Easy & cheap marble DIY makeover..

This could very easily be a project I would've featured on the blog..
I would have taken photos beginning to end, showed off exactly what tools were needed and used.
You would have had a detailed step by step DIY to follow...

however, this project wasn't done by me and quite frankly I feel as though this blog post is being written under duress!

ok, lol.
you know I'm kidding but I am feeling some pressure.

If you've been keeping up on IG stories, you have probably seen that I am in major purge mode.
I also posted this blog about cleaning my closet... well the time has come and I am having a HUGE yard sale to try and offset the cost of Noelle's nursery.
(I really want to get that started since she's already 2 months! she will be in that room before I know it.. eeek!)

So my mom, sister, etc. will be hosting a massive yard sale and to draw some interest I've posted about it on social media and in some local buy & sells... I wanted to post some photos, because I think we have great stuff!

Well, I posted this nightstand that my sister DIY'd last year and HOLY MOLY.
The response is kind of hilarious!
See the night stand below...

I won't lie, its a nice nightstand.
Its a really large size, sturdy, the handles are cute, but the white and marble she DIY'd herself!
and it was really easy y'all!!

The nightstand was with her boyfriends bed set and was a cherry wood colour.

See this is where I may fumble up the details as its not my project but I'm assuming she used regular white paint (she's a mis-tint kind of gal, any marked down paint cans at the hardware store will do. and I don't think she has my love of spray paint! I would've just sprayed that sucker)

Allow adequate days to dry, multiple coats will most definitely be needed.
Make sure you remove the hareware before painting, it will make your life so much easier and the project that much more professional.

Then head over to handy 'ol Amazon and pick up a marble contact paper like THIS.

Apply contact paper once paint is good and dry, pop hardware back on and BAM.
You have that ^^^^^^^^ exact nightstand.
 

 
 


In my original yard sale post I did write 'Please no messages, photos for reference but you must attend, no holds."

I knew our stuff was good and could possibly get a lot of attention but I have no interest in going the 'buy & sell' route right now.

I have the baby, Elliott, Marley the dog, I just can't arrange appointments and be waiting on people etc. so hopefully everything sells at this one yard sale and then I can wash my hands of the sale biz.

Even though I had said 'no messages', I expected to get a few but I was not prepared for the volume surrounding that night stand!
I must've got about 50 so far and the messages are still rolling in.

I've got all kinds of stories about why people need the night stand..
sob stories
willing to pay immediately
will pick up right now
will pay extra
etc.
etc.
etc.

I'm sorry, that is just too much pressure guys!
I cannot be responsible for someone's happiness/disappointment in such a dramatic way.
so I have just stopped responding, I have a lot on my plate at the moment and pricing/set up is taking priority!

I hope this post helps a little bit, with so many interested buyers maybe some will DIY their own or put a fresh spin on something else with that contact paper.

My sister is also working on redoing the full size dresser from the same set!
Since you're here I'll show off her progress..

She painted it white (it did take at least 3 coats, and was kind of a pain with all the nooks and crannies)

and she has wall papered the drawers!
cute right??!
 

sorry I don't have any good photos!
only this sorry excuse reflection pic ^^^

but it turned out so great!
and you can see the original colour was that colour above^^ the cherry colour.

so the white paint really does make the set look brand new and modern!

HAPPY DIY-ING!
 

EDIT!! 

She just sent me these!

Wall paper Home Depot $27 a roll 

Enjoy 

What to buy at Sephora right now, literally RIGHT NOW, don't wait!

Okie doke.
been trying to get this post up for 3 days and have failed miserably.
then this afternoon Nick convinced me to make a 'brief' stop at Costco..

BRIEF.
hahahaha.

It's a cold, rainy Saturday in Nova Scotia.
ain't nothing about Costco was brief today.

but anyway, we survived and I just googled PST time zones, you have approx. 8 more hours to make an order at Sephora to receive 2,3 or 4X the points!

