HOUSE OF PAINT.

Family room

2014-08-11T23:02:00.001-06:00

Family room by kathrynjenkins featuring fabric home decor

It's been a while...

2014-04-30T08:21:00.001-06:00

I know, it's been a while. I will tell you that I have felt less inspired lately and have had a hard time writing a new tutorial or talking about paint. I am still obsessed with it. I can't help but dream of the Home Depot paint section, or the fun ways to make any room I walk into pop but, my house is for sale. It is time. I feel at peace with it but currently, I am kind of homeless. We are living with my parents until the house sells and until my husband finds a new job (I hate lay offs).

Making things seems difficult when their is so much going on. Everything is new right now and we are trying to adjust to a temporary life. We know that at some point, the house will sell and at some point, Jared will get a new job and then we will move out and find a new, amazing, and perhaps even better house or place than we had before but it's this time in the middle right now that is tricky.

Please be patient with me as things will change a bit for a while. Their will still be tutorials just not as many. Their will still be fantastic ideas but it might take me a bit to get back on my feet. I have every intention of becoming even better from this.

The site has some exciting and simplifying changes. I have written quite a bit about cleaning and organizing and becoming minimal this year, and that is still my goal, even with this darling diy blog. Please keep reading House of Paint. Please keep believing in what it can be and feel free to share any stories, advice, or tips for making House of Paint better.

Love, Kath

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Sunny Day Backyard Inspiration

2014-04-21T20:25:00.000-06:00

Sunny Day Backyard Inspiration by kathrynjenkins featuring teakwood patio furniture

Pier 1 Imports string of light
pier1.com

Round patio table
llbean.com

Barlow Tyrie contemporary patio furniture
didriks.com

Skagerak teakwood patio furniture
dwell.com

Outdoor arm chair
allmodern.com

Weishäupl
$525 - connox.com

Hammocks swing
shopterrain.com

Modern patio furniture
lnt.com

Pillow Decor indoor outdoor pillow
pillowdecor.com

Ethan Allen spike plant
ethanallen.com

Green plant
earthflora.com

Flowers plant
ikea.com

Garden Gate Grass
cottageandbungalow.com

Why Design Matters

2014-04-08T11:50:00.000-06:00

I have given this a lot of thought, especially in the last few months. My family and I have suffered some hard times. We bought a home in 2007 and by the beginning of 2009, it was worth almost $80,000 less than what we had purchased it for. My husband has been laid off twice. My son was diagnosed with autism and we live far away from treatment so we commute every day to make sure he can go to school and get what he needs. We downsized to one car to save money and our life has seemed many days, like it's driving by us in one of the other cars that might have a life. When I do get a break I have found myself mostly blogging, designing, and searching pinterest for pretty homes and more design projects. I have wondered why I care so much? Why does design matter? Are their better things I could do with my time?

In those moments when I have been worn down by my trials, I have thought about doing something different. I have thought about saving lives instead and going back to school or finding a way to give back and start a charity. Perhaps, I have thought, I should be "the perfect mom" instead that does nothing but serve my children. All of these ideas have raced through my head as I wondered why does this have to be my talent? And why do I have to care about making things pretty. God gave me this talent. I have always been good with design and creative ideas, ever since I was little but why me and why anyone!?

While pondering I came across this quote,

" doctors save lives by constructing a healthy life, designers save lives by constructing a life worth living"- Mark W. Perrett

By reading this quote I was reminded of a few things that I had forgotten or had chosen to ignore.

A well designed holiday creates joy.

A well designed gift creates gratitude.

A well designed closet creates order.

A well designed home creates family.

A well designed life creates peace.

I may not always be saving lives but I am creating joy, gratitude, order, family time, and peace within my neighborhood, my family, and my friends. I am sharing my talents in the ways I can to give this great message that DESIGN DOES MATTER and that well, I matter.

While that quote did finally snap me out of my self pity and remind me the importance of design. I did rethink the way I create and design my life. I came away with an idea. What if we all only kept the things that really matter in our homes? Time is so rare these days that what if we only spent time taking care of the things in our homes that we really love and cherish? How many times have you hoarded your shelves with the things you were given just because, well they were a good deal or given to you- I doubt anyone would want to put pressure on you or making you keep something just because you feel guilty. I'll tell you that for me, pictures matter most. I love having those memories but their are a lot of thrift store finds, and trendy target clearance items that I don't care at all about. They are taking up space and not making me feel better. They are making me feel stressed, clutter, clausterphobic.

What you saw earlier about DESIGN DOES MATTER, perhaps it's really that GREAT DESIGN MATTERS.

I believe that great design includes: functionality, color, space, and effectiveness. I am trying incredibly hard now to be a better and great designer, to think about what part of the design really brings joy, and how to bring happiness with my talents.

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Mint Green Products.

2014-04-02T16:44:00.001-06:00

I am so excited to introduce a new regular contributor for House of Paint. I am a little bias because she is my sister, but she is also amazing and is going to be contributing to our color boards as well as in our holiday food category. I will let her introduce her first post and tell you about herself.

