First Home Accessories Haul!

My weekend has been made!  Let me explain...

My husband and I recently purchased a desk to host our new desktop.  Once the desk was assembled I knew I had little time to find the perfect chair.  I immediately began searching online for some ideas and inspiration from places like Pinterest and some of my favorite home decor blogs.  My initial hunt for the perfect chair didn't go as I had hoped.  I searched for a couple weeks with no luck.  Don't get me wrong, there were tons of gorgeous pieces out there, the challenge for me was finding one within my price range that was both cute and compact.  I even checked out Craigslist and Goodwill with no success.  Surprised? I know, me too!  Well, fast forward to tonight and good old World Market has done it again. But before I get into the details of the chair, let me introduce you to my new additions. :)

 

I first made eye contact with these beauties about one month ago while shopping for a table at World Market.  I fell in love with the look and thought these would really complement the colors in our den.  I love the warmth burlap adds to any room and I was pleasantly surprised at how affordable these were.  We purchased two tonight  - one for the den and a smaller one for our new desk.

Here are the two lamp bases we found to go with the lampshades.  The taller one is for the den and the smaller one is -of course- for the desk.  Check back soon for an updated post where I'll show you how these new little treasures look in our home.

When I saw this little piece my heart skipped a beat, how cute is it?  At only $19.99 we just had to bring it home, or so I told I myself :)  Plus, we got an unexpected 10% off our total purchase - my night was made!

Here is the chair we decided to purchase.  I love the color and the simplicity of the design.  I was looking for something with clean lines, narrow, and fairly basic that could easily be dressed up/accessorized.  My hubby got it all assembled and is now the chair I am sitting on while I type this.  The warm colors complement the burlap lampshade so well.

Here is a sneak peek of what the lamp looks like.  I am so pleased with the look.  I'm actually looking at it as I type this and I can't stop smiling, it looks precious.

What treasures have you discovered recently that have made you smile from ear to ear? 

I hope you are having an absolute lovely and relaxing weekend!

xoxo, Karina

DIY: Chalkboard

Hello there,

Here is my first attempt at creating my very own chalkboard!

When I decided to tackle this project I looked to Pinterest and my favorite blogs to find inspiration and step by step instructions.  A couple of hours later I had my shopping list ready and a pretty good idea on how to get the job done.

With only a few supplies and a little patience, my chalkboard project was checked off my to-do list!  This is one of the easiest DIY projects that I have tackled so far.  Believe me, if you don't have one and have been contemplating making one, I highly suggest that you give it a go because if I can make one so can you! (does that saying sound familiar :))

Here are the supplies I used:

• Frame $14.99 (You can easily save big bucks here by using one you already have or shopping at a yard sale or Goodwill)
• Chalk paint ~ $8 (You'll save here if you already have some in your paint stash)
• Spray paint $0 (left over from another project) I used white but you can use any color you wish.
• Roller $3

Total cost = ~$17 (I applied my store credit at TJMaxx so my frame was about $5 bucks)

I gave the frame three coats to distribute the color evenly.  I made sure to wait a good hour in between coats.  Patience is key with this project.

I did the same with the glass.  I read in some blogs that two coats worked wonders for some but mine needed a third coat. 

And here is the finished product!  As you can see, it's time for me to move on and update my board... Happy Valentine's Day, perhaps?

Let me know if you too have jumped on the chalk board wagon and maybe share a picture (or two) :)?

Till next time!
xoxo, Karina

High Protein Pumpkin Pancakes

Hello!


I found a really delicious pancake recipe that I just had to share!  I am always looking for healthy yet delicious recipes that I can incorporate into my everyday healthy lifestyle (or at least I try!).  This recipe is from Dani Spies' website - Clean and Delicious.  It is so good and really healthy, too.  If you love pumpkin anything as much as I do, you are going to love this one.

As you can see, this recipe calls for few and very basic ingredients that most of us have in our pantry and fridge.

The recipe is so simple, pour all the ingredients in a blender and blend well.  Is that simple. :)

Here is my first baby pancake!

Here is the end result...amazing flavor and quite filling!  Perfect way to start my morning on a beautiful and sunny day like today.  What made my morning even more fantastic was having a Monday off.  Next on the agenda - clean and organize a few rooms in the house.

If you would like to give these delicious pancakes a try...check out the recipe here for exact measurements and instructions.   Dani even shows you how to make them - check out her Youtube channel here.

Until next time.
xoxo, Karina

Out & About Finds!

Hello,

I wanted to share with you my most recent finds while out and about last week!  I had to practice some serious self-control while perusing the isles of TJMaxx and Target the other day.  I normally don't have a problem finding a little treasure (or two!) at Target; however, TJMaxx is a bit of a hit and miss sometimes but not this time around.

I stumbled upon these lovely pieces earlier this week and I had to convince myself to keep walking..believe me when I say this - it wasn't easy!  I mean, all these would have easily found a place in my home with absolutely no problem :).

This small dresser (picture above) would have been a great addition to the den.  I don't recall how much it was but I'm certain it was less than $200.  The wash of colors (almost distressed in some areas) gives it a warmth that would make any room incredibly cozy.

The cute lantern (picture below) covered in burlap was so stinkin' cute!  The only reason I don't have it in my home right this minute is because the line at TJMaxx was unreal (I guess I'm not the only one trying to kill time during lunch). :)

Target's newest Spring collection included this adorable white flower arrangement.  I immediately thought of a place where this would look just right - the tv insert in our living room!

