Category: At Home

More than just a Chalkboard

I get a lot of questions regarding our chalkboard. People are often curious where we purchased it, and I never tire of telling people we made it and letting them know they can easily make one for their homes as well! With the beginning of the school year being here, I thought it would be a good idea to refresh our little tutorial on our DIY chalkboard.

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When we bought this home, we were in our early days of home education and figuring out if we were really going to go for it or not. Full disclosure, I didn’t know I was going to be a home educating mother until I was one. We decided our dining room made the most sense to be a school room, but it was missing something… A huge chalkboard! 

This 1930’s beauty of a home has a lot of charm, but also plaster and lath walls. And I don’t know if you are familiar with these types of walls, but they aren’t the best to nail into. And when I started to look for chalkboards in antique stores, they weren’t really in our budget. So, Chris has the genius idea to make one that wouldn’t destroy our walls, was in our budget, and has held up wonderfully for a decade!  All we needed was some chalkboard paint and pine 1×2’s! 

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We got both from our local hardware store for less than $20!!! Chris measured and taped off the wall and rolled on about 3 coats of the chalkboard paint. The prices have gone up a bit since then, but these are the paints we used. Black Chalkboard Paint & Green. We had an idea of how big we wanted it so we knew what length of 1×2’s to get before we purchased them.  Then he just cut the sides to fit. Once the paint dried, he simply nailed the 1×2’s to the wall!  Our chalkboard is roughly 65”tall x 45” long. We’ve had friends stain their wood dark, use pallet wood or larger planks, add chalk holders to the bottom, use green chalkboard paint, paint the entire wall without framing it, make smaller chalkboards, etc.  

This proved to be a simple and affordable project that can easily be altered to fit your space and personal aesthetic. I’ve actually painted her green for several years and then went back to black, and maybe I will go back to green again some day. 

We have used this chalkboard as a centerpiece for our home education lessons, every birthday since we moved into the home in 2015, our home births, special anniversaries, baby announcements, going away and welcome home parties for friends, holidays, and even to celebrate an intimate backyard wedding we hosted for past friends…Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

So many meals, special events, laughter, heartaches, and valuable conversations have been shared with friends in this space. So many lessons and core memories have been celebrated in this space & even our oldest’s first portrait of me and our family was a chalkboard piece!

She nailed my, “I haven’t had any coffee yet” face 😀
Chris’ beard: Nailed it!

I feel like I can’t call this ‘just a chalkboard’  because it has been incorporated into creating so many special memories and holds so many dear moments for us in our home. When I imagine leaving this home, I get most emotional about saying goodbye to this space.

I hope this was helpful and that you’re inspired to create a special chalkboard in your home to be used for all kinds of memory-making moments and events!

Did someone say Cottage Core?!

Listen, our pals at Garnet Hill know what they’re doing! I’ve been on the hunt for an antique king bed for quite some time but did you know they are very hard to find?! And if you do find one it’s most likely an astronomical price and/or not in great condition. We’ve only ever had platform style beds and I’ve wanted something with a headboard. There is just something about beds with a headboard that feel so grown up to me. I love spindle beds, but my husband does not.☺️ That would have been my very first choice, but I knew a compromise was going to be necessary. I searched around and then found this! The Tulip Bed from Garnet Hill. Garnet Hill has some gorgeous bed frames but this is the one that channeled the Louisa May Alcott vibes for me, and that Chris didn’t hate:D It had this antique feel but also this, “I will be safe to sleep on” feel, which I really enjoy!

It took me some time to choose a color, but we ultimately went with the Espresso. Our room has lots of white, cedar, and cherry stains and this color really compliments the space and other colors of our room well. She kind of takes the stage as the the main centerpiece of our room now. She has that old-fashioned feel with beautiful hand-turned posts and classic tulip finials. In other words, she real cute! We’ve had many people asking where our bed is from and now you know. The Tulip Bed from Garnet Hill and after sleeping on this thing for some time, would recommend Garnet Hill Bed frames and bedding confidently to my pals!

