Smile And Wave

Mother's Day

These two have permanently changed me in so many ways. My heart will always be bigger, my stomach less flat, and my mind always slightly distracted by where they are and what they're doing. For the past (almost) seven years I've had to think about their needs before mine and Brett's, plan around nap times and potty breaks, think three steps ahead to make sure I catch the potential safety hazards, all the while hoping I was staying in the moment long enough to see them as they were.

They grow so quickly.

These two treated me to an adventure up a creek and an afternoon in the backyard with only one timeout needed and hardly any whining while we drove the alleys of downtown Colorado Springs in search of a shaded but colorful backdrop. I got all the dandelions on our hike, a new ironing board cover (I asked for one), and Chinese takeout. There were no pedicures or naps or fancy shopping trips but I got what I am always craving these days - time as a family adventuring in this pretty little part of the country.

Our extended family got some happy news when my cousin and her husband announced they were expecting over the weekend! They had a long wait for their twin girls that they had through in vitro and were told they had about a 1% chance of ever getting pregnant on their own in the future. Turns out that 1% chance is due in December! So happy for you, Sarah and Jason! 

I know Mother's Day isn't easy on every heart. There are so many ways to ache over both being and not being a mama (yet). While we've had a little heartache in the past with an early miscarriage and are coming on two years of wondering if this month is the month, I am so thankful for what we have right now. 

Thankful and hopeful. 

-Rachel

Outfit Details: Dress, Target. Shoes c/o ModCloth, Necklace c/o Moorea Seal. Watch, gifted. Ruby's dress, vintage. Skinny jeans, Target. Shoes, Payless. Sebastian's vintage shirt, gifted. Cords, Target. Shoes, Old Navy.

Group Giveaway Day

Two of my fantastic sponsors from earlier this month are sharing their goodies with one lucky reader! I'll be choosing the winner at the end of this week so be sure to read below to see how to enter to win!

>>>>>The Caramel Jar<<<<<

The Caramel Jar is giving away {2} 1/2 pound jars of our Fleur de Sel caramels. These are the perfect treat if you are craving a little sweet and a little savory. These delicious caramels will melt in your mouth! Each one is hand wrapped in natural unbleached parchment paper and packaged by us in a reusable mason jar adorned with a festive double satin ribbon.

Giveaway Item: Two 1/2 jars of caramels valued at $40 (includes shipping).

>>>>> Ever + Mi Crush <<<<<

Our passion is our two little boys Everett & Miles - (it's all in the name!) Vintage style, art, music and all things creative! I have always loved to shop, and enjoyed playing around with style and fashion.  On our first date Peter gave me a vintage brooch... he was definitely a man who paid close attention to detail and aesthetics in fashion, a pleasant surprise! 

Together, we make an awesome team! searching high and low for the perfect pieces for your closet is a group effort, done with lots of love and our goal is to only sell high quality and creative pieces, but at a price you can afford!

Follow them on Facebook/Pinterest/Twitter/Blog

Ever + Mi Crush is giving away a $40 gift card to one lucky reader. If you can't wait until it's announced, take 10% off your purchase and FREE SHIPPING with the code SMILE&WAVE10.

 

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To enter to win, go to each of their shops and come back and share your favorite thing (from each) in the comments below. I'll be announcing the winner at the end of the week! Good luck and thanks to my sponsors for such a great giveaway!

-Rachel

That Time Sebastian Discovered Stop Motion

The kids got kid's-sized video cameras from their great-grandparents for Christmas and spent a good hour right after running around the house filming each other. More recently Sebastian has discovered an app called Lego Movie that lets him make stop-motion movies. Brett gave him a quick lesson in the basics and he's since spent hours creating little battle scenes and story lines on the floor of his room. 

It always makes my mama heart happy to see my kids show a genuine interest in something creative. Yeah, they'll do a project if I get it set up for them and they like to dance and sing but when they choose to explore something on their own I can start to see where their natural interests and talents are. I love that he's able to get lost in his own world for a bit and how proudly he'll run to find us after he's finished editing his latest. 

Watch out Steven Spielberg.  

-Rachel

Plants In The Bedroom

I've had a thing for String of Pearl plants since college. They remind me of the Midwest for some reason. When I was thinking about plants to add to my wine crate corner I first thought of just putting small succulents in them but that didn't feel exciting enough for a place like...the bedroom. Hehe. 

This is the corner behind one of our French doors that felt underutilized. The crates on the wall helped create a little bit of storage and turned our dirty laundry basket corner into something less mundane. I found the vintage filing cabinet at a thrift store last year and loved the details. It's not really a traditional item in the bedroom but that's another reason I love it. I use it to stash out of season clothing and it doubles as a plant stand so I'd say it's earning it's keep in there. 

The large gold candle was a sweet gift from Elsie, Emma, and Katie, the brownie was my grandparents', the Chinese box was thrifted, the smaller candle was just a simple votive that I spray painted with some metallic spray paint, the white vase is from IKEA, and the wire file basket was thrifted. 

What I love about this corner is how the plants helped create a little drama and added to the composition with their unique shapes. The spikes of the bottom plant contrast nicely with the smooth, curved leaves of the one above and even the little cactus on top adds a little something way up there. I like dramatic plants.

I like small space solutions even more.

-Rachel

Adventuring

A few weeks ago before everyone got sick we took an afternoon trip to the mountains. Our favorite spot to roam through is near the base of Helen Hunt falls because you can crawl around near the creek. Sunday loves the freedom to run and roam and sniff but always stays within earshot and comes galloping back when called. Sebastian likes to test his climbing skills up steep terrain (not that steep) and walk through the creek in his rain boots. Ruby stays close and asks me about mama bears and baby bears.

When we went the air was brisk but warm enough for shorts yet the falls were still frozen a good eight inches deep at the base. The water was running under that layer of ice and after testing it in an especially thick part, we all carefully walked around on it. Brett got a little taste of adventure scaling the smooth rocky face of the falls and Sebastian got a little higher than I would've liked while Ruby and I stopped and had a mini picnic. Sunday came home wet, muddy, and happy. 

We all did. 

We love you, pretty mountains!

-Rachel

Down With Knots

We were contacted by Tangled Tantrums a few weeks ago to see if we were interested in testing out their detangling and conditioning spray as well as their styling paste. I hadn't heard of their product before but after seeing the cute branding (you do it, too) and learning that it's paraben and alcohol free, I was willing to see if it worked on my kids. 

Ruby's got thin, fine toddler hair. She wakes up most mornings with awesome bedhead so we usually just gently brush through it with a wet comb. There are always knots. With this product I can just wet her hair with my fingers, spray this on (Ruby calls it her girl spray), and then we have a much easier time working through those tiny little knots at the ends. It also makes her hair shinier and smells fantastic. The product in it acts a little bit like a soft curl mousse. When I scrunch it in the back it helps hold some curls together after they dry. I may or may not also use it in my hair as a leave-in-conditioning spray. 

Sebastian is all about looking sharp at school so I didn't have to talk him in to trying out the styling product. His hair is pretty short so it helps give it some texture. I haven't tested this out on my own hair yet but I think it might be fun for a wavy look. It, too, smells fantastic.  

I will always get behind a product that works for my family but especially one that I know was produced by a mom that wanted the best for her kids. She was able to come up with something that was not only safer to use but is also highly competitive in the product department. I also like that there are boy and girl versions of their detangling spray because branding totally does something for kids, too.

Have you ever heard of or do you use Tangled Tantrums? I have a feeling our product is going to last us awhile but I know when we run out we'll be heading this way for more. It's totally worth not having to fight that battle every morning.

-Rachel

Testing Out My Green Thumb

Right before Christmas last year, I moved all of my succulents and tropical looking plants out to the sunroom because they just didn't feel right surrounded by Christmas decor. A few of them froze when the temps dropped when we were in Oklahoma with family so I came home to a sad little floppy-leaf party and a determination to take better care of my plants.

As soon as Christmas was put away I went out and replaced what had died and brough home a handful of small plants to spread around the house. They were all pretty low-maintenance because I'm just never going to be an orchid kind of gal. As winter wore on here at 6, 000+ ft., I just kept bringing plants home. I was seeing signs of spring near the end of February and March in blog posts and my Instagram feed kept blowing up with cherry blossoms, bright green grass, daffodils, tulips, bluebells, etc.

My California heart knew it was time for all of these things but my Colorado yard was still under snow every other week. 

It started out with just a few extra on the piano, and then my first big tropical hanging plant, and then a few philodendron, and then as we crept towards April I bought a few big bushes for the backyard. I think I was trying to fight my winter blues with more green!

I got ahead of myself about a month ago and bought a handful of beautiful blooming plants that I was hoping to put in a large container outside before realizing we were going to have a really late spring this year. For two weeks I kept it that way because the beauty of it all inside my home-right up there on that countertop-got me through some low spots. 

They say having indoor plants is really good for your health. Yeah, they cleanse the air of toxins and add color and texture to your home but they really helped connect me to the growth and new life I was so ready for in the natural world.

One thing I've tried to do is find beautiful and interesting vessels to put them in. I have had great luck with thrifting vintage ceramic planters so I use them for the smaller plants. I also like to look for interesting shapes at the thrift store that I know I can just spray paint whatever color I like. The honeycomb patterned planter below was originally silver so I gave it a metallic face lift. I have another for the backyard table in a shade of celery. The tin above came with a set of four canisters. I just propped the inner pot on a clean tuna can that was turned upside down so that it could properly drain into the canister. The only thing you have to watch for with cans is rust. I am going to need to place a tray or some sort under this one if I bring it indoors.

I found a few bullet-knock off planters at Target at the end of the summer that were deeply discounted so I brought a few home knowing I'd someday use them. Ace Hardware has had some surprisingly beautiful planters over the years so I use that as a reminder to always check around to see what unique pieces you can find.

When you're in a pinch, buy an economy sized can of hominy or cheap coffee from the store, empty it (I threw my hominy away because I can't stand the stuff), wash and dry it, and spray paint it with a few thin coats. Instant planter. Poke a few nail holes in the top, string it up with twine and you've got a hanging planter (see kitchen photos above). For the record, if I'm using a can or tin without drainage holes at the bottom, I always put something in there (clean yogurt cup, tuna can, etc.) to create air so the drainage holes from the actual pot can drain. I don't over water them in their can, either. I take them out and saturate them and then let them drain a bit in the tub or sink before returning them to their cans.

I've made sure to buy in stages so that I'm not blowing the whole budget on plants and to make sure that I can handle taking care of them. Once a week I walk through the house and water everything except for my small succulents. I water them every two-three weeks. I set my hanging house plants in the shower or sink and soak them and let them drip dry before returning them to their posts.

I make sure to always check the soil to be sure it's not still moist before adding more water to avoid root rot. One of my philodendron was getting too much light so I've moved it and it's doing much better. My forsythia bush in the kitchen (that will soon be moved outside) is getting spoiled with water everyday and looking great but if I skip a day I can really tell those leaves are floppy. It's been a learning experience and thankfully I've only lost one small succulent since the big freeze over Christmas break. Elise has also recently posted a great rundown of how she cares for her indoor plants for anyone hoping to bring some home.

Every now and then I'm still going to need some fresh flowers for the table. There's just something extra special about such fleeting beauty.

I really do think having plants in your home improves upon your quality of life and when you spend almost all of your time there, it's worth doing some research and buying the kind of plants that will do well in your care. Singing to them supposedly helps. Just kidding. I don't sing to my plants. 

My new favorite plant set up is something I arranged recently in our bedroom that I'll be showing you next. Maybe we should call this Plant Week on Smile and Wave? Much less dangerous than Shark Week. 

Here are a few plant related DIY's I've made from previous posts: Chevron Garden Trellis, Pallet Vertical Garden, Hanging Basket Garden, Geometric Planter, Mini Himmeli Planter.

-Rachel

Details: Chevron Sun Catcher, Glass by Lisa.

40 Projects: Himmeli Plant Holder

I finally found an air plant in our local nursery a few weeks ago and bought a little hanging terrarium to put in our kitchen. However, the terrarium had an accident involving a curious 3-year-old. I started thinking about another way to display it apart from just setting it in with another plant and went digging in my supply cabinet. I had some left over copper pipe from my original himmeli project and figured if I cut small enough pieces I could make something small and sturdy that would still show off the plant's fun silhouette. One thing that was brought to my attention is that copper is toxic to air plants so after I had already made it I took it apart, gave it three coats of poly, let it dry, and reassembled. I've added that step into the instructions for you.

1. Supplies: I had a leftover piece of copper pipe. You can purchase these at any major hardware store. They're soft so be careful not to bend them on the way home. You'll also need a small pipe cutter, a sharpie, a ruler, twine or yarn that will fit two at a time through your pipe, clear poly spray, scissors, gloves, cardboard, a well-ventilated area. 2. Measure out how long you want your pipe pieces to be. I cut three to be about 1.25" and three to be about 1.4" but they can all be the same length, too. Make small marks with your sharpie or just do it as you go and place the pipe cutter over the pipe. Gently twist it so it's applying a tiny bit of pressure and then twist your pipe so that the blade cuts all the way around. Then tighten a bit more, etc. Repeat.

3. Cut your twine or yarn so that you have three lengths measuring about 5' long. Tie them all together in a knot in the middle. 4. Spray your copper pieces using a glove and some poly. Follow spray paint instructions. I gave mine three coats with about 15 min. dry time between each. 5. Separate your strands two by two into three sections and thread each section through it's own piece of copper as shown. 6. Separate the two strands coming out of each copper piece and thread one through another piece of copper so that it comes out facing right. Then take a piece from the nearest copper pipe and thread it through the opposite direction so that it comes out facing left as shown. Repeat two more times. Pull the strands up at the top and adjust things. Tie a knot at the top and hang your air plant!

This one may end up in our bathroom where it can get regular moisture all week and I'll be sure to give it a good soak once a week for 24 hours to keep it healthy. 

I love how tiny it is! You could easily substitute copper with plastic straws. They'd be just as sweet in a fun color. 

As mentioned in my copper himmeli post, I have since seen similar things on Etsy. If you're not interested in making one you could always enjoy someone else's handiwork in a larger size!

-Rachel

40 Projects: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven

My Leave of Absence

Well, that was a little unusual. Most of the month of April and the first few days of May were not kind on our family life in the way of health. Nothing major but enough to take down one of us at a time and then again with a night spent at the ER for an ear infection with Ruby and the worst case of the flu I've ever had. It was short lived but it was fierce. Add into all of that preparation for a big home shoot with Apartment Therapy to prepare for, Brett's promotion to 1LT ceremony (that Ruby and I had to miss because of the ER trip hours prior), a big cub scout den meeting where Sebastian earned his Tiger Cub badge (which I also missed because of Ruby being sick), Sebastian's first choir performance (which I attended propped up with Advil), field trips, homework, regular errands, a May blizzard, lots of nose wiping, a trip to the Apple Genius bar to figure out why my computer wouldn't let me upload any photos, and generally just being ready for something to turn green outside left us all worn down and trying to just keep things afloat. 

The break wasn't planned like the one I tried to take a week prior but it sure was necessary for me to focus on caring for my family and myself. I was still able to work on a few projects like the one Saturday we were all feeling decent and the sun was out and we entertained ourselves with lots of coloring and building box forts so it wasn't all bad. It just never really let up enough for us to catch our breath.

I'm crossing my fingers that we've crossed a bridge and left it all behind us but I also went out and bought two 32. oz. bottles of apple cider vinegar that I'm going to make everyone drink every day for awhile! Have you ever tried it or do you currently swear by it? I'd love to hear your stories.

Thanks for coming back and checking in. I appreciate my readers so much and have a little catching up to do with everyone. I'll be back in this space regularly again Lord willing and the creek don't rise.

-Rachel

 

Day Bed Makeover

Before this porch was finished it housed our previously owned four poster bed, a large loveseat, a random chair, and odd boxes that we needed out of the way. I knew it had potential but I couldn't get started because I was trying too hard to make the loveseat work as the foundational piece for this space. It was a little too small and even though the colors worked, it just wasn't that comfortable. Oh, and then Sunday took her moving stress out on one of the cushions so one problem was solved. 

I decided a daybed might work and it wasn't but a few days later that I went to one of my favorite thrift stores and found this in the back where they keep disassembled beds. I had taken measurements of the porch and this daybed was exactly 1/2" less wide than the room. Phew! Also, it wasn't coming apart and just barely fit into our volvo. Note: Always keep bungee cords in your trunk. I got it home and then went and bought two 10' planks and some particle board (that I had cut to fit at Lowe's) to replace some missing planks. I sanded, primed, and spray painted the wood with two coats of Krylon celery before bringing it onto the porch. 

Next I laid the particle board down and told the kids they were not allowed to jump on the daybed! I'd love to buy some thick foam and cover it to add some more comfort but I currently just have a camping mat on top of the particle board. I then layered a thick vintage bedspread on top and placed coordinating pillows leftover from the loveseat around the edges to cozy it up.

I love how the mint coordinates with the mango-colored walls and that the simple lines aren't dated. I probably spent about $38 on that project and used a lot of things I already had on hand rather than going out and buying new bedding and cushions. It's another example of how you can really transform a space working within certain restrictions (budget, ownership, space) without spending a lot of money. Look for the potential in what you already have (or see at the thrifts) and only buy things you love as you go and you're sure to always find a use for them no matter how many times your space changes. 

-Rachel