thrifty finds

dropped into the massive "walmart-esque" thrift store down the street today. got luck and found these black enzo angiolini flats ($3) for myself and a backpack with detachable lunch box ($4) for the boys first day of school! score.

DIY: succulent wall garden

i've been crushing over these living art wall hangings and just had to make my own....and i thought i would share. so here is what you will need. to start you need a shadow boxed picture frame.  i found this one a while ago thrifting and it worked perfect for the project. you are also going to need quite a few succulent clippings, enough to almost fill your frame. you need potting soil, hardware cloth, wire cutters, a staple gun, and a pencil. 

step 1:

a few days before you are ready to start your wall garden, 

clip you succulents and strip the bases to allow them to callus.  

step 2:

measure and cut your hardware wire to fit on the inside of the picture frame. 

if you have a file, file down the sharp edges of the hardware wire.

 (note: for your own safety your should curl back the edges of the 

extra hardware cloth....that stuff is deadly!)

step 3:

you need to best water proof the inside of your shadow box. 

i tried using modge podge, but next time i may try to line it with plastic.

step 4:

staple the hardware cloth the inside of the frame. 

attach the shadow box.

step 5:

fill the frame with potting soil. 

begin to plant your succulents using the pencil to poke holes in the soil.

step 6:

continue planting the succulents giving them ample space to grow and fill in.  

once they are all planted, keeping the frame laying flat for about a week

 to allow the clippings to begin to take root.

after it's rooted you are ready to hang it.

take down and water once a week, 

or if you are keeping it in a humid place you can water less.

DIY: wall hangings

check out my new/old wall art. 

modge podged to some scrap wood.

used a soda can pop top and thumb tack to hang.

viola!

side note: check out the corner details that 

the hubs added to my new craft desk. he's so good.

thrifty finds

hit up my favorite little gem of a thrift store today.  once again i have left there just giddy with my finds. i have been dying for a skinny belt and made out like a bandit with this mahogany vintage gucci belt ($0.75) and this amazing turquoise vintage pierre cardin ($1.50).  in the quest for more black and white work clothes i found this super cute men's style blazer ($1.00), it may need a tiny bit of altering, but for one dollar we can make that happen.  i can't really say enough about those sunglasses ($2.00). you know when you try on a pair and you just know they are perfect before you even look in the mirror....yup that's these glasses. so for a whopping $5.25, i'd say i had quite the score.

back to buisness

woot! woot! look who's going back to work! i am motivated, inspired, and immersed. (oh yeah and that's my new painting in the back round! thanks brandon!)

blazer: vintage thrifty find

tank: victoria's secret

skirt & shoes: target

neckalce: family vintage

belt: vintage pierre cardin, thrifty find

10 things i couldn't live without this week

1. well i guess that it's official enough to share and get excited! so this little house momma is going back to work! i recently fell in love with a salon and made it my job to get a job there.  after a few meetings and  getting to know some of the staff, i was invited to become a part of the davidk space team.  i am so fired up about all the new educational experiences, opportunities, and having a reason to wear cute clothes and make up! haha
2. the hubs finally took that vacation that he's been needing and deserving! we decided to stay home for our vacation and really focus on some things around the house (as well as spending as much time possible at the beach).  boy oh boy have we been up to some serious DIY-ing.  we built a table, refinished my craft desk as well as adding a storage hutch, we've got some art projects under way, and i do believe there is a refinished shelf in my future for today.  not to mention we have also rearranged a ton of the art in the house.
3. speaking of new art!!!!! the hubs surprised me with a piece that i have been dying over for quite some time! it was supposed to be a christmas present, but neither on of us can keep a secret for that long.
4. along with delivering my new art, brandon mclean (the artist) came over for an evening of digging holes at the beach, reading books to the boy, and a pulled pork feast!
5. we have had some amazing beach trips this week.  the hubs has started a tradition of digging the most insane hole possible each time we go.  this may sound silly but a lot of research and trial and error has gone into perfecting the hole.
6. went to a friends going away party the other night. crappy-e-oke. very sad to see bob leaving, but very excited about his future work opportunities.
7. i missed a lot of ballet last month. so to make up for missed classes i've been taking a contemporary class right after ballet.  i was really worried that i was going to make a fool out of myself, but it turns out that i really love the class! i have a few more make-ups to do so over the next few weeks i am going to decide if a switch is in order.  i'll keep you posted.
8. the hubs finally strong armed me into having the yard sale that i have been planning for months.  the back hallway between the kitchen and the car port had turned into the holding cell for all potential yard sale items.  as the mountain of crap grew the more frequently the hubs told me i was becoming a hoarder.... haha.  so saturday 6:30 am came and it was time for the sale.  we sat and waited and waited and waited for people to come.  sold some random stuff, but none of the things that we assumed would sell did.  so after a few hot and sweaty hours our hopes of success dwindled and we called it a day.  we loaded up the car with all the left overs and dropped them at our local consignment shop.  this is the first time i've done the consignment shop thing, i usually just head straight for goodwill...we will see how it goes, if we make any money at all.  haha.
9. our old friend kelly and her adorable little boy kaleb stopped over for a short visit this weekend.  it is always so good to see her and share stories of motherhood.  kaleb is now 6 months old and about as cute as a button!
10. really looking forward to family date night tonight! we are going to rocco's tacos (which i have been dying to try!) with the serey's....can't wait! margarita's in my future....i think so!

