October 21, 2016 by: Michelle

Style Your Mantel Like A Pro

Hi! Anna here from Southern Breeze Collections. I always seem to get a lot of compliments from friends and family, when they come into my home, about how they love how I decorate and how it seems that everything is so put together. Well, I’m the first to admit that everything is not always put together! 😉 However, I think there are just a few easy tips that anyone can use to decorate a space and make it look like a photo in a magazine. That’s why I’m so excited to share my top 5 tips to Style Your Mantel Like a Pro!

These tips are specifically for mantel styling, but they would work in other areas too, like shelving and small accent tables. These are my personal favorites and exact steps I use when working in my own home. So, who’s ready to Style Your Mantel Like a Pro? Let’s get started.

Create a focal point – I like to use a mix of a few things. I often use a banner hanging from the front of the mantel along with a sign or maybe a mirror right in the middle of the wall. Our TV hangs above our fireplace (this was not my idea ;)) so I have to get creative with what I can use as a focal point. I either use the banner alone or use a horizontal sign or other object that can fit right under the sound bar that’s connected to our TV. However, if you’re luckier than me and do not have a TV above you’re mantle, go for a large piece like a mirror or some kind of artwork. I just love how an old, chippy window looks in the center of a mantel. Oh, I’m so jealous of you people with free wall space above your mantel. Why did I ever give in to my hubby’s request for the TV on that wall?? 😉
Anchor it with similar height objects towards each end – I almost always use some form of candle sticks on each end of our mantle. However, it’s really fun to play around with other tall objects like vases full of flowers, cotton stems, branches, etc. The items don’t have to match either. As long as the heights are similar on each item it will look unified and anchored. I like more of a symmetric feel to my mantel. This is a good spot to switch it up if you like the asymmetric style. If you want that style, you could use varying height objects and maybe use multiple objects on each side.
Bundle different size objects together – For filler items I like to use a mix of small objects going inward from my tall anchor points (tip #2). These objects can be books, other decor items, small vases/votive holders, etc. For example, during the fall I mix and match different sized pumpkins and pine cones together.
Add a natural element – I like to add some kind of natural element within my mantle style. This can be branches or flowers in a tall vase (tip #2) or something else that’s unexpected. For example, in the spring and even fall, I like to place a small piece of driftwood across the center of the mantel. This really centers everything and brings it together with a touch of nature. I’m also a coastal fanatic so I will take any chance I can get to create a coastal farmhouse feel. During the holidays, I use garland across my mantle. It’s mostly fake, but I have big Leyland Cypress trees in my backyard so I will cut some branches off of those and incorporate those around my garland as well. There are a ton of easy ways to incorporate a natural element into your mantle. So bring a little nature indoors.
Add simple finishing touches – I love to add a lot of candle light to my mantle. Before we hung the TV on that wall I could use all sorts of candles, but I have to be extra careful where I place candles now and cautious of their size. One of my favorite items I have are some metallic votive holders I got from Target. They are the perfect size for tea lights which are small enough that they won’t harm our TV. I also fill in space with other small items if I feel it’s necessary to add a little something extra to the the bundled decor items (tip #3). Overall, I believe less is more so I try not to go too crazy with the finishing touches. A little white space is always good!

Here are some photos of my previous styled mantels for various seasons in my home.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my top 5 tips to Style Your Mantel Like a Pro. Be sure to stop by my blog and check out my latest DIY ideas. You’ll love my DIY Fall Succulent Centerpiece.

October 7, 2016 by: Michelle

Farmhouse Kitchen Favorites at Barn Owl Primitives

Hi friends! I’m excited to be guest blogging over at Barn Owl Primitives sharing some fabulous Farmhouse style inspiration for your kitchen found right in their shop! I seriously can’t pick a favorite – but that green basket has my kelly green loving heart! I personally own all three pieces shown on the bottom of this photo and I can’t tell you how many compliments I get on my Good Eats sign!

Head over to the post here and check out the amazing farmhouse style products they now offer! Happy Shopping and Happy Friday!!

