My Creative Blog [about creative life] 

So, I'm not a huge risk taker in most areas of my life. I'm not into extreme sports, I don't buy high risk stocks, don't go wild with my clothing or my haircuts. My husband is a bit more of a risk taker and his annual cliff-jumping trip at the Adirondacks proves that…

(I pray a lot during this annual trip!) One area I am brave enough to take a risk in is my decorating. I was inspired by The Nester to share my thoughts on being willing to take a little risk in your home.

She wrote,"We don’t risk because it’s easy or normal or natural, we risk because of hope." So often when I want to try something new or different, I find myself thinking,"I sure hope this works out!" and sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn't. It really isn't about it always working out perfectly, but it is about being willing to try something that would make you happy if it works out! Now, don't go knocking down walls right away, but maybe a new color paint (you'd only be out about $30 and two hours if you don't like it) or rearranging the furniture in a room (you simply move it back if you're just not feelin' it), or maybe attempt a fun DIY project you've seen on a blog. Here are a few tips that The Nester shared:

TIPS FOR TAKING RISKS IN YOUR HOME:

• start small and pick a project that won’t take much time
• don’t invest too much money
• don’t force perfection
• be open to changes and new ideas during the process
• don't be afraid to put a nail hole in the wall (I added this one, but so many people are afraid of hanging art. I promise, it's no biggie! If it goes poorly I'll buy you some quick dry spackle!)

Meet awesome orange paint

Fingers crossed as I was painting (sorry for the non-glamorous painting scene). I'll share the end results soon and let you know if this risk worked or not.

This was a little bigger risk because Eric really liked this mirror. It was fairly expensive when I bought it for our old house, but I didn't have any place for it in the new home. I liked the size for this playroom, but I wanted it to have some color! I finally decided to take the plunge and paint it!

Here's a risk I actually wouldn't recommend, wearing your favorite jeans and sneakers while painting. I'm not sure if I was just feeling really risky or lazy!
( Thankfully no shoes or jeans were harmed in the making of the awesome mirror re-do)

I chose a really cool mustard yellow paint and was just a wee bit disappointed when the paint wasn't taking and it looked canary yellow at first!

But, after 4 coats, I finally had a finished product that I really love. I can't wait to show it to you in the room.

So, what risks have you taken? What risks are you going to finally try? Let us know, we'd love to see what Risky Business you're up to!

Well, we both were inspired to put together our perfect Spring outfit because of this cool contest being held on another blog. The winner gets 2 FREE pieces of jewelry and $200 towards your perfect outfit. Yes, please, count us in! Oh, I could browse my favorite store sites all day and find a million things I like, but I'll be realistic, I'm not going to be able to buy these gorgeous things anytime soon. But it's fun to design a fun outfit, and I'm crossing my fingers that I'll win! (Shhh, don't tell Monica!)
Jessica's Perfect Spring Outfit

(Clockwise from top left)
1. Necklace from Jess LC
2. Ruffled Pintuck top from Banana Republic (on sale now!)
3. Jeans from Banana Republic (also on sale!)
4. Hobo Bag from Piperlime
6. Bracelet from Jess LC
7. Shoes from DSW

*Can you tell I'm a neutrals kind of girl?: ) Also, this proves to me that I am no clothing stylist. Now I know I'm doing what I should be doing.

Monica's Perfect Spring Outfit
Ok, just to give this a little perspective… When I told Eric about blogging an outfit he said,"You know nothing about fashion, why would you do that?" He didn't mean it in a rude way, he was just being honest because I am pretty Plain Jane and comfy when it comes to my clothing choices. My number one staple in my closet is sneakers! They're my favorite and of course they'd need to be a part of my perfect spring outfit.

(Clockwise from top left)
1. Sweater from Hollister
2. Belle Classic Shirt from A&F (on sale now!)
3. Astor bead necklace from Jess LC
4. Earings from Jess LC
5. Sneaks from Zappos (I actually have these in yellow & grey)
3. Chunky bracelet watch on Ebay
4. Hobo Bag from Melie Bianco
6. Crop Jeans from A&F
7. Glasses from Banana Republic

*Can you tell I'm a no frills kind of girl? I will most likely be the only woman in the retirement home someday still wearing cool sneakers!

Have a great Monday and have fun planning your perfect spring outfit!

