30 Bags in 30 Days

Even though summer has only really started here, the days are getting shorter and fall is right around the corner. With that comes a need to declutter and dejunk our house. I've decided to give myself a challenge to get rid of 30 trash bags of stuff in 30 days, 1 bag per day.

Now, since I am already quiet a clutter buster, I hope that I am not overshooting with my goal of 30 bags, but I have a feeling that once I get going (especially if I can get hubby on board with letting go of some of his stuff) we will be able to meet the goal. My fingers are crossed that most of the bags will be headed towards our local charity and not the landfill.

If you would like to join the fun please do! Feel free to begin your 30 days anytime you feel inspired to do so, or at the start of August (or any other month) if that is easier. If you decide to join in I would love to know about it! Feel free to use the little graphic I made too!

The Great Fundraising Act

One thing that I simply LOVE about the blogging community is how we pull together for fellow bloggers when things go wrong. Right now there is an auction taking place to help benefit a blogger named Susan, who has been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Tons of bloggers have put together some amazing prizes to bid on, and you can donate directly as well if you choose.

I don't know Susan, I only discovered her blog through a friend, Kristina, who is donating some awesome sugar scrub and spa goodies to the cause.

If you click the image in this post you will be taken to the auction page where you can see all the categories of items to bid on. There are all kinds of goodies from baked goods and clothing, and things for the home. Please take a look and if you have the means, consider bidding on something for this lovely lady. Each item has it's own page, and you bid in the comments. Bidding opens at $10. Thanks!

Sorry about the mess.

How many times have you said those words when someone came to your home? I have to admit, I say those words far too many times. Why do we always apologize for our homes not looking "magazine clean"?! Homes are meant to be lived in, and while I'm sure we all desire to keep our homes clean and tidy, don't we all realize that life is messy? We should give ourselves (and others) a bit of a break.

How many times have you not invited people over because your home was messy? It's something I have been tempted to do, but I always remember to shake myself out of it. Why would I allow myself to miss out on great company just because my home isn't as tidy as I hope for? That's just plain lame in my book. And when you live in a house that is always full of projects, always being improved, mess is just part of the game.

What do you say? Let's all relax a bit and give ourselves, and everyone else, a break. Let's remember what home is really all about (hint, it's not about looking like a magazine photo, as pretty as those may be).

Relax, it's the weekend.

We have a long weekend due to a state holiday. There are projects here at the nest that we could work on, but we are going to take the time to relax and enjoy the time off. It's far too hot to do anything else anyway! Look at this gorgeous outdoor space, oh how I wish our back yard looked this lovely. Can't you just imagine fun patio parties and long summer nights on a porch like this? Dreamy!

Source: elmueble.com via Aimee on Pinterest

Beach bathroom addition.

For my birthday we visited the local aquarium. While there I took a really fun photo of the tiniest seahorse I have ever seen. I knew that I wanted to do something fun with the photo like print it or frame it for our beach themed bathroom. Luckily I was able to get it printed on canvas, it turned out awesome!

It's been awhile since I really added anything new to that space, it's always amazing how even changing a little thing, like adding a new photo, can make such a difference!

A new quilt!

For my birthday I bought something I had been thinking about for awhile now. A quilt! While I have always admired quilts, and the skill that it takes to create one, I have never owned a quilt. That all changed when I ordered this quilt from Urban Outfitters.

What I like is that there is an exotic flavor to the squares, and I also really love the design of square quilts. It was also not overly frilly, which I thought would be great for a shared bedroom. After all, my husband actually cares about what goes on design wise in the house (unlike those lucky girls who have husbands who don't even notice painted walls)!

I got it hoping it would add a lot of "pop" to our otherwise plain room. Sadly it just didn't look right with anything else we had in there, furniture included. So, it's going to make an amazing snuggle blanket for our theater room. In fact, it looks so good on our beanbag and couches that you would think I planned it to be there all along!

Scrabble Inspired Pillows

Oh how I love these Scrabble inspired pillows! Don't you?



If I had an extra $98 laying around I would buy them right away for our family room. After all, our family room is all about play! I imagine they wouldn't be hard to make yourself, but I really love supporting indie artists when I can, don't you?

They come with the inserts and can be found on Etsy along with other fun options in the same shop called Shop Dirtsa.

Beachy Bathroom

We may live in the mountains, but step into our second bathroom and you will feel like you are at the beach! When we bought our home the second bathroom was already painted a very beachy feeling light blue color. I decided to "go with the flow" and create a beach theme in that room. First up, a simple crafting project for the wall.

A simple grapevine wreath adorned with a few shells (hot glue gun to the rescue), and you have an unique decoration. You could even take the shells over the entire wreath, but I liked the look of the wreath too and wanted it to show.

Again, since we don't live near a beach, I did have to buy all my shells at the store. Of course if you have a shell collection from your travels to the beach, it would make any of these projects even more special. Next up, a simple apothecary jar filled with shells and topped with a candle.

Do you create rooms based on a theme in your house?

Green Village in Bali

My friend sent me the most amazing link this morning. Homes made of bamboo! Homes with the most gorgeous views that anyone could ever want. And these homes? They are in Bali.

 

Visit the website and be prepared to see some truly beautiful designs. I for one am inspired by the entire concept of Green Village, a planned community that is making use of bamboo and all that it has to offer as a building material.

Of course, I had to wonder about bugs, and privacy issues (with all those gorgeous open walls, it could be a bit too open for some tastes). However, it's probably worth the trade offs to have those views!

A pretty bedroom!

As usual, I find myself being constantly inspired by the creative and gorgeous homes in my Home as Art Flickr group. Here is another pretty bedroom from IDA Interior LifeStyle. I love the bright, airy feeling of the room, the colors, and the textures!



Doesn't it look like a space you would enjoy spending time?