Mudroom-less in Seattle

Contrary to popular belief, it doesn't rain constantly in Seattle.  Today, it is actually gorgeous -- bright sun with warm (for February) temperatures.  My little lady and I spent much of our afternoon drawing with sidewalk chalk in our backyard.  It has been lovely.

One adjective I would use to describe Seattle fall/winter/spring weather?  Damp.  It doesn't always rain, but there are tons of days where that cloud cover never really goes away, and the ground stays dewy and muddy all day long.  And, since we don't wear shoes in our house (for obvious reasons), we needed a good storage solution for our shoes that would work in spite of our lack of a mudroom.

Enter this lovely built in shoe shelf in our garage.  It.is.perfect.  The size and scale work well with our shoes, the location is convenient, and the surfaces are easy to wipe down.

 My daughter's feet are still quite tiny, so I get an extra shelf or two to house my shoe collection.  As she grows, I will need to find another spot for some of my boots.

 It is important to keep depth in mind when choosing a shelving unit.  My husband wears a size 12, so we needed enough depth to keep his shoes from falling out or overhanging the edge of the shelf too much.  Our built-in is about 12.5" deep, so his shoes each overhang buy about a half inch.  

My tiny size 5.5 shoes fit almost anywhere, but we did need to keep in mind the height of my taller shoes to make sure everything would fit.  We installed adjustable shelving, so we can move things around as needed.

Our family was able to add this built-in shelving to our garage layout when we decided to hang sheet rock a few years ago, and I know the idea of doing a built-in (especially when you are not already knee-deep in renovation dust) isn't always appealing.  So, I have found a few awesome shelving ideas that will fit the bill, without a hefty construction bill.

1.) BILLY bookcase from Ikea

This is a great option for those with smaller feet.  Adjustable shelves are always a plus, but with a depth of 11", it won't work as well for larger shoe sizes.

2.) BESTA shelf unit from Ikea:

I love the idea of this unit with a cute cushion on top to serve as a place to put on/take off shoes.

3.)  KALLAX shelving unit from Ikea:

This is a great piece for those interested in storing a few types of things together.  Need a place to keep keys?  Backpacks?  Dog walking gear?  Use a few shelves for shoes and buy some baskets to hold the other stuff.  It will still be convenient to access, but tucked away for a tidy look.

4.) Room Essentials 5 Shelf Bookcase from Target:

This piece has great potential for small spaces and kid storage solutions.  With a narrow depth of only 9.5", it won't accommodate most adult shoes.  However, it could be a great catch all space for kids.  Leave the bottom shelves out and add a big basket for umbrellas.  Add hooks to the back for rain coats and backpacks.  Shoes can go on higher shelves, and all that mess will never make it into your house!

 I love storage solutions that make life easier!  What would you love to tackle in your home?

Vintage Ski 1st Birthday Party

A couple months ago, my adorable twin nephews turned one!  They are such a wonderful addition to our family, and it is such a blessing to have them in our lives.

My sister let me help in the planning process, and I loved every minute of it.  She wanted a party them that was unique, but classic so we settled on a "Vintage Ski" theme.  Luckily, my dad is a ski enthusiast, so we had lots of decorations already at our disposal.  After commissioning some adorable  custom invitations from Printed Moon, we finalized the details of the party.  The guest list was large, so they opted to rent a space for the party instead of hosting at home.  Everything turned out really well!

The invitation (which was also enlarged to poster size to use as a decoration and signage for the party guests).

The event space: A local community center with great natural light.  There were gorgeous trees outside the main window, which fit in perfectly with the winter-y theme.

Vintage ski theme - complete with old wooden skis, vintage snow shoes, lots of lighted trees, and a custom-built arbor with icicle lights.

White lantern centerpieces, surrounded by a mixture of real and faux alpine greenery.  All the real greens were cut from my parents' yard, so there was no expense!

Monthly pictures of the twins, framed and displayed.

Cupcakes on tiered boxes, made to look like a mountain.  We also incorporated individual cakes for each boy, with vintage ski style ornaments as cake toppers.

Since there were a lot of kids in attendance, they had a designated play area to keep little ones entertained.

A few extra touches to complete the theme, like bundled birch branches on the window sills.

Thanks to the talented Catherine Gaul for the great party photos.  I am so lucky to have these handsome twins in my life, and I can't wait to start planning their second birthday ;).

Fake It 'Til You Make It

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen the cheery buds I picked up at my local farmer's market over the weekend.  They were lovely -- yellow daffodils with lavender tinted wheat.  But, the daffodils started to wilt, and the whole arrangement started looking pretty tired by today.  Instead of tossing the whole thing, I decided to add some Valentine color to make it more festive for our family party this weekend.

Here's my big secret: I added a fake flower.  After looking around my house a bit, I found a big, pretty fake peony in a box, and decided to add it to the arrangement.  I also had some gerbera daisies that were pretty old.  Two of the five were wilting, but the remaining three were in good shape, so I borrowed those to add more color.  Finally, I grabbed a small bundle of red tulips at the store ($3 for 5 stems) and used three of them to finish off the look.  I'm super happy with it, and with increased floral costs at Valentine's Day, I think this pretty little thing could sell for at least $30!

The Breakdown:

Greens: Part of the original arrangement, no new cost
Wheat: Part of the original arrangement, no new cost
Tulips: $1.80
Gerbera Daisies: From last week's flowers, no new cost
Peony: Already had, no new cost (sells at JoAnn for about $5).

Total New Cost: $1.80

My Favorite Kids' Valentine Looks

Each year our daughter "hosts" a small Valentine's Day party for her grandparents at our house.  We love celebrating them, and I love finding a cute outfit for her to wear.  This year there were so many cute baby fashions, and I wanted to share some of the best deals with you!


For girls:

Here is what my little lady will be wearing to celebrate Valentine's Day this year.
Source: Old Navy

Kids Valentine Looks by danidean24 on Polyvore

Here is a little twist on the traditional red or pink.  I love the sweet coral and gold, and I love that it is all on sale.
Source: Crazy8

Kids Valentine Looks by danidean24 on Polyvore

Ruffles and lots of girly charm in this cute little outfit.
Sources: Old Navy and Crazy8

Kids Valentine Outfit by danidean24 on Polyvore

For boys:

This is my favorite look, it is well put together but comfortable to play.
Source: Old Navy

My favorite Valentine Looks by danidean24 on Polyvore

Great for a casual day at home, but still festive and fun.
Source: Old Navy

Casual play by danidean24 on Polyvore

Simple and easy - items your little man may already have in his closet.
Source: Old Navy

DIY Art Print for Valentine's Day

This next project is so simple it feels a little bit silly to blog about.  Have you ever seen those cute art prints commemorating families' milestone moments?  I think they're super cute, but I've never put the time in to finding one I like, ordering it, framing it, yada yada yada.

So, instead of spending money and waiting for one to arrive, I thought I would take a swing at making my own -- with Word.  I know, so crazy.  But it worked, and I think it turned out pretty cute.  Below is the easiest tutorial you will see on the internet today :)

Step 1:
Open word and start a new document, with narrow margins (0.5" all the way around):

Step 2:
Select a large block font that you like (I used Engravers MT), and add your "first date" date:

Step 3:
Next, choose a script or fancy font that you like for the description:

Step 4:
Insert a heart.  I chose red, you can chose any color you like or that works well with your decor.

Step 5:
Repeat steps 2, 3, and 4 for your remaining dates.

Step 6:
Print on your choice of paper.  I chose to print ours on recycled kraft paper for a bit of a different look.

Voila!  Now you have the easiest art print known to man.  Throw it in a frame for a finished look.

Total cost: $0