Creating An Entrance To Wow House Guests

March 15, 2016 by Angie 16 Comments

Giving guests an incredible first impression of your home starts from the minute they approach the front door. A well-decorated and laid-out entrance will make guests feel warm and welcome instantly. Here is a handful of tips for making the entrance or hallway of your home make your guests say ‘wow’.

What to Add to Your Wow-Worthy Entrance

Outdoor Light

Light up your front door and knocker with an outdoor light. To save electricity, go for one that has sensor detection and only lights up if someone is there. Fit your door with an ornate knocker. If you have a doorbell, make sure it’s somewhere easy to both see and reach.

A Chandelier

Still on the topic of light, the one type of light fixture most likely to make a guest say ‘wow’ is a chandelier. There are loads of different styles out there to choose from. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a big one. There are also small but equally stunning designs out there; great if you’re working on a lower budget.

Coat Hooks

Hang your guests coats and belonging on a set of designer coat hooks. Handily, they double up as both wall decor and a practical feature. Consider hanging a second set at child height for their belongings too.

Hat Stand

A blast from the past! Not many people have hat stands in the house now, but they make for a great feature. They also make a good talking point, and just like coat hooks, they’re practical too. You can also use yours to hang items like scarves and umbrellas.

Photo Wall

Showcase your family and loved ones to your guests with a photo wall. There are dozens of handy tutorials online to give your inspiration. Go for all black and white, or all sepia photos. Or, go with prints designed to look like Polaroid pictures! Alternatively, collect mismatched photo frames from charity shops and market stalls. Collate them for a quirky, vintage effect.

Underfloor Heating

Once your guests slip off their shoes, it will be a real treat for them to step foot onto heated floors. It’s no longer as expensive as it used to be, and can actually be more economical than standard radiator heating. Alternative, you could keep a couple of spare pairs of slippers by the front door.

Keep it Clean

A tidy and clean house is something to be truly proud of. Your hard work should be visible from the minute guests step into your entranceway. Clear away clutter and tidy up shoes.

Install Speakers

It’s very rare that we keep our radios or sound systems in the hallway. After all, you probably spend the least amount of time here than any other room. Instead, install a pair of wireless speakers to the upper corners of the walls. You can then place music through them via Bluetooth connection. You can even start the music from your phone as you’re heading to open the door.

You’ll never regret making a great first impression; unless they then just won’t stop visiting!

How’s your entrance?

What do people seen when they first walk in your door?
Tell me about it in the comments below! I want to know!

This post contains affiliate links, thank you so much for supporting my blog.

Angie

Angie is a coffee-fueled writer, artist-wanna-be, and over-worker who currently resides in a tiny fixer-upper near Salt Lake City with her boyfriend and 70lb rescue pittie. She works full time in Customer Service/Computers, part-time in retail and fashion, goes to school part-time on and off, maintains this and another couple of blogs, as well as volunteers with rescue dogs. In her free time, what little of it there is, she likes to read, play nerd games, craft and create art, and spend time with all of the awesome people in her life.

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

Personal Decor with the Polabora Vintage Box + a Retro Print Giveaway

January 27, 2016 by Angie 35 Comments

For the past six months I’ve lived in my newly purchased house, but I still haven’t managed to hang anything on the walls in any of the rooms. I don’t know why, but thinking back, it took me a long time to decide to hang anything on the walls of my apartment too. I want to hang things on the wall. I look at other bloggers who post their gallery walls, and their cute personalized spaces, and I think “Why don’t I do something like that?” Probably because I’m super busy, and maybe a little bit because I’m just not sure what to put up or where to put it.

One thing I do love, is when decor is personal. I know sometimes I feel at odds with hanging up art vs. photos of loved ones, but I don’t think they have to be at odds with each other. There are so many clever and artful ways to put up pictures of people you love, and one of the more fun ones I’ve come across now is hanging vintage-style prints up. To make it even easier, you can order an entire Vintage Box kit from Polabora.

The kit includes 100 quality retro prints that look like they came from a polaroid camera (though they’re just printed and cut like that-they’re not actually raised like a polaroid’s images were) and some adorable mini clothes pins for hanging the prints up. I just picked up some baker’s twine (okay, I had some on hand that I used) to hang them up with. Any quality string, yarn, or ribbon would do-and the sky is the limit with the look you might want. Some pretty lacy hanging ribbon, you could go totally bohemian with your prints if you like.