DIY: craft desk

oh that hubs has been up to it again! blowing my mind with his craftsmanship! 

we started with this $10 thrifted desk. 

busted out the elbow grease and added some wood and screws and paint.  

now i have my very own custom craft desk.

DIY: trunk end table

i have a super special DIY to share with you guys today! this little project is something that the hubs and i have been talking about for quite some time, and on day one of our "stay-cation" we decided to finally make it!

the hubs has had this trunk for who knows how long.  it served great purpose as our tv stand forever, but has recently graduated to fabric storage....and now fabric storage/end table.

ok, so here's what you'll need: 4 x 1" diameter 12" long galvanized nipples (pipes), 4 x 1" galvanized end caps, 4 x 1" galvanized falanges, 4 x wood blocks (4"x4"), 16 machine screws and bolts.

you will also need a ruler, marking pen, and power drill 

measure and mark where the falanges will be attached to the bottom of the trunk.  pre-drill the holes in the bottom of the trunk.

adhere the wood block to the inside of the trunk directly over the pre-drilled holes.

once the glue is dry drill holes through the wood blocks.

attach all 4 falanges.

attach the end caps to the ends of all 4 pipes.

screw the legs into the bottom of the trunk and .... (tada).....

big shout out to the hubs for making me this awesome table! 

a peak inside: the garden

things have been growing like crazy around the garden so i thought i would give you a quick peak to see all the green!

all of the aloe you see in these pictures came from the one large aloe growing in the back round.  can you believe that it started off as on of those $0.99 1" pots? i can't. this thing is huge now and growing babies faster than i can re-pot! if anyone would like some aloe please let me know!
 

this is my fun new spicy global basil plant. a gift from my friend who has an over population of basil on her patio. it's like the worlds most delicious problem. haha.

a group of clippings from a pencil cactus that was a gift from the mother in law about a year ago.  my pencil cactus started as just a single clipping, and now she's 3 feet tall and growing out of control.  take a peak below.  if anyone would like clippings of their own just let me know.

have you ever chopped the top off of a pineapple and stuck it in the dirt? well this is what happens....you wait and wait and wait and nothing happens. then one day you realize that what used to be the size of a normal pineapple top is now gigantic (about 3 ft. around), but still no pineapple. we will continue to look inside every day until my juicy little friend appears!

i've got succulents popping up like crazy! but that's a good thing. they make me so happy, and i am planning some really awesome DIY's for the holidays. keep you posted.

one of the newest additions to the household.  this baby spider plant is from a clipping off a spider plant that i have been plant sitting.  it is still blowing my mind how fast it's growing and to think that it started off looking like the picture below.

another clipping off the spider plant...so excited about all the plant babies.  and if you are wondering exactly what's happening here...i found that using that clear fake cd that comes with the blanks is great for suspending the clipping over water to help it grow roots.

...more aloe and succulents from the outside mommies. 

and this is the newest addition to the succulent collection. i just love how green and hearty this plant is.  i fear that in my older age i am going to become the "crazy plant lady" instead of the "crazy cat lady".

hope you enjoyed the little peak of what's happening in my garden. what's happening in yours?

10 things i couldn't live without this week:

