Here Noah and I are excited to board the tram! Yes I know he has way too many toys for a day trip… I can’t help myself.

View from the Tram.

Me and my Noah. Noah looks angry here… Rachel is still mastering her photog skillz.

Amazing.

Noah and Ollie enjoying lunch. Ollie had healthy avocado and sweet potato pancakes. Noah had a cheeseburger and fries…

After lunch we headed down to the gardens.

Stupendous Succulents!

I only photographed a few pieces of art but this sculpture caught my eye with the color when the sun hits it. I guess it reminded me of jewelry… Here is a little info on the beautiful 14 1/2′ bronze work by Henry Moore.

My tuckered out little man.

♥♥

Arica

How many of you have a constant stream of emails entering your inbox that you can barely keep track of the invite to a birthday party, coupon for Snapfish or email about that great job opportunity? We’ll maybe it’s just me but I realized it became necessary a while ago to create different emails for different purposes. I highly suggest creating at least two separate email accounts for the following:

- A personal email for family, friends, your children’s school, your doctor, etc.

- An email for your accounts with passwords and companies/websites you want to receive emails from (Amazon, Petco, CVS, Gas Company, etc.)

There are maybe two blogs that I will independently go to in a given day. Like actually open a tab on my browser and type the address in by memory. For me the best way to keep up with all of my favorite blogs is to add them to my Blog Lovin’ list. I get a recap email each day that includes any new posts from all blogs I follow.

StumbleUpon – A great bookmarking site and highly-customizable search engine.

My friend Drew who knows a ton about the web (he’s kind of a big deal) told me about two really great applications to keep the news that matters to you all in one place.

Pulse – A news reading application for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. It organizes everything in a grid format. Easy.

Flipboard – A pocket-sized social magazine. Fun to use because you actually “flip” the pages of content.

An old stand-by for some but if you haven’t heard about it, check out Drudge Report for the most up-to-date news around the globe.

Oh how I love Pinterest. It is so nice to be able to come across something I love online and save it to my own personal “board”. I love finding new great DIY ideas, recipes, art, clothing and more. If I’m in need of inspiration for a new post, I can always go to Pinterest and something sparks my creativity.

My friend Cougar Hjelmeseth of Left Coast Fashion (a super insightful and entertaining blog), introduced me to a great version of Pinterest with a manly twist. Check out Gentlemint. It’s also a great resource for me to see what the boys are into these days.

Another great application suggestion from Drew is Evernote. A great tool to remember things from items to pick up at the pharmacy to the best invention idea ever. Such a great addition to my life.

Mint. Manage your personal finance, budgeting tools and more all for free.

—–

I hope you got a couple of new ideas today. Any other interesting tools you like to use? Please share.

♥♥

Arica

It seems I know so many beautiful pregnant girls right now. I can’t help but give them odd bits of advice from baby books to pajama brands. However I always mention to get support from other moms. I joined an amazing group of first-time moms back when Noah was 12-weeks old and now many of the ladies I met have become such an important part of my and my son’s life. I hope to be friends with them forever. Samantha, Rachel, Gili, Alicia, Martha, Karin, Terrie, Stephanie, Cat, Tannaz, Kannie, Staci, Kristine and Jaime. I don’t know how I would have made it though the first year without them… You guys are the best!

To my husband Mitch, you are the most amazing daddy and husband in the world. I love you so much. I also have to mention the love and support from our friends and family. Noah, Mitch and I are so lucky to have you all in our lives.

Off to put goodie bags together for the party! =)

♥♥

Arica

As I work to decorate the new office space I thought this would be a fun way to post my to-do lists, photos and pretty magnets all in one place. I found a great little guy for $3 at Salvation Army. This one stood out because of the beautiful ornate details on the inside corners. I do love a rich dark wood but this just seemed drab and dull so I gave it new life in white.

Supplies:

- Frame

- Spray paint

- Frame backing that came with the frame or thin cardboard/poster board

- Acrylic paint

- Paint brush and/or sponge brush

- Gorilla Glue or similar

- Thin metal sheeting about 1″ – 2″ smaller than the inside of your frame

How to:

Step 1

Remove glass front and backing from the frame and spray paint your color of choice. I used a paint in white semi-gloss by Rust-Oleum. Using a spray can handle really helps create an even finish… Allow all necessary coats of paint to fully dry before handling.

