The Hillside Home

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T14:02:00.000-08:00

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

Wishing you the very merriest Christmas... from our family to yours.

Our experience at the Everybody Plays photo shoot

2011-12-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

You guys might remember in October I shared that our little Finny girl was chosen in a casting call to have her photo taken by "thee" Kelle Hampton for a new campaign for Infantino. The campaign is called "Everybody Plays" and it's a simply wonderful initiative to have babies and children of all colors and abilities represented and celebrated in their marketing.

I have to say, I thought that it was a nice idea from the moment I read about it, but it was really amazing to see it in action once we were on "set." The photo shoot was held at a private residence in San Diego. The staff could not have been more nice or more welcoming. I am seriously an even bigger fan of Infantino products now that I have met the incredibly sweet and sincere people behind the brand. And it was something else to see so many babies playing together and interacting... different shades and abilities... each shining in their own way... parents visiting and proud of their little ones. It was really a neat day.

Finley was an angel. We got there super early and were even invited to eat lunch with the staff (seriously, they were really nice, I'm tellin' ya), and she was all smiles and being her happy self. As we waited for her "call time" I knew that sister had to be getting tired. And sure enough after I changed her into her outifit for pictures, girlfriend put that little thumb in her mouth and was out like a light.

So I offered to let someone else go before us and let her sleep for a bit.

When she woke up about 20 minutes later it was her turn. After a last minute costume change (geez, what a diva), we headed inside to have her photos taken. She was pretty straight-faced the whole time... not all the way awake from her nap and probably wondering who in the world all these people were, but I figure a serious baby post-nap is better than a cranky one without a nap. Yes? Yes. But seriously, she did great. Cute as can be.

And as for Kelle? She could not have been sweeter. She was super professional, but still so charasmatic with the kids. You can tell she has a serious heart for children and it shows in her work. It was such a pleasure to meet her after reading her blog for so long... I'm a fan, what can I say? (Kelle and I called each other that morning to see what we were going to wear... we wanted to be twinsies.)

Okay, so part 2 of this little story goes like this: it was a "wrap" on Finley, we were on our way out, and I said something like, "Hey, if you need an extra toddler for tomorrow's shoot, I have a super cute 2 year old at home (ha ha)." And then they said, "Really? Oh my gosh, yes, we need a 2 year old! Would you mind coming back tomorrow?"

Fast forward to the next morning: Here's Liam strapped in the car and watching Marmaduke on the way down to SD.

We were old pros this time around. Knew where we were going and knew everyone's name. It was a fast shoot. Liam was great. Our only hiccup was when it was time to change him into swim trunks for the water table pictures and he was not havin' it. It was a little chilly that day and brother thought I had lost my mind telling him that it was time to play in the water. But after seeing the other kiddos get in on the action, he warmed up to the idea.

It was a fun day, just me and my boy.

The house was GOOOOORGEOUS. Liam loved the elaborate Halloween decorations out front.

And since the shoot was so quick and we had a bit of a drive ahead of us, we made a stop at the playground where Mommy had a little photo shoot of her own...

My handsome little man.

Overall, it was a great experience. Something fun and unexpected. Met some really nice people and got to see how things like this go behind-the-scenes. Oh, and the first picture of one of my kiddos popped up on the Infantino homepage. So if you just happen to pop over to infantino.com you might see her sweet little face.

Everybody Plays Campaign

2011-10-25T21:50:00.000-07:00

This little lady was chosen to photographed by the AMAZING Kelle Hampton for Infantino and Step 2's new "Everybody Plays" campaign! To say that I am stoked would be the understatement of the year. I am dorking out in a big way. Of course I am proud of my little girl (I gush over her sweet smile and baby blues every chance I get), but I am also thrilled to be part of such an awesome movement that's celebrating all of the wonderful things that make our little ones so beautifully unique. And yet, in the midst of their differences, kids are kids... and everybody plays. I am just down for celebrating babies... babies of any shape, size and color. Oh, and the little ol' chance to have my all time favorite blogger take pics of my baby girl? That ain't half bad either. I have to tell you, sometimes it is just amazing to sit back and see what life throws your way.

So, I promise to take as many pictures as I can and to come back later this week and share all the deets. Tonight, I am packing the diaper bag and laying out the clothes and mapquesting the address... getting ready for our girls' day in San Diego.

If you aren't familiar with Kelle's blog, get ready to have your world rocked and click here.
And make sure to check out this great campaign.

Front Yard Redo/Landscaping

2011-10-13T21:57:00.000-07:00

I've never had a green thumb. Yellow maybe, but definitely not green. So when it came to replanting and landscaping our front "yard," I wasn't so sure how it was going to go. The trick was... slow and steady.

Before we get into details and tips, let's take a look at the front of the house before we moved in.

Real quick: look at little bitty Liam!!!! This was later summer 2010. He was just a little over a year old. Sniffle.

Okay, moving on. So there are the planters. Lots of green. Lots of succulents (which are easy to take care of, but not really my thing). And some serious hedge action going on.

And now (insert drumroll here), a picture of the front now...

Another break: look at Liam in this pic. It totally wasn't planned that he happened to be in each picture. But so awesome that it happened that way. My little man. Pushing 2 and 1/2. With his short haircut and McQueen backpack. Be still my heart--this kid kills me.

First things first: best thing we did in these planters was put down weed cloth and black bark. I wasn't so sure about this idea when my mom suggested it, because "bark" always brought to mind orange clay colored yards out in the desert. Anyone know what I'm talkin' about? But I trusted her and went with the black color and wa-la. I freakin' love it. It looks clean and like rich soil and really makes the colors of the plants and flowers pop.

It's really easy to do. You buy the weed cloth in rolls from a garden center (we got all of our supplies from Home Depot) and lay it down in your planters (working it around your already established plants). Then you put stakes down to hold it in place and dump your bark right on top of it. Easy peasy. Then, as you plants new plants, you just cut holes in your weed cloth with your shovel or whatever and dig and plant right in there. The weed cloth really does to a great job of keeping the weeds out. A few do pop up every now and then, but they are easy to spot.

So let me walk you through our little garden as best as I can using these pics. In the lower left hand corner we have ground cover which we kept from the previous owner's garden. But the little tree popping out is a Japanese Elm which we planted. Behind the Elm you can see some of our Mum plants which were also from before. They get huge and the stalks get heavy with blooms, but they are so pretty and yield soooo many flowers. Lots of blooms to bring inside. Love them. (On that side we also have a Judy Garland Rose bush, a Desert Hibiscus, and a Hawaiian Hibiscus.)

In the front planter (right hand side), we took everything out and planted a Birch Tree. We sprinkled in a handful of large rocks and small plants. This area gets lots of direct sun so it's been a task to find small plants that thrive in this planter. Peonies seem to be holding their own, and we also have a bright pink plant that is doing great in here but admittedly, I have NO idea what they are. I'll get back to you on that one.

In the back planter (at the top of the photo), we removed all of the hedges which, all by itself, was a HUGE improvement. Then we added 4 rose bushes (two white, one pink, and one Judy Garland), a red rose tree, vinkas, hydrangeas, jasmine, mini carnations, and a gardenia plant. We also have two azelea plants that we kept from the previous garden.

One of my favorite things we have goin' on is the climbing fig trailing up our chimeny. I L-O-V-E this look. It took forever to take off, but now that it's going, there's no stopping it. I can't wait until all of the brick is covered. Me gusta mucho.

At the top of the yard near the door we have a little courtyard. Let's take a look at the courtyard at move-in time.

Aww, there's the little peanut again.

So, as you can see, it was pretty plain jane. And you can also get a glimpse of that beauty of a hillside we had goin' on (AKA Weedtown, USA).

And here is our courtyard now...

Two potted Ficus trees on either side of our gate. We also have a small bistro table (you can see it peaking into stage right), another Ficus (not pictured) and some potted trellis plants as well (also MIA from this pic).

And perhaps the biggest change.... the hillside. You can get a little peak of our 3-tiered brick hillside and white wrought-iron gate. You can get a better look at this HUGE upgrade in Liam's birthday post and I am working on posting before and after pics. But as a quick spoiler alert, the first level is a deck with paving stones, a dining table, a sitting area, and 2 firepits (free-standing, not built-in, but that would be dope). The 2nd level is kind of a weed farm right now but someday it's going to be a fruit and vegetable garden, and the 3rd level is where we planted five trees (one Birch and 4 Ornamental Plums).

So that's that... the lowdown on our front-yard redo. It's amazing what landscaping can do for the front of a home. Major curb appeal. And gardens are so personal... you get to plant 'em exactly like you want 'em and then they just feel like "you." Hope you guys like it. Now to keep it all watered, trimmed, and weeded. That's what Gramma's are for, right? :)

half bath reveal

2011-09-27T21:11:00.000-07:00

i'm pretty pumped to show you guys before and after pictures of our downstairs half bath. below is a picture of the bathroom right before we moved in. it was super clean, but also supa-dupa 70's. we gutted it. we took out the floors and the entire vanity...

...and here it is now!!!

new tile, new paint, wainscoting, pedastal sink and new lighting. it is really bright and roomy for being such an itty bitty space. i'd still like to hang a piece of art above the little "nightstand" table and add some new hardware to the drawers. but for the most part, it's finished and we love it.

here are some product sources:

sink and faucet - home depot

mirror - ikea

lighting - pottery barn

bouy - pottery barn

"nightstand" - goodwill (stripped and repainted it.)

frame - tj maxx

soap dispenser - target

Linking to: Fingerprints on the Fridge

homemade sidewalk paint

2011-09-25T20:01:00.000-07:00

I heard someone say the other day, "I think I'm in need of a pintervention." I laughed out loud. And thought, "Me too." I have been pinning like it's going out of style and had yet to actual DO any of my pins. Until today, yo.

Today I decided to surprise Liam when he woke up from his nap with a fun craft/activity from pinterest... and chose this one: homemade sidewalk paint pinned from ohdeedoh. Not only is it super cute and right up my little man's alley, but it's easy peasy.

Can't get much easier than that, can it? The original tutorial called for 2 tbs of water, but I found myself adding more water so I went ahead and put 2-4. As you go along you'll find whether you prefer a thinner or thicker consistency.

Who has nap hair? Liam does. He was so excited to see his "surprise" that there was no time for a brush. (Update: Daddy gave Liam his first SHORT haircut tonight. Bye-bye to my baby's shaggy surfer locks. As the clippers buzzed through his tresses I was holding back major mommy tears. What is it with us and our emotional attachment to hair? Okay... back to your regularly scheduled programming.)

I'm not sure who was having more fun.

Who has green food coloring on his mouth because he thought it was food? That's right. Liam does.

It was so sweet hearing Liam say, "Mama, need some more pink... Mama, need some more yellow."

And the best: "Mama, I'm a great painter. I'm a great artist."

Overall, our first pinterest project was a success. I highly recommend this... you gotta do it. And it cleans up just like chalk!

Linking to: C.R.A.F.T. * Polly Want a Crafter * Mad In Crafts * Keeping It Simple * The Girl Creative * Fingerprints on the Fridge

First Day of Fall

2011-09-23T08:13:00.001-07:00

I can barely believe it's fall! This has perhaps been the fastest year of my life. I am hurdling towards 30 at an unsettling pace.

Anywho, it doesn't feel like fall around here at all. The days are still hot... and humid. (It's been crazy humid for SoCal. How do you southern girls hack it?) Football on TV just feels wrong... and I'm a huge football fan. But I just can't get into it yet. (This may have a little somethin-somethin to do with my boyfriend Peyton Manning being out injured for the first time EVER, but mostly with the hot weather. I swear.)

