Moody Girl Projects

Painting Laminate

2011-06-20T08:47:00.000-07:00

I feel like I should be back with something fabulous after being away for so long.
However, it's 8:39 on a Friday morning. I've got about 20 minutes until my brother in law shows up to drop off my nephew and my own kids are awakened by my two dogs barking their heads off at the knock on the door. So instead of fabulous, you get fast and easy :)
Fabulous will come later.

Every DIY/Crafter wonders about painting laminate, right? It's the one thing that no one wants to say "sure! we can do that!"
That's because there are so many different TYPES of laminate. Some are a lot cheaper than others. Some chip off the particle board underneath them.
Some of them, however, are perfectly suitable for painting. It's just a matter of finding a piece that will work. Look for one without chipping or peeling. You shouldn't be able to get your fingernail into the laminate seams. And it should just FEEL thicker. Less glossy.
It's hard to explain, but if you look at enough laminate furniture, you'll be able to tell the decent stuff from the crap.

I found this 3' tall, 2' wide bookshelf at my local DI for $5. For that price, I thought I'd try it. I was my daughters room mom this year, and I really liked her teacher. I wanted to give her something special for Teacher Appreciation Week, and a bookshelf for her classroom seemed like a fun, appropriate gift.

First step was sanding. I used 80 grit to go over it once - fairly lightly - then 100 grit to go over it a second time.

Then I gave it a coat of spray primer.

I painted it a pale aqua - a beautiful color I had mixed at the Home Depot in one of the Glidden paint samples for less than $3. I like using Glidden because their tiny pots come in both flat and eggshell, instead of just flat (like Behr.)

Once it had a couple coats of gorgeous on it, I decided it still needed...something. I considered distressing, but decided to go with a stencil on the sides, instead.

They totally played up the "grandma" feel of the piece - which I loved <3

My daughters teacher loved it, too.
On the last day of school I helped her move some furniture around the room - it all had to be stacked in one area so the rest of the class could be cleaned. The paint had held up perfectly - despite a class of 25 third graders using it daily.
So...painting laminate is definitely possible - as long as it's good laminate, and you do it right :)

NOTE: 8:39 on Friday morning actually turned into 9:15 on Monday morning, because on Friday the kids woke up at about 8:42 and my brother in law showed up at about 8:45 and then, before I knew it, it was Friday night at 9:30 when I was finally done doing kid stuff. Whew! Blogging is tough when you're a mom!

Valentines Decor?

2011-01-26T11:23:00.000-08:00

I'm not even going to talk about how I'm the worst blogger ever. I'm just going to post a new project and try to be more dedicated than I have been. Forgive me, followers! I still heart you!

I saw this project posted eons ago and filed it away in my head.

At one point, I even purchased the wood to build my own.
I never got around to it, though.

This is the view from my front door when looking directly to the back of my house.

The little wall over the stairs has never bothered me before, but a couple of weeks ago I suddenly decided it was the perfect place to hang something. I was putting my Valentines decor out at the time, and all the "Love" themed pieces must have reminded me of my Beatles inspiration piece.

The wood I had in the garage, however, was far too big. Instead I picked up a 2 gallery canvas's at JoAnn's.

For my letters I created a custom document in microsoft publisher that was the same size as my canvas (24x12) and played with the size and stretch of the letters until it fit the way I wanted it to. Then I turned those letters light grey (so as not to waste too much ink) and moved them to a standard letter size sheet of paper to print them out.

Then I cut the letters out and attached them to my canvas with a regular old glue stick.

(I started by just doing one canvas. That way, if it didn't work, I'd only ruined one, lol)

I love this reverse-stencil technique - and using a glue stick to make the paper stay works perfectly. It peels off without too much trouble but stays well enough if you don't jostle it around.

Anyway, I sprayed over the entire canvas with black spray paint. Two light coats.

When it was completely dry, I peeled the paper letters off. They came off surprisingly well. So, instead of printing and cutting out an entire new set of letters, I reused these ones. They were a bit curled, but I pressed them with my iron between two towels and they were perfect.

The letters stood out as extremely white and the black was just a pit too perfect for my taste, so I took some fine grit sand paper to it. Then I diluted some bronze paint and rubbed it over the canvas, giving the letters a bit of color and softening the black.

I love the result. The question is, is it Valentines Decor, or not?
I'm leaning towards not. I think I'll probably keep these up all year long.

Before and After:

Now I just need to replace those hideous sconce's. Bleck!

Giveaway!

2010-11-22T10:44:00.000-08:00

Giveaway is closed - the winner is Lee Ann!
Congrats, Lee Ann! I hope you love your sonic scrubber as much I do :)

ETA: The people at Sonic Scrubbers sent me a note letting me know that there is a discount available right now! Go to http://www.sonicscrubbers.com/cleaneasy

I have been MIA for a while and I apologize for that! It's been hectic around here - there's so much going on this time of year! Plus, we went on vacation for a week, so that took a lot of time, too.

I'm returning with one heck of a giveaway, though!

A couple of months ago I was contacted about trying a new cleaning product and then posting a review for my readers. The best part was that the company offering the product was one who's cleaning products I already loved! Score!
I heart scrubbing bubbles - disposable toilet brush's rock :)

Anyway, they sent me this new, high tech toilet brush, and I tried it out.
Here's what it looks like
http://www.sonicscrubbers.com/tb.html

Like all the other scubbing bubbles toilet brush's, this one is disposable and has the cleaning solution build right in, so you don't have to squirt anything inside the toilet.
The cool thing about this one, though, is that it's battery powered. It does all the work for you!
I purposefully let my toilets go a little extra time between cleaning before I used this the first time. We have really hard water, and it stains the bowl...the longer it sits without cleaning, the harder I have to scrub. I figured if I was going to review it, I should really test it out ;)

Okay - the product itself:
So it's this long handle, and at the end is this square button looking thing.

Then the brush is a round scrubbing pad with a square hole in the back.

The handle clicks into the scrubbing pad and you're in business. Easy-peasy :)

Then you just push the button and it comes to life!

I'm not sure if it was the battery powered scrubbing or the cleaning solution that's built into the head, but this toilet brush REALLY cut through the grime! I was definitely impressed!
My one complaint is that when I pushed it into the deepest part of the toilet and started angling it around I popped the head off. I had a moment of panic, but all I had to do was push the button back into the button hole (still in the water - I didn't actually touch anything with my hand) and it was fine again.
Of course - I didn't really need to PUSH at all...I did it more out of habit than anything. On the second toilet I refrained from pushing and didn't have any more popping off :)
Also - this thing has plenty of cleaning power in it! I cleaned BOTH of my toilets with the one scrubbing pad and that was with them being extra dirty!

So here's the cool part!
The people at Sonic Scrubbers agreed to give one of my readers a Power Toilet Bowl Scrubber of their own!
Just leave a comment here to enter.
You can earn extra entries by "liking" them on Facebook - here's a link to that!
http://www.facebook.com/sonicscrubbers

Good luck to everyone! I sure do like mine!

(giveaway will be open through Wednesday, December 1)

Halloweenie

2010-10-08T09:32:00.000-07:00

Sometimes my creativity runs out.
In particular, I have trouble coming up with anything original for Halloween.
So instead, I stalked some blogs and copied some things.
Hooray for plagiarism!
Even if it does make me feel like a (hallo)weenie. LOL

First - this adorable "Trick or Treat Frame" from Crafts & Sutch
I made my own - and I love it :)

Next - I loved these cute "Scrap Spookies" from Diary of a Preppy Mom
So I copied them, too.

The Pumpkin (mine had a wood stem and glitter in the paint)

The Mummy (mine is wrapped in white burlap instead of muslin, and I used buttons for eyes)

The Frankenstein (no fabric on mine, and he has button eyes like the Mummy)

I did manage to come up with one additional scrap spookie...
A Bat! (his wings are cut from leftover hardboard)

The one original Halloween decoration I made this year was a wreath for my front door.
I died black tulle (and a tiny spot of purple, for interest) around a metal wreath. In the middle I attached a metal spiderweb I've had for years. Then I added some scary spiders. I love it!

Happy Halloween, everyone! And thanks to Erin @ Craft & Sutch and to Preppy Mom for making such cute projects! I had a blast copying them :)

Garage Door: Take 2

2010-10-07T11:06:00.000-07:00

If you have the time/weather for one more outdoor project this year, let this be it.
Because it's fab.u.lous.

Okay - from the beginning...
Last Spring, I attempted to turn my metal garage door into something more decorative. I lusted after those super expensive wood doors, and had seen the standard metal doors painted to look like wood, and I decided I could do that, too. I didn't go at it blindly...I did some internet research...and the results were pretty impressive. At least, I was impressed. Here's the original Garage Door Makeover post.

Unfortunately, the finish did not hold up to the elements. Our home is on top of a mountain, and we have pretty severe Winters. Gusting winds...driving snow...you get it.
The garage door came away from the Spring thaw looking a little (lot) worse for the wear.

(not quite this bad - this picture was taken later in the summer...)

So I thought and thought about what to do to fix it.
Meanwhile, the garage door got worse and worse.

My darling husband begged me just to paint it black.
"But it's so boring!" (I wailed)
To which he replied "It's a garage door" (and he's thinking - how exciting does it need to be?)

But I'm nothing if not a rebel. And anyway, I figured my garage door is 50% of my home's curb appeal! It DOES need to be exciting!
So I did a little more internet research - I even looked into having the door faux painted by a professional. The cheapest price I could find for that, though, was $450.
Um...no.

Here we go.
First, I pressure washed the garage door. The old stain was still flaking off in places, though, so it had to be sanded. I won't lie - the husband did 90% of this part.

(sanded and ready to go!)

When that was done I painted it this disgusting caramel color. The neighbors were terrified, I'm sure.
Next I added some faux wood grain marks (using a wood graining tool) to random spots.

Finally I started painting it. I used three different colors - the gross caramel color I started with, a chocolate brown, and black. I mixed them on the brush, in buckets, and on the door, working towards a natural wood look - with lots of color variation.

When I was done, I applied 2 coats of spar urethane to seal it.

(in the sun)

(in the shade)

This took a long time! I only worked on it while my little one was outside playing near me, though. If I had just worked on it straight through, I'd guess it would have taken about 3 days. One day for the base coat and first set of wood graining, one day for the painting part, and another day to seal it.

I love the way it turned out, and I've gotten a TON of compliments on it. Several of my neighbors have stopped to tell me how beautiful it is, and one even asked if she could pay me to do hers! I declined...for now. I'm pretty confident that this will hold up - the door was sanded first, I used all exterior paints, and I sealed it with an exterior urethane product. But still...if this one chips off, I don't want it happening on someone else's house!

Here's the original before. The garage door as the builder painted it. Blah!

Here it is after my original "faux wood" treatment

And here it is today - absolutely gorgeous :)

The new finish is a HUGE improvement over the old one - live and learn, right?!
Linking up all over town to show off my oh-so-labor-intensive project!
Transformation Thursday at the Shabby Chic Cottage
Get Your Craft On Thursday at Life as Lori
Show Off Your Stuff at Fireflies and Jellybeans
Strut Your Stuff at Somewhat Simple
and maybe some Friday parties, too. I'm really proud of this one! lol

Bow Tutorial

2010-10-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I posted a Bow Holder project I had made for all my daughters hair bows. I mentioned then that I would post a Hair Bow Tutorial at some point in the future...
So here it is!

There are a lot of ways to make hairbows - mine probably isn't the best/most professional/easiest way. It's just the way I do it - and it works for me! My daughter is VERY (over)active, and these stay together for her - so I must be doing something right!
Type A: The Boutique Bow

To start I cut two lengths of ribbon based on what size I want my bow to be. I singe the ends with a lighter and fold them into loops. I use hot glue to attach mine - a very tiny bit! Otherwise you won't be able to gather the bow in the center.

(I used to use sewing glue, but found that hot glue holds about a millions times better and dries about a million times quicker)

Put one loop inside the other and turn them so they make an X

Then cut your additional ribbons. For this bow I used 1 wide organza ribbon and 4 coordinating gross grain ribbons (2 of each pattern.)

