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Jamie

We decided to turn one of our unused offices into the escape room, and since it was under construction at the time, we incorporated that into the theme, “CLOWNSTRUCTION ZONE”. The “clown” component came in because it’s one of the only things I know of that genuinely freaks Clark out. He always jokes about how creepy clowns are, so I took the idea and ran with it! My parents also happened to have clown costumes left over from Halloween in the 90s, so it was a no-brainer. Below I’ll break the party prep into two categories: decor/setup and game play. If you’re planning your own party, you can come up with any theme you like, and still use the kit I purchased as it has no specific theme attached to it.

Decor/Setup

Because we own a construction company, and the party was at our offices, construction-themed decor was easy to come by. We used traffic cones, construction tape, tools, and other random items to enhance the experience and create a realistic “construction office” look. Adding in party items and clown paraphernalia made for the most interesting and intriguing look. It turned out even better than I expected!

I started by building the escape room from empty. I first added ONLY the items required to complete the puzzles and clues laid out by the kit. I did it this way to ensure none of the “extras” interfered with game.

Game Play

After the game was completely built, my mom and I tried it out so that it made sense. It was during this process that we realized most of the clues were going to be a little too difficult for the boys (age 11) to figure out in the one-hour time frame we were planning to give them. Luckily, included in my kit purchase was a “modified” set of clues for ages 7-9 (although I would say these are perfect for ages 9-11). We easily swapped out the standard clues with the modified ones because the game itself stayed the same.

Once we knew it would be perfect for them, I added random board games, puzzle pieces, dominoes, playing cards, confetti, lots of clown things including wigs, costumes and accessories. I intentionally focused on using things that seem chaotic to me so that the room felt fun and exciting, but also gave them tons to look at and throw them off of the clues. I also included a large countdown clock for them to keep track of their time and to add to the intensity of it all.

As I mentioned before, the Escape Room Kit includes everything you need to play, but suggests you use a storyline to get the kids engaged and excited. You also need to provide your own locked box as the end goal. Inside you can hide the actual key to unlock the door, or some sort of prize or treasure. I created this silly story to hang on the door to start the game off, as well as the “key” for the locked box at the end. I’m linking them here if you want to use them for your own escape room.

When the boys arrived and it was time to play, they were so excited and did so well working together through the clues. The girls and I were able to watch over the wall and I only had to offer them a few prompts along the way (prompts/hints included in the kit too!) to keep them on track. I definitely recommend being able to see and communicate with the players. You could use a baby monitor with mic or open a window if you’re room is fully enclosed. They ended up finishing in 37 minutes and were so proud of themselves!

Overall, I am so happy with the party as a whole and can’t currently think of anything I would do differently. If you would like to see some behind the scenes of our diy escape room, check out the Instagram highlight here and to see the boys in action here’s an Instagram reel of the party. If you have any questions, feel free to message me on social media or email me at mybloomcreative@gmail.com. Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xoxoxoxoxox

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Jamie Gremillion, Bloom Co.

The idea for a pin board was literally born in my head, and I talked it out with Adam. He thought a piece of foam board from the hardware store would work, and he was right! We wanted it to be dramatic and eye-catching, so we went with a 2″ thick sheet. (Step 1) We cut a 4’x8′ foamboard down to 32″x6′ with an adjustable razor knife. It was the perfect scale for our space. I loved the idea of it being sort of “larger than life” and not just another “something” on the wall.

Once we got started, the process was super easy and took less than an hour, start to finish! After the foam was cut, (I recommend doing it outside, foam gets messy!) I started to cover it with the duck canvas I chose as the fabric. Pinking shears work great to keep the raw edges from fraying. I used white canvas to give a monochromatic look with my walls, but you can choose any color you like.

There will likely be deep creases in your fabric, (Step 2) so I recommend steaming it first, before wrapping your foam. I didn’t do that and was stuck trying to gently steam the wrinkles out without melting the foamboard, it would’ve been easier to do it ahead. Also, don’t skip this step! Promise? You’ll be tempted to, thinking your fabric will pull tight enough, but you’ll still see the wrinkles and it will look less chic, and more diy, which we don’t want. Trust me.

(Step 3) Once the duck canvas is smooth, I wrapped the foam with it and secured it using my glue gun and hot glue on the back edge. The hot glue does compromise the foam and melts it a little, but still holds the fabric really well. You can add some regular thumb tacks along the back if you want to be sure the fabric is secure. (Step 4) Neatly fold the corners like a package and hot glue them down.

