Weekend Randomness

The weekend slowly snuck up on me.

I've had my coffee, and now I'm enjoying an ice cold glass of sweet tea,

still waiting for the monsoon storm that we are expecting this weekend.

via

During the Summer, the weekends just melt in with the rest of the days of the week!
Today is an exception, it's a busy day over here, I've got my daughter's dresser I'm working on,

back to school items to cross off my list, a little mid-summer gardening, and I'm adding learning to sew to the mix!

Luxurious Spa Master Bath

Photo By Emily Minton Redfield; emrphotography.com

This is the master bath I've been dreaming of.
Calm and elegant, a master bath that I could transform into a spa getaway!
Leaving my cares behind, as I relax in this large soaking tub.
One thing I've been considering in investing, is transforming
our master bath into a spa bath!
Complete with crystal chandelier and fluffly robes and towels.

Here are some amazing ways to turn your bathroom into a weekend spa getaway,
without breaking the bank!

Summer Garden party alfresco

via Pinterest / Glitter Guide

Aside from the extreme heat of the day living here in Arizona,
there is something magical that happens around dusk.
As the sun goes down, the night comes alive.
Dining al fresco doesn't have to be too much of a challenge living
here in the desert.
It's the perfect time to get out and enjoy the fresh air and entertain
with family and friends.

A couple of my favorite things, fresh flowers, citrus flavored drinks,
 crusty French bread, cheese and a glass of wine!

The color Turquoise

Lilikoijoy.com

I began to wonder if it wasn't at all a coincidence that the
meaning of turquoise is calm and cooling
recharges energy and restores balance;
since living in a place that can be hot as hell
for 4 months out of the year, and that it
is mined in dry climates.
This gorgeous color just so happens to be my favorite color, and
I am swooning over this dresser.

Coral

If you are needing a good laugh, you really need to stop in
and visit my dear friend Benita. It's this post from her, that I think
of when I saw this.

I love all things coastal I absolutely love this faux coral,
 and so now I am on a mission to find some
Sticks!!

via

Blackberries

What I love about blackberries, are that they perfectly sweet, 

without being overly sweet!

They are a Summertime treat, not just to snack on,

but a treat to harvest.

Over even better yet still,

snacking on them while you are picking them!

For breakfast, I enjoyed a serving of my Blackberry-Cinnamon Cobbler,

with my cup of coffee.

After all, they are full of antioxidants and fiber .

Hope you are enjoying your weekend!

Until next time,

Sweet Summer

Here's to a beautiful weekend!

via dontcallmebetty 

For most of you, Summer is just beginning.
Here in Arizona, we got an early start.
My children have been out of school for almost a month now,
 and I have enjoyed this month and took things much more leisurely.

Last week, it was really over cast for several days.
That reminded me of the June gloom days in California.
Everyone taking it easy,
and then right when the sun burned the clouds away, which was right around noon,
everyone took off to the beach.

Hotel del Coronado

Talking to my older daughter, who lives in Washington state,
she's planning to come back for a visit at the end of July
 ( crossing my fingers to stay *a mom can hope*).
One item on my bucket list is to go on a hike with all my children,
and she won't be able to get time off from work until then.
Which will be nice to get away from all this heat, to the cooler climate of Sedona.

That means, and I am super excited that next week, we'll be off on a roadtrip to California.
It won't be too long of a trip. One part of the trip is to see the sights in
Coronado, California, on the San Diego bay. 

 

One item I am taking with me is this beautiful (affiliate link) embroidered tunic dress
,

to help me stay easy and breezy during our trip!

 

coastal vignettes

I couldn't stop swooning over this coastal vignette. The galvanized buckets, the bottles filled with white, fragrant, freesia, the white washed candlesticks, and a new botanical love for me are artichokes. I couldn't believe my mother's artichoke plant survived the winter where she lives. I am hoping she gifts me with a few of her home grown ones.

Lobster Rolls via Suburban Soapbox

Also, in California, I am hoping to taste a Right Coast Lobster roll at Terra American bistro.  Can't wait to bite into one of these.

Lavender topiaries 

One plant I do not have a problem keeping alive has always been lavender.

In fact the more I abuse it, the better it grows. I'm actually thinking of

putting two lavender topiary bushes out on my front porch to keep the mosquitos away!

 

Hope you all have a relaxing weekend!

Until next time!

xo, Christine

Happy Mother's Day: Weekend Inspiration

I am so glad the weekend is finally here.

 

Visiting my family today, I need a little roadtrip after moving!

 

Both April and May have been super busy months for me!

 

via

 

 

1. Nothing that alot of chocolate and fun with famiy won't cure!

 

Want to make this incredibly decadent chocolate cake for my Grandmother's Birthday!

 

 

2. For Mother's day Brunch I want to make this and this.

 

Looking for more Mother's Day Brunch inspiration.

 

Here are 15 very beautiful DIY Mother's Day Décor ideas.

 

My favorite is this one.

