Fotini, Author at Farmhouse Chic Blog

{ Fab Pins of the Week }

May 31, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: fab pins of the week, flowers, outdoor decor, outdoor space, Pinterest, succulents, tulips Leave a Comment

Well hello there 🙂

I hope you all have had a great week!

We are celebrating Summer break by kicking it off with a bonfire tomorrow night with friends!

So, let’s get to what’s been inspiring me this week!

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1. Tulips are among one of my favorite flowers; such a beautiful bloom! These abundant blooms look dashing in these metal planters. I love using bold pieces to plant in! I’ve seen a similar look using tin trash cans and they look great!

2. I love this outdoor vignette with neutral tones and natural elements. Don’t get me wrong, I love decorating with colors, but when it comes down to it, I’m a neutral girl all day! I’ve pretty much decided that as we’re preparing to re-do our backyard/deck area that I want to stick with neutrals and add flowers for pops of color! I love, love, love the glass hurricanes with candles! Candles are a must- have for my outdoor space!

3. I really love this outdoor setup! Absolute perfect space for entertaining! The kids and I bought my husband a new stainless grill for an early Father’s Day present and this gives us great inspiration for incorporating into our outdoor space. I love the built in cooler, how neat is that?!

4. My love for succulents continues! These flowers are so beautiful and such low maintenance! Planting them into a beautiful urn will just make them that much better to enjoy 😉 I just bought some more yesterday and can’t wait to plant them!

Please be sure to visit the source links I have provided above to check out the original source!

I would love to have you follow me on Pinterest!

{ My First Furniture Rehab!! }

May 28, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: dresser rehab, furniture rehab, painting furniture, shabby chic, shabby chic furniture, shabby chic style 31 Comments

You can view my guest post where I first shared this project on The Golden Sycamore!

Last Summer my husband cleared out a storage unit of his Fathers and he told me I could go through and pick stuff I wanted to keep, if anything. I had been dying to get my hands on a piece of furniture I could rehab! A dresser caught my eye… This dresser has been a part of my husbands family for many years, so I was thrilled to “bring it back to life”! I knew it would be perfect to rehab and add to Isabellas’ room! It was in pretty rough shape, so I started by sanding some of the rough scrapes and bumps and filling large grooves with wood filler.

I had went back and forth on whether I should use primer or not, but I decided to use it since the dresser was so dark. I removed all of the hardware and added a coat of white primer. I wanted to keep the piece a light color, so the paint color I chose was Valspar Swiss Coffee and applied a few coats. This was a project I was working on while the little one was napping so it had a good two days of drying. I grabbed a mid-grain sandpaper and begin roughing it up! I adore the shabby chic look of furniture and that was the look I was going for!

To seal and bring out the roughed edges I created, I used Miss Mustard Seeds furniture wax. I applied it with a clean cloth and buffed off. To add a little character, I lined the dresser drawers with an adorable metallic silver and white chevron wrapping paper. It was ultra thick and durable, and I taped it into place.

I attempted to paint the original hardware, but I wasn’t happy with the look. I previously had picked up two cut-glass knobs from Hobby Lobby for the top small drawers. For the remaining drawers I opted for a cup-pull knob I previously had a bunch of. I coated them with a couple coats of light pink spray paint and used a matte clear coat for protection.

One of my favorite parts of this dresser is the legs! They’re beautiful 🙂

I’m really happy with the end result! It’s the perfect addition to Isabellas’ room! It’s not perfect and I didn’t expect it to be 🙂 I can’t wait to transform another piece of furniture and share it with you all!!

Sharing this furniture transformation on these fantastic blogs!

{ On Summer Break… }

May 25, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: MC, mommy panel, summer, summer break, The Mom Connection Leave a Comment

The Mom Connection is on summer break!

We hope you have enjoyed all the topics we have discussed this school year. The Mom Connection will resume end of August with a new panel of moms and fresh new parenting advice.

Hope to see you back in the Fall!

*image credit

Click here to catch up on all the past Mom Connections.

Want to be part of the next Mom Connection?

Or have suggestions on topics?

Email

Naptime Review

ju***********@ya***.com

for details!

{ Fab Pins of the Week }

May 24, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: butcher block countertops, fab pins of the week, kitchens, outdoor space, Pinterest, shabby chic, wood planked walls, yard, yard space Leave a Comment

It’s my favorite time of the week! Happy Friday 🙂

It’s time to share my inspirational pins from this week!

