California Dreaming

Make Up Brush Display

2012-06-09T18:28:00.000-07:00

Hello!

I am currently working on a project that is taking a little time so in the meantime I thought I would share with you the way I store/display my make up brushes. This is not my original idea, I actually found it on You Tube and it was originally inspired by Sephora. It is very easy to copy and inexpensive too!

All you need is 1 or 2 small glass vases and a bag of decorative beads. I actually threw in a small bag of acrylic beads to add some fullness to the second vase. You can find your supplies at Walmart or any craft store and it will cost under $10 for 1 vase and 1 bag of beads. I love having access to my brushes without them sitting out on a counter or stuffed in a drawer. You can get more creative with different color beads or vases.

Thanks for stopping by!

Amy

I am linking up with:

Personalized Greeting Cards

2012-06-02T15:36:00.000-07:00

Hello!

I have a fun project to share. I just received this new scrapbooking software from Liz at My Memories and have been experimenting with it ever since. I also went to MyMemories.com and download some free backgrounds and embellishments. You should definitely go check them out. In my last post I mentioned invitations that could be done with the software. Here are some examples.

Isn't that cute? If you want to download the embellishments I used on this page go to Mymemories.com. It's called "wishes and dreams sampler".

I thought this would be cute as a "save the date" or even an engagement announcement. Of course you would include a picture of the couple in the middle. Isn't the paper gorgeous?

If you like this particular paper you can download it at mymemories.com it's called "what goes on".

If you are interested in winning the My Memories Suite V3 software, check out my my last post where I am hosting a giveaway.

If you don't want to wait to win this software it is available for a great price just go to My Memories.com and if you use my promo code STMMMS42508 you can buy it for $29.97, and they will give you a $10 gift certificate to spend in their store. You can download the software immediately and get started on your scrapbook!

Thanks for stopping by!

Amy

Copy and paste this code: STMMMS42508

My Memories Suite Giveaway

2012-05-27T18:20:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

I am sooo excited to be offering my very first giveaway! Liz over at My Memories gave me this awesome digital scrapbooking software to try out and one to give away to YOU! How exciting right? I have to say I am not really a scrapbooker, as much as I love all the cool paper, and embellishments I am a bit of a neat freak living in a small house and I don't have a place to store all that stuff. That is why I jumped at the chance to try this software. It is pretty user friendly. My 13 year-old even did a page. Here are a couple of things I did just playing around with the software, and believe me this is just the tip of the iceberg with this My Memories Suite software.

Here is the one my youngest daughter made. I think she did a better job than I did!

These are custom made pages but there are tons of pre-designed layouts and templates.

Here is a pre-made layout that I used and added background and embellishments.

I am going to play with the software a little more because I have been wanting to give out calenders for Christmas for years, and this will be perfect for that. You can print these at home, send them to a printer turning them into a bounded book or make them into a DVD that you can send to family. I have done the DVD thing before with a different software that was not as user friendly. The DVD's are also great for playing at family reunions, weddings, graduations, etc. and they allow you to add music, video and narration.

UPDATE:

I just made a 2013 calender. I think I will use this on my desk at work next year. Check it out.

I also made a Christmas card.

I started thinking of all the possibilities for making greeting cards. You could make cute personalized thank you cards with pictures of the birthday girl/boy, or thank you cards with a wedding picture or graduation picture. You could even do an engagement announcement with a picture of the happy couple or a save the date card. Or you could do a "we've moved" postcard with a picture of the new house. How about a birthday or any kind of party invitation with a corresponding picture? The possibilities are endless here people! There is something in here for everyone even if you are not a scrapbooker.

Here is a little tutorial that shows you how to do some basics.

So are you ready for a chance to win this great scrapbooking software? Well I am going to give you 5 chances to win!

1. Visit www.MyMemories.com and leave me a comment telling me which is your favorite digital pack or layout.
2. Visit and follow the My Memories Blog, they have freebies, tutorials and workshops there that you will love. Leave me a comment and let me know you are a follower of the My Memories Blog.
3. Become a fan of My Memories Facebook page. Leave a comment and let me know you did.
4. Follow My Memories on Twitter, for great tips and more freebies. Leave a comment telling me you did so for another chance to win.
5. Follow this blog, and leave a comment letting me know you did.

If you don't want to wait to win this software it is available for a great price just go to My Memories.com and if you use my promo code STMMMS42508 you can buy it for $29.97, and they will give you a $10 gift certificate to spend in their store. You can download the software immediately and get started on your scrapbook!

Thanks so much for entering and good luck to you all!
Amy

Copy and paste this code: STMMMS42508

DIY Chandelier

2012-05-13T18:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Mothers Day Everyone!

