East Coast Creative

Journey to a Vertical Garden Part 4 {Home Depot #DigIn}

noreply@blogger.com (East Coast Creative) — Sat, 18 May 2013 20:11:00 +0000

This is a sponsored post brought to you by The Home Depot! We love them for sponsoring CWTS and challenging us with this awesome project!

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A few weeks ago, I introduced you to my vertical garden project - you can check out part 1 and 2 and 3 here, here, and here!

Today it's time to show you this bad boy!!

Home Depot made it super simple with their written instructions and you can get all my tips and what I learned along the way in this post.

I love how unique this planter is! I've planted in containers for years now, but this is definitely the coolest one yet!

We have a lot of land, so space isn't an issue, but I could totally see this being perfect for a small yard or even in an urban home or apartment!

My final plan is to hang it on a tree near the front of our property that hurricane Sandy took down this past fall- right now, it's just a 10 foot tree stump, but I want to let the roots get stronger (about 3 weeks) before I mount it vertically.

My favorite part of the project is the irrigation system- it was such an easy thing to add, but now it's going to make sure that my don't die on me!

I loved taking on this challenge from The Home Depot and I hope it inspires you to think creatively this spring as your planting and making your yard look awesome!

I was all about planting, so last weekend Eric and I planted our very first garden too!! Can't wait to see if it all grows!! Fingers Crossed!!

Get over $300 in email exclusive savings each year, sneak peeks on new products, monthly lawn & garden ideas for your region and access to The Home Depot’s gardening experts. Click here to join the world’s largest garden community today! Or go to http://gardenclub.homedepot.com/ to see some of the many benefits of membership.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Home Depot.

Journey to a Vertical Garden Part 3 {Home Depot #DigIn}

noreply@blogger.com (East Coast Creative) — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:29:00 +0000

This is a sponsored post brought to you by The Home Depot! We love them for sponsoring CWTS and challenging us with this awesome project!

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A few weeks ago, I introduced you to my vertical garden project - you can check out part 1 and 2 here and here.
Today I finally get to show you HOW I made my vertical garden, and guess what? It was pretty simple!!

Since Home Depot has done a great job with providing both a video and written instructions for this project, I'm not going to give you every step, but I will share some tips I learned along the way!

You definitely don't need a nail gun for this project, but it would have made it so much faster!! Ours was on set for Knock It Off, so I did it the old fashioned way!

I went with a variety of colors for this project- I usually avoid marigolds, but I liked the orange and yellow contrasted with the blue/purple of the petunias!

When I was working on the holes for my irrigation tubes (which is just simple PVC that lets water get down deep in the planter) I found that if I drilled my hole in one direction and then once the tip of the bit was through, flipped it over and came in from the other side, it helped me not have any of my wood splinter or crack.

This is one step I added on my own... I spray painted my lattice- Shocker right?!? I know eventually it will be covered by plants, but in the meantime, I wanted it to look fun and colorful!

Once my box and frame were built, I gave them a coat of indoor/outdoor paint as well!

I love this color from Rust-Oleum (Blue Lagoon)- it's the same one we used on Jess' huge family artwork frame.

Once that was dry it was time to start planting!

I had an Oh Snap moment, when a realized that I forgot to buy the thin black meshing so all the dirt wouldn't fall out of my planter... thank goodness for the Home Depot Garden Community forums- I found out I could use some old material and it would work just fine! Phew!

Even before I added my flowers, I knew I was in love! The fun colors totally sold me!!

Here's just a taste of the awesomeness that the flowers brought to this project!

Tomorrow's my final day of this journey and I'll show you the finished product and where I hung it!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Home Depot.

DIY-FO SHO! {Bench Renovation}

noreply@blogger.com (East Coast Creative) — Fri, 10 May 2013 07:30:00 +0000

From time to time we talk here on the blog about how we try to make sure that we don't become self-absorbed or too focused on our own homes and stuff etc... It's a fine line when you're a home blogger. One way that we try to do this is by using our skills to help others! You might remember our first "Design it Forward Project"

I've decided that I'm a DIYer, but I like to DIY-FO too...

Do-It-Yourself-For-Others

And just because I'm a little gangsta, I've now coined it...

Wouldn't it be so cool if we all became more than just DIYers, if we also loved to DIY-FO-SHO!! (If you're really, really not gangsta it's a play on words "fo sho"= For Sure) I don't know about you, but I LOVE doing what I love to make someone else's day awesome!

Here's the story behind the bench pictured above!

So my Kenzie girl is obsessed with animals- I mean she really likes them more than people!

She has been taking horseback riding lessons from an awesome trainer (Katrina) at All Seasons Stables for the last year. If you're local we totally recommend them for lessons (tell them we sent you!)

Anyhow, near the riding ring, there was this oh-so-sad looking bench that I sat on or near for about 9 months before it occurred to me that I needed to give it a little love (okay maybe a lot of love!)

I told Katrina I was going to borrow her bench and I'd have it back the next day... she kind of looked at me like I had 3 heads as I dragged it over to my car and loaded it into the trunk. I promised her it would be worth it!

The hubs was 100% on board and we got right to work.

The screws were crazy rusted, so we had to use our jigsaw to cut the boards in half...

Once they were split down the center, we took a hammer and literally banged them off!

See! I wasn't kidding.

I sent Katrina a picture of the bench like this just to mess with her head a little! lol

I worked on spray painting the metal frame with outdoor paint, and while it dried, we worked on the new seat and backrest.

We replaced the old, rotten wood with new 1x3s.

Instantly it was looking better!

We painted all the wood a classic barn red to match the stables, and I decided it needed a little personalization. Using my Silhouette I added their name.

I taped around the edges to avoid bleeding and then got to work with my favorite Royal Design Studio stencil brush (I swear by this thing!)

After letting it dry, Kira and I headed back to the farm to make our special delivery. She hung out with a pony named Peaches, while I set up the bench.

I think it looks a WHOLE lot better and Katrina and her family were really surprised and appreciated it so much.

It's awesome to do a simple, little project that really makes someone else's day!

It doesn't have to be a huge project, but it could still make a huge impact on someone else!

So, what do you think of my new phrase?

Are you ready to DIY-FO-SHO???

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Psssst. Did you hear our BIG NEWS?

Click here for our announcement post with all the fun details!!
We can't wait for July 7th!!

Big Boy Room Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (East Coast Creative) — Thu, 09 May 2013 07:30:00 +0000

Earlier this year, we shared goals for our homes, and one of mine was creating a big boy room for my baby, Charlie. I guess he's not really a baby anymore, he'll be 3 in July, but you know what I mean. And now that there will actually be a baby in our lives, we need to move Charlie's crib into the nursery. Rather than kick him out of the crib right before the baby arrives, we decided to make the transition far in advance so that he doesn't feel like he's being replaced. Last week we moved a twin bed into his room and he's been sleeping in it like a champ ever since!

Now that the hard part is out of the way, I'm ready to begin decorating the room! Of course, I've been gathering lots of inspiration on Pinterest and have a pretty good idea of what I want the room to look like. Want to see? ;) Here are a few of the elements I'm planning on incorporating:

1. I'm so in love with the way the designers layered the headboards in this room. I'm not going to do two upholstered headboards, but am hoping to achieve the same affect with something a little different. Also, man, do I love stripes! That exact striped fabric is defintiely going to make an appearance.

Source

2. Navy! Enough said.

Source

3. Planked walls. I've done enough entire wall planking for a while, but we are going to be dressing a small area of the room with some planks. I just can't get enough of this style of walls!

Source

4. I know this has been done millions of times, but I'm still digging the monograms on the wall. I love the graphic statement these big letters make without costing a fortune!

Source

5. Sadly, there won't be any nautical elements like I had originally hoped for. When given several choices, Charlie chose rocket ship sheets (I didn't even know he knew what they were!) , and even though I'm not going full on space theme, I know nautical stuff would be much more for me than him. Boooo.

