Strawberries and Sweet Love

Metal Poppies & Stencil Winner

2012-02-23T08:00:00.009-08:00

Lately I've been thinking about, and maybe stressing a little to about...

what I should put over the sofa,

I didn't want to do the typical picture or mirror...

I wanted something that had height and interest.

Something muted and not colorful,

something with a warm feel.

Then I thought hey why not!

Where else was I going to put my metal poppies.

I bought these a few years ago from Kirklands.

I couldn't just buy 1 and I'm glad I didn't.

Here's an up close picture.

I've gotten a few questions about these after seeing them here

on my before shot of my stairway.

Here's their new home...

What do you think?

And of course I can't forget to name the winner of the

Cutting Edge Stencil!

At random draw, the winner is Jennifer @ Pieces of me.

Congrats I will be emailing you to give you all the info.

Thank to all of you that participated. And thank you Cutting Edge Stencils for letting me review your awesome stencils!

xoxo

This week I'm partying over at,

No Minimalist Here, House of Hepworths, The 36th Avenue, Someday Crafts,

French Country Cottage, My Romantic Home, My Repurposed Life,

Tatertots and Jello, At the Picket Fence, The Shabby Nest, Sassy Sites,

Chic on a Shoestring, Funky Junk Interiors, Classy Clutter, I Heart Naptime,

C.R.A.F.T., DIY Showoff, Twigg Studios, Under the Table Dreaming,

Brassy Apple, Coastal Charm, Homestories A to Z, Faded Charm, DIY by Design,

My Girlish Whims, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Positively Splendid, Between Naps on the Porch,

Tip Junkie, Todays Creative Blog, How to Nest for Less, Faded Charm,

Savvy Southern Style, Domestically Speaking, The House that Sharon Built, Junk in their Trunk,

Creations by Kara, Someday Crafts, Southern Lovely, Be Different Act Normal, Thrifty Decor Chick

I See London Fog

2012-02-15T05:15:00.003-08:00

It's done! It's done! I can hardly believe it!

I'm thrilled with the outcome!

I decided to just stencil the stairway

I think if I would have done all 4 walls it would have been overkill.

This was one looooooooong project.

Between driving the kids to and from school, helping with homework, cooking, cleaning and daily life this took days to complete.

The weather didn't help much either!

Here's a picture of what it looked like before:

I was initially going to paint it the color you see there in the middle section...

And now:

I'm already thinking of my next stencil project, master bedroom or my princess' room?

Now to decorate these barewalls...

Here's my stencil review:

I will definitely be buying another stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils, the stencil was very easy to use and to CLEAN! I must have washed/rinsed it over 20 times and every time I did, clean up was EASY! My stencil is still in perfect condition, no rips or tears!

The top stencil was very convenient. You will need it for the top of your project!

The clip on level was super helpful! I think its a good purchase to buy it along with your stencil if your thinking about buying one. If you've got OCD like me you will thank me for it!

Do not expect to be done with a project this size in a day.... if you want it to look nice you will definitely be taking a few breaks!

Their instructional video was extremely helpful (so please make sure you take advantage of their free video! If you follow it, your project will have a great turnout!

Here's how you can win a $50.00 credit (plus free shipping) towards your purchase of a Cutting Edge Stencil.

(Followers only please)

Check out Cutting Edge Stencils and come back and tell what pattern you love!
Like Cutting Edge Stencils on Facebook.

Please don't forget to leave me a way to track you back! I'm so excited to share this giveaway with you! Giveaway is open until February 22, 2012.

xoxo

This week I'm partying over at,

Beneath My Heart, No Minimalist Here, House of Hepworths, The 36th Avenue, Someday Crafts,

French Country Cottage, My Romantic Home, My Repurposed Life,

Tatertots and Jello, At the Picket Fence, The Shabby Nest, Sassy Sites,

Chic on a Shoestring, Funky Junk Interiors, Classy Clutter, I Heart Naptime,

C.R.A.F.T., DIY Showoff, Twigg Studios, Under the Table Dreaming,

Brassy Apple, Coastal Charm, Homestories A to Z, Faded Charm, DIY by Design,

My Girlish Whims, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Positively Splendid, Between Naps on the Porch,

Tip Junkie, Todays Creative Blog, How to Nest for Less, Faded Charm,

Savvy Southern Style, Domestically Speaking, The House that Sharon Built, Junk in their Trunk,

Creations by Kara, Someday Crafts, Southern Lovely

Growing Paper Whites Tutorial

2012-02-08T09:35:00.000-08:00

The other day I was walking around the clearance section at TJ Max and scored!

I was so excited because it was just the other day when I sent my hubs to Lowe's to buy me some,

and he came home empty handed.