I have been working on this a little at a time, and am so happy to have it finished. I re-did this chandelier for my daughter's room, but I don't have overhead electrical wiring in any of the bedrooms so I am not able to hang this chandelier yet. I wanted to share it anyway so I am going to show you the after first.

I think it will look great all lit up in her bedroom. She has a Paris theme going on with pink, cream and black. Ready for the before?

I bought this for $25 at the Re-Store, which is a place where people donate household items to benefit Habitat for Humanity.

I removed the outer glass piece, spray painted it Navajo white after spraying it with primer. I then drilled holes to attach acrylic bead garland to the chandelier. I used 2 packs from Michael's. Each pack is $12.99 but with a 40% off coupon they were $8.35 each. Total cost for this re-do was about $42. I already had the spray paint and primer so I did not include that in my total. Here is the after again.

I can't wait to see it up in her room. I will reveal her room when I can get the electrical work done.

Thanks for stopping by!

Amy

I am linking up to:Not So Simple Housewife Remodelaholic

DIY Laundry Sign

2012-05-07T20:24:00.001-07:00

Hello!

I have a quick project to share. I have seen so many great handmade signs and I wanted a sign above my laundry area that said "laundry", or something about laundry. So one day while out shopping yard sales I came across a piece of wood that was the perfect size for my sign. The best part is it was free! I think it was just pine but it was left out in the weather so it was that weird gray color that wood gets when it is left out. I stained it with walnut stain and penciled in my writing and then hand painted the letters. You can tell because they are not perfect. I'm okay with it though. Here it is.

The white letters were too white so I brushed on another coat of walnut stain and then let it dry. I then sanded it a bit and added a coat of wax. I really enjoyed making this sign! I have another one in mind that I hope to share soon.

Thanks for stopping by!

Amy

I'm linking up to:

Living Room Update Part 2

2012-05-04T13:12:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday Everyone!

I have made couple of changes to our living room and I love the way it is coming along. I saw similar bookshelves on Pinterest and I knew that was exactly what I wanted for our living room. I will start with the after. Take a look!

Here are a couple of before pictures. I'm going all the way back here.

First up before we moved in. These are the listing pictures.

The wall that the T.V. is on had double doors going into the first bedroom and was used as a den. We put a wall up before we moved in.

This is what it looked like when we first moved in.

This was before the coffee table makeover, and the new T.V./dresser makeover, and before the front door facelift.

And the afters one more time.

I painted that hallway door a really pretty white and spray painted the door knob oil rubbed bronze. I actually painted every door in the house in the same trim. I also changed the light switch in the picture below, and added this microfiber rug under the front door.

Did you see the mounted T. V.? And most exciting are the hidden cords! Thanks to my sweetie pie boyfriend. By the way if you want to do this Alison at House of Hepworth's has a great tutorial on how to mount your t.v. and hide the cords.

Here is a link to my living room progress part 1. which shows the rest of the living room before and afters.

I still need to paint the walls and decide what I want to put over the small couch. Gallery wall, antique picture frames, a huge mirror, or artwork. Hmm, any suggestions? This room will be done after that.

Thanks for stopping by!

Amy

I am linking up with:Remodelaholics

Cabled Baby Beanie

2012-04-27T12:47:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

I have been working on a few odds and ends around the house, but none that I am ready to show you...yet.

In the meantime I thought I would post yet another knit project. I love knitted cables and being a new knitter I wanted a chance to practice it. I found a free pattern at Sweater Babe. She even gives a pattern for a doll beanie to match. I haven't been able to do that one yet, but I hope to. This beanie is for yet another friend that just had a baby girl. Two different co-workers in case you are keeping track of my knitting. I also have some requests for boy beanies so stay tuned for those. Anyway here is the finished beanie.

I am really happy with how it turned out. I am not crazy about the edge, but apparently I can change my cast on method to fix that. This yarn is by Caron and it is called Neopolitan.

I hope to do a cabled baby blanket soon as well. Debbie Bliss has a nice pattern in one of her books.

Thanks for stopping by!

Amy

I'm linking to: Remodelaholics

Knitted Baby Sweater

2012-04-01T19:39:00.002-07:00

Hello Everyone! I have another knit project to share with you. I am a new knitter and I tend to get a little obsessed with something when I am learning about it. Plus I have another friend that is having a baby girl. I decided to finish the neopolitan yarn I used for my other baby projects, since this friend is also using pink and brown. I wanted to try my hand at something a little more difficult so I used a pattern from Debbie Bliss. She has several great books with beautiful designs and she has her own yarn too. I found this pattern on Ravelry for free if you would like to knit this Ribbed Baby Jacket. And you can find more great patterns in her book called Special Knits.

