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  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
    • Home Decor
      • Before and After
    • Fashion
      • Jewelry
    • DIY
    • Entertaining
      • Holidays
      • Birthdays
    • Healthy Living
    • Family
    • Travel
    • Uncategorized
  • Shop
  • Contact
  • Instagram SHOP
  • DMJewelry Shop–Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale

    DMJewelry Shop–Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale
  • Black Friday Guide 2019

    Black Friday Guide 2019
  • Sweater Dresses for Thanksgiving Dinner

    Sweater Dresses for Thanksgiving Dinner
  • Pampas DIY Chandelier

    Pampas DIY Chandelier
  • Pumpkin Succulent Flower Centerpiece

    Pumpkin Succulent Flower Centerpiece

Pumpkin Succulent Flower Centerpiece

Pumpkin Succulent Flower Centerpiece for your Thanksgiving Table

Pumpkin Succulent Flower Centerpiece with Gold Leaf for your Thanksgiving Table || Darling Darleen
Pumpkin Succulent Flower Centerpiece with Gold Leaf for your Thanksgiving Table || Darling Darleen

Do you still have Halloween pumpkins laying around? No worries; good chance there are still some available at your local grocery store! I bought so many for my Fall Porch decor that I thought I could spare a few to make a Thanksgiving Pumpkin succulent Flower centerpiece. This DIY is very similar to my top Pinterest post that I did for my Easter table a few years ago: Tulip Cabbage Centerpiece. I love using natural resources to make something so beautiful! This is a very budget-friendly centerpiece using
“porcelain doll” pink pumpkins. You could also use the cinderella blue pumpkins or the white pumpkins!

Pumpkin Succulent Flower Centerpiece with Gold Leaf for your Thanksgiving Table || Darling Darleen

Supplies:

porcelain doll pumpkin

2 succulents

Mix of dried flowers, fresh flowers and faux flowers

Flower foam

pumpkin cutting knife (look in your halloween supply box!)

floral scissors

gold foil supplies (DIY here)

gilding glue

gilding brush

Pumpkin Succulent Flower Centerpiece with Gold Leaf for your Thanksgiving Table || Darling Darleen

First thing when carving a pumpkin? Yup. Cut the top off and clean the insides out. If you need your pumpkin to last long, rub petroleum jelly all around the inside to keep the mold away and maintain the moisture.

Pumpkin Succulent Flower Centerpiece with Gold Leaf for your Thanksgiving Table || Darling Darleen

Next grab your floral foam and cut to the size of you pumpkin opening. If you are using dried or faux flowers, then you can use a dry foam. I used a wet foam because the succulents are placed on top and keeps their roots wet. But I also used a mixture of real, dried and faux flowers.

Pumpkin Succulent Flower Centerpiece with Gold Leaf for your Thanksgiving Table || Darling Darleen

Then I placed two succulents on top of the foam and arranged a variety of flowers around the succulents.

Pumpkin Succulent Flower Centerpiece with Gold Leaf for your Thanksgiving Table || Darling Darleen

If you have wheat, berries or branches, spray with gold spray paint for a touch of gold in your arrangement.

Pumpkin Succulent Flower Centerpiece with Gold Leaf for your Thanksgiving Table || Darling Darleen
Pumpkin Succulent Flower Centerpiece with Gold Leaf for your Thanksgiving Table || Darling Darleen

Now the final touch of your pumpkin succulent flower centerpiece is adding gold foil to the edges! My favorite part of the whole centerpiece. The gold foil (or gold gilding) will make your pumpkin look elegant and dress up your Thanksgiving table. I share all about how to use gold foil or gold gilding in this post.

Pumpkin Succulent Flower Centerpiece with Gold Leaf for your Thanksgiving Table || Darling Darleen
Pumpkin Succulent Flower Centerpiece with Gold Leaf for your Thanksgiving Table || Darling Darleen
Pumpkin Succulent Flower Centerpiece with Gold Leaf for your Thanksgiving Table || Darling Darleen

Leave a Comment Filed Under: DIY Tagged With: DIY holiday, diy home decor, diy projects, home diy projects, thanksgiving

Bold Tween Boys Bedroom

Bold Tween Boys Bedroom with Twin Beds and Plaid Wallpaper with Lamps Over Headboard and mirror || Darling Darleen

Moving into our new house, I knew I needed to get my boys room in tip top shape sooner than later. Well, here are at a year later. Sooner couldn’t come sooner! What I knew before I began was that I wanted to change up my boys room from our last house, while still using the same furniture and elements. Since it’s the first bedroom you see at the top of the stairs, I wanted the room to be a bold tween boys bedroom with some fun styling like the plaid wallpaper. This was one of the walls in the house that I wallpapered, and now I want to wallpaper all the rooms! You can see the DIY for wallpapering and how easy it is. The wallpaper is actually from the Hearth and Hand Magnolia line at Target, which is sold out, but I linked a similar style. I also wanted the bedroom to have a cleaner and more sophisticated look, so that’s why I went with the bold, dark gray Benjamin Moore paint called Amherst Gray.

