The End of Summer and New Beginnings

This summer seems to have flown by. I am sure I think that every summer, but this time, I am sending two kids off to school, so it seems even more monumental. Hazel heads to full day kindergarten (and riding the bus!) and Owen heads to half day Pre-K. I know they are both more than ready and will do and learn amazing things, but I am a bit sad this precious time home during the day with them is coming to an end of sorts.

Of course, we will be adding a new member to our family this fall and will start the whole process over again, which I am looking forward to! If you didn't hear in my last post…we are expecting another girl in November. Our whole family is excited and can't wait to enjoy the holiday season getting to know another precious gift.

Goodbye Summer

Summer is almost over, and I am sad to see it go. But then…fall is my favorite, so I am definitely ready to sink right into it. Here is one last hoorah to summer with some random shots I captured these past few months and a look back on some of our adventures.

Overall, it was a busy, but relaxing summer. We were able to get away, spend time with extended family and most of all spend time with each other. With Hazel turning four and Owen on the verge of turning three, it feels like these little years a slipping right through my hands. Before I know it Hazel will be leaving me all day for kindergarten and Owen will follow along soon thereafter. And I'll just be sitting here wondering where the time went.

Say Yes to the Messiness of Childhood & a Free Printable!

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Wet-Nap®, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #ConquerTheMess http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

Kids are the most creative beings on the planet. Always surprising us with their ideas, imaginative play, and the wonder they embrace as they navigate this world. Sometimes their creative ideas come at a cost though…a huge mess. Many times as a mom, it can be easier to say no to these activities. After all, we already have a bazillion messes to clean up, don't we? The dishes, the laundry, the toys strewn about. We can find ourselves eventually in a rut of saying no more often than we ever imagined we would. I know, because it has happened to me.

I used to imagine the kind of mom I would be. Always laid back and coming up with creative fun. Always willing to let them use their imaginations to do wild and crazy things. Then real life sets in. And you realize all of that is a lot of work.

July Dining Room Mantel Vignette

It's no secret that I like to change out my mantel decor…a lot. If you visit here regularly, your probably know this. Today, I am sharing how I just recently redid it for the month of July. I kept it fairly simple with a mixture of vintage and eclectic pieces, hints of black, potted succulents and fresh cut flowers from the yard.
We bought this old mantel from a local salvage shop and gave it a makeover a couple of years ago. It used to have very chippy brown paint. It has lived in our dining room for the past several years. Sometimes, I want to move it back to the living room where I first put it, since in my mind, it seems that is where a mantel is "supposed" to go. But whenever I look at it with our antique chandelier above it, I know this is really where it belongs.

Coastal Inspired Altered Bottles {Making Memories from the Sea}

With summer in full swing, many people are heading to beaches and lakes to get away, so today I am sharing a project to keep some of the memories alive from those trips, while adding a coastal touch to your decor. It only requires an old bottle, some embellishments and letting your creativity flow. You could embellish these bottles with nature collected along the shore, pieces saved from trips passed or items that remind you of a previous vacation.

I made these "Ocean Relic" altered bottles, as I affectionately named them, for my online shop back in 2009. I shared a glimpse of them last week in a vignette I decorated back then, before they were shipped off to their new owners.

Altering vintage bottles into works of art was a pastime I thoroughly enjoyed for a long time. Back when altered art was all the rage…I couldn't get enough. I stayed up till the wee hours of the morning creating. I sold a lot of my art pieces first on eBay and then Etsy and my own website. Mixed media and collage art are still huge passions, but I don't get a chance to do it as often now. Since these are still some of my favorite creations, I wanted to share how I went about making them and inspire you to create your own.

A Cottage Style Summer Vignette {a look back to 2009}

Since I haven't had a lot of time to decorate for summer lately (other than the small bit I did on our front porch recently), I thought I would share a vignette from our former townhouse that I set up the summer of 2009. Decorating was basically my life then. I lived for creating these vignettes. Not a whole lot of time (or space) for them these days…but it is still a passion.

Life was sure easy back then. It is very different now and a lot harder in some ways, but I wouldn't go back. I love spending my days with the little ones and even though that means less time doing the things I used to do regularly, it is worth it. I hope you enjoy this "look back" at my cottage style summer vignette…

Summer Days. Sun Filled Days. The Longest Days.

"Some day these will be our old days, let's make them worth remembering." -Kacy Crowley

Summer is flying by. I kind of hate that. Some days are long, though. Not only does the sun stay out longer and make the daylight hours last, some days as a mother with little ones can feel like an eternity. If you are in a similar situation, you probably now what I mean. This post is for you…

Hazel’s Sheriff Callie Inspired Cowgirl Birthday Party

My daughter Hazel is coming up on her fourth birthday (hard to believe!) and if there is one thing I am terrible at as a blogger, it is getting my kids' birthday posts up around their actual birthday. Today, I am finally sharing Hazel's third birthday party which was a Sheriff Callie inspired cowgirl theme. Even though this post is near a year late, I hope you enjoy seeing how we celebrated and get some inspiration if you are planning a similar party soon!

