DIY Burlap Wreath

Hey everyone! After Halloween, I took my wreath down and replaced the holiday ribbon with two new ones and I'm just now getting around to sharing it. You can see how I made the first burlap wreath here, and here is my new one that I love! The only thing I want to change is the "M", i'm going to paint it black so it can be seen from the street. Once i've updated that, i'll share that photo with all of you :). I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

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DIY Halloween Burlap Wreath

Happy Halloween everyone! One of my favorite days of the year! School AGAIN has overtaken my life, haha, I will try to post as often as I can. Before we left for our trip to Branson earlier this month, I made a Halloween wreath that I would like to share with everyone. It was pretty easy to make so I think anyone can do it! :)  I got the original idea on Pinterest (of course :)) from The Sassy Momma blog, she did such a great job explaining how to do it! Here's my step-by-step tutorial:

Supplies needed (all from Michael's) for less than $15
1 Medium Wire Wreath form
1-2 rolls of 10 yard burlap ribbon (depending on how full you want your wreath, I used 1)
2 rolls of accent ribbon
Pipe cleaner or string

1.To begin, flip the wreath over to secure the pipe cleaner or string to the crossbar on the wire form, then pull the burlap through to secure the end of it onto the crossbar. Flip the wire form back over (so it's right side up) and start pulling the burlap through the slots in about 6 inch segments, I usually work from top to bottom and left to right. I fit 6-8 loops in each section (you can add more  if you want your wreath to look fuller).
2. Keep working your way around until you get to the beginning and secure the end with the pipe cleaner or string.

3. Now it is time to add the accent ribbon. Start by carefully pulling another piece of string or pipe cleaner through the crossbar that you started with. Then pull your accent ribbon through (don't secure it yet). Keep pulling your accent ribbon through each crossbar, making sure to "fluff" your ribbon over the burlap in each section to make it look pretty as you go. When you get back to the starting point, cut your ribbon and secure it with the string/pipe cleaner.

4. Now we can add our second accent ribbon. I typically tie a bow at my starting/finishing point to cover up the string/pipe cleaner. Here is a really good tutorial that I use to tie my bow.

If you have any questions on how to make this wreath feel free to make a comment or email me with your questions!

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Motivation Monday

Today was our first day back in clinicals, our two week break went by too fast but I was ready to get the fall semester started! For today's motivation, I found a couple pins from pinterest that I keep referring back to when I get into a rut and find it hard to just get out the door. My next 5k is three weeks away and I feel very behind in my training, but I know I can do it, it's only 3.1 miles, right?! The weather hasn't helped with outdoor training either, it's been soo hot! Thankfully our country club has a fitness center so I can go there to train, so no more excuses! Today's workout was short and sweet, but tomorrow I will be stepping up the intensity and not holding back, wish me luck! I'll leave you with my favorite motivational pins, in case some of you may be feeling the same way as me!

                                                  

                                      
                                      
This one is my favorite, I've heard it takes 21 days to form a habit, and that's what I intend on doing, here's to day 1!
                                               

This is my mantra for my half marathon training!

                                     

-xo Ashley

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Updated Mirror

   When we first moved into our house a little over three years ago, there was ugly wallpaper in almost every room, but slowly and often times it was very frustrating, we removed almost all of it (I'll get to that in a later post). There was a mirror in the downstairs bathroom that I absolutely loved, but there was one thing that I didn't like about it, so I decided to paint it. After we removed the wallpaper, we repainted the bathroom Gray Shingle from Sherwin Williams. I then chose to spray paint the mirror Brilliant Blue in Gloss from Rust-Oleum. I loved the color and how well it stood out against the gray wall, white vanity top and trim in the small room.

   I started off by taping newspaper to the mirror to ensure not to paint the glass, then took it outside to paint. It's best to spray at least 6-8 inches away from the surface so you won't get any bubbling. The whole project only took one day and I only needed two coats of paint. I loved how it turned out, here's the before and after!

Don't worry, the hideous wallpaper is now gone, yay!!!

This project only cost me around $4 for the spray paint, and it has a BIG effect!

I love the detail on the corners! Can you believe my husband just wanted to throw this gem away?! Good thing I convinced him I could make it look great again :)

   Try not to pay attention to the door in the reflection, eventually I would like to paint it white, or replace it with a prettier door ;). (Also I'm really sorry about the quality of the photos, the before was taken with my old camera and the after was taken with my new canon powershot and i'm still learning how to use it.) It's amazing how paint and a "new" accessory can completely change the look and feel of a room! I love this little bathroom now and I'm no longer terrified to go in there anymore, haha. Although it isn't 100% complete, it still needs a few accessories to pull the room together, till then I can make do.

-xo
Ashley

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Celebrating our 2nd Anniversary

   Today we're celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary! I can't believe we've been married for TWO years already, where does the time go? I couldn't imagine spending my life with anyone else, we've had our ups and downs but I can for sure say I am soo happy to be married to my best friend! He is my rock and I wouldn't be able to follow my dreams without his full support and encouragement, I love him more and more every year! Love you babe, happy anniversary!

                        

 

                        

 

This one pretty much sums up our relationship, I love it ;)

Love,
Ashley

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Family Weekend + Motivation Monday

   Well the weekend has come and gone again. My family from Iowa came to visit and it felt like were moving nonstop. They got in late Friday night so we just stayed in and relaxed, then we got up early Saturday and headed downtown to the City Market. The market was really busy, but we got some great deals and some delicious fruits and veggies! We came back home for lunch, then my mom and I went out for a little shopping at Marshall's and left with some good deals and cute clothes. We stopped at Johnny's Tavern down the street for some drinks before heading downtown for dinner at Bar Louie.
   Sunday morning we got up and had some coffee before I took my mom and Grandma's by my school, then over to the Plaza to walk around and do a little more shopping. It flew by way too quickly, but it was really nice having company. Unfortunately we kept forgetting to take pictures, so I don't have any to share, sorry haha.
   I want to start a series of posts called "Motivation Monday", i'm hoping it will help me to become a better blogger and actually post at least once a week, and also help keep me motivated while I start running and working out again. For my first "Motivation Monday" I plan on beginning a 4 week 5k training program. I just signed up for the Lawrence color run in September and need to get my booty in gear!

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ABC's of Me

While catching up on some of my favorite blogs and discovering new ones I found this post and wanted to fill it out for my own blog, so here it is :) :

Addictions: Coffee! music, and of course Pinterest
Bed size: California King
Chore you hate:  Taking out the trash
Dogs or cats: Dogs, we love our Jett :)
Essential start of your day: checking my phone before I get out of bed.
Favorite color: almost any shade of blue
Gold or silver: Silver
Height: 5'3"
Instruments you play (or have played): the flute in middle and high school
Jobs titles you've had: cashier, certified nurse's aid, Interior Design Intern, Kitchen Designer, waitress, bartender, barista
Kids: none yet . . . unless you count our black lab like we do ;)
Live: Overland Park, Kansas
Mom’s name: Melodie
Nickname: Ash, Marie (middle name), little one, and Martin (since getting married)
Overnight hospital stays: none that I can think of
Pet peeve:  when my husband puts his dirty dishes in the sink rather than the dishwasher, grrrr
Quote from a movie: "
Right or left handed: right handed
Siblings: 2 brothers one older and one younger, 2 brother-in-laws one older and one younger, and 1 sister-in-law
Time you wake up: during school it's around 6:00 a.m., on clinical days it's around 5-5:30 a.m., during break usually around 8:30
Underwear: uhhhhh, Victorias Secret or Target
Vegetables you dislike: Beets and raw onions
What makes you run late: usually that one special piece of clothing, or last minute makeup and hair touch ups
X-rays you’ve had done: just in my mouth. but i'm learning how to take them in school ;)
Yummy food you make: hmmm chicken enchiladas, I also love to experiment with new recipes
Zoo animal: Zebras, penguins, or tigers!

I hope everyone is having a great Thursday! Oh and I thought I would add a photo for TBT, we're getting close to the time of year that always makes me think of my semester abroad in Europe, can't wait to go back someday!

The hubby and I in Capri

-xo Ashley

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Headboard ideas

Hello everyone! We have finally been able to stop traveling, and relax at home for a little while; which is perfect timing for me since my summer finals are next week. Since my summer break is right around the corner, I've been making a list of things I would like to accomplish during my two week staycation ;). Number one on my list would be to design and build an upholstered headboard for our bed (as long as my hubby and I can find and agree on fabric). Here are some of the designs I've been drooling over for a while:






Obviously i'm in love with the nail head trim and the ivory/cream colored fabric. What I'm having difficulty deciding is if I want it to be straight across or have a little curve in it to give it a little more character. Either way I will post pictures of my designs and my progress :).

 Next would be to repaint our kitchen, and if I was feeling really ambitious we would paint our cupboards, but that most likely won't be happening. Third thing is to wrap up a painting I've been working on and also try to get a little farther on another one I have in the works.

For anyone that is planning a trip to Kansas City in the near future, I highly recommend going to Gram & Dun in the Plaza during happy hour. The appetizers and a select few drinks are half price from 3-6 pm Monday-Friday. For those of you that know me well, I of course ordered the Boulevard Wheat, it was $3 for a pint, I thought that was a pretty good price considering we were on the Plaza. I also sampled the Duck Fat Fries (didn't sound appealing to me, but they're amazing) and the French Onion Dumplings (which were also amazing). If beer isn't your thing then I would recommend the Dark & Stormy cocktail, it has rum and ginger beer and a few other things in it, very tasty and a perfect late summer drink.

Another restaurant that I would recommend is Mestizo by Aaron Sanchez in Leawood, Kansas. It's a little on the pricier side, but the food and the drinks are definitely worth it.We went with some friends of ours, during happy hour when the margaritas were half off. The food was delicious and the perfect portion sizes. You could not go wrong with the Mestizo Margarita, Granada (pomegranate margarita), or the Mojito.

I hope everyone has been having a fantastic summer!

-xo Ashley

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Summer Fun

Time sure flies by when you're having fun! I can't believe how fast this summer has just been flying by, and how long it's been since my last post (sorry I've been really busy). Well this is what I've been up to this summer: Omaha Beer Fest (soo much fun and soo many tasty beers!), my cousin's bachelorette party and beautiful wedding, and a free Goo Goo Dolls & Matchbox 20 concert :). We still have one more wedding to go (next weekend), then hopefully getting to spend time with one of my best friends that may be flying home from Philadelphia, then it seems before I know it I'll be finished with my first semester of Rad Tech school!

A couple of months ago I went shopping with my mom and friend and found the cutest little flower dish. For months (okay maybe not months, hehe) I have been pinning cute ways to display my jewelry and finally found the perfect little dish at Hobby Lobby for $5! It fits perfectly on my nightstand and is the prettiest shade of pink that goes perfectly with my gray bedroom. Here is my new little dish that i'm excited to show off :)

I also thought I would share some of the other cute ideas I found on Pinterest:

I hope everyone had a safe and fun 4th of July, and if you want you can send me some of your fun and creative jewelry displays either in the comments or to my email at amartin0820@gmail.com. Have a happy Sunday!

-xo Ashley Marie

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Gratitude

Well I've made it halfway through the first week of the Radiology program, only two more days to go! This week we've only been going through the student handbook and visiting the various clinical sites we'll be going  to during our junior year. Next week our actual classes begin, i'm soo nervous, but i'm also excited!

This past weekend I participated in the Kansas City Color Run with a few of my friends. We had so much fun that we decided we're going to do it again next year! Here are a few pictures:

Yesterday I was given the idea to start a gratitude list everyday. Making a gratitude list can potentially change your life (for the better) by helping you realize what you already have and continually looking for the positive in everything. I decided to share my gratitude list with you today:

1. I am grateful for my handsome and very supportive husband for putting up with my craziness (at times) and fully supporting me in my decision to go back to school.
2. I am grateful for coffee, because without it I wouldn't be able to function during the day. lol
3. I am grateful for every person that takes the time to read my blog and sometimes leaves a comment (or becomes a follower) ;).

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I'm back!

And i'm back! Sorry i've been gone from my blog, so much has changed since the last time I posted, but don't fret, I will fill you all in :). So here's what's new in the life of Ashley Martin:

1. Last year I made the very difficult decision in going back to school to change careers. Interior Design is still a very big passion of mine and I still plan on being involved in it somehow as I start my new adventure. After working in the field for a few years, it made me realize that my heart was not fully in my work and I never felt the satisfaction I thought I was supposed to feel after helping clients design their homes. What helped make my decision easier was that I had the full support and understanding from my amazing husband, family and friends. So last fall I enrolled in the prerequisite classes I needed, and participated in a job observation at St. Luke's Hospital in their diagnostic radiology department. Then in January of this year, I enrolled in my final prereqs and applied to St. Luke's Radiologic Tech program. I was not expecting to get an interview this year, let alone be ACCEPTED!!! My program starts June 3rd and I can't wait to begin!

2. Also last year I gained another sister :), Matt's older brother got married in a beautiful ceremony at a wine vineyard in September. Then a month later I became an aunt on the same day that two great friends of ours got married at the beautiful Hawthorn House here in KC.

3. Our puppy Jett seems like he never gets tired and just keeps growing! Hopefully I can try to get some pictures of him uploaded (if he would ever sit still long enough).

4. We also celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary by doing a "trash the dress" session. It was soo much fun putting my wedding dress on one more time and taking some amazing photos, Matt was a really good sport about it, probably because the photographer and I brought some booze along ;).

 

My adorable nephew Robert

Our puppy Jett

I think that is pretty much it, I will do my best to post at least once a week . Also we're still slowly working on the house and trying to turn it into our dream home, we're pretty much at the point where we'll have to wait til i'm done with school and have a job before we can do any of the big renovations.

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