One Creative Momma

Monday, April 29, 2013

Creating an Inviting Entryway (In a Temporary Home)

I've been pondering what to do with our condo's entryway for months now. Our front door opens up directly into our family room and has only a tiny wood square on the floor to indicate an entryway. Not very inviting or functional!

Since we have a toddler, we needed somewhere that we could:

drop off keys, mail, purses, coats, etc
sit down to put on our shoes (this is very important with a three year old)
store our frequently used shoes (especially those that we wear around the house)
store items that are coming and going each day (such as lunch bags, paperwork, etc)

We also needed our entryway to be temporary and portable. Something we could take with us when our lease is up on the condo. And, we are unable to put large holes in the wall or customize the walls in any way. (Boo!)

I initially wanted to buy an old dresser and paint it a pretty color in order to give the entryway some pop. Something like this:

But alas, my lack of free time to paint had me heading down to IKEA to see what I could come up with in the way of finished furniture. I ended up coming home with this baby. TONS of storage and the price was right.

I don't mind that everyone and their brother has this dresser in their home. I plan to customize it with some colorful drawer pulls or stencils in the future to make it more unique. For now, I am thrilled with the end product. Our entryway is a million times more inviting and functional!

My favorite part of the entryway has got to be my new fiddle leaf fig. I found it at Home Depot for $35!

So that is my little entryway decorating project. I'm finally starting to get into the swing of things with my new job situation and my little guy's new schedule. Hopefully, I will continue to have the time and energy to decorate and complete some DIY projects in the weeks to come!

~Jen

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

A Springtime Getaway to Serenbe

Last weekend, my husband and I had the rare opportunity to spend a Saturday by ourselves. We choose to head down to a small community just south of Atlanta, called Serenbe. The community is a quiet place, tucked way out in the rural country side. The founders, Marie and Steve Nygren, started Serenbe as a bed & breakfast and expanded it to include beautiful craftsman style homes, an old town main street, fabulous restaurants, a spa, a sustainable farm, riding stable, and so much more.

My husband and I headed down late morning and started our day walking along the main street and checking out the home decor stores and beautiful houses. We then stopped by The Blue Eyed Daisy Bakeshop and had a wonderful lunch, including some of their award winning cupcakes. Next up was the Serenbe Spa for some massages and pedicures. Our day was amazing and we were quite spoiled by the scenery and atmosphere.

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Check out that yellow front door! ::Swoon:: All of the houses at Serenbe were unique and beautiful. I kept stopping to take pictures and drool over hydrangeas. I think my husband was worried people might start thinking I want to move in! I swear, I stood in front of an 8 foot tall hydrangea bush for 15 minutes trying to figure out how they got it to grow that tall. I almost knocked on the owner's door to ask. No shame!

The flowers were just amazing this time of year. It made me really miss having a yard and being able to get out and plant. Having a tiny balcony at a condo just isn't the same!

We had a fantastic afternoon "get away" at Serenbe and I highly recommend it! They also have a bed & breakfast and a few fabulous restaurants that have gotten great reviews if you want to make a weekend of it.

~Jen

*I was not compensated in any way for this post. My views and opinions are my own. In fact, Serenbe doesn't even know I exist. :)

Thursday, February 28, 2013

A Quick Update

The past few weeks have been so hectic. I missed last week's Weekly Finds post because I simply could not find the time to sit down and write it. Sad, but true. A lot of things have happened lately that have thrown me completely off guard. For starters, it has become apparent that my son has issues that are preventing him from moving forward in his Montessori school. We've been struggling as a family the entire time he has been enrolled, but now there is no denying that there is an issue. So, we have withdrawn him from school and are trying to figure out what to do with a child that has special needs.

Meanwhile, I quit my full time corporate job. The same corporate job that I moved my family across town for less than 6 months ago. Mom guilt will make you do crazy things. I decided that I wasn't going to sit by during these precious toddler years while everyone else tries to help my child work through his limitations. I mean, look at that face. It breaks my heart to see him struggle so much.

So, I am now an independent technical writing contractor, making my own work schedule and try to find a healthy work/life balance. Has anyone else been in this position? Does it just make you want to go insane?

Hopefully, things will smooth out shortly and I can get back into the swing of things blog-wise. I've been itching to do some DIY projects lately but haven't been able to find the time. I'm also dying to blog about a detox I recently completed. I lost 25 lbs in two months and have some amazing recipes to share! So for now, please bear with me. I promise I will be back!

~Jen

Friday, February 15, 2013

Weekly Finds: Week 6

Happy Friday Friends!

Maybe I should start doing this weekly finds post on Mondays instead of Fridays. For the past few weeks, the end of my week has been absolutely crazy and I haven't had time to put together my list until the last minute! What do you think? Would you rather have a Monday morning read?

Every week, I share my favorite finds in home decor, DIY, fashion, cooking, baking, travel, and more!

If you want to see even more of my favorite finds, visit me on Pinterest!

Weekly Find #1: Healthy Heavenly Shakes
Girl Scout Samoa shakes that are loaded with protein and not fat or carbs? Yes, please!

Weekly Find #2: DIY Polka Dot Wrapping Paper
With a pencil eraser! Clever...

Weekly Find #3: Chevron Infinity Scarf
I have an unhealthy obsession with infinity scarves and the chevron pattern.

Weekly Find #4: Turquoise!

Weekly Find #5: Road Trip Anyone?

~Jen

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Weekly Finds: Week 5

Happy Friday Friends!

Welcome to a special Valentine's Day edition of Weekly Finds!

This week, I am share my favorite finds in home decor, DIY, fashion, cooking, baking, travel, and more...all with a Valentine's Day theme!

If you want to see even more of my favorite finds, visit me on Pinterest!

Weekly Find #1: Valentine's Day Marshmallow Pops