So to kick myself in the butt (and perhaps give you guys some inspiration) I thought I'd go ahead and recap my posts from last fall... back when I was itching for football to start, wearing scarves, and sippin' on some pumpkin spice. (This is how you know I'm in fall denial... pumpkin spice sounds straight up nasty. I know... Starbucks blasphemy, but I try to speak the truth, y'all.)

Without further ado... fall posts from cooler days.

Paper Mache Pumpkins

Halloween Picture Frame

Fall Flower Arrangement

Fall Wreath

P.S. Welcome to all of my visitors today from It's Toile Good! I hope you'll take some time to look around. And leave me a comment to let me know you were here! C'mon... you know you wanna! :)

Linking to: Serenity Now

Nautical striped utensil holder.

2011-09-21T13:02:00.000-07:00

Today I'm sharing how you can take something that's in good shape but not really your style and redo it into something cute to match your "theme." Below is a picture of the finished product... a nautical striped "kitchen tool holder thingy" with a starfish tied with twine.
Here's what it used to look like. It was in great shape, but the Tuscan countryside was so two houses ago... so rather than throwing it out or donating it, I thought I'd wing it with some tape and a can of spray paint.

First I painted it semi-gloss white...

...and then I used painter's tape to tape off a stripe pattern.

Then I grabbed a can of Wildflower Blue spray paint that I had on hand and went to town. It was almost the same color as the painter's tape.

At first I was going for a modern striped look, but when I removed the tape, I didn't love it. So before I went back to the drawing board, I grabbed a sheet of sandpaper and roughed it up a bit.

Ooooh, I liked that. It looked beachy. So I threw in my kitchen tools and leaned a starfish against it. Cute.

But then I had an even better idea. What if I attached the starfish to the holder? I thought of used hit glue, but I know better---I get bored easy and I didn't want anything to permanent. So I grabbed some twine and tied it on.

So there you go. Hope it inspires you to make something old into something new.

Linking to: Serenity Now

Chalkboard Window

2011-09-15T08:23:00.000-07:00

Most people that come over our house comment on our chalkboard wall and ask if it was hard to do. It really wasn't. Chalkboard paint is so easy and super versatile--you can paint it on pretty much any surface and give old items new purpose. Kind of like giving a poor crayon-attacked play table a facelift. It was forever grateful.

All this chalkboard talk reminded me of another chalkboard project I did earlier this year and never shared here on THH.

My sister-in-law had this black faux-window with shutters that she was getting rid of. I wish I had a picture of it before I taped it off... the "window" was actually a picture of an Italian village and it used to have a little stripe & tassle awning attached the top. It was really cute in her first apartment, but she didn't really have a place for it anymore. It has major potential for a makeover so I snatched it up!

I taped off the "window with newspaper and blue painter's tape and gave the whole thing a good coat of spray primer.

And then I broke out my aqua spray paint. This was my first time using this color. I loved it so much that I ended up using it this month to redo our entry table. Anywho, this took about 2-3 light coats... and I didn't worry about spraying the back since this would be hanging on a wall.

Then I took a sheet of sand paper and distressed some of the corners and edges.

You can always decide how much distressing you really want to do based on the look you are going for.

And wa-la. New chalkboard. Super cute. I pictured it in my craftroom with maybe a mason jar full of pens on the windowsill. Bad news: there is no good place for this in the craftroom as it is right now. Boo. So this little chalkboard of mine is kickin' in the garage. Don't be too sad for it... I'll find a place for him soon.

So that's that. I hope you guys like it and are starting to feel confident to chalkboard-up any bland or aging surface in your casa!

Linking to: Serenity Now

chalkboard top play table

2011-09-10T09:27:00.000-07:00

one of the first items we bought for the kids' new playroom (after the storage system seen here) was a table and chair set from ikea. what i really love about this little set is that it's light weight and has rounded edges. AKA no serious injuries if one was to, say, spin and spin and spin until one was dizzy and fall over and bump one's head on the table. not that any particular 2 year old continues to do this over and over and over again in spite of mommy's warnings. okay, moving on.

so as safe and cute as this table is, it is not immune from attack-of-the-crayon. you can see below was happened to our little table friend. even papa got in on the action (you can see that he grabbed a crayon and listed out all the members of liam's family).

enter can of chalkboard paint. i'm convinced that this simple product can hide a multitude of sins, errrr, crayon marks.

2 simple coats and wa-la. chalkboard topped play table. which i think looks even better than before, because there was a bit too much green goin' on for this momma. it also ties into the color scheme since we have a black leather couch in this room. i likey.

and so does liam. our chalkboard wall was a big hit last year, so i knew this was going to go over well.

he is the cutest little guy. i think we'll keep him. and the chalkboard table.

linking to: serenity now * tatertots & jello

The evolution of a kitchen.

2011-09-07T09:14:00.000-07:00

Our kitchen has been in some state of renovation ever since we moved in last August. I think I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel!!!

Here is a picture of the kitchen when we moved in.

The cabinets were new, but the hardware needed an update (see updated stainless hardware below). We needed new appliances , which you can see below, except for the microwave which we hadn't installed yet.
We updated the tile...

And next we tore out the old countertops and backsplash. We also tore down the backsplash behind the sink to put in a level countertop that would serve as an island and even a place that we could pull stools up to somedays when the kids are older.

And here is a picture of the kitchen after the countertop and the microwave had been installed. you can see how the countertop behind the sink is level and creates an "island." And you can also see a sneak peek of the playroom I am still working on. :)

And... here is the kitchen as of yesterday. WOW. Disaster area. But I swear (to my husband) that it's not as bad as it looks. :) Here's the deal: the previous owners had put new cabinet fronts on old cabniets, so the wood peaking through between the doors and drawers was this yucky yellowy color. It was driving me crazy. So off the cabinet doors came, and on went about 3 coats of semi-gloss ultra white. It looks better already.

Still on our kitchen to-do list:

-white subway tile backsplash

-2nd coat of light blue paint on the walls

-paint ceiling ultra white (it is also that yucky yellowish color)

-update lighting (install recessed lights)

-finish painting dining table and chairs for the nook (not pictured here)

-purchase fabric and sew cafe curtains for windows (also not pictured here)

I am feeling ambitious and think that we can have this kitchen FINISHED by the end of the month. Am I nuts? Perhaps. But I'm gonna give it a shot.

What do ya guys think? Is there a room in your house that has been in limbo for a long time? Are you on the brink of finishing a project? Do share. :)

Entry table redo... again.

2011-09-06T08:50:00.000-07:00

Look at this little turquoise beauty.
You may remember that it started out like this. An estate sale find with chippy veneer and in need of some TLC.

And then it was "re-did" into this... distressed white... which was great for a while but lately I have been craving some color in my life. As a SAHM, you'be gotta find your excitement where you can. And mine apparently comes from spray painting white furniture in fun, bright colors.
So let's take another look, shall we?

I L-O-V-E it. And it looks great with some other elements of the room I'm working on. (That was a teaser. I will share soon!)

Hope everyone had a fabulous holiday weekend. Are you ready for fall or still holding onto summer by your fingertips? Although I love me some summer, I am SO ready for some cooler temps.

Labor Day

2011-09-05T15:37:00.000-07:00

So, as I've been milling around the house today trying to tie up some loose ends, "laboring on my labor day" as my brother called it, I couldn't help but to think about my actual labor days.

I look at Liam and Fin. I think about the great days, the days when we laugh and cuddle and I kiss their soft cheeks and I remember to send words of gratitude up to God. And I think about the not so great days, when I ask and Liam says no and I ask again, and he ends up in time out, and he cries and wakes up the baby and then they are both crying and I feel this close to joining them and on those days I am sending up words that sound more like pleading cries for help.

JoAnn over at Ostriches Look Funny had the greatest post today that really has me thinking. This week has been trying and there has been more than one or two times when I have wanted to throw my hands up... or go back to bed... or run out the front door. And I beat myself up mercilessly for it. "God has blessed me with these beautiful children. How dare I not be joyful in every moment." But as JoAnn helped me to remember, and perhaps I can remind you on one of your hard days, being a Christian doesn't mean being a stepford mom, it means being a mom who chooses to bask in His grace. We are forgiven for a reason... because we need it.

As I sent Liam off to go play at his gramma and papa's today and told them to please feel free to keep him until bedtime, I stopped him at the door and took an extra minute to kiss him about 20 times and squeeze him hard... and the love I feel for him even in spite of his less than perfect moments is a shining example of the love God has for me... and for you.

My labor day. Liam. 2009.

My 2nd labor day. Finley. 2011.

On that note, once again, happy labor day.

oh baby.

2011-09-05T10:57:00.000-07:00

is there anything cuter than baby items with modern fabric? burp cloths, blankies, and night-nights.
i love these sweet & skully night-nights. (both of these are up on my etsy page. www.etsy.com/shop/stinsonhome.com)

i kept busy all summer making custom gifts for baby showers, and there were alot of them. there was quite the baby boom this year!

and i made a ton of these black and pink leopard burp cloths for our little finley girl.

i am always down for custom orders so feel free to shoot me an email if you need something cute for your little one or for a gift!

happy labor day!

Featured on Renovate Too

2011-09-02T16:50:00.000-07:00

A big shout-out to Nathan over at Renovate Too, a great blog full of your favorite and mine: before & after pics! After dusting off the old email account and clearing out the cobwebs, I found a sweet little note from Nathan letting me know that he had featured our master bath redo over at his place.

Make sure to head over and check out Renovate Too and get some major inspiration!

Liam's Round Up: Toy Story Themed 2nd Birthday

2011-09-02T14:46:00.001-07:00

One of Liam's great loves in life is Toy Story (1, 2, and 3). So for his 2nd birthday the choice was obvious... something Toy Story themed for sure. I loved the idea going a little more western with the party rather than centered around just the movie.

Yellow accents were paired with red and white checkers. I put out galvanized buckets to hold drinks and set favors atop an old wooden Pepsi crate.

Favor tags and water bottle wrappers from etsy.com/designsbysaidi. She also designed our invitations & thank you notes.

Cowboy hats were set out for the kiddos as well as homemade "sheriff badge necklaces" which the kids (and us adults, let's be honest) personalized with their names and wore around the party.

I designed and printed out "Liam's Round Up" signs as well as pictures of Woody, Jessie, and Bullseye that I hung from the fences with twine and also used as "cupcake toppers" for the corn muffins and brownies.

Red and white streamers, gold stars, and cowprint balloons.

A photo backdrop was set up using hay bales and a piece of plywood with "Liam's Round Up" painted on it and hung with rope we had hangin' around.

Perhaps the best part of the party was when my dad surprised Liam, the guests, and ME by carrying out his homemade cake dressed as Woody!!!!

Liam's homemade Woody-inspired shirt (which ended up matching Papa) was ordered from etsy.com/makmaydesigns.

Overall, it was a great party... full of friends and family and so many little ones! And it was the official debut of our backyard renovation, complete with a 3 level deck and a new side yard of grass. I will post before pictures soon so you guys can check out how far we've come!

back in business.

2011-09-02T09:29:00.001-07:00

I'm alive!

And by alive I mean: I'm a mother of a 2 year old and a 3 month old and amid sleepless nights and temper tantrums I have finally regained my desire to not only jump back into home projects but to come on here and blog about it!

Woo to the hoo, y'all.

This is big for me.

Speaking of big and me, here's a picture of me the night I went into labor with our little girl.

In all of my 38.5 weeks of glory... ready to pop... I literally could not have gone another day. I was creakin' around this house as if I was 89 years old. Hips... back... legs... ouch, ouch, and ouch. Has anyone ever told you that the 2nd is SO much harder on your body than the 1st? Well, it is. Geez, I could've used a warning.

But although the pregnancy was alot rougher, the labor and delivery was a breeze compared to the insanity that was delivering my 9 lb. 10 oz. baby boy.

