Simply Dwell

Guest Room: The Reveal

2010-08-16T21:28:00.004-04:00

After ...

painting 2 dressers
making a new mirror and hanging another
installing trim for the chalkboard
mounting 2 besides lamps
adding a duvet and new blanket
painting the walls with Martha Stewart's Sharkey Gray

I have come up with this:

I love the crispness of the gray paint with the white curtains and trim. I have to say that the chalkboard is great, but I'm kind of scared to write on it, it is just so nice and clean! OCD I tell you. The pop of the yellow lights and the texture of the print on the duvet that I used for a bed skirt, it all just falls together nicely. I hope you like it too.

For fun lets look at the evolution...

{ 1 }

{ 2 }

{ 3 }

I think I'm done now. Guest Room we are no longer enemies.

Guest Room Project#2- The Dressers

2010-08-10T17:31:00.004-04:00

The jumping off point for this whole guest room re-do was my childhood dresser.

{The before}

It was mine when I was a baby- it converts to a changing table- and it followed me through college and into our first home, but it shows its age. Old hardware and a blah brown finish didn't help the aesthetics of the room. With my mother not too happy at first, I decided to repaint it and update the hardware.

{New Hardware too!}

The drawers got a few coats of white, and the body of the dresser a coat of Ralph Lauren's Modern Loft- a brilliant navy blue that we also used in our Master Bedroom. Since the paint was flowing the other dresser got a splash of navy too.

{Before}

I kept the original ceramic hardware that my Pap gave the dresser back in the day. Needless to say, I was soo happy that when I showed my mom the pictures of the newly finished dressers, and she loved them. I always tell Erik and my family that I know they think I'm crazy when I come up with these plans, but in the end everything works out. The dresser has a crisp, clean feel and with everything else that was done in the room it looks much more modern. I still have to share the rest of the room, so don't be shy...

{Sorry for the blurry pics, no flash and tired hands from all that painting!}

Guest Room Redo, Project 1

2010-08-06T15:25:00.005-04:00

{source}

I have always liked the symmetry of sunburst mirrors. What I don't like about them is the steep prices. Every one that I find and like is well out of my price range. { The one above is $200!!} So I was out in the interwebs, and I stumbled onto this blog tutorial that opened my world to having my own little sunburst.

{ It is identical!! }

I had a smaller, more simple version in my thoughts so I adapted the recipe a bit.

My materials were: a 7" diameter mirror, bamboo skewers, hot glue, gold spray paint and a finished roll of tape. Crazy list I know. I started with drawing two circles on the back of the mirror to use as guidelines. I then glued the skewers starting at 12, 3, 6, and 9, relative to a clock. And then just filled in the gaps between.

Obviously neatness isn't super important- hello wobbly circles! When I couldn't squeeze in anymore, I used the tape roll as a base to hang the mirror from. Once everything was secure out to the driveway I went to spray the skewers with a generous amount of gold spray paint. Here it is hanging at the top of the chalkboard headboard I painted:

Isn't it adorable! The total cost of my version was under $10 including the cost of the mirror, paint, and skewers. More details tomorrow on the dresser refinishing, and the reveal is soon to come. Have a great weekend!

Inspiration: Chalkboards

2010-07-29T10:38:00.004-04:00

Yet again I find myself at the mercy of my guestroom. I h.a.t.e. this room. I have redecorated this room 3 times in 5 years. It never looks the way I want it to. I make the mistake of hurrying the process and do quick fixes that I end up hating in the long run. It drives Erik crazy because he says it is a waste because the room doesn't get used- except to hold our backpacking gear.

**Side note: why do house guests that are male and under the age of 30 sleep on the couch and not a bed??

Anyway, upcoming house guests are the motivation behind my latest itch to get the room in shape. I am working on the tiniest of budgets so whatever I do has to be cheap and a DIY project. I have wanted to update my childhood dresser and give the bed a headboard. Both involve some paint and labor but I have a week so I think it is possible. After searching the web I found these awesome inspiration pictures for the headboard dilemma:

{source}

One day when the room houses a little one, a chalkboard is a must in my eyes, so this could easily be adapted later on when the double bed is no longer. Plus I love the idea of guests leaving us a message. Heading to Ben Moore for some paint! Wish me luck that Erik doesn't flip... :)

The Deck Monster

2010-07-26T20:27:00.004-04:00

It all started last summer... we wanted a way to beat the heat and enjoy our back porch. We started with this:

Then did this:

I thought we were done here:

Again I made some changes and had this:

Most recently we added even more wood and stain to help camo the ugly underside of the deck monster.

The last thing we will do is add some lattice to the stairs to conceal the dirt and weeds under there too. I hate lattice, but it is cheap and I'm going to find a sun lovin vines to creep and crawl all over it! Plants make me happy...

Weren't here to get all the details during the big build? Go here to see it all go down!

New Items: Yo Yo Pins

2010-07-17T12:57:00.006-04:00

I have been working on some new pieces for the shop. Mini Yo Yo Pins!

These little bits are made with fabric and felt. I will be selling them in pairs and singles in the shop very soon!

UPDATE: The Pins are listed in the shop and ready for purchase!!

For the little ladies, I'm making these mini clips with rosettes and/or yo yos.

Don't forget to check out the mini showcase on the right sidebar.

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Produce

2010-07-08T12:07:00.003-04:00

Radio silence usually means lots going on, however because it is my summer vacation I have been very lazy. Usually I make a list of projects to tackle and go at them full steam ahead, but this summer has proven otherwise. I did make the list and it has about 8 items on it, but I have yet to fully complete one. Oh, well, I earned this time off right? At least our garden has been hard at work:

{Zucchini}

{Poblano}

{Better Boy Tomato}

{Roma}

Erik and I are trying to undo all of the cook-out gluttony that has occurred over the past couple weeks. We want to try and incorporate more vegetarian meals into our diet to lighten things up. I could live off pasta alone, but veggies need a more starring role. So I need help!

Do you have any go-to meals that you make with only veggies? Or can you recommend any cook books for veggie-friendly meals?

Much obliged.

How They've Grown...

2010-06-30T10:17:00.006-04:00

It has been a year since I planted my Confederate Jasmine. My dream is to have my porch columns be completely covered in the fragrant beauties. Last year they were barely scraping the base of the columns...

But after 365 days of water and sun they have met in the middle and are going strong!

I hope Erik and I are in this house long enough to see them mature like these that I saw on a trip to Serenbe- a beautiful neighborhood in South GA.

Have anything good growing at home?

Knit Necklace

2010-06-25T10:19:00.004-04:00

Remember when I fell in love?

Well I studied that beautiful necklace and realized that I had just learned a valuable skill that would allow me to create a necklace of my own- Finger Weaving! Actually one of my 3rd grade students taught me, teacher became the student. I found some thick chunky thread at Joann's and I rummaged through my scrap box of fabric and beads and created this beauty:

I love how it turned out. The buttons, yo-yos and ruffles look like a fine collection that just happened along. For the ties I cut up an old t-shirt that was hanging out in the back of the dresser. Cakies will be putting hers in her Etsy shop soon, so go visit for one of your own! This guy, however, will be my personal treasure and a shout-out to all those creative moms out there who inspire us everyday!

Craft Space

2010-06-23T07:54:00.003-04:00

Here are the pictures of my new craft nook:

In case you hadn't seen the office before:

To transform the office to an office/craft room I bought this desk from Ikea to use as a work space for my headbands and other projects. I have room for my cutting mat and my sewing machine.

