Removing a Stuck Wedding Ring: DIY Methods and Ring Saving Tips

Even for the least sentimental person, there is a lot of symbolism and emotional significance to a wedding ring. It may just be the only piece of jewelry you wear, and it's likely been a part of you for many many years. Which is why, like me, you might find yourself with a very stuck wedding ring that can no longer be removed! The prospect of cutting it off can be daunting, and you might not have to! I've got various DIY methods and ring-saving tips that you can try to safely remove your ring, before you need to reach the last resort of cutting it off. 

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A Beginner's Guide to a DIY Bathroom Update

You know how everyone on those TV house hunting shows is looking for an open concept home? You know, one that has flow and doesn't feel boxed in with small rooms breaking everything up? Well, those are great. But when it comes time to remodel or replace something, you often have to replace all the things since one thing flows to the other. That was the case when we recently remodeled our kitchen. 
We had a half bathroom downstairs that needed updating and it was shockingly easier {and less expensive!} to DIY than we thought. In fact, I took over the majority of the DIY on my own to save money. This isn't the first time I've updated a bathroom. In fact, they are pretty darn easy spaces if you are just getting your feet wet in DIY. I've got a full beginner's guide on how to update your space without breaking the bank. Even if you aren't touching the rest of the home, this will give you a quick refresh that will help you gauge the level of your abilities if you want to progress on in DIY projects. Are you ready?

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DIY Projects You Can Tackle Yourself

Whether you’ve just purchased a new home or your home of 10+ years could use some sprucing up, it can be overwhelming sometimes. If the list of house projects is starting to give you anxiety, this is your opportunity to tackle some DIY projects, even if you feel like the least handy person around the home. You don’t need someone to paint your walls or tile a backsplash! With patience and a little time, you can tackle all of these yourself! Making practical and stylish additions to your home can feel intimidating. But these DIY projects are simple enough that you can tackle them yourself!

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Easy Off Refinishing Furniture Stripper

After remodeling our whole downstairs last year, we knew there would be some furniture we would need. If you've ever done a remodel, you'll know that you basically just bleed money for months on end. The idea of paying upwards of $3-5 thousand dollars for a table, had me reconsidering my options. I kept going back to my DIY days and thinking I could make that! Like Goldilocks, I spent last summer hunting for the perfect table that I could refinish in the raw wood finish I was looking for. I bought and sold no less than six tables in about six weeks. I ended up refinishing most of them, and kept two tables. Both of which I took to the raw wood finish look but ended up using two different methods. I already shared how I used Citristrip and bleach to finish the table in our dining room. This time, I'm sharing how I used Easy Off oven cleaner {yep...oven cleaner!} to refinish our kitchen table. A year later and I'm still obsessed with it!

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Everything You Need to Know to Bleach Furniture to Get the Raw Wood Look

Last year, we remodeled the whole downstairs of our home. We updated the orange wood tones that were all over the house with a much more neutral look. If you've ever done a home remodel, you know that you are basically just bleeding money for months on end. And when our remodel stalled and we had to fire our contractor, we weren't sure how we were going to move forward with a new plan and how much that was going to cost us. Being on the frugal side of things anyway, I like to buy cheap and save the difference. But I was willing to splurge on a few things, a new table being one of them! After searching around and not being able to stomach the many thousands of dollars a new table was going to cost, I started looking into some DIY options. I came full circle, and while it took me buying and refinishing about five tables, I finally settled on two that I absolutely love for our dining room and kitchen nook. And in the process, I learned a lot of lessons on how to bleach furniture to get the coveted raw wood look that's so hot right now. Here is what I learned.

