You guys get to see my home all the time in projects, you get to read my ramblings here on the blog daily, but today I'm sharing something a little more personal… my family and my life behind the scenes. Our photographer Stacy of Stacy Salvatori Photography spent a Saturday with our family capturing pictures of our real life. No coordinated outfits, no posing, just capturing how we roll. I can't tell you how much I love the pictures and I can't wait to make a big ol' display with them! (Don't forget that Stacy is giving away a FREE Session for Mother's Day and you can enter until Midnight tonight! Click here to enter!)
Here's how Stacy describes these awesome story sessions… I wanted to try something new. Something real. I’ve seen a few photographers that I admire and whose work I simply love, start a new journey. One of capturing people’s stories… their real life moments. And I kind of dig it. I like the notion of no posing, no planned outfits, and location? Well, how about your own home. The place you feel most you. I still love doing Family Portrait Sessions, and I always will. But there’s something unique, and something raw about snapping those in-between moments of life. The moments that truly define who we are, and that when we look back on, well, they will help us feel what we did all over again. I had the joy of capturing the Mangin Family’s ‘Story’. Them in their beautiful home, laughing, fighting, playing, and crying… living their life in front of the lens. Here’s a few snapshots of their life. What’s your story? I hope you enjoy this peek into my life… If you would have told me ten years ago that I'd have 4 kids, own a dog, cat, and two ducks, I'd have laughed hard enough to possibly pee my pants. God has some crazy plans up his sleeve and I'm so thankful for this crazy life that's ours.
One of my very favorite pictures!
Hard to see, but if you look closely you can see my crazy hubs was throwing an ax up in the air and catching it while it was spinning. Did I mention our life is a tad crazy?
I hope you've enjoyed peeking into my world. If you're local, you should definitely call Stacy about setting up a story session. Tell her EC2 sent you and she'll give you the VIP treatment! (I completely made that up, but she's always super nice, so we can pretend it's VIP just for you!) Later this week I'll be sharing more projects from the Wood Shim Wall Art projects!
P.S. We're the ones in a contest now and if we win, we get to give $5000 to the charity of our choice! We need your help, though- you can learn more about our project and the charity we chose here, or go vote for us every day for the next two weeks right here (click on the Crafting for Charity button on their FB page). Thank you!
In the last number of Allt i Hemmet, I found this article with beautiful photos of a house in Mariefred. White floors and walls all over, lots of second hand foundings, no trends, only personal, classic and timeless.
Sorry guys, no DIY project today, but I thought I'd share a little bit of what's going on in my world. We know you guys love project inspiration here on the blog, but we're always hearing from many of you that you like the real life stuff too! So, the big news in my world is that I've Retired!! Yup, 31 and Retired!
As of last Friday I'm no longer working in education- it feels strange even to type that! I gave my notice that I wouldn't be returning to the cyber school where I've worked for the last 5 years. Let me tell you that it wasn't an easy decision…
Here's how it all went down… starting in February, Jess and I began working for Knock It Off and the network was super awesome about my commitment to finishing out my school year. We worked almost every weekend from Feb.-June and we worked really long hours. I knew I was falling head over heels in love with our show and wanted to make it my full-time job! Who wouldn't want to work with their BFF, doing what they love, and getting paid to do it! Here's the catch… do you know how many people think it's totally legit to talk about how many shows fail?? A LOT. So, I was torn, take a risk and pursue this once in a lifetime opportunity or play it safe and just keep teaching. It sounds like a no brainer, but when you have 4 kids to think about, it wasn't easy.
Thankfully, the shows' producers were giving us nothing but positive feedback and finally Eric and I decided it was time to take a leap of faith and give 100% to this crazy new venture of Knock It Off! Can I tell you how relieved I was once I made the decision?? It was like about 2000 lbs off my shoulders.
Being a TV show host was never in a million years something I thought I'd do, but life doesn't always work out as we think it will. God has some crazy, whacked out plans. I have no idea where we'll be in 5 years, but I'm secretly hoping Jess and I will be in a 5th Season of Knock It Off!: ) Making a major life change can be scary, but we only have one shot at this life and I feel like with the support of my awesome family and friends this new venture is going to be awesome.
For now, I'm just so relieved to not be working two full-time jobs! Major props to my amazing husband and kids because the last three months took busy insanity to a whole new level. We're enjoying the simplicity of one job and spending a whole lot of family time together. So, that's what's new in my world. Have you ever had to make a crazy, life-changing decision? Do tell!
PS- Oh, I also bough a MAC this weekend- I'm loving it! Thanks to all of you that gave me input on Facebook! PSS- One of our favorite Sponsors, Moo&Puppy is having an amazing sale starting this weekend. She's where we get all of our awesome digital papers from! Make sure you check it out- start thinking of patterns you might want in the fall for back to school, Halloween, and then Christmas of course! Click HERE to check it out! Sale starts this weekend!
W hat I find fascinating about anonymous portraits is the imaginary life we create for those captured for but a moment in time. I've often wondered about the woman in this portrait. I imagined her to be the eldest daughter of three, living on a grand estate and wearing beautiful dresses. I wondered if she was happy and if she lived a long life. I hoped so. Romona, a library acquisitions assistant, wrote me recently after coming across a familiar face. She traced the familiarity back to the post I did on the woman in the portrait....it was, indeed, the same woman. Her name was Enrica Soma, the mother of actress Angelica Huston.