The desk has 2 drawers on the front. One drawer is reserved for my crafting supplies and the other houses sewing essentials.

The wall rod keeps my scissors, and hair clips in order.

I also picked up new boxes to keep my fabrics in order. They are on the Lack shelf I already had in the office, which also has my felts, beads, and threads on it.

It is nice to have a dedicated space for my creative ventures. I can just swing the chair around and have Pandora rocking on the iMac while I make fun pieces for my Etsy shop or any other project that comes along...usually every day or so!

Do tell: Do you have a creative space that inspires you?

Inspiration: Cakies

2010-06-22T10:55:00.004-04:00

I love this lady. She is a mom to 3 adorable girls and still finds time to work her creativity. When I saw this necklace on her blog I was in awe.

The texture of the yarn is amazing, the color of the jersey is perfect, and those buttons! If you haven't had the pleasure of viewing her blog, you.must.go, NOW!

Business Happenings

2010-06-07T17:19:00.006-04:00

I have added 2 new pieces to the shop!

These new elastic headbands are eclectic with their ruffles, rosettes and beads. One has a yellow ruffle with a patterned rosette and turquoise beads...

And the other features a navy ruffle, gray linen rosette and gold beads...

I have decided that I like the elastic bands much better than the metal ones. I must have an odd shaped head or something. The elastic also holds flyaways and unruly curls at bay. Look for some more additions to pop up soon. I must say things are easier to do with a new craft corner. Pictures of that later...

Obsessed: Lofts

2010-05-28T08:58:00.004-04:00

Erik and I love our first home that we currently reside in, however in one of those "If I ever win the lottery" type moments, we have decided that we want a swanky loft apartment. I like industrial, he likes simple. So when I saw Gwyenth Paltrow's loft on her website I was in l.o.v.e.

The master bedroom is the best. I love the peacock blue bed and those wall sconces are to die for. I have already spent 30 mins trying to find something similar on the web. Any suggestions??

The kitchen is even better. The stools are industrial goodness and the full subway tile wall is stunning. And to believe that it is all in Nashville, TN ? I'd actually listen to county music if I could life here. See the whole apartment and design process here.

Seriously, does anyone know where to find those sconces??

Craft Room Inspiration

2010-05-25T21:00:00.004-04:00

Since I'm going to have some extra time on my hands ( summer vacation!!) I thought it was high time to get the Etsy shop updated and inventory up. However when I have to retire to our guest room to get to work I feel less than inspired. I like the guest room but I feel like it isn't my creative place. I have plans to try and add a nook to the office for my headband making and sewing. This serves as my main piece of inspiration at the moment:

{ image }

I already have a Lack shelf in the office so I would be adding the display rod, another desk, and some cute containers to hold my notions. There is quite a list working of summer projects to keep me busy.

The Places I go...

2010-05-17T07:06:00.001-04:00

The blog world is a fun and overwhelming place. There is truly something for everyone. Whether it's home decor, DIY anything, mom's doing fun stuff, cooks, photography, or gardening, chances are if you have a hobby there is a blog for it. The thing I like most about blogs are that they are usually written by regular people doing regular things. It's nice to read that others have struggles with planting a veggie garden, or that I'm not the only person who is obsessed with throw pillows.

So these are some of the places I like to visit to see what's shakin':

The Cooks:

Bakerella

Honey & Jam

Seven Spoons

So Good and Tasty

The Home Gurus:

Making it Lovely

At Home At Home

Little Green Notebook

Sabbespot

The Creatives:

Homemade Grits

Avie Designs

Paisley Wallpaper

Our Blog of Love

Blue Eyed Freckle

Cakies

Please go visit them whenever you need inspiration and pretty things to look at and read.

Quiet Time, and a picnic

2010-05-15T11:56:00.001-04:00

The days are flying by so fast that I just want any spare minute to sit. In quiet. With Erik, Doc or any other warm cuddly thing. But life prevails and continues.

One such instance is when our kitchen sink fell victim to a moment of frustration and ended up broken. To Home Depot we went. I figured if we were having to replace our builder boring faucet, we might as well get something that was nice and that we would want to have forever- or until another karate chop takes it down. We got this guy:

It has the removable spray nozzle and fun matching soap dispenser. It looked beautiful in the box, but what a pain to install for my very handsome and fit husband who had to squeeze under the sink to install it. After 2 hours and a trip to the hardware store, we had water use again and had to get out of the house.

We visited our favorite lunch spot and had a picnic with the little one. It was beautiful out. We laid on the blanket together in the warm sun, with whispers of "weiner dog!" as passerbys saw our adorable Doc hanging out with us.

{ side note: disregard the grass clippings, he likes to roll around on bugs }

A frustrating, rewarding, delicious, and relaxing afternoon.

Rewarding

2010-05-14T12:16:00.006-04:00

To grow your own home decor.

{My bright orange geraniums with my favorite owls.}

DIY: Recipe Cards

2010-04-12T07:53:00.000-04:00

I purchased this 3 ring Recipe book at Border's a million years ago.

I love the simple design of it. However the lined paper for your handwritten recipes was less than desirable. So I came up with my own DIY recipe cards on Microsoft Word.

I made them to fit 1/2 sheet of a standard printer paper, so I can get 2 per page. I spent Sunday afternoon retyping my recipes to fit into the new template. This helped me to have all my favorites orderly and neatly presented, but it also has the added bonus of having them all saved on my computer = easy access, so when a friend loves one of my creations I can easy email it to them!

One more thing off the never-ending To Do list. Actually there may be 100 more things, check back for details...

Surprise Dinner Party

2010-04-11T14:39:00.007-04:00

Saturday was spent in the dirt. That has been a common occurrence in these parts lately. It is just too darn nice out to be inside, so if that means I have dirt under my nails than so be it. After I spent time tending to the weeds, planting some more herbs:

{ Rosemary }

{ Ours on the left, Graham's on the right }

and helping Erik build the structure for the veggie garden, the neighbors and I decided that a patio dinner was a must do. So I buzzed around the house cleaning and picking up to make sure all was tidy for our impromptu dinner guests.

I used some of my beautiful geraniums and snowball blooms to decorate the porch tables. We had delicious kabobs, asparagus, potatoes, and an amazing blueberry cobbler, a BYODinner courtesy of my awesome neighbors and lovely sister. We ended the night with a little Wii bowling, to which I can proudly announce, I RULE.

It was a great night.

Fighting the Rut

2010-04-08T17:06:00.005-04:00

I have to be honest, I haven't been in the best blogging or creative mood lately. My dear hubby has been busting his tail at work, and the students and I have been longing for Spring Break and now that it is finally here I just tuckered out. I don't want to do anything, and when I feel like I have to do something it makes it even less desirable. However, I have decided that I must power through. I want to be able to stay home with my future family one day, so I better stop being lazy and start getting busy! After a fun afternoon with my favorite little lady and her awesome mama, I came home and started working! I will be adding this Ruffle Cluster Clip to the shop momentarily.

Also my itty bitty clips will soon be sold in groups of 2! They are the tiniest things, perfect for the cute girlies in your life! I hope all is well, thanks for sticking in there with me...

The Hostas are coming!

2010-04-02T12:28:00.003-04:00

I love perennials! It is so fun to see my spouts pop up after a long winter. The hostas are making their entrance this week. They shoot up in little tubes, beginning with a beautiful eggplant color and then turninig to their varigated green. I separated these last summer so I can't wait to see how they fill in this year.

