Little Things// Pencils

As simple as…

cute

little

pencils

I’ve shared in the past how I’m a scribbler and habitual writer-downer. It’s part of the creative process for me. I like to make a list or draw up plans to build something. Pencils have always been my go-to instrument of choice. I attribute this to a childhood of constantly drawing with them and all those art courses I took in college. I just love the feel of a pencil over a pen. Plus, it’s erasable, and I need that feature. Especially, when brainstorming. Give me a bunch of freshly sharpened pencils tied up with a bow and I’ll swoon!

They might as well be cute, right?

I found these pencils at Michaels.

Just a heads up dear readers & bloggin’ buddies,

I will not be posting for a few days, but some major changes are happening soon that I can’t wait to share with you! You can check out the new menu bar. I’m trying to make Bliss at Home as easy to navigate as possible. I have added a full DIY tutorial menu and under the Holiday category you can find Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, & Christmas projects.  I will be back soon blogging away and sharing what I’ve been up to.

Happy Wednesday!!

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Great Reads// Overflowing with Creativity

Today we are featuring Aimee and her blog It’s Overflowing.

You are going to love it if you don’t already! She has so so sooo many great tutorials. I love spending time there and getting inspiration and I know you will too, plus she really is such a sweet person. Her photography is beautiful and she blogs about photo-taking too–BONUS! You will also enjoy her home tour features, link parties, and yummy recipes. The girl does it all, I’m telling you!

She just posted this yesterday and I love it. Her office is so hip and cool and she offers some great tips on how to keep it organized. Such great timing too, because I’ve been on the fence on where to put mine. I’m feeling inspired now to get the ball rolling on it!

http://www.itsoverflowing.com/2013/03/get-it-organizeddesk/

Aimee has been so kind to share her master bedroom remodel with us. Aren’t those blues gorgeous…and hello, antler! Styled to perfection! She’s speaking my style love language, that’s for sure!

http://www.itsoverflowing.com/2012/10/diy-master-bedroom-makeover/

Stop on over and check out her blog. You are bound to find too many things to pin and get caught up in looking through all the home tours!

Happy Reading!!

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DIY Fabric Covered Boxes

Happy DIY Monday!!

I don’t feel near 100 percent yet, but I have been told by many who have suffered the same flu that it takes weeks so I will take what I can get. I missed you all and thank you for all your well-wishes!

Today’s DIY is (as promised) a tutorial on how I made the fabric boxes for my coat closet makeover.

The Supplies:

Cardboard boxes

Fabric (I bought 2 yards for the boxes I did)

Spray Adhesive (3M has the best one, I just used what I had already)

Scissors or Straight Cutter

Yardstick

Chalk or Fabric Marker

No Sew Glue to secure corners

Step 1:  Inside Cuts

The first cut you want to make is for the bottom of the inside. I just chalked my line right on the fabric and cut.  Then I measured the inside walls and cut those. I cut the length of two walls in one cut, so you should only have to make 2 cuts for all four walls.I added a extra inch to allow for the top to fold over the other side.

Now for the spray adhesive. Make sure you are working in a well-ventilated area and protect your surroundings before using. Basically, use the same precautions you would use when using a can of spray paint. Coat the entire area that you want to place the fabric on. Press it down and smooth out any bumps. As you see in the photo above I cut the 2 corners on top so they would fold nicely over the side.

Go ahead and glue your overlapping sides down after you make your two corner cuts.

Step 2:  Outside Cuts

Now you are ready to make your outside cuts for your box. I used the same concept for the outer sides. I measured the length of 2 sides for one cut. Remember to leave an extra inch on the bottom and an extra inch on the top.

Go ahead and spray your surfaces and attach your fabric cuts.

Here you see how I folded the extra fabric on the bottom. I used spray adhesive and I also used the No Sew Glue on the tricky corners.

I also temporarily used tape to hold my adjoining corner in place before I sprayed my last 2 sides and added the last fabric piece. I used the No Sew Glue on the overlapping pieces too. **To get a good seal with the No Sew Glue just make sure you apply it to both the fabric and the surface you want it to attach to.

This was the perfect solution for our winter storage needs. I couldn’t find baskets or storage boxes in the size and pattern I wanted so this was the next best thing. When all else fails, make your own!

Happy Monday!!

