intrigued? check it out!

Front Room

When we moved in, I knew I wanted this room to have a lot of color mixed with some of the vintage items that I have collected here in Virginia. But I didn’t want it to feel old, boring, and out dated. So I added in some modern elements and lots of color!

I created a shelf with the antique box I found for $13 at an antique store by turning it on its side. And the rustic trunk is another thrift store find. {i don’t know what it is, but old chests and trunks have so much charm to them!}

And you can see my ruffled floor lamp that got a makeover there in the corner.

My favorite piece in the entire room, is the picture frame. I turned a clearance oval frame into a conversation piece by stringing pictures of my boys with clothes pins. To keep it from looking cluttered and messy, I used pictures from only one sitting so there is continuity between the pictures.

I made slip covers for 3 of the pillows above. They are all very busy, fun prints, but for some reason, they just work together! I threw them together just for fun, and then loved them together.

Modern Vintage

I placed vintage turquoise and avocado green pyrex on one side of my shelf and modern turquoise vases and lime green flowers on the other.

I covered the lamp shades in one of my fave Ty Pennington prints and layered the table with different textures and materials. The old window was another antique store find. It has a broken pane and so I got it for $3. I finished knocking out the rest of the glass with a hammer. I think it looks cleaner and fresher, but still has the lovely patina and lines of a vintage window.

We got the table at an antique auction in Richmond, although it is not an antique…. but we got a good deal :)

My burlap curtains add great texture to the room. {black and white pics are fabulous to show off a good texture!} I got Ikea curtain rods with little glass balls on the ends. Small details make a huge difference!

I bought the framed skeleton keys years ago and you can’t see it, but between the 2 chairs {from Ikea} is an old wiskey barrel, another antique auction find.

Sitting RoomMy corner shelf plays a huge part in this room and was the inspiration for the color scheme. *please note, it is NOT blue. it is turquoise. Its actually the same color as the turquoise pillow on the chair on the left. For some reason, my camera REFUSES to capture the color correctly. Maybe when I become a better photographer and photo editor, it will show the correct color. For now, it looks blue :(

So this is my front room all done and decorated. Its only the second room in my home to be called “decorated” after the move. {my craft room was the first :} But I am almost done with my dining room too, so hopefully I’ll have another room reveal soon.

happy crafting,

linda

PS the next Handmade Gift Exchange starts on Friday! Be sure to stop by and sign up!

Ok, so what do you think of the lime green in the room? Have you decorated with neon colors?

So remember the NEW Silhouette rolling tote bag I reviewed last week?

Well, Thursday is the last day you can take advantage of the current tote bag promo…. {and if you’re like me, long weekends make for a crazy week afterwards! so don’t let this silhouette discount pass you by!}

Absolutely adore my Silhouette CAMEO rolling wheel tote!

{don’t know what a Silhouette CAMEO is? click here}

Everything I need to use my Silhouette on the go, fits inside this roomy, padded tote bag including my laptop. Its nice to know my CAMEO is protected when I take it on the road.

It has a nice padded pouch for my laptop and room for my cutting mat. And dividers for all my crafting goodies.

Silhouette Discount

Get 1 CAMEO and 1 Silhouette CAMEO rolling tote for $309.99 {save $60!}

OR

If you already have a CAMEO or SD, get the rolling tote by itself for $54.99 {save $15!}

use promo code: CRAFT

CAMEO Giveaway winner

chosen at random is entry

#830 Andrea Rose-Roberson entry for following Craftaholics Anonymous blog.

Congratulations, Andrea!! I’m so excited for you! I have already emailed you, please email me back with your mailing info no later than 6/1/12 to claim your prize. If I do not hear from you in that time frame, a new winner will be chosen.

{please note: you can always find out who won giveaways on Craftaholics Anonymous on my Giveaway Winners page here.}

disclosure: i received a free tote from Silhouette to review. all opinions are 100% mine. please see my disclosure page for a complete statement.

Red, white, and blue and so cute!

Push-up Pops

Aren’t they just perfect for this weekend?

And trust me, these mini jello treats are delicious! And to amp up the patriotic feel, I added a little red and blue washi tape to the push-up pop holder. {did i tell you i love washi tape?}

Push-Up Pop Recipe

{I adapted this recipe from my 4th of July Trifle Jello recipe.}

BLUE LAYER:
3 oz pkg blue jello {blue raspberry or berry blue}
1 cup boiling water
1 cup cold water

WHITE LAYER:
1/2 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup (8oz) sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

RED LAYER:
3 oz pkg of red jello {strawberry or raspberry flavor}
1 cup boiling water
1 cup cold water
cool whip and blueberries to garnish

In a medium bowl, dissolve blue  jello in 1 cup boiling water. Stir in 1 cup cold water. Carefully spoon 2 Tablespoons of the liquid jello into each push-up pop container. Refrigerate for 1-1.5 hours or until firm.

