Backyard retreat essentials: SALE picks

We are living in our backyard these days! We spent a couple years making it exactly what we wanted. Our goal was a coastal backyard retreat that we could fill with our favorite friends or relax just us four in. With Memorial Day being this weekend, I gathered up all of my favorite coastal inspired outdoor pieces that are on major sale!

Umbrella, Striped lumbar pillow, Chair swing, Teak outdoor sofa, Striped lawn chair, Ratan pitcher and drinking glasses, Picnic tote, Blue whale platter, Outdoor string lights, Striped outdoor pillow, Wooden whale serving spoons, Glass water dispenser, Oversized outdoor chair

Bunny inspired Easter table

This year’s Easter table is all things sweet bunny, garden vibes! It makes me so happy!

I like to start building my tables capes around one piece. I came across these absolutely adorable bunny dinner plates and checked chargers. I like mixing and matching the colors to keep it feeling more effortless. I layered the blush on blush and the green with the blue, but you could mix and match however you like. I also love these floral chargers mixed in too. We tied in lots of different colors and textures to make it fun. We even kept our fur throws on a couple chairs to keep it cozy and fluffy like a bunny!

Spring tables are so fun because you can mix and mingle lots of cheery colors. I started by laying down a yellow and white striped runner as my base. I loved this water color vessel to hold flowers or as I’m using as an ice bucket for our fave rose’. This added a punch of blue and tied in our blue chargers. I stacked a cute shingled bird house on a cake plate for some height. Sweet elements like wooden wheel barrows ( found in dollar bin) to hold rolls or fresh citrus make for cute lower decor and a happy little lemon branch in clear vase brings in airy height in the corner. I like to make sure I have lots of high and lows layers to the table to make it full but not to boring to the eye.

Next I pulled some springy floral silk napkins and tucked them into burlap bunny napkin rings . I feel like the bold colors in the napkin worked with the plates to bring in some richness and help everything pop a bit more. I added my favorite gold silverware to make a little fancy. Tying in the bright blue in the ice bucket and blue charger again, I used these blue straw drinking glasses.

Home Management Binder

I shared this genius and super simple life hack last week on Instagram and you girls had such a strong response so I decided to do a more thorough run through of how amazing this binder is and how you can create one for your household. Show that paperwork who’s boss!!!!

Here is what you will need:

A large 3 ring binder

zipped pouch

page protectors

pocket folders

Nothing makes me feel more in charge of my gig than having my paperwork organized like a maniac. Anyone with me?! Mom’s really are the command center for all the moving parts in our family’s lives and it’s so important we keep tabs on all the info to keep ourselves sane. With that though, our family should be able to find info for themselves too. Anyone in our home can find what they need because we have adopted the Home Management binder. No more paper shuffling or lost info.

When it comes to breaking down your binder into categories, I have a couple suggestions but really it’s up to you and your family’s activities or your personal projects.

Some suggestions of categories:

Front pocket: most pertinent projects ( bills, rsvp, grocery list, etc)

Pouch for gift cards

Personal paperwork: workout plan charts, mom related projects ( your business’, side hustles)

Kid’s School: Hot lunch schedule, School year schedule, class projects, fundraisers, field trip info

Kid’s activities: Dance, Sports, Girl Scouts, Music lessons,

Home projects: Business cards of your home laborers ( landscaper, dog groomer, plumber, electrician etc) All contracts, flyers, brochures for home projects big and small

Recipes: recipes or food ideas that you want to try when you are stumped for weekly meal planning

Vacations/parties: vacation bookings and itineraries, party invites ( wedding, baby shower, kids parties etc)

Patio furniture faves

We are about three weeks out from our back yard hardscaping being done! Now onto the fun part of decorating it all! We love a fresh, inviting, cheery coastal feel. We are continuing our pallet of neutral tans, fresh white and blues from the inside to the outside. We are excited to entertain and have focused our hardscaping on lots of seating options. We will have bench seating in the bbq, barstools at the countertop, a long family style table, smaller dining table and chairs for coffee sipping, fire pit with bench and comfy loungers. Lots and lots of seats! We envision packing the yard with our friends and family all eating yummy bbq and kids frolicking and playing yard games all summer! We can’t wait! I’ve rounded up our inspiration and all the links to each item that we are eying!

