nursery, check!

Hello home stretch! I can say that at almost 37 weeks preggo right? It's safe to say that we are pretty much done with Landry's nursery. There are probably some unglamorous details left but I always have time for that, right?! (biggest lie ever)

top 5 baby DIY projects

Oh, I am such a lucky girl. My creative and talented sister-in-law and mother-in-law put on a fabulous baby shower extravaganza a couple weeks ago. I am just now recovering from opening all of the gifts. You guys bless me so much!!

foyer / check it off the list

Ain't that the truth. This quote came to mind when I was thinking about today's blog post on the foyer renovation. I had to dig through my old pictures of our house when we first bought it and yeesh... it was scary (popcorn ceilings, sea shell sinks, office lights over sink vanities, an outdoor window into another room?). We have come such a long way!!

changes welcome

(original entryway)

I love a good renovation project. Since buying our first house in 2009, we've torn down walls, put up walls, moved doors, closed in windows, resurfaced, replaced hardware, and yes painted every room. I love it. And it's funny, when people talk about "nesting" before the baby comes they are usually talking about reorganizing the tupperware in the kitchen or throwing out the hundreds of koozies from college (are  my koozie days over?). My version of nesting - totally redoing our entryway. Seems normal, right? I blogged my ideas about the entryway back in May and I think now at almost the end of July we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

gender reveal

First of all my thoughts and prayers go out to the victims, family members, and responders of the Oklahoma tornados. CNN is on in the background as I write this and seeing the devastation just hits you to the core. Prayers for comfort and peace. 

I could not help myself and had to put on a little gender reveal party for the family. What a great excuse to bring out all the china, right??  Hmm, maybe not your typical gender reveal. I think it was exceptionally special because I used a lot of the items I have recently acquired from my grandparent's estate. Being able to use them made me feel their presence {gpa from the big El Fenix in the sky and gma from her hospice bed}. 

DIY entry makeover

Everyone knows that the foyer or entryway sets the tone for the impression of the house. It's the introduction to the book, appetizer to the main course, the previews before the main feature. These pics (plus a handful more) have been lingering around my Pinterest for a while.  Taunting me... yeah, you know you like the way we look. Think about how good you'd feel walking around in this space. Mhmm. Right now our entry way is incredibly small and incredibly depressing. If my husband thinks it lacks a sense of style we know we're in trouble and something needs to change ASAP. Granted it's not totally offensive but with the upgrading of the rest of the house this is a place where it's time to have some fun (wide bold stripes, animal print, chevron floor - you get the gist). Sooo, outdoor slate tile and textured walls - see you on the flip side. 

womp, womp, wooommmp

Here's my plan. Husband doesn't take me seriously on these projects until it gets real and I actually break something and he has to fix it. Ok, and I help big time, don't feel sorry for him. :) One day during our Christmas break I just couldn't stand the sight of that little black textured hole of despair and had to do something, fast. Rman was watching a movie so I knew I had to take it into my own hands. "I'm going to just start taking off the trim in the foyer, mkay?" He might have just been dismissing me so I wouldn't keep interrupting the long dramatic scenes in Lawrence of Arabia but he answered a hesitant OK back. 

The verbal seal of approval, it's show time! BANG, BANG, BANG... I'm attacking the molding and baseboards like it's my job. Besides I'm a pro - I watch HGTV and DIY network all the time. Expert status people. Husband saunters in later and seems to approve. And having nightmares about the last time I tried to take the texture off of our guest bathroom with basically a tiny scraper and mostly my fingernail, it sucked away days of my life but I'd tell you it was worth it, needless to Rman is always looking for a more effective method to "get er done". Engineer stuff. He busts out a heat gun and we watch the texture plus two layers of teal floral wall paper peel away. 

that's one good man right there, key to my heart

It's still going to be a process to melt off the texture on the entire entryway of doom but again I'll tell you it's going to be worth it. It's kinda like what my mother tells me about having a baby (no experience here) that when you're doing it it hurts like hell but after you forget all about the pain and enjoy the end product and would even possibly think about doing it again and you think that you're losing it. I'm on my second texture scraping baby. I'm registering for a bottle of wine, massage for the tired shoulders, and maybe even a manicure that I'll never get. I've got working hands. 

Next comes the power tools. Rman's specialty. 

floor be gone - word to the wise don't put that cheap natural stone down in your house, it's impossible to sweep and mop

I found these wonderful 24 x 12 in. tiles at Lowe's and I'm hesitant to tell you guys because I want them ALL for my house. They are ceramic tiles that look like natural limestone and so inexpensive ($2.00 a tile I believe). I think it cost me $90 in tile for the whole foyer. These tiles are smooth (prime for the sweeping) and timeless. We put them in a subway pattern. 

dry run

 measuring it up

voila! beautiful museum style floors - I love

Here's what I envision for the walls. The entryway leads into our formal living room which is Sherwin Williams collonade gray so I would carry the gray into the foyer with a bold wide horizontal stripe. Now I can't decide if the other strip color should be white or a darker gray. This is open for discussion. Thoughts?

also love the look of a gallery wall on a wide striped wall, adds some interest

with a more modern sleek lighting fixture

or I could always go bling :)

The point for this renovation is to make the entryway have more visual appeal with inexpensive upgrades. I'm not sure how long we are going to be in this house so I wanted to choose things that I would enjoy in the meantime and not scare and actually attract potential buyers for the future. 