This event might not appeal to you at all but I just find Sephora so stingy with the events/perks, when they do host something that gives me extra.. I totally fall for it and splurge.

I had known this point bonus was coming and there were a few basic things that I needed to pick up so I held off and did a mini haul a few days ago.

The one really positive thing I can say for Sephora is that they're always really, really prompt to ship and even during high ordering events like this, I will usually receive my package within a couple of days.

See below for my haul!

 

 

I needed some new brushes, I feel like I always need brushes but its very hard to find a set of ones I would actually use. (normally its 2 good brushes and 6, I'll rarely reach for those tiny eyeshadow or the like..)

My favorite brushes to date are the Sonia Kashuk which are available at Target and I just realized Target does ship to Canada now... so I may keep that in mind and stock up sometime in the future.

Another fav is the Real Techniques which you can pick up locally at Lawton's Drug mart.

I love both these brands so much and I use them daily until they die on me, luckily both brands are great quality and they will last you forever!

but I came across this, 'Ready to Roll' Sephora brand brush set and I thought it was a really great variety pack for the price. ($88)

 

It would be the perfect travel mate as it seems to have a brush for every, every day use.
(in fact, we are travelling soon and maybe I should put my money where my mouth is and only take these brushes.. maybe. I will seriously ponder it.)

Next I picked up this overnight hair sleeping mask.
mainly because I've never tried an overnight hair mask and I'm completely intrigued!
(haven't tested yet)
 

 

This foot mask which I tried yesterday and REALLY loved.
being on my feet so much at work the last 10 years has really taken a toll and unless I get a weekly pedi my feet are just in a sad state. dry. cracked.
Elliott always asks me if they have boo, boo's LOL

I was questioning how much the foot mask would help but it exceeded my expectations.
My feet felt like they had just been to a salon and got a mini moisture massage.
I will 100% repurchase these for myself and I will probably gift them to anyone and everyone.. because who doesn't want a mini foot makeover. ???

 

These masks, they got me with the 'NEW'.
I love that they have a replacement cap and I can get at least 4 uses out of them.
(haven't tried)

 

I had been talking about getting a daily brush cleaner for a while, if you're not committed to cleaning your brushes on the regular please pick one of these up.

I just read an article about a women who got a nasty face infection from not cleaning her brushes, whether its true or not, I don't know... but the germ-o-phobe in me wants you to pick up a cleaner. lol

like this one.
 

finally the nail polish...ugh the nail polish.
I own approx. 8000 of them but I keep coming back for more!

I really do like Nail Inc. polish, I find it to be good quality and I really wanted that peach shade!
I already did a test run with the purple, see photo below.
 

 

I do appreciate Sephora's deluxe samples and they had some good point perks available so I picked a variety, see above ^

I've learned to steer clear of scent samples or small face product samples, normally they won't get used by me and I end up donating.

BUT samples (like above) that are mini mascara, brow gel, or larger sized face wash (see ole above) really come in handy for travelling or if you run out of your large mascara tube, having a decent sized mini on hand saves you at least a week or two (3) between re-purchasing.

 

SO that's my last minute (last second) what I got during the bonus point event.

What I also wanted to mention was that IT cosmetics has JUST launched at Sephora Canada.
I mean, JUST.

They arrived yesterday and I very promptly (like 2am last night hahaha) asked my Canadian beauty blogger ladies what I should get, because I just had to get at least one little thing since there's the added bonus point incentive.

They said (actually they said pretty much everything.. but) Bye Bye undereye concealer, CC cream, or brow pencils.

I went with the Bye bye under eye concealer and will keep you posted!

So go browse and if you're looking to splurge go for the IT cosmetics, but if you're looking to save and still deserve a little pick me up, go for a foot mask!

Anniversary gifting with Jord Watches..

Anniversary dates in our house look very, very different these days.

As all my heels get packed up and thrown into the yard sale bin.. Yup, yard sale this weekend!
I find myself missing a bit of the glitz and glam that those early relationship years held.