When we reached out to Garnet Hill about the possibility of adding the Tulip bed to our home, they had more good news! They were getting ready to release a new Cottage Core Collection! If you follow me on instagram or pinterest, you know these words are like music to my ears! Beautiful quilts, linens, timeless rugs and throws, and the words homestead are just a few of my favorite things included in this collection! Featured here is the White Relaxed Linen Quilt and Shams in King and complimentary Standard sized Relaxed Linen Shams in Oatmeal, another favorite word. Not only do these quilts have a lovely, timeless appearance, but they are so, so cozy!

The Relaxed Linen Quilt and Shams are inspired by a well-draped, well-textured quilt the brand discovered on a trip to Paris. Woven in Portugal from certified European flax; these linens are breathable and naturally temperature regulating for year-round comfort. The color options are right up my ally and layer beautifully with one another as well as with other bedding. One of my most favorite things about 100% linen, that has proven to be true with these linens, is they only get softer and cozier with each wash. You’ve seen me talk about how layering colors and textures can create extra cozy vibes, and in my opinion, these Relaxed Linens are some of the best for this kind of layering.

While not necessarily a part of the Cottage Core Collection, I couldn’t post this blog without telling you Garnet Hill recently added my most favorite color to my most favorite Quilt Collection from Garnet Hill! You may remember me showcasing the Straw Agnes Quilts in our oldest daughters’ beds or the Grey Agnes Quilt a while back on our bed. I also made our family Christmas stockings out of the Red Agnes Quilted Shams. But now Garnet Hill has also added a beautiful new blue and the prettiest shade of oatmeal:) And you guys know how much I love oatmeal!

Welp! Let me just tell you! These Agnes Quilts are sparking some serious joy for me! We added them to our youngest’s room and they’re just so pretty! This Oatmeal compliments our youngest daughters’ space beautifully! Antique beds and quilts were really just made for each other. There’s just something about the look of a classic Irish chain quilt that feels so very cozy to me and these Agnes Quilts are so well made and will be in our family for years and years to come. I don’t plan on parting with these quilts until the girls ask if they can use them in their homes.

As always, we are so honored to work with Garnet Hill and cozy up our home with their beautiful heritage pieces.

Thank you to Meggan Maree for the gift of these photos!

(Disclaimer: This blog was made possible by Garnet Hill through the gifting of their products, but all opinions expressed are my own honest opinions.)

It’s raining linen

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As the weather warms up and seasons change, I always feel this urge to change our home up. Spring makes me want to open up all the windows, bask in that warm sunshine, and add lighter and brighter pieces to our home. We have had thunderstorms all week which is my most favorite weather! It has us all wanting to cuddle in bed a little extra, cozy up, and read our favorite stories to the sound of the rain! We have the honor of working with one of our most favorite companies, our friends Garnet Hill to showcase some gorgeous new pieces from their Linen Shop and share some of the changes we have made to our home for Spring! We shared a few months ago about the magic of layering, which you can read here, but I want to also tell you about the magic of linen!

Featuring the Garnet Hill Relaxed Linen Table Runner in OatmealCopper

When it comes to decorating, I like to keep things fairly simple. I have learned to really love a pop of linen here and a pop of linen there to cozy up our home! Most of our decor is thrifted, but there’s just something so nice about adding good quality linens to a room! I did the math, and our kitchen is the only room currently without a little Garnet Hill😀 I like to joke around a lot about my love of pillows and blankets, and also maybe chairs and wardrobes, and then also baskets:D But you also need to know about my deep love of linen.