In early June (only 1 day before her brother's 2nd birthday) our sweet Finley Ryan was born.

Finley was born early in the day, so we were able to make it home by the evening the next day in time to spend a few hours with Liam on his 2nd birthday.

Here we are cuddling on my bed. What an overwhelming moment that was. My newborn girl, my 2 year old boy. My TWO kids. Amazing and humbling and WOW. How far we've come in 3 short months!

What's amazing about your 2nd is that they make your 1st seem so big and grown up.

Look at this little man. This sweet, helpful, smart and witty little man. My first love. I just adore this one to pieces.

And boy, does he love his sister. He always comes up to her and says, "Awwww, Finley." When she cries he says, "It's okay, Finny... be happy." And today he layed next to her and said, "Mommy, Finny my best friend." Be still my heart.

And here she is. Our beauty. 3 months old. Sweet and perfect.

I know I'm her mama, but come on, that is one pretty little face, is it not? :)

Thank you to all of my readers who have emailed their best wishes and asking when I would be back. The truth is, this has always, in most part, been a home blog, documenting our journey of turning our new house into a home. And during my pregnancy I just didn't have it in me... I couldn't even think about renovating or decorating, let alone completing projects and writing about it. So I wanted to wait until I got back into the swing of things again and felt like my old self again before I came back for good.

And the bug? It has a'bit me. My mind has been racing with ideas, I have been spray painting my booty off, and I have been spending every free moment on Pinterest. (Pinterest? I mean, come on. AMAZING.)

It feels so great to be back and I hope you are all doing well. Has is been a great summer or what? And wow, it has gone by so fast. September already!!!!!

Nursery Ideas...

2011-02-22T18:25:00.001-08:00

As most of you know, we are expecting our 2nd baby in 4 short months... what you don't know is that we are expecting a:

BABY GIRL!

We are beyond thrilled and of course I am in la-la land dreaming up a perfect nursery for our little lady...

The image above is from one of my new favorite nursery blogs called Lay Baby Lay. And I am lovin' it in a big way.

The black and white chevron rug is a must-have and can be found here.

And I am thinking of pairing it with this fabric for the curtains. (The fabulous Miss Amy Butler, of course.)

And the original inspiration for this little one's new room was this GORGEOUS artwork that I found on Etsy.

Can't wait to get started in a few short months and take you guys for an interior-design-ride-along.

Home Sweet Home

2011-02-11T08:29:00.000-08:00

Yes, we've been home for a week now, but if you're anything like me it takes forever to unwind from a vacay and get back into the swing of things.

Here is a picture of me and my little snow bunnies on the gondola in Mammoth. This mama was not a fan (and that is putting it lightly) of the gondola... I am terrified of heights. But I sucked it up for a few good photo-ops... and will never be doing it again. So that's that.

Aside from the fear of plummeting into the mountainside, we had a great time. Mammoth is gorgeous. The weather was beautiful. And it was nice to spend time with my in-laws. Liam had himself an old-fashioned blast.

Last weekend was crazy busy... Liam's cousin's b-day party and of course, Superbowl. Then this week my mom moved in to stay with us for a while... and I am looking very forward to all of the projects I'll be able to finish with an extra set of hands around!

Short but sweet, life is swell.

Happy Friday, y'all.

Winter Wonderland & My First Blogger Award

2011-01-31T08:57:00.000-08:00

Our little man is finally feeling much better! Although he passed on his sinus infection to Mommy & Daddy. Boo. We are all on antibiotics and working hard to feel better by tomorrow---when we leave for our snowy vacation in Mammoth!

photo source: www.vacationplanning.net

Ryan is a great snowboarder. I am more of the "fall-down-alot-freeze-my-butt-off-complain-the-entire-time" breed of snowboarder. I am pretty grateful to this little bun in the oven that I have a solid excuse not to subject myself to frostbite and a bruised tailbone this year. But I did buy myself a cute pair of new snowboots and plan on having a great time rolling around in the snow with Liam. It will be his first time in the snow... better believe I will be taking an insane amount of pictures.

photo source: www.lodging4vacations.com

It will be my first time in Mammoth, too. I'm pretty excited. My in-laws are going with us, so while the guys are out on the slopes, Liam, Gramma, and I will be hangin' out in this quaint little town gettin' our shop on.

photo source: www.crystalski.co.uk

photo source: www.crystalski.co.uk

And I'm looking forward to sitting next to at fire like this one with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate. Okay... all of a sudden I have found the motivation to go pack!

But before I go, I have to send out a big thank you to my great bloggy friend Megan over at Honey We're Home for awarding me my first blogger award this morning: The Stylish Blogger Award!

If you’re not familiar with it, there are 4 duties to perform to accept the award:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award

2. Share 7 things about yourself

3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers

4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award

I will be working on these 4 steps this week and hope to have them posted soon!

the "it" list

2011-01-28T04:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday and welcome back to another endlessly inspiring IT list... there is truly something for everyone here, so get clicking!

rose a la mode is on vacation at the beach... and of course looking ever so stylish while there! I love this outfit... what I wouldn't give to be walking on the beach! (get more of rose a la mode on twitter!)

a spot of whimsy is having a little celebration over on her blog and is giving away a one-year subscription to either martha stewart living or real simple... head on over to enter. These are definitely two of my most favorite glossies! (get more of a spot of whimsy on twitter!)

much to my delight reorganized her pantry using ball jars. Swoon! Vintage inspired organization at it's best!

merci blah blah looks fabulous (as always, but especially) in this breton strip top... hello gorgeous long skirt!

capital barbie is embracing scalloping in fashion... it's so fun and feminine, it's hard not to be drawn to it. I love these red scalloped pumps! (get more of capital barbie on twitter!)

sweetie pie style always brings the best inspiration on a monday morning... this jade-like chain necklace had me at hello. (get more of sweetie pie style on twitter!)

good life for less launched a fabulous e-book... "50 things every woman must own..." They are selling like hot-cakes, get your copy now! (get more of good life for less on twitter!)

a delightful design just started a fun new series called "ask abby" - check out this week's question or submit a question about interior design yourself! (get more of a delightful design on twitter!)

rosy + tart is giving away a $25 giftcard to modcloth. Hello spring shopping! Enter the giveaway and check out her spring picks right away! (get more of rosy + tart on twitter!)

undeniable style is paying homage to style icon jane birkin. It's no wonder this lovely lady has one of the most coveted handbags named after her! (get more of undeniable style on twitter!)

good tots starts a weekly series featuring etsy sellers that carry fun goods for kids... this week's featured seller sells the most adorable Valentine's heart confetti. Must have!

the hillside home is pulling together inspiration for her great room. I am loving the sophisticated yet cozy blue color she has chosen for her wall. Check out the whole inspiration on her blog!

a fashion fixation pulls together a very simple but very stylish outfit for a road-trip. I love the use of a belt here! (get more of a fashion fixation on twitter!)

yams designs delivers big time inspiration this week... all in black and white (remember last week it was technicolor?). You have just got to see what she has pulled together! (get more of yams designs on twitter!)

one hundred inspirations is definitely thinking spring this week... they recreate this fun whitney port look for less than $85! What a deal!

the IT list is published weekly by jill of the good life for less... for more information on how you can be involved... click here!

A little "Lattice" goes a long way

2011-01-26T16:20:00.000-08:00

I think I may have found the "pair-fect" (that's perfect in fancy talk, dahling) fabric for our great room curtains. Remember my inspiration board that I posted here? Well here is what I have come up with.

Waverly Lovely Lattice Lapis... in navy. Gorge.

The cheapest I have found it for is $11.60/yard. Which seems like a pretty good deal to me since it's usually $30/yard. But when you're looking to make 6 panels to cover 3 large windows, the mula adds up quick. So I am gonna sleep on it (i.e. run it by my hubby and bat my eyelashes).

Feature Shout-Outs & Toddler Room Goodies

2011-01-26T08:20:00.000-08:00

Hey guys! If you haven't had a chance to check out our master bathroom renovation, go check it out today at Remodelaholic!

Thanks to Kim at Newly Woodwards for featuring our renovation yesterday. I'm lovin' the love! :)

This morning I am headed to the Dr. with one sick little man. Liam has had a cough that won't quit for days... and a low grade fever that keeps popping up in the afternoon.

Since we are off to Mammoth next week for a vacation in the snow, I want to make sure to get this darn cold under control once and for all.

In the meantime, here are some more images I have been looking at for inspiration for Liam's new toddler room. I also have a TON of gorgeous nursery inspiration pics to share with you guys that are on the way.

It just occurred to me... I don't think I've shared on here what we are having. For those of you who I haven't told personally, do you have any guesses???!!!!

Happy Wednesday to you all... and wish us luck at the Dr. today!

Great Room: Inspiration Corkboard

2011-01-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

My mind has been in overdrive lately. Inspired by the outcome of our finished master bathroom, I am feeling motivated to move onto another project... and one room at a time, get this house of ours finished. I would love to get the bulk of the work done before baby #2 gets here in June. I have my work cut out for me y'all. But the good news is that at least I am putting together a vision for each room (except for the kitchen/dining room, which is giving me major decorator's block).

So first things first... here is what I am thinking for the great room.

Sofas by Ballard Designs
Artwork by Pottery Barn

A lot of these pieces are out of our price range, and a lot of them are just close to what we already have. so this is simply a mood board to give you (and my hubby) a feel for what I am thinking. I am really wanting to add in some more modern looks (i.e. curtains) to contrast and compliment the vintage (i.e. TV stand). We already have white and taupe incorporated into the room, so now I am looking to add charcoal gray and navy blue.

We were just given a 2nd chair and a half from a relative (currently covered in maroon floral fabric), that I am planning to slipcover in gray. And we have white sheer curtains that I am planning to layer behind some new modern white and navy panels. I also want to incorporate navy into the room with throw pillows and some new artwork. I am thinking white gallery shelves (probably from IKEA) above our white sectional (also from IKEA).

So there you have it. My best intentions laid forward. Now let's see how it all pans out. First order of business... buying fabric and sewing my own window panels (since I can't seem to find anything out there that's just right). Here goes nothin'!

Woop Woop

2011-01-22T12:14:00.000-08:00

So last night I'm sitting in bed watching Fringe (I still love me some Pacey, ladies) and catching up on blogs and guess what??? Not only was my master bath remodel featured at one of my all-time favorite blogs, but I am also the proud winner of these adorable owls by See Kate Sew. Score and score. It was a pretty rockin' Friday night.

(I think they'll be adorable for the new nursery.)

A Few of my Faves for the Weekend

2011-01-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

I'm sure everyone is just as excited as I am to say, "IT'S SATURDAY!!!!" Looking forward to lazy mornings, long walks, and a bunch of football.

Here are a few of my faves from the week to kick off the weekend blog browsing!

DIY Black & White Striped Curtains @ The Yellow Cape Cod

DIY Farmhouse Craft Table @ Show & Tell

Gorgeous Office/Craft Room @ Honey We're Home

the "it" list

2011-01-21T04:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday everyone! Time to celebrate the weekend with some inspiration... take some time to browse these amazing blogs today or this weekend!

yams designs goes full on with technicolor inspiration all week long... I especially love Tuesday's post, but pop by her blog and your winter blues will melt away! (get more of yams designs on twitter!)

a fashion fixation is set for spring... this outfit is PERFECT for the current weather, but still so fresh and fun! (get more of a fashion fixation on twitter!)

undeniable style just bought some lovely sketches for her home... I am absolutely in love with this ballet inspired sketch! (get more of undeniable style on twitter!)

capital barbie is loving lace for spring... me too! It's so flirty and feminine... check out her top picks! (get more capital barbie on twitter!)

sweetie pie style just updated her vintage shop, one sweet find, with this mirrored vanity tray! I am SO in love... hurry and snatch this sweet find up! (get more of sweetie pie style on twitter!)

