Erin, Author at The Sunny Side Up Blog

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08.02.13

A fun sale/book!

Happy Friday friends! I wanted to let you all know about a fun sale going on right now. Courtney, a darling blog reader of mine, wrote an e-book called The Spaghetti Shots: how to take better photos of your kids during everyday life. It is such a fun, easy read that is full of tips and tricks on how to capture better photos of your kids. PERFECT for learning the basics of how to use a DSLR camera (no more auto!). She is having a back to school sale today (Friday) and is offering this fun e-book on Amazon for only $2.99! You can learn more about it and purchase it here. I read the whole thing in one night and kept thinking “So wish I would have had this when I first bought my DSLR.” I have learned a lot through trial and error!

My best trick for getting decent pictures of my non-stop on the go kiddos is to take A LOT of pictures. For every pic that turns out great, I take anywhere from 5-15 that don’t look so hot. But it is SO worth it when you capture that moment that just melts your heart.

This little guy doesn’t have to work to hard to melt mine.

Enjoy your weekend! I hope it’s a happy one.

xoxo, Erin

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Uncategorized

08.01.13

Grass and lights

THANK YOU thank you to everyone who took a minute to comment on my last post. It was just what I needed! For you all to make my decision for me. :) Trendy trellis won HANDS DOWN. Kenny’s head is so big it might pop and I am excited about my stairs. You all rock. :) Just popping in quickly with a few recent house pics.

We have grass!

And outdoor lights!

And everything is prepped for paint!

And there’s a bathtub in my garage!

K. That last one isn’t that exciting. More of a pain actually.

Although I sat in that bathtub for 10 minutes today in my garage.

With a bowl of ice cream.

Hiding from my kids.

How many more days of summer?

xoxo, Erin

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Uncategorized

07.30.13

Trendy vs. Safe

Trendy vs. Safe. That is the question! One I have pondered more times than I can count this past year during our build. It’s a question I think a lot of us debate when we are decorating our homes. My motto has usually been to keep big, more expensive items neutral and then play around with things that are easy to change like paint and accessories. But. Lately I’m noticing (when gawk at my Pinterest decor boards) that my favorite spaces have bold/trendy decor and furniture. So sometimes I think it’s good to just go for it! Do what you love regardless of whether or not it will look trendy! And then I chicken out and go neutral. :)

Today I’m trying to nail down a carpet runner for my stairs. I love the look of all wood stairs, but I have three little ones who are up and down the stairs 100 times a day. And I would prefer for those little ones to not fall flat on their faces 100 times a day. So the posts and balusters will be white, the treads and handrail will be stained the color of my wood floor, and there will be a carpet runner in the middle. Sounds simple enough, right?

After eliminating piles of options (trying to find something that works with our wood floor color and the grey paint) these three are left. And once again I’m torn.

Go with the trendy pattern on the left?

Or play it safe with something more neutral like this one?

Kenny loves the pattern. He is always trying to push me outside of my comfort zone and stop me from playing it so safe. I don’t know why. I play safe so nicely! He said “get it and if you’re sick of it in 5 years we’ll get a new stair runner.” I said “can I have that in writing?” He said “ha ha.” I said “no seriously – get our your pen.” It actually will be a fairly inexpensive, easy thing to change because it’s not connected to any other carpet and is a small amount. Plus with wear and tear that stairs get we may be ready for something new before too long anyway. But still…. ??? Too trendy for the stairs???

Here’s more beautiful trellis I’m considering. Wallpaper! So fun! I’m putting wallpaper in my powder bathroom (I don’t have the pattern to share but will soon!) and I’m debating the blue wallpaper above for somewhere else. Maybe the pantry? I get so excited about it and then something holds me back. Will I be sick of it in a year? Will it look too crazy bold? Will I regret the decision?

I kind of doubt that I’ll regret the blue since I have been in love with aquas for years…

I’m going to try to not go as overboard with this color in the new house.

No promises. But I’ll try. :)

So what is your opinion? Do you like to play it safe? Or is your motto go bold or go home? Which stair runner do you prefer? The Trendy Trellis or the Neutral Nelly?

Note to self: No more late nights with the Property Brothers.

