love & lion

HARRY POTTER NAIL VALENTINES – FREE PRINTABLE

Similar to our class valentines for fellow Harry Potter nerds (it’s a lifestyle), this one is for those fellow wizards dedicated enough for an entire HP mani!! Accio nail tattoos!

1. Purchase our nail tattoos HERE.

2. Download printable HERE.

3. Print on white card stock. THIS is our favorite ever!! Super bright white and prints vibrant colors. It really makes a difference, especially with this printable since there’s so much color.

4. Cut right on the lines using a paper cutter. THIS one is the only kind we’ve found for seeing right where you’re cutting.

5. Secure using these handy removable glue dots or washi tape.

6. If you want these super secure, put in clear bags HERE and use washi tape to seal HERE.

Make Valentine’s Day MAGICAL!

xo

– L

YOU NAILED IT VALENTINES – FREE PRINTABLE

Something sweet for your girls who just nail it every day!

1. Purchase our nail tattoos HERE.

2. Download printable HERE.

3. Print on white card stock. THIS is our favorite ever!! Super bright white and prints vibrant colors. It really makes a difference, especially with this printable since there’s so much color.

4. Cut right on the lines using a paper cutter. THIS one is the only kind we’ve found for seeing right where you’re cutting.

5. Secure using these handy removable glue dots or washi tape.

6. If you want these super secure, put in clear bags HERE and use washi tape to seal HERE.

Make your girlfriends’ days with these sweet treats!

FRUIT PENCILS VALENTINE – FREE PRINTABLE

My kids are obsessed with these smelly pencils, and they really are cute! You could also use fruit lollipops, fruit erasers, juice boxes, Gushers, or fruit pouches! This printable is so bright and colorful- my new favorite! Scroll down for the links.

They’re pretty cute on their own if you wanted to just write a note on the back without buying a toy.

1. Purchase fruit pencils HERE.

If using fruit erasers HERE, you’ll need clear bags and washi tape.

2. Download printables HERE

3. Print on white card stock. THIS is our favorite ever!! Super bright white and prints vibrant colors. It really makes a difference, especially with this printable since there’s so much color.

4. Cut right on the lines using a paper cutter. THIS one is the only kind we’ve found for seeing right where you’re cutting.

5. Secure using these handy removable glue dots or washi tape.

6. Make your kiddo write their name!

SMELL ya later 😉

xo

Leah

ROOM TOUR: THE BOYS’ PLAYROOM

It only took me 2 1/2 years to organize my playroom… but it’s finally looking pretty good! All that I needed was a system. Thankfully my besties The Home Edit let me bother them over and over about what to do. They suggested I color code shelves for easy cleanup, and label bins so that everything has a home. I purchased some inexpensive solutions, all linked below! Truly hoping this makes clean up easier for my kids and me!

Board games and puzzles on the top row, books on the middle row, and baskets filled with smaller items on the bottom row. ROYGBIV everything so everyone knows where it goes!

For decor, I tried to stick to 3 colors: mint, golden yellow, and red. Keeps things easy!

CLICK FOR SOURCES:

Shelves under the TV

& Baskets (10″)

Bin clips

Removable tape for bin labels (but I wrote with a sharpie)

Round white and mint bin – Target Pillowfort, only in stores

Shelves under the window (2)

& Bins

Shelves under the artwork

Baskets (ikea, no longer available)

White fluffy chair

Yellow lamp (Target, no longer available)

Mint woven bin

Anyone feed the kids art print

Art table

Aqua chairs

ART WALL:

Pennant

Map

Man playing trumpet

Lion & people

Cow

School bus

Let me know if you have any questions!!

xo

Leah

PRINCESS & PIRATE PARTY FAVORS + DIY PRINCESS CROWNS

Soooooo, when I meant that I would share a more detailed post of the party favors from Amara’s 3rd birthday party on Monday…… yeah, I meant NEXT Tuesday! Yikes! So sorry for the delay. We are really trying to get back to our first love around here….. blogging. However, our Etsy shop has definitely taken up a lot of our time. We are so grateful, and we are loving it, but we also love sharing things with our readers on here so much!!
Ok, so here are the detailed photos of the party favors….
Everything for the pirate favor boxes was purchased at Party City. 

