Decor To Adore

Anthro’s Needlework Garden Shade Knockoff

noreply@blogger.com (Decor To Adore) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

After two months I am finally finished with the lamp for my office. The total price? $17.00.

Like many others I have admired the gorgeous lighting selections Anthropologie has offered.

A few months ago I decided to create a knock off version of the Silhouette Lampshade and I still adore that light fixture. But I also needed a little something for my office. The Needlework Garden Shade had me at hello.

What I didn’t like? Well the $128.00 price tag to be sure and the color palette of reds and oranges wasn’t exactly what I had in mind either.

I went back to the store twice to study the lampshade. It appeared that the cream colored fabric had been enhanced with beautiful crewel embroidery and quilted cotton and wool flowers. The fabric was then applied to the lamp shade base.

But as my crewel skills are sadly lacking and my sewing machine doesn’t quite do all that either I had to come up with another plan.

First, I had to find a lamp base that fit the scale I was seeking. A strong contender was this lamp I had purchased from Tuesday Morning eons ago.

Over the years dust had somehow made its way inside the glass column which resulted in a foggy/dirty look that I really was not fond of.

So I taped off the electrical parts and strung it up so that I could give it a good primer coat of a paint.

Warning~ make sure to give your lamp a light sanding first. This creates a rough texture so that the paint has something to grab on to.

Ugh! The paint just peeled right off of the glass section. Start over!

Much better! Like the color?

Next I had to find a lampshade that was a similar shape to the Anthro shade. Target offered up this gem for $7.00. Sold!

I thought that the closest thing to the flowers on the Anthro shade would be a few blooms made from wool felt. I purchased a custom combination of petal styles in shades of teal, turquoise, purple, mustard and fuchsia from Just Greetings.

I then ran the petals through my sewing machine with a contrasting color of thread.

The petals were then hot glued on top of one another.

I cut the leaves out in a freehand fashion but you can find patterns online by googling “leaf templates”. They too received my version of a crewel embroidery treatment. Sing with me…. “Don’t be crewel…”

I then placed the back of the blossoms on the lampshade with just a smidge of hot glue in the center.

The lampshade then sat on my filing cabinet for awhile until I figured out how I wanted to make the stems. I decided upon some Yarn Bee yarn from Hobby Lobby and placed it under the petals and guided it over the lampshade in a willy nilly form. (Oh the excitement!)

I then added in the leaves.

At this point I began to get REALLY excited! It was so pretty.

After everything was in place I added more hot glue to secure the petals and leaves onto the shade.

So once again, the “before”.

The “After”.

I am thinking about how gorgeous this would be done in all creamy neutrals. Hmmmmm.

All lit up,

Laura

A Real “Shi Shi Shi” Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Decor To Adore) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

I have a guilty pleasure secret. I like to watch the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

Truthfully, I first began watching the show to get a sneak peek into the women’s various homes and peruse their decorating styles. Lisa Vanderpump’s home has always been my favorite.

While the house itself is French in flavor, the gardens are definitely English.

The interiors are decorated primarily in a pink and white color scheme.

It would seem that Lisa’s daughter, Pandora, shares her mother’s penchant for an all pink color palette.

For her nuptials to fiancé Jason Sabo Pandora selected an Ian Stuart wedding gown which was primarily white, although it did feature pink roses and diamonds, as did her shoes.

The mother of the bride and Pandora’s four bridesmaids all wore pink.

With the help of event planner Kevin Lee (who I think inspired Martin Short’s character, Franck Egglehoffer in “Father of the Bride”) the estate tennis courts were transformed into a pink fairy wonderland.

The happy couple wed under an outdoor arbor that was decorated with pink and white roses intertwined with ivy garland and hanging candlelit lanterns.

The reception tent featured a ceiling covered in crystals and white flower petals while the guest tables had elaborate rose centerpieces.

I preferred the bridal party table with its conversation cozy centerpieces and romantic candlelight.

The cake was also covered in roses and orchids in various shades of blush and bashful.

As night approached the mood lighting turned pink enhancing the rhinestone encrusted chandeliers.

Even if you don’t watch the show, but happen to be a hopeless romantic, scan your television guide to see when the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” airs in your neck of the woods this week. Because this is one wedding I guarantee you’ll adore.

Laura

You can see additional photo’s on the Bravo site.

Won’t You Take Me To~ FUNKYTOWN

noreply@blogger.com (Decor To Adore) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Yep, I got nothing. This weekend consisted of unbloggable things like painting the masonry wall in the backyard, redoing the bathroom caulking and replacing the kitchen sink sprayer.

Boring!

I have no less than five pretty projects that I want to make but my get up and go has got up and went.

But I refuse to give into the Monday blah’s. So here are a few lovely things that are currently making my heart happy.

Downton Abbey. Please tell me you are watching this delightful bit of Masterpiece Theater bliss. I discovered this smashing series last year and the second season has just started.

I have to watch each episode twice. Once for the amazing storylines…

The second for the fabulous clothing….

…and of course the gorgeous interior shots.

You can catch up on Season 1 via Netflix. Season 2 is currently on PBS.

The Anthropologie Wedding site BHLDN almost makes me lose my mind with glee each time I visit. Right now the winter sale is going on. I WISH the sale prices didn’t still make me suck in my breath.

Cute. Makes me want to rummage through my extra fabric bits.

Thankfully the Beribboned dress and Sangria heels are no longer available in my size.

I have nothing to wear with this positively perfect pair of periwinkle pumps but that still didn’t stop me from checking to see if they had a 6 1/2. No. :(

A sad case of “all dressed up and no place to go”.

Wouldn’t these be perfect for Valentine’s Day? Alas if I bought them I’d be in the doghouse.

But the real torture comes from J. Crew. I really need a new winter coat to replace my tired 10 year old black wool trench.

Beautiful, happy, gorgeous emerald. On sale for $199.00 Argh.

What is currently catching your eye?

Laura

A King Among Men

noreply@blogger.com (Decor To Adore) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

On Wednesday a very special man passed away.

I guarantee that you didn’t hear about his passing on tv, the internet, twitter, or even the paper.

