Tag: Pretty

DIY Bench and Cushion

Hi everybody! Sorry for my lack of posts lately. Nico is teething (even though there are no teeth yet) so the past week and a half has been a little tough, leaving me with no time to add to my blog. Anyways, I’m back now and wanted to show you a little DIY project that I finished a few days ago. I’m not a super crafty person, however I’ve been getting more and more into do-it-yourself projects, and I am so proud and impressed with how my DIY bench and cushion turned out! Andrew and I had this old little brown bench that we bought from Ikea quite a few years ago, and were planning to give away of it because it didn’t match with any of our home decor. We eventually changed our minds and decided to freshen it up with some white spray paint and a custom cushion. Andrew did all of the spray painting (and did an amazing job at that) and I was in charge of making the cushion to sit on top of the bench. I couldn’t believe how easy it was and loved the final result! All I needed to make the cushion was a piece of plywood measured and cut to fit the bench from Home Depot, the fabric of my choice and foam from Fabricland (I was surprised at how expensive the foam was), and a staple gun. I followed this tutorial and I was literally finished within 5 minutes! The last thing that we did was added screws from underneath the bench into the plywood to make sure that the cushion would stay in place. This project was so easy and the bench looks so beautiful! It definitely makes me so excited to get crafty and try new DIY ideas!

This bench used to be brown and dingy looking, and now it looks amazing!
This bench used to be brown and dingy looking, and now it looks so beautiful! It’s amazing what a fresh coat of paint will do!
Photo 2014-10-03, 2 46 37 PM
I chose this pretty damasque fabric and I am so in love with it! Black and white is just so elegant and classic!

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Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Polish

If you know me, then you know that I am a girly girl who always has nail polish on my fingers and my toes! I have loved nail polish since I was a little girl and it is very rare that you will catch me not wearing any color on my nails. So you can imagine how excited I was when I discovered that Sally Hansen had come out with Miracle Gel – a nail polish that acts similar to a shellac polish but without the need for a lamp. I am a huge fan of shellac polish (a formula that can last on your nails for 2-3 weeks without chipping or peeling), however I don’t always have the time to get my nails done at the salon, so I was super excited to learn that I could get a shellac looking manicure without actually having to go to the salon! Although I do love pampering myself with a professional mani and pedi every once in a while, it’s so great to know that I can actually get great results doing it myself at home for a fraction of the time and cost of a salon manicure. Sally Hansen offers a variety of Miracle Gel colors, and it is super easy to use – apply two coats of the Miracle Gel color of your choice, followed by one coat of the top coat and let dry! I have done shellac on my nails at home using a lamp and I love the fact that Miracle Gel does not require a lamp. It definitely saves so much time and patience! I can already say that this nail polish is my current favorite (and I have tried pretty much every polish out there), so it gets a a huge thumbs up from me!

These are the three colors (and top coat) that I have purchased. From left to right: Top Coat, Wine Stock, Red Eye, and Throwing Shade.
These are the three colors (and top coat) that I have purchased. From left to right: Top Coat, Wine Stock, Red Eye, and Shock Wave.
In this photo I am wearing Wine Stock (my favorite color so far - especially for the Fall), and this picture was taken five days after I had applied the polish!
In this photo I am wearing Wine Stock (my favorite color so far – especially for the Fall), and this picture was taken five days after I had applied the polish! I am so impressed with the long lasting effects of this nail polish!

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