Past Resolutions Update

Yesterday I shared my list of DIY projects I hope to accomplish this year, dubbed my “New DIYear Resolutions”.  Shamefully a couple of items on this year’s list were left overs from previous years.  In an effort to redeem myself I thought I’d share updates on some of the projects from past years’ list (you can check out 2010, 2011, and 2012 here) that I actually accomplished.  Plus they’ve ended up being some of my favorite projects so I figured I’d share.

Front Yard Landscaping: This is from the 2010 list and we’re so happy we tackled this project.  Not only did it add curb appeal to our house, but it also makes bringing in groceries a heck of a lot easier.  We used to have a very small planted pathway leading to our front door which we ripped out so that we could install a new paver walkway. Then we added a retaining wall and some plants of course. I also spruced up the area around our front door a bit.





Fireplace Mantle Update: This was a project that was on my 2010 and 2012 lists and has been a work in progress that I finally finished last year.  We added an expanded mantle shelf, hid the tv cables above the fireplace, painted the brass accents black, painted the mantle white, and added mosaic tile around the mantle.





Kitchen Updates on a Budget: In 2010, I hoped to make some updates to our kitchen which we accomplished by installing granite countertops, a new tile backsplash, and a new faucet and granite sink. Hmm…I really need to share some newer photos of the kitchen, I’m going to get on that! 





Home Office Update: This has been one of my favorite projects around the house.  I transformed an outdated computer desk to a new office and craft work area.





Powder Room Update: In 2011, I tackled updating our powder room and transformed it from builder’s grade to an updated look for under $70!



Sew New Pillows: I went a little crazy with this resolution from 2011.  I sewed a vintage tea towel pillow, animal print placemat pillows, a sweater pillow, patterned pillows, and a nautical map pillow.  Turns out, I like to sew!





Organizing Around the House: Organization has been on my to-do list each year, partly because I believe this is an ongoing process and partly just because I’m a messy person by nature and this helps me keep on top of things!  I’ve done a lot of organizing projects over the years which you can check out in my organization category.  (Our mail center is pictured below.)




Whew!  Turns out I accomplished quite a few things from my yearly resolutions.  I better get started on this year’s goals now!  Do you have any accomplished resolutions you’re proud of?

2013 New DIYear Resolutions

So we’re halfway through February and most of us have probably forgotten about our resolutions already, but I’m just getting around to sharing mine now.  But since I shared my resolutions for 2010, 2011, and 2012, I couldn’t break tradition this year.  Better late than never, right? 

As with past years, I call my house to-dos for the year “New DIYear Resolutions” since they are all hands-on DIY projects I want to accomplish during the year.  I failed big time with two of my resolutions last year, not even getting started on them, so they are back on the docket for this year.  So here’s what I’m hoping to tackle in 2013:

Refinish This Chest: Okay, this one is embarrassing.  I bought this soon-to-be-awesome chest at a garage sale back in 2010 and it still hasn’t been refinished.  I’m giving myself an ultimatum to finish it this spring, no excuses!



Create a Proper Window Seat: This is another leftover from last year’s list (boooo).  Our living room has a built-in window seat area, but needs a nice cushion and new pillows.  Good news is that I already have the fabric to tackle this project!




Complete Baby’s Nursery: This one I know will get done!  The nursery must be finished for our little bundle of joy.  You can read all about our nursery mood board and plan here.




Have a Baby!: Since we’re having a baby this year, that’s at the ultimate top of my to-do list!  Given that this a pretty darn big project, I’m keeping the rest of this New DIYear Resolutions list pretty short so I can focus on the whole having and caring for a tiny human being thing.  It’s kinda a big deal!

How are your resolutions going for this year?  Do you have a list of DIY projects to tackle?

My Biggest & Best Project Ever - Exciting News!

Yesterday I mentioned that I had been taking a break from blogging over the past few months to work on a really big project.  In fact, it is the biggest and best project I have ever, ever done!  I won’t keep you in suspense any longer, time to spill the beans:



I’m having a baby!  And it is definitely the most wonderful “project” I have ever done.  Nothing says “DIY” like growing your own little human!  I am due early this year and the gender will be a surprise. 

