My new favorite plant is the succulent. These tiny pieces of greenery are making their way onto the scene and into the spotlight as a great go-to in all types of décor. I thought they would be the perfect plant/garden look for my kitchen door wreath. Here is how I made this darling wreath. So simple, you can make one for yourself in less than 30 minutes!
Step 1: Run floral wire thru each terra cotta pot hole in bottom. Place in alternating spots around wreath securing by tying floral wire ends together, twisting, and tucking into back of wreath. See picture below.
Place wire thru Pot
Secure terra cotta pot onto wreath
Step 2: Check to see that pots are visually pleasing along the wreath. Place them at random points as well as stagger positions of each pot. Double check that pots are secure to wreath.
Visual check of terra cotta pots around wreath
Step 3: Add embellishments and bows/ribbons to wreath with hot glue to fill in empty areas. Inside of pots, add Spanish Moss and succulents.
Add embellishments to succulent wreath
Add ribbon/bow to succulent wreath
Step 4: Add a floral wire loop to top of wreath to hang onto a secure wreath hanger or cup hook. Note: this wreath is heavier than most wreaths.
Simple DIY Succulent Wreath
It didn’t take long to put this darling wreath together and I love how great it looks on my kitchen door. The perfect way to greet neighbors passing by my tiny garden on the side of the house. ~Susie Peas
You have to see my DIY Picture Frame Wreath how-to. It’s a great keepsake wreath that would look amazing in your home. Just like my huge DIY Chalkboard. It’s the perfect large piece to add to your wall décor.
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When decorating my grandbabies’ Toy Room, I wanted something fun, colorful, and functional. It needed to be able to host many kids with a wide range of ages. That meant a variety of toys, books, and learning supplies all squeezed into a spot that I use daily. It would also need to house naptime equipment and have lots of storage space.
Find A Theme for the Toy Room
I found this great canvas print of a squirrel for $8.00 at the Home Store. I love the pop of orange-ish brown color, and the whimsy of this little critter. And so the THEME of my toy room was born!
Squirrel Picture for Toy room,
Working Around Your Theme
It always makes decorating easier if you decide on a theme to build around.
For example, with my squirrel print I could go outdoor-camping-woods crazy. I could make some log looking pillows, put a tent up in the corner, place a camping lantern on the dresser, and add lots of green plants.
Or you can theme around colors or textures, which is what I decided to do in this room. I love the way it turned out. It is bright and fun, yet simple with clean lines.
Using Color Themes
The canvas print that I found had that orange color, browns, and grays. I knew it would be easy to add the grays, and the orange would set everything up perfectly.
I wanted to keep my wall color, rug, and linens neutral. When the grandkids get older, it will be easier and less expensive to change. Plus, it is gender neutral which works well for me.
The 8×10 gray rug was under $100.00 from Home Depot. It helps soften the room up as well as keeps noise level down.
The cream colored light fixture is from IKEA. My home is older and doesn’t have ceiling lights in the bedrooms. Instead of that expense, plus begging my hubs to hang a fixture, I found this one. I plugged into outlet and hung with hooks from ceiling all myself. And, I like the style of the shade. It reminds me of a cloud. 🙂
I knew that I wanted to have the word ‘PLAY’ on the wall. To bring in the theme colors, I found different letters in multiple fonts, textures, and colors. These were a few dollars each at the Home Store. I literally placed them on the store floor until I found the ones that looked good to me. The orange ‘A’ looks amazing with the squirrel print.
I made the bunting with print paper from Hobby Lobby. I purchased them when they were 1/2 price. You need 2 sheets of 4 different colors/designs, tape, twine (or string), and tacks to hang. Check out how to make my DIY Bunting here. I made my bunting long enough for one wall and a slight overhang on touching wall. It brings your eye around to my word wall art.
Naptime Necessities
The portable crib was passed down from a family friend. I like that it is smaller than a regular crib. It doesn’t take up too much room that is needed for toy space. A regular sized crib would work just as well. I store extra playpens and blankets under the crib for when needed.
