Design Improvised

Our Move: What I'm Looking Forward to the Most

2013-06-18T07:30:00.000-07:00

The official move date is quickly approaching. The movers come on the 27th and we'll be on a plane for Texas on the 29th. I may not be physically ready, but I am getting more and more mentally ready, and excited for this big change for our family. Here are the things I'm particularly looking forward to in our new home:

1. A yard - I haven't lived in a place with a yard since high school. I am so excited to have a place for the girls to run around and for me to plant a garden.

2. Guest bedrooms - Since Stella was born almost 4 years ago, our guests have either had to sleep on the Aerobed or the couch. It will be so nice to have two proper guest bedrooms for family and friends to stay in when they visit. Here's one of them (just ignore the window treatments!)

3. A pantry - I have been wanting this for awhile. Not only is there a pantry but probably three times the amount of kitchen cabinets we have now. I have a feeling a lot of them will be going empty for awhile.

4. A linen closet - There is a theme here - we are in desperate need of more storage. Right now our towels are under the bathroom sink and the sheets are under Hazel's crib, with other linens randomly scattered here and there. What a luxury to be able to put them all in one place!

5. Crazy stone columns and floors - Ok, maybe not. These will take some getting use to!

6. An office - probably the thing I'm looking forward to the most is having a dedicated office / blogging / craft space - the new Design Improvised headquarters! Of course, it figures it is the one room I forgot to take photos of. Ha! You'll just have to stay tuned - lots more photos to come.

Alt Summit NYC Here I Come!

2013-06-14T06:18:00.006-07:00

My kitchen table has become an assembly line of business cards and a little DIY project in the making for my trip to Alt Summit NYC next week. I'm so excited to be making a return trip to the conference, held in arguably the coolest venue possible - the Martha Stewart Omnimedia headquarters!

This year, I will be making the trip with my sister Heather as she launches her own blog for Harken Design. I'm excited for her and the opportunities she'll have through Alt. Design Improvised wouldn't be where it is today without Alt Summit! As a result of the conference last year I've developed partnerships with exciting companies like The Land of Nod and Kollabora.

Last year this room was filled with strangers. As I looked through these photos for this post, I was struck by how many of these bloggers I now know, follow, and share ideas with. The community I've been able to tap into through Alt has been invaluable.

And then there's Martha. She made a quick appearance last year, and of course I was at the very back of the room during that time. This year, I'll be nabbing a seat in the front couple rows!

What opportunities will come out of this year's Alt Summit NYC? The sky is the limit!

All photos by Justin Hackworth

P.S. Here's my Instagram recap of last year's ALT NYC

Fathers Day Craft

2013-06-12T06:15:00.001-07:00

Only 4 days left until Father's Day and nothing for Dad? No worries - you can make 50 of these in an hour between now and Sunday. Thanks to you, your dad will be the trendiest guy on the golf course. ;)

I made these for my dad - a huge lover of golf, who instilled in me a love for golf. He's the only person I know who can play an entire round with a 7 iron and a putter. I have so many precious memories on the golf course with him.

Here he is with my grandpa, who is almost 90 and still has a mean swing.

My dad likely hasn't heard of the DIY paint dipping trend, but I'm hoping he'll still appreciate these colorful tees made with love.

This would make for a great kids craft project. All you need are some long golf tees and your favorite colors of craft paint:

How to Make Paint Dipped Golf Tees

1. Depending on the craft paint you use, you may want to dilute it slightly with water (as long as it is water soluble paint) so it is thinner for dipping. You don't want it to clump up on the tees. I used just a couple drops of water to dilute mine.

2. Put a dab of paint on a paper place and roll the bottom half of the tee around in it for a dipped effect. You can vary the amount of tee covered in paint.

3. Tap the pointy end against the paper plate a few time to get off any excess paint.

4. Dry the tees upside down on a paper plate. Just be careful not to knock any over or you'll have a domino effect (based on experience)!

I packaged mine up in a little baggie with a gift tag. (Sorry to completely ruin the surprise Dad - hope you don't end up reading this post until after Father's Day!)

These don't have to be just for Father's Day. They would make a great gift for any golf lover. In fact, I'll be saving a few of these for myself.

