DIY
Practical Bag Storage Solution from Oh My Bag Philippines
December 1, 2016
My closet looked nothing like this when we moved into this house 4 years ago (read previous post, the perfect excuse). It was bare and it housed my clothes, the husband's and a little of Vania's. My bags were stored in the second room together with some other house stuff and in all honesty, it was a bit disorganised.
Kids Study Nook feat. DressLily Wall Stickers
September 24, 2016
Our house is a constant work in progress. Every time my husband is home for a vacation, we make it a point to have something done or redone. Just recently, we added a new shelf to my closet, changed a lot of light fixtures around the house, DIY-ed a mason jar ceiling lamp for our powder room, added new shelves in our shoe closet, gave our dirty kitchen a total makeover, added hanging shelves in our main kitchen and changed our house fence & gate. These are all new home improvement projects, all done in the span of 2.5 months the husband was here for a vacation.
But one area of the house that is a constant and i mean constant (cannot stress it enough) work in progress is Vania's little nook in the master's bedroom. We've had talks about moving her study space to her own bedroom because I've been wanting to change our bed for the longest time but for a lot of reasons concerning Vania, we just couldn't do it. She loves her little space too much that she's already claimed it for her own, telling me that she doesn't want to study in the second room because that's for her toys only. So here we are again, revamping her study nook-- the third time now since we moved here in 2013.
If you've read my previous entry about her spruced up little corner, you'll know that I love working with wall decals or stickers. It is something that I've been obsessing about ever since I read an article featuring wallpapers + decals in a bedroom some time in the 90s.
BEFORE
AFTER
THE PROJECT
Because Vania started going to school this year, the husband and I decided to add shelves for all her books, study materials and some toys. The shelves my husband built from scratch is made of marine plywood, spray-painted with white and made to dry for 5 days before installing it in the bedroom.
For the sticker design, I did not want something big like before because that would mean crowding the whole space what with Vania's books, baskets, bags and toys. It took me a while to decide but when I came across this DressLily chic owl pattern wall sticker, I knew I had to get it. The dimension is perfect for an overhead accent, the colors are so fun and girly, and it matches the overall feel of her study nook! They have other designs that I would probably get in the future should I wish to revamp again this little space. And because they're really affordable and DressLily offers free shipping for eligible purchases, one can change wall stickers as much as they want or buy them as housewarming gifts for friends and family!
And because my dad's fascination with anything owl has finally rubbed off on us, we're slowly putting up a little aviary for our wise little friends over here ;)
Got a room makeover you wish to share? Sound off in the comments section below, would love to know all about it!
DESIGN: Wall Decals & Vania's Spruced Up Little Corner
October 15, 2014
Perfect Excuse
November 5, 2013
i mentioned in my last post that i am going to show you guys the reason why i've been M.I.A. lately. although i know i've done this a couple of times before, going on hiatus for weeks or even months, but my excuse now is quite legit compared to my i-lack-in-creative-inspiration-hence-the-lack-of-post reason all the time.
if you've been reading this blog long enough, you'll remember that i've posted a lot of times before about remodelling and furnishing a house. supervising the men, taking down some parts here, adding a little more there, repainting this and DIY-ing that. all these and more that time flew by so swiftly i didn't even realize that i haven't posted anything for 3 long months already. and so..
it's still a work in progress but i couldn't be any happier. less than a year into our marriage, THIS happened. i cannot thank my parents enough for helping us get started, for making the first step and eventually entrusting us to see this project through. this is all but a dream and i couldn't be any more proud of my husband for taking on such a huge responsibility. being on our own (in a way cos we eat breakfast here but lunch and dinner at my parents house HAHAHA!) is such an exhilarating experience. we still have a lot to learn and im just happy that we have a lifetime to explore the odds and ends together.
i've decided to make this not just a fashion blog but also a home design/interior blog where i will post some DIYs, decorating ideas and some other home knick knacks which i think will benefit most of my readers.
Vania's little corner (spot the baby sleeping!) i went over the moon when i saw these wall decals selling for no more than 500pesos per design! i initially wanted a safari-like theme but the designs available were a little too boyish so i settled for the cherry blossom tree and birds on wires designs. She loved it! i am about to buy glow-in-the-dark stars to add in there since my butterball loves to look at "TARS" as she would call them ;) but Vania is now co-sleeping with me so this little corner only houses her pillow, bolster pillows and some stuffed toys now.
before we moved in, i wanted to place her crib in the corner opposite the bed but decided against it at the last minute. i didn't think she'd feel comfortable with our bed far from where she's sleeping. and i was right. haha.
i am all for reversible comforter sets! some days when i dont feel like seeing too much print, i use this light-gray chevron print side. this Canadian set is a little pricey but it is worth every single cent!
during our US trip, my sister and i saw these pink and black slimline velvet hangers selling at 50% off the original the price and thought that we just had to buy a few. we bought 2 dozens of each color and regretted the decision. thankfully, a few months after our trip, SnR Cebu carried this design but with hooks. it was perfection until i realized i needed more (since i left my old ones in my old closet) and they were already sold out.
these i bought from True Value. same design and quality and they're selling them per piece. perfect for those who doesn't need more than a dozen :)
but of course. i need extra (very little) helping hands to organize my closet. haha!
closet side A. customized shelves and hanging rods installed by my husband (thank you, love!) fabric bins in varied sizes i bought from SnR while those 4 floral (not clearly seen in this photo) print sunglasses storage boxes i bought from Fab Manila. the husband and i temporarily share this closet for now since our plan for closet B installation is stalled because of...
