Category Archives: DIY

July 22, 2016

FULL NESTING MODE (Sorta)

Growing up, I always pictured my dream home filled with my dream family. Thanks to Pinterest, I have recreated this dream about 5 million times and it never gets old. But once I heard the news that I was expecting, my brain did this weird thing and kicked into what we like to call “nesting mode”. Now is my chance to build this dream home with my real life *growing* dream family.

With my busy schedule, its been so easy to put off finalizing the decor in our apartment and exchange that energy towards making the store look better or working on new concepts and ideas. But now, it’s like I can’t stop thinking about it. Little things like a cute entry way (where I can easily store all my hats), some new cushions for our couch and rug – thanks to Didi we’ve had to be on the hunt for a new one anyway. But what gets me most excited is Axel’s space.

We’ve got a one bedroom apartment, so trying to come up with a cool design within our bedroom has been quite a challenge. But i’m ready to take it on and create his perfect little space. Lucky for us, space isn’t an issue – so there’s a lot to play around with. The extra storage is a plus, too.

here are two inspiration boards i’ve put together this week before I start to head out and hunt.

Ashley Sixto_Nursery Inspo

I’ve been really interested in making this space a perfect cozy, neutral and minimal space for our little guy. Something that won’t be overcrowding our space, either. I’ve pinned and pinned and i feel comfortable enough to finally begin the process of hunting down all the items we want (all while keeping within a budget).

main inspiration piece is the painting behind Didi in the photo. it’s an original work by Adrian’s late great uncle. we’re a huge fan of his work and actually have several pieces hanging all around the apartment.

we’ll be DIY’ing a few things like painting our current dresser set to match the art piece. we’ll probably be going with this color by BEHR “green trellis” and adding a few gold drawer pulls. i’m also currently working on a copper + cotton thread macrame piece to hang on the wall behind the crib. we also have a few wood slabs laying around the house – so we will add those to the wall above the dresser for additional decor and storage space.

dresser: ikea (no longer available) // crib: ikea (under $100!) // drawer pulls: martha stewart via home depot // pom pom blanket via Etsy // striped crib sheet: burt’s bees via buy buy baby // baby changer pad for above dresser: keekaroo peanut changer (natural to match the color scheme)

Ashley Sixto_Living Room Inspo

we’ve already got the couch, chair and ottoman. all that’s really left to make our living room “complete” is a new rug + entry way stylized. I currently have a make shift table at the entryway – but I’m looking to change it up for a bench like the one in the photo.

i feel like adding a bit of blue and green into the neutral mix of what we have will already set a premise for a calming and relaxing vibe. just exactly what we need after a long day of work!

bench: ikea // rug: rugs usa (on super, super sale!) // pillows: still on the hunt, but really looking for a some african mud cloth ones. etsy might be my best bet!

 

inspiration photos found within the mood boards are via pinterest

March 11, 2014

DIY Succulent Arrangement

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For my nightstand, I wanted something that added not only a pop of metallic but brought in some more green to the room. An amazing friend Isa gifted us this thoughtful frame recently and I wanted something to go along with it. So what’s better than succulents and metallics? Not sure …

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the supplies are quite simple : spray paint (color of your choice – I went with metallic gold) , succulents, moss or rocks, and a small pot/vase.

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love the lavender accents – it almost looks like a baby cabbage plant.

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you can tape a stripe design or even paint the whole thing. I’m considering painting a small silver stripe above the gold (still debating…)

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and Viola!!! You got yourself a fancy shmancy succulent arrangement. Sorta West-Elm ish don’t you think?

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my little nightstand corner is now quaint & complete.

in case you’re wondering, the candle is a soy candle purchased in Napa, but here are some similar (yummy) ones here. Soy candles are awesome! Did you know, you can use the wax as a lotion while the candle is burning…pretty neat.

xx

November 4, 2013

DIY Floral Crown Tutorial

What may look complicated, is actually really easy to make! Here are the steps I followed when making my DIY Floral Crown that you’ve seen here.

DIY FLORAL CROWN Ashleysixto flower crown flower headpiece

 

here’s a closer look (via my iPhone)

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extra tips:

(1) don’t try to use too much floral tape when wrapping your greenery. use just enough to place it onto the wire. once you’re done, you can use the glue gun to better secure it.

(2) don’t be afraid to buy a bunch of flowers to test out. (that’s what I did!) whatever I didn’t use, I returned back to the store.

p.s. if you’re buying at michaels or at joann fabrics – check on their websites for coupons!

(3) add different textures to your crown. i used flowers that look liked lavender and those spike/nutty ones to give it another neutral pop of color.

(4) have fun, take some risks with it.

 

can’t wait to see what you come up with!

xoxo

 

Ashley

 

December 18, 2012

Arts n Crafts

I made this one for Adrian…

Adrian made this one for me…

So Adrian and I completed one of the easiest DIY projects, ever, last night. All you need are sharpies (or these Porcelaine 150 markers for a more “for sure” stick) and a set of plain mugs. Oh, and an oven too. Set it to 350 Degrees, create your masterpiece, pop ’em in the oven for about 30-35 minutes, let them cool and….VIOLA! Your own DIY custom mugs. Pretty cool huh? I must say, I love the ones we did. It was a great bonding time and such a cute, thoughtful gift.

They’re a great Christmas gift idea too!

(tools used: Porcelaine 150 Markers & Coffee Mugs via Target.)

Anybody notice the new header?

May 7, 2012

A Carrie Bradshaw Moment

tee: eBay find. skinnies: H&M (similar). heels: Zara. cargo jacket: Forever 21. clutch: Target. pin: handmade (up on Shop the Closet this week!)

It’s Monday. The perfect day to really get up and say “let’s do something!” I found this shirt randomly a few years ago from an Australian seller on eBay. It’s been such a conversation piece everytime I wear it. But this time, I wanted to do something different.

My beautiful friend Elisa from Live Play Love made me this awesome flower pin! We’ll be posting them on my Shop the Closet page this week in an assortment of colors. Majority of the proceeds will be to help raise funds for a Bahamas Missions trip this summer. Isn’t the pin amazing? Once I pinned it to my cargo jacket, I had a serious Carrie Bradshaw moment. I knew it was the perfect thing to match with my tee and colored skinnies. Let’s not forget my new Zara color block heels and Target clutch. Remember these? I couldn’t resist buying a second pair once they debuted on Zara’s website. I mean… they’re perfect.

And of course, we can’t set aside the craziness of my outfit without showing my true crazy personality. As you can tell in the last picture, that is me. Crazy ole me. On my car.