In a sauce pan, sprinkle unflavored gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water; let stand for 1 minute. Add the milk and sugar; heat over medium heat stirring until gelatin and sugar are dissolved. Let mixture cool for about 5-10 minutes. Whisk in sour cream and vanilla. Spoon 2 Tablespoons of the white gelatin mixture into each push-up pop over the blue jello. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.

In a medium bowl, dissolve red jello in 1 cup of boiling water; stir in 1 cup of cold water. Spoon red jello over the white layer. Chill until set, about 1-1.5 hours. Fill the remaining space in the push-up pops with cool whip and garnish with blueberries.

Makes 16 push-up pops.

These pretty little desserts are perfect for Memorial Day or 4th of July barbeques and parties! Everyone will love how festive and easy to eat they are.

happy crafting,

linda

 What yummy foods are you making for Memorial Day weekend?

Have you seen the *new* CAMEO tote bags? They are amazing! seriously. I will admit, I was dying to get my hands on one. {as seen on instagram} This bag is very well thought out and easy to use.  And so stylin!

CAMEO Tote Bag

It is padded and spacious on the inside. Oh, and it has wheels and a handle, perfect for on the go crafting! If you ever plan to take your CAMEO anywhere, you really should consider getting a CAMEO tote to protect it.  It carries everything all safe and sound in an easy to transport tote.

the CAMEO fits snuggly in the bottom and there’s enough room so that you can leave the cords attached.

{maybe i’m not the only lazy one that doesn’t like to take them off when I take it places. ha!}

There’s plenty of room to stash your Silhouette goodies in the top.

Yep, that’s my laptop in there too! Umm, brilliant. And I put my 12×12 cutting mat in the space next to the laptop pouch. Everything I need to use my Silhouette while on the go, in one, easy to use bag. Love it!

Told ya they thought of everything!

Silhouette CAMEO Tote Bag Promotion

Get 1 CAMEO and 1 Silhouette CAMEO rolling tote for $309.99! {$60 savings}

OR

Already have a CAMEO, get the rolling tote by itself for $54.99! {$15 savings}

Silhouette CAMEO Giveaway

AND one lucky reader is going to win a CAMEO and CAMEO Tote! Use the widget below to enter the giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

disclosure: i received free product from Silhouette. please see my disclosure page for a complete statement.

I’ve been trying to do a couple of the recipes and cleaning tricks that I’ve seen on there, but here’s one I recently did that I really liked.

Flower Pots

I needed to plant my red gerber daisies into some cute new pots, but….

the eco-friendly pots I bought had HUGE holes in the bottom. I immediately thought of this pin from This Old House that used coffee filters in the bottom of their pots.

Coffee Filter Trick

So I put a coffee filter in the bottom of my new flower pots…

filled with dirt and planted my gerber daisies as normal.

And because any time dirt is involved, I had a very curious and captivated audience….

the boys just go nuts over dirt and bugs! And they were oh-so-helpful when it came to watering the flowers. I am happy to report that the coffee filter did a great job holding in all the dirt and none fell out the large holes, even after watering. {phew} So that Pinterest trick is tried and proven to work.

Do you put anything in the bottom of your flower pots? If so, what do you use?

Lamp Makeover

Isn’t it cute? Well, check out the before pic.

It was a generic floor lamp with a blah lamp shade. After a little spray paint and luscious green ruffles, this adorable lamp has some serious character! I really like the base in black. I think it shows off the twist better. {plus it ties in nicely with another piece in the room being black and all twisty….can i create more suspense for you? haha i’m really excited about this room!}

DIY Lampshade

Adding ruffles to the lampshade was a breeze thanks to my favorite ruffler foot {love that thing! i use it all the time}

Supplies: fabric {I used 1 yard of 104″ wide fabric}, hot glue gun, ruffler foot {optional, but recommended}, iron or bias tape maker, scissors or rotary cutter.

1. Cut your fabric into 4 inch strips by the width of your fabric and 1 strip to 2″ wide. I used only 8 strips, because my fabric was 108″ wide. If your fabric is narrower, you’ll need more yardage and more strips.
2. Fold each strip in half {i did not iron because i didn’t want a crease at the bottom of the ruffles.} and sew with your ruffler foot.
3. I set my ruffler on the 6 stitches to 1 ruffle setting represented with a “6″.
4. Starting at the bottom of the lamp shade, hot glue the ruffles on. When one ruffle strip runs out, fold over the edge of the next strip and continue gluing on the ruffles until you reach the top of the shade.
5. Using an iron or a bias tape maker {another fun crafting gadget i like to play with} and fold over the 2 long sides to meet in the middle so that the strip is 1″ wide.
6. Hot glue the 2″ strip {or bias tape} around the top to conceal the raw edges of the ruffles. When you get around the shade, fold over the end and glue in place.

I love it!

happy crafting, linda

Have you given a lamp shade a makeover? What did you use to give your lampshade a new look?

But I did get some simple burlap panels sewn for the room.

Burlap Curtains

Just simple burlap panels.