100 inspirations recreates this simple and chic Nikki Hilton look for under $100 - score!

a spot of whimsy is featuring a wintry mix of inspiration that is sure to have you falling back in love with snow as if it were the first time... if just for a bit, at least! (get more of a spot of whimsy on twitter!)

good tots found these super cool and modern cribs in fun colors for less than $400 - what a steal! almost makes me want to have another little babe, almost.

much to my delight brings us to mediterranean bliss with this recipe for hummus, yum! one of my favorite snacks of all time, you must check this out!

the hillside home lives in sunny california, lucky gal... at least she brings us the feel of summer wrapped up in this one adorable dress!

rosy + tart has me drooling with these nutella and chocolate chip cookies! you absolutely must pop over and check out this recipe... so yum! (get more of rosy + tart on twitter!)

a delightful design scopes out seven great online resources for inexpensive art! how resourceful... I just love these options! (get more of a delightful design on twitter!)

merci blah blah can accessorize like no one's business, it IS her business. I just love, love it all. Go check out her skills!

good life for less is participating in a fun contest on her blog featuring polyvore and Rebecca Minkoff's Spring 2011 collection. Go have fun and enter yourself to win a fabulous RM clutch! (get more good life for less on twitter!)

the IT list is published weekly by jill of the good life for less... for more information on how you can be involved... click here!

I'm dreaming of a white... couch.

2011-01-20T08:38:00.000-08:00

As in, I'm hoping that washing my slipcovers gives me a white couch once again, rather than the gray tinged, fingerprinted, mysterious blue spotted hot mess is had become over the last 6 months.

When we moved into our new home, high on my list of furniture must-haves was a white slipcovered Ektorp corner-couch from IKEA. So far, we love it. But let me tell ya, the high traffic seat (the one on the far left), was so filthy I just had to declare yesterday as "Slipcover Washin' Day." I'm pretty excited about the option of taking of my couch covers and bleaching the living day lights out of them (I actually only put a little bit of bleach since I've read that too much can actually turn them yellow). I can only imagine if I had a dark brown couch that I couldn't wash or wipe down... there would be some major filth lurkin'. Nasty.

So here are some pics of our couch. Above is during Christmas (notice the Christmas throw strategically placed over the entire left seat... AKA hiding the grossness). And below is

during fall, decorated with some homemade Halloween pillows.

Although taking off all of the covers, spot treating them, washing them, and putting them back on (damp may I add, since putting them on totally dry can be risky---they might have shrunk), has been a "job," the highlight has been seeing the pure joy on Liam's face as he runs and jumps on the mountain of cushions piled on our living room floor. He thinks he woke up and went to heaven.

Even Ryan got in on the fun last night, jumping and playing in the cushions with our little man. These are the good moments... the great ones. Who knew how much fun washing your slipcovers could be! :)
The jury is still out on just how white the slipcovers turned out... Although most of them turned out perfect, I have yet to pull the big bottom piece with that dreaded left-hand arm rest out of the wash. I will make sure to keep you all updated.

What do you guys think of washable slipcovers? Who out there has a white couch and loves the bleach & wash option? We used to have a black leather couch and that was pretty great too... wipe down capabilities! Anyways, have a great Thursday. See you all back here tomorrow for the "IT" list!

Beach Day in January

2011-01-18T21:00:00.000-08:00

I just have to take a minute and say that I am in love with Southern California. It is the middle of January and we spent our day yesterday at the beach... I wore a tank top and capris and splashed in the waves with my little man... IN JANUARY. It's been a magical 4 or 5 days.

Although I am excited for fall and winter every year and love me some holiday goodness, once Christmas is behind us, I am all kinds of ready for summer. I really am a California summer girl at heart... and although I am prego and will not be out frolicking in my teeny bikini when summer rolls around, I am already looking forward to summer days.

Day Dresses by Old Navy
Sandals by Timberland

the "IT" list

2011-01-14T04:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday and welcome back to another great IT list line-up this week! Take some time today to visit these amazing blogs for tons of inspiration!

a spot of whimsy has a great tutorial on stamp embossing, such a simple and classy project! I've done this before and it's so fun... she lays it all out step by step for you! (get more of a spot of whimsy on twitter!)

much to my delight has an insiders guide on where to eat in New York City... if you are thinking of going to NYC soon (or any time in the future) make sure to bookmark this great post. I love that she found an old-fashioned candy store - my kind of place!

good life for less takes Pantone's Color of the Year and tracks down simple items to incorporate into your wardrobe to be pretty in pink in 2011! (get more of good life for less on twitter!)

merci blah blah is wearing sequins with stripes. Have mercy... must I say more, this is definitely a must see!

yams design rounds up gorgeous winter white to keep the blahs at bay during this winter season. I just love all of her picks! (get more of yams design on twitter!)

a delightful design is working a big girl room for a client... I love that she is considering this fun and bold IKEA light in the design! (get more of a delightful design on twitter!)

capital barbie rounds up gorgeous stacked heels as a more comfortable alternative to your stiletto heels. She has some great selections, I especially love the red pair! (get more capital barbie on twitter!)

one hundred inspirations pulls together this gorgeous Sienna Miller look on the cheap! What a perfect travel outfit!

sweetie pie style has a really cool DIY tutorial on this stenciled art canvas. I love this and she makes it look so easy! I am putting this on my DIY short list. (get more of sweetie pie style on twitter!)

undeniable style take's Pantone's Color of the Year and highlights really great colors to pair it with if you aren't an all-pink-all-the-time kind of gal! (get more undeniable style on twitter!)

the hillside home has really gorgeous before and afters of her master bath renovation. You are going to just LOVE this!

a fashion fixation shows us how to winterize your maxi dresses - this is so fabulous! I always love an idea or two on how to stretch my wardrobe. (get more of a fashion fixation on twitter!)

rosy + tart is getting ready for a mid-winter tropical vacation, lucky gal! She's rounded up some great cover-up options if you are heading out as well and are looking a little winter-skinned! (get more rosy + tart on twitter!)

good tots features one of the most fun items to buy for the babies' nursery - a mobile! These fun and modern options will leaving any baby (and mother!) coo-ing.

the IT list is published weekly by jill of the good life for less... for more information on how you can be involved... click here!

"Big Boy Room" Inspiration

2011-01-11T20:55:00.000-08:00

In 2 short months, we will start designing and decorating a "big boy room" for Liam and turning his nursery into the new baby's nursery. So much design and decor in so little time!

I am having such a difficult time deciding on anything for the new nursery! And I was drawing a blank on Liam's new room as well, but after a couple of visits to my tried and true favorite (Pottery Barn, peeps), I came across this adorable red, white, and brown star bedroom. And I think I'm in "big boy room" love, y'all.

How cute would it be to have 3 boys and have this room? Granted, I doubt they would get any sleep all sleeping in the same room, but you'd have a great excuse to buy bedding in all available colors!

I am thinking of this brown quilt for Liam's room.

I am a sucker for cute storage. And this is supa-dupa cute. And on sale. My debit card is basically jumping out of my purse, ladies.

Love these storage cubbies... they come in blue, red, or brown.

I love cable systems for kids' artwork. I really want to get some of these for the playroom.

Personalized pendants. So. Cutie.

So I know this post is basically a PB ad (we can't help who we love, can we?), but what do you guys think?

Master Bath Reveal

2011-01-09T14:16:00.000-08:00

I am MORE than excited to share this remodel with you. This post has been a long time coming. The remodel has been done, for the most part, for months... but we were really lagging on the final details (hanging wall decor, decorating the shelves, wiping down the counters.... you know.)

Here is a photo of the master bath the day we got the keys:

It didn't take us long to get in there and get the demo goin'! We were so excited to get moving on this remodel!
Here is the bathroom after most of the demo was complete:
And here is the bathroom completely bare & prepped for paint:
And without further ado...

........

.........

............

here is the BIG REVEAL of our master bath remodel:

What do you guys think?!?!?!?

We are IN LOVE with how it turned out.

We wanted it to look a bit old fashioned (vanities that look like furniture, vessel sinks, farmhouse faucets and medicine cabinets with latches), but with a clean and modern twist (clean lines, black and white with beige and turquoise accents, modern pattern on the hampers).

We chose beach accents for the decor.

Turquoise mason jars and bottles sitting on top of the medicine cabinets along with some coral and a starfish.

A seashell candle and starfish frame on the glass shelf.

A photo of Ryan and I taken on the North Shore of Oahu (2007).

And a seashell encrusted cross that we picked up at the Rose Bowl Flea Market.

This is the only completed remodel in the whole house (aside from the staircase) and it has really motivated us to take the projects on one room at a time. This way you stay focused and really feel a sense of accomplishment. We are thinking of moving onto the family room next.

Hope you guys enjoy the remodel... and below are the sources for all our goodies.

Vanities: Home Depot

Vessel Countertops: Overstock

Vessel Sinks: Overstock

Farmhouse Faucets: Overstock

Medicine Cabinets: Home Depot

Glass Shelf: Target

Lighting: Pottery Barn

Hampers: Target

Linking to:

Make It For Monday , Making Monday Marvelous, Project Parade, Power of Paint Party, Weekend Bloggy Reading, Remodelaholic's Anonymous, Weekend Wrap-Up, Transformation Thursday

on the look out...

2011-01-09T10:23:00.000-08:00

Our family room is in serious need of some color. We are getting a hand-me-down chair and a half from our aunt that we are thinking of recovering in gray... and so I have been on the look out for curtains with some navy blue in them. And maybe a new area rug.

My true heart's desire here is a great blue and white quatrefoil patterned curtain that doesn't require a second mortgage on our house. It's surprising how hard it is to find such curtains... I thought quatrefoil was everywhere!!!! The only curtains I can find are these from Ballard. They come in chocolate or gray... and wow... way too expensive for this little lady.

So I am still on the look out. If anyone in blogland has a great link to some afforable curtains that you think would work, please leave a comment!!!! You would really rock my world!

The "IT" List

2011-01-06T16:31:00.001-08:00

Welcome back to 2011's first installment of the IT list... and it's a great start to the New Year for sure! There are some great new additions to the list and a few standbys as well! Take some time to visit each of these amazing blogs!

capital barbie compiles the best of trouser jeans that are super budget friendly! This is a classic style that is swinging back into style and is so flattering, check out her picks! (like what you see?find capital barbie on twitter!)
one hundred inspirations starts the New Year right with this simple but stylish look from January Jones, all on an affordable budget, of course!
the hillside home did her homework and found us the most mouth watering cinnamon roll recipe out there... mmmm, a perfect winter treat!
a spot of whimsy featured these gorgeous 'dream girl' prints. the 'migration' print with cranes really caught my eye! so gorgeous and whisical, of course! (like what you see? find a spot of whimsy on twitter!)
sweetie pie style has already spotted early spring trends popping up on retailers websites... she is loving the classic camel and denim combo that H&M is peddling, and so am I! (like what you see? find sweetie pie style on twitter!)
rosy + tart came up with a super simple recipe for these gruyere and cracked pepper biscuits. Oh my! Comfort food at it's finest! (like what you see? follow rosy + tart on twitter!)
good tots! pulls together the ultimate maternity outfit that exudes comfort and style. The perfect combo!
fashion fixation goes with a bold red/coral top to brighten up any winter day. For the win! I love this outfit! (like what you see? find fashion fixation on twitter!)
undeniable style is lusting after these ultra feminine sweater and skirt combos. It's impossible not to and what a great outfit idea for winter. (like what you see? follow undeniable style on twitter!)
a delightful design has great tips on how to dress your home for winter. I couldn't agree more... a home definitely needs more coziness in the winter. (like what you see? find a delightful design on twitter!)
good life for less translates the spring trend of ultra-flared jeans into simple and stylish everyday outfits! (like what you see? follow good life for less on twitter!)
much to my delight resolves to eat better breakfasts each morning (I can relate to that!)... and these delicious, healthy and simple mini-frittatas makes the resolution look very tasty!

the IT list is published weekly by jill of the good life for less... for more information on how you can be involved... click here!

