Decorating with Pictures

Have you been following this fabulous series about decorating with pictures? There are some AMAZING ideas out there! I'm guest posting today on a few ideas for decorating with pictures in a temporary home, visit Kristen Duke Photography to check it out!

DIY throw pillows and easy faux French stripe

I couldn't seem to find any of our throw pillows when we unpacked our things, but I've had my eye on several pinterest ideas and decided it was a great excuse to finally do something creative. I'm totally in love with the French stripe feed sack style right now, but didn't want to spend a lot of money on something that my boys will probably destroy in a matter of weeks. I found a few tutorials on how to create your own faux french stripe and it worked perfectly!

Preparing for baby, sewing projects

I've really enjoyed getting into sewing again. In my pre-baby days I used to sew all the time, but I pretty much stopped sewing after I had the boys. When I found out I was having a girl, the first thing I did was get a new sewing machine and order a ton of fabric. I even learned how to sew a basic rag quilt using these Riley Blake pre-cut squares. Quilting has always terrified me but this was simple as could be- cutting straight is half the battle, all I had to do was arrange them and sew together, no cutting at all.

Our German house tour + DIY wall art

It has taken me FOREVER to get unpacked! I am sooo tired of moving. At least this time I know we'll stay put for 2-3 years (the longest we've ever stayed in one house!) But getting ready for Christmas and a new baby makes unpacking slow. (Not to mention my little helpers who follow behind me undoing all my work...)

Anyway, a few of you have expressed interest in seeing what our house looks like. So...here are a few pictures of the rooms that are mostly unpacked and semi-clean (sadly, they'll probably never be this clean again).

Living Room

Decorating for Christmas (without a mantle)

How to rock a ponytail

I had originally planned this post the week I was in Houston, but something happened on my phone and the entire thing was deleted. It's taken me this long to sit down and type it again. Hope it works this time!

I don't know about you, but since I've become a mom I have a lot less time to get myself prettied up for the day. But one thing I've learned is that if I show up at the store by myself with three little boys in tow wearing gym clothes and a ponytail I'm probably not going to get friendly or sympathetic looks from fellow shoppers. Instead, I'll probably get those looks that say things like "are they all hers?" "does she know about birth control?" and "can she shut that kid up?"

HOWEVER...if I go out in public with makeup, jewelry and cute hair, I get the exact opposite reaction. People will come up and say "wow, you have your hands full!" "are you going to try for a girl?" and "can I help you to your car?" And those that don't comment are giving sympathetic smiles rather than dirty looks. The difference is amazing. And kinda sad.

I have gotten my routine down where I can shower, blow dry, make up and dress in 30 minutes, but I still don't want to do that every day. So on those off days I throw it in a pony tail, add one of these cute little clips and voila- no longer schlumpy frumpy mom. This look says I  chose to put my hair in a pony tail and I like it that way. 

You can buy fabulous clips like this at Whippy Cake, however you can also make your own at home and it's super easy. There are dozens of tutorials out there, but I thought I'd share how I make mine.

Supplies:

3 coordinating fabrics (I buy the smallest yardage they let you- usually 1/4 yard)

3 decorative buttons (fabric store or ebay)

1 pinch clip (sally's)

Felt (I use white or grey)

Glue gun or needle & thread

Start with three coordinating strips of fabric about 2-3 inches wide and at least 6 inches long. I like to snip the fabric and then rip it lengthwise to create frayed edges. The wider and longer the fabric, the bigger the flower.

Fold the inside corner in half and start to roll to create the center of the flower.

As you roll, twist the fabric. The tighter the twist the flatter the flower will be. Experiment with looser and tighter twists to determine the style you prefer.

Keep twisting until you reach the end of your fabric.

Tuck the end under the flower and either hand sew through all layers of the flower to keep them together, or use hot glue to secure the layers together (you can also hot glue as you roll- to make sure every twist is secured).

Sew or hot glue a button to the top of the flower (ebay is the best place to find decorative buttons).

Repeat with each additional flower.

Attach the flowers together by hand sewing or using hot glue. Then cut a piece of coordinating felt in the shape of the back of the flower (hides the underneath and makes it look more professional).

Hand sew- or hot glue this to the back of the flowers.

Cut another piece of felt large enough to cover the clip. Clip the felt and put hot glue all over the clip and the felt cover.

Attach to the back of the flower- making sure the clip is positioned so that the flower faces the direction you want it to.

Place in your hair, on a cardigan or bag for a stylish way to add a pop of color and accessorize your outfit.

So go ahead, rock that ponytail!

p.s. these clips also look fab attached to a cardigan- adds a fun pop of color to any outfit. And for some super cute hair ideas, check out these sites:

Easy up twist with Whippy Cake

30 Days of Hair Romance

30 Hairstyles in 30 Days

Hair tips from I heart Naptime

Birthday lovelies...

I used to dread turning another year older, but the thirties have been the best years of my life (so far!) and I wouldn't go back to the twenties for anything. Plus, I have a reason to spoil myself!

I got these beautiful flowers from my handsome hubby. I feel so spoiled, he sent me two dozen
roses last month also! They smell heavenly and brighten my day every time I see them.

iPhone protective cover. Isn't it gorgeous? My phone will love me.

And this fabulous camera bag! No more hanging my camera off the end of the stroller and having it knocked to the ground when child jumps unexpectedly out of it. No more shoving it in the diaper bag and praying no sippy cups spill on it. No more forgetting my camera bag at photoshoots...Love it!

 

Fabulous dresses!

Gondola

If you haven't heard of Shabby Apple yet, you have GOT to check them out! They have beautiful dresses for every personality type and occasion. It really is impossible to choose just one favorite, but these are the three I've currently got my eye on...



Aintree

Bookworm

P.S. their swimsuits are fabulous too! I just got this one last summer and it is perfect for hiding that post-baby belly!

Pietra

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Well we're finally starting to get settled! I now have one room of the house box free! Since all our decorations were ruined last year we had to get all new ones... Still need a tree skirt and some wrapped presents would be nice...still waiting for amazon to deliver on those... It's finally starting to feel a bit like Christmas though!

Moving...again...at Christmas...

I started to get all excited about Christmas... since all our holiday things got ruined in the flood I get to start from scratch this year. So I had my sister make me a bunch of vinyl to decorate ornaments and this fun charger. But my holiday cheer was dampened by a call from the owner of our house informing us he was going through bankruptcy and could not get financing to keep the house. Meaning, we have to be out by January...

 

 I am so going to miss this house! Yes, it took some adjusting to living in half the space since the basement got flooded out, and the water pressure issue took months to resolve... BUT the backyard was amazing and the playroom enormous. Not much else matters when you have three boys! I'm totally going to miss this setup! I know we won't find a yard like this that's fenced with a massive playset already installed, but hopefully we can still have a big playroom...Wish me luck! I won't be doing many updates for the next few months and won't be sending out cards until we get a new address- so hope they're not too late! If YOU have moved this last year- be sure to email me your new address so I can send you a card once WE move!