A few months ago I had the pleasure of going to San Antonio for the Armstrong McCall Hair Show. It was my first time going to this little big town, and was excited to see what there was to do!

Because of my line of work, I have seen most of Texas. Houston, Dallas, Austin, Corpus Christi, Galveston, to name a few. But I had never been to San Antonio, home of the Alamo, and this history lover couldn't wait to see this archival town.

So..after exploring I have concocted a list of experiences you ALL need to have!

One of the main attractions in San Antonio is the River Walk. It is the hot spot of the city. You do kind of feel like a tourist, but also feel like a local! This is the place where you find great BBQ, Bars, and Karaoke! One of the greatest experiences I had in San Antonio was taking a River Boat Cruise around the whole canal and seeing the River Walk in a different way! My girlfriend and I were able to bring wine on board and the tour guide was very sweet and informative.

My girlfriend Jen and I decided to go at night to see all the entertainment and restaurants lite up.

This is a MUST SEE!

For lunch we went to The Country Line and might I say...YUM! They had huge portions, which meant I was able to take some to go to eat late night while binge-watching Orange is the New Black!
WIN.
The ambiance was amazing!

I had the Lite Bar B-B-Q...and before you judge...take a look at the menu:

 

I choose the Two Meat Platter, and it did not disappoint!

The Alamo was really interesting.
First off it's free to go to the front and take your picture, feel the stone and really embrace this piece of history.
Secondly, it's in the heart of downtown and was walking distance from my hotel.
You can take a Guided Tour for $15.
GET YOUR TICKETS HERE, which I was too late to purchase due to my work schedule, but I was still able to walk around the whole building and peek in and see the grounds!

Finally,
You need to go to the Pearl District!

A local told me to check it out, and it did NOT disappoint!

 The Pearl Brewery is such a unique experience!

It is one of the main features at The Pearl, which is an outdoor space that includes shops, restaurants, and trendy apartment buildings!
CHECK OUT THERE WEBSITE HERE
Photo Credit: atpearl.com

San Antonio is a unique little big town! I hope my post has helped you see some interesting spots to check out on your next trip to the Big State of Texas!

-Kalie 

How To Update Your Sidetable for Under $20

When it comes to home decor, you can feel overwhelmed, or confused. It's all so...well overwhelming. With Pinterest and Bloglovin I constantly see new and fun ideas to incorporate into my space. But I am a broke college student who doesn't have the type of money to go out and reno my apartment. But I do have twenty dollars $$.


Sometimes all you need is a small renovation to make a huge statement. Take my lamps for example. I have owned these for years. They have served their purpose and now they need a makeover. I looked at my calendar and since it is President's Day, I have the whole day off.

.....am I right; Kind of boring, so the renovation began with the idea of make these into a statement piece in our bedroom.

Cut To: How To Spray Paint A Lamp!

STEPS WITH PICTURES!

Step #1

Take the hardware off of your lamp.

Step #2

You are going to want enough slack to be able to tape both sides of the lamp. Each lamp is different though. The take away from this step is, tape all the exposed wiring.
I personally prefer electrical tape because it comes off much easier than blue or masking tape.

Step #3

Find an open space to lay your paper down to begin spray painting. Nothing is more frustrating than thinking you have the perfect spot, but then to find out your spray paint dust has gone everywhere.
I chose my backyard near the trash. I know it doesn't sound appealing...BUT I felt better knowing that if any paint dust got anywhere it would be on my trashcans. Which would be a bonus haha.
I went to Home Depot and found they had a section just for Metallic! I originally thought about gold, because I have yellow/gold as an accent color around my house...but then my eyes drew to copper and I was sold! Literally...for $6.75 HELLO!

Step #4

Start to Spray Paint your Lamp. I did clean mine off with a wet paper towel before I began. It helps it look seamless. Start from the bottom and work your way up! This was you avoid drips.
And then let them sit for 2-4 Hours!
Beauty takes Patience.

As you can see, I was so excited that I have drips. That's ok with me though, because I like the DIY look. Imperfections can be kind of cool.

I think they came out amazingly!

 

 

I am so happy how they turned out! What put me at exactly $19.79 were the two succulents I bought. but at $5 each, how could I pass that up!