So if you’ve been wondering where I’ve been the last few months, I have been focusing all of my time and energy on being pregnant.  It sure makes a lady tired.  Between being physically tired, preparing the house for the baby, the holidays, and working full time, something had to give so I ended up taking a blogging break.  BUT, I have so much fun baby stuff to share that I couldn’t stay away for long.  Expect nursery updates and baby preparations galore!  (Tomorrow I will be sharing my nursery plans!)

2012 Top Projects

Hello again!  Remember me?  I’ve been taking a break from the blog over the last few months, but I’ve missed it and am hoping to get back in the groove of posting regularly.  And I can promise you that I’m back for reals because I have already written several posts, so booyah- I’m back!  If you’ve been wondering where I am, I have been busy working on a super exciting secret project that I will be spilling the beans about tomorrow!

But before I get into that, I wanted to take a look back at 2012.  Hey, it’s only February!  Even though I trailed off blogging towards the end of last year, I still managed to accomplish a few pretty awesome projects, if I do say so myself.  So let’s take a look at a few of my favorite projects and most popular posts from last year.  In 2012…

I transformed a dated 90s computer desk into a beautiful new craft and office space.




I took the plunge and painted my oak fireplace white and added new tile in a seemingly never ending multi-phase project. 




I sewed green patterned pillows and a nautical map pillow (made from an unexpected source.)




I made cute coasters using vintage images of the Jersey shore:




I shared a trick to grow your own green onions indoors:




I showed you how to make a few yummy recipes like a delicious Nutella breakfast panini and chocolate peanut butter banana bites.

 


I made a storage box by repurposing an unusual object.




I designed a concert poster style summer fun list:




And finally I made a cute felt matroyshka Christmas ornament:




So that’s a little look into my life last year.  Here’s to 2013 being a bigger and better year!  In fact, I can assure you it will be, I’ll be spilling the beans on why and how tomorrow!

Back in Business

I'm bacccckkkkk!  I was taking a blogging break for the summer, but now it's after Labor Day which means my white pants are packed away and I'm back in the swing of blogging things!

It was nice to take a break away from blogging and have one less thing on my plate, but I've been really itching to get back to it!  Now I feel refreshed, inspired, and have a great backlog of projects to share from over the past few months.

So what have I been up to?  At the start of summer, I put together my Summer Fun List - 2012 Edition with all of the just-for-fun things I wanted to accomplish.  Here's a reminder of my summer fun intentions:



I'm happy to report that I've managed to get almost everything on the list checked off (except for: pie - I ate pie, but didn't bake one; bike rides - my lazy summer included lazy legs; road trip- we traveled but I wouldn't classify anything as a road trip;  baseball - we watched Phillies games on TV, but didn't make it to the ballpark this season).

But pretty much everything on the list was accomplished (tough, I know, when "ice cream" is on my
to-do list!)  Here are some snapshots of just what it was that I was up to:



Ah, I love looking at all those summer snapshots at once, it reminds me of all the wonderful summer memories that took place this year and that I’m a very lucky girl!  I just made that photo my computer desktop background so I can savor the memories a little more. 

But I did plenty of things around the house too, and made sure to take photos so I can share them now post-hiatus.  To give you a sneak peek, my summer house accomplishments include: an update to our staircase, new lighting fixtures, outdoor updates, a fun new chalkboard, and tasty new recipes.  I'll be sharing each of these things soon and I'm going to get back to posting regularly, but I'd love to see what you guys have been up to too.  So if you have a project you'd like to share, please email me and I'd love to feature it!

How was your summer?  What did you check off your fun-to-do-list or productive-to-do-list?  Anyone miss me?  Please someone who's not related to me tell me that you noticed I was gone!

What Home Bloggers Actually Do

I’m sure you’ve seen those “what I actually do” pictures popping up online.  I thought I’d have some fun and put one together for us home bloggers.  Check it out- what home bloggers actually do:

Hahaha!  What do you think?  Feel free to share this around if you like my interpretation!

