Master Bedroom Makeover

*Warning: Long Post*

Some might call it nesting but I’m super motivated to give my master bedroom a makeover. We’ve lived in our house for a year and a half and I feel like it’s time to finally give our room some character. Okay so maybe it’s nesting because we’re also transforming a portion of our master room into a nursery but regardless our room needs a sprucing up!

Here’s my inspiration:

The photo on the left is a very similar layout as my room. What I like about this is how the accent wall isn’t on the bed wall. I don’t want an accent wall between the two windows. I’m not in love with the geometric design of the photo on the left. It reminds me of mountains which would be great for my boys room but not for my master. Overall though I love the look of that entire room! The paint color is Sherwin Williams, Iron Ore.

I like the look of the geometric design on the photo to the right. I also like the paint color. It reminds me of the Sherwin Williams Color of the Year 2023, “Redend Point,” which I wanted to try since I used the 2022 Color of the Year in our guest room.

Here’s my game plan. I’m going to use 1x2x8 primed MDF boards to create this look. I decided on primed MDF boards because painting will be easier and no sanding is required before installing on the wall. Before I go out and start buying boards I’m going to use 2in. painters tape to create the design. This way I can have a visual on what the wall will look like. Once I’m happy with the design I’ll head over to my local Sherwin Williams and pick up some paint options. I’m a little afraid the Color of the Year 2023 is going to be too “pink.” I do plan on having the crib and rocker up against this wall so maybe the color won’t be so bad? We’ll see.

Day 1: It took me all day to replicate and figure out whether or not I liked the geometric design. I kept scouring Pinterest to see if maybe I thought a different accent look would be better but after contemplating the different looks I feel like the geometric look will be an overall better design once my husbands office furniture replaces the baby furniture. As for paint, I decided to go with Sherwin Williams, Iron Ore in their Emerald line with a satin finish. This is the same color as the picture on the top left.

I ordered everything online for curbside pickup that evening from Sherwin Williams and Lowe’s so everything would be ready for pickup the next morning.

Day 2: Once I did my curbside pickups I was ready to set up the room for painting. After lots of research probably the top advice I’ve read was to paint the wall first. Again, I purchased Sherwin Williams, Iron Ore in the Emerald line in a satin finish. I did two coats.

Day 3: Once the paint was completely dry I started adding my border pieces of the 1x2x8 primed MDF boards from Lowe’s. These boards are currently $5.98 each.

Day 4: Started creating the geometric design. I had to take the painters tape down when I painted the wall so I’m creating my design based on my inspiration picture and person preference.

Day 5: Continued putting up the remaining boards and filled nail holes and seams with spackling. I also caulked all the seams to create a seamless finish with the wall. Once dried I began sanding all of the spackling to a smooth finish. After that I took my vacuum and vacuumed the wall to get rid of any dust and took a microfiber towel to wipe down the entire wall.

Day 6: Last step was to paint the boards and any imperfections on the wall. I did two coats on the boards just like on I did on the wall.

This took me almost a week to finish this one wall. Mom life doesn’t stop just because I started a DIY project. I didn’t want my tiny “helpers” helping so I worked on it whenever they were occupied or napping but this could’ve been completed anywhere between 1-3 days, especially if you have help. I’m proud to say I did this all on my own!

Here’s a quick look at the complete supply list and cost breakdown for what I had to purchase and tools I used (but already had) to complete this project:

Material List

Primed MDF Board 1x2x8ft.
priced per ft.

Sherwin Williams Paint
Color of the Year 2023
Satin finish

$5.98

$78.00

Painters Tape

8pc. Painting Kit

$23.00

$15.00

Caulk

Wood Filler

Plastic Drop Cloth

$14.00

$5.00

$3.00

Tools Used

I already have the tools but this is how much they’re currently selling for at The Home Depot

Ryobi Miter Saw

Ryobi Airstrike Nail Gun

Stud Finder

2″ Brad Nails

Level

Here’s the final look! I love how this turned out but I’m obviously biased. What do you all think? What would you have done differently? Feed back is always welcome as I’m still learning.

You can also check out my Instagram page to see reels and stories on how I completed this geometric accent wall.

Outdoor Nugget Comfort Couch | Review

Parenting, Product Reviews

Did you know Nugget Comfort makes an Outdoor Nugget?

The warmer weather is finally making it’s way back to Florida and what better way to enjoy the beautiful weather than an Outdoor Nugget Comfort couch! After wanting to get one for the kids for some time now my sweet parents gifted us one.

To be honest I think my kids are a little too big to use the Nugget as a climbing platform. They’re two and four years old so climbing the Nugget isn’t really a challenge but they love using it as a fort, to play the game ‘floor is lava’, and a place to relax. The possibilities are endless for their little imaginations. Using the Nugget as a super giant monster truck ramp is another popular game they’ll play for hours.