Here’s a peek of one space I didn’t chicken out on. My upstairs laundry room cabinets are green! Or blue! Kind of both depending on the time of day. I think I’m going to love it! Especially when the room is finished and the floor isn’t covered with red paper. :) Since this space is upstairs by the kids’ rooms I figured I could have a little fun with it. Next step is to teach the kids to do their own laundry.

So they can have a little fun with it too.

xoxo, Erin

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Uncategorized

07.26.13

Picture of the day

This is all I have time to post tonight.

But it’s enough for me.

xoxo, Erin

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Parenting

07.24.13

Quick Tip – helping kids unpack from a trip

Popping in with a quick tip today! Really quick since I’ve already stayed up WAY too late watching the season finale of HGTV Star (had it recorded and have been dying to see who won!). I need to get over my HGTV addiction. And my Pinterest addiction. And my Container Store addiction. And my turkey sandwich addiction. And maybe while I’m at it I’ll get over my planner addiction.

But that’s a story for another day.

For now I’m sharing a quick tip on how to help your little ones unpack their own suitcase after a trip. In an organized way of course. :) If you say to kids (especially young kids) after returning home from a trip “go and unpack your bag” they usually don’t make much progress. I know this because of the countless times I’ve told my girls to “go and unpack your bag” and have witnessed them do nothing more than dump their clothes on the ground and maybe move them around a bit. The reason this often happens is because they are overwhelmed by the task (or because they just don’t want to work. But for the sake of sounding like a great mom who’s kids LOVE hard work, I’ll give them {and me} the benefit of the doubt and say that they must be overwhelmed). So I taught them a simple way to unpack. This is actually how I pack and unpack my own clothes for a trip and how I sort laundry.

I have my girls take their clothes out of their suitcase and put them into piles. Time to categorize! All dresses in a pile. All skirts. Then pajamas (here’s where I always wonder why we have a bigger pile of pj’s than we do clothes?). Swimsuits go in their own pile… and so on and so forth. It is much easier for my kids to categorize everything first. It breaks the chore down into a more manageable task. Then they can get to work putting away their piles.

Here’s a pic of Ad I snapped while she was unpacking from our Utah trip last week. Once she has her clothes in piles she can grab some hangers and hang each group of clothes up together. Our drawers and closets are organized the same way (like clothes are grouped together) so once the clothes are in piles, it’s a breeze to put everything away.

Skirt pile simply gets placed in the skirt drawer.

Shirts are hung in the shirt section of the closet.

Dresses with the dresses.

You get the idea.

This way our closets and drawers stay organized and unpacking is a piece of cake!

When I do laundry, I have my girls do the same thing. I give them a pile of their clean clothes and they take the pile to their rooms and separate them into categories before they put them away. Such a simple thing to teach your kids to do, but by breaking the task down into manageable pieces (or should I say piles?) it doesn’t feel so overwhelming and the task actually gets done.

In an organized manner no less.

Most of the time.

xoxo, Erin

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Organization

07.23.13

Organized Silverware

Silverware! Talking silverware today. I organize my silverware in a simple white organizer (sharp knives in the back far away from little fingers). This has worked great. But it’s not as fun as how my mom and SIL are organizing their silverware! My plain white tray is a little ho hum compared to this…

How cute are these blue organizers!? A steal at TJ Maxx ($7 bucks each!).

My SIL has them in orange. And apparently TJ Maxx has LOTS of color options available. I am so heading to my local TJ Maxx! The other cool thing about these silverware organizers (aside from the fun punch of color) is that they have great rubber grips on the top and the bottom of them so NO sliding around in the drawer.

That is my biggest pet peeve with my make-up organizers. I love them. But they don’t have grips on the bottom and they slide around despite my multiple make-shift solutions to keep them in place. Wondering if these colorful silverware organizers would work well for make-up too? Hmmm… what else could I use them for? Pencils and crayons in the craft room? Tools in the garage? Hair accessories for the girls? The options are endless! I can’t stand it! I need my house to be finished ASAP so I can organize again! I’m having serious withdrawals.

My mom and SIL sent pics of their newly organized silverware drawers to each other via text and typed “won’t Erin be proud!”

SO proud.