This post is part of a promotion with FamilySearch

Pom-Pom Table Runner

2013-06-10T07:09:00.001-07:00

My final DIY from the goodbye party is a super simple table runner using just a roll of kraft paper, pom pom fringe, and double sided tape. It doesn't get much easier than that!

This could work for so many occasions - just change up the color of the pom pom fringe to match you party decor.

Supplies for Pom-Pom Table Runner

How to Make Pom-Pom Table Runner

1. Roll out the kraft paper and cut to fit the length of your paper. Depending on the width of your table, you may want to cut the kraft paper to a smaller width. You don't want the pom-pom fringe interfering with your guests plates since it is a little bumpy. For my table runner, I actually cut the paper the length of the table and then folded it in half lengthwise.

2. Run a row of double sided tape right along each edge of the paper. I used multiple strips of tape about 6 " long and cut each strip in half lengthwise to make them thinner. That way there wouldn't be any excess showing once the pom-pom fringe is placed on top.

3. Press your pom-pom fringe onto the double sided tape. I used one 4 ft. roll of fringe per side of the runner.

The best part about using double sided tape is that the pom-pom fringe pulls right off after you are done with the runner and you can save it for another project!

The runner is a 15 min. project - something you can do last minute. It made for the perfect accompaniment to my succulent centerpiece!

DIY Memory Boards

2013-06-07T05:41:00.001-07:00

Today I wanted to give a tutorial for how I made these memory / message boards for our party:

I think they would make a fun addition to lots of different types of parties. They could be adapted for birthdays, graduation parties, baby showers, weddings - you name it! It gives guests something fun to do during the party and you're left with some special mementos afterwards.

Supplies for Memory Boards

Cork boards (here's a tip, you can easily find them for $1-$3 a piece at thrift stores like the Salvation Army. New ones can cost upwards of $20 a piece!)
Acrylic craft paint (I always recommend Martha Stewart multi-surface paints)
Stencils
Painters / masking tape
3M Command strips (if the cork boards have hangers on the back you could also use those, but the Command strips allow you to avoid putting holes in your wall)
Note cards and pens
Instant Polarid camera and film
Push pins

How to Make Memory Boards

1. Paint the outside frame with craft paint and stencil on whatever words you want - it's as simple as that!

You can use the painters tape to line the inside of the corkboard when you are painting the edges of the frame to prevent any from seeping onto the cork. If the frame has a glossy wood surface you may want to sand it before painting to make sure the paint adheres well.

2. Hang up the boards and set out the camera and film as well as some notecards, pens, and pushpins for guests to write messages with.

3. Leave a note on one of the boards so guests know what they are supposed to do!

4. Watch the boards start to fill up over the course of the party!

How priceless is this note from my little friend Cole?!

Kraft Paper Letters

2013-06-05T05:26:00.001-07:00

I love kraft paper letters (also called paper mache letters) for simple, inexpensive kids room and party decor. My latest use was as a colorful backdrop for our moving party.

I have also used large letters above the beds in the girls' shared bedroom:

And Better Homes and Gardens featured this monogram family collage in their May issue (it was an idea I pitched to them - woohoo!):

Ranging from $3-$4 a piece for the small letters and $10 each for the large letters like above, the price can't be beat for wall decor! I got the small letters for our party from The Land of Nod, but craft stores like Hobby Lobby also carry them in various sizes.

Kraft letters start out looking like sturdy cardboard, but the options for decorating them are endless!

Image from The Land of Nod

I kept it simple when decorating the letters for the party. I just used Martha Stewart acrylic craft paints and some foam brushes to paint the letters in a variety of colors that coordinated with our party invite.

So easy, even a 3 year old can do it! In fact she painted most of the letters for me. I just smoothed out any big globs. ;) We put 2-3 coats on each, letting them dry 10 min. or so in between coats.

The small kraft letters are so light, I just used a few strips of painters tape on the back to hold them on the wall for the party. For the large letters in the girls rooms, I used 3M Command strips.

Of course these would work for so many parties beyond a moving party - I could imagine spelling out "Happy Bday" or "Congrats!", a couple's monogram for a wedding backdrop, or a child's name for their birthday party that could then be reused as decor in their room.

