{tie dye napkin diy}

Posted in Crafting, Decor, diy, mom & me, Products, Summertime, Target by xoxostacyb

DIY tie dyed napkins are the perfect way to salvage stained linens or just to make something groovy for the table!

Outdoor table (similar) // Chargers // Melamine Polka Dot Dinner Plate // Napkins

Summer is here! Not officially, we’ve technically got about 20 more days. But, it sure feels like summer here in Northern California. To kick-off the summer, Bay + I decided to spruce up the back patio a bit. We planted lots of new succulents + flowers. Still working on our herb garden plans. Moved some of our larger pieces around. I believe the easiest way to transform a space is to rearrange what you currently have. Then make a Target run 🙂 Obvi!

I recently read that if you place your patio furniture directly adjacent to the exterior doors, you’ll find yourself using it so much more. And I have to say, we’ve used our outdoor table so much more.

Then I took it to a whole new level and decided a set table is so much more inviting. Ha! It’s just how I roll.

Last week alone, I found myself sipping my coffee. (wine too). Doing my daily insta scrolls. Enjoying dinner. And soaking up the sunshine in this space. I love it!

Outdoor table (similar) // Chargers // Melamine Polka Dot Dinner Plate // Napkins

So, remember I mentioned using the shit you have first. Then making a Target run? That’s exactly what I did here.

I love linen napkins. If you’ve been over for brunch or dinner, you know that I ALWAYS use the real thing. Currently I own probably close to 60 napkins..lol. My favorite are the Buffet Napkins from World Market. You can’t beat the price….6 napkins for $10. I’m also a sucker for white. Which means spaghetti sauce stains. I bleach them every.single.time, but eventually there is a stain or two. So instead of throwing them away, I decided to come up with a way to re-purpose them. Mind you, these napkins are 100% clean, promise.

I stumbled on a blue Tie Dye kit at Walmart a few weeks ago and it hit me right then and there what I’d do with it. Tie dye napkins.

Talk about crazy nostalgia. I remember summers riding our bikes to Harris Park with Sarah + Sheena and tie dying shirts with their Parks and Rec group. So fun.

Here’s a super easy DIY……

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24May2018

{teacher gift}

Posted in Crafting, diy, kids, Wine by xoxostacyb

Have you ever seen a better teacher gift? I think NOT! Maybe it’s just the wine-o in me, but I thought this was borderline brilliant. Just a little something to show the teachers that you appreciate them. And thank them for your kid being the reason they drink…Ha!

Let’s be real, this would put a big fat smile on my face on the last day of school!

I was so pumped about this cute idea. Found the perfect ribbon. My favorite bottle of chard. Printed out the cute free printable. Stayed up last night to throw together a couple of these goodies.

Trying my very hardest to be on top of things. The last 2 weeks of school is always a busy shit show. You know?

Anyway……

Showed Bay my finished product this morning when she woke up. Her response….

“My teachers don’t drink alcohol!”

My response….

“Huh?”

Doesn’t drink wine? Then Bay follows up with….

“Or coffee!”

WTF?

So, I’m back to the drawing board. Ha! And I now have two bottles of my fave chard chilling in the fridge for this evening. Guess it’s not that bad afterall 🙂

But, I’m still a little worried about Bay’s teacher. What does she pour in her glass after a long hard day? On to prepare in the morning for another day teaching a bunch of 6th grade punks? Mrs. DeLemos, you’re making this very difficult…lol. Only kidding. Best teacher ever ♥

If you’re teacher is a boozer, like us, then keep scrolling and get all the details on a gift I’m sure will be a hit on the last day of school!

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17May2018

{floral + herb smudge stick diy}

Posted in Crafting, Decor, diy, health, home, Inspiration, Random shit by xoxostacyb

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You know about the smudge sticks, yes? You know the bundles of dried sage that hippies like to burn? It’s not just for hippies anymore. Or maybe I’m becoming a hippie? Who knows, but I’m all about it.

