Vintage Revivals

6 Things You MUST Do While You Are In St. George for the Hoard Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Mandi @ Vintage Revivals) — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:55:00 +0000

I am writing this post from the chandelier, that I am currently swinging on because I am so excited to meet so many of you tomorrow!! I know that a lot of you are coming in from out of town so I thought it would be fun to tell you about a few of my favorite spots that you can visit while you are here! (Because I always love suggestions from locals, it makes me happy.)

Swig (989 E. Tabernacle St. St. George UT 84770)

I mean. You know that this is #1 on the list right? You would be crazy to not head over there (yes, the line is long. Deal.) Order a sugar cookie and a Dirty Dr. Pepper (Dr. Pepper with coconut syrup). And then go get back in line, because you will want another one.

Durango's (245 Red Cliffs Drive St. George UT 84790 located in the Promenade at Red Cliff behind the fountain)

Our family literally eats here a minimum of 3x a week. I love the steak or carnitas salad. You can sit inside or out, and the manager is probably the hottest man I have ever seen. This is the part where I should mention that he is my husband.

{Re}cycled Consign and Design (59 W Center St. Cedar City UT)

Now while this store isn’t in St. George its only about 35 minutes north in Cedar City. It is HANDS DOWN my favorite place to shop for clothing and accessories. And they sell TONS of amazing furniture and other decor deliciousness. You will not believe that a store this cool lives in Cedar City. Pinky promise. AND because Amanda is one of my favorites she is giving a 20% discount in store when you mention Vintage Revivals!! Make sure to follow them on Insta to see all the latest and greatest!

TJ Maxx/Homegoods (42 South River Road)

The St. George Homegoods has been dubbed the best in Utah. I have to agree. There is just so much stuff and the get new shipments on Fridays so it will be well stocked!

US Snow (1189 E 700 S St George, UT 84790 located right next to Harmons)

During the scorching summer heat, one of our favorite treats are Snow Cones. We have become snow cone connoisseurs. This one is the best. I always order Pomegranate with Cream. As strange as the “with Cream” may sound, don't knock it till you try it. It just may change your life too.

And if you have time you MUST hit up a park while you are here. Snow Canyon and Zion are a favorite.

See you tomorrow!!

DIY Honeycomb Hexagon Wall Treatment

noreply@blogger.com (Mandi @ Vintage Revivals) — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:09:00 +0000

Man, we are cruising through the tutorials from Dylan’s Dream Room! As chevron has been on its way out over the last year I think many of us have been waiting with baited breath wondering what will take its place as the Pattern King. Ikat seemed to be a pretty great contender for a bit, and then I was seeing spots (well polka dots to be exact) everywhere but I am going to throw my money on the Hexagon.

I knew immediately that I wanted to do a Hex wall in Dylan’s room (and even though it didn't work out right the first time) I knew it wasn't the hex pattern that was the problem. I know what you are thinking. That wall must have taken years. And while it did take time, it is for sure not as complicated as the wow factor would assume.

We Have a Biter.

noreply@blogger.com (Mandi @ Vintage Revivals) — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:35:00 +0000

Dudes. I am in FRANTIC Hoard Sale prep mode, I actually cannot believe how many of you have signed up to come. Its humbling and terrifying at the same time. So, sorry that I don't have a tutorial going up today, I am afraid if I switch to tutorial mode in my mind everything will go to the crapper.

In other news Wallace the Boston Terrier is adorable.

He loves me the most (of course he does) and we are enjoying every second with him. Except for the seconds of searing pain from his puppy teeth.

(Also I may have rubbed turkey on Ivie’s face to get this licking action shot.)

So I need some advice. How do we get him to stop biting?!?! My feet thank you.

Oh and check out this AMAZING chair I scored yesterday for the Hoard Sale (that is if you can pry my cold dead hands off of it…)

T Minus 4 Days and Counting for the Hoard Sale 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Mandi @ Vintage Revivals) — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:16:00 +0000

I cannot BELIEVE that there are only 4 days left to prep for the Hoard Sale you guys. I am SO excited to meet so many of you in real life! (I hope you are huggers!!)

The final preparations have begun and I am collecting every single thing that I can find that isn't nailed down to sell. The state of my garage is pure insanity. I literally cannot fit ONE.MORE.THING inside. Check it out:

This is the line where my garage door shuts. We have about 2” of clearance folks.

So if you are coming you better get excited. If you want to come and have not signed up to receive the email with all of the info on it you can do that at the end of this post. And if your not able to make it, don't worry we will be Instagramming the entire thing and you can follow along with #hoardsale2013.