And the best part of it all was the price!

Not to shabby considering it comes with a pot and soil.

These poor little bulbs were practically begging to be purchased.

They had already began sprouting.

I took a pot I had bought a few years ago at Kirkland's to put them in (I'm saving the one they came with for another project).

I've always been afraid of indoor plants. (I don't like bugs).

And since I had done my research, I found that these can be planted in anything!

All I did was take a bag of small pebbles (you can find these at Walmart or the dollar store)

And I placed the bulbs in there just enough for the pointy part of the bulb to be above the pebbles.

I filled it with water and let nature take its course.

I finished it off by tying a sweet ribbon around them (to keep them standing upright).

They like to bend toward the direction of the light or sun.

I'm not even kidding you this grew in 2 weeks time.
I even have flowers now!

I just need to find the perfect spot to put them, I'm kinda digging them on the mantel =)

Hope this helps you if you were thinking about growing some of your own.

Welcome all my new friends!

And thanks again for the great comments!

xoxo

I'm joining these parties this week. Stop by and check them out!

No Minimalist Here, The 36th Avenue, The Shabby Creek Cottage, House of Hepworths,

Crafty, Scrappy, Happy, French Country Cottage, My Romantic Home, My Repurposed Life,

Tatertots and Jello, At the Picket Fence, The Shabby Nest, Sassy Sites,

Chic on a Shoestring, Funky Junk Interiors, Classy Clutter, I Heart Naptime,

C.R.A.F.T., DIY Showoff, Twigg Studios, Under the Table Dreaming,

Brassy Apple, Coastal Charm, Homestories A to Z, Faded Charm, DIY by Design,

My Girlish Whims

Felt Petal Pillow Tutorial (Horchow Knockoff)

2012-02-01T06:52:00.000-08:00

You all know my love for pillows...

this one is my favorite by far!

One day while spending my day on Pinterest I found this cutie, you can see that pin here.

I knew it would be a perfect gift for someone special to me.

And I've included a tutorial for you!

This pillow took hours to make...

I'm not going to lie, I thought I was never going to finish.

But its just to beautiful not to make.

I'm actually making one for myself already.

Here's what you need...

1 yard of premium felt (found mine at Joanns). I had a 50% off coupon, so it was about $4.00, matching thread, fabric pencil, sewing machine, and a pillow form.

First thing you want to do is cut out the portion you are going to use for the pillow form.

I cut mine 21 x 21 (allowing an inch allowance).

Next you will start cutting out your petals.

My petals were about 1 inch wide by 2.5 inches long.

So I cut several 2.5 inch wide strips.

Once I had several petals cut I took a small 3.5 inch dipping bowl to make random circles on my pillow square. Marking the circle with your fabric pencil.

For my flowers I used about 37 one inch petals and one 3 petal for the large, 12 one inch petals and one 3 petal for the medium, and 2 of the 3 petal ones for the small. Here's a pic if I confused you...

To sew them on I laid them (without pining) and sewed them on slowing. The second and third row were done the same way.

The last part of the flower I hand sewed the (3 petal) to give it shape.

Once I sewed several large flowers on I sewed on the medium flowers using a small dipping sauce cup as a template.

This is how your going to make your pillow look fuller.

After I filled the bigger spaces with the medium flowers I took 2 of the 3 petal's and filled in the smaller areas.

Now what a wonderful way to make someone something beautiful!

What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by! And a warm welcome to all my new friends. Also wanted to give a big thank you to Domestically Speaking and Sassy Sites for featuring my Pottery Barn Life Size Ruler.

I'm partying over at Addicted to Decorating, Creations by Kara, My Girlish Whims, Savvy Southern Style, DIY by Design, Homestories A to Z, Between Naps on the Porch, Coastal Charm, Under the Table Dreaming, Brassy Apple, c.r.a.f.t., I Heart Naptime, The DIY Showoff, Tatertots and Jello, My Repurposed Life, Sassy Sites, My Romantic Home, French Country Cottage, At the Picket Fence, House of Hepworths, Crafty, Scrappy, Happy, The Shabby Creek Cottage, and No Minimalist Here! Stop by and check them out!

Foyer Fun

2012-01-25T07:29:00.000-08:00

I can finally cross painting my foyer off my long list.

Geesh, let me tell ya... its been fun! (high vaulted ceilings.. yeah right)
Have you tried taping vaulted ceilings?

I have so many plans for this space, painting is just one of them.

And I really had to jump on it because my hubby was scheduled to have hand surgery this week...

And he's "THE PAINTER" so I couldn't just put this off for the next few months...

It went from builder white...

