when i have time

I want to make little ties for my little man.

Cut some glass for a bit of magical glow {ahem...someone out there knows my thoughts on this}.

Create delicate ribbons of frosting on a 3 layer cake.

{all images from pinterest that I found during my lunch break}

What little projects do you have in the back of your mind?

Cheers~

e

my 1st guest post...and it is BRILLIANT & FREE :)

Hey everyone...I am over at my neighbor's home who has power and more importantly...the internet. This is a tad late, but it was worth coming over here in my rainboots to tell you that I am guest posting my 1st EVER guest post over at my Blog Momma's {Gail} beautiful world.

I think I have the most brilliant idea/project for you to check out...and making them is just about as close to free as you can get.

Just bop over there and say hello...if anything, just to make a girl feel good amid all this CrAzY amount of rain, tornados, and no power...oh, and b/c you love me too. :)

Cheers~

e

while you are sleeping ***UPDATE***

So...I have wrapping to do as I am sure all of you do, but I also have some unwrapping to do.

What's in the box? This...but in natural. We shall see how this goes. Look at it snickering at me. Time to get to work.

What an interesting way to spend Christmas Eve Eve. :)

Cheers~

e

It only took me 1 DVD of Fraiser and a semi meltdown as I took down the crib, but I had this darling done before 8:45 pm tonight. WOOT! WOOT! This is just the beginning of the big boy room {I have big plans for the bed and room}, but I wanted Thurgood to have his big boy bed ready for Christmas Eve night.

What do you think? {I think Santa needs to bring my a wide angle lens for Christmas. :)}

the art of woe-woeing

I have seen these lovely flowers all over the place. So instead of coming to terms with which wreath to create, my ADD mode kicked into full gear..and I rolled an adorable fabric flower.

I loved how vibrant it looked against my hair. I always bobby pin my hair depending on my rotation site. Why have just a plain bobby pin when I could add some cuteness too?

And it added much needed color to my solids and neutral wardrobe.

Then I had an idea! {no clue as to the odd shadow/smudge on my eyebrow...my eyebrows do NOT look like that...but I got tired of trying to get a good picture and thought "good enough."}



I need to make more. I need to make lots more.

It reminded my of "woe-woeing." {this is the term for a technique of comfort I use to do with my satin edged blankie.} I would wrap, twist, and fold. Some had thumb sucking...I had "woe-woeing."

I have a feeling this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Cheers~

e

a spring challenge: blooming branches for Lola

Living with Lindsay is having a $5 challenge (with Dollar Store goodies and such) AND since I am on Spring Break, I figured I could try my hand at making something lovely.

Just so I can get your attention..here is a peek of the AFTER (besides I adore AFTERS first..it is like having dessert 1st):

Here is what I started with:


My 5 items for $5. How exciting! So....Now what? Well, I then got out my flower punch and white cardstock. I then punched away.

After punching oodles of flowers, I doubled them attaching them with some Modge Podge.

I had some left over cream spray paint from my little numbered sweet pots (love that name), and decided to create my own cream vase. Even though you can’t see it, there was a chip on my glass..so back to the Dollar Tree for another glass (a high ball glass).

Returning home, I sprayed them cream and removed a few twigs from my neighbor’s bushes (thank you Uncle Keith) and here is a pic of the chaos before the beauty:



I glued the sprayed high ball glass to the candlestick and then stuffed the floral foam into the glass. I then placed the twigs in the foam and glued my Spanish Moss on top with those delicate glitter eggs nestled among the moss.

I then glued my flowers ever so randomly and dotted the piece with 2 left over butterflies from my other project.

Here is the completed project (sorry I had to take pics in the garage..rainy days and bad lighting cause you to work with what you have):

a nice shot of the cream vase (I think it turned out lovely)

the glitter eggs and a butterfly...perfection

blooms that remind me of dogwood...so delicate and sweet

the final piece..if only the garage floor complimented her better

This little piece is going to my Lola as she is in rehab and her room is in need of some spring cheer. Hope you all love my little project as much as I do.

Cheers~
e

PS I am also linking with:
Funky Junk Interiors

the goods behind the will

I wanted to share with you my little treasures from Saturday March 13th's Shop and Hop with Sarah from Thrifty Decor Chick and Beckie from Infarrantly Creative.

Ok...so here is an AFTER 1st. I just HAD to show you. I am so in love with my little numbered pots. They make me smile...especially when I hear Thurgood counting away.



Back to the befores.

Here is what I came home with. All of these lovelies were purchased with the $10 gift card that I won. I am so picky when shopping. I have to see true potential before I spend a dollar, even if it is happy "found" money.

Oooohhh how I LOVE science pieces. I am a science nerd at heart and for less than $1..this was mine at hello. Just wait...she will be adorable when I am done with her. I am amazed the magic of spray paint...just wait.

Who doesn't love a cloche? I KNOW this is a cheese dome, but po-TATE-O...po-TOT-o. I love glass and I love cloches. Oh...and I have a little treat in store for this little one. I am all about personalizing pieces and this little darling will be even cuter.

Which leads me to these beauties.

I knew from the start that I want to recreate those divine numbered jars from Dreamy Whites giveaway. Lately numbers have been popping up all over my little abode. So I came home uber excited to get to work on these sweet little pots. But before the night was over, I found out great minds do think alike. Marianne over at Songbird had recreated them as well. I want to give her props all the same. She is uber sweet and oh so talented.

So with my pots painted, I started at 4 in the same font I had used before on my pillows and since my pillows already had 1, 2, and 3...4 just seemed natural.

Where are 8 and 9 you ask? I am trying to mend 8. In "staging" for my pics, Atticus swears that my dried hydrangeas were teasing him and he toppled over 8 and 9. Unfortunately my number 9 is no more. Oh well...I am quite happy with the little pots I have.

Such a lovely break so far. When I am not crafting or renovating, you will find me playing with my best friend at the pool.

Cheers~
e

PS I forgot to take a pic of the little wooden box..no worries...I will have a good before and after for you. I also purchased a darling shirt for $1. Hmmm......stay tuned for those finds. :)

perfecting the PB calligraphy lamp shade

And so after a week of mind numbing pharmacy exams, I found myself completely succumbing to the release of crafting. After weeks of playing with several small attempts in completing my Pottery Barn Calligraphy Shade, I dove right in after my Therapeutics exam and it was…true therapy for my aching soul.

Now, since this was going to be a copycat, it had to live up to my expectations…which are high. Afterall if it doesn’t look as good as the original then the point and effort seem mute. I knew a few things. I knew I wanted them for our master bedroom, I knew the overall design scheme I wanted and I knew..KNEW what would make the shade even more perfect and better yet, what would make it MINE.

Instead of random phrases or sayings…I decided to use our own love letters.

I used the words my husband wrote me in our last anniversary card for my lamp shade and for Mr. B's, I opted for a few old love letters I wrote to him when he was a camp counselor. Words are so powerful and I thought this would be the element that would transcend an ordinary Pottery Barn piece into a treasured heirloom.

Taking advice from the lovely Freckles Chick, I used the free Byron font from dafont.com and went to work.

Here is my practice shade (I got it for $3 at a flea market) from Friday.

new pics taken with my neighbor's Canon 30D --LOVE this camera!

As you can see from the pictures I did not have a stand..just the shade, but I wanted to share with you my progress. I have larger shades for my bedroom and so the font will have to be a tad larger and I will tweak the spacing a bit more, but I think my pictures capture what I ideally hope to have gracing our completed master bedroom very soon.

Needless to say...I think I am quite happy with my little lamp shade.

What do you think?

Cheers~
e

Please note I am linking these fabulous Linky Parties: Cottage Instincts (I also want to THANK Cottage Instincts for showcasing my PB Number Pillow -- you made my weekend!), The Twice Remembered Cottage, and Funky Junk Interiors

PS I am thinking about making a few custom ones for neighbors (here at home) and maybe even for etsy (yes..I have a happy little EMPTY shoppe right now)...I even thought about a giveaway too. Any extra cash in my pocket would help me indulge in my decorating, but I thought I should see what you ladies think first.

easy as...(pb knockoff pillows)

I am positive a blogger out there has done this before if not several talented ladies, but this was my 1st completed pottery barn project and I am just smitten with the results. These pillows add a sophisticated yet unpretentious element to our family room.

The pillows are premade from Walmart in "fresh ivory" that I purchased on clearance for $2 each due to red dots in the center. Silly red dots trying to steal the show! Black fabric paint hides your ambitions. I then piddled with Word using the text box to supersize my numbers in the Engravers MT font. I then printed my numbers and made my stencil using Contact Paper. After a little cutting, peeling, and painting...I have my welcomed additions to our lovely home.

Follow-up -- I have decided to keep the velvet drapes. The birthday boy convinced me. I decided to make them a tad more alluring with cream so I added ivory sheers that I found at Target for $5 for BOTH (once again -- clearanced)! Granted I had to "de-capri" them....but they look so dreamy nestled next to the rich velvet. I promise to update with pictures once the blinding snow is more subdued, but for the time being just know I am captivated by the imperfect union of the two.

Cheers~
e

I also posted my delights at Cottage Instincts: Make it for Monday!
and at The Twice Remembered Cottage: Make it Your Monday.

flat tire + sweet tea= decor confession ***UPDATE - see the very bottom**

I didn’t go to school today. As I was about to buckle my child into his car seat this morning a tad before 8 am, I noticed a FLAT tire that was just glaring back at me. I will spare you the drama that unfolded. I will fast forward to me sitting here at McAlister's sipping sweet tea as my chariot (the wrecker) leaves my car at BigO's as I await for them to install 4 new tires. So I thought now is the best time to engage in a little decor confession.

Funny thing is, I have MANY confessions that I want to share with you. Secrets that I don’t even share with Mr. B or some of my best friends. I truly feel connected to you because I feel that you of all will understand. So…my 1st revealing secret:

I STASH many of my décor purchases and slowly have them “appear” over time.

My trick may not be so tricky but you would be amazed how much stuff I have accumulated over the years and how much stuff can fit in my trunk. I just love decorating, but I have found bringing bags of stuff home does not delight my husband (keep in mind I am quite thrifty, but space is precious in our home which aggravates Mr.B when I crave a decor fix).

Ok..so why am I confessing that I am a decorating chipmunk? Well I am playing with the idea of refreshing my living room. This rejuvenation would possibly lead to jumping on the drop cloth bandwagon and introducing them in my family room.

What about my velvet drapes? Oh I still adore them and might move them into Mr. B’s “play room” --- I mean MAN room, but I am just yearning for Spring. Trust me, I will not get rid of them. I just thought using drop cloth would be a smashing way of incorporating the cream that I already have on my cabinets. Aside from extra drop cloth for drapery panels..I have enough “stashed” from the remnants that I used for the toile pillows to make numbered pillows for my sofa. Like this:

My sofa is that same wheat color as in the picture above so I thought using the drop cloth pillows with a dashing number would be fresh and new for the room. Plus!! There is no competition with my lovely Colette. And lastly, we have a set of French Doors off our dining room that has no window treatment. I could, perhaps, hang another set of drop cloth there too (I would have to make a dash to Home Depot. I don’t have THAT much drop cloth).

What do you think? I plan to stay away from the roads today. I was just not meant to be out today. Which gives me plenty of time to experiment at home.

Ok...I am needy today...so what do you think? Really.

Cheers~
e

**********************UPDATE*********************
So here is my little experiment:

I "nestered" up some window treatments with my drop cloth (I would make the drapes more tighter with more clips but I just wanted to "see" the effect) and made a PB numbered pillow. I actually used a Walmart premade pillow in "fresh ivory" that was clearanced to $2. The price inspired the number. So what do you think? Would these pillows work rather than making drop cloth pillows and how about the drapes? Mr. B still likes the velvet better, but I am calling for opinions. :)

Stay tuned....

what is black & cream...and read all over?

I love to window shop online. It amazes me (and Mr. B) that I have yet to exhaust myself for my sheer love of finding darling pieces. I have also had this inner desire to create a tutorial (it must be the teacher in my soul creeping out from my student shell).

I envy all those savvy artistic Vestas that I see online who can whip out a can of Martha on a project. But…I have yet to stumble upon anything that whispers, “Recreate me.”

And then I found this:


You will be mine….oh yes. Stay tuned as I attempt this small decor project.

Cheers~
e