My Creative Blog [Search results for crafting] 

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

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

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

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

(Or you could vote now?)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Click HERE to Vote

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

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

Well, after all the hoopla with the Nate Show, you'd think Monica and I would be ready to take a break and relax for a while, but because we're completely crazy we love a good challenge, we're jumping in head first to our next big thing. And that big thing is…

That's right, Crafting with the Stars!. We entered the Barnwood Artwork into the contest last week and were chosen in the top 12 out of 200 entries to compete in this season's Crafting with the Stars. It's a really fun DIY/home decor competition where we'll be paired up with a blog celebrity and will have to compete in several different categories. We just found out today that we've been paired up with Linda, from Craftaholics Anonymous! Woohoo- this is going to be awesome!

There are 4 rounds and the first one is Knockoffs.

We are super excited, and feel totally honored that we were chosen. You can check out our fabulous competition and their entries here. Of course, we'll keep you posted along the way with all the fun details! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And, just in case you missed our segments on The Nate Show yesterday, take a peek:
(We're not mean people, Mon just appears to be scowling!)
{How Nate used the same items in the crate.}

To see the in-process renovations, check out our Nate's Crate Challenge Here, and to see the Big Reveals, click here. To see the before and after photos of both spaces and also more pics of our fun projects, click here. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you so much for ALL of your kind words about our TV debut, and for your support along the way! We appreciate each and every one of you and have loved sharing the journey with you.

I'm going to keep it real here and first say that I felt like I was in a blogging slump the last few weeks. But a wonderful Christmas break and looking back over our past year has rejuvenated me! I'm so proud of the projects Monica and I completed, and of this blog that we love! I'm going to try to keep it short and sweet (I tend to be a bit wordy, yes?; )

1. Ever hear of a guy named Nate Berkus?

I just couldn't do a 2011 recap without mentioning our whirlwind love affair crate challenges with Mr. Nate Berkus, himself. You can see what we did for the show here, here and here.
2. Barnwood Artwork

This beauty was, by far, my favorite project of the year. Modern, rustic, simple. Plus it was made with love for my best friend- you can't beat that!
3. Easy Door Headboard

This sort of makes me laugh, but this project is one of our most popular. My hubs and I made this headboard on a whim using some very non-traditional methods, but it's a winner!
4. Antique Table turned Vanity

I had been wanting to do this for a long time, and the Crafting with the Stars challenge gave me the perfect opportunity to give it a go! Monica and I spent one looooong evening getting it just right, but now I can't even express how much I love this vanity! (That sentence is ridiculous, but oh so true.) You can check out two of the other projects we did for CWTS on Monica's post yesterday.
5. Modern Typography Meets Reclaimed Barnwood

Oh barnwood, how I adore thee. Same to you, typography. Why not marry the two and make something fabulous? Well, ok, I will. Thankyouverymuch.
6. Pallet Shelf Love

Who loves free projects? This girl (said with thumbs pointing at chest)! This shelf was free, easy and quick. Love that.
7. DIY Drop-cloth Window Treatments

Drop-cloth window treatments have been floating around the blogosphere for a while now, but I tried my hand at making some valances for my living room when I heard aforementioned Mr. Berkus was sending a team to my house to film. That sure got my rear end in gear, and boy, am I glad. Those naked windows were in desperate need of some clothes!
8. From an Oops! to a Yes! Mirror Transformation

That this mirror turned into something I'm proud of, is an absolute miracle and purely an accident. It made me so thankful that, sometimes, persistance pays off!
9. Faux-Stained Glass Window

I have a crush on old things of all kinds, but can't often pay for the real deal, so I came up with this idea of using a wall decal from Home Depot and an antique window from my in-law's barn and making a faux stained glass window! I really liked it then, but liked it even more after Monica used it in my basement makeover! 10. A Garden Wall

I brought a bit of green into my kitchen by creating a garden wall with succelents. You know, the kind that are ridiculously hard to kill. It's true! I've had these since May, and they're still living, for which I can take no credit!
11. The Barn

Monica and I were so excited to combine our talents this year to design and create one-of-a-kind products using reclaimed barnwood. We opened our etsy shop in September amidst all our crazy Nate show stuff/ Crafting with the Stars submission/ and our first appearance on our local news. Can you say bad timing?: ) Even so, we love the items and our shop, so if you are ever in need of a unique gift or item for your home, we'd be thrilled to make one for you! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So, we've had a GREAT year, and owe you a huge, fat thank you! This year would not have been possible without you and we so appreciate you taking time out of your busy lives to stop by our blog! Here's to another fantastic year in 2012!

We're so thrilled to have Tam from Sew Dang Cute guest posting for us today. The name of her blog is perfect for describing her- she is so dang cute!: ) Tam is so creative, and hosts Crafting with the Stars, which we had so much fun being a part of! She was so encouraging and uplifting, and also extrememely understanding when we turned our weekly projects in really late. Ha! Welcome, Tam!
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Hi, my name it Tam of Sew Dang Cute Crafts and I am so excited to be here today at
The Real Housewives of Buck County.

