Tag: home ♥

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simplify your kitchen ~ organize kiddie drawers … ♥

Raising up Rubies12 Comments


happy Monday!
we’re off to a running start here this week at my house
with a super busy week behind us … there’s more hustle & bustle ahead!
i have been going through and organizing different spots in our kitchen, 
so if you’re just poppin’ in you can click on the links below 
to see the rest of last week’s projects …
♥ spice drawer project
♥ fridge organization
♥ decorating with what’s on hand 
those first two things seemed to be most pressing for me … 
the spices were buggin’ me and the fridge really needed some help
a good cleaning and to have things in more of an order for breakfast & lunch packing 
these 2 big drawers in the middle of our kitchen are another area that sees a ton of use
so it tends to get messy very quickly .. 
the top drawer holds kid-friendly cups, paper plates, straws, vitamins 
and the other lunch packing items that don’t need to be refrigerated
that whole packing individual snack bags when i get home from the grocery store thing?
still goin’ strong 🙂 and the girls really look forward to having some say in picking what they want to eat that day 🙂
the little white lids are containers that hold granola or chocolate chips, 
easy for grab n go when they’re taking yogurt in their lunch.
i really do love mason jars, use them for anything guys! 
stick some granola bars in ’em and it looks all neat and tidy
the bottom drawer is the “snack drawer”
and if you ask my youngest … the most important place in the house
if there was a fire … she’d be runnin’ to save the snacks 
🙂
again, it’s easy access for breakfast, and after school snacks
i try to find baskets at garage sales or thrift stores to use in drawers & cabinets
it keeps things contained so you see what you have, keeping you from over-buying 
or thinking you’ve run out of something when you really have a ton of it
…the larger square basket holds cereal boxes or any larger packaged items
and the little basket of clothespins provides easy access to snack bag closure
(i just made that up)
(ya know, so stuff doesn’t go stale?)
well that’s it … short & sweet
thanks so much to everyone who left me such sweet comments 
& sent emails over the weekend
from last weeks projects to those who saw my craft room feature in their mailboxes …
thank you!
the issue hits new-stands tomorrow!
so I hope to back to show you some pictures!
with much gladness in my ♥
Linking up to …

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simplify your kitchen … decorate with sprinkles ♥

Raising up Rubies22 Comments


happy Wednesday! ♥
just poppin’ in real quick with a cute idea while you’re organizing your kitchen this week 🙂
if you’re looking for an easy and affordable way to add color to your countertop
think sprinkles 🙂
where do we usually keep them??
far far away deep down in the pantry … why?
they’e so cute! why leave them hidden away ….




i found these little jars at Hobby Lobby
at 50% off they were a steal for only .99 cents a piece
gave them a quick wash and gathered up my sprinkle stash




just a little idea to spruce up your kitchen with some pretty colors 
and it’s functional 🙂 
if you like to bake 🙂
i do … do you?




i found this little glass container at a garage sale
corralled all my food coloring bottles into it too
that though, is sitting in my pantry 🙂



be back soon ♥
happy organizing!
sharing here ♥
Live Laugh Rowe ♥ Live Laugh Linky
Tip Junkie ♥ Tip me Tuesday
the 36th Avenue ♥ Party Time!
Organizing Made Fun 
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simplify ♥ your kitchen …

Raising up Rubies48 Comments


i’m was so excited to see the spice jar project inspire you guys! 
thanks so much for all the sweet comments ♥
throughout the next few months (or maybe even the rest of the year 🙂 i want to share some of the projects i’ll be tackling, to whip a few problem areas in our home into shape! 
making them more organized and tidy, while helping us incorporate easier clean-up into our daily routine

i made a list … it’s really long … ridiculously long :/
i went room by room and started in the kitchen
the spice-mess is done, now moving on to other parts of the kitchen which i would like to work on this week, while trying to squeeze a bit of crafting in here & there 🙂

inspired by one of my go-to blogs i {heart} organizing along with a few fun things i found at Target last week, (which were either in the dollar bins or on clearance) i decided to start operation-simplify-my-kitchen … 
yay! right??!




