Red Leaf Style

August 28, 2017

10 Insanely Easy Ways to Update Your Kitchen Right Now

Inside: You don’t need a complete renovation to update your kitchen. Here are the easiest ways to change it up without killing your budget. Do you cringe every time you walk into your kitchen? Is it those 1960s wooden cabinets you haven’t had the budget to replace? Or, the yellow linoleum flooring you try not to look at? Or, the pile of dirty dishes in the sink? (Me too, friend.) You want to update your kitchen, but something always gets in the way. Money. Time. Effort. The kitchen struggle is real. Right now I’m living with my sister in her urban Kansas City townhouse. The townhouse has potential, but the kitchen looks outdated. It’s not awful exactly. But the cerulean tile backsplash gives both of our neutral-loving hearts palpitations. The veneered oak cabinets aren’t our style. And, you can’t even set down a cup without staining the laminate countertops. Sometimes we both want to torch the whole room. So, what’s stopping us from improving the kitchen? It’s the same reason you’re hesitating. It’s taking the leap. Kitchen remodels cost a lot of money. Shouldn’t you plan everything out? Pin tons of beautiful kitchens on Pinterest for inspiration? Have the...

August 8, 2017

These Are the Most Genuine Travel Souvenirs to Bring Home With You

These Are the Best Travel Souvenirs to Bring Home | redleafstyle.com

Inside: Find those special travel souvenirs you’ll love forever from vacations, long trips, and weekend adventures. A month ago I was in Amsterdam. With my sister and my friend. Staring at a closed door. Locked out of our rental apartment. Not my proudest travel moment. But good things can come out of bad times. While my friend waited on a locksmith, my sister and I explored the city. We walked the cobblestone streets and analyzed each step of how we managed to lock ourselves out. How did we do that? But as we turned a corner, the happy white tents of a flea market greeted us. We found the best souvenirs of our two-week trip at that flea market. (Scroll to the end to find out what we scored!) Besides including a good story to tell people back home, those souvenirs were also the real deal. There were genuine finds that I’ll love forever. Talk about a serendipitous moment. If we hadn’t locked ourselves out, we never would have found that flea market. Why Choosing the Right Travel Souvenirs Matters The souvenirs you bring home from your travels should make you feel good. You want them to spark memories, be...

May 26, 2017

How to Make a Faux Succulent Wreath

Inside: Discover how to create a faux succulent wreath in an unexpected way. When I plant succulents, they’re happy one moment and dead the next. While I consider myself a plant-savvy person, succulents are my downfall. A perky cactus deflates like a balloon. Purple echeveria browns within days. Jade shrivels away from me like I’ve scorned it. So, when I saw the living succulent wreath trend that’s been making the rounds on Pinterest and home decorating websites, I knew no way would I keep one alive for longer than a few days. Rather than killing some pretty succulents, I opted for a different option. This is the Easiest Way to Make a Faux Succulent Wreath I decided to make a faux succulent wreath. Fake it til you make it, baby. What you’ll need: 10 – 15 faux succulents (I got mine at the Dollar Tree) Wreath form (I used a wire form because it’s what I had. A straw or foam wreath form would also work well.) Burlap ribbon Hot glue gun Your handy hot glue gun will handle the bulk of this project. Since I’m no expert at sewing or using power tools, I use hot glue a lot. It’s...

March 10, 2017

How to Get Free Seeds for Your Organic Garden

Inside: Who doesn’t love when something’s free? Discover how to get free seeds for your garden. With visions of rows of lettuce, tall tomato plants and cucumbers curling up trellises, you head to the nursery to grab some seed packets and bags of soil. Only to realize you also need containers. And, maybe some transplants in case the seeds don’t work out. What about fertilizer? And mulch? Suddenly this fun gardening project has turned into a money pit. Gardening expenses add up. But that shouldn’t get in the way of the fun. Growing your own food has so many benefits. Fresh air. Exercise. The joy of picking a plump, ripe tomato off a four-foot-tall plant you grew from a seed. You’ll probably still need to buy some gardening supplies this season, but I have a secret way you can save money. It may seem like a small money-saver, but you can get all kinds of seeds for free—if you know where to look. 3 little-known ways to get free seeds The first option is by far the most accessible for newbie gardeners. 1. Find a local seed library I recently discovered that my local public library offers a seed...

February 18, 2017

DIY Rope-Wrapped Bottles for a Farmhouse Look

Every time the glass recycling bin is full and ready to take to the recycling center, a battle rages in my mind. ‘Couldn’t I do something with these bottles?’ ‘Will I need them for a future craft project?’ ‘I hate just getting rid of them, even if I am recycling them.’ ‘Is there a way to reuse them?’ Also, ‘Am I a hoarder?’ I never want to miss an opportunity to upcycle something. Who knows what beautiful project those sticky glass bottles could become? If you too are reluctant to part with items that you could potentially repurpose, reuse or upcycle into something amazing, I have a project for you. While you can’t save every glass bottle in your recycling bin, you can make (a few of) these DIY rope-wrapped bottles. Go grab a few lucky bottles from your bin and let’s get started. So, you already have your glass bottles, but you’ll also need rope and a hot glue gun. I used leftover rope from when I turned this old dresser drawer into a wine rack, but there was only enough to cover one bottle. I purchased this sisal rope from Home Depot to finish the other two...

February 14, 2017

Happy Valentine’s Day

Every year I receive a red rose from a man. He’s not my boyfriend. Don’t worry, so does every other woman in my office. Every Valentine’s Day, this guy comes in with his bag of fresh red roses and hands out one to each lady in the office. It’s a sweet tradition that I look forward to every year. He’s definitely the most-liked person in the office on February 14, and every women is a little bit more smiley than usual with our roses displayed on our desks in paper coffee cups and random thermoses. (My honey deserves a mention, too. The bouquet of a dozen red roses and one bright yellow one I found on my dresser this morning definitely beat out the single one I get at the office.) Here’s hoping your Valentine’s Day was as sweet as mine. Like this post? Follow my blog with Bloglovin!...

February 1, 2017

7 Easy DIY Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas (For Him & Her)

Don’t be the one who gives the boring, cheesy or lazy Valentine’s Day gift this year. Because nothing feels like your loved one didn’t try like a box of going-stale generic chocolates from the drugstore, am I right? Whether you’re giving gifts to your significant other, friends or family members, skip the greeting cards, boxed chocolates and stuffed bears this Valentine’s Day. Instead, with a little do-it-yourself effort, you can turn everyday items that your loved ones will actually use into Valentine’s Day gifts. Here are seven ideas. 1. Natural and organic beauty products Give your loved one a fancy lotion, soap, shampoo, moisturizer or other beauty product. I’m not talking Suave® here. Think more natural and organic products that feel spa-like. (My favorite natural brands that you can easily find at your local Target are Acure, Alba Botanica, Pacifica, S.W. Basics and Yes to.) Make the gift feel Valentine’s Day-themed by tying a red ribbon and twine around the bottle. 2. Everyday essentials in a cute container Whether you’re gifting a few beauty products or another assortment of items, like a coffee mug and a package of locally-roasted organic coffee, tie the items together by placing them in a...