Nothing crazy or difficult. I have a lot going on on the other side of the room, {are you dying of curiosity yet?} so I didn’t want busy curtains. {ok, i’ll spill a little….my door shelf is in the other corner}

I am doing sort of a vintage meets modern kind of room. It has bright colors, bold patterns {obviously not pictured above} fun textures, and some of my fave vintage goodies. Still working on a few things in the room…..

Like I’m hating the sticks in the corner. And thinking the rug has to go. What do you think?

DIY Burlap Curtains

It was so easy to make the burlap panels!

1. I got a roll of burlap from Burlap Fabric in the width I needed for the panels, 54″ wide. That way the sides were already finished and I didn’t have to bother sewing them.
2. I measured the length I needed and 3″ on each end to allow for hemming. 
3. Used this trick for cutting burlap straight. {cut across where the burlap string was removed}
4. Folded over 3″ at the top and bottom and pressed flat with a hot iron.
5. Sew the hem on both ends twice to reinforce it and you’re done!

So that’s how I sewed my easy burlap panels. I put the panels on clips so that the burlap didn’t bunch up on the rod. I think they hang nicely this way.

Are you excited to see my Sitting Room all decorated? Me too! Now I need to go finish decorating it!

happy crafting,

Linda

disclosure: i received free product from BurlapFabric.com. all opinions are 100% mine.

Camellia Flowers

I fell in love with Camellias shortly after moving to Carrollton and planted several of them. This is my favorite one. The pink star shape and layers of petals is just gorgeous!

and check out the side view…

yup, pink ombre. Love it!! {who knew it could be such a trendy flower, haha}

Two of these snowy white camellia bushes replaced the shrubs by our front door that Hurricane Irene took out last fall. The blooms are huge. As in the size of softballs.

Eastern Bluebird Eggs

We were lucky enough to have an Eastern Bluebird make a nest in one of my hanging flower pots on the front porch. Her eggs were hands down the most beautiful eggs I’ve ever seen!

{at first i thought they were Robin’s eggs when i posted about the nest on Instagram, but after doing a google search, we found out they were actually Eastern Bluebird eggs}

The flower pot is about waist level and accessible to my 3.5 year old. And he found the first egg and came running over to me….with it in his hands. I kid you not. I was shocked to have him running full speed at me with a pretty little turquoise egg in his hands. {If I had known there was an egg in the nest, I would have made sure he did not go near it! But with Easter only a few weeks prior to this, he thought it was an egg hunt or something lol} We carefully put the egg back in the nest and prayed Momma Bluebird wouldn’t abandon the egg.

But luckily, she did not. She returned and laid 3 more eggs.

Each day, the boys and I watched the nest and the momma bird come and go. It was so fun having such a cute house guest!

But these eggs weren’t so lucky after all….

A few days after the 4th egg was laid, they all disappeared. We’re pretty sure a snake ate them. I was heartbroken as was my oldest.  {ok, so he thinks the birds inside the eggs, flew away….hey, he’s only 3!}

So unfortunately,  that’s the end of our bluebird nest story. No happy baby birds churping for their momma to feed them worms. darn it. But it was still a fun adventure while it lasted. Maybe next year she’ll come back and choose a better place for her nest.

Be sure to check out my front door makeover or enter the Upcycled Wood Tile Giveaway.

What are your favorite signs of spring around your home?

Oh, and Made in the USA. {love that!!}

Wood Tile

You can put these lovely wall tiles anywhere from the bathroom to the kitchen to the ceiling or make modern wall art with it.

They offer several different shapes and sizes of tiles and even come in panels.

E&S tiles add character and beauty to any room and can be installed by any homeowner. You can watch their short video on how to install the tiles.

Love the wood tile ceiling. Adds so much texture and warmth to the room.

 Wood grain is so pretty to look at.

I love how they mixed the 2 different sizes of tiles. Oh and that tub totally rocks!

Here is an up-close of the barnwood tiles. The natural weathered beauty of barnwood is preserved.

You can order directly from Everitt & Schilling or check out their list of dealers. Be sure to like E&S Tile on Facebook!

Giveaway

Everitt & Schilling is giving away a $200 store credit {or 10 square feet of wood tiles}

Please use the widget below to enter the giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

disclosure: i did not receive any compensation or free product for this post. i think this is a great product and thought you would like it as much as i do. all opinions are 100% mine. please see my disclosure page for a complete statement.

Front Door

So much more welcoming! I love it.

Davis gave me that pretty pot of flowers for Mother’s Day. They’ll last a lot longer than cut flowers, for sure!

Welcome welcome!

The final touch was adding a vinyl “welcome” yesterday with the help of my Silhouette CAMEO.

And here is the before picture from the old listing:

Isn’t the color awful??

*We’ve changed the shutters and some of the landscaping as well {that’s a post for another day! still doing some landscaping}.

My Front Entrance

So much better! Crisper, cleaner, and a lot prettier.

happy crafting,

linda