Cheap Chic Home

French Settee Completed

2012-02-01T16:41:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone! I've been MIA for a couple of days, did you miss me? I missed you! It was a decision to keep plowing ahead with my loveseat/settee or interrupt that for a different project. I decided to continue working on the settee and have this to show for it...

Yay! Let's just soak it in for a moment, shall we? I soft-focused it, so it would look ethereal, well, maybe that's stretching it...

Craigslist Listing

Inspiration

Now that it's done, we can take a look at the process, starting with my "before and after" photos:

You can see it started out black. I actually liked it in black, but decided to brighten it up. I think it's going to go in my master bedroom, so the lighter color makes more sense, anyway. After all of the upholstery was taken off, it got a coat of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (ASCP) in Olde Ochre (the same that was used on my dresser redo). For the record, after painting the dresser and this settee, I have just shy of 1/2 quart left of my paint. This settee took more paint than you might think, too, because the cane took quite a bit.

Then the caning got several of these patches, maybe five or six, using cane I had from a previous project. I got the idea from another blogger, although, I don't remember who. It's not the exact width, but it's close. (I think I went a bit cross-eyed, trying to figure the ins-and-outs of the weaving!) Had I realized there was that much patching, I may have ordered cane sheets (it is quite inexpensive). Although, it may have been really distressing (and not in a good way) seeing the entire loveseat pulled apart--you know what I mean--where the project looks overwhelming? I tried using wood glue, but am not overly happy with it, I think I'll give E3000 a try.

The next thing I worked on was the two separate seat cushions. I used the same toile picture and centered it on the cushion. If you've ever made these before, you know they're time consuming.

After the paint dried and the cushions were underway, I distressed the piece. You know me, I'm a "madcap" distresser, so just lightly hit some of the edges. It worked well in my favor, since I didn't have to overly worry about covering the cane 100% with the paint, so it looked lightly distressed. It got a coat of clear wax, the cane got a light coat, too.

Onto the easiest, most fun part of the project--upholstering the fabric on. This is where some of you will ~~think I'm nuts~~ diverge from my opinion, I go old-school and use tacks. Yes, tacks. (The needle nose pliers are from removing all of the #!@% staples.) I used most of the old stuffing and added batting to fluff and freshen the seat base and cushions.

In an effort not to leave steps out, the above photo shows an extra piece of foam that I sewed an extra flap of fabric on at the base of the seat with which to cover it. When completed, I didn't like the "sharp" edge, seen in the picture, below, so I took it out and replaced it with rolled batting.

Here are the tacks, they are easy to put in and easy to take out, plus, you get more control being able to hold the fabric.

Here you'll see more tacks on the armrest. The other arrow is pointing to double welt that will get glued, with fabric glue, over the tacks. The double welt method I used can be found at Much To Do With Nothing. You could also use gimp if you want something premade.

(photo from modhomeec.com)

Here's the armrest with the welt glued on.

Distressing and some of the seat double welt.

More of the seat double welt and the rolled batting edge.

Ahh, how satisfying! The settee was found on Craigslist, the toile was from Old Time Pottery.

Me, attempting to ham-it-up. Phew, that was a time consuming project!

Guest Post Winter Front Porch by Balsam Hill

2012-01-28T08:54:00.000-05:00

Hi all! Jessica Phan from Balsam Hill is sitting in for me at my keyboard today. She's here to share a few tips on enhancing your outdoor space during the winter.

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Making an Impression: Inexpensive Tips to Help Decorate your Winter Front Porch

Now that the holidays are over, it's time to think about decorating the front porch for the rest of winter. Transitioning your décor from Christmas to something that will last throughout the winter is easy, even when you have a tight budget. Here are some ideas.

Paint your door in a bright color.
Sometimes, all you need is a splash of color to change the look of your home and improve your mood. A brightly colored door makes a porch look inviting and cozy. Use a glossy exterior paint in red, blue or green and top it off with a polyurethane coat to make it last longer. Since you will only be painting the door and not the whole porch, there's no need to buy a full gallon of paint. A quart should be enough to cover everything. Let the paint dry completely (at least 24 hours) before putting up any accessory.
Spruce up your front steps with a bright, inexpensive doormat.
Doormats come in different colors, patterns and textures. Visit your local department store for a low-priced but stylish doormat that coordinates with the other colors on your front porch. Make sure to get one that will withstand the frigid season and the coming and going of visitors. If you want a mat that you can use through the seasons, look for something made from more durable materials, although this may be more expensive.
Scour flea markets for bargain furniture pieces.
To make your front porch more welcoming, look for cozy furniture pieces such as benches and swings. These pieces make a charming addition to a space; just throw in a couple of cushions or a handmade quilt and you're all set. Hunt for great furniture bargains at flea markets and thrift stores. Craigslist is also a great source of secondhand furniture that you can upcycle using basic DIY know-how.

If you purchased a piece that is chipped on some areas, fill the gaps with wood filler before sanding it down for a smooth finish. If you want a distressed look, skip the primer and go straight to painting. Wait for the paint to dry completely and then sand the edges to give your furniture a shabby chic appeal.
Update your lighting.
Good lighting is essential in any front porch design, even more so if you're decorating for winter. Breathe new life to your lighting by adding small details. Update old brass hardware by giving it a fresh coat of paint. You can also add ribbons and fresh evergreen on outdoor lights to give them winter flair. Tuck pine sprigs or boxwood branches behind a wall sconce and insert clusters of berries for a pop of color.
Add visual interest with colorful planters and other containers.
Flowers and shrubs instantly add a gorgeous curb appeal to homes. Display them in planters and window boxes to bring life to your front porch. Dwarf evergreens look elegant on sleek planters. Choose plants of different heights, sizes and color to create varied points of interest.
Accessorize with what you already have.
You probably have plenty of home accessories sitting in the basement or attic. Winter is the perfect time to showcase them ñ don't wait for another year to bring them out. You don't need to purchase new decorations every year just to achieve the homey look that you want. Use old baskets, glass vases, throw pillows and colorful blankets to embellish your front porch. If you still have the wreath and garland you used for the holidays, leave them on your door and make a few tweaks as needed.
Add a winter scent to your décor.
The sense of smell is just as powerful as the other senses, yet we often miss to include it in our decorating plans. Cinnamon, berries, and evergreen all smell of winter and perfect as front porch embellishments. Insert a couple of cinnamon sticks on your door wreath to delight your guests.