So what if we made our own with herbs + flowers? They are so damn pretty, even if you don’t burn them and displayed just for looks. Although, you should totally burn them (that’s the hippie in me coming out).

I’m going to break down the whole smudging thing right now…..

Why smudge?

Sage is traditionally burned in Native American ceremonially rituals. The smoke from the burning smudges stick is said to cleanse of bad feelings + negative thoughts + bad spirits + negative energy. I know I’m totally loosing you, but whether or not this is true, is up for debate. I’m a believer! And who doesn’t want to want to rid of all the negative shit?

When to smudge?

when you move into a new space
begin a new job
when you’re feeling angry + upset or negative
anytime you feel a conflict in your life
a struggling relationship
significant life event: marriage + birth + death + sickness

Are you down with it?

If you’re thinking, WTFE xoxostacyb, then look at the next image…..

It’s pretty AF, huh? Are you feelin it now?

I personally think these bundles would make for a beautiful gift for hostesses + housewarming + showers…you name it.

You’re going to die when you see how incredibly simple these floral + herb smudge sticks are to make on your own.

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12Apr2018

{two sisters}

Posted in Community, Crafting, Decor, kid style, Spring, weekend by xoxostacyb

Thursday! We’re getting close friends. The weekend right around the corner and I couldn’t be happier.

This morning I got up early to enjoy an extra cup of coffee before I start another crazy day. The sun was shining in through the sliders. And I realized I never shared my pretty coffee table set up. So obvi, I started snapping pictures.

Obsessed with a clean + styled coffee table. It’s one of my favorite places in the house to decorate. Whenever I’m sitting on the couch, I start playing with things around the house to change it up.

Today though, this coffee table set-up is sponsored by…..

Two Sisters

“a little of this….a little of that”

Two of the craftiest sisters I know. When this duo gets together, their creativity is contagious. Crazy inspiring.

Their love for all things vintage + handmade ♥

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11Apr2018

{push-pin map // travelogue}

Posted in Adventure, backpacking, California, Camping, Cool spots, Crafting, Decor, diy, family, friends, hiking, mom & me, travel, weekend by xoxostacyb

I’m a weekend explorer. But, you already knew that. Nothing better than getting out and finding new places. Hiking trails. Restaurants. Lots of bars. Parks. Beaches….you know I love a good beach. Vista points. Waterfalls. Random stops on the side of the road for oohs and ahhs.

That’s where this push-pin map comes into place. How fun is it to document where you’ve been on a map? Using little push pins to marks all the spots you’ve stopped.

Maps are so incredibly gorgeous. And the sad thing is, we rarely use or look at them anymore. I mean really, when is the last time you held a map and actually looked at it?

Look below…all the colors. Lakes. Counties. Freeways. Waterways.

Fucking beautiful, right?

Bay + I made a push-pin map for our home years ago. We’ve been pinning our fave places since. It just gets better and better as it ages ♥

We recently moved and it’s become my favorite wall art. Without fail, every time someone new comes into our home, we end up in front of this map.

Maps make great icebreakers. Not that I’m inviting strangers over…lol. But, as soon as you start looking over a map, inevitably, you start reminiscing. The town you grew up. The yearly family camping trip. That time you stopped and had the best meal of your life in such and such town. “This one time I picked up a hitchhiker”……

I love the conversations maps start.

(excuse my toter in the background)

So for Valentine’s Day, Bay + I decided to make Cory his very own. He’s been in love with ours for years.

I snapped some pictures on insta-stories and I was going and got lots of DM’s asking what I was up too. So here ya go. Another easy + cheap diy from xoxostacyb.

Here’s what you’ll need:

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29Mar2018

{easter lunchbox + bunny ear cupcakes}

Posted in Bay Bakes, Crafting, diy, Food, foodie, Holiday Whore, Holidays, Kid Food, kids, mom & me, Recipe, Spring by xoxostacyb

It’s Thursday! You know what that means to this girl? I get to chug wine and drop the F bomb again in just three short days! Lent will be over and my sugar cleanse comes to an end. Can I get a big ol WHOOP WHOOP!!!

