I believe some of the greatest things I’ve done have happened when I’ve followed my gut. Reid, the kids, and I visited Lake Arrowhead all but twice and made an offer on a 1970’s A-frame on our second visit. The next day, we were told the sellers accepted the offer and found ourselves in the midst of the home buying process. Living in LA, I was and still am nervous about living an hour and a half away and getting work done on it. While this nearly 1800 square foot beauty was shining in her day, she is clearly worn out now (namely the kitchen) and needs a loving face lift. Our kids are OBSESSED with the woods, this wooden A-frame, the fresh air, the sliver of lake we see from our deck, and I am obsessed with dreams of a pancake breakfasts with my kids while sitting at the bar of my island in my new kitchen. This purchase started with a dream, and continues with a dream. I promise to document the process, the ugly, and hopefully lots of pretty to show you coming up. Who doesn’t love a good before and after picture? I think we have the next couple weekends booked as we go up Friday through Sunday and become weekend warriors. Send all the tips, hugs and painting contractor names our way.
WE BOUGHT A CABIN!!
XO Shalice
Stay tuned to our renovation and comment if you’d like to see more!
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red floral // trees // garland // stockings // painting and similar // small shearling rug // couch similar // twinkle led lights // Little Giraffe pink throw // My Top and Jeans
It really is the best time of year! I don’t know about you, but I struggle to find the perfect balance of chic but not cheesy Christmas decor. Here, I found of mix of cozy rug, modern art, and Norfolk pines, to make it feel like home. I also rounded up some of my favorite cozy gift ideas for the hard-to-get-for on your list. My sister loves pajamas, my mom loves candles and slippers and I just may buy this striped hat for myself. Reid are you listening?
How do you decorate for the holidays? Have you started your Christmas shopping? I’d love to hear. For those curious, read more about our living room makeover HERE.
For the Little Giraffe throw, use discount code is SHALICE20. Enjoy 20% off all full priced items site wide until December 31st.
duvet cover :: pillows gold navy :: lamps :: sign :: headboard similar :: faux fur throw :: mug :: Los Angeles Sign ::
After we moved, our room was the last to get some decorating love. It was the room I dumped everything in, and it swiftly became the least most relaxing room in the house. Enter some new (cheap, so stock up!) white sheets , fresh linen duvet, new pillows, an amazingly soft faux fur throw, vintage bedside tables (hubby refinished) and our vintage Los Angeles sign we brought from the downstairs living room. Violà, a bedroom with more character, simple design upgrades and an incredibly soft bed.
So if you’re a weekend warrior, or comfort queen, here are 3 under $100 bedroom must-haves to make any weekend a holiday weekend (not including Netflix or Nutella).
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$68 pillows :: $98 faux fur throw :: $47 lamps (on sale)
Foodie Friday is back!! Like most things in life, something that started as a fun idea is now a full-blown ritual. As in, don’t even think about changing any thing up or bad things are going to happen. It’s pretty simple actually. After we drop off the kids at school, Brooks and I come back home and make smoothies. There it is. Quite honestly, I usually go through the mail and email while he begs and begs until I help him pull out all the ingredients. I literally put all the ingredients on the rug and then he sits there with the Vitamix and happily puts things in the mixer. I won’t say it’s all smooth sailing. Just today, while he was pulling out the spinach, he pulled out the glass jar of strawberry jam and it shattered. And mixers and children (well, adults too to be honest) don’t always go well together. So like I said, it’s not always smooth sailing, but it is worth it. He “cooks” his own food, and we both get yummy smoothies and fun memories.
Some of the Pros of cooking in the kitchen with your kids:
It’s fun! He’s learning and you’re both doing something fun together–it’s Quality Time!
You’re making memories
An opportunity to teach how to clean up
You get to stretch your patience muscle
Cons
Your patience muscle is getting stretched
Things will break, fall, and Legos are always involved. I don’t even know how, but it’s true
The mess (this almost deserves two bullet points, but I’ll leave it at one)
B’s Smoothie recipe
1 frozen banana
2 packets frozen acai bowl mix (we get ours from Costco)
1/2 cup – 3/4 cup almond milk
1 T chia seeds
1 handful of kale
Blend in the Vitamix and enjoy chilled!
my cutoffs and a $55 version :: striped top :: similar under $100
Vitamix :: his sweater (on sale!) :: his similar cutoffs :: photo’s by Tasha
More denim cutoffs I’m loving here:
Spring is not just a season to open the windows and air out the house, but a great time to refresh your favorite room in the house. Reid and I collaborated with Anthropologie Home to give our living room a fresh new look and feel with a few minor and major changes. Here is what we did.
1. We de-cluttered the entire room and got rid of old and unread books. This is a good first step for everyone.
2. We changed the living room paint color from a yellowish tan to a crisp white. Paint is your best friend! If you’re on a budget, start with paint. Be very careful when choosing white paint though; know your lighting and color tone. You don’t want to end up with sterile. We have found Benjamin Moore’s Decorator White to be a great, versatile white. See how the artwork and furniture pop!
3. We then created a mood board with all the furniture and accessories we have and want. Consider ALL your furniture too, not just the furniture currently in the living room. Switching furniture from other rooms in the house is another cheap design trick. Let the room evolve and repurpose unexpected pieces in your space, and if you can, add one major statement piece. We added the Anthropologie blue slub velvet couch, which not only became the statement piece for the entire room, but it anchored the look and design. It is decadent and sleek as you might imagine; the selection in Anthropologie’s home collection is surprisingly large. We chose a settee so that we could float the couch in the center of the room.We moved our vintage sectional into our TV room, which is much better for watching movies as a family.
A. We relocated our mid century credenza to be under the picture window.
B. We moved our bar cart from the dinning room to the entry foyer. I love how it gives a whole new purpose to the bar cart. Now it’s a place to leave our keys. Plus, we don’t drink (that much) anyway! It’s better for displaying pretty books and keys.
4. We added new artwork to the fresh white walls and moved our beloved Los Angeles sign to the bedroom. A few years ago we started the tradition of gifting artwork for our wedding anniversary. Last year was the Los Angeles sign and this year is the ocean painting from Anthropologie. I love how it pulls the slush velvet blues from the couch. Add life to your space, literally, with greenery. Don’t be afraid to go big. As long as the branches don’t scratch the ceiling, I say go for it.
5. Lastly, add updated pictures to your frames. We recently worked on a project with photographer Justin Coit and created a new gallery wall of our favorite family pictures. The kids love seeing the beach as we go up and down the stairs and through the living room. The drift wood branch was a souvenir from our most recent beach outing and contrasts the metallic bar cart beautifully. Plus it give us memories of the beach every time we walk through the front door. Love our refreshed living room!
Thank you Anthropologie for partnering on this post!
Velvet Slub Couch :: ANTHROPOLOGIE :: Summer sky wall art ANTHROPOLOGIE :: brass frames ANTHROPOLOGIE : settee :: gold pillows ANTHROPOLOGIE ::
Shop the items by clicking the image below
Order your custom velvet couch here!
Rosemary Citrus Spritzer
2 lemons/2 oranges
4 (4-inch) sprigs fresh rosemary
3/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup honey
Ice
Soda water
Rosemary and lemon for garnish (optional)
Peel off thick strips of zest from 1 lemon.
Juice the lemons and oranges into a liquid measuring cup – you should have about 1 cup of juice. Top off with water if necessary to make 1 cup. Combine zest, juice, rosemary, sugar, and honey in a saucepan over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugars. Remove from heat and let sit 10 minutes. Strain, discard solids, and let syrup cool completely. To serve, fill an 8-ounce glass halfway with ice cubes, add 2-3 tablespoons syrup, fill with soda water, and stir. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and/or lemon slices, if desired.
Lavender Mocktail
Ice
3 ounces fresh grapefruit juice
3/4 ounce Lavender Syrup
2 ounces chilled club soda
1 basil sprig
1 fresh lavender sprig (optional)
1/4 ounce grenadine, preferably homemade
Pomegranate Mocktail
2 cups pomegranate juice
2 cups ice cubes, or more if needed
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp orange blossom water
Sweetener to taste
Whether you’re hosting or attending, I’m loving a refreshing mocktail after a busy day. And how great is this bar cart? I’m having fun styling it for the holidays and can’t wait to host more parties in 2017 at our place. Look for more home posts! Hope you all had a restful weekend. xx
BAR CART use code HOLLYJOLLY for 10% off and Free Shipping order by 12/12 to get it by Christmas // VASES // BOOK // BAY LEAF GARLAND // DECANTER // GLASSES // BAR TOOLS
