DIY Drop Cloth Curtains

This weekend was busy, but I enjoyed every moment of it! I feel like I allow myself to be lazy during the week, arriving home from work after 7:00 pm doesn't leave much time to do anything. Sean and I usually watch our show and eat dinner, then it's off to bed to start all over. I have been planning on making curtains for the longest time, and finally set the plan to do them. They were so easy! I have a pair of curtains in the bedroom that look almost identical to our new curtains in the living room. I bought the curtain in the bedroom for $14 a piece, plus curtain rods. I went with drop cloth, and paid a whopping $16 for the cloth and drapery clips. I had a curtain rod laying around, which helped with price...but I was happy none-the-less.

Materials Needed

- (1) Drop Cloth
- (2 bags) Drapery Clips

- (1) Curtain Rod & Hardware
- Screwdriver

-Scissors

I bought my screwdriver at target, this one here. I bought the drop cloth and drapery clips from Wal-Mart.

I folded the drop cloth in half, and did my best to cut the cloth in half. The drop cloth is extremely long, so it bunches at the end. I love the length, but it's hidden by the loveseat...so it works. I had Sean put up the curtain rod. I'm extremely short, and can't work overhead very well. Sean and I clipped the curtain to the drapery clips and we were done. We both love how they turned out, and feel that the curtains really bring the apartment together.



I know the pictures are still off, and I apologize. I will receive my charger this week, and I'm so excited!

 

Hope you all have a great day!

 





 

Garage Sale Finds and Home Accents

Fall is in the air! I can't believe what a change we have received here in NC. I swear we were steadily hanging out in the 90's region, before nose diving in the 60's and 70's. Trust me, I'm not complaining...I just didn't see everything falling into place so perfectly.

Another quick week, which I'm loving, and payday is literally right around the corner! I plan on working on curtains for the living room, finishing up the gallery wall, working on some signs, and starting some projects in the bedroom. That's quite a list, and I'm sure some will extend through the week and into the following weekends. I wanted to share a few goodies I picked up garage sale-ing this past Saturday, and show off our bar wall. I have contemplated whether or not I want to pain our apartment...especially since we are on our second year of leasing and considering doing another year. I just can't come to terms with moving into another rental, when the location of our current rental is so wonderful.

 

Garage Sale Finds:

 I need to go to the dollar tree this weekend, and grab a large candle! Like I said before, Sean's mom and I found an entire yard full of pine cones! I love free!! I plan on sanding the tray down and either painting it or staining. I'm rather partial to staining wood however.

Home Accents:



I had shown a small peak of the wall a few days back when I posted a picture of the white pumpkins. A month ago, I decided to add a little something to our apartment, and let me tell you...it's made a HUGE difference. I bought this gray chevron pattern from Target for $30 - I should have just painted it...but I was being lazy. It was my first time putting up wallpaper and it was quite the task. I wasted an entire roll....what I learned...lay vertically. I don't know what I was thinking, but the roll didn't come with directions so I just went at it. Sean and I really like it, and it has calmed my itch to paint for now.

Hope you all have a great day!

Gallery Wall Part. 1

Happy Tuesday all! This past weekend Sean's mom and I went going garage sale hunting! She is quite the haggler, something I am not, so it's great taking pointers and seeing how low she can get a price. I was on the hunt for some decorative birdcages, cheap vases, items I can up-cycle, picture frames, and white cloth. I found A LOT of old school milk bottles, a basket, a tray, ribbon and a lantern. I'm hoping to run by Goodwill today, and the dollar tree for a large candle. I will be sure to put pictures up of the treasure I found. The first house we stopped at, the front yard was full of pine cones! They were perfect, as if they had just fallen. No one had stepped or driven over them yet, so they were in the best condition. [Is it illegal to steal pine cones from someone else lawn?]

As I stated last week, I started the gallery wall!! [Finally, right?] I was only able to put a few things, because I need to finish the scrabble letter project, and the wall will be complete. Let me know what you think! So far, Sean and I love the way it's turning out. I know it's not a lot, and like I said it's not finished but it's coming along!