Here is my inspiration picture.

And here is my version.

I don't have a cute little baby to model it for me, but I think it came out pretty good. I hope she likes it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Amy

Linking up to:

Wonderful Blogger Tag

2012-03-19T20:59:00.001-07:00

I am so excited! I have been tagged a Wonderful Blogger by Kayla at Kayla's Creations. Thanks Kayla!

Here are the rules.

Post a photo and 11 random things about yourself.
Answer the questions that the person who tagged you asks.
Create 11 new questions for the people you tag.
Tag 11 blogs and link them to your post.
Contact them and let them know they have been tagged.

Here are my 11 random things.

1. I have been driving the same car for 13 years.

2. I am a girly girl, I love make up and girl stuff, I have since I was a little girl.

3. My favorite color is purple and any shade of purple from lilac to plum.

4. I love to learn new things, and when I get interested about something I want to know everything about it as in borderline obsessed for several months.

5. I am tall, almost 5'9.

6. I love to sing, but I don't sing well. :) Unfortunately for those around me, that doesn't stop me.

7. If I could do anything, I would be an interior decorator, I love making things beautiful!

8. I love to watch movies.

9. I am not a perfectionist, I am more interested in getting something done that getting slowed down by worrying if it is perfect. Not sure if that is good or bad.....

10. I am usually willing to try new foods/drinks at least once.

11. I am an avid reader. Well when I have the time, but I love, love, love books. I will read almost anything, especially if someone recommends it.

My 11 Questions to Answer:

1. If you could have 1 wish granted what would it be?

That bad people didn't exist.

2. Are you a coffee drinker?

Yes! I can't even drive to work without it.

3. What is your favorite song?

That is impossible for me to pick one. The first one that popped in my head is Stevie Wonder's "I Wish".

4. Do you have any pets? (if so how many and what are they)

Yes, 1 Kitty Cat named Riley, she is 17 years old!

5. What is your favorite room in your home?

My bedroom.

6. What is your favorite movie?

Hmm, another hard one. I can't say I have a favorite, but chick flicks are always good.

7. What do you like to do to relax?

Read, crochet, knit, watch t.v.

8. What is your favorite Season?

Summer, the sun energizes me.

9 Do you have a favorite holiday, if so what is it?

Thanksgiving, it always makes think about how lucky I am.

10. What would you eat everyday if you could?

Pizza. I never get tired of it. If we are talking desserts, I never met a cookie I didn't like.

11. Do you enjoy cooking?

Sometimes I do. I enjoy trying new recipes, that keeps it interesting, but sometimes there are other things I would rather do.

11 Bloggers I am tagging.

Emily at Bargainbound

Elizabeth at Home is where the heart is

Joann at Life at 2810

Lisha at One House One Couple

Connie at Measured by the Heart

Decorating with Cents

Samaa at Honey Sweet Home

Maria Elena at Our Home Away From Home

Terry at These Peas Taste Funny

Bj at Joy 2 Journey

Marilyn at 4 You with Love

11 Questions I am asking:

1. Which do you enjoy more cooking or baking?

2. What is the project you are most proud of, give us a link we would love to see it!

3. Do you quote funny lines from movies? If yes tell us which lines you use.

4. What is your favorite flower?

5. What is your favorite t.v. show?

6. If you could travel to anywhere in the world where would it be?

7. What would you say your decorating style is?

8. If you won the lottery would you still DIY your home improvement projects or just buy whatever you want?

9. What do you do to relax?

10. If someone was making a movie about your life which actress would you want to play you?

11. What is your favorite online place to shop?

Thanks to all of you playing along with me!

Amy

Burlap Wreath

2012-03-17T19:10:00.004-07:00

Hello!

I finally have a home project to share! This is something that I have had pinned for a while now. There are a couple of variations I had in mind and found two great tutorial's for both. The tutorial I used is done by Janet at Today's Fabulous Finds. Here is mine.

Pin It

I stenciled my burlap before I cut my squares. The bow at the top is done the same as the rest just with 5x5 squares instead of 4x4, and I glue the tails of the bow on before I pinned in the larger bubble squares. Here it is from a distance.

I love the addition to my front door.

The second version which I tried to duplicate and failed was done by Amanda at My Heart's Desire. I bought my burlap at home depot, 50 x50 for $5.00, but I think it is more stiff than the burlap that is at a fabric store. My burlap didn't want to fold softly like Amanda's. Anyway I love both versions.

Thanks for stopping by.

Amy

I'm Linking up to:

Cable Knit Coffee Cozy

2012-03-16T17:32:00.001-07:00

Happy Friday Everyone! This week went by fast! It was just as busy as last week. I work in a doctors office and everyone is getting sick! The last 3 weeks have been non-stop! Still no home projects to share but I am still working on knitting and crocheting. I am obsessed with it lately, each time I finish I start looking for a new pattern I want to try. I had some left over yarn from my last baby project, so I decided to find something small to work on that include a cable. I have never done a cable knit so I was excited to learn. I used a pattern from Kate's blog over at Centsational Girl. I love her blog and even though she is not a knitter she posted her friends pattern for this coffee cozy.

Here is mine.

Pin It

I love this neopolitan yarn! I can't wait until I am skilled enough to do a cable knit blanket. That's all I have for today!
Thanks for stopping by!

Amy

I am linking up to:

Star Stitch Baby Hat

2012-03-16T17:32:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

I hope you aren't getting tired of my crocheting and knitting, but I have another addition to my baby gift to my co-worker. Last post I showed you the Crochet Diaper Cover and I couldn't stop there so I made a matching hat using this new stitch I learned. It's called the Star Stitch and it's really pretty. If you search You Tube you will find instructions on how to do it. I could not find a free pattern for a Star Stitch Baby Beanie so I had to wing it on this one. I am pleased with the result.

What do you think?

Pin It

Aww! Who can resist pom poms?

Thanks for stopping by!

Amy

I'm linking up to:

Crochet Diaper Cover

2012-03-09T18:20:00.000-08:00

Hello!

Boy am I glad it's Friday! It's been a busy week at work and I am ready for the weekend. I am sorry about my lack of home projects lately. I have been dealing with back pain since we moved in September and recently it's gotten to the point where I can't take it anymore! I get to start physical therapy on Monday so I hope that will help. I have been trying to rest and stretch and massage and just about everything I can think of, so the home projects have been on the back burner. I have been crocheting though. The great thing about crocheting you can do it while resting.

I have a co-worker that is having a baby girl in April and the colors in her nursery are pink and brown. I love those colors together. I knew immediately which yarn I wanted to use. It's by Loops & Threads and it's called Neopolitan. I found this on Pinterest and knew it would be perfect.

Pin It

Isn't it so cute? It took no time at all to make. Casey at The Braden's was nice enough to post this pattern for free. She has a lot of great knit and crochet projects there. Head over there for this pattern, the link above goes directly to the pattern. I might head back over and add a matching beanie to this set.

I wanted to give her a matching blanket so I crocheted one of my favorite baby blanket patterns. It's called Pink Petals Baby Afghan and I have crocheted it before in all pink. You can that one here Pink Petals Baby Afghan. I loved the pattern so much I wanted to use it again.

Here it is.

I did a shell stitch along the top.

The bottom I left as is.

The pattern is basically one row of double crochet and then the next row V-stitch.

For the actual pattern you can go to All Free Crochet.

Thanks for stopping by!

Amy

I'm linking up to:

KONY 2012

2012-03-08T21:04:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!

This is not my usual home improvement or crochet project. It is very important though so I wanted to share it with all of you. Today I learned about something terrible that is happening to children in Africa. As a mother it breaks my heart to see any child hurt. I have never been one to feel that I can make a difference, and as one person none of us can. After watching this video I am determined to try. Please take a minute to watch this and share it.

Here is a link to the website where you can learn more KONY2012
This is where you can go to pledge your support, donate as little as $10 or more of course, and do what we can to stop this monster from torturing children. If you do nothing else please at least pass this video on to as many people as you can, share it on Facebook or blog about it.

Thanks so much for watching!
Amy

My Bedroom Before Pictures

2012-02-24T18:35:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to share some pictures of my bedroom. This room has been the least worked on so far, and it looks very plain, but it still looks better than it started. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures when we first moved in. The room was a mint green with grey carpet. It wasn't terrible just not pretty.

Entrance to my bedroom.

Close up of my desk, I plan to paint this. Also a close up of the grey carpet and tiny baseboards.

After of the carpet and baseboards. Ahh, much better!

A big thanks to my dad for installing the carpet and baseboards. The color on the walls is Indulgent Mocha by Behr. I love this color its a great neutral taupe color. My boyfriend painted this room within the first week of moving in. I am sooo grateful for his help with all the painting, every room in the house was painted except for the kitchen and I couldn't have done it without him.

Sorry this picture is kinda dark, but this is the rest of the wall that you see when you walk into the room.

The dresser will also be painted, and a flat screen t.v. will be added eventually.

Here is the wall directly in front of that window. I plan to put something over the bed of course, but I have not decided yet. I am leaning toward a wall mural of a tree. If you check out my Pinterest board for "My Home", you will see what I mean. I am still trying to work up the nerve to go for it.

This bedding is going to be changed also, I just recently found out my boyfriend doesn't like it, actually he hates it! I was surprised to hear this because I have had this bedding as long as I have known him. Five plus years! I want to add grey to the room so it may end up in the bedding. You can see my bathroom right behind the wall that the bed is against. It's a small master bathroom so there is not much to see there. I am grateful to finally have my own bathroom though so I am happy no matter the size.

My favorite thing in this room is the night stand. I have had this night stand for almost 20 years! I bought it in a thrift store and first used it as a t.v. stand and then I used it as a table next to the front door with a mirror over it and eventually as a night stand. It is really heavy wood and in pretty good condition for as old as it is. Another favorite of mine is the headboard. I love the oil rubbed bronze color and the old fashioned style.

And this is from the other side of the room. I like how Riley casually strolls into the room like she isn't trying to be in the picture.Mmhmm, I know better. Oh, so one of the things I like the least in the room are the closet doors. I am thinking about covering them in beadboard wallpaper, very similar to the Kristine's closet doors at The Painted Hive.

So that is it, a tour of my bedroom. I have a lot of work to do! I will share my projects along the way.

Thanks for visiting my blog! Have a great weekend!

Amy

Upholstery Project Part 1

2012-02-23T20:45:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone! I know I have been MIA lately, but I have slowed down on the home projects since I am getting to the point that I feel like it is home and now am trying to prioritize according to what I can afford etc. I am starting to work on my bedroom and just finished getting carpet and new baseboard installed. I will share that in another post soon, but for tonight I wanted to show you my first upcoming upholstery project. This was given to my by one of my oldest and dearest friends and she immediately knew it would great for my ~~cat~~ my first born "baby". Thanks Delilah!

Isn't it so cute?

Here is Riley on her couch. Doesn't she look like a little princess?

I am not completely sure how I will accomplish this project, but I have an idea of what I would like to do.

Stay tuned for part 2!

Thanks for stopping by!

Amy

Linky Follower Party Blog Hop

2012-02-10T12:08:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!

I am sure you have all heard that Google Friends Connect is being discontinued on February 29th. Fortunately there is a great alternative, Linky Followers. I just signed up and added it to my blog, if you are following through Google Friend Connect please follow through Linky Followers so that when Google Friend Connect ends you won't have to try to track me down. Also a quick note about my blog name and blog address. The name is California Dreaming, but when I tried to get it as a blogspot it was already taken, so I went with California Home Dreaming. I need to add it into my title but I prefer California Dreaming so I haven't figured out how to incorporate the "home" into my blog name without it really being the name. Am I making any sense here?

A little back ground about why I chose California Dreaming as my blog name. The first reason is obvious, because I am located in California and I wanted that to be obvious when reading my blog. I read so many blogs and sometimes while reading I think I wonder what state she is in. Then I go reading their profile to find out. My second reason is because I have always dreamed of buying a home and of course I wanted it to be here in California since that is where I grew up. Not saying it is the best place on earth, but I like it because it's where I am from, as I am sure most of you feel the same about where you live. The dreaming is also very important because as a single mom of 2 I have been dreaming of buying a home for me and my daughters since 2006. I know when because I read a book by David Bach, actually several books, titled The Automatic Millionaire Homeowner, Start Late Finish Rich, and Smart Women Finish Rich. After reading that first book I decided to work to pay off my debt, improve my credit score, and save more money. By 2009 I was ready to start looking and even though I had great credit and some money saved I did not make enough money to get a loan. The prices here in California are outrageous so I searched for the lowest priced house that was not a complete mess and that took 2 years! I finally bought my little house in September of 2011 which was literally a dream come true for our family. So the name California ~~home~~ Dreaming.
That long story was basically to help you find me if you are trying to google my blog name. But there is a much easier way to find me and that is to follow me through Linky Followers. I have added a button on my sidebar right under Google Friend Connect.

Ok, so on to the real reason for this post This is a Linky Followers Blog Hop, you can check out all these great blogs and follow as many as you want. If you have a blog be sure to link up.

RULES:

1. you MUST have the LINKY FOLLOWERS tool on your site to participate.

{You can have both the LINKY FOLLOWERS & GFC on your site but you must have the LINKY FOLLOWERS to participate in this party hop.}

2. You MUST follow the person who has the party on their site as a thank you.

3.Just add your blog button to the LINKY PARTY below.

4.Then grab the BLOG HOP code

You will find the code right under the Linky Party where it says CLICK HERE TO ENTER–
just under that it says: WHAT IS A BLOG HOP? GET THE CODE HERE
Click on GET THE CODE HERE and enter it into a post on your site.
You can grab the party button code in the FOOTER at Its So Very Cheri
You can grab info from my post if it helps you with your post.

5. Then you follow other bloggers–(as many as you want)
–leave each one of the blogs that you follow a comment letting them know you are following them and ask them to follow you back.

If you want to add the BLOG HOP to your own site you will get lots of new followers–(see rule #2)

Thanks Cheri for hosting this blog hop and allowing us to join in!

Knitted Wristers

2012-02-05T21:36:00.000-08:00

Hello!

I finally finished my first knitted project! Whew I can't say it was easy, but I think I finally have the hang of it. I did what is called the stockinette stitch to make some wristers for my oldest daughter. We saw these during Christmas at Forever 21 and I said the usual thing I say when I see something that doesn't look all that hard to make. "I could make these". Except at the time I didn't know how to knit so I figured I could crochet them. I looked everywhere for a crochet pattern but the ones I saw were not what I had in mind. So I learned how to knit. A coworker showed me the knit stitch and I turned to youtube for the purl stitch. Then I found a pattern at Michaels for these.

Lion Brand Vanna's Choice Easy Wristers

The picture shows 3 different lengths that can be made. I did the mid length in gray. Here is how they turned out.

These only require one 3 oz skein and I used Vanna's Choice Silver Heather. The pattern said to use size 9 knitting needles. I did one whole arm with size 9 needles and it was too small. I never check my gauge like I am supposed to and I paid for it. I had to pull it all out and start over. I ended up using size 10.5 knitting needles.

Pin It

Aren't they cute? My daughter likes them and I am making another pair for her in Vanna's Choice "Dusty Purple". These are a great beginner project and I felt pretty comfortable with the pattern from the beginning even though I messed it up a couple of times, I learned where I went wrong each time. Oh and I learned that apparently I knit the Continental way instead of the American way. I hold my working yarn in my left hand and use my right hand needle to grab and twist the yarn. I thought I was knitting like a crocheter but it turns out this is an accepted way of knitting just different than is taught here in America. You can find videos on You Tube if you think you are interested in trying to knit. I found the Continental way a lot easier and more comfortable. I found a great blog that has short instructional videos to teach you how to knit. If you are interested go to Knitting Tips.

UPDATE 02/22/2012

I finished the second set and wanted to share them.

Thanks for stopping by!

Amy

I'm Linking up to:

Mrs. Hines Class

Remodelaholics

Just Winging It

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Front Door Face Lift

2012-01-29T18:05:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!

I hope you all had a great weekend. I finally started and finished my front door face lift. It was old and beat up and it desperately needed a fresh coat of paint and some updating. My boyfriend did some painting on the fence a few weeks ago and I took the opportunity to snap some before pictures while we were out there cleaning the yard. Here is the finished result.

It may not look like much but to me it is a big difference. Here are some before pictures.

See? Ugly screen door, old doorbell, and the fence looks awful...

Here is a close up of the door before.

The color I chose is slightly darker and more in the brown family than off white. Can you see how beat up the side of the door looks?

Here is the inside of the door.

I had to remove that doorbell, it was really bugging me especially because it looked all yellow from age, but then I was left with a nice big hole.

So I painted the inside of the door also. It's a creamy white called Innocent by Behr and I am going to paint the base boards and the rest of the trim in the house with it. I bought a door knocker that covered the hole on the outside but I had to get creative with covering the hole on the inside. This is my temporary solution.

I bought a new lock for the bottom and spray painted my silver deadbolt.

My girls aren't fans of the thing on the inside of the door, but like I said until I can come up with something else it is staying. I don't think it is sooo bad.

Here is the outside again.

Eventually I will buy a new screen door so that we can leave the door open during the summer.

This project took me all day! I used two coats of primer and two coats of paint on the outside and one coat of primer and paint on the inside. It was worth it though I am happy with the result.

Amy

I'm linking up with:

Type A

Lampshade Stencil

2012-01-28T13:09:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone!

I am not painting my front door like I wanted to. It's really windy today! I don't feel like worrying about dust flying into my wet paint and I was hoping to paint it on the hinges. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day for painting.

In the meantime I finished a quick little project. I have been looking at this lampshade for so long and realizing it was so blah. It needed a little something. I found a stencil that I really like and went with that. Here is how it turned it out.

Here is the before:

Much better don't you think?

Amy

Linking to:

Type A Decorating

Mrs. Hines

Pinterest Blog Hop

2012-01-27T13:05:00.000-08:00

Hi Everybody! I was just over at Beverly's blog

I am so excited! She is hosting a Pinterest Blog Hop. I posted my board "for the home". It has all of the ideas I want to use in my house. I was looking for a way to share my ideas until I can make them happen and here it is. You should go check it out! I am the 988th link on the list if you want to see my board. I can't wait to go back and look around at all the links and see what everybody else is finding and pinning on Pinterest.

Here is the link if you want to join the party.

If you would like to follow me on pinterest there is a button on my sidebar that will get you there. I am half finished with my knitting project so hopefully I can post that this weekend. I will also be trying to finish a couple of home projects, so check back in when you can.

Thanks for stopping by!

Amy

Living Room Before and After

2012-01-25T13:11:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone, Sorry for the long absence. We went out of town to visit my best friend and her family this past weekend so I was not able to post anything. I have also been busy learning how to knit and am working on a project for oldest daughter, so that project will be posted soon (hopefully). I pulled it apart and started over several times. I am a crocheter so am having a hard time switching my hands and brain to use knitting needles instead of a crochet hook, but I think I finally have it down.

Anyway I thought I would share some before and after pictures of my living room. Some of these have been shown in previous posts, but not all at once. So here we go a tour of the before and afters of my living room. It's not done at all, but it is a work in progress.

First up the wall near the door.

This is how it looked before we moved in. It had double doors that opened into the next room. This room also had another single door to enter so we closed this wall off completely.

Now this is where the t.v. and my dresser makeover sit.

To the right of that is the front door then a wall with a window.

Before:

After:

Now for the wall to the right of the door or left if you are walking through it.
Here is the before, (these are the listing pictures).

And now:

This is after I put up woven blinds and made my drop cloth curtains.

My dad changed the baseboards for me. I still need to paint them.

I also painted the desk. And the mirror. Oh and I recently stenciled the lampshade.You can click on the link to see how it turned out.

Now for the wall to the right of that wall which is what you see when you walk in the door.
This is what is looked like before we moved in:

And now:

This is after my coffee table makeover.

As you can see I am still trying to decide what to put above the smaller couch. I'm thinking about

doing a gallery wall. For now I have all my pictures on this bookshelf which I am not crazy about but it was free so I have put it to use.

The door next to the bookshelf leads into a hallway and bedrooms. Painting the door is on the to do list.

I painted these candle pillars if you want to see the before you can go here.

This bookshelf has scrapbook paper modpodged along the back of it. I did this before blogging and although it improved the bookshelf I am still not a fan. I will probably paint it if I decide to keep it.

I also need to paint this room and change my throw pillows I have some pillow ideas pinned on Pinterest, so at some point I hope to make my own. I think I may also stencil my drop cloth curtains.

This is the color palette I am working with in this room. I found it on colourlovers.

That is my progress so far. Thanks for stopping by!

Amy

I'm linking to:

Type A Decorating

Mrs. Hines

Scroll to Top

Feathered Nest Friday

Coffee Table Makeover

2012-01-12T19:15:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone! I told you I wouldn't be crocheting forever. I finally got back to work on home stuff and I decided to tackle a coffee table I have had for a long time. It was left behind by a roomate probably about six or seven years ago and I kept it because it was real wood and usable. I never liked it though. I didn't like the color of wood and I didn't like how straight all the edges were. I like curvy legs and lines on furniture.

Anyway I made due with it because I was saving to buy a house and it was not a necessity. Well I went back and forth with myself to get rid of it or make it into a tufted ottoman. Since I had the stain (walnut) and paint (Behr Indulgent Mocha) I decided to use what I have instead of buying additional supplies or another cofee table. Here is the result.

I am actually pretty happy with it. I never thought I could like this cofee table and now, I'm loving it!

And a sneak peak at my living room, I need to paint so pretend there is color on these white walls!

It's coming along though. I will show before and after pictures when I have the walls painted and something above the small couch. Okay ready for the before?

The top was kinda bad but not hopeless.

Here's the after again.

Oh yeah and I still need to find 3 baskets that will fit underneath for storage. Baskets are kind of expensive, but it's not complete without it so I will have to find some. Any suggestions on where to find some online or otherwise? I'm thinking dark with the canvas type lining.

UPDATE:

I found my baskets at Michaels (craft store). They were on sale for 40% off so I got a decent deal at around $13 each. They only had 2 so I bought those and figured I would go back another time to see if they had more but when I got them home I realized if I positioned them the other way 2 fit perfectly. Now I have a great place for magazines.