Featuring some of our favorite pieces from the Linen Shop

Garnet Hill celebrates pure linen styles made from sustainable French flax. They have linens in a beautiful range of colors, fun seasonal prints, and with unique details. Their linen bedding is seriously some of the very best! Dudes! Linen has this super soft, buttery, breathable texture, and the best thing is linen bedding is naturally temperature regulating so it’s wicked comfortable any time of year. No getting too hot. No getting too cold! We have slowly worked to replace all of the sheets in our home with quality linen because its just that good! Also, Garnet Hill linens have proven to be easy to clean. And I am saying that as a mother to 4 children under age 8 in the muddiest Spring I can remember…and with NO working washing machine:D That’s another story for another day, but we are currently without a dishwasher, washing machine, and about to undergo some serious house projects! Somehow all of this has had me leaning into trying to cozy things up even more so. The storms have also meant 4 little girls running into our bed every evening, and that has me more grateful for a cozy bedding than ever!

Featuring the perfect Spring Quilt, the Relaxed Linen Quilt

There is a reality that we can be super influenced by our external environments. I have learned that I very much so am. As a home educator, our home is where we spend most of our time. It’s so important for me to feel cozy, simply to function best. My favorite way to decorate is really just to switch out linens throughout our home. Decorating your home should be personal. You should have fun styling your home and creating an environment that makes YOU feel HOME! And linens make me feel right at home:D

Featuring the Garnet Hill Relaxed Linen Pillow Covers and Relaxed Quilted Shams

When the weather starts to warm up, I like to add brighter whites to each room. I like to layer bright whites with creamier whites to create a fresh, soft look. The longer I write this, the more I realize, my decorating is legit just trading different shades of whites for each season. Maybe a little chair here and another stool there, for sure a crock bowl here and a crock bowl there… But other than that, changing around our linens is the decorating for me:D

I also tend to add more colors during the Spring and Summer months. I change out the girls’ Oatmeal Bedding for Bengal Blue and put away their creamy knits and put out more colorful quilts. I also like to pair thrifted vintage floral pieces with our Garnet Hill linen. A little mix of old and new feels so good to me!

Oatmeal Bengal Stripe Relaxed Linen Bedding
Oatmeal Bengal Stripe Relaxed Linen Bedding
Garnet Hill Dusk Blue Bengal Stripe Linen Bedding

I also want to take a moment to share some of our favorite Garnet Hill picks for the bathroom this Spring. Garnet Hill has a gorgeous Bathroom Collection. We added their Chunky Weave Waffle Shower Curtain to our bathroom last year and have been loving it! They now have her in a Soft Birch color as well that I am hopeful to hang in the bathroom when Fall and Winter come back around. There it is again. The ol’ switch out shades of cream to decorate! It’s the little changes that feel so good, ya know?!

Chunky Weave Shower Curtain

Garnet Hill also just introduced this beautiful soap and brush set that has our whole bathroom smelling like beautiful Marsielle soap. Pretty and practical is my favorite combination! I think this smell will now always remind me of that Spring where Mom laundered the clothing in the tub, where all the dishes were washed by hand, where little mud handprints and footprints were the art covering the house, and where the sound of little girls laughing was the soundtrack always playing in the background. Amanda-your friend who cries while writing blogs a lot these days.

Andrée Jardin and Fer à Cheval Bath Kit

A scene I never want to forget. I’ve always laundered the girls’ tights by hand and hung them to dry. However, this Spring, our 8 year old has officially outgrown every pair. Her 3 year old sister now fits into pairs that were just hers. Something about this Spring has had me more emotional and nostalgic than any I can remember. Holding onto scenes like this one so tightly.

Solid Relaxed Ivory Pillow Covers

If you know me, you know my love of pillows is the real deal. These Solid Relaxed Ivory Pillow Covers are gorgeous! We have them in Ivory on our bed and in White on our Master Bed, and they make both beds feel so very cozy! And sometimes when I am feeling really wild, I’ll change things up and put the White ones on our bed and the Ivory on the guest bed. I’m a wild girl I tell ya!:D Linens man, they’re just really so nice. Linens make for beautiful gifts, are a simple way to cozy your home, and are truly practical items that make it easier to justify why you need just one more chair and basket to display them and store them in:D

However you like to decorate your home, we hope you’re having a beautiful Spring! I hope you’re dancing in the rain, splashing in puddles, and that all of your major appliances are working 😀 A huge thank you to our pals Garnet Hill for helping us truly make this house feel more and more like our home and for making the art of decorating our home so fun for me!

Disclaimer: This post was made possible by Garnet Hill but all opinions expressed are our own. The links included in this piece are not affiliate links.

Homemade Christmas Quilted Stockings

Ok, so I kept seeing the most beautiful handmade stockings made with antique cutter quilts this year, and I decided I needed to make some myself. I’ve actually wanted to make custom stockings for a few years, but just hadn’t set my mind to what I wanted.

Photo from FarmDownTheLane

I was very inspired by my friend Tami from @farmdownthelane. The way that she repurposes old quilts and gives new life to the treasures she makes is just so cool to me. After seeing her share several gorgeous stockings she was making, I decided it was time! I was ready to make some!

Photo from FarmDownTheLane

So, my hunt for the perfect cutter quilt to make our stockings with began! Welp, I looked and I looked and I looked… and I simply could not find one in good enough condition that would yield enough fabric to make 6 stockings and that wasn’t going to cost what our mortgage does 😂👍

Then I remembered that our friends, Garnet Hill, sell some gorgeous quilts! We have their Agnes quilt in grey and yellow and I practically squealed when I got on their site and saw they had released A RED version!

I did a little research on the average size of stockings and decided the Garnet Hill Standard Agnes Shams would be perfect to make our stockings with! I reached out with this idea and they were super supportive, encouraging, and generous, and said yes! We really enjoy working with Garnet Hill so much! We are always so pleased with the quality of everything we have ever received from them! I think it’s safe to say we officially have some Garnet Hill in every room in our house☺️

Amateur tip: Use a large bowl to collect your scraps as you go to make for much less mess and sweeping ☺️

I decided to order 4 shams. Each sham would make two stockings and I decided it would be best to have an extra just in case I messed up… OR our family of 6 grows and we need more stockings😉☺️

I couldn’t find a tutorial for exactly what I was doing, so I kind of just winged it and tried to record what I did to help anyone who might want to make some themselves ☺️ I would consider myself a mediocre seamstress. I’m not great, but I can get stuff done👍 I like to wing things, I don’t plan much, and am not a perfectionist by any means.

I printed off a template I found, but decided to make my own pattern instead, mixing a few together to get the exact shape and size I was imagining ☺️ Dudes! I was SO nervous to start cutting😂 I had the shams laid out on our table for days, pep talking myself like, “I can do this! I can do this!” Finally I decided I was ready!

I began with cutting the shape of the stocking pattern out of the fabric. Because these were shams that had a quilted front and cotton back, I simply cut out the whole thing.

Then I pinned the front and back together, facing in on themselves and was ready to start sewing. Always remind yourself you’re not sewing the top! I reminded myself this go around and didn’t have any issues, but I’ve forgotten this part on many sewing projects 😂

After I sewed her real good, it was time for the moment of truth! How was it going to look when I flipped it inside out?! Real fast, I should let you know I am very easily excited! It’s the little things in life that make me smile, and this was one of those simple but magical moments for me! I flipped her inside out…. AND SHE WAS PERFECT! The shape was just what I had imagined, it was just the right size, and I was just smitten!

I made a little hem on the back and front to give the tops a clean finish and moved onto the next stocking until I made all 8.

The last step was to add on little loops to hang them. I used the sham trims that I had removed when I cut out my stockings for this little piece. I sewed those cuties on and our stocking were finished!

With each stocking, I learned something new and my sewing got cleaner. Each one is a little different with its own little quirks. By the last stocking, I had a little list of things I would have done slightly different if I were to ever make stockings again, BUT! I decided that these, the very first stockings that I got to make for my family and made with so much love, were absolutely perfectly imperfect!!

Our daughters and husband agreed and shared how much they like them and thanked me for making them! I am hopeful these will be treasured for many, many years to come! I know they’re just stockings, but a friend of mine gave me some beautiful perspective this year, and to anyone who has ever handmade something with love, we know there is just no just about it.

Make little ornaments with your scraps! We’re going to make some Christmas trees and mittens as well! I’ve also saved more scraps for future projects! ☺️👍
You can use embroidery floss and let your littles do a little pillow stitch along the edges for some extra special touches! ☺️

Thank you so much for your inspiration and encouragement, Tami, and thank you so much to Garnet Hill for making these special treasures possible!

Just the motivation I needed to finish sewing. Our oldest wrote me a little note and it was the sweetest little gift!

(Disclaimer: This post was made possible thanks to Garnet Hill who kindly gifted us the Agnes Shams, but all opinions expressed are entirely my own.)

Traditions for the Win!

Tradition is such a special thing. I don’t think I understood the  importance of creating and celebrating positive traditions until we started having children ourselves. I remember being pregnant with our first daughter and dreaming about the holidays and imagining what we traditions we might create for our growing family! 

As our family grew, we decided to mesh some of our beloved childhood traditions with new ones we wanted for our girls. Special traditions truly have a way of comforting us and give us a sense of belonging. I’ve read a lot about the importance of creating and celebrating traditions and, along with creating special positive memories, they help create healthy family connections, provide security, and give children a stronger sense of belonging. 

We all crave comfort and warmth and celebrating positive traditions has a way of creating both. Along with that comfort and warmth, traditions can make life-long and generational impacts. As a mother, I want to create life long impacts where the smell of maple syrup reminds our children of our homemade pancakes we ate together gathered around our table, and where the smell of a beeswax candles reminds them of when we would dip our own. I want the feeling of slipping into cozy slippers to remind them of the fun slippers they were gifted every year as children.

I want our daughters to see snow and remember the hours we spent together crafting and decorating our home with our own special snowflakes each winter. It’s in these simple traditions, that our shaping our children and the traditions they will carry on for their families.

So with that being said, we are so grateful to have teamed up with our friends Garnet Hill to continue a few special traditions in our family. 

When my husband was a boy, their mother would make them a new pair of pajamas and they would get to open them on Christmas Eve. While I do love to sew, I decided it would be best to gift our girls already made pajamas☺️☺️ 

This will be our 3rd year we have gifted our daughters “matchy matchy” pajamas from Garnet Hill and we’re so impressed with how these have held up. They’re made of Organic Green Cotton and always have prints I know our daughters will love! This year we went with the Holiday Fair Isle and I know the girls are going to enjoy them so much! 

We will gather around the tree on Christmas Eve and they will squeal and jump around with excitement as they get to open their new jammies and be ready to cuddle up and celebrate the next day! 

One of our favorite traditions  is that everyone gets whatever they want for Christmas breakfast☺️ We plan in advance to make sure we have everything we need on hand and we go all out! My husband makes my breakfast, I make his, and we spend time in the kitchen making the girls’ very special meal! If they want cookies, cupcakes, Nutella crepes covered in berries…. they get it! We spend the morning serving one another and enjoying our special  meals together, in our jammies of course, and then it’s on to the presents ☺️

Another thing we have enjoyed gifting the girls each year is slippers! Fun and cozy slippers! In my opinion, Garnet Hill has the most fun slippers I’ve found! They’re boiled wool, made by hand, and the colors and designs are so fun! Last year the girls got little raccoons, sharks, unicorns, and ponies!

This year we’re doing little moose, dragons, mice, and reindeer ! Another little element of fun is putting little snacks and treasures into their slippers for them to find! I think this year, we will fill them with love notes and special chocolates and place them by their beds for them to discover in the morning! We might also do a big Christmas Eve family sleepover and, in that case, we’ll put them under the tree, unwrapped, for them to discover first thing! 

This year we have wanted to gift the girls some fun things they’ve been asking for, but also some practical pieces! The girls crawl into our bed every morning and have been telling us how much they love our Garnet Hill Cotton and Silk blanket. It’s SO warm and cozy, and our old home gets extra chilly in the evenings. 

They always reach for this blanket in our bed, so we got each of the girls their very own Ivory and White Cotton and Silk blankets to enjoy! Maybe this will mean we will get to sleep in longer☺️ These will pair beautifully with their pretty Agnes quilts, striped linen duvet covers, linen sheets, and antique quilts!

We hope you guys have a lovely holiday season and enjoy all of the special traditions that make this time of year special! A big thanks to Garnet Hill for cozying up our home and helping us create and celebrate special traditions!!

Disclaimer: This post was made possible by Garnet Hill but all opinions expressed are my own. 

Layers are the secret!!

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Hi friends!! I get asked all the time, what we do to get our beds looking so fluffy and cozy?! So, I want to tell you a little trick I’ve learned in my years as a homemaker. There are lots of different secrets and tips to make you home look the way you want, but I am going to tell you my all-time favorite recipe for COZY!!

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Above: Oatmeal Stripe Relaxed Linen Bedding

When the weather cools down, I dream of a big warm bed and extra cuddles, warm coffee, and even more cuddles! I like to add darker creamy colors and thicker pieces to create more warmth. Whatever the season is, I will try and show you how you can cozy up your spaces with the simplicity of layering your favorite bedding. 

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Ok, so here is my simple recipe for cozy, cozy bed!

STEP 1. Mattress Topper! We have the Garnet Hill Organic Mattress Pad and are really enjoying it! It’s an easy way to add some extra comfort and protect your mattress. And let’s me real… a lot of stuff just gets peed on these days:)  Honestly, I wish we would have invested in a topper the moment any of us got a new mattress.. Still…better late than never:D

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STEP 2. LINEN SHEETS!!! Guys, I need you to understand that Linen is a game changer! I get asked all the time if we really like them, and linen is like this magic material that just keeps getting softer and softer and softer. I never feel too hot in linen bedding and always feel warm enough. Magic!

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STEP 3. Down Comforter. Theres something magical about a good down comforter to me! They just add so much coziness to a bed and bedroom. Their fluffiness makes me want to jump right in! I also love that they can be all-weather blankets. When I’m cold they keep me warm and when it’s hot, I don’t feel bothered by them. For the lighter months, I prefer lighter quilts. The Agnes Quilt and Relaxed Quilted Quilt are my favorites! I also like to keep one of these at the end of my bed so in cooler weather I can pull them up and add more weight and warmth!

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Step 4.Linen Duvet Cover and Pillow Covers– Before we talk duvets, let’s warm up by talking about Linen again! Garnet Hill carries some of my most favorite linens! I feel like that was the mental stretch I needed before talking about changing a duvet cover😂 I love that linen bedding only seems to get cozier and cozier with each wash! Linen covers protect our comforters and are easier to wash than essentially a giant sack of feathers, making the challenge of putting a that sassy duvet cover on totally worth it!

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I like to add vintage pillowcases to our bed and Garnet Hill currently has some that I plan on adding to our room soon! This is a fun way to change up the bedding for the seasons or if you just want a simple refresh. Simple changes can make a huge difference!

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STEP 5. Pillows– Maybe pillows should have been step 1. I really like pillows, guys! Like, a lot A LOT! Pillows might be my love language 😀 They’re a simple way to add depth, create those layers, and they can easily be changed out and moved around all over the home to create change throughout the seasons. Shopping from my own home by rearranging items we already own is one of my favorite ways to decorate, and pillows are just perfect for this! Don’t be afraid to mix and match textures! In fact, you should do this! Layering different textures and colors doesn’t have to be anything crazy. I like bright whites mixed with warm creams and deeper beiges. When it comes to textures, the more the better for me:D I enjoy layering cottons and silks, linens,  quilts,  waffles and different ribs and knits together,  and feel like mixing all of these beautiful textiles together makes for such an inviting space!

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STEP 6. The power of the throw blanket! It’s something so simple, but such an easy way to add warmth and layers all over your home! You can simply add a throw to the end of a bed for that lived-in cozy feel! Or easily stuff your messes in baskets and then cover that mess with a beautiful knit throw 🙂Even throw one over a chair or chairs to create cozy little nooks around the house.

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Layering doesn’t just have to be for the beds though! We store throw blankets in baskets and crocks and on the chairs and couches and try to create an environment that’s, not only pretty, but invites us to rest. It’s so nice to be able to have blankets close by to snuggle up in as we read our favorite books and watch our favorite movies together.

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Garnet Hill has such a lovely collection of linens, quilts, florals, waffle knits and we truly enjoy adding their cozy touches to our home!

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See?! layers and textures and patterns together can look SO pretty when it comes to bedding!

 

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A mix of layered make wardrobes look like this!

 

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And linen closets look like this!

 

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Another example of how we have paired a Garnet Hill down comforter and Striped duvet cover with vintage and handmade pieces.


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I think that even messy beds and laundry look pretty with the right textures and layers!

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Disclaimer: This post was made possible by Garnet Hill but all opinions expressed are our own. Thank you Garnet Hill for helping us cozy up our home by gifting us some of our most favorite pieces!

Celebrating Mother’s Day at Home: A few ways to make it magical for Mom!

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This Mother’s Day, many of us mother’s share something extra in common. Many of us will be celebrating at home with our families and with no plans to go anywhere else. I’ll be honest with you, I miss my friends and thrifting and coffee shop dates and game nights, but there is also no other place I would like to be than at home and with our family. Being a mother is the most incredible thing I have ever known! But it doesn’t come without lots of sacrifice and exhaustion. I am hopeful this will inspire you to cozy up and celebrate that special mom you are home with a little extra this year! 

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I don’t believe all mothers are built alike, so I want to also to emphasize that when you plan to celebrate that special mom, be sure to celebrate her in the ways that SHE wants to be celebrated. If she doesn’t like wine and sushi, don’t get her wine and sushi. If she hates waking up early, don’t surprise her with an early breakfast in bed. If she’s asked you to stop spending money, don’t buy her expensive jewelry. There have been times where a friend’s husband will share with me the surprise or gift he is getting for his lady and I’m like, “NOOOOOO! She will not like that!” On any occasion where you’re celebrating someone else, try your very best to make the gifts or surprises about THEM and something THEY will like!  Just because you saw a commercial or have heard it’s a tradition, doesn’t mean it will celebrate that mom the way she wants to be celebrated.  So, here are some ideas that will hopefully spark some ideas and some simple and special ways to celebrate the special Mother’s in your lives at home this year. 

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Breakfast in Bed: When I think cozy, I think of warm linen bedding, cozy slippers, my soft robe, warm coffee, and all of the snuggles I can get! I am already dreaming of waking up to my favorite record on, the sounds of the coffee grinder, the giggles and pitter patter of little feet, the sounds of dishes clinking and clanking as our daughters and my husband work on preparing a special “surprise” breakfast in bed for me☺️  

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I can smell my favorite smell of fresh coffee brewing! I can imagine the pretty little flowers and weeds from the yard that the girls gathered and put in old thrifted cups that they surprise me with so often!

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Some of the most precious memories I hold are the unexpected breakfasts I have been served in bed. While I’ve learned to look forward to this on special occasions, it still never get old!  It doesn’t matter what the food is… It is the incredible intention, excitement, and love the girls pour into all of it all that makes it so special!