We’ve been in full force of outdoor projects at our house this week!

We started painting our shutters black, ahh!! They’re looking great and I can’t wait to see finished the finished result! Be sure to follow me on Instagram to keep up with the latest, I’m alway posting pics!

Anyways, lets get to it…

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1. I don’t know what it is about white, but I’m super crazy about it right now! I think it’s only because I know it wouldn’t last ten seconds in my house with two busy kids and a nosey dog! But a girl can dream, right?! I just love the cozy look for this beautiful tufted chair and matching ottoman. And those wood-planked walls aren’t too bad either 😉

2. Sigh, yet another beautiful kitchen with butcher block countertops! Don’t worry, I’m not complaining (too much!) these are on our to-do list! I think they add so much character to a kitchen and give it a warm, rustic feel. I really, really do love them!

3. I love a beautiful outdoor space! I think I would spend most of my days outside if I had a space like this! It’s truly magical! It would be a great place to make memories with the kids, have fun family dinners, host one-of-a-kind parties and relax with the neighbors! We’ve been working on our yard and won’t get to our deck and backyard landscaping until next year, but this is such inspiration for what I want!

4. This bedroom is my shabby chic dream! I can’t wait until the day I can own a piece of glass furniture of my own! I don’t dare buy one with my kids as little as they are still, but the glass wall table makes this room! Really loving the sequined comforter too!!

Unfortunately, this week I wasn’t able to find original sources for most of the featured pins. Please be sure to visit the source links I’ve provided above!

I’d love to have you follow me on Pinterest !!

DIY Terrarium

May 23, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: diy, DIY terrarium, flower garden, garden, gardening, kids projects, Miracle Gro, plant food, summer project, terrarium, The Gro Project Leave a Comment

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Miracle-Gro for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Looking for a fun project to do with the kids this Summer? Why not make your own terrarium to watch grow! The kids will have a blast putting it all together, adding some character and enjoy it everyday!

Here’s what you’re going to need:

pebbles
Moisture Control Potting Mix
glass container
succulants and/or cactus
spray bottle of water
toy figurines for the kid to personalize with (optional)

You’re bound to have a glass container that needs put to use ( I seem to have many!). If you’re not able to find something you already have, check out the local thrift store or Marshalls. Line the bottom of your container with a layer of pebbles. Next begin with a small amount of your Moisture Control Potting Mix. Arrange your plants and add some remaining potting mix to hold into place. I added thyme to mine and I can’t wait for the frangant aroma to fill the kitchen! Allow the kids to each make their own and add a few of their figurines to personalize it!

Terrariums require little water, so grab your spray bottle and mist the plants daily, not saturating the soil. If your container is enclosed, mist with water and cover. A closed terrarium recylces moisture and doesn’t require watering for months!

Are you looking to start a garden? Check out the latest product from Miracle-Gro. An entire garden in one simple kit! To feed your flower and vegetable garden, use LiquaFeed All Purpose Plant Food Advance Starter Kit or Shake’n Feed All Purpose Plant Food. It’s the easiest way to feed your plants!

I will be sure to keep you all updated on more tips of fun terrarium fun 🙂 In the mean time make sure to stay connected and follow Miracle-Gro via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterst and YouTube. For more ideas and to share yours too, check out fun garden projects!

And be sure to join the The Gro Project, check out the video!

Well what are you waiting for, get growing!

{ A Shabby Chic 2nd Birthday }

May 20, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: girls birthday, girls birthday party, party planning, rag banner, shabby chic, shabby chic birthday party, tutu

I had so much fun sharing bits and pieces of Isabella’s second birthday party with you guys and now it’s time to share it entirely! We had a wonderful day celebrating with family and friends!

The color scheme was turquoise, pinks and neutral tones and the theme was shabby chic. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to make a party look great and well- thought out. I get a lot of my stuff from Michaels dollar bins, dollar stores, Target dollar corner, etc. Once you’ve chosen your theme and colors, you’d be surprised how great things start coming together 🙂

Tags labeling food & drinks

Homemade birthday cake

Fresh flowers

Display from her photo shoot!

Thank you bags

Attempting to sneak a cupcake!