Perfect timing for Spring Break…lol! Thanks to Destiny, I grabbed the BEST bottle of chard I’ve ever seen. It’s called “hard chard”….I mean, it was kinda made for my girl Nikki + I!

Going to bust it open and possibly drink it from the bottle on Easter ~~afternoon~~….morning! And I’m not planning on sharing either.

In other news, it hit me last week…..

This is my last Easter Lunchbox. Excuse me while I wipe away the tears.

Pretty sure Bay’s not going to be rockin the bento box with a bunny shaped sando to Middle School.

You guys, this is proof that not everything I try is a hit. There are so many recipes + ideas + products I try that are a total FLOP! So I chuck them. But I thought I’d share some evidence.

I decided to try something different. How about a bunny quesadilla?

Sent this to Cory and he said “don’t quit your day job” and “looks like a cat” LOL!

Bay hid her chuckles. Probably because she knew I was hiding my last Easter lunchbox tears.

I may just have to start embarrassing my nephews and sending them with my crazy Holiday themed lunches. Joe would probably DIE!

So I went with the tried and true Easter egg lunch. I blogged about this back in 2016 here: {easter lunchbox love}

ANYONE can dupicate this. All you have to do is gather your kiddos fave snacks. The smaller the better.

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28Mar2018

{marble + decoupage easter eggs}

Posted in Crafting, diy, Gossip, Holiday Whore, Holidays, kids, mom & me by xoxostacyb

Anyone in a funk today? I swear every.single.person I’ve chatted with this week has said their day has just been off. Or weird. Even the cashier at Old Navy told me, “today literally sucks!” So I googled it.

Is Mercury in retrograde?

I don’t get too caught up in things, but I knew something was up! So if your day is just not normal and you can’t figure out what is up. Blame it on Mercury! Then do something nice for yourself.

What do you do to get out of a funk or make yourself happier? Here’s what I try to do…..

Put on your fave pandora station and rock out. Dr. Dre Radio does it for me!
Go outside. It’s frickin beautiful. The sun is good for the soul.
Do something for you! Get a mani. Happy hour with a girlfriend. Buy a cute top (that’s what I always do) lol.
Give yourself a compliment. When’s the last time you did that? Look at yourself in the mirror and say “I am a bad ass b*#@ and I got this!”
Put away your phone. Unless you’re watching ashleylongshoreart hilarious videos. They always make me laugh out loud.

Smile homegirl. Tomorrow is a new day:)

And back to the regularly scheduled Easter Egg post……

I got some crap for hard boiling my Easter eggs so soon. It’s a bloggers life….lol. I do everything wayy before. Wayyy too early. That way I can share all my tips + tricks to all my peeps. So when I hard boil my eggs over a week early, that’s why. Mmmkaayyy!

One year, a while back…..Bay was probably 5 ish years old? I think. Someone got tipsy and forgot to dye the Easter eggs the night before. Because back then, I did everything last-minute. So, the Easter Bunny hid plain white hard-boiled eggs.

Don’t let this happen to you. You’ll never live it down. Trust me!

So, don’t bust a girls balls for hard-boiling + decorating Easter Eggs “too soon!” You never know the backstory….lol.

That was a lot of rambling….

Ready for the Easter Egg decorating yet?

Marble Easter Eggs //

Remember when I did the {marbled pumpkin diy} for Halloween? This is basically the same thing.

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27Mar2018

{diy bunny mug}

Posted in Crafting, diy, Holiday Whore, Holidays, kids, mom & me by xoxostacyb

The one buck bunny mug. (Say that 5 times fast)

Remember when I was telling you how I was feeling all kinds of creative? The Spring season just does it to me. Well, I’m rubbing off on my kid. Her creativity is flowin too!

She wanted to make something Eastery. Something we can keep forever. I like that about my girl. Bay knows how crazy weird sentimental I am about Holidays.

#holidaywhore

I hit up my homie Google and gathered some ideas + supplies.