Well hey there! Want to know something about me? I find something I like and then stick to it. I have only ever ordered one meal at The Olive Garden for about 14 years straight (Chicken con Broccoli and FYI they took it off the menu, so I don't go there anymore! Ha!) I wish jeans, sneaks, and a sweater with an oxford underneath was still as cool now, as it was when I was in high school. So basically, I don't do much in the way of mixing things up (except for in my decor and design, which is weird, but who knows…). This month some of that changed! Hello Bangs and Glasses!

A few things happened to bring about these changes… #1 I spent 8 days in London and Paris surrounded by people that had more style in their pinky finger than I will in my entire lifetime. #2. I was given an opportunity from Firmoo Glasses to try a pair of glasses for free #3. I got a zit on my forehead (I'll explain later)
So, here's what we ended up with… Awesomely geeky glasses that I completely adore (plus, I can see better!) and blunt bangs! I know I'm completely wild and crazy aren't I?

Let me tell you a little about Firmoo and the glasses first, then we'll get onto the bangs. Firmoo is the largest online retailer of glasses (who knew right?!). For years I'd been going to my eye doctor and ordering the uber expensive glasses they had. None of them were super cool, so I only wore them when I really needed to. Well now, I know that there is a HUGE world of glasses out there at like 80% less! And guess what peeps?? They give you your first pair FREE! Seriously doesn't get much better than that! (If you're the type that hears FREE and now is all distracted, here's the link to get your own free pair right away Firmoo Free Glasses)
**Oh, and lots of people asked which style I got, they're #ZS8024 **

I knew I needed to post pics of myself (not my fav thing to do), so I added fun quotes I like to distract you! Is it working? Okay, back to Firmoo… Check out their website and make sure you try out their cool virtual try-on system. You can upload a picture of yourself and try glasses on. It's like paper dolls of the future. I made a quick call to my eye doctor and got my prescription info and just typed it in when ordering. If you don't have vision issues, that's okay- they make clear lenses too! Jess' hubs Kev, calls them his placebos and I LOVE that name! Glasses are definitely an accessory, not just a necessity anymore.
A few day later, I got my glasses in the mail and it was love at first sight (Get it? Sight? Sorry, I can't resist a cheesy joke). They were step one in my mini Monica makeover. Then, I started toying with the idea of bangs… I love the look on other people, but I was a little worried because of my curly, unruly mop. Then, last week I was at the salon getting Kaden a hair cut and noticed this annoying zit on my forehead - suddenly I had my solution…bangs! If you can't beat em, hide em! Kaden gave me the go-ahead and I had one of my favorite hair stylists cut them for me! I couldn't be happier!! (If you're local, Rachel is awesome! Here's their FB page call her if you need a new do!)

I have to tell you, I am amazed that it took me so long to try something a little more daring with my"style"… I think it's a lot more"me" even. And just in case you're wondering, I'll still be ordering all the same foods at restaurants-I'm not that changed!!
Here are all the details you need to get your first pair free from Firmoo… Firmoo Website Firmoo on Facebook (head over and let them know EC2 sent ya!)
Just check out their site, choose a pair you love, and have them in about a week! (There are a few designer pairs that are excluded, but I found tons that I liked that were included)
So are you going to get a free pair? Any other"stuck-in-a-rut" readers out there?
** A huge shout out to our favorite photographer Stacy Salvatori for taking these pictures of me. She is a Bucks County local and does amazing family, portrait, and wedding pics. Check out her site and let her know EC2 sent you!! **I wasn't compensated for writing this post. I got a free pair of glasses from Firmoo (like you can) and was thrilled to review them for you guys. All opinions are 100% mine**

For my rookie post, I thought I’d stick with something I know and love… community. Community to me is all about relationships, REAL relationships… Remember how in college (yes, think way back) there was a group of friends that you always did fun stuff with on the weekends? Movies, Concerts, Cow Tipping (okay we tried it once just to say we had.)? Well, why do we so often assume that once we’re married and have kiddos, that we have to give up on regularly getting together with friends and we don’t make time for fun, non-kid activities? Don’t get me wrong, I love all the kid-friendly stuff we do with other families, but come on, how awesome does a night out with people you love, doing something out of the norm, and filled with adult conversation sound? To me it sounds heavenly and that’s why we started Group Dates a few years ago. Had Jess and I known we’d be blogging about it, we might have coined a trendier name, but for now - Group Date it is…

Group Date:

What? A once a month (ok maybe we’re slightly inconsistent, but once a month's the goal) couples date with friends.