(excuse the paint sample)

To London Fog by BM...
(I'm apologizing now for the horrible lighting)

This is to the right of the front door looking into the dining area.

View from opposite the front door.

View from front room (which is my new formal dining room)

This is opposite the couch

This is opposite the stairs

(excuse the other rooms mess, I sorta threw everything in there that was in the foyer)

I just love this gray in the light it looks like it may have a hint of baby blue

and in the shade it looks grayish-beige.

Here's a peek of what else I've been doing in here...check back soon for your chance to win one of your own.

Thanks for stopping by and for all the wonderful comments! You all really do make my day!

I'm partying over at Thrifty Decor Chick, Domestically Speaking, My Girlish Whims, DIY by Design, Savvy Southern Style, Home Stories A to Z, Todays Creative Blog, Coastal Charm, Between Naps on the Porch, Brassy Apple, C.R.A.F.T., The DIY Showoff, Positively Splendid, I Heart Naptimes, Be Different Act Normal, Funky Junk Interiors, Tatertots and Jello, Sassy Sites, Fingerprints on the Fridge, The Shabby Nest, The 36th Avenue, My Repurposed Life, My Romantic Home, French Country Cottage, The Shabby Creek Cottage, House of Hepworths, Crafty, Scrappy, Happy, and No Minimalist Here. Stop by and check them out!

Life Size Ruler (Pottery Barn Knockoff) Tutorial

2012-01-18T10:45:00.000-08:00

This wooden board had been sitting in my living room since before Christmas (Thank You Daddy).

And well, with all the holiday hoopla and Christmas vacation I had no time.

But since everyone is back at school and work,

I'm free again! Hallelujah!!!

This is what I needed for this project.

Krylon Matte Finish Sealer (found mine at Walmart), tape measure, ruler, sharp pencil, Paint Pen (also found at Walmart), printed 200 pt century font and board (found at Home Depot, and whats really sweet about this board is, it has a groove on one side which really resembles an old wooden ruler).

You can find the same board at Home Depot.

My dad prepped it by giving it a good stain. (I'm sorry but I have no idea what he used).

Here's what I did first...

I measured an inch up one side of the board making every third inch 2 inches long

and every first and second 1 inch long.

Next I used my paint pen to outline each line.

I first tried to use a ruler, BUT the paint ran and made a huge mess.

So free handing the lines is my VERY helpful hint.

After outlining all your lines, and your paint dries,

your going to take your printed letters (I cut mine out) and trace them with a sharp pencil.

And then outline and fill in with paint pen.

WARNING: Filling in the last number, you may hear angels singing....

this took time!!

Last step was spraying it with my sealer and adding a hanger.

This is what I used.

What do you think?

Now I kinda wish my kiddies were home to take my last picture.

This is the perfect way to record your kids height.

I already know that this is something I will treasure for ever.

Maybe when I get old and start shrinking I can record my height =)

Thanks for stopping by! Wanted to welcome all my new friends and a big THANK YOU to Tatertots and Jello and Creations By Kara for featuring by Laundry Room Redo.

Chalk Board Mirror Tutorial

2012-01-10T19:14:00.000-08:00

Hey there!
So here's a project that I'm so happy to finally be done with.

Not because it was hard or time consuming but because I really wanted one.

I got my inspiration from French Country Cottage, stop by her blog if you love Frenchie stuff, bring a tissue because you may drool.

I searched thrift shops all over town for an inexpensive framed picture or mirror to redo.

Can you believe I didn't find anything cheaper than $20.00 at the Goodwill?

Geez, and the frames on those weren't thick or chunky at all.

I wonder who actually buys them? I really wish I took a picture of what I'm talking about.

I think I was just frustrated that I didn't stop to even think about it.

So after wasting a few hours of my time and gas I decided to go with plan B, Craigslist.

I found this for $25.00.

At the perfect size too! (31 x 43)

Best part of it, my sweet hubby picked it up for me.

Call me a chicken, but I really don't like selling or buying off of Craig's. I blame it on the NEWS!

So I list and find and he deals and picks up.

First thing I started with was taping off the frame.

Then I took an old magazine (Thank you Pottery Barn) and covered the frame . I stuck the pages under the tape overlapping them and taping them to the back of the frame.

Here's a picture of it after I spray painted it (I found my chalkboard spray paint at Walmart). Before you pull off the tape and paper, wait until after you cure it with chalk.

I rubbed the chalk all over... (almost wanted to cry)

Once that was over I removed the magazine and tape.