Anybody know the source??

I can't wait to get started but we start filming another episode this weekend, so it might just have to wait. I hope to give you an update as soon as I can!

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Psssst. Did you hear our BIG NEWS?

Click here for our announcement post with all the fun details!!
We can't wait for July 7th!!

Journey to a Vertical Garden Part 2 {Home Depot #Dig In}

noreply@blogger.com (East Coast Creative) — Wed, 08 May 2013 07:30:00 +0000

This is a sponsored post brought to you by The Home Depot! We love them for sponsoring CWTS and challenging us with this awesome project!

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A few weeks ago, I introduced you to the vertical garden project I'm working on (if you missed it, check it out here). I'm super excited about the challenge of pulling off such a cool look with a pretty simple DIY! Today it's all about the shopping!! Woot woot!

I wear a lot of hats... mom, teacher, blogger, wife, and now TV host (still sounds crazy!!), but that means that sometimes project shopping trips look like this...

4 kiddos ready to shop till we drop at Home Depot!

Yes, we get a lot of strange looks from people- I wish I took an after pic of the full cart with all the kids on it! Crazy town I tell ya!

Thankfully, my kids are pretty awesome and were excited to be" on a special project for The Home Depot!"

Here's a funny story... while we were shopping, we were approached about five times by helpful Home Depot employees offering to help us. One thing I love about Home Depot is that they'll make cuts for you! This plywood never would have fit in my car and cutting it down to the exact size I need, will save me a step at home! Sweet!

Okay, so back to the story... after the nice fella helped us cut the wood the kids decided that The Home Depot must know we're here on a special project for them, because they're being so helpful and nice! Ha! I promised them they had no idea who we are and they're always just nice. The kids totally didn't buy it, and they walked with a little extra spring in their step thinking they were kinda famous at HD!

(Even Kira's very dirty Teddy was proud to be Home Depot famous!)

If you're planning on building your own vertical garden along with me, here are the exact directions and material list I'm following. The Home Depot's huge library of how-to-videos and project planning tools are super helpful for actually getting you to do the projects you've been thinking of! It's updated often, so there's never a lack of awesome ideas!

Now let's talk flowers... I'll be 100% honest- I picked my flowers almost completely based on looks! I wanted a mainly orange-yellow combo, but then the purple-ish blue petunias added such a fun pop in the mix! But, I didn't want all my work to result in a bunch of dead-as-a-doornail flowers in a few weeks! So, of course I visited The Home Depot Garden Club website and checked to make sure they were all okay for my zone. So I knew I was good there, but here on the East Coast there's always a "you can't plant until after Mother's Day" rumor... Rather than risk it, I checked out the Home Depot Garden Forums and posted a question... Boom! Got my answer- the green light to #Digin and start planting!

Aren't the colors awesome? I still have some work to do on my garden, so stay tuned next week and I'll walk you through my build. So far it's been pretty simple- can't wait until it's finished and hung!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Home Depot.

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Did you hear our BIG NEWS?

Click here for our announcement post with all the fun details!!
We can't wait for July 7th!!

Last Minute Mother's Day or Teacher Appreciation Gift Idea!

noreply@blogger.com (East Coast Creative) — Mon, 06 May 2013 07:30:00 +0000

Sharpie projects have been trending all year, but we hadn't gotten to give 'em a try until recently! We shared this post as part of the P&G Have You Tried This Yet program, but it's perfect for a last minute Mother's Day or Teacher Appreciation Week gift!!

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What's a DIYer to do when it comes to getting her Mom something for Mother's Day? Well, DIY a gift, of course! We love a gift that is thoughtful and handmade, and this easy project is both! Plus, no special artistic skills are needed!

These mugs are super easy to make and can be customized in a million different ways. Fill with your mom's favorite tea, candy or even fresh flowers for a sweet Mother's Day gift she won't forget.

Here's what you'll need to make your own:

White, ceramic mugs (found at any discount store)
Permanent marker in your color choice
Stencil (optional)
Painter's tape (optional)
Baking sheet

Step 1: Wash and clean the mugs with soap and water and let dry.

Step 2: For the first mug, I used a fun arrow stencil. Line it up and hold in place with the painter's tape.

Step 3: Fill in the cutouts with the permanent marker, being careful not to smudge the ink. Let the ink dry for a few minutes and then remove the stencil and begin again.

For the second mug, I free-handed "I Love my Mom". This was actually a little easier than the stencil. I drew on paper what I wanted it to look like before I began on the mug. Then it took a steady hand and in a few minutes it was done!

Step 4: Place the mugs on a baking sheet and heat at 350 degrees for 30 minutes in the oven to set the ink. Remove from oven and let cool.

Now, that you're done, these mugs can be washed, put through the dishwasher and used every day and the marker will not smudge or fade. Love that!

So, for only a couple bucks you can have a custom gift that your mom or teacher will love!

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Did you hear our BIG NEWS?

Click here for our announcement post with all the fun details!!
We can't wait for July 7th!!

Wood Shim Wall Art {Tutorial}

noreply@blogger.com (East Coast Creative) — Fri, 03 May 2013 07:30:00 +0000

If you didn't hear our BIG announcement, stop reading right now and take a look here. We are excited beyond words and are so grateful for your support and encouragement! And to think...it all started right here! :)

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Remember that little contest we were a part of a couple weeks ago? It was a great contest run by Homes.com for an awesome cause- creating projects for a chance to win $5000 for your favorite charity. Well, sadly, we didn't win, but, we're pretty thrilled with our entry and wanted to share this super happy space with you guys.Let's get on with the project shall we?

I (Monica) have had this project in my mind for a few months now. It was inspired by a printed pattern I had seen in the window of a shop. I couldn't remember exactly where I saw it, but I was pretty sure it was a cool shop we had passed when we were in London in November. Great story right? Crafty DIY project inspired by a European city... Then, two weeks ago it hit me... It was JCrew at our local mall! I just about died laughing when I put it all together!

Well, JCrew or London, I sure am glad it inspired me...

For under $20 we created DIY Wood Shim Wall Art

I wanted something with BOLD color, and a modern feel, that married well with a bit of industrial flare!

How's that for a Before and After?
Who knew our dumpy oak piano could be such a show stopper? (You can read all about that little makeover right here. )

Here's a peek at the details- the DIY light isn't my entry, but man I love how it works with the Wood Shim Art!

Even though it looks pretty complex, the process was super simple and the longest part of the process was waiting for the paint to dry.

Here's how we did it:

#1- Purchase Long Wood Shims

We bought 5 packs of these from Lowes for $3.84 each. They sell two sizes, so make sure you go with the longer of the two 11 7/8" (yellow package).

#2- Cut the ends at a 45 degree angle. I used my miter saw and cut each piece- I started with one at a time, then did a little math in my head, noticed it would take an eternity, and then started cutting five at a time. Worked like a charm!

#3- Paint Your Shims I created a little spray paint zone in my basement and used all my leftover spray paint colors. When you're painting, just make sure that you put half with the angle to the left and half with the angle to the right or you'll be stuck with one sided arrows!

After they had dried I was left with this awesome assortment of color!! I used about 13 different colors, but I also think doing the whole project in various shades of one color could look pretty epic too!

#4- Make (or use) a Plumb Line Once we decided where we wanted our center point, we needed to get a straight vertical line to follow.

We took a nail, some bakers twine, and a socket to DIY a little old plumbline. Nail it in and voila!

#5- String Line your Vertical I love my string line... seriously, I use it all the time! We put it at our top and bottom marks (created using our plumb line) and then snapped that baby to give us a guide line.

#6 Determine your Pattern This step saved us major time. Use the floor to get your layout right and then installing it on the wall is a breeze. We wanted our pattern random and we wanted varying lengths and heights.

