5.27.2016

Friday Favorites - Week 322 - 4th of July

Feeling like SUMMER around here, finally! We've had 20 days of rain so far in the month of May, needless to say, it's green and lush, here in Virginia. Hope you are all having a blessed week filled with sunshine. I've been working in our garden and will be posting more projects soon.

On to our features this week, these patriotic Red, White & Blue links caught my eye, aren't they positively yummy?! Cookies and DIY, oh my, two of my favorite things!

4th of July Patriotic Friday Favorites Features - Red White & Blue - featured on www.leroylime.com


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5.20.2016

Friday Favorites - Week 321 - Edible Art

It's party time! The Friday Favorites Linky Party is officially open and I was completely blown away with last week's linked up posts - just WOW!

It's been raining. A TON. Here in Virginia. Rain rain go away... but today, the sun was shining and I finally got around to planting our garden, a wee bit later than I'd have liked but hey, it's done and now we can enjoy watching it grow. This week, I posted an Americana Guest Room Reveal, I'd love for you to give a good salute to the room and tell me your favorite part!

If you weren't hungry after checking out the linked posts, you will be after you see the featured posts that were chosen this week on LeroyLime - Four Edible Art Ideas, that anyone can do! Don't they look delish?! Don't forget to pin and share the party on social media.
4 Edible Art Ideas - Friday Favorites Features - on the LeroyLime blog



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5.18.2016

Americana Guest Room Makeover

Having a guest retreat is always nice, if you have the space for one. My friend Jaime has a wonderful space in her basement but she wasn't happy with it since they moved in two years ago. She asked for my help and I jumped at the chance to share my interior design passion with her.

Americana Guest Room Makeover - LeroyLime

After assessing the rooms layout, listening to what she had in mind and taking note of the current furnishings, I suggested an Americana theme.  Notice the red and blue artwork currently hung on the wall? I also spotted a beautiful flag that was Jaime's husband's Grandfather's casket flag. The challenge was getting the room finished in a day, so painting the walls just wasn't an option. I quickly scoured the rest of the house for anything red, white and blue and then we headed to Target and HomeGoods.

Americana Guest Room Makeover - LeroyLime

Jaime had a futon and another piece of furniture that held the tv that was given away before the redo. Artwork that wasn't getting used and a few boxes that needed to be gone through. 

Below you see the loot in bags (on the left) after our shopping spree

Americana Guest Room Makeover - LeroyLime

When you think about what a guest needs in a room, just think about what you'd like if you were to stay at someone's house. A place to drop your car keys and wallet, so you don't lose them and it's always nice to unpack your clothes so don't feel like you are living out of a suitcase. Obviously a TV is not necessary in a room but if you already have one in your space, you can work it in.

Items needed for the room:
2 Bedside tables
Small seating area
TV stand to double as storage for guests
A place for guests to hang their jackets
Somewhere for guests to put their keys and wallet

Americana Guest Room Makeover - LeroyLime

We moved the bed out in the larger area of the room, so that guests wouldn't feel like they were being stuck in a corner. Moving it there also allowed room for bedside tables and a lamp on each. The bedside tables also double as storage for guests items and they have a place to set the latest novel they are working on reading.

Americana Guest Room Makeover - LeroyLime

At the bottom of the stairs, we just rehung artwork. The hook board we found at HomeGoods and an extra chair from upstairs is normally in the corner. Perfect for guests to sit down, take off their shoes and hang up their jackets.

Americana Guest Room Makeover - LeroyLime

The trunk was something Jaime didn't want to part with, from her travels in Korea, so we worked it in the room. This is an odd area, with the pole and slanted wall, so instead of using it as a walkthrough, there is now a place for extra blankets and guests to put their luggage. The light up star was the only purchase in this area, from Target.

Americana Guest Room Makeover - LeroyLime

When you pick a theme or color scheme, just remember to keep it simple and you can add either a gold or silver to warm it up. Jaime chose gold after I asker her a few key questions and it was meant to be...the gold accents in the room all came from Target; lamps, bowl on the table and urn in the window. Just those few glamorous touches really helped pull the room together. 

A new set of sheets and comforter, also from Target. The throw pillows and blankets were found at HomeGoods. The tray on the end of the bed is another great place for guests to put their lose things or even place a couple of water bottles and snack for a midnight craving.

Americana Guest Room Makeover - LeroyLime

The couch was a perfect find at HomeGoods. It's comfortable, not too huge and a neutral color which can fit in any space or be reusable in a move. A cozy spot for guests to curl up with a book or watch a bit of tv. The coffee table, rug, bedside tables and tv stand (which also doubles as a dresser) were all from Target.