Many of you though are well familiar with my cousin T. (She is technically my cousin in law as she is married to my cousin, but we decided long ago to outlaw the in law status.) From time to time I talk about her here and she holds the title of being the only person to ever guest post on my blog. Catherine’s Coach STILL get dozens of hits per day.

Her father, Bernard “Pop” King, helped eat that fantastic cake as he has lived with T. and family for the past several years in their 115 year old home.

Sadly, Pop King left the building and the earth on January 18th.

Pop had just celebrated his 70th birthday last Saturday. It was a grand day.

He’s been retired for quite a few years now as he has been battling a long term illness.

But in his prime Pop was truly a special force of nature and a well loved member of his community.

Pop held a job that many of us probably do not give much thought to. We just expect to see our mailbox full day after day.

Pop was a mail carrier and also kept the United States postal trucks running in tip top shape.

Why just think of what we would miss out on if it wasn’t for Pop?

Pop was the purest essence of a true, devoted friend, possessing good character who brought happiness to many.

I shall always remember his kindness to my children. Pop had just one child (he said she was enough :) cousin T, and one grandchild, Miss M.

But that didn’t stop Pop from loving on my two and making sure they called him “Pop”. On a delightful visit two years ago Pop pulled out his wallet and showed it to Sweet Boy and said, “Look at all these girls. They’re pretty, but I sure need a boy in my wallet.” Upon our return home Sweet Boy would not rest until we found a photo of himself for Pop’s wallet.

Pop I am sure was responsible for half of the some 80,000 votes that were collected when I tried out for Oprah’s OWN network two years ago. I will miss his rugged handsomeness, his sense of humor and loyal patriotism which often showed up in my email inbox.

Everyone should have such a POP of happiness in their lives.

You are welcome to leave a comment for cousin T and our Nene ~ Pop’s lovely wife of 46 years. They are regular readers of the DTA blog.

Bernard King ~ “Friend to many, stranger to none.”

Pop to me,

Laura

Pillows & Pictures & Lampshades Oh My!

noreply@blogger.com (Decor To Adore) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Thank you so very much for all your kind comments about my new plate wall. It was funny to read that you were both intrigued and horrified that I used paper clips to hang the plates.

I had hoped to have finished my lampshade project for the office by today. Oh it is going to be so good. Here is my inspiration:

The Needlework Garden Shade is altogether even more lovely in person. It costs $128.00 just for the shade… Ouch! I just couldn’t swing it. But hopefully this weekend I am going to be stitching up some felt my friends…

Now, the pillows. I’ve said it before and will say it a million more times…in design, repetition is a good thing.

I knew that I wanted to create a wall of plates and by having a few circular pillows thrown into the mix it creates a feeling that the overall design “feels” right and makes sense. While I could find several circular pillows they were either not the right color or too expensive. I found two pillows for $6.99 each at Ross.

I bought them even though they were the wrong color because they were 100% cotton and therefore could be dyed.

I did the stovetop method I showed you HERE using equal amount of RIT fuchsia and violet in the liquid form to achieve the magenta color that I was seeking.

I still have one more pillow to sew from the leftover fabric I have when I used a chair slipcover and transformed it into an ottoman cover. (More to come on that too…) Oh and I have to show you my favorite pillow created by my darling daughter at Christmas.

I am also struggling to find reasonably priced frames for another project I have in mind.

Over the years my kids have created some classic artwork that I would now like to showcase.

I love the feel of these frames. Although, it might take me awhile to collect such gems.

Even Ikea’s plain frames cost between $3.00 to $9.00 a piece. That is too much money for the large amount of frames I need. As I have cathedral ceilings I am thinking about a layout like this….but taller.

Of course there is the worry about going overboard.

If I didn’t have heavily textured walls I would do something like this:

I am open to solutions. Tell me, have you been framed?

Laura

How To Create A Wall Of Plates

noreply@blogger.com (Decor To Adore) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I’ve been working on my home office for what seems like forever. As I have mentioned before I wanted to keep the makeover costs under $300.00.

While the room is fairly small it has huge cathedral ceilings and thus requires large artwork to fill the wall space.

Super sized artwork can get pretty pricey. An fairly inexpensive option is to create a wall of plates. So I turned to Pinterest for inspiration.

I loved the bright colored plates Lisa Congdon chose for her kitchen.

A white floral stoneware grouping by AdoreVintage also caught my eye.

I noticed that asymmetrical arrangements are quite popular.

In the end I decided that I would mimic the shape of my cathedral ceilings with a layout similar to what Edie did in her guest bedroom.

I raided my cupboards for various plates and saucers. Since I am quite the ~~hoarder~~ collector I quickly surmised that I was already on my way to a well curated collection. I then searched a few thrift stores but found no plates in the size or color palette I wanted (Murphy’s law). So I filled in the gaps with two plates I found on clearance ($2~ yeah!) from Pier 1. The yellow bird was a discontinued color, but they carry the same design in red and green.

I was also ever so thankful that my daughter works for Anthro/U.O and gifted me 3 more plates (also on clearance) for Christmas. Sadly, only this plate is still available and it is once again full price. ???

I then began playing around with various patterns on the floor until I settled on “the one”.

Now here’s a little secret. I do not like the look of plate hangers. You know, the gold wire contraptions your granny used? In addition, they cost around $2.50 a piece and that would blow my budget rather quickly since I was hanging something like 20 plates.

So I googled “alternative ways to hang plates”. Voila! Another blogger, In My Own Style, used paper clips and hot glue. My type of gal.

TIP:Use traditional metal wire paper clips. Vinyl coated paper clips do not work. Luckily, I only hung two small saucers with vinyl coated paper clips and they did not break when they fell. The plates I hung with wire clips have now been hanging up on my wall for over a week with no problems.

I used 3 M command strips to attach the plates to the wall. No hammer and nail is necessary and a huge bonus is that there are no holes in the walls! (Click on the link for coupons.)

This next segment might make a few technical types nervous. I didn’t measure or mark my layout out on the wall in any way. I just hung the highest plate first and following the pattern I had laid out on the floor just continued adding plates in a straight line, eyeballing the placement as I went along.