THIS.
hahaha! we're utilizing this space as her play/work area and eventually, her own bed goes on here until she's brave enough to move to her own bedroom. so my closet wont be complete until hmm.. say, 2025? hahaha!
moving on to the rest of the house..
this attic will house most of my books, souvenirs from all of my husband's travels, Isabel's old stuff, Vania's collection (whatever it/they may be), our family's memorabilia and my snowglobes. our library, my blogging space. now to find that perfect couch and that elusive lucite chair..
i have an undying love affair with solid wood planks for stairs. it started with our first house project and i was hooked thereafter. so you can just imagine my delight when i saw this the first time we made an ocular visit! had it stained Brown Mahogany (original was a Natural stain) but now considering about re-staining it again. Chestnut, perhaps? :)
this 4 seater dining table came with the purchase but i DIY-ed the chairs.
i wanted to achieve a shabby chic vibe but i couldn't go distressed all the way so i sanded it lightly at the edges and corners and retained most of its turquoise and white paint.
i found this weather-beaten glass display cabinet in the stockroom and decided to upcycle it. sanded, spray-painted and lined the interior with Laura Ashley's shelf liner i bought from SnR. this DIY now hangs in our powder room.
sticking to our preferred theme. these beautiful candle holders were such a steal! and its a delight that i was able to buy a fruit basket in the same design. oh, cosmos!
mason jars in all sizes for kitchen organization. i need more though, in bigger sizes and in different designs, for the stockroom.
these i bought from my favorite thrift shop! they carry a whole lot of glassware goodness and from this batch, this goblet is my absolute favorite! more of my thrifted glassware in a separate post!
these owl throw pillows i bought from Forever21 a few months ago and i cringe at the thought that they are now selling at half the price! talk about bad timing. anyway, these owls sit in the living room but will soon move to the attic as soon as i find the perfect couch.
gardening is more fun with colorful garden gloves. it makes the job less boring. yes?
i am just happy that my parents were able to resuscitate this garden back to life.
this is far from the very well-manicured garden of my parents (obviously, my inspiration) but we're slowly working on it. the stone walkway is greatly influenced by a spa garden i visited in Napa. pebbled footpath and white stones are from JB Rock Garden.
 |
| what the master's looked like 2 weeks before we moved in. repainted the walls light gray (original color was mocha) and decided not change the 2-layer mattress no-frame bed with our baby girl in mind. babyproofed for us! ;) |
hahaha! we're utilizing this space as her play/work area and eventually, her own bed goes on here until she's brave enough to move to her own bedroom. so my closet wont be complete until hmm.. say, 2025? hahaha!
moving on to the rest of the house..
i have an undying love affair with solid wood planks for stairs. it started with our first house project and i was hooked thereafter. so you can just imagine my delight when i saw this the first time we made an ocular visit! had it stained Brown Mahogany (original was a Natural stain) but now considering about re-staining it again. Chestnut, perhaps? :)
i am just happy that my parents were able to resuscitate this garden back to life.
there's still a lot of things to do, so many jobs to accomplish and im not even halfway through my to-do list yet but like what my husband would always say, baby steps. baby steps :)
most of the photos are from my instagram account @tonipino
How To: DIY Flower Nail Art
April 24, 2010
I've been wanting to visit my fave salon again to get my nails done but the last time I was there, my hands and feet made me wish I just stayed home and slept. Not only did I trip on the way out and ruined my newly painted toenails, I also got nasty cuts in almost 10 fingers that it was impossible to play the piano without grimacing. Yes, it was that baaaad. Apparently, the manicurist got carried away removing some cuticle that she also included a teeny weeny part of the dermis. Major OUCH.
So to save myself from this kind of pain and money (nail art costs 500pesos = roughly $10), I decided to just do it myself.
Here goes nothing! hihi! :)
First things first.
Choose a base.
For comparison, I used 5 different colors.
Make sure base is completely dry before proceeding to the next step. 
Using the round end of a pin, make 3 blobs of nail lacquer on your nail.
Using the sharp end of the pin, run it across the blob in one careful motion to make petals.
Using a toothpick, apply a small amount of lacquer on the center of the petals
Make other pretty little designs with the use of a pointy tip brush. I'm using L.A. Colors Art Deco in White.
For the small dots, you can use the eye part of the needle.
You can also stick pretty gems to your nails with the use of clear polish (this doesn't ruin your enamel unlike the nail art glue)
Apply top coat (clear or with glitters) for the finishing touch.
And...
Tadaaa! END RESULT!
My sister's nail art in L.A. Colors Electric Charge NP405 base with white flowers. See how ridiculously small her nails are? had a hard time making making those flowers. haha!
So there ya go! Mini tutorial for making 'em pretty nails.
Tadaaa! END RESULT!
My sister's nail art in L.A. Colors Electric Charge NP405 base with white flowers. See how ridiculously small her nails are? had a hard time making making those flowers. haha!
So there ya go! Mini tutorial for making 'em pretty nails.
Did I confuse you enough?
xo!
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