Make Your Own: Ladder Shelf

Last Saturday my mom and I went to buy tomato plants and I couldn't help but admire all the beautiful flowers.  There were so many to choose from, but French Marigolds were the ones that made it to the register with me!  I knew these vibrant colors would illuminate our living room space.  Also these flowers remind me of my childhood.  So special.  (Just so we are clear, I am not French.  I am European though.)  Today, I want to share where my beautiful flowers are hanging out.

My mister found this old ladder on Craigslist for just a few dollars.  I was so happy.  I've been on a hunt for one for a long time.  He picked it up for me and I got to work right away. 

After about an hour of using air-powered sander, and let me just tell you how thankful I am that it was a POWERED sander!  If it wasn't, the ladder would've probably went out the window!  I don't have a lot of patience, and once I have an idea for something, I want to make it right away!  Using a sander without power would have probably taken a few months to sand this ladder!  It was in a rough condition and needed some love! While I was sanding the ladder, I asked the husband to cut out extra boards to add to the ladder.  I wanted the steps to be wider!    

Just like that!  Perfect!

He used a nail gun to add the boards to the ladder.

I used special walnut stain and the ladder shelf is now ready to use!  (After about 24 hours of drying!)

Tell me, would you use a ladder as a shelf?  What about  vintage tin cans as planters?  I was so lucky to find them at our local Goodwill after dreaming of some for a while.  Score!  I am loving this rustic addition in our living room along with our DIY crate table.  My husband and I love making furniture together for our home, and currently there is something else in the works and I can't wait until it's complete!  Thank you for letting me share my happy space with you!  Every time I walk through the front door and see this ladder it makes my heart leap with joy!  Happy Tuesday! M. 

Weekends are for...

Weekends are for a little lunch date with my mister after working on DIY projects all.day.long!  (No time to fix my hair.)

Planting some flowers...

Vintage tin can as a planter?  I think so!  Kind of obsessed!  (Will be sharing tomorrow where these little pretties are in our house!)

Mowing the lawn (in perfectly straight lines, my husband is so picky!)

The mower needs to be washed after each use.  Got it! (Didn't I tell you about my picky husband already?!)
:)

That was our Saturday.  On Sundays we go to church.  I LOVE going to church and afterwards  we typically hang out with friends and have a relaxing day!
Weekends are my favorite because I get to spend them with my husband. That's all a girl needs! ;)
So how was your weekend?  Was it as busy as mine or maybe relaxing?  Happy Monday! -Mika

P.S.  Check out Our church - if you're local and looking for a church, or if you're interested in watching online!  God is definitely working there and I get butterflies (and choked up) every time we go!  It's a great feeling! 

Flashback Friday: Decorated Denim

Happy Friday, blogosphere! Today I'm reminiscing the good ol' days... When my bestie and I had plenty of time to work on DIYs.  I want to share jeans that O and I decorated... About five years ago? Or has it been even longer than that? Not even sure... Regardless, we had a blast working on them, I remember that for a fact! ;)
My style has slightly changed over the years. If I wear jeans, they are usually skinny.  These jeans have a special place in my heart though, and I can assure you I am keeping them forever!

I wore them about two years ago (pictured above)  and then again couple months ago with tights underneath since Oksana and I went hole-crazy with these jeans!

We cut out fabric and quotes that we liked and stitched them onto denim.  (Apparently my brave 14 year old self liked this quote?)

Got a little creative with stitching different colored threads and cutting out (a ton of) holes.

Adding buttons was a MUST!

We were really proud of this unique pair of jeans that we've created.  Back then we didn't have internet (seriously, what am I? 100?) but it's true, we didn't have the opportunity to read blogs (ahem, dial-up internet), or search Pinterest (I don't think it existed) for inspiration, it was just born from our daily lives!  We let our imagination run free!

Seems like decorated denim is quite trendy today and I'm kind of in a mood to decorate some more of my jeans!  Maybe shorts this time?  I've got some ideas! ;)  Right now I have to run and dig in the garden for a few seconds and then grab a bite?  I do eat dinner later than 5 p.m.  So I guess I'm not THAT old, yet!  -M

P.S. O! Do you remember this?!!?? I remember it like it was yesterday.  We sat on the floor in my bedroom and I even remember using dad's sand paper from his shed!! Fun!!! :) 

Garden Update + Remembering Childhood

Just popping in to say how pumped I am about my sugar snap peas!! Look at these sprouts! So big in just a couple of weeks! I have a feeling it will be a nostalgic summer for me this year. As kids, my little brother and I ate peas as if they were covered in chocolate! Every. Single. Day. My grandma had a huge garden and we could obtain and indulge peas all summer long. Can't wait to eat them from my own garden and revive my childhood! :) I think of my childhood a lot. I had a happy one. Thanks for letting me share a snippet of my early years! Hope you're having a lovely day! xo, m.

Glitter Therapy: DIY Plate

Do you ever have one of those days when you need a little bit of glitter therapy?  Here is a little project I did a few weeks back and I want to share it with you, friends!  It's magical how glitter can brighten up the mood!  The steps are very similar to my Magazine Collage plate.  The only thing that's different about this DIY is, well,  glitter!  :)  In my magazine collage plate I simply used cut out pictures from a magazine.  Here I covered the plate with Mod Podge and a ton of glitter.  Then I used Triple Thick glaze to seal the glitter so it will never fall off, and you may use this plate for your rings or other accessories! :)  I gifted mine to a dear friend that loves sparkly things.  I do believe it made her happy. 

Do you love glitter?  It's kind of growing on me... ever since I've made myself some snazzy glittery sandals my heart started to accept a little bit of glitter here and there.  After making this plate and my glittery shoes, I'll admit there were a few other things that I "glitterfied."  My 11 year old niece and I covered a notebook (using the same steps) with glitter.  She was thrilled about that. 

As always, thank you for reading!  Happy Thursday!  Mika.

Follow us on Bloglovin! + I Miss O!

Hello, hello friends!  Life has been busy.  I did a little bit of weeding in my garden today, a little bit of baking (Nutella!) cookies while spending some quality time with my handsome mister.  Every minute I spend with him is my favorite!
O is really busy studying for exams next week, thus is why we haven't seen her around for a lil while. (She will be back, don't you worry!)  I miss her, but I really want her to focus on school and finish off this year strong! (You may wish her some luck in the comments, she will greatly appreciate it!)  :)
Oksana, best wishes for you on your exams!  I know you will do great!
Friends, thank you for stopping by, and be sure to follow us on Bloglovin!  :) How is your week going?  Are you having the case of the Wednesdays and can't wait for the weekend?  Hugs, M.

P.S.  I love my bestie!

More Cruise Pictures! :)

As promised, here are the last bits of our vacation pictures via iPhone!  Enjoy!  As for me, I will dream about laying in a hammock, watching the waves and sipping on something fruity and delicious!

Blend a smoothie?  Have yourself a little workout before you indulge in calories!  How clever! :) 

Biggest palm tree I ever did see! (And hug!)

Arriving to Grand Cayman! 

 

So far, out of all the trips we took as a married couple, I realized our favorite vacations are the ones that involve the beach!  :) Beach bumming is sort of our thing!  Feet in the sand, the sun kissing our faces and the warm ocean breeze.  All so magical!  Should we move closer to the ocean? 

What is your favorite kind of vacation?! Would love to hear!  If you have some pictures, post the link in the comments and I will definitely head over to see!  Thank you and happy Tuesday!  I'll try to be back to share more DIY projects, either today or tomorrow.  xo, m. 

P.S.  I shared more pictures from our recent trip here and here!  Feel free to take a looksie! ;) 

Make Your Own: Photo Book

The husband and I take delight in sitting in our living room, sipping tea and flipping through photo albums. Chuckling at some silly memories and wishing to go back in time. Looking at ourselves and thinking "Wow, is it really us?" (And we've only been together for four years, married three this May!) I am excited to see how many more memories we will create over many more years to come (Lord willing!). Every day holds something special when you're with your special man. Doesn't it? I am feeling so thankful!
Today I want to share a simple photo book that I've made for my mister in just a few evenings.  I escaped my daily life by sitting on the floor of my "craft" room and working on this little project.  It's a small book, but it took me a couple of evenings to complete - Mod Podge takes forever to dry!  (Ahh!)
Here is what you'll need if you decide to make one for yourself or for your loved one!
1.  Pictures, pretty paper, stickers, magazines, newspaper, whatever your desire to use in this [photo] book! 2. Mod Podge 3. Scissors/Exacto knife.  4. Chipboard journal (I got mine at Michaels) or any other journal/notebook.  5.  Something to tie the journal with or use rings.  6.  Pencil in some craft time in your busy schedule and have fun with it! 

I ended up not using the rings and used only one hole, it's a lot easier to flip through the book this way!  I used a little bit of twine to tie my book and extremely happy that I did.  Twine and chipboard is a beautiful combination in my eyes! 

I love how Mod Podge seals the photos and keeps them protected and secure.

May 15th was a special, special day!  We said our "I do's" and lived happily for 3 years this May!

 

Hubby and Momo love the photo book! :) I picked two main colors: orange and red.  I dig those colors!  Lately I've been falling in love with orange more and more.  I love the metal camera I got for $2 at Michael's.  It's pretty fitting for the photo journal, don't you think? ;) 
Do you love to make mini scrapbooks?  I shared here another option for displaying your pretty photos around your home.  I'll share more options [real] soon! Thank you for stopping by!  I hope you all good folks will have a happy Monday!  -M.

Magazine Collage

There is something so nostalgic about collages. I remember when O and I would sit on the floor for hours flipping through stacks of magazines, choosing photos and words that stood out to us, and make wall collages.
I needed something unique to keep some of my sparkly things in. My rings needed a little small space that was designed just for them. I whipped up this small project in just about half an hour.
I found a plate that's been sitting somewhere in the kitchen and not being used. Brought out a stack of magazines and cut out a bunch of color, hearts and circles. Used Mod Podge to adhere the cut outs to my plate and sealed it with triple thick glaze. I let it dry overnight and in the morning I had myself a pretty decorative plate ready to use. (I wouldn't use it for food, just an FYI.) It now sits on my night stand. I didn't want to spend a lot of time on this, so I didn't cut out a lot of shapes, but I can definitely see some polka dot action going on, letters, triangles, patterns, meaningful words or whatever your little heart desires!
O suggested to use newspaper! I think I will do that next! :) Pages from an old book also sound great to me :)
What do you think about collages? Thanks for letting me share my lil project!
xox, m.

Make Your Own: Pen/Pencil Pouch!

My niece and I had a fun time working on pretty things yesterday afternoon.  She seemed so inspired when she visited my house on Tuesday, that we decided we would set a date on Thursday (yesterday) and make crafty messes.  I picked her up right after school and headed to Michael's.  We bought a white make up pouch. (Along with stamps, notebooks, paints and more!)  Since Jessica is only I mean already 11 years old and doesn't wear make up (yet!) I thought she could use this for her school supplies, like pens and pencils.  I immediately pictured us making a pretty pattern on this white pouch with some fabric paint.  And so we did.  It turned out even better than I've pictured in my head, and I wanted to keep it for myself!  A little selfish?  Maybe I should do another run to the craft store and get me another one (or dos!) ! ;)

If you want to create something nifty and not to mention practical like this pen pouch, here is what you'll need.
1.  A pouch.  2.  Fabric paint any color(s) your heart desires.  3.  Paint brush  4.  Some brownies to eat while you patiently wait for the front to dry so you can tackle the back!  ;)

Jessica was giddy with the final result!  She couldn't wait to take it to school and show it off to her friends.  It's a great feeling to make something yourself!

I hope this pouch will inspire Jessica to make more pretty things!  I can't wait to hang out with her again and work on special aunty  + niece projects!

How was your day?  Who do you love crafting with?? 

Thanks for reading!  Happy weekend! M. 

THANK YOU!

I'm just popping in to say thank you thank you thank you to all our readers and our new friends.  Your sweet comments and encouragement means a lot and puts us in a crafty, DIY mode!  :)  I know I'll be back tonight to post another small project I've worked on this week.  See you then?

I'll leave you at that ;)
xoxo, M!

Challenge: 10 Instagrams In One Day

I love to document my every day life.  I enjoy going back through my phone and looking at my captured memories.  Today I challenged myself not to be afraid to be creative.  I made a goal to create fresh, new photos with my iPhone over the course of one day.  (That was the tough part, as the time in my day zooms by way too fast!)  I typically share one-three pictures a day on Instagram.  Ten is a little steep for this girl, don't you think?  I knew this wasn't going to be easy.  I needed to find beauty in TODAY.  To enjoy all the little things in TODAY.  I incorporated different photo filters, props, angles and even my own handwriting in my pictures to make them unique and different from my regular day to day pictures.  I hope this inspires you to step out of your comfort zone and try new things with your phone or camera as well!

His and her morning coffee

Stunning beauties at my sissy's house

Send love notes

Yellow flowers!

This song makes me smile! 

Hello, tiny sprout! (My sugar snap peas!!)

Evening tea time with my twin (aka my little niece)

Making something pretty 

Hello, Mr. Moon

xoxo

Unfortunately the sun was hiding behind gloomy clouds all day and I couldn't play with sun flares!  Bummer!  I will do this Challenge again next week!  And I'll be honest, this was a lot harder than I thought it would be.  Hence - it was a "Challenge." ;)  I had a fun filled day today, spent most of the afternoon with my darling of a niece, Jessica.  We went to Michael's, treasure hunted at Goodwill, made brownies and did a lot of crafty messes at my house.  Thanks for stopping by today, friends! Check back tomorrow for more fun! ;) xox, m!

P.S.  Follow me on Instagram @mkzotov, if you want! ;)