As the seasons roll around, you only need to make minor adjustments to your outdoor home décor. Make the design transition from holidays to winter an easy one by using only a few key elements on your decorating plan. This helps you enjoy the seasons and your decorating efforts much longer.

Jessica Phan is a designer for Balsamhill.com a purveyor of high-end artificial Christmas Trees. Living in the San Francisco Bay Area is perfect for her because she has a wide range of interests, including Art & Design, Fashion, Photography, Painting and Thrift Store Shopping.

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Thanks, Jessica. I liked the tip about adding cinnamon sticks to the front door.

Note: I was not compensated in any way for this post other than taking a "day off."

Bartering and Progress

2012-01-27T09:35:00.001-05:00

Hey there! So far, my choir retreat has been, so good. It's always beyond invigorating to get with a large (over four hundred!) group of singers. Since I'm predisposed, this post is going to be a bit brief, but you'll still get to see some pretty cool stuff. First, I want to introduce (if you don't already know her), Janlynn, from her blog Janlynn Sew More!

She does a professional job on all of the items she sews. Here she is modeling a coat she made to go with her boots. It came in a pre-cut kit that she found for $2! (She didn't know I was pulling this photo, I couldn't resist with the dog all mugging for the camera.)

Janlynn and I have been bloggy friends for quite some time. She asked me to do some work on her blog for her, such as a header and some other tweaks. In exchange, she offered to make something for me. I requested she make a garment bag. Little did I know I was sending her off on a wild-goose-chase to find the nylon fabric from which they are made. She did not disappoint, and found the perfect fabric with one of my favorite colors for the binding.

Didn't she do a fantastic job? In addition to the garment bag, she made a smaller drawstring bag and a beautiful, personalized (she embroiders, too) zipper bag with a tassel. Boy, oh, boy, did I get a great deal! Because I wanted it for my choir outfit, I figured this would be the perfect day to do this post, since the first time I will be using it is tonight. I'm pretty sure I'll be the envy of all the ladies there! (For the record, there are 100 altos and 129 sopranos--that's a lot of envying!)

And, because I know you are all waiting to see how my loveseat is going, I'll show you a couple of in-progress photos. Is it killin' ya? It's killin' me!

That's it for today, have a wonderful weekend! I'm crossing my fingers that I get my loveseat D.O.N.E!

How To Display Your Photo When Leaving Comments

2012-01-25T10:23:00.001-05:00

Come close, closer. Have I got a "secret" for you. You know how many of the blogs are on WordPress and when you leave a comment you sometimes show up as a blank profile or a quilt square?

Who is this person? All you need to do to get your picture to show up is go over to Gravatar and sign up for a globally recognized avatar. Sounds easy, doesn't it? Trust me, it is! You'll see their home page: Just click on Get your Gravatar today >>

You can go from this:

To this:

Ahh, much better! Happy commenting!

I'm busily working on my loveseat. As a matter of fact, by the time you read this, I will have given it a coat of paint (or two). Yesterday I removed the upholstery, boy, that's my least favorite job. Tomorrow and Friday I will be involved in a choir retreat, but I hope to have a post for you Friday, anyway. The loveseat reveal will be next week--Lord willing! Take care and have a good rest of the week!

Tiny DIY Trophies

2012-01-23T12:51:00.002-05:00

Happy Monday! Did you all have a relaxing weekend? A productive one? A stressful one? Here at the CC Homestead, I sewed an awful lot, but don't have anything to show you. Yet. But, in the world of serendipitous blogging--you know the one--where you see something like the really cool old-school silver trophies and think they would be fun to own, and, yet, realize that you're not sure if you want to invest in one. Then, you are innocently perusing the party isle at Walmart and get an idea. Yes, you read that right.

In the party isle, you will find a four-pack for $1 of these tiny trophies (approx. 2" tall) in a shiny gold. A little spray paint later and you have a darling miniature collection.

For whatever reason, these took a long time to dry. I don't know if it was because I didn't have spray paint specifically for plastic, or they just got a heavier coat of paint, by the virtue of the fact they are so small. I tried both matte and shiny silver paint. The shiny won--hands down.

You may even decide you want to redo your entire hutch (which has been woefully neglected since Christmas, anyway).

What do you think a tiny collection of trophies would inspire you to do? Maybe hold a contest for some fairies or gnomes?

Or award yourself a trophy for being so thriftily clever?

I've got a pretty full week ahead of me. I'm hoping I'll have at least a decent sneak peek of what I've been working on soon. I thought I'd get the entire project done this weekend, to which we could all laugh hysterically!

Ramsign Winner

2012-01-21T09:43:00.000-05:00

The winner is.............. Anita from Going a Little Coastal. Congratulations, Anita!

Ramsign Giveaway - Last Day!

2012-01-20T15:46:00.000-05:00

Reminder! If you haven't entered my RAMSIGN Giveaway, now's the time!!! The winner will be announced tomorrow.

Click over HERE to leave your comment and be entered.

Coffee Sack Baskets

2012-01-19T16:10:00.003-05:00

Hey Girlies! Did you think I'd leave you hanging in the kitchen in my last post? What a nice segue from kitchen to coffee--come on in with your coffee or soda, and sit awhile! Some time ago, I won this genuine coffee sack from Marty at A Stroll Thru Life (Hi, Marty!). My top repurposing choices ended up being between a tote bag and another burlap basket. (A pillow just seemed too scratchy.) It seemed as if it was calling out to be a basket--"Hellooo, make me into a basket...!"

