Making It In The Mitten

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Wood Pallet Wall Plaque

After posting my Valentine's Vignette, I had quite a few questions about this new addition to my living room. Apparently, I can't slip anything past you guys. No really though, I'm glad you noticed it and liked it enough to ask about it, because it's one of my new favorite parts of the living room!

Adam always comes home with more pallets. I'm not really sure where they come from, but we've got quite the collection of them in our basement, and I love the look of a good pallet wall. I have allowed a pallet wall to consume my thoughts for so long, but I just don't seem to have anywhere to put one in our home.

Instead of a entire pallet wall, I decided a small "pallet wall" would look great over our buffet. I've never really loved anything that I've put above the buffet, and always just seemed to be putting things there to fill the empty space... until this pallet wall plaque!

Adam built this for me because he made the mistake of mentioning he was "itching for a project" so unfortunately I can't take the credit. But I can tell you how he made it!

He started with pulling apart the pallets and arranging them in an aesthetically pleasing way. He then had me approve his design before building a frame on the back.

Here is the frame he put in the back. All of the pallets have been individually glued onto the frame with wood glue. As you can tell, the frame isn't centered from top to bottom. This was purposeful, so the plaque could hang on the wall by the frame, but the bottom still had as much support as possible.

We decided to leave all the nails in the wood to create an even more rustic look, so some of the nails needed the backs cut so they didn't hit the wall.

He stained it with Minwax's Wood Finish in Provincial.

For one final touch, he added a nail in the top center of the plaque so I could hang my wreaths.

I would love to find an incredibly inexpensive boxwood wreath to hang here this spring/summer, but so far I haven't had much luck. So for now, the burlap wreath is a great replacement.

Come back next week to see my Spring Vignette for this space!

projects in this post:

burlap bubble wreath | white & whimsical chalk paint buffet

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

CURRENTLY: March Edition

Happy March, everyone! As I write this post, I am staring out my window at the mass amounts of snow that Michigan has once again been given. Second blizzard-like snow storm in a week and I'm just over here like "Where is Spring?" If I'm being honest, I really do love a good snow storm. However, this past weekend we got another small taste of Spring and now I am definitely craving it!

In other news, I have accepted my first OT position and I am so nervous/excited to start! With my days of lounging around the house coming to an end, I am appreciating them more and more. I have a whole list of things I'd love to accomplish before heading back to work, so we'll see how much I manage to get done.

I have also been reading like a crazy person and highly recommend the books I've finished so far:
Big Little Lies, The Girl on the Train, and The Husband's Secret. Also, if you're a fan of Veronica Mars, I read those two books as well and they were awesome!
If you are on GoodReads, let me know, I'd love to be friends!

While welcoming the month of March, I am joining In Residence and Gold & Bloom for their monthly CURRENTLY link up.

WISHING | For SPRING! I want to crack open my windows, burn lemon scented candles, take long walks/runs outdoors, and spend my evenings in the backyard with my husband manning the grill. I want to trade in my boots for cute flats and my sweaters for light shirts with colorful scarves.

CRAVING | JIMMY JOHN'S. Guys, I've been craving Jimmy John's for days. I have a feeling it's one of those cravings that will only go away if I give in to the craving, and I do very much so intend to give in.

GOING | Back to work. After passing my boards and being off work for so long, I am finally starting my career in a short week and a half! Because of my new job, we have no vacation plans in the near future, but camping season is right around the corner.

WEARING | My days have been spent wearing sweats, and I really can't complain. However, as mentioned above, I am ready for my spring wardrobe.

LEARNING | To spend less time wishing for things I don't have and more time enjoying the things right in front of me. I am beyond blessed and really need to focus my attention on the things I have been blessed with. Life is good!

What are you currently up to? I would love to hear from you in the comment section below!

Sunday, February 28, 2016

The Creative Corner: February 28th

Thanks for joining us this week for The Creative Corner!
We are nearing completion of out main bathroom and I can't wait to show it off with you, hopefully in the next few weeks!

I can't wait to see what you've been creating lately :)

Here’s to another great week of inspiration and a wonderful week for everyone. Check out what my fellow bloggers have been up to and don’t forget to check out my feature for this week as well.

Neutral Fabric Book Covers from Curly Crafty Mom.

Party Planner Easter Basket from The Southern Couture.

Ikea Bookshelf Hack from The Dempster Logbook.

Campaign Dresser Inspired Filing Cabinet from The DIY Mommy.

Master Bedroom Facelift from Making It In The Mitten.

Nautical Wall Decor - Starfish Wall Hanging from Pastels & Macarons.

The Creative Corner link party | Come to inspire, stay to be inspired. Share your latest DIY, craft, and home decor posts!

Ready to share what has been motivating you this past week? Link up a recent post of yours that motivates you to create or just be awesome! Our goal is for this link up to focus on craft, DIY, & home posts so please try to remember that when linking up.

Limit three links per week and remember to link directly to your post, not your blog.
Do not link stores, giveaways, or other link parties.
Be sure to hop around some of the other posts that have been linked up to share the love and get motivated by what others have been up to.

Each week, your hosts will choose a post to feature from the previous week. If you want a chance at being featured, you must follow all of the hosts in someway. By linking up, you agree to let each host share your photo and link back to your site, as well as receive a weekly e-mail letting you know when the party is live. We will never give your e-mail or info to anyone, nor will we spam you! The Creative Corner link party goes live Sunday 6pm PST and ends Thursday at 5pm PST. I'd love for you to grab The Creative Corner button in my sidebar to put on your own blog if you want to help spread the love!

Sarah from Bombshell Bling shared this Lucky To Be Blessed Printable last week and I love it! I love the meaning behind the saying on the printable. I'm not really planning to decorate for St. Patrick's Day this year, but this we be cute to put in a frame to be just a little bit festive.

Now hop over to all the other cohost’s blogs and see what caught their eye this week. You just might be featured there too!

Don’t forget to grab this button if you’ve been featured.

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Now it’s your turn to join in on the fun and link up your recent craft, DIY, or home posts so get ready to motivate others and be inspired! Don't forget, if you want a chance to be featured next week to follow all of the hosts above!

An InLinkz Link-up

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Master Bedroom Facelift

When we moved into our home, I was very much in love with a gray and dark purple color combination. I should have known I would quickly get sick of it considering our wedding was dark purple, our master bedroom was dark purple and gray, and our bathroom was dark purple and gray.

We bought espresso furniture, used dark purple curtains, and accented with dark purple pillows. While we chose a lighter purple for the walls, but our bedroom was still so DARK. And for years, I loved it that way. Recently though, I started to dislike walking into the room and seeing how dim and dark the room was. So, I decided to make a few changes.

Here is the room before:

And here is the room after it got a little face lift:

I got this drastic difference from only making TWO minor changes to the room.

Change #1: Remember those dark purple pillows? I exchanged them for these light blue and light purple ones. I bought these years ago at TJ Maxx in a 2 pack for $20. I always thought they would find a spot on a pretty chair in our home office, but then I never found the perfect chair. The pillows hung out for a few years and one day I just decided to try them in the master bedroom.

Change #2: I swapped out the dark purple valences for white, semi-sheer curtains. These also came from TJ Maxx, for $20/set. That's only $40 total!

Isn't the difference amazing? And I only had to spend $40 for my new curtains to create this new look! I do plan to add more blue accents to the room and paint the trim white eventually, but for now I am just thrilled at what a difference curtains and pillows can make!

Is there a room in your home that needs a minor face lift?
What are some of your inexpensive tips for a dramatic new look?

Sunday, February 21, 2016

The Creative Corner: February 21st

Thanks for joining us this week for The Creative Corner!
I can't wait to see what you've been creating lately :)

Here’s to another great week of inspiration and a wonderful week for everyone. Check out what my fellow bloggers have been up to and don’t forget to check out my feature for this week as well.

DIY Lavender Body Scrub from Pastels & Macarons.

Coloring Pages For Bible Journaling from The Southern Couture.

Early Spring Felt Rosette Wreath from Curly Crafty Mom.

Make Your Own Towel Hooks from Making It In The Mitten.

Sugar Plum Fairy Party and DIY Tutu from The DIY Mommy.

Modern Farmhouse Kitchen Finds from The Dempster Logbook.

Limit three links per week and remember to link directly to your post, not your blog.
Do not link stores, giveaways, or other link parties.
Be sure to hop around some of the other posts that have been linked up to share the love and get motivated by what others have been up to.

Suzy from Worthing Court shared with us How to Build a Rustic Sofa Table. I love the idea of a sofa table! They are such a nice addition to the living room decor, as well as very convenient to be able to set drinks on no matter where you're sitting on the couch. I wish my living room was wide enough to squeeze one of these babies behind my couch!

Now hop over to all the other cohost’s blogs and see what caught their eye this week. You just might be featured there too!

Don’t forget to grab this button if you’ve been featured.

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An InLinkz Link-up

Sunday, February 14, 2016

The Creative Corner: February 14th

Happy Valentine's Day!
I hope you are having a wonderful day of love spending time with those most important to you!
Adam and I have spent the day in our pajamas, lounging around and watching movies. Our big dinner plans include take-out which we will be eating on our China. It's the little things.

Here’s to another great week of inspiration and a wonderful week for everyone. Check out what my fellow bloggers have been up to and don’t forget to check out my feature for this week as well.

Chocolate Strawberry Smoothie from Curly Crafty Mom

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie from The Southern Couture

Simple Black and Red Valentine's Decor from Making it in the Mitten

Black & Blush Pink Living Room from The DIY Mommy

How To Arrange Flowers from The Logbook

DIY Mason Jar Flower Arrangements from Pastels & Macarons

Limit three links per week and remember to link directly to your post, not your blog.
Do not link stores, giveaways, or other link parties.
Be sure to hop around some of the other posts that have been linked up to share the love and get motivated by what others have been up to.

I am a sucker for pallet projects, so it's probably no surprise I decided to feature this Easy Pallet Shoe Rack made by Katrin from Kreativ K. This is probably by far the most unique pallet project I've seen! I love the idea of making a shoe rack, and it would look great in a garage!

Now hop over to all the other cohost’s blogs and see what caught their eye this week. You just might be featured there too!

Don’t forget to grab this button if you’ve been featured.

<div align="center">
<br /><a href="http://www.burlapandbabies.com/category/the-creative-corner" title="Burlap and Babies"><img src="http://www.burlapandbabies.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/The-Creative-Corner-feature-300x300.jpg" alt="Burlap and Babies" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
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An InLinkz Link-up

What are you up to this Valentine's Day?

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Black & Red Valentine's Decor

My Valentin's decor this year was inspired by some table runners I came across in Target's Dollar Spot around Christmas time, a black striped one and one with red hearts. I bought them without knowing really what I would do with them. Then I came across these pillow covers and it was settled. With the table runners and the pillow covers, I was able to find some other decor from previous years, and came up with this black, white, and red theme.