ponytails, tights and a thank you

I feel like celebrating today! I have three good reasons to. 

(vintage dress : the flea // belt-thrifted // shoes-Mossimo for Target // headband-Clemmie Sue // Tights-Gal Stern)

1. Bijou Market was over the weekend and it was such a success! The backaches, tired feet, a run in with a homeless man and not eating until 4:30 in the afternoon were so worth it. It is so fun to see so many people coming together to support local artists and crafters. A big thank you goes out to everyone that came by, said "hi" and made this Bijou the most successful ever!

2. One of the MANY things I bought at Bijou Market was these wonderful tights by Gal Stern for Mineral and Matter. It is taking everything inside me to not wear these everyday this week. If you are loving them as much as I do click here to see more, check out the purple and teal ones too. 

3. After going back and forth a million times I decided a couple of months ago to start the long haul of growing my hair out and I am happy to say that yesterday I wore a ponytail for the first time in almost two years. Understand that I use the term "ponytail" in a very loose sense as you can see by the picture but it is a ponytail. 

Check back as I will be posting about all the great stuff I got from the Bij. 

Happy Monday!

Easter

 Easter weekend is always a favorite in our house as I sure it is in yours. We kicked off the weekend with Easter egg hunt (moved indoors due to the weather) put on by my darling sister Tiffani.

Yes my boys to have rather large Easter baskets. That just means more stuff from the Easter bunny, right?

As busy as we were this weekend Chad and I managed to throw a date night into the mix. 

(taking my kids to their auntie's house, no I am not the one driving)

My sisters and I have worked out a deal where we all take one date night to watch all the cousins so that we don't have to pay for sitters, Genius! 

Sunday included an Easter egg hunt in our Jammies.

Growing up my mother sewed dresses for all seven of us girls every Christmas and Easter. If we didn't match, we at least all had the same color scheme going on. I have carried on both of these traditions.

We all have the same color scheme going on I went with blue, gray, black and red.

(On August and Milo h&m // on Gavin top h&m, pants gap kids)

And I decided to sew my dress this year. 

(Simplicity Amazing fit dress pattern #2648 // Michael Miller Grey Dot Fabric )

I wanted this dress from Shabby Apple

(Going Steady Dress)

but after seeing that almost every review said they needed the dress tailored after buying it I decided to just make it myself. So what would have cost me approx. $130 ($90-dress // $40- tailor) I ended up paying just $25 ($22.50 Fabric // $1.50 zipper // $1.00 pattern on sale at Joann) I always love a deal.

Another item, Bijou Market is this weekend

We are so excited about this one. We have local artists painting portraits starting at $10. Check our website for artist info and times. And of course we have the best of everything handmade and vintage to bring you too. Feel free to copy and paste this flier, and don't forget to join our little Facebook family. See you this weekend!

e-mail me at myvdecor@gmail.com
twitter @rashellejohanss
instagram @rashellejohansson

milo

This is my Milo

and this is Milo's hat.

In fact if I let him have his way the picture above would be his daily uniform complete with slap bracelet. Back to the hat...Milo wears this hat almost 24 hours out of every day, he even falls asleep while wearing it. I didn't realize he wore it so much until I started looking at pictures of him and honestly couldn't find one of him without it. 

The best part about his hat is in the way he wears it. It started as a flat bill hat but that did not last, he is always bending the bill and he wears it high on his head like an old man. Every time I walk by him I push it down but he obviously likes it to ride high. 

Not convinced he wears this hat A LOT

(secretary blouse- thrifted // sweater- j. crew // leggings- american apparel // boots- etienne aigner)

Gavin took this picture ten minutes before he and Milo went to bed and sure enough there he is in pj's and the hat. Maybe the Easter bunny needs to bring Milo a new hat just to mix things up. Have a great weekend everyone! Happy Easter!

Square Native

Isn't it funny how when one area of your life is busy everything else seems to take a back seat. Never mind, I don't know why that is funny. With going crazy getting ready for Bijou Market next week, and the hundred other irons I have in my fire, this little blog of mine has been nice and cozy the back seat. So while I don't have anything fun to show you today, Square Native does. If you have not been introduced to Square Native it is time you do.They are up on everything going on in Utah County. They did a nice little piece on us gals of the Bijou and they have lots of other wonderful things to share too. 

So let me do the honors... Friends, Square Native, Square Native, Friends. Now that you have been properly introduced click here.

mirror mirror

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. We took full advantage of the warm weather, by getting a head start on some landscaping, having a bonfire to toast mallow's and even taking a walk. Even as busy we were outside, I still found some time to add to my mural of mirrors.

