You get to read about our projects, you know what the inside of our houses look like, but who are The Real Housewives of Bucks County? Well, this must be your lucky day, because today we're sharing a bit of ourselves with you… (Warning, some of these questions are cheesy, but who doesn't like a little cheese and we like 'em!) Meet the Real Housewives of BC
Do you have kids?
M- Do we ever! 4 kiddos that either keep me young or make me old, not sure which. Girl, boy, girl, boy (and done!) J- Yes, I have two adorable, blond-haired, blue eyed kiddos (a girl and a boy) who keep me busy: one who talks my ear off. and one who makes a lot of noise and dives off of furniture head first
Where is your birth place and are you far from it now?
M- I was born in Massachusetts and lived in Attleboro, MA until I moved to Bucks County, PA when I was 17 years old. When I first moved, PA seemed like the ends of the earth, but now it’s a simple 5 hour drive “home.” J- I was born in good old Grandview Hospital in Sellersville, so that makes me oh, um, about 7 miles away from there.
What is one thing you could not do when you were a child, but you can do now?
M- Eat as much uncooked cookie dough as I want to J- I wasn't allowed to watch Saved by the Bell, but am pretty sure my parents would be ok with me watching it now (totally love that show, by the way) 4. What is your motto? M- I’m the anti-motto. I am too forgetful to even remember my own motto. J- My motto for this year is"Be Intentional". I tend to be extremely impulsive and all over the place and so I'm working hard at making purposeful choices regarding our weekly menu, the the design of our home, my spiritual life and the work decisions I make.
What are your hobbies?
M- Photography, blog-stalking, reading & anything involving spray paint. J- Well, this is a no-brainer: reading design blogs. However, I also LOVE coaching the highschool girls tennis team at my alma mater, Plumstead Christian School. And I adore reading and can easily get sucked into a book which usually leads to me tuning out everything around me. (I was reading when the rest of my neighborhood felt the earthquake last week. And nope, I didn't feel a thing.)
What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
M- Chocolate chip cookie dough and Oreo Cookie combined! (Unless I’m at Ben & Jerry’s and then it’s New York Super Fudge Chunk! Unless I’m at Coldstone and then it’s Cake Batter-YUM!) J- Not a huge icecream fan (gasp!), but if we get icecream as a family, I usually get the mini Reese's Peanutbutter Cup Blizzard from Dairy Queen.
If you could travel anywhere in the world — where would you go and why?
M- A tropical beach… any amazing beach… with the hubs… and a good book… oh, and maybe with Starbucks in hand… J-. Italy, hands down. I travelled there in college with two great friends (we were studying abroad in Greece at the time) and loved every inch of it. Florence was like heaven for me- great architecture, friendly people and to-die-for foods.
Have you ever met a famous person?
M- We’re spending the day with Nate Berkus on Thursday… does that count? (See more about that here) J- Well, we'll be meeting Nate Berkus on Thursday, betcha didn't know that, did you?; ) One of my other favorite celebrity encounters was Charles Barkley. He was the biggest human being I've ever seen in person
What is your least favorite thing about yourself?
M- Physically, my ears… everyone denies that they're weird, but I know that they don’t point in the right direction. Ugh! Now stop trying to look at them! Personality-wise, sometimes I fail to think before I talk… ugh! J- Physically, my nose, although my hubs says he really likes it. (He kind of has to, though.) Personality trait: impulsiveness. Sometimes it works for me, but most of the time I'm left wishing I did a little more research or talked to more people before jumping in head first.
One that describes your BFF and blog partner?
M- One word to describe Jess = determined- she is completely committed to her goals and also growing and changing into the person she wants to be. J- Extrovert! I've never met anyone who enjoys being with people, or wants to have people around as much as she does. She gathers friends like no one else!
How tall are you?
M- 5 feet 8 inches J- 5 feet 4 inches
When you were little — What did you want to do"when you grew up?" Are you doing it?
M- I wanted to be a lawyer… I loved to argue. I’m not a lawyer, but I get some argument practice in with the hubs! J J- I really wanted to be a veterinarian, but I now can recognize that animals are not my thing. Honestly, what"I want to do when I grow up" is constantly changing. I feel like I'm getting closer though!
How do you spend your free time?
M- What free time?? Although, I love getting so obsessed with a book that my kids eat cookies and poptarts for 24 hours while Mommy finishes reading! J- Playing with the kiddos, writing this here little blog, coaching tennis and hanging out with the hubs.
Favorite sport you like to watch or participate in?
M- Fav to watch = football. I LOVE football Sundays! Fav to play = basketball J- Watch: Basketball, Play: Tennis
What kind of food do you prefer eating when you are out?
M- It’s pathetic, but 90% of the time I order a grilled cheese wherever I am. I long for my kids menu days (who am I kidding, I order from it all the time!) J- Italian, Mexican & Tapas
Last Movie You Watched?
M- Unknown it was only okay… I’d say a B-. (Although, I also saw The Help and it was an A++) J- The Help, with my girlfriends
Would you like to be famous?
M- I have some pretty fancy tastes, but I don’t need tabloid magazines claiming I’m preggo every other week! J J- I'd like to make the money of a celebrity without worrying about some crazy paparrazzi taking my picture while I'm getting the mail in my jams.
What Book Are You Reading?
M- The Tenth Circle by Jody Picoult J- I can't believe this, but I'm not currently reading one!
Favorite Bible Verse?