 

3. With it warming up here in Arizona, the kids have started to ask for Ice cream. Trying to eat healthy, I found this one to be not only looks amazing, but incredibly good for you.

 

4.   Back to trying to eat healthier, and with these past couple months being somewhat stressful and very busy, I am going to try and eat these to help with the stress!

 

5. Here are some inspiring Mother's Day inspiring quotes!

 

My favorite, is

 

"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my Angel Mother!"~ Abraham Lincoln

 

Wishing all of you a lovely weekend, and to all the mothers, relax and enjoy your day!

 

Until next time,

xo Christine

 

 



One Room Challenge Week 4: Coastal Charm Great Room

Happy Saturday, and I am happy to say we are all finally moved in! Today I decided to celebrate by taking the girls to the Phoenix Home and Garden show, to see our favorite twins, "The Property Brothers". It just happens to be the brothers' birthday weekend, so it truly was a treat for me and the girls. Even though the show was only about 45 minutes, I learned quite a bit about, buying, selling, and remodeling a house; not to mention they are really tall in real life.  Their energy was such an inspiration to keep pushing me to put this room all together.

 

Here is my progress to catch you up!

 

Week 1       Week 2     Week 3

 

Onto the Week 4 progress for our Great room. The spring pillows are being made. We've picked out the rug and the carpet runners, picked out lamps, and the coffee table. Today I am showing you the handpainted French end table Part 1, I have finished so far. It will be completed by Week 6. Here are a couple sneek shots.

 

 

Before: I think my sister in law, was going to paint it aqua, and just decided she didn't like it. I love the how the table is turning out!

 

 

Here she is, all painted, for the first time I think I did a pretty good job, because I didn't have any luck with the reverse transfer. One tutorial, said to just spritz the table with water, before I put down my reverse transfer, and then spray the reverse transfer with water; then use a credit card to smooth out the paper, and transfer the ink onto the table. Nothing happened. No ink running, no ink transfer at all! Any one have any guesses why it didn't work? I did get better results, not perfect, it does need  a few touch ups. I followed this video for the how to, but in a later posts, I'll give you how I tweaked little bits here and there. I used this graphic from The Graphics Fairy, and I haven't quite decided, because if you haven't noticed, this table is WHITE! Around the edges I either want to handpaint roses or hydrangeas...Which shall it be?

Just for the record, I wouldn't paint all furniture. I think wood is gorgeous on it's own. The twin to this end table, I have plans that include, having my husband make a real wood top, painting only the body of the table, and transferring an image on top. Also, I have pieces of furniture pieces from my Great-Grandmother and Nana, that I would never paint either.

For me, the paint and the transfer give this end table some character and accent it's style!
 Just thought I'd let you know.

 

 

 

 

The video with the tutorial that helped with the transfer is this one. He uses this technique to write names on walls. Pretty cool! Think I am going to try this in the girls' rooms.

 

Here are a couple of the gallery wall inspiration, one for over my accent table, and the other over the couch.

 

 

source

 

 The first one, on both.

 

 

source 

 



What I have left to do...finish the end table and pillows, DIY the drapes, and hang the gallery wall pictures.
 

Be sure to check out what the other ORC linking participants are up to and help cheer them on,
and click here if you missed the ORC participants. 

 

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend! Until next time!

xo Christine

Sharing with:
DIY Sunday Showcase
Creative Collection Link Party
Feathered Nest Friday
Something to Talk About
Metamorphosis Monday
LouLou Girls

Busy & Exciting weekend and Hi I'm Christine, these 10 Things make me Smile!

Happy day after Monday! Oh my goodness, what a busy weekend that was! Wow! These two words, come to mind today; "Just Breathe"! What I liked it was a good kind of busy, the kind of busy that keeps your day full! The most exciting part of my weekend, was spending three of the most amazing hours with my oldest daughter who came to visit for Spring break from Washington State. Her and four of her girlfriends took a whirlwind trip that started last Sunday; (she let me know she got home safely about midnight last night). They did pretty much about everything they set out to do, but before my daughter left, she found out she wouldn't be able to hike in Sedona. They saw the Grand Canyon and the Redwoods. Had Sushi Burritos in San Francisco, enjoyed Palm Springs and somewhere off the coast of Oregon. Finally, they spent the weekend enjoying a music festival here in Phoenix. All of that just made me exhausted thinking about it. She had fun and it was wonderful to visit with her and her friends, and sat down with a nice lunch!

Then Saturday, Lindsay and I had fun at the Salsa Festival here in town, not too far from where we live, so we just walked! We enjoyed some fair food. Lindsay had her first taste of funnel cake, and a bacon wrapped corn dog! Then I had the daunting task to vote for the Best Overall Salsa at the Festival!

This year for Best Overall Salsa, I chose...

Los Muertos Salsa

You can find them here on Facebook!

 

It had an amazing smoky flavor, that was hot ( I got the hot), there were 3 kinds; mild, hot, and

mouth on flames HOT! What I liked best, is that it didn't have that real tomato taste. It was just full of flavor and all of the flavors were balanced and blended nicely together.

I am not sure if it was the heat (It was 94F.); both of us tried to stay well hydrated, or if it was just a bug going around, but both Katelyn and Lindsay took turns getting sick; Heat exhaustion, I don't know. Katelyn didn't have a fever, but Lindsay did. So unfortunately we had to postpone Katelyn's skate party for another weekend. Oh, and we did not get the keys to our new house, but we did sign papers yesterday, so keeping my fingers crossed we get the keys later today!

 

Now I am just trying to play catch up! I do have a post for you, I'll try to have it up sometime today, if not by Thursday. It is of one thing that makes me smile, that I just recently discovered, and it is made with this ingredient; Fresh Strawberries.

 

 

 

 

 

Hi, My name is Christine! Since starting a fresh start with this blog in September last year, there have definitely been a few changes, and I have learned a few new things, since I left blogging back in 2007.  I am a wife to the an amazing husband, and mother to four fantastic children. My oldest daughter Marissa, moved to Washington State with plans to attend Western University. Then there is my son Joshua, who is 14, and my youngest daughters, Katelyn 11, and Lindsay 8, keep me smiling and laughing, not to mention exhuasted and needing power naps daily! We also have 3 Huskies, Zelda, Buddy and Luna, and two cats, Ruby and Naomi. My favorite past times are photography, cooking, and all things having to do with the outdoors and nature. I also love to find things that are beautiful, magical, and inspirational. This blog may take more of a Coastal Cottage feel, because my soul feels drawn very strongly to the beach, but I live in Arizona.....Haha, lots of sand, not so much surf!! On a brighter note I still have family in California, which I visit at least once a year.

 

We just bought a house here, that I am going to be renovating and redecorating. The house looks wonderful, there are just a few improvements I'd like to do. We should be getting the keys today, but definitely tomorrow. More updates to follow.

 

Last year I graduated from Mesa Community College with an Associates in Nutrition. Possibly one day I will enroll at ASU, or find other roads to a few opportunities before me, just taking small steps right now. I am enjoying staying home with the family. I've seen both sides of the coin, when it comes to being a SAHM and a working mom, and I'll save my opinion for another post.

 

Which leads me to my new cozy corner of the blogosphere, here in one of my new all time favorite passions, as a Life Style Blogger. Here I plan to share my favorite Home and Garden related posts, from healthy recipes, DIY crafts and other inspirations, my love of Floral arranging and Gardening, as well as plans to share my favorite tips for Decorating and Entertaining.

You can find out more About Me here.

 

Here is a quick list of 10 Things that make me Smile

 

1. My family and my friends

 

 

 

 

2. Roses- My favorite are Yellow Roses.

 

3. Tulips

 

 

4. Chocolate (especially Reese's and Cadbury eggs)

 

 

 

5. Cherry Blossoms

 

 

 

6. The Beach- I love to watch the waves crashing on the shore, to smell the salty air, and to feel the sand between my toes.

 

7. The color Turquoise

 

 

 

8. Lemons and Citrus (Oranges and limes too)

 

 

 

9. SeaShells

 

 

 

10. and Books/ Magazines any reading material I can get my hands on

 

 

Thank you for visiting! Until next time! Have a great week!

 

Happy Friday and a couple Christmas DIYs!

 

via

 

 

Happy Friday! I am so glad the weekend is here and I can hardly wait for next weekend, my oldest daughter is coming home for Thanksgiving from Washington. So I am really excited to be seeing her. Saturday, I am taking my other two girls to go see Disney's Big Hero 6 and Sunday, I've got a few Christmas crafts planned that I will share on Monday.

These two pins inspired me one is a Christmas wreath, and one because Rudolph is my favorite Reindeer and my youngest daughter's favorite Christmas song right now, that I thought it would look really good, since this year for Christmas I am decorating in Red and White, along with these,

 

that I found in this article.

 

 

Kristen Duke Photography

 

Don't you just love the glitter antlers and the red jingle bell nose!! Too cute!

 

Burlap, Plaid and Pincone Wreath

 

For my wreath, I am going to change the plaid to red and the pinecones, I know I am going to add glitter. Can't wait to see how it looks when I am done.

 

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Happy Weekend!

Happy Weekend! Thought I'd pop in for a quick Weekend Link post. So far this weekend, I found my Christmas boxes in the garage and going through to find what inspires me to decorate and display with this year. Today, I picked up and potted my Christmas Amaryllis 'Minerva'.

 

via Longfield Gardens



 

For the Holiday season, Sunday is going to be my baking day, so tomorrow, I'll be baking

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip bread, and sandwhich it with Maple cream cheese.

 

Last year, I was admiring how beautiful and romantic Pink Christmas décor looked, that I have a few DIY's, like this, this and this, I am going to make for Christmas decorating this year. I just love the pink satin ribbon and silver ornaments.

 

 

 

via:NellyVintageHome

 

So far this flu and cold season I have escaped getting sick, but if I do, I am going to try one if not all of these 3 healthy juice recipes.

 

Enjoy your weekend!