I am getting a charger for my camera this weekend!! [Yay!!] So we will be saying goodbye to fuzzy, shadowy pictures, and hello to clear, beautiful pictures! So bear with me for now. The ampersand picture tutorial can be found, here, and I will post a link below for the site where I found the free printables! I found the picture frames at Goodwill, and cut the pictures down to size.

These two pieces I need to put up, but am unsure where I want to put the scrabble pieces, so I decided to wait. I also needed Sean around to tell me where they would look good, because it's hard to put them up alone. The free printables I found, here. I can't wait until everything is finished, and the gallery wall is complete. Fingers crossed I can tackle the scrabble project this weekend, and finish hanging everything!





Hope you all have a great day!

White Pumpkins and OOTD

This week is flying wouldn't you say? To follow my post from Monday, I wanted to show you all the white pumpkins from World Market, as well as the pants from American Eagle. What are you guys doing to decorate for fall? And where are you getting your decorations from? I plan on playing around with some DIY fall décor projects, let me know if there is anything in particular you are interested in. Of course pumpkins will be high on the list!

Aren't they adorable! I couldn't pass them up when I saw them listed online, and they were on sale!! Yes please! They fit perfectly on our bar, and really bring everything together.

These skinny jeans are so comfortable, and perfect for the cool change in weather we are getting. I know you can't see the pants very well in the side photo, but it was more-so for the shirt [lol] I bought this shirt in early spring from Francesca's. It's the first time I've had the chance to wear it since it's long sleeved. I'm sorry, but I'm loving the outfit.

I have a majority of the items needed for the gallery wall, and will be working on that this weekend! Finally, right? I have some big changes headed my way, and may possibly be changing the name of the blog. I will be sure to keep you updated as things find their place.

Hope you have a great day!

Weekend Buys

I love this time of year more than any other season. I feel happier, the weather is amazing [not too cold and not too hot], the clothes are fun, the colors are on point, and I get to wear my scarves! I received a coupon from Michael's and World Market this weekend....[broke as a joke.] I also stopped by Total Wine to grab a few bottles of my favorite wine, and American Eagle for a new pair of pants...or two.

World Market
Pumpkins//Apples//Tier Stand

I just saw that they have these pumpkins in white also....and I have another coupon! [Just Bought!]

 

Amazon

I bought the smaller cage from Michael's and couldn't find it online. I just bought mine, and they are 50% off!  I would definitely recommend running in and seeing if there are a few in the home décor section. There were a few large one's and one small one left!

 

Don't be fooled, the Nightfall Green is actually a navy blue color. I am in love with these pants. The Raisin Wine is the perfect burgundy and matches almost every single infinity scarf I own. I am in love!

Nightfall Green

Raisin Wine

 

 





I have some big things coming that I'm hoping to share soon. I want to get all my ducks in a row before doing so, but keep your fingers crossed, send your good vibes and pray that everything works out for me please!

Hope you all have a great night!

How To: Straighten and De-Frizz

I love my big hair. But, like most women, I want what I can't have. Having curly hair is both a blessing and a curse. My hair decides that after using a product that works for a few months, said product will no longer have the same affect...WHAT? I've tried countless of products to tame my unruly hair. Some days are great, some days are good, and some days are bad...so bad. When I straighten my hair, I shave about 15 minutes off getting ready in the morning. I can use the same products, and since I don't straighten my hair everyday, those products go a long way.

When I first started straightening my hair when I was 16, I had no idea what I was doing. It would take me 4 hours to straighten, and because I was so impatient....don't kill me...I would flat iron my hair while it was wet! Ugh! I know, how did my hair not fall off in chunks? I continued to straighten my hair occasionally, 4 hours of straightening really deters one from doing the task often. I did pick up blow drying, but had not been introduced to the world of heat protectant products. I even went as far as relaxing my hair once my freshman year in college....trial and error.