When you've been together for as long as Nick and I (11 years), it starts to get really difficult to surprise one another OR even just give an actual gift, something other than the I.O.U or lets do dinner verbal promise.
 

 

That's why this anniversary, our wedding anniversary.. 4 years since we said "I do".
I really committed to finding Nick something that would make him feel a bit more special and appreciated... I mean he still manages to get me great gifts but that's because I rhyme off things I want on the daily.

New silverware..
New dishes..
New lipstick...
New makeup brushes..
I saw this top I really love at the mall (exact size plus location sent in text)

I am a never ending 'want-er'..
but what do you get for the guy who says "I have everything, I just want to spend time with you".

AWWWW.

Yeah, right!
no, awwww.
I need an answer for what he wants!
It's so difficult.

 

However, this year I honestly think I nailed it.
 

 

Nick is a simple guy, he doesn't stray much in the fashion department but he does always wear a watch and his wedding band.

He's actually had the same watch since high school (I told you.. simple guy), and although its a nice watch I thought something a little newer, and trendier would be nice.
 

I've seen the wooden watches by Jord floating around Instagram and I've been pretty obsessed with them for myself.

Once I started looking in the men's category I was totally confused (too many options!), so I ended up asking Nick if he had a pick what would be a couple of his top choices?
(questions like this are not unusual for me to ask, because of the blog I am always talking about products and he is none the wiser to what I'm actually ordering and what I'm just IG creeping.)

Surprisingly (or maybe not..) we picked the complete opposite.
I had picked out the classic, sleek, very plain styled watch and practically had it checked out in my shopping cart before I looked at the choices he sent and then I had to start all over again!

I was leaning towards something like this..
while he's checking out all the bells and whistles with something like this..

(Just a little back story, I should have known this was going to happen because when Nick picked out my engagement ring.. he wanted to pick it out himself and have it be a total surprise. When he did propose I was caught a little off guard by the ring.. it was just SO Nicks style. My style is the polar opposite.. but trust me I LOVE my ring, this isn't a sad story lol. I think I love it even a little bit more because it's so Nicks style, it reminds me of him daily. But I do remember thinking "I may not have picked this one", it was just a really quick thought and then it passed. lol)
 

So in the end I settled on the Kosso and Midnight Blue because it seemed the perfect mix of masculine, sporty with just a touch of (my) stylish flare in the coloured face.

He was surprised and really excited when I actually had a gift box for him to open (and the presents don't stop here so stay tuned..;)) he loved the watch and I honestly had to yank it off of his arm so I could take some nice photos before it permanently takes up residence on his wrist.

In the spirit of giving, Jord is gifting one lucky reader a $100 credit to shop!

*and everyone who enters will get a $25 credit at contest closing!

 

 

 

To Enter:

Click here!

 

 

 

The giveaway will close September 10, 2017  at 11:59pm. Both the $100 and the $25 codes will expire on November 26, 2017

 

 

This year just happened to be our 4th anniversary and I have zero patience, so when I come up with an idea I use it immediately...

but the thought is not lost on me that the 5 year anniversary gift is 'wood'.. 

how adorable would you be if you gifted a wooden watch for your 5 year anniversary!

It's the perfect gift for anyone, sentimental yet practical!

 

I really need to start paying attention to what the 'gift of the year' is so I can stay on track..

Since next year it will be wood, should I hint to Nick to get me a watch?? probably will. 

 

Luxury Wooden Watch

Where I've been this week..

COMPLETELY DROWNING IN A SEA OF MY OWN DOING.
you????

We went to Cape Breton last week to visit my family and it was wonderful..
Our trips are always crazy and jam packed so you sort of need a vacation away from the vacation once you get back but unfortunately Nick was straight back to work the morning after we got home.

And on top of it he was working an extra shift that left me solo-ing it again for the week.. 30 mins into the first day and all the calm, collected patience I had saved up over the weekend was GONE. lol
but we powered through and I decided to start the LONG, LONG, overdue whole house haul.

You guys know I am a hoarder.
Up until now I've been able to keep my hoarding ways pretty organized and I actually felt proud of the hoard. I literally own everything you could ever need on the planet, I felt like the Martha Stewart of hoards. I could make a craft or DIY on scene at any given moment.

but the last year or so I could feel the control slipping out from under me, my hoard was no longer useful, it was actually becoming stressful.

I didn't have time to organize, things kept coming in the house with NOTHING going out.
Elliott's toy collection was replacing space for my collections and I was starting to lose it a bit.
I would feel so stressed and anxious about opening a closet LOL

Cue that scene when Chandler breaks into Monica's secret junk closet.

So this week, solo-ing and all, I decided to start the purge.
I mean a REAL purge!
Maybe because the kids are growing and bringing a whole new level of clutter into the house, I am feeling myself start to disconnect from my own clutter and realize I don't need to keep everything.

I pretty much took on my grandmothers entire house when she passed and although I love having so much of her stuff, I'm feeling pretty confident with my choice to finally toss her pyjama collection. LOL
(5 years later, yes I have issues. I always think I can quilt or craft or DIY something with everything but I'm officially out of time and its not happening. So, bye Felicia!)

Any way, I started with my own closet and you'll see the progress below but I hadn't planned on blogging this so let me warn you, the before shot is actually half cleaned already.
So just keep that imagine in mind.. it was seriously, seriously dire.

also, No. Nick and I do not share a closet.
He has his own hoarding issues and I can't even get into that right now. lol-ing.
 

BEFORE ^
 

 

BEFORE ^

AFTER ^
 

AFTER ^

I picked up the white coat rack from Walmart $40

and the dress rack I've had for a million years..
but you can get them at Walmart for as cheap as $11 up to $100.

I would probably suggest something like this $30 one that looks really similar to mine and like I said, lasts forever.
 

 

BEFORE^
Next I moved onto the porch closet that was just getting insane...

AFTER^
You would not believe how much came out of that one little space.
I tell people to stop buying me scarves, I could tie them all together and loop the earth at least once over, I swear. so I tossed at least 25 of them.

Also picked up those drawer hanging organizers from you guessed it, Walmart.
 

Trying to power clean with Elliott, Noelle and Marley at my ankles was intense.
 

I found all my Toms, I LOVE toms! so comfy.
but they have seen better days so I checked with FB and they said WASH EM!

I tossed them directly into the washing machine and they came out looking like new! See below.

^ this photo doesn't even make them look as shabby as they were!
 

 

I put them in mesh bags see here, Walmart. I love mesh laundry bags, I use them for everything!

I then dried them on the deck and honestly, like new!

 

AFTER^

So that's where I am at with the purge.



This is actually my donation pile after just those two areas.... ^^^

Next on the list is:

-kitchen cabinets/pantry
-linen closets
-kids rooms
-toy room
-basement (ummm. the basement. I will share that later this week and I swear it will give you all anxiety just looking at it. It basically needs its own zip code for crap. I mean nice crap. but crap.)

wish me luck, keep you posted!




 

It's easier than I thought..

How's it going?
Easier than I thought.

well that would've been the title of this post had you asked me how it was going two weeks ago.
 

 

 

Going from 1 to 2 kids.. I knew it was going to be hard, really hard, but then there is just something even harder about it.

So funny because I said that exact same thing to my doctor about the C-section!
(c-section post to follow!)
I think no matter how prepared you are for something you truly can't be prepared until you're in the thick of it.

The first few weeks after Noelle was born Nick was on vacation and we were tackling the kids one each, life was pretty stable.
the really tough moments came last week.
Nick took some extra shifts on top of his normal shifts at work, so he was gone.
6 days straight.
12 hour days.
(plus he needed to eat, sleep and travel.)
I was by myself for a week with two 3 and under.

Hard, was the word of the day.
Tears were shed.
and lots of coffee was consumed, even though I gave coffee up years ago.
I NEEDED it back.