Have you ever used kraft paper letters in your decor? How did you decorate them?

Moving Party

2013-06-03T06:03:00.002-07:00

This past weekend we celebrated our move south with a bittersweet goodbye party. Our friends and neighbors have made our past 7 years in Chicago so special and they will be sorely missed!

The Land of Nod provided some awesome decorations for the party such as these fun letters and the brightly colored houses which I turned into a little city scene.

I bet you haven't thought of The Land of Nod as a source of party decor, but you should! So much great stuff for kids and adult parties alike.

I had fun incorporating some of the girls' toy cars and making a couple new little street signs:

I wanted a way to capture special memories, so I created these cork boards for our guests to post notes and snap some Polaroids for our scrapbook. By the way, how cute is that "good bye" pennant garland? Also from The Land of Nod.

I set out push pins, pens, and little note cards that mimicked our invites for the message boards:

This note from my sister brought a tear to my eye. :(

Stella loved checking out the snapshots during the party.

Perhaps the highlight for our guests was the make your own taco bar catered by Big Star - one of the best taco joints in Chicago!

Toppings were set out for guests to make two types of Big Star tacos - El Pollo and Al Pastor:

The end product was delicious and quite fitting for our move to San Antonio. ;)

We pushed our dining table to the side and I made a table runner out of my egg cup succulents and a simple strip of kraft paper edged with pom-pom fringe.

We are going to miss Chicago so much, but are so excited for what the future holds once we board the plane for San Antonio in a few weeks!

A big thank you to The Land of Nod and Big Star for helping make the party extra special!

Stay tuned later this week for tutorials on how I made the ORD - SAT party table, the message cork boards, and pom-pom table runner.

DIY Bouquet

2013-05-31T05:18:00.001-07:00

Do you buy flowers at the supermarket? I always love the challenge of turning their basic bunches into more exciting arrangements. You may remember my previous post on a 5 min. supermarket bouquet makeover. Well, yesterday I had about 15 minutes to make a couple arrangements for Stella's teachers for her last day of preschool in Chicago, so I bought these:

The flowers from left to right are:

Mini carnations
Craspedia
Green balls (at least that is what the label said, but I'm not sure it's correct!)
Sunflowers
Mixed eucalyptus

They were part of the "buy 3 bunches for $12" deal. I'm a big fan of shopping from the single bunches section rather than getting a prearranged bouquet from the supermarket - you can get much more creative that way!

To start with you want to cut down the stems considerably. I stand them up next to the vase against the edge of the counter to determine where to cut so that they just peak over the vase.

I started by putting in the largest flowers first:

Then I added some of the mini carnations:

Next came the eucalyptus:

Lastly I finished it off with a few sprigs of greenery and a couple balls of craspedia. I think a few bunches of unexpected greenery like these can really make the difference in a bouquet.

So if you're at the supermarket this weekend check out whether they have some single flower bunches you can mix and match. If you put together an arrangement, send me a photo!

You can check out my other 5 min. supermarket bouquet here.

Latest Finds from Randolph Street Market

2013-05-29T05:21:00.001-07:00

I spent Saturday morning roaming the stalls of Randolph Street Market in search for treasure...

...and I found this!

The bright blue color and petite size of this child's vanity caught my eye from afar and I made a beeline for it. Stella and Hazel love playing pretend beauty shop, so I knew they would love it.

It needs a new paint job and there are some cracks in the wood that need to be filled in, but I'll let them enjoy it as is until I get around to that project.

My sister and partner in crime joined me for the morning. Here she is literally surrounded by awesome vintage junk!

I was tempted to take home some vintage Better Homes & Gardens books but I held off:

I however couldn't resist taking home this tongue-in-cheek door knob from the ladies at Amelia Jane Vintage. It will be the perfect addition to the door of my new office / craft room. Now, if only my girls could read!

I also scored another vintage tablecloth to add to my collection - so great for meals outdoors.

I also picked up some awesome vintage butterfly book pages from Paper Patty for our new nature inspired guest room (more details to come!).

Goodbye Party Preparations

2013-05-24T07:48:00.001-07:00

We're getting ready for a final hurrah at our home this weekend with our friends and family.