The prints turned out very adorable, and I love having them all strung out strategically on the line. I can’t wait to hang these up, though I’m still debating whether I want to hang them up in the hall going up the stairs or in my art room or bedroom… Hmmmm… They’re so adorable. Plus, they have free worldwide shipping, and their prices aren’t too bad to start with. This whole kit came so beautifully packed, and the box they came in keeps them lovely and tidy while they wait to be put up.

You can use the code CHAOS16 for 20% off any order at Polabora.

Enter the Giveaway

Polabora wants to give one lucky My So-Called Chaos reader the chance to win a Booster Set of Vintage Prints. That’s 50 prints of your choosing (you can import from Facebook or Instagram, or you can upload them directly to their site. This giveaway is open worldwide and ends on 2/3/16 at 12AM. Entering below agrees to all the Terms and Conditions in the Rafflecopter Widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

Ideas to Help Create the Perfect Bedroom Space

January 12, 2016 by Angie 27 Comments

A New Year is an ideal time to start thinking about a change, particularly if that involves redecorating, or even completely reimagining, the spaces within your home. As one of the most personal rooms you’re likely to encounter, your bedroom is a great place to start. Where else can your imagination run so freely?

Creating Your Ideal Bedroom Space

There are a few things you will need to think about before you start filling your bedroom, namely the space you have available, the kind of layout you’d like, and whether you’re going to create a theme or not. Do you have a big or small bedroom? Does the space have any odd angles or edges that may be difficult to furnish? If you’re starting from scratch you may as well do things properly, so draw out a plan of exactly how you’d like your finished bedroom space to look. Are you planning to fill it with color, or keep things simple? Your bedroom is the one room in your house where your personality can really run wild, so be as big, brash, or beautiful as you can muster.

Scattered cushions, throws, rugs, and wall art are a fantastic way to add color and texture to a room without over-decorating it; while photo montages, posters of your favorite movies, musical artists, or hobbies will ensure each of your visitors knows what you’re in to! Once you’ve got the essentials, such as a bed, closet, and chest of drawers, think about what else you need, or would like, and where such items will fit. Can you use shelves, a clever storage option under your bed, or window ledge space?

Your Bedroom on a Budget

You may be starting to panic a little. All of these ideas sound fantastic, but won’t they be expensive? The answer is a little of both; your perfect bedroom could cost as much, or as little, as you’d like, and there are plenty of hacks out there to ensure you get what you want.

While some bigger, more important items, such as your bed, can’t be skimped on, there are plenty of ways you can cut costs, rather than corners. For example, if you’d like to try a splash of color in your room but feel that wallpaper is simply too costly, why not stick to papering just one wall, or even creating a border effect with leftovers, or stencils and paint samples?

Choosing expensive curtains or drapes can increase the cost of your perfect bedroom, so explore the idea of making your own from sample fabric or offcuts. If you’re looking for something a little bit different, what about solid wooden shutters? While they may be a little dearer in the outset they will often last much longer than fabric curtains, as well as enabling you to let in little or as much light as you’d like, and help to control the temperature during hot summers or colder winters. If you are a light sleeper you will no longer need to purchase separate blackout material to keep your room dark. How’s that for ideal?

Of course, budgeting needn’t just apply to the bigger buys in your bedroom; keep things simple by making your own accessories and soft furnishings, or visit thrift shops, flea markets, and table top sales for the ultimate bargain. Your bedroom is the space that often reflects you most, so go crazy.

So, there you have it. Your dream bedroom space with as much, or little, effort and expenditure as you wish. Enjoy extravagance or keep things simple, the choice is yours.

How do you decorate your bedroom?

This post contains an affiliate link. Thank you for supporting my blog-it means a lot.

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

Update Your Home with the 2016 Pantone Colors of the Year

January 6, 2016 by Angie 34 Comments

It’s 2016, and Pantone has officially released it’s new colors for the year. In case you haven’t seen them yet, the 2016 Pantone Colors of the Year are Rose Quartz and Serenity. Personally, I really am digging the Rose Quartz color a lot. I’m kind of “eh” on Serenity, but I think it’s because I went through a Periwinkle phase as a teenager and once I was over it I was SO over it-haha! But I have to admit, they do look quite lovely together.

