{DIY pallet coffee table // minus the pallets}

This past weekend Nathan and I spent our Saturday out in the shop DIY'ing our pallet table {minus the pallets...but I will get to that later}. I have had this picture of this table saved in my phone in a little "do this" folder for a year or more. I know it's been there through my iPhone 5, then 5s, and now my 6. So maybe even more than a year. Anyhow...this weekend we made it happen. This was our inspiration.

Beautiful, right??

We have several pallets left over from when we got a new roof put on our house and so we set out to recreate this table. We found two pallets that were in okay shape and most alike in shape and size. We carried them to the shop only to realize we didn't like them one bit. There was at least 1 board on each pallet that was warped, the table was going to be really short, we wouldn't be able to put anything on the table {kind of defeats the purpose} and we just didn't like the look of it.

So, we made our DIY pallet coffee table without pallets.

Nathan had several 2x6 boards in the shop so we used those to create our bottom and all of the sides and the middles. We decided that a 3x3 foot table would be perfect in the space we were putting it...so we cut 6 of the 2x6 boards into 36 inches each. We laid out those 6 and nailed them together to create the bottom of the table.Then we used the same size boards to make the sides and the middle piece.

We only did a light sanding on some parts of the boards because we were using a chalk paint {this one}. We wanted the wood to show through and for it to look "rustic".

We decided to use 1x6 boards for the middle layer and the top layer, but we didn't have any so we had to go to Home Depot to grab those. And we let them cut the boards for us to save a little time. :) Since the boards were new we dabbed them with gray spray paint to age them a bit. It worked great and matched the old wood we used for the other parts perfectly!

For the wheels on the bottom I bought these from Amazon. They're okay. I expected them to be bigger. I jumped the gun and bought them because they "looked" like the right ones. Lesson learned. I'm on the hunt for some bigger wheels and replace these when we find them.

And here is our DIY pallet coffee table {without pallets}...

I am so in love with it. It's better than I could have ever imagined us DIY'ing!! And I love how it looks in my living room.

My favorite part of this whole DIY'ing thing is the time I get to spend with my boys. It's been plum awesome!!!

Have you DIY'ed anything lately? I'd love to see!

{Slowing it down // Enjoying time at home}

If you've read my blog for a quick minute you would know how crazy busy our lives are. We are always on the go. Always. And we are rarely ever home {except during the week...and that doesn't count because #life}. The last few weekends we have designated a 'stay at home' day and we have loved every single second of it. Our DIY/Do this list seems to have grown a mile long and we never have time for those projects. But lately? We have made time. We're slowing it down and hanging out at home. And? We don't hate it. It's been so nice. And so, so good for my soul.

I work at home M-F...so usually when 4:00pm on Friday rolls around I am ready to get the heck out of dodge. Probably quite opposite from those that work far a bit aways from home...aka my hubby. But I am just ready to go do something and be somewhere else...anywhere, but home. So when my lovely husband said "lets just have a chill weekend and stay at home" a few weeks ago I must have looked at him like he had 3 heads. But, I obliged. We didn't have any plans so it was the perfect time to try this staying at home thing. And we did. We hung out in our shop crafting things {DIY pallet pumpkins, our headboard and a few other things}, we smoked some meats on the smoker, and we just enjoyed each other's company.

That weekend left me with one happy, happy soul. And left me craving more time at home.

So the next weekend? Same thing...we stayed at home as much as we could. We enjoyed our time together out in the shop. We would turn on the radio and either listen to college football games, the Ranger game or music and just talked and worked together to build some amazing pieces for our home.

Anyhow, today I just wanted to share a few pictures from our Saturday morning this past weekend. Nothing special at all. Just enjoying the simpler things in life. And slowing it down.



How was your weekend? Are you a busy-body always on the go? Or a homebody?

{Five on Friday // Printed Burlap // DIY Table // }

Happy Friday Friends!! It's supposed to be in the 90s all weekend here in Texas {boo!}, but I am not going to let that stop me from making all things Fall, sipping on my PSL and burning all the baked fall scents in the Scentsy's. 

Five on Friday...

1.) In case you missed it...

