Oh my goodness! I am over the moon to finally share a little secret with you... my work is in print for the very first time!

Last fall, the Editor of 5280 Home reached out to me asking if they could photograph my boys' rock-and-roll "studio" under our basement stairs to be featured in the inaugural "Best of Denver Design" issue as the "Best Playroom in Denver." 

Um, yes please!

5280 Home is the quarterly shelter publication of 5280 Magazine - a staple of life in Denver. For those who are wondering what the number is all about, 5280 refers to the number of feet in a mile, a measurement well known to everyone in the Mile High City.

The magazine sent out a photographer just a couple of weeks later, and I did several phone interviews with one of their staff writers to share all of the details about the playroom and my work as a design blogger.

  

The playroom feature was originally slated to be published in the Winter issue of 5280 Home, but they ran into a mismatch between the number of content and advertising pages, and my feature got bumped. The Editor assured me that the playroom would be published in a later issue, but I wasn't sure what to expect. 

Sure enough, though, a couple of months later I got the word that we were scheduled to be included in the summer issue. When my preview copies arrived in the mail a few weeks ago, I was so thrilled to see our full page feature! 

The writer really did an excellent job of talking about the space and encouraging readers of the magazine to head to my blog for all the DIY tutorials. I have many blogging friends whose work has been featured in magazines without so much as a mention of their blog, so I especially appreciate 5280 Home giving such clear credit to my design work and my blog... it makes the feature that much meaningful to me! 

If you're not in Denver, you can still read the full article online at the 5280 Home website.

Beckett was pretty darn excited to see himself in the magazine, but when I asked if it made him famous, he replied, "I was already famous... I'm on a blog!" LOL! I wasn't even sure that he understood what I do, let alone that it made him feel so important. He's still quite proud of the magazine photo though, and he points it out to anyone who will listen each time we see it at the check stand in stores around town. 

I've always had magazine hoarding tendencies {who could recycle all of that design inspiration goodness?!}... and I've definitely collected quite a few copies of our issue of 5280 Home!  I am so grateful that they chose to feature the boys' playroom and give me the chance to see my work in print for the first time. 

And if you are a huge Bachelor fan, like I am, here's a little bonus... Bachelor Ben and fiance Lauren's Denver home was also featured in this issue of the magazine, but since they are splitsville now, 5280 Home did an online feature follow-up where you can read about his home post-breakup. 

{diy with style} Home Made Smarter

As I get older, I'm determined to keep up with the newest technology. Sure I haven't heard of the latest dating app, and there's always some new social media aimed at the generation a decade younger than I am, but I do pretty well {mostly thanks to my husband, who sometimes has to drag me along when I complain about why the TV needs three different remotes}. 

Our house is the same way. Built just about 10 years ago, it came before smart home technology really became mainstream. And I've seen the way that Scott looks at those younger homes with their fancy thermostats and lights you can control from your phone. So I was thrilled when I learned that Hive, the UK's most popular smart home brand has just launched in the US and Canada, offering easy ways to make any home tech savvy - including the ability to adjust heating and air conditioning, lighting, and appliances from anywhere, and to have each of these components work together to create one cohesive smart home ecosystem! Thank you to Hive for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

{diy with style} How to Create Sophisticated Superhero Art with Cricut

Thank you guys for all of the love and sweet comments on our recent makeover of the boys' bathroom! I am super passionate about finding ways to balance my love of modern style with mom-life, and I'm always striving to create kid spaces that can grow with them and won't need to be completely redecorated again next year.

All of these factors were at play when the boys asked for a superhero themed bathroom. I loved the challenge of giving them exactly what they wanted while also making it fit in with the rest of our home {especially since the bathroom is visible from the stairs} and making sure it was a space that they could still love five or more years from now.

If you've ever looked for superhero decor, you know that much of it falls into one of two categories - bright and over the top, or dark and a bit too mature for young kids. I couldn't find anything just right for our needs - modern and sophisticated, not too little kid-ish, but not too scary either.