Again, I singe the edges with a lighter, then layer the ribbons on top of my X.

I use super thin floral wire to wrap the middle as tight as I can get it.

At this point I added another ribbon - it felt like it needed some more pink.

Then I choose a coordinating ribbon to use as the center wrap and attach it with a dot of hot glue.

I attach the barrette to the back of the bow with (yep!) more hot glue - then wrap the ribbon over it.

And there it is!

Type 2: The Pony Bow

I just learned how to make this style, and I love it. I actually purchased one from Gymboree so I could examine it closely. Mine are just as fabulous as theirs are, and are SO MUCH CHEAPER.

Start with several pieces (I used 10) of coordinating ribbon in different widths and patterns cut to about 14 inches long.

Make sure they're nice and flat - I use a 1/2 inch flat iron to smooth mine out.

You're going to choose two "main" ribbons to become your T for the bow. One will be the bottom, the other will be the top. They should match each other.
Start with the bottom ribbon and begin crossing ribbons over the top of it.

The goal is that no two ribbons sit directly on top of each other - so you can see them all when it's laying flat - but you want to keep them pretty close together or the ribbons don't fall as pretty when it's in the pony tail.

Once they're all laid out how you want them, sew them together. You don't have to use a machine for this, but I did.

Sew it in an X, so you're sure to get all the ribbons.

Then you take your elastic, stand it up right and use your second "T" ribbon to attach it.

I marked where I wanted it and sewed the first side without the elastic in it.

Then I slid the elastic back in and sewed the second side down.

And that's it.

Here it is in my daughters pony tail. I love this style of bow! It's so sweet - but a little more "grown-up" looking :)

Indian Summer

2010-09-30T10:50:00.000-07:00

Autumn is my favorite season.
I love the cooler temperatures, the changing leaves and the football. Usually I can't wait to pull out my Fall decorations and put them up.
This year, though, I'm reluctant to let go of Summer. Luckily, Mother Nature agrees with me. It's been close to 90 every day this week! We are definitely having an Indian Summer.

While I'm wasn't really feeling my fall decor yet, I felt like the Summer stuff was a bit out dated. So I came up with an Indian Summer theme. My Summer decor this year was yellow and turquoise. I decided to keep the yellow and replace the blue with red. Instant change.
You've seen the faux-sew pillows.

Sunflowers are EVERYWHERE right now, so I thought they'd work well on my porch, too. I used the super-fake looking artificial ones. Normally I hate silk flowers, but these are so fake they don't even look like they are trying, and that makes me like them more. (for today)
I also added a brown bottle (de-labeled and scrubbed) with 3 sunflowers stuck inside it.

The rest of the sunflower bush got hot-glued onto a foam wreath, which I then stuck in the middle of a fall wreath that I've ripped most of the good stuff out of. I like the way it looks, simple, but beefy :)

My favorite part is the "Indian Summer" sign that I made - because I wanted the theme to be abundantly clear. I used a scrap piece of beadboard and a scrap piece of hardboard.
Spray painted the beadboard red and covered the hardboard in yellow patterned scrapbook paper. Then I had lettered the words on using a sharpie. Hot glued the whole thing together, drilled a couple of holes and strung a ribbon through and the whole thing was done (even with paint drying!) in about an hour.

I like the porch. It's summery and autumny all at once.

Tomorrow is October 1, though, and I'm planning to put up the Halloween decorations then. When they come down, my Fall will go up. This Indian Summer look is fleeting, but it was a fun change to make.

Now...if the weather will just hold out a couple more weeks, maybe I can get one more outside project in.
Don't you think this window would look fab with shutters on it?

Me, too!

Before and After!

2010-09-17T06:52:00.000-07:00

The Creative Chick Parade has come to a close!

Today is day 5, our last day of linky love :)

Our theme today is Before and After!

You can post a link to any project you've done - as long as there are before and after pictures! I can't wait to see what you have to show off!

Recipe Round Up!

2010-09-15T19:58:00.000-07:00

It's day 4 of the Creative Chick Parade!
I don't have a cute graphic today :(
I was stealing them from Diana at the Girl Creative and she didn't make one. I thought about making my own, but I decided against it.
So now you know I'm a thief AND I'm lazy.

Please don't let that effect your decision to link up!

I can't wait to see all your recipes! I love to cook/bake/eat, so these will be lots of fun for me to check out! And I'll be linking my own recipe up, too! It's for the worlds best sugar cookies - be sure to try them out!

Sugar Cookie Love

2010-09-15T19:56:00.000-07:00

This is a repost from last year for the Recipe Round Up portion of the Creative Chick Parade!

I’m president of the SPO this year at my daughters school (it’s their PTA – just a different acronym.)
Anyway, we were in a meeting, planning the next several parent events we’ll be hosting and discussing food options. The general thought was that cookies were fine for afternoon activities, but for morning we should have something fruity/healthy and for evenings something savory.
MY opinion was slightly different. I will eat a cookie anytime.
Seriously – any.time. Wake me up from a dead sleep at 2am with a freshly baked cookie and I will thank you politely – then ask for more. I.love.cookies.
About a year ago I discovered a local bakery that makes the most amazing sugar cookies. Normally I’m not a sugar cookie fan. Give me peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip…throw as many extra ingredients in as you can. But sugar cookies? Boring!
These ones, however, are like heaven. Heaven with a touch of almond extract. Heaven with a texture that’s almost a cross between cookie-like and bread-like, with a thick layer of butter cream frosting that also has a touch of almond extract in it. If God eats cookies, (and I’m sure that he does!) then these are one of his favorites.
I spent a small fortune over a few weeks buying these cookies as rewards for myself. Rewards (?) you wonder? Yeah. It was like those Arctic Circle commercials – cookies were a reward for anything – cleaning the house, going to the gym, volunteering at school…
Unfortunately the cookies cost $1.75 each.
I’m not kidding. Ridiculous, right? But sooooo tasty…
So I began a mission to recreate the cookies. First I dreamed of things I could tell the head baker to make her give me the recipe, but abandoned that when I actually pictured myself making that phone call.
Instead, I made about 8 batches of sugar cookies, experimenting with different recipes until I finally got it right. I was hoping that by mastering them I would break their hold over me. Alas, that has not been the case. Still, at least now I can more than one without dipping into my savings account!
I made some last weekend and decorated them cute to take to a friends house. Look at that yumminess!

Now – when you make these (because you WILL make them, won’t you?) be sure to put a THICK layer of frosting on. Because the frosting is to die for.

Mandy’s Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1.5 tsp vanilla

1 tsp almond extract

2.5 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

dash salt

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs and extracts, then dry ingredients. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, then roll out between wax paper with plenty of flour to about 1/3 inch thick. Cut into shapes. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cookies will NOT be colored on top when they are done, but will be light golden on bottom.
Cool completely, then frost.

Mandy’s Best Buttercream

1/4 cup butter

3 cups powdered sugar (appr.)

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp hot water

Beat until fluffy – continue adding sugar and water until frosting reaches desired consistency.

Creative Chick Parade Day 3: Furniture Fix Up!

2010-09-14T20:38:00.000-07:00

It's Wednesday! Day 3 of the Creative Chick Parade blog hop!

The day you get to share your Furniture Fix Up's!

Furniture projects are my favorites. I LOVE furniture.

This is going to be the BEST linky day!!!

I can't wait to see everyone's projects. Link up as many furniture projects as you'd like - I'm planning to look at them all!

Once again, here's the list of bloggers that are part of this awesome blog hop! Check them out and share the love!

Sew Much Ado

Fingerprints on the Fridge

Dilly Dally and Flitter

My Furniture Fix Up

2010-09-14T20:30:00.000-07:00

This is a re-post in honor of the Creative Chick Parade.

I refinished this chair for my mom for Christmas last year. I thought it would be a useful one to repost, since I see chairs like this at the thrift store ALL the time.

Here's the before.

Love the lines! Everything else, not so much.
The caning in the back was pretty damaged - which was okay with me, because I don't really love caning, anyway.

I sanded her down and painted her heirloom white.

Then I cut her caning out.

She sat like this...backless...in the basement for a few weeks. I couldn't quite figure out how I was going to put a new back in. I began to wonder if I had screwed things up royally. Why didn't I just upholster the caning???
Oh, right...because it wasn't really structurally sound.

(But seriously? If your caning IS structurally sound, I would just upholster that. Because what comes next would be a very unnecessary step if you didn't absolutely need to do it.)

Then I remembered my new crafting best friend, hardboard.
Hubby cut some out in the right shape for me.

I wrapped it in a double layer of quilt batting and the fabric I had chosen (staple gunned it all on) and screwed the hardboard into the chair frame.

Then I took a piece of 1 inch foam and cut it to shape. I wrapped it in batting, too, then I used spray adhesive to attach the cushion to the hardboard.

I used the staple gun again to cover the cushion with fabric.

Then I covered the seams with a braided trim.

And here she is - totally revamped and gorgeous!

Sew What!

2010-09-13T20:11:00.000-07:00

It's day two of the Creative Chick Parade!!!

Link up as many sewing projects as you want...we can't wait to see them all!!!

Once again - here's a list of all the super-cool bloggers that are part of this blog hop! Be sure to check them all out - many are hosting giveaways this week!

Sew Much Ado
Fingerprints on the Fridge
Girl.Inspired
Blog Guidebook
Sumo's Sweet Stuff
Brown Paper Packages
Dilly Dally and Flitter
The Trendy Treehouse
Lucky Star Lane
Beat Until Fluffy
Dear Madelyn

The Girl Creative

"sewing"

2010-09-13T20:00:00.000-07:00

I know how to sew.
I'm not even bad at it.
But sometimes it's a lot of work.
Dragging the sewing machine out, threading the needle, winding the bobbin (it's always empty!)
Blah, blah, blah.

So when I wanted some sort of fall-themed pillows for my front porch, I decided to sew the easy way.
With my glue gun.
Bonus - I did the whole thing outside :)

I picked up some beautiful outdoor fabric at JoAnn's in the remnant bin. The big piece was about $4, the little piece was only about $2. I used the pillows that I already had sitting out there and covered them up. I figure I'll just rip open the seams when I'm done with the Fall theme :)

Okay - here we go! Easiest sewing you'll ever do.
To start I folded the fabric with right sides together, then laid the pillow on top of the fabric and cut it to size.

Then I used my hot glue gun to glue two sides together so that only the bottom was open. Here it is after I turned it right side out.

Then I put the pillow in and glued the last edge together.

This is how my final "seam" looks.

Turned out cute, huh?

Honestly, I would never do this for pillows that were going to be inside the house - but for the porch? I love it - quick, easy and cute!

Mod Podge Mayhem!

2010-09-13T07:04:00.000-07:00

Hello, readers!!!
This week I am participating in a blog hop with some amazing girls - I feel honored to be part of such a COOL group!!!
Each day this week I'll be hosting a link party for a specific type of project, starting today with Mod Podge - something I know you all love to use as much as I do!

I hope you're ready for a wonderful week of projects and giveaways!

Add a link below to any project that you made with Mod Podge. Today is not the day to add your sewing projects or recipes (that will come soon enough this week) so be sure to only link up to your Mod Podge projects.

A bunch of the other wonderful co-hosts of the Creative Chick Parade are hosting some pretty cool giveaways this week so be sure to check them out:

The Girl Creative

There's NO limit to how many Mod Podge Projects you can link up! I can't wait to see them all!

My Mod Podge

2010-09-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

In honor of the Mod Podge Mayhem linky party I'm helping to host this week, I thought I'd post one of my own mod-podge projects!
I use Mod Podge all the time, actually, it's just rarely to make anything that's cool enough to post about. I, for instance, have never covered a pair of SHOES with modge podge. How freakin' cool is that???

Anyway - this is supposed to be about my project.
Which happens to be part of my kitchen redecorating project...which I've totally slacked off on posting about. I'm going to finish that up next week, I promise. So stay tuned for that.

