SMALL DIY DINING TABLE

We have gotten many comments and questions on our small dining table that we made a little while back, so I figured it was time to finally write this post to give y'all and step by step tutorial on how to make one of your very own!

A little background as to why we built one instead of just going out and buying one: When we moved into our apartment we didn't realize there was no designated dining area. I think we were so excited that the opportunity arose for this apartment that we were just excited to sign the paperwork and move in. Then we realized, "shoot we have no where to put our dining table..." My husbands parents got us a pub style dining table when we got married and we LOVED it which made having to sell it that much more difficult. So for months we went without a eating area. We would eat on our coffee table, on our laps, some nights when Brent was working I would eat standing up at the counter which didn't bother us at all but I slowly started to begin missing sitting down at an actual dining table and being across from husband and having quiet time at breakfast or talking about our day at dinner. So we decided to make a table of our own since most tables were eithertoo big, round, or too small.

It was super simple to make and apart from the staining it was able to be built in 30-45 min

(depending on if you have a nail gun or not).

We had a bunch of 1x4x8 pieces left over from coffee tables that I have refurbished so I took a bunch that were about 3.5' long and placed them all together to see what we were working with.

We then took some 1x1xsome other number (haha I can't remember how long these were SORRY!) And got them cut long enough so they laid on top each piece of wood. We then nailed them to the underside of the 1x4's. This step makes sure that all the 1x4's are attached (making the table top).

These straight top plates are located in the same area as the table legs at the hardware store so you will need 4 of them!

These were a pain in the butt to attach only because my hand drill was wanting to be difficult! *Make sure that each plate is  screwed in the same area on each corner of the underside of the tabletop so you don't have a wobbley table*

Once each plate is attached to the bottom of the table, the legs will screw right in! *SIDE NOTE* make sure you get table legs that have the screws already attached to them, this will save you TONS of time! 

(We didn't get a photo of adding the braces :/ but all you want to do is attach wood pieces between the legs both length wise and width wise to make the table sturdy! In the final picture you will see our braces down at the bottom!)

Then it was time for staining! I used a natural red oak stain and it may be my new obsession when it comes to stain color! I love have natural it looks and love how it enhances the markings in the wood!

And BOOM you have a small dining table!

(You can see down at the bottom where we placed our braces)

Didn't that seem simple? I promise it is super easy and a project you can get done in a day! You get to pick the size, the wood type, the color, etc! How awesome is that? A customized table that you get to say YOU made yourself! I love being able to say that my husband and I made it for our home and knowing there is no one else out there that has this exact table!

Are you in need of a small dining table? Maybe a desk? Or a little kids table? You can take the same steps and customize it to the size you need!

happy decorating

LIVING BOLDLY: Challenge 1

Hello beautiful ones! It is Thursday, which means it is almost the Friday which means hello weekend! Praise God! I don't know why but I feel this week has been so long, like way to long, to the point of wanting to just cry, LONG!

I don't know what it is but I have been feeling so overwhelmed with LIFE. I sometimes feel like my daily routine becomes boring. For me it's because it's winter and I can't be outside and enjoy nature. I am an outdoor kind of person. I love spending all day outside once the warm weather hits. I love going to the beach; when I lived in Jersey I was at the beach nearly everyday when summer came. Now that I am in the south, I enjoy going to the lake up the street, fishing with my sexy fisherman of a husband, checking out the cool parks that Charlotte has to offer, exploring the trails...anything outside makes me happy.
Which leads me to my winter time pick-me-up but also the first part of my LIVING BOLDLY challenge. I wanted to start this series to help those who are afraid to add color into their home; introduce it slowly and safely. It's no secret that I love color! I love bright, bold pieces scattered throughout our apartment but I also know that not many people attempt to do this because they are afraid that it will look like a skittles pack bursted everywhere but I can assure you through this series you will confidently see that LIVING BOLDLY is something you were not only born to do but can do beautifully.