So very proud indeed.

xoxo, Erin

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Home Decor

07.22.13

Decorating on a budget (fun ideas)

While I was hanging out with my brother and SIL last week (I’m really missing their sweet new baby right about now!) I asked Dayna if I could take a camera tour around their darling home. She has decorated everything so cute without spending much money at all and I love so many of her ideas! So of course I had to share them with all of you. :)

My brother made these planter boxes with just some wood and wood screws. Then he and Dayna painted them black and added some pretty flowers. Such a small project that makes a huge difference on the exterior of their house. Yea for planter boxes! I love them.

Another fun exterior project – Dayna spray painted a simple, inexpensive twig wreath from a craft store yellow (used to be brown). I love the pop of color it adds to her black front door.

Her entry way is so welcoming. She painted an old desk turquoise. Then she bought a sunburst mirror at Target for above the table and it wasn’t quite big enough so she attached it to a simple, inexpensive mirror. Perfect! She also just bought that cute lamp with the yellow shade at Target. Add a simple white bird (you know I’m a fan of using a bird or two when decorating), a few magazines and wa-la! A super stylish entry way.

This is a fun photo gallery hanging over her couch. I love the way she used two frames with large black borders and two frames with large white borders. It keeps things interesting but cohesive.

And here is a corner of sweet little Finn’s new nursery. Isn’t it adorable!? The crib was a Craigslist find ($30!). My brother worked his magic to fix it up a bit and make sure it was safe and then Dayna spray painted it white. What a difference a little spray paint can make. She didn’t know if she was having a boy or a girl when she decorated this space and I think she did a great job keeping it gender neutral but still full of color and personality.

The fun Alphabet and You Are My Happy wall hangings were Target finds.

The butterfly mobile was her one splurge ($50 ordered on Etsy). I do this a lot when I decorate. Splurge a bit on one thing that you really love or that creates a focal point or stands out in your space. Then everything else around it can be inexpensive and you still have an upscale look.

Moving on to her 3 year old’s “big boy room.” This was a bookcase Dayna had that she painted black. Then she simply added fun patterned wrapping paper to the back of it. Such an easy, inexpensive way to add color and pattern to a room. The best part is how easy it will be to switch things up. She can change the wrapping paper and re-paint the bookcase to create a whole new look. Re-using items you already have in a different way is a great way to save some money while adding character and charm to a room.

Drew loves owls. This chair was a TJ Maxx find. I love decor that personalizes a space. The owl was a gift from grandma from Pottery Barn Kids. I know this because Kole has one too. :)

And here is Drew’s new big boy bed. LOVE this! The sunglasses and colors in this bedding are so fun. Especially with the blue table and bright yellow lamp (bedding and furniture found at… where else… Target!).

Then she simply hung a baby picture of Drew and added some paper lanterns from the dollar store to complete the room!

Ok. How fun is this headboard!? SO easy. A large piece of particle board from Home Depot, some quilt batting, and fabric. That’s all you need! Oh – and a staple gun. Along with someone who’s not afraid to use it.

Just like the bookshelf lined with wrapping paper, you can easily change this when you’re in the mood for a different look. I love the way it gives her room a dramatic focal point.

And I had to snap a quick picture of what was laying on the end of Dayna’s bed. Only because it reminded me so much of my own. :)

Dayna’s house is proof that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to have a beautifully decorated home. By just tweaking and re-using some things she already had along with a few simple DIY projects she has created a welcoming space that totally matches her personality. I LOVE it all! Thanks for letting us take a peek into your darling home Dayna! Call me the next time you head to Target. :)

xoxo, Erin

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Uncategorized

07.19.13

A new addition!

Well! The last few days have been eventful to say the least. We made a quick trip to Utah to finish up some house stuff (hooray for picking carpet and shutters! finish line is in sight!). And of course to hang with family.

My cute SIL is pregnant (due in a month and so thoroughly enjoying being 8 months along in 115 degree heat). She had a dr. appointment soon after we arrived and came home and casually mentioned she was dilated to a 4. What!!? A 4! I told her to pack her hospital bags. She told me the doctor said it could still be a week or two. I told her to pack her hospital bags. I also told her to get busy working on a boys name because it was going to be a boy. (They decided not to find out and EVERYONE other than me thought it was going to be a girl.) Girl name was picked out. Nothing confirmed if it was a boy. Then I made her take some pictures to show off how beautiful she looked. (Hello – I resemble a watermelon at 8 months. This is how I look at about oh…. 4 months along. Where’s the justice in that? Not fair tall people. Not fair at all. Wearing my tallest shoes in this pic!)

