Give your morning coffee a boost

I think I've previously written about the benefits of coconut oil and how delicious it is in your coffee. I used to mix my morning coffee, coconut oil and a bit of creamer in our Magic Bullet. But we upgraded to the Nutri Bullet and read that you should not mix hot liquids in it. So my coconut oil was on hiatus for a while.

Then I started to think about what else I might have in the kitchen that would do the trick. I used to have a small immersion hand blender that would be perfect for this. Instead I pulled out my larger hand mixer (mostly used for mashed potatoes, baking, etc) and started mixing my coffee!!

The only caution is to make sure you mix enough so that the consistency of the coconut oil is smooth, clear and mixed into the coffee instead of a film sitting on top. I love starting my day like this and highly recommend this concoction!! I think it may be time to buy an immersion blender to make this process a bit quicker and easier.

What a difference a floral arrangement makes

Ok so I'm trying to keep my posts a bit shorter so they are easier and maybe even more fun to read. This means they may not be quite as informative and more as a peak into our lives. :)

I was finally able to get the house cleaned up after the holidays and am thoroughly enjoying a few new decor ideas. I love to buy new things and move them around the house so that it's like we are constantly redecorating! This weekend we had some friends over for dinner and a Christmas gift exchange so I wanted something in my rose bowl. We found two dozen roses at Costco for just $15.99! 

The vase is sitting on our coffee table in a cute tray along with some photo albums.

On our sofa table I have mixed items of different heights along with a second vase of white roses that Vanessa brought over! This table has been my most recent work in progress and I'm digging the clock so far. Courtesy of Tai Pan Trading in Rancho Cucamonga. 

Happy New Year!

Wow, no posts since October?! I am doing a lousy job of keeping you all updated! We had a very busy holiday season including hosting our first Thanksgiving, putting up almost no Christmas decorations because of Lexi the terror, lots of celebrations with friends and family, Holiday Bowl and NYE shenanigans and now trying to recuperate from it all.

2014 is sure to bring some wonderful things for us! We recently made our first big purchase together...a new car!! More to come soon. What else would you like to hear about this year???

DIY Autumn Decor Part One

I have always wanted to be one of those homemakers who is crafty and creative and has her home decorated for each season. Part of that's probably because my mom always made seasonal decorating around our house so much fun. She handmade our Halloween costumes as kids and made sure our school projects were above and beyond! 

I'm not sure I have much natural creativity but thanks to Pinterest and other internet resources, there is still hope for me!

My last post showed a picture of a bunch of items I picked up at Hobby Lobby and the Dollar Tree. Here's one of a few things I have planned for those supplies...

This DIY Fall wreath combines two different fads for a great look. The first is the use of burlap fabric. I've seen burlap and lace used a lot lately at weddings and garden parties. I wanted to try and incorporate burlap into our table settings but that wasn't John's favorite look so this was the compromise. The second look is the chevron pattern. It is adorable, cheery and comes in a variety of colors!

Here's the blog post that I used as my inspiration for this project: http://gatheredinthekitchen.com/2013/02/25/chevron-burlap-wreath-tutorial/. 

To begin, here are the supplies I used:

- 16" wire wreath shell ($2.99 at Hobby Lobby)

- burlap ribbon ($3.29 at Hobby Lobby)

- chevron ribbon ($2.39 on sale at Hobby Lobby)

- twine (a few bucks at Hobby Lobby, can also be found at The Dollar Tree)

- wooden 'K' ($3.59 at Hobby Lobby with coupon)

- barn red paint ($0.96 on sale at Hobby Lobby)

I started by painting the "K" so that it'd be dry by the time I was done with the rest of the wreath. I chose this wooden design because it gives a bit more dimension than just a flat letter. When you paint, make sure you get in all of the little crevices. Two or more coats works best. I chose this barn red color to match the color of the chevron ribbon. (I originally wanted to use orange but Hobby Lobby was out!)

Next I followed the tutorial posted above and started weaving the burlap ribbon throughout the wire wreath frame. At first I tried to be so exact but quickly realized it's more of an art than a science! Be patient with it. The goal is to cover the inner and outer rings of the frame with loose burlap waves. You can easily manipulate the burlap to look exactly the way you want it. I used the entire roll of ribbon. Don't worry if you can still see some of the frame. The chevron ribbon will cover the rest. 