Bold Tween Boys Bedroom with Twin Beds and Plaid Wallpaper with Lamps Over Headboard and mirror.  Floating gallery wall and basket pendant light add texture to the bedroom || Darling Darleen

Plaid Wallpaper (similar) | Black Twin Beds (similar) | DIY Basket Light Fixture (Similar) | Striped Comforter Cover | Navy Quilt | Gold Swing Light Fixtures | Blue throw Pillow | Yellow throw Pillow | Yellow Storage Cubes | Rug | Cabinet Chest

Bold Tween Boys Bedroom with Twin Beds and Plaid Wallpaper with Lamps Over Headboard and mirror.  Floating gallery wall and basket pendant light add texture to the bedroom || Darling Darleen
Bold Tween Boys Bedroom with Twin Beds and Plaid Wallpaper with Lamps Over Headboard and mirror.  Floating gallery wall and basket pendant light add texture to the bedroom || Darling Darleen

An easy refresh to a bedroom is changing out the bedding for a different style and using different throw pillows. We did just that–I used the same bedding but switched out the duvet covers to the modern farmhouse striped and bought new throw pillows. The swing arm lamp above each bed is a fun element, and my boys love it because they end up reading in bed prior to sleep. These swing arm lamps just plug in and I used a black cord cover for a sleeker look.

Bold Tween Boys Bedroom with Twin Beds and Plaid Wallpaper with Lamps Over Headboard and mirror.  Floating gallery wall and basket pendant light add texture to the bedroom || Darling Darleen

Round Hanging Mirror | Black Globe | Zinc Metal Letters

Bold Tween Boys Bedroom with Twin Beds and Plaid Wallpaper with Lamps Over Headboard and mirror.  Floating gallery wall and basket pendant light add texture to the bedroom || Darling Darleen
Bold Tween Boys Bedroom with Twin Beds and Plaid Wallpaper with Lamps Over Headboard and mirror.  Floating gallery wall and basket pendant light add texture to the bedroom || Darling Darleen
Bold Tween Boys Bedroom with Twin Beds and Plaid Wallpaper with Lamps Over Headboard and mirror.  Floating gallery wall and basket pendant light add texture to the bedroom || Darling Darleen

Boys Will be Boys Art |New York Print | Leaves Art | Bronco Art Print

Bold Tween Boys Bedroom with Twin Beds and Plaid Wallpaper with Lamps Over Headboard and mirror.  Floating gallery wall and basket pendant light add texture to the bedroom || Darling Darleen
Bold Tween Boys Bedroom with Twin Beds and Plaid Wallpaper with Lamps Over Headboard and mirror.  Floating gallery wall and basket pendant light add texture to the bedroom || Darling Darleen

This bookcase has been so great to hold all my boys’ books. I actually have to go through and clean it often to remove books they have already read. We also use it to display their sport trophies, toys and baby pictures.

Bold Tween Boys Bedroom with Twin Beds and Plaid Wallpaper with Lamps Over Headboard and mirror.  Floating gallery wall and basket pendant light add texture to the bedroom || Darling Darleen
Bold Tween Boys Bedroom with Twin Beds and Plaid Wallpaper with Lamps Over Headboard and mirror.  Floating gallery wall and basket pendant light add texture to the bedroom || Darling Darleen
Bold Tween Boys Bedroom with Twin Beds and Plaid Wallpaper with Lamps Over Headboard and mirror.  Floating gallery wall and basket pendant light add texture to the bedroom || Darling Darleen

Bookcase | Roman Shades | Black S-Chair | White desk | Floating Shelves | Atlanta Print | Blue Rocking Chair | DIY Mudcloth Pillow (similar)

Bold Tween Boys Bedroom with Twin Beds and Plaid Wallpaper with Lamps Over Headboard and mirror.  Floating gallery wall and basket pendant light add texture to the bedroom || Darling Darleen
Bold Tween Boys Bedroom with Twin Beds and Plaid Wallpaper with Lamps Over Headboard and mirror.  Floating gallery wall and basket pendant light add texture to the bedroom || Darling Darleen

22 Comments Filed Under: Home Decor Tagged With: boys bedroom, diy home decor, home decor, home decorating

DIY Basket Light Pendant

Easy DIY Basket Light Pendant for only $30 and 30 minutes of your time!

Easy DIY Basket Light Pendant for only $30 and 30 minutes of your time!  You'll have a designer basket pendant with a fraction of the price!  It will completely transform any bedroom with this DIY Basket Light Pendant|| Darling Darleen #diy

We have been adding and changing out light fixtures in our new home. It’s been a slow process as I am trying to change them out as I go about decorating each room. The boys room is just about finished, and I finally changed out their dated flush light fixture with a fun modern basket light pendant. I’ve had my eye on a $400 basket light pendant, and I thought save the money and just DIY it! This project only cost me $30, and I think I like this DIY basket light pendant better than the one I had my eye on.