If you love cinnamon rolls...

2011-01-04T19:19:00.000-08:00

... then I have a recipe for you.

These are the cinnamon rolls of all cinnamon rolls.

I've always had a little Christmas dream of waking up on Christmas morning and having gooey, delicious homemade cinnamon rolls for my family. Cinnamon rolls they would ask for every year.

So I went on Facebook (this is the best place to ask for advice, y'all) and asked for everyone's very best cinnamon roll recipes. I received a lot of recommendations, but one stood out above the rest. I'm not sure if it was the recipe itself, the great pictures that went along with it, or the fact that it seemed like anything that takes that long to prepare must be great. But I knew instantly that it was "the one."
This recipe is supposed to make 7 pans of rolls, although for me it provided 8!!! Which meant 2 for us and 6 to give away for gifts!!!!

So without further ado, I will link over to Pioneer Woman and her magnificent cinnamon roll recipe which is a definite new tradition in this home.

**Warning: This recipe may make your kitchen look like a bomb went off. See below.

Christmas Tour

2011-01-04T09:30:00.000-08:00

Did everyone have a Merry Christmas? We sure did! And I have hundreds of pictures to prove it! But today I'll just share a short tour around our first story. I know it's been a while since I've posted pictures of The Hillside Home, and what better time to show of your pad than when it's decorated for Christmas? So here we go...

Although we do have a fireplace, we don't have a mantle. Insert sad face here. So I had to get creative with stockings this year. After draping the garland and tying it off with raffia, I decided to go ahead and do the same with our stocking--tie them to the bannister with raffia. This is the first thing you see when you walk in our front door.

We found a great deal on Noble Fir this year at Home Depot. It lasted us from the day after Thanksgiving until now... yes, our tree is still up. The ornaments are all down and packed away, but we are waiting to actually haul the tree out until trashday, which is tomorrow. This was the perfect tree for our first Christmas in our new home!

Here is a wide shot of the family room. The front door is on the right side of where I'm standing to shoot this picture and the staircase is to the left.

And here's a close-up shot of our little sitting area. We love our white slipcovered couch from IKEA, although it is in desperate need of a good washing. Hence, the throws draped over the cushions. It looks cozy and covers up a mulititude of sins. I also used some of Liam's Christmas stuffed animals as decor.

And here is our dining room. Please ignore my wrinkled curtains. Keepin' it real, people. We tie them back alot, so they are pretty wrinkly. This room was intended to be a 2nd family room, but we never used it as such. So we turned it into the dining room since it's right off the kitchen and has double doors out to the back patio.

And this room, which was intended to be the formal dining room, is now our playroom! I'm planning on putting a craft table in here as well, so then it will truly be "our" playroom and not just Liam's.

So there it is... a short tour of our bottom story. Minus the kitchen, which looked like a disaster zone with all of the baking I did this year. I have some AMAZING recipes for you guys that I will be sharing later this week.

It feel so to be back, y'all.

The New & Improved Hillside Home

2011-01-03T21:06:00.001-08:00

Hello, world! I am back and ready to get my blog on!

I am 17 weeks into this pregnancy and I'm finally feeling back to my old self... I even bought the new issue of "Better Homes and Gardens" at the checkout stand yesterday which was a great sign. I don't think I've perused anything design related since I saw that little plus sign on my pregnancy test!

So, I'm sure you noticed things look a bit different around here!!! That's because my sweet and talented friend Jhen over at "From Here to Eternity" designed my brand new blog template and I think it is a great way to kick off my return to blogland and get me motivated to get some new posts up here!

I hope that everyone's holidays were blessed and wonderful. And I will be back tomorrow with a legit post, including pictures of our home decorated for Christmas!

Happy New Year!

Announcement

2010-11-11T20:39:00.000-08:00

So here's the big secret to my hiatus here in blogland....

We are expecting our 2nd baby!!!!!

And wow, have I been sick. Nausea like you wouldn't believe!!!

I was really spoiled with Liam and had a really easy pregnancy, so this one has really knocked me on my butt. I haven't even been able to think about blogging.

I am so sorry to all of my wonderful readers! I have been dying to tell you why I have been gone, but I had to wait to tell all of our family first!

We are expecting this little one in June and could not be more excited...

This week has been a little better, so I am hoping to be back to my old self soon.

Bare with me, y'all.

Checking in...

2010-11-05T10:22:00.001-07:00

Yes, I am alive.

Thank you so much for those of you that have checked in wondering, "Where the heck are you?"

I am planning to be back next week...

Hope you all have a great weekend.

XOXO.

Out Sick

2010-10-22T11:11:00.000-07:00

Been "out sick" this week.

SO bummed that I wasn't able to swing the master bathroom reveal like I promised.

Bad blogger.

Hoping to be back to my old self next week.

Thankful to the Lord above that it's Friday.

Have a great weekend.

XO.

THH featured on Polly Wants a Crafter

2010-10-20T20:43:00.000-07:00

Cassity's new crafting blog Polly Want A Crafter is giving The Hillside Home a little shout-out today by featuring my fall flower arrangement!

Go check it out!

And thanks Cassity! You're the best!

Weekends Go By Too Fast

2010-10-18T21:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday totally got away from me.

This weekend just flew by and Monday hit me like a ton of bricks.

I realized that I had nothing prepared to post yesterday, so I just let it slip on by.

But nothing wipes away the Monday blues like some gorgeous interior pics. I am in serious need of some inspiration this week, so these images helped a bit.

In other news, I won Kellie's monogrammed tote bag giveaway over at This Blessed Nest.

I am thrilled beyond belief.

Winning is exciting all on it's own, and then you add on the prize of Kellie's adorable embroidered bag!

Yes, please.

Pumped, party of 1.

I have a master bathroom big reveal coming up this week.

I have been waiting on pins and needles to get this space finished and share it with you guys... the before and after's are pretty awesome, so please check back throughout the week.

It's gonna be pretty great. :)

And in the meantime, shake off any Monday yuck that you may have hangin' around and enjoy all the pretty that comes along with these pics.

Have a happy Tuesday.

Photo sources:

1,2 & 3 Cottage Living

4 & 5 Home House Design

Halloween Frame

2010-10-15T08:54:00.001-07:00

Here is a cute and easy project I did to add to my Halloween decor. I had an extra black 8 x 10 frame laying around (who am I kidding?---I have a TON of frames laying around), so I took the glass out and cut some Halloween scrapbook paper to size.

Then I wrapped some raffia around the frame and tied a knot.

Then I used a mini-clothespin to attach a picture of me and the boo-boo from last Halloween.

Wa-la! A new addition to my entry table. I also hung two frames the the wall behind the table and love the way it looks. The rest of the decor is a small jar that I scored from an estate sale for $1 filled with some pinecone potpourri and a mini-paper mache pumpkin.

I'm already brainstorming about what I can do with this little table come Christmas-time! I know, I know.... I'm getting ahead of myself. But I am so excited to decorate our new home for Christmas this year!!!!

Linking to:

You know you want one...

2010-10-14T16:53:00.000-07:00

Looking for some cute Halloween pillows for your home? Well, I'll let you guys in on a little secret. I am working on filling up my Etsy shop (yes, Ryan finally talked me into it!!!!!), and these 2 pillowcases are already up for sale!

I am pretty nervous about this new adventure, but also really excited! This could be fun. I already love handmade goodies for my own home, and if I learned anything from my Thanksgiving Wreath giveaway, it's that I love making things for others as well. So here goes nothin'.

I wanted to let you guys know first since you are all such amazing blog friends & readers. And I'll keep you posted as new things fill up the "shop."

Also, these pillowcases are made to order. So there is an endless supply (as long as my fabric store keeps selling the fabric), so let me know if you have any special orders. :)

Chalkboard Wall

2010-10-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

Last week I guest posted over at The Country Chic Cottage and shared my new "chalkboard wall" in my kitchen...

...which is actually the side of my pantry. After falling in love with chalkboard walls all over blogland, we decided (my huband and I) that this spot made the most sense. Not only would it be cute and "homey," but would also be functional.

We pictured using it for to-do lists, menus, recipes, grocery lists, and of course a place for our 15 month old to keep busy while Momma cooks dinner. So we went to Home Depot and picked up a can of Rust-oleum Chalkboard paint and we had the rest of supplies on hand: a paint roller, paint tray, a paint brush (for edging), and blue painter's tape.

Then I taped off the edges and painted 2 coats using a roller for the majority of the wall and a paintbrush for the trim. After the paint was dry, I removed the tape.

The next part was the hardest... waiting 3 whole days (because you know we were dying to write on it the second we got done paiting) until we were "allowed" to condition the wall. This means we had to use the side of the chalk to shade the entire surface of the wall and then wipe it down with a damp rag.

Now I have an itty-bitty confession: When I went to read the directions on the back of the can the day of "conditioning," some of the the paint had dripped down and covered some of the directions. It looked like it may have said to wait even longer (ahhh, killin' me) before we could actually write on it, but we played dumb--I mean, we really couldn't read it, after all--and went ahead and got our chalkin' on. (And just so you know, all is well. No major mishaps for early writing.)

Here is my baby boy and "Daddy" breaking in the new addition to our kitchen.

It was hard to decide who was actually having more fun between the two of them.

And so far, this little wall has fulfilled all of our expectations. We leave one another notes, I jot down the menu for the week (which solves the nightly "What's for dinner?" dilemna), and my son and I have a blast sitting on the floor and drawing together.

Our kitchen nook is still a work in progress (as can be seen by our one refinished chair on the left and it's old unfinished friend to the right), but I really feel like the chalkboard wall added a ton of character... and function!

Linking to:

The Shabby Chic Cottage

Finding Fabulous

Remodelaholic

Tatertots & Jello

Domestically Speaking

Mini-Gallery Wall

2010-10-12T21:25:00.000-07:00

My bookcase was looking a little lonely on this big ol' wall. Our great room has vaulted ceilings and this particular wall goes straight up to the 2nd story. So I decided to arrange some frames that I had on hand and create a mini-gallery wall.

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am a picture freak. I take a trillion. I take up an insane amount of memory on our computer storing them (which drive my computer genius husband insane). I obsess about backing them up (which literally drives my computer genius husband to Best Buy to buy a state of the art external hard drive). I print a bajillion. And I own 5 quadrillion frames. All this to say... gallery walls are my BEST FRIENDS.

I have plans for gallery walls all over this hillside home. This is just the first of MANY. :)

Now I just need to pick out which pictures to put in these frames!!!! The map is of Paris in the 1800's that we actually bought from a street vendor in Paris back in 2008. That one is staying. And the one of Liam in the orange hood is staying too. The other 4 frames are still up for grabs. I keep y'all posted.

Anyone out there a sucker for gallery walls? Megan over at Honey We're Home just posted about gallery walls too! (Great minds think alike, and I'm tellin' ya, us two gals seem like we are always on the same page.) And she has some AMAZING wall space for pictures galore!!!!

Linking To:

Somewhat Simple

Remodelaholic

Tatertots & Jello

Somewhere Soft To Lay My Head...

2010-10-12T20:25:00.000-07:00

So this husband of mine is trying to talk me into starting an Etsy shop. Eeeeek. Super scary for this little lady. But kind of an exciting idea.

