{is it hot in here, or is it just me?}

Yeah...we all know. It is freaking hot out there.

Today in Indiana it is pushing 100 degrees.

And guess what? Our house doesn't have central air. That's right...we've lived in this house for over three years now without the luxury of 72 degree rooms in the middle of July.

We do have a wall unit in our dining room/kitchen, which I have a major love/hate relationship with. {I love it in the summer...hate it the rest of the year} It keeps that room cool but the rest of the house, including our bedrooms get up to a steamy 80+ degrees on these hot days.

Soooo...when we found a good deal on a portable AC unit online a few weeks ago we went ahead and bought it. The reviews were good, but we failed to look at the dimensions.

This sucker is HUGE.

Yep...that is a full size chair next to it.

It kinda scares me to be honest...like it might start moving around on its own on those little wheels.

Or reach over with the big hose and grab that sippy cup...

And look! It has a remote! Perfect for when you are sitting in the chair 5 inches away and the cold air has frozen your eyeballs.

And it reminds me a bit of this guy...

Its like we have a new family member or something. But at least we have a cooler house.

Happy Summer!

{orla inspired jewelry box}

On my most recent thrifting adventure to Goodwill, I scored not only some great clothes, but also a perfect vintage faux bois filed box...

Yep...$2.99 later and it was all mine. I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with it at first, but I knew it had tons of potential.

After doing a lot of purging and organizing of my wardrobe and accessories, I realized that I needed a better place to store my rings and bracelets, so this cute little box was the perfect solution. After a date with some contact paper, scrapbook paper, and a few other accessories, I came up with this...

So fun, right?

I love Orla Kiely, especially this iconic pattern of hers...

And when I noticed a roll of white contact paper sitting in our laundry room, I had a bit of a lightbulb crafting moment. I cut out some stems and leaves...

And adhered them to the front of the box...

Super simple...and since contact paper is removable I was able to move them around until I had the arrangement I liked.

Then I added some happiness to the inside, starting with a favorite piece of scrapbook paper {what's better than clouds and dandelions?!}

And to add an extra splash of color and inspiration,  I grabbed a couple magnet clips and attached a sweet card from a blog friend inside the lid...

I love how the colors in the card and the scrapbook paper bring so much life to this little box...

Then I added my jewelry! I tucked in a vintage dish for my rings, and used the divider to hang some of my bracelets...

I hated to cover up all of that pretty paper but I have quite a few bracelets in there now. It is the perfect storage solution for all of these small accessories.

What do you think? Have you transformed a thrifted find into a great storage/organization piece? I'd love to hear about it!

Linking up with...

{pinning}

What better way to start off the week with some Pinterest loveliness?

I was going through my recent pins and discovered that I've been a bit obsessed with "statement" necklaces lately. But who isn't, right? Here are a few that have caught my eye...

Source: anthropologie.com via Mandy on Pinterest

Source: elizabethkartchner.com via Mandy on Pinterest

The one above is a giveaway from Dear Lizzy! This J Crew necklace is ALL over blogland and it is gorgeous!

Source: etsy.com via Mandy on Pinterest

Source: abeautifulmess.typepad.com via Mandy on Pinterest

This one is a great DIY from Emma over at A Beautiful Mess. Love the simplicity and graphic effect.

Source: isurfprivately.com via Mandy on Pinterest

And this one is playful and romantic.

What are you pinning these days? Blog about it and link up with Wildflowers and Whimsy here...

{cheery summer wreath DIY}

There are so many cute burlap wreaths floating around in blogland {and on Pinterest}, and I've wanted to try my hand at one for awhile now. I had a bunch of leftover burlap from my DIY table runner project, so all I needed was my trusty glue gun, some fabric, yarn and a wreath form for this easy project.

I started off by cutting some long strips of burlap and wrapping them around the wreath until I had enough to cover the entire thing. Then I cut some strips of fun fabric and wrapped them around the wreath until I got the placement that I liked. I raided my yarn stash and was happy to find that I had the perfect colors to go with my fabric. I used it to make five coordinating pom poms.

Once I had my design all figured out, I removed everything and attached it with my hot glue gun. First the burlap strips, then the fabric, and finally the yarn pom poms.

And then, so I could hang it on our front door, I used a large plastic needle and some more yarn to make a hanger on the back.

And then it was ready for the front door!

This was such an easy and quick project, and considering I already had the fabric, burlap and yarn, I was only out the $2.99 I spent on the wreath form. I love how bright, cheery and summery the colors in the fabric and yarn are...they make our front door so inviting...