Monday >> Our DIY filled weekend

Tuesday >> Our 2015 Fall Bucketlist

Wednesday >> A Nature Scavenger Hunt

Thursday >> The Guys Behind the Blog - September Edition

2.) On Monday I whipped up this framed scripture printed on burlap and and posted it to IG and Facebook. I had several people ask me how I did it...so here goes. It's so simple. :)

My latest project...printed on burlap for the first time. It's safe to say I am in love. ❥

A photo posted by >>> Crystal <<< (@hallaroundtexas) on Sep 21, 2015 at 4:04pm PDT

The frame was a gift from my mother in law for one of my birthdays. We both have a feeling she bought it at Kohl's, but not 100%. I had a different picture in the frame, but once I printed on the burlap I knew I wanted to use this frame. 

I bought the burlap sheets {Creative Essentials - 3 laminatd Burlap Sheets - here} at Walmart in the craft section. It came in a three pack. {I will be going back for more #fortheloveofburlap} 

I found the scripture I wanted to print on the burlap {here}. I was going to make my own, but I loved the fonts used in this one, so I just saved the image to my computer. 

I put the burlap in my printer and printed out the image in a 5x7 print. And so I didn't waste the other half of the paper I printed a few monograms to use for another project!  :)

Once I put it in the frame I noticed it needed a little something else. So I made a burlap & lace bow to add to the frame.

And that's it. Easy peasy.

3.) This weekend we are going to create our version of this table {and whatever else I can talk my hubby into}:

via/via

I am so excited!! I ordered the wheels off Amazon and they should be here tomorrow. And we have several of pallets that our roofers so graciously let us keep after they did our roof!! 

4.) On this day SIX years ago we found out that we were pregnant with our little Masonbug! Talk about all the feels. After 2 years of trying for a baby our dreams came true on that very day! And also on this day six years ago we were heading to...

5.) The State Fair of Texas!! Love this time of year. We are going this Sunday and I can hardly contain my excitement. I'm not one to ever wish for a weekend to go by fast, but I am looking forward to Sunday for sure.



What do you have planned for the weekend?

{The Guy behind the blog / Sept edition}

Linking up with Betsy for Guys Behind the Blog

1.) What's the silliest thing you and your significant other have had to compromise on? I don't know of anything...maybe where to eat dinner, but nothing major. {I concur! Can't think of anything else}

2.) If you were stranded on a deserted island, what 3 must haves would you bring with you? A tarp for shelter & capturing rain water, a machete, and a fire starter. {I would just bring my husband, obviously.}

3.) Talents aside, what is your dream job? A professional baseball player

4.) What are three things on your bucket list? To go deep sea fishing, go Elk hunting, and to build another Jeep/truck.

5.) What kind of date is your favorite to go on with your significant other? (Romantic, fun, spontaneous, etc.) I would say a fun date to the Ranger's game or to a music venue. Spontaneous is always good, too.

For our other Guys Behind The Blog Posts:

April // May // June // July // August

{Nature Scavenger Hunt}

In our 2015 Fall Bucketlist post I listed a Nature Scavenger Hunt so I made our hunt list. I made ours with a specific location in mind. I think it will be so much fun to do this with Mason. Ya know...if I can get him off of the amazing playgrounds at this park! 

{Fall Bucketlist // 2015}

It's no secret around here about how much I love Fall. It's my most favorite season of them all! Sweaters, scarves, boots, bonfires, s'mores, cooler crisp air, football, crockpot meals, pumpkin everything, cuddling, flavored coffees, Halloween, camping, carnivals & fairs, hayrides, flannels, cozy blankets, pumpkin patches, etc. What's not to love about those things?

And there is just something about the Fall that awakens and refreshes my soul. My creative juices start flowing and I am just happy. Every year I make a 'bucket-list' of the things I want to do and this year is no exception...

2015 Fall Bucketlist:

+ make s'mores or the s'mores dip
+ make a fall wreath
+ decorate the porch
+ make fall crafts
+ take Mason on a nature scavenger hunt
+ go geocaching around our town
+ buy pumpkins
+ decorate & carve pumpkins
+ have a Halloween movie night {most likely Hocus Pocus} with themed foods
+ find Mase Halloween pajamas
+ go to Mainstay Farms/Pumpkin patch
+ make a thankful jar with Mason
+ take Fall pictures
+ have a playdate with friends
+ go to the zoo
+ go camping in a tent
+ go to Round Top, TX for Texas Antiques weekend
+ stay in a cabin somewhere
+ follow a Fall photo project
+ go on a hayride
+ go to the Texas State Fair
+ visit the Farmer's Market
+ take Mason trick or treating
+ Boo a friend
+ roast marshmallows
+ bake Halloween cookies
+ buy a few 'fall' wardrobe staples
+ go to a football game
+ nacho bar for a football game watching night

What's on your list of things to do this Fall?