Teak chair, Navy blue floor pillow, Serving tray, Umbrella, Blue pattern pillow, Striped tassel pillow, Outdoor sofa, Natural tassel pillow, Palm pattern pillow, Ratan hurricane, Coffee table, Outdoor woven rug, Wicker club chairs

Money saving tips you can start today

I was having a interesting conversation with a friend the other day about spending.  What we each choose to spend our money on and what our habits are.  As I get into my mid 30's I've started cutting back on my spending and focusing on the bigger picture when it comes to money.  Thankfully, Erik has a wonderful career and my biz has been very good to me over the last 10 years but it's never to early to be more frugal.  Also I find that the things that I want are always more $$ than I have.  #adulting Over the last year, I've starting making small adjustments on my spending habits and tweaking my spending to put more away towards bigger projects or goals.  Here are some small changes I've made that have created to put roughly $400 back in my pocket each month!  

Do my own nails- sounds not that fun right? I know but hear me out!  I work in the beauty industry and my nails needs to be done or looking clean at all times.  I found that a. I don't care that much and b.  I was spending around $60 a month on nail maintenance with my gel manicures and regular pedicures.  No more!!!!  Now I plop myself down in front of my favorite show at night and give myself a little mani pedi when I need it.  I've collected about 10 nail polishes to cover all seasons and get it done.  Total savings per month: $60

Make coffee at home-I actually prefer sipping my coffee at home during the week but was making a habit on weekends ( my work days) of grabbing a latte and protein box before work.  That would add up to be about $8 each week at least.  $16 if I was doing it both Saturday and Sunday.  Now I brew my favorite coffee, add my almond milk and sweetener, healthy preplanned breakfast and off I go.  I don't have to fret about waiting in the drivethru line and I that money goes straight towards other things.  Total savings per month: $32 ( $8 a week) 

Stop drinking during week- Erik and I made a rule of no more drinking and man has it changed out spending.  This was a surprise one to be honest.  Erik never cared about his wine being nicer but I acquired a taste for a middle of the road costing wine.  We don't drink now outside of the occasionally date night or getaway and are saving roughly $45 a week just by not drinking.  Whaaaa?????  Total savings per month: $180

Cut fresh flowers from my own yard- I love fresh flowers in the house.  There is nothing more cheery than a vase full of blooms on the kitchen table.  I would gather about $12 worth of pretty stems from Trader Joes about twice a month for around the house.  Since Spring is upon us, it's the perfect time to spend that $12 on potted blooms for our yard or porch.  I now can plant my favorites and enjoy them whenever I want.  Total savings per month: $24

Batch meal-I'm not a fast food person but my hubby is.  I live for a grocery list and my hubby likes to walk the aisles for options.  I CANT!  So I made him a deal, if I batch meal for the week for us will he cut down on his eating out and extra grocery trips.  If I'm batching for myself, whats it to me to make double portion?  Nothing!  I budget around $150-$200 on groceries per week which feeds the 4 of us breakfast, lunch and dinner for 6 days.  The 7th day we usually go out as a family.  Some of our go to's are tuna or chicken salad with pita chips for after school snacks, Spagetti, Burrito bowls and Tacos.  I always try and utilize our local produce stand for our veggies to save major bucks.  I can only get away with that budget because I meal plan and make a list like a machine!  I get us all organized on Monday's and we are good to go!  Total savings per month: $75

