Front Door Makeover

December 1, 2016

The holidays don’t leave a lot of time or money to work on home remodeling projects, but it’s pretty incredible what something as simple as a knob switch and a fresh coat of paint can do! We decided to give our front door a little update for the holidays, and I’m so glad we went for it. It is such a fresh change, and the merry bells make it quite a happy entrance. Here’s how we gave it an overhaul…

(front door before)

(front door after)

PROCESS + TIPS:
The first step to the door makeover was removing all hardware and taping the edges of the window frames and door edges with painters tape. I went back and forth on selecting an exterior paint color for weeks before deciding on “Rainy Afternoon” by Behr. (It was a tie between burnt crimson red.) The door ended up only one coat of exterior paint, and it dried pretty quickly. You can get either a flat, semi-gloss, or gloss finish based on your preference.

After the coat of paint, we switched out the handle set. We had pretty standard lock knobs on before the update, and Gabe had been wanting to change the locks, and add more secure ones. He is much better at thinking of safety precautions than I am. So we found a door hardware combo from Schlage that was pleasing to both the guy seeking safety and the gal seeking aesthetics;) We really liked the camelot set with georgian knobs in the matte black paired with the color of the door. Gabe installed a set on both the front and back door of our main floor. Make sure to get your measurements on your doors and locks correctly before ordering to avoid any misalignment issues.

The project only took a few hours total, and it made such a visual difference, allowing the home to feel updated with minimal time. I kind of want to go knob happy and continue the switch outs on the main floor. After the door was finished decked the halls with some fir trees, mini lighted trees, and a eucalyptus wreath to make it a merry welcome for all who pass through:)

So come on over! The cocoa is ready.

P.S. Schlage is running a pretty cool sweepstakes right now giving away daily prizes to give your home a holiday upgrade including gift cards, Schlage door hardware and electronic smart locks, and the grand prize: a $5,000 Lowe’s gift card. Get on that!

Schlage products are available online at Amazon.com and Build.com, as well as in retail locations including Home Depot and Lowe’s. To learn more about Schlage and view all their unique decorative door hardware, visit schlage.com. This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Schlage. The opinions and text are all mine.

Our Christmas Cards + Minted Giveaway

November 30, 2016

If Minted hadn’t offered to give you readers some gift cards, I don’t think I would have kicked myself in the pants to get these Christmas cards done! Now it will probably take me an entire month to write one hundred addresses and notes, but maybe with the help of a few old christmas movies and a few boxes of Trader Joe’s dark chocolate stars…

I’ll share our Christmas pics soon! Since we hadn’t yet done a birth announcement for Azelie (you know it’s your 5th baby when…), we did the folded card design with recycled paper and put her pic on the inside. Couldn’t resist sticking chub face on the back of the card either. It might be my favorite pic of Rocco to date.

There were so many designs to choose from. I had a tough time narrowing it down. Almost went with this one, and I loved their gold foil options. Also, if you all are more organized than I am and have your addresses on the computer, you can now have them added to your envelopes when you order your cards. Glory halleloo! I at least got to take advantage of adding return addresses.

As our second gratitude giveaway for you readers, we are giving away TWO $125 gift cards to minted!
1. ENTER THE GIVEAWAY HERE
+
2. Leave a comment with your favorite holiday tradition.

Winners will be notified via email on Dec. 6th.
Best of luck! Thank you for visiting IHOD each day!
(Announced the winner of the weekender bag in this post.)

P.S. If you are local to the Atlanta area, Chelsey Heidorn is your girl for Christmas photos!

A Cozy Him + Her Gift Guide

November 28, 2016

A cozy him + her gift guide:
Pajamas for him, pajamas for her (40% off today only)
Throw for him, throw for her (Use code cybermonday for 30% off)
Rugby stripe socks for him, Reindeer fair isle socks for her
Swedish fire torch set, Candles for her (20% off today only)

I love the chance to gift him + her gifts, and recently gave a monogrammed mug set + flannel throw to some newlyweds. What cozy gift ideas would you add to these pairs?
Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving break. I’m ready to have all my chics home for Christmas!

