Browsed by
Month: July 2019

Watercolor Inspired Bedroom

Watercolor Inspired Bedroom

MOOD: dreamy, casual, relaxed. 

Watercolor inspired decor can be lovely in any room, but it’s perfect for a bedroom, especially in the heat of summer. I love the looks of these watercolor walls:

Here’s a tutorial from HGTV if you want to try it yourself (it looks pretty straightforward).

Even if you can’t (or don’t want to) paint an entire wall with watercolor, you can still create the mood with colors, textures, bedding, and art.

Maybe you’d like to try your hand at creating a watercolor painting; it’s easier than you think, and fun even when you “mess up”. Here’s a great place to get started: watercolor for beginners.

Click through the graphic below to see an ideas board full of inspiration!

Click though for more inspiration and ideas!

SO what do you think? Are you ready for a watercolor inspired bedroom? Would you watercolor paint a whole wall? Let me know in the comments, I’d really like to know!

xo

Coastal Style

Coastal Style

What is coastal style? Is it American Coastal, Mediterranean Coastal, Scandinavian Coastal, English Coastal, or something else entirely?

Actually, it’s all of the above, and although they’re very different, they all share some common elements.

Think: sea and beach colors, weathered patinas, natural elements, and lots of light.

Depending on the look you’re going for, adding ocean, beach, and nautical themed home accessories can be a simple way to incorporate a touch of coastal style to your space.

Defining your coastal style

It really all comes down to this: where’s your dream coast? Is it someplace you’ve been, or hope to go someday? When you think of those places, how do you feel? Relaxed, carefree, happy-go-lucky? Cozy? Limitless? Inspired? Dreamy? Grounded? I say this about everything, but it’s important to start with the feelings you want to invoke, because from there it’s easy to figure out what invokes those feelings for you.

Let me explain…

These are the coasts I dream of, the ones I’ve visited and loved, and love still. They’re all on the Atlantic Ocean or the North Sea, misty and wild, sun and clouds and sand and wind:

  • Berneray Hostel, Scotland
  • Isle of Berneray, Scotland
  • Isle of Skye, Scotland
  • Isle of Lewis, Scotland
Isle of Orkney, Scotland

When I even think of these places, I feel magical, expansive, full of wonder. I remember the constant sounds of the sea and wind, the smell of salt water and peat. I feel deep peace, and a thrum of something – ancestral memories? – so strong that it’s a physical sensation. That’s how I want my coastal memories to make me feel!

Throughout my home I have bowls and jars of shells and sea glass and shards of pottery I’ve found on beaches near and far. I rescued this little vintage wooden boat from a junk shop; it lives in a jar of shells, and reminds me of the wooden boat in the Abbey on Iona, off the coast of Scotland.

  • Seaside Memories
  • Iona Abbey, Scotland

Another favorite ocean memory is of a pivotal New Year’s Eve I spent camping on the beach at Port Aransas, Texas. I gathered dried (dampish, honestly) seaweed and sea grasses, then made a wreath using those, a tangle of fishing line I’d found in the grass, driftwood, and a few seashells and feathers I’d collected there. It hangs in my bedroom now, to remind me I am strong and resilient and brave and free.

Port Aransas, Texas
Sea Witch Wreath

I have tiny jars of sand, too, some with bits of long-dried seaweed in them. Sometimes I open them just to smell the sea.

Creating your coastal style

Maybe your coast is different, filled with lighthouses and ships’ wheels, or mermaids and sea glass, or sailboats and knotted ropes and anchors. Wherever it is – even if it’s only in your dreams – you can bring some of it (or all of it, if that makes you happy!) into your home by using color, textures, and themes that invoke the feeling you most want to create.

Tips to keep in mind:

  • Much of what constitutes “coastal style” decor is achieved through color, texture, and materials. Do you have something you can repaint or repurpose? Items that are the right piece, but the wrong color? Things in the right colors and textures that you’ve never thought of as “coastal”? Shop your home!! Maybe you already have some of what you need to get a seaside vibe going. If not, there’s always thrifting…
  • Coastal style home decor is not a new trend. Thrift stores are a great source for beachy, coastal, ocean themed items at bargain prices.
  • Thrift stores are also a great place to find home accessories in your chosen color scheme. When you start looking for it, you’ll see it everywhere! Also: baskets galore!

Here’s a small sample of coastal inspired home decor and accessories I spotted at two local Goodwill stores in one afternoon…

  • If you just can’t wait, or want some more ideas, here’s a whole idea board full of lovely coastal inspired accents for your home. (Affiliate link; see full disclosure here.)
  • Have fun! Follow your best beachy feelings when deciding how to incorporate a coastal style into your space, and I promise, you won’t go wrong.

Pinnables!

Where’s your dream coast? Do you have any coastal vibes going on in your space? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear from you!

The Best Iced Coffee Recipe Ever!

The Best Iced Coffee Recipe Ever!

Yeah, I said it: This is the best iced coffee recipe ever.

Iced coffee is delicious. You probably agree with me on that, or you wouldn’t be reading this. It can also be pretty unhealthy – high in sugar and/or fat depending on how you make it. AND it can be expensive if you’re buying it out.

With my delicious, best iced coffee recipe ever, you can easily customize the strength, flavorings, calorie content, and fat content, and do it for less than 50¢ per 16 ounce serving!

Here’s the basic recipe. If you want all the details, & ideas for customization, they’re down below, along with my per serving cost breakdown.

THE BEST ICED COFFEE RECIPE EVER!

Ingredients:

  • 1-2 tsp instant coffee crystals
  • Sweetener of choice (optional)
  • 2/3 cup hot water
  • Ice
  • Milk or creamer of choice (optional)

Directions:

  1. Fill a 16 oz – 20 oz glass with ice.
  2. In a small cup or jar, stir or shake coffee crystals & hot water, + sweetener (optional).
  3. Pour over ice.
  4. Stir briskly until the ice has melted enough to nearly fill the glass.  Add more ice if needed.
  5. Top off with milk and/or creamer of choice (optional).
  6. ENJOY!!

Variations

COFFEE: I use whatever instant coffee is cheapest when I buy it. I’ve tried premium brands, and couldn’t tell a difference in the finished product. You can buy flavored instant coffee, too, which is nice if you want the flavor but no creamer. Also available in decaf.

SWEETENER (Optional): I sometimes add a little sugar, sometimes none, because the creamers I use are all sweetened. You can also use whatever sugar substitute you prefer, and/or use sugar-free creamer.

MILK OR CREAMER (Optional. Well, not for me, but maybe for you.): I use flavored liquid creamer, sugar + fat included. “It’s my one weakness.” (BONUS POINTS if you know what that line is from.) You can add milk, and just a splash of creamer. You can substitute half/half, skim or lowfat milk, or soy, almond, rice, cashew, hemp, coconut, or other milk. Yum! You can also substitute powdered creamer if that’s what you have/use/like. It comes in a lot of flavors, too. NOTE: if you do use powdered creamer, be sure add it to the coffee + hot water before you shake/stir.

SHAKE VS STIR: I have a 12 oz Mason jar like this (affiliate link; see full disclosure here) that I almost always make my coffee mixture in before I pour it over ice. I screw the lid on tight & shake hard for about 10 seconds, then pour it over the ice in my glass. The best thing about the shake method is the FOAM…When you shake the mixture in a jar, you get lovely billowy piles of coffee foam to pile on top of your drink!…

SOMETIMES, though, when I’m in a big hurry or feeling extra lazy, I’ll make the coffee mixture directly in the glass (I actually use a tumbler like these; affiliate link, see full disclosure here), then pile in the ice, stir & stir with the straw from the tumbler, add my creamer, and go. It tastes the same either way. Shaking = foam. Stirring = faster, + one less dirty dish.

ADDITIONS:

  • I always add a shake of cinnamon to the coffee crystals & hot water before shaking/stirring. You can’t really taste the cinnamon, it just adds an extra layer of richness & flavor.
  • Add a spoonful or so of instant hot chocolate powder to the coffee crystals & hot water before you shake/stir.
  • Add whipped cream, chocolate or caramel drizzle, sprinkles.
  • Flavored creamers are where you can really change it up. Creme Brulee iced coffee today, Vanilla Caramel iced coffee tomorrow, Pumpkin Spice iced coffee in September, Peppermint Mocha iced coffee in December…the possibilities are truly endless! And all for less than 50¢ per extra-large serving!

Cost per serving

Here’s the cost breakdown for me. Yours will vary, depending on food prices where you live, which brands you choose, etc. Still, it’s going to be VERY inexpensive, especially compared to a coffee shop, or even a fast food version, and it tastes even better!

  • Kroger Instant Coffee 8 oz (120 servings) – $3.99 = .03/serving
  • Sugar 4 lbs (200 servings) – $1.59 = < .01/serving
  • Kroger Flavored Creamer 32 oz (64 servings) – $1.99 = .32/serving
  • TOTAL per 16 oz serving: .35/serving

And there you have it: the best iced coffee recipe ever! Let me know in the comments if you try it! Do you have a favorite iced coffee recipe? I’d love to hear about it!