Giveaway Winner

The winner of the UPrinting Giveaway is

Ali, from My Third True Love

Ali, contact me and we will get your labels set up with Uprinting.  Have a great weekend.

Family Room Updates

It seems like our family room is ever evolving.  It was actually the first room I redid while blogging.  I've recently added some new accessories.  My sister Ivette decided to give me a gift as a thank you for redoing her apartment.  I told her she was ridiculous and that all her projects made for some good blogging content.  That's enough of a thank you.  However, she insisted.  Well, I happily obliged.  She bought me the Gaser Rug from Ikea. It's a grey, really high pile rug. It feels delicious underfoot and I'm loving it.  Our last rug was a creamy white Ikea Vitten rug, which we loved for a good two years.  It, however, was looking really dingy.  So a new rug was very welcome.  Thanks Ivette!

Last week, my mom,  sister Jessica, and I headed to Ikea.  I bought the Eivor throw. I am loving anything black and white stripes and I had to have it.

I also bought the Gurli throw as an everyday comfy throw.  I've already taken a few naps with it and I love it. 

Here's another angle of the room.

Here's a close up of the rug.  It has grey and white threads that give it a great texture.

Here you can see my flower pouf in this angle.

Of course, for those who haven't been reading for long, a reminder of our family room when we bought the house.

My house seems to be always changing, but I love it that way.  I guess that's why I took up blogging.



I Love This Rug

I wanted to share with all of you this amazing painted rug by Birdhouse.   I was happily reading blogs Sunday afternoon and I fell in love. 

First off, the color and pattern are amazing, but combined with that dresser and lamp...stunning.  

Steph's blog Birdhouse is full of beautiful style.  I love finding great blogs to read. 

Driveway Update

Our driveway has been in a pretty sorry state since the day we bought our house.  We've had a driveway plan of how we are going to redo it, but you know how life gets in the way sometimes.  The previous owners of the house had an old truck and an old boat on the driveway...permanently.  It fits two cars, but I hate when my husband blocks me in, so he parks on the patch of grass next to my car.  Here's our old, cracked asphalt driveway.  Pretty isn't she?

Here are some holes and cracks.  The edges are all broken up and uneven.

Here are some grease spots (previous owners) and a huge hole caused by the roots of our giant oak tree. 

I was going to take on painting it.  I asked my husband for his help and he suggested we call the handyman. I happily obliged.  They filled in the holes with bags of asphalt/gravel, and then painted the asphalt with asphalt paint (or whatever it is).  They were kind of limited on what they could do.  The driveway was that bad.  I'm seeing it as a temporary fix.  Here you can see it in its dark grey/black glory.  Pardon the stain in the middle. It had rained earlier that day and I didn't want to hose it down, which would delay my picture taking.

We have a small area under the window that was basically just a patch of dirt and some liriopes.  We planted some new plants (I can't remember the name, but the leaves have yellow in it, which I thought was perfect with our door).

I bought bags and bags of white rocks to add to the area.  I have never really used rocks in my planters, but I thought it could look nice next to the asphalt.  I'm kind of really liking it.  It looks clean and modern.

I probably need a couple more bags of rocks, but they are pretty heavy and it was all me.  I know most people aren't really working on planting and gardening at this time of year, but we aren't expecting snow in South Florida this winter :) So I think we are OK. 

Don't forget to enter the UPrinting Giveaway!

 



UPrinting Giveaway

I'm so excited to offer you a great giveaway today.  My friends at  UPrinting.com, one of the versatile online Printing Companies, is offering one of my lucky readers one of their products, Labels. They can also customize it according to your needs and offer Custom Labels. 

I love the ideas of personal labels.  You can use them to market your business/Etsy sales, what a cute way to add your logo to all your sales.  I love the idea of using them as a gift label with your kids/family names.   The options are limitless.

What you will win:

              250 Labels for One (1) Winner
              2" x 3.5"
              70lb Label Matte, Front Only Printing, 4 Business Days Turnaround

            Restriction: Limited to US residents 18 years old and above only.
            * Free Shipping



custom labels



Here's how to enter:

Leave me a comment letting me know you are a follower of JandJHome

For additional entries (leave a comment for each one you do):  

Follow me on Twitter

Like me on Facebook 

Like/follow UPrinting on Facebook and Twitter or sign up on GiveawayBlogs

If you share this giveaway on Twitter, Facebook, or on your blog, leave me a comment telling me for additional entries 

The giveaway will end Thursday, September 29th at midnight.  The winner will be announced Friday, September 30th at 7:00 a.m. 

This giveaway is sponsored by  UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given and I will receive labels for hosting.

Birds and Flowers Fall Wreath

I started blogging last September.  One of my first few craft projects was my fall wreath.  I still love it, but now that I've changed the exterior colors of my house, I wanted a new one.  Our house was beige and our door was dark brown, so the old wreath was perfect.  Now, our walls are white and our door is yellow.  I wanted something fresh and more modern.

I headed to Michael's to buy the wreath form. My mom has a huge stash of yarn and I went "shopping" in her drawers.  I also found an adorable little bird.  I never thought I would be much of a bird decorating person, but I kind of really like it.  I, also figure my almost two year old niece will love the "titi" as she calls birds. 

