How To Wrap a Bouquet of Fresh Flowers

Dress: Tasseled Halter Maxi Dress (on sale!) || Shoes: Slide Sandals || Bag: Coach Dinky Crossbody in Chalk c/o || Watch: Daniel Wellington c/o (get 15% off with code 'PRETTYINTHEPINES) || Sunglasses: Aviator Sunglasses in Gold

It seems the older I get, the more I become more like my mom in the way that we love flowers. I usually have to control myself in the grocery stores (especially Trader Joe's!) but I just can't say no to soft pink roses, peonies, hydrangeas, and all the greenery! It is the best piece of home decor you can find... thanks Mother Earth! Fresh flowers also are a perfect gift to bring to a friend or loved one but the plastic wrapping at the grocery store can sometimes take away from the natural/earthy vibes. So, today I'm showing you a super quick tutorial on how to wrap your flower bouquets to make them look even more beautiful! 

Halloween Chipotle Costume DIY

Happy Halloween, everyone!

 This year, I decided to be something that is near and dear to my heart, something that is a constant in my life... and that is a Chipotle bowl.  I had not seen a single Chipotle bowl costume before so I had to think hard about how this would work.  I didn't even know if it would work but I was very pleased with how it turned out!  I actually showed a picture of the costume to an employee at Chipotle today and they gave us our entire meal for free!

Hosting a Fall Party

I've always loved planning fun get-togethers and parties with friends, especially around this time of year! There is just something so special about spending quality time with friends, celebrating the season together and catching up on eachother's lives. However, entertaining also comes with a lot of prep and planning and there are a few key components you don't want to forget about! Today, I am sharing with you my personal top priorities during the party planning process. I hosted a pumpkin painting party last Saturday with some of my sorority sisters from college and it was a blast!

Mother's Day DIY Ideas

Mother's Day is sneaking up on us and if you're like me, you may have procrastinated in the past with getting a thoughtful and meaningful gift for your mom resulting in a gift certificate to a nail salon (ain't nothing wrong with that though).  This year, I really want to try and do a DIY gift because I know she will love that it came from the heart.  (But hey, if you're not crafty-- I think ALL moms would love these earrings.) Of course, Pinterest is my go-to for these types of situations.  I like to think I am creative but sometimes the best ideas are derived from Pinterest and changed up a bit with some true originality. So today I put together some of my absolute fave ideas I found online that were featured on other blogs.

1. Mason Jar Picture Frames 

How cute are these?  I'm thinking of maybe doing them with a big wine bottle instead.  I just love anything that has to do with pictures that will last forever.  

photo via Home Stories A to Z

2. Confetti Inspired Terra Cotta Pots

Flowers and moms are like peanut butter and jelly.  There just isn't a mom that doesn't like flowers, right?! These confetti flower pots are too cute. 

photo via Lil' Luna

3. Spa Day in a Tin

Who doesn't love to have a treat yo'self day every once in a while? One of my best friends, Sara, and I are guilty of having them way too often.  I love this spa basket idea with all of the little treat yo'self essentials in one tin.  I'd probably add a mini wine bottle to the mix along with some yummy snacks and some pretty mini nail polishes.  I also love this idea because one of my favorite childhood memories is getting manicures and pedicures with my mom.  True fact: I became an entrepreneur at age 8 and opened up a "business" called "SSC" (Shelby's Shopping Center) where I offered services to my customers (aka my mom) including manis, pedis, veggies I grew out of my own garden... that happened.  I had business cards. 

photo via The DIY Mommy

4. Photo Magnets

Who doesn't need magnets?  Why not have them be meaningful?  These magnets are the cutest things ever and I may just make a set for myself too.  

photo via Sundaesins

5. Yarn Wrapped Wine Bottles as Vases

Over the holidays last year I made these wine bottle decorations by wrapping them with yarn.  They turned out great and since then, I've really wanted to make some for other people as a gift.  I used Christmas colors at that time but for Mother's Day, I would definitely use some natural looking twine, maybe some white or pastel yarn, and make them a year-round decoration.  I've also wanted to wrap a Patron bottle because it's a really unique shape.  When I do these, the more variety I have makes the finished product look way better.  

6. Painted Mason Jars

Aren't these colors so pretty for spring?  I can definitely see them on top of the window sill in the kitchen at my mom's house.  Just get her some fresh flowers and arrange them in these pretty jars.  I might even make some of these for my own place. 

photo via Love of Family and Home

I hope you liked some of these and maybe got some inspiration for Mother's Day.  Let me know if you have any other DIY ideas for the occasion.

xo, Shelby

The Most Efficient Way to Update Furniture

I know Annie Sloan Chalk Paint has been around for years but somehow I just recently discovered this crafty treasure.  I like to get stuff done as efficiently as possible, and with no sanding or priming required, this is my kind of paint.  I decided to try it out on a shelf I keep in my bathroom.  I was going for a color that would brighten up the room and make it more clean looking, fresh feeling, and happy.  I decided to go with "Paris Grey", a light grey neutral shade that seems to also be one of the more popular Annie Sloan paint colors after perusing through pinterest.  (Funny story: My older sister who lives in Richmond texted me a picture that night of her husband drinking a blue moon and painting with Paris Grey chalk paint... meanwhile, my boyfriend was drinking a blue moon and painting with Paris Grey chalk paint.  How strange.

FYI- *This brand of paint can only be found at independent small retailers so check their website for your closest location.  I frolicked down the paint aisle at Lowe's to end up disappointed when I found out they didn't carry it.  So, off I went to a tiny little antique shop in downtown Apex, NC.  I picked up my paint from Two Old Birds which ended up having the nicest woman ever working there!  They also offer workshops to teach you skills and secrets to the paint, like layering different colors and distressing.  

Here are the steps I took:

1. Wipe down your piece of furniture with a wet rag to remove all of the dust/etc. 

2. Get to painting! Yeah, that is right.  You can go ahead and start painting... No priming, sanding, anything.

Here is a "before" photo or should I say a "when I remembered to take a before" photo.

Oh yeah, I also decided to paint my nightstands because it was just so fun.

3.  Let paint dry and then apply the Soft Clear Wax.  The paint dries within 30 minutes.  I would also suggest applying two coats of paint before using the wax.  I just used an old t-shirt and cut it into small pieces.  Be sure to wipe in a circular motion and then quickly wax off.  Just use a different t-shirt rag to wax off.  Waxing on/Waxing off should happen within 5 minutes of eachother.

4.  Optional- This is the part where you can "distress" your furniture if you want to.  I chose to just distress it a little bit by using sand paper on the edges and a couple areas on the top and sides.  

And there you have it, the most efficient way to give your furniture an upgrade.

Let me know if you have any questions or if you have used Annie Sloan paint yourself!

Shelby

  

DIY Holiday Wine Bottles

DIY Corkboard

I've been thinking about a way I could make my desk space a little more unique and classic without adding too much... Well, I thought of something! Have you ever realized how dull a regular bulletin board looks?  I don't know why there aren't cuter ones sold in stores but not to fear... gold spray paint saves the day again! I decided to go with simple thick gold stripes and added a little motivational word down at the bottom. I already had some gold spray paint, as well as white paint from a painting my nightstands recently, so this saved a lot of money.  

Chic Desk for $60