On Anxiety

/ Kelsie Oreta / 3 Comments

It’s been three months since my last post. I’ve traveled to the other side of the world, knocked several things off of my bucket list, and have done countless DIY projects. However, those were all fleeting moments. Before I start spitting out informational posts about things to do and make, I want to talk a little about something I carry with me on all of my trips. This is something I hold onto despite my endeavors, and the same thing that stops me from sharing online: crippling anxiety.

I thought, for a time, that my anxiety began when I moved to Connecticut. And, if that was the case, it would pass once I made some new friends. I didn’t know where I fit in, so maybe if I found my place, these feelings would subside. I’ve realized that isn’t so and if I don’t take action, I’m going to be stuck in this rut.

A lot of times I don’t understand what’s going on in my head until I write it. I utilize my daily morning pages (per The Artist’s Way, recommended to all!) to sort out most of these things in a free-form way. This anxiety I’ve been feeling, however, has been a bigger problem. Maybe, in my sorting out and sharing, I can work on it and maybe you can relate. Who knows. After all, I did decide I wanted to be more raw in this blog.

What it looks like

From my perspective, it’s a feeling of shame that spirals out of control. It can start with something simple: Continue reading →

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Mother’s Gifts

/ Kelsie Oreta / 1 Comment

The greatest gift my mother gave me didn’t come on Christmas day. It wasn’t the latest game console, or the the shoes I wore on prom night. It wasn’t intricately wrapped with a ribbon tied around it. There was no bow on top.

My mother gave me life twice. The first time was on the maternity floor. Breathing heavily, she pushed me, unaware, into this world. I was born hungry, wailing loudly. I can’t say much has changed.

There wasn’t a specific time marked by any inky footprint when she gave me life again. No. It occurred day-by-day over the course of two years at a different hospital, nearby. Children aren’t born there. A nurse would take blood or an oncologist would insert a hollowed needle into my spine. But it was always her, eyes wide, looking deeply into equally bugging eyes. Deeply, into one another’s pupils. It was always her, grasping my hand with all her might, as if letting go would allow her to lose me. Continue reading →

Jungalow Style Bathroom

/ Kelsie Oreta / 8 Comments

one room challenge guest participant

Last One Room Challenge from Calling it Home post this week! If you’d like to see how things progressed week by week, check out the first week, the third week, the fourth week and last week‘s posts. But really, who needs all that? This is the good part, when things are finished.

Remember what it looked like when I started?

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And the plan I drew up?

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Well, here’s what we’re looking at now: Continue reading →

Create & Cultivate NYC 2017 Recap

/ Kelsie Oreta / Leave a comment

Yesterday I went to the Create & Cultivate NYC Conference. Last year, when I saw a high school friend of mine, Faison Anne, AND my favorite bloggers, Lauryn Evarts, Ashley Rose, and Julia Engel at Create & Cultivate Dallas, I got some pretty severe FOMO. I decided then that if/when the conference came to NYC, I was there. I immediately bought my ticket when they announced the date.

What’s Create & Cultivate?

From their website:What is create and cultivate NYC?

Continue reading →

One Room Challenge: Week Five

/ Kelsie Oreta / 1 Comment

one room challenge guest participant
Another One Room Challenge from Calling it Home this week! To keep you up to speed, here’s  the first week, the third week, and last week‘s posts.

This is the last update post before the big reveal this upcoming Wednesday, and I definitely was feeling the pressure of a nearing deadline. On Wednesday, I used wood stain to give the inexpensive baskets I bought a more cohesive look.

staining ikea jassa baskets with wood stainwood stain baskets progresswood stained baskets final

The above lighting isn’t the best, but you catch my drift.

Thursday looked like this all day:

process of sewing shower curtain

 

And I eventually added all of the sewing and trim that I wanted to add to that shower curtain.

jungalow shower curtain detailjungalow shower curtain detail bathroom

This is only my second sewing machine project, my first being Tobias’ Elvis halloween costume, and I was really proud of the results. Even though it was very simple, it makes a big difference to me!

The wallpaper finally arrived in the mail this week, which is really good because there were other things I was having to hold off on doing until I had installed it. It’s going to make a world of difference!

Here’s where we are now…

My One Room Challenge List:

  1. Get inspired!
  2. Render the plan
  3. Order wallpaper
  4. Install wallpaper
  5. Inside cabinet area
  6. Replace cabinet hardware
  7. Spray paint vintage frame
  8. Install it around light fixture
  9. buy accessories
  10. make fabric cornice board above window
  11. Make bathroom caddy
  12. Sand and stain bathroom caddy
  13. Buy fabric
  14. Add length to shower curtain
  15. Stain baskets

See y’all on Wednesday!

One Room Challenge: Week 4

/ Kelsie Oreta / 5 Comments

one room challenge guest participant

Still working on the One Room Challenge from Calling it Home that I told you guys about few weeks ago and updated you on last week!  I’m waiting on that wallpaper from WallsNeedLove, but that didn’t stop be from getting a lot done this week. However, as I got through some tasks, I realized more things I wanted to do!

The first thing I did was make the cornice board.

cornice board in progressDIY cornice board hardwarefabric covered cornice board

I know the poms + the stripes look a little circus-y. I’m trying to go along with the decorations that alpacas have in Peru, like the shower curtain that inspired the room.

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I think once the wallpaper is installed, it’ll tone those colors down. We’ll see. Luckily I already had them on hand, I got them nearly free after the holidays in the gift wrap area.

poms

And it matched with the hat decorations I bought in Peru that I’ve styled on my tissue holder.

palawan souvenir

You know that old frame?

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I forcibly removed that old artwork, spray painted it with a lacquer white, and will hang it correctly once that wallpaper comes through.

light fixture jungalow theme

Let’s take a moment to remember how glorious that wallpaper is!

walls need love riverbed leaf wallpaper

A just can’t wait!

I bought the accessories, as planned.

IKEA Jassa collection

But I just don’t like how the wood colors don’t match. I’m thinking I’ll stain them.

I also decided I wanted to build a bath caddy. Here’s my progress so far with that:

DIY bath tub shelfDIY bath caddy

I also had different cabinet hardware picked out, but the knobs were so big that they touched. I decided to replace them.

anthropologie hardware

Here’s where we are now…

My One Room Challenge List:

  1. Get inspired!
  2. Render the plan
  3. Order wallpaper
  4. Install wallpaper
  5. Cut and install boards to fit inside cabinet area
  6. Replace cabinet hardware
  7. Spray paint vintage frame
  8. Install it around light fixture
  9. buy accessories
  10. make fabric cornice board above window
  11. Make bathroom caddy
  12. Sand and stain bathroom caddy
  13. Buy fabric
  14. Add length to shower curtain
  15. Stain baskets