Anyone else living in an old home knows it's a constant battle to find storage for all of the things we need for modern living that our Victorian friends seemed to manage without. Especially now with little kids, the storage space we built during our renovation just never seems enough.  So when said goodbye to our high chair, that spot seemed like the perfect spot for a small sideboard to hold all those little odds and ends that you need for diner parties.

The only problem was that spot on the wall was quite narrow so something ready made just did not exist. So instead of a traditional sideboard, I had to get creative with what would fit in that spot.



Off I went to Lowe's, my go to source for all things DIY.  Not surprisingly, they are also a great source of storage and organizational products (I could spend all day just in that aisle alone). They have everything from bins to pegboards to hooks to closet systems so I knew they would have a solution.


Turns out a small chest or in this case, this beautiful Chevron nightstand was the perfect fit. (I was really hoping this beautiful curved pine chest would fit but alas my wall was too narrow.) Aside from being the exact width I needed and visually lovely, it also has two built-in USB ports on the back which was a total surprise.  I can create a nice charging station right here down the road.

My first step in turning this nightstand into a dining room storage piece was lining each drawer with shelf paper.  I used Duck shelf liner in their 'Grey Gate' pattern - one roll was more than enough. Aside from just looking a little cuter, the plastic lining helps things stay in place when opening and closing the drawers.  Once that was in place I turned to my new obsession; bamboo drawer organizers. Specifically I used these three sizes: 15x6 , 9x3 and 9x6. They turned this open drawer into a custom space for every little small item I use for dinner parties including fancy cutlery, cheese markers, votives, napkin rings, appetizer knives and a corkscrew.  The stackable nature of these trays makes the most of every inch.  It also makes finding these items and putting them away a breeze.  The only problem with them is once you get a few, you will want to fill every drawer in your house with them. It's completely addictive.



The second drawer I used for my linens and placemats as well as some of my favorite wood slice trays. Amazing what can fit into a tiny space when well organized. I thought I might need some of these drawer dividers (which I'm also obsessed with) but everything fit perfectly without me lifting a finger so score!



And finally I saved the third drawer for appetizer plates and serving dishes.  Things I didn't use everyday but wanted to have easy reach to.  I could have stuffed this drawer with a lot more but by purging a bit, I was able to store my favorites safely and with plenty of space.  The shelf paper really helps here keeping each little dish in their place without any extra effort.




Even though this chest is relatively small, it has made setting up for guests so much easier and has freed up some precious room in my cabinets that help me stay organized day to day.



Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Lowes but all opinions expressed are my own.  Thanks to wonderful sponsors like these for supporting my projects.

Project: Stoop Jungle

I confess, I am a hard core plant murderer.  Many a green thing has come under my care only to shrivel and die shortly thereafter. My alibis have been weak, my victims have been many.


But I'm turning over a new leaf lately.  I've gotten much better with plants as I've learned to pick the right ones for my style.  I forsaken big showy flowers for colorful leafy varieties that can last with a more neglectful owner like me.  And when arranged in the right way, they look just as lovely and showy without the extra effort.


So project Stoop Jungle was born.  The entryway needed some curb appeal.  The front stoop is all concrete so container gardens were the name of the game. Instead of my usual tactic of putting a few small plants near the door and letting them grow to full size just in time for the them to die when the weather turned chilly, I am trying a new tactic.  Filling the containers with beautiful plants so we can enjoy the whole season.  No need to wait until they get bigger because they are lush and lovely right now!  I also mixed and matched traditionally indoor house plants out here as well which add a lot of height and fullness. When the season is over, I can move them indoors to continue to enjoy them all year.  And much to my shock (how did I not know this?) indoor house plants are affordable despite their size so they really make the budget stretch farther.



Off I went to my go-to for all things DIY, Lowe's  - and got to loading my cart with all the prettiest plants and planters as well as dirt and fertilizer to keep those plants glowing and growing.