P.S. If you are an email subscriber, you will receive an extra gift guide and news about our big giveaway!

This our hymn of grateful praise.

November 26, 2016

I meant to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving yesterday, but it was really nice to take the day completely unplugged. It was our first Thanksgiving in the new house, and although it was simple, it was so meaningful to us. I felt filled to the brim, and I hope each of you felt the same in your own homes surrounded by loved ones. Many of my sisters and brothers were spread out this year, and this is the hymn we took turns singing to each other over the phone, because you know, Little Women! …

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Under $30 Gift Guide for the Girl on a Budget

November 23, 2016

(Photo source)

Growing up, my family had the tradition of a gift exchange in which we would all make hand made gifts or re-gift something we knew our sisters or brothers really wanted (hello barbie fashion sketch set). I can still feel the Christmas spirit tingle my bones when I think of some of those memories, and I don’t think it is anything money can buy. The season of self giving can easily turn into a mess of materialism. In order to be a blog that promotes the former over the latter, I wanted to be very simple with my gift guides. Ones that will be a helpful guide to avoiding those black friday lines and keeping you at home with your family. So hear is a quick guide for the girl on a budget doing her shopping to avoid the chaos!

Something cozy – A super soft cowl neck sweater, a llama beanie, or plush zipper gloves

Housewarming – Put a succulent in this adorable mini mid-century planter, or for the newlyweds a Mr. & Mrs. set, or a family advent calendar candle

Coffee & Cocoa – How about a cableknit mug & cocoa set, along with this But first coffee print, or this coffee canister

Self-care Spa – Travel size detox duo, my very favorite lip scrub, or an amazing grace all in one wash.

Travel light – Life saving red-eye flight kit, a hand sized I don’t sweat I sparkle kit, or a Rose gold passport case and luggage tag

The First Noel – christmas throw, personalized fair isle stocking, or vintage looking ornaments

I also found some really fun gifts/stocking stuffers for friends and teachers this week that were also all $30 and under as pictured above!:

golden bells
copper and gold hair barrettes
pom pom and tree topper gifting soap
matches and mini lantern
mini styling iron

This year my family is spread far and wide for Christmas, and as much as it breaks my heart, I find consolation in our annual gift exchange. Many years later we still keep the budget low so we can get creative. We draw just one name, and ship our gift for those who are far away. I will be trying my best to hand make at least the gift tag in addition to the budget buy to add a little nostalgic cheer.

Any cool DIY’s or budget buys you have found? Let me know!

P.S. Are you signed up the IHOD email list? I will be sending out a few bonus gift guides for email subscribers:)

Advent Calendar Crush.

November 21, 2016

Advent starts this weekend, and I readily admit I am a tad ambitious when it comes to advent calendars. I find them all so enticing as they represent a time of waiting, hope, and inner change. I thought I would share a few new ones I found this year if you are looking to add one to your traditions…

This illustrated advent calendar caught my eye, as it is visually stunning. Even better, it has a verse written on the back for each day you pull a card. Since advent is a spiritual experience for our family, I am excited to use this one as part of our bedtime routine this advent. You can find this one on etsy from Coley Created shop.

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Reader Appreciation: Weekender Giveaway

November 18, 2016

I often think how I wish I could gather many of you readers in one place to throw a big party. I am always so grateful for your loyal readership and support over the years of this space. But since this isn’t possible, and gift giving is my love language, I wanted to do a run of gratitude giveaways! A series of personally selected favorite things to give away as an end of the year party! It will lead up to our biggest giveaway to date on IHOD, so be sure to stay tuned! (If you email subscribe, and new post will get sent directly to you via email.)

So first up! Giving away this Lacie Weekender Bag from Sole Society in Cognac! (It is the size up from the bag pictured, and just the right size for a weekend away.) Enter via Rafflecopter below!
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