Scrappy, Happy, 52 Mantels Friday: One Artsy Mama, Serenity Now, Tatertots and Jello, The Shabby Nest, Thirty Handmade Days, Addicted 2 Decorating, Funky Junk Interiors, Financial Friday, Furniture Friday, At the Picket Fence, The Rooster and the Hen

Jewelry Organization

Just like I couldn't jump into the pantry organization all at once, I had to start with organizing the spice drawer, I can't jump headlong into organizing my master closet. It's just too overwhelming. The project involves sorting all of my clothes, donating the clothes that are too old or worn, putting the maternity clothes in a different closet (my eye is on the nursery closet, since the baby doesn't have much hanging), and then organizing the clothes that do fit and look nice.

Step one was organizing the jewelry trays. When we built this house, we ordered our kitchen cabinets from one manufacturer, the bathroom cabinets from another (master bath, guest bath, powder room and kids), and we built the laundry room cabinets for Ikea ourselves. The cabinet dealer for the bathrooms had some extra closet pieces that didn't fit correctly for the client who had ordered them, so he offered them up to us, as long as we could pick them up. The two pieces, as you can see, are slightly different widths and have different things going on with the drawers, but they were free! Plus one was white and the other bisque, so we had to paint them.

Mine (on the right), has two slide out trays. Previously I had been taking apart my jewelry box and just putting things in willy-nilly. Now, all the cute (not fancy) stuff is out there, encouraging me to wear it. Plus I cleaned up the bottom shelf as well. Progress!

I link to these awesome parties:

Sunday: I Heart Naptime, Nifty Thrifty Things, Inspired Honeybee, Nest for Less, Delectable Home, It's Overflowing  Monday:Between Naps on the Porch, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Thrifty Decor Chick, Alderberry Hill, Debbie Doo's, Home Stories A to Z, Home Savvy AtoZ , Tuesday: Coastal Charm, Tip Junkie, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Carolyn's Homework, Made in a Day, Our Delightful Home, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Get Your Craft On, Kurtz Corner , Organize and Decorate, Natural NestersWednesday: Savvy Southern Style, Mommy Solutions, Power of Paint, Newlyweds Recipe Linky, Southern Lovely , Home Happy Home Thursday: The Shabby Creek Cottage, Made in a Day, House of Hepworths, the 36th Avenue , Bloggeritaville Craft, Scrappy, Happy, 52 Mantels Friday: One Artsy Mama, Serenity Now, Tatertots and Jello, The Shabby Nest, Thirty Handmade Days, Addicted 2 Decorating, Funky Junk Interiors, Financial Friday, Furniture Friday, At the Picket Fence, The Rooster and the Hen

UV Shades to Keep out the Sun

As you have seen, our kitchen gets a lot of sun. With our exposure, south and west, the sunlight pours in, especially in the afternoons. With all the white, it can get a little glare-y.

Imagine you are standing next to the windows.

Now look up.

Those pockets, or soffits, if you want the correct architectural term, house automatic UV shades. That means when it gets too sunny I can flip a switch and the shades descend to temper the harsh daylight.

Much better.

I link to these awesome parties:

Sunday: I Heart Naptime, Nifty Thrifty Things, Inspired Honeybee, Nest for Less, Delectable Home, It's Overflowing  Monday:Between Naps on the Porch, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Thrifty Decor Chick, Alderberry Hill, Debbie Doo's, Home Stories A to Z, Home Savvy AtoZ , Tuesday: Coastal Charm, Tip Junkie, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Carolyn's Homework, Made in a Day, Our Delightful Home, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Get Your Craft On, Kurtz Corner , Organize and Decorate, Natural NestersWednesday: Savvy Southern Style, Mommy Solutions, Power of Paint, Newlyweds Recipe Linky, Southern Lovely , Home Happy Home Thursday: The Shabby Creek Cottage, Made in a Day, House of Hepworths, the 36th Avenue , Bloggeritaville Craft, Scrappy, Happy, 52 Mantels Friday: One Artsy Mama, Serenity Now, Tatertots and Jello, The Shabby Nest, Thirty Handmade Days, Addicted 2 Decorating, Funky Junk Interiors, Financial Friday, Furniture Friday, At the Picket Fence, The Rooster and the Hen

Our Launching Pad

Before I launch into the reveal of our morning Launching Pad/Sunscreen Cabinet (too corny?), I wanted to let you all know that my master bath is being featured on Remodelaholic today!

OK, back to my regularly scheduled post. This cabinet is a Jack-of-all-trades as far as furniture and family organization is concerned. Conveniently located between the kitchen and the dining room, we pass it a million times each day.