My husband leaves for San Antonio next week to start his new job. Then the girls and I will head down there a few weeks afterwards once we've had some work done to our new home. It's going to be a busy month. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to celebrating our move south with friends and family this weekend.

Of course I've had fun with the party planning. ;) My sister made the fun invites (inspired by this moving announcement from Minted). There will be some awesome party decor compliments of The Land of Nod, and a make your own taco bar from one of favorite Wicker Park restaurants, Big Star. It's going to be a good time - stay tuned!

Succulent Centerpiece

2013-05-22T07:08:00.001-07:00

What do you get when you pair egg cups with succulents? A pretty summer arrangement for your table or windowsill! I have big plans for these guys at our goodbye party next weekend.

I have used these inexpensive egg cups ($1.50 a piece) as Easter placecards but I wanted to find a way to use them the rest of the year. I've had succulents on my mind lately and thought they would make for a pretty display in painted egg cups.

I chose a variety of bright paint colors and played around with adding different stripes.

To paint the egg cups, I used my go-to Martha Stewart Multi-Surface Paints, a small paint brush, and some thin masking tape:

I used the tape to create a nice straight line above it, making sure to press it down tightly against the egg cup so no paint seeped through.

Then I painted above the line, let the paint dry and removed the tape. However, on some of the cups I just painted the lines freehand, as I didn't mind the less than perfect stripes. It gives them a bit of an organic feel. Either way works great.

For the succulents, I bought the smallest I could find at Home Depot ($3 each). It is amazing how much beauty and detail there is in such a small little plant!

I separated a couple of the succulents into two to get more bang for my buck and used the potting mixture that came with them. You want to be sure to use a potting mix made for cactus and succulents. Succulents also need good drainage, which unfortunately is not something these egg cups provide. Adding a couple pebbles at the bottom will help. In general, you want to use just a tiny amount of water when you water them to avoid the roots rotting in overly wet soil.

I can't wait to use these as decor for our party (stay tuned!). For now, I'm enjoying this pretty addition to my window!

Repurposing Furniture

2013-05-20T05:11:00.001-07:00

In addition to being able to pitch some old things and update them with new, another thing I'm really excited about our move is being able to put our furniture and art to entirely new uses!

For instance, I absolutely love this painting that my cousin Jeremy Hansen did for us. It is so special and has been the focal point of our dining area, but rather than put it in the dining room of our new home I'm excited to try it out somewhere else. Maybe above the fireplace in our formal living room, or above our bed in the master bedroom for a real statement.

As for our dining table, we'll move it to our formal dining room and get a new breakfast (everyday) table that will hopefully take wear and tear better than this one. I still really like it but the top is awfully banged up. I'm thinking of painting the top gold to match the gold stripes on the chairs. We'll see...

I'd love to try a new color palette for our living room (I'm thinking pops of orange!), which means these pretty floral pillows will need to go elsewhere. Maybe on the bed in the guest bedroom?

Our current master bedroom has this rug that I love but is largely covered up by our bed. I'm excited to show it off in its entirety by repurposing it the dining room or formal living room of our new place.

I'm also looking forward to giving new life to all our little knick knacks and accessories by displaying them in different rooms.

Finally, I'm excited to find a special spot for this Chicago art I recently received from two good friends as a goodbye present. Oh man, I will miss Chicago...and especially my family and friends here!

Collaborating with Kollabora

2013-05-17T05:18:00.001-07:00

I first discovered Kollabora a year ago at the Altitude Summit blogging conference. They were a budding company with a cool concept - bring together a community of makers to share their DIY projects and techniques and encourage others to start making by providing easy step-by-step instructions and supplies.

It has been fun collaborating with them over the past year - you may remember the DIY Night when we made these awesome painted bangles with supplies and instructions from Kollabora:

Then we held a DIY Night where several of us took a shot at knitting for the first time while watching Kollabora's step-by-step "newbie" videos online:

I've enjoyed submitting my own projects to Kollabora and being part of their growing community of makers. They are currently expanding beyond jewelry, knititng, and sewing to include home decor projects (yay!). Here are some recent home decor submissions by community members:

Kollabora does a great series on their site called "Meet the Makers" where they interview different members of their DIY community. I was honored to be interviewed by them this week! You can check out my interview on their blog. In addition, I plan on working more closely with Kollabora now that they are expanding into home decor. Stay tuned!