All the supplies you need for this DIY Basket Light Pendant is a large basket, a light pendant cord, drill, small screwdriver. I bought my large basket at Home Goods for under $20, but you can find similar cheap ones at Hobby Lobby, Amazon and Target. I also looked for a round basket that didn’t have handles and was open weave so the light could be more pronounced when hung.

The light pendant cord was so easy to install, and I love the modern touch of gold and the simple straight line. For only $12, this is the best light pendant for DIYing any light fixture!

On the plate side of the light pendant cord, you will take it apart and separate the black cord from the plate. Using a small screwdriver, loosen the screw from connector to pull the cord out.

Drill a hole in the base of basket. Then feed the light cord through the bottom of the base and reattach it to the plate. If you want the light to hang in the middle of the basket, we put a knot at the top of where the cord and the basket met so the light bulb would hang in the middle of the basket. This helps penetrate more light from the basket. Hard wire the light to the ceiling. This requires a professional to install, unless you are handy or have a handy husband who can do the trick!

Easy DIY Basket Light Pendant for only $30 and 30 minutes of your time!  You'll have a designer basket pendant with a fraction of the price!  It will completely transform any bedroom with this DIY Basket Light Pendant|| Darling Darleen #diy

$650 Homegoods Giveaway

Time to treat yourself to some Fall shopping at Homegoods!
I’ve teamed up with a group of bloggers to give one lucky winner
a chance to win a $650 Homegoods Gift Card!

To enter: complete the steps in the rafflecopter below. The more steps you complete,
the more entries you receive, and the better your chance at winning!
This giveaway runs until Tuesday, October 22nd at 12am PST

Winner will be announced here. Good Luck!
*this giveaway is in no way sponsored by Homegoods.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Easy DIY Basket Light Pendant for only $30 and 30 minutes of your time!  You'll have a designer basket pendant with a fraction of the price!  It will completely transform any bedroom with this DIY Basket Light Pendant|| Darling Darleen #diy

Leave a Comment Filed Under: DIY Tagged With: diy home, diy home decor, home decor, home decor tutorial

Planting Bulbs Indoor Containers

Force Bulbs Indoors in time for Holiday Flowers

Planting bulbs in indoor containers is an easy way to decorate for fall with organic natural textures but also can be enjoy through the holiday months ahead.  Forcing bulbs in containers is easy and a beautiful natural centerpiece for a dining room table or end table or entry way table.  Add texture with replanting orchids.  || Darling Darleen #darlingdarleen
Planting bulbs in indoor containers is an easy way to decorate for fall with organic natural textures but also can be enjoy through the holiday months ahead.  Forcing bulbs in containers is easy and a beautiful natural centerpiece for a dining room table or end table or entry way table.  Add texture with replanting orchids.  || Darling Darleen #darlingdarleen

I’m in the Fall mood and have been decorating the house with cozy autumn touches. Instead of decorating the whole house with pumpkins and orange and brown, I’m going more a organic route with textures of wood, dried stems and natural materials. Usually during the holidays I like to decorate with paper whites, but I’ve never forced them inside because I usually don’t start them far in advance to do so. The bulbs need about 3-5 weeks to bloom after planting them indoors. Planting bulbs in indoor containers for holiday flowers should begin in early fall. The best bulbs to plant for the holidays are paper whites and amaryllis because they do not need to be chilled, whereas your spring bulbs need a chill period of about 3 months. Once paper whites and amaryllis are planted, they are easy growers and add so many beauty to a room, especially when the short, cold days come along. If you’d like to see how I’ve decorated my house last year, I posted all about updating my living space for fall.

Planting bulbs in indoor containers is an easy way to decorate for fall with organic natural textures but also can be enjoy through the holiday months ahead.  Forcing bulbs in containers is easy and a beautiful natural centerpiece for a dining room table or end table or entry way table.  Add texture with replanting orchids.  || Darling Darleen #darlingdarleen

Supplies for Planting Bulbs Indoor Containers

Bulbs

Soil/Dirt

glass container (wide opening)

moss

river rocks

sticks (optional–use for paper whites and if your container is low)

Planting bulbs in indoor containers is an easy way to decorate for fall with organic natural textures but also can be enjoy through the holiday months ahead.  Forcing bulbs in containers is easy and a beautiful natural centerpiece for a dining room table or end table or entry way table.  Add texture with replanting orchids.  || Darling Darleen #darlingdarleen

Paper whites and amaryllis are available at more local florist and cost about $1-$2 a bulb. Some things to keep in mind when planting the bulbs. Make sure to plant them roots down, stem up. You can plant them in soil, surrounded by rocks and moss to keep the moisture in. The bulbs stay above ground, except the roots. Make sure to keep the bulbs dry to prevent rotting and don’t put water over the bulbs, only on the roots. You can plant them in watertight containers with their roots in the water and their bodies above. Plant bulbs close tougher but with enough space between. And remember to always keep the the tips of the bulbs uncovered.

