Yami

October 21, 2019 By Yami 5 Comments

We moved… yes you heard right.

Hello friends!

I am sure this title may have come as a shock to you since I just shared my entire house tour with you.

You can watch those tours, here, here and here.

Well, the truth is that this has been on our minds since almost a year ago… yes, that LONG.

I just never mentioned anything because we didn’t know if and when it would even be a possibility. We actually loved the area we lived in and we didn’t move out of it, luckily. We were ready for a change though… a completely different lifestyle. We just didn’t know exactly what that lifestyle was until we started considering other places to live.

And boy did we look…. We saw so many places even before we were ready to put our house up for sale. We didn’t want to make a hasty decision and then find ourselves in this situation a couple more years down the road.

One thing we were certain of… our house was too big (is that even a thing?).

Yes, I said it. TOO BIG.

We found ourselves only using half of the 5,120 square feet of home that we lived in and frankly in our eyes that was just unnecessary. We did however, want a bigger yard. MUCH bigger.

I longed for a garden (even though I have a black thumb) and a place where I can have the kids playing outside where I would not have to worry about them getting hit by a speedy neighbor… yep, we had those. 🙄

We also wanted a different lifestyle, a little more traditional, a little more authentic.

And let’s face it, you can add as much farmhouse decor and design into a suburban house and it just won’t actually be a farmhouse people!

A few months ago I shared the image below on my Instagram. This picture is of a well to a 2.5 acre property we absolutely fell in love with.

Of course, the price was out of our range and the property went under “pending sale” shortly after we saw it.

We were bummed.

Then it fell through…. and then it was back under “pending sale” again.

This time we were devastated.

Life was over as we knew it (because by this time our house was up for sale and we couldn’t go back!).

However, we put our faith in God and HE always comes through for us.

I can happily say that we are now owners of that property and our well looks like this now…

It’s like the perfect space to capture all the seasons right?

Don’t worry, it’s kid safe.

Of course we go into a lot more detail as to what we had to go through to find and buy this home in my “Where Have I Been” video on my Youtube channel (linked below) that you are welcome to watch.

There were so.many.hurdles…..

But I am glad to say we are here and we are happy.

Even though we only had 4 days to move.

I also shared our move and saying our final goodbye to our last house. In addition, the sellers of the house we purchased left us something that we could have totally lived WITHOUT in our new home. It’s actually pretty gross. 😱

You can get all of those details (including the grossness) in the video below as well.

Oh and we have already hit the ground running with renovations cause this is a true fixer upper so I will be back very soon with more!

October 3, 2019 By Yami Leave a Comment

My Home Tour – The Basement

Well the time has come to share the last part of our home…. the basement.

I will warn you, we have not done ANYTHING to this level. We have been pretty busy with the upstairs as you can imagine so this level of our home has been on the bottom of our priority list.

That being said, it is a space with lots of potential.

On this level we have a full kitchen, laundry, bedroom, bathroom, living space, workout space and some storage areas (basically an entire apartment).

Our house totals 5,120 square feet and yes, that is A LOT to have to clean and manage, I am well aware. The good news is that this level doesn’t get too much use yet so I don’t have to be on top of it every second.

If you haven’t seen any of the previous tours, be sure to check them out on my previous posts or my Youtube channel.

And without further ado, let’s get started with the tour below. I hope you enjoy!

October 2, 2019 By Yami Leave a Comment

My Home Tour 2019… Part 2

Hello there again friends!

October is moving along and we are still in the 90’s!… 🥵 If you are still feeling this heat, then perhaps a little distraction will do you some good.

Today, we are continuing with the home tour! I hope you’ve been enjoying the previous exterior and first floor tours as we walked around and throughout my home.

Honestly, it’s been kinda fun for me to film my tours this way. I think it makes the tour feel more intimate. Plus, I get to show you things as they really are and you aren’t left with that wonder of how rooms are laid out throughout a home.

I know I get that when people are just sharing their pretty angles in pictures 😉

For today I am taking you to the upstairs where I share the kids bedrooms, the master bedroom and bathrooms.

You may have already seen them as I have shared some previous transformations. We made updates to our master bedroom and it looks totally different from the day we moved in.

I replaced the most hideous wallpaper in my youngest’s room and I even shared a complete tutorial on how to do it…

My son’s bathroom got quite the change too – it was brown on brown on brown, but not anymore! I even share more changes to his bathroom in the video so that was fun.

So far, we have done a lot and I was happy to share the progress as well as some before pictures in the videos so you can get a sense of how much work was really completed.

In addition I share my daughters’s bathroom in the video and I have not shared it on the blog yet. We have done some really pretty updates to that as well.

So sit back and relax for Part 2 below!

My Home Tour 2019… Part 2

I will see you back here for the last episode!

September 30, 2019 By Yami Leave a Comment

My Home Tour 2019

Hello everyone!

I hope you all are enjoying the last day of September (can you believe it?!) Tomorrow is October 1st and I haven’t even started on my children’s Halloween costumes. 🤦🏻‍♀️ #Momoftheyear is looking a little bleak right now…

Anyways, I thought I would share a complete home tour with you all! I thought it would be fun to invite you to my home and walk you throughout it as if you were an actual guest.

From walking around the exterior to going in the front door and sharing the interior of our home in a more “real” experience.

So below are the first two of 4 videos that I will be sharing with you.

The first is the complete exterior video… from what the house looks like on the outside to our serious lack of landscaping! LOL!

And then the following video is the complete tour of our first floor.

I figured I would break it up in a series so that the video wouldn’t be super long and completely bore you to death, plus I thought it would be fun to have “episodes” like you would on TV.

So grab a coffee, sit back and relax while you walk throughout and see all of the work we have done as well as get a sneak peak of my sweet little family throughout.

My hubby makes several cameos and he just loves the camera. 🙄

This video will also take you through the kitchen reveal I just shared so you can see the actual layout of the kitchen and not just images, so I thought that was kinda fun….

If you have any questions regarding anything you see, just let me know in the comments below.

As always you can check out more videos on my Youtube channel if you haven’t already and I will see you next time!

September 27, 2019 By Yami Leave a Comment

White Coastal Kitchen Reveal

Happy last Friday before October!

So this post has been a long time coming. I have wanted to share this sooner, but lighting in my kitchen is absolutely horrible and taking light and bright pictures of it is terribly hard.

Everything is complete and the kitchen looks so much better than what it used to look like.

Just to refresh your memory, here is a glimpse of what I was working with (you can check out the full before here).

3 words…. outdated, dark and overwhelming.

The pickle wash on the cabinets was old and worn in many areas. There is no natural light and the dark walls, cabinets and stonework made it feel like a cave. And while the kitchen didn’t have too many things on the countertops, it all felt so overwhelming and cluttered.

I also didn’t care for the mismatched appliances.

Of course, since I could only do so much with a tight budget, paint was going to be the biggest impact for the least amount of money (plus it wasn’t anything I hadn’t tackled before).

The main changes were obviously the cabinets and walls. And just by doing that, the difference was amazing.

Some of the following links below are affiliate links for your convenience, for full disclosure please go here

Of course it also helped that I got a new range and double oven combo…

We kept the same hardware to save money (even though they aren’t my favorite). And we added some rustic trim on the hood vent to break up all the white.

I hung a “tabasco basket” (like my daughter likes to call it) over my doorway into the back hallway that leads to the garage, laundry and pantry area. I have always wanted to have one and I was finally able to get it.

I love that little bit of detail on the hood vent.

Now everything looks nice and crisp.

I even got new glass food containers for the countertops. These were from Big Lots and were a total steal!

I added a DIY cutting board to the little open space to the right of the cabinets. The area is narrow there so I figured something long and dark would make for a nice touch. You can find how to make it on one of my video tutorials. It was made from scrap wood, leftover stain and Dollar Tree nautical rope. It couldn’t have been cheaper!

TUTORIAL: DIY Farmhouse Cutting Board

Those little picture frames you see on the right below were another DIY. I shared how to make them here too.

The double ovens really upgraded the look of the cabinets and kitchen. And keeping the white microwave actually makes it feel less cluttered since it just blends in with the cabinetry.

The other thing I like about this area is that the space above the fridge is now decorative. I added shiplap, stained it and added a shelf and now it actually has a purpose. Before it was a wine rack that no one used cause no one could reach it!

Now my white ceramics have a home.

Of course the countertops had to stay cause there was no budget for them, however, at least the white paint doesn’t make them look so dark. It seems to pull from the light colors in the stone.

And now my kitchen looks like it goes with the rest of my house.

It all seems to flow. And with the lighter colors the kitchen looks so much for inviting (like the rest of my house).

I used the same paint on the walls in the breakfast area and keeping room below and took it straight through into the kitchen. I used Repose Gray by Sherwin Williams.

I am really happy it is done and I don’t feel like a cook in a dungeon anymore.

If you have been thinking of painting your cabinets, but haven’t decided whether or not you’re are up to the channel, I have a video that goes over every simple step I take in painting cabinets. I walk through how to prep, what tools to use, what paint brand I prefer and why, how to let dry etc. etc. etc.

It is a long video but I go over ERRRRTHANG to make sure you have all the questions you may have answered. Check it out below!

I will be back soon!

September 15, 2019 By Yami Leave a Comment

DIY Dollar Tree Candleholders

Hey there friends!

I have another quick Dollar Tree DIY for you all today. I happened to stop by Dollar Tree the the other day and came across both sets of candleholders below.

One is a stemless candleholder, part of their Harvest collection. And the other are tall clear glass tea light holders.

Individually they are not much, but I had an idea of combining them, changing their color and even adding a little bit of farmhouse “bling” to them to make them a little more interesting.

If you are looking for a simple and inexpensive centerpiece or something for a shelf or side table this DIY is for you.

Some of the links below are affiliate links, for more information check out my full disclosurefull disclosure

Here is what I used:

3 Dollar Tree Stemless Harvest Candle Holders
3 Tall Clear Glass Tea Light Holders
Spray Paint (I used this one that I had on hand)
Wooden Beads ( I get mine at Michaels)
Bakers Twine
Floral wire
HomeRight Spray Shelter (optional)
E6000 Glue

As always the video tutorial can be found at then end of this blog post or you can see it on my Youtube channel.

First thing I did was spray paint the tall tea light holders. This is completely up to you. You can leave as is or paint whatever color you desire. I just happened to have a Satin black spray paint so I used that.

Next I strung 11 beads onto twine and did this 5 times. I made sure to leave some extra string on either end.

Next I strung 22 beads on some twine and tied the ends to make a circle.

Next I took some floral wire and did the same. I used 28 beads this time, tied the ends and cut off the excess.

This is what you should have now.

Next I took the large wire circle and I began to attach the small strings of beads evenly spaced throughout.

Once that was done, I took the large candle holder and placed it upside down in the wire circle, added the smaller circle on the bottom of the candleholder and began attaching the other ends of the strings (evenly spacing them out as well).

Once that is complete, all that is left is to glue the black tea light candleholder to the bottom of the large candle holder by using E6000 and then flipping it over. You also have the option of not gluing it so you don’t make it a permanent hold.

And that’s pretty much it!

You can leave them without the beads or make beads for all of them. I love them both ways actually.

I love how easy they were to make and how elegant they look.

Let me know what you think about these!

Don’t forget to pin and share with your friends…

I will see you all again soon!

September 6, 2019 By Yami 5 Comments

Dollar Tree DIY Farmhouse Fall Pumpkins

Happy Friday!

We are already about to enter the first weekend of September – this is just crazy right?!

Today my kiddos had picture day at school and I sent them off dressed up as cute as can be… let’s just hope they choose not to fake smile today… or spill food on themselves before they take them. ??

Either way, it’s another great day for a DIY… a Dollar Tree DIY, that is!

And this one is super simple.

Some of the links below are affiliate links. Please see full disclosure for me information

All you need are the following:

You can choose any size or shape you want for this.

Video tutorial is on my Youtube channel as well as at the end of this post for your convenience.

Then, you are going to remove the stem from the pumpkin and unravel the raffia bundle.

RELATED: Fall Farmhouse Tablescape

Take your glue gun and glue one end of the raffia pieces to the center top.

Then begin wrapping it around the pumpkin covering up all the creases of the pumpkin adding a dab of glue here and there to hold it together.

Continue the process until you have done all the creases. Get more raffia pieces as you need them.

Then after all of the creases are done. Cut smaller pieces of raffia and bundle them together. Begin to glue them down to fill in the areas in between the creases.

Continue to do this until you have covered the entire pumpkin.

Then finally glue the stem back on. You will have to cut the little piece of plastic that juts out underneath the stem because it won’t penetrate the raffia, however the hot glue gun will hold it just fine.

And there you have it! Some really cute farmhouse inspired pumpkins from the Dollar Tree!

The great thing about these is that they are neutral and will go with any color scheme you choose for this season.

And if you don’t want to use the original pumpkin stems you can use branches or make your own out of air clay like the large one below.

Let me know if you will give this is a try!

VIDEO TUTORIAL

It may get a little tedious at times, but a little Netflix makes it all better! And it was totally worth it!

Don’t forget to share this with your friends by pinning!

September 2, 2019 By Yami 4 Comments

DIY Dollar Tree Galvanized Metal Chargers

Happy Tuesday!

I hope you all enjoyed a nice long weekend. It was great to just take things easy and enjoy some time with the family. We stayed at my parents and hung out with my nieces and nephew as well.

As promised I am here sharing the step by step tutorial on how to get the look of galvanized metal chargers that I used for the farmhouse tablescape I just shared with you all.

I am sure you have seen these gold chargers for ages! You may have some stashed away that you haven’t used in a long time cause, let’s face it, they’re not really in style… or haven’t been for the longest time.

I bought these at Dollar Tree several years ago and still had them around.

I hadn’t gotten rid of them since they were still in really nice shape. I have been seeing a lot of people trying their shot at faux galvanized metal on other items and I thought I would give it a try on my chargers.

As a creator for PLAID I had some great new paints that I thought would work great for this technique and I decided to give it a go!

Here are the paints I used to get the galvanized look!

Some of the links below are affiliate links for your convenience, please see disclosure for more details

Home Decor Chalk Paint in Castle
Brushed Metal Paint in Dark Gray
Brushed Metal Paint in Brushed Silver
Folkart Antiquing Medium in Nutmeg

You will also need make-up sponges or if you don’t have any you can always cut up a magic eraser sponge like I did and it works like a charm.

The first thing you will need to do it sand the chargers with fine grit sanding paper. They are super slick and without sanding them first the paint will have a hard time sticking and you definitely don’t want that.

RELATED: DIY Farmhouse Table Cloth

Next, you will add some of the Castle chalk paint to the center and start dabbing it with the sponge all over the plate.

>>>And as always, the video tutorial can be found on my YouTube channel or at the end of this post (just scroll down)<<<

You don’t have to make everything uniform because that will help with the look, but the key to making this look like metal and NOT like a whole bunch of paint dabs throughout the plate is that you have to make them connect.

This is what the plate should look like after you are done with the chalk paint (the paint does darken).

Once you let that dry, it’s time for the next layer.

You will now do the exact same thing with the Brushed Metal paint in Dark Gray.

You will want to leave some areas untouched and others darker than others like you see below.

This is what that step will look like once it’s complete and dry.

Next you will take the Brushed Metal paint in Brushed Silver and do the same thing all over again.

And this is what it will look like when you are done with that step.

Of course, in order to really get the look you need to add a little bit of rust… cause what’s galvanized metal without rust right?

I did this with the Nutmeg antiquing medium and I basically just added a small amount on my finger and I rubbed it along the edges and over the little bumps.

This part does not have to be perfect. Add as little or as much as you like and if you add too much you can just wipe it off and do it over. It’s that easy!

And here is how the charger looks when that step is complete and dry.

Isn’t it dreamy????

In order to protect all that dreaminess you have to seal it. I actually used Polycrylic in Satin and in the spray form, but I am sure you can also use Mod Podge (I would use either the Matte or Satin) and it will seal it just fine as well. It all depends on what you have on hand.

After you have properly sealed them they are ready for use!

I just can’t believe I had not thought about this until now!?

And of course, here it is with my latest fall farmhouse tablescape.

The video tutorial is below as well!

So what do you think? Will you be giving this a go?

Let me know!

August 30, 2019 By Yami Leave a Comment

Feminine Fall Farmhouse Tablescape

Happy long weekend friends!!!

Did this week seem brutal to you? Gosh, it was for me! Long days and nights and now that I am one of the room moms (happy to be so!) for one of my kids, I feel like I actually have a social life and I am “doing things” like with other human beings… moms to be exact.

It’s fun and there are some amazing women in the group, but this has brought a whole ‘nother level of responsibility over here. LOL!

Things have been kinda quiet here and I feel like I am always apologizing (sorry!… there I go again) however, I have a really REALLY big thing I am working on in the background and I hope to have an announcement VERY soon for you all. I feel like I just keep getting pushed away from my site for some reason…but….

I do know one thing… HE has a plan.

And HE has shown me this week… so much! God is great and he has helped me and my family so much during these past couple of weeks. I cannot wait to share what I have in store…. that will totally rock my world and even my website… more to come, promise!

But now that this week is over….

Bring on the football… and beer…. I mean, football!!!!

No really, let’s bring on some fall decor shall we? I am ready for sweater weather and hay rides and pumpkins and trick or treating and everything that comes with Fall.

I just collaborated with 6 other amazing women on Youtube in a “Fall Into Inspiration” video series and we all decorated something different in our homes to give our audience some great Fall decor ideas to kick off the season this year… we have a playlist of all of the videos we made and I will link to it here if you wish to check it out.

I chose the tablescape. I had so much fun creating mine last year, it was only fitting to share another one.

I knew I wanted a table cloth and I found out that Walmart actually sells pre-cut/packaged pieces of fabric in 2 yard lengths and I found this beautiful plaid one with light touches of a peachy pink throughout… 2 yards was the perfect size for my table (it kinda reminds me of something Cher would wear from Clueless, no?)

Anyways, I LOVE how it looks.

I knew I wanted a light color scheme (not necessarily neutral) this year, so I grabbed some of my previous Dollar Store pumpkins as well as a some end of season clearance ones and painted them in muted orange, sage and white colors.

I also needed some height in the center, but my galvanized metal tiered was too bulky and rustic for the look I was looking for. So I just grabbed a cake stand and placed a DIY mini stand from Dollar Tree on top and viola! Instant “tiered tray”.

I used simple white plates, napkins from Target and I made those raffia napkin rings from Dollar Tree items as well. You can see the tutorial here.

You know what else I made?

Those amazing chargers! Yep, did you think they were really galvanized? Well, I hope you did. But, nope!

I totally painted them that way and I will share the step by step process here soon. You can always get a head start and check the video tutorial already though.?

I think these chargers are one of my favorite DIYs yet!

These glasses and candles are also from Dollar Tree.

I really do love how simple and inexpensive can still be elegant. Don’t you?

I added pops of greenery and peach florals throughout and the pumpkin on top of the centerpiece is from Michaels.

If you want to see how I pulled everything together you can watch me decorate this table setting on my channel below!

Let me know what you think of this tablescape! I think it’s the perfect combination of rustic and feminine. I will see you back here soon!

August 9, 2019 By Yami 2 Comments

DIY Dollar Tree Farmhouse Tray

*Some of the following links may be affiliate links, please see full disclosure for more details*

Hello friends! I am happy to report that the first week of school is going great! Momma is enjoying her quiet time at home (the kids are also doing good). I honestly was concerned that my littlest would have a lot of trouble going in for a full day and while she did cry on Monday, it has been much easier since then. She’s actually enjoying her days.

The other two were more excited than I was to be back. Imagine that!

Anyways, I can now focus on the house and crafting and me of course. ? I will say I have been taking it kinda easy these past couple of days, but now I am rested and excited for this Fall season quickly creeping up on us.

I have been thinking about how I want to approach my seasonal decorating since I have gotten rid of quite a few things since reading Marie Kondo’s book. I don’t want to start accumulating a ton of stuff after getting rid of a ton of stuff, so I have been thinking up of ways to create multi-seasonal decorations for my home.

The tray for this post was one of them.

I came across the following narrow signs at Dollar Tree among on of my frequent runs and I quickly fell in love with the buffalo check pattern on the sides so I decided to make an elevated tray out of them that could work for all of the following holidays this year.

Supplies I used for my DIY Dollar Tree Farmhouse Tray:

4 Dollar Tree “Thankful” Signs
White Chalk Paint – I love this one
E6000 glue
Hot glue/Hot glue gun
4 floral decor pieces for the feet
Dollar Tree tumbling blocks
Clips

Steps to make these:

Remember you can always see the video tutorial on my channel or at this end of this post.

I took 4 of them and lined them up so that the patterns would match up. Then I glued them together with E6000 and some hot glue dots in order to hold them down while the E6000 dried.

They were not as easy to keep in place so I used clips on the backs to further support and hold them in place while the glue dried.

After the trays were joined together completely, I gave the tops of the signs 3 coats of my favorite white chalk paint.

Next I had found these floral designs at Dollar Tree and removed the flower portion of the designs (I got that idea from this Youtuber).

I painted them all with 2 coats of the same chalk paint.

After they were dry I needed to attach them to the bottom of the tray, making sure the “love” faced inward. I used either craft popsicle sticks or tumbling blocks from Dollar Tree in order to add another little “anchor” for the feet.

I used hot glue to adhere them to the tray.

I did these for all 4 corners.

And that’s it! I just flipped the tray over and I was done.

It’s perfect to pair with fall decor on a shelf or a table.

By the way… do you like that little house? You can see how to make it here.

And since it is black and white it can go with any color scheme..

Plus, it will go perfect with Christmas decor as well so I don’t really need to create a ton of different decor pieces which helps save on space and clutter.

And if you don’t want to use them for decor you can make them even more handy by using them as food risers for your holiday get togethers. So many possibilities!

Let me know what you think!

I will see you soon for another DIY and don’t forget to pin and share with your friends.

August 1, 2019 By Yami 1 Comment

Trash to Treasure Farmhouse Storage Box

Hey there friends! How are you?

My two older kiddos just went to their open house and we are almost ready for school on Monday! Woot woot!

We have been cleaning out their closets and taking out anything doesn’t fit them anymore. I want to start this school year clutter free!!!! I have been getting rid of stuff around the house too (and let me tell you, the boxes we have to take to Goodwill are overflowing!).

However, while going through some things I came across this box from our purple sheets that came with our Purple Mattress. It is a box I can never bring myself to throw away. It is too nice with magnets and everything.

Of course while the outside isn’t pretty, the inside was a nice lime green color too.

So of course, I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of it. But I had to do something with it, so here is what I did and what I used in order to make it look less like trash and more like it belonged in my home.

Some of the links below are affiliate links, please see full disclosure for more information.

Supplies:

An Old Box
Contact Paper – I used this floral one from Dollar Tree
Scissors or Box Cutter
Hot Glue/ Glue Gun
Chalk Paint or Acrylic Paint
E6000 Glue
Farmhouse Style Cabinet Pull – I got this one from Home Depot

First, things first… I cut the inside tab off as it wasn’t necessary.

Next, I gave it one coat of white chalk paint. I wanted to mute the colors because my contact paper was mostly white and I didn’t want the box’s original pattern to show through it.

After the box was dry, I took the sides apart so I can add the contact paper more easily.

*If at any point you are confused, you can check out the video tutorial on my YouTube channel or scroll to the end of this post and watch the video on this page.*

Once that was done I began adding the contact paper. I cut the paper to better fit the box and I did the outer part first making sure there was about an inch to fold in and over the edges.

Then I began cutting the slits on the folds. I cut them at an angle so that each corner edge gets folded over.

I did this to the entire exterior of the box and I made sure to smooth out any bubbles or creases as I went.

Contact paper can be a little tricky to work with but if you take your time with it, it will come out super smooth.

After that I added the two sides and made sure to fold the excess over each opposite edge.

Then when all of the box was covered, I hot glued the sides I undid, back together.

And then I added this sweet farmhouse cabinet pull from Home Depot that cost $1.58. I found the center of the lid’s lip and glued it on with E6000 and used a bit of hot glue to hold it together while the E6000 dried.

And that was it!

Paired with some black and white books and in front of shiplapped shelves, it looks like it was meant to be!

Now I want to cover ALL.THE.BOXES!

What do you think of this trash to treasure transformation?

I would love to know!

And here is the video tutorial as usual in case you wish to see this done in action.

Be back with more inspiration soon! And don’t forget to pin to share with your friends!

July 28, 2019 By Yami 3 Comments

Dollar Tree Farmhouse Christmas Ornaments

Merry Christmas in July everyone! I know, I know… for some of you this is crazy!!! But for me, this is just what the doctor ordered to get my creative juices flowing again.

You know how people go through emotional roller coasters? I get that with my creativity…sometimes I am killing it! And other times it’s just meh.

Plus, I know that right now most people are thinking about back to school shopping which is what I have been doing myself. As a matter of fact, just today, I finished my youngest’s school shopping. We got her list later than the other two.

I am glad to say we are good and ready to go for August 5th… OMG! I can’t believe we only have one more week left of summer vacation. ?

Time flies way too fast for me! Make it slow down!

My littlest is going to be in school and I won’t know what to do with all my extra time?!

Okay, I do know. Cleaning, cooking and doing ALL.THE.CRAFTS! But first mama needs a spa day.

Actually, my hubby got me this sweet package that I hope to redeem the first week of school where I am “home alone” – any special recommendations on what else I should do?! I feel that I should pamper myself that first week. Kinda like a “right of passage” sort of thing…. ?

I deserve it, right?!?!?

LOL! Okay, but seriously though, you all know I LOVE Christmas time and decorating with Dollar Tree for Christmas is my jam!

S0, okay…. let’s stay focused….

I was invited by some of the most talented ladies on Youtube to do a Christmas in July collaboration and I was super stoked because not only do I love these girls, but I love Christmas and the fact that they wanted me to do it with them was amazing!

We each had to come up with at least one (I did two ?) DIY Christmas decorations and share them with our viewers. Here is the playlist of everyone’s videos if you want to see them also… (lots of inspiration by the way).

Here is what you need for these DIY ornaments…

Supplies for Dollar Tree Farmhouse Christmas Ornaments

Dollar Tree Foam Board
Dollar Tree Red Buffalo Check Ribbon
Dollar Tree Jute String
Copy Paper/Printer or Pictures
Olfa Rotary Cutter
Wooden Beads (I purchased these from Michael’s with my 40% coupon)
Glue Stick
Hot Glue
Sanding Block (optional)

FYI… you can either start with the beads or the foam circles. I started with the beads so I will go in that order.

I had purchased these beads from Michael’s and I used my 40% off coupon (they cost me $6 and come with a TON of them). I purchased the one with 3 different size beads.

I began stringing them with jute string (one trick you can do is use a piece of clear tape at the end to make it easier to string through the beads.

I strung 28 of the smallest beads from the container to get the desired size.

I tied the end really tight with a double knot and I left enough string so I can use it to hang the ornaments on the tree.

Next, it was time for the circle insert and I used my OLFA rotary cutter which I LOVE in order to cut perfect circles into foam board.

There will be a hole in the center, but that will be covered up, but check out that circle!!!! ? Game changer for foam (and I also use it for felt, it works so good for that too!).

The diameter of the circles ended up being about 2.75″ inches.

Next up, you will need to print out Christmas words from your printer (however you can use kid’s names or even photographs).

I plan on adding these words in my subscriber library as well and will let you know once I do.

I used the same rotary cutter for those.

Next, all you need to adhere the paper onto the foam disk is a glue stick.

Place the paper on and use a sanding block to smooth out any edges on the perimeter if you prefer.

Then you will add some hot glue all around the edge.

And slide the beads over the disk. Make sure to keep the ends of the jute string to the top center so that your words won’t be crooked when you hang the ornament.

Finally, add a cute bow to the top of the ornament where the jute knot is located. This red buffalo check ribbon is from Dollar Tree. I usually only find this one during Valentine’s Day so I like to stock up on it then. But I am hoping that DT has some cute ones this year for Christmas!

Then all you do is tie the ends of the jute rope together and your ornament is done! Super simple!

Of course you are always welcome to change the color of the ribbon if red is not your thing… but either way they will come out super cute!

As for my second Christmas decor piece, it is a Dollar Tree DIY as well and I love how it came out too….

You can see how to make it in the tutorial below…

I hope you enjoyed this simple DIY and let me know if you are looking forward to more Christmas DIY’s this year. I am hoping to bring many more!

Also, make sure to pin for your friends to see!

I will see you all soon!

July 17, 2019 By Yami Leave a Comment

DIY Dollar Tree Coastal Farmhouse Decor

Hey there sweet friends! Can you believe how fast this summer is going? I swear it was just the other day that school was over and just yesterday I was out shopping with my kids for new school supplies (which by the way already looked picked over!!!)

And here I thought I was ahead of the game. ??‍♀️

Well, I am going to try and milk this summer season as long as I can and I even shared our summer vacation Vlog over on my Youtube channel where we went to Florida for our annual beach trip. I miss the beach and would totally live there right now if I could.

But I guess in the mean time, I just need to bring the “beach” feel to me instead.

So more coastal farmhouse decor it is!

I created the above “beachgrass” arrangement from items I bought at my Dollar Tree and I am so happy I did, because it reminds me of the beachgrass you find on the dunes… with the little bit of “shiplap” of course.

It’s a large piece as well at 16″ in height and 12″ in width. I had a lot of fun making this and I hope you love it as much as I do.

Here is what you need:

Supplies…

DIY Dollar Tree Coastal Farmhouse Decor

*Some of the following are affiliate links, please see full disclosure here*

Onion Grass Bushes from Dollar Tree (I used 4)
3 Canvas Frames
Popsicle Sticks
White Chalk Paint
Tilled Soil Chalk Paint
Floral Foam
White Foam Board
Sand
White Rocks
Hot Glue/Hot Glue Gun
E6000
Paper Clips
Mod Podge Ultra
Box Cutter
Heavy Duty Scissors

Here are the canvas frames I am talking about. They can be found in the frame section of Dollar Tree.

*As always you can find the video tutorial for this at the end of this post*

Next you just want to remove the canvas from the frames.

I stacked them up on top of each other making sure the staples were facing in. I used E6000 for a strong hold, but added hot glue dots on the corners to dry fast and hold the frames in place while the e6000 firmed up.

The next thing I did was paint the outside of the frames with my Folkart white chalk paint in White Adirondack.

Then I took some Dollar Tree popsicle sticks and paint them to look like aged wood. I watered down the paint a little bit and just wiped the excess off as soon as I applied it. I used Martha Stewart’s paint in Tilled Soil which I have used several times before. I think they turned out great with an aged look.

I then cut them down to match the size of the planter box and glued them down with hot glue. I first scored them with a box cutter and then came back with heavy duty scissors to make a clean cut – I find it to be the easiest way to make crisp lines when cutting popsicle sticks.

I made sure to keep the edges clean starting with the corners first and then placing one on the top to cover the edges.

I did the entire top this way.

Once that was done I cut out 2 foam board pieces and placed one in the inside bottom of the planter box – I secured it with hot glue.

The other foam board piece I would place on the top after I added floral foam to the inside of the box.

Once I glued down the top foam piece I added sand from our last vacation to the beach and sealed it with Mod Podge Ultra.

While still damp I took some Onion grass bushes from Dollar Tree and took each stem apart.

I undid one side of a paper clip and inserted the other end inside the stem of the grass. I secured it with hot glue and then inserted it into the foam board and straight down into the floral foam.

I continued this creating 2 lines of beach grass stems with a staggered pattern.

The hot glue that helped secure the paper clip also helps secure the stems to the base as you see above.

Continue adding stems until you fill in all gaps and/or are happy with how full it is.

You can leave it as is or you can add white rocks from Dollar Tree as well (I had these left over from another project and thought they would be perfect here). Simply secure with hot glue throughout the base.

And that’s it!!!! I love how this DIY turned out. I definitely get the beach vibes as well as farmhouse since the side panels remind me of shiplap.

Not to mention, this is a pretty big piece too!

Video Tutorial

I hope you enjoyed this fun summer DIY and I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer. It feels like it will be gone before we know it!

Don’t forget to pin and share with your friends!

I will see you back here soon!

July 10, 2019 By Yami Leave a Comment

Farmhouse Kitchen Progress

Happy Hump Day my beautiful friends!

If you have been following me on my Youtube channel you know I am a little ahead at sharing the process of my kitchen makeover.

I am trying to get better at this, I swear! ??‍♀️

But since it was a part of a challenge hosted by my dear friend Heidi Sonboul, I basically focused on documenting the whole process on video (especially since I have done similar cabinet painting tutorials on my blog from before).

As you can see, the cabinets are painted and I was able to add some beautiful rustic touches to the hood vent with some leftover faux shiplap from my master bedroom accent wall.

If you see crooked tiles in the backsplash, it was NOT me, it was the previous owners who had it installed. Just sayin!

Anyways…

I LOVE the character it instantly gave it! No more boring hoodvent!

We did keep the same hardware since they were still in good condition as well as to cut down costs.

I documented the entire process in the video below. My hubby made some hilarious appearances throughout as well so it’s totally fun to watch, but he also added some great tips!

I did make a particular change from my initial vision board below, though.

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I changed my mind on the jute rug. It ended up getting “lost” among the hardwood floors and I decided to get the following beautiful rug instead.

It’s gorgeous! ?

The navy blue and soft white goes perfect with my color scheme and the distressed rug is a style used among a lot of farmhouse decor. You can find it online here. I purchased the 2 x 3 ft one.

It’s such a nice quality and super plush, however, I always use a rug pad underneath to make sure it doesn’t slip everywhere and adds extra comfort.

Screen Shot 2019 07 09 at 11.46.27 PM Farmhouse Kitchen Progress — ANDROMEDA Navy Blue Area Rug Modern Distressed Oriental

In addition, I also shared some sneak peaks and decor I have introduced to the space. All of the stuff below I already had, but never really used because I was waiting for the kitchen makeover.

The tea towels and napkins were both purchased at the Target Dollar Spot. The rolled up towels were purchased at Ikea.

I also show you exactly what a difference the rug above made in the space when I switched it out.

And you can find all of that in the video below as well….

I know this was a super quick update – the videos are pretty short and jam packed with footage of everything going on so far so I think you will really like them. Plus it gives you a chance to see us behind the scenes and allows you to get to know me and my hubby a little better.

I have more updates to come so stay tuned!

July 8, 2019 By Yami 2 Comments

DIY Dollar Tree Farmhouse Picture Frames

Hey friends! I hope you had a great 4th of July holiday!

For my kitchen transformation one of the things I wanted to tackle was decluttering the fridge – it just made things look too messy, but I still like to display little school pictures of the kids throughout my space so I thought I would come up with something in order to “clean it up” a bit.

I went to my local Dollar Tree (of course, LOL!) and I found these cute new little frames.

They are 5″ x 8″ with twine and clothespins already in them. I thought they were super cute, but I wasn’t really fond of the prints they had, so I took them out of the packaging and gave them a new look.

*As always, the video tutorial is at the end of this post if you would rather watch. Simply scroll down!*

DIY Dollar Tree Farmhouse Picture Frames

SUPPLIES I USED…

some of the following links are affiliate links, please see full disclosure here

Scrapbook Paper
Box Cutter
Cutting Mat
Mod Podge
Artist Brush
Mod Podge Roller

I removed the back o f the frame, flipped it over and used a box cutter to cut out a new pattern out of some scrapbook paper I had left over from my Pottery Barn Birch Wreath Dupe.

I removed the original backing and sanded any areas left with residue or paper.

Then I added a thick layer of Mod Podge making sure I covered the boarders and corners well, and immediately placed the scrapbook paper on top.

I used the Mod Podge roller to remove any air bubbles and flatten any creases etc.

Then I added a layer of Mod Podge on top.

Once it was dry, I added the twine and clothespins back.

As well as the frame.

And it was ready to mount on the wall!

Probably the easiest DIY ever!

Of course, you don’t have to make this a permanent change. You are free to use different scrapbook papers for different seasons and just change them out as you wish.

You also don’t have to use these for photos. These can be used for appointment cards, notes to family members or even small grocery lists. They are really versatile and customizable to any decor tastes.

What would you use them for and where would you place them?

DIY Dollar Tree Farmhouse Picture Frames Video Tutorial

Also, don’t forget to pin and save for later!

June 26, 2019 By Yami Leave a Comment

Farmhouse Kitchen Makeover BEFORE and Vision Board

Happy Hump Day!

I wish I could tell you that so far the week has been easy, but unfortunately my hubby has the #manflu and my kiddos are going bizerk (sp? I don’t think I have ever written that word, LOL!). Seriously, is the full moon out cause something is definitely taken over their little bodies. ?

S.O.S.

Either way the show must go on! It’s time tackle the next room in our house…. the worst one.

The Kitchen… (you can see the video version here)

I am sure you wondered why I have not shared it here before…. well, this is why…

???

It’s dark, cluttered, outdated, messy, bleh….

This is what the kitchen looked like when we moved in. The appliances did not match. The area above the fridge had a wine rack that was not even accessible.

The hood vent was actually a nice design and the cabinets are real wood custom cabinets, but the pickled wash on it was not pleasing anyone in the house.

I’m not a fan of the countertops but at least they are granite.

The walls are also a very dark color and you can see where we stopped painting the breakfast area. LOL!

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So here is a breakdown of the plans to make it a little more detestable…

First, I will be painting the walls my favorite gray… SW Repose Gray.
Next I will be painting the kitchen cabinets white, like I did in my last home.
I will add some rustic wood accents on the hood and possibly another area in the kitchen.
I need to declutter all of the magnets and paper and misc. “stuff” all other the place.
Im bringing in navy and white accents as well as white pottery.
New glass jars and a rug should complete the look.

The backsplash, although not my style will be staying since we don’t have it in the budget to change it up. This will also go for the granite countertops. I would prefer quartz, but we just can’t right now.

I am hoping that once the cabinets are painted everything else that remains will be less obnoxious.

Whatcha think?

I would love to know what you think of the plans below!

Yami

My Home Tour 2019… Part 2

*Some of the following links below are affiliate links for your convenience, for full disclosure please go here*

*Some of the links below are affiliate links, for more information check out my full disclosurefull disclosure*

Here is what I used:

*As always the video tutorial can be found at then end of this blog post or you can see it on my Youtube channel.*

*Some of the links below are affiliate links. Please see full disclosure for me information*

Video tutorial is on my Youtube channel as well as at the end of this post for your convenience.

VIDEO TUTORIAL

*Some of the links below are affiliate links for your convenience, please see disclosure for more details*

>>>And as always, the video tutorial can be found on my YouTube channel or at the end of this post (just scroll down)<<<

Supplies I used for my DIY Dollar Tree Farmhouse Tray:

Steps to make these:

Some of the links below are affiliate links, please see full disclosure for more information.

Supplies:

Supplies for Dollar Tree Farmhouse Christmas Ornaments

You can see how to make it in the tutorial below…

Supplies…

DIY Dollar Tree Coastal Farmhouse Decor

Video Tutorial

*Some of the following links are affiliate links, please see full disclosure here*

DIY Dollar Tree Farmhouse Picture Frames

SUPPLIES I USED…

*some of the following links are affiliate links, please see full disclosure here*

DIY Dollar Tree Farmhouse Picture Frames Video Tutorial

The Kitchen… (you can see the video version here)

*Some of the following links are affiliate links for your convenience, please see here for more details*

So here is a breakdown of the plans to make it a little more detestable…

Instagram

Some of the following links below are affiliate links for your convenience, for full disclosure please go here

Some of the links below are affiliate links, for more information check out my full disclosurefull disclosure

As always the video tutorial can be found at then end of this blog post or you can see it on my Youtube channel.

Some of the links below are affiliate links. Please see full disclosure for me information

Some of the links below are affiliate links for your convenience, please see disclosure for more details

Some of the following links are affiliate links, please see full disclosure here

some of the following links are affiliate links, please see full disclosure here

Some of the following links are affiliate links for your convenience, please see here for more details