The Anatomy of a Wall Collage

I love a good collage. Mixing prints, textures and colors is a general theme around our home. And  whether small or large, a good wall collage adds personality and depth to any room. Here are some of my tips for achieving your perfect mix. 

1. Make it personal

Use items from your life - your wedding, your adventures, meaningful quotes -- something from your favorite novel, a line or two of poetry or even an entire poem, or song lyrics -- perhaps the song you danced to at your wedding, or the one your mother used to sing to you as a child.

2. Find a common theme

Make one element of the collage cohesive  -- perhaps a color story {I went with neutral colors in my living room collage}, using the same frame for each piece, a wall of only poetry or song lyrics, pictures from your honeymoon or a favorite trip. Find something that ties a common thread between all pieces.

3. Plan it out

I like to lay the collage on the floor to get the perfect arrangement, then cut out shapes from paper that match each piece. Lightly tape each piece of paper to the wall and tweak the placement as needed. It may seem like extra work, but I guarantee you it is far easier than rearranging things after you've already made holes in the wall. I especially suggest this if you are trying to hang multiple things in one straight line.

4. Don't be afraid to switch it up

Changing out pieces in the collage helps keep things fresh, especially during the holiday season. I like to add silver Christmas balls to the antlers in our living room or string garland across the frames to make them more festive. Also, if you find another piece of art that you love, find a way to incorporate it into your collage.

xoxo

copyright Hiking in Stilettos

Cleaning with Lavender

Oh, lavender. It's probably my all time favorite scent. If an item comes lavender-scented, I would purchase it. Dish soap, laundry detergent, candles, you name it. However, for about the last year or so I have been on a mission to get rid of all the harsh synthetic chemicals in our daily lives and replace them with natural counterparts. Goodbye bleach, hello lemon! One of my favorite ways to control our exposure to chemicals is to make things myself. Also, I save a lot of money! Baking soda and white vinegar are much less expensive than some of my old go-to cleaners. Add in some lavender or lemon essential oil, and voila! Homemade cleaners. Here are some of my favorite uses for lavender for cleaning your home:

HOME:

-- All purpose cleaner --

3/4 cup baking soda

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice OR 3-4 drops lemon essential oil

3 T natural liquid soap  -- I use Dr. Bronner's Baby

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

10 drops lavender essential oil

Mix together in a ceramic bowl to make a paste and scrub surfaces, rinsing with a damp cloth or water. Use to clean counter tops, stove tops, bathroom counters and floors, tubs & sinks and kitchens! Store in a large glass spray bottle.

OR

Simply add a few drops of lavender essential oil to a damp cloth and wipe across any surface.

-- Glass & mirror cleaner --

1 cup white vinegar

1 cup distilled water

 10 drops lavender essential oil

Combine in a glass spray bottle  and use as you would any glass cleaner! You can also use the all purpose cleaner for windows and mirrors

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

FLOORS:

-- Floor cleaner --

1/4 cup white vinegar

a bucket of water

a few drops of liquid soap (optional)

10 drops of lavender essential oil

Mix together in your mop bucket and clean away! If your floors are really grimy, add a couple drops of liquid soap. Safe for hardwood or linoleum. Other great oils for cleaning floors include lemon, spruce (think Pine-Sol), purification and melaleuca (tea tree). 

-- Carpet freshener --

1 cup baking soda 

18 drops of lavender essential oil

Mix well and place in a covered container (I like mason jars) and let sit overnight to make sure the baking soda absorbs all the wonderful lavender oil. Sprinkle on carpets just before vacuuming. This is also great with lemon or peace & calming!

OR

Simply add a few drops to a cotton ball or tissue and place in the bag of your vacuum cleaner. I alternate doing lemon and lavender!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

LAUNDRY:

-- Simple linen spray --

Fill a  4oz glass spray bottle about halfway with distilled water and add about 10 drops of lavender essential oil. I spray this on our sheets, blankets, upholstered chairs, couch, Elliot's bedding, our pillows, the dog bed (purification is a good oil for this!), camping linens, etc. Use pretty much everywhere!

-- Add to basic laundry detergent --

Add 3-4 drops of lavender essential oil directly to the detergent in the detergent compartment of your washer. I like to use free & clear detergent, and I have an HE washer, so it's safe! 

-- Homemade fabric softener --

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

10 drops lavender essential oil

Use the same way you would store-bought fabric softener to soften your laundry and make it smell wonderful at the same time! Store in a small glass jar.