  1. Fill your glass container with a little bit of soil them add moss and rocks to the perimeter so you can mostly see the moss through the glass container.
  2. Before you place the bulbs on top of the soil, pour a cup of water on the soil so it is moist, but not oversaturated.
  3. Next place the bulbs roots down, stems up. Keep them snug in the container but also a little separated between moss
  4. If your container is low, place sticks between the bulbs so as the paper whites grows the stems will have a place to lean up against to prevent it falling over. I added moss to my sticks (found in my backyard) with spray adhesive!
Planting bulbs in indoor containers is an easy way to decorate for fall with organic natural textures but also can be enjoy through the holiday months ahead.  Forcing bulbs in containers is easy and a beautiful natural centerpiece for a dining room table or end table or entry way table.  Add texture with replanting orchids.  || Darling Darleen #darlingdarleen

For added texture, replant grocery-store orchids in fun containers and add moss and rocks.

Planting bulbs in indoor containers is an easy way to decorate for fall with organic natural textures but also can be enjoy through the holiday months ahead.  Forcing bulbs in containers is easy and a beautiful natural centerpiece for a dining room table or end table or entry way table.  Add texture with replanting orchids.  || Darling Darleen #darlingdarleen

Planting bulbs in indoor containers will be enjoyed through all the holiday months ahead!

Planting bulbs in indoor containers is an easy way to decorate for fall with organic natural textures but also can be enjoy through the holiday months ahead.  Forcing bulbs in containers is easy and a beautiful natural centerpiece for a dining room table or end table or entry way table.  Add texture with replanting orchids.  || Darling Darleen #darlingdarleen
Planting bulbs in indoor containers is an easy way to decorate for fall with organic natural textures but also can be enjoy through the holiday months ahead.  Forcing bulbs in containers is easy and a beautiful natural centerpiece for a dining room table or end table or entry way table.  Add texture with replanting orchids.  || Darling Darleen #darlingdarleen
Planting bulbs in indoor containers is an easy way to decorate for fall with organic natural textures but also can be enjoy through the holiday months ahead.  Forcing bulbs in containers is easy and a beautiful natural centerpiece for a dining room table or end table or entry way table.  Add texture with replanting orchids.  || Darling Darleen #darlingdarleen

1 Comment Filed Under: DIY Tagged With: diy, diy home, diy home decor, diy projects, holiday decorating, home diy projects, planting

Beginner Guide: How to Hang Wallpaper

A Beginner’s Guide to Hanging Wallpaper with Easy Step-by-Step Tutorial

Hanging wallpaper is easy!  Anyone can do it!  Check out my Beginner Guide How to Hang Wallpaper DIY tutorial to give you the how to easy step-by-step process of hanging wallpaper. buffalo plaid wallpaper || Darling Darleen

After years of hiring professional wallpaper installers and watching them hang wallpaper, I decided to give it a try. Do you remember the wallpaper I hung in my renovated powder bathroom? I did a lot of observed during the installation. How come no one told me hanging wallpaper is really quite easy?! I’m not sure why I’ve been so intimidated with the wallpaper installation process. But after tackling my boy’s room and then hanging removable wallpaper in my daughter’s room, I’m up for another wallpaper challenge! So, I decided to do a Beginner’s guide: How to Hang Wallpaper for all the newbies out there and to also say to be bold and give this DIY a try!

First off, the wallpaper I bought was not really expensive so that was one of the reasons I decided to install it myself. I felt like if I messed up, I wasn’t deeply invested in the paper. Regardless of the price, I really do love this pre-pasted wallpaper that I found at Target! Also the other thing about the beginner guide how to hang wallpaper is that you really don’t need a ton of supplies, just some essential ones.

Beginner’s Guide: How to Hang Wallpaper

Supplies:

wallpaper (measure your walls to determine how many rolls of paper you will need)

wallpaper paste (if your wallpaper is not pre-pasted)

wallpaper primer and size

carpenter’s level and tape measure

roller and water bucket

wallpaper smoother or wallpaper brush

large sponge

pencil and scissors

working table and ladder

sharp utility knife and metal edger

Before wallpapering, you need to prep the walls. This part is very important and should not be overlooked. Clean and then lightly sand down the walls so they are smooth and have no abrasions. Repair any holes in the wall. Then prime the wall with wallpaper primer and wallpaper size. Size can help the wallpaper grip the wall better and make is easier to peel off later if you decide to remove it.

After you prep the walls, measure the wall lengthwise to determine the center point of the wall. Then take a carpenter’s level and from straight up and down, draw a “plumb” line where the center point is located in the wall. The center is a good point to start off to hang your first wallpaper. Then continue to make additional vertical lines acorss the wall that are the width of your wallpaper. These will act as markers when you hang your panels.

Then measure the wall from ceiling to floor or moulding to moulding and add four inches of overhang. Use this measurement to cut your wallpaper into strips. Use a ruler or L square tool to mark the line on the wallpaper with a pencil. When you apply the wallpaper to the wall, you should have about 2 inches of overhang on the top and bottom of the panel.

If you are using a prepasted wallpaper, you can just roll up your paper with the back facing out and submerge it in a water-filled trough. Or you can use a paint roller and roll water along the back making sure that every part of the wallpaper has been submerged with water. If your wallpaper doesn’t come pre-pasted, lay it back side up on table and use a roller to apply the paste.

