I still heart succulent terrariums

How's this for procrastination? I wrote this post back in January about how much I love succulent terrariums. I even gave lots of good tips to create your own, but guess what? I didn't have one in my house until just a week or so ago!

Glad I got my act together, because this is how they turned out...

A trip to the big orange store, along with a trip to Hobby Lobby for the containers and I was set. All ready to plant...

Making sure to layer rocks will help with proper draining. I cleaned out the sole's of Reed's tennis shoes and had just enough rocks to pull of this project! Just kidding, but we did make a trip to the playground to borrow a scoop or two.

I varied each layer of rocks and dirt just for fun, then added in the plants.

If they grow much, I'll definitely need to replant. But for now, I love how they fit just right in their new little homes.

Anyone want to take bets on if I'll still have these little fellas around in another 6 months? I'll try my best. My fiddle leaf fig trees are doing great so maybe I just needed the motivation of having plants in our house that I truly love, to make me turn in my black thumbs for a shade closer to green!

Blogging made me do it! Featuring Cassie from Hi Sugarplum!

I've really been looking forward to this post, friends. I'm pretty sure today's guest doesn't need an introduction, but just in case you've been living under a rock...break out your thesaurus look up 'Cassie' and I guarantee it'll say 'hilarious!'

Cassie's sense of humor is just as fabulous as her DIY projects, frugal travel tips and her recent pool bathroom makeover. This chica is not afraid of color!

Check out what she has to say...

Hi guys, I'm Cassie from Hi Sugarplum! I've enjoyed reading this series, and am excited to take part today. It's funny because when Dana asked me what blogging has made me do, I went in a totally different direction than the others! I thought of the head-shaking, running around like a crazed chicken, forced occasion.

Let's back up to March, and the exciting email I received from Katie of Bower Power and Sherry of Young House Love to join their next Pinterest Project. After recovering from the excitement, I went into sheer panic. I mean, I post about projects as they come to me, not create them on the fly. And certainly not for an audience as big as theirs!

I had been toying with the idea of DIY Faux Painted Antlers, so decided to give them a whirl. I tried modeling clay, plaster and paper mache....and it seemed each method was worse than the last.

But what could I do? Not post a project on Pinterest Challenge day, one that I was co-hosting with Katie and Sherry?! Uh, no! Which is how I ended up spending an entire weekend forcing a project that I'd normally have just ditched. I might have eventually posted this project, after ironing out some of the kinks, but blogging made me do it sooner than that. And actually, they aren't the worst-looking things ever to come out of my Project Gallery, but I did get a few scathing comments.

On the bright side, blogging has also given me more confidence in myself to create a home I love. It's not meant for a magazine, but to make me and my family happy when living in it. And while I stumble trying to find my way and my style, so far it's true to me.

Thanks, Cassie, for sharing your wonderful project and home with us! Make sure you stop by Hi Sugarplum! and tell her how much you enjoyed it, friends.

I hope you all have a happy weekend!

Random Act of Kindness #37

Today's RAK challenge comes paired with a game. Ready to play? 

What do these 3 pictures have in common?

#1

#2

#3

Oh, I threw ya with that last one, didn't I?

Give up? Should I make you think a little harder before revealing the answer? Okay, okay I know ya'll like challenges so we'll keep the game going a little longer.

Picture explanations: (Remember we're looking for the common factor)

#1- Reed came home from church camp last night and immediately after his shower, this is what he said, "Momma, wanna snuggle?"(obviously not an actual picture of the moment, but you get the point)

#2- I enjoyed my first full facial yesterday and boy, was it relaxing!

#3- When I told Bryn her friend was home to visit from Singapore she said, "I can't wait to give her an anaconda hug!" (think about that one for a second...it's actually really funny!)

Ding, Ding, Ding...you guessed it! 

"Touch"

RAK Challenge #37: Make it a point to touch the people you care about today.

This may seem simple or silly but in today's times of electronics and hustle and bustle, I think we often forget to touch the ones around us. There are hundreds, probably even thousands of studies that show the benefit of human touch. The emotions produced from a kind touch are awesome. A simple touch can reassure, soothe and even calm a person. 

I think this is a great way to spread a little kindness to those you love. 

Okay friends, you know the drill...go out and be kind!

Blogging made me do it! Featuring Megan from Megan Brooke Handmade

As promised, friends, here's the second dose of your triple treat this week. And guess what?...Megan asked me to write my own "Blogging made me do it!" post which you can read over on her blog today.