-- Wool dryer balls --

I switched over to using wool dryer balls  when I was pregnant with E and researching homemade cloth diaper detergent. Absolutely love them! Natural, inexpensive and the lavender makes our clothes smell divine. Place 3-4 drops of lavender onto each wool dryer ball and place into the dryer with your clothes.

To learn more about essential oils or to purchase your own, click here.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Any suggestions made on this blog are very specific to Young Living essential oils and should not be used with oils from another source. Statements made on this website about Young Living Essential Oils have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products and information are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Anyone suffering from disease or injury should consult with a physician. Keep out of reach from children. If you are currently on medication, please DO NOT STOP.

Thoughtful Gift Giving

I love giving gifts.

I love seeking out that one thing or things that someone in my life really wants or needs or loves and being the person to give it to them. I think part of this is because I love to receive thoughtful, well-planned gifts. When it comes to giving gifts, I think the more personal the gift, the better. Case and point: two of my absolute favorite things that I wear daily are my tortoise and gold watch that K gave me for our anniversary and the aquamarine band that he gave me for my very first Mother's Day (it's Elliot's birthstone). Knowing that he thought about what I would really like and what I would use on a daily basis and that it was meaningful, that's the best. 

I take notes (mental and literal!) all year long about things that I think the people in my life might enjoy. I have a running list in my phone of items or ideas that my mother, sister, husband and friends mention throughout the year -- everything from tickets to see a show or concert to the compliment they gave me on something I'm wearing or something in my house. Then, when the time comes, I know exactly what to get them and know they will love it. Also, whenever I am out and about, if I see something that screams someone's name, I get it regardless of whether or not a gift-giving opportunity is in the near future.

Here's a good example. My girl Kindredly just moved into her dream home (which is gorgeous, btw), so when our little family went over for Brooks' birthday I took her the following house warming gift:

I saw this print at TJ Maxx and knew that she needed it somewhere in her house. It's just so AG. As for the fiddle leaf fig, she mentioned a while ago on Instagram that she really liked the plant in my bedroom. Which, as you have probably already guessed, is a fiddle leaf fig, Viola! A gift she loved and one that I loved giving her! Not to mention that the fig tree looks amaze next to the super chic white washed brick wall in her living room. Win. win win.

{I also threw in a few samples of essential oils because I'm just so in love!}

Happy Gifting.

xoxo

copyright Hiking in Stilettos 

A Weekend in Pictures

I feel like every weekend I try to soak up as much time with husband and E as I possibly can. The weeks are usually pretty hectic with work schedules, making dinner and bedtimes, so carefree time together is so precious to me. We spent the weekend at home, simultaneously saying goodbye to summer and hello to fall. We dined al fresco on our patio, sipped on white sangria, swayed in the hammock swings and talked about history, science and upcoming adventures. We stayed in our pajamas a little longer, left the beds unmade and made paleo waffles (as has become our weekend custom), and played in the dirt. We went for a long walk on the wooded trails and dreamed of all kinds of things.

I wish weekends could last forever. 

xoxo

Fall Colors + Front Porches

I mentioned last week that I wanted to spend some time cleaning and updating our outdoor spaces to bring a bit of fall, and this weekend I was able to do just that! My dear mama came over on Friday to lend me a hand (I'd be lost without that woman. #thankGodformoms, can I get an amen?) and we set to work arranging mums, scavenging for branches and doing some good old fashion piddling. (That's Southern for rearranging/decorating if you're stumped.) I am beyond pleased with the simple, rustic result and the red, orange and purple hues of the coming season. Elliot and I spent the majority of Saturday on the porch swing enjoying the breeze.

A quick tip about the mums that my wise mama passed down to me: leave them in their plastic containers instead of actually planting them in pots! You can surround them with dirt (see the pot to the right of the front door) or just place in a larger container. They will be fine for the month or so that they are out on the porch, then I will plant them in a flower bed beneath Elliot's window. The ones from the past two years have come back and are flourishing!

Happy porch weather!

xoxo

copyright Hiking in Stilettos

Welcome Fall

Like so many others of you, fall is my absolute favorite season. Changing leaves, camping trips, the smell of campfires, mine and husband's birthdays, apples, pears & pumpkins, the promise of the holiday season and sweet memories made with family. In just a couple weeks October will be here - my favorite month - with so much to look forward to!

{Isn't this gorgeous? I can has this please? via}

We really want to make the most of this season and start traditions to share with little E. With the mornings and evening bringing cooler weather, I am absolutely itching to get outside, play in the dirt and climb some mountains! Here is our bucket list of sorts for this fall season:

1 - Annual camping trip to Standing Indian Mountain, complete with a sunrise hike, campfire s'mores, a visit from my family, and birthday carrot cake (GF!).

2 - Make homemade apple cider and drink it on the porch in the afternoon. The setting sun makes the trees taller than normal and backlights the leaves with a lovely golden glow.

3 - Take as many Sunday afternoon walks as possible, ideally on the nearby hiking trails.

4 - Finally make it to the north Georgia apple orchard and do some apple picking. Also, stop by a roadside stand and pick up some pumpkins and squash for Thanksgiving decorations.

5 - Revamp our porch and back patio: add some colorful mums, finish the wooden bench we started making, spray paint the porch swing, add some twinkle lights.

6 - Crunch leaves with little Elliot :)

Some other fall favorites & paleoish treats:

-- Geometric painted pumpkins
-- Would LOVE for our patio to look similar to this.
-- Love this mix of plants for our front porch.
 -- A paleo ginger chai latte (I'd add almond milk & forgo the ice)
-- A Salted Nutella Latte (use almond milk & Justin's chocolate hazelnut butter or make your own)
-- Delicious Roasted garlic & parsnip soup
-- Seriously loving scarves (always) and mixed neutrals for fall.
-- Also this hoodie, please (ahem, my birthday is just around the corner...)


xoxo
copyright Hiking in Stilettos

Sensing Happiness

{via}

This three day weekend has perfect timing. We were at a stand-still all week with our patio project due to the monsoon type rain we've been having, so time to work away! We also have plans to peruse a local art festival and have dinner with family, catch up on some Game of Thrones, and spend quality time as a little family. Hope you have a lovely Memorial Day weekend!

Seeing: Inspiration for our work-in-progress outdoor space {and the shower it will hopefully soon host!}.

Hearing: My friend Jason blesses so many people with his sermons. the Lord is using this man in a wonderful way.

Tasting: These chicken + apple sausages. i make them at least once weekly {or twice if we are being honest.}

Smelling: The sweet combination of cardamon and rose for summer.

Touching: These insanely comfortable sandals - perfect for work and for play. I love them so much I may order a second pair in black.

xoxo

copyright Hiking in Stilettos

This Young House: Building a Hairpin Leg Bench

Our master bedroom is one of the only rooms in our home that is close to being finished. Aside from large projects like exchanging our horrid green carpet for hardwood floors, painting the trim and upgrading our nightstands to something more our style, the room is just what we wanted -- a {headboard-less} low bed, industrial lighting, unique and meaningful artwork. One of the few remaining projects we had was to build a bench for the foot of our bed. We were originally looking for something at our local antique and thrift stores, but nothing was exactly what we wanted, so we decided to build the simplest version of our vision.

You will need:

1 - 12 inch x 5ft x 1&1/2in board*

a small can of stain or polyurethane**

4 - 17inch hairpin legs***

12 - 1&1/4 inch screws

Sand, stain and seal the wood to your desired color and let dry overnight. Assembling the legs is quite simple. Lightly attach two legs on opposite corners, then turn the bench over and place the remaining legs underneath to see if and where they are uneven. {This step requires a second pair of hands!} Use the supplied spacer on the leg that is uneven. Attach the remaining legs and secure tightly. Viola!

xoxo

Other considerations...

*Our bed is about 5feet wide so we chose to make the bench the same length. If you want something longer, use a longer length board

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

**If making an outdoor bench, including one you may place on a deck or front porch, be sure to use indoor/outdoor or outdoor stain to protect against rain.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - 
***Obviously, the height of the legs will depend on how tall you need the bench to be. We wanted ours just slightly lower than our bed, so 17inch legs worked perfectly. 

copyright Hiking in Stilettos 

Life

October and November were somewhat tumultuous over here. Between growing career pressures and husband being out of town, it was honestly a little overwhelming. For two months we only saw each other on weekends, during which we tried to pack in home improvement projects, trail runs with Sambo, downtime on the porch, meals with our families, and all the little things that need to be done around a household. Let's just say that I'm glad December is here. 

Here's a peak at what the last couple months looked like around our house.... 

 

We hired professionals to paint our vaulted-ceiling living and dining room, rearranged furniture and created a meaningful collage on the wall, hung garland for hosting Thanksgiving, and snuck in a little fun at the a Georgia v. Georgia Tech game. I had to work the day after Thanksgiving, and since we weren't busy, we put up a Christmas tree and decorated the store. That same day Sambo sneakily ate the stuffing out of his bed, and curled up by the fire with a full belly. Guess what he's getting for Christmas?

xoxo

copyright Hiking in Stilettos