Next cut several pieces of twine to tie the chevron ribbon around the frame. Start by bunching a small length of the chevron ribbon in the center of the frame. Tie it in place using the twine. I also left a pretty long amount of the chevron ribbon hang down. This will serve as one tail of the bow. (See photo below.) Repeat the bunching and tying all the way around. Your sections can be as big or as small as you'd like. Be sure to cover the center portion of the wreath frame. At this point you can also adjust the burlap ribbon to make sure everything's covered. When you reach the final section, leave a second tail for the bow.

Next, use the remaining chevron ribbon to tie a bow (mine is large and loose). Use the twine to attach it to your wreath, over the ribbon tails you've already positioned. (Your bow will have a double tail.) finally, use the twine to attach the monogram in the center of the wreath. I had John bust out the staple gun to attach the twine on the back of the "K". I've also seen the letters placed on the bottom or side of the wreath. It's all personal preference!

We hung the wreath on our front door and added some festive fall accents for the cutest little Autumn porch!! John brought home the bale of hay from San Dimas Grain ($10) and we went pumpkin hunting at a local patch. Can't wait to have visitors soon!!

Fall Fun

Picked up some great buys at the Dollar Tree and Hobby Lobby!! I bet you just can't wait to see what I do with them! Stay tuned...

Getting the Most Out of Your Blog Experience

Ok, I've posted about how much I love blogs before...it's literally called I Love Blogs! But blogging has become such a huge fad that I figure it's worth another post. Whether you're a blog writer or a blog follower, there are some things you can do to make the most of your blog experience.

IF YOU'RE A BLOGGER:
I realize my blog has no followers (sad face) and I have to force most of you to read this, but I'm ok with that. I love to give updates on my life, but I enjoy the creative outlet even more. That being said, I've been doing a bit of research on successful blogs as part of a work related effort. We are hoping to get an internal blog up and running and want to make sure we can make it successful before putting our blood, sweat and tears into it. Here's what I've found:

Derek Halpern is a self-proclaimed blogging expert. He has a project dedicated to showing you how to use human psychology to get web traffic and sales as well as a program that teaches you how to build a blog that fuels your business. I subscribe to his regular social triggers emails and they are always extremely entertaining and thought provoking. 

• While I am not trying to sell products, it could be argued that I'm trying to sell my story so it's worth a try. One of his mantras is "If you try to target everyone, you target no one." Maybe that's what's wrong here. But am I really targeting everyone?? To me, I'm simply reaching out to family and friends. What do you think?

If you simply Google how to write a successful blog, a plethora of articles appears. 5, 7, 9, 10, 18, 21 things to make sure you do. Huh?! One of the most helpful articles I've read is: http://www.thefutureworkplace.com/blogging-tips-create-maintain-blog/. 

• There are things on this list that I think I already do (write what you are passionate about, don't be scared of drafts, make your content easy to read and share); some things that I'd like to do better (create a blog that is clearly branded, introduce yourself). But there are some great ideas that I hadn't thought of, and to be honest, am not sure how to start doing (write as many blogs for other people as you can, interact with people that interact with you). Even if I can't get some of these things to work here, they are invaluable tips for my work project!

Emulate what you've seen work for others. This is just my personal advice. The list of blogs that I follow has grown from just a few to over 40. I chose to follow each of them for a different reason. But two of the most common characteristics I see in my favorite, and what I feel are the most effective blogs are:

1. Keep it short and sweet. Which obviously this post is not doing! Posting some entertaining commentary with a few related photos or videos can be just enough to catch someone's attention and keep them coming back! This is exactly what John's cousin Misty does on her blog 3 By the Sea. It also helps that Baby Q is too cute for words!
2. Show them how you accomplished something. This could be just me and that I'm a sucker for DIY crafts, decor, and home improvement projects. When I come across a post that has step by step instructions for successfully completing an awesome project, I want to see and hear more about what this person does on a regular basis. For example, the lovely couple at Hammers and High Heels posted a great DIY mantle they built for under $100! Of course I had to show John and, whaddaya know, we spent quite a bit of time reading about this couple and some of their other projects. Just today I noticed that they'd posted details on their recent trip to Europe which is perfect for us as we plan our own!

IF YOU'RE A BLOG READER:

There is literally a blog out there for everything! I enjoy blogs focused on DIY projects, low budget decorating, healthy recipes, family updates, and inspirational topics (love, marriage, etc). For the sake of this post, I also did some digging on other topics just to show the wide range of information available to us. 

