Pinspired Outfit: Sort of DIY Ikat Shorts and Chambray

Yesterday pretty much sums up my week... Morning playdate, Fia naps for 10 minutes in the car while we drive there. Awesome time at festival in the park with new friends and a jump house, petting farm, sno cones, popcorn, and balloon animals! Poop on the my shoe to leave us all with a super smelly ride home. Dinner prepared (just need to pop it in the over), heading out to the local Farmer's Market, Little Man has to pee... and apparently so does the tube of sunscreen he flushed down the toilet :( TGIF!!!

So I found this adorable outfit on Pinterest... that I could not wait to link up for Get Pinspired

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And why was I so excited about this outfit??? Because just this week, I FINALLY bought a chambray shirt!!! But back to this adorable outfit... I dug thru my closet trying to find some funky boho looking shorts to no avail. I was super bummed and was just about to give up when I remembered these.

I grabbed these for less than $20 at a Loft final sale last summer and have worn them once! Looking at the pic they look cute but in real life it was ALOT of pattern. So what did I do?

Yes... I cut these beautiful pants! Anyone that knew me in college knows that just about every day I was cutting or piecing stuff together :) Not much has changed!

I cuffed them and threw them on. And here is my outfit!

I really like it and I got this little bonus for my daring DIY...

I literally just stuffed a pillow filler inside one of the legs! So cute right? 

And some other news to report.... As you saw previously I recently became a consultant with Rodan & Fields here. I am so excited about all of these products that I have decided to add a special Skin Care Saturday post. Tune in if you want or just check me out during the week for my usual DIY and Design posts. 

And this week I just hit my first promotion with R+F and to celebrate I am running some crazy specials! Want to get a FREE Mini Facial, Multi Function Eye Cream, 10% off, and free shipping? These are real results from one of my friends!!! Check out my website or email me at nikkimorley.rf@gmail.com for more info!

Adding to the Play Room Gallery Wall

Awhile ago, we made some progress in the playroom by finally getting something up on the walls. I love the gallery wall because I was able to incorporate bright colors, unique objects, and use some of our frames and pics that were homeless.

I had one 11x14 frame that was still empty and I spent way too much time obsessing about what should fill it!

Little Man and I have been working on his alphabet lately. One of the crafts that we did to help him learn his letters used felt to make an object that starts with a letter. We started with A. So we used red felt to cut out an apple and then yellow felt to make the letter A. We added some more bling like a worm and a button as a worm hole!

It turned out so cute and the colors were just right for the playroom! I love it when things come together like that!

A Little R&R...

Hi there :) I am taking this week and enjoyed a little R&R. I totally did not realize that this weekend was Memorial Day and it occurred to me that I need to take it down a notch! So we are heading home tomorrow for a nice weekend trip to visit with our 'old' friends! So once all of the packing is done tonight - I will be super excited!

And next week, I will be back full force :) Top of the list is the details on my mom cave!

A big announcement..... my new love!

Happy Friday :) It has been a super busy week so apologies for the lack of posts!  Do you want to know why I have been so busy???? 

I have a new love interest and cannot wipe this super cheesy smile off of my face! I recently reconnected with a friend from high school (and college) on Facebook and stumbled into this crazy love affair....

 Let me start with a little background. Rewind back to 4 years ago.... Joey and I had just gotten married and bought our first house together. I was a Director of Marketing and Research in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry working crazy hours, traveling, and loving every minute of it. But when my Lil Man was born in March 2010 it all changed. I dragged myself back to work after my 12 week maternity leave and only survived a month before I knew that working FT was no longer for me. I was very blessed to work with an amazing company who let me move to PT. I made it another 2 years working PT (30 hrs a week with no child care) before I finally had enough when I was 4 months pregnant with Fiona. I have been LOVING the last 18 months of being a stay at home mommy and wife! I adore being home with my kids but I do miss the adult interaction and feeling like I am contributing to my family's financial future. Add this to the negative effects on my face and body thanks to aging, sun damage, and pregnancy hormones and I was not the confident girl that I once was! But what could possibly help me get back that missing confidence???? Thanks to several FB posts, I took a giant step out of my comfort zone and reached out to my friend. Don't worry.... It's not nearly as scandalous as it sounds! Meet my new love:

I am using ReDefine regimen and literally counted the minutes until they arrived at my door. I am less than a week in and my skin looks AMAZING!!!! It is so smooth, silky, and clear that I find myself looking in the mirror and touching my face to make sure it's real! The spots and lines from years of sun worshipping are fading. I actually look forward to the 3 minutes it takes to complete my regimen in the morning and evening. And let's not forget the Macro E! This little machine (that was just recently highlighted by Oprah in her magazine!) is my new best friend!