I needed a place to do my daughter's hair if it wasn't done before we come downstairs for breakfast. Plus, it had to hold all those last minute items that are so crucial to keeping the morning running smoothly: sunscreen (stick, cream and spray), sunglasses, hats, hair accessories, cameras, the iPad...

We managed to keep the drawers neat for a week or two then they turned into this:

The top drawer is overrun by my daughter's hair accessories and the bottom drawer seems to be home to every summer hat we own in addition to 3 boxes of tissues. A quick afternoon project was in order to transform the space into this:

Cute boxes from the dollar aisle at Target.

Plus the red polka dot basket that just appeared.

Ahh, order is restored, and our mornings can run smootly again.

I link to these awesome parties:

Sunday: I Heart Naptime, Nifty Thrifty Things, Inspired Honeybee, Nest for Less, Delectable Home, It's Overflowing  Monday:Between Naps on the Porch, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Thrifty Decor Chick, Alderberry Hill, Debbie Doo's, Home Stories A to Z, Home Savvy AtoZ , Tuesday: Coastal Charm, Tip Junkie, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Carolyn's Homework, Made in a Day, Our Delightful Home, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Get Your Craft On, Kurtz Corner , Organize and Decorate, Natural NestersWednesday: Savvy Southern Style, Mommy Solutions, Power of Paint, Newlyweds Recipe Linky, Southern Lovely , Home Happy Home Thursday: The Shabby Creek Cottage, Made in a Day, House of Hepworths, the 36th Avenue , Bloggeritaville Craft, Scrappy, Happy, 52 Mantels Friday: One Artsy Mama, Serenity Now, Tatertots and Jello, The Shabby Nest, Thirty Handmade Days, Addicted 2 Decorating, Funky Junk Interiors, Financial Friday, Furniture Friday, At the Picket Fence, The Rooster and the Hen

Spring Door Decor (and TP art)

Inspired by my navy and pink craft mantle, I decided to tackle a spring door.

Look familiar? Maybe it reminds you of the toilet paper flowers from the mantle?

The flowers on canvas are heading into my older daughter's room when we tire of them in the kitchen, so that dictated the color scheme. I was inspired by this blogger, who I found on Pinterest. I kept looking at the pin and wondering if it could really be so easy. It was.

First collect toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls, scissors and a hot glue gun. I think you could also do this with craft glue as well. I cut the rolls into strips, arranged the "petals" together to create flowers (or maybe butterflies?), and glued them together. Then I spray painted them, since that is my new favorite activity. Voila! For the door I used glue dots (which only lasted until a giant wind and rain storm came in), and I hot glued them onto the spray painted canvas. It was super easy. After the flowers were done on the front door, I brought them inside and tried them out in the no-wind, no-rain entry.

I link to these awesome parties:

Sunday: I Heart Naptime, Nifty Thrifty Things, Inspired Honeybee, Nest for Less, Delectable Home, It's Overflowing  Monday:Between Naps on the Porch, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Thrifty Decor Chick, Alderberry Hill, Debbie Doo's, Home Stories A to Z, Home Savvy AtoZ , Tuesday: Coastal Charm, Tip Junkie, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Carolyn's Homework, Made in a Day, Our Delightful Home, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Get Your Craft On, Kurtz Corner , Organize and Decorate, Natural NestersWednesday: Savvy Southern Style, Mommy Solutions, Power of Paint, Newlyweds Recipe Linky, Southern Lovely , Home Happy Home Thursday: The Shabby Creek Cottage, Made in a Day, House of Hepworths, the 36th Avenue , Bloggeritaville Craft, Scrappy, Happy, 52 Mantels Friday: One Artsy Mama, Serenity Now, Tatertots and Jello, The Shabby Nest, Thirty Handmade Days, Addicted 2 Decorating, Funky Junk Interiors, Financial Friday, Furniture Friday, At the Picket Fence, The Rooster and the Hen

Southern Hospitality

Displaying a Shell Collection

It was by a super cold lake not the beaches of Hawaii, but they are still shells. And if there are shells, then my children must pick them up, put them in every pocket of every garment they are wearing, forget about them, then remember then, claim they are incredibly important and demand to do a "work" with said shells.

My son's shells are on chalkboard in the navy frame, my daughters are on the pink paper, in the pink frame in the shape of a heart. No surprise there:)

This was part of our spray paint marathon. Also, I just want to put out there, that when I craft it is with my kids, so I would not have chosen the neon pink backing in the pink frame, but there is only so much arguing over a craft project I'm willing to engage in with a four year old:)

Oh, of course given the colors, these projects wound up here, in our spring mantle.

