My Creative Blog [Search results for Did You Know....] 

Did you know we have some amazing sponsors that help make our little old blog possible? Yup, they're amazing and I (Monica) wanted to tell you why…
********************************* Stuff See that funky, fun header at the top of our blog? Well, that takes you to the website of one rockin' furniture and accessory store. One of our blog readers checked it out this month and thought it was pretty awesome too! With the holidays approaching, head over and get something fun for your house before company comes! (My personal favorites are the farm house tables and cool accent chairs)

RT. 309 | 927 Bethlehem Pike (3 Miles North of Montgomery Mall) Colmar, PA 18915 Tel: 215.716.3325Fax: 215.716.3431 Email: info@stuffcloseouts.comstuff Open Friday, Saturday & Sunday
********************************* Jet Upholstery So one DIY that I pretty much don't ever plan to attempt is reupholstering furniture. Way outta my league! Thankfully, I have Jet Upholstery right around the corner in Bucks County. Their work is amazing. Today, I hit a thrift store on the hunt for a cool chair to have Jet refinish for me! I'm still looking, but I know that when I find it, they're going to make it amazing! They also have an amazing selection of designer fabrics and can get just about anything you want. I just found this chair on Craigslist… and I've been drooling over this fabric…

So, give Jet Upholsty a call or check out their website. Go find an ugly chair for pennies and let them make it fabulous for you! JET Upholstery3102 Bedminster Road Bedminster, PA 18910 215-795-0881 215-220-3443 fax Store Hours: Mon-Thurs. 9-5 Friday 9-4 / Sat 9-12
********************************* Mandy Hajel, 31 Gifts

So, you probably know about 31 Gifts and how it's taking the world by storm. If not, stop right now and go check out Mandy's site. Really… GO! There are so many reasons to love 31… adorable fabric options, super cute bags, really fun parties, and it's a business that is based off of the Proverbs 31 woman. Rather than going on about the products, let me tell you a bit about Mandy (she's one of my bffs!). You see, Mandy and I used to teach English together… that is before she joined 31. She's been with the company for 1 year and in that time has made enough money to replace (and more) her teacher's salary, she's earned a family vacation to Disney World, a romantic trip for two to Mexico, a Dell laptop, an Ipad 2, a huge Best Buy giftcard, an XBox, and more. Do you think I earned all that as a teacher?? Umm, Nope. So, if you're looking to make a little side money before the holidays, give Mandy a call, she'll hook you up and teach you her secrets to success! Amanda Hajel Phone: (301) 791-3579 Email: hajelfamily@yahoo.com Website: http://www.mythirtyone.com/hajel/ ********************************* Blossom Bands So, what are your kids wearing for Thanksgiving and Christmas? Ok, maybe it's a tad early to know 100%, but you need to get thinking! The only thing you need to be sure of is to include a Blossom Band for your little ladies. I bought a Halloween one this month for Kira and she loved it! Bethany has tons of ready to sell items as well as custom pieces to match whatever outfits you're planning. You know how in decorating it's all in the details?? Well, a Blossom Band is the perfect detail to make your holiday outfits fabulous!

Bethany Lander Etsy: Bands Etsy Store Email: Bethany@BlossomBands.com Website: http://www.blossombands.com/
********************************* Jennifer Black, The Pampered Chef

If you read Jess' post on her amazing Apple dessert, then you know that we LOVE Pampered Chef products. Did you know that I only use stoneware to do all my cooking? Really, I have almost every stone they sell. It's definitely one of my favorite things. With thanksgiving coming, you should peruse their catalog and see what you need before cooking for the masses. I actually never buy something without hosting a party because the benefits are insane. I'm a huge fan of the catalog show because # 1- I don't have to find a date in my crazy schedule and # 2 Did I mention the amazing incentives and FREE products? So, call Jane, host a catalog party, and get a bunch of free stuff! Ok, even if you don't do the party thing, you must own at least one piece of stoneware and Jess recommends the apple corer slicer! Jennifer BlackPhone: (410) 952-1179
Email: Janeniferjblack@comcast.net
Website: http://www.pamperedchef.biz/jenniferblack
********************************* The Land of Nod I've loved Crate & Barrel forever (we actually registered there for our wedding) so of course I LOVE their sister store, The Land of Nod! You'll definitely want to check them out for holiday decor and Christmas presents.

Here is one Must Have item if you have elementary aged kids.

It's the BEST doodle book ever! Taro Gomi draws the coolest Japanese doodles to get your kiddos thinking. Each page usually has a picture and a prompting question. Ex: An empty plate and the question… The Queen's coming for dinner, what do we feed her? My kids ADORE this book and fought over the pages enough that I finally bought a few more! The Land of Nod has offered our readers FREE shipping on most Holiday Toys, so click the pic below to take advantage of it! LMK if you buy a fun doodle book!

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Did Jess and I mention that life has been a wee bit crazy lately? Each week we keep saying that"it should slow down next week", but so far it just keeps on being awesome and crazy! Dream Dinners has been a total savior in this area! The other night I was over and asked Jess what they were going to do for dinner (because I had nothing planned for my family) and she just pointed to an amazing looking Dream Dinner thawing and ready to pop in the oven. Even if you love to cook, it's so wonderful to have some DDs on hand for the unexpected busy day. Give Kris a call and bring your friends- it's so fun to make meals together!
Kris Petrich, Owner 309 at Advance Ln 262 Bethlehem Pike, Ste 101 Colmar, PA 18915 Tel: 215-822-4055 Email: 309advanceLNPA@dreamdinners.com Website: http://www.dreamdinners.com/
A BIG Thanks to all of our sponsors! Thanks for taking this crazy journey with us! Now, go show them some RHBC love!
If you have a business or a product that you think our readers would love, contact us to talk about becoming a blog sponsor. Thanks!

Ever have a crazy week at work? Oh my word, last week I was beyond swamped… so swamped that I didn't DIY at all! {GASP} This weekend I needed to make up for some lost time and I have about 3 projects going on now. Phew, feeling more like myself!
You've seen my Granny Frames Gallery in progress, but today I'm going to show you the whole shabang! First, it's time for a little tutorial… Glazed Paper Tutorial

Did you know you can spray paint and glaze paper? Yup, tried it.
See the thin rectangle frame in the middle? It's lacking… it's not really all that ornate or"Granny-esque." I had picked up a big old letter M at some craft store (not sure which one) and I thought perhaps I could make it fit in with the style of the gallery.

I ran to JoAnn's for some scrapbook paper and totally struck out. Nothing would work. What's a girl to do? This gold and blue textured paper jumped out at me, no surprise right… it's sort of bright and tacky.

The DIYer deep within told me I could do something amazing with this paper. Here's all you need: Textured scrapbook paper Spraypaint (I'm sure regular paint would work too) Martha's Metallic Glaze (I used black coffee) Cheapo brush & a rag

Since it's winter and pretty darn cold in my garage I've started painting in our basement. The floor is covered in green and the fumes are intense let me tell ya!

I wasn't sure how the paper would take the spray paint, but it worked like a charm.

And my hands are still green today (3 days later) for some reason it won't come off!

Give the paper plenty of time to dry- about 4 hours. Then the fun begins! Using the same process I used on the frames, you simply slop it on and wipe it off. Don't forget to use the brush to get in all the crevices.

See the difference? Left side before and right side after.

Flip your paper over and trace your letter.

Did you know spray adhesive is my nemesis? It's so darn sticky! Give your letter a solid coating and slap on your new and improved paper.

Once it was on, and my edges were trimmed down, I brought out the big guns. Have you ever used liquid nails? It's a staple in our house and I use it quite a bit for DIY projects. Anytime I can't nail something I use it… we might even have used it quite a bit for our Nate Show projects last month. Be careful though, it is serious adhesive and is not forgiving.

There she is… M for Mangin, or monsters, or macaroni… whatever you want.

Here's the finished wall. I'm a big fan of the layered small frames within some of the larger ones. I'm still trying to convince the hubs that it's okay not to add pictures.

Now it's time to accessorize the room. It's not my strong suit, so I'm going to have Jess over to lend a hand. So, what do you think of my Granny Gallery?

*************************************** One final thing I had to share with you about Red Letter Words. Did you know Dee does custom work? You can get one of her amazing canvases designed just for you! Every family has some phrase or verse or words that are special to them. Why not make it into art? Start thinking of what you'll put on your custom art and then head over to Red Letter Words.

And in honor of Bucks County, check out this Philly canvas…

Linking to: Thrifty Decor Chick

We've been crazy excited about this post since our friend Staci agreed to partnering with us! From time to time, we revisit our Be Intentional series. Staci's story is one that we hope encourages you to set goals in your life (in any and all areas) and then take intentional steps to achieve them. We love this girl, we're so proud of her, and are honored to share her story today!

Meet our friend Staci… ********************************************************************************** I am going to be honest. I am"no good" at home decorating and DIY design and crafting. To be brutally honest, I flat out stink! Oh, believe me, I have dreams about a beautifully decorated bedroom and a warm and cozy living room with amazing wall colors and fresh flowers in beautiful vases accented on my tables and shelves. But, I am just not good at putting everything together to transform a room. So, thankfully, I am NOT writing this post to give you tips about DIY design! Really…you should be thanking me!!! Haha! On the other hand, I thank God for making us all unique and designed for the purposes HE designed us for. So, you may be wondering who am I and why have I been given access to writing to an audience of DIY pros and creatives?!?! I may not be good at DIY design and transforming the rooms of my living space, but I have been on a little DIY transformation…in my body and in my life. My name is Staci. This is me in January of 2010.

I know what you are thinking. Oh goodness. Yikes. I am thinking it, too. "Did she stuff her shirt with melons?" "Did she put pillows in her pants?" "Is she a really grouchy person?" "She looks angry." All to which I can reassure you…NO. I did not put melons in my shirt. I didn't add pillows to my pants. And no…I am not grouchy nor angry!!! Okay, maybe you weren't thinking"exactly" that, but when I look at these pictures of who I was 2 years ago, I can hardly believe that was me.
The reality is, I was 260 lbs. of hurt. 260 lbs. of frustration. 260 lbs. of failed diets. 260 lbs. of zero confidence. 260 lbs. of someone I never, ever wanted to become. Sad, unhealthy, embarrassed, lonely and hopeless.

Have you ever been at your rock bottom? The place where you feel that you are never going to get out of? The place where you feel that no one understands? The place where you feel so far away from where you truly want to be? That was me 2 years ago. I don't exactly remember what it was that sparked a deep desire in me to change once and for all, but I was really starting to think that God didn't create me to be any of the things I was becoming. And he surely didn't desire for me to be trapped in a body that I was ashamed of, embarrassed about and so hurt to be in. Although, one post is not nearly enough to share with you all that has gone on in my life and my transformation over the past 2 years; I will share with you where I am today and the main reasons I am where I am.

I reached my final goal in November 2011. This is me today at 135 lbs.:

Never in a million years did I believe that this was possible. I still look at my before and after photos and I cannot believe that was me and now this is me. You can only see the images, but I can see the hurt and defeat in the before photos. And I can see the strength and hope in the after photos. I haven't just transformed physically, I have transformed emotionally as well.

This picture of my old jeans is a clear reminder of where this journey started! Staci would love for her story to reach and help anyone that might need encouragement. So, you have her permission to Pin her pictures and share it with anyone that could use some encouragement and motivation!

When people hear of my success or they see it for themselves when they see me, there is always one question that gets asked:
WHAT DID YOU DO TO LOSE THE WEIGHT?!?! At first, I used to give people my simple cookie cutter answer of what I did: I started eating right and exercising daily. And I prayed. Sometimes minute by minute. But, after seeing the sometimes disappointed looks back at me because for some reason or other, when people give us the straight up hard truth (even though it is common sense), we somehow think that we could never do that. We believe the lies: "I could never do that."

"I don't have that kind of willpower." You know what? I am not crazy motivated. I don't have any more"willpower" than you. I don't have a magic formula and I sure don't have a magic potion. But, I do have intention and a God who never gives up on me. Even when I give up on myself. Jess and Mon talk often about"Being Intentional". For me, being intentional means doing things even when I don't want to because it is what I need to do. Being intentional means having a plan at all times. Being intentional means setting goals. I am not speaking of having plans and setting goals because I believe I have my future all figured out or that I can truly control what happens tomorrow or next week, but I desire to have a plan and set goals because it is one of the ways that lives can change. It is one way that people can move from an undesirable place in life to a place of freedom and the ability to fully live the life they were designed for! By setting goals, I had to make choices as to"how" I could get to that goal. I set a 6 -week, 90-day, 6-month and"end of year" goal. If the scale wasn't moving, I had to assess what I was doing. And change something immediately. There was no time to go off the path I needed to take if I wanted to meet my goals.
This was me about 1/2 way through… I was around 190lbs.

In addition to setting goals, I also had to learn what I needed vs. what I wanted. Monica and Jess have talked about wants vs. needs in decorating. Well, I may have wanted to go out to my favorite restaurant for a big burger and fries, but I truly didn't need a big burger and fries. See the difference? I know, I know…it still seems like it is a willpower thing. But it really isn't. It's looking at my plan. If I want to weigh 10 lbs. less in 6 weeks, a burger and fries isn't what I need. Does it mean I will never be able to have a burger and fries? Not at all. But right now, that isn't part of the plan.

Bottom line, I am not here to tell you what to do and how to do it. I am merely trying to tell you that you CAN do it. Do what works for you. Do what you know you need to do. Even if you don't have to lose weight, it is still important to fuel your body with healthy, nutritious foods. And it is so important to take some time out of your day to get moving. Find something that you enjoy and get moving! Be intentional. And above all else, remember that you were created for a purpose. By taking care of your body; physically, emotionally and spiritually…you are unleashing a power within that no one can take away. And you are unleashing the power to connect and encourage others around you! When I am struggling or having a day where my wants seem to be trying to overpower the intention of my needs, I cling to the words below. Maybe it is with eating, maybe it is trying to get through an intense workout, maybe it's facing the daily pressures of life. Here is what I hold on to:

" I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." ~Philippians 4:12-13

In the midst of the depth of all of this; the tears, hard work, the defeats and the triumphs, I have made every effort to maintain a attitude of openness and realness with others as well as a level of humor. So, I will leave you with one last photo. It is my favorite one of all!!! This is my mom and I in my old pants…yes, two of us!: -) 125 lbs. lost and gone forever!!! I am forever changed!!!

P.S. I must share that I am a recovering sweets & desserts addict! So, I will share one of my absolute favorite treats that I make almost daily for myself! Enjoy! Quick Chocolate Oatmeal (adapted from my absolute favorite dessert blog Chocolate-Covered Katie) 1/2 cup quick oats 1 small banana (broken up into small chunks) 1 1/2 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa 2 Tbsp Unsweetened Applesauce 15-20 drops of Liquid Stevia 1 tsp. vanilla extract 3/4 cup of Light Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk or Light Vanilla Soy Milk dash of salt 2 Tbsp. fat free cool whip (optional) Spray small saucepan with cooking spray. Combine all of the ingredients together in the small saucepan. Stir everything together until thoroughly mixed. Turn heat to high and continue stirring oatmeal until oatmeal starts to bubble slightly and thicken. After oatmeal starts to slowly boil, turn heat off and continue stirring for another minute or so to finish heating all the way through. Pour into a bowl and enjoy! For an extra treat, add some fat free cool whip on top! *You can also add a Tbsp of Peanut Butter to the above recipe for a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup bowl of oatmeal! My husband's favorite!: -)
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So how's that for some intentional living? I don't know about you, but Staci has encouraged, inspired, and motivated us big time! Staci recently started blogging about all things health,fitness, and nutrition, so check out Musings of a Wellness Hopeful for all kinds of recipes, motivation, and more!

Got questions for Staci? Leave a comment and she'll get back to you!

Only following on the blog? You're missing out. Use the buttons below to join in on all the fun!

Hello world! Welcome to our blog! We're pretty darn excited you're here. So, hang out a while and get to know us; we hope you'll like what you see and come back and visit us often!

Did you get a good night's sleep? Because, we were pretty wound up for some reason… hmm, what could it have been?? Oh, right… today we finally get to reveal our Nate Show projects and you get to see our TV debut!
Weekend Warrior Room Reveals As you know, Nate pulled a fast one on us and did the old switcheroo. Jess turned my empty dining room into an amazing space (that I love) and I took Jess' basement from"basementy" to a comfy, coastal hangout (that she says is perfect for her style!)

As you know, Nate gave us some pretty random items to work with, but we were up for the challenge. Here are a few of the projects that you might have seen on the show!
Monica’s Farmhouse Table Remix This table wasn't made during the 48 hours of taping, but we worked like crazy to get it done before the show. This is really Eric's masterpiece, and I couldn't appreciate his hard work any more than I do (ok, enough mush! Geesh, this is a public blog!) Click HERE for the complete table post.

Jessica's Barnwood Coffee Table I made this using Adirondack tables and reclaimed barnwood. We have a slight obsession with barnwood, so you can check out some of our other barnwood projects HERE and HERE.

Monica's Barnwood Art Jessica made this piece of art during the show and man-alive is it awesome. It's the kind of piece where people walk in and go,"Oh wow! That's incredible!" Then I proudly tell them that my bestie made it and I mention that Nate Berkus said he wanted it! Click HERE to read our post on how this beauty was made

Jessica's Beach-Cottage Shelves I made these using… you guessed it… Barnwood! The combination of the wood and the accessories just screams Nantucket. I was thrilled that Jess liked them.

Monica's IKEA Hack Sideboard Jess blew me away with this one! This table was originally a bar-height, square table from IKEA. With the help of her trusty husband and a saw, it was transformed into an adorable two-tiered addition to my room.

Jessica's Bench This is another project that was created pre-taping and we need to give a huge shout out to Kevin and his dad for doing the handywork on this one. There were many late nights spent in both of our homes getting projects ready for the show's taping. Click HERE to see how this piece came to life.

Jessica's Faux Built-Ins I didn't have the time, materials, or know-how to make custom built-ins for the weird nook in Jess' basement. So… I got a little creative with the storage units Nate gave us and voila… faux built-ins! To achieve this look in your home, you just need to be sure to get some super-strong mounting brackets (I also recommend a handsome assistant, but I guess that's optional. Sorry, my hubs is taken!)

Phew, that was a lot of projects in 48 hours… and now I'll mention that 48 hours in TV land is very different than the real world. Between interviews, mic checks, and all that jazz, I think we had about 12 hours to work and that was between 7PM and 7AM! Let's just say, we were beyond exhausted when everything was said and done, but we'd do it again in an instant!

And now the elephant in the room… the awkward kiss. If you'd like to try this at home here's how you do it… When a famous celebrity leans in to give you a side-cheek kiss trick him by going the wrong direction, then hesitate, pause, act like you're going for the lips, and then finish it off with an incredibly awkward little air kiss. This method works every time and will give you a story to tell for ages.

So, thanks so much for supporting us in this crazy, amazing, stupendous,"are you kidding me, is this really happening" event! Be sure to leave us a comment and let us know what you thought of the show (and don't worry, we have thick skin!) Check back tomorrow for a special annoucement and… we might even include a few pictures from the VIP anyone we could get to come over Episode Viewing Party we're having tonight!

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We thought today would be the PERFECT day for us to announce the launch of our Etsy shop,"The Barn". We've had several requests for custom signs and art pieces, so here you go! Take a peek at the stuff we've created and shop until your heart's content!

The Barn

Click here to see our"Shop the Barn" page and here to go straight to our Etsy shop. Enjoy, and please, let us know what you think!
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Last year Jess and I shared with you our 2012 goals for our homes, the blog, and our community. We did a pretty good job chipping away at our lists (more on that later). This year, we're going start with our goals for this little ole blog. We have some fun changes and some big aspirations for EC2 in 2013. This is kind of like"What to Expect When You're Expecting", but a blog version! Here goes…

For the first two years we've pretty much kept it all DIY projects and home decor on the blog. Occasionally we've shared some of our lives and what's important to us. From all your emails and comments, you like the inside scoop, so we're gonna give it to you! We plan to work in the occasional post about our friendship, how we survive as moms (did you know Jess' son is a super picky eater? Well, soon you will), and just life in general. Don't worry, we'll still be focused on DIY, but just injecting a bit of"Us" along the way.

Holy moly we are beyond excited about this one. Here's a BIG hint- we're going to be hosting a contest that we won last year! We purchased it back in October 2012 and will be giving you all the details soon. Think HUGE prize packages, some crazy famous bloggers, and you!

In 2013 we're going to invite you into our casas (I'm fancy because I took four years of Spanish… casa = house. Ha!) We'll be adding home tours to the blog. You'll get to see the layouts, finished rooms, rooms in progress, and the downright ugly, unfinished. Trust me, this will boost your self esteem! We hope to have these up in the next month.

Blogging can feel like a one-way conversation sometimes. We love interacting with so many of you on Facebook (don't already LIKE us? Go do that now, then come back and finish reading)

and other social media outlets, but we also want to have an intentional forum for Q & As. About once a month we'll be answering your questions (anything goes) and giving you ideas on your own design dilemmas.

We'll admit that we loved seeing our names and faces in HGTV Magazine and Ladies Home Journal in 2012 (ok, I-Monica-didn't love seeing my face. Can you say Bad Pic?) We've made it a goal to have a full article or feature in another publication. I was doing a little magazine research and do you know that these are actual magazines: Bacon Busters, Miniature Donkey Talk, & Girls with Corpses… Umm, I don't think you'll find us in those, but who knows, maybe Bacon Buster readers need some DIY help?

We never want to compromise our commitment to keeping it real here on EC2, but we do want to provide you guys with better pictures. We'd like to be more intentional about learning about photography and using what we learn to take it up a notch with our blog pics. Don't worry, we'll still take plenty of cheesy midnight pics that look so grainy you think they were taken in 1963.

Yes, we know the"Big Screen" refers to movies, but saying"be on TV" doesn't sound as fancy. Jess and I are both Big Idea people and when you combine the two of us, the combo can be pretty intense. We loved working with Nate Berkus on his show last year and we were surprised how much we enjoyed the process of working on a TV show. So, I'm happy to announce that we'll be taking over for Whoopi and Barbara Walters on The View! Ok, nope that's a total lie… we are however, in the early stages of pursuing our own TV show. We've gotten feedback from so many of you that you'd watch us again, so we figured we'd give it a shot! If you think it's something you'd want to watch, be sure to leave a comment or email us and let us know! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So, tell us: What do you think of our goals? What would you like to see us do this year? What are your big plans for 2013?? As always, thanks for joining us on our blog journey!

We usually share bits and pieces of our homes here on the blog, but we're going to try and do more full room tours as we get rooms"finished up" (are rooms ever finished?) First up for me… My foyer. Now, I should explain that no one ever comes in our front door. It's kind of sad since the front door is so cute now. (Take a peek at the door here.)

I think you've seen this part of the foyer before. Chair. Accent Table. Gallery Wall. Wallpaper.

I love this little vignette. The chair was thrifted, the table is IKEA, the bird is from Michael's and spray painted yellow, the red frame has the chair material in it, and the lamp's from Homegoods and is actually broken as of 3pm today. (Ugh) The chair needs a mini black pillow with a & symbol on it… Hopefully coming soon!

Darn that I didn't dust before taking these pictures. The poor bird is in a sea of dust!

Ready to see my NEW FAVORITE THING?? Introducing… My Big Foot Rug!

If you follow us on Facebook (which I definitely think you should) you got a little sneak peek of this rug. It's from Overstock.com and you can see it here. Now, I know the size is a wee bit weird, but honestly the space is weird. Square and Circle rugs are muy muy expensive! (Didn't know I was bilingual did ya?) I saw this big foot and laughed right out loud. I knew it was meant to be. Oh, and did you notice… the door is charcoal? The Ombre Door Disaster is fixed. Did you miss that catastrophe? You've gotta check it out here.

I need to buy a non-slip pad because it's sliding all over the place! Here's the view from the living room into the foyer

Here's the opposite view, from the stairs. The Moroccan-ish mirror is from Target.

I'm a dork, and was attempting to do a funny, Miss America wave, but you can't get the full effect in a picture, so I went to a peace sign, but I'm not that kinda girl, BUT I am the mom of a 7yr old, so I know that Bunny Ears are one of the funniest things to do in a picture, or so Kade insists. Are you laughing yet? See, Bunny Ears… they work like a charm.

One of the cool things in our house is the foyer ceiling and light. It's a double trey ceiling, which the builder loved, but to us just meant lots of wasted money on molding, although, truth be told, now I do love how it looks. (note to self: replace one bulb)

Now here's my true motive for showing you the foyer from all angles… I need help. Shocker Right? I want to do something above the door. I see it from the kitchen, I see it every time I go upstairs, I see it all the time. So tell me, what you would do?

Don't be swayed, but here's what I'm kind of fixated on. I can't even explain why, but when I look at the door it's actually what I always envision. I'm thinking of using my mini-projector and painting the word HELLO in really large, graphic letters. I have been trying to talk myself out of it, but I think I'm sold. If you have other ideas, please share em!

So that's my foyer. A tad quirky, really dusty, and 99% finished. Let me know what you think and then help a girl out with your ideas!

You get to read about our projects, you know what the inside of our houses look like, but who are The Real Housewives of Bucks County? Well, this must be your lucky day, because today we're sharing a bit of ourselves with you… (Warning, some of these questions are cheesy, but who doesn't like a little cheese and we like 'em!)
Meet the Real Housewives of BC

1. Do you have kids?

2. Where is your birth place and are you far from it now?

3. What is one thing you could not do when you were a child, but you can do now?

5. What are your hobbies?

6. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

7. If you could travel anywhere in the world — where would you go and why?

8. Have you ever met a famous person?

9. What is your least favorite thing about yourself?

10. One that describes your BFF and blog partner?

11. How tall are you?

12. When you were little — What did you want to do"when you grew up?" Are you doing it?

13. How do you spend your free time?

14. Favorite sport you like to watch or participate in?

15. What kind of food do you prefer eating when you are out?

16. Last Movie You Watched?

17. Would you like to be famous?

18. What Book Are You Reading?

19. Favorite Bible Verse?

*Photos courtesy of Doug from Candid Moments Photography. Thanks so much, Doug! You did a great job working with some very amateur models.: )
So, it's your turn now. What questions do you have for us? We're game for answering {almost} anything!

We thought we'd start the week off with the results of our 2013 Blog Reader Survey! You guys get to learn about us daily here on the blog and by watching Knock It Off, but we rarely get the inside scoop on you, so reader surveys really excite us!

Alrighty then… let's get started shall we?

We were thrilled to see that so many of you have stuck around for a while!! So, if you're new here, you totally should keep visiting, all the cool kids are doing it!

Okay, so maybe we added the flirty part, but… we think it's true! It's actually still kinda weird to me that we're in the 30-45 range too! 31 is like really grown up!

So, not the Al Bundy, Married with Children demographic, but the cute little family with kids kind.

We definitely still want to appeal to the masses, but it's good to know that kid-friendly decor ideas, kid crafts, and family stuff works with you guys! To be completely honest, I read a lot of blogs and there are a few I LOVE and sometimes I want to emulate some of their style, but then I remember I have 4 kids and my house needs to be livable. So, we think it's a good thing that you guys are cool with kid-friendly!

Okay, so this made us laugh! We know that we have about 98% girl power readers, but I know at least 10 guys that read and comment. So, we're just going to assume men aren't fans of surveys (on a somewhat girly blog) Trust us, we gave our husbands a hard time for not completing the survey! The Nerve!!

Now for the MOST important part… What you want more of from EC2. 1- We had lots of requests for videos- we're cool with that! We think they're fun to make, usually they involve a lot of laughing and ridiculous jokes that only we think are funny! Sidenote: Anytime you want to watch us, go and watch some episodes of our TV show Knock It Off by clicking HERE- lol! We know that's not completely the same, but if you need an MJ (Monica/Jess) fix, it'll do. We're going to try to do some home tour videos too! The only tricky part is getting our homes clean enough to show you!
2- DIY Home Projects- well, the good news is that we're a home DIY blog, so yup, we've got that one covered! We plan to deliver a solid amount of our home projects, and sometimes we'll just put KIO tutorials on our DIY page, so we don't have constant show tutorials. Some upcoming rooms we'll be sharing are Baby Bennett's Room, My"new" Living Room, My Playroom Makeover, and Jess' porch!
3- LOTS of Posting! Did you notice we posted like 6 times last week?? It was semi- accidental, but still awesome! Our goal will be no less than 4x a week- sometimes 5, but that will just be a surprise! We're glad you like regular posting, because we like having regular readers!
4- Letting you into our Brains! This was an interesting request that came through many times… You guys want to know what the process looks like as we plan and work through a room. We love that idea!! Although, this weekend my planning process involved me walking around my house, going to the pantry for a snack and staring because I didn't know what I wanted, walking more around the house, and then back to the pantry. Repeat 10x. But seriously, we're excited to share inspiration boards and ideas with you- thanks for the suggestion!!
We gathered lots more info, but this post might actually put you to sleep if I keep going. The bottom line is that, knowing more about YOU guys helps us to make this blog the best it can be! So thank you, thank you, thank you, for helping us out!!
Here's a peek at what we have coming up for ya this week… Bennett's Room Update A Perfect for Fall Chicken Chili Recipe and More!!

Ladies-and the approximately 1% of readers who are dudes-, we have awesome sponsors. They are the ones who make the rest of our posts and projects possible. Not only do they support us, but they have some pretty cool stuff in their stores. We've rounded up some of favorite items for a cozy Fall season. Make sure you don't miss the discount codes and special promotions!

1. We are digging on this Antique Thread Display Drawer from Nachokitty. It could serve so many different purposes: jewelry organizer, craft supply organizer, or pretty display for your tiny treasures. Don't stop there, though. You should definitely take a look at their Etsy shop- I could browse their finds for hours!

2. I love this Industrial Table Lamp from Lucent Lampworks! I can see it snuggled up to some pretty Fall decor on a mantel or side table. Love. it. To get 10% off your purchase use the code EC2TENOFF.

3. We're heading into the holiday season, and it's always good to have small gifts on hand for teachers, neighbors etc. Stock up on these Premium Soy Candles from CJS Eco Chic in the mini 4 oz. and you won't ever have to worry! And oh man, the holiday scents are to die for!

4. We love using non-traditional materials for headboards! How about this fireplace mantel headboard? Not bad, right? Architectural Antiques is hands-down our favorite place for incredible salvaged materials to repurpose.

5. Did you see Mandi's Epic Room Makeover. She used the Nova Trellis, from Royal Design Studio in the bathroom and well, it is fabulous. As a thank you to their 10,000 FB fans, RDS is offering 25% of all orders through Sunday with the code WELOVEU.

6. You've all been waiting for Monica's big patio reveal, and tomorrow, the wait is over! They couldn't have done it without Stone Depot, and their super helpful staff. Now's the time to build an outdoor fireplace or firepit, and they guys at Stone Depot have everything you need to make that happen!

7. We can't seem to control our love for photo canvases from Canvas People! Right now you can buy a 11 x 14 Canvas for only $15 from Canvas People and $1 of every order will be donated to help fight Breast Cancer! If you need some inspiration for what to put on a canvas, check out this post! 8. Not gonna lie, once the holiday season starts (right after Halloween, in my opinion), I often need a reminder to stop and be thankful for all that I have. This 1 Thessalonians 5:16 Print from Red Letter Words makes a perfect visual reminder of that very thing…and it looks cool, too. Check out the fun new turquoise color, too! They also have a really fun, very sweet Print of the Month focused on the value we women have, and you will receive 20% off this entire section through the end of this month. 9. We love Moo & Puppy digital paper so much, we even wrote a post about all of it's many uses! I'm really liking the fall-ish colors of the Retro Digital Scrapbook Paper. Use the discount code EC2blog20 for 20% off your order!

10. We all know that Thirty-One Gifts has cute and affordable bags, but the one item I've had my eye for over a year is this small Magazine Basket. I love it's shape and versatility! Plus, you can personalize all baskets for only a few dollars more. Right now, mention EC2Blog when you order any basket and get any second item in the catalog 31% off. To place your order, click here and shoot an email to Amanda with your order.

11.Liberty Thrift Store is hands-down our go-to thrift store. Did you know that we found the chair we reupholstered for the Nate Show there? You never know what you'll find thrifting, but it's always fun! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wait, one more thing! We're happy to announce that we're accepting new sponsors! We have a few openings that we would love to fill, so if you have a business that you think we'll love and can help you promote, send us an email at eastcoastcreativeblog@gmail.com! Seriously, what better way to sell your stuff than to have two loud, passionate, crazy women on your side?! For all the nitty-gritty info about our sponsorship opportunities, click here. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Have a great day, and be sure to stop over and say hi to our wonderful sponsors!

Source: strictlysimplestyle.blogspot.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
No, I really don't have anything to sell, but I have sold two houses really quickly and helped hundreds of other people sell theirs. Okay, now before you tune out and think,"I'm not moving anytime soon… no need to read this post." give me a second! There's two reasons to keep reading… # 1- You probably know someone that's struggling to sell a home in this market #2- People love their homes right before they sell because it's in the best shape ever. You could follow a few of these tips and love your house even more! Ready? Here are my first 5 tips!
Get it Sold… The Mangin Way! (Part 1) (these aren't new ideas…but done right, they really work)

1.Declutter. Pack half of your stuff. Seriously, I actually mean half of everything. It's a pain, but you'll have to pack it anyway. This will make your house seem like it has sufficient storage and room to grow. It's tough to want to move into someone's home that seems jam packed! (FYI- don't do this if you're not selling… that would just be crazy!)

2. Depersonalize. Your kids are adorable… I get it, but now get rid of their pics. We don't want potential buyers looking at your vacation pics and thinking they really need to get back to the Outer Banks and totally not noticing your recessed lighting. Now, don't get too crazy… we didn't get rid of 100% of our pics, but honestly we replaced a lot with generic art from Homegoods and Marshalls. The second part of depersonalization is STYLE. If you're reading a DIY and design blog you either have great style or are style challenged! LOL… make sure the style of your house would appeal to the masses. Not too modern, too country, too plain, too bold. Purple.Tone it down a bit.

Source: yakal.net via Hannah on Pinterest
3. Declutter. Wait, she already said that!! Lame post! Nope, I don't have short term memory loss… now we're talking Pantries, Closets, Garages, Storage areas. You need to keep feeding your family, but you also need to show off the space you have. Donate, eat, or toss HALF of what you have stored. You don't need six cans of cream of chicken soup. Keep two. (House of Smiths weren't selling, but man they have a rockin' pantry before and after)

Same applies to closets… anything you won't wear in the next month should be packed up. If you're near a change of season, just box and store at your BFF's house. That's what friends are for! (We have about 20 boxes of friend's stuff in our basement right now because they're selling). Any place that you would usually hide your junk needs to be super neat and spacious. 4. Give it a Purpose. This is a simple stager's rule. Every room should have a purpose. You want a buyer to see a value in each space. If you have a toy/craft/tv/junk room but already have a playroom, and family room with tv… well what are they paying for the random room for? Choose a purpose. Make it a specific craft/sewing room etc. 5. Clean. I'm not talking lived in clean… I'm talking Martha Stewart clean. A clean house gives the impression of a well cared for, well maintained house. You don't want anything creeping out buyers. Maybe dirty baseboards are just a part of life, but they're not a part of a buyer's dream home. Seriously, who dreams of a kinda dirty, lived in dream house? Does Pottery Barn have gross toilet rings in the Bed & Bath issue? We've done it two ways… once we did an insane deep clean and for our second house we hired someone to do it. Either way is fine, just get it done and then maintain it. Make a little pre-showing, last minute cleaning list. It was a huge help to me!

Source: marthastewart.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
Ok, so 5 simple, totally FREE steps so far… Nothing too revolutionary, but things that really make a difference. Last spring we sold our home in less than 3 weeks… the market was struggling, we didn't know what to expect, but we believed it was the right time for our family and so we busted our tails to get the house ready. Now, you're armed with part one… either share the post with a friend that might find it helpful, or take a look at your own home. Part two is a little more design friendly and exciting, but first you've gotta get through the dirty work of steps 1-5.
I'll be back Wednesday with more!

P.S. I bought paint tonight for a super-fun family room project. I can't wait to share it with you!
P.P.S. Did you know that we're only 3 people away from 100 followers? We know way more of you read the blog… let's make it official! Let's take our relationship to the next step? And if you're really into us, you could like us on Facebook too! Imagine that! It's like going steady!

This spring the Mangin family (that's us) decided to plant a garden! I grew up with my dad having a huge garden and I have fond memories of weeding it, going out to cut swiss chard before dinner, harvesting squash, and I'm 100% sure I hated every second of those chores as a kid. LOL Isn't it funny how we can tweak our memories over time! So we planted a medium sized garden and so far- so good! One thing I really wanted to try was potatoes!! I went to our local Agway and they were super helpful in teaching me all about growing spuds! Today I'm gonna share what I learned!

So, first things first… did you know potatoes don't grow down into the ground?? That's right, they actually grow UP! What the What?? I was seriously confused and shocked by that info! It was recommended that for a potato rookie like me, that I try a potato container garden first. You can use a plain, plastic trash barrel, but I had a metal bucket on hand. Any container that's a few feet deep will do.

Since my container wasn't intended for plants, I drilled some holes for drainage…

Next, I ripped up some old newspapers and put them at the bottom. Potatoes like really damp soil, so the paper will help retain the moisture better!

I bought Yukon Gold potatoes because they're my very favorite for mashed potatoes. Did you know that mashed potatoes are in my top 3 favorite foods??? Yup! And it was always was a tell-tale sign when I was preggers because I would want potatoes 24-7! One time we hadn't told Eric's parents yet that we were expecting baby #2, but I went and ordered Baked potato soup, mashed potatoes, and a baked potato for dinner at a restaurant. Ha! I think it was a tad obvious!

If you want to grow potatoes, you can't just use store bought ones- they can introduce disease to your whole crop. You have to buy seed potatoes (you can use store bought ones and grow your own slips, but it's super complicated sounding and seed potatoes cost like a buck!)

Add 2 inches of dirt on top of your paper- potatoes like really loose soil, so don't use hard rocky stuff. Each potato should have some eyes and you'll want to plant them with eyes facing up! My spuds had really sensitive eyes, so I loaned them my shades. (#cheeseballblogger)

Layer another 2-3 inches of loose soil over your potatoes and you're done… for now…

Your potatoes will begin to grow and once your shoots are about 3 inches tall, you'll add more dirt to cover them up again. I told Kira and Callen it's like potato hide and seek. They helped me plant these and we're excitedly waiting for our little shoots to be tall enough to"hide" them again!
So, if my pals at Agway are right, later in the season we'll be harvesting our first potato crop! This was such a fun and quick project that the kids and I had a blast doing. I definitely recommend giving it a whirl!
Have you ever planted spuds? Any potato lovers like me out there?

PS- Did you see the invite to our premiere party? We want YOU to join us! Click here for all the info!

PSS- Don't forget to enter to win $400 in Ryobi Tools, just in time for Father's Day! Click HERE to enter!

Monica here! You know me as the blogger that has a super big farmhouse table and makes her husband take all sorts of weird bloggy pictures for posts.

But, did you know that I'm actually a high school English teacher?
Yup, Mrs. Mangin by day, blogger by night! I have a little quiz for you…

Yes, it's the sad truth! After elementary, it's all downhill… Middle school is hit or miss, but by high school you're lucky if you get a,"Have a good summer" from a parent. Of course I'm generalizing, but it's pretty widespread. Here are my thoughts on the issue (and this is as a mom, not a teacher). I entrust my kids to someone for 7 hours a day… that's a really long time! Yes, it's their job to teach their students, but giving extra encouraging words when a kiddo might be having a rough day, or taking time to talk to a high schooler about their love of punk music, etc. is going beyond the job description and truly playing a role in a child's life. For that reason, I always want to be thanking my kids' teachers and encouraging them as educators. This doesn't end when my kids no longer need help tying their shoes… if anything, when my kids are teens, I want to be encouraging their teachers even more. From what I've heard, the teen years can be a bit of a challenge! So I've got a few Back to School Teacher Gift ideas for you, and don't you forget the high school teachers (honestly, you just might make their day/week/year)

Simple, School-Themed Flowers I'm no florist, but I'm pretty sure these are just some mums and yellow ball thingies. You could even pick some wildflowers. We have tons of black eyed susans around this summer. Pile in some dollar store letter magnets… add mason jar… add ribbon… voila!

Source: None via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
Smooth Year Lotion Ok, this idea comes from a blog with a hysterical name…"Oops, I CRAFT my Pants" HAHA! I honestly laughed right out loud when I read it! Well, she gives a great tutorial and FREE PRINTABLE labels to turn Bath & Body Works lotion into a cute lil' gift.

Source: oopsicraftmypants.net via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
The Legendary Diaper Cake ( Ok, the fact that the best title I could come up with was"Legendary Diaper Cake" has convinced me that I'm far too tired to finish this blog post…"Legendary Diaper Cake""Who says that??" Weak Sauce, if you ask me! So, this blogger is going to bed… it's been a very long day of 4 kids, teaching professional development for the high school staff from 8-4, doing a complementary staging job to help a missionary couple we know, and getting home at 10:30pm… So, you'll have to wait till I wake up refreshed to finish!)
**** Enter Dream Sequence Music****
Well Good Morning! It is I, the refreshed blogger who was up way too late, but got a good night's sleep!
So, let's get back to business!
Diaper Cake with a School Spin
Everyone associates a diaper cake with baby showers (Hello, Captain Obvious), but now we can add a school spin and make it into a rockin' teacher gift. The awesome part about this gift is that all of these supplies are on sale at Target and Walmart for about 99 cents or less! Glue sticks can get pricey, but you can substitute anything you want! I'm pretty sure this gift would be proudly placed in the teachers' lounge and some might even say it's"Legendary!" (hehe)

Source: designdazzle.blogspot.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
Back to the Grind This is what my kiddos are giving their teachers this year. We'll just bring them to"Meet the Teacher Night" this Thursday. Did I mention I've been sorta swamped lately? Well that's why it's sorta simple and no frills, but that's also kinda nice because anyone could throw this together in 5 mins! Coffee Tumbler… Ribbon, Giftcard… Cute Printable on Envelope… voila!

31 Reasons I Love School Last year, we gave Kenzie's teacher a Thermal Lunch Tote from 31 Gifts and she LOVED it! I called one of my BFFs, Mandy, a 31 Gifts guru and asked her what she'd recommend. Of course she had awesome ideas, and my favorite was the Mini Organizing Tote filled with supplies and a list that you an your child come up with for 31 Reasons you're excited for a great school year. How cute is this? I love that you can get it personalized for your teacher. If you're thinking of something from 31, click the 31 logo on the sidebar you'll get 15% off your order, which is the special in August (Even if your kids start school really soon, you could still get one in time for Back to School Night I'm sure)

So, whatever you do, even if you can't pull together a"Back to School" gift, a note, or email just saying"Thanks" and"Have a great year" would mean a lot… I know Mrs. Mangin would adore that.

P.S. Don't forget to VOTE for the CBS Blog of the Year Today!

Our most popular blog post has been the Farmhouse Table Remix. If you haven't read the post, check it out here for all the nitty gritty details and the steps to make your own.

Since our table made its debut for the taping of The Nate Show, we thought we'd give you an add-on post that might answer some of the popular questions we get about it. Farmhouse Table Q & A Q. How long is your table and how many people can it seat? A. The table is just under 11ft long and can comfortably seat 16 people.

Q. How long did it take to make the table? A. Building it took about 4 hours, but the sanding took double that. However, if we had the proper tools it would have been a breeze. Eric just used an orbital sander on all the edges to round them. A router would have made this step a breeze. Total time was about 20 hours.

Q. How did you hide the original tables so well? A. Creating the edge casing was essential to hiding the old school tables underneath. If we hadn't added that detailing, you would have seen the old tables and the extender planks we added.

It would have looked something like this…

Q. Is it weird to have an 8-legged table? What does it look like underneath? A. Nah… we think it's kind of cool! Plus, if we have someone over for dinner and have any awkward silence, we can just be like,"Hey, did you know this table has eight legs?" I wouldn't recommend it as a pick-up-line, but for a conversation saver it works like a charm.

Q. What color stain did you use? (this is the most popular question we get) A. I can't answer this one. SORRY! Here's the deal… I tried a million stains and methods and finally had to go to Sherwin Williams. They were able to create a custom stain for me. They matched the stain to a paint swatch from the chair paint. I literally jumped for joy (can you picture that?) when we did a sample board. It was exactly what I was looking for. So, head over to the fellas at Sherwin, they make a mean color match! The reason I can't give you the formula is that we were messy with the stain and it got all over the label. We can't read it no matter how hard we try. Blogger foul. Sorry!

I hope that helps and we love getting emails and comments from our readers, so feel free to contact us if you have any other questions! The biggest thing I want to encourage you with is that YOU CAN DO THIS! We're not woodworkers, we're not all that savvy with tools, but we're pretty determined. If your you (or your husband) are doubtful, just shoot us and email and I'll have Eric convinceyou it's totally doable!
Got Chairs? A 16-seater table means 16 chairs! Yikes… with most chairs costing well over $100 each, that would be a whopping $1600! Thankfully, my mom found us FREE chairs that a restaurant were getting rid of. Remember this post? Well, here's how I took these chairs from weak-sauce, to super-cool! (and yes, occasionally I talk like I'm 16 years old… I'm a high school teacher, it's not my fault!)

The first step was to sand every single chair. QUIZ: Do you think I actually did that? ANSWER: Not a chance! I'm far too impulsive and after sanding one chair I decided that sanding was for the birds! I like quick and efficient. I made a little chair assembly line in the basement.

To remove a chair cushion, just flip it over and unscrew all four corners. It might take a little kick to get it to pop out, but it'll budge eventually. Ugh, look at that hideous material.

The chairs needed two coats of grey paint and Eric and I just lined up the chairs in the kitchen and watched a movie while we painted. I must give the hubs HUGE props because I took the kids on a planned trip to Boston, and he finished painting all the chairs so that they'd be ready for the Nate Show taping. <3

This next step is really crucial… find some gal pals that are willing to come help you reupholster 16 seat cushions. If you could read the clock on the DVR, it says 10:15pm and we were just getting started. Have I mentioned I love my girls? We just pulled off the old material and wrapped and staple-gunned the new fabric. It's just like wrapping a present, but using staples instead of tape!

I had picked out some fabric at Calico Corners, but it wasn't going to arrive in time, so I went to JoAnn's and found these two fabrics that I was pretty happy with. I wanted something with grey, yellow, and some kind of aqua or blue. These fit the bill nicely.
The Finished Freebie Chairs

I can't wait for everyone to see how great the table and chairs look in my dining room since Jess designed it on The Nate Show. Really, we're both like little kids waiting for Christmas! It can't get here soon enough. Countdown is T minus 3 days! (I really don't know what that means, but it sounds cool when they say it in movies right?)

Oh yes, we almost forgot! The winner of the Starbucks giftcard is…

Liz

Just shoot us an email with your address, and start checking your mailbox! Happy Starbucks-drinking!

Source: tumblr.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
Is it just the English teacher in me, or is this funny? I seriously laugh every single time I see it. Perhaps this picture is what inspired me to shoot for a non-traditional fall mantle this year. I'm usually a warm colors, traditional fall mantle girl. Not this year. I wanted something with cooler tones and some personality. Enter the Poe Inspired Mantle.

The black & white pumpkin and the raven are both from Hobby Lobby. (My daughter claims it's a crow, but it's a raven to me, heck it even squaked"Nevermore" the other day!) I was thinking of getting sticks for the vase, but I saw these peacock feathers and they just screamed"AWESOME" so I went with them and some spoooky branches. The owl is adorable and will become a permanent part of my decor somewhere.

I still really struggle with having the TV above the fireplace because it cramps my decorating style, but it's definitely the most practical. Sorry, for the BTR promo… when you have 4 kids, sometimes you gotta let them watch tv so mommy can take blog pics. Who knows, maybe BTR will want to be featured on our blog? Ha! (If you don't know BTR, then you clearly don't have an 9yr old)
In addition to finishing my fall mantle, the babies and I (perhaps at 2 and 4 they're not babies, but we call 'em that) did a little fall craftin' with some scrap particle board.
DIY Scrap Fall Sign Nothing fancy about this wood; I think the builder left it. It's really poor quality particle board, but I saw its inner beauty! Well…actually… I was just glad it was free.

My famous paint can shot (can something be famous just because I declared it so?) I just used some leftover paint that Nate left here. Oh, who's Nate you ask?? Umm, just my pal Nate Berkus. We're tight. (hahah!) This paint did come in the Nate Crate though.

Did you know that Jess and I like to paint topless? KIDDING!! I let my kiddos do the painting… you thought I was a hoochie for a second there didn't you?

We did a very rough base coat. I didn't want it 100% covered. Then it was time to stencil the letters and I needed to get it straight, so rather than take 2 minutes to find a ruler, I just used a scrap piece of paper and a piece of chalk to make some guide lines.

The stencil I used was the Helvetica font and I got it for $7.99 at HobLob.

I love these little bracket symbols. Jess and I probably over use them, but we can't help it. They're cool.

Some of the letters require a little work. First, stencil in the shape as is…

Then, you need to fill in where the plastic was for support. I just used two little pieces of painter's tape. It fills in nicely as you'll see in the finished product.

DARN my lack of planning. LEAF PILE was too long… I had 2 options… pretend"AF PILE" is a cool, family inside joke, or come up with a plan B…

I went with plan B. I painted over the AF…

and decided that a visual would work. Kaden ran outside and picked out two leaves that he liked the most. I pressed them on the wood and did a light stencil around the edges to create the shape of the leaf

I'll be the first to admit: 1. This is not a fancy-schmancy masterpiece 2. It's really hard to read. (Fall sorta looks like"fail"… The hubs was confused why I wrote the word"pile" until I explained it… and yes, there is a P missing from"pumpkins" for the sake of space)

However, even with all its quirkiness, after a final light sanding, I was really happy with the finished product.

I think it's a fun, personal addition to our front porch.

Sure, it's no crazy-cool subway art, but for $7.99 it's cute and kept me and my kids busy making it for at least an hour. That scores one in my book!

So, do you have any junky wood sitting around that you can make a cool family sign with? Give it a try and let us know how it turns out.

P.S. I have to confess, there are many things I wanted on this sign that didn't fit… Starbucks and Pumpkin Spice Latte just to name a few!

Linked up to: Stories of A to Z

It's here! B2S Week (Back to School) here on the Real Houseviwes blog… We've got some pretty fabulous stuff planned and today we're talking about back to school fashion. Make sure you read all the way to the bottom of the post because there's some crazy, exciting news we can't wait to share!
B2S Fashion 2011 I must admit, I sorta dreaded back to school shopping this year. I have four kids and three of them are in school, so I had some serious shopping to do. My oldest is the only one that is a challenge. She's just developing her style and it's NOTHING frilly, NOTHING sparkly, NOTHING little kid, NOTHING that mom picks out- LOL. I think maybe I'll share this post with her.
First off, here are the hot trends you should know about:
Hot colors — jade, teal, bamboo, coffee, & orchid
Nail polish colors — graphite, péridot and quartz
Crackle nail polish
Chunky funky bracelets — MeBands are cool & collectible
Cool high tops, bold and bedazzled (Converse has an affordable line at Target)
Funky jewelry — plastic bracelets
Chunky rings
Backpacks, multi-style and color
Large watches
Toms shoes — shoes that give back
Retro sunglasses
Trendy scarves (yes they are still in, and make great belts too.)
Ballet flats
Funky lunch bags — very eco-friendly. Think Green
Feather earrings and hair accessories
Crochet detailing
Blazers Now, you might be thinking… hmm, I need this list, not my kids, but it can be for moms and their kiddos! (Oh, and just in case you don't know about hair feathers, you should… the trend moved from magazines, to Hollywood, to edgy women, and now to our kids!)

Source: noellesalon.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
Now, let's get into some outfits. Here's the deal on where to shop… In case you missed the memo, department stores are back! I've read that, but I had to see it firsthand! JCPenney totally shocked me… My 9 year old LOVED the clothes and we did about 75% of our shopping there.

Source: jcpenney.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
Macy's has some super preppy styles, but also plenty of retro looks as well. How happy do these catalog kids look? (hehe)

Source: macys.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
I'm a layers junkie and this year all the stores are not letting me down. Now everyone knows that Gymboree is the king of too matchy matchy for me accessorized outfits, but did you know that their sister store Crazy 8 has some pretty cool fall looks? I love this outfit for my son Kade. Plaid shirt, cool graphic tee, and a puffy vest. I <3 vests!

Source: crazy8.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest

How do you feel about the return of Converse? Ok, I'll be honest… I'm a big fan of a solid color Chuck Taylor with a pair of jeans. Last year Kenz was rockin' out a black pair, but we might go a little crazier this year. Not quite this crazy. I'm not a bedazzled kind of gal, but if your kiddos are, Converse has some amazing ones!

Source: seventeen.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest

Now, what about if your kiddo has to wear a uniform?? I think they look adorable, but I know that kids still like to have some style of their own. The key to uniforms is accessories. Think belts, socks, hair bows, ties, and jewelry.

Source: gap.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
Even though my preschooler doesn't wear a uniform, I plan to order her some adorable hair accessories from Blossom Bands! Remember Bethany from her guest post? Well, click on her button on the sidebar to check out the adorableness that I'll be choosing from.

Source: littlelovely.typepad.com via Amy on Pinterest
Let's talk about socks for the little ladies. Little MisMatched has awesome socks! There was even a pair with sykscrapers on them!

Source: littlemissmatched.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
I also found a fabulous tutorial to make some adorable embellished knee socks. Check these beauties out…

Source: alisaburke.blogspot.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
There are about a million other cute trends, but I'm hoping you get the idea. Now, one last fashion tip… Don't let yourself be frumpy mom! This is the pot calling the kettle black, but it's something I at least try to work at. I work from home and have four kids. If that isn't a recipe for FRUMP, then I don't know what is. However, the days that I actually put an outfit on I feel so much better! I don't even mean fancy, I'm talking jeans and a tee if that's how you roll, but I'm convinced that I'm a better mom and wife when I'm not in my sweats all day. This outfit is simple and cute and I think the preschool moms would appreciate me showing up in this and not my sweats and the hub's old teeshirt.

Source: oldnavy.gap.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
So, go throw on a fun mom outfit and do some B2S shopping! Let us know what you find and where you shop!

And now for the EXCITING NEWS… We were told this weekend that we were nominated as finalists for CBS News' Best Blog of the Year for Philadelphia! Insane right? To win the final honor of MVB, we need you to vote for us! You can vote once a day now through September 9th, so please vote and tell your friends and family to do the same!

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?

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?

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bed Bath & Beyond. All opinions are 100% mine.

You know that around here we pretty much dance to our own beat and love to decorate with a fun, out of the box style…have you seen my Fabric Christmas Tree post or my new mid-century modern fireplace? So when Bed Bath & Beyond asked us to help them celebrate"Holiday Your Way", we knew it was a perfect fit.

Not only do they have helpful tips for how to decorate and prepare your home for the holiday season, but they also have great advice on making houseguests happy. We're all about entertaining and making sure our guests are having a good time, and have a cozy place to sleep and relax as well. Remember our friends guestroom we helped give a face lift to…

Now, not everyone has the time or space to do an entire room makeover. So, that's why Bed Bath & Beyond is here to help you figure out what you do need for your guests with the space you have with their guest room checklist. Of course you first want to welcome them with love and a cool door mat like this one from BB&B, which is actually made from recycled rubber tires!

I only wish I had come across their Holiday Your Way articles before hosting a huge crew for Thanksgiving. We had 12 people sleeping at our house, we hosted friends and family for dinner & games on Wed. night- 27 people, and hosted Thanksgiving for 17. It was awesome!! But, to make Christmas hosting ever better I've rounded up some ideas from Bed Bath & Beyond for ya!

One way to make your guests comfortable if you don't have a spare bed is with an air mattress, which BB&B has a great selection of. This AeroBed has a really nice pillow top and I can vouch for it's comfort because my in-laws own it and I've slept on it before.

I especially love their tip about color coordinating your guests' bath towels, this will come in handy if you have a packed house and would like your guests to keep track of which towel they are using. This set of Lasting Color Cotton Towels by WestPoint Home look so soft… and I'd love you to share if you have any tips for keeping/getting your towels extra soft. My cousin Jacqui has such soft towels every time we stay there. This past Thanksgiving when she was down visiting I actually re-washed about 10 towels, just to try and get them to seem extra soft right before she arrived. I think I'll be making a BB&B trip soon for new guest towels. So if you have any tips, send them my way.

When you have guests over it's not just about a cozy air mattress to sleep on and soft towels to use, but about keeping them entertained as well. Bed Bath & Beyond has a smart tip about making sure your guests have your WiFi password so they can use their own tablets or laptops, as well as showing them how to use and turn on your entertainment consoles. Our pal Ann Marie from White House Black Shutters made a super fun Wi-fi artwork so guests could look over and have the code, but strangers would never know what it was! Genius I tell ya! I could have used this over the holiday, because I think I gave out the wi-fi 30 times.

One other guest must-have is a Keurig; it's the best way to make sure everyone has the drink they like, how they like it. Eric loves pumpkin coffee, my mom decaf, my aunt tea, the kids cocoa… you get the idea. Did you know there's a Keurig espresso machine?

Isn't she pretty! I like my k-cup Keurig machine, but if you enjoy a nice cup of Italian espresso every now and then, why not!

Bed Bath & Beyond is a great place to go for tips to survive the holiday season if you're expecting a house full of guests. Stop by their Holiday Entertaining section for more advice on important things to know and prepare for like guests' food allergies, activities for the kids, and more. I was pleasantly surprised how fun and helpful their articles were!

So tell us, what are some surviving and enjoying the holiday tips you've learned throughout the years?

I love entertaining, but I'm always looking for ways to improve!

So, those of us in Bucks County know that we're going to be getting a visit from Hurricane Irene this weekend. Did you know that earlier in the week, we actually could feel a bit of the VA earthquake as well? Crazy times here in PA. Anyhow… today's fab find was going to be lots of fun ideas for going out and having a last hurrah before summer comes to a close (PA schools mainly head back to school this coming Monday)… but, since lil' old Irene decided to cross our path, I kind of changed my plans, because I don't want to be responsible for hundreds of people heading to the beach or something! So, here's the revised version!
Back to School Family Movie Night Let's start off the right way… how about a giveaway? Free 1 Night Redbox Rental Use the code: DVDONME

Did you know you can go online and reserve your Redbox ahead of time? I'm a big fan of this because the hubs and I can pick the movie together, rather than it being a total surprise for one of us (which only works out about 50% of the time!). There's one catch… you can't use a promo code online, so I just go online to see what's available, then send Eric to the kiosk with the code in hand. So, get online and pick a fun movie that the whole family will enjoy!
A Movie Night needs snacks right?
Well, how cool would you be if you let the kiddos help you make lots of fun varieties of popcorn? Remember the old school tins of popcorn that you used to get as a kid around Christmas? My brother always loved having a variety flavors and I always thought the popcorn tasted like cardboard! I promise these recipes will be much yummier! (Click on the picture below for the recipes)

Source: chickabug.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
You can keep this Movie Night simple or go all out with tickets, candy, props etc…

Source: partiesandholidays.blogspot.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
Either way, I'm sure your kids will love it and if Irene is crossing your path, hopefully everyone will be safe and have some fun memories of their Back to School Movie Night celebration!

P.S. Don't forget to VOTE for the CBS Blog of the Year Today!

Even though gold jewelry is back in style, a dated, brassy fireplace can put a major damper on the style of a room! Updating your fireplace can seem overwhelming, but let me tell you it's not as hard as it seems and if you're really determined (like me) you can get it done less than 24 hours!

Here's the story behind this makeover… One of my best gal pals was moving into a new house, so I trucked on down to Maryland to help move and to try to tackle a few fun projects. The fireplace wasn't even something they had thought of me working on, but the moment I walked in, it was SCREAMING for some DIY love from me.

Here's the order of my steps: 1- Whitewashed the brick2- Painted the mantle and built-ins3- Painted the brass surround****************************************** How to Whitewash Brick:

Whitewashing brick is really simple! You'll need an inexpensive paint brush, a plastic container, a rag, water, and paint. I mixed the paint and water with a ratio of 1 part paint to 3 parts water. If you want more coverage, increase your paint and for less coverage increase the water.

Start in one corner and work in small sections. Your paint mix will be really thin, so you'll want the rag in hand to catch any drips. Brush your paint mix on a 1x1 area and then immediately use your rag to rub it deeply into the brick and then remove any excess. The process goes really quickly, but I'll warn you it's a little messy. The grout can be a tad sandy, so you'll definitely need to vacuum when you're done. The whole fireplace and hearth took me less than 30 minutes. The difference in color is awesome!

After whitewashing and painting the shelves and mantle, it was time to get rid of that brass! My exact words to my gal pal Mandy were,"Do you trust me?" and I'm so glad she did! How to spray paint a brass fireplace surround: There are some key items you'll need to do this project right: Frog tape, craft paper, disposable plastic drop cloth, and Rust-oleum High Heat Ultra Spray Paint

We started off by taping off the brick right around the surround. Make sure that you get it as close as possible. We were lucky enough that the tape could slip behind the surround, so there was no chance of bleeding through. Once the edges are take care of, you'll want to use the craft paper and tape to make sure all of the brick is covered. It's sorta like wrapping a really big, awkward present!

Once the brick was covered, we cut a section from the plastic drop cloth and wrapped the mantle in it. We were really careful to make sure we'd taped it tightly, so no paint could sneak in.

For the glass doors, we used more tape and paper. I found that if I used a spatula, I could get the tape really close to the edges for a perfect, crisp look.

Now it was time for a little craziness… Making a spray paint cocoon! Since we were spraying in the house, we needed to seal off everything. Basically, I got in, and we sealed the drop cloth all around me. WARNING: the fumes will be very strong. I recommend a face mask. I didn't have one, so we used a towel.

Thankfully, this paint is awesome and doesn't require more than one solid coat. I, on the other hand, required about 3 showers before all the black paint was off my face and hands! It was totally worth it though!

Here's the finished product. Doesn't it look so much better?

I'd love to show you a perfectly styled mantle, and all the doors on, but we were on a tight time schedule, and I had to get back to PA. So this was DIY on the fly!

I was so pleased with the update and loved that the entire project took about 4 hours of work time and cost less than $30.00! If you have a fireplace that you were wishing you could change, I totally recommend doing it yourself! The impact it can have on a space is incredible! And if you missed it, Jess transformed her fireplace with some paint and a stencil this past summer. Two updates= no excuses not to get rid of those dated fireplaces, people!

And, I just have to add, that only only is Mandy one of my very favorite people in the entire world, she's all a rockin' sponsor of this very blog!! She's our Thirty-One Gift's Consultant and hooks up our readers for all kinds of giveaways and deals! Christmas is coming people, head over to Mandy's website HERE and check out the awesome products they have in the current catalog! I'm so loving the new Metro bags! Tell me, do you or someone you love have an outdated fireplace that's in need of an intervention?
**UPDATE 7/13/13: Due to the popularity of this post and lots of reader questions, I thought I'd answer a few of the common questions here.Q: What kind of paint did you use on the brick? A: We just used white paint we had on hand. It was eggshell and worked fine. I really think any finish would work okay because you're watering it down anyhow.
Q: What color did you use on the mantle and shelves? A: Ahh! I wish I knew! I am calling my friend now and will see if she still has the can. I do know it was from Lowes: )