Summer Lovin': Next Year's Wish List

Happy Friday! Can you believe summer is almost over? I sure can't! It seems like we were just celebrating Memorial Day and the start of summer and now it's almost time for Labor Day and the end of summer! The weather has been nice and cool lately and I'm definitely ready for fall. However, there was a lot of summer crafting/baking/cooking I didn't get to do. Here are some Pinterest Picks that I wish I'd had the time to make this year.

If you like these ideas too, remember to pin from the original source!

This awesome seahorse string art. I especially love the shells inside it.

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A new Fourth of July Wreath like this:

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Firework napkins made with bleach and a pencil!

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I'd love to make this knock off Cafe Rio sweet pulled pork recipe. It's my favorite thing to eat right now. For the moment, I'm just happy to order it from them.

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Anything s'more-ish. I didn't make any this year! I might still have time Labor Day weekend.

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More BBQ! I like the vinegar based recipes as well as "red sauce" based that I grew up with. This one looks delicious.

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Mosquitoes love me...and I hate them! I need to make something like this.

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Or maybe just throw together something all natural with plants that repel them like this:

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Maybe next year...

Pinterest Friday: Life Organization - Framed Boards

I am all about having your life organized. I love writing things down. Around my sitting areas (both at work and at home), you will find multiple scraps of paper with things to do or things to buy. I also always have at least one calendar. I have a home calendar and a work calendar. I love the paper ones so I can cross off the days. It might be a bit of a problem. My lists and to-dos can get out of hand. I need something in my apartment that can help me keep everything organized. I want to take that step up from just a plain white board on the fridge. Here are some ideas I've found on Pinterest.

I love this idea of buying inexpensive frames and painting the glass with chalkboard paint. I remember seeing on a blog the same kind of idea but with a whiteboard but silly me, I didn't pin it (what's wrong with me??) and now my punishment is that I can't stop thinking about it and can't find it through Google search. SHAME ON ME.

Actually it kind of looked like this. Except the frame was hot pink and AWESOME. I like the idea of a whiteboard better than chalkboard because it seems easier to clean.

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This one isn't as ornate but it's still very pretty and simple.

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Instead of going all fancy and getting a white board, this pin suggests that you can just put white paper behind some glass instead. I wonder if that would actually work/be cheaper.

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I don't know if I'm busy enough to have an intensely awesome command center like this but it's pretty cool.

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Do you like chalkboard or whiteboards better? Or are you a cork board rebel?

Be sure to follow me on Pinterest!

Pinterest Friday: TV Stand

Currently I'm in the middle of packing and refinishing a whole bunch of furniture to get ready for my move next weekend. I have given myself a list of way too much stuff to do. I bought myself a fancy new TV and I want something nice to put it on. I've got a lot of DVDs that I want to hide. I don't have the closet space for them so I want a TV stand that can double as DVD storage.

I'm thinking something like a sideboard/buffet like this:

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I'd also be up for converting a dresser like this:

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I also love this Union Jack design. We have the perfect dresser for it at our house but my mom likes it too much to let me have it and change it.

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This might be a bit small but you get the idea. The colors are amazing.

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I know I'm not going to find anything before I move (and be able to refinish it) but I'm just waiting for that perfect piece (at the perfect price). So far, Craigslist has been failing me. Until I find it, my TV is going to have to sit on an end table and my DVDs in their plastic bins.

Pinterest Friday: Wall Art

I'm so excited to announce that I just got a promotion at work! Yay! It's going to be a big help in my future apartment but do you know what else...I get my own office! Wahoo! I told you 2013 was going to be big!

I really want to try making my own artwork for one or two of the walls in my new office. It's pretty tiny and doesn't have a window so something bright and cheerful will be necessary. Here are some ideas I'm thinking of that I found on Pinterest (follow me!).

Right now I'm loving these plays on melted crayon art. My favorite is this one in the rain. My Silhouette will come in handy for sure (have you entered to win the Silhouette Cameo yet??)!

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Here is another take on a rain-like one.

This could be fun...although you might burn your fingers!

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The simplicity of this one is cute. But do you think chevron will go out of fashion soon?

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I also love these plays on watercolor art. Simple and cheap.

This one is cool and abstract.

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We have so much lace in our house that I bet I could do this.

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Do you have any easy wall art ideas?

Pinterest Friday: Bookshelves

As you may know, I live with my parents. It's not my proudest confession. It's not like I've never lived on my own...I went away to college and when I graduated, I came back and lived with my parents while working and saving money. Then I decided to go to graduate school in Scotland and spent all the money I had saved so when I graduated, I had to come back home again to save money. That's where I'm at right now.

I'm hoping 2013 is going to be a big year for me. One of my goals is to move out and find my own apartment. The problem? I live near Washington, DC - one of the most expensive cities to live in! I'm going to be paying a lot of money for a tiny space. I have already begun using Pinterest to scour ideas for how to save space. I'm hoping to have a lot of fun this summer coming up with space saving ideas and crafty ways to redo furniture we already have. I'm really excited of the prospect of refinishing furniture for the first time.

One problem I know I'll be facing is what to do with all of my books!? I LOVE reading. I also like to keep all of the books that I've read. Here are some great ideas I've already pinned on Pinterest to keep in mind.

I LOVE this idea of adding wallpaper and feet to a cheap bookshelf to spruce it up. I've got an ugly, plain Ikea bookshelf in my room that could use this upgrade.

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How awesome is this bookshelf that's just made from a couple supplies from your local Home Depot/Lowes? It looks like it's just some wood, trim, and rails.

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I also love the idea of floating shelves like these. With floating shelves, you don't have to take up any valuable floor space.

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With floating shelves, you'll need some cute book ends to make sure they don't fall over! I love this mermaid one. The store they come from looks pretty awesome. Too bad they're so expensive! Anyone know ceramic sculpting?

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I could even make my own to save some money. These are little owl ones from Pottery Barn Kid. I feel like I could recreate that.

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Do you live in a tiny space? What do you do to store things like books?

Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for more tiny space ideas!