I link to these awesome parties:

Sunday: I Heart Naptime, Nifty Thrifty Things, Inspired Honeybee, Nest for Less, Delectable Home, It's Overflowing  Monday:Between Naps on the Porch, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Thrifty Decor Chick, Alderberry Hill, Debbie Doo's, Home Stories A to Z, Home Savvy AtoZ , Tuesday: Coastal Charm, Tip Junkie, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Carolyn's Homework, Made in a Day, Our Delightful Home, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Get Your Craft On, Kurtz Corner , Organize and Decorate, Natural NestersWednesday: Savvy Southern Style, Mommy Solutions, Power of Paint, Newlyweds Recipe Linky, Southern Lovely , Home Happy Home Thursday: The Shabby Creek Cottage, Made in a Day, House of Hepworths, the 36th Avenue , Bloggeritaville Craft, Scrappy, Happy, 52 Mantels Friday: One Artsy Mama, Serenity Now, Tatertots and Jello, The Shabby Nest, Thirty Handmade Days, Addicted 2 Decorating, Funky Junk Interiors, Financial Friday, Furniture Friday, At the Picket Fence, The Rooster and the Hen

Getting a Handle on Manuals

You would think with all the new appliances in our kitchen I would have been a little more prepared for the onslaught of manuals. I was not. Instead I just threw them all into this drawer.

And that is a prime drawer, I tell you. It's in the kitchen right beneath our hidden microwave, above the sippy cups; it could hold so many useful things. I'm not proud to admit that it took nine months for me to get on this. And boy, when I actually did it, it took me less than 10 minutes, and that was with my kids "helping".

This lovely binder now resides in the library, and I have an empty drawer to fill.

I link to these awesome parties:

Sunday: I Heart Naptime, Nifty Thrifty Things, Inspired Honeybee, Nest for Less, Delectable Home, It's Overflowing  Monday:Between Naps on the Porch, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Thrifty Decor Chick, Alderberry Hill, Debbie Doo's, Home Stories A to Z, Home Savvy AtoZ , Tuesday: Coastal Charm, Tip Junkie, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Carolyn's Homework, Made in a Day, Our Delightful Home, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Get Your Craft On, Kurtz Corner , Organize and Decorate, Natural NestersWednesday: Savvy Southern Style, Mommy Solutions, Power of Paint, Newlyweds Recipe Linky, Southern Lovely , Home Happy Home Thursday: The Shabby Creek Cottage, Made in a Day, House of Hepworths, the 36th Avenue , Bloggeritaville Craft, Scrappy, Happy, 52 Mantels Friday: One Artsy Mama, Serenity Now, Tatertots and Jello, The Shabby Nest, Thirty Handmade Days, Addicted 2 Decorating, Funky Junk Interiors, Financial Friday, Furniture Friday, At the Picket Fence, The Rooster and the Hen

Spray Painting Marathon and a Spring Mantle

I bought my first can of spray paint! I even had to be ID'ed at Home Depot to prove I was old enough. Although I'm not sure how many underage miscreants are buying pink, high gloss navy, gold and chalkboard spray paint:) Of course just as spring had sprung we were hit with torrential downpours. Conveniently, school was also out for a long weekend, just what every parent needs, homebound kids. So we whipped out the drop cloth, the newspaper, and anything I could think of to paint and had ourselves a little party in the garage (with the doors open and fans on!). These will be cropping up in projects over the next month or two, but here is a sneak peak of what we did.

As always, I can't cook or craft without my big kids "helping".

Clearly they thought it was a real party.

So many dollar store frames, all waiting to be used.

Four separate craft projects all coming together to create a spring mantle! You'll see more how-to's as the season gets going. I displayed a shell collection, made toilet paper flowers, a newspaper heart tree, and chalkboard writing slates.

I link to these awesome parties:

Sunday: I Heart Naptime, Nifty Thrifty Things, Inspired Honeybee, Nest for Less, Delectable Home, It's Overflowing  Monday:Between Naps on the Porch, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Thrifty Decor Chick, Alderberry Hill, Debbie Doo's, Home Stories A to Z, Home Savvy AtoZ , Tuesday: Coastal Charm, Tip Junkie, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Carolyn's Homework, Made in a Day, Our Delightful Home, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Get Your Craft On, Kurtz Corner , Organize and Decorate, Natural NestersWednesday: Savvy Southern Style, Mommy Solutions, Power of Paint, Newlyweds Recipe Linky, Southern Lovely , Home Happy Home Thursday: The Shabby Creek Cottage, Made in a Day, House of Hepworths, the 36th Avenue , Bloggeritaville Craft, Scrappy, Happy, 52 Mantels Friday: One Artsy Mama, Serenity Now, Tatertots and Jello, The Shabby Nest, Thirty Handmade Days, Addicted 2 Decorating, Funky Junk Interiors, Financial Friday, Furniture Friday, At the Picket Fence, The Rooster and the Hen, Centsational Girl