Blog - The Lilypad Cottage

October 17, 2018 By Kelly 17 Comments

Butler’s Pantry Wallpaper

Is it weird if I want to invite my friends over to have a glass of wine in my pantry? If it’s not, you are all invited! ;) With the wine fridge, access to snacks, and now this gorgeous wallpaper – this room has further solidified itself as the best spot to hang out in the house. Well, ok maybe it’s lacking the view that the living room has to offer, but it’s a great spot to take a “mom breather”. Butler’s pantry wallpaper.

When my kids aren’t ransacking it.

Although now that I have it a bit more organized, I have to say I’m pleasantly surprised with how much easier it is to keep tidy.

First, let’s back up and admire the wallpaper. It’s so beautiful in person, I can’t get a photo to capture the cork like texture – it’s so cool!

I have to say, I’m so glad I hired this out. It took him much longer than he originally planned. He wallpapered around those built in shelves like a champ (they were custom built and painted so there was no easy way to take them down without damaging them or the walls), and I still have no idea how he managed to match up the pattern perfectly!

I don’t think he knows how he managed it either, because he said his brain hurt from all the math and staring at the geometric pattern so long – poor guy!

While he wallpapered, I weeded out some of the stuff cluttering up my pantry that I hadn’t used since we moved in a year ago. It was great to send a pile off for donation to hopefully find a better home.

The other big change in here is I finally found some good organizing bins that fit my shelves. I did a mix of these clear ones from amazon (I’ll link them below) and some inexpensive white plastic bins from Target.

I used the clear ones for stuff that I want to be able to quick glance in my pantry and know what I have on hand. Things I need for meals, snacks we eat every day, etc…I also really like these stackable canned good shelves that I found.

I used the white ones for stuff I don’t really need to see like flour and baking supplies, bread for sandwiches, etc…

I also put these bins with school snacks down low in easy reach of my kids. Now they are in charge of picking a school snack every day and throwing it in their backpack.

I also added small clear labels (I just printed them on mailing address stickers) to encourage everyone in the house to put things back where they go. Although, in a major mom fail moment, my first grader informed me he can’t read cursive – whoops! I told him I’m just giving him a head start, for when he learns it in 2nd grade.

I switched up our coffee station a bit. I added a mug rack and also bigger bins to store coffee and the collagen I mix in my coffee (have you guys tried that? I love it!). The rest of the storage bins I’ve collected here and there at HomeGoods.

Ok and you know I picked up a few pretty things too like this gorgeous marble cutting board. I use it to serve big cheese plates when we are entertaining (or when I don’t feel like cooking dinner on Sunday night).

Overall, it feels great to finally have this pantry working better for our family. I love the warmth and texture the wallpaper adds in here. It even makes me dislike these countertops a little less. Side note – if you remember I wanted butcher block in here but I couldn’t find any I loved with our floors, so I settled on this laminate for now. Someday I hope to swap it out for something I love.

We almost always have the door open to it so it added a lot of pattern and contrast to the kitchen too!

Butler’s pantry wallpaper.

SOURCES: (Contains affiliate links, just click on the bold words to be taken to the product)

Wallpaper – Serena and Lily

Paint Color – Light French Grey by Sherwin Williams

Plastic Bins – Amazon

Plastic Bins for canned goods – Amazon

Big white plastic bins – Target

Small plastic bins – Target

Shallow plastic bins – Target

Marble cutting board – World Market

Coffee container – World Market

Mortar and Pestle – World Market

Wood cutting boards – HomeGoods

Pantry Light – Wayfair

Door – Antique store

Floor – BuildDirect

Stool – Ballard Designs

Bar Stools – Serena and Lily

October 12, 2018 By Kelly 17 Comments

Balsamic Mushroom Goat Cheese Tarts

Welcome to another Friday Feels where I share what I’m “feeling” this week. Balsamic Mushroom goat cheese tarts.

