where we've been & where we want to go map tutorial

here's whatcha need: 

1. a map
2. cork board at least the size of your map
3. spray adhesive
4. scissors {{i ended up using an exact knife instead}}
5. a pen to trace the map so you can cut out the cork board if needed
*most items can be found at Michael's craft store or AC Moore, maybe even Walmart*
*we purchased the map at the NYC library, but i know there are some online from Target for a pretty good deal.*

and here's how ya do it:

1. unroll the cork. flip it to where the edges are down. {{**tip: roll the cork out and put something heavy on top a day or so in advance so when you glue the map the edges don't roll back up & un-stick the map. i didn't do this & my edges rolled up, which you can see a little bit in the pics below.**}}
2. lay the map out & line it up with the edges.
3. trace the outline of the map onto the cork.
4. cut out the outline of the cork with an exacto knife.
5. spray the glue adhesive on the cork per the directions on the can. then smooth it down. i have loved this spray adhesive! it did not bubble up at all!!
6. trim the excess cork with an exacto knife.
7. since i didn't unroll the cork & flatten first, the edges started to roll up quickly. so while Hao & i were putting our pins in all the places, we put heavy stuff on the edges to straighten them out and help hold he adhesive to the paper.  {{we color coded our pins- green: where we've been, blue: where we are booked to go, & white: where we want to go}}

final look.

 where we've put the map until we get it into a frame.

{{linking up with these guys}}

mom's day 2014

what i wore: a seersucker dress

 dress: Target, forever ago

belt: Forever 21, last summer

monogram necklace: Etsy, last summer

shoes: Forever 21, last summer

front & back

Floral Decorations

{We hosted a family event for the first time!} 

 where the boys sat {informal kitchen table}

 where the food was {the island in the kitchen}

 where the women sat & the prettiest flowers {formal dining room}

this is what happened after everyone left. cutest thing ever.

hope everyone had a great mother's day! 

{{linking up with Still Being Molly for Funday Monday & DC in Style for Monday Bloom Link-up}}

a spring wreath

for my spring wreath, i decided to make my own. 

                                                

it was really easy!

 

all you need is:

1. a wreath, any wreath

{exact}

2. white letter {i did our last initial} 

{exact}

3. command hooks

{exact}

4. string/twine {i ended up using the twine that the wreath was held to the box with}

all ya have to do is:

1. stick the command hook on the letter UPSIDE DOWN

2. use some string/twine and tie the letter to the wreath by way of the hook. with this wreath, i was able to thread the twine through part of the wreath. 

3. adjust the string/twine to the correct length at which you'd like the letter to hang. this took me a few tries, but wasn't super difficult. you can't even see the twine :)

the final product! 

simple&cute 

this wreath was so much fun to make! it was super easy and it was a gorgeous day outside! win-win :) 

my second favorite space

our living room.

this space, heck, the whole house, is so a work in progress. it's not perfect, but it's home and i love it!!

new curtains!

rug from target {accent rugs}

love these. the blue is perfect! 

new pillows! 

muffin laying on the couch. she does that a lot, lol.

curtains & pillows from Home Goods

camel blanket from Ralph Lauren {exact}

rug from Pottery Barn {exact}

our built-ins. 

the large vase and flowers beside the fireplace were recently purchased from Michael's, as well as the picture frames.

most of the other decorations are from our wedding, a bridal shower, or a wedding gift.

notice the iron man mask? yeah, i bought that for hao for his birthday a few years ago. kinda proud of that one! 

the H&L letters are from jane.com. it's addicting! 

i absolutely love this space! the more we are here, the more it feels like home! if all goes as planned, we will be doing a kitchen renovation this summer and i'm super excited about it!  

my favorite space.

This is my favorite place in our house. It's cozy and relaxing. It's a mature, but girly style with lots of flowers and classically bright colors. 

Where I get ready in the morning. Perfect picture above to remind me who my hope is in.

I love to read here. The chair is good for naps, too. 

My favorite sign ever. This is one of my life verses! 

I need to read this multiple times a day, haha. 

My super cozy spot, especially at night. Can you tell I like books? I think I need a bigger bookshelf!

organizing without throwing anything away.

here's me trying to organize with out throwing things away. we are staying in hao's family home while they are away, so i can't really do anything except move things around and attempt to organize the chaos. 

BEFORE

left side of the room

right side

closet. so much waisted space! 

AFTER

left side. i tried to put as many things as i could on the bookshelves with out making them look too cluttery. i hate clutter. the items on the ground were the overflow from the closet. that's their home because i can't do anything with them. 

right side. this is my stuff from college/our wedding/paperwork/out of season clothes. i tried to stack it as neatly as possible to make the room neater. my hope was to roll out the rugs, but they were too big to do so. you can see where i moved the glass table to make the space less congested. 

the closet. since i couldn't throw anything away, i tried the real-life version of tetris and tried to put as many things safely in the closet as possible.

a better comparison view. honestly, i was pretty proud of myself, though i know it's not cute since i couldn't really add anything to the room.