Where? Anywhere! One couple is assigned to plan the date- the more fun and creative the better. Get us out of the suburban Applebee’s and a Movie routine!

The Real Housewives of Bucks County are going to help you start your own Group Dates (umm, so open to a cooler name for these.) Each month we’ll give you an idea for a new outing that you can invite your posse to. Here are just a few ideas to get you thinking…

Rock it Out…

I recently took my daughter to a birthday party here, and while watching the kids climb like crazy and have a blast, we decided this would be a perfect group date! Our competetive group of men will love creating challenges and showing off, and the girls, well… we're just thankful we're already married before we allow our husbands to see us strapped into the completely unflattering waist harnesses. We think this is a great group date because it's active, it's throwback-to-your-childhood type fun, and it's super affordable.

Doylestown Rock Gym We also usually like to plan an activity and then follow it up with dinner so there's time to talk and see what's going on in eachother's lives. There are so many great restaurants in Doylestown, but for this date you'd want to choose something that's on the caual side. Our guys love Smokin' Lil's and its casual atmosphere would be perfect for some hungry mountain climbers!

Just a Taste…

For those with slightly more sophisticated tastes, a group wine tasting makes a great Group Date. There are so many vineyards in Bucks County that we'll do a future feature on all the places to visit, but we took our posse to Sand Castle Winery in December and had a fun time tasting, learning, and most likely making our host crazy with our lack of wine knowledge! We know a wine tasting isn't for everyone, but if it fits in with your group of friends, it can be a fun way to learn something new.

A wine tasting tour would better fill a whole evening- pick a few vineyards and visit them all. Choose the families with the coolest swagger wagons and pile in together. Remember, REAL community… it doesn't matter if there are old sippy cups, or crushed golfish in the seats. Real Housewives of BC's December Group Date

Don’t let yourself be convinced that you don’t have time, or this is just a kid phase of your life and you’ll spend time with friends later in life. Make a commitment to increasing community and fostering the relationships with the people God has put in your life. Get out there and plan a Group date!

What are some dates your friends would enjoy?

YOU GUYS, the countdown is officially on. Yup, that's right. You have only a few days to enter your best project for the chance of a lifetime to work with your favorite blogger and earn awesome prizes. Just to prove it to you, (and because we love some crunch-time project drama) here's the official countdown:

Did you know that we waited until literally the last hour to submit our project? We had done this piece of barnwood art for one of our Nate Show episodes, and weren't technically allowed to post about it yet, but we were dying to be a part of the contest so we slipped it in just under the wire.

So, we totally get it if you're major procrastinators like us. Or, if you need some additional encouragement because you're a little nervous or afraid your stuff isn't good enough, here it is: JUST DO IT! This contest could be a major boost to your blogging career! Just trust us about this. After we won this contest, we got a whole lot more traffic and made a name for ourselves. And you know the awesome Mandi, from Vintage Revivals? She won this contest too, and we all know how incredible her blog is now. Don't waste anymore time. Enter your project here right now!

Also, I bet you might not have known that, YOU (our awesome readers), have the power to select the 12th contestant in this contest! How, you ask? Take a peek at all the fabulous entries and click through for the tutorials.

I know! Isn't that so fun? So, go ahead and tell all your friends to come vote for your project. I mean, really, who wouldn't want to be Miss Popular?? We are so excited about this contest, and already have a few favorites as we click through to see them all!!
We'll be keeping you updated on all the last minute CWTS excitement on Facebook, so make sure you've liked our page or do it right here… we double dog dare you!

Tell us: which project is YOUR fav so far, and which STAR would you most like to work with if you get the chance?

One of our New Year's Resolutions was to share a little bit about ourselves. And you want to know something about me? Last year was the year I quit {almost} everything. Want to know something else? Last year I didn’t like who I was. Let me explain.

Probably one of the most frequently asked questions of us is “How do you do it all?” The answer for me this past year, was “Not very well.” First, let me preface this by saying, I’m speaking only for myself. I recognize that every person juggles their hats differently, and every person has a different tolerance level for busyness. I would say that I have an above-average tolerance for busyness- it takes very little to stress me out. However, that level was completely maxed out last year.