(Step 5) Mark off where you’ll put each decorative thumbtack on the edges using a light pencil mark. I placed mine 6″ apart which worked well with a 6-foot board. Gently insert tacks keeping them centered in the middle of the 2″ end.

(Step 6) Now comes the fun part! Dig out all those beautiful keepsakes and artwork pieces you’ve been holding onto and start pinning. I used simple wood tacks to keep them secure. The warmth this project has added to our kitchen is amazing! We plan to use it mostly to display current treasures, but I also have a few other ideas too!

• Christmas Cards from Friends
• Old Family Recipes
• Instant Family Photos
• Meaningful Scriptures
• Famous Quotes
• Gratitude at Thanksgiving
• “I Love You Because” Notes at Valentine’s Day
• Specialty Items for a Party of Celebration
• Memories of a Loved One

Whatever you decide to display on your pin board, I know it will be meaningful to you and yours. Building a home is so much more than decor. I hope you feel inspired to create this easy conversation piece in your own home. Shop the full post here and let me know in the comments if you have any questions. Be sure to share with me once yours is done! Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

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Jamie

1. Fall Foliage

Harvesting fall foliage is easier than it sounds. I’m from South Louisiana and we get close to no fall-colored foliage, but I can still manage to bring the outdoors, in. I just trim a few oak branches and wait for them to die. I know, it sounds awful, but it works. They turn a beautiful honey gold and dry quite well. I used them last year, tossed them out, and am already on the hunt for more. I think I’ll use them in the basket on my front door this year. Stay tuned to my Instagram to see how my front porch turns out this fall.

Here’s a reel of the simple process + my top tip for preserving your foliage and protecting your home when you bring nature in to enjoy!

2. Pinecones

This is a no-brainer! Pinecones are so annoying and ugly in the yard, so I bring them in and get good use out of them in the fall. In fact, I use them all winter, through Christmas and the new year. I even saw packs of pinecones in the dollar section at Target recently if you don’t have any near your home. Adding a little cinnamon oil or Autumn/Christmas blend of essential oils makes them even more appealing. Keep it simple when displaying them too! I love a wood or concrete bowl overflowing with them, a fireplace basket jam-packed or a front porch planter full. Last year I displayed them in just about every room and plan to recreate the look again this year.

Bringing pinecones in is easy but doesn’t come without a little risk. There can be a bug or two lurking inside the cone itself. Modern Homestead has a great tutorial on preparing your pinecones for use as decor.

3. Nuts in the Shell

I realize you probably don’t have edible nuts growing in your yard, but I still consider nuts in the shell to be free decor because they are so yummy and serve a dual purpose, food and fall accent in one! I always have nuts out for the family and guests year around, (usually peanuts and/or pistachios), but in the fall I use them to make more of a statement. The thought of a large bowl of fresh pecans in a wood or marble bowl gives me instant cozy vibes. I keep a smaller bowl near for cracked shells and to hold the nut crackers themselves. This is another super fun way to get creative! Nuts anyone??!

4. Seasonal Fruit

Using seasonal fruit to accent home decor is not a new concept by any means. Think lemons, limes and grapefruit in spring and melons, kiwis and pineapples in summer. However, winter fruit isn’t usually something we consider, but can be so beautiful. Pears, pomegranates, apples and small oranges are a great way to add color and dimension to your tablescape or kitchen countertop.

Additionally, pumpkins and gourds are readily available by mid-September and can add a traditional fall look to your home as well. If you’re truly wanting to get the most from your natural decor elements, opt for a “pie pumpkin” (small pumpkins often in the produce section) to add to your fruit bowl. These small pumpkins last 2-3 months indoors and only get riper over time. This means your beautiful decor turns pumpkin pie come Thanksgiving Day! Again, making it serve a dual purpose and making it virtually FREE!

5. Acorns

Calling all kiddos! Collecting acorns outside sounds absolutely miserable if I’m being honest, but kids freaking love it! I make it a competition and a counting game every year! Whoever gets the most acorns, picks the restaurant that weekend. Easy right? I guarantee you’ll end up with more acorns than you know what to do with! Using them in a small bowl or tray is such a sweet way to add a little fall to any room.

Like the pinecones, there is a small process involved when preparing your acorns for use in your home. Maria at “Staying Close to Home” does a great job breaking it down in this post.

I’m certain that between these five ideas you’ll find a way to spruce up your space using nature and free decor elements. Having a home that we’re proud of is possible on any budget. It’s achieved by paying attention to what’s around us and what’s happening in that moment, or season in time. Take advantage of the decor God has already given us. Happy fall friends, and cheers to all that it brings!