Hi! My name is Emily Bennett. I am currently a brand new college student at Utah State University and trying to get a feel for this new life I am experiencing! Ever since I can remember, I have had a fascination with fashion and the latest “fads” the world has to offer. I also love to cook. Food is a form of expression for me, and well, who doesn’t enjoy eating a yummy creation?! I sure do. I am so excited to be a contributor for Our House of Paint and be able to provide some awesome ideas for you to use! Other than cooking and fashion, some other hobbies I enjoy include: watching movies, vacationing, singing, and spending time with my family. Now let's get to the post!

Mint Green

To start off my color product posts, I thought I would use on of my recent favorite colors. Mint Green is so popular right now and the perfect color to invite spring into the year. The products that I will share with you will be perfect for children, mom's, and those out there who have a knack for home decor.

1. Mint Green Lace Japanese Wash tape at Etsy

2. Mint Green Nursing Rings Necklace at Etsy

3. Mint Green Baby Owl Bank at Etsy

4. Mint Green Baby Clip-on Bowtie at Etsy

5. Mint Green Flower Pearl Necklace at Etsy

6. Mint Green Nursery Wall Letters at Etsy

7. Mint Green Owl Planter at Etsy

8. Mint Green Baby Turban Earwarmer at Etsy

9. Mint Green Shear Infinity Scarf at Etsy

The Paint Sample That is used is Seafoam Pearl 470A-2 from Behr.

Monogrammed Fabric Wall Decor

2014-03-27T14:53:00.001-06:00

We made this for Cruz's room and I love it. It is simple and sweet and a bonus!, incredibly easy to make. It also was inexpensive. This is a simple flour sack towel with some Curtain Grommets. You can purchase the the flour sack towels at Walmart or Target for about $1 each.

The Painted "C" was used with spray paint and a stencil. It was a bit of a windy day and that was the hardest part because I ruined my first flour sack towel when spraying against the wind so that is my biggest piece of wisdom: Dont be an idiot like me and spray on a windy day. I have done this before and have still not learned my lesson. Anyway, I ended up blowing some paint outside of the stencil because of the wind and had to start over. Once the wind stopped, it was simple.

I created the stencil myself but you could easily purchase one on amazon.com. I made my own by purchasing a poster board and then I hand drew the letter and cut it out with a utility knife. It might be even sturdier and better with a foam board if you want to use it more than one. The poster worked well but I did have to tape it down really well so the paint doesn't bleed.

IMPORTANT: I placed the stencil backwards because I wanted to give it a faded look and I realized that by painting backwards and then hanging it up on the other side that had not been painted on would create that look. You can still easily see the paint from the other side.

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DIY Gray Wooden Shutters

2014-03-18T11:07:00.000-06:00

I have had the yucky vinyl shutters on my house since we moved in. They are generic and boring and they well, they look as fake as they are. I have wanted some real wooden shutters for years but that project kept putting at the bottom of our long diy to do list. I am so happy to say that we have finally made the shutters and actually, we want to make for our other windows now too!

First, I researched. I read a ~~billion~~ a lot of tutorials from other bloggers that had made wooden shutters and eventually decided to go with the "How to Make Wood Shutters for your Home" by Petite Elefant. They have some great tips on how to make the shutters with ease and little cost. Please go to their tutorial for instructions on building them since we followed their tutorial pretty much exactly. I will say that our shutters are a few inches shorter than our window and we like it that way.

Now I want to talk about painting. I chose a simple gray color. I love gray as everyone knows. Choosing a shutter color was not easy because I have a beige color house and a light teal color door. I don't like being too "matchy matchy" so I didn't want to do the light teal but did want something that would match the home on the inside and outside. I am glad I went with my gut and did gray. It feels homey and matches the light fixtures since their are a silver-gray color so it works.

I chose Behr Exterior Paint & Primer and I used a roller to get it on. I also needed a small brush for touch ups to get in between the 3 slats of wood. I only did one coat and it looks great. You will need a primer! I love the paint and primer combo because it saves me time. You could also spray paint instead but you will want a primer to make sure it lasts. I have plans to lay down a paint called Never Wet to help with water protection on them soon so keep checking back for that. I will link it in this post once it's up.

happy painting & creating some curb appeal!

WHAT I LEARNED TIP:I realized it would have been a lot easier to paint if I would have not had space in between the slats of wood but at the same time, the wood pieces were not completely straight and if they were so close together without space I think you would have noticed that more. I would just think through those two points before choosing how to make your shutters.

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A Journey into Our World with Autism.

2014-03-10T10:29:00.000-06:00

Many who knows me personally often hear about my son Logen. He is well, pretty special. He loves to run, count, and play with his brother. I am incredibly proud to be his mom. Logen has Autism. He was diagnosed about 2 years ago and it's been quite a journey for us. Logen will be turning 4 at the end of this month.

Kelly Parker, a graduate student at Westminster College and also the founder of Parker Time Potions, asked me to tell my story about having a son with autism. I scrambled to think of what I might say. Their are so many emotions and anxieties that really never go away as a mom. Your son is perfect but he also needs help. You can't do it alone and you hate that you have to depend on so many other people and professionals but you also are grateful for the help. You feel like a failure and a go-getter all the time. My story is below in a short video and I hope you as my readers will understand a little more into my life or into the life of a child with autism.

