A Dollar for a Design

2011-08-29T16:20:00.000-07:00

This doesn't have anything to do with Interior Design, but I am so excited because today I am headed to Portland, Oregon to see one of my favorite legendary artists...

Janet Jackson!! I'm so excited!!! Plus, I get to shop at IKEA tomorrow, and IKEA trips are few and far between for me, so tomorrow is going to be an amazing day! Just thought I'd share...couldn't contain my excitement!

My Version: Chevron Subway Art

2011-04-19T21:57:00.000-07:00

When I saw a picture of Jen's Chevron Subway Art that she made over at Tatertots and Jello, I knew had to re-create one. I loved the Beatles lyrics and the bright cheerful colors, so I decided to make one myself. This is my version. You can see Jen's original here. I ended up donating this to my daughter's school dinner/auction and her Kindergarten teacher ended up buying it!

I used my Silhouette to make the chevron stencil, as well as the stencil for the words. I painted it onto a piece of plywood that was sitting out in my garage leftover from the entertainment unit my husband built me.

Fabric Shopping

2011-04-15T14:51:00.000-07:00

I've been fabric internet-window shopping lately. I have some large projects coming up...one including re-doing my family room. I've got these Joel Dewberry fabrics right now in my family room... These are my curtains...

Throw pillows...

My walls are vanilla (Doesn't that word sound cuter than off-white?!). I've decided that since I have twins in their terrible two's, who don't like to keep anything clean, I'm going to paint the walls medium-dark brown. Gasp! Really? That's the reaction I've been getting from my family members when I tell them my plan. You see, no matter how clean I try to keep my house, there will always be smudge marks and fingerprints on the walls. I'm sick of it! Not even Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser can tackle what my twins' dish out! So, I am going to darken up the walls and bring in some bright colors with some fabrics. Here is what I will be ordering for my fabrics in my family room...

For my throw pillows... And for my curtains... These will really help brighten up the brown I'm putting on the walls, so we won't feel like we live in a cave! I've always loved the brown/yellow color combination. I can never get away from that pretty chocolate brown shade. And I love that pretty blue herringbone fabric. These are also from Joel Dewberry as well. One of my favorite fabric shops that I always go to first is: Fabricworm You can find TONS of fabrics!

My Grunge-y Subway Art

2011-04-11T15:57:00.000-07:00

I was in a crafting funk...but I think the spark is back.

This kitchen Subway Art has been on my to-do list for so long, and I'm so glad I finally got it done! I bought the blank canvases months ago, and once I got my Silhouette machine, it became a much easier project to tackle. I wanted to create some Subway Art for my kitchen using French cooking terms. I've always admired Subway Art. It is so contemporary, and I love how you can personalize it. I've seen it done for specific holidays, couples and words that mean a lot to them, and even street names that a person lived on!

It turned out a lot more grunge-y than I originally wanted, but I actually think it looks cool! I am a little new to stenciling, so it could have looked a little better, but all well! Live and learn, right?

Here is how I made it...

1. Paint a blank canvas any color you desire.

2. Make word stencils. I used my Silhouette for this. I made my stencils out of cardstock, which may have been part of the reason why the paint seeped to other places I didn't want it to. I used the Arial Bold font, and I made them all different sizes and thicknesses.

3. Place your words in an arrangement that looks good.

4. Start stenciling with a brush. I've found that it is best to dab the brush on, rather than stroke the stencil. Stroking = bleeding paint.

Then you're pretty much done after that.

Valentine's Day Goods

2011-02-11T17:59:00.000-08:00

Since my daughter doesn't go to school on Mondays, they had their class Valentine's Day party today. I made some cute little Valentine's goodies for her to take (her Grandma is one of her teachers!), and they turned out pretty cute! In the candy bags for her classmates, there are little boxes with decorated sugar cookies. The damask cellophane bags I got at Wal-Mart after Christmas on clearnace for $0.50 for 20 bags, and the socks came from The Dollar Tree.

I used to LOVE Valentine's Day as a kid. Every year, I'd bring all my little cards home from all my classmates and look through them all. Payton did the same today when she got home! :)

I should also mention that this past month I finally bought a Silhouette! I've been wanting one for so long, and I've had so much fun with it. I bought it mostly to use for things in the home decor category, rather than scrapbooking. I love that it can cut fabric, vinyl, and heat transfer. I haven't done anything major with it yet, but I've had a lot of fun practice in th mean time. I used it to mak these cute little Valentine's for Payton's teachers and classmates...and I think they were very well received.

My plans for Valentine's day are to serve my family a candlelit dinner of chesse fondue with potatoes, beef, and broccoli for them to dip. And then for dessert, a chocolate fondue with marshmallows, pretzels, strawberries, and graham crackers. I think the kids will especially like it!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

A Repurposed Dress

2011-01-25T12:41:00.000-08:00

I made my mom an 8" x 10" jewelry organizer for her birthday (similar to the one I blogged about here), but it was too small for her vast collection of jewelry. So, I decided to make her a bigger one out of a canvas print that I had just waiting to be repurposed. I also was given a cute dress that didn't fit me, but it had a cute print so I was also saving that for a project. Mix those two things with a little chicken wire I had out in the garage, and this is what I made...

Because there were seams all over this dress to make it "flouncy", I couldn't get away with not having a seam in the fabric, which you can probably see. I am going to make some cute little flowers that clip onto the wire to cover it up.

The concept was the same as my original tutorial...just minus the frame.

Cut fabric to size of desired covering, leaving edges to wrap around canvas or photo frame cardboard.

Do the same with chicken wire. May use tape or a backing so you don't stab yourself with the sharp edges.

Then it's ready to hang. They'd also look cute with embellishments like fabric flowers!

Don't underestimate the Dollar Store!

2010-12-15T12:24:00.000-08:00

I had to go the Dollar Tree yesterday to get some things, and I saw these cool little trees. I saw some little trees similar to these last year for about $5 each and I didn't buy them in enough time because they were all snatched up by the time I went back. I planned to make some this year with styrofoam cones and glitter, but when I saw these at my Dollar Tree, I had to buy them because you can't make them for that cheap! I love how they are so simple and cute! So seriously, don't underestimate your dollar store! There are great finds in there!

Have any of you stumbled upon the website, Dollar Store Crafts? It features crafts that you can make using items from the Dollar Store! I think it's so clever!

Here is a picture of our Charlie Brown Christmas tree! We have a tradition of going up into the mountains and cutting down our own tree. They are never lush, but hopefully we are providing some good memories for our kids!

Sweater Re-fashion

2010-12-10T10:43:00.000-08:00

I love thrift store shopping. I love giving things a makeover, including clothes. I found this sweater at my local thrift store for $0.75! I really liked it as a sweater, but it just wasn't quite long enough...I like my sweaters to cover my bum.

So, I decided to turn it into a sweater vest that I could wear a cute belt over.

I cut off the sleeves.

Hemmed them.

...and now I have a sweater vest!

Then my husband took the leftover sleeves, trimmed them properly and cut two holes for the front legs of our puppy, and now she has two cute new sweaters to wear! :)

Color-Coordinate

2010-12-01T14:10:00.000-08:00

Please pardon my absence during the month of November...I was feeling very uninspired and not very creative! I need to get my booty back into gear though because I have many Christmas presents to craft and sew for my friends and relatives. I love this time of year. My house has been filled with warm fires in our wood stove, hot chocolate almost every night, and family movie nights watching our favorite Christmas movies. After Balck Friday, I am officially done Christmas shopping for all three of my kids, and now I need to focus on my husband Danny! It feels good to be done with the kids...it's easy because they are all so young still.

One thing I wanted to talk about today was color-coordination. Oftentimes, when you see a beautifully decorated room for Christmas, it is usually color-coordinated which makes it look very cohesive. Last year, I decided that I would stock up on Christmas decorations right after Christmas, when they were all on clearance. I wanted a pretty, color coordinated theme, and I went for greens, silvers, and golds (Mom has blue and silver, and I wanted to be a little different). Although we haven't decorated yet, I am excited to bust out all my new decorations I purchased. We always cut down our own tree up in the mountains, and so we don't want to do that too early so we'll still have a tree on Christmas day! If you are having to shop for decorations this year, or are even waiting until the after Christmas clearnance, like I did, then think about a color pallette that you'd like, and stick to buying decorations in those colors. Variations of the colors look nice too. Here are some examples of some different color palletes...

See what I mean? See how pretty it looks when they color-coordinate?

All images courtesy of Martha Stewart

Tutorial: Make Your Own Magnetic Board

2010-11-03T12:53:00.000-07:00

We missed one of my daughters' friends birthday party when we were out of town, but I still wanted to make her a fun gift. I had some leftover sheet metal and picture frames from another craft I did, and I thought it would be fun to make her a little magnetic board for her room. When I was recently at Michael's, I saw that they had some packs of Disney magnets clearnanced to .30 each, so I picked up a few packs!!

Supplies needed: Picture frame, craft paint and brush, sheet metal (The 8x10 piece I used cost 55 cents. You can find it from your local hardware store, and you can have them cut it to size for you), glitter, glue or mod podge, and magnets!

Start by painting your picture frame with craft paint, and do two layers. Maya, my daughter's friend has a purple and green room, so I thought this color would work.

Once the second layer of paint is dry, add some mod podge or white glue and the dazzle with sparkles!

Let dry, then add your sheet metal to the frame and add magnets!

Tip: You must buy the galvanized sheet metal, not the aluminum. My hardware store had both.

I also wanted to share a picture of my cute kids from Halloween...

Tasty Fall Recipes

2010-10-27T22:42:00.001-07:00

Over the past few weeks, I've been bookmarking several yummy looking fall recipes that I can't wait to try!

One of my favorite food blogs, The Ungourmet, had the following 3 recipes on her blog...