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie

Like any small business, Bloom Co. earns money when you shop here. Using my affiliate links adds no cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Jamie Gremillion, Bloom Co.

“Like any small business, Bloom Co. earns money when you shop here. Using my affiliate links adds no cost to you, thank you so much for the support.”

Jamie

We originally thought about adding wallpaper, but really couldn’t find any that worked with our budget. After scrolling Pinterest looking for inspiration, I remembered a post by “Room for Tuesday” (a blogger) I had seen a few years ago. I knew it was the look I wanted! After revisiting the post, I was officially hooked on the color-block idea for our playroom loft. Because the room has a unique ceiling that creates a visual seam, I decided it would be a perfect space to recreate the look I loved so much!

I’ve done a bit of precision painting in the past, but I knew it would be a challenge to get this one right. I used Sherwin Williams “Alabaster” on top and “Amazing Gray” on the bottom. It ended up being the perfect blend of neutrals and gave the modern lines of color-blocking, a softer, more timeless look.

If you’re wanting to try your hand at precision painting, I shared all the details and tips for how to achieve a perfectly straight line in this Instagram Story Highlight. Prepping your space using quality materials is absolutely the key to getting perfect blocking.

Once the walls were painted and the built-ins were sprayed, it was time to start planning the style features. I knew I wanted to play off of the wood tone in the existing banister, but also wanted to keep things neutral. I chose this beautiful woven light fixture to replace the ceiling fan. I love the texture it brings to the space, plus it feels whimsical and fun. It’s very budget-friendly and would look great in a lot of different areas in a home.

Choosing the wall color and the light fixture satisfied the “impact” pieces for the playroom loft. These are elements I like to choose first in a space, elements that will make the biggest impact. After those selections are made, other accents fall into place.

When choosing how to style the walls in this particular space, I had a few ideas but didn’t want to take away from the color-blocking either, so I narrowed it down to two larger scale wall elements. I created a gallery wall on one end of the room and used acrylic shelving to add an art display to the other.

On a smaller wall in the room, I rehung a piece of playful art I’ve had since we first moved in 4 years ago. Before this house we had never had a playroom before, and I purchased this adorable sign when I was still dreaming of having a beautiful space to hang it in. In fact, I was inspired by the frame and colors in this piece when I chose the color palette for the rest of the room. It’s one of my favorites!

Let’s talk about acrylic. I love it… in moderation. When I was trying to think of a modern way to display the kid’s art, I came up with the idea to use nail polish shelves! That’s right, did they look familiar? Turns out, they’re the perfect depth to hold a canvas! I ordered these as a set and I’m so pleased with how they turned out. We worked hard to leave our mark on these canvases, so I’m happy with how beautifully they’re displayed.

In addition to the shelves, I also chose an acrylic chair to accent the built-in desk. I love how petite it is. The thing about acrylic is, it’s useful and functional without being visually weighted. I liked the idea of the space feeling open and airy, plus we added a beautiful new gold pull to the oversized desk drawer. Who would want to hide that with a chair?!

The organization in the space was obviously a huge detail to consider. I went with easy, affordable storage from Target. I love mixing wood tones with other natural elements like basket weave and woven cotton. Accenting with a metal is always a good idea, and small, gold accents were a perfect touch to this room.

Overall, this project took longer than expected because of item availability and weather, but it was worth the wait. Sometimes there are things out of your control when you’re working on a space, and that’s ok. Design takes time!

I hope you enjoyed the details of this room makeover and choose to stick around for the next one! Follow along on Instagram to see which project is next! Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

I knew I wanted to keep them very affordable, but I also wanted the photo quality to be excellent. No sense in having photos on the wall if they’re a blurry mess! As you know, sometimes when photos get enlarged too much, they end up looking computer-generated. I was really trying to avoid that problem, but also keep the cost down. I found that Office Depot’s photo prints were affordable and had great reviews, so that’s the route I took. I decided to take my own photos and have Office Depot print them.

Taking the photos:

I set my phone up on a tripod so that the lighting and angle would be the same for each photo. I used a white wall in my office as the background and had each of the kids stand on a piece of tape. They took turns getting into frame and acting silly! I took around 10 photos of each of them so I would have a few to choose from.

Once I decided on my favorite photos, I edited them using the Lightroom app on my phone. I used the preset “B&W Low Contrast” and didn’t have to do any cropping at all since I used a tripod, this is key.

Ordering Prints

On officedepot.com you can easily upload your photos and select the size. I had mine printed as 24” x 18” because it was a good fit for the wall I chose. I chose “55 lb. matte” paper. Prints with these specifics ended up being $19.99 each and shipped in about a week.

Framing the Photo Posters

Originally, I had ordered a pack of 6 poster frames from Amazon, but when they came in they were sooooo cheap and flimsy I returned them. I ended up happy with these frames from Target. The quality is good for the price, they’re plexiglass, lightweight and great for kids’ spaces.

Hanging the Photo Posters

Obviously, you’ll need to measure your space BEFORE printing and framing your posters, but there are a few tips I can offer for hanging. I like to leave 3-4 inches between art on all sides, with a 6 inch+ offset from the corner/edge of the wall on either side. These rules can be applied to hanging most galleries.

The frames were easy to work with. I made sure the plexiglass was free from dust after removing the protective film and was careful not to touch it at all. Because these particular frames hang from a single hook, I added rubber pads to the bottom corners of each frame. I’ve found this extra step keeps the frames from slipping out of square once they’re hanging on the wall. I’ve used this trick a lot throughout our home.

Overall, the project cost about $170 and I’m more than happy with that! A piece of wall art that is personal, impactful and affordable is what I was after. I hope you found value in the ideas and tips I shared in this post. If you create a photo poster gallery in your own home be sure to let me know. Follow me on Instagram @hello_bloomcreative for more!

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie G. xo

Use the link below to download a FREE gift tag for your gift of potpourri!

DOWNLOAD FREE POTPOURRI GIFT TAG

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

How to:

• Curl snakes randomly around grapevine wreath
• Wire snakes onto wreath in a few places with floral wire
• Spray paint wreath black
• Let dry and hang! Enjoy!

If you make your own, share and tag @bloomco.interiors on Instagram! Thanks for stopping by!

Along with my new favorite hobby of bath-soaking, came an appreciation for beautiful ways to make it more enjoyable and relaxing. Bath bombs are a great way to make your bath a luxurious spa-like experience. Once I started shopping for them, I ran into two problems… most bath bombs are FULL of artificial colors and fragrance… and two, they’re expensive!

So, you know what came next… I decided to make them myself! Once I read and researched a bit, I found that they’re not complicated and can be made very inexpensively!

Over the last couple of months, I’ve made a few batches, and am finally confident in sharing my recipe after lots of fails, and many tweaks here and there.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do! Find all your supplies on Amazon! Links below.

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

This post contains affiliate links. Like any small business, Bloom earns money when you shop here. Thank you for your support!

XO, Jamie

Here are the steps I took:

1. Gather Materials:

2. Stack foam circles in the bowl and insert orchids and sticks.

3. Add rocks (for weight) and Spanish Moss.

4. Insert faux leaves/stems into foam.

5. Wire orchid stems to sticks for support.

6. Add Reindeer moss and slightly bend orchids to look natural.

Here’s a time-lapse video to see the process in action!

I hope you love your new arrangement! Share it with me on Instagram @bloomcreativeco!

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

Materials:

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XO, Jamie

• 7 1/2 qty. 8 ft. Cedar Fence Pickets (Cedar is naturally rot-resistant)
• 1 qty. 2x4x8 stud (not pressure treated, NEVER use treated lumber in your garden)
• 1 5/8″ coated deck screws

Tools:

• Electric drill
• Drill bit to match screws (usually included when you buy a new box of screws)
• Tape Measure
• Pencil
• Miter saw
• Table saw/circular saw (for optional trim)

Cut list:

• 4 qty. 95” Cedar boards (I trimmed the “dog ear” off the top of each picket)
• 4 qty. 36” Cedar boards
• 1 Cedar picket cut to 95” and then ripped down the center using table saw (for optional top trim)
• 1 Cedar picket cut to 36” and then ripped down the center using table saw (for optional top trim)
• 1 qty. 2x4x8 cut into 6 qty. 11 3/4” pieces

Assembly:

We attached 3 each of the 11 3/4” pieces of stud to the 2 long (95”) pickets first. We made one side flush and used two screws to secure each stud piece at each of the three points (each end, and the middle). Use the first completed side as a guide for the others.

Next we attached the shorter (3’) sides. Making one side flush to match the longer sides of the bed.

Lastly, (optional) add trim around the top edge securing with screws on stud points around the bed. (*We plan to do this to our beds before we add dirt. Once we do, I’ll add finished photos!)

You’re done! Make as many as you need and enjoy your raised bed garden! We built three and it took us just over an hour!

If you use this plan be sure to send me a picture of your completed project or tag @bloomco.interiors so I can see your work!

The best part about a project like this is that it doesn’t have to be perfect to be perfectly useful! Happy building!

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo