farmhouse lighting

 

 

Getting rid of our house has been a whirlwind of emotions. For one, we brought both kids home to it and for two, we had genuinely great neighbors. When browsing for a new home, I think  I have it all figured out, just what I want! After stalking, I mean, browsing several other home decor blogs (specifically farmhouse style ones), I've found that their lighting fixtures can really make or break the space! Maybe I'm just being too critical, but when you have a fabulous space and a 70's ceiling fan in my face, I get mixed emotions. I always give them the benefit of the doubt and replace it in my head with the perfect fixture. Yup, I do. You'll do it too now, you're welcome! ;)

 

With all of that being said, you're probably thinking, "Well if you know so much why don't you show us the fixtures you speak of?". WELL OKAY THEN! You're at just the place, because I'm going to share with you, in my opinion, the top 10 farmhouse style light fixtures. I bet you'll be surprised at some of the places you can find them and all under $100! I realize that replacing your lighting may not be in your budget, but I promise there's options for ANY budget. Some of the websites have lighting for as low as $25! Check out the links below to view the lights pictured, happy hunting!

1. Farmhouse Edison Pendant - Target

Cal Lighting Allentown Pendant

 

2. Farmhouse Chicken Wire Pendant- Target

Beekman 1802 Farmhouse

 

3. Industrial Barn Pendant- Amazon

BAYCHEER pendant

 

4. Industrial 5 Bulb Chandelier- Walmart

5 Light Hanging Chandelier

 

5. Industrial 5 Bulb Orb Chandelier- Sear's

5 Bulb Orb Chandelier

 

6. Farmhouse Bronze Wall Mount- Home Depot

Design House Down Light

 

7. Farmhouse Primitive Chandelier- Lowe's

Black Linear Chandelier

 

8. Farmhouse Eberline Chandelier- Lowe's

Allen and Roth Chandelier

 

9. Farmhouse 1 Bulb Edison Wire Pendant- WayFair

Summer Grove Edison Pendant

10. Industrial 1 Bulb Bronze Wall Sconce -LightingDirect.com
Millenium Lighting Series Sconce
* 6 & 10 are very similar

So, there you have it guys! Were you surprised to see Walmart and Sear's on the list? There's really no limit on where you can find farmhouse style anything these days, even when you think outside the box! As I mentioned, we are in the process of moving, so I do not have personal reviews on these products. I truthfully love all of them and can't wait to add lighting as a must on my list of things to do to our next home. Ps. I bet you'll be checking out lighting on all the blogs and Pinterest posts you look at now! It truthfully can make or break the space, y'all.

I'd love to hear where you find your farmhouse or industrial lighting, what your favorite brand is, if you got a steal on your lighting or if this gave you a new perspective on your space!

Until next time,
Olivia

perfect pumpkin chocolate chip mini muffins!

It's been a minute. Don't judge me, okay? I really had full intentions on blogging on the reg, but unfortunately it fell on the back burner yet again. #commitmentissues

Anyways, I'm back this morning to fill you in on something that may single handedly change your life, your purpose for being, or maybe just your go to breakfast. They are the PERFECT pumpkin chocolate chip mini muffins! I mean, they're literally flawless.

 

 

This isn't my original recipe (don't tell the fam)- it's from the-girl-who-ate-everything.com . I highly suggest you check her out! She has loads of great recipe ideas! I did slightly tweak this as to fit the needs of my tiny fingered tribe. If you would like the full size muffins- check out the link at the end of the post.

Ingredients

-2 large eggs

-1 cup of sugar

-1/2 15 oz can of pumpkin puree (I usually used Libby's, but also Baker's Corner (the cheap Aldi alternative. I personally see no difference in taste.)

-1 cup of chocolate chips  (mostly because I eat half the bag before I get to put them in)

-1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

-1 teaspoon of baking soda

-1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

-1/2 tablespoon of pumpkin spice

-1/2 teaspoon of salt

-3/4 cup of vegetable oil

The total time to make the mix was about 10 minutes, literally so easy and my two minis even helped.

Instructions

1. Pre Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray mini muffin tin with non-stick baking spray. My pan makes 30 mini muffins and the batter usually fills it 1 and 1/2 times.

2.In a medium sized mixing bowl (I used my kitchen aid mixing bowl), beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and veg oil until smooth.

3.Add in the remaining dry ingredients and what's left of your bag of chocolate chips (let's be real, you ate some).

4.I fill my muffin tin to the top for more plump muffins, it is about 1 tablespoon full of the mix per muffin.

5. Bake for approximately 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffins comes out clean.

* Makes about 45 mini muffins

 

Told ya! So easy and so delicious you guys. My kids are 3 & 2 and they absolutely love them! Totally kid approved and simple enough that they can help out! Theoretically, I'm sure they'd be perfect for your brunch or coffee dates, but SAHM life.
 

Until next time, Olivia.

This recipe was adapted from the-girl-who-ate-everything blog , if you would like the full size muffin recipe check out her page! It's fulllllll of GOOD FOOD!



 

mother hen

     So, it's been a minute. I honestly started posting a lot of things onto Instagram and got more feedback, faster! If you want to see my daily decor and making's check it out. I'm going to try to get back to posting on here Mondays and Thursday. The key-word there being T R Y.