August 23, 2016 by: Michelle

Rustic Chic DIY: Stain and Distress like a Pro

Hi! Nikki here with The Riojas House. As a lover of all things wood and farmhouse, it’s hard not to buy every rustic or chippy piece of furniture I pass by. But occasionally, I come across something that speaks to me, and it inevitably ends up in the back of our truck and into our home. It happened recently when doing a little thrift shopping one weekend. The perfect entryway bench was just sitting there, waiting for me to snap it up. Unfortunately, when I made my way through the crowd, I saw a little yellow note taped to the top with the words no thrifter wants to read: “For Display Only”.

Well, thank goodness for smart phones because with a photo and a quick measure, plan B was in full effect.

For those who enjoy a good DIY project, this one is a little bit MacGuyver, and little bit Joanna Gaines, and every bit of amazing when it’s finished!

While not everyone has access to a skilled carpenter, I am fortunate enough to have a local craftsman who is amazingly talented and can build just about anything. Once he looked at the photo of the un-buyable bench and jotted down the measurements, he was off and running.

Tip: Check your local farmers markets and swap meets if you’re looking for a woodworker or carpenter–many times you’ll find talented folks who you can hire by the job.

I knew I wanted to finish out the bench myself once it was constructed, so I asked my carpenter to build and sand it, but leave it unfinished. This way I could add my touches and save a little money too. This piece was built out of pine and was fairly simple in its design. I wanted an area made for baskets or shoes, so the shelf became the perfect catch-all.

Once I had it in our garage, the fun part really started. Now, whether it’s a bench, or a crate, or any kind of unfinished wooden piece, these instructions will work. I’m just using the bench as my example.

Before you get started, you’ll want to take a trip to your local hardware store and pick up all of your supplies.

What you’ll need:

Unfinished wooden tray (in any size you prefer)
Sandpaper (180 and 220 grit)
A clean rag (to apply the stain)
Rubber gloves
Wood stain (color of your choosing)
Soft paint brush (1-2” works best, for finishing with the satin poly)
Satin polyurethane

Get your wooden piece ready to go by making sure it’s sanded well and free of any dust or dirt.
If you like a more weathered look (like I do), an easy trick is to get some heavy chain (I grabbed about 3 feet from the hardware store) and hit the bench with it multiple times, from multiple directions, to add some divots and texture. It’s a great way to relieve stress after a long day too!
Run some sandpaper (180 grit) over the edges to make sure they stay as smooth as possible.
Get your rubber gloves on and your stain ready (read the instructions on the back if you’ve not used it before). I like darker stains, so chose Espresso as my color.
Dip your clean rag into the stain and begin applying it onto the wood. Make sure you go with grain and put on a light, even coat. Ensure the first side is dry before flipping and staining the other side.

If you want the stain color to look a bit deeper, apply a second coat once the first coat has completely set.
After the piece has fully dried, you can seal it by brushing on a light coat of satin polyurethane to give it a little more protection (especially if it’s something you’ll be using often). Give that 24 hours to set and you’re ready to put your new piece into use!

This bench is exactly how I had envisioned it, and has become a perfect, welcoming piece as you walk into our home. I’ve styled it simply with wicker baskets (great for storing little one’s shoes), and softened it up with a couple of pillows and a plush neutral throw.

If you’re looking for a way to add a little rustic chic to your home, a project like this one could be right up your alley!

Nikki Riojas

@theriojashouse

www.riojashouse.com

Thanks so much for sharing Nikki! This bench is darling and I love how you styled it!

August 15, 2016 by: Michelle

First Day of School Free Printable

Hi friends! It’s back to school week in our home (insert huge sigh), so I decided to design a free printable to share with you that will work for all ages! I’m a sucker for black and white and this classic design will stay fresh for years to come! I hope you enjoy! I created every grade level from preschool thru twelfth grade! Be sure to tag me on Instagram @ellerydesigns for a chance to be featured using our printable! Hope you have a fantastic school year!

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE PRINTABLE(S) HERE.

July 5, 2016 by: Michelle

DIY Jewelry Stand

Hi, Brianna here with Hang the Moon Designs sharing my DIY Jewelry Stand. Here is a DIY that I bet doesn’t even require a trip to the hardware store for the basic pieces…but maybe to upgrade this project you might want to take a short trip.

Basic supplies and tools:

Scrap wood (or wood cutting board)

Hammer

Nails

Upgraded supplies: (Note: You do NOT need all of these so look at the finished products to decide what works best for you.)

