Archives for February 2014

Hall closet makeover

February 27, 2014

Sarah from Sarah Hearts is taking over the blog today while I’m on a brief maternity break!

Do you ever put off things for a really long time? I’m slightly embarrassed to say I put off painting our hallway for not just months but years!

After moving into our home nearly four years ago, we’ve painted every room in the house with the exception of the hallway and the kitchen area. We’re content with the kitchen paint color, but we’ve always loathed the hallway color. It’s already a dark space, and the dark khaki color was making the space appear even narrower.

So finally after much procrastination, I decided to paint the hallway and the open shelving in the hall closet. It did take longer than I anticipated (four days) but I’m so happy with the results.

The previous owners removed the accordion doors on one of the hallway closets and installed wooden shelves inside. Since our home doesn’t have a linen closet, this space has served as one. The open shelving forces us to keep things tidy since there aren’t doors we can hide the clutter behind. I love how it adds a little bit of character to an otherwise pretty boring space in our home. I purchased the baskets right after we moved in from both World Market and Target.

To help keep everything in the right place, I repurposed some of my old Moo luxe business cards (that had my old social media handle on them) into chalkboard labels. I started by using my 1/8″ hole punch to create small holes on either end of the cards, then I used a foam brush to apply chalkboard paint to one side of the cards. It took 4 coats of paint to completely cover the card stock.

Once they were dry, I used a white chalkboard marker to write the contents of each basket on each card. Then I used some white cotton string to attach the labels onto each basket. Now if I decide to move things around all I have to do is wipe off the label with a damp towel and I write the new contents on the label.

(If you don’t want to make your own chalkboard labels, Target now sells baskets with chalkboard labels on them.)

Paint colors:
Hallway: Behr Ivory Lace | Back of closet: Valspar Pantone Bay | Trim: Behr Ulta White

Are you attracted to men with beards?

February 25, 2014

Ok, ladies: Beard or no beard?

If we’re talking fully-bearded vs clean-shaven, I choose no facial hair. I tend to associate heavy beards with three types of men — hipsters, burly lumberjacks, and the ultra-religious — none of whom have ever really been my “type.”

I know that many women think beards are the ultimate expression of masculinity, but I can’t remember ever having the urge to kiss a full-bearded guy, especially if his beard hides his lips. Plus, even if they aren’t terribly scraggly, thick beards usually look like they’d be…scratchy.

Maybe my preference for clean-shaven guys grew out of familiarity. Neither my dad nor my grandfathers had beards. And since I’ve known him, JB has had to shave every day for his job in the military. (Though I’m not a fan of being woken up by the sound of his electric razor every. single. morning.)

However, I do like a man with stubble, as do the majority of women, according to an Australian study on facial hair. Whenever JB has several days off from work (like when we went on our babymoon), I always encourage him to take a break from his razor. He doesn’t usually have the opportunity to reach 10-day heavy stubble, the study’s winning look, but he still looks quite sexy with 5 days of beard growth.

Are you attracted to men with beards? Or do you prefer clean-shaven guys?

(photos via Will It Beard)

9 things I’m looking forward to after giving birth

February 24, 2014

(by @alice_gao)

As I write this, we’re just days (or hours!) away from meeting baby boy #2, and I’m getting more and more excited for what’s to come after delivery — besides welcoming a new little person into our family. I’m talking about reintroducing all of the things I’ve had to abstain from during pregnancy!

Here are 9 things I’m looking forward to after giving birth:

… READ MORE!

A genius candleholder plus more Friday links

February 21, 2014

This is genius: The Rekindle Candle by Benjamin Shine is a candleholder and maker that reshapes melted wax into a new candle.

While I’m waiting around for baby #2 to make his appearance (he’s now officially overdue!), you can enjoy these links when you have some free time this weekend:

Haven’t binge-watched House of Cards season two yet? This free app blocks TV spoilers on Twitter and Facebook.

Get 50 of Carrie Bradshaw’s shoes for $28!

How to take a selfie like a supermodel and a self-portrait like a professional photographer.

Got 5 minutes? 27 things you can do to be more productive.

Five tricks for tackling your to-do list.

Meg’s get shit done system for reading magazines. (She subscribes to more than 12!)

A beautifully styled baby boy’s nursery.

Did you download Flappy Bird when you had the chance? Here’s Flappy Bert from Sesame Workshop!

A fancy lady tray to glam up your dresser.

The best New York City coffee shops based on the subway map.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Basement makeover part 3: Adding a photo collage

February 20, 2014

Once upon a time, I began sharing updates of our basement makeover on the blog. My first post described what I wanted to change about the space and included before photos. Then I wrote about choosing paint colors.

My third post was supposed to be about rearranging the furniture already in the basement to make room for a few new kid-friendly pieces from The Land of Nod. Before I could write it up, however, the project hit a roadblock: the interior decorator helping me with the project bowed out unexpectedly.

Overwhelmed with the remaining tasks at hand, plus exhausted and feeling slightly ill because I was also newly pregnant, I put the basement makeover on the back burner. I just didn’t have it in me to choose storage, décor, and artwork, in addition to a few remaining pieces of furniture.

But after a few weeks, the half-finished basement began to really bother me. Determined to finish it properly, I reached out to The Land of Nod for help. Did you know they offer complimentary room design plans?

In addition to recommending baskets, boxes, and pillows from their collection, Danielle from Nod also suggested I hang a large Instagram or photo collage over the couch. She sent links to a few online shops that create these types of prints, but I already knew that I wanted to work with Minted. Their Heart Snapshot Mix Photo Art would be perfect for the space.

It took a couple of hours to choose and edit 30 photos for the collage, but the effort was well worth it. I love how the square-shaped art print looks between the two rectangular basement windows – and how interested Levi is to examine all of the individual photos within the heart design. It’s a snapshot of his life so far, as it includes photos from my maternity session with Levi through this past fall.

Of course, this means that we’ll have to add another photo collage in a year or two featuring the new baby!

The one thing I had a hard time choosing when ordering the art print was the frame color. Originally, I was leaning towards white, but as you can see, I went with a simple black frame. I figured that the colorful basement could use a little bit of black to create a grounding effect.

I still need to add a few organizational bins, baskets, and boxes, plus hang artwork on the remaining walls, before I can share the official “after” photos of our basement makeover. With Levi’s big boy room and the baby’s nursery both needing to be redecorated, I’m a bit antsy to finally wash my hands of this project!

Though I have to wonder… Is a room ever really finished?

(photos by Hooton Images for Bunny & Dolly)

Archives for February 2014

(by @alice_gao)

Sample product was gifted from Minted, but no financial compensation was received for this post. As always, the opinions expressed here are my own.