I appreciate all of the support I get from my family, friends, and the community. I feel truly blessed that I can rely on so many people who don't judge me and who have loved Logen for the amazing kid he is.

Beach Casual and Sports Designer Living Room.

2014-03-09T22:26:00.001-06:00

Beach Casual and Sports Designer Living Room. by kathrynjenkins featuring a 2 seater couch

Sports Organizing Bungee Cord Cubby System.

2014-03-07T16:46:00.000-07:00

Ok so….We have boys and so when you have little boys, you have lots of sports balls. everywhere. they get them out multiple times a day, and usually have a favorite ball. We tried many systems to organize the balls. We bought large bins and threw them all in there but then the kids loved to dump the whole thing out to get the one they wanted. They also had too much fun carrying the bin around with them and getting in the bin, and getting out of the bin. Perhaps I am picky or less patient these days, but I decided that their must be a better way. I had seen the bungee cord sports organizers everywhere on Pinterest. I felt like their must be a way to use that concept in my existing furniture because I don't really have room for more furniture.

We have a cubby system in our living room. It's the back of our dining room nook and it doesn't get used a lot but we like having it there. It hit me that if I could take out the cubes for two of the shelves, that the balls would fit there. I then took out the cubes for the bottom shelf on the other corner cube shelving so that their would be room for the weird golf clubs, and baseball toys that we never know where to put.

HOW TO MAKE IT.
Ok so you will need bungee cords. We got "24" inch bungee cords at Walmart. They came in a 2 pack and had a few color choices. We have a cube system with 13 inch cubes and so if yours is different, you might need different size bungee cords.

Next you will need to get rid of the cube shelving in the middles. This is simple. Take a hammer and hammer it out. It is the easiest solution as long as you don't care that it will get ruined and you will not be able to put it back. It came out pretty clean doing it this way.

Third step, You will need to drill holes into the cube system on the top and bottom. We used a 3/8 drill bit to drill the holes. This was pretty easy.

Next you want to just put the bungee cords into the holes and add the balls. This cube system should be attached to the wall so that the kids can't pull it on themselves.

Cruz's is 2! Mickey Birthday Party

2014-03-03T22:01:00.001-07:00

Cruz turned 2 this last week. I can't believe it! We had a lot of fun putting our mickey ears on, dancing with a bunch of toddlers, and eating some yummy cupcakes at his party. Even though he is such a big guy, he will always be my baby.

I wanted to talk about the party in this post and the truth is, everything we did is so simple that their is no point in having a tutorial so I think I will just talk and explain a little instead. One thing I have learned about party planning (especially birthday party planning) is to keep it simple. The menu for example is typically the most expensive part of the party and if you simplify it down from instead of multiple side dishes to just one, you can not only save a lot of money but make it a lot easier to plan. For this party we went super simple and it was a huge success. We served turkey sandwiches on rolls, chips, mini water bottles, and grapes. Then we ate cupcakes. That's it. No multiple potato salads and jello and green salad in case people don't like that. Keep it simple. I also have found that doing multiple games with kids in the toddler and preschool age just doesn't work. Choose one to two activities and that's it. We chose to do a "make a mickey face" craft (which I hand cut and that by far took the most time) and then we had a dance party. It was pretty much as simple as it gets but super fun. It was a huge success.

Also glitter paper mickey ears and cut out paper mickeys to tape on the floor really tied the whole party together. I loved loved loved it. Check out the glitter paper mickey post and enjoy the pictures. Hot diggity dog!

Mickey party

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Paper Glitter Mickey Ears

2014-02-28T15:18:00.001-07:00

We had quite the hot diggity dog party this week for my son Cruz's birthday. He loves Mickey Mouse and so well, we put on our ears and danced. (p.s. nothing is cuter than 2 year olds having a dance party am I right?)
Today I am going to talk about our super easy paper glitter mickey ears. I read many tutorials on how to make mickey ears using a headband. The tutorials were pretty easy but a little time consuming. Many of them used felt for the ears with a foam piece in the middle and a few others used thick foam sheets.They are all great options but I had 20 toddlers to make them for and I also did not have very much time so I wanted something a little easier than the many options I was seeing. I even looked into just purchasing some cheap ones but the ones I found were really ugly and still pretty expensive. I eventually decided that glitter cardstock would be my best friend. I purchased 12x12 glitter cardstock sheets and traced mickey ears with a little lip after them that I could bend around the headband and hot glue to it. I do think if you are making them to last for years, I wouldn't choose paper. Ours have lasted though for over a week and my kids have not been gentle with them, In fact they have thrown them and stepped on them many times.
To make this, be sure to get:
Black headbands (found mine at dollar tree)
Black glitter cardstock
Scissors (if you don't already have them)
Hot Glue and a Hot Glue Gun (also, if you don't already have it)

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Green, Navy, and Gold Master Bedroom

2014-02-24T21:48:00.001-07:00

Green, Navy, and Gold Master Bedroom by kathrynjenkins featuring handcrafted furniture

Week 5: Organizing Linens by Color

2014-02-24T12:53:00.001-07:00

Okay who likes laundry? No need to raise your hand because I am sure you are shouting for joy at the idea of running and folding and putting away all of the clothes, and towels, and linens in your house. (Their is lots of sarcasm in my voice in case you can't tell). Organizing the linens is something that drives me crazy!!? Making sure that the towels and washcloths and kids towels and rags and dish towels get all sorted and put into the right place seems like an impossible task. The other problem is that my husband is color blind and so he never sees stains on linens that were once washcloths but have since been turned into rags. He can see basic colors but different shades or tints are hard. When he sorts the laundry (which he does often because he is awesome!), he always gets them put into the wrong place. I decided we needed a better system so....I decided to dye them and organize them by color, but obvious colors that my husband would be able to see. This would be an easy project for those who want kids to help fold laundry or need help with the day to day tasks. Organizing it this way makes it simple.