I wrapped a grey yarn for about 3/4 of the way and a white yarn for the other 1/3.  My free yarn was extremely thin, meaning lots and lots of wrapping.  I hot glued the yarn every so often, just to make sure it was secure.

I then made some simple felt flowers and hot glued them to the wreath.  I forgot to take pictures of the flowers in process.  Oops.  I attached some white ribbon I had in my ribbon stash.  Here she is on my yellow door.  I tried to keep the wreath simple and modern.  I wanted it to match the look I'm going for on my house exterior.

Here's the bird.  So cute.

Here is a view a bit further back of the wreath.

I love the look of it.  If only I could change those terrible floors.  Ugh.  I've been doing a ton of work outside.  I will do a full exterior picture when it's a bit further along.  I'm scheming some ideas on how to convince my hubby that we NEED new tile and a new wooden walkway.  Let's see if it works.  I hope you have a great weekend.  We will be celebrating my dads, moms, and hubby's birthday on Sunday night.  It should be fun.  

I'll be linking up to these parties

and Beyond the Picket Fence, Between Naps on the Porch, DIY Showoff, Addicted 2 Decorating, Remodelaholic

,

One Year Ago Today

One year ago today, I got up the nerve to start my own blog.  I had been reading blogs, infertility related, for 4 years.  In August, I was researching a sunburst mirror and happened upon Three Men and a Lady now 4 Men 1 Lady and spent the next 3-4 hours scrolling through her entire blog.  It was way past midnight at this point.  The next day, I went back for more.  I then discovered her blog list and was hooked.  I hit a couple of Goodwill's and bought a can of spray paint and went at it the next day. Guess what, I loved what I did.  I went back for more.  I had always loved decorating and redoing my home, but I had found myself in a slump. 

At that point, our trying for a baby had made everything else unimportant...even myself.  We were in huge medical/fertility debt, our house seemed like it was falling apart, I hadn't exercised in 4 years, and I had been in a zombie like state for awhile.  Our battle had reached four years to be exact and what seemed like the end of the road for that battle. It was my turn to grieve.  My life was on hold, not hold, stopped.  Something changed that day that I found Michelle's blog.  I felt something in me change.  I wanted to do something for myself.  My afternoons alone no longer meant scrolling through fertility blogs, I wanted to be making something, painting something, fixing something.  The projects started small, but then I challenged myself.  I wanted more and I did more.  

I remember my husband came home the day I started my blog and I showed him what I had done and he kind of laughed it off and said go for it.  I remember my first follower, Sarah from Flourish Design and Style, followed me instantly.  I had no idea how she had found me.  I was elated. Later, I realized that the stats brought her to me.  She made my night. 

I have loved sharing my projects with you, the encouraging words, making friends, and hopefully sharing the love.  Although, the last couple of months have been kind of slow for me on this blog (so much personal stuff going on, it kind of takes over), I love opening my page and finding a new follower. I still tell my husband how many I have.  I truly appreciate and I am so grateful that you choose to read and follow what I do here. It warms my heart. 

So much has changed in me this past year, we are still hopeful for a miracle, but looking into alternatives.  Our medical/fertility debt is completely paid off (whew, this was all me!), I am doing Crossfit, and my home is looking so much more like US.  I have fought my way out of that dark place I was in.  I have worked hard.  There are still times when I have to grieve, but I am good, really good.  There's a huge part of me that thinks this little old blog helped me.  My focus changed, my life changed...I changed.  For that, I thank you all, from the bottom of  my heart.

Via

Adventures in Paris

My sister Ivette moved to Paris for 3, maybe 6 months on Friday.  It was a bold move and I am so proud of her.  She will be chronicling her adventures in Paris on her new blog...

She will be writing a book about  what got her to make this move. I'm so excited for her and I can't wait to see her discover this city.  I know Paris meant so much to me...twice.  The first time I went, was with a group of 6 girls/friends.  It was my first time in Europe and I was so excited.   I remember walking through the Louvre, right past the Mona Lisa into the next room.  I looked up at the ceiling and I was moved.  I realized at that moment, that there was so much more to life. So much I had to discover. I wanted to travel more, be stronger, and discover the world.  A short time later, I met Mr. J and he knew my story.  He knew how much I loved that city.  When we bought our house, I remember I would ask him, What's up, and he would say You're Up, and I would always say... Paris, Rome, etc.  It was our running line.  Well, a few months later, he took me on a surprise trip (literally told me on a Friday to pack a bag for the following Wednesday).  He took me to Paris and asked me to marry him.  What a city...

I hope she can be as moved as I was..well, hopefully she doesn't come back engaged to a french guy and decide to stay there.  I love that we will be able to follow her journey on her new blog.  Head over there and say hi!

Metallic Striped Chair

I hope you had a great weekend.  We had a busy one. I spent all of Sunday afternoon working in my front yard.  I bought new landscape lights, mulch, and decorative rocks.  I was going to leave it for the gardener to take care of, but figured I'd rather spend that money on something else.  Unfortunately, I was short about 4 bags of mulch/pine bark and 2-3 bags of rocks.  Hopefully, I'll finish it up this week.

