I Like Big Drums And I Cannot Lie

Big, shiny, massive, sparkling, washer and dryer drums that is! 

Ahhh…big drums.

It all started when my husband found a killer deal on these LG babies at amazon.com

Click click SOLD! They were going to be here in 7 days! So that meant operation Laundry Room was in full makeover mode! We had never touched our laundry room since we bought this house 5 1/2 years ago so it was about time we showed it some love. 

That's embarrassing. No wonder I hated doing laundry!

So we got to work!

 First up- Cabinetry and a pedestal. 

Once again the cars get kicked out of their room to clear a workspace. I worked on giving our cedar cabinets a makeover using the AMAZEBALLS Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. I used pure white with a little bit of light gray mixed in. Then I used ebony stain to dirty it up.  It was my first time using Annie Sloan and it will not be my last! I fell in love like you fall asleep…slowly and then all at once :)

*SIDE NOTE*

-Did you see The Fault in Our Stars? Holy fantastic! I left the theater with bloodshot eyes, snotty nose, and a headache! It was THAT good!-

While I worked the brush, my husband started the pedestal. He 100% designed and built it himself! That man is crazy good at everything he does!

Next we painted the laundry room our favorite shade of gray Behr and did the board and batten. 

It was a long week but the washer and dryer arrived to one excited momma with a room all fancied just for them. 

ARE YOU READY??!!! 

TADA!!

I am in love! There are so many times that I just stood in there..staring, marveling. Isn't that how it goes when you makeover a room? You just want to camp out in it for a week? I have noticed that my decor styling is leaning to a more clean and simple look. Think as in.. you will probably never see a colored accent wall in my house, but a textured one. 

Here is the amazing pedestal that the hubby built. I used the same method I did on the cabinets to paint and distress it. I used to keep my laundry baskets on top of my washer and dryer and it drove me nuts! Now they have a perfectly spaced little home right underneath. 

This little gem of a rug I found is from Kohls. I feel in loved with it because it allowed me to play around with more pops of color. But the thing that sold me? If you look in the picture below you will see a strip of black and white Aztec fabric with pops of neon. It was like they designed this one from the desires of my heart. 

 Ever since I saw Shelley's tutorial for an ironing board hanger over at House of Smiths (I'm talking forever ago) I knew I wanted one of my own someday. So I got a little crazy with my painting and it now looks a little like a party on a board…but who doesn't love a party? I mean, right? Right?! 

Then we installed a bar so I had a place to hang dry clothes. 

My washer and dryer are HUGE! I had to put something on the corner of the top of my washer because it was just too much negative space. I found the glass jug and frame at TJ Maxx and the mini stool at Hobby Lobby. This is one of my all time favorite picture in the history of ever that Jamie took for me. My grandmother holding Ariana in her blessing dress.

 I want to place them in a cute little tray, but I haven't found the perfect one yet. 

We don't have any sort of mud room in our home and with school starting soon, I wanted a better place for coats and backpacks other than doorknobs. Up went the board and batten and some fab hooks from Hobby Lobby. The Birds on the Line art is from Hobby Lobby as well!

What do you think? If success is measured by how much laundry is getting done.. then I would call this  a HUUUUUUGE success. Also, I've only had to pull Hudson out of the dryer once. So theres that.

Have a good weekend my loves!

XoXo,

Sheena

I Invented Post-Its/ Getting Reunion Ready

This past week was mine and my husband's 10 reunion. We both graduated in 2004 from the same High School. I knew the reunion was this year and last year I started having the thoughts:

-I'm going to start working out right now so I can be in awesome shape 

-Good thing we are done having kids so I won't be pregnant

-I better hurry and accomplish something great

Judge all you want for my vain-y-like thoughts, but I'm pretty sure at least a good 80% of people that go to their reunion have similar thoughts, if not the same. It is what it is. You want to have aged like a fine wine..not like your diet coke that sadly goes flat waaaaaay to suddenly. Why is it that we feel the need to impress people that we haven't seen, nor talked to in 10 years? Who knows… I think movies brainwashed us in that way. 

Anyway, the reunion snuck up on me too quickly and I guess when the last time I went to the gym was?

……………

December. Freaking Christmas time. So what do I do? I run a half marathon that I didn't train for. In hopes that 3 hours of jogging/running would lift my butt back to where it used to be and that the constant forward/backward movement of my swinging arms would give them definition that didn't require the push of a finger. 

With the working out part out the window it was time to make due with what I could control. SPANX it is. 
So without further a due, here are my reunion ready tips.

1. Get Your Hurrr Did

Cover those grays girl! Seriously. I started going gray at about 20. Stupidest thing ever. Something I thought about after the fact, was call for back up. Remember in High School when you would get together with all your friends and get ready for dances? If life allows, have a hair sesh before the reunion. If life is too busy for day of, invite a few of your old group to go get pedicures. 

2. Treat Yourself to Nails and a Pedicure

For those awkward moments when you are talking to someone from high school and a conversation and you have nothing to say. They can just comment on how cute your nails are…

I promise you will at least have one awkward conversation. 