From bottom left to right: oval- Ikea, large rectangle -wedding gift from Chad, small square- Tj Maxx, small sunburst- Gift from Chad via Family Dollar, gold rectangle- inherited from Chad's great grandfather, large sunburst DIY see below.

My smaller sunburst mirror has looked so lonely for the past two years, so I have been on the lookout for a while. Not wanting to pay the rather large price (I haven't found one for less than $150) I finally gave in and joined the bandwagon of makers of sunburst mirrors out of shims. 

I realize that there are a plethora of DIY's out there but since I did make it I will give you the details.

You'll need:

appx. 275 shims half shorter than the others

one 14" mirror 

Gorilla Glue

one can of spray paint.

picture hanging bracket

1.bundle the shims together in groups of 7-9 shims. 

2.Then arrange bundles together in a circle so that it looks pleasing to you.

Using hot glue attach each of the shims to one another. 

Then attach entire ring of shims to a piece of cardboard using Gorilla Glue. Obviously I was being fancy while gluing my shims (notice my pinky.)

Once glue has dried glue mirror onto shims using gorilla glue. 

Screw picture hanging bracket and hang on wall.

Total cost: $25 for shims (home depot), $6 mirror (Zurchers), $3 spray paint = $34 for everything. Cha-ching!

closet

Just like every Monday it seems, I have a pile of things I need to do. Laundry I didn't get  to over the weekend, yet another clean through of the house and thanks to a wonderful weekend of thrifting (why doesn't the spell check dictionary recognize the word thrifting as an actual word, I need to have a talk with Webster) with my Sister/Mother in law, I now have a heap items to add to my closet. Only a problem in the sense that I am in serious need of a closet re haul. I have almost no space left and I have made a promise to myself to absolutely not expand into Chads 1/3 of the closet. To he honest though I have already taken half of August's closet, the hall closet, under the bed and several bins in the garage.  I have searched for ways to make the most of the space but everything I have found seems to only take away space.

Like this

and this (who really has six pair of shoes)

This is my current closet. 

I know what you are thinking wasted space on the top and no shelving on the bottom. Well get ready because while I am almost always in the mood for a project, this warm weather gives Chad home improvement fever. In no time at all I will have a more functional closet...fingers crossed. Do you think I should ask him to convert one of our bedrooms into this...

Okay maybe that is pushing it... for now. If you have any bright ideas send them my way. Leave a comment or you can always e-mail me myvdecor@gmail.com.

Bedding

Our bedroom is the last room in the house to receive any decorating attention from yours truly. Even our bathrooms look better than this room. It is not that I don't want to have a change I am just having an EXTREMELY hard time committing to anything. The biggest thing holding me back is my current bed and dresser combo. I don't hate them, but I certainly don't love them or even like them...tolerate is a good word. I think I have made a breakthrough out of the  rut I am currently in though with this bedding.

(Jaipur Bedding by Echo)

It is a start. I paired it with a Dwell Studio for Target Duvet. As you can see from the picture that I am having a hard time even committing to a lampshade, and another side table. 

And up next...a headboard. Stay tuned and have a happy weekend! Oh and We just posted our Spring line up for Bijou Market! Check it out here

DIY polka dot jeans

Is anyone else obsessing over these? 

I knew I had to have them, unfortunately the price tag doesn't agree with my pocketbook.  After a somewhat long Google session, and only finding some horrible looking options from hsn.com in my price range (I don't want to talk about it) I knew I had to do something. Solution... Craft session with Emily of course.

Here is our step by step guide

You will need:

-one pair denim

- new pencil with and eraser

-acrylic paint

-washable marker

Everyone has at least one pair of colored jeans that just don't make it out of the closet often enough. I have this pair of grey denim from F21 that I never wear, and I thought polka dots would be a refreshing change.

After much debating we settled on just eyeballing the dots. We did however decide to pre-mark where the dots would go with a washable marker. We used a diamond pattern. 

Using the eraser end of a new pencil we "stamped" dots onto the pants using a diamond pattern.

Dry the front with a hair dryer before you flip the jeans and stamp the other side.

And there you have it, I have given new life to my drab feeling jeans.

Emily turned up the volume on a pair of emerald green jeans, click here to see more.

Who says you can't look great on a budget. And I always love an outfit that will save me hundreds. This project cost me $0 since I already owned the jeans, but for under $20 there are lots of bright color options.  Good Luck!