 Except for the tattoos of course! Check out our Etsy shop for customized tattoos for your next event!!

 I found all of these goodies at Party City as well. The little camera was quite the hit!! I made the wands using dowels, ribbon, and watercolor paper! So easy!! I just traced a star out with a cookie cutter and painted them purple and hot glued them to the dowel.

Below is a little tutorial on how I created the princess crowns…

 Cut your lace strips into the size that you want. I just wrapped it into the size circle I wanted, then measured each strip.
 Completely submerge each lace strip into the stiffener.
 Blot off the excess on both sides and lay on a plastic bag so that they can dry partially.
 Once they start stiffening up, hang them on a “drying line” so they can completely dry on both sides.
 Let your little help! Take a sponge brush and dab each side until the lace strip is completely covered in your paint color of choice.
 We opted for metallic gold, silver and purple.
 Wrap around and glue!

Voila! The last step ( which I failed to photograph…. I was in party mode) is to glue them to a headband , or even a hair clip. We also ended up glueing a couple of “gemstones” on each of them. 
Enjoy!

OPEN SHELVING: STYLED

Hey friends! How was your weekend? My daughter and I hit the road this weekend with my husband, and although we traveled to an extremely ( miserably) hot place, I was just happy to not have to have our little family separated for those two days. I don’t get to travel with him often…. well, like ever actually. So, I usually jump at the chance when there is room on the bus for me and the little.
It has been a pretty quiet Monday for us. We are tying up ALL loose ends on this kitchen this week, and we truly are almost done. I know I have been claiming that for a while now. When you are doing all of the work yourself while juggling a toddler and life in general, it all goes sooooo much slower than you could have ever planned. I am not complaining though! 
I took some time today (nap time) to finally style the open shelving in my kitchen. Up til now, I have just been accumulating dishes and throwing things up there without actually arranging and putting the final touches on everything. I knew I wanted lots of neutrals, with maybe a touch or two of color. 
I moved my rubber spatulas to a vase near my mixer for easy access while prepping baked goods. I am just faking it really, but I love the way it looks to have a little “baking station”

Most of my big plates were in the dishwasher when I shot these photos… oops! I found these recycled water glasses from a local general store here in Nashville called Whites Mercantile. It is a must visit if you are ever in town!

 I finally framed a water color print that I made LAST Thanksgiving…..oh, for our VERY FIRST post. Crazy!!

 Unfortunately, the colors and designs of some of my cookbooks that I love did not go with my kitchen color palette. I took off the cover to my Joy of Cooking book, which had bright red and navy on it, and it revealed this beautiful white and gold perfection! Then, I wrapped another cookbook of mine (which was bright yellow) in a charcoal floral wrapping paper. The three books look a little more cohesive sitting up there now.

CAKE DECORATING PARTY

Today, we are “flashing back” to an absolutely perfect cake decorating party! My dear friend, Sally, threw her daughter, Kate, a sweet (pun very much intended) soiree for her birthday. Sally is so creative, thoughtful and just plain fun! She thought of all of the little details without over doing it, which we can TOTALLY appreciate. As a matter of fact, Leah and I were just talking about how inspirational a photo of a simple banner, cute cake topper, and a beautifully wrapped gift are to us. We definitely love a big party with details that most people may not even notice, but it really is about the few simple touches that can really make a party. That is how we feel about this party…… simplicity makes it stunning.
Sally’s garage is party play area…. part garage. She decided to decorate a small space in there to accommodate a few party guests. Icing + Kids can equal a bit of a mess, so it made sense. We just adore Sally’s love of color and pattern.
 Something about this tray of icing tubes makes us smile!

Sally embroidered the name of each guest onto their own personal apron.

Don’t you want to just lick eat every. single. cupcake?

Milk glasses with colorful striped straws never get old.

Thanks for sharing this with us Sally!! I know you had just as much fun as those kids. 
Happy Friday everyone…. we sure are ready for the weekend!