To activate the paste, loosely fold both side of the paper to the center. Don’t crease. This is known as “booking”. Let the paper sit for 2-3 minutes while the paste activates. Booking the paper also makes it easy to apply the wallpaper to the wall since the wallpaper is folded in.

Hanging wallpaper is easy!  Anyone can do it!  Check out my Beginner Guide How to Hang Wallpaper DIY tutorial to give you the how to easy step-by-step process of hanging wallpaper. buffalo plaid wallpaper || Darling Darleen

Grab a helper and a ladder and unfold your booked wallpaper. Hold it up from the top of the wall where you marked your plumb line. Line up the edge of the paper to your plumb line and smooth into place. Then using a wallpaper brush and plastic smoother, press out any air bubbles and excess paste. Use a wet sponge as needed. This will take a few minutes to completely smooth your wallpaper panel.

Then using a metal edger, press the paper into the wall’s edge at the top and bottom of the wallpaper panel and cut away any excess paper with a sharp utility knife blade.

Repeat the process as before but make sure you are cutting the paper so that the pattern will match up. You will have leftover paper because of this very reason, so it’s best to buy an extra roll so you don’t run out of paper. Hang the next panel right next to the first meeting the edges without overlapping. You might need to slide the paper around to make sure the patterns match up.

Watch the DIY tutorial video of Beginner’s Guide: How to Hang Wallpaper . Make sure to give it a thumbs up and subscribe!

Let me know what you think about the video! I’m still a newbie on the videos and I hope to perfect it over time!

Hanging wallpaper is easy!  Anyone can do it!  Check out my Beginner Guide How to Hang Wallpaper DIY tutorial to give you the how to easy step-by-step process of hanging wallpaper. buffalo plaid wallpaper || Darling Darleen
Image and feature image by Melanie Rieders

7 Comments Filed Under: DIY Tagged With: boy bedroom, diy home decor, diy projects, diy video, home decor, home decor tutorial, wallpaper

Make Money and Save Money Using Facebook Marketplace

How I Made $5,000 in One Month Selling on Facebook Marketplace and Saved Even More Buying off Facebook Marketplace

Thank you Facebook Marketplace for sponsoring this post. There’s something for everyone!

With a recent move across the country, packing up our Georgia house was no easy task. Thankfully, we had movers, and it took three days to move us out. It’s amazing how much a family can accumulate in just five years!

Prior to our big move though, I was determined to organize, declutter, and purge anything that we hadn’t been using. The range varied from baby clothes, designer shoes, an old washer and dryer, rugs, curtains, and furniture pieces. I didn’t want to just give it all away because many of the items were in good condition and valuable. That’s when I turned to Facebook Marketplace. I knew I could make money and save money using Facebook Marketplace. The process of using Facebook Marketplace was so easy and convenient that within a few minutes of posting my items I wanted to sell, I was getting response from interested local buyers. I easily pocketed over $5,000 in just under a month selling used items that I once owned. A very nice way to put money in the bank account, which of course is so helpful during a big move.  

Once we moved into our new home, we had a few furniture pieces that didn’t work with the layout in some of the rooms, so I immediately posted them on Facebook Marketplace. But even though I got rid of those items, I still needed a replacement that worked better in the space along with new curtains (because our old ones didn’t work out) and new rugs. To keep costs down, Facebook Marketplace was my first go-to for buying these items. My most recent purchase off Facebook Marketplace was a vintage traditional dresser that I refinished, painted, and completely transformed! I am also still obsessed with a modern tub chair that I also purchased locally and reupholstered. You can see the before pictures of the modern tub chair in this post. I love turning something used into some new!

So, where is this Facebook Marketplace located? It is located right on Facebook. On mobile devices, it is the “storefront” icon and on desktop it will be located on the left side column under Marketplace, or you can click here. One thing that makes Facebook Marketplace appealing to use, is the visual layout. It is easy to scroll through the images and see if anything sparks your interest.  The top items listed are local items, usually within a 7 mile radius of where you are located, but you can also change your search setting to only display items within a certain distance from you. The more you scroll, the farther away the item is located. What’s great is you can check out the seller’s profile and see if you have a common connection. When you find something of interest, just click to message the seller and then you work it out from there to coordinate pick up.  

Here are some helpful tips for SELLING on Facebook Marketplace

–When you take pictures of your item, make sure you take it in a well-lit room, preferably with natural light. Take more than one picture with multiple angles of the item. If there are any flaws or issues with the item, include a picture of them.

–If the item is a well-known brand, include the name of the brand in the title of the post, along with a brief description of the item you are selling. Buyers will sometimes search for brand names only when looking for items to buy.

–In the description, make sure to include a description of the item, along with any measurements, quantity, and if there are any issues with the item, etc. The more detail, the better!

