Kool Eggs

This is the first year I finally bit the bullet and dyed eggs with Jacob. It just seemed so messy and with a WILD and CRAZY toddler? No, thanks.

But! I found this recipe for Kool-Aid eggs and I thought it was a genius (and less messy) idea! And the eggs turned out really cute (and they smell good)!

First you need to boil the eggs. This is simple, y'all.

Put all your eggs in a single layer in a sauce pan, fill with just enough cool water to cover the eggs, add 1 tsp. of salt, bring to a rolling boil for a few minutes, then turn off the heat and let it sit covered for 15 minutes. At this point, I transferred the eggs to a Tupperware container and put them in the fridge for the next morning.

When you're ready to dye the eggs, pour the Kool-Aid packets in cups and then add 2/3 cup water to each.

 

We used a whisk, as you can see, and Jacob could easily do it all by himself!

"Ooooo....look mom! Bluuuuue!!!"



That's it! So simple and easy! I wish I would've gotten a picture of Jacob trying one of the eggs. LOL! His face was priceless. And no, they do not taste like Kool-Aid, much to Jacob's dismay. :)

HAPPY EASTER!!!!

DIY tutorial - galvanized letters

I've been in love with the Anthropologie Zinc Letters since forever, but at $18 a pop, it wasn't practical for Judson's room.

 

 

I had honestly kinda moved past them, because like I said- I couldn't swallow the cost, when I stumbled upon a Pinterest tutorial to copy them. It was like fate! Ha!

 

So, I ran over to HobLob and got all the supplies, and went to work. I am so thrilled with the results!

 



I decided to do a quick tutorial, because this is SUPER easy and I think it really does look like the Anthro letters.

 

Alright, so let's start.

First, you're going to need:

Paper mache letters (HobLob for $2.99/ea)

Black acrylic paint

Silver metallic acrylic paint

Paint brush

 

The first step is to take off all the price tag stickers. Please do this. You will thank me later.

 

Next, paint all the letters black. Make sure to get the front and sides. Then let them dry completely (I let them dry overnight).

 

Next step is to go over the black with a thin layer of the silver metallic paint. Less is more here. You can always add more paint, but you can't take it off. The goal is to use long brush strokes to give the appearance of metal.

 

You can see my technique here. I just started on 1 side and went up/down and kept the brush strokes going the same way.

 

 

You can see the brush strokes that I was talking about in this picture.

TA DAA!! That's it!

What do y'all think?? I can't wait to get these up on the walls in Mr. Judson's room. And the best part is they're super light, so you can just use command strips to adhere them to the wall.

DIY green weed killer

One thing I've been terrible about keeping up with since having a baby is our yard. I just kinda don't care. I used to go out nearly every weekend and pick weeds and groom our front and back yards. Since having Jacob, and especially since getting pregnant, the thought of going outside in the heat and humidity to pick weeds gives me hives! And of course we're too cheap to pay someone to do it!

I thought about spraying some chemical weed killer down. Don't get me wrong, we use chemicals on our yard. But Jacob spends an insane amount of time in our flower beds (lovely, I know) and I really don't want him getting into that nasty stuff!

Insert >> DIY green weed killer!

I definitely had my doubts. I mean, have you seen our flower beds?

Let's start with ingredients.

You'll need:
1/2 gallon distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup salt
2 tbsp. dish soap

Mix all these ingredients up in a watering can or spray bottle. Make sure you label this, especially if you're using a watering can, because it will kill everything it touches and I'd hate for you to use said watering can on your actual flowers later.

After you've mixed it all up, pour a liberal amount on your weeds. You want to really saturate the area. Also you want to do this on a hot and sunny day, the hotter the better, as it really helps to dry out the weeds.

Isn't that awful? I'm kinda embarrassed.

Can you see how wet it is?

This is after 1 day. Can you believe that?! I couldn't either!

The dish soap helps to break down the protective coating on the leaves and the salt and vinegar completely dries out the weeds.

This picture was taken 2 days later.