What is my personal favorite part about the Outdoor Nugget? The fact that I find it extremely comfortable to lay on while the kids are running around in the back yard. That’s right, an adult can comfortably sit and lay down on the Nugget as well. My husband and I opted out of real patio furniture (for now) so the Outdoor Nugget is a comfortable place for me to sit and relax while watching the kids run around like wild animals.

Now the Nugget is kind of pricey but I do feel like the quality is great and will be long lasting. It’s also made with performance fabric so cleaning up messes is super simple. Spot clean and air dry and you don’t even notice a mess. There’s also a inner liner to protect the inner foam from the outdoor elements. I do wish the Outdoor Nugget was machine washable like the indoor Nugget but the performance fabric really does hold up against spills and dirt.

Thus far my only complaint is that I don’t have two of them! Bigger forts, bigger monster truck ramps, and not having to share with the kids 🙂

Click on the button below to learn more about The Outdoor Nugget.

*not a sponsored post, just a fan*

OutDoor Nugget
COmfort

The Outdoor Nugget is water resistant so reusable water balloons are a great activity to pair with your Outdoor Nugget

This is their favorite build. They love climbing then sliding (or tumbling) down

Way Overdue Pregnancy Update

Pregnancy

I last wrote about trying to conceive baby #3 back in April, it’s now the end of January 2023 (oops) so it’s time for a pregnancy update…

As a recap, I started ovulation testing after I had my IUD removed. I also wanted to try the Shettles Method to try and conceive a girl which meant not doing the deed 2-3 days prior to ovulation. So here’s how it’s going…

April: Had IUD removed and mother nature visited twice. My body was regulating itself from the hormone changes.
May: Wanted to find out when I actually ovulate so avoided getting pregnant this month. Learned I ovulate on CD16 (cycle day 16).
June: Really tried this month. I ovulated a day later than last month, CD17. With the Shettles Method, 3 days prior was apparently too far out for those little girl swimmers so wasn’t able to conceive.
July: Ovulated on CD16 but didn’t work out this month either.
August: At this point I am extremely disappointed/sad that I haven’t been able to conceive yet. I feel that I’d rather have a healthy baby regardless of gender than trying to continue the Shettles Method and not be able to conceive at all.

Should out to all the people who experience infertility and difficulties getting pregnancy. I know it can take a long time and my impatience after only 3 months of trying cannot compare to what you all have/or experiencing.

August Continued: I got my first very very very faint line on CD8! The relief that went through me was something I didn’t expect. I was just so happy to see that second line I didn’t care whether the Shettles Method worked or not.

It is currently the end of January 2023 and I’ve failed at bringing you along my pregnancy journey. Here’s a breakdown of what’s happened:

1st Trimester: I.WAS.MISERABLE. I had the worst morning sickness. My doctor told me that my morning sickness is more on the mild side compared to what other women experience but coming from two pregnancy where I experienced zero morning sickness, I was miserable. Shoutout to all the women who had it worst then me, I’m not sure how you did it. I did the SneakPeak Gender Test at home and it came back boy at 8 weeks pregnant. SneakPeak was accurate with my second child so I wanted to try it again this pregnancy. Results, boy.

2nd Trimester: FEELING GREAT! Pregnancy is such a weird thing. One moment you’re miserable the next you’re feeling wonderful. I’m definitely experiencing more pregnancy symptoms compared to my other two pregnancies but it hasn’t been anything too crazy.
At 14 weeks we did a 3D ultrasound. We did this mostly to see if the SneakPeak test was accurate but we also did this with my two boys. It’s a fun appointment that I enjoyed with the boys so I wanted to do it again. And the results came back GIRL! Imagine my confusion!

Now for the 20 week anatomy scan. This is the real appointment that will confirm the gender so I was so nervous. The tech confirmed baby is a… GIRL! I was hopefully because this pregnancy has been completely different than my first two pregnancies but I didn’t want to assume. I mean, I am older and this is the third time I’m putting my body through this experience. But I am so happy my third (and final) baby is a girl! Maybe the Shettles Method does work…

And that’s the latest on my pregnancy journey. Now it’s time to continue to organize all the baby stuff!

Next post: Baby Products for Baby #3

Prepare for Pregnancy! | Take off on this 9 month journey with me

ALL THINGS BABY, Parenting

So my husband and I are going to try for baby number 3 in about a month so I thought why not share my experience with pregnancy and MY journey to creating a human. I want to make clear that this is my experience and not everyone or even every pregnancy is the same.

If you noticed I mentioned that we were going to start trying for a baby in about a month. Yes that means that I start preparing my body for pregnancy at least a month before we conceive.