Happy 10 Year Jail-iversary!!

noreply@blogger.com (Mandi @ Vintage Revivals) — Thu, 09 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Sorry to stray a bit from the normal DIY project postings today friends, but today is a day of celebration at the Gubler’s!!. I believe that sometimes the hardest anniversaries are the most important ones to remember.

Yes, in fact that IS a cake with handcuffs on it. Given to Court from one of our friends that attend our Wed. night 12 step meeting.

10 years ago today was one of the worst days of my life. (Literally, like top 2.)

10 years ago today Court was arrested. I was 6 months pregnant with Ivie and our lives were out of control in the worst way. Court had been dealing with a drug addiction that robbed every single person that loved him of their life. If you havent experienced addiction first hand you may not understand how one person’s inability to fight this demon could do that. But it will suck the light out of even the brightest person.

Some people might be ashamed of finding themselves in this situation, but by the time we finally found recovery we were so far past the embarrassment/shamefulness. We were in the completely hopeless phase. But that is another celebration for another day.

10 years ago today I was working in the mall when my life was turned on its head by one answered prayer. A prayer that I had said the night before pleading with God to take Courtney’s addiction away. (Obviously we are a little more careful about how we pray now!) I could not fathom why a prayer was answered this way. I was so angry.

Courtney was gone in jail and in rehab for 6 months. He was gone while Ivie was born, and for the first 3 months of her little life.

Today I can see so clearly that without that intervention Court would not be alive. Those 6 months that took an eternity to pass, now seem like only a moment.

So although it took 7 more years to find true recovery it was totally worth it.

Don’t give up on the people you love. You can’t change them, you can’t fight this battle for them, and you have no control over their choices, but you can love them.

And sometimes that is enough.

You can read our entire real life story from the beginning, to where we are today. Its long and full of miracles. And I thank God every single day that he has blessed me with the experience.

Tufted Picture Frame Headboard DIY

noreply@blogger.com (Mandi @ Vintage Revivals) — Tue, 07 May 2013 17:21:00 +0000

One of my favorite projects in Dylan’s Bedroom is her headboard. The original plan was to use the head and footboard that we were using before (because its fantastic). The problem was, that against the hexagon wall it made your eyes start convulsing because there was just SO MUCH going on. I needed to put something solid against the wall so the fighting was calmed.

I found this amazing giant picture frame at the DI (Utah’s version of Goodwill) for $15.00. To be honest I bought it with every intention of selling it at the Hoard Sale. But then my bff Brooke pointed out that it is the exact width of a twin size bed (don't you love friends that can connect the dots in your mind?!) So this thrifted frame became the base for her headboard.

DIY Copper Pipe Wall Coat Rack Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Mandi @ Vintage Revivals) — Mon, 06 May 2013 16:53:00 +0000

I love when someone comes up with a design that is just so genius that it sticks with you for YEARS. You may remember a few years ago on Design Star Courtland created these amazing wall sconces out of Copper Pipe.

They were a huge part of the inspiration for the conduit wall sconces in my living room and for the coat rack in Dylan’s Room.

One problem that I was running into while I was putting the finishing touches on her bulldog cork mural wall was a phenomenon that I have never experienced before.

In real life everything looked great, but once it was shot the space looked completely barren. It was super confusing and frustrating to say the least. So like the great DIY Houdini I needed to pull an idea out of, well, somewhere… and FAST.

Upcycled Industrial Schoolhouse Pendant Light Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Mandi @ Vintage Revivals) — Thu, 02 May 2013 14:51:00 +0000

Back in October I teamed up with Homes.com and did a really fun giveaway where I took an old light and overhauled it and gave it away to one lucky reader. You guys loved it so much that I am doing it again today!

Over the last few weeks I have been writing a Thrifting series on ForRent.com all about decorating for an apartment (I KNOW so many of you are in that situation because I get emails about it all the time!) Decorating an apartment is definetely harder than decorating your own house and comes with about a zillion challenges. So we have talked about what to look for, how to mix vintage and new furniture http://goo.gl/WlPAa, and the type of pieces you should be looking for.

To finish it off with a bang I am giving away a custom upcycled light plucked from my local thrift store and prettied up just for one of you!

Lighting is one of my favorite ways to enhance the design in a space. When I saw this light obviously the first thing that you see is that horrid glass shade. But if you look past it to the hardware it will make your heart skip a beat!

I taped off the brass that I loved so much and painted the white enamel pieces HOT PINK. I just cant get enough pink right now. This color is by Rustoleum and can be found anywhere spray paint is sold. Also it is nearly impossible to capture neon with a camera. So just know that it is super bright and I am already having separation anxiety over parting with it.