Americana Guest Room Makeover - LeroyLime

The flag is obviously a statement piece in the room. Isn't it beautiful?! Since painting wasn't an option, the flag adds a glorious display of color on a large wall that otherwise would've been left blank. A curtain rod from Target with small clips, holds it proudly in place. We couldn't center the flag because of the electric panel box on the left but adding a floor lamp to that corner fills the space and still allows accessibility to the switches. Jaime already had the lamp and I encouraged her to spray the base gold and redo the shade with a blue jean fabric,  she did a fantastic job!

Americana Guest Room Makeover - LeroyLime

This space is right at the bottom of the stairs next to the hooks, we found this sweet little shelf from HomeGoods and the wooden bowl is a great spare change grabber along with the gold tray, another find from Target. The shelf can also hold books, a purse or treats for guests.

They've already had several guests and so far everyone loves the room, a space of their own, where they can stretch out, unpack and get comfortable. What's your favorite part of the space?

5.13.2016

Friday Favorites - Week 320 - DIY

Happy Friday All! Hope you've been enjoying warmer weather, rain and lots of green. We've been a little wet in Virginia and my garden box is way past due for planting but one day soon, I'll get around to it. Until then we have been enjoying our Outdoor Patio Space, unless it's raining.

I loved checking out all the amazing food, DIY & other crafts linked up this week, here are a few DIY projects that caught my attention this week. A bit of DIY for the home, garden and pet lover, aren't they fabulous?! 

Friday Favorites Features - Linky Party Every Friday - DIY for the home, garden & pet lover - leroylime


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5.09.2016

Outdoor Patio Reveal

We are so very happy the warm weather is back to stay, our family would live outside if we could and in order to enjoy the outdoors and make good use of your property, it's important to create a space that makes you feel comfortable and inviting.

Outdoor Patio Reveal - Creating an inviting space - LeroyLime

Creating spaces don't happen overnight, unless you have endless time and money. We've spent the past two summers perfecting our space and are quite excited with how it's turned out. But with any project, there is always room for improvement, updates, upkeep and also enjoyment.
Don't forget to enjoy your projects and hard work!

Outdoor Patio Reveal - Creating an inviting space - LeroyLime

The first summer we were in our home, we rarely used our back patio because it was so hot and we sold our smaller glass top table and sun umbrella before our move. Our family of 6 had outgrown the 4 top we purchased when we lived in Germany, several years ago, before children.

Outdoor Patio Reveal - Creating an inviting space - LeroyLime

The Mr. & I looked online, made countless trips to the Restoration Hardware Outlet and multiple other stores, only to return home empty handed. The large price tags for the size and sturdiness of a table we wanted just didn't fit into our budget. So, my handy hubby decided to build one instead and we are both so happy he did! He drew up plans from the visions in my crazy head and went to town with solid cedar.

Outdoor Patio Reveal - Creating an inviting space - LeroyLime

We found the chairs at Pier One, driving to multiple locations to pick up six white ones since the blue and orange we were originally going to get were just not bright enough for our color scheme. They stack so are easy to store in the garage during the winter months.

A bench was added later and stained a different color than the top to add a bit of dimension. No screws were used in the making of the bench, just glue and lots of clamps. Both have held up through our crazy snow storm this past winter. 

Outdoor Patio Reveal - Creating an inviting space - LeroyLime

You can see how close we are to our neighbors and with the garages in the backs of the houses, it's kind of impossible to add a privacy fence. I'm thinking about planting red tips along one side of the wall, since they are pretty hardy and grow quickly (but I need to see if they fare as well in Virginia as they do in Texas).

Outdoor Patio Reveal - Creating an inviting space - LeroyLime

The two lounge chairs were purchased from SAM's Club, 
the perfect spot for soaking in a bit of Vitamin D.

Outdoor Patio Reveal - Creating an inviting space - LeroyLime

The grand outdoor hutch was a labor of love from the both of us. We wanted it big enough to store firewood on the bottom and higher than typical counter height for serving food. No one likes little fingers in all of the dishes during a BBQ. The extra shelves are great for cups, an outdoor speaker & wine bottles. We added hooks on the side, from IKEA, perfect for towels, grilling tools or a bag for trash. The metal buckets were screwed directly into the back wall of the hutch to add a bit of green which doesn't have to get watered since the plants are fake. 
A nice touch without the worry of killing them!

