For those cute, tiny, grimey hands!

Although I am not a mother, I have children in my house more than not these days!  I have the privilege of nannying some of the most amazing children as my job while in nursing school. The two families that I spend the most time with both have 3 year-old boys and have captured my entire heart. I have been a part of their lives since they were only 10 months old and it has been an amazing journey.  It didn't take us long to start acquiring everything that comes along with children in our own home.  Our guest bedroom always had bed rails on the bed, toys everywhere, diapers, bath time necessities, sippy cups and so on.  I may sound like I am complaining but I honestly wouldn't have it any other way.  These boys are continually the highlight of my week and my life wouldn't be the same without them.

Our guest bedroom is now "their" room.  They refer to this room as theirs with their bed, their toys, their movies, their stuffed animals, and so on. We have three toy bins for them, a basketball goal on the closet door, a plethera of children's movies, and of course their bedtime stories all within the guest bedroom. This is always a great conversation piece for any adult guests we have to come stay in our guest bedroom :) With my little munchkins always running around and playing, they obviously get quite dirty as that is what little boys do best! They are also using the potty so we are constantly washing our hands between potty breaks and me being a germ freak. The boys LOVE their stool in the bathroom because it gets them closer to the sink but it still doesn't get them close enough; they can just barely get the tips of their fingers to touch the water with the stool helping them.

So, I took to Pinterest and instantly found the perfect FREE solution! Here are the items needed:

Any shampoo bottle will work!

Moms.. That is ALL you need!! Depending on your faucet shape you will have to cut accordingly for it  to stay on the faucet. Here is how I did mine:

I cut across the entire bottle where you see the arrows placed. Then, I simply cut a 'U' shape out of the remaining plastic making sure to leave an area uncut at the top to rest on the faucet. Lets take a look at the photo below to help you make sense of it...

Easy as that and you have your own faucet extender! I did sand down the pointy edges to make sure no one poked themselves as the edge can be somewhat sharp. The boys love it and think it is a "weally cool wata faw!" (Translated as a really cool water fall, duh.)

This was a simple project that was fun, easy, and totally worth it! And of course it takes care of those cute, tiny, grimey hands in your home-sweet-home.

Enjoy!

xoxo,
A

The Art of Making New Look Old!

Any homeowner knows that decorating your house is a never ending process. There is always something you want to add onto, change, and of course in my case, create. J and I have lived in our home-sweet-home for three years now and I think I have more projects and ideas on my "to-do" list now than when we first moved in! Y'all should see the face the hubs give me when I say, "So I was thinking....". It's one of those run-for-the-hills looks, and he has it down-pat. Nevertheless, he is always my helper and there to cheer me on throughout the process.

Our cozy little abode has high ceilings in the living room which I love as it gives us an open, spacious feel. However, it is hard to decorate and find large enough decor to fill these walls. It has taken me three years to figure out something to do with this one particular wall and I have had at least ten different ideas. I knew I wanted some sort of shelves so that I could switch out the decor throughout the seasons and not have it be so permanent; yet, everything I saw in the stores was so.... perfect. I know that sounds strange but I am a lover of all things rustic. That's right, the older the better. There is something whimsical about the imperfections that my heart just adores and can't get enough of.

I went to Target, BB&B, Pier One, Hobby Lobby, a furniture store, and even the flea market and found nothing that I wanted!  The closest shelf I found that was "rustic" was all white with tan streaks of paint to make it look weathered; no bueno, friends.  I wasn't budging on the rustic shelves I was picturing in my mind and let's face it, we don't have the patience to sit around and wait on brand new wood to age outside in the rain over the next 5 years.  So, at the end of the day, I knew I would have to persuade my ever-so-handy Dad to create my perfect shelves!