Two more plates were then hung creating a cross shape.

Another two plates were hung on either side.

I just kept building out the arrangement, adding a plate to each side. The beauty of this layout is that you can easily add to it when you find new plates to love.

TIP: If you don’t feel confident in hanging such an arrangement by yourself get a friend to help for an extra set of eyes.

Now I am wondering if I told you about the super cheap throw pillows….hmmm.

Please dish out your opinions,

Laura

Charmed, I’m Sure

noreply@blogger.com (Decor To Adore) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Even as a young girl I adored old movies. Old films showcased everything I loved: divine movie sets, glamorous movie stars wearing wonderful wardrobes and gorgeous gems.

Elizabeth Taylor and her chunky charm bracelets had me at first clink.

As did Grace Kelly’s multi strand pearl bracelet with gold lockets featured in “Rear Window”.

I thought that nothing could be more romantic than the bracelet Humphrey Bogart presented his young bride, Lauren Bacall, which featured a whistle charm. It was inscribed “If you want anything, just whistle” ~ a nod to their first movie together, “To Have and Have Not”.

Talk about romance! I wrote about the Duchess of Windsor’s charm bracelet HERE.

Another famous fashion icon (and one of my favorites) also had a charm bracelet.

John F. Kennedy was charmed by his wife Jacqueline’s hard work. When he mentioned this to her she simply smiled and replied in Latin, "Labora non sumptus est," which translates to "labor is no cost." He then had a charm inscribed with the saying on one side and a tongue-in-cheek figure of Hercules on the other side.

A copy of the bracelet featuring six of Jackie’s favorite charms is shown below.

As a young girl I wanted a gold charm bracelet so bad I could taste it. Not silver, never silver. Gold.

For my 13th birthday I was presented with what was referred to as “a beautiful silver charm bracelet”.

I somehow mustered a polite “Thank you.” as I examined the nickel finish of the boys I.D. bracelet.

I never wore the bracelet. I’m a bit stubborn that way.

I often spot celebrities wearing charm bracelets. Ashley Greene’s Chanel bracelet features several lockets.

Meredith Viera never takes off the one her husband Richard gave her.

Even Betty Draper was presented with a gold charm of the Roman coliseum by Don to commemorate their trip to Italy.

My adoration flickered once again and began to reach a fevered pitch last summer when I spotted another favorite style maven sporting a charm bracelet at a tennis match.

It appeared to be a flat oval chain that held a single charm.

A few days later I spotted the bracelet again but this time the chain appeared to be a rolo style.

Hmmmm. Were two made? It appears so.

The bracelet was a wedding gift from the Duchess’ mother in law.

It features Catherine’s royal cypher~ a cursive “C” topped by a crown. The opposite side has Camilla’s cypher~ a printed “C” surrounded by a circle and topped by a crown.

The tradition of Royal family members gifting charm bracelets goes back to Queen Victoria who presented her family with charms every New Year’s Eve.

The Duchess has also been spotted wearing a Tiffany & Co. three stone sterling silver diamond by the yard bracelet that has a single disc charm.

As well as a traditional double link bracelet with a heart padlock.

A few months ago my cousin T. went to New York City to view the Elizabeth Taylor jewelry exhibition before the gems were placed upon the auction block. We burned up the phone lines as she described each of her favorite pieces in great detail.

I SO wished I could have gone with her.

For Christmas she sent me the Christie’s Catalog.

Just one more reason why I love her.

I pored over that catalog from cover to cover for hours! You can keep the Elizabeth Taylor diamond. My favorite piece Liz owned was the 18th century ivory theatre token necklace that had once belonged to design great Edith Head.

The piece was estimated to sell between $1,500 and $2,000. It must have been a man doing the estimating…. it sold on December 13th for $315,000.

But my second favorite pick? A charm bracelet of course. Of the three she had, this one was my favorite. It sold for $326,500… a bit out of my price range. :)

What was your hearts desire as a young girl?

Laura

The Ultimate Measure of a Woman

noreply@blogger.com (Decor To Adore) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:52:00 +0000

During the Thanksgiving holiday my family and I traveled to Washington D.C.

I didn’t write much about our trip when I returned home the first week of December. I plunged full steam ahead with Christmas themed posts. Then, the second week of December, our family was rocked to it’s very core and our lives were changed. I stopped posting for while.

It’s been only recently that I have begun to tentatively write again.

In thinking about a post for today I remembered that I had taken several photo’s of the new Dr. Martin Luther King (MLK) memorial in D.C. and began to look through my pictures.

There was one image that stopped me short. Surrounding the main memorial are several inscription walls that feature Dr. King’s most notable quotes. I remember walking around and reading them all and then taking a picture of the one quote that resonated with me the most.

If my life were a novel then this experience might fall under the category of foreshadowing.

I remember thinking “Yes. Anyone can be a good person when life is all sunshine and flowers. But the true measure of a man or woman is how he reacts when faced with difficulty.”

“With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.” Excerpt from the “I Have a Dream” speech.

On February 4, 1968 Dr. King gave one of his most inspiring sermons. It was an adaptation of the 1952 homily ‘‘Drum-Major Instincts’’ by J. Wallace Hamilton, who was then a well-known, liberal, white Methodist preacher. Dr. King encouraged his congregation to seek greatness through service and love.

“If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don’t want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. And every now and then I wonder what I want them to say. Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize—that isn’t important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards—that’s not important. Tell them not to mention where I went to school.”

“I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others.

I'd like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody.

I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question.

I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry.

And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked.

I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison.

I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.”

“Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. And that's all I want to say.”

“If I can help somebody as I pass along,

If I can cheer somebody with a word or song,

If I can show somebody he's traveling wrong,

Then my living will not be in vain.

If I can do my duty as a Christian ought,

If I can bring salvation to a world once wrought,

If I can spread the message as the master taught,

Then my living will not be in vain.”

At the Lincoln Memorial I stood in the same spot where Dr. King proclaimed his dream.

I dream of being a DRUM MAJOR for righteousness, justice and peace~ what’s your dream?

Laura

You can read Dr. King’s complete “Drum Major” sermon HERE.

