{Building Gorgeous Display Shelves}

So as I mentioned Tuesday...we built some shelves. 

And we're obsessed! 

Ya'll...it took us almost a month to make these. Just being honest. They shouldn't have taken that long, but we just got lazy and would work on them and then stop. Work then stop. Work then stop...you get the point. 

Anyhoo...we followed the House of Smiths tutorial...pretty much.

I'll give you all of the measurements as we go!

Here are some action shots...enjoy the thrilling ride people!

{I pray you can hint my sarcasm ..}  

Here we are once Wendel cut everything down to size using his miter box {this things a life saver with it comes to making things fit together!} 

Our measurements for the shelves are as follows: 

The top shelf is 50 inches and the bottom shelf is 38 inches

This is the paint we used...I'm not a huge paint snob but I'm sure that will change soon. This is just what we had laying around the house. 

Here we are after everything was nail together. There was a crack from where the trim and board met. So we filled it in and sanded the heck out of it! 

These corbels took forever to paint! So many edges and corners. 

We went to start hanging them and realized that you can see the under neath...so back down we went to paint the bottoms. 

Here we are {finally} once everything was dried. Wendel found the studs and got those suckers up there! 

We centered it between the corner of the wall and the window. 

The bottom shelf is 55 inches from the floor and the top shelf is 17 inches from the bottom shelf. 

After we screwed the corbels in, we filled in the holes and then sanded and painted them.  

Wendel working hard...oh yeah did I mention we made two for the kitchen too? 

Eeee.....

Auburn made an appearance...

Here are the kitchen shelves...I haven't quite styled them yet. 

They are equal lengths of 19 inches long. 

The bottom shelf is 55 inches from the floor and then top shelf is 16 inches from the bottom shelf. 

So there you go! 

This will be where I do most of my holiday decorating! 

So the next couples of months will be holiday themed {St. Patrick's Day, Easter} and then I'll do a year round styling. 

I'll keep you updated! I'm working on the Saint Patty's day decor now and I'm so excited!  

Woo hoo for checking things off our to-do list! 

{Updating A Corn Hole Set: Pinterest Challenge}

I mentioned last week that we are finally updating our corn hole set! 

Pretty right? 

Keep reading to hear all about our adventures! 

We already owned a corn hole set but it was looking pretty rough after many years of use in multiple states {we would take it to school with us to share the corn hole love with the southerners who totally didn't get into it} 

So this is what we started with...

Not bad looking but when you got up close it was very scuffed up...and let's face it...I wasn't a huge fan of the Bengal's theme...

So we started by sanding those puppies down {after I attempted to just spray paint them white...that "Bengalsness" wasn't going anywhere! 

The one on the left is not sanded and the one on the right is half way sanded. 

Wendel got a sander for Christmas and was thrilled to get to use it! 

Then I gave those puppies two coats of a white semi gloss paint that we had on hand {didn't have any primer in the house}

Sorry for the blurry pictures....bad lighting + camera on phone didn't mix too well! 

As you can tell by the final product, I decided on chevron. 

Chevron can be quite intense...so let me show you how we did this! 

First, I made a grid on a piece of poster board I had laying around. It doesn't have to be perfect, and make a simple grid. Then connect the corners {see picture} and then cut to make your chevron template. 

As you can see below, I had my template and now it was time to make the chevron lines on the corn hole set. 

If you look very closely, I labeled each chevron with what color it would be so I wasn't guessing...not necessary but it was helpful for me! 

There was a "G" for grey and a "C" for coral...kind of hard to tell in this photo. 

Before I taped off the chevrons, I taped off the top and painted the sides grey...thrilling, right? 

Then it was time to tape off the chevrons...dun dun dun. It was such a tedious process! I got too excited before painting the grey and didn't snap a photo pre-painting but you'll get the gist from below.

Ya'll...it's SO much taping! I wanted to throw that roll of blue paint against the wall at times, but it makes life SO much easier and the lines much cleaner if you take your time and do it right! 

So you can see on the left corn hole set that I had just taken the tape off of the first chevron here... 

Then I had to wait a day to do the colors. I wanted to be sure that the grey had plenty of time to dry so that when I taped off, the paint wouldn't peel. 

I also decided to add some words in the middle of one of my chevrons. 

Why this phrase? No clue...

"Eat, Drink, Throw The Bag"...stupid I know...but hey...that's what we put on there! 

Want to know something funny about me? 

As "perfectionistic" as I am, I am not a thinker...I'm a doer. 

Once I decide something, I just do it! I don't sulk over it for days. 

So I went to Wendel and said "what about this stupidly dorky phrase"...

He said "why not?"

And I went right to my handy dandy cricut {bought from Target FYI} and cut away. 

Now that we had ourselves taped off for the colors...it was time to paint for the last time! Thank goodness! 

{Oh and FYI I did three...yes three...coats of paint for each color! It took a while but I wanted to get that vibrant color!}

These were our Valspar paint colors. We got a quart and got it in semi-gloss. 

Autumn Enchantment, Golden Delight, and Wet Pavement. 

I took me all of one minute to pick these out...like I said...I'm not a "ponderer"

Of course I didn't get pictures of them in the end before I took the tape off because I was too excited..but here are some action shots of pulling the letters off...

After everything was dry, I sprayed a coat of clear enamel spray paint to help them last a little longer! 

And here I am...thankful that this job was complete! 

And here are a few more detail shots! 

Oh yeah and Wendel fixed the leg. He said he couldn't even explain how he did it because it took so much precise measuring and sanding...so yeah...it's perfectly leveled though! 

So there you have it! One Pinterest Challenge done! 

Check out what Young House Love and Bower Power {who thought up this whole thing} did for this season's challenge! 

{Valentine's Day Decorating...A Few Weeks Late}

We finally built the shelves that were on our 2012 and 2013 To Do List! 

I can't even explain how thrilled I am with these beauties! 

We finished them this weekend...and yes I decorated them for Valentine's Day...almost two weeks late. 

I'm strange I know! 

We had the best of plans to get them done before Valentine's Day, but just didn't. 

So I had things ready and I didn't get to use them...first world problems, right? 

But look at these beauties...seriously, right? 

Here are a few details for you!

I made these little numbered envelopes with aspirations of writing "sweet nothings" for Wendel to read each day. 

Didn't get that done...maybe next year, right? 

I made them with coin envelopes, numbers from my cricut, and some wasabi tape from Target. 

The ribbon garland came from Michael's...$7.00...can't get much better than that, right? 

The mailboxes were for us to stuff our gifts in...of course they didn't get used either. Oh well! 

Mail boxes are the ever popular ones from Target and they are sitting on candle sticks that are from Goodwill. 

The vinyl came from House of Smiths and the plates from Target. 

I made the little felt ball using this method. I was going to make a few more, but was other than after making half of one :) 

The tower thing was from Hob Lob I think...like three years ago...maybe?

We installed hooks on both shelves for easy hanging of banners and garland. 

And I just can't do without some stripy straws! These are from Michael's

Don't worry...I have a post in the works sharing all of the fun details of building these beauties! 

Stay tuned tomorrow to see the first Pinterest Challenge that we've actually completed! Woo hoo! 

{Celebrating Valentine's Day}

Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays...well let's be honest...I love all holidays! 

Any excuse to have themed fun is a thumbs up in my books!

This year we celebrated a week early because I was going to be in NYC {read about that here}

Wendel surprised me with a romantic meal at a restaurant we've been wanting to try!

Boca is a very popular place in Cincinnati that specializes in Italian fair and good wine...can't go wrong, right?

Well let me tell you...it was one of the best meals we've ever had!

{Wendel can't take a normal picture...sorry...one of these days he'll learn!}

I didn't take tons of pictures of the meal, but just trust me...it was delicious! 

If you're in the Cincinnati area, we highly recommend it! 

Let's move on to more important thing...what I wore :) 

Last year I bought this crazy obnoxious blouse and was too scared to wear it :) 

But this year, I got the guts to bring it out! 

I did another look with this shirt...a more casual look but totally chickened out because I don't have typical super skinny blogger legs...

Can we just ask those bloggers to tell us how they get their legs to so tiny...ugh! 

Anyhoo...here you go! 

Oh and just don't mind my crazy bangs...I'm in major need of a hair cut!

My grandmother's earrings that my mom surprised me with for our date night :) Thanks mom! 

J Crew Factory bracelet...

My ring was getting a little tune up so I picked up this $10 ring at Charming Charlies :) 

Top: Forever 21 {old} Skirt: Target {recent; seen here too} Tights: Target {recent} 

 Boots: WideWidths.com {old} Coat: Old Navy {old} Clutch {no clue} Watch: Fossil 

Bracelet: J Crew Factory {old} Nail Polish: Essie Earrings: Grandma Vintage 

And oh course I can't just stop at a fancy dinner...I have to do other Valentine's themed thing...because like I say quite often...I have too much time on my hands! 

Hot coco with heart shaped Peeps

Valentine's tortilla chips...ya'll...so good and easy! 

A Valentine's themed lunch for Wendel

{Side note...people on Instagram were quite worried about Wendel getting made fun of at work. Numero Uno: Wendel doesn't really have friends...aww my poor techy computer husband. Numero Dos: I really don't think Wendel would even care haha}

A little heart shaped dinner...Chicken noodle soup {attempted those heart shaped carrots...not even close but oh well} with a salad and those tortilla chips. 

Oh actual Valentine's Day, we were watching my nieces and nephews for a few nights...so not a lot of romance. But on Valentine's day I came home to take a shower and walked into this...

Flowers, chocolate covered strawberries, new nail polish and a pretty new bracelet...too sweet! 

And I can't not share some cute things from school! 

I mean...these moms! They kill me! Heart shaped pizza, heart shaped cheese...and she was upset because she forgot her heart shaped fruit. So cute I was dying! 

Their little Valentine's monsters to put there Valentine's in! Thanks Teacher Wife for this idea! 

And I have to leave you with this Valentine's cuteness! 

Did ya'll do anything amazing for Valentine's Day? Get anything super special?