Breakfast Tray with Copper Piping for Home Depot

A few weeks ago, Home Depot asked me to participate in another fun DIY challenge. The challenge was to build something out of piping. I was a little hesitant to accept because I had never really worked with this material or a pipe cutter. 

I chose to to make upcycle this simple tray into a beautiful breakfast-in-bed tray with copper legs. Seeing that baby boy #3 is due any day and Mother's Day is right around the corner, I thought I might drop some subtle hints with this tray.

I added some feminine touches to the tray with thin crafting wire on the handles and copper leafing on the legs. I think it softens it a bit, don't you?

For the full step by step on this Home Depot Style Challenge and more lovely images, hop over to the Home Depot apron blog and grab my directions. Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions!

*styling and photos by Amy Mikkelsen for YSP

Home Depot Holiday Style Challenge Reveal

I'm excited to post that my Home Depot style challenge went live today! You may remember last spring when I participated in the Home Depot patio style challenge. This time around was a similar experience except I was decorating for Christmas in October!

I received my Home Depot style challenge shipment late in September... seven boxes to be exact. The shipment also included a seven foot Christmas tree and a challenge to create a dining room fit for the holidays. I quickly got to work transforming our casual dining space since this is where we spend the majority of our time opening gifts, eating breakfast and enjoying morning festivities. My goal for this space was to make it comfortable and fun for all ages, hence the hot chocolate and bubbly bar!

For all my Christmas decor and entertaining tips, please head over to the Home Depot website and check out the full holiday style challenge post. (Plus they have the best pictures from the photo shoot!)

*styling and photography by Amy Mikkelsen

Monogrammed PFG fishing shirt by Columbia

Welcome to my latest summer obsession, the monogrammed PFG shirt by Columbia. I started seeing these pop up on Pinterest and immediately began shopping. The men's Columbia Bahama II Long Sleeve Shirt  is now my favorite beach/pool cover up. (I ordered the colors lemon whip and gulf stream and the monogram colors are to be determined. Men's size medium was perfect for me). The fabric on these shirts is cool, breezy and protects me from harmful UV rays, which I love. Skin cancer be gone!

*photo credit: I'm still searching for the original source of this adorable photo. If you find it, please let me know so I can credit properly. 

Nectar Sunglasses: 10% Promo Code

Did you notice my new sunnies on my recent beach trip? They're from Nectar and I absolutely love them! After getting lots of questions about them, I knew I had to share this stylish AND affordable brand with y'all. 

Nectar prides itself on it's diverse following, ranging from athletes, artists and musicians. Their Instagram account is pretty fun to follow too. Think extreme sports and beach life. It's kinda like a mini vacation at your fingertips with lots of good people watching.

I had a really hard time choosing just one pair but went with the Stoke pair.  I love that they have scratch resistant film on the lenses because I'm notorious for just throwing them in the beach bag at the end of the day. They're also lightweight, have 100% UV protection and a very durable frame. The best part is they're only $20!!! I'm thinking the Abyss pair will be the next addition to my wardrobe.

Want a pair of your own? Nectar is offering YSP readers 10% off with the promo code lovenectar. You can peruse the site here! 

And someone else was a big fan of my new shades. Maybe we'll see a Nectar kids line in the future?

*Nectar sponsored this post and provided me a pair of sunglasses for review. All opinions are my own.Abyss

Beachside at Okaloosa Island

We're back from a much needed and early summer vacation!  Luke missed the last few days of school but he didn't seem to mind at all. We waited 'til the bitter end to surprise the boys and how I wish I had gotten their reaction on video! We headed down to our condo on Okaloosa Island which is five miles west of Destin. Have you been there? The gulf coast is breathtaking and I'm always in awe that we live within driving distance of this sugary white sand and emerald waters.

We take things really, really easy at the beach, bouncing between the beach the pool. The boys spent the entire first day building this sand tunnel. Pretty impressive, huh? I helped a little. This trip was  the first time Jett really swam in the ocean versus just splashing in the surf. I loved having all of us jumping the waves together...seriously good times!  In regards to water safety, our family rule is that the boys wear life jackets at all times when in the ocean and they must be accompanied by Daniel or myself. Jett wears this MTI Life Jacket and Luke has one similar to this. Obviously, they only swim on calm water days although Luke is getting big enough now that he enjoys riding the larger waves with a boogie board and doesn't mind getting thrown around a bit. 

