Now is the time to start thinking of starting a garden. Like I’ve said before, the yard of our house is a mess. The backyard especially needs a lot of work. The previous owners of our home used it as a dog run, so we’re starting from scratch. I’ve been mapping out how I want it landscaped, and have found the perfect sunny spot for a garden bed. Having never created a garden bed from scratch before, I’ve been researching what to do and thought I’d share what I’ve learned! 

First, decide where you want your garden bed and mark off the area. Remove any plants, weeds, or grass that is already existing.

via Rodale's Organic Life

Next, dig and turn over the soil. Plants struggle to grow in compacted soil, so it’s important to loosen it up. Any rocks or debris you uncover as you turn over the soil needs to be removed.

After you’ve turned over the soil, create an edge to separate your garden bed and the area around it. This will not only keep the soil from your garden from spilling over but will also keep grass out. You can do this by digging a deep ditch or using pavers as a border.

via HGTV

Add compost to create healthy soil and turn it over with your shovel to combine with the existing dirt. Your soil should be crumbly, not clumpy.

Finally, level the soil with a rake and avoid stepping on the finished bed.

I’m crossing my fingers that I’ll be able to grow my own vegetables soon! Maybe when I feel a little more confident I could get a greenhouse. How cool would that be? If you’re a seasoned gardener, any advice would be appreciated. I’m excited to get started!

There is nothing like a good chocolate chip cookie. Seriously, they’re delicious. Maybe the reason I love them is because growing up my family and I would make them on Sunday afternoons together. Or maybe I love them because they’re sugary and chocolatey and if it’s a good one, gooey. Either way below is my favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies! 

Tried and True Chocolate Chip Cookies from A Bountiful Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (plus a tablespoon or two if needed)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. If using convection, preheat to 375° as well.
2. For regular oven, place rack in middle of oven. When using a convection oven, you should be able to bake on all racks at one time.
3. Cut butter into pieces (about 2 tablespoons each) and place in mixing bowl.
4. After a few seconds, add granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed until creamy (this takes just a few seconds).
5. Add eggs, beating just until incorporated and smooth. Never turn the beaters on high.
6. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and bottom of the bowl to insure all ingredients are incorporated.
7. Dump 2 cups of the flour, soda, salt, and chocolate chips all together into bowl with butter mixture. Add the remaining ¾ cup of flour to the top of this mixture. Slowly mix the dry ingredients and the chocolate chips together. Do not over mix. Turn the dough with a rubber spatula so the bottom of the dough is mixed into the top of the dough.
8. If the dough is sticky, add an additional 2-3 tablespoons of flour to the dough. Remove the bowl from the stand if using a stand mixer, and fold in the flour. This is only necessary if the dough is sticky.
9. Using a cookie scoop, drop onto ungreased baking sheets, or baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Place 6 scoops of dough on each baking sheet.
10. Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.
11. If using convection, bake 7-10 minutes until golden brown. If using regular (non-convection) oven, bake at 376 for 10-12 minutes.

Cookies should be slightly golden and cookie should not be wet on top. Cool on baking sheets completely.

From my own experience, I don’t bake these more than 10 minutes. I love a gooey chocolate chip cookie! Try this recipe out and let me know what you think!

Any job is more enjoyable if you have the proper tools, and working in a yard is no different. When I was 18, I worked in my city’s park department. We would be assigned a park, given a list of assignments and a truck full of equipment, and sent out to spend the day doing yard work. There were two things I learned from this experience. 1. I totally understand why people love driving trucks, and 2. it really does make a difference doing a job with a tool specifically designed for that purpose. 

Below I’ve listed seven basic tools you need to get started with your lawn.

1. Rakes not only help you gather leaves or debris, they also level the ground and loosen the soil. A garden rake is different from a leaf rake, so consider your needs before purchasing.

2. A good pair of gloves. Pulling weeds, picking up soggy weeds, or extended shoveling will be much more enjoyable with your hands protected.

via RC Willey

3. If you have grass, a lawn mower is a must. Nothing keeps your yard looking nicer than neatly trimmed grass.

4. Shovels are important when digging holes and moving material from one place to the other.

via Get Busy Gardening

5. All the trimming, cutting, and pruning that goes along with a yard will be a breeze with a good pair of shears. Make sure you get a pair that are comfortable in your hands and depending on your yard, you may want a couple of pairs with a variety of blade lengths.

6. A hoe will make weeding quick and painless, especially if you have a large garden bed. Cutting the weed down at the roots will reduce the likelihood of them returning. Oh, and your knees will thank you.

7. A hand trowel helps to turn over the soil and dig holes to plant your seed and plants. Keep that serving spoon in your kitchen! The sharp point of this tool will help make digging easier.

via RC Willey

It's not a basic tool, but if you have room, a shed is a great storage place to hide you tools, store bikes, and other outdoor equipment.