Some of you may know me from Crafting with the Stars, which I host on my site. I was blown away by Monica and Jess’s insane talent! They were definitely deserving to be Season 3’s champions, and I’m thrilled they asked me to guest post for you guys today. I don’t know about you guys, but my jewelry drawer was an absolute mess. Things were tangled up and completely unorganized. I’ve seen DIY jewelry organizers all over blogland, but none of them were quite what I was looking for. Then one day the wheels were turning, and I came up with the Jewelry Medicine Cabinet.

I can hang my earrings on the doors.

And store all my necklaces and bracelets inside.

It’s perfect and it all started with this frame I found at my local thrift store for $2.

My dad owns a cabinet shop, so when I was out-of-town visiting him this past weekend I took my frame with me and ran my idea by him. He took me to his shop and made it happen for me.

Obviously he has a lot of professional tools that make it so much easier, but don’t worry, you don’t need them to make this. Here’s how we did it: STEP ONE: Build a box the size of your frame. (Or if you have an old drawer your box would already be built – you’d just need to find a frame the same size). We took pieces that were 3.5” wide and mitered the corners, then used wood glue and small pins in the nail gun to put the sides together. If you don’t have a nail gun, you can use a hammer and nails.

You may have noticed that the pieces have a little cut-out in them.

My dad is a bit of a perfectionist, so he cut out an inlay in each piece, so the back piece could fit in the box and everything would be flush.

Then more wood glue and pinning the back piece in place with the nail gun.

My dad has a fancy machine that you can program to cut things for you, so he used that to cut out all the holes in the back piece. If I was just on my own, I would have used a drill bit and that would have worked just as well. We did 5mm holes because my dad had that size of dowels on hand.

STEP TWO: Make a face frame. Since we are attaching some hardware to this and don’t want to risk splitting the wood, my dad recommended adding a face frame to the top of the box.

The wood is just a bit wider and goes right on top with some wood glue and pins.

Go ahead and putty all the holes and cracks. Once it’s dry, sand the entire thing down.

STEP THREE: Make the doors. Cut the frame in half.

Add a strip of wood to the inside of the frame.

We glued it in place and used some vices to hold each door.

Then we also angled the nail gun and put some small pins in to really make it secure.

Put the wooden dowels in the holes and you are ready to paint.
STEP FOUR: Spray paint. I went with white and apparently forgot to take a picture of this step. Oops!
STEP FIVE: Add hardware.

I used my staple gun to add the wire mesh (hardware cloth/chicken wire) to the back of the doors. Then I added hinges to attach the doors to the box and put a catch at the top of each door.

It’s almost there.

The last thing I did was add some knobs on the front of the doors. Then I hung it up and filled it with my jewelry.

All done! Now my jewelry is organized and tangle free!

Thanks so much for having me today Monica and Jess! Have fun in Mexico and congrats on turning 30. I’ll be right there with you next week (30 that is, not Mexico). I hope you guys will all come visit me over at Sew Dang Cute Crafts!

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Isn't that adorable? I'm definitely in need of something cute to help me organize all my jewelry, and I may have just found it! Also, we're super excited because we'll celebrating our one year blogiversary with our first annual:

Come back every day next week for new and awesome giveaways. Trust us, you'll love them! Adios, from Mexico! Have a great weekend-

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

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We've had some just for adults Valentine's Day ideas on the blog (here and here), but today we're keeping it PG! (I always give Jess a heart attack when I venture into PG-13 land! lol) With 4 kids this year I had 79 valentines to prepare. Thanks to Pinterest, I spent some 1:1 time with each kiddo, browsing for ideas, and then making each of their cards. I gave them each the option to buy, but they were feeling crafty I guess.
Kira went with Arrows and Pencils with kind of a Brave theme. We got the free printables here.

Callen wanted Superheros…and again we found a Free Printable! (noticing a trend here?!?)

Little Bit Funky blog has an awesome tutorial using felt with these printables.
Did you notice that I didn't perfectly coordinate paper or add extra fancy ribbon? I've made it a goal that kid projects (even if being blogged) don't get bogged down by mommy details. It's all about the fun and that boy sure looks like he's having fun! hahah! He actually said,"Mom, look how happy I am… {INSERT CHEESY SMILE}. See, that happy!" My kids kill me.

Kaden is 8 and it's one of those ages where you have to decide if Valentines are cool or lame. Thanks to Minecraft, he decided they were cool!

We just made them together using Google Images and two Minecraft Fonts (find them here and here). Sweet"Cool", Simple, & fun for me and my guy to make together!