I'm loving these green ceramic (and frost resistant) planters which really look beautiful with any plant and come in small and large sizes. They worked beautifully with these lightweight resin planters I used for the other plants. I used Miracle-Gro Performance Organics which is specially made for container gardens and hopefully will give these plants the best start. Of course, Aggie was eager to lend a helping hand.




For color scheme I stuck with blues, reds, purples and of course greens. I got so many good plants including Lobelia, Dragon's Breath Celosia,  Elephant Ear, Sedum,  Veronica and Sanseveria.

When I got home, my front yard looked like I was about to kick off a plant sale.  But once I got to mixing and matching the plants and laying the planters on my front steps, it all came together.  A few hours of sweating in the sun and the stoop jungle was born.  Now all I have to do is water it and enjoy!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Lowe's but all opinions expressed are my own.

Firepit Patio [Sponsored]

Just in time for the warm weather, I have a fun outdoor makeover post for you. I love a good firepit so I was happy to help a friend design a patio built around a DIY firepit that is perfect for entertaining with a little help from my friends at Lowe's.



The existing stone patio was the ideal spot to build upon starting with this very straightforward concrete firepit kit. Simply stack the flagstones and set the fire ring inside and you are ready for s'mores!
Material used: Ashland Firepit Kit




Next up was creating a very long and affordable outdoor table with lumber, pipe and pipe fittings.  Another simple project that can be done without the need for many special tools or skills.  It's a great fit right against the stone retaining wall and holds a ton while still not being too precious for outdoor use.
Materials used: 2x8 treated boards, pipe fittings, pipes




Next up was seating. Instead of purchasing individual chairs, we used an armless sectional and broke up the pieces rather than using them next to each other. It's a great way to get a cozy, cohesive look while still being super flexible when you are changing the layout for different events. We also created a few other seating areas at the edges of the patio to give some different conversation spots using accent chairs.
Materials used: The Allen + Roth Sea Palm 6 piece sectional we used is sold out but their Altadena collection is a very similar style.  Alternatively these Bellmare chairs or the this outdoor sectional would have also worked well separated.) Tucker Bend Conversation Chair for the extra seating.



Along with the seating we needed a few side tables that would hold drinks and plants to fill out the space.  These also make great additional seating as stools when needed.
Materials used: Allen + Roth Steel Plant Stand and Faux Cement Plant Stand



After the large items were placed we added a few accessories give some color and personality.  Three bright red lanterns to added some color to the table spread.  And finally a few colorful pillows to accent the seating.
Materials used: Allen + Roth Red Outdoor Lanterns, Watermelon Lumbar Pillows, Green Square Throw Pillows,




The last step was adding personality to bring the patio to life.  I fell in love with some cement planters (that are insanely heavy) and we reutilized some of the planters she already owned.  We went crazy in the garden center filling our cart with plants that would do well in this sunny spot.
Materials used: Concrete Planters, Angelina Sedum, Purple Calibrachoa, Fuschia Hybrida, Songbird Mix Columbine, Red Cordyline, Mandelvilla, Creeping Jenny, Colorblaze Coleus and Philodendron Selloum

Lucky for us, Lowe's had everything we needed to complete this project with a little planning, a little elbow grease and one busy installation day. I'm so pleased with the result and hope my friend and her family will get lots of happy memories in this space.


Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Lowe's but all opinions expressed are my own.  Thanks to great sponsors likes Lowe's for helping me create projects to share and inspire.


If you are inspired to give your own outdoor space a new look, this weekend is the perfect time to get started. Lowe's is running some fabulous Memorial Day sales including 30% off select outdoor furniture and grills.

Studio Apartment Makeover: Geometric Painted Wall Treatment

It will come as no surprise that I love to help friends with their decorative challenges. So when Kate asked if I wanted to help decorate her studio apartment, I jumped at the chance.  She already had a great space with gorgeous light and lots of potential. She just needed a few suggestions to get her pad as fabulous as she is!




