springtime dreaming

hello lovely,
sorry for the radio silence these days. i'm currently working on two series at the same time. it is proving to be doable, but tiring. i come home and all i want to do is cuddle up on my couch, watch the wire, and mindlessly surf the internet. the perk of all this is i've been working on my spring inspirations. i am over the cold. i think that is another reason why i'm so lazy these days. its always so dark and cold when i come home. doesn't exactly make me want do any projects. this spring i have a few goals for myself. these are some inspirations to help me get motivated.

by the way, i've missed this. promise to do better

1. paint and decorate the screened in porch

striped pillows

navy, green, white, & tan

shabby cabinet turned bar 

2. build up our fire pit

natural look

classic stone

3. build a hall tree

bench built into old door. add some hooks for coats

add a mirror or a shelf

4. repaint my guest bedroom furniture

white outside, colored drawers

ombre drawers

i may have a few too many projects for one spring

**all images found on pinterest

a new project

hello lovely,
i went estate sale-ing with a sweet friend from work this morning. we were supposed to be looking for furniture for her new house but of course i was the only one to buy something. i found this record player console for $15!! it isn't really our style so i think we will try to sell it. niles isn't excited about having a project so i think i'm on my own with this one. i'm posting some photos i took on my phone. if anyone knows someone who knows anything about repairing this kind of thing please let me know! when you plug it in a little light comes on over the player. you can hear the vibration through the speakers when you flick the spot where the needle goes so that works. when you move the arm over the record you can feel it vibrate. a woman at the estate sale told us she thinks it just needs a new belt. so, that doesn't sound too bad, right? if i can find the parts... if it costs too much to repair i'll probably just sell it for $30 and call it a day. if we can get it working for cheap i can sell it for at least $100. i'll let you know what i find out!
xoxo,
alyssa renee

fire pit inspirations

hello lovely,
the husband and i are thinking of building up our fire pit in the back yard. bonfires are fun to have year round and we have a great space for it in our yard. this summer we will be doing a lot of entertaining and i think this extra addition will make our yard even more fun. right now we have a grill, hammock, patio furniture and a patio dining area. hoping to plant some flowers soon and maybe even a horseshoe pit. here are some images that are inspiring this outdoor project.  be sure to check out the original posts for the ones you like. some of these have great DIY instructions for you to follow. i'll be sure to post pics once we build our own.
xoxo,
alyssa renee

remember when moving those heavy stones: lift with your legs, not with your back!

source: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

learning

hello lovely,
i'm attempting a new art project. one of the bloggers i follow makes these amazing paper cutouts. (she made the amazing one above that i just love!) i am nowhere near as good as she is, but i'm practicing all the same. it is a fun little hobby. here are my first creations. now don't tease me. these are my very first ones!
xoxo,
alyssa renee