I love Ikea and if I was given the chance for a shopping spree it would be a toss up between Ikea, Land of Nod, Home Goods and Crate and barrel! I love all of their stuff esp Land of Nod! I swoon over that catalog! :) 

Marc and I took a little ikea trip on mother's day while my parents kept an eye on the kids.  It was nice because it was not crowded at all, so we were able to really look around.  We ended the trip with cheese fries(since our closest ikea is located in the city and cheese steak places make the most amazingly delicious cheese fries!). 

Here's what I got!

   

We got this nice big salad bowl.

Can't forget the kids!

Rainbow dinnerware and it was super cheap!

A wooden lazy susan/ turn table.  I plan to use for cakes.

This big mirror I have been coveting for like ever.

I put it in our bedroom.

This cube bookshelf.  I made a half attempt to style them but am nowhere near finished!
The children's books are there to distract Emily from tossing everything else off the shelves that she can reach lol. 

DIY Open shelving!

I've always wanted some open shelving to display glasses, etc in our kitchen so I went for it on Wednesday! I just removed the doors and filled in my prettiest kitchen stuff.

The bottom clear glasses were purchased on our ikea trip.

The wine glasses above are from the dollar store(the big ones to the right)...believe it or not!

I have plans to paint gold polka dots on the tea cups and big serving pieces, but want to look into it first to make sure I get the right materials so it will last!

Accent wall before you enter the kitchen.  Palm Prints from Overstock

I also got my 3 big white frames for my DIY Prints but have not hung them up yet!

Happy Friday!

DIY M e n u B o a r d !

DIY Chalkboard Menu tutorial

and some H&M home decor!

This project has been on my to do list for quite a while but I finally completed it!

It really helps to eliminate the stress of having to decide what's for dinner by planning a weekly menu.  It saves money and makes food shopping quicker because I am WAY too indecisive to shop without a list! 

That way I can organize all my coupons and plan out my meals by what is on sale as well.

You'll need

A large open frame 16 x 20

Chalkboard paint

painter's tape

a pencil

Gold Spray paint(I used Rustoleum metallic gold)

a small roller 

 a paintbrush (the size you would use to do the edges on a wall)

I bought a cream colored frame and spray painted it gold.

You could make it easier by purchasing a gold frame.(Or keep it as is)

I always have gold spray paint handy though!

Step 1 Hang your frame then trace the inside of the frame lightly with a pencil.

Remove the frame and use the pencil lines as a guide to lay down your painter's tape.

Step 2 Paint the edges with a brush and use a small roller to paint the rest.

Allow to dry.

I used valspar chalkboard paint

Step 3 Re-hang your frame.

You're done! Congrats now start planning your menu. 

Here are some of my fave sites for inspiration.

Life in the lofthouse

(lots of kid friendly delicious recipes)

Hello Newlywed life

Check out Megan's blog for recipe's and fab dinner menus! 

She posts her menu plan weekly on Mondays

Food.com

Delish recipes with reviews! 

I've found tons of recipes on this site.

Leave some of your faves in a comment!

Image via Handmade Ryan Gosling

I know right!?

I made this one and intended to use it as a daily to do list, but have been using it for quotes instead.

I made the polka dots with a 1 inch circle punch.

This is like the house motto lol.(with three small children it's the only way to be!)

I recently bought a few candles from H&M and a new pillow cover! 

I was really excited to discover that they sell reasonably priced home decor.

I got 3 candles and a cushion cover.

Bedside table

Silver Calm candle

The chair is from Marshalls

Love candle

The first coffee table book I ever purchased!  Which btw I could use some new ones.

Any recommendations?

Sequin cushion cover

I love anything with some sparkle. The pillow is already getting a bit disheveled looking from the kids but it should hold up just fine otherwise.(because they are obsessed with it lol)

That is Luke's new bean bag chair from HSN.

My parents got it for him for his bday. It is the Perfect gift for a kid that needs sensory input. Luke loves it!  It is soo comfy too!

Have a fantastic weekend!

DIY Menu Board

DIY Menu Board!

Having a Menu board is a great way to organize your meals for the week!  I like to plan my meals out in advance for the week depending upon whats on sale and coupons etc. I find it saves money as well as time.  I like that I don't have to worry about what to make the day of because life can be pretty busy with work and  3 kids and I have a tendency to be a little indeciesive. 

If you would like to make one for your home all you will need is a Pretty frame that measure 16 X 20 and a mounting board.  I purchased both at Hobby Lobby.  Here are the links.



Mounting Board


 

I haven't hung mine up on the wall yet but when I do I will post another picture. There is also a shiny black frame on the website that would be gorgeous. I would have purchased the black frame but I have a small gallery wall that I use to hang up the kids art using glossy black frames so I wanted to choose something different for this project.

Kate Spade Inspired Canvas

 

When I saw this piece of DIY art on pinterest I instantly fell in love.  I love DIY projects, especially home decor related crafts.  This is super easy to make and you don''t need many supplies. 

My Tutorial is inspired by this one at JaderBomb I came across on pinterest. 

You will need:

A square 12 x 12 white canvas

A circle punch(Otherwise you will need to trace and cut out your circles)

I used Rustoleum's Gold Metallic Spray paint sprayed on white scrapbook paper. 

I also used Martha Stewart's fine glitter(Florentine gold, and Smoky Quartz) mixed with modpodge painted on white cardstock to create the glittery dots. 

 I bought a big Gold Metallic sheet of scrapbook paper(from Hobby Lobby) for the super shiny circles.  

I'm sure you can modify the supplies and use what you have from your own craft collection. 

 I saw that some people bought glittery scrapbook paper, and used that.  I love the way mine turned out though.  I am obsessed with Martha Stewart glitter.(It is soo pretty.)

I also think that Rustoleum Gold Metallic is the perfect shade of gold paint.  I think that the gold metallic dots(I didn't use as many) really completed the look, but I felt that if all of them were done in the metallic it would be overwhelming and might look funny when light hit at certain angles.   I like the mix of the different shades of gold together.    I also made a large version of this using a 24 x 30 white canvas.  I hung them both up in the same room on separate walls.  I have this in my family room but I could see it in a bedroom, office or even a dining area. 

I cut out all my circles then placed them where I wanted.  I then proceeded to glue each dot down in place using modpodge and a small paintbrush.  The tutorial I linked used a glue gun which would probably be much easier, but I don't own one so I used what I had.  Now your done its as simple as that, all that's left to do is hang it up! Enjoy your fabulous new wall art.

The circle punch is also amazing for creating super cute confetti. You could use gold paper for some Kate Spade inspired confetti! I'm pretty sure they actually do sell that, or multicolor tissue paper for kids birthday parties would be really fun.