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February in Review

It’s a new month and I for one am hoping for an illness free one! Can I get an Amen? Right now my yard is covered in white gorgeous snow and this month will probably be the last we see of it.  Here’s the highlights for February just in case you missed something or wanted to revisit something again.

This month, I introduced our first installment of cook. create. celebrate. I wasn’t planning on making it a main stay, but I think it works and you guys seemed to enjoy it. We shared my tweaked take on the ever so delicious Vodka Pasta. We also shared some super inexpensive Valentine’s Day decor.  I hope you look forward to our next cook. create. celebrate. Patty’s Day Style! I’ve been perfecting a Shepherd’s Pie Recipe that has become a staple in our home and have some fun kid-friendly crafts for the occasion.

cook. create. celebrate. Valentine’s Day 2013

Aside from the flu–which took a big chunk out February for us unfortunately–Dave surprised me with this awesome vintage bar cart. I added more blue + white to my obsession--I mean collection. Then, I turned our unused and drab coat closet into something that blends with the lay of the space. I may even leave that door off after all…we’ll see…

Here’s to March and all the change that it brings!

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Things I Have Learned While Suffering Through the Flu.

I would like to report that we are all healthy again. That is what I would like to report. This flu has really taken over our week! It started with Dave last week and then one by one we each fell victim. With a house of fevering, sleeping, coughing, crying, and miserable people we got a whole lot of nothing done. We are still not in the clear, but today is the first day I put on a bra so I consider that progress.

Here’s some nuggets of wisdom from the not so wise that I have discovered while suffering the flu:

1. Tea is good.

I am a coffee lover to a fault. I’ve never really given tea a chance until this flu. I have to say I am a fan! Even after I am healthy again I may have a new nighttime ritual of tea with honey before bedtime. Here’s a few of my new favorite teas:

2. I love the way he says popsicle.

My youngest has been on a steady diet of popsicles. It’s the only thing he will eat right now. But he says it like pop-sis-all. Too cute!

Is this not the creepiest ad!? Sorry had to include it. Creepy Clown Kid wants you to buy his popsicles…Go peddle your devil’s candy somewhere else evil clown child!

3. Chicken soup out of a can is sub par.

When Dave came home sick, I made him a big batch of chicken noodle soup. You know the kind. The kind that says home and can grow back a limb. Big fat noodles and all. It’s definitely medicinal. But when Momma’s sick there is no one to make the soup. I’m sorry Campbell’s but you don’t stack up. I am too tired to stand over a stove today to make it. I spent all my energy blow-drying my hair sitting down. Yes, that is actually the truth. That was exhausting.

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4.  Suffering in numbers is better than suffering alone.

At the very least, I can say that when everyone is sick it does ease your conscience.  To lay in bed all day, part of that sleeping might I add, when all the people around you are doing the same does make you feel like it is not a big deal that everything you normally would be doing is not getting done. Having the flu together is also a great excuse to watch every Disney movie you own and there isn’t a bit of guilt in it at all. Another thing is you really don’t have to worry about spreading germs because you all already have the flu. So, you can all lay in the same bed and take turns passing the Kleenex box and can all stay on the same medicine schedule.

I am a little dismayed that all my cleaning efforts did not pay off. I spent so much time deep-cleaning, Lysol-ing, and overall de-germing our house from top to bottom. And for what? I still got the flu. We all did. I tried but in the end the flu won.

Well, I’m off to go sleep and cough, and sleep and cough some more. Maybe I’ll be back next week with everything I had planned to blog about this week.

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Coat Closet Makeover

I’m back and happy to report that the kiddo is healthy again! Unfortunately, I don’t think we are illness free yet… Dave just came home early from work with the same icky sickness.

This week is a little different so I’m just going with it. Today, I’m going to reveal my coat closet makeover. This is a two-parter. I’m showing it with the door off, because I still have some finishing touches for that door. I love to take little spaces and make them functional and appealing. I actually don’t mind walking by this without the door on!

Obviously, we weren’t using it for much except a dumping ground. The first thing I addressed was the oak trim, baseboard and wall frame for the shelf. I painted them a gleaming white. Then I painted the walls the same color as my navy wall in the living room. Lastly, I painted the rod and shelf black.

I stuck to the same color scheme as my living room and added the robin’s egg blue as an accent color. The hangers I bought at TJ Maxx. I had an old photo box that I spray-painted in the same robin’s egg blue. It’s the perfect size to hold our extra umbrellas.