Shouts to Homemade Grits for featuring another star of my front garden on her site today :)

Colors & Labels

2010-03-29T17:05:00.005-04:00

There are some new faces 'round here:

{ Phlox }

{ Snowball bush }

{ Creeping Jenny }

{ Geranium }

{ My camilia busting out! }

Erik and I are going to be making our first herb and veggie/fruit gardens this year. I'm excited to be able to pick out our own growin's for our dinners. Our planter box is almost complete for the herb garden that is going to be placed on our back porch for easy access. I wanted a DIY way to label all of my herbs. I found lots of cute ideas and products on Etsy, but I knew I could make something myself. I found plain metal stakes at Pike's for a couple bucks, and thank my lucky stars our neighbors happened to have metal stamps.

So my hand-punched garden labels were born. I couldn't be happier with them. Once we establish which veggies/fruits we're going to grow, I'm going to get copper ones for those beds. I can't wait!

Are you growing anything good this summer?

Inventory is growing...And a GiveAway!!

2010-03-21T20:03:00.004-04:00

The shop has a few new additions. Clips are now available and new a headband is also featured. Please come stop by! Or if you would like a FREE piece, head over to Homemade Grits and enter to win your choice of any piece from the shop!!!

Sewing Struggles

2010-03-17T21:10:00.006-04:00

I like challenges, but I only really like them when I choose to participate in them. Not when they sneak up on me unannounced and at the last moment. One such challenge arose when I was making a paint brush holder for a 5th grader that I give painting lessons to. Her mom is a colleague and she asked if I could be her daughter's Christmas present (meaning that I would give her painting lessons to go with the Art supplies she got for Christmas, not me with a bow under the tree. gross.) Anyway, the girl is adorable and she has her brushes all ready for paint each week, but they have a sad means of transportation- a ziplock baggie. It breaks my heart every time she pulls out her baggie o' brushes. So I decided to stretch my sewing muscle and make her a brush holder.

I took a cute polka-dot fabric and lined it with fusible fleece for softness and added linen for the inside fabric. I stitched up pockets for her brushes to rest in, a ribbon to tie it up, and I hand- stitched a B for personalization. I was so excited that I finished it until... I realized that it was 2 inches too short! Panic sets in. What am I going to do!!

Breathe.

I, thank goodness, had just picked up a cute pattern for some new Etsy items that just so happened to match the polka-dots, so I added a band at the top to extent the length. Crisis diverted and I am doing OK. It wasn't as simple as I had intended but still very cute for a 10 year old novice painter.

P.S. She loved it.

Budget Blooms

2010-03-10T11:19:00.000-05:00

{ Bulbs in Bulk, Walmart-style }

When I do my trips to Walmart to pick up random assortments of items I usually enter through the Garden center because the parking lot is less full and there is a shorter line. As I entered yesterday, I was greeted with an awesome site: $1 bulbs! Now these are not just plain bulbs that I have to wait months for a showing, they were already sprouting! Hyacinths, tulips, and daffodils in a variety of colors! I was so happy that someone did the work for me and I get to reap the rewards for a buck. No more planting in the winter, or forgetting to! I just planted my lovelies yesterday and will get to see them soon.

{ my selection }

{ the little ones snug in their new bed }

Thank you Walmart for making our lives easier, except when we have to try and survive the lines at Christmas, find a parking spot that is semi-close, and try to not let the fertilizer I bought touch the fruit snacks or the new casserole dish that I just picked up.

A View from the Top

2010-03-09T11:03:00.006-05:00

{He's my mountain man...}

This weekend found Erik and I in the woods. Well actually we were in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains on the start of the Appalachian Trail. We packed our gear and drove up to North Georgia. We started at the base of Blood Mountain at around 11a and trudged through an awesome coke-float lookin' path made of snow and mud.

We got nice and dirty and reached the summit at around 1p. You could see the still snow-capped peaks of the mountains and because it was a clear day, we could see the Atlanta skyline more than 100 miles away.

We had planned on staying in this shelter, but plan B ensued. It was full of snow and other hikers which meant that we spent a couple hours enjoying the sunshine (I got a nice little sunburn on my nose from the sun and snow!), eating lunch, and relishing the view.

Sadly we headed back to the car around 3p and headed home. I wish we could have stayed but it was too far to the next shelter and we didn't bring our tent to sleep under the stars. But we did make it back in enough time to sleep in our own bed for the night. I have a feeling that we will make the trip again soon...

How about you, do anything adventurous this weekend?

Weekend Restaurant Wrap-Up

2010-03-01T11:23:00.000-05:00

This weekend was busy with lots of delicious eating and visiting with old friends. So I thought I would highlight the Good Eats of the weekend.

First we hit one of my favorite Italian spots. Yes it is a chain, but you can't beat their garlic knot bread with a stick!

Ippolito's Italian Restaurant

On Saturday morning, Erik and I hit our usual spot for coffee, pastries, and the Creative Loafing crossword. This coffee shop is only minutes from our house, and Erik swears it is the best coffee anywhere!

Cool Beans, Marietta Square

Saturday night we did a late celebration with friends for Erik's birthday. We have hit this spot 3 times and it is packed every time. A simple decor, lawn games indoors, and a great beer list.

Ormsby's Atlanta

Finally Sunday wrapped up with brunch at another local spot- The Square Bagel (sad no pics available). Almost all of the bagels were gone by the time we got there. **Note to self- most people get up before noon and have brunch on Sundays. I love how food makes everything better.

Hope you all had a great weekend too!

Etsy Changes

2010-02-24T22:12:00.003-05:00

{ New shop Name and Logo }

I have been absent from my little blog due to mad crafting! I was presented with an awesome opportunity to have my headbands be a part of an awesome craft event held by Thread & Canvas. They are hosting a boutique sale here in Atlanta this weekend. With that said I had to do some soul searching and really pin down my personal style went it comes to my designs. I have seen lots of inspiration from friends and other crafters on Etsy. So I have developed my designs and have become a master of the yo-yo.

{Multi YoYo with Maroon Felt}

With inventory up, my new shop is ready for shopping! My awesome sister gave me a new graphic logo and I am set to go! Come by and visit ( and you can preview the new duds on my side bar! ) Thanks for your patience and sticking with me during my quiet times.

Valentine's Cake Bites

2010-02-16T20:11:00.004-05:00

Weekend Sewing

2010-02-09T20:42:00.004-05:00

I bought a fabulous headband from Anthropologie a while back and was more enamored by the wonderful cloth bag it came in. Anthro is super overpriced- according to me b/c I'm a cheapie- but little accents like a fabric bag instead of a plastic one are fine by me. I started using the drawstring bag to hold my lip glosses and hair bands, but the strings kept getting tied up in my purse. So, presto-change-o:

I cut the bag open, used some interfacing to give it substance, and used a natural linen for the lining and a fun celery green zipper to seal the deal. Now my glosses are wrangled and the strings are out of the way! I'm still amazed that I can actually make things that I can really use, like for real! Self-sustainment is very gratifying.

Thinking...

2010-02-05T17:23:00.006-05:00

I have spent the past couple nights working on some new headbands and adornments. I found this adorable headband tutorial via here, originally here- a new favorite place to visit.

I made one with a tiny polka-dot fabric.

And another with linen and a teal flower.

These little guys are waiting for a place to call home.