His complete “I Have a Dream Speech” can be found HERE.

Hey Girl! I’ve Tweeted, Got Burned and Networked

noreply@blogger.com (Decor To Adore) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Back in November Google announced that it would be shutting down Google Friend connect as of March 1, 2012. Well, apparently I live under a rock since I just found out about it last week.

I have had the Google Friend Connect button on the sidebar of my blog for a few years now. From the beginning I preferred to refer to DTA (Décor To Adore) readers as “Adorable People” versus the term “Followers” which was later changed to “Members”.

Google Friend Connect has indeed been my friend. It has allowed me to “follow” all of my favorite blogs. But apparently between Facebook, Networked Blogs, Feedburner and Twitter it is now a bit of a dinosaur.

So, I’ve decided to get on board and give the public what it wants.

The closet comparison to Friend Connect is Networked Blogs available through Facebook. I have had a DTA Facebook page for awhile and many of you choose to read the blog there.

The Networked Blog button has now been added to the top of my sidebar so that you may join. (If you are reading this via a reader you will have to click on the blog post title to be directed to the actual DTA page.)

For those of you who prefer to read blog updates via Twitter there is now a DTA homepage where blog posts are available and yes, I even provide an occasional “tweet”.

Décor To Adore Twitter Page

I have also received several requests from my overseas readers to add Feedburner as a subscription option. Having lived overseas I am well familiar that the internet connection is not as reliable and it’s sometimes easier to read a blog via email.

The feedburner subscribe button can also be found on the sidebar of the DTA blog.

Finally for those of you who love Pinterest you may want to check out the Décor To Adore boards. My “Hey Girl” collection is currently being repinned at lightening speed. It would appear that we all enjoy a good laugh.

Now, I am off to go glitter something because Mr. DTA actually says things like this:

Let’s be PIN PALS,

Laura

A Pretty Medicine Cabinet

noreply@blogger.com (Decor To Adore) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Recently when I googled the words “Pretty Medicine Cabinet” I began to think that perhaps those two words together just might be an oxymoron.

Pin It

I could find images of cabinets that held pretty soaps and bath oils.

I adored this totally gorgeous Eddie Ross MAKEUP cabinet.

I also loved Martha Stewart’s idea of lining a BATHROOM cabinet with galvanized steel and using magnet backed tins to organize hair supplies.

But where were the images of a pretty MEDICINE cabinet? Like with aspirin? Am I the only one who has a need for Benadryl on occasion? This was the closest I came. An image of a Civil War era medicine chest. Hmmmmm. Ok.

I mean I have been decanting my olive oil and dish soap in the kitchen for awhile now.

Ditto for the bath oils near my tub.

I also thought about my spice cabinet makeover.

Since ancient times people have been storing their everyday essentials in various vessels. But we can thank the Victorian’s for elevating the practice to the pretty (and possibly crazy) level.

So this then led me to think about liquor decanter labels. I know…my mind works strangely. Can’t help it. It also on occasion sings “Brandy, you’re a fine girl…”

So I bring you my medicine makeover.

I first sorted through my jewelry making supplies and then bought a few additional items at Michael’s.

Next I printed out the product names on heavy weight cardstock.

The words were cut to fit and placed within the jewelry frame. A simple chain was attached with “o” rings.

I selected “Glossy Accents” (available in scrapping supply stores) to create a clear, hard finish that would protect the paper.

It is opaque when it is first applied and then dries clear.

I also decided to transfer my boring bobby pins into a sweet china box I found at the thrift store.

My eyeglass cleaner went from being stored in a ugly plastic bottle into a pretty blue one.

Now I know that a pretty medicine cabinet is not for everyone. Particularly homes with small children where such bottles could be a safety issue. But perhaps this post will provide you with inspiration to create your own idea of a pretty cabinet.

Happiness has now been bottled.

Have a well designed day!

Laura

Linking to:

House Dreams

noreply@blogger.com (Decor To Adore) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I am not one to make resolutions as I have found that they don’t seem work for me. But I am definitely a dreamer. In a good way. Because dreams are filled with hope and faith… and wouldn’t everyone like a bit more of that?

For instance I dream of living in a little cottage with a lovely garden and perhaps a small pond that Mr. Décor could row me around on.

Currently I live in Arizona which at times feels more like this to me:

So do I continue to wait for my dreams to come true? Or do I give them a nudge in the direction of the life I want to be living?

Given that I have never been very patient I’ve decided to create a a life worth living within the four walls of my home right now. My goal this year is to live simply, but beautifully.

It will also be a year of change. Our daughter will soon be graduating from college and moving to another state to begin her career. Sniff. Of course we are already in the giddy planning stages of decorating her first real grown up apartment. Our inspiration for the décor came from the chair I created for her HERE.

This year our Sweet Boy will continue to be encouraged in the kitchen.

Ah the kitchen. The kitchen of my dreams… I’m on my way… I have the red transferware plates, copper kettle and yellow confit pot. But I just need a bit more je ne sais quoi.

I am hoping to hunt down a chandelier and silver champagne bucket to store my utensils in.

I’m also biding my time until I find a thrifted diamond in the rough to transform into my own DIY Trumeau mirror.

In my quest to live simply but beautifully I have begun by simplifying. I recently filled up an entire hefty bag with old paperwork from my office/household filing cabinets. It’s now headed for the shredder. When our church bulletin placed a notice that the upcoming auction committee needed ribbon and silk flowers to decorate the gift baskets I took the opportunity to clean house. Even after three full bags I still have two entire drawers of supplies left. ~~HOARDER~~.

Simple but beautiful is the key for me. On Friday I am going to show you my medicine cabinet storage ideas.

Of course I am STILL working on my office. Coming soon… a cool DIY lampshade and a wall of plates. And yes, I do plan on hanging them up via paper clips.

Because as Nester says, “It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.

The comments have been turned off so that you can link up your own home goals here.

As always, you are welcome to visit my FB page or send me an email.