♥ the place mats are for the shelves inside the fridge
♥ the glass containers have a pretty teal top (glass as well) that i want to use for an organizing project on another day
♥ the wrapping paper was used in the spice drawer and will get used in a few other drawers too
♥ i already had the gingham canning jars … found them at Walmart a few summers ago … 
but don’t think they sell them anymore, i looked everywhere … boo 😦
those are for another space as well
♥ and my favorite find was the red wire basket in the dollar spot 🙂

i started my organizing frenzy in the fridge … take a peek inside!


the place-mats make for an easy clean-up … instead of taking the whole shelf out to wash, wiping down or washing the mats in hot water is much easier … it’s all about easy when it comes to cleaning for me 🙂



measure and cut straight lines, and they fit right in




this top shelf sees a lot of spill action from juice & coffee creamers 
(ahem … my hubby has a little coffee problem … he likes a little coffee with his creamer 🙂
(well no really, the coconut is mine)




these “pull out” fridge baskets are perfect for yogurt & lunch packing goodies
the girls can pull them out in the morning and choose snacks, fruit and veggies to put in their lunch … it makes it fun for them, and less stressful for our morning when were in a hurry to get on the bus 
(which happens like never)



i’m hoping to make this habit one that sticks 🙂 
coming home with the groceries, washing and pre-portioning fruit, veggies and any other items for lunches and snacks that same day … it makes everything easier when the 
“what should i have for snack” or “how many can i have” 
questions come up 
the mini muffins get put in the freezer to be pulled out and thawed the night before for a quick on the go breakfast before a busy school day or on our way to church 🙂




canning jars are my go to storage containers
they hold the smaller things in the fridge that you want to keep together …
use a label maker or just some pretty paper with double sided tape to describe the contents of each basket




i like to pinch a few pennies and buy the large tub of yogurt
then just divide it up into small lunch size containers




i think the fruit is happy too 🙂 … with it’s pretty new drawer liner




my favorite part of this whole thing? that wire basket from the $1 spot at Target that fit nicely on the door … and now the eggs have a new home 
 a cute one to boot 🙂




next up! i’m moving on to my food & housewares drawers …
and a cute little way to add some color to your kitchen with pretty things that are hiding in your pantry 
(and you don’t even know it 🙂

much loves! ♥
Linking up to …
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my craft room … Christmas style ♥

Raising up Rubies21 Comments



it’s been a while since i’ve had any pictures of my craft room up on the blog …
mainly cause most of the time it’s a mess with product for the store & packing supplies
oy




but i had to get it in order for last weekend when i hosted a cookie exchange that my close friends and i have every year … this year we had so much fun ♥




i wanted to spruce up the room with a little bit of Christmas cheer
but didn’t want to over-do it since there is already so much color & detail in the room and well…
i was just plain tired 🙂
so i went the simple route 🙂
ahhhh…. simple….




i feel like this little bloggy of mine has come a long way 
since i first posted about my craft room … it’s been neat to watch it grow … 
when Better Homes & Gardens came last month, it was the final push i needed to get in gear and tie up all the loose end projects that i never finished 

if you follow me on Instagram, you’ve already seen a few of these updates … but this bunting was made from my vintage sheet stash, just cut in strips and tied to some twine




with some nails & hot glue, i now have pretty things to hold up my garlands and pictures
i hammered the nails where i wanted the spools to go, 
then with a little hot glue on one end, slid the spool onto the nail




with some help from my two aunts 🙂 finally got around to organizing my fabric stash
this shelf holds only vintage linens … the other side has my non-vintage yardage
i love how pretty they all look together ♥




i filled some apothecary jars with a hodge podge of things 
that i thought we bright and Christmas-ish 🙂




the trees were made with styrofoam trees, again with strips of different fabrics
wound around from top to bottom … made pompom’s for the tops




i think Christmas can be found in the everyday of things
it doesn’t always have to be in red & green
i love to be outside of the box 🙂 don’t you?