Anyway - (again) - as part of my kitchen redecorating project I went on a beautifying rampage. My mantra was "everything must be pretty!"
And we all know...can openers (though necessary) are not pretty.

Rather than screw around with (and take the chance of destroying) a perfectly good can opener, I decided to disguise it.
I started by building a backless, bottomless box out of the cabinet centers that I had removed for my custom cabinet project.

I gave it a quick coat of cream paint so that the paper I chose would have a light background

Then I cut the paper and applied it with Mod Podge. A coat underneath to adhere the paper, and two thin coats on top to give it a somewhat waterproof finish.

I love the way it looks. It's so cute!

And it's super easy to slide to the side so I can use the can opener.

It's been sitting on my counter, right next to my sink, for 7 months and it's help up beautifully! I was a bit worried about steam or spray from the sink ruining the paper, but it's stayed perfect.

Back to School Bows

2010-08-30T08:37:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long absence!
My daughter went back to school last week, and I was busy preparing for that...
Then I was trying to figure out how to pace my day around drop-off and pick-up...it's always so hard to change your schedule, isn't it?

Every year before school begins I spend a day or two making hair bows.
And every year, but the time Summer rolls around, she's lost them all.
She loves to look pretty, but she loves to PLAY even more, and when she's running and rolling and hiding and seeking on the playground at recess she tends to lose bows. Since I'd rather she play than worry about her hair, I try not to get too irritated by it. And since I sort of like making bows, I keep replacing them.

This year I went overboard. My ribbon collection needed to be cleaned out anyway, and I just kept making them. She ended up with WAY too many to fit in her current bow holder (a rubbermaid 3 drawer storage cube.)

So I decided to make something cute to hold them all, instead :)

I started with a chunky wooden frame (16x20) and a craft kit I found on clearance at JoAnn's.
I forgot to take "before" pictures, so picture the frame an ugly wood tone and the butterfly pieces unpainted.

Once they were painted I attached the butterfly pieces to the frame - making it the center of the bug.

I purchased some rabbit wire at a local farmer supply store. Cut it to size with my wire cutter and attached it to the frame with hot glue.

A note about the rabbit wire - originally I wanted chicken wire (with the people at the farm supply store called Poultry Wire) but it was sold only in large rolls. The rabbit wire was sold by the foot, however, and they had two different sizes on sale for just 0.99 a foot. I bought 3 feet so I'd have some left over in case I decide to make another :)

Here's the result - before she was filled up with bows. I hung it on the wall in my daughters bedroom.

The majority of the bows I've made have the barrette style hair clip on them, as they stay in her hair about a million times better. A few have the alligator, pinch open/close style clip on them. Both stay on the holder very well! The alligator kind just pinches on, and the barrette style just kind of sits on the wire. It stays on perfectly.

I'm sure you noticed the excess of navy blue...my daughter wears a uniform to school, so almost all of her bows have navy and/or white in them to match :)

I really like the way it turned out - it's sweet and girly and functional, too!

Mason Jar Soap Dispenser

2010-08-10T11:59:00.000-07:00

Recently I added a new folder to my "Favorites"
I called it "To Make"
I'm adding crafts to it like crazy - it's going to be my favorite favorite folder :)

This darling soap dispenser is the reason I created my new folder - and it was the first thing I made from it, too. I just love it so much!

How cute is that?

It's been made by several people, but I went ahead and used Heather's instructions from HeatherBullard.com. They were well written and easy to follow - a huge bonus!

Start with a soap dispenser you like, a mason jar, a drill with whole saw attachment and some epoxy.

Cut the top off your soap dispenser, leaving the threading intact. Measure and drill a whole into your mason jar lid for your bottle top to fit through. Then epoxy them together.

I went with a purple soap. It's blackberry-vanilla scented. Or something.

Anyway, it's lovely! I absolutely adore the way it looks - so cute and fun!

TrainTableTop

2010-08-05T07:30:00.000-07:00

As I promised in yesterdays Birthday Stuff post - here's the gift I "built" my son last week :)

When my son turned two we got him a train table for his Birthday.
It was a huge hit.
But he was definitely too little to set up the tracks himself, and I didn't want to be doing it for him every 5 minutes...
So we took a cue from the toy store and screwed the pieces on to the table.
It worked out perfectly...except he just turned 4, and now he wants the freedom to move the tracks around. Plus, it would be nice if he could use the table for other things as well - like legos or race cars.

The old table top has screw holes in it now, though. Plus the wear and tear on it was pretty significant.
So I decided to replace the top :)

I picked up a very thin piece of plywood - a 4x4 piece of flooring underlayment, actually.
I cut it down myself with a circular saw. I'd never done that before. In the past, my handy-dandy, oh-so-helpful husband has always done it for me. But he was at work, and I'm impatient, and I decided to do it myself. It's a lot harder than it looks.
But I managed!

Then I gave it a coat of apple green spray paint.

When that was dry I started the detail work.
I'm no artist, but I figured my 4 year old wasn't going to be critiquing my work. I gave it a couple of bodies of water, a bunch of rocks, some trees/bushes and a road, of course.

After the detailing was finished I gave it a clear top coat to keep the paint from wearing away too quickly.

For his Birthday this year, we gave Ash a bunch of Hot Wheels race tracks that interconnect. The new train table is the perfect place to set them up! It's wonderful being able to use the table for more than just trains. Here are my kiddos, in their jammies, playing on the new table :)

Birthday Stuff

2010-08-04T08:56:00.000-07:00

I know "Birthday Stuff" is an awful post title. I can't think of anything else!

August 1 was my son's 4th Birthday. His party was July 31. All last week I was busy with...well...Birthday Stuff! Apologies for neglecting the blog. I'm back now, ready to share everything I was working on for my boy last week!

The Invitations
I purchased the card and the beach balls at a local scrapbooking store, then printed them at home. This is how I make most of my invitations. It's not much more expensive than buying the ready made ones and filling them in, and I love the custom look. These ones ended up costing less than a dollar each :)

The Favors
I love a theme, and I wanted to keep everything really summery - sun, water, sand. When I found these miniature sand buckets on clearance for .48 at Target I knew they were perfect. I purchased mini water guns, water balloons and some splash balls at Dollartree and used a piece of teal tissue paper to fill up space. Each bucket cost about $1.00
Bucket $0.48
Splash Balls $0.25 (4/$1)
Water guns $0.16 (6/$1)
Water balloons $.04 (100/$1)
Tissue Paper $.06 (8 sheets for $1, 1/2 sheet per bucket)
Total $.99

I printed "Thanks 4 Coming to my Birthday Party" at home and matted it with cardstock.

The Cake
I found a Sun Cake on the Wilton website that I thought would work perfectly and managed to recreate it pretty well! I baked the cake in a large glass bowl rather than buying the soccer ball pan Wilton recommends. It turned out perfectly :)
I used this recipe from bakerella and made my own buttercream - my boys favorite :)

The Wardrobe
We rented a blow-up-waterslide for the party, so my wardrobe choices were limited to swim wear. I did make a custom "4" appliqué for the back of a polo shirt for my boy to wear during dinner, though.
If you haven't made your own appliqué yet, get going on that! They are easy and fun.
Just cut your design out of fabric and fusible web (like wonder under) and iron on. Then follow the outline with your sewing machine. There are machines with fancy embroidery type stitches that you can use especially for this type of thing, but if you don't have one of those you can use a regular sewing machine - I do! Sometimes I zig-sag stitch, sometimes I just sew a straight line. If you don't completely cover the edges of your fabric it will fray when you wash it, but depending on the design that can actually look really cute.
My son picked out his own fabric - bright green with skulls. I loved it.
I chose a font and printed a 4 off my computer for a pattern. Then I ironed it on and did a regular stitch around the outside. LOVE how it turned out - although he only wore it for about 10 minutes. I haven't washed it yet, but this is one that will fray, and I think it will be darling :)

So that's it for the party itself. There was one other Birthday project, a gift I "built" that I'll share tomorrow.

Pimp My Ride

2010-07-22T09:22:00.000-07:00

Is that title offensive? Can I say "pimp my ride" on a craft blog?
It's done, now. If it shocked you, please forgive me :)

My little boy (Asher) is turning 4 in just a couple of weeks. Recently, I asked him what he wanted for his Birthday. He said he wanted a black car. To ride in.
Now, since he already has a cozy coupe AND a power wheels jeep, there was absolutely no need to buy him a new ride in vehicle.
But I'm a sucker for this face.

I had to figure something out.

So I made over his old Cozy Coupe.
Are you aware that this is the best selling car in America? It's popularity is astounding. This review, about it's attributes, had me rolling on the floor.

Anyway, on to the makeover.
Ash has had this car for almost 3 years, now. It was his Birthday gift when he turned one. He was delighted with it then, and has played with it non-stop since.

It was actually a little beat up...
Here it is, before:

To start, I disassembled it. I scrubbed the whole thing down and removed all of the decals - didn't want to be painting over stickers!

The drivers door (the one that opens) was cracked at the bottom - a result of my daughter standing on it to climb on top of the coupe. My husband used some sandable plastic epoxy to repair it. It worked REALLY well, filling in the cracks completely.

Then I gave it several coats of this paint

Rustoleum Direct-to-Plastic Spray Paint. No sanding or priming required. In High Gloss Black.

When the entire thing (including the undercarriage!) had been painted, I rigged up a cover for the body using an old sheet that just allowed the seat to show through. Then I painted it white - using the same type of paint.

Once all the paint was on I gave the car a couple of good coats of a sealer - Rustoleums Clear Top Coat.

Then I reassembled and started on the detail work.
I considered purchasing another set of decals from Little Tykes - the cost is VERY reasonable...until you add in shipping. I always have a problem paying 4X the amount of the product for the mailing.
So I improvised.
Using paint pens I drew on a personalized license plate and filled in the tail lights.

Then I used a silver sharpie to give it a grill, some door handles and to outline the ignition.
I really wanted to give it a speedometer or a radio on the dash, but with the top of the car back on I just didn't have a good angle to draw it with.

Last, but not least, I gave the coupe white-wall tires. Ash requested them specifically. I actually used wall paint on this part - mostly because it was easiest!

After all the details were drawn on I gave one more coat of clear. And then a few more coats of clear.
I'm worried that my makeover won't "stick" - the paint scratched off quite easily in the beginning. I had to touch up quite a few spots...
However, the longer it's on there, the better it seems to be doing. Hopefully it will eventually become part of the plastic :)

My boy loves it - and it's much more to his taste now. A classy black coupe with white wall tires feels so much more grown up than the red, yellow and blue original! LOL
Here it is...all pimped out :)

Linking up to...
Transformation Thursday at the Shabby Chic Cottage
Strut Your Stuff at Somewhat Simple
What Are Little Boys Made Of at Seven Thirty Three
Get Your Craft On at Life as Lori and
Look At Me at Fun to Craft

Spa Wrap/Cover Up

2010-07-12T08:13:00.000-07:00

My daughter, Tessa (who just turned 8) and I are leaving for Girl Scout Camp today!
It should be an adventure!!!

I wanted to make her something special for camp. A little accessory or souvenir that she'd always associate with her first time at camp. I settled on a spa wrap/cover up.
Our camp has a lake, and the girls will be swimming.
I believe the showers are communal, as well. So her little wrap will be functional as well as fun!

To start, I scoured the internet for a design I liked. I found this one, from Centsational Girl, and LOVED it. The ruffles were just too perfect for my little girly-girl. Eventually I may do what she did and make one for myself, but for now I only had time to make the one.

This is a project that's been in my head for some time. Last year I bought a set of towels on clearance at Target with this project in mind. They were part of the '09 College Collection and I got 2 bath towels, 2 hand towels and 2 washcloths for $3.24. Score!
I started with my cheap towels and a scrap of fabric I had in my stash.

I cut the fabric into strips (about 4 inches wide) then folded it in half, lengthwise, and ironed it flat. Then I folded it up about every inch or so and ironed those folds flat, making faux pleats.
Then I sewed my pleats down.