What do you think? Much better huh?

This weekend I hope to finish a big project in my bedroom. Hopefully if it goes well I will post it Sunday.

Thanks so much for stopping and seeing what I have been up to!

Amy

I'm linking up to:

Miss Mustard Seed

Shelf Re-Vamp

2012-01-08T14:43:00.003-08:00

Hello All!

I have a small project to share and two that are in the works so I will hopefully be ready to share those later this week. I work full time though so it's impossible to get good pictures until the weekend since it's dark when I get home. Anyway this is a little shelf I bought at Big Lots for $10. It was unpainted and maybe made of Cedar (not sure). I will show you the after first.

I really like the way it turned out.

Here is the before:

I tried to paint it black, but it just wasn't looking right, so I went in the complete opposite direction.
I used white paint. Behr Swiss Coffee. Then I used gold craft paint and stencils for the swirls things and the bird. Here is a close up of the edges.

I also used walnut stain to glaze it and then distressed it and applied Minwax finishing paste.

I use this little shelf in my bathroom over the sink. I don't have a medicine cabinet and the vanity is just one big open space, so I have very little storage in there. I put products I use daily on this shelf. I would show you but it's not all that cute and this shelf is just temporary solution until I can get a new vanity put it. I think the one in there is original to the house. It has that ugly laminate fake wood with a yellow sink. Anyway I will save it for the before and after when I get to re-do that bathroom.

Thanks for stopping by!

Amy

I'm linking up to:

DIY No Sew Drop Cloth Curtains

2011-12-30T20:36:00.000-08:00

Hello Everybody!

I have been wanting new curtains for my living room and I finally decided to make some out of drop cloths. My sewing machine is not working right now, so I decided to use a glue gun instead. I bought 2 -6x9 foot drop cloths and 2 packs of grommets and got to work. Here is the result.

Sorry these are night photos.

Here is a daytime picture.

Want to see some before pictures?

This is what it looked like before we moved in. Do you see the baseboards? Those were changed within the first month that we moved in, thanks to my dad.

This is what it looked like before my painted desk and chippy mirror projects.

After those projects were finished.

And again the current picture.

Pin It

The woven blinds were a gift from my sweet AND cute boyfriend. He even put them up for me too!

So here is how I did it. I first washed dried and ironed the drop cloths. Okay mostly ironed, well, ironed the top anyway, midway down I was over it so I started measuring to cut my holes for the grommets. First I folded the top edge down about 7 inches and ironed to crease.

Then I measured out where I would place my grommets and then used the template that comes with it to mark my lines. I then cut out the hole in the top layer and used the 1st hole to trace a second hole on the 2nd layer. Then just snap in the grommets. It is pretty easy.

Then I hot glued the seams. That's it. Here are some close ups of the edges.

By the way I used the larger grommets vs the small ones.

The size is 1 9/16".

I bought mine at Joann's. The were $12.99, but I used a 40% off coupon for each set so I paid $8.40 each. The drop cloths were $9.98 at Home Depot. So under $20 per panel. Not too bad. Have you seen the price of curtains? The few I have liked were about $40-$50 per panel! I am considering stenciling these, but I haven't decided on a pattern yet so I put them up until I decide.

Thanks for stopping by!

Amy

I'm linking up to:

California Dreaming

Make Up Brush Display

Personalized Greeting Cards

My Memories Suite Giveaway

DIY Chandelier

DIY Laundry Sign

Living Room Update Part 2

Cabled Baby Beanie

Knitted Baby Sweater

Wonderful Blogger Tag

Burlap Wreath

Cable Knit Coffee Cozy

Star Stitch Baby Hat

Crochet Diaper Cover

KONY 2012

My Bedroom Before Pictures

Upholstery Project Part 1

Linky Follower Party Blog Hop

RULES:

1. you MUST have the LINKY FOLLOWERS tool on your site to participate.

2. You MUST follow the person who has the party on their site as a thank you.

3.Just add your blog button to the LINKY PARTY below.

4.Then grab the BLOG HOP code

5. Then you follow other bloggers–(as many as you want)–leave each one of the blogs that you follow a comment letting them know you are following them and ask them to follow you back.

Knitted Wristers

Front Door Face Lift

Lampshade Stencil

Pinterest Blog Hop

Living Room Before and After

Coffee Table Makeover

Shelf Re-Vamp

DIY No Sew Drop Cloth Curtains

5. Then you follow other bloggers–(as many as you want)
–leave each one of the blogs that you follow a comment letting them know you are following them and ask them to follow you back.