This week, I’m feeling ready for all the cozy foods! In typical Michigan fashion, it was 75 degrees yesterday and it’s dropped down to a balmy 45 today. I’m embracing the cold with some comfort food and my fuzzy slippers. I made these Balsamic Mushroom Onion Tarts last weekend for a little afternoon snack for the Mr. and I, and they were so good. This is kind of a hybrid of two of my favorite appetizers. A tomato goat cheese tart and mushroom bruschetta, I sort of combined the two into one delicious appetizer!

Puff pastry is my go to friend when I want to look way fancier than I am. I always keep a package or two in the freezer. You can top it with pretty much anything you have in your fridge or pantry, and it will taste good and look even better.

These would be a great start to a dinner party or the perfect savory treat to bring to Thanksgiving. You can even make them bigger and serve with a salad for a light vegetarian friendly meal. Side note – I used garlic and herb Boursin cheese, because it’s what I had in the fridge. Any kind of herb goat cheese would be great though.

5.0 from 2 reviews

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Balsamic Mushroom Onion Tarts

Recipe type: appetizer

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 50 mins

Serves: 9

Ingredients

8 oz container of sliced mushrooms
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 sheet of puff pasty, thawed
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
garlic and herb boursin cheese (you could use herb goat cheese also)
shredded parmesan
optional thyme sprigs for garnish

Instructions

Saute onion, garlic, and mushrooms in 2 tbsp of butter over medium heat.
Season with salt and pepper.
Saute for 20 minutes or until tender.
Add balsamic vinegar and cook for 2-3 additional minutes, until thickened.
Slightly roll out puff pastry sheet and cut into 9 squares.
Score a ½ inch "crust" on the outer edge of each puff pastry. Dock the middle with a fork.
Lightly grease a baking sheet and place puff pastry squares on it.
Sprinkle with parmesan.
Fill middle of puff pastry with mushroom filling.
Top with boursin or goat cheese crumbles.
Sprinkle with more parmesan.
Refrigerate until ready to bake.
Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
Garnish with thyme sprigs.

caramelized onion balsamic goat cheese mushroom tarts

Let me know if you give these balsamic mushroom goat cheese tarts a try. SO many of you have messaged me that you loved my lasagna recipe (see that recipe here) and it makes my heart so happy that you are enjoying my Grandmother’s recipe.

I’m trying to hunt down all my long underwear and winter gloves to gear up for tomorrow’s 9 am soccer game fun. Hope you all stay warm and cozy in this weather, happy weekend!

October 10, 2018 By Kelly 21 Comments

Navy Ticking Breakfast Nook Chairs

I have been busy organizing my pantry this week, and I’m ridiculously excited to get the labels that I ordered in the mail so I can finish that space up. Side note – signs you are in your 30’s: you are ridiculously excited about labels…or maybe just a sign I’m a big dork?Navy Ticking Breakfast Nook Chairs

I’ll hopefully be sharing the new pantry with you all next week, but in the meantime my fantastic mother-in-law sewed these cushion covers for me. We now have new and improved navy ticking breakfast nook chairs.

I love the little extra pattern in here and how it ties in with the ticking on the throw pillows on the bench.

I styled the nook for these photos with a few of my new Serena and Lily throw pillows from the couch, but I would never actually leave these here. My kids + spaghetti + expensive pillows = me drinking wine in the pantry crying over my formerly beautiful pillows. So, I will stick with my beloved clearance Target ones in here for now (you can see them in this post here).

Someday, I would actually like to put a cushion like we had in our old sunroom on this bench, but for now it’s easy to wipe up, and I just move the pillows to the side when we eat. I’m also still going back and forth on painting this table…

And I think this may be the third time I have showed you our breakfast nook, yet I still don’t have anything in those upper glass cabinets. I’m decorating at a leisurely pace over here. Maybe by year 5 I will stick something in there. I would actually like to put something with more color in the glass cabinets, but I just haven’t found the perfect thing yet.

We are having the craziest stretch of 80 degree weather, so my hydrangea are still going strong in the backyard. I’m not complaining one bit, summer can stick around for good!