The rocking chair is passed down from my husband’s grandmother. I love reading to my sweet peas on my lap, or rocking them to sleep in their great-great grandma’s chair. Nothing sweeter.
Toy Room Storage
I have 6 grandchildren that hang out in this room. With so many little ones, storage for their toys and games was a must.
This 8 cube organizer bookshelf turned on it’s side with added wheels that lock into place gave me a sturdy place to house most of their things. I added gray cubes and some Rubbermaid storage containers. These hold everything from Imaginex, and Potato Heads, to Barbie’s and Littlest Pet Shops. I even have one each for Mega, Duplo, and regular Legos.
Cardboard books are low on my shelf for the little “picture” readers. I keep a basket with paper books higher up. This basket was from a thrift store $1.00. I added a cute tag stamped with BOOKS and it works perfectly.
I found this Melissa & Doug puzzle shelf which came with 2 puzzles. It fits nicely on the cube shelf and helps to keep puzzles organized up and away from the littles.
This puzzle shaped shelf from a secondhand store was $5.00. It originally is a Dora the Explorer Book Shelf that had 3 levels and retails for $95.00. Mine came with only 2 of the shelves. I painted it gray to go with my color theme. It can also be used as a bench for around the kiddie table at snack time. My cardboard giant blocksfit well here. See my post on Toys that Promote Gross Motor Development here.
Chalkboard Just Their Size
Gently Loved Chalkboard
I got a gently used chalkboard from Facebook Marketplace for $10.00. It is in excellent shape and the perfect price. I hung it low so it is easy to reach. It is a large board that allows for several artists to work at the same time. See how to DIY your own chalkboard here.
I keep the chalk and erasers in a caddy up and away until ready for play.
Keeping their toy room organized and tidy is key for stress free fun. In addition, including them in the clean up teaches them responsibility and allows them to take pride in their work.
Additional Toy Room Storage
Jason built 4 shelves in the closet for added storage. I keep art supplies, a cube full of super hero costumes & dress-up clothes, games, playdough, bean boxes (see a great post on these unique sensory tubs of fun here), and extra clothes/baby supplies for mishaps with my sweet peas.
Sweet Peas hard at play with the train set.
I have 2 laundry baskets side by side in the bottom of the closet. One is used as a toy box. The other holds my train set, buildings, and tracks. (I have the Geo Trax Rail and Road System and several expansion packs. It’s a great quality and durable set, but rather pricey. I found mine at a second hand store for $5.00. See how I thrift for great finds here.) Utilizing laundry baskets makes for easy transport when we want to branch out into other rooms.
I love how my Toy Room turned out. It’s such a fun place to make memories. It is a great space for my little people! What kinds of things do you consider a must for your toy room? Let me know in the comments below. ~ Susie Peas
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I got this darling picture frame wreath as a Mother’s Day gift from Becki a few years ago. I absolutely love how well it goes with my farmhouse décor. Since then, I have changed out the pictures a few times as my family has grown.
I have had so many compliments and questions on this wreath, that I decided the next time I updated the pictures, I would deconstruct the wreath and show you how to make one for your self.
Step 1: Remove easel part on hinges from back of picture frames and discard. This will help the frame to lay flat on your wreath.
Cut floral wire in half. This should be long enough to go through hinge on back of frame and wrap securely around wreath allowing for a twist to hold together. Thread floral wire through hinge on back of frame.
Print Pictures
Black and white prints in 2×3 inch frames
Step 2: Print pictures. In the past, I have done in sepia which looks great with the burlap bow. This time I had my pictures printed in Black & White. LOVE!! Have some printed horizontally and others vertically.
Use plain photo paper, wallet sized prints if you do them yourself at home. I get mine done with 1 hour photo development at Walgreens. Be sure to use coupons for 40% when you place your order online.
Trim prints and add to frames. Remember to do both horizontal and vertical pictures.