Dayna with her sweet Drew (Kole’s partner in crime).

And sure enough, the very next day I was taking pictures of her and Drew again.

Only this time in the hospital.

When I went to meet my new baby nephew. And to say “told you so.”

Dayna’s water broke in the middle of the night and it was so funny hearing them tell the story of scrambling to get out the door. Austin was like “you’re kidding – you’re bringing your earrings?” We were laughing. Rule #1 during pregnancy – pregnant women get to bring WHATEVER THEY WANT to the hospital. Men – don’t question. Just do as you’re told. Dayna looked amazing and I think the earrings added the perfect touch.

Plus I just don’t think my brother has the right to question his wife when he showed up in a Broncos hat and a shirt with Yoda in pink sunglasses on it. (Real classy Austin.)

But the baby! Oh my word! He is absolutely perfect! Isn’t he!? He weighed 7 lbs 8 oz and they named him Finn. When I walked in the hospital room and picked him up I was so overcome with love for the little guy I burst into tears. There is just something about a new baby that brings so much love and happiness. My eyes were still a bit red in this picture. I sent up a quick prayer of thanks that this happened while I was in town. I felt so lucky to get to be here when this sweet little angel came into the world.

Here’s a better picture of his face. He is so tiny and precious!

And look at that fuzzy little head! His sleepy smiles and facial expressions combined with the intoxicating smell of a newborn seriously made me want another one! Right up until I went to bed at night knowing that unlike my brother and SIL I would actually get some sleep.

Proud grandma. This makes grandchild lucky #7! And he broke the 3 girl 3 boy tie.

Now boys outnumber the girls.

Proud daddy. Austin was the youngest with two older sisters so he spent a lot of time as a child forced to play dolls with us. His years of Cabbage Patch Kids and Rainbow Bright are about to pay off. :)

My favorite picture from the day. I love the look on Drew’s face…

“Am I doing this right!?”

So adorable. Seeing Drew hold his new little brother made me tear up again.

A few memories came flooding back all at once.

I love this little family so much. They are the greatest.

Congrats again Austin and Dayna! So happy for you both!

xoxo, Erin

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Uncategorized

07.16.13

Carrara marble dreams!

I’m having a party. It’s a Carrara marble party. And you’re all invited. :)

Anyone else out there as crazy about Cararra marble as I am? I LOVE it. I actually more than love it. I can’t really come up with a word that truly describes the feelings I have for this particular stone. I have mentioned before that I didn’t put Carrara marble countertops in my kitchen. Even though I REALLY really wanted to. I’m just way too practical for that little maneuver. But sometimes it’s fun to be just a little bit impractical, right? I can’t be sensible all of the time, right? So I am sprinkling Cararra marble elsewhere throughout the house.

Like in the master shower.

And in the kitchen back splash.

And for the master bathroom countertops. I may be a bit crazy for that last move – but I can’t help it! It’s just so beautiful. Even if it is so easy to scratch and stain and make a mess of. I will be SO careful. And most likely learn to love the imperfections. Because I have kids. And kids are not SO careful.

Life is messy.

But at least it will be a beautiful mess.

xoxo, Erin

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Home Decor

07.15.13

Picture Frame Spotlight

I was looking at my aqua picture frame today (getting ready to take it down) and I started thinking about what a simple, happy little addition it has been to our living room.

I originally created our frame to become part of our Christmas card display, but it has been used so many different ways over the months!

Much more fun than using it in its original state. :)

Mostly we use it as a birthday spotlight. My kids love being spotlighted on their birthday month. Such a simple way to make them feel special.

{JANUARY} – El’s birthday spotlight

{MARCH} – Mom and Kole’s birthday spotlight

{MAY} – Ad’s birthday spotlight

{JUNE} – Father’s Day spotlight (things we love about dad)

{OCTOBER} – Past Halloween pictures

{NOVEMBER} – Thanksgiving artwork displayed

{DECEMBER} – Friends Christmas Card display

I also used it to frame our own past Christmas cards and other holiday artwork from the kids (I just forgot to take pictures each month!).