{A stay at home and DIY kind of weekend // Pallet Pumpkins and DIY Headboard}

This weekend we traded in our traveling shoes for a stay at home/DIY/tackle projects kind of weekend. It seems like we are always on the go {which we love}, but a weekend at home was just what we needed. Our to-do list seems to be growing by the minute lately. We were able to cross several of those off our list this weekend. 

{Five on Friday // Mason's parade, Snapchat, }

Oh Friday...hey you pretty little thing you! I am so happy to see you. This has been a long & trying week and I am so ready to put it behind us!! 

1.) In case you missed it...posts from this week:

Currently & a catch-up post
Dreaming about Fall
Instagram Round-up
My Instagram editing sytle

2.)  In my Currently post I talked about my mom's recent diagnosis with Hyperthyroidism. She went to the endocrinologist appt on Monday and found out that she had been on the wrong medication for 6 days. The physician she saw prescribed mom with an rx for hypothyroidism rather than hyperthyroidism (total opposite) and it was actually making mom feel worse. She is now on the right medication and starting to fee better. Praise Jesus! She will take this prescription for 6 weeks and then recheck her levels. And once she's feeling better she will need a biopsy. Continued prayers for her, please!

I go next Thursday to get my thyroid checked. It's hereditary and my mom and 2 of her siblings have thyroid problems so it's time I get tested. 

3.) Mason and I have been reading the Duck Commander Devotions for Kids and we are almost done with it. All the tears. We have truly loved this devotional and it's one that Mason 'gets' and can relate to. I am having trouble finding one with the same format; scripture, a story of how it relates in real life, a prayer and an activity. Do you have any suggestions? 





4.) Mason had a Red, White and Blue Parade on Wednesday and it was the absolute cutest! Tiny little PreK and Kinders marching around waiving their flags high and chanting U-S-A! Theeee cutest!!!




5.) Do you Snapchat? If so, leave me your username in the comments. Mine is below:




Happy Friday friends! Have a great weekend!!!

{Instagram editing // my style // embedding IG pictures into your post}

Yesterday I posted an Instagram Round-up post and was asked by several people how I get my photos to look the way they do. I've also gotten several emails and messages about this before so I thought I'd do a post on my Instagram editing style. My style is definitely clean, bright and crisp. Not that all of my photos reflect that by any means, but that is what I love. I rarely use filters unless it's a black and white filter.

My go to app for editing is Afterlight. I use this to brighten, adjust contrast & saturation and crop my Instagram photos. This is the process I use:

1.) open photo in Afterlight




2.) adjust the brightness. I usually take it all the way up to 100. And if that's not enough I save that and then select brightness again and adjust until the picture looks bright enough.




3.) then I choose the 'clarify' filter and adjust that as needed




4.) next I adjust the contrast and saturation if needed.




5.) after I have my photo looking the way I like I choose the square crop {if my photo isn't already in square form}.

6.) next I choose the shape cropping tool and from the 'original' section I choose the 2nd option for trimming the corners. I take that to 50. I like all of my photos to be the same size and uniform.

Add caption

7.) and that's it. I save and post on Insta.

Before/After




For all of my black & white photos I use Snapseed. Here is my process..

1.) open photo in Snapseed



2.) click on the little pencil in the bottom right hand corner to open the editing tools. under filters choose black and white.



3.) click on the little clipboard icon choose which type of b&w filter you want. I usually always go with contrast (unless the photos is already too contrast-y then I choose bright). then I adjust the contrast and brightness to my liking. save.

{okay - not sure why the photos above are muted...but see the before/after below}


4.) then i open the b&w photo in Afterlight and follow steps 5-7 {above} and that's it.

before /after

Embedding Instagram Pictures into your post:

Someone also asked how I got my Instagram pictures on my blog in the way I did in yesterday's post. Here's a quick little tutorial. 

1.) open up Instagram in your browser
2.) click on your profile
3.) click on a picture you want to embed into your blog 





4.) click on the three little dots in the right hand corner. and another button will pop up to embed.





5.) click embed & copy the code






6.) paste that code in the html of your blog post





And to center it on your blog:

<center> (put this before the html you copied from IG)
</center> (put this after the html you copied from IG)

voila!!!



What's your Instagram editing style? What are your go-to apps?