I cleaned off the board with a warm cloth... (I don't like a messy chalkboard)

I even wrote something cute on it for Valentines Day. (I'm not a decorate every holiday type a girl)

I used a Bistro Chalk Marker to write on it (you can find them at Joann's)

Thanks for stopping by! And thank you to all my new wonderful friends! xoxo

I'm partying over C.R.A.F.T., The DIY Showoff, The 36th Avenue, Todays Creative Blog, Coastal Charm, Between Naps on the Porch, Positively Splendid, I Heart Naptime, Tatertots and Jello, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, The Shabby Nest, My Romanitc Home, My Repurposed Life, French Country Cottage, House of Hepworths, Kristen's Creations, Crafty, Scrappy, Happy, No Minimalist Here, Someday Crafts, Creations By Kara, Savvy Southern Style, DIY By Design, Domestically Speaking and Blue Cricket Design! Stop by and check out all the wonderful ideas!

Laundry Room Make Over

2012-01-04T10:25:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!
Thanks for stopping by!
I can finally mark this off my list...

I wimped out and went safe.

What do you think?

Laundry Room 2012

I'm seriously in love,

It took me over 2 hours to tape up the walls,

but I think it was all worth it.
I even convinced my husband to replace the light.

I pulled off the center cabinet doors to breakup the long wall of cabinets.

And added a few accessories which I had in other areas of the house.

It went from this...

To this...

Here are some pointers.

1. Use a level to mark your stripes. I started from the ceiling down. (Because new homes are completed in less than a month the ceiling is not always perfectly straight).

2. After you tape off your stripes, paint the tape with the first color before starting your second color. (This will minimize 99% off touch ups you'll have to make).

3. Butter up your hubby so he can do all the painting for you.

Thanks for visiting!

This week I'm partying at Thrifty Decor Chick, Beneath my Heart, C.R.A.F.T., The DIY Showoff, Cottage and Vine, Positively Splendid, I Heart Naptime, Crafty, Scrappy, Happy, No Minimalist Here, Someday Crafts, Creations by Kara, DIY by Design, Coastal Charm, Todays Creative Blog, Homestories AtoZ, Between Naps on the Porch, Be Different Act Normal, 5 Minutes Just for Me, Funky Junk Interiors, Addicted to Decorating, Tatertots and Jello, French Country Cottage, My Repurposed Life, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Shabby Nest, Chic On A Shoestring, My Romantic Home, Kristens Creations, House of Hepworths, Domestically Speaking, The 36th Avenue, The Shabby Creek Cottage, & Finding Fabulous, stop by and check them out!

Familyroom Decisions

2011-12-28T08:10:00.000-08:00

Thanks for stopping by!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.

So glad it's over! (Don't get me wrong BUT it just snuck up on me this year).

I put our Christmas tree in our Foyer AND... I have plans for that room that need to go into effect ASAP!

Now on to today's ideas...

Do you ever feel like your design style is constantly evolving?
I mean like changing monthly? Or weekly?

I don't know if its all the Internet sites (ie. pinterest and blogland) that have me confused or if it really is my age (that's what my mother says).

We moved into our house exactly 3 years ago AND

my familyroom is on it's 3rd color.
I went from builder white shown here...

To yellow (which drove me bananas, literally)

Shown here (Christmas 2010)...

To a nice neutral tan.

Shown here...

And still... I'm thinking about changing it.

I'm happy with the color, its just everything else...

I've always loved the traditional french style (if thats even a style)...

And I think all the black has maybe made it to modern?

I've completed transformed pieces with paint. Like my mirror that is now black and hanging over the fireplace, the flower that was once a deep red and is now a lovely white, and the silhouette frames that also took on the new color (BLACK).

I took our entertainment center apart and made it into 2 pieces. One is sitting under the T.V. and the other is holding a few of my white ceramic pieces.

(scroll back up to see what I'm talking about).

I have a few bare walls that are screaming for a creative idea.

(I've got tons in my head but haven't had a chance to actually tackle)

Can anyone else tell me they've gone through the same evolution? Or am I going crazy?

I'm now thinking of

A white slipcover to go over my 9 year old down filled sectional like Nesting Place

Stenciled curtains like these found at Gardners 2 Bergers

And I'd do away with the red and maybe do a subtle hints of green like The Butlers

So I've decided to take on this crazy OCD like my fellow bloggers and do something about it.

Wish me luck!

I'm partying at Savvy Southern Style, Homestories AtoZ, Thrifty Decor Chick, Beneath My Heart, Funky Junk Interiors, My Romantic Home, The Shabby Nest, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Chic on a Shoestring, No Minimalist Here, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Crafty, Scrappy, Happy, The 36th Avenue, and Addicted to Decorating stop by and see the awesome projects!

Wishing You All a Merry Christmas!

2011-12-22T10:50:00.000-08:00

Been so busy these days with the kiddos...