At this point, I went in with a hand rake and was able to easily rake up all the dead weeds and pick the few that didn't die (those things are pesky!).

Good luck!

Easter Egg Explosion

Easter is one of my favorite holidays to decorate for. Not sure if it's because it coincides with spring cleaning (and we all know I love a good deep cleaning) or if it's just the general uplifting feeling that spring brings- sunshine, warm temps, flowers, bright colors, etc. Either way- I'm totally game!

This year I decided to spruce up my Easter decor and try to do it on a budget. I think I nailed this one. 

Easter egg explosion at Casa de Sokolewicz...

I went to the Dollar Store and grabbed about 8 tubes of Easter eggs (4 of the pastel colors and 4 of the brighter colors, 24 eggs in each tube). I'm no math major, but that's like 200+ Easter eggs.

 

The Dollar Store eggs are awesome for crafting because they have holes on both ends, so you can easily string them.

 

I literally took 24 eggs, strung them on fishing line and hung them on my little nails on my mantel and called it a day. This little pop of color really does make a huge impact in our family room!
 

 

For each holiday/season, I fill up this vase on our dining room table with various items. I love that its one of the first things you see when you walk in our front door, and it just sets the tone for the entire house. I actually got those little wooden baskets at Emporium Pies (they put their to-go slices in them- how cute, huh??), but I found similar ones here. Just fill them with some Easter grass and you've got some adorable placecards or, in my case, a little Easter goodie for Easter brunch! (more on that later)
 

I can't even count how many times I've said this, but no holiday/event/season is complete without a wreath! I'm seriously in love with this one. I first hot glued eggs (probably 70-80 eggs, y'all) to a foam wreath form. Then just used some Easter grass to fill in the spots where you could see the wreath form. There weren't that many spots, but I had to add some more to even it out. I'm so glad I made this guy. Love it!

 

I took a little LBG inspiration on this chalkboard, but I'm really happy with the way it turned out!

 

I'll be back next week with Jacob's Easter basket and some ideas for a yummy Easter brunch!

 

Cheers!

 

 

Linking up with: Not Just a Housewife, Hope Studios, House of Rose, Living Well Spending Less, The Dedicated House, Lewis Lane Designs, Cherished Handmade Treasures

How To Make A Wine Rack Above The Fridge

You know that useless cabinet above your fridge that's too far back to access easily? So you either have crap in there or nothing at all? Yeah, we all have one.

I decided to build a wine rack in ours. I know storing wine above the fridge isn't the ideal spot, but our fridge emits little to no heat, and that space is so useless, that I just had to do it. I think most people don't advise storing wine on top of the ACTUAL fridge (because it shakes the wine, and it is warm).

 

Anyways- if you're like me and think this is a good idea, read on... (also, please note: this tutorial is for a cabinet that measures 12" deep, 34" wide and 11" tall.)

First, remove the doors and hardware. Our cabinet had a bar in the middle of the space, which was literally held in by 2 small wooden pegs. Josh easily snapped them off/sawed them off with a handsaw.

Next, we primed and painted the inside because we were painting the rest of the cabinets and this was part of the remodel. 

Next, you need to purchase this wine rack kit (actually, go ahead and order it as soon as you decide you're doing this project, so it arrives ASAP). We exhausted ALL our options to actually build this ourselves, but with a rectangle space like this, it's nearly impossible to make with the tools we have.

Once your kit arrives, measure and saw off any excess. I wanted the middle "braces" to be somewhat hidden behind the cabinet lip, so Josh sawed off about 1-2" from the width of those.

Next, if applicable, prime and paint the wood. I did 1 coat of each and was satisfied with the outcome.

Next, install and stack yo wine!!!

I looooove the way this turned out, and I looooove that our wine isn't just sitting around taking up space on a countertop.

If you try this, please please please let me know how it goes!

Linking up with: The Dedicated House, Hope Studios, A Savory Feast, Lewis Lane Designs

Emily's "Very Hungry Caterpillar" Baby Shower

I had the privilege of co-hosting my sister-in-law's baby shower, with Alicia at Adventures at Naptime, and oh my gosh! Everything turned out so cute, so perfect and so delicious!!!