Kitchen Linens--blue, green, and silver

Rags--purple

Master Bath Linens--white and gray

Kids Bath-- striped, polka dot, and hooded

Workout Towels--black

To dye these towels, you will need a box of rit dye, and a washing machine. I put all the rags together in one load and followed the directions on the back of the rit dye. Understand: I had a hard time getting the right shade or color that I wanted. To get this purple color, I used black. I also used a denim blue and still ended up with a light purple which I hated so I didn't use those. If you are set on a certain shade you want, you will need to read rit's color recipes and also test dye something. I decided purple for the rags would be fine. You don't need to dye everything. I use green, blue, and silver for the kitchen and put all of the other kitchen towels that weren't those colors in with the rags to dye purple. The rags made the most sense to dye since they are so many colors and are the hardest for my husband to sort. This organizing project has made my life so much simpler. I love love love it. I know it sounds crazy, but it is the ittle things that make the most difference or at least make my day that much easier. Also, I have a plan for the future too! I have a box down in the laundry room for "future rags". I will just put them there until there are enough to run a load of laundry with a box of rit dye.

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20 Unique and Cool Dresser Knobs

2014-02-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

20 Unique and Cool Dresser Knobs by kathrynjenkins featuring hardware knobs

Painting your Countertops with Rustoleum Coating

2014-02-20T22:13:00.001-07:00

I have painted many things. If you haven't noticed, please read a few more posts on the the blog or even the title of the blog and you will see that well, paint has become a part of me. That is part of the reason that I decided to try out the Rustoleum Countertop Coating Paint. I hated the color of my countertops, especially after we painted our cabinets because the colors really clashed. I decided that painting them would be an inexpensive way to make the kitchen really shine.

I chose black. I always choose either white, gray, or black. It's an obsession really. I've decided it's an Audrey Hepburn kind of thing.
Pros
1. Inexpensive. This gives you a huge change with your kitchen with very little moula.
2. Really does look like a countertop counting? Some people have a hard time picturing paint looking thick and like a countertop coating but it actually does a really good job. It feels smooth and the countertops are actually black.
Cons
1. Chips away easily around the sink. That is where most if not all of the chips are now (a year in a half later) after painting it. It's not super chipped but it definitely has more wear near the sink. It may be also be due to the fact that we did not remove the sink to paint under it. We just taped and painted around it. Also I should mention that I also painted our bath sink and haven't had any chips yet and so it's possible that I just didn't prep it enough.
2. Sticky. This takes more prep than other painting tasks. You will need to tape down well and lay drop cloths everywhere because the paint is super sticky and takes some gettin' used to.
My overall thoughts for the Rustoleum Countertop Coating Would be positive but I also really want to replace them now and get granite because it's just better and easier. It is starting to wear some around the sick and so it just bothers me. I have had this countertop coating for a year in a half and I would do it again but I definitely wouldn't do this project thinking it will be a forever thing. I also want to mention that I think choosing a color is key. I chose black which is simple but if you choose something bright, it's not going to have any specks in it...it's just a solid color so make sure you picture that before painting.

Before

After

Follow Kath Blogger's board all about paint on Pinterest.

FREE Mickey Invitation Printable

2014-02-17T09:02:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it but my darling Cruz is turning two in a few weeks. Time flies, and frankly, I hate it. I keep telling him to stop growing up but whether I like it or not, a birthday is coming up and we now have a huge frenzy going on to get ready for dozens of toddlers coming to our house for a party. (Yes! I know I am crazy). We have never done a friend birthday party before so this will be new. My older boy has only had extended family parties and so this will definitely be a little more chaotic but my Cruz is very social and we knew this is what he would want. Anyway, I finished the invite and decided to offer them on here for free. You can easily add your own text into these by using a photo editing program.

I printed two per page. I decided to hand deliver them but I do believe they can fit into a 6x9 envelope. I also have a printable available where you can print four per page and then you can put them in a 4x8 or 5x7 envelope with no problems.

Click here for the single png Mickey Invitation Printable

Click here for the 4 per page Mickey Invitation Printable

Click here to print the 2 per page Mickey Invitation Printable

Follow Kath Blogger's board party ideas on Pinterest.

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diy vinyl star living room wall

2014-02-15T21:58:00.001-07:00

I have a terrible confession. I am a paint blogger. I paint things weekly at least but even with all of that, I have spent the last 7 years with a very boring unpainted living room. It has been dull with no color and no paint. I will admit, I like white. I love color in small accent pieces but typically I don't use a lot of color on my walls but I still should at least paint them right?! Part of the reason why I never painted this room was because of our vaulted ceilings and that this room is a great room connected to our kitchen. I have struggled because I want them to both go together and could never decide on a color. After lots of searching and pondering, I finally decided on an accent wall with stars. Read below to see how I create this!

