My Creative Blog [Search results for accessories] 

Hey there! We thought it would be fun to show you the major difference that accessories can make in a room design. So many people can pull together the"big" items in a room, like a buffet and dining table, or a couch and accent chair, but then seem to have trouble getting the room to look"finished". We all look at design magazines and read home blogs and see rooms that look absolutely perfect; stylish, yet still cozy, warm and inviting. What is it about those rooms? Take a closer look, and you'll see that the room feels finished because of all the finishing touches (ie: accessories)! Well, duh.

Let's look at our guest room makeover before we added in the fun accessories:

Ok. that wall is cool, but besides that, this could be anybody's room. It lacks personality and excitement don't you think? Now look at the after picture:

Ahhh… now that's a finished room. Adding accessories to a room design is a great way to personlize your space. Find stuff that makes you smile, or that has sentimental value and bring them into your room. You'll notice that we added two vintage suitcases at the foot of the bed, put a darling little pillow on the chair, added some funky throw pillows on the bed, and put a plant by the bed (all easy things to do!) and the room immediately looks more put-together.

This cart was a great find at a store named Impact and cost us only $8. On it's own, it's fine, but it's not going to cause anyone to pass out with excitement. But once we added a globe, some books and a whole bunch of linens (remember this is a guest room?), it makes a big impression. Don't you love it when form and function meet in beautiful, accessorized harmony?: )

I have to admit that"dressing up" a room is one of my absolute favorite things to do, and while Monica is amazing at dreaming up the big projects in a room, she (admittedly) doesn't like accessorizing at all. (That's why we make a good team!) Here's what I do when I'm trying to decorate my mantel, buffet or anything else: I gather absolutely every accessory I can get my hands on that isn't nailed down and lay them all out. Then, I fiddle for about an hour trying to find the perfect layout. Bringing items you already have into the room allows you to evaluate what items you can work with, and what items you may need to purchase. Just to help you out,, here are a couple of things to keep in mind when you are trying to accessorize:
1. The Rule of Three: Not sure why this is, but it's proven that groupings of odd numbers are more appealing to the eye than even-numbered pairings. It forces your eye to move from piece to piece and adds visual interest. You can group like things (for example: three identical glass bottles) or things that have the same materials (ie: three stacked books).

2. Mountains and Valleys: When you stand back and look at whatever your accessorizing, you should see varying heights and shapes. (ex: square frame beside a round bowl). Think about putting opposites next to each other. They always say opposites attract!

3. Symmetry or Asymmetry? A good rule of thumb is that symmetrical groupings creates a more formal look, whereas asymmetrical design looks casual and informal. 4. Texture and Color: You'll want to add lots of texture to make things interesting (ie: adding a woven basket next to a glass vase), and repeat your color scheme throughout the design. Doing this creates a more unified look.
5. Layer! Nothing is more boring than a row of frames on a shelf. Try leaning a framed family picture against a piece of art on your mantel, or stack a few books on a tray and add a plant on top. You want the room to appear alive and full of movement, not static!

These rules are not set in stone, they simply offer a guideline. If something in your home makes you happy, and it doesn't include anything from this list…then who cares? It's your home.: ) But hopefully you won't forget to add the finishing touches to your room design! It makes a WORLD of difference!: )

PS. Want more info about this? We got some great tips from these places: Honey & FitzThe Red PinEverything in 3'sFireplace Mall

When Jess and I saw this tiny galley kitchen, we knew we had to help! It's the kind of space that most people on a budget would call"hopeless" because it's really, really tiny and everything was dated. Thankfully, we really love a challenge, so we headed to Matt and Linda's to give them a colorful kitchen renovation for under $1200! To watch this full episode online, click HERE.

Matt and Linda are a great couple and this kitchen makeover meant a lot to them because they have a family of four using the kitchen, but also because Linda owns her own baking business out of their home.

She was the one responsible for all of the amazing desserts and decor at our premiere party. If you're local and in need of any desserts, you have to check her out. Frog Prince Cake & Cookie Design

Take a peek at these before pictures… does this look like a kitchen for a woman that spends a ton of a time cooking and baking?

Two things made the biggest difference in this space… Paint & Opening up the wall. Here's a rundown of all the changes we made to this space.

Painted Cabinets, Counters, & Appliances Paint is one of the least expensive and high impact things you can do to a space. We painted the cabinets a crisp, semi-gloss white and added new hardware. The counters were painted using a Rustoleum paint just for laminate. The appliances we coated with a stainless steel appliance spray paint. We'll give you the full rundown later this week. Flooring- The flooring project we did in this space could be one of my favorite DIYs of 2013 so far! I can't believe how amazing the effect was! We'll share all the details later this week on the blog, but who would have imagined that peel and stick vinyl tile could look this amazing!

Faux Subway Tile Renovating an entire kitchen for $1200 is tricky, so rather than installing subway tile we painted it! It took a LONG time, and I might have gotten a few grey hairs in the process, but it looked amazing in the end! (Full tutorial coming this week!)

Opening the Kitchen Wall This kitchen is tiny and we couldn't change the footprint, but we wanted it to feel bigger and less closed off from the rest of the house, so we removed the top half of the left wall. Instantly, the kitchen seemed twice the size!

Add Open Shelving Once the wall was down, we really didn't want to put the cabinets back up, because it would make the space seem closed off again. Instead, we purchased inexpensive Ikea floating shelves and displayed their dishes added lots of fun colorful accessories.

Create Additional Workspace We never like to waste anything, so rather than just getting rid of the cabinets we removed, we used them as base cabinets in the dining room. All we had to do was build a counter using inexpensive pine, and for almost no cost, we created a huge workspace and kept all of their storage!

Lighting and Window Mirror We added a fun pendant light and backed an old window with a mirror to add more light to the room. We love using old windows to decorate a space. This really helped make this tiny space feel larger!

DIY Bake Marquee Sign This was Linda's favorite project in the space. It was really simple to make, but added such a fun pop to the room! Jess will be back with the full tutorial later this week!

Fun Accessories Of course we added lots accessories to complete the space. We don't have a full source list, but most of the items were from Homegoods and Ikea! We really keep our eyes open for clearance and sale items!

This kitchen took a lot of hard work. All of the projects saved us big time budget-wise, but required some serious (wo)man hours. We were SO excited with how it turned out and actually, we were even more excited with how happy the homeowners were!

Our first Knock It Off kitchen renovation was a huge success and we can't wait to tackle another one! Kitchens are usually the most expensive rooms in a home, and to think we did an entire kitchen and dining room for about the cost some people spend just on countertops alone makes us pretty sure that Knocking It Off was the best route to go!!
Check back later this week for all of the tutorials! To watch this full episode online, click HERE.

When a close friend asks you to help re-do their bubble-gum pink, non-descript guest room, you can't say no. You almost feel like you need to stage a design intervention immediately. Everyone has a room like this one: a forgotten catch-all guest room/play room/ exercise room/ office. We decided that it was our duty to save the world (and Connie and Mark's parents!) from this room so we spruced the place up a bit. I mean, anything would have been better than that color pink, and we were game for the challenge. So.without further ado, here's our first official SuperFab Room Redesign!
Update: Welcome YHL Readers!
For the Stencilled Wall Tutorial and Paint colors click HERE
To see the room with and without accessories click HERE
For the Shutter Headboard Tutorial click HERE

Yay! Doesn't it look incredible? Over the next few days we'll be posting the tutorials on everything you see in the rooms, but for now, let's take a look at some beauty shots, huh? Obviously, the scene-stealer is the multi-colored houndstooth stenciled wall. This was a definite labor of love (we even called in some backup assistance), but it makes a huge impact in the room, don't you think? We love the mix of the classic houndstooth pattern with the modern color scheme. It definitely set the tone for the rest of the room: mixing old with new. We'll be posting a tutorial next week, but if you want to get a jump start on your own, you can visit Royal Design Studio to get this amazing stencil for yourself!

Just take it all in, people.: ) Another fav is the headboard we made out of old shutters (or are they doors? Not sure!) we found at our favorite salvage place, Architectural Antiques. We needed something that would stand out from the wall, command attention, and add some character and and this baby does that. Gorgeous!

Another fun part of the design for us was coming up with a unique way to showcase Connie's collection of old family photos. This gallery wall is super simple and allows the photos to be the main focus. We can't wait to tell you how we did it, so you can try it too. And now you know what the gears were for!: )

Connie & Mark had this dresser that we knew we could make fabulous with some paint and new hardware, so that saved us some big bucks! That blue may be one of our all-time favorite colors and changed this dresser from one that was ready to be kicked to the curb, to something that they'll never want to part with!

This little vignette makes us super happy, because not only is it adorable, but it's totally functional, as well. Since this is their guest room, we made sure to add some towels and an extra blanket to the cart to make their guests feel at home. An $8 industrial cart never looked so good! The metal cubby shelf was a great find from HomeGoods that completes this corner of the room.

And a room makeover is nothing without accessories. Pulling together all of these items was our idea of a good time, and they make a world of difference. We'll show you the proof this week, trust us.

We're already planning a sleepover at Connie and Mark's.; ) We hope you enjoyed our makeover! Be sure to stop back over to see all the juicy DIY details in the next few days. Oh yeah, one more thing: You can see a whole lot more of our DIY escapades on our projects page!

And don't forget that Monica is in the running to be the New Face of Proctor & Gamble Home! Please head over and vote for her. You can vote once a day, now through October 3rd. We know voting things can be a pain, but this one is simple and man, winning would Rock our World! So thanks so much!
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It's here! B2S Week (Back to School) here on the Real Houseviwes blog… We've got some pretty fabulous stuff planned and today we're talking about back to school fashion. Make sure you read all the way to the bottom of the post because there's some crazy, exciting news we can't wait to share!
B2S Fashion 2011 I must admit, I sorta dreaded back to school shopping this year. I have four kids and three of them are in school, so I had some serious shopping to do. My oldest is the only one that is a challenge. She's just developing her style and it's NOTHING frilly, NOTHING sparkly, NOTHING little kid, NOTHING that mom picks out- LOL. I think maybe I'll share this post with her.
First off, here are the hot trends you should know about:
Hot colors — jade, teal, bamboo, coffee, & orchid
Nail polish colors — graphite, péridot and quartz
Crackle nail polish
Chunky funky bracelets — MeBands are cool & collectible
Cool high tops, bold and bedazzled (Converse has an affordable line at Target)
Funky jewelry — plastic bracelets
Chunky rings
Backpacks, multi-style and color
Large watches
Toms shoes — shoes that give back
Retro sunglasses
Trendy scarves (yes they are still in, and make great belts too.)
Ballet flats
Funky lunch bags — very eco-friendly. Think Green
Feather earrings and hair accessories
Crochet detailing
Blazers Now, you might be thinking… hmm, I need this list, not my kids, but it can be for moms and their kiddos! (Oh, and just in case you don't know about hair feathers, you should… the trend moved from magazines, to Hollywood, to edgy women, and now to our kids!)

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

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

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

Source: crazy8.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest

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

Source: seventeen.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If you missed all the amazing projects in the first three weeks of CWTS, be sure to check them out below!
Round 1 Projects & Winners Round 2 Projects & Winners Ro und 3 Projects & Winners

We want to thank HomeGoods and Homes.com for partnering with us for this competition. They believed in this contest from the start and I'm positive the contestants have knocked their socks off! Since this is the Final Round, and we'll be crowning a CWTS 2013 Champion, we needed an awesome Grand Prize Package! The Grand Prize Winners -Contestant and Blog Star- will EACH receive:
$500 from Homes.Com $500 Gift Card to HomeGoods
Project featured by HomeTalk

Also, for this round, HomeGoods provided each contestant a $100 HomeGood's gift card! Jess and I adore HomeGoods and just last week we picked up about 8 rolls of the best wrapping paper ever! You never know what awesomeness you'll score!

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Okay, now let's get to business! There are only 3 projects this week, so you're voting for your 1 and only favorite! We're so proud of each of these ladies and we know they've worked crazy hard the past month! As you're voting and commenting, please keep things positive & encouraging and just pick your favorite project. We've tried to keep things as anonymous as possible, so don't bother playing Sherlock Holmes.: )
Without further ado, We present to you… The Round 4- Grand Prize Projects

#1- Guest Room Makeover
For my final CWTS project, I chose to makeover a guest bedroom. I envisioned a guest room that was full of personality…fun pops of color and an interesting mix of textures and objects that feels comfortable, unique and welcoming to guests.

What do you make with an old fireplace mantel and a shower curtain? Create a headboard of course!
I loved the gorgeous detail in the border of the dark wood, in addition to the design of the shelf with the mirror and paneling. To complete the transformation to a headboard, I closed in the fireplace opening with plywood. and then I upholstered it with the blue and green ikat fabric---A.K.A a shower curtain from Target!

After I spent about an eternity installing bead board and chair rail, I felt like the room needed a really fun pop of color that would also work well with the headboard fabric. For balance, I purchased a white round side table at HomeGoods, and painted it with some fabulous emerald paint!
In selecting bedding, I chose to go with a crisp white duvet cover, so as not to overshadow the headboard fabric and pillows. Picking out pillows was super-fun and HomeGoods never lets me down when I am in need of a"new pillow fix." I fell in love with the vintage camera pillow (also from Home Goods) and felt it added an interesting and unique element to the room. The blue lamps added another great pop of color. My goal was to incorporate interesting objects with a mix of coordinating colors and textures into the room…the collage below shows all the details that I hope will make overnight guests feel cozy, comfortable and inspired.

Homegoods was the perfect sponsor for the home decor round. HomeGoods is one of those stores where you may go in with the intention"just to browse"…but never leave without something"you just had to have!"

#2- Colorful, Texture-filled Bedroom Makeover
The home decor challenge gave me the perfect opportunity to complete some of the projects I have wanted to try for a long time! Starting with a bare white room, I couldn't wait to add some color, pattern and texture

. To frame the bed, I created an accent wall covered with grasscloth wallpaper and used trim to frame the bed and nightstands. I love the touch of glamor that the nailhead adds to the space. While installing the nailhead, I tried a few new techniques that made it go surprisingly fast! Best of all, this wall is completely removable, renter or indecisive designer approved!
I added a few accessories from Homegoods. And customized a few pillows using scarves, napkins and paint.

I constructed the headboard from lumber and cut the detail in the arms with a jig saw. I then upholstered it with foam and a bright coral fabric. I love the simplicity of the headboard, but the curved detail and bright coral color make it extra special!

I love the subtle texture of the grasscloth, and how the nailhead adds a little extra detail.
I hope you enjoy this colorful, energetic transformation!

#3- Reading Room Makeover
When it was time for the Home Decor round, I waffled back and forth on what to do until I remembered that I had this nice (relatively) empty room in my house just waiting to be turned into something fun. After playing around with a few ideas, I decided I wanted a place to relax, read, and spend a little quality alone time…and the next thing I knew, the reading room was created.

I took regular ol' Ikea Billy bookcases and turned them into built-ins (thanks to some crown molding and a little DIY magic) and amped up the room a bit with trim and some paint in a traditional"library"-ish color. To make it more modern, I painted the back of the bookcases with some chunky gold stripes and tossed in a cozy chair and pouf, a DIY-ed tree stump table, and a ton of bright and colorful accessories.

When I was shopping for the room, one of the first places I wanted to hit up was HomeGoods — I'm obsessed with basically everything they carry and knew their store would be perfect for our bookcases. I managed to snag that gorgeous throw pillow for the chair, as well as several of the cute accessories you can see on the bookcases (including my personal favorite, the blue elephant up at the top)!

I'm so excited to have this space now, and I can't wait to settle in and start reading!

Now, it's time to Vote!

You can only vote once and only for one project. (the past weeks you could change your vote if you wanted. You might have thought you could cast multiple votes, but nope- it was just changing your vote- it was set to just one per IP. This week we didn't allow vote changes, so make sure you have your mind made up when you vote! Good Luck- it's a tough choice!!) In order to vote, you must first LIKE EC2 on Facebook.

Today marks our first day back to work filming for Knock It Off! We've had 6 weeks off so that Jess could enjoy time off with Baby Bennett- I was the lucky one to get maternity leave too! We really enjoyed our break, but we're also super excited to get back to helping homeowners with some awesome room makeovers!
Before we went on our break we tackled our first Formal Living Room makeover. We were super excited about the challenge because neither of us have particularly formal homes.
If you haven't watched the episode- check it out HERE!

Here's where the room started off… The family had a TON of amazing pieces of furniture, but some of them were being hidden because there was a lot of stuff in the room.

We used a bright, yet sophisticated kelly green on the top portion of the walls.

And added a clean, crisp board and batten on the bottom two-thirds.
And of course, we couldn't leave the black piano alone. It looks okay in pictures, but it was pretty beat up and needed some love… you know what that means… Yup! We painted it!! (painted piano haters everywhere are cursing us! lol)

Isn't that so much more fun? The homeowner's kids all play piano and they were excited to have their first lesson on their blue piano. I kinda wanted to be a fly on the wall when the piano teacher saw it for the first time. Mwhaha. Actually, I heard the blue color made the kids play so well that they're all headed to Julliard!
From the homeowner's submission video we actually hardly noticed there was even a fireplace in the room! It was so covered up by furniture and accessories.

We narrowed down all the accessories and furniture, replaced the glass shelves with wooden ones, lined the back with fun zebra paper (we couldn't resist adding a fun pop) and then displayed some of their amazing plate collection on the freshly painted white wall.

We kept many furniture pieces the same, but others- like the one below- we changed. The wood dresser on the left is what we turned into a mini office on the right. We painted it, added new hardware, removed the bottom two drawers and it became the perfect place to keep all their office supplies. You'd never know that it's totally functional… well minus the two printers I suppose!

The room had a huge picture window, but it was really covered up by the sheer curtains. Sometimes people think sheers are great because they let in the light, but in this case, they were hiding so much!

We brought in 4 curtain panels (you can only see three), and even though they're solid, not sheer- the window looks so much larger! These curtains are IKEA curtains that we painted to have a custom feel. You can see how to paint your own curtains in this post.

We were so happy with this room- it might have been one of our favorites from Season 1! We can't wait to see what season 2 has to offer!!
Check back tomorrow to see how we added the fun pop of gold on the piano wall…

Confession: I DO NOT volunteer in the nursery or Sunday school classes at my church. {GASP!} I found out through trial and error that at this phase of life it's not my cup of tea. Now, don't go quitting your volunteer positions after reading this post, but I do want to challenge you to think outside the"norm" of how we can help those around us. I think we all have hobbies that we love and often times we don't think of those abilities as unique, God-given gifts. Maybe you knit, scrapbook, paint, read, etc. All of those things you love can be used for others! Knit super-cute baby accessories for a pregnancy center, create mini scrapbooks that a nursing home can offer to residents that don't get visited often, offer to help a single mom paint her master bedroom, volunteer to read at a library or preschool… My point is this… use what you love to bless others. It's doubly rewarding. I've had an amazing example in my life… My Mom. She is a volunteer at the Bucks County Women's Recovery Center in New Britain (BCWRC). She is passionate about helping the women at the center turn their lives around, and even more passionate about introducing them to the Lord. She's started a Bible study through the WRC and so many women's lives have been changed. I visited the center once a few years ago and left feeling really sad.

The house that the women live in wasn't a place that would make these precious ladies feel important, treasured, and valuable. Many of the rooms didn't have anything on the walls, all the furniture was donated and mismatched. The wheels started turning… I was just wrapping up my homestaging business and had TONS of accessories, artwork, and decor. Last spring a team of wonderful friends helped and we did room transformations in six rooms at the WRC.
Last weekend we did a mini phase two for the project because there were two additional rooms that needed some TLC. This basement room wasn't being used at all

Really, who would want to spend time down here with it looking like this?

Stark white walls

It was screaming"Help!"

Thanks to my wonderful husband, our friend Mark, and other volunteers, we painted all night on Friday night… that red wood was not easy to paint, and took a bit more time than I anticipated, but the end results were great!

Saturday, Jess was able to come and help decorate and accessorize the space. We really liked this vinyl phrase because the WRC has many guests reside there, but hopefully they leave with a brighter future and support from new friends.

All the furniture was donated, but worked great- My mom is amazing at finding people willing to help and share.

Much warmer space that the ladies will actually use!

We created the HOPE artwork that will actually match the new accent pillows that we have being custom made for us. It was awesome to be able to do a fun craft project that will encourage those that see it.

So, how have you used your hobbies or talents to help others? If you've never associated your hobbies with blessing others, well, now is the time!

Because we're always slightly afraid you'll get bored of our crazy antics, we have a treat for you today in the form of a guest blogger! If you don't already know her, Sarah from The Ugly Duckling House is stinkin' hilarious and super talented. We love the design of her blog (which she did herself), the adorable pics of her splattered with paint, and her magical touch with liquid gilding. Enjoy! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi there! I'm Sarah from The Ugly Duckling House, and I'm thrilled to be guest posting today on East Coast Creative! I met Monica and Jess at the Haven conference earlier this year, and I think they come up with some of the most amazing projects!

A little more about me: I'm awkward. I can't cook. I hate cleaning. But I love tearing my house apart and putting it back together again. I've been working on my"Ugg-Duck" for nearly three years now, and I'm determined — hissy fits and all — to turn my 1980s eyesore into a home I can be proud of. DIY-ing on my own isn't easy (especially with a full-time job and grad school on my plate), and I have had my fair share of weird stories with my house — like finding fingernails in my fridge. Or 4 A.M. catfights. Or freaking out that I had a water leak in my brand new powder room… and realizing it was (possibly) a guest missing my toilet. Yes, that happened.
Right now, I'm working on remodeling my bathroom. But at any given moment, I have at least five other unfinished projects around the house. Sometimes when I'm in the middle of finishing up a full renovation, I use that momentum to give myself an extra push and do something smaller that I might otherwise put off — like my master bedroom jewelry organizer.

I've been spotting a lot of creative jewelry organization ideas on Pinterest, and even though I've been storing my jewelry neatly in a drawer in my closet, I realized I forget to throw on accessories when rushing off to work. These Rationell inserts from Ikea are meant to add storage space to pantries and other cabinets, but I saw the decorative pattern on top and thought it could really look snazzy (& functional, too!) as a jewelry holder.

It was so easy, I could even (sort of) hold my camera steady while putting the project together with one hand. Ha. I just measured…

Marked (simply pushing the tip of the screw into the wall will save you extra pencil marks)…

… and sunk the first screw into place.

And this is where I realized I'd forgotten my level in the bathroom! Ugh. Thankfully, I had a nifty iPhone app with a level that I could use to make sure I kept things straight and even.

By placing the organizer in between my remodeled master bedroom closet and the master bath, I have a great new spot for my jewelry — and less of an excuse to bypass the accessories in the morning!

There you have it — a simple and inexpensive way to get your jewelry in a prime notice me and wear me spot.
Thank you so much to Jess and Monica for letting me stop by, and I hope you visit me (and whatever current mess I'm making) over at The Ugly Duckling House soon! Sarah Psst: Want more? I love to post sneak peeks on Facebook and Instagram. You can also find me on Hometalk and Twitter at uglyducklingDIY.
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Thanks so much for visiting, Sarah! You're welcome back in our houses anytime.: )

Thanks for all your feedback on Kira's Colorful Room Makeover this week! Funny story… Jess and I are doing some filming this coming Monday (can't spill the beans yet!) and they need to get some footage of Kira's room… can I just tell you how messy her room is now? There are about 200 tiny Polly Pocket accessories on the floor! If only my house could stay as clean as it is on the blog! If you missed the makeover reveal check it out here and you can read the full accent wall tutorial here.

Today we're talking whiteboard walls!! It's the perfect solution for creative kids that color on walls anyway!

I recently learned of IdeaPaint and I was super excited that they wanted to have me try out some of their new CREATE Idea Paint and accessories! I am a sucker for packaging and good fonts and they scored major points with me right off the bat!

Most people think of whiteboard paint as just that… White! Guess, what? IdeaPaint actually comes in clear (also black and white) so that you can put it over any color wall. That allows for so much more creativity… so guess what I did?? Yup, painted it on white walls! Ha! I have another can that I plan to use on a color-filled space when Jess and I get a blogging office (someday!)
I have to show you the way IdeaPaint comes… you get two ingredients that need to be mixed… you add THIS to THAT (did you know I love witty things?!?) The prep directions were super simple.

So, here's how it all went down… We painted the entire room stark white. It's actually the first time I've ever painted a wall white…ever!

We didn't use a chalk line to mark off our whiteboard area because we didn't want blue chalk getting into the clear paint. We made really small pencil marks. I knew I was adding a frame, so the edges didn't have to be perfect. The paint was simple to apply with a roller (included in the paint kit) and you could clearly see the painted and unpainted areas because of the shine.

We bought two 8 foot pieces of plywood for the frame.

I wanted to mirror the rectangular shapes of the mosaic wall, so I sketched out a happy little drawing. I'd almost kill for just an ounce of artistic ability! (Don't worry, I won't really!)

We cut the plywood with a jigsaw (Jess and I sure love our jigsaws!!) We didn't take any pictures of that part, because it was really late… Yes, that's AM!

We waited until the IdeaPaint had dried for about an hour and was dry to the touch before we placed any wood near it. We needed to measure for a few cuts.

One REALLY important thing to know about IdeaPaint… you need to let the paint cure for 4 days before you write on it at all. They even include a really cute sign to put on the wall!

The next morning (yes, we do sleep sometimes) I spray painted the plywood. I really liked how some of the grain showed through.

Want to see something funny?… I don't have sawhorses… but I do have Power Wheels!

Once the boards were dry, we simply nailed them into the wall with finishing nails (making sure to hit some studs)

We were left with a HUGE area for Kira to color on! She and her little friends have so much fun playing school, store, and creating"Princess lands" on her wall now! (And don't forget the plain surrounding walls are getting something very special- hopefully this weekend!)

I highly recommend IdeaPaint- I know chalkboards are all the rage, but they're really messy! I didn't want a constant pile of dust on Kira's light carpet. The whiteboard wipes off easily and I feel like the kids can be even more creative with their color choices. There are so many dry erase colors available.
I was browsing the IdeaPaint website and found these other cool ideas that I just might try in other areas of my house!
I love the simple calendar!

See how cool a colored surface looks with IdeaPaint? That green is awesome!

Kaden has bunk beds in his room and as soon as he saw this picture he wanted a bunk bed that could write on! I've also seen it used on student desks and table tops for homework etc… There are so many cool ideas you could try (no pun intended!)

I want to give a great big Thank You to IdeaPaint for allowing me to try out their CREATE paint. Kira and I love the result and I can't wait to try it in on some other surfaces!
Have you ever thought of adding a whiteboard to your house? Where would you try one first?

Check out IdeaPaint's Website IdeaPaint on Facebook
** I was provided with IdeaPaint to review. I was not compensated in any other way for this post. All opinions are 100% legit and all mine. **

While I should have been home preparing for a television shoot, I was off traveling in New England this weekend. One of the highlights of our trip was a completely impulsive, spur of the moment, Taylor Swift concert with my daughter Makenzie. I was completely impressed by Taylor Swift. She was humble, thankful for the 52 thousand fans, and downright adorable. As a mom, I was so thankful for the example she was in her style and the way she presented herself. Her outfits were amazing, but they weren't immodest or trashy and the way she danced was fun and not overly sexy. I've always been a fan, but after last night I'm totally sold!

Source: artof-love.tumblr.com via Monica on Pinterest In honor of our special night together, I thought I'd take a little time and explore country style. My first thought when it came to country blogging and decor was The Pioneer Woman. If you haven't checked out her blog, which really is WAY more than just a blog, you're missing out. She has an amazing"Lodge" with a genuine country, mountain feel.

As I began to explore country style I realized that even though I have a more transitional style, I'm really drawn the light colors and the primative storage used.

Source: houzz.com via Monica on Pinterest
Metal baskets like this were really popular this year. There were tons of great DIY versions, that were pretty similar to these ones from Anthropologie.

Who doesn't love a country kitchen? Again, the light colors and presence of white gives the room a soft, yet clean, crisp feel. I'm loving the green cabinets and accents.

The blue and yellow in this kitchen is awesome. It just so happens that they're the very same accent colors as my"coming soon" dining room. I love the idea of open storage, but in real life, with 4 kids, that is just NOT going to work.

Source: coastalliving.com via Monica on Pinterest
Even though I'm more of a modern or transitional girl, I do love me some farm table! I can't wait to show you our version later this week. It's old farm meets Restoration Hardware (with 8 legs!)

Source: countryliving.com via Monica on Pinterest
Old wooden floors make me happy. Right now we have laminate hard wood (a must have for our crazy kids), but someday I really would love to bring in old, weathered hardwood a pair it with my more contemporary style.

Source: blog.baerhomedesign.com via Monica on Pinterest
Sometimes I wish I was a country girl because designing a country room seems so simple. Lots of white, metal, and just a few accessories. This bedroom is adorable and Jess would love the baskets under the bed.

Source: beautifulpaper.tumblr.com via Monica on Pinterest
I know this room isn't really country, but I feel like it's a modern take on country. The colors are perfectly country, but the lines of the furniture and some of the accessories have a more modern feel. This room is right up my alley.

Source: smg.photobucket.com via Monica on Pinterest
So, I might not have"Gone Country," but I did enjoy exploring the style. Who knows, soon you might see me around my house, listening to Taylor Swift, and wearing this…(which btw I think is actually adorable!)

Source: dottieangel.blogspot.com via Monica on Pinterest

skona hem
I can't thank you all enough for your thoughtful advice on changing up my more formal dining room. We use it every day, so I am yearning for a little more casual feel. You left so many good comments....some of your great advice included upholstered/slip covered or painted chairs, and mixing in modern art and fresh accessories. Monika from Splendid Willow even sent me this image which I love. While this dining room contains many traditional elements, it has a very fresh feel. And look! It has just the things you all recommended: slip covered chairs and a fresh grouping of artwork and accessories. See....you all are downright decor geniuses and should be charging a lot of coin for your advice...

This fab find is truly fabulous! About a month ago, I went into Stuff to take a look around. I had both kids in tow, but was so curious to see what they had to offer, and was completely blown away! I could have spent another hour or two just browsing, but couldn't because of the kids. So, I dragged Monica (I didn't literally drag her; she was pretty willing and excited about going) in and she loved it just as much as I did.

. It is absolutely huge, which means they have tons of great furniture and decor!

You can find some really cool, unique art pieces there, for a fraction of the price you would pay somewhere else. They have several LARGE mirrors (like the one I'm sitting in front of) that would make a major statement in your home, without emptying your bank account. And I love that rust-colored chair Monica is sitting on, too. (Doesn't she look adorable? What a great picture of her laughing. It must have been something I said.; )

Stuff is the closeout store for their store Dwelling in Manayunk, Pa. The farmhouse tables they have are to die for, and we could not believe how affordable they are.

Plus, the decor items, like those moss balls, those colored vases and that red buffet are so super cool, and really different. So.fun.

You can find something for every single style. Monica loved the funky accessories, and I was digging the rustic wooden bowls and containers.

You should absolutely go check out Stuff Closeouts and Consignments. It is located in Colmar, PA and is open Friday through Sunday.

I have my eye on those tall basket vases for my dining room (please ignore how I'm lovingly cradling them. It's just wierd and kind of creepy, but I do adore them), and Monica, well, that sign sums up the story of her life pretty darn well.: )
Find out more about Stuff on their website, and even better, go visit the store! This weekend you can get 40% off all sofas, chairs and accessories. You won't be disappointed.
Tell them the Real Housewives sent you!: )

In the interest of full disclosure, this is a sponsored post, but all opinions, words and picture are ours. We only share things that we REALLY love with our favorite readers.: )

We're SUPER EXCITED about this week's Fab Find… Us!!

If you haven't heard…
Our blog was found by Nate Berkus and we will be taping a segment for his show!

We are Beyond Excited! We're going to be taping next Wednesday and Thursday. On Wednesday the film crew will be taping a back story with our families and our homes (GASP! We have LOTS to get ready!) Thursday, Jess and I will be given a"Mystery Crate" filled with supplies and accessories to re-do a room in each of our homes. Jess is doing her finished basement gameroom, and I'm doing our dining room. The crazy part is that we only have one day, and we're COMPETING against each other! We're both two competitive girls, so this is going to be interesting and oh, so fun! In late August/September we will be brought to NYC for the show taping with Nate, in front of a live audience.
If you don't know about Nate… Where have you been?? He was a regular contributor as a designer on Oprah for years and now has his own show on NBC.

His room designs and his own line of fabrics, and accessories are amazing. Jess and I can't believe we're going to be working with someone so talented!
This is Nate's living room

Source: houseandhome.com via Sarah on Pinterest
This is his Great Room

Source: cococozy.com via Chloe on Pinterest
Who wouldn't want to work with this cutie?

Source: google.com via Sarah on Pinterest
So, pardon us if we're a little crazy in the next week or so… We're frantically working to get everything ready (well actually Jess is, but I'm on vacation for another 4 days!) We promise to take tons of pictures and to share this amazing experience with all of you!
Now, for the most important question…

What on earth should we wear?

Sorry for the delay on our fabulous mudroom tour… hopefully the technical difficulties just built up the suspense and excitement!: )
So just to refresh your memory, I want an amazing mudroom, but right now it's not on the Mangin top ten. That doesn't mean we can't take a look at some awesome inspiration… Here we go! Bright, cheery mudroom, but for some strange reason all of my kids' clothing and accessories don't coordinate with our wall colors?: )

I don't love the curves at the top, but I do like the white/wood combo.

Again wood and white, and this room has drawer storage as well. Just in case everything you own doesn't match perfectly!

I love the idea of incorporating cabinets in a mudroom. Wide moulding at the top gives them a more custom, built-in feel. The shoe area is super functional, but you've seen how many shoes we have…

How beachy and coastal is this? LOVE it!

Cabinets again, but really I love the patterned cushion with accent pillows and the personality that the striped wall adds.

No room for a mud room? Some hooks will do the trick for a more"adult" household.

Not a true mudroom, but an excellent option. Coat hooks to the left, simple metal storage to the right. I LOVE the painted door an numbers. I definitely think the painted door with numbers just made the Mangin top ten list. Stay tuned to see an garage door re-do. Shh… just don't tell my husband!

traditional entry design by detroit media and blogs Just a Girl Chic, grownup mudroom. This is far too pretty to be called a mudroom… it's like the"anti-mudroom."

This adorable mudroom was made using IKEA shelves, combined with base cabinet. I love taking IKEA products and making them into something a little more!

Awesome cubbies. These were created by utilizing the space between the wall studs. This could totally be a DIY project!

And last but not least, a very classic mudroom. Clean, crisp lines. White paint. All-American kid accessories. Classic and Cute.

My dream mudroom is a combination of many of these inspiration rooms. Although, as amazing as these are, there are a few reasons why I will never have one of these mudrooms…

1. I have 4 kids… We will actually have mud and dirt in our mudroom.
2. My 4 kids are MESSY. They might hang up their coats, but they won't precisely place their backpacks to look like acessories.
3. Again, for some reason all of our belongings don't coordinate perfectly: )

Do any of these mudrooms thrill you? Let us know which one got your juices flowing!

It is absolutely unbelieveable how many amazing, talented and creative women there are out there. We spends loads of time reading our favorite design blogs which inspire us to create beauty in our homes, and so, every month once in awhile when we feel like it, we'll be featuring the homes of bloggers that we love-our

Design Icons of the Blogosphere!

Source: ourvintagehomelove.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Up first: my personal favorite, Our Vintage Home Love. Diana has captured the exact feel I want for my house, in her adorable home. She has such an amazing sense of style, and her house exudes calm. Not only is Diana super-stylish, but girl knows her way around a toolbox. She's built several pieces of furniture that I secretly covet really admire, like the Rustic Island she built for her kitchen, the barn door-turned-headboard for her master bedroom, and the salvaged wood shelving unit custom-made for her hubby. No joking- Diana has some serious skills.

So, without further ado, let's take a little tour of her lovely home:

Source: ourvintagehomelove.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest
If that doesn't say,"Welcome. Come sit awhile", I don't know what else would.

Source: ourvintagehomelove.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest
Diana painted stripes in neutral colors on her side porch, which are so cute. Genius!

Source: ourvintagehomelove.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest
I love Diana's use of textures in her house- lots of khakis and whites in the furniture and wall colors, woven baskets, warm wood tones and great, meaningful accessories complete the look.

Source: ourvintagehomelove.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Source: ourvintagehomelove.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest
Aren't those floors to die for? I love the rich color. I'm guessing they're original to the house, which was built in 1905! And do you notice that vintage ladder over there in the corner? Does it remind you at all of my bathroom ladder? (Truth be told, Diana's ladder was the first of many to inspire me to get one of my own!)

Source: ourvintagehomelove.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest
Her kitchen is so light and airy. I totally feel like you could walk in there and take a deep breath and poof!- there goes your stress. Yup, that's the kitchen island she built. Impressive, huh?

Source: ourvintagehomelove.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest
Her master bedroom features the authentic barn wood headboard. I mean, really, couldn't you envision that door on a barn somewhere? Nope, she built it. Jealous much?

Source: ourvintagehomelove.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest
Her den was a labor of love for her husband. She wanted a place he could relax that included items that were important to him.Sheesh- talented and thoughtful? Making me look bad, here, Diana. By the way, I LOVE the pop of red on the pillows.
So, that's it. I think I'm in love. Head on over to Our Vintage Home Love and leave Diana a happy comment. Let her know we sent you.: )

Who is your design icon?

I don't know about you, but I'm always looking for reasons to have a party, so why not celebrate the return of school?! Whether or not your kids need some encouragement to get back in the swing of things, or you just can't wait to send your kids back to school (hooray for me time!), a party is definitely in order.
Back to School Breakfast Party You could plan a party just for your kids, or, if you're up for it, invite the neighbors, or the families whose kids ride on the bus with your own kids for a quick and easy breakfast before school, ala Katie Brown.
1. Set the table. Make going back to school something to look forward to with an awesome tablespread. I love the vibrant colors and cute centerpiece with apples, a clipboard and cute printable. So easy!

Source: 6dukes.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Source: eighteen25.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest
Go the extra mile for your kids with namecards at their seats, a little gift on their plate, and fun details like this lined-paper utensil holder. Adorable! And there's no way they won't feel special and loved after that!

Source: tipjunkie.com via Kim on Pinterest
2. Choose your menu wisely. Remember to pick food items that will give them energy to get them through until lunch.

Source: katiebrownblog.com via Jessica on Pinterest
A bagel buffet could include peanut butter and jelly, granola, raisins and banana, just to name a few.

Source: katiebrownblog.com via Jessica on Pinterest
Set out cereal in cute containers (you better believe sand pails and beach accessories are on sale now. Use them!)

Source: katiebrownblog.com via Stephanie on Pinterest
Fruit kabobs couldn't be easier and are so healthy!

3. Send them off with a treat and a little encouragement!
This is so cute and you can get the FREE Smartie Pants Printable to make it even easier.

Source: bethproudfoot.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Brown Baggin’ It

Source: onecharmingparty.com via Laura on Pinterest
There are a million ways you can spice up your kid's lunch bags to make them a little more fun. How about these adorable School Lunch Labels?

Source: littlelovely.typepad.com via The Paper Chick on Pinterest
Or these Back to School Lunch Printables by Little.Lovely.

Source: tothemoonandback143.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest
And don't just stop at decorating their lunch bags. Actually pack healthy foods in a fun way for them, too. To the Moon and Back has tons of suggestions for Awesome School Lunch Ideas. And how great is that lunch box?

Source: itswrittenonthewalls.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Source: eighteen25.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest
Or simply add a little love note to your kids to tell them how proud you are of them and how much you love them. (Click on the links below each picture to be taken to the site for the free printables.)

Bring on the Dessert!

Spoil your kids with an after-school treat, or wait until after dinner to celebrate the first day of school. It only happens once a year, people, so bring out the big guns!: )

Source: bettycrocker.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Source: womansday.com via Erin on Pinterest
Mmm… cake pops.

Shawni, of the blog 71 Toes, has a Traditional First Day of School Cookie Chat after school where she sits down and talks with each of her five kids (yes, five!) about their first day. It's such a great idea to start this tradition when they are young so it's something they can look forward to each year, and a way you can easily connect with your kids. Because really, who doesn't love cookies?

Source: iammommy.typepad.com via Kiwi on Pinterest
According to the NY Times, these are the best chocolate chip cookies ever. Sadly, I can't vouch for the validity of this statement, but maybe one of you are willing to put that recipe to the test for an after-school cookie chat. (And please, by all means, feel free to send us a batch so we can"taste-test" these so-called best cookies ever.)

Let your kids know they're special with a little extra love this year.
Back to School never was sweeter!

Have you voted today? Please take a minute to do so- we will love you forever!

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 HERE and 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!

If you don't already know her allow me to introduce you to Victoria Hagan a New York City designer extraordinaire who owns her own design firm named Victoria Hagan Interiors here that caters to both residential and commercial projects.

Hagan began designing interiors in 1985, founded Victoria Hagan Interiors in 1991 and established Victoria Hagan Home, a line of furniture, fabrics and accessories, in 2002.

Her design philosophy is 'keep it simple', 'keep it comfortable', 'keep it interesting' but most important 'keep it fun'. She keeps interiors very clean with a neutral palette and isn't drawn to any period or style but rather goes for versitility in a room. Her interiors look very relaxed and stylish at the same time.

Love the pop of red, dark wood with the clean crisp white. You get a taste of old with the new. Victoria's interiors are both masculine and feminine.

Designed by Victoria Hagan
Victoria's style reminds me so much of Darryl Carter's style, below, I love both. They both use a mix of the traditional and modern, the old and the new with clean lines.

Designed by Darryl Carter, pictures via Elle Decor

Designed by Darryl Carter, Washington DC Row House, photo Simon Upton
Darryl Carter used masculine looking leather-covered doors as a headboard, above. While Victoria designed a feminine leather screen, below, for her home collection here.

The Carroll leather screen by Victoria Hagan
Victoria's furniture collection it's so stylish and clean and fits beautifully in today's interiors.

The James footstool designed by Victoria Hagan

The Wainscott chair from her home collection

Enjoy more of Victoria Hagan's Interiors here
I hope you've enjoyed meeting designer Victoria Hagan and seeing a few pictures of her design work. There are a lot more pictures on her website here of interiors and here of her home collection, I just love her look!

Jess and I think today's Fab Find is pretty darn fabulous… It's our"Contact Us" tab! Now, before you tune me out, give this post a chance!

We thought we'd share a recent question that we got from one of our readers! We love hearing from all of you and we want to hear from you even more! We got the following message from a reader"Jess" (and no, we did not send ourselves a fake email just to make us feel good!) Here's her message:
Hi Girls — love your site! So I wanted to ask if you might be doing a post on nursery ideas in the near future (or maybe you've already done so). I'll need to start planning in the next few months…we don't have a lot of space to work with and don't want to spend a lot of money (of course). If you could point me in the direction of any good websites with simple but modern ideas, that would be great. Thanks, you girls are amazing! So… Thanks for your email Jess and here's our answer for ya! Nursery Ideas on a Budget Since I wasn't exactly sure what style the fabulous Jess wants for her nursery, I thought we'd just focus on a few money saving ideas that will still have a big impact. (Click on any of the pictures below for more info) 1. Don't tie yourself down to Babies R Us… Sure everyone thinks they need the standard, crib, changing table, armoire matchy matchy combo, but I beg to differ. Flea market, Salvation Army, Restore, and Craigslist can be your very BFF when furnishing your nursery. I love using a dresser for a changing table and there are plenty of little DIY add ons you can do to make it safe for the little one. Of course I adore this yellow buffet-turned-changing-table… does it remind you of this post?

Source: None via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
Just to prove this, I took 60 seconds and found this piece on Craigslist for $20!! Seriously, I'm tempted to buy it myself! New Paint and this piece would be amazing!

Another repurposed piece. I also love the storage idea they used. You don't have to commit to the standard canvas bins. These little details can go a long way.

Source: blondiensc.typepad.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
2. Make your storage pretty, so it counts as art… This is huge when you're wanting to be a frugal fanny. Rather than adding a million accessories and details that add up in cost, just make the practical things cute! I love these fabric book shelves and just think of all the possibilities because there are a bajillion fabrics in the world to choose from. (Yes, bajillion is a real number in my world).

Source: pennycarnival.typepad.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
I think these planters-turned-storage-bins are adorable. Now would be a great time to buy these because most likely they're on clearance at Lowes and Home Depot.

Source: centsationalgirl.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
3. Use fabric… I wanted some witty name, but really, all I mean is just use fabric. Sure fabric can be expensive, but you can also find great clearance fabrics. Using fabric as part of your decor is both adorable and can be economical.

Source: lh6.googleusercontent.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest I don't sew. {GASP!} How can she be a blogger and not sew! Well, don't get your panties all in a knot… I have a bundle of fusible web and also a grandmother-in-law that lends a hand. The moral of my confession is that you don't need to sew to make cool things with fabric. It's amazing what you can do with a good pair of scissors. I haven't tried this fabric idea, but it's on my list of things to try. Simply wrap inexpensive painter's canvas with fabric and hang… instant art!

Source: conspicuousstyle.com via Cami on Pinterest
4. Paint your way to a pretty cool nursery… I love using a $30 can of paint to make a HUGE impact in a room. Paint has a crazy return on investment and just takes a little time and creativity. a few years ago I helped a friend do this bold wall for her twin boys' nursery.

Obviously, I am in love with this nursery for about a million reasons, but look at that chevron wall. Tape + Paint = simply awesome. There's so much you can do with paint and if you choose something bold enough, you won't need much in the way of art.

Source: madebygirl.blogspot.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest No budget for moulding? Just paint it on… how cool is this? The pictures alone are beautiful, but the border really makes it a focal point and hikes up the awesomeness factor.

Source: potterybarnkids.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
5. Pin before you begin… If you haven't yet, join Pinterest and get inspired! It's amazing how creative people are, so head on over and make a plan.

So Jess, I hope this has gotten your creative juices flowing! You're definitely going to have to share your finished product with us so we can share it with everyone! We hope the rest of your pregnancy goes well and we're so excited for you guys to welcome your little one into the world!
-Monica (& Jess) So, there you have it… Contact Us! Who knows you might just get your very own post too!

We might have come up with a way to ensure that your house is the coolest on the block this Halloween… At least it would get my kids' vote!

The Monster Mash Candy"Bowl" is SO NOT your Mama's Candy Bowl! It's a fun way for trick or treaters to choose their own candy or a treat- If they can get past our silly monsters!
Monster Mash Candy"Bowl" Tutorial
We were quick to respond YES when Martha Stewart Crafts asked if we wanted to be part of a creative Halloween Team. We love Martha and her products, so it was a no-brainer. Then we had to come up with a creative idea and honestly this one just popped into my head. I was at dinner, so I ran the idea by my board of trustees (AKA my 4 kids) and got their seal of approval.

The fun thing about this project is that you can totally customize it any way you'd like to, but I'll give you the 411 on how I did things.
I started on the chalkboard wooden labels first since they'd need to dry.

I used Martha's Multi-Surface Pearl paint on the wooden plaques that I picked up at Michael's for 79 cents. I'm not making this up, I really was amazed at how smooth the paint was. It probably was a combo of a good brush and good paint, but I actually begged the hubs to come look at how smooth this paint is! Shockingly, he wasn't nearly as excited as I was.
I then used chalkboard paint on the mini wood tags that I also grabbed at Michael's for 29 cents. Score!

Once everything was dry, I used hot glue to attach the two together. I planned to use chalk to label the plaques, but for pictures a paint pen worked better.
Next, it was time to make my monster mouths on the presentation board.

I bought a foam core presentation board because I think it's easier to work with than the cardboard ones. I traced my circles with a bowl and then cut them out using a utility knife (that manly hand is not mine, the hubs was my helper on this project- just FYI!)
Once we had holes, it was time to bring my monsters to life.

I went with really big googly eyes so that Mr.Monster looked fun and silly and not creepo for little kids. I bought a sheet of foam for the teeth and varied between pointy fangs and chunky square teeth. (The teeth were Jess' brilliant idea when I was brainstorming my project with her! It's awesome to have such a creative BFF.) I used hot glue to adhere the eyes and the teeth were also hot glued, but to the backside of the board.
Martha has an awesome collection of cardboard stencils and as soon as I saw the triangle, I knew we needed a pennant banner.

I traced and hand cut the pennants onto cardstock. I used our Silhouette to cut out my letters and just used some good old Elmer's to put it together. I knew from the start that I wanted to have fun, white lights illuminating my Monsters! I was talking to my hubs about a time (a long time ago) when I used a display board with lights to write him a love message and he totally was like,"Umm that must have been some other husband. I don't remember it at all!" Ha! Glad it made such an impact on him. In his defense, I do think it was about 10 years ago.

To add lights, we just predrilled holes for each light bulb. We had to try a few bit sizes before getting one that was just right. You want it big enough to fit the light, but tight enough to hold it in place. Once your holes are ready, just pop the lights through the back side.
Then we were ready to fancy it up a bit…

I used more of Martha's stencils and paint to add a skinny chevron at the bottom. I also added some fun details to my monsters accessories. The neon green paint is such a fun color and my kids told me it was cool. (Cool mom points for me!)
And what would a candy"bowl" be without candy??

I divided up my candy and hot glued the bags to the back of each monster mouth. In retrospect, I might swap them out for larger, brown bags so I don't have to refill it 24-7, but this let you see what was in the bags. I've had my kids try this out and it's really simple to get your hand in and out with your loot. The glue is holding up well too. I made sure we banged it around a bit as a trial.
While I was planning this project I started thinking about what choices to give kiddos. I went with 3 traditional candies and then added glow stick bracelets and one mystery choice, which is actually little plastic spiders (from Target dollar bin. $2.50 for 250).
My kids don't have allergies, but so many children do, so I thought this was a thoughtful alternative.

I hope our Monster Mash Candy"Bowl" inspires you to try something new this year. We had so much fun working with Martha Stewart Crafts to make this and we're counting down the days until we can use it!

I'd love to know what you think of our idea? Would your kiddos think it's cool?

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