Category: Home Decor

The Apartment 3 months later: music wall



Well, I made a promise and I have certainly tarried with the deliver of it, but now here it is. This post is part of a series on what we did to the apartment. View all the posts here. You remember the apartment when we moved in. And we spent the first two months really setting up shop. One of our very best friends moved to Austin shortly after we did, and was looking for a short term and affordable place to rent; the perfect answer was our second bedroom. So, our “formal dining” room became my new office, we always have our friend around and it’s worked out perfectly. On today’s edition of “The Apartment 3 Months Later” we are taking a look at our instrument wall!

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I actually saw a piece of art with this song reference before I ever heard the old crow medicine show song, Wagon Wheel and I was immediately intrigued. I “play” the guitar the way that all girls in high-school played guitar. I know major chords and that was enough to play every worship song from the late 90’s, so I never learned any more. While Josh, just recently got a banjo and is planning on taking lessons. We both said we wanted to hang the instruments up rather than have them in their cases in a closet, so this wall idea was born. I worked with a lovely woman on Etsy to get the vinyl, and at the last second, we decided to add the letters at a 90 degree angle to better fill the wall space. I think it worked out SO well. I’m finding that I play more, if I can just take the guitar down from the wall and then put it back there.

xoxo,
Adora

The Apartment 3 months later: Swings



Well, I made a promise and I have certainly tarried with the deliver of it, but now here it is. This post is part of a series on what we did to the apartment. View all the posts here. You remember the apartment when we moved in. And we spent the first two months really setting up shop. One of our very best friends moved to Austin shortly after we did, and was looking for a short term and affordable place to rent; the perfect answer was our second bedroom. So, our “formal dining” room became my new office, we always have our friend around and it’s worked out perfectly. On today’s edition of “The Apartment 3 Months Later” we are taking a look at our porch swings.
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Our “back porch” is about 10 square feet of cement and doesn’t have much going on. We tried keeping some things out there, but sadly, they were stolen. The only storage space out there is where the washer and dryer hook up. We weren’t really sure what we wanted to do. I didn’t want to risk buying some cute patio furniture and having it stolen. So, I decided I wanted classic swings, so we could sit out there and gently rock on our two swings and talk about our day. We got about 45 feet of rope and a 2 x 10 boardĀ  and then I sat inside fanning myself and being fed grapes while Josh labored away (okay not really, but I feel that way when he’s working hard and I’m not). Like everything Josh does, it came out perfectly. So now, we swing – and it’s the cutest darn thing you’ve ever seen.

xoxo,
Adora

Moving on in…



We woke up this morning in a best western hotel, which was shockingly nice. Went to the bank for a new money order and to attempt to sort out some drama that came along with trying to send our last money order through the United States postal service (never use them if you can avoid it). Then, finally, we went to our new home, signed our lease and got the keys!

Now comes the hard part. Unpacking the u-haul beast. Ugh. Pray for us. Here are some pics of the empty apartment.

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xoxo,
Adora

cord wrap



Do you remember making friendship bracelets from embroidery thread when we were kids? They’re still doing this apparently. This is the same idea, except with one piece of twine and a charging cord (or any cord you like).
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Tape the twine to the top of the chord and then tie the twine around the cord pulling tight after each tie. This would have turned out better had I not tried to do this with my cats around. I really want to try to do this thicker rope and a pendant lamp…so that will probably happen soon.
xoxo,
Adora

Bored with my guest bath



The closest I’ve ever gotten to ‘decorating’ our guest bathroom was adding towels to the towel bar and putting up a metal Ikea shelf that was originally meant forĀ  the kitchen before we switched gears there. So, I just attempted to start the process of decoration and I’m hoping I’m struck with a vision during the process. Step one was get something, ANYTHING up on that sad shelf. So, this is what I’ve done. My good friend Liz was sweet enough to bless me with this giant fake mason jar that I’ve seen at Target (and carried around in my target basket trying to talk myself into letting myself buy it). That beautiful giant mason jar has sat on my kitchen shelf without purpose or direction for too long. So, I filled it up with white bars of soap, and set it, some toilet paper, and a few towels up on the shelf. It’s just a start. I have so far to go. But don’t you just love the soap in the jar?
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Any ideas for what to do next? Color suggestions? I’m a little lost.
xoxo,
Adora

DIY Mason Jar Candle



I know some people prefer candles set in glass jars, but not melted into them. I am not that person. I love when the glass jar and the candle it contains are one. If you’re like me, then this project is for you. If not…I don’t know, check out this video of a cat standing up I guess.
1Go to dollar tree and get yourself a candle and a mason jar. Come back home and set a small pot of water to boil.
2Get that candle in there. Mine wouldn’t fit in one piece, because I was trying to get a large candle in the jar…so I chopped off the sides and kept hacking until I could fit the center of the candle in the jar. Then, I added back the pieces on all the sides inside the jar to try and recreate an even candle.
3Sit the jar inside the boiling pot of water
4If the center part of the candle with the wick starts to pull to one side, use wooden skewers to keep it centered
5When it’s mostly melted (mine was 15 minutes) take it out CAREFULLY with oven mitts.
6Try and get the wick mostly centered using the handy dandy skewers and let it harden back up.
7Mine kind of came out with layers of colors, I don’t mind.
8Let it burn.
9Extra credit for painting the jar, especially if you do a better paint job than I did here.

Side note: if you have wick on hand, this is also a good way to add all your extra bits of almost finished candles together, to make a whole brand new candle.

xoxo,
Adora

What every bathroom needs



I came across this post by Loribeth Clark, outlining the 8 things that every bathroom needs. When I came across the flowers or plant part of the list I realized my bathroom was lacking. So, here are the pretty flowers i’ve added to the room, and a shot of my Degas print, even though I’ve had it for forever, just because I think it’s beautiful.

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What do you think is a bathroom MUST have?
xoxo,
Adora