What We're Pinning

Hello! Here is another Pinterest post! I know Shannon and I have both been trying to put more of our pins to use in real life. Whether it is make a recipe, try a new outfit, make a craft or find gift inspiration, we are trying to bring our pins to life.
These are some of our most favorite pins lately:
Niki's Picks

I am currently in the process of growing out my hair. This is the current cut I am obsessed with. It is going to be at least a year before I am here though...

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I am going to a wedding this summer with my bestie, and I have been working my booty & belly off, so now I need a smoking hot dress to go with my new body! I am loving the drapy-ness (is that a word?) of it and the cut. Sad news it's over $2000. But maybe I can find a similar knock off?

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This looks like a tasty treat! I am big into graham crackers with peanut butter for a morning snack or before the gym. This is a great way to make it an after dinner treat. :)

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Shannon's picks

We are both trying to work on our fitness and diet, so I am always pinning new exercises and workouts. I get bored easily so pinterest is an awesome resource for a never ending supply of new workout and health ideas. (check out my complete health & fitness board here)

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A fashion tutorial is always welcome in my book. Whether its how to make beach waves, put on your makeup, roll your jeans or how to tie your scarf. (see my complete fashion board here & no repeat february here)

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I'm thinking I'm going to have to break down and start ironing things. With everything jam packed into our closet, some things are ending up a bit wrinkled. So this DIY ironing board from a TV stand seems simple enough and easy to store in a teeny tiny apartment. Also the tutorial just happens to be on our cousin's blog (technically our cousin's wife, but we like her so we'll claim her)

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What wonderful things are pinning? Are you putting those pins to good use?

I pinned it & Did it {diy bulletin board}

While perusing pinterest, I saw these pretties and decided that I had to have one too! I think each one offered a slightly different tutorial, so what I did is kind of a conglomeration of what I got from each of those blogs. These and more are on my craft ideas pinboard.

I also had a little motivation to get my butt moving on this one. One of our most favorite blogs, Young House Love was having a pinterest link up! So last night, literally, I got to work in warp speed. Just click the image below to pop over and see their Pinterest project and like a million others that have linked up. After you're done reading here of course :)

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I started my project with a quick trip to WalMart to get the things that I didn't already have on had. I got the same kind of fabric square that I used for my memo board and tray, just in a bigger size. They are very handy.

Supplies not pictured:

iron

spray adhesive

tasks

Check out that price tag people! That is my kind of budget!

I started by figuring out how much fabric I would actually need. I put my board in the corner, to save as much fabric as possible. I'm sure I can use it for something later.

Then I cut it around the board, leaving enough of an edge to wrap around to the back of the board.

I was all gung-ho to start spraying adhesive down and sticking my fabric on when I came to a screeching halt.  This thing was going to look horrible with lines all over my fabric. So I snagged the iron and while I was waiting for it to warm up, I completed another small task with some pinterest inspiration, but I'll post about that another day.

Much better with a wrinkle free fabric!

With my fabric looking crisp and pretty I was ready to stick my fabric to the board. I just used a scrapbooking spray adhesive, but any spray adhesive will work.

Next up was the tacks. I just placed them right next to the frame, as close as they could go without getting all weird.

I seriously considered measuring out the spaces in between each tack, but convinced myself that I was not going to be that obsessive. So I just started out in the corners, and went in the middle of each empty space until it was mostly covered with tacks. If that makes any sense? I think they ended up being spaced out pretty evenly.

I was going to just use a regular stapler to attach the fabric on the back. And then I realized that my stapler doesn't open up since its one of those smooth one touch kinds. So I just used a few extra tacks and it worked just fine. I just made sure to get the corners folded and pulled tight.  You could use a little spray adhesive on this side too, but I figured it would stay pretty well.

Then I popped that baby up on the wall to stare at all of its gloriousness :)

But it was looking a little lonely, so I moved my photo calendar (available in our etsy shop if you'd like to snag your own) from the kitchen wall to next to the bulletin board. 

I popped a temporary picture up for now, just so it didn't look so naked. I'm going to get some sewing pins to use when I actually start hanging things. I don't want giant holes left from push pins.

 And here it is in the hallway. The door at the end of the hall goes out of the apartment, to the right is the kitchen, and to the left is our pantry closet. This is our makeshift launching station. The hanging sorting system is from Target a year or two ago and holds our mail when it comes in or needs to go out and our keys hang on the bottom. The markers for our message board (see how I made that here) also live in one of the pockets. I feel like my new additions really make the space seem more "homey" and welcoming. Rather than just a useless apartment hallway. ps. I apologize for the bag of popcans, but if they aren't irritating where I can see them, they never make it to the store to be returned.

It makes me happy every time I walk by!

Pantry Pare Down Part 1

Jen's pantry reorganization has prompted me to spend some time clearing out the clutter in our most used room, the kitchen. Our pantry is just one tall cupboard with 4 shelves and a smaller cupboard on top. I am just starting with the 4 shelves for now. The cereal cupboard will have to wait for a shopping trip. Everything I am doing today, I am doing with stuff I have on hand.
This is what my pantry looked like before. Just a bunch of stuff shoved in when we came home from the store or get done cooking.

I started on the top shelf, just taking the stuff off one shelf at a time. That way if I wanted to stop partway through, I could. And in fact, I did.
I digress, here is all the stuff I got out of the first shelf:

This is after I condensed some things and threw away out of date things.

This is stuff that was on that shelf that didn't belong.

I got out my trusty Method Anti-Bac and wiped down the shelf. Nice and clean and ready to be reloaded.

Then I put all the top shelf spices back in. Nice and neat, spices only.

And now, a lovely before and after. Its not much, but it's progress! So here goes!

So... Are you participating in Jen's challenge? What kitchen organizing have you been doing? Share with us, we love all the inspiration we can get!

Tumbling tower of Tupperware

Look at that, I can do alliteration too! Jen over at Iheart Organizing is running a kitchen challenge this month and it motivated me to deal with this disaster of a tupperwear cupboard. It's seriously a mess. We both take lunch from home almost everyday of the week, so for us tupperwear is a necessary evil.

Here's a peak at where this cupboard started. Everything was literally just tossed inside. You had to search for the lid that matched your container. Not actually that convenient when one is trying to pack their lunch in the morning.

The first thing I did was take everything out and sort it into stacks of the same sized containers. I also gave the inside of the cabinet a quick wipe down with an anti-bacterial wipe. This left me with a blank slate, and no idea how I was going to make this cupboard functional.

I left the glass containers together on the small top shelf. I usually use those containers. They fit nicely in my smaller thirty-one lunch bag. Then I started at the back with the larger, less frequently used containers and worked my way forward to the sizes that the bf usually uses for his lunch.

I kept the lids stacked underneath the containers except for the wierdo ones where there is only one or two like that. Those lids went in the way back inside of the largest container.

It's not as pretty and organized as I would like. But its just an awkward space for storing tupperwear to begin with. Since we live in an apartment with small kitchen, I have to work with what we have. I think that some of the wire shelving might work well in here? Maybe I'll try that for my next kitchen clean up?

For now, it works. I just have to actually take the time to put them back where they belong when I empty the dishwasher. Next, I am on to the drawers. I already made a trip to Walmart and the Dollar Tree and I'm super excited to get started! 

No Repeat February {week 3}

So here we are at end of week three, and we are happy to report that we really aren't struggling too much yet! Just takes us a little time to plan things out. I (Shannon) get a little bit stressed out if I don't have my clothes picked out before I go to bed and have to pick something out in the morning but that has only happened twice so far. 

Monday:

No school for me, Shannon, today so I was working away at Menards. I guess I could have posted a super cute picture of my Menards fleece and boots for you :)

Pants: Nicole Miller from Sam's Club
Shirt: Kohl's before school
Cardigan: Wal-Mart
Shoes: Wal-Mart, a very long time ago
I could not find my go to black flats, so I went with these cute heels. They were comfy and I had forgotten how much I like wearing heels.

Tuesday:

khakis: Maurcies, Christmas gift

sweater: old as dirt, but I think from Target

tshirt: Target, on sale on Monday for $7!

shoes: Maurices, last summer

 

Pants: Kohls, I think?

Sweater: Old Navy - Shannon got it for me for Christmas. I was nervous about horizontal stripes, but I think they are ok because the sweater is a little loose?

Shoes: American Eagle from Payless - They are super comfy wedges. I love them.

 

Wednesday

khakis: Maurices, a few years ago? 

yeah, I know, khakis two days in a row. but in my defense they are two very different colors and fabrics. plus I stayed at the bf's momma's house and only wanted to bring the shoes that I was already wearing, so I had to do brown again.

sweater: Target, sometime back in college

shirt: Maurices, last summer I think

shoes: Maurices, same as yesterday

Ok. I stayed home with 3 sick kids today. So no judgment. Mmmkay?
Pants: Soffee, from Kohls,
Shirt: Kohls
Tank: Buckle
Let's be honest, I am not running around my house like that with sick kids, hoodie it is!
Hoodie: Scheels
Socks: John Deere, from my mommy for Christmas.
 

Thursday:

this is like a no name outfit, no idea where anything came from

pants: Studio Y, no idea what store that comes from? they are old though.

tank: Buckle

long sleeve t: Old Navy

sweater: basic editions, again no idea where it came from but I know it was cheap!

shoes: old as dirt, Charlotte Russe

Swimming day!
Sweats: Aeropostale (no judgment, remember?)
Long Sleeve: Wal-Mart
T-Shirt: Morningside Bookstore (This is where I graduated from with my teaching degree)
Shoes: Hand me downs from Shannon
 

Friday:

{Photo to come, Shannon is getting her tire fixed}
Jeans: American Eagle
T-Shirt: School Store
Hoodie: Victoria Secret
Boots: Payless

Jeans: Nine West from Sam's Club
Tank: Long and Lean from The Buckle
(They are worth the $14, I swear)
Shirt: Old Navy
Cardigan: Calvin Klein from Sam's Club
This is my favorite sweater. It is about 3 sizes to big, but I will wear it forever.
Shoes: Way knocked off from Wal-Mart
They are super comfy, almost like slippers. With the kids in and out of the snow, I need shoes or I will have wet socks, blech.

 

 

 

And here is our Friday five.

We're linking up with Lauren at from my grey desk again :)

 

 

 

 

 

1. This baby arrived at my door! I was so excited to get a new purse. Haven't bought one in almost a year. And that's a big deal for those who actually know me. I'm a big fan of recycling old purses but when I saw this baby I knew I had to have it! I'm gonna keep it clean too! Maybe a "I'm gonna keep this baby clean if it kills me" post?

2. My family (Niki) is healthy again! I was home Wednesday with 3 sickos. Everyone is feeling much better and back to school now. Woot for Clorox wipes!

 

3. I (Niki) went through the babies clothes and got a whole garbage bag full to give to our nephew, who is just a few months younger than Jayce, but a peanut. I am getting a start on spring cleaning.

 

4. Shannon and I are participating in Young House Love's Pintrest Challenge. Head over to their blog to check it out. We will let you know what we plan on doing next week.

 

5. It's a snow day! Shannon, Niki and all 3 kids have a snow day! I (Niki) and catching up on housework and some organizing projects and the kids are playing outside. Sadly, my husband had to work, but not before scooping our sidewalk!