Hmmmm... I think to myself, 'What do I want these said shelves to look like?' which in reality was me searching Pinterest for hours on end. I found a couple pictures to give Dad an idea of what I liked, but wanted them to be our own design. Dad kept asking me specific measurements and I obviously told him exactly how big it should be in hand gestures (which annoyed him to no end) and we were off to Home Depot! We got the respective wood and a large chain link so I could beat the tar out of distress the wood. Ladies, if you are having a rough week, seriously think about taking some chain link to some old wood; it was all kinds of fun and quite the arm workout!

Well, even though we picked out the most beat up wood in the store AND distressed it with chain link, wire brushes, and hammers, it still wasn't exactly what I wanted. It needed some age to it. I didn't want to pick out a stain alone because again, that was just too ordinary. I hopped back on Pinterest and found a way to age wood with just two ingredients!

Needed Items

1 Mason Jar

Distilled White Vinegar

Steel Wool

Soak the Steel Wool for 24hrs, Remove the Steel Wool and use a paint brush to apply the vinegar solution.

At first, it didn't do much of anything. So, Dad and I decided to go get some lunch, some gray stain, and re-visit our aging process. Much to our surprise when we got home, the wood definitely turned "old" looking! It was amazing! We added a little gray stain to darken it up, but the vinegar solution really did the trick and got down into the distressed marks on the wood to give it some serious character. You can use this trick on any wood to age it easily and obviously on a small budget.

Before

After

Dad went with my specific hand gesture measurements and design and really did an amazing job!! They turned out to be more than I ever imagined and look perfect in the living room! What do you guys think??

I am in love with my new shelves and just had to share! This is a super easy technique but you have to be equally patient to let the wood 'marinate' in a sense and reach its full aged potential :) Enjoy & get crafty!!

xoxo,

Amy

Ahem.. Update!

Hi Nesters! It has been a hot minute since I have posted, I apologize for that.  But, I have been sick with what I like to call "the junk"and preparing for several nursing school tests while working as well. Needless to say, life has been a litttlllle jam packed! I just wanted to give y'all some updates while I am working on a post about some more recipes J and I have been indulging in.

I cannot contain my excitement. Seriously. Not that it takes a lot to make me giddy in the first place, but I haven't been this excited to travel in a while! J and I decided we need a little getaway for the two of us and we are going on a mini vacay to Asheville, NC in March for a couple days!  I know, I know... you thought I was going to be going to another country or something.  However, I have quite the reason to be ecstatic about this! And so the story goes..

As I was on the phone with my sister telling her how excited I was, she asked me a question, "Have you and Josh ever been on a trip together just the two of you??".  Now, many of you probably remember we just got married five months ago so we OBVIOUSLY must have gone on an amazing week long honeymoon. {Insert loud buzzer telling you are incorrect HERE.}  That's right, you heard me, we sadly didn't get to go on a long honeymoon and put our toes in the sand or drink fruity drinks with umbrellas in them.  Why, you ask? Well,  I had to head back to my hardest semester of nursing school a tad over 48hrs after our wedding day. Yep, you heard me (AGAIN), I had to go back to school almost immediately after our happily ever after.  Nursing school is a little different when it comes to attendance.  Unless you are hemorrhaging out of your eyeballs, you better be there. So, J and I took a small 24hr trip to the wonderful Waters Edge Inn on Folly Beach; but, Josh got sick. (Josh & Amy=0, Vacation Demons=1).  All of our other trips have either been with my family, his family, friends, etc etc. We have been together for almost 6 years and have not had a vacation where the ENTIRE stay was just the two of us! Hence, Nesters, my extreme enthusiasm for this trip!

We will be staying at Hotel Indigo which is a swanky little oasis of art and funky decor nestled in downtown Asheville.  Literally everywhere we want to go is under a mile away, and most of them not even half a mile.  We have researched the local restaurants, wine bars, breweries, bakeries, art galleries, and boutiques and have a list of places we want to go!  But what I am most looking forward to is having NO plans for three solid days. We can go here, we can go there, and it doesn't matter if we are "late" or "early" because no one will be waiting for us! Maybe I am just strange, but it sounds absolutely heavenly to me. Three solid days of just me and the hubs doing whatever the heck we want.