M- John 3:30 “He must became greater, I must become less”… it just reminds me that I’m constantly in progress and that I can continually be growing and changing to be more like Him. J- Jeremiah 29:11"For I know the plans I have for you; plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." Isn't it wonderful knowing someONE else is in charge? 20. What’s your favorite DIY project to date? M- My daughter’s first “big girl” room 8 years ago was my very favorite project. Checkerboard painted walls, and chalkboard furniture made my day. Sorry, no pics… darn the days of film cameras! A more recent favorite is of course, is my Farmhouse Table Remix. J- Favorite DIY project to date: My fav project so far is the reclaimed barnwood art piece I made for Monica's dining room for the Nate Berkus Show. (Sorry, can't show you it yet, but we'll reveal it soon!) I also am pretty in love with my free old door headboard and the family tree mural we painted for our daughter's nursery.
*Photos courtesy of Doug from Candid Moments Photography. Thanks so much, Doug! You did a great job working with some very amateur models.: ) So, it's your turn now. What questions do you have for us? We're game for answering {almost} anything!
Well lookie here… a new blog name and a whole new look! {Eeek!} Let us tell you that this has been one crazy journey. If you’re new around here or missed the drama he’s the low down… We’re a DIY and home décor blog. We’re Housewives. We’re Real. But, now we’re East Coast Creative… the bloggers formerly known as “The Real Housewives of Bucks County.” Hey, if Prince can do it, so can we! Change stinks, but we love our new name! So, our name is different, but everything else is the same. We’ll still be bringing you awesome DIY projects, cool design trends, and plenty of goofy Monica and Jess tossed in. Here’s where you come in… 1. We need help letting people know that East Coast Creative is still us! Facebook it, Tweet it, give us a shout out on your blog, whatever it takes. We want the world to know we’re still here! 2. For now, the old address will work, but (as soon as it's functional, hopefully sometime today) try to get in the habit of using www.eastcoastcreativeblog.com *will be working soon! 3. Let’s all just put RHBC behind us and move on. {Excuse us while we weep in the corner} On another note… none of this would be possible without the amazing talent of Kim at 733 Designs. She put up with a lot of our crazy ideas, slight breakdowns, and was super helpful and fast in making this all happen. Finally, we are so thankful for all of YOU! The positive feedback we get from you (especially in response to yesterday’s post) is so encouraging. We love this blog no matter what the name,(wait… what’s the name again??) and we’re so glad you do too.
Soooo…what do you think?! With love, The Bloggers Formerly Known as The Real Housewives of Bucks County ** Other blog post titles that were considered:-How not to get sued-East Coast What???-The Housewives are Dead to us-Crap we need a blog name-A Case of Mistaken Identity
Time for Our Big Announcement! Here's the deal, plain and simple. We've been contacted by NBC Universal, which owns Bravo and all of The Real Housewives Shows… Guess what?? The want to do a show about us! KIDDING! Nope, they actually contacted us because they want us to cease and desist… that means stop using Real Housewives in our name. Major Bummer. Although in 2012 Jess and I did make a goal of talking behind each others' backs, wearing tighter, low cut clothing, and making millions of dollars, we're sort of lost as to the"possible confusion" that NBC was worried about with this little old DIY blog. Well, we've talked about it, prayed about it, sought legal advice, and in the end we decided it's not worth the huge costs we'd incur to keep our beloved"Real Housewives of Bucks County" name. (We technically could try and fight this one under fair use law, but we're not looking for a battle) Of course we're"Look on the Brightside Girls" so we're going to make the most of this re-branding! We're looking for a new name that totally reflects our personality and style. Who knows us better than YOU, our readers? So we need your help!
Pin It So, start thinking! We want our Facebook, comments, and email flooded with amazing ideas from you. Honestly, Jess and I just keep saying RHBC in our heads because it's been our baby for the past 12 months. We totally need your creative help in this process. Here's How we Need Your Help: #1- Tell us you'll still love us even as"the bloggers formally known as The Real Housewives!"#2- Share ANY and all name ideas with us through comments, Facebook, or email (don't worry about us not liking it, we want to hear any ideas!)#3- Consider sharing our dilemma on your blog, or Facebook… the more help the merrier! **Update: We love the ideas we're getting so far. Some of them are cracking us up! We just wanted to let you know that we plan to move away from"housewives" at all… just to be on the safe side. So keep the fab. ideas coming!** Just keeping it real, of course we're nervous about this change over. We've worked really hard this past year, and a little piece of us is worried about losing readers, people not being able to find us etc… BUT, we're trusting that this will work out for good and who knows, maybe even catapult us towards awesome new opportunities! Thanks so much and sorry we didn't have some awesome announcement like our own show! Ha! We're still workin' on that one!
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Ok, you moms know how difficult it is to take good pics of your little ones and their squirmy, high-energy selves, right? Well, we are thrilled to have Stacy fromSalvatori Photography guest posting for us today! We met her at a boot camp we were both attending, and one thing led to another, and here she is today sharing her top tips for taking great pictures of kids! Stacy is truly a talent. She captures everything from the excitement of a bride waiting to see her groom, to a family having a total blast together. Head on over to herwebsiteto check out her amazing work. But for now, stay here and read on.: ) You won't be disappointed. “Momographer” Tips From Stacy Salvatori 1. Change your perspective. Sometimes as Moms we get locked into patterns, this is not a bad thing all. But when it comes to capturing some fun images of your Little Ones it never hurts to get out of the ‘norm’ and change up your perspective a little. Often times we pull out the camera and do the same old face shot from 3 feet away. Ever thought about lying on the floor and looking up at them? Maybe climbing up on the swing set? Switch it up a little. You might be pleasantly surprised to see something new!
2. Play. Everyone has a different opinion and everyone has a different vision of what they may want their pictures to turn out like. I personally love, love, love when I get candid’s of my children laughing and playing and enjoying life! It’s those little in-between moments that tend to move my heartstrings. A Daddy, Aunt, or Grandma also comes in handy for this one! Get them running, swinging, playing and best off all laughing their little hearts out!