I'm sure it had nothing to do with you, Mr. Berkus. You're too dang cute to cause much stress.
Don’t get me wrong- I’m not complaining about the past year. No way. I have a fabulous life and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. And I have to admit, I really liked it when someone said “oh my gosh- I don’t know how you do it all! You are so inspiring!” On the outside, it looked like I had it all together and that it just wasn’t a big deal to juggle all those things. All of that busyness was of my own making. Yup, I said it. But if you were in my home every day, you’d know that I was short-tempered with my husband and wasn’t allotting any quality time for him. I was hurrying my kids through their day, not really focusing on them, just waiting for naptime to come. I was comparing myself to other bloggers and feeling badly about my projects. My confidence took a hit because I was so focused on how good other people’s stuff is and how insignificant my stuff was. I got uber-upset when a criticism would come along. I wasn’t enjoying my life. Period. I felt like I couldn’t ever give 100% to anything I was doing because I was spread so thin. I was exhausted.

source
I finally realized that I needed to simplify my life a bit so that I could really focus on the things that matter most to me: my faith, my family, this little ol’ blog and the opportunities that might come as a result of it. I quit my job and stopped coaching tennis. I have dedicated myself to enjoying my babies while I still have them at home. I’ve stopped putting pressure on myself to come up with the best projects ever, and am just creating things that I love. I’ve developed the ability to say no, if I know it will negatively impact my family. I figure that I won’t ever look back and wish I had worked more and spent less time with my family. I’m happier, more focused and more productive. Plus, my kids think I’m more fun. I’m not saying it’s all better. I’m a work in progress and I’m still tempted to compare myself with others. In fact, it's often still really hard to say"no" to good things, especially when I know it may disappoint people.

So, what am I saying? I guess my hope is that you'll realize that it's ok to say no to some things, even when it feels like you're letting people down (I'm a HUGE people-pleaser, and this was hard for me to learn). I know that it's not possible for everyone to quit their job to pursue just the stuff that gives them joy, but there are tons of good things that we can do with our time, that don't fulfill our goals in life. I encourage you to evaluate what's important to you, and then pursue those things. Don't bog yourself down with stuff you think you're supposed to be doing, just because it makes other people happy or even because you like the appearance of being busy. Figure our your priorities, and cut out all that junk that messes with them. Just my two cents.: )

So, how about you? Do you over commit or are you good at saying no?

If you missed all the amazing projects of our first annual Creating with the Stars, be sure to check them out below!

Round 1 Projects & Winners Round 2 Projects & Winners Ro und 3 Projects & Winners Round 4 Projects & Winners
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Sarah's unbelieveable bedroom transformation blew us away. The color combinations, details and style of the room were simply perfect and we fell in love immediately. She had a few awesome tutorials for her projects, so we decided to break them into two posts. Today, you'll see how she made that removeable accent wall that is a great solution for you renters out there, or those of you who have Design ADD like us!: )
When I heard that this week's theme was home decor I instantly knew that I wanted to do a bedroom feature wall and a dramatic headboard! With my amazing diy partner and husband, David, we got straight to work!

Living in a rental makes it nearly impossible to install classic wallpaper and nailhead, so we decided to build a separate feature wall! We wanted to incorporate two of my favorite materials, nailhead and grasscloth wallpaper. I love the texture of the wallpaper and the dimension of the nailhead!
Want to know how we built the wall? Here we go!

We purchased three sheets of plywood from Home Depot and had them cut to 7' high. Since the feature wall is 12' long, it would need to be built inside of the room. We designed it so that it could easily be dismantled into three pieces to be removed. We tied the seams together with 1x3s and built a frame on the back with 1x3s so it was extra sturdy and straight. We then flipped it over and primed it so that they wall paper adhesive wouldn't soak in.

Once dry, we cut the wallpaper to the correct height, placed it to the side and rolled wallpaper adhesive over the primer. We then used a wallpaper smoothing tool to remove any bubbles. The steps were repeated with 4 rows across, lining up the seams. It was helpful to have two people so that it could be adjusted as needed!

