As I sit down to write this post, I can’t help but feel like I’m having an out-of-body experience.  Is it really me writing this?  Is this actually happening?  

The news is still fresh as I share it with all of you, so it hasn’t completely sunk in yet; hence the strange feelings accompanying me as I click away at the keyboard.

My family is moving from the only home we’ve known.

We’re leaving our beloved home in Illinois to move to the Milwaukee area.  My husband accepted a new position there and we’re going to be closer to some of our family, so it’s a positive change. 

But it’s really freaking sad, too.

Sorry, there’s just no other way to put it.

My husband and I bought this 92-year-old home back in 2009 when we were practically still babies.  The day after we closed, we found out we were having a baby of our own.  So much excitement at once, and the timing could not have been better.

The house had good bones, as they say, but was in really, really rough shape. (Did the double “really” drive it home enough?)  Throughout the ten years we’ve been here, we’ve renovated, remodeled, and redone every single room – including the outdoor spaces and all of the mechanicals.  

We brought both of our babies home to this house, and our home became the setting for many special occasions and memories, like baptism parties, holiday gatherings, and most recently, a pre-party for my sister’s wedding.  

But the life that happened here on a regular basis is, perhaps, even more memorable.  Watching the kids learn to ride their bikes on the driveway, blowing out candles on birthday cakes at the kitchen table, and reading stories before bedtime – that’s the good stuff.

Along the way we made wonderful friends that are going to be so difficult to leave behind.  Their friendship is part of the fabric of this home.  Their laughter and presence within helped make it such a happy place. 

My children are so upset – they can’t believe we’re making them leave their house and their school.  (If any of you have tips on transitioning kids to a new school, especially in the middle of the year, please share them with me!  Comment below or email me – [email protected])  Their sadness is making me have an even more difficult time coming to terms with all of this. 

In my heart, I really felt like we’d live here forever.  At the risk of sounding like a total freak, I actually envisioned grandkids visiting me in this house a long, long time from now! 

But, truthfully, nestled amongst all of those heavy feelings is a small seed of excitement for a change and some more projects.  I can never sit still for long, so a new fixer upper is appealing to me and getting my mind thinking happy thoughts.  

Of course we don’t have a house in Wisconsin yet, but I’ll be sure to keep you posted on where we land.  Until then, please send good house selling vibes my way.  It’s a really tough market right now and we need all the help we can get!

Plus . . . I really don’t want to have to clean my house every single day for the foreseeable future.  🙂  

So, here’s to hoping that love brings us home to a new space that we can make our own, and that love brings a wonderful new family to the one we’ve worked so hard to fill with joy over the last ten.

-Bre

Outdoor rugs are an amazing way to add color and style to a deck or patio – when they’re clean, that is!  Not surprisingly, outdoor rugs can go from fabulous to forlorn (and even disgusting) in no time, since they’re exposed to the elements.  My outdoor rug was totally nasty: covered in mold and mildew and completely discolored.  But I figured out a way to get it looking brand new again, and I’m happy to share with you how to clean an outdoor rug without bleach! 

In order to get my outdoor rug clean again, I started by sweeping off all the loose debris and marveling at all of the nasty mold and mildew spots covering the rug.  This rug was truly disgusting!

Next, I mixed up a batch of OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover in a small plastic bucket.  Getting specific, I measured 16 ounces of hot water and poured it in the bucket, and then used the scoop that came in the OxiClean bucket to fill it to the line marked 1.  I mixed the solution together and headed outside.  (Note: make sure to read package directions if you purchase OxiClean.  If you purchase a type different from the kind I used, the instructions may be different.)

From there, I liberally applied the OxiClean solution to the rug with a sponge.  Of course, I made sure to do this in an area where it didn’t matter if OxiClean seeped through the rug and onto the surface below.

I let the OxiClean solution sit on the rug for about an hour.  Then I hosed it off to reveal a rug that was cleaner, but not yet pristine! 

Because there was still some mold and mildew and/or staining on the outdoor rug, I repeated the process of mixing up the OxiClean solution and liberally applying it to the rug.  And this time, I rubbed it in to the rug even more – making sure to pay special attention to the green spots.

I again let the rug sit with the OxiClean solution for approximately one hour, and then I hosed it off again.  The second time was a charm!  The outdoor rug was clean and bright and fresh!  I pulled it over to a sunny spot in the driveway to start drying out. 

It took about 12 hours to fully dry (which was really surprising to me), so keep this in mind if you plan to wash your outdoor rug!  Once it was dry, I pulled it back over to the lounge area of the patio and admired how bright the whites were and how there was no more mold on my outdoor rug!

This rug cleaning process really made a difference in the look of my outdoor space! 

Now when we enjoy making s’mores out here in our DIY Outdoor Fire Pit, we won’t be thinking how the patio is so nice EXCEPT for the nasty rug. (HA! I’m pretty sure I was the only one thinking that.  My family definitely does not notice those types of things.)   

Thank goodness for this easy way to clean an outdoor rug without bleach!  Please make sure to save this image to Pinterest if you agree!

-Bre

As part of our master bathroom renovation (reveal coming soon!), we made some improvements to our master bedroom, too.  New paint, new moulding, and moving the ceiling light to the center of the room were the “big” fixes.  Of course I had to seize the opportunity to mix up the decor a bit, too, and that required some wall art swaps.  Over the bed I hung some rattan basket wall art, which is a super inexpensive thrift store DIY project!  

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Except for in a post on DIY Wrapping Paper Wall Art, I never shared much about our master bedroom because it was totally neglected.  You know how it is – you put everything else first and your own space gets lowest priority.  While our tiny master bedroom isn’t totally finished yet, it is already so much better and feeling like a comfortable space we love to be in!

These rattan baskets hanging on the wall help create a comfortable, cottage feel we wanted.  We started with $4 worth of rattan chargers from Goodwill.  My local Goodwill is always overflowing with these things!  (I also use one on my basement coffee table as a tray of sorts!) 

I got out my trusty Pop Up Spray Shelter, which is a total project saver for spray paint projects (my projects were always being ruined by debris flying onto them!) . . . 

and a can of chalky finish spray paint in Coastal Blue (if you’re curious about chalk paint in spray form, read my review of chalky finish spray paint!), and got to work!  

Once I spray painted two coats on each of the baskets and let them dry, I strung pipe cleaners through the backs of each to serve as hangers for the baskets.  

Then I used my favorite product ever – 3M Command Hooks – to place and hang the painted baskets on the wall above our bed.  

These are so much better than nails because I can take them down with no damage to the wall whenever I want! 

I wasn’t sure if my husband would like these (he’d much prefer to have nothing hanging on any wall!), so I figured the Command Strips were the way to go.  🙂 

Thankfully he really likes them and the basket wall art will stay.  At least for now.  You know I can’t leave something as it is for too long!  (Especially when it cost under $10 for the entire look.) 

P.S. see that embroidered pillow behind Jasper?  My husband’s grandmother made that for our wedding present.  I love having this personal gift on display!  (See how we used other other pillows she made as wall art in my daughter’s tween girl bedroom.)  

Next time you see flat rattan baskets at the thrift store, scoop them up!  They’re super versatile as functional items or as decorative wall art.

-Bre

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