Hello and happy Friday to you! I had a different post planned for today, but realized after posting this photo on instagram the other day…
…how much I looove taking a look back at the projects, photos and moments of the month past, so I’m hoping you will, too.
I’m going to try something a little different today…
For me, its become the “norm” to get caught-up in the hustle bustle of daily life and the constant planning of tomorrow, that I sometimes forget to live in the moment of today or relish on the happy times of the past. “Being present” with my boys and soaking up all of their silly smiles, cuddles on the couch and the pure joy [and craziness!] in their eyes is something I try to do as often in our day-to-day as possible. Yes, I have projects to get done. Yes, I have a BIG to-do list. And yes, I like a clean house and love to decorate and redecorate our home. But the laundry can wait. So can the dishes. And although I do love to make our bed each morning, sometimes I take a heap of clothes off the bed and dump it on the floor in the corner just so the bed looks nice. That pile usually grows and grows until it becomes a dangerous obstruction and needs to be taken care of! The littles and T are more important than anything and everything else and the daily chores sometimes have to take a back-burner to family time and living in the moment. A fellow blogger shared her “real life” home today on a Facebook live video and it struck a chord with me. If she, someone with the most stunning photos of her home and an Instagram following of over 100k can take time to just let things be around her house, I can do the same.
As bloggers we show the “pretty” so I know it can be difficult to realize we are normal, busy, scatter-brained moms who don’t always have the house looking like a photoshoot! Trust me…real life here happens all. the. time. And with 2 little guys, its a hot mess more than it isn’t!!
This isn’t to say that I don’t like to crank out projects around the house and I am undoubtedly working very hard to build my blog and grow my brand. I have a passion and a vision for This is our Bliss that I will be sharing with you guys over time and hopefully you’ll stick with me through it! The blog is a work in progress, much like our home, and even ourselves. So today, instead of sharing a new project or a progress post of something I have going on behind the scenes, I’m going to share a quick recap of all that went on during the month of April right here on the blog!
JEWELRY STORAGE & ORGANIZATION
Since it seemed like you all were digging my master bedroom refresh reveal earlier this year, I decided to share some additional details from certain parts of the room. First up, was the jewelry organization on the dresser.
I love [affiliate link] these acrylic pieces so much – I want acrylic everything…everywhere! I’m planning to do another post with more on the bedding deets soon.
SPRING BREAK IN AZ
We got back from a week-long trip to Arizona to visit my parents at the beginning of April. While escaping to the sunshine, we swam, shopped, vegged out and celebrated my mom’s birthday on our last night there. My dad actually made her a “chocolate log cake” – a cake that my grandma Pat would have made if she would have still been here with us. She passed in February and it brought a tear to my eye when my dad told me that he was going to go to the grocery store to buy the ingredients to make the cake and then, when my mom, sister and I were out shopping later that day, he was going to bake the cake with the boys while he watched them for me.
Eating cake, drinking wine and opening gifts that night felt a little extra special thanks to my Dad.
INSPIRED BY DIY MONTHLY CHALLENGE | ANTHROPOLOGIE
I shared my Anthropologie inspired frame as part of our Inspired by DIY challenge. I’ve truly fallen in love with these blogger collaboration posts with a set theme—designer, retailer, etc. Jess of Domicile 37 worked incredibly hard hard to organize this challenge to allow us to join forces and bring new project ideas and inspiration
to you all. 
I love seeing what other bloggers come up with given the same topic and parameters—creativity and pure awesomeness all around! The May Challenge is already right around the corner coming up on May 17th.
BASEMENT BATHROOM REVEAL
Our basement bathroom finally revealed itself in all of its glam and glory! I worked here and there on this space over the last few months, picking up decor items as I found them and finally got it ready to share towards the end of the month. 
I think it’s my new favorite room in the house. I know….I say that all the time, but for a bathroom, it really IS pretty! We’ve never had a bathroom I could call pretty before 😉 I recently updated our Home Tour and added in the new bathroom photos.
APRIL PRETTY PROJECT PARTY LINK-UP
We can’t forget about the Pretty Project Party I co-host on the 3rd Thursday of the month!
My co-hostesses and I then share our features from the link party on the following Thursday. If you aren’t a blogger, I promise you will find some home inspiration if you peruse through the link-up entries. There is a tutorial, style and light-bulb moment idea to pull inspiration from for EVERYONE, including you! You can see April’s features here!
LAMP MAKEOVER | IT’S SO UGLY IT’S MONTHLY THRIFT CHALLENGE
The other regularly scheduled challenge I participate in is the “It’s So Ugly, It’s Cool” Thrift Challenge and in April, I madeover this thrifted lamp by zhushing up the body and recovering the lamp shade. Take a peek at the before and read my tutorial on how it came to life.
There’s a crazy amount of pattern going on in this room, but that’s what I love about this space. I mixed and matched and played around with all sorts of patterns all in neutral color palette.
FAVORITE BLACK & WHITE RUGS ROUND-UP
That lamp makeover actually prompted my black and white rug round-up because people always ask about the patterns in here and after I added ANOTHER black and white print to the lamp, I thought I should circle back and answer the infamous question….
“Where did you get that RUG?!”
I sourced our living room rug plus 13 other ones here! You’ve got to check these babies out!
I think that covers it!
What do you think? Do you like a quick recap of the month? Should I do it again?! Please be honest and let me know – I would love to hear your thoughts 😉
With that, I’m signing off for the weekend, promising to live in the moment and sneak in all of the snuggles that I possibly can. Actually, that is ALL I want to do on Mother’s Day is hold my babies…well, for as long as they’ll sit still and let me.
And a Happy, happy Mother’s Day to all of you mamas out there celebrating with loved ones this weekend. Enjoy every little moment!