3. Find the Outfit

This kind of depends on the venue. Ours was being held at a park so it was a no go on trying to fit into my old prom dress. 

Sad emoji face.

I really didn't want to wear Bermuda shorts. I have my reasons..

In High School I definitely marched to the beat of my own drum when it came to fashion. I took risks. Some were great, some were just as bad as your dad still wearing his retina damaging neon shorts from the 80's. I wanted to pay homage to my younger self and wear something that reflected good old me. I have definitely grown since High School, but there are parts of me that existed then that I embrace now. I say go with comfort and something with a little edge. I think ant a reunion is a great reason for new clothes. they don't come along very often so go ahead and treat yourself. Whatever you chose, make sure it is YOUR style. Don't forget to accessorize. If all else fails, maxi skirt it. Dress 'em up or down. Like I read on IG the other day:
Maxi skirts are just crotchless yoga pants
Completely acceptable if you ask me. Who does't love yoga anything these days?

4.What is Your Accomplishment?

The two main questions you will most likely hear are

What have you been up to?

What do you do?

Sadly I could not tell everyone that I invented Post-Its.

I did however marry the man of my dreams and have three beautiful children. That is my accomplishment. My best accessory was my family. What ever your accomplishment is, wear it like a statement necklace. Refined and finished. Be confident and proud of who you have become and where you are at in life. Be genuine and exude passion when you speak. If you do this, it won't matter the accomplishment, you might as well have won the Nobel Peace Prize. A mother of 3, or the inventor of Post-Its.

5. Reunions Are No Longer Like the Movies

Leave your expectations at the door because Facebook has completely sucked the fun out of reunions. There is no element of surprise. The people you care to know what is going on in their lives…..you are probably already in the know because you are friends on Facebook. You have already spied on your High School crush/boyfriend and know whether or not he is fat and bald and if you are cuter than his current wife. What's that? They don't have a Facebook? Then they probably won't be at the reunion anyway because that is how the reunions are mainly communicated. You already know who married who, who has kids, and who is the world traveler. It seriously puts a strain on conversations when you have been Facebook friends for years but when put in front of each other you can't find crap to say. 

Oh social media…. you oxymoron you.

All in all.. try not to stress over it. Be confident and love who you have become. Be proud of who you have grown into. Confidence will carry you a lot further and impress more than the perfect outfit… Although it definitely wouldn't hurt ;)

Sun Kissed Tee// American Eagle 
B&W Aztec Pencil Skirt// Rue 21
Breckelles Gladiator Sandals// Amazon.com
"L" Necklace// Rue 21
Hoop Charm Necklace// American Eagle
Wrap-Around Watch// Covet Boutique 
Extensions// Bellami *use code "sheena" for a sweet discount*

High Waisted Swimsuits

Ahhh time to get to life and back to reality. Our fantasy world of Comic Con is O-V-A-H. 

Who is ready for warm weather, BBQs, campfires, and late nights? I sure am! Unless you are the luckies who live by the beach and are probably already getting to enjoy those things, it's still freezing here in Utah. 

I have to share this song with you guys! It warms me right up! You know those songs that make you think of your better half and give you the warm fuzzies all over again? 

I give you-

I Don't Dance by Lee Brice.

For those of you getting married this summer, you're welcome :)

Katy Bow swimsuit from sassysteals.com

This summer is going to be an explosion of retro-inspired swimsuits, including high waisted. We have seen everyone from Katy Perry to Taylor Swift rocking these bad boys. 

The fantastic thing about these is you can spend anywhere from $10+. I bought the swimsuit pictured above for $19 + shipping and I cannot wait for it to arrive! Adorable right?!! I'm a total sucker for those bows! 

Taylor Swift//Katy Perry//Rihanna//Cher Lloyd

This next swimsuit was only $16 shipped. That's right, $16 total. I seriously love Amazon. 

First let's chat a little about cover-ups for high waisted swimwear. Please do not, I repeat, DO NOT wear normal shorts over your high waisted swimsuit. Just no. Normal dress-like coverups are totally fine, but if you are going to wear separate pieces you need to wear your bottom piece at your waist. I paired mine with a maxi skirt from my Maxi Skirt Tutorial and an aztec kimono cardi (it was freezing in Vegas. VEGAS! Can you believe that?!). You could even do high wasted shorts or palazzo pants. You just want the top line of your swimsuit to line up with your bottoms.

Neon Aztec Kimono Cardi// TJ Maxx- Similar HERE

Blue Maxi Skirt// DIY

Let's talk about why I love these swimsuits. 

First of all… I'm kind of over tankinis and I don't love one pieces because I don't like what they do to your nether regions. I'm just being real, ladies.  These are basically the same coverage as a tankini, but BETTER! As a mother my biggest problem area is probably my lower stomach. I'm sure if I had all the time in the world to work on it like I wished, it would look much better. But, insert real life. Plus, no matter what I do, I will probably always have a little excess skin. This style actually gives me more confidence than a tankini because there is no risk of the tank part lifting up and exposing my baby baring battle scars. 

