If I had more time in my life, I would absolutely be spending a majority of it reading blogs. There are so many amazing, talented, creative people out there (including some of you!), and it's so fun to be inspired by their awesomeness. I read loads of different blogs, all of them wonderful, but here are my top 3, must-read-every-day blogs. I rank the importance of reading these blogs up there with brushing my teeth and eating, so you know they've got to be good. 1. Vintage Revivals
Source: vintagerevivals.blogspot.com via BusyBeeEmily on Pinterest I can honestly say that there are very few people who are as original as Mandi. Her style is tooooootally not my style (much more Monica's), but you can't help but be completely wowed at the stuff she comes up with. My favorite project she did was a living room makeover for her best friend:
Source: vintagerevivals.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest I mean, seriously, isn't that incredible? 2. Jones Design Company
Source: jonesdesigncompany.com via Jessica on Pinterest We've mentioned JDC before, but it's worth mentioning again! Emily has impeccable style: classic and clean, and she's a neutrals-lover like me! Not only that but she is genuine and thoughtful in her writing (you just have to read this post), and creates beautiful art prints. Plus, she's my hero because she hand-painted the"wallpaper" in her beautiful office.
Source: jonesdesigncompany.com via Jessica on Pinterest Oh good, you're drooling too? 3. Enjoying the Small Things
Source: kellehampton.com via Crissy on Pinterest
Kelle takes the most gorgeous pictures of her kids (she must take, literally, millions of pictures!), and her writing is just killer. She has a knack for writing about things we all do in our daily lives in such a beautiful, touching way. Plus, it's so much fun to see what outfits both she and her girls are wearing on any given day, because man, they are quirky (and adorable)!: ) And if you are brave enough, make sure you read about the birth of her daughter, Nella. Have tissues on hand.
Source: kellehampton.com via Jessica on Pinterest
So, if you find a few extra minutes in your day, I promise you, you will not regret reading through these three blogs. What are your favorite blogs? Any we should know about?
We've been so fortunate to have been featured on some pretty great blogs and websites, but there are a few totally awesome blogs/bloggers who have been major players in our continuing growth.
We've shared our love of Pinterest on more than one occasion and Monica even created a how-to video about it, but now we love it even more. U-Create, Vintage Revivals and Home Stories of A to Z were so good to us rookie bloggers. We hope we can pass the blog love forward to other small blogs just trying to grow in the same way they've helped us. And you already know how we feel about The Nate Show. So, from the bottom of our hearts, thanks blogging friends! We appreciate you.: ) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now, to cap off our Giveaways Galore Week, we have an unbelieveable giveaway for you!
We both have been thrilled with our stencils from Royal Design Studio (you can see my kitchen here, and Monica's wall panels here), but there are endless possibilities and choices for you at Royal Design Studio. Just check out these beauties:
{Swoon} Ok, time for the details on how to win: The Prize is a $75 Shopping Spree on Royal Design Studio. (Includes free shipping within the continental U.S.) All entries must be submitted by 11:59pm on February 26, 2012. Winner will be announced on February 27, 2012. 1. To enter, go to the Royal Design Studio website, pick your favorite stencil and comment with your pick. 2. Extra chances to enter by"liking" the RDS Facebook fan page and/or following them on Twitter and/or following them on Pinterest and commenting so on this post. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And finally, the winners from yesterday's giveaways: Scentsy
My Best Friend's Hair
Kotton Pickin' Kute
Congratulations! Email us to claim your prizes, girls! Thanks for celebrating our one year blogiversary with us this week. It's been fun.: )
Today, I thought I would share some of my favourite blogs with you. I have many favourites, but some are closer to my heart than others. Annaleenas hem
Solid frog
Cherry blossom world
What about you? I'd love to hear about your favourite blogs.
We love inspiring all of you and empowering you to take risks in your home and do what you love. We love it even more when other women are inspired to do the same thing. One of things that is so fabulous about this DIY/Home Design blogging niche is how supportive it is and that bloggers genuinely want to see others succeed. Not to mention, home bloggers are sooooo generous about sharing ideas and projects with each other! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amanda emailed us a few weeks ago. Who is Amanda, you ask? She and her business partner (and best friend!), Kelly, are wives and mothers who own their own business (Smart Blonde Creative) and manage to be creative and crafty in their spare time. Sound familiar? Yeah, we liked them right away. They were so inspired by the blogs they read on a daily basis, that they decided to use their graphic design and marketing talents to create an online magazine that is a source for easy and fun projects inspired by bloggers like us! The first publication goes live today!
We got an early peek at the magazine and immediately loved the bright colors, fun layouts and super on-trend chalkboard typography. Not only that, we are thrilled to be featured in a two-page spread!: )
This month's premier issue features a super cute idea to make your own romantic dinner plates for Valentine's Day…
…and an easy way to DIY a pillow cover with button detailing…
…and a host of awesome blogs you should be reading!
Every two months, Amanda and Kelly will bring you a round-up of their favorite projects and the women and blogs that gave them the inspiration. We hope you'll take a peek at their first issue by going to Smart Blonde and Crafty RIGHT NOW. Then hop over to their site to learn even more about these awesome ladies, what projects they have going on and their goals for their new mag! And if you love it, tell your friends all about it.: )
If you read home blogs at all, you will not be able to avoid the very popular trend of using chevron in decorating. What is chevron, you ask? Chevron is a zig-zag line pattern, sort of like a simplified herringbone. It is absolutely popping up everywhere- from curtains to rugs, to desktops and backspashes! It's a very bold choice and makes a big statement in design.
modern dining room design by other metros media and blogs Made By Girl
traditional kitchen design by dc metro interior designer Paula Grace Designs, Inc. Notice the chevron pattern in the backsplash?
eclectic dining room design by atlanta architect Blount Architectual and Interior Design
Even my absolute favorite home decor store, Pottery Barn, has jumped on the chevron bandwagon!
DIY Chevron Art
I, for one (and I may be the ONLY one), am not a fan of chevron. {Gulp} I confess that you will not find many geometric, modern patterns in my home. Mostly you'll see paisley or stripes- a little bit more classic in my humble opinion. But if you are digging the chevron, there is no shortage of DIY projects out there in blogland!
What's your opinion? Are you a Chevron Lover or Hater like me?
If you read our posts last week, then you know that Jess and I adore fall. We love it so much that we thought it deserved its own mini-series!
I set out to write a post on awesome ideas for fall wreaths. Sounds simple enough right? I mean wreaths are making a major comeback these days. Well… through my research and pursuit of fabulous wreaths to share, I realized one thing… I HATE wreaths! Yup, I'm confessing it publicly. I think about 90% of them look dumb. So, I needed to find a non-dumb looking something for my door… I found some inspiration and I'm pretty happy with it! The Anti-Wreath Tutorial Here's what you'll need: An 11x14 frame (with the glass removed) Paint Ribbon Pumpkins (real or"funkins" haha I just love that cheesy name) Staple Gun Chair Pads I went to Michaels and bought this frame 50% off, but… it was still $15.00. I headed down to the basement in search of another 11x14 frame that I could use.
Here's what I found. I didn't like the lines as much as the other one, but I sure did like the price tag… FREE! (Do you like all the dust on the edges?)
The best part about this project was that I ended up only buying 2 pumpkins and a can of spray paint!
I really wanted to use mini real pumpkins, but I think I was about a week too early in the season. Instead, I found these cuties at Michaels for $2.99 each.
The first step was to spray paint the frame purple. I didn't take pictures of this because really, how many times do you want to see me spray paint something? Then, of course I didn't wait long enough and scratched the paint. GRRR… back to do another coat. I might add here that I used Krylon paint and it was awesome. I loved the way it sprayed and it did dry really quickly… 10 mins max… I just touched it at about 7 mins!
I did a little test run of the frame on the wreath hanger and it was banging all over the place. NOT COOL. I don't want a dinged up door! So… I ran to my closet of tricks and grabbed these chair pads.
No more destroying my door
For the ribbon, I simply tied ribbon onto the stem of each pumpkin and then stapled it to the back of the frame. I also tied one piece of ribbon around the frame and knotted it onto the wreath hanger.
I think that as far as wreaths go, well, it's pretty cute! The whole project took about 15 minutes (ok, maybe 20 because I smudged my spraypaint!)
It's not an"In Your Face" wreath… I think it's just a little accent that fits my style just right. (don't you love the little halloween stickies that my kids taped on the windows with scotch tape? They're my mini decorators. I'm finding faux leaves and pumpkins everywhere!)
For Christmas, I plan to paint it red and add some christmas balls. Something like this…
Source: google.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest So, there you have it. An anti-wreath post, from a wreath hater.: ) I might be a hater, but I know some of you dig the wreath. If so, you need to check out Emily over at one of our favorite blogs Jones Design Company. The Nonna Wreath Tutorial
And even as a wreath hater, I admit this one is pretty cool! Perhaps it's the English teacher in me… Book Page Wreath Tutorial
I'd love to know if you're a lover or a hater… and head over to Emily's blog tutorials and let her know we sent you! Have a fabulous Monday!
P.S. Jess and I hung out Sunday night and did what BFFs do… ate brownie batter, browsed Pinterest, read blogs, and planned out some super fun posts for the next month! Can't wait! Linked up to: Stories of A to Z Tip Junkie The Inspired Room southernhospitality
You want to know what we learned this year at the first ever Haven conference? There are so many talented people in the world. It's true. Every single blogger we met has unbelievable talent, was super cute (I'm not lying when I say that Monica and I left feeling old and frumpy!), and could not have been nicer. It totally felt like a huge family reunion (except that we had never met before!) Seriously, though, we attended some inspiring sessions, chatted with some of our favorite bloggers and enjoyed really fun BFF time, too! It started out with a smooth flight, a pricey cab to the hotel (60 bucks, one way!) and the discovery that the hotel had overbooked and that our confirmation was actually a pending notification. Booo. But the guys at the Crowne Plaza worked it out and we got a room (a nice one, I might add!)
Upon arrival, we met some of the Haven crew and received our swag bags. There were some pretty sweet finds in the bag, but our favs were definitely the Annie Sloan Chalk paint, Purdy paint brush, Kreg Jig Jr. and a stencil from our go-to stencil girls at Royal Design Studio. Score!
We attended six sessions total, each of them were taught by some blogging bigwigs- do you see that list below? Southern Rhoda, Tracie at Beneath my Heart, Beth from Home Stories A to Z, Sarah of Thrifty Decor Chick, and Myra from My Blessed Life We were SO thrilled to meet these ladies in real life and hear all the stuff they've learned through their blogging experience. We also spent time talking with vendors (Monica won 3 awesome paint brushes at the Annie Sloan chalk paint booth), and with business cards in hand, checked out all the blogs we hadn't read before,.
Rashon Carraway, aka Mr. Goodwill Hunting, rocked the Thrifting 101 session! Remember him from The Nate Show? We had fun sharing stories about our times on the show and how great the staff was to us. Good times, I tell you.
Sherry and John from Young House Love were the keynote speakers, and not only were they adorable, they were so down to earth, full of good tips and witty, to boot. Not fair. We loved their mindset about writing their blog, and their honesty about sort of stumbling into blogging fame. We could have talked with Sherry the entire night. She's totally like the other best friend we wish we had.
We LOVED meeting so many people with similar passions as ours, and discovering awesome blogs we had never heard about. No one truly understands blogging except other bloggers, that's for sure.
Beth from Free Stylin' and Jamie from C.R.A.F.T
The highlight of our trip was meeting our blog mentor, Beckie. We've been chatting with her on the phone every week for the past few months. We knew she was insanely talented and driven, but we were so not prepared for how awesome she is in person! And drop-dead gorgeous. Her session about advertising had everyone buzzing about her. And for good reason! Love.that.girl.
Monica was really excited to meet her, and I was scared, I guess. Awkward, Jess, awkward. And I'm sure you've all heard of Allison from House of Hepworths, but we were psyched to meet her since we were in the Blogging 2 Better collaboration with her the past 6 weeks.
Layla from The Lettered Cottage, taught a killer session on photo styling that rocked our picture-taking world. How she preps rooms for photos is genius, and even though we learned a lot, we're pretty sure that she has a creative eye that can't be duplicated. I am a HUGE fan of hers, so was pretty excited that she sort of knew who we were (or pretended to, anyway!)
We also had the priviledge of hanging out a bit with Ashley and Whitney from Shanty 2 Chic. These girls make DIYing look amazing. A gorgeous, creative blogging duo.
And speaking of gorgeous-ness…take a look at Ana White building a rolling storage caddy in sky-high heels and tight cropped pants. Fabulous, isn't it? Makes us feel like we should maybe reconsider our t-shirt and sweatpants attire for DIYing. Or maybe not.
And finally, here's a shot of us fooling around at the Homes.com photo booth. Our new bloggy best friend, Karah from The Space Between, took this picture and we love it. And you'll love her. First of all, she lives in Curacao, and secondly she does great projects (just check out her rooftop pallet bed) and thirdly, she's a lot of fun to hang out with.
So that's our crazy recap! All in all we had as really fun time, and I can't say enough how much fun I have with Monica. It may actually be possible that two people share the same brain. Just sayin'.; ) If you could meet one blog crush, who would you choose?
You probably noticed that we post 4-5 times a week here on the blog. That means most days you can come here for a daily dose of creativity. But what if I want more??? So you want more than just one dose a day? Sounds like it's time to follow us on Facebook! We love Facebook because it let's us interact with so many of our readers and lets us share far more than we can here in only one daily blog post.
Click HERE to Like Us on Facebook! Still not completely convinced? Let's see what you've been missing…
Project Sneak Peeks. I did a major 48 hour garage renovation as a surprise for my hubs. I'll be blogging it soon, but if you were following along on FB you'd have gotten some major sneak peeks and you'd have known that my husband came home 8 HOURS earlier than he was supposed to!: )
Jess gave this project sneak peek for an AMAZING project she just finished. This one will be posted on Infarrantly Creative next week. I know I'm biased as a BFF, but it's freaking awesome!
Bits of Monica Humor. If it makes me laugh, I share it. Sometimes I get eye rolls from Jess. Ha!
Real Life. We're totally normal (well kinda) gals with lots going on in our crazy lives. Sometimes we share things (like Jess' Anniversary last month) that let you get to know a bit more about the girls behind EC2.
My baby girl turned 5 this week. Don't be fooled by me sweetly calling her"baby girl"… she's in a supper annoying, naughty phase right now. Actually, I told Jess the other night that KJ was so naughty that I didn't even want to mention her bday on Facebook- GASP! Don't worry, I got over it and below is the post.
Awesome Finds. We use Facebook to share awesome inspiration for projects, products, and FOOD! Anytime we find a great deal or an amazing recipe, we'll let you know. I shared this project last week and I'm still swooning over it!
So there you have it. Plenty of reasons YOU should be following us on Facebook. Oh and wouldn't it be cool if you told your friends to do the same? We think it would be pretty darn fabulous! Like us HERE In other news…
If you're not super familiar with blogs, I'll fill you in on a secret… people are too busy in the summer to regularly read all their favorite blogs. That's kind of okay with us because we love to relax and play in the summer too! Here's another secret… Fall through Christmas is a stinkin' amazing time in the blog world. We're talking insane creativity people. So mark your calendars because September 3rd EC2 is ready to rock your world! (slight exaggeration, but we do have some cool projects!) Have a great weekend! Do you already follow us on Facebook? If not, did I convince you to?
So, this isn't a DIY or design post, BUT it will save you so much time that you can work on projects to your heart's content!
Pin It Confession Time: I don't make the lunches in our house… my beyond awesome husband does. Yup ladies, sorry he's taken! Anyhow… being the thoughtful wife that I am, I wanted to find a way to make it easier on the hubs so I suggested we try making a whole weeks' worth and freeze them. Eric was skeptical, but it worked like a charm… i.e. the kids didn't notice! Since I'm a wild woman, I suggested we get a little crazy and the next week we made an entire months' worth! It's a small change that has rocked our making-lunches-with-four-kids world! Lunches are now as simple as grabbing a sandwich and snacks- easy peasy (or so it seems when the hubs is doing it!) The Once a Month Lunch Secret! Make a Costco run and buy lots of supplies. (It really doesn't take two peanut butters or anything, but you never know when Michelle Duggar is reading our blog! Hi Michelle!)
Lay out all your bread. We divide it up because we have one fluff lover in the house.
Okay ladies, do your husbands do any simple tasks so weirdly? Now, Eric is a dreamboat for making lunches, but he holds the knife and slaps the peanut butter on in such a strange, caveman-like way! Oh well, I guess I can live with caveman PBJs.
Here's the most important step… you have to peanut butter both sides! The one time I did the lunches, I of course didn't see the importance of this step, so I skipped it and we had soggy sandwiches. Mommy fail!
The hubs tells me that squeeze jelly makes the process even faster!
You might notice some of the sandwiches only have peanut butter in the middle… well, here's why!
This tool from The Pampered Chef is so inexpensive and awesome! It turns our normal sandwiches into homemade uncrustables! I pick my battles and I guess I'm still not convinced the edges are any more healthy! If you want to order one, contact our Pampered Chef blog sponsor Jane. Ta-da! Awesome, complain-free sandwich!
We are left with a lot of crusts, and there are some times that we use them in meatloaf, and I've debated trying them as a french toast bake… although, my logical husband reminds me that it's only about $1.89 worth of waste, so sometimes they just become duck bread!
Another important detail… Get really good freezer bags. It makes a difference and keeps them nice and fresh!
Pack 'em in and you're done! Yup, it's that easy!
We keep a few bags in the freezer and all the rest in our deep freezer in the basement. Eric's new favorite midnight snack is grabbing a frozen sandwich and eating it cold. Weird if you ask me, but he loves it!
So there you have it. Our little family secret revealed! Maybe everyone has been doing this all along, but it's rocked our world and I strongly suggest you give it a try if you haven't. Who knows, maybe your hubs will think it looks so fun that he'll take over!
PS- We can't believe it, but we were nominated as one of Apartment Therapy's DIY blogs of the year. However, we need some serious votes. We're kind of getting smoked by the big blogs! It definitely takes a minute or two to vote, but we'd sure appreciate it. Go HERE to vote! Thanks so much! Linking to: TipJunkie
It is absolutely unbelieveable how many amazing, talented and creative women there are out there. We spends loads of time reading our favorite design blogs which inspire us to create beauty in our homes, and so, every month once in awhile when we feel like it, we'll be featuring the homes of bloggers that we love-our
Design Icons of the Blogosphere!
Source: ourvintagehomelove.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest
Up first: my personal favorite, Our Vintage Home Love. Diana has captured the exact feel I want for my house, in her adorable home. She has such an amazing sense of style, and her house exudes calm. Not only is Diana super-stylish, but girl knows her way around a toolbox. She's built several pieces of furniture that I secretly covet really admire, like the Rustic Island she built for her kitchen, the barn door-turned-headboard for her master bedroom, and the salvaged wood shelving unit custom-made for her hubby. No joking- Diana has some serious skills.
So, without further ado, let's take a little tour of her lovely home:
Source: ourvintagehomelove.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest If that doesn't say,"Welcome. Come sit awhile", I don't know what else would.
Source: ourvintagehomelove.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest Diana painted stripes in neutral colors on her side porch, which are so cute. Genius!
Source: ourvintagehomelove.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest I love Diana's use of textures in her house- lots of khakis and whites in the furniture and wall colors, woven baskets, warm wood tones and great, meaningful accessories complete the look.
Source: ourvintagehomelove.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest
Source: ourvintagehomelove.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest Aren't those floors to die for? I love the rich color. I'm guessing they're original to the house, which was built in 1905! And do you notice that vintage ladder over there in the corner? Does it remind you at all of my bathroom ladder? (Truth be told, Diana's ladder was the first of many to inspire me to get one of my own!)
Source: ourvintagehomelove.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest Her kitchen is so light and airy. I totally feel like you could walk in there and take a deep breath and poof!- there goes your stress. Yup, that's the kitchen island she built. Impressive, huh?
Source: ourvintagehomelove.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest Her master bedroom features the authentic barn wood headboard. I mean, really, couldn't you envision that door on a barn somewhere? Nope, she built it. Jealous much?
Source: ourvintagehomelove.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest Her den was a labor of love for her husband. She wanted a place he could relax that included items that were important to him.Sheesh- talented and thoughtful? Making me look bad, here, Diana. By the way, I LOVE the pop of red on the pillows. So, that's it. I think I'm in love. Head on over to Our Vintage Home Love and leave Diana a happy comment. Let her know we sent you.: )
We've been keeping a secret from you. And it's a good one. But don't worry! We're about to let you in on it…ready??…ok, here goes: Six weeks ago we asked several amazing bloggers to join with us in a collaboration group we called Blogging 2 Better. We're a bunch of like-minded home, DIYand crafting bloggers that want to learn as much as we can about blogging, while also sharing ideas, encouraging one another and sharing each other's awesome projects as much as we can. We're so fortunate to be part of a blogging community that encourages sharing! (If you write a blog, we strongly suggest getting a group of girls together to learn from. No one understands all that blogging entails except for other bloggers! You can find more about that in our Part-Time Blogger series here.)
Anyway, these girls are really, truly talented and it was a lot of fun getting to know them better. For our final week, we had Beckie from Infarrantly Creative give us a list of materials that we all needed to incorporate into an awesome project. It's like our version of a Nate's Crate Challenge! Woohoo! And today is the day we get to see what everyone's been up to!! Once you finish taking a look at what we created, make sure you hop over to the other gal's blogs to see what they made.
Here's the list of the supplies from Beckie:
And here's what we came up with:
We struggled to come up with a clever name for it, but basically it's a rustic/industrial storage bin. A very easy project that turned out adorable, if we do say so ourselves. You know we love a good pallet project (we've done several here and here), but we also keep loads of barnwood on hand, too. We picked one that was already the perfect length (yay! no extra cutting required!)
We also scored these three wire bins at HomeGoods for four bucks a pop! We didn't love the color, but knew immediately that this is where we could use coral! We spraypainted them with Valspar's Hacienda Tile- the perfect coral.
Next we found a font that we liked and printed number 1 through 3 large on regular, old paper. With a pen, we traced the number while pressing down to leave the outline on the barn wood.
Have you tried paint pens yet? They're so easy to use, but they still looks like paint. We carefully filled in the stencilled numbers with a black Sharpie paint pen.
Once the paint on the bins had dried, we brought them in and laid them down in front of the wood to determind the placement. We measured the board, divided it into thirds and then marked where the hooks would go.
Monica drilled pilot holes where we had previously marked and then we screwed in the eye hooks …Six hooks for three baskets.
Then I gently sanded down the numbers to distress them a bit.
Monica whitewashed the entire board with a mixture of paint and water to give the piece a little more depth. (Side note: working as a team makes the project go faster! We're so fortunate to have each other.: ) (I totally Agree! -Monica)
The last step for the wood piece is to add a coat of water-based polyurethane (water-based won't change the color of the wood!).
To hang it, we took chain, cut it to the length we wanted with wire cutters and screwed threw one of the links directly into the wood. Make sure your screw isn't so long that it goes right through to the other side!
Then we hit a creativity wall. Booo. We could not for the life of us figure out how to incorporate fabric into this project. We toyed with lots of different ideas, but finally decided on a cute hanging pendant banner for one of the baskets. Recently we came across a shop called The Finest Kind and we couldn't get over how cute their stuff is! We decided to purchase three of their typographical tags to use on our pendant. You'll probably catch the significance: EC2.: ) First, we spraypainted the little cuties blue.
Next, we took apart three 2x3 frames so that we could use the cardboard backing. Wierd, I know, but there's always an untraditional use for everything!
We wrapped the fabric around the cardboard and mod podged it right on.
Before the Mod Podge had dried, we stuck our tags on, and voila! An adorable pendant honoring our blog for the basket!
We were thrilled with the finished product, and it has now made it's home in my dining room. And just so you know, it totally inspired me to rearrange my living room and gave me the motivation I needed to start our dining room makeover!
To be completely honest, we liked this project better without the fabric banner, but do think it makes a super cute accessory!
And now for the REALLY fun part! We were so excited to see what our blogging buddies came up with using the same materials, and they did not disappoint!
Please stop over at these amazing ladies blogs to see what their projects. Share the EC2 love with them and tell them we sent you! Clockwise from top right: Kim from Sand & Sisal: Surfboard Pallet Art Brook from Being Brook: Fabric Wall Map Allison from House of Hepworths: Dangle Earring Frame Jenna from SAS Interiors: Monogrammed Chevron Pallet Tray We had SO much fun putting this project together and consider ourselves lucky to be in the company of these awesome bloggers. If you don't already follow them, shame on you! But it's not too late, go ahead and do it now.: ) We want to know: What would YOU do with those materials?
** And if you're loving up all the wood ideas, this one is one of our favorites! Check it out!
**If you're visiting from one of the other bloggers' projects, thanks for stopping by! If you like what you see use the links below to stay up to date with all of our projects and ideas!
T his past summer, I got the nicest note from the beautiful and talented Heather Bullard. She was writing to say that she would like to mention my blog in Flea Market Style. Needless to say, I felt quite honored. Today I received a copy of the their newest issue with the piece that highlighted a selection of design blogs.
The other blog categories ranged from "Best for gals who love power tools" ( Funky Junk Interiors ) and 'Best before- and-after posts" ( Miss Mustard Seed's Creative Blog ), to "Best home decor inspiration" ( My Sweet Savannah ), and "Best if you swoon over white" ( Home and Harmony ). Thank you Flea Market Style!
Ok, we all know that the reason we love DIY and home decor blogs is that we can legitimately snoop in other people's houses. Seriously, you know it's true. Well, I'm here to please, folks, so I'm going to give you a little glimpse into the house where my family (parents, both sisters and their families, and my fam) stayed the last week. We have this awesome tradition of spending a week together on vacation every year and we always go somewhere new. This year, my dad found this gorgeous house called"Old Wintersell" right outside of the adorable little town of Oxford, which is situated on the Chesapeake in Maryland. We've been to a lot of places, but this spot was definitely in my top 5 locations. Let me show you why:
This beautiful old house was built in 1845 and sits on a sprawling 14 acres. It was impeccably maintained and obviously nicely updated. Just in case you were wondering, here's the aerial view of the house (taken from the home's website- you can see lots more pictures there. This house is for sale, too!)
The kitchen was well-appointed and had everything we needed!
Loved these decorative spheres (I would have said balls, but that just didn't sound quite right)
The butler's pantry was so big that I couldn't get it all in one shot. On the left was a desk and bookshelves, stocked with loads of Bon Appetit magazines, and on the right was the coffee station and plenty of pantry space.
The kitchen opened into the main living area, where we spent most of our evenings hanging out.
This trunk-turned-coffee-table was a fun piece that added a lot of character to the room.
The bathroom off of the kitchen was very dark and stately-the gold framed mirror was a show-stopper!
My favorite feature of the house was this enclosed all-weather sun porch. It overlooked the yard and the water in the distance, and had a gorgeous brick floor and several seating areas. It was light and airy and very long. This space had to be close to fifty feet long!
I loved the sunny mudroom, which had a long bench along one side that was rustic and perfect and an awesome shelf with drawers on the other side. I'm thinking that shelf might be a DIY project calling my name!
I didn't take many pictures of the bedrooms (I tried not to spend my every waking minute taking pictures of just the house!), but this bedroom my sister and brother-in-law stayed in was so peaceful and calm. Plus, that fabric headboard was really cute!
This was their view…not bad, huh?; )
I never would have thought to hang plates in a bathroom, but they look so sweet above the beadboard. And, that vanity with it's marble top is looking mighty fine, as well.
Now, on to the outside:
We had so much fun kayaking, crabbing, and riding the boat off of this dock. There's nothing like getting up early and walking right down to the water. Love that.
The pool was wonderful, but the fence didn't go all the way around, which made for a few nervous moms. But, we spent a good amount of time in that thing, so I can't really complain.
The back of the house and the yard were perfection to me. It felt like I was kind of living in a movie or something. The evenings were absolutely perfect: the kids played in the yard while my parents watched from their adirondack chairs and my husband and brothers-in-law check the crab traps. Just lovely.
Oh, and the flowers…
The Chesapeake is only a 3 hour drive from our house and I highly recommend it as a weekend getaway or a week-long vacation, like we had. It's quiet, peaceful and quaint. It almost feels New England-like, but is a only a short drive away. St. Michaels offers lots of cute shops and good restaurants, and Oxford has the BEST icecream place on the Eastern Shore: Scottish Highland Creamery. If you go down to Oxford, stopping there is a must.
There's nothing I enjoy more than family vacation and being on the water. Combine the two and you have one pretty amazing time.
Can you tell we loved it?
What's your favorite vacation destination? We're always on the lookout for our next one!
Today is the last day of Round 1… That was an intense amount of DIY awesomeness for one week… One night this week, Jess and I had a text conversation that went something like this… Jess: Did you see all those awesome projects?Me: Yes! They're insaneJess: I think I'm mildly depressed from it all- these girls are amazing.Me: Yes, I believe I will quit blogging, go eat cookie dough, and mope around my house. Well, thankfully we didn't quit blogging, I didn't eat too much cookie dough, and we got over it, and are ready for Round 2 tomorrow! Before we say goodbye to Round 1, we are super excited to share our favorite Upcycle that was Linked Up this week!
Jessica blogs over at Dear Emmeline and we loved her Embroidery Hoop Pendant Light! We are definitely going to try this upcycle soon! Check out how she did it and don't forget to link up your favorite Knock off starting Tuesday! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ever get inspired by someone else's work to create something similar yet so completely different? When I saw View Along the Way's Dodecahedron Pendant Light I fell in love but I also knew that not only did I not have the tools to recreate it but it would be a TON of work.
Then I had the thought,"Is there anything I could use to create a pendant with a similar feel with a lot less work?" A thought sprang to mind, and here is the result!
It took us about 30 minutes of actual work time to make this fixture! If you want to make your own here's what you'll need:
2, 14" quilt hoops (we bought ours at Jo-ann Fabrics, original price $4.99 each) stain or paint 3/4" square dowel pendant light kit 7, 8-32 x 3/4 flat head Hillman knurled screws 7, 8-32 hex nuts drill wood glue clamps spray paint
Before we began assembling the fixture we gave the hoops and 3/4 dowel a coat of vinegar and steel wool oxidation stain to give them a weathered finish and used oil rubbed bronze spray paint to paint the cement colored part of the pendant fixture.
Next, line up the 3/4 dowel with the hoop connectors (outer piece of hoop) and mark a cut line. Drill a hole down the middle of the dowel. This will be the place that you feed the pendant cord through.
Remove the hoop fasteners and center your 3/4 dowel between the hoop tops. Glue and clamp each hoop to the dowel.
Feed the inner piece of each quilt hoop into the ball overlapping them to make an X shape.
Starting with the bottom, drill through each hoop overlap (there should be 7). Feed the screw through each hoop and fasten with a hex nut.
You could cut down the screws if you want the to end up being flush with the nut but we chose to leave them as is since the piece has an industrial look to it already.
I recommend drilling and fastening in the following order.
Feed the pendant cord through the 3/4 dowel and you're ready to hang it up!
We purchased an antique look filament bulb from Lowes to complete the look.
Isn't that such a creative idea? Amazing work Jessica! We can't wait to see what you link up this week! Don't forget that voting on the Round 2 Projects starts bright and early tomorrow!
Today's post has nothing to do with DIY (nope, not a lick), but I thought maybe some of you might be able to relate to our worst date night ever. At least I hope we're not alone!
Eric and I love the band Fun. We saw them last summer at a tiny concert before they were crazy popular- it was awesome! This summer they were coming back to Philly, so months ago- the day they went on sale, we bought really good tickets. Saturday night was the big night! So here's how it all went down… 4:30pm leaving our house to head to Philly. Now, I never like to take Eric's car- it's 9 years old and kind of a beater. But, since it was a date night and I know he really likes to take his car because it's economical, I decided to be a good wife and suggested we take it. Wife of the year, I know right! 5:00pm arrive at Chipotle for dinner We enjoyed an awesome dinner- do you know that I went to Chipotle for this first time ever a month ago?!? I'm a pretty picky eater, so I never was too interested in it. BUT… I stinkin' love it! Anyhow, we ate really fast and were headed back to the car in about 20 minutes.
5:20pm Beater car has a dead battery and won't start! Are you kidding me? The one time I agreed to take the beater. Ugh. We called a tow service and had the car jumped within 30 mins. Okay, not too bad, we still have tons of time before the concert started at 7:30pm.
6:30pm Arrive in Philly and are super excited for the concert We were so thankful for a smooth drive into the city and we were getting excited about hearing the opening band Tegan and Sara. We had to get off this exit and then go 1 mile to the Mann Center.
6:30pm-9:05pm We Sat and Sat and Sat In 95 minutes we moved 400 feet. Literally, my GPS told us we moved only 400 feet. We couldn't get out and walk because we were on Rt 76, there was no alternate route, and get this… it was 99 degrees outside and we couldn't use the air because of the dead battery. Can it get any better?? Oh wait it can, we thought we'd have our own mini car concert and popped in our FUN. cd… ERROR. Yup, randomly the CD player stopped working. It was Amazeballs!
9:05pm Turn around and head home. #DateNightFail After seeing via Instagram that Fun. was already playing and we had only moved 400 feet and had 1.2 miles to go we made the crappy decision to cut our losses and head home. We knew we wouldn't get there until around 10:30pm- three hours late and just in time to get back into traffic. So, 100% certifiably, it was the worst date night ever. We got home around10:30pm and the only thing we'd accomplished was a fast food dinner and about 6 hours spent in a car without air conditioning. The thing is, five years ago in our marriage that kind of epic fail would have had both Eric and me completely annoyed and upset and most likely testy at each other. Thankfully, neither one of us was in a bad mood. We both kind of laughed it off, and felt like why get upset when we can't change it. I don't know if it's a sign of getting older and wiser, or being further along in our relationship (I promise you year 2 or 3 of our marriage I would have ripped him a new one about his crappy car- lol), but we were just happy to hang out together. (This blurry instagram pic was after 75 minutes of traffic and 99 degree heat, but we're still smiling)
I'd love to know if you've ever had an epic date night fail… Can you top our date night?? I should also mention the total cost for the night (not including the new battery we had to buy the next day) was like $350! Fun times I tell ya. So, thanks for letting me share, we'll be back later this week with projects from our tiny kitchen makeover. Don't miss it- there are some awesome ones!!
PS- If you happen to be in the band FUN. or you have awesome connections, I'd be totally fine with you hooking us up with some kind of private concert or something. Just tossing it out there- never know who reads DIY blogs right?!?
I feel very honored to have been awarded the 'Super Comments Award' by Mona from Providence ltd Design. Mona has been with me since my first day of blogging leaving wonderful comments for me along the way ever since, for that I truly thank her.
The way this works is you answer a series of questions about yourself and then pass it along to seven others who have left wonderful comments so without farther ado'. 1) Why do you blog?? I keep wondering that myself since I work ten plus hours a day and time has always been an issue for me but I can't help myself. I only just discovered blogs last year. I mean I saw them listed but didn't know what they were so always skipped over them. Last summer I opened one and I was enchanted. I mean here were all these people opening their worlds to us, sharing their homes. That first day I spent the entire day reading and after a month I wanted to be a part of that circle, so I took the plunge and dived in for better or worse.
2) Name your three best memories: First is my Dad who's gone now'.riding around on my Dad's foot when I was little. I remember plopping on that poor guys foot the moment he walked in the house and he never minded and always gave me a ride'remember doing that? He also taught me how to tie my shoes and ride a bike, it's the little things that make me smile now that he's gone. Second was the day I moved from Phoenix, AZ to New York City, NY to be with my future husband. I loaded up a large truck and drove across country all by myself. If you've ever driven a 22-foot long truck you'll know how much work it is coupled with the fact I was changing my entire life and leaving everything I knew. It was the scariest thing I've ever done but also the best. It showed me that I was capable of doing anything and from that moment on if I wanted to try something I did! Third was the day we brought Dylan dog home four years ago. I hadn't had a dog in thirty years, dating myself here, I've had Persian cats. My husband really wanted a golden so I said lets get one and I've never regretted it. Dylan's great company, almost to smart for his own good, great to cuddle up next to and loyal beyond belief. But I think the best part about him is his eyes, you look into those golden brown eyes and you see love shining back!
?3) Name four of the best fiction books you've ever read: I don't have four favorites, I read all the time and there are to many to name. Some favorites I like revisiting are: Beauty by Susan Wilson The ladies of Missalonghi by Colleen McCullough I love mysteries by Mary Higgins Clark and Nora Roberts I read a lot of textile, art and decorating books too but what I like reading is all over the place.
4) What are the five best movies ever made? Again I don't have favorites because I watch everything under the sun but when I'm alone I like light hearted movies, nothing serious and never anything scary....hate scary movies. 5) Name five things you cannot live without: My family and friends. My best friend Deb is the sister I never had so I feel very blessed. My antique textiles, I feel like I've finally figured out what I'm supposed to be doing in my life. It gives me a great sense of peace! My computer, I have my web site/business on here and it's easier to talk to my friends overseas. My monthly facials, it's relaxing, keeps my face in place and one of the few things I actually do just for me. Auctions! I love auctions, the thrill of the hunt, the adrenaline rush just before you bid and sometimes winning, it's very exciting! 6) If you could change your name what would it be? Chase! I saw a movie once with Rene Russo in it and her characters name was Chase, it was a really cool name. I like my name, Debra, but I introduce myself as Debra and people always say "hi Debbie", I HATE BEING CALLED DEBBIE! Not that there's anything wrong with being called Debbie....:)
7) Tell us a unique and interesting fact about yourself. I can build! I decide one day to build a garden room in our side field and the first thing I needed were raised field stone garden beds. So I went out and bought a book, read it and went to work. See up in the far left corner my pile of rubble'these poker flowers are in a perfectly round garden bed that's twelve feet wide, I built that. You'll see better pictures in the spring, promise, now I'll bore you with my ability to build!
8) What do you love best about yourself? My ability to do whatever I set my mind too. I believe everyone can do anything just stop talking about it and go do it. I've accomplished everything I've set out to do in my life so far, yes, it really is that simple. Just do it! 9) If you had a freaky Friday experience, who would you change places with? Honestly, nobody because I like who I've become as a person. I've worked dang hard to become who I am why would I want to give that up? I'd like to have past and present people to dinner to pick their minds but trade places with them'nah! 10) What is the best thing about being a woman? The ability to multi-task if I didn't I wouldn't get half the things done that needed to be done.
Now it's time to pass this gracious award on to some of the people who have brightened my days: Stacey at: Style Addicted Mom Joan at: for the love of a house Sharon at: My French Country Home Jermaine at: French Kissed Deborah at: Boxwood Terrace Vanna at: lvroftiques better known as Delusions of Grandeur Debra at: 5th and State THANK YOU!
I can't believe I actually won something but I did and it's fabulous! I want to thank Debra over at 5th and State and her nephew who chose my name, for the wonderful dessert cookbook by Chef Alain Roby. I can't wait to try out one of the recipes this weekend!
These amazing pictures are from different blogs but I can't remember which ones. If you have objections about me posting the photos, please let me know.
If you haven't already done so, please GO VOTE for your favorite in the fourth and final round of CWTS! If you missed all the amazing projects in the first three weeks of CWTS, be sure to check them out below! Round 1 Projects & WinnersRound 2 Projects & WinnersRo und 3 Projects & Winners
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We can't believe we are already in the final week of Creating with the Stars! This contest has far exceeded our expecations and has opened our eyes to so many new blogs and talented people! This week's challenge was Home Decor, and I knew right away that I needed to tackle my kid's bathroom. It was in bad shape- boring, dingy and gross. It had ugly vinyl flooring, yellowed rubber trim and purplish walls (we bought a $5 can of"oops" paint when we first moved in- big mistake!)
We made a lot of easy and inexpensive upgrades like replacing the old flooring with vinyl peel & stick tile (it cost under $30!), adding chunky baseboard trims, painting the walls and the vanity, framing the mirror, hanging a new shower curtain and throwing a new bathmat down (both were from World Market). Not to mention, I accessorized with fun stuff from HomeGoods. Thanks, HG!
This adorable bird shelf coordinated so well with the shower curtain and was marked waaaaayyy down from $120 to $30, which made me super happy. I lined the back of the shelves with coordinating paper for a fun pop of color.
And just for fun, here's the before and after shot for you.
Now it's your turn to link up your favorite home decor projects from the past year. Anything home decor-related, room makeovers included, are fair game! We can't wait to see what you've got!
Don't forget to checkback tomorrow to find out the Winner of the first ever Creating with the Stars contest! We're biting our nails over here!
Hey there! We thought it would be fun to show you the major difference that accessories can make in a room design. So many people can pull together the"big" items in a room, like a buffet and dining table, or a couch and accent chair, but then seem to have trouble getting the room to look"finished". We all look at design magazines and read home blogs and see rooms that look absolutely perfect; stylish, yet still cozy, warm and inviting. What is it about those rooms? Take a closer look, and you'll see that the room feels finished because of all the finishing touches (ie: accessories)! Well, duh.
Let's look at our guest room makeover before we added in the fun accessories:
Ok. that wall is cool, but besides that, this could be anybody's room. It lacks personality and excitement don't you think? Now look at the after picture:
Ahhh… now that's a finished room. Adding accessories to a room design is a great way to personlize your space. Find stuff that makes you smile, or that has sentimental value and bring them into your room. You'll notice that we added two vintage suitcases at the foot of the bed, put a darling little pillow on the chair, added some funky throw pillows on the bed, and put a plant by the bed (all easy things to do!) and the room immediately looks more put-together.
This cart was a great find at a store named Impact and cost us only $8. On it's own, it's fine, but it's not going to cause anyone to pass out with excitement. But once we added a globe, some books and a whole bunch of linens (remember this is a guest room?), it makes a big impression. Don't you love it when form and function meet in beautiful, accessorized harmony?: )
I have to admit that"dressing up" a room is one of my absolute favorite things to do, and while Monica is amazing at dreaming up the big projects in a room, she (admittedly) doesn't like accessorizing at all. (That's why we make a good team!) Here's what I do when I'm trying to decorate my mantel, buffet or anything else: I gather absolutely every accessory I can get my hands on that isn't nailed down and lay them all out. Then, I fiddle for about an hour trying to find the perfect layout. Bringing items you already have into the room allows you to evaluate what items you can work with, and what items you may need to purchase. Just to help you out,, here are a couple of things to keep in mind when you are trying to accessorize: 1. The Rule of Three: Not sure why this is, but it's proven that groupings of odd numbers are more appealing to the eye than even-numbered pairings. It forces your eye to move from piece to piece and adds visual interest. You can group like things (for example: three identical glass bottles) or things that have the same materials (ie: three stacked books).
2. Mountains and Valleys: When you stand back and look at whatever your accessorizing, you should see varying heights and shapes. (ex: square frame beside a round bowl). Think about putting opposites next to each other. They always say opposites attract!
3. Symmetry or Asymmetry? A good rule of thumb is that symmetrical groupings creates a more formal look, whereas asymmetrical design looks casual and informal. 4. Texture and Color: You'll want to add lots of texture to make things interesting (ie: adding a woven basket next to a glass vase), and repeat your color scheme throughout the design. Doing this creates a more unified look. 5. Layer! Nothing is more boring than a row of frames on a shelf. Try leaning a framed family picture against a piece of art on your mantel, or stack a few books on a tray and add a plant on top. You want the room to appear alive and full of movement, not static!
These rules are not set in stone, they simply offer a guideline. If something in your home makes you happy, and it doesn't include anything from this list…then who cares? It's your home.: ) But hopefully you won't forget to add the finishing touches to your room design! It makes a WORLD of difference!: )
PS. Want more info about this? We got some great tips from these places: Honey & FitzThe Red PinEverything in 3'sFireplace Mall
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