I have also been thinking a lot more about making a better effort at developing my style and approach to my headbands. I would love to make it a profitable venture one day. It is sometimes hard to find your niche especially with the launch of Etsy and tons of other handmade venues that are flooding the masses with amazing and sometimes awful products. But I think I have finally found my signature piece. When it's done, I'll show you. But until then, a gratuitous shot of my Doc:

Have a great weekend.

Now Featuring: Yo Yos!

2010-01-26T07:41:00.000-05:00

This is my latest addition to the Etsy collection: The Yo Yo band.

It has two handmade yo yos and is felt backed for a soft fit. More in the works in fun fabrics! They can also be made into a single clip too! Tell your friends to visit my shop. Really... please.do.

Gallery Space

2010-01-25T07:17:00.000-05:00

The office was looking bare after Erik sold his guitars. We had collected some fun prints and I wanted to give them a proper home, so I spray painted some frames I already had and up they went. 3 of the 4 works are prints and the pinup gal is a painting I did for Erik a couple Christmases ago.

The Gaslight Anthem is one of our favorite bands, so when we went to their concert last year we picked up this print (left side, top). Tyson McAdoo is a tattoo-inspired artist who also does animation and pin-up art. He created the print on the bottom left for a tattoo event that Erik and I went to last summer. On the right side my pin-up painting is on the top and the anchor print is one that I picked up from I.C.E. Atlanta in December.

Erik and I are big fans of any and all Art so we were excited to show off some of our more fun and adventurous pieces!

A Place to Rest...

2010-01-24T19:03:00.004-05:00

My pins! I found this adorable pincushion tutorial on one of my daily reads Adventures in Renovating a Brooklyn Limestone.

My rotary cutter came in handy for this little project. I must say I'm not sure how I lived without the rotary cutter! It has changed my life. But I love the button and ribbon detail of this pincushion. Once again I had to use my current favorite fabric and the sections the ribbon makes are a great way to keep my sewing needles separate from my pinning needles. I had to do a couple of adjustments to the directions because I don't have a doll maker needle, but it all worked out in the end.

The directions and patterns are available to download on Better Homes and Garden's website. Click here to get them!

Celebration

2010-01-18T18:29:00.004-05:00

Today's post celebrates 3 things: friends, Sundays, and posts. This is my 100th post with SD! I cannot believe it! With many DIY adventures, to new sewing skills, to fun times, I'm glad that I have been able to share it all with you guys! On the note of sharing, big ups to my BF neighbor Lesley for sharing a wonderful cookbook that allowed me to make this delicious peanut butter pie to take to mom's house for the weekly Family dinner yesterday.

My favorite thing about the cookbook is that most of the recipes are for 2, which makes my life easier! I was a math genius in school, but since I live in the real world halving 3/4 C of flour doesn't always compute in my head :) I took the PB pie recipe and added a little semi-homemade touch, thank you Sandra Lee! Instead of making my own pie crust and baking it, I purchased an Oreo cookie one from the store to cut down on the prep time and to add a little chocolate into the mix. A little grated chocolate swirls are in the cards for the next time I make it!

Hope you all had a great weekend and thanks again for visiting me every once in a while!!

A Message from Doc.

2010-01-13T17:42:00.004-05:00

Isn't the life of a dog great? Check out the other message he left us here.

Additons

2010-01-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

{ Doc left his mark in the snow... at least it wasn't yellow :) }

Yesterday I was super excited to stay home and get some projects done. In case you're under a rock it is freezing cold everywhere including here in GA which actually gave us some snow on Thursday, which didn't melt in the 18˚ temps and turned to ice Friday morning keeping all schools closed! It really is great being a teacher! This time it allowed me to get a couple of new additions to my abode put up.

First was the wonderful gift from my Christmas wish list that my mother-in-law read:

My cutting table! I can't wait to start making more headbands, zipper bags and totes. Especially since I purchased my rotary cutter and mat. It is being stored in our guest room at the moment. I think I may turn that room into a craft room because it is the only one with the floor space right now.

Next I hung my awesome Pottery Barn purchase that arrived the other day. It is the new home of our keys and Doc's leashes. I love the little cage that stores the lesser used keys. We'll use the big hooks to stash our keys as we walk in the door. Two new pieces that make our house a little more functional for us!

Handmade Greetings: Birthday

2010-01-08T17:14:00.005-05:00

My crazy Mom had her birthday on January 5th and we all went out for a delicious family dinner here. Anytime we get together laughter quickly ensues. We ate tons, cracked jokes, and just really enjoyed being together and celebrating our awesome mom.

I decided that no ordinary Hallmark greeting would do, so I used one of my favorite stamps to craft this birthday card for her. The stamp is just the calendar grid, and it comes with the month titles and numbers. I used Martha Stewart's line of ink pads for the black and teal colors. I wanted another accent color so I used my favorite trick of coloring my bird stamp with a plain ol' Crayola marker for the orange. Using markers are a great way to have a wider range of colors without having to buy a ton of different ink pads. By adding a cute polka-dot patterned paper and some brown and cream cardstock her 2009 birthday card was complete. I used the same paper to add a detail to the envelope as well. Cards are one of my favorite things to create. They let the person know that you 100% thought of them when making it, and it wasn't just being the first card on a shelf that you could find a coordinating envelope for.

Happy Birthday again Mom!

A Place to Hang my Keys

2010-01-06T20:07:00.004-05:00

Way back in September I received a Pottery Barn giftcard from a friend as a birthday gift. It was super sweet of them and I was excited to go shop. But there was one problem- Pottery Barn is expensive! I am crafty for a reason- I'm cheap. I like PB style, but I also think it is way overpriced. So when I received the giftcard I knew it would be a challenge to find something I would like. I have a general rule when it comes to giftcards- do not spend more than $10 over the amount of the card. I do this because I want the card to actually buy me something, not cost me more to get something that I normally wouldn't buy.

So with the Christmas sales and clearances going on, I checked the PB website to see if I could find a suitable purchase. When I found this key cabinet I was in love:

I like how industrial it feels. We can use it to hang Doc's leash on, and all of our various keys can go inside the cage with their appropriate labels. Plus it was on clearance for $24.99!! With my giftcard being $25, I only had to fork over the shipping costs! I can't wait to get it onto the kitchen wall.

Well, do you have any new organization pieces 'round the house?

Snow Again ?...

2010-01-03T16:00:00.004-05:00

{ You seriously want to go out there? It's freezing... }

So winter has decided to start off with a bang here in the South. It was a blistering 30 something today and there is not a warm day in sight. The weather man is saying that there is a possibility of snow by the end of the week! Please cross your fingers for me, a snow day from school would be a welcomed surprise.

Since it is so cold outside, I'm doing any and everything I can to stay warm and work on some little tasks that have gone undone for a while. I worked on cleaning up and re-organizing our bathroom drawers, caught up on laundry, and am sorting and re-organizing my sewing cabinet. Getting my home more organized is definitely on my list for 2010. I know I am already pretty organized, but since I constantly rearrange things in the house I always have something to do. My philosophy is to put things in the places where they are used so then there is no searching for them. I'll keep you updated on my progress.

Do you have any home-related resolutions for 2010?

New Items!

2010-01-02T14:38:00.003-05:00

I added a new headband and hair clip to my Etsy Shop! Go visit it here. More styles and fabrics to come, so stop by often.

White Christmas

2010-01-02T14:06:00.004-05:00

The theme for my gifts this Christmas was all things white. I received a couple of wish list items and a surprise pair of my favorite thing in the world- owls.

My sister-in-law Ashley found these adorable owls in a vintage shop. I love their little eyes. They have a new perch in the living room next to the window.