You guys, this is hands down the easiest and cheapest DIY to date.

Which translates…..perfect for kids.

Something fun for them to customize and make special.

Here’s what you’ll need:

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12Feb2018

{weekend notes}

Posted in Adventure, Bay Bakes, Cooking, Crafting, diy, family, Food, foodie, friday, friends, Holiday Whore, Holidays, home, instagram, mom & me, Movies, Recipe, weekend by xoxostacyb

Hi guys! How was your weekend? Can you tell how Bay feels about the weekend? ♥ I loved every second of it. Everyday just flowed so well and it was super relaxing and perfect. I need to plan or hope for more weekends like the last. Bay did lots of baking. I did lots of meal prep. Shopping. Pizza. Date night at the movies. And made some time to catch up with some gal pals.

Intentions for the week:

~~plan a cute valentine’s day bento box lunch for Bay~~
~~balance my check book (it’s been 2 weeks..fml)~~
~~find a floor lamp for the living room #dungeon~~ (Picked this up from Target)
~~celebrate Mardi Gras by making a king cake #oldaf~~ – (Bay got the baby)
wheel + deal with Dish for a lower monthly payment (it works!)
~~enjoy our low-key (no plans) week~~ – (such a nice change)
~~workout mon-fri~~ – (Did it WHOOP WHOOP)
~~cleanup my email in boxes~~
~~create a sweet potato burrito bowl with leftover chicken~~ – (delish)

Last weeks Intentions: {weekend notes}

Highlights from the weekend……

Friday was National Pizza Day, remember? So how did I celebrate, you ask? Just in case you were curious….

Masullo is Sac.

Pizza is kinda my thang! And these is one thing I know well and that’s good pizza.

Jacqueline:

3 Meats:

Oven-Roasted Mussels:

If you ever find yourself hungry in the Land Park area, do yourself a favor and go to Masullo!

Sleeping in till 8:01 am

Best idea I had all weekend.

Admiring Bay’s pretty Madewell heart earrings ♥

Changed up the coffee table situation

Pig duty

Rodeo #510 + Clover #511

This quote caught my eye

A trip to the cute shop, Papers and Pencils and Pens! Oh my

Bay loves stationary. So she was in pure heaven.

Bay was pretty pumped for her washi tape + eraser purchase.

Worked on a new frittata recipe for the blog. You guys, this one is so good! Bay, who doesn’t really do eggs even gave it a thumbs up! That’s a big deal!

Have I ever told you that I’m basically the queen of sheet pan nachos? 1/2 with re fried beans (for bay) 1/2 with black beans + tomatoes (for me)

Sunday dinner request:

Twice baked potatoes

Movie date night

The 15:17 to Paris

The true story, directed by Clint Eastwood. Casting actual heroes to play themselves. Not just any heroes, these are local, Sacramento heroes. Pretty cool!

The movie, just okay. Not sure what I was expecting, but I didn’t love it.

Watch the trailer here: The 15:17 to Paris (movie trailer)

Valentine’s day gift

I’m going to share this next week. Just a fun DIY.

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7Feb2018

{bay’s valentine}

Posted in Crafting, diy, friends, Holiday Whore, Holidays, kids by xoxostacyb

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. I’m talking like 7 days. Crazy, right?

Bay decided on her classroom Valentine weeks ago. We gathered supplies. And she’s been busy stitching up her final hearts for the special day.

Check out how cute Bay’s Valentine’s are this year!!

Bay LOVES to sew. She’s always got a needle threaded and fabric laying all over her room. So, this just made since.

Not to mention, very budget friendly. Which I’m a BIG fan of 🙂

Supplies:

heart doilies
embroidery floss
large needle
conversation hearts
personalized labels

I grabbed all the materials from good ol Walmart.

Here’s how Bay does it:

She stitches the heart all the way around leaving about a 1 inch gap. Fill the doily pouch with conversation hearts. Then continues stitching the rest of the heart. Tie a knot at the bottom. And that’s it.

Handmade Valentines are so special. And I Love the way they turned out.