So I thought, in the spirit of being a recent home-owner and celebrating moving into 2016, I’d offer some suggestions for how to update your home decor a bit and add Pantone’s two new colors into each room for 2016. What a fun way to give your home decor a nice little update and bring your home into 2016. The colors aren’t exact in all the items I found, but they’re pretty darn close.

This post contains affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small percentage at no extra cost to you if you purchase through my links. Purchasing through affiliate links helps support this blog so I can keep it running another year. Thank you so much!

Decorating with Pantone Colors of the Year Serenity Rose Quartz

1 | Pink Stonewashed Bed Linen Set from Linen Tales

2 | Geometric Succulent Cactus Planter in Blush + Woodblock from Sea & Asters

3 | Pink/Rose Quartz Glass Cabinet/Drawer Pulls from Unique Antique Supply

4 | Ribbon Bohemian/Shabby Chic Curtains from Elizabeth & Daniel

5 | The Bayer Unicorn Head in Cameo Pink from White Faux Taxidermy

6 | Boho Chic Pink Dreamcatcher from Blair Bailey Design

7 | Pink Shabby Chic Rag Rug from Elizabeth & Daniel

8 | Gorgeous Romantic White & Pink Tufted Couch from The Bella Cottage

9 | Woodland Fox Girl Giclee Print from Parada Creations

10 | Anatolian Peshtemal Shawl/Turkish Towel from Orientina

11 | Vintage Pink Flower Lamp Shade from Lamp Shade Central

12 | Large Rose Quartz Candle Holder from No Stone Unturned 333

13 | Ohhio’s Grande Punto Blanket in Bubblegum from Ohhio

14 | Color Block Stripe Pillow in Pink from Jillian Rene Decor

15 | Raw Rose Quartz Chunks from Chakra Healing Shop

Decorating with Pantone Colors of the Year Serenity

1 | Sky Blue Stonewashed Linen Bed Set from Linen Tales

2 | Light Blue Porcelain Planter with Dark Blue Lines from Devon Doherty Studio

3 | Cut Glass Knob in Lavender by Trinca Ferro

4 | Porcelain Blue Silk Curtains from Zylstra Art Gallery

5 | Staffordshire Blue Faux Taxidermy Moose Head from Near and Deer

6 | Light Blue Lace Dream Catcher from Sweet Dream Catchers

7 | Blue Crochet Rag Rug from Marlene’s Sewing Room

8 | Fabulous French Provincial Cottage Grey Bed from Fabulous & French

9 | Desiderata Print in Pantone Serenity from Pink Milkshake Designs

10 | Bodrum Blue Pure Cotton Peshtemal/Turkish Towel from Orientina

11 | Blue Dodecahedron Pendant Ceiling Lamp Shade from Eclat Fou

12 | Soy Crystaline Candle from Moonlit Method

13 | Chunky Cable Knit Blanket in Light Blue from Camp Kitschy Knits

14 | Blue Dip Dye Decorative Pillow from Whitlock and Co

15 | Love You to the Moon Pantones Color of the Year Serenity Printable from Headings House

Decorating with both Pantone Colors of the Year

1 | Stained Glass Pendant Light from Nostalgia ‘n More

2 | Live Simply Minimalist Print from Lovely Posters

3 | Peeling Wall Clock from aeolia

4 | Octopus Triptych Posters in Serenity and Rose Quartz from Adam’s Ale Art Prints & Scientific Illustrations

5 | Shower Curtain Striped in Pantone Colors from Swirled Peas

6 | Rose Quartz and Serenity Blue Fields of Color Pillow from The Indigo Summer

7 | Triangle Geometric Art Printable from Moss & Twig Prints

8 | Hand Woven Rug of Recycled Rope from Finition

9 | Fused Glass Coasters from Kiln Fired Art

10 | Little Porcelain Cellars for a Happy Table from Hideminy

11 | Serenity and Rose Quartz Fused Glass Bowl from January May Designs

What is your favorite way to incorporate these colors?

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

Conjure up a Comfort New Year Wishlist

December 31, 2015 by Angie 29 Comments

Sometimes it seems that I’d like to wave a magic wand and change everything around me. That got me onto thinking about all the physical things that we could change to make life a little more comfortable. It’s not that we don’t love our stuff, it’s just that sometimes it would be nice to replace it with something new or just a bit more sumptuous. So, why not make a wish list for all those things we’d change if we could. Things that might help us feel more comfortable more cozy at this time of year. Put it all on your New Year Wish List. It’ll be interesting to see how many we achieve and how many we manage to do without.