Snowy Snout

I’ve been quarantining myself at home this past week with a bad cold.  Yesterday, I finally felt better enough to step foot outside to play with my pup in the snow.  Although we’ve had a few brutally cold spells, overall this winter has been pretty mild and this is the first real snow fall we’ve seen all season (aside from a small sprinkle of freak October snow).  My pup loves the snow and was pumped to get outside to play and munch on some ice.



Today we dressed him in a doggy vest (he’s a little guy and needs clothes to keep warm sometimes) and he couldn’t wait to get outside to play a game of soccer with his dad.


Has it finally snowed around you?  Any snowmen and snow angels in your neck of the woods?

2012 New DIYear Resolutions

Being the list-making person that I am, I had to put together a list of resolutions/goals for 2012, or as I like to call them - New DIYear Resolutions (get it- because it's DIY stuff!)  I will be updating everyone on my 2011 goals soon (spoiler: I did surprisingly well) but in the meanwhile I wanted to share what I hope will be on the docket for twenty-twelve.

2012 New DIYear Resolutions:

Refinish Garage Sale Chest:  Back in July 2010, I bought a dingy and dirty, but full of potential, wood cabinet at a garage sale for only $2.  But embarrassingly, this diamond in the rough has been sitting in my garage as-is since the day I bought it.  It's high time to restore this beauty.

Refinish Our Fireplace:  Our fireplace was already on my to-do list back in 2010 and I achieved my goal for that year when my Dad built an expanded mantle shelf (see the improved before-and-after below).  Since then, I also figured out how to disguise our flat screen TV cables.  But, I'd really like to take the fireplace one step further by getting rid of the brass accents, painting the mantle, and maybe adding some new tile.
 

Create a Proper Window Seat: We have a nice window seat area in our living room, but I've never gotten around to making a nice cushion for it.  I bought the foam for the cushion when we first moved in but had to put it away when we got our dog and he went through his rebelious teething and chewing stage.  Now that he's a good boy (most of the time), I've put the foam cushion back but have only loosely wrapped it in some boring extra fabric I had on hand.  This year, I'd like to sew a proper window seat cushion with some fun fabric and accessorize it with new pillows.

Ongoing Organizing: I've had organizing on my goals list for both 2010 and 2011.  I accomplished a lot of organizing in the last two years, but I've always felt that this has to be an ongoing goal in order keep everything shipshape.  I think decluttering as well as keeping drawers, closets, and papers in order is an ongoing process so I plan to continue my organizational kick throughout 2012.  This year, I may try to be more organized with my organizing (there's a type-A statement if I've ever heard one) by tasking myself with one specific closet or area per month to tackle.  In addition to organizing, I have been experimenting with a few different cleaning methods and plans to keep the house nice and tidy.  My goal for the year is to have my house pass the "pop-in" test at all times, meaning that my house is clean enough to have anyone stop by at any time.  Wish me luck with that one!

In addition to my home goals, I also wanted to share my personal resolutions this year.  

Daily Photo Project:  This year, I'd like to take one photo every single day that captures a highlight or something memorable from the day.  I'm hoping that this will be like a visual diary where I'll be able to look back on the year and see the memorable moments.  In the 11 days that I've been doing this so far, I've also found that it's been getting me to think creativly.  I'm taking the photos with my iPhone and the simplicity of the phone camera is making me put a lot of thought into how the image should be framed and getting me to see simple everyday things as camera-worthy moments.

Learn to use SLR Camera:  My other photo related goal for the year is to learn to use a DSLR camera.  I purchased a Canon Rebel T3 over the holidays and am really excited to join the SLR world.  I've been playing around with the camera, but I really need to sit down, crack open my manual, and learn the ins and outs of it.  I know there are a lot of great resources online to learn to use DSLRs, are there any resources you can recommend?

Travel:  You probably already know how much I like to travel, heck I even created a travel gallery wall devoted to enjoying all of my vacation photos.  So of course I'd love to take another vacation in 2012.  We haven't made any plans about where or when yet, but I hope 2012 brings us somewhere warm and preferably beachy.

So those are my goals for 2012!  I have a few projects that I'd really like to accomplish, but I've left a lot of time for myself to accomplish home projects as they come up.  What are your goals for the year?

Happy New Year 2012!

Happy 2012!  Whew!  Christmas and New Years were a whirlwind of fun, but boy am I wiped out now!  I was lucky enough to have over a week and a half off of work, but between finishing gift shopping, Christmas preparations, family get togethers, New Years Eve party preparations, and New Years Eve and Day parties, I am exhausted!  I wouldn’t change a thing though, I love the holidays and am fortunate I got to spend quality time with my family.

Christmas was wonderful.  We had a few great family dinners, I happily gifted a few surprises, and Santa was very kind to me as well.  I was surprised with the gift of a new sewing machine that I've already put to good use.  My sweet hubby also surprised me with a collection of the greatest movies of all time, so you can add watching them to my 2012 to-do list.  Cooking is also on my to-do list, as I got shiny stainless steel pots and pans from my family.  New Years was a great deal of fun too.  I threw my annual New Years Eve bash followed by a sleepy, more relaxed New Years Day leftover lunch.  I loved having my family over and spending time together on a festive occasion.  We served good luck foods from around the world and had 12 grapes in each of our champagne glasses at midnight so each month of the new year would be sweet.  I even stayed up until 4 am.  It was a grand time!  Here's a glimpse of what the last two weeks looked like around here.
  


But now I'm back to work and back to blogging.  Thanks to everyone who reads this little 'ol blog, you make me feel truly special!  I am amazed by how much this blog has grown over the past year and I have my readers to thank!  And can bet your bottom dollar that I'm looking forward to 2012 around here.  I'll be back with my annual recap and New Years resolutions soon.  I'm looking forward to more projects and blogging more often in 2012.  How were your holidays?  Is there anything you'd like to see more of here in the new year?

2011 New DIYear Resolutions

Just like last year, I've compiled a list of New DIYear Resolutions for 2011.  My "DIYear" resolutions are goals I'd like to accomplish in my house this year (you can see how I did on my 2010 goals here).  This year I've also set modest budgets for each of my goals and I'm hoping all 5 of my resolutions come in under $360.

Here's what's on the agenda for 2011:

Powder Room Update:  When we first moved into our house, the powder room was painted this frightfully bright blue color (it was even more electrifying in person than in this photo).  One of the first projects we did in the house was to paint this room a much more subtle tone, but we haven't done much to the room since then.  The plan is to change the lighting, hardware, mirror, and add art- all for under $75!




Master Bedroom Update:   Our master bedroom is actually one of my favorite rooms in our house.  I love our bedroom furniture and the room's big window.  However, I've grown tired of our bedding and the room needs new accessories and art.  I'd like to reuse accessories from other parts of the house, so I'm hoping to revamp the room for $100 or less -including the new bedding!




Sew New Pillows:  I can't really remember sewing anything since 8th grade home economics class!  I think it's about time I got behind a sewing machine again and created some new pillows for our family room.   We used to have these blue pillows in our family room, but they've since been moved upstairs because I'd like to have a green color scheme in the family room instead.  Sew So, I'd like to make new green pillows for the family room for under $35.




Get (& Stay) Organized:  This resolution is rolling over from last year because there's always room for more organizing.  I made some good strides in getting organized in 2010, but there are still some trouble spots in the house which desperately need to be organized.  My goal for 2011 is to clean up the trouble spots and keep the already organized areas in shape.  There are a few organizational items I'll need to get the job done, but this project is more about getting rid of stuff than buying new stuff, so I'd like to keep the budget to $50.

Basement Improvement:  This goal is still on the list from last year.  We currently have an unfinished basement with a gym, pool table, and storage area.  Finishing a basement is very costly and since we know we want to sell the house within the next few years (and probably won't recoup our investment), I don't want to spend a lot of money on the basement.  However, I would like a warmer feeling space so I've been thinking of creative ways to make the basement feel more finished (without actually finishing it) by using paint and fabric.  If you have any suggestions for this space, I'd love to hear them!  Total budget (crosses fingers) will be $100 or less.

Have you set household goals for yourself in 2011?  Any suggestions for how I can accomplish mine?

Fessing Up: 2010's Resolutions

This time last year, I put together a list of what I like to call New DIYear Resolutions – household projects I wanted to accomplish in 2010.  Now that it’s a year later, it’s time to take a look back at how we did.  I’ll be sharing updated photos on each of these goals soon,  but for now here’s the scoop on how the year went.

Get Organized:  My first resolution was to get organized.  This wasn’t to be an overnight job, but something I did throughout the year to get organized and stay that way.  I’m happy to say that I made some great progress on this resolution and cleaned out some closets, drawers, and came up with a better system to organized my household paperwork (you can check out some of my home organization projects here).

However, there are definitely still areas of the house that could use organizing.  I think this is one of those goals where there’s always room for improvement and better solutions will always come about as we live and learn, so this resolution is staying on my list for 2011.  I’ll be sharing some more of the organizing techniques I came up with in 2010 soon, but this goal isn't going anywhere in 2011.

Finish Updating Our Kitchen:  Check!  We installed a new backsplash, granite countertops, sink, and painted.  There’s still the eternal debate of if we should paint, stain, or leave our cabinets alone, but other than that the kitchen is in pretty good shape.  It’s about time I shared some new photos though!

New Fireplace Mantle:  Another check!  We installed a wider fireplace mantle shelf to add some style and function to our builder’s grade mantle.  I really enjoyed styling the new mantle for Christmas this year.  I still want to paint over the brass accents and tiling the black surround still sounds appealing, but for now we’ve definitely taken a step in the right direction with the fireplace.

Front Yard Landscaping: Just a few months ago we tackled our front entrance by adding a stone paver walkway and removing some boring looking shrubs (check out part 1 and part 2 of this project).  I still owe everyone updated photos of this endeavor, but in the meanwhile check out the sneak peak below of our new walkway.  However by the time we finished installing the walkway, it was too late in the season to plant new shrubs and flowers so that is definitely on our to-do list for the Spring.

Home Office Update:  Another check!  I’ve been a little mysterious about this goal, but I’ve been secertly revamping my home office space which I’ll be sharing soon.  For now, I'll just say that it involves an old desk, white paint, and very cute new accessories!

Basement Improvement:  Fail!  This is the one goal we didn’t do much with last year.  My goal was to come up with some creative solutions to make the space look more finished without actually finishing it (with paint, fabrics, etc) but I have yet to come up with a good solution.  However we did add some shelving units which gave us more functional storage, but I’d still like to do something to add some style to the basement.  This one is going back on the list for 2011.

How did you do with your 2010 resolutions?  Are you making new resolutions for this year?  Stay tuned, I'll be sharing my 2011 New DIYear resolutions soon.

Happy New Year 2011!

Happy New Year!  Wishing you a wonderful 2011!  I hope you also had a very fun New Year’s Eve, but didn’t party too hard like this guy:




I’m excited to jump into 2011 and in the words of Barney Stintson it’s going to be legendary!  I have a lot of great projects and other fun planned for this year and am excited to share it with all of you.


But I always love the inspiration and awesome project ideas I see online, so if you have any projects you’d like to share, please email me and I’d love to feature them here.

Thank you to everyone for reading and following my blog in the past year and I hope you stick around for the fun we’re about to have in 2011.  Happy New Year!

2010 Year in Review

2010 has been a busy year in the DIY Newlyweds household.  I have some fun DIY plans for 2011, but before I get into that, here's a review of my favorite projects from 2010.  Looking back, I was pretty busy bee this year!

DIY Home Improvement Projects

 Kitchen Update (New granite counter tops, backsplash & new sink)

 Expanded Fireplace Mantle

 New Crown Molding

 Kitchen Cabinet Corkboard

Craft Projects

Fall Candles

Stacked Herb Planter

 

Summer Fun List

Upside Down Vegetable Planter

Edible Fruit Arraignment Bouquet

Easter Wreath

Holiday Projects:

Felt Gift Card Holders

Printable Holiday Gift Tags

Gold Christmas Tree Branch Decor

Pssstt...If you like some of my projects, I'd love it if you follow my blog!

I'm linking up to Southern Hospitality, House of Hepworths, The Lettered Cottage, The DIY Showoff, Be Different Act Normal link parties- check out some of the other great projects featured!