Personalizing The Kitchen

By Mandi | 09/27/2016 | 6 Comments

Do you ever stop to look around your house and just think: “BLAH.” It looks like its filled with stuff. Nothing important or special, just stuff. I know that I can’t be the only one that feels like that. It got me thinking, where in my life do things feel special, solid and centered the most? I immediately thought of my Grandma’s house. It has remained completely unchanged for as long as I can remember (which, lets be honest, will never be my house cause I love buying new furniture wayyyy too much.) So the last time I was there I snapped a quick picture of my favorite place in her house, the kitchen. I tried to get one of her standing at the sink, but she caught on to what I was doing and stepped out of the shot. Fast forward a few months and my friends at Shutterfly reached out about personalizing a space with some of their fun home décor products. I knew immediately that I wanted to have this picture of my Grandma’s kitchen professionally framed, and I knew right where I wanted to hang it.

 

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WHAT'S HAPPENING IN WALDO

The Day I Bought A Bowling Alley & There Was Much Rejoicing

By Mandi | 09/14/2016 | 14 Comments

WhatsHappeningInWaldo.jpgTHINGS THAT ARE DIFFICULT IN LIFE: realizing that adults have to wear pants 99% of the time, figuring out how to get stains out of kid’s clothing, finding the remote after someone other than you used it, and balancing post-school activities for multiple kids while still getting in homework and a dinner that doesn’t come from a drive through window. Know what’s worse? (well lots of stuff, but bear with me) Calling your husband to tell him you purchased an entire bowling alley lane — and that he gets the honor of helping you install it. Man, he was so excited he was just speechless!

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#realtalk

So This Is What Postpartum Depression Looks Like

By Mandi | 09/06/2016 | 55 Comments

Hey friends!! Today we are taking a little detour off of the DIY Express to talk a little real life, hope thats ok!

I’m a talker, its how I process things. Everything from a project idea, to life experiences gets talked through. So I thought, I want to talk about this. And you’re my people, so lets talk about it.

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I have Postpartum Depression. (I’m not saying it in an embarrassed way, or in a GIRL POWER HEAR ME ROAR way. Just in a state the facts simply way.)

The reason I’m sharing it is because I didn’t know what postpartum depression looked like, I don’t have anyone in my life (that I know of) that has dealt with it. All the feelings I was feeling, honestly I just thought it was me failing at life (which I’ve voiced a few times over the last 8 months). I didn’t know and maybe there are a few of you who also don’t know and need some insight and a big fat hug.

I've been hexed, and I'm pretty happy about it.

Hexagon Tile in the Kitchen!

By Mandi | 09/02/2016 | 20 Comments

Hey everyone!! Hope everything is going so great in your lives right now!! I have got a fun little update for you today that I seriously put off for YEARS. So if you find yourself in the same boat that I was in, here’s hoping to give you just a little motivational shove. 😉

My kitchen has been this ever-present ongoing thorn in my bum. I’ve even gone as far as trying to spray paint an orange backsplash…if you’ve never witnessed my WORST DIY idea– click that link. You’re in for a treat. The problem is that I would love to just rip the entire thing out and start fresh, but that’s not going to happen. So I didn’t really do anything cause it was just too sad to not do everything. Tell me I’m not alone in this insane thought process.

We basically lived like cavemen. Our kitchen has looked like this for YEARS.

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WHAT'S HAPPENING IN WALDO

The Great Green Bathroom & Being OK With Half Finished Projects

By Mandi | 09/01/2016 | 5 Comments

What's Happening In Waldo Writing for online content is a world of amazing disillusion. You get this Cliff’s Notes version of a project. You see the finished item, show them all of our supplies lined up all nice and neat and then feature an in progress shot so everyone can see what it looks like in the trenches. It doesn’t matter if you write for a shelter, food or lifestyle blog — the process is the same. There are, of course, others who speak to us more rationally and we see them painting without makeup at 2am in a time-lapse video, but the truth of the matter is, the nitty-gritty of life isn’t pretty. How that translates to those of us at home, is this crazy void that’s filled with dissatisfaction about our progress on a project when it can’t be finished in wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am style! Myself included. So here’s a story about a bathroom that is half done, sticks out like a sore thumb and drives me crazy every. single. day. Yes it’s better than before and yes, I might have to pee with my eyes closed to quell the rage. Is that too much information? Yup.

Oh the snuggles to be had!

Essential Baby Bundle

By Mandi | 08/30/2016 | 1 Comment

Everything is better bundled. Because let’s be honest,  why would you want just one thing, when you can have more things that are supposed to go together!? Like me and this boy.

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I'll take one of each please.

QUICK! Someone Give Me A Million Dollars!!

By Mandi | 08/22/2016 | 23 Comments

If someone walked up to you and gave you a check for a couple million dollars and said its yours to spend on the most burning big idea that you have right this second. You can’t change your mind, or re-evaluate. You can’t weigh the pro’s and con’s or make an “adult” decision about things, you just have to take it RIGHT NOW and work with what you’ve got, what dream would you get to make a reality?

I’d develop a neighborhood (granted I have NO idea how much it actually costs to develop such a place but while we’re living in the world of make believe lets say its right on point.)

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