Attach Frames to Wreath
Step 3: Add frames to wreath by wrapping the open end of the wire around the grapevine wreath branches, secure tightly, and twist closed.
attach frames horizontally and vertically
twist floral wire closed to secure frames
Tuck the ends of the floral wire into the wreath.
Add Bow/Hanger
Step 4: Add burlap bow to wreath and hang.
Picture Frame Wreath
What a great way to display pictures. A perfect keepsake wreath showing all of your favorite family pictures. See more Mother’s Day Gift Ideas here. If you like DIY’s, see how I made my Spring Burlap Wreath here and my DIY Chalkboard here. ~Susie Peas
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With today’s busy schedules it is hard sometimes to get a few days of ‘down time’ with the entire family. Add travel and an entire week, it probably isn’t going to happen. Especially when your kids get a little older and have their own part time jobs and school. An easy answer to get to spend some time relaxing and enjoying each other without having to miss work for a week, is to go on a family staycation for the weekend instead. Staycations are a great way to get away and spend some rejuvenation time without spending a ton or even leaving town.
It’s perfect when you think about it. No long drive or dealing with an airport. You know your bed is going to be comfortable. No need to board your pet, or arrange for the neighborhood kids to take care of your lawn.
Be a tourist in your own town
So what do you do? You have already done the touristy stuff each time an out of town relative comes to visit. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t do it again and act like a tourist yourself. After all, you probably enjoy what your city has to offer or you wouldn’t live here right?! I know I love my city. It’s the BEST place to visit. See my post on 5 Fun Things to Do in St.Louis.
Chances are you haven’t seen/done everything there is to do in your city anyway. What do people visit your city for? What are some popular things to do in your town? You can do a Google search or get some brochures for activities in your area and go do some of them. Try some festivals that are planned in the area. Or go see a local band at a fun nightspot that you haven’t been to yet.
Our Staycation
When our kids were in high school, we wanted to get some time away together and just relax. We wanted to enjoy each other without having friends, jobs, or cell phones getting in the way.
A family ‘staycation’ was the perfect idea. We told the kids to schedule off work one weekend and plan on spending the whole two days as a family.
To make it exciting, hubs and I decided to schedule the staycation activities and keep the events a secret from the kids. They were too old for this really, but they indulged me. I love them for that!
Living in Saint Louis, there are a ton of fun, crazy things to do. We knew that they would enjoy whatever we had planned.
Day One Staycation
Soulard Farmer’s Market
We started out our family staycation with a trip down to Soulard Farmer’s Market. This is one of Jason’s favorite places to shop. It might be because they have the best Bloody Mary’s. Who doesn’t love breakfast in a cup?
The girls with their $2.00 matching sister rings from Soulard
Soulard Market is a great place to find fresh fruits and vegetables, spices, fresh flowers and meat. There are also vendors that sell clothing, perfumes, and jewelry.
We told the kids to pick out a souvenir t-shirt at the St. Louis Cardinals booth. What a deal for $5.00 – $15.00 per shirt. They had no idea that we had tickets for the Cardinal ball game planned for day 2 of our staycation.
Venice Café in Soulard
Venice café in Soulard
After shopping at Soulard, we walked around town and found a great little restaurant called Venice Café. It was fun finding a restaurant that we had not visited before. We enjoyed lunch on the outdoor patio, laughing and talking. Something that isn’t always easy to do when everyone has their own jobs and agendas.
St. Louis Zoo
St. Louis Zoo
Next we headed to the Saint Louis Zoo. Being from Saint Louis, we have been to the zoo hundreds of times. But this time we were going as tourists, which made it seem more exciting.
Fairmount Park Horse Races
Fairmount Park Horse Racing
Our evening adventure was the horse races at Fairmount Park. The horse races are another fun and inexpensive way to spend some time. We enjoyed betting on the horses. Jay had a “system” of picking his horses. He ended up winning a little pocket change.
Day Two Staycation
Day 2 of our family staycation began with breakfast out. We could have easily stayed home but because we were on vacation, it was more fun to pick a breakfast favorite spot and eat together.
St. Louis Cardinals Baseball
That’s when we surprised the kids with Cardinal tickets. Again being from Saint Louis we have been to many Cardinal games, but going as tourists was a lot of the fun.
We got the cheapest seats at the stadium, which were literally on the top row in right field. But they included a free hotdog and soda. What a deal!
For fun, we scouted out empty seats lower and lower each inning and moved to them. By the 5th inning, we had made it to the cushioned seats right down by the field.
The game turned out to be a success. We had great seats, free hot dogs, free soda, and paid next to nothing to go to a Cardinal game.
Sun Decker’s on the Landing
What is a trip to St. Louis without stopping for a stroll on the cobblestones of Laclede’s Landing. We had a late dinner at Sun Decker’s. I also schooled Jay in some Galaga. (showing my age?)
Movie & Popcorn
We ended our day 2 family staycation with a movie and popcorn at home. It was an amazing mini vacation together. The kids still talk about how much fun it was the year we stayed home and enjoyed St. Louis.
A Staycation is a fun way to get some well deserved family time in, relax, and enjoy each other with out having to leave town. I am so glad that we did this and am looking forward to our next one as empty nesters! ~Susie Peas
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One of my favorite DIY projects is my Chalkboard. I love how BIG it is. I recently moved this doll from behind my couch to it’s current home on the wall by my dining room table. It looks absolutely perfect here. It would look amazing with my Springtime Succulent Wreath hanging from the middle too!
The best thing about my chalkboard is how easy and inexpensive it was to make. I had searched online for one this size. Not cheap! So I decided to make one so that I could get exactly the size I needed and wouldn’t have to break the bank.
This big guy is a whopping 39″ x 74″ beautiful piece of artwork. And it was so easy to make. It was harder hanging it than building it – believe me!
So here is how I made my DIY Chalkboard. You just need to adjust your measurements to the size that you would like for your home.Supply List:
Supplies For DIY Chalkboard
2 1x2x34 boards
2 1x2x74 boards
4 flat corner braces
37×72 Luon precut board (trimmed by associates)
screws, hanging wire
stain for wood frame
Choose Your Wood
I chose Pine for my project. It is lightweight which is what I need because of the size chalkboard I wanted. Plus it is a softer wood so it was easy for me to work with when I screwed in braces, etc. Key for my girlie muscles. 😉
Getting The Wood Cut for FREE
I had an associate cut my boards to the sizes I need. They will cut anything for you as long as it is a straight cut. Mine doesn’t have corner (picture frame type) cuts, because of this. But I like how it turned out. I also had them trim my luan board to appropriate size to leave one inch on my pine board frame.
You will find the precut luon pieces in this section of the store by lumber. I actually painted my luon board with chalkboard paint. Now they offer chalkboard painted boards so you can skip that step.
Staining and Bracing your Boards
Stain your boards using directions on can. Allow for drying. Be sure to stain all sides of board. Add more coats until desired color.
You need four total angle braces for the 4 corners. As you can see in pictures of my project, I put 2 shorter boards inside the longer boards to make my frame. (If you prefer to make your frame more of a ‘picture frame’ joint, you will have to cut corners yourself. @younghouselove.com has a simple DIY on how to do this.) Be sure to allow for the luon board to fit into the frame as well. When you add the luon board to frame, it will make an even more secure chalkboard.
Now add your hanging kit and wire on back of board to put up on the wall. And your done! So easy and way cheaper than buying the premade board.
I love changing up the sayings or adding holiday bunting and wreaths. It is such a cute way to add something special to my décor.
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Jason and I took the plunge and bought a condo at the lake a little over a year ago. Even though most of the properties that are sold at the lake come turn key, I still wanted to make our new place “mine”.
Here are some DIY projects that gave our lake house an extra dose of loveliness – Susie Pea style. They were so simple and inexpensive, and didn’t take much time at all.
DIY Lakehouse Sign
I made this handsome sign to hang over the front door at the condo. It is a great way to direct our friends and family to the right place when they come to visit. I love the black and white colors. It sets the stage for the décor of the entire condo.
Now you remember how frugal I am… Home Depot has an area that they house discount wood boards that are warped or damaged for 70% off. What a deal! I dug through the pile and found the perfect width for my sign. I had an associate cut the appropriate length for me. They will do this for free for any project as long as it is a straight cut.
With some leftover paint that I had around the house, I painted the board solid black.
I have a friend that cuts vinyl things for me at a great price. I had her print out my words for the sign in white vinyl. I added my vinyl to my sign and eyeballed it. You can use a ruler to find center board and make marks to ensure level placement for larger projects. But because this one was so small and simple I was able to line it up with out doing all of that.
I then sprayed polyurethane over the top of my finished sign to help it survive Missouri weather.
The board was $1.60. The vinyl lettering was $5. Such a simple project and cost me only $6.60. I love the way that it turned out!
DIY Fishing Lure Prints
I looked all over for the perfect pictures to hang in the bathroom at the condo. Something black-and-white that related to the Lake would be amazing. I just couldn’t find what I wanted so I decided to make my own artwork.
There were prints on the internet that I thought would look great. I got two black picture frames with white matting from Walmart for $5 each. Perfect and inexpensive.
DIY Whale Wall Art
While scrolling for miles and miles on Pinterest for ideas for the condo, I came across the cutest whale picture. I knew I wanted to add him to my wall art somehow. He would be the perfect touch. See my Pinterest board on Lake Décor here. It has a ton of great Ideas on how to decorate a unique Lake House.
To make this guy, I got a piece of precut 1/4″ hardboard plywood (think luan flooring) from Home Depot. I free hand drew my whale onto the board with a pencil. After I was happy with the design, I used a jigsaw to cut the shape out of the wood. Then I sanded the sides to make sure I didn’t have any rough edges. With some left over black and gray paint, I painted the whale board. To hang on the wall I put Velcro command strips on the back of my whale and pressed onto the wall. It adds to the nautical feel of that room.
Black and White Prints
The day we closed on the condo was such a relief. Buying a condo is way different than buying a house. Who knew all of the association insurances and rules would be such a complicated pain! We got the keys and CELEBRATED! I enlarged black-and-white prints of pictures taken that day. These darling DIY prints definitely show our feelings at that moment. Jason with a thumbs up on the dock, and me relaxing in the cabana!
I found two picture frames from Pottery Barn Outlet that were 90% off of the damaged cart. (I also got a large 24″ x 36″ chalkboard from the damaged cart for $4.60 that looks great on a different wall.) The frames were in pretty good shape and the roughed up edges only enhanced their charm. Easy Peasy!
For fun, I had black and white prints made of family and friends visiting the lake with us. I started a collage on the door of the deck that I will add to each year as we make more memories with the people we love. It has already become a fun hangout for guests to check out.
Lake House Coordinate Sign
Back to the 70% off cart at home depot. There was a 1 x 4 x 10 that looked almost perfect. The associate cut off the 6 or so inches that were damaged. I painted the board white with the some leftover paint. I found the coordinates for the condo online here. To put the design onto my board, I used some stencils and gray acrylic craft paint . I lightly sanded my sign to make it look distressed. I love the way it looks and it only cost $2 for this DIY project.
Large Distressed Deck Sign
I searched for a large piece of wood for this project. I wanted it to be big enough to mock an old lakefront fishing /gas one stop store that you find on the water.
I got an 1x8x12 board from the 70% off cart and had my “crew” (can I call them that now after so many projects?) take off any undesirable inches. The whole board was painted two different shades of gray with some white streaked in here and there. @lovegrowswild.com has an easy post on how to distress signs. I used a layered technique of lightly coating the board with back and forth horizontal swipes.
After the paint dried, I printed large block letters and taped the pieces of paper together to make a large template. I then took a pencil and chalked the back of the template where all of the letters were. I place the stencil over the top of the board and traced the letters. When I lifted the template you could see a light pencil marking on my piece of wood. I filled in the markings with a darker gray paint. After it dried, I lightly sanded the entire project for a distressed look. I sprayed polyurethane to protect from weather. This simple and inexpensive guy hangs above the sliders on our deck and looks great.