Pretty thumb tacks

Gold nails with a wide flat head

Paint and paint brush OR

Scrap wallpaper

Gold brackets or decorative corners

Super glue

Wire cutters

Drill

Eye hooks

Leather/twine or some kind of hanging material

Choose your overall design. I have three examples here:

Beach vibe with a touch of glam

2. Kate Spade inspired

3. Simple and Chic

For the beach vibe I used scrap grasscloth wallpaper from a previous project and wallpapered onto my scrap wood.

For the Kate Spade inspired piece I chose green acrylic paint and for the simple and chic I used left over Sherwin Williams sea salt, one of my favorite paint colors. You can you anything as the back ground but I encourage you to keep it simple because when it’s all finished your jewelry will the be the star.

2. The background: Paint, stain or wallpaper your wood piece

3. Decide on hardware, if any, and attach. This will probably require a drill.

4. CRITICAL: Decide how you’re hanging your piece, or you could set on an easel. This is important to know now because if you’re hanging with brackets on the back ATTACH NOW (decide vertical or horizontal). This will be difficult when all the nails are in. If you decide to hang from the top with eye hooks and leather/twine you can move on.

5. Using wire cutters cut off the backs of tacks. I would do this over a small box and cover with your hand so the backs don’t fly everywhere.

6. Decide placement of your nails and hammer them in. Keep in mind what kind of jewelry: long and short necklaces, bracelets, dangle earrings, studs. You might want to grab a couple bracelets so you can see how they’re going to fall. I make sure there are two apart to link together with wire for dangle earrings.

7. ALL at once, so the superglue keeps flowing, attach your pretty tack heads to the nail heads. This takes a big of patience. If you went with the cute animal tacks from Target you need to drill a tiny hole in the back and then put glue in that and thread over the nail. Let it dry!

8. If you have decided to use eye hooks to hang your piece then attach those now by drilling in a tiny hole on either side, about 1 inch from the edge, and screw them in.

9. ADD your pretty pieces or sign the back with a little note and wrap it in a garment box and get ready to give away!

June 28, 2016 by: Michelle

K is for KitchenAid – Stand Mixer Review & Giveaway

KitchenAid provided me this stand mixer free of charge but all opinions expressed are 100% mine.

My daughter and I whipped up some patriotic cupcakes using our new KitchenAid Stand Mixer and we couldn’t be more in love! It’s true, I’ve never had one until now and it is a game changer! I feel like I may be the last person on Earth to own one of these beauties but I’m seriously amazed at how easy it is to bake and cook now! I’m a little embarrassed to admit that these always intimidated me, as I’m no professional in the kitchen, but oh my WOW does this thing change your life! No, really. What a time saver! I love that it comes with several attachment options to fit all of your cooking needs! I love it so much that I store it — better yet, display it on my counter, because it’s not only functional but it’s also pretty to look at! 😉 And we loved watching it work it’s mixing magic without having to do any work.

I’m all about easy baking, so store bought cake mix and frosting for the win! Also, you may notice a sneak peak of our new Monogram Shelves coming to the shop soon! As you can see here, used to display our cupcakes but the options are really endless as to how you can style your shelves!

We had so much fun making these together, super kid-friendly patriotic cupcakes! I think anytime sprinkles are involved it’s a win-win! 🙂

Last but not least, KitchenAid is kindly giving away ONE Artisan Series 5-Quart Stand Mixer, just like mine to one of my followers over on Instagram! Winner gets to choose the color of their choice! It took me a while to decide what color I wanted but ended up going with the traditional “white” to blend well with our new white kitchen makeover. Click here to head over to my Instagram page tonight to enter.

June 20, 2016 by: Michelle

Styling a Unique Gallery Wall with Designer Living

Thank you Designer Living for sending me these amazing products for review. All thoughts and opinions written are 100% mine.

Gallery walls are my favorite, and what I love even more is using unique pieces to complete the design. For example, on this wall I used the 4 piece decorative tray set in gray from Designer Living. Typically seen on tables, I decided to hang the trays on my gallery wall using command strips and adding different photos and textures to make them really give them some added dimension and character. I hung the plain gray tray on a diagonal to spice it up a bit because my daughter said she liked how it looked like a diamond. Sometimes, you gotta listen to your kiddos design advice b/c I love how it looks. I had that little birdie picture holder laying around so decided to add that inside the tray to display the photograph.