What do you think of this renovation?

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7

new pieces, new projects, new priorities

Wow, now that was a great staycation. I was MIA for what seemed to be weeks with no posts and hardly any activity in the studio. Once you put the guilt aside (I could be doing this, I should be doing that), taking a break from the daily grind is so beneficial - a great way to clear and rest the mind for more creativity to flow. I'm ready to work with a new palette of colors and materials. Yipeee! I was also ecstatic to see a full page spread 360 West Magazine  of our vintage chain and malachite bib necklace. So very rich.

As most of you experienced, we had a white Christmas in north Texas! I am always in awe of how this manages to happen what seems like every Christmas despite our very warm beginning to the winter season. Santa, is that you? The snow flurries were beautiful. Our relatives from Nebraska were expecting a break from snow but I believe they brought it with them.

For New Years Eve we did something that we have never done before and I'm in love, we stayed in. It was so amazing. We ordered some of my favorite take-out from the Chinese food restaurant in a gas station (don't judge, it gets great reviews on urbanspoon and I haven't died yet :), plus have any of you been to Chef's Pointe? I guess that's just how we do here in Texas) popped a bottle of bubbly at midnight and watched a marathon of our new favorite show till 2am. Completely blissful. And to boot I got up the next morning before 10am and ran 7 miles for my half-marathon training. This just does not happen people.

I'm very eager to see what 2013 will bring my business, family, and friends. Cheers.

Oh, and how could I forget! What's time off without starting another house project?? Some would argue otherwise... :) What is that I see?? A foyer reno?? Stay tuned for inspiration photos that caused this mess.

1 // 2 // 3

elastic hair ties for everyone!

                

Some of you might know that I am a jewelry designer by day - field hockey/soccer coach by late afternoon (yes, the hottest part of the day). In my opinion, coaching high schoolers keeps me young and apparently in the "know" about what is popular for the 14-17 age group. I mean... one must wear nike shorts to practice. No more umbros. NO. And scrunchies?? Oh heck no. Anyway back to this decade, I noticed all these cute hair ties on EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM and thus discovered/fell in love with the Emi Jay elastic hair ties. Thank you high schoolers for my need to spend $2 on a hair tie. Ugh.

Well, being one that loves a DIY here and there I sought out this mystical elastic fabric and scored big while looking on Etsy. Apparently you can purchase 15 feet for $4.75-7.00!! Bring it on elastic hair ties. I saw the red/white/blue which happens to be close to our school colors and thought it would be cute to make them for my JV team. Bribing is a good coaching method right? 

And this is why you get a tutorial on how to make your own Emi Jay elastic hair ties. 

First of all, I purchased my elastic from Fleuriste on Etsy. They have tons of colors to choose from and cheap/fast shipping. Hearts all across the board. Once it arrived I tried to find instructions on Pinterest on how to make these seemingly simple accessories and after following one blog's directions I ended up with a hair tie that would fit a toddler. #DIYfail

Sooo, here's how I made them!!

I found that 9 inches total (including the extra length to make your knot) made a good sized hair tie that fit nicely around your wrist. 

1. Double up your elastic and measure 4.5 inches.

2. Take sharp scissors and cut the longer piece at an angle to match at 4.5 inches.

3. Keeping the inside (non-glittery side) touching the other inside make a knot close to the ends. 

4. You want to make sure there is still a long enough tail on the end to keep the knot in place.

5. I like to stretch the knot to make sure that it is tight and also try it on after I knotted to make sure it was the right size.

6. Clean up the ends with your scissors (just barely cut off any fray) and then take clear nail polish and brush a little bit on the ends. 

Here's what the finished product should look like... not too tight or loose on the wrist.

Voila, my school inspired hair ties. I put each of the ties on a card with an inspiring quote for my girls. I bought about 15 yards of elastic (total of about $22 bucks with shipping) and ended up with about 55 hair ties and 2 head bands. Not too shabby.

 

I think they were a hit!!!

Do you love the elastic hair ties? Would you consider making your own?

Image via Pinterest

fall fashion list

It's hard to get excited about fall fashion when it's still 100+ degrees here in Texas. We actually had a "cold front" come in Friday night which made Saturday morning cool in the low 70's and I believe the high for the day didn't reach triple digits. Texas cold front - seems like an oxymoron right now but I'll take it...Yeehaw! This dip in temperature makes it easier to start dreaming about some fall essentials. Perhaps a scarf or an actual sleeve on a dress?? And who can forget BOOTS!! I'm hoping to add some of these items to my must haves for fall.