It was my mental health that lapsed more than anything.
I'm here trying to get the kids fed, changed & contented...
but that's literally all you do, over and over and over. When one of them wasn't needing me, the other one was.

I don't stress about many things, I don't second guess my intuition, the lack of sleep doesn't hurt quite as much because I've been running on lack of sleep for the last 3 years. lol

but then there's my 'threenager'.
O.M.G.

If anyone tries to tell you the 'terrible twos' is a thing, laugh in their face!
the two's are adorable and joyous!
they still don't understand things at 2, you can fool and distract so easily.

they're not asking "WHY?", "WHAT HAPPENED?", and telling you in full sentences that they're not going to eat their food, they don't want to clean their toys up and then demanding to go to the play ground every hour of the day.

The 2's are like living with an angel.
3.
3 is where you consider dropping them off at boarding school and not looking back.

 

It's really hard for me because I have such little patience... lol
Its true! that's why I wasn't sure if I would ever want to be a parent.
I post a lot of pretty pictures and funny anecdotes but on the inside I've had a lot of Charlotte in the pantry moments.

Skip to 2:50..



That is one of the most real mothering moments captured on film.

I swear.

it's been a roller coaster where my heart is full and excited and thankful.
and its also having 3 times the amount of work to do but only 1/3 of the time to do it in.
you've been at the same job for a while so you feel like maybe you can handle it, but also maybe not.

welcome to multiple kid land!
& surprise, you're not allowed to fail.
hit very close to rock bottom sure..
lock yourself in the pantry..
in a moment of pure desperation, grab taggie bear and throw him at your screaming 3 year old..
watch taggie bear bounce off his head (not hard just super bouncy like)
not know whether to laugh or cry because you feel so ashamed you just did that................
but also the stunned look on your 3 year olds face when taggie hit him was really funny.
really, really, funny.
so you laugh/cry about that for the next two weeks or so.


Now make sure you keep all these feelings/stories on the down low& behind closed doors,
because blogland & facebook only likes to see the happy, smiling, on the ball perfect family dynamic ;)

wake up and do it all again, everyday, for the next 18 years.
that's how my months been.
Easier than I thought.

Hello blog and hello fresh..

Hellooooooo.. (Mrs. Doubtfire cake face)
 

Its been a minute but I have been thinking of you all every. single. day.
Look, I love Noelle, like love, love, love.
She is adorable, cuddly and so precious I can't even project the lovey feeling into words..
but she's also needy, needy, needy.

I can't really explain that very well either since she only seems to be said needy when its just her and I.
I swear to you when Nick is home she will sleep or coo quietly in her swing, but when I am around.. especially just her and I, oh helllllll no, totally different story!

They say that the baby can smell its mother, I don't know if that means all mothers or more so breastfeeding mothers because lets face it, you're the meal ticket... but I 110% believe it!
She is ALWAYS needing me and its seriously cramping my blog style.

I am desperate to get these fingers keyboard clicking.
It really helps me to feel happy and light, I get to rant and rave about whatever I want, the stuff that I know Nick starts to tune out.

but I've been so busy with Noelle during the day..
*I'm not really going to mention Elliott because he goes to daycare 2 days a week.. but remind me to dedicate a post on 'how your oldest/only child will adapt to getting a sibling..' another day.

so blogging has hit a lull.. and another thing that's hit a lull, FOOD.

y'all know I am not a chef but I can follow a recipe.
and if I have the ingredients on hand, I really, really enjoy cooking.

The hardest is organizing the ingredients.. I recently considered making a large wall chart of all the meals we have on a regular basis, writing down the title, ingredient list, and keeping it on display in the pantry.

because Nick does a lot of the grocery shopping, we have a hard time coordinating meals... he shops but I cook.. so its a bunch of random things in the fridge and very rarely do we line up on 'what to eat'.. its always "what's available?? oh a cheese string and 87 frozen chicken wings.. greaaaaat"

that's where Hello Fresh comes in... 

and seriously how do you guys organize your nightly meals??? like how?!! I need help.
 