When I find myself in this kind of design dilemma I always come to the same conclusion - it's easier to go the DIY route and make exactly what I want! And that's exactly what I did with the simple DIY superhero art for the bathroom. I've gotten quite a few questions from readers about that art, so I wanted to give you the quick tutorial today to show you how easy it was to make using on of my go-to DIY tools, the Cricut!

In the interest of full disclosure, I have to let you know that this post is sponsored by Cricut and contains so affiliate links {if you buy something I recommend I may receive a small commission}, but since I've been talking about my Cricut DIY projects for as I've been blogging, I know you guys are aware that my love for Cricut runs true and deep! Here are some of my other favorite Cricut design and decor projects:

Charger & Cord Organization	DIY Wood Sign for the Garage	Dressing Room Door Label
Bookshelf Makeover: Vinyl Circles	Kate Spade Inspired Bar Accessories	Bath Toy Storage that Transforms for Guests
11 Tips for Organizing Under the Kitchen Sink	LOVE Scrabble Tile Coasters	Labeled Mailbox

InLinkz.com

Charger & Cord Organization	DIY Wood Sign for the Garage	Dressing Room Door Label
Bookshelf Makeover: Vinyl Circles	Kate Spade Inspired Bar Accessories	Bath Toy Storage that Transforms for Guests
11 Tips for Organizing Under the Kitchen Sink	LOVE Scrabble Tile Coasters	Labeled Mailbox

InLinkz.com

Charger & Cord Organization	DIY Wood Sign for the Garage	Dressing Room Door Label
Bookshelf Makeover: Vinyl Circles	Kate Spade Inspired Bar Accessories	Bath Toy Storage that Transforms for Guests
11 Tips for Organizing Under the Kitchen Sink	LOVE Scrabble Tile Coasters	Labeled Mailbox

InLinkz.com

Ok, back to the tutorial superhero art! I came up with the idea to keep the art modern and sleek by simply placing simple metallic superhero logos on black backgrounds with contrasting white frames. Of course, I didn't want to have to cut the logos by hand, and that's where the Cricut comes in.

SUPPLY LIST

• 16" x 20" White Picture Frames
• White Mattes with 11" x 14" openings
• 16" x 20" Black Acid Free Art Boards {also called conservation board}
• Cricut Adhesive Foil Stainless {gold and silver, or sampler pack}
• Cricut Explore Air
• 12" x 24" Cricut Cutting Mat
• Weeding Tool

A few months back I made a project using metallic adhesive foil, and it worked so well that I realized it would be the perfect medium for this project because I could cut the superhero logos and just stick them directly on to the black art boards.

One of the questions I get asked most often about the Cricut is whether it will be easy for you to learn the Cricut Design Space software to create my own custom projects? And the answer is a resounding YES! The software is so user-friendly and intuitive, and once you've made your first custom project you'll have confidence that you can do anything. How do I know... because that was me asking the same question just a few months ago, and after dragging my feet and being nervous to make my first custom project, I know can't stop planning what I'm going to make next.

I'm actually not going to walk you through the process for creating a custom cut project using Cricut Design Space in this post because I did a really detailed tutorial back in January with step by step screenshots.

I purchased clipart versions of the superhero logos that I wanted to use {Superman, Spiderman, and Batman}, and then loaded the images in to the Design Space software. From there, the process of turning them into cut files is exactly the same as I outlined in this post {just skip past the project photos and go to the second half of the post for the Design Space tutorial.}

Once I had the cut files created, I affixed the adhesive foil to my Cricut mat. I set the knob on the machine to "other," and then in the software I chose "adhesive foil" as my material to ensure that the cutting pressure would be perfect for my material.

After cutting each logo, I used my weeding tool to remove the negative pieces of the designs.

I would normally use vinyl transfer tape to perfectly position my foil or vinyl designs on the final product, but in this case I was placing the logos on art boards with a paper-like surface. I've learned the hard way in the past that transfer tape won't come off of paper easily, so I needed to find a different method to position the adhesive foil logos on the black art boards.

My main concern was getting the logos perfectly centered, so I decided to remove the adhesive backing and lay the first logo face down {foil side down} on the frame glass centered within the matte opening.