SOURCES: (Contains affiliate links)

Chairs – Wayfair

Table – Wayfair

Paint Color – Sherwin Williams Extra White

Fabric – Amazon

Blue pillow – Serena and Lily

Ticking pillow – Pottery Barn

Bar Stools – Serena and Lily

Striped Pillow – HomeGoods

Beams – they were in the basement of the old cottage we knocked down

Floors – BuildDirect

Navy ticking breakfast nook chairs

October 5, 2018 By Kelly 21 Comments

Fall Skirts – Friday Feels

Welcome to another Friday Feels where I share what I’m “feeling” this week. This post contains affiliate links.

The Mr. has been gone a lot for work lately, so this week I’m feeling excited for date night! My in-laws are taking our kids for the night tonight. I’m so thankful for a little break from my sweet kiddos and to have some one-on-one time with my best friend. It’s great timing, because I just had a box of cute fall skirts arrive that are perfect for date night. Side note – I tend to online shop when the Mr. is gone, because my kids always sleep with me. Their 8:00 bedtime lends itself to shopping on my phone in the dark while they snore sweetly next to me.

I’ve been on the hunt for a suede skirt for fall and this one is so cute. It’s a little on the pricier side for what I normally spend on a skirt, but the quality is really great and I know I will wear it a lot. It comes in a few different colors too.

skirt / turtleneck / bag / boots

It looks great with a simple black turtleneck and the zipper details are so fun.

I’ve had this jacket forever, so it’s no longer available, but here is a similar one.

Throw on a leather jacket for when it’s cooler, pretend I added tights like I planned on if I actually had a pair of tights that didn’t have a hole in them…

skirt / blouse / bag / boots

It’s a little more dressed up with this pretty turtleneck blouse. The sleeve detail on this top is so pretty. It is a bit sheer, so I wear a nude camisole underneath. You could totally add tights and tall boots with a cozy sweater as well.

skirt / turtleneck / bag / boots

I also snagged this olive corduroy skirt, which is at a better price point, but still gives the same fall vibes. I love it dressed up with that same easy black turtleneck.

Oh and the bag was another great Nordstrom find. It’s only $55, but it feels and looks a lot more expensive.

It’s perfect for a more casual look with a cozy sweater and those $35 Target booties I shared the other week.

I hope you all have fun plans this weekend, I can’t wait to head downtown for a dinner other than the pb&j and carrot stick scraps I’ve been eating all week :)

Happy Weekend!

October 3, 2018 By Kelly 34 Comments

Navy and French Blue Pillows

I know, I know. Navy and French Blue Pillows. Didn’t I just post about the rust colored fall pillows I added to the living room? Yes, yes, I did. We all know I have a throw pillow addiction. It’s a well documented problem.

Although the closet under the stairs has now turned into “the pillow closet” aka – a giant pillow pile/padded room that has become the favorite reading nook in the house for my kids. So you say “pillow problem.” I say “educational opportunity.” It’s all about perspective. :)

If I could live anywhere, it would be inside a Serena and Lily magazine. Or actually I don’t want to live there because my kids would destroy it, but maybe visit by myself as my very own personal happy space.

So, when they offered to send me some of their new fall navy and french blue pillows I jumped at the chance to partner with them. Although truth be told, these pillows will be carrying me all through winter as well.

I love the deep navy blues and brighter tones of the french blue against our all white everything. These pillows are so well made and the detail on them is beautiful.

And yes, they are Charlie approved.

As evidenced by the fact that he is in every stinking shot, I finally had to stick him outside so I could finish shooting this ha!

When the lake freezes over the view out the window is still beautiful, albeit a bit bleak and typically all snowy white. That’s when I really crave more color in the house which is probably opposite of how most people decorate for winter.

I love the punch of color they add to our space, and they look so pretty with the blue water in the background.

I also changed up the mantel with a more streamlined mirror. I’ve actually had that old DIY mirror above our mantel at this house and our old house for 3 years. That has to be some kind of world record for me! I’m thinking ahead to Christmas decor and realized I wanted a simpler mirror for my mantel plans this year.