Snug up in the Bedroom

Right at this time of year I am going to begin in the bedroom. At the back of my mind, this bedroom is the place we can come to and shut the door on the world. At the centre of it all is the bed of your dreams. It doesn’t matter too much about the bed frame itself, but who wouldn’t want a real headboard that was comfortable to lean back against?

Getting the mattress right is vital. You’ll want to make sure the mattress is up there with the best mattresses of 2016. No one would want to have back pain, or be uncomfortable trying to get to sleep, so it’s important to get a mattress that you can feel good about. Most people sleep on the same mattress for ten years or more, so, all in all, it’s a pretty significant investment. I think it pays the get the best quality that you can. There are a range of good options out there. Try and get a feel for the one that suits you best.

Complete the mattress with some top drawer pillows and matching bedding sets. Pillows are another item that is important to get right. You want to feel that your neck is properly supported.

Many people love the feel of pure cotton, although it can be a nuisance if you have to iron it, but there is nothing like the feeling of climbing into a freshly made bed. It would be nice to have some soft carpet underfoot and the windows should have good quality drapes that shut out the light.

Bathroom luxury

Most of us could spend a lot of time in the right bathroom. So why not place a full size deep antique bath up there on your wish list. Maybe you could get some lovely old piece enamelled. It might be nice to put an entire bathroom renovation on the wish list! In fact, the whole bathroom could be effectively done with big tiles on the floor and a lovely towel rail warming up the bath sheets. There’d be good mirror too and a facility for music. Storage is important in any bathroom, and it would be good to have some recessed shelves to take some sumptuously scented candles and lovely bath salts. For those days when nothing but a power shower will do, choose a walk in wet room. Here you can let the powerful shower head do its stuff without worrying much about splashing around.

In the Kitchen

Kitchens should be the heart of the home. This is the place to hang out and come together. Comfort, after all, isn’t just about sitting or lying in a comfortable position. It’s the comfort from being in a place where you can share good food. Some people prefer an ultra modern kitchen with clean lines, and others are happier with a more traditional feel. Choose whatever look makes you feel better.

It’d be great to have those gadgets around that make you feel good. How about an all singing and dancing coffee machine? One with all the bells and whistles? You can’t beat the smell of fresh coffee! A pizza oven would be another addition that would make the kitchen a real centre of sharing. A lovely dining table acts as another centre of attraction. Standing islands and breakfast bars are a great way to bring people together.

I’d love to have doors that opened out onto the patio or deck. You could place some super woven cane furniture, and maybe even a hammock and porch swing outside. Perhaps there would be a pergola, just to catch a little shade.

Laying Out in the Lounge

It doesn’t make any difference what the time of the year is, the lounge and living space is a vital part of your home. You want to feel comfortable here and have the furnishings around you that reinforce that feeling. My choice would be a great sofa or couch that you could curl up and lose yourself. I’d have it covered in a neutral shade with washable covers! Cushions always help with the comfort factor. Floor cushions can be fun. So it would be important to me to have a comfortable floor covering and carpet. If I couldn’t stretch to a new suite, then how about investing in some throws and cushions to give it a new lease of life?

It would be great to have the chance to put up some fresh color on the walls. Matching and complementary colors both work well. Try and emphasise warmth and light as you want any space here to be inviting but spacious.

Depending on your taste, let yourself go with the entertainment system of your dreams. What could be more comforting than curling up and indulging in a great movie or series that you are hooked on?

It can be great fun to make a wish list. It gives you ideas of the things that you could do. It allows you to play with ideas and find out what is important to you. You also come across ideas that you hadn’t thought about. With a New Year just around the corner, it’s good to have some idea of what you can achieve. Even if it is only increasing your comfort factor. But then again, life is better when you are feeling good.

What comfort would you like in the new year?

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

November 2015 Currently + Life & House Update

November 30, 2015 by Angie 134 Comments

Hello friends! It’s been a little while since I’ve posted a personal life update here on the blog. Things have just been so crazy-working on the house, preparing for the holidays, and keeping up with the demand here on this blog… It’s been great, don’t get me wrong, but I seriously need to reconnect with some of you. So, I thought I’d post a little update here on the blog to let you know how things are in my life currently and what has been happening. Here’s me currently-my hair needs a dye and a trim, but I’m working on growing it out.

