Hello friends! Thank you so much for the lovely comments from my last post on saying no to stressful obligations during the holidays. Such insightful comments! For the next few days I’m working on an important gift, I’m assembling all the best pictures from my teens’ childhood, uploading them, and having a book made for each of them. A few years ago I had a T-shirt memory quilt made for my stepdaughter, she still naps with it, and it’s one of her favorite things. I love personalized gifts, they feel more meaningful because they take a little extra planning but they have such a beautiful impact when revealed to the recipient. In anticipation of the holiday season, consider some of these unique personalized products for gift giving. leather cord roll upscommemorative printed linen trayleather keychainsframed heart snapshot
t shirt memory quiltmap for adventuring couplesnatural leather tray
night sky star mapinitial leaf braceletplush friendskeepsake quoteengraved wood architectural outlinemonogrammed cutting boardglass and wood servewareleather dopp kitfamily pillowWhat personalized gifts have you given to the special people in your life? I’d love to know! . Personalized Holiday Gift Ideas syndicated from https://wallsgshop.blogspot.com/ via Tumblr Personalized Holiday Gift Ideas
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If you’ve been hesitant to jump on the wallpaper bandwagon, let this post be the soothing voice that gently strokes your hair and says “don’t worry my pet, wallpaper doesn’t have to be hard, permanent, or expensive. Also your hair looks good today, and I should probably stop touching it because I don’t know you like that.” Adding wallpaper to the middle bedroom at our beach house took us just a few hours and cost us less than $100. It’s a whole lotta bang for not much buck (or extra high skill level). Plus it’s 100% removable so if we ever tire of it or want to swap it for something else, it’s not a big deal. So in this post we’ll show you exactly how we hung it, including a video I took of my lovely husband hanging a panel for you in real-time while I talk and point (you know, the things I’m most known for). Continue reading How To Hang Peel & Stick Wallpaper (On Video!) at Young House Love.
via Tumblr How To Hang Peel & Stick Wallpaper (On Video!) I woke up this morning, made some coffee, took my teens to school, came home and casually opened Instagram. Then it hit me as I scrolled through my feed. Here we go, it’s officially the holiday season and with it comes two months of unending to do lists and obligations thrust upon me. I could feel the tension creeping up in my neck and shoulders. It hit me so hard and made me feel so stressed I did something I rarely do, I crawled right back into bed. I knew the only way to for me to get rid of this discomfort was not to hide from the stress, but instead to face it so I took a long walk to clear my head. I’ve become pretty good at maintaining balance in my life in the last few years, but I got knocked off balance today and it forced me to ask myself some important questions about why I felt this way. Why do I feel such overwhelming pressure to do so much during the holidays? Why am I not excited, why do I feel such dread? Is it self induced? Is it societal projection? Every year, on the first week of November, I get hit with overwhelming pressure to please way too many people, so much so I feel it physically in my body. Where does this come from? People pleasing during the holidays was modeled by my mother and aunts. I watched them growing up so I absorbed it and believed it was my role that I needed to take on too. Decorate the house, bake the cookies, plan the menu, host the party, buy the gifts, wrap the gifts, and don’t forget to smile and look your absolute best while you do it. People pleasing is thrust upon us by social media, it dominates our culture and pressures women to have beautifully decorated homes, gifts tied up in perfect bows, magazine worthy menus, and children dressed in matching pajamas. I accept that some of my people pleasing tendencies are self induced. I love writing this blog but with the holidays comes additional pressure to provide unique content to inspire. Yet when I look at others in my niche it feels as if there’s some collective agreement to raise the bar every year. So to preserve my sanity, I push back. I say to myself “Girl, don’t kill yourself, there are no points being rewarded or prizes being handed out here. Relax, breathe, pace yourself, contribute what you can when it works for you.” People pleasing is a choice I’ve consciously made, but it feels so much different when it’s one-on-one. When I spend time cooking or entertaining and I can see the joy on the faces of the people who are directly benefiting from it, that feels like giving and that’s a good thing. If I’m making real