Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Backyard Whimsy ~ Outdoor Lighting and Decor for Parties or Every Day ~ 30th Birthday Celebration!

   Have you ever watched one of those great make you happy movies where they are in a garden or some outdoor space and all of the sudden the entire landscape starts to sparkle with glittering lights? I always see those scenes and have wanted to achieve that look in some outdoor space I can enjoy in person!

   Glittering string lights among so many other things can just be so simple, but add so much to a special moment or make a simple normal space for every day use so much more special for all of your moments spent in it. Well, we finally set this special space up for my sister's 30th birthday! She has a wonderful space behind her home with trees, a pergola, and some other lovely outdoor elements that we were really able to highlight with glittering outdoor solar lights!

   Below you can see columns wrapped in glitter lights and lights wrapped around many of her trees. It was lovely because the party started during daylight and as the evening went on everything lit up with glittering lights all around.

  I included a picture of the twine wrapped number 30 with little flowers on it that was mounted at the top of the pergola. Canning jars were wrapped with twine and hung in various places with a votive in them and they were also added to the tables. It was just a nice transition from day to evening light with all of the lovely various glowing pieces around!! :)






   We so enjoyed the party! She is a special part of our lives and it was so much to put something together to celebrate her being a blessing in so many ways to all of us! Love my sister! :)

Thanks so much for stopping in to read my post. Please stay tuned for more!

~~Momma Mia~~

Sunday, April 23, 2017

Sunroom Makeover Part 1 !!

   So it has been awhile since my last blog and I have missed this!!!!! There has been so much going on that time has run short. Our oldest is now almost five, our littlest guy is now a year and a half, and we have a little girl on the way! We bought our first home and have taken on several projects since moving in about nine months ago at this point. We have felt so blessed with so many wonderful new and precious gifts in our lives!

   I wanted to note many of the projects as we go along to share ideas and cost efficient makeovers for new homeowners that we have come across.

   One project I was very eager to do was our sunroom. I want to redo the flooring and window covers, along with changing general décor and layout. For now my first projects are the windows!!!

   There were roll up vinyl shades varying in colors of cream and tan when we moved in. They were difficult and aged. Apparently they were a little brittle from excess heat and sun exposure as well. Anyway, I didn't love them at all and wanted to make a change.

Instead of spending a fortune on curtain rods, curtains, and patterns I wanted to find another way. The exciting second option is a basic flat sheet, rope, and some metal hooks. Just select the least expensive flat sheet in the color you prefer and there you have it. I wanted a no-sew option as well so I just picked up curtain clips with rings and attached to my sheets. The sheet length was longer than the window length so I just folded the excess over on the front top of the sheet and made that a bit of a ruffle for extra detail. I got a solid piece of rope that exceeded the length I needed for all three walls to keep a continuous run of rope with no cutting or potential fraying that way. I also selected open hooks that were substantial enough to support the weight times three for each wall (so 9 total in my case). Select the distance between hooks that you feel good about to keep the curtains straight but with a slight sag is fine. Pre-drill your holes with a bit slightly smaller then the hook you chose and then screw in your hooks. In my case a 5/32 drill bit was perfect to create the pilot hole for my hook. To insert the hooks, if you can get a wing nut bit to attach to your drill it makes putting these hooks in so much easier. If your hook exceeds the size wing nut you can find then a short metal rod or bar of some sort used to turn the hook manually adds a lot of leverage and makes the task much faster.
 
   My new flooring is next, but here is a picture just after changing the curtains!!!

I feel like it's much cozier. I'll be changing the layout of my plant tables that my sweet kiddos and I plant succulents and other various favorites on as well, but this is the update so far. I'm excited to get this project complete!!!

Thank you for stopping by and stay tuned for more on this and many other projects!!!!
Happy Spring Project Time!
Momma Mia