(if you like the giant star, see my tutorial on how to make it)

Ok so to create this star vinyl wall, you will need the following:

and

(click on the images to purchase the rustoleum metallic finish spray paint and shur-line paint edger on amazon)

Some sort of vinyl cutting machine or access to one. We used a circut. This is a great beginner vinyl project because it is super easy to lay down, like a sticker.
White Vinyl sheets (or silver if they have them at your local craft store. If they do, you can ignore the paint and painting steps in the tutorial)
Gray paint for the walls. I chose a behr paint called "black bean". Here is the link to it. It is a dark green gray paint.
Any other paint supplies needed to paint the wall
Silver or metallic spray paint
Ruler for measuring where to place the stars

(if you like the ikea billy bookcases, check out my post on how I organized them)

For most of my projects, I take a few "in the process" pictures. I don't like to post all of them in here enlighten post because I think it clutters it up and makes it more complicated but I do know that they are helpful for many of you creating this and so I have then linked up to a folder for each project and you can look through them. Here is the link to the in process and before pictures for the diy star vinyl living room wall.

Ok tutorial time

1. Tape and prep. Move furniture out of the way. One of the best tools we purchased for this project was the shur line paint edger. I will never go back and get this! WE DID NOT HAVE TO TAPE AT WALL. It took a minute to get used but after that, the job went by super super fast. I have never been so pleased with touch up painting and corners. It was awesome.
2. Pull out the paint and get to it. We needed one really good coat, and a second quick coat with some touch ups. Also I should mention that I always use Behr Paint and a Primer. It makes it much quicker and is completely worth the extra cost for us. When I used to do it the other way buying the primer and the paint separately took hours of extra time and not that much less in cash so yeah, buy the behr paint and primer. It is fantastic
3. Get the vinyl and follow the instructions. I would suggest watching a few you tube cricut vinyl movies if you have never done it before. We hadn't and were super intimidated but it wasn't hard once we watched those and got going. I used a star from the essentials cartridge and it was 2.75 inches.
4. Alright, after they are cut, you might need to paint. This is an optional step and completely up to you. I used a silver metallic spray paint to paint over my white vinyl. It was shimmery but the not the mirror metallic and so it's more subtle.here is a link to the spray paint I used. I sprayed a nice even coat onto e star vinyl sticker sheets before peeling them. This worked perfectly for me.
5. After they are peeled off, you can place them wherever you want on the wall. We placed them 2 feet apart height and width across the board and measured really well because we wanted it to look like it was planned and well, straight. You could just wing it but I think that measuring it made it look tons better (don't tell my hubby because he was the one who kept insisting we measure). I don't want it to get to his head.
6. After this, well...put the furniture back, take some pictures, and enjoy!

Follow Kath Blogger's board diy projects on Pinterest.

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I dig you valentines!

2014-02-15T20:27:00.001-07:00

Who loves free PRINTABLES!? (Currently raising my hand). I am super excited to talk about the I dig you valentines that I made for my son's class. These were super easy, affordable, and the perfect boy valentine. I always talk about paint on this blog and while I do love paint, it was nice that this craft and project was completely mess free. It would be great project for involving your little ones and letting them help.

Now, to make this Valentine, you will need:

Clear Plastic Gift Bags ($1 for a pack of 20)
Chocolate Raisinets $1 per box (each box was enough for 2 valentines)
Dump truck cars $1 (for a set of two)
The free printable

My son has a very small class with only 8 kids so this was a very affordable valentine for that size of class. If you need something a little cheaper, you could always just print out a picture of a dump truck and stick it in the bag with the Raisinets. To print off the free printable simply click on this link: Free I Dig You Valentine Printable, then print, cut, and staple or tape to the bag.

to download the single FREE I dig you valentine printable, click here

to download the twelve per page FREE I dig you valentine printable, click here.

Follow Kath Blogger's board valentines day on Pinterest.

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20 Favorite Apps for DIY and Creative Bloggers

2014-02-11T14:56:00.000-07:00

Having an iPad has been like having a personal assistance for me. It has changed the way I blog, research, edit, and create. The process is so much easier. I actually love to blog now. I find the process of creating a blog post now almost as introspective and exciting as my diy projects. The sky is the limit, especially with my apps.

