DIY - Dinner Tray Makeover

We've had these dinner trays stacked in the pantry for a couple of years.

The white and light oak don't match our house,

and they were pretty worn.

Even after washing them

they still looked dirty.

I thought about getting rid of them,

but I decided to hold onto them,

because it would be more fun
and practical,

to
(someday)
give them a makeover.

 

Well, someday came!

I pulled out the paint supplies and got to work.

I sprayed the tables with black spray paint,

and stenciled some red designs.

I dry brushed a few areas on the top, sides and legs,

then I rubbed sand paper over a few areas.

Lastly, I coated with a clear spray lacquer.

Can't wait to pull these babies out on movie night! ;)

Project: Decorative Baskets

I have been wanting to add a few small baskets to Trinity's bedroom.

She is collector and has tons of small toys and stuffed animals.

However, I wanted to budget and spend very little,

so I found these baskets at the dollar store,

along some flowers that matched her bedroom decor,

and then used some ribbon I already had.

These little beauties sat nearby, giggling, chatting and drawing 

while I put the baskets together.

Ta-da!

I clipped them to a rope that we strung from her bedroom ceiling.

Loved it!

CREATE, LOVE & GROW FRIENDS... xo

Home Decorating Updates

Here are a few home decorating updates,

I've still been making a few changes to the house for a fresh new year.

We moved the table from the office to the kitchen.

So, now we can all fit at the table for dinner.

Then we moved the round table to the living room, creating our own little breakfast nook.

The desk from our bedroom is now in the downstairs office.

One of my most favorite item(s) in the office are the green wine bottles I used to add flowers to. I just love the color they add.

I also like having the wall sconces to hold my scissors, writing pens and pencils.

They help to keep my desk clutter free and they are so pretty!

Lastly, behind my desk, sits a file cabinet. You can see the acceptance letters for a few magazine submissions I sent out. It look like they will be published by the end of the year. Yay! 

I was so happy to receive them, 

so now they are hanging up to provide future inspiration.

Speaking of inspiration.

I just saw the trailer for a Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock movie, called Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. I cried just watching the trailer!

Check it out  

HERE

& Have a great day!

Home Improvements: DIY Bench

After the holidays,

I find myself in the mood to get the house in order.

I like the idea of making "improvements" for the new year

and some of the improvements include our home.

The first thing I do before putting all of the Christmas gifts away,

is organize areas that need to be decluttered.

I started with the girls' bedrooms, and moved onto the closets.

The second thing I do is make a few changes to areas that need a little pick me up.

Sometimes it's a paint job or just moving the furniture around to mix things up.

Our most recent project is something I have been wanting to do for almost a year now.

So I am very excited to share it with you!

We have always had stools, near our kitchen counter,

but I envisioned something a little different.

I wanted an over sized bench...comfy, pretty and one of a kind.

My hubby and I bought the wood needed to design it from Lowes.

Then he cut the pieces and put it together.

I sanded it and painted it with black spray paint. 

  

You can see the bench, behind our silly girls (who were just pretending to fight.) 

The next step was buying the foam.

The best price we found was at Walmart.

We doubled the padding (before stapling it) to give the bench more cushion.

Then we added the fabric that I found at Joanns.

It's comfy, pretty and sensible!

I (with the help of my mama) chose a multi-colored fabric from Joanns, that was thick and durable

so that I could keep the bench looking clean and nice.

I am so happy with it!

*Christmas* The Little Brown Jacket

When I got up this morning, I was alone.

No husband, no kids, no vehicle.

Just me and the quiet of the house.

What to do…what to do…

Oh, I knew exactly what I was going to do!

I put on some holiday music and pulled out the Christmas decorations.

I have been looking forward to decorating for Christmas the last few months.

I love this time of year.

I love creating a festive atmosphere in the home.

Tantalizing our senses with all kinds of seasonal goodness!

For the past few weeks, I have been Christmas shopping

and collecting a few new ornaments.

My husband always thanks me for doing the “wifey” duties.

He is certain that Christmas shopping and decorating is so hard.

Who am I to correct him?

I just smile and act as if I am exhausted,

and usually I can get a kiss and a foot rub out of it. J

Between you and me…

I LOVE Christmas shopping and decorating.

This morning, enjoyed myself as I pulled out the Santa hats, stockings, the snowman cookie jar, plates and mugs.

The nativity sets, the snow globes, village houses and the Christmas trees

(although the trees will be left untouched until the kids come home.)

I hung the mistletoe in the hallway and displayed the new Santa pictures in the kitchen.  

To the front porch, I added the little sign that I painted a few weeks ago,

and I loved it.

I love it all.

 The gold.