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Introducing the Cricut EasyPress 3 and the Cricut Hat Press: An Honest Review

Are you ready to take your crafting and creating to the next level? Cricut has done it again with two new user-friendly products I want to introduce to you today. I had the opportunity to get both the Cricut Hat Press and the Cricut EasyPress 3 before the launch so that I could give them a try with the new Cricut Heat App and let you know what I thought. Know what I thought? It was amazing.
Seriously. I'm not going to lie, I was slow to join cult Cricut. I was team Silhouette all the way. Back in the day, Cricut just wasn't keeping up with the technology {cutting cartridges anyone?}, and Silhouette had the far superior product. Every time I sat down with my Silhouette to do something it was a process. If you've been around long enough you'll remember these very basic birthday invitations from 2012 that took me a whole week to make! I've spent hours designing and printing and cutting, throwing away expensive materials and hours of my time. That is until I had the opportunity to try Cricut back in 2019 and I've been singing a different song ever since.
Know the short answer of what I say when people ask me what I think of Cricut? I say I think they are the most user-friendly product that will allow you to craft and create just about anything you could imagine. And you know what, these new Cricut products are just adding to the family of user-friendly products that will help you take your crafting to the next level. I know you are going to want to see what's possible so read on!

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You Can Sell Your Used Kitchen Cabinets and Granite: Everything You Need to Know!

In late 2010, we purchased a new home. It was a custom home that was just a few years old. Here's the thing. I never really liked the kitchen. It's just not really my style and it was dark and Seattle is dark enough for nine months out of the year, that I dreamed of something lighter and brighter. The real dilemma for me was that we had a really nice kitchen. Top-of-the-line materials were used and I have always been of the mindset that you use what you have. Plus, I didn't want to see perfectly good materials ending up in a landfill. I'm not sure when the bug was put in my ear that I could sell our used kitchen, but I have sold just about everything else so why couldn't I sell our kitchen? I'm sharing all my tips and tricks so you can sell your old cabinets and granite, put a little money back in your pocket for your upcoming remodel, AND keep perfectly good materials out of the landfill! It's a real win all around!

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Is Removable Wallpaper Really Removable?

I am no stranger to wallpaper. Some of my earliest DIY memories were of hours spent scraping off layers of wallpaper from the walls in our historic home before I had to use two hands to count my age. It was tedious work. Small chunks of paper would come off and it was the slowest process. If you were lucky, you'd have that one huge strip you'd have to stand back to pull and there would be triumphant cheering. That was the exception, not the rule. So many people my age have similar horror stories where we all promised ourselves "never again". So when wallpaper started making a comeback all of the OG DIY'ers did a collective groan. I heard you. And I did the same. Looking back at the blog post I wrote back in 2019 when I shared this post "Is Removable Shiplap Wallpaper the Right DIY Project For My Home?" by the end, you can sense my hesitation to jump on the wallpaper bandwagon. I think my final recommendation was "eh". 
Just last week, as we prepared for a remodel project, I took down the removable wallpaper from our downstairs half bath. I was bracing for the worst and hoping for the best. I'm going to do my best to answer one of the BIGGEST questions I get from this post and I'm going to share the answer to, is removable wallpaper really removable. Brace yourself. You aren't going to believe the answer!

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A Beginner's Guide to Using Your Cricut

You just got a Cricut machine and you’re so excited to use it, but you are feeling overwhelmed and a little bit lost. Cricut is one of the most popular cutting machines in the whole world, and this is one of the best, most user-friendly options available out there. So before you make your first cut, here is a beginner’s guide to help you get started.

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Gathered and Foraged Flowers for Winter Arrangements you can DIY on a Budget

Do you have any hobbies? As I get older, the more interested I get in learning new things. It's probably because for decades I was learning constantly; from days at school, to college, to wife-ing and then parenthood. I haven't had the introduction of anything new in my life really, so it was time for a class. If you followed me on Instagram this summer you know that I took one of my raised vegetable garden beds and turned it into a cut flower bed. I planted even more flowers in it recently and I'm hoping for a bounty come spring and summer! In the meantime, I knew I needed a class on flower arranging. I cut a bunch of stems this summer, but mostly I just popped those stems in a vase and called it good. I knew I could do better! I just needed a trick or two on how to do it, so I took a flower arranging class. Friends, I took one class and now I think I'm an expert! But I'm not going to lie, I was pretty impressed with these gathered and foraged flowers I found and used to create three winter arrangements {plus a bonus upcycle on a wreath}. It was so easy, I knew I could share it with you too! Want to learn how to gather and forage for your own winter arrangements? Read more!

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DIY Pampas Grass Christmas Tree on a Budget

I have a love/hate relationship with Pampas Grass {more like pompous grass as my husband likes to say!}. Heck, a few years ago I didn't even know what it was called. I just knew I had to stop on the side of the road and cut some for a fall wreath I created. It created a heck of a mess, which is why it hung outside. Who knows, maybe I started the boho pampas trend and I didn't even know it. Only kidding. 
About this time last year, I started dreaming up the plans for a Pampas Grass Christmas tree. Most of my plans start early because I like to do things as thrifty as possible. I think I succeeded because while I recently saw Pampas Grass at a local flower shop selling for $9 a stem, I ended up creating this whole tree for a quarter. Yep. How's that for a budget DIY. I'm sharing with you all my tips and tricks so you can start planning now to make a DIY Pampas Grass Christmas tree of your own!

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DIY Mimosa Bar Cart with Free Printable Mimosa Bar Sign

This past summer, I had the honor of throwing a wedding shower for my son and his soon-to-be wife. I had a lot of different ideas for things to do, but having a mimosa bar was high on the list. I started scouring Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp for bar carts and kept turning up empty. There was one HUGE mimosa bar cart I could rent for the low low price of $500, and I think that's when I decided I wanted to DIY my own. I'm showing you how you can take an old worn-out service cart and turn it into a fun party piece for your next event!

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DIY on a Budget

Nothing quite beats the fantastic feeling you get when you redecorate a space or make something with your hands. If you are looking to create a fresh look for your home while taking it easy on your wallet, there are plenty of clever ways that you can DIY anything on a budget! You don’t need a lot of money to do things yourself, and this post will help show you how!

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The Ultimate Back-to-School Experience with Cricut

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cricut. All opinions are 100% my own.
I've had kids in some form of school since 2000, so after 21 years, I feel like I'm probably some kind of expert. I have a closet stocked full of frequently used school supplies because you don't ever want to run out! With my youngest entering into his junior year of high school, there are fewer back-to-school supply shopping lists and more of finding supplies that work for each kid. My teens are beyond particular about what pens and pencils they use and while I liked multi-subject notebooks for notetaking, I can't get anyone else on board with my system! Everyone has their own thing and that's totally ok which is why I LOVE using Cricut for all of our back-to-school supplies because it allows us to be creative with otherwise ho-hum supplies. And there's nothing more teens like than having their own unique style and with the Cricut, you can make that happen! Come check out how I elevated some plain school supplies and made them into something my teenager would love to go back to school with.

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10 Things We Learned from Building a DIY Porch Swing Bed

When I was a kid, our house had a porch swing and it was one of my favorite things. We spent hours on that swing being rocked to sleep by my dad, swinging with friends, and sharing secrets on warm summer nights in the midwest. I have very fond memories of it, with the exception of the one time my dad was rocking my little brother, Ben, to sleep and as he carefully came back inside a bat flew in too. There was an evening of screaming and running from end to end of the house chasing a bat with a broomstick for what seemed like hours. In the end, no one slept much.

We have a covered porch area much like we did when I was a kid, and when I saw the plans from Plank and Pillow for an easy-to-follow DIY porch swing bed, I knew I wanted one! I had purchased outdoor furniture for the back patio about 11 years ago for $10 and had grown tired of it. I was able to sell it on Facebook Marketplace {check this post for more tips for selling your items}for $150, so we used some of the profit on the lumber because, hello, wood is expensive right now! 

Keep reading for 10 things we learned from building a DIY porch swing bed and how we made it our own.

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DIY Patio Update on a Budget with the Cricut Explore Air

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cricut for Cricut. All opinions are 100% mine.
I always hated yard work. I'm not sure if it was because so much of my time as a new homeowner was spent weeding during my kids' naptimes only to find myself in an endless loop. It seemed that as soon as I started weeding one area I'd return to where I started only to have to do it all over again. It was exhausting and not one where I could really enjoy the fruits of my labor. My kids have gotten older and I have been a homeowner for two decades now and I'm cautiously going to admit that I think I've fallen into a new love of gardening. It's so satisfying to see new life bloom, spread, and grow and I'm getting more confident in my skills that now it seems like I can sit back and enjoy it. Which is why creating an outdoor patio area where I can sit back and relax is important to me.
Like all things, I'm always on a budget and hit my local thrift shop for some items to help me upcycle my patio space just in time for summer. I used my Cricut Explore Air 2 and I'm excited about the fun updates. I'm going to show you how you can take some thrift shop finds and update them to create a space you can enjoy all summer long! 

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Creating Boho Bedroom Decor with the Cricut Explore Air 2

This post is brought to you by Cricut. All opinions are 100% my own.
We are in a transition phase of our life where we have more bedrooms that are empty than full. We've got young adults who are moving out on their own {and even buying their own houses!} and while I've had a few naysayers tell me to save room because "they'll be back," I'm pretty sure the only time the big kids of mine will be back is to visit. I recently transformed one of the kids' bedrooms into a boho guest room using my Cricut Explore Air 2, and it's slowly becoming my favorite room of the house. I didn't have a huge budget to work with, but it's easy to DIY on the cheap making something custom you love using the Cricut.

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DIY Painted Wood Bead Garland

When it comes to home decor, DIY is my middle name! I think it's because so often when I was younger, my mom and I would be shopping and she'd always say to me, "you could make that"! {Side note, also one of the worst things you can mention out loud at a craft fair to the vendor.} I always liked the challenge of creating something and making it my own. This mostly came out of being thrifty but it also comes out of some weird calming effect the art of mass-producing things gives me. I've seen these painted wood bead garlands all over the place, from the shelves at Magnolia Market, to the baskets at the local hobby shops. I thought I'd try my hand at making them and am sharing how you can do it too! Let's go and make some DIY painted wood bead garland!

Speaking of Magnolia Market, here are 5 things you need to know before you visit!

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How to Fix a Crooked Picture Frame on a Gallery Wall For Good!

Know one of my pet peeves? Crooked frames. I just cannot stand seeing a crooked frame hanging. There is one frame on my dining room wall that is constantly moving. I literally walk to it at least once a day just to straighten it. It's become my little OCD habit. One frame is one thing, but when you have a gallery wall and there are eight or twelve frames askew, watch out. I'm looking for a solution. I took to Twitter to see what you all would recommend and I loved the creative solutions. I decided to try one simple thing surprised that I hadn't thought of it before and dangit if it didn't work like a charm. So I'm sharing my secret tip on how to fix a crooked frame for good!

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The Cricut Holiday Gift Everyone Wants Under the Tree!

I got a cutting machine as a Christmas gift ten years ago! As an adult, there aren't many gifts that I hope for, but a cutting machine was one of those I hoped to find under the tree. It literally changed my crafting game. I learned how to vinyl all the things, to make custom invitations for birthdays, designed shirts and clothing for basically any event, and cut out everything from paper for science fair posters to leaves I used to create DIY wreaths. 
I couldn't imagine not having a cutting machine. It's like a workshop not having a hammer or a screwdriver. And honestly, you don't even have to consider yourself crafty to use a cutting machine. The biggest game-changer for me this year though has been getting a Cricut Joy. If you have ever thought getting a cutting machine would be a good idea, or even if you have a larger traditional machine like the Cricut Maker, the Cricut Explore, or even the Silhouette Cameo, I'm going to lay it all out there so you can clearly see why the Cricut Joy is the holiday gift everyone {should} wants under the tree.

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