to zach:

happy anniversary, love.
can you believe three years have gone by already?
every day keeps getting better, and i couldn't be more thrilled to be your wife.
i love that you still make me smile like we are in this picture.
i cannot wait to see what this year holds for us.
love always.

etsy surfing during vacation

We are loving our week in the Outer Banks with my entire extended family (read: 35 people in one big house).  We've had sunshine, loads of wave-jumping and sandcastle-building, relay races, and feasting every day.  I have a few etsy finds to share with you while we're gone.  As I go through our house one room at a time, I'll add these for a dose of personality and handmade goodness.

{magnolia print by kari herer....framed for our bedroom}

{wire basket by old crow farm....for our bathroom}

{culinary art by evajuliet....in my kitchen of course}

p.s. Everything in these three shops is pure goodness in my opinion. 

necklace DIY round-up

Necklaces are my go-to piece of jewelry.  While I've posted loads of inspiration necklaces, with high price tags to match, I usually am more thrifty when I actually go to purchase one.  I'd like to spend a day or two this summer making some new necklaces using these DIY instructions from some sweet, ingenius bloggers.  Just click on the caption for links to each necklace.

{from ECAB}

 {from Joslyn}

{from Jenny for Lucky}

vintage bargains

{front porch}

Bargain #1: Two 1950's metal patio chairs were waiting for me at an antique store near my parents' house.  One was blue and the other green, but I could see their potential.  After sanding them down, two coats of rust-preventing primer, and two coats of glossy white, they are shining on my porch.  These are molded for comfort and we cozy up in them to play games at night. ($30 each)

Bargain #2: A spool leg table is the perfect spot to store my garden tools and display a vase and candle.  It is close to the front door, so I usually set the mail down on top while I'm grabbing my keys. Good legs on a table get me every time. ($45)

Bargain #3: The galvanized bucket holds all my gardening gloves, spade, and clippers.  I'm planning on picking up some galvanized lanterns at IKEA to continue the theme.  Hardware stores carry new galvanized buckets of all sizes too.  ($12)

Easy DIY: After spending time shopping in Anthropologie, I noticed they burn all their candles in containers filled with sand.  I recreated it on my porch with things I had around the house, and the extra glass helps reflect the candlelight.  To finish the table, I added some industrial, vintage test-tube holders and lab-ware.

See more of my porch here and read my thoughts on this little project :)

selecting paint

{Sarah Richardson}

Painting is so easy to do, but it couldn't be more of a challenge to pick a spot-on color that you'll love.  My husband and I have spent enough time in hardware stores in the past month, that we have randomly brought home a few colors we thought could work.  Although they were ok, none of them were colors we were thrilled with.

This is where the advice comes in (and it's not really mine).  After digging through my favorite designer's archives, I found an article written by Sarah Richardson with a list of her all-time favorite colors.  

This week, my mom and I picked up 4 to try at home, and I am seriously in love with these shades!  So, I'll be painting the master bedroom and bathroom, dining room and guest bedroom in the next few weeks.  I am stoked to see our house change in such a big way.

Find her list and full article HERE.

Go to Home Depot, because they carry Glidden paint.

Ask to see the full Glidden paint deck (be forewarned, this is a bit overwhelming!).

Use the index to find the colors on the list.

Try some samples ($3 apiece) on your walls or trim.

p.s. I picked the following colors in our bungalow:  Souvenir, Meeting House, and Quiet Light.

how to NOT make a headboard

 {Ina's Barn via House Beautiful}

Over the past 3 years of marriage I have been slightly obsessive about wanting (no - needing) an upholstered headboard.  However, Zach has been equally adamant about not spending money on such a unnecessary piece of furniture, particularly when he is the one who would have to move it.  Now that we own our home, I thought it was the time to make one for myself.  I found loads of inspiration (some of which I've shared with you already, here, here, and my all-time favorite here), some great tutorials, and even bought my own staple gun. 

However when assessing our space in the master bedroom, our bed fits perfectly under the dormer windows which leaves about 12 inches between our mattress and the windows.  Our pillows take up all of that space and any headboard would basically be invisible.  So, here is my alternative...

{taken in our old apartment}

• Take 3 euro pillows (I like the ones by Martha Stewart at Macy's) and line them along the wall. 
• Get some cute covers (mine are from Pottery Barn, but you could do a cute patterned pillow too).
• Lean back and relax.

This has worked for us for the past 3 years, and it will have to continue on for awhile longer.  In the meantime, we have loads of other projects going on to keep me busy!

For those of you who are ambitious enough, here are the tutorials I liked: 

High Street Market 
Design*Sponge

porch sneak peek

The full reveal will be on Hayley's lovely blog, Tiny Twig Goes Out on a Limb, tomorrow morning. 

Come over and check it out!

Updated: HERE is the link to my guest post :)