Chic & Cheap Wall Art DIY

When my husband and I moved from Ohio to Georgia, we went from a small home with limited wall space to a larger home with lots of wall space.  Seeing as how this is not our permanent home, we don't want to invest in decorating it too much.  However, with all these large wall spaces, the house felt so empty and lacking in character.  I needed an inexpensive way to give those walls some personality.  

One day just after this past Christmas, my mom and I were browsing around Paper Source as we do and I came across these vintage prints for sale as sheets of wrapping paper.  I couldn't believe my eyes!  I had been admiring these prints for quite some time, but found them to be a bit pricey for what I wanted.  These sheets of wrapping paper were $3.95 a piece and I knew they were just what I needed.  Once I got back to Georgia, I waited for a good frame sale at Michaels and was able to get two basic poster size frames for $20.

The shiny plastic frame wasn't really doing it for me, so I grabbed some satin black spray paint from the garage and had at it.  Giving these frames a couple coats of satin black paint made all the difference and now we have two fancy, french works of art hanging in our home.  

All together this project cost a little over $30.00.  Not bad, not bad at all.

I loved this project so much that I am thinking of purchasing one of these and doing something similar to hang over my dresser.  

How do you decorate on the cheap?

xo Bridget

Spring Wish List

one. two. three. four. five. six. seven

Spring has begun here in Georgia.  Festivals and other outdoor events are starting to pop up everywhere.  We have done a lot of exploring in our immediate area and it now seems that we have exhausted most of those options. This Spring I want to hit the road and explore some new parts of Georgia, Florida and South Carolina.  Here are some fun things on my wish list this for this Spring.

one. I have seen these books in shops here are there and am really kicking myself that I never purchased the Midwest version while we were living in Ohio.  I purchased this one off amazon the other day for a steal and am so excited for it to arrive in the mail.  I am hoping it will give us some fun new ideas of things to do and places to go together and when we have visitors.

two. Spring mornings and evenings are chilly.  Scarfs are the easiest accessory to throw on and off as the weather fluctuates throughout the day.  I love the blankety look of this one.

three. Soft jersey knit dresses are perfect for keeping comfy during road trips.  I love the color of this one and that it's short, but has long sleeves.

four. These sunglasses remind me of a sunset.  I need a new trendy pair of sunglasses and these are pretty cute.

five. There's something super fun about the colorful limited edition version of this classic bracelet.  It comes in a handful of different colors, but I like this one best for Spring and think I could wear it a lot year round.

six. I live in my moccasins.  These are a fun color and I like the beaded detail.  Moccasins are my go to exploring shoe.  They are practical enough to wear on a short nature hike or trail but also chic enough to wear into town to explore and grab a bite to eat.

seven. For a springy glow; I've heard a lot of great things about this illuminator.  I recently purchased the NYX version for $8 to try out before splurging $30 on this one.


What kind of plans or hopes do you have for this Spring?

xo Bridget

Shamrock Sugar Cookies

I love to celebrate holidays any way I can, big or small.  Weather it's making a special meal/dessert, picking out a few thoughtful decorations to put out in the house or planning a fun outing, there is just something nice about acknowledging holidays.  St. Patrick's day is an especially happy holiday for me.  I have so many great memories of St. Patrick's Day gatherings at my Great Aunts house.  She would always invite us over for a special Irish dinner on St. Patrick's day; she loved to celebrate her Irish heritage.  I can almost taste the Corned Beef Cabbage, Shepherd's Pie, and Irish Soda Bread today.

Now, I know sugar cookies aren't exactly an Irish tradition, however, I figured if I punched them out with a Shamrock cookie cutter and thew some green and gold sanding sugars on them , they might just make the cut.

This recipe for The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies is fail proof in my opinion.   It's very easy, provides great results, and I don't have one bad thing to say about it.

Here are the steps I took to make these cookies:

(In case you are wondering, I halved the linked recipe)

Soften butter (still cold and not too mushy), then cream with sugar. Next, beat in vanilla and eggs.

Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt by hand until dough forms.

Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour.

In the mean time, prepare baking pans with parchment paper.

Once the dough is chilled, clean and flour a smooth surface for rolling the dough and cutting the cookies out.

I baked these cookies at 400 degrees for about 6-8 minutes until the edges were just starting to turn golden brown.

Once the the cookies are cooled, it's time for DECORATING (the best part).

I used THIS recipe for Royal Icing. I wanted the icing to be a pale green so I used one drop each of green and yellow food coloring.  I lined the cookies with a #2 tip,  flooded them with an icing spatula, and then dipped them in sanding sugar.

