Updated Boy's Room: MCM Shelving

My little guy will be starting Kindergarten in September...gulp! So, with the start of the school year,comes homework. I wanted to find a desk and a bookshelf for his room, where he could work on said homework. He actually has a large room for a five year old and for an old house he has a ton of storage,so we had the space to add a few large pieces. I jumped on Craigslist and searched for a desk first. To my surprise I see this Mid Century Modern desk and bookshelf combo! It had been added to Craigslist about 18 hours prior to my search so I was certain it was gone. I quickly emailed the seller, knowing I probably missed out on it and to my surprise he said it was available. Then I told him I could come take a look and he said there was actually one person in front of me!!! Ugghhh...it technically was available but I was certain the other person would snag it up...but they never showed up. Long story short the unit now lives with us! Now, the seller did say it was from the 70's but it was like IKEA quality. Which to me isn't horrible but, I knew he meant there wasn't any extraordinary craftsmanship going on. He actually threw in an extra shelving piece that was a match , he and his wife found after they had already purchased the whole unit(which is three pieces). So, I basically used that for parts! It was pretty wobbly and needed some loving. It serves it purpose for now and I won't mind if it gets a few nicks and scratches over the next few years. 

We do not have any bookshelves in any other areas in our home. We really don't have a whole lot of knick knacks in our home as the MCM look is very minimal. I was super excited I could finally style some shelving! I searched all around for items that I already had and then I went Antiquing at my favorite little shops near my house. I scored some unique items that I can not wait to share with you. So, enough talking let's look at some pics:

Here is the before. I set a few things that he already had in his room to get an idea of what I needed. I was so pleased that I could keep his table and chairs in the room with plenty of space around it. I also used the chair I bought awhile back from a now friend on Craigslist. 

I started to add a few things like a jar full of marbles my Aunt gave me and a vintage book I picked up a few months back. The dump truck belonged to The Hubs when he was a little guy. 

This metal caddy I found at Marshalls after watching Fixer Upper(have you seen this show??...you need to). She found a vintage caddy to hold her client's crayons. It was so adorable I had to do something similar for my little guy. I couldn't find anything vintage but this cleaning caddy worked great! I simply added some mason jars and filled them up with crayons, markers, pens and scissors. 

I had previously painted some chalkboard designs on his wall and got this "S" at a Flea Market. I also had this fabric covered canvas in another area of his room and though it was better suited for this area. I love this fabric from Joann. It is a Marvel Retro Comic print.  It simply adds some color and brings in a bit of Superhero, which Shane loves. 

I found this G.I. Joe wooden box at my local Antique Store. It said it was from the 60s! I love the graphics inside of the box. This was 17.00...a little more than I wanted to spend on one item for the bookshelf but, I couldn't pass it up!

 I found these items at a little shop in the same area I found the wooden box above. The owner always has such unique things. I got a large jack, old wooden ruler and this amazing light bulb. It was fun to go around the store and collect different items that were out of the ordinary, but fit in a boys room. Shane wasn't too impressed with the light bulb. I think it's awesome...boys...hmmpppfff????!!!

I had to throw in some baseball items too. The bat was from his baseball party that all his guests signed. Filled a wire basket with old and new baseballs and used a baseball helmet Shane had from a Minor League game we attended. 

This is how it all came together. It is going to be a great space for Shane to do his homework or work on some art. I can switch out some of the pieces as he gets older and his interests change.

Summer Lovin:Friday Favorites

Now that summer is officially here I am feeling the need for a beach trip. Since, I do not know when I will be able to make it... I am getting my fix by looking at all the cute beach day necessities on the world wide web! I also included a lil' beach bum board! Surf's Up!

Boho Braid-Emily at The Freckled Fox has the prettiest hair tutorials. I wish I could braid my hair! It is the perfect hairstyle for the beach.

Wildfox Maxi-This reminded me of Hawaii. I love this for walking on the pier after a long day in the sun.