Last, but not least was Kenzie… at almost 11, valentines are almost a thing of the past, but since school still does them, they had to be Epic (at least in her mind). Eric and I don't let the kids have Facebook accounts or anything, but we did let Kenz get an Instagram account (set to private). You might see her commenting on my pictures 24-7: ) Anyhow, Instagram is very cool in her class this year, so we made Instagram Valentine's… but wait, there's more… we also added a scratch off element! Booyah! (Haha, sorry, I got a tad excited)

I'll warn you… all these pics were taken with my phone, that's another part of kid crafting,"No annoying Mom pictures"…
Here's how we made them… We started off with a picture Kenzie took on Instagram (Fried Egg A-la-Kenzie). Using my I phone, I took a screen shot.

We saved the picture and pulled it into Picmonkey where we covered the eggs with a little Valentine's note. We put a few different comments in the area below the picture…

We printed our design out on plain computer paper. Kenz liked the scratch off idea we saw on Pinterest, so… we added that too! First, take a clear (or white if you don't have clear- we didn't) crayon and color over the area to scratch off.

Then we mixed together silver paint and dish washing soap. We used about 2 parts paint to one part soap. Then you just paint it over the colored area. (Let it dry a full 24 hours before moving them around. They need to really cure, so they don't wipe off too easily)

Blogger mommy might have suggested we make the scratch off area in a fun shape or something, but plain old mommy bit her tongue: )
We attached the Instagram print onto cardstock- and of course, we did it in happy face fashion…

And then it occurred to me that most 5th graders don't carry coins, so we used a little washi to attach a penny on the back of each card. Kenz and I both liked this little touch!

It took us about an hour to make all 27 pretty awesome Instagram-Scratch-Off Valentines. It might be the last year we get to make them together (who knows what middle school will bring), so it was an hour very well spent!

So, 79 Valentines later, I had one really fun afternoon of crafting with my kids and 4 sets of pretty cool Valentines. What kind of cards are your kids giving this year?

Oooh, I so wish you could see my hallway bathroom right now. It is coming along exactly how I had envisioned. Mostly because I finally found the perfect piece of furniture for my new custom vanity. This vanity earned us a spot in Round 3 of Crafting with the Stars over at Sew Dang Cute, and although she's pretty darn cute in pictures, she's absolutely gorgeous in real life. So, here's the breakdown of the transformation this little table underwent:
Antiquated to Awesome Table Transformation While browsing one of our local antique stores, I stumbled across this table in an out-of-the-way-spot covered in loads of other stuff.

Now, she doesn't look like anything special, but I could see through her battered, yellowing self to see the potential in her simple lines and aged charm. My initial thought was to sand the yellowish tones off to hopefully reveal a distressed white/wood look. After what seemed like an eternity of sanding with two palm sanders, I realized that this piece probably really was an antique and that the paint had mostly likely been there forever. I hesitate to reveal this information for fear of the antique-lovers out there giving me a hard time about sanding such an old piece, but hey, a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.

So anyway, the chippy paint look I was going for totally didn't happen because sanding it made the paint appear the color of a peach and that just was not at all the look I was going for.

So, on to plan B. Monica came over to help out and she brought the custom gray stain they used on their farmhouse table and also a mahogany stain she had. We had some walnut stain left over from when we originally stained our kitchen cabinets, so we tested all three on the top of the piece. We knew we could always sand out the stains we didn't like, but we made sure to place the sample stains in the middle where the vessel sink would go, anyway.

In the end, we decided on doing a custom mix of walnut and gray stains.

I brushed on the walnut stain first in long even strokes.

After about a minute, Monica wiped the stain off with a staining pad.

Even with just the walnut stain, it was absolutely beautiful, but I knew that the addition of the gray stain would make it match the colors in the bathroom even better, so again, I brushed the gray stain overtop of the walnut in long even strokes.

After wiping it off, we had this:

Note to self: Do not stain a piece of furniture in your kitchen. If you're not careful, stain will get everywhere leaving you in a slight panic and making lots of extra work for yourself.

Ahh! Let me stop here to point out how crazy our work environment was that evening:

How we got anything done is a mystery to me. Monica and I work very quickly and as a result, leave a trail of disaster in our wakes. We were simultaneously working on the table, painting a custom destination sign with coordinates for a customer, planning our posts for the next few weeks and drinking our favorite Pumpkin Spice Cappuccino from Wawa. Craziness, I tell you. But I digress… on with the project:

After the hours of sanding the top, I really REALLY didn't want to sand the legs, so we came up with the idea of doing a whitewash treatment. Basically, whitewashing is a combination of paint mixed with water that creates a translucent glaze of color.

You can see that adding the whitewash took away the yellow tones, but kept all that yummy aged character of the piece.

Finally, we broke out the power tools and got ready to make our holes for the new sink and faucet. This is a lot easier than you probably think it is. After measuring the center of the table where the sink would go, we used a drill with a 1 1/2" circle bit to make a hole for the pipes to run through.