Seems like I haven't had much time to blog,

Here's a quick tutorial on my music sheet ornaments.

I decided to decorate with golds and ivories this Christmas.

And I also decided not to spend any money on Christmas decor this year, and let me tell you it was hard, but I was able to resist temptation and not buy any!

So... I did alot of upcycling instead.

I took some old deep red Martha Stewart ornaments and transformed them.

Here's what I used for this simple project.

(along with a paper plate, brush, and bowl)

I stopped by Vintage Feed Sacks to download free vintage Christmas music sheets.

After trimming the edges I cut the sheet into strips.

What I found worked best was brushing the mod-podge onto the strip then putting it on the ornament. I also tried covering the entire ornament with mod-podge then adding the strips but that failed miserably.

Once the entire bulb was covered in strips I brushed it with a layer of mod-podge then dipped them in a bowl of glitter.

I also added a gold ribbon which made it even sweeter.

See it glisten?

This project was easy and fun. I had my little helper assist me along the way, she was the official glitter dipper.

I'm partying at Faded Charm, My Girlish Whims, Savvy Southern Style, DIY by Design, Coastal Charm, Todays Creative Blog, c.r.a.f.t, Funky Junk Interiors, Addicted to Decorating, The Shabby Nest, My Romantic Home, Chic on a Shoestring, French Country Cottage, The DIY Showoff and The 36th Avenue, stop by and check them out!

Thanks for stopping by!

Star Ruffled Tree Skirt DIY

2011-12-14T17:57:00.000-08:00

OK, I can't believe how fast this month is flying by. And shame on me, I just finished my tree skirt.

Let me tell you, I love it. I seriously love it.

It was worth the several hours and burnt fingers.

I've been in love the moment I first spotted the beautiful ruffled tree skirts on Pinterest.

Here's my version.

I decided to make a star.

Which fits nicely with Christmas, I think.

And here's how I did it.

First I cut it into a perfect 5 point star by doing these steps.

Step 1- Fold your perfect square in half

Step 2- Fold down the upper left corner to the bottom edge. Here is where its sort of tricky. I didn't measure I sorta eyed it.

Step 3- Fold the bottom left corner up. (Your going make a point with the new top left corner.) And I just realized I skipped Step 4.... So I finished it off with a square sheet of paper. After doing step 3 flip the material over and fold the other side up.

And if that confused you here's a video.

Please excuse my mom fingers.

Once I had the star cut out, I used a small plate as a template to make the center of the skirt.

Then I glued 2 inch strips of linen around the star.

If you do decide to make one, I found that it was easier to gather the material once I layed it on the hot glue.

And here it is under the tree.

I found these cuties at Michael's last year for a buck. I left them empty but I'm thinking about making them mini chalkboards.

I made these sweet ornaments with music sheets. I'll post more about them next week.

Homemade dough (also a pinterest find)

One last shot...

Indoor snowball fight anyone? My kids have played with these everyday since I put them out. So cute and perfect for these cold days. Don't forget to stop by early in the new year. I have an awesome giveaway you will not want to miss! (Rhymes with Fencil)

Upcycled Sweater

2011-12-07T11:32:00.000-08:00

Isn't December just flying by?! I can't believe that Christmas is almost here and not to mention 2012! I've been busy with Christmas decorating and prepping my laundry room for my wonderful hubby to paint. Yep, I'm spoiled he paints I tape off. Nice trade off don't you think?

I've been keeping busy with crafts too. I decided to try and make the famous no sew ruffled tree skirt and this!

I found this old sweater in my closet. I seriously have an issue with hoarding my clothes. I just can't part with them.... I always think ONE day I'll wear this again.

I took a decorative pillow that I had stored away for future pillows.

Laid it out, measured and cut.

I used my sewing machine to sew it up and I can seriously tell you, this probably took 10 minutes to make. I saved the sleeves to make these...

Added a sweet ribbon by attaching a safety pin to the end and feeding it through the sweater.

And with the turtle neck I made my sweet baby girl a headband, perfect for our snow trip.

I think I got my moneys worth!

Thanks for stopping by! Please check back soon, I have an awesome give away that your going to love. Here's a hint, it rhymes with "Fencil"...

I'm partying at Creations by Kara, Savvy Southern Style, DIY by Design, Homestories A to Z, C.R.A.F.T, Be Different Act Normal, Tatertots and Jello, The Shabby Nest, Chic on a Shoestring, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Finding Fabulous, Sassy Sites, My Romantic Home, Crafty, Scrappy, Happy, Kristens Creations, The 36th Avenue& House of Hepworths check them out!

Silhouette Laundry Room Sign

2011-11-30T19:31:00.000-08:00

Let the countdown to Christmas began!