my cushions were upgraded too when BHG came, these were from Target
i love how they add simplicity to such a busy room



my sewing area hasn’t changed much …




the twine and large spools of thread that i mostly use for packaging, 
were put up out of the way on wooden dowels 




the sewing machine cover was made from a vintage pillowcase 
… thinking about selling a few in the store






remember my decoupaged trinket box?
it has definitely earned it’s keep 🙂
it holds all my littles




my entry way get’s no light at all, it’s hard to snap a good picture here
but this is where my Joy to the World sign is with another wreath like the one on my craft shelves … i got the wreath and wording around the chalkboard idea from Miss Mustard Seed
(even though her’s is way more grand & gorgeous!)







so these are my besties 🙂
they are the friends that encourage me & laugh with me through everyday things
i love them so dearly … they are the sisters i never had 🙂




we have craft night once a month … we leave kiddos with daddies and we come together to eat and make stuff …and eat stuff 🙂
and there’s never a dull moment, at all….




every December we exchange cookies and handmade gifts
we even get a little carried away making stuff for each other’s kids 🙂




it’s hard to find good friends in life … hard to find one, let alone five
and i can honestly say they are all a blessing to me … love ya girls ♥



Merry Christmas bloggy friends ♥
you have put gladness in my heart … psalm. four. seven

sweet parties here:

live laugh Rowe ♥ live laugh linky
i {heart} naptime ♥ Sundae Scoop
Tatertots & Jello ♥ Weekend Wrap up Party 
Funky Junk Interiors ♥ Saturday Nite Special
the 36th Avenue ♥ Party Time!
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diy laundry soap … ♥

Raising up Rubies11 Comments

making your own laundry detergent is all over blog land
but i thought i’d share a few pretty pictures, to make it seem like it’s soooo fun to make 🙂
(it actually kinda is … heehee)
the ingredients are the same as most, just the ratio is what i changed 
after researching whether or not it was ok to use on a front loading machine, and it is!
i’ve been using it for almost a year
sayonara store bought 14 million dollars a box laundry detergent
oy.

this is the way i make it 🙂


chop up the soap in small chunks … it’s easier on your processor that way 🙂
(i use this processor only for making detergent
it’s a small kitchen aid that i had before i upgraded to a larger one)

then mix the borax & washing soda into a large bowl or container
my pretty glass container (from Target) holds a 6 batches …
so 6 cups of each of the 3 ingredients 
(18 cups total)
(i’m bad at math)
🙂

process 1 cup of the chopped soap at a time
i scoop a bit of the powder mixture in with the soap
the dry ingredients help grind the soap, which is thick & dense
and it produces much finer soap flakes 🙂
(i sound smart don’t i)
(heehee)

once you’re done pour into the pretty glass container
hard work doesn’t seem hard at all when it’s in a cute glass jar
and with a cute scoop to boot
🙂

i usually have extra ingredients
i just store them in a big metal bucket for next time
everything all in one place makes it easier to pull out when i need to make more
(we may or may not have gone 5 days without washing clothes 
since someone’s butt was not in laundry making soap gear)
(cough cough)

 labels make me happy 🙂

the day i made the laundry soap, i tried a recipe for fabric softener too!
… i’ve been using it for a week, it’s working great
i noticed my towels seemed soft & thick
(yes… thick… but that part is just my imagination since i made my own fabric softener
my towels surely must be thicker … right?)
(my girlfriend made me those cute dish scrubbies … they make me happy too 🙂


i have a few fun things planned these next few weeks
and since i have Christmas on the brain …




every Wednesday beween now and December 12th,

all pretty gift wrapping items will run 20% off
in the store! let’s make stuff & wrap it!
♥
so start thinking bundles & packages with me 
and stock up on tags, tape and embellishments for your Christmas gifts
come back and take a peek Wednesday for the scoop!
 i hope to have a bunch of new tags and gift wrapping kits in the store throughout this week


much love to you all & with gladness in my ♥
psalm . four . seven 


sweet parties here … ♥
Tip me Tuesday ♥ Tip Junkie
live laugh linky Thursday ♥ live laugh rowe
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a shabby vintage kitchen … ♥