I’ve loved it because it was SO cheap and easy to make.
It added some interest and color to our living room.

It has been an easy way to display and rotate pictures and artwork each month.

And because it constantly put a smile on a few faces around here.

Looking forward to finding a happy home for it in the new house.

xoxo, Erin

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Uncategorized

07.10.13

As of late…

The girls started Jr. Lifeguard camp at the beach. This was Addie’s first year (you have to be 7 to start) and she has loved it. Comes home every afternoon covered in sand with a huge grin on her face. It makes me laugh to think about three years ago when El started this camp. I would come home immediately after picking her up and vacuum out the car. My car is currently covered in sand and has resembled the beach for a month now and I’ve hardly noticed. Three kids. It has definitely mellowed me.

You guys. I have been going CRAZY cleaning out my house. Went through all of our paper and files…

and the girls’ school work I’m saving. It had really piled up and I was so behind on filing it. Luckily it didn’t take long because of my system for saving everything. Getting it all into albums will be another story. For another day.

I am getting rid of things right and left. It feels so good! Kenny was like “you’re getting rid of all of the videos?” “Yes dear. When was the last time you sat down and watched Sound of Music on the VCR?” My kids and husband get so stressed when I get in these clean out moods. They know nothing is safe! My motto is that unless I am 100% sure we should keep something when I immediately pick it up, it goes. No “um.. hmm… maybe… should I keep it?” When in doubt, throw it out. Less stuff. It’s the best way to keep your home organized.

I have been living at our Goodwill drop off. They know me by name. :)

These are bags of some of the girls’ clothes they have grown out of. I went through all of my kids’ closets with a vengeance! The I divided everything up for wonderful people I know with little girls.

Anything we won’t need in the next two months in the kids’ rooms I’ve packed up! Empty closets!

And empty drawers. It’s strange. And so so nice.

Fabric samples for the girls’ rooms! Aren’t they fun!? I’m sure their new rooms (along with the rest of the house) will take a lot of time to decorate, but I at least want to have their bedding picked out and a plan made so that I know what color to paint their walls. Not an easy task! There are too many cute options!

We’ve been passing summer afternoons in the old back yard. Picnic on a towel anyone?

And in the new back yard. The trampoline set up is no where near done but I can’t keep my kids off of it and I’ve given up trying.

Pretty palm trees – a few pics I took with my phone running errands.

Ellie asked me last week why I never wear any of the jewelry she made me last summer. Well. Good question! So this week I have worked my beautiful assortment of beaded necklaces into my wardrobe. And I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing the smile on her face when she sees me in them. New summer trend around our house.

I walked past this quote on some steps the other day – “Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple.” Love that. It makes you want to smile and do something kind for someone, doesn’t it?

And just in case you weren’t frightened enough from my last post, here’s my scary little monster one more time. In his mom’s sunglasses. :)

xoxo, Erin

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Kole

07.08.13

A good buddy and a fireplace

I adore this picture because I adore the two people in it. This is my little buddy with one of his favorite buddies – our finish carpenter Chuck. Chuck is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met.

Every morning when I need to head to the new house I say to Kole “it’s time to see Chuck and the diggers!” and he races to the car. Chuck is so good with Kole. He shows him his tools and saws and the two of them chat about hammers and spiders and diggers and all sorts of things of the utmost importance to three year old little boys.

Chuck’s kindness to my son isn’t the only reason I admire him. He is so amazingly talented. I explain to him what I want things to look like and then like magic! He makes it happen. His woodwork and attention to detail have blown me away. Here are a some pics of my family room fireplace in progress…

Now you can see why I adore Chuck as much as Kole does. When I picture it all painted and finished with Christmas decor on the mantel I can’t help but grin from ear to ear. :)

And a few more pics of my little man and his “diggers.” He will be so bummed the day this house is finished and there aren’t trucks and a construction crew around to entertain him 24/7. I will be a bit sad too. So may people who have worked on our house have become good friends of ours.

Kole being a “scary monster.” We play out this scene about oh… 3,728 times a day.

This outfit is a favorite of mine btw. Whenever Kole has it on I tell people he dresses like his daddy – business casual. :)

Happy Monday friends!

xoxo, Erin

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