Laura

W. /E.

noreply@blogger.com (Decor To Adore) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

It’s no secret that I am a bit wacko for all things royal. Last year at this time I began a weekly blog series which was entitled “Royal Wedding Wednesdays”. It of course culminated in a celebration of the nuptials of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Back when I hit the “publish” button on the very first R.W.W. post I wondered if it would be met with chirping crickets. On the contrary, the posts to this day continue to have the most page views overall of the almost 600 entries that I have written for the DTA blog. So I thought that just maybe, you might be interested in a new romantic period drama that will soon be released.

W./E. is the story of the highly scandalous romance between Wallis Simpson (W.) and King Edward VIII (E.) It is the directorial debut of Madonna who also cowrote the film.

Of course with any good English period drama you know that there will be amazing costume and scenery. This movie is destined to not disappoint in either category.

In terms of costume design, the character of Wallis Simpson had over 80 costume changes alone. The Duchess of Windsor, aka Ms. Simpson, was a well known fashionista in her day.

Designer Arianne Phillips was tasked to recreate designs from Christian Dior, Madeleine Vionnet, Elsa Schiaparelli and Balenciaga, among others.

It appears that Ms. Phillips did her homework and possesses an admirable attention to detail.

Stephen Jones was the chief milliner (hat maker) on set. He created several gorgeous and historically accurate headpieces for the film.

Pierre Cartier was given the task of recreating some of the world’s most famous pieces of jewelry. The Duke continually bestowed gems on the Duchess to make her feel royal since officially she had no title. I am sure a copy of her 19.77 carat emerald engagement ring will be shown on screen.

The iconic "cross" bracelet that the Duchess wore nearly every day will also surely make an appearance in the film. This gem was composed of a chain of brilliant-cut diamonds to which there were nine gem-set Latin crosses attached to the bracelet between 1933 and 1944. Each cross was given to the Duchess by the Duke to mark a milestone during their life together.

One of my favorite pieces that I would love to see is the Prince of Wales broach, designed in 1935. The broach was purchased by Elizabeth Taylor at the infamous 1987 Sotheby’s auction and was recently sold by her estate on December 13th via Christie’s for $1.3 million dollars.

Andrea Riseborough has the role of Wallis Simpson and James D’Arcy plays King Edward VIII.

No doubt the scenery will be just as magnificent.

In addition to the lavish clothing, the set designs by Celia Bobak, Cherish Magennis and Michel Rollant did befit that of royalty.

The designer in me looks forward to classic English design elements such as tapestries, Aubusson carpets and gorgeous accessories.

It appears as if they brought on all the opulence, glitz and glamour one would expect to find in such a film.

The movie was shot on location in England…

…As well as several spots throughout France.

Here is the link to the film’s trailer:

http://youtu.be/4lNg0cm69xU

W./E. is set to open in wide release within the U.S. on February 3, 2012.

Laura

Images from Vanity Fair, September 2011 and W Magazine, November 2011 issues.

Come Along On A French Journey

noreply@blogger.com (Decor To Adore) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

You may have heard by now that Parisienne Farmgirl is beginning a new magazine which will carry the same name. I have read Angela’s blog for a few years now and have happily witnessed her rise in literary circles via appearances in numerous magazine articles and even a book. So it seems only natural that her next step would be something of her own creation.

To celebrate she is hosting a marvelous “Giveaway Fantastique”. I haven’t seen a giveaway of this magnitude in a very long time. If by chance you enter and win, please remember how I love all things French and am truly coveting the English tea cups. :)

But I also have a secret to share. I will be a contributing writer to the magazine. C'est magnifique!

The premiere issue will debut April 1st and I am not fooling when I say you will love it.

So go visit the Parisienne Farmgirl and enter to win her generous giveaway.

Laura

A Winter Wonderland Centerpiece

noreply@blogger.com (Decor To Adore) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:57:00 +0000

Our family spent a very quiet December 31st together. I made a little centerpiece for the table and thought you might like to see it.

I decided upon a Winter Wonderland theme for our New Year’s table and sideboard.

It included elements that have regularly been spotted~ Villeroy and Boch plates, silver napkin rings, antique napkins trimmed in handmade lace, and Great Grandma Lenora’s S & H green stamps silver.

While I love tarnished silver for holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving, there is something so sparkling and lovely about using newly polished silver to ring in the New Year.

Grandma Mary and Papa Jack’s wedding crystal. I shall have to do a bit of research to find the name of the pattern.

Over on the sideboard I piled on the silver by stacking two trays to create a snow flocked forest.

In the midst of all the snow the chimney sweep plowed on.

Every New Year’s Eve we have what my Grandpa Ingalls referred to as “pickin’s” ~ shrimp cocktail, cheese and crackers, and a few favorite cookies such as Trader Joe’s Pfeffernuesse. They look SO pretty and taste even better.

Ok, back to the centerpiece. The Fashionista loved my Anthropologie Tree Topper so much and repeatedly kept asking me to make one for her, but in a woodland friends theme.

Last year, um I mean December of 2010, I went to Michaels after Christmas sale and selected several decorative picks and ornaments that fit the bill. I wasn’t really thinking about blogging when I started making the centerpiece/tree topper last week so I apologize that I didn’t take any pictures of the supplies but they look somewhat like this:

A circular 5 X 7 wreath that has a flat base and top.

Assorted picks similar to those shown featuring white sparkly stems and extra large pine/evergreens that I then took apart.

I took the various loose evergreen pieces and wired them onto the styrofoam base with thin green 22 gauge craft wire. TIP: Do this outside because it is messy work.

You can ever so slightly see the handi work.

I then cut the corded hanger off of each ornament.

My fine furried friends were made even more foxy by a dab of glue and glitter. They were then hot glued onto the wreath.

Wee little pinecones and spun cotton mushrooms were also glued on to the wreath.

Soon it will be packed up and ready for my darling girl to use on top of her tree next year, but for now the addition of a clear hurricane vase and white pillar candle make for a lovely centerpiece.

For those who inquired, yes, Rudi the dachshund is thankfully still with us. He has been a devoted constant companion who offers quiet comfort.

Thank you for your understanding in that I have had to turn the comments off temporarily. Blessings to all.