Here are some throw pillows I have been working on for the house. The beachy polk-a-dot fabric is thick cotton (it's almost feels like canvas) and is from a table cloth I bought at Target. I just LOVED the material and knew I could do something with it... so now I have new pillows for our couch!

The pillow covers have the envelope back which are so great and versatile. I was able to use inserts from old pillows that didn't match our decor and just stick them into these new covers.

I've also been having fun covering old pillows with new Halloween covers. This fabric is too cute!

This orange polka dot fabric is fun too and will carry over through Thanksgiving.

Here is another new addition to the family---our new storage ottoman. Everyone, this is our ottoman. Ottoman, this is everyone. We have been in desperate need of one of these guys since we moved in, but I couldn't find anything quite right. But after nailing down our color scheme this past weekend and deciding to keep black as one of the colors in the room, this piece just popped off the shelf at Target today. It practically leaped into my cart... plus it stores blankets. Bonus.

You can see Liam's little couch and giraffe buddy popping into frame in this pic. I think we also have a grocery bag and power cord hiding next to the couch. Nothin' like keepin' it real, y'all.

Linking to:

THH Featured

2010-10-12T18:39:00.000-07:00

By now I'm sure you all know that Cassity over at Remodelaholic has started a crafting blog! And today, The Hillside Home has a project featured over at "Polly Want A Crafter!"

Thanks, Cassity! Everyone go check it out!

Beautiful Things Monday: Burlap

2010-10-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

Slowly but surely our great room decor has been coming along. But I still felt like I was "winging it" and didn't have any sure direction. So I decided to buckle down a color scheme. We have some white pieces and some black pieces... we have our white corner couch and our burlap-looking chair-and-a-half... and we have some turquoise accents.

{Cottage Living}

After taking inventory of our most dominant colors in the room, the answer seemed easy. Black and white with burlap and turquoise. Those will be the main colors in the room and then anything else we decide to layer on top (seasonal decor, etc) will just be bonus. I already feel better. Sometimes just knowing where your going makes the journey that much less stressful.

{Country Living}

So I went through the room and removed the stuff that just didn't match with the new scheme (i.e. brown and white striped throw pillows) and made plans to refinish some pieces of furniture that just aren't cutting it (i.e. cherry finished side table).

Excited about my new found color scheme, I decided to shop the web for some inspiration. All I did was type in "burlap decor living room" and look what I found.

{Elle Decor}

So many beautiful spaces.

{Elle Decor}

{Martha Stewart}

Yes, this is my 2nd picture featuring evergreen wreaths. I just couldn't resist. I know it's not even Hallowen yet, but I am SO, SO, SOOOOO excited for Christmas. Who's with me?

{Unknown}

Burlap covered frames. Genius. So easy and so cute.

{Better Homes and Gardens}

{Unknown}

In closing, Happy Monday, y'all. Hope you all had a wonderful fall weekend.

We spent time at the coolest pumpkin patch known to man on Saturday... and yesterday was all about football, pumpkin bread, hanging up pictures, and sewing new throw pillows.

Good times.

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-09T08:43:00.000-07:00

Today we are off to the pumpkin patch. Word has it that there is an amazing park in Irvine that has pumpkins, trains and a zoo. Be still my mommy heart. That sounds fan-freakin-tastic to me. So we are packing up and we are off!

It's hard to believe that it's alread been a year since these pumpkin patch pictures were taken. It goes by so fast doesn't it?

I hope everyone has a wonderful fall weekend. After a week of gorgeous, cool, and rainy fall weather, we are back to the 90's here in Cali. What is up with this weather?!

Great Room: Work in Progress

2010-10-08T08:22:00.001-07:00

We have been making progress over here at The Hillside Home. I guess I have been waiting until everything was "FINISHED" to give you guys a "Big Reveal" of each room, but I think I'd rather take you guys along for the ride. So although our great room is far from finished, I wanted to give y'all a glimpse of how it's going so far.

So, without further ado, here is a before pic of the great room from when the old tenants were still living in the house.

And here it is now!

We just recently put up window treatments on the corner windows and it made such a difference! You can read more about that here. We still have to put them up on the side window at the far right of the picture. We also want to replace the old blinds with bamboo roll-ups.

Here is another before pic...
And after!

The entry table was an estate sale find for $35! You can see the refinshing fun here. And you can also see more before and after pics of the bannisters here.

I will make sure to post as we go with each little update. As of now, I am dying to get some pictures up on the walls!!!!

Curtain Call

2010-10-07T21:59:00.000-07:00

Look at this stud. He means business. Curtain-hangin' business. Woop woop!

So we have had packs of curtains from Ikea (only $9.99 for each window, people... run to Ikea, run fast!) sitting on a shelf for weeks and we finally got around to putting them up! And we are loving the difference it has made in our great room!!

We were a little bit confused at first as to what to do about our windows that meet in the corner. But after a quick trip to Home Depot we found a solution. We ended up getting 2 white wooden curtain rods that we could cut at a 45 degree angle to meet in the corner.

The wooden brackets and finials are also from Home Depot.

We made sure to leave enough space between the brackets in the corner so the curtains would be able to meet in the corner and have a "seemless" look.

And here is the finished product! I love the gauzy look of the curtains... and they just so happened to be the perfect length once we hung them up---no hemming necessary! Bonus!!! :) Check back tomorrow morning for more pics of our great room!

Guest Posting @ The Country Chic Cottage

2010-10-05T20:31:00.000-07:00

This is a really exciting day for me... I am guest posting over at "The Country Chic Cottage!!!"

Angie's blog is one of my favorites so this is a real honor! I will be sharing about the new chalkboard wall in our kitchen so please go check it out! And while you're there, make sure to stay a while and look around. Angie's place is full of great ideas and tutorials... and she also has an amazing Etsy shop!

A little turquoise paint fixes everything...

2010-10-04T21:35:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I spotted this bookcase in my in-laws' garage. It was my sister-in-law's and she was getting rid of it. I was all over it!!!

When we first moved in, we went ahead and put it in our downstairs bath. It didn't really work in the space and we couldn't decide what to do with it color wise either.

We ended up moving it into our great room this past weekend and I had an itch to break out the turquoise paint. I figured I could just trace over the gold detailing with turquoise and then distress it a bit. Quick and easy redo.

Here is is "during." You can see that the top and bottom are still gold and the shelves in the middle are painted turquoise. You can even see my craft paint and paintbrush sitting on the 2nd shelf.

After I finsished painting, I broke out the sandpaper and distressed the turquoise paint. Then to clean off all of the dust, I used a Lysol wipe and got an unexpected effect. I took some of the paint off! At first I freaked out, but after it dried, it actually looked kind of perfect. So I left it.

Here is the finished product! I really love it. I think it changes the whole look of the piece.

The turquoise paint really pulls the blue out of the decor on the shelves... blue mason jars and turquoise book jackets. I also added some pumpkins: a grapvine pumpkin from Target and one of my homemade paper mache pumpkins. A few candles. And a picture frame with pictures of Ry and I from Paris. On the bottom shelf I made sure to put a basket of Liam's books since this bookcase is right next to Liam's "reading corner."

This room is slowly coming along. We also hung curtains this weekend which made the biggest difference--can't wait to show you guys!

Linking To:

The DIY Showoff

The Girl Creative

Thrifty Decor Chick

Domestically Speaking

Blue Cricket Design

The Shabby Chic Cottage

Monday Morning....

2010-10-04T11:11:00.000-07:00

Monday morning.

It's raining outside. The boo-boo is sound asleep upstairs.

I am cozy on the couch with coffee... watching the mist fall from the sky.

It was a long weekend... as in 3 full days with my husband. He worked from home on Friday and we got so much done around the house.

Saturday we took Liam to the aquarium. He pressed his little hands against the glass, eyes full of wonder... "fish, fish." The sun was out. He dipped his hands the water and reached for the sting rays. His arms were too short but he tried so hard and squealed with excitement. He played in a sea of concrete fishies that sprayed water... he got soaked. Looked like he showered with his clothes on. We didn't have a change of clothes, but we didn't care. We let go and let him fly. And joy was written all over his wet face.

He held our hands and walked around like a big boy. He is growing up so fast. 16 months today.

Yesterday was all about gardening. My in-laws came over. And while Ryan and his dad kicked back inside and rooted for the Saints, my mother-in-law and I dug in the dirt. Gardening is about a thousand times harder than it looks. It was a hot afternoon. I was sweaty and sunburnt and a shower never sounded or felt so good. There was a great reward at the end of a long and labored day... a beautiful front yard. Planters that look like they are tended with care. And they are. Something about a beautiful garden makes a house feel like home.

The backyard is a different story. What a disaster area. We have an entire "hillside" that desperately needs attention. One thing at a time.

In other news, ants have taken over my kitchen. And my hallway. And they are plotting to take over the craft room as we speak. I shudder in disgust. There is nothing nastier. Except maybe spiders. But if there were as many spiders in my home as there are ants, I would be running for the hills. Or the closest hotel. We are waiting for the ant-sprayer-man to come over and reclaim our home. Hurry, ant-sprayer man.

Hope everyone's weekend was long and fabulous. Happy Monday, y'all.

Bridal Shower Week Round-Up

2010-10-02T08:52:00.000-07:00

Thanks for following along this week as I recapped some of my favorite projects from my sister-in-law's bridal shower. Here is a round up of the projects I've shared as well as some details that I haven't showed yet.

My in-laws have a beautiful house with a huge great room which worked great since we had to move the shower indoors after record high temps. Good thing all those rented tables and chairs fit in doors!

Drink table. Sweet tea (since the food had a southern theme), mimosas, water, and wine. All of the wine bottles had "Red" in the name on the label since Kristen is a redhead. Cute detail.

Cupcake toppers. See the tutorial here.

Sweet shop. Read more about it here.

Entry table with 2 "games." Read more about it here.

The circles dangling from the hallway arches were made from scrapbook paper (using a spool of ribbon as the patter) and ribbon. I hot-glued 2 circles together and glued a piece of ribbon in between. Taped it to the ceiling.

Menu: "Kristen's Southern Kitchen. All font and doodles used for the shower materials were from "Font for Peas."

Beautiful centerpieces by another bridesmaid. Mason jars filled with limes and variations of white flowers. Each jar had a different love-themed quote tied to it. They were adorable!

"Sign Future Anniversary Cards for the Couple." See the tutorial here.
Hope you guys enjoyed this little series. It was a break from the "usual" around here, but was really fun. I have a bunch of "home decor" stuff to share next week so stop on by!
Now I am ready to relax after a long day at the Aquarium and a long evening of cleaning and hanging curtains! Nighty night.

Future Anniversary Cards...

2010-10-01T08:20:00.000-07:00

This next idea is fun, unique, and sentimental. Signing future anniversary cards for the couple!

I got this idea from Megan over at Honey We're Home. She helped throw a baby shower for a friend and they signed future birthday cards for the baby-on-the-way. I about died--what a sweet and different idea! So adapted it for a bridal shower. All of the guests loved it. (Thanks, Megan.)

I bought 4 cards and made labels for each one: 1st anniversary, 5th anniversary, 15th anniversary, and 30th anniversary. For the labels I printed out "__ Year Anniversary Card" with engagement ring doodles on cardstock, cut it out, and glued it onto scrapbook paper. Then I cut the scarpbook paper too and then glued that onto a circle that I cut using a spool of ribbon as my pattern.
Then I hot glued a lollipop stick onto the back (if you've been following along this week, you can see that I made use of my entire pack of lollipop sticks). I went and bought a 4 pack of tiny bloom vases from Target, filled them with some of the green flower confetti, and then stuck the lollipop stick inside. (I used a dot of hot glue to attach the stick to the back of the vase so it wouldn't twirl spin around.)