I actually plan on hanging it up, but it weighs quite a bit and I need the Mr. to help me hang it. He’s been traveling all week and I know at the top of his list when he comes home is a little DIY project! ;)

I also found these pretty vases to add some more color to the mantel. Well, that and the little copper pot I used for my fall home tour was my utensil holder in the kitchen. It was driving me nuts that I couldn’t find anything in my drawers! I shop my home a lot when I want to change things up (case in point all those rust pillows are now on the basement couch) but I think that’s the last time I borrow from the kitchen.

I’m loving my little room refresh. Speaking of room refreshes, if you follow me on instagram you know the pantry got new wallpaper this week! Which funnily enough I bought at Serena and Lily as well – I guess I’m inching my way into that catalog life. I have been busy organizing and rearranging everything in there and I’m hoping to share that next week.

Also quick note – I always include a source list at the end of my blog posts listing where everything is from, but I have been getting some comments and emails lately asking where to find things. So, I just wanted to clear up any confusion. Whenever there is a BOLD word that is actually a link to the specific product. All you need to do is click on the word and it will take you to the product.

These are typically affiliate links which I always disclose (read more about my disclosure policy here). That just means I get a small commission if you purchase something through one of my links. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, and I really appreciate anytime you purchase something through my links if you like something I share!

Bonus – Serena and Lily is having a big sale right now! You can get 20% off everything with the code HOMELOVE. Click here to head to their site or I linked every specific item below.

SOURCES : (Contains affiliate links)

Topanga Pillow Cover – Serena and Lily

Dandelion Embroidered Pillow Cover – Serena and Lily

Amalie Pillow Cover square – Serena and Lily

Amalie Pillow Cover rectangle – Serena and Lily

Pryce Pillow Cover – Serena and Lily

Pryce Pillow Cover navy – Serena and Lily

Kemp Pillow Cover – Serena and Lily

Mendocino Linen Throw – Serena and Lily

Blue Vases – HomeGoods

Mirror – Wayfair

Planters – HomeGoods

Sectional – Art Van Furniture

Rug – Wayfair

Chairs – Hand me down from my mom

Coffee table – Wayfair

Candelabra – Target

Sofa table – vintage find

Light Fixture – Bellacor

September 28, 2018 By Kelly 21 Comments

Best Lasagna Recipe – Friday Feels

Welcome to another Friday Feels where I share what I’m “feeling” this week.

This week I’m feeling full! I made my Grandma’s lasagna this week for dinner, and it is the best lasagna recipe ever. I actually made it a few weeks ago and shared it on instagram stories – I had a zillion dm’s asking for the recipe, so I’m finally, finally, getting it on the blog today. I had to get some major family clearance to share this on the blog, and I promise it’s the real deal recipe. Not how my Grandma used to give out a recipe, but leave out a few ingredients, so your’s would never taste quite as good as hers :)

Let’s pretend I took better looking photos than this, rather than in the middle of dinner yelling “wait don’t put that in your mouth, I forgot I was going to blog this!!” and stopping everything and throwing it on the table and snapping 5 photos. Oh the therapy my kids will need…

Let me just state for the record this is not a throw together for a weeknight meal kind of recipe. This is a cozy all day, Saturday project, from scratch, kind of recipe. BUT it’s so worth it. Bonus it makes two 9×13 pans or three 9×9 pans. I like to make the three 9×9 pans for our family of four and freeze two of them. That way I have an easy and delicious dinner waiting for me in the freezer for a busy week. Actually this time around, I made a double batch and gave a few away and froze four pans.

Or if you just want a delicious pasta sauce, I have made the sauce portion alone before and froze it in two cup bags for spaghetti nights too! One more thing if you are local and really want it to taste right, you need to go to Russo’s Italian Deli in Grand Rapids and use their sausage, cheeses and spices if you want it to be perfect.

