{art print} pirate themed nursery // briston lawrence

I saw this adorable little quote on Pinterest and new it would fit right in to our cousin's pirate themed nursery.  I'm looking forward to seeing this on Briston's wall!

{rockstar mom} The Listmaker's Guide to List Making // Kelly Gilreath Part Two

My super organized, detail oriented, crafty, designer friend Kelly Gilreath was Rockstar Mom of the month.  Check out her great tips for creating useful lists and get things done!

To me, nothing compares to a handwritten list.  It's easy to toss in your pocket, throw it in your purse, stash it in a bag, or stuff it in your nightstand.  You can add and cross things off easily.  For some reason having a list on my phone or ipad just isn't quite the same. 

Use a great pen or sharpie!  A fabulously cute notebook doesn't hurt either.  Invest in something you actually will use and enjoy using at the same time.

Keep small notebooks around to jot down things you want to remember as soon as you think of them; in the kitchen, on your desk, in your purse, even in the car!  If you're like me and have a thousand things to keep track of, sometimes just writing them down makes me feel like I have less that I HAVE to remember.

 

I like to start my Monday off by creating a list of the tasks I need to accomplish during the week.  And on Fridays I make my "to do" list for the weekend.

 



I have a separate list for things that need to be done, but items that aren't immediate.  For example, things that I'd like to to eventually get to doing or designing around my house once I get extra time or money!

 



Before we go on a trip, no matter how long or short, I always put together a packing list.  That way nothing gets forgotten.  This was especially helpful when my kids were babies and we had to tote around so much stuff!

  



I keep a running list of things my husband, kids, and family ask for or want throughout the year.  That way when their birthday or Christmas rolls around I don't have to scramble to come up with something I know they really would like.  I've already figured out several options. 

 



Sometimes creating a "fresh list" makes it feel like you've gotten a lot accomplished.  Even if all you're doing is re-writing a list to look clean; without all the other items scratched out/crossed out from the previous page.

 



Just the other day I started a list of things around the house I want to try and sell on Craigslist or in a garage sale to make some extra cash.

  



A "honey-do" list is always a winner too in my house....well, at least for me.  Even though my husband says he hates it, he'll actually do some of the things if I leave that list out for him.  :)

*Bonus Tip:  Don't let list making get overwhelming or feel like another task to do.  It just helps balance out my chaos.  But if it doesn't work for you.....don't do it!

{mommy mondays} Rockstar Mom // Kelly Gilreath Part One

Pleased to introduce you to my friend Kelly!  I do believe Kelly rocks the award for friend with most distance from me (can you get any farther than North Carolina and Alberta?)  Kelly and I met working together at my first design job right out of college.  Her creative and organized heart is something to envy.  She has true talent and an eye for detail.  Kelly was awesome enough to share her tips on being so organized.  Check out tomorrow's post for her "Listmakers Guide to Listmaking".
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 I am honored that Lauren wanted to feature me in her Rockstar Mom section for sure!  I’ve had this task on my “to do” list…..ahhhh, the never-ending “to do” list; a constant staple in my life.  How will I manage to find time to write something when I have a gazillion other things going on?  Well, nothing feels better than crossing items off my “to do” lists….so here it goes…..

I’ve been racking my head about what I might possibly write about myself that would be interesting and that people would find interesting to read.   

I’m certainly no expert on life.  

I don’t have any clever taglines.

No top ten rules to live by.

Nothing of the sorts.

But as I was taking my shower this morning and looked up at the little sign that I have decorating my bathroom window sill, it came to me.

Why not write about how my life is good… at the beach!  

Well, let me backtrack a little bit and introduce myself.  My name is Kelly.  I’m a full-time working interior designer, wife, and mother of two kids.  Drue, my daughter, is 6 and Gavin, my son, is 3.  My husband, Andrew, is a sergeant for Folly Beach Public Safety Department.  
 I’m a true creative at heart. 
I love organizing (weird, I know).   
I love Pinterest.  
I love party planning.   
I love making invitations.   
I love making hair clips for my daughter and her friends.   
I love anything crafty.  

Life wasn’t the easiest a year ago.  My life was in total transition.  My kids and I were still living in Indianapolis, IN and my husband had taken on a new job here in Charleston.  Nothing is easy about living apart; especially when you have kids and ESPECIALLY when it’s for six months.  We were in the process of trying to sell our house, which took much longer than we could have expected.  Everything was on me…getting my daughter ready for preschool in the morning, taking my son over to my sister’s house so she could watch him, making sure the house was immaculate in case we had any unexpected showings, working full time, giving baths, putting kids to bed, making meals.  I honestly don’t know how single mothers do it.  Then when we finally sold our house, it was up to me to do all the items above, coordinate the moving company, AND pack the house all by myself in the meantime.   Yuck, just thinking about all that stress right now makes me nauseous.  I’m so glad that time period is over.  I look back on this picture of our family with the ipad, and say, thank goodness for technology, because that’s really the only way our family held it together!!!

It was hard leaving my extended family to come take on this new adventure in Charleston, but sometimes you have to do things you never thought you would do, and that means going places you never knew you would go!  We took a leap of faith to move here, and with that came lots and lots of prayers.  But God has been with us along the way, making sure we are okay.  And now, it’s a year later and we are loving life!  

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to stay at home with my kids when we first moved.  I mean, how could I not take advantage of being able to walk out my front door, and head to the beach every day! It was hard going back to work after being off for 8 months or so, I’m not going to lie.  But it needed to happen; we needed the extra money.  I’ve been a designer for about ten years now, and like I mentioned, creativity is such a part of my life.  I’m not “me” without it.  Now my life is back in the state of transporting kids to school, their extracurricular activities, working full time, giving baths, putting kids to bed, and making meals; but at least this time I don’t have to do it all myself.  I realize that being all together as a family is truly SUCH a blessing.  It’s been hard, but it’s making my husband and I better, stronger people.  We have been having so much fun here exploring and taking on new life adventures…..together.    

As long as I’ve got my notebook and my lists, my life stays a little bit more put together.  Whether it’s a list of work tasks, a grocery list, a packing list, a list of things to do over the weekend, a list of things that need to be done around the house (who knows; sometimes it may even be a list of the lists I need to put together)…..if it’s in a list I can keep it together.  THAT and a bunch of prayers.  It’s not much, but in my life, things need to be that simple, otherwise it’s too complicated!  And so for now, my simply, complicated life is good…..at the beach!  


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If you are interested in custom barrettes, invitations, or party planning please email Kelly at kellygilreath@gmail.com

 

Anna's 1st Birthday // Colorful Dots // {Favorite Things} Print

Can't believe my little girl is one.  Thought I'd try my hand at a favorite things print.  It was hard to decide exactly what to put on here.  A picky eater for sure this little girl would be a fruitarian if I let her.  She's extremely active... always has been even before she was born I could feel her kick all day long.  I do believe she'll play soccer, or maybe swim... or perhaps dance?  I think one day she'll just get up and run and never look back.  She can light up a room with her giggle.  And I love how she smiles with her eyes.  A sweetie for sure, but she knows what she wants.  A trait she gets from her daddy since I can't make decisions.  How much fun it is having a little girl.  I love watching her develop into this little person.

{prints} Coral and Burlap // Wedding Invitations

This bride wanted to do as much as possible for herself.  I am all for a bride that love DIY!  I put everything together via web.  She printed, constructed, and stuffed envelopes herself.  When she showed me her inspiration I fell in love with her whole wedding design.  This invitation suite is simple but elegant, country but feminine.  LOVE!

{read of the week} Simplify Your Life: How to Declutter & Destress Your Way to Happiness

My read of the week is turning into read of the month!  I miss getting an entire book finished in one week.  Not I'm feeling accomplished if I get a chapter finished.  I've had this quick read on my Amazon wish list forever.  I saw that it was on the free list for Prime members this month so I snatched it up and made time to read it.

Simple Living : thirty days to less stuff and more life by Lorilee Lippincott



A fun read that only takes a minute or two per chapter.  Se sets up a goal with each chapter that is easily obtainable.  This is for the organizer that needs help knowing where to start first.  Most of the tasks took me 20 minutes top to complete.  She has you doing things such as "clean off all horizontal surfaces" or "take trash out of car, vacuum, and wipe down"  and other things I never spend time on such as "deleting and canceling spam emails".  I must say I do have a few tasks still ahead of me.  I need to clean out our filing cabinet and the office has become a junk room.  These are top priority this week for me.

What is everyone else doing to declutter?  I'm hoping to do a garage sale first of August.  Here's to a stress free home!

{diy} Anna's 1st Birthday // colorful dots // Recycling Your Baby Food Jars As Thank You Gifts

As most of my fellow new mom's know, these little jars flood the house.  I hated throwing them out, but boy do they clutter.  I must say a big thank you to my friend Carrie.  She saved so many jars I was actually able to pull this off.   They are just the right size for take home snacks.  A big hit at Anna's birthday party.

I used the same design from the paper flags.  See my recent tuitorial on paper straw flags for the how to.

hello maypole felt pom {giveaway} // winner is

drum roll please ....

... and the winner is ...

a BIG thank you to everyone that entered! luck of the draw and Sherry was the lucky winner!  Sherry,  I will have Aubry from Hello Maypole contact you about your winnings.  Enjoy!

Anna's 1st Birthday // colorful dots // Maypole felt pom {GIVEAWAY}

I stumbled upon Aubry somewhere on instagram.  She is one creative and fun individual!  Her shop, Maypole,  has been booming since last fall and its honestly not hard to see why -- she does beautiful work.  Her main focus is handwritten art prints (check them out) but on the side she offers up these whimsical felt balls (which I fell in love with for Anna's Birthday Party)  SO FUN!

In honor of my adorable Anna and her birthday, Aubry decided to go in with me on a GIVEAWAY.  A bag of 50 colorful 100% wool felt poms // color combo of your choice.  Each ball is 2cm in size, hand felted and made in Nepal.  Their possibilities are endless strung (or even thrown in a decorative vase?)  Would love to hear how you would use them!  GET CREATIVE. All you have to do is enter below.  Super easy! 

Ok, ready? set .... GO!  You have all week.  The more times you enter the  luckier you are to WIN!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

{diy} Anna's 1st Birthday // colorful dots // paper straw flags

These are super easy to make!  They are so easy I feel very confident you don't need step by step pictures to do this!  All you need is cardstock, double sided tape, scissors, and a printer.  

On 8.5 x 11 paper design (in photoshop, Publisher, or Word) little flags 1" high.  You'll get 11 down the page.  Next type out what you want the flags to say.  Leave room for the tiny "v"s at the edges of the page on either side.  (If you aren't very crafty, Sarah Hearts put together a wonderful Word Template you can use.)

Now you are ready to print.  Printing on cardstock is best because the flags will hold their form better on sturdy paper.  Once you have them printed cut flags into strips.

Tape to straws.  (You can get paper straws on Amazon for an affordable price.  I just used cheap and plastic colored ones from Walmart) Then cut out little "v" at edge.  This gives you a true flag feeling.  Easy right?  And super festive! Enjoy!

{Recipe of the Week} Anna's 1st Birthday // Colorful Dots // Fruit Cookies

Sometimes I get tired of balling melons all the time for fruit bowls.  I whipped these up in no time for Anna's birthday part.  They were a hit especially with her one year old friends.

 

{shanks household} happy one year to my Anna Marie // weekly onesie collage

We spent all of last week visiting family in the States and celebrating my daughter's first birthday.  I can't believe this little girl is one already.  Seems like just yesterday we brought her home. 

I had the inspiration for a weekly onesie picture from my friend, Kathy.  They grow up so fast, so I didn't want to JUST do a monthly picture. I also didn't want to spend a fortune (and time ironing on) all those weekly pictures.  Since I know a little bit of photoshop this wasn't that hard to do for me.  I took a picture of Anna every Monday on the same blanket.  (I didn't want to spend money on 52 yards of fabric either) It was knitted by my grandma so its sentimental to me.  I thought putting her on the same blanket each week would show how much she is growing week to week.  After I took the picture I uploaded the image to photoshop.  Then I added a circle and the text.  Super easy right? 

I saw last month that Young House Love is doing the same thing for their daughter, Clara.  They have a very user friendly photoshop tuitorial on their blog.  The hardest part about doing this is remembering to do it every week!  It is SO rewarding though in the end.

Sixteen Sunbuckles featured in BeautyBliss Magazine // July Issue // Simply Summer and Summer Must Dos

I had the sweetest email pop in my inbox while away on vacation last week.  The July issue of BeautyBliss Magazine is finally on stands (and via web).  My friend, Katie Bickell (remember her? She was featured as Rockstar Mom last month.  Check it out if you missed it!) is one of the editors and asked me to write for the issue.  I'm honored and proud to be apart of such a beautiful magazine.  It showcases real women (not models) and fresh content that is great for the soul.  Check out my feature along with the rest of the magazine.  You won't be disappointed.

on vacation this week // be back next week