Laura

BNOTP

The Chimney Sweep

noreply@blogger.com (Decor To Adore) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

There is a little fellow who has been greeting me each morning. He sweeps away soot and sorrow and in its place brings forth a clean and shiny new day.

Germany is famous for her overflowing abundance of flora and fauna and while living there I noticed that the week after Christmas every supermarket and garden shop would stock plants and bouquets into which a tiny figure, dressed all in black, would nestle in.

I had no idea what this meant so I asked my good German friend and neighbor, Andrea, to fill me in. She explained that the Schornsteinfeger (chimney sweep) was a symbol of good luck.

The sweeps are often paired with pigs, a symbol of prosperity. There is a saying “Schwein gehabt” which loosely translates to “Good luck is at hand”.

Throughout Europe there are many lucky tokens such as the horseshoe, four leaf clover, bags of gold and the red and white Amanita muscaria mushroom. It is referred to as a “gluckpilz” which translates as the “lucky mushroom”.

So I began saving the once a year treats, bought a German Schornsteinfeger smoker (which I shared way back in December of 2008) but my favorite find was the sweep I found for one Euro at a German flea market.

He stands less than 2 1/2” tall. A china treasure that fits into the palm of my hand.

His sweet cherubic face always brings a smile to mine.

But a childlike chimney sweep? Yes, indeed.

Centuries ago when there were no child labor laws and sadly, too many paupers and orphans for a parish church to handle, children were apprenticed to master sweeps as young as the age of 6. They were prized for their small size as they could shimmy up and down a very small flue. If a climbing boy was lucky he would make it all the way to age 18 and then he himself would become a master sweep.

The chimney sweeps primary job is to rid the flue of built up ash and soot. Many countries now have mandatory laws as to how often a flue must be cleaned. In Germany it is twice a year. If Thomas Farynor, a baker on Pudding Lane, had been as attentive to his flue the Great Fire of London in 1666 would not have occurred.

While the profession was once considered to be positioned on the lowest of ladders, the sweeps took pride in their appearance. Here, a Parisian sweep stands proudly with all his accoutrements.

The sweep has been paid tribute to in the great William Blake poem and many wonderful works of art.

Chimney Sweep~ Frans Wilhelm Odelmark, 1880

Child Chimney Sweep in Snow~ Paul Seignac, 1876

Chimney Sweep ~ Firs Zhuravlev, 1901

And of course, our favorite chimney sweep, Bert, forever immortalized in song.

http://youtu.be/v0acDa-r2_4

Chim chim-in-ey, chim chim cher-ee, chim cher-oo,

Laura

A Bit of Beauty~ Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (Decor To Adore) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Peace, joy, hope and above all love.

http://youtu.be/TWT-4UTwdE8

Happy New Year,

Laura

When there are no words…

noreply@blogger.com (Decor To Adore) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0000

I write when I am happy. I write when I am sad. But right now I find that once comforting words seem to evade me.

Sometimes when I read other blogs it appears that the people who pen them live such wonderful lives I imagine them to be like storybook characters.

Perhaps even my family may have seemed like a fictional wonderland for some. But right now, the reality is that we are living a life in which we have had to turn the helm completely over to God.

It’s scary and to be honest who wants to bring that experience to the blogging party?

Just for a moment I thought about making my blog private, because the pain that might seep through in future words might be too much for some.

Truthfully, it’s almost too much for me.

But to close myself off is not the answer. I take comfort in that there may be someone who will find strength in my ill grasped words and seemingly cheesy statements such as “ I won’t give up”.

I can also never begin to thank all the wonderful people who have sent an outpouring of love, friendship and comfort which arrived via comments, letters, and emails.

It is said that during times of trial you often see the true character of yourself and others.

While the door bell and phone has remained largely silent at our home, you, dear readers, have supported us with your words. People that we have never met in “real life”. To those who say that relationships formed in the blogosphere aren’t real, I will argue that point until the end.

It is not an understatement to say God has worked through all of you. You have been a beaming lighthouse for a family currently sailing stormy seas in what feels like a sinking vessel without life preservers.

As for myself and my character, I have decided that no matter what, each and every day I will find something lovely.

I will seek out the often overlooked beauty that occurs everyday for all of us.

Of course in the midst of it all lies the elephant in the room. The five W’s. Believe me, in the me you know me to be, when I say I am right there with you.

What I have learned these past two weeks is that if I have Him, my husband and two children, then I truly do have everything. The rest is just….stuff.

So the search begins. Because a glorious gift awaits those who perhaps feel like an empty shell. You may have to walk an entire beach, and carefully sift through a lot of sand to find your treasure, but it is there.

I have temporarily turned off the comments as I must take care of my family and am unable to reply. I offer instead to bring you little bits of bliss and beauty in the days ahead. As always, you are welcome to contact me on the Décor To Adore Facebook page.

Laura

A Star To Light Our Path

noreply@blogger.com (Decor To Adore) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0000

There are times in life when you may walk in darkness.

But there is a great light to lead the way.

Shepherds Field Nativity Painting~ Munir Alawi

“Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming,

With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.

So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,

Here come the wise men from Orient land.

The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger;

In all our trials born to be our friend.

He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger,

Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!

Behold your King, Before Him lowly bend!”

“Oh Holy Night” ~ John Sullivan Dwight

Adoration of the Shepherds ~ Charles Le Brun

Our family has truly been blessed by your precious friendship during this difficult time.

Heilige Nacht

There is hope, because there is LIGHT.

We ask for your continued prayers of peace. Not only for ourselves, but for the world.

The Gunn family

Time Away

noreply@blogger.com (Decor To Adore) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:59:00 +0000

Due to a very sad and heartbreaking event I will be stepping away from my blog for awhile as I am needed by my family. I am not sure when I will return.

Your thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated.

Laura

Gifts To Make #6 ~ The Five Second Anthropologie Sweater

noreply@blogger.com (Decor To Adore) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Years ago fur and crochet collars were all the rage.

You may have noticed that they have made a comeback in a big way.

Two summers ago my Grandma Jingles sent me a package of some of her long ago favorites. They included this blue collar and broach that have since sat in my closet.

I decided to pair them and now wear them.