Step 2

Place your metal sheeting over the middle of your frame backing which is usually a thick paper material (or you could use poster board and cut to fit the frame). Measure around the metal sheeting and go in about 1/2″ – 1″. The outside section is where you will paint a border.  Paint the border. I used an acrylic metallic paint in peridot.

Step 3

Apply Gorilla Glue or similar strong glue to the back of the metal sheeting and apply to paper board. I weighted down the metal sheeting with a heavy object for a couple hours while it dried. It also helped to flatten the metal out as much as possible. Try to use a thin sheet metal to avoid bending.

Step 4

Place back in the frame. I put the glass that came with the frame in the back section behind the board just to keep it stable.

Enjoy!

I’m so happy to have a place to use my sparkly magnets. For a tutorial on making your own brooch magnets, go here.

♥♥

Arica

Do you find yourself drawn to any one pair in particular?

Sondra Roberts ‘Pearl’ Clutch | Red Online Bohemian Opulent Living Room

Glint Silk Clutch | Lonny Magazine Living Room

House of Harlow 1960 ‘Riley’ Bag | Red Online Modern Retro Living Room

Rebecca Minkoff Amour Clutch | Red Online Contemporary Country Living Room

Elie Tahari ‘Colleen’ Clutch | Red Online Bold Bohemian Living Room

Alexander McQueen Scull Box Clutch | Red Online Bold Colour Living Room

RED Valentino Bow Clutch | Lonny Magazine Living Room

Felix Rey Gold Snake Clutch | Red Online Bohemian Living Room

♥♥

Arica

Here is the last picture of the original before it met it’s demise:

Here is what’s left:

OK, enough with the sad story.

This version may not have it’s frame (I used the base of the frame with the hooks on the back) but I like the layout better. This is the first real project for my office space! There are plenty of DIY pin or cork boards out there but I wanted this board to be unique so I took half of it and turned it into a chalk board. I figure I can write inspiring messages to myself.

Supplies:

- Large frame

- Cork tiles

- White spray paint

- Chalk board spray paint

- Spray paint handle (optional)

- Gorilla glue or similar

- Tape measure

- Painter’s tape

- Scratch paper or trash bag

- Ribbon cut to the length of your board

- Mounting tape

Here’s how:

Step 1

Wipe off the surface you will be spray painting with a dry cloth to get rid of any dirt or debris.

Step 2

Set up where you want your cork tiles to lay and place painter’s tape along the mid-section of the board to separate your chalk board and pin board.

Step 3

Attach your spray can handle (don’t know how I lived without it) to the white spray paint and spray the lower section of your board. Don’t forget your protective mask! Allow to fully dry. With painter’s tape, tape scratch paper or a trash bag to cover the white section of the board. Attach spray can handle to the black chalk board spray paint and paint the other section of the board.

Regardless of using the painter’s tape to avoid bleeding from the paint, I couldn’t manage to get a perfect line. So I used a pretty ivory ribbon to cover up where the two paint colors meet. I chose to use mounting tape on the back of the board to attach the ribbon because most glue would leave a wet streak on the ribbon.

Step 4

Apply glue to the backside of cork tiles. Gorilla glue suggests applying pressure for a few hours. Here are my creative weight tools. =) Like?

Step 5

Hang your board. This time I used elbow grease and screwed two screws into the wall.

Enjoy!

This is now the Love and Rosen inspiration board. I pinned up some recent pages from Anthropologie and J.Crew catalogs for the jewelry, color combinations, gift ideas and more. You will notice my new beautiful peridot rhinestone thumbtacks in use. =) DIY rhinestone thumbtacks tutorial here.

♥♥

Arica

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I needed thumbtacks for the project I’m working on for this week and I just wasn’t into the plain brass colored tacks as is. I grabbed my stash of rhinestones and pulled a bunch of the peridot green color, glued them to the tacks and now have a little more sparkle in my life.

Supplies:

- Thumbtacks or push-pins

- Small rhinestones

- Glue for use on metal and plastic (I used Liquid Fusion)

- Pliers

How to:

Step 1

Pick up your rhinestone with the pliers.