Target $24.99 (available here)

 How did I resist this next item you might ask? I really don't know.  I believe I was distracted by something else in the store and completely forgot to come back for it.  I'm quite sad looking back at this picture because at $7.99 this would have been a great addition to my new office or even part of my kitchen decor.  The lesson I learned awhile back, when you spot an item you like and it's within reason (by that I mean budget) grab it because you will most likely not find another one.

This wood sunburst mirror is also a new addition at Target.  I am patiently waiting for it to go on sale (if it makes it until then) because I am convinced it would look great in our spare room :).  I've seen many talented bloggers make a less expensive version of this mirror - it's all about DIY!   

Target sale $39.99 (available here)

My last find of the week is this happy and bright flower arrangement from TJMaxx.  The picture doesn't do it justice as it was a lot more beautiful in person.  It would look absolutely adorable on my new white desk - the perfect pop of color against the white furniture.  I might go back this weekend and see if I can still find it...wish me luck!

Do you have any awesome finds you would like to share!


Stay tuned for the next Out & About Finds but until then, Happy Shopping! :)

We Did It! Walkway Project

Hello!

I bring to you an outside project that was long overdue...our walkway!

Since moving into our home, my husband and I were quite undecided on how best to tackle this project mostly because we were quite clueless.  We began by getting inspiration from homes around our community, searching online (such as Pinterest), and reading lots of blogs.  Please keep in mind that our end result (although a HUGE improvement) still has lots of potential. 

I present to you our "before" picture....

As you can see, this poor walkway was just screaming for help.  The bush to the left was so big that it became a hassle getting the trash bins out and let's not even focus on that brown looking bush...not sure what happened there.

This stepping stone was part of our front yard decor and although it looked cute, we decided to put it to better use.  Being able to use this stone saved us big bucks, yay for us!

Here is another view of the same area before staring our weekend project...our goal was to no longer embarrass our neighbors.

You can hardly see our fence, shame on us.

We began to place our new plants before starting to dig away.

Happy trip to Home Depot on a bright and sunny morning. :)

My husband hard at work.  I must say, he did an amazing job for being his first big home project.  We both have learned so much about being homeowners in the past two years, I am very thankful for all his hard work.

The walkway coming along.   All the items we used were purchased from Home Depot.  My husband has a horror story to tell you about his experience at Home Depot but we'll leave that for another day.

The brown mulch added a nice touch as you can see here. 

And here is the end result :) Since completing the project this past summer, a few things have changed as you will see in a future post.  Most of the plants we originally purchased died on us (we are still learning) so we had to replace them with more durable ones.  It's still looks adorable and so much better than before.  Our front yard is definitely a work in progress but this is so much better, don't you agree?

Feel free to share any gardening tips with me or some of your front or backyard projects, I would love to read all about them.

Till next time.

xoxo, Karina

Dining Room Tour

Hello everyone, I bring to you a small tour of our dining room!

One of the aspects I really love about our home is the open floor concept.  During our house search, I was hoping and wishing for an open floor plan that would allow us to enjoy company during family get-togethers.  This house was such a blessing because it had everything we needed and more :).    However, we later realized the house actually needed some work or some tender loving care as I like to see it :).  So, I made an effort to document the progress through pictures. 

I purchased this table back when I lived on my own.  My husband and I decided to keep it since it was the perfect size for us at that time.  It is incredibly cute and in very good condition, plus it still fits my decor style to date.  The only drawback to still having this table is the obvious -  it only seats four people - which has become a problem when hosting family and friends.  We are currently working on possibly selling this little piece and replacing it with one that accommodates a larger group.

I believe this wall has so much potential, don't you agree?  In the meantime, this is my temporary setup while I figure out what to do.  This cute table is from Bed Bath and Beyond - it originally came with two cute lamps which are now in different rooms in the house.   The flower arrangement is from Pier 1 and candles are from Costco.  The two paintings hanging above the table were purchased from Michaels earlier this year.  I like this look and it will work for now, but I will be posting an updated tour the moment we purchase a new dining room table or update this little corner so stay tuned. :)

I really, really, really like how this runner looks on our dining room table.  Seeing this everyday makes me happy - sometimes the smallest things are the best :).  This runner is from Target and is still in stock - just in case you were wondering :)  The runner is intended for a larger table, but I didn't want to return it so I made it work by folding it in the middle (as you can see in this picture).   If you are as passionate about home decor as I am (I'm guessing you are), you may have seen a similar flower arrangement on many other home decor blogs.  I was inspired by the white pitcher idea after seeing countless pictures over the last year and I just had to add it to our home.

Here is another view of our dining room.  You can see a little bit of our backyard. 

The white tray has a little story behind it.  Two weeks before our holiday break we began to get trays and trays of candy and holiday goodies at work.  Very thoughtful of people but not so great for those of us trying to practice self-control during the holiday season.  Anyhow, one client sent us a tray of dried which sat on our break room for about a week before someone decided it was time for the tray to be tossed.   I remember walking into the break room and spotting it right away.  I immediately pictured this tray on our table and grabbed it before anyone else had a chance to even see it :).   Don't be alarmed, I did ask my manager if I could take it home for a little experimentation. :)

This is the end result....I love it!  The tray was spray painted white to match my decor and I purchased these two door handles at OSH this past weekend.  I didn't want to deal with screws so I simply glued the handles to the tray and voila!  I cut a piece of burlap to add some contrast against the white tray and white pitcher.  I am planning on showing my manager a picture once I go back to work :)

Well there you have it, another room in our home is done.  I'm hoping to get around to showing you one of my DIY projects from a few weeks ago...can't wait!  Feel free to give me your feedback and share your ideas, I would love to hear all about your projects too!

xoxo, Karina