My kids call me the cardigan Queen. What can I say, I like layers.

While I adore Anthropologie sweaters, I have a bit of trouble wanting to pay Anthopologie prices.

I found the other vintage collars at various estate sales and thrift shops. Some received a dye bath and new buttons. All received tulle and silk ribbon.

Vintage and antique millinery nestle into the softness.

The Fashionista also likes them on collarless coats.

The collars look pretty cute on crew neck tee’s too.

You can find these collars in my Etsy shop.

Be merry and bright!

Laura

Gifts of the Heart~ Oh Tannenbaum

noreply@blogger.com (Decor To Adore) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0000

I have the tutorials for “Gifts to Make” 6, 7 and 8 almost finished. But they require a bit of spray paint and it has been raining in Phoenix for the past two days.

I like the rain. It reminds me of the Christmases I experienced as a child in Northern California.

My mom would load up six kids in our white Dodge Dart and drive us to the Walton Volunteer Fire Department tree lot. As the littlest I would ride on someone’s lamp. (No seatbelt? The horror!) After we picked out a truly perfect specimen it would be strapped down to the roof of the car. Driving home everyone would roll down their windows so that the smell of pine could envelope us.

Once home my brothers would steady the trunk in a old metal stand. Bing Crosby would croon carols and cocoa would be made. We did not have much money, although I didn’t know it at the time. The majority of our ornaments were handcrafted by our family. It is a tradition that I continue to this day.

A blogland favorite was the “When You Wish Upon A Star” ornament that continues to make the rounds after its initial debut two years ago. The tutorial can be found HERE.

Or the super easy “Cute As A Button” glass ornament. Directions can be found HERE.

I really like this years creation of the Darling Deer Fauxglobe Ornament.

Every year the overall theme of my tree changes. This year I was inspired by my almost 90 year old Grandma “Jingles” (Ingalls). She ran a doll hospital for over 30 years and sent me a few of her favorites last year. During a recent phone call she confided that she missed “her toys”.

Sometimes the very best gifts are those which are created from the heart. So I decided to set up an antique toyland town that she will now, no doubt, enjoy very much.

The cast of characters includes a little drummer bear who can still rat a tat tat.

This lovely bisque doll holds a silver star made for me by Miss Sandy.

Mr. Button in Ear and Wendy Ann enjoy a spot of tea.

Old ornament favorites can still be found on the tree such as the German snow man….

… and Mr. Décor’s Bavarian Santa.

The tree was once again crowned by the Anthropologie inspired tree topper.

I’ve always loved the symbolism of the dove at Christmas time: Peace one Earth, Goodwill towards men.

The base of the tree was covered up with a new favorite given to me by dear Andrea. The antique sheet bears my initials beautifully.

Most of the gifts have once again been wrapped up in the fabric bags that I made HERE.

But the vintage laundry bag is a recent acquisition that I found at a flea.

The stitching is nothing short of spectacular. This marks the only time I will love laundry. :)

It still has the original owners name tag.

Even in the daytime our little tree sparkles. Perhaps because, faux or no, it is loved.

This post is dedicated to my mother, Nadine, who was the essence of Christmas. Happy Birthday Mom. You are very much missed.

Mom, half of me and the ultimate Barbie dream house, Christmas, circa 1975.

"All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother." ~ Abraham Lincoln

Laura

Linking to:

Thrifty Décor Chick

Gifts To Make #5 ~ Winter Wonderland Under Glass and a GIVEAWAY!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Decor To Adore) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Happy Monday! Welcome to the fifth installment of inexpensive gifts you can easily make.

If I had to select the most knocked off project of the season it would probably be the Anthropologie tree in a jar. I have seen several interpretations of this darling idea all over blogland.

I thought it might be fun to take the idea to another level.

I began by searching the cupboards for cups, bowls, dishes and any other vessel I could find in a selected Christmas color palette of white, silver and green.

I then gathered up my collection of vintage bottle brush trees. (You can find vintage trees on Ebay or new trees at any craft and hobby store.)

A snowy scene in a gumball machine? Yes, yes and YES! Even the eye sore of a center support pole came in handy as a place to hot glue on a flying reindeer.

To keep the other pieces upright and in place I first hot glued them onto a piece of sturdy cardstock.

Just add faux snow! A handy dandy pencil helps to set the scene.

Of course you don’t have to use faux snow. You can also use flour, powdered sugar, Epsom or table salt. (Just make sure you don’t use salt in a silver dish as it could pit it. )

I opted for sugar as it reminded me of glitter. Perfect for nestling a darling deer in a wee coffee cup. (The glass cloche was removed for photography purposes.)

You could also have a cup of tea. I’ve set up a hot beverage tray on my kitchen island. A display was created using some of my antique ceramic food jars.

This masked bandit stole my heart.

A side table received a glass compote filled with sugared, happy sliders.

A tiny treasure that’s fun to give is this little Frosty in a vintage spice jar.

Vintage spice jars can be found very inexpensively in thrift stores. A bit of snow, a tiny tree and a top hatted fellow complete the vignette. Bakers twine was wrapped around the lid and holds a simple handwritten tag.

Come back on Wednesday with number 6 in the Gifts To Make series.

If by chance you have had your eye on a few things in my Etsy shop you are in luck! I am sponsoring a giveaway of $25 gift certificate towards anything in the DTA shop over at my friend Karena’s blog, Art By Karena.

More handmade treasures and European antiques will be added to the shop later this week so head on over and enter to win!

Laura

Linking To:

Centsational Girl

What’s the Rush?

noreply@blogger.com (Decor To Adore) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 13:55:00 +0000

I’ve made, wrapped and mailed what seemed like a 1000 presents. I’ve baked two batches of cookies. And that is where it ends. My Christmas cards~ well I know I purchased them last year….they are in one of the boxes that currently sits in my living room. Which of course means that the room looks something like this:

I know that some people had their tree up on like November 1st. But truthfully I like to pause and be thankful. Nordstrom always gets a big “thumbs up” from me.

Because really, what is the rush? I often think that we just hurriedly go through the motions just so we can check off another item from our lists. I also have a hunch that some people are tearing down their Christmas tree on December 26th because they can’t stand looking at it one more day.