#7- Glue it on the Wall Rather than using 300 tiny nails (that could very easily splinter the shims) we opted for Gorilla Wood Glue. It was simple to use, will hold securely, and won't damage my walls completely (the way liquid nails would).

Following our pattern, Jess glued and I placed the arrows. Shims are very imperfect, so I had to be okay with tiny gaps and just kept using the center line to keep things straight.

Even before it was finished, we knew we were obsessed with it!

We finished it off with some fun accessories and the coolest light fixture ever, and called it a day.

There were a lot of DIY elements around our Crafting for Charity project, so to find out details about other projects, you can check 'em out below., We'll be posting more about them in the next few weeks, so just hold tight. :)

Even though we didn't win, we hope you'll still check out Worthwhile Wear, which was founded by our close friends Dan & Steph. They've committed their time and talents to make it their life's work.

Jess and I both have daughters and we couldn't imagine any of them having to endure human trafficking. We love Worthwhile Wear's mission...

Worthwhile Wear exists to rescue and restore girls from forced prostitution, and more importantly help prevent girls from ever entering it. We target highly trafficked areas both internationally and domestically, and offer women the opportunity to overcome two primary factors which are at the root of sex trafficking; poverty and lack of education. This solution is offered through vocational training centers which teach women how to make wears, such as jewelry, handbags, and clothing, which are sold to provide them employment. Additionally, the women are offered free education, a safe place to stay, and restorative programs geared toward encouraging personal growth and re-establishing self-worth.

That beautiful face is not a stock image. They're from Dan's last trip to India a few months back. The work Worthwhile wear is doing is critical and we hope you'll check out their site and follow along with them on Facebook.

What do you thinkj? Could you paint a piano green? Or glue shims to your wall?

We've Got Some Really Big News! {Knock It Off}

noreply@blogger.com (East Coast Creative) — Wed, 01 May 2013 13:33:00 +0000

Remember that time that we were invited by that cutie Nate Berkus to be a part of one episode on his show?

Remember how we loved working with Nate and were so flattered when he invited us back for 3 more episodes?

Well those amazing experiences helped us realize a few things...

1- We love a good DIY challenge

2- We really enjoyed being part of a TV show

3- People said we're not half bad at it

We are crazy, over the moon, still can't believe it ourselves, excited to announce that starting July 2013 we'll be the hosts of our very own DIY Show!!!

We're so glad that we can finally tell all of you! This has been such a hard secret to keep!

So here's the deal...

Our show is called, "Knock It Off" and we get to do exactly what we love... Get high end looks and amazing style without spending a fortune!! We're going to help viewers "knock off" those pricey styles the DIY way! Being on a show is great, but having a network believe in you enough to create an entire show around you is beyond amazing!

We've noticed a bit of a trend in home shows... it's all huge makeovers with enormous budgets- fun to watch, but not something most people (including us) can do in their own homes. Knock It Off is the home show for REAL people- people with a budget- people who want to have an amazing home, but not break the bank- people that love simple, creative ideas- people like YOU!!

We'll have tons more details to share as our premiere gets closer, but for now, here are a few details

What: Knock It Off

Where: Live Well Network (ABC/Disney)

When: Starting July 7, 2013

Make sure to check your local listings for The Live Well Network- it's a national network. If you're not familiar with LWN, don't worry, you will be soon!! The team behind LWN is amazing and they're putting together so many cool, new shows! They just premiered a new vacation rental show called "Sweet Retreats" and we're loving it!

As we get further into the show, we'll be sure to fill you in on some fun behind the scenes peeks. We love our crew and it has been a blast to work with them!

Our official Knock It Off Facebook page is live we're ready for followers!! Of course our regular EC2 page will still be active, but if you want sneak peeks, exclusive show content projects and more, be sure to LIKE our Knock It Off page!

Also, we'd be so thrilled if you'd help us spread the word! We want the world to know that Knock It Off is coming soon!! Thanks!We're sure you guys have some questions about the show, how it all went down, and more and we'd be super happy to answer them!! Leave a comment below. Thanks so much for taking this amazing journey with us! We are beyond excited and hope we make you all proud!! PS- We'll still be posting regularly here on EC2, but don't panic if you see a tiny slow down. Monica is still working full-time teaching, so we do all of our Knock It Off work on the weekends. Our pace is a little intense until summer, but we're so excited about it all, that we hardly notice!! We have plenty of fun posts planned for the next two months!! PSS- The design team is working on the show graphics and we can't wait to be able to share those with all of you too!! Make sure you've liked the FB page so you'll know as soon as it's ready!!

A Plain Pot: 3 Ways

noreply@blogger.com (East Coast Creative) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:30:00 +0000

Sometimes spring decorating stumps me. I'm always so excited to lighten and brighten, but since one day can be warm and the next day is rainy and cold, I never quite know how to decorate. This year, I came up with a super inexpensive idea that makes my decor really versatile and easy to swap out.

Enter the simple terra cotta pot. I bought it at Lowes for less than a dollar. I decided to create three completely different looks that I can swap out whenever it suits my fancy.

DIY Idea # 1- Washi Tape & Whitewash

The first step for this option is to tone down the orange clay color. I watered down some white paint, applied a thin coat, and then used paper towels to wipe it off, which left me with a white, weathered look. I had this adorable ruler washi tape and thought it went perfectly with the idea of spring growth! I love washi tape because it's inexpensive and comes in so many fun patterns.

DIY Idea #2- Faux Metal

Metal containers can be really expensive, but I love the industrial look they have. Using metallic spray paint, I was able to get the look of metal, but still spend under a dollar! I think a grouping of these in varying heights could look really neat!

DIY Idea #3- Chalkboard Paint

Oh, how I love chalkboard paint! Did you know I actually have chalk paint as my kitchen back splash? It's pretty awesome. I love the matte finish it gives the pot and I was able to add a fun little doodle. If you're thinking of planting any starter plants or herbs, you could use chalk to label what you're growing. Here's an insider tip... to get the crisp, clean writing lines like I did, use a chalk marker. You can order them online or from restaurant supply stores. They are much easier to draw with and still wipe off with water!

Don't get me wrong, I'm all about big room makeovers, but sometimes a simple project like this one can make me just as happy!

The options are endless with this one- which one do you like best??

I'm just Gonna Eat My Words

noreply@blogger.com (East Coast Creative) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 07:30:00 +0000

I figured this was going to happen at some point- me eating my words. I mean, with the hundreds of posts and millions of words we write, something had to come back and bite me. Last Fall Monica and I made this short little video for something and we're pretty sure we've never shown it to you. It's just a closer look at us, our craziness and our adorable kids. For the purpose of this post, please pay close attention to what I say at minute 1:00.

Did you catch that? I made a claim I never should I have claimed. And this is why:

Eeeeek. Can you believe that? No, neither could we. We thought we were completely done having kids after two- we even sold all of our baby stuff last year. But God has other plans for us. I'll be honest, at first, this was really hard for me to get excited about. I know, that sounds terrible. And I'm really sorry if I offend anyone, but it's true. It's just how I felt. We're just hitting our stride with our two kids- they're old enough that we aren't stuck to a schedule every day and we're finally out of diapers! Plus, Monica and I are doing some big things and it just felt like the timing couldn't be worse. However, this has reminded me that I am not in control. God knows what I need when I need it. Clearly, He wanted this baby to be a part of our family at this point in time and I can happily say that I am getting excited now! I'm due early in October and so am about 18 weeks along already!. :)

You know what else? I get to design and decorate another nursery. Woohoo! Trust me, I'll keep you in the loop with all my plans and will most likely even ask you for advice!

Have you guys ever been surprised by a pregnancy?

Please tell me I'm not the only one who has had to eat their words.

