Decorating for Spring

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!

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

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!

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

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.