Since they aren't finding out the gender ahead of time, we decided to do a "Very Hungry Caterpillar" themed shower. It's a great theme for either gender, and really easy to play off of. Tons of fun colors, foods, shapes and of course an adorable caterpillar and butterfly!

I was also lucky enough to work with Tiny Prints again for the invitations! Isn't this invitation so cute?!

 

It's actually a moving announcement postcard, but I fell in love with the Eric Carle-esque pineapple and loved the idea of sending postcards! I love finding gems like this and re-purposing to meet my needs.

For the actual décor, we decided to really play-up the caterpillar theme with tons of bright colors and, of course, a giant caterpillar!

I made this using paper lanterns, twine and construction paper for the eyes. I think it cost less than $10 total and it made a HUGE statement! It's kinda hard to tell by the pictures, but this sucker was at least 8 feet long!

I also made a fruity banner to hang above the food table. This turned out really cute, too! I literally free-handed the different fruit shapes on construction paper and then used a stencil for the letters. Again, super cheap and simple, but so cute!!!

 

It's kinda hard to see in the picture, but for food- I made yummy fruit kabobs (which somewhat resembled caterpillars), a vegetable platter with lots of fun colors, my (errr...Rachael Ray's) famous swiss bacon dip and served my sister-in-law's favorite pasta salad from Eatzi's! All the food was a big hit and it was the perfect variety for an afternoon shower.

 

Alicia made this fabulous diaper cake.

 

 

LOOK how adorable it is! And it's super legit- with lots of diapers (obv), burp cloths, and toys in there! She's got an awesome tutorial on her blog, make sure you check it out.

And last, but certainly not least. The wreath. No party is complete without a wreath, and this one stole the show! I literally just hot glued a ton of pom poms to a foam wreath, tied some pretty chevron ribbon to the top and called it a day.

I love throwing showers, and this one will always hold a special place in my heart. I cannot wait to meet my FIRST niece/nephew, and I cannot wait to see my brother/sister-in-law as parents. They are going to me amazing!

Thanks again to Tiny Prints for supplying the beautiful invitations. If y'all are hosting a shower, you should definitely check out their selection! Baby or wedding- they've got you covered in the shower department!

And also a big thanks for Alicia for hosting this shower with me! She's a hilarious mom of three with stories for days- y'all should really follow her blog!

Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend! Cheers!

Linking up with: A Savory Feast, Hope Studios, Lewis Lane Designs

How To Paint Your Cabinets [like a boss]

So it finally happened. I talked Josh into painting our kitchen cabinets! And we actually did it!! Yayy!!!!

LOOK how good it turned out... Ahh I'm just so obsessed with this room now!

The process is very time consuming, tedious and messy, but it is not hard. I repeat it is not hard. In all seriousness, I probably wouldn't make this your first home improvement project, but you can definitely do it!!!

I'm going to give you step-by-step instructions on how we did it. But let me start off by saying I am no DIY expert. In fact, my dad (and my better judgement) told me not to do this. Hahahah!! There are a million tutorials online, all with a different process and materials. This is how WE did it. 

And also keep in mind that we have a toddler to wrangle care for, so most of the work was done during naptime and after he went to bed. 

From start to finish, this took us 14 days. 6 of which were drying days during which I did nothing. Sooo...I'm no math major, but I think that's 8 days of actual work (right??)...not bad for a remodel that will seriously turn your kitchen (or bathroom) from drab to fab!

In terms of budget, we spent around $150 total for all the supplies and paint. Again, a total score! Considering buying new cabinets or having someone else do them would cost a pretty penny $$.

Alright- what you've all been waiting for. The tutorial...

