MCM Inspired Cinder Block Wall

Do you have a plain wall that needs a little color? We did! Our deck is built on a cinderblock wall that faces the pool area. We painted the blocks white a few years ago to make the area look a little more finished, but it needed something else. 

After seeing several bloggers I follow on Instagram painting murals all over their houses, I decided to give it a go. The worst that could happen, is I would not like it and I could just paint over it.

Tips on Getting Your Pool Ready For Summer

I am partnering with HTH® Pool Supplies to share my tips on how to get your pool ready for Summer, but all opinions are my own.

School is out, which means it is officially summer and time for long days by the pool. We always kick off Memorial Day weekend with a pool party and cook out for family and friends. This means I spend the week before cleaning the deck and area around the pool, getting it ready to open. HTH® Pool Supplies make it easy to get your water ready for swimmers and you can pick it up during your next trip to Walmart!

We have been opening our pool for about 10 years now and each time it gets a little easier. We are always looking for ways to get it open a little quicker so we can enjoy it. We start by using a small pump hooked to a hose to drain the rain water off the pool cover. Next, we use a net to remove the leaves and debris that has fallen over the winter. Once the pool cover is mostly clear, we remove the water tubes from around the edges and remove the cover.

How to Create a Wooden Walkway in Your Yard

This is the year for outdoor projects! My husband has been wanting to tackle a few problem areas in the yard for several years now, and we are finally doing it. Our goal was to move the pool pump and sand filter away from the deck, hide it, and create a walkway from the deck to the basement entry.

Camping Essentials for a Newbie

This is a sponsored post written by me in collaboration with HomeRight. All opinions are mine alone.

Summer means spending more time outdoors with family. Even though we spend a lot of time by the pool, we also like to get out and enjoy nature. My uncle has a campground, so we decided to take an overnight camp trip and enjoy the fresh (and cooler) mountain air! This was actually my first time camping in a tent, so I decided to come up with a list of some essentials a newbie camper needs to have.

How I Painted My Door and Stairs In One Day

It has been a couple of months since I posted a house DIY, mostly because we needed a break after finishing the basement. Our new focus is on the outside of our house. We have done several projects over the years, such as updating and staining our deck, painting the concrete around the pool, and painting the exterior siding, but there is still much we want to do. We recently added a firepit area, moved the pool pump, and are currently working on a boardwalk/walkway in the backyard. We also spent Memorial Day updating our side entrance.

Red, White, and BBQ Painted Placemats

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience, which means I receive a small financial compensation if you make a purchase using this link. You can read more about affiliate links here.

I am back with the Craft & Create with Cricut Challenge to show you how to make Red, White, and BBQ Painted Placemats for the Fourth of July. Each month we will bring you a different themed craft using the Cricut, so make sure you subscribe to my email so you don't miss any of these crafts! This month, all of the crafts are Fourth of July themed.

Mobile S'mores Caddy

This is a sponsored post written by me in collaboration with HomeRight. All opinions are mine alone.

It is that time of the year when we can finally enjoy the outdoors! It has warmed up and most of the pollen is gone. Now that the basement renovation is complete, we are focusing our efforts on our back yard. One of the items on our project list was adding a fire pit area, since we love to hang out by the pool and entertain friends and family throughout the summer. This gives us an additional seating area and a place to roast marshmallows for s'mores!

Speaking of s'mores, I am sharing an idea for a Mobile S'mores Caddy along with my favorite new tool from HomeRight that will get your fire going in no time!

Spring Cleaning your Windows and Doors

This is a sponsored post written by me in collaboration with HomeRight. All opinions are mine alone. This post contains affiliate links for your convenience, which means I receive a small financial compensation if you make a purchase using this link. You can read more about affiliate links here.

Spring is here (today is the first day!) and it is time to throw open the windows and let some fresh air in the house. If your windows and doors are like mine, they probably need a good cleaning to remove the layer of grime winter weather has left.

I am sharing my tips on how to give your windows and doors a deep clean inside and out!

Tips on Painting a House + Giveaway

Since we moved into our home 8 years ago, we have changed pretty much everything on the outside of our house. We rebuilt the deck, re-painted the entry doors, changed the color of the shutters, and updated the landscaping. The only thing left was repainting the exterior of the house. The paint on the siding was in pretty good shape, with the exception of a few spots, but my husband hated the color. It was a boring tan that blended in with the roof and brick. Since we recently finished our major basement reno, we had a couple of free weekends to tackle this project.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small financial compensation if you make a purchase using this link. Thank you for supporting Real Girl's Realm!