I will be writing a post all about the places we went and what we loved and/or hated to let you guys in on the best hidden treasures of Asheville.  For those of you that don't know Asheville for anything besides the Biltmore, it is such an eclectic little town full of art, local businesses, and gorgeous views; some strange, some awesome, and some in between. It's pretty much amazing.

Until then, I will be working on some new food posts and my first 2013 Pay It Forward handmade gift! I have it all planned out, just need to find some time to construct this beauty.  If you are wondering what my Pay It Forward gift is, it is simply a challenge for you to create 5 (or 6 in my case when you have two friends bickering over who should be the fifth slot!) Pay it Forward Gifts. They can be gift cards, a book, your favorite coffee, a handmade gift, or whatever you think that person would love! The catch is, you don't pick the recipients.  You simply make a FB status that you are doing the 2013 Pay It Forward Challenge and the first 5 people to comment on the status will be the lucky winners. Join in the fun and start the challenge!

With Nursing school back in full swing and working on the side, it will take me a tad longer to get posts out; but, I am hoping to put more into them when they are posted! I hope all of you are well and enjoying the month of February... where has the time gone?!?

xoxo,
A

Oh.My.YUM!

Nesters, this recipe is so good that I had to post it ASAP!! It all started last week when I was browsing through 'Whole Living' magazine for some healthilicious recipes. In my Frumpy Avenue - Breakfast Edition post, I mentioned smoothies. J and I love a good smoothie, especially after a long run. Y'all, that smoothie is my motivation some days... I think we have all been there at some point, right? Maybe?...moving on.

As I was browsing, I came across the Taj Mahal of smoothie recipes... Blueberry Mint. Doesn't that sound refreshing, healthy, and the slightest bit fancy?!? Well... It had a couple ingredients that I knew my good ole sensitive stomach wouldn't tolerate; so, I googled some alternative recipes with the same idea.

After thoroughly searching the web, I present to you our very own BBM smoothie recipe!

Blueberry Banana Mint Smoothie

1 banana

2 handfuls of blueberries

4-5 mint sprigs

2 handfuls of ice

2 heaping scoops of Vanilla Bean Cabots Greek Yogurt

1 cup of OJ

{Nester Tip: I know a lot of you Nesters are not the the biggest fan of bananas. Simply eliminate the item and add a little more yogurt, juice and blueberries! Simple fix, picky eaters!}

Simple ingredients with a not-so-simple taste!

Add more or less blueberries & mint depending on your  particular taste.
Add less banana and yogurt to make it less creamy and more icy.
It's all up to YOU!

Now, I think what you are thinking... blueberry, banana, and mint... "Sounds yuck" as my girlfriend put it.  Give it ONE chance and you will be pleasantly surprised! I promise.  We gave the recipe a little make-over and it turned out darn good.  The mint isn't overwhelming, the blueberry and banana mix better than you would ever dream of, and overall... It's just fabulous! This is my all time favorite smoothie of all the recipes we have tried and believe me, that's a lot!

It's simple, easy, and like I said... Darn good!!! Enjoy and happy healthy eating!

xoxo,

A

DIY: Antiquing!

Hi friends! You may remember on the Reduce. Reuse. Re-wedding. post a photo of our monogram within a beautiful oval frame. Well, today is the day that I teach you how to antique everyday items into beautiful, homey treasures.  This technique is incredibly easy and can turn an old, not so great item into your new favorite decor! Follow along :)

I had this oval frame in my closet for years and I knew I always wanted to use it, but I wasn't sure how. This frame is actually from the 50s and belonged to my Dad's mother who unfortunately passed away before I was born.  As beautiful as it was, it needed a fresh coat of paint to hide the shade of yellow that its age had acquired.  

I hung it on a shepherd's hook in the backyard and gave it a clean look using Krylon's "Almond" Spray paint in a Satin finish. ($4 with my coupon!)

A nice, fresh look to the frame.