Apple Pecan Skillet Cake

Pumpkin & Maple Baked Oatmeal

Pumpkin Molasses Cookies

Over at Me & My Pink Mixer, there is a recipe for thisPumpkin Spice Granola

Whipperdish created these yummy looking Pumpkin Cakelettes

Wingledings shares a healthier muffin recipe with these Starbucks inspired Pumpkin Muffins

The Idea Room shares this recipe for Cinnamon Swirl Cakes

And I saved the best for last, because these these look heavenly! Inside BruCrew Life shares this recipe for Mini Pumpkin Oreo Cheesecakes

Yum!

Autumn Fun!

2010-10-25T13:18:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year. It's my favorite season. I love the changing leaves, the thunder and lightning storms, using our wood stove and being all nice and toasty, apple cider, pumpkins, Halloween...it just all brings so much great fun for my family! Today, I just wanted to share some photos of what we have been up to these past two weeks...

We recently went up to Winston, Oregon and stayed with a friend for a couple of days. There is a Wildlife Safari that you can drive through and literally have
zoo animals at your car window. My kids loved it!

This giraffe was just standing in the road staring at us, and so when we drove around it, we were eye level with its chest. It was pretty incredible, especially since we were a few inches from it driving past it.

I had to take a picture of this little guy, because what the heck is it? I thought it had a really cute face!

They also had train rides that took us around the zoo to see even more animals. My friend Amy is the one sitting next to Sawyer!

Of course we had to buy stuff at the gift shop!

We also recently enjoyed taking the kids to the local pumpkin patch to pick out a family pumpkin and for a hay ride.

We also got a new puppy...see her poking her face out of my daughter's purse?

I've also been canning fruits and veggies like crazy. We went to a U-Pick farm and stocked up on tomatoes, green beans, butternut squash, jalapenos, bell peppers, and pears. I love being able to feed my family produce that was locally grown. Right now, my husband Danny is hunting for Elk in Wyoming, so I'm excited that we are getting all stocked up with organic meats and produce for the winter!

Simplify!

2010-10-15T12:35:00.001-07:00

We have this bookshelf made now, but we still can't seem to keep the books on it! Within the past few months, I decided I was so tired of constantly cleaning my kids' rooms, and I realized that I desperately needed to simplify their rooms. They were always messy because they had so much stuff in them...toys, dress up clothes, more toys, coloring books, Barbies, and more toys! I couldn't keep up. Once a week, I would have to go in and spend the morning putting their room back together again. I grew sooooooo tired of having to do that! Since I've simplified their rooms, I have noticed a HUGE difference. They are able to keep their own rooms more clean because it is more manageable for them now.

This is my little man's room. I have cut back on the amount of toys that were in there so that they don't become scattered all over the place. Because it is more simple and less cluttery, it stays more clean. This room has really evolved. At first, it was the twins' nursery with the crib. I tease that the wall color reminds me of McDonald's...I never intended for it to be that bright, but it actually works together with the rest of the IKEA stuff that is (and used to be) in there.

The principle of simplifying can be applied to any room of the house, not just children's rooms. When there is too much clutter all around, there is nothing that they eye can focus on and it is not visually appealing. So, I encourage you to look around and find areas of your house that have too much going on, and simplify them!

Design Solution: Bookshelf!

2010-10-13T14:10:00.000-07:00

Over the past 6 days, I've had FOUR different families come to town for a visit! I don't know about you guys, but whenever I have people come over, especially for the first time, my house has to look perfect. Everything must be in its proper place! I feel the pressure, because after all, I do have a degree in Interior Design! It gave me some motivation last weekend to get some good, deep cleaning in!

As for this picture I'm about to show you...I'm embarrassed...and I can't even believe I am posting it here! My little two year old twins love to get into their book collection, but don't love to put them back (we're working on it!). In the corner of my little guys' room, there was this horrible pile of books. We've accumulated so many since my first daughter was born, and I needed a bookshelf made.

Here is the horrendous pile before:

As always, my husband came to my rescue and built me a bookshelf using the scrap wood that we had out in our garage (because we're frugal like that!). I painted it dark brown because it shows less smudge marks, which seem to be everywhere around here from all those little busy hands!

And here it is, which now sits in the girls' room:

It's simple, holds all of our children's books, looks more organized, and didn't cost us anything!

Make your own Dry Erase Board

2010-10-08T13:04:00.001-07:00

I had a load to take to the thrift store...and amongst the stuff was this heinous looking dry erase board that my sister left, so my mom gave it to us to get rid of. Well, my lil' Payton started having fun drawing pictures on it, and so I told her I would make her a cuter dry erase board, as I snuck it out to the car to take away. Somehow it ended up back in my house, and we have both the one I made, as well as the ugly one. Maybe someday soon I can get rid of it without her caring!

Old one:

All you really need to make your own dry erase board is a picture frame in whatever size you desire, scrapbook paper (cut to size for frame), and some dry erase markers. You could go way fancier than I did and add embelishments to the frame and attach the marker somehow. I just kept this one super simple. The glass from the picture frame acts like a dry erase board...it's easy to wipe off marker.

Here is Payton with it! She still likes the older one because it is bigger!

Tutorial: Halloween Crow Wreath

2010-10-06T13:21:00.000-07:00

Since I have a stash of wreath forms that I scored for free from someone's garage sale, I've had a Halloween wreath in mind to make...with black feathers and a crow! I bought the feather boa off ebay for $3, and the crow came from the Dollar Tree, but everything else were things I had on hand. So, the total for this project for me was $4!

Here are some of the materials you will need:

A wreath form (Dollar Tree sells them in a 2-pack if you need to pick some up!)

Scissors, Glue Gun, and Fabric Circles cut to 3 different sizes (small, medium, and large)

A Crow (Dollar Tree)

Long strips of Black fabric, about 3" wide, 2 Black Feather Boas - I would have prefered using two black feather boas, but since I only had one, I opted to use a fuzzy black scarf that someone recently passed on to us.

Start by wrapping the black fabric strips around the wreath form to cover it up. Use the glue gun and glue every so often as you go.

See how mine was just a smidge short? I didn't really care because I knew it would be covered up by the boa and scarf.

Then I wrapped the scarf and boa around it, but I didn't like the way it looked, so I had to start over and re-make it! It would have worked if my feather boa was longer, or if I had more of them so there weren't any gaps! It is one way to do it (and probably a little easier), but I just didn't have the resources.

I decided it would look better this way...Lay your wreath on the table, and wrap your first boa (or in my case, fuzzy scarf) around the edges of it, gluing is down with the hot glue gun as you go.

Then take your other feather boa and start wrapping it around the top of the wreath, gluing it down as you go.

This is what mine looked like when I was done.

Then I started taking the fabric circles and started gluing them down on top of eachother to give a flower-like effect...

I really like the way it turned out!

I glued the crow's feet to the wreath, and adjusted him to look just right!

It covers up my monogrammed window, but that's ok! I think it looks cool on my door!

Now go sweep up all your stray feathers!

Halloween Printable

2010-10-04T13:43:00.000-07:00

I love this print! No only is it perfectly festive right now, but it matches the orange in my family room, so I am definitely printing out myself one of these! It is a free printable that Craftily Ever After put out. You can find the link to it here. This is why I want to teach myself Photoshop...so I can create cool things like this!

Hello Kitty Themed Birthday Party!

2010-09-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, we got to attend a fabulous birthday party at our friends house again! This time, it was for Jadence, who turned 7! Isn't this Hello Kitty theme adorable? I really wanted to share some photos from the big bash!

These treat bags were designed by her uncle, who is a great graphic designer. They were complete with candy, and a Hello Kitty bracelet! Also, see the popcorn in the paper cones? Those were such a clever idea, and they found them for 6 for $1!

There were also some crafts going on...including Hello Kitty masks and bookmarks! Here is a picture of my daughter Payton wearing the mask she made! Aren't they cute? They were made from that styrofoam paper stuff (not sure of the correct term!).

Of course you have to have a pinata!

These are the cutest little cake pops ever! They were made by Jadence's aunt, who found inspiration from Bakerella's website. Yo ucan find the link to Bakerella here.

The Birthday cake in the perfect shade of pink!

And here is the Birthday girl herself! It was such a fun party! They always throw the best parties and have so much cuteness going on! I'm always grateful to be on their invite list!

Entry Table: Take One

2010-09-27T12:32:00.000-07:00

Isn't this table funny? I've been wanting my husband to build me an entry table so that I can decorate our entry. Usually when I have projects that I want my husband to build for me, I draw a sketch, or draft a drawing in AutoCAD. This time, I just showed him how wide I wanted the depth of the table to be using my hands and let him go with it! He was just going to use scrap wood that we had out in our garage so we didn't go and buy any new wood for this project. This past Saturday, I took the kids to a Garden Party over at a family play center so that he could have some good time to work on it without kids climbing all over his tools. When I came home and saw how skinny it was...I was cracking up! Apparently, he thought I gestured to make it only about 6-7" in depth, which he thought was weird, but just went with it! Although my dear husband took the time to build this for me, I don't think I'm going to be using it. Honestly, it would make the perfect sofa table (the ones that sit behind a sofa and can display things). But since I don't have a need for that right now, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this table (Sorry Dear!). As you can clearly see, not only would it have no function and purpose, but it is not to the proper scale in the entry. A table about roughly 12" would be much for fitting for that little space.

And p.s...See my light blue tile and blue carpet? I can't wait until it is replaced in the near future!

New House Exterior

2010-09-24T12:30:00.000-07:00

Finally! The exterior of our house is finished! I'm so happy with how it looks! Since we've lived with it half painted for 3 years, it is nice to have a completed exterior. Like I mentioned before, the people we bought it from had half the house resided right before we moved in, so it had that pale siding color on certain parts. Here is a picture of the BEFORE...

...and AFTER...

We are still planning to add window boxes under the smaller windows on the left, and that will make a huge difference. I think we are also going to be re-doing our flower beds next Spring. They need a little help!

A little bit of Halloween!

2010-09-23T13:49:00.001-07:00

Seeing these pumpkins that Kenzie made over at 9 o' clock Dance of Joy has really got me wanting to paint pumpkins this year. I've seen a lot of different painted pumpkins over the years in blogland, and this year I've decided I'm, doing it! I love the look of pumpkins painted white or off-white. They class it up a bit!