I found the white glass schoolhouse globe for $5.00 at Home Depot. Super on trend and dirt cheap, just the way I like it!

The light is wired with a plug at the end and is perfect for anyone that is renting because it doesnt need to be hardwired.

So do you want to win it?!

All you need to do is jump over and enter the rafflecopter at ForRent.com.

Super simple folks, and VERY exciting.

What are you still doing here?! Go! Go! Go!

DIY Corkboard Wall Mural Bulldog Style

noreply@blogger.com (Mandi @ Vintage Revivals) — Wed, 01 May 2013 10:54:00 +0000

Do you know what is good about having a giant dog face on the wall? It doesn't have horrific gas like the little puppy sitting on my lap. Do you know what else is good about a giant dog face on the wall? It makes your 4 year old say “MOM! Is this REALLY my room?!” when she sees it.

This project is VERY simple and a little time consuming. I probably spent 4 hours on it. But it was worth every single second.

If you have watched Dylan’s Dream Room video than you know she mentioned that she wanted puppies in it approximately 98,013 times. The girl LOVES animals. So the idea of a giant puppy head was born. When I decided to put her little art desk underneath, my mind went to where she would hang all of her paintings as they were drying. From there the corkboard idea was born. Gigantor puppy head + corkboard = SUPER fun project.

Behind the Scenes with Dio

noreply@blogger.com (Mandi @ Vintage Revivals) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 04:01:00 +0000

This post brought to you by dio. All opinions are 100% mine.

Once upon a time there was this new site. It was called Pinterest. People had no clue what it was or how to even pronounce it, no lie I hear it pronounced P-Interest a handful of times. (Sheesh, what does that say about where I live?!) But since then I have been uber sensitive to all new forms of social media because MAN I missed that boat.

So today I am going to share a new site with you called dio. dio is a way to spatially separate a space, project, or anything amazing that your mind comes up with. Picture giving a house tour with virtual exits from each room and fun interactive surprises so people really feel like they are walking through your house! Its sort of like Minecraft for adults. (Disclaimer: I dont actually know how Minecraft works, all I know is that when my nephew plays it looks like he is running from room to room. Disclaimer over.)

The thing that I loved most about it is that its more than just physical rooms, I created a dio place on a day in my life. I thought you guys might enjoy seeing some behind the scenes action. The good, the bad and the ugly. Trust me, there is lots of ugly. So go and check it out!!

When you create a dio place you start with the first room and then you create exits that go to other places, they can all interconnect to each other or you can guide the tour by placing things in order with only one exit to the next spot. There are all of these fun objects that you can place in each place like pictures, albums, text, video, and lots of things to interact with.

So what do you think? Fun right?!

I was a little worried about the whole learning a new program situation, but dio was actually really easy to understand and I am sure that there is SO much more about it that I have yet to learn!

I would love to connect with you over there for reals, and because sometimes we need a little extra motivation to try something new dio is giving away a $100 Gift Card to Amazon!! To enter please head over to visit dio.com, create a place, and comment back with the email you signed up with! That’s it! Its been really interesting to see what other people do with the same tool, Like dio on Facebook and stay connected to what other users are creating.

*If you are feeling extra motivated for some cash you can also tweet a message about their place and include @dioplaces in their tweet with a dedicated #discoverdio hashtag (and make sure you tag me in it so I can RT it!!) Complete Contest Rules here.

Gut Check and Waking Up Gorgeous.

noreply@blogger.com (Mandi @ Vintage Revivals) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:54:00 +0000

Ok so go with me on this one. You know how there are those people who seem to roll out of bed perfectly rested, sit up with the sun streaming through the windows, gracefully yawn and dont have morning breath? I feel like maybe that is how ya’ll are seeing this room design. When in all actuality it was more like sitting STRAIGHT up in bed and yelling your favorite swear because you have overslept, still wearing your clothes from last night, and rocking bed head that will not quit.

I wish I could say that this was the original plan for Dylan’s room.

But that would be big fat lying.

Dylan’s Dream Room Source List

noreply@blogger.com (Mandi @ Vintage Revivals) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:53:00 +0000

I am COMPLETELY overwhelmed with the response that Dylan’s room has received. Seriously, you guys rock my world. I have a whole slew of tutorials for everything from painting the floor, to the hex wall, to the headboard, to the pom pom blanket. I mean almost EVERYTHING in this room is a project, and the tutorials start tomorrow!! But now we get to chat about everything that isnt DIYed and some of them are a MUST buy.