I have a chair that we found a while back for you today.  I had photographed it, but forgotten to post about it.  We found it at a thrift store for $20.00.

I removed the cushion and cleaned it up.

I gave it a coat of grey Rustoleum Spray Paint.

Then I gave it a coat of Metallic Silver Rustoleum spray paint and glazed the chair.  I used the same technique that I used on my sister's metallic table.  Here she is.  We had it upholstered in a pink and white striped fabric. 

I'm loving how feminine the chair feels.  Quite a difference from it's original version.  My blog seems to be kind of glitchy and telling me a script is running that is slowing down Internet Explorer.  Are you getting this message while scrolling through my blog?  If so, does anyone know how to fix it?  

I'll be linking up to these parties

and Beyond the Picket Fence, Between Naps on the Porch, DIY Showoff, Remodelaholic, Addicted 2 Decorating

Happy Weekend!

We are seeing my little sister (well, 29 year old, little sister) off to Paris this evening.  I have very mixed emotions about this.  I'm excited and proud of her doing this for 3-6 months, but yet, so sad that I won't be seeing and texting her on a daily basis.  Knowing she's not here, is not easy.  My oldest sister has lived in New York for about 10 years, I can't handle another sister moving away.  For the next few months, I will be the favorite aunt (only present aunt) to my niece and nephew. I get them all to myself, wink, wink.  I will give you all more details on my sister's move later one...it's exciting.  I'm hoping to distract myself by making a new fall wreath this weekend.  Maybe something slightly as cute as this one.

Via Pinterest

For now, I hope you have a wonderful weekend. 

Guest Post from Design Shuffle

Today I'll be handing over the reigns to Susi from Design Shuffle.  I'm so in need of a vacation and this could not have come at a better time.  Enjoy...
Hi everyone, I’m Susi and I write as a guest blogger for Design Shuffle, a great networking sites that promotes interior designers from around the world and their work. August seems to be the month of vacations. Whether you are packing to leave on vacation or just returning or having a staycation this year, rejoining the world post-vacation can be a let down. At least until you start planning for next summer’s vacation. Here are 8 spaces that keep the vacation feeling going at home. Thanks for letting me and Design Shuffle visit J and J Home today. Hope you enjoy!

Design Seeds via

To recapture the feeling of a favorite vacation, chose a color palette based on a photograph of that spot.

Delight by Design via

Soft summer breezes blowing through white sheer fabric always feels like a vacation. A canopy of white fabric and a few exotic accessories is all it takes to evoke vacation memories.

My Home Ideas via

Whether or not your room has an ocean view, recall the feeling with patterns and natural materials inspired by coastal décor. Love the driftwood lamp, grasscloth covered walls and bamboo shades—all great bedroom design ideas.

My Home Ideas via

White washed woods mixed with the blues and greens of the sea can make any room feel coastal. Casual cottons and vintage inspired stripes and patterns give a nostalgic feeling.

Habitually Chic via

Create the feeling of a hotel pool in your own backyard or deck or balcony with chic outdoor fabrics and umbrellas. Shade, sun and style…all within walking distance from your door.

Pinterest via

Seasonal accessories in a clean, crisp white room can transport the space. Beachy stripes and nautical wall art make this dining room feel like it is on the shore or lakeside.

Living Agency via

Recreate the feeling of a European hotel in your bathroom or bedroom design. Use magazines and rental agency pictures as inspiration if you don’t have your own photos.

Hip Hip Hooray via

Use trinkets and found objects from your vacation to create décor that is decorative and nostalgic. Photographs, taken by you or by a professional, of a favorite destination can also inspire a room to feel more like a vacation and less like home.

Say hello to the folks over at Design Shuffle and let them know you visited J and J Home! Design Shuffle is a fantastic resource for finding top tier interior design ideas from interior designers around the world including Los Angeles interior designers to New York interior designers and more.

Easy Palm Tree Art

I have a really easy project for you today.  I got the idea from one of my best friends and thought it was perfect.  My sister, Jessica, was looking for more pieces of art for her walls.  Using a large piece of card stock or even the paper that comes with the frame flipped to the back side, if white.  Grab a branch from a palm tree.  We tried a couple before finding the one we liked.   This one here was not flat enough.

Then we found this one in my yard that was perfect.  Lay it on the paper in an angled direction

We then spray painted right over the branch.  The individual leaves seemed to lift a bit as we sprayed. This is not a problem.

Here it is.  You can see some of the over spray that got under the branches when they moved.  It actually gives it a nice effect.

We then placed it in a frame from Michael's.  (Which there happens to be a 50% coupon on my sidebar right now).

Here it is in my sister's little nook.  You can see it here with the zebra rug and the fabric memo board.

She found this beautiful mirror table at Pier 1 Imports. 

I love how the palm tree art looks with the zebra rug.  Do you have any easy art ideas?

I'll be linking up to these parties

and Beyond the Picket Fence, Between Naps on the Porch, DIY Showoff