My bedroom

2010-09-20T11:23:00.001-07:00

It's been a little bit of a rough morning! My little man broke my brand new Scentsy warmer in my bedroom that I just got 2 days ago. That triggered a whole bunch of other things that are frustrating me around the house...why we can't keep the carpets or our bedrooms clean to save our lives, and how everywhere I look, there are smudge marks and fingerprints of some sort. I guess it just comes with having little ones, especially twins. Anyways...enough with my pity party...

I wanted to share some of my favorite things about my bedroom. I love the Ralph Lauren shade of gray that I painted it when we first bought the house.
Even 3 years later, and I'm still not sick of the color! We also installed some crown molding at the top, to make it look more neat and clean...and posh :)

This lamp shade I got at Wal-Mart for $10, and I love the rectangle shape of it. The base I found at Home Depot on Clearnace for around $15

This was supposed to be a temporary home for this mirror, but I kinda like how it is propped up against the wall next to our bed. I don't think it will stay there forever, but it looks good there for now. I bought if for $20 from a friend who just recently got married and moved to Idaho. It is made from old barn window in Wyoming. I love stuff that is reclaimed!

My Damask bedding! I've also had this for 3 years, and usually I want to change out prints by then, but this is just a classic. The bed set was given to us from my parents, and I originally wanted to stain it black to go with the bedding, but my husband wouldn't let me, and I'm now glad he didn't. Suprisingly, this brown looks good with the grays, blacks, and whites. It warms up the space a little bit.

This is a print that my best friend bought for me on the streets of Paris, France! It is framed in an IKEA frame. It works perfectly hung above the bed.

One of my favorite pictures of my husband Danny and me. It was taken just 2 days before he left for his mission to Washington DC and I wasn't going to be able to see or talk to him for 2 whole years. In this photo, we had already been dating for 2 years.

I couldn't resist this Adam & Eve print. It works in our master bedroom, and I think it is very fitting for the space :)

My New House Numbers

2010-09-17T12:31:00.001-07:00

Pretty cool, huh?

Little changes like this get me so excited! Look at our house numbers before we changed them...UGLY! I didn't like that they were on the trim around the garage and they were too skinny.

These were a major paint to install, but don't they look great? I found them at Home Depot for about $5 per number. I think this $20 addition to the front of my house makes a big difference, and I love the contemporary look of these numbers!

Like I've said before, it's all about the small and simple things!

My new re-upholstered chair!

2010-09-15T10:06:00.000-07:00

I'm bummed because I can't find my "before" pictures of this chair on my memory card and I know for certain that I took them! So let me just describe this chair as it was before...I bought it at a garage sale for $2! I couldn't believe that the price tag said $2, I probably would have paid $10 or even $15 for it because it was exactly what I was looking for. It had the perfect shape, good bones, and looked easy to tackle and re-upholster. I needed a chair for the little nook in my master bedroom, and this was perfect. But, it had beat up chair legs that desperately needed sanding, and the body consisted of a nasty, musty smelling, mustard yellow vinyl covering. So I went to work removed the chair legs that were really easy to remove (just simple screws), and started sanding the legs down. Compared to the other chair that I re-did and posted about here, this was a breeze to sand down. I learned that stain is much easier to sand down in comparison to paint! Once the old stain was sanded off, I bought some new stain at Home Depot for about $4, and re-stained the legs. I had picked up 2 yards of red and off-white colored houndstooth fabric at Joanne's for about $8 per yard, as well as a bag of batting, that cost $7 at Wal Mart. Then my husband and I pulled out the staple gun and started stapling the fabric around the front of it. For the back, I just did a simple panel and stapled it down.

For my first re-upholstering job, I am really happy with it! The final cost for the whole project ended up being $29! Not too bad for a cute chair that has the perfect fabric that I wanted!

Sage's Felt Playhouse

2010-09-13T11:43:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posting this past week. Other than getting over strep throat, I had a lot to do for my church responsibilities as well as crafting away for my twins' 2nd birthday! They turned 2 years old on Saturday, 9/11. My goal for this year is to make each child a felt playhouse for their birthday instead of buying them toys. I was able to make Sage's pink playhouse, while I am still working on Sawyer's. I felt bad that Sawyer's wasn't ready for their birthday, but I don't think he cared! Here are some pictures of Sage's felt playhouse that I made...

The front is probably my favorite. I love the little poodle patch I bought for $4. I also love the little mail envelope. I meant to make a door, but ended up not and I think it still looks good.

I cut out the birds from the leftover fabric I used for my kitchen curtains. The fabric comes from IKEA, and it worked out perfectly for the little bird bath.

This is the back of it, and I wanted to add a real cut out window, but I knew they'd try to crawl in and out of it and end up wrecking it, so I settled for a felt window. As you can see, I need to go back and iron on the felt to adhere the Heat N' Bond better. It takes a little bit longer over felt.

I cut out each leaf individually, so it took forever for this side! The butteflies were on another fabric I had laying around and so I thought they'd be cute!

And here is a picture of them chowing down on their birthday cupcakes. They are still shirtless because we had just eaten spaghetti!!! It was a good birthday!

I spent about $67 in materials for both playhouses, so I figured each one costs about $33 to make...not too bad for a cool little play fort! I bought felt fabric and used Heat N' Bond that I found at Wal-Mart to adhere each little detail on it. The only sewing was to stitch together the actual sides and top of it.

Here is a website that has a tutorial on how to make your own playhouse:

Fireflies and Jellybeans

Martha

2010-09-03T10:54:00.000-07:00

I hate having a sore throat! The past few days I've felt like someone has taken a pipe cleaner wrapped with barbed wire and used it in my throat like a chimney sweep! No fun, and I can't afford to slow down!

Anyhow, you know how I love Martha Stewart? And that I saw her in person when I went to two different tapings of her show in New York City? Prior to seeing her in real life, I was watching her show daily. It all started when I had my first daughter Payton and I suddenly became a stay at home mom (and I was available to watch TV in the morning rather than at my desk working away on kitchen cabinet details) when I became addicted to her show that was packed full of homemakers' bliss! Ok so, back to the NYC trip...I was with my mom and my sister sitting in her studios and I remember when she walked into the studio kitchen and was chatting with the chefs working away before the filming began...seeing her in person was one of the coolest things! There she was, in the flesh! Not on my TV screen, just like I had seen her every day for the past year, but standing right in front of me. And because we got there early, we got VERY good seats so I was right up front! Alice Waters was there so we all received copies of her awesome cookbook that had just been released, and there was also some firefighters there as it was National Fire Prevention Week. After the awesome episode taping, she took questions from her audience and I wanted so badly to ask her something, anything, but I chickened out! Luckily, my graceful and confident Mother sitting next to me didn't hesitate to raise her hand and ask her what kind of Christmas gifts would be best for the people who already have everything i.e. my Grandparents!? I remember Martha telling her that unique and handmade things would be best, but I still couldn't believe that Martha Stewart was standing there having a conversation with my MOM! It was real neat, and hopefully I can make it back there again. In my book, Martha is a legend and so to have seen her in the flesh and for my Mother to have spoken to her was amazing.

On another note, I think it would be super intimidating to be her Interior Designer buddy, just as Kevin Sharkey is. He recently designed his whole living space in Manhattan and there are a few things that I can find inspiration from.

For example, a few strokes of a paintbrush on some MDF for artwork on the walls above the sofa...

Or I like these simple yet playful framed color blocks...

You can read the full article here about Kevin's apartment transformation. It all looks so beautiful!

Wreaths!

2010-09-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

When I saw this wreath that Jen made over at Tatertots & Jello, I felt like doing a post about wreaths. It seemed to me in the past that wreaths weren't cool anymore and that they were outdated! I quickly realized how wrong I was, especially as I've seen a lot of cute wreaths out there in the craft blog world! When my mother-in-law recently had a garage sale, I noticed that she was getting rid of some brand new wreath forms so I snatched them up and plan to make some wreaths as Christmas gifts with them!

You can find Jen's wreath tutorial here

I would have never thought you could wrap yarn around a wreath form and it would turn out so cute! This wreath was made by KnockKnocking and can actually be purchased here

A combination of ribbon and felt make this cute wreath! This was made by Handmade Colectibles and can be purchased here

I love this whimsical wreath! For Halloween, wouldn't it be cute to make a black feathered one with a little black crow on it? This one was made by Gracefully Girly and can be purchased here. She makes them in a few different colors too!

New Cliet: HUGE Addition!

2010-08-31T11:45:00.001-07:00

I was recently hired to help design a few spaces for a family I know. They are finishing up the construction phase of their HUGE addition, and want my help with space planning and choosing some accessories and window treatments. They live blocks away from the beach, so they built a very tall, three story addition, with two great rooms on top of each other...the second floor to be a media room with a large projector screen, and the upper level to be a multi-purpose space.

The following are pictures of the upper level, which will function as the following: Martial Arts practice space, toy storage, office space, scrapbook space, library, play room, and other storage! I have my work cut out for me, but luckily I have a blank slate to work with! Here are some photos of it...

Here is the second level, which is to become a media room, where a large projector screen will be and have a theatre-like setting!

They have already chosen some great wall colors, flooring, and ceiling treatments, so I'm excited for what the final outcome will look like. Needless to say, I will be busy working on these spaces for the next few weeks!

It's all about the small and simple things...

2010-08-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

So, as the exterior of our house has been getting a makeover, I decided to complete a project that has been on my to-do list. I added the letter "f" to the window on our front door. It is the first initial of our last name, and I love the way it turned out!

You see, before we just had this window that made it easy for people to just see clear into our house...

Here is a view from the inside...

I printed a letter "f" once I found the right font I wanted it in.

Yesterday at Home Depot, I bought this contact paper for windows that has the Rice Paper look. It was about $20 for the roll.