3. Wait. Often we like to pose our kids, and tell them sit just ‘like this’ or ‘move over here’ like that. I’ve found that their patience level runs low when I do that, and they tend to look a lot less ‘real’ and at ease. More times than not, just waiting and watching is the best trick. I can be lounging in my lawn chair watching them play or draw with chalk on the sidewalk… and then BAM! I see the perfect opportunity!
4. Set up different scenarios. One of the most fun things you can do is set up new and fun situations that might produce super original and creative pictures! So, for instance, rather than just tossing them in the back yard and hoping for something to happen… create a new scenario! Get out the bubble machine and capture them running through the bubbles. Turn on the sprinkler. Get out colorful paint or shaving cream… and let ‘em at it!! Play dress up. Get your daughter dolled up like a ballerina, or maybe your son is really into being a Pirate or a Fireman! Just have fun with it!
Wow, Stacy, those pictures are inspiring! I can't wait to get out there and if give those tips a try on my two little loves. Thanks so much for being here! And because Stacy is AWESOME, she is giving away a ONE HOUR TUTORIAL PHOTO SHOOT WITH YOUR KIDS (including 10 awesome images from that session!)* WOW!
Here's how you enter to win: 1."Like" Salvatori Photography on facebook HERE. 2. Leave us a comment telling us that you became a fan, and why you desperately need this photo shoot tutorial. 3. For an extra entry:"Like" The Real Housewives of Bucks County on facebook HERE, and leave us a separate comment telling us you did it. 4. For another extra entry: Become a Follower of The Real Housewives of Bucks County Blog. Use the button on our sidebar and then leave us a separate comment telling us you did. **That's 4 entries for you! Yippee!** Ok, now go and enter!
*Photo shoot tutorial is good for use in Eastern PA, unless you want to pay for travel.: ) Which, by the way, would totally be worth it.
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!
It's officially spring! Although, it has been feeling like summer with the weather we're having in Bucks County lately! I'm loving it! We thought we'd take a few posts to get you all ready for the season. We're talking spring cleaning (gag), Spring decor, Spring mantles (mine is so NOT springy yet), Spring landscaping, and more ("more" means whatever we feel like on a given day!) So, whip out your flip-flops, pull on some cute crop jeans, and let's get moving with Spring Things! (and I by no means am trying to suggest that you only wear flip-flops and jeans… a shirt is highly recommended too!)
Spring Thing # 1: Outdoor Plans
As most of you know, we finished building our house 16 months ago. As with lots of BIG projects, when you're finally finished you're kind of ready to be done spending money for a while. So, we decided to wait until the fall to do landscaping. I'm not really sure what happened to that plan, I think it had something to do with the craziness of a certain show that rhymes with"Late Smirkus"… but the landscaping didn't get done. Now it's spring and we're ready to attack the front of the house with all things green and planty. (I'll talk more about landscaping for a serial plant killer next week) Before the hubs breaks ground, I wanted to tackle the porch. Here's the sad looking state of my porch… (and no, my grass isn't that green yet, it's an old pic)
I have plans to add some fun furniture, but first there's a BIG question at hand…
Forgive my terrible sample pics, but I wanted to try and get an idea of how different colors would look. I think a pop of color on the door will look awesome and make me happy every time I come home! Here are some awesome inspiration pics that got me motivated to start with the door!
Source: centsationalgirl.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
I'm loving this color blue, but I'm not sure it would work with our sand/grey/blech siding. (FYI We couldn't pick our siding because we bought a partially started home from the bank and finished it. Siding was already on. Boo!))
Source: maisonsblanches.tumblr.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
Source: google.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
Source: number-2-pencil.blogspot.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest So, what do you think? I need some input on this one. I asked my hubs and he sarcastically said,"How about we paint, the door, then all the shutters, Oh, and add some chevron!" Grrr… I gave him the stink eye for sure! Since he's NO HELP, I'm leaning on all of you. Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool. Thanks for your help! I'm excited to get working on the door and the porch furniture this weekend. Here's a sneak peek at some bistro sets that are in the running. (I scoured craigslist and thrift stores for one I could DIY and people are just insane with their pricing. Most were more expensive than what I could buy new and they were hideous!) Now, don't be swayed by the yellow, these just happened to catch my eye!
Source: target.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
Source: target.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest Thanks for your help! I can't wait to share my NEW porch with you!
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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: )
Today we're super excited to have Bethany from Blossom Bands guest blogging for us. We asked her to share her story of how she turned a hobby into an awesomely successful, work-from-home business. She's a super cool example of what moms can do! We know you'll love her story and her fabulous products as well (you just might win some)!!
Hi! My name is
Bethany and I am the owner of Blossom Bands! What started off as a hobby has truly become a great adventure that has introduced me into a whole new world of homemade goodies!
It feels like yesterday that I found out I was having a girl, and that was the very beginning of my little girl accessory obsession! I remember the ultrasound tech said “It’s a girl” and do you know the first thing I said was, “Thank God I don’t have to worry about a circumcision!” Ha, who says that!? Well, I guess, I do! Then, the thought settled in, a girl, a beautiful, perfect girl! I nstantly, I was beyond excited to fill her closet and drawers with everything girlie I could get my hands on …and so it started! The first thing I ever made for Calia was a navy blue organza blossom for Thanksgiving. It matched her dress perfectly! I knew it was cute, I was excited to make her more, but when people started commenting on how great it was, the real excitement grew! Before I knew it I was researching ideas, self teaching myself how to make everything I make now! I started dying bands myself, cutting everything by hand, and suffering many needle pricks and glue gun burns! I’m proud that I do everything on my own, I’m proud that I taught myself, and I’m proud of how far I’ve come since November 2010!
In January my website-savvy husband launched http://www.blossombands.com/ and we worked on setting up our Facebook account right after that. I worked and worked on inventory, creating close to 200 products ready to sell! They’re all long gone now, and everything is made to order. I’ve tried to add new items since then, introducing tutu’s and new designs and styles regularly.
I don’t know when I really noticed how successful my little venture was becoming, it seemed to happen overnight! I have people contact me frequently to carry Blossom Bands on their websites or in their stores. I’m in awe of the amazing photographers I’ve been blessed to have photograph my work, like Heidi Hope Photography or Melissa DeCastro Photography who were the first I reached out to. The day I got an email from Piggy Toes Photography to swap a free photo session for Blossom Band props I really got excited! Blossom Bands has grown so fast so quickly, and Facebook has played a huge part in that! Networking, who knew!? I didn’t!
I did this for Calia, because I wanted to make her fun accessories. My children are my world, and have been since I had my son in February of ’07. The one thing I find myself struggling with is time! I am not a sit around and watch TV all day Mom! I’m an “everybody up, everybody get dressed, everybody in the car” kind of Mom. I go places with them; the beach, the zoo, the park, picnics, sandbox adventures, and playdates weekly. It’s hard finding a balance between a business that now demands a lot of time, and being a stay at home Mom. When do I work?!? Nap time & bed time! It works for now! And I know that there is a chance of a third baby in my future which might slow me down a bit, but my number one priority is my family…and then I think, can you imagine how amazing Blossom Bands will be when they’re all in school!? It’s going to be huge, and I hope you stick around to watch Blossom Bands blossom, Ha! So, thanks for letting me share a little bit of my story with you. And, as I finish writing this, I look up to see my son wearing half his clothes and fairy wings and my daughter stomping blueberries into my white rug, and still I know, it’s going to be a good day! Because Bethany Rocks,she's giving away a Custom Blossom Band to one of our readers!! To enter to win,"Like" The Real Housewives of Bucks County and Blossom Bands on Facebook by clicking HEREand HERE. Then, leave a comment here on the blog letting us know you did! The winner will be announced Friday morning, with our Fab Find! Good Luck!
So, those of us in Bucks County know that we're going to be getting a visit from Hurricane Irene this weekend. Did you know that earlier in the week, we actually could feel a bit of the VA earthquake as well? Crazy times here in PA. Anyhow… today's fab find was going to be lots of fun ideas for going out and having a last hurrah before summer comes to a close (PA schools mainly head back to school this coming Monday)… but, since lil' old Irene decided to cross our path, I kind of changed my plans, because I don't want to be responsible for hundreds of people heading to the beach or something! So, here's the revised version! Back to School Family Movie Night Let's start off the right way… how about a giveaway? Free 1 Night Redbox Rental Use the code: DVDONME
Did you know you can go online and reserve your Redbox ahead of time? I'm a big fan of this because the hubs and I can pick the movie together, rather than it being a total surprise for one of us (which only works out about 50% of the time!). There's one catch… you can't use a promo code online, so I just go online to see what's available, then send Eric to the kiosk with the code in hand. So, get online and pick a fun movie that the whole family will enjoy! A Movie Night needs snacks right? Well, how cool would you be if you let the kiddos help you make lots of fun varieties of popcorn? Remember the old school tins of popcorn that you used to get as a kid around Christmas? My brother always loved having a variety flavors and I always thought the popcorn tasted like cardboard! I promise these recipes will be much yummier! (Click on the picture below for the recipes)
Source: chickabug.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest You can keep this Movie Night simple or go all out with tickets, candy, props etc…
Source: partiesandholidays.blogspot.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest Either way, I'm sure your kids will love it and if Irene is crossing your path, hopefully everyone will be safe and have some fun memories of their Back to School Movie Night celebration!
P.S. Don't forget to VOTE for the CBS Blog of the Year Today!
{If you didn't hear, The Real Housewives of Bucks County are now East Coast Creative (Get the story here ). You'll still be getting all the DIY, Design, and Monica & Jess that you love, but change your favorites to www.eastcoastcreativeblog.com Thanks!} Last week we got real with you all and shared some of the struggles of a PTB (Part-Time-Blogger). You can check out the post here, but basically we're trying to figure out how to write a successful, growing blog, when it's not yet your full-time job (Notice we say"yet"… girls can dream right?!?) Due to the huge response we got from so many PTBs, we thought we'd share some of what we've learned along the way.
Pre-plan your posts. We spent about 6 months blogging by the seat of our pants. Ex: 10pm on Monday one of us would be DIYing a project for Tuesday morning. That still happens occasionally, but planning out projects ahead of time, helps us balance out the type of posts per week (DIY, Design Trends, Recipes, etc). It also helps cut down on our time shopping for materials. When you know what projects you're working on for the week, you might be able to cut your Lowes trips down to 2 or 3… sometimes, it used to be 5 or 6!
Using a simple Google calendar is a must for us because there are two of us that need to know the plan. Seeing the month or even two weeks at a time planned out makes things seem nice and manageable! Check your Memory Card. Don't check to see if it's working, check to see what's on it. Jess and I have commented numerous times that we take more pictures of projects than anything else. Before blogging, I was a camera junkie. I had it with me all the time and we had awesome pictures of our kids. About a month ago, I decided enough was enough. Blogging was getting in the way of family pics. This is a peek at my April 2012 photos in Picasa.
Not one single picture of any of my kids, or even a single human for that matter. Ugh! I made a decision to be intentional and take more pictures of people than things! Here's a peek at May 2012 so far (and yes, I started May's folder about a week early)
I'm happy to be more balanced in this area, and really it's not about the pictures, it's about where my focus is and what memories I want to preserve… projects or people?? I'm choosing people. Find a Blog Mentor. Officially or unofficially, having someone that you can ask blog questions to is so helpful! Beth from Home Stories A to Z was the first blogger we were able to reach out to with questions. She was always so helpful, even if our questions were silly or kinda obvious.
Having someone that knows the ropes and is willing to give you support when you need it is essential. Don't be afraid to reach out when you have questions. (You can even ask us, but we're still technically considered rookies) Recently, we got an"Official" Blog Mentor. We write once a month over at Beckie's blog, Infarrantly Creative. That started a relationship that has helped us more than we ever could have imagined. Once a week we conference with Beckie about all things blog related. This lady is amazing! We give her a topic we want to talk about and 60 minutes later we have about 5 pages of notes and are so invigorated and full of ideas and things to try!
If you want to take your PTB to the next level, consider reaching out to someone that you think would make a great blog mentor. It'll rock your world!
Prioritize. This sounds so obvious, but believe me, once the blog world sucks you in (in a good way, of course!), everything else can take a back seat. Decide what's most important to you, and what things you're ok living without. Actually write your priorites out on paper. It helps! For example: I made a choice to stay home with my kids (I work 10 hours a week outside of our home), so I only blog during their nap time and after they're in bed. Truth be told, I barely open the computer until 1 PM. However, I've had to give up sleep (low on my priority totem pole) in order to keep my top priorities straight. Give and take, right?
Learn when to say Yes and when to say No. We're still learning this one, folks, but here's are our thoughts about it. For the entire first year, we didn't say no to anything. And we're happy about that. Our lives were absolutely crazy, but we firmly believe that to grow your blog (just as you would a business) you have to put yourself out there, put lots of time in and keep your face forefront in everyone's mind. Doing that for the first year gives us the luxury now of choosing what's best for us and our blog, and occasionally saying no when it's not a good fit.
Source: oprah.com via Marivi on Pinterest Be Consistent. It doesn't matter if you plan on posting twice a week or five times a week, but be consistent. Our favorite blogs are the ones who post on a regular basis- it's what keeps us coming back for more! We don't like to guess when someone might be posting, and we figure you don't either, so we do our best to post five times a week. Side note: if you want to grow your blog, posting often is key! Readers will come back if the content is different each day. You'll definitely lose readers if you post once every other week. It's just the way it is.
Step Away from the Computer If you're anything like us, you'll understand why this is important. We are constantly thinking about new projects, upcoming posts and events, how we can better grow our blog etc., so we could literally sit for hours and hours and hours at the computer and STILL have stuff we want to do. One of the best things that happened this year was our Mexico trip- a forced time away from the blog. And guess what? It was fabulous! We both thought we'd miss blogging terribly and would go through withdrawal. Not so. Real life is so much fun, and you might miss it if you sit on your rear all day staring at the screen.
Stop Comparing Not gonna lie. We went through a slump where we compared our blog and projects to another fabulous blogger. No matter what we did, or how great our projects were, we still felt like they didn't measure up. It stinks and takes away all the fun of blogging. We realized that there are millions of amazingly talented people out there, and someone is always going to be doing something more creative than we are, but who the heck cares?! We do what we do because we love it, and from what we've heard, our readers are pretty happy with it too. Every person has a gift- use yours to the best of your abilities and move on!
Source: imgfave.com via Sarah on Pinterest
These are just a few things we've learned along the way. The PTB dilemma is still something we're working on, but it's come a long way from where we started. Who knows, maybe someday we'll have a Full-Time Blogger Dilemma! That would be wonderful! So what other tips would you add to our list?
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
Nope, the link didn't accidentally take you to Heaven… you're just on our newly designed blog! Isn't it awesome? No streets of gold, but yellow stripes are sorta close! Since we're quickly approaching our one year blogiversary, we thought it was time to freshen up a bit. We contacted Kim from seven thirty three — - — custom blog design and she was just the gal for us.
We still wanted it to look like the RHBC blog we know and love, but to be a bit cleaner, less"hello huge yellow header that Monica doesn't know how to resize" and yet still reflect our style.
I think we achieved that don't you? Now, don't worry, we're not going to be like the awkward girl that gets a makeover, becomes beautiful and forgets who she really is… We'll still be keepin' it real, and hopefully bringing you tons of cool projects that you (and we) love!
In other BIG news… we finally got our air date for our final Nate Show episode! Watch us on Nate February 21st And just to get you excited about it… we have a behind the scenes clip that you can only see here! This was from night 2, and we just barely avoided disaster!
Pennlyn is lucky that #1 she's adorable and #2 she cost a fortune… if that stencil was ruined she would have been in big ole trouble! (and of course the stencil is from Royal Design Studio!) Finally, did you know that we're in final prep. mode for Mexico? I'm totally caught up on my Spanish… ¿Dónde está el baño (I think means where is the bathroom) and ¿Cómo se ve mi bronceado? (how does my tan look?) should be all I need. You were probably thinking we were leaving you high and dry for a blog-less week, but have no fear! Introducing…
Yep, we've rounded up some of our very favorite blog celebs for your reading pleasure. Seriously, Jess and I were like giddy schoolgirls when each of these ladies agreed to guest post. (You might remember last year when Jess and I were both in Disney for a week and I had my husband guest post? Ha! Thanks love!) Okay, so here's our group of amazingly talented, incredible women!
Tuesday- Beckie from Infarrantly Creative Wednesday- Hannah from Hannah Kate Flora Thursday- Lindsay from Living with Lindsay Friday- Tam from Sew Dang Cute Be sure to give these ladies the Royal RHBC treatment while we're away! We'll be back next Tuesday to kick off an entire week of giveaways from our sponsors! I'm loving what they're giving away! Don't tell Jess I told you, but you might want to start checking out our sidebar sponsors because there will be some amazing products coming your way! Have an awesome week, we'll be thinking of ya…
Welcome to my Christmas House Tour! Last year our homes were decked out for all of America to see on Nate Berkus, but this year it's just for my family to enjoy. Sometimes in the blogging world it can feel like there's a lot of pressure to have an HGTV worthy home, but guess what? This mom of four, that works a full-time job, is not going to cave under the pressure. I proudly present to you, our Very Merry & Realistic Christmas Decorating for 2012!
(it's going to be a picture heavy post, so get ready and Pin it if you like it!)
I'm still loving my Grinch Front Door. Last week I gave the full tutorial.
Before and After- LOVE it!
Welcome to my foyer and my favorite Christmas tree of all time…
I follow Urban on Instagram, and saw that they had put staff pics on a tree at one of their NYC store locations. I was smitten! I got a Fuji Mini (which all the kids call the"Magic Camera") and snapped a ton of fun pictures of our family and some special friends. I added spray painted bicycle ornaments (from Target), some orange ribbon, brown ornament balls, gold lights, and leftover fabric to create the coolest tree ever!
Even the tree has the shabby look I was going for, do you want to know how I achieved that look? I cut the tree on October 5th and it's been sitting in my house ever since! Ha! It's dead as a door nail and I love it! (I needed it for some P&G videos- coming soon!) Fuji Mini Pics
Brown ornaments
Bicycle ornaments- I spray painted gold
Added hooks to each picture using a finishing nail
Ready for the tree
Best.Husband.Ever
This tree make me really, really happy!
Directly off the foyer is our formal living room/kids' craft room. It's the most unfinished room in our house (it's a hot mess), but I still did one little vignette in front of the window.
I love the chalkboard printable, and you can get it (and many others) free here. I also love my little yellow bird, and while she's not super Christmasy I think she looks mighty fine!
Here's the whole thing together
Even though we're no longer"The Real Housewives of Bucks County," I'm still gonna keep it real for you… here's what the rest of the room looked like. I'm showing this to you, so you remember that we're totally normal girls with messy houses, crazy kids, and so not perfect. Hopefully, you can relate! (The Christmas boxes and decor are still there, but they're on my TO DO list tomorrow to put them all away!)
Okay, enough reality, back to the pretty stuff… This is on the console table in my family room. I love that crazy picture of all of us!
Here's the wood grain Christmas Countdown I made this year. I LOVE plywood projects where the wood grain is highlighted. You can check out the tutorial here
We have 3 trees- #1 Family Tree (below) #2 Mommy's Tree (foyer) #3 Kid's Tree (not shown) Here's the"Family Tree." We decorate this one together as a family and it looks pretty much identical every year. Some traditions are too important to change for the sake of decor: )
Did you notice the stinkin' awesome lighted silhouette artwork? We'll be posting the full tutorial on Infarrantly Creative on Dec 13th. Jess and I love it and it was so simple to make!
Of course Charles loves hanging out in our tree sometimes
It seems that I have a thing for pictures on trees. We got these ornaments at Crate and Barrel about 6 or 7 years ago. The picture on the left is our ultimate favorite Christmas picture ever. It was taken of Kaden when he was 3 (he's now 8).
This year I'm proud to say that we have 4 kids on the NICE list… Last year the eldest might have made the NAUGHTY list. Oh Snap!
My mantle is Lame with a capital L… The dang TV always limits me, but it is what it is…
This year I was into the traditional nutcrackers with primary red and blue
This little guy rocks. I picture him talking with a Russian accent- don't ask me why!
I've had these stocking holders for 9 years, but this year I hit them with a tiny bit of white paint, so they popped a bit more. They were originally dark brown and got lost on the mantle.
Target had this cute stockings this year and they totally worked with my red and blue nutcrackers.
Michael's had some really fun graphic words in their dollar bin and I picked up a few.
Well, I hope you've enjoyed this little peek into my home. It's definitely not perfect, but we're pretty darn happy here. I mean, just look at us, don't we look happy??: )
I'd love to know what's your favorite part of my Christmas Decor? Leave me a comment and let me know!
{If you didn't hear, The Real Housewives of Bucks County are now East Coast Creative (Get the story here). You'll still be getting all the DIY, Design, and Monica & Jess that you love, but change your favorites to www.eastcoastcreativeblog.com Thanks!}
You might remember that one of my 2012 goals was to make our family room reflect my style more this year. I still am convinced I don't really have a style… I more or less, just take lots of things I like and smush them all together, hoping it works out okay. Recently, I took one more step in the right direction for the room.
I was browsing on Etsy a few weeks back and came across a shop I loved! Project Type has so many graphic art prints that I immediately fell in love with. This one in particular caught my eye.
I had been toying around with the idea of vintage cameras in our family room and this picture was too cool to pass up. I contacted the artist to see if I could have a few custom tweaks made (it was vertical and I needed horizontal) and she said YES! I was so stinkin' excited when she agreed! I ordered two prints and honestly even the packaging they came in was super cool! Now, you might remember what was on the wall already. My ginormous family picture with the smaller frame…
Well this time, I was going for the reverse. Tricky aren't I? Bigger frame smaller picture. Once again I used my prized possession, AKA grommeter from Nate. I'll admit I was a tad nervous putting holes in fabulous artwork, but I wanted it to have the same feel as the large print. Want to know how to use a Grommeter??
I keep my grommet tools in the little bin Nate gave me. Who knew one could love Tupperware?
Take one of the female grommets and determine your placement. I traced it with a pencil (a very fancy pencil I might add!)
Next place the cutting tool (might have an official name, but I don't know it) on your traced circle, and put the mini block of wood under it. The wood comes with your kit.
Give it a solid pounding with a hammer and you have a nice little circle cut-out
Pop the male piece through the opening. Make sure the pointy end is on the back of your artwork.
Now start stacking. Add the female part to the back…
Here' the order…The large metal ring goes on the bottom (part of the tool kit), then the male grommet, then paper, then female grommet, then the big mama tool (that's the really official term). Now Hammer, Hammer, Hammer. (Don't do it on your granite counter. I took mine outside in the garage)
Ta-da! Perfectly adorable grommet!
I took my art to the wall and hung it with plain nails. I'll use decorative ones to cover 'em up.
I added my chain, which again only cost me about $1.45 at Lowes
And vioila! I'm also going to add a fun door nob to the peak of the chain. I didn't quite get to Architectural Antiques this weekend as I planned to. Now, here's the question of the day… What should I put in the open gold frames??
Here's the room to give you the full picture…
Side note: Does anyone else have a weird husband that flips the cushions backwards? He does it when we don't have company over because the kids make a mess of the cushions. Sometimes I forget and then it's an awkward, mad rush as people are walking in the door. Weird. I know. So let me know what you think of my retro camera art, and what I should do to finish off this wall!
Maybe you noticed something missing from our Fall Lovers Series… Pumpkins! We’re not haters and we didn’t forget… we were saving them for this special pumpkin post! We had the pleasure of sharing some fabulous, non-traditional pumpkin ideas for the 69 News in Allentown, PA and now you’ll get to see the inside scoop on how to make your own.
We got together this week to have a pumpkin party of sorts… it included lots of pumpkins, a large bowl of uncooked cookie dough (yum!) and a big old mess!
I Can’t think of a better way to spend time with a BFF can you? Tac Pumpkins
This is a Horchow knockoff and we’re thrilled with how cool it looks. Jess said it looks like a “biker chick pumpkin!” Simply spray paint your pumpkin (we used Oil Rubbed Bronze) and when it’s dry, simply push the tacks in a cool pattern. This literally took about 5 minutes.
Sticker Pumpkins If you have kids, they’ll love to help with this one. We used simple “teacher stars,” but you can use any sticker shape. Make sure your pumpkin is clean and totally dry, add the stickers, and then spray paint. When the paint is pretty much dry, remove the stickers and reveal the awesomeness!
Ribbon Jack Be Littles These guys would look great in a big, black wooden bowl. It doesn’t get any easier than this folks… Simply wrap the ribbon and hold in place with a thumbtack.
Mr. Pumpkin Head If you've seen Toy Story 3, the you know that Mr. Potato head works even on a pancake, so why not try pumpkin? If you have little ones that are a tad young for real pumpkin decorating or carving, this is the idea for you!
No pumpkins were harmed in the making of this tutorial! You do need to poke the holes with a pen so that the pieces stay put. I promise I used Novocain before starting the procedure.
Don’t be afraid to think outside the box (cliche, but oh so true) and use fun items you already own!
Sexy Lady Pumpkin Vera Wang might want to hunt us down after this post, but we love the look. We took some sexy tights and believe it or not, squeezed a pumpkin in! It was really quite hysterical and I almost wish we had it on video.
It’s definitely a two person job!
We cut the bottom end and then wrapped the stem with the other.
I think Vera might be proud!
Decoupage Pumpkin The key to this funky-punky is cutting thin strips of paper. Simply take scrapbook paper or fabric and cut it into ½ -1 inch strips. This was a small pumpkin, so we used ½ inch. Apply modpodge heavily to the back of each strip and start wrapping the pumpkin. When it’s completely covered give the outside a coat of modpodge as well. This one is to go with Monica’s Poe Inspired mantle.
Modpodge goes on white, but don’t worry… it dries clear.
By about this time in our pumpkin party, here’s what the kitchen looked like. We never claimed to be neat crafters did we?
Crackle Paint Pumpkins This project was inspired by Beth who was inspired by Jane… don’t you love the sharing of ideas in the blog world? We sure do! For these you’ll need some cheapo dollar store pumpkins… and man, they’re ugly at first.
First, spray a base coat. We used flat, black that we already owned.
We had a little spray paint station outside. The hubs loves our multi-colored grass! Then, apply the crackle medium. We bought Martha’s brand from Michaels. We patiently waited grabbed the blow drier to pick up the pace and once it was totally almost dry we brushed on the top color. The key here is long, even strokes. Crackle paint can be a tad fussy.
Let the top coat dry and watch as the cracks magically appear. It’s pretty cool!
House # Pumpkin Another simple idea, but one that would look adorable on your front porch. We picked up these numbers at Lowes and then used a mallet (a hammer would work too, but there’s just something fun about a mallet) to bang in the screws. Presto- Chango… house # pumpkin!
Cookie Cutter Pumpkin Since we're committed to being the REAL housewives of Bucks County, we're sharing once again another FAIL with you! We were inspired to try banging cookie cutters into pumpkins. Sounds simple enough right? Well, it would have been simple if the pumpkin wasn't thicker than the cookie cutter. I do think it would have worked on a smaller pumpkin… Instead, it broke the cutter and we had to do quite a bit of work to get it out.
You can barely even tell it's a bat. Drats!
If you've tried this and it worked, let us know and give us some tips! So there you have it… some non-traditional pumpkin ideas to try in 2011. If you want to see us in action, we'll be posting the clip to the 69 morning show soon. Be sure you"like" us on Facebook, because we'll link it there.
Happy Wednesday, thanks for pumpkin partying with us!
Linking to: iheartnaptime Under the Table and Dreaming, Tutorials & Tips, Tip Me Tuesday
Well, while you're reading this, we're probably at the Nate Berkus Show trying hard to look cool and not say something dumb doing our thing. So, we wanted to take this time to give a huge thank you to our sponsors this month! We have enjoyed working with these fine ladies, and are thrilled with the services and product they offer. Would we advertise a product we didn't like/wouldn't use ourselves? No way. So, here they are in no particular order. Give them some love, ok? And tell them the Real Housewives of BC sent you.: )
Amanda with Thirty-One Gifts is pretty darn awesome. And if you haven't heard of Thirty-One Gifts yet, what rock have you been hiding under? Who doesn't want a super fun, trendy and cute customizable bag or purse? Seriously, every single one of my friends has the Retro Metro bag.
Order between today and Sunday, and get FREE SHIPPING! Click here, and email your order to Amanda with the code RealHBC as the title. And I just have to mention, that if you're looking for your dream job with great incentives, then you probably want to talk with Amanda. In her first year, she's earned a trip to Disney World for her whole family, a trip to Cancun for two and a laptop! Jealous? Call her to chat about this great opportunity! _____________________________________________________________________________________
Not only is Jane a great friend, but she is an amazing Pampered Chef Consultant. I can't even tell you how much PC has changed my cooking experience (and Monicas too!) We both swear by the baking stones and I loooooovvvve my garlic press. That thing is like gold in a household that loves garlic!
Get FREE SHIPPING on all orders (now through Sunday) and a bonus of a FREE Mango or Apple Wedger with a purchase over $60! (Trust me, that's easy to do!: ) Click here to contact Jane and place your order. Remember to mention the code RealHBC in the title of your email. _______________________________________________________________________________________
Bethany's business is absolutely booming, and it's no wonder why. Her headbands are out-of-this-world cute. And c'mon, you know your daughter/granddaughter/niece would be the most adorable thing in the whole world in a Blossom Band.
One of my favorite products Bethany offers is a Blossom Band of the Month subscription. Talk about the gift that keeps on giving. You get an adorable band once a month! It's crazy affordable and her style is just to die for, so you know it's going to be something amazing coming each month.
As an incentive, we'll pick one random order and make it FREE if you order with the code RealHBC between today and Sunday. Click here to see the Blossom Bands collection and to place your order. _______________________________________________________________________________________
If you're looking to buy or sell a house, Melanie is your girl! She is super nice, has a great personality, and TONS of experience. I would absolutely trust her with helping me make one of the biggest financial investments in life go smoothly.
Melanie is listing this gorgeous home now in, (do I even have to say it?) beautiful Bucks County! Get a FREE One-year Home Warranty when you mention RealHBC. Click here to get in touch with Melanie. You won't regret it! ________________________________________________________________________________________
Thanks again to all of our sponsors for helping us keep doing what we're doing! Say a prayer for us today! We sure would appreciate it. And we can't wait to share all the juicy Nate Show details with you here on the blog. Have a great day!
PS. Help us win the Most Valuable Blog award by CBS Philly by voting here!
Jess and I have had some pretty cool opportunities in the past 14 months. We've had a lot of people to say THANK YOU to, and we feel like snail mail is still an awesome way to give a real, heartfelt thanks. We had some old Real Housewives of Bucks County (sniff, sniff) postcards, but those are now part of my kids' scrap paper bin. We were super excited when Uprinting asked us to try out some of their products. We immediately knew we wanted to order some new UPrinting Postcards, EC2 style!
How awesome are those?? I was completely blown away by the quality the moment I opened the shipping box. They were so clear and crisp!
This was our first time ordering anything from Uprinting, and we weren't sure what to expect, but the postcards far exceeded our expectations! The process was really simple. 1st- we called the best designer on the planet- Kim from 733 Design (She did our blog too) and asked her to whip up a design. You can design right on Uprinting, but we wanted the same look as our blog. 2nd- We headed to the Uprinting Website. It was simple to upload our file.
3rd- We proofed our picture and I'm so thankful for this step, because I accidentally uploaded a low resolution picture at first and was able to change it before it went to print. Thanks goodness for dummy-proof systems (because I'm a dummy!)
Just a few days later these beauties were in my hands and ready to go into the world, spreading the love from East Coast Creative!
We're both so glad we found UPrinting and this is one business we're thrilled to recommend. Check out their site for all kinds of great printing products! Uprinting WebsiteUPrinting on PinterestUPrinting on Twitter**This was a sponsored post from UPrinting. All opinions are 100% ours!** Here's what some of our other gal pals got from UPrinting!
Krista, the force behind Kotton Pickin' Kute, is so stinkin' talented! She's a friend of my sister's and when my sister had her baby girl, Norah, she was given a Kotton Pickin' Kute hat. My sis said I just HAD to check her stuff out. As soon as I saw Krista's adorable hats and diapers, I knew we had scored a Fab Find. Just look at all this cuteness:
I NEED one of these for Charlie this winter.
Just stop it. These pics are killing me. Isn't she amazing? She just started selling her stuff, and I just KNOW she'll be uber-successful. And guess what? Today is your lucky day. Krista is giving away one of her too-cute-to-handle hats to one of our readers!
Here's how you enter to win: 1."Like" Kotton Pickin' Kute on facebook HERE. 2. Leave us a comment telling us which cutie in your life will be sporting one of Krista's creations. 3. For an extra entry:"Like" The Real Housewives of Bucks County on facebook HERE, and leave us a separate comment telling us you did it. On Monday morning, we'll announce the lucky winner! Have a great weekend (and you're welcome; )!
Welcome, U Create Readers! We're super glad you're here! If you want to see some of our favorite DIY projects, click on the picture below to go to our our DIY page.
If you want to know more about us, click the picture below to know the inside scoop on what being a REAL Housewife is all about around here.
Well, look around, make yourself at home and come visit us again! Thanks! ***Oh and while you're here… We just found out that our Fabric Wallpaper project is in the Top 6 over at Not Just a Housewife. If you think we're pretty okay, do you mind heading over and voting for us? Thanks a million! Vote Here!