We do spend one day on a boat which we rent from Blue Heron Watersports in Destin. Their family has been in the area since the 1950's and they're good people. We love the freedom of being on our own schedule and the boys love exploring little private beaches and snorkeling on the bay side.

We spotted a school of dolphin just off the end of the boat and they put on quite a little show for us! In the background of this photo is Harborwalk Marina which is full of shopping, dining, nightlife and water sports rentals like Blue Heron.

The Coast Guard was also patrolling Crab Island and the boys loved seeing them in action. 

As far as dining goes, we like to eat at home. Lunch is typically sandwiches and fresh fruit in the beach side gazebo that's on property. It's really become a fun tradition that we look forward to as a family. For dinner, we also cook in and enjoy picking up fresh local seafood from nearby markets like Destin Ice or Sexton's. If you get the chance, you've got to try some royal red gulf shrimp! They are THE sweetest shrimp I've ever tasted and have a smooth texture that rivals lobster meat.

Occasionally, when we need a break from the sun, we'll venture out to the local Dippn' Dots. 

And the evenings are always spent on the beach. Sunset is my favorite time of day and I plan dinnertime accordingly. Dinner first, followed by sunset games and cocktails. The boys are finally big enough to enjoy volleyball, dodge ball and frisbee which make for good family fun.

Cocktails are kept simple too. Beer, champagne or sometimes a rum drink. These "chiquita bonita" koozies by Lilly Pulitzer are sold out but you can find similar ones here. How cute is the Booze Cruise print one?

Wishing all of you a very happy summer and I look forward to sharing more recipes, cocktails and other domestic delights with you in the coming weeks!

Flowering Container DIY by Southern Living Plant Collection

Have you ever admired the beautiful potted flowers gracing the magazine covers this time of year? Me too! As most of you know, I love playing in the garden but mastering the art of container gardening is still a challenge for me. It does require some planning and strategy! Last week, Carmen Johnston, garden expert for the Southern Living Plant Collection, invited me to a planting workshop at the local Home Depot where she shared a wealth of information. While I was digging in the dirt, I took some mental notes to share with y'all.

If you want to plant a large group of flowers, start with a large pot and be sure that the pot has drainage holes on the bottom. Also, use dirt that is specifically labeled as potting mix or potting soil. This dirt is mixed to produce optimum results and drainage!

When choosing flowers for your container, consider where your container will live and if you need to shop for shade or sun plants. This particular container is filled with shade loving plants.

When arranging the flowers, always remember the three T's... Tall, Thick and Trailing. For our "tall" plant, we used Caladium. For our "thick"plant, we used Heucherella. And for our trailing plant, we used three Creeping Jenny which will eventually spill out over the sides of the pot. We also added a flowering white impatient for color.

Carmen also advised planting the flowers in a loose triangular pattern. You cannot see in this picture but there is a third Creeping Jenny in the back which makes a total of 6 plants in this large container!

Shopping for plants can be overwhelming even for the most experienced gardeners. Did you know Home Depot's plants are marked with a QR code that you can scan and quickly retrieve information on that specific plant? I LOVE that! Y'all have got to try it out next time your perusing the garden center. It's so much fun. If you see some crazy lady endlessly scanning plants in Home Depot, it's me.

I also learned that you can join the Home Depot Garden Club for promotions, offers and additional expert advice and it's totally FREE! 

A big thank you to Home Depot, the Southern Living Plant Collection, the farmers at Pure Beauty Farms  and Carmen for sharing your tips and love of gardening with us. I'm looking forward to creating many more flowering containers in the future.

If you decide to create your own flowering masterpiece, be sure to share it with Carmen on social media by using the hashtag #southernlivingplantcollection I know she and the team would love to see your containers too. Happy planting fellow peaches!