• Boxer Blogs - I just had to! Here's a good one: http://boxerblogger.blogspot.com/
• Financial Blogs - This one is incredibly complex: http://freakonomics.com/blog/
• Comic Book Blogs - Search inspired by The Big Bang Theory: http://acomicbookblog.com/
• Cheese Blogs - Yes, seriously. And this one is laid out like mine: http://cheeseunderground.blogspot.com/
• Sleep Blogs - This one is quite interesting: http://blog.snoozester.com/
• Beer Blogs - A Beer AND Bacon blog?! I just might have to subscribe: http://www.baconbeergarden.com/blog/

You get the picture. If you're as enthusiastic about your blog reading as I am, it may become difficult to keep track of your favorites. This is where Google's Blogger comes in handy! If you have a Google or Gmail account, getting connected to Blogger is super easy. Simply log onto your Gmail and click on the Apps icon in the top right corner. You'll see a list of options (YouTube, Maps, Calendar), Blogger will be under "More". Your Blogger home allows you to create your own blog if you so desire. Or you can use it to organize your reading list. Here's a shrunken down version of what my list looks like:

You can see my blog is across the top and my reading list runs down the left hand side. A stream of recent posts is expanded on the right so I can easily see what's new. I can also select individual blogs using the links on the left to see what's been posted on specific sites. I love using my reading list!

If you don't have a Google account or don't want to use Blogger, my sister Kylie just opened my eyes to another option: Bloglovin. Bloglovin has a website AND an iPhone/Android app, which is great. This site can be described as a Twitter feed for blogs. It works similar to a Reading List on Google. It also categorizes your blogs so you can easily navigate through certain topics. It seems pretty neat!

So whether you're an experienced blogger, a new blogger or just an avid reader, there's lots out there for you. I highly recommend finding a few blogs that you can frequent to keep your mind sharp and your information relevant. I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions on my blog in the comments section down below so that I know how to keep you coming back! 

Until Next Time, Britt

Welcome to Our Home

In my opinion, the entryway of a home sets the tone for the rest of the house. It should be warm, welcoming and personalized. Well before I moved in and we even thought about fixing up the entryway, I started a Pinterest board in preparation for "someday". Some of my pins show large, elaborate entryways, others are more functional and cozy. Check out my inspiration here: http://www.pinterest.com/brittkolbeck/entryways/. 

We ended up completing this project in phases. Because the home was a true bachelor pad before we were married, there was nothing at the front door. First step was to plant a bug in John's ear about putting something in the entryway. Apparently he caught onto my idea because he surprised me with a really beautiful and budget friendly entryway table and mirror from Bed, Bath and Beyond. See "Before" picture below with the entry table and a few decorative knickknacks. 

Eventually, the next step was to remove the original tile at the front door and replace it with new tile (which spreads throughout the main floor of the home). We also took this chance to remove the existing wallpaper borders and add a fresh coat of paint. See the "During" photo above with some of our paint color options. 

We chose a light tan color, similar to the kitchen, which compliments the new tile floors perfectly. We also added fresh white floorboards (when I say "we", I don't mean me!). And an awesome design was put into the tile floor at the front door to give it a unique touch. See "After" photo above. While just the entry table and mirror gave the home a more inviting feel, the new tile floor and fresh paint took it one step further. 

Since this area has been completed, I've had so much fun playing with the decor on the entryway table. I tried to select a few staple items that don't change and then adjust the rest to keep up with each season. See a few examples below.

October 2012 - This time last year, before the new floor and paint. Flowers were from my Bridal Shower and the pumpkin was a new purchase for Halloween! I also found some really cute vintage looking votives (under the mirror) and an orange, brown and gold potpourri mix (bottom shelf).

January 2013 - Also before the new tile and paint. The personalized picture frame is still there and the wicker box (found at TJ Maxx) is where we keep our keys and wallets . Fresh flowers give it some color and I replaced the votives with short tapered candle holders from The Dollar Tree. On the bottom shelf, you can see that the I've added a set of Foo Dog statues that were a gift from my Grams. These statues were in my grandparent's home since I can remember. Come to find out that these Chinese Guardian Lions are believed to have powerful mythic protective benefits so I was told to place them by the door.

Today - After the paint and tile. Same wicker box, Foo Dogs, and Pumpkin candle holder. (It's already October again!) Since the previous picture, I'd picked up a green "K" and a decorative green and brown vase to set behind it. I'm glad I did a bit of seasonal shopping before I injured my ankle...found those cute orange owls at TJ Maxx!

I truly love our new entryway and have made it a personal project to keep it filled with creative and seasonal personal touches (Pinterest-inspired, of course)! Hope you can come visit soon!