On June 9, 1947 she was featured on the cover of Life magazine, identified only as "Young Ballerina." She was the fourth wife of famed director John Huston. Shortly thereafter, she became the mother to three children. A son named Tony, a daughter Angelica and her sister, Allegra. Many years later in Italy, while driving to her father's house for the holiday, she died in a car accident. She was just 39 years old. Her youngest daughter Allegra, who was four years old at the time of her mother's death, has written a memoir called Lovechild . Of course, I see the portrait differently now. Knowing more about the woman behind the face is bittersweet. She did not live a long life as I imagined, or hoped. In fact, she died at my age. But despite the tragedy that greeted her in her young life, I find myself with an even deeper respect and appreciation for her grace, her beauty and her mystery. And in this portrait, it is the life she lived passionately as a ballerina, and her beauty and presence as a mother, that endures.
Have you ever walked into someone's home and wondered about their objets d'art? Objet d'art is defined as something decorative, an object of some artistic value. Henry David Thoreau once said ' There is no value in life except what you choose to place upon it and no happiness in any place except what you bring to it yourself.' I wonder if he was envisioning my home, looking at my objets d'art when he said this? As I was sitting in my studio stitching away I briefly looked up and had to smile at a beloved treasure. I think we've all done that, purchased an item simply because they make us smile. Louis is such an object, he's a 17th century French wig last for making wigs. The top of the woodenhead is covered in layer upon layer of vellum paper for sizing a person's head. Big head more paper, you get the idea. Balanced upon coverless French book inserts Louis hangs about holding a beautiful antique French crown in regal splendor Perhaps it's because of the type of job I have, antique textile dealer that I'm around and see more antiques than my fair share. Mainly because my dealers deal in more than just textiles and are always showing me items that don't relate to my business in hopes of a sale. Being female this appeals to me greatly. Plus having an artistic side let alone not being able to help myself I end up with what I think are rather amazing things decorating my home.
Meet Henri, he stands about like a sentry on duty presiding over my pillows. He's an 18th century child's clothing mannequin straight from France. His body is stuffed with horsehair and wrapped in burlap, I love the stitching up the front of him in French waxed string. Sometimes I dress him up in something old, do we ever grow tired of playing dress up? Objects add so much life to our rooms and antiques bring history, an artful intrigue. Imagine a room devoid of our decorative objects, a room with just furniture, it doesn't look finished. Our objects are what keep our eyes moving, what makes it interesting. As I sit here in my studio I notice I have several human form objects, what is it about the human form we try to bring into our rooms? My guess is the human form finishes off a room the same way living people do.
Kay O'Toole has several mannequins, above and below, in the form of a Mexican Santos and garden statue enlivening her hall bringing it to life. Ms. O'Toole's shop is called 'Antiques and Eccentricities for all the weird things she's drawn to' but are they weird or comforting? Photo courtsey March, 2010Veranda magazine.
Katie Stassi Here used a mannequin near a French daybed, her philosophy is her interiors are ' defined not designed'. So do our objects define a space as well as decorate?
Alain and Brigitte Garnier incorporated a French mannequin artfully into their lives in their Belgium home. Photo courtesy of Cote de Texas Here Antiques, accessories, objects all tell a story whether about the room they inhabit or the people who purchase them, they bring a room to life. So whether you're using mannequins, Santos or statues for accessorizing your home incorporating a human form adds a touch of life and intrigue into a room. Or if you're like me you spend way too much time alone and have made inanimate objects your friends'.lol.
We've been crazy excited about this post since our friend Staci agreed to partnering with us! From time to time, we revisit our Be Intentional series. Staci's story is one that we hope encourages you to set goals in your life (in any and all areas) and then take intentional steps to achieve them. We love this girl, we're so proud of her, and are honored to share her story today!
Meet our friend Staci… ********************************************************************************** I am going to be honest. I am"no good" at home decorating and DIY design and crafting. To be brutally honest, I flat out stink! Oh, believe me, I have dreams about a beautifully decorated bedroom and a warm and cozy living room with amazing wall colors and fresh flowers in beautiful vases accented on my tables and shelves. But, I am just not good at putting everything together to transform a room. So, thankfully, I am NOT writing this post to give you tips about DIY design! Really…you should be thanking me!!! Haha! On the other hand, I thank God for making us all unique and designed for the purposes HE designed us for. So, you may be wondering who am I and why have I been given access to writing to an audience of DIY pros and creatives?!?! I may not be good at DIY design and transforming the rooms of my living space, but I have been on a little DIY transformation…in my body and in my life. My name is Staci. This is me in January of 2010.
I know what you are thinking. Oh goodness. Yikes. I am thinking it, too. "Did she stuff her shirt with melons?""Did she put pillows in her pants?""Is she a really grouchy person?""She looks angry." All to which I can reassure you…NO. I did not put melons in my shirt. I didn't add pillows to my pants. And no…I am not grouchy nor angry!!! Okay, maybe you weren't thinking"exactly" that, but when I look at these pictures of who I was 2 years ago, I can hardly believe that was me. The reality is, I was 260 lbs. of hurt. 260 lbs. of frustration. 260 lbs. of failed diets. 260 lbs. of zero confidence. 260 lbs. of someone I never, ever wanted to become. Sad, unhealthy, embarrassed, lonely and hopeless.
Have you ever been at your rock bottom? The place where you feel that you are never going to get out of? The place where you feel that no one understands? The place where you feel so far away from where you truly want to be? That was me 2 years ago. I don't exactly remember what it was that sparked a deep desire in me to change once and for all, but I was really starting to think that God didn't create me to be any of the things I was becoming. And he surely didn't desire for me to be trapped in a body that I was ashamed of, embarrassed about and so hurt to be in. Although, one post is not nearly enough to share with you all that has gone on in my life and my transformation over the past 2 years; I will share with you where I am today and the main reasons I am where I am.