Currently I’m…

Listening to Adele’s 25 Album. On. Repeat. It’s so good! I was hesitant to download it, because while I like Hello enough, I wasn’t sure I needed the whole album since I pay for streaming and she wont stream it. But I’m so glad I did. It’s amazing… Pretty much every song.

Watching I just finished watching Gilmore Girls all the way through again (seriously in love with that show) and so I started watching Jane the Virgin. It’s adorable-very Ugly Betty/Telanovela. I also started Jessica Jones too-but it’s more serious and I haven’t been in a big “be totally involved in the show” mood lately.

Reading I just finished listening to the audio book The Appearance of Annie Van Sinderen by Katharine Howe (review coming to pageavu.com soon) and I need to finish The Diviners by Libba Bray. It’s seriously so good-I just haven’t had the time to sit down and read an actual book. Audio books have been great in the car or while I’m working around the house.

Enjoying the snow. I know, I know… I wouldn’t be enjoying it that much because I haven’t shoveled my walks yet… I need to get on that. But it’s been a nice little pretty dusting and it makes being inside all cozy. Plus, Bub is adorable playing in the snow. I bundled him up in his little coat and we went outside and threw the ball around a bit. So cute.

Excited for Christmas and Josh visiting. Josh is coming in on the 9th for nearly a month, and it’ll be so good to have him in town. I also broke down and bought a new artificial Christmas tree since my old one is about 11 years old now… The stand is broken and the boughs look sparse… I upgraded to a 7.5 big bushy tree. I shouldn’t have spent the money, but I really needed a little holiday spirit and I can’t wait to put it up. This new tree also has all the electrical in the stem-so you just connect it for it to work instead of having to deal with multiple plugs and strands of lights!

Working on getting my office/craft room/spare room finished in time for Josh’s arrival in ten days. If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen me lamenting about my color choices. In my head, I paired the pretty blue (Sea Salt by Sherwin Williams) that I used upstairs with a bright pop of orange (since it’ll be my creative space I wanted some creativity-inspiring color). Kristina and I spent all day painting and then I did not love it the final result. It just looked like green and orange-and not good. I did not want to redo it because that room is bizarre… There are all sorts of random slants (not level walls/ceiling), random molding in some places and not others, and three different kinds of textures on the walls… It was a pain to paint.

Thanks to the lovely commenters on my IG photo (pictured above) it was suggested that I look for a cool-tone light bulb instead. I brushed up on my photography lighting lessons and decided to get some 6500k daylight bulbs and ordered them in… Except I figured that 100 watt was standard-but it’s not in my house. My house requires 60 watt and I had to go to the store and pick up some more. The orange pictured above, Outgoing Orange by Sherwin Williams, needed another coat too and we’d just gotten a quart so I decided to pick up another quart-except they didn’t have Outgoing Orange, so I upped it to Knockout Orange and very quickly realized that it wasn’t even close in color… But, I like the new orange so much better-and with the new bulbs it’s looking more like what I imagined.

Bub does not like it when I’m in the spare room painting. When Kristina and I were doing it he snuck in (in spite of me telling him to stay on the stairs) and managed to get blue paint all over himself-prompting a big scrubbing that neither of us enjoyed. So I’ve been locking him out of the room unless I’m painting an area he can’t get to-which he hates-he’s so clingy. Here is his “stop painting and play with me” face-which was preceded by a long “look at me mom” whine. So clingy-but cute.

Feeling a whole mix of things. While I’m excited for everything coming up and I’m genuinely enjoying the holidays-they can be a bit of a double edged sword. I had a great Thanksgiving with family, but I was also very depressed and emotional… Just another holiday alone. It’s not that I need a significant other to enjoy holidays, it just seems to be this mark of time, time where I’m still single and holidays make being single a bit more lonely. I can’t tell you whether listening to Adele on repeat has been helping or making it worse… Haha!

Planning my 12 Days of Holiday Giveaways which goes live first thing tomorrow! EEP. I’m so not prepared-I have only just started drafting the posts so I need to get a move on. You should be very excited-they’re going to be great. Oh, and feel free to enter to win that Kitchenaid Mixer we’re giving away-it ends on the 8th so you still have time.

I’m also planning to send holiday cards this year, so if you want to swap cards with me this year, fill out this form.