This creates a lot of sawdust which for us was a problem. DESIGN BLOGGER FOUL! We should have drilled the holes FIRST before we stained!

Brushing off the saw dust on stain that hadn't dried yet gave us a minor heart attack, but we recovered after restained the parts that needed it. Phew! No big deal. (But if you attempt this project, drill first, stain second!)

We added the sink that we bought at Lowes so we could determine the placement of the hole for the faucet. We didn't use any scientific method here; we simply placed the faucet next to the sink and eyeballed where it should go. Remember folks, I don't claim to be a perfectionist.: )

In pictures, the faucet looks kind of goldish, but in reality it has a brushed nickel finish that adds just a touch of modern that is perfect.

We wanted to add some detailing to the piece to make it more unique, so I picked up some oil-rubbed bronze knobs from Lowe's. Monica pre-drilled a few holes, and then we screwed them right in. They look so cool and give the affect of a drawer on the front.

So, at the end of night one, this is how the table looked. Pretty sweet, huh? But the fun part was putting it all together the next day after I (and my mom who wanted to save me some time while I was coaching my tennis team) added 6-7 layers of a water-based polyurethane to the top to prevent water damage that may occur from my very messy wonderful family. We went with a water-based poly because it doesn't change the color of the wood tones. I'm not 100% sure this will be enough protection, and I'm paranoid about anything marring the surface of this beauty, so I'm going to be doing a bit more research on protecting the wood before we use it. Any suggestions?
So now that all is said and done, this is how my beautiful vanity looks:

I am so in love with this table, and am thrilled to death that it turned out just like I was hoping. It looks amazing in the bathroom, and pictures just don't do it justice. Next week, I'll be showing you the final reveal of our hallway bathroom after I add some finishing touches and I can't wait!
What do you think of my table-turned-vanity? Have you ever turned a thrift or antique store find into something fabulous?

Now, on to Round 3!

Linking up to: TT & J, Show & Tell Saturday, Tips & Tutorials Tip Me Tuesday, Sundae Scoop, Sunday Showcase

We've been keeping a secret from you. And it's a good one. But don't worry! We're about to let you in on it…ready??…ok, here goes: Six weeks ago we asked several amazing bloggers to join with us in a collaboration group we called Blogging 2 Better. We're a bunch of like-minded home, DIYand crafting bloggers that want to learn as much as we can about blogging, while also sharing ideas, encouraging one another and sharing each other's awesome projects as much as we can. We're so fortunate to be part of a blogging community that encourages sharing! (If you write a blog, we strongly suggest getting a group of girls together to learn from. No one understands all that blogging entails except for other bloggers! You can find more about that in our Part-Time Blogger series here.)

Anyway, these girls are really, truly talented and it was a lot of fun getting to know them better. For our final week, we had Beckie from Infarrantly Creative give us a list of materials that we all needed to incorporate into an awesome project. It's like our version of a Nate's Crate Challenge! Woohoo! And today is the day we get to see what everyone's been up to!! Once you finish taking a look at what we created, make sure you hop over to the other gal's blogs to see what they made.

Here's the list of the supplies from Beckie:

And here's what we came up with:

We struggled to come up with a clever name for it, but basically it's a rustic/industrial storage bin. A very easy project that turned out adorable, if we do say so ourselves. You know we love a good pallet project (we've done several here and here), but we also keep loads of barnwood on hand, too. We picked one that was already the perfect length (yay! no extra cutting required!)

We also scored these three wire bins at HomeGoods for four bucks a pop! We didn't love the color, but knew immediately that this is where we could use coral! We spraypainted them with Valspar's Hacienda Tile- the perfect coral.

Next we found a font that we liked and printed number 1 through 3 large on regular, old paper. With a pen, we traced the number while pressing down to leave the outline on the barn wood.

Have you tried paint pens yet? They're so easy to use, but they still looks like paint. We carefully filled in the stencilled numbers with a black Sharpie paint pen.

Once the paint on the bins had dried, we brought them in and laid them down in front of the wood to determind the placement. We measured the board, divided it into thirds and then marked where the hooks would go.

Monica drilled pilot holes where we had previously marked and then we screwed in the eye hooks …Six hooks for three baskets.

Then I gently sanded down the numbers to distress them a bit.

Monica whitewashed the entire board with a mixture of paint and water to give the piece a little more depth. (Side note: working as a team makes the project go faster! We're so fortunate to have each other.: ) (I totally Agree! -Monica)

The last step for the wood piece is to add a coat of water-based polyurethane (water-based won't change the color of the wood!).

To hang it, we took chain, cut it to the length we wanted with wire cutters and screwed threw one of the links directly into the wood. Make sure your screw isn't so long that it goes right through to the other side!

Then we hit a creativity wall. Booo. We could not for the life of us figure out how to incorporate fabric into this project. We toyed with lots of different ideas, but finally decided on a cute hanging pendant banner for one of the baskets. Recently we came across a shop called The Finest Kind and we couldn't get over how cute their stuff is! We decided to purchase three of their typographical tags to use on our pendant. You'll probably catch the significance: EC2.: ) First, we spraypainted the little cuties blue.

Next, we took apart three 2x3 frames so that we could use the cardboard backing. Wierd, I know, but there's always an untraditional use for everything!

We wrapped the fabric around the cardboard and mod podged it right on.

Before the Mod Podge had dried, we stuck our tags on, and voila! An adorable pendant honoring our blog for the basket!

We were thrilled with the finished product, and it has now made it's home in my dining room. And just so you know, it totally inspired me to rearrange my living room and gave me the motivation I needed to start our dining room makeover!

To be completely honest, we liked this project better without the fabric banner, but do think it makes a super cute accessory!

And now for the REALLY fun part! We were so excited to see what our blogging buddies came up with using the same materials, and they did not disappoint!

Please stop over at these amazing ladies blogs to see what their projects. Share the EC2 love with them and tell them we sent you!
Clockwise from top right:
Kim from Sand & Sisal: Surfboard Pallet Art
Brook from Being Brook: Fabric Wall Map
Allison from House of Hepworths: Dangle Earring Frame
Jenna from SAS Interiors: Monogrammed Chevron Pallet Tray
We had SO much fun putting this project together and consider ourselves lucky to be in the company of these awesome bloggers. If you don't already follow them, shame on you! But it's not too late, go ahead and do it now.: )
We want to know: What would YOU do with those materials?

** And if you're loving up all the wood ideas, this one is one of our favorites! Check it out!

**If you're visiting from one of the other bloggers' projects, thanks for stopping by! If you like what you see use the links below to stay up to date with all of our projects and ideas!

We interrupt this regularly schedule DIY program for an important announcement (I've always wanted to use that phrase somewhere!): We have some incredible sponsors who provide loads of amazing products just waiting to be purchased for one-of-a-kind Christmas presents! I've broken them down into categories for you…
Gift-Giving

Ok, you may remember me talking about the amazing art prints from Red Letter Words, but did you know Dee also offers adorable greeting cards and candles? Not only that, but messages printed on the greeting cards are so meaningful and thoughtful- perfect as a stocking stuffer, a gift for a friend, a teacher and the list goes on and on. Get 15% off until December 15th with the code MERRY15. Order by December 19th for Christmas delivery. (Excludes custom prints and the print of the month) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Every year I try to give my neighbors a little gift, and this 1-2-3 Dip! Gift set from Pampered Chef is perfect! I am such a sucker for chips and dip. I pretty much could live on it. And if you don't have neighbors, buy a few as hostess gifts (they'll be sure to get you an invitation to next year's party!: ) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ok, Jane sent us a few of her 100% soy candles to try, and I can.not.get.enough. of the Christmas pine scent. I've been burning it around the clock since I got it, and the beautiful thing is, that because it's soy, it's long-lasting! Order a few of these as gifts, or just go ahead and buy a stash for yourself! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How about this adorable Littles Carry-All Caddy in the Winter Wonderland pattern from Thirty-One Gifts for teachers in your (or your kid's) lives? Fill it with a mug, some good chocolate and a gift card to Starbucks and you're set! It comes in 10 different patterns, so you'll be sure to find something for everyone. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Entertaining

Planning a holiday party? Spread some Festive Cheer with this cocktail idea from Garnish. Goodness, could their stuff be any more darling? I could literally spend all my party budget on the goodies from Garnish- who needs food anyway? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I came across this super-cute idea to use scrapbook paper as a charger on a holiday table, and I'm in love! You could totally use this fabulous paper from Moo & Puppy and alternate the patterns underneath the plates for coordinated, but not identical place settings! {Swoon}

Use the code HOUSEWIVES20 for 20% off of your order. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I love Dream Dinners. I really do. And they are total life-savers if you are hosting a holiday party or dinner. So many of the meals can be easily turned into appetizers, like this Coconut Shrimp with Sweet & Sour dipping sauce. Make your holidays stress-free with ready-to-cook meals. Use the code DDNC201110 for 10% off your first order. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For the Home

Well, looky what I found on Craigslist. A $15 chair that would be absolutely stunning if reupholstered in some new fabric! Jet Upholstery could do that in heartbeat, and guess what? You can save 25% off any fabric order when you mention RHBC. Now go! That chair won't last long (especially because I can't keep my eyes off of it!) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In our winnings from Crafting with the Stars, we both got to choose stencils from Royal Design Studio. They are the best place to get designer decorative stencils and tools. Monica chose this Morrocan Stencil- Chez Sheik:

And I'm getting this lovely Large Fabric Damask stencil:

We both have big plans for our stencils and come on, you know you have an area in your house that's just dying to be stenciled. Am I right? Head over to Royal Design Studio to be totally inspired.
Use the coupon code RHBC10 for 10% off your order! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Giving Back

We are often so focused on buying gifts at this time of year, but really, it's also a great time to give back. Head on over to Scout & Nimble to see how you can be a part of her awesome iniative to do just that. Also, did you see this ah-ma-zing rug she just got?

So jealous. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, that's it! No excuses for lame gifts this year, people!; )

Board and batten has been all the rage for a while now, but I'm still surprised at how many people haven't heard of it or ask, "What was it that you did below your fabric wall?" So, we figured it was high time we did our very own post on the infamous b & b.

So, funny thing… being the English teacher that I am I thought I'd look for the official definition of board and batten, but it wasn't easy! So, here's the RHBC definition… Really awesome molding that is sort of chunky, with clean lines, and is arranged in fun rectangular shapes. Sweet! Send that one to Mr. Webster for sure!
So, rather than walk you through a step by step tutorial about B & B, we'll just tell you to check out Censational Girl or The Nester's tutorials on how to install it.
Instead, we're going to share with you another board and batten project that we helped out with. Our gal pal Connie needed some design inspiration for her crazy outdated dining room. Don't blame her, this was how it was when she moved in. YIKES!

Connie was picking my brain for ideas and I suggested b & b. We jumped onto Pinterest and started getting inspired! Here are a few of the pins that got us all jazzed up!

Source: None via Amy on Pinterest
We love the extra rectangles in this style!

Source: lh6.ggpht.com via Lydie on Pinterest
For Connie's room, she decided on a tall board and batten with a ledge for pictures.

The construction was in process, but we needed to pick a wall color. Connie was thinking some kind of chocolate color, so Jess and I went over to help her make the final decision. Here's what we ended up with…

Ha! Doesn't look like chocolate does it? We convinced Connie to trust us and she forged ahead with Olympic's Antique Moss green! The first coat was a little scary, but we knew it would be fabulous at the end!

Here's the finished room… pretty darn cool eh?

Just in case you're wondering… the C and empty frame are from Hobby Lobby. We made a little accessorizing trip for the room.
It's a pretty drastic before and after…

The ledge is just wide enough to rest picture frames on- nice planning! We chose lots of wood frames in complimentary tones and did a combo of resting and hanging.

So, between the bold, green dining room and my yellow office, are you feeling the board and batten love?

Maybe, just maybe you'll be seeing a little B and B love in our episode of The Nate Berkus Show tomorrow?? (Spoiler Alert!!) Make sure to set your DVR and message us if you see it before 2pm! We have to wait all day to watch, so be sure to give us the play by play!

*******************************************************************************
Wait! Don't Go! Did you vote for the Final Round of Crafting with the Stars? Check out the final 3 projects, vote, and cross your fingers that it's for our project! Thanks so much!

We interrupt the Fall Lovers Series to bring you a super cool project that my BFF completed for my dining room. If you don't have a crafty best friend, I highly recommend one! (I'm not positive we're allowed to share this post yet because of The Nate Show taping we did two weeks ago, but I don't think they'll recognize us do you?)

Now, first and foremost, I adore this project and it looks awesome in my dining room. Secondly, did I mention that Nate Berkus told us that he LOVED it and wanted it for his home (to which I said"Umm…you can have it!" Sorry Jess!)

Jess is sort of obsessed with barnwood. She can get fabulous barnwood from her father-in-law's old barn. We have big plans for all the wood, so stay tuned for more info about that. (dedicated bloggers take pictures in their garages at midnight. Excuse the quality! It's dedication!)

The awesome thing about using barnwood, is that it doesn't have to be perfect. I love the edges of this project. You can use any type of wood for the back of your artwork, just choose boards with lots of character to show on the front.

Jess' inspiration for the pattern came from the material on the dining room chairs I had redone. Remember this post?

Using some heavy plastic, she planned to trace the pattern from the fabric, but you couldn't see through it. Bummer!

Don't worry, that didn't stop her! She FREE-HANDED it! Yup, impressive right? I totally wouldn't have tried it, but she did and it turned out great! If you're not as gutsy, you can just put whatever you're tracing on a lampshade and it will make it more transparent. (I can't be held responsible for minor house fires)

After you paint your design on the wood, let it dry and the seal the entire piece with a water-based wood sealant. This makes the colors darken up a bit, emphasizing all the charater of the wood and gives it that rich, warm feeling.

I hope you're inspired to create your own art. Amazing art doesn't have to cost millions. In fact, this piece is sorta priceless to me because it was made by my BFF.
So, sorry Nate…you can't have it,
but now you know how to make your very own!

P.S. We're submitting this project to Crafting with the Stars… how cool would that be?? We're crossing our fingers and will keep you posted!!