5.0 from 1 reviews

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Best Lasagna Recipe

Author: Kelly Rinzema

Recipe type: dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Prep time: 2 hours 30 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Total time: 3 hours 15 mins

Serves: a lot

From scratch Lasagna

Ingredients

2 lbs bulk sweet Italian sausage
5 garlic cloves smashed
2 yellow onions diced
2 celery stalks diced
3 tbsp parsley flakes
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp basil
30 oz tomato paste
60 oz water
1 lb box of lasagna noodles (cooked according to box instructions)
1 lb ricotta cheese
2½ lbs mozzarella, sliced thin not shredded
¼ lb finely grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

SAUCE : Brown sausage in a large sauce pot.
Add onion and celery and cook until soft, 5 - 10 min.
Add garlic, parsley, salt, sugar, basil, tomato paste and water.
Bring to a boil, Simmer on low 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
LASAGNA:
Slightly cover bottom of pans with sauce (either 2 9x13 pans or 3 9x9 pans).
Layer cooked lasagna noodles.
Take a slice of mozzarella and using a butter knife spread a thin layer of ricotta on each slice and cover noodles.
Cover with a layer of sauce.
Repeat these layers until you fill the pan.
Sprinkle with parmesan and back at 325 for 45 min let rest 10 min.
If you are going to freeze the pans don't add the parmesan on top before you freeze. Add it right before you bake it.
If frozen bake at 325 about 75 min or until bubbling throughout.

It’s been a while since I shared a recipe, but if you would like to check out a few of my other favorite’s see them here!

Happy Weekend!

September 26, 2018 By Kelly 24 Comments

Burgundy and Pink Fall Front Porch

I wanted to thank you all for the kinds comments on my fall home tour last week! It was fun to share the simple fall touches I added inside our home. I held out one space on you though, and that is our burgundy and pink fall front porch decor! I’m finally sharing it today, and I’m so excited to be joining in on the Seasons of Home tour Series hosted by Kristen from Ella Claire. Be sure to check out all the amazing front porches my blogger friends are sharing – so many inspiring ideas!

While I added bits of rust and orange inside our house, I stuck to the burgundy and pink color scheme I used last year on our porch, subscribing to the old “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” adage.

I will say this is Burgundy and Pink Fall Porch 2.0 because I went a little nuts at the local nursery. I mixed in several shade of light pink to deeper purple, but also added in some kale and cabbage too.

Some creeping jenny got added to my planters as well to echo the greenery in my flower boxes.

Instead of keeping my hydrangeas in my larger planters like last year, I decided to transplant them into the ground beside our sidewalk and I’m crossing my fingers that the earlier transplant helps them to bloom better next summer.

I kept all the ivy I had growing in the planters, because it went a little crazy. I tease my kids not to let their ankles get too close or it will grab them. This stuff seriously is taking over our steps. I added in the burgundy mums where the hydrangea used to be.

It’s hard to tell, but I have 3 large planters of different heights on either side of the front walk with a few smaller buckets in front. I love that from far away it looks like a big cascade of color.

I recovered my bench pillows (which are just inexpensive body pillows read more about that here) in a taupe striped fabric to offset all the bright colors and added a neutral cozy runner from Target.

A few pumpkins from Trader Joes finished it out for now. My daughter has already informed me that “those are not, like, even real pumpkins mom!” My kids don’t share my aversion for orange, so in a few weeks the steps will be filled with carved orange pumpkins like “normal people” ;)

Also, is it weird that I kind of like the green mossy mess growing on our sidewalk? I’ve been watering these nonstop with the warm weather we have had and I can’t seem to keep the mildew away. I keep thinking about painting our concrete or sealing it or something…I’d love to put blue stone over top someday, but for the meantime, I’m too lazy to power wash so we will pretend that the moss is charming and go with it :)

Be sure to stop by all the other front porch designs below! Also, if you are new here thanks for stopping by our lake house in Michigan – you can take our full home tour here.

Ella Claire | Inspired by Charm | Zevy Joy | The Lilypad Cottage

Jeanne Oliver | Boxwood Avenue | Liz Marie Blog | Love Grows Wild

French Country Cottage | Home Stories A to Z | Nesting with Grace | Beneath my Heart

Shades of Blue Interiors | City Farmhouse | Jennifer Rizzo Design Company | Rooms for Rent

September 20, 2018 By Kelly 49 Comments

Fall Home Decor Tour – Navy and Rust

Hey everyone – welcome to my navy and rust fall home tour! I’m excited to be joining a fun group of bloggers sharing our fall decor today. The first stop on the tour is Randi from Randi Garret Design, her home is beautiful! You will die over her kitchen, check it all out here.

If you are stopping by from Randi’s house or one of the other fab ladies on the tour, thanks for checking out our lake home here in Michigan. We built this home a year ago, and I’ve been busy making it feel like home ever since.

As you will soon see, blue and white are my favorite colors, but this year I decided to throw a few pops of rust and deep orange in to mix things up. Our living room is our favorite spot to enjoy the view (besides our backyard by the lake), so we made sure to have a cozy sectional big enough to fit our whole family.

It’s especially inviting with the candles and fireplace lit up.

I love to decorate with fresh flowers and plants. It’s my favorite way to change things out seasonally without adding a lot of clutter. I added some fall kale and cabbage to a planter on my coffee table for a fall touch that will last the whole season, well if I remember to water it…

I found most of the rust colored pillows inexpensively at H&M this year, and I love that they have a fall vibe without being bright orange.

I kept it simple on the mantel this year with a few pumpkins and beach grass I cut from the backyard.

I found this cool candelabra and added extra large 15 inch candles to it. I love the drama and warmth they add.

Sunflowers are always a favorite of mine in the fall, but I love to buy the little plants vs cut ones because they will last me a lot longer.

Bonus, I can eventually transfer them to the ground and hope they pop up again next year.

I brought fall into our master bedroom a little bit this year with a pretty coral colored mum from the local nursery and these Fleur de Lis pillows from Jenny Steffens Hobick Designs.

I can’t seem to get a photo in here without Charlie photobombing. He thinks this is actually his bed and he allows us to sleep in here sometimes with him. Luckily, he coordinates pretty well with the colors ;)

I’m still making the most of our hydrangeas in our yard, and I keep a fresh vase full in the kitchen at all times. We love to go apple picking here in Michigan, and homemade applesauce is on the agenda for this weekend.

Our entry got little pop of fall as well thanks to this leather bin and pillow.

You can almost sneak a peek of our fall front porch out the door. I’ll be sharing more of that later this fall, but I do have my fall window boxes full of mums and they are a favorite of mine to switch out with the seasons.

Thanks so much for stopping by and taking our tour, if you’d like to see more of our new home, you can take the full tour here. I’ll also list most of the sources below for you, but you can also check out my “shop our home” page too!

Next up on the tour is Jennifer from Decor Gold Designs, I love her style! Check out her fall home tour here.

You can visit the rest of the ladies on the tour by clicking the links below!

Randi Garrett Design | Lilypad Cottage | Decor Gold Designs | Life on Virginia Street | My Texas House

Happy Fall! – Kelly

Sources – contains affiliate links

LIVING ROOM –

Couch – Art Van Furntiure

Pillows – H&M find them here

Coffee Table – Wayfair

Gate leg table – flea market find

Planters – HomeGoods

Candelabra – Target

Mirror – HomeGoods here is a similar one

Navy blanket – Serena and Lily

Rug – Wayfair

DINING ROOM

Table – Art Van Furniture – similar one here

Grey chairs – Wayfair

White slipcovered chairs – Target

Pillows – Target last year

KITCHEN

Barstools – Serena and Lily

Market bag – Apolis

ENTRY

Bench – flea market find

Leather bin – Target

MASTER BEDROOM

Jute Rug – World Market

White bedding – Pottery Barn

Throw Blanket – Target

Pillows – Target

Bed – Wayfair

Throw Pillows – Every Day Occasions

Blue Throw Pillow – Serena and Lily

Find all my paint colors throughout our home here!

September 14, 2018 By Kelly 27 Comments

Fall Mantel Sneak Peek – Friday Feels

Welcome to another Friday Feels where I share what I’m “feeling” this week. This post contains affiliate links.

This week, I’m feeling excited to share my fall home tour with you! You’ll have to wait one more week, but I thought I would give you a sneak peek of the mantel decor I went with this year.

I mentioned last week that I bought this candelabra from Target and I paired it with some extra dramatic 15 inch taper candles and a few Trader Joe pumpkins. I also cut some Karl Forester beach grass from the backyard for a little height.