I reached my final goal in November 2011. This is me today at 135 lbs.:
Never in a million years did I believe that this was possible. I still look at my before and after photos and I cannot believe that was me and now this is me. You can only see the images, but I can see the hurt and defeat in the before photos. And I can see the strength and hope in the after photos. I haven't just transformed physically, I have transformed emotionally as well.
This picture of my old jeans is a clear reminder of where this journey started! Staci would love for her story to reach and help anyone that might need encouragement. So, you have her permission to Pin her pictures and share it with anyone that could use some encouragement and motivation!
When people hear of my success or they see it for themselves when they see me, there is always one question that gets asked: WHAT DID YOU DO TO LOSE THE WEIGHT?!?! At first, I used to give people my simple cookie cutter answer of what I did: I started eating right and exercising daily. And I prayed. Sometimes minute by minute. But, after seeing the sometimes disappointed looks back at me because for some reason or other, when people give us the straight up hard truth (even though it is common sense), we somehow think that we could never do that. We believe the lies: "I could never do that."
"I don't have that kind of willpower." You know what? I am not crazy motivated. I don't have any more"willpower" than you. I don't have a magic formula and I sure don't have a magic potion. But, I do have intention and a God who never gives up on me. Even when I give up on myself. Jess and Mon talk often about"Being Intentional". For me, being intentional means doing things even when I don't want to because it is what I need to do. Being intentional means having a plan at all times. Being intentional means setting goals. I am not speaking of having plans and setting goals because I believe I have my future all figured out or that I can truly control what happens tomorrow or next week, but I desire to have a plan and set goals because it is one of the ways that lives can change. It is one way that people can move from an undesirable place in life to a place of freedom and the ability to fully live the life they were designed for! By setting goals, I had to make choices as to"how" I could get to that goal. I set a 6 -week, 90-day, 6-month and"end of year" goal. If the scale wasn't moving, I had to assess what I was doing. And change something immediately. There was no time to go off the path I needed to take if I wanted to meet my goals. This was me about 1/2 way through… I was around 190lbs.
In addition to setting goals, I also had to learn what I needed vs. what I wanted. Monica and Jess have talked about wants vs. needs in decorating. Well, I may have wanted to go out to my favorite restaurant for a big burger and fries, but I truly didn't need a big burger and fries. See the difference? I know, I know…it still seems like it is a willpower thing. But it really isn't. It's looking at my plan. If I want to weigh 10 lbs. less in 6 weeks, a burger and fries isn't what I need. Does it mean I will never be able to have a burger and fries? Not at all. But right now, that isn't part of the plan.
Bottom line, I am not here to tell you what to do and how to do it. I am merely trying to tell you that you CAN do it. Do what works for you. Do what you know you need to do. Even if you don't have to lose weight, it is still important to fuel your body with healthy, nutritious foods. And it is so important to take some time out of your day to get moving. Find something that you enjoy and get moving! Be intentional. And above all else, remember that you were created for a purpose. By taking care of your body; physically, emotionally and spiritually…you are unleashing a power within that no one can take away. And you are unleashing the power to connect and encourage others around you! When I am struggling or having a day where my wants seem to be trying to overpower the intention of my needs, I cling to the words below. Maybe it is with eating, maybe it is trying to get through an intense workout, maybe it's facing the daily pressures of life. Here is what I hold on to:
" I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.For I can do everything through Christ,who gives me strength." ~Philippians 4:12-13
In the midst of the depth of all of this; the tears, hard work, the defeats and the triumphs, I have made every effort to maintain a attitude of openness and realness with others as well as a level of humor. So, I will leave you with one last photo. It is my favorite one of all!!! This is my mom and I in my old pants…yes,two of us!: -) 125 lbs. lost and gone forever!!! I am forever changed!!!
P.S. I must share that I am a recovering sweets & desserts addict! So, I will share one of my absolute favorite treats that I make almost daily for myself! Enjoy! Quick Chocolate Oatmeal(adapted from my absolute favorite dessert blog Chocolate-Covered Katie) 1/2 cup quick oats 1 small banana (broken up into small chunks) 1 1/2 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa 2 Tbsp Unsweetened Applesauce 15-20 drops of Liquid Stevia 1 tsp. vanilla extract 3/4 cup of Light Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk or Light Vanilla Soy Milk dash of salt 2 Tbsp. fat free cool whip (optional) Spray small saucepan with cooking spray. Combine all of the ingredients together in the small saucepan. Stir everything together until thoroughly mixed. Turn heat to high and continue stirring oatmeal until oatmeal starts to bubble slightly and thicken. After oatmeal starts to slowly boil, turn heat off and continue stirring for another minute or so to finish heating all the way through. Pour into a bowl and enjoy! For an extra treat, add some fat free cool whip on top! *You can also add a Tbsp of Peanut Butter to the above recipe for a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup bowl of oatmeal!My husband's favorite!: -) *********************************************************************************** So how's that for some intentional living? I don't know about you, but Staci has encouraged, inspired, and motivated us big time! Staci recently started blogging about all things health,fitness, and nutrition, so check out Musings of a Wellness Hopeful for all kinds of recipes, motivation, and more!
Got questions for Staci? Leave a comment and she'll get back to you!