Needing to get my house under control. It was already pretty messy, but then I pulled everything out of the spare room to paint and brought in all the books from the garage so they could be unpacked (which I still haven’t done) and it looks like a war zone. Must. Get. It. Under. Control. I just feel like I have to get the spare room done before I can tackle anything-there has to be a place for some of that stuff to go.

In case you missed it lately on the blog, check out these awesome posts:

Holiday Gift Guide | 20+ Unique Gifts for Creatives

Tips for Planning Your First Party Ever

November Group Giveaway | Our Favorite Holiday Food + a Kitchenaid Giveaway

Look For the Helpers (talking about the terror attacks in France and other countries)

Better Your Blog | Using Facebook to Boost Your Blog More Effectively

Also, don’t forget to check out these posts by me on other blogs:

Holiday Decor for Bookworms

10 Reasons You Should Consider Adopting Your Next Pet

How have you been?

Check out this fabulous sponsor:

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

DIY Home Decorations for Thanksgiving Parties

November 6, 2015 by Angie 36 Comments

Thanksgiving is a great time to think about DIY home decorations. There’s nothing more fun or enjoyable than spreading Thanksgiving cheer in your home than homemade decorations. It’s also a great way to start the holiday season off with a statement of your family’s unique creativity, and I am sure your family and friends will appreciate the effort.

Thanksgiving decorations traditionally represent the harvest season, along with the beautiful red, gold and brown colors of autumn. It’s the perfect time to come up with decorations that are in theme with the holiday.

Thanksgiving Crafts:

The Fodder Shock

Constructing a fodder shock isn’t difficult. You gather up some dry corn stalks, usually left in corn areas after harvest or even at the grocery store from leftover corn husks, and form the center section inside beam to generate a type of grouping in a “tepee” configuration.

Home Scarecrow

Developing a bird-scarer is simple and fun to do: make a cross with 2 sticks being connected firmly. Dress the sticks with sleeve length clothing and also a pair of jeans. Start being active. To create your scarecrow’s head, use an old pillowcase or cloth handbag. Fill with paper, cloths or stuffing. Draw a whole new face around the fabric, and then bind the “head” within the vertical axis, which should have a secure bond.

Wreaths

The easiest way to add natural elements, color and texture to your decor for fall is with the use of wreaths. These Thanksgiving essentials effortlessly brighten the indoor as well as outdoor areas of your home. Many stores offer beautiful wreaths made from natural elements. You can select wreaths made from natural leaves, seedpods, pinecones, and sheaves of grain. These wreaths are ideal for the fall holiday and they can last the entire season when hung in covered areas away from the sun.

Garlands

Thanksgiving-inspired garlands that spell out holiday sentiments like “Give Thanks” and “Happy Thanksgiving” are great decorations. These Thanksgiving essentials can be easily made at home with craft supplies like cardstock and glitter. a country touch to your decor for fall with baskets made from natural materials like rattan. These baskets are available in a wide range of sizes, shapes and colors. They are ideal for making rustic basket-of-plenty centerpieces for the Thanksgiving table and other harvest holiday decorations. Nestle candles, pinecones or fall leaves inside them to make quick and easy centerpieces. The baskets are also helpful as storage accessories through the rest of the year.

The Table

You will also want to celebrate Thanksgiving with a nicely set table. Dress the table with themed Thanksgiving table linens and centerpieces made from natural elements of autumn.
Create a backdrop with a simple tablecloth and then add colorful Thanksgiving table linens. Try out different table settings to add flair to the fall decorations.

Centerpiece

The centerpiece is an essential part of fall decorations and the Thanksgiving feast. All that’s needed to make a festive centerpiece is a wicker cornucopia. Fill this basket with fresh harvest produce.

Thanksgiving is an important family holiday, so make sure you are prepared with the basics. Do you have enough serving dishes for hot food, dinner plates, folding chairs and bar stools? In fact, these can actually be rented so that you don’t have to buy furniture or supplies that are only needed one or twice a year.

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of the year when families gather. It’s an ideal time to decorate your home with the beautiful colors of fall. The right colors can set the entire Thanksgiving mood.

This post brought to you by Family Rentals. I received compensation for this post.

