I know I have been complaining about moving houses non-stop for the last few months so I apologize in advance if this just sounds like more of the same but you guys I am so tired!! We started the home searching process in March, started packing in April, and finally moved in May/June so it really does feel like I have been "moving" forever. 

I have moved before, and will most likely move again...but one thing I really didn't anticipate was moving during allergy season! I needed to keep my meds out where I could see them during the process and in between homes, I even ended up needing them in the moving van. 

When faced with any organizational/coordination/ logistical issue, I often drum up a DIY project to serve as a fix. In this case the box pictured below (coupled with an incredibly handy prescription delivery service) is what I came up with worked like a charm. I toted it around to both houses with my meds in tow and was easily able to spot it from far away.

If you are like me and allergy medications are a seasonal occurrence, it gets really easy to forget to go to the pharmacy and refill in time. Todays blog post is sponsored by Phil, a company that delivers prescriptions right to your door so it's one less thing you have to worry about. It really came in handy during this move and saved me from having to switch pharmacies in our new neighborhood. It also gave me the time to completely focus on the move and not worry about my eyes swelling shut because I needed to get a prescription refilled. 

If you or a family member need recurring medications (even for seasonal allergies) here are some things to note about Phil as a service:

1. Phil is essentially free to you as the customer. It's the same normal copay you are used to paying plus free delivery. It's also stress free because they contact your old pharmacy and takes care of the paperwork for you. 

2. If you are concerned about staying local, Phil works with community-based independent pharmacies that are in your area. These pharmacies will deliver to your door on time, answer any questions over the phone, and deal with the heavy lifting so you can focus on other things. 

And once your meds have been delivered to your door, you need somewhere to keep them right? Which brings me to the DIY project portion of this post. You guys this box was so great for keeping my allergy meds out and visible once Phil delivered them to me pre-move! I didn't need to worry about sneezing my head off in the U-Haul.

To understand what a transformation this box really is, we have to take a look at the before photos. I needed something with a handle, and used this reference photo as my inspiration. I ended up finding this blue metal tin at Goodwill for $3.99 and thought it was perfect for this project. After a scrub and general cleaning it was good to go!

What you will need for this project: 

- Thrifted metal tin or box

- Xacto knife

- Assorted craft paint in colors of your choosing

- Cardstock

- Paintbrush

- Scissors

- Mod Podge

- Painters Tape

To spray paint your tin you will need to cover anything you dont want painted in painters tape. I managed to do this somewhat precisely by cutting out the shape of the metal findings with an Xacto knife. Make sure everything is covered and then spray away and allow to dry. It is possible you will need more than one coat of paint so make sure to snag a spray paint that has a built in primer. 

I love this "painters touch" brand from Home Depot and choose it over the stuff sold at the craft store. It bonds to metal, wood and plastic so I use it in a variety of projects.

Transformed! Once your spray paint is dry and your tape is carefully peeled off, you are ready to make the colorful "medical cross" to adorn the front off the box. If ever in an emergency, this cross lets someone know that medical supplies are inside. I used my box for my allergy meds, but put first aid supplies and band aids in it as well just in case.

You will need to paint an abstract pattern on your cardstock that you will later cut a sampling from. For this step little instruction is needed, just paint a vague pattern you like with colors of your choosing until you have an abstract pattern that you are satisfied with. Let dry for an hour.

Above is what I ended up with for mine, I went back in with black and white to add the dots. 

Cut out your cross (I just searched for an image on Google and printed it out to scale) and then pick and area of your pattern to sample.

The final step is to moge podge your cross on and seal it in. I found it easy to just paint glue on the back and line it up to place it. Then I used a thin coat of sealant to keep it in place and uniform. 

After that, you are done! You have a very functional and very cute medical box to keep medications and first aid supplies in. I love how this one turned out and I will be keeping this box in my pantry for future seasons. 

Thank you again to Phil for sponsoring this post! The timing was truly perfect. 

If you are interested in switching your medications to Phil and getting them delivered to you, first time customers currently get $20 off their co-pay (or $20 off meds if uninsured) while supplies last. Check it out here.

xo,

Natalie

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group and Phil, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #PhilRx http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

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When choosing a place to live, I would always opt for a space with some character over something pre-fabricated but (and this is a really big but) I live with someone that appreciates a modern environment. Over the years Cameron and I have discussed what we eventually want in terms of a renovation on a purchased home but while we are on the renting stage of our life we have determined that a "new" apartment complex is the ideal and stress free choice. So right now we are trying to strike a balance between new and old to keep both parties engaged in the decorating process. 

We have lived in a modern complex for the past two years and while I have loved our time here, we didn't really do much with our space. Mostly because college got in the way, but also because the storage and layout of this particular unit was slightly strange. I am so stoked to get started on a new space and really think about some minor DIY additions. 

One idea we have been tossing around for awhile? A false fireplace!

This first came up when we were living in the dorms at OSU and my building had old fireplaces in select rooms and most common areas. I thought this added a central focus to the space and was the perfect place to put things. These particular fireplaces were bricked in, which is what made me realize it's really more about the mantle than the fireplace itself.

Two apartments and one move later, I am more convinced than ever that we need one. Here are some inspirations sources and DIY projects that I found this week.

Sources: Home Depot DIY Mantle / Herringbone Tutorial/ A Beautiful Mess DIY Mantle Tutorial

I particularly like the color and size of this one by A Beautiful Mess, definitely more modern than I might like but the tutorial itself seems easy to follow and I love when people choose bold colors.

I love this stacked log idea by Hunted Interior

Sources: Fireplace With Plants / Sisters Of 4 Corners

Tile pattern idea by Veneer Designs

I really felt like if I wrote down this idea I would hold myself accountable and actually work on it this summer, hence this blog post full of beautiful photos and ideas that most definitely aren't my own. Thanks for reading ;)

xo,

Natalie

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Well guys, It's been a year with our dog and we've managed to keep her alive. While I wouldn't recommend getting a puppy and then moving three times, we managed to do it and I am so happy she came along with us.

Baloo is really a gem, and the kind of dog I pictured having with me in my young adult life. She is syrupy sweet, loves to run and play, but is also quiet and snuggles on her bed while we work or watch tv. I think different types of people require different types of dogs but man we feel like we one the lottery with her! It took me awhile to write this post, mostly because I just can't fathom how a year has passed since we adopted her. Here is an update on how the last year has been for us, and for her!

To read the post I wrote from when we first got her, click here.

Highlights from the year? 

1. Taking Baloo to the Oregon Coast, the mountains, and the forest to experience different running/jumping/playing terrains. The forest is probably her favorite and our least favorite because she loves to drink in the mud puddles after it rains.

2. Hikes, Walks, Ball Throwing, and Runs. One truth to having a dog is that it gets you out of the house more often and it gives you a concrete reason to go outside. 

3. Meeting other dog owners, there are a few people I will really miss from the Corvallis dog park scene when we move to Portland. 

Trials from the year?

1. Baloo chewing on absolutely everything during her puppy phase including our wall, yikes. If you have a pup with a similar problem, this spray works wonders.

2. Baloo waking us up in the middle of the night to politely inform us that she had upchucked her entire breakfast, lunch, and dinner and that it had leaked out of her kennel and onto the floor. What a thrilling night that turned out to be.

Things our girl is great at:

Running, hopping, meeting other dogs, chewing only her toys (thank god!), snoozing, letting me know when the postman is at the door, going to and from her crate, waiting for her food. 

Things our girl could work on: 

Alert barking, leash pulling, being scared of the postman/tall friends with beards, sniffing strange cats, running at birds, drinking mud.

Some things that I have learned through a year of raising a puppy: 

1. Having other dogs and other people visit is critically important to the dog being well socialized. Baloo is really shy around people and still has a ways to go in this department, I can't imagine what that would be like at this point if we hadn't already started introducing her to a variety of people. With other dogs she is much less shy, but having the experience/ knowing her behavior lets us know when she is distressed around another dog and when she is the one thats bothering. It really helps at the dog park and I am glad we socialized her so early!

2. Puppies will chew, play, run, and destroy. Start with cheap supplies and make investments in your dog as they age into an adult. When we first went to the pet store in preparation for Baloo it was so tempting to get everything and anything adorable. I was really glad in the end that we went with "what would work" and now that she is an adult have better items for her. She chewed her bowls, bed, toys, and anything else she could find to aid in her teething. Go with the cheap things initially, and keep anything you value out of reach.