Probably my favorite non-project in the room (and so many of yours according to the comments!) is the Kangaroo Pillow. When Dyl said that is what she wanted I was thinking “Fantastic, another project that is a necessity.” (You have to remember that I pulled this room together in a week and 1/2 so any project warranted that response in my head…) but then I got an email from one of my favorite readers. She had just started an etsy shop and make thread sketched pillows and really wanted to make a kangaroo pillow for Dylan. You know when are are reading something and you are like “Oh that is nice..” and then you get to the bottom of the email where the images are attached and you are like “OMGosh. These are INSANE!?!” That is exactly what happened

Dylan’s Dream Room Bedroom Reveal

noreply@blogger.com (Mandi @ Vintage Revivals) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:42:00 +0000

When I say that this is my favorite space that I have ever created, there is no exaggeration. I thought that I was ready to dust my hands off and walk away after my living room reveal, but I mean, how Mandilicious is that? Not Mandilicious at. all. folks. As I have mentioned before, creating a kids room that you both will enjoy can be super hard. If you let them be involved, you are guaranteed to end up with a few roadblocks…such as kangaroos (I mean, kangaroos? When she said that I giggled like an idiot for about 30 minutes.) Here is the interview with Dylan, just so you guys who are new can see just how sparkly this little child is. (Just a warning, she is so sparkly that you will need sunscreen.)

When Sherwin Williams gave me the color Pink for National Painting Week the whole Dylan’s Dream Room process began. And just because I cant get enough of showing you guys the HORRIBLE condition of the house when we bought it (this is the MLS listing) here is the BEFORE before. Hope you have a tetanus shot.

Then the room went to this. This was one of the first rooms that I redid when I started Vintage Revivals almost 3 years ago.

And THEN (sheesh this is like the song that never ends!) I painted everything white. And it was great. But there was none of Dylan’s flair for life in this room at.all.

So now that you are up to speed I am THRILLED to show you how the room turned out. I worked for 3 weeks straight on this space (because I pretty much did it twice, but that is another post for next week.) When you are creating a space for someone you love so much, its so easy to put your heart completely into it. I showed you the color palette Dylan picked out, and this is how we incorporated so many colors into one space.

Each color was used on the far right hexagon and then diluted with white paint to ombre it out (pretend that is a legit term ok folks?)

If you watched Dylan’s video you know that pink and puppies were the things that she talked about the very most. So how could I not make a pink puppy feature wall? We are hoping that with a guardian bulldog she will actually want to sleep in her room now…please pray.

Picking The Perfect Paint Colors For Dylan’s Room

noreply@blogger.com (Mandi @ Vintage Revivals) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

(If you are new to this series I am redecorating my daughter’s bedroom. Check out this post to see just what she wants)

Finding the perfect palette for a sassy 4 year old is hard work. If it were completely up to Miss Dylan her room would end up looking just like Punky’s.

And as much as I adored that room as a child, its just not quite what we (meaning me) are going for. So I took Dyl (and Aggie the Bulldog) on a trip to my local Sherwin Williams to pick out paint colors.

For a little girl that is told every time we go in, to not. touch. the. paint. colors. she was in HEAVEN when I told her to pick out her favorites. (In the first picture you cant see it but she was tapping her chin saying “Hmmmmm”)

The first color that she chose was a bright barbie pink aka Dragon Fruit. I was NOT surprised at all. Next was the Mandarin Orange. Those two colors to me sort of dictated where the colors went from there. I pulled swatches that I liked and let her pick her favorites. And finally with a little guidance she ended up with these colors. She was obviously extremely excited about it.

So friends, this is our palette for Dylan’s Dream Room. Its not too girly but still girlish. Its happy, and imaginative, and sort of makes you want to merrily skip in a circle. We (yes, both of us) LOVE it. I have coined it Citrus Spectrum.

The colors are all Sherwin Williams and from left to right are (beginning at the top) Pink Moment, Mandarin, Gambol Gold, (Second Row) Eye Catching, Citronella, Bagel, (Bottom Row) Gladiola, Dragon Fruit, Confident Yellow.

Oh and I should probably introduce you to Adam. This is Dylan’s new BFF. (I love her little foot that she moves and wiggles when she is shy or excited.) She was telling him that she wanted her room to be pink with puppies. (and no Justin Beaver)

I cant wait to show you guys how it all came together! I think that Dylan’s room is my favorite project that I have ever done. And THAT is saying something. So make sure you check in on Friday for the entire room reveal!

As for me I am off to Salt Lake for SNAP! this weekend!! Can’t wait to see some of you there!! xo

Crafting For Charity

noreply@blogger.com (Mandi @ Vintage Revivals) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:49:00 +0000

Blogging for fun is awesome. Blogging for a great cause is EVEN BETTER!! My girls over at Homes.com asked if I would be up for creating a project for their Crafting for Charity event and I was so so happy to participate!

Do you see what it says on there!? I have the chance to win $5,000 for my favorite charity! The charity that I chose is The Christmas Box House.

Each Christmas Box House serves as a one-stop assessment center for abused and neglected children, from infants through children up to the age of eighteen. Children in our care receive mental, emotional, and physical care in a home-like, loving environment. During their stay they are exposed to a variety of learning experiences.
When a child enters a Christmas Box House the first thing they see is a large Christmas tree decorated year round. The children are allowed to choose a toy or stuffed animal from under the tree to join them in their experience at the Christmas Box House.
Children stay at the Christmas Box House until an appropriate placement has been made or until their environment at home is safe to allow for their return. The Christmas Box Houses are particularly helpful to sibling groups, who would oftentimes be separated from one another because of a lack of homes that can accommodate several children at once.

I have a cousin that is amazing and just adopted 5 boys from the same family that had been placed in foster care. They arrived at The Christmas Box House and received so much help. This one hits close to home and I am so happy to support them! Love you Jeni!!

The project that I did is this Hand Drawn Herringbone Lamp:

If you want to check out the tutorial you can see it here.

In order to win the $5,000 to donate I need your votes! Please take just a second and click over and vote!! You guys are amazing!!

Oh and maybe I should mention that one lucky voter is going to walk away with $500…maybe today is your lucky day!?

Caring For Hardwood and Saving Trees With Pinterest

noreply@blogger.com (Mandi @ Vintage Revivals) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:10:00 +0000

One of the conditions I had when we bought our house was that we had to replace the HORRIBLE carpet with hardwood. Because we were on a very strict budget we searched and searched before finding the right one on Build Direct. We ended up with Hand Scraped Engineered Hardwood. If you are unfamiliar with Engineered flooring basically its a few layers of MDF with a small layer of real wood on the very top. Engineered is great because its a lot less expensive, its doesnt warp and swell the way real hardwood can (the MDF stabilizes it more) and it still looks fantastic.

Something that I think a lot of people fail to realize is that most pre-finished hardwood have a sealed top but are NOT sealed in the cracks (unless you get glue in 100% of the groove) so using things like steam mops, can damage them. (You can tell if your floor is sealed by pouring a small amount of water on it. If it sits on the surface you are fine but if it is absorbed then your floor is unsealed.) The other problem that I found using a steam mop is that it leaves the floor really dull and footprints are seem to be visible right away.

There are a million hardwood floor care products out there but my fave for the last 4 years has been the original Murphy Oil Soap. It just leaves the floor clean. There isnt any waxy, sticky, or slippery finish left over. And I am pretty sure my grandma uses it because the smell makes me think of here. (Insert collective awwwww here.)

To clean them I squirt Murphy Oil Soap on a 3x3 section and then use a clean dry washcloth to get off all of the footprints, dirt and ahem…frosting. You can use a mop also if you dont like going Cinderella style.

When Murphy Oil Soap contacted me about spreading the word of their new “Repin Reforest” Pinterest page, I was so excited because it is really how I take care of my floors and we are saving trees!! That my friends is what we call a win win.

Murphy Oil Soap has partnered with The Arbor Day Foundation as part of its We Save Wood™ campaign to generate awareness of the importance of tree conservation and education. We can all support this “Repin, Reforest” cause by visiting the “Repin Reforest”Pinterest page.

With each repin Murphy Oil Soap will donate $1.00 to The National Arbor Day Foundation! So get your pinning finger ready folks.

For more information, visit http://www.MurphyOilSoap.com/Saving-Trees.

And the fun has just begun. My friend Jen (of the Tatertots and Jello fame) and I are co-hosting a twitter party TONIGHT at 9 pm EST. We are chatting all things DIY and Decor and we would LOVE to have you join us! Oh, and we are also giving away some pretty fantastic prizes. Follow the #repinreforest hashtag and we will see you there!! xo

Decorating A Kids Room That You Both Will Like…

noreply@blogger.com (Mandi @ Vintage Revivals) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:14:00 +0000

Once upon a time 4 years ago I had a daughter. She is pretty much my favorite thing in the world. She has the personality of one 4 times her age and dances like her dad. So what does this have to do with decorating? Well Sherwin Williams National Painting Week is upon us (it starts on Monday!!) and 14 of the most fantastic bloggers in the blogosphere are sharing with you their color inspired projects all week long!!

The color that I was assigned was Pink. I love pink. And guess who else loves pink? My offspring.