Journey to a Vertical Garden {The Home Depot #Digin}

noreply@blogger.com (East Coast Creative) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 07:30:00 +0000

This is a sponsored post written by us on behalf of The Home Depot- We're so thrilled to have the chance to partner with one of our CWTS sponsors!

I'll keep it real right from the start... as much as I try, I don't have a super green thumb. I did last week when I was painting my piano green, but that's not quite the same I suppose. When our friends at The Home Depot asked if we'd like to try our hand at creating a vertical garden, I jumped at the opportunity!

Last month, I talked about how I joined the The Home Depot Garden Club and saw so many cool projects and ideas. If you missed the post, you can check it out here- they also have a $5.00 coupon-Score! So, after combing through the site, and looking on The Garden Club board on Pinterest I decided to make a vertical garden. I think they look super cool and I've never tried using my carpentry skills with my ~~lack of~~ gardening skills.

Here's what I'm hoping to make... Of course with my own fun twist!

(Hover over the image below... it's like magic!)

Vertical gardens are all the rage this season! I've seen so many cool ones made out of everything from shoe organizers to soda bottles. Here are some of the awesome ones I've seen on Pinterest...

Apartment Therapy

Pallet Vertical Garden

Boundless

I'm headed to The Home Depot this week to get all of my materials, but I have to decide a few things beforehand.
1- What flowers do you think I should add to my vertical garden?
2- What color scheme should I go for?
3- How should I add my own fun spin to the style?

I'd love to hear your input! Next week I'll share my building plans and materials- you can build one right along with me. It'll be like a DIY long distance relationship!

It’s home improvement time, and The Home Depot has everything you need to #DigIn for Spring. No matter what projects you want to tackle, they have great values on all you need. They’re ready to help you with renovation ideas and expert advice too! Get over $300 in email exclusive savings each year, sneak peeks on new products, monthly lawn & garden ideas for your region and access to The Home Depot’s gardening experts. Click here to join the world’s largest garden community today! Or go to http://gardenclub.homedepot.com/ to see some of the many benefits of membership.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Home Depot.

12 Awesome Fabrics {Arrows, Stars, and Narwhals Oh My!}

noreply@blogger.com (East Coast Creative) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 07:30:00 +0000

During my piano painting project, I knew I had to have the PERFECT fabric for the bench seat. I love big fabric stores, but my taste tends to be a bit more specific and I'll admit it... quirky. Spoonflower is my favorite source to get just the right fabrics! It's where I ordered my chair fabric for my foyer way back when (man, that was over two years ago! Time flies when you're a blogger!) It took all of about 5 seconds for me to find a plethora of fabrics I loved on Spoonflower. I went with Chevron White Stripe Tile

I love how it looks with the green piano and white keys!

Since I loved so many of the cool, trendy fabrics, I thought a little fabric round-up was in order!

#1 Bubblegum Triangles

This one screams- "I'm tribal and I know it, but I really like the 80s too!" It comes in a lot of cool color varieties- I like the soft tans and pastels too!

#2- Wonderful Narwhal

I don't even think this needs a comment. Narwhal= Awesome. Enough said.

#3- .a shot in water.

I like how this takes a softer approach to the arrow craze. This is something I could so see in a room designed by Perfectly Imperfect

#4- Animal Constellations- dark teal

I love the animals in this fabric. The fox is probably my favorite. I would love to just frame it and hang it.

#5- Vintage Cameras

If you saw my knock off during CWTS, you may have noticed the huge camera art on the walls (post for that coming soon!). This fabric was obviously meant for me!

#6- Tribal Arrows Navy Maxi

Yes, I'm totally on the arrow bandwagon... I like to think I'm one of the drivers because I love it so much. So this bold fabric seemed just perfect for a spring and summer full of the trend. Wouldn't some outdoor pillows look awesome with this?

#7,8,9,10 Modern Love Collection

I love this entire collection. Some of my fabric choices above are seasonal or would be temporary, but theses could last a long time in the Mangin casa! I love having just a touch of quirkyness in every room, so the kangaroos are wicked cool. I like both chevrons (with and without feathers) and the modern graphic blue, would compliment them so nicely. If you're doing a space soon and needed an epic combo, here ya go!

#11- Zigzag Herringbone

This has a more refined, mature feel to it (something you'd find at Jess' house) but I love the grey, orange, and brown together! Fall is my favorite season (although summer can't get here soon enough) and I think this fabric just might make an appearance in a few projects this autumn!

#12- hairpins

Here's why I love it... A) it's quirky B) Bobby pin fabric ranks high on my awesome scale C) it's subtle enough that unless someone looked closely they wouldn't know just how cheeky your decor is.

So there you have it folks... some awesomely fun, trendy, and quirky fabrics!

Now it's your turn... which one on my list is your fav?

DIY Hanging Frames {Tutorial}

noreply@blogger.com (East Coast Creative) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 07:30:00 +0000

A few weeks ago during round 4 of Creating with the Stars, I showed you guys the bathroom makeover we did for our kids. I love this happy, colorful room- it feels so fresh and clean. One of the little projects in the room that I never mentioned were the hanging frames on the wall as you enter the bathroom.

This was a super easy project that took about 30 minutes total to complete and it's so darn cute. Let's take a look at how I made it, shall we?

I went to a World Market for the very first time while vacationing in Hilton Head, SC (we don't have one near us- boooooo) and immediately noticed these hanging frames , but they were $49.99!! I knew that with just a few cheap frames from Ikea, I could recreate this look for less!

Here's what you'll need to make your own:

- Plain frames (I got mine for 3.99 each at Ikea)

- Braided rope

- Staple gun (optional)

- Hot glue gun

- Level

- Measuring tape

Step 1: Pull the arm off of your frame, if they have them, so that the frames lay flush against the wall.

Step 2: Roughly estimate how long you want the rope to be by placing the frames the same distance apart (mine are 3 inches apart) and looping the rope up and over the top and down the sides. Cut the rope. Don't worry about being exact here, you just want to make sure you have more than you'll need.

I found this awesome multi-colored rope at the Dollar Tree and am in love. (Remember? You've seen it right here before) For only a few bucks, I have more than I need so I can use it in lots of different ways!

Step 3: Place a knot a few inches down from the top so that you can easily hang your frames when you're ready. I also think this adds a fun detail to the frames!

Step 4: Lay your frame upside down on a flat surface and line it up with a straight edge. I used the edge of my countertops as my guide. This ensures that the frame will be level when you hang it up. Using your hot glue gun, dab some glue to the upper corner of your frames and hold it in place. Do this on both sides. Then run a line of glue down the sides of the frame, pulling the rope tight as you go.

Step 5: Line the next frame up and masure your desired distance (my frames are 3 inches apart) and hot glue in the same places as above. This part gets tricky, so try to keep a steady hand! But the nice thing is that if you mess up, you can just pull the rope off and do it again! (Not that that happened to me or anything:) Repeat with the remaining frame.

Step 6 (optional): Use your staple gun to shoot a few staples in the corner to secure the rope.

Step 7: Fill your frame with cute pics and hang it up! I used a large knob I had to hang the frame- I love the way it looks!

That's it! For under $10, I created a fun piece of wall decor for my kid's bathroom! Can't beat that. :)

And now I just have to ask....is there anything you can't do with a little hot glue?? ;)

Green Painted Piano {Annie Sloan Chalk Paint}

noreply@blogger.com (East Coast Creative) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 01:42:00 +0000

Before we get into today's post, we want to announce the winner of the Mother's Day Giveaway from Salvatori Photography....

Congrats Holly! We know your session pics are going to be amazing! If you missed it, Wednesday I shared the awesome story session pics Salvatori Photography did for my family. Check it out here.

Even if you didn't win, Stacy would love to take pics for you! Contact her before her schedule for late spring/summer is full!

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I don't play the piano... well, that's not entirely true, I took lessons for about two years, so there are about 3 songs I can pluck out- Ode to Joy, Hey Jude (talk about random!), and one nameless song that is kind of my signature song. Long story short, I stink! Eric however, is an amazing pianist. I absolutely love listening to him play. Our kids have names for all the different songs, "The Angry Song" is a fast song and the kids run around our house like crazy people when he plays it. I love watching him play and it reminds me how crazy talented (in so many areas) my hubs is.

As much as I love the sound, I have never been a fan of the look of the oak piano. It's just so dated and not me...

Because the piano was so blah, I let two years go by with our front living room looking pretty much like this... no style, Eric's choice of colonial blue on the walls, and just an overall hot mess.

My living room is attached to my dining room, so the difference between the two rooms was pretty stark...

We finally decided to take the plunge and paint the piano! I knew I was going to for ages, but I didn't know what color, so I wanted until I was positive!

I decided on Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Antibes Green. I'm sure you know all about ASCP, but if you don't it's one of the coolest paint products out there! It is a chalk paint, but not chalkboard paint. Basically it adheres to all kinds of surfaces and wait for it... you don't have to sand!! Boyah!

Since I didn't have to waste time sanding, I got right to taping. I needed to make sure that I was super careful and no paint would damage the piano since the hubs actually uses it.

The prep work took me about 5 minutes and then it was time to paint. Eric was working on painting stripes on the ceiling for me (post coming on those soon) and we just put "Hit List" on Fios and got our painting groove on.

Yeah, I don't look too thrilled, but I promise I was....

How's that for a comparison... bye bye nasty oak!

I did two coats, but after the first I knew I was in love!

Chalk paint looks really uneven when it's drying, but have no fear- it looks nice and smooth once it's fully dry.

I used Annie Sloan dark wax to seal the piano and give it the darker, rich color I wanted. I'm not going to give you any tips on that part because I completely did it wrong! Apparently I was supposed to wax with clear wax and then dark... I just tell people, I was going for a more imperfect look! Ha!

The bench got ASCP on the legs, but to add a little awesomeness, I upholstered it with this fabric from Spoonflower.

Ahh! I love the fabric with the green!

So what do you think of the before and after?

I hear so many people say, "but you can't paint it- it's REAL wood!" and I want to go on the record saying, "It can be REAL wood and still be REALLY ugly!" Don't be afraid to paint!!

And now for an onslaught of after pictures....

I'm so happy to finally have a living room that I love!

And don't forget... We're the ones in a contest now and if we win, we get to give $5000 to the charity of our choice! We need your help, though- you can learn more about our project and the charity we chose here, or go vote for us every day for the next two weeks right here (like their page and then click on the Crafting for Charity button on their FB page). Thank you!

And just because this absolutely made my night... look at the picture I found on my computer! I recently taught Kaden how to use PicMonkey and apparently he's having a good old time with it!

I actually might frame this pic I love it so much... "ther is monsters"

Have a great weekend and watch out for those darn monsters!

This is How We Roll... {The Mangin Family}

noreply@blogger.com (East Coast Creative) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 07:30:00 +0000

You guys get to see my home all the time in projects, you get to read my ramblings here on the blog daily, but today I'm sharing something a little more personal... my family and my life behind the scenes. Our photographer Stacy of Stacy Salvatori Photography spent a Saturday with our family capturing pictures of our real life. No coordinated outfits, no posing, just capturing how we roll. I can't tell you how much I love the pictures and I can't wait to make a big ol' display with them!

(Don't forget that Stacy is giving away a FREE Session for Mother's Day and you can enter until Midnight tonight! Click here to enter!)

Here's how Stacy describes these awesome story sessions...

I wanted to try something new. Something real. I’ve seen a few photographers that I admire and whose work I simply love, start a new journey. One of capturing people’s stories…their real life moments. And I kind of dig it. I like the notion of no posing, no planned outfits, and location? Well, how about your own home. The place you feel most you. I still love doing Family Portrait Sessions, and I always will. But there’s something unique, and something raw about snapping those in-between moments of life. The moments that truly define who we are, and that when we look back on, well, they will help us feel what we did all over again.

I had the joy of capturing the Mangin Family’s ‘Story’. Them in their beautiful home, laughing, fighting, playing, and crying…living their life in front of the lens. Here’s a few snapshots of their life.

What’s your story?

I hope you enjoy this peek into my life... If you would have told me ten years ago that I'd have 4 kids, own a dog, cat, and two ducks, I'd have laughed hard enough to possibly pee my pants. God has some crazy plans up his sleeve and I'm so thankful for this crazy life that's ours.

One of my very favorite pictures!

Hard to see, but if you look closely you can see my crazy hubs was throwing an ax up in the air and catching it while it was spinning. Did I mention our life is a tad crazy?

I hope you've enjoyed peeking into my world. If you're local, you should definitely call Stacy about setting up a story session. Tell her EC2 sent you and she'll give you the VIP treatment! (I completely made that up, but she's always super nice, so we can pretend it's VIP just for you!)

Later this week I'll be sharing more projects from the Wood Shim Wall Art projects!

P.S. We're the ones in a contest now and if we win, we get to give $5000 to the charity of our choice! We need your help, though- you can learn more about our project and the charity we chose here, or go vote for us every day for the next two weeks right here (click on the Crafting for Charity button on their FB page). Thank you!

Faux Industrial Metal Letters {Tutorial}

noreply@blogger.com (East Coast Creative) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 07:30:00 +0000

Man, it feels so great to be back writing a tutorial of my own this week! I've been on a mission to finish the living room/dining room on our first floor and this project got me one step closer. I'm absolutely in love with the way this came out, and I have to say, I'm pretty thrilled with the sentiment, too- I have been so blessed!

I'm a big fan of mixing in some industrial elements in my home. Since I just added these lights to my dining room that connects to the living room, I thought it would be fun to mimic the tone of the lights somewhere in the living room.

I had ordered this phrase from one of our favorite shops, 163 Design Company, and had originally painted them three different shades of yellow before finally decided that yellow was going to be the death of me. Thankfully, having a best friend with a good eye (*ahem, Monica) came in handy when she suggested trying a metallic look. Since I didn't want just a flat metal look, I decided to try my hand at faking that awesome, full-of-character industrial look. Here's what you need to do to bring some metal into your life:

1. Lay your letters on a drop cloth and spraypaint them in Krylon's Stainless Steel. It took about 3 light, even coats to cover all that hideous yellow. (Sidenote: I'm a huge fan of using spraypaint whenever possible, since it's fast and easy and I'm lazy. )

2. Using Valspar Brown Velvet Spraypaint, lightly spray the letters from a good distance. You don't want to be up real close to the letters when you do this. Splotchy and imperfect are the looks we're going for here! This step takes away a bit of the shine from the stainless steel.

3. Using a makeup sponge or paint applicator, dab black acrylic craft paint on the edges and corners of each letter. There is no exact science to this. I just dabbed it on, rubbed it in and on some occasions, used a damp cloth to wipe it down. If you'd like to add a rust effect, use Burnt Sienna craft paint on the corners and areas that would naturally rust. I didn't do this as it made it a bit too warm for me. That's it!

To hang my letters, I used picture hanging command strips. After measuring, leveling and measuring some more (that's a whole OTHER tutorial), I was finally happy with the arrangement!

I'm loving the look of my new "old" metal letters. Other surfaces in my house, better watch out! I'm on an industrial metal rampage!

Monica used 163 Design Company to create a unique statement in her entryway, too!

So now, what will YOU give this industrial metal look to?

P.S, We're the ones in a contest now and if we win, we get to give $5000 to the charity of our choice! We need your help, though- you can learn more about our project and the charity we chose here, or go vote for us every day for the next two weeks right here. Thank you!

