Quotes

Love this quote from Princess Diana! 

Well said :)

Stay Free!

XO,

K

DIY Tufted Headboard

I decided to finally finish my guest room! 

The final thing I needed to do was the bed. I really wanted to make it into more of a day bed style. So, my very talented future hubby built an awesome bed frame that we painted gold. Next we needed to create a headboard for the end of the bed and one for the side of the bed that goes along the wall.
And boy, was this a crazy project, but so so worth it with it was finished!

What you'll need:

• Peg board (cut to whatever size you need for your bed)
• 2" foam
• Batting
• Fabric (for the headboard and buttons)
• Button making kit
• Adhesive spray
• Upholstery thread
• Upholstery needle
• Picture hooks (to hook finished boards to the wall)

First you will need to figure out what pattern/design you want your headboard to have. I made mine in a big diamond shape. You could do a smaller pattern but you will need more buttons.

Take your peg board and start laying out your pattern, doing a little math to measure out each hole. Play around with it until you get what you want. Mark each hole with a sharpie.

Measure and cut your foam to match the size of your peg board. Lay the marked peg board on top of your foam. Take a sharpie and push it through your marked holes on the peg board till it marks a spot on the foam. Repeat on all marked holes.

Take a knife and cut around the marked holes on the foam. (It doesn't need to go all the way through) Pinch the foam, twist and pull. This will pull a piece of the foam out, see picture. These holes will help create deeper tufts when you pull the buttons through later.

Take your foam and peg board to a well ventilated area to adhere together.  I ended up making the marks on both sides of my peg board cause I found that the smooth side was easier to use to spray the adhesive onto. 

Spray the adhesive evenly onto the peg board and carefully secure the foam on top.

Place a layer of batting down over the foam. Then place the fabric over the batting.

Carefully pull fabric and batting over the edge of the board and staple down.

Using your button making kit to make your buttons with whatever fabric you choose. I used white fabric for my headboards and gold for my buttons to give some contrast. 

After all your buttons are made, find a marked hole on the back of your board and push needle through foam, batting and fabric, leaving enough thread out the back to hold onto. Once through, use a long upholstery needle and doubled up upholstery grade thread (you will be pulling the thread really tight so you need the really strong stuff, not regular thread) to lace through your button. 

Loop thread around button hook several times to secure.

With button secured on thread, push needle back through to back side of the board.

Once needle is back through, grab both ends of thread and pull super tight. You might need to push the button from the front to get a deep tuft. 

Pull thread tight and staple down to back of the board. As you can see in the picture, I pulled the tread in different directions and stapled to ensure the tread would stay secured to the board.

Turn board over and check out your tufted headboard!

Finish the headboard with the picture hooks and secure to the wall.

TA-DA!!

*Note: For the corner where the two boards come together, I cut the foam at an angle so they would fit together when on the wall. I did this step before I secured the batting and fabric to the foam.

To finish the bed and room, I went to Home Goods and bought several wicker baskets to put under the bed as little cubbies to hold things like scarves, hats, belts and purses. 

This project was fun but it was definitely a more advanced DIY project. Please feel free to comment or contact me with any questions you may have on this project.

XO,

K

The Ramos House Cafe

If you are ever down in the San Juan Capistrano area and need a fantastic place to enjoy a nice weekend brunch, The Ramos House Cafe is the place to go! It is located on the historic Los Rios Street in Old San Juan. It is the cutest little house turned restaurant with a ton of flare. It is a unique experience from the menu to the patio setting to the bathrooms!

We made a visit to Ramos House recently when Evan's parents were in town doing wedding things for the weekend, as his mom called it "Wedding Palooza"! My future mother-in-law fell in love with this place a few years ago when Evan took her there for Mothers day (what a sweet boy!). So when they were in town, we of course had to go there for brunch and we invited my mom and step-dad to go along with us. It was a great Sunday brunch with our families getting together, having mimosas, and eating some seriously delicious food.

My Step-dad started out the meal with a Ramos House signature Bloody Mary. It came complete with spicy marinated green beans, a crab claw, and a scotch quail egg. It really was a masterpiece!

The rest of us got mimosas, with the option of orange juice, pomegranate juice, or a mix of the two!

YUM!

Evan got the Fried Chicken Scramble with warm Apple sauce and Cornbread.

Very tasty!

For my meal, I ordered the Crab Hash with Bacon Scrambled Eggs and Citrus Cream.

It was AH-MAZING! It was definitely a crowd favorite ( I think 3 out 5 of us ordered this).

The meals were also served with a fresh, homemade biscuit and delicious cinnamon spread.

The Ramos House is a must for weekend brunch. I hope you guys go try it out and enjoy it as much as we did!

Enjoy!!

XO,

K

Fashion Fashion Inspiration

Fall is upon us! Here are some fall fashion inspirations.

Skinny jeans paired with a lightweight sweater and blazer are an easy, everyday look for fall. Throw on a cozy beanie for those chilly days or wear some wedge sneaker high tops for a funky street style.