For the tutorials on the rag banner & skirt:

Vintage Chic Rag Banner

Adorable Birthday Tutu

Cupcake wrappers & straws from JoAnn Fabrics

Small white metal pale & bucket from Target

Mini picture frames from Michaels

Pink silverware lanterns from Michaels

Wooden silverware set from Pick Your Plum

Sharing this fun party at these great blogs!

Teacup Blooms

May 13, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: diy, flowers, gifts, Mothers Day gifts, Pinterest, simple gifts, Spring, teacup gifts, teacups 3 Comments

I know for me, one of my favorite gifts is one I can continuously enjoy. This year for Mothers Day the kids made and decorated bird houses for our Nana and my mother in law, but I wanted to give a little something special! We were going to be hosting a bbq on Mothers Day and I wanted to have something to give each Mom, so I headed to the local thrift store in search for teacups! I scored 7 di-cut glass cups for $1.49, score!!! Next, I headed for the local garden center in search for flowers! I opted for an eye-catching, small bloom, cockscomb. They were bright, beautiful and dainty enough to fit perfectly into the cup!

To start, add a small amount of soil to the bottom of the cup, remove the flower and roots from container, hold into place and fill with soil. I pressed my down to eliminate loose soil and to keep the plant in place. Water each day, making sure the soil is moist. I sat mine on the kitchen window sill where it will get plenty of sun and I can enjoy it 🙂

For the gifts, I used a small tag and wrote “true love blossoms…”; I hope they enjoy watching this flower bloom all summer long!

Sharing this project on these fabulous blogs!

{ My Mom Is…}

May 11, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: love, Mother's Day, my mom is, photo shoot, Zulily Leave a Comment

In celebration of Mothers Day my husband, the kids and I collaborated with Zulily and took part of the “My Mom Is” and had a small photo shoot at home!

What is my mom is? It’s a chance for each of us to show appreciation and express just how special our Moms are to us! Not only on Mothers Day, but everyday!

I hope all of you Mama’s out there have a super special day tomorrow and have fun celebrating with your loved ones!

{ MC: Summer Activities I Enroll My Kids In }

May 11, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: camp, kids activities, kids camp, kids summer, MC, mommy advice, summer activities, summer fun, The Mom Connection 3 Comments

I am part of an AWESOME mommy panel with Cassie from Two In Diapers and Julie from Naptime Review.

Each Saturday, we will bring you fresh new ideas and advice about motherhood.

If you enjoyed what you read, we encourage you to tweet about it!

Coming on May 18th, we will discuss:

Tips For Traveling With Small Children

Now on to this week’s topic!

What sorts of summer activities or camps do you enroll your children in?

Here is what Mom Connection shared:

Welcome! I’m Julie over at Naptime Review. I am a mom of two wild, crazy and beautiful girls. My oldest is 4 and my baby is 20 months old. This is what sort of summer activities or camps I enroll my children in:

Every summer since Averie has been a baby we have always done swim lessons. This summer since our new home has a swimming pool, the girls will be doing Self Rescue Lessons. If you haven’t seen the Facebook video floating around, you should check it out here.; It is amazing! It was a real eye-opener to how fast a child can find themselves submerged into water. I am also excited that Averie is finally at an age to enroll on Vacation Bible School. VBS is a week long of bible stories, crafts, music and fun! We are so excited! So other than swim lessons and VBS we look forward to relaxing and enjoying the sun! Oh, and did I mention packing up and moving with two small children? IKES!

Hi! I’m Cassie from Two In Diapers, and I’m a mommy to three sweet babies, ages 5, 3, and 20 months. This is what sort of summer activities or camps I enroll my children in:

I definitely think a successful summer is one that is full and fun! Since our children are still pretty little (our oldest just turned 5), organized summer activities have been mainly soccer, and we will be participating in Vacation Bible School this year. In addition to that, we frequent every park in this city and make a few visits to the pool as well! I also co-run a playgroup, so we have weekly activities through it. When my littles get a bit older I’m sure we will be swamped with camps and things, but for now we just try to get out and enjoy the sunshine every single day!

