Oneonta Gorge, OR Part 1

The walls of the canyon are layered in moss that glistens with the moisture. Through out the trail the canyon is visible from few spots but, if your daring and adventurous enough the water level of the canyon is pretty low and with hiking sandals you can wade up it for a half of mile or so. Pony tail falls are absolutely magical. Through out the centuries the ground has eroded leaving an organic cavern beneath for travelers to weave around, and behind the spray. I'd advice sturdy hiking shoes for this venture, unlike my experience today with my tennis shoes. Also, pack a pair of hiking sandals in a pack for an extra experience. Is this trail stroller friendly, no. Although, I did see two hiking dads with a pack of kids under the age of 5!

Make sure to check back for photos of the full hike in a couple weeks. Part two is twice as amazing!

Want some more north west adventure ideas? Check out these!

No. 1 - Eagle Creek, OR

No. 2 - Paradise, Mt. Rainer WA

Easy Window Cornice DIY // bathroom peek

This project is so easy. You could almost do it your self if it didn't take two people to hold the wood sides together and hang it. Project total time 1:30 min.

• Flat corner braces
• Corner braces
• Three measured and cut wood pieces to desired lengths
• Screw driver
• Staples & staple gun
• Desired fabric 

Start by picking up these braces at Home Depot

Don't have a saw? Home depot cuts complimentary with a purchase of any wood item and your provided measurements. My choice of plank is 10" high, I could have almost done a 12" but, it all depends on your fabric print scale size and window length. You want it to "look right" and proportionate with the window. 

This is how easy it is to put the braces together. Assemble your boards with a help from a friend holding the two sides together and secure your screws with a screw driver, nice and tight!

Both of your sides will look like this

Lay your batting down on a table and place you assembled cornice on top of it. Make a cut with your scissors 2"along all sides. 

Apply staples with your staple gun but, not too many, I only put three on the long sides. Really, your just want enough to secure the batting in place.

Do the same with your fabric. Lay your fabric face down on the table top and put your assembled cornice on the fabric. Again, cut along the fabric 2.5" away from all the edges. You can see in the lower part I can pull the fabric pretty far around the edges of the wood.

Now, I like to keep all my work clean even though this is an easy DIY. I folded the edge of the fabric and batting under to create a clean edge. No, no one will really see the underside of this but say, if I ever re-home the cornice it I just want it to look as put together as possible

I pulled the fabric taught and stapled all the edges roughly every 3-5 inches apart

This is what it will look like at the end

Here's my final product. If you notice I did a little tailoring with the edges. Your fabric, doesn't need to do this because I was using what I had and didn't have the full 54" width. My fabric was from a previous project that was cut, from my old house so I Jimmy rigged it to look nice! Your fabric, should be able to wrap around clean, then be upholstered.

Using these corner braces I applied it to the cornice before hanging it on the wall and at an angle screwed in the screws.

It's hanging and dresses the plain window well!

This was such an easy project,  do you think the wall cornice makes a big impact on the room?

 Is this a project you think your could take on solo?

Family Flop Outakes

My boys never sit still, so thinking I'd get a really good family photo was shooting for the moon; at least we landed in the stars... who wants a perfect family photo anyway. In 80 years my grand kids are going to like the action shots better.

booger alert!

Tomorrows DIY

An easy window cornice tutorial on the blog tomorrow, stay tuned! ;)

Abby M. Interiors Feature

Abby Manchesky, is an incredible designer and owner of Abby M. Interiors of Grand Rapids, Michigan. She was featured recently on Honey were Home blog which some of you may have come across her the same way I did! She has great use of new and refinished furniture which you could probably guess was one of the main things that caught my eye about her designs, along with her bold choices in detail and textiles.

All images credited via Abby M. Interiors

Her portfolio explodes with tons more pictures. Check her out if you like what you see!

Happy Mother's Day

Dear Boys, 

I'm not going to lie. The day you came into this world I was scared. Scared to lose you, even though I didn't know who you were going to be. You are my first children, completely un planned/un-married, and becoming a mom for the first time was a whirl wind of excitement, nervousness and curiosity. Maybe things happen for a reason and your birth was 2 months of pure shock until the day they let me take you home.

That day I had planned for, for every second until it finally came. Then I didn't know what to do with us when we got home... so, I did what moms do in all the books I read, the baby blogs I stayed up late looking over, the consoling advice I tried my very best to take in. Nothing my young sons, could prepare me for you.

 

You are every emotion, god ever made, in a bottle. In fact, the two of you are every emotion I've ever experienced, walking around out side my body. With you in my life everything has changed in ways I can't explain or express. One things for sure though, there was so much of me missing before I was a mother to you two. As a mother, I am whole now. I am left beliving I can concur anything in front of my path and it's all because of you!

 I promised my self to devote everything to you, and so far not one thing in my life stems from anything other then some sort of energy that developed from you two. Being a single mother extends far past the most hardest, really anything, I've experienced and so far it's only given me the strength to challenge my self, to succeed, dare to complete and finish everything I do no matter how hard, how long it takes.

Today, Sunday May 12th 2013 it is Mother's Day...

...Mommy loves you boys, and I'm so thankful for you through every moment. Your strong, and healthy, rumbustious, adventurous; your amazing Liam & Ethan...