Someone's All Grown Up

I'm SO excited to share one of the latest transformations (in progress) at The Green Bungalow. Our bedroom! Finally after concentrating on many other areas of the house - hopefully I'll get to share those soon! - the "master" has finally grown up. Remember about a year ago when it looked like this? *cringe!

A couple fresh coats of gray paint, new lamp, new comforter and a position-switch from Kylie and it became this (still cringe-worthy):

After several trips to west elm (bedding, throw), even more to HomeGoods (lamps, pillows, large votives, rug, and gold & mirrored nightstand) and some online shopping (bed), I'm psyched to reveal the brand new look:

You'll notice Kylie can no longer climb up - I have mixed feelings about this.

It's still a work progress. I'm trying to find a similar nightstand for J's side and we need to do something with the blank wall, but it's definitely a vast improvement!

We'd been in beyond-desperate need of a new mattress. The Full we'd been sleeping on since college felt like an ongoing joke, so we sprung for a Queen. And, there was no way I was going without a real bed after sleeping on a wooden futon frame for the last 10+ years. So I did some research and found the beauty above. Thanks to a lengthy review I found on Nesting Place (she has the most gorgeous home, so def check our her blog), I felt confident ordering my upholstered nailhead bed online. I ordered from Wayfair and got 10% off plus free shipping, which made the bed cheaper than Amazon, believe it or not! Wayfair reviewers gave the bed much higher ratings than Amazon, which was a little more comforting. And, much to my delight, the nailhead trim is ALL real! See:

I'm not sure if there's a quality difference between Wayfair and Amazon because the bed's from the same manufacturer, or if they just made some changes, but the bed is much nicer than the Amazon reviews make it out to be. And it was real easy to put together.

I went back and forth on the color scheme. It's neutral enough that I had a lot of options, but none felt just right. So given the gray, the mercury glass table lamps and the sparkly gold throw I usually keep in the guest room, I decided to go for a mixed metals look. Perfect timing with all the holiday options at the stores right now! I think it totally works.

And I scored this beauty on clearance at HomeGoods...I actually left it on my first visit and woke up wishing I'd bought it (is that sick or what?!). Luckily it was there when I went back the next day (excuse the dust)! A few gold and silver votives round it out.

I'm super pleased with the way the room is shaping up. The rest of our plans include custom-made-by-my-grandmother curtains in a shimmery gold. I stumbled on these awesome holiday tablecloths at HomeGoods, so I'm enlist help to turn them into curtains. We're also on the lookout for a small chandelier and I need to decide what to do with the wall behind the bed. I have some silver mirrors, but haven't figured out if I want to use those over the nightstands or opt for something roundish, centered over the headboard to mix up all the straight lines. Still TBD, but in the meantime I am thoroughly enjoying my grown up room!

Scrap Paper Pinwheels

Who knew how easy pinwheels were to make? These literally took me under 10 minutes. They're really fun and add a pop of color to any space - perfect for our family room, which was dominated by gray and white at the time I made these (we've since added lots of turquoise!). I think they look cute in the vase, and I cannot kill the pinwheels as I tend to do with flowers, so that's a bonus!

I found a great tutorial from kiki creates, so I decided to give them a whirl.

I didn't follow the template exactly because I don't have a printer at home, but they still came out fine. This is how I did it:

• Start by cutting 2 scrapbook papers to 6" x 6" squares.
• Glue the papers together with rubber cement (I didn't have spray adhesive) - coat each page with the rubber cement and let it dry, then carefully paste the pages together so they're even. Letting the rubber cement dry first, allows for a more secure bond, but you do need to be careful lining everything up. 
• I then used kiki's template to guide me where to cut the lines and punch the holes.
• I used my ruler and lined up diagonally from point to point, leaving about 1-1/2" in the middle.
• For the holes, I didn't really measure, just used her guide to eyeball it, marked the 4 spots.
• Then take each point and line up your holes with the center hole, folding toward the front and going clockwise.
• Once you have everything lined up, secure the pinwheels with a brad. I used a very plain brad, but depending on your paper, you could use something more fancy, perhaps a sparkly rhinestone brad?
• The brads are secured on the back to floral wire for the stands.