I hope this helps you be inspired to do just small DIY projects around the house that can really make a BIG difference.

XOXO
Kalie 

Renew Reuse

Not everyone is into second-hand anything. I get it. We live in a world full of new.

New iPhone, new trend, new album, new new new.

I am the kind of person though, that loves old. Give me back the 90's, please. Or better yet, take me back to the late 70's. I've heard stories from my parents, and trust me we missed out!

I have been in a funk lately where I have been caught up in my job(s) and school and overseeing my news production for our school's newspaper and being the vice president of multiple clubs....you get it, I'm B.U.S.Y!


So when I was walking my two adorable pups and stumbled upon these two delicious cabinets, I immediately got the goosebumps. My boyfriend and I have been needing new nightstands for as long as I can remember but haven't found anything that we liked. (Perks of dating someone who also loves antiquing). It's a process to find the perfect item you're looking for. Anyways I am done using an IKEA crate and him using our dog's kennel as nightstands. It was time to grow up.

So in Kalie fashion, I wanted to take old and make it new.

I had a lot of help with this project and made it into something I wanted. So, unfortunately, I don't have the exact dimensions or step by step directions for this project.
The purpose of this post is to hopefully inspire you to take something and make it into something new.


First thing first. I went to my neighbor who is a carpenter and told  begged him to create these beautiful cabinets into nightstands. I needed the bottom of the cabinets to be shorter and I wanted Devin's side to have a floating shelf and mine to have two shelves.

Here is the THE PROCESS and the AFTER pictures.

 DRUM ROLL PLEASE

The space in the boxes are a great place to have personal items such as Devin's  love for star war trinkets such as these Bobble Heads and his Economist magazines. He found the three picture frames at a antique mall and didn't have a place to showcase them.

 For me, the space allowed my inner minimalist to come out. I have color pencils in a metal pail in scallop from Target ($1 aisle),  a stress free color book from Saks Ffth Avenue, a print of Los Angeles from Society 6, and a scenting holder.

It truly became exactly what we wanted!
Also, the bottoms have a big enough opening that our dogs have their own little dens.

BONUS!!

5 days in the Capital!

When I was given the assignment to go to the Fashion-Focus Hair Show in Washington D.C., brought to you by Cosmoprof and Armstrong McCall , all I could think about was my favorite show of all time... VEEP! And when I began packing, I could only contemplate, "What in the world would Gary pack for Selina Meyers?"
I only had 5 days to really take in the city, so what should a girl bring?

I knew that I was going to Washington D. C. at the beginning of March, and the east coast is known for its crazy weather.  It was going to be practically freezing for the duration of my trip.  So the essentials were:

Goose Down Coat

Scarfs

Thigh High Boots

and BIG comfy sweater shirts. 

I have used the same packing list for two years, and it has help me to never forget the essentials!

You can find it here --->Packing List Blog Post for a free printable checklist 

Now that the packing is over...let's go!

I had the night free to explore, and found this amazingly delicious sushi place near my hotel which was right next to the new MGM! 

...and yes, your eyes are not deceiving you, those are real tuna and salmon sandwiches with rice as the bun...

O*M*G I need to have Devin make these....or maybe try a sushi making class...hmmm?

Next day was set up for the Olivia Garden booth, and it was amazing. 

We are celebrating 50 years, and I truly feel so blessed to be the Lead Travel Rep for them. Isn't our booth amazing! The stream lines, the organization, the attention to detail makes this Type A girl feel all warm and fuzzy!

Next stop was to see some of our nation's monuments!

The Smithsonian Art Museum was by far my favorite!

Next stop...getting a street hot dog from a dirty water vendor! I had been looking forward to this moment since as long as I can remember. I always have tried to get one in New York or Chicago, because- HELLO - they are famous for them, but I never get out of the show in time. They are usually packed up. Well I finally got one!

It was GLORIOUS!!!! Relish, Ketchup, and Mustard. Simple and Satisfying.

Then it was off like a curious tourist, and I went to some monuments first.

What a trip! It was a quick 5 days, and most of it was work, but let me tell you, it was a perfect!

So, let me finish up by saying, if you have only one day in Washington D.C., it is possible to see all the monuments, eat a delicious street dog and make some memories you will cherish forever!
Til next time.

-Kalie