The high waisted swimsuit was created in an era where curves were coveted. 

Curvy model rocking her HW Swimsuit from Forever 21 PLUS

So if you have a little junk in your trunk there is no reason to be afraid of this fantastic comeback. The ruching on the sides of this bikini make for a more forgiving bottom. In other words, it hides your flaws. The line that they create above your stomach also stops at the perfect spot. You see my ab definition above the bottoms? By no means do I have a toned tummy, but looking at this you might think otherwise. That's why I call this my magic photoshopping suit. Seriously. It creates an illusion in all the right spots. It's not very often you find a swimsuit that you actually feel confident in. That is why this style is definitely a must-try.

Floral High Waisted Bikini// Amazon

Also….RUN! Because right now this suit is only $12 SHIPPED!!!!

 HERE

Gladiators

 First off, thank you to all who participated in our first giveaway! Congrats to our winner and we hope you have an amazing date with yo man ;) 

So we had a MAJOR melt down this weekend…  

Norman Reedus has cancelled! I repeat:

NORMAN FREAKIN REEDUS HAS CANCELLED SLC COMICON.

(photo ℅ http://saltlakecomiccon.com)

 For those of you who are scratching your head right now, he is the very delicious Daryl on The Walking Dead television series. It is the only reason we were planning on attending with the other characters being a bonus. It seriously was going to be amazing watching Jamie losing her cool while drooling as he stood in front of her. . Seriously. People may not know anything about her but they all seem to know of her love for NR. And that's it ha ha...They better make it up to us by replacing him with Justin Timberlake. There really is no other option. 

-sad face emoji, sad face emoji, no kissy face emoji for Jamie

In the meantime.. Maybe THIS will ease the pain.

Anyway..

They came! They are more glorious that I could of imagined! I just want to run down the street and yell something crazy looking barbaric! No seriously you guys… I L-O-V-E them. Meaning my Gladiators of course! I ended up going with these faux leather cut out gladiators by Breckelles. At $27 shipped I am 100% happy with this purchase. Remember THESE boots I posted about on our first Favsie Friday? They are by Breckelles so I TOTALLY trusted that even at this low price they would be fantastic quality. I was right! YES! 

Aren't they amazing? And they aren't uncomfortable either! I've been thinking about how to style them without wearing short skirts or shorts. They are darling when paired with those but that is not an option for me. I'm not sure how these would look with Bermuda shorts :/ ... I'll get back to you on that. So for now I figured bohemian style skirts and dresses, high-low dresses, and..... skinnies. Yes, skinnies. I stumbled up this by accident and it totally worked. It might not with every style of gladiators but it definitely did with these!  

There ya have it babes! Conclusion is, I'm in love. I'm going to find ways to rock these all summer and maybe even buy another color! 

P.S. I'm SO happy with them, I got in an abandoned grocery cart and laughed about it... Seriously you guys I wanted to take this cart home. Someone spray painted it half gold and when I saw it we had instant chemistry. Instant. So I jumped in and captured the moment so I could always remember how happy I was about my new shoes and and a gold grocery cart. 

The End :)

Breckelles Sandals- Amazon/ Found HERE 

Dress- Kohls/ Similar HERE

Crop Jean Jacket- Wet Seal/ Circa 2003 (not kidding) 

Belt and Glasses- TJ Maxx 

Plaid Shirt- Bohme/ Similar HERE and HERE

Overalls- Rue 21/ Similar HERE

Should I go to Battle? Or Not?

Spring is S L O W L Y arriving here in Utah. Mother Nature needs to stop being such a tease. With warm weather on the horizon and a much needed trip to Vegas (The Hubs and I are going to the ACM's! BIG post on that later) I am thinking about my wardrobe. This time last year I was pregnant so my closet is going to need a pick me up. On a budget of course.

Ok Here's the Sitch… I am LOVEing Gladiator sandals! But I don't know what ones I love the most. So I need your help. And if everything goes right, you will love them by the end of this post too!

One day I saw my bestie Kourtney Kardashian wearing these fabulous shoes. Then I wanted them. 

The end.

JK

But Seriously. So I went to my other bestie Amazon.com to see what I could find. All I wanted was a simple pair of Russel Crowe shoes. Then all these options popped up.

* I have a love/hate relationship with options. I can't make a decision to save my life. Just ask the Hubby… I'm not sure he even bothers to ask where I want to eat anymore…*

See?!! OPTIONS! 

-So we have the basic studded 

-All different colors of the rainbow

-Patterns 

-Cut Outs

-Fringe

-Laces

-Heels

-Flats

-Textures

-Real/Faux Leather

And they range from about $20 and up. Obviously I am not KK so I will be searching the deals.

Ahhhh… Whats a girl to do? Ask her friends! What ones are you favesies? What color?

Or do you hate this trend? I love it. I am getting some. And that is that. :) I'll post on IG when mine arrive!