{Nester Tip: Make sure to set up your item so that you are spraying in the same direction as the wind, not against it! Not that I did that or anything....}

The frame looked brand new with a quick coat of spray paint! But, that was too simple for me.  I let the frame dry for about 30 minutes and then brought it inside to start antiquing it. I bought two different paint brands and colors at Hobby Lobby. Honestly, I think any acrylic paints will do.  I simply browsed the aisle, found some pretty colors that meshed well with our already established color pallet in the house, and was on my way to the register.

The larger paint (Academy Acrylic) was in a deep brown shade called "Burnt Umber" and the smaller Metallic Acrylic paint was a bronze color named "Bronze"; how original! (All of the paint was on sale, per usual Hobby Lobby style, and I spent a measly $3 on the brown shades.)

{Nester Tip:  If you want the object to be antiqued using dark colors (like I did), make sure to use a light color for your first coat.  If you want to antique using light colors, make sure to use a darker color for your first coat.  This color is what you will see popping through the sponged-antique technique around all of the details on your object. Trust me!}

Next, the important part. Drum roll please.... the SPONGES.  I seriously spent at least 15 minutes deciding on sponges. I don't know if I was overly concerned I was going to ruin this 50 year old, vintage frame (No pressure, right?) or if I was just having an annoyingly indecisive day.. but, here is what I came home with.

These were bought in a pack for a whopping $2.99 and worked PERFECTLY! I cannot go on about how easy this project was and how surprised I was at the finished product.

So, I eagerly started with the Burnt Umber, dipped the round (the bottom sponge pictured) sponge in it and used a wiping motion across the frame. DO NOT: Squeeze. Blot. Dab. Etc.  This will leave a pattern of the sponge texture that you are NOT looking for. I repeat... do NOT do anything but wipe it across the surface.  It's almost as if you are oiling it or rubbing it into the wood grain.

Making sure to include all of the different areas of the frame, I continued wiping/rubbing the paint onto the frame catching all of the raised, ornate details.  The best part is catching those details and watching where the paint settles on its own; it creates the "vintage" look you are looking for!

{Nester Tip: Use something to prop up the object to be able to get at all edges, sides, angles & so on for an even finish. I used a shoe box and it worked perfectly.}

Now, the hard part.  Sit back and let the paint dry.  It's true, there is nothing more boring than watching paint dry; especially when you are excited for the next step!

Once you have reached full boredom and your first paint coat is dry, repeat the steps above with your next color, which was bronze in my case.  BUT, use the second sponge pictured (which looks like a sea sponge if you ask me.) 

This sponge is smoother and doesn't give you the grainy look the first sponge does.  It was perfect for the smooth top coat I was looking for.  I chose the metallic color to finish the look with a slight sheen to it.  I wanted it to have a little hint of shimmer when the light hit it.

See what I mean??

Let your new vintage inspired beauty dry and find the perfect place for it!  I knew this was going straight into our master bedroom.  Here we are arguing deciding if its at the right height.

J is obviously thinking, "I LOVE all of the DIY projects my wife does!"

{ Nester Tip: Love on your hubs extra on DIY days, they deserve it! :) }

The finished product...

Isn't she gorgeous??  It was truly the easiest project I have ever done and I couldn't be more excited about how it turned out.  Not to mention, you would never be able to find a frame this size for $9.99 + tax.  Paired with our monogram it completed the vintage look we wanted in our bedroom and the frame is no longer collecting dust in the closet.

So, Nesters, what are you going to antique?? Feel free to share and ask any questions! I hope you enjoy this DIY project and it works as well for you as it did for me! 

Enjoy!

xoxo,

A

Grateful for Today

    

Hi Nesters!  Tonight's post isn't a DIY project, great recipes, or a "how to" tutorial; rather an outlet of what has been on my mind lately.

