Photowall Wallpaper in the Dining Area

Photowall Wallpaper in the Dining Area

Our dining area (it's really an eat-in kitchen) has long been a sore spot for me. It is one of the most-used rooms in our home. We are here for meals and snacks and the assortment of puzzles, legos, coloring, and crafting sessions. I want it to really work well for the way we live. But I also want it to be pretty!

I have been thinking of giving it a little attention and changing things up, which is why I was so thrilled when the kind people at Photowall asked me if I'd be interested in trying out their product. Photowall is a Swedish company that produces wallpaper, wall murals, and canvas prints. (You can even turn your own images into wall murals!) I knew right where I wanted a little wall pattern: our dining area.

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My DIY Minimalist Bookshelf and What I Learned about Progress

My DIY Minimalist Bookshelf and What I Learned about Progress

Guys, I built this bookshelf for the girls' room and I can't even tell you how much joy it brings me. It is possibly the plainest bookshelf ever (the only detail is that I sprayed the tips of the legs gold) but I LOVE it. So very much.

Why? I love when a vague idea takes form and becomes something tangible. This was a project I designed and made with my own hands. It tested my limited math skills and my patience. But also, I love it because I learned some lessons about persistence, progress, and the joy of keeping at something until it is finished . . . even if it takes six months. 

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Easy DIY Outdoor Bench (from Cinder Blocks)

Easy DIY Outdoor Bench (from Cinder Blocks)

So many have gone before me on this one! This project is certainly not an original idea—I saw a cinder block outdoor bench in the pages of Better Homes & Gardens a few years back (this one, I believe) and then the googling and Pinterest-ing followed (check out this one and this one). There are a million of these out there in different configurations and that's the beauty of a cinder block bench—it is inexpensive, easy to customize, and simple to assemble.

I made this a few years ago and we used it as seating for our outdoor dining table. At first, I left the cinder blocks plain, but last year, I painted them white. I changed up our table and chairs a bit on the patio and moved this bench to a corner by the fence. Ben was teasing me the other night that it got demoted. :)

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Easy Outdoor Planters for Winter

Easy Outdoor Planters for Winter

I have never really done much to decorate the outside of our house for the winter months. Part of the reason is budget. When we do have money in the budget for decor items, I usually prioritize interior stuff over exterior. Do you guys face the same struggles? Is it just a Minnesota thing since we're inside for so much of the year?

Our front porch was looking rather sad, and I am thankful to have found a way to fill it with welcoming beauty for free!

A while back, a cousin on Ben's side (Hi, Erin!) posted a picture to Instagram of a winter planter she had put together and I was super inspired. I know you can buy spruce top bundles, red dogwood branches, and pretty birch logs for sale at grocery stores and nurseries, but they were kind of expensive and I just couldn't pull the trigger. Not when I would rather save that money for maybe putting together a little playroom in the basement (ahem). Ya hear me?

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A Fun Christmas Corner

A Fun Christmas Corner

When you decorate for Christmas, do you put holiday decor all throughout the house? I used to keep the Christmas decorations mostly in the living room, but since we've had the girls, I started bringing little touches into their bedrooms—and ours!

In our bedroom, I had such a blast styling up our dresser to show you the free Christmas art prints I made for you to download. The colors in the Luke 2 art print match perfectly with what we already have in the room: red and aqua.

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Easy Table Lamp Makeover with Spray Paint (and Ribbon)

Easy Table Lamp Makeover with Spray Paint (and Ribbon)

Happy Friday, everyone!

I'm sure you all know that paint is a super easy way to really transform your home. I've seen the effects of a new paint color on the walls. But spray paint is a whole new world for me. So many things are spray-paint-able, and the possibilities are pretty much endless! But let's start with a pair of lamps. A pair of hand-me-down lamps, to be exact.

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DIY (Super Easy) Framed Fabric Art

DIY (Super Easy) Framed Fabric Art

Big art is expensive. And then you have to custom frame that big art...and you might have to take out a second mortgage to pay for it.

Okay I'm mostly kidding. Mostly. We've been talking about creative uses for fabric in the home, and today's post offers you a solution for how to fill those big wall spaces in your home in a beautiful, unique, and budget-friendly way.

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DIY Pinch-Pleat Curtain Instructions from Duvet Covers

DIY Pinch-Pleat Curtain Instructions from Duvet Covers

Does anyone else find window treatments to be incredibly challenging? (The fact they are called “treatments" seems like a tip-off that we are in for trouble.) Custom options are very expensive, and ready-made options are limited, especially when you have a large window to cover.

Our living room window is 10 feet wide. I knew I wanted curtains, but it was going to take a lot of fabric to make my own. If I bought ready-made panels, I would need to sew together two for each side, driving up the costs. What to do?

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