You can't go wrong with all black! Add some color by mixing prints (plaid scarf and leopard shoes, shown here). 

An over sized sweater or poncho is a fall staple. Throw it on with some leggings or skinny jeans and knee high boots and you are ready to go! An over sized bag pulls it all together.

I'm loving the cozy fair isle legging and beanie look! (From Piperlime)

The fun print on the leggings make a big statement. And I love the mix of color between the leggings and beanie. Put on a tunic sweater, jean jacket, and some fringe booties to complete the look.

Another fall trend I'm loving is leather! Pair a faux leather A-line skirt with a fun sweater. You can dress it up with some great tights and pumps or even some booties. Add a collared shirt under your sweater for an extra sweet look.

*I just bought this skirt from F21. I will post an update soon when I wear it :)

Hope you all are enjoying this fall season so far! Get out there and create your own spin on your favorite trend.

XO,

K

S'more Bites

I love love love making s'mores at a campfire! Since the nights have been cold lately and the air outside in the neighborhood smells of crackling fires, I've had a craving for some yummy s'mores. So I decided to make some "indoor" style!

Who doesn't love a s'more, whether at a campfire or in the comfort of your cozy home!?

These are GREAT for parties also!

Ingredients:

• Graham Crackers
• Large Marshmallows
• Hersey's Kiss (unwrapped)

First, cut marshmallows in in halves.

Next, break the graham crackers into halves and cut them into whatever shape you prefer. I ended up deciding on a square shape, cutting off the corners. This step works better if you open the graham crackers the night before so they are not as crispy. Otherwise they tend to crack when you cut them.

Turn the oven broiler on high. Then place the cut graham crackers down the center of a cookie sheet. Place marshmallow halves, sticky side down, on the crackers.

Put marshmallow crackers in oven. DO NOT walk away during this step. Watch them very carefully until the tops of the marshmallows brown. Then remove them promptly.

Immediately after removing from the oven, push a Hersey's kiss into the marshmallow. Repeat on all remaining crackers.

Let cool.

Set out on a platter at a party (or a Wednesday night!) and watch them disappear! Your guest will love the bite size treats that make them feel like a kid again!

Enjoy!

XO,

K

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Happy Thanksgiving from The Freebird! 

Hope you all have a wonderful day with family and friends!!

I am very thankful that I get to spend this day with most of my family! I am blessed to have so many amazing people in my life.

XO,

K

Perfect Fall Boots

Fall is in full effect and a staple item for your wardrobe is the black boot. This season I'm seeing a ton of tall, flat boots which I love love love!! The flat boot is so versatile. It can be worn casual with jeans and a cozy sweater during the day, or dressed up with tights and a cute dress for date night.

The trend right now seems to be a more fitted boot. To achieve this look, many of the boots have a stretchy elastic panel to give you a perfectly snug fit on your calf. 

1. Steve Madden Hazele $139.99 Sale (I just ordered these boots! I will follow up with a post when I receive them.)

2. Michael Kors Bromley Flat Boot $250

3. Chinese Laundry South Bay $119

4. Enzo Angiolini Zareh $99.50 Sale

5. Wanted Pisa $69

*All images were found on Piperlime.com

Hope you all are enjoying this cooler so-cal Fall weather!

XO,

K

Holiday Eats: Pumpkin Pie Bites

Thanksgiving week has arrived and in honor of the holiday, I wanted to post a recipe I tried out for a friends Fall party. This delicious treat is the perfect bite size for when you want a little something sweet but don't want to overindulge, as everyone tends to do during the holiday season!

Ingredients:

• 1 can pumpkin pie filling (look at the can for direction on making the filling)
• 2 9 inch pie crust doughs (I used the pre-made ones)
• Whipped Cream
• Muffin Tin
• Small round bowl or cookie cutter (about 4 inches in diameter)

First, roll out the pie crust dough on a flat surface. Take your small bowl or cookie cutter and cut out circles of dough.

Place the dough circles in a greased muffin tin. Press dough into cups letting the dough fold up around the sides. Score the bottom of each pie crust with a fork so that the crust does not bubble up while baking.

Follow the instructions on the pie filling can to whip up your delicious filling.

Fill each mini pie cup with filling. You can fill these to whatever level you want, as the filling will not rise like cupcakes or muffins do.

Bake mini pies at 425 degrees for 15 mins. Then lower temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 25-30 mins. (This will be less time than a regular pie would take)

Once they have cooked, remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool for a few hours. This will allow the filling to set.

 Top mini pies with a dollop of whipped cream before serving.

Finally, ENJOY!!!

Do you have any food favorite during the holiday season!?

Happy Holidays!

XO,

K

Closet Remodel

We have small closets in our house which made it a serious challenge to fit all my clothes and shoes. Since we have a 2 bedroom AND because the closets in each room are so small, we decided to each take a closet, mine being the guest room closet (because that room has a vanity as well) and Evan's being in our room. I was able to fit all my clothes fine, most hanging with pants on one of the shelves. The problem? My shoes! I didn't have a place to keep my shoes besides in a big pile at the bottom of the closet. Huge mess!