As I was driving down the road the other day, my head was filled with several thoughts.  Excitement of the new school semester starting, the enjoyment of this past holiday season, the quality time J and I have spent together cooking and adventuring, new projects and decorating around the house; all sorts of things.  My mind drifted to a new little journey that my neighbor and friend, Meghan, and I had been chatting about lately.  We both have been wanting to join a Small Group within our churches, but haven't found the right one for us or that fits our schedule.  So, we decided to start our own little Small Group.  In two weeks, we are going to have our first "small session" of four women simply getting together to talk about the week, where we are in our journey with God, focus on specific scripture and help each other grow as Christian women.  With thoughts of our upcoming journey and a smile across my face, I called J and literally said, "Hun, don't take this the wrong way, because I have never been unhappy, but I am so incredibly happy and thankful for our life."

That thought has been resonating with me more and more.  The comment may seem strange out of context, but let me explain.  

I have a loving husband who would give his life for me.  

A supportive family that is continually loving and encouraging me.  

Dear friends that I can laugh until I cry with.  

A roof over my head and food on my table.  

A God that answers my prayers.    

An education in nursing that will fulfill my dreams and help others.  

A car to get me to and from my destination safely.

A job that I absolutely LOVE that pays the bills.

Clean air to breathe.

My health.

At the end of the day, what more can we ask for?  I am not having to deal with cancer that is slowly taking my spouse away from me and our children.  I have not had to watch my sibling or parent leave this earth.  I have not had to experience abuse or pain.  I have not had to watch my child hurt.  I have not had to experience true tragedy.  I am not having to go through a divorce.  I have not lost my job due to cut backs and budgeting.  I have not been taken for granted.  I have not suffered from the cold weather while sleeping on a sidewalk.  I have not had to fear the unknown.  All of these mentioned situations have happened to others around me and I cannot help but have a heavy heart full of prayer for the less fortunate.

What I'm saying is; be grateful for today, don't sweat the small stuff.  For someone else is always fighting a tougher battle than we are, even on our worst day.  Be thankful for the things we take for granted as they have never been taken from us, and give back to those in need who have been less fortunate.  Hug your loved ones a little tighter, a little longer, and thank God for letting us live our life to the fullest.  

Is it okay to be stressed out? Of course.  Is it alright to be mad at your crappy day and want to climb into a hole? Absolutely.  Are we going to have days when we aren't feeling grateful? Yep.

But, we must remember that every day is a gift and we never know what lies ahead of us.

Be grateful for today, Nesters.  The big things, the small things, and everything in between.

xoxo,

A

Reduce. Reuse. Re-wedding.

Hey y'all! Get ready for a fun post with a change of pace!

    Many of you know that I married the man of my dreams on September 1st, 2012.  Our day was literally picture perfect and I can't wait to share some of our favorite photos with y'all soon.  Our wedding was by far the best beginning to our life-long journey together, but for now I have something else to share.
    My wedding decor was the epitome of DIY.  I had a vision of exactly what I wanted and almost everything was handmade by myself or added onto from some fabulous finds that I purchased online.  I wanted to share with y'all my thought process of designing and creating my wedding and how I am now re-using it throughout our home.  Let's be honest, if us brides are going to spend thousands on a wedding that is over in one weekend, then we better be able to hold onto and re-live some of our 'I Do's', am I right?!?
    If I were to describe my style I would use the words earthy, natural, and ethereal.  Oh, and birds.  I have a problematic serious obsession with birds and you can find them tucked into every room in my house.  Seriously.  My girlfriends say that I am pretty easy to buy for because the minute you walk into my home you know what I'm about; you feel my personality.  I carried my style into my wedding by using a lot of burlap, natural wood, and simple colors such as tan and white.  It was simple, southern, and very personalized.
    While designing my wedding (No, I didn't have a wedding planner, coordinator, or event stylist), I tried to keep in mind that I was going to have to bring home ALL the decor I was creating.  We had over 200 guests at our wedding; that's a lot of repetitive decor piling up in my office!  So,  during my multiple trips to Hobby Lobby, Michael's, and Carolina Pottery, I chose things that I could envision fitting nicely into my home post-wedding.
    Nesters, here is the inside scoop on how I re-used my wedding decor and how you can, too! (No matter what the occasion!)