Comb through my subscriptions- I started combing through my bank statements and noticed a handful of subscriptions I've gathered over the last couple  years.  Yes YEARS I've been paying $3.99 here and $9.99 there for services that we don't use!  NOOOO!  When I totaled them up I was spending about $30 on nothing!  Just throwing it out the window!  Needless to say I cancelled those lingering things that I just didn't need and wasn't using and can put that towards something actually I will use!  Total savings per month: $30

Master Bedroom Before and After with Serena and Lily

     When Serena and Lily reached out to collaborate on a bedding project the timing just couldn’t have been more perfect. Not to mention Serena and Lily is my all time favorite brand. My master bedroom needed some sprucing. As I poured over bedding textures and patterns I fell in love with so many pieces.  The thing I love about Serena and Lily is how their designs flood life and energy into each room but still has a sophisticated, relaxed feel.  I strongly believe a  bedroom is where you shut out the noise of the world.  It’s that intimate space in a home where you put your thoughts to rest and bring peace to your mind. 

Tips for revamping your bedding: 

-Be aware of scale of patterns. Keep a small and larger pattern together.  

-Trust your gut. You know what makes you happy.

-Keep in mind the other people that share this space.  Not too flowery ladies!  Give your men a little bit of a masculine feel in your choices. 

-Stick with a color pallet of three colors or three different shades of one color to not overwhelm. 

-Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box in terms of pattern and texture mixing. 

     I kept things fun and a little unexpected by mixing the Oxford Stripe sheets and the Sanibel Chambray sheets.  I topped the sheets with the fresh white Chambers quilt. The quilt has a subtle blue stitching to keep things feeling light yet also adding a slight texture.

      I love the Chambers pattern and wanted to tie it back in with three large Euro size pillows against the headboard.  Against our dark wood frame the white feels so crisp and ties into the quilt.  Next, I layered the  Two Tone Zip pillows.  The zipper detail on these pillows had me at hello.  This is where I was able to bring in some masculine details and add some subtle sophistication to the light and airy sheets and quilt. I topped off the pillows with the Whitley Embroidered Midnight pillow.

    To add another layer of texture and bring in one more pattern, I added the Avery throw in the Harbor blue tone.  This throw is so luxe!  It adds another rich blue tone and completes the whole bedding just perfectly. 

    I wanted to bring up the lightness on our dark furniture again and found the perfect compliment in the Tinsley table lamps.  The soft bubbled texture adds interest without taking away from the busier bedding. 

Before and After 

A huge thanks to Serena and Lily for collaborating on this post. 

5 ways to refresh your home for the new year

Always after the new year, I get itchy to clean my house.  Sort of an early spring cleaning of sorts.  This could be a big closet clean out or declutter of my pantry.  I have to admit I haven't done either of those things yet but I have done 5 little things that make my house feel fresh and bright. I hope these tips help you start your new year fresh and calm. 

1.  Open all the windows- my dad has always been so big on getting all the windows open during the day and the lights on at night.  We always eye roll when he is bustling through the house opening all the windows.  I'm officially becoming my father in my fresh air ways.  I absolutely love having all our back doors open and the fresh breeze coming through our windows. I say this because it's 75 degrees in California!  Even a little cool winter air can freshen up any space. 

2.  Lemon in the garbage disposal- age old kitchen trick but always works.  Since redoing our kitchen we did replace our garbage disposal but there is nothing like the fresh smell of lemon.   I use lemon in my water and through the rinds  in and grind them up.  

photo via

3. Dust your hard to reach spots- you know those spots.  The tops of the fan blades, on taller shelves and on top of the fridge.  There are a million more places but tackling these make me feel that much more clean at home.  

photo via

4  Bring in nature- we have a couple monstrous rose bushes on our porch.  They are huge and bloom bright pink and purple roses.  While I'm a major white rose only person, these gorgeous blooms get brought inside more often than not for a pretty pop of color.  If you don't have flowers at home some branches with pretty leaves are always lovely and create interest in a room. 

photo via

5. Hang tea towels- simple but there is something really pretty to me about tea towels.  I love to collect pretty ones on my Home Goods runs and hang then over the oven handle or drape them over our sink.  It's just makes me feel fancy somehow.  