     That being said, I haven't had any negative experience with IG and it's users this far, but I came across someone today who did. She has a very great hand painted sign business on Etsy and she does so to provide some income for her family while being a SAHM. She has a limited quanity restock every so often and with almost 50K followers, she sells out FAST! Like super fast. She warns of this beforehand. I have yet to try to snag a sign, but I admire from a far like any good IG stalker does. Anyway, I didn't see said negative comment, but she posted her own graceful response which got me a thinkin'.

    First off, I wanted to reach through my phone screen and give her a hug, because SAHM life is frankly exhausting. Then on top of that owning a business, I'm sure, is even more exhausting. She listed several chores she does on the daily, to which I smiled because I'm lucky to accomplish 1/2 of my list ... which is about 1/2 of her list! Second off, this negative commenting person obviously hadn't read the signs, because they're all God related or something of that nature, to which I rolled my eyes. Lastly, why is every thing a competition? In life, in motherhood...

    I'm sure there is some yoga pants wearing- ACTUALLY yoga going, perfect hair and make-up wearing, health food eating, classroom mom, who does this all while working 9-5 and rocking it. Really, I'm sure. Be it just on TV or in my dreams, she exists. Should I envy her for that? Maybe a little... No. No, I should not. Should I invite her over to learn all of her deepest perfect mommyhood secrets? Yes. Will that change the fact that I am a non- attending yoga pants wearer with a messy-bun and mascara on from last night? Probably not. Will that take the spoon out of the can of chocolate frosting that I eat while crying in the bathroom after a long day, at which some point I should have been handed "World's Worst Mother" award? Definitely not, I'll offer a spoon though. Mostly because there's always something we can learn from eachother, A L W A Y S- people. 

  I often find myself comparing my life, my mothering skills, to others. It's exhausting and self-depriciating, but it happens. Pinterest, IG, other mom's, it's everywhere. "How to be the perfect parent" "What you're doing wrong" "What you should be doing" the list goes on and on and on. My kids are generally happy, they're well taken care of, they're loved and that's what should matter. Not what time they go to sleep or nap or wake up, not the fact that they ate stale Cheeto's (let's face it, it happens), not the fact their socks rarely match. NONE of that matters. What matters is you try your best, even if your best for the day isn't your best day.

  So when you see that perfect mom coming out of yoga, maybe in all reality she's there working off her chocolate frosting from the day before.

diy "lunch" sign

Happy Monday! 

     So, this weekend was super busy for us. I got some product stocked up for the store (one item is the DIY I'm sharing with you guys tonight) AND we finally finished hanging the galvanized tin in our kitchen! I'll be sharing the complete look on Thursday. My son is turning THREE YEARS OLD on Friday. The time has flown by and I can't believe how big he is already. Most of this week I'll be prepping for his party, but I'll try to squeeze in a few projects.         

   

  Anyways...

  Let's talk World Market signage. I'm obsessed with their "lunch now being served" & "fresh pies baked daily " signs. Unfortunately, I never seem to make it and they're always sold out. My dad is in the middle of renovating a rental and graciously donated all of the old windows to me, which happen to be PERFECT for these look-a-like signs.

    

    

     The windows are 23 x 22 in. single pane and already had white wood frame, but I did spruce it up with some white chalk paint. If you can't get your hands on any windows, you can always substitute a large picture frame! I used my silhouette cameo to print out the letters, but again you can substitute with painting the letters on. Pinterest has some great transfer methods! Here is how my diy version of the World Market "lunch" sign turned out.

     We'll see you back Thursday for a kitchen tour with tips on using tin for your interior! Don't forget to be following along on IG! @thecornerfarmhouse / #thecornerfarmhouse

diy custom color glaze

Hi guys ! If you're following along on IG then by now you've seen the end table redo. It started out Hunter green and some weird shade of Orange. It ended up grey with BLACK GLAZE. Let me repeat myself ... BLACK GLAZE. I had never seen or heard of such a thing. I was trying to match the color of another end table and having a heck of a time. Turns out there is such a thing and that's exactly what was on the other table ... Thank you anonymous lady with the patients of a saint (sarcasm, people)! I really didn't want to drag the little people out and into hob lob so I made do with what I already had- clear wax/glaze/whatevitsallthesame.  I was a little apprehensive at first, but it is just paint after all and if first you don't succeed ...you can paint over it and they will never know ;) ! I haven't tried it with any other colors yet, but I have a feeling that it will work the same! So this is what I did ... A quarter size of the clear wax of your choice and a pea size of black acrylic paint. Wax and paint onto a paper plate and mix thoroughly (I just blended with my brush). The thoroughly part is IMPORTANT! If it isn't mixed all the way you will have all kinds of crazy colors and an uneven finish. I learned this the hard way. Mix, mix, mix! I also figure this would be a good time to mention that I do not use a wax brush when applying wax.  As long as you are applying THIN layers, it will be fine.  Maybe a tutorial on wax application should be something I do soon. Anyways, apply in said thin layers and buff immediately. Typically I wait until the wax has dried all the way, but I didn't want the black acrylic paint to set. Here is my finished product . I used 'primitive grey' and the wax / glaze mixture. 

better late than never! diy farmhouse coffee table

     YOU GUYS! We officially have working WiFi again!!!! I know you're probably thinking, "why didn't you just use your phone"? Well because frankly I'm lazy. I also am basically in denial that I am probably legally blind and it gives me a headache to try and read microscopic font on my phone. I am also VERY excited to catch up on The Bachelor! I know, "why didn't you just watch it on T.V./ DVR it"? Well, because in addition to being lazy, slightly blind, and a sucker for reality T.V,  I'm cheap ...AND deprive my family of "normal" T.V AND force them to watch HULU/NETFLIX. Okay, back to business.