My name is Alexa from No Holding Back. I am the mom of Nayner Bug (male, 5), Jelly Bean, (female, 3) and Tiny (female, 1). This is what sort of summer activities or camps I enroll my children in:

We are on a really tight budget, so our activities will be mostly limited to free, or mostly free activities. I have the kids already registered for two vacation Bible schools! My 6 and 3-year-old both really want to do gymnastics, so I will probably enroll them for the summer and see how that goes. That will give them a planned activity each week. We are lucky that we have a pool, so we’ll spend a good bit of time swimming. We also always take advantage of our zoo membership, and I’m sure there will be plenty of trips to the zoo, the park, and picnics with the other moms and children in the Moms club. We live about 40 minutes away from a large lake and two hours from the beach, so those are both feasible day trip options. This summer I also plan to take full advantage of the programs at the library. The summer will be over so fast!

My name is Fotini! I blog over at Glamorous, Affordable Life. I am the mom of (Isabella 2 years and Christian 6 years). This is what sort of summer activities or camps I enroll my children in:

Since Christian was about two years old, I’ve had him in swimming lessons every summer and some sort of sport. We always enjoyed spending the mornings at the pool for lessons and a little play afterwards, and then practice a few evenings during the week. And then Ms. Isabella became a busy little toddler and doesn’t like to sit still. I learned this the hard way last Fall when we signed him up for soccer. I spent both practice and games chasing her around. Needless to say, we will be taking a break from a busy summer schedule this year! I did, however, enroll Christian in T Ball with a little guy from his class, who also lives in our neighborhood. We’re really looking forward to that starting the end of the month. My hopes are that Isabella will listen to me a little better and be intrigued by Christian!

This year my husband thinks we shouldn’t sign Christian up for swimming lessons; he wants him to get comfortable with the water and swimming all on his own. I do plan on signing Isabella up though. She is pretty much fearless and it scares me to death! For us, it’s important that she knows how to swim.

Besides that, we plan on having a relaxing summer! Maybe take a couple of weekend getaways and lots of quality family time 🙂

My name is Kristen from The Mrs. & The Momma. I’m the momma of 4 children ages 2-7. This is what sort of summer activities or camps I enroll my children in:

With my oldest being seven, we’re not quite at that age where I can send my children off to summer camp for a glorious 2 weeks (while I sit at home reading, taking baths, and luxuriating in doing nothing). I always hear friends gush about what great memories they have from summer camp, and I’ve thought of sending my children someday. There are some amazingly legendary ones around the Austin area.

But for now, our plans for summer activities include gymnastics lessons, library reading program, and possibly swimming lessons. Horseback riding lessons are another option, but very few instructors around here begin as early as seven. Whatever our summer may bring, I plan to have a weekly outing or activity I do with all four kids….whether it be going to the pool, the children’s museum, or just playing in the sprinklers outside. Here’s to a wonderful summer!

Your Turn:

What sorts of summer activities or camps do you enroll your children in?

Leave us a comment; we love to read your tips and advice!

Need advice? Check out these previous Mom Connection topics:

Setting Goals with Your Children

Teaching Your Kids to Share

Getting your Preschooler Dressed

Balancing Blogging and Motherhood

{ Fab Pins of the Week }

May 10, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: blueberry, fab pins of the week, garden center, gardening, no bake blueberry cheesecake, no bake cheesecake, outdoor sofa, outdoor space, pallet sofa, Pinterest, teacups 2 Comments

Hello beautiful 🙂

It’s Friday and I’m welcoming the weekend with open arms!

I’ve pinned lots of incredible inspiration this week, but lets get to my favorites!

Have a great weekend!

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1. This is such a charming little garden center. Having something like this on the side of the house or shed would make it easy to get to your go-to garden tools and have work space to do it all! I just love how it looks 🙂

2. My new found love: teacups! They aren’t just darling, but they’re also great to use as decor. Use as a vase for your fresh flowers, plant your favorite flower inside, or even plant fresh herbs to enjoy those pretty little cups everyday!

3. Oh my goodness, I will SO be trying these for our next summer BBQ! No bake blueberry cheesecake in a jar, yum! It would even be fun to set all the ingredients up buffet style and let everyone make their own! We love fresh berries in the summer, don’t you?!

4. Determined my husband and I will be making a pallet sofa for our deck! It’s an easy, DIY idea that’s affordable and super cute! You can easily dress it up to make it comfy with store bought cushions or by making your own! Isn’t it adorable?!

I would love you to follow me on Pinterest!