What is Rodan & Fields you ask???? Dr Katie Rodan and Dr Kathy Fields (aka. the doctors who created ProActiv Solution) are among the most respected names in the skin care industry worldwide.  What the doctors did for acne they are now doing for aging skin.  Our products were previously selling #1 in Nordstrom,  Bloomingdales, Henry Bendel, Saks and in other high end retail.  Their extensive marketing analytics showed that it was actually word of mouth that was selling their products over their sales people. Rodan+Fields customers were sending their friends in, telling them they had to go buy it! They decided to pull them from under the counter and put them into direct sales, to reward the people who were truly responsible for the product sales: their customers. After getting into direct sales, R+F was making monthly in sales what they used to be making yearly! Anti-aging is a $2.5 billion industry (set to double in the next few years)! What a great time to check out Rodan & Fields and capitalize on this opportunity!

I took a leap of faith and decided to join R+F as a consultant (without even trying the products!) and I have been loving every minute of it! It's been a crazy week as I learn everything that I can about this amazing organization and incredible products! I have truly enjoyed catching up with old friends, trying out these life changing products and tools, and sharing my experience with others! Why did I jump in with both feet?

 - The doctors that created ProActiv! Need I say more?

 - These products are incredible & with a 60 day money back guarantee there is NO RISK to try them!!

 - In just 8-10 hours a week, I am able to bring in a paycheck without sacrificing time with my kids

 - Everyone has aging skin! Who doesn't want it to look and feel better??? That'a big market!

 - The Regimens are put together by doctors to make great skin as easy as 1...2...3!!!!

So, my reason for wanting to share all of this with you FABULOUS readers is that I would love to help you find the R+F products to give you the best skin of your life OR talk to you about starting your own part-time fabulous biz with me! Our team is growing crazy fast and I am looking for motivated, dynamic people to help me spread the word about Rodan & Fields! And if you could not tell by the million or so exclamation points in this post, I am pretty excited about my younger looking skin and the products that made it happen! Visit my site or comment me below if you want to learn more! Would also love to know if anyone else has tried R+F yet?

Don't take my word for it! Check out these before and afters for examples of what these products can do for you. These are real customers and all they gain by submitting the pictures is a free regimen if their images are used. That tells me that people love the products and the results!

Stay tuned for more before and after pics in the coming weeks!

My Space for Craft, Sewing, Blogging (aka. Mom's Office!)

I am not sure how I managed to luck into having a whole room to myself for just me! But I am thrilled beyond belief to have this happy place and also that it is 99% completed! I have been dying to share this space for a week now but I had one project that wasn't quite finished....

My 'office' as the kids like to say is upstairs right next to their play room. And there is a reason you have never really seen it before... It was the storage room for all of the furniture that had no where else to go! It was a mix match of prints, styles, and random pieces that really just needed a place to be hidden when we had people over. I don't really have a full before shot, but these below give you an idea of how messy and thrown together it was!

But now... I LOVE this room! I have a big smile whenever I walk up the stairs and see it. And even now at 5:30am, I am so happy to be sitting in my beautiful room typing this post! The color scheme for the room was chosen on a whim in Hobby Lobby! I had been going back and forth on what the heck I should do with this room. Nothing seemed right until I saw these 2 beautiful cotton duck fabric bolts sitting next to each other. The pink polka dots and the pink/blue/yellow ikat had me at hello! It was all so fun, girly, and funky! (Big thanks to the girls that are hosting the Style Soiree parties! This week's soiree is Kate Spade and I swear that seeing them set up this party gave me the needed push to jump into the pink and polka dots for this room!)

What I love best about this room is that almost everything was a DIY or a piece that we already had! Full source list at the bottom and I will be featuring the details behind the DIYs later this week and next.

Source:

Round Table - Shayne Table from PB

Rattan Basket on Table - WalMart

Baskets under Table - PB

Roll Arm Sofa - Ballard Designs (discontinued)

Pink Greek Key Pillow - DIY

Blue White Stripe Pillow - PB

Gray & White Greek Key Small Pillow - Calico Corners Fabric DIY

Parsons Desk used as Sewing Station (West Elm)

Metal Ampersand - RH Sale

Pink Polka Dot Magnet Board - Hobby Lobby fabric DIY

Cobalt Blue Desk Lamp - DIY

Fur Benches under Desk - DIY

Faux Wood Chair (West Elm)

Window Panels - Hobby Lobby Fabric DIY

Hanging Vinage Llama Rug (thanks mom!)

Random Food Thoughts... Pumpkin Brownies, Milkshakes, and more!

I have a couple of random food related thoughts this lovely Monday morning...

1. My name is Nikki and I am a chocoholic! So whats a girl to do when she needs her chocolate but is trying to not eat horribly? I found the perfect solution! Almost Healthy, High Fiber Brownie cookies! You literally dump a box of brownie mix, half a can of canned pumpkin, and 2 tbsp applesauce into a bowl and mix! Cook on 350 for about 10 minutes (or eat them raw!) Yes - I know they are not healthy but with just pumpkin and applesauce I can use girl math to pretend! In the bottom pic, I stuffed them with vanilla frozen yogurt as a treat for Little Man and he LOVED them too :)

2. If you looking for the real deal summer treat... Look no further than Sonic's Summer of Shakes! These things are to die for! So far I have tried the Chocolate Covered Strawberry, Chocolate Cream Pie, and Oreo Cheesecake... and I can't wait to try more! What's even better is that after 8pm it's half off milkshakes!

Sonic Summer of Shakes

3. Okay, back to healthy eating.... My sister stumbled on these yummy kid friendly snacks. I feel so much better passing these out than the usual Goldfish. They are in the salad topping section at most grocery stores and they are really tasty! You must try them for yourself and your kids.

4. Another great product that is kid friendly. Most mornings I try to make homemade healthy pancakes but sometimes it doesn't happen. These sweet potato pancakes are high in protein, all natural, and they taste great! I can only find them at my local Fresh Market but have seem them at local Organic/ Health Food stores on occasion.

Happy Mother's Day to Super Hero Moms Everywhere!!!!

Wishing my mom, mother in law, and all of my mommy friends a wonderful day! You are truly super heroes! I hope that you get pampered, loved, and well fed today :)

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DIY Pottery Barn Rope Chandelier

I love me some Pottery Barn.. especially their lighting! But I do not love their prices. So what's a girl to do? Obviously a DIY knock off project to get the look without the big price tag! And the perfect DIY to link up with The Happy Hour Inspiration Link Party and Serenity Now!

While flipping thru a recent PB catalog, I saw the Rope Chandelier with Jute Shades and it was love at first sight (until I saw the $299 price). Check out the views of it below. Beautiful right? I love the texture of the rope and how casual it feels! And don't even get me started on that table...

After a closer look at the pictures, the shape of the chandelier was almost identical to the builder basic one that we just took down in our dining room. I began to wonder if I could really just wrap rope around our old chandelier to make it look like the PB one? 

Supplies:

Old Chandelier

4 bags of Everbilt Manila Rope from HD

Glue Gun

Scissors

Embroidery Hoop

Chandelier Shades

Let me apologize in advance that there are hardly any pictures of how I did this... between the splinters from the rope and the burns from the glue gun, I just wanted to quickly finish off this project and busting out the camera would have really slowed me down.

This chandelier was gathering dust in the garage for a month or so before this project. I removed all of the glass shades and lightbulbs and then got to work. There was no real rhyme or reason to where I started or how I wrapped the rope. I put a dot of hot glue on the chandelier and just started wrapping....

And wrapping....

And wrapping.....

After 5 whole days of working on this project during naps and in the evenings, I was finished with the rope wrapping of the chandelier! Thankfully, the last step was so easy compared to the winding of the rope all around the curves of the chandelier. I took a wooden embroidery hoop, cut it down to fit the width of my chandelier, and then wrapped it with the rope too. I argued with myself on leaving the chandelier as is or adding the hoop but I think that the hoop really completes the look! I need a serious break from the hot glue gun but I love the way that it turned out!

I found 2 chandelier shade options to try. Hobby Lobby was up first. These were the right color but I did not like the pleating on them. Apologies on the night time picture but I was just so excited to get them on that I could not wait! You can't beat Hobby Lobby prices, it was $30 for all 5 of the shades.

Next it was the Lowe's option. These were a bit bigger and the right shape but stark white. They were marked down to $4.99 each so also a great deal at just under $30 for all 5. The Lowe's shades seem to be a better fit in my eyes. Although I am super annoyed with the clip on shades. Its a daily struggle to keep them straight! But I have never seen any other options. Have yall? I am thinking that if I keep the Lowe's ones I will give them a coat of paint in a more natural color. It was so easy for the DIY Painted shades that this would be a piece of cake for the tiny shades!

