21 Camping tips, tricks and hacks

These pictures make it seem like we are a camping family. We are not. We call this faux camping. 

On two different occasions we have worked with local photographer Stephen Matera on two separate campaigns for Kelty camping gear. The funny thing is, we don't camp. We only "camp" with the safety of a photographer nearby and we NEVER spend the night. What are you crazy?! 

We have heard though that there are families that enjoy camping. I know that summer is a popular time to pitch that tent and spend the weekend in nature, so if that's your thing, I have gathered 21 camping tips, tricks and hacks just for you. 

Master Bedroom Makeover in a Historic Mansion

In case you missed it, we've been following along with a young couple as they rehab a historic mansion in small town Indiana. The home was built in 1871 by Bright B. Harris, a scout for the civil war. I introduced you to Dea and gave you a little bit more information in this post. 

You can see the beautiful rehab of the foyer in all it's glory {even decorated for Christmas} here. 

A few weeks ago, we were able to take a step inside and see the update of their living room. While they were removing the wallpaper, they found a little surprise that changed the whole design of the room. Come see what they found and how they incorporated it.  It's genius actually.

Today, I want to take you inside this couple's master bedroom. With Victorian doll wallpaper and floral carpet, I am curious to see how Dea could look past the dated decor and see potential, but she did and the final result is amazing!

6 Ways to Get the Most Out Of Your Resort Vacation

About ten years ago, my husband and I went on our very first all inclusive resort vacation. We were instantly hooked. It was so nice to have everything we needed all in one place so that we could truly relax while we were on vacation. We checked into the resort and never left because the resort had everything that we needed. We could eat and drink all that we wanted and we never had to worry about taking our credit cards out or exchanging money in a foreign country. It's the perfect vacation for us and I wanted to share six ways that you can get the most out of your resort vacation.

DIY Cotton Stems from Pistachio Shells

I love bringing natural elements into my home. It's even better when I can give them a handmade touch. The farmhouse style has taken us all by storm and when I was visiting Magnolia Market a few months ago, I saw these gorgeous cotton stems that I regretted not buying. Then, while eating some of my lemon pucker pistachios I saw all those shells that I was just going to toss and thought that they just might make some pretty great DIY cotton stems. And might I say, they did! I simply love how these turned out and they are a fraction of the price if you were to buy a cotton stem from the Market. I'm excited to show you how to make them.

20 Patriotic Crafts for Kids

The Fourth of July is just around the corner. Now is the perfect time to start crafting those patriotic crafts with the kids. I've gathered 20 fun crafts that you can make in the next few weeks to help you celebrate the Fourth of July.

Create a Pillow That you can Color

When I was younger if you asked me what I wanted to be when I got older, I would have told you that I wanted to work as a professional colorer. I don't know if it's a thing, but I'm fairly certain I got the idea when I was at Disneyland one time peeking in on the illustrators as they worked. That ship sailed, but the adult coloring phase hit and I rekindled my love of coloring. 

I shared a round up of free coloring pages last year and have continued to enjoy coloring and thought that I would take it one step further and create a fun image to color on fabric. I have a step by step tutorial for you to follow so that you can create a pillow {or t-shirt, tote bag or whatever}to color for yourself or it would make a great gift idea for you to give.

The Essential Guide to Going Out of State for College

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of CORT for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

My husband did it, and now my son is following in his footsteps. After high school graduation, he's packing up and moving thousands of miles away from home to attend college. There are a few reasons he’s decided that an out of state college is right for him and I have to agree that they outweigh the reasons to stay, but don't think for a second that I didn't try to talk him out of it! One of my biggest attempts to convincing my son to stay in state for school (or at least in driving distance) was how logistically easier it would be to live part time in two places. As a college student, you are a resident of the university for the majority of the year, but most kids wander back home to the comfort of their old bedroom and the posters they tacked up on their walls back in junior high for a few months as well.

In my head, it's far easier to pack up the minivan and take a few hours drive than it is to figure out how to pack your earthly treasures in a few suitcases. In my heart, I know that the school he's selected is by far the best option for him and even though we will be thousands of miles apart, those logistical details are easy enough to work through.

With my husband's past experience, and with us currently ironing out the details of what it looks like to move out of state for college, I've created an essential guide to moving out of state for college with six tips for you to help ease the stress of that transition.

