Sammie's Kitschy Camper Trailer 1st Birthday Party

On Saturday we celebrated Samantha's first birthday!  I decided on a kitschy camper trailer theme because it just so adventurous and fun-loving, which reminds me a lot of Sammie's personality. She is an extremely adventurous, curious and happy baby.  I cant thank my dad (best dad ever) enough for turning my idea of a mini camper trailer prop into an actual camper trailer playhouse, it is the coolest playhouse ever, and the kids, especially Samantha loved it! I also need to thank Veronica Luna of Luna Cakes for the amazing camper cake and cookies, she never fails to amaze me. 

It's Samantha's Half Birthday!

Julian's TMNT 6th Birthday Party

Having a brand new tiny human being to care for and planning a birthday party can be stressful.  So, this year we were thinking of skipping the birthday party trend and just heading to an amusement park for JD's 6th birthday... but JD had other plans!  After having a blast at one of his classmates birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's earlier this year, JD ask if he could have a party there too, and daddy and I thought why the heck not.  When it came to the theme JD decided on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (he loves Leonardo), a fitting choice since they love pizza.  Chuck E. Cheese's made party planning super easy, they did all the hard work, and we had our very own party coordinator to keep the party running smoothly.  This was one of the easiest parties to plan, and JD and his friends had so much fun!

Styling, centerpieces, masks and favors by: Quaintly Garcia
TMNT Digital files: TwoPeanutz & Amanda K Printables
TMNT Paper Lanterns: Target
Cake: VLuna's Cakes
Cookies: available at The Cookie Outlet

Matryoshka Doll Nursery

As of today I am 38 weeks and 3 days pregnant, and according to my check-up yesterday our little princess will be here any day now!  

I've been fascinated with Matryoshka Dolls (Russian Nesting Dolls) for a couple years now, so when we found out we were having a girl I thought it would be a perfect theme for her nursery!  It wasn't an easy theme to work with, but I did manage to find some very adorable items...thank you Etsy.

I began working on Samantha's (we had her name picked out before we even knew she was a girl) nursery for a couple months now and although I doubt she'll actually be sleeping in it anytime soon (she has a co-sleeper in our room), it's pretty much ready for her!

Matryoshka Doll Wall Art: Etsy Collective Creations and Moss and Twig Prints
Matryoshka Pillow Plush: Etsy PETUNIAS
Dresser: IKEA Hemnes Dresser in Gray-Brown (Craigslist)
Dresser Drawer Knobs: eBay Flying Bulldogs
Curtains: Tuesday Morning
Wall-Mount Hanger Holder: The Container Store
Suitcases: Land of Nod
Crib: Fisher Price Charlotte Crib
Rug: Ross
Mobile: DIY (fabric from Spoonflower)
Frame: Hobby Lobby (painted white)
Matryoshka Bunting Banner: Handmade by Veronica (my friend)
Bedding: Target

DIY Toddler Closet Update

Early this year I posted JD's new and improved closet, you can see it here.  Since then I've made a few updates and added some color!  The closet was originally painted in flat paint which tends to get very dirty, so I decided to repaint the entire closet in semi-gloss.  I thought it would also be fun to add some color while I was at it, and allowed JD to pick the color (Behr New Green)!

DIY Toddler Closet

I have a confession to make… the closets in our home are a disaster. If there's something missing at home it’s usually lost in one of our 4 closet!  This past Saturday I decided we really need to organize our closet and I wanted to start with JD’s.  Our home was built in the 50’s and all the closet have heavy wood sliding doors, the kind that never seem to stay on their track.  We don’t typically let JD in his closet because of the doors, but lately he wants to pick his own shoes, clothes, sweater and back pack!  So, I decided to take his closet doors off and make his closet toddler friendly.

I came across some really great ideas online you can see one of them here, which pointed me in the right direction.  I considered using closet storage kits or IKEA bookcases, but unfortunately all the sizes I came across were too tall and a custom size would be very expensive.  I opted instead to do-it-myself.

I drew up some plans and on Saturday JD and I headed to our local Home Depot (they know JD by name now).  With about $77 dollars and 5 hours’ time JD's closet was done.

Putting all the pieces together was pretty easy, especially when the lumber department at HD was willing to cut my 2 boards down to size for me.  I still have a few things I need to add, including some decorative curtains.  But at this point his closet is fully functional.  I'll post a couple more pictures soon, and stay tuned for our other 3 closets!

Materials Used

• 2  ¾” x 15-1/4” x 97” White Bullnose Poplar Plywood (particle board) $28.96
• 3  1 ¼ Wood Screws $1.94 box
• 3 Martha Stewart Fabric Drawers $20.94
• 4  White Closet Pole Socket Kits $4.76
• 12  Clear Shelf Pegs $2.64
• 9ft Pine Closet Pole (1 3/8 round) $11.52

Tools

• Drill
• Drill Bit
• Screw Driver
• Measuring Tape
• Pencil
• Level

Hiccup from How to Train Your Dragon

Julian wanted to be Hiccup from How to Train Your Dragon for Halloween this year. I really enjoy making JD's Halloween costumes, so I was definitely up for the challenge.

To make JD's costume I purchased brown fur fabric to make his vest. I used left over strips of the same fur fabric and sewed them on to a pair of brown suede boots. I couldn't find just the right shirt, so I purchased a girls long sleeve shirt at Ross on clearance and dyed it olive green (I also dyed an old pair of pants). I added a little slit to the shirt and crisscrossed suede cord for our little viking. While searching for ideas online I found and purchased Hiccup's Battle Pack Set from 2009 on Ebay and voilà JD's costume was complete!