–Be honest when selling, and also fair with pricing your item. Unless you are selling something new, barely used, or a high demand item, be mindful that it is a used item. If it is priced too high, buyers will either ignore your post or come back to you with an unreasonable price. If you don’t know what is fair pricing, search a similar item in Facebook Marketplace and see how other sellers have priced the item.

–Tell your buyers you only take cash. To avoid any fraud, especially with larger items, request cash only. Don’t take a check. You can let people pay with digital payment apps, but make sure the payment cleared in your bank account first.

Here are some helpful tips for BUYING on Facebook Marketplace

–Be mindful of your keywords when you search. I like to include a brand name in the search, along with the item description.

–You can narrow your search down by price and what’s nearest to you.

–Determine how far you will drive for an item. Sometimes you can find a really good item that is 30 miles away or even an hour. Definitely keep in mind the distance when searching and whether a cheaper price is worth the time spent in a car.  

–For safety, I like to meet the seller in a public place, like a grocery store, shopping lot, or bring my husband along with me. Again, what is great is creating a connection.

With spring here and the urge to organize and declutter, make sure to check out Facebook Marketplace.

19 Comments Filed Under: DIY Tagged With: discounts and savings, diy home decor, DIY project, painted furniture, sponsored post

How to Hang Removable Wallpaper

Tips for Hanging Removable Wallpaper–It’s so easy!

Thank you Rocky Mountain Decals for providing your beautiful wallpaper for this tutorial!

DIY How to Hang Removable Wallpaper | DIY wallpaper ideas | removable wall panels | tips on removable wallpaper installation | how to install temporary wallpaper | renters ideas for home decor | wall decor ideas | budget friendly home decor | DIY guide | #darlingdarleen #removablewallpaper #darleenmeier || Darling Darleen

Somehow my oldest daughter always seems to get first dibs on bedroom renovations. Do you remember her tween coral and pink bedroom? Well, it was the first room to be done in our Georgia house. And lucky girl, this bedroom will probably be the first done in our Connecticut house! We knew we wanted to switch out the originial coral and turquoise paint colors in this room for more of a serene, boho-chic teenager bedroom. So we decided to paint the whole bedroom white and do a wall of wallpaper. We just loved the wallpaper in her old bedroom, but wanted this wallpaper to be more sophisticated, but with a bohemian style. We are so happy that we settled for Rocky Mountain Decals Snowy White removable wallpaper. I learned so much during this installation that I wanted to share tips on how to hang removable wallpaper.

Why removable wallpaper? Well, I love the fact that you can just peel and stick, and it requires no professional installation. When you move into a new house, there is so much expense going out to get settled into the home. To tackle a project on my own was very attractive.

There are also so many beautiful wall prints that come in removable wallpaper. I had looked through numerous wallpaper samples and couldn’t find a permanent wallpaper that was in our budget and had that boho style we were looking for. They were either way too expensive or too juvenile.

DIY How to Hang Removable Wallpaper | DIY wallpaper ideas | removable wall panels | tips on removable wallpaper installation | how to install temporary wallpaper | renters ideas for home decor | wall decor ideas | budget friendly home decor | DIY guide | #darlingdarleen #removablewallpaper #darleenmeier || Darling Darleen

For this DIY, I decided to make a video! My first! So please give the video thumbs up and comment. Video is linked at the end of the post. My goal this year is to make a video for my DIYs, but also post a step-by-step written tutorial. Since this was my first video, I completely forgot to take pictures of the process! I’m learning. So many things I learned also while taking this video like look more presentable and wear makeup and clean yourself up! Anyway, this DIY for “How to Hang Removable Wallpaper” will just be a video. But I have helpful tips that I didn’t really include in the video below.

Tips for How to Hang Removable Wallpaper

  • One of the things I wish we did before we hung the removable wallpaper was paint the wall white. I didn’t think we needed to because it’s just peel and stick, and you usually don’t need to prime with removable wallpaper. But the wallpaper, as you can see, has a white background, so up close you can see a tint of coral from the wall being painted that color. You can see the “before of the room” in the video.
  • Removable wallpaper comes in panels of different lengths. I suggest ordering always longer and then trimming the excess wallpaper. Walls sometimes aren’t even especially with trims. And you don’t realize until you are hanging wallpaper. It’s best to go with more than less.
  • Use a ruler or leveler to keep your wallpaper straight. When hanging removable wallpaper, the wallpaper tends to get off course and you find toward the bottom of the wall that the wallpaper has shifted. The good thing is with removable wallpaper, is you can just unpeel and re-stick. But keep in mind, the number of times you unpeel and re-stick the paper, it lessens the stickiness of the glue. I made sure to go slow and tug and pull to keep the wallpaper edge to edge and the seam seamless
  • Use a smoothing tool to get out air bubbles. I had found that when I went slow peeling the backing and smoothing, there was hardly any air bubbles. But when I went fast and not smoothing as often, air bubbles would pop up.
  • Have a helper on hand! Just peeling the backing down is best when you have a helper. Also, they can help keep the wallpaper panel straight as you are taking it down the wall.

Okay let me know what you think about the “How to Hang Removable Wallpaper” video! Stay tune to see the complete bedroom!!