Barstools: To Splurge or Save?

The second we started the kitchen vision board, I had my heart set on these Serena and Lily's barstools.  These stools were the perfect height and the wood color was perfect!  I loved how they weren't a typical option for a kitchen. Since we have finished the kitchen, I've even saving my pennies for all the decor items to finish off the attached rooms like the living and dining room.  We still have to finish painting the fireplace, add built ins and a couple bigger projects but the decor elements are really starting to come together.  This is where all those pennies I've been saving can add up.  My perfect Serena and Lily stools aren't super cheap and I wanted to be practical with this purchase.  The chairs were going to be used pretty often with sticky fingers and plenty of crayons.  Durable and easy to clean were top priority! They needed to be attractive from all sides as they are seen from all angles in kitchen and living room.  We have a couple different wood colors flowing through the rooms so the wood on the chairs needed to compliment.  Little checklist to work with on requirements.  I started searching for similar styles of stools and found some great options.  Here were the top two contenders!  

Capri's gallery wall

I finally finished Capri's gallery wall!  I have had this artwork for months now and have been dragging my feet on completely the project.  Well, this past week was the week!  I knew I wanted an eclectic yet polished feel for the wall.  The gallery was being done above her day bed on a large wall.  I had super cute artwork with a coastal, fun feel. I found this adorable striped umbrella print and this  ocean wave illustration to kick me off in the right direction.  I consulted Framebridge to help me with the layout and some design ideas.  They have this great design program for $100 that you can send them the sizing of your art and they will design a couple layout and frame options for your wall.  This also includes the hanging measurements of each piece too on your wall.  I love it!  Sort of everything I needed.  You can of course choose from their huge variety of frame options or take the basic idea and replicate the look on your own.  I did decide to take full advantage of a frame sale going on a Michaels and get some similar frames to those Framebridge picked out for me.  I just adore how it all came together.   

Kitchen farmhouse sink

There were a couple changes I made to my original kitchen plan and the sink was one of my favorite switch ups.  I thought that I could save a buck by putting a stainless steel undermount sink and call it a day.  As I festered more on it, the idea of mixing metals that close to each other was bugging my eye.  I was dead set on a brass faucet and brass hardware and I felt that the stainless steel sink would though my off.  Not to mention would be harder to keep clean looking. 

Once I had decided that I was going the farmhouse sink route, I went on the hunt for something in the right size (36 inch) and reasonable. I wanted a single bowl option.  I found a great option in the right size at Ikea but the apron wasn't long enough.  This was apparently a thing that I didn't know I was supposed to pay attention too.  I moved onto another option on Amazon  and ordered the longer apron to find out that this option was now to long for our cabinets.  Kill me now!!!! I jumped back on Amazon and ordered the shorter version of the white farmhouse sink. This time was perfect!  It's such a simple piece in the kitchen but I feel like adds so much!  So worth the shopping around! 

In my research, I was shocked at how many cool farmhouse style sinks there were.  There are stainless steel options, textured white options, copper and even black sinks for the edgy kitchen.  

Kitchen update week 8- Demo, Wall removal and Cabinets

We have been rocking and rolling through our kitchen renovation.  As many people told me, this would be much longer than anticipated and not nearly as fun.  I can absolutely agree with the fact that it has taken longer than we thought but I have been having a great time seeing the progress come along.  I update my Insta Stories daily on our progress and love the feedback that you guys give!  

First up was demo day!  So cool!  They crushed up the old kitchen and removed all the cabinets.  Then they moved onto supporting the ceiling so the wall could be removed to create an open floor plan.  We did have to keep on entry way small wall due to electrical and budget constraints. Small sacrifice to get that huge wall out!  The week the wall started disappearing was so exciting! I happy danced so hard!  

After all cabinets were stripped and wall was officially out! 600 lb beam was being delivered that week! 