I have been wanting a new chair for our office. We previously had a folding wooden chair that was horrible to move and very uncomfortable. My parents got us this rolling Ikea chair. I'm still up in the air as to whether or not I want to make a cushion for it. But the height adjusts and it swivels, much better than the old.

It has been awesome to have so much time off work and although there was a small sick stint in the holiday break, Erik and I have gotten to spend a lot of time together which I wouldn't trade for the world. Also Doc has been leaving us fun messages via our chalkboard...

{ He left this one for our spaghetti dinner with the Grahams.

Please forgive his grammar, he is only 3. }

Handmade Onesies

2009-12-29T14:57:00.004-05:00

Katie, my best friend of forever, had the wonderful gift of a new baby girl this year. Miss Hannah Grace was born back in August and I had to make her something special for her first Christmas. I figured onesies are a staple in the baby wardrobe, so I added a few details for a handmade gift for the little one.

First I used some fabric scraps that were a b-day present from Lesley to craft this adorable cupcake design. I used Amy Butler for the cup, and some pink fleece from Wal-mart. * Note- have you ever visited the fabric section of Wal-Mart?? Super cheap!!! Anyway, I used interfacing to bond the two pieces together then hand stitched them to the onesie ( because I couldn't figure out how to maneuver the onesie on my sewing machine ). Then I added a cute red heart button as a topping for the cupcake.

Second, with more gift fabric, I drew this little sparrow pattern. Dwell Studio was my inspiration with their adorable baby line. I used the same pink fleece for the belly of the bird. Interfaced again and hand stitched it on. I also used a button for the eye and hand stitched using brown thread the beak and feet. On the back of both I used another piece of interfacing on the inside of the onesie to make it extra soft against Hannah Grace's belly and to ensure that all my hard work didn't come undone. Fabric Check was used on the edges of the fabric to keep them from fraying in the wash.

I also used my fabulous neighbor once again for her bib-making tutorial and crafted two bibs for Hannah Grace, but I forgot to get pics of them before dropping the gift in the mail. I think I'm getting better at my sewing projects and I'll be doing even more since I scored one of my gifts from my wish list!!

What did you get/give that was handmade this Christmas?

Holy Present Wrapping!

2009-12-15T20:21:00.005-05:00

Today I finally finished wrapping gifts for our sponsor family. We decided to shop for a needy family instead of for ourselves this year. Erik's and my family all chipped in and created a huge mound of gifts for the family of 5.

There are two boys, 2 &6 years old, and two girls, 4 &8 years old and they are cared for by their grandmother. Total we got them each a new winter coat, pants, shirts, sweaters, PJs, socks, toys, drawing materials, hygiene gifts, and even a huge tub of food for Christmas Dinner. I really wish I could be a fly on the wall come Christmas morning at their house. This was one of the most fulfilling shopping season ever.

Along with the gifts we bought, I also made a stocking for each of the kids and grandmother. I sewed a felt initial for each kid and used a pretty paisley for grandmother's. I put their toothbrushes, shower gel, and other treats inside. I hope they enjoy them.

Thanks again to everyone that helped out, and to Lesley and her family to pitching in and helping another family at school! I hope you all are able to do something selfless and great for someone this Christmas!!

Christmas Sewing

2009-12-08T21:17:00.005-05:00

I am striving to have an all-Handmade Christmas this year. Erik and I are actually not buying Christmas presents this year. We decided, along with our wonderful families' help, to sponsor a family at my school. The family has hit hard times and were not going to be able to have a Christmas on their own. So we shopped for them. But I also wanted to give something special to those who I love and appreciate. Some will get yummy treats and some will get a handmade gift.

I have been busy sewing up a storm and have realized that I need some gear to make things easier. I would love to have a space to lay out and cut my fabric- other than my bedroom floor. This would do nicely:

Straight lines are difficult to manage on said bedroom floor, so if I had one of these to use on the table above, I'm sure to get even lines:

Don't want to scratch that new table, must have a mat:

{ All products from Joanns.com }

Now that I have some new tools, these would be the first fabrics that I would like to create with:

{ Fabrics from Fabricworm.com }

Do you have any special gifts that you're making this year?

Saving Pennies, Ch. 1

2009-12-01T10:18:00.001-05:00

Erik and I are simple people. We like things to be as easy and stress, worry, drama, anything 'free'. So when we were constantly clicking the buttons on our thermostat up and down every morning and night to get the most efficient use of our heating and cooling system, I knew we needed a better solution.

We picked up this little guy from Hunter. It is their 7-day Energy Star Programmable Thermostat. It was a chore to install- I highly recommend keeping the help line number at arm's distance- although to be fair, I have zero experience with electrical stuff, but the guy I spoke to was super nice and knowledgeable. Once it was installed it had to be programmed. I chose the energy star settings that turn the heat low during the night and while we are at work, and then the house gets warmed up in the morning when we are getting ready for work and it is toasty by the time we arrive home and until we go to bed. It has eliminated our need to manually lower the temp. and it gives us the flexibility to change the settings as we need them. Plus it has the awesome ambient red light for the heat and a cool blue for the AC.

I must say, it is working like a charm. Our gas, heat pump system is working great and the gas bill is staying in the low $20 range! This is just another way for us to make the most of our hard earned money to keep our house a cozy home!

What types of money saving upgrades have you made lately?

Artwork a-moving...

2009-11-30T10:08:00.000-05:00

Since I added a new mirror to our living room, the artwork that was there needed a new home. First I removed a large metal star that hung above our kitchen table and moved it to our back porch that we worked on this summer for an added punch of color to go with my nature inspired chandelier.

Then I put my painting from above the couch into the star's old home:

We still have many more works that need a home but they are not ready for their debut just yet, stay tuned...

Have you added any new pieces to your home?

Thankful for Cookies

2009-11-29T21:57:00.004-05:00

Our Thanksgiving was spent with family in Nashville, TN this year. My aunt and uncle and 2 cousins live there and it had been way too long since we all got together. Isn't it funny how the ones that you are close to- distance-wise- are the ones that you never see? Well we thought it was high time we made the short and easy drive up there.

My lovely aunt, who is a breast cancer survivor ( Yay Aunt Sue !!!) took care of the dinner and my family was in charge of the sweets. So per Erik's request I went with my now famous peanut butter sandwich cookies. They are my take on a recipe I found in a magazine. They go something like this:

.1.

Bake Peanut Butter Cookies

.2.

Mix filling

( cream cheese, peanut butter, powdered sugar, mini chocolate chips )

.3.

Combine and then destroy :)

It really doesn't get easier or yummier than that.

Do you have any go-to recipes that are sure to please?

The Artwork Switcheroo, Part 354

2009-11-25T14:54:00.004-05:00

As my profile states, I am fickle. I change my mind constantly when it comes to accessorizing my home. My Art Wall above the living room couch is the main victim. I think it is because we spend so much time in that room that I am constantly looking at it, and I get bored. So once again I have taken down all the pictures, patched the holes and came up with a new plan- No More Art- over the couch that is. I am never happy with what goes up there, so I am ditching the idea entirely. Our ceilings are high, and the couch is long, making it difficult to come up with a good layout and properly proportioned Art.

I popped by Ikea the other day and found this great mirror. I originally was going to go with using 3 frame-less ones that would be cheaper, but after all is said and done this one at $69 was the best option.