The first day of Christmas actually begins on December 25th and culminates 12 days later with the Epiphany on January 6th. (I know that you know the song….) Shouldn’t we pause, reflect and remain joyful about Christ’s birth throughout the entire season?

I have a strong suspicion that the Magi were busy men. Yet they stopped to take time to follow a star.

Adoration of the Magi ~Bartolomé Esteban Murillo

The Magi were called Wise Men for a reason. We don’t know exactly what their profession was or where precisely they lived. But we do know that they were important enough to get a mention in the bible. I like to think it was because even though they were of great importance they stopped what they were doing and began, what was no doubt, a very rough road trip that lasted for days.

Journey of the Three Magi to Bethlehem ~ Leonaert Bramer c. 1638~1640

I don’t think it was an oversight that God chose His only son to be born in a lowly stable (which I have written about HERE) or that the baby Jesus was visited by some of the most influential people of the time.

Adoration of the Magi ~ Rogier van der Weyden c. 1460

Nor do I think it was an oversight that the Wise Men have been presented as being of different races. I believe that God wanted to make a point that His love and salvation is available to everyone regardless of financial status, profession, sex or color.

Adoration of the Magi ~ Francesco Bassano c. 1567-69

But we seem to be losing our focus regarding Christmas. Where is the wonder and awe about Christ’s birth? Shouldn’t we all be on our hands and knees giving thanks for His birth?

Adoration of the Magi ~ Jacopo dal Ponte c. 1560-65

So once again I am sending out a plea to put Christ back in Christmas, remember the reason for the season. The celebration begins December 25th and lasts through January 6th.

“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem”. ~ Matthew 2:1

Laura

The comments are turned off today so that I may celebrate the advent. Prayer requests can be left on the DTA Facebook page.

Gifts to Make #4 ~ Handmade Tags or The Easiest Anthro Knockoff Ever!

noreply@blogger.com (Decor To Adore) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 17:29:00 +0000

Welcome to the fourth installment of gifts you can make. Although these are gift tags and not gifts per se, you could package eight or so in a glassine bag and give them as a gift. They are too cute not to!

Way back in the middle of November I had shared with you my holiday knock off aspirations. One project I had listed were these darling Anthropologie penmanship gift tags.

I have to say of all the Anthro knockoffs I’ve created this has been by far the easiest.

You begin by printing out tags that say “TO”. Flamingo Toes created a wonderful template.

While I have seen several blogs cut the tags out separately at this point, I opted to stitch my tags with one continuous stitch to save time. I did use my backstitch button at the beginning and ending of each line on each tag. This was my first attempt and my lines were a bit off. (Consecutive attempts were much better but the sun was going down and so went my photography light. :)

Other crafters have cut the tags out by hand. I opted to use my scrapbooking paper trimmer as a time saving measure. This does cut down on the artisanal effect of using scissors, but I was ok with that.

Next, a scrapbooking corner clipper rounded the corner edges and a paper punch was used to create a hole in the upper left hand corner.

While the Anthro tags featured white twine, I opted for colored bakers twine as that is what I had on hand. (I think I actually like this touch better.)

Of course I couldn’t just stop with the basic red and blue thread pairing, so I tried pink and mint.

Followed by pink and blue.

Then red and green.

My favorite though was red and teal.

The totally crazy combo of rainbow thread suggested I had gone off the deep end so that is where I stopped. (I kept my bobbin thread white on all colors as a time saver and so that the back side of the tags would be all white.)

We are halfway through the Gifts You Can Make series. Have you been creating lately?

Laura

Linking to:

Centsational Girl

Gifts To Make ~ #3 Repurposed Books Become Beautiful

noreply@blogger.com (Decor To Adore) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:00:00 +0000

Yesterday I shared with you how to make a pretty velvet bookmark. Well, doesn’t a pretty bookmark deserve a beautiful book?

These altered books can be used as recipe holders, photo albums, journals and scrapbooks.

For this project you will need:

A hardbound book. (I used Reader’s Digest Condensed Books found at garage sales, thrift stores and Ebay.)

Decorative tape (Known also as Washi tape~Craft stores and Etsy.)

Paper punch

A drill with bit

A large selection of printed images. (Graphics Fairy and Imagi Meri are great sources.)

Several sheets of scrapbooking paper and/or cardstock

Scissors and a Paper Trimmer

Glue (Both hot and craft.)

Various shaped paper punches. (Any craft store)

Book binding rings. (Office supply and craft stores.)

Wide ribbon (I used vintage grosgrain and seam binding.)

Small belt buckles (I used vintage Mother of Pearl purchased from Redhead Sadie!, Ebay and Etsy.)

Stickles Glitter Glue (Craft and scrapbooking stores)

Various trim and embellishments.

Patience and Strength (hee hee)

Begin by removing the hardbound book cover. This can be done with scissors, an exacto knife or purely brute strength. :) Drill two to three holes where the album rings will go.

Remove the pages of one story in the book. This is generally around 50 to 100 pages. Trim the rough, torn edges and create paper punch holes for your book binding rings.

Cover the raw edges with scrapbooking paper and washi tape.

Cut out your printed images. I usually do a printed image on every other book page.

Begin laying out your scenes on the book pages. (This is the fun and time consuming part.)

If you add stitching, do so before you glue the paper down.

Glue the images down onto the book page. (You may want to place a heavy weight on top while the pages dry to keep them from curling.)

You can make fun pockets…

…and include paper envelopes to store treasures.

Embellish the pages with various trims and glitter glue.

Assemble the finished pages within the hardback book and add the book binding rings to hold everything in place.

Add a wide piece of ribbon along the front of the book cover and secure with a belt buckle.

Each book’s theme can be personalized for the recipient. I created French themed books….

Vintage sewing notion books,

Vintage fashion books

Plus many more.

Reality check~ While this is a very fun and creative project, it is time consuming. Each book takes approximately five hours to finish.

You can see several more detailed pages of the books that are listed in my Etsy shop.

Be merry and bright,

Laura

Linking to:

Centsational Girl