If you are a crafty person, you should definitely join the Kollabora community and submit some of your latest projects so others can make it too! You don't need to be a blogger, all you need is to provide a photo and some instructions.

Randolph Street Market Summer Opener - Ticket Giveaway!

2013-05-15T06:04:00.001-07:00

It's hard to believe Memorial Weekend is only a matter of days away. Just like the last few years, you'll find me kicking off the weekend at my favorite Randolph Street Market.

This outdoor vintage flea market in Chicago is held monthly throughout the summer in the West Loop. There are over 200 vendors, good food, and live music. Never been? Well now is your chance!

Randolph St. Market are providing a pair of tickets to its May 25-26th market for one of Design Improvised's readers! Just leave a comment below to enter.

In the meantime, here are a few snapshots of treasures I've taken home from past markets:

I can't wait to find a fun place for the crazy 60's rug and these butterfly specimens in our new place.

This vintage storage box and the wicker rocking chair and stool have already been put to good use in the girls' bedroom.

This pair of funky crewel embroideries remains my favorite Randolph Street Market find of all time! They are currently displayed proudly in the playroom.

What treasure will I discover next? I can't wait to find out! Here's how you can find some treasures of your own this Memorial Weekend:

Randolph Street Market Ticket Giveaway

To enter to win a pair of tickets ($20 value) to the May 25-26th market in Chicago, just leave a comment on this post!

Contest ends 11:59 pm ET on 5/19/13. One comment per person. US entrants only please. Winner will be chosen randomly through random.org and notified by email. If the winner does not claim the prize within 72 hours of notification, a new winner will be selected.

New Home Ideas

2013-05-13T07:46:00.002-07:00

I have been ripping ideas from home magazines for as long as I can remember. Having the new home to plan for has been the perfect excuse to sort through my sea of clippings and organize them nicely in an idea book!

My favorite way to organize magazine clippings is with clear sheet protectors in a 3 ring binder. To make my idea book feel a little more special I covered an old binder in pretty paper. I also got some stick-on tabs from Martha Stewart Home Office and a Sharpie for writing notes on the clippings:

I organized the book by creating a separate tab for each room in the house:

Behind each tab, I added sheet protectors with the magazine clippings slotted in. I jotted down notes to remind me what I liked about each inspiration photo like this one for our new guest room:

These pink paint options from Better Homes and Gardens will be helpful when painting my new pink and black office!

This book of clippings may seemed a little old-fashioned in the days of Pinterest and Houzz. I plan on saving ideas on those sites too, but there is something about paging through magazine ideas that I've always found particularly inspirational and a little therapeutic too! I'm looking forward to adding to this in the coming months.

Are you a magazine clipper like me? How do you corral all the ideas you find?

We Bought a Home!

2013-05-10T07:29:00.000-07:00

As of May 30th, this will be our new home in San Antonio! Things are always bigger in Texas, and this is definitely bigger than our Chicago condo. It should be quite the change as we trade the city life for the suburb life. I'm just looking forward to some new rooms to decorate!

Lots more photos to come down the road - just wanted to give you a sneak peek for now.

Have a great weekend!

10 Things to Replace When You Move

2013-05-08T06:10:00.001-07:00

One nice thing about moving to a new home is that it allows you to start with a clean slate. It's a great opportunity to replace certain things I should've replaced a long time ago - like all our mismatched tupperware!

Ross and I learned our lesson when we moved from Boston to Chicago that certain things aren't worth putting on the moving truck. We ended up paying some crazy amount to have movers pack up our kitchen, including a couple boxes of canned goods that cost probably 3x the amount to pack them than they were worth. There will be no canned goods coming down with us to San Antonio!