Want more EC2? Use the icons below to follow us!

Mother's Day Giveaway! {Salvatori Photography)

noreply@blogger.com (East Coast Creative) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 02:57:00 +0000

Oh man, we love a good giveaway. I mean, really, who doesn't like to win free things?! We've talked about our friend Stacy multiple times because we can't get enough of her photography. Just recently Salvatori Photography did an awesome story session of Monica and her family. Basically, she followed their family around one Saturday morning to capture their everyday moments and they turned out fabulous....

(This is one of Monica's favorites from the session)

Last year, she captured our entire families and as a result, we have photos we will love for a lifetime.

One of her photos even graces my walls in an almost life-sized way- remember my huge shaped frame? And this picture of my kiddos (they were so little!) is just priceless.

And, well, it's pretty nice to have a great photo of me and my best friend.

For Mother's Day, we are so excited to be able to give away a photography session with Salvatori Photography!

Here are the prize details you need to know:

~ 1 hour Session in one location

~ Up to 5 people

~ Over a $300 Value

~ Must live within 25 miles of Perkasie PA

~ Can't not be redeemed for cash value

-Must be redeemed by August 1, 2013

Isn't this AWESOME?!! Just think, one of you could surprise your mom, sister, grandma or wife with a photography session for Mother's Day! I would be over the moon with a gift like that (*hint hint, hubby!).
**Please make sure you click to LIKE Salvatori Photography- don't just click I'm a fan, unless you already are. Thanks!**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We'll announce the lucky winner next Friday, April 19th! Good luck! :)

P.S, We're the ones in a contest now and if we win, we get to give $5000 to a charity we love- Worthwhile Wear. We need your help, though- you can learn more about our project and the charity we chose here, or go vote for us every day for the next two weeks right here. Thanks!!

Green China Cabinet :{Dimples and Tangles}

noreply@blogger.com (East Coast Creative) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 07:30:00 +0000

We are so happy to have Jennifer from Dimples and Tangles here today sharing all the details on this stunning china cabinet transformation that she linked up last week in our final round of Creating with the Stars. Jennifer has great taste and impeccable style. We know that once you take a look at her blog, you won't be able to stop!

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Well, here she is!

After almost two full weeks of work (off and on), it's finally done, and I'm going to make you scroll through way too many pictures.

Let's remember the very sad before...

And the oh so fun after!

I wanted to create a glam, sophisticated look and lighten up the inside, so I used my wedding china, crystal, some other white dishes and thrifted milk glass I've collected to style the shelves.

I like symmetry.

Now for the details, I sanded, filled in gouges, sanded, wiped, and primed before painting three coats of color. Yes, I can confirm that dark colors are tricky and take more paint. The color I used was Behr's Pine Scent in semi-gloss. I used a good Purdy brush for the corners and a foam roller for the rest. Also, a huge trick I've learned when painting with latex paint is to use a coat or two of poly on the flat surfaces that will have something sitting on top of them. Latex paint can stay tacky for up to a month, but with a layer of poly it's ready to go after 24 hours or so...no tackiness!

One of the knobs on the bottom doors was missing, and a few of the pulls on the top doors. I kept and cleaned up the brass backplates on the glass doors, and found these perfect glass knobs at Hobby Lobby. They are an oval shape rather than round so they fit nicely together where the doors meet.

I also gave you a sneak peak at the chunky hardware on the bottom. The oversize glass knobs were out of my stash. Did you guess what the backplate was? I knew I wanted something big and was coming up empty looking online, and then I remembered I had these...

They started their lives as....Christmas ornaments! I bought them and used them as hangers for an old window treatment (seen here). My handy husband drilled a hole in the middle and they were perfect! Along with the original drawer handles, they got a coat of Rustoleum's Metallic Brass spray paint, and then a coat of Rub-n-Buff in Gold Leaf.

I had planned to add height by adding an extending shelf in between the two pieces to house some cubbies for storage baskets, but I ended up just needing to get this piece d.o.n.e! I probably will still add that piece in the future.

With this project completed, I'm down to artwork and a new table for this room. I have the table but it needs some work so I am waiting for a streak of warm-enough days outside to work on it. That probably won't be happening until later in the spring. Artwork, though, coming up!

Isn't that gorgeous? We're totally digging the kelly green and gold together and how smart was it to use Christmas ornaments as part of the knobs??!! If you think that piece is awesome, you just have to see the Accent panel wall in Jennifer's office...it is to die for!

Thanks so much for sharing with us today, Jennifer! Check back tomorrow for an AWESOME Mother's Day giveaway that you don't want to miss!

Wood Shim Wall Art {Crafting for Charity with Homes.com)

noreply@blogger.com (East Coast Creative) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:00:00 +0000

If we win, Homes.com will give Worthwhile Wear Five Thousand Buckaroos! For a new organization like theirs, that could be a major game changer and we really hope we can win it for them!

(If you want to skip the project and just vote you can! lol Click HERE to Vote)

You can read all about our project first, but then you have to pinky promise to follow the voting directions at the bottom of the post okay? Ok! Thanks!

Wood Shim Wall Art

Well, JCrew or London, I sure am glad it inspired me...

For under $20 we created the coolest DIY Wood Shim Wall Art

(You could go vote NOW since you've seen it! Click Here!)

I wanted something with BOLD color, and a modern feel, that married well with a bit of industrial flare!

How's that for a Before and After?
Who knew our dumpy oak piano could be such a show stopper?

Here's a peek at the details- the DIY light isn't my entry, but man I love how it works with the Wood Shim Art! (Light tutorial coming soon!)

(Or you could vote now?)

Want to know how we did it??
You've gotta head over to Homes.com for the full tutorial (but only after you've voted!)
Click HERE for the full tutorial

There were a lot of DIY elements around our Crafting for Charity project, and we'll post about all of them over the next week or so!

And now for the really important stuff! We're blogging for a charity that we love and are so proud to support. Worthwhile Wear was founded by our close friends Dan & Steph and they've committed their time and talents to make it their life's work.

Jess and I both have daughters and we couldn't imagine any of them having to endure human trafficking. We love Worthwhile Wear's mission...

We had the honor of working on the planning committee and doing all the decor and design for Worthwhile Wear's launch in 2012. The following images and statistics were used as artwork at the launch benefit-A Worthwhile Evening.

Those beautiful faces are not stock images. They're from Dan's last trip to India a few months back. The work Worthwhile wear is doing is critical and we hope you'll check out their site and follow along with them on Facebook.

Now it's Time to Vote!
There are 8 bloggers in this competition and some of them have a lot of followers, but none have the amazing fans we do! We know you guys have our back!
All voting will be done via Homes.com's Facebook Page
(On their Facebook Page, there's a little button that says Crafting for Charity. Click there)

Click HERE to Vote

A HUGE Thank You to Homes.com for sponsoring this awesome contest and for spreading the word about amazing charities like Worthwhile Wear. If you'd like more information about the organization and how you can help, click here.

Thanks so much!
Now, Go Get Your Vote On!

What We Learned {Creating with the Stars 2013)

noreply@blogger.com (East Coast Creative) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 07:30:00 +0000

Phew! We don't know about you, but we are exhausted after that month-long Creating with the Stars. But on the other hand, we really miss it! We could not be happier with the way our first ever contest went and hope you all enjoyed it and were inspired by it too! We are chomping at the bit to get back into the swing of our own projects,but before we do that, we thought we'd take a look back at the things we learned form Creating with the Stars 2013- David Letterman-style!

10. You get what you pay for.

We learned this the hard way, for sure. We deicded to use a survey company that was very inexpensive to host each week's voting and we had major problems every week with it. You guys noticed it, too, and we promise that next year the voting will be sooo much easier! Putting out a little bit more money will be worth it if we can avoid all the hassles we dealt with!