So, Challenge 1: BRING NATURE INDOORS
Nature. What my body craves. What makes me happy. What picks me up especially during these winter months.
Plants are not only beautiful to look at but they also have their health benefits. We all remember learning about photosynthesis in science class. Plants absorb the carbon dioxide that we release and in return they release oxygen that we absorb (inhale). Our relationship with plants is a beautiful thing isn't it? But there is more! According to Tree Hugger, "When photosynthesis stops at night, most plants switch things up and absorb oxygen and release carbon dioxide. However, a few special plants – like orchids, succulents and epiphytic bromeliads – flip that script and take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Meaning, use these plants in bedrooms to keep the oxygen flowing at night."

I adore succulents! These beauties are right next to our bed just like advised ;)

Another health benefit to having plants indoors is they help deter illness. The moisture that they produce is something our bodies desperate crave during the drier months. According to Bayer Advanced studies have shown that indoor plants have decreased dry skin, colds, and sore throats. UMMM how amazing is that?! I used to get sore throats a lot but ever since having our indoor plants, I have not had one sore throat!
The biggest plus that indoor plants provide and I am sure most of you know is, increase is purifying air! I think that this is huge especially with all the pollutants and toxins that we are exposed to everyday. It is nice to know that I am coming home to a place where the air is a bit cleaner and better for me!
Now lets discuss their beauty! Plants are simply stunning. Whether a bouquet of flowers, a terrarium of succulents, a yucca, a palm plant, cacti, etc, plants are a beautiful and pure creation made by the hands of God and entrusted to us. I am eager for the day that I get to experience heaven because I envision it being filled with rows of sunflowers, luscious green fields, beautiful palms bordering gorgeous waterfalls....ok ok back to NOW...plants are a wonderful starting point to adding color in your home. They are not permanent and they are small which means you can constantly change them out and see what you like when it comes to color in a certain space. Not to mention your health will thank you in return!

What are your favorite kinds of plants? Go out this weekend and pick up a bouquet of flowers and a pretty vase and display them somewhere in your home that you spend a lot of time. Do you have an empty space in a particular room, go get a yucca plant (one of my favorites) it is animal safe (which BTW always check on the ASPCA website and make sure a plant is safe to have in your home if you have any pets!) and display it proudly in your living room or dining room or maybe even your entryway. OR you can get funky and hang your plants! If you don't have much floor or counter space hanging plants are an AWESOME alternative! I have my eye on this woven plant hanger for our bedroom ;) 
You see, you don't need to have a bright color rug, crazy wall colors, or say a green couch ;) in order to bring fun bold color into your home. A good starting place is plants.
Did you get some beautiful plants to display in your home? Take a photo and tag me on instagram @rebelydecor

happy decorating

WALL DECALS

I don't know what it is about triangle accent walls but I have had this attraction to them for so long. That is weird isn't it? I only feel this way though about bold black triangle walls. Maybe it's my inner perfectionist that loves the clean straight lines and toss in the boldness of black....to me it screams STATEMENT! I don't think I would feel this way about a square accent wall, or a polka dot accent wall, or a hexagon accent wall, but that's just me!

So when I stumbled upon these vinyl TRIANGLE WALL DECALS  I just KNEW that I needed to get them! They are 4"x4" black triangles and the set came with 51, which was the perfect amount for our half wall.

After I ordered them, they arrived fast (which made me super happy cause I wanted to start on this project right away!) They came on two sheets and the triangles literally peeled right off the paper with ease. I measured how far apart I wanted and placed them on the wall and lightly rubbed them to make sure there were no lines or bubbles. This is great because there is not paste you have to apply, they aren't super sticky making them hard to handle, they were just PERFECT to work with!

In total, it took me about an hour to place them all on the wall. I ended up having to peel them off and reposition them because I measure wrong the first time, hehe whoops. But it was good because despite starting al over it was nice to see how easy it was to peel them off and reposition them!