This wreath definitely says Happy Summer! 

{patio face-lift}

Summer is really upon us...it has been in the 90's all week...but I'm really not complaining. Really. ;)

And our patio needs some love. Seriously.

We have a really great back yard, with lots of trees and nature all around. But we also have quite the concrete castle when you walk out our back door.

See?

Concrete patio + concrete block wall = blah.

We did add this cute little patio set from IKEA a few months ago. It was a steal for $99 and also has a bench that isn't in the picture. LOTS of seating.

But right now that's all we have...some lonely, plain IKEA furniture. So I've been on the look-out for some great cushions and pillows to liven it up, but also ones that wouldn't break our already tiny bank.

Thanks to a great sale on kohls.com and my trusty 30% off coupon, I scored some really great pillows and cushions.

And I was so excited about them that I created a little mood board...

In about a week I'll be the really happy owner of these lovey pillows...two each of the square ones and one of the pretty striped ones. And also two chair cushions in that great shade of green. All for $50. Woot! You can also see all of them with links on my Pinterest board.

I added a few more things to my mood board to round it out...some in the budget and one a bit outside but not totally unimaginable. The planter on the table is from IKEA...

We already own one, so I just need to buy some soil and a fun plant to go with. Perhaps a succulent...because I have a really, really brown thumb, and succulents are all the rage these days.

Sidenote...since when did everyone start calling them succulents instead of cactuses...or is it cacti? Kind of like how long skirts are now called maxi skirts. Both were around 10 years ago but weren't nearly as fashionable. ;)

Anyway...back to my dream patio. The hanging planter is also from IKEA and another steal at $4.99.  

Gotta make a trip to IKEA, stat. 

The rug is from Overstock.com and is $55.99 for a 5'x4'7" size.

Very affordable, but it will definitely have to wait a bit. I really love how it pairs with the charcoal gray in the pillows. So dreamy. Or maybe I'll find a cheapo sisal rug and stencil it!

And in the future, I would also love to paint the concrete block wall, which would soften up the space quite a bit. But for now, the pillows that are on their way will go a long way in livening up the space. I'll be sure to post an update when they arrive!

What are your favorite colors/items for outdoor spaces? Do you have a Pinterest board? Comment below with links...I'd love some more inspiration!

{instagram friday}

How has your week been friends? I have to admit that I've been a bit of a slacker and daydreamer this week. I blame it on the summer weather and all of the craft projects I have swimming around in my head, but I just can't seem to get my act together. Hopefully this weekend will be productive. I have a burlap wreath project that I want to work on {now that I finally located my glue gun} and the weather is supposed to be a bit cooler here...mid 80's...so I'm looking forward to lots of time out in nature.

Wanna take a peek into my past week through my Instagram photos? I'm linking up with Life Rearranged for InstaFriday...



And you can follow me on Instagram...I'm mandy_ford...

1. lovely sunshine in the backyard

2. making sun tea

3. beginnings of some chevron art...that taping is a pain!

4. ta-da!

1. early morning trip for Father's Day breakfast

2. Landon addressed the envelope

3. Father's Day pile-up

4. nothing better than a gorgeous sky

 

1. one of  my favorite corners of our home

2. enjoying the soul detox bible plan on my phone

3. my parents celebrated 41 years!

4. awesome gift from our neighbor...her son's radio flyer!

{clouds}

Clouds absolutely mesmerize me...

Out of all of God's creation...they are one of my favorites.

And when the sun is illuminating them, and pushing it's beams through them...

I feel closest to God. 

*all photos taken last evening with my phone

What is your favorite part of nature? What makes you feel closest to God?

Linking up with...

{instagram friday}

How is it already the middle of June? Goodness this month is flying by. And it is Friday again, which means it is time to link up with Life.Rearranged for Insta-Friday...



Just some little peeks into our past week...

1. My name is Mandy...and I have a post-it addiction
2. pool time
3. broke out the spraypaint for a little art project
4. the finished art project
5. breakfast stalker
6. need some ideas for styling my hair {thinking about doing a little hairstyle linky party}

1. lunch on the patio
2. the boys enjoying their new swingset at Gigi's
3. watching Design Star...anyone else a fan?
4. thrifting...love my new bag!
5. hello sunshine
6. yummy salad

{If you want to follow me on Instagram...my name is mandy_ford}

Hope everyone has a weekend filled with fun, sun and family!