Obviously I try to eat a well balanced diet all the time but honestly I love sweets, soda, and coffee so much that it’s honestly an adjustment for me when we think about getting pregnant. According to the American Pregnancy Association, caffeine intake should be less than 200mg per day. This equates to about one 12oz cup of coffee. In any given day I usually have 2-3 cups of coffee plus a soda (dr. pepper) so preparing my body of caffeine withdraws is something I need to experience prior to pregnancy since my body will already be going through a lot of changes during pregnancy. Now it’s not just my caffeine intake that changes, I also start regularly drinking Liquid I.V. I’m not a huge fan of powdered drinks but since I’ve eliminated soda, drinking this once or twice a day gives a little flavor in my life besides water, plus it keeps me extra hydrated so it’s a win-win.

Lastly and probably the most important is that I start taking a prenatal vitamin. I’m taking Olly Ultra Strength Prenatal Softgels and what I really like about these is that the pills are small. In the past I took gummies but I saw that these Olly pills are smaller than typical prenatal vitamin pills so I’m giving these a try. So far I’m liking them but we’ll see how I feel once a baby is brewing.

I’m a huge planner when it comes to my pregnancies. I understand that this may not be the way some or most people experience pregnancies but everyone’s journey is different. Every pregnancy is different. This is me and my pregnancy journey and I’m just here sharing it with you. Feel free to subscribe to my blog to get updates on my pregnancy journey, home makeover projects, diy craft projects, and parenting hacks.

So here’s to baby number 3! Send girl vibes my way because I’m outnumbered with all the boys in the house! 🙂

Follow along:

Board and Batten | Guest Room Makeover

ALL THINGS CRAFTY

In my previous post you saw my IKEA nightstand hack for my guest room. After I saw the nightstands in the room I was so proud but the room felt incomplete. I’ve been wanting to add board and batten to the room but I’m honestly scared I’ll completely screw it up.

Well I finally built up the courage and bought all the materials! I literally don’t have any tools besides a drill so I’ll be making a game time decision on which tools I’m purchasing. I want to make this project as cost efficient as possible but I also want to be efficient with my time. If you already have a miter saw and nail gun than you’re already one step ahead of me. Here’s what I ended up purchasing:

Lumber:
– 1″x3″x8′ common boards
– 1″x6″x8′ common boards
– 1″x2″x8′ common boards

Tools:
– Brad Nailer: I purchased the Ryobi Airstrike
– Miter Saw: I purchased the 10in Ryobi Miter Saw
– Level
– Caulking/gun (paintable)
– Paint samples/paint

Additional Items: things you’ll need but I already had
– Spackling
– Sander/sand paper
– Paint supplies: pan, roller, brush

Determine the amount of lumber:
I’m following this pin by A Diamond in the Stuff as a guide but I decided not to do the bottom trim piece. Instead I’ll be cutting mine at 45 degree angle like how Lovely etc. did hers. I don’t want the extra work of ripping out my baseboards.

I started out by measuring my space. I’m doing the entire room which equaled approximately 475.25in. I purchased 8ft. boards. I was able to get two 48″ battens (vertical strips) out of each 8ft. board. 48″ plus 6″ top board equals 54″ so I decided last minute to add a 1×2 ledge to make the total height 55″ tall.

Do some simple math to add up how much lumber you’ll need. I had The Home Depot cut my 1x3s for me since those would be 4ft tall which is exactly half of the 1x3x8s. This saved me the extra work (so I thought) and the employee didn’t charge me for it.

Here we go:
Step 1: I started out by doing a 45 degree bevel cut on the bottom of all my batten pieces. Then I did a quick sanding of the ends, sides, and surface area that would be painted. The boards were already smooth but I wanted the ends smooth as well.

Step 2: Next I added my battens to the wall. I cut a 16″ piece of 1×2 and used this as a spacer to make my battens 16″ apart. My studs are 16″ apart but if yours aren’t then I suggest using some construction adhesive on the back of your boards before placing them on the wall. Using my new fancy Ryobi Airstrike brad nailer, I nailed the pieces into the studs.

Step 3: Next I adding the horizontal top boards (1x6s) to the wall using a level to ensure it’s straight. I secured these to the wall with a brad nailer.

*note: apparently my walls aren’t even because some areas were left with an awkward gap. So getting my pieces cut at The Home Depot probably wasn’t the best idea but I had a simple solution! I purchased five additional 1x3x8 common boards and added a transition piece to hide the awkward gaps. This just adds a little more character. A minor mistake but I think it’ll still turn out great!

Step 4: Sand any rough areas, fill nail holes with spackling, and caulk edges. Once dry, sand the spackling areas to create a smooth even finish.

Step 5: Now you’re ready to paint. I used Sherwin Williams 2022 Color of the Year, Evergreen Fog. I’ll be honest I’m horrible with color so I’m glad the Sherwin Williams website tells you what the coordinating colors are. I knew I wanted a shade of green so why not use the 2022 Color of the Year!