Then I taped it down for a nice hold, and cut out the letter with one of Danny's razor blade things since I don't own a xacto knife! I ended up using the second one that I did. I thought I would adhere it to the inside of the window, but it didn't look good, so I cut another one out facing the correct way and adhered it to the outer side of the window. I had to use a debit card when I applied it to the window to make sure there were no bubbles.

And while it still doesn't give us complete privacy, atleast it helps somewhat, and I am loving the way it looks!

Ice Cream Sundaes

2010-08-26T13:26:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else remember making these in grade school? I don't even remember what they were for, but they sure do make cute holders for ice cream sundae toppings!!! These were featured as the Craft of the Day over at Martha Stewart's website. You can find the tutorial here.

Magnet Paper Dolls

2010-08-25T12:54:00.000-07:00

When you take some of the above, and add a little bit of mod podge, you can create cute little custom magnet dolls for any little gal in your life! These ones were created by Disney over at Ruffles and Stuff. I think they would make such a cute gift for any little girl, and talk about inexpensive! The magnet sheets are about $8 on amazon.com, but it comes with 5 sheets, so you could probably get about 5 gifts' worth out of it! Jsut simply cut out your magazine girls, and mod podge them onto the magnet sheets and cut them out!

Coolest Birthday Cake EVER!

2010-08-24T13:21:00.001-07:00

This past Sunday night, we went over to our friend Tayshu's house to celebrate her 31st birthday. Her sister in law that made the cool Cookie Monster cake that I posted about here, also made her this totally awesome Birthday cake. You see, Tayshu is a huge fan of cheese so this cake is very fitting for her! And I just can't get over the detail of the shrink wrapped look that she did using fondant...and she even made it look shiny like it was wrapped in plastic by giving it a coat of water. The body of the cake is a pound cake. Isn't that cool? I have some pretty cool friends! :)

Cork Boards

2010-08-23T13:31:00.000-07:00

I have a Back to School themed acticity planned for the ladies at my church coming up in the next few weeks, and one of the projects that we are going to doing is making corkboards. As I scoured the internet for diy corkboards, here are 3 cute examples that I found. Now, which one should we make...

I like how this one simply entails repainting a frame, and adding cork. Check it out here at The Enrichment Cottage

I like the simplicity of these. They are simple and cute, and I love the colors she used. Made by Michelle over at The Land of the Misfit Toyz

This one is also cool! You could customize it to any initial, and it would be cute in any room! You can find it over at Family Fun

Pillowcase Bag

2010-08-19T15:53:00.000-07:00

I discovered that my good ol' crafting buddy Martha Stewart has a craft of the day that she posts on her website! As I was browsing through some of the previous weeks' projects, I came across this simple tutorial for turning a pillowcase into a cute shoulder tote. If you have any pillowcases that have nice prints on them that you aren't using, this would be perfect to make! I think he pillowcase bag would be perfect for holding supplies hanging in a closet!

Click here for the complete tutorial.

It's about time!!!

2010-08-17T13:29:00.000-07:00

We bought this house three years ago almost exactly. Right before we moved in, the sellers had half the house re-sided, and our intentions were to paint on a new exterior color immediately. Well, life happens and we had other priorities, so we went with a half painted house for 3 years! At first, we were going to paint it sage green (too much green in our neighborhood!), then banana cream yellow, then this medium brown natural bark color. When we went to buy the paint yesterday trying to buy the medium brown color that we wanted, we ended up with this color...and I like it!

I'm so excited that we are finally giving our exterior a facelift! We are also going to be refreshing the trim with a crisp white, buying new contemporary house numbers and placing them in a new location, and then adding some white window boxes under the two left bedroom windows for architectural interest. It's always bugged me how our house is a basic rectangle, so we're trying to step it up a notch and make it look a little cuter.

It seemed like when we first bought this house, everything was blue and white, so I think that was their favorite colors! I am slowly but surely weeding it all out and trying to warm up the space!

Anybody else out there have unfinished projects that are still lurking around? Heaven knows I need to finish this chair makeover that I've been trying to finish this past week. Hoepfully I can post about it in the next few days!

Shelving Solutions!

2010-08-15T14:02:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posting last week. I had to have an unexpected medical procedure that has kept me down and feeling on the crappy side. As I was searching through Google Images, I found some really neat shelving ideas...so check them out...

This shelf would easily fit with a young boys' bedroom! Check out this comic shelf created by Oscar Nunez at Design Wagen.

I think we could all use a little more storage in our bathrooms, especailly me! There is something about the simplicity of this shelf that I really love. It is so simple yet chic, and I bet my husband could easily build something like this for us! :) Photo from John B. Keene

With a little mod podge, wood, nails, and some paint, you could re-create this unique solution for a corner of a room! Photo from Small Furnish

This is one of the most unique and creative solutions to shelving I've ever seen! It is pure genious! Not necessarily something I'd put in my home, but super clever and I love the color they chose! Photo from Manolo Home

For my friend Kim!

2010-08-05T12:17:00.001-07:00

A present for my friend Kim! She picked out with fabric she wanted, and I made her this cute jewelry organizer. I have a tutorial posted here so you can make your own. They are so easy! All you need are some wire cutters and chicken wire, a photo frame, and some cute fabric.

Millions of Peaches...

2010-08-04T12:46:00.000-07:00

I've had huge bursts of energy lately that have helped me get so much done around the house! Today I spent the morning canning the 50 pounds of peaches that I bought last week (This is only half the jars that I ended up with!). My kids will gobble these up, and I can make peach cobbler and peach crisp, and smoothies...Yum!

I've also decided to challenge myself by eating out of our pantry and food storage supply for the next week or two. I found a small can of dehydrated peas that my mom had passed on to us (she gave us a ton of their food storage since they don't need as much with just one child left in the house). Anyhow, this little can of dehydrated peas holds 25 servings! I couldn't believe it! So, we will be trying some of these decade-old peas tonight with dinner. I also opened up a can of 20 year old sugar to make some cookies, and it is just as bit as fresh and good as sugar on the shelves today. That is why I love food preserving and home canning!

And ps... See those white beans in the pot behind the peaches? Those are also 20 year old beans that I am slow cooking with a ham hock to make a soup for dinner tonight! :)

And Lastly, Rule #6 - Harmony

2010-07-30T16:40:00.000-07:00

Harmony comes when the previous 5 rules are followed. Harmony occurs when there is a
proper balance of proportion, patterns, color, textures, contrast and rhythm. Simple as that!

Photo from HGTV.com

Rule #5 - Rythm

2010-07-27T08:08:00.000-07:00

Rythm is a friend of contrast. They have to go together! Just like contrast creates interest around the room, Rythm must also go hand in hand with it.

But how do you achieve Rythm?

By using a single color or pattern and repeating it throughout the space!

Photo from Becky Berg Design

Rule #4 - Color and Texture

2010-07-26T07:39:00.000-07:00

I feel like I could go on and on about color and different palettes to use! So here goes...

Monochromatic: Contains one color but uses all different shades and tints of it.

Complimentary: Colors opposite each other, like red and green or blue and orange.

Neutral: Different shades of blacks, whites, grays, and browns. I like to use neutrals as the base of a room, and then add pops of accent colors.

Analogous: Colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. For example, an analogous color pallete could have greens, blues, and purples.

Warm and Cool: Colors provoke "feelings." I personally love warm colors because they feel more cozy. I learned this pretty quick when I had an icy blue color scheme in my family room and realized I wanted to warm it up. Warm colors include browns, reds, oranges, and yellows. Cool colors include blues, greens, and purples.

Color is a very personal choice. Choose colors that you love, and so when you surround yourself in them, they make you happy and comfortable.

Look for nice textures in fabrics and accessories because great use of texture provides a rich look, and provides interest in a room.

Rule #3 - Contrast

2010-07-22T08:49:00.000-07:00

To create interest in a room, use contrast. Don't just think about color, but also shapes, patterns, sizes, textures, etc.

Just recently, each of my kids got new beds. Because the walls in their rooms are painted different colors, I decided to go with white bed coverlets for their beds. It provides a nice contrast. I felt a little crazy putting white bedding into their rooms when they are each as messy as can be, but all well. They definitely keep me on my cleaning toes!

Notice the contrasting things in this photo. The darker woods contrast against the lighter walls above. Also, while the color palette is similar between the vases and pillows, their shapes and patterns contrast against each other.

Photo by Sunset Magazine

Rule #2 - Balance

2010-07-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

Just like not having the proper balance in our everyday lives causes chaos, poor balance in design causes visual chaos.

There must be a balance between the space with heights and the visual weight of objects. Think symmetry. If you were to take a room and draw a line down the middle of it, each of the sides are the same and mirror each other, like in the photo below...

If you slice the fireplace in half, the room looks pretty much the same on both sides. They both have identical curtains and chairs.

You can also find balance in assymetrical rooms. If there is a cluster of white candles on one side of the room, and the other side has a similar size cluster of white photo frames, it achieves assymetrical balance. Although the items are not the same, they maintain a proper balance because of their size and scale to the room.

It's also important to find balance in hanging things on the walls. Even though the general rule of thumb is to hang art at eye level, if there is art work hung at all different levels all around the room, it won't look right. Things need to balance each other out at the right heights.

Photo courtesy of HGTV

Interior Design Rule #1 - Proportion & Scale

2010-07-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

Let's just call this week Interior Design Rules week! I am going to cover the 6 most important rules of Interior Design that anyone can incorporate into their spaces that surround them.

For today, I will touch on Proportion and Scale. Would it look right to stuff a king sized bed into a tiny bedroom? Or what about a large 6 person dining room table into a small dining nook? No, no! I understand that sometimes we are stuck with what we've got for now, like hand me down furniture, or garage sale finds. Heaven knows, I had a huge queen bed in my daughter's room for awhile that literally took up the whole room because that's what we had to work with! And when we were newlyweds, all my furniture was my mother's rejects that she was done with. But, when you start shopping and purchasing your own furniture, look for pieces that will be suitable for the space you've got.

Proportion and scale needs to be incorporated into walls too...