For the design, I was inspired by this fantastic headboard by Annie Selke. We created the design in Illustrator, and calculated the distance between the nailhead and printed it on two sheets of 11x17 which were taped together. We then punched little holes through the dots and used a felt tip pen to lay it out on the wallpaper.
Nailhead isn't the most fun thing to apply, but once you hit a rhythm you move pretty fast! Here are a few tips that I found helpful as I went.
1. To help protect my fingers from the hammer and to grab the nailhead more easily, I used rubber finger tips on my thumb and index finger (you know the ones that they sell in the office supply stores for sorting paper and such?) When I did hit my fingers, it hurt a lot less, and they weren't even sore when I was done!
2. If your wood is soft enough, push a few in with your finger first and then hammer. This saves time since you are putting the hammer up and down less frequently. Since our plywood was soft and hard in different spots, this wasn't always possible, but it helped when we could!
3. Lastly, this feature wall took about 2,250 nails. Wow, that's a lot of nails! So it was helpful to have two people or if you have the time, break it up over a few days. Total install time for the nailhead with two people was about 8 hrs.

It was helpful to install the trim (we painted first) before the nailhead reached the edge, so we knew exactly where to stop it. We used finish nails to secure the trim and then filled the holes with wood filler, sanded and painted once dry.
Next, we decided that we wanted the wall to sit just above the trim, so we cut legs to height out of a 1x12 and secured it to the back frame. We then installed a few cabinet anchors through the trim into the wall to make sure that it was firmly attached.
This wall was pretty massive! Almost the length of the room, but I LOVE the impact that it has on the space! Just because we are renting doesn't mean that without a little creative thinking we can't have a statement wall!

I mean, c'mon. That is genius, and we don't mind saying we wish we had done it first! Ha! Check out Sarah's fabulous blog, and then come back tomorrow to learn how to make that coral headboard!
Oh yeah! One more thing! Have you linked up your favorite home decor project yet? You can do that here for a chance to be featured on EC2 and win some great prizes. Fun for everyone!: )

Ok, let's be real here. You know how when we write a tutorial and most of the time we say something like,"It couldn't be easier!" or, "Anyone can do it"? You won't hear that from me today. Painting kitchen cabinets really isn't hard, but it's time-consuming, monotonous and boring. It took us a full 10 days (working on weekday evenings- it could take less time if you have a big chunk of time to devote to it!) from start to finish. That being said, for the amount of money you put into it- really only the cost of paint- you won't find anything that makes as big of a difference. So, if you think you're ready to tackle this project- go for it! You won't regret the time spent in agony. Ha! Just kidding. But seriously, you will absolutely love the results.

1. Take off all of the doors and pull out all drawers. Take off all hardware and store in a safe place! We had a bag labeled with what went where. And if you're anything like me, clean out your cabinets because that's just gross.

2. Sand away! A lot of people will tell you that sanding is unnecessary. However, if you want a really seamless, smooth look, or if you have very glossy cabinets, I recommend a light sanding. I used my palm sander with 80 grit sandpaper (the higher the number, the finer the grit. For heavy duty sanding, use a lower grit sandpaper!)

3. Wipe down the cabinets to remove all dust and choose your supplies. We used a 2-inch high density foam roller that is meant to be used on cabinets. We found that they didn't hold paint well, which meant we needed to do lots of coats, but the paint went on so smoothly! We also used a 2 1/2 inch angled paint brush (Purdy is the best!) to get the corners and hard to reach places.

4. Prime and Paint. We started off priming everything, but quickly realized that to get good coverage we'd have to do way too many coats of paint. So we used Olympic ONE Paint + Primer in pure white that coordinates with our moulding in the kitchen and entryway. We didn't feel the need to use an oil-based paint as long as we used an enamel paint (enamel = paint that dries hard, is usually glossy, and is easily washable). Also, the higher the gloss of the paint, the harder it dries. I wanted a glossy look, so this works for me.

Because our cabinets were previously stained (by us!) a dark walnut, it took several coats of paint. I would say that each door got 4 coats of paint. You could sand the cabinets in between each coat for an even smoother finish, but honestly, that would have taken us 4 extra years, so we decided to skip that step. They still look amazing.

We did both the outside and inside of the cabinets, so that no dark wood peeks out when you open the doors. Here's a super great tip that I wish I had heard of before we started: use push pins in the back of the cabinets to lift them off the ground. No more sticking to the dropcloth!

5. Seal with a water-based polyurethane (we used Sherwin Williams Wood Classics) for extra protection and even more washability (is that even a word?) Again, we went with water-based because oil-based polyurethane can yellow over time and that's not the look we're going for!