Outdoor Patio Reveal - Creating an inviting space - LeroyLime

We added the orange sail last summer, purchased on Amazon, it was more cost efficient than a large sun umbrella and we don't have to worry about tripping on a large base since it is anchored directly to the garage wall and two metal black poles that have been cemented into the ground on the other side of the stone wall. Something that provides shade and slight rain coverage but can be easily removed if need be. We took it down for the winter and during wild wind or rain storms, will take off the front two tethers and stuff it behind the hutch.

The lights are repurposed from Christmas. They go on the front of our home in December and in the back for the summer months. It creates a nice warm glow and brings a bit of Italy to our space.

Outdoor Patio Reveal - Creating an inviting space - LeroyLime

The hutch is made of pine and was stained a very light color. We wanted it to blend with the different colors outdoors and not be an eyesore. 

Outdoor Patio Reveal - Creating an inviting space - LeroyLime

The blue doors were repurposed from one of our kiddos DIY closet renovations. We removed all of the sliding doors as they only allow you to see one half of the closet at a time and just aren't smart to have with little ones in the house. They fall off track easily and can pinch fingers. 

They got a coat of blue spray paint last summer and this year we mounted them to the back of the hutch with door hinges, so they wouldn't fall over if the wind picked up. The white metal grates used to be black and received a touch of white spray paint to brighten them up this year. 4 screws are holding them to the doors and add a nice backdrop without having to worry about messing up the siding of the house.

Outdoor Patio Reveal - Creating an inviting space - LeroyLime

The patio slants a bit, so you can see in this photo that we propped up one side of the hutch to level it, it's VERY heavy and almost impossible to move with just two people and with the extra weight of the wood inside, we aren't too worried about it toppling over anytime soon.

Outdoor Patio Reveal - Creating an inviting space - LeroyLime

With all of the furniture, you'd think the patio would feel smaller but in fact it  has made the space double in size. We've had several get togethers and enjoy having the space to seat so many at one time. What's your favorite part of the space? Mine is a combination of everything together but I just adore how the top of the hutch turned out with the simple touches from IKEA.

Outdoor Patio Reveal - Creating an inviting space - LeroyLime

 I hope you enjoyed our space and have been inspired to create one of your own.


5.06.2016

Teacher Appreciation - Day 5

Happy Friday! Today marks the last day of this year's Teacher Appreciation Week of gifts, I hope you enjoyed the ideas and have either made them your own or pinned for future inspiration.


Day 5 - Teacher Appreciation Week - Gift Ideas - LeroyLime

Didn't these tags turn out sweet? The little jar was stamped with Black Memento Ink, it dries super quick, so you don't have to worry about bleeding or smears. Then each one was individually hand cut. I know there is a jar punch that you can pick up online or from any local craft store, if you aren't one to cut out multiple items. It's my zen. The lemon slices were stamped in a bright yellow. I'm sure you could stamp them in orange or green depending on what kind of zest you enjoy in your drink. The phrase "you're just the sweetest" was perfect for this tag since sweet will be inside the jar.

Day 5 - Teacher Appreciation Week - Gift Ideas - LeroyLime

The light pink jars were a fabulous find from Michael's and they were on sale! I picked up a large pack of individual Crystal Light packs from Sam's Club and tied a bundle together for each teacher. A little fruit leather was also placed inside the jar but I didn't photograph it.

Day 5 - Teacher Appreciation Week - Gift Ideas - LeroyLime

I hope the teachers have enjoyed this week of pampering and you've enjoyed a bit of gift giving inspiration. 

Here's a recap of our week:









Friday Favorites - Week 319 - Spring Planters

It's my favorite time of the week, not only is it Friday but it's time for the Friday Favorites Linky Party, hooray! I'm a huge fan of linky parties, if you haven't checked out the list I love to participate in, HERE it is! So much creativity all in one place.

This week I've been posting a daily Teacher Appreciation Gift Idea, swing by and let me know your favorite


The lovely features this week are:

Friday Favorites Features Linky Party : Spring Planters - LeroyLime



and our Friday Favorites linky party is hosted by these lovelies!! Don't forget everyone picks their favorites to feature on their blogs, so swing by and see who all was featured this week!

Friday Favorites Linky Party - Link up EVERY FRIDAY!! www.leroylime.com

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I can't wait to see what you've been working on this past week, please link up below!




5.05.2016

Teacher Appreciation - Day 4

Day 4 and we think our teachers are TEA-RIFFIC!

Day 4 - Teacher Appreciation Week - TEA-RIFFIC - LeroyLime

After a long day filled with talking, teaching, caring & growing their students, I'm sure every teacher needs a bit of calm. Hopefully this calm chamomile tea will do the trick! A few more fun tidbits from the Target $ section. Pretty pencils, magnets & a weekly planner notepad. 