I straighten my hair in the fall and winter months only now, and I've worked a technique that allows me to blow dry and flat iron my hair in 45 minutes - 1 hour. [Much better] Humidity is not my friend, and after going through the process from curly to straight, to have my hair blow up due to frizz...nuh-uh!

So this is for you ladies, who can't seem to get the desired straight look. Or maybe you can, you just need the products to fight the frizz.

How to straighten and fight the frizz:

 



I received a $10 off coupon from Beauty Brands, and in the last hours of use, I snagged the CHI Straight Guard styling cream. I have never used CHI products before, aside from my styling tools, and wanted to see if it was worth all the rage. So far...it's working nicely.




1. Find a hair treatment

Beauty Brands used to sell Liquid Keratin, but do not any longer...made me very sad :( Liquid Keratin's 30 day treatment, fights the frizz, treats, and protects my hair from heat. Keratin is a restorative treatment, strengthening and making the hair more resilient [Borday]. After washing my hair with Liquid Keratin shampoo, I flip my hair over, apply the treatment, and wrap my hair in a bun. This treatment must sit for 30 minutes before heat is applied. After 30 minutes I use a round brush and hair dryer to seal the treatment to the hair follicle.

 

You can find the 30-day treatment here, and Liquid Keratin's new 60-day treatment, here. You can also find the starter set, here.

 

2. Blow Dry

For those of you that are lucky, and can end their straightening experience here...I envy you. My hair goes from a curly mess, to afro. I separate my hair into two sections, and blow dry from root to end.

3. Heat Protectant and Flat Iron

I go back to separating my hair into two sections, and applied the CHI Straight Guard. Separating into two additional sections, pig tail style, secure the side you aren't going to begin with. Start with the underside of your hair and work your way. I take about a half inch to an inch and a half of hair, starting from the root, pull down to the end, and repeat. I repeat this step twice per strand. It's really hard to take a picture of this process when no one is home. But this is what I have...

I hate using clips...although I should. I usually put the section of hair I haven't gotten to into my mouth. Do what works best for ;)

And there you go...no afro, no frizz...straight!

Additional Products I use:

Once the straightening process is complete, I use a dime size of Redken Smooth Lock [which can also be used as a heat protectant] to tame the flyaways, and keep my hair smooth and soft. I bought mine when Beauty Brands had their BOGO product sale, and one has lasted me nearly two years. You can also find it, here.

 

To top it off, I do a quick once over with Mark Hill's Bedazzled which you can find here. It adds shine, smells wonderful, and of course...protects against humidity. I know...that's a lot of humidity protection...but here in NC, it's necessary.

 





Hope you all have a great night!













2015 Summer Favorites

Ok...first, I want to apologize for being MIA this past week. My group learned the second report platform at work, and between the stress of training and using the platform alone, it's been busy. Every time I would even think about starting a post, a call would come in. Anyways, I thank you for being patient with me, and I believe from here we should be on track.

Since summer is on the way out, I felt it was a good time to show a few of my favorite items. The items I couldn't live without. The items I tried, and fell in love with.

1//2//3//4&5

I don't know what it is about the Clean&Clear morning burst cleanser, but I swear it fully wakes me up in the mornings. It must be the orange citrus scent, or the tingly feeling...whatever the reason, it's amazing. I have extremely oily skin, and have yet to see one blemish appear while using morning burst this summer.

Although I use body scrub twice a week through all seasons, I have found the bodycology exfoliating sugar scrub in toasted sugar to be my favorite. I exfoliate the entire body once a week and then legs, armpits, elbows and feet, once again later in the week. We will discuss the benefits of exfoliating at a later date. But removing the dead skin not only keeps my skin smooth, exfoliating also helps in the prevention of ingrown hairs...which we all know I struggle with.

