ORGANIZATION: SPACES FOR SMALL OBJECTS.

The key to organizing odds and ends around the house is coming up with containment solutions. We all collect little bits of random things, small objects, keys, cosmetics and creating small spaces specifically for these items will give you a more harmonious home.

Trays, canisters, and mason jars make excellent hold-alls. I love the kitchen accessories at Anthropologie- their porcelain berry baskets make great spots for hairgoods, bracelets, and rings. The chalkboard trend is super fun for those who love labeling- a caddy for remotes and loose cables such as phone chargers and USB cables keeps your coffee and end tables clear. I love using clear glass jars to store my nail polishes, easy to see and doesn't take up precious counter and drawer space on my vanity! Trays are a great way to keep like items together- by our front door I made this small display for our collection of sunnies, I hang our more frequently used glasses on the tree sculpture and let the others rest in the tray. Create pretty displays on cake stands, in bell jars, and in bowls with seasonal items (like the gourds above) to add interest to book shelves and tables.

Make a pretty tray for your odds and ends! I re-styled this wooden tray to go better with our bedroom decor. What you need: wooden tray, new or old (you can get them for a few bucks at the craft store), paint, metallic paper, and glue. Simply paint your tray and cut your paper to line the tray to size- securely glue into place. Thanks to the magic of fast drying acrylic paint this project can be completed in about a half hour!

Happy organizing!
Xo-
Janae

A NEW MONTH, A NEW LIST.

A new month means a new to-do list. I didn't make an over all list for the last few summer months but there are things I want to squeeze in before fall. New crafts to try, projects to finally complete, outdoor activities that require warm temps (mini golf and outdoor concerts!) ... I just love new beginnings and a new list to make.

Xo-
Janae

A BEAUTIFUL WEEKEND.

1. chocolate drizzle cream horns and coffee
2. Energy drinks from the craziest super market ever
3. Penny talk by Essie
4. a handsome husband
5. said husbands new killer kicks
6. meringue cookies and sweet wine (decided pink is the best by default)
7. September issues are the best
8. sleepy Stella

Xo-
Janae

DIY: DREAMCATCHER JEWELRY DISPLAY.

I love that its practically a given in design these days that items such as shoes, favorite garments, and jewelry are made a part of the decor and not just stowed away in drawers and closets. I have quite an extensive costume jewelry collection and it was about time I made a home for some of my favorite earrings.

What I did: you need 1 extra large embroidery hoop, spray paint, twine, and pretty jewelry to display. The mister was kind enough to spray paint my hoop for me- just separate the hoops and evenly coat the whole thing. Let dry. Tie one end of your twine to the inner hoop and begin wrapping it around- be taught with the string but not so tight you warp the flexible wood. Tie the other end to the hoop when you have created enough twine space for your baubles. Place the larger outer hoop around the inner hoop and tighten. Hang and decorate!

Easy as pie and easy on the eyes!

Happy DIYing!
xo-
Janae

HOME.

We are homebodies. We love being home and making it a place we want to spend all of our time. This past week we mega-purged, reorganized, and upgraded some furniture all in preparation for a garage sale that didn't happen (yet!) ... we couldn't stand the thought of sitting outside in 110 degree weather.

What all are you up to this Sunday?

Xo-
Janae

AND THATS A WRAP...

... on the best weekend ever.

 And whats a weekend without some instagrams?

 birthday decorations and nail art

pretty collars and breakfast for a birthday boy

everything was in the spirit and lots of presents

Solid Gold and bleach tee art

Cupcake wine and taking the pup on lots of field trips this weekend

It was one jam packed weekend with good food, good company, and great memories. Nate celebrated turning 26 by shaving his beard to chops (!!), having a slew of birthday coupons to cash in (scalp massage, anyone?) and getting his choice of activities and food (Thor and Cheesecake Factory- no complaints here).

What did you do this weekend??

Xo-

Janae

PLANNING FOR SUMMER.

via

May has been the busiest month for us so far- working out of town, Mother's Day celebrations, working on the accessory launch, prepping for a garage sale and the general meet-ups and appointments of life in between. As far as I can tell June isn't going to slow down much either. We have our wedding anniversary, Nate and Stella's birthday (yes, we celebrate hers too :)) my little sisters birthday and graduation, Dads Day, my work schedule and between it all I want to plan a weekend get-away (foreseeing that being bumped into July, just calling it like I see it)

Even though these months are constantly moving forward at an insane speed with all of these commitments I want to commit to myself that I am enjoying every single one. We can get swept up in just 'getting through' and moving on to the next. But this summer has some pretty awesome milestones for us!

I have already set time aside to start on Nate's birthday-palooza to make sure I get every detail I dream up without rushing last minute.

Little sisters only graduate from High School once so working on a memorable gift and making the time to help her with her party is important to me. 

Our wedding anniversary is always so special, and three years this year! Time flies. 

Celebrating our parents on their respective days seems to get more important every year as my appreciation for them grows.

Finally seeing the hard work I have put into this accessory collection come to fruition on June 1st will be a major reward in itself!

And between it all remembering to sit back, relax, and enjoy summer. 

Whats exciting on your agenda?

Xo-

Janae

SUNDAY DINNER.

 his and hers

Last night the mister and I tag teamed on making this amazing dinner ... the recipes are the Chicken Stir Fry and Fried Rice from Gwenyth Paltrow's My Fathers Daughter. Umm delicious!  I made beets to go along with mine- beets always remind me of my grandma, she used to make them all of the time. I love nostalgic foods!

We have the heart measuring cup set from UO and I had to snap this of the brown sugar- shaped measuring cups are the best :)

Xo-
Janae

CHANGE IS GOOD.

 That people, is me planning out our weekly meals. And a detailed grocery list. That people, is something that used to never happen. I was more of a fly by the seat of my pants kind of gal when it came to dinner preparations- which may be the culprit of our becoming regulars at just about every nearby restaurant/take out. Not a proud moment of realization, let me tell you.

So we went grocery shopping, we used our reusable shopping bags, and we spent under $100 for a weeks worth of meals. Not too shabby. There may have been a few meltdowns in the kitchen as mentioned in the post about the mac n cheese earlier in the week, but over all, I like to think that I am getting a little more comfortable in my role as chef. 

I am looking forward in the coming weeks sharing with you the recipes I find that I can't resist and ones that are a big hit with the mister. Nate is a hard core carnivore, I am of the vegetarian variety, so finding a harmonious meal can be hard some times. Hmm, new series perhaps? :)

Happy cooking, friends- I hope your Sunday is perfect!

Xo-
Janae

NEW FOODS.

 homemade spaghetti sauce with penne and fresh Parmesan, garlic toast (broiled),baby spinach salad with avocado, chive, and balsamic vinaigrette.

This week I have successfully cooked more meals than ordered take out meals. Huge. Step. This is one of the meals I made earlier in the week- I am a big fan of the homemade sauce! It had such a fantastic natural taste to it.

Do you have any go-to recipes?

Xo-
Janae

EASY BOOKENDS.

I have been on the hunt for the perfect bookends for awhile now. Since I have yet to find my investment piece of a bookend I decided to try a practical and inexpensive way to contain my cookbooks. The answer came to me in the form of bricks! For .49 a piece I paid less than a dollar! I simply attached some felt to the bottom to protect the vintage stereo they sit on and bam, done in like 2 minutes.

I hope your week ended on a high note- tomorrow I am helping my baby sister get ready for her senior prom ... senior prom. So hard to believe this is the last dance I will provide a cover up, do her makeup and be her apparel adviser. ::sniff:: They grow up so fast.

Any fun plans for the weekend? I would love to hear! The mister and I need a good idea for Sunday :)

Xo-
Janae

DIY: DINO DECOR.

Here is a fun and easy way to decorate your space with an inexpensive spin on a childs toy! The mister loves dinosaurs and I am always trying to integrate our two different tastes in our home- so when I was looking for a fresh idea for a centerpiece I turned to these little guys at the dollar store.

What you will need: Dinosaurs (or any plastic animal) acrylic paint, brushes, high gloss glaze medium, cake pedestal.

Paint your dino's whatever color you desire and let dry. Ours took about 4 coats of paint. Allow to completely dry and then apply your gloss glaze. This will give your dino a nice polished look and help keep the paint from chipping. Once complete, I arranged mine on a cake pedestal in the center of our table... I love the way they turned out!

I am hoping to find at least one large on to add to the bunch!

Happy painting!
Xo-
Janae

GO GREEN.

I am really excited because I just signed up on practicallygreen.com! One of my goals on my 25 before 26 list is to adopt three greener practices and I was fumbling around unsure of what I could do- but this site makes it super simple. You start by taking a quiz that shows you how green your daily practices already are, and then you can create action plans, get tips and advice, and hear about others experiences with their adventures in going green. This week I am going to finish changing out our light bulbs to be all energy efficient and turn down the thermostat on the water heater (once I figure out how!). I think my goal of just 3 things is going to be a little easier than expected and I have a feeling I will be surpassing!

Here is to green living!
Xo-
Janae

DIY: SHADOW BOX MAKE OVER.

This weekend we took on this mini make over project. These boxes are originally the bamboo you see below the newly painted box. We will be repainting the next one with a bright blue trim- I am loving how clean and fresh white is looking right now!  And pops of bright color? Yes, please :)

Xo-
Janae

WEEKEND MINI MAKEOVER: BEDROOM.

Two weekends ago I conquered out living room with some spring cleaning and re-design on a budget, and this weekend we moved onto the bedroom. This makeover had a slightly larger budget, but lets get real here, Ikea just does that to you :)

 What we did: changed the duvet cover from the fun tree print to a serene textured gray. Took our hers and his drawer covers out of the headboard for a more open/modern look on our vintage bed. Took down our row of photos and put up a single large print (I have wanted this print for forever!). Not pictured is two mirrors, one over my vanity, and one full length that used to have dark black frames that we swapped out for mirrors sans frame- it made an amazing difference! I picked up some accent pillows that were on clearance at Target and painted our end tables from red to white and gray. Whew! We did a lot and it only look us about 3 hours!

The space looks ten times larger and oh so bright, it makes me happy every time I walk in :)

Our Sunday has been absolutely bliss. I picked up a hot pink hair extension and we had breakfast for dinner. It was 67 degrees out today and we spent some much needed out of doors time with Stella. We are now sitting in our living room, windows open, music playing, editing photos and working on projects. Why can't weekends last forever and ever?

Xo-
Janae

WEEKEND MINI MAKEOVER.

This was our living room this morning. Though I thoroughly enjoy bright colors and lots of pattern ... lately the mister and I have been talking about a more simplified, minimalist take on our little love nest. So in one afternoon- 2 hours tops, this is what we came up with ... and it only cost us about thirty bucks.

 I purchased the fabric/made the pillows today, and purchased the black tote from Target to hold my magazines under the end table. Everything else we already had! I reused an old frame to showcase some of our Instagrams (ordered via Postal Pix) I love a quick re-do to freshen a space and I love how pairing down on things makes it look so different! Spring cleaning has officially begun around here ...

Xo-
Janae