DIY How to Hang Removable Wallpaper | DIY wallpaper ideas | removable wall panels | tips on removable wallpaper installation | how to install temporary wallpaper | renters ideas for home decor | wall decor ideas | budget friendly home decor | DIY guide | #darlingdarleen #removablewallpaper #darleenmeier || Darling Darleen

Shop other FLORAL Removable Wallpaper:

Shop Geometric Removable Wallpaper:

10 Comments Filed Under: Home Decor, Home Decor Tagged With: before and after, diy home decor, diy video, home decor, how to, tween bedroom, wallpaper

Best Online Tile Resources

The Best Online Tile Resources || Darling Darleen #darlingdarleen #tileguide #bestof

The Best Online Tile Resources

With our recent move from Georgia to Connecticut, we recently bought a home that is about fifteen years old.  It isn’t old enough that it needs a major gut and renovation, but it does need some refreshing up and cosmetic changes to modernize it.  The last major tile project we did was our first home in Connecticut, where we gutted and redesigned our upstairs family bathroom.  Many of the best online tile resources websites come from that bathroom project.  Our new house has good bones and has enough space for our growing children.  I love the location of the home–less than a mile away from the train station to NYC and about a mile and half to the beach.  And the neighborhood is great and family friendly.  But there are definitely some things in the home that need major remodeling.  We have already repainted the 50 shades of blue walls in the house to Benjamin Moore White Dove.  And boy!  Paint does make a huge difference!

The Best Online Tile Resources || Darling Darleen #darlingdarleen #tileguide #bestof

Painting the entire house (inside and out) is not the only thing we are doing.  We are also changing out most of the bathroom tiles, and there are about four bathrooms that need a good change.  So, tile has been my focus the last few weeks as our first remodeling project will be our downstairs powder bathroom, since it’s the bathroom that gets the most use during the day.  I will definitely be posting a before and after on the process.  In the meantime, make sure you are following along with me on Instagram as I will be posting on my page and IG Stories.  I’ve already shown some of the tile-picking process.

So I wanted to share what I have found to be the best online tile resources.  Picking tile can be overwhelming, and I know how it’s best to see a tile sample in the room before making the big final purchase.  What I have found to work best and to save money, is to head to your local tile showroom and pick out tile patterns and styles you like.  Showrooms usually allow you to check out one of their samples.  Or you can ask them for the name of tile, and then head to one of these online tile resources and most likely the online site will have the tile but for a fraction of the price.  Most of the tiles I have found in a showroom are available online and about 20% cheaper.  It is nice to see the tile in person.  So if you don’t feel comfortable checking out the sample (because usually they request personal information), you can snap a picture of the tile and again head to these best online tile resources for reference.

As you may have noticed pattern tile in natural stone, ceramic and porcelian are huge right now!  I am loving every patterned and its been quite hard narrowing it down.  Mixing tile pattern and colors are also a favorite.  The water jet mosaic tiles are just so beautiful.  You can really have so much fun creating your space with just tile.

(bathroom and laundry images from Three Bird Renovations)

Here are the Best Online Tile Resources for shopping for your next tile project:

  1. TileBar.com–so many beautiful patterned tiles.  I get giddy looking through their tile options.
  2. Floor & Decor–they offer stone, decorative and tile.  They have a very competitive pricing.
  3. AllModern–if you are looking for the modern style of tile, head to All Modern.  Here are a few of my favorite styles:

4.  Clé Tile –clean and simple.  They have an amazing terra cotta tile collection and team up with other designers.  Most of the tiles are handmade and on the higher end.

5.  Overstock.com–I have found some really great tile option on Overstock.  You’d be amaze and the savings are worth it.  Here are a few of my favorite styles:

6.  Amazon–I’m sure you aren’t surprised that they also sell floor tile.  Well of course!  The only concern is if the seller is reputable so do you research if you find a tile you love.  Here are a few of my favorites:

7.  Home Depot–don’t disregard Home Depot’s tile selection.  They have really picked it up a notch and now sells some really beautiful tiles that are more design focused.

8.  Lowe’s–another home improvement store that is now offering exceptional tile pattern styles.  Most of their best tile styles are found online instead of their stores.

9.  Wayfair–if you are looking for the mosaic cement tile, Wayfair is a great resource and has it at great prices.  They also have an easy return policy, which helps if the tile doesn’t work out.

10.  Houzz–did you know that Houzz now has a shop department?  So convenient because they have many house images linked to the product.  If you need to see how it looks in a space this is a great resource.  Here are a few of my favorite tiles from Houzz.

Which tile is your favorite??

Here is a PIN for your Board!

