2012 March

Updates in the Office

March 30, 2012 by beth 5 Comments

Remember the office makeover I started quite some time ago? It all began with this inspiration picture from Pottery Barn:

Coral Panels

Pottery Barn

The last time I showed you our office, it looked like this:

New horizontal striped curtains my MIL and I made (see the tutorial HERE), a FREE desk chair (details HERE), and…that’s about it. You’re just staring at a bunch of wishes and dreams, really. I wasn’t too sure where to go next with the makeover, until it hit me:

I still have some FREE paint.

Yep, my FREE curb-side rescued paint that I had re-tinted to blue would be the perfect color in here. It looked pretty good on our TV Dresser…why not in the office, too?

I really thought it would be a great idea to use up the rest of this free gallon of paint on the walls. I completely believed, with all my heart, that if I was really really careful, I could make the 3/4 gallon last on all four walls.

Yeah. Feel free to call me delusional.

Funny Friendship Ecard: A friend told me I was delusional. I almost fell off of my unicorn.

someecards.com

We made it through about one wall or so before we ran out of paint. :/ Because the paint I “rescued” from the curb was some of the cheapest paint you can rescue (or buy, if that’s how you roll). (Hmm. Was that why they were throwing it out? Probably. Next time I’ll be sure to snatch up good-quality paint from the trash instead.)

Anyway, it took about two or three more gallons and 4 (YES, 4!!) freakin’ coats of paint to get the whole room done. Because I thought it would be less expensive to drive to Home Depot a million times and get super cheap paint each time than buy 2 gallons good quality paint once and call it good.

That’s a Free Stylin’ tip for ya:

Sometimes don’t be so freakin’ cheap (I’m really talking to myself here.)

It is better to pay a little extra up front for something that is better quality one time than paying a little bit for a poorer quality item multiple times.

I love learning life lessons the hard way.

So, here’s some paint action shots…

Once the paint was on the walls, things just sat for a little while because of the holidays and stuff. Eventually I got the Office bug again and decided it was time to finish this makeover for reals.

Furniture was next on my list. After looking around at what we had compared to what we needed, I finally pulled the trigger on the armoire. We didn’t really need it, I wanted $$ for a new desk, so I sold it on Craigslist.

See ya friend!

There is so much more space in the room now! Which is good, because I decided instead of buying a new desk, I’d build one. And it’s a bit bigger than the one we had before.

I’ll share how I built this budget-friendly desk next week.

I’m thinking some task lighting, in the form of lamps like my inspiration picture, need to flank the desk. Add that to the list.

Coral Panels

I also started on a gallery wall on one large wall. And when I say started, I mean I FINALLY framed a picture we’ve been meaning to frame for about 4 years. The Hubs took it on a trip we took to Cozumel, and we had it enlarged to poster size through Shutterfly. A white Ikea frame is exactly what it needed to become the center of attention. The gallery wall will build off of this starting point.

So this is how our office looks right now. Progress! Progress feels good.

Wanna little before and after? Well, before and during pics? Let’s take a look back:

Right after we moved in…

After a little unpacking and straightening…

Today…

It’s getting there! The Hubs is enjoying more space at the desk, and sometimes we work up there together. I still have a million ideas I need to edit out. And a little $$ saving to do for some of the things I want, like a daybed or couch for guests, and a rug. But it’ll all come with time. Thanks for taking the journey with me! I’m looking forward to the next steps.

Come back next week to see how I built the desk…using some rope, a glue gun, and some unusual materials from Ikea.

I’m linking up!

Filed Under: Beach, Before and After, Craigslist, Free, Office, Paint

Pinterest is Like Crack

March 28, 2012 by beth 4 Comments

K, so if you haven’t heard of Pinterest by now, you must be living under a rock. (No offense.) It is seriously one of my favorite places to hang out and get ideas and dream and feel completely productive even though I just wasted a good hour or two with absolutely nothing to show for it. I love that I can look up something and find a million pictures, quotes, recipes, and fashion ideas surrounding the topic.

And I just. can’t. stay. away.

