Piano Makeover: Part 2

Let me just say I LOVE chalk paint!!  No sanding or priming required. After the survey and a long discussion with the family members we decided to go with a very light blue. It's really like a white with a hint of blue. We went to downtown Norcross to a store called Chalk It Up and bought some Annie Sloan chalk paint and wax. I mixed the Old White with Provence. 

I was a little nervous so started with the bench. Since we were giving the bench a whole new look, I also picked up some fabric in the clearance section of Hobby Lobby for $2!!  

Then I just went for it.  The greatest thing about this paint is that it dries so fast!!  So I was able to do three coats in less than 2 hours. I want to paint every furniture I have now! Please excuse the bad lighting. Next is the actual piano.  Since I'm going out of town, I likely won't be able to tackle it till next week but stay tuned!!

Piano Makeover: Part 1

This summer I am doing some rearranging of furniture and spending some time organizing the house.  Since we have renovated our home, I haven't dedicated much time decorating each room.  We kinda just placed the furniture we had and I've spent a lot of time thinking and pinning ideas on Pinterest.  Now that it's been two years since we've been in this space and I'm not pregnant or adjusting to life with a newborn and as a family of four, I have some time to actually put things together.  Now, the biggest challenge I have is furniture arrangement.  We have some amazing space but not many walls.  I have ideas of what I want done, but can't seem to arrange it all together. 

One of the things I wanted to do is create a family work space.  A space where the kids can do homework, where we can put a family computer, and organize bills and other paperwork.  This was my inspiration:

Source:  http://www.nouvelledaily.com/blog/posts/2014/november/a-workspace-for-two/

But the space I want to use to create this has our piano sitting there.  Finding space for a piano where we don't have many walls is a challenge. Also, I wanted to give this piano some new life and help it fit into our color scheme a little better.  I've been quite inspired by all the painted pianos I've seen on Pinterest:

Source:  http://www.32turns.com/piano-makeover/

 

Source:  http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/paint-piano-chalkpaint/

 

The plan is to go buy some chalk paint this weekend and to just go for it.  I'll be sure to post progress pictures along the way and tons of before and after shots.  What color should we paint it?

 



What color should we paint our piano

White

Blue

Gray

Poll Maker

Memorial Day Giveaway

Cat is one of the most sweetest person my sister and I have ever met.  She is just full of energy and is always just so positive.  I also love the work that she does.  She's super talented and her digital portraits are amazing!!  I love how her work reflects her personality--fun, cute, and positive.

Here are a few she's done from our blog:

Obviously super-talented and this soon to be momma graciously offered a FREE digital portrait of 1 individual to one of our readers.  So, to kick off our summer giveaway series, go visit Cat+Mouse and enter to win our first giveaway.  This giveaway will end Monday, May 25 and we will pick a winner on Tues.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Summer 2015 Giveaway Series

We are in a Pinterest, subscription box, DIY society and often feel pressured to handcraft those teacher's appreciation gifts or make homemade, healthy cookies for your kid's birthday party.  Fast food is out, home cooking is in.  But all of this adds pressure to many of us who are just trying to keep our heads above water, balancing family, work, and friends.

So, it makes me even that much more thankful for my talented friends who spend their free hours crafting and creating for us, so that we can have a beautiful banner hanging above the mandatory dessert table or the handcrafted dresses for our little girls so that they can look like little girls instead of teenagers or beautiful prints to hang on our walls to show off to family and friends or photographs to capture those special moments and put onto our printed baby announcements or Christmas cards.  These are a sneak peak of the giveaway prizes we will showcase throughout this summer.  Throughout the summer, we will share with you some amazing, better than Pinterest, beyond your ability talent.  And greater than their talent, they have an even more beautiful and generous heart that will offer a giveaway for one of our lucky readers.

The first giveaway will be a Memorial Day Giveaway.  It will start at noon on May 23 and end at 9PM on the 25.  Details will be forthcoming.