6. Wait and wait and wait some more for the paint to cure. You don't want to nick up your beautiful white cabinets, so make sure you wait the appropriate amount of time written on your paint can before putting them back together.
7. Put all the hardware back on the cabinets and drawers.

8. Time to put the kitchen back together! This step couldn't have come sooner in my book, and I was literally, dancing for joy. We hung the upper cabinets first, and made sure to caulk along the side of the cabinet to make sure it look seamless.

9. Step back and admire your beautiful cabinets! All that hard work was worth it, for sure!

I hope I answered all of your questions about how to paint cabinets. If not, be sure to leave a comment with your question!
I LOVE my new cabinets! What do you think? Worth the effort, or just way too much work?

It's true- most people have heard of vinyl peel and stick tile. We both have used it in our homes in the past. But, what's also true, is that most people have never thought to create an awesome herringbone pattern with that tile! These tiles are ridiculously easy to cut which makes it the perfect material to go crazy with pattern! We have to say that this floor is one of our favorite projects to date- we transformed this dated floor into an expensive, slate-look-alike.

To say this flooring was dated would be the under-statement of the year. It was yellow and green and oh so bad! Even though the kitchen was tiny, we didn't have enough money or time to go with real slate tile.

Instead, we got our DIY on… Lowe's sells lots of vinyl peel and stick tile and while it does actually look like stone, when installed the traditional way it looks good, but doesn't have a big wow factor…

So, we had an idea… This flooring comes in 18x18 tiles- we decided to cut each tile down into three 6" strips per tile. Vinyl flooring cuts easily with a utility knife- Just score it and then fold it to divide.

We cut down all of our tile into strips and then measured to find the center point of the floor. We used a chalk line to snap a guide for us to follow.
Then, to give it a unique and high-end look, we laid the tile in a herringbone pattern. You just make"L's" over and over again. It's one of the easiest patterns to do!

How's that for a before and after?? And, honestly… these pics don't even do it justice! You definitely have to watch this segment of the episode! (Here)

I honestly was amazed and how good we made inexpensive vinyl look. It's like it was all dressed up for prom or something! Fancy!

Changing out the flooring played a big part in making this tiny kitchen renovation complete! No one would ever guess that this flooring was installed with some of the cheapest materials on the market! Changing the shape of the tile and the installation layout gave us amazing style, without the expensive price tag!

I recognize that DIY art projects are not for everyone. My love for custom art was born out of necessity (read: lack of funds). Creating my own artwork works for me, and I've found out why:
1. I don't worry about ruining something I already have. With the exception of a few things, everything I own was bought second-hand or for a low price. I don't fear repurposing things, because the originals cost me almost nothing!
2. I am not afraid of change. Actually, I crave it.

3. I am not a perfectionist. Little imperfections in my art/craft projects are endearing to me. They say"I was handmade, and therefore may be flawed, but a lot of thought and care went into making me". I'm not saying perfectionists can't create art (because I'm sure most real artists are perfectionists), it's just easier for me to say this picture is"good enough", than someone who wants everything to be perfect.
Ok, that's that. Recently I bought a yard of fabric for a project (stay tuned for more on that!) that I fell in love with. I ended up having some extra fabric left over that I wanted to use somewhere- anywhere!- in my house. I was feeling inspired by a gift bag in which my husband had wrapped my birthday present. I decided to combine my fabulous fabric, the cute bird, old frames, and some patterned scrapbooking paper into one art project!

First, I started with the bird stencil (the bag had a 3D bird on it, so I just ripped it off to use as a stencil). I laid it onto the back of the fabric in the opposite direction I wanted it to face, and then traced it. After that, I carefully cut along the line, flipped it over, and then mounted it to the scrapbook paper, using regular, old tape!

My husband insisted that this poor bird needed legs, so I drew two legs freehand and cut them out of the fabric, as well. Then I put the whole thing together and…

Voila!

I used the same method with my second art piece, but used the fabric as the background and the scrapbooking paper as the bird. I didn't have a smaller stencil, so I again, I freehanded the bird.

Then I had Kevin hang them on an empty wall in our living room. (I promise that these two pictures are level, it's just a wierd angle)

I love the way the pictures look as I enter the living room, and that I can see them from my kitchen table. Makes that room feel one step closer to completion, or until I'm ready to redo the entire room again for the third time.: ) I may not keep these pictures forever, but for now, they are a cheap solution. Below are some images from a few other bloggers of artwork they created using what they had on hand, or a few inexpensive items they purchased. Click on link under the image for specific instructions on how they made these beautiful pieces of art.