They have been on for 2 days now and I am OBSESSED with them! 

If you are looking to add a statement to a wall, I highly recommend these wall decals! This particular brand has black, gold, and white! Give them a cry, I'm sure you won't be disappointed!

happy decorating

LESS STRESS IN 2016

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

I still can't believe that it's already 2016! I feel like my husband and I just celebrated  our anniversary last May and now were coming up on two years. My goodness does time fly.

I am not one to usually make a "new year resolution"but this year I decided to hop on the bandwagon and set a realistic goal for myself. 

LESS STRESS!

I am not one to get stressed out easily. I get annoyed easily haha but I don't usually get stressed out too quickly UNLESS it has to do with our home. My husband and I both work full time but our schedules are very different. When I'm at work he is usually home, and when I am home he is usually at work (unless our days off fall on the same day). When he has off the last thing that he wants to do it house stuff and I don't blame him. His job is very taxing and he needs his rest whenever he can get it. This usually means that the house work falls on me. Don't get me wrong he will wash the laundry and sometimes do the dishes but realistically the majority of the house work is my job and I am ok with it because I like things done a certain way and it is USUALLY therapeutic for me.

HOWEVER (back to the stress part) I become quickly stressed out when I see baskets and baskets of laundry in our room waiting to be folded, a dirty bathroom, and unmade bed, a cluttered countertop, a messing stove top, the list could probably go on and on. When I see that our apartment isn't in order I get stressed, annoyed, mad, short tempered, UGHHHH, I just go a bit crazy! 

So starting this year I wanted to make slight changes in my home life that will help not only keep our home in order but keep the stress at bay!

SPREAD OUT THE COMFORTER

Sometimes we don't want to make the bed. We may be running out and don't have time to flatten out the sheets, tuck the sheets in, AND spread out the comforter to look nice and throw on all the extra pillows. For days like that; we just spread out our comforter/pull it up to our pillows. You don't see the wrinkled sheets underneath and the spread out comforter gives the appearance of a neat/in order room. We do this when we are running out the door and I must say it does feel good to come home and see a "made" bed.

IF YOU HAVEN'T USED IT IN THE PAST MONTH TOSS IT

I can't tell you how many things I have had sitting in our spare room that I haven't used in a month and I probably won't use them any time soon. This showed me that those items were not valuable to me and could be donated or tossed. So many times we hold on to something because we "may need it some day" but truth is if you didn't use it lately you probably won't use it. I have a whole cabinet of mugs and plates that I have never used and I'm throwing them in a box and bringing them to Goodwill. That is cabinet space I could be using and those are dishes that someone else could get use out of!

DO A LOAD OF LAUNDRY EVERY MORNING

Before you make breakfast throw a load of laundry in the wash. Before you leave for work, toss that load into the dryer. Once you get home the clothes will be dried and ready to fold. This will keep the dirty clothes pile small and less stinky ;)

WIPE DOWN THE STOVETOP AFTER USING IT

This is something my mom has always done. When I lived at home I used to laugh because I would finishing cooking and in comes my mom with sponge in hand and she would wipe down the stove top EVERY TIME! For years I thought that she was OCD but now that I have my own home to keep clean I see why she did that. I cringe when I see a dirty stovetop. The worse is when you are cooking with oil and it splatters all over ahhhhh just the thought is making me want to scream. Now I wipe down the stovetop after every use and I can't explain the peace I feel seeing a clean cooking space.

RUN THE DISHWASHER AT NIGHT

I do this and I am so happy this has become a habit for me. Obviously throughout the day you collect dishes in the sink so why not end your day by loading all of those dishes into the dishwasher and running it at night so the next day when you wake up you are greeted by an empty and clean kitchen/sink?! After breakfast, I unload the dishwasher and it is ready to do all over again that night. It's horrible when the sink is always filled with dirty dishes because you never feel like the kitchen is clean. 