Bible Journaling Four Different Ways the Essentials in Action

I just recently started dipping my toes into Bible journaling and I really love it. I got a journaling Bible from Dayspring in April and have been starting to fill the pages. Let me start by explaining what Bible journaling is just in case you aren't quite sure. Bible journaling is basically doodling or writing about what you are learning while you are in the Word. It could be as simple as hand letting a small passage or drawing out a depiction of a verse.  Whatever it is, it's a great way for creatives to express themselves while digging into the Bible.

I'm sharing four different methods using the essentials I shared with you last month for how I have been creating images in my Bible. Really, it's more of a show and tell, regardless, it's fun to show you what I have been working on.

Easy to Make Customized Wedding Date Pillows-a personalized gift idea

We've started off wedding season with a bang here at our house. It's been a real honor to get to spend the day witnessing and celebrating the union of couples that are made stronger because they are together. It's also been fun creating and crafting some fun wedding date pillows. It's a fun and easy gift to make for the happy couple and it will take you under an hour.

How to Use Vinyl Like a Pro- A Step by Step Guide

I'm a crafty gal, but sometimes I need to give myself a little refresher course on the basics. This happened to me just recently when I was trying to use vinyl {regular vinyl, not my go to heat transfer vinyl} on a project. Things weren't working the way I thought they should and it's because I was doing it all wrong! I spent some time reading the manual and going on the suppliers page and I finally figured out what mistakes I was making. 

I actually personally reference my blog quite a bit. So even if they rest of you don't read this post, I know that I will go back to it next time I need to use vinyl. So here you go, how to use vinyl like a pro, a step by step guide just for you {or maybe, just for me}.

How to Refresh Flowers From the Market and Make a Bouquet Last for Weeks

I don't know if it's just me and our area, but I can usually find a farmer's market with a nice big bouquet of locally grown flowers for around $15. Sometimes, I can find them for far less from one of my local farm stands. I like to treat myself every once and awhile with some fresh blooms but after about a week, I find that the flowers are starting to wither and die. That doesn't mean all of the bouquet has died and I hate to waste live greenery, so I wanted to show you how I refresh that bouquet to make it last for at least a few weeks.

15 Easy Crafts to Make for Father's Day

Father's Day is right around the corner. When my kids were little, my husband always complained that he never got any sweet handmade gifts from the kids. School was usually out by the time Father's Day rolled around, and while the moms were usually gifted some handmade sentiment, the dad's got left out in the dark. Don't leave that special dad or grandpa out in the dark! Spend some time making these 15 easy crafts for Father's Day.

Anything's Popsicle Foiled Sign for Summer

Ever since I got a sample of Thermo Web Deco Foil at Snap conference, I have been foiling all of the things. I love it and simply cannot get enough! You can use the foil to create just about anything. Today, I created this little sign of summer that says "anything's popsicle" and I want to show you how you can make one too!

Lemon Pucker Pistachios

I like snacks. A lot. Please tell me I'm not the only one! A few years ago, I indulged my snack habit and started a subscription with Nature Box. I became obsessed with these Lemon Pucker Pistachios that you could order. I could order 5 bags of snacks and I would often order multiple bags of the pistachios. It's always inevitable that when I love something, they stop making it. I pouted about it, sent tweets to the company, checked back incessantly in hopes that the pistachios would return with no luck.  I have finally come to grips with the fact that the Lemon Pucker Pistachios just might not make it back to the snack rotation at Nature Box, so what's a girl to do but set out to make her own.

I think I got pretty darn close and making them couldn't be easier. If you love pistachios, you will love these lemon flavored ones.

Backyard S'mores Bar with Free Printable Gourmet S'mores Menu

This post is sponsored by HomeRight. All opinions are 100% my own.

I'm kind of a big fan of S'mores. I like dessert of any kind, but if you can make it with toasted marshmallows and melted chocolate, you have got yourself a winner! With the school year winding down, I am soaking in as much family time as I can before my oldest son heads off to college. Sometimes I have to bribe them with things like dessert, but I am shameless and happy to stoop to that level if it means that we can get the whole family in one place for a few hours.

I created this customized S'mores menu with some family tested recipes that are sure to be hits at your next backyard S'mores bar. We all love the classic S'more, but why not try a S'more with a twist?