We are into week 8 and I think on the home stretch!!!  I am getting super eager to wrap it up and do some summer entertaining!!  We have now completed our cabinets, ordered our countertops and floors and are painting this week.  

Kitchen after wall was removed, drywall redone, lighting and fresh coat of paint

We have had a couple hiccups but nothing major thankfully!  First, issue we had was that the farmhouse sink we ordered had a long apron and we needed the shorter version.  Then our microwave was the wrong size.  Again small issues just a little pain!  What I've found interesting is that there are very little resources for sourcing the products that I was looking for.  I plan to do little mini posts here on the blog reviewing and explaining the reasons why we got what we did so hopefully any of you doing projects can find some products easier.  

Our saving grace has been having a back room for our make shift kitchen.  It's starting to get a little old but I'm happy to be almost done.  We set up a table with my lunch making items for the kids, a toaster and coffee maker.  I thought in the beginning of our process that I would be doing dishes outside but quickly ditched that idea.  Total pain!  Now, I'm almost exclusively using paper and plastic which has been ideal.  We are grilling a lot and thank goodness the weather has been lovely.  I've added a handful of grilling recipes to my Pinterest that we  have been trying and loving.  I am definitely missing easy access to things and dish washing.  Who would have ever thought I would miss dish washing?!  

We should have our countertops in maybe late next week and then floors in 3 weeks.  So excited! Check back on my Insta Stories for daily updates! 

Kitchen renovation plans

When we bought our home a year ago, the potential of the home was just to much to pass up!  The home was beautiful but needed a freshen up big time!  Today we start the process of my dream kitchen!  It's DEMO day!  I couldn't be more giddy! I'm sharing all the fun on Instastories if you want to see some behind the scenes! 

Here is a before image from last night. All ready for a wipe out! 

I've spent the past few days moving everything out of our living and dining room and everything out of the kitchen!  We luckily have a spare room in the back of the house that we have made into our makeshift kitchen for the next 5-6 weeks. Everyone has been warning me of the hideousness of living without a kitchen but we are looking at it like an adventure!  Sorta like camping!  I've set up a table in the back room with all my breakfast and lunch making supplies for the girls and they had a little picnic breakfast this morning.  I plan to do a lot of grilling for dinners and sunny back yard lunches.  I'm actually looking forward to it!  

So here is what is happening with the kitchen. We envisioned an open concept for the living and dining room.  Our kitchen is a galley style and was really dark.  It has oak cabinets on both sides and white tile countertops.  Lots and lots and lots of oak!!!!  No thank you!!!!  We are replacing the oak with clean white shaker style cabinets, clean white with grey veined countertops ( most likely quartzite) and gold hardware.  We are replacing all our appliances which is really exciting too!  

Here are some of the inspiration pics I've been pouring over!  

via : Nicole Davis Interiors 

via: Studio McGee

via: Pink Peonies 

Capri's room- Ikea dresser DIY renovation

I am so smitten with the outcome of Capri's dresser!  I am not a big DIYer but thought I would wing an Ikea hack on our dresser.  With her room being bright white and cheery a black dresser just wasn't gonna work. We also added gold bar pulls and rose up the whole piece on legs from Pretty Pegs to make it fit the space better.  I topped it with a simple gold mirror and sweet little accessories.  Be sure to check out the major before and after pic below. 

What we used to transform this piece: 

Laminate covering primer ( we used this one )

White paint ( we used Vista White from Vista Paint) 

Gold pulls

Legs  ** make sure you order the universal plates for these legs.  I didn't the first time around and had to wait for them to finish.  So annoying!!

We applied about 3 coats of prime with a small sponge roller.  The primer dries quickly.  We then applied about 3 coats of the white paint.  Her room is so sunny that I wanted to make sure there wasn't any black peaking through.  I had my hubby measure to the middle of the drawers and screw in the pulls.   Screw on the universal plates for the legs and then add the legs.  You have  brand new gorgeous dresser!!!

