Tag: DIY

House Renovation Update – Month One

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If you’ve been following along on my blog, you know that Nick and I purchased our first home just over one month ago! I pinch myself every day to ensure I’m not dreaming and that this milestone did in fact happen in our lives. As odd as it sounds, there’s something calming and comforting about being a homeowner, even amidst the stress of home projects and unforeseen problems. Goodbye are the days of writing rent checks and worrying about nailing holes in the walls or our pup damaging something in our temporary space. Now these walls and floors are truly ours to decorate and destroy as we please (just kidding on the destroy part! ha)

Since signing our lives away on August 29, we’ve been hard at work transforming this house into our perfect home thanks to a little bit of paint, a lot of sweat and tears and even more patience. Here’s a glimpse inside our lives these days and the home projects we decided to tackle before move-in day and the weeks immediately after!

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How to Paint a Wood Fireplace for Under $50

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Let’s face it – as young adults, we don’t have millions (not even hundreds!) of dollars to spend on our home decor and furnishings. We’re 20-something year olds most likely in entry level positions learning how to navigate bills and budgets with our newly acquired paychecks. Thanks to the help from the three main F’s – family, friends, and Facebook Marketplace – we are able to curate a hodge podge of furniture from different generations, in different textures and colors, for our first home or apartment. While nothing matches or looks like something Joanna Gaines would have styled, it was free or cheap furniture so you can spend your hard earned cash on food (and beer and wine) instead of  on overpriced furniture.

But what if beautiful furniture didn’t have to break the bank? What if you could have the style you want at a fraction of the cost. Spoiler alert: You can!

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DIY Advent Calendar

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Advent calendars have always been a special part of my holiday season ever since I was a little girl. And no, I’m not referring to those chocolate advent boxes you can buy at the grocery store. I’m talking authentic, homemade advent calendar that is a true countdown to Christmas.

Growing up, my advent calendar was special to our family. It was a handmade fabric calendar my mom made in a previous, crafty life of hers that featured a Christmas tree with a decoration for each day of the month. Each day was a small wooden ornament that I was always so eager to place on the tree (and see what the surprise was that day!) I didn’t need chocolate and my favorite cartoon characters to countdown the holiday. I just needed the spirit of Christmas.

When I studied abroad in Denmark, I was fortunate to stay with an incredible family who took me in as their own daughter for the five months. My host mom was both compassionate and crafty, and gifted me my very own custom made advent calendar that she and her husband designed for me.

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