My Creative Blog [Search results for Follow on Facebook] 

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?

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Our readers are seriously amazing! You guys have helped me out with two major design decisions in the past few weeks. I promise I'll update you about the family room wall stenciling soon, but Mr. Berkus has been keeping me away from that project. However, even being busy and sick, couldn't keep me away from my Granny Frames Gallery!

You all had so many awesome ideas and gave me great inspiration! I particularly loved this picture that Cori shared with me on Facebook. The colors of those spools are pretty spot on for the colors in the room now!

Here's the comment that did it for me though…

Tracie, who blogs over at Cleverly Inspired, gave me a total"Ah-ha" moment! About a year and a half ago, when I was initially planning out my dining room, I fell completely IN LOVE with this buffet that I found on Google images (remember life before Pinterest??) I tracked down the source and found an adorable blog called The Way We Are.

I love this more than I can even tell you! But, the hubs was sorta feeling like we'd be having St. Patrick's Day every day, so I went a different direction and began my love affair with yellow.
Now, thanks to Tracie's comment I realize that I don't have to let go of the green completely. In fact, the vases I already have in the room marry the two quite nicely!

I was a little unsure about the color of this spray paint since the lid is a wee bit bright, but gave it a try…

I know some people are all into gold right now (and I'm liking it too), but for this room I'm going green!

Holy Moly- I'm in love! Okay, since I'm slowly but surely learning life lessons, I'm actually not going to rush and hang these while they're still dripping wet! I actually think I might be distressing the green a bit with some stain as well. I hope to have the whole project completed by Saturday. So look for a final reveal on Monday!
******************************* Now, since we mentioned our shopping excursion last night on Facebook, we thought we'd give you a sneak peek of what we're thinking of wearing. Of course we both got two options, and we'll make a game-time decision. Jess' Outfit Choices… The hangers aren't doing the outfits justice, but they look super cute on!

Jess is leaning towards the dark blue shirt- it's my fav!

Monica's Outfit Choices This one is the one I'm leaning towards, but it's hard to see in pics. It's like sheer knit-lacy combo… It surprised me that I liked it on. I'm kinda Plain Jane.

This is my safe option. I love the birds and can live with the flowers.

We'll let you know what we decided and of course we'll take tons of pics to keep you updated on our final NYC taping. Thanks again for all of your input with the Granny Frames!

P.S. If you don't follow us on Facebook, I'm pretty sure you should!: ) We'll update lots of fun Nate"inside info" there tomorrow! Go HERE to like RHBC!

I've already confessed to you that yard work is not really my thing. I pay way more attention to the inside of my house, and tend to neglect the outside. Unfortunately, my hubs isn't really into working outside either. But, I started to feel really bad for our neighbors because the front of our house was sooooo not welcoming. A few years ago, right before my daughter was born, I had Kevin paint the shutters and front door of our home a nice neutral brown. It was a major improvement over the faded blue that was there when we bought it, and for awhile, I liked the look. But not anymore. Now that I know what style I'm going for in my house, it wasn't fitting the bill. Not unique enough, not coastal/cottagey enough and not"me" anymore.

Oh did I forget to mention that we also have a jungle of a flower bed right outside our front door? Ugh. This flower bed is the bane of my existance. It's very large and overgrown with weeds. I figured that if we were going to add some curb appeal, the weeds had to go. We'd really like to put some low ground cover (suggestions, anyone?) in the entire bed so that we don't have to worry about it too much, but for now, we did some much needed cleaning out.

Our house is only about 15 years old, but the paint was peeling badly on the columns, so we added that to the facelift list.

It really just didn't scream,"Hi! Come on in!", did it?

I had slowly been accumulating paint chips to find the best front door color, and finally narrowed it down to Deepest Aqua by Glidden. Since I got my paint at Home Depot, I had them color match it for me in Behr Ultra Exterior Paint + Primer (you can see the code below, if you're interested!). I chose Behr Ultra Exterior Paint +Primer in Dark Granite for the shutters. No joke, this paint was amazing! It went on soooo smooth and covered really well on the first coat. I highly recommend it! We ended up only doing two coats, and they look perfect.

All of the trim on the porch and both columns got a fresh coat of white paint, as well.

I'm so impatient that I had to snap a picture of the house after the door was painted but before the shutters were painted. Loved it immediately. That blue is spot on and the perfect color for my front door.

I had Kevin take the door knob off because it had seen better days, and sprayed it with a dark bronze hammered metal spray paint. What? You don't spray paint on an old tree stump? Why ever not?!: )

That simple step made a world of a difference, and was free, since I had the spray paint already. Score!

After weeding, painting, spray painting and a lot of sweating, here's how the house looks now:

The house feels more calm to me, if that makes any sense at all. And the colors make our house look more white, when actually it's an off-white, pale yellow. I'm a big fan of that, as it was completely unplanned!

We didn't take down our shutters, because they're a bear to do so. My hubs just used a step ladder and his mad painting skills to get them done.

To dress up the porch a bit, I brought my DIY floor mat from the kitchen out. I was never really a huge fan of it in the kitchen, and with the addition of my new rug, I liked it even less. It matches perfectly out front, so there it sits! Much better.

This chair was one of my grandma's (I have two of them) and a while ago I spraypainted them in Krylon Pimento Red. I thought it would be fun to paint our house number on the back of the chair, but before I commited I wrote it on with chalk. One of these days I'll get around to painting it for real…or maybe not.

I'm really digging the non-traditional mix of these colors.

I'm planning a few more little touches to the front door and then I can't wait to get my Fall on in the next few weeks!

And just for posterity's sake, let's take one last look at the before and after:

Can I get woot-woot?!: )
Are you guys into working outside? What can you recommend for the giant weed-fest going on in my front bed? P.S. Do you follow us on Facebook? If not, you totally should because we're always posting in-process pics and teasers about the projects we have going on. Plus, you'll get an inside look at our craziness!: )

Recent Facebook Spoilers

The weather is finally warming up and I feel like summer is right around the corner! I thought I'd invite you over to my awesome yard and beautiful patio furniture! Doesn't it look welcoming and just scream, let's drink some lemonade?

Oh, and how rude of me, I need to offer you a comfy seat!

No… you don't want to come? You don't want to get rust all over your clothes? Hmm…
Okay, so clearly I had two choices… buy a new set or figure out an update on a budget. You may or may not know that I have a BIG project up my sleeve (a new paver patio coming soon!) so I didn't want to spend much $$$ on the table and chairs. I turned to my go-to solution… Spray Paint! Looking a wee bit more inviting wouldn't you say?

Here's how the transformation happened… First, I removed the legs of the table. Not sure it was ever meant to come off, but after removing some screws and jiggling it a bit we had it off. This would allow me to paint the base and not the underside of the glass.

Next, I needed to cover the glass top, so it didn't turn red. I turned to Scotch Blue painter's tape. If I have a job where I need the tape to really stick well, but NOT pull off paint, I use Scotch Blue. I had to use little pieces to get around the curves, but it was worth it to get a nice, crisp edge.

Then, I needed to cover up the glass in the middle, so I took trash bags, cut them along the seams so I could flatten them out.

Then, I tape it down on the table. I had some weird open areas, so I patched holes with scrap paper. It looks pretty fancy doesn't it?

I painted it on a sheet, so I didn't make my grass red (not that I haven't done that 100 times before)

Since I knew this furniture was going to take a beating, I opted for Valspar's Outdoor spray paint.

The improvement was instant! I was so excited as soon as the base was started!

Next, came the chairs, and again it was instant improvement! I used a little steel wool on really rusty spots, but other than that didn't do any other prep. It was really quick and simple!

I originally thought I'd go with solid grey cushions, but these striped ones from Target's spring line caught my eye ($12 each). They're a perfect match!

This Before and After makes me happy (and apparently my chairs too!)

All ready for a fun get together! Now let's play I SPY… what's missing in this picture? Yup, 5 more cushions. They're still"In Transit" from Target.

The total cost for this project was $30. I used 2 cans of red and 5 cans of blue. I know it won't last for five years or anything, but I'll definitely get another year or two out of them.
I've learned something from this experience… if you own nice outdoor furniture, cover it up in really bad weather. So that you don't have to learn the hard way, like I did, we're giving away a $75 Gift Certificate to Empire Patio Covers They sell covers to fit everything from tables and chairs, to grills, fire pits, etc. My fire pit always got rusty without a cover.

To Enter: Comment on this post with the words"Empire Patio" Bonus Entry: Like us on Facebook leave a comment letting us know Bonus Entry: Visit Empire Patio and tell us in another comment what product you need the most on their site Giveaway Closes: Friday, May 18th at 11:59pm. Winner will be announced on Saturday. Details: One winner. Prize ships to the US and Canada. One entry per email address. Winner is selected through random.org

So there you have it. A patio update on a tiny budget. For $30, I couldn't be happier with the results.
So, now do you want to come over?

I don't know about you, but I'm itching to Fall-ify my home. You know that"let's get cozy, wear sweatshirts and bring out the pumpkins" feeling? Yeah, I have it. One of the major focal points for seasonal decor in our house is our fireplace and mantel, which I decided to give a little makeover before bringing out my Fall stuff. All it takes is chalk paint, a stencil and a lot of patience. I originally posted this project a few weeks ago over at Infarrantly Creative, but have been dying to share it with you! I can't believe how much I love my fireplace now, and I think you will too.

I'm not going to lie, this was not an easy project. In fact, it took me at least 6 hours of painting and stenciling, but it was so totally worth! Here'e what you need to do: 1. Prep your fireplace. Remember my peach marble tile fireplace surround that I hated? Yuk. I first painted it with Annie Sloan chalk paint that I got from Shaunna who writes Perfectly Imperfect and sells AS paint, but before I did that, I wiped it down with a damp cloth to remove and dirt, dust and soot.

2. Choose your paint. I used Annie Sloan's chalk paint in Pure White and French Linen. Man, I am in love with this stuff! It adheres to any surface- even marble!- with no trouble. Just a quick word about fire safety: we don't use our fireplace, so I wasn't worried about whether or not it was flammable, but be sure to check your paint if you have an active fireplace.

3. Brush your base coat onto the surround. I used Pure White and it took 2 coats to get even coverage. I recruited my hubs to do this part, since, let's be honest, painting trim is not my strong suit and I'll take help when I can get it!

4. Place your stencil in the upper corner of the surround. Adjust the stencil sheet and check to make sure it's level, then tape it in place with painters tape. If you want to use a spray adhesive (which I didn't), spray it on the back of the stencil and place it down evenly. I highly recommend using the adhesive for this job, because it took me a loooong time to get clean lines without it. (We have an awesome tutorial on stenciling must-haves if you need help with this!)

5. Begin stenciling. The trick to stenciling without any bleeding is to off-load your brush properly. After dipping into the paint, dab it onto absorbant paper towels, or cardboard until it there is very little paint on the brush. Both my stencil (Beehive Furniture Stencil) and brush are from Royal Design Studio, and they are excellent quality, which makes the job go much smoother.

I had to do two to three coats for every stencil to get the coverage I was looking for. Words can not express the excitement of pulling back that very first stencil. Go ahead- try it and tell me that's not true.

Once the paint is dry, realign the stencil, level it and keep on moving! You might want to turn on some music, because you'll be doing this for a while.: )

At the end of the first night, here's what I had accomplished. Ugh. I saved the hard parts for last. Yippee!

6, Cut your stencil to fit the corners and edges. Oh, this part is so hard, because as I was cutting my stencil, I was envisioning all the projects I could do with it go right down the drain. But, it's absolutely crucial to cut the stencil if you want clean, crisp lines all the way around.

7. Touch up any paint bleeds with a small fine-tipped paint brush…or toothpick, in my case. No matter how good you are at stenciling, there will always be some bleeding. It's easy to touch it up with the base paint color and a steady hand. No one will be the wiser!

8. Finally, wax it and you're done! You'll want to add some kind of protective finish, and I used Annie Sloan soft wax, which was formulated to work with chalk paint. After all that hard work, you'll want a force field surrounding this thing, but wax will have to do.

Step back, grab a drink and enjoy your pretty new fireplace surround!

I love love love it, and am already planning a room makeover based on this fireplace!

If you want a cheap project that will instantly give your room a facelift, this one is for you. Showstopping material, folks!
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In other news, if you follow us on facebook (if you don't, you totally should) you know that I finally entered the year 2012 and have a new HTC OneX smartphone. This thing is amazing and I can't wait to share with you how it has made my life soooo much easier, but for now I'm totally loving Instagram, and would be thrilled if you decided to follow me!

Monica has been on Instagram for quite a while now, but if you don't already follow her, add her to your list too!

We'll give you lots of sneak peeks at our current projects, as well as fun insights into our daily lives and what makes us tick. We promise.: )

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So, is your fireplace screaming for a makeover?
Would you ever paint it??
Linking up to: Tutorials & Tips

I don't know about where you live, but here in PA, September was the most beautiful month ever! We had more perfect days than we could count! We just LOVE fall weather! We thought we'd look back over the month, because a whole lot of awesomeness was going on!
September's Instagram… As you can see, I'm really enjoying my time off from filming! Our days have been spent going on field trips, picnics at the lake, girl's night out, and of course puppies!! Follow along my day to day on IG @EastCoastCreative

Jess' September revolved around the new little man on the scene- Bennett. Her days off have been filled with lots of family time, a date night with her hubs, and celebrating that her rings fit again! lol. Follow her on IG @Jess_EC2blog

Okay, now let's see what went down on the blog…

Reader Survey We had so much fun reading through all your comments and input for EC2. Definitely check out the stats and see who reads this little old blog. (PS you'll also learn that men are afraid to admit they love reading blogs! )

We shared the inside scoop on many of our Knock It Off Projects: Stencil Wall, How to Remove Wallpaper, Dreary to Cheery, Outdoor Sectional,
If you've missed any episodes of our show… watch them here! Knock it Off: LiveWell Network

We were pretty excited that Silhouette offered to partner with us to give you guys a sweet deal on their cutting machines! Check out this post to get your Silhouette Discount

Perhaps the biggest accomplishment of this month… The Arrival of Baby Bennett! The little man made an early appearance and Jess and Kev are loving up every minute with him! He's totes adorbs people! Check out the adorable pics of Baby Bennett, And you MUST check out his awesome Nursery Reveal

We started a fun series called Right Now…What's Going on in Our World where I shared a behind the scenes peek at what's going on. And yes, it involves insane animal cuteness!! Check it out!

One of my favorite things this month was adding a New East Coast Creative Team Member! Diana is our new intern and she rocks socks!! Seriously, she is doing an amazing job, and it's been super good timing with Jess having the baby.

One majorly exciting milestone for us was having a nice, big feature of my piano in HGTV Mag. Check out the details: Painted Piano HGTV Magazine Feature, And if you want to see how I did it, check out our Painted Piano Project, and the Wood Shim Wall Art above it!

And if you didn't already know we are a tad crazy (well at least the Mangin family is), we went way, way outside the box with my How to Cut a Perfect Mohawk using Frog Tape post. He's still rockin' the 'hawk two months later!
So, all-in-all, I think September was pretty stinkin' swell! Oh, but lest you think otherwise, October just might have it beat!! Here's a peek at what you can expect… -Blog redesign & we're moving!! (to Wordpress that is!) -10,000 Facebook Fan Celebration Giveaway! -We're visiting Martha (umm, yeah THE MARTHA!) in NYC -A Playroom Makeover on a budget -Fall Decorating ideas for indoors and out!
As always, thanks for supporting EC2- we couldn't do it without you!

Let me tell you, it is so bizarre to actually have a post about something I did at my own house these days. The last little project we tackled was our front porch makeover and I was so inspired by that, that I decided to add some backyard appeal to my deck. There are many issues with this deck, but let's just start with this one little area:

First of all that window is in desperate need of love and attention. Secondly, there is absolutely no style to this area of the deck and thirdly, man, that deck needs power washing! Even though I knew I couldn't squeeze in power-washing, I had some pretty cute ideas to spruce this spot up and make at least one area of the deck look nice! Feast your eyes on this area now…

This is a two-step project: the shutters and the window box. I'll break each one down for you. Neither of them are difficult- you should be able to do this in only one day! Here's what you need:
For shutters: (6) 1x4 pine boards Liquid Nails (8) 4 inch decking screws (8) 1.25 inch nails Chop saw 3M Wood Filler 3M Sandblaster Bare Surfaces Sanding pad Exterior Paint
For Window Box: (1) 1x10 board (3) terra cotta pots ScotchBlue Painters Tape Drill Jigsaw (2) wooden brackets Spraypaint Exterior paint 3M Sandblaster Bare Surfaces Sanding Pad ScotchBlue™ Non-Slip Dropcloth

DIY Window Shutters Ok, let's start with those pretty shutters, shall we? I already mentioned that I bought six pine 1x4 boards. This should be enough for the vertical slats and the short horizontal cross pieces for your shutters, but check your measurements before you buy these in case your window size is different from mine.

1. Measure the height of your window and make sure to include any trim or framework around it. My shutters are the same exact height of the window- no more and no less.

2. Cut wood to size using a chop saw. My hubs tried out these Digital Worktunes Hearing Protectors from 3M and was in love. He's such a music guy and the fact that he could listen to his mp3 player while working made the fact that I was making him work after a 12 hour car ride home from vacation a little more bearable.: ) Oh yeah, my boards were 36 3/4 long, but again, measure your window first! I liked the look of three boards across, so I measured the width of those three boards to determine the width of my cross piece. It ended up being 10.5 inches, so he cut those too.

Looking pretty good so far!

3. Attach the three vertical boards together by running liquid nails along the sides. Clamp together and let dry.
4. Measure the distance of the cross pieces from the top and bottom. I liked the look of 4 inches, so we made a mark on each side.

5. Put liquid nails on the back of your cross piece and attach to boards. Clamp and let dry.

6. Because we didn't want to see any pesky nails, we decided to nail the cross piece in from the back. Once your liquid nails has dried enough, you should be able to easily flip it over and hammer in a few nails to make the entire shutter secure.

7. Paint them your desired color. We painted the shutters the same color that we used on the shutters on the front of the house. (Sorry no picture of this! It was getting dark and we were being dive bombed by beetles. Gross.)
8. Hang shutters on either side of the window with 4 inch decking screws. Fill in screws with wood filler, sand and touch up with paint. Voila! Cute new shutters that were super easy to build!

DIY Window Box I'm not sure that you can technically call this a window box, since, um, there is no box. But it has the look of a window box without having to build one and lets you play with some pretty terra cotta pots!
1. Measure the width of your window to determine the length of your 1x10 board. I actually had this piece of barn wood laying around in my garage…go figure!; ) Cut using a chop saw. \

2. Evenly space your pots on the board and place an"x" through the hole in each pot. Then, double-check your marks with a tape measure to be sure they're evenly spaced.

3. Figure out the diameter of the area under the lip of the pot (that way the pot will sit in the hole but not fall through). Divide that number by two (oops! Did I forget to mention there was math involved?) and make marks that distance all the way around the center point. For example, the diameter of my pot under the lip was five inches, so I divided by two and got 2.5 inches. Each mark is exactly 2.5 inches away from the center point. Got it?

4. Using a large drill bit, drill a hole at the center point. Make it large enough so that the jigsaw blade will be able to fit in there. Cut out the entire circle with the jigsaw. Repeat on the other holes.

5. For the pots, I went with a two-tone look. First I sprayed two of the pots with a terracotta red (I know, ironic. Why not just keep it the terra cotta color, you ask? It wasn't perfect. So there.) The other pot, I sprayed a really light aqua blue. Let dry completely.

6. Then I taped off the bottom of the pots using the ScotchBlue™ Painter's Tape. I had such good luck with it on my front porch that I knew it would do the trick! I sprayed the lip of each pot in the opposite color and let dry. I peeled the tape off and was thrilled with the result! What's nice about this tape is that it didn't pull any of the spray paint off of the pot even though it has been sticky hot here!

7. Paint the shelf and brackets the same color as the shutters. Attach brackets to the siding and then screw the board right into the brackets on the top. Add your pots and flowers and you're done!
Now, for the gratuitous beauty shots. C'mon, if you look this good, you're allowed to show it off.: )

Don't forget to follow ScotchBlue™

on all their media outlets to stay in the loop on their latest and greatest products!

Visit ScotchBlue™ Painter's Tape Brand on Facebook! ScotchBlue™ Painter's Tape Brand Pinterest page

ScotchBlue™ Painter's Tape Twitter Page

I'm super thrilled with these two projects and how they cheered up this sad deck. What do you think?

This post is a collaboration with ScotchBlue™ Painter's Tape, but all words and opinions are my own

Time for Our Big Announcement!
Here's the deal, plain and simple. We've been contacted by NBC Universal, which owns Bravo and all of The Real Housewives Shows… Guess what?? The want to do a show about us! KIDDING! Nope, they actually contacted us because they want us to cease and desist… that means stop using Real Housewives in our name. Major Bummer. Although in 2012 Jess and I did make a goal of talking behind each others' backs, wearing tighter, low cut clothing, and making millions of dollars, we're sort of lost as to the"possible confusion" that NBC was worried about with this little old DIY blog.
Well, we've talked about it, prayed about it, sought legal advice, and in the end we decided it's not worth the huge costs we'd incur to keep our beloved"Real Housewives of Bucks County" name. (We technically could try and fight this one under fair use law, but we're not looking for a battle)
Of course we're"Look on the Brightside Girls" so we're going to make the most of this re-branding! We're looking for a new name that totally reflects our personality and style. Who knows us better than YOU, our readers? So we need your help!

Pin It So, start thinking! We want our Facebook, comments, and email flooded with amazing ideas from you. Honestly, Jess and I just keep saying RHBC in our heads because it's been our baby for the past 12 months. We totally need your creative help in this process.
Here's How we Need Your Help: #1- Tell us you'll still love us even as"the bloggers formally known as The Real Housewives!" #2- Share ANY and all name ideas with us through comments, Facebook, or email (don't worry about us not liking it, we want to hear any ideas!) #3- Consider sharing our dilemma on your blog, or Facebook… the more help the merrier!
**Update: We love the ideas we're getting so far. Some of them are cracking us up! We just wanted to let you know that we plan to move away from"housewives" at all… just to be on the safe side. So keep the fab. ideas coming!**
Just keeping it real, of course we're nervous about this change over. We've worked really hard this past year, and a little piece of us is worried about losing readers, people not being able to find us etc… BUT, we're trusting that this will work out for good and who knows, maybe even catapult us towards awesome new opportunities!
Thanks so much and sorry we didn't have some awesome announcement like our own show! Ha! We're still workin' on that one!

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

Are you looking for the link party for your Creating with the Stars submission? Yay! We're thrilled to have you! Click here or use the button below to link up. Submissions are now open until February 21st. If you want to read more about the contest and all that it entails, click here.

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*THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED*
Wow, two awesome giveaways in one week! We love it when that happens! A while ago I posted about my Instagram frame and a few other options to display your favorite IG photos. Nate emailed me shortly after asking me if I had ever heard of InstaThis, a brand new company that takes your Instagram photos and prints them directly onto wood or acrylic for a really unique piece of art. We checked it out immediately and thought it was so cool. What better way to introduce you to a new awesome company than to do a giveaway?!!

Of course, we never like to do giveaways unless we personally have tried the product so that we know we're promoting good stuff to you guys. It's important to us that the products we introduce to you are quality, and let me tell you I was thrilled with this one.

I ordered one of my fav pics of the hubs and me and decided on the wood option and it turned out beautifully. The photo is printed directly onto the birch wood so that you can still see the grain of the wood. It creates a really awesome effect that looks much more like a piece of art, instead of just a plain old picture.

It also comes with all the mounting hardware you need and a custom slot in the back that allows for easy adjusting and hanging. I love that feature.

I'm super happy with my print and love that it gives me just one more way to use my instagram photos in my home. I haven't decided where I'm going to hang it but for now, it's sitting pretty in my dining room.

One lucky reader will win (one) 12x12 print from InstaThis!
The giveaway will be open until midnight on Monday, February 11th. The winner will be revealed on Tuesday, February 12th. To enter:
1."Like" us on facebook! 2."Like" InstaThis on Facebook 3.Leave a comment telling us what photo you would print and why!
All three of these are mandatory. Thanks!

*THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED* Use the code ECC15 for 15% off your order! Offer is valid until March 1, 2013 And oh yeah, we'd LOVE for you to follow along on our Instagram journeys, Eastcoastcreative and Jess_EC2blog. We promise, it's pretty darn fun.; )

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One last thing! Thanks to everyone who entered the In or Out Media giveaway earlier this week! We have a winner.: )

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This post was sponsored by InstaThis , who provided us with our wooden prints and whose concept and mission we love. All thoughts and opinions were our own and we'd like to thanks InstaThis for providing a special discount code for our EC2 readers!

We promised that during our maternity leave from filming (I love getting a maternity leave without having to have a baby btw) that we'd do a whole bunch of things, and one of them was letting you have more little peeks into our real life happenings. With that in mind, we proudly introduce… Right Now a series that we'll do monthly… well actually, basically whenever we feel like it.

So, here's what's going on in my world right now…
Loving: This amazing fall weather we're having here on the East Coast. Mid 70s during the day and cool, crisp nights!! It's the best sleeping weather ever! September is probably my favorite month of the year and I'm so thrilled to have some time off to enjoy it! Reading: Last night I finished reading Gone Girl. Thanks so so many of you for giving me book recommendations on Facebook! I liked it, but didn't over the top love it. I'm not sure what about it is keeping me from giving it an A+. If you read it, tell me what you liked/didn't like. I'd love to hear!

Waiting For: This weekend, but not excitedly… you probably know we breed Bernese Mountain Dogs with our dog Pennlyn. Well, this weekend the puppies leave and go to their new homes. I LOVE the families that we chose to adopt, but it will be super sad to see them go and I will have 4 miserable kiddos for a few days!

Excited About: A few things… Sunday we're going pumpkin picking and on a hayride with a bunch of our friends!! Our ABC/Live Well Network Season 1 Wrap party for our show- this Thursday night we'll all be celebrating the end of a successful first season. I'm still trying to figure out what to wear… Ugh!!

Trying To: Eat healthier and work out regularly. This is not my favorite thing, nor something I'm good at! But I have a goal of Oct 23rd, and hopefully will come away from this"maternity leave" happier and healthier. Working On: Communicating better with my oldest daughter…my mini-me. We kinda butt heads a lot. She's strong willed and I'm the queen of strong wills and well, let's just say I'm working on it. I want to figure out the best, most effective way to parent her.

Enjoying: The 3 hours each day that I have the house to myself, but then I'm also really enjoying the after pre-school, few hours before naptime that it's just Callen and me. It's really fun and nice to have 1:1 time! Using: Tons and tons of Chapstick!! I'm on a medication that makes me have crazy dry lips, so It's me and chapstick 24-7. Wearing: I'm totally in mom mode and usually wear sweats and my favorite Northface sweatshirt almost every day. What's the point in looking cute, if I'm gonna work out at night?!? Planning: I'm working on and planning my kids' playroom makeover. I totally struggle with designing my own rooms lately! I'm cool doing rooms for other people, but if I'm spending my own money I want to love it. GAH! It's killing me!

Needing: To find a good recipe today that uses a million veggies, bc I have a ton that will go bad soon if I don't use them!! Learning: How to think more before I talk (but don't hold your breath Eric, it's a slow learning process!) Struggling With: Church. We're kind of in this place where we're wondering where's a good fit for us. We've been at the same church for 16 years (and it's a wonderful church! Check it out HERE), but we just want to make sure it's right for us and we're not just there bc it's what we've always done. But, at the same time we're not sure what will be exactly right- it's tricky!

Listening To: The"Sister of the Year" CD mix made for my by my little brother (well, he's 26, not all that little, but little to me). He has the best taste in music and makes me mixes that have tons of songs that are cool well before they become cool. It's a good thing I have him, bc otherwise I'd never have even a sliver of cool within me when it comes to new music. Product I'm in Love With: My Kreg Jig- hubs used it yesterday to build new benches for our outdoor farmhouse table! Doing: Working down my to-do list for the day. I've committed to today being uber productive! (Up next, responding to emails, then making soup, then putting away all Cal's fall clothes) Dreaming Of: Taking another trip to Europe or somewhere amazing with my hubs. Last year at this time, we were counting down the days for our London and Paris trip.

This concludes this first edition of Right Now. I hope you enjoyed my ramblings or at least tolerated them! Want more of our day to day ongoings? Follow us on Instagram! Monica- @Eastcoastcreative Jess- @Jess_EC2blog What are you doing, loving, reading, or dreaming of right now?

Looking for the top 12 contestant announcement for Creating with the Stars? You can find them, the awesome projects that earned them a spot and their amazing blog star partners here. Don't forget to like us on facebook and follow us on Twitter @EC2blog for all the up-to-date info and juicy details!

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I'm so excited to show you guys the first step I took in making our living room jive with the attached dining room. This project is super simple, easy on the wallet and totally customizable! Love that.

We're both huge fans of Ikea. I mean, really, who doesn't love cheap, Swedish, hard-to-pronounce and even-harder-to-put-together furniture? I purchased this chair for the my living room, but the scale of it just wasn't right. It really needed something to help fill the space, and I thought an ottoman would do the trick nicely. While at IKEA, I came across this LACK side table which is only 10 bucks (depending on the finish you choose), and knew it would work as an ottoman that could fill the void in my living room. Round up the following supplies and let's get started!
Lack side table 1 1/2 yards of fabric 1 1/2 yards of quilt batting- Look for a coupon or a sale on this! Foam (mine is 2 inches thick)- Don't buy without a coupon! Staple Gun Spray adhesive Paint (optional) Chop saw (optional)

1. Lay the table top upside down on the foam and trace it using a Sharpie.

2. Cut the foam with an electric carving knife. I saw the girls at JoAnn's doing this, and let me tell you, the foam cuts like butter when you do it this way! If you don't have one, use an X-acto knife or razor.

3. Spray one side of the foam with adhesive and press it firmly onto the table top.

4. Grab your helper and lay the foam-covered table top onto the quilt batting and trim the excess. Make sure you leave enough batting around the edges to cover the sides of the table. (Adorable little helper is optional.)

5. Using your staple gun, fold one corner in towards the middle of the table and staple into place. Work your way around the table pulling tight on the batting and stapling as you go. Use a hammer to wack any stubborn staples into place. I've always wanted to use"wack" in a sentence. Check that off the bucket list.

6. Iron your fabric so you don't have to deal with any annoying wrinkles. Or ignore this step if wrinkles don't drive you nuts. If they don't, I envy you. Please tell me your secret.

7. Determine the placement of your fabric and trim the excess, but be generous with your cuts so that you have enough to go all the way around. Working the same way as with the batting, start with the corner and fold towards the middle. Staple in place. Work your way around, pulling the fabric tight. Every once in a while, flip the top over so you can make adjustments to the placement of the fabric if necessary (and it will be necessary, trust me!)

8. This step is completely optional, as well. I wanted the ottoman to be a bit lower than the height of the seat of the chair, so I used a chop saw to cut about 3 inches off of all four legs. Surprise! Ikea table legs are hollow! I guess that's how they keep the price at $10. *Wink*

9. To achieve a similar finish to the chair, I used two coats of Annie Sloan Chalk paint in French Linen, then lightly spray painted them with Valspar Satin in La Fonda.

That's it! For under $25, I have an adorable ottoman that helps ground the chair in my living room, adds additional seating (yes! You can sit on it!), and a comfy place to put your feet up at the end of the day. I call that a win-win.

I'm super happy with the finished product, and love that I can easily change the fabric when I get tired of this one. I mean, let's be honest, that WILL happen at some point, knowing me, and when it does, it won't break the bank to recover it! Woohoo!
To see these other projects in the living room, click below:

Planked Wall with Exposed Studs Stenciled Faux-Tile Fireplace
Have a happy Tuesday!

Wow, here we are just 2 years after we started East Coast Creative and we're celebrating 10,000 fans on Facebook! It has been quite a ride for us, from working with The Nate Show to now filming our own TV show Knock it Off! Honestly, we never could have imagined any of this and we couldn't have done any of it without the support of our amazing followers!
To celebrate and thank all of you, we put together a pretty fantastic giveaway. We wish we could give each and every one of you a prize, but in the end there will only be three winners. Bummer, but awesome at the same time!
The grand prize winner will receive a $200 gift card to Wayfair.com.

Whether you need a new bedroom set, coffee table, or a few picture frames, chances are Wayfair.com has what you're looking for. (I just ordered awesome wallpaper and can't wait for it to arrive!) They also have Halloween decor if you're still looking for fun ways to decorate, plus you can get a head start on your Christmas decor shopping as well! Be sure to enter below for your chance at winning a $200 gift card to Wayfair if you're in the market for new home decor.

The second winner will receive $50 to Royal Design Studio Stencils (you know how we love RDS stencils!), $50 to Gussy Sews Shop, and $35 to Vintage Vinyl Journals.

After receiving great feedback on the colorful stenciled accent wall we did on an episode of Knock it Off, we thought a Royal Design Studio Stencils gift card would be perfect for our readers. If you win you'll be able to create you're own accent wall, now don't forget to come back and share your design with us!
At Gussy Sews Shop you'll find an array of adorable handmade tote bags, diaper bags, zip pouches that are great for your makeup and sunglasses and crocheted infinity cowl scarves like the one seen here. Be sure to follow along on Gussy's blog for new product, sales, and a behind the scenes look at her busy, but inspirational life that includes her hubby and adorable baby boy.

Do you have a bunch of unplayable vinyl records just sitting around? Well, local Pennsylvania artist Katie, over at Vintage Vinyl Journals, figured out how to repurpose her scratched collection and turned them into something creative and useful again. She has classics like Sinatra, Elvis, and the Beatles, but can also customize gifts if you're looking for newer artists like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, or Beyonce. Stop by her site for updates on new journals as well as local shows she'll be selling at.

Last, but certainly not least, the third winner will receive $50 to Frog Prince Cake & Cookie Design (she did all the desserts for our KIO Premiere Party!), a Mila Rose Designs headband that sells for $32.00, and $100 to HorseFeathers Gifts!

Remember Linda from Frog Prince Cake & Cookie Design, who made these amazing mini tool cookies for our premiere party and you might recognize her from an episode of Knock it Off — that's where we met her! Well, now she will make customized cookies for you if you win the $50 gift card to her cake and cookie shop! Please note, she is asking for 4 weeks notice on any order.
Can you believe this cute floral headband from Mila Rose Designs is handmade? Melis has a beautiful collection of headbands, turbands, bows and more. She is currently running a sale for the month of October for Breast Cancer Awareness on a selection of pink bands and head scarves with 20% of the proceeds going to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Whether your country chic or just looking for accessories that inspire you, HorseFeathers Gifts has what you're looking for. They are a mother daughter duo who hand create all of their unique designs and feature a selection of jewelry that gives back to amazing charities. My two daughters are crazy about these bracelets!
We can't thank you enough for all of your support, from the very beginning days of our blog to now watching our TV show. We appreciate every comment, email, and like! Enter below for your chance to be one of three lucky winners, each will be selected randomly.

One thing to remember with Rafflecopter… you have to do each entry task before you can click the green button to earn the entry. Clicking the button doesn't LIKE the page for you. And we're super excited about some new IG followers, so be sure to get that extra entry!! Thanks!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

If we win, Homes.com will give Worthwhile Wear Five Thousand Buckaroos! For a new organization like theirs, that could be a major game changer and we really hope we can win it for them! (If you want to skip the project and just vote you can! lol Click HERE to Vote)
You can read all about our project first, but then you have to pinky promise to follow the voting directions at the bottom of the post okay? Ok! Thanks!
Wood Shim Wall Art I (Monica) have had this project in my mind for a few months now. It was inspired by a printed pattern I had seen in the window of a shop. I couldn't remember exactly where I saw it, but I was pretty sure it was a cool shop we had passed when we were in London in November. Great story right? Crafty DIY project inspired by a European city… Then, two weeks ago it hit me… It was JCrew at our local mall! I just about died laughing when I put it all together! Well, JCrew or London, I sure am glad it inspired me…
For under $20 we created the coolest DIY Wood Shim Wall Art

(You could go vote NOW since you've seen it! Click Here!)
I wanted something with BOLD color, and a modern feel, that married well with a bit of industrial flare!

How's that for a Before and After?
Who knew our dumpy oak piano could be such a show stopper?

Here's a peek at the details- the DIY light isn't my entry, but man I love how it works with the Wood Shim Art! (Light tutorial coming soon!)

(Or you could vote now?)

Want to know how we did it??
You've gotta head over to Homes.com for the full tutorial (but only after you've voted!)
Click HERE for the full tutorial

There were a lot of DIY elements around our Crafting for Charity project, and we'll post about all of them over the next week or so!

And now for the really important stuff! We're blogging for a charity that we love and are so proud to support. Worthwhile Wear was founded by our close friends Dan & Steph and they've committed their time and talents to make it their life's work.

Jess and I both have daughters and we couldn't imagine any of them having to endure human trafficking. We love Worthwhile Wear's mission…
Worthwhile Wear exists to rescue and restore girls from forced prostitution, and more importantly help prevent girls from ever entering it. We target highly trafficked areas both internationally and domestically, and offer women the opportunity to overcome two primary factors which are at the root of sex trafficking; poverty and lack of education. This solution is offered through vocational training centers which teach women how to make wears, such as jewelry, handbags, and clothing, which are sold to provide them employment. Additionally, the women are offered free education, a safe place to stay, and restorative programs geared toward encouraging personal growth and re-establishing self-worth.

We had the honor of working on the planning committee and doing all the decor and design for Worthwhile Wear's launch in 2012. The following images and statistics were used as artwork at the launch benefit-A Worthwhile Evening.

Those beautiful faces are not stock images. They're from Dan's last trip to India a few months back. The work Worthwhile wear is doing is critical and we hope you'll check out their site and follow along with them on Facebook.
Now it's Time to Vote!
There are 8 bloggers in this competition and some of them have a lot of followers, but none have the amazing fans we do! We know you guys have our back!
All voting will be done via Homes.com's Facebook Page
(On their Facebook Page, there's a little button that says Crafting for Charity. Click there)

Click HERE to Vote

A HUGE Thank You to Homes.com for sponsoring this awesome contest and for spreading the word about amazing charities like Worthwhile Wear. If you'd like more information about the organization and how you can help, click here.

Thanks so much!
Now, Go Get Your Vote On!

Welcome to my spooktacular Halloween foyer! I can't even type that without laughing. My kids adore Halloween- I have no idea how it happened, but it's one of their favorite days of the whole year. I usually only decorate my mantle for the holiday, but this year I thought I'd take it up a notch with a mini foyer makeover.

Just for comparison's sake, here's my foyer most days…

Jess and I were asked to review a new product called Scrapbook Attitude. Neither of us do paper scrapbooking anymore, but their printable scrapbooking film is really versatile. It makes image transfers a breeze. No more printing on paper and then killing myself to perfectly cut out my image. The film is clear, so only what you want to be seen will. Score!

We worked together on a little image transfer accent pillow and the whole process took us about 15 minutes. I love a quick and easy DIY!

The process for getting the image transfer onto the pillow was really simple. Actually slip covering the pillow…not so much (we really need to take a sewing class!)
I went to one of my favorite graphics websites The Graphics Fairy to find a vintage Halloween image. As soon as I saw this skull with all the anatomical labels, I knew I'd found a winner. I'm not into all the scary creepo stuff of Halloween, but something about the juxtaposition of this skull and my fun orange polka dot fabric just worked for me.
Once I had my image, I added a black background in Picmonkey and then printed it onto the Scrapbook Attitude paper (print on the shiny side). If you're printing words, like I did, make sure you set your printer to Mirror Image.

I had this small bird pillow that no longer works with my daughter's bedroom, but I don't think the bird-skull thing was working out. Ha! I needed a slip cover.

While the fabric was still flat, I adhered the image using good old Elmer's Glue.

I used a dry towel to help flatten out the image and rub out any clumps of glue.

To set the image more permanently, I used my iron on medium heat (with no steam) and ironed through a towel. It sealed it really well.

At first you will notice some unevenness like this, but don't worry, as the glue dries and the image cools, it all smooths out. Man, I was relieved!

Then it was time to wrap my pillow. Yes, I totally know sewing this would have been so much easier, and looked better, but A. My sewing skills stink and B. I had done the wrap trick before on one of our Nate Show episodes and it worked like a charm that time.

I basically just wrapped it like a present and used some hot glue to attach the orange fabric to itself. I'm not going to show you the back of my pillow (blush) but Jess may or may not have posted an embarrassing picture on our Facebook page. Check it out if you want the real, behind the scenes look!
I'm pretty jazzed up about my little foyer makeover and my kids actually think It's pretty cool to have a blogger for a mom (for once!)

What do you think of my Spooktacular Foyer?
(Ha! There's the cheese again!)
And, any interest in giving us sewing lessons!?!

To learn more about Scrapbooking Attitude check them out here:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scrapbookingattitude
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/Scrap_Attitude
• YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/scrapbookingattitude

Good morning, everyone! It's very rare to meet other blogging duos in this blogland, so when we met Ashley and Whitney of Shanty-2-Chic at Haven last summer, we were thrilled! True story: when we were checking in to the hotel in Atlanta, we were told they didn't have a room for us. So we were sitting like total dorks in the lobby (we were even dressed in scrubby outfits!), waiting for a room, when two gorgeous, personable, cheerful girls entered the lobby. We were clueless as to who they were (what? Were we living under a rock?), but it turns out they were the Shanty girls! These two are the sweetest and prettiest women you'll ever see wielding power tools. Super-talented, down-to-earth. and uber-wecoming to the two of us newbie bloggers. If you haven't been to their site, please do so immediately (after reading about their awesome project!) and you won't be disappointed. Enjoy!
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Hey guys! We are the Shanty Sisters, and we are so excited to be blog swapping with the ECC girls today! We had the pleasure of meeting them in Georgia last year, and we hit it off from the start! They are sweet girls, and we love that they are a blogging duo just like us!; -)

With Christmas just around the corner, we thought it would be fun to share a quick DIY gift idea! I love photo gifts. This is a super simple, cheap and cute way to display photos. It cost me under $3 a piece to make these… Woohoo! It makes a great gift for friends and family. Here is how mine turned out…

And, here is how I made it!

For those of you that don’t have a saw… This is one you need to have. You can EASILY cut this project and so many others on our site using this. Cheap and easy… Promise! That’s a stocking stuffer gals! Come on… You will thank me! This is a perfect ‘craft’ saw, and you would be shocked at how many projects you can do with it! You can also have the hardware store cut the wood for you. HD has a handsaw just like this one in the wood section at all times.

That's it for the building part! Now you are ready for the printable! I made a few printables for this project. Today I am sharing the 'So Very Blessed' printable. To print it, just click the photo below. Once it opens, just click print from your top browser bar. I printed mine on cream colored cardstock. I like the weight of cardstock paper for this project, and you can get it super cheap at any craft store.

I chose to use upholstery tacks to hold my paper in place. These can be found at any craft or hardware store. They are really cheap and cute. They are also really easy to remove by using a small screwdriver under the head of the nail. This makes changing out your printable really easy!

Your final step is adding photos! I like to print my photos out on photo paper at home. This saves me lots of money, and keeps me from dragging my 5 kiddos to Walmart to pick up photos… Win win! I cut my photos out, put them on the display and I was DONE. So quick, so cheap, but still so cute! My kind of project! And… Did I mention I made these babies for under $3 a piece?? Just making sure! Today I shared the 'So Very Blessed' Printable, but be sure to come visit Ash and I over at Shanty2Chic where I will be sharing the other 3 printables for this project! Here are a few more shots…

A little bit more about the Shanty Sisters…

We are 2 sisters sharing how we transform our homes on a budget! With 8 kiddos between the two of us, we put every naptime to good use; -)! From building projects like this $65 farmhouse table…

To transforming things like this $15 mirror made from a Walmart mirror…

And even offering free printables like our latest free alphabet banner!

We would love for you to come check us out anytime at our site, Shanty-2-Chic.com!

You can also follow us on Facebook! And keep up with all of our posts by following us on Pinterest!

Thanks so much again for having us girls! We are honored; -)!! ~Whitney & Ashley
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seriously, isn't that adorable?! We love us some cheap projects and this is one of the best ideas we've seen this year! Thanks so much for being here, girls!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TIKI Brand® for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
I'm a huge fan of outdoor living spaces, but you all know that working outside is not our forte. Last year, though, we added some much needed curb appeal by painting our front door and shutters to better fit our style, but this summer, our goal is to beautify the back yard, which is where we spend most of our time. Of course, i have big plans for our backyard. Who doesn't?! This will just be one of those things that will have to happen slowly over time, but a girl can dream, can't she? My backyard must-haves? Let's take a look: 1. Comfortable seating. I mean, come on. If I'm going to be spending lots of time outdoors with my kids or entertaining my friends, i want to have a nice cozy spot to sit and hang out.

Source

2. A secluded area that fits in with the natural surroundings. I'm a huge fan of seating areas that are snuggled under trees or is next to big planters in a hidden spot. That's not super easy to do, since we live in a neighborhood, but I think with the right plants, we could make this happen in some way.

Source 3. Great Ambiance. Man, i love me some outdoor lighting that sets the mood and creates an unforgettable atmosphere. Sadly, in the northeast where we live, we get lots of mosquitos at night that are attracted to lights. Booo. How can we light our space without attracting all those bugs?

Source Enter TIKI Brand lighting. This is one way I can immediately get to work on my backyard, create ambiance and keep the bugs away, even if I dont' have my dream space yet. The TIKI Brand Flame & Solar Torch is super simple to assemble and use. I was so impressed with how sturdy everything was…not like those old, plastic-y ones.The coolest thing about these torches is that they come with a small LED attachment that can be used when you're entertaining around a lot of people, especially kids. You don't have to worry about someone running into an open flame, which is a huge bonus in my book. The LED light turns on automatically at night and will last 8 hours after a full-day charge.

The other nice thing about the TIKI Brand Glowing Torch fuel is that it contains OFF! for protection from bugs. The worst thing about summer evenings is most definitely the bugs, and now I don't have to worry about that either.

Monica put her TIKI Brand Glowing Table Torch. on her table Monica and it is such a cool statement piece. It works much the same way in that it has a battery-powered LED light that illuminates the globe and the torch for a live flame. It looks super fun and modern and adds another interesting light feature to her outdoor space.

You can buy TIKI brand products at Walmart and Target for under $40. They definitely add a fun ambiance to any backyard space. Don't forget to follow TIKI Brand on Facebook for lots more ideas on creating the ultimate backyard expi

If you follow us on Facebook, you might have seen that we have been working on a fabulous room redesign for a friend of ours. We spent a few hours hunting for the perfect accessories, paint, furniture, and bedding this weekend at HomeGoods, Architectural Antiques, Liberty Thift store and a great new huge thrift store called Impact. You know how when you have money to spend, and you can't find anything awesome to spend it on? Well, that did not happen to us this weekend! We hit the jackpot at each of those stores and can't wait to fill you in on all the details. But for now, here's a sneak peek at the room BEFORE we attacked it with our mad decorating skills. (Ha!)

Looks like we have our work cut out for us, right? We're totally up for the challenge!; ) We bought this chair for $10 and are so excited to change it up!

Oh, look! Another industrial push cart-thingy. It seems we have a soft spot for these guys (and for only $8, we'd be crazy not to bring it home with us!)

Oh, hello, cute little dog figurine. Life as you know it as a silver dachsund is over, my friend.

Lots more to come about this project.: ) So, fill us in on what you did this weekend! Any hard-core shopping excursions?

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

We're in the Big Apple today filming our last segments on The Nate Show (*Boo hoo. Sniff*.) We're crossing our fingers that all goes well, and that our room comes together like we envisioned. No matter what, we always LOVE being on the show and getting to see all the fun people who work there who have now become friends! Make sure you follow us on facebook for up-to-date info on the day's events! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ While we're away, we thought you might be interested in Lindsey's ah-mazing master bedroom makeover:

Source: livingwithlindsay.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Go Bold or Go home, right?; )
Head over to her blog to see this unbelieveable transformation.
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After our life settles down, (which it should at approximately 5:30 PM tonight when we finish taping) we will coming back at you with loads of great stuff. Monica will reveal the finished product of her granny frames, and I hope to make some fun progress (read: stencil!) in my kitchen over the weekend. Also, after posting about the oversize letter"J" I hung in my entryway, I was inspired to perk the whole space up with a mini-makeover. The wall leading into the kitchen will now be home to a big ol' gallery wall of white frames!

Plus, I made a little change to wall with the giant letter on it! Can't wait to show you it, so expect good things from us next week.: )
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What fun things are you guys working on these days?

P.S. Want to check out our past Nate Show episodes? You're in luck, because we've conveniently compiled them in one spot.: ) Just click here to see us in action!

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!

Ok, so I've already admitted that I'm a landscaping idiot. I'm not ashamed. Part of growing as a person is admitting it, and then calling in someone who DOES know what they're doing. I'm all about DIYing when I can, but sometimes you just have to ask an expert. A while ago I asked on facebook if anyone knew a good landscape designer, and we got a note from Candice saying she has her own business doing that exact thing (appropriately named Candice Price Garden Designs)

She said that she would love to draw up a plan, just for fun, to show us her skills, if we were interested. Yes, of course! Since Monica's house is relatively new without much landscaping, she decided to draw up a design for her front yard.

This is pre-front porch makeover!
Candice is an artist by nature, with a passion for gardening and her designs are absolutely beautiful! I seriously think you could frame her designs for some really cool art.: ) One of our favorite things about her was that she came to Monica's house, walked around outside and then asked if she could take a look around inside to gather some insight on Monica's design style so that she could incorporate that into her plans. Love that! Within a day or two, we received an email with her plan- we were so excited!Here's what she came up with:

Gorgeous, right? Even without knowing what the heck the plants are!: ) She even included a front elevation view so Monica could envision exactly what she meant.

Candice does a ton of work getting these plans ready: she measures and measures and measures some more, conceptualizes a design plan, creates it on paper, figures out which plants would work best in the given area. Her plans include a plant key, with descriptions of each plant so you know what the heck to look for. If you're not up for DIYing the entire thing yourself, Candice can do the install herself! Impressive.: )

Isn't that so fun? To see Candice's full description of her plan including all the juicy details, click here. Man, it's so nice to have someone do the design for you! Candice has done a ot of work in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas. Just take a look at some of these other beautiful designs of hers:

Lovely, right? Now I definitely know who to call to help me with my jungle! If you need some help with your landscape design, call Candice Price Garden Design! And make sure to follow her on facebook to see her current projects. Seriously- you'll be thrilled you did!
How do YOU go about planning your landscaping?
Have you ever considered incorporating your indoor style in your outside design? PS. We were not compensated for this post! We just like to share local talent with you when we get the chance.: )