I've heard of meal subscription boxes for quite some time now but I wasn't sure what was available in Canada or if it would be out of my league?

so when HF wanted to send me a box I knew I had nothing to lose and was really excited to test it out!
there could not be a better time than now considering how crazy life is (3 year old and 7 week old)also I am really concerned with getting some proper nutrition into me since I'm (yes, still,YAY.) breastfeeding.



I did not want to recommend subscribing to the box until I fully tested and read all the info behind it.. but after trying out the meals and reading through all the 'rules'. I will very genuinely tell you that I think we will be signing up for the regular boxes.



there are quite a few plans available see meal plans, and I would probably go with the pronto option myself.. I found the servings were quite large, we always had leftovers + Elliott's not a huge eater right now so upgrading to the family (4 person) plan would be way too much.

They send a box straight to your door step every week, it legitimately took no time to arrive and is packed in a cooler.
3 meals were included, very straight forward instructions, as well as photos and time lines etc.

and I have to add that Nick is a skeptic to pretty much everything in life, especially all my 'crazy' blog ideas but he was won over by the finallllllly eating something with vegetable that didn't come from a pizza box. We actually made the final meal together tonight after he got off work, it was really nice to open the box and follow the steps without stressing about being 'out' of something.

that ALWAYS happens to me, I start baking and literally have one drop of milk left so I consider supplementing with my breastmilk or stretching things out with water. Its a horrible skill of mine to not check anything before I start it.





One of my favorite things about the whole thing was that I gained new ideas to add to the regular supper list.

I don't have to purchase a subscription to enjoy those meals again.. they don't hide anything from you. The entire ingredient list is there so I can purchase and make the meals on my own.

but it is much nicer to have the proper amounts and items delivered straight to your door step..
I mean for those of us who are less than salt bae status.. it's really helpful to just open the box and start cooking. lol
 

and surprisingly Elliott was super into all the meals!^^^^
he didn't eat everything from every meal but he was happy to see the new foods and ate waaaaaay more of that ^ coleslaw than I ever thought he would, so it was good to get him out of his comfort zone.



I'm not sure I've ever gotten this deep into the food zone with you guys on the blog!

like I said to my Instagram followers, I hate to admit it.. I really, really hate to admit it but I want to warn you.. I think I am becoming more of a mommy/family blogger.

I know! I don't want to!!!
I want to stay young and pretty and lipstick'd...
but its just this stage of life and I really hope you guys will stick by me through it.
I have followed tons of bloggers who started out with beauty content but then they became wives/mothers and I  sort of fell even more in love with their stories because there was a deeper connection with the personal life and baby pics.

which brings me to a question..
do you guys want to see more kids stuff?
photos, (boring) stories.. (jk not boring per se.. but things that I view as the 'everyday' or normal kid living/training stuff. I could definitely share all of that, I just always think people are going to be bored with seeing my kids again.. even though some of the most popular bloggers only share their kids so I think kids can totally sell it!)
sooo, just let me know what you think!

And in case you wanted to test out the Hello Fresh box, I have a coupon code!
you know me, go discount or go home!

Use discount Code:

 

HELLOHOLLY40

 

to receive $40 off your first 2 boxes

 

 

 

 

 

*this is not an affiliate link that benefits me in anyway, its just a way to test 'er out if you're interested!

soooo Noelle is just like 'yassss girl check out that discount!' wide eyed.





and then she's just like 'mom, I'm really hungry and all we have in the fridge is an old block of cheese so you better reorder at least a couple of weeks worth!' ^^^

Okie!
check back with me tomorrow because I really want to share Noelle's first month photos and struggles.

then check back again by the end of week for my weight update.. ugh I am dreading showing these photos but I also want to normalize the post partum body.. I am SUPER upset with the mommy 'bounce back' phenomenon that's been shoved down our throats... ok, ok, I'll save it for Friday!

Byyyyyyyyyye! xo