How To Create a Relaxing Outdoor Space

Summer is upon us, which means longer days, spending time outside, and cookouts with family and friends! Since we have a pool, we spend a lot of time on the deck so I want it to be a relaxing place.

We recently made some updates to our deck by tearing out the planter that was falling apart on the landing and adding an extra seating area. 

Incorporating Pops of Color Into your Decor

While standing in the check out line at the grocery store a couple of weeks ago, the cover of a magazine caught my eye and I had to pick it up! It was a shot of a bright kitchen with turquoise cabinets (SWOON!) and open shelving with colorful dishes. Obviously, the magazine went in my cart and came home with me. It inspired me to share some of the ways I incorporate color into my decor to hopefully inspire you to do the same.

Ombre Painted Bistro Set

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small financial compensation if you make a purchase using this link

Summer is right around the corner, so now is the perfect time to spruce up your outdoor spaces! My favorite way to update a tired piece of furniture is by using spray paint. If you have been following me for a while, you will know I have been wanting to update my faded green bistro set that sits on my porch. The weather finally cooperated with my schedule so I was able to get my paint on!

Painted Terra Cotta Pots for Succulents

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I am jumping on the succulent train, y'all...thanks to my friend Erin at Faith Food Family Fun! I have been seeing them everywhere and they are so cute, plus they are pretty easy to care for. I picked up a few mini succulents on my last Home Depot visit and found some mini terra cotta pots at the Dollar Tree, so a project was born! It is the perfect DIY gift for Mother's Day!

Spring Porch Decor and Painted Wooden Butterflies

Once the flowers start popping up through the earth, I am in the mood to put away all my winter decor and break out the pastels. This year, I made a new wreath for my door, a garden flag using a place mat, and gave my wooden butterflies a new life with some paint.

I bought these stained wooden butterflies years ago at World Market and the sun has faded them over the last few years.

DIY Garden Flag Using a Place Mat

Do you like to decorate with garden flags for every season? It can get expensive buying different flags for each season and holiday, but I have an affordable solution. Make your own garden flag for less than $5 using a place mat from the Dollar Tree! I got the idea from seeing THIS FLAG that Pretty Handy Girl created.

After creating the basic flag from a place mat, you can customize it with iron on designs, glued on embellishments, or a vinyl monogram.

The Nest Fest 2016

I love attending craft fairs because they are such a huge source of inspiration for a crafter and blogger like me.  Recently I attended The Nest Fest in Midland, NC, which is only about and hour and a half from where I live.  I was able to meet my bloggy bestie Bethany from Pitter and Glink.  We connected on Instagram a while back and have been friends ever since.  She also lives in NC, so we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to hang out and find some unique items.  It was the perfect day, with perfect Fall weather, so I wanted to share it with you!

DIY Spooky Stepping Stones

I love to decorate for Halloween, despite the fact we generally do not get many trick-or-treaters.  As a member of Rust-Oleum's Creators Studio, I received a pack of Testors Spray Chalk for a project challenge.  Initially, I was kind of stumped what to do with it, other than draw on the driveway.  But then I came up with an idea to make designs on our flagstone pavers, using a stencil.

No Carve Decorative Pumpkin Tutorial

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience

I love decorating with pumpkins in the Fall; I use them everywhere!  If carving pumpkins is too messy for you, I  have an option for a no carve pumpkin. This can be customized for a fall theme or Halloween.  You can also use this on a real pumpkin, or a fake one, if you want it to last even longer! This pumpkin can be used for a table centerpiece, outdoor decor, or as part of a decorating party! The best thing is that this project only took about 15 minutes to make with my Cricut Explore Air!

Decorating a Front Porch for Fall

Fall is upon us, and even though the weather where I am is unseasonably warm, I still got in the mood to decorate for Fall.  I will probably be adding some Halloween decor soon, but this is how my front porch looks for now.

Summer Deck Tour

Since we spend a lot of time outdoors in the summer, I post lots of pictures of my deck.  Today I am going to show you the entire space and how I decorate it for Summer.  I love bright colors and have chosen a yellow, red, and blue color scheme for my decor.