Lounging by the pool lathered in sunscreen and tanning oil, afterwards, a shower is necessary. You all know I have to apply lotion after I shower. I am an avid Bath&Body Works shopper....during the fall and winter months. Earlier in the summer, I received a free item coupon. Typically, I don't go into B&BW during the spring and summer, because I don't have a need. I am a Jergens girl all the way, but I cheated this summer. B&BW had lured me in. I read the fine print of the coupon, which clearly stated the free item had to come from the new summer selection, and I wandered around the store for at least an hour. I figured I'd try Endless Summer, because it smelled good, and heck, it was free -- what did I have to lose? I've gone back twice since then for more. No need for perfume, the aroma of Endless Summer is strong and long lasting. I've received many compliments on how good I smell, and Sean loves the scent. After a grueling 8 hours of work, and then a trip home in the car, Sean can still smell the scent.

I don't really feel that I need to go into depth with clothing. Everyone needs a good hat, and every woman should invest in a nightgown or two. I'm just saying.

What were you're summer favorites for 2015?

Hope you all had a great week, weekend, and a wonderful Sunday!

The Benefits of Yoga

I realize how much I need to practice, and the impact yoga has on my life when incorporated into my lifestyle. I love practicing. I love feeling not only the effects yoga has on my body, but my attitude also. I walk out of class feeling cool, calm and collected. There's really nothing  like it. I've tried yoga in all the different form provided. I love them all. There are days when I just want to relax, slowly move into each pose, and hold. Then there are days I am pumped to enter a room of 100 degrees, moving quickly from one pose to the next, and sweating from places I didn't know I could. [Like the elbow...what? I know right]. If I could start my day with yoga, hot yoga mid-day, and end my day with yoga, I would be one happy lady. One day, when my work hours allow it.

 

--After Class--



 

--After a few months--

 

 

--After Years--

 

 

Yoga has helped me in more ways than one. My mother can tell you, I rave about how amazing yoga is, and how everyone should try it. Not only does yoga help me maintain a healthy weight, yoga has helped me maintain my anxiety. I don't have to take medication, and my panic attacks are fewer and further between; almost non-existent. It's amazing really, feeling stressed the entire day and becoming de-stressed in class. I've tried to think about what was bothering me during class, and find it no longer has the same affect on me as it did. Amazing, right?

Hope you all have a great night!

DIY Wall Art: Ampersand

Things are really coming together. I was able to relax most of the weekend, watching TV, and working on projects for the gallery wall. I attempted to re-arrange the furniture in the living room. I was not pleased with what I had pictured would work best for the set-up. Our blue loveseat works wonderfully anywhere that you put it, since it's the perfect size to fit against any wall. Our red couch, however, does not. I really wanted the couch against the window....it would fit if nothing else existed in the room. Oh well, not everything needs to be changed right? I have for you this week, an extremely cheap and easy project. I've shown this before, and you can find the original post, here.

 

What you will need:

-Canvas

-Thumbtacks

-Pencil

 

I bought the canvas from Goodwill for $1 and bought three packs of gold thumbtacks from Dollar Tree for $1 each. As you can see, my thumbtacks are not all the same gold color. It works though. I put wallpaper around the bar, I'll throw a picture of it up soon. I had left over scraps that weren't needed and wrapped the canvas with it.

Lovely isn't it?

Use your pencil to outline the ampersand. You may want to use
a stencil, I just looked at a picture and went from there

Add your thumbtacks

I outlined the ampersand before filling it in. I had Sean help me with the areas that had wood. They were really hard to get in, and my fingers were really starting to hurt [LOL]. When I asked Sean what he thought, he said that he loved my Viking ship.....what? I guess the way I was holding it was slightly slanted. I looked at him and then my art...turned the canvas a little, and there it was...the Viking ship. He could see the ampersand...after I pointed it out. Oh well, I love it none-the-less.

 

Hope you all have a great day!

 

 



Amy Poehler's on point!