Before

So I decided that just wasn't going to work and had to come up with a solution to better organize everything and make it look clean (especially since my closet is in the guest room!). 

After

I switched some hanging bars around, added some shelves (from Home Depot) and VOILA!  Much more organized so now I can actually see all my shoes and start wearing more of them that have been hiding in the mess.

Hmm, I wonder what new pair of shoes would go well in my new organized closet!? Time to do some shopping..... Just kidding!..... Kinda ;)

Stay tuned for a post coming soon on another guest room DIY project I just finished! YAY!!!

XO,

K

DIY Studded Shirt

A trend that I have been loving recently is STUDS. There are endless options when it comes to studs; Studded shorts, sneakers, jackets, sweaters, bracelets, headbands and more.

I decided to take this trend and turn into a little DIY project, which turned out to be super easy. It was a great way to try this trend out because i could totally customize it to what I wanted, whether that was lots of studs, minimal studs, big ones, small ones, and even placement/design.

Supplies:

~ Shirt (I used a plaid shirt I purchased at Forever21)

~ Studs in whatever size and color you choose (I ordered 11mm gold pyramid studs from Amazon)

~ A butter knife to help fold back the prongs to secure the studs

First, plan out what design you want and where you are going to place your studs. 

Next, push the stud through the fabric. Be careful on this step as the prongs on the stud can be sharp when they poke through.

Then, take your butter knife (or anything else you want to use) and press down on each prong until they are pushed down as far as they will go.

Repeat this process on all remaining studs.

Here is the finished product! As you can see, I only did the pocket flap and added a few studs to the tips of the collar for some extra flare. 

Anyone else loving this trend for fall!?

Have fun and be as creative as you want with this quick and easy DIY project!

XO,

K

Turks and Caicos: Part 2

While we did have a blast in Turks, we were there to get some work done. We had to do a photo shoot  for our friends company and some video for Pear Sports.  For the photo shoot, we got to go to an amazing private estate where shoots for Victoria's secret, Maxim and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit have taken place. The owner of the house is also the owner of one of the island hot spots, da Conch Shack and Rum Bar.

The view looking up at John's house from his private beach.

We finished our shoot and decided to head over to da Conch Shack to see what its all about (since we heard so many people raving about it AND we now know the owner!) 

When we arrived, we were immediately welcomed by the manager of the restaurant and escorted to a prime table. He then told us that a plate of Cracked Conch and pitcher of Rum Punch were on the way out for us courtesy of John (the owner whose house we had just been at). What a pleasant and generous surprise!

I was so excited to try conch for the first time. And I really liked it!!! 

The food was so delicious at the shack and the rum punch was perfect to wash it all down. We ordered another cracked conch plus conch fritters and conch salad. It was a Thursday night when we went so they had live music playing as well which was really fun. They also had locals selling conch shells and they if you buy one, they will even cut the end off so that you can blow it to make a loud horn sound. We bought a giant one to take home with us.

Our experience with da Conch Shack was over the top good and was definitely a highlight for me. I highly suggest checking this place out if you ever make it to Turks and Caicos. 

XO,

K

Turks and Caicos: Part 1

After a week in Turks and Caicos, we have finally made it back home (bittersweet!). It was an amazing trip and we had sooo much fun. In between all the fun however, we did manage to get all our work done that we came there to do. 

We stayed at the Club Med Turks and Caicos, Turkoise. If any of you are familiar with Club Med, you know that they are all inclusive resorts and this particular one we went to was also adults only. Since it was all inclusive, all meals and drinks were included in the price, which made it super easy. Also included were a bunch of activities and excursions such as paddle boarding, trapeze, kayaking, group classes (yoga, zumba, water aerobics), volleyball, tennis, snorkeling, and much more!

They had several pool tables and ping pong tables out in the common areas for everyone to enjoy. They also had different themes each night for dinner (which they tell you ahead of time so you can pack accordingly)  which were followed by shows and dance parties in various locations on the resort. It was very lively every night, that's for sure!

The view looking back at the resort from the pool deck. The hotel was a bit in need of a renovation (which we hear they will be doing this next year), but overall it was nice, clean, and you really just can't beat the beach there!

My hunny relaxing on the beautiful white sand beach. 

Aren't those colors just amazing!??

The sunsets were incredible, such amazing colors!

 

 

We braved the trapeze and had a blast! 

Then we took a long walk down the beach in search of conch shells. We found hundreds of amazing shells, all different sizes, so of course we brought some home with us!

Paddle boarding was another activity we took part in. We love paddle boarding at home in the harbor but this was a whole different experience. The water was so glassy, color such a vibrant turquoise, and the water so clear you could see all the way down to the bottom. 

A final farewell toast on the beach, taking in our last Turks sunset! (Here with our friends Trevor and Noelle)

Until next time Turks, we had a fantastic time!

Stay tuned for a part 2 post on a few places we explored outside the resort on the island.

XO,

K