THROW OUT MAIL

This is something I am learning to do. I usually get the mail and throw it on the counter. I HATE IT because after a week the countertop is cluttered with mail! And it really makes no sense because all of our bills are accessible online. The only reason they send bills in the mail is to remind you that you have something due soon. We ended up making a board that has a list of our bills and their due dates and that reminds us when we need to go online to pay them. So now I take all mail that isn't important and throw it out immediately. 

HAVE A SHOE BASKET

This has changed our lives! SERIOUSLY!  My husband struggles with this topic. He will put his shoes by the front door after wearing them. Well that is a problem because that shoe pile starts to get bigger and bigger as the week goes on. Soon enough the front door looks like a shoe store. So I bought a basket and placed it by the front door. This way he can leave what ever shoes he wants by the door, the difference is they will be contained and won't be laying all over the place.

SWEEP EVERY OTHER DAY

I have been doing this ever since we got our dog! We have hardwood floors in our main living space and his blonde hair shows up A LOT and I can't stand seeing hairy/dusty floors and I don't like having to vacuum all the time either. So I sweep every other day. This obviously helps keep our pups shedding controllable but also helps me wait until vacuum day. I usually only like to break the vacuum out when I know I need to do our carpets, so the sweeping helps keep our apartment manageable until then!

These are easy changes to make and I KNOW that in doing so it will keep the stress level down and our apartment will be a place I enjoy to live in not just a place that needs constant cleaning! Do you get stressed out with what feels to be constant house work? What changes can you make in your home life to eliminate stress and keep cleaning manageable?

WOVEN WALL HANGING

Hey everyone!! I am sorry to say "I am sorry" yet again for the lack of posting. I have taken a little time off from the blog the past few weeks because I wanted to give my time and energy to my family over the holiday's! It was so nice to be able to remove myself from cyber world for a bit and just enjoy being with my loved ones!

BUT it is a new year and I am back to doing what I love, DECORATING our 900sqft apartment!

I have been seeing a lot of awesome woven wall hangings lately and I must say I am drooling over them all! I love the natural element they bring into a room. They are so simply yet make such a profound statement!

My only issue with them however is that they cost A LOT of money! I have seen them go as low as $65 and as high as $250. Yeah, about that. I do not have $250 to spend on a woven wall hanging. #sorrynotsorry! 

So I studied a photo of one and I made my own and I must say it is so simple, but takes some time cutting all the yarn.

I started off with 4 different colors of yarn from Michaels (they were having a nice sale on yarn so I was able to get all of mine for $15) and a stick (I have no clue the name for it) from Wal-Mart for less  than $2.

the stick is hard to see :/ but it is right under the yarn! 

I then cut the yarn into about 4 ft pieces

I did 5 pieces of yarn for each looped section. (does that make sense?)

Once I had my pieces cut I started to add them to the stick! I wish I took a video doing this, meh! But I will explain it the best I can. 

Take your first color you want to do and have all five pieces of yarn together. Then fold them in half. Lay the stick on top of the yarn and then feed the ends of your yarn through the loop. Ugh, I REALLY wish I made a video for this BUT Michele1218 on YOUTUBE shows you how to do this technique but on fabric garland. It is the same technique to get the results for this woven wall hanging!

you can see here how the wood piece fits snug between the looping. I also braided some of my yarn for additional texture!

I worked on both sides evenly, bringing the design to the middle just to make sure that there was enough space for the amount of yarn on both sides to be even!

Once I finished adding all the pieces of yarn it was time to cut it. This part is super simple but for anyone who needs guidance: All I did was angle my scissors downward and cut from the outside in, to create a sloping effect that meets at a point in the middle.

SUPER EASY RIGHT?!

 I am soo happy with how it came out! It is the perfect piece to fill our naked wall in the hallway!

Give it a shot! And if you do tag me @rebelydecor on instagram so I can see your beautiful work!