-Monograms-
Who doesn't love a good monogram?  Almost every bride I know is pretty excited to start using her new monogram.  For the wedding, I chose to use both of our first initials paired with our last initial in the center.  I was certain I could find a place in our house for these amazing pieces after the wedding.  So, I ordered two wood carved monograms from Southern Proper Monograms and was blown away when they showed up on my front door step! We used them on shepherds hooks to create our aisle on the big day.  I added some homemade burlap bows for a little flair :)  Aren't they gorgeous?!?

Unforgettable Memories Photography

Micah Leigh Photography

Post-wedding:
#1 I gave one of the monograms a simple white-wash and added some personalization to our guest bedroom by placing it on top of our box shelves. Paired with the bird cage and frames, it adds a nice little creative touch and is the perfect size!

#2 I got a little craftier and did some up-cycling on the second monogram project.  I kept the monogram au-natural and paired it with a vintage oval frame that was my grandmother's back in the 50s.  It has the most beautiful ornate details and I couldn't wait to use it as it has been in my closet for a while now.  I first gave the frame a coat of spray paint in Krylon's "Almond" color and let it dry.  Next, I used some artist sponges to rub on some dark brown acrylic paint in "Raw Umber".  Once that dried, I finished the top coat with a smaller sponge in a bronze color.  Once all the paint had dried, I simply nailed the monogram in the center and boy did I love how it turned out!  It now hangs in our master bedroom and serves as an everyday reminder of our beautiful wedding day.

{Nester Note: I will post a DIY antique tutorial asap!}

Ahhh...

-Vow Art-

One of my favorite personalized pieces of our wedding was our Vow Art created by Stefanie Stroman at Stroman Studios.  J and I decided to do traditional vows, but wanted to share the unique parts of our relationship with everyone.  I contacted Stefanie with the idea and she was quick to jump into the process! It was hardly any work on our end as both J and I sat down separately and wrote down a list of things we promised to keep true over our marriage; some serious, some funny, and some embarrassing.  Stefanie turned our simple words into what we dubbed 'Vow Art'.  They were beautiful at our outdoor wedding.  Didn't she do an amazing job?!?  

Visit Stroman Studios for all of your graphic design needs!

Post-wedding:

Our vow art now sits on a corner shelf in our living room and adds a sweet touch to our everyday living space.  I got the swanky wood frames from Hobby Lobby (50% off, of course) and knew they would work perfect with the wedding theme and our home decor.  Check out these beauties...

-Twine Initial Hanger-

At our wedding venue, the guests were to park across the street from the wedding site and then walk up a bricked path to the ceremony location.  To make sure our guests knew this was our wedding and they were in the right place, we used shepherd's hooks (surprise, surprise) and hung twine wrapped letter R's from them.  Anyone can make these! They are really easy; but, a tad time consuming depending on the letter.  Some twine, a little hot glue, ribbon, and a decorative piece (flower, feather, etc) creates a fabulous initial hanger.

Micah Leigh Photography 

Post-wedding:

When making these, I used a lot of white because my wedding used white as an accent color.  However, I also have a lot of white within the house and knew it would complement the house decor easily.  These simple initial hangers now serve as door hangers in our home and add just a bit more DIY-ness to our nest :)

-Simple Frames-

   Throughout the wedding I had used multiple frames to house pictures, signs, etc.  It took me quite a while to find the exact frames I wanted for each purpose mainly because I wanted to make sure they would fit somewhere on a shelf later and matched our home decor.  That paired with making it work with the wedding took me a hot minute!  Between displayed engagement photos and the multiple signs, I ended up with some great frames for the house.

At the wedding

Post-wedding:

    After the wedding, I was trying to find spots for the frames and they weren't working as well space-wise as I was hoping they would.  Then, when I was home studying one day (the story of my life), my father-in-law stopped by and said he had something for me.  He had hand-built a hope chest for me to store all of my wedding keepsakes in!  He is the sweetest man with the biggest heart, and I am convinced it's even a little larger for me at times as he has two sons :)  It is absolutely gorgeous in our master bedroom and holds the wedding frames easily!  Take a peek...