If you have a wall that is huge and shows lots of open space, don't hang tiny art there. Make it work by finding that properly sized piece (or create your own). And vice versa, don't hang a giant picture on a small wall. There are ways to manipulate art. For instance, I've purchased a print, chopped it up into equal parts of 8, and then framed the 8 pieces and hung them up on the wall in a grid. By framing it in pieces and spacing them out a little bit, it expanded the art and made it work better for the wall I needed it on.

Here is an example of poor Scale and Proportion...

I love this room! I think it is cute as can be, but there are two things that need to be changed that could make it look even better. Look at how small the lamps are, and how the rug is too small for the area it needs to cover. They don't fit in with this space.

Photo from AB Interiors

Applique

2010-07-15T09:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been MIA this whole week! I'm in charge of these activities for the ladies at my church that take place once a quarter, and last night was one of them...which has kept me pretty occupied this week. Usually the few days leading up to these activities have me running around town picking up things and preparing for them. So, please forgive me for the lack of posting!

Something I've always wanted to try is applique. I love that you can take a plain old shirt and turn it into something cute. I think you could make some cute baby onesies or kids' shirts by doing some applique. You could also use applique on throw pillows, tea towels, or blankets. If you can trace, use scissors, and do a basic stitch on a sewing machine, you can applique!

Here are some examples of some applique projects:

Helping Little Hands made this little tractor shirt for her son...

Pin and Paper made these cute sweatshirts...

Don't Look Now spruced up this blanket with some flower applique...

And here are some free applique websites that have printable templates you can use 'til your hearts content:

Free Applique.com

Make Your Own Baby Stuff.com has stuff especially for baby clothes or nursery decor...

Isn't this whale the cutest?

Hope you have a nice day! I'm heading to the river to lounge in the sun!

Furniture Before & Afters

2010-07-09T09:29:00.000-07:00

Over at Skinny LaMinx, there are a few of these chair transformations. It just goes to show that any hideous chair can be transformed. This gal has got some talent when it comes to chair makeovers!

Hannah over at Hannah Stanton did this incredible reupholstery job. This chair was seriosuly in bad shape. What an amazing after!

And this one is my favorite because Lori over at Lori Danielle took two of those wooden palletes and created a toddler bed! That is one of the most creative, thrifty, and coolest design transformations I've ever seen!

People never cease to amaze me when it comes to their creativity with design!

Cookie Monster Themed Birthday Party

2010-07-07T12:06:00.000-07:00

I have this super talented friend named Ruby who never ceases to amaze me with what she can do and whip up! This past weekend, we went to her 2 year old daughter's birthday party, and it had a Cookie Monster theme. I was blown away with all the handmade decorations, the cake, and all the thought and effort that went into everything. It all looked SO amazing. Here are some photos from the fantastic party...

Isn't that cake the coolest?

Ruby made her daughter Hune that blue tutu!

Ruby and Hune

There were so many other cool things there that Ruby made, like chocolate cookie monster pops, and mints scattered on the table with stickers of her daughter's face on them. That girl has got some talent!

And this is another cake that Ruby made for her sister in law. Isn't she great? And by golly, super talented!

Framed Photo Confetti

2010-07-06T09:53:00.000-07:00

This is such a great idea for any loved one! I could see it as a gift for grandparents with all different photos of their grandkids, or for your significant other with photos of the two of you. It is a super classy way to display a whole bunch of photos, and makes a bold design statement. This is definitely on my to-make list!

This is The Blackberry Vine's version.

She was inspired by this Martha Stewart version.

I was trying to think of ways that you could cut out perfect circles if you don't have a circle cutter. One easy way that I thought of is to cut a circle template out on your computer, and then trace it to the photo and cut out with a xacto knife.

Use a ruler to line up with rows and columns of pictures perfectly, and glue onto cardstock paper. Then it can be framed! Super easy and such a special customized project!

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-03T13:34:00.000-07:00

Amy over at Positively Splendid made these super duper cool outdoor throw pillows. They are not as easy to make, but I absolutely LOVE them!

And then look at what Fireflies and Jellybeans came up with! These would make cute invitations or placecards. And they are FREE! Just go down and get some paint cards from the hardware store!

Anneliese over at Aesthetic Nest made these Patriotic Pillow Case Dresses for her daughters. These are on my list to make for my girls. They are not too hard to make, and you can make them out of any fabric.

P.S. In case you didn't know, if you click on the Blog name under each project, it will lead you to these tutorials. For some reason, the hyperlinks don't appear in a different color (I'm still learning a lot about Blogger).

I'm back with some pretty fabrics!

2010-07-01T08:08:00.000-07:00

Santa Cruz was a BLAST! It was such a nice getaway, and very much needed. I actually lived there for 3 months while my husband was at his training academy for work, and I have always loved the vibe that is there. It's got this casual, laid-back, organic vibe. I could live there in a heartbeat.

Since the only place to buy fabrics in this small town that I live is Wal-Mart, I was excited to go fabric shopping down there. I hit the jackpot at this craft store called Beverly's where I found tons of Amy Butler and Michael Miller fabrics. I was mainly focused on finding fabrics for the goods I'm going to sell at the local Farmer's Market here, so I found the following fabrics...

For my Jewelry Organizers:

And some for the throw pillows:

This one I plan to use in my family room because it is the perfect colors for the room!

And to my friend Kim: Pick out which fabric you'd like for your jewelry organizer :)

Vacation Time!

2010-06-22T20:24:00.000-07:00

We are off to Santa Cruz, CA for a much needed vacation starting tomorrow! I am REALLY looking forward to lounging on the beach, the Boardwalk, and spending time with my family! Regular posting will be back next week!

See what paint can do? My mini chair re-do

2010-06-21T10:48:00.000-07:00

I finished sanding and repainting the tiny rocking chair that I bought at a garage sale for $2! It is the cutest little chair, and the total project cost me $2 just for the cost of the chair. I used my electric sander that I got for Christmas, and I had a free sample quart of white Glidden paint. My kids love sitting in it, and it looks super cute in their rooms.

Here is the before:

I really think this chair is atleast 50 years old. The paint was super old and had multiple layers of paint, so it took A LONG time to sand completely. I was worried about the paint containing lead, since it was common in paint back then so I wore a doctor's mask every time I sanded it so I couldn't breathe it in.

Here is the after:

Much better, right? A fresh coat of paint work wonders!

I am currently working on the other chair that I bought at that same garage sale, also for $2. It is going in a nook in my bedroom, and I am excited for the end result. I am re-upholstering it in a red and white houndstooth! My goal was to get it done before I head to Santa Cruz on Wednesday for a vacation, but I don't think it is going to happen!

Cute Coasters

2010-06-17T11:28:00.000-07:00

Isn't this a super easy and affordable idea? If you don't have any mod podge yet, I highly suggest you go and get yourself some. They can make any item into something super cool. Wal-Mart sells it, as well as any craft store.

Over at less cake {more frosting}, Ellie G makes these out of those terra cotta saucers that you can buy super cheap at The Home Depot (seriously, like forty cents each!).

First, she primed them with primer spray paint, and then coated them with the black spray paint. Once the paint was dry, she mod podged the Beatles pictures to the inside part of the saucer, and finished with a sealing coat.

I think these would make awesome wall hangings too, if you got big enough saucers!

Pardon the Wrinkles!

2010-06-16T11:58:00.000-07:00

I FINALLY finished my burlap ruffled table covering! I sewed it this morning, and here it is! I haven't tested it to see if burlap is ok to iron, but for now, here are some pictures! I'm happy with the way it turned out, and it was fairly easy to make. So, please pardon the wrinkles for now!

As you can see in my previous post, my table was in desperate need of some covering up! It's been used and abused by my family!

Ugly

2010-06-15T07:38:00.001-07:00

Here are some photos of my kitchen curtains that I've recently made, like promised! Aren't they wild? I got the fabric from IKEA, and originally the bird fabric was white, so I tried to dye it off-white. It turned out to be a horrible mistake because it came out peach. So, after trying to remove the peach color, and 5 washes later, I just decided to go with a marigold yellow since I am introducing that color into the adjacent family room anyways. If it were my choice, the curtains wouldn't be this bright yellow, but they would be the off-white color I wanted! All well, live and learn, right?! I still like them, I just have to tie them in better by introducing more yellow elsewhere.

As for the rest of the kitchen...see what I am currently dealing with? This is our crapped up dining table that is getting a burlap cover sewn for it VERY soon!

Oh, and look at our lovely linoleum...isn't is just heinous? That is also going to be replaced hopefully in the near future. My husband Danny wants a slate tile kitchen floor, which I think would look great!

Our kitchen has come a LONG way since we first moved in. It had original cabinetry from the 1960's, and the layout was horrible. Lucky for me, Danny is handy and remodeled everything himself. So, as you can see we still have many projects cut out for us. It will get there, but in the meantime, I just have to live with some of the ugliness this kitchen is offering!

Ribbon Art

2010-06-10T11:11:00.000-07:00

When I saw this fabulous work of art from Disney at Ruffles and Stuff, I knew I needed to scour the internet for other types of artwork using ribbon for inspiration.

Here is a tray from Sarah at 2 Giggle Boxes...

Isn't this a cute jewelry holder? It's from Sketch 42...

This cute ribbon flower from Creatively Kept...

This cute handpainted canvas by Gnome G...

Ribbon can be so fun and feminine. Do you see how easy it can be to take a few trimmings of ribbon and lace and create something so art-worthy?! I will definitely be creating my own version of ribbon art VERY soon!

2010-06-09T15:16:00.000-07:00

Bear with me today guys...it's been one crazy day so far! I hopped the border over to Oregon this morning to pick up my husband's Father's Day gift (we are literally 15 minutes from the Oregon border). And my husband Danny got hurt at work yesterday pretty bad, so I've been dealing with his injury today. He hurt his knee and is at the Doctor right now...so I'm keeping my fingers crossed it's nothing serious.

Super cute art idea coming tomorrow!

Burlap Love

2010-06-08T10:46:00.000-07:00

I've noticed a trend amongst fellow crafters...it's all about BURLAP! I love the texture, color, and rugged-ness of it. In my efforts to makeover my kitchen, I've decided to make my own version of a burlap tablecloth.