9. Running the contest and trying to do each round's projects = Crazytown

Even though we like the projects we came up with during the season trying to do them while hosting the contest, coordinating posts, emailing back and forth with stars and contestants, all while wrangling our kids and managing the rest of our lives and another HUGE project, we were on overload. Whoever thought of participating in each round (I'm pretty sure it was Monica,) is insane, and you WON'T be seeing that next season. :)

Week 1: Upcycled Door turned Desk, Week 2: Anthro Wood Cut Art Knockoff

Week 3: Painted Piano, Week 4: Colorful and Fun Kid's Bathroom Makeover

8. You people are competitive!

For real! We went into this season thinking it would be awesome and a whole lot of fun, not ever thinking people would be so into it! Even readers who weren't contestants got fired up about the littlest thing!. Honestly, we had no idea we would be dealing with so many Sherlock Holmes! Now we know you guys are in it to win it, and will back up your favorites no matter what!

7. Planning and preparation were key for these procrastinators!

Posting seven days a week within a strict time frame is no joke. Usually, we decide the day before what we want to write about the next day, but not so with CWTS! We began seriously planning in October 2012- approaching sponsors and stars, writing emails, figuring out guidelines etc. We were super glad we did this because the contest went pretty smoothly. Thank goodness!

We finished our round 1 project last year at 1 AM. Procrastinate, much?

6. The pressure is on when the world is watching,

We absolutely hate it when something doesn't go quite as planned. We recognize there were a few glitches in the contest and because so many people were coming here every day, those mistakes were just that much more noticeable. Ick, we really don't like that. No more mistakes next year!

5. Go big or Go home!

We always say we're not afraid to try or go after anything and it worked in our favor with this contest! We landed some amazing sponsors by just asking if they wanted to partcipate! Plus, we went out on a major limb (that involved pretty lame dancing and fake mustaches) to get our incredible stars on board! (PS. this video gets a little long, so feel free to skip the middle!)

4. It's pretty darn fun to help new bloggers get a step up!

We were unbelievably grateful to Tam for giving us a platform to showcase our fun ideas when we won last year. It made people notice us, and we were so thrilled to do that for these 12 crazy-gifted girls. We hope that you'll continue to support your favorites and follow along as they grow bigger than us!

3. The Stars you all love really are that incredible!
These ladies took time out of their very busy schedules to help better the contestants projects and photos. All of the contestants comments on how wonderful the stars were to work with. Thanks ladies!

2. It turns out we're not the only talented people in blogland. Ha!

But seriously, the talent that the contestants showed, and the amazing projects you all linked up blew us away. We love that this blogging niche is so encouraging and open to sharing of ideas, and man, our list must-do project list grew by about a mile after all of the fabulous ideas we saw throughout the contest!

1. Creating with the Stars is the Most Epic Blog Contest on the Web!

We already can't wait for next year's contest. It's definitely not too early for you to start creating awesome things because submissions open in February 2014!

What did YOU think of the contest? Will you get your game on next year?

Want to catch up on all the projects from Creating with the Stars 2013? Click below!

Round 1 Projects & Winners

Round 2 Projects & Winners

Round 3 Projects & Winners

Round 4 Projects & Winners

How to Build a Custom Headboard with Arms {Sarah M.Dorsey Designs}

noreply@blogger.com (East Coast Creative) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 07:30:00 +0000

If you missed all the amazing projects of our first annual Creating with the Stars, be sure to check them out below!

Round 1 Projects & Winners

Round 2 Projects & Winners

Round 3 Projects & Winners

Round 4 Projects & Winners

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Sarah is back today with another awesome tutorial from the home decor project that won her the grand prize in Creating with the Stars. I love the way she built this headboard and broke it down for us- it makes any custom headboard within the realm of possibility! Plus, it looks unbelievable with that grasscloth and nailhead accent wall!

To complement the accent wall, we wanted to create a headboard that wouldn't compete yet wouldn't get lost against the nailhead and grasscloth.

We made a plan and gathered our supplies.

1/2" plywood (1 sheet cut to width of bed frame, ours was 62.5")

2x8" (x2)

1x8 (x2)

1x3 (x4)

coral curtain panels from Target

heat n' bond

batting

I drew a few diagrams for the basic construction and dimensions of the headboard. See below for some the specifics on the upholstery. Measurements are for a queen bed frame. Note: make sure to measure your bed frame first, in case yours is different! You want to make sure that the frame will fit inside of the arms.

For the arms, we screwed a 1x8 and a 2x8 together, measured and drew the circle with a lid. We then followed the line with a jigsaw to cut it out (we did remove any screws that were in the way first!).

For the foam, we cut a 3" camping pad in half and attached to the plywood with spray adhesive.

Next we upholstered the back piece by wrapping in batting and then fabric. To make sure that the top was pulled evenly, we attached a thin strip of scrap wood and pulled tight. This made it much easier to get an even look!

Next, we cut the fabric to wrap around the entire arm, starting at the inner part of the arm, we put a few staples in (on the inside so it stays in place while you attach the arm), we cut little holes in the fabric at the pilot holes (where arms attach to the frame). We then installed the arms with heavy duty screws (we used cabinet anchors) and attached it to the 1x3 frame.

Then we finished upholstering! We pulled the fabric tight around the arm and stapled, leaving it loose at the top. We cut the angles, almost to the edge, but not close enough so that it frays to the side of the arm, pull tight and staple. It doesn't have to be pretty on the top because that will be covered next. We cut a band of fabric the total height of the arm (accounting for the bends) plus a few inches and the width (2.5") of the arm plus enough fabric to fold under (at least .5" on each side, so at least 3.5" total). We folded the raw edges under and pressed with a hot iron so that the edges were crisp and attached the band to the arm with no-sew adhesive (my preference is Heat n' Bond) and a hot iron, staple to secure the ends.

That's it!

I finished the bed off with a few DIY pillows. The euro pillow shams are made from a white table cloth and a scarf from World Market. Since the scarf was translucent, I doubled it up with the white table cloth. The throw pillows are white shams from Ikea, I then painted a border using painters tape and latex paint with fabric medium. The bolster pillow is a kitchen towel from World Market and the left over headboard fabric.

I love how the grasscloth slightly shimmers depending on the lighting.

The nightstand is from World Market, the sphere from TJ Maxx and I picked up little letters (to spell his and hers) from a local antique store. Books were wrapped in paper from the Paper Source.

Hydrangeas and Ranunculus are two of my favorite flowers!

This week was sponsored by Home Goods, and if you've read my blog, you probably know that I'm pretty obsessed with the Home Goods/TJ Maxx/Marshalls brand! I love the thrill of the hunt, designer names and the affordable prices!

I picked up a cute accent chair, fluffy white rug (my puppy love it too!) and the white sphere!

Finally, here's where we got everything!

Headboard: Fabric Coral drapery panel from Target (x2), Batting,

3" camping foam from Home Depot only $20!

Feature Wall: Grasscloth wallpaper,

Nailhead (we used about 2.25 boxes),

Trim- I found 2.5"wide synthetic trim from Home Depot on clearance for $4/8ft board

Accessories: Night stand (World Market - not on website), decorative sphere (TJ Maxx), His and Her letters (local antique shop), Throw pillow on chair, chair (TJ Maxx), lamp and lamp shade, duvet cover

I'm crazy about our new transformation and I hope you love it too!

We totally love it too! Well done, Sarah! We 're ready for you to make a trip to good ol' Bucks County to fix up our master bedrooms. Any time. :)

P.S Have you linked up yet?

Temporary Accent Wall with Grass Cloth & Nailheads {Sarah M. Dorsey Designs}

noreply@blogger.com (East Coast Creative) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 07:30:00 +0000

If you missed all the amazing projects of our first annual Creating with the Stars, be sure to check them out below!

Round 1 Projects & Winners

Round 2 Projects & Winners

Round 3 Projects & Winners

Round 4 Projects & Winners

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Sarah's unbelieveable bedroom transformation blew us away. The color combinations, details and style of the room were simply perfect and we fell in love immediately. She had a few awesome tutorials for her projects, so we decided to break them into two posts. Today, you'll see how she made that removeable accent wall that is a great solution for you renters out there, or those of you who have Design ADD like us! :)

When I heard that this week's theme was home decor I instantly knew that I wanted to do a bedroom feature wall and a dramatic headboard! With my amazing diy partner and husband, David, we got straight to work!

Living in a rental makes it nearly impossible to install classic wallpaper and nailhead, so we decided to build a separate feature wall! We wanted to incorporate two of my favorite materials, nailhead and grasscloth wallpaper. I love the texture of the wallpaper and the dimension of the nailhead!

Want to know how we built the wall? Here we go!

We purchased three sheets of plywood from Home Depot and had them cut to 7' high. Since the feature wall is 12' long, it would need to be built inside of the room. We designed it so that it could easily be dismantled into three pieces to be removed. We tied the seams together with 1x3s and built a frame on the back with 1x3s so it was extra sturdy and straight. We then flipped it over and primed it so that they wall paper adhesive wouldn't soak in.

Once dry, we cut the wallpaper to the correct height, placed it to the side and rolled wallpaper adhesive over the primer. We then used a wallpaper smoothing tool to remove any bubbles. The steps were repeated with 4 rows across, lining up the seams. It was helpful to have two people so that it could be adjusted as needed!

For the design, I was inspired by this fantastic headboard by Annie Selke. We created the design in Illustrator, and calculated the distance between the nailhead and printed it on two sheets of 11x17 which were taped together. We then punched little holes through the dots and used a felt tip pen to lay it out on the wallpaper.

Nailhead isn't the most fun thing to apply, but once you hit a rhythm you move pretty fast! Here are a few tips that I found helpful as I went.
1. To help protect my fingers from the hammer and to grab the nailhead more easily, I used rubber finger tips on my thumb and index finger (you know the ones that they sell in the office supply stores for sorting paper and such?) When I did hit my fingers, it hurt a lot less, and they weren't even sore when I was done!
2. If your wood is soft enough, push a few in with your finger first and then hammer. This saves time since you are putting the hammer up and down less frequently. Since our plywood was soft and hard in different spots, this wasn't always possible, but it helped when we could!
3. Lastly, this feature wall took about 2,250 nails. Wow, that's a lot of nails! So it was helpful to have two people or if you have the time, break it up over a few days. Total install time for the nailhead with two people was about 8 hrs.

It was helpful to install the trim (we painted first) before the nailhead reached the edge, so we knew exactly where to stop it. We used finish nails to secure the trim and then filled the holes with wood filler, sanded and painted once dry.

Next, we decided that we wanted the wall to sit just above the trim, so we cut legs to height out of a 1x12 and secured it to the back frame. We then installed a few cabinet anchors through the trim into the wall to make sure that it was firmly attached.

This wall was pretty massive! Almost the length of the room, but I LOVE the impact that it has on the space! Just because we are renting doesn't mean that without a little creative thinking we can't have a statement wall!

I mean, c'mon. That is genius, and we don't mind saying we wish we had done it first! Ha! Check out Sarah's fabulous blog, and then come back tomorrow to learn how to make that coral headboard!

Oh yeah! One more thing! Have you linked up your favorite home decor project yet? You can do that here for a chance to be featured on EC2 and win some great prizes. Fun for everyone! :)

Creating with the Stars Round 4 Results {Grand Prize Winner!}

noreply@blogger.com (East Coast Creative) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

If you missed all the amazing projects in the first three weeks of CWTS, be sure to check them out below!

Round 1 Projects & Winners

Round 2 Projects & Winners

Round 3 Projects & Winners

Round 4 Projects

Before we do anything else, we want to say thank you to all of our sponsors! This fabulous contest was made possible by them and we are ever so grateful! Also, a HUGE shout out to Homes.com and HomeGoods for sponsoring the Grand Prize round this week! You guys are the best!

The Grand Prize Winning Team will EACH receive:

$500 from Homes.Com

$500 Gift Card to HomeGoods

Project featured by HomeTalk

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We just can't keep you guys waiting in suspense any longer! Without further ado...
The Grand Prize Winner of
The 1st Annual Creating with the Stars Contest is......

1. Sarah {Sarah M. Dorsey Designs} & Brooke {All Things Thrifty}

(Sarah, her hubs, and cute pup!)

Colorful, Texture-filled Bedroom Makeover

Congratulations Sarah and Brooke! Sarah has delivered such amazing projects throughout this contest. Let's take a look back, shall we?

Round 1: Statement Light Fixture

Round 2: Custom Cornice, Drapes and Bench

Round 3: Painted Secretary Desk and Accent Wall

We have LOVED having Sarah in the contest and have been continually inspired by her. Well done, girl!
Make sure you keep up with all of Sarah's DIY awesomeness- Follow her on Facebook!

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Melissa and Amanda have been awesome competitors too! They worked hard, stretched their DIY limits and came up with some super fun and stylish projects. Thanks for being a part of the contest, ladies! We also want to thank Beckie and Sherry for being amazing blog stars! Their partners loved working with them, and we already love them (duh!)

2. Melissa {5 foot 12 Creations} & Sherry {Young House Love}

Guest Room Makeover

3. Amanda {Love and Renovations} and Beckie {Infarrantly Creative}

Reading Room Makeover

Here's the official vote tally...

This contest has been absolutely amazing and we're so thankful to all of you for playing along! Tomorrow we'll share how Sarah put her room together and then Friday we have a fun wrap up post for ya... think David Letterman top ten meets Monica and Jess. We know... you can hardly wait right?!? We'll also be sharing our favorite home decor project from the link up party (you have until Friday at 10 PM EST to link up right here).

The good stuff just keeps on coming! :)

Creating with the Stars Round 4 Link Up

noreply@blogger.com (East Coast Creative) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 07:30:00 +0000

If you haven't already done so, please GO VOTE for your favorite in the fourth and final round of CWTS! If you missed all the amazing projects in the first three weeks of CWTS, be sure to check them out below!

Round 1 Projects & Winners

Round 2 Projects & Winners

Round 3 Projects & Winners

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We can't believe we are already in the final week of Creating with the Stars! This contest has far exceeded our expecations and has opened our eyes to so many new blogs and talented people! This week's challenge was Home Decor, and I knew right away that I needed to tackle my kid's bathroom. It was in bad shape- boring, dingy and gross. It had ugly vinyl flooring, yellowed rubber trim and purplish walls (we bought a $5 can of "oops" paint when we first moved in- big mistake!)

We made a lot of easy and inexpensive upgrades like replacing the old flooring with vinyl peel & stick tile (it cost under $30!), adding chunky baseboard trims, painting the walls and the vanity, framing the mirror, hanging a new shower curtain and throwing a new bathmat down (both were from World Market). Not to mention, I accessorized with fun stuff from HomeGoods. Thanks, HG!

This adorable bird shelf coordinated so well with the shower curtain and was marked waaaaayyy down from $120 to $30, which made me super happy. I lined the back of the shelves with coordinating paper for a fun pop of color.

And just for fun, here's the before and after shot for you.

Now it's your turn to link up your favorite home decor projects from the past year. Anything home decor-related, room makeovers included, are fair game! We can't wait to see what you've got!

Don't forget to check back tomorrow to find out the Winner of the first ever Creating with the Stars contest! We're biting our nails over here!

Painted Piano & Wood Shim Wall Art

noreply@blogger.com (East Coast Creative) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 19:04:00 +0000

Coming Soon!