Next I measured my daughter and cut the towel accordingly. My 8 year old is kind of tiny, so the regular size bath towel was quite large on her. I ended up cutting about 18 inches off one end, plus the finished end from the other side.

I folded the top down about 2 inches and sewed it shut, creating a casing for my elastic. I measured my daughters chest, subtracted 2 inches and cut the elastic to that length. Then I put a safety pin on one end of the elastic and sent it through the casing, but not all the way. I sewed the other end into the towel.
Then I sewed the ruffle onto one end of my wrap.
Next, I measured the length on my daughter and hemmed the bottom of the towel (after cutting about 2 inches off.) Originally I wanted to give it a ruffle on the bottom, but I was running short on time and decided against it. I can always add one, later :)

I used one of the washclothes to make a pocket, next. I decided how big I wanted it and cut it down to that size. I left the hem from the cloth on the bottom, and left the top raw, but I ironed the two sides in.
Then I added a ruffle to the top edge and finished it off with a piece of double fold bias-tape.

I top stitched it onto the wrap.

This is when I finally finished the elastic. I waited until the end so I'd be working with a flat piece for as long as possible.
First, I threaded the safety pin the rest of the way through the casing, then I pulled the elastic tight as I sewed from the finished edge to the unfinished edge. I did it twice, the second line just a few centimeters away from the first.
Then I hemmed the unfinished end of the wrap.

I added two sets of velcro to the wrap, so that it would stay closed on her.

Then I added straps (using the hemmed pieces I had cut off earlier) so that it would stay UP on her.

And that was it.

I love how it turned out. She looks adorable in it and LOVES it. We leave for camp in two hours - hopefully I'll get a cute picture or two of her in it in a real setting! For now, here she is, photoshopped into post-card form :)

Linking up at...
The Girl Creative and
Raising Memories

GOAL!!!

2010-07-08T07:48:00.000-07:00

My daughter, Tessa, played Spring Soccer for the first time this year.
She loved it, and was actually very good!
We had a lot of fun with it as a family and went to the park a few times to practice...
But practicing soccer is tough without a goal.

I checked out a mini collapsible goal at Wal Mart, but it was cheesy looking and so light that I figured (staked or not) it would fly across the yard if anyone managed to score a goal! Plus, it was $35.
I checked online and found a plethora of options - none for less than $40, plus shipping.

At this point I (of course) started to wonder about building my own goal...
I figured there HAD to be plans out there to build one out of PVC pipe. We have a large pile of PVC in the garage, left over from our sprinkling system.

Sure enough, I found several plans online. This one, from This Old House, was my favorite.

I modified it a tiny bit and managed to build a goal for about $6!
Since my garage was full of PVC pipe, I didn't have to buy any of that. I bought a bunch of PVC joints (about $3) and 2 fishing nets from the dollar store.

The nets were the hardest part. The ones from the dollar store are NOT perfectly square. Actually, they're not any particular shape at all. They're sort of amoeba-ish. So I started by tyeing one net on to the goal in as many spots as I could stretch it to on one end, then I did the same on the opposite side. In the middle I trimmed the nets where it needed it and tied the two of them together. I cut and tied for about 30 minutes and it was tedious - but the money saved was well worth it! $2 was WAY cheaper than I would have been able to buy any other net for.

Tessa will be playing soccer again in the fall, and this season her little brother will get to play, too!

We're all very excited - especially for practice at home :)

My Last Patriotic Project

2010-07-02T09:46:00.000-07:00

Okay - this will be my last patriotic project for this year!
After all - the 4th of July is only 2 days away!

In Utah we celebrate the 24th of July, too. It's Pioneer Day - and we celebrate it in much the same way as we do the 4th. Barbecues and Fireworks and lots of red, white and blue. That makes it possible to stretch my Patriotic Decor all the way through August 1 :)

I needed something patriotic, but in a non-traditional (meaning not red, white and blue!) for my entry table. Here's what I came up with.

I started with a scrap piece of bead board and am ikea frame (still in the plastic!) that I found in my basement.

Then I traced a metal star - temporarily stolen from my son's cowboy room - onto the bead board.

Then I hot glued penny's onto the star shape, overlapping some here and there to get the best coverage.

I attached my bead board to the back of my ikea frame (now spray painted white) and in less than 20 minutes was done with this one. Nothing's better than a 20 minute project, right?

I LOVE the copper against the white. It seems patriotic enough to me - after all, that's USA Currency, baby!

By the way - does this count as defacing money? Can I go to jail for this?

Darling, Inexpensive Party Favors

2010-06-30T13:44:00.000-07:00

My friend Diana, over at The Girl Creative, is throwing a linky party today that's Birthday Parties. She's looking for special inspiration when it comes to Goody Bags.

I am a Birthday Party throwing psych case.
Sad, but true.
Every year I go insane planning my daughters Birthday party. Each year I manage to outdo myself in craziness.
Last year she had her first sleep over (which was actually a late-over for all but one guest.)
I made each girl a white, lace trimmed nightgown. At the party they got the decorate their gown with fabric markers and iron ones. Then they had a fashion show, set to music, which I made my husband videotape (so I could take still photographs.)
For the goodie bags I made them each a fabric bag with their initial quilted onto it. It was filled with sleepover paraphernalia.
These types of things - even when done by clever, craft mommy's - end up costing a lot of money. So my Tessa usually only gets to invite a few friends. Last year she invited 8 friends.

Narrowing it down is always the toughest part for my ridiculously outgoing girl. She counts EVERYONE as a friend.

This year I was super busy with end of the year PTA madness, and I didn't have the desire that I normally do to go completely overboard, so, instead, we threw the easiest Birthday Party known to man.
We rented a massive bounce house, reserved the pavilion at the park, and let Tessa invite everyone she knew to the party.
We ended up with 36 yes RSVP's.
And then I thought of the party favors.
I panicked, a bit, at first. I didn't want to spend my life savings on party favors! Plus, I absolutely HATE when my kids come home with party favors filled with way too much sugar or cheap, silly toys that break 2 seconds after they start playing with them. I'm SO picky - it's hard NOT to spend a ton on favors!
But I took a deep breath and went to the Dollartree to see what I could find...

I purchased...
Three 12 packs of fold-up cardstock favor bags..........$3
Five 8 packs of snack sized Hershey Bars (Tessa's favorites)..........$5
Five 8 packs of party blowers..........$5
Nine 12 packs of sidewalk chalk..........$9
For a grand total of $22

Each cute little favor bag got a cardstock cutout on the front - half got a star, half got a flower. I attached them with super glue after I folded the bag up.
Then I put the candy bar, the party blower and 3 pieces of sidewalk chalk (tied together with curling ribbon) inside. They turned out SO cute and cost just 0.65 each (including tax)!!!

I can't guarantee that I won't go insane next year and go overboard with the party favors again, but for this year, at least, my favors were super cheap!

Star Drinking Glasses

2010-06-30T13:13:00.000-07:00

Another patriotic project for the month of July...

Starred Drinking Glasses!

(I didn't come up with this one on my own - I found it on Martha Stewart a few years ago. Here's her picture.)

You'll need a set of plain drinking glasses to start. I spent less than $10 on a brand new set from Wal Mart that included 6 tall glasses and 6 short ones.

Draw a star on a sheet of paper. Mine was about 3.5 inches square. Fit the paper inside the glass so you can see the star through the glass.

Using red, white and blue paint pens fill in the space of the star with small dots.

Let the paint dry for 24 hours, then bake the glasses in a 325 degree oven for 40 minutes. This will set the paint so the glasses can be washed :)

Martha says they are dishwasher safe now, but I intend to wash mine by hand.

So cute! Wouldn't these be adorable at an Independence Day Barbecue?

Linking up...
A Little Craft Therapy
The Thrifty Home
Blue Cricket Design
Sugar and Spice
Make it Yours Day
Dragonfly Designs and
Creative Share

PB Knockoff, just in time for the 4th!

2010-06-29T08:46:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited about this project!!!

Who among us had NOT seen this lovely from the Pottery Barn and coveted it for our own home?

It's gorgeous!
It's also $129
I don't spend $129 on accessories at my house. To be honest, I can't decide if I'm sad about that, or if I'm happy that I'm more creative than that.

Anyway, I decided to try my hand at another Pottery Barn knockoff.

I started by purchasing a sheet of wood from the Home Depot.

I used 1/4 inch thick plywood, because I wanted it to be light. I cut my piece to what I felt like was a large, but still manageable size.
The Pottery Barn flag is 27x50. 50 inches seemed incredibly long to me.
My flag is 24x36

I started by taping off my stripes. I counted them up on the PB flag - 7 red stripes, 6 white. I did mine just like theirs.

Red was first, white was second.

Blue was last.

After all the blue was dry, I used a rubber scrapbooking stamp to put the stars on. I wasn't really super careful with these - I knew I was going to distress it, anyway.

Confession: there are only 40 stars on my flag. I apologize to the last 10 states in the Union. I just didn't have room on my flag. I don't think it's noticeable...

I forgot to take a picture of the flag when she was all shiney and new. I was too excited to beat her up, I guess!
The next step was distressing the flag with sandpaper. I started off with some 120 grit in my hand...but it really wasn't getting the job done quickly enough, so I switched to my power sander. It may have gotten a little over-distressed in a few areas, but overall I love how it turned out.

Since I used craft paint to paint my flag (I already had all the right colors, it was easier than buying real paint for the project! You could totally buy those sample paints from Home Depot for this, though, and then you could probably skip this step) I needed to seal it. So I used this Krylon Crystal Clear Acrylic Coating and gave it 2 good coats.

It darkened up all my colors and gave it a bit of a sheen. I realize it's kind of impossible to tell the difference in these photos...trust me, it gave it a much more "finished" look.

Next I attached D rings to the back for hanging it up. One on each side, about 2.5 inches in from the edge. Since my wood was kind of thin, I used some little washers to make sure my screws wouldn't poke through the other side :)

Then I (my husband) hung it from my gorgeous pergola. I'd have done it myself, but I could get the screw driver attachment out of my drill to put the right bit in. DH had tightened it up too much last time he used it. I swear he does it just so I will have to wait for him at times. It must make him feel strong ;)

LOVE.

Linking up all over the place...
The Girl Creative
Tools are For Women, Too
These Creative Juices
Today's Creative Blog
Sugar Bee

Father's Day Bulletin Board

2010-06-18T08:26:00.000-07:00

For Father's Day I wanted to make my husband a nice, pottery barn-style bulletin board for his office. A place he could keep pictures of the kids, cards they made for him, etc.
This was a super simple, CHEAP project that I think turned out exceptionally well!

I started with a chunky thrift store frame ($3) and an extra large thrift store bulletin board (also $3.)

The bulletin board was twice the size that I needed, so I cut it in half using a hack saw.

(the hacksaw was difficult to use, so when it came time to cut again I used the table saw - very carefully the first time because I wasn't sure if it would tear the cork to shreds! - it didn't, it worked perfectly)

Then I painted the frame with semi-gloss black paint. Gave it several very light coats.

Then I assembled the whole thing. I used my staple gun to attach the cork board to the frame.

And then I stood back and looked at it...feeling like something was missing...
Pottery Barns website yielded this for inspiration:

So I added this:

Traced both circles from a roll of packing tape - just slapped in down and traced around the outside, then the inside. I wrote "Worlds Best" and "2002 to Present" with a marker. DAD in the center was stamped on with some letter stamps.

I love the way it turned out! Now I just need to pic up the couple prints I ordered to get him started :)

Sandbox

2010-06-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

School is out. My run as PTA president is officially finished!!!
Spring soccer is over.
Girl Scouts is on hiatus.

I'm ready to start blogging again! It's time to regain some of those followers that I lost during my unofficial break.
I miss you, followers! I'm sorry I disappointed you...
(no worries. I might have un-followed me, too!)

Luckily, I HAVE been crafting while I was away! I always make time for that :)
So I have plenty to catch up on. I promise lots of posts this Summer!

Last year my husband and I built this swingset for our children.

At the time, I wanted to put a sandbox in the bottom portion of the tower, but the husband talked me out of it. He had valid points...it's messy and cats may pee in it, namely.
But now I have a little boy who's almost 4.
There's a world of difference between 2.5 and almost 4. kwim?
The little boy LOVES dirt. LOVES it. He's digging in whatever he can find at this point. I'm already dealing with dirt. And as far as cat pee goes...I don't see very many kitties around here. We're really more of a dog neighborhood.
Mostly, though, I just WANT him to have a sandbox.

So I built one.

I started by cutting out the grass that was growing in the base.

Once all the grass was pulled up I measured the box and cut my lumber. I used 2x6's and screwed them all together before fitting it into the existing box.

Then I screwed the two boxes together.

After the box was in place I used weed plastic and staples to make sure nothing will grow up through the sandbox.

Then we started filling it.

Our sandbox is pretty small. We used 7 50lb bags of sand in it - 350 pounds! That filled it pretty well, but there are 2 more bags in the garage to be added when we need them.

My last step was to cap off the tops of the boards with 1x4's, to give it a little more of a "finished" look, and to give the kids a spot to sit while they play.

It's a hit! The boy loves it - so does the neighbor girl :)

Linking up all over blogland!
The Girl Creative
Today's Creative Blog
Sugar Bee

Candlesticks

2010-04-16T10:06:00.000-07:00

Adorable Michelle at Someday Crafts is having a Categorically Crafting party today - and the theme is candlesticks!
Since I LOVE candles (and their sticks, of course) I had to join in.

First up - this hideous find.

The strange marble-looking portion of this candlestick is...well, I'm not sure what. Not marble, that's for sure.
Easy fix on this - black spray paint hides a multitude of sins.

Next up -
Here is a strange before picture. I had a day of crafting planned, so I threw every item I thought I might use on the counter and took a picture of them. This was NOT being a good blogger. This was a bad idea. Unfortunately, it's the only "before" type picture I have.
So - notice the 3 arrows.

3 random pieces of junk. An ugly metal candlestick from the dollar store, a .50 piece of unfinished wood (mostly hidden in this picture) and a .75 jar from the thrift store.
Paint and glue and a candle later - here she is!

Last, is another creation from the objects in the "before photo"
New arrows this time.

Another .50 piece of unfinished wood from the craft store and a .75 weird wooden...bowl...type...thing.
Glued together and lightly brushed with creamy beige -

My favorite after.

For more candle projects from me, you can check out these posts,
Pottery Barn Cadlesticks and Useless (budget) Decor

For more candlestick projects that are NOT from me, check out the Someday Crafts Candlestick Party :)

The rest of my Spring

2010-04-15T10:56:00.000-07:00

I never got around to posting pictures of my Valentines decor, and I hated myself for it.

Seasonal decorating is one of the great joys of my life. That's just how it is. I'm tempted to call that "sad", but I'm going to try to embrace it, instead.

Anyway, I didn't want to miss out on sharing another round of photos, so here they are.

I've already shown you the entry way table, but here's another picture - just because I love the way it turned out :)

First, the front room.
This is the bench underneath the window.
I threw my sister a baby shower last Summer and the theme was "Nesting"
I painted all these darling birdhouses for decorations. Spring seemed like the perfect time to reuse them :)

This is the coffee table.

I picked this giant birdhouse up for just $3 at the thrift store, and all it needed was some cleaning.

The mercury glass bird came from Target. I got it on extreme clearance because the tail is broken. I think it's pretty impossible to tell, and I know it's there!

This is the console table in my family room

This is the shelf in my hallway - love the way Spring looks on it! I was so tired of Winter decor.

And here's my dining area. I saved the best for last :)
The table

I finally sewed the ruffled edge burlap table runner I've been dreaming about. And I love it. I washed the burlap before I used it, then I lined it with canvas, it feels very substantial. Plus, it's so girly looking!

The pretty rose dishes are just girly enough to match :)

The centerpiece is one of my favorite things...
Another thrift store lazy susan, painted and distressed, is the base. The candle holder is made up of some strange wooden parts I found at the thrift store and glued together. The rocks are actual stones that I found in my yard and hot glued moss to. The nest was cheap from the craft store. The egg I already had :)

The buffet

I tucked some artificial flowering branches in with the real ones my husband pruned off our tree last summer :)

Custom Cabinets, part deux!

2010-04-13T08:46:00.000-07:00

Glass cabinet fronts!
Everyone loves them, right? I know I always swoon when I see them. Those kitchen full of of gleaming, open looking cabinetry with artfully arranged dishes and decor...
Love them.

No way was I going to be able to convert every cab in my kitchen to glass fronts - too much junk to hide! But all those Kitchen Design magazines that I keep mentioning showed me that it's okay to have just a couple glass fronts - it adds to that "custom cabinet" look.

So I converted just two of my cabs.
First was this stand-alone double door unit.

(Don't worry - I'm getting rid of those vinegar bottles, too. They are SO dated!)

I started by removing the doors, and taking all the dishes out.

Then I cut beadboard to fit (two pieces because I didn't have one that was large enough) and painted it green.

Once the beadboard was dry and installed, I began work on the doors themselves.

My sweet hubby helped with this part. I did the first one all alone - then handed the jigsaw off to him and let him do the rest. It's heavy! He routered out a channel for the glass to sit in, too.
While he cut out the center panel I artfully arranged the dishes :)

Eventually (it took more than a week!) I got the glass cut to size and installed. I used a clear liquid nails product that promised to hold glass. This is how it turned out.

Beautiful, right?
I was nervous about the glass at first, but they've been in for about 2 months, now, and it's been problem-free :) We are much more careful about how we close the cabinet doors now, though - no flinging them shut as we walk across the kitchen!

Love them <3

I also installed glass in the corner cabinet.

(before)

I have a bit of an obsession with tea pots. So I decided to display them.

First I had to make sure everything was neat and tidy. I found a hemp basket in my craft supplies, holding fat quarters, and appropriated it for teas.

It wasn't big enough to hold all of them, so I used a brown paper bag, too. Stamped it with fleur de li's and replaced the handle with a gold ribbon - pretty :)

That took care of 2 tea-pot-back-drops.
For the 3rd I just a bunch of non-display-worthy tea pots in neutral colors.

For the 4th, I cut a piece of beadboard. I left it white because I wanted it to be non-obtrusive. It slips in easily and it's impossible to see from almost any angle. Behind it hides hot chocolate mix, protein shake powder, plastic straws...

Here are the afters of the corner cabinet.

I love the way these turned out. Doing just two cabinets let me arrange things so they look pretty, without giving up the storage space that hidden cabinets provide - because, let's face it - it you can fit a lot more in when you have no regard to appearance! :)

Linking up again this week!

@ ASPTL for DIY Day :)
@ The Shabby Chic Cottage for Transformation Thursday

PB Side Table Knock Off

2010-04-06T09:37:00.000-07:00

After :)

I had this table in my family room that was hideously ugly.
So ugly, in fact, I don't have a before picture of it.
But I did find this one. It was the background of a picture that's about 3 years old. Many, many things in my house have changed since then - but it at least gives you an idea of where I started.

This is a side table that Pottery Barn sells for $200

I love it, but (as usual) their price is a little rich for my blood.
So I watched my local online classifieds and I kept an eye out at the thrift store, and eventually I found a pair of round tables that I thought would work nicely. I offered $35 for the 2 of them.
Then my boy and I took a little road trip and drove for over an hour to pick them up. We met our sellers in the parking lot of a grocery store near their home. While we were there we went inside to go potty and buy some snacks for the ride home. I ate my first twinkie in over a decade. It was my boys first twinkie EVER. It's a day we'll always remember. Maybe.

Anyway, I got my little tables and I brought them home, and then I started sanding.

I decided only to work on one, for now. I'm sure I have a perfect place for table #2, so I'm going to hold off on the makeover until I find it :)

When I had sanded it sufficiently (and removed that strange little brass thing)

I gave it several light coats of Heirloom White.
One that was all dry I brought the table inside (since it's COLD here!) Then I gave it a light sanding to smooth the finish out. Notice the dust on the floor.

Then I gave it a couple more coats of paint - a Behr color that matches Heirloom White exactly.

I think it turned out beautifully! And the total cost was no more than $20 - just a tenth of PBs table :)

Linking up to all my favorite blog parties for the first time in WEEKS!

P.S. I promise to put up a kitchen post this week - I know I've been a major slacker lately!

Decorating for Spring

2010-03-18T09:11:00.000-07:00

I'm itching for Spring.
The weather is actually cooperating this week and we've had THREE 50+ degree days!
Unfortunately it will still be several weeks before the mound of snow in my yard melts off.
Still - it's definitely time to decorate for Spring.

Here's how I started - by jumping on to the bird and egg bandwagon, of course!

(I've wrapped so many plastic easter eggs in twine over the past week that I could do it in my sleep!)

This dresser by my front door is my favorite decorating surface in my whole house. It's a perfect display area and I love to pile lots of seasonal decor on it.

My "Spring" vignette was a little lacking, though. I wanted it to be tonal and soothing...but it ended up flat and boring.

I decided it need (what else!) a wreath.

So made the easiest wreath ever by trying some ribbon and a scrapbooking tag (which I wrote "nest" on) to a small grapevine wreath. I added a tiny nest and a couple of faux robbins eggs and called it good.

I covered a small styrafoam ball with moss and threw it on the dresser top to add a little green.

SO much better!

The display is almost entirely the same, but a couple new elements really helped everything pop.

Custom Cabinets, part one!

2010-03-10T11:57:00.000-08:00

Did you think I'd abandoned my kitchen project?
Or my blog?
I haven't. I've just been busy with real life stuff - Girl Scouts and the PTA, namely!

Back to the kitchen!
One of the most important elements in any kitchen is the cabinets, right?
All of the high-end kitchens have custom ones.
So I examined several Kitchen Design Magazines to try to determine what, exactly, makes cabinets look custom.
I decide it was finish (usually more than one), varying heights, hardware and niches.
To start, I gave my island a 2-step finish and tricked out the underside with a copper colored magnet board.
Next up, I tackled the "niche" idea.

Most of the ones I saw in magazines were above the refrigerator or the microwave. I chose to do mine above the micro, because it was a nice, central spot.

Here it is, before:

(taken last "FALL", obviously!)

First, I took the cabinet doors off and filled in the gigantic screw heads that holding the cabinet to the wall. This ended up being a useless step - but I thought I should explain the white patches ;)

Next, I used a jig saw to cut the crown molding off the top.
I practiced a little first, but this was still only the 3rd or 4th thing I ever cut with a jigsaw. I didn't exactly get the angle exact on the right side...but I fixed it later!

Then I painted out the inside with the same paint I'd used on the island.

This is when I started the top piece - the part I was REALLY excited about.
I used my jigsaw to cut out two side pieces, free handed from a picture I'd seen in a magazine.
Then I built the rest of the box - the back and a thin strip for the top. The whole thing was made out of 1/2" MDF. I attached the crown molding to the top and painted the whole thing.

When I slapped it on top of the cabinet, though, it looked...unfinished.
Obviously the angle on the crown molding (right side) was off. I took that down and adjusted it, but still wasn't satisfied.

I stared at it for a couple of days, feeling like it was wrong somehow. My husband kept telling me how great it was...hoping I'd just FINISH the damn thing, I'm sure!
Then I decided to try putting beadboard in the back. I painted it the green that I had considered for the island and slapped it in and LOVED the result.

(not shown - my superhero of a husband shortened the cord from the microwave, removed the plug piece from the wall and wired it directly into the power source, so instead of hiding a 2 foot coil of thick grey cord I only had to hide a 3 inch piece! LOVE him.)

Here it is, all accessorized.

Accessories: the white jar/bottles are from the thrift store - all were clear until I spray painted them white! I paid $1 or less for each of them. The basket and artificial artichokes are also from the thrift store - the 'chokes were still in plastic (never opened!) when I bought them for .75 each! and the basket was $2. The little black architectural thing was from the thrift store and cost .75. The fluer-de-lis plaque was from Hobby Lobby and was my big purchase - $6. The silver thing is an antique vegetable chopper that was my great grandmothers. It's still super sharp - my husband cut himself on one of it's blades while washing it!

