High Five and Happy 4th of July!

1. There is nothing like going to work and seeing this little angel running around the office! I think office dogs should be a thing. I felt like a much happier employee that day!
2. My mom got Charlotte this amazing 4th of July outfit at Cracker Barrel of all places! I can't wait to take some pictures of her in it today!
3. So this whole Share a Coke campaign has totally consumed me (I guess it worked!). Now wherever they sell 20oz bottles, I find myself digging for names I know. The only one I've found so far is my brother-in-law's and I'm determined to find mine one day....
4. Charlotte is almost 6 months and I really can't believe it. She has gotten so strong these last few weeks and is sitting up on her own really well!
5. Milo needed some human time and I couldn't have been happier. I love when he crawls onto my lap for a little cat nap.

I hope you all enjoy your time off this weekend, and while you are watching the fireworks or spending time with your friends and family, remember to think about what makes this country so great; our freedom!

Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for H54F!

Like Mother Like Daughter - WIWW

The second I found out I was having a girl, visions of matching outfits instantly popped into my head! I know my time is limited where I can get away with this, so while I have the chance, we shall match!

 

The best part is my friend has the exact same dress from Old Navy and decided she wanted to dress like her little girl too. Good thing we weren't together at the time!

It's only a matter of time (already working on it) before we have an entire matching wardrobe! It's probably a good thing/dangerous for my budget that I found this site that specializes in mommy and me outfits! I think next spring I will be splurging and buying us one of these "just like mommy" dresses.

In the meantime, we will continue to match as best we can with what we've got especially when what we've got is coordinating Lilly Pulitzer! Thank goodness for consignment shops and Freecycle Facebook groups!

 

Linking up with Lindsey @ The Pleated Poppy for WIWW

DIY Souvenir Plates

About a month ago, my husband sent this DIY to me and about five seconds late, I knew I had to give it a try. Figuring out what images to use was the easy part; Disney park maps...duh!

The hard part was finding them/getting them printed. You would think that I would have park maps floating around my house somewhere, but apparently not. So after two days of tearing my house apart looking for maps, off to Kinkos I went to print out hi-res images of each of the parks. Make sure your size and print out your pictures on 11x17 paper.

What you'll need:

Hi-res picture on 11x17 paper

Dishwasher safe Mod Podge (found at Michael's or online)

Brush

Pen

Clear glass plate (Target has them for $1.99 a piece)

Scissors

Now that you have everything, the rest of this project is a piece of cake. It just takes time while you let everything dry between steps.

Clean you plate so that there are no smudges or dust. Then put a layer of Mod Podge on the back of the flat part of the plate.

Now carefully and slowly (slow is key) flip the plate over and place (Mod Podge side down) onto your picture. You want to make sure the image is centered with the plate and that there are minimal bubbles (I'm pretty sure it's impossible to get no bubbles).

For this next step you will need to cut a slit from the outside corner all the way to where the picture is tacked down so that the edges lay smooth. Then you will add your Mod Podge to each side one at a time and bring the edges up until the entire plate is covered.

Now that the whole image is glued down, you will want to trip off the excess. I found this easier to do with smaller scissors or an exacto knife because you were able to get closer to the edge. Once you've trimmed it, flip it over so you can begin smoothing out the back.

You will want to let it try for about 30 minutes or else the paper will get too soggy and begin to tear. Once it is pretty dry, add a layer of Mod Podge to the back using your brush to smooth out the wrinkles and any bubbles.

After that layer is completely dry, you will add a final layer to seal the back as well as the edges that your trimmed.

And there you have it! The perfect souvenir from your Disney trip! What I like about this is since they are always changing the parks, this is a great way to look back and remember what the parks were like during your visit. I can't wait to do the other three parks so I can display my whole set!

What picture would you use for this project?

Charlotte's Disney Bows by Eola Ella

Not long after Charlotte was born I found a little bow shop via Instagram and quickly fell in love with their products. Eola Ella sells the cutest bows, not to mention the most adorable Disney bows!