Cookies

I had the most amazing cookie once. It had chocolate chips, coconut flakes and pecans. To say that I obsessed over this particular recipe would be an understatement. Five years and dozens of attempts but I finally came up with a recipe that is as close to the original cookie as I can get. Here is the recipe for

Rashelle's Crazy Lady Cookie Recipe.

Preheat oven to 375.
1cup softened butter                                2 eggs
1 cup white sugar                                    2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup brown sugar                                  2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder                      2 cups rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda                       2 cups coconut flakes
 1 cup nuts (I use pecans)                       1 cup chocolate chips (I use semi- sweet)

In a mixing bowl beat softened butter for 30 secs until it is light and fluffy. Then add sugars, baking soda and powder. When combined add egg and vanilla. Add flour, rolled oats, coconut, nuts, and chocolate chips. Drop onto cookie sheet and bake for 9 min. Transfer to rack and let cool.


That is it. Try it out and see if you like them. Oh and let me know how they turned out.

take a note

I make lists, lots and lots of lists.  I don't know how some people can get through life without them. Maybe some people are blessed, but for me if I don't write it down with my own hand, my brain will NOT remember it.

My lists are not glamorous at all. Lots of scribbles on lined paper in a notebook. As you can see one of the kids always gets a hold of my list and decides to add a few "notes" of there own. I have wanted a solution to my ugly list problem for a while now and Modern Palm came to my rescue. Their line of notepads are as functional as they are wonderful to look at.

I have tried so many versions in the past with high hopes, only to be disappointed. Usually from lack of room to write, but this notepad gives me plenty of space, and I am going to take it one step further to make this the notepad of my dreams by adding a big, fat magnet on the back so that my clutter will disappear from my counter and be neatly stored hanging from my fridge.

Modern Palm has some great finds. Take a look and if you spend $150 you get free shipping. Bonus, I am always a sucker for free shipping.

Art 101

The biggest thing I miss about elementary school is art. I had the most amazing teacher Mr.Watson. He taught me everything about art. To love it, to learn about it and to live it. Still to this day I can remember things I learned about Seurat, Degas, Lautrec, Picasso, Monet, Klimt- I could go on and on. The point is it wasn't until I had my own children that I learned not every 2nd through 6th grader gets to learn so in depth about artists and their art. Loving the art was one thing though, having the ability to create is another. I do not think of myself as an artist but I do have to say that pulling out paints and brushes and painting whatever I feel like is extremely satisfying and even a little therapeutic.

Emily and I decided to do just that last week. I have always been more drawn to abstract and impressionist art thankfully so is Emily and we decided to paint one of our own.

(please no critiques, I am in no way a professional, I just do what I feel and love)

To make your own:

-canvas

acrylic paints

- something stiff to drag paint

(we used several pieces of cardboard, a plastic cutting mat and even a credit card)

-clear poly coat for shine when finished.

The secret is to use more paint that you think you need. Squeeze the paint where you want it...

then drag along canvas. I used several techniques, just do what you feel.

There really is not right or wrong, I love Emily's circles (done with the credit card)

in the end I have something that I really love to look at.

What I love about our little art project is that we used the same techniques and came out with two completely different works of art.

bring on spring

The secret to my spring wardrobe this year is two fold. Part one: SHOP MY CLOSET. I really don't do this enough I can't tell you how many times I have been surprised to "re discover" items in my closet. Which brings me to part two: add a few key pieces.

A great way to make a statement is by color blocking. This top does all the work for you and I also love the shape and how light and airy it is.

The bright color of this bag is amazing. I must be rebelling against huge "I have three kids and can take everything with me" bag, because I have been carrying this type more and more, but my closet is screaming for this wonderful orange that surprisingly goes with so many things.

When I need an instant look I add a blazer. Honestly it works with everything dresses, skirts, pants and I under the right circumstances, shorts. I almost have one in every color it seems but my closet does lack one in white. Something I will remedy thanks to this great blazer from Zara. White is so versatile and so crisp. I can't wait to get this baby in rotation.

Candy colors are screaming spring this year and these jeans from F21 are perfect. I don't normally wear a lot of pink but I am thinking about making an exception this spring. These pants will also look great with a contrasting belt.

These color blocked sandals are a perfect mix, the brown makes them neutral enough to wear with oh so many things and the shots of color give them a fun edge.

Happy almost spring and remember SHOP YOUR CLOSET!!!