1. at home play dates! i always forget how much fun can be had at someone else's house.  we had a fantastic time with christine and ebba at their new pad this week. love these ladies. and thank you for the stinky fish fertilizer and delish mint iced tea!
2. you know that adorable burton family i am always gushing about....well it was announced this week that we can be expecting another baby burton in the spring! congrats to you guys! oh so cute.
3. i have been an anxious mess this week with all the upcoming changes in our house (i will be reporting this amazing news soon!) and that hubs has yet again proved to be just the best! he knows just how to soothe my soul...and did i mention that he's doing all of this while completing week one mission quit smoking! he's so awesome!
4. oh sweet delicious cookies! so i used the island cookie recipe, but subbed the coconut out for dark chocolate chips and crasins.....holy smokes! so good!
5. went to an amazing fashion show put on by bika swimwear, the davidk space, and the cottage. thanks you so much to one of the greatest friends in the world for accompanying me and sweating it out....boy was it hot!
6. i can't believe that it's taken me this long but i finally discovered the greatness of groupon and living social this week.  while i have been members of both websites for quite some time now i have never actually purchased a coupon, well i don't know what i was waiting for! this week i scored a half off dog grooming and half off admission to leapin' lizards. i am hooked!
7. did i mention the dog grooming! hahaha stella was getting shaggy and stinky! now she looks like a prize winning pooch! the folks over at milton's grooming parlor did an amazing job. usually when i pick stella up from the groomer there is an underlaying tone of "don't bring that dog back here".....this time was a completely different story. i showed up ready for the worst, and found my dog (or at least i think it was my dog) sitting completely well behaved for kiki.  meanwhile kiki is telling me that she would like to show stella next year at a groomers show, that she was the most beautiful and unique dog she's seen in a long time. all i could think was..."are you crazier than the stella....because she's nuts".
8. i have to just give a shout out and major thank you to all the special ladies in my life from my friends to my mother to my step mom and mother in law....all of you have been just the biggest help with helping me handle the boy and his "tude".
9. after about a month off, between all the traveling and being sick, i finally got back in ballet this week... it was a huge eye opener to how much a month can do to your body. i ached, pretty sure i groaned, and tweeked my neck and ankle, but i loved every second of the torture.  this week i will be pushing my limits and taking two classes back to back....trying out a contemporary class right after ballet. i kinda can't wait! the only thing that i am afraid of is falling in love with the contemporary class! haha.
10. we are two days diaper free (with the exception of naps and bedtime) and have only had a few accidents. we even ventured out in public in big boy underpants! really proud of the boy and how fast he's growing up!

coming up for air

well over the past few weeks i have sort of fallen behind on the ole' blog.  between all the traveling i have been trying to catch up and return my family's life back to some normalcy.

but more importantly i have been faced with the rearing head of the terrible two monster! so a ton of my time has been devoted to taming the beast and trying not to loose my cool!

on a maintenance note:
i've been struggling with a bit of writers block.  with the constant desire to keep things fresh and entertaining i have found myself feeling a bit stale with words and ideas and inspiration. this is where i need your help! you guys are always so great at expressing to me what an inspiration i am to you....now i need some muses of my own.  tell me what you want to see and read! give me your thoughts, your wishes, and all your good ju-ju's.

and i promise, things will return to normal.

all the love in the world.

10 things i couldn't live without this week

1.  an awesome trip to michigan. i got to spend some serious quality time with my sisters and parents. plus i also did some amazing work while i was up there.
2. running the grand rapids 5K mud run was everything that i imagined it to be. it was hard, dirty, and exhausting, but at the same time it was such a mental and physical accomplishment that every grit of dirt was worth it! i can't wait until next year to run again!
3. monday i went with my parent to drop my sister paige off at her first year at WMU.  over the past year my sister and i have developed such a closer bond, and i am so proud of the woman that she is becoming! she is going to do many great things in her life! can't wait to sit back and watch her bloom!
4. while in kalamazoo we stopped at paige's favorite hippy chic stores. I fell in love with an amethyst pendant that quickly became mine. now every time i wear it i feel like a part of paige is with me. it reminds me so much of her natural beauty and pure soul.
5. getting home and back into the swing of things has been a very easy transition. i missed home very much. i missed the hubs very much.
6. i received a gift in the mail from one of my best friends, jenna leigh. a few months ago i was looking through old pictures of our wedding and came across a picture of jenna that was just the funniest most picture perfect explanation of "jenna".  so what does this amazingly comical girl do.....she goes and puts the picture on a coffee mug! now i get to look at her 'sweet pizza stuffed face, flippin me the bird while also reminding me of the importance of recycling and pet adoption' every morning! love it!
7. my best friend mary was in town for work this week. she and the hubs work for the same company, which benefits me quite often....i get to see her pretty regularly. we cut hair, ate delish tacos from havana hideout, and shared plant/present ideas! even though the visits are always brief we pack them full of good times! thanks for the brain storming!
8. twice baked potatoes! i hate to admit this, but i had never made twice baked potatoes before this week. and now i am hooked! they were time consuming, but worth every minute! yum yum.
9. the incredible hubs has found a new hobby....turns out (even thought he doesn't drink it) he really enjoys making coffee! this is got to be the sweetest gesture. the man lets me sleep in and wakes me up with a fresh steaming french press. is it possible that i have the best husband in the world? i think so. it's the little things that get me.
10. sold my first photographs this week. pretty awesome.