Here are the things I hope to update with the new house:

Mismatched tupperware - our motley collection consists mostly of recycled deli meat containers these days! I'm anxious to replace them with a nice stackable set like these from Rubbermaid.
Dishtowels / dishcloths - with a new kitchen, I would like to replace our worn dishcloths with a bright new set. These brightly printed ones from Target caught my eye.
Pantry items - I assume most people clean out their kitchen items before making a big move. We'll be extra thorough this time around.
Toiletries - Same thing for toiletries. I've already cleaned out numerous bottles of stuff I haven't used in years (!). It's amazing how less cluttered my bathroom drawers are. ;)
Bathroom towels - when we got our set of towels as a wedding present they were fluffy and white. They are now just dingy. When we have guests stay with us, I find myself sorting through them to find the least dingiest to give them! They are long overdue for a replacement.
Bedroom pillows - our pillows are several years old and I haven't been great at regularly washing them. I think it would be nice to update them with new ones rather than pack them.
Clothes - There will be a lot less need for wool sweaters in San Antonio. I've been whittling down my winter clothes quite a bit.
Old DVDs - Ross might not agree with this one, but we have a cabinet full of DVDs that we brought from Boston and haven't watched in the 7 years we've lived here! I am hoping we don't need to bring those with us. ;)

Help! I realized I only made it to 8 on my "Top 10" list! What else would you add? Anything else that is better to get rid of than pack up and move across the country?

The Land of Nod's 10th Birthday Bash!

2013-05-06T05:24:00.001-07:00

When The Land of Nod throws a birthday party, you know it is going to be a good one!

The Land of Nod celebrated turning 10 years old with a big bash at its newly remodeled flagship store in Chicago this weekend. There were lots of balloons and lots and lots of color. I was like a kid in a candy shop.

The new rainbow checkout at the center of the store was the highlight for me. I think it is pure genius, from the lamps at varied heights to the blue spray painted animal backdrop:

You most likely know The Land of Nod from their website, but if you have a chance to visit one of their handful of stores they are not to be missed! They are opening up their first California store in Costa Mesa soon.

The styling is so creative throughout, such as this cute pink bookcase:

Colorful wall art surrounds the top of the store:

The Land of Nod has some of my favorite lighting options right now. I would use any of these in my home!

The new flagship store in Chicago has a section devoted to toys. Love the vintage looking sign:

The toys are smartly organized by age group:

I brought home one of these awesome big storage baskets and a pair of these silly glasses for my girls (modeled here with my friend Niki)!

Because The Land of Nod throws such awesome parties, I've asked them to help me throw a little party of my own. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks - it's going to be a lot of fun!

Design Improvised is Joining Martha's Circle!

2013-05-03T05:56:00.002-07:00

Just a quick post to share some exciting news this Friday. Design Improvised has been invited to join the Martha's Circle advertising network!

As part of Martha's Circle, Design Improvised joins a family of lifestyle and DIY blogs selected by Martha Stewart editors for their dedication to "delivering ideas that inspire, and tools to instruct".

For Design Improvised readers it means I'll occasionally be joining forces with the Martha Stewart brand and its advertising partners to bring you sponsored content about interesting products. You'll also see a couple more ads in my sidebar from companies I hope you find relevant and exciting.

I couldn't imagine a better fit for an advertising partner than Martha's Circle - I hope you agree!

Mothers Day Cake

2013-05-01T05:57:00.000-07:00

Don't have anything for Mom yet for Mother's Day? No problem. All you need are a few AirHeads candies and a cake and you will be all set.

I'm excited to be partnering with AirHeads candy for this post. It turns out I have a lot of fun crafting with AirHeads - you can bend and manipulate them almost like clay.

You may remember this AirHeads friendship bracelet I made to enter their Valentine's Day crafting contest (I won 3rd place!). This time I used the same technique of cutting the AirHeads into thin strips for an entirely different outcome.

Here is all you need to make an awesome Mother's Day cake for your mom:

Frosted cake - I purchased my coconut cake at my local grocery store for $12 - it was delicious and well worth it. Of course, you could also make your own!
AirHeads candy - I used 2 cherry, 2 orange, and 2 pink lemonade to make the cake, but you can pick whatever colors or flavors you like best.
Kitchen shears - or regular scissors, but just make sure to wash them well first.

The details on this cake are so easy to make you can have it done in 15 minutes. I'm not kidding! It is easy enough for young kids to help with, especially the hearts.

I wanted the letters and the heart details on the cake to have a feminine, quilled look to them. To do so, I first started by cutting each AirHead into thin (about 1/4") strips lengthwise.