It is 27"x67" long and brings a ton of reflective light into the room from the only window in the room. My grand plan would be to put either mounted lights on either side or arc floor lamps like these to add height to the room. I believe I am finally down with this area, but who knows what I'll have up my sleeve in a few months. As for the Art, it definitely has not left the living room, stay tuned to see how I bring it back into the space, and where the old stuff found a new home.

My Apologies...

2009-11-25T14:50:00.003-05:00

It seems as though when life gets busy my blog, and my readers get neglected. For that I am sorry :) The past month has been busy and stressful. There were ups: I earned my Master's Degree!!, had some quality "porch time" with neighbors, and then there were downs: Erik's continued struggle to find a new car, busy-body parents at school. So I am writing to apologize for neglecting SD and I hope to be back posting as usual. After all, I am always doing something!

Thanks for still following me and my itchy, home decorating fingers!

Almost there...

2009-10-28T08:07:00.002-04:00

This week marks the final week of course work for my Master's in Education Degree. Hense, I have been overwhelmed with essays, rationales, and stress making me absent from my posts. Wish me luck as my portfolio is reviewed and am I evaluated for my degree. I'll be back soon.

The Other Love in my Life

2009-10-16T17:32:00.003-04:00

Besides labels, Doc, and the husband, cleaning is next on the LOVE list. I tend to always keep my home 'picked up' just in case company pops by, but the deep down cleaning is not as often. Our couch has needed some TLC for a while now. We got it about 3 years ago and it has taken a beating. One Great Dane, one move, lots of friends, and one dachshund. It was time for a deep clean. Luckily for me, my wonderful family graced me with this amazing birthday gift:

Bissell's Little Green Machine is life changing. It is a handheld cleaning system for upholstery. We looked into the at home steamer companies, and even renting a steam cleaner, but getting this little guy was the best option. For around $100 initially, you can have cleaning muscle at your finger tips.

I used it this past weekend on our light, camel colored micro-fiber sofa it worked great! It took out the drool spots, spills and other little spots that had collected over time. It is easy to use, just fill the tank with the cleaning solution and hot water and go to town. The only tricky part is making sure to vacuum up all the cleaning solution so that it doesn't leave a residue line. A great investment for any pet owner or parent for sure! I'm going to try it out in my car next...

Label Love

2009-10-12T18:49:00.004-04:00

Labels are one of the most lovely gifts that the world has given me. They help me find things I need, dress up storage containers, and they are super easy to make. You can have the standard piece of paper with hand-written scribbles, but the next easiest is printed labels.

I have been working on cleaning up and re-organizing my office. I have new fabrics and felt that needed homes, and a growing card-making station. There were lots of little boogers that needed homes, and the recycling bin was happy to help.

I whipped up these super simple containers to house my various bits including twine, grommets, beads, tools, and brads. A Jif container and a bread-crumb container were the perfect size for the cabinet that I store my goods in. Next I added contact paper to the outside for a clean slate. For the labels I took transparent address labels and added the border with a simple shape from Microsoft Word. Easy, fast, and effective. The only way I live...

How about you, what makes a great label for your things?

Tip: Cleaning Fake Flowers

2009-10-06T12:25:00.000-04:00

If you picked up Real Simple's October issue you would see the article about picking fake flower arrangements. I am a huge fun of the faux for two reasons: 1. they are cheaper, 2. you can get colors that nature doesn't allow. I began my love for the fake florals when deciding on flowers for my wedding bouquets. I used latex magnolias and was able to make all 6 of my wedding day bouquets for $50 and I still have mine on display 3 1/2 years later.

But the one problem with the fakes- dust bunnies! Swiffer won't do anything about it, and the dust is really what makes them look fake. I have the best remedy in my home office-

Compressed Air Duster

This handy little guy does an awesome job of getting the bunnies out without crushing petals, snagging a cotton cloth or wasting time. It takes just a minute or two and your immortal lovelies are clean and happy!

DIY: Chalkboard

2009-10-05T12:16:00.001-04:00

.1.

.2.

.3.

.4.

.5.

.6.

.7.

.the end.

Nighttiming

2009-10-04T12:13:00.003-04:00

Here is our new chandelier in all its beauty in the dark:

Thanks again to my lovely husband for doing the heavy lifting, and my mother-in-law for the string lights that brought it to life.

Friday Flowers

2009-10-02T10:20:00.001-04:00

My front porch planters have been updated for Fall/Winter. My Glory Blue Hydrangeas have been moved to their permeant home on the side of the house, and they were replaced with these tall boxwood shrubs along with pansies for color.

Changing out planters are a good way to add color to the landscaping and are easy to switch out when you get bored and need new visuals.

Weekend Funny

2009-10-01T17:37:00.004-04:00

Dachshund gone wild:

Happy Weekend.

DIY: Natural Lighting

2009-10-01T17:13:00.004-04:00

When I arrived home from work today, I was astounded by what I saw on my back porch. While I was away, my handsome, talented, strong and very manly husband had been building mama a rustic chandelier! It is very similar to something straight out of West Elm or Pottery Barn...

We were recently discussing the fact that we wanted a new light for our new back porch. Originally we had red lanterns hanging above, but after one good rain the color dye faded and we were left with ug-o shades. So since then we have just the bulbs hanging- not so chic. Erik's first idea was to weld an iron sphere that we would fill with bulbs for an industrial/modern light. Going with that theme, he decided to do some landscaping and lighting at the same time. He went in our overgrown back yard and cut down some hearty vines and wove them into the glorious sphere you see below for $0, yes it was absolutely FREE:

{ Doc & Uga love it too. }

All he did was cut the big vines first and he used some zip ties to make 2 circles. He put one circle inside the other and then used smaller vines to add more shape to it. Again, when discussing the iron idea, we wanted to paint it a fun bright color, but now I definitely want the rustic texture of the wood. I'll use twine to wrap around the zip ties to conceal them. As far as wiring goes, we are going to use big bulb string lights to fill the interior. I CANNOT wait to have it hanging on the porch. I'll keep you posted...

P.S. Did I mention how AWESOME my husband is?

P.S.S. And how I want him to make me 5 more?

Introducing...

2009-09-27T21:34:00.006-04:00

My Etsy Shop is up and ready for your orders!

Mane Street offers headbands for adults and children that feature fabric and felt adornments. Currently, I have 5 designs for sale, but I'll adding some fun kid prints soon. Stop by and look around.

Check out my mini shop in the sidebar -->

New Accents

2009-09-27T13:58:00.010-04:00

Again, I am fickle. I always need new visuals in my house to keep me interested. We have longed for a new couch, but it just isn't in the budget at this time, but new pillows are! I search Etsy, HSN, and West Elm and found these new cozy editions for our couch.

Doc was very excited when they arrived.

The beetle pillow is from Etsy. This shop features awesome printed pillows and the navy beetle was the perfect one for me. The knitted pillow covers are from West Elm. I love the texture that they bring to the couch.

The striped pillow is a Nate Berkus for HSN design. It coordinates well with the navy beetle and the pops of orange throughout our living room. All I need now is a new throw to bring it all together!

Do you have any new, low-cost updates to si casa?

Recovery Saturday

2009-09-26T19:12:00.002-04:00

I survived another birthday. Yesterday marked my 27th year and I was lucky to spend it with lots of friends at a little house party my wonderful husband threw for me. I'm not really a party girl on the regular, but I had a blast hanging with friends and decorating a pumpkin present.

Thanks to all who helped make my birthday special and this morning hurtful :)

It's Almost Ready...

