tutorial Archives - Simply Happenstance

DIY // Natural Christmas Garland

December 11, 2014

DIY // Natural Christmas Garland

I love all things gold and sparkly {just take a look at my pinecone garland from last year!}… but I also love natural things, as well! I guess it depends on what I’m in the mood for… and the purpose of the piece. In this case, it was my sweet mama who planned this outdoorsy garland to make with her grandchildren over Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, we ran out of time, but she did leave the supplies with me to complete the simple DIY with my kids. {Thanks, Mom!} I’m crazy about how it turned out… and the kids and I had so much fun putting it together for the birds in our backyard to enjoy!

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Weekend Lovelies {favorite things}

March 8, 2014

:: Weekend Lovelies {favorite things} ::

Hey, friends! Nicole and I hope that you all have had a fantastic week! Any signs of spring in your part of the world? How was your week… do anything fun? My husby has been at the fire station… literally all week long. The kids and I have been carrying on at home… soaking up the sunshine when we can, doing lots of art, attempting to focus on their studies, and doing the runaround with their extra curricular activities. My two littlest ones have birthdays in the next two weeks. Such a bittersweet time…. watching them grow up, another year older. I wish I could slow it all down and keep them little longer. We spent one evening this week looking through old photos on the computer {because I’ve yet to print them… no joke}. We had so much fun reminiscing of special moments in their early childhood years! I really can’t get a grasp on how quickly the time has gone by. It’s been a good reminder to soak up this two-year mountain holiday we are on. That’s kind of how I think of it in my mind. In just shy of a year and a half, we will most likely move back down the mountain and join the real world again… going back to school, possibly work, and buying a house. For now, I’m trying to fully enjoy this time in the mountains with my handsome husby and sweet four… homeschooling, staying in our pj’s until late in the morning, and doing family movie nights and dance parties whenever we feel the desire! It’s been blissful…

So… how about that lovely quote from Henry David Thoreau pictured above? It truly speaks volumes, doesn’t it?! {I spotted it on Pinterest and followed the link, which took me to the delightful blog… One Beautiful Life. Not only a fabulous quote, but a wonderful post about facing the fear of uncertainty. Such a good read… I think you’ll enjoy it!} Nicole and I hope that you like our other finds this week! Please feel free to link-up with your favorite blog post, or your Etsy Shop! {A BIG thank you to our dear friends Jenny from Be… and Keep Being, and Megan from Yumology, for always linking-up! We love you girls so much! You have no idea how much your support means to us!} Have a wonderful weekend! {xo} [Read more…]

Weekend Lovelies {favorite things}

February 22, 2014

:: Weekend Lovelies {favorite things} ::

Happy weekend! Hope you all have had a wonderful, healthy week! The days sure are flying by, aren’t they? Doing this {favorite things} post weekly, always serves as a powerful reminder of how quickly the week drifts by. One of my personal {ongoing} goals is to be more present… focusing not only on the joyful moments, but the mundane everyday kind, as well. Those less exciting moments seem to float by… unnoticed at times. We lose awareness of them, as we go about our day, moving from one activity {or obligation} to the next.

Driving down the mountain earlier this week, I experienced one of those moments. Husby was at the wheel, maneuvering confidently around each curve, while I was my normal self {anxiety stricken, fearing death with each bend, and queasy from carsickness}. All of the sudden, I stopped my train of thought and instead, focused on the beauty all around me… the low clouds, blue sky, and the stunning mountain side. It was a good reminder to find joy in the journey. It isn’t always an easy road {this life we live}… but we can always find beauty and reasons to be joyful if we change our perspective, attempt to be more present, and come from a place of thankfulness. I truly hope that you are finding joy in your life journey… [Read more…]

Weekend Lovelies {favorite things}

February 15, 2014

:: Weekend Lovelies {favorite things} ::

How was your LOVE day?! Perfectly romantic and exciting, I hope! My husby is currently working a 72-hr. shift, so the kids and I had fun crafting the day away! I stayed up entirely too late the night before, making heart garland, and preparing a festive table for them to wake up to. {I’m sure lots of us mamas were up late decorating for our sweet little ones!}

So… this weekend, Nicole and I have a fun list of favorites for you to enjoy! Some beauty, design, recipes, style… and even a darling video to share with you! If you are a blogger or have an Etsy shop, we’d be thrilled if you’d link-up to our favorite things! Enjoy the weekend, friends… and feel free to say “hello” by leaving a comment below! {xo} [Read more…]

{weekend} lovelies

November 2, 2013

:: Weekend Lovelies ::

Happy Weekend, Friends! Nicole and I hope that you are all doing well and enjoying the first weekend of November! Do you have any fun fall plans? If so… please share!

I’m personally hoping for a relaxing weekend spent at home… {As if that’s possible with four kids, right?!} We’ve been quite busy with homeschooling, family hikes {the photo above was taken on our hike last week}, and ballet rehearsals for Miss Sophia Blue, among other things! We got our first dusting of snow a couple of weeks ago! We are truly soaking up this lovely season of autumn, since it is all so new to us!

This edition of {weekend} lovelies is a mixture of pretty things… some comforting recipes, simple home design, DIY projects, the best crafting blogs, a love story, and more! I hope that you’re able to take a moment and enjoy them while sipping on your favorite warm drink!

Maple Brown Sugar Pumpkin Roll // Bakeaholic Mama I must make this dessert, simply based on how divine the filling looks! Oh my!

A Swedish Home // Scandinavian Home Blog I can’t resist Scandinavian design. I love the simplicity of the interiors with the abundance of fresh white paint and pops of color throughout.

Fall DIY Projects // Lily Shop I’m loving these three DIY crafts from the Lily Shop Blog! They all seem perfect for the approaching Thanksgiving holiday! Here are the links to the tutorials: 1. Gold Mason Jars | 2. Chalkboard Serving Trays | 3. Paper Pumpkin

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DIY: Paint a Chevron Striped Wall

May 23, 2013

:: DIY TUTORIAL | PAINT A CHEVRON STRIPED WALL ::

When we decided to put our two youngest {Sophia & Finn} in a room together… we knew we had to re-paint to make it suitable for both of them. Since I’m obsessed with the color gray {and it’s gender neutral}, we chose to paint three of the walls in a solid gray, and paint a chevron stripe pattern on the fourth wall to make things a bit more lively {admittedly… Miss Blue was slightly traumatized over the gray, and did refuse to sleep there until we told her she could paint her next room bright pink}!

Lucky for me…. all I had to do was ask my sweet Husby if he’d do it, and of course….he said YES! He is super handy and much more of a perfectionist when it comes to things like this. I am a little more book smart, so I used my talents to research the best method {and supervised the rest of the process, as any good wife would do}! The taping was a little intense… but most people probably won’t have their levels and yard sticks out measuring and re-measuring the way we did!

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