For more storage I picked up a couple more plain white photo boxes at Michaels. In one I added our shoe shine products and in the other I added the protective sprays for boots.

We needed a lot of storage in here for snow suits and winter gear so I covered 2 cardboard boxes in fabric. I documented how I did it and have a tutorial to share on DIY Monday.

Like I said, I love how it compliments the surrounding space and whatever I didn’t fit in the closet I organized in the baskets in the bench and coat rack.

And no coat closet would be complete with out a light.

This is Part One. Part Two will be the door and more organizational ideas.

Have a great Wednesday!!

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I am linking up here:

http://www.lizmarieblog.com/2013/02/paint-it-linky-party/

Blue + White Blue + White…

Howdy!

I am just checking in to let you all know that I am taking the next couple days off from blogging.  My son got really sick yesterday and it put a hold on what I had planned. I will be back Wednesday with the regular schedule for the rest of the week.

Before Sunday we were right on track. We had our final awesome breakfast, made a quick impromptu stop at a flea market, and worked on the kitchen. Here’s a little something I found to add to my dream of having a grouping of blue + white…

I love finding larger pieces at great prices.

Maybe one day I will have a collection that looks like this…just dreaming a bit…

via

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Have a great Monday! I am going to be loving on my little guy and dishing out the medicine and kleenex. See you Wednesday with Little Things.

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Happenings…

Yahoo! It’s the weekend!!!!

Highlights.

We had another fun Valentine’s Day Family Feast. I’m loving this tradition! It’s been a few years running and now I am thinking about doing it for every holiday so you may see a cook. create. celebrate. for St. Patty’s Day coming soon. Side Note: The Vodka Cream Pasta this year was decadent and delicious and worth every calorie!

What will we be doing this weekend??

The given. Kitchen work (as usual) and I am going to finish my coat closet makeover.

Before any of that gets done, we had a last-minute change of plans. Our favorite breakfast spot is closing this weekend! Talk about problems! Joking, but really…

So, Saturday before the work begins we will have our last breakfast there. There may be tears and we might over indulge just a bit. You may find me on Instagram taking photos of the best omelette ever made and then mourning the loss of that said omelette. Just a heads up so you can avoid that train wreck.

Have a fantastic weekend everyone and I’ll see you on DIY Monday!

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WEEK IN REVIEW

It was a great Valentine’s Day week over here. We got another dusting of snow last night which always puts a smile on my face. The family enjoyed another family feast in honor of the day of  love. Now, I am ready for the weekend!

DIY Monday.

Monday I shared one of our family traditions and we introduced a new holiday segment called cook. create. celebrate. It’s a DIY Valentine’s Day Feast & Party complete with my own twist on Vodka Cream Pasta. Get the recipe and some kid-friendly Valentine’s Day craft ideas.

Great Reads.

On Tuesday, we featured Julia’s blog Cuckoo 4 Design. Check it out, I know you will love it!

Little Things.

Wednesday we shared our love for ideas and writing them down in these cute little notebooks.

What I’m Loving Right Now.

Thursday we shared a simple little way to add some Valentine’s Day decor with just 2 things we love: paper hearts + twinkle lights.

Weekend.

P-ssst! Between you and me I am hoping for a pretty low-key weekend. I just want to sleep in, by sleep in I mean (6:30am rather than 5:30am) and work on our home projects. My closet makeover is coming together– I just have to shop for a couple finishing touches and of course we are still plugging away on the longest remodel in the history of remodels– the kitchen. We did finally select a counter top material though:

Have a great weekend!!

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Love// What I’m Loving Right Now

For What I’m Loving Right Now (since it’s Valentine’s Day and all) we are putting a love spin on it! We have been getting ready for our Valentine’s dinner for tonight.  You saw details from last year’s dinner on Monday. If you want to check out our Valentine’s Vodka Pasta Recipe and all the other details you can go to cook. create. celebrate.

What I’m Loving Right Now…

Paper Hearts

+

Twinkle Lights

When decorating for the holiday of the moment, unless it’s Christmas, I like to keep things pretty simple and not go overboard. One thing we put up for Valentine’s Day is a Paper Heart Garland. You just need 2 things: Dollar Store Paper Hearts and White Twinkle Lights.

It’s simple and easy and that’s how we roll with our Valentine’s Day decor.

I like to string my lights in two or three rows so it makes a garland.

Have fun celebrating with your loved ones today!

Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

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