2009-09-22T14:37:00.003-04:00

I have been feverishly working on getting my Etsy shop up and running the past couple days. I have my banner done and am working on inventory. It will feature my fabric/felt headbands that I showed you guys earlier. Thanks again for the sweet comments and encouragement. As soon as it is ready for shoppers I'll let you know. But here is a sneak peek at a couple of the pieces that will be featured:

Stay tuned...

Making Babies

2009-09-20T21:44:00.006-04:00

{ My Glory Blue Hydrangea }

Unfortunately I am referring to plants and not myself. I am totally in love with my Endless Summer hydrangeas, in case you haven't noticed. I want a ton of them in my yard, but I don't have the cash to buy 3 or 4 more plants so I did some research on propagating. Basically you are creating a new plant from the stem of an old one.

I found a couple websites that offered various ways of doing it. One site was way to "technical plant geek" for me and another gave info that wasn't really doable, so I combined what I read and tried it the traditional way- put a cutting into water to make it root. This is my way:

1. Find a stem on your hydrangea that hasn't had a bloom on it yet.

2. Cut the top section of the stem right above the 2nd leaf nodes- so you have one section of leaves on the stem and the very top leaves intact.

3. Put that baby in water, and wait... Forever... for some roots to grow!

4. Change and refresh the water every couple days and put it in a sunny spot in the house, near a window works well.

Keep checking your stem for root growth. Again mine took about 2 weeks to get some good roots growing. Once I had about 1/2 inch of root growth I transferred it to a small pot with a 70/30 mixture of potting soil and sand. Keep your new planting in a semi-shade spot outside and continue to water it. Try to keep it well watered.

So far mine is trucking away. I think I'll pull it up this week and replant it to check the roots. I hope this helps some of you hydrangea-lovin people from having to buy more plants! Let me know if you have some success too! I'll keep you posted on mine.

Update: Jasmine Run

2009-09-14T20:11:00.004-04:00

{ They're going strong mom! }

I'm back again with my monthly update on my climbing Madison Jasmine vines. I planted them way back in July with the hopes that they will eventually cover the columns that greet you on our front porch. Last month the vines were about as tall as me!

{ Now }

{ Doc is checking out the new sprouts. }

It has been a little more than two months since they were planted and they have reached the top of the columns!! Once all the big vines reach the tops, I think I'll pinch them off to make them grow more off-shoots to fill in around the columns. I'm so happy with their progress. After a poor experience with some Carolina Jasmine, I was hesitant, but they couldn't be any better! I'll be back next month with more updates.

Gravy on Sundays

2009-09-13T12:13:00.006-04:00

Sunday mornings have been marked by warm gravy with biscuits lately. Erik and I are trying to recreate one of our favorite weekend pastimes at the house- enjoying a yummy breakfast together. We used to get up and go out to one of our favorite spots to enjoy a late breakfast, but we have been trying to watch our pennies so making breakfast in-house has become our new tradition.

In the past we would do the usual muffins with fruit for me, and eggs and sausage for Erik. But the past two weekends have brought biscuits with white gravy. Holy goodness.

Going out and letting others cook our breakfast, on average, would cost us about $15-$20 with tip. Now a trip to the grocery store for biscuits for 3 breakfasts, gravy, OJ, and eggs runs about $10. Pretty nice, and the biggest bonus, we don't have to get dressed!!

So tell me, what is your favorite weekend tradition?

Our Close-Up @ YHL

2009-09-11T16:18:00.003-04:00

Our retaining wall re-do is being featured on Young House love today!! If you want to relive all the dirty details go here! Thanks Sherry and John for the amazing support and inspiration!

New Garden Addition

2009-09-10T21:49:00.004-04:00

My hanging baskets were looking sad, so I find this little one to make them lively again. I'm not sure what it is but the progression from star shaped buds to vibrant purple petals is divine.

Any ideas as to what this is?

Garden Blooms

2009-09-05T11:59:00.003-04:00

My endless summer hydrangea is popping out its last blooms of the summer. I went out and snipped off a few that had run their course from blue petals back to green.

These are my favorite. They look more natural and weathered. I hope for the day that my front yard is covered in pale green to white blooms. Until then these beauties are freshening up the living room.

Do you have any new garden treasures?

One whole Week

2009-09-04T13:33:00.002-04:00

Yes, I know. The last post date is last Saturday. A girl needs some time, sometimes. I have been busy, sleepy, tired, happy, frustrated. Things are growing 'round the house and I promise I will refuel tonight and lots to share tomorrow.

T.G.I.F. - ( I hate the saying, but it is so true!)

Handmade Greetings

2009-08-29T08:59:00.004-04:00

Two special friends, two specials events, that calls for two special cards:

The first is for my dear friend Katie. She and her husband welcomed their darling Hannah Grace just 2 short weeks ago. She was difficult because they waited to find out the sex of the baby until birth, so as soon as I knew the gender I had to get Miss Hannah Grace a girlie assemble to add to her wardrobe. I made the simple rattle design with scrapbook paper and the letters were courtesy of my favorite Martha Stewart alphabet stamps.

The second is for our friends Brett and Erin, who will be blissfully wed in October. This was their shower card that I made-an abstracted wedding cake. Erin has chosen an eggplant purple for her color, which I love! The card went along with their adorable salad plates that we purchased from their registry.

Simple, easy cards that give a personal touch for friends. Plus they were free, I used paper scrapes and blank cards that I had stocked up on!

New Projects

2009-08-26T20:58:00.004-04:00

Again with my need to feed my artistic bug, I found a fun tutorial to make use of some fabric scraps and fun felt.

So far I have made three of these darlings, two for me and one for the lovely Matilda. I hope to get some more done soon, and maybe a few for others to enjoy? ...

Would you like one?

Commissioned Piece

2009-08-24T22:33:00.004-04:00

I am an artist at heart. I love teaching Art and I love making my own pieces for my home and other's. Only I don't always have the time to do it. Often times, laying on the couch and catching some R&R with my hard-working husband overrides my creative urges. But when my sister-in-law's mom wanted a custom piece I was happy to do one!

Lucy wanted a large scale artwork that worked in blues and browns. Here is what I came up with for her...

{ Detail }

This is a 30'x40' piece with gray-greens, slate blues, and warm brown tones. It fit her bedroom decor wonderfully. She already had a great collection of works, so I was happy to join the company.

What's your Style, Summer 2009

2009-08-20T20:12:00.003-04:00

The last time I picked a room for Alek's challenge, I went for a bathroom. This time I'm really loving this office.

{ via Design*Sponge }

It has fun prints (my new fav element), organization, and neutral walls with bright accents. I really would love to have the chair in my place too. I call it organization with a Pop!

If you had to chose one picture that defines your style, what would it be?

Visit Alek's page to play along!

Detached and Relaxed

2009-08-20T19:31:00.008-04:00

These past two weeks have gotten the best of me. With school starting, the end of summer vacation, and a lot more to do, I have been exhausted. I still have some lingering projects to complete and no time to do them. After a day of cleaning up glue, crying, potty breaks, and silly kids, I just want to prop my feet up and watch some boob tube with the hubs. But I still have the urge to be creative on my own terms. The distractions are endless. Laundry, dinner, grad school, etc. I need a secluded space to have some peace and quiet. These may just do it (if I had a back yard to put one in...)

{ The Mod Pod- a cute little corner

nook. }

{ The Craftsman-clean lines and great windows. }

{ The Industrial- my favorite. }

{ The Minimalist- simple and easy. }

I wouldn't mind it if any of these dropped in my back yard sometime soon.

I need some 'me time' STAT!