With the adhesive side up {not yet stuck to anything} I was able to adjust the positioning until the logo was centered and straight. Then I was simply placed the black art board face down into the frame, pressing down to adhere the adhesive foil to the board in just the right spot.

And that's it! I put the frame backer board in place, secured it, and flipped the frame over to admire my new sophisticated super hero art!

This art could not have been easier to create, but hanging together, the three superhero logos make quite a statement!

Head over to the full bathroom post to see all of the other details of the sophisticated superhero makeover!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.

{outdoor style} 10 Outdoor Projects to Inspire Your Summer Decor

I hope you all had a nice Memorial Day weekend! It was a bit windy and rainy here, but the forecast is looking good for this week. I think we've finally seen the end of the snow, so I'm ready to get our backyard ready for the summer! I have lots of planting to do, and I can't wait to put out all of our colorful patio decor! 

If your outdoor space could use a little sprucing up as well, then today's post is for you!

I've teamed up with the All Things Creative team again this month to bring you these outdoor decor tips and DIY tutorials that we hope will inspire you to create a cozy and colorful outdoor living room or dining room to enjoy all summer long!

{my home style} Tips for Mixing Modern Decor & Life with Kids

One of the design challenges many people face is finding a good balance between their style and that of their spouse. But somehow I managed to get lucky because Scott and I have very similar taste and typically see eye to eye when it comes to decorating our house. 

When my friend Stephanie, of Casa Watkins, recently invited me to participate in a blog hope all about mixing and matching different decorating styles, I initially declined because I feel like our style is pretty cohesive - modern, graphic, and colorful. 

But when I stopped to reflect more on how we decorate, I realized that over the past five years we've actually done quite a bit of mixing and matching in order to coordinate our modern style with the reality of life with kids!

{outdoor style} Planning a Treetop Retreat & Outdoor Movie Theater

This post is sponsored by Cost Plus World Market, which you know is one of my favorite places to shop! Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible! As always, all ideas and opinions are my own. This post also contains affiliate links.

Over the past few years we've made a lot of changes to our backyard and it's become a really great space for entertaining and play... but we have another outdoor space that we've been pretty much ignoring. Until now, that is! I've been scheming up some plans for the space and I want to show you what I'm thinking and get your opinions!

Our house is built on three levels, with just our master bedroom/bathroom on the top floor. Off of the bedroom is a pretty good sized deck with treetop views. Before we had kids we used the space on occasion, but for the past five years, we've really barely stepped foot out there. Now that I think about it, I'm not even sure I've ever shared a photo of the deck on the blog. 

{one room challenge} Shared Boys' Bedroom Reveal

We're all jumping for joy over here because the boys' new room is finally finished! It's bright and fun and a little wild, just like Beckett and Cooper, and I am so excited to show it to you!

This is One Room Challenge number seven in the books. It's always a rush to the finish line, but once the room is done, it's so much fun to take a step back and see what we've created through the lens of the camera. The boys were very active participants in designing this shared bedroom over the past six weeks, and it makes me so happy to see how much pride they take in their new space!

{one room challenge} Week 5: We've Got Magic to Do

It's Week 5 of the One Room Challenge, which means we have just one week left to finish the boys' shared bedroom. Less than that really, because I need time to photograph it in order to share it with you on reveal day next Thursday. You'd think that by now, I'd have this six week makeover thing down to a science... that I'd be planning and allocating my time so well that I could maybe finish a day or two early rather than working right down to the wire... but no. It never seems to work out that way, and this will be another race to the finish.

{outdoor style} 6 Favorite Lawn Games for Young Kids

Spring can be pretty fickle in Denver... it swings between 70s and snow, with rain and hail mixed in between. As a result, we often prograsstinate on getting the yard ready for the season. But this spring, I've partnered with Roundup® For Lawns, and I'm telling the dandelions to "weed 'em and reap." As my boys are getting older, they want to spend more and more time outside, and they are starting to really enjoy playing lawn games. Their enthusiasm has me mowtivated to get the lawn looking good so that we can enjoy it every chance we get.{Ok, now that I have your attention, I'll stop with the bad puns already!}.