Random Art
For multiple DIY signs, I went to Michael’s and used 50% coupon to buy different sized canvases. I painted them a light coat of off white paint. I searched Pinterest and found a few great sayings that I liked and added them to the canvases. If you want a more professional feel, you can have your silhouette friend print you the vinyl or even a stencil. Or make your own DIY by the tracing technique I used with the deck sign.
I hung all of my canvas artwork with command strips. It is a great way to be able to move my art where I want and not have to worry about patching any holes later. Jason hung my heavier signs with screws to secure.
These fun and simple projects helped me to feel like I have left my mark on our home away from home. It is such a great feeling doing projects like this myself. Plus I love saving money!! ~ Susie Pea
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When traveling to St. Louis, most visitors will go to Busch Stadium to see the St.Louis Cardinals play. Or spend a day at the St.Louis Zoo. And visit the top of the St.Louis Arch. While these are by far worth it if you come to our great city, finding some less commercialized things to do can make a great vacation stay even better. Check out these 5 Fun Things To Do in St. Louis that will for sure be a worth your time.
Soulard Market
Soulard Farmers Market
The Market is located at 730 Carroll Street in St. Louis, Missouri, a half mile north of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. The market is open Wednesday thru Saturday, year round. They feature locally grown and shipped in goods, including: produce, meats, cheeses, spices, gourmet kettle corn, flowers, baked goods, and general merchandise. There are also several different places to eat that offer many food options, which allows customers the convenience to grab a quick bite to eat and a drink while shopping.
The St. Louis Science Center
The St. Louis Science Center is located at 5050 Oakland Avenue St. Louis, MO 63110. 314.289.4400 The SLSC combines experimentation, creativity and play to help people discover a passion for science and technology. To atoms and oceans, sand and stardust, dinosaurs and dark matter. This attraction is fun, interactive, and educational for all ages. The Science Center is open every day, except on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Anheuser Busch Brewery
From the history-rich architecture – including three National Historic Landmarks – to cutting-edge brewing technology, you will witness first-hand the heritage and timeless tradition Anheuser-Busch employs to brew beer.
Nestled in the historic Soulard neighborhood of St. Louis, this largest and oldest brewery site was selected based on its access to the Mississippi River, the large presence of German immigrants in the 1800’s, and the natural cave formations that were used to store beer prior to artificial refrigeration.
There are several different tour options that you can try ranging from free to $$. Regardless of the experience you choose, as you walk through the halls of the historic St. Louis brewery, you are transported in time. This stop for fun in St Louis is definitely worth it.
The Delmar Loop
Blueberry Hill at the Delmar Loop
The Delmar Loop 6801 Delmar Blvd, the Loop is the location of Saint Louis Sidewalk Hall of Fame., Saint Louis, MO 63130. Discover the neighborhood’s charm as you walk up and down the sidewalks visiting it’s variety of eclectic shops and dinning experiences. Try delicious tastings from local restaurants and specialty food shops. Sample Texas-style barbecue, Korean tacos, award-winning pizza pies and homemade pastries, just to name a few eateries for fun in St Louis. Quite the cultural experience.
Ball Park Village
Experience famous sites and new favorites when visiting Ballpark Village in the heart of downtown St. Louis. They have over 9 places to eat and drink. No matter what your taste, they’ve got your ‘bases covered’. The outdoor area is family friendly with room to run for your kiddos along with a jumbotron and yard games. Ballpark Village is conveniently located adjacent to Busch Stadium and within walking distance to the new Arch riverfront, museums, and more, giving guests the spirit of St. Louis within just a few city blocks. Check out my post on Take Me Out to the Ballgame – with Kids here.
Our city is beautiful and has something for everyone. These are just a few of my favorites things that are fun in St Louis to do. The best part is that every attraction on my list is FREE!
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