NYC Bronzer in Sunny-I don't like to wear a whole lot of makeup at the beach. I just put on a bit of bronzer and blush and I am all set...after my sunscreen of course.

Sunset Beach Candle-Ahhhhhh!!! I love this scent. It is such a beach scent with pineapple and papaya. 

Roxy Hat-Gotta cover that face. You mind as well do it in style. I love anything ROXY. When I was younger I dreamed of living at the beach and being a surfer girl...still do dream about this:)

Makeup Geek in Head Over Heels-this is a great blush to add just a touch of color to your face. I love Makeup Geek. Their products are all affordable and very high quality. Reminds me of MAC!

Roxy Hoodie-One of my favorite parts of a beach day is when the sun begins to set and it starts to cool down. Love throwing on a hoodie and enjoying a bonfire. 

Beach Chair-I need to head over to World Market and pick this up. It is on sale and I am in need of a bright and comfy beach chair. 

Kid's Beach Chair-How cute is this? A personalized child's beach chair. They come with umbrellas too!

Beckett's Threads Shirt-This is my friends' company. I love this design...kinda want one for myself:)

Rash guard-My little guy loves wearing a rash guard. It is great for a little extra protection from the sun too. 

Surfboard Trainer- Since I did not end up being a surfer girl...I could get this surfboard trainer for Shane and see if he can be a cute little surfer boy.

Old Navy Cover Up-Terry cloth is so great for a cover up. Your little girl would be so adorable in this!

Boat Shoes-Someone with a little girl seriously needs to buy these boat shoes! They are one sale too!

Anyone planning a beach day? I just may need to go tomorrow. I have beach fever!

Happy Friday!

Easy to Make: Children's Daily Routine Chalkboard

I have something to admit. I do not have it all together. In fact most days I am lucky if I remember to brush my teeth and feed myself. I have a little human that I am responsible for. He does many things himself now(yay) but still needs reminding. Lately, I found myself feeling like a failure as a Mama and I needed to come up with a fun idea to write out Shane's daily morning and nightly routines. Of course I started with Pinterest and saw this idea. I loved it because I knew I had a clipboard and chalkboard paint, so it was free!

I loved this because it wasn't a printable and I could customize it to my child's daily routine. I simply painted the clipboard with two coats of chalkboard paint(Valspar's is great). After it dried I used a chalk maker to list all of the items Shane needs to do each day.I also added little drawing of each task as he doesn't read yet and can simply look at each picture and know what to do all by himself! You can use anything in place of the clipboard, but I think this is great, as you can hang it on a wall in your child's room or bathroom. We just purchased Shane a desk so I have it sitting on there. This has been so helpful to Mommy and my little man loves it. He can also check off each item as he completes them, with chalk if he wanted. Now, I may need to make one for Mommy:).

Summer Lovin: Friday Favorites

My list this week is so random... but full of lots of great finds. Shane has had swimming lessons and VBS all week and it has been a blast! He is taking swimming lessons where I did at his age. It is so weird to look around and remember being in the pool as a little one. It hasn't changed much. I am so glad it is Friday and am looking forward to playing outside and getting projects done around the house. Happy Friday Friends!

Fruity summer cupcakes by Trophy Cupcakes-I saw these on TheTomKatStudio(another fav) and fell in love. These would be so cute at a summer BBQ!

Floral Doddle at Land of Nod-Apparently, I have a thing for flowers. Bright florals are all the rage(I even wrote a post about them this week). This would be super cute in a little girls room or a craft room. 

Floral Chiffon Top by Forever 21-Speaking about my bright floral post. This top was one of my favorite finds. I love the black with the colorful flowers together. 

Sam Smith -ahhhhhhh. I love him. His voice is perfection. His CD came out this week. If you are in the mood for some good love songs I highly recommend this CD, especially #10: Lay Me Down.

Girl's Room by The Lilypad Cottage-I couldn't stop staring at this wallpaper in this little girl's room. And that bed! I can picture my little niece enjoying a room like this. 