Linkin' Up to: TT&J, Tutorials & Tips Tuesday

It's the weekend, everyone! Woohoo! We have a fun giveaway for you today to start your weekend off right. Remember our bloggy friend, Denise, from The Painted Home? Well. she's throwing this awesome party called Dine & Design on November 17th.

This sounds like so much fun (espcially for us design-obsessed craftaholics who LOVE to eat, but we've been assured that you don't have to be crafty to enjoy this evening!). Flowers are the"it" accessory these days, so you'll be right on trend and can learn how to make them just in time for holiday gift-giving. Denise, the generous gal that she is, is giving away two tickets to this fab event to one of our lucky readers. And guess what? We'll be there too, and we can't wait to meet you IRL (in real life)! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here's how you can enter: 1. Leave us a comment telling us why you want to win. (Mandatory) 2. Become a follower of RHBC and leave us a comment telling us you did. (Optional for an extra entry) 3."Like" us here on facebook and leave us a comment telling us you did. (Optional for an extra entry). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you just HAVE to be there and can't wait to see if you've won, you can order your tickets here. You don't want to miss this!
Ok, enough of my rambling, go enter! We'll pick a winner and announce him/her on Monday, October 31st.
Good luck!

*Oh yeah, one more thing! We'd love it if you'd head on over to the awesome blog,
Craftaholics Anonymous. Our celebrity for Crafting with the Stars, Linda, invited us to guest post today! Thanks, Linda.: )

You guys get to see my home all the time in projects, you get to read my ramblings here on the blog daily, but today I'm sharing something a little more personal… my family and my life behind the scenes. Our photographer Stacy of Stacy Salvatori Photography spent a Saturday with our family capturing pictures of our real life. No coordinated outfits, no posing, just capturing how we roll. I can't tell you how much I love the pictures and I can't wait to make a big ol' display with them!
(Don't forget that Stacy is giving away a FREE Session for Mother's Day and you can enter until Midnight tonight! Click here to enter!)

Here's how Stacy describes these awesome story sessions… I wanted to try something new. Something real. I’ve seen a few photographers that I admire and whose work I simply love, start a new journey. One of capturing people’s stories… their real life moments. And I kind of dig it. I like the notion of no posing, no planned outfits, and location? Well, how about your own home. The place you feel most you. I still love doing Family Portrait Sessions, and I always will. But there’s something unique, and something raw about snapping those in-between moments of life. The moments that truly define who we are, and that when we look back on, well, they will help us feel what we did all over again. I had the joy of capturing the Mangin Family’s ‘Story’. Them in their beautiful home, laughing, fighting, playing, and crying… living their life in front of the lens. Here’s a few snapshots of their life. What’s your story?
I hope you enjoy this peek into my life… If you would have told me ten years ago that I'd have 4 kids, own a dog, cat, and two ducks, I'd have laughed hard enough to possibly pee my pants. God has some crazy plans up his sleeve and I'm so thankful for this crazy life that's ours.

One of my very favorite pictures!

Hard to see, but if you look closely you can see my crazy hubs was throwing an ax up in the air and catching it while it was spinning. Did I mention our life is a tad crazy?

I hope you've enjoyed peeking into my world. If you're local, you should definitely call Stacy about setting up a story session. Tell her EC2 sent you and she'll give you the VIP treatment! (I completely made that up, but she's always super nice, so we can pretend it's VIP just for you!)
Later this week I'll be sharing more projects from the Wood Shim Wall Art projects!

P.S. We're the ones in a contest now and if we win, we get to give $5000 to the charity of our choice! We need your help, though- you can learn more about our project and the charity we chose here, or go vote for us every day for the next two weeks right here (click on the Crafting for Charity button on their FB page). Thank you!

This curtain situation in my kitchen stumped me for the last month or so. I showed you the brownish-gray drapes I bought from Ikea first:

And after living with them a day or two, (and asking for your advice. Thanks, BTW!) I decided to take them back because they made the room look dark. Then I bought navy drapes, also from Ikea, that made the room look even darker, so back they went. And so, it's like I always say, when all else fails, go for the DIY! Well, maybe I never said that, but I'm going to start. Here's what I ended up with:

I loooooooove them. Color-blocked drapes for only 25 bucks! DIYing it lets you do your own thing and create something totally custom. Now for the break down:

The curtains came from…Ikea! Surprise.: ) These things are so awesome because they cost $25, and that's for 2 panels. Woohoo! The panels are 96 inches long, but come with fusible webbing to hem them without sewing. (Another plus in my book!)

It's a good thing they provide the stuff to hem them because they were way too long when I hung them up. I also felt like they were just a little too uninteresting and, since this is a high-traffic area (we let the dog in and out through the slider, go out to the deck to play, and close the drapes at night), I knew that white would get soooo dirty really quickly.

Then the idea of color-blocking them popped into my mind and I knew that that was the solution! It would hide the dirt on the bottom of the curtains, while still allowing the room to feel airy, bright and clean. Yesss!!! I ironed, measured, hemmed, ironed some more, measured some more and then got to work painting them using this method. It worked like an absolute charm.

While painting curtains might just be the bane of my existance- don't ask me why, I really don't have an answer- I am so happy with the results and the fact that it was so inexpensive. I already had the paint on hand from our first Nate Show episode, which was super convenient, and so it really was only 25 dollars for a pair of custom drapes!

They totally compliment my fabric-colored pendant light and bring a little more color to this side of the room.

And now, I think, I'm taking a break from kitchen stuff. We'll see how long that lasts…

Oh yeah, I added a picture of my hubs and me eating souvlakis from our favorite place in Athens, Greece (which is where we met!) right next to my"People who love to eat are always the Best People" quote. Makes me smile every time I see it.

And did you know that if you put a penny in the water with your tulips they will *supposedly* stand up straight instead of drooping? Just a little tip I picked up from Emily that I thought I would pass on to you. You're welcome. I'll let you know if it works.; )

One last thing: lest you think my kitchen is darn near perfect, here's the other side of it: one of the doors to our laundry area, that never actually fit properly, ripped off the doorframe last week. Sadly, it is always that disorganized. *Sigh*

My daughter told me today that she does not appreciate me painting everything (she's four!), but man, I sure appreciate how you really can paint everything!
What unusual things have you painted?
*Monica once spray-painted a pillar candle. Hilarious!*
P.S. Did you hear about the awesome new Pinboard we've started with five other amazing bloggers? You'll definitely want to check it out for loads of home decor and crafting inspiration.

I've decided that it's about time I dedicated some of my decorating/reorganizing energies to our master bedroom. I am in love with our Nautica paisley bedding (a Christmas gift from my parents), and I even like the paint colors in the room, but the artwork, flooring and disorganized closets are just not working for me. Let's start with the artwork, shall we? Nothing in our room says"Kevin and Jess". It doesn't capture our personalities, or even our design style. Most of what I have hanging on the walls were gifted to us for our wedding, and while they are lovely, almost seven years have gone by and I'm ready for something new.

Artwork above bed: BEFORE

Baby on the left is my daughter at about 1 month old, and baby on the right is my son at about the same age. (The colors are sort of wierd- must have been a different time of day. The colors on the right are more true to life.) The babies are adorable, but take a look at the artwork. Too country-ish. And the picture really is a nice picture of lilies, but I was over it. (Also, if you are wondering, my husband made our headboard from an old door that he cut down, painted and mounted to the wall. I love its simplicity and the fact that it was FREE, since we had removed the door from another area of the house to open it up a bit. It's a really easy DIY project for those of you looking for a headboard.) Right before Christmas, Monica and I went to Hobby Lobby, which, sadly, is all the way in Easton. If you are in to crafting/decorating, you will want to plan a day trip to this store. We planned a special trip where we had dinner and then meandered throughout the store for hours. I was so giddy at the checkout counter that I rambled on and on about my love for Hobby Lobby and how far we travelled to get there. I'm sure the lady thought I was crazy and wanted me to move on, but I didn't even notice so high was I on all the possibilities of this amazing store. Anyway, one my purchases was two chipboard letters, a K and a J. They cost $1.77 each, and I knew I could use them for artwork above the headboard.

The first thing you may notice is that I'm extremely impulsive. I didn't really think this project through, and so I took many, many steps to get to the finished product. But I'm a trial and error kind of girl, and I've accepted that. My first thought was to decoupage a really cool french script paper to the letters. They looked awesome and I was thrilled. Until…

…I held them up against the wall. I hated the color of the paper against the color of the wall, and it wasn't working hung next to the awesome brassy-gold ampersand that I also bought at Hobby Lobby.

So, I decided to rip the paper off, and try spray-painting the letters in a metallic finish. Turns out that ripping off paper that has been decoupaged is no easy task, so I decided to stop that, and sand the paper (really? Sand paper? Yes, I told you I'm impulsive and not always sure of what I'm doing.)

The metallic finish was equally awesome, but again I didn't like the finish of it against the wall, in the dark brown frames, or next to the brassy ampersand. So, what did I do? I painted the darn things the same color as the headboard.

Artwork above Bed: AFTER

I love it! It's just a touch modern, which is fun against the more traditional lamps and bedding. And you can't tell from the picture, but the"&" really brings out the goldish color in the bedding. I'm super happy with the finished product.

Just to keep it real, here's an up-close picture of my bedside table.

Eeeeww! Dust much?
I have a few other projects up my sleeve for our master bedroom that I hope to start in the next few weeks. (I guess I should add dusting to that list.) It may take some smooth talking and the perfect timing to get the hubby onboard, so we'll see!
Next up: the floors

We have disgusting carpet that was disgusting before we moved in, and is even more disgusting now since we've lