DIY necklace and other good ideas

So. I can't do home projects til we move.. and we're still looking for a house (or leaning more towards building now since things are not working out). So I've been scrounging in the depths of my brain for other ways to use some creativity!...
This summer I became super infatuated with geode/agate/rock anything, especially jewelry. I love the following look for necklaces. Note the prices k?

Anthropologie $798(!!!)

anthro again $58.. not terrible

etsy $48

urban outfitters $34

So I think to myself, hmmm I wonder if they sell just slices of those rocks to make your own necklace cuz that would sure be cheaper! So I did some research.

Behold: 

Amazon!! These bad boys are $17 for all 6! And the hole is already drilled in them

I made 2 yesterday! I had some old necklaces laying around that I hardly wear anymore so I busted out the pliers, took off the chain, and voila!

                 Cost: $2.83 each =)

Here's some other random GREAT ideas I've stumbled upon this week:

My stepmom Aimee has 5 children, ages 6 and under. Needless to say, things in her house don't exactly stay how they should! 

Apparently the hand towels in the bathroom would end up on the counter, on the floor, in the toilet.

Her solution? Sew on some ribbon and tie the ends... you can dry your hands but the towel is STAYING!

Genius

 Saw this on pinterest as you may have too... Homemade, freezeable, healthier Egg Mcmuffins!!

Cook the eggs in muffin tins, assemble the sandwiches and freeze em! For the full how-to, check my pin

 Cute and easy way to dress up-flats... tie a ribbon around your foot~!

 Love this idea... spray paint coffee beans and use as a vase filler. I love the metallic!

 Found this in a mag while waiting at the dentists office... fill a vase with SEQUINS! The water lets some float, some sink, and the sequins lend some sparkle.   Love =)

Orange you glad it's fall??

Back in Utah, hallelujah!

It's fall time, my very FAVORITE season!! I'm pumped to start browsing some kind of fall and Halloween craft to do this next week (which I will post... IF it turns out of course).

Ya it's fall and everything and orange is popular this time of year but I've become a huge fan as of late, for other reasons. That cinnamon orangey-red is seriously my new love. love love love.

Here's some yummy orange goodness that just may need to be incorporated into your home year round!

bright colors

 love love this.. i'm really feeling the sultry vibe lately

 pumpkin walls?? who was brave enough to try this and actually pull it off?!

 orange- it's all in the accents

 simple accessoires= big impact

 orange in the bedroom. i love the mix of blues with it

 accent furniture piece.. can't get enough

 pillows- easy and cheap way to liven it up

 love this room as well.. subtle but still fun

(credits: christina murphy ineriors, turner davis interiors, decorati, roominspiredbyapril)

guest blogger!!

Hello all, sorry I've been MIA.. still up in Washington with my family, but I've wanted for some time to spotlight someone that has some major talent with refinishing furniture.. we have a random connection and I recently discovered her blog, and it's awesome....!

Hi Emerald Cidade friends! 

I am Julia, the girl behind the blog 551 East Furniture Design.

Stop on by some time and I'm sure I'll be talking about some ugly duckies,

or beautiful swans

or maybe a little about this little man or my handsome hubbster 

and in general other experiences about crazy beautiful LIFE. 

---------------------------------------------

I'm thrilled that Stephanie asked me to guest post today!

I LOVE all of her fabulous pictures and inspiration. 

Her ideas are all over my Pinterest. :) 

She sent me a series of questions that I'm excited to answer.

I restore furniture and I LOVE it! 

So here we go! 

Q: How long have you been refinishing furniture and how did you get started? 

I started restoring furniture a couple years ago as presents to give to friends who were getting married. It's kind of hard to start married life with no kitchen table. :) It was a sporadic hobby, but I LOVED it. Sadly, despite my best matchmaking efforts not enough friends were getting married to sustain my restoration addiction. So when my son was born and I needed a hobby beside watching Desperate Housewives. I officially started 551 East about 4 months ago and it''s become one of my favorite things. 

Q: How do you find time to work while having a toddler?

Ummm...sometimes I don't shower? I'm kind of just kidding, but seriously I've had to let some things go so that I can spend time with Rhett and sand/prime/paint/stain. I try to do most of my work during nap time and after he goes to bed. My husband and I are also partners in crime in this endeavor. We support each other and that helps us get a lot more done.   In all honestly I just have to be realistic about how much I can take on.  Q: How is the business part of it? Do you have any advice for people wanting to make some extra money from home? I wrote a post on this a couple of weeks ago on this subject! Here's a link to that post. It's kind of untraditional advice, but definitely worth knowing. An important thing to remember is that it's really hard to separate business from personal life,so make sure whatever business you want to start will complement or even enhance your personal life. Starting a business is hard, so unless you love what you're doing it might not be worth it.  As far as earning extra income, we have been blessed that 551 East has helped us do that. It's a great feeling knowing that I can help pay our student loans etc. It's not a steady income and you will work oh so very hard for every dollar, but it can help.   
Q: What are some of your favorite pieces you've done?   One of my favorite things about restoring furniture is watching how my style changes over time. These are some of my favorites and I am always so excited to see how they turn out. 

 Q: Where do you get your inspiration?  

I suscribe to a lot of free home decor magazines. Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, Pier 1. I follow blogs, use Pinterest, and just try to think outside the box. I don't buy a piece unless it speaks to me. I know that probably sound silly, but I need to see what it could be. 

Guys, thank you so much for reading and I hope you come say hi at my part of the blogosphere sometime soon! 

And Stephanie THANK YOU for letting me come over! 

PS We have a $50 CASH giveaway going on right now on our blog running until October 3rd so come check it out! 

signing out for the weekend

On the road today... making a roadtrip from Utah up to Seattle (and Yakima) where we'll be for a week..
Here's some awesome old hollywood glam for your weekend.. =)
I'll take those ginormous chandelier drum shades, and the red trim on the walls, and the rug. Pretty much the whole room.

melamine

I have had my eye on these sorts of things for a WHILE now.. they can get pricey, but my biggest thing is how to use them. Do I want a whole dish set made of melamine that isn't microwaveable?? I'm pretty certain I'm gonna break down and get a tray very soon... and a new cell cover.

I saw these first three today on One Kings Lane. Love them!!!

trays & cell covers from laplates

This super cute square serving tray from etsy

More cell phone cases from the same shop

Another cute tray an etsy shop

holy ship!

* side note- thanks for the comments on here and facebook about my housing dilemmas & .. Especially anonymous- my husband and I totally agree with your advice =)

SOOOO i love a good makeover and this one i have to pass along...
So first things first, I love repainted dressers.. they're becoming pretty common so you gotta do something unique to wow me!

Lindsey from betterafter is the funniest person I've blog-stalked. This is from her blog (check that link to the real source).

An already awesome dresser for a boys room....

But then paint on a SHIP!

So cute, I wish I was this artistic

let's get real..

K can I unload for a second? I am losing sleep over finding a HOUSE! It's become ridiculous and stressful! House hunting is super fun and exciting, but when you have a good idea of things you want, but  it doesn't work out or you just can't find it, it's super frustrating!
We put an offer on a house, although there were other offers and we are STILL waiting to hear what they've decided to do. The "final ultimatum" has been pushed back like 3 times, and we are still looking in the meantime.
Here's my question:
Do we go for the house that has lots of room and is practical, and priced well,
OR
do we go for the house that is decked out with upgrades, and is SO aesthetically pleasing & just how I want it, but is unfinished and pricey??
You see, I've vented about the typical Utah-style of home, and that's really all we see- knotty alder wood, dark granite (or fake crap), tan walls, brown carpet, and stucco exteriors.
Some people love that sort of stuff, but when that's all you see, I'm sorry, I gotta be a little more unique if I can help it!
Yes we've thought about building, but even then, it's gonna be expensive and we'd rather not wait that long. It just might come to that though.
Have any opinions/advice??

I had an older lady, a real estate agent insinuate several times yesterday that I am young and that we are lucky to even be able to buy a house at our age, and that perhaps I am being high-maintenance and spoiled by making certain requests. (Little does she know this would be my husband's 3rd property!)

These lovely images do not exist in Utah County, out of our price range no doubt, but I don't need my dream home yet... =)

what to do, what to do..........

Settees for dining

In my imaginary world of the house we put an offer on, and hoping that we actually get it, I am envisioning the kitchen/dining space and what I want to do with it. (I didn't know I was such a dreamer).

BUT I have a question, and if you have the answer, leave a comment and tell me please!!

I wonder if it's incredibly hard to get in and out of... does anyone  have a settee or bench at their table?? I have a toddler, so it's a given I'd have to have something with durable material. I'd still love to do something different that I rarely see in person, but don't want to sacrifice the convenience of traditional chairs. Know what I mean? I need seating for 6...

So look how chic this is!! And then comment.

Gorgeous right!?

via interiorsbystudiom.com

via interiorsbystudiom.com

totally in LOVE with this whole thing..

I'd like a simple bench also (Although I dunno that I'd call these SIMPLE), more like just plain gorgeous. A bench seems more casual to me, but this one especially just looks awesome and still sophisticated.

What say ye to that?

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