The Best Online Tile Resources || Darling Darleen #darlingdarleen #tileguide #bestof #tile

Leave a Comment Filed Under: Home Decor Tagged With: diy home decor, home decor, home improvement, tile

Modern Wire Evergreen Wreath

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Modern Wire Evergreen Wreath

Wreath making is one of my favorite Christmas crafts for decorating the home.  You really can’t go wrong and the outcome is so beautiful.  I can’t wait to show you the wreaths and garland I’ve been putting together.  I’m hoping to get my Christmas holiday post up either tomorrow or Monday (fingers crossed).  If you remember last month for Thanksgiving, I made these Modern Harvest Wreaths out of wire hangers and clippings from my yard.  I love the fun wreath shapes you can make of circles, triangles and squares.  It really puts a geometric, modern look on a simple wreath.  Well, I just updated my modern harvest wreaths with a modern wire evergreen wreath so they look a little more holiday and goes with my Christmas tree and ornaments.  This craft is so easy!  Don’t throw out those wire hangers, craft them into something beautiful that can be used year after year.

Supplies for the Modern Wire Evergreen Wreath:

  • Wire hangers
  • Follow the instructions for the Modern Harvest Wreath for making the wire wreath.
  • floral wire
  • wire cutters
  • wire pliers
  • Christmas ribbon
  • leaves–magnolia, eucalyptus, boxwood, any kind of ever green leaves
  • Cotton stem
  • holiday berries from any craft store

Instructions for the Modern Wire Evergreen Wreath:

After you make the wire wreath, go out to your yard or a neighbors or even the woods or a park and clip evergreen plants.  An evergreen plant is a plant that stays green all year round for example boxwood, cedar fir, Fraser fir, eucalyptus, magnolia.  There are so many evergreen variety but I tend for find branches that remind me of a Christmas tree.  You don’t need a lot but enough to cover the bottom half of the wreath.  Then arrange the evergreen clips with the large, bushier branches behind and the thinner smaller leaves in front.  Take your floral wire and wrap around the wire wreath.  Once everything is secure, add your holiday berry branches under the floral wire.  Pull out the cotton heads from the stem and place them also in floral wire.  Add some ribbon and you are ready to hang.

These simple modern wire evergreen wreaths are best placed over a mirror or over the back of a chair.  I also love the look over a fireplace mantle or switching out a picture over a console with one of these modern wire evergreen wreaths.

 

Leave a Comment Filed Under: DIY, Holidays, Home Decor Tagged With: christmas, christmas craft, diy home decor, home decor

Modern Harvest Wreath

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Modern Harvest Wreath

I don’t know about you, but it is hard to feel like it’s Fall when the weather outside is hot and steamy.  Halfway through September, and I’m trying really hard to get into the mood of Fall so the best way to do so is with crafting Fall home decor.  I love how these modern harvest wreaths came out, and they are the perfect crafting idea to get into Fall.  These modern harvest wreaths are perfect to place over a mirror, hang off the back of a chair or decorate above a console table.  Did I mention budget friendly?  Except for a few berry branches, I pulled almost everything from my flower garden and around the house.  And how can you not get over the geometric wreath style?  It the best part of the modern harvest wreath!  You may have seen similar modern harvest wreath styles on Pinterest, but these ones are made out of wire hangers!

A few of the items I used were magnolia leaves, eucalyptus leaves, wheat grasses, decorative berry branches and dyed dried natural berry branches.  These modern harvest wreaths are made with real, natural flowers and leaves but using items that will completely dry beautifully and not wilt.  They should be good the whole fall season!

Here’s the easy breakdown for the modern harvest wreath.

Materials for Modern Harvest Wreath

  • Three wire hangers to make a circle, square, triangle
  • metallic spray paint
  • floral wire
  • wire cutters
  • wire pliers
  • ribbon
  • leaves–magnolia, eucalyptus, boxwood, any kind of ever green leaves
  • natural dried dyed branches like wheat or berries
  • real flowers or berries that does not discolor or welt when dried

Instructions for Modern Harvest Wreath

To make the modern wire wreaths, I used a wire hanger and snipped off the hook part with wire cutters.  Then I manipulated the wire into a geometric shape.  You will need arm strength to bent and twist the wire ends around each other to hold the geometric shape.  Use pliers to assist in the twisting and maybe another set of hands.  Once the shape is secure with the wire hanger, don’t be surprised if the wire ends are pointing out.  You will be covering that part with your flowers.  Just make sure they aren’t pointing out too much that there is a concern with scratching a door or mirror.  After you are happy with the shape of the wreath, spray paint both sides of the wreath with metallic spray paint.  Let it dry.

Start with the leaves and then add three decorative flowers or berries.  Cut the stems an inch from base.  Wrap floral wire around the base of the flowers, then wrap the floral bunch around the base of the wire wreath, making sure it covers where the twist is located.  Repeat about three more times.  Hang the wire wreath with ribbon.

I love the look of hanging the wreath in other places other than a door.  Get creative and have fun decorating your home with these modern harvest wreaths.

SHOP similar items:

 

Leave a Comment Filed Under: DIY Tagged With: diy home decor, holiday decorating, home decor, modern style, seasonal decorating

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ABOUT

Hello and welcome to my creative space! I'm Darleen…creator, designer, DIYer, healthy eater, party planner and mother of 4. Oh and one lucky wife! This lifestyle blog is where I share what I am currently up too and inspired by. Thanks for stopping by!

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