Good luck with all your gardening this year! Let me know if there are any must have garden tools that I missed!

As the weather warms up it’s time to start thinking about getting your yard ready for spring. If your yard looks like mine, it’s a soggy, muddy mess. When we moved in last summer we completely renovated the inside but didn’t even touch the outside, and now that it’s warming up, I’m getting excited to get out there and start planting! Below are five ways to get your yard ready for spring. 

 1. Rake or pick up any debris on your lawn. Removing broken sticks, leaves you may have missed in the fall, and anything else that may have accumulated during the winter will allow better airflow to your lawn and will help new blades of grass grow.

via Fiskars

2. Prune dead or damaged limbs from shrubs and trees. This will help shape your plants and keep them healthy. It will also make them look a whole lot better, which is always a good thing.

via Two Twenty One

3. Clean up around plants, pull dead plants, and fertilize your garden beds. Having a prepared garden bed will help plants thrive - look for a post about preparing a garden bed soon!

4. Reseed dead parts of your lawn. There may be divots or bare spots that a little grass seed and water can fix.  

via Style Estate

5. Clear off any pathways of debris, weeds, or garbage. Having a neat pathway will help make your yard look sharp and clean.

I’ll be honest, the warm days we’ve had so far this year have me itching to get out there and start working! Our yard was used as a dog run by the previous owners, so we’ve got a lot to do! Do you have any other suggestions of what else we need to do in order to get our yard ready for spring?

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Just because you live in a rental doesn’t mean it shouldn’t feel like home. Whether you’re planning on being in your rental long term or just for a few months, incorporating a few of the ideas below will help your space feel personalized and unique. 

1. Always as your landlord if you can paint. They may ask you to paint it back to the original color when you move out, but if you’re planning on staying in that space for an extended period of time, it’s definitely worth it. Of course, your landlord may say no, but if you don’t ask, you’ll never know.

via Apartment Therapy

2. If your landlord says no to paint, think of other ways to add color to the walls. Hang oversized art or create a gallery wall to cover large spaces. If your landlord doesn’t allow you to put holes in the walls, prop art up on the mantel, existing shelving, free standing furniture, or even the floor.

3. Most rentals have boring and predictable lighting fixtures, and replacing them will instantly change the look of the room. Be sure you don’t throw away the old fixtures! You’ll want to change them back before you move out.

via Knight Moves

4. Replace the old window blinds with floor to ceiling curtains. Even if the window doesn’t go all the way to the ceiling, raising the curtain to that point will make the ceilings look taller than they actually are.  But just like the light fixtures, don’t throw the old blinds away! You’ll need to put them back before you leave.

via dwell

5. Change out the existing hardware, such as the knobs in the kitchen or towel racks in the bathroom, for your own. You can find some fairly inexpensive knobs that will update what could be a boring kitchen or bathroom into something unique and charming.

6. In the kitchen, line the shelves and drawers. You won’t have to put your clean dishes on someone else’s mystery stain and it will make the kitchen feel clean and fresh. No one wants to cook or eat in a kitchen that looks dirty.

via Apartment Therapy

7. Fill the space with rugs and don’t be afraid to layer different textures and sizes. Cover up the carpet with your own style and your aesthetic will fill your rental.

via Abigail Ahern

8. When in doubt, add more houseplants!

9. Most importantly of all, fill your home with people and things you love. This is what makes a real home anyway!

How have you made your rental feel like home? Do you have any other suggestions or tips? Please let us know!

caitlin wilson design via pinterest

Do you ever see beautifully curated bookshelves on pinterest or instagram filled with tasteful artwork and interesting objects, and then wonder to yourself, "How come my bookshelves don't look like that?"  I've totally been there so many times.  It can be pretty tricky to style bookshelves just right and to get the correct balance between books, art, accessories, etc.  The struggle is real.  

A couple of years ago I came across an article by Caitlin Wilson Design that was a game changer for me when it came to styling my shelves.  She gives a step-by-step fool proof process that is so simple, anyone can do it!  

Here are her 4 steps for styling dazzling bookshelves:

1. Place your books
2. Add large accessories
3. Add frames (include both artwork and personal family photos)
4. Add small accessories & decorative objects

These two photos show how a book shelf can really come together by following these simple steps. Make sure you read the fine print on the photos, because her additional tips are really great!

via caitlin wilson design

via caitlin wilson design

Doesn't that sound easy?  One other helpful tip is to try to group things in odd numbers!

Go get styling!