Megan is one of my newest blogging friends. She left a kind comment one day, I responded and next thing ya know we're swapping posts! Isn't it cool how that happens? She has a desire to inspire and shares some wonderful creations. Megan really tugs at my heartstrings with the post she offered up today...check out her transparency. Love a girl who's willing to be real!

I'm so honored to be apart of Dana's 'Blogging Made Me Do It' series. I started my blog out of a need for another creative outlet. I had opened an Etsy shop {which I've now all but abandoned :/} several months prior to blogging, but was seeking an outlet where I could showcase other projects I was working on and hopefully inspire others to get creative. When I wrote my first blog post a year ago, I didn't really know what to expect. Besides hoping to inspire maybe one or two people, I really was just looking forward to meeting and getting to know other bloggers and other women who had a passion to create. What I didn't expect was how much blogging would push me to grow as a person.

Source: weheartit.com via Good Morning London on Pinterest

Blogging has forced me to put myself out there and to step out of my comfort zone. You see, I'm typically not good at sharing my thoughts and not really one to be all 'look what I did.' And a huge part of blogging is putting your thoughts out in the open for all to see and read and to 'show' people the things you've made or accomplished. Not my strongest suit. I've had to learn to get over the fear of what others will think of what I've said or what I've done and be confident in myself. I can now say I no longer fear the 'publish' button {as much as I used to}.

Source: tumblr.com via Sally on Pinterest

Blogging has also made me push my creativity. In this day and age with tons of diy/decorating blogs and Pinterest, it's easy to come across a million projects you can replicate exactly. Having a blog, you want to come up with fresh & new ideas, not just recycle things that everyone has already seen. So I've had to push myself and challenge myself to take all the inspiring things I've seen and love and create something that is totally my own and that fits me. Now when I'm working on things, I see it through the lens of the blog. How can I make this project more visually appealing, more inspiring, or more unique which in turn has challenged me to push my creativity.

Source: us.fotolog.com via Kymberly on Pinterest

And the biggest thing blogging has made me do is to learn to take risks. As a general rule, I'm not much of a risk taker. Those that know me would probably describe me as a pretty cautious person. That's not to say I'm not a 'go-getter.' Once I set my mind to something, there's no turning it back most of the time. But, usually the things I'm going after are never super risky. But, I'm learning that if you don't take the big leaps, you'll never end up where you want to be. The first big risk I've taken is switching over from Blogger to self-hosting on Wordpress. To some that might not sound like a huge risk. But for someone who is technically challenged, it was. I've had to learn how to read and write html code, how to edit CSS, and learn what name servers are {although I'm still not 100% sure what that means}. And, at any minute there is the risk that I could totally mess up my entire blog and it could disappear or crash and it's totally on me to fix. Ahh! But, I love knowing that I completely own my little blog and it's so much more rewarding when I figure things out on my own {like when I figured out how to fix the padding in my CSS template all by myself!}.

Another risk I've taken is signing up for my first blog conference {Haven} later this month. I'll be a super small fish in a sea of big fish. I've never met any of these women and am terrified that I'm going to be the awkward middle school kid who doesn't fit in with the cool kids. But, I know that I'm going to make great connections and learn so much and feeling a little awkward is a risk I'm willing to take. I'm so glad I decided to start blogging. I've 'met' some incredible people {including Dana} and have learned so much along the way. Blogging is a lot of work, but it's made me into a better person {cheesy I know, but it's true}. Can't wait to see what the next year has in store. Thanks so much Dana for including me in this series!

Aren't you glad Megan shared with us today? Okay, all you lucky souls who will be attending Haven hop on over to meet Megan and keep an eye out for her friendly face at the conference.

Transparent Tuesday

I have a confession to make...summer scares me. The long, hot days. The 'what are we going to do today' constant questioning from my kids.

Am I the only one that feels like summer is the ultimate test of my mothering skills? I get to play referee, be the activity director and of course there's the short order cook position. Don't forget that your kids "must" do some sort of school-related work to keep the minds fresh and to make sure they don't loose everything they were just taught in school. Really? I never did school work in the summer and seemed to do just fine. Why is there such a push these days? Does it really make that big of a difference?