3. Crate training is amazing! If you do it efficiently your dog will view their crate as a den and voluntarily spend time there. Baloo loves hers, especially at night when she winds down.

4. Rescuing a dog was the way to go for us. I had black labs growing up so when we were discussing getting a dog my first inclination was to head to a lab breeder and pick a puppy. In the end Cameron convinced me that we could find a great puppy to rescue at the Humane Society, and it turned out to be the right path both for us and the dog we were saving. Baloo came from New Mexico as part of a second chance program here in Oregon and knowing her now I am so glad we opted for a rescue over shopping for a dog. I feel so guilty knowing I could have taken a home away from a dog by shopping for a specific breed. To read more about our individual adoption case, click here. 

Thinking of adopting a dog or cat? Here are some helpful links to find your new family member :)

Oregon Humane Society, HSUS Humane Society, 8 Reasons To Adopt

I linked a little video we made about life with her at the 6 month mark, and I have also linked some fun things you can shop that support HSUS in the process. 

We love our girl, and I can't believe it's been a whole year with her. If you have any helpful puppy tips feel free to leave them in the comments below for other readers considering a puppy. Every dog is completely different!

xo,

Natalie

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Hey all! Todays post is short, but I have very fun plans tonight that I wanted to share inn blog post form. Cameron and I are headed to see The Oregon Symphony preform tonight and they are playing an assortment of classic Disney Songs. 

Incase you are new here, this is something that is right up our alley, haha.

We are thrilled to be guests at this performance tonight and even though this particular show is sold out I would highly recommend a trip to see a symphony performance if you get the chance! I used to go regularly when I was fairly young and seeing music preformed live is something else when coordinated. There are so many individuals involved, it's a wonder that it all works together!

We are so excited and I will try to Snapchat as much as I can :)

See you all Monday for a more traditional post, and have a wonderful weekend in the meantime!

UPDATE: The concert last Friday was so much fun and we had a great time. The singers and musicians were amazing and the visuals that accompanied the music were so well done. Here are some snaps from the event. I would definitely recommend an Oregon Symphony concert if you are looking for a unique date night idea in Portland.

xo,

Natalie

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Hooray for a new month!! With my birthday and a fun few things in the works for the Etsy shop it has been a somewhat fun month, but it has mostly been full of packing boxes and 1000+ trips to Goodwill. May means we are about to actually move into our new place and I couldn't be more ready for all of this to be over. 

I'm sure you are all sick of hearing about it in my blog post intros, haha. So let's move on! ;)

Clogs/ Ray Ban Icon Glasses/ Boat Times Enamel Pin/ Cactus Lamp/ Roller Lash

What's way fun about this round of editors notes is that all of these items I have either purchased for the month ahead or they are currently in my cart. I love everything thats pictured which is the usual case but is especially true this month! 

Clogs: I have wanted some clogs for a long long long time and I have settled on a brand that I am pretty sure about. These are in my cart on Etsy and the brand is Lotta From Stockholm, I think these look so cute in the summer with overalls or a dress. Its not a matter of if, it's when and I think May is the month to pull the trigger.

Ray Ban Icon Glasses: I have a pair of reflective club masters that I wear non stop and I am looking for a similar pair with a slightly different shape. These are perfect and all I am waiting on is to try them on in person. Still not quite sure what color to get but they are all amazing choices.

Boat Times Enamel Pin: Cameron and I saw the skit "Old Gregg" on Youtube in the dorms our freshman year and couldn't stop laughing for a few straight weeks! We recently binge watched the parent show "The Mighty Boosh" and we are totally obsessed!! If you haven't seen it the full series is on Hulu, you can thank me later. If you have seen the show and love it like we do, this pin is a fun way to add some Boosh flair on a jacket or overalls. You know how I feel about enamel pins, haha.

Cactus Lamp: I shared this on Instagram the day I bought it and you guys seemed to like it just as much as I did! This was a Target find I just had to have when I saw it in the aisle.

Roller Lash: I have heard great things about this mascara from so many, but man does it live up to the hype! I have been loving this and I don't know if I will buy anything else ever again. A monthly favorite for sure.

As usual everything mentioned is linked in the widget below, have an awesome start to the week (and to the month) my friends! 

xo,

Natalie

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