The glitter.

The bright red and green colors complimenting the snowy, fuzzy whites.

I love the glittering star that goes on top of the Christmas tree

and the little Santa that greets our guests.

I love the red bows that hang on our kitchen chairs,

but most of all I love the little brown jacket.

 Yes, that little brown jacket is so full of magic.

It isn’t fancy or festive.

It isn’t traditional holiday décor,

but it IS my most favorite Christmas possession of all.

Each year, when I bring out my decorations this little brown jacket comes out with them.

This little jacket takes me back to my childhood.

I will never forget waking up early Christmas day

along with my brothers to look at our gifts from Santa.

My grandparents would always drive to our house early in the morning, long before the sun would come out to watch us open our gifts.

Grandpa and Grandma Romero, Grandma and Grandpa Burke

always sat behind us “ooh-ing” and “aah-ing” as we unwrapped our gifts.

That first Christmas without my Grandpa Romero was a hard one.

I was so used to having him there with us and I wasn’t ready for that tradition to stop.

Since moving out of my parents’ house, it has become a tradition for me to pull out Grandpa’s brown jacket and drape it somewhere near my Christmas tree.

It is my way of inviting Grandpa to my house for the holidays.

I like to think that these days on Christmas morning,

Grandpa watches me - watching my kids - open their presents.

 When I think of Christmas,

I think of presents, pine trees,

turkey and mistletoe.

I think of cold weather, Jesus,

giving, gathering and family…

and

I think of magic.

The magic of Christmas arrived at my house today,

in the form of a little brown jacket.

Master Bedroom Update (Wordless Wednesday)

The Brighter the Better

I have finished Jocelyn's birthday party invitations!

They came out pretty cute, if I don't say so myself.

Although, I am certain that having a picture of one

fabulous little girl on the cover helped!

Last night the girls and I stayed up working on some decorations

for the party. Trinity says crafting is no joke! ;)

I also decided to add a fresh coat of paint to a few items in the back yard.

...birthday decorations, picking out furniture color,

or just our outlook on our life,

I say...

the brighter the better.

& speaking of brighter,

The girls had another day out with their cousins

and a sleepover this week.

It is so wonderful to have family nearby.

Our kids get so happy when they see each other.

When Jocelyn spotted her cousins from across the parking lot

she jumped out of the car and started yelling to get their attention,

you would have thought

she had won a trip to Disneyland!

I love that our kiddos are so close.

Master Bathroom Makeover

I have finished our bathroom.

It is completely different than the rest of our home.

Most of our living space
 is filled with neutral colors and warm tones,

so I wanted to do something different.

My favorite color combination is black, white and pink.

I also love hearts and black vines so I painted both.

Not to mention, I had a few items that were stored in my closet that

I haven't been able to use, so I wanted to be able to pull them out.

Like these fun blocks my girlfriend bought me!

I am really happy with it.

It is pretty feminine,

so I will probably add a few more touches

for my hubby later,

but luckily, he doesn't really doesn't care.

As long as it is clean and has all of the items he needs,

he is happy.

Easy to pleasey 

IS

my main squeezy!

Our bathroom went from from this...

to this.

Ever since my first time visiting Dolce, I have been in love with their designs.

It was stylish, feminine, relaxing, and uplifting all at the same time.

I wanted a room in the house that felt like that.

I wanted it to be artsy, bright and fun enough

to get us up and going each day,

but to also have a relaxing atmosphere for 'tub time.'

Used to look like this

I used some of my necklaces to decorate and hang a few new items.

I decided to hang these paper lanterns with tulle

and I decorated one with old beads from a necklace I saved.

I also found the heart wall hanging and strung it with an old pink and black necklace,

and I tied a small hand towel with more beads that I already owned.

One of my favorite items is this 'Gratitude' frame. 

I am a big believer in "thankfulness."

I like to find things that remind my family

and myself

of all of the blessings that surround us. 

Life is good!

I also painted, Psalms 9:1, above our shower. 

My hubby bought me a few silly magnets when we first started dating,

I stuck them to a silver dish on my sink.

I love to find new ways to use old items! 

As the years pass,

I find myself saving every little thing...

beads, ribbons, magnets, clothing labels,

like the one here that I tied around the curtain.

Recycle, reuse, create, appreciate,

that is my decorating mantra

I suppose!

It has been working out just lovely,

don't you think...

Hee-hee!

We are all creating something today,

Whatever it is that you

choose

to

CREATE

on this day,

may

love, peace and happiness

be at the top of your list! 

*************************************

Other recent projects you may like to view

 Girl's Bedroom

Visions of Red

A Living Room Transformation

At the Heart of the Home, There's Mom