Bathroom Update: Sink & Medicine Cabinet

So, I finally made an executive decision (a decision I do not discuss with hubby until I have my tools in hand, so he can't say “no!”) to fix up our one-and-only bathroom!  It's been almost three years since we bought our home and we’ve been storing a new vanity and medicine cabinet in our garage for almost as long.  This weekend after studying a few You Tube videos I began working on the bathroom.

Here is our bathroom before.  Our sink was very large and pushed up against our bathtub, and had a one lever faucet (not toddler friendly).  We had a large mirror but no medicine cabinet.  Oh, and our entire bathroom was covered in bamboo shades, moulding and all.

Friday night I started with the sink, and I have to admit I was a little scared to see what the tile would like underneath it.  I turned off the water valves and disconnected the plumbing. Then I removed the entire sink, and yup it was really yucky under there.  Then I started removing the bamboo shades and waited for hubby to get home to help me remove the mirror.

On Saturday morning after scrubbing the floor and tile, I was finally able to bring in our new vanity.  Unfortunately the little shelf inside our vanity and our plumbing wasn’t compatible (I didn’t even consider this when we bought it at almost 60% off the retail price).  But it turned out to be easily remedied with a saw and a super cute and helpful vacuuming toddler!

On Saturday afternoon hubby helped me install the new faucet and hang our pre-owned medicine cabinet, you can read more about this awesome find here.  Now we just need to paint, add our new lighting (it should be arriving any day now), touch up the medicine cabinet and add some personal touches.  I'll be posting more pictures very soon!

Young House Love: The Book

I follow so many wonderful blogs, but one of my absolute favorite DIY and home decor blogs is Young House Love (1 young family + 1 old house = Love)!  YHL has taught me everything from painting wood paneling to hard-wiring a pendant light.  I love following all of their DIY adventures. They truly are an inspiration to anyone looking to update, decorate, or completely remodel their home without breaking the bank.

Well, just when I thought YHL couldn’t get any "AWESOMER" (more awesome), they wrote a book.  The book will be released on November 6th, 2012 and you can pre-order it here now.  I'm really looking forward to its release, especially since there are over 400 never before seen photos and illustrations.  I will admit that I'm a little heartbroken that their book tour isn’t stopping in Los Angeles, I really would love to meet them.  But hey, maybe hubby and JD will like to take a trip to Portland, Oregon in January (hint-hint)!

Design ideas for every style, skill level, and budget, from the beloved couple behind YoungHouseLove.com

This debut book by bloggers Sherry and John Petersik is filled with hundreds of fun, deceptively simple, budget-friendly ideas for sprucing up a home. With two home renovations under their (tool) belts, 5 million blog hits per month, and an ever-growing audience since the launch of Young House Love in 2007, Sherry and John are home-improvement enthusiasts primed to pass on a slew of projects, tricks, and techniques to do-it-yourselfers of all levels. Whether an experienced decorator or a total novice, on a tight budget or with money to spend, any homeowner or apartment dweller will find ideas for his or her own home makeovers here. Learn to trick out a thrift-store mirror, spice up plain old roller shades, "hack" your Ikea table to create three distinct looks, and so much more.

Packed with 243 tips and ideas--both classic and unexpected--every project pictured was exclusively executed for the book. With more than 400 photographs and illustrations, this is a book that readers will return to again and again for the creative projects and easy-to-follow instructions in the relatable voice the Petersiks are known for. Adding a little wow factor to your home has never been more fun!

(Source: Amazon.com)

Our Bedroom: Layout

I rearranged our bedroom a couple weeks ago and it's working out great. I don't know why we didn’t place our furniture this way to begin with! I'm pretty sure hubby was thinking the same thing since he was the one who went under the house to re-wire our cable last week...thanks babe!

The tall dresser is the only new (previously owned) piece of furniture in the room and the wood sunburst mirror hanging over our dresser is my latest HomeGoods find ($59.99).  Our wing-back chair has to be one of my favorite pieces of furniture in the room. I purchased it at Habitat for Humanity a couple years ago for $25; I remember hubby thinking I was crazy for buying it. We had just started escrow on the house and I kept it in the middle of our apartment living room for over month, I was convinced we'd find a place for it in our new home.

I recently purchased a shag fox fire rug for the room, I can't wait to roll it out; but first we need to paint. We also want need a new TV, our current one looks pretty comical on the dresser. I'm also hoping to add lighting above the chair in a couple weeks and eventually we will add crown moulding to the room.  After two years of of starring at this boring room, we are finally making some progress!

DIY Rustic Wood Crates

I'm working on a few little projects for JD's dinosaur birthday party next month and wooden crates are on the top of my list. I've searched high and low for rustic wood crates that are reasonably priced without markings, but haven't had much luck. So instead I decided to make my on, well kind of. I purchased these mini wooden crates at my local Daiso Japan Store (where everything is only $1.50) a few weeks ago and this weekend I began the very easy process of staining them. The mini crates did have a bit of writing on them, but I was able to get rid of it by rubbing them with sandpaper. I stained each crate with MINWAX Wood Finish in Provincial and a few hours later I had mini rustic wood crates for under $2 a piece!

Simply Klassic Sunday Linky Party

Kristin from a  Simply Klassic Home is having a linky party! This linky party is held every Sunday and home projects, crafts, tips, DIYs, makeovers, recipes, etc. are welcome.  I was really excited to to link up today and also get a chance to see some really amazing projects. For all the details visit Simply Klassic Sundays!