I made the pinwheel on the right a little bit larger and used double sided scrap booking paper, so I didn't need my rubber cement. I stopped at two, but am thinking about adding a third one b/c I don't like symmetry and think the vase would look nice with one more. 

These pinwheels made from maps are pretty awesome too! Since I love to travel, I might make some of these to put in what will be my travel-themed office.

What easy 10 minute project have you whipped up lately?

Orange Nectarine Raspberry Smoothie

I made a pretty awesome smoothie on Saturday afternoon for the hubs and I. It was really refreshing on the scorching day we were having. However, although it does have a bunch of fruit in it, it's very high in sugar, so it's not the healthiest drink, but still not the worst. It hit the spot and I'd still recommend giving it a try (just not every day!)

I used the awesome magic bullet my sister gave us to make this one. I didn't measure anything, so just eyeball it and add more of whichever ingredient is your fave - it's really good with a little extra sorbet!

• Get your blender or magic bullet
• Add a little orange juice 
• Cut up a ripe nectarine and toss it in
• Add a few spoonfuls of raspberry sorbet
• Blend to break up the chunks of nectarine
• Then add ice, blend some more and you're good to go

It's seriously so good (and I HATE orange juice). Super refreshing. I also think it would be an awesome cocktail if you just add a few splashes of raspberry flavored vodka.


Do you have any delicious, refreshing smoothie recipes to share?

Bar Carts & Booze Displays

Following the happy hour theme from yesterday, I thought I’d unveil my new mini bar. In our old apartment we had a fabulous built in with huge glass cabinets. That’s where I kept all of our adult beverages and barware. The Green Bungalow doesn’t have a dining room, or a space that’s conducive for this type of storage, so I created my own...iPhone photo alert!

I contemplated a beverage cart, but in looking at my surroundings, I decided there wasn’t really a perfect place for it. That’s when it hit me – my mirrored HomeGoods cabinet!! (which hasn’t been filled since I bought it). I relocated a framed photograph, a candle and a vase of pinwheels I’d made (more on those later) and headed to the basement to collect some booze, mixers, wine stoppers and coasters to take up the space. I think it looks pretty great, if I do say so myself! I was also able to fit my wine glasses inside the cabinet – perfection!

But, one of my favorite parts of the bar is the “Cheers” chalkboard, inviting friends for a drink. That was super easy to make using an ornate frame I picked up at HomeGoods (where else?!) and some chalkboard paint. If you take the glass out of the frame, you can apply the chalk paint right over it. The worst part is waiting 24 hours for it to be ready. Once it was, I attempted writing “Cheers” a few times before it actually came out how I liked it. Now that it’s hung and all put together, I’m glad I didn’t splurge on a bar cart!

Working with what you’ve got is so great because it gives a fresh look to your space and even better, it’s free! Plus it’s just fun pulling together a few items you have laying around and creating something new with them.

What items have you been inspired by around your house? Anyone else have all their booze out on display? What does yours look like? I will try to take better photos with my Nikon this weekend!

Happy Hour Wreath

Totally been slacking on the blog lately! I have actually completed some fun projects, but haven’t found the time to photograph them in natural light, with a good camera, and write about them. Between changing jobs, helping my husband start up his dog walking business, “Paws on the Pavement” and getting back into a workout regimen, I’ve been keeping my schedule pretty packed.

But here’s a quick look at one finished project that I put together in under 5 minutes – my “Happy Hour” wreath. Super simple and bright and colorful just in time for summer.

I picked up the grapevine wreath from Michael’s on a member special and I had a package of drink umbrellas laying around that I never used – for some odd reason I couldn’t find an occasion to use them?! Ha!

All I did was arrange them in a layout I liked, trying to alternate colors, and stuck the sticks through the vines. So simple. Hang on the front door and you’ll be the party house on the block! The only thing I would recommend, which I didn’t do myself, is securing the umbrellas in some way, either with wire or glue, etc. I noticed that the blue umbrellas keep falling out, but I also look at it as an opportunity to reuse the bare wreath in the fall.