Radiators can be an eyesore. In my first apartment, the radiator was the first thing you saw. In addition to making a clanging sound every time it was on and to emitting so much heat the windows had to be opened even if it was snowing, it was really ugly. If you’re living in a home or an apartment with a radiator and are tired of looking at it, here are some ideas to cover it up. 

via Arts and Crafts Homes

Radiator covers are not only good camouflage, they are also protection from the hot metal. While some covers are definitely utilitarian, you can find beautiful covers if you look. If you’re feeling crafty and have a saw handy, you can even make your own exactly how you’d like it. 

via A Beautiful Mess

For a cheaper and quicker option, consider installing a shelf above the radiator. While this may not exactly mask it, having a shelf above will draw your eye upwards and away from the radiator.

via Manhattan Nest

If you own the home or your landlord will let you, painting the radiator the same color as the wall helps it meld into the background. If all else fails and you’re feeling brave…

via Apartment Therapy

Paint that thing a pop of color and own it!

Have you done anything else to hide a radiator? Let me know!

It can be difficult knowing how to merge different styles without creating chaos and confusion, but tastefully done, an eclectic home is interesting and compelling. This is good news for all of us who have gathered furniture from a variety of places over the years and who now need to figure out how that traditional wingback will look next to a modern couch. Below are 10 tips for successfully mixing a variety of aesthetics. 

via HGTV

1. Embrace what you already have and think of ways to creatively combine different pieces. You may decide to reupholster a chair, paint a table, or buy one or two new pieces, but don’t be afraid to use what you have!

2. Pick your favorite style and have that be the majority of your decor. Other styles can be added and mixed, but committing to one primary aesthetic will look controlled rather than chaotic.

via Apartment Therapy

3. Keep the color consistent. This will help your choices look intentional rather than thrown together. Neutral furniture with pops of color in accessories is always a safe bet.

4. Notice the scale of all your furniture. While the style may not match, the scale needs to. An oversized couch will look funny next to a delicate accent chair.

via Apartment Therapy

5. Repeat styles, colors, and shapes throughout your room. If there is only one piece of mid-century modern furniture in a room, it will stick out like a sore thumb. Make sure there’s at least one other object of the same aesthetic.

6. Along those same lines, keep the shapes of your furniture similar regardless of style. A sleek, straight lined table with curved, traditional chairs will not flow easily.

via Decor Pad

7. Visual weight is important. If there is a heavy, dark piece of furniture on one side of the room and a simple chair on the other the room will feel off balanced.

8. Determine the mood of the room you are decorating and pick furniture accordingly. Formal chairs in a relaxed family room will not help you achieve the desired outcome.

via Hey There, Home

9. Intersperse styles equally through the room. Be sure one-half of your room isn’t a completely different style from the other half of the room.

10. Edit yourself! Just because you own it doesn’t mean you have to display it.

Try new things when you’re decorating your home! Don’t feel limited due to fear of merging styles. Remember that at the end of the day, if you like how your home looks, that’s all that matters.

Do you like mixing styles? Which styles have you used in your home?  

Bookshelves can be so beautiful in your home, especially when they're filled with things you love. I love owning books, even if I’ve only read them once. I can throw out clothes easily, ruthlessly gut my kitchen of cooking utensils that aren’t often used, and shred papers like there’s no tomorrow, but I can’t seem to clean out my bookshelves. I’m not sure why, but it’s become a bit of an issue. To help solve the problem, I’ve decided that if I get a new book that can’t fit in my bookshelves, another one has to go to make room. Or maybe I should just buy another shelf? Here are 5 of my favorites right now.  

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Whether you use bookshelves for books or to display your favorite accessories, you can find one to match your style at RC Willey. Check out all bookshelf options and tell me which one is your favorite!

It can be hard living in a small space but there are ways you can make it work When my husband and I first got married we lived in two different apartments - one was 600 square feet and the other one was 650 square feet. I loved living in a space that small I could clean that place including dusting and toilets in under an hour and there was nothing in that apartment that we didn't use. Living in a tiny space has so many benefits but it can be hard to get everything you own fit while still feeling like you have room to breathe. Here are some tips on living in a small space. 

 via Style Me Pretty

Use the wall space that is available and don't be afraid to use the entire wall. Shelving can go all the way up to the ceiling and you won't be wasting any space.

via Foster House

Think creatively of places you can store things. The empty space under your bed is perfect for things you don't use every day and if you have room for your dresser in your closet your bedroom will feel more spacious. span p p style text-align left span style font-weight 400

via Apartment Therapy

 Be sure that your furniture fits the space. Oversized chairs and couches in a tiny room could make the room feel cramped but too many small pieces may feel cluttered. Keep things simple and if possible find furniture that has built-in storage.

via RC Willey

Use objects in a variety of ways. If you don't have room for bookshelves but need a place to store your books consider getting a nightstand with open shelving and storing them there. If you work from home but don't have room for a desk use a sofa table to double as a workspace. Be creative in how you use your furniture! 

Most important of all keep everything easily accessible and decluttered. Don't be sentimental - if you're living in a small space and if there's room for either you or the stack of blankets you've never used it should be an easy choice.

 What tips do you have for living in a small space?