Then I took a piece of green ribbon and tied on an engagement ring and topped it off with a bow. (What I've learned about party planning is that IT'S ALL IN THE DETAILS!)

Here is a picture of all 4 card labels. Cute, cute, cute.

I printed out another sign on cardtock (just like here), and decorated it with ribbon, a heart cut out of scrapbook paper, and an engagement ring.

This is actually a really cute and easy "detail" that you can adapt to any party. Cut any shape out of scrapbook paper (a heart, a star, a baby bottle, your kiddo's favorite character), punch a hole in it, and then slip it onto your ribbon before you tie a bow.

I printed out labels for the envelopes as well with the date of the future anniversary. Luckily Kristen is getting married this year so doing the math with 2010 was really easy. :)

And that's it. A really fun activity for your guests and something really sentimental for the couple. Everyone kept commenting that it was like a "time capsule" and how special it would be for Kristen and Anthony to read through the cards in decades from now...

So on that note, Happy Friday!!! I will be doing a big wrap up post tomorrow with pictures of all of the details I haven't covered yet from the shower. I hope you guys have enjoyed it and that it's given you some ideas for your future parties.

Also, I just added an About Me tab up top, so make sure to pop over and let me introduce myself.

Linking to:

Tatertots & Jello

http://craftingreallyawesomefreethings.blogspot.com/

Sweet Shop

2010-09-30T10:37:00.000-07:00

So I took a quick detour yesterday with my refinished entry table that I just had to share, but now I'm back on track for "Bridal Shower Week." Today is all about the sugar, baby. We put together "Kristen's Sweet Shop" since my sister-in-law is a big fan of sweets and has always wanted her own candy bar like the one below.

We ended up having so many more "sweets" than just candy, so we went ahead and put everything sugary on one table. On the left hand side we had the fondant cupcakes (which we ordered from OC-favorite Beverly's Best) with handmade personlized cupcake toppers by yours truly.

In the center of the table we had plates and napkins that we had been collecting for months (whenever we see anything with a redhead on it, we just have to scoop it up for Kris), cake pops made by the other maid of honor (there are 2 of us), personalized cookies baked by a family friend, and the sweet shop sign which I will talk more about in a bit.

Last but not least we had the candy bar. I went to The Sweet Factory at the mall and picked out different types of candy that matched the color scheme--green & ivory with blue & pink accents. Warning: this much candy costs a pretty penny... but was a huge hit at the party and we didn't have any leftovers!!!

We also had chocolate dipped pretzels made by our Aunt on the shelves in the background, pictures of the bride & groom, and decorated the rest of the table with confetti and votive candles.

Now, a quick tutorial on making a framed sign for your sweet shop without having to buy or permanently alter a frame. I borrowed a balck 8 x 10 frame from one of my shelves and took the picture out. I replaced it with the sign that I printed out on cardstock reading "Kristen's Sweet Shop" with 2 cupcake doodles.

Then I made a rosette from ribbon. (You can read more about ribbon rosettes in this post here.)

I tied a ribbon around the side of my frame and then placed a piece of cardstock beneath the knot and hot glued it to the knot. (Make sure to glue the cardstock to the knot and NOT TO YOUR FRAME.)

Then I glued the rosette to the cardstock with the knot sandwiched between.

As you can see above, a bit of the cardstock was poking out so I needed to just cut the corners with scissors so that the cardstock beneath was hidden.

And wa-la. A personalized frame for your party with a personalized sign for your sweet shop. And it's temporary--when you get home after the party, you just slip off the ribbon and stick your picture back inside.

If you've missed any of the "Bridal Shower" series so far, please check out the cupcake topper post and the entry table decor & games post.

Linking to:

Feature Yourself Friday @ Fingerprints on the Fridge

Simply Designing

Tatertots & Jello

Look what I found...

2010-09-28T22:03:00.000-07:00

...at an estate sale!!!

So the story goes something like this: driving over to the in-laws, see signs for an estate sale, get to the in-laws, ask them if I can leave Liam while I run over to said estate sale, call 20 minutes later to see if I can borrow cash and my father-in-law's truck. I scored big time... this is one of my many finds (most of which I will be sharing with you as I get around to "sprucing" them up a bit).

Okay, so this is the before picture of my little buffet sitting on my back patio awaiting it's painty fate.

This little buffet had potential written all over it. Great curves. Great detail in the legs. Sounds like I'm talking about Heidi Klum rather than a buffet... but I know you guys can appreciate a great piece of furniture when you see one.

Here it is "during." Confession: I didn't sand or prime. I just whipped out my can of Edward's "Whisper" paint (which was leftover from the hallways in our house) and got busy. I painted about 3 coats total... dry brush technique. I wanted to be able to see the paint strokes and a bit of the wood grain underneath.

And here is the big reveal!!!! It was a PERFECT fit for the empty space between our chair and the edge of the stairs. It was estate sale buffet fate, I tell you.

I've been playing around with the decor daily. A little bit of this, a little bit less of that. I am genuinely excited to have a real life "entry table" to decorate. I feel like a real grown up. :)

Here are some pictures of the detailing. I went through with a sheet of sandpaper and distressed all of the edges and curves to really bring out the shape.

Aside from my dining room chair (yes, as in single chair... I have yet to get around to refinishing it's friend), this is my first official furniture redo. I am hooked. As we speak, I have a goodwill find sitting in the backyard with it's first coat of paint on it. Good times.

And here is my keeping it real picture of my little buffet from last night. Purse on the floor, Pottery Barn boxes to the left, camorder, keys, cell phone, and sippy cup o' milk. Yep, yep.

Sorry to take a break from the regular schedule programming this week (where I am sharing all of the details from my sister's bridal shower, so far here and here), but I just couldn't keep my little buffet a secret any longer.

Linking up to:
http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/2010/09/show-and-tell-get-your-link-on.html
http://www.domestically-speaking.com/2010/09/39th-power-of-paint-party.html
http://www.theshabbychiccottage.net/2010/09/making-book-shelf.html
http://www.somewhatsimple.com/2010/09/sys-blog-link-party-with-say-it-on-wall.html
http://missmustardseed.blogspot.com/2010/09/furniture-feature-friday-favorites-and.html
http://www.fingerprintsonthefridge.com/2010/09/feature-yourself-friday_30.html http://decormamma.blogspot.com/2010/09/frugalicious-friday-giveawayitsy-bitsy.html
Simply Designing
Tatertots & Jello
Thrifty Decor Chick
Serenity Now

"Games & Decor" for Entry Table (HOW TO)

2010-09-27T20:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, y'all. Day 2 of Bridal Shower Week here at THH. Yesterday we made "cupcake toppers." And today... today we are putting together games and decor for the entry table. Put your party hats on--cuz here we go.

First is the "Guess How Many" game. It's tried and true. An oldie but a goody. And especially great because you can personalize it to match your theme. (i.e. For this shower, we did diamonds. For my baby shower, we did quarters in a piggy bank. At birthday parties, we've done candy. Etc.)

We bought the "diamonds" from Michael's and put them in Kristen's (bride-to-be) personalized wedding glass (pics of the wine glass coming up later). And then I hand made the sign, the pen, and the quessing sheet.

Font for the wording: "Pea Summer Sweetness"

Font for the engagement ring doodle: "Pea The Bees In Love Doodles"

(Can be downloaded for FREE at Fonts For Peas.)

I printed out the name of the game and 2 of the engagement ring doodles onto cardstock and then hot glued it onto scrapbook paper. Then I cut it out and hot glued a lollipop stick (same stick that I used for the toppers) onto the back. For decoration I punched a hole in the top left hand corner and tied a bow with an "engagement ring" (from Michael's). I put the ribbon through the hole and tied one knot, then slipped the ring onto the ribbon, tied another knot and then a bow. Wa-la.

For the guessing sheet, I printed out 3 pages of cardstock with the title of the game on top and columns for the guests' names and their guesses. To attach the 3 pages, I again tied a ribbon and engagement ring through a hole punch.

Randomly I decieded to dress up the pen for the entry table. I totally winged this and it actually turned out pretty great. I just took pretty green ribbon and hot glued it down by the ink end first. Then I wrapped it up along the pen (hot gluing every so often), up and over the top, and then glued the end piece down. To cover up the ugly gluey end part, I made a rosette from the ribbon and glued that over the gluey end.

Making a rosette from ribbon is exactly the same as making one from fabric. I tied a knot at the end of the fabric and then wrapped the ribbon around the knot, twisting the ribbon as I went along. Lots of hot glue along the way to keep it from unraveling. And lots of hot glue burns on my fingers.

The other "game" that we had at the entry table was a drawing. We set out all of the envelopes from the "thank you cards" that Kristen is going to send out and asked each guest to name and address their own envelope. It saves Kristen a bunch of work and hand cramps and then we drew a couple of names from the basket throughout the shower and gave away gifts! Easy and fun!

This sign is just a piece of scrapbook paper folded in half, directions and doodles on cardstock, and another ribbon rosette and green flower confetti glued to the corner for decoration.

Lastly, my mother-in-law had this plate stand that she wanted to decorate and use to display a plate with the couple's monogram. I just used ribbon, an engagement ring, and a tag that I made from a wedding sticker that I found on clearance at Michael's. I stuck it onto tan scrapbook paper, free-hand cut the shape of a tag, and then punched a hole at the top.

And here is the big reveal of the entry table!! Other details you see here: gold table cloth, green flower confetti, picture of the couple, a gorgeous centerpiece made by another bridemaid (those are limes in the vase for color---what a great idea!!!!), votive candle, and a basket for addressed envelopes.

And here is a close-up of the wine glass with the diamonds. Kristen found the glass on Etsy and it turned out really adorable.

Okay, so that wraps up Bridal Shower Week tutorial number #2.

Linking To These Fab Blogs:

I'm Topsy Turvy

http://www.somewhatsimple.com/2010/09/sys-blog-link-party-with-say-it-on-wall.html

http://craftingreallyawesomefreethings.blogspot.com/2010/09/making-monday-marvelous-23.html

Polly Want A Crafter

Cupcake Toppers (HOW TO)

2010-09-26T20:21:00.000-07:00

As many of you have been reading along, my sister-in-law-slash-BFF is getting married this November. I have been one busy-bee-AKA-maid-of-honor preparing for her super fab bridal shower which was TODAY. It was beautiful, just like her. We had a great afternoon... and now that it is all over, I have so much to share with y'all.

So this week is officially "Bridal Shower Week" around these parts... but do not fear if you don't have a bride-to-be in your circle of friends, because these "how-to's" can be generalized to all things par-tay.

Our first project will be handmade cake toppers! Fun times. This is a great handmade project for parties because you can make them super personalized!!! Warning: I love the word super tonight. I must be in a super mood. Or maybe that's a super tired mood. Hmm. Anyhoo, back to the toppers.

So I used "Pea Summer Sweetness" font for the bride & groom's names and "Pea The Bees In Love Doodles" font for the engagment rings doodle. (Can be downloaded for FREE--yes, you heard me right, free--at Fonts For Peas.)

I typed out 18 "tags" in 3 columns in Word and printed them out on cardstock. I also typed out another style of tag with just their initials (K & A) and the rings doodle and printed them out on card stock as well.

Then I drew lines with a ruler and cut out the tags.

Here you can see both styles which make for a cute "mix and match" look.

Then I hot glued each style onto coordinating but different sheets of scrapbook paper in the bride's wedding colors.

For the initial style tags, I used these super fancy scissors (see, there I go again) which gave me a flower-looking shaped tag.

I just realized that the picture above is sideways. Oh well... it adds character, right? In reality, I am just too plain tired to delete and reupload it. You forgive me, right?

