Imperfectly Beautiful

Make Your Own Oilcloth Fabric

2010-09-23T22:38:00.018-05:00

It all started with gorgeous piece of fabric from Hawthorne Threads. It is from the Modern Meadow collection by Joel Dewberry, and I am in L.O.V.E with it! I ordered 2 yards and I don't think that's enough because I want to plaster it all over the place. Anyway, back to the subject....I'm easily distracted by pretty things. I've always loved the look and feel of oilcloth fabric, but it is hard to find and the selection is small. Sooooooo, I wondered if I could laminate my own fabric. I went on a search to my local crafts store looking for a product that might do just that.

I found something I thought would work, but then I needed something to put the laminated fabric on.....enter Old Navy. I found these great little accordian folders marked 47 cents and because all of their clearance is half off, they ended up costing me less than 24 cents. Hello, that is not even a quarter! How could I pass them up?

I used this iron on vinyl material by Heat n' Bond to laminate the fabric and it worked like a dream. I must admit, I was a bit skeptical.....but it really worked!

I cut a piece of fabric big enough to wrap around the front and back of my accordian folder. Then I cut a piece of vinyl the same size and ironed it on to the fabric, following the package directions.

See how it looks glossy now? That's my new, made by me, oilcloth fabric ready to dress up my little coupon holder.

I decided to use mod podge to adhere the fabric to the folder and it worked really well. I added a scrapbook embellishment with a piece of ribbon running through it to the bottom and hot glued them on. Now I can keep this little cutie in my purse and not worry about it kicking around in there getting dirty. The vinyl laminate will protect the fabric and I can wipe it clean whenever I need to. This would also make a great alternative for diaper bags, baby bibs, tablecloths, placemats, etc. Did I mention you can also use a sewing machine on this stuff??? It is amazing.....and the creative possibilities are endless!

Gettin' Crafty With Empty Cans

2010-09-16T23:08:00.034-05:00

Question :

What do you do with your empty food storage cans?

Answer :

Ummmmm, I save them for a rainy day......of course!

I knew I was hanging onto them for a good reason. I just didn't know what that reason was, until this week. I was clamoring around for a last minute birthday gift, with very little time and even less money...not a good combination for a winning gift! Luckily, I work best under pressure and came up with, what I think, is a pretty cute idea.

I found some adorable scrapbook papers in my stash that I've been hanging on to for years. I cut them to fit the can, mod podged them on, added a cute tag with vinyl letter stickers (all cut with my cricut), and voila.....a custom birthday bucket is born!

When you're finished decorating the buckets, you can stuff them full of all kinds of goodies. Army men, glow swords or crowns, silly putty, dvds, candy......the possibilities are endless! The best part.....you can totally customize them to fit the personality of the birthday child {and your budget as well}!

For this cute boy bucket, I ended up using a paint can you can buy at the craft store to decorate yourself. I had an old one I'd never used lying around, so I thought I'd put it to good use now! Better late than never, right?

This one was a bit more fun to put together, honestly. Boys are usually more adventurous and really dig things like flarp (noise putty, for those of you without young boys) and stretchy, gooey frogs and lizards!

I had so much fun making these birthday buckets, they might very well become my new gift staple! The price was right {free}, they were quick and easy, and they look so darn cute! How could you resist that? So, go dig those empty #10 cans out of the garbage and give them new life!

Just Can't Wait Till October

2010-09-15T15:00:00.029-05:00

I tried...really I did. Last week I got my fall stuff out and decorated my mantel. It was beautiful and it drove me crazy. You see, I equate fall with halloween and I absolutely love decorating for halloween. I tried to be patient and just do the fall thing, but I couldn't do it...I'm weak. Those whimsical pumpkin topiaries were calling my name from the attic. Who says you can't put up your halloween decor in September?

If you missed this post from last year, click here to read how we made them. Note my lovely assistant's arms!

This is my front entry from last year when my door was red. Hated that color, but it did make my black feather wreath pop. Unfortunately, now you can't see it at all.

I put the fluer de lis canvas behind the wreath thinking it would make it stand out more, but that didn't work. Maybe a white feather wreath is in my future.

I love this wreath! Up close, you can see it just fine. The black feathers are irridescent and depending on the light, they have hints of purple and green. I really want it to stand out more, so I guess I'll use it somewhere else. I think a trip to Hobby Lobby and a little wreath crafting is in order now.....fingers crossed that feather boas are on sale this week!

Stop by The CSI Project to see more "Fall" inspiration. There are over 160 links so far! Lots of pretty pictures to inspire you and give you some great ideas for fall!

Giveaway Winner

2010-09-12T23:19:00.008-05:00

CONGRATS to Charish, the winner of a beautiful one of a kind illustration from my friend Meredith @ Mimi Galore!!!! Charish said.....

"I adore the "It's Getting Hot In Here, Blow Dryer Hair Illustration" (Blue). It would look so perfect in my bathroom... love love love this shop!"

And don't forget, Mimi Galore is offering a 15% discount on all of the "pink" illustrations in her etsy shop in support of the Making Strides for Breast Cancer Walk until September 16th. Get a head start on your Christmas gifts and give a truly unique gift to someone special. This is a fabulous cause and an awesome deal....so don't delay, check her out! Thanks Meredith for sponsoring this giveaway and for sharing your awesome talent with us!!!

Falling into Fall!

2010-09-10T15:45:00.002-05:00

Even though the temperatures around here are still in the 90's, I am chomping at the bit to start decorating for fall! I love the colors, the tastes, the smells, and the feel of autumn in the air. So, I decided to get a jump start on the season and pull out some of my fall decor! Last year I put this wreath together with things I already had and picked up a few things here and there at Hobby Lobby. Instead of using it on my front door, I thought it would look nice on the brick above my mantel. I feel like I can enjoy it more here, rather than outside.

I got these lovely topiary forms at a yard sale for 25 cents last year and never got around to re-making them. They were covered in this awful orangey moss and an abundance of fakey fake orange and yellow leaves. Ummmmmmm, no thank you! After, I stripped them down to bare bones, I hot glued a feather boa around each tree form. A cheap and easy makeover.

I don't know how I feel about them, though. They're looking a bit like I wrapped kitty fur around them. My 10 year old actually laughed out loud when he saw them! Uhhh, thanks?

As you can see, I did a whole lot of moving and shuffling and tweaking in the process of putting my fall mantel together. I think I like this way the best......for the next 20 minutes anyway! Things are constantly moving and changing around this house. It's a sickness I have. Hi, my name is Amanda and I'm a tweaker!

Quatrefoil Garbage Can

2010-09-07T23:00:00.019-05:00

Has anyone, besides me and my cheap self, noticed how outrageous the prices of bathroom garbage cans are??? I absolutely refuse to pay 20-40 dollars for a tiny little can for my bathroom when the giant trash can in my kitchen didn't even cost that.....seriously! So, what's a thrifty gal to do? Well, she waits for a good deal to sneak up on her. About a month ago I stumbled upon this white ceramic beauty at Target for $3.74, perfection! I was thrilled to have found this classic white can with a beautiful shape and nice weight.

Nice, but I think we can do better.

Enter my ever trusty Cricut, some grey vinyl, and the Sure Cuts a Lot software. I got a free svg file of this beautiful quatrefoil pattern from my sweet friend, Jenn at Tatertots and Jello. I imported it into my SCAL program and off I went to cut my vinyl. So easy and soooooo cute.....I LOVE it! Have I mentioned that I am completely and utterly addicted to cutting vinyl with my cricut? You can do sooooooooooo much with it. The possibilities are endless.

Click here for the link to the svg file, and here is the quatrefoil stencil that you can print out and use, if you don't have a cricut and scal software. Quatrefoil is an absolutely gorgeous pattern.....very graphic and oh so chic! I've stenciled it onto an artist's canvas, scrapbook paper, canvas dropcloth fabric, and now cut quatrefoil vinyl!!!! I can hardly stand how cute it is! If I had a money tree, I would love to do a whole wall with this pattern in vinyl. Yes, I could stencil it.....but let's be honest, I am way too lazy and way too impatient for all that! Having my Cricut cut the pattern out of vinyl is so much easier! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to look for a money tree.

Art Giveaway from Mimi Galore

2010-09-06T11:00:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to introduce you to my newest sponsor......Mimi Galore! This cute etsy shop is full of super chic illustrations that are so on trend right now. Meredith, is the owner and artist behind this fantastic shop. Her one of a kind illustrations are a mixture of pen and ink, prisma color pencil, watercolor, and a pinch of je ne sais quoi! For today's giveaway, she is offering one of my readers a print of their choice from her shop. Here are just a few of my favorites.......

From now until the 16th of September Mimi Galore is offering a 15% discount on all of the "pink" illustrations in her etsy shop in support of the Making Strides for Breast Cancer Walk. In addition, 20% of her proceeds will go toward this great cause. If you'd like more information on this, you can visit Team Mimi's support page. Here is what Meredith had to say about this cause that is near and dear to her heart.........

"I have and always will have great respect and admiration for the women out there that are fighting and have fought a great battle against breast cancer. This is a disease that has touched me personally with my mother. I want to dedicate these illustrations to those women. I look up to you and hope that you stay strong for yourselves, your families, children, and friends. I’m hoping that through the proceeds from my pink illustrations, I’ll be able to walk the breast cancer walk with my mother for the first time, in efforts to raise awareness!"

For a chance to win a beautiful one of a kind illustration of your choice from Mimi Galore's Fabulous Store, simply leave a comment on this post telling us your favorite piece in her shop. The giveaway will be open until Friday.....good luck!!!

Fabric Covered Notebooks

2010-09-03T15:11:00.026-05:00

I've found yet another use for that beautiul fabric I bought from Hawthorne Threads. You know....the fabric I originally got to make pillows for my couch??? Yeah well, that hasn't happened yet because I keep thinking of crafty things to do with it. Basically anything that does not involve sewing a stitch! One of these days I will buckle down and actually tackle that project, but for now I'm enjoying getting crafty with my fun new fabric.

I showed how to make these over at my other blog, The CSI Project. Our theme for next week's challenge is "Back to School" and I shared these fabric covered notebooks as one of my favorite teacher gifts to start the year off right (brown-noser). In the past I've made these with scrapbook or wrapping paper, but I decided to try my hand at using fabric this time around. Let's take a look at how I made these, shall we?

Supplies

1. composition notebook

2. half yard of fabric

3. Heat n' Bond

4. Iron

5. Scissors

6. Pencil

I started by cutting the fabric big enough to cover the front and back side of my notebook.

Now flip your fabric over and iron on a matching sized piece of heat n' bond. Once the two are adhered to each other, you will trace the front and back covers of the notebook onto the backside (paper side) of your fabric piece. The heat n' bond will allow you cut the fabric without any fraying. Next, peel off the protective backing and you're ready to go.

Once you have your two fabric pieces cut out for the front and back, you simply lay them onto the composition book exactly where you want them and iron away! Now trim any excess edges and you're done. Easy, easy, easy, and cute, cute, cute!

I chose a coordinating fabric, cut a long strip, frayed the edges, and tied it around the front cover of my notebook as an embellsihment. You could even do an iron on applique with your teacher's intial to personalize it. I just love these little notebooks......making them, giving them, and keeping them! I love to pair the large notebook with a smaller version for the purse and a set of personalized notecards. They really make a beautiful gift set for just about anyone on your list!

The Magic of Rub n' Buff

2010-09-01T14:07:00.020-05:00

I've always been curious about Rub n' Buff and wanted to try it. I've heard people talk about it and seen the wonderful results they've acheived with this product. It can be used on doorknobs, light fixtures, ceiling fans, frames, mirrors, and molding....really the possibilities are endless. Recently, a friend of mine ordered a large monogrammed frame from me. She uses alot of gold accents with rich colors in her home and wanted her frame to be gold. I searched and searched for the perfect gold frame, with no luck.

Several weeks went by when I finally had a lightbulb moment. I remembered this frame I had that I wasn't currently using. So, I decided to give Rub n' Buff a try. I wasn't really sure if the results would be what I was looking for, but it turned out even better than I'd hoped!

I think it's beautiful! I'm not usually much of a gold fan, but this is more of an aged, weathered gold. I think the layering of the gold rub n' buff over the dark cherry colored frame acheived the perfect patina.

This product is extremely easy to use. You can use your finger or a soft cloth to rub it on and when it's dry, you buff it with another soft cloth. You really cannot mess it up and that is definitely my kind of project!

I also wondered if I would have enough. The tube is so small and the frame I was working with was so big. I was amazed that when I finished.....the tube barely looked used. This stuff goes a long way!

For my monogrammed frame I used the "Antique Gold". The next frame I'm going to show you, I used an aqua shade called "Patina"

This frame was originally a silvery gold color, almost champagne. I simply used my finger to rub the "Patina" color on the raised parts of the frame. Simple technique.....beautiful results!

A Rub n' Buff sales representative from Amaco contacted me recently to see if I'd be interested in trying a sample of their products. I had no idea they had so many different color choices to choose from! Our Hobby Lobby only carries 2 or 3 colors, so I was pleasantly surprised when all of these beautiful choices arrived in my mailbox. I've tried several of them, all with great results. My favorites so far are the antique gold and patina, which I showed you today. Now, I'm rather anxious to try the silver leaf and the white. I'll keep you posted. And thanks to the people at Rub n' Buff for offering such a wonderful product for me to try....I'm hooked! If you're looking for a specific color of Rub n' Buff, you can purchase it directly through Amaco's website.

Bring Those Country Crafts into the 21st Century

2010-08-31T16:08:00.024-05:00

We've all seen them, possibly had them in our homes {{{gasp}}}. Yes, I'm talking about primitive country crafts that were all the rage in the 80's and early 90's. You will find them abundantly at thrift stores, yard sales, and you might possibly have one or two in your attic or basement. I vividly remember the one that hung in our home growing up. In fact, I found one similar at a yard sale recently and decided to take the 50 cent risk and bring it home for a makeover.

I started by sanding the top down with my power sander. I wasn't taking any chances with those country hearts and houses showing through my paint job. I gave it a light coat of spray on primer, then brushed on 3 coats of aqua blue latex paint.

Now comes the fun part.....fabric and mod podge! I coated my fabric piece with mod podge, let it dry, then cut out the fleur de lis using a stencil I already had. Did you know that when you mod podge fabric, it allows you to cut the fabric without fraying? It's an awesome trick!

I used more mod podge to apply the fleur de lis to the board. When that dried, I brushed on two coats of mod podge ever the entire project.

I am in LOVE with this fabric! Remember last week when I told you about the fabric I'd ordered from Hawthorne Threads? Well, it got to my house two days later and let me tell you.....it is beyond gorgeous. I can't wait to get started on the pillows for my couch!

I decided to put the half moon plaque above my front door. I absolutely love the way the aqua blue pops off the brown wall. And the bold floral fabric really adds some personality. {Sorry for the glare off my black door....the sun was wicked bright this morning!}

Today over at The CSI Project we're kicking off our weekly challenge, "Mod Podge". Already there are over 80 creative projects linked up....shoes, jewelry, furniture, art, and more! Our guest judge is Amy from Mod Podge Rocks and there is a fantastic prize package of Plaid products up for grabs! We'd love to have you stop by and check it out. And if you have a mod podge project you'd like to submit, even better!

The Many Lives of a $1 Yard Sale Frame

2010-08-30T13:44:00.028-05:00

After my mini laundry room makeover, I realized I needed some kind of message/bulletin board to keep things semi organized. With 4 busy kids I have endless amounts of school papers, appointment reminders, schedules, and artwork that pass through my hands each day. I had this wonderful frame that was sitting unused and I knew it would be perfect with a little tweaking here and there. This trusty one dollar yard sale frame has proved it's worth ten times over. It's had 5 paint jobs, lived in several different rooms, and served each purpose well. I think I definitely got my dollar's worth, don't you think? Let's take a look back on the evolution of this versatile frame!

This is the original frame straight from a yard sale. Lovely, isn't it?

I decided to make a chalkboard out of it, for the first in a series of makeovers. The frame got painted white and distressed and the picture part I flipped over and painted with chalkboard paint. Easy and fun, but in true Amanda fashion, I quickly tired of it and wanted a change.

This time I painted it parakeet green.....and hated it. So I took some turquoise paint and layered it on top.......still hated it. I ended up brushing my favorite color craft paint, Delta Ceramcoat Seafoam, over both layers and LOVED it! I covered the backerboard with a scrap of canvas dropcloth and made a hairbow holder for my girls.

That ended up being a disaster. My two busy little girls could not keep their hands off it and those bows ended up ALL over my house, every.single.day. So.........I tried it as a picture frame/bulletin board. Same thing happened - they wanted to pull those pictures off and carry them around. That didn't work for me either.

So, the frame got put away in a closet and left for dead. But, not for long. A new idea was born and the old frame got revamped once again. This time it became a bulletin board for my new/old laundry room. I used three cork tiles, cut them to fit, and hot glued them in. Not bad for about 10 minutes of work!

I don't know if you can tell from this picture, but my favorite thing about this frame is that you can see all five layers of paint showing through. It is weathered and worn, old and a bit ragged, but perfect for my needs. I LOVE it!

There is zero natural light in my tiny laundry room, so I apologize for the poor picture quality. This is it hung on the back of my laundry room/pantry door. I like that I can see it when I first walk in from the garage, but it is hidden from guests when they come in the front door. With all the papers that cycle through our house on a daily basis, I'm sure this board will come in handy and prove it's worth once again. And I can't wait to see what it's next life will be!

Expressions Vinyl Giveaway WINNER!

2010-08-28T23:42:00.013-05:00

Thanks to everyone for entering the Expressions Vinyl Giveaway! What a great response. I loved reading all of your comments and was happy to hear that there are many people out there who love this company as much as I do! We do have a winner of the gift certificate, but really everyone's a winner today. Expressions Vinyl is offering all of my readers a 10% discount on all orders placed August 28 - September 7.

Just use the coupon code: BEAUTIFUL

And don't forget that orders over $100 always qualify for free shipping!

Now, on to the winner....sorry for the suspense! Comment #140, Arlene, is the lucky winner of the $30 gift certificate from Expressions Vinyl.

"I have been wanting to try vinyl with my cricut...would love to try this! I have some baby presents to make and was thinking some personalized onesies would be great!"

Congrat on your big win, Arlene! Now go shopping for some FREE vinyl!!! Have fun making all those personalized onesies and don't forget to show us some of those adorable presents when you finish creating them, okay?

Be sure and visit Expressions Vinyl for all of your vinyl needs and take advantage of that great 10% off coupon they're offering!

Laundry Room Mini Makeover

2010-08-27T00:00:00.001-05:00

You know how right before a party or get together at your home, you're scrambling to clean and make everything look just so? Well, if you're a crazy person like me, you're also finding absolutely unneccessary things to do as well! Like give your tiny inconsequential laundry room a mini makeover minutes before your guests arrive. Yeah, that would be me! First I cleared off all the crap that was covering every single surface of my dryer, so I could start with a nice clean slate. Already I could breathe easier. Then I asked myself....."Self, why didn't you do this ages ago?"

My goal was to use things I already had on hand.....nothing new. I remembered this mirror I'd found at Ross months ago for less than $7. It wasn't exactly the right color, but I knew I could fix that. Unfortunately it's been sitting in the closet, until now, waiting to be given a makeover.The glossy white paint really transformed it.....I love it!

I stuck it on top of my $3 yard sale cabinet. Then I added a giant vinyl monogram to the front.

Here's another item that's been sitting un-used in the closet. I bought this giant glass jar at Walmart ages ago and never really used it. Now I know it's the perfect size to hold my extra large box of laundry detergent. The little white melamine cup was from my Grandma's kitchen and I think of her everytime I do laundry now. I put dryer sheets in the other glass jar and covered some old books with scrapbook paper for a bit of pattern. The acrylic lamp I found at Goodwill. Yet again another thing I love that has sat useless. I'm so glad I decided to makeover my laundry room on the fly so that I could give all of these things I love a good home with a purpose!

The cabinets above the washer and dryer get to hold some of my thrift store/yard sale treasures. And I hung some pocket files on the wall to hold incoming and outgoing paperwork. For zero dollars I'm pretty happy with the way this tiny room turned out. I actually smile when I go in there to do laundry now. It is such a change from how it was before.....cluttered and chaotic. Now it feels calm and serene. My neice came over the other night and the first thing she said when she saw it was........."Now THIS is the only way laundry should be done!" She is so right, I have to agree with her on this one. Thanks Hannah......that made my day.

360 Degree Living Room Tour

2010-08-25T16:07:00.048-05:00

Welcome to my humble abode, friends! I'm so glad you're here. Come on in and take a peek.

{Isn't it fun to anonymously snoop around other people's homes in the comfort of your pj's?}

I've had lots of requests to show this room as a whole, so I finally decided to take the plunge and give you a tour!In the past, I have featured snapshots of our living room here and there, but never have I shown the whole room together. It is defnitely a work in progress and I think that is probably why I've kept this space on the down low. It still needs work, but I love the changes so far.

When you first walk in the front door, my mantel is to the immediate left. My dad crafted this custom made mantel for me when we first bought our house almost 4 years ago. The original one was dark and ugly and I absolutely hated it. So, I showed my dad a picture of what I wanted and in days he had it whipped up and installed for me!

Next, we have our computer/cricut workspace and tv zone. The black armoire I fell in deep love with a few years back and I just HAD to have it. It is a big bold piece and I still love it. Unfortunately, the beauty of the aged black finish is lost against the chocolate walls. Note to self.....these are important things to consider when buying big ticket items. I am now seriously considering painting it white, but dreading what a big project that will be!

The couches are nice, but a bit too traditional for me. I would adore white slipcovers, but the hubby nixed that one real quick! The alternate plan is to spice this area up with some funky throw pillows and fun area rug. Anyone want to buy a 5 x 7 brown shag rug???

My wall of yard sale/thirft store frames is one of my favorite things in this room and definitely the most commented on by visitors. Again, I am dying to lighten things up by painting my piano, but the hubs has some reservations! Have you seen some of the gorgeous photos floating around out there of painted pianos........they are to.die.for.

Next we have the entrance to the hallway and bedrooms and the first opening into the kitchen. This is a very large, open room with tons of space. It presents a bit of a design challenge, but we opted to create different "zones" throughout the room which makes it nice. It breaks up the space, making it feel more cozy while still using the space efficiently. We basically live in this room. Most of our daily activities happen right here. And.....it's great for parties, which is always a nice bonus!

The back half of the room opens into the kitchen. I hated that dividing wall when we first moved in, but it proved to be the perfect space for a makeshift mudroom. As soon as the kids come in from school, they can throw their shoes in the basket by the front door and hang their backpacks up in a flash. And although I wish it looked this clean all the time, the reality is a bit different.

This is the cold hard truth of it all. But, you know what? I am totally ok with this. It is functional and very well used. And, just for the record.....yes, we have winter coats and scarves hanging here in the middle of 100 degree August. I'm just keepin it real, people!

Remember when I said I was making throw pillows for the boring brown couches? These are just a few of the fabrics I ordered to make them with. Aren't they gorgeous and so fun? My newest obsession is Hawthorne Threads. They have the most beautiful selection of fabrics and great prices. I've been window shopping there for a while, but finally took the plunge and ordered 5 yards of sumptuous, funky, fresh fabric! I can hardly wait to get it in the mail. I was suprprised when I got an e-mail the morning after I ordered, that the package had already been shipped out. And priority mail, at that! Now, to convince my hubby (the one with the mad sewing skills) to sew me up some giant pillows!

If any of you missed my giveaway going on right now, be sure and click over HERE to enter. One lucky winner will be chosen this weekend to win a $30 gift certificate from Expressions Vinyl. At only $2 a yard.....that's a whole lot of vinyl! Thanks so much to my newest sponsor, Expressions Vinyl, for offering such a fun giveaway!

Spray Painting Lamps

2010-08-24T11:34:00.026-05:00

I love these genie lamps....the shape, the color, the style, they are nearly perfect. Except, for the fact that the deep rich oil rubbed bronze color does not work against my chocolate brown walls. I've lived with them like this for quite some time, because I just couldn't bring myself to paint over such a beautiful finish. Unfortunately, they blended right in with the wall color and basically disappeared. I could not let such a fantastic shaped lamp fade into the background. So, I pulled up my big girl panties and got to work. I started by covering the metal harp with a plastic bag and painters tape. I used Kryon Fusion in gloss white to paint the lamps. It is a great quality spray paint with excellent coverage.

The result is a fresh, clean, modern look and I LOVE it! The unique shape of the lamp really stands out now and the white just pops against the chocolate wall.

After I painted the base, the lampshade color just didn't look right. I knew I should recover them, but I just wasn't in the mood for all that. So, I came up with a simple solution that I think worked really well! I bought a yard of white cotton fabric and cut wide strips to tie around the lampshade. I love how it ties in the white lamp base and makes the champagne colored shade take a back seat. A simple, cheap, and easy solution for a lazy girl who doesn't want to recover odd shaped lampshades!

Just a reminder.....the Expressions Vinyl Giveaway is still open. Don't forget to enter to win a $30 gift certificate to their online store. If you missed it, click here to leave a comment on the giveaway post. The winner will be announced Saturday.

Expressions Vinyl Giveaway

2010-08-23T11:05:00.005-05:00

I am super excited to announce that my newest sponsor, Expressions Vinyl, is offering a fabulous giveaway to my readers! They are giving away a $30 gift certificate to one lucky winner. If you own a cricut, silhouette, or other craft cutter, then this is the giveaway for YOU! Maybe you've always wanted to cut vinyl and never tried......this is your chance to sample some of the wonderful products they have available for FREE! I started ordering my vinyl from them a few months ago because of their afforable prices, range of colors, quality, and customer service. My very favorite product they sell right now is the iron on t-shirt vinyl. It is so easy to work with and the finished product is beautiful! No one would ever know it was iron on rather than embroidery, unless they inspected the design closely. Here are a few of the projects I've used the heat transfer vinyl with.........

BABY ONESIES

PERSONALIZED T-SHIRTS

MONOGRAMMED BACKPACK

MONOGRAMMED PURSE

Expressions Vinyl sells Oracal self adhesive vinyl - the same product sold by Provo Craft for super low prices. They offer it in a variety of sizes in over 50 different colors perfect for the CriCut, Silhouette and other craft cutters. They also carry heat transfer vinyl. They ship it out the same day you order it and offer free shipping on orders over $100.

The $30 Expressions Vinyl giveaway will run through Friday of this week and I'll announce the winner over the weekend.
To enter to win, simply leave a comment on this post.

Good luck and Happy Monday!

Silver Leaf Boxes

2010-08-19T23:03:00.021-05:00

Ok, I am officially in LOVE with silver leafing. I bought a box of 500 sheets several months ago on e-bay with the intention of using it on a piece of furniture. But I am a big fat chicken and have never gotten around to forcing myself to do it. I thought I'd take baby steps and build up to it. My first project was this silver leaf starburst mirror I made out of free paint stirrers. It was a bit sketchy at times, but I muddled through and it turned out pretty good. There is defintiely a learning curve when it comes to this technique, but I am beginning to feel like I have it now. The lovely silver leaf storage box in the above picture was originally a green cardboard box from Ikea.

I've had these boxes for at least 7 years and I love them still, but the green just isn't in my color pallette anymore. They've been hidden in my closet as extra storage. I also have a white set that sit on the shelves above my computer. I believe the set of three was, and still is, $9.99 at Ikea!

Like I said, the silver leaf sheets I got a great deal for on e-bay. The adhesive size I purchased at Hobby Lobby. It is a rather small bottle, bit I think I only used a quarter of it on all three boxes. Basically, you brush on a thin layer of the adhesive and let dry till tacky. Then you ever so carefully lay the leafing sheets on, overlapping just a bit as you go. With each application, you use a soft flat paintbrush to lightly brush away any excess leafing. It is not hard, but definitely a tedious process with a learning curve. Practice makes perfect, they say!

I am sooooooo in lust with these boxes now. I love how the silver leaf even picked up the texture of the boxes. And I was surprised to see how the leafing adhered to even the thread stiching around the lids and base. The fabric pulls, I tucked under the lid so that they would remain intact.

WARNING:
This is an extremely messy process! Be prepared to have silver bits in your hair, on your clothes, and pretty much covering every single surface in your home. Unless of course, you're super smart and decide to tackle this kind of thing outside!

Swoon.....I am in love with a cardboard box!

I replaced my white set for this picture to see how they'd look against my chocolate brown walls. I'm not loving it, so the white ones went back up. However, I have big plans for these gorgeous boxes in the near future!

They will be going on the shelves (that sit half finished in the gargage) above my work table. I believe this half finished project thing is becoming a disturbing theme around here. It seems everywhere I look, I see unfinished projects belonging to me or my hubby. We are sick, sick people and just might need an intervention.

I want to use this starburst mirror I made in my workspace as well. I think it will compliment the silver leaf boxes perfectly! Now, if I could only finish this project to completion we'd be in business. Wish me luck, ask me about it frequently, and keep me accountable people!!!

The Hiatus is OVER!

2010-08-18T20:37:00.019-05:00

I bet you're all thinking I've packed up and quit blogging, right? Nope......just over-extended and lame! This last week has been a whirlwind of excitement and chaos and some sadness too. My sweet 4 year old who loves to talk and sing and play and learn, started pre-school. She's as happy as a clam and comes home bubbling over with excitement to tell me all about it! I had to take this picture of her blinged out school shoes......they are precious and soooooo her.

Remember the two quilted bags I teased you with and said I'd be back the next day to show you the finished product??? Yeah, obviously that didn't happen. But better late than never, right? I used the iron on vinyl sheets (from Expressions Vinyl) I told you about in this post, to
personalize this cute backpack. I love that it looks like it's machine embroidered. You'd never know the difference unless you really inspected it closely. My trusty cricut and this iron on vinyl are my new obsession!

This little hipster bag, I monogrammed for my Mom. If you know her well, then you know how much she loves a small black bag she can wear. I'm pretty sure she owns at least 74 of them.

This sweet lady and this precious man left this morning for an 18 month mission in Santiago, Chile. Their 5 children and their spouses, along with 17 grandchildren were all there to see them off. To say there were lots of tears and sadness would be an understatement, but more than that, there was abundant love and intense pride! I am so proud of my mom and dad. They are the best people I know. It was so hard to say goodbye to them today, but I am comforted with the knowledge that they are doing God's work and that they are in His hands.

ADIOS, Elder y Hermana Pack!!!

Fun With Feathers

2010-08-11T00:20:00.036-05:00

I love me some feathers. I think they are the perfect accessory in home decor, as well as fashion!

My latest project began when I found this precious canvas clutch at Hobby Lobby. It comes from a new line called "Me & My Bag". They have aprons, purses, tote bags, bibs, and more. And to sweeten the deal, they are all half off this week. I paid $2 for the clutch.....what a steal!

I decided to use some feathers to gussy it up and make it a real show stopper.

{If your initials are HSM, please avert your eyes because it may or may not be a birthday gift.}

To make it a bit more versatile, I decided to add a pin to the back instead of gluing the feathers right onto the clutch. This way it can be used as an embellishment on the bag or be taken off and worn as a brooch. You could also add a clip to the back and use it in your hair too!

I think the end result is wicked cute!

These quilted bags are from the same line that's half off.....both less than $5 after the discount. Be sure and come back tomorrow when I show you what I'm doing with these beauties!

Wooden Spoon Puppets

2010-08-10T10:19:00.047-05:00

A few weeks ago, while waiting in line at Hobby Lobby, I picked up a book on kid's crafts. They had some of the funnest, cutest, most ingenius ideas I'd seen for kids. Alot of the crafts I see geared toward kids are pretty useless, and end up in the trash within a day or two. Which is the whole reason why I steer clear of them. But when I saw these adorable little puppet people made out of wooden spoons, I fell in love. I have two girls who love imaginative play and I knew they would love these fun puppets as well.

I started by "borrowing" two wooden spoons out of the hubby's camping gear. Then I used barbie clothes to trace a template for the dress. I cut several strings of yarn to the length I wanted their hair to be, tied a knot in the center, and hot glued the knot onto the spoon. The rainbow hair I left straight, but the brown one I braided into pigtails. I added pearls to make buttons and a necklace, some googley eyes, and a hot pink fabric pout for the lips......simple and cute!

I had no idea how wildly popular they would be, until Emma woke up this morning. She noticed them immediately sitting on the counter and gasped. Then she said, "Oh Mommy, WHAT are these"? When I told her I had made them for her to play puppet theater with, I'm pretty sure she squealed with delight. She took them and ran back to her room to get started.

I had so much fun seeing the girls play with their new wooden spoon puppets and watching their creativity soar.

If you like kid's crafts, be sure and stop by The CSI Project this week. That is our weekly themed challenge and the link up begins today. We'd love to have you come and link up your favorite kid craft projects or just stop by and say hi!

Iron On T-Shirt Vinyl

2010-08-05T23:10:00.021-05:00

I think I have found one of the coolest products ever! I may be way behind the rest of the world and the last one to know about it, but that's ok. I'm good with that. If you have a cricut or silhouette machine, then you absolutely positively must get some iron on t-shirt vinyl. It is so fun and full of possibilities. I have been ordering my vinyl from Expressions Vinyl recently. They have a great selection of colors and they ship quickly. So, when I noticed this new product they were offering, I was curious to see if it lived up to the hype. Guess what.....it does! I whipped out 2 stinkin adorable t-shirts tonight in less than 30 minutes. Here's a rundown of how easy it really is.

I started with a simple cotton onesie from Walmart ($2.50)

I used my cricut and sure cuts alot software to design and cut out the vinyl. One very important tip.......you must spell everything backwards and use the flip function on your machine. Everything is done backwards with the iron on vinyl because the machine actually cuts it from the back rather than the front with regular vinyl. You even apply the vinyl wrong side up on the cutting mat, too. It's a bit different than cutting regular vinyl, but easy once you catch on.

There is a clear plastic backing on the vinyl that works as the transfer paper. You iron right on top of it and then peel it away once the vinyl adheres to the material....about 10 - 15 seconds.

And the finished product is this custom personalized onesie! Isn't it adorable?

Earlier today I picked up this little t-shirt for a couple bucks to play around with and see what I could create with my newest obsession.....iron on vinyl!

Ummmmmmm.......hello! How cute is this? I actually layered two different colors of vinyl on top of each other. I wasn't sure it would work because it says the vinyl is for use on fabric only. I tested two small pieces on a ratty old t-shirt I use for cleaning and it worked like a dream.

I can hardly wait to put this outfit on Ava tomoorrow! The only problem is that I don't have one for Emma.....she will NOT be happy with me. I guess that's a great reason to make another cute t-shirt, right?

This how to video from Expressions Vinyl is very helpful and quite informative. If you plan to use this product, I suggest watching it before you start. Good luck, have fun, and let me know if you make something with iron on vinyl.....I'd love to see it!

Wedding Mania!

2010-08-03T23:35:00.020-05:00

My sweet niece, Lauren, is getting married this weekend. It is wonderful to see the beautiful, kind, talented woman she has become. But I think I will always think of her as Lolo.....that precious freckle faced red headed baby with a raspy smoker's voice. What a doll! I am thrilled for her, and love to see her so in love and happy. I consider it an honor to be able to help with her wedding in any way I can.

I made these simple monograms to cover the ribbon seams on these beautiful square glass vases. Imagine them filled with split peas and gorgeous blue hydrangeas. I think these centerpieces will be perfect.....simple, yet elegant!

I made these rosettes for her bridesmaids. The wedding colors are chartruese green and navy blue.....I adore this combination! In real life the green on these rosettes is much brighter. I think they will add a great pop of color on the girls' navy blue dresses. My sisters and I got together a couple weeks ago and made 80 of these to pin onto the chair sashes. We pulled a late nighter, but we finally got them all done. Oh, and did I mention that the ones we made for the chairs were twice this size?

Tonight was her bridal shower and I really wnted to make something special for her. Since her wedding colors are also the colors she wants to decorate with, I decided to incorporate navy and green into my gift. Again, the lighting makes this green look dull, but it is so pretty in real life.

I used a scrap of canvas drop cloth to tie up the sign. That is my newest use for all the fabric remnants I have lying around. I love the texture and this natural color goes with absolutely everything. It's a nice alternative to your standard bow.

I also made her a personalized Christmas ornament for their first Christmas together. I used a leftover monogram label on the front of the box and tied it up with green toile ribbon.

Because I'm lazy and forgetful, I forgot to take a photo of it. But it looks exactly like this one with a different name. I hope she liked her handmade personalized gifts from the heart. Those are by far my favorite kind of gifts.....to give and to recieve!

Homemade Popsicles

2010-07-29T00:29:00.022-05:00

Thanks for all the sweet heartfelt comments on my behalf, ladies! Each and every one of them made my day and I so appreciate your friendships. Seriously, I am fine. I think I was just having a rough week adjusting to some changes, and I got a bit dramatic. Yes, change can be hard....but change can also be a good thing. No worries here. I'm taking it all in stride and getting back into the swing of things, trying to enjoy the last two weeks of summer vacation with my kids.

I found these cute popsicle molds at Micheals recently for $1 and thought they'd make for a fun afternoon activity and treat. I love that they have a built in straw for all the melted popsicle juice that otherwise would end up on the floor!

We used our favorite crystal light drink to fill the molds.
{p.s......this 4 quart pitcher is the bomb diggity of all pitchers. Before I ordered this one from Pampered Chef, we were going through at least 2 pitchers a day. This one holds more than twice as much and it has a plunger built into the lid for mixing.}
LOVE IT!

We froze ours overnight, but I think a few hours would suffice. I should definitely win mother of the year for letting my kids eat them for breakfast, right? Hey, it's summertime...we're milking it for all it's worth. They were yummy and tart and oh so good! And less calories and sugar than Lucky Charms, too. Like I said.....definitely mother of the year contender here.

Oh, and one more thing. The straw thing is really cool, but the juice ended up on the floor anyway. That's pretty much what you get with toddlers and popsicles...expect it. But it was totally worth the mess to see these little cuties enjoy their very own homemade popsicles that they actually helped make. I think next time we'll be a bit more adventurous and make something with fresh fruit. Mmmmmmmm.....my mouth is watering just thinking about it. The possibilities are endless. Peaches and strawberries and watermelon, oh my!

Change is HARD!

2010-07-27T15:25:00.014-05:00

Hello, my name is Amanda and I'm a bad blogger! I apologize for being MIA the last week. Life has handed me some unexpected twists and turns and I am adjusting to them as best as I can. As I navigate this new chapter in my life and learn to balance it all, I hope that you all can be patient and not give up on me. I considered shutting down my blog, but I just could not do it. This blog is not only a creative outlet for me, it has become such a huge part of who I am. I've come to love that and I'm just not ready to give it up. Plus, I could not handle losing touch with all the dear friends I've made.....y'all mean the world to me!!! With that being said, there have been some other changes. Unfortunately, I've had to close down my etsy shop. Hopefully this will be temporary. I had to pick something to give up, to make my plate less full....and sadly this was the first to go {cue tears}. This sign will likely be my last custom order for a while. A friend of mine who lives out of town ordered this for her front porch. I think it turned out so cute and I wanted to give her a sneak peek. I hope you love it, Angie!

Cozie-Palooza 2010

2010-07-21T23:55:00.046-05:00

Just when you thought my posts couldn't get any worse, I'm back with more cozie love! My niece Becca and I got together this afternoon to make fabric covered can cozies...her idea that I totally copied. They were super duper easy and turned out wicked cute. Mine was a little plain, so I decided to use a shabby rosette and some ribbon to jazz it up a bit.

I absolutely love this graphic print I found in the clearance bin at Hobby Lobby.....perfection.

We simply measured a piece of fabric to fit around the cozie with about half an inch extra on each side for seam allowance. We used iron on stitch witchery to make our seams, but if you sew you could whip this up with your machine very quickly too.

We used hot glue around the top and bottom edges of the cozie to attach the fabric. For the long seam on the outside we overlapped the two edges and hot glued them down.

Becca made this adorable fabric applique with her initial and ironed it onto the paisley fabric with Heat and Bond before she attached it to the cozie. My sad little rosette pales in comparison. Hers turned out too stinkin cute!

I love how she layered two different colors of fabric for her applique. It definitely adds that extra special touch and makes it look more custom. In fact, similar cozies sell for $20 at a local boutique. But, I think hers is way cuter and it only cost about $2 to make.....now that's what I call thrifty chic!

Monogrammed Can Cozies

2010-07-20T23:43:00.026-05:00

I'm not gonna lie......my family loves an ice cold soda (me in particular). I'm not ashamed to admit it, I'm a big girl. But there is nothing I loathe more than a room temperature or even barely cool soda.....YUCK! I want it ICE cold and I want it to stay that way as long as possible. Enter the lovely foam can cozie. Let's face it, they really are down right U.G.L.Y. But I've found that you can make them a tiny bit cuter by personalizing them.

Last week at Micheals they had their cozies on sale 2 for $1. The aluminum bottles I found at The Dollar Tree. These were a huge score. I've priced aluminum water bottles elsewhere and they run anywhere from $5 to $15 a piece, which is basically highway robbery. So, I was pleased as punch with myself for stumbling onto these for a buck. They had fun bright colors back in the spring, but they sold out quick and I didn't get any. It worked out though, because my boys prefer these silver ones.

My kids always ask to use my can cozie, so I bought extra ones for them. I let them choose what font they liked for their initial and the color of the vinyl. Of course, we used the cricut to cut out the letters and dots. But you could probably use stickers too. The boys love having their very own now and it was fun having them help me. The yellow one I did with our school colors and logo and added some polka dots. I think I'll give these as happies to our teachers on the first day of school, wrapped up in a cellophane bag with cutesy ribbons and a luggage tag.

I didn't think the boys would want their names on the water bottles, but they said yes and I jumped on it. I cannot believe we are already getting ready to go back to school the first week of August. Backpacks, school supplies, water bottles, uniforms....ugggh. Didn't summer just start? We're not ready to give up our lazy pj days for the rigid schedule of school and homework just yet. And to be perfectly honest, I'm not ready to admit that I will have a middle schooler. Junior high scares me.....I am SO not ready for this. Any advice for a newbie mom of a pre-teen boy???

Monogrammed Luggage Tags

2010-07-16T22:06:00.028-05:00

I can't believe I've never shared this little project with y'all. I have been making these luggage tags for years. They make great gifts for high school graduates heading off to college, newly married brides, or diaper bag toting new moms! They're a fun and simple way to add that custom look of monogramming or personalization that is so popular right now.

I use a laminating machine and these thermal laminating pouches. But they also sell ready made luggage tags that are self sealing, no machine required. This little laminator has served me well for over 6 years. I got it at Walmart for around $25, which I think is very reasonable. I went through a stage where I laminated everything in sight. It's weirdly fun and very addictive!

First I start by cutting down my laminating pouches to the size I want and then I cut 2 pieces of paper for each tag and round the corners. Then I type up the info I want on the back (name, address, phone number) and print it on regular copy paper. For the front side I use my cricut to cut out a vinyl monogram or name. Then you assemble the tag, slide it into the pouch, and send it right through the laminator.....eAsY pEaSy!

You can tie them right onto a diaper bag, church bag, luggage, etc.

They also make great id cards for your kids backpacks. And since we're making the transition to uniforms this year, I'm looking for ways to help my kids be able to show their personality and individuality in any small way. You could let your kids help with this project and design their own bag tag. A nice way for them to put their own stamp on the cookie cutter uniform. How fun!

Easy Zipper Cuff Bracelet

2010-07-14T01:08:00.041-05:00

Today I'm going to show you how to make a super easy zipper cuff bracelet. I whipped mine up this afternoon in no time flat. I love the way it turned out, but "someone", who I won't name, said it looked like a sweatband made out of zippers. Well, what does he know anyway?

I started with this really beautiful shiny plastic bangle I found at Walmart for $2. Yes, the color and sheen leave a lot to be desired, but what sold me on it was the size. I couldn't find a nice substantial sized bracelet anywhere. I needed it to be big enough that I could use several different zippers and be able to see them all. I saw it's potential through the ugly!

I picked out 2 zippers in colors I liked, parakeet and grey. The very large natural colored zipper is actually sold by the yard. I had no idea....that's GENIUS! Let's break this down. See that 7 inch zipper that cost me $1.50, and the 22 inch one for $2? That doesn't seem like much, but when you compare it to the big pile of zipper (36 inches) I got for $1.99....there really is no comparison. What a great deal! Unfortunately it only comes in this one color, but I am totally good with that since it's such a great neutral and would go with just about anything. I still have quite a bit left over and I have all sorts of plans for it.

I started by hot gluing my larger zippers with the metal teeth on either side of the cuff. LOVE those metal teeth! By the way, the metal zippers in the packages sell for about $5 each, so buying it by the yard saves you a ton! Plus, the metal teeth are what make it so pretty in my opinion . Anyway, back to the task at hand.....sorry, I'm easily distracted. I continued to hot glue my zippers on until I had the look I wanted. There is really no set way of doing this. You can just play with it until you like what you see. No rules....just right!

My original plan was to use the grey in the middle, but I wanted more of the chunky metal to show, so I used the natural color again in the center.

I think my new zipper cuff bracelet is fun and funky, with a bit of a playful edge! Even if "some people" think it looks like a sweatband. PLEASE tell me it does not look like a sweatband. Please, I beg of you!

Yard Sale Shoes Get a Makeover

2010-07-13T00:45:00.021-05:00

I am absolutely obsessed with fabric covered buttons right now. They are easy to make and inexpensive..... instant gratification! How can you not love that, right? You can buy covered button kits at any craft store for around $3. They come in different sizes from x-small to x-large. I decided to use the large buttons for my shoe makeover so more of the pattern would be visible. I found this great zebra fabric in the clearance bin at Hobby Lobby, along with the adorable geometric pattern I'm standing on. I knew the zebra would be perfect for my yard sale shoe refashion.

I started with these basic black flats I found at a yard sale. I bought them thinking I really needed to have a simple flat in my wardrobe. Well, the problem with that is.....I actually hate flats! I'm ashamed to admit that I succumbed to fashion trend peer pressure. Everyone else is doing it....so I guess I should too? Except for the fact that I have short stubby legs and should not under any circumstances be allowed to wear flats (flip flops don't count) with anything other than pants! Yes, I make up crazy fashion rules for myself. I'm a weirdo. So, in an effort to break outside my nutty fashion rule box, I decided to cutesy up my shoes. I followed the simple instructions on the box and had the buttons made in less than 2 minutes. I then snipped off the metal loop on the back of the button and hot glued two circles of black felt over that spot. Next I hot glued the button right onto the shoe.....and voila'. Now I'm in love with them and can't wait to flaunt my sassy new flats, complete with stubby legs attached!

While on my button making frenzy, I also made these hair ties. This is the medium sized button, but I think the large would be even cuter.

The back of the button has a metal loop meant for sewing it onto something. It's also perfect for attaching a hair elastic. Next, I'm going to make some tiny covered button hair ties for my girls' pigtails! How adorable is that?

And just because I can't get enough of these shoes that I once hated.....I'm showing them again!

This week over at The CSI Project our challenge is "Yard Sale/Tag Sale Makeovers". The link up begins in the morning and runs through Thursday at noon. We'd love to have you come and link up your amazing project or just stop by and check it out. I have a feeling this is going to be the best challenge yet!

FAB FRIDAY FEATURE

2010-07-09T13:45:00.020-05:00

See that adorable little banner up there? That's my cute neice Becca's blog. She posted some really great stuff this week and I just had to feature her today. I hope you'll take the time to stop by and tell her hi!

As soon as I walked in their door last weekend, this awesome beverage cart caught my eye. Especially since it's painted with my all time favorite spray paint...Krylon's Blue Ocean Breeze.

I cannot even believe she started with this! You absolutely must visit HERE to see how she transformed it from trash to a real treasure.

They are all about repurposing at their house, by turning seemingly ordinary things into something really unique and fun. Just to give you an idea....they have a collection of these great vintage glass soda bottles turned into dispensers for soap, oil & vinegar, and various other things. Not to mention that backsplash they created out of broken fiestaware. You gotta love that! Don't forget to say hi to Becca and tell her Manda sent ya!

Big Bloggy Hugs....and a Deal Alert

2010-07-08T15:44:00.021-05:00

First of all, let me say thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who left me thoughts of love, support, and comfort on the post about my precious Noah. Your lovely comments had me in tears.....the good kind. You'll never know how much it meant to me. It was such a wonderful experience to be able to share that piece of my heart with you and I am so grateful!

Now, on to not so serious matters! I absolutely must share my killer deal of the week with you, in the hopes that you too can have gorgeous patio furniture at a small fraction of the original cost. Tuesday night my husband and I went out to dinner and to Target. While looking through the remains of the outdoor furniture clearance, the manger came up to us and said if we saw anything we liked to let him know. He wanted to make us a deal and get rid of it. Ummmmmmm, hello? What store are we at? We proceeded to pick out the most gorgeous patio furniture on the planet. Stuff that I would NEVER even look at otherwise. Even with the discount, I didn't think we'd be able to afford it. But just for fun, we asked him what kind of a deal he could give us. He gave us $200 off the clearanced price....$1500 worth of furniture for $580. I just about died and went to heaven.Smith and Hawken's Windsor Collection

Comfortable deep seating that is plush and oh so very chic!

The table has the look of stone, but is very light weight......gorgeous!

And to top it all off, the chairs have this caning detail that mimics my absolute favorite pattern right now......quatrefoil.
{{SQUEAL}}

We have spent the last two days hard at work in our yard getting our new patio set put together. And trying to make our poor neglected yard, not so ghetto! It is definitely a work in progress, but we are making some headway. I think I could possibly invite people over and not be completely humiliated to have them come in the backyard.....maybe! We still have more work to do outside, so I have to run. It sure was nice to come inside and take a break from the excruciating heat and humidity.....thank you little blog, thank you!

Moms Are Like Onions...We Have Layers

2010-07-06T23:00:00.030-05:00

Yes, moms and ogres are like onions....we all have layers. Today I am peeling back a layer that I don't always let show. I want to do this so that you can get to know the "real" me.....the deep down nitty gritty me. I so enjoy getting to know all of you. I have made some amazing friends through blogging and met so many inspiring women. Today I want to share with you a piece of my heart.

6 years ago I had a baby boy named Noah. He came smack dab in the middle of my two oldest boys and my little girls. We found out when I was 20 weeks pregnant with him that he had a condition called Trisomy 18. Babies with this chromosomal abnormality cannot "sustain life". They told us he might live an hour,a day, or a month.....there was really no way to tell. But we knew he would not be with us very long in this life. My precious angel Noah was born to heaven at 27 weeks, weighing a mere 1 pound 3 ounces and measuring 11 inches long. He was perfect. My boys never got a chance to see or hold their baby brother. Yet, from that day on they talked about him every.single.day. They prayed for him every.single.day. And they kept this mama sane every.single.day. They were 5 and 3 at the time, and they were my rocks of strength. They were the reason I got out of bed in the morning and kept plodding along. I am so grateful for their example of faith, and love, and knowledge that we didn't need to be sad....because this is not the end....we will be with Noah again one day! I am blessed beyond measure. I have a beautifully flawed life that I would not trade for anything on this earth.

For the last 6 years I have kept all of Noah's mementos in a tiny blue box hidden away where only I could see it. I did not do this because I'm ashamed or embarrassed. I think I did it out of self-preservation. I purchased a shadowbox years ago to put all of these things in, but just couldn't bring myself to do it. I was so afraid that if I brought it all out and went down that road that I might never come back. The tears may never stop. Well, I don't know what happened, but all of a sudden I was ready. I got the shadowbox down from the top of my closet and quickly set to work. When my boys came in the room to see what I was doing, they were so excited and so was I! No tears....just love and joy and pride. I want to display these priceless memories where I can see them all the time, and we can be reminded of Noah every single day. I want my girls to know him and love him like my boys do. I want his life to be remembered and honored....not hidden away in a tiny blue box.

Thanks for letting me share my sweet baby Noah with you.....it means a lot to me. I am so blessed to have him as my son. He truly is this family's greatest blessing. And I look forward to the day when I can hold him in my arms again and kiss his sweet face!

Big Beautiful Blog Makeover!!!

2010-07-05T14:52:00.018-05:00

Soooooo.......what do you think of my blog's fabulous facelift? Isn't it too cute for words? It was long overdue and I am over the moon excited about how it turned out! I want to give a huge shout out to my tireless designer, Bailey from B's {Blog} Boutique. She has the patience of an angel to put up with me and all of my demands. She should get some kind of an award!

This is Bailey and her adorable daughter Addison. Bailey is a young mom trying to put herself through school. She decided to start her own business designing blogs, so that she could work from home and take care of her daughter at the same time. I have a soft spot for WAHM's....and cute babies.....and great design! It was a no brainer for me to hire her. I have been looking for a blog designer for a really, really long time. Unfortunately, I had to keep putting it off because honestly, I just couldn't afford it. I had absolutely no idea how expensive it could be to have your blog re-designed....like I would need a money tree in my backyard expensive! When I found Bailey and started looking through her portfolio and then found her price list, I pretty much wet my pants. FINALLY, an affordable blog designer with a great portfolio.....yes! Sooooooo, my point? If you need/want a new blog design, I highly recommend B's Blog Boutique. She is quick, easy to work with, and extremely accommodating.

This is my new button.....I would be honored to have you grab it and display it on your blog! Is it way too obvious that I am in LOVE with my new blog. This is one instance where I am totally down with cosmetic surgery!!!

{My site is still partially "under construction", so please bear with me while I continue to tweak and try to get it just so....thanks for understanding!}

So Yummy, My Mouth is Watering Right Now Sugar Cookie Bars

2010-07-04T16:00:00.026-05:00

I made these delicious sugar cookie bars to take to our 4th of July celebration yesterday. Unfortunately for the cake, we had a two hour drive ahead of us and it absolutely HAD to be taste tested! I'm sure your first thought was that one of my children ate into the corner. Ummmmmm no, that would be me.....their mother and would be example who just happens to have a wicked sweet-tooth. And yes, that is an awfully big "taste"......I'm aware!

We had a fabulous day filled with family, yummy food, and lots of fun. The highlight of the day was our rigged redneck slip-n-slide in the backyard. The kids spent hours and hours out there...seriously. Who knew a big 'ol plastic tarp, a sprinkler, and some dish soap could be so much fun???

SUGAR COOKIE BARS

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

5 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp soda

Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla & mix well. In a seperate bowl combine flour, salt, & soda and stir with a whisk to combine. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined. Spread on a greased baking sheet (I used a 13 x 18). Bake at 375 degrees for 10 - 15 minutes, until light golden brown or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely and frost.

Frosting

1/2 cup butter (room temp)

1/2 cup shortening

1 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

4 cups powdered sugar

5 Tbsp milk

Combine butter and shortening until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and salt. Add powdered sugar in 1-2 cup increments until combined, than add milk and mix until smooth and spreading consistency. Spread over cooled cookie.

The Most Ginormous Paper Pinwheels Ever

2010-07-01T22:25:00.038-05:00

Ok, so maybe not THE biggest ever....but close! Just so you know, I wanted them big. I did this on purpose. The tutorial I found on Martha's site called for 5 inch squares, but I used 12. I wanted them to make a statment and I think they do. You can probably see them coming a couple blocks away, but that's ok with me. {I like BIG stars and I cannot lie} Please don't judge me by my musical references....I sincerely apologize!

I also chose to use double sided cardstock so that I could flip them and have two different but similar looks. Sometimes matchy matchy is ok, right?

So, here's the lowdown on how to make your very own pinwheels.

1.Take your square of paper and draw diagonal lines from corner to corner. (5 inches makes a small but cute pinwheel, 12 inches makes a big beautiful bold pinwheel)

2. Make a 3 - 6 inch cut (depending on size of square you use) along each line.

3.Fold every other point toward center and glue the point down.

4. Affix to clothespin or dowel with map tack if you want it to spin. I wanted mine to be stationery, so I put a decorative metal brad in the center and hot glued the dowel onto the back of each pinwheel.

I am obsessed with this paper I found at Micheal's. I never ever go to Micheal's, but I was on the other side of town and thought I'd pop in there real quick. I instantly fell in love with this bold retro inspired double sided cardstock. I think it adds such personality to these already fun and festive pinwheels!

I'm taking these to my sister's house this weekend for our 4th of July bash. Hopefully they will make it till then. I might have to hide them because my little girls are just dying to get their hands on them. I must admit one of these pinwheels would make a rather fabulous fairy wand.
I think tomorrow we'll make small ones for just that purpose!

4th of July Inpsiration

2010-06-30T23:37:00.030-05:00

Leave it to Martha to corner the market on beautiful and inspiring ideas for the 4th of July. While browsing her site looking for instructions on how to make pinwheels, I got sidetracked by these gorgeous photos. Makes me want to have a party just so I can decorate with all of her simply genius ideas! My absolute favorite is this centerpiece of paper fireworks stuck in mason jars full of sand.

I want to pack up and move into this picturesque gazebo.

Simple elegance!

These metal drink buckets would be super easy to make with my cricut and some white vinyl. I love the idea of flipping one over and stacking them to give it some height.

Reduce, reuse, and recycle all those cans you would otherwise throw away. Slap some cute scrapbook or wrapping paper on them and you have custom made partyware, sure to impress.

I want to build a picket fence just so I can hang this flag garland on it! Somehow, I don't think my husband is gonna go for that.

Layers of colored sand lend a splash of patriotic color to these simple votive candles.

And finally, I found a tute on how to make these adorable pinwheels. I made mine with 12 inch squares instead of these 5 inch ones, and attached them to dowels instead of clothespins. I plan to stick them in flower pots on the front porch. Unfortunately, we had bad weather today and zero good light to take pictures, so you'll have to come back tomorrow and see them. They are really big and super cute!

Over the Hill Birthday Gift Idea....{and giveaway winner!}

2010-06-28T20:28:00.018-05:00

Thanks to everyone who supported this wonderful giveaway. And to those who took it a step further and made a purchase from Cindy's etsy shop....your contribution is greatly appreciated!

The winner of the Buttons of Hope giveaway is

Comment #17, Kellie.

CONGRATS and ENJOY your cute, cute button jewelry, Kellie!

Ok....I think this might be the funnest gift idea ever for all your "Over the Hill" friends. I saw a variation on this idea recently and I am kicking myself that I didn't make note of where (maybe Tip Junkie?) If anyone knows, please e-mail me so that I can give credit where credit is due. Anyway, when I saw these "flippin 40 flip flops" I immediately knew I had to make them. Last weekend, I was invited to a surprise party for a friend of mine turning 40....much to her dismay! And I was so excited I finally had the chance to make a set of my own to give.

Aside from being a funny gift, I also wanted it to be something she would actually like and use. Not just a plain jane pair of rubber flip flips for the pool. I found a really cute and affordable pair at Walmart and added some of my shabby {no sew} rosettes. I am loving this fabric I found at Hobby Lobby too....very funky chic!

If you missed my tutorial on how to make these cute rosettes, you can click here to read all about it!

I hope my old codger, over the hill, 40-something friends can take a joke! It is out of sheer love from me and utter torture for them that I give these. Am I a great friend or what???

A Fantastic Giveaway for a Worthy Cause!!!

2010-06-26T17:51:00.023-05:00

Today I want to celebrate the life of a sweet little girl named Sirri. In 2008 she was diagnosed with cancer after they found a potato sized tumor in her tiny chest squeezed between her heart and lungs. Two years later she is healthy and cancer free! It is truly a miracle and act of God that she is alive today. In an effort to give back and hope other families can have the outcome they now enjoy, all of the ladies in Sirri's family and some close friends have chosen to participate in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life this summer. They have all come up with their own way of raising funds, with a goal of $5000.....and they are halfway there! Sirri's Aunt Cindy started an etsy shop called Button of Hope, selling the most adorable hair pins, earrings, and necklaces....with 100% of the proceeds going to the cause! To help her get the word out and try and meet their goal, we are having a giveaway. Cindy has so graciously offered one lucky winner a pair of earrings, a set of hair pins, and a necklace from her etsy shop! Here is just a sampling of the absolutely adorable items from her shop..........

My dear readers, I would be so honored for you to help support this family and the worthy cause they're involved in. I have been so touched by this sweet little girl and her family and their story of survival. What a gift they have been given. I just had to share with you what Cindy had to say on her blog about her neice and their experience......

"Our family feels so blessed to have Sirri with us today. For me personally, she is one of the lights and joys of my life. She is my "little squish" and someone I can't imagine life without. She is a healthy and thriving 6 year old who is constantly making us laugh, loves her first grade class, playing with her friends, performing for her family, and painting her fingernails.
With your help, more families will be able to enjoy the outcome we now, so gratefully enjoy."

Please be sure to stop by Cindy's etsy shop, Button of Hope. What a wonderful way to support other families dealing with the heartbreak of cancer. Now, to enter the giveaway, you can do one or all of the following things, with a chance to have your name in the drawing 3 times! Please leave a seperate comment for each thing you do to enter the giveaway. We will close it at noon on Monday the 28th and choose the winner using random.org...........

1. Comment on this post

2. Blog, Facebook, or Tweet about the giveaway

3. Make a purchase from Button of Hope

GOOD LUCK!

Mod Podge Fabric Mouse Pad

2010-06-24T23:00:00.001-05:00

It all started with this cute scrap of fabric I found in my craft drawer. I pulled it out hoping it was big enough for the project I had in mind.

See......I have this nasty gross mousepad in my cute little desk area.....it just doesn't fit in. And it definitely does not play nice with my trendy office supplies. Don't get me wrong, I love the flag...we are a very patriotic family. But this sad little mousepad had seen better days. This flag didn't deserve to be man-handled by my brood of 6 every.single.day. It needed a makeover!

I read about this really cool technique using mod podge on fabric last week and I've been dying to try it ever since. My friend Amy @ Mod Podge Rocks made an uber adorable mod podged fabric covered canvas....she was my inspiration. Her tutorial is way better than mine, so just bear with me, kay? I start by brushing on a good layer of mod podge directly onto my fabric. When that is really dry, you cut your fabric piece to fit whatever you're covering. The layer of mod podge will prevent it from fraying when you cut (that was my favorite part...I was anxious to see if it really worked...and it did)!

Next I coated the back of the fabric and the top of the mousepad with mod podge and adhered the two together. When that was dry, I was able to trim any excess that was hanging off the sides. I gave it another good coat of mod podge and let it dry. I decided to spray on a clear acrylic sealer on top to prevent it from getting sticky. Remember, I do live in the deep south and we have some wicked humidity here! I'm hoping this will help prolong the life of my mod podged fabric.

I really love the way it turned out! It was just the element of "cute" that my desktop needed. Although, I am a bit nervous that when my man gets home from scout camp that he will be offended that I covered old glory with cutesie pootsie fabric. Oh, who am I kidding? I doubt he will even notice. Until he reads this post, of course. Sorry babe.....it really needed a makeover! Forgive me?????

Adorable Felt Hair Clips

2010-06-23T22:30:00.000-05:00

Are these little felt clips not THE cutest? I am giving a turorial on how to make your own tomorrow over at The CSI Project. I'd love for you to stop by and check it out!

I was totally inspired by this precious flower my cousin made and sent to us. I immediately called her and she gave me a quick tutorial over the phone.

We are all ready for the 4th of July now.

Cute dress.....check!

Adorable hair accessory.....check!

Happy baby girl.....check!

Quatrefoil Art Restyle

2010-06-22T21:21:00.020-05:00

Last week over at The CSI Project, I introduced the theme for our current challenge....."Frames, Art, and Wall Decor". Since writing that post, it seems to be all I can think about. So in honor of our challenge, I decided to take the quatrefoil art I stenciled a few weeks back and kick it up a notch. I used my cricut and sure cuts alot to cut this fun little scene out of chocolate brown vinyl to match my walls.

It's a little whimsy and a bit quirky, but I really love the fun element it brings into the room.

The beauty of vinyl is that when I get tired of it and want something a bit more classic, I can simply peel it right off and I get a completely different look! It's nice to give yourself options and not label your style. It's ok to have fun with your decor. Go ahead and give yourself permission to relax, have some fun, and think outside the box!

What have you done lately to kick your decor up a notch???

BIG BEAUTIFUL FRAMES @ teeny tiny prices

2010-06-21T13:04:00.016-05:00

The other night while on a hot date with my honey at Big Lots, I scored a killer deal on these beautiful silver frames. They almost look like mirror or silver leaf...they are so gorgeous! The beaded detail really makes them extra special. I have priced similar frames to these and I would say they are $40 - $50 frames, especially since they are matted as well.

Can you believe $7 for these huge 11 x 14 frames???? I seriously thought they had mismarked them and that when I went to checkout they would discover their mistake and mark them up. I grabbed all they had, which just so happened to be the exact number I needed. I'm printing an 8 x 10 of each of my four children in black and white to hang in these beautiful silver frames! I cannot wait to get them up on the wall!

Isn't it gorgeous? I may have to stalk Big Lots now, so that I can find just one more of these frames. I am loving how it looks, paired with my mercury glass candle sticks on the buffet in my kitchen!

Ok.....am I the only weirdo that gets excited to go on a date with my hubby to Big Lots??? It is seriously one of our favorite places to go together. He scored a bunch of great stuff for boy scout camp, while I drooled over these frames. We were both in heaven......I guess there really is a lid for every pot!!!

Are we sick to death of chalkboard paint yet???

2010-06-18T17:00:00.043-05:00

I know, I know....chalkboard paint and chalkboards are everywhere lately. And just when I thought I was done with them....I found these cutie patootie flower shapes from Dollar Tree tucked away in my craft drawer. They were screaming to be made into chalkboards and I just couldn't resist....I had to do it!

I slapped on two coats of chalkboard paint, added an adorable ribbon hanger....and I think I might have the cutest chalkboards on the planet.

Wouldn't this be perfect on a shop door, posting their business hours?

I think I'll use this one on my bedroom door when I need some "quiet time". Although, I have a feeling it may not be too well recieved!

This one is going to hang to the side of my front door. We have some really sweet pre-teen girls in our neighborhood that like to come over and play with my little girls. They always seem to come at nap time though, and ring the doorbell 18 times or bang rather loudly. I'm hoping this will be a nice reminder for them.

This one is dedicated to my 9 and 11 year old boys who think they are way too old to still kiss their mom. Sorry boys........you're not getting off that easily. I expect kisses for the rest of my life. Deal with it!!

Make Your Own Funky-Modern Lightswitch Covers

2010-06-16T00:53:00.030-05:00

Anthropologie gets me every single time. I know better than to look, because every time I do, I fall in love and lust after whatever item it is that currently has me hooked. Right now my obsession is this adorable, over-priced owl lightswitch cover. I'm sorry but I just cannot justify spending $24 on one itty bitty teeny tiny cover for my humble little lightswitch. So to satisfy my craving for lovely over priced items I absolutely do not need.....I turned to my old friend, Mod Podge. It's been a few months and I really needed a fix anyway.

How fun are these? The giraffe print is for my aqua and brown bathroom and the funky paisley with the bird is for my chocolate brown living room. I am loving these fun colors against the dark chocolate walls! It definitely adds some personality to the room.

This is an extremely easy project that anyone can do. I'm sure you don't need a tutorial, but I'm gonna give you a quick run down of how I did it, anyway! I started by tracing the cover onto my scrapbook paper. I used a paper trimmer to cut it out so that the edges would be nice and straight.

Glue the paper onto to the top of the switchplate with mod podge. When that is dry, give the top 2-3 coats of mod podge (with drying time in between).

When the mod podge is good and dry, you're ready to cut your holes for the switches. I used an exacto knife and ran it along the inside edges of the openings. You'll need to push down hard enough to cut through those layers of dried mod podge.

Then I used a paper piercing tool to poke through the holes for the screws. I added a quick coat of clear acrylic spray to seal the mod podge and I was done. See, I told you..............super easy and fun. I even had two toddlers crawling all over me while doing this and they still turned out great.

Now I have some cuteness to hang on my walls to cover those ugly naked light switches!

1960's TV Trays Get a Makeover

2010-06-14T10:14:00.034-05:00

It's been almost a year since I bought these old tv trays at a yard sale. While on vacation in Utah last summer, I just had to see what their yard sale scene had to offer. I was definitely not disappointed. Unfortunately, I had to be selective about what I got since I'd have to pack it all in my suitcase. These 25 cent trays were my favorite purchase of the day! I knew that with a little tlc, they could be fabulous. The problem was that I kept changing my mind about what I wanted to do to them. Last week I finally settled on THE idea.

A can of Krylon Ocean Breeze spray paint totally transformed them from old and tacky to fun and modern .

I used my Cricut and Sure Cuts a Lot software to cut out the place setting in white vinyl. It is from the font "good company" by Lettering Delights.

My 4 year old thinks these trays make for a perfect tea party! My older boys are constantly begging me to let them eat in the living room while they watch tv. Now that I have these fun trays, I might just let them do that every now and then!

Fireflies & Jellybeans - http://firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com/

The Shabby Chic Cottage - http://www.theshabbychiccottage.net/

House of Hepworths - http://www.houseofhepworths.com/

Zipper Flower Embellishments

2010-06-10T07:17:00.033-05:00

This is what you get when you ask your 11 year old son to take pictures for you! My zipper flowers turned into a smiley face. Actually, he did a fantastic job. And here's the funny part......when I asked him to take pics of my feet and hands, he didn't even bat an eye. He complied like it was the most normal thing in the world for his mom to ask him such a question! Now I know that I've successfully turned my whole family into blogging crazies.

Anyway.....back to the whole point of this post (sorry, I'm easily distracted)! I am totally enamored with zippers lately. They seem to be everywhere......on shoes, clothing, even jewelry. With that in mind, I decided to make my own zipper embellishments. I started with this bracelet. First I wrapped a dollar store bangle with ribbon. Then take your metal zipper and unzip it. Cut it right above the zipper pull, and that will split it into two zippers. Now just wrap it in a circle dabbing on hot glue as you go to hold it all in place. Cut a piece of felt to fit the back and glue that on. Then you can easily glue it to your bracelet.

I used a 24 inch zipper to make bigger flowers for my favorite pair of shoes. But instead of gluing them on, I used sticky velcro strips. That way I can take them on and off or even put them on different shoes when I want a change.

Are these too edgy to wear to church??? I am in LOVE with them.

I must admit, I am obsessing over these zipper flowers. Hmmmmm......what else can I put them on?

Martha Stewart Inspired

2010-06-08T22:12:00.017-05:00

In honor of our Martha Stewart inpsired challenge over at The CSI Project this week, I thought I'd repost my copy cat version of Martha's infamous tissue paper pom poms. She gives a very detailed and quite perfect tutorial on her site. But this is my lazy girl version...complete with no tutorial at all...just pictures. If you'd like my play by play, full length tutorial you can click HERE.

For more Martha inspired craftiness and creativity, be sure and stop by The CSI Project. Our special guest judge this week is Martha's very own Crafts Department!!! There is still a day and a half to link up your crafty goodness, so get to it!

Renovate, Remodel, and Restore

2010-06-07T00:11:00.027-05:00

This weekend I had the rare opportunity to get away by myself for a couple days and travel to my sister's house in Louisiana. They are in the midst of a remodel that has unfortunately gone on for more than a year because their contractor bailed on them with the job less than halfway finished and ALL the money spent. My sister had this to say.....

"We started this project May 5, 2009 with the anticipation of being done in September 2009. We now know that our former contractor has a history of purposely underbidding jobs. He bailed on us August 15th (prior to that we went for one month without anyone coming to the “site”). At this point we were on our own. Ah, the pay as you go plan. Living on sub floor in a literal construction zone. It is now June 2010. We hope to be done with the interior soon and will then build our deck and do landscaping.Though we had a tumultuous remodel ride and I thought about calling HGTV’s Holmes on Homes a couple of times, the lessons of patience, perseverance, and what is really important (not stuff!) were definitely humbling and great learning and growing experiences for us."

I seriously admire her attitude and resilience! I was honored to be able to go and help them with some finish work. I'm pretty sure we caulked and puttied at least 2897 nail holes on the trim throughout the house. We had a blast and laughed and talked the entire day. They have a lovely home in the historical district that is 113 years old. Their mission was to maintain the historical integrity of the house while also modernizing it. Today I want to share with you some before and afters and a few pretty details.

I am in LOVE with this fridge in their new pantry. It is classic vintage with a swanky coat of cherry red appliance paint! They left the original Bakelite handle as is.

This is the before shot of the front of the house after the siding had been ripped off. Notice they did not have a front door on the FRONT of the house....only a side and back door.

And here is the after. Isn't it lovely? Every single detail is swoon worthy.......the door is beyond beautiful, the light fixture, the mailbox, even the house numbers are ultra fab.

Simple elegance!
(my sister wanted me to stress that the house is still unfinished and many of the pics show that)

The master bath is a complete addition to the house. It is dreamy!

When we stayed over recently, my girls wanted to take baths in this tub all.day.long. Seriously,that's pretty much all they wanted to do.

I am lusting after this light fixture!

And the sconces to match. Can you believe she found those mirrors for $22 each clearanced at Target?

My absolute favorite part of this spa-like bathroom are the gorgeous granite countertops. Wouldn't this color granite be fantastic in a kitchen with a white subway tile backsplash?

This is the guest bath. Now imagine with me if you will, a dark cabin like bathroom with carpeted floors, dark wood plank walls, and a low ceiling. Unfortunately my sister lost many of her before pics when her hard drive crashed, so you'll have to use your imagination on this one. Needless to say, it is a complete and utter transformation!

This former dresser was repurposed as a vanity. They bought a scrap piece of granite and had it cut to fit. They tried really hard to repurpose as many items as they could. The rest they donated to good homes to serve as someone elses treasure! I got some gorgeous old windows and my other sister got a pink claw foot tub.

I love how they mix the old with the new and make it all work beautifully.

This is the before shot of their back porch.

And this is the after. AMAZING.....huh? This space became a new mudroom/hallway/entry.

This is the view when you walk in the back door. After finishing all those pesky nail holes, we even had a little time to do some staging and take some pretty pictures......my favorite part!

Cute little Pottery Barn splurge to hold keys and mail.

This chippy white bench was a $5 yard sale find and the wire baskets were another Target clearance score at just $6.24. What a perfect spot to sit and take off your muddy shoes and throw them in the basket!

Again, I love the mix of the old with the new. My sister has such a knack for this. I hope y'all enjoyed our little tour filled with inspiration. I had a fantastic time helping out. I love you both Beth and Ronnie. Thanks for a good time, some satisfying work, the best company, and some rocking eats! When can I come back and help again?

Out With the Dark...In With with the Light

2010-06-03T15:30:00.002-05:00

It all started with this gorgeous piece of linen I found on clearance at Hobby Lobby. We all know I am a sucker for anything aqua/seafoam related, and this beautiful damask print was no exception. It was marked down from $30 a yard to just $10 a yard. I could not pass that deal up...it was perfect timing. Remember those toast colored lampshades that blended right into the toast colored walls in my kitchen? Well.....this fabulous fabric was the perfect solution for my drab to fab lamp makeover.

I started by tracing one of the side panels of the lampshade onto the back of the fabric. I did this 8 times. Then I cut them all out and applied fray check to the edges to keep them from looking messy with stray threads. Once the fray check was dry, I used spray adhesive to apply the fabric panels I'd cut out to each side of the lamp. To cover the seam where each piece of fabric met, I hot glued a strip of bias tape down each side.

Here are my toast colored walls with my toast colored lampshades. And my $1 shutters.
BORING!

And here they are now......boring no more! The damask linen on the shades and a fresh coat of spray paint on the shutters have transformed this space from dark and boring to light, fresh, and airy. If you want to know more about the sunburst mirror off to the side, you can read about it here. It's made out of free paint sticks from the hardware store!

Add some glassware into the mix with a bit of shine from the silver tray....and it's good to go. I feel my mood brightening as we speak. All that dark mixed with too many neutrals was totally bringing me down. I shopped my house for everything on this sideboard. The only thing I purchased was 1 yard of $10 fabric. I feel like I have all new stuff now. THAT is why I love shopping the house!

Soft and pretty with the lamps on.

Light and bright and cheery with the lamps off!

One more thing.....I want opinions on this. Should I paint the shutters and sideboard a creamy distressed white or leave them like they are???

Fireflies & Jellybeans - http://firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com/

The Shabby Chic Cottage - http://www.theshabbychiccottage.net/

House of Hepworths - http://www.houseofhepworths.com/

DIY Starburst Mirror

2010-06-01T21:53:00.035-05:00

In honor of our weekly theme, "hardware store", over at The CSI Project.....I decided to fashion a starburst mirror out of paint sticks. Did you know they will happily give you a bag full of them if you ask??? I went in prepared to pay for them, but they were so nice and happy to help me out. I proceeded to skip out the front door, smiling all the way to my car! I could hardly wait to get started.

First, I lined them all up outside and gave them a coat of black spray paint. Then I painstakingly silver leafed each and every one of those blasted sticks. It was not as easy as they make it look. I googled and you tubed and read all the tutorials....I thought I was soooooooo prepared. HA! That stuff is tricky. These are the first few I did. I wanted them a bit distressed, but not quite this much. I eventually got the hang of it.....thankfully. I decided to use silver leaf because I like the look it gives. I was going for a faux antiqued mirrored look. But, really I think you could achieve something similar with spray paint.

As you can see, I am not a patient woman. Instead of cutting the sticks like a normal person would do, I decided to just go ahead and break them with my man hands. Seriously. Then I used hot glue to attach the sticks to the back of the mirror. I used an epoxy, E-6000, to attach the hanger.

The mirror is actually a candle mirror from the craft store. They were half off last week, so this whole project cost me $3.50. The paint sticks were free and the silver leaf sheets and spray paint I already had on hand. I LOVE a really cool, really cheap DIY project!

I really like the way it brightens up this space. Now I need to work on recovering the lampshades that blend right into the walls. And the shutters definitely need some sanding and a bit of glaze to tone them down. As soon as I start one project...I always find at least 10 more mini projects within that project that need attention too! My list is never ending. But actually I like it that way. I would be lost without my LIST of things to do.......and really BORED!

Project Teaser....Can you Guess?

2010-05-31T13:10:00.015-05:00

I have big plans for these humble little paint sticks. The theme for our challenge over at The CSI Project this week is "hardware store". At least one element of your project has to be from the hardware store. My super creative friend Jen made a wreath for her front door out of heating ductwork.....seriously. You really must check it our HERE. The way her brain works is simply amazing and I am in awe!

So......can you guess what I'm working on? Here's hoping it turns out as fabulous as I see it in my head. I may have to stay up all night to finish it, but I WILL get it done. I've had way too many unfinished projects going on around here and I just can't take it anymore. I desperately need to finish something....anything! Check back tomorrow for the big reveal.

$1 Yard Sale Shutters and Some Kitchen Inspiration

2010-05-27T15:14:00.062-05:00

Confession...I hate my kitchen. It is small and outdated and completely devoid of color. It needs some serious H.E.L.P. Unfortunately, at the present time that will consist of a slim to none budget. So, I've been thinking about what I could do to add some color and personality without demo, remodeling, or cash. Yes, I realize my options are minimal. But still...options there are! I am so in love with that picture at the top...see it up there, all lovely and fun and full of color and personality??? I've been hanging on to this one for inspiration for a while. I am dying to paint my ugly laminate counters this gorgeous shade of aqua blue. I just mentioned it to hubby and he immediately started shaking his head NO. I even had pictures to show him to prove it COULD be done. My research and backup pics did no good. He was soooooooo not sold on my brilliant idea. Hmmmmmph! Back to the drawing board for me.

For now I will gaze at this...my dream kitchen. And I will hold out hope that Publisher's Clearing House will knock on my freshly painted, very chic, black front door with my millions in tow.

Ok...back to my random ramblings for the day. I scored these shutters at a yard sale last weekend for $1. They are scuffed and dinged up and a bit sad. BUT....they scream potential to me. I think they might be just what I need to spruce up this area of my kitchen for the time being. I'm thinking a lovely shade of......I bet you can't guess the glaringly obvious answer? Yeah right, we all know I'm talking about the color sent from heaven......my beloved aqua.

Here is the space in question. The shutters will be painted, the mirror will be switched out(another project in progress), and the lamps need some serious therapy. Any brilliant ideas or inspiration you have...send it my way. Oh and remember we're working without a budget here. I know..... I am so demanding!

The Paint Challenge is On!

2010-05-25T18:17:00.011-05:00

Just a little reminder that today is the day to link up your paint projects over at

The CSI Project

There are over 80 amazing entries so far and I can't wait to see more. The linky will be open until Thursday at noon, so you still have a little time to get those last minute projects done. You ladies are so unbelievably talented and creative....thanks for inspiring me today and every day!

$1 Monogrammed Teacher Gifts

2010-05-24T00:59:00.040-05:00

EDITED TO ADD.......Well, this is just what I get for posting after midnight. I completely left out all the details of this project, like how I did it and what materials we used. Those seem to be important to y'all so here goes.....and I apologize for my loserness! I used vinyl to cut out the dots and lettering. The font I used is called French Script, which I cut out using my cricut and the Sure Cuts Alot software. And for those of you concerned with how these will hold up...the vinyl is very sturdy. If you hand wash these, which you should with aluminum bottles anyway, they will be fine. I've used vinyl on mailboxes, license plates, etc and they have held up great.

My sister Emily found these adorable metal water bottles at the Dollar Tree last week. She came over after church today and we used the Cricut to personalize each one for her kids teachers. Are they not THE cutest things ever??? I am so jealous that she bought all they had.....I want one for myself!

You could make some with your school colors, like this one.

Or sass it up real good with this fun hot pink bottle complete with fancy monogram and bright colored dots.

They sell water bottles almost identical to these at a local boutique for $20 each. We made these for $1 a piece. You really can't beat that for a super cute personalized gift!

And for all the coffee and hot chocolate lovers....monogram a mug. What teacher wouldn't love to carry around her very own personalized mug at school everyday? I am really digging these fast, fun, extremely affordable gift ideas. And if you're like me and have yet to start on your end of the year teacher gifts....this is the way to go. Thanks, Emmie for sharing this fantabulous idea with us!

Quatrefoil Wall Art

2010-05-21T20:49:00.023-05:00

Lately I am obsessing over this beautiful pattern called, quatrefoil. I first saw it in the Ballard catalog and it was love at first sight. Now I see it all over the place. I guess it's the latest hot trend. I've had it on my list of things I wanted to try, but didn't know where to start. Well, my bestie, Jen from Tatertots and Jello, came to my rescue. Her post over at The CSI Project this week was THE most fabulous quatrefoil tutorial. She even included a free printable stencil!!! You can click HERE to get your very own copy...isn't she sweet?

This is my little creation using her awesome stencil. I am in L.O.V.E. I'm already dreaming up various ways to use this stencil again and again and again!

Here is how I did it. First I printed a copy of the pattern Jen made. Then I taped it to the back of a plastic stencil sheet. Because these sheets are clear, you can easily cut the shape out following the lines of the pattern.

Now you're ready to stencil your little heart out. This is definitely a process and it takes time and patience...so be sure you have a little of both saved up! It has been a long time since I stenciled anything, and in my mind I was thinking it would be quick and painless. Ummmm....not so quick and slightly painful. I kid...really, it wasn't. I just wasn't prepared to spend several hours laboring over the detail of every single paint line. Maybe if I'd had this warning, I wouldn't have started this project at 10pm. Regardless, I would do it again. In fact, I plan to do another quatrefoil stencil project very soon, but I might need to set aside a few days to do it!

FYI.....I used a paint dauber to stencil the pattern on the canvas. If you don't know what I'm talking about, there is a picture of it two shots up. It's that little yellow round sponge on the end of a paint brush. After I stipled the pattern on, I went over the edge of each shape very carefully with a small paintbrush to sharpen the lines and filled in the centers.

This wall art is just the pop of color I needed in this corner of my chocolate brown living room. I love everything about it....the pattern, the color, the free price tag, and the fact that I made it myself. I've always enjoyed decorating and crafting, ever since I was a little girl. But it has only been in the last few years that I have been able to truly enjoy and embrace my creativity. For so long I denied myself the satisfaction of creating beautiful things. I was so caught up in the notion that everything needed to be perfect, that I didn't allow myself to try new things. What a waste! Let me tell you....once I let go of those ridiculously high expectations of myself, it was absolutely liberating. I love the freedom I've allowed myself to create, to share, to be inspired...beautiful imperfections and all!!!

That is why I am so excited about this new project....The CSI Project! It is a culmination of everything I love about blogging. It is a place to share your creations and be inspired by the creativity of others. Our first weekly challenge link up starts Monday. The theme for the week is "paint". Our guest judge is none other than my good friend, Sarah from Thrifty Decor Chick. We will have lots of fun, some fabulous loot, and plenty of inspiration. So get those projects together and get ready to link up for the fun. I am super excited to see what y'all come up with.....and I hope to see you there!

Bathroom Transformation

2010-05-20T09:07:00.007-05:00

If you'd like to see how I turned this nasty builder basic bathroom from this..........

.....to this, I'm over at The CSI Project today talking about how I did it. Come over and visit, if you have time. I'd love to see you there!

Lampshade Makeover...Girly Edition

2010-05-18T00:20:00.048-05:00

After making the bow holder for the girls' room, I decided to tackle another project that I've been putting off. I guess I was a little nervous to take on recovering theses lampshades, but I am sooooooooooooooo glad I did. My best friend covered them for me the first time and they were perfect. I didn't want to mess them up. Well, let me tell you.....it would be pretty hard to mess these up. The straight cylindrical shape of these shades has got to be the easiest thing in the world to recover.....yah for me!

I am loving this new color palette...lots of white, soft pink, and the most luscious shade of aqua blue ever!!! (fyi...for those who asked, the color on the frame is an acrylic craft paint called Seafoam by Ceramcoat.) I would like to slather it all over every surface in my house...that's how much I love it!

This was the lampshade in it's former life....cute, huh? I really adored that fabric, but it was time for a change. Instead of bold hot pinks and lime greens, I'm going for an understated elegance with the white, pink, and seafoam blue/green.

Anyway.....I started by carefully ripping the existing piece of fabric off the lamp. I used it as a template to cut out my new lampshade covers. I found this beautiful white cotton pique in the clearance bin at Hobby Lobby for less than $3....perfect!

Next, I started at the back seam and began rolling it over the top edge, putting a line of hot glue as I went. When you get back around to the back side again, fold the rough edge of the fabric under and hot glue it in place. I then added a wide pink ribbon at the top and bottom and finished it off with aqua blue rick rac.....a.d.o.r.a.b.l.e.

See that chenille braided rug underneath the lamps? I scored that beauty at Hobby Lobby today for 66% off. I absolutely could not pass it up. The colors are the perfect match to the room. I really want to go back and get at lest one more....they has a whole stack of them. I considered waiting for it to get marked 80 or 90% off.....but that is way too risky when you've already fallen in love!

My little collection of girly frou frou accessories to finish off the room.

From Ugly Frame....to Cute Bow Holder

2010-05-16T22:13:00.106-05:00

This weekend I worked on some projects and little details for my girlie's bedroom makeover. I remembered this frame I had painted just the right shade of aqua blue a couple months ago. I loved the color, but didn't know what to do with it, so I put it in the closet. And there it sat until I had a light bulb moment Friday night......to turn it into a hair bow holder. We have oodles of bows and unfortunately they are kept in a gallon size ziploc bag. Yeah...that is pretty pathetic. Now, they can be displayed on something pretty that will also compliment the new colors in the room.

This is what the frame looked like when I bought it for one dollar at a yard sale last year.....U.G.L.Y. I originally painted over the lovely picture with chalkboard paint, then painted and distressed the frame white. It was cute, but eventually I got tired of it and put it away. So, I guess this is it's third life!

I used a scrap of canvas drop cloth, wrapped it up like a present, and added some hot glue to hold it in place.

Then I added two pieces of pink ribbon down the front and hot glued it onto the back.

I popped it back into the frame and it was good to go.

Here it is adorned with all of our bows. Yes...we do have an abundance (this is just a few). After having two boys for so long, it was easy to go overboard when the girls came along!

All the colors and patterns started to make me a little crazy, so I had to take them off and try something else. I used those little swirly metal paper clips from my scrapbooking supplies to attach some pictures of the girls to the ribbon strips. Now I can either use it vertically as a bow holder or flip it this way and turn it into a fun little bulletin board. I love that it can serve dual purposes...way more bang for my buck that way!

Polyvore LOVE!

2010-05-14T06:30:00.001-05:00

Girly Room by amandapscott on Polyvore.com

Last night I got totally sucked into the world of Polyvore and didn't go to bed until almost 2:00am. I was having so much fun, I didn't even realize what time it was. Have y'all ever been to Polyvore? It is AMAZING! You can basically make little collages of everything you'd ever want in a room, and each item has a link on it to where you can buy it and the price. The possibilities are endless. You just type in what you're looking for and pages and pages of choices come up for you to scroll through. You can categorize it by color, price, type of item, etc. And it's not just home decor or interior design, there's art and fashion as well. It is a really cool site. I had so much coming up with an inspiration board for a dream room for my girls. This is what I would do if money were no object and I could go out today and buy anything I wanted. Now, that is fun to think about! I am obsessed with this lovely shabby chic color pallete right now....lots of white with touches of soft aqua and a whisper of pink...so pretty and soooooooooooo girl. One of my very favoite items I found are those drapes and unfortunately something is wrong with the picture. I wish you could see the full view of them. The top third is a gorgeous smocked material and it is heavenly. And such a bargain at only $195 a panel! Haaaaaaaa...I wish. And those aqua pillows....a mere $220 a piece. I cannot even imagine being able to go out and buy anything I wanted, no matter the price. I think even if I was rolling in money I'd still have a hard time spending money so lavishly....it's just not my style. But it IS fun to dream! What about y'all? If you had a money tree...would you be spendy or thrifty????

FYI...we are having a fun paint giveaway over at the CSI Project today. Be sure to stop by and check it!!!

Easy Dollar Store Craft

2010-05-13T00:21:00.033-05:00

I went to the dollar store the other day looking for semi-cute containers to organize 547 barbie outfits, 87 pair of barbie shoes, and 43 barbie dolls. But instead of finding those, I stumbled upon some cute unfinished wood cutouts that I thought had great potential for cuteness. I couldn't resist them. I plan to use these in the girls' room to accessorize the next big project I'm working on....(such a tease, right?)

This is what we started with. Notice the paint smudge on the bottom. Upon realizing I hadn't taken a before picture, I grabbed this one out of my 4 year old's paint covered hands and snapped it real quick before the full blown meltdown happened. She wanted to "help" me paint so bad.....I think she ended up doing a fantastic job!

After she went to bed, I got out the mod podge and paper scraps and went to town. I've missed my old friend mod podge....it's been a long time.

I think they turned out so cute and will be the perfect compliment to the new color scheme in the girly room! I am really dragging my feet on this room's redo. Why, you ask? Well, part of the transformation involves taking the crib out and putting my 2 and 4 year old in a queen size bed together. That scares me just a bit. I fear that they will never sleep again. So....any tips for keeping them in their bed and getting them to actually sleep!?!?!

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{CRICKETS}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

Yup...that's what I thought.

Mother's Day Happies

2010-05-11T11:54:00.020-05:00

It's come to my attention that many people have no idea what a "happy" is. Seriously...I thought everyone knew that the word happy could be an adjective and a noun! Maybe it's a southern thing. My mother is a lover of the happies. She will find any excuse to give one at anytime to anyone, for no reason whatsover. We have dubbed her the Queen of Happies and she wears this title well. She taught me the fine art of happies and that in giving them...they make you feel, well......happy!

Since I am completely and utterly enamored with these rosettes, I thought I'd make some more to give my mom and sisters for Mother's Day. You know...Mother's Day happies. I sat down the other night and cranked out a bunch of new ones and once again, just couldn't stop. I think I might need an intervention. I carried them around my little 50 cent yard sale tray I spray painted balck and let everyone choose their favorite.

My niece chose this necklace, but I couldn't get her to model it for me. I love how this one turned out...I hope you love it too Becca!

The cluster pins were very popular. I got some special requests to make more in different colors.

I made some really tightly coiled and others loosely twisted and wrapped. I prefer the loosey goosey fluffy version, but some people really liked the tight coils better. It's fun to make lots of different varieties and see what happens. I love that there aren't really any hard and fast rules when it comes to these babies. You can just be totally creative and have fun with it!

My sweet mom got first pick and she chose this hot pink number. I love how it pops off the black.

I forgot to give one very useful tip in my tutorial last week. Whe applying the pin to the back...do not use hot glue. Use an epoxy of some sort, like E-6000. It will make that bond permanent and the pin will never pop off. Hot glue does a great job when wrapping your rosette. I just wouldn't recommend it for the pin. I think eventutally it would come off.

And don't forget, there is another giveaway going on today at Tatertots and Jello to celebrate the launch of our new site.......

The CSI Project!

A Big Announcement and a week of GIVEAWAYS!!!

2010-05-10T06:45:00.026-05:00

I bet you are all wondering what in the world this big announcement could be, right??? Well, I am so excited to share this news with y'all. This project has been in the works for many months now and we have eagerly awaited this day. I am partnering with two of my best bloggy friends, not to mention two completely inspiring women, to start a fabulous new blog called

the CSI project!!!

This exciting new adventure includes my besties ........ Jen from Tatertots and Jello , Beckie from Infarrantly Creative, and myself. It's a weekly craft challenge that's going to be so awesome and really fun -- a place where you can show off your ideas. And we want to feature YOU!

Come on over to the CSI project and check it out to learn all of the details!
It's going to be a blast ........

•There will be a really fun challenge each week

•There will be a beautiful giveaway each week that you can win

• And there will be a fabulous guest judge each week that will see your projects, and lots more!!

To celebrate the launch of our new site, Jen will be hosting a week of fabulous giveaways on her blog ..... Tatertots and Jello. See that little cutie up there with the gorgeous flower on her stinkin cute bald head? That is only part of today's giveaway package, and let me tell you...it is completely adorable...you must check it out!

Be sure and mark your calendars for the week of May 24th for our very first craft challenge link up at the CSI project! The theme for the week will be "paint". So ladies.....start thinking about all the fun things you can do with paint and get to getting!!! We'd also love to hear your thoughts on ideas for future themes you'd like to see. So hop on over and leave us a comment or two and come see what we're all about. I hope to see you all there the week of May 24th...it is going to be so much fun!

Frayed Rosette Flip Flops

2010-05-07T00:00:00.029-05:00

After making the frayed rosettes last week, I still wanted more. (Click here for the tutorial.) Right now I am knee deep in hot glue and fabric strips, making brooches for Mother's Day happies and a necklace for myself. Then last night, I had the brilliant idea to embellish some flip flops with them. I ran to Walmart looking for a cheap pair for myself, but ended up getting these adorable pink patent leather ones for my 4 year old instead. These are definitely at the top of the cute scale! I am in LOVE.

The fabric for these flowers started out as a bedsheet turned window mistreatment. I had recently taken these down and put them away in the closet. I was so excited to be able to repurpose them and give them new life.

I think I have enough strips of this hot pink fabric to make 689 more rosettes. And I haven't even cut into the second half of the panel. Anyone want to come over and make no sew flowers with me???

Ok, this is what you'll need to get started....a pair of shoes or flip flops to embellish, fabric torn into strips, hot glue, and felt.

After I made my rosettes (tutorial here), I cut a round piece of felt to back it with.

Now slather the back of the felt with hot glue.

Pick it up carefully and put it behind the strap of the shoe where you want the rosette to go. Now sandwich the two together and press tight until set.

Cute, cute, and more cute!!!

Have you ever tried to take pictures of a wiggly 4 year old's feet? It is nearly impossible.

She immediately wanted to take her new fancy nancy shoes outside to play. I think she loves them more than I do and that makes me happy!

Randomness

2010-05-06T00:00:00.001-05:00

Ok, so I've noticed while looking back on some of my recent posts......they've been a bit schizophrenic and quite random. I do have a few reasons for the madness, though. I am currently in the process of redoing two rooms (master bedroom/craft area and my little girls' room) that seem to be taking on a life of their own. Hello...never ending story? Many of the projects I'm posting are in relation to these two rooms, with a few new items I've made for my etsy shop thrown in the mix. So, while it may seem there is no method to the madness.....there is a hint of method!

I made this sweet little plaque to go on one side of the bed. I am making another one for Ava to go on the other nightstand. I absolutely LOVE this color combination. I am moving away from the hot pink and lime green and introducing more of this bubblegum pink and seafoam green/blue. I pulled these beautiful colors out of the paisley fabric I used to upholster the headboard I found on the side of the road. When and if it all comes together, I think this room will be so girly and sweet. Hopefully one day in the next 5 years I will finish!

This frame is a gift for a friend who is moving. Steph...I hope you don't read my blog. If so...surprise!

And of course...more of the adorable home decor silhouettes. Isn't that lamp and side table the cutest thing ever??? I was thinking of making these 3 into one long vertical wall hanging, with a ribbon strung along the back. Or I could add a seperate ribbon hanger to each one. What do y'all think?

Oh....and one more random thing. I just had to share my Dollar Tree deal......these precious birdy votive holders. They look like heavy iron, but really they are just that plastic resin stuff. You absolutely can't tell unless you pick them up. They are so stinkin cute...I want to go back and buy 37 more! If you want some, you better hurry...they'll be gone in a flash. You know, cause I might go back and buy them all.

Red to Black Front Door Makeover

2010-05-04T16:34:00.018-05:00

I had the brilliant idea to paint my front door at eight o'clock last night. I knew it was a gamble choosing to paint in the dark. But all the kids were fed, bathed, and in bed. The stars and moon aligned and I had nothing better to do. So....I dove right in and got it done. It was worth the risk of having to repaint just to be able to cross this project off my list....it has been on there for like 3 years!

This is my front door last year at Halloween. I cannot wait to see what my black and white spooky chic decorations paired with my new chic black door look like! I am so happy to see this red door go. Don't get me wrong...I love a red door, a bright red door. But mine was a purplish red......not loving that so much.

I love my Christmas fluff, but it sort of clashes with the old red door. I think all of my holiday decor will really pop on the black!

Has anyone noticed how unbelievably impossible it is to take a good picture of a black door or black furniture??? Anyway......I LOVE my new door. I love it even more with the addition of the vinyl lettering. I tried to zoom in so that you could get a better look at it, but the glare off the black was horrendous! So this is all you get.

Question? I'm thinking about painting the trim surrounding the door the same black. I eventually want to have the brick painted a nice grayish taupe. what do y'all think? Should I paint the puke green trim black or leave it until I can get the whole house and all the rest of the trim painted?

New Life for Old Magazine Boxes

2010-05-03T15:10:00.030-05:00

I bought these magazine holders a few years ago at Ikea thinking they would go perfectly in my chocolate brown family room. Well, it was a bit too much brown and I never ended up using them. They've been sitting in a drawer since then...wasted and useless. Actually, I'd forgotten about them. While in the process of redoing and updating my bedroom/workspace, I've been trying to reuse and repurpose as many things as possible. I thought these would be great on the shelves above my work table to hold miscellaneous things that need to be hidden.

The brown floral is really quite nice, just not the right color or pattern for this room. I found some fabulous scrapbook paper in a black and white houndstooth to use for this project at Hobby Lobby. LOVE it! You will need 2 and a half sheets of 12 x 12 scrapbook paper for each box.

Very simple.....flip your paper upside down and trace around each side....then cut out.

You'll end up with four pieces to attach to each side of the box. I used spray adhesive to adhere my paper, but you could also use mod podge or double sided tape...whatever you have on hand would probably work.

Fast, fun, easy project. Instant gratification! There are sooooooooo many wonderful papers to choose from out there. They are easy to work with, extremely inexpensive, and readily available. And if you are a paper hoarder like me, you have piles and piles of lovely paper to choose from without having to leave the house and spend any money. This is my favorite kind of project....easy, fast, fun, and FREE!

Now if I could only get my shelves hung above the desk, I'd be set. My sweet hubby started on them when he was home last week, but ended up not having enough time to finish. Poor guy...his "honey do" list was just waaaaaaaay too long. I love him for trying so hard, though...he's my guy! I don't mind waiting a bit longer...especially since he should be home for good within the next month. Now, THAT is cause for celebration. We will jumping up and down at our house when that day finally comes!!!