Feel free to use my wreath as a guide for your own and share your photos below!

In 5 minutes when you’re done with your wreath, head over and check out my husband’s new blog (if you love dogs, or just want to see some completely adorable pics of Kylie!) It’s still a work in progress, but we’re getting there! www.pawsonthepavement.blogspot.com.

What fun summer projects have you been working on?

Fab Freebie!

Despite my husband's complaints that I take forever quite a bit of time to finish my projects, and that I have a ton of stuff taking over his garage, I know he appreciates my crafty side. Here's the proof...

I got a text from him saying this nightstand was on the side of the road. The text was from an hour ago, so I raced home after Zumba hoping it was still sitting on the curb. To my delight it was...and best of all...it was free! Free! Can you believe it? It's Thomasville brand, in great shape, solid wood, it just needs a little sanding, paint, new pulls/knobs. I wish there had been two so we could use them in our bedroom, but one free nightstand is better than no free nightstands. Now I need to decide where I want to keep it. I am dying to paint a piece of furniture bright red, but unless I use it in my office, red doesn't go with my color scheme in our master or spare bedrooms.

Stay tuned for the update...it may take a while ;-)

I did start another project this weekend that's been on my list for a while...will give you the details soon!

Anyone have any fabulous furniture finds this weekend? Don't you just love free stuff??


~Amy

What I Pinned: Pinterest March 2012

I'm a little behind on this, but these are my March faves from Pinterest...follow my boards to see more!

Coffee Table: I pretty much love everything about this room, but I pinned it especially for the coffee table. I love the industrial look with the metal frame, the casters and the farmhouse appeal of the wood. I'm trying to figure out how I can make this myself.

Natural Dyes for Easter Eggs: Perfect to try this weekend. I don't think Jon & I will be dying Easter eggs this year, but good to have for reference.

Red Bench from World Market: I'm really digging this bench, also available in a few other colors. It's pretty inexpensive as well, but I've never purchased anything from World Market before, so I'm not sure about the quality, but I think it would look super cute on our front porch.

Jalapeno Cilantro Margarita Recipe: Ohmygod this sounds delicious! A spicy jalapeno mingled with refreshing cilantro and lime - it's the perfect summer cocktail. I hope to be enjoying many of these on the patio this summer!

Luggage Shelves: I already wrote a post on these because I'm so in LOVE with them. I really really really NEED to do this in my office. If anyone has any vintage luggage they'd like to donate to the project, please let me know!! Such an amazing idea!

Stools, Table, Chevron Print: Ignore that this table has Christmas decorations on it. Now can we talk about how adorable those little stools are?! I freakin love them. And I love the chevron print in the backround that I originally thought was paint or wallpaper, but just realized it's art - genius! I love the colors, the cross between the glossy white table, the modern chevron print and the vintage stools that look like they were made from crates, and the mix of metal & wood. I want this in my house!

Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls: Just say buffalo and chicken in the same sentence and my mouth waters. These little egg rolls look amazingly delicious and easy to make...bonus that they boast to be only 100 calories each!

White & Green Kitchen: I want to make something in this kitchen, perhaps the buffalo chicken spring rolls and a jalapeno cilantro margarita? (smile) It's just so bright and welcoming and the pop of green against the white & gray color scheme really makes the island the focal point of the room. I want an island, sigh.

50+ Wood Pallet Project Ideas: So many great ideas for transforming wood pallets into functional pieces for your home. I have been dying to do something with pallets and there are tons of options on this site.

And for dessert....

Pretzel Crusted, Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Pie: Wow! I actually made this a few weeks ago to bring to a friend's for dessert. It was incredible. Seriously rich, so you can't eat too much, but it was amazing. If you like cookies, chocolate and peanut butter, and who doesn't, then you need to try this dessert. It was really quick and easy to make too - definitely my kind of recipe.

What have you been pinning? Leave your pinterest link below so I can check out your pins and follow you too!