-Birch Vases-

    I saw these birch vases on Etsy in Bragging Bags shop about a year before I was even engaged and knew that I would use them somehow at my wedding.  There is something so simple and natural about them that makes them perfect.  I stuck simple with my flowers at the wedding but toned it down even more for these vases so that the vase would be the focus.  With a little added Baby's Breath and White Football Mums, I had the perfectly simple center piece for J & I's special table at the wedding.

{Visit Bragging Bags shop on Etsy to see her amazing work!}

Post-wedding:

    I now use the birch vase in our guest bathroom as a container for wash cloths for our lovely visitors.  It's still simple, yet useful.

-Chalk Boards-

   I am a big perfectionist (incase you haven't caught on) and one of my big things at the wedding was that I didn't want anything to be average.  Usually you just type up a little "Reserved For" sign and slap it on the table and be done with it.  But, I just couldn't do it!  I know, I know... Type-A personality at it's finest.  Well, my solution were these cute little chalk boards!  I left them 'plain Jane' and let them flow with the natural look of the wedding.  And, I liked the idea of having a modern sticky note around the house!

Post-wedding:

   Now, we use the chalk boards in the kitchen for daily inspiration or quick little notes!  It's simple, chic, and fun :)  Our current sentiment is below...

-Guest Book-

   When trying to decide on a guest book for the wedding, my Type-A personality came back out.  Why get a book, have everyone sign it, and then put it in a box to never look at again?  Sounds like a waste of time and money to me!  So, I went back to my tried and true Etsy and came across Inviting Moments.  This shop does amazing work and she created a piece of art for my guest book that I could frame and display in our home.  Two for the price of one in the greatest way!  I must admit, I haven't found the perfect frame quite yet... but, here are some glimpses of the amazing guest book!

-Mason Jars-

   I love Mason Jars.  They are simple, useful, and pretty darn good looking!  Half of the tables had a mason jar with a hand-sewn burlap wrap and a little glam added; these jars all had flowers.  The other half of the tables had mason jars filled with split peas and a white candle nestled within; these jars were wrapped with a twine bow at the mouth of the jar.  All of the center pieces had a twig wreath encompassing the jar.  They went perfect with the theme and I knew I would definitely re-use the mason jars!

Micah Leigh Photography

Post-wedding:

   You can find mason jars ALL over our house! We use them for all kinds of things; but, my favorite would have to be the girly use I have in our master bathroom.  I have used one of the burlap wrapped jars to hold my make-up brushes up-right after using and cleaning them.  They can dry easily, and they stay away from all the unknown bacteria that is inevitably in our make-up bags (sigh).  It also doesn't hurt waking up to a little sparkle in the mornings while getting ready!

-Up-cycled Fencing Prop-

   Last, but certainly not least, is my up-cycled photo prop for the wedding!  My husband's family owns a Heating & Air business and always has odds and ends in their warehouse.  Over the summer, they had some left over fencing that my father-in-law let me take over for this project.  I white-washed the fence, added a huge heart and our last name and had a rustic photo prop for the bride & groom, and all of our guests!

Micah Leigh Photography

Post-wedding:

   Currently, my father-in-law is working on cutting down the fencing and creating a toy box for our future children.  I can't wait to see the finished project and will share once he has finished!  Yet again, another useful sentiment from our wedding day!

   Well Nesters, those are the major areas of decor that I chose to use in the wedding and in my home!  With any event you throw; a wedding, party, or even a shower, try to use your head over your heart.  Use things you love that will be useful more than once.  If you loved it once, you can love it over and over again in your everyday life at home instead of it collecting dust in your closet. Try it out, and I promise you will change the way you think and buy from now on!  Reduce. Reuse. And in my case, Re-wedding.  See y'all soon for the antique-ing tutorial!

xoxo,

A