Raising up Rubies58 Comments

grab a cup of tea … this post is picture heavy 🙂
besides my craft room this is where i spend most of my time…
my kitchen♥

this picture was taken when we moved in:


here it is now!
i’m so glad you’re here! come on in 🙂




hubs built these corner shelves 
in what would have been a wasted space
they house a lot of my vintage dishes & some serving pieces

Goodwill find last year … i love these canisters 
the knobs were already painted that pretty green

i like the idea of things stored in wire baskets … i’m on the lookout for more




the pot rack was from Hobby Lobby
i still have a few pans from my set to accquire
computer desk on the back window is where i connect with all of you ♥


a perpetual calendar & some old cook books


i wish i had a before picture of this lazy susan 🙂
but here it is now, all nice and pretty


this is the view walking through from the other side, which is my craft space








this is my favorite part of the kitchen
the open cabinets … we decided to leave them open at the last minute
i’m so glad we did!
even though i would like to take the middle bars out of each section
 … still have to convince the hubs 🙂



the tea cups are hung from a stainless steel curtain rod


 more wire baskets … for more service and some pot holders


an old cheese box with sugars, salt & peppers

my grandma’s china ♥



hubby & his dad put a new sink in when they tiled the counters
i spend a lot of time in front of it … what mom doesn’t right?
the little ledge near the windowsill holds herbs, 
to do lists & bible passages i’m trying to remember or reflect on
(or flowers the hubs brings me on occasion 🙂
i wrote about that little ledge here

this is another small curtain rod, hung on the side of the sink area
keeps kitchen towels out of the way (most of the time 🙂


this is our command central
in & out papers, lunchboxes, and everyday life happens here



the “masterpieces” strip was made from yardsticks & clothespins
two of my favorite things ♥
my menu board is an old frame wrapped in vintage sheets
it’s a free printable from here



the baskets are for recycling ~ shredding ~ reading ~ keeping
i used the same label frames i used in my craft space here

a tiny peek into my living room …





thanks for comin’ along on my little house tour ♥
hope you enjoyed!
if you want to see more of my house go here & here
much love & gladness in my ♥ !



sweet party link up here ♥

get schooled Saturday ♥ too much time on my hands
Sundae Scoop ♥ i {heart} naptime
air your laundry friday ♥ freckled laundry
Frugal Friday ♥ the Shabby Nest
Doin’ it Yourself ♥ aka design
Link up with Me ♥ Liz Marie Blog
Junkin Joe ♥ The Cottage Market
Tip Me Tuesday ♥ Tip Junkie
live laugh {linky} thursday ♥ live laugh Rowe
Party Time! ♥ the 36th Avenue
DIY Project Parade ♥ DIY Showoff
A Crafty Soiree ♥ Yesterday on Tuesday
weekend wrapup party ♥ Tatertots & Jello
Saturday Night Special ♥ Funky Junk Interiors
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it's quiet here … ♥

Raising up Rubies6 Comments
my girls started school today ♥
it’s quiet here 😦
and i’m a bit mopey…


now that routine is again present in our lives :/
i am excited to share & make stuff with you more often 🙂
and with the Christmas right around the corner, i have tons to do…don’t you??

have a wonderful Thursday ♥
and oh! Pick Your Plum is having a Fall Kickoff! with some crazy deals today…
so if you’re a craft supply junkie like me, make sure to hop on over 
and sign up for their deal of the day! i can’t wait to see what it is 🙂


be back soon!

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random stuff … ♥

Raising up Rubies22 Comments
here’s a few pretty things i found at Goodwill last week 🙂

my girls have claimed these as their new breakfast dishes ♥
they were $2 per set!

i just couldn’t pass these up … i’m a sucker for anything this pretty teal color
i hung them on a rod i have above my counter with some others i love

if you follow me on Instagram you already saw some of these snapshots
but i’ve been thinking on how i’m so thankful for my kitchen …
sounds silly i know
but i really love my kitchen
and i’m grateful to my husband who listened to all the ideas i had
and fashioned it after my heart’s desire
i especially love the little things …
you know, the things that make it feel like home


since school starts in 2 days
my mind has been on getting back into the swing of things
on all the things i want to accomplish
on the holidays …
 i know, the holidays, but guys … 
so i’m determined to try and get ahead of the game this year
and i really wanted to start in August, so i’m already behind!
i stumbled upon this cute little blog
where she talks about a “September Sort-it”
and she made a list of 30 things she really wanted to get done in the next month
i was motivated to do the same 
but by the time i got to #20 i started to panic
so i stopped there and thought even if i get half of these done
i’ll be happy 🙂

i just listed this in the shop too 🙂
it a cutie pie cloud garland hung from a tiny hanger (heehee 🙂
i’ll be back this week with some more random stuff
♥ much love to you

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a once upon a time master bedroom remodel ♥

Raising up Rubies46 Comments
hi ♥ how are ya?
as i was writing this post i realized that i’m really bad at tying up loose ends…
are you?
i’m super ambitious about starting new projects…i totally over do it…then i’m burnt out
i want to be more simple

and i think over the course of this past year, that’s really changed for me 🙂
i’m learning how to use my time for the things that are important
i’m learning how important it is to stay on top of things
meal planning, cleaning, laundry, filing…
if i just take the time to maintain those things, then i’m not staring at a huge pile of paper to shred, or maybe a meal that’s not be started and it’s going on 6:30 (yikes)
(i’m a really bad procrastinator too)

so in an effort to keep my self disciplined and stay on top of things, I wanted to show you some more of the love i put into our home…then have you hold me accountable for the “loose ends” 
that are still waiting for me to get busy!

this is a sweet little tour of our master bedroom that we worked on last year…i wanted to make it a resting place for both of us…quiet & romantic 🙂
so often the little things in marriage are lost in the busyness of life or the raising of our kids…
those little things are the things i wanted to capture in this room
(even if it’s when you’re completely exhausted 
and you can barley keep your eyes open to enjoy them)
come on in and see ♥

the previous owners did us a wonderful favor 
by installing beautiful hardwoods throughout the house 
it was much easier to plan the renovation 
without having to worry about tearing anything up!


this is the room when we purchased the house 6 years ago…








the chandy is from Home Depot…the ceiling medallion was made from an old mirror frame and some batting & fabric…i want to share how i did it with you soon 🙂







this dresser was a goodwill find



here it was waiting to be helped 🙂 i got it for 39.99 folks…

spray paint + lace + hardware = ♥

 hubs built this simple frame and covered it with radiator metal 
as a way to camoflauge the satellite box and still have the remote signal work
is anyone interested in instructions for this?
i’m sure he has plans…if i didn’t lose them 🙂
it still needs something on top of it to sort of help it blend in…
i’m searching for old books at yard sales
maybe some white vases next to it too?

take a peek around this corner…it’s all things pretty ♥

found the desk at a yard sale for $10 the stool too…but that still needs to be recovered
i have the lace to make a skirt around the bottom of the desk, 
to look more fancy instead of office-ish


the spider hook for the scarves is from Hobby Lobby


 these window treatments & most of the pillows were made with vintage hankies and linens that were thrifted or given to me (by family who knows i like old stuff 🙂

these white lamps? used to be this:

the major renovation done to this room (building wise) was the board & batten wall behind the bed, hubs added crown molding to act as a shelf to hold frames & candles ♥





now that pretty dresser from before…well that’s mine
this is my hubs and it need something  above it…
thinking it’s going to involve maps 🙂

 just a few details…



MasterBed To-Do List:

map art above dresser
line dresser drawers
some sort of lace added to corners of canopy
pearl tie backs for canopy panels
recover stool & make skirt for vanity

thanks  for spending some time with me! 
i hopefully with have the craft table plans up soon 
along with some new photos on my ♥about page
come back and check it out! 




much loves to you
sweet parties here … ♥

Funky Junk Interiors
DIY Project Parade
TIP Junkie
Tatertots & Jello
Thrifty Decor Chick


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a cute place to make stuff ♥

Raising up Rubies279 Comments
it’s been my ♥’s desire for so long now…to be here
on this little blog, to share & encourage…so here we go!

 how ’bout a peek into the cuteness of a space where i make stuff?! 🙂
yes! that means a mess of pictures…make some tea…spend some time 🙂

i’m blessed to have a hubby who knows a thing or two about tools and such
i show him something on Pinterest
then say “look honey, you could soooo do that right?” 
he gives me the look…
the “you’re trying to butter me up to get me to make you that” look
🙂
so with a grateful ♥ to him…
(1. for building everything in the room himself)
(2. for supporting me and my wild n’ crazy dreams)
…come in and see!

this room was originally a formal living room used formally by the previous owners of the house 🙂
we’re not really a formal family so it was mainly the room that held the tools & paint 
(or misc. craft projects:) while we renovated the rest of the house…

hubby made this huge 8’x4′ island from scratch 🙂 with my dad…
i wanted to have a place to lay out yardage (and a place to have craft night with the girls ♥)
it also makes for a lot of storage underneath…
big baskets with yarn, batting, and projects in the works…




my idea for the island is to write out some sections from Prov.31 over the entire top 

then sand it to look worn…that’s on the to-do list 🙂





these shelves are the plain white cheapies from Target, that we got super cheapie during back to school/college time…the crown molding  (top and in between each shelf to hide the seams) & arches were added then painted all gray






just a few close-ups of supplies ♥
old mason jars i found at a rummage sale in an old church last summer…
i ♥ rummage sales in old churches






this little birdcage houses vintage pillowcases ♥




yellow spray paint + lace trim + a little birdie = cuteness ♥





…an old nails & screws organizer sorts embroidery floss…








simple boxes covered in brown paper






strips of fabric ruffled on my sewing machine got hot glued on each bin…
these are all still in need of labels so i remember what’s where …



my stash ♥ i can’t wait to dive into these and make stuff 🙂





(that cute little printable banner is from ♥here)

sweetness ♥ who can resist kindergarten penmanship 🙂



…this side of the room is where i sew 🙂 hubby built the shelves and table…



the larger bins on top hold patterns, notions and some other things…
these too should be labeled, or maybe numbered? 
table skirt was made from a shower curtain from TJ Maxx
a cornice over the window is in the same print




still trying to figure out what to do for window treatments…
would like to keep it light but it’s a huge window on the front of the house 
so privacy is a must too… window treatments are tough to figure 🙂
the lighting is hubby’s workmanship …i’m seeing burlap – lace -or felt flowers all around the base of the shades? i can’t decide…


back to the table…i mod podged a dress pattern on the top

 & fabric measuring tape on the edge (then covered with lotsa coats of polyurethane)





thread storage from an old typesetting box 

(owl calendar is ♥here)




i could do a whole separate post for all the inspiration! 
if you scoot over to my pinterest boards, you’ll see the “studio” board 
with most of the ideas i applied in my space, i bet you can pick out a bunch of ’em 🙂


so my to do list for this room still has a few things on it


1. stencil & finish table top
2. label & number bins
3. put some cute stuff on the light fixtures
4. make covers for sewing machine & serger


…but it’s all fun stuff! 


i’m also dreaming about what to put in my little etsy shop…
i want to fill it to the brim with lots of Sugar n’ Spice ♥
you can see how empty is it by clicking on the the link in the sidebar 😦
i have a ton of ideas rolling around in my head! just want to choose the best ones…


that’s my little world of crafting goodness ♥
 hope you like it! come back and make stuff with me 🙂

linked up some cuteness here ♥
Thrifty Decor Chick
Today’s Creative Blog
DIY Showoff Project Parade
The 36th Avenue

Bacon Time
Sweet Little Gals
Sew Much Ado
Tatertots & Jello
Under the Table & Dreaming
Funky Junk Interiors
House of Hepworths
i {heart} naptime
Faith trust & pixie dust
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