memories, I say yes to that, time and again. The part of Christmas I enjoy the most is the one-on-one connection, when I’m decorating the tree with my daughter or snuggling on the couch with my son watching movies. And twinkle lights, I can never get enough of twinkle lights. Last year I kept a promise to myself, that I was no longer going to do things that I dreaded. No longer would I spend time on holiday activities that were a soul suck. This year I’ll do the same. Instead of throwing a big party for eighty people on a Saturday night, I choose to gather ten of my best girl friends on a Thursday night for a two hour ornament exchange. Instead of sending ninety gold foil Christmas cards, I’ll send personal texts or individual cards to people I love who make a difference in my life. For anyone who needs to hear this, I offer these words of encouragement. Look at the obligations (or dare I say burdens) we take on during the holiday season, and ask yourself, 1) Does this activity bring me joy? Or 2) Do I dread this every year? If it’s in the #2 category, maybe it’s time to just say no. To begin the practice of saying yes to only the things that make the season bright, and no to all the things that drain you. Maybe it’s time to introduce a new boundary this season that honors you, your time, and your energy. There’s so much power in giving yourself permission to say no. What have you eliminated from your list of holiday obligations that brings you more peace? Afternoon Chat: Stressful Holiday Obligations syndicated from https://wallsgshop.blogspot.com/ via Tumblr Afternoon Chat: Stressful Holiday Obligations Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa-la-la….let me explain. It’s early, yes. And I am all about Thanksgiving – being thankful, counting blessings, turkey feast with all the trimmings with family doesn’t get forgotten. But there’s a lot going on this month with birthdays, a wedding, a countdown to a two week vacation AND Christmas decorating at the studio and apartment because it will be a part of our local symphony’s holiday tour of homes fundraiser as well as decorating at home. That means: it’s time to dig out the Christmas decor and get busy! Holiday DIY/Decor Favorites from Christmas PastSo I thought I’d gather up a few of my past favorite DIY holiday decorating photos from Christmas past for inspiration and to refresh my memory of what’s in all of those boxes stored in the attic and what I might need to add to a shopping list. Oh yea! A Christmas tree farm inspired dining room. Classic red and green. I love that vintage red truck, pine trees, string lights and plaid tablecloth. Definitely something to keep back for decorating our home. More traditional red and green. Definitely sticking with the classics for home. I think I’ll mix them in with the wall gallery in our living room. Birds & Berries Christmas Tree Originally a tree in our family room, but this year I’m cutting back to only one Christmas tree at home and this birds & berries theme fits right in with the things I’ve already mentioned. Shopping the attic is working out for decorating our home this year! Succulents & Spruce Christmas Tree Last year I used this coppery gold succulent beauty at the studio and I plan to do the same this year. I love the mix of copper and gold, oranges with evergreen. I might add touches of red and switch things up above the built in bookcases and on the mantel. Ombre Christmas Tree // No Sew DIY Ruffled Tree Skirt Ah, yes. The turquoise/aqua/mint ornaments with ruffled no-sew tree skirt. I haven’t used these decorations in a few years but I think they’ll complement the navy/mint studio workshop well and look wonderful in front of the grid of 9 windows. These ornaments were so easy to make and so cute! Easy DIY Pipe Cleaner Christmas Tree Bells Tutorial More favorite DIYShowOff Christmas vignettes and decor for inspiration: Holiday DIY/Decor Favorites from Christmas Past syndicated from https://wallsgshop.blogspot.com/ via Tumblr Holiday DIY/Decor Favorites from Christmas Past You guys submitted your favorite life hacks over the last few weeks, so today we’ve got an episode bursting at the seams with all of those cheap & simple tricks for making your home run smoother and your day a little less frustrating. We’ve got everything from clever cleaning tips and unconventional storage ideas to both high and low tech ways to keep you more organized. We’re also sharing why we’re giving a BIG EYEROLL to the latest part of our master bathroom renovation and a new money saving tool that we got for our kids. You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Spotify – or listen to it below! Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you may have to click through to the post to see the player. Continue reading #153: Easy Ways To Make Your Day Less Annoying at Young House Love.
via Tumblr #153: Easy Ways To Make Your Day Less Annoying I was lucky to take three international trips in 2019 and as I look ahead to 2020, I’ve already decided on two of the three locations for next year’s international adventures. Now that we’re entering the holiday season, the content will shift in that direction, so this will be my final travel post of the year, but I wanted to share something really special: my journey through the Sacred Valley of Peru and my visit to Machu Picchu. I spent a few days with my travel companions exploring Cusco, the home base where most travelers begin their journey to Machu Picchu. Some try to get from Cusco to Machu Picchu and back in a day but that seemed incredibly exhausting so we decided in advance to spend three days between a few of the towns in the valley using various forms of transportation, this gave us a lot more time to explore. Here’s how we broke it up. On our first day, we shared a taxi from Cusco to Urubamba with an hour long stop in Chinchero.and spent the night in Urubamba. One the second day we took the morning train to Agua Calientes, then the afternoon bus to Machu Picchu where we stayed until closing at sunset. That evening we returned by bus to Agua Calientes and stayed at a hotel. On the third day we took a train from Agua Calientes to Ollaytaytambo with a three hour stop for sight seeing and lunch, then shared a taxi ride from Ollaytaytambo back to Cusco. At the end of these three days, we concluded we had paced it perfectly. Urumbamba is an hour drive from Cusco, and your taxi driver can stop in a little town called Chinchurro. It’s a tiny town where textiles are made and gives tourists a brief look at the process and the opportunity to buy them. Llama and alpaca feeding free of charge.
We stayed the night at a nice hotel in Urubamba, ate breakfast then walked the colorful downtown area to get a feel for it. We loved all the tuk tuks the local use to get around! My travel companions and I had read about the luxurious Hiram Bingham round trip train ride from Cusco to Agua Calientes but realized that ticket is super pricey. We wanted the train experience but not at that price, so we booked the one way Sacred Valley train on Peru Rail from Urubamba to Machu Picchu and it was totally amazing! I almost wrote a single blog post just about this train ride because it was exceptionally fun and now ranks as one of my top five travel memories ever. Large pieces of luggage are not allowed on this train so we decided in advance we would live out of a backpack for our three day journey carrying nothing but a few toiletries, phone chargers, and a change of clothes. We caught the train at the Tambo Del Inka hotel at 10:30 in the morning and as soon as we boarded we were enchanted.
Riding this train feels just like living in a movie. The classic bar car and polished caboose offer panoramic views and a brass railing along the back of the train where we stood and soaked in the scenery. I loved every detail and every minute! The passengers are limited to 33 so never felt crowded, and we were lucky to be traveling on a perfectly sunny day. The second half of the journey included a three course lunch with wine in the elegant dining car. The food was simple but tasty (hello aji sauce!) and the dessert was the best tres leches cake I’ve had in years. As we wound our way to our destination of Machu Picchu, we watched the topography slowly changing as the train followed the Urubamba river from the fertile valley through the mountains then into the jungle. The train continues to wind its way through the valley as the river turns into rapids making its way to Agua Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu. We drank our last cup of coffee and gathered up our backpacks for our arrival. The only thing between us and Machu Picchu was the final 20 minute bus ride! Bellies full, we were ready for a hike to one of the modern seven wonders of the world. To get to the site you need to take a bus, but before we boarded we wanted to store our backpacks first. There are several places in town near the bus ticket office where you can store belongings. Agua Calientes is a charming little town and the only access in and out is via train, so plan ahead. The line for the busses to Machu Picchu can get long too, so allow for time to wait in line as well. Arriving at Machu Picchu is a thrilling experience, but you can’t there unless you have your bus ticket, site ticket, and your passport. We almost forgot our passports so don’t make that mistake! Once you make it to the top and through the gate, get ready, it’s very exciting because you’re about to witness one of the coolest places in the entire world. How lucky were we to be there on a sunny day, the shadows cast by the bright sun brought out all the contrast in this UNESCO World Heritage site. Amazing! The hike through Machu Picchu takes about 2 hours if you’re going at a leisurely pace. You can hire a guide or do a self guided tour with some research beforehand, it has a fascinating history. Avid hikers can skip the bus ride down and hike the trail back down to Agua Calientes. We opted to stay the night to rest after a long day and also so we could experience the nightlife, eat more Peruvian food, and listen to local musicians play pipe music. Our final day in the Sacred Valley, we ate breakfast at our hotel, then explored Agua Calientes on foot for a couple of hours. It’s here you can pick up any souvenir you’re looking for in the market stalls and shops. This town welcomes thousands of travelers passing through every day. The last town we wanted to see was Ollaytaytambo, we took the train to this small village where we stopped for lunch and spent a few more hours walking around this little town. There’s a fortress and some ruins to climb here if you have the time!
By the end of this third day we returned to Cusco, exhausted from all the climbing but with hearts full from the sights seen and the laughter shared. This merry band of friends loved every moment of our three days spent in the Sacred Valley! As I flew home from Peru, I reflected on how fortunate I am to experience traveling to new countries. Peru possesses its own unique culture with its inspiring vistas, savory flavors, colorful textiles, and people who exude warmth and kindness. Fro me, international travel is the best way to experience humanity because it teaches me things that textbooks never can. Watching how other cultures live and interact, how they eat and celebrate is eye opening and reminds me every time how deep down we’re all alike. We all want the same things in life: a happy home, laughter, good food, great friends, and a few fun stories to tell from our adventures. My biggest takeaway from my trip to Peru was pure gratitude. It’s a country that lives with far far less of the comforts we enjoy in the United States, and it reminded me how crazy lucky I am, to have traveled with friends who are from Peru and to have had the opportunity to experience its culture, food, and people. If you haven’t visited, definitely add the Sacred Valley of Peru to your travel bucket list! Journey Through the Sacred Valley syndicated from https://wallsgshop.blogspot.com/ via Tumblr Journey Through the Sacred Valley Did you catch the sneak peeks of the board & batten that we installed in the middle bedroom at our beach house on Insta Stories? The picture below was also in last week’s podcast shownotes, where we discussed the wallpaper – and we got TONS of requests for a tutorial so here we go. I am not kidding when I say this was an easy project. Completely beginner-friendly – and it makes such a big impact in the room (especially since we added wallpaper above it – we’ll break down that process in a future post). This is actually our third house where we’ve installed some sort of DIY board and batten. We did a really affordable treatment (only $57!), and then we made a “fancier” version in our current house by adding some extra molding details within the boxes. Both of those projects were in hallways, so this latest project was our first go at using board & batten in a bedroom – and we tried a couple of new techniques this time which helped it turn out especially well for this space. Continue reading How We Installed Easy Board & Batten At The Beach at Young House Love.
via Tumblr How We Installed Easy Board & Batten At The Beach Back by popular demand, the 2019 desk calendars I offered last year are back in the same print patterns but with new dates. I received dozens of emails requesting I redo them again for 2020 so here they are. These are a three page PDF you can print (I recommend card stock). Cut each page into four rectangles to make a 12 month desk calendar for yourself or a friend or a teacher, they make a great gift! This free printable desk calendar is available in two patterns, both black and white… … and colorful waves.
Print them for yourself (yay!) or give them as a gift. Printed and cut, they are the perfect size for a mini easel. I found both the mini white and acrylic easel and the black easel at Michael’s craft store in the section where they sell easels large and small, these were both less than $5.
Download the calendar PDFs below: Black + White 2020 Desk CalendarColorful Waves 2020 Desk CalendarEnjoy my friends! . Printable 2020 Desk Calendars syndicated from https://wallsgshop.blogspot.com/ via Tumblr Printable 2020 Desk Calendars In honor of Halloween, we’re sharing a spooky occurrence at our beach house that we legitimately couldn’t explain for a few months (even I, the perennial skeptic, was like… “how did that just happen?!”). We’re also chatting with author Miranda Anderson about how her entire family took on a yearlong shopping ban, and how that choice led to more gratitude, patience, and a sense of adventure for the entire family. Plus, an update on how things are getting real (and real messy!) in our master bathroom reno – and a tool we’re using to help keep our sanity throughout the process. You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Spotify – or listen to it below! Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you may have to click through to the post to see the player. Continue reading #152: The Haunted Room At Our Beach House at Young House Love.
via Tumblr #152: The Haunted Room At Our Beach House Hello friends. We’re all on edge today, the wildfires are happening again in Northern California, and a big one is burning in my county just 30 miles north of my home. Evacuations and power shut downs are in effect. It’s a little scary but wildfire season is a thing now, so we’re all on alert, hoping for containment soon but prepared for the worst. Sad but true. Favorite links from the week… Loving the medley of gloss cabinets and matte black fixtures in this kitchen remodel. The pretty combo of blush and brass in this bathroom. This fresh and fun bungalow renovation. Great DIY: how to build a twin daybed. Cute and easy pumpkin decorating ideas: hobnail and terrazzo. Costs of a four year degree and is this the end of traditional college? Thinning or losing hair? These are the best foods to grow it back. Downtime, a slower rhythm, and taking time to do nothing. Weekend Reading syndicated from https://wallsgshop.blogspot.com/ via Tumblr Weekend Reading |
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