So I took this fun challenge to the extreme (I always seem to do this!) and have spent the last 3 weeks overhauling Dylan’s room.

Let me tell you. Decorating for a child is HARD. It is such a fine line between whimsy and cheesy and I tend to go more mature just to steer clear of that cliff. But I really want Dyl to love her room and so I am doing my best to keep it kid friendly and imagination inducing.

And then there is a small fact that just cannot be overlooked. Dylan has ideas all her own. Just so you can see how adorable (and opinionated) she is we made you a video!!

As you can see, I am in trouble.

I cant wait for you to see the finished product next Friday!!

Hope you guys have a fantastic day!!

Hoard Sale Update #Dos

noreply@blogger.com (Mandi @ Vintage Revivals) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:26:00 +0000

Today is the day. The calm before the storm that is going to flood my blog with daily posts for the next month. I am excited but I hope I dont drown or find myself twitching in the corner.

I thought I would share with you guys the status of the Hoard for the Hoard Sale 2013.

If your eyes are glazing over because you have no idea what I am talking about read this first.

I didn't know that it was possible but this thing has multiplied like rabbits. And its only going to get bigger. Its like furniture rabbits. I need a t shirt that says that.

Not everything in the picture is being sold, and there are some things that I am still on the fence about (like the green craigslist chairs) but it its going to be EXCITING!!!

A few of you emailed me and wanted an address. It makes me a little nervous to just post my address on the internet. So the plan is a couple of days before the sale I am going to email everyone that leaves their email address below. If you are planning on coming sign up below!

Hit Me With Your Best Shot

noreply@blogger.com (Mandi @ Vintage Revivals) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 14:12:00 +0000

Happy Monday!! Do you remember last week when I shared that I have started writing for Caeserstone’s new blog The Interior Collective? I am SO excited about it.

They have a really fun series called Ask The Expert and this week I am up. We are talking all things Thrifting and DIY. I would love love to have a million questions to answer so click over and fire away!!

So. Itchy.

noreply@blogger.com (Mandi @ Vintage Revivals) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:56:00 +0000

What is it about spring time that makes me want to change everything in my life?! PLEASE tell me that I am not the only one that experiences this.

I am ready for new projects, and new design, and new well, everything.

The room on the scratching post first is Dylan’s. I took it from this:

To this:

And that is basically where it has stayed for a FREAKING year.

It was great to take it back to a white space but it had like zero personality (besides that awesome rug). It is 1000% not Dylan and I am itching to change it.

First thing to go?

The carpet. The painted concrete floor in Ivie’s room has held up amazingly well and carpet is the Bain of my existence. So that is the project we are starting with.

Hopefully I can cure this itch before I start changing something else…you never know.

Do you have a spring itch that isn't allergy related? Tell me all about it!

Another fun announcement that I have today is that I have started writing for a new AMAZING blog called The Interior Collective. You MUST hop over and check it out, it is full of killer information and designers. It is a weekly column so I will be sure to give you a heads up when a new post is live!

The Hoard Sale Is Coming! The Hoard Sale Is Coming!

noreply@blogger.com (Mandi @ Vintage Revivals) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 10:46:00 +0000

Dun dun dun DUUUUUUN! (Very exciting announcement to follow.)

The Hoard Sale is upon us folks. For those who are scratching your head wondering what in the world a Hoard Sale is let me tell you.

One of the ramifications of having a DIY blog where the focus is thrifting related is that you accumulate a lot of stuff. And by a lot I mean, well a lot. At my house the accumulation of such items is called The Hoard. It is a living, breathing, organism that lives in the garage but often times can be found dividing and multiplying in the trunk of my car, the corner of the bedroom, and in every closet that can be closed off to visitors. The Hoard has a tendency to grow exponentially when the weather warms up and yard sales abound.

And once a year I team up with my BFF Brooke to sell off anything that doesnt have a home INSIDE the house. It is very fun and traumatic at the same time (because some of the stuff is just SO good!)

Last year we threw it together at the last minute and this is what it looked like:

I.know. Wehaveissues.

But it is a fantastic way for us to sell our crap, connect with our readers, and be able to park in our garages again…for at least a week.

This year we wanted to give you plenty of time to get your ducks in order so that you can join us! The sale is on the calendar for May 18, 2013 and begins at 8 AM SHARP. It is located in St. George UT (we are about an hour and 1/2 north of Vegas) and it is THE sale of the year.

It is stuff we have found on Craigslist and at the thrift store that is handpicked and we have a) used in our house already b) bought for our houses with the best of intentions.

There will be some pre-finished pieces for those that are not DIYers, but the majority is project central.