We’ve had this blank wall space in our finished basement for awhile now and I’m so happy with how it turned out. The color scheme is gray, yellow and pops of aqua/turquoise and we’ve kept that theme throughout all of the decor. The You Are My Sunshine canvas is dear to me because our daughter is our one and only sunshine so it’s more than fitting for us. These pictures of my daughter are some of my favorites of her from a fun outdoor art session we did a few years ago. I used more photos, funky paperclips, faux flowers and washi tape to dress up the three tuscan tile patterned frames.

For some even better news, Designer Living is offering my readers 15% off their next purchase using code DLED15. Non-stacking, one time use only. Does not apply to steals, designer boutique, or specials, valid 6/20 – 7/31. Happy Shopping! ALSO, be sure to head over to my instagram page for the $75 giveaway we are hosting later today! TWO lucky winners will receive a $75 gift certificate to Designer Living. Yay!!

Sources:

Sunshine Canvas, Frames & Trays (seen on wall): Designer Living

Yellow Arrow: Hobby Lobby

Hello Wooden Tag: Tiny House Vintage Art

Life is a Beautiful Ride Print: These Bare Walls

June 7, 2016 by: Michelle

Jord Watch Gift Idea, Free Printables & Contest

Thank you Jord for sending me this amazing watch. All thoughts and opinions written are 100% mine.

When your new watch matches your home decor, you instantly fall in LOVE! I mean look how matchy-matchy and awesome it looks next to our pallet wall! Also, I’m all about pretty packaging and attention to detail and this came dressed to impress!

Jord watches are made out of natural wood. Talk about some serious arm candy! Each time I’ve worn it I get asked where I got it! It’s a conversation starter, that’s for sure! So unique and super comfortable, too! The best part is they are the perfect gift idea for anyone in your life and I’ve got you covered! You can thank me later! 😉 I designed a few different free printables for you, for almost any occasion! Yay! Birthday’s, Anniversary’s and with Father’s Day coming up – surprise your hubby with a wood watch – he’ll absolutely LOVE it!

Here’s the watch I chose from the Fieldcrest series and am officially obsessed; the best part is it goes with everything! If you follow us on Instagram, you know we are lovers of woodworking so I swear these wood watches are perfect for us! There are so many amazing options, you can view all of the women’s watches here.

What do you think? Do you have a Jord Watch? If not, you can enter to win a $75 voucher toward your next purchase!! Lucky YOU! Follow the below link to enter:

https://www.woodwatches.com/g/ellerydesigns

The contest will close 6/14 at 11:59pm. The randomly selected winner will be contacted and announced on 6/15. Just for entering, you’ll be given a $20 coupon code so what are you waiting for? Enter above and good luck!

Download the free WATCH printables below by right clicking on the image to save or print. Enjoy!! These would be cute framed or tied along with the packaging.

June 1, 2016 by: Michelle

Our DIY Kitchen Remodel – Painting Your Cabinets White

I’m so excited to share with you the best way to paint your cabinets white! (or any color, really but white was the look we were going for.) Snow White Milk Paint by General Finishes to be exact. After researching my options I felt this was the best fit! Light and bright kitchens are ever so popular right now and it is AMAZING what a coat of paint does to a room! You can see our complete kitchen renovation here.

Now this is quite the project you guys. A tedious project but BEYOND worth it! I did a lot of research and while I don’t like to say people are wrong, let me tell you don’t believe everything you read. We went through a lot of trial and error before we found how to achieve beautiful results.

Materials:

Paint – General Finishes Snow White Milk Paint
Top Coat – General Finishes High Performance Top Coat in Satin
Denatured Alcohol
Paint Brushes – we like Purdy brand the best bought at Menards (they are more pricey but worth it)
Foam Roller (not a big one – small one worked best like this one.)
Paint Tray
Primer (GF Milk Paint does not require Primer but we did this extra step to ensure the best result)

STEPS:

Remove current hardware from cabinets.
Clean your cabinets by using 1/2 denatured alcohol and half water. (I put in a spray bottle and cleaned using a scotch brite pad and let dry for several hours)
Remove cabinets/drawers – we started with the top cabinets. Once those were fully completed, we moved on to the bottom.
Sand cabinet doors/drawers and cabinet box using sanding pads and sandpaper. Be sure to sand really well near the handles or where you touch the cabinets the most – we found these spots needed most sanding b/c of the oils released from your hands. We sanded really well and did not need to sand in between coats of paint.
Clean off cabinets really well to make sure there is no left over sanding residue, etc. before painting. Tack cloths work great for this.
Prime cabinets. HERE ARE THE IMPORTANT STEPS: We brushed on the paint with our Purdy paintbrushes and then back rolled them all using a foam roller to eliminate brush strokes. This is the only way to eliminate brush strokes, as we tried using foam paint brushes but it did not work well for us. SO YES, it’s kind of a double process but paint your cabinets with your paint brush then back roll. I uploaded a YouTube video of me doing those steps below. (Sorry for the low quality, I was doing this myself so was trying to video and paint at the same time, ha!)
Using the same technique as in the video above, paint three coats of General Finishes Milk Paint. This paint dries VERY FAST so once your done with one coat of about 8 cabinets, you can most likely move on to the second coat right after. That’s what worked best for us. We painted them in our garage. Be sure to use small wooden blocks to raise your cabinets so you can wipe off the access paint on the sides or you will have messy drip marks on the backside and it won’t be a good starting part when you flip them over to repeat the process. Yes, four coats on each side is time consuming but it turned out amazing and the time put in was worth the amazing result. Again, you do not need to prime but we decided this was probably for the best.
Lastly, we used General Finishes High Performance Top Coat in Satin for the finishing coat. This is very easy to apply and we just painted it on, no back rolling.

Here’s a work in progress shot of them complete with the new hardware – isn’t the difference so worth it? It’s amazing how white paint can transform a room!

Ahhh….the white is so beautiful and I just love the clean look!! Everyone that comes over can’t believe it’s the same space!

So all in all, YES this is a very tedious project. If we were just painting our cabinets, and our cabinets only, it would have been much easier. We could have completed them in two weekends. Since we tackled an entire renovation, we had a lot of bead board, crown and trim to also paint. By the time we were finished we were so over painting but were amazed at the end result! I read a lot of different articles online and to be very honest, none of them worked for us. We are true perfectionists at heart so what some people may think looks good, we did not find looked good so through trial and error, we came up with the technique listed above that worked best for us. Yes, a few extra steps but it was SO worth it! I hope you enjoyed our transformation and if you’re up for the makeover, be sure to send me photos!

Check out the completed kitchen transformation here. Happy Painting!!

May 26, 2016 by: Michelle

BloomsyBox Review – Get Fresh Flowers to Your Doorstep Every Month!

Thank you BloomsyBox for sending me this bouquet to review. All thoughts and opinions written are 100% mine.

You guys! Did you know there is such thing as a monthly flower subscription? Sign me up! When I first learned of BloomsyBox I was intrigued – it’s like the BirchBox or StitchFix of flowers!

I’m basically obsessed with this idea. They send you a monthly bouquet of UNIQUE, hand picked flowers fresh from the farms for your enjoyment! No hassle, no filler flowers – a gorgeous bouquet arrives each month on your doorstep.

When my box arrived, inside were gorgeous red calla lilies! Yay! Just perfect for spring and the upcoming holiday weekend.

So why not go to your local grocery store? There are a few major differences from the average floral supplier. First, no mixed bouquets with unnecessary extras – BloomsyBox only deals in “single-variety”- hand-tied bunches; second, the flowers are sourced direct from suppliers in South America, Holland, Thailand and California meaning no middle-man mark-up to increase the price.

A basic subscription costs $34.99 per bouquet for a monthly delivery (and includes free shipping – yay!) but there are other options to choose from. Wouldn’t this make a fabulous gift idea for a loved one? You’re welcome. 😉

BloomsyBox Review - Fresh Flowers to your doorstep every month!

BloomsyBox Review - Get Fresh Flowers Delivered to Your Doorstep Each Month!

I’ve only had them for a day and I keep rearranging them all around the house! They are beautiful and I just love the concept of having a little present arrive each month and not knowing what’s inside! That’s the beauty of it, really. Head over to the BloomsyBox website and check out the monthly options that works best for you! Life can be messy at times, right? Spice it up with the beauty of BloomsyBox!