NO SEW DIY CAFE CURTAINS

Hey friends! Today, I have a super easy cafe curtain tutorial for you! I apologize in advance for the lighting on these pics. Shooting a window is not the easiest for me. One of two home projects I will be sharing tutorials on. My husband and I have been redoing our kitchen for the last couple of months. It has been a long process, and we are 80% finished. I can’t wait to share our final reveal. In the meantime, I figured I could show you how I treated our ONE window that we have in our actual kitchen. We originally had blinds that were way too bulky in the window, but they just had to go. This DIY is super easy, makes such an impact and we are both in love with the way it looks. The best part is that it involves NO SEWING! Not even stitch witchery type “sewing”. 
I simply purchased a cafe rod and curtain rings from Target ( maybe $10 total). I then went on a hunt for some great napkins or even tea towels of some sort. I wanted something with a pattern, but still neutral in the coloring. I found these lovelies on sale at Anthropologie. No need to look any further!
So, grab your supplies…..

Start with ironing your napkins first to ensure that they lay properly. 
Place your clips (spaced how you would like) across your napkin. I used 4 clips on each napkin.
 String them onto the cafe rod!
 Hang your cafe rod ( about 3/4 of the way high for my window) until you get your desired look. 
Voila!
BTW, we are currently working on a concrete countertop for our island. Say a little prayer…. we are not professionals over here. YouTube and Pinterest have been our kitchen remodeling teachers. Big shout out to all of you who have screwed this up and lived to tell us what NOT to do gone before us. 
Happy Tuesday!!
-J

PREPARING A GUEST ROOM

Is there really anything better than walking into a hotel room ( or whatever kind of accommodations you have made) when on vacation or a business trip of some sort? Clean sheets, fresh towels, beautiful flowers….. I die for them all! A hotel room, with a beach cottage feel, is exactly what my husband and I wanted our guest room to feel like for friends and family that come to stay with us. Whether it be for a night or a couple of days, I still prep the same.
Our dear friends, who are also newlyweds, came to stay with us for a night after a party we all attended  near our home this past weekend. The sole reason we have a house with more rooms than we need is to be able to open our home up to people. It is a passion of ours to be able to bless people that way. When they ask, we say “yes!” I took some time to shoot the room to show how I set up for these occasions. 
Everything in this room ( excluding the duvet cover and sheet set) has either been handmade, or purchased at an extreme discount!! You can completely make a beautiful space on a dime. 

We tend to call this room our “California room”. California is a special place to us because it is where my husband is from, and also where we were married. I found “vintage” San Francisco prints at Goodwill and framed them with clearanced Target frames that I spray painted white. The wooden San Diego print was a gift from my husband. Also, the chair was a thrift find that I spray painted and covered in fabric during our first year of marriage….. 7 years ago.
I love keeping a pen and pad by the bed. Most of my thoughts come to me at night, so I assume the same for my guests I suppose. Ha! Lamp, table and golden crab were clearance finds from Target.
Sconces were handmade by my dad. Love them!
We made our headboard using a drop cloth from Lowe’s.
The navy and ivory Pottery Barn pillows were given to us along with a couch that was given to us when we first moved into this house by some super sweet friends. We have held on to them and I added the duvet, sheet set and ikat pillows (clearance find) from Target.
I handmade a little monogram tag and attached it to a fresh bottle of water for our guests when they arrived. Saves them from making a trip downstairs, especially in the middle of the night if they get thirsty. My husband handmade this console table with hairpin legs from hairpinlegs.com and a piece of wood from Lowe’s.