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

Createluv Bringing the Luv + a Coupon

September 17, 2015 by Angie 10 Comments

Today I want to tell you about createluv.com who I’ve had the pleasure of partnering with for the first time recently. What is Create Luv? Well, it’s an online shop that not only focuses on beautifully crafted gifts, but also on bringing artists and shoppers together and connecting them with charities. All of their items are hand crafted and high quality, and if I can say so myself just from looking at the website-GORGEOUS. Seriously, I want pretty much everything on the list, so when they offered to send me something to share with you I had the toughest time choosing-it finally came down to something that would go with my new house decor well-and something I didn’t have anything like yet.

I chose this stunning Blue + Green Global Luv Vase. It looks beautiful catching light in my new house.

If I could give an award to the company with the best packaging, I think it would have to go out to Createluv.com. Seriously, every little details is paid attention to in this packaging and there are so many pretty little additions and quotes. Opening the box itself and reading it all is part of this gorgeous experience you get from shopping with them.

Isn’t it gorgeous? Seriously…Look how pretty this vase looks in my window (but ignore my dirty window-I’m getting them replaced soon haha!):

One of the best things about this company (or community if you’d rather call it that, because it is a big old loving community) is the fact that each of their collections support a charity. So you’re not only buying something beautiful that you or a loved one will cherish forever, you’re also helping out great causes like Feed the Children, Save the Children, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada, UNICEF, and War Child. So something beautiful for your home or self can do something beautiful for someone else in need. I just love that. I’m happy to say I’ll continue shopping with Createluv in the future… Here are a few things from my createluv wishlist:

CreateLuv.com is offering readers of My So-Called Chaos 10% off their purchases with code LUVANGIE at checkout!

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

Confessions of a New Home Owner Pt. 4

August 28, 2015 by Angie 43 Comments

How are things with my house going? Well, it’s been a few weeks since I last updated you on my new home and confessed about it (see parts one, two, and three for more information about my house) so I figured it was time for an update!

I confess… I spent a good amount of time working on it trying to get it in some kind of show-able shape before my house warming party which ended up scheduled earlier than I planned so it would coincide with Josh being in town from Canada.

I confess… The week before the party found me agonizing over which curtains to choose. I couldn’t find any that fit quite right, and anything I liked was super expensive. I thought about forgoing the curtains for now, but I didn’t want to have ugly blankets hanging over my windows for the party and I needed some kind of covering for them.

I confess… I finally found some that will do. I went with white sheers underneath some dark teal thermal curtains, and I got them from Walmart (ugh I hate shopping there) so they only cost like $4-$7 a panel. When you have four whole windows to do that still adds up, but not as badly as buying sets other places. I spent about $20 per window instead of the $40+ per window at IKEA or worse other places…

I confess… When I got them out of the bag they were so creased! Having only a few days til the party, and still having to work early in the morning, I tossed them in the wash and then dryer to see if it would sort it out. It didn’t. I was up until Midnight ironing 16 panels of fabric so I could hang them before going to bed.

I confess… My mother and sister had already hung the main curtain rods, so I just added a second smaller curtain rod for the sheers and these cute little curtain tiebacks that I found on Amazon.

I confess… I have one window I couldn’t reach, even with a ladder. Thank goodness Josh is tall and was willing to help me hang the curtain rod and the curtains before the party. Here he is doing his yoga pose on the stairs (yes, that’s a ladder lying down below him-but he swears this one was more fun) as he hangs them. Thanks Joshy. Man I miss him. You can also see how the finished curtains look in this picture too.

I confess… I also managed to finally decide on a color for my kitchen accents. I went with Turquish by Sherwin Williams. It looks darker on the swatch so I almost went a shade lighter, but I’m so happy I decided that things always looked lighter in the house and decided to just get the dark one. It turns out I LOVE this color in there.

I confess… I picked up these towels before the paint color, but look how perfect? I since bought this tablecloth from Amazon as well, and it matches pretty well!

I confess… I have these shelves in my kitchen that can’t be moved because they hide a pipe. So I painted them the accent color, painted a strip of chalkboard paint down the side of it, and then used grey chevron contact paper to line the shelves. What do you think?

I confess… I also have this giant portable dishwasher that sits in front of the shelves. I really wanted to not have these cute shelves I put all that work into blocked, but unfortunately there’s just nowhere else to put it, bummer.

I confess… I finally got my bedroom put together too. I had to run to IKEA to get new parts that somehow got lost in the move, but I managed to get it all rebuilt and haul my mattress downstairs on my own. Not too shabby.