I’ll be sharing the rest of the tour next Thursday so stay tuned!

Besides fall home decor, I also picked up a few clothing items that are getting me ready to cozy up with my coffee by the fire this fall. I had big plans to share some outfit photos with you, but I had a blood vessel burst in my eye and I wouldn’t subject you all to that. Small children and adults alike are recoiling in horror from me and my blood filled eye. My children spent a good 15 minutes this morning contemplating whether I looked more like a vampire, werewolf, or zombie. I think they settled on a crabby zombie mom, who really needs some coffee… So, I can either cross my fingers it dissipates soon or hope it hangs on until Halloween? Either way, I rounded up a few random things I bought this week while online shopping to make myself feel better :)

Camo Waffle top – This shirt is so comfy and perfect for running errands with jeans and sneakers.
Black Booties – I picked these up at Target and they have the perfect heel height, look great with jeans, and they are only $35!
Field Jacket – I bought an olive jacket from Abercrombie that was on clearance, which sold out, but this classic one from Old Navy is a good dupe and it’s on sale right now too!
H&M Joggers – Working from home, I live in joggers, but these are super cute with a t-shirt and jean jacket out and about too.
Half Zip Pullover – This is legit the coziest thing minus my bathrobe that I have ever worn.
Asymmetrical Snap up Fleece – Abercrombie had these last year too, but it just came out in a bunch of new colors. It has become my soccer mom uniform on the weekends.
Leopard flats – I have had these 3 days and have worn them every day (trying to distract people from my zombie eye), and I have gotten so many compliments on them! They go with everything and instantly elevate any outfit. They are really good quality and on sale! Use the code SHOPTOIT for 30% off.

Happy weekend!

September 12, 2018 By Kelly 18 Comments

Pantry Wallpaper

*This post contains affiliate links.

Hey guys! I know I promised my fall home tour was coming this week, but the other bloggers I’m participating with decided to push it back a week. Which phew, I’m actually thankful for because it gave me a chance to find actual real live pumpkins. My blog post plans got a little goofed up for the week though, so I thought I would share some updates on a few projects that will be coming to the blog soon like my pantry wallpaper!

I’m so excited about finishing up our pantry. Here’s what it looked like last year when we moved in –

Here’s what it looks like as of this morning after my two tornados have been through it. Yikes it needs a bit more organization now that it’s fully stocked. Some clear bins and can organizers are in my future, but the biggest change coming in here is wallpaper!

Originally when we were building, the plan was for the walls to be tiled, but this was an easy budget cut to make when I was over budget in other areas. I knew it would be an easy detail to add to later. I’m glad I waited, because I feel like wallpaper will be more fun and versatile to change out someday. I’m wanting a little more texture in here, so I decided on this Cayman Cork Wallpaper from Serena and Lily.

I think the black countertop will play well with the pattern on this wallpaper and it almost has a tile like feel to it. I’m hoping the grey paint will pop against the graphic pattern and the open shelves will stand out more. They will be getting a major overhaul styling wise too, because I’m cleaning out some of the stuff that I haven’t used since we moved in. I want it to be pretty, but it’s also practical storage space for us too.

When I first shared this room, I had a ton of questions about if it was too big or if I thought I would really use this space much, and I’m SO glad we have this spot. After a year of living here, I really have loved that all the little appliances and counter clutter is hidden away in here. It makes mornings easy with my kids too, because I have all the school snacks – applesauce pouches, raisins, granola bars, etc… in bins on the bottom, so they can pack their own snacks in the morning for school. It’s also nice to have another work space. If I’m having a dinner party it’s easy hide all my prep stuff away.

As for my biggest reason for wanting the pantry – hiding from my children within arms reach of wine and chocolate, I can honestly say it has come in handy for that purpose too ;) If you missed the pantry the first time around, you can read more about it here.

Or check out some of the other rooms I have wallpapered like my daughter’s bathroom.

Our laundry room,

and powder room.

I plan on adding wallpaper in my “never before seen on the blog” son’s bathroom soon too. I’ll be sharing more about that soon.