Here is how to make the first "M":

Take two AirHeads strips and pinch them together at the top. They will stay stuck together on their own. Then roll up the end of the left strip a little bit.
Bend the second strip into a U shape
Pinch on one more AirHeads strip and curl the end of that one as well
Place on the cake!

For the "O", just take a strip and pinch it into a circle. For the second "M" just make a smaller version following the instructions above!

Making the hearts is super easy:

Take a strip and pinch it in half
Roll in the left strip midways
Roll in the right strip midways until it touches the other strip
Make as many as you want to go around the base of the cake!

What do you think, would your mom like this?

This post is sponsored by AirHeads

A Perfect Mother's Day Gift - And Giveaway!

2013-04-29T05:47:00.004-07:00

What mom or grandma wouldn't love these Change of Art frames for a Mother's Day gift?

In particular, I thought these double frames would be a fun way to display your children's latest photos along with a piece of their artwork.

Change of Art is kindly giving away a pair of their double frames (an $80 value) to a Design Improvised reader - read on for details!

You may remember my earlier Change of Art post on why I think these are some of the coolest and highest quality picture frames on the market. Their paper templates and button hangers make hanging a grouping of pictures foolproof. All you do is:

Tape up the paper templates where you want them
Nail in the button where marked on the template
Tear off the paper, and then slide the frame onto the button

Another feature that I love is their storage pocket that allows you to just slide in a new picture and store older ones behind it.

This would be perfect for grandma when she receives a new photo or piece of art from her grandkids!

I know some grandmas that will be receiving these for Mother's Day (hint, hint). Enter below for a chance to win a pair of your own!

Change of Art is offering two ways to win:

1) Leave a comment below by Sunday, May 5th for a chance to win a pair of double frames in your choice of color (an $80 value).

- OR -

2) Make a purchase at Change of Art and leave a comment below saying you did so by Sunday, May 5th. If you win the giveaway, not only will you win the pair of double frames, but you will also be REFUNDED YOUR ENTIRE PURCHASE (up to 12 frames)!!

Contest ends 11:59 pm ET on 5/5/13. One comment per person. US entrants only please. Winner will be chosen randomly through random.org and notified by email. If the winner does not claim the prize within 72 hours of notification, a new winner will be selected.

This post was sponsored by Change of Art

UPDATE: The giveaway has now closed. Congrats to comment #10, Katy Lewis!

How to Stage a House

2013-04-24T05:24:00.002-07:00

We hope to have our Chicago condo on the market this next week as we get ready to make the move to San Antonio. In preparation we've been doing several little things to help our home sell as quickly as possible.

Sometimes it's the little things that make the all difference. I still remember clearly the bright bowl of oranges on the dining room table and a fresh white orchid in the bathroom when we saw our condo for the first time 7 years ago. Subconsciously those small touches made by the previous owners must have had a favorable impact, as we put in offer in that day!

Here are the 10 things we're doing to stage our house:

Swapping in new doormats and accent rugs - we want potential buyers to get excited before they enter the door. We replaced our worn doormat with a fresh colorful one and paired it with a bright wreath. I also swapped out the rug at our kitchen sink with this one from Target.
Adding greenery and flowers to patios and decks - even though it is just barely warm enough to plant flowers outdoors in Chicago, I'm adding several pots of cold-tolerant flowers and greenery to our balcony off the living room and our roof top deck.
Removing family photos - this is a classic home staging tip, but it works. I took down and packed up all our family photos such as our hallway photo wall.
Decluttering closets and built-ins - I remember reading somewhere that you should take out at least 1/3 of the things in your closets. We've been going closet by closet to organize them, donate things we don't need, and move a few boxes to our offsite storage unit to make them feel roomier.
Corralling toys - having the new playroom has helped keep the toys out of the other living spaces, but there is still some work to be done to put a few of the bigger items in storage and free up space.
Removing baby-proofing gear - having a baby gate to step through when you first enter the condo isn't the best first impression, so we took it down as well as plan to remove the protective covers over the stove knobs, locks on cabinets, etc.
Fresh coat of paint in high-traffic areas - we hadn't painted our hallway and bathroom walls since we moved in 7 years ago. The wear and tear was really starting to show, especially at 3 feet above the ground where a trail of sticky finger prints and smudges winds through the house! We had painters come in and paint these areas and boy does it make a huge difference! It is worth the investment.
Cleaning out fridge and oven - some people like to open your fridge and oven as a test of whether you take good care of your home. We're going to make sure ours are sparkling!
Wash windows - We have nice big windows in our living and dining room. The view and sunlight is amazing after a fresh wash.
Fresh flowers in kitchen and bathrooms - my favorite touch. I wish I had fresh flowers in my dining room and bathrooms every day, but I'll definitely have them when our place is on the market!

What else should we do? I'd love to hear what tricks you've found helpful in selling a home!

How to Refinish a Table

2013-04-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here is one last project from my girls' playroom - a little play table and chair makeover:

This is what the set looked like when I found it near a dumpster awhile back (yes, a dumpster!). It wasn't in the best shape, but the table was still very sturdy and I was drawn to its little spindle legs.

I haven't done much furniture refurbishing, so I was winging it a bit on this project (please let me know if there are other tips and tricks I should know about!). Here are the supplies I used:

Supplies to Refinish a Table

Small paintbrush
150 grit sandpaper
Protective respirator mask
Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Primer
Interior paint in your choice of color (not shown)
Acrylic sealant (not shown)

How to Refinish a Table

1. Lightly sand all the surfaces of the table and chairs with your sand paper. It's a good idea to use your respirator mask during this part! Wipe off the dust created with a paper towel.

2. Apply a coat of primer with your paintbrush:

Here's how the chair looked after being primed:

3. Apply 1-2 coats of your paint. I tested out two wall paint colors I had on hand. I opted for the pale blue and gave the table two good coats.

4. Spray the table and chair with a protective acrylic spray. I gave the table at least 4 coats, letting it dry between coats. I didn't take a photo of this, but this step is really important to protect the surface of the table from wear and tear. When my girls get crayon marks or spill something on the table it will just wipe off with a damp cloth thanks to the sealant.

I paired the table and chair with these adorable red chairs from The Land of Nod. So far the table has been holding up pretty well thanks to the sealant, despite my girls' best efforts to mark it up!

Fellow DIYers out there, what tips do you have when it comes to refinishing furniture pieces like these?

Interview on The Road to the Good Life Blog

2013-04-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite parts of blogging has been the opportunity to get to know other bloggers. While at Alt Summit in January, I med Eden Hensley. She is a woman with many hats - mother to 1 year old Gates, designer, business owner, writer, and blogger to name a few!

Her blog The Road to the Good Life chronicles the ways she makes the most of everyday life. She is even in the midst of writing a children's book about The Good Life with her sister. Talk about one impressive woman!

When she asked if I would contribute to a new series she was doing on her blog by answering a few questions about my definition of The Good Life, I was honored. Having the opportunity to do these types of things, and meet interesting people like Eden is what makes blogging so fun.

You can find my interview and check out Eden's blog here! Hint - these two girls below are a big component of The Good Life for me ;)

Monogram Art

2013-04-17T05:57:00.003-07:00

Here is a simple and colorful way to make monogram wall art for your child's room:

These fluffy pom-poms bring me back to my childhood when I would glue them together into caterpillars or other little animals. Now Stella does the same! There is something about their bright colors and soft texture that makes them hard not to love.

I made an initial for each of my girls, but it would also look really neat if you spelled out a child's name on their bedroom wall!

Supplies for Pom-Pom Monogram Art

Inexpensive blank canvas (lots of sizes to choose from)
Package of pom-poms in assorted sizes and colors
Hot glue
Ruler and pencil (optional - for tracing letter)

How to Make Pom-Pom Monogram Art

1. Start by lightly drawing the letter on the canvas with a pencil and ruler. Then roughly lay out the pom-poms you want to use, varying the colors and sizes:

2. Use a dab of hot glue to secure each pom-pom in place. As you glue, you will want to position the pom-poms more closely together than when you initially laid them out. Just fill in the extra space with additional pom-poms:

3. Continue gluing on more pom-poms until you've filled out the letter, making sure to vary the sizes and colors throughout.

In less than 30 minutes and under $10 you can create a fun new piece of wall art!

What other things would you make with these colorful pom-poms?