No, wait a minute...make that two baskets! And, here it is (!) turned into "basket" planters for my faux-liage. The size was based on the print of the bag and is very similar to my original, although a little bit narrower. Below, if you remember, is what it looked like to start with. Since I didn't want a "basket" that tall, I did some creative cutting on the yellow lines.

Heh, heh, you'll see have have another piece left, which, hopefully will be coming to a blog post near you! I followed the instructions from my Burlap Basket Tutorial. I used a spare piece of burlap I had for the bottoms. The smaller one (about 18" around) has a cuff on the top that is folded outward. The top of the larger one was banded on the inside and hemmed. It got two "belt loops," since I didn't want to cover the printing, with only one strand of jute strung through and tied in a simple bow.

Isn't it nice how they snuggle right in, even though this area is a little more formal?

For some reason, I had to work a little harder to get this basket together. I'm not sure if it's because I had a stiffer innerfacing, or did not take the sack apart. I figured I'd be sewing it together, anyway, so left it like that. If I did it again, or if you make one, I'd take it apart at the seam before you start. (I remember thinking unladylike thoughts at one point.)

Gah, this is so cute! I thought the picture was of a swan, cough, cough, however, I believe it's actually a stylized coffee bean. That's what I'm sticking with.

So versatile--it also works as a floor planter. Isn't it fun to take humble, functional items and transform them into home decor?

Homemade Marshmallows

2012-01-17T09:47:00.002-05:00

Hey friends! I made marshmallows--yes, I did! And, they turned out, too! This was not the post I had intended on putting up today, I cut apart my coffee sack, but the project isn't completed, yet, so hang in there, if you want to get out of my kitchen! I had seen this recipe awhile ago, and for some reason decided that with the long weekend, I needed (as if one needs to make marshmallows) to give it a go. The recipe is from Smitten Kitchen.

The part of the recipe I was concerned about, was the part that involved a candy thermometer. While I know my way around the kitchen, I seem not to have good luck using a thermometer. I decided to buy a new one--actually, I couldn't find my old one--but, I think that one was a hand-me-down. I was determined to buy a "good" one, but all's Walmart had was a cheapy. I bought it, anyway.

(Note: I "inherited" my mixer from my mom, when she moved into her condo. Yea!)

Everything went super smoothly (no pun intended). The large picture (above, right) shows the sugar mixing and the egg whites already beaten in the corner. The top left photo is after everything is mixed together and ready to be poured into the pan. At this point, Deb said she ran into extreme stickiness and cautioned not to touch the batter or use a spatula to get the remaining marshmallow goo out of the mixer bowl. I did not have that problem and everything went into my 9x13 pan without a hitch. They turn out more spongy and less elastic than store bought marshmallows. (For step by step photos, head over to Smitten Kitchen.)

These turned out so well and they just amuse and entertain me by the very fact I was actually able to pull the recipe off. Okay, now what might one do with them? Give a jar to your sweetie pie for Valentine's Day? I think these would be oh-so-great with a half jar cocoa mix and the other half homemade 'mallows.

Heidi's Cottage - Pinterest

Packed in a s'more kit--Ooo, maybe I should try making graham crackers, next.

I'm always up for dipping something into melted chocolate. How 'bout you?

What would a gift be without some tags? You can see I used my tag punch on red cardstock and some vintage newspaper scrapbook paper. Then, I cut the heart out of the newspaper print to let the red peek through.

Fluffy Marshmallow Recipe
from Smitten Kitchen
(free printable copy here)

About 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 1/2 envelopes (2 tablespoons plus 2 1/2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water, divided
2 cups granulated sugar (cane sugar worked just fine)
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites or reconstituted powdered egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla (alternately: 1/2 of a scraped vanilla bean, 2 teaspoons almond or mint extract or maybe even some food coloring for tinting)

Oil bottom and sides of a 13- by 9- by 2-inch rectangular metal baking pan (I used glass) and dust bottom and sides with confectioners’ sugar.

In bowl of a standing electric mixer or in a large bowl sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold cold water, and let stand to soften.

In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook granulated sugar, corn syrup, second 1/2 cup of cold water, and salt over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to moderate and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 240°F, about 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.

With standing or a hand-held electric mixer beat mixture on high speed until white, thick, and nearly tripled in volume, about six minutes if using standing mixer or about 10 minutes if using hand-held mixer. (Some reviewers felt this took even longer with a hand mixer, but still eventually whipped up nicely.)

In separate medium bowl with cleaned beaters beat egg whites (or reconstituted powdered whites) until they just hold stiff peaks. Beat whites and vanilla (or your choice of flavoring) into sugar mixture until just combined. Pour mixture into baking pan and don’t fret if you don’t get it all out (learning from my mess of a first round). Sift 1/4 cup confectioners sugar evenly over top. Chill marshmallow, uncovered, until firm, at least three hours, and up to one day.

Run a thin knife around edges of pan and invert pan onto a large cutting board. Lifting up one corner of inverted pan, with fingers loosen marshmallow and ease onto cutting board. With a large knife trim edges of marshmallow and cut marshmallow into roughly one-inch cubes. (An oiled pizza cutter works well here too.) Sift remaining confectioners’ sugar back into your now-empty baking pan, and roll the marshmallows through it, on all six sides, before shaking off the excess and packing them away.

Do ahead: Marshmallows keep in an airtight container at cool room temperature one week.

No. Explanation. Necessary!