Favorite Kind of Clean

2009-08-17T16:18:00.005-04:00

Clean is my middle name. It is also the source of my most major ODC. I am good at having my home 'picked up' at all times, but getting the grime out sometimes takes me some time. But when it gets done, I live by these wonderful little helpers:

My Favorites:

Method's Glass, Stainless, and Granite cleaning cloths. (They also make one for wood too.)
Stainless Steel cleaner
All Purpose Cleaner, in Go Naked
Best in Windows, Mint glass cleaner
Little Bowl Blue, toilet bowl cleaner

I hate to admit that I am still hanging on to my Clorox when it comes to cleaning around the toliet. I just really need the comfort of bleach when faced with all that involves the white throne. And I am trying to finish up my last can of Scrubbing Bubbles for cleaning the shower before I switch to a greenier option there too. I obviously prefer Method, just because they are easy, and they smell great- hello mint glass cleaner! Because I love my hand soap by JR Watkins so much, I can't wait to try their all purpose cleaner too!

As far as tools go, I use the Method clothes for windows, stainless steel, and granite counter tops, and a cheap-o sponge for everything else. But at a recent Target trip I spied these guys:

Again, I can't wait for the current sponge to give way to the green bamboo variety! Natural products are going to take over one day, which means they will hopefully get cheaper. But unfortunately it is still a ways a way... sorry wallet.

What are your favorite grim-busters?

Favorite Combo: Grass + Lantana

2009-08-11T22:28:00.003-04:00

Here is our whiskey barrel full of purple fountain grass and white lantana. It is the perfect combo for height, color, and trailing plants. Both of these plants prefer bright, full sun so they are thriving in the back of the house. I'll probably spend the weekend out in the yard dividing MORE lamb's ear. The stuff just won't stop growing!...

Design Star Stunner

2009-08-06T21:12:00.004-04:00

I have been DVRing this season of HGTV's Design Star and this past week's white room challenge was both amazing and atrocious. The designers were given a white room with a couch, 2 tables, and one bookcase. They were furnished 2 cans of paint and $1000 to spend at a grocery store. One contestant actually copied a design from a previous season, one didn't even finish and another just when crazy with paint. But When Nathan's gem was put on the screen I was smitten.

{Chandelier- orange slices, wall stripes- milk, floor-oatmeal}

This room is just genius. With only grocery store finds & paint, he created an edgy and beautifully modern-art-esque room. The words written on the couch and the pop of the orange, just amazing... although I would have liked a different shade of blue on the tables. Who thinks of dripping milk down a wall? A design star, that's who! a.m.a.z.i.n.g. Click here to see all the rooms from the challenge.

It makes me think, what is the strangest thing you have put into your home for the love of design?

Image courtesy of HGTV

New Neighbors and Growers

2009-08-04T17:54:00.004-04:00

While waiting for the furry one to do his business, I found this guy on a nearby tree.

Don't you just love symmetry?

But I really wanted to give you an update on my Madison Jasmine. I planted these vines a while back and they are growing like crazy! They are taller than I am and are quickly wrapping around the columns that will be their new home. I give them lots of water and I temporarily staple them to train them up the columns. So far, so great!

Even my ivy is thriving around its trellis.

You have any new sprouts or visitors of the insect variety?

I can't believe it!

2009-08-02T20:51:00.004-04:00

I will be back at the workplace promptly at 7:30am tomorrow morning for the first Faculty Meeting of the 2009-2010 school year. The past two months have FLOWN by. It began with a pergola, followed by a 4th of July shin-dig, then headed outside for some landscaping, then back inside for a guest room re-do, and finished with Erik and I on the couch watching some TV and relaxing. This summer has been one of the busiest, but a good one.

I'm looking forward to having a schedule again and actually dressing before noon. Don't get me wrong, I love the R & R of the summer, but it can get old, and I think if I come up with one more project to do Erik will flip! So here's to the Back to School Madness! Welcome back traffic, soccer practice, and packing lunches!

{image from here}

Must Have: JR Watkins

2009-07-29T16:36:00.003-04:00

On one of my many trips to Target I stumbled upon this wonderful line of products. I am a sucker for packaging and this company wins hands down for best designs, but I also chose to purchase from their line because JR Watkins boasts that they are:

Committed to being America's most trusted natural products company, Watkins adheres strictly to the same quality standards set forth by its founder J.R. Watkins. J.R. Watkins Natural Apothecary line of personal care contains only natural, environmentally friendly ingredients from renewable resources, avoiding chemicals like parabens, sulfates, phthalates and more and is one of very few lines to be certified by the Natural Products Association.

I picked up their Aloe and Green Tea Hand soap, and I'm in love! The scent is subtle yet refreshing. I must admit that it is hard to stray away from Method, but change is always good once in a while. And with more and more choices when it comes to green product lines, the more we use them, the more likely that Clorox, and other harsh chemical cleaners, will leave the shelves for good!

All the Little Things

2009-07-28T10:55:00.004-04:00

Here's a final look at the details of the freshened up guest room...

{ the BEFORE }

{ A fun print purchased from Etsy }

{ Mirror- Target, Lamp shade- Ikea }

{ Vintage camping prints from Old School Stationers via Etsy }

{ Light, rug, curtains- Ikea }

Everything has finally come together. The only little thing left is to repaint the dresser and update hardware, but it's not a have-to-do-at-this-minute type of thing. So I'm taking a break from redecorating. I can't wait for the next guest to come and enjoy the room!

How-To: Applique Pillow

2009-07-28T10:38:00.007-04:00

{ courtesy of designmilk.com }

The guest room bed needed something red. The red striped rug was lonely. I wanted to incorporate red on to the bed, so I decided that a pillow was in the cards. I have been looking on Etsy and at various other sights, but adorable pillows like the one above are very pricey. Cheap-sake on alert! Make it myself I say!

I had some leftover fabric from the outdoor curtains I did for the back porch, so I whipped up a pillowcase. Next I search the web for a bird silhouette. I found this lovely and printed it out.

Then I traced it onto a piece of stiff felt. I chose the stiffened felt because it is easier to cut crisp lines on. Cutting out the bird is next.

To secure the applique to the fabric I used some fusible webbing- a nifty material that uses heat to bond fabric together.

Now that the bird was secured to the fabric I stitched it on with white thread, tracing around the edges. I must say it wasn't the best job, but it was my first time, no too bad.

After I closed the pillowcase, the red bird was reunited with it's bed mates. The pillows behind are actually just pillow inserts from other pillows I had lying around. They had ugly covers so I just took them out and put them on the bed. They have a more natural feel.

The bed now has its red pop and the rest of the room has come together nicely. Head to the next post to see the details!

A Little Lovin'

2009-07-24T18:29:00.004-04:00

I feel so honored to have been given a Blog Lovin' from Huma from Her Little Place. I have gained a lot of new viewers courtesy of my jewelry board debut and I'm so grateful that you all give a couple minutes of your day to see what ramblings I have come up with. In order to pay it forward I would like to pass on the love to some of my favorite reads:

Lesley @ Homemade Grits

Her southern livin', baby lovin' blog is too cute- plus she is a wonderful neighbor :)

Ashley @ Mrs. Boatman (if you're nasty :) )

An amazing sister who is so clever and completely understanding my crazy ways

Alek @ From the Right Bank

We share a love for coil hoses and beautiful orange delights

Katja @ Nestled In

Her beautifully simple blog is so refreshing

Thanks Ladies! I enjoy giving you all my minutes every day!