Step 2

Apply a teeny tiny dot of glue to the back of the rhinestone.

Step 3

Attach rhinestone to tack/pin.

Step 4

Let dry for a couple hours.

Done!

Pretty.

♥♥

Arica

I was going through my own jewelry and thought it would be fun to pull a few of my favorite vintage earrings to share before we get on to what I found on Etsy.

FYI – I am still learning how to use my camera so please bear with me as I figure this whole product shot photography thing out. It sure is a fun but exhausting learning process… =)

Next, I took a little virtual stroll through the shops on Etsy. I found some great vintage and vintage inspired earrings that are not only beautiful but affordable too. Here are the top six that quickly caught my eye.

1. Vintage inspired Art Deco Black Copper Earrings from taradawn

I’m always drawn to art deco anything…

2. Vintage Milky White Glass Rhinestone Stud Earrings from silverliningdecor

A great alternative to pearls and will brighten your eyes.

3. Emerald Rhinestone Vintage Earrings from artinspiredgifts

Emerald green is so elegant and works on ANYONE, in my opinion.

4. Pale Robin’s Egg Blue Rose Post Earrings from aboutgirljewels

So sweet…

5. Montana Blue Swarovski Drop Briolette Crystal Earrings from EstyloJewelry

A bit more fancy but I think they would rock with jeans.

6. Petite Vintage Aqua Blue Givré Strip Rhinestone Stud Earrings from Silverliningdecor

I’m pretty sure I’d feel like a snow princess in these. That’s a good thing.

I hope this inspires you to add little sparkle of your own and just like a little chocolate, it will put a smile on your face.

♥♥

Arica

(images via Etsy:  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6)

Here is a peek at my growing “office official” Pinterest board…

I love how elegant the white shelving and boxes work with anything from silver accents to the crystal and brass chandelier.

This vintage 70′s brass étagère is a bold move but I’m intrigued by the idea of using something unconventional like this for storage.

I much prefer the idea of using pretty glass jars to hold small supplies rather than traditional storage options. I already picked up a few vintage glass containers for this very project at my local thrift shop.

I love how Kate from Centsational Girl created a desk from an old dining room table. She painted it white, stenciled it and got a custom glass top.

Aren’t these desk accessories from Rablabs AMAZING?! They are a tad pricey but I am thinking it could be a pretty simple DIY project… Mental note.

Follow up post featuring finished office space to come. =)

(images : 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5)

Here is a tutorial on how I decorated the box.

Supplies:

- Box – I bought mine from Michael’s

- Phillips screw driver

- Spray paint

- Fabric

- Fabric iron

- Mod Podge

- Sponge brush

- Scissors

- Painter’s tape

- Stencils

- Acrylic paint

- Small or medium paint brush

- Rhinestone

- Strong glue

Step 1

Use your screw driver to remove all hardware pieces and set aside.

Step 2

Use sandpaper to smooth the outside surface and wipe clean with a dry cloth.

Step 3

Iron out any wrinkles in your fabric.

Step 4

Apply a light coat of Mod Podge to your fabric and allow to dry at least 20 min.

Step 5

To create a fabric lining for the lid and inside bottom of the box, flip the fabric over and trace the box shape with a pencil. Cut your traced pieces. You will need to trim a bit more depending on the thickness of the box edges. Set aside.

Step 6

Spray paint. I really like using spray paint when I want a solid, smooth and even color. For tips on spray painting, check out this video from one of my favorite blogs, Censtational Girl. The biggest tip I can give is to spray very lightly and let each coat dry before adding the next to avoid drips. I used a white paint and primer in one. Don’t forget your protective face mask!

Step 7

Once boxes are dry, use Mod Podge to adhere the cut fabric pieces to the inside lid and bottom of the box.

Step 8

I then placed painter’s tape on the top and around the box to create lines. Paint and then remove tape.

Step 9

Place your stencil on the box. I highly recommend adhesive stencils to avoid bleeding under the stencil. Paint and remove stencil.

Step 10

I couldn’t resist adding a tiny sparkle on the top of the box. I grabbed my Liquid Fusion glue and placed a tiny Swarovski crystal on the top.

Step 11

Replace hardware.

Done!

♥♥

Arica