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Maybe breakfast in bed is too early for some families.  You can always give mom the gift of sleeping in and a surprise her with a picnic in the living room or yard. Maybe a little brunch or evening charcuterie shared on a quilt in the living room is more her style❤️

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Homemade Gifts: I don’t think there is a ‘one size fits all’ gift for mom. We’re all different and all feel loved in different ways. But homemade cards and sweet little homemade gifts from our daughters are my absolute favorite!!!  There’s something so simple about a folded piece of paper filled with words that I taught our girls to spell. Letters and colors that I first showed them and taught them how to make pictures and words with. Pure magic, I tell ya!

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The best thing about homemade gifts, is you don’t need to go anywhere for supplies!  All you need is paper and writing utensils. A coloring sheet or maybe some scrap paper. Even craft paper left over from holiday wrapping works! Our oldest has started finding old pictures of me and my husband and glueing them to the insides of homemade cards and it’s the coolest thing to me! If you have an old frame lying around, frame their work so mom can keep it on her bedside table or display it somewhere special:D

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If your littles are too young to create cards themselves, trace their hands or give them some finger paints to smear on paper. My husband still has the piece of paper covered in a six month old’s first scribbles framed from his first Father’s Day! Google, ‘homemade Mother’s Day crafts’ and have your mind blown! There are so many awesome ideas out there!

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Movies at Home: One of the most special things my husband has done for me, was rent my favorite movie and surprise me with some of my favorite snacks and beverages. He didn’t tell me until the end of the day, right as we were getting the girls ready for bed. He was so exited and I was so excited that he had done this for me. Again, it was something so simple, but so sweet and fun. If you have a projector and a sheet, maybe you can set up a mini theatre in your living room or yard to make it a little extra or consider drinking a little extra coffee and stay up late binging her favorite show together!

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The gift of time and relaxation: What a beautiful, beautiful thing! Take the kids to collect flowers and play outside while mom takes a cozy and silent bath inside! You can maybe even make her a simple salt bath with epsom salt & her favorite essential oil. Lay out her favorite book, have a candle lit, maybe some music playing… make it an extra special bath for her!

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A fun scavenger hunt: Our daughters love scavenger hunts! You can get creative with you children and make a  sweet scavenger hunt for mom, leading her to a cup of fresh coffee or the homemade gifts or breakfast you’ve prepared for her!

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Leave notes throughout the home: A simple love note or love notes left in different places around the house sharing your favorite things about your wife or mother is another fun way to show mom you see her! Maybe a ‘Thanks for cleaning me so much’ note left on the toilet. Get funny and be comical if that’s your guy’s love language! Humor is special to me, so finding funny notes with sweet intentions in unexpected places for me is gold! Write special messages on mirrors or chalkboards in your home!

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Help: Maybe that special mom in your life has a project she’s been so hopeful to finish!  A bathroom that needs finished painting, maybe a drawer she’s wanted fixed. Maybe she has a cast iron sink sitting sitting on her dining room floor that she’s really excited to use!:D Surprise her with finishing, or helping her finish a project or make her a special note assuring her you guys will finish that special project when you can frequent hardware stores again.

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Serve her favorite food: Being that we can’t dine in anywhere, maybe consider having her favorite meal from her favorite restaurant delivered!

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Music: Sometimes showing love is as simple as playing her favorite music throughout the day. The girls will often go put one of my records on just to see my smile! Have her favorite music playing when she wakes up and add to the layers of special.

 

Whatever you do this Mother’s Day, do your best to let that special mom know that you love her! That you know this is a weird season and that you see how difficult it is sometimes. And to the mothers with essential jobs still working, THANK YOU! To the mothers who have been thrown into the world of home education, THANK YOU! To the mothers who find themselves a little more overwhelmed or maybe a little more grateful, THANK YOU! To all of the mothers, THANK YOU for your many sacrifices and for making us the Mother’s we get to be today! 

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Disclaimer: A special thanks to our friends at GarnetHill for helping make this post possible. While GarnetHill has gifted us pieces for this blog piece, all opinions expressed are our very own.