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It’s the start of the new year and the excitement of the holidays is behind us. So naturally, this party planning junkie has turned my sights on gearing up for the upcoming big game!
Earlier this week I posted my BTS capsule wardrobe for boys, and now I’m sharing my Back to school wardrobe for girls. It’s amazing what great pieces you can afford when you plan ahead and really envision how they will all work together to create multiple outfits. Here, I’ve put together 10 key pieces that work together create 10+ outfits, head to toe, for just around $100.*
Every year I try my best to create an inexpensive capsule wardrobe for back to school on a budget – which for me is $150 or less. I’m sharing what I’ve pulled together for my big boy this year in the hopes that it will inspire you to shop some stylish looks for your little big(ish) guy, for less.
It’ s been awhile since I’ve shared on the blog. I ran out of steam there for awhile, but I’m back with a project I’ve been planning for some time, and finally got around to: my self serve sign for the kitchen.
We’re slowly but surely making some changes to our builder grade home, like a new back splash that we love. Still, I thought the kitchen needed a little more character.
Looking for creative birthday party favors that totally rock? These goodie bag ideas will make you look like a creative super-mom, and won’t break the bank.
Plan the ultimate Peppa Pig picnic party with these Peppa Pig birthday party ideas.
When planning my youngest’s 3rd birthday, it was a no-brainer to choose a Peppa Pig theme. She loves the show and her favorite outfit has Peppa on it.
After researching lots of Peppa Pig birthday party ideas, I came up with a picnic theme. Since her birthday is in March, we brought the outdoors indoors for the celebration!
When guests entered our home for the party, they were invited to try on a pair of rain boots for size to jump in muddy puddles.
I used inexpensive craft paper for the puddles and wrote, “We LOVE jumping in muddy puddles! Try on a pair for size and play with me!”
I absolutely love the look of these tinsel tassel banners for party decor. Even better? They’re super easy and inexpensive to make – just in time to decorate in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day!
I’m so excited to share the final reveal in my vintage dollhouse series today.This has been such a fun project, but I’m so ready to turn it over to my girls who have been impatiently waiting for me to complete it.
The last room in this project is the dollhouse play room. I left this room for last because it was the most awkward space – narrow with no windows. And since I knew I would finish it last, I knew there was a chance I’d run low on budget. I designated it the play room because I felt it was the least important room, and I wouldn’t need to make many purchases.
As it turned out, I was out of budget, so my original ideas for this room fell by the wayside as I found ways to make it work.
My daughter sacrificed her Shopkins ice cream truck sign to make an art easel, and of course you can tell I used Scrabble tiles to decorate the wall.
Today I’m sharing the vintage dollhouse kitchen remodel for my vintage dollhouse makeover project.
Sharing the love on Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be a huge investment. This year we started a new family tradition: love notes to each other. Every day leading up to Valentine’s Day, one family member wakes up to balloons in his or her room. Each balloon has a sweet note from another family member.
I’m so excited to share my vintage dollhouse girl room remodel with you! It has been such a vicariously fun exercise to decorate an entire girl’s room for less than $10.
When I scoured the internet for inspiration, I was drawn to the darling sets by Daisylane, Lundby and Hape. However, I was working with a minimal budget, so I set to work creating the look for less.
I’m excited to share the first finished room in my vintage dollhouse makeover series today!
I started with the boy room, because just like in my own home, it’s where inspiration struck me first.
Earlier this year, I gave a small tour of ‘Belle’s nursery that is slowly transitioning to a big girl room. SLOWLY. Recently, I tried my hand at creating a DIY Canvas for Baby Nursery.
After making Eve’s wall art project I was inspired to make another one for ‘Belle’s room to fill a blank wall. 
The temperature is dropping here in the Midwest and it’s time to begin thinking of adding to the fall wardrobe. I’m absolutely loving what I’m seeing this season: glam accents like faux fur and leather, studs and spikes, sleek silhouettes and soft textures. I especially love the affordable finds I’m seeing at Forever 21 this season. Check out a few of my favorites here:
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Looking for last-minute Halloween Costumes? Look no further than this inspiration for shopping your kids’ closets for these super cute looks!
Star Wars Jedi Luke Skywalker: All it takes is a Karate uniform top, a bathrobe or bed sheet (or you can buy a Jedi cape inexpensively here), some khakis and a pair of boots – and a blue light saber, of course. Here is how I envisioned the costume:
Shop your kids’ closets for Halloween – Star Wars Jedi Luke Skywalker| Five Marigolds
And here’s how it looked on Dub.
Sock Hop – I love this look for a brother and sister! The boy look is super easy, of course. For the girls, I paired a pink tutu pettiskirt with a cardigan, scarf and some black Mary Janes. Either cut out your own “poodle’ or grab a really inexpensive one online. Add some cute glasses for a final touch!
Here’s how it looked on my little one (Yeah…that was before her hair was done, but the only happy look I got. Toddlers!):
Baby Jazzerciser: This goes down as my favorite costume yet and it’s super easy. Just pair a baby onesie with a bright cut-up onesie, legings or tights, some baby legwarmers or Baby Legs (or cut up some old socks) and use a knit baby headband for, well, the headband. I actually cut the elastic tops off of some baby socks for the little baby wristbands! My mother sewed an adorable boom box to complete the look. You can get something similar here or here.
Here’s how my little one rocked it:
Baby Kitty Cat: This one can’t get any easier. Combine a black baby onesie with black leggings or tights, and maybe a cute matching fur vest or black tutu pettiskirt, and you’ve got yourself a kitty cat! Add the finishing touches of a black nose and whiskers using eyeliner, and don’t forget the kitty ears! You can currently buy kitty ears headbands at the Target Dollar Spot, online here, or you can make them on your own. Use a thin feather boa from the dress up pile, and cut it up to make “fur” wrist cuffs and use as the tail.
Pink Poodle: Similar to the black cat costume above, this costume starts with a pink leotard and tutu. I completed the look with a DIY Poodle Headband and faux fur cuffs.
Shop this look: Pink top or leotard, tights, tutu pettiskirt, ballet slippers
This week we finally finished my vision for lights and feature art above Dub’s bed.
For many, it feels like school just got out for the summer. But in our neck of the woods, summer is already more than half over! Every year I scour summer sales to help build our back to school wardrobe on a budget. I try to find a variety of mix and match pieces to maximize our budget in style. Here’s what I’ve come up with so far:
Shopping information:
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12
What do you think? Do you shop sales early for back to school season, or do you wait for the fall sales?
Thanks for stopping by!
* In addition to being featured in the fabulous blogs buttoned up in the right sidebar, this post was also linked up at The Scoop and The Turquoise Home.
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Ever since I’d planned my first born daughter’s nursery 7 years ago, I had a vision for adding vintage Barbie prints to the room that they could grow with.
My inspiration came from places like Posh Tots, Rosenberry Rooms, and other upscale design stores who were selling the framed prints for upwards of $135 each.
Source www.rosenberryrooms.com
Fast-forward to this year. In the process of moving I realized we had four matted square frames that we’d never used! I think it was one of those things that I thought my husband had returned, and he thought I’d returned. Regardless, it was a sweet score that inspired me to revive this decor idea as we began decorating the kids’ new rooms. This time, I found a way to create this art on the cheap. I scoured Amazon for used vintage print Barbie calendars, and found that there are usually at least two 12×12 calendars available for a reasonable price. I believe I bought mine for around $10.
I spray painted my black frames with Rust-Oleum Metallic spray paint I had on hand (love this stuff), inserted my favorite prints, and voila! Vintage Barbie art for less than $15.
I love the look of three frames above the crib, but I’m debating adding the fourth and making it a square formation when Belle moves to a big girl bed. What do you think?
As for the rest of the room…
It’s needs some love. I have big plans, but I’m taking my time.
Details:
When we moved into our new home, we dedicated it with bible verses for each room of the house. I’ve been dreaming of this Proverbs 31 canvas wall art for Eve’s bedroom for some time now, but when I recently realized I already had the materials, I got moving.
I had a thrift store canvas that I’d previously tried (and failed) to artistically repurpose, so I painted it using a paint sample I already had on hand. Besides the price, the best part of repurposing a canvas is that you get fabulous texture under your new creation.
I used my Silhouette SD to cut the verse onto clear contact paper. I make so many mistakes that I’ve found this to be a cost saving way to use the Silhouette. I used a slightly imperfect font that would give me grace should the painting not go as I hoped.
After spending way too long placing the many pieces of contact paper on the canvas and lining it up just so, I spray painted it with my favorite Rust-Oleum metallic gold spray paint.
I was worried it would get under the contact paper. but as long as I made sure the paper was adhering around the letters I had absolutely no trouble.
To build the frame, I used a similar technique as with Dub’s big kid room wall gallery, but I used wood that wasn’t quite as deep, since I wanted this particular frame flush with the art.
I used Minwax stain in Early American, which is lighter IRL and gives it the right amount of color and rustic vibe.
I debated (and am still debating) taking a tiny bit of wood stain on a rag and dry rubbing the canvas for a subtle shabby chic look.
I’ve also considered dry rubbing a tiny bit of the white paint over the frame very lightly for the same reason. But, at this point I’m afraid to ruin it!
I’m so happy with how this Proverbs 31 canvas wall art turned out. I love the contrast of metallic gold and ivory against the rustic frame, and the sweet reminder my little girl will wake up to each day.
I’m already dreaming of how I might create a variation for Belle’s room 🙂
Additional bible verses that would be great for the girls’ bedrooms include:
God is with her; she will not fail. Psalm 46:5
He fills my life with good things. Psalm 103:5
I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 134:14
He calls me beautiful one. Song of Solomon 2:10
She is far more precious than jewels. Proverbs 31:10
Details:
Interested in more upcycled DIY Wall art? Check out my other projects here:
I Love You Through & Through Paired Canvases
Framed Engineer Prints Wall Gallery
Monogrammed Pallet Art
DIY Chalkboard using Garage Sale Frame
We recently made the decision to sell our “starter” home and build a new home that better accommodates our growing family. We bought this home just months before our wedding, had three babies here and many, many precious memories as a family. We’re ready for the next chapter, but this sentimental mom is feeling a bit emotional about it, as well.
The moment we signed the papers to build our new home I was immediately motivated to take on a project I’ve been meaning to for a long time – make a family growth chart that we can take with us – wherever we go. Our former growth chart was done the old fashioned way – with pencil on the wall of our kitchen (that I still can’t bring myself to paint over even since I’ve made this beautiful new chart).
I’d once tried my hand at an embroidered chart that was supposed to be cute and charming, but didn’t end up looking quite as polished as my inspiration. I also found that I was too lazy to embroider once a year. My laziness factor is high.
So I moved on to those cute reclaimed signs I’ve seen all over Pinterest.
I started with a 3/4″x7″x8′ piece of cedar lumber that I purchased at Home Depot for less than $9. First, I enlisted Dub to weather it for me. I gave him chains and a hammer and let him have at it. I stained it with leftover stain that I used on our stairs for our garage makeover.
From there, I had to get measuring – my least favorite part. Our family is really tall, so I cut my board to 6′ tall and painted 1′ white stripes using leftover paint from the garage makeover. These are some terrible progress photos, but you get the idea.
I actually liked the way this looked when I was done, but I went ahead and sanded it to give it a more distressed look.
Then, I used my silhouette to create the measurement marks. I barely use my Silhouette but I used it for this, figuring it would make the measuring much easier for me. I measured it on the computer, cut it out on the Silhouette and then used transfer paper to stick it right on the board without having to re-measure.
I’m super happy with the way that it turned out! I can’t wait to hang this measurement chart in our new home next year. I can see keeping this chart in our home forever, and measuring little grandbabies someday.
Postscript: after completing my chart, I stumbled upon this cute version by Handmade Charlotte
If I had to do it over again, I think her way of painting the numbers would be a lot cheaper and easier. However, I’d still want to make the measurement marks so that I could tell visually exactly how tall the kids are. Everytime they get measured they want to know EXACTLY how many feet, inches and centimeters tall they are. Because that matters to 4 and 6 year olds.
What do you think? Do you have a family growth chart in your home?