 

 

How cute is that bow?! I love the elastic headbands these bows come with. They are sturdy without them being too tight on your little's head and always match and coordinate just right! 

Here is another Disney bow we got from Eola Ella for Charlotte's first Disney trip. Another great thing is when you order your bow, you will choose the elastic size so you can be sure it will fit. 

 

Eola Ella sells way more than just Disney bows. They are constantly updating their inventory through their Etsy shop with new creations and don't stick to one style of bow, so you will always find yourself coming back for more (which is super bad for the budget, but then again having a baby girl is really bad for the budget all around)!

Follow them on Instagram and you will see all the sales, offers and giveaways they have throughout the month!

High Fives

1. Since Saturday was National Wear Your Lilly Day, Charlotte of course had to participate!
2. I picked up some fabric to make more bow bracelets and bows with. Not to mention they make great appliques for koozies and shirts.
3. Yesterday the US played against Germany during the World Cup and although we lost, we are still in it! I think it's because my coworkeers and I donned our patriotic gear
4. Over the weekend we went to a local classic car show. It was fun to get out, walk around and check out the cars and vendors. I loved this old mail truck of course, because it had Mickey and Minnie dressed as postal workers!
5. Charlotte's daycare put up an awesome blow up water slide this week and I just adore the pictures her teacher sent me. I think she loved it! :) 

Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for H54F!

World Cup!

I'm not ashamed to admit it, I've jumped on the soccer bandwagon. Who can blame me?! There is nothing better than rooting for your country in a big worldwide event like World Cup! And for a few hours, our entire country is united - politics, race and religion don't matter.

So today, like many other Americans, we are sporting out country pride! What's even better is work is having a viewing party for the game since it takes place in the middle of the day. So here's to hoping the U.S. can pull out a big win! WE BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN!

Wall Decal from Cozy Wall Art

I have always been drawn to the cute wall decals used for home décor, so when CozyWallArt.com contacted me about trying one of theirs, I jumped at the chance. Knowing how much we love Disney, they suggested their castle decal for Charlotte's nursery.

Shipping was fast and it came in the mail in a nice shipping tube so it would be in perfect condition when I received it. Inside was an instruction sheet, the decal, an application squeegee plus a sweet extra gift of lollipops with a mini practice decal.

I followed the directions to a T, but thought it would be helpful to show you through pictures how easy it was to apply. If I can apply this decal with a screaming baby in the room, than anyone can do it no problem!

Once the decal was flat and smoothed out, per Cozy Wall Art's (http://cozywallart.com) recommendation, I taped (writing side down) it to the wall for placement. I removed the bottom two pieces only to begin peeling away the paper.

Peel the decal from the paper slowly and carefully making sure nothing gets left behind on the paper side.

Once you reach where your tape is, hold with one hand and cut the paper off. Now you slowly lower it and press against the wall being careful not to create bubbles. This is where you will use you squeegee tool to smooth it all out since you still have the top layer on. No need for the piece of tape since the bottom half is adhered to the wall. Working from the top, do the same thing and peel the paper away from the decal until you reach the center where it will just fall off. Again, you slowly stick it to the wall as you did the bottom half.

Continue to use the squeegee tool and smooth out as many bubbles as you can. You will also want to use it over the entire decal so this next  and final step is easy. Start from one corner and begin to slowly peel the top layer off leaving just the decal on the wall. Sometimes small pieces (especially on the more intricate designs) might stick to the paper. If this happens fold the paper back up an inch or so and smooth that section out using your squeegee tool, then peel back again. Once that top layer of paper is off, you're done!

And in about 30 minutes from start to finish, you have a pretty sweet decoration. It's easy to fill our wall space with mirrors and frames and shelves, so why not add a decal as something new and different?

I love the way mine turned out. They had so many colors to choose from and I' so happy with my choice of the pink as it goes perfect with everything else.

Check out all the different decals they have for nursery's and kids' rooms. You can even get them personalized! Why didn't they have this stuff when I was a kid?!

So if you're in the market for a wall decal, be sure to check out Cozy Wall Art (http://cozywallart.com). They are on Facebook and Instagram too!