Home Depot Style Challenge Reveal

In case you missed it, my front porch made its debut on the Home Depot Apron blog yesterday and to say I was excited and honored is an understatement! Earlier this year I accepted the Home Depot Style Challenge and have been working tirelessly to get my space ready for its closeup. Working with a brand that I love has been so rewarding, especially as the blog approaches it's fourth birthday. Over the years, blogging, in general, has motivated and encouraged me to challenge myself and turn ideas into reality and this project is a perfect example. A big thank you to Home Depot for the opportunity. It really feels like another room has been added to our house!

If you haven't had a chance to see the entire style challenge post on Home Depot's website, I encourage you to do that now because there are additional details and pictures of my space as well as other bloggers sharing their patios/porches.

I did want to post some behind-the-scenes photos for y'all in regards to DIY and decor. So, here we go...

I painted the porch ceiling Sparkling Blue by BEHR but I feel I could have gone a shade darker. Even so, I love the end result. Home Depot sent me the Martha Stewart Charlottetown set in white with quarry red cushions. I don't think I could have picked a more perfect set of my porch. It has that charming feminine appearance but the material is very durable! With all the spring pollen here in GA, I've already hosed down the furniture several times which is a major plus for me. 

I added blue and white pillows from Jonathan Adler's "Happy Chic" collection which can be found at JCPenny. Love his stuff...it's so bright and vibrant. The grey and white pillows were a random purchase from Homegoods.

You'll never believe where I found all the gorgeous blue and white ginger jars....Hobby Lobby. Yes, you heard correctly. The regular prices on these aren't too shabby but I stumbled in one day during a ceramics sale and got them for a steal. You can find these affordable blue and white ginger jars online (here) if you don't live near a storefront.

Another great find was this $25 ming style coffee table from the Goodwill. I've always admired these tables so when the Goodwill gods smiled on me that particular day, I picked it up without hesitation. You can see in the before and after photos that the top was a little warped and the table in general was a little rough around the edges.

I removed the bamboo top, sanded it, primed it and painted it with two coats of high gloss white paint. I'm still in awe of it's perfect dimensions and classic curves. 

For $20 and the cost of some gold spray paint, I spruced up this wire shelving unit for serving drinks and displaying plants. I found the green lacquer tray and seashell tray at Homegoods. The blue and white vase is from Hobby Lobby and the wooden pineapple and blue glass votives are Goodwill finds too. The ice bucket and orange spotted ceramic tray are part of my vintage Georges Briard collection.

The small white garden stool was purchased at Homegoods for $30. And see that little gold planter holding the hydrangea? That was also a $2 Goodwill find that got a new life thanks to some spray paint.

Many people have asked about the rug. I purchased the 5 x 8 blue and white outdoor rug from Amazon.com for $85 and was over the moon when it arrived. The color was perfect and the material (again) is durable and can be hosed down with water for easy maintenance.

It's also super soft for all those little feet that will be running around on it.

The boys lounging on the new digs....

The beaches of Santorini, Greece were my inspiration for the entire space. This divided ceramic tray is another vintage Georges Briard piece from my collection.

A patio peach tree brightens this previously empty corner...

The front entrance also got a makeover with fresh stain, a pineapple door knocker, a new porch light and an over sized doormat. It finally looks ready to welcome visitors!

Hope you enjoyed the details and I have GOT to thank my sweet husband for helping get this project done on time. While I was painting and styling and prepping the front porch, he entertained the boys on more than one occasion. I could not have done it without him!

Here's a recap of all the details:

Martha Stewart Charlottetown Love Seat and Chair: Home Depot

Blue and White Pillows: JCPenny

Grey Pillows: Homegoods

Blue and White Vases: Hobby Lobby

Beverage and Plant Stand: Home Depot

Orange and Black spotted ceramics: Vintage Georges Briard

Ice Bucket: Vintage Georges Briard 

Outdoor Blue and White Rug: Amazon

Over sized Welcome Mat: Amazon

Pineapple Door Knocker: Home Depot

Porch Light: Home Depot

Outdoor Ceiling Fan: Home Depot

Ming Coffee Table: Goodwill

Sweet Tea Beverage Tag: Ballard Designs

Garden Stool: Homegoods

*Home Depot provided me with a patio set and gift card to complete the Home Depot Style Challenge. All ideas and opinions are my own. Thanks Home Depot!