Day 4 - Teacher Appreciation Week - TEA-RIFFIC - LeroyLime

 I just so happen to have a tea kettle XL Bigz Die, so I pulled out my Big Shot (who am I kidding, that thing lives on the top of my desk, I use it DAILY) and cut out four tea pots. I pulled out the perfect stamp from my ever growing stamp collection but didn't want to just stamp it on the pot since it seemed a bit small...looking around my craft room, my eye fell on one of my tag punches which looked like it would serve as the perfect sized tea bag. WIN. A smaller punch for the tag of the tea bag, a bit of bakers twine & a staple. My Mom thought they turned out pretty cute!

* TIP - Stamp on paper and then punch (turning your punch over) so that you can center your stamped image easily.

Day 4 - Teacher Appreciation Week - TEA-RIFFIC - LeroyLime

Check out the rest of the week below:

5.04.2016

Teacher Appreciation - Day 3

Day 3 of this year's Teacher Appreciation week of Gifts.
Today is Paparazzi Day at our school, these large wooden clothespins fit the theme perfectly and I already had them on hand, just waiting to be jazzed up!

Teacher Appreciation Week - Day 3 - Personalized Photo Holders - LeroyLime

I let my kiddos pick out the color they wanted to paint them, removed the metal clasp holding the two wooden pieces together, for ease of painting and let them go to town.

Teacher Appreciation Week - Day 3 - Personalized Photo Holders - LeroyLime

Once the paint was dry, we added a few strips of red liner double sided sticky tape. It's a great non-messy way to add a bit of bling to your projects. We shook on a bit of glitter and added a foam letter for personalization and our photo holders were quickly complete!

Teacher Appreciation Week - Day 3 - Personalized Photo Holders - LeroyLime

For the tag, we used the Big Shot and XL Top Note Die to create a pretty shape that we stamped a camera and "remember to smile today" phrase and added a few glittery star stickers for our superstar teachers!

Teacher Appreciation Week - Day 3 - Personalized Photo Holders - LeroyLime

If you don't like messes or are impatient for glue to dry, this red liner double sided sticky tape should be in your craft supplies. We added a bit to the top of a small wooden clothespin and added a strip of coordinating designer paper that we also put behind our tag to close the brown paper lunch bag shut.

*note: this stuff is REALLY sticky, make sure that you keep a pair of scissors just for cutting this tape and make sure you have it where you want it to go on your project before sticking in place, once it's stuck down, it's STUCK!

Teacher Appreciation Week - Day 3 - Personalized Photo Holders - LeroyLime

My Kindergartner has two teachers and they both love the color purple. We switched up the direction of the stripes to give of their photo holders distinctive glamour.

Teacher Appreciation Week - Day 3 - Personalized Photo Holders - LeroyLime

This week's teacher gifts, in case you missed them:






5.03.2016

Teacher Appreciation - Day 2

Day 2 of Teacher Appreciation Week - instead of a swag bag for our Hollywood Stars, we put together a Swag Bucket! 

Teacher Appreciation - Day 2 - Swag Buckets - LeroyLime

A quick and easy glamorous filler was created from  a sheet of gold tissue paper, folded along the creases it came with and then cut every 1/2 inch or so to represent tassels. Don't cut all the way up the sheet, instead, leave about an inch, that isn't cut, so you can roll your paper tassel up and tie with a piece of string or bakers twine, like I used in the photo. 

Teacher Appreciation - Day 2 - Swag Buckets - LeroyLime

The little magnetic notepads I picked up from Michael's, you can also find them at AC Moore. Mustache Washi Tape was also a Michael's find, I believe. The striped pen was from AC Moore. White pen from the $1 Target spot along with the tin bucket & gold glitter. It wouldn't be Hollywood without a bit of glitter, right?! The Expo white board markers were about $1 each, I broke up the pack I bought between my kiddos teachers. Mints are always well received, especially if teachers drink coffee!

Teacher Appreciation - Day 2 - Swag Buckets - LeroyLime

I used my Sizzix Big Shot and a Framelits Die to create a quick tag, stuck my stamp letters onto a clear block and inked them up in Memento Black Ink. A few foam dots on the back of the tag attached it perfectly to the tin pail. In order to keep everything together, I stuck the buckets into a large cellophane bag and tied the tops with bakers twine.

Teacher Appreciation - Day 2 - Swag Buckets - LeroyLime


In case you missed Day 1, you can view that HERE