I believe, being human, we all struggle with this concept. Working on this daily to be thankful for what I already have. A wonderful family, a loving boyfriend, his amazing family, a roof over our heads that we aren't struggling to afford, food in the kitchen, a job to provide the financial means to afford the things I need and want, as well as the support from friends. I am one happy lady, this much is true. Take a deep breath guys, it's Friday!

Hope you all have a great day!

How To: Hide the router and modem

What a weekend! I kept quite busy, and I have a lot to show you all. For starters, Sean and I went to the Studio Movie Grill for date night and saw Fantastic Four. It was actually really good, I would recommend seeing it, far better than the last Fantastic Four. But the Studio Movie Grill make the entire experience that much better. Nothing beats watching a movie while eating dinner, and drinking. Plus, the seats are really comfortable, compared to normal movie theater seating...but I digress. What I am going to show you today, is how I made "faux books" for our router and modem. I found the original source, here. This project was both difficult and easy, depending on the type of book you pick up. I went to our local Re-Store [or Habitat for Humanity, as some know it as]. They have a cart of books outside for 25 cents each. I can't bare to destroy the books I own and love. So I up-cycled a few that someone decided to throw out.

What you'll need:

6-8 Books

Adhesive Super Glue [Dollar Tree: Amazing!!!]

Storage Crate

Scissors

Cut at the corners where the inner cover connects to the binding.
This is the perfect example of a book that cuts easily...
I ran into a few that were glued and gave me a really hard time.



Easy version

 

Glued and difficult version

 

Cut the left cover off

On the right, fold the spine cover over to use a guide for where to cut.
I would use and exacto knife or box cutter here if you have one. I used
scissors, and it was really difficult. Glue the spine to the back piece. 



Choose two books for the ends, and leave the cover on.

Add glue and stick spines together.

 Again,  I did not take a picture, but first glue the spine with the front cover to the left or right of the storage crate. I was alone, and had to hold the cover in place on my storage crate, because my curves and I didn't take that into consideration. In the original tutorial posted above, she uses a wooden crate -- I'm beginning to think she was a genius. The gluing capability would be far easier, but I was cheap and bought a 50 cent storage crate from the Re-Store. Once the cover dries, glue the spines to the front. Once the spines dry, glue the remaining cover with the spine completing the front, and the cover covering the side.



This is what the area looked like before....yuck!

Not too difficult, unless you make it...like me. But I love the way it looks, and that  the router and modem aren't just hanging out for everyone to see. I used a poster our friend Alex made Sean for his 21st birthday. It was the perfect size to cover the wires until I can determine how to untangle them without having to shut everything down. Or maybe we will keep it there...we shall see.

How To Make Homemade Doughnuts

Sean loves doughnuts. Every time I go grocery shopping, I pick up a bag or two of chocolate covered doughnuts. I, however, am not a huge doughnut fan. Fried dough, covered in sugar and frosting...not really my thing. While at Sean's parents house, I found a doughnut recipe, and I couldn't believe that I had all the ingredients already...including the frosting! It's so easy, and takes about a half hour for prep and cook time. I made a few mistakes along the way, as I normally do. But it leads to your success if you so decide to make your own doughnuts at home.

What you'll need:

1/2 cup Sugar

1 tsp Cinnamon

Vegetable Oil

1 can Pillsbury Grand Biscuits

Mix sugar and cinnamon together

Flatten biscuits and cut out doughnut hole. I used a shot glass.

Heat a cast iron skillet with oil. Deep fry dough on a medium-low
heat...found this out the hard way. Dough cooks rather quickly.

Place doughnuts and holes on paper towels.

While still warm, coat doughnut in the cinnamon sugar mis

Add your toppings! I don't own many toppings like sprinkles, etc..but we do have frosting. Sean added syrup to the plain doughnuts and loved them both. I had one plain and one with frosting, so good! I was pleasantly surprised with how well they turned out. One can makes approximately 16 doughnut/doughnut holes. I'm being dead serious when I say this was crazy quick and easy! Try them out this weekend for breakfast!

Have a great day all!