Her apartment is an alcove studio with 440 feet of space so layout was super important. I loved the white walls but knew it needed something on the far wall to add some visual interest without taking up any precious floor space.  Since it was a rental we ruled out wallpaper or molding treatments which left us with the great equalizer: paint. After batting around several different options, Kate decided a geometric stripe felt most like what she had in mind.  

Then came color selection. There were so many ways we could have gone but in the ened we opted for Valspar's Northern Juniper (a blueish green with just a tad of grey thrown in) and Blindfold (and almost but not quite black grey).



I headed over to her apartment armed with Vaslpar Signature paint, lots of frog tape, a laser level and a bit of patience. I knew this was going to take a lot of prep.  Kate and I got to work early in the morning and we spent the entire day on this.  It's definitely a 2 person job and you will be sore when you are done but it was so worth it.




I had drawn out a rough sketch of a plan to start and then using the laser level and the frog tape, we painstakingly taped out stripe.  Carefully marking the areas we didn't wan't to paint over with more frog tape (one slip up there and we would have ruined the whole look!).  Once we were happy with the stripes, it was time to get to painting.


I knew this was going to be a lot easier if we got that tape off while the paint was still dry so we did a bit of a mad dash to get it all on there as fast as possible.  Two coats per stripe worked well for great solid coverage.  It was time for a little prayer to the paint gods before pulling off the tape and seeing the end result.





Thankfully, only a few little touch ups were required! The result was the perfect bold, mod inspired pattern we were going for.  It set the perfect backdrop for the whole apartment layout that I'll share with you in my next post.  Stay tuned.

Materials Used:
Valspar Signature Flat Interior Paint in Northern Juniper
Valspar Sigature Flat Interior Paint in Blindfold
FrogTape 1.88-in Painter's Tape
Bosch 30-ft Red Beam Self-Leveling Cross-Line Laser Chalkline Laser Level with Plumb Points


Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Lowe's but all opinions expressed are my own. 

No More Spring Cleaning Madness [Sponsored Post]

Confession: I've been a die hard Swiffer loyalist since their products first hit the market 20 years ago! I am never without their products in my cleaning supplies. So when they reached out and asked if I'd share my experiences with their WetJet, I was more than happy to oblige. This post is sponsored by Swiffer but all opinions expressed are my own.

Now that I'm a mom of two kids who seem to live on the floor, keeping it clean is especially important around here. We take care not to track in extra dirt by taking our shoes off at the door and generally trying to keep food contained but there seems to be a never ending trail of dirt when it comes to little kids no matter how how we try.  Add that to the complexity of having an older home with especially delicate floors, finding the right solution can be tricky. We need something that gets the job done quickly and effectively but won't harm our sensitive 100+ year old parquet.  Enter Swiffer WetJet.  Using a similar design as their dry Swiffer, this model has added a new feature: it can spray a fine mist of their special floor solution ahead of push of the the Swiffer wand armed with an absorbent pad.

Setup is super fast.  Simply put the pad on the Swiffer WetJet and insert the cleaning solution bottle. This tool lets you clean an entire floor in a matter of minutes (perfect for naptime bursts of cleaning energy). The mist is quite fine and directed so it's easy avoid getting any overspray on nearby rugs, furniture or baseboards.  A little goes a long way - moistening but not saturating the floor (compared to how a mop would.) Keeping the moisture to a minimum is so important to prolonging the life of these floors so that's a huge plus.




The result is sparkling clean floors without any of the hassle of carrying around a mop and bucket.  The best part is the disposal. Just pull the pad off and drop in the trash.  No wringing or sloshing around dirty water buckets required. And because the moisture level is so low, the floors dry very quickly.

An added bonus is that my kids absolutely love to "swiff"!  It's a chore that never meets with any complaining - especially the WetJet that has that cool dispensing cleaning fluid button. In fact, I sometimes have to play referee so they can each have a turn. So this makes the perfect rainy day activity with them - they love to do it and I love the result. What more can I ask for than that?