I confess… As expected, I’ve had a bit of a difficult time adjusting to sleeping in the basement. It has this weird smell to it… I have no idea where the smell comes from, other than the main drain to the house is just on the other side of it’s wall so maybe that’s it? Ugh. I’ve started lighting a candle or incense a few hours before bed to help.

I confess… The air has been crazy smokey here due to the wildfires. I snapped this photo before work, and while pretty, it’s hard to breathe.

I confess… Smoke aside, my housewarming party went really well. I liked everyone who showed up and had a great time loving on friends and dogs. Especially a BABY CORGI. Seriously. That killed me. I’m dead. It was the cutest thing in the world.

I confess… I was pretty hungover the next day, but still managed to make it up and all the way to Tremonton for Josh’s family BBQ. It was great because his friends from France came into town and I was finally able to meet them and practice my suffering French. The practicing was pretty no good… I also think I scared the husband trying to tell him about beers and hookers in French… It was a great time though.

I confess… I have to admit that after a weekend where my house was filled with people, and where I was at other people’s houses filled with people, my house seemed extra empty and alone. I managed to get myself mega anxious about it for two nights.

I confess… I also manage to creep myself out on the regular. You can’t hear anything in the basement. The house is super well built so even when someone walks around upstairs you can’t hear it (which is kind of nice actually) and the A/C unit I bought for the bedroom is as loud as a jet engine. So I lie in bed thinking about all the things that could be happening upstairs that I don’t hear… Like break ins. And I freak myself out. It’s an anxiety thing. I’m really going to get a dog.

I confess… I’m serious. I think I’ll go adopt a dog this weekend…

What are you up to this weekend?

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Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

12 DIY Bathroom Projects I’m Dying to Try

August 12, 2015 by Angie Leave a Comment

You may remember when I first started looking at houses I shared a list of the 15 DIY Kitchen Projects I was dying to try in my new home. Things have changed a bit since actually buying a house and having a different space to work with, so I may update that one eventually. However, today I’d like to share some Bathroom projects I want to try.

My house has two bathrooms currently, one upstairs that is mostly updated (though they did a terrible job when they did it) and a downstairs bathroom which I’m afraid might be a lost cause. It’s so awful I don’t even know how to fix it, but I’ll talk about that at another time. For now, here are some projects I’ve collected for you from Pinterest, enjoy!

12 DIY Bathroom Projects I'm Dying to Try

1. These Window Box Bathroom Storage Bins would be perfect for holding towels and other things in a bathroom with limited space. They’re small, and they’d fit against the wall or cupboards somewhere to help conserve floor space.

2. Neither of my bathrooms have toilet paper roll holders. I bought a free standing one, but I’m kind of liking this toilet paper roll holder with a shelf tutorial. It’s not only adorable, but it would be useful too!

3. I found this super basic 2 minute tutorial for a magnetic strip that holds things like bobby pins or tweezers. I’m forever losing all of those things, so this would be handy! It’s not cute, but I think it would be super easy to make it cute with some thin fabric or washi tape, don’t you think?

4. I totally adore these mason jar bathroom organizers. And how easy is strapping a few mason jars to a board and filling it with your bathroom things like sponges, makeup brushes, Q-tips, etc.?

5. If you have the floor space (I don’t, at least not upstairs) an old ladder is a super cute towel holder!

6. Bathroom mirrors can be super boring, but not when you frame your mirror! Adding some simple molding, an old picture frame, or some mosaic tile around your bathroom mirror will add a lot of charm to that part of your bathroom.

7. Two things you can never get enough of in a bathroom is mirrors and storage. How about building your own bathroom mirror storage case? It gives you a nice full length(ish) mirror to admire your outfits in, PLUS the added benefit of storage behind it. Brilliant!

8. You can totally snag this FREE pattern for this soft knit bath mat from Coco Knits. Cute!

9. This narrow rope shelf is totally doable, and adorable too! Plus, you can totally adjust the lengths and widths as needed for your space!

10. I didn’t even think about using the space above the door by installing an above door shelf. Usefull!

11. This DIY magazine storage takes up almost no space, and looks so easy to install! It’s cute too.

12. Uh, did you know you can turn a drawer into a bathroom shelf and that it’s easy? SO cute.

What projects do you want to do or have you done in your bathroom?

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com