A little gold dish for jewelry, coins or any other pocket items…

 End table was a $30 clearance find at a furniture store several years ago.
 Magazines are always a good thing to have stacked up!
 Shell from Target (clearance)

Curtains are old ( and quite short for my taste) clearance finds from West Elm, but they still work for now, and I have always loved the subtle pattern on them.
Hope this inspires you to create a little oasis for yourself or your guests somewhere in your home.
Sweet Dreams!
-J

RYAN AND CHRISTY’S RUSTIC WEDDING

I am so excited to feature this wedding on the blog this week you guys!! I was asked to style the wedding of our dear friends back in April, and it was so much fun. Even if Ryan and Christy weren’t dear dear friends of mine and my husband’s, I STILL would have jumped at the chance because they are incredible people who also have great style already. They are just cool without trying, ya know? 
In talking to the newly engaged couple, they had very clear visions of what they wanted. My job was to just make it come to life. The ladies on Christy’s side of the family had lots of their own creative juices flowing, so I felt like I got to come in and just “touch up” and add to what was already beautiful. The term “rustic chic” is very overused, but that is what we were going for, haha! Lots of brass, peaches and creams, navy and other natural looking textiles. The most important thing to the couple was that they married in the middle of a “forrest”. They wanted nothing but trees and guests attending the ceremony. It was a genius idea, and made the entire ceremony so captivating.
 There are so many beautiful pictures to share, that I decided to break this feature up into two posts! So, I guess you will just have to check back tomorrow to see how this beautiful day unfolded. 
The couple decided to use Nashville postcards for people to write on as their guestbook. 
Christy (along with friends and fam) were on the hunt for months leading up to the wedding looking for brass containers and candlesticks ( which you will see more of tomorrow….eeeeek)!
We decided to use old cigar boxes that the groom had on hand to present the groomsmen with their ties and a pre-wedding cigar.
Isn’t that backdrop stunning? We think so!
Beautiful photos by: Kristin Sweeting Photography
See part TWO of Ryan and Christy’s wedding HERE

FASHION FRIDAY!

It’s Friday!!! Totally throwing my hands up in the air like I just don’t care…. and spilling my cocktail while doing so. Leah and I are wrapping up party details, and helping a sweet mama set up for her son’s special day on this lovely Friday evening. We can’t wait to share details on za bloog next week! We worked hard this week, and I think we are both ready for a little relaxation.
Anyway, I had my lovely husband shoot one of my favorite looks right now! He was able to come off of the road today for a couple of hours, so I showered, and did my hair (btw, when it is 95 degrees out, creating a bun is considered “doing your hair”)….. ya know… stuff you maybe DON’T do when your man is gone. No? Must be just Leah and I. I wanted to look nice for a lunch out with him and the little, so I went for the super comfy boyfriend jeans ($20 bucks!) and a new top I also picked up at Forever 21. I personally loved the idea of a black cami underneath the white. If you are bold, and want to go there….rock the black bra. Not this girl! I don’t want all of the old southern women staring me down at the local mexican restaurant.

I paired it with an old clutch and strappy wedges from last summer, but I am really loving this pair right now… drool! Also, I have been rocking my gold hoops almost everyday! They are super lightweight, and go with everything. I can’t find them online, but any pair would do. My go to Michael Kors watch is on repeat as well. I know everyone has these watches it seems, but I sure do love them! They don’t break the bank, and they are practical and stylish. Mine is not available anymore, but this one is stunning.
Still love love loving my bright pink lip (NARS in Schiap). I only do a super thin liner and mascara when I do the bold lip. I hate feeling too “overdone”
SIDENOTE: I read an article the other day about things you should give up at 27. It made me laugh, which I loved, but among those things was Forever21 and Urban Outfitters. I am sorry, but I just can’t. I seriously think you can shop ANYWHERE as long as you are picking out the right things for your body and lifestyle. 
Enjoy your weekend ladies!! We are so grateful for your readership and support…. can’t say it enough.
XO!

FATHER’S DAY PARTY

Hey father lovers!! We are getting ready for a little mini Father’s Day grilling session at our house this weekend! We are having a few friends over, so of course I have to do a LITTLE decorating! I put together a little style board of all the things you need for a fabulous (but manly), low-key outdoor celebration. The best part is that most of these items are DIY or printable, which makes it all the easier on us mamas. Sometimes, even Leah and I like to take a break from “creating” and partake in a little printable fun….. thanks to our fellow creative bloggers.
flags / mixers / speaker / card / poster / plates – Target dollar section / liners (also a gingham pattern in Target dollar section) / wrap / labels / banner
We sure are grateful for our baby daddies! Whoever it is that you celebrate on this day….. celebrate him well.