Photos take from Sherwin Williams Website

And here’s the final look! I’m so proud of myself for doing this 100% on my own! I feel very accomplished and I can’t wait to continue doing more home projects and bettering my skills!

Check out my Instagram highlight, “Home Renovations” for quick video snippets on how I accomplished this look!

xoxo
Mariesah

IKEA Hack | Tarva Nightstand

ALL THINGS CRAFTY

I am having my first non-family guest visiting so I’m trying to create a guest room in the third bedroom which is primarily used as my husbands office. For starters the third room was my older sons but he now shares with his little brother because he’s 3 and he doesn’t need his own room.

So now that I’m on a quick timeframe and budget IKEA and Pinterest hacks are my biggest friend. Thank goodness for other creatives out there! I came across a pin on Pinterest by Playing with Apparel where she did an IKEA hack with the 6 drawer chest/dresser. I fell absolutely in love with it and wanted to give it a try for my guest room nightstands.

I followed the pin exactly as the blogger did her dresser so for exact steps on how to accomplish this look click here.

Here’s what I purchased:
– 2x IKEA Tarva nightstands
– 1 qt. Varathane in Early American from Home Depot
– IKEA Gribbol Knobs in black

Here’s the end result and I am so proud that this wasn’t a total Pinterest fail!

Note:
– I originally wanted to save a little extra by using the IKEA Rast 3-drawer chest but my local IKEA was out of stock so I spent the little extra money to get the Tarva nightstands since those were in-stock.
– Highly suggest sanding/staining before assembly as the blogger did. I assembled one nightstand first and then stained and it was harder to stain and get every spot perfectly. It’s manageable but it was definitely easier to sand/stain first than assemble.

Be sure to follow to stay up-to-date on my latest projects!

xoxo
Mariesah

Dresser Makeover

ALL THINGS CRAFTY

My kids dresser needed a major makeover. I could not stand looking at their blue dresser anymore since I got them new beds for their new shared room (their bed frames are black). So I decided to attempt the whole black paint thing.

Honestly the kids dresser has gone through a lot of life. It was actually my husbands dresser when he was a baby so it’s over 30 years old. Yes I know I should just get a new one but there’s structurally nothing wrong with the dresser. It was just plain. It’s a solid oak wood dresser that I chalked painted blue which originally matched my older sons nursery but now no longer matches the boys shared room.

I am no stylist so don’t judge the horrible decorating. I used ready to use black paint from Walmart. Added 2 coats and added brass/gold handles from ikea.

It’s not perfect by any means but I’m pretty satisfied with how it came out.

*Also the wet mark on the top left drawer is wet paint. My 2 year old decided to chuck a monster truck at the dresser right before I took the picture so I did a quick touch up of paint. I was too lazy to wait for it to dry before taking a picture 🙂

Etsy Shop Now Open

ALL THINGS CRAFTY

I know I share DIY projects but I wanted to share that I’ve listed a few items on my Etsy Shop, Minature Moments

The items that I have listed in my shop are items that I’ve made while making posts for this blog or TikTok. I love crafting and it’s honestly just an “mom escape” for me. I love using my Addi-Express and my Silhouette Cameo that it got to the point I had no one else to gift my items to so I decided to list the items on an Etsy Shop.

You can click here to visit my shop. Here’s a peek at one of the beanies listed in my shop.

Thanks all for following along. I’ll try my best to post more DIY tutorials in the near future!

DIY Headband | “X” Closure

ALL THINGS CRAFTY

Today I’m going to share how I made this x closure headband using my Addi-Express Kingsize.

Materials:

Addi-Express Kingsize (46 needle)
Baby Bee Sweet Delight yarn from Hobby Lobby
Yarn Needle
Scissors
Crochet Hook 5mm

Step-By-Step Instructions
This tutorial does not teach the basics of using the Addi-Expess Kingsize

Step 1:
Cast On with Waste Yarn leaving a 6″-8″ tail.
Crank out 5-10 rows.

Step 2: Color Change
Now take your project yarn and place a 24-36″ tail in the center of your Addi.
Place yarn inside the gold yarn feeder and crank out the amount of rows according to size.

Here are my row counts:
*rows are dependent on the type of yarn you use*

Newborn: 60-65 rows
Toddler: 12-18 months 75 rows
Adult: 90 rows

Step 3: Color Change back to Waste Yarn
Cut a 24-36in. tail of your project yarn and color change to waste yarn.
Place waste yarn inside gold yarn feeder and crank out 5-10 rows.

Step 4: Cast Off
Cut yarn and throw tail in the center of your Addi.
Crank out 2 rows without yarn. Your tube will fall off the needles.

Step 5: Closing Yarn Tube
Sew each end closed using your 5mm crochet hook.
Single crochet a total of 23 times to close your tube. 23 times ensures you did not miss stitches.