But in the meantime, here is the finished product for now...

And a quick side by side comparison with my inspiration image.

Hanging Paddle Hook Rack

Way back last year, I did this super cute DIY that I could not do anything with because we were just putting our house on the market and there was no use adding more holes to fill! It has taken me quite some time to figure out where the Hooked Paddle should go... I was hoping for the bathroom because it would be so cute with the nautical/pirate theme we have going. No dice on that - the wall space was limited with a linen closet.

We opted to hang it in Little Man's room. It was actually his idea! The paddle had been hiding in the aforementioned bathroom linen closet, until Little Man dragged it out. I loved the idea of him having a place where HE could hang up his towels, jackets, etc.

It is hanging partially behind his door at his height and he LOVES it! He is actually excited for naps and bed time because he gets to take his jammies of the hook to put them on :)

White Chicken Enchiladas and Almost {Healthy} Fried Ice Cream!!!

Happy Cinco de Mayo! This used to be a holiday when I enjoyed drinking margaritas and Corona's at our local Mexican restaurant with 300 of my closest friends.... but I totally lucked out this year and get to celebrate with my 3 favorite people in the world :)

What a better meal than these yummy Chicken Enchiladas! I wish that I had a source, but this recipe was passed to me via a photocopied recipe at a close friend's wedding week festivities. It was such a hit that the hubs (my fiance at the time) insisted I find this recipe. Luckily, the hostess had a copy she gladly passed on. Not only is it a knock out meal, it can be prepared ahead of time which is a must for me when entertaining.... or for dinner's in general with 2 young kids! I have switched it up by going veggie and using mushrooms instead of chicken or doing black beans instead of pinto. You really can't go wrong!

Chicken Enchiladas:
16 6 inch tortillas
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp butter
6 tbsp flour
1 16 ounce carton low fat sour cream
3 cups chicken broth
1 4 oz can diced green chili peppers
1 tsp chili powder
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup corn
1 cup pinto beans
4 cups chopped cooked chicken (I use 2 organic cans of chicken, drained)

Wrap tortillas in foil. Heat in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes until soft (I skip this step if in a crunch!)
In a sauce pan - cook onion and garlic in butter till tender.
Stir flour into sour cream and add to onion mixture. Stir in broth, chili powder, & chili peppers.
Cook until thickened and bubbling. Remove from heat and stir in 3/4 cup of cheese. Set aside.
In a bowl, stir 1 cup of sauce into chicken. Add corn, pinto beans, and 1/2 cup of cheese. Mix well.

Spoon chicken mixture into tortilla and roll. Place seam side down in a lightly greased baking dish. Once all tortillas have been rolled and placed in dish, top with remaining sauce. Bake covered at 350  degrees for 30 minutes. Add remaining cheese to top and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Almost {Healthy} Fried Ice Cream:
1 pint vanilla bean ice cream
1 cups of cinnamon cereal (I used a mix on Fiber One Caramel Delight and Raisin Bran. I just grabbed the last bit of each that we had left, threw it in a plastic bag, & crushed it with a rolling pin)

Using an ice cream scoop, make ice cream balls.
Dip balls in crushed cereal. Mix around till each ball os coated.
Place balls back into freezer in a freezer safe container for approx 1 hour.
Remove when ready to serve. Top with honey, chocolate sauce, whipped cream.... anything!!!!

Polka Dots & Shorts

Like the rest of the South, we got hit with these crazy springtime showers this week followed by a bit of a cool front. It still warms up in the afternoons but the mornings are slightly comfortable (not yet 85 degrees!) My mom outfit of late has been shorts with a thin jacket and flat sandals. It allows me to cool and then remove the jacket in the afternoon when the sun really gets cooking.

I turned to Pinterest to look for some more short friendly options and look what I stumbled on.... polka dots and jean shorts! My most comfy and worn in shorts are a pair of very worn in cuffed jean shorts. I love them!!! And they are from Forever 21 :)

Source (of above 3 images)

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I was surprised to see that I had both a long sleeve and tank top polka dot shirt. Yes, I need to clean and organize my closet! The above image of Kourtney K got me thinking about trying pink and khaki with the polka dots and I really liked it. I officially need a spring time khaki jacket!

And of course, red and polka dots is so classic! I like the added funk of the army green crop jacket and the animal print sandals. Thinking a chambray shirt would have rocked this too!