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I feel like this post title sorta sounds like Un-dressing Granny. Ha…well, no worries, this post has nothing to do with grandmothers, and everything to do with making ornate frames insanely awesome.
If you missed my decision to"Go Green" with my frames, you can catch up here. I loved the green color, but it was a tad St. Patty's Day for me. We needed to tone it down a bit.
Distressing frames is a total piece of cake! Here's what you'll need… Frames, dark glaze, a rag, and a cheapo brush. I chose Martha's Metallic Glaze in Black Coffee (and yea, Martha and I are still on first name basis… we're tight like that). I also really recommend using a cheapo brush because you'll be really pressing the glaze down into the cracks and I wouldn't want to do that with my awesome (yet pricey) Purdy brushes.
If you paint your frames, make sure they're really dry before you try to distress. I'm the queen of impatience, but even I waited 2 whole days! (Seriously impressive)
All you need to do is bush the glaze on. Work in one, semi-small-ish area at a time.
You really want to jam your brush into all the nooks and crannies (this is where the cheapo brush comes in).
Let it sit for about a minute or so and then use a rag (or in my case an old baby wash cloth) to wipe the stain off. It's up to you how much you leave on.
The difference is awesome. It's like going from Peter Pan to… umm… Robin Hood Men in Tights?? Okay, perhaps that didn't help any, so I'll just show you.
I love how it tones down the shine and brings out all the rich character of the detailing.
You know that moment when you couldn't be any happier with how a project is looking? That's how I felt about these frames. If you need a super simple project to lift your DIY spirits, distressing frames is for you!
Later this week I'll be revealing the entire gallery collage. It's almost finished! I actually had a little bit of extra DIY help this weekend. One of my life long bffs came down for my 30th birthday weekend. Seth is one of my favorite people in the whole world. We've been friends since we were 13 years old and I was so happy he made the 5 hour trip to help me hang curtains! Ha! Seriously, I totally love having friends that enjoy a good DIY… He hung my new dining room curtains, helped figure out the layout of my wall collage, and even took a trip to IKEA (The shopping might have gotten a slight protest!). Don't worry, I didn't torture him all weekend, I included lots of good food, movies, and a night of snowboarding. All kidding aside, one of the things I'm most aware of as I'm turning 30 this week, is just how blessed I've been by so many friendships in my life.
So, are you going to distress any frames and what do you think of my green ones so far?
P.S. Do you have any BFFs that have made your life that much more awesome? Do tell! *************** Red Letter Words-We interrupt this post to let you in on something AMAZING!Red Letter Words just launched a new Hymns Collection and we're loving it! I don't know about you, but I grew up in a small church, singing some old school hymns and those words have stuck with me throughout my life.
This morning, I was kind of a crappy mom and wife (I really was grouchy and not so nice) and I would have benefitted from this reminder.
I'm so thankful to have a faithful God and one that forgives my crappy attitude… now I just need to say sorry to the hubs and kids as well.: ) Dee's products are fabulously cool, but this collection takes it a step further and makes art something that can really change the outlook on your day. Go check it out and tell her The (not cranky anymore) Real Housewives of Bucks County sent you! www.redletterwords.com and of course LIKE her on Facebook, because we all love a good LIKE! http://www.facebook.com/redletterwords
Sometimes it's hard to really make something like the tragedy in Japan seem real when we're so far away. We can watch the news, see the YouTube videos, but still it can be hard to even imagine the devastation and even harder to have the same heart that Jesus does when his people are hurting. This blog is called REAL housewives for a reason… we're trying to be real and transparent with our readers and even more importantly, living out a REAL, authentic faith in God. So, I'll be honest, I don't always have the kind of compassion and burden for those that are hurting that I should. I let myself and my life get in the way. Japan does seem real to me because I've been there. I've met wonderful people and I had the privilege to meet a family that has dedicated their life to serving the people of Japan. The Bengtsons Please be praying for their family as they try to put life back together and offer hope to those hurting in Sendai, Japan.
Last night I took a few minutes to look through some pictures from my summer in Japan. It was amazingly beautiful and every person I met was incredibly kind.
My primary purpose while I was there was to help take care of Dean and Linda's two sons while they prepared for a move. I also assisted Shauna (one of my dear friends and life-long role models) teaching English classes.
In addition to praying for The Bengtsons and Japan as a whole, I also found a cool, tangible way to help. The Salvation Army has designed this great shirt and 100% of the proceeds go towards aid for Japan. I looked into these shirts closely and due to donations the cost to produce them is almost non-existent, so the money is actually going to help. I really like the shirt and it's a good reminder that even after the media dies down, and the next big news event comes along, that the people in Japan will need our prayer for far longer. So maybe consider ordering one as a way to help and a reminder to pray. Just a few gifting ideas for these shirts: 1- Teacher Gifts- I guarentee you the teacher will love it and it won't be the same old 2- Christmas presents- yes, I know it's VERY far away, but I think it would be a good lesson for my kids to give them one months later and remind them that we still need to be praying. (I hope my kids don't read my blog) 3- Graduation Gift- stick it in with some dorm stuff Click HERE to order a shirt through the Salvation Army
If you're looking for a place to provide support financially and aren't sure who to go through, the organization that the Bengtsons have recommended, and are working with is CrashJapan and you can donate through that link. Have a great Tuesday!
One of our New Year's Resolutions was to share a little bit about ourselves. And you want to know something about me? Last year was the year I quit {almost} everything. Want to know something else? Last year I didn’t like who I was. Let me explain.
Probably one of the most frequently asked questions of us is “How do you do it all?” The answer for me this past year, was “Not very well.” First, let me preface this by saying, I’m speaking only for myself. I recognize that every person juggles their hats differently, and every person has a different tolerance level for busyness. I would say that I have an above-average tolerance for busyness- it takes very little to stress me out. However, that level was completely maxed out last year.
I'm sure it had nothing to do with you, Mr. Berkus. You're too dang cute to cause much stress. Don’t get me wrong- I’m not complaining about the past year. No way. I have a fabulous life and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. And I have to admit, I really liked it when someone said “oh my gosh- I don’t know how you do it all! You are so inspiring!” On the outside, it looked like I had it all together and that it just wasn’t a big deal to juggle all those things. All of that busyness was of my own making. Yup, I said it. But if you were in my home every day, you’d know that I was short-tempered with my husband and wasn’t allotting any quality time for him. I was hurrying my kids through their day, not really focusing on them, just waiting for naptime to come. I was comparing myself to other bloggers and feeling badly about my projects. My confidence took a hit because I was so focused on how good other people’s stuff is and how insignificant my stuff was. I got uber-upset when a criticism would come along. I wasn’t enjoying my life. Period. I felt like I couldn’t ever give 100% to anything I was doing because I was spread so thin. I was exhausted.
source I finally realized that I needed to simplify my life a bit so that I could really focus on the things that matter most to me: my faith, my family, this little ol’ blog and the opportunities that might come as a result of it. I quit my job and stopped coaching tennis. I have dedicated myself to enjoying my babies while I still have them at home. I’ve stopped putting pressure on myself to come up with the best projects ever, and am just creating things that I love. I’ve developed the ability to say no, if I know it will negatively impact my family. I figure that I won’t ever look back and wish I had worked more and spent less time with my family. I’m happier, more focused and more productive. Plus, my kids think I’m more fun. I’m not saying it’s all better. I’m a work in progress and I’m still tempted to compare myself with others. In fact, it's often still really hard to say"no" to good things, especially when I know it may disappoint people.
So, what am I saying? I guess my hope is that you'll realize that it's ok to say no to some things, even when it feels like you're letting people down (I'm a HUGE people-pleaser, and this was hard for me to learn). I know that it's not possible for everyone to quit their job to pursue just the stuff that gives them joy, but there are tons of good things that we can do with our time, that don't fulfill our goals in life. I encourage you to evaluate what's important to you, and then pursue those things. Don't bog yourself down with stuff you think you're supposed to be doing, just because it makes other people happy or even because you like the appearance of being busy. Figure our your priorities, and cut out all that junk that messes with them. Just my two cents.: )
So, how about you? Do you over commit or are you good at saying no?
We were really excited when one of our very first blog sponsors, Mandy, approached us about sharing her story with our readers. This is a little different than our normal DIY post, but it's a pretty awesome opportunity and story we've watched unfold. So sit back, relax, and we'll tell you a little story…***************************************************************************This is Mandy. In 2010 Mandy was a mom to two girls, a wife, and a full-time English teacher.
Mandy was happy with her lot in life, but she was a tad stressed with juggling it all. One weekend, one of Mandy's best friends ever came to visit. During the weekend they had a conversation that went like this…Friend: Hey look at my super cute bagMandy: It's adorableFriend: I just got it from a cool, new company called Thirty-One Gifts. Mandy: Cool bag, strange nameFriend: It's a Christian company and 31 is from the Proverbs 31 woman. They do parties to sell their products. You should check it out, you'd be awesome at it. Mandy: (walking to get laptop) I want to check our their site.-5 minutes pass-Mandy: This is my New Passion!(Mandy proceeds to sign up as a 31 Gifts Independent Consultant)Seriously, the conversation actually went like that. True Story. This is Mandy. It's 2012 and she's a mom to three girls, a wife, and a stay-at-home-mom who's also an Independent Executive Director with Thirty-One Gifts.
Who would have thought starting a business would actually bring calm, growth, and encouragement to a persons life? That's exactly what happened. Mandy went from maintaining the juggling act to joining a group of women that she loves working with, making relationships that will outlast any tote or product, increasing the time she has to spend with her family, gaining personal confidence, and growing leaps and bounds in her faith. People always want to know about money, so we'll keep it real for you. Mandy left her full-time teaching job and is now making three times her previous income. They've been to Cancun and are leaving Friday for a week in Disney, all through Thirty-one.
Mandy wanted us to share her Thirty-One story with you because she knows how it has changed her life and now is an amazing time that Thirty-One could change yours. Thirty-One Gifts- Opportunity to Join Incentive!
Mandy is super passionate about helping other women, that like her, feel ready to stop the juggling act, and start doing something that will be encouraging, help to put family first, and making working fun! She'd love to talk to you more, so if you have any questions, leave a comment, click HERE, or use Mandy's Ad on the sidebar to contact her.
Mandy, Thanks for sharing your story and this opportunity with our readers! We love you Girl!
I'll be honest, I'm not good at living intentionally. Jess made living intentionally one of her goals about a year back, and she's doing a good job at it. I just kind of go with the flow and take each day as it comes, BUT (and this is a big but)… I am very intentional when it comes to my relationships. Eric and I believe that it's far too easy to let the busyness of life get in the way of maintaining community and authentic relationships. We believe that parenting and journeying through life is tough and would be nearly impossible if we were trying to do it alone. Everyone in the picture below plays a critical role in our life. We've all made a decision to listen to Hebrews 10:25 and make intentional choices to spend time together and encourage one another. We host dinner each and every Tuesday night for this crew and it's a time to connect with one another, be real, and build authentic relationships. (And yes, my house is loud, crazy, and messy each Tuesday and we wouldn't have it any other way!)
We thought we'd just give you a little glimpse into our weekend and the awesome time we had pumpkin picking. We hope it encourages you to take a step towards being intentional with your friends & family.
We might be BFFs, but we're so thankful for ALL the women we have in our lives!
We went to Penn Vermont Farm in Bedminster, PA. We highly recommend it- one of the best farms we've ever been to!
Jess' hubs Kev found a beauty
Me and my love
It could possibly have been the most beautiful fall day ever.
We love that our daughters will grow up seeing us putting a friendships as a major priority. And yes, we secretly hope they're friends forever as well.
We managed to get a family pic of Jess's crew- getting my six together is a slightly harder task.
Thanks for letting us share a peek into our lives. We had an awesome weekend and hope you did too! What could you do this week to Be Intentional with your friends? ************************************************************************** And now to announce the Winner of HTC One X Smartphone: CONGRATULATIONS TO:
Look for an email from us soon! Congratulations, Liz! And thanks to all of you who entered!
And don't forget that we're in the running to be the New Face of Proctor & Gamble Home! There are only THREE DAYS LEFT to vote for Monica. You can vote once a day, now through October 3rd. We SO APPRECIATE you taking the time to vote each day!
In case you didn't know, Jess and I spent a week in paradise…
Thanks to our friend, Mr. Nate Berkus, we lived in the laps of luxury at the Iberostar Cancun. Nate and his wonderful staff gave us this trip after our second appearance on his show. Thanks Nate!
If you're looking for a place to vacation, we'd totally recommend this resort. It has only been open two months, and yet the amazing staff made everything run so smoothly. Other than the incredible location, and beautiful accommodations, the entertainment staff,"The Star Friends" were the best part. They got these girls out of our chairs, playing balloon volleyball, doing aqua aerobics, taking salsa lessons and more. Honestly, the staff made this trip amazing. Here's a peek into our week…
Check out the resort lobby. It was beautiful and the decor was unique and stylish.
If you're a mom, take my advice and plan a girls' weekend! We were super excited that two of our gal pals came along on this adventure. This was the first time in years that we'd gotten away and it was so beneficial. Having time away from all the distractions of life let us truly relax and also connect as friends. We spent many nights sitting down by the ocean talking about life. It was so refreshing to be able to be open and honest and go beyond the surfacey discussions that busy life lends itself to. Jess and I are so blessed to have some pretty darn amazing women in our lives. If I didn't convince you to plan a girls' weekend, maybe more pictures will!
Iberostar, you had me at infinity pool.
This trip was a perfect way to usher in our 30th birthday year and to celebrate our first, amazing year of blogging. We've been beyond blessed by this blog journey and we're so thankful to all of you (our readers)!
So, now we're back to reality, (and for me a fading tan is like a slow, death. It's horrible to wake up each day, working my way back to pale white) but we're excited about so many projects and ideas that we're working on! and now the moment you've all been waiting for… The WINNER of the Royal Design Studio/Modello Designs giveaway is:
Congratulations Kara! email us to claim your prize!
PS. Jess and I are super excited and honored to be attending the NYC launch of the New an Improved Ladies Home Journal Magazine this evening. We'll be strutting our stuff trying to play it cool as we have our pics taken on the"red carpet". We'll be sure to let you know all the inside scoop tomorrow!
Well, Father's Day is only a little over a week away, and if you're like me, you STILL have nothing planned. I never know what to do, or what my hubs really wants, so we rustled up a little DIY Father's Day gift inspiration and decided to share it with you. Here goes:
1. Photo Gifts
Source: father.tipjunkie.com via Jessica on Pinterest
Source: zitzmanfam.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest These scrabble-inspired frames are adorable. I always know my husband will LOVE pictures of our kids, so this would be a winner. Plus, they're cheap and easy. I'd definitely call that a fab find.
Source: flickr.com via Jessica on Pinterest This would make a great gift, too. But I can totally envision a whole wall of these of my kids; one for each year of their life and the things that they're into. {Mentally adding that to my to-do list} These can totally be done yourself on a free photo-editing site like Picnik.
2. Clothes
Granted, some guys wouldn't want to receive clothes for Father's Day, but my guy loves being stylish and has gone from punk-rockerish in college (no joke- I have pictures to prove it) to preppy with his own twist. He might balk at this outfit at first, but I think he'd come around pretty darn quick. I mean, c'mon, this is hot handsome and classy. (All from J.Crew)
Source: urbanoutfitters.com via Blythe on Pinterest These boat shoes would complete the look above and make it perfect. Mmmm. 3. Food
California Pizza Kitchen BBQ Chicken Pizza This would make my husband jump up and down and shout for joy. I could probably capitalize on that goodwill and ask him to clean the toilets, but I would strongly consider it wouldn't. It's Father's Day, after all.
Why not spoil the special dad in your life with these sinful Cinnamon Roll Pancakes? Because, honestly, if you serve these for breakfast, you both win. Enough said. Now go forth and celebrate those special guys in your life!
We do a lot of projects… perhaps more than my wonderful husband would like to do… Some times I feel like this is my life…
Ok, don't judge me here, but I'm going to show you what state my garage was in about a week ago…
Two small tables about to be made into one BIG table, a million dining room chairs, exercise equipment for bootcamp, a buffet that is being refinished, and oodles of kid junk… Please tell me your"work areas" look like this from time to time!! If you remember, I posted about refinishing 14 chairs… well they seem to be EVERYWHERE! Perhaps they're multiplying??
Here's the progess… I picked a charcoal grey that I am thrilled with. Initially I was thinking black, but after painting one chair, I just wasn't feeling it. Picasso had a blue period, so I can have a grey period.
Also, my"Chemist by Day, and DIY Assistant by Night" husband is making a farmhouse dining room table. I mentioned our dining room troubles last month and he's now on the home stretch of the project. Here's a mini update… I want to save the big reveal until after it's all stained and amazing!
Seiously, who needs a pickup truck when you have a minivan??
So here's the deal… we came across two identical 5 foot tables and good old Grandpop Bunney (yes, that's really his name) reminded us that 5 + 5 = 10 So, we're using both of the tables, adding support boards, and then building the new tabletop right over it! Now for a little more math… 4 + 4 = 8 Yeah, the table will have 8 legs, but it isn't all that noticeable, and it's a little quirky… just like us!
When the table reveal is done we'll give a better step-by-step, but really it's just wooden support beams cut to size, and then loooong planks going on top. See how easy I make it sound, since I'm NOT the one doing the project. Hehe.
I'm really proud of the finished product (coming really soon!) and all of the hubs' hard work. He puts up with a lot of my crazy ideas and projects that turn into"our" projects, which sometimes turn into"his" projects. So, this is my life as a DIYer and a wife… I wonder if E knew what he was getting himself into…
For my rookie post, I thought I’d stick with something I know and love… community. Community to me is all about relationships, REAL relationships… Remember how in college (yes, think way back) there was a group of friends that you always did fun stuff with on the weekends? Movies, Concerts, Cow Tipping (okay we tried it once just to say we had.)? Well, why do we so often assume that once we’re married and have kiddos, that we have to give up on regularly getting together with friends and we don’t make time for fun, non-kid activities? Don’t get me wrong, I love all the kid-friendly stuff we do with other families, but come on, how awesome does a night out with people you love, doing something out of the norm, and filled with adult conversation sound? To me it sounds heavenly and that’s why we started Group Dates a few years ago. Had Jess and I known we’d be blogging about it, we might have coined a trendier name, but for now - Group Date it is…
Group Date:
What? A once a month (ok maybe we’re slightly inconsistent, but once a month's the goal) couples date with friends.
Where? Anywhere! One couple is assigned to plan the date- the more fun and creative the better. Get us out of the suburban Applebee’s and a Movie routine!
The Real Housewives of Bucks County are going to help you start your own Group Dates (umm, so open to a cooler name for these.) Each month we’ll give you an idea for a new outing that you can invite your posse to. Here are just a few ideas to get you thinking…
Rock it Out…
I recently took my daughter to a birthday party here, and while watching the kids climb like crazy and have a blast, we decided this would be a perfect group date! Our competetive group of men will love creating challenges and showing off, and the girls, well… we're just thankful we're already married before we allow our husbands to see us strapped into the completely unflattering waist harnesses. We think this is a great group date because it's active, it's throwback-to-your-childhood type fun, and it's super affordable.
Doylestown Rock Gym We also usually like to plan an activity and then follow it up with dinner so there's time to talk and see what's going on in eachother's lives. There are so many great restaurants in Doylestown, but for this date you'd want to choose something that's on the caual side. Our guys love Smokin' Lil's and its casual atmosphere would be perfect for some hungry mountain climbers!
Just a Taste…
For those with slightly more sophisticated tastes, a group wine tasting makes a great Group Date. There are so many vineyards in Bucks County that we'll do a future feature on all the places to visit, but we took our posse to Sand Castle Winery in December and had a fun time tasting, learning, and most likely making our host crazy with our lack of wine knowledge! We know a wine tasting isn't for everyone, but if it fits in with your group of friends, it can be a fun way to learn something new.
A wine tasting tour would better fill a whole evening- pick a few vineyards and visit them all. Choose the families with the coolest swagger wagons and pile in together. Remember, REAL community… it doesn't matter if there are old sippy cups, or crushed golfish in the seats. Real Housewives of BC's December Group Date
Don’t let yourself be convinced that you don’t have time, or this is just a kid phase of your life and you’ll spend time with friends later in life. Make a commitment to increasing community and fostering the relationships with the people God has put in your life. Get out there and plan a Group date!
For my rookie post, I thought I’d stick with something I know and love… community. Community to me is all about relationships, REAL relationships… Remember how in college (yes, think way back) there was a group of friends that you always did fun stuff with on the weekends? Movies, Concerts, Cow Tipping (okay we tried it once just to say we had.)? Well, why do we so often assume that once we’re married and have kiddos, that we have to give up on regularly getting together with friends and we don’t make time for fun, non-kid activities? Don’t get me wrong, I love all the kid-friendly stuff we do with other families, but come on, how awesome does a night out with people you love, doing something out of the norm, and filled with adult conversation sound? To me it sounds heavenly and that’s why we started Group Dates a few years ago. Had Jess and I known we’d be blogging about it, we might have coined a trendier name, but for now - Group Date it is…
Group Date:
What? A once a month (ok maybe we’re slightly inconsistent, but once a month's the goal) couples date with friends.
Where? Anywhere! One couple is assigned to plan the date- the more fun and creative the better. Get us out of the suburban Applebee’s and a Movie routine!
The Real Housewives of Bucks County are going to help you start your own Group Dates (umm, so open to a cooler name for these.) Each month we’ll give you an idea for a new outing that you can invite your posse to. Here are just a few ideas to get you thinking…
Rock it Out…
I recently took my daughter to a birthday party here, and while watching the kids climb like crazy and have a blast, we decided this would be a perfect group date! Our competetive group of men will love creating challenges and showing off, and the girls, well… we're just thankful we're already married before we allow our husbands to see us strapped into the completely unflattering waist harnesses. We think this is a great group date because it's active, it's throwback-to-your-childhood type fun, and it's super affordable.
Doylestown Rock Gym We also usually like to plan an activity and then follow it up with dinner so there's time to talk and see what's going on in eachother's lives. There are so many great restaurants in Doylestown, but for this date you'd want to choose something that's on the caual side. Our guys love Smokin' Lil's and its casual atmosphere would be perfect for some hungry mountain climbers!
Just a Taste…
For those with slightly more sophisticated tastes, a group wine tasting makes a great Group Date. There are so many vineyards in Bucks County that we'll do a future feature on all the places to visit, but we took our posse to Sand Castle Winery in December and had a fun time tasting, learning, and most likely making our host crazy with our lack of wine knowledge! We know a wine tasting isn't for everyone, but if it fits in with your group of friends, it can be a fun way to learn something new.
A wine tasting tour would better fill a whole evening- pick a few vineyards and visit them all. Choose the families with the coolest swagger wagons and pile in together. Remember, REAL community… it doesn't matter if there are old sippy cups, or crushed golfish in the seats. Real Housewives of BC's December Group Date
Don’t let yourself be convinced that you don’t have time, or this is just a kid phase of your life and you’ll spend time with friends later in life. Make a commitment to increasing community and fostering the relationships with the people God has put in your life. Get out there and plan a Group date!
Good ole Valentine's Day… Love it or hate it it's coming! Well, you can thank me later, but I have the perfect gift for your hubs! This gift started over ten years ago on our very first anniversary… we were broke, still in school, and oh so in love. Let me tell you it was a hit! So much so, that I just gave the same gift for our 10 year anniversary back in November. **Disclaimer- This post is written totally from the perspective of a married woman that adores her husband. I'm being honest here ladies, so you've been warned. Also, if you are my mother, STOP reading right now. Thanks!** The Perfect Valentine's Gift- The Game of Love Imagine with me for a moment… It's been a long day, you and the hubs are headed to bed. You've put on your favorite comfy, frumpy sweats and a tee for bed. Once your hubs sees your bedtime wardrobe choice he knows there's no shot of romance for the night. He pulls back the covers to hop in bed and… what's this??
You've just pulled off the best Valentine's Day surprise ever. It's time to play The Game of Love! It's a game your hubs will love even more than the Superbowl! All you'll need for this DIY is some time without your hubby around, some markers, some kind of shape template, and a fitted bed sheet…Seriously mom, if you're reading- Stop!
Ok, you can kind of see where this is going, and I must make a public confession… yes, I used one of my bff's birth announcement as my template! It was an adorable shape- Sorry Mandi!
I spent a lot of time ironing my sheet and then had an idea… I could have just washed and dried it. That would be easier.
Pop on your still wrinkly ironed sheet and you're ready to start making your game board.
If you want nice, straight lines, you can use some masking tape and your template to help with your spacing.
It doesn't have to be perfect (trust me he won't be too focused on your straight lines!) Start tracing your template. Trace it over and over again. Darn that I couldn't really have a friend come and help me with this DIY… awkward: )
Before removing the masking tape, I added some cute little dashes along the top.
You can add your game's title across the top. Don't you love my cheesy name? The Game of Love… still makes me laugh! Feel free to use it or come up with a less cheesy one!
Now it's time to get creative. I included a few presents, snacks, wardrobe changes, and lots more!
Here are a few of my squares… (if you really want to know what else I added, you can try and read the teeny writing! Ha!) I had a few gifts wrapped and ready to go and a few yummy romantic snacks as well.
Put your mattress back and it's ready to go! (Okay, I have some limits, so I pulled a little censored for your protection action!)
In case you're wondering, here are The Official Game of Love Rules: 1. The player will roll a die, but the highest number can be 3 (so divide by 2 or the game goes too fast!) 2. Each square has a 1 1/2 minute time limit 3. No getting carried away- you have to stop at 90 seconds and roll again (the hubs might fight you on that one) 4. Only one person"plays" your role is just the game"facilitator" 5. The Final square is"Score" and you can't skip ahead (if ya know what I mean) Okay, now my rationale for posting this. No, it's not my life's aspiration for my personal life to be all over Pinterest (don't worry, I am cool with you pinning it though). I just know that marriage is tough. It takes effort each and every day, not just Valentine's Day. I don't know your situation, but I know that 4 kids takes a toll on the love life. As a woman, I have to be intentional about connecting with my husband and making him a priority (FYI"connecting" is a code word! lol). I wanted to encourage woman to have FUN with their husbands… it's really okay- you're married! I call this the"Perfect Valentine's Gift" because for me, it meant so much to Eric that I took the time to think through this, plan out the surprise, and then have an unexpected evening dedicated to us.
So, will you be using The Game of Love to attempt to"Connect" with your husband this Valentine's Day?
Psssst! We came up with a new version of this game this year. Click here for the Game of Love: Travel Edition! Linking to: TT&J, Stories of A to Z i heart naptime
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!
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: )
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!: )