Step 1

Gather all your supplies. 
Here's a list of what we used:
Wood filler (Elmer's Wood Filler Max)
Mouse sander (Black & Decker)
80 grit sandpaper
Deglosser (Klean Strip Sander Deglosser)
Paintable white caulk
Primer (Zinsser 1-2-3)
2" angled paintbrush
Foam roller
Paint (Benjamin Moore Advance Paint in "cloud cover" in satin finish)
Various screwdrivers
Painters tape
Drop cloths
Putty knife

Step 2

Remove doors/drawers and all the hardware. Make sure you mark each cabinet opening and corresponding door/drawer and all the hardware, so you can install it correctly when you're done! We put tiny pieces of masking tape in each cabinet and then wrote the corresponding number under each door in the garage. And just piled all the hardware next to the number. 

Step 3

If you're replacing the hardware or if you have any nicks/holes in your cabinets, you'll need to fill the holes with wood filler and use a putty knife to scrape the excess off. Then let it dry.

Step 4

Sand, sand, sand. We used 80 grit sandpaper with a mouse sander and spent about 20 minutes on each door. Get in all the grooves and edges. You don't have to get every last bit of varnish off, but you want to rough it up real good. Sawdust will get everywhere. Plan accordingly. We sanded all the doors/drawers outside in the grass. When we sanded the cabinet boxes inside, I shut the door to the kitchen and put a towel under it, and used a big plastic drop cloth to close up the huge opening to the family room. Thankfully the weather was gorgeous that day, so I was able to turn off the ac/heater while sanding and Jacob spent most of the day outside. It was a MESS! But after lots of sweeping and vacuuming, it was cleaned up pretty quickly. Honestly. I suggest doing this part when the weather is nice and you can be outside. This is the messiest part.



 

Step 5

Degloss. I used a TON of old rags, squeezed a good amount on the rag, and wiped down the cabinets thoroughly after they were sanded. I wore gloves and replaced them a couple times throughout the process. You want to clean off all the sawdust and make a nice even surface for the primer to adhere to. We were able to sand and degloss all the doors, drawers and cabinet boxes in 1 day. I was shocked by that!

Step 6

Caulk. We had some separation between the cabinets and the walls, so we used a hefty amount of caulk to seal the gaps. P.S. Read the instructions to find out how long you should wait before painting. The stuff we got dried in 15 minutes!

 

Step 7

Prime. We started with the back of the doors, thinking that if when we turn them over to do the front and it scuffs a bit, it'll be the BACK not the front. ¿Comprende? Then when we were done with the backs and drawers, we moved to the cabinet boxes. When you're priming, you want to start with the angled paintbrush and get primer in all the groves and spread the primer around. Then take the foam roller and roll over the entire surface. You want to make an even surface. 

Step 8

Painting! Once your primer is dry (we waited at least 24 hours) you can start painting!! We did two coats, using the same technique as we did with primer. After painting the second coat on the back side, we let the doors sit for a full day before flipping them. After painting the second coat on the front side, when the doors and drawers were completely done, we let everything sit for 5 full days. You need to read your paint to see how long you should wait. This is so important- you really don't want to ruin all your hard work!

Step 9

After 5  l o n g  days of waiting, we re-installed all the hardware and put all the doors back on. This was an OMG moment, for sure!!!

I really wish I had better before pictures. I thought I had some from when we first moved in, but I can't find them?!?!

Anyways- I hope this post includes enough details and tips/tricks. If you have any questions, just post them in the comment section and I'll answer them as best I can!!!

Now that our cabinets are all re-installed, the doors/drawers do stick a little bit. I've heard that it could take up to 9 months before everything is seriously hardened. We'll see! I'll try to update this post in the future, once I feel like its done.

Good luck!!!!

Linking up with: Cherished Handmade Treasures, Not Just a Housewife, Hope Studios, Remodelaholic, House of Rose, Living Well Spending Less, The Dedicated House, A Savory Feast, Lewis Lane Designs

DIY tutorial - canvas print

Hi everyone, and HAPPY FRIDAY!

I am so excited about this. So excited I wish I would've done it a long time ago.

