So, if you haven't heard (which is very unlikely because, let's face it, we're pretty excited about it and have been shouting it from the rooftops), we are working on our very own TV show for the Live Well Network! If you're not familiar with LWN, don't worry, you will be soon!! The team behind LWN is amazing and they're putting together so many cool, new shows!! Make sure to check your local listings for The Live Well Network- it's a national network, so even if you don't have cable, you can still watch it!
Anyhow, once we heard our official air date (which is only a month away!), we got to thinking that we couldn't let this momentous occasion pass by without a little celebration! So… we're having a big, ol' party!
And you know what? We want you to come! We recognize that not all of you live in our neck of the woods, and we'll totally recap the party for you here, but for those of you who live in the area, we would LOVE to meet you, give you a glimpse of what our show is all about, and of course, eat lots of good food! We're even going to have a few fun giveaways that you won't want to miss!
Here are all the details you need to know:Who: Well…us and you. Duh. What: A super fun party to celebrate our new show, Knock it Off! When: Sunday, July 7th from 6:00-8:00 PM Where: Mr. B's Cafe (Calvary Church of Souderton) Rt.113, Souderton, Pa 18964 We just ask one thing: would you let us know if you're planning on coming by Sunday, June 30th? You can RSVP by using the form below. Due to the nature of this party, we're asking that you leave any kiddos under the age of 10 at home. Thanks!
C'mon, don't you want to hang out with us?!! We are so psyched and want to share this big event with you- Seriously, we wouldn't even have our own show without this blog and all of you! We really hope to see you there! PS- A HUGE special thanks to Linda from Frog Prince Cake & Cookie design who is taking the lead in making sure this party is the coolest! Thanks Linda! If you haven't checked her out, head over to Facebook now and give her some LIKE love!
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
Remember that time that we were invited by that cutie Nate Berkus to be a part of one episode on his show?
Remember how we loved working with Nate and were so flattered when he invited us back for 3 more episodes?
Well those amazing experiences helped us realize a few things… 1- We love a good DIY challenge 2- We really enjoyed being part of a TV show 3- People said we're not half bad at it We are crazy, over the moon, still can't believe it ourselves, excited to announce that starting July 2013 we'll be the hosts of our very own DIY Show!!!
We're so glad that we can finally tell all of you! This has been such a hard secret to keep! So here's the deal… Our show is called,"Knock It Off" and we get to do exactly what we love… Get high end looks and amazing style without spending a fortune!! We're going to help viewers"knock off" those pricey styles the DIY way! Being on a show is great, but having a network believe in you enough to create an entire show around you is beyond amazing! We've noticed a bit of a trend in home shows… it's all huge makeovers with enormous budgets- fun to watch, but not something most people (including us) can do in their own homes. Knock It Off is the home show for REAL people- people with a budget- people who want to have an amazing home, but not break the bank- people that love simple, creative ideas- people like YOU!!
We'll have tons more details to share as our premiere gets closer, but for now, here are a few details What: Knock It OffWhere: Live Well Network (ABC/Disney)When: Starting July 7, 2013 Make sure to check your local listings for The Live Well Network- it's a national network. If you're not familiar with LWN, don't worry, you will be soon!! The team behind LWN is amazing and they're putting together so many cool, new shows! They just premiered a new vacation rental show called"Sweet Retreats" and we're loving it!
As we get further into the show, we'll be sure to fill you in on some fun behind the scenes peeks. We love our crew and it has been a blast to work with them!
Our official Knock It Off Facebook page is live we're ready for followers!! Of course our regular EC2 page will still be active, but if you want sneak peeks, exclusive show content projects and more, be sure to LIKE our Knock It Off page! Also, we'd be so thrilled if you'd help us spread the word! We want the world to know that Knock It Off is coming soon!! Thanks!We're sure you guys have some questions about the show, how it all went down, and more and we'd be super happy to answer them!! Leave a comment below. Thanks so much for taking this amazing journey with us!We are beyond excited and hope we make you all proud!!
PS- We'll still be posting regularly here on EC2, but don't panic if you see a tiny slow down. Monica is still working full-time teaching, so we do all of our Knock It Off work on the weekends. Our pace is a little intense until summer, but we're so excited about it all, that we hardly notice!! We have plenty of fun posts planned for the next two months!! PSS- The design team is working on the show graphics and we can't wait to be able to share those with all of you too!! Make sure you've liked the FB page so you'll know as soon as it's ready!!
Hey everyone! It's your lucky day. While I'm on family vacation this week, we've asked a few of our favorite people to guest post for us! One of the highlights of our trip to Haven was meeting Karah, fromthe space between. She's super cool, fun, easy to talk to, talented and oh yeah, lives in Curacao. Not fair. We loved hanging out with her while we ate breakfast at McDonalds (don't judge). Anyway, she does some amazing projects (just wait until you get the sneak peek of her rooftop bedroom!), so be sure to give her some EC2 love! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, hello East Coast Creative readers! How are you? I'm Karah from the space between and I really can't even tell you how excited I am to be here today.
Ummm, let's not tell the husband I used a photo of our wedding day to try to express my excitement over guest posting for EC2 today. K? Thanks. ;) I am a total blog stalker of these lovely gals, and when I got to stalk meet them in real life … Holy Caloni, I couldn't help but take random paparazzi like pics.
It truly is an honor for me to be here today. And I'm going to share with you how I made a perfectly functional and, I think adorable, storage crate out of a pallet.
One important thing to mention here is that we live in a rental property that is approximat ely the size of a breadbox, so I need to get creative with storage. Oh, and one other fun fact, although not relevant to the outcome of this story … is that we live in the Caribbean. Here's our new rooftop bedroom.
Aaaanyway, back to the crate.
I didn't actually take a before picture … but … it was a pallet.; ) Similar to this one. And I used the same technique to remove the slats, a hammer and pry bar along with some cursing and a blister on my forefinger. Those last two are totally optional.: ) I knew where I wanted my crate to go in my kitchen, so I measured my space and cut my slats to size (14 inches long). Based on the height I wanted, I needed 3 slats per side (one wide one and two narrow ones), so I cut 12 pieces the same length. I took a little piece of scrap wood (maybe a 1 x 1) I had and cut it so I could use it as the brace to attach each of the sides of my crate together. The height was measuring about 12 inches so I cut my little brackets, if you will, about 10 inches long. Just long enough so I could get one screw into each of the three pallet slats on each side of the soon-to-be-crate.
Ok, here's the thought process … I wanted the front to be only a view of the slats, meaning the front and back slats would overlap the slats on the sides. So, in the picture above, you see how I lined my brackets up flush with the edge of the slats for the sides of the crate. I attached the 4 brackets to both ends of the slats for both of the sides. Then, by lining up the slats for the front (and then back) of the crate, I was able to attach the brackets to the slats creating a bottomless and topless box. Confused yet? This pic is of the 2 sides with the brackets attached … ready to be attached to the front and the back sides of the crate. .
Why yes, I do work construction on the coffee table.: ) Which makes now seem like a good time for a few tips: 1. Don't do construction on the coffee table unless you're ok with a sawdusty mess.: ) 2. Drilling pilot holes for your screws (like I did here) is always a time saver … for those interested in saving time and sanity and maybe a little bit of finger flesh. 3. One might want to wash their pallet with some sort of disinfectant cleaner. 4. Sanding the slats before working with them, or wearing gloves while handling the slats would probably be a good idea. But, I'm not one to judge so if you happen to forego any of these tips your crate is still cool with me.: ) Ok, where were we … once I had all of the sides connected, I added a bottom. This is probably backwards carpentry, but that's how I roll. AND, so I didn't have to rip down the width of any of the pallet slats, I spaced them so they aren't wide enough apart for any canned goods to fall through, but not exactly a solid wood bottom. Like so.
Then I drilled holes on either side of my crate to run some rope through for handles. .
And because I didn't want people peaking at my canned goods (that's what she said), I added a top by just cutting more pallet slats the length I needed and adding a few pallet slats to the underside to attach them all together. Like so.
And because I love me some driftwood, I just screwed on a piece that I thought would work as a handle. I didn't even use the same color screws. And then added some not-so-random stenciling.
Thank goodness, because there is someone who doesn't like random stenciling around here. I finished her off by hand sanding the whole crate to distress the stenciling and smooth out the finish a bit. Oh, and just to clarify, all of the nail holes you see on the outside of the crate of from it's previous life as a pallet. Building the crate with the brackets on the inside eliminates any new visual nail or screws. And I really like the rustic look of the open holes from it's former life. And I really like that this project didn't cost me a penny! Score! Here is a little wider shot of the corner of our kitchen. If you want, you can learn how to make a little landing zone out of an old clipboard and wooden bin here.
So, what do you think? Do you like pallet projects? Do you like unique storage ideas? Do you live with anyone who doesn't like random stenciling? And, on a completely random note … do you watch the show the Bachelorette? I know, I know … I say, answer the question first, judge me later.; ) Anyway, the finale of the show is tonight and over at my blog today I have am giving a tour of the house where the final drama rose ceremony went down. What can I say, it's a small island.: ) If you have a chance, stop on over to the space between, it'd be great to meet you. Thank you, thank you so much to Jess & Monica for letting me come by today. Hopefully you are all enjoying your space today! ~Karah --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Karah, you're awesome. End of story. You're welcome here anytime!: )
Happy December, everyone! If you've been following us then you know that our 3rd appearance on The Nate Berkus Show airs today! If you're new here as a result of the Nate Show, welcome! We're so glad you're here. We honestly still get a little giddy when we think about Nate calling us his best DIYer's, and are hoping all of this is not some crazy dream. No matter how often we get called back to the show (fingers crossed they ask us again!), it is still so surreal. But, we can't.get.enough. We're going to give a little glimpse of the two day room transformations, and our time in NYC for the live taping. Plus, we have a fun announcement, so read on! Behind the Scenes The first part of the process is getting miked, which was stinkin' hilarious to me this time. Monica's outfit created all sorts of problems for our sound guy, Matt.
Case in point. Hehe. Tell me that doesn't make you giggle. Then the filming started with an interview with Jesse, the big shot producer (which did not make it onto the show, but we thought we were really funny. Obviously, they did not.: )
Love this picture! And this cutie is Jesse:
Adorable, right? (Sidenote: he is our age and so successful! Kinda made us feel like underachievers.)
Dean, cameraman #1, was on our very first shoot with the show, and is phenomenal. Just sayin'. Eventually, we got to do our ridiculously silly and goofy smooth and athletic run out to take a peek at Nate's Crate.
The rest is history, as they say. Anyway, we're so excited to show you the rooms we decorated for Christmas for the show. Of course, Nate pulled another switcheroo on us (see our first house swap here), and I had to decorate Monica's family room, and she had to Christmas-ify my basement den. Switching houses totally puts us out of our element because we have to find all their DIY supplies to use without their guidance. Plus, it's a lot more pressure to decorate someone else's house! We couldn't use any of our existing Christmas decorations and could pretty much use only what was in the crate, although we could shop the house. But the end results turned out pretty good, if we do say so ourselves.: ) Ready for some before and afters? Monica's Family Room
Jessica's Basement Den
Wheeeeeee! Don't they look amazing? There are soooooo many projects we want to share from these two makeovers- way too many for one post- so we'd like to invite you to:
Beginning tomorrow we'll be breaking down each of the projects from our room makeovers. We'll be sharing loads of ideas for Christmas decor that are easy and cheap- anyone can do them! You don't want to miss it, so come back with pens and paper in hand.: ) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ok, so back to Nate…we headed into NYC in mid-November for another live taping. This is super fun for us, especially watching all fun, crazy stuff that goes on behind the scenes. When we arrived, we headed up to our green room to get settled in and make ourselves look presentable.
Yes, this is another pose-in-the-mirror shot. We're sorry. We won't do it again.
Thank goodness for the wonderful makeup ladies. Each time they do our makeup differently, but every time it's great!
We kind of coordinated without planning it. Great minds…
Our green room didn't stand a chance against us make-a-mess-of-everything girls.
I was so hungry that I needed two plates full of food. (Sadly, this is not abnormal.)
Oh, wait, here's another mirror shot.
And another. Oops! She's cute, though, so that kind of makes up for it, doesn't it?
Once the show was over, we met up with Ed: the sweetest, most personable, down-to-earth, extremely successful producer on earth. I can't say enough nice things about him, so I won't even try. But, we love him. Then it was off to see the sights!
I can't believe we toted some of our projects around Times Square. We are such dorks. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So, that's it in a nutshell! We're seriously hoping to be asked on the show again, and if we are, we will be pulling out all the stops to get a picture with Mr. Nate himself. (We're coming for you, Nate!; ) Please don't forget to stop by tomorrow for Monica's easy handwritten lamp shade transformation. Thanks so much for all of your support! Have a great day!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome, Moo & Puppy, our newest sponsor! Moo & Puppy is a modern digital paper shop, and their stuff is seriously amazing. We created our 12 Days of Nate Show DIYs header with paper from her shop (Brewster Red & Teal). You should totally go check it out, and use the code HOUSEWIVES20 for a 20% discount on your order.
Have you seen the August issue of Veranda yet? If not run out and buy it now! Pictured on the front is a French house that was once a ruin. Why couldn't someone have discovered America sooner than 1492 so we could have a few ruins? I wouldn't mind living in a stone ruin, who cares about a little rubble when it looks this fabulous? If I can live in an 18th century dwelling with all it's quirks a little ruin is nothing!
(All photos courtesy Veranda, photographer: Peter Vitale)
Look at the inside guest patio, those 15th century curved stone arches, that antique tile floor'''now I ask you who wouldn't be happy there?
The house was originally built in the 11th century and added onto each century. The kitchen area dates to the 17th century, love how they simply plastered over the arches. Just think if I could afford that house I wouldn't have to cook except when I wanted to.
The chairs in the Renaissance hall look to be covered in tapestry that more than likely came from Michel Biehns' shop since he deals in textiles of all sorts. As an antique textile dealer myself it's killing me I can't see those chairs closer. And look at those pillows in the background hiding from me!
I could sleep in this master bedroom all draped in Italian silks. That pillow on the bed is antique Italian silk velvet, why don't they just shoot me now? One of my passions is Italian silk velvets, I'm a collector as well as deal in velvets and I can't see that pillow well. I NEED TO SEE THAT PILLOW!
Can you believe this is the dressing room? I wonder if it's up those stairs pictured in the master bedroom? I love how they're storing their hats in the French laundry baskets and look at that dreamy mirror, love the juxtaposition between the gilded mirror and straw baskets. Look at the baskets on top of the closets, they give you a sense of the height in the room.
The 17th century staircase is original to the house and was restored, think of the entrance you would make coming down those stairs! Love the huge picture at the top too!
All the silk fabrics just in this small dining room come from Antico Setificio Fiorentino in Florence Italy and can be found Here. Those sconces and chandelier are to die for! And those chairs....come to Mama! They're in that French Parisian green I love so much! I love how they used a nice mix of highs and lows of antiques and modern furniture so that nothing overwhelms, tough to achieve. I wish someone would come out with a magazine that shows all the accessories that decorate rooms so we could see more clearly....not to be I guess. I won't spoil the entire article for you but I couldn't resist, who wouldn't want to live in France in all that history?
This is the first installment of a mini-series on entertaining and hospitality. For me and Eric, it's a big part of our relationship and family- we love having people over and sharing our home and our food! Over the years, we've learned that so many people are intimidated by the idea of having company over. The stress and hassle they feel, makes it not-so-fun to have people over. I have some entertaining tips, ideas, and also some myths to debunk over the next few weeks! Let's get started… When's the last time you were at someone's house and wished the entire experience was fancier and more formal? Let's be real… I have never left a friend's house and thought,"Man, I wish she had more fork options around my plate, and the wrinkles in the cloth napkins were so distracting!"
The Martha Blog This photo is from a dinner Martha hosted recently for a"few friends." The menu was: Warm Salad of Spring Vegetables -Â Green Pea Jus Osso Bucco -Â Risotto Milanese with Saffron Pavlova -Â Passion Fruit Sorbet NEWSFLASH: Your guests DO NOT expect the Martha treatment (Unless you're really Martha Stewart, in which case- thanks for reading our blog!) Yes, it's nice to sometimes add special touches, and there is definitely a time and a place for that, but don't feel pressured to impress. REMINDER: It's assumed that the people coming over already like you and vice-versa! You don't need to impress them- just make them feel welcome. Since we sold our dining room table three weeks ago, our weekly company has been sitting on folding chairs around two Costco tables and they keep coming back! Monica's Entertaining Rule # 1: Don't try to impress your friends and family. They already like you and think you're pretty great. On this note, I want to share one of my favorite blogs with you. Catalog Living is a humorous look into the lives of families living in the uber-perfect rooms in all of our favorite catalogs. Gary and Elaine are my favorite, and they often live in Pottery Barn rooms. Here are a few of the rooms and captions that made me smile…
Satisfied that he’d gotten enough practice in today, Gary decided to treat himself and stow away his counting board a little early.
Kids! Dinner! Last one to the table gets the tetanus stool!
Recognizing the familiar sound of a shattering crunch followed by a scream, Elaine prepared for another recitation of her “These are not powdered sugar donut holes” speech These absolutely kill me and I was laughing so much tonight choosing which ones to post. There are tons of funny ones, but I chose these pictures to remind you that you don't live in a catalog-perfect home (again, sorry Martha if you're reading… your home is quite perfect.) Yes, people don't want sticky pancake syrup on themselves from leaning on your kitchen table, but don't go overboard thinking your home needs to be spotless and look like something out of a magazine. So, let these things sink in over the weekend and next week we'll work on some easy peasy tips and ideas to make this entertaining thing less stressful and a lot more fun! Have a good weekend and don't forget to submit your Design Challeng{ed} photos!
First of all, our guest poster today, Hannah, is stinkin' adorable. She is the only blogger we've met IRL, (in real life) and totally exceeded our expectations! Funny story: When we met Hannah, we were in NYC getting ready for our Nate Show taping and she had just finished hers. Needless to say, she looked amazing, and we looked like we had just rolled out of bed (what can we say? We hadn't been to hair and makeup yet!:) Take a look at what I mean:
Note: Faces appear blurry to protect the innocent. Secondly, Hannah is soooo talented. She has been featured twice on The Nate Show and has impeccable taste. She chronicles her designs and awesome street finds in NYC on her blog,Hannah Kate Flora. (And ohmygoodness, you HAVE to see thekitchen table she just made! Unbelievable!) So, without further ado, here she is!
Hi there! I'm so thrilled to guest blog for my sweet new friends, the Real Housewives of Bucks County. I met these darling girls backstage while we were filming seperate segments for the Nate Show. I told them, cheesy as it is, I'm so encouraged by them! Such strong, faithful, clever women! I racked my brain on what to post and was politely reminded by Brooklyn Boy, my soon to be husband, that I should write about Street Merch — left behind furniture found on the streets of New York (or anywhere for that matter) that just need a new life! You see, I'm a Texas girl who's lived in New York for the past 4 years. It's always been important to make my home (i.e. tiny apartment) feel warm, personal and lived in, but I haven't always had the budget to go crazy. But I noticed something living here, when you live in New York and move apartments or get rid of things, you don't have a car to throw your stuff in for a Goodwill trip. No sir. The street is your own personal Goodwill. Whatever you can't fit in your apartment goes to the curb. To put it plainly — this means you can find amazing pieces on the street, with nothing wrong except that there wasn't room for it in its previous home. There's one piece I want to tell you about in particular — the bar cart.
I had just wrapped an interior design job on the Upper West Side, when I saw this on the street curb.. and this cell phone conversation with my mom ensued: Hannah: Well I just had my final meeting with Erin and it went really great! Mom: Oh good! I can't wait to see more pictures. I'm glad everything worked out! What are you doing now? Hannah: Me too! Oh, I'm just walking home and wait… what is… hold on mom… Mom: What is it? Hannah: Well I think… hold on, let me move the bags of trash… Mom: What??? Hannah: Street Merch. Mom: Oh! What is it?? Can you take a picture? Hannah: Yea. Hold on, let me just get this bag of trash moved over. Sick. Ok. It's a retro looking bar cart. Or a really crazy overhead projector cart thing. Hm. Shoot. Should I get it? Mom: Well?? Maybe. Do you see a cab? Hannah: No. I have to get it, don't I? Ughhhhhhhh. (At this point, my mom is dying laughing at me. These Street Merch phone exchanges happen all the time between us.) Mom: Hahaaaa. Just get a cab! (I rustle around and end up manhandling the cart.) Hannah: Well now I've picked it up and am walking down the street. Damn Street Merch. I feel RIDICULOUS!!! Mom: Hahahahahahahahahahaha Hannah: Why do I always do this?! I look like a freak carrying this cart under my arm, down the street, in the freezing cold, while I'm on the phone. Mom: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaa Hannah: Goodness gracious. TAXI!!!!! gottagoloveyoubye!!!
And here's my cramped view of the bar cart on my lap in the cab. No big deal. Anyways — I believe that everything has a purpose and I knew this piece had potential. My plan was to revive it with new paint & fabric! First step was to prime it. Don't worry about the sketchy area I'm spray painting in — you have to make do with cramped cement courtyards when you live in Manhattan.
I chose Navy Blue Spray Paint in high gloss. I gave it two even and thorough coats of paint.
And here it is all dry and sitting in our foyer! Apologies for the iphone pictures, these images are pre new Canon camera.
For the two shelves of the cart, I decided to use some preppy and bright Robert Allen fabric from fabric.com.
After measuring the fabric to fit neatly inside each shelf, I painted a coat of Matte Medium (which you can find at any craft store) directly onto the shelf. Then I laid the fabric onto the shelf and painted a 2nd coat of Matte Medium directly on top, wipping excess clean. I made sure there were no bubbles and the medium was equally distributed.
Once totally dry, I loaded the cart up with goods!
This bar cart has taken on many different forms — sometimes we use it as a side table and sometimes we use it for drinks and treats during parties! It's very functional, and has casters that make it easy to move.
Thats it!! Bonus: This piece was featured on my first Nate segment which you can watch here! Thanks Real Housewives of Buck's County! Loved visiting. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That looks awesome, Hannah! Thanks so much for sharing your project with us. And best of luck with your wedding and new married life: )
A little over two weeks ago we announced the Shout it from the Rooftops Giveaway. The prize was 2 tickets to the The Nate Berkus Show for our live taping on September 1st.
We are so grateful to all of you who entered and shared your love for our blog with your friends and family, and sometimes, even strangers. But, we have a clear winner. It's so great, actually, that we thought it deserved it's own post (the one you're reading now, in case you were wondering). The winners are… Dave & Adrienne R. I don't want to waste any more words, so just check out their awesome job for yourself:
. Here's what Dave had to say about his submission: "We wore our shirts around as much as possible in public for roughly 15 days and this is our fun way of putting it all together. It was kind of a Messiah College stinky pants meets flat stanley kind of thing."
Thank you SO much, Dave and Adrienne, for all the hard work you did promoting our blog. We can't wait to see you in NYC!
*Filmed by Nick Orachietti of West Chester Media *Song called"Something" by Two Door Cinema Club
My family travelled a lot growing up, and still, to this day, we all get together one week out of the year, and vacation with each other in a new, unexplored (to us) location. I was also fortunate enough to live in Greece for three months during college. My friends and I (and my future hubby, unbeknownst to both of us), toured Greece, Italy, France and Spain with abandon, and I loved every second of it. Why am I telling you this? Over the past year, I've been trying to figure out what my design"style" really is. Instead of randomly acquiring or making things that may or may not fit the rest of my belongings, I want to be purposeful and intentional (there's that word again; ) with the design of my house. I want my home to have a nice flow, (which, if you've ever been to my house, is not the case), and to be comfortable and relaxing, yet beautiful. That's not too much to ask, is it? (Envision me looking exhausted). I find that thinking about the places I've been that have really impacted me and that I fell in love with, help me discern what styles I want to incorporate in my home. Each place has a certain feel that I would love to capture at home. This is the first post of three parts about my top 3 favorite destinations and what design elements I have gathered and want to incorporate in my home. Destination #1: Greece
Zacynthos, Greece (We affectionately call this place"Paradise Beach") Ahhhh…memories. This country holds a special place in my heart as it was the place I met and got to know my hubs (no, he is not Greek. He was on the same trip I was), and it was the first place that I really had to be completely independent. There are two main design elements from Greece that I want to include in my house: simplicity and history.
Source: perivolassuites.gr via Jessica on Pinterest This room is SO simple. Nothing competing with each other, no knickknacks. Just two beautiful blue bottles, a plant and a purple blanket. Makes me want to take a nap.
Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Jessica on Pinterest White on white on white. {Sigh} I told you I was in a white phase, and this depicts that perfectly. Even though it's devoid of color, it's still an interesting room with those totally cool stool/table thingies that add loads of texture, and the khaki/white rug. I understand it's absolutely not practical in any way with two little ones running around, but I so admire how peaceful and simple this room is.
Source: 79ideas.org via Jessica on Pinterest Again, nothing dramatic in this room, but somehow this room is perfect. That table looks like it has seen its fair share of dinner parties. I love the old furniture paired with the fancy chandelier, and beamed ceiling. I can totally envision eating a late dinner here with friends.
Source: flickr.com via Jessica on Pinterest If this doesn't inspire you to bring the outside in, then I don't know what will.
Source: trekearth.com via Jessica on Pinterest This is gorgeous, old and falling apart. It gives me hope that someone might find the peeling paint on my porch banisters gorgeous.
Source: indiehome.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest There is a very simple color scheme in Greece- white and blue, with a little pink thrown in there from the wild, climbing flowers. And still, it's so interesting and pretty.
Wow. That light fixture is fabulous. This room is breathtaking. Enough said.
Have you been anywhere that has inspired you to decorate differently? Please share!
It's festival week here in the Lehigh Valley PA with Bethlehem's Musikfest! This ten day festival runs August 6 th through the 15 th , and boasts over 300 performers! During Musikfest the streets of downtown Bethlehem are closed and 14 stages host a huge range of local to nationally known musical performers.
Musikfest is presented by ArtsQuest, a nonprofit arts organization, and all proceeds from the festival help support The Banana Factory (ArtsQuest's community arts center and gallery in Bethlehem, PA) as well as other local nonprofit groups.
I'm a huge music fan and really look forward to Musikfest every year. Last night I got to see Heart, which was a long time coming for me, as I've been a huge fan for 20+ years and this was my first time seeing them live! The previous night I saw Lynyrd Skynyrd, another long awaited show ' and both concerts were just outstanding. Here are a few photos I took at each concert!
Heart Musikfest August 10,2010
As beautiful as ever!
Lynyrd Skynyrd Musikfest August 9,2010
Musikfest website: http://www.musikfest.org/
ArtsQuest website: http://www.artsquest.org/
KISS at Montage in Scranton PA
Thanks to a friend, I was able to see KISS in Scranton PA on the following Sunday, August 15th. They were awesome, as usual. The best was that we didn't even know we had front row seats until we got there....the tickets said "row C" so we assumed we were third row....until we got there and found out the rows started with C!
all photos copyright Laura Beth Love 2010 and may not be used without permission
Today, on July 20, it is exactly 41 years ago, since Neil Armstrong,Edwin Eugene "Buzz" Aldrin andMichael Collins with Apollo 11, was the first humans ever to walk on the Moon. They landed in the area 'Sea of Tranquillity'. Armstrong and Aldrinspent 21 hours and 31 minutes on the lunar surface while Collins orbited above in the command ship.
They returned to Earth with 47.5 pounds (21.55 kilograms) of lunar rocks and landed in the Pacific Ocean on July 24.
The lunar module was named Eagle for the national bird of the United States, the bald eagle, which is featured prominently on the mission insignia. The command module was named Columbia for the feminine personification of the United States used traditionally in song and poetry.
After the astronauts planted a U.S. flag on the lunar surface, they spoke with President Richard Nixon through a telephone-radio transmission which Nixon called "the most historic phone call ever made from the White House."
And of course this was when Armstrong uttered the famous words: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind".
Oh goodness, this dining room is taking forever to finish! I've been working on it for the past several months as money and time have allowed, and we're definitely in the home stretch, but it's the little things that are making me crazy! I've already showed you the side table I made over, and the planked wall with exposed studs accent wall we created, which really helped change the feel of the whole space. But let's be honest, one of the most obvious things that had to change to fit the whole"coastal/cottage" vibe I'm going for was the dining table.
It's a nice, solid wood table that my hubs and I bought for only $60 (yes, you read that correctly!) when we first moved into this house. I was so over the black hutch and the finish on this table, but it's functional piece so I didn't want to buy a new one. I haven't done too much furniture refinishing, so I asked my bloggy pal and furniture expert, Shaunna, if she could make some recommendations as to what I should do to change them up to fit my style. Not only did she come up with some incredible furniture ideas, but she dreamt up an entire inspiration board for my room!
Isn't that amazing? I love so many of her ideas, and hope my room turns out half as nice as her dream room!: ) So with her help, I started out refinishing the table. The first step was to remove the legs of the table and give them a good painting with Annie Sloan Chalk paint, aka my new love. I decided to paint the legs in French linen, and then once that dried, did a wash of Pure White over top. That was the easy part.
The table top…not so easy. I started off by sanding the top with 60 grit sandpaper and my palm sander. It was so difficult getting through all the layers of whatever they sealed it with that it probably took me a good hour and half to sand it all down.
I almost didn't mind, though, because what I saw as I was sanding made me super excited! I loved the look of the unfinished wood and the wood grain that began to show.
Even with all the sanding, I still didn't feel like I had removed all of the old finish, so I brushed on a layer of CitriStrip. Basically, you brush it on and leave it for the recommended time. Then, you wipe it off with a lint-free cloth and with it, off comes the finish! This sanding/stripping method really worked to get my table back to it's gorgeous, unfinished state.
Shaunna recommended that I try white-washing the table with Pure White chalk paint, so that's what I did. If you're unfamiliar with white-washing, it is an awesome way to keep the character of a piece, while subtly adding a touch of color to it. Basically, you add water to paint until it's the intensity you want. More water = less concentrated color.
I really wanted the grain of the wood to show, but I didn't care for the peachy color of the wood, so I went with a very watered down white wash.
I brushed it on, and then wiped it back with a paper towel. Because my wash was mostly water, I had to wipe it immediately after I brushed it on because it was drying very quickly. Wiping the wash back helps brings the color of the grain out, which gives it a very reclaimed wood finish.
After I washed the whole table, I was over the top giddy mildly pleased with the results.
I can't get over how well the table now fits in my dining room! It's like it was meant to live in a coastal cottage all along.
The final step is sealing it with Annie Sloan Clear Soft Wax. Because this is a surface that will get lots of wear, since people will eat and drink there, it will need three coats of wax. I'm planning on doing that this week, but that's the kind of little detail (that makes a big difference!) that I don't want to do. Any one out there want to come finish my table? Please!?!?
All that hard work was totally worth it, though, because I'm head over heels in love with the table now. A big thank you to Shaunna for helping me to see it's potential! Not bad for a $60 table, huh?; ) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We're honored to be featured over at I Am Momma Hear Me Roar today for her week of all things curtains! Be sure to check it out to see what no-sew curtain solutions we came up with!
We interrupt this regularly schedule DIY program for an important announcement (I've always wanted to use that phrase somewhere!): We have some incredible sponsors who provide loads of amazing products just waiting to be purchased for one-of-a-kind Christmas presents! I've broken them down into categories for you… Gift-Giving
Ok, you may remember me talking about the amazing art prints from Red Letter Words, but did you know Dee also offers adorable greeting cards and candles? Not only that, but messages printed on the greeting cards are so meaningful and thoughtful- perfect as a stocking stuffer, a gift for a friend, a teacher and the list goes on and on. Get 15% off until December 15th with the code MERRY15. Order by December 19th for Christmas delivery. (Excludes custom prints and the print of the month)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Every year I try to give my neighbors a little gift, and this 1-2-3 Dip! Gift set from Pampered Chef is perfect! I am such a sucker for chips and dip. I pretty much could live on it. And if you don't have neighbors, buy a few as hostess gifts (they'll be sure to get you an invitation to next year's party!: ) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, Jane sent us a few of her 100% soy candles to try, and I can.not.get.enough. of the Christmas pine scent. I've been burning it around the clock since I got it, and the beautiful thing is, that because it's soy, it's long-lasting! Order a few of these as gifts, or just go ahead and buy a stash for yourself! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How about this adorable Littles Carry-All Caddy in the Winter Wonderland pattern from Thirty-One Gifts for teachers in your (or your kid's) lives? Fill it with a mug, some good chocolate and a gift card to Starbucks and you're set! It comes in 10 different patterns, so you'll be sure to find something for everyone. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Entertaining
Planning a holiday party? Spread some Festive Cheer with this cocktail idea from Garnish. Goodness, could their stuff be any more darling? I could literally spend all my party budget on the goodies from Garnish- who needs food anyway? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I came across this super-cute idea to use scrapbook paper as a charger on a holiday table, and I'm in love! You could totally use this fabulous paper from Moo & Puppy and alternate the patterns underneath the plates for coordinated, but not identical place settings! {Swoon}
Use the code HOUSEWIVES20 for 20% off of your order. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I love Dream Dinners. I really do. And they are total life-savers if you are hosting a holiday party or dinner. So many of the meals can be easily turned into appetizers, like this Coconut Shrimp with Sweet & Sour dipping sauce. Make your holidays stress-free with ready-to-cook meals. Use the codeDDNC201110 for 10% off your first order. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For the Home
Well, looky what I found on Craigslist. A $15 chair that would be absolutely stunning if reupholstered in some new fabric! Jet Upholstery could do that in heartbeat, and guess what? You can save 25% off any fabric order when you mention RHBC. Now go! That chair won't last long (especially because I can't keep my eyes off of it!) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In our winnings from Crafting with the Stars, we both got to choose stencils from Royal Design Studio. They are the best place to get designer decorative stencils and tools. Monica chose this Morrocan Stencil- Chez Sheik:
And I'm getting this lovely Large Fabric Damask stencil:
We both have big plans for our stencils and come on, you know you have an area in your house that's just dying to be stenciled. Am I right? Head over to Royal Design Studio to be totally inspired. Use the coupon code RHBC10 for 10% off your order! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Giving Back
We are often so focused on buying gifts at this time of year, but really, it's also a great time to give back. Head on over to Scout & Nimble to see how you can be a part of her awesome iniative to do just that. Also, did you see this ah-ma-zing rug she just got?
So jealous. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ok, that's it! No excuses for lame gifts this year, people!; )
You might remember that last spring I gave my front porch a face lift. I love the door, the planters, the numbers… I love it all! BUT… no one ever comes through the front door. We're those laid back friends where you can just swing by unannounced and you'd never dream of coming through the front door- and that's how we like it.
However, what we didn't love was the hideous garage entryway that we were making our poor friends and loved ones endure…
In my defense, we have a Bernese Mountain Dog that gets MUDDY in the spring, but still, it was nasty! We also had a bit of a shoe issue… Basically our kids never put them away! Grr! My hubs was going away for a few days and I decided that a garage makeover would be a perfect birthday present- he was coming home on his actual 30th birthday. In 48 hours that tested me as a DIYer and a single mom, I managed to get the reveal done in time!
Isn't that SO.MUCH. BETTER? I love that it actually reflects what you're going to see when you get inside our home (not just a mud pit) and the hubs loves that the shoe issue is taken care of! Here's what I did…
I'll be completely honest here for a second too… the shoe bins actually work! Only once or twice have I had to remind my oldest (of course it would be the oldest) to put her shoes away. It's so practical and awesome!
I'm calling this a REAL LIFE Garage Mudroom Makeover because I was not going to go all out and spend hundreds of dollars on a garage- it's a Garage! I love some of the pictures I see in magazines and on Pinterest where every little detail is exactly perfect and pristine, but news flash… I don't live in a magazine… My 4 kids are messy, my garage is usually housing a DIY project, and is being spray painted in all the time. I wanted a makeover that looked good, but was realistic and not fancy just for the sake of blogging it. Here's an example… I could have painted the garage floor and it would have looked much cleaner, but really- spend time painting a floor that will get dirty or have fun with my kids? I went with the kids and I'm happy about it. So, I hope this inspires you to be willing to try a project- it doesn't always have to look Pottery Barn perfect. Okay, off my soap box… Here are some more fun elements…
The rest of this week, I'll be sharing the tutorials for all the projects in the room. Lockers, Custom Rugs, Foot Artwork, and more! In the meantime, I have one final detail to finish… I am going to add some vinyl words to the door. We have a no knocking policy in our house. Honestly, there's one of Kaden's sweet little friends that always knocks when his family comes over and I give him such a hard time! (Matt, if you're reading this- no more knocking!) So, what I want to put on the door is something about friends and family not knocking, but I can't come up with a good way to say it. Can you help a girl out?
Leave me a comment if you have any ideas! I always get so inspired by all of you! What do you think of my Real Life Garage Makeover?Stay tuned tomorrow for tutorials! Linking to:
I feel very honored to have been awarded the 'Super Comments Award' by Mona from Providence ltd Design. Mona has been with me since my first day of blogging leaving wonderful comments for me along the way ever since, for that I truly thank her.
The way this works is you answer a series of questions about yourself and then pass it along to seven others who have left wonderful comments so without farther ado'. 1) Why do you blog?? I keep wondering that myself since I work ten plus hours a day and time has always been an issue for me but I can't help myself. I only just discovered blogs last year. I mean I saw them listed but didn't know what they were so always skipped over them. Last summer I opened one and I was enchanted. I mean here were all these people opening their worlds to us, sharing their homes. That first day I spent the entire day reading and after a month I wanted to be a part of that circle, so I took the plunge and dived in for better or worse.
2) Name your three best memories: First is my Dad who's gone now'.riding around on my Dad's foot when I was little. I remember plopping on that poor guys foot the moment he walked in the house and he never minded and always gave me a ride'remember doing that? He also taught me how to tie my shoes and ride a bike, it's the little things that make me smile now that he's gone. Second was the day I moved from Phoenix, AZ to New York City, NY to be with my future husband. I loaded up a large truck and drove across country all by myself. If you've ever driven a 22-foot long truck you'll know how much work it is coupled with the fact I was changing my entire life and leaving everything I knew. It was the scariest thing I've ever done but also the best. It showed me that I was capable of doing anything and from that moment on if I wanted to try something I did! Third was the day we brought Dylan dog home four years ago. I hadn't had a dog in thirty years, dating myself here, I've had Persian cats. My husband really wanted a golden so I said lets get one and I've never regretted it. Dylan's great company, almost to smart for his own good, great to cuddle up next to and loyal beyond belief. But I think the best part about him is his eyes, you look into those golden brown eyes and you see love shining back!
?3) Name four of the best fiction books you've ever read: I don't have four favorites, I read all the time and there are to many to name. Some favorites I like revisiting are: Beauty by Susan Wilson The ladies of Missalonghi by Colleen McCullough I love mysteries by Mary Higgins Clark and Nora Roberts I read a lot of textile, art and decorating books too but what I like reading is all over the place.
4) What are the five best movies ever made? Again I don't have favorites because I watch everything under the sun but when I'm alone I like light hearted movies, nothing serious and never anything scary....hate scary movies. 5) Name five things you cannot live without: My family and friends. My best friend Deb is the sister I never had so I feel very blessed. My antique textiles, I feel like I've finally figured out what I'm supposed to be doing in my life. It gives me a great sense of peace! My computer, I have my web site/business on here and it's easier to talk to my friends overseas. My monthly facials, it's relaxing, keeps my face in place and one of the few things I actually do just for me. Auctions! I love auctions, the thrill of the hunt, the adrenaline rush just before you bid and sometimes winning, it's very exciting! 6) If you could change your name what would it be? Chase! I saw a movie once with Rene Russo in it and her characters name was Chase, it was a really cool name. I like my name, Debra, but I introduce myself as Debra and people always say "hi Debbie", I HATE BEING CALLED DEBBIE! Not that there's anything wrong with being called Debbie....:)
7) Tell us a unique and interesting fact about yourself. I can build! I decide one day to build a garden room in our side field and the first thing I needed were raised field stone garden beds. So I went out and bought a book, read it and went to work. See up in the far left corner my pile of rubble'these poker flowers are in a perfectly round garden bed that's twelve feet wide, I built that. You'll see better pictures in the spring, promise, now I'll bore you with my ability to build!
8) What do you love best about yourself? My ability to do whatever I set my mind too. I believe everyone can do anything just stop talking about it and go do it. I've accomplished everything I've set out to do in my life so far, yes, it really is that simple. Just do it! 9) If you had a freaky Friday experience, who would you change places with? Honestly, nobody because I like who I've become as a person. I've worked dang hard to become who I am why would I want to give that up? I'd like to have past and present people to dinner to pick their minds but trade places with them'nah! 10) What is the best thing about being a woman? The ability to multi-task if I didn't I wouldn't get half the things done that needed to be done.
Now it's time to pass this gracious award on to some of the people who have brightened my days: Stacey at: Style Addicted Mom Joan at: for the love of a house Sharon at: My French Country Home Jermaine at: French Kissed Deborah at: Boxwood Terrace Vanna at: lvroftiques better known as Delusions of Grandeur Debra at: 5th and State THANK YOU!
I can't believe I actually won something but I did and it's fabulous! I want to thank Debra over at 5th and State and her nephew who chose my name, for the wonderful dessert cookbook by Chef Alain Roby. I can't wait to try out one of the recipes this weekend!
Ok, are you ready for our last guest post for the Summer? We are thrilled with all of the projects our bloggy friends have shared with us, and this one from Christina of Christina's Adventures, is no exception! Christina is a local girl and has a sweet heart and some serious DIY skills. And oh my goodness, this nautical summer wreath of hers made my heart skip a beat. A.dor.a.ble.
She's a regular commenter on our posts, for which we are eternally grateful! Welcome, Christina!
Hey East Coast Creative readers! I’m super excited to be here! I live just a short drive away from Jess & Monica – and I share so many of their DIY passions! I have a blog (Christina’s Adventures) where I share my stories about thrifty decorating, DIY upcycling, and creative living.
I am a former Autism Support teacher (just resigned from my job in June!) who lives with my husband & “dog baby” in an apartment attached to my parent’s house while we save money to buy our own house (so we can have real babies)! This summer has been filled with all things wedding! I am a bridesmaid in one wedding, attending a great friend’s wedding next weekend, and my brother is getting married in a few days! We hosted a shower for my brother and his fiancée, and I had a lot of fun decorating for the shower. One of the guest’s favorite DIY items was this trough:
And YOU can easily make your own! Seriously! Added bonus – no power tools are required. Here’s how I made mine: I have been dying to make a trough for flowers for ages, and then I saw this one from Thrifty Décor Chick and I fell in love! I just needed the occasion/space to put the trough. When we were looking for something to fill the space at the kitchen table for the bridal shower, I knew this was my opportunity! I first planned out how big I wanted to make it. Our table was just about 6 feet long, so I decided to make this trough 4 feet long. I went to Lowe’s, and found some cedar wood in their lumber section. What I love about Lowes, is they will cut your wood for you! Just give them the measurements, and they’ll cut it. Seriously – best thing ever.
Here were the measurements I used:
2 planks: 3/4” x 7 1/2” – 4 feet long
1 plank: 1 1/2” x 5 1/2” – 4 feet long
2 squares (cut from the thicker piece): 1 1/2” x 5 1/2” – 5 1/2” long
I will be honest – the awesome lumber man from Lowe’s helped me out a lot with this part – he made sure they all fit together correctly and “shaved” off parts so they were even. I first glued them together with some Liquid Nails, and let that sit overnight:
In the morning, I hammered in some nails at the seams, just to make sure it was secure. I then roughly filled in some of the bigger cracks with wood filler, and sanded it down. I didn’t want this to look perfect – I knew I was going to paint and distress it, so I wanted imperfections.
I picked out a blue color I had in my stash (originally an “oops” can for $3). I didn’t prime the surface since I painted right onto the bare wood.
I let that dry, and then I painted with a very light gray over top (the same gray I used on this desk). I did not do this meticulously – I tried to leave some spots where you could see some of the blue coming through:
I then had some fun with glaze and sandpaper. There’s no science to this – I sanded down in certain spots, glazed over areas, and wiped down with a damp cloth. I like to use this glaze, which can be found at Lowe’s or Home Depot. Finally – I let it dry, and it was ready to be filled! I would have *loved* to fill it with fresh flowers, but it just wasn’t practical. We knew we wanted to keep the decoration in my mother’s living room after the shower, so she bought fake flowers from Michaels. I usually hate fake flowers, but these look surprisingly pretty!
What I love about this project is that it wasn’t just a “shower decoration”, but we are now able to use it in my mother’s living room (come follow my blog to see the full make-over of her room – coming soon!)
A few more glamour shots:
What are your thoughts? Have I convinced you that you can easily make yourself one of these as well? If you want to see more projects like this, come follow my blog! We have so much fun over there, and I’d love to get to know you better!
It's actually incredibly hard to believe that we are 2 years in to this whole blogging thing. Last year we celebrated our one year blogiversary with loads of talented guest posters, giveaways and fun facts about our crazy first year. This year, we have soooo much going on that we just couldn't swing all that, but we still wanted to recognize some of the funny, ridiculous and amazing things that have happened to us over the past two years. But before that we want to thank YOU guys, whether you're a brand new reader or have been here for the long haul, for your support and encouragement to us. We would be nothing without you guys!! So thank you. Now, for the fun part;
Three Posts We Wished We'd Never Written We seriously laugh out loud sometimes about the posts we wrote when we first started. Let's just say it took us awhile to figure out our niche.; ) I'm sure there are tons of other lousy posts, but these are a few of the ones we love to hate. 1. In our second month of blogging we wrote a post entitled, For All You Tomboys Out There about how to braid your hair. Ha! As if we are experts about anything related to hair. Hilarious. (Our friend, Jane, did the braid, and she IS awesome at doing hair, but us? Not so much.)
2. I threw an Angelina Ballerina-themed 3rd birthday party and posted about it way back when. The party was cute enough, but nothing over the top, and the pictures are pitifully bad. The funny part is that this is one of our most successful posts! I guess there aren't too many people throwing Angelina birthday parties??
3. Monica shared her adventures in trying to DIY a belt out of fabric in this post. Even her daughter was like,"Ewww…Mom, don't wear that." Love that.
Blog Design for Beginners We prided ourselves on doing everything by ourself- including our blog design. We did ok for novices, and actually have done everything related to the way our blog runs and looks ourselves until the last 6 months or so. Now, we happily turn our ideas over to Kim, at 733 Design, for our custom blog design. Anyway, take a look at the way things used to be… Header 1… Designed at 12am the night we randomly decided to start a blog…
Header 2… About 3 months in…
Header 4… this one lasted about 2 minutes. We hated it!
Header 5… this one lasted for almost a year until we had to play the name swaparoo game…
Ahh… How much we love Kim and her design expertise. She"gets" us and did a great job on our logo and header!
Five Incredible Opportunities We've Received as a result of this Blog All that goofiness aside, we have been blessed to have some awesome experiences because of this little ol' blog and we're sure we're on the verge of lots more. 1. The Nate Show: Last year we had the priviledge of being on four episodes of Nate's 2011-2012 season and it was a blast. Nate is a sweetie, and we fell in love with live TV, for sure. This will forever remain as one of the highlights of our blogging careers.
2. Mexico: Thanks to our buddy, Nate, we won a trip for 6 days to Cancun, Mexico that totally rocked. We had such a blast with two other girlfriends and enjoyed loads of down time and really great food. Without this blog= no Mexico= sad girls.
3. HGTV Magazine and Ladies Home Journal
4. Feautred on Young House Love! I think every blogger wants to be featured by John and Sherry (if you're living under a rock, they are THE biggest and most successful home bloggers out there) and we got our opportunity with the Guest Room Makeover we did for a friend. Check that off the bucket list.: )
5. Creating with the Stars. It's crazy how things come full circle, isn't it? We LOVED being a part of this contest, and are even more thrilled to be hosting it this year! Speaking of CWTS, TODAY is the last day to enter your projects! Over the next week, we (with the help of the 12 stars) will be poring over the submissions to choose the best contestants! Don't forget- the contestants and their blog star partners will be announced next Friday, March 1st! Get excited, people, get very excited.
So, we've shared our highs and lows from the past two years, and again we want to say that we are so honored to have had you on this amazing journey with us. 2013 promises to be our BIGGEST year yet, so hold on tight, we're all in for a crazy ride! In honor of 2 Rockin' Years of Blogging, we're gonna open the floor for a little Q and A… Leave a comment asking us anything under the sun and we'll respond. It can be about blogging, life, our friendship, how to braid hair (haha!) or whatever you want to know. We'll comment back throughout the day! So… what do you want to know??
Friday night we had the awesome privilege of being the special guests at Calvary Church of Souderton's Ladies Night Out. We were asked to come up with something involving DIYing and be super entertaining while 450 women looked on… yikers, no small task right?
We chatted about it a bit and then decided we were up for another White Box Challenge!! If you missed our first one with Nate Berkus, you can check it out HERE. We set up a Plain Jane, Ho-Hum room, talked through each project, starting it on stage in front of everyone, and then had 30 minutes during intermission to actually transform the room. Yes, we know we're completely insane!!
We wish all of you across the country could have come to the event- it was SUPER fun, but since you couldn't- we thought we'd share some of the fun with you!! One of the first things we talked about was using what you've got. We've all got"mad skillz" but my skillz are probably pretty different than yours. Rather than feeling like you've got to fit into a perfect mold, instead, find a way to use what you're good at- and what you most likely love- to help others. Sometimes we fall into the trap of thinking we need to serve in the traditional ways i.e. church nursery, ushering at church, helping at a food bank- and while all of those are awesome and perfect for some people, God might have gifted you in a different way, to do different things. For some weird reason, I can make rooms look pretty… not your typical serving"gift", but Jess and I have been able to use it in awesome ways- decorating the women's recovery center, Jess did the children's room at her house, our Design It Forward projects etc… Bottom line: Use what you've got, don't try and fit into someone else's mold- God wants to use YOU with the cool talents he's given you.
Then, we talked about using what you've got in your home!! We all have rooms in our houses that we'd like to change, but odds are we don't need to go out and start from scratch- so we explored ideas for making generic items awesome!! The biggest things to remember hear are #1- Don't be afraid to try something!! Working on Knock It Off, we're now 100% convinced that fear is what holds peeps back from making their home exactly how they want it! #2- Your home should reflect YOU! It doesn't need to look like a Pottery Barn catalog (although those are pretty)- it should be a place that YOU love. If that means a green piano, then go for it. If it means neutral, planked walls, then have at it! Whatever you do, just make sure it feels right for you and your family.
So, here's where our room started off… (We actually struggled to make it look"bad" Jess kept staging things nicely and I would go through and mess them up on purpose!)
The space was fine, but kind of blah- no real personality at all… Now, please forgive me… this is a blogger foul, but the after pic is from a different spot- you don't get the full room. There were 450 ladies in the room at the end and I couldn't get off stage to get a good pic. My bad! BUT…Here's the room after our 30 minute makeover!
Just a wee bit better eh? Here's a bit of a before and after all you can eat buffet, and we'll be back later this week with more project how-to info! Ikea RAST dressers are under $40 and you can do so many things with them! Here it is BEFORE…
And AFTER… We combined two to make a fun, color blocked buffet.
And in case you didn't notice… we found the biggest shade this side of the border!! We picked up this baby at a thrift shop…
We knew it had potential, it was just being hidden by a 10 foot shade… it was like a"shade-nado" Ok, bad, lame joke sorry! With some fun orange spray paint and a new shade trimmed with ribbon, it looked much better!
My official survey showed that 8/10 households has at some point owned an Ikea LACK side table. I mean at $7.99 it's almost impossible not to buy one. The problem is that it SCREAMS Ikea more than any other piece.
The good news… it's one of the easiest Ikea pieces to hack! We turned ours into a tufted ottoman with this gorgeous Ikat fabric (we got it at Joann- use a coupon to get the great price we paid!)
Another common Ikea piece is this chair… Again, so cheap, but sadly, looks it.
We added nail head detailing and paint dipped the legs in the same orange as the lamp. Added a fun pillow and suddenly this Ikea chair isn't so generic anymore!
Art can be expensive and unless to want to unload tons of cash, it's usually pretty generic. This is just blah artwork you could find at Target, Kohls, etc…
We used letters cut on paper, some spray adhesive, and spray paint to make our own custom art. The options are endless with this project.
How 'bout that for some fun before and afters?!? And honestly, every project was started live on-stage and then we finished all of them, painted the top of the wall, and added chair rail in 30 minutes! It was insanity and oh, so awesome all at once. We couldn't have done it without the help of some awesome volunteers!! Our blog readers rock and 3 awesome ladies worked behind the scenes to have all the projects ready to go for intermission. Dana, Beth, and Donna were great to work with and plus, we love meeting readers in real life!! Thanks again ladies!! Also, our carpenter and friend Matt made our entire white box before the event and then installed a chair rail and painted the teal walls during intermission in about 5 minutes flat! Matt's in the Philly area and does amazing contracting work! If you need a project done- he's our #1 recommendation! You can reach him at mattvapps@hotmail.com Tell him we sent you!!
So, all-in-all we felt like the event was a success. We loved the challenge and thrill of doing a room live, but more importantly- we LOVED being able to challenge so many women to use what they've got in their homes and also in their lives. We're honored and feel pretty darn blessed to have been given this opportunity. Check back later this week for project how-to's and other inspiration ideas for these pieces! If you were at the event… what'd you think? Are you ready to try some DIY in your own home?
Two weeks ago, Eric and I (Monica) had a chance to attend a benefit dinner for Liberty Ministries. It's a prison ministry aimed at transforming the lives of offenders and recently released ex-offenders. It was a really awesome night and it was amazing to hear the stories of the men whose lives have been changed through the ministry.
Liberty Ministries runs 5 thrift stores in Bucks and Montgomery counties. The money goes towards the operational costs of the ministry. You know that Jess and I love a good thrift store find, so we're thrilled to share these stores with you. Look at all those tables just waiting to be painted… or the chairs begging to be part of the 2011's decor!
This weekend is the GRAND OPENING of the new Quakertown Location and to celebrate, they're offering 50% off of EVERYTHING at that location.
I know that I'll be going Sat. to get some awesome items to DIY, but just to convince you to come too… We're giving away TWO $10 giftcards that can be used at any of the five locations anytime in the next year. Since the Grand Opening is tomorrow, this is a quick giveaway. We'll be choosing a winner at 11pm tonight and the giftcards will be waiting for you at the Quakertown location (unless you want it mailed to you). Even if you don't win, check out one of the stores and if you want more information about this ministry, head over to their website here. Thanks for letting us share this with you, now come on local readers… Here's how to enter: 1. Leave a Comment on this post (1 entry) 2. Like Liberty Thift Stores on Facebook Here (1 extra entry) Good Luck and Happy Thrifting this Weekend!
P.S. Jess and I are super excited to finish taping our Nate Show segment this weekend! We can't wait to share all the details with you soon! Also, if you're in the NYC area, we're taping our live show this coming Thursday, so you should try and get tickets to the taping. It would be awesome to have a little RHBC posse!
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