Now, I have to be honest here...my dining table desperately needs to be covered up! I have a four year old, and one year old twins that have used and abused that table. While I don't plan to buy a new one in the next little while, I wanted to make something that I could cover it up with in between meals.

I was inspired by this little cutie from the fabulous Jen at Tatertots and Jello...

And some more of her burlap projects. Aren't they cute?

Click here to see her Table Runner tutorial.

Click here to see her Napkin Rings tutorial.

Today I will be working on my burlap tablecloth during naptimes!

Martha Monday: Father's Day Gift Ideas

2010-06-07T10:59:00.000-07:00

With Father's Day fast approaching, I'm sure we could all use a few gift ideas. I'm all about handmade, and my friend Martha never fails to come through with handmade gift ideas. Here are some of my favorites from her website...

Printable labels...

Homemade BBQ sauce (will definitely be making this)...

Personalized ties...

More clip art for magnets/buttons...

DAD photo frame...

Gifts wrapped in bow ties...

Belt Organizer...

Car wash kit...

Click here to check it out.

Pillow Inspiration

2010-06-03T10:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had a nice visit with some other young moms, and I now have a new ambition after talking to one of my amazing photographer friend...I'm going to do a booth at the local Farmer's Market this year! I will sell decor items that I've sewed, created, and re-furbished. Since pillows are super easy to make, I've decided to focus on making throw pillows for right now, and sell them in coordinating sets!

So, as I looked up some pillow inspiration on some of my other favorite sites, I found some really cute pillow ideas that can serve as inspiration...

Jen from Tatertots and Jello...

Redberry Barn made these cute ones...

And one of my favorite gals...Disney from Ruffles and Stuff made these...

I'm so excited to get started and sew some creations. Time to shop for some fabric and pillow forms!

My Color Scheme

2010-06-02T11:44:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I had so much energy I barely sat down! I was a busy bee all around the house...I finished sewing my kitchen curtains, I steam cleaned the carpets, tackled a week's worth of laundry, and baked up a storm!

I'm currently working to add some new colors to my family room/kitchen. Currently, they consist of chocolate brown, orange, and off-white. I want to add some golden yellow and teal...and these are some of the fabrics I have in mind...

Added to a color scheme of...

Sometimes, just adding one more accent color to a room can make a HUGE impact and make it feel totally different!

I am a little worried that the curtain fabric I just used is a little too bright of yellow, but I won't know until the whole space is put together. Remember the RIT dye fiasco? I ended up dying it marigold to fix it, knowing that I was going to introduce those colors into the space, and it just came out a little bright...so we'll see how it all ends up!

Since I live in a small town, one of my favorite places to order fabric from is Fabricworm. There are a huge variety of fabrics to choose from!

Memorial Day Stuff

2010-05-28T15:21:00.000-07:00

Who's got fun plans for the weekend? My brother and sister in law are coming for the weekend, and Monday we have the annual BBQ at the river with our church. So much fun!

Because I love all things Martha Stewart, I wanted to share some things from her that can be whipped up this weekend...

Leaf Coasters...

Butterflies made from scrapbook paper on your paper lanterns...

Fruit tarts...

Bucket of rocks as paper weights...

Butterflies on straws...

Beach bucket table vase...

Bandanas stitched together to make one big tablecloth...

Fruit parfaits...

Hanging candle jars from your umbrella...

Click here to check out Martha.

These ideas don't take much effort, and can really make a space more special!

Hope your weekend is fabulous, and you have great weather wherever you are!

Table Toppers

2010-05-27T14:19:00.000-07:00

The kitchen has been on my mind lately, since mine is about half done right now and I am working to finish up the numerous projects that I have started and yet to finish! When I discovered that Anna over at Noodlehead is featuring a Spice Up Your Kitchen series, I had to check it out!

Here is a great feature from Dana at MADE...

She made a whole bunch of table toppers so that she could easily switch the way the table looks instantly, or to dress it up when there isn't much time to decorate it for company. I love these...what a good idea.

Click here to check it out.

Be Inspired

2010-05-26T10:57:00.000-07:00

How do Designers come up with such great color schemes? They look around them!!! They are Constantly looking to be inspired!

For example...we don't just see a beautiful Redwood forest...

We see natural textures and different shades of pink, green, and brown which can then be translated into textured wood frames, soft colored sofa with pink and green accent colors.

(This photo is from the area I live, by the way...)

Instead of just a field of yellow flowers...

We see a color palette of bold yellow, blue, and white, which can be translated into predominantly white furniture, bright colored fabrics, and lots of natural light.

Instead of seeing just a pretty tropical sunset...

We see dark furniture in a room brightened up by soft-but-pretty accent colors of orange, pink, and purple.

So, start looking around you for ideas and inspiration for your spaces. It doesn't just have to be found in nature. Look at color and texture schemes when you are at the Farmer's Market, or shopping at a Department Store, or in your backyard! We are constantly surrounded by inspiration, we just have to start noticing!

P.S. Welcome to all my fellow party-goers! I've linked this post up to Amanda's party over at Serenity Now.

Ruffled Light Fixture

2010-05-21T13:24:00.000-07:00

Isn't this the cutest light fixture for a little girls room?

One blog I frequently visit is The Pleated Poppy. First, I love it because Lindsey lives in San Luis Obispo, which is where I was born and visited Grandparents all throughout my childhood. Many many special memories in SLO. Climbing Madonna Mountain, visiting the Children's Museum, Thursday Farmer's Markets downtown, contributing to the famous bubble gum wall...oh how I miss it!

I also love it because she has incredible taste, and shares her projects around her home.

Click here for her tutorial.

IKEA Outdoor Lighting

2010-05-20T14:11:00.000-07:00

It's about time that IKEA came out with some cool outdoor stuff! After browsing their website, I stumbled upon these different types of solar lighting...

These all range from $10 - $20...

Aren't these solar snakes cool? You can twist them however you want!

These single pictures don't do these products justice! Check out the IKEA website here and flip through the slide show. Then you can see how they look at nighttime. I love that they are all solar powered too, because it is effortless.

I so wish I lived closer to an IKEA. The closest one is 6 hours away. Whenever I visit my family and friends up in Portland, I always make a special trip to IKEA.

RIT dye

2010-05-19T14:17:00.000-07:00

Back in February, I shopped at IKEA and bought some funky fabric to make some curtains for my breakfast nook in my kitchen. The fabric was stark white with different bird species on it, and it just looked too bright. I needed it off white...so I decided to buy some RIT dye and tone it down a notch myself. Well, of course they don't sell just "off white" dye at my local Wal-Mart, so I decided I'd buy brown, and then use just a few drops of it. I used my wash machine to do the dying in. Anywhoo...the finished product is AWFUL! I wish I never touched it! It is this awful peachy color. I've even tried to bleach it back, but it didn't work. I am now going to try and re-dye it a totally different color: golden yellow, since that is another accent color in the space.

While I am currently disgruntled about the project, I love the idea of RIT dying and plan to do more. It only costs about $2 at stores, and it can transform and make them new again. They even have a shade that makes lighter jeans into dark denim jeans (and denim makes you look skinnier!).

Hopefully by the end of this week, my fabric will be back to cute, and I will have some posted pictures!

And just because I love vintage, here is an old RIT dye add from 1969...

Living Locurto

2010-05-17T11:10:00.000-07:00

Ever heard of Living Locurto?

This website is packed full of free printables, party ideas, meal planning ideas, and SO much more! I stumbled upon it a few months ago, and feel in love with it! I've printed cute little bookmarks, recycleable signs for bins, and recipe cards! It can make organizing and chores just a wee bit more fun!

Click here to see the goods!

More Chalkboard Cuteness!

2010-05-13T12:56:00.000-07:00

The possibilities are endless with chalkboard paint!!! I stumbled upon this dresser revamp here from Caren over at City Momma/Country Momma. She and her family lived the city life, then moved to the country and now have a huge gorgeous home!

This can easily be done for any dresser of this style. Just simply pull out the drawers, spray paint or regular paint them with chalkboard paint and voila...you can label your dresser drawers! I think this would be super cute in a kids room.

Super Simple Apron Tutorial

2010-05-12T10:12:00.000-07:00

Aprons...aren't they cute? And practical? And cheap to make! They make a great gift, and are a cinch to make!

I had a leftover piece of fabric from the jewelry organizer project I posted here, so I decided it was the perfect size to make an apron. I had some leftover black and white polka dot fabric from a skirt I made a while ago, so I decided I could use that to add a ruffle to the bottom.

First, find a rectangle of fabric, any size you think may work for yourself or whoever you are giving the apron to. Fold over the seams, and pin in place. On your sewing machine, stitch the seams.

Note: You can leave the "bottom" of the rectangle alone, no need to do a seam because the ruffle will be sewed onto it later.

Next, cut a strip of fabric that is twice the length of the rectangle you just sewed. Make sure it is about 4-5" thick. Fold over one side and pin, then stitch on sewing machine.

On the opposite side that you did the seam, change your stitch to the widest stitch on your sewing machine, then stitch (do not do the reverse stitch as you are going to be pulling the thread). Once the wide stitch is done, take one end of thread that is hanging and start pulling, so that the fabric ruffles.

Once the entire strip is ruffled, pin onto the rectangle, right side facing each other and stitch.

Now, work on the straps by cutting small strips of fabric (mine were about 12" long each - need two of them). Fold over edges and stitch for clean edges. Sew onto apron.

Don't you love the ruffl-ey bottom? :o)

And voila...a cute, girly apron that was super simple!

Flowerpot Cakes

2010-05-11T22:12:00.000-07:00

Ever since I saw these a few years ago, I've always wanted to make them. They look perfect for any little girls party, or any party in the Spring for that matter. They are over at my dear Martha's website...

Click here to check out the recipe and how to assemble it.

My best friend from Oregon was down here visiting this past weekend, so we've been busy having fun and catching up! I made the cutest-but-simple apron tonight with some fabric scraps that I will post tomorrow with a tutorial.