On Trend: Bright Florals:Dark Backgrounds

I am in love with this trend of bright florals and dark backgrounds. Typically the background is either black or navy. I first saw it on stationary, but now I see it in fashion as well. I love it because even though in spring and summer you typically don't see a lot of dark colors; the mix of bright florals makes it feel lighter. Here are a few items I have spotted. 

In Fashion and Beauty:

In Paper Goods and Web Design:

In the Home:

ALDO Sandals-The print is a little hard to see in this picture but I saw these in person and believe me the print is such a cute addition to these sandals.

Forever 21 Floral Chiffon Top-I need this shirt! The pattern continues part way down the back and then is sheer. Such a great price too!

ASOS Kimono-My mission today is to find a pretty floral kimono. They are great if you want a little cover up over your tank top this summer. 

Indigo Perfume by NEST- Even this perfume bottle got in on this trend. I would love to display this bottle on my vanity.

Cocorrina Wallpaper and Screen Savers-This wallpaper for your computer screen is what started it all. I absolutely love her design. These are available for download and you can even choose one for your phone.

Sparkle and Sparrow Gift Tags-Aren't these so cute? Perfect to add to a friend's bday present(my bday is next month btw). 

Paper n Peonies Save the Date Card-You have to check out this girl's Esty Shop! It is a new favorite. Her designs are so cute and I love this Save the Date card.

Furbish Studio Pillow- Pillows are a great way to introduce any trend in your home without having to spend a ton. 

Blue Poppy Design Abstract Painting-If you are daring, adding this painting to your home would be amazing I love the use of the navy IKAT and the bright florals.

So, what do you think? Is it a trend you could introduce in your home or in your wardrobe. I think The Hubs would not like this trend in our home so, I am going to pick up a few of those under the fashion section:).

Citrus Lane Unboxing

I recently was made aware of a new monthly subscription box for kids called Citrus Lane. I think it is a great way to introduce mommies and kiddos to new products. I have to admit something. I am not a very creative or imaginative mom. I am not the type to make my own playdough or use creative ways to teach my son things. I lean on Pinterest and my friends like, Munchkins and Moms to show me the way. So, I was exited to see this monthly box full of new products(to me).

We received the box today, which if we continue, it will come around the middle of each month. This is more of a first impression post as we haven't tried all of the products. I was pleasantly surprised about how much was in the box. Here is a breakdown about what we received:

1. Melissa & Doug Reusable Puffy Sticker Pad- Shane took that out first and loves it! He has already set up his pirate ship with all his stickers. I think this would be the best product in the box. 
2. Two-sided Puzzles by Crocodile Creek- Three puzzles came in the box. Each puzzle is double-sided, so that is nice. Nothing super exciting but we did need some new puzzles!
3. Wet Bag by Bumkins-I was a little confused because I thought wet bags were only for babies and each box is geared toward your child's age and gender. Since Shane did start swimming lessons this week, I thought I could use it for his wet clothes. Plus, it was Mickey Mouse print and that made it super cute!
4. Bandages by Ouchies Jr.-These bandages are great. They come in a super cute tin and kids are always in need of bandages, 
5. Go Bars by Plum Organics-As I am typing this we actually already sampled each bar(it was all in the name of a good blog post). They are pretty good. I thought they were going to be more of a granola bar texture but are more of a dry brownie texture. That may sound horrible but they are pretty good. Shane did not like the Chocolate Brownie flavor but liked the Chocolate Chip one. They claim to be organic and they are but, they have a lot of natural sugars so I am not a huge fan. 

Overall, I liked the box. I used a special promo code for 50% off my first box. After reviewing all the products I would totally pay the 15.00 I paid but... not 29.99. Now, this is the price you pay if you just do a month to month plan. If you subscribe for a year you get it for 19.00 a month. There are also 3 month and 6 month plans. For our family that would not be too bad of a deal because we only have one child. I thought about my other mommies who have young babies and toddlers who would not enjoy or be able to share a box and they would need to order a box for each child. If you are interested I would definitely just get a box for either your infant or one just for your toddler(up to age 6). You do get discounts on any additional products you would like that you received in your box. Also, you can add items to your box from their website and enjoy free shipping. Shane loved receiving the box today and I think I will keep it up throughout the summer. I will keep you posted on anymore boxes we receive and if Shane gives them a thumbs up! 