 

     DIY FARMHOUSE COFFEE TABLE. SO EASY. Let's start with a list of materials and tools. We used plans from www.lovegrowswild.com , she has GOBS of projects and they're all great. Her table was 46 1/2" x 38 1/2", we did cut this down to 45 " x about 27". You can obviously make adjustments, but as far as that goes, I cannot help you because math!

 

Materials

• 4-4x4 cut to 18in. long - these will be your legs
• 2-1x4 cut to 37in. long -these will be your long "aprons"
• 2-1x4 cut to 29in. long -these will be your short "aprons"
• 3-1x4 cut to 32 3/4 in. long- (you may need to adjust and cut to size) these will be your "supports "
• 7-1x6 cut to 46 1/2 in. long- these will be your tops
• 1 scrap piece of 1x4 for a spacer *important*

In case you're new to building furniture and are thinking "what the heck is an apron and support"? I got you, because that was me too. Apron is a fancy furniture making way of saying SIDES. The long and short sides of your table, friends. Support is a fancy way of saying the extra wood that goes on the bottom so your table doesn't fall when your kids climb on it. You're welcome.

 

Tools

• Miter Saw - or have your fav. department store cut your wood to proper lengths, some do for free and other's charge.
• Kreg Jig- HIGHLY recommend
• tape measure
• drill
• 2.5 in. Kreg Jig screws
• 1.25 in. Kreg Jig Screws
• Sander
• Stain and or paint. I chose to use Minwax Dark Walnut and sealed with clear wax from Hobby Lobby

 

Assembly

1. Okay so we went a head and decided to make our "pocket" holes in every apron or side (long and short) and all three supports first. You'll need TWO "pocket" holes per end of each apron, for a total of four per apron and four per support. We used our Kreg Jig for this. You may make pocket holes with a large drill bit, but the Jig is much simpler.
2. You'll want to begin by attaching the apron or side flush with the top of your legs. You'll be using 2.5 in Kreg Jig screws to fill your pocket holes. Place your scrap 1x4 under your apron to space your joint correctly. Repeat this for each apron.
3. Once all 4 aprons are attached to the legs, you will have what should resemble a rectangle or a base ;)
4. Measure the inside of your base from long support to long support. This will be your measurement for your support beams. This is where your scrap 1x4 pieces come in. Again, 2 pocket holes per end of support and use the 1.25in Kreg Jig screws to attach the supports to the aprons. You will want 3 supports total. Two on each end and one in the middle.
5. At this point you're ready to line your 1x6 pieces up side by side long ways, this will be your table top, so make sure you're happy with the layout. Once you're happy with the layout, place your base on top and attach your 1x6's to your table by screwing 1.25 in Kreg Jig screws through your supports INTO your 1x6.  Repeat until all are secure.
6. Now your table is upside down.. flip it over. Just kidding, but really. Then sand, sand, sand, sand.
7. If you are wanting a distressed look to your table, I would do so at this step. There are plenty of great distressing technique's on Pinterest. I just found some random objects and added a few dents and scratches.
8. STAIN/PAINT/REPEAT AND SEAL. Follow your stain/paint directions, allow to dry and then seal. Again, follow your specific seal instructions.

I realize I should have taken step by step pictures, you can always refer to the link above and look for the farmhouse coffee table! Here's the finished project and you can view more pictures on IG @thecornerfarmhouse.

rumor has it

Hello everyone!

     This week has been pretty mellow and I do apologize for the lack of interesting posts. If you're wondering why I always post so late in the day, it's because the tiny humans I'm required to take care of often times make bedtime a giant game in which case I NEVER win. So here we are at almost 10 pm and after 52 ' snacks ', 24 refills and exactly 129 trips to the bathroom, I need the equivalent of those in glasses of wine and I'm still wondering what to write about ... Frankly I got NOTHING accomplished today and was just happy everyone was fed and bathed at some point, but me ...that mom life.

     Right now I'm currently working on some sign designs for the shop & browsing business cards. We will be at our first show in February! I'm not %100 sure on the launch date for Etsy, BUT I am leaning toward the beginning of March! Over the next two weeks, I will be sharing what type products you can expect to see at the upcoming market (with dates) AND on Etsy -via IG. Depending on feedback, I may be offering a give away or two for our grand opening! Make sure to follow along on IG or subscribe for email alerts so you don't miss out!

Have a great weekend and we will see you back Monday!

Olivia