The Nester
The Nester simply scoured her home for items that would look good grouped together in a frame. This could easily be done finding stuff on a hike out in the woods, or on a trip to the beach.

Martha Stewart
These prints were made using memorabilia from trips (like tickets, maps, postcards etc) that were blown up and then framed.

Ashley Ann Photography This is not everyone's style, but these two canvas prints were made for a nursery, and were created using a canvas, scrapbook paper, mod podge (amazing stuff!), and a little paint. Adorable and easy!

Isabella & Max
This look is much more sophisticated and elegant. This piece of art hung above the couch was made using a canvas, paint and a few different paint brushes, and nail heads. My sister who regularly tells us that she is not creative, painted three canvases in varying shades of colors that now hang above her fireplace, that are similar to this one.

New here? You can check out our kitchen demolition here.

Imagine with me for a minute…See this soffit?

Imagine with me that that soffit is no longer there. There would be no interruption from the countertops to the ceiling, and as a result, the ceiling would seem so much higher. Nice, right? It would be so open and clean.

I could hang the cabinets from the ceiling, which would increase the space between them and the countertop. You with me? Are you seeing what I'm seeing? Ok, good. Because here goes:

First we removed all the upper cabinets (and by"we", I most definitely mean my hubs). We were amazed at what we found behind those cabinets- apparently the homeowners before us did their own DIY with painted tiles, framed by a sharpie marker! Plus, there's a vent that was hooked up to the microwave that we realized we need to take care of, as well.

I did loads of research on removing soffits, since this is our first big demo/remodel, and everyone said the same thing: make a small hole in the drywall and check to see if there is any wiring or pipes behind the soffit. In a lot of cases, soffits have no real structural function, but are there so you could hang cabinets from them. If you notice, new construction homes almost never have soffits in the kitchen. Luckily for us, there is a recessed light in our soffit, so we were able to remove it and get a good view into the interior of the soffit.

Since it's a pretty small hole, we stuck our small digital camera up in the soffit and took a few pictures in each direction to make sure all was clear. It worked like a charm and I was thrilled to see that there wasn't anything there but insulation!

Also, a bunch of people said that soffits aren't always made of drywall, but could also be plywood, which is why we weren't afraid when we saw this:

So, we kept on ripping things out (while trying hard to ignore the mouse droppings- Eew!) Then, when we were all done, my hubs said he thought that maybe this big beam in the front might be load-bearing beam that runs along the entire length of the back of the house. Ahhhhh!!! Noooooo!!!!

This is when we called in the experts, ie: my father-in-law and my parent's genius handyman, Robert. While we waited for them to come, I spent a few days trying to decide how I felt about have no upper cabinets.

I decided that I really liked it, but after stewing over it, I also came to the conclusion that it wasn't really practical for us since I removed the upper cabinets on the other side of the kitchen. My new plan for this side of the kitchen is a combination of cabinets and open shelving that I'll share with you as we get closer to it. (Believe me, LOTS has to happen before that).My hubs also spackled the wall, and painted it the new gray/tan in anticipation of the next step.

Well, you guessed it, we did find out that the beam was load-bearing like my hubs suspected and needed to stay in place. So, (and this is so sad, and yes, I know my hubs is a saint!) my hubs went to work drywalling the soffit back in, with the help of Mo's husband, Eric. Poor guy. But, we were able to remove the recessed lighting kit and install a pendant light kit. Woohoo! I can't wait to pick that baby out!

Even though we had a really big I'll be trying to make it up to my hubs for a long time minor setback, we did make some progress elsewhere. When we moved the oven to the other side of the kitchen and slid the fridge in it's place, we were left with this small cabinet space to the left. It was not functional at all, and it really made that side look disjointed.

We removed the counter from the wall, and then moved the whole thing over to the other side of the refridgerator, giving us more counter space to the right.

There is, of course, a crack between the two countertops, that, we're told can easiliy be masked with some paint that matches the counter brushed on the crack and then wiped away. You'll still notice it, but it won't scream out at you, and we don't plan on keeping this countertop forever (hopefully not past this year!). Here's where we are right now:

I have to admit that my 3 year old took this picture, but what can I say? She has a good eye!
Ok, take a deep breath. That's all for now.: )