Summer Lovin: Friday Favorites

Rimmel Lasting Finish Mineral by Kate Moss Lipstick, 09- I recently purchased this lipstick and it is so bright and perfect for summer! It is long wearing and is a super smooth formula. Plus, it smells really good!

Nautical Two-Toned Fedora- I love wearing hats this time of year. They are super cute and protect your face from the sun. This one is from Forever 21 so you know it is affordable!

Jacquard Tank -I purchased this tank from Target a few days ago and I love it! I think I am going to go back for a few more colors. It is hard to tell in this pic but if you click on the link, zoom in on the tank and take a look at the pattern it is so pretty. 

Athena Tab Strand Necklace-Have you heard of Baubble Bar? If not, I apologize in advance. It is an online accessory shop that has the pretties bracelets, necklaces, rings and other accessories. I am loving statement necklaces right now and anything pink, so this was a favorite. 

Be Brave Print-This is very random, but I was tempted to redecorate Shane's room again this week. I so desperately want to decorate a camping/lodge/hunting room. Wouldn't that be fun? I started collecting whatever I had and collected ideas online(like this print). I then realized I needed to paint and get a new bed spread and so then I said, "Summer, STOP"! It was fun dreaming but he has a great room and I need to be content. I did purchase a desk and shelving unit for his room which I will be sharing soon!

Mexican Grilled Corn Salad Recipe

During the summer I find myself wanting fresh foods(lets face it...it is summer time already here in Southern California). I put away all the soup recipes from winter and am on the look out for recipes I can whip up quickly. I also love recipes that I can cook on the grill. So, when I saw a few recipes on Pinterest for Mexican Grilled Corn Salad I was sold. Fresh grilled corn....need I say more? This recipe was inspired by the Mexican Grilled Corn made with a whole ear of corn, mayo, Parmesan and cilantro. I tweaked it a tad. There are many different versions of this recipe on the web so, I took a little from each one and made it work for my family. 

Mexican Grilled Corn Salad
Serves 4-6

4 Ears of Corn
1/4 cup Butter

1/2 Lime

1/4 cup of Cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup Cotija Cheese, crumbled
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat your grill to 400 degrees. While the grill is heating up melt 1/4 cup of butter and brush on shucked corn. Grill for around 10-12 minutes. You want some charring on all sides, so turn every few minutes. While the corn cools, chop up the cilantro. Next, cut the corn off of the cob and then squeeze half of a lime over the warm corn. Then add the cilantro and the crumbled Cotija cheese. Finally, season with a little salt and pepper and you have a fresh and delicious summer time salad. 

This would be great if you used Parmesan cheese instead of the Cotija. Or you could spice it up and add some paprika. One recipe I saw used mayo instead of the butter, which is what is used in the traditional Grilled Mexican Corn you can find sold by many street vendors. The Hubs and I aren't too fond of mayo so we went the butter route. 

Happy Grilling!

Summer Lovin:Friday Favorites

Father's Day is quickly approaching and I gathered some items I know the Fathers in my life will love. 

Adidas Seeley Shoes- I spied these in the mall the other day and loved the look of these for my guy.

Cast Iron Oyster Pan-The Hubs recently has fallen in love with oysters(so have I). This pan would be awesome for summer dinners outside. 

Etsy Printable-This printable would be great for a father's desk. Love that my little guy thinks his daddy is a Superhero!

Wash, Wheel and Tire Cleaning Kit-a go-to gift for those car lovers in your life

Dollar Shave Club-The Hubs has this monthly razor subscription. It ranges from 1.00 to 9.00(depending on which blade you choose). It is a great monthly subscription service that delivers new blades each month. I love not having to buy expensive blades. The blades are geat quality and they have a shaving butter that The Hubs love.