I had to clean out my garage just to make room for the literal 2 truckfulls of treasures I found this weekend. Want a sneak peek of some of the goodies?

We would so love to have you there!! I will be posting teasers for the next month and 1/2 so you can see a bit of what you are in store for.

So what do you think? Do you want to come?

Comings and Goings

noreply@blogger.com (Mandi @ Vintage Revivals) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:28:00 +0000

Dudes! My FREAKING computer has a virus. (I know, I know, I should’ve bought a Mac.) So it is in the shop, which means the fun post I had written for today is also in the shop (that is what I get for being on top of stuff. NEVER again.)

I have a few tidbits that I wanted to share, and since not everyone is on FB I am over here.

1. The winner of the Home Depot/P&G giveaway is Kiara who said:

My #1 painting tip: use quality products, from tape and tarps to brushes and paint. When I was 15, I repainted my entire bedroom, including the vaulted ceiling that went up to 8' high. Mom made me buy all the cheap supplies, and I had SUCH problems with them! The paintbrushes kept leaving bristles behind; the thin tarps kept ripping, and didn't keep paint from seeping through; the tape wouldn't lay flat against the surface, which meant paint was getting in underneath it.
You HAVE to have good supplies. If you don't, more then likely you'll not only regret it, but end up spending your savings from the cheap products to buy MORE supplies!
Thanks for the great post, Mandy, and the opportunity to win these items! <3
- Kiara from Land & Luxury

Miss Kiara you have 48 hours to claim your prize

2. Yesterday I Instagrammed a picture of the most terrifying cat ever

When I went back for round 2 that evening it was gone. Which tells me 2 things. Someone loves vampire kittens, or someone has learned that even horrific things can be made whole with spray paint.

So do you want a clue about Monday’s exciting announcement? It has a little to do with Miss All Things Thrifty and a lot to do with the crap in our garages….

Have a great weekend!

How To Build A Table Out Of Metal Conduit Pipe

noreply@blogger.com (Mandi @ Vintage Revivals) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:34:00 +0000

Sometimes you find an amazing kitchen table that makes all of your hopes and dreams come true.

And sometimes you have to build one yourself.

We have been through our fair share of kitchen tables in our family. The cheap black distressed counter height table with stools that chipped when you gave it a dirty look. A gorgeous reclaimed wood table that was too long for our little space. And last but not least, a painted teal table that I was over after a few months. Its part of my DADD condition ( Decorating ADD if you are unfamiliar with the term. We jokingly refer to it at our house as Dad issues.)

Painted tables are just a little too much maintenance, and Court did not love the reclaimed wood (he felt like it was never clean) so that left me with 2 options. Metal or Glass. And since I have not yet learned the art of welding (don't worry one day I will) glass it was.

I am super digging a warm modern industrial vibe right now and thought it would be fun to try my hand at building a pipe table. I wanted something unique but it needed to be easy for me to wrap my head around too.

First things first. Lets chat pipe. The pipe that I used is Rigid Steel Electrical Conduit. You 100% want to buy this from Lowes because they can cut it to your exact dimensions and thread it there. The rigid is important because they also sell electrical conduit that is very thin and cannot be threaded, therefore totally worthless for building anything, especially a kitchen table. FYI you can also find Rigid Steel Plumbing Conduit at Lowes, the only difference is that it is a bit more expensive because it is treated so that it is safe to use for drinking water. Save the $ for something important.

This is the awesome machine that cuts and treads the pipe. It uses lots of oil to help with lubrication while threading so be aware of that if you are transporting them in your car. Just ask for extra plastic bags to put on the ends to protect your carpeting.

As part of my DADD I have a mind that looks at a million components of the project all at the same time (it makes Court CRAZY.) But before I could get all pipe happy, I needed to find a piece of glass so I knew what my measurements for the table base needed to be. Glass table tops are FREAKING expensive FYI. I kept an eye out on Craigslist for one to pop up and at $100 it LITERALLY saved me $1,000. I know. $1,100 was the quote I received on glass. Such a better choice to go used. My glass measures 3’x5’

Now for some important bullet points:

You guys know that I am all about girl power. In fact, most of the building projects at my house are done by me while Court is at work. But. Unless you are like a legit female bodybuilder, you will need someone strong to tighten all of the joints in this table. I tried to put this together while Court was out of town one week and it didn't work so great.
In my mind I thought I would have to have almost all of the pieces custom cut for my table. In reality, I only had to have the long pieces cut. All of the short pieces are precut (which is FANTASTIC for everyone involved.)
While this may seem obvious to everyone else I just need to share. Measurements for the pipe goes from end to end including the threading. So if you are going to come up with your own measurements be aware of that fun fact. And you will also need to factor in the space for the fittings (for example a T fitting adds about 1” to your total measurement because it has to have room to accommodate the pipe that comes out of the bottom.