Ready to eat.

This weekend I am hoping to make it out to one of the local St. Patrick's Day parades and have a try at making my very first Shepherd's Pie. 

What's your favorite way to celebrate the not so major holidays?

xo Bridget

Shades Of Taupe

As i grow older, I find myself more attracted to neutral shades than before. Taupe has been my favorite color lately,  I find it so calming and easy to put together.   

Although these are three different shades of taupe, I am very happy with the way they work together.  

I usually wear a pair of dark skinny jeans with this outfit, but decided to throw it together with some leather leggings for an edgy change.

Top: Anthropologie (similar, similar, similar, similar)

Leggings: Betsey Johnson (similar)

Boots: Steve Madden 

Bag: Liebeskind 

Earrings: Kate Spade (similar)

Springing Forward

    one  .  two   .  three   .  four   .  five  .  six  

While I was reviewing my weekly planner, I realized that this Sunday is Daylight Saving Time.  

Number one on my list of things to manually adjust before bedtime on Saturday is this alarm clock that my dad gave me for Christmas a couple years ago, which I absolutely love, and which inspired this board of spring themed alarm clocks.  It's lovely to look at, works beautifully, and adds a lot of sophistication to my bedside table.  My second favorite next to number one is number four, an Alice in Wonderland inspired alarm clock, but really I love them all!

It has been a cold and rainy week here in Georgia and I am really looking forward to more Spring like weather, hopefully it kicks in after Sunday.

Have a great weekend (and don't forget to spring your clocks forward)!

xo Bridget

DIY Hair Ties

When I first spotted these knotted elastic hair ties a couple years ago, I was totally sold.  I love that the ties don't pull out your hair or leave any pony tail creases.  My frustration with the high prices of ones that I saw in shops drove me to get crafting and make some myself.  The elastic selection that I found in my local fabric shop was just too plain, so  I huffed and I puffed and then I got on google.  My fancy elastic prayers were answered when I came across Sunshine Shoppe.  They have a great selection of plain, glitter and printed elastic at prices that I could definitely love.  I ordered some elastic and made some ties and was quite pleased with myself.

Just recently, while i was putting together a little package for a friend, I realized that I needed another little something to add In.   I stumbled upon some of the leftover elastic that I had purchased and decided that if presented well, they could make a great little gift.

So, here's what I did ..

Gather Supplies: Elastic, Scissors and A Measuring Tape

Measure the elastic: I untied a current band that I was wearing and measured it.  I found that 11.5 inches was the perfect length for me to wrap my hair three times.  Depending on your hair type, you can tweak the length to suit you.  If you are making these as favors or gifts then 11.5 seems like a good standard.

Cut the elastic and knot the ends: I left about a 1 inch tail on mine.

Make it pretty:  Cut the ends at a diagonal to make them a little prettier. Slip them onto a cute homemade card and then you're done.

This is such a fun and inexpensive gift.  These homemade ties would be the perfect favor for a Bridal Shower, Bachelorette Party or Baby Shower.  With all the different prints and patterns available online,  you can really get creative and pick ones to suit your color story or theme.  Today I had a look at the site and was loving all the Christmas prints, what a great idea to make these for all of your girlfriends at Christmas.    

Hope you enjoyed this little DIY,

xo Bridget

My Yoga Wish List

I have been loving yoga lately.  It's such a great way to unwind, meditate, and most importantly, stretch.  I find myself really looking forward to yoga hour, it's a time to be calm and really focus on my body.  Here are some things I would love to add to my yoga routine.

1) Magic Carpet Yoga Mat - When I can't make it to a class,  I sometimes practice at home and this mat is so pretty. I could see it as a permanent fixture on my bedroom floor.

2) Essie Nail Polish - With all the time I spend looking at my toes, I like them to be pretty.

3) Yoga Towelettes - For wiping down my hands, feet, and mat after class.  

4) Equa Hand Towel - I often do yoga after a cardio class where I get super sweaty.  This towel would be handy to have to keep my hands from sliding all over the mat.

5) Violet Mint Lip Tint - This lip tint gives you a tiny bit of color while keeping your lips hydrated.  It also has peppermint oil in it so it keeps your breathe fresh for all that breathing you do.

6) Space Dye Yoga Pants - I bought these over the summer in grey and I love them. They are super lightweight and stretchy yet supportive.

7) Yoga Scrunchies - To get my hair out of my face and into a chic yoga topknot.

8) Stargazer Flip Flops - Reef Flip Flops are my absolute favorite, they are super cushy and great for wearing to and from yoga (or anywhere, really).