Here are my 20 Favorite Apps for DIY and Creative Bloggers

1. Blogsy This is by far the most expensive app in this list and it is completely worth it. I use this app daily. I blog almost completely from this app and it is so much easier than it used to be. I am able to drag and drop photos and videos, add labels, save drafts, and I can even search the web from the app. I would give a 5 star rating.
2. PicCollageThis is great for project brainstorming and putting together an assortment of ideas. I use this probably weekly.
3. ThingLinkThis is great for posts. You can link up different parts of an image and add more photos, videos, or instructions so that it becomes an interactive image. You can also add links (similar to an image map). The downside is that these pictures are not pinnable on pinterest so you want to make sure you add an image or two in your posts as well as these.
4. PolyvoreI have been using this more recently but love it. I can make collages with design and home products for my blog. I use them as round ups and design boards. Polyvore works really well with blogger so you can post them directly to your blog if you wish. It has all of the links available below to the sources in your collage.
5. FlickStackrI need this app and was so grateful I found it and it works so well. I store all of my photos on flickr and so it's important that I can go through them, download them, and get the ready for my posts. I also love that I can upload photos from my iPad or iPhone to the app and onto my flickr. I can also put it into a set before I upload them which I love. This is by far my favorite flickr app and I have tried many. I use this photo multiple times in a week.
6. Pinterest This is a great app for anyone. I use it daily. I used to tear out pages and pages from magazines. They were stored in shoe boxes all over my house. It was a mess. Pinterest has changed all of that for me. I can find great ideas, research new projects I want to do, and discover creative bloggers just like me. I can also gain more followers through pinterest. Most of my traffic comes from Pinterest so participating in it is key for diy, crafty, and design bloggers.
7. Snapseed I love this apps' simple but beautiful editing tools. I use it for almost all of my blogging photos. The filters, colors, and effects in this app are genuine and easy to use. I use this app about every few days. I only wish I could add fonts to the photos in the app. That's the big downside.
8. EtsyThis site gives me tons of inspiration. I love that I can "heart" the items I like and save them for later. I am a designer and I am constantly looking for innovative ideas. Etsy has those. The ideas are fresh and new all the time. I use this app a few times a week.
9. Lowes Creative Ideas MagazineThis is also an inspiration app but focused more on DIY projects. I live at the hardware and home improvement store. It might be my favorite store in truth. The possibilities seem endless and this magazine shows just that. Their are tons of ideas to search through. I use this app a few times a month.
10. Frame Artist + This app allows you to make simple and beautiful framed collages. These are great for round ups and showcasing more than one image on your social networking sites like google+, facebook! Instagram! and facebook. I use this app about once a week.
11. Photo Measures LiteThis is just techno awesome. This allows you to save all of those measurements that you jot down on napkins onto your phone or iPad instead. I can plan out all of the materials I need and the measurements and keep them organized. I use this about once a month.
12. This Old House Design Magazine Another inspiration magazine, I love love love this magazine! I look at it a few times a month but am constantly taking notes as I'm looking at it because it's full of great, classic, and affordable ideas. Even though it focuses on old homes; it will give any type of home a great classic and timeless look.
13. Stanley Level Remember all those days when you can't find your level so you just "eye" it? Also do you remember all those nail holes you had to patch when you "eyed" it. Well don't worry about that anymore. This is a level on your phone and it is fantastic. I use this once a month.
14. Brit + CoThis app is like pinterest but for crafters and diy projects only. It has beautiful pictures, beautiful ideas, and a minimal layout. I love looking through it and getting ideas, inspiration, or finding tutorials for my craftiness. I use this a few times a month.
15. Valspar Color paint ideas for every kind of room, project, or craft. This is a fantastic app for those who love color and find themselves in here to paint aisle way too often. I am a paint hoarder so I use this app about once or twice a month.
16. Notegraphy Graphic quotes that you can create and put into your blog posts. I just started using this. In fact, I have only used it probably 5 times but I already love it. It give my posts more dynamic and the quotes can be pinned to pinterest which I also love.
17. @ppreciate This is similar to notegraphy but in this app you can't make your own quotes, you have to use theirs. The designs are cooler than notegraphy though and the quotes they have are pretty cool so I still use it in my posts from time to time. I use this every few months.
18. RookieThis is a an app for photo editing with stickers and filters. I love the looks of the fonts and the great sticker decor. They aren't your average stickers. They are edgy and real. This Aldo has round and square borders for photos. I use this a few times a week.
19. DropboxGenius idea! Truly whoever thought up this is incredible because this is used constantly. If I have a file that I need downloaded, edited on another computer, or easy to open at a friends house..I can get it all with Dropbox. Having access to your files anywhere, anytime is so helpful. I use this a few times a week.
20. Offline ReaderResearching and reading articles is part of the job as a blogger. I love offline reader because I can keep tons of materials and get to them later when I am waiting at the bus stop to pick up my son or at the doctors office. I use this about three times a month.

Follow Kath Blogger's board diy projects on Pinterest.

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Spray Painted Storage Cube Boxes

2014-02-09T16:05:00.001-07:00

To create these Spray Painted Storage Cube Boxes, I used the Rust-Oleum Bright Coat Metallic Spray Paint. The Storage Boxes were Closetmaid Fabric Boxes. Click on the images to purchase at Amazon.com

So it turns out that cube storage boxes are expensive. I wanted something really nice for my living room area but was having a hard time finding anything within my price range. I hate that. This is usually how most of my projects start. I started searching online for better priced storage boxes but couldn't really find anything that worked for under $25.00 each.
Ugh....so I found another solution.
I bought the very basic Closetmaid storage boxes found at target or walmart. They were $5.99. I also bought a can of spray paint. I like Rustoleum best for metallic paint. I just like the even spray and it works every time (this is not a sponsored post or brand of mine, I just really like them).

I did not overthink painting these and they are not completely perfec. Nothing I do is. I painted the canvas storage boxes silver with a nice even coat and did not paint the interior or the bottom.The trick to painting anything is that less is more and keep your hand or arm moving while your can of paint is spraying so you can lay down an even coat and it won't be splotchy. Also, they take a little longer to dry than other spray paint projects. Paint and fabric always take longer so prepare for a few good hours of drying. I am so happy with how they look and will be posting pictures of my Star Living Room/Family Room Makeover soon to see.

Follow Kath Blogger's board organized on Pinterest.

Everything you need to know about Painting your Kitchen Floor white

2014-02-04T14:33:00.001-07:00

I did it. I painted my kitchen floor about a year in a half ago. I am going to tell you all about my experience and whether I would do it again. I want to be as honest as possible because their are big pros and big cons to this kind of a project. I am going to do it in a Q&A kind of post to make sure I answer all of the questions and keep it simple.

Q: what kid of paint did you use?
A: behr porch and patio floor paint. This is a water based paint so it's a lot easier to use and apply than an oil based paint would be. I'm not a big fan of oil based paints even though they are known to last longer. Water based paints have come a long way too so most of them last about the same amount of time. If you don't know what based paint you have used for other projects, it's likely that it was a latex water based paint. That's mostly what is sold in stores. I got the paint at Home Depot and it can be tinted to any color. This paint is a thicker and stickier paint than your average wall interior paint. You will definitely need a floor paint roller and you will have to think about where and how to apply it without getting boxed in when painting. Also remember to keep windows open for ventilation. It will take 1 hour to dry to the touch but you shouldn't put furniture or anything on it for at least 3 days.

Q: was the paint hard to apply? What prep did you do?
A: As far as prep, you want to clean, clean, clean. The floor needs to be scrubbed really well before painting. Priming is important but I will admit that I did not prime before I painted for a few reasons. 1, the floor I was painting was a light color and 2, I knew this project would be a temporary fix until we could afford the flooring we wanted. The paint was not hard at all to apply. Be sure to tape around appliances and cupboards that can't be removed before painting.
Q: how does it look? Do you like it?
A: first impression was Wow! It looked awesome. It was shiny, and looked like a brand new floor. My friends and family thought I had installed new vinyl flooring. It really worked well and I do like it. I do have some things I don't like now (a year in a half later) though so read the rest of the questions.
Q: how long did it last without chips?
A: when moving the fridge back into the kitchen we scuffed it a little but it wasn't a bit deal and we fixed it. It started chipping mostly when we got a dog. Our dog has now made the floor look pretty bad because his big paws and claws have just scratched the paint off all over the place. We knew this was a temporary project and we now have the money to put in our new flooring so it's worked out but I want to make everyone clear on that it doesn't last forever and won't last long if you have a big dog.
Q: do you have any regrets?
A: YES! This will come as common sense to most people but I really wanted white floors. I thought it wouldn't be that bad because I already had light floors and I made those work. This was a big mistake and I will never paint my floors white again. I still love white, just not for my floors. They are constantly messy and dirty. It is impossible with kids to keep them clean even when I mop every day so do me a favor and choose another color besides white. I probably would choose gray.
Q: would you do it again?
A: Yes, I would. While it wasn't a permanent solution, it's been nice this year having something that I really liked. I hated the floor color and design before. It was out dated and just ugly. While this white floor wasn't easy, it was my style and sometimes those middle projects in between the dream money project that you want are important and necessary to get you to where you want to go and still feel like you. Also, it was $30, that's it. I'd say it was worth it.

Follow Kath Blogger's board all about paint on Pinterest.

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Week 4: Organizing the Hall Closets

2014-02-04T13:44:00.001-07:00

I am a bit late posting, I know. I have been sick. This has been the worst winter I have had in a long time. I have been sick for probably over half of it. My kids and I have been to the doctor numerous times needing antibiotics and it still seems we can't seem to shake this bug. I am hoping as I am now starting to feel better, that I will get over this and be done with it for a very very long time.
Either way, that is why I am behind on organizing but I have been working hard to catch up and should be back on track next week. I am just having to work a little faster than I was planning this week.

Ok, Organizing the closets. Here are 10 things you should know

You will need lots of medium containers. Clear or transparent containers will be helpful for most of them.
Labeling is super important too. A closet contains a lot of different things, you want to label and make it clear where things should go when they are being put back
You need to decide what their is a need for. Think about your house and what is cluttered in the corner or in that closet all the time. What causes you stress because it never has a place? What is already being stored in the closet? After you have thought through those questions, make a list of all of the things you will need to store.
Don't cram boxes in until the tight is too fit. You will get frustrated unstacking and trying to fit them back in all the time and you will likely stop putting things away all the time. Make sure it's a comfortable fit and not stacked more than once.

5. Think outside of the box. You do not just need to store linens in a hall or "linen closet". I store flash lights, extra notebooks, organized and labeled binders for certain tasks in the home, pictures and albums, extra electronics, travel souvenirs, my first aid and medicines, a basic 72 hour kit, finance information, our small safe for important documents, our swim suits, and even the pets treats are in the hall closet. Their are lots of options so be sure to think through your house well on if you have a place to store everything and what you are maybe missing, and than perhaps see if the hall closet can solve some of those problem

6. Most of this organization process for me has started with purging and getting rid of stuff and the hall closet is no different. Be sure to get rid of old junk you don't need. We had a bunch of old electronics we thought a while back we should keep but realized now that they are just taking up space. Make sure the stuff you are keeping has a purpose in your life, and is worth cleaning, storing, and keeping track of.

7. Don't keep tons of extra linens! You don't need them no matter how cute they are. Keep a few sets for each bed in the house and for a guest bed. You want to keep towels that are assigned specifically for the master bedroom and for the kids or guest bath too and keep them in separate piles. If they are frayed, put them in the rags. Towels and linens are for another week in our 52 weeks to an organized life so stay tuned for more help with linens but don't keep too many extra. Make sure they are in good condition, and again...purge
8. I figured out that looking through all of the storage closets and bookcases in the house helped me to know what I still needed help storing. While this week was strictly to hall and linen closets, looking at the cluttered bookcases, kids closets, and downstairs storage nooks helped give me ideas of what should be in the hall closets instead or what should be moved from the hall closet
9. Prettiness isn't necessary but it definitely does help and it makes the final product make you feel happier. When things look better and are nice, you have more of an incentive to keep them that way. Yes, you can throw your stuff in extra cardboard boxes and shoe boxes and get a long just fine but it may not be enough of a motivator. Buying some nicer and prettier boxes or at least some clear ones with cute labels can make the final product worth keeping up forever. If you are low on budget, try wrapping those shoeboxes in someone cute polka dot wrapping paper or something. That can do there trick. If your plastic boxes are too plain, tape a piece of scrapbook paper on the inside and it will look more fun and playful.

10. Struggling for ideas on how to store some weirdly shaped things? Take a look at containerstore.com. I found a lot of great ideas there. I didn't end up buying anything but it helped give me ideas for how to store the stuff I have. They do have some good sales and well designed products though so it is tempting to buy their stuff.

Follow Kath Blogger's board organized on Pinterest.

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Have a Zubie New Year!

2014-01-30T09:28:00.000-07:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Zubie for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I am excited to be writing a sponsored post on behalf of Zubie today. I will tell you that I had never heard of this company before getting this offer but after doing a little research I am very impressed and excited to talk about what this always-connected wireless service has to offer you, your car, and your family. For those who know me, I drive a lot--like 2 hours a day at least. My son goes to a school about an hour away from where we live and so I drive him back and forth so that he can attend. It is a HUGE sacrifice for our family and some days it can be overwhelming but the last thing I want to be worrying about is the safety and efficency of my car. I want to know as a mom that I am keeping my kids safe and that I am taking car of maintenence and repairs before they turn into problems. Zubie can really help with that. This a great way to start our the New Year right. ZubieLet me tell you all of the reasons why...

Alright so Zubie is an electronic device that helps track the health of your car, your driving behavior, and it helps you save money on repairs and maintenence. It is a key and mobile app that work together to give you real-time information. Once you have this great device, you will be able to

monitor and track speeding
sudden acceleration
hard braking
vehicle location and more...

This would be a great idea for families with teenage drivers. It will definitely help to put parents' minds at ease. You can also save money with preventing break-downs and repairs because the Zubie will notify you with low battery warnings and simple translations of engine codes.

What's even cooler is that you don't need to be sending the "where are you?!!!" texts all the time because you will be able to find vehicle location from the Zubie app.

order today with code SAVE20JANand SAVE 20%

Alright so this is our Call to Action, we can have a Zubie New Year by ordering now and I have a great deal for you today! Order with code SAVE20JAN and save 20% on one year of Zubie always-connected car service and a free Zubie key. It's a great way to use those holiday gift cards from Amazon and Best Buy. **This offer is good through February 28th, 2014. Shipping charges may apply.

Alright one last send-off and it's an important one! As you set your Zubie New Years Resolutions, be sure to follow Zubie on Facebook and on Twitter!

order today with code SAVE20JANand SAVE 20%

Yummy Super Bowl Food Ideas

2014-01-28T11:00:00.001-07:00

baked buffalo wings at the foodess

Only 6 days left until Super Bowl Sunday. I enjoy watching a good football game and my husband loves it. He yells at the TV and shouts in excitement as the team he is rooting for scores a touch down. We enjoys the commercials and this is probably the only time we don't fast forward through them. The game is a big deal to him, but to me--I just love the food. We usually try to eat relatively healthy in this house but on Super Bowl Sunday, bring on the grease! haha, or at least the salsa and dip. My mouth is watering thinking about buffalo wings, and cheesy bread. I love a good salsa dip or even nachos, yum yum. These are definitely foods that should be eaten every day, but on Super Bowl Sunday, it is all fair game. I have still not decided what I am going to get exactly but I enjoyed searching through ideas on pinterest and polyvore and found some mouth watering, and calorie adding ideas. Sometimes you need some serious comfort food, especially during a cold winter.

I would love to hear from you guys too! what are you doing for super bowl sunday? do you have a recipe you always make! please share below or on my facebook page.

Yummy Super Bowl Food Ideas by kathrynjenkins on Polyvore