+ = LOVE

But I’m not a total scrounge. I actually DO use some of the pins I pin. Here’s a little round up of some pins that I’ve been digging on and actually used:

This picture has been the wallpaper on my phone for a few months. When I saw it, I just loved the thought of going for a long walk with someone and having one of those beautiful, therapeutic conversations interspersed with completely comfortable silence.

source

When I came across this picture of Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad, I immediately knew what to make with the leftover turkey in my freezer. I just substituted it for the chicken. The cranberries are the perfect hint of sweet and tangy, and I love the idea of using plain yogurt to lighten up the mayo. This sandwich was seriously good enough to order in a pricey sandwich shop, but I made it at home. (I’m talkin’ to you, Panera Bread!)

Plum Pie

I recently made Dijon Ham and Asparagus Roll Ups for dinner. They were super easy to assemble, and most of the ingredients were staples from the fridge. The Roll Ups were a hit in this house, but if I were to make them again, I think I’d cook them just a little longer. The insides of the rolls didn’t get as cooked as I would have liked. It’s not the bread’s fault, though. It has to share a lot of space with a bunch of other stuff, which it isn’t used to. So…note to self: cook a few minutes more next time.

the fresh fridge

Yeah, so three cheers for the chick who invented this next dish. Seriously. Crock Pot Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken has THREE ingredients peeps. And it’s really yummy. And so freakin’ easy. The secret to it’s awesome taste is Hawaiian-Style Barbecue Sauce from Target, and because the meal is so simple to make, it must be popular. I had to check Target a couple of times before the sauce was in stock. Although rice is the suggested side dish, I made mine with Ramen Noodles (yeah, I said it!) because the boys LOVE them, and I hate rice. (I know. I’m a weirdo.)

Six Sisters’ Stuff

K, enough with the food. (Can you tell it’s getting close to dinner time?) I pinned some helpful hints that have been…helpful. (I’m a freakin’ thesaurus, I know.)

Piggy-backing on my White Board in the Shower tip, bringing the markers down to the kidlets’ level keeps them occupied while being creative, too. Using washable markers in the tub is all the rage in the Free Stylin’ house right now. Pickle refuses to get in without at least one marker. J is quickly catching on. Best parts: it cleans right up when I turn on the bath water, and the boys get to spend some time hanging out together.

Thoughts from the Courage Zone

Robin at keep home simple shared an inexpensive and smart way to clean your blinds using vinegar, water, and a sock. The ingredients are home healthy, and the sock idea is genius because you actually get all of the blinds clean using your whole hand. We have a gajillion blinds in this house, so yeah…I’ve found this tip both cost effective and helpful. Now all I need is an Oompa Loompa to do the actual cleaning for me.

keep home simple

I’m such a beach faa-reeeek!! that I should have known this tip for years…especially while living in The Florida Keys, but (thanks to Pinterest) I just recently stumbled across using baby powder to get sand off of skin quickly and painlessly. I was able to try it out on our most recent trip to the beach, and it was so much easier to remove that annoying sand. (You know, the sand that sticks when you want it off…not to be confused with the warm, tropical sand that’s perfect for relaxing your feet in.)

I Heart Naptime

My newest favorite thing that I have DEFINITELY been using, thanks to Pinterest, is this home fragrance recipe that you make on the stove. One More Moore used to work at Williams Sonoma and says this is the stuff they would simmer on a stove to make the whole store smell good. I’ve had this simmering on my stove a lot recently, and it makes my house smell awesome (in my humble opinion). Another THREE ingredient recipe, using stuff you probably already have in your fridge and pantry.

My two cents tips: 1.) zest the lemon with a grater/microplane first, then add the zest and sliced lemon to the water. 2.) scrape the rosemary with the back of a knife before roughly chopping it. In both cases, zesting and scraping releases the oils inside the lemon and rosemary, making the potpourri more intense.

One More Moore

K, so this has nothing to do with helpful hints or recipes or whatever, but when I came across a pin of the You Tube video of Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling receiving MTV’s Best Kiss Award, holy cow. I could not wipe the big, fat, teenage-girl grin off my face. I just kept pushing repeat. Put a smile on your own face: check out the video HERE.