Now for the fun part.

Knockoff Swig Sugar Cookie Recipe (LITERALLY The Best Cookie Known To Man!!)

noreply@blogger.com (Mandi @ Vintage Revivals) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:37:00 +0000

In my almost 3 years of blogging I have never posted a recipe (mostly because I don't cook and use spatulas for stirring paint.) But I just have to share this recipe with you. I want you to know that now that I am sharing this recipe it was after months of research and about 10 extra lbs. and 15 different recipes. And literally this is the only one that I deem important enough to share. So please relish this moment because its never going to happen again.

There is a little shed in St. George called Swig. If you are ever in town it is a MUST stop. It is located on 1000 East just off of St. George blvd. (Order a cookie and a Dirty Dr. Pepper.) They sell drinks and baked deliciousness. There is always at least an 8 car wait, and everyone gets a sugar cookie. Everyone.

Update: There are now 2 locations! Who knew heaven could be in 2 places at once!!?? The second location just opened up at 287 West St George Blvd.

Swig cookies are my daughters favorite treats/rewards/bribes (and mine). Anyone who tastes a Swig Sugar Cookie will never be the same. They are literally life changing.

Now I am no Gail Simmons, but I am going to try my best to describe these bits of heaven to you. The cookie itself is crunchy and crumbly and buttery (sort of like shortbread) on the rough edges, while the center is soft and chewy. The frosting isn't too sweet and the combo is well, the best cookie ever. The cookies need to be served cold with the frosting at room temperature to get the full Swig experience.

After a super long time of searching and trying out recipe after recipe that was supposed to be THE BEST SUGAR COOKIE EVER I was coming up empty handed. Until this weekend. I found the recipe. You MUST try these cookies, there is no if ands or buts (or butts) about it.

And I have never written a recipe tutorial…so sorry if this is awkward for everyone involved.

Please please do not copy this recipe and post it anywhere else online. If you love it as much as I do, and feel the need to share it with the world please respect my original content and just link to this post. Thanks!! xo

Swig Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

1 C Butter (room temperature)

3/4 C Vegetable Oil

1 1/4 C Sugar

3/4 C Powdered Sugar

2 T Water

2 Eggs

1/2 t Baking Soda

1/2 t Cream of Tarter

1 t Salt

5 1/2 C Flour

Cream together Butter, Vegetable Oil, Sugars, Water, and Eggs.

Blog Obsessions

noreply@blogger.com (Mandi @ Vintage Revivals) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 18:22:00 +0000

Friday is HERE!! I am heading out of town today to speak at the Kanab Women’s Forum and I am SUPER excited about it! If you are in So. UT and have a free day tomorrow I would love to meet you! Ticket info is here.

Remember a few weeks ago when I announced that Creating With The Stars was back? I was super excited to get going, my partner was Jessica from Mad In Crafts. Round one theme was upcycling and Jess came up with an awesome project. She used vertical blinds (you know, those HORRIBLE things!) and turned them into a headboard. I thought it was such a great project and was literally SHOCKED when I saw that she had been eliminated. Am I crazy? Anyways. Jess has some amazing projects over on her blog so pop over and cheer her up a little. Did I mention that I was shocked?

I got an email from my BFF Jilly that said “You will LOVE this blog.” with a link to Brooklyn To West. UM HELLO TALENT. Arielle Alasko is the talented designer behind the blog and I sent her an email just to tell her how fantastic I thought she was. The subject line was something along the lines of “I feel like I want to propose to you.” Too soon? Meh. She is amazing and I literally want to drive across the country just to hang out with her. Is it weird that seeing someone’s designs will make you want to do that?

Do you guys read The Hunted Interior? If not then consider yourself behind. Kristin Jackson is the DIY mind behind this blog, she has got a killer style and I love reading her posts. She is going to be HUGE one day. Mark my words. This girl is the real deal.

I have had to channel my inner foodie the last few days in anticipation of the ONLY recipe that you will ever see here on Vintage Revivals. Cookie photography is something that my friend Bridget has down pat. She is like a frosting ninja and one of my absolute favorite reads, even though I never cook, and only make frosting so I can keep it in my fridge to eat by the spoonful. Check out Bake at 350 and make sure there are no children around, because they will be SO excited by her cute cookies that they will beg you incessantly to make some for them. Thanks Bridg.

So what are some of your favorite blogs? I am always looking for new reads, leave a link in the comments (even if its your own!)