D.I.Y. Girls Jewelry Board

This handmade D.I.Y. Girls Jewelry Board is the perfect gift for big or little girls alike.

D.I.Y. Girls Jewelry Board //

The holidays are upon us! Okay, so we blinked for a second and here we are, and now to the run around! This year I would like to give more meaningful and effective gifts for some of my loved ones. This D.I.Y. Girls Jewelry Board is a great gift for big and little girls alike. Sara and I featured this project a couple years back. To this day, my D.I.Y. Jewelry Board still hangs in my closet, and now my daughter has one to match. This easy project not only makes for a wonderful gift, but it’s a great way to organize all of those baubles and headbands. You can check out this updated version over at Simple As That, where we are guest posting this D.I.Y. in collaboration with the idea of focusing on alternative gifts for the holiday season. We hope you like it! For more additional how to for this project you can also check our step by step here.

nicole signature via simply happenstance

Spring Garden Boxes

Spring Garden Boxes. Updated DIY Garden Boxes for Spring. Backyard gardening.

:: Spring Garden Boxes ::

It’s spring! It was high time I got to work on my Spring Garden Boxes.  Last year my husband and I made DIY Garden Boxes.  Last year, was our first time we grew our own produce and well, we learned A LOT!  Yes, some plants were a challenge and some did well.  The hardest part I would say, was preparing for the our endless summer that we experienced in 2013.  We are still begging for a little bit more rain, but either way we are moving forward with our updated Spring Garden Boxes. 

The first thing I had to do was evaluate what we planted last year.  I kept all of the garden tags from the plants we planted so that I could remember what worked and what did not.  I also kept the tags as they gave me complete instructions on the type of sun needed for growing each of the plants.  From what I experienced, some of these tags were off a bit. So I wanted to make sure to jot this information down so that we did not make the same purchasing mistake. [Read more…]

DIY Jewelry Organizer and Giveaway

Do It Yourself Jewelry Orgaznizer

:: DIY Jewelry Organizer and Giveaway ::

I love the New Year!  It’s a chance to refresh and revisit what needs to be prioritized and organized.  This DIY Jewelry Organizer is a fantastic way to keep your jewelry at bay! We hope you are inspired to create your own!

Before we get to the tutorial… Sara and I are excited to offer you a chance to win a pretty baubled bracelet from Stella and Dot’s Spring Collection.  We love GIVEAWAYS!  The lucky winner can add this Amelie Sparkle Bracelet in Peach to their arm candy!  {I think I might need this bracelet too, and a few others from their Spring Collection!} 

Read ahead for your chance to win… but first we need to get our jewelry organized!  Not a small feat, as before this project I had three old dusty jewelry boxes that were becoming more of a place to play for Madeline, than for me to actually use and see what was in them!  My dear friend, Erica, inspired this jewelry organizer.  If you visit her closet, she has her jewelry organized in a similar fashion.  She made me see the light… that unless you have your jewelry displayed, you tend to wear the same pieces over… and over again.  I decided it was high time to cut back and organize my jewelry so that I could enjoy my seasonal and special pieces more often. So first thing is first, before my run to Home Depot, I went through my boxes and made a giveaway, keep, and play pile. 

 Do It Yourself Jewelry Organizer [Read more…]

Weekend Lovelies {favorite things}

Twenty Fourteen

:: Weekend Lovelies {favorite things} ::

Wow it’s 2014! Can you believe it? Sara and I had a nice break enjoying our family time during the holidays.  With two fire schedules, the holidays aren’t really celebrated exactly as per the calendar date, but around the time we have our husbands home during their days off.  A crazy life for sure, but one we get used to day by day. We were able to capture the moments when we could. 

January is like September for me.  A month to renew, rethink, and re-evaluate what is working in life, and what is not.  I love it because I am not one for big change, so it pushes me outside of my comfort zone to really think about life.  I have a few big resolutions, or I should say “life changes,” that I have been working on for a couple of years. I don’t plan on moving mountains, but the one thing I do love and plan to hang on to, is to the simple idea of “hope.” It’s a big word that can help in multiple ways in life. 

That being said, Sara and I hope you like some new changes we have made to Simply Happenstance!  A big one is our weekly edition of Weekend Lovelies. We thoroughly enjoy lovelies because it truly is an eclectic mix of all the wonderful things we’ve come across on the web. There are so many great recipes, DIY projects, and thought provoking articles to share! In an effort to broaden our lovelies and share more great finds… we thought we’d  open it up to other bloggers! {If you have a personal blog, from this point forward, on Saturday’s & Sunday’s, you’ll be able to link-up your favorite recent blog post to share with our readers! We hope that you will join us, and spread the word! If you have an Etsy Shop… you can link that up, too!} 

So without much further ado, welcome to Weekend Lovelies {favorite things}! 

[Read more…]

Weekend Lovelies

:: Weekend Lovelies ::

Welcome August! How can it be? Summer seems to be fleeting and some of us will be hearing the ringing of school bells shortly.  Sara is busily preparing for a year of home schooling, and I am trying to learn to breathe from a little bit of anxiety I have for First Grade. Life changes and new experiences often create a little anxiety. I know Sara and I have often spoken about ways to handle worry in a positive manner. While preparing for Weekend Lovelies, I came across this beautiful picture {image via thereislovetobefound} above, as well as, a piece of advice from Soulseeds, “When anxiety is crowding out joy, take in a larger perspective. If your direction seems all-wrong, look for a larger right. If things are falling apart, raise your sights to see something better falling together. Be willing to say “no” in order to clear the way for a much deeper “YES!” Perspective makes life feel SO spacious.” So let out a deep “OM” and enjoy some of our beautiful weekend picks! {xo} [Read more…]

DIY Garden Boxes

 

{ DIY } Garden Boxes

Do It Yourself- {DIY} Garden Boxes, was a project that I have had on my mind since we moved into our house over two years ago.  Our home, though not large, does have a spacious backyard for our community.  It was the number one reason why we purchased this house.  I have been reading about the simplicity of garden boxes and the benefits of growing your own fruits and vegetables for some time.  I myself consume quite a bit of both and the idea of using my own tomatoes in my favorite Pasta Recipe has been a dream of mine.

We made reference to creating these raised garden boxes via Sunset Magazine and Better Homes and Gardens for the basics. Both sites give information regarding materials needed and sizing for the space you have available.  First, we asked for the help of our neighbor and “local” gardening expert, Rosa.  She visited our yard to see where the garden boxes should be placed based on the suns path. Once we found where we would place the boxes, we measured out the space. We then squared off and leveled the area.  Shane went to Home Depot to purchase the following:

* Wood planks

* Screws

* Hinges to connect the corners.

* Drip system water kit

[Read more…]