Have you met The Graphics Fairy?

2010-05-10T20:07:00.000-07:00

Have you been over to The Graphics Fairy yet?

She posts new vintage clip art every day, like the one pictured above, and it's all free! There are endless possibilities with her site! I love it, and I am grateful to her for all her hard work in finding such cool clip art that is free for all of us to use.

I've seen people who print her images on transfer paper and use transfer them to fabric for throw pillows. Or, you could do like I did, and fill some frames that were in desperate need of something unique...

Since I fell onto the sparrow bandwagon in my family room, I thought I'd print some vintage bird prints to hang by my fireplace.

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-08T19:46:00.001-07:00

I hope that each and every one of you has a super special Mother's Day! I hope your day brings lots of loves and kisses from your family! Us women are special, so it's nice to have a little day to ourselves tomorrow!

Happy Mother's Day!

P.S. I feel like that is me in the picture...with Payton my 4 yr. girl, and my 20 month old twins, Sawyer and Sage!

Dishing It Party: May Edition

2010-05-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

Amanda over at Serenity Now is having another Dishing It Party! I always get excited for her blog parties every month because I hope that it beings new peeps to my little blog world!

So, the topic this month is Mother's! Very fitting for this coming Sunday!

~What's the best thing about your mom?
She is a great listener. When I need to vent, or advice, she is always there! She is gracious and kind. Everyone loves her!

~If your mom isn't around, do you have a family member or mentor who can stand in for her?
My mother in law is pretty awesome!

~What's your relationship with your mom like (do you just tolerate each other, or is she your best confidant)?
She and I have always been very close

~If there is one quality about your mom that you could emulate, what would it be?
Her gracefulness

~What's the best advice your mom has ever given you?
Too much good advice to list here. Whatever I was going through, she had some good advice for me every time I swear!

~Describe the most embarrassing outfit your mom made you wear when you were growing up.
When I was about 12 years old, my parents made me wear this HEINOUS dress to church. I remember I was so embarassed to go. I battled with them all morning, pleading and begging to not to have to wear it. It was a black, green, red, and white plaid dress that made me feel like I was a pioneer. I really to this day don't know why they made me wear such awful drab!

~If you're a mom, what's your favorite thing about motherhood? What's the most difficult?
I love all the loves I get from my kiddos. I love to hear their laughter, and I love to see their excitement. It makes me so happy. For me, patience would be the hardest! I think that I struggle in this area. I pray every day for more patience!

No-Sew Fabric Flowers

2010-05-06T11:38:00.000-07:00

Are these not the cutest little bouquets you ever did see?

I love these and plan to make them for my daughters' room. Dana over at MADE made these adorable little no-sew fabric flowers. They are easy, affordable, and ever ever so cute!

Click here for her tutorial.

Cinco De Mayo: Easy Tissue Paper Decor

2010-05-05T10:17:00.000-07:00

Who's having a Mexican food feast tonight? Me! Me! Me! I've been drooling over all these Cinco De Mayo recipes I've been researching online. I truly think I could eat Mexican food every day of the week and never get sick of it!

In honor of Cinco De Mayo today, I wanted to share a cute idea that you can do for your family tonight to make your Mexican feast extra special!

Over at her website, the famous and fabulous Martha Stewart has a feature on creating these tissue paper decorations. If you have any tissue paper lying around, you can easily create these by folding them in half and fringing them. So simple, and so perfectly cute!

If you want to see Martha's tutorial, click here

If you are still looking for yummy recipes for tonight, head over to Prudence Pennywise and check out her recipe for Red Chile and Cheese Enchiladas.

And p.s. I have seen Martha Stewart in person when I went to two different tapings of her show. It was so neat! I hope to go back again someday.

Tutorial: Jewelry Organizer

2010-05-04T20:45:00.000-07:00

I saw a picture of something similar to this jewelry organizer somewhere out there in blogland, and it inspired me to make my own. My jewelry wasn't this organized before, so I am excited to have it hanging in my Vogue bathroom now!

First, I took a framed canvas (but you could use a regular picture frame) that someone gave me, and painted it black. It took four coats because the gold kept showing through.

After the first coat...it would look pretty like this too, but it wasn't the look I was going for...

Then I stretched out the fabric over the front of the canvas and used my staple gun to staple the fabric to the back of it. Like my lounge pants? I like to be comfy when I'm doing projects! :o)

Luckily, we happened to have some chicken wire laying around since my husband just built us a chicken coop! I used wire cutter and cut some chicken wire to the size I needed to cover the frame just like I did with the fabric. It can also be stapled to the back of the canvas for a strong hold.

Then I put the frame back into the canvas, and hung it back onto the wall. I usually never have these framed canvases laying around, so if you don't either, you can use the cardboard that came with the frame or cut your own piece to size and cover it with fabric and chicken wire.

Tumbleweed Tiny Houses

2010-05-03T10:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I got the Sunday paper as usual so that I could get the coupons out of it, and I became very intrigued when I saw the cover of the Parade Magazine insert. It featured a photo of a man standing next to his 100 sqaure foot home! Can you believe it? 100 square feet! I started checking out more about this man named Jay Shafer who helped create this company called Tumbleweed Tiny House Company. They sell tiny homes and plans for building yourself. I think it is truly amazing and clever.

I really want one now! Aren't they cute? You can even travel with these! There are also plans for slightly larger homes that are adorable!

You can check out their website here. I would love to live in the Whidbey model.

Washer Necklace

2010-04-30T21:05:00.000-07:00

When I first saw this washer necklace tutorial over at Blue Cricket Designs, I knew that I had to try and make one for myself! I'm all about unique-but-cute jewelry, so I thought I'd give it a whirl! I have my sister Chelsey modeling it here since I went sans makeup today (not feeling that well). It was super easy to make, and cost about $2 total.

My daughter Payton jumped in...She is such a ham in front of the camera! :o)

Click here for the tutorial.

Chalkboard Plant Pots

2010-04-29T10:09:00.000-07:00

Have you guys bought yourselves some chalkboard paint yet? It is so much fun to use!

I saw some chalkboard planter pots in a Ballard Designs catalog once, and I thought I could easily re-create them for WAY less! So I went down to the handy dandy Home Depot, and bought some small terra cotta planter pots, as well as the little saucers for them to sit on. They cost about $1 each. Then I whipped out my chalkboard spray paint, and gave each piece two coats. Once they are dry, they are ready for a plant or a seed, or whatever floats your boat. Then you can label them with chalk and it makes for a cute windowsill addition.

Giveaway: Want a cute swimsuit?

2010-04-29T10:02:00.000-07:00

I have to share this post because I love all things DownEast Basics! Mique over at Thirty Handmade Days is having a giveaway for a DownEast Basics Swimsuit. So head on over here if you want to enter too! Since I love all things animal print, I would love this giraffe print suit. So cute, and I love how they cover everything!

Flower Tutorial

2010-04-27T20:55:00.000-07:00

Aren't these flowers lovely! How cute they would be in different sizes and colors all over your throw pillows?! There is a tutorial here over at Grosgrain Fabulous that you can check out and learn how to make these beauties! You can make these for scarves, pillows, cardigans, girls' dresses, gift boxes...the list could go on!

Go check it out!

Cabin Style

2010-04-26T10:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday evening, we went up the mountain to visit one of my husband's work pals. When we got to his house, I was in love..it was my dream house! And no, it wasn't this giant perfect mansion. It was a modest sized cabin style home that was begging for me to give it some love and tlc. It had wood beams on the ceiling, a wrap around porch, and a cute little kitchen that had a fabulous view of the ocean. To live there would be divine. Oh how I love it!

So today, I felt compelled to do a post about ceiling wood beams. I want some in my home. They can be added to a ceiling for decorative purposes, they don't just have to be structural. Here are some inspiring pictures that I love...see how they add such coziness?!

This cabin in Park City, Utah

This photo from Vermont Timber Works

This Lydecker House

Can you tell that I want some wood on my ceilings?!

Hope you have a great day!

Wallpaper

2010-04-23T11:10:00.000-07:00

See how cute decorating with wallpaper can be? Free wallpaper samples are easy to come by so it makes for super cheap yet stylish and very chic art! Ivy over at Busybees wasn't sure which wallpaper she wanted to use, so she just framed all her samples instead! She used wood frames from IKEA that she painted white that cost $2.99 each.

Here are some online sites that will send free samples:

Graham & Brown - first four are free, then $1 each after that

Farrow & Ball

The Little Greene

Hope you snag some really great samples!

Message Boards

2010-04-22T11:32:00.001-07:00

Need a place to store all of your pictures and notes? Maybe some of these message boards will inspire you!

A Message Board in a frame from coleyB...

Here is one from Delairen...

Try this one made from a cookie sheet by Julie Stamps...

Cork can be found at your local hardware store, and you can cut it any size or shape you want. You can also place pretty ribbon at the backing of a bare frame like the one here. Look around your house and be creative!

will work for $1

2010-04-21T15:50:00.000-07:00

Anyone interested in hiring an Interior Designer for the low, low price of a dollar? I am excited to help anyone who needs it! Head on over to my website and check it out! I am dying to get some new clients and I wanna help you with your design dillemas!

Tutorial: Dramatic Shelves

2010-04-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post more pictures of them on here, but my camera batteries just decided to die...so only one picture unfortunatley!

I designed these shelves for a wall that needed a little something, and lucky for me, my husband could build them! I first saw something similar to these on an episode of Color Splash with David Bromstad on HGTV. I thought of how super simple they would be to make, and don't cost a lot of money AND you can make these any size you need them to be.

1. Go to Lowe's or Home Depot and buy a sheet of MDF, or medium density fiberboard (if you don't have a tool to cut up the mdf once you get it home, you can have them cut it there for you into the sized pieces you need for free). Mine are approximately 18" x 30" each. MDF costs about $18 for a 4' x 8' sheet that you will get plenty of use out of!

2. So you will need two cut pieces that are for the backing that will be against the wall (again, mine are 18" x 30"), and two pieces that are for the vases or whatever you want to sit on. Mine are approximately 18" x 10".