I really think it adds to the "custom" look of the kitchen - it gives a nice, staggered height to the cabinets and another finish, plus it's a great decorative space :)

Stay tuned for Custom Cabinets, part two!
(coming soon - I promise!)

Pretty, Simple Spring Wreath

2010-03-01T10:28:00.000-08:00

I took down my Valentines wreath last week.
My door has been naked since then.

I never realized that I don't have anything for the front door for this time of year.
It's not really Spring yet - not here - but I am in full winter rebellion at this point. I needed something green and simple, so I started looking around.
Pottery Barn came to my rescue.

They sell this lovely moss covered wreath for $49.
It's currently on sale for just $39, but I still figured I could make it for less :)

The PB version is 18" in diameter. I bought the largest Styrofoam form the craft store had - it was only 16", but I figured that was close enough.

To start, I spray painted the form green.

Then I started hot gluing the moss on. First to the front, then to the sides.

It was easiest to do the sides (both in and out) by standing the wreath on it's side.

When I had the form fully covered I took it out to the garage and sprayed it with spray adhesive, then I sprinkled some moss crumbs over it and patted it all around with my hands.
I hung it on my front door with a gold ribbon.

I love it. It's so sweet and simple and it was just a fraction of the PB price.
$5.00 for the wreath (used a 40% off coupon at Roberts)
$5.00 for the moss - I bought 2 packages at Wal Mart for $2.27 each, but I only used 1/2 of the second package, so the true cost was probably about $5, including tax.
The ribbon and hot glue were already in my stash.
$10 total - the perfect price to adorn my front door :)

Linking up!
Made it Monday at the Persimmon Perch
Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
Just Something I Whipped Up at The Girl Creative
DIY Day at ASPTL
Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Chic Cottage

Alphabet Magnets - made over!

2010-02-22T16:14:00.000-08:00

Thanks, everyone, for entering!

The drawing is closed and the winner (Cami) has been contacted. If she doesn't get back to me in the new few days I'll draw a new winner.

Thanks, again!

Remember this?

It's my new copper magnet board under my kitchen island. I love it.
It needed some magnets, though!

I started with some regular plastic alphabet magnets from Target. They were 2.99 per package. I bought two alphabet packages and one number package - I wanted the kids to be able to WRITE things, and for that they'll need more than one package.
You KNOW those super bright primary colors aren't going to go with my kitchen though, right?
Once again, I broke out the spray paint.

Here's package #2, laid out on my garage floor, just waiting for a coat of paint.

I sprayed them with Heirloom White, of course.

Several light coats later they were a lovely cream.

Then I broke out my brown ink.

I let them cure for a good 48 hours before anyone touched them - I wasn't sure if the ink would stick on it's own or if I'd need to hit them with a clear coat, but it stuck all by itself! I even rubbed them with water to make sure and it's not budging :)

So cute, right?

Two sets are for me, but one set is for...

Leave a comment to be entered to win. If you are a follower you can leave a second comment for another entry. I'll use random.org to choose a winner on Friday, 2/26.

I'll be linking up all around blog-town...
So far:
TGC Just Something I Whipped Up
Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
Made it Monday at The Persimmon Perch
DIY Day at ASPTL

Getting my (many) face(s) on

2010-02-17T08:35:00.000-08:00

Today I am joining Beth at the Stories of A to Z for her Get your Face on party!

Go see the other brave girls who posted pictures of themselves, too!

I committed to do this, thinking it would be kind of fun. I love makeup, and sharing my products sounded like a blast!
It was great - until I sat down and looked at the pictures.
When I was going through these pictures on my computer, picking out the succession, etc, my 3 year old asked to sit on my lap to see, too.
When I picked him up he asked "why are you making faces in those pictures?"
I said "I don't know...I don't...I don't know why I was doing that."
He said "Maybe it's because you don't like yourself?"

I don't think that's it...but it might be because I don't like the camera! lol
At any rate - you should know that I made 3 faces each time I took my picture. One without a smile, one with a half smile, one with a full smile.
I wasn't sure which would look best.
Also, I'm a freak.

Okay. I could ramble on for another 5 pages (believe me!) but it's probably best to just get started. So, here we go!

I'm a stay at home mom, lucky me! I almost always shower in the late afternoon. That's when I wash my face.
On days I go out in the morning I just splash water on my face - I don't use cleanser. I figure my face is pretty clean after having washed the evening before, and at this point in my life I'm far more concerned about retaining moisture than being squeaky clean.

I use this every day.

I use this once every couple of weeks.

I use this once every couple of months.

I use this to remove my eye makeup, if I need to.

Clean face, no makeup.

My many faces

Close up!

My normal makeup routine takes me 3 minutes. I timed myself on a day I didn't have time to do the pictures, but wasn't in a hurry, either. I knew I was quick, but that was faster than I expected.
However, for the pictures I did my all-out makeup routine. Not quite the one I did when we were playing in the casino in Las Vegas last weekend, but the one I use for going out at night with my husband.
Anyway, even this one takes only about 5 minutes.
On this day I was also straightening my hair. When I do that I straighten a layer, then put on some makeup, then straighten a layer, etc. So you'll get to see my hair progression, too. I know it's supposed to be about makeup, but I'm a multi-tasker by nature.

Step 1. Moisturizer
I use Olay Regenerist. LOVE it. Sometimes I use this skin rev-er upper, too. It's a Bare Minerals product to go under your makeup. When I first started using Bare Minerals I thought the Rev-er Upper made a big difference, but it doesn't seem to, anymore. Probably because I've gotten better at putting the makeup itself on.
On my lips I use vaseline. I love vaseline. It's shiny and smooth and moisturizing and cheap. And, unlike shiny lip glosses, it's never sticky.

After the moisturizers:

Step 2. Foundation
I started using Bare Minerals about a year and a half ago. I really like it. It's light and easy to use and I love the coverage it gives me. I use the medium beige color, which is darker than you'd think for a natural redhead, but it works for me.
I tap about this much into the lid and use the swirl, tap, buff method. It takes about 3 applications to do my whole face - once on my chin, once on my nose and forehead, once on my cheeks.
After I do all that I use this brush to scoop up the extra powder in the lid and use it as an eye shadow foundation.

After the foundation:

Step 3. Eye Makeup
On a regular day I use 2 eyeshadows, eye liner and mascara. I almost always curl my lashes.
When I'm going out at night I use 3 or 4 shadows and extra liner and mascara.
The two containers at the top left of the picture are my optional, going out shadows.

I start with shadows.

1 is called grace, 2 is called camp, 3 is a covergirl trio called shimmering sands. I buy it just for the shimmery pale one at the end. I can't find another color that works the same. 4 is called celestine.
On regular days I use number 1 (grace) across my whole lid and then highlight under my brow and in my inner eye/tear duct area with the covergirl shadow.
When I'm going out I use grace all over my lid, then camp below the crease, then celestine under my brow and the covergirl one to highlight my inner eye.

After the eyeshadow:

After the shadows I put my eyeliner on. Then I curl my lashes and apply 2 coats of mascara.

Eyes are done:

4. Finishing touches
If I'm going out (or if I look very pale) I use a bit of bronzer. I just sweep it over my cheekbones, and occasionally along my jaw line or forehead.

I use this sad looking toothbrush to groom my brows. They usually have foundation in them, this sweeps it out.

I put vaseline on my lips, then rub the residue from my fingers (and sometimes a bit extra) into the base of my brows. Then I comb the toothbrush through them again. It just defines them and darkens them up a bit.
When I use lipstick I like this one. I'm not even sure if they make it anymore, I've had it for so long. I put it on on top of my vaseline. That way I get the color but only feel the vaseline.

Here's my after!

Way better, right?
I know.

Beware...

2010-02-16T08:46:00.000-08:00

I meant to post about this last week, but never got around to it!
Forgive me. I went to Vegas for the long weekend to celebrate my husbands 30th Birthday.
Jealous?
You should be, it was awesome.

ANYWAY...
Tomorrow, Beth, from The Stories of A to Z, is throwing a party!

Did you see her Decorating my Face post a few weeks ago?
I loved it.
I suggested a party, so that I could decorate my face, too.
And she obliged.

The party is tomorrow, and I'll be participating.
So, beware...if you come by tomorrow, you'll see me without makeup on. This is normally a state I try to PREVENT people from seeing me in, but I just can't resist showing the world how much different a little eye makeup makes in my life :)

I hope you'll join in, too!

Kitchen Accessories

2010-02-08T15:35:00.000-08:00

A part of my current project - the kitchen extravaganza - I'm attacking everything.
Even the dish soap dispenser.

Everything must be pretty!
Practicality and beauty are fighting a war, and beauty is winning on every front.
I don't know how logical it is, or how long it will last, but for now, everything must be pretty.
Especially the more mundane kitchen items. It's time they got some love!

Spray paint is such a powerful weapon...

I started with my knife block.

So boring! Wood with a big, black recessed WP right in the center.
Sorry, Wolfgang Puck, but your knife block design doesn't really "go".

I filled the carving with putty, sanded it flat and spray painted the whole thing (I alternated spays of white and heirloom white - didn't want white, but I didn't want it cream, either)
Then I selectively distressed.

In case you're wondering about the paint getting inside where the knives slide in, I sprayed across that part. I probably got a bit in, but I think it's fine.

and my very most favorite 10 minute transformation thus far...
My soap dispenser.
This is the dish soap I use.

I buy the refill, so I always use the same dispenser.
I love the soap, but not the look - remember, everything must be pretty.
So I removed the labels (had to resort to some chemicals for that part!
And gave the base a light sanding.

Then I spray painted the bottom part copper, and the top part oil rubbed bronze.

Totally better, right?!

Happy Superbowl!

2010-02-06T09:05:00.000-08:00

I've always loved football.
Although for a time, I guess it was more football players that I really loved.
Or maybe the football uniform. mmmm

Anyway, I've always loved football in some form.
My husband is from Denver and is a faithful Bronco's fan. For the first few years of our marriage I was a tag-along Bronco's fan. But as I watched more and more games and learned something about the game, I actually began to form my own opinions about the players and the teams.
In 2006 The Saints hired Sean Payton as their head coach.
They also took Reggie Bush in the draft. Oh...how I love Reggie.
Not only is he adorable, but he's a really great guy, too. Check out his Wiki page and read about his charity. Or don't - I guess he's my celebrity crush, not yours.
Anyway, The Saints also picked up Drew Brees from the Chargers in 2006.
By 2007 I was a Saints fan.

This year, they made it to the Superbowl.
(it's taking a lot of effort here for me to refrain from telling you why they are the best team in the NFL.)

I decided to make a sign for my front porch to show my support.

I kept my eyes peeled at the thrift store this week, looking for something that I could use as the base for my sign. I didn't want to spend the $8 that I usually pay at the wood store for a pretty board with routed egdes.
I found this.

I took the towel bar part off and puttied the holes.

Then I sanded it down and painted it with flat black spray paint.

When it was dry I used a fleur de lis stencil on one side. Then I hand wrote "Go Saints!" with pencil, then went over it with gold paint. At the end I added another fleur with a foam stamp.
I lightly distressed the edges, drilled holes in the top two corners, and strung some wire through.

Then I hung it on the porch.

Now I'm almost ready for the Superbowl...
I just need to cook up some bacon-wrapped-cream-cheese-stuffed-jalepenos.
mmmmmm.

Go Saints!

Fighting the Blues with Greens

2010-02-01T17:50:00.000-08:00

I don't know about where you live, but where I am there's still 3 feet of snow on the ground.
I live on top of a mountain. When we drive down to the valley the majority of the snow is gone. This, however, is what my backyard looks like.

Plus, the air quality here is disgusting this time of year. We have some of the worst air in the country, and just breathing feels hazardous to my health.
I'm tired of winter. So very tired.

This is the time of year that I start feeling like it will never be Summer again. And I miss Summer so much. Long daylight hours, the ability to slide on some flip-flops and walk out the door (instead of bundling up in several layers of warm clothing.), being able to let my kids play outside and expend some of their endless energy...
I long for summer.

So to fight off the winter-time-blues I've decided to bring some house plants into my life.
I've had the same two houseplants for YEARS. There have been others - some have died, some have been transplanted outdoors, but my supply has dwindled down to two.

The Home Depot has a huge supply of houseplants right now. I started by buying one for my kitchen, then went back a few days later to buy more. They really brighten the place up, and I think having something green and alive in my house is having a positive effect on my mood.
Or maybe it's all in my head. No matter - they make me feel better about the season :)

Here's the kitchen plant - so lush and green I almost believe it's July

This one's by the front door - in a room that's rarely used, it brings some much-needed life in!

These two are in the family room.

When I was buying up plants my daughter begged to have one for her room. This little tropical one is what she picked out. It sits on her desk and makes me feel warmer.

And last, this one in my bathroom, which makes it just a tiny bit more spa-like.

Adding these was so affordable! Less than $5 for the one in the kitchen, less than $3 each for the ones in the family room, daughters room and by the front door. The others I already had.

Consider adding plants to your home to update your decor...and fight seasonal depression!

Kitchen Island Part 2: Making her Pretty

2010-01-25T20:01:00.000-08:00

If you haven't seen Part 1, take a look! It's all about moving the island :)

When I started my kitchen redecorating project I bought a BHG Kitchen and Bath Special Issue.
Right away I noticed that custom, mismatched cabinets are all the rage. Painted finishes are also super popular right now.

I love painted cabinets.

From afar.

Painting my own is incredibly daunting. The cabinets I have are quite nice, and I actually really like wood tones, so I'm terrified to screw them up.

Wood cabinets with a painted island, however, seemed do-able.

So I planned to do that.

I also decided to replace the granite counter top on the island with butcher block.

I considered cream paint, but the idea of green got me really excited.

I tested paints and researched butcher block...

and then I started to worry about losing the functionality of my granite.

See...

I put hot pans on my granite.

I cut (with sharp knives) directly on my granite.

I paint and stain my projects on my granite.

In short, I abuse my granite, and it always forgives me and looks lovely after (even if I do have to take a razor blade to it to remove paint.)

What kind of person would I be if I were to repay that type of loyalty by replacing it? And with something sub-par?

I agonized for days. In the end I decided to keep the granite.

I also went back to cream paint. Against the granite, it was much better than green.

So disregard all that about green painted wood and butcher block.

This is how my projects go. This is how my brain works. It's all about aesthetics...then reality creeps in.

Anyway, here's what I did...

beadboard on the ends

painted the whole thing cream.

A custom color mixed by the Home Depot to match (I know this is ridiculous...) my purse. Do you blame me? Look at this girl! Isn't she beautiful?

I bought a sheet of metal and spray painted it copper. Then I mounted it to the wall under the island for the kids to use as a magnet board (alphabet magnets are in the works!)

Glazed the paint to give it a "custom cabinet" feel.

Framed the metal out with molding, painted dark brown.

Added these darling fleur-style wood medallions.

And new hardware...

And here's the end result. Gorgeous, eh?

I really love how it turned out. It's gorgeous from the other side, too. The copper really makes it look special! I can't share that view with you right now, though - it keeps showing too many other projects in the background! Soon :)

Kitchen Island Part 1: Moving the Island

2010-01-25T20:00:00.000-08:00

(Can I first say that I love the LOST tie in of my title?)

Next up in the Moody Kitchen Extravaganza: the island!

I love my kitchen island. I use it for everything. It's where I do all the prep work when I cook, where the majority of my craft projects get done, it's even where we set up the baby bathtub when we have a newborn to bathe!

However, I've always felt like it was too close to the countertops and appliances. The day we moved in I said "I wish that island was 16 inches back..."

We talked about moving it, but since we didn't know how it was attached or if the tile extended underneath, we never did anything about it.
For three years I lived with it.
I'm not going to pretend it was the bane of my existence or anything, but it always bothered me.
A few months ago, my irritation reached it's boiling point. One afternoon I drilled some holes through the bottom shelf to try to see inside. I couldn't see anything. When DH got home I made him cut out a square for me.
So now we could see there was tile underneath, but we still had no idea how it was attached.

I called the homebuilder to try to find out, but no one could tell me. grrr.
A few days later I started pushing knives under the cabinets, trying to determine where/how it was attached. I still couldn't tell anything.
At this point, my husband decided it was probably best for him to step in and help.
He experimentally put his shoulder into it gave a gentle heave.
The island moved. A little.

He set it back down and looked at me, grinning from ear to ear, jumping up and down and clapping and said "so you're sure you want me to do this?"
And then he did.
(FYI, he did have to cut the power line first, but he knows all about all that electrical stuff.)
Turns out the whole thing was held in place with about 6 long screws and some Liquid Nails. The screws were all run through the grout lines, luckily!

Eventually I decided to position the island on an angle. It made the kitchen look (and feel!) about a million times bigger. Now, two people can cook together without bumping into each other constantly.

Next up: making her pretty!

Valentine Buttons

2010-01-21T08:10:00.000-08:00

My daughter goes to a charter school where she wears a uniform.
I LOVE it.
Most of the time.

It's kind of a bummer around the holidays, though. She always has a cute Halloween t-shirt or Christmas dress that would be fun for her to wear to school.
We make due with accessories, instead.
Hairbows, bracelets, necklaces, earings...

Two years ago, when she was in Kindergarten, I made these sweet felt heart button covers.
They were looking a little worn, so I decided to make new ones this year.
We love them - I'll bet if you have a little one that wears a uniform, I'll bet she would love them, too!
They take about 90 seconds to make, here's how!

First, use the stiff felt at the fabric store.
When I made these I used plain red for 2 and pink with glitter for 3.

Figure out how big you want your hearts to be - just measure your space between buttons and decide what size you want. Mine ended up about 1.75 inches from top to bottom.

Cut out your hearts.

Fold them in half (top to bottom) and cut a small slit for the button hole.

Slip them over the buttons and send your darling girl to school. She'll be the cutest one there!

Here's my cutie last year at her Valentines party. I was her room mother, we played a beanbag toss for one of the games. Isn't she adorable?

Kitchen Backsplash

2010-01-18T18:19:00.000-08:00

I've never been crazy about back splashes.
I didn't dislike them, they just didn't DO anything for me.

Until I saw Kim's - over at Twice Remembered.
I'm pretty sure everyone in blog land has seen this gorgeous thing, but if you haven't, hop on over and take a look at her backsplash. It's beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.
And it totally inspired me.

I spent 2 weeks trying to track down thin brick pavers, like the ones Kim used.
I didn't have much luck.
A local masonry company told me they could order some for me, but they were going to be something like $3.00 each.
Far too expensive.

Then a Lowes employee recommended a product called "gaslight II hardboard brick". He said he'd just sold a bunch of it to a man who used it to cover all the interior walls of a pizza restaurant he was opening.
It was very inexpensive, so I thought I'd give it a try.

It's a 1/4 inch thick compressed wood product that looks like brick and mortar on one side.
Here is what it looks like - lying on my garage floor.

To start, I gave it a coat of Rustoleum Primer, then a coat of Rustoleum Heirloom White.
I knew I was going to paint it a creamy color and wanted to save myself as many between the cabinets and the counter paint sessions as possible :)

While I did that, my saint of a husband cleaned the kitchen - then cleaned the kitchen OUT, so it was all ready to install the backsplash.

Then it was time to cut it.
We are in the process of finishing our basement.
as. slowly. as. possible.
It's expensive to finish basements!
Anyway, the table saw is down there right now, for cutting 2x4s when my husband is framing.
Ignore the disaster in the background, please.

We cut the brick-board using a plywood blade, turned to rip. It was messy business. Matt was covered in sawdust after.

Once it was cut we cut out the holes for the outlets. Then we used Liquid Nails adhesive for the back of the boards.

Always be sure to spread your Liquid Nails around!

We used those tiny nails in some spots, in addition to the Liquid Nails. Here it is all up.

At this point we used white silicone to seal the top, bottom and seams of the boards against the walls.
We set the nails and used putty to fill in the holes.
Then we left it overnight to set up and dry completely.

The next morning we gave it a couple coats of paint - a custom mixture made by Mandy, of course - and here's the finished product.

And here it is close up - with accessories :)

Gorgeous, right?

I am surprised at how authentic it really looks. I don't think anyone would guess that it was a hardboard type of product instead of real brick! And it was so much easier than mortar and grout would have been!
Plus it was CHEAP.
$23.97 for the 4x8 foot Gaslight II panel. I have about 1/3 of it left.

$3.50 for 2 tubes of Liquid Nails
I had the caulk and the nails, but even if you had to buy everything for this project it would be under $50.

Linking up to...
Made it Monday at the Persimmon Perch,
Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
Make Your Monday at Twice Remembered and
DIY Day at ASPTL

Coming Soon to a Kitchen Near Me

2010-01-18T15:18:00.000-08:00

When we moved into our home, 3.5 years ago, I was pregnant.
Not just pregnant - ready to pop.
In fact, my son was born a mere 4 days after we moved in.

For the first year and a half of his life I didn't do any projects. I was a stay at home mommy for the first time. I cooked, I cleaned, I took care of two little ones. I didn't have time or energy for anything else.
When I finally did decide I had the time and energy for something else, it was all outside stuff. We put our yard in ourselves, and it was a lot of work.

It's only been just over a year that I've been focusing on the inside of our home. So I'm just now getting around to some of the things that I've wanted to do since we moved in.

My big project right now is the kitchen.
It's a decent looking kitchen, but it's very builder-basic-boring. And I want it to look more custom, more friendly, more ME :)
I have BIG plans and I'm SO excited!

Here are the BEFORE pictures of my kitchen - I took these back in November, obviously (notice the fall decor!)

From the great room looking into the kitchen

From the kitchen looking toward the dining area

From the hallway looking into the kitchen

Eventually I'll have a whole list of hyperlinked projects here - stay tuned for that!
First up, the back splash!
Next was an Island revamp. See Part 1 (moving the island) here, and Part 2 (making her pretty) here.
Here are some accessory makeovers.
You can see my custom cabinet adventures here (part one) and here (part two)
And the sink/window makeover is here.

Top 10 in '09

2010-01-14T18:34:00.000-08:00

Here it is! My anthology post for 2009!

I've loved seeing these on other blogs, so I thought I'd share my own. (and throw a party so everyone else could, too!)
These are my 10 favorite posts from last year :)

10. I have a tie for #10...is that a cheat?
My $5 lamp

Because it taught me to to look twice at brass! What a transformation!
and...
My Candlesticks -

because a Pottery Barn knock off this good has never been this cheap!

9. My Front Door

Every time I hang a new holiday wreath on my front door I'm glad I painted it black!

8. My daughters bedroom

It took weeks to complete and my 7 year old can't keep it clean to save her life - but on the rare occasions that I clean it up it makes me smile :)

7. The Swing Set

It felt like it cost a fortune and took a year to complete - and it was SO worth it.

6. My sons bedroom

I didn't want him to be a big boy, but he really was. A bunch of fun projects, culminating in a room redecoration made the transition a lot easier for me.

5. Porch Bench

I actually talked my sweet, handsome, indulgent husband into building this for me...but I conceived the idea! And it gives the front porch so much character!

4. Laundry Room

The after is SO MUCH BETTER than the before, I couldn't love it any more.

3. Dresser Refinish

I did this project before I was blogging, so my before and after pictures are pretty lacking, but the transformation was really rewarding. Even better, I LOVE the piece in my house - it's like it was made to live with me.

2. Parlor Re-dec

This project was also done before I started blogging, so the post is a bit lacking. Our front room is so much more attractive and usable now, though, that I had to put it near the top.

1. My Dining Room Table

This was a huge undertaking, and it was worth every second of work.

I followed it up by building a bench a week later.

They were my biggest DIYs of the year, they are the things I've used the most, and they are what I've been the most proud of.

There it is - my top 10! Can't wait until next years post :)

The Best of the Best - a blog party for a New Year!

2010-01-08T22:00:00.000-08:00

I've seen several anthology posts lately. Many of my bloggy friends are putting up lists of their favorite projects from the last year.
What a FABULOUS idea!

I'll admit, I'm a sucker for a top 10 list.
I love those VH1 countdowns...I've watched the 100 best songs of the 90's more times than I care to admit.
Or how about when E! does those silly countdowns?
"Hollywoods Hottest Bodies" "Best Celebrity Smackdowns"
They even have one called "the Top 10 Vampires We Love"
These shows are the best thing to have on in the background when hubby is out of town and I'm up crafting 'till after midnight :)

Back to blogging...
These top 10 posts are just perfect. I can't think of a better way to show people what your blog is all about. And I want to see them all in one place!
So I decided to use {The Girl} Creative to host a party!

Grab a button and tell your friends - the party launches a week from today!

Can't WAIT to see the best of your best!
Just head over to {The Girl} Creative on January 15th and link up!

Wooden Box

2010-01-07T08:22:00.000-08:00

I can't remember if I've mentioned this before...

When my Pottery Barn catalog comes it's like an event. I secret it away until I have an hour to look through it. Then I sit down, armed with a pen and a pad of post-it notes, to pour through it. I usually come away with about 1/2 the pages folded down, items circles and notes written (on the post-it's) on those pages.
To be honest, this is actually a bit embarassing.
People think I'm creative. They have no idea that I'm just a big PB copy cat. Am I the only one in the state receiving their catalog?

Anyway - this was the picture on one of the pages I marked in the fall catalog.

This is what I saw.

I circled it and wrote a post-it note that said "Love these boxes for beer - Christmas for guys?"

I forgot about them until about a week and a half before Christmas, when I was stressing about what to get for my BIL. That night, I dreamed about the box.
I kid you not.
In the morning I woke up with the picture in my head. I tore through my winter catalog first, then found it in the fall catalog. I had to see the picture...to verify that this wasn't something I had actually thought up on my own.

Then I got to work building the box.
I made 2 before Christmas. We filled them both with an assortment of expensive beer. One was for my BIL, the other we took to a friend gift exchange, where (I'm proud to say) it was very popular and was actually fought over. I know that was probably due to the beer, not my box, but it still made me happy.

I really wanted one for my own coffee table, though, and Whitney and Ashley's "I made it without my hubby" party at Shanty2Chic was the perfect excuse.
I built this box last night, finished it this morning. Just so I could post about it :)

Here's the how-to...

Materials -
a 1x4 (I bought the shortest length and had some left over)
Plywood (for the first two I used leftover pieces, for this one I bought some luan plywood.)
You'll also need a hammer and nails. Optional items include a distressing tool, stain and glue.

For the first box I laid out my beers and measured around them.
Now I know exactly what to cut the wood to, so I'll share :)
Cut the 1x4 into 3 pieces at 10 3/4 inches and 2 pieces at 8 1/2 inches.
Your plywood should be cut to 12 1/4 x 8 1/2.

You're going to cut a few more small pieces later, but those will have to be measured individually.

I wanted the boxes to have a kind of beat-up, aged appearance, so I distressed them with my hammer and this tool...which I use for all distressing. I don't have any idea what it actually is, though. My husband dug it out of the toolbox in the back of his truck months ago when I told him what I needed. I commandeered it :)

Then I mixed wood stain and paint into my paint glaze until it was an old grey-brown looking color. Wiped on, wiped off (making sure to get extra into all my distressed areas!) and my wood was instantly aged!

I used Quick Grip (my favorite glue) to put the outside of the box together and gave it about an hour to set. Then I attached the bottom with glue, too.

Once it's all dry you can put the center piece in. Make sure to measure so you get it nice and centered. I glue this in (to the bottom) as well.

For the small divider pieces measure individually. Mine measured between 2 7/8 and 3 3/8.
Those pieces get the glaze treatment, too.

Once everything is thoroughly dry I nailed it all together. First the outside box - 2 at each corner, 1 at each end where the centerpiece attaches, and one on each of the 4 bottom corners.
The little divider pieces go in now - measure to make sure your squares are equal - and nail them in from the sides.

Originally I thought I'd use two longer pieces of 1x4 (notched) to cross the center piece, but that seemed really difficult and is definitely NOT something I could do without my hubby.
That's sort of imperative around here - partially because he works a lot, but mostly because I don't wait well.

Anyway - here's the finished project!

I love it :)
Here it is on my coffee table

and...

I'll be linking up to the "I made it without my hubby" party at Shanty2Chic! Go see what some more independent women have done!
Also linking up to Transformation Thursday at the Shabby Chic Cottage!

Happy Holidays!!!

2009-12-30T07:17:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and is getting ready for a fabulous New Year!

My wonderful husband took the week off work! So far we've spent most of our time playing games - lots of cards and a little guitar hero. When he's home I'm so lazy!!!
He's promised to help me with a new backsplash in the kitchen this week, though...

I'll be back next week with more crafty posts. In the meantime, I hope everyone is taking time to enjoy the season (now that all our Christmas projects are done!)

Doll Clothes Armior

2009-12-22T09:16:00.000-08:00

This is Kit.

She's a $100 doll from American Girls. She's recommended for ages 8 and up.

This is Tessa.

She's my very destructive 7 year old who loves the American Girl books and who is cute, sweet and charming enough to get whatever she wants - despite my better judgement.

Tessa's getting Kit for Christmas.
The doll and her accessories make up the vast majority of her gifts.
I've spent much of the 3 months praying that Tessa will take good care of her doll, as she has sworn to do (should she ever receive one.) Praying that she'll not take her scissors or her markers or God knows what else to her very expensive dolly. Because if she does, I cannot be responsible for what I might do to her.

I've also spent a good portion of the last 3 months working on a sort of armior for Kit's clothes and shoes - hoping that having a pretty place to put things will inspire my girl to keep things neat. Though it never has before.
I feel like this project took forever - first in the conception, then in the execution, and finally in taking a decent photo of the thing to post here. Ironically, creating the thing took FAR less time than the other two steps did

ANYWAY.
I looked and looked at the thrift stores for a cabinet that would work. I had measurements, of course, and an idea of how I wanted it to work, but no real inspiration, other than the idea in my head.
I finally ended up with this piece - an old bathroom wall cabinet, solid wood and very heavy.

I removed the doors, sanded her lightly and painted her white, using Rustoleum Primer and Paint, of course.
I flipped her upside down and added a dowel to use as a clothes hanger.

Then I cut a piece of MDF to the width and length I wanted it, and had hubby give the ends a 45 degree angle so I could but them up against each other. They got a coat of white paint, too.

I painted the doors and the front of the cabinet with butterflies, flowers, polkadots and squiggly lines...
trying to make it whimsical and little-girly...

To be honest, I'm not sure I love how it turned out. I have very little artistic talent, and though I wanted it to be some gorgeous custom painted creation (a'la Miss Mustard Seed) it's just...not.

At this point I gathered all my pieces together...

And assembled it.

But it still looked a little...flat.
So I decided feet would help.
I picked up some unfinished wood pieces from the craft store. I think they are supposed to be for candlesticks to sit in?
I painted them white.

Then screwed them onto the bottom of the cabinet.

I plan to attach this to the wall in her bedroom - low enough that she can access it, of course - possibly resting on the floor. We'll have to see how it looks best. I just don't want it tipping over constantly.

The space in the top fits the doll perfectly. It's like a little bed. So, if my darling daughter wants me to, I will make a little pillow to pit in the space and Kit can sleep there.

(the doll in the picture is a Target brand American Girl knock-off that Tessa has had for a few years. It's the same size as the real deal.)

So - here it is!

I'm fairly happy with it as a storage piece, though I think my decorative painting could be improved upon. I'm just not sure how to do that. Doesn't matter anyway - this is how it will be on Christmas morning! I am DONE for now!

(P.S. I forgot to paint the inside of the doors! By the time I realized it there was no way I was removing them to paint again, so I covered the insert in contact paper and left the outside the original oak.)

Linking up to DIY Day at ASPTL!

My Christmas House

2009-12-18T09:56:00.000-08:00

I might be the very last blogger to post pictures of my Christmas decor...
Still, I thought I'd share. After all, if there's not blog evidence of it, who's to say it even happened? lol

It seems like half of my Christmas decor is very down-home country feeling - pine cones, burlap, wood...
the other half is super glittery, glam and/or metallic.
They never seemed to belong together.
In the past I've always tried to group the like items together - attempting to create cohesive areas, even if the majority of the house didn't "go" together.

This year, I decided my theme would be sort of a country mouse-meets-city mouse thing. Rustic and elegant, all in the same vignettes.
Not to pat my self on the back, but I totally love the outcome.

Here's my front door.

I went wreath-crazy this Christmas, making a total of 5 from the remnants of old wreaths (and a few new things.) This one is my favorite, I think. I love the tiny gold birdie and the monogram.
I hung it from a strip of burlap straps I tied together.

Above the door I have one of those grapevine arches. Every year I tuck some evergreen branches into it (from the bottom of our Christmas tree) and some fake berries. Super festive, super easy!
Notice the kissing ball hanging from the arch...I love me some mistletoe!

On the bench we built this summer I put a basket filled with candles and more evergreens. LOVE this <3

This is the entry way. To the left is this table,

To the right is this dresser.

The wreath was #2 of my wreath projects

My apothecary jars are new, and I love them! One is filled with pine cones and a (fake) sprig of greenery. The other is filled with some glittery ornaments I bought from the Pottery Barn a few years ago. Both are nestled on fake snow :)

I've had the "Believe" sign for a couple of years - I re-glittered it this year, then sprinkled some of the glitter on the table top about it. It feels magical to me :)

And this is one of my chalkboards :)

The front room is where our tree is.

I mentioned this in the post about my banner, but this room is filled with books. It's sort of our "library."
The tree has a NOEL banner on it, made from vintage book pages.

And here are the gingerbread boy and girl ornaments I made earlier this year!

The book shelves have some decor on top, too.

I had to move the bench I normally have in front of the window so the tree would fit there. I put it on this wall.

Above it I put this wreath (#3.) It was lonely looking, so I spray painted this dollar store bird and added her (and some metallic berries!)

The wall vinyl came from JoAnn's.

The card holder I whipped up with extra fabric, buttons and paperclips. Cute, huh?

The Dining Room area is my favorite in the whole house, and where I think my "rustic elegance" came together best.

Burlap Placemats with a glittery silver monogram.
Delicate wineglasses and silver snowflake napkin rings...

The centerpiece is a rosemary bush shaped into a Christmas tree that I wrapped in dark brown burlap. I added a couple of burlap flowers, too. It sits on a silver charger. Later I ripped some large metallic "berries" from their stems and sprinkled them around it.

I hung snowflakes from the fan and from the curtain rod on the window behind. They are covered in glitter...along with everything else in the area!

The buffet has my candlestick collection, of course!
I wanted something practical there, as well, and since we tend to have lots of people over this time of year, I chose my regular, everyday dishes on a short silver pedestal.
I've had the gold Christmas tree candle forever, but I've never had a place I thought it looked right...love it here!

In the family room we have a mini tree. My kids decorated this one all by themselves, and every morning my 3 year old rushes to plug it in. I put this display together thinking "what does it matter if one area's not perfect?" but it turned out that I totally love it!

Above the sliding glass doors I hung a berry wreath (#4) and a garland that I "beefed up" using the Nesters method :) More mistletoe in the center of that wreath!

Down the hallway I have this shelf

And this mirror, which I added a tiny wreath (#5) to. The wreath is made from a small piece of leftover garland.

Our bedroom is almost entirely Christmas free...
though I could resist one more kissing ball.
Hanging this was interesting - but necessity is the mother of invention, and I NEEDED this!

So there it is...a day late and a dollar short, but posted just the same!

Linking to It's So Very Cheri!