Just a Country Girl Lost in the City

Homemade Epoxy Resin Boards

2010-09-11T14:57:00.000-04:00

Okay I know that's a long name, but when I was looking up how to do this, I had a hard time finding much help online. So hopefully if you're looking for a tutorial on this, you've found one.

There are three main steps to creating these boards.

1) Painting

2) Mod Podging

3) Applying the Epoxy

So to begin with painting....

Paint
Brush (preferrably a kids, or not great one)
Paper
something to raise the board up, like and egg carton

The most time consuming part is getting in the little nooks, but remember that's also the most important since that's the only part that will really show at the end. Well, that and the edges.

Paint them completely and let them dry.

Meanwhile, find your picture and cut it to size. I cut it to the 9x7 size first then cut the long two edges, trim off the excess, then the short sides and trim off the excess.

Then on to the Mod Modge...

Mod Podge
Sponge Brush
card board
bowl

Have the picture pieces set out next to where they go and do one at a time.

Begin with the large center piece and apply a thin layer of Mod Podge over the entire part. Push out bubbles that form as it's drying. Then move on to the side pieces. You can use a paint brush to clean up the excess glue in the crevice after wards.

After that's fairly dry (it dries quickly), use the sponge to drag a layer from the top to the bottom and apply a thin layer all across the picture forming a protective coating. Make sure you seal the edges of the picture to the board, so Epoxy won't seep under.

Get it ready for the next step by placing it up on something, like a disposable bowl on cardboard, making sure it's a flat surface.

Then the Epoxy Resin.....

Resin & Hardner (both in the box blow)
Gloves
Paper or plastic cups
Plastic knife or popsicle stick
straw

Follow the instructions carefully and use gloves, but basically use a 1/4 c. measuring cup and pour water in the disposable cup mark a line, do it again and mark it (& dry it out), so you can then pour equal parts resin and hardner in it.

After mixing the resin and hardner, use the knife to stir vigorously for 2 minutes. Making sure you scrape the side and bottom to get it thoroughly mixed. Bubbles will likely form, but that's okay.

Immediately pour the Epoxy onto the board, beginning in the middle and swirling around toward the outside edges. Smooth it into missed spots with the knife after. Let it sit for about five minutes to have it spread out and bring the bubbles to the top then take the straw and gently blow across the surface and it will pop the bubbles leaving a smooth glass-like look.

During the five minutes I use the excess that's dripping off to "batter" the side edges so it will be sealed also.

For the next couple hours you'll want to check on it periodically and scrape the underside so it won't harden with drips on the back.

Cover it with a shoe box or empty tote or something to keep dust and stuff off it for at least 8 hours. It will take between 48-72 hours to harden completely.

If you do have drips that hardened you can sandpaper them off at the end. I did this batch with a few 12-13 year old girls and they were able to manage it.

It turns out beautiful.

Mario Hats

2010-08-10T15:42:00.000-04:00

My son is obsessed with Mario these days.

He just had a birthday party so I decided to make all the kids matching hats.

It is difficult to find Mario anything, so everything was homemade.

I found my instructions here, but here are some from me...

I made 10 which took about 2 1/4 yards of red fleece,

(For less hats, I'd plan 1/2 yard for two)

and I bought 6" of white felt.

And matching thread of course.

I took a 12" bucket lid and another 4" lid to trace.

First trace the large lid and cut out two (folding over the fabric works best).

Then cut a smaller hole in one of the two large circles of fleece.

Sew around the outer edge of the two 12" circles.

Then flip out, so the seam is on the inside.

Use the leftover corners to cut out two brim shaped pieces.

Sew them together along the outer curved edge.

Flip out, so the seam is on the inside.

Then - sorry no picture - sew the short curved side of the brim to the smaller 4" opening on the hat,

keeping the hat turned so the seam is on the inside.

Use the leftover middle circle to cut out the M for the front of the hat.

And then cut out about a 2 inch circle of white felt.

Sew the M to the felt then the felt to the front of the hat.

And soon you'll have the finished product.

It took me roughly 5 hours to make 10, with breaks for lunch and such.

play food

2010-08-03T22:08:00.000-04:00

I have an awesome sister-in-law who sent me this cute little lunch sack in the mail.

It's all made out of felt.
Isn't it so cute!

She has five kids, she's like Wonderwoman.

something new

2010-08-03T22:03:00.000-04:00

Some friends of my put in a big order of these cute flowers that we made into earrings. I'm not sure where she ordered them from, but can find out if anyone is interested. They ended up being a dollar or less per pair. Then I just bought some earring backings from JoAnn's to make them into earrings.

Such an easy, inexpensive, CUTE project.

Don't spend 7 bucks a pair, here.

Then I was on a little earring kick and remembered that I had this pair that I liked, but didn't love.

But I do love pearls.

So, from this...I made this.

And the best part is I could still use the first earrings if I wanted to.

Tween Earings 101

2010-07-30T00:15:00.000-04:00

I have been experimenting with Jewelry making lately and have found it pretty inexpensive to make my own. I thought I'd let you all in on this one:) First I found the flat ear wires, then I got a bag of small rings (it looks just like the one above only for rings) They were about $1.50 for like 30. You will only need two small sets of needle nose pliers to pull the small metal rings open & closed. They make it really simple to make jewelry.

Then I found some "charms" at Hobby lobby like these ones, the things in the middle are actually tiny fake candy for a mini Christmas tree but I thought they could be cute candy earrings for my girls to give out this holiday season, I also found tiny bells that worked well. Of course being at my favorite store "Hobby Lobby" I waited until these products were all 50% off. Which is almost every other week.

So all you do is open one of the tiny rings with your pliers (one in each hand pulling opposite directions) put on your charm and your earring, close it back up and whalla you have a new pair of earrings. They would of cost you at least $5 a pair at Claire's.

HB even had these professional earring holders 10 for $2.99 (not on sale)

When I did the math - with the sales, it only cost me less than $1.25 per pair of earrings. Wow! Please don't tell anyone, I want this to be our little secret:) Now go out and make some gifts!

Scrapbook Paper Decor

2010-07-07T21:03:00.001-04:00

I needed to come up with something unique for my sister-in-laws baby shower. She's having a boy after having three girls and she's such a cute girl couldn't stand the thought of regular party store decorations. So after scouring the internet I found some cute ideas made of scrapbook paper.

It's fabulous because you can totally personalize the color/pattern scheme and it's relatively inexpensive.

Here's the LINK to the place I found the idea, then here's the LINK to the instructions per Mrs. Martha Stewart.

I started out with this banner.

The key is to find two-sided scrapbook paper.

Then I moved onto this wreath.

The banner: I punched holes in the top corners and strung it up on kite string.

The wreath: I followed the instructions on Martha Stewart's website but found it a little hard to handle so I hot glued it to a thick piece of cardboard. Then I felt it looked unfinished so I cut out an L for the center. I printed it out on the largest font possible then cut that out, traced it to the back of the paper and used an X-acto knife to cut it out.

I really liked the results.

Easter Peeps!

2010-04-06T18:49:00.000-04:00

This year I wanted a cute little center piece for some of the tables, and this is what I came up with:

I took some balloons regular ones (not water balloons), blew them up to the size I wanted. I dipped them in white chocolate, let them harden. Then I popped the balloons, and carefully peeled them out. Just for a little extra touch, I toasted some coconut and placed it at the bottom. They were a big hit with the kids!

a little apron

2010-03-17T14:26:00.000-04:00

I know it's been forever (a whole month) since I last posted. I hate people like me, who never keep their blog updated. Life has been crazy. We're waiting to move, expecting another baby, I'm taking classes and the hubs is finishing up medical school. I'm hoping life will slow down in the next few months and I will have a lot more time to devote to my little blog. Not to mention, I'll be in a new place, with a new slate to decorate!

My little guy loves to help me in the kitchen. So I decided to quickly make him his own little apron. It took m less than an hour. SO easy! Another plus, I already had this cute fabric that my mother-in-law gave me a while back.

I had no pattern, but I just measured the little guys waist, around his neck (like how much the apron would need to hang) and about how long I would want it to hang on him. Then I just cut it out, looking something like this...

Next, I pined the sides and sewed it up.

I had some this ribbon stuff, that actually came from something I bought. You know when you get those gift bag things that are tied together with a ribbon (I always save those). I just cut the ribbon and sewed it on.

The last thing I wanted to do was add a pocket. It was SUPER easy. You can do it too.

The only thing maybe I would have changed was not make the top of the apron so wide, but this nicely took the place of his bib that he refuses to wear. So I think I actually do like the wide top. Oh and I would have made the ties a tad longer.

a new family tradition

2010-02-15T12:49:00.000-05:00

I found the perfect sugar cookie recipe last year. I knew how unhealthy it was, so I wanted to wait a whole year to make it. And the time finally came!

They are the softest cookies and they taste divine!

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening

(You can use just one cup of margarine if you prefer, but the half butter cuts down on the hydrogenated oil and the shortening keeps them really soft. They taste just as good either way though.)

Blend above with 2 cups sugar

Add 2 eggs, mix well, then add 1 cup sour cream and 1 tsp vanilla and mix well.

In separate bowl combine dry ingredients

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

4 tsp baking powder

4 1/2 cup flour

Mix in dry ingredients by thirds to wet ingredients. mix till smooth. Chill dough in fridge at least one hour. Roll out on really well floured surface. (The dough is really sticky so you have to flour the top of the dough and the rolling pin too or else they just stick to everything. Don't worry about the flour weighing them down, I use tons)

Roll out, cut into shapes and place on ungreased cookie sheet. (I use parchment paper) Bake at 350 for 10 minutes

Frosting

1/4 cup butter

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp almond flavoring

Mix well till smooth and frost cooled cookies.

I hope you had a Happy Valentine's Day!

Kid Valentines simplified....

2010-02-10T21:54:00.002-05:00

I found a cute idea over at Latdahblogspot.com She made these cute cotton candy ice cream cones. They are oh so simple and inexpensive to make.

I also found some glow sticks and thought they would be a cute little Valentines gift, a bit different then just candy. The catch phrase is "You light up my life, Valentine. Here is a picture of what I came up with. I know how kids LOVE anything that glows so hopefully bracelets will be a hit.

black apple doll

2010-02-02T10:52:00.001-05:00

I attempted to make a doll. I never usually make girl things, since I have a boy. I've made blankets, burp cloths & tutus & that's about it. I saw this black apple doll here and found the pattern here. It wasn't very hard & it was quite fun. I was making it as a gift...but since it was my first, it had it's own little quirks...so I decided to keep it.

Maybe I'll try one again.

Here she is.

As for making this little cutie, the only problems I stumbled across were these. My fabric was a cheap muslin (for the skin) and I was afraid the seams would tear easily, so I went back over them to stitch the seam (straight stitch, from the outsides). It doesn't look very cute though, so I recommend using a more durable fabric.

I also found that the fabric for the hair seemed to fray around her face (because I used cotton, the pattern recommends felt), so I just used Fray Check (love that stuff) to fix that little problem.

I also struggled with stitching up her head. That was tricky, but I think I could do a much better job next time. Tip: When you are sewing the front of the doll and the back together (using a skin-colored thread), change the thread when you do the hair, because when you turn it inside out you can see the skin-colored thread! Make sure you use coordinating thread in all the right places. That was probably my biggest mistake.

If you follow the pattern exactly, & don't make the same mistakes I did, it should turn out fine.

Felt Fun

2010-02-01T17:17:00.000-05:00

The other day I found some felt that had designs pressed in it and of course I had to get some and see what I could create out of it....these clips are what I came up with. I just traced some flowers, layered them, hot glued them all together and added a little bling, because that's just how I roll.
I think the girls really like them, it's a change from all the silk flower clips we are kind of tired of.
Cute, cheap, easy to make....need I say more.

Valentine Wreath #2

2010-02-01T15:40:00.001-05:00

I was inspired by Jenny's wreath so much I had to make my own. And because I don't have any Valentine decor. And because we just had a Hobby Lobby open down the street (Yeah!)

So here's my version of the cheap beauty.

I preferred the look of the twig wreath rather than the straw and at 50% of it was like 1.70. In fact everything was on sale so this cost me about $10. It was fun to make for me and with my 5 year old. He loves to paint, so he helped paint the base coat on all the wood pieces.

I took apart the LOVE sign and reused the wire to hang the E and make the sparkley hearts poke out a bit. I might redo the ribbon where it hooks to the wreath. I'm not sure it needs it. Anyhow, I just wanted to share my idea.Now - go do yours :)

Grandma and Gramdpa Valentines idea

2010-01-31T17:48:00.001-05:00

I hope my mom doesn't read this. This year the kids and I decided it would be nice to give our grandparents something this Valentines day. I was especially thinking of Great Grandparents, I'm sure life can get pretty dull when your getting up there in the years, and it's hard for the posterity to always remember them. Sad I know, but true, life is busy. Well hopefully this will help them have a great day.

Letters are all the rage this year. It's pretty obvious how to make this, I let the kids decorate large letters, got the pictures in B & W so they would all flow together. Stuck them on some coordinating paper, punched holes in the sides to tie the ribbon. I wanted something we could mail if we needed to that wouldn't require a lot of extra postage, and this is what I came up with. The kids are going to personalize them this week at FHE with a little valentine note on the back. I hope they like their gift of love.

Jenny

one more

2010-01-19T13:42:00.000-05:00

So after my last post about that great blog I found. My friend informed me of yet another one, I am absolutely IN LOVE with. You have to check it out. If you like stylish furniture & like to make things you have to see it.

After we move I am definitely make several things off of this blog.

Blog Books

2010-01-19T12:56:00.002-05:00

I've been in a crafting rut lately. Then I realized actually I'm creating as we speak. I'm an avid blogger and have made and printed many into books. I'm working on my family's 2009 right now.

So I thought I'd share my current faves. I've used Blurb for the last two books because I like being able to have more of a real book than a photo book. Plus I can add more pages with a minimal price increase. Photoworks is my favorite for Photo books because you can print pictures on the cover. Others that I've used are MyPublisher, Picaboo, ArtsCow, Albelli, and Cookbook Publishers. The problem I find with any of these book making sites is that I can't fit my photos where I want them or put text right where I want. You're limited to the page templates. However, I just figured out that I can personalize the pages as much as I want by making them in my photo editing software. I use Microsoft Digital Image Suite (until I can afford Photoshop) and it works beautifully. After you make your page just upload it like any photo and use the full-bleed or full-page-sized photo for your page layout.

As one more side note, I've used some international publishers and I've found that you want to stick with ones from the UK or US. The print quality is better and the shipping prices and time frame aren't outrageous.

Please leave a comment if you've used a publisher that you love or have been impressed with, I'm always looking for more options.

and another car seat cover

2010-01-18T20:47:00.000-05:00

I feel like the more and more I make these the better they get. I look back to my very first one, (at the very beginning of this blog). It was pretty much my first sewing project ever. And, it was cute, but I can just tell that things have slightly improved.

This is the first one I made for a boy baby. It was tough finding a cute fabric, because they are always covered in sports, animals, trucks...etc-that stuff is fun, but sometimes it's just nice to have something cute without all the boy crazy patterns.

After doing a lot of hunting, I ended up just returning to JoAnn's & finally found this treasure. I really love the fabric.

I was trying to think of a way to do the handles that wasn't just like all the other ones out there. I mean, like the girl ones have bows, buttons & flowers. So I just wanted to come up with something different that was boyish. I ended up using the a D-ring, which is waaaay easier than the girly stuff.

The next thing I thought of doing was this brilliant idea!

I can't take credit, because I saw it on a friends car seat cover. With the extra fabric (which really isn't a lot) I made a strap & added suspender hooks. This way the cover can double for a nursing cover. I know most breastfeeding-women usually get one that is exclusively for nursing, but sometimes it gets annoying carrying everything all over with you in that big, bulky diaper bag. Instead just carry the strap & leave the extra "blanket" at home.

I was pleased with the turn out.

Baby projects are the best, because they are cute & you get fast results.

a new favorite blog

2010-01-18T19:43:00.000-05:00

I must admit I have been quite out of the blogging world of the past few months, due to traveling & the holidays. There is one blog that I absolutely love & check out all the time. Jenny showed me this one. It has SO MANY great ideas most come with a tutorial. So, while I was checking out that blog I found THIS blog & fell in love!!! There are so many little projects I am dying to do! Check it out.

Go forth & be inspired!

Frame Re-do

2010-01-15T17:46:00.000-05:00

I have these two picture frames in my hallway, they are kind of boring and I am sick of them! However, I didn't want spend money on new ones, so I decided to re-do them. Here is the before picture. (Blaah)

I took some paper that I love the design of and turned the mat & paper upside down to trace the "windows" out, and then I cut them out to fit the mat. I tried to line up the edges the best I could to make them "flow" together.

I was going to mod podge the paper on the frame, but at the last minute I decided to just use photo sticky tabs (whatever they are called) much less messy, and that way I can change it in the future if I need too.

I wasn't sure how they would turn out, but I love the result. It is just what the hallway needed.

Jenny

Valentines Wreath

2010-01-13T16:19:00.007-05:00

I hate paying a fortune for a wreath that will adorn my door for only about a month. So, this year I decided to create my own. I saw one similar to this that gave me the idea, I just can't remember where I saw it! (or I would credit them, sorry to whomever you are.)
I started with what you see above, I got it all from my favorite store in the world Hobby Lobby.
The first thing I did was mod podge all the hearts with valentine paper. Then covered the tops with mod podge for weathering purposes. I then painted some of the letters of "Love" black and put paper on a few for a contrast. I also outlined everything with a silver paint, just to tie it all together.
I choose this wreath because it was only 3.99 cheap! But it was messy, so I hot glued ribbon all around it. I then sprayed everything with glitter spray, let dry and hot glued this baby together.
I added some ribbon and this is the final product. The total price for this wreath..... about $14 (I already had mod podge and glitter spray) My door is quite large, if you have a smaller door it would be cheaper to make a slightly smaller one, probably even cuter.

Jenny

Yummy Gummy Candy

2010-01-10T23:29:00.004-05:00

The kids and I wanted to do something fun today, that's when I found this recipe for gummy candy. Everything you need is pictured above, except water.

1-3 oz pkg. of jello (I know mine is a 6oz, I only used half)
2 - 1/4 oz pkg of unflavored gelatin
1/3 c. water
Sprinkle the Jello and gelatin over the water, let rest about 8 min. Then place sauce pan over medium heat, stir until gelatin is dissolved (about 2-5 min.). Remove from heat, let cool for a minute. Pour into a spouted measuring cup and pour into molds. Let set for about 20 minutes.
Peel from the molds and lightly dust with cornstarch if desired.
Ta da! The final product. Half of my family are gummy candy lovers so they were in heaven.

Jenny

more favors!

2010-01-07T18:43:00.006-05:00

It seems I am asked to do the party favors for a lot of the baby showers around here. And I don't mind at all, because I get to do something different each time. It's usually the same big group of women that get together for these, so I don't want to do the same thing each time, how boring would that be?

Another one of my good friends is having a baby, so last night we had another shower!

Here's what I came up with.
It was so easy (that makes me happy). I dipped some Oreo's, some all the way in chocolate & others only half (when I thought I was running out of it.) I was going to drizzle white & green (a boy), but sometimes I just like to keep it easy.

Then I needed something to add that had a contrasting color.
So I made a batch of snicker-doodles
(it's nice because one batch makes like 70 cookies).

At first I was going to put them in little cake boxes, like I did here.
But, if you don't have a coupon, they can get pretty pricey.
So instead, I just decided to do this.

It turned out cute & super easy.
The best part was my amazing hubs cleaned the kitchen after my huge mess.
And then he said, "next time you should come up with something that isn't so messy."
Yeah right.

2010 & a welcome to.....

2010-01-06T15:39:00.003-05:00

I am finally back! After two months of traveling all over the West & Hawaii, I am finally back to the freezing Northeast.

As I reflect on 2009, I did a lot. Maybe too many things. I intended to post much more often to this blog, but several unplanned things came up & family & school take priority. Now 2010 is FINALLY here! You see, we've been dreaming of this year since 2007. This May the hubs GRADUATES from Medical School!!!! Wahooooo! That said, I have a feeling this year is going to be even busier than the last.

I spent most of the last two months in Utah visiting family. I really missed my paints, my fabric, my sewing machine....etc. But I have the most talented sisters & they created a lot of great projects while I was there, to inspire me & kind of fill my "crafty needs." So, I have decided that instead of getting rid of this little blog, I am going to expand it & invite my amazing sister's to add all of their great projects too! I am really excited, because I know they have A TON to offer. We'll see how this goes, but it should be great!

Welcome 2010! We've been waiting for you!

on a very extended vacation

2009-11-13T17:15:00.001-05:00

FYI-My family & I are on vacation for TWO whole months.

I will do my best to continue to update my blog here & there. I have a few projects that I am going to be working on while on vaca. We'll be back after the holiday months!

Happy Holidays!

easy things to do to spruce up an old house or apartment

2009-10-31T16:08:00.026-04:00

We live in an OLD apartment. It was built in the 1920's. So many of our friends also live in these old houses. The hubs found this apartment for us, before we got married. I never even saw it until we moved in! I moved 2,000 miles east to be with the hubs. He did a great job, even though at first I was not that impressed. It was pretty nasty when we moved in. I guess the old tenant died of a heart attack (they tell us it didn't happen here...eek!). We moved in a week before all of our stuff got here, while it crossed the U.S. in our ABF truck. After having lived here for over 2 1/2 years, we have definitely done a few little things here & there that really make our house a home.

Here are some simple things you can do. You don't need to do them all in one day, but over time.

1. Clean. I mean with some elbow grease!- Everything makes a huge difference when it is sparkling. This is an obvious first step.

2. Order.- Organize your house! We're talking about furniture people. In these old houses, mine especially, the floor plans are way retarded. We moved in & put everything just where we thought was good. Boy, were we wrong. After a year we thought we'd change things up. We moved furniture around, a million times & found the perfect fit to make the rooms the most inviting and open. Make changes until you get everything in the perfect order.

3. Wall decor. Picture frames, paintings, mirrors, signs, wreaths, anything.- Hang things on your walls! Take advantage of all that blank space. I've been in a lot of houses where there is really not much on the bare white walls. It is such an empty, boring feeling. If your walls are painted, less wall decor is okay. Remember rooms need COLOR! A mirror will definitely make a smaller room feel bigger too.

4. Paint! Paint! Paint!-If your landlord will let you. This is one of my biggest regrets. I never even thought to paint until we were expecting our baby. I wish I would have painted every room. It truly makes all the difference! And do it early, so you can enjoy it longer.

5. Take something old & make it look new.- Slap some new paint on an old piece of furniture. Change the color of your coffee table. Spray paint all of the picture frames in your house (or just one room) to white or black (or whatever color you prefer). You'll be surprised at the big difference this little change will make, especially if you have painted walls.

6. Changing fixtures.-This one can get pricey, but it doesn't have to and it will really make all the difference. Change the shower head in your bathroom, we did for like 10 bucks & we lOVE it! If you want to put a little more money into it change some of your light fixtures or towel racks when you move in, so you can enjoy it longer. Be sure to save the old ones in the basement or somewhere so you can put them back & take your new ones with you when you leave.

7. Decorative window treatments.-This too can get pricey, but again, it doesn't have to! Put up window treatments other than just boring old blinds! Thankfully our house didn't have blinds when we moved in, because if it did chances are good the hubs would say "forget cute curtains, just leave the (ugly) blinds." Don't get me wrong, I like blinds. I love the nice wooden ones, but the cheap plastic ones are not my favorite, especially when you can do so much more for the same price or less! It's all about bargain shopping, because I know curtains can get expensive. Look at places like TJ Max or the clearance wracks at Target. The second best option is to make some! I know some people don't have a machine or don't know how to, but learn how to, it's well worth your time. I have 16 different window treatments hanging in my house that total about $120 dollars. That is really not bad for that many.

Love this color scheme. I personally am not a big fan of the floral curtains, but I think this room works, because the furniture are solids. This room isn't too busy, as far as patterns go, like a lot I'm starting to see these days.

8. Add dimension to a room.-Mix things up in a room, especially on the walls. Picture frames are great! But, adding a shelf, sconces, a clock, a wreath or whatever that sticks out from the wall a little bit will help fill a room and add variety.

9. Rugs-If you have all hardwood floors, like me, or just some ugly-not-so-comfy carpet, get a rug or two. Again, these can be pricey too, but buying them at discount stores will save you money. And don't forget, these aren't things you need to have all in one day. We have tan carpet that we put over our hardwood floor in our living room to fill most of the room and on top, in the center of the room we placed a great rug that has a bunch of different colors that really ties our room together. Rugs are fun so don't be afraid to get a fun or spunky pattern, just focus on the colors of the rug.
We have this same style of rug under our table. It keeps the room looking clean & crisp. It's great, but the downfall is it can stain easily.

This one is HUGE! I just love how elegant this room looks.

I especially love shaggy rugs! They are so soft & go great in any room.
10. Floral & Greenery.-Add some fake flowers, greenery, garland or whatever to add a little to a room. Micheal's is a great place to find this stuff. They have quality flowers and are reasonably priced. Not to mention, you can always find great coupons. A little TIP: You can use JoAnn's coupons at Micheals & vice versa, except for on fabric at JoAnn's. Throw the flowers on a shelf, in a vase, in a jar or an old can, or on a wreath. It really gives the room something extra.

Adding little things here & there to a room will really give it that extra touch!

favors

2009-10-25T22:07:00.010-04:00

In the past few months I've thrown, or helped throw, baby showers. As I have mentioned before, sooooo many of my friends are popping out babies left & right. It seems like there are always baby showers happening around here. I really enjoy planning & throwing shin-digs. I would love to be a wedding/party planner! Though, I will probably never do it.

Anyway, one thing I especially am crazy about with parties lately is party favors. I think they are so much fun & super cute! There are SO MANY GREAT ideas out there. If only mister toddler man was a tad older, then I could really get into the (kid) party scene. And once we are out of this small apt (7 months till graduation!) & possibly move into a place a bit bigger, we are definitely throwing more parties & get-togethers.

I just thought I'd share some cute little favors I have done recently, that were pretty easy & very cute.

This one I did a few months ago. Pretzel rods, dipped in caramel & then in chocolate, topped either white, purple or chocolate drizzles. These make such a cute treat & really aren't very hard.
If you leave out the caramel, they are a lot easier.In the past month I've helped throw two baby showers, both for baby girls.
I think this one was my favorite, although, both turned out so cute & so delicious!

First, I made Oreo Bonbons...
Real quick, here is the easy-peasy recipe:

1 pkg of Oreo's
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
Almond bark or dipping chocolate

In a food processor (or something of that sort) grind up the Oreo's until they are powdery. Add cream cheese that is at room temp. Throw it in your mixer & it mixes into a thick paste. Roll into small balls, chill in fridge for a few minutes. Melt chocolate & dip balls in & top with a drizzle or sprinkles or nuts. Store in air tight container in fridge. SO easy & they look so great, don't they?
Warning: these are so so so so so delicious, you'll have to control yourself. If you aren't careful you might eat at least 12 before you know it.

I got these cute boxes & they turned out to be a bit bigger then I planned so I just added some yummy scotcharoos!

I included a cute purple tutu in the gift & had some left over tulle, which is much cheaper than buying ribbon. So I just doubled that around the boxes. I love the way they turned out.

For this next one, it was for a second baby & we wanted to have it themed on more of a Fall theme. OOoh it was so yummy. We served apple pie, pumpkin cheese cake & my yummy choco. caramel cheese cake, spinich dipp, a veggie tray, pumpkin bread & hot apple cider. It was a hit! A few nights before myself & the other hostess put together these cute caramel popcorn baggies.
They were so soft & yummy. My friend who helped me with them, is a great photographer (as you can tell by the pictures, which I got from her) & she also designed the cute label on top. We were a bit worried we'd run out, so we also did rice crispy ones.

Theses are only a few ideas, but there are so many great ideas out there.
I love trying new things & look forward to my next party!

In case you are interested, here is a great site for all sorts of fun party ideas.

baby love

2009-10-16T13:16:00.010-04:00

It seems that I am always busy thinking of or working on some sort of baby project. Sooo many of my friends & family are always having babies!!

But, I love it because baby projects are super easy & you usually get quick results!

My latest thing, when making baby gifts, is giving all the girl babies a little tutu. Who doesn't love a baby in a tutu? Really, it's for pictures sake.
One of my good friends, her daughter is two & has to wear her tutu everywhere, how cute is that!

Anyway, since so many of my friends have been asking me how I make them, I think they will be surprised by how EASY they really are. Here is the easiest little tutorial ever.

A month ago we made this one for my adorable niece, planning on using it in her little photo shoot, but of course, we left it behind! This was the only picture we got.

Get a piece of elastic (like 90 cents at Walmart, so cheap!) & cut the waist size you'll need. By hand, sew the ends together.

For really little babies, like under a year old I only use about 1 1/2 yards of the softest tulle.
I fold it, and fold it and fold it....until it's really skinny & then cut about 2'' wide for each strip. That is an easy & fast way to get long strips. For an alternative way to cut fast short strips go here.

I like the messy look, so I either will take one long strip & cut it in half or cut it in thirds. That way I will have two different lengths all throughout the tutu. After cutting it into the half or third, I double up tying two pieces into a slip knot around the elastic.Like so.Continue doing that all the way around, until you get a nice thick tutu & you can't see the elastic band any more! If you like seeing the knots leave it how it is, or you can turn the tutu inside out to hide the knots. Either way it's cute. If you need to trim you can too. You can also do alternating colors or whatever! They are SO cute & SO easy & SOOO inexpensive. One tutu costs less than $3 dollars to make, even less if you buy the tulle with a coupon! (I love coupons!)

This is now a standard item that you'll get from me, if you have a baby girl!

Here are just a few pictures of the most recent ones I made.
This one I also made a blanket & burp cloth with. The burp cloth is great, because one full side is lined with terrycloth.

And not to leave little boys out, one in particular. I hope my sister doesn't see my blog just yet, because this is still in the mail on it's way to her. I made this great, minky love quilt, for my new, adorable nephew, Oliver!

The best part with these little baby gifts was that I used all the fabric I already had. No trips to the store for me!
That never happens.

the living room

2009-10-14T15:25:00.014-04:00

Welcome to my "crib."

I wanted to post these not-so-funny-actually-quite-terrifying pictures of what our apt looked like right after we moved in. Disclaimer: we had just gotten married (as in, a week before) & it was decorated with everything we got from the wedding, pretty much. Which explains why it doesn't really go together at all. Notice those ugly sheer flowery curtains? Yikes!

Who's idea was it to put the couch in the middle of the room? Or the rocking chair in that back corner?....

Well, since these pictures I have made quite a few changes & have really grown to love my living room that has completely been decorated on a very, very small, almost free, budget. And the most recent changes where SO cheap & make all the difference for me.

A few months ago I scored & got a few of these FREE painted canvas boards, that are a good size. I figured I would just paint over them. I did. About, ten...maybe fifteen times. And, I hated it each time. So, this is what I did instead.

I bought some burlap ($2.99 or something like that at JoAnn's with a selection of different colors to choose from) & wrapped it around & stapled it tight (can you tell how much we love our staple gun?). I had this star (wedding gift), but it was brown & I painted it the red color.
I love how simple it is & how it all turned out.
Good bye ducks...we'll see you in the hubs office sometime soon.

Only I need opinions, should I try to find some sconces to hang on both sides, or should I just leave it? I don't mind it how it is, without anything & I feel like we'll only be living in this same place for a few more months-enough with the changes?

My second find was AWESOME!
I found this shelf/coat wrack on the tree-lawn (love that place). It was white & I spray painted it black. And then I had this idea & I LOVE how it all turned out too. We recently had some new family pictures & I was able to print them out & ahhh, I just love it.

So, with the few little wall decor changes & my new curtains I am feel pretty good about this room, finally. The more & more I get to explore & decorate, the more & more I am learning what my style is. It all makes me especially happy, since I didn't spend more than a few bucks on it all.

Here is the room now.
As you can tell it's more than just a living room, it's also our "office space" & see that little table with my cute Halloween tree on it? That's my awesome (tree-lawn find) sewing table. The top flips open & my sewing machine sits down inside of it. It's a future refurbishing project too.

Oh & if you can't tell, it's also our t.v. room & play room.
It's not a lot, but it's good enough for me (at this point).

my new valances

2009-10-12T14:39:00.009-04:00

A little story about our curtains.
One thing I love (and hate) about our apartment is that there are a lot of windows. Window treatments are not always cheap either. Our living room has three smaller sized windows. There were these UGLY sheer flowery curtains on them for a little while, that were left behind from the previous renters. And then with those great gift cards from our wedding we bought some roman shades. So, then my mom came to town & thought they needed something more, which was true. She kindly bought some brown, sheer-drapey-valance-type-curtains (obviously, I'm not sure what they were called) & they have been great.

Well, as many of you know, I go through phases where I just need a change. So, over this past weekend we had a very busy Saturday, but I was home for about 5 hours or so just working on projects & such. I had been nagging on the hubs on what I should do about my curtains, because I wanted them changed or fixed soon! Then we both thought I should just make some...duh, why didn't I think of this sooner?

So, I browsed through my stock pile of fabrics & found the perfect one. I only had one yard & it just happened to be the perfect amount. I was so happy with the turn out!

Here is a short tutorial on how to make them, they were VERY easy.
I'm telling you, I had a little over 3 hours to make all 3 valances, from start to finish.

First, cut the amount you will need to fit your window. And if it's a thin fabric, use some muslin (very inexpensive cream fabric) or something similar to back it with.

Now I wanted to slip mine onto the rods I already had, so I cut an extra piece of the backing fabric-the width by about 2''. And then I sewed it onto the backing piece of fabric, sewing 1 1/2" apart, to leave room for the rod to slip through. If you look closely you can see where I sewed that strip on, on the backing fabric.
Next face the two pieces of fabric right sides together (so the backing with the strip are facing the patterned side of your main piece of fabric).

Pin the fabric all around, except for the top.
Make sure the strip of fabric is towards the top of your curtain.

Sew the bottom part together first with a zigzag stitch, then the sides-without sewing over the ends of the strips. You don't want to sew off those ends, or else the rod wouldn't be able to go through.

Flip it inside out & iron.

Fold the tops inside & sew a straight stitch, to close the valance.

And then continue to sew a straight stitch a 1/4" all the way around the edge of the valance.

Slip the rod into the back of the valance & Viola!
Super easy!

These pictures aren't the best, but you get the idea.
We love them. I feel like the room is finally starting to come together.

I have been making several small changes in our living room, that I will be posting about shortly!

As you can tell, the valances stick out about 3" from the wall & wrap around on the sides, because of the rods.

I feel like it gives it a clean, crisp look and helps our small space not feel so cluttered.

I also have some great (ridiculous) before pictures to post soon, that are of our place right after we moved in...blah. It's fun to see all the improvements.

sweet halloween tree

2009-10-07T00:00:00.001-04:00

Oh, I am loving these Halloween projects. They are super cheap & easy!
I just made this one over the last couple of days.

Here is my little Halloween tree & I love it!

I spent about $3 dollars on this.

However, I got lucky.

After days & days of pouring rain, the hubs ventured out, fully dressed in suit & tie, into our forest of a backyard to trudge through the mud & find me a branch. Now, that is true love.

Anyway, I already had a pot & styrofoam. And my awesome mother-in-law is the queen bee when it comes to fabrics, so I asked her to send me over some Halloween scraps that I knew she'd have.

All I had to buy was a roll of twine (anything similar would work) & black spray paint (for the branch & pot). The only thing I did differently was instead of using rocks, I used that fake moss stuff (that I actually ripped off an old project I had lying around).

For the full tutorial, go HERE!

The baggies are meant to be treat bags, but mine are actually empty. Maybe in the future we'll put some yummy treats in them for a little party or something.

If you take a look around in the blogging world & on Martha Stewart.com you can find all sorts of cute ornament ideas for this tree.

Happy Halloween Decorating!!!

"boo" banner

2009-10-06T00:00:00.000-04:00

So, I made this.
It's cute.
But, didn't turn out to be quite as cute as I had hoped.
Oh well.
At least it was SUPER inexpensive to make and anyone can easily make this too.
It cost me....less than 2 dollars to make.

Go here for the tutorial (& the cuter version!)

Also, if you click on that link, they used freezer paper to transfer the letters, but I didn't have any & my printer was broken to print out the letters....soo I used cardstock & drew the letters out on my own. Either way works, but printing it is probably a whole lot easier.

This year I am way more into the Fall spirit of things & decorating, so I soon will be posting my little Halloween tree I made....stay tuned.

are these not the cutest little treats you've ever seen?

2009-10-05T00:30:00.001-04:00

Since school just started back up a month or so ago, what a perfect little snack to have! This definitely would not help my toddler from eating crayons. Wouldn't it also be a great little party favor for a birthday party?

I can't wait to try these!

For the yummy recipe go here!
There is also the template for the label, personalized.
So cute.

the most divine cheesecake ever

2009-10-03T12:00:00.003-04:00

Allow me to introduce you to: Brownie Caramel Cheesecake.

Remember how I love Fall baking?

Well this past week I've made:

Peanut Butter bars.
(Giving half the pan away).
3 loafs of homemade bread
(Giving one loaf away).
Sour Cream Apple Pie
(Eating this one all to myself!)
And this beauty...
(And the cheesecake was gobbled up at a baby shower).
We eat more than dessert around here, I promise.

For the recipe click on the link above, the only things I would change is took use HALF of a box of brownie mix & to cook it for 7-9 minutes, not 25. I also just used some store bought caramel topping & for the chocolate I made a ganache, go here to get that recipe. I would also recommend making it the day of, if possible. I made mine the night before & the brownie seemed to get a bit soggy from all the caramel.

I'm pretty sure I'll be making this for Thanksgiving & Christmas this year!

bolster pillow tutorial

2009-10-01T14:47:00.004-04:00

The hubs wanted one of these to add to the mountain of pillows on our bed.

What I used was:
-some extra fabric I had lying around (that actually is the same fabric as our headboard).
-extra piping I had (I know not many people have extra piping & it can be pricey, so always remember to at least use a JoAnn's coupon!).
-and an old, flat pillow.

Here are the instructions:

I used an old, flat pillow we had & rolled it up really tight, for the inside of the pillow.
Measure and cut the fabric to the size you need.
Make sure to have extra fabric for the piping, or you can use a different fabric if you want.

The trickiest part is the piping, but once you learn to do it you'll want to do piping on everything!

Take 2" wide x the length of your main piece of fabric (that will wrap around the pillow) & placed the piping directly in the center of the fabric, wrap the fabric around the piping & sew as close as you possibly can, using your zipper foot. Leave a bit of extra fabric on the end so you can wrap & tuck it.

Like so.This was extra piping from the chair I recovered.

So next you will get your piping and lay it on the side of your fabric so both right sides of your fabric are facing each other & sew, again close to the piping. (I hope that makes sense!)

Next wrap your main piece of fabric in the tube position to fit with your piping & stuffing, so it would almost be complete-you're just missing the ends. Sew the right sides of the fabric together, so you'll basically have a tube, where all the stuffing (or my old pillow rolled up) would go.

Another tricky part is finishing up the ends. This one can take some time.
You'll want to cut out more of the fabric in circles so they will cover each end of your pillow.
I found it was easiest to trace a bowl that was just bigger than the ends of my pillow.

The first end you decide to do is the easier one. You can flip your pillow casing inside out & sew it on, in a circle. Just do it slowly and make sure you are leaving a little extra room so it will bow out a little bit. Try to sew close to the pipping again. Once you start you'll know what I mean.

If you are squishing an old pillow inside of it now you stuff it in. You might need the help of a muscular man to get it just perfectly snug (I did!). If you are going to be using stuffing you can sew half of the circle on, sort of the same way you did before but with the circle flapped open & sew half. Then stuff.

When you have it stuffed and sewed as much as you can you have to sew the rest by hand.
I know, nobody likes doing that, but SORRY. If you want it to match the other side it's easiest to do it by hand.

And then you will have your piped bolster pillow!
(sorry I don't have more pictures! I don't do the best job at taking picture throughout the process, I'll get better!)

gotta love fall baking!

2009-09-29T14:47:00.003-04:00

I'm sitting here, stuffing my face with hot apple pie & vanilla ice cream.

But, this isn't just any apple pie, this is sour cream apple pie & it's divine.

Last Friday, the hubs, the toddler & I headed out to a nearby apple orchard to pick us some apples. Basically the only ones in season were the VERY TART apples (so sour our eyes watered, I never knew there was such an apple).

So when life gives you sour apples, you make sour cream apple pie.I'm not sure why I decided to make this right after lunch, but I'm afraid it might be gone before the hubs gets home. Oh & might I add that this was my very first homemade fruit pie & it was a piece of cake, or pie! I was surprised how easy it was!
Sour Cream Apple Pie
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg
3 1/2 cups diced/sliced apples (about 2 lg apples).

Topping
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup butter

Beat together sour cream, sugar, flour, salt, vanilla, cinnamon and egg. Add fresh diced/sliced apples & pour into 9" unbaked pie shell. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Removed and sprinkle with well mixed topping mixture. Bake an additional 20 minutes.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream

a simple reupholstering tutorial

2009-09-23T14:06:00.011-04:00

A gal I know asked me to recover two chairs for her.
It was a simple project & I love the results.

Here's how easy it is, with photos!

First I took out all the old staples & pulled off two layers of old fabric & old foam. Next, I fixed up the webbing (the middle, off white part, it's stretchy-very expensive). These were quite old chairs.
Then I took my 2 in thick foam & traced my wooden seat with a sharpie. I also went around the sharpie marking (free hand, again with sharpie) about a 1/2" from it, where I wanted to actually cut it.

Well, I'm not quite sure of the best way to cut the foam...but the hubs always has good ideas & his was to use our electric knife & it worked like a charm!!!
After cutting it out, I cut the edge on the top of the foam, to give it a slanted edge so it wasn't so square.

I cut out the cute fabric & made sure it was a perfect fit.
And stapled the first side on. It's easiest if you staple the BACK of the chair first. That way you can pull the fabric really tight on the front, to give it the rounded look. If you're using a manual staple gun (like me), you've gotta put all your weight on it to get those staples to go in real deep.

So, staple the back first, then the front. Always start stapling in the middle of each side & work your way out towards the corners. Next do each side & then on to the tricky corners...

You pretty much just need to play with the corners until you get them to lay correctly. You might have to cut some extra fabric off, but start small, you don't want to accidentally cut too much off. You want just one big fold in the corners. Then staple, staple, staple! To hold it all in really well.
Make sure to always be pulling tight! And be sure to keep an eye on the pattern of your fabric, if there are lines or circles (like this one) you want it to all lay correctly, so it looks symmetrical.

Notice the circles along the front, how they line up. That's what I mean.

Sorry, not the best pictures, but you get the idea.

Now, grab an old chair & recover!!!
If you have any left over foam, egg carton pads or anything of that sort use it! Foam isn't cheap. If you buy it, at least use the 40% off coupon in the JoAnn's add!

believe it or not

2009-09-22T10:54:00.002-04:00

Believe it or not, but we had to take another trip home over the last week for yet another funeral.
The past few months haven't been the easiest back at home. Sorry for the lack of blogging! I have several things on my mind & just need to get around to posting them, which I will be doing in the next few days. Check back soon.

I swear I'm doing something!

2009-09-10T09:40:00.004-04:00

Life has been INSANE around here lately!
With school starting up again, traveling & the holiday weekend, it's been hard to find time to blog.
But no worries! I am working on something at the moment.

First of all, I am working on recovering these for a friend. I'll post a "how-to" as soon as I am finished, they should be super easy.
Over Labor day weekend, I hit up some garage sales & found a few great things. The winner of them all are these bowls, which I LOVE!

They were in their original box with a tag that said $48.00 & guess how much I paid? Three dollars. Love that. The colors are perfect for Fall. Maybe we'll have some warm chili, hot soup or a fruity dessert? Can't wait to use those!

Other things I am starting (or trying to finish):

Refurbishing a table (still trying to decide what to do with it).
Painting a coat rack-can't get enough.
Sewing a Trick-or-Treat bag for my not-so-baby-anymore boy.
Thinking of making a Halloween costume for the boy, but debating if I should just use one I already have??
Starting to sew a darn cute table runner for Christmas
Starting to make some cute Christmas tree ornaments that are kid friendly!
It's never to early to prepare for the holidays is it?

the biggest changes-so far

2009-08-26T14:03:00.004-04:00

This bedroom project has been slow coming.
One major reason why is, as always, lack of mula so I'd been looking around for the best deals-which caused the delay.

I still have a few little odds & ends I want to add, but so far I'm very pleased with it.

Again, here is the before picture:
Not bad, just needed a change & more color. And here are the after pictures:

One major lesson learned: When decorating a bedroom, buy the bedding first & paint the walls to match the bedding. I did it the other way around & had a hard time finding the perfect bedding.

The walls are a light meadow yellow color, that I painted all in one day, two coats, all four walls-without any help of the hubby. Huurrrahh for me! And thank goodness Mr. One took a four hour nap.

I decided to keep the lampshade white as well, I like the simplicity of it.
Thanks for those who gave me input on it.

The best part of the whole room is the bedding. Why you ask? Well, I found this bedding online & debated on ordering it, it wasn't too pricey, but more than I wanted to pay. It was around $90 online+shipping. I ventured out to Ross, Marshalls, TJ Max-those kinds of stores & after a few weeks I was feeling very discouraged. Then a week or so later we were doing a little grocery shopping at Sam's Club & the Hubs said, "don't they have bedding here?" We figured it would all be too far out out of our price range, but decided to take a look anyway.

And there she was. It was like a gift sent from God! It was the exact same bedding I wanted to order online, just sitting there in the middle of the isle, on the floor, all alone. There was a price tag on top of the package that said....drum roll please....$38.00!!!!!!!!!!!!
I couldn't believe my eyes!
Now, you see why the bedding is the best part.

I am still working on the wall hangings. The frames I like, but I am going to add more updated pictures, with brighter, vibrant colors in them. I repainted the star in the before picture white & may hang it above the bed...not sure, still deciding. I also may sew curtians for the glass door, which is next to the bed (you can't see in the picture) which goes out to our porch.

It didn't turn out just how I had planned, but we are very pleased with it anyway.

The total for an almost complete bedroom makeover: $70 dollars.
Not bad.

from the archives

2009-08-25T19:00:00.004-04:00

Well, I'm finally back in town.
It takes us a while to re-adjust & get everything in order, so I now I can get back to my regular-blogging, as I did before. I'll try my best!

So, this one is from the archives (not of this blog, but my private blog).

It's SO simple & if you're lucky-very inexpensive.

First off, I hate clutter (not saying my house is perfect by any means). Here in the Northeast, it is cold for most of the year & it seems like we have a lot of jackets & coats. They use to hang all over the place & it got really annoying. After a summer trip to Bear Lake in Utah, I was inspired by some very cute coat racks that had door knobs for the hooks, in our cabin.

We have an ugly old dresser that we use to store things in, but rarely open anymore. We also had some extra pieces of wood lying around. So I took the handles off the dresser & came up with my own little coat rack. I bought a foam stamp for $.99 at Micheal's for the design.
So easy.

It's nothing fancy, but practical.

blogging break

2009-08-12T19:25:00.001-04:00

I'm taking a little blogging break for the next week. We are flying home for a funeral & to spend time with family.

Be back soon!

easy art

2009-08-09T22:46:00.009-04:00

Here are just a few ideas that just about ANYONE can do.
A lot of people don't think they can do a lot of painting/art for wall decor, but that isn't true.
You may not be able to paint a masterpiece, but pretty much anything is considered art these days.

I love to paint, though I am impatient & don't have a lot of time. I like doing simple pieces of artwork.

I saw this "painting'' in the PB magazine. I liked it & thought.."Pshh, I can do that."
Sorry about the bad pic, I had to take a pic of the magazine. I couldn't find the original online.

I wanted the textured look to it, so I mod podged some newspaper over my canvas board. Then I painted it with some cheap paint & to give it that goldish color, I just used a metallic gold paint over top.

I'm waiting to build my buffet or console table for my dinning room, & then I plan on hanging the painting on the wall...similar to the picture in the magazine.

Here are two more ideas:

My friend bought some canvas boards (which can be pricey sometimes, but you can ALWAYS find coupons for JoAnn's, HobbyLobby or Micheals for a canvas. Never pay full price.) and simply painted these for her son's room. It can help to use a stencil or even tape to get the straight lines or right shapes/letters/numbers you want. They turned out so cute!

My sister did this one for her front room.
It turned out great. Pick your background colors & add some swirlies on top!
I've even seen people use old bowls (big ones) & trace a few circles. Anything goes!

Art doesn't have to be fancy.
If you need ideas, just google some paintings or look through some decor magazines to get inspired. Anyone can do these & it usually isn't a very expensive project.

Some future projects I have in mind, may ending up looking something like this.
I want to do this one on a piece of wood. I'm not sure where I would put it though...

I saw this one & loved it!
I'll have to add it to my "future projects" list.

what's your style?

2009-08-05T12:07:00.004-04:00

Over at the Shabby Nest, there was this fun link, to take a fun & easy quiz to find out your style of decorating.

Apparently, I am 33% Nantucket StyleAnd 67% Rustic Revival.
They must be right, because I LOVE these rooms.
Maybe someday I'll really be able to decorate like them.

Find out what your style is.

comfy...and a little tacky

2009-08-03T10:53:00.005-04:00

Do you ever stand at your kitchen sink doing dishes for a while or stand anywhere next to your counter cooking?

I do & with all the hardwood floors in my house, my feet really start to hurt.

So, this was the Hubby's solution to my problem.

We had a few of these big puzzle mat squares. Three of them together was the exact length of one part of my kitchen counter. I wanted to buy a rug to go over it, but the Hubs idea was for me to just cover it. So I did. I used some fabric I had lying around & it was easy-peasy. It doesn't look wonderful, but my feet sure love that cushion under them!

t.v. stand makeover

2009-07-30T10:55:00.004-04:00

I LOVE paint!
Slap some paint on anything & it makes all the difference.
I wish I would have learned this sooner, I would have painted all the rooms in our apartment when we moved in. Now, we're only going to be here for less than a year, so it would be a waste to go & paint all the rooms. But I can paint all my furniture! (or most of it).

Our living room is set up really weird (because of the front door & fireplace...we're in the upstairs of a house) & the best way to have our couch & t.v. situated in there is to have a corner t.v. stand. We found one for free on free cycle (check to see if there is one in your area, it's the best!) & I finally got around to painting it.
It looks a MILLION times better.

This was the best "before" picture I had of it.
I always forget to take a good before picture. Here it is!
Two layers of paint & new handles did the trick!

I love how it turned out.
It really ties my brown couch & newly upholstered black chair into the browns & blacks in the area rug we have.
We want to add a door over the middle part, because it was missing when we got it & our toddler loves to push all the buttons. We're either going to get a wood or maybe a glass one...we'll see.
I'm feeling better about our "free" living room, things are starting to come together.

Do you have any good painting projects lately?
Please share!

a little garage sale find

2009-07-28T00:01:00.000-04:00

What do you do with these darn cute, turquoise, bead coasters?

Well, here's one fun idea.Cut it in half, very carefully.
And sew it all in place.

Attach it to a brown ribbon & you've got a cute bracelet!

Here it is, sorry it's not a very good picture, but you get the idea.

What I may do with the other coasters?
-make a headband
-use the beads to make a necklace or earrings
-frame one or two of the coasters (I love the color, it's hard to get the real color in the picture)
...hmm..we'll see.

a cookie jar

2009-07-26T16:22:00.002-04:00

Do you ever get bored with your decorations?
I do.
And you don't have the money to do many changes?
Oh, yes, that's me.

I was trying to come up with something I already had, to add something "new" to a shelf in our living room. This is what I came up with.

I had a big bowl with all those decorative balls you see everywhere that I had been using as a center piece on our dinning room table for the past year, but it was time for that to change.

I pulled out a cute cookie jar that was just sitting in the cabinet, because it's too humid here to leave cookies in it & put the balls in there to add something extra to my shelf.I finally like the top of that shelf.
Yay!

true love

2009-07-22T12:53:00.005-04:00

This chair was sitting on the curb, patiently waiting for the garbage man to pick it up...but guess who found it first?
That's right.
My husband.

It stunk & I hated it & did not want it in my house.
He washed it up & fixed a board on it. We really needed a chair in our living room, so I let it stay for a little while. For a while I covered it with a blanket, but even that couldn't hide its ugliness.
(It makes the picture look better when the house is a disaster, doesn't it! haha)

Then the hubs got the idea that I should "recover it." Pshhhhh! Yeah right, I got my sewing machine a month after we got the chair & never sewed a thing in my entire life.

But then I went to JoAnn's & found some adorable fabric...& finally decided I would take on the challenge.

I must say, I am VERY pleased with the finished product.
I never knew I could love something I hated so much!

And this is true love.

I did piping on it & don't be afraid, it is actually quite easy. I even put two zippers on both cushions, piece-a-cake. Once I finally decided what I color I should paint it & finally got around to it, I just did one light coat of black. If you look closely you can see the wood through.
I love how it turned out.

This weekend I am painting our also *free* TV stand.

Lesson learned:
Free things aren't so bad, you just have to look for the beauty in the item.
And now I am always looking for free (or cheap) furniture to refurbish.

slowly making changes

2009-07-21T10:58:00.004-04:00

For some reason when it comes to decorating my son's room I am SO SLOW.
It might be because he is a boy & there isn't a ton to choose from for boys stuff, but even then I don't know what I really like. I'm slowly learning what I like. Most of the things I do like, I can't really afford, so I have to improvise & do something a little different.

It took me a year to finish his bed skirt & I am now just getting more wall hangings up.
I love the boy, but sometimes I feel like when I have a girl, I'll be a little more on top of these things! (Oh, did I mention I'm already working on a baby girl quilt...and no I am not pregnant, I'm just getting ahead of myself!)

So here are just a few little things. I did make these letter blocks before he was born, the one thing! Wahoo. They are super easy. I may post a tutorial in the future if anyone is interested.

How I love to paint (simple things!)

Have you ever heard of wordle.net? Check it out.
That's where I came up with this little word mess on his wall.

I saw these cute wall hangings at target for $13.00 each & I though I can do that!
So I did.
For about $8 for both.
I may do two more???

So, I finally did something to the boy's room.

I actually am working on painting a chair & book shelf in the room...we'll see how that goes!

strawberry jam.....mmmmmmm

2009-07-17T15:18:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I made some oh so yummy strawberry jam.

It took some time, a lot of stirring, but overall was pretty easy.
And you don't have to deal with canning.

First things first, you have to get some of this:
(don't make the mistake of getting just any fruit pectin, you have to have FREEZER kind or this kind SURE JELL MCP)
Which can be tricky to find. Trust me, I tried for the past two years here in the North East & no luck. Finally my dearest mother sent me some.

This was my first time successfully making freezer jam
(I tried two years ago, it never turned into jam, so we used it as strawberry syrup), yahoo!

We took a lovely trip out of the city & into the country side to pick some strawberries.
Or you can be boring & a just buy some from the store. Wash & cut the fully ripe strawberries & smash with a potato smasher.

The specific instructions are in the box & you MUST follow them very carefully, or else it won't turn out.

After stirring for over an hour, I thought, "Why didn't I use my KitchenAid Mixer!"
But it was too late. So if you have some kind of big mixer I would try that, it might make it a little easier.

Follow the rest of the instructions & you'll have some yummy jam in no time!

And if you want to make some DELICIOUS homemade bread (also, SO EASY) go here.
It's my new favorite whole wheat bread recipe, we will be using frequently.

I can't wait for raspberry & peach season....oooh maybe grapes too, or apricots...so many options.

the headboard

2009-07-16T13:58:00.011-04:00

The last few weeks I've been working on sprucing up the decor in our bedroom, pretty much re-doing everything. I liked it just fine before, but it was time for a change & it desperately needed some COLOR.

Here is the before picture:
As you can see we never had a headboard.
Notice the lamp?

I decided we needed a headboard & I came up with this.

All I did was get the size of board I wanted, stapled a few layers of cardboard onto the wood (to give it a little extra padding, but isn't necessary) wrapped it with foam (I used an egg carton foam pad the hubs used in college) with the egg part facing the wood, I stapled it on the backside with a staple gun. Then I found some dark brown (color???) suede fabric on clearance at JoAnn's ($6) & wrapped that around the board on top of the foam and stapled it to the wood (pulling it tight!).

Definitely gives it a little extra...but needed more.

I found my bit of inspiration in the Pottery Barn Magazine
(sign up, they mail them for free, a great place to get great ideas!)

Last night, with the help of the hubs, this is what we did.

We bought this inexpensive

from Home Depot.

We measured it & cut it with a jigsaw into the sizes we needed.

I also picked up some crown molding pieces from HD to frame the headboard.

Here he is stapling the Eucaboard onto the frame.
We love the staple gun, can you tell?

From the front.

Then he used the drill & screwed the Eucaboard into the back of our headboard to attach it.It's as simple as that!

You just want to be sure that the frame is lined up & pushed close into the fabric. You'll want to hold it up to look at it every now & then.

For the corners, I decided to use these squares you can get at HD too.
You could also do diagonal corners, that would look fabulous! You just have to get it cut perfectly.

Here is the finished headboard:

Love it.

This little bit only cost $20.00 & gives it a professional look.
It makes such a huge difference in a room.

Notice the yellow walls?
Just wait for the big unveiling of the entire bedroom makeover!!!!
Stay tuned.

want to grow something lovely, easy, useful & most importantly SO cute?

2009-07-15T00:01:00.001-04:00

You've probably got everything you need for this fun project sitting around your house.

Now, lets grow some wheat grass.

First you want to buy some unpolished wheat, if you don't already have some. I picked mine up at the Whole Foods grocery store. You can also use some wheat from food storage, just make sure it isn't too old.

Sometimes it helps to soak the wheat over night in a clean container of water.

Get the cute bowl, vase, jar or pottery you want & go dig up some dirt from your backyard.
Fill up your containers & moisten the soil a bit.

Spread a layer of wheat berries on top of the soil, completely covering the dirt.

Sprinkle a thin layer of soil on top of the wheat berries.

Give it a little water.

Cover your container with newspaper, each day spray a little water on it, until they start to sprout, like in the picture. Once they've sprouted you can take the newspaper off & let it get some sun.
You don't need to sit it directly in the sun, just in a room that gets some sun.

And in 5-7 days you will have some lovely blades of wheat grass.

Water it daily, but not with too much water.

Once your grass is 7-8 inches tall give it a little trim about 1/2 inch from the soil & let it grow again, watering daily.

With the clippings you can juice it, cook with it, or chuck it & just have your wheat grass as some fun decoration.

Isn't it cute?

This is a great activity for young children, because you get results relatively soon & it's so fun for them to water it & watch it grow.

Here I used a jar, a square bowl I had (I lined it with a plastic bag & trimmed down the bag) & found those two round vases at Good Will for $1.00.

Total for project: $3.oo
(for the small vases & wheat)

I need a little help on this one...

2009-07-14T12:20:00.003-04:00

Remember how I said I was recovering a lampshade?

Well a week or so ago I did, but it really needs something else.
I'm keeping my eyes open for some kind of embellishment to go around maybe the top & bottom. The base is a really dark brown & the room it is in has yellow walls & mostly browns & soon will have some more yellows & light blues.

Here is a close up of the material.

If you have ANY IDEAS, please tell me what you think. I just want to complete this little project. I will post the tutorial on how I recovered this, an easy-peasy project, as soon as I finish.
Thanks in advance!

brb

2009-07-07T11:37:00.002-04:00

We're heading out for a fun five day adventure.

Look forward to seeing this when I get back:

~a headboard revamp
~recovered lamp shade
~canvas wall hangings

Be back soon!

dresser handles

2009-07-06T13:39:00.006-04:00

I've been a little out of the blogging world over the holiday weekend.
Hope everyone had a great 4th!

Some of you may have seen these pictures, but I decided to share for those who haven't.

We recently were given a broken, old dresser. I saw some beauty in it & was so excited to fix it up.

After gluing a drawer back together, sanding the whole thing & painting it four times we got this beauty. (That I think will be much more beautiful in a little girls room...someday.)

I love the antique style & the Queen Anne legs.
Even though the project only cost about 20 bucks, we didn't want to buy handles right away. The ones I want, are a little pricey.

So since it's being used in my little boys room I figured I could come up with something that I already had for now.
My mother-in-law recently gave me some great fabric that I am using to make him a quilt out of. I thought it would be cute to have the handles match the quilt.
Here are the handles close up.

They have little cars, boats & air planes on them. I stuffed some old denim inside to make them a little more sturdy. And sewed them, used a little fray check, if needed. I pulled them through the holes and left them about 7 in long on both sides so I could tie a not from the inside.

I've also seen rope (a decorative rope) & ribbon.
If you have any inexpensive dresser handle ideas please share!!!

homemade playdough recipes

2009-07-01T10:12:00.000-04:00

Stuck inside on a rainy day?
We are.
Here are some good play dough recipes.

This one I got from my sister-in-law.
Peanut butter play dough:

1 C. Creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 cups powdered milk
3 T. honey.

I usually put in some powdered sugar and powdered milk (just divided in half; I just taste it till it tastes good enough to eat).

Just like store bought play dough:
2 c water
1/2 c. salt
combine and bring to a boil

Remove from heat and add:
2T powdered Alum (buy in the spice section of the store)
1/4 c. salad oil
2 1/4 c. flour

Stir until blended. Put on board and knead. Store in covered container.

pleated bed skirt

2009-06-30T20:29:00.008-04:00

Need a bed skirt?
Well we did.

It's pretty easy, it just takes time depending on the size of the bed.
And, here's how (with a few pictures).

What you'll need:
2 different fabrics, the sizes depend on the size of the bed.
If you need helping figuring it out, click here.
We have a queen, I bought 6 yds, 3 for the skirt & 3 for the middle. I did have a little extra.
Choose a fabric to match your bedding & choose muslin or something lightweight & inexpensive that will go in the middle.
matching thread

Step 1: Lay out & cut the fabric that will go in the middle.

Step 2: Measure the length of fabric you need to go to the floor. Cut out the pieces for the sides & end of the bed. Leave a few extra inches for the pleats & the corners.

Step 3: Hem & iron the bottom of each piece & the ends that will be at the head of the bed.

Step 4: Lay the end piece, measure to the middle & fold the pleat in & pin. You can do as many pleats as you want, I did one in the middle of each piece.
You may want to sew along the top of the pleat to hold it in place, so it doesn't spread (like mine did) when you attach it.Step 5: Lay the middle piece out & the end piece on top, right sides together. Pin.
Step 5: Sew, zigzag stitch. I did mine twice, because the fabric I used for the middle is a little stretchy. Leave a little extra room at the end where you'll be sewing the corners together.

Step 6: Attach the two others sides, repeating step 5.

Step 7: Sew the corners. Put it on the bed & marvel at your job well done.

Here's mine. I ironed it, but it still looks a little wrinkly because it's a bit tricky when you have a tiny ironing board. It's a bit wavy looking too, but I'm still happy with the way it turned out.

cheap, entertaining & so easy

2009-06-30T09:54:00.006-04:00

If you have a toddler, or are going to babysit one, here is an idea that they will most likely find to be very entertaining.
It's so inexpensive & easy.

Here's all you need:

Some craft sticks-mini, medium or large sizes will work.
A washed & clean yogurt or sour cream type container with the lid. Cut a few little holes in the top of the lid with a pocket knife & your child can start putting the sticks through the holes.

It entertained my toddler for 30 minutes straight!

I've decided to put it away until we're at church or someplace that we need to be quiet, it's a great quiet "toy."

fireplace treatments

2009-06-28T20:23:00.009-04:00

We live in an apartment that has a fireplace, but doesn't work & was just hazardous to our son.

Once he started crawling around we had to do something to keep him out of it.

We ended up coming up with something fun, but as I was searching I found some great decorative ideas. This one is hard to see, but I love the fireplace in the dinning room for one. Two, the long, smaller sized logs give it a different, creative look, rather than just normal logs.

Any decorative fillers, like candles or anything to give it different heights & dimensions would look great.

This one is just boring old logs, but everything else looks beautiful!

I love this one. My friend did this with her fireplace, and we almost did it to ours. This is an easy, inexpensive filler. And you really don't need to fill the logs all the way into the back of the fireplace. You could use something like a card board box and do shorter logs in the front.

I love what my friend did in their apartment. They painted the bricks around the fireplace white & have a flat screen TV on the wall above. The coolest part is the logs are actually a door to where they keep their electronics like dvd player & everything else.

Here's what we came up with for ours.
I have to say, the husband came up with the main idea, but after looking at several toys we combined all our ideas and threw it into one.

This is what it looked like from the back, what was inside the fireplace.

Ta da! Here is the front.
We decided that we wanted ours to be more of a kid-friendly toy, rather than just a decorative piece, since we're only in this apartment temporarily.

Balls go in & out through the tubes, there is a mirror behind the monkey's face, the monkey's belly & the alligator's mouth are a bean bag toss, with the extra blocks (you can get a pack of 50 at Walmart for $10.00!) they go in the square holes and fall out the door below & of course the blocks spin around.

Kids love it, and it's great for all different ages.

These are just a few fun ideas!

an easy dress or skirt

2009-06-26T08:15:00.007-04:00

Love this dress.

Wanna know how to make your own?

Above is an infant dress.

Here's how.

What you'll need:
-fabric for the desired size-you'll need double for the width at the chest (look at pattern).
-elastic thread -matching thread -buttons, ribbon or any kind of embellishment you want

Step 1: Measure your fabric, double width & desired length. Cut. *If you are making a long dress or skirt, you can just measure the chest x2 & the length just for the chest (so it will be like a tube top) and add the long dress or skirt part later on.

Step 2: Wind your bobbin, by hand, with the elastic thread.

Step 3: Load bobbin & use normal, matching thread on top.

Step 4: Set your stitch to a wide straight stitch. The wider the stitch, the more it will shrink.

Step 5: Start sewing straight stitch, about 1 1/2'' from the top, with the fabric right side up. Leave at least 2'' of thread at beginning & end. Back stitch at beginning & end.

Step 6: Repeat step 5 as many times as you want, about a 1/2'' below the first & in between each row. The dress above, has ten rows.

Step 7: Either at the end of each row, or at the end of sewing all the rows pull the ends tight to make the elastic shrink. You can also try steaming it with the iron.

Step 8: If you just did the chest part, now you can sew on the bottom part of your dress or skirt.

Step 9: Hem the bottom & top.

Step 10: Wrap it around you & make sure it fits.

Step 11: Bring together & sew seam up the back. If you want, you can leave a little slit in the back, for fun.

Step 12: Add straps, if it's a dress & any embellishments.
You did it!

Jell-o Pops mmmmm...

2009-06-26T07:00:00.001-04:00

I don't know about you, but when a hot, humid day comes around I am not always prepared. Today we hit the high 80's (I know, I'm a baby) with about 100% humidity, with nothing but ice cubes on hand, so here is what I did:

Pulled out a French Vanilla (any flavor will work) instant pudding (1 pkg)
Mixed it with 2 cups of cold milk
Mixed it around for a minute
Poured it into some plastic (paper works better) cups
Stuck in some plastic spoons (popsicle sticks work better)
Froze them for three-long-hot-hours.
And mmmm.
They sure are yummy. Enjoy!

everyone could use some free paint

2009-06-25T14:19:00.000-04:00

Today Glidden is just giving away free paint. Go here, click on the link a little ways down. Go to their website, choose your color & they ship it right to you for free!

I chose Tropical Blue...to paint a chair & a big canvas for our room.

Stay tuned.

how do I cover up these ugly old pillows? or make new ones altogether!

2009-06-25T11:51:00.000-04:00

It's so easy!

If you have an ugly old pillow, just need a change or want to make a new one altogether, you're in the right place.
I'll show you how to sew it to make it look just like those darn cute ones you've been so tempted to buy.

Read through the instructions before you start your project!
What you'll need:
2 different types of fabric-or just one, whatever you decide, you'll need to measure your pillow to determine how much fabric you'll need.
matching thread
a button, ribbon or both

Step 1: Cut out your fabric, according to the size you need to fit around your pillow (give an extra inch and a half to two inches around the edges). Cut it so it would wrap around your pillow the long way, so it would look like a long rectangle (look at the image below). If you are doing it so that on the front of your pillow you want half of each of the different fabrics showing (like mine), plan for that and cut accordingly.

Step 2: Take your main color fabric (or which ever fabric you want to be on the top of the front of the pillow) and hem the edge that you will attach to the main fabric. The one that would be right between both, on the image below. Sew straight stitch.

Step 3: Take some matching ribbon, about 3'' (or fabric, but you'll have to sew it tiny, like a short piece of ribbon) and if it's big, fold in half, so it's about the size of 1/4 inch, sew w/matching thread, so it holds together.

Step 4: This step is only if you are doing the button. This step will be tricky to explain (I wish I had pictures!). You are going to take that little piece of ribbon and sew it on the wrong side of the fabric you just hemmed, you're going to make a loop though (practice before you sew), small enough to hid behind your button, to look like it's looped over your button. If that sounded way confusing, enlarge my last picture and look closely.

Step 5: Lay out both fabrics like so:
Step 6: Lay both fabric so wrong sides are facing out and sew the accent fabric piece to the main piece, right on top, like the above picture. Zigzag stitch. With the button loop facing out, on the right side.

Step 7: Fold your material in half (like it would be if it were wrapped around the pillow), with the wrong sides of the fabric facing out.

Step 8: Sew the top together with a zigzag stitch.

Step 9: Turn it right side out.

Step 10: Sew on your button by hand, through the loop hole.

Step 11: Hem the sides that are still open.

Step 12: Sew one side shut, straight stitch.

Step 13: Squish the old pillow in side of it, so both sides would still be open. If it isn't as firm and full as you want it to be, just add some extra stuffing.

Step 14: If you have a zipper foot, put it on now. If not, you can still do it, it's just a bit tricky.
Sew the last side shut and voila!!!
You did it.

Now you can do it again, do two if you'd like.

Calico Corners

2009-06-24T22:44:00.000-04:00

If you haven't been there you HAVE TO check it out.

Today was the first day I entered Calico Corners Fabric & Upholstery Store and it was my heaven on earth. I didn't want to leave.They do have some fabric that are quite pricey, but you can occasionally find good deals. BUT the best part is all of their displays and ideas are so inspiring and stylish.
You won't be sorry. Find a location near you!

here's how you make a car seat cover...

2009-06-24T21:47:00.001-04:00

For all of you that have been asking, here's how you make those darn cute car seat covers that are starting to become so popular.
It makes for a great baby gift!

This first one I made (the first pic) was my VERY FIRST sewing project ever.
The second, I did a few more fun tricks, but they both turned out pretty cute.What you'll need:
2 yards of fabric-any kind will work, using two different ones are fun, think of the season though, if the baby will be born at the beginning of summer you don't want double flannel, or something too hot.
thread-doesn't have to blend in, coordinating with the pattern can be fun and look cute.
1 pkg sewable velcro-white will mostly match the best, unless you're using a really dark pattern.
buttons, ribbon, tulle or whatever kind of embellishment you want
The dimensions are:
41'' x 35''
Handle dimensions are:
9'' x 2 1/2'' (you will be making two handles)
The handles will be 7 1/2'' apart from each other and they will be about 12 1/2'' from the outsides of the blanket.
The best way to place the handles on the car seat is to pin them on to the blanket and hang them on the car seat handle bar, so you can have the blanket/cover to hang in the right position.

Step 1: Cut the fabric.
Then fold in half and cut corners off (start with 7'' on a diagonal and if you need more cut more), so they won't be dragging on the ground. It will be in the shape of an octagon, but longer in height than in width...if that makes sense.

Step 2: Place both pieces of fabric the wrong side out (pin it if that helps, I never pin), on top of each other. Sew around (straight or zig zag stitch), leaving one small (about 7'') opening to be able to turn inside out.

Step 3: Flip inside out, iron, and then sew around again with straight stitch or any fun, decorative stitch around (the pic below, I used a flower stitch, with pink thread on yellow fabric, so cute!), stitch opening close. Voila! The main blanket/cover part is complete.

Step 4: Making the handles. Cut fabric (dimensions above), sew the same as you did with the whole blanket. Sewing inside out, flip, iron and then sew edges and opening close. Make sure both handles are the same size as each other.

Step 5: Cut velcro to the size you need, testing it as it hangs on the car seat helps, you'll need about an inch & a half, more if you think it needs more.

Step 6: Place them on the handles, but make sure you test it, like wrap it in a circle as it would be around the handle bars, so that you are putting them on the right sides! You'll need the fuzzy side of the velcro on one side of the strap and the pokey side of the velcro on the other side of the strap, so when you wrap it into a circle it will connect.

Step 7: After you sew the velcro on, it's time for the embellishment!
Pick whatever you want, ribbon, bows, buttons, whatever you come up with, make it, buy it whatever, just have it ready. You can use a tiny bit of glue (hot glue) you can put a dab on to hold it in place, or you can just sew it on. It can be tricky because you don't want the thread to show, so you have to sew it on by hand, hiding the tread.
If you used some kind of fabric or ribbon (the pic below I used fabric cut out as flower pedals & ribbon) that is fraying. You can use fray check or modge podge, dab it on the fraying edges and let it dry.

Step 8: Sew the straps on the right side of the blanket/cover and you did it!