SPLURGE: Tory Burch black riding boots

  SAVE: Ciao Bella Riding Boot 

Easy breezy silk shirt dress  - for colder weather add leggings + boots + scarf

Lusting over Bee's combo of these Current Elliot boyfriend jeans (can't stomach the $200+ price tag so I'm looking for an alternative) and a casual Creme de la Creme sweatshirt by Zoe Karssen 

Planning my own DIY adventure with this sweatshirt for $18 at Target - I will let you know how that goes

 Ahh, Miranda Kerr and those leather skinny leggings

Another great combo - plaid Burberry scarf and leather jacket

What's on your fall fashion list?

Images via Pinterest

DIY do's - relaxed workout shirt

Cute right???

A cruel friend convinced me to go to a spin class this morning at 5:45am. Meaning I woke up at 4:50am and the moon was still out.

Moon.still.out. Vom.

I don't know how you people do it. This is not prime time for me buttt I went  and made it through without even taking a siesta on my bike. And honestly, it was nice to get up and get so much done. It might have even been... fun???  Sooo, freshly inspired by my feat, I decided to tackle this DIY workout shirt that I have been seeing on our favorite black hole of procrastination we call Pinterest.

Let me break down the DIY do's for this project...

Read the directions carefully. You can find them in detail at Rabbit Food for my Bunny Teeth. You'll want to do the steps in order. This seems self-explanatory but is somehow hard for me because I consider myself a self-proclaimed DIY expert and therefore exempt from following "boring" steps - also why I cannot bake. Umm yeah. After reading the directions here are a couple of pointers to keep you from throwing your workout shirt in le garbage can.

Tips:
 - I picked out one of Rman's frat Tshirts (the more frattiness the better). I would advise using a shirt larger than you would normally wear. This gives you enough volume and length to make a suitable tank not a crop top.

- Make sure you get some sharp scissors to make clean cuts. If it looks jagged then it looks janky. Looking janky defeats the purpose of getting fit.
- I had to cut the neck a little larger than pictured. It helps to try on your Tshirt after several of the cuts to make sure you are headed in the right direction.

Lolz, cats always get involved.

Reminds me of this...

- Don't forget on Step 4 to cut only the back section of the armholes to form the razorback. I cut the front and back pieces the same and then had to go back and re-angle just the back portion. Doing this takes out some of the fabric for your razorback wrap.
- On Step 5  - IMPORTANT - leave a long enough end so that you can tie another knot when you come back up the razorback. Also, when you tie your knot make sure it is on the outside of your shirt instead of the inside or it will not lay right.

Voila! You likey?

-

to tuft or not to tuft

Perfect coral tufted ottoman with nail trim detail 
Image via Pinterest

Pop of color magenta tufted ottoman
Image via Pinterest

How to make an ottoman from scratch 
DIY instructions here

How to make an ottoman from a coffee table 
DIY instructions here

While almost halfway done with the new addition to the entertainment center (primed and ready for shelving and lighting), in true "Merrick" form I've moved on to another project to tackle. Seeing as our den/entertainment room is the big boring brown abyss - brown curtains (made for our old apartment), brown tile, brown walls (our den was made with that faux wood treatment so I gave it a pickled look), brown couch, and brown coffee table (a freebie) I am looking to bring some POC (pop of color) into the space.

The coffee table is the first thing on my list and a tufted ottoman just oozes chic practicality. The T-rex sized hubby can put his feet up properly with comfort (apparently, it's uncomfortable for a 6'5" man to sit normally in a couch, limbs must go somewhere), it provides extra seating, and it still acts as a coffee table. Seeing as these puppies usually run $300 + and add an extra couple hundy for a cute/decent color and voila, we're out of my budget. I'm used to this. So, I've been majorly tempted with these DIY options that have been floating around on the mothership we call Pinterest. Has anyone tried this madness??

storage: a suburban housewife's favorite word

Before... (when we first moved in)

During...

The hubby and I have been working on a little renovation over the past couple of weekends. Well, he's the one that works the saw/is actually building the thing and I am usually filling beverage orders to keep us hydrated in this Texas heat or playing captain of the shop-vac. Fun times. No seriously... I LOVE renovations (if you know me you're probably nodding your head right now). There's something about beautify-ing a space and putting your own spin on things. It's addicting, people.

For this project we are making shelves that go around the TV in the den making more STORAGE for books, do-dads, odds and ends, golf trinkets (yikes) etc. This renovation earns extra stars, glittery rainbows, and unicorns in my book because it adds STORAGE. Ahhh, every suburban wife's dream. Say it with me now - Storrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrage. Don't you feel better already? Me too. My jewelry studio has become majorly cramped lately and it's about time that Jack Nicklaus and all the golf balls he has signed get out of my studio. Go Jack Nicklaus - shoo shoo! ...and take the model construction equipment with you! Teeehehehe. :)

I'll post more before/after pictures as we get farther along but here's some pictures that inspired this cozy library feel. Bring on the netflix!

So elegant yet cozy and inviting. Love the color and the mirror background seems to expand the space. 

Moody navy. 

Gorgeous neutral + drawers. We're thinking about putting some linen or grass cloth as a shelf background. Gives it a tailored feel. 

And lastly, this has nothing to do with how to elegantly dress your 50" TV. This is just a lovely library nook.

What do you think??