Behind the Scenes (& A Few Favorite Finds)

Hello, and happy spring! Popping in to say ‘heyyyyy’ and to let you know I’m still here! Spring is always a hectic time of year because travel ramps up and the end-of-school-year whirlwind begins– conferences, performances, field trips– whew! I’ve also finally been getting to some long-ignored organization and decorating projects now that summer vacation is looming. Plus, this weather has been a major WUT, right? Here in NC we’re experiencing all 4 seasons within the same day. MY CLOSET IS SO CONFUSED.

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While I’ve worked hard to keep most of my posts focused on one topic, I’m feeling chatty today and miss talking with ya like we did back in the day! So I’m giving it a whirl today and sharing what we’ve been up to lately, my favorite (and ON SALE!) finds that I think you’ll love as much as I do, plus some sneak peeks at projects coming up in the next few weeks.

Spring always means travel season for me! I flew to Pennsylvania for a baby shower at the gorgeous Shade Mountain Winery; I took my daughter along so it was fun to have some ‘girl time’ with wonderful friends. Then, in two weeks I’ll be in Nashville for a girls’ weekend with my other amazing friends so if you have recommendations give ’em to me, none of us have ever been! As a family, we visited Charleston for spring break and explored tons of new places and restaurants. I basically had to be dragged home I was so sad to leave my happy place.

(because I’ve been asked a bunch, I got these earrings at Noddy in Charleston but found a link to them online!)

Here at home, I’ve been experiencing a type of decision paralysis when it comes to decorating. With so many choices, I’ve been freezing up! This is a tiny corner of my bulletin board, it’s filled with paint swatches, shades, art, lighting ideas…

Some of the decision fatigue comes from planning our screened porch/ deck addition coming up next month. We conveyed our ideas to an architect who made the plans come to life, and then went through all the choices– screens vs. 3 season windows, what type of railings, the color of the composite decking, the floor plan, where we should put the stairs– the list goes on. Now that the big decisions are made, we’re super excited to begin construction so we can enjoy our backyard bug-free all year long. I’ll update you along the way!

I’ve been mum on the topic of our backyard, because truth be told it’s been a HUGE issue with our builder. I can’t get into details yet as things are still being resolved (hopefully), but needless to say there is now a HOUSE basically in our backyard in the area we were told would never be built upon. 🙁 When I saw these gorgeous striped outdoor curtains from World Market I scooped them up so I can try to block out the houses being built within throwing distance of our porch.

World Market striped outdoor curtains- see website for code to get them on sale!

We’re also still decluttering from our big move to North Carolina. I’d say we’ve gotten rid of 75% of our previous possessions thanks to the KonMari method, as well as generally outgrowing toys and clothing and also the fact that most of our old furniture and decor just doesn’t work with our new home. It’s funny that we upsized our house but downsized our possessions! I’m *almost* finished with the decluttering; there’s still a section in our garage of items to sell but we’re getting super close to getting it cleared. I’ve found that selling the items in Facebook yard sale groups has been fruitful and the rest has been getting donated one car load at a time. Would you be interested in a post with tips for selling on Facebook (and a sales tracker printable?)

With the money I’ve made from selling our old stuff, I’ve been able to buy things that better fit our new home. As much as I’ve found I’m a bit frozen when it comes to making big choices, each piece I’ve recently added has brought joy as it turns this house into a home a little bit at a time.

One of my favorite new additions is this gorgeous rug that really brightens our entryway. And YES, I know what you’re thinking– it’s white– but we have a huge doormat outside and a ‘no shoes in the house’ rule that I’m hoping will protect it. And if not, that’s what carpet cleaner is for haha! (I chose form over function in this decision, I’m afraid. But the heart wants what it wants, to quote my girl Selena Gomez.)

This view shows how nicely it brightens up the space… and my little wrecking ball about to head outside in his socks. 😉

Another thing I’ve been swooning over is this striped wallpaper from the Magnolia Hearth & Hand Magnolia line at Target. I ordered a roll to see if it’ll work in our laundry room, and if not I’m going to try to convince my son to let me do it on at least one wall of his room. I’m just in love with it!

While I was on the website, I ordered this cotton striped throw currently on sale for our guest room as well. It’s beachy coastal without being over the top, and I think it will be the perfect touch for welcoming guests.

AND, as I mentioned in the affordable throw pillow roundup, our reversible sectional sofa arrived from West Elm for our pajama lounge! This room is finally coming together and it might be my favorite in the whole house so far. Can’t wait to paint the walls that dark, moody blue in the swatch on the wall.

Of course, I’m still stuck on the big decisions. Window shades, paint colors, and lighting fixtures are making my head spin. It’s like a puzzle, and I’m scared one wrong piece will throw everything off. So if you need me, I’ll be here, swatches in hand, shuffling things and muttering comments like ‘don’t forget about the scale!’ and ‘form vs function’ under my breath like a mad woman.

As for organizing, sometimes little things are as grounding as big things. Little organizing projects such as labeling my keys helped us deal with a problem we didn’t realize was so time consuming– finding the right key, especially when we need one quickly for the crawl space or mailbox.

(my favorite label maker +  pretty key fobs = happy keys)

And BIG projects, like finally organizing my office and the pantry. We’ve got free printable pantry labels coming up very very soon for you in two different styles! Here’s one of them:

Plus… and I know I’m a tease… we HAVE A FREE EBOOK on the #1 most popular topic here on Making Lemonade launching very soon. You’re going to love it! Mums the word on the topic, but it should be on the blog in the next two weeks. I’m going to be pulling down the free 2018 planner offer soon so if you want it, snag it now!!!

AND some more resources for moving and selling a home since that’s what you’ve been loving lately (like these 25 clever moving hacks and free printable moving kit.) This photo still makes me giggle– I photographed it on the floor of the vacation house we were renting in the Outer Banks with kids running around me and a cold beverage by my side. #bossmom

As if that isn’t enough, I’ve made the big step to cohesively brand my business with Bliss & Tell branding company which means Making Lemonade is getting a major makeover this spring and summer. The past content will stay the same, and future content similar but better, the look fresher and more cohesive, the design easier to navigate, and we’re streamlining everything to better meet my mission which is to serve YOU and help you solve life’s everyday problems. Not too much to ask, right? 😉 It’s required me to do some hard work by digging into my business but the outcome is going to be so super worth it.

Another thing that never fails to amaze me is how my Young Living ‘family’ has been growing by leaps and bounds. I just finished spoiling my team with an Oilversary giveaway to celebrate 4 years since I ordered the starter kit and kicked off my life-changing journey of using essential oils to ditch the toxins and have a handy toolkit to use for health, wellness, home and family. When I think about what my life was like 4 years ago and how it’s changed for the better thanks to these bottles of blessings, I’m blown away. If you’re thinking about getting started, I would be honored if you’d join the fun on our team and get $25 back on the Premium Starter kit, access to our exclusive groups, and a ‘happy mail’ package filled with $15+ in reference books and materials to help you use your kit. HERE’S HOW!

So that’s where I’ve been. And where I’m going. With a side dish of what we’re serving. In other words, my absence from the blog this month doesn’t mean I’ve stopped blogging, but that there’s so much going on behind the scenes to produce the BEST, most relevant content for you and deliver it in a way that you’ll actually see it.

Speaking of content, I have several more cleaning and organizing posts to put the finishing touches on so I’ve gotta bounce. As always, I love your comments and emails and chatting with you on Instagram, so be sure to let me know what you’re struggling with at home and I’ll tailor-fit content that better serves you!