When Pinterest Goes Viral

2012-01-14T14:12:00.000-05:00

How are you today? Are you all "Pinners?" Don't you just love Pinterest? All of the Pinning and inspiration...and more Pinning and Inspiration... Have you ever had it go viral on you? I may be overstating "viral," I suppose, since you probably need to get, like, 1,000,000 views on YouTube to be considered viral. Let me tell you about my viral story. (Both photos here have been "Posterized" on Picasa.)

click photo to be taken to Pin board

Six-Foot Chick has this black and white, chocolate/vanilla, wedding cake bookmarked in Tumblr. I saw it and thought is was Cool. Very Cool. So, I did what any "Pinner" would do. I Pinned it! Do you know it's been repinned over 1,000 times? It just keeps getting exponentially bigger. My email Inbox has been filled and refilled with repins and "likes."

click photo to be taken to post

Next, you all knoooowwww about this. My t-shirt quilt which made my No. 1 post of 2011. It, alone, is responsible for over 52,000 Cheap Chic Home hits. I realize that may not be a lot for some blogs, but it's a lot for me!

So, that's my own personal viral story. It continues to boggle my mind. Do you have a mind-boggling Pinterest story to share?

Dresser Reveal

2012-01-12T17:03:00.006-05:00

Hey everyone! Did you think I was "pulling your leg" on completing my dresser? I wanted to post it yesterday, but I was literally watching the paint dry waiting to start waxing it. It was also an overcast day, anyway, so I knew I wouldn't get good shots. Well, what a difference a day makes!

Yum, just scrumptious! It was painted with ASCP* in Old Ochre and given two coats of her clear wax, only. (The ASCP appeal, for me, is lack of prep--you don't know how tempted I was to take my paint brush and start on my kitchen cabinets!)

And, since we all love a good before and after, let's take a moment to Ooo and Ahh(!) over the transformation. I originally had left the base of the dresser in the natural wood, too--I kind of wanted to keep the tie-in with the ladder shelf on the other side of the room, but it made the piece look too bottom heavy--so I opted to paint it.

When the replacement drawer pulls were purchased, I decided to go with a bronze wash instead of black. I'm glad I did as it gives them a softer look. (You know, the devil's in the details!) One more note: If you do a project like this, keep the old hardware until you get the new installed. I needed to reuse the screws on the top drawer, since they were longer from the extra wood depth.

Thank you for indulging me in a couple of more beauty shots...

(Note to self: Check for miscellaneous photo invaders, i.e., hampers.) This dresser has certainly been transported into the right decade--it looks fantastic in the room.

*(Edited to add:) ASCP is Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

Don't forget my RAMSIGN Giveaway, going on now!

Joining these parties:

Ramsign Giveaway

2012-01-11T12:58:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends! Guess what I have in store for you today? That's right, a giveaway! You've probably seen RAMSIGN before, they are a small Danish company that is specializes in manufacturing and selling classic enamel signs (house signs and house numbers) based upon original designs and techniques.

The winner may choose any house number sign (not name signs or address plaques) with 1-5 digits of any size and design. That's a $69-$99 value! Here are some examples of what you could be affixing to your home, soon!

What are you waiting for?! Leave a comment on this post for your chance to win!

Giveaway will run through Midnight Friday, January 20. The winner will be selected via Random.org, and will be announced Saturday, January 21. RAMSIGN ships worldwide. You must be 18 years of age to qualify. Good luck!

How To Organize Link Party Buttons

2012-01-09T08:12:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone, happy Monday! I was hoping to have started painting the dresser in Strapping Lad's room, but I haven't gotten to that yet. We just got all of the Christmas decor put into the attic yesterday. Phew, it's always so fun to have it come out, but nice to get it put back, too. We were able to pick up a Craigslist daybed for Artsy Chick this weekend. Does anyone in the Tampa Bay area want to purchase bunk beds? The children's old ones are on CL right now.

* * * * *

I'm doing this post by popular request. Well, I don't know how popular, exactly, but every once and awhile, someone will ask me about how I get my linked blog buttons into neat, small squares. Quite some time ago, I wrote a post on resizing buttons, which is the exact principle we'll be using today. I'll just get more specific on how to get them all lined up and pretty for you. Disclaimer: I am by no means a coding expert and there are undoubtedly other ways to accomplish this--this is just the method I use.

The problem starts when we have a Great Blog Post (they're all great, right?) that we want to link up to a host blog's link party. We go over to the hosting blog and like a good party guest, copy and paste their blog button to the end of our Great Blog Post. So when you do that, you get something that looks like the patchwork, below:

After you've slaved over, and taken a ridiculous amount of photographs for, your Great Blog Post, this doesn't look all that attractive. So. How do you fix it??? Let's look at all of the html coding for the above buttons:

<a href="http://firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com/search/label/Show%20Off%20Your%20Stuff%20Party" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="blank"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fvxHkFmRuww/TjYS_3oztzI/AAAAAAAAAjA/H6n_MRE4xhs/s200/Show+off+your+Stuff+party+button.JPG" width="125" /></a>

<center><a href="http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad357/NoMinimalist/houseart-2.jpg" /></a></center><a border="0" href="http://frommyfrontporchtoyours.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa363/fromyfrontporchtoyours/blog%20button/BlogButtonHorizontal.jpg" /></a>

<center><a href="http://southernlovely.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q37/schoenfelds/showandshare.jpg" /></a></center>
<a href="http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Beyond The Picket Fence" border="0" src="http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq266/bec8257/button2.jpg" /></a>

Don't freak out!