Here’s a sneak peek at my next project for the boys’ room, using ideas I found via Pinterest:

A little of this:

The Organized Mom

combined with some of this:

Southern Lovely

CAN’T Wait!!

I’ll leave you with a little more Pinterest eye candy (thanks to The Rusted Chain)…my boy Matthew McConaughey. He is on My List. The Hubs knows it, and we have discussed at length that I will kiss Matthew on the mouth if we ever run into him in person.

Cuz he totally gets me:

The Rusted Chain

If you would like to follow me on Pinterest, please go Here. And if you would like an invitation to join Pinterest, send me an e-mail at freestylinbeth (at) gmail (dot) com, and I’ll give you one!

Filed Under: Pinterest, Quick Tip, Random, Recipes

A Map Wall for the Boys

March 26, 2012 by beth 37 Comments

K, so many years ago (BK…Before Kids) I came across a picture in a magazine that had map wallpaper in a boy’s room. I yanked the picture out and kept it close to my heart (or just in a file, really).

A few years went by…I now had a new cutie-pie sweet-cheeks baby boy, and there was a large stack of maps up for grabs at a yard sale up the street. Remembering the magazine picture, I snatched the maps up (plus some other stuff) for like 3 bucks total I think.

Fast forward 5 or 6 more years, a second cutie-pie sweet-cheeks boy, and a Pottery Barn Kids catalog with this picture in it:

Pottery Barn Kids

It was SO time to get this map wall ball rolling.

Of course I waited another…what? two years? Pinterest came along, and I pinned this awesome room:

So what did finally get me to make a map wall for my sweet boys? My awesome friend, Allison. She was over the other day, and I showed her the stack of maps and shared my idea, and she goes, “Let’s do it now!” Now?! Like right now? Okay!!

The project ended up being pretty easy, and it only took about three hours. Here’s how it all went down:

The boys share a room. This is Pickle’s side before the map wall:

I pulled out the stack of maps. Luckily Pickle and I had already sorted out some of his faves a year or two ago, so I started with those.

I gathered the rest of the materials we’d need:

*a stapler with staples

*scissors

*an X-acto knife

*Mod Podge

*foam paint brush

As Allison eyeballed the map (who needs a level??), I stapled the first map right in the middle of the wall.

We then added maps according to size, shape (horizontal and vertical), and sometimes color. Allison let me take a quick pic of her modeling the wall.

Once the middle was full, it was time to tackle the edges. Maps were placed the way I liked them, and then they were folded.

Using an X-acto knife, I cut the map along the fold.

Some of the maps were pretty large, and the wall only needed a small space filled. We cut down the map first to keep things from getting too hard to maneuver.

I tried to add maps that had meaning to us. The Hubs is from Salt Lake City, UT, but his family is originally from Greece.

A shout out to our time living in The Keys:

A large map of Brazil, where The Hubs served an LDS mission:

Once the maps were up on the wall, it was time to keep these cute boys from ripping the edges. This is where the Mod Podge comes in.

After dipping the foam brush into the Mod Podge, I “painted” the edges of the map, squishing the brush underneath the overlapping map.

Then I “painted” down over the edges. This makes the two maps stick together.

To even it all out, and to smooth out bubbles, I ran my finger along the edge. This also ensures excess Mod Podge is removed. My hands were a mess after for sure!

I Mod Podged all the edges, and I went back and added a second (sometimes third) coat to the “high traffic” areas (aka where my kid could reach).

Here’s the completed wall:

I absolutely LOVE how the wall turned out, and I can’t believe it took me SO long to start. Besides looking really cool, I love this project because it is renter-friendly. We can’t alter a lot in this house, and this map wall flips the proverbial decorating bird at that rule.

In keeping with the map theme, I added some oh.so.cool pillow cases to the beds that my MIL made for the boys. The “N” on the compass can pass for both Pickle’s first name on his pillow and North on J’s pillow.

Once it was finished, the boys ran in to see the new wall.

Then J started shoving. :/

Anyway, as far as a cost breakdown goes, this project was FREE!! I used the maps I’ve had for YEARS, some Mod Podge my MIL left after her last visit, and staples from the stapler.

One last look of the wall:

Before:

After:

I have a few small tweaks I still want to make in the boys’ room (headboards and a little punch of color!), so look for those changes as I go along.

Thank you, Allison, for your help! It’s always so fun to hang out with you!!

I’m linking up:

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia , A Bowl Full of Lemons, The Thrifty Home, Someday Crafts, Seven Thirty Three, Beyond the Picket Fence, House of Hepworths, Tales From Bloggeritaville, Made in a Day, Sassy Sites, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, The Shabby Nest, Remodelaholic, Blue Cricket Design, Beneath My Heart, Lolly Jane Boutique, Be Different Act Normal, C.R.A.F.T., Thrifty Decor Chick, Funky Junk Interiors

One Artsy Mama

Pin It

Filed Under: Before and After, Boys' Room, DIY, Free

Quick Tip: A White Board in the Shower

March 20, 2012 by beth 9 Comments

For some reason, the second I step into the shower, and stare at this, ALL of the things I need to remember immediately begin to bombard my brain:

Inspiring, I know…

It’s like it knows I can’t go anywhere or write stuff down or hop out to find a piece of paper. So the list making continues until my shower is over, and then everything that’s been spewing out of my brain stops…likes it’s invisibly connected to the water faucet.

So, one day I came up with a solution:

See it? Up there in the top left corner?

Yeah, I grabbed a waterproof marker BEFORE my shower, and the moment the ideas and errands and reminders began pouring out with the hot water, I started writing them down. Up high, too, or the water would erase it. And the marker doesn’t like to write on wet walls.

My green friend now sits on the top of the shower door (where cute kidlets can’t steal it) just in case I need to use it to remind me of something or a good Free Stylin’ idea hits me. Or as a reminder to my ~~partner in crime~~ cute friend Janae to freakin’ call me back already.

So, yeah. That’s my quick tip today. If you have a shower wall that’s erasable, and you need to remind yourself of stuff, write it down where you’re thinking about it. Even if people walk into your bathroom and roll their eyes because you’ve always been a bit of a question mark, and now you’re giving them just a little more evidence to go with.

Pin It

Filed Under: Bathroom, Quick Tip

Quick Tip: Spaghetti with a Secret

March 13, 2012 by beth 7 Comments

K, so a couple of years ago I was watching The Oprah Show, and they had this awesome recipe for fettuccini alfredo that is both healthy and heart friendly. The secret? White beans. They made the sauce thick and creamy while knocking out a bunch of calories and fat grams.

Nice.

Sometimes I make the sneaky fettuccini recipe – my family is totally fooled. And sometimes I alter things by adding white beans to my spaghetti sauce when we are out of ground meat. Because I don’t feel like making a trip to the store just for ground meat. Because I don’t want to ~~herd the cats~~ get the kids in the car and wrestle them in the store. I never come out with just the one thing I went in for. We always need diapers and milk. Plus double stuffed Oreos are constantly messing with my head and insist that I bring them home. And there’s a Goodwill right across from my grocery store, which is like the mother ship calling me home…or at least inside for just a quick sec to see what’s new. Plus the whole thing wastes gasoline.

And, AND!! The price of a can of beans: 75 cents.

The price of a pound of ground meat: about $3.75.

See why sometimes it just makes good sense to add beans to my spaghetti sauce?

I usually get the least expensive can of white beans on the shelf. (No, I don’t get the dried ones and cook them. I’m too lazy.)

Feel free to drain and rinse them to get rid of extra sodium if you want to.

The beans are poured into the blender and pureed. Easy Peasy.

(add their bean juice, or about 1/2 a can of water, to get things moving)

Next, I combine the beans and a jar of tomato sauce in a sauce pan.

This is where I add a few spices – garlic powder, oregano, salt, parsley – because the beans need a little flavor. Simmer spaghetti sauce until it thickens, but continue to stir occasionally because the beans will try to stick to the bottom of the pan.

Once the sauce is thick, it’s served over my family’s favorite pasta.

Yummy, healthy, and wallet friendly.