In addition to the giveaways, we will try to blog some more about life and style.  For now, here's a picture that represents summer to our family.  We love Rita's Italian Ice and look forward to it opening every year.

Maxi Love

I've never been a big maxi girl cause I could never find any that fit me well. Having short legs makes wearing certain types of clothes a lot harder. But during my pregnancy last year I fell in love with wearing maxi's. They are so easy to wear and style. So, I was on the hunt for my perfect summer maxi. There are many styles out there but for now since I am still nursing it was important that I find one that is nursing friendly. It also had to be the right length. I also wanted a full maxi and not just a skirt. So, when I came across this spoiler from Goldentote last month. I was convinced I needed this dress. 

When it came in the mail, I ripped the box open and it was the first item I tried on. Oh my, it exceeded my expectation. Perfect length, fit, quality, and cut.  I can actually wear it with flats!! The only thing I wish is that it was a different color but black goes with everything so I was fine with it. It came with a faux leather belt but i'm considering pairing it with other belts to give it some more life.

 

Stitch Fix vs. GoldenTote May 2015

So, April just escaped me and now we are in May.  I have a ton of things to share with you and some really great post ideas as well but let me start with what I got in my May Stitch Fix box.

This time I told my stylist that summers in Atlanta are brutal so I requested clothing items that were breathable, mainly cotton.  I also asked for some cute shorts I can dress up or down.  Last I requested a cute summer bag or clutch.  And guess what?  My stylist delivered!!

Now, here are each item:

Dear John Finnegan Roll Cuff Chino Short--$48 and Skies Are Blue Sherry Embroidery Detail Tank- $48

Love these shorts!!  It has a pinstripe detail on it and can be easily dressed up or down. The tank is great too. I love the detail on it, it's not over-the-top but it still makes a statement. Only problem is that the tank is big around the armhole. 

Shorts-keep!  Tank-undecided

Fun2fun Charles Embroidered Trim Blouse-$38

This top is a geogous color with a great embroidered trim detail. The only problem is it feels too short. Maybe if I wear with a high-waisted skirt I could make it work?--undecided. 

Fun2fun Talula Lace Back Top- $44

Love love love this top. It's all business in the front and fun and flirty in the back. The print is subtle and the lace is reserved. I like how the lace is only on the bottom half and I don't have to worry about wearing the right bra. This is definitely a keeper!!

Urban Expresions Adelade Woven Fold-Over Clutch- $48

This clutch is cute and is a great color. I've been needing a new everyday clutch. Just not sure if I want to spend this much on a clutch--undecided.

Everything she sent is exactly my style and better than what I would have picked out for myself.  We are in such good sync and every box has gotten better.

Now here is my dilemma...a couple weeks ago I ordered myself a Golden Tote box.  What is Golden Tote you ask?  It's a similar but completely different concept.  You can pick either a small or large tote.  Depending on which tote you pick, you then select one or two items you want to include in your tote.  Then they will include one to four items as a surprise.  Here's the thing though, it's all or nothing.  Now, you may be wondering about the quality of the items, it's great, no different than stitch fix.  Many of the items are boutique store items, similar pieces are found in Modcloth, Shopruche, and even Anthropologie.  Now, what's the cost?  It's $49 for a small tote and $149 for a large tote. But when you break it down per item it comes down to $25 each. 

So, back to when I ordered a large Golden Tote a couple weeks ago.  They had two pieces that I've been looking for as key staple pieces.  My plan was to keep 3 or 4 items then sell the others (there's also a whole trading/selling group on Facebook).  But then I got my tote and fell in love with every piece!!  Here's what I got:

--Black Maxi Dress
--Peach Dress
--White Jeans
--Blue Embroidered Tunic/Dress
--Bib top
--Lace top

But now that I also have my stitch fix box and there are multiple pieces I want to keep, I need to decide which pieces to sell.  Do you see my dilemma now?  I still have some Stitch Fix credit, so that's a plus.  Which would you sell/keep?