3. Paint every surface of the 4 cut pieces of MDF in whatever color your heart desires!

4. Take some wood glue, and adhere the two pieces together first. After you've applied the wood glue, use 1 1/2" screws with your drill gun and screw in about 5 screws on each. Pre-drilling the holes is important because it precents the MDF from splitting out. To reinforce, you can use caulking on the seam to make the shelf a little stronger. Make sure to paint over the caulking once it's dry. Once all the wood glue and caulking is dry, they are ready to hang. We screwed ours directly onto the wall, using 1 1/2" screws in the middle of the backing and then painted over it.

Obviously you can't use it to hold anything too heavy, but mine hold up the vases pretty darn well! You can do one by itself, or as many as you want. It is a great and cheap way to fill out a wall.

And p.s. my walls are NOT white! They're a light neutral because I have tons of color everywhere else!

Subway Art Tutorial

2010-04-19T11:05:00.001-07:00

Ever since I saw Jen's Subway Art project over at www.tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com, I knew I had to create one for myself! She made one using Valentine's Day words, but I will be making one with french cooking words to hang in my kitchen, like mirepoix, cucina, florentine, poche, saute, and bleu. Hopefully by the end of next week, I'll have it completed and hanging in my kitchen so I can share my version!

For now, I thought I'd direct you over to Jen's tutorial for Subway Art, because she is fabulous, and I love all of her tutorials! She has given me a lot of inspiration! Go check out her tutorial:
http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/2010/01/valentine-subway-art-tutorial-with-pdf.html

Chalkboards

2010-04-16T11:21:00.000-07:00

Chalkboards can be cute, as well as keep you super organized!

In the past, I've bought picture frames from the Dollar Tree and turned them into cute chalkboards. If you have any picture frames laying around that you're not using, you can easily paint the frame any color you want with craft paint, and spray the glass with chalkboard spray paint found at any hardware store. You can always find inexpensive frames at the thrift stores and garage sales. Even the ugliest of frames can become a cute chalkboard! And you can make a chalkboard as big or small as you want...just find a picture frame in whatever size you'd like. Jen from www.jenbowlesdesign.com posted the photo above of her kitchen.

Or you can make multiple chalkboards and implement them into a wall collage like Janell did over at: http://isabellaandmaxrooms.blogspot.com/2010/02/just-when-you-thought-art-wall-was-done.html

Another way to implement a chalkboard is through the use of chalkboard paint. You can buy quarts of chalkboard paint at Home Depot or Lowe's, and they come in different colors! You can paint a small section or a whole wall if you're feeling gutsy, like Nick Harris did in his uploaded photo to flickr.com:

Blog Party!

2010-04-15T10:53:00.000-07:00

There's a blog party going on over at another Amanda's blog and I want in!
http://serenitynow4amanda.blogspot.com/2010/04/dont-you-want-to-be-dishing-it-with-me.html

I'm going to interrupt the Affordable Art Week series to join the fun and hopefully meet some fellow bloggers!

So, HI to all my new friends! I'm Amanda and I've been blogging for a little over a month! I just created a website called www.adollarforadesign.com and I wanted a blog in addition to my website so that people could see my work and I could share my ideas! I have a Bachelor's Degree in Interior Design, and I wanted to create a website that I could have fun with and help people beautify their spaces. I have always had a love for good design, and I wanted to learn how to take even the smallest or ugliest space and turn it into something beautiful! So, if you head over to my website and pay a dollar (hence the name!), I can offer you some customized solutions! It's like hiring an Interior Designer and it only costs a buck! Hopefully this blog will continue to provide people with inspiration and ideas to improve and beautify the space they've got! I'm all about do-it-yourself projects, and since I'm a super tightwad, I'm always looking for ways to get things on the cheap...without ever sacrificing style of course! I have a lot of fun projects planned in the coming months that I will feature, so hopefully you keep coming back for more!

Wall Decals

2010-04-15T10:38:00.000-07:00

As we chug along through Affordable Art Week, I wanted to mention wall decals. I really wanted to try decorating with one when I was re-decorating my family room. I saw them online and thought they could be so cute! But, I wanted a lttle more texture on the wall, so I decided to apply mine to some painted mdf from Home Depot, and then my husband was able to frame it out for me so it looked like a picture frame around the mdf. This was a great way for me to get some large art above my couch on a giant bare wall. The picture above is from www.circlelinestudio.com who has some really cute wall decals. Wall decals can range anywhere from $5 - $75, it just matters on the size. It can be an affordable way to fill a giant bare wall! They can go directly on the wall, or onto some wood and then hung on the wall like I did!

Scrapbook Paper

2010-04-14T10:53:00.000-07:00

If you have a small budget, but want some changes that will make a big impact, design with scrapbook paper! There are so many beautiful varieties out there that are beautiful enough to have on display. Whether you frame it, or apply it to wood or foam board with mod podge, it will look beautiful. I've framed some eclectic paper for my twins' nursery and it looked great hanging on the walls. This is one of the most affordable ways to get some cuteness up onto the walls!

Photo courtesy of www.queenofdiy.com. There is a really great tutorial you can follow to re-create this look here:
http://www.queenofdiy.com/home-decorating/scrapbook-paper-wall-art.html

Fabric!

2010-04-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

One trick of the trade that I've seen a lot of designers do, is to take art canvases, and cover them with fabric. This is so inexpensive and cute!!!! Since I am not an incredible artist, I'd rather cover up a canvas with cute fabric instead of trying to paint a picture. You can also use a solid piece of plywood and cover it with fabric too, if you have wood scraps laying around in your garage.

The best way to adhere the fabric is to use a glue gun or staple gun on the backside of the wood or canvas.

Some of my favorite fabrics are from Designers: Amy Butler, Heather Bailey, and Joel Dewberry. Their coordinating collections make it easy to combine fabrics and get a cohesive look.

Photo courtesy of flickr.com

Affordable Art Week

2010-04-12T10:41:00.000-07:00

Today I'm be kicking off Affordable Art Week, where each day this week I'll feature a very inexpensive way to put some nice artwork onto those walls. I think that a lot of times, people aren't sure how or what to put up onto their walls, so hopefully this week I'll give you some new ideas.

For today, I wanted to share a few websites that I've used to purchase art prints, rather than buying already framed art, which can get very expensive!

Art.com

Allposters.com

You can find almost anything on here! Any style, any color, ANYTHING! This is where I found the art print for my entryway. If you buy the prints this way, and then find some inexpensive frames at thrift stores, flea markets, and/or garage sales, it will cost way less then buying already framed art.

I love vintage prints. While shopping in Bed Bath & Beyond one day, I saw this Vogue print and HAD to have it! But instead of buying it there, I found the print online and had a frame for it, which ended up being half the price of what the store wanted. Now it is hanging up in my master bathroom and it is fabulous!

If you have a frame that is a little bigger than the print you want to use, you can make your own matting using cardstock.

How I got the $500 look for $50

2010-04-08T11:30:00.000-07:00

A few years back, my Aunt had a Ballard Designs catalog laying around at her house, and when I flipped through it, I fell in love. The catalog was full of fabulous home decor items, including artwork, fabric, furniture, and accessories. The only downside is, all the stuff I wanted was a bit out of my budget price range. I saw this grouping of prints that I loved, and I knew I wanted on my walls somewhere. I found a way to re-create the look. It was merely a large print, cut up into smaller pieces and framed. So, I decided to find a replica of the print through an online art website, went to Wal-Mart and picked up 8 of those $3 wood frames, and started cutting away at the art print. Here is what I came up with. Ballard Designs wanted over $500 for their collection, and I paid 10% of the price for my version. These are hanging in my entry, and I have plans for my husband to build me an entry table to complete the look.

Next week, I'll go over affordable ways to get art up onto those walls!

Shirt Re-fashion

2010-04-02T11:09:00.000-07:00

I've been a little tired of my wardrobe lately, so I decided to re-fashion some of my clothes. I took this maroon plain shirt, and a pair of girls' soccer shorts that I got at the thrift store for a quarter, and made something that I think is super cute!

I found the idea based on this fabulous tutorial here:
http://www.madebylex.com/2010/02/anthropologie-pratia-tank-top-tutorial.html

cheap art

2010-03-29T10:49:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, I had a baby shower to go to for a friend of mine. I always like to give unique and handmade gifts, so I took a little mod podge, a piece of scrap wood from the garage, scrapbook paper, and here is what I came up with. I asked her ahead of time what her nursery colors were, so it matched her decor. I just cut the scrapbook paper into shapes and brushed it onto the wood with the mod podge.

hometrends

2010-03-09T13:22:00.000-08:00

I've had a chance to look at Walmart's new line of home decor products called hometrends, and I must say I'm impressed! Everything looks really stylish, and is super affordable. I've been searching for the right lampshade for my bedroom, and I think this line carries the one for me.

You can check out their stuff right here
http://connect.walmart.com/Hometrends/

Fashion Trends Spring 2010

2010-03-04T14:41:00.000-08:00

I think that any fashion trend can translate into interior design...so here are some current trends that are worth noting...

Metallics - Think copper vases, and shabby metal frames.

Pastels - This is a no-brainer. Spring = pastels, so decorate accordingly!

Nautical - Sailor-Style translated into interior design can mean blue and white striped throw pillows, all different shades of white, rope trimming, light, bleached out woods.

Latest Project

2010-03-03T11:30:00.000-08:00

One of things I wanted for Christmas last year, was an electric sander. I have had so many repurposing projects in the past that have required me to sand them with sandpaper by hand, so I a sander was definitely a need in my book. My mom delivered, and my latest project with it has been this little rocking chair that I discovered at a garage sale for $2. This chair has got to be atleast 40 years old, because there is layer upon layer of this heavy duty paint! I am working to sand it all off so that I can repaint it and make a cute little chair with a cushion for my daughters. It takes me about an hour to do one section of this chair, so it has been a slow project! Hopefully it will be done soon so that I can post pictures!