Before and After

Capri's room- Wall art

I have been having so much fun working on the girls rooms.  They are both so different that it's been fun to ask them what they like and work in sweet accents that make their own spaces feel special. I have a hard time focusing on more than one room at a time and getting the vision all together so I started tackling Capri's room first.  Capri turned 8 this January and I wanted to make sure her room felt like a big girl and had lots of room to grow with her.  She is full of life and energy so I wanted her room to feel happy to carefree.  She loves the beach and bright colors so I aimed for a beach feel that was bright and cheery. My grandma always told me that when decorating your house you should only fill it with things you love.  I've been keeping that close to mind while working on these new projects.   Here are a couple of the prints and wall art that brought joy right away!  The room is coming along so great and I can't wait to share the whole room when we finish it up!  For more house renovation projects keep checking back under the  or #LifewithLipstickOn on Instagram.  Loads of fun stuff coming!  

Lifeguard tower, Waves, Striped umbrellas, Ferris wheel, Cali girl

Pretty pink must haves

I feel like spring is upon us and I'm obsessing over the sweet blush pink tones floating in! From home decor, swim, sundresses and athleisure you can find me in this cotton candy pink for the next handful of months!   Here are a couple of the prettiest pink must haves I have found for Spring!  

Knit Sweater, Canvas tennis shoes, Hooded jacket, Striped throw blanket, Wall art, Floral swimsuit, Seersucker off the shoulder dress, Coffee is my BFF travel mug, Striped capri workout pants, Cali girl wall art, Nike blush pink sneakers, Woven rug, Flamingo throw pillow

Farm girl life: Chicks

If you follow my social media, you know that Santa brought baby chicks this year for the girls!  I had been wanting chicks since we moved into the new house since we have some land now yet didn't know when the time was right.  We keep a busy schedule and I wanted to make sure I wasn't biting off more than I can chew!  Because lets be real, mama is in charge of these chicks until they go outside.  I did a lot of research before committing  and asked a ton of questions!  The poor lady at the feed store should have known when I showed up with over the knee boots on!  This place was not for over the knee boots!  Anyway, here are some of the questions I had and what we have found out.  

Peyton with Flower

1.  Which chickens lay the most eggs? 

A:  

   Rhode Island Red- about 250 brown eggs a year. ( we got two of these) 

  Leghorns: about 250 white eggs a year- eggs from the grocery store are most likely from these

  Plymouth Rock- about 200 light brown eggs a year. ( we got two of these too)

  Sussex- about 250 brown or creamy white eggs a year.

  Ancona- about 200 white eggs a year.  

  Marans- about 200 very dark brown eggs a year

  Buff Orphington- about 180 eggs a year but get " broody" or lay less in the summer. 

Also there are Easter Eggers or Ameraucana's that lay BLUE eggs!  So fun!  We want to add one to our roost as well as the ridiculous looking Silkie!

2. Which are the most friendly?

  A:   Our main purpose was raising chicks that were friendly and the girls could treat like pets.          We found that Plymouth Rocks, Rhode Island Reds,  Buff Orphingtons, Brahmas,  and Silkies amongst a couple others are great with kids and can even be trained. 

3. How many should we start out with? 

  A:   We were recommended 4-6 to start with.  We got two Rhode Island Reds and two Plymouth Rocks and plan to add two more to the bunch. We chose these two breeds because that is what was hatched at the moment as well as being friendly and good egg layers. 

4.  What sort of gear do we need to start with?

  A:  Chicks need to be incubated for 6 weeks or until they get their adult feathers.  I'll be so sad when they lose that fluff!  As soon as they have their feathers and the weather is warm enough ( 80 degrees) we can let them run around the yard a bit.  For the first 6 weeks we got:

    Nest ( we have used a plastic storage tote with tall sides. About 4 days after we got the chicks one started to jump onto feeder and onto edge!  I cut up a used Amazon box and taped it to the sides as a make shift barrier.  I think we are at the point of needing more space for them already ( about 3 weeks old) 

   Heat lamp- chicks have to be at 100 degrees at all times

   Water feeder- we got plastic on with shallow dish ( chicks are big dummies and can drown easily so make sure water isn't deep. 

   Electrolyte powder and Probiotic powder- we add this to water. 

   Food feeder- Ours is plastic and has a dispenser with small holes.  Again the dummies poop in their food sometimes and its best to not waste a bunch of food. 

   Food- the feed store recommended chick starter which is made of grain and milling.  Its super fine and the chicks seem to love it.  We will switch most likely to organic as soon as we get into their coop. 

   Shavings- A big bundle of shavings is put at bottom of your nest to keep sanitary and for them to be comfy.  

5.  How much maintenance do they need?  

    A:  Chicks need very little maintenance!  I clean the nest and replace the shavings once a week and keep an eye on their water and food.  They do have a tendency to poop in their food as well as kick up shavings that land in it.  I change their water it seems like about once a day or as needed.  Their food dispenses as they eat it and I refill that maybe once a week.  They also tend to poop their too so make sure to keep that clean so they don't get sick.  

6.  What's the coop situation like?  

A:  We are super excited about this Boomer and George coop .  As soon as the weather is warmer and the chicks have their adult feathers they can go into their coop. It's recommended to keep coop in shady place and avoid a wind draft.  Chickens like a little run so some space is good if you aren't going to keep them free range ( on the loose) all the time.  6 chickens will be just happy in a 4 box coop.  They like to be together so some bunk up with another to lay eggs or keep warm.  

Hay Hay needing to chill 

Overall, we are having so much fun with them!  They scurry around, eat like piggies, sleep and cheep!  Ours are super curious and love shiny things.  We have named them Hay Hay, Little Red, Bixby and Flower!  

Our New Home

As many of you know if you follow my Instagram or Snapchat (username: LifewLipstick) , that we recently moved!  A little back story....for years we had been envisioning ourselves moving closer to the beach. We had a plan to relocate before the girls got to engrained in school.  My husband got a new job near the coast around the new year and it seemed like the time was right.  We went on full force crazy house hunting.  I mean check Redfin, Trulia, Zillow 7,000 times a day crazy! It was bad!!  I would call my husband in the middle of his work day after just leaving open houses.  He would send me link after to link to different options.  In the end nothing felt right.  Nothing gave me the "pitter patter heart" feeling of wanting spending Christmases and hosting dinner parties and taking walks in the neighborhood in each house.  You know, that "girl" feeling.   We had basically thrown in the towel after  so much frustration.  I started poking around in our current area again and landed on one that looked promising.  I drove the street and just knew it was right.  When I got to the house, I of course snuck into  the backyard since no one was living in the home and had all the "feels" .  It was OUR house! I called Erik and we scheduled a walk through with our realtors and made a game plan to make it happen.  Within a month we were in our new home!  We have endless plans for it and couldn't be more thrilled!  

Since our home was built in the 1950's we are planning for lots of updates and adding personal touches!  We started with the front of the house.  We changed out the paint, freshened up the landscaping and added on a gable to the front as well as new lighting and front door. We loved the feel of chic modern farmhouse.  Very Joanna and Chip Gaines of us, I know! We also plan to continue the brick on the porch and add on rocking chairs and some potted plants.   For more photos from Instagram , make sure you look through the hashtag #LWLOHome. 

Here is a fun before and after! 

before: 

after: 

Nordstrom SALE: HOME

We have been in our new home for about 3 months now and I've been in major decor mode.  Talking hours of Pinterest!!  We definitely have a coastal, nautical love in our decor and I picked my faves from the Nordstrom Sale that may just make their debut in our new kitchen and family room. Let me know if any of you are interested in seeing our renovation process and progress. Leave me a comment and I will add in some of that fun stuff if you all are interested. 

Gift Guide for Home

Gifts for the Beauty Junkie