Okay, so here are my pretty flower shaped initial tags. I turned them over and hot glued lollipop sticks (from Michael's) onto the backs.

For the other style of tags, I decided to just go with a rectangle shaped tag to add to the "mix and matched" feel.

And here they are at their BIG DEBUT. It helps that they had such pretty homes sitting on top of DELISH fondant cupcakes from OC-fave "Beverly's Best." YUM.

So to recap, here's all you need:

Card stock (for the tags)

Scrapbook paper (in your party colors)

Cute font (I recommend Font for Peas)

Hot Glue Gun & Glue Sticks

Scissors (fancy or regular)

Lollipop Sticks

I hope you all had a "super" weekend (now I'm just doing it on purpose). I am Exhaused with a capital E. Sweet dreams (or good morning for those of you reading this on Monday morn).

Linking to these SUPER BLOGS (Check 'em out... Great par-tays):

M.M.M. @ C.R.A.F.T.

DIY Show-Off

Keeping It Simple

Making The World Cuter

I'm Topsy Turvy

http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/2010/09/show-and-tell-get-your-link-on.html

http://www.somewhatsimple.com/2010/09/sys-blog-link-party-with-say-it-on-wall.html

http://www.fingerprintsonthefridge.com/2010/09/feature-yourself-friday_30.html

And the winner is....

2010-09-25T08:11:00.000-07:00

... Comment #16.

Which is.....

PMG Smith Family!!!!!

When it came to being thankful, she said:

"I am truly grateful for my son and the insane blessing that he has been in my life. He has taught me true sacrifice, humility, generosity, and patience. I love my husband, our cats, our home, and all the great opportunities this life has afforded me, but he definitely stands above it all (and I'm sure my husband would agree too!)."

Congratulations and please send me your email address so we can talk wreaths! :)

I hope everyone is having a great Saturday morning. I was up late painting furniture! I had some really great luck at an estate sale yesterday and now it is all about sand paper and paint brushes. Can't wait to share the results!

Last day to enter...

2010-09-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

My Facebook status this morning: "It is pretty ridiculous how excited I am that it's Friday. And that I have a full pot of coffee just waiting on me to drink it. As in, I am going to drink all of it. Weekend, please last forever."

Truer words have never been spoken.

On another note, today is the LAST DAY to enter the Thanksgiving Wreath Giveaway. At midnight tonight I will be closing the contest, picking a winner, and announcing the lucky lady's name tomorrow morning.

Click here to enter... and have a long, slow, and seemingly neverending weekend.

the "it" list

2010-09-23T16:22:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday everyone... today's list is full to the brim of inspiration from the blog world - enjoy!

the hillside home features her favorite lighting options for your home and then comparison shops them all. It is hard to choose a favorite here, as there is nothing like a great light fixture or lamp!
maggie rose pulls amazing interior inspirations from lonny mag - I would gladly live in any of these rooms! Just gorgeous!
closet confections takes her summer wardrobe to fall/winter with amazing remixes - you must check out this post for fall inspiration. Kudos to Kendra on her amazing style and creativity!
pocket of presh attended an event with The Sartorialist... check out her snapshot of the handsome guy and his gorgeous gal and also peep at her outfit for the night! So jealous - what a fun night!
one hundred inspirations finds inspiration with Olivia Palermo's look - and then recreates it on the cheap! It's such a great fall/winter look... don't miss this!
rose a la mode pulls off an adorable rainy day look... and the photos are really great too. I just love her easy midwest style!
spry on the wall is my go-to source for runway round-ups! If you are a busy gal like me, check out her top 5 for each show - genius! Marc Jacobs is always a favorite of mine - check out his looks first!
sweetie pie pumpkin noodle is inspired by sperry shoes... click with extreme caution. You will be too, no doubt!
elle sees posted a diy pumpkin face mask... I don't know if this would make it to my skin or my mouth first, but pumpkin is supposed to be great for your skin!
merci blah blah is two friends that blog together, how fun!?! They both have amazing style and love to accessorize... I just love this particular look!
molly newborn's chunky necklaces are divine... this week I am crushing on this one. It would be great on it's own or layered for some punch!
really cute stuff is launching a ton of well, you guessed it: *new* really cute stuff this fall! First up, I NEED these monogramed note cards. So modern and chic!
style within reach has a feature I am completely hooked on called "wish, want, need" - great style at ALL price points. These green earrings are calling my name... so lovely! Check this out for sure!
one sweet find offers up this one sweet brass elephant! This would be adorable on a book shelf or adorning a baby's nursery. Who doesn't love a sweet elephant?
jillgg's good life rounds up great winter coats at great prices... shop early and shop smart for the most important accessory of the upcoming season!

Interested in learning more about the "it" list? Email goodlifeforless @ gmail.com or click here for more information!

Get The Look for Less: Lighting

2010-09-21T11:40:00.000-07:00

One of the first things we did when we got the keys to our house was rip out all of the old lighting. I posted last month about some of my lighting inspiration found at Ballard Design and Pottery Barn (you can check it out here). Although we did splurge on a floor lamp (this one) and a lantern for our stairwell (right here), we were lucky enough to find most of the looks for less at none other than IKEA (which you all know I am obsessed with).

This gave me the idea to do a "get the look for less" post where I share some of the looks I know we all love, and how you can find it for less at--you guessed it--IKEA. If you guys enjoy these kinds of posts, I will do more in the future with different brands! Lemme know!

Without further ado, someone hit the lights!

*******

Woven Pendant Light:

THE LOOK: Pottery Barn - $299

FOR LESS: $89.99

*******

Faux-Candlestick Chandelier:

THE LOOK: Ballard Designs - $199.99

FOR LESS: Ikea - $49.99

*******

Metallic Table Lamp:

THE LOOK: Pottery Barn - $259.00

FOR LESS: Ikea - $59.99

*******

Industrial Pendant Light:

THE LOOK: Ballard Designs - $159.00

FOR LESS: Ikea - $19.99

*******

Colored Glass Table Lamp:

THE LOOK: Pottery Barn - $99.00 (on sale)

FOR LESS: Ikea - $59.99

Corkboard: Autumn Living

2010-09-21T08:55:00.000-07:00

We woke up this morning to a gloomy sky, chilly floors, and hot coffee. It's a "stay in your jammies" kind of day. It feels like fall.

Frames by Pottery Barn
Figurines by Pottery Barn

Don't forget to enter for your chance (or three) to win a Hillside Home "Thanksgiving Wreath."

"Thanksgiving Wreath" GIVEAWAY

2010-09-20T10:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! You know what made my Monday especially happy? Seeing that The Hillside Home has reached 70 followers!

I feel humbled and blessed by everyone who has clicked that little "follow" button, left sweet and encouraging comments, and has introduced themselves over email. It's amazing what a community of talented, creative, and generally good-hearted people we have here... and for that I am going to give thanks with a true "thanksgiving" giveaway!!!

You may remember me posting about my fall grapevine wreath a couple of weeks ago...

Here are a few pictures to refresh your memory.

Well, I went out and bought supplies and I'm going to make another one just for you! (If you win, that is.)

***

Here are your ways to enter:

1. Leave a comment about something you are truly giving thanks for this morning... give it a shot--it will brighten up your Monday.

2. Become a follower of The Hillside Home and leave a comment telling me that you are a new follower. (If you are already a follower, leave me a comment telling me so.)

3. Post on your own blog about this giveaway and then come over and leave a comment telling me that you posted.

***

The giveway will close at midnight on Friday and a winner will be announced on Saturday morning!!!

That's it! 3 ways to enter to win your own Hillside Home "Thanksgiving Wreath." And again, thank you to all of my readers who have made these last couple of months so much fun and inspiring. GOOD LUCK!!!

{{Itty-bitty disclaimer: Since the wreaths are handmade, the one you win may differ slightly from the one in the picture.}}

THH Featured

2010-09-18T20:52:00.000-07:00

There is something so exciting about clicking over to one of your favorite blogs and seeing your work featured!!! I am feeling very blessed over here at The Hillside Home and just wanted to say a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who has taken the time to feature one of my projects...

I have added a "Featured On" tab above, so please take a look & go visit all of the wonderful ladies who have given THH a shout-out. :)

Last week I posted a quick tutorial on how to make paper mache pumpkins for fall... and today Reagan over at "Where is the me in mommy?" not only featured the project, but actually made her own paper mache pumpkins that turned out GREAT. It is such an easy and fun craft--I am so glad that she gave it a try.

Take a look at how cute they are!

If you happen to duplicate any of the projects here at THH, please email me because I would love to share it here on my blog!

I hope everyone is having a great weekend so far. We entertained for the first time in the new house celebrating my brothers' birthdays: 18 & 20. It was a great party... pictures to come next week!

Is it possible...

2010-09-18T10:41:00.000-07:00

... to be in love with a light?

Well... I am.

Pottery Barn - Serena Antique Mercury Glass Pendant - $79

the "it" list

2010-09-17T08:23:00.001-07:00

Welcome weekend! I hope everyone had a great week and that you are gearing up for a fab weekend! Take some time to peruse the links below... there are so many inspiring posts here!

maggie rose pulls together an amazing living room make-over for an e-decorating client. I am loving the navy, white and neutral palette.
molly newborn's etsy shop is always full of great jewelry... this week my favorite is this chunky coral beaded necklace with turquoise accents.
jillgg's good life rounded up the best of boots for fall. If you are in the market for boots this fall... check out these great options!
spry on the wall can always be counted on for great runway round-ups. check out her picks from Victoria Beckham's spring '11 runway show at this weeks Fashion Week.
speaking of fashion week, closet confections was able to take part in Fashion Night Out in NYC as Fashion Week was kicking off. See her adventures and her fab outfit as well!
local cities had Fashion Night Out as well (I know my city did!)... pocket of presh headed out for Atlanta's, even if the night wasn't all she had imagined, her outfit made up for it!
merci blah blah and the rest of the internet (me included) is nuts for Tucker for Target. This diamond dress is my number one fav and Shan wears it very well!
rose a la mode is in the market for a pair of "jeggings" (jean leggings)... she has a clear and concise overview of several styles and announces her top pick!
the hillside home is prepping a new spot in her home for a play/creative room... swoon! She has great inspiration, I can't wait to follow the process of completion!
elle sees pulls together an ensemble inspired by her favorite blogger. This is a great fall get up!
sweetie pie pumpkin noodle is getting ready to celebrate her birthday, she has a wish list to die for... and don't forget to pop over and wish her a Happy one!
one sweet find just updated the shop with new goodies... my favorite is this vintage greek souvenir plate. It makes me think of warm greek beaches and honey doused baklava. mmmm....
one hundred inspirations takes this Gilmore gal's outfit from chic to cheap... the entire ensemble is under $75!

If you would like more information about the "it" list... click here or email goodlifeforless @ gmail.com!

Craft Room Inspiration

2010-09-16T11:09:00.000-07:00

For the last week or two, Ryan and I have been talking about moving our dining room furniture into the family room (which is right of of the kitchen and gets zero use since we all hang out in the "great room") and turning our dining room into a craft/play room for my and the little man. So late last night, when Ryan was exhausted from a long day at work and I was feeling sick and groggy, we decided to move the furniture. Yes, we are certifiably insane. But we woke up this morning and felt like, "Ahhh, this makes more sense."

So now, of course, my mind is in OVERDRIVE thinking of what to do with our new space! This is maybe the most exciting decorating task EV-ER.

What makes this a particularly tricky job is that it has to be functional as a craft/sewing room, but also be a safe space for Liam to play. So basically I am thinking that everything below waist-level has to be toy storage, and then everything above will be craft mania. What do you guys think?

To get your craft room inspiration fix for the morning, grab a cup of coffee and drool over these pics from Country Living Magazine. Get ready to SWOON, people.