When we were deciding on a theme, Hazel kept coming back to Sheriff Callie, an adorable show on Disney Junior that we would watch from time to time. She was fixated on being a cowgirl like the main character. 

Taking Great Vacation Photos with an iPhone

Vacation season is upon us! And if you are like me, no doubt you will want to capture some great shots to remember your trip. But what if you don't want to lug around your DSLR or other camera the whole time? Can you really capture quality memories with just a phone camera?

Last month, my family and I went on vacation to Myrtle Beach. I shared some photos taken with my DSLR here, but the majority of the time, I just kept my phone handy, so I didn't have to be bogged down by stuff while we were out having fun. I currently have an iPhone 4S (*affiliate link), which is not even that great as far as quality, graininess and megapixels, yet I still managed to preserve our vacation memories and document our trip without having to get my camera gear out all the time.

Family Vacation to North Myrtle Beach

Last week, our family had the pleasure of going on vacation to North Myrtle Beach along with my mom and sister. The drive down to South Carolina from our home (outside of Rochester, NY) took us about 15 hours including stops. Even though I was a terrified of the trip down with little ones, it wasn't as bad as I had imagined it would be. We spent a relaxing week by the beach, sight seeing and making memories.

I know that generally, people find it boring to look at other people's vacation photos, but I like to do posts like these, more for myself, to have a collection of our photos of the trip to look back on and remember the times we spent together as a family. I am not a scrapbooker, and I must confess, I rarely get a photograph printed, so blogging is sort of my "memory keeping" method. I hope you aren't too bored today if you click through to read about our trip. I tried my best to make the photos pretty for you to help keep you from yawning 🙂

Rustic Bohemian Patio Makeover

Earlier this week, I shared the before and after of my porch and patio that I was able to get all spiffed up for fall. {Click here if you missed it and want to see the "Before" first} Today, I am sharing more details of the patio itself, that I decked out in rustic bohemian flair. I was kinda hating on this space before, but now I love it!

DIY Outdoor Storage Organization {Without a Garage or Shed}

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Rubbermaid, but all my opinions are my own. #PMedia #FallFixUp http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

One of the most difficult quirks about some older homes, is that they lack in adequate storage. Our home, is no exception, and one area where we especially struggle is outdoors. We have no garage or storage shed. We have a large covered patio at the back of the house and a smaller porch area off of the mudroom. And that's pretty much it. 

Is there any hope for those of us in this situation to get our outdoor space organized?

Since we are constantly working on our home, the small porch area has sadly become a space for anything and everything. I have long wanted to create a designated trash and bottle & can storage spot, and finally decided enough was enough. With fall on the way, now was the time to do it! Cold weather will be here before we know it, so I had to take advantage of a warm summer weekend. Don't you love when you finally get the motivation to do something you have put off for years?

First, I suppose, I have to show you the porch before. But I must warn you: It. Is. Scary.

Are you ready for the truth behind this blogger's house? 

Vintage Inspired Patriotic Book Page Wreath

With Labor Day, just over a week away, I thought it would be a great time to give you a diy tutorial that I originally shared at Yellow Bliss Road. I made a vintage inspired patriotic wreath from old book pages, just before Memorial Day, and used it for display on the 4th of July as well. It will be taking center stage on our front door, once again, as Labor Day rolls around.

This project was also featured on Country Living's website over the summer which was quite a thrill!

Like most of my projects, this one was not perfect, and I ended up improvising a bit, but that is part of the fun of being creative, isn't it? Learn new things and keep trying.

Seasons of Home: Midsummer Botanical Mantel

Welcome to Seasons of Home Summer Edition 2014! I am thrilled to be sharing a botanical mantel vignette in my dining room with you today. Be sure to visit the other talented bloggers participating after you leave here!

4th of July Porch and Wishing you a Happy Holiday!

Fourth of July is just a few days away, so I thought I would wish you a happy holiday and share some pictures of our patriotic porch. And by "patriotic" I mean, a flag, a wreath, and a some red flowers.

That counts right?

4th of July Mantel and a Free Printable Banner!

Today I am sharing my 4th of July mantel and have a free printable patriotic banner for you! Can you believe it is already almost July? Time sure is flying by. 

Sundays at Home No. 17 | Planning the Perfect Summer Soirée

Welcome to week seventeen of Sundays at Home! I created another fun round up from last week's link-ups (I am a bit obsessed with these can you tell?). Since it is "officially" summer, I put together lots of great features for planning the perfect summer soirée!

Vintage Inspired Patriotic 4th of July Vignette {blog rewind}

Several years ago, I used to live in a townhouse with a large entry way. I loved changing out the decor season to season, and especially loved decorating it for holidays. In 2009, I shared a post on my Typepad blog with a vintage-inspired 4th of July vignette that I set up in this space and am "rewinding" to share it again here.

Eclectic Bohemian Summer Mantel

Summer is well on its way and with it I have been sprucing my decor. 

DIY Outdoor Water Table for Kids

Summer is just around the corner, and the little ones will be wanting to play all day outdoors! If yours are anything like mine, they already do. Even on the rainy days.