If I were a "good" mom, I'd have super fun activities planned each day. Maybe something like this...

a
1. Draw with Sidewalk Chalk
2. Play with Water Toys in the Yard
3. Slip N Slide
4. Make Giant Bubbles5. Paint Items Outside with Water  (It dries and there is no mess!)
6. Go to a Local Fishing Pond
7. Backyard Campout
8. Draw Monster Pictures on Paper, Hang them in the Yard and “Melt” them with the Hose or Spray Bottle
9. Head to a Splash Park
10. Go on a Treasure Hunt for Rocks and Paint them
11. Participate in the Summer Movie Program! (Kid Friendly Movies are only $.50 during the Summer!)
12. Collect Flowers and Press them in Books
13. Outdoor Picnic
14. Create a Campfire and Do S’mores
15. Head to the Zoo
16. Make a Lemonade Stand and Sell it Outside to the Neighbors
17. Take a Tour of a Fire Statio
18. Head to a Water Park
19. Go on a Family Hike
20. Have a Movie Night Outside with Pillows and Blankets
21. Make Homemade Ice Cream
22. Head to a Free Fireworks Show or Have Your Own at Home
23. Do a Family Game Night with Fun Prizes at the End
24. Go on a Bike Ride
25. Take a Family Walk
26. Go to a Park and Feed the Ducks
27.  Have Bathtime in the Bathtub with Glowsticks!28. Build a Fort Inside on a Rainy Summer Day
29. Let them Color on your Windows with Window Markers or Crayons
30. Purchase Solid Colored Shirts and Hand Kids a Bleached Pen to Create their Own Designs
31. Make Your Own Playdoh32. Do an Outdoor Scavengar Hunt
33. Color Ice Cubes and Set on the Drive way to Melt
34. Fingerpaint with Pudding
35. Make Tin Foil Dinners and Cook them in the Oven.
36. Teach your Kids to Sew.
37. Make cute hair clips with your Kids.
38. Find Shapes in the Clouds
39. Water Balloon Fight
40. Play Outdoor Night Games
41. Go to the Library Each Week and Read Books at the Park
42. Make Homemade Popsicles43. Backyard Tic Tac Toe44. Make a Marshmallow Shooter, Spray Paint the Outside and Have Teams
45. Blow Up Balloons and Cut Water Noodles in Half for a Fun Game.46. Make Your Own Slime47. ABC Hunt- Write all 26 Letters on your Driveway and Find Items Outside and Place Next to Each Letter.
48. Make Rootbeer Floats
49. Go to One of the Free Museum or Free National Park Days in your area
50. Go to a Baseball Game
51. Make SnoCones at Home
52. Plant a Garden
53. Go to a Dinosaur Museum
54. Head to a Farm and Feed the Animals
55. Participate in Kids Bowl Free!56. Go Star Gazing
57. Go Miniature Golfing
58. Head to Free Movies in the Park (Check local cities for times.)
59. Do a Kid Fun Run
60. Make Your Own Lava Lamp61. Go to a Library Storytime
62. Go to a Carnival or County Fair
63. Go Fishing
64. Make Necklaces out of Colored Pasta
65. Have a Princess Tea Party Outdoors
66. Have a Muddy Sandbox Day
67. Flashlight Tag
68. Travel to New Playgrounds
69. On Rainy Days, Create a Homemade Music Video
70. Write with Chalk on your Trampoline.  (It washes right off and looks more like a Chalkboard!)
71. Make homemade popsicles with fruit juice and popsicle molds.
72. Have a read-a-thon day at the Park with treats.
73. Go have a picnic at a park or a camp ground site.
74. Haul the TV and DVD player outside for a starlit movie night.
75. Door Bell Ditch Someone with Ding Dongs!

{source of summertime fun}

The truth is that we'll more than likely do several of the things on this list, but in reality, these activities only take up a tiny portion of that loooong day. And, does anyone have the magic solution to making opposite sex siblings agree on the same activity? 

So, in my transparency today, I confess to you that summertime causes a bit of anxiety on my end. I'll pray my way through this summer and ask God to give me an extra dose of energy and creativity, because the last thing I want my kids to recall when they think about summers past is that  they were torture because mom was cranky!

Anyone else need a summertime prayer? Leave me a comment or send me an email: dfrieling1@gmail.com. 

Blogging made me do it! Featuring Danielle Oakey

Guess what?! You're in for a treat this week. 'Blogging made me do it' isn't happening just on Friday this week. How about hearing from some fabulous ladies today and Wednesday too?! 

Here's what I love about this series...I've read Danielle's blog for a while now and I've never seen this project. Isn't it great that she gets to dig in her archives and share with us? It's a shame when great projects get buried.

I have to admit I have a love/hate relationship with Danielle. Let me explain...I love her blog and think she has amazing taste, but my best friend/neighbor thinks Danielle is THE BOMB! We'll be working on a project and she'll often say, "Maybe I should hire Danielle." HELLLOOOO, friend...thanks for the vote of confidence. She sure knows how to make a girl feel appreciated, right?! (just to clarify, this is totally true but there are no hard feelings...love you, Katie!) And, you're right, Danielle is fantastic!

Moving on...Let's see what Blogging has made Danielle do!

 Hi, I am Danielle from Danielle Oakey Interiors!

I am excited to be here today participating in Dana's "Blogging Made Me Do It" series!

I started blogging on a daily basis in September of 2010. I must admit, as soon as I began the blogging adventure, my mind was constantly spinning with DIY projects. I began tackling my small condo one project at a time while blogging about the process.

One of the first DIY projects I tackled was my mirrors for my dining room.

Although I am sure I would have eventually gotten around to hanging something there, blogging definitely gave me that much needed nudge to get-er-done. 

I bought these mirrors from my local thrift store for $8.00 each.

The scale was perfect and so was the price.

They are quite large, about 50"h x 21"w.

I primed them,

and painted them white.

I then decided to paint a pale blue on the inside of the mirror.

I love how they turned out, and how do you possibly beat $16.00.

The best part, everyone thinks I paid lots of money for them!

If only they knew :)

Thanks so much for having me Dana!

xoxo,

Danielle

Thanks so much for sharing your time with us today, Danielle. If you're not already a regular reader of Danielle's blog, you need to check out what you've been missing!

Blogging made me do it! Featuring Abby Manchesky

It's Friday friends, and I'm proud to report that we officially made it through the first week of summer break and I only heard "I'm bored" every time I made them turn off the TV once or twice! That's a small victory, right?

I'm pumped that Abby from A Delightful Design is sharing with us today. She doesn't know this, but Abby was the very first blogger that I ever corresponded with. She's the one who brought blogging to life for me. I stopped blog stalking just reading and realized bloggers are very friendly and approachable. She even showed a picture of my dining room on her blog before my own blogging days. You never know the impact you'll have on someone else's life...a simple reminder that it pays to be kind at all times, friends!

Moving on to what you're really waiting for...let's see what Blogging has made Abby do!

Blogging has changed my life.  Truly.  

When I sat down to write this post I really didn't know where to start.  I could ramble on and on--because if I hadn't started blogging my days would be drastically different.  I considered just taking pictures of my messy house with toys in the most random places, but changed my mind last minute.  Blogging takes time away from cleaning. ;-) 

 In the end, I'd have to say that blogging made me fearless.  I refuse to design or make decisions out of fear.  If I fail then I'd rather fail big. 

A year ago this fearlessness led to a start of my own design firm and I'm still thrilled beyond words that I have huge projects with local clients and a waiting list of e-design clients.  I don't take it lightly that strangers trust me with their home.  

Here are some examples, from my own house, of what I was not afraid to try this year.  

First up is our guest bedroom.

It used to look like this.  Yikes!  I'm not sure I would have had the courage to trust my gut and paint the bedroom ceiling coral before blogging.

 I found this Drexel piece for $50 and knew it was just what we needed as our TV stand.

Now it's one of my favorite pieces in our house.  There's very little high gloss white and bit of vintage brass hardware can't solve.

Finally, this hallway was so depressing to me when we bought our house.  I'm not sure I would have trusted myself ,before blogging, to make the changes I made.  

But blogging can be the great encourager, and the stripes turned out even better than I expected.

Huge thanks to Dana for inviting me to be part of this series!  It was fun to think about my choices through the lens of blogging. My house can get messy, but I've become friends with clients all over the country, and it never feels like work.

Thanks for sharing, Abby. I've really enjoyed watching her house evolve along with seeing her work her magic with clients. Hop on over to A Delightful Design and tell Abby hello!

Hope you all have a restful weekend. We're dropping kids off at various camps. One is a seasoned camper and the other is a little nervous for his first adventure away from mom and dad. Say a little prayer!