Make these changes, instead. The green highlight is what you will ADD, the red is what you will DELETE:

<a href="http://firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com/search/label/Show%20Off%20Your%20Stuff%20Party" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="blank">&lt&img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fvxHkFmRuww/TjYS_3oztzI/AAAAAAAAAjA/H6n_MRE4xhs/s200/Show+off+your+Stuff+party+button.JPG" width="75" /></a>

<center> <a href="http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com/" ><img border="0" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad357/NoMinimalist/houseart-2.jpg" height="75" width="75" /></a></center>
<a border="0" href="http://frommyfrontporchtoyours.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa363/fromyfrontporchtoyours/blog%20button/BlogButtonHorizontal.jpg" height="75" width="75" /></a>

<center><a href="http://southernlovely.blogspot.com/" target=_blank><img border="0" src="http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q37/schoenfelds/showandshare.jpg" height="75" width="75" /></a></center>
<a href="http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/%20" target="_blank"><img alt="Beyond The Picket Fence" border="0" src="http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq266/bec8257/button2.jpg" height="75" width="75"/></a>

You should now have small, uniform blog buttons. (Note: The target=_blank opens a new tab for that particular blog and doesn't have anything to do with the tiles themselves, humor me and add it anyway because it benefits both you and your readers. For more info click the link.) What you have done is removed all of the host's centering instructions and changed the image size to 75 pixels square. Sometimes the host will have their own width and height specified already, in that case, just change them each to 75. There are a couple more things you need to do. Make sure all of your returns or breaks have been removed, so your html looks like one big uninterrupted block of text. Your buttons will look all lined up like below:

Now to get them all centered, add a <center> at the very beginning and a </center> at the very end. Your coding will look like this:

<center><a href="http://firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com/search/label/Show%20Off%20Your%20Stuff%20Party" target="blank"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fvxHkFmRuww/TjYS_3oztzI/AAAAAAAAAjA/H6n_MRE4xhs/s200/Show+off+your+Stuff+party+button.JPG" width="75" /></a><a href="http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img height="75" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad357/NoMinimalist/houseart-2.jpg" width="75" /></a><a href="http://frommyfrontporchtoyours.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img height="75" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa363/fromyfrontporchtoyours/blog%20button/BlogButtonHorizontal.jpg" width="75" /></a><a href="http://southernlovely.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img height="75" src="http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q37/schoenfelds/showandshare.jpg" width="75" /></a><a href="http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Beyond The Picket Fence" height="75" src="http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq266/bec8257/button2.jpg" width="75" /></a></center>

If you are very observant, you will see I deleted some other coding, let's not worry about that now, it shouldn't affect you one way or the other. Your final blog buttons should now look like this! (Occasionally, I will get extra returns before these small blocks appear--I think I am now, as a matter of fact--that is a Blogger issue that I think can be corrected if you edit is something other than the Blogger format.)

What I do, instead of making these adjustments every single time I link, I copy and paste from my Parties page. You could also do the same thing by making a Party page for yourself, or putting them in your sidebar, or copying and pasting your parties from one post to the next. Good luck and please let me know when you do this and I'll come over and take a look.

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I'm considering doing a couple other New Year-New Blog Look posts, we'll all have to stayed tuned to see if that happens or not. Regardless, I think I'm going to paint that dresser in time for the text post, so do, indeed stay tuned!

I'll be linking here:

Book Page Art Inspiration

2012-01-06T09:31:00.001-05:00

Hey friends! I've had a cold this week, so have been feeling sorry for myself. How are you doing? Fortunately, I've had this inspirational post planned so I can take another day a little bit "easier." (Ha, ha, like any of us has time to do that!) Anyway, I've been wanting to share with you a sampling of Strapping Lad's girlfriend's art. (She needs her own blog name and Artsy Chick's already taken, hmm. Today, let's refer to her as Ellie) Ellie just graduated in December and the seniors had their artwork displayed in their school's gallery. She works with mixed media and part of the media is book pages and maps, so even though most of us aren't bona fide artists, we can still be inspired, right?

Grandpa (10" W x 1 1/2" H)

Detail of Grandpa--Origami book pages, fibers, using an embroidery hoop as a frame.

Elegance (5" W x 12" H)

Origami book page flowers, fibers.

Untitled (Approx. 15” H x 24" L x 6” D)

Book page flowers in a crate, straight pins, fibers

Grandma (12" W x 3" H)

Great Grandma (12" W x 3" H)

"Spokes" are sisal.

Mapping (2' H x 4' W)

The flowers are origami map pieces

This is just a sampling of Ellie's work. I didn't ask her, but I would assume she would be delighted to make a commissioned piece.

Reception night
(L-R Artsy Chick, Strapping Lad, Ellie, Six Foot Chick)

Graduation Day
(Strapping Lad had his wisdom teeth pulled earlier in the week, so he is still swollen. Poor him.)

All art photos are from Ellie's website, as well as, other of her pieces. I hope you enjoyed seeing Ellie's creations. You've seen some of her other work, previously, on the frame post. She's been a part of our family for several years, now, and rounds us out quite well. And, we can't quite believe she's graduated from college already! Yikes, where does the time go?

Earbud Pouch

2012-01-04T08:48:00.002-05:00

What do you do when you don't have/take the time to whip up some Christmas gifts for, well, Christmas? You decide since you have time after Christmas (that and Six-Foot Chick had my car all day one day last week), make them, then. I made these for my girls and Strapping Lad's girlfriend.

Awhile ago, I saw this idea and Pinned it. It's from Erin's Dog Under My Desk blog. She has a download-able pdf and a step-by-step tutorial that was a breeze to follow.

Erin used really cute, spunky fabric. I used what I had around (not exactly teenager-appealing, but not too bad), which included:

Scraps of my home dec fabric (except for the red print) which was probably not as "friendly" as, say, quilting fabric, since it is stiffer;
Batting (again, could have been thinner), I also gave felt a try instead of batting, but that wasn't pliable enough;
for the Lining, I used plain muslin;
Zippers were what I could find lurking around which were two of both black and brown and one used off-white. The zippers drove what fabrics I chose. (Some of my top stitching turned out wonky from the weight of the fabric and some bulk from resewing and not the best trimming--trust me, I'm not losing sleep over it!)

One funny thing that happened, well it wasn't at the time, was I made oval pouches at first. How did that happen? Welllll, my laptop doesn't send to our house printer, so I pulled up the pdf in Adobe at 100% and traced it. The tracing was oval-ish, which I knew in the beginning. I kept going. It didn't even click till after I finished the third pouch that I didn't want oval! I turned them back inside out and restitched the oval to a circle (which is why the tabs that the split ring is attached to are shorter than Erin's). I guess I was so excited that I was making darling little earbud pouches, it took awhile to dawn on me that they looked more like eggs than dots! And, oh yeah, total cost: About $3 for the split rings.

I think these are as cute as all get-out and would make them again as gifts. Erin also has a cell phone sleeve tutorial that I'm eying...

Remember this cute cupcake apron I made for Fun-Sized Chick? She was delighted with it, as in running around the house with glee, delighted. Those are the kind of reactions one lives for!

Looking Ahead

2012-01-02T11:02:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year, Friends! I did a "looking ahead" post last year and saw many things come to fruition. It was a big personal year, too, with two of the Chicks graduating (one from HS, one from college, plus a wedding, and we had an honorary "Chick" graduate in December--photos coming soon), not to mention all of the projects, which get documented right HERE where you're sitting all comfy in front of your computer screen.

I decided to once again peer into the crystal ball of the future to see what we might have to look forward to this year.

Most likely plenty of sewing and fabric projects--> What I know "for sure" is I will be making a

friend's window treatments soon, and want to work on
a baby quilt. I'd also like to make myself
a tote and one to
giveaway. I need to decide what to do with the
coffee sack I won from, Marty at A Stroll Thru Life, too, at the moment I'm leaning towards
another basket or a tote. I have
two furniture reupholsters that I'd like to get to. Remember the
bargain settee and my
~~ripped up~~ deconstructed chair?

Gosh, that list didn't seem too bad until I bullet-pointed it all (okay, I was a bit fast-and-loose with the bullets).

(hmm, maybe I'll fix the dangling drawer pull, too.)

Furniture --> Well, I could put the chair and settee from the previous list here. Two of the Chicks and I made a trip to Robyn Story Designs during the Christmas break and purchased a quart of ASCP, so the dresser in the guest room will be painted, maybe as soon as later this week.

(I, for one, am tired of looking at this "before" photo!)

Projects--> Artsy Chick and Fun-Sized Chick both want bedroom updates.

Technical--> Darling Husband gave me the go ahead to get a new camera (for Christmas). I need to decide what kind to get and learn how to use it. Do you all have any tips, or favorite camera models? The only model name I can remember is the Canon Rebel, 'cause who doesn't want to be a "rebel" now and again?

Blog Design--> How do yo all feel about the WordPress vs. the Blogger trend going on now? Do you have a preference of one over the other? Does a blog on WordPress look more professional to you? Do you care? I have been asking some of you who've made the change how you did it--it's such a big-fat public decision. I'm considering switching over, for me it's an issue of sitting down and doing it and figuring out all of the particulars. I don't know about you, but taking the time is a big factor for me.

To Ponder--> Will bird motifs for spring remain strong, as well as, nests and eggs? Will book page projects remain popular...? What is the fate of chevrons???

And this all starts this week!

New Year's Candy Tower ~ Repost

2011-12-31T12:56:00.000-05:00

This was first posted on December 22, 2009. I thought it would be fun to bring it back for this New Year.

This project all started here:

A generous mom from Fun-Size Chick's class made this super duper candy tower for the class to share at Halloween time. Fun Size insisted that we get a picture of it, because she wanted to make one at home!

Instead of the class-sized one, we opted for an individual candy tower. I found styrofoam supplies at the dollar store (I ended up buying three packs each for two of my girls.) The styrofoam is just a down payment to all the of the candy you'll be buying! ~ Smile! ~

We used toothpicks to fasten the stryrofoam pieces and a low-temp glue gun to apply all the yumminess. (For littler ones, a craft glue should work fine.)

I wasn't sure exactly when I was going to let the girls (Artsy Chick got in on the candy action!) actually eat them. Then one of the girls dubbed them New Year's Candy Towers. The name has stuck at our house. I couldn't resist and purchased the toppers that look like fireworks.

Obviously these could be made for any occasion. We could have purchased all red and green wrapper candy, coming up -- and I hate to say this, but I've already seen it (eek!) pink and red {heart} day candy.

I could see this as an alternative birthday party cake, too!

Happy New Year!

My Favorite Projects of 2011

2011-12-29T09:50:00.000-05:00

Welcome to more of the year in review! I really wanted to include some of my personal favorites, even though they didn't land in the top-viewed posts. 'Cause we all have pet projects, right?

My Favorite Thrift Find (okay, this doesn't count as a project, per se, but it's an integral part of a project!):

$15 Feather duvet (Part of Guest Room, this could also go under favorite fabric project as I still adore the bird fabric.)

Favorite Craft Projects (I couldn't choose just one):

Santa Bunting

Pottery Barn Dominoes also included in most-viewed on my last post.

Favorite "Recipe":

Rice Krispie Hearts

Favorite Series (I know these didn't get a lot of comments, but, of course, they were a labor of love):

Wedding DIY

Favorite Sewing Project:

Scrappy Runner

And, finally, Favorite "Buzz" Projects, which featured my new Paris stencil:

Table Runner

Lazy Susan

Thank you so much for indulging me, I hope I've brought you plenty of ideas and inspiration, as well as, aspirations. I'm looking forward to what the new year may bring.

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Tomorrow, Six-Foot Chick and I are, once again, singing in the Disney Epcot Candlelight Processional concert (it's the last night, so if you're going to attend--hurry!). Marlee Matlin is the narrator this year.

P.S. I posted this post TWICE. The original draft was 12/27, so it posted it BEFORE MY LAST POST. ARG! I completely deleted it and copied and pasted it to today. Blogger is also doing other strange things to me today.

2011 In Review

2011-12-27T21:04:00.004-05:00

Hi Everyone! Welcome to my year in review post, where does the time go? Here's the top viewed posts, as well as, my thanks to referring sites. I appreciate you so much for hanging out here!

* * * * * * *

~ Far ~ And ~ Away, thanks to Pinterest is:

1. T-Shirt Quilt

2. Roman Shade Reveal

3. White and Paper Roses

4. Burlap Basket Tutorial

5. Pottery Barn Dominoes

Cheap Chic Home top referrals:

And thank you to the lovely ladies whose blogs are the top referrals:

Savvy Southern Style

A Stroll Thru Life

Celebrating here:

Peppermint Tray and Chocolate Cherry Cookies

2011-12-26T11:03:00.002-05:00

Welcome back, post-Christmas friends and blog surfers! I trust you had a wonderful day and maybe are even still fortunate enough to be celebrating with family. I thought I'd share this with you, as I had to try it almostimmediately when I saw it on my FB page. Since then, I've seen it show up on Pinterest, too. Have you? Plus, it's so quick and easy, there's no reason you couldn't put one of these together for goodies on New Year's eve or day. Or, if you're like me, for your own entertainment. Yeah, I'm cheap and easy like that.

See the minty tray my cookies are sitting on? It started with a bag of 9 oz. starlight mints...

...Placed on a parchment lined cookie sheet and baked in a 350^o oven for about 10 min. (I started checking it after 5 min., just in case) and got this really cool tray. The way my tray turned out the edges are a little flatter from melting outward more. It measures about 8 inches at the widest points. This is so cool, I can't wait to break it and eat it--I know that's not the point--I guess I just like the idea of breaking something before I eat it! To see more ideas, check out Tutto Bella's post. (It looks like her's were pooled out more, so she must have left them in the oven longer.)

Part II : The Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookie recipe portion of the post that I'd like to share with you. This is an old recipe that I'm sure a lot of you have. I haven't made them for a few years and since I was pretty ambivalent* about the whole cookie-thing this year, decided to be a bit different.
*Which doesn't mean there were any fewer cookies around!

Baked Chocolate Covered Cherries

(printable version)

Chocolate Cookie Dough
1/2 c. margarine or butter (1 stick)
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teas. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
1/4 teas. salt
1/4 teas. baking soda
***
maraschino cherries, drained, reserve juice

Mix dough ingredients together, excluding cherries, to make soft dough. Shape dough into 1" balls. Place 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Push cherry half way into each ball.

Fudge Topping
1 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk (1/2 can)
1/4 teas. salt
1 - 1 1/2 teas. cherry juice

Prepare topping: Melt chocolate chips and condensed milk, stir constantly. Remove from heat. Add remaining ingredients. Stir until smooth.

Spread fudge topping over cherry (about 1 teas.) Bake at 350^o for 8-10 min. Yield 36-48 cookies.

Notes: This makes plenty of the fudge topping, so no need to be skimpy (although adding too much will make it spill off the cookie). I prefer to keep the dough balls close to 1" so there is a smaller cookie to fudge-y cherry combination.

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-24T08:21:00.000-05:00

Greetings! I am both happy and humbled that you choose to spend some of your precious time over at my blog. I appreciate all of the kind words, encouragement, inspiration, ideas, and opinions that you bring this way daily.

We at the Cheap Chic Homestead wish you and your loved ones joy and a blessed Christmas.

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And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10-11.

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Comments are turned off since we will be spending time with family the next couple of days.

Mystery Gift Tags

2011-12-20T08:33:00.001-05:00

Hi Friends! This may be a last-minute idea for you to use--or maybe you can use it next Christmas. This idea was born out of necessity many years ago. When the CCH children were younger, they were so excited on Christmas morning, they would get up in the wee hours and look at their gifts under the tree.

The little rascals would look at their name tags and figure out what their gifts were before my Darling Husband and I even got out of bed! It occurred to me after one of those mornings, if they did not know exactly which gifts were theirs, they wouldn't be able to do that.

The following Christmas, I purchased inexpensive foam stamps that had five different holiday motifs, stamped them on a piece of cardstock, and attached those to the gifts. Not an actual name it sight! That really puzzled the kids and a tradition was born. In years' past, I have used stamps, colored ribbons, generic silhouettes, wrapping paper, etc. to tag their gifts. Once in awhile, they will guess them right. (If you have a big family, you'll have to make yourself a code, in case you forget!)

Little did I know, that it would become part of the Christmas morning fun, that they look forward to!

This year I used a tag-shaped paper punch on cardstock for the tags. I knew I wanted a glitter design, so I freehanded these shapes on index cards (they were easier to cut, but didn't hold up really well). I preferred the symmetrical shapes, so I could fold the cards and cut half out. (It took me a couple of tries to get the deer.)

I then centered them on the tag and used craft paint (I opted to do it with paint instead of Mod Podge, because on my previous glitter projects, I discovered I would rather have a painted background in case the glitter didn't fully cover the intended spot) and a stencil brush then sprinkled the glitter on that. Note: It is better to REMOVE the stencil before you put the glitter on, otherwise you end up getting glitter on the brush and in the paint. You can see I was over zealous on a couple of them and got glitter on the stencil.

I had some Martha Stewart glitter, but also found these little pots in a 4-pack at Walmart for 97¢. Usually, the kids don't see the tags before Christmas morning. I told them I have not decided who will get which tag and one of the girls will get the moustache--you know--to "throw them off the scent!" (Okay, I know a moustache isn't really Christmas-y, but they're all the rage and cute to boot!)

Also included, although totally unnecessarily, I purchased a pack of bakers' string from JoAnns and used it for ties. Stinkin' cute, I'd say!

Reversible Apron DIY

2011-12-18T13:30:00.004-05:00

Do you need a fairly quick and personal Christmas gift? If you are a proficient sewer, this might be the project for which you've been looking. I found this adorable fabric awhile ago and purchased it with the intent of making an apron for Fun-Sized Chick for Christmas. Since Friday was the last day of school (and only a half day at that!), I had to get this project d.o.n.e!

Materials needed:

A premade apron to use as a pattern
Two fabrics, about 1 1/2 yds. each
approx. 100" of coordinating double fold bias tape
approx. 20" of decorative trim.

Fold your fabric in half, right sides together, lengthwise. Using an apron you already have (I'm assuming most of you have one, or could borrow one), lay the folded apron on the fabric, matching the folds. Cut around the apron. (This particular apron was short, so I added length to it.) Do the same thing with your reverse-side fabric.

For a front pocket, if the apron you're using as a pattern has one, you can cut it the same size, adding 1/2" seam allowance. I cut mine about 8" H, and the same width as the actual apron. For the pocket you will need to finish the top edge by serging, or folding a narrow hem, after that, turn the top over 1" and press toward the wrong side of the fabric. Fold the remaining edges up 1/2" and press, again towards the wrong side of the fabric. If you would like to add a trim, like my rick rack, place it on the right side of your fabric and stitch in about 1" down from the top of the pocket, which will also hem the top of the pocket that you pressed over.

Place the long pocket on the front of the apron where you'd like it, pin (there should be at least 1/2" space between the sides of your pocket and the side of the fabric) and top stitch.

I stitched mine about 1/8" away from the edge. Then, I subdivided the pocket, making three smaller sections sewing up about 6 1/2" in from each side.

Pin right sides of fabric together, excluding the armhole portions. Stitch, leaving armhole sections open. Trim seams if needed, turn apron right-side-out, press.

Measure the entire length of "ties" on your apron "pattern." (Mine was 92".) Find the center of your tie piece. Measure the entire neck opening and divide by two (for instance, the entire neck tie on mine was 23", from my center point, I measured out 11 1/2" and started pinning that point on the armhole. Pin down bias tape over both armholes and down entire tie. Sew tie together starting at one end continuing to the other. Ta da! You're done!

Front

Other "Front"

* * * * * * *

You will notice that my ties are the same fabric as the apron. I used my new sewing notion and made my own. It makes 1" wide bias tape, which I then folded. I would have used premade double fold tape, but I only had scraps and I did not want to run out to the fabric store just for that.

* * * * * * *

At the beginning of the post, I stated this was "fairly quick." It took me one hour and a half, but during that time, I made a quick phone call, took a shower, rewound a bobbin, and made my own bias tape. This is the first time I've made an apron--it would be such an easy, personal gift (think of all of the college and sports-themed fabric), for not a lot of time or money. (I only purchased the cupcake fabric for this project--I don't remember how much I spent, but I'll guess about $6, the pink hibiscus fabric was given to me by a friend.) You could embellish this as much as you wanted to, for instance, adding a pocket on the reverse side, or adding more trim or a ruffle. I was going for speed.

So what do you think? Does it inspire you to try making one as a gift or for yourself?

More Christmas Trees

2011-12-15T08:26:00.002-05:00

The family room is finally unveiled, kinda, sorta. It doesn't look like I'm going to get all of the decorating done that I wanted to do, but it'll have to do. I'll share with you what I have, however, and call it a day, or a blog post.

This is the kids favorite tree, since it is (merry and) bright, they don't really "get" the fall tree, and has all of their handmade ornaments and baby photos on it.

Some of them look good enough to eat!

The cinnamon sticks smell so good, it's so nice when you can also add fragrance to your decor. These are easy arrangements--bulbs in a hurricane and a basket, plus pops of red. I adore the matte red bulbs, they demand attention by being subtle. The silk fabric has sheen which is also an easy festive touch.

The room got a "mirror" rearrangement because of the rug getting cleaned. I thought I'd include pulled back photos, since on my previous Christmas decor post, I kept them

pretty tight.

A second wreath stand (remember the black wreath), don't forget to deck the floors!

~ A Final Surprise! Master Bath Tree ~

This is another tree I've been wanting to do for awhile--a Master bath tree. It's pretty close to my vision. I'd really like some artificial snow on it. I just used rolled wash clothes for a tree "skirt." Ingenious, I know.

The festive large-scale butterflies are on clips. The clips are so great since you can place them. Just. So.

Anytime you place lights in front of a mirror you double your lighting. And, I don't know if it's the mirror distorting the shape of the tree, or it really does look a bit like a Charlie Brown tree. Anyway, it's fun and festive, I enjoyed playing up the blue color.

See my Entryway HERE

Revamped Santa HERE

Snowflake bouquet HERE

Santa Bunting HERE

Linking:

Disney Christmas

2011-12-14T13:05:00.000-05:00

Holiday greetings! There's nothing like taking a break from Christmas shopping and planning (with a side trip to Ft. Worth for a Christmas party) and taking a day away at the Magic Kingdom. Children were taken out of school for a day for the occasion, because I'm a responsible parent like that. Plus, we've learned that the beginning of December is a good time to go, because it's beautifully decorated and is before it gets really packed with everyone out of school.

We chose a perfect day. The weather was warm when the sun was out and a bit cool when it wasn't. We didn't have to wait more than about 10 minutes for all but one ride (Winnie the Pooh!). This is was we got to see while on Main Street USA.

Mickey-earred wreath. Of course.

Welcome to the Confectionary Shoppe!

I'd love a candy-themed Christmas kitchen!

These are all made with Rice Krispie treats. I sooo want to make the packages--how easy would these be?

Gratuitous, cute-daughter shot of Fun-Sized Chick.

Hey--"Hi!" from Tomorrowland!

We always take the ferry back to the parking lot. (I had the girls all wear bright pink or red, so we could find one another!) The sun is setting on a fun day.

Unfortunately, Darling Husband was out of town, so the three girls and I went-it-alone. We had to use our (free Candlelight) tickets before the end of the year. It was bittersweet being with my darling older daughters, seeing all of the young families. Time certainly flies.