This year will be over before we know it and I haven't even started my Christmas decorating. Usually I finish before my hubby hangs the outdoor lights, but this year he beat me! I don't know if its the crazy 80 degree weather thats got me in a funk OR if it's the headache I've been waking up to everyday.

I have been working in my laundry room this week...

Monday is my "laundry day" and while unloading the dryer I thought about my forever long "to do" list and how this month marks our 3rd anniversary of moving into our home and how sad it was that my laundryroom looked the same as it did when we first moved in.

And before I knew it I was ripping off cabinet doors and I had a garbage bag full of "trash" and a box full of donations. I apparently unpacked boxes when we moved in and sorta forgot about them. And in 3 years my taste has changed and my kids have grown.

I came across this not so lovely sign...

I was given this Home Decorators gift a few years ago. I never did dig the fruit basket or the grapes thing. I can't tell you why I held on it for so long, but I'm sure glad I did!

I've been admiring the sweet vinyl lettering going around pinterest and decided to put something together that would go nicely in my laundryroom. And since my hubby was sweet enough to listen to my "hints" on what I wanted for Mother's Day I'm the proud owner of a Silhouette machine.

I've already tried sticking it directly to the wall but being that I'm always moving my furniture around, I gave up on it because by the next month there were going to be blocked by a piece of furniture or not in the right spot. So the next best thing is to stick them on old art pieces.

I wanted something funny yet pretty (hee hee). Because laundry is neither.

Now I need your help. Here's is my sad looking laundryroom...

The "Laundry" letters are going byebye...

I can't decide on a color (my biggest fear), lately I've been seeing a lot of the light blue with the reds and I just love it! So I'm leaning on blue or to should I stay safe with a tan...OR stripes or even a stencil....

Please Help!!!

Thanks for stopping by! And don't forget to comment so I know you did! Special thank you to My Repurposed Life for featuring my chair redo! I'm partying at a few spots, stop by and check them out! Domestically Speaking, Home Stories A 2 Z, Thrifty Decor Chick, Under the Table Dreamning, Tatertots and Jello, Addicted to Decorating, My Romantic Home, The Shabby Nest, My Repurposed Life, Fingerprints on the Fridge, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Crafty, Scrappy, Happy, House of Hepworths, Kristens Creations, Savvy Southern Style & DIY by Design

25 Days of Christmas - Christmas Sweets

2011-11-25T17:38:00.000-08:00

Hey there! Thanks for stopping by! I'm joining in on the fun over at Type A Decorating for her 25 Days of Christmas! I'm so excited about participating & checking out all the other creative decorating going on, here's mine!

DIY Christmas Sweets

I made these cute little sweets with my little helpers last year. I just pulled them out to put them up again, and I've gotta say they held up pretty good to show one more year. Welcome to my tutorial on my ornamental Christmas Lollipops! First of all I hit Joann's for my materials. There I purchased a foam sheet (2x12x36IN), 3 dowels (1/2IN), crystal glitter, American Classics paint (red and white), CraftBond spray adhesive and tacky glue. The first thing I did was find the biggest plate I had and traced out 3 circles on the foam board. I used a kitchen knife to cut them out after tracing.

Trace Plates

Once I had them all cut out I begin drawing my desired patterns on them. I wanted them to resemble real lollipops which started with the peppermint then I got creative and drew polka dots and stripes.

Painted Lollipops

After letting the paint dry, I sprayed glue adhesive onto the lollipops and with the help of my little one, he sprinkled the glitter on top and on the sides

Glittered Lollipops

Then I let them sit for a night to dry. When they were dried I made a hole in the foam and filled the hole up with tacky glue, then placed the dowel in to dry. Once the glue had set and the dowel was pretty sturdy I wrapped them with transparent gift wrap. I picked red, because I love love love red! And there you have it!

Inserted Painted Dowel

Lollipops 2012

Thank you so much for stopping by! And please leave me a comment so I know you did! Here's wishing you a Merry Christmas from my family to yours.

My Family 2011

I'm joining C.R.A.F.T., Tatertots and Jello and Funky Junk Interiors stop by and check out their linky parties!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T08:02:00.000-08:00

So Thankful!

Wishing you all a wonderful Holiday!

Chair Makeover

2011-11-16T20:30:00.000-08:00

Hey there! Thanks for stopping by! I just loved reading all your comments! You all make my day!
I also want to thank Kara over at Creations by Kara for featuring my Ruffled Shower Curtain! You can see it here if you missed it. Make sure you stop by Kara's blog and see all the amazing creations, they are all so inspiring.

This week I"m going to share a little make over with you. I bought this chair several years ago, I actually liked it back when I bought it, and WOW has my taste changed.

So instead of selling it I decided to change it up a bit, that was only after it sat in my garage for several years.

Before

All it took was a spray can of primer, black satin paint, material and NERVES.

I've never painted any "thing" big, like FURNITURE.

After

Whatcha think?

I love it! I just need a find a place to put it. I seriously have an addiction with chairs...

And that little cutie who snuck into the picture is one of two little cuties we recently adopted.

Meet Sylvester & his brother Dexter (just like the mischievous monkey on Night at the Museum).

Dexter & Sylvester 2011 (7 weeks old)

Since I was on a roll with my chair redo I decided to finally do something about these barstools. Remember, I bought them off craigslist back in November 2009, you can see that post here! I couldn't turn down the great deal (knowing they were never going to fit properly under my counter). They've sat in my garage ever since. That was until last week, I had hubby cut the legs down 5 inches. Now they fit perfectly under my counter! I measured one leg then used a level to mark the other 3!

Hopefully I've inspired someone out in blogland to tackle their pile of furniture in their garage. You will be surprised with what you come up with! Plus you'll make your hubby happy to get his garage back. Thank you so much for stopping by! If you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment!

Ruffled & Felt Pillows

2011-11-08T19:41:00.000-08:00

Thanks for visiting and once again thanks to those of you who left such inspiring comments and a warm welcome to my new friends! I'm trying my hardest to post weekly, and so far I'm on schedule.

Wanted to say a big THANK YOU to Crafty, Scrappy, Happy for featuring my Burlap Tutuorial! Stop by and check out their wonderul blog!

Has it hit you that were all ready into November! Wow! I'm not that much of a fall decorator, (Christmas is my thing), BUT when you have a little girl who is already into decorating you kinda have to. So I put a few pumpkins on the mantel and a small "fall" candle ring on the candle stick. Gosh, I sound like a party pooper. (Sorry) Excuse the poor lighting, seems like summer may be over ~~finally~~.

Fall Mantel 2011

Fall Mantel

I also changed the rug in my dining room. After I posted my pictures in my last entry I decided I needed color, so I changed the rug and the position of the table. And I'm pretty happy with the results. Along with the rug I added my glass candle holders, where I layered a few fall leaves.

Fall Dining room 2011

(after)

Fall Dining room 2011
(before)

I wanted to share a little trick with you. We all pretty much own at least one apothecary jar, and if your anything like me you will most likely fill them with just about anything. (You can see my apothecary post here). Well I decided to fill one up with dry bow tie pasta, only thing was I didn't have quite enough to fill it up. SO, here's what I did...

Apothecary sitting by the rooster

Fill it up about a third of the way depending on size

Stick empty water bottle nozzle side down

Add your pasta and WALLA!!!!

One of my other latest addictions is pillows. With my recent change of decor, I thought a fresh pillow update was needed. So with fabric I had on hand I went to work. With my left over shower curtain fabric seen here, a summer visit to my mom (small houndstooth fabric) and left over felt from my small felt flower business, I was able to make 3 different pillows. I used the pillow inserts that I already had which saved on having to buy new ones.

Here's a small tutorial for the felt pillow. I started by folding the pillow case corner to corner to find the center. Then I pinned the petals along the outter part of the flower.

I pinned them about an inch apart folding the sides in while pining. Once I had a whole row pinned I sewed them on with my sewing machine then continued to the next row by pinning and sewing.

I did two rows of the biggest and medium sized petals. Each new layer I placed them between the exsisting petals.

Upclose shot.

I was going to post a tutorial on the ruffled pillow on here but found this great one on Pinterest... I tried to find out where it came from but it kept taking me to a deadend. So by all means, if you know who made this great tutorial let me know!

Source: 1.bp.blogspot.com via Casi on Pinterest

2 of my 3 babies on Sunday morning

I'm joinging a few parties at Under the Table and Dreaming, Between Naps on the Porch, Stylish Once Again, C.R.A.F.T., DIY Showoff, Be Different Act Normal, Funky Junk Interiors, Just A Girl, Someday Crafts, Type A Decorating, Remodelaholic, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Chic on a Shoestring, My Repurposed Life, My Romantic Home, The Shabby Nest, Junk in their Trunk, House of Hepworths, Crafty, Scrappy, Happy, Kristens Creations, The 36th Avenue, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Someday Crafts, Creations by Kara, DIY by Design, Savvy Southern Style, and My Girlish Whims. Thanks for stopping by! Till next week!

Black & White Ikea Striped Curtains

2011-11-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

Welcome back! And thank you for the sweet comments! You all really made my day! I want to also thank Domestically Speaking for featuring my Bathroom Redo!

Since then, I've been working on my dining area. My hubby painted it a shade darker (Basketry by BEHR)than my powder room. What can I say I'm scared of color. And with my recent experience, I've discovered I get tired of color quickly... this room was also builder white and unfortunately I don't have any before shots.

The diningset has been around since we first got married, I'm just not sure about it anymore. I'm not sure if I should replace it or reupholster the fabric. Either way somethings gotta change. What would you do?

Dining room 2011

Pin It

On my recent trip to Ikea I found striped fabric which I bought to recover a settee, but it turned out that the fabric wasn't wide enough to cover the entire bench. So I decided to use them as window panels. I hung them by using a 1.5" x 8ft dowel I bought at Lowe's, cut and painted black. The finials were also purchased at Lowe's on clearance for $2.00. I gathered the stripes to make it look a bit more tailored. What do you think?

Ikea Panels

Can you believe that's its finally fall? I know what your thinking its been fall for about a month, but literally here in Southern California we've had nonstop summer weather.

So in honor of fall, I decided to try and make a fall wreath of my own.

Burlap Wreath 2011

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You will need about 2 yards of burlap, hotglue gun, styrofoam wreath, and screwdriver or in my case a hole punch.

I cut the burlap into small 4 inch squares, you'll need several so keep your scissors handy. These squares by all means do not need to be perfect.

Take your screwdriver or in my case hole punch and put in in the center of the burlap square, fold up the corners, add some hot glue on the hole and stick the burlap in.

I punched several holes at a time into the styrofoam to make the process a little easier.

The holes were about a half inch apart.

It also helps to have a happy little assistant "organize" the squares into cute piles.

Add a cute bow and there you have it! Now all I have to do is get my dear hubby to paint that front door!

Thanks for visiting!

Powder Room Redo

2011-10-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

Hallway leading to powder room

My hubby recently painted our powder room (Mushroom Bisque by BEHR) after ~~finally~~ only 3 years of moving into our home. I unfortunately did not take any before photos so just picture white walls and the horrible obscure shower doors exposed.

Peek of our ugly Shower door

Before convincing myself to make my own waterfall ruffle shower curtain that can also be purchased at

Urban Outfitters I thought about replacing the glass in the showers doors or just replacing the whole chi-bang. That was until I found out how much it would be to replace any glass or the entire set.

To say the least, just not in the budget! We've also found that the doors that were put on our tub enclosure were not the correct size.Well duh, that explains why they nearly reach the ceiling!

Shows how high I had to hang the curtain to hide the shower doors

So I decide its time to buy a shower curtain.

EXCEPT with the height of my doors, I would need a custom shower curtain that would cover the entire

doors and tub... NOT in my budget either.... So I gathered enough confidence (here is where I want to thank my wonderful hubby)...And I make a run to ~~wallyworld~~ Walmart to pick up some fabric. Score!!! At $2.00 a yard I make my beautiful custom shower curtain for Under $15 bucks!

And had fabric left over to make this! (But this is a waiting for another post)

Ruffle Pillow

With a few personal touches like my bathroom subway art (I found the cute saying at The Yellow Cape Cod)

Bathroom subway art made with silhouette

A few wall accessories from Kirkland's...

A garden stool I spray painted bright red for pop (which was a bargain from Big lots for a whooping $20 bucks)

I added the freshly painted mirror I bought off craigslist for $18 bucks

My powder room is almost complete, except for the dreaded vanity. I had hubby remove the doors a few months ago because I had worked enough nerves to paint it, then I quickly chickened out...

Well that's my redone powder room, have you painted cabinets in your home?

I'm participating in a few parties at My Repurposed Life, Junk in their Trunk, Someday Crafts, Creations by Kara, My Girlish Whims, Todays Creative Blog, Home Stories A2Z, Thrifty Decor Chick, Funky Junk Interiors, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Dumpster Diva, Finding Fabulous, The Shabby Nest, The Idea Room, House of Hepworths, Crafty, Scrappy, Happy, Domestically Speaking, Savvy Southern Style, Addicted to Decorating , Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, My Romantic Home , Tatertots and Jello, Be Different Act Normal , Happy To Design, Under the Table and Dreaming, DIY Showoff, Between Naps on the Porch, Creating Really Awesome Free Things, Type A Decorating, The 36th Avenue, The Shabby Creek Cottage, and Tales From Bloggeritavilles. Stop by and say hello!

Im Back!!! Its been too long!

2011-10-19T14:47:00.001-07:00

I can't believe its been almost an entire year that I've been away. I've done so much around the house that I can't wait to share it with you all! Stay around you won't want to miss this! xoxo