I always saw these tutorials on Pinterest, but they looked hard and complicated. And quite honestly, I kinda think some DIYers lie about how easy projects are. But I'm here to tell you that this really is EASY! 

So here you have it DomestiKATE's DIY canvas print tutorial...

 

Step 1: buy a canvas and photo print the same size. I actually made a 12"x12" canvas out of a 12x14 print. I obviously had to trim the print to make it work, but it turned out great! You can do that too. 

Step 2: paint the edges and about 1" from the edge on top of your canvas with black paint. And let it dry. Like so...

Step 3: paint a thin layer of Modge Podge on the face of your canvas. I use this MP in matte and I really like it. 

Step 4: place your photo on top of the wet Modge Podge. You want to move pretty quickly, so the MP doesn't dry. 

Step 5: once you have the photo where you want it, paint another thin layer of Modge Podge over your photo. Keep your paint strokes going in the same direction (vertical or horizontal). And let it dry. 

Step 6: once that layer of Modge Podge has dried, paint another thin layer of MP in the opposite direction. This creates a canvas-like finish. 

That's it!! Make sure all your Modge Podge dries thoroughly. I'd let it dry for a good 24 hours.  

I even did a 24"x36" (the very top picture) and it turned out phenom! Of course, ordering a color print that size is pricey, but it's still wayyy cheaper than ordering a canvas print that size. 

Good luck!!! 

Homemade Grout Cleaner

My dad is a tile contractor. He did all the tile in our house, including all our floors, backsplash and master shower. He's the bomb.

But he literally comments on our grout every single time he's over. We sealed it when it was first laid, but we never re-sealed it (which you should really do every year). Sooo it's kinda black now. 

I decided enough was enough. So I tried out this easy homemade grout cleaner my dad told me about and WOW! No scrubbing and not a whole lot of mess. Sounds too good to be true, huh? Think again my friend... LOOK at that before and after! Whoa!

 

Here's the instructions:

1) mix together 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/4 cup white vinegar in an open container (like a Tupperware container)

2) use a spoon and cover your grout lines with the mixture 

3) let sit for 20 minutes

4) wipe up with wet cloth

5) I personally had a lot of leftover grit on my floor, so I mixed together 1 part vinegar and 1 part water in a squirt bottle and mopped my floor with it

6) after you've cleaned all the grout and cleaned up all the residual, I suggest sealing your grout with a sealant

My sister is MARRIED!

This post is mostly a photo dump, but I'll do a brief summary too.

 

My sister married Joe on Saturday, October 5 in Austin, TX. The ceremony was at the beautiful Chapel Dulcinea in the Texas Hill Country, and the reception was at Scholz Garten.

 

The ceremony was at 10:30am, so it was a very early morning with hair and makeup. Then we made our way out to the venue for last minute touch-ups and getting everyone dressed. My sister got us bridesmaids these awesome running shorts with our monogram! How perfect! And I think they looked pretty phenom with our boots, huh?

 

 

 

 

 

 

flowers by Bouquets of Austin

 

my dad with his daughters and grandson

 The ceremony was absolutely breathtaking. It was such a still autumn morning, so peaceful and serene. It was just perfect.

 

 

And no wedding is complete without a little "ice breaker." In this case, the best man (Joe's older brother) dropped the rings and they nearly fell into the fountain! Haha!

 

 

After the ceremony, Joe and Carrie got to ring the chapel bell. It was such a magical way to end the ceremony!

 





 

 

And Jacob got to play in the fountain while everyone mingled and took pictures. What a cutie!

 

 

Here's a bunch of pictures from the day... 







 

The reception was a relaxed afternoon party, complete with kegs and BBQ. So much fun, and such a perfect party for Joe and Carrie!

 

 

The bride's cake and groom's cake were combined into one big cake. The bride's cake was funfetti, obviously...

And here's a little photo collage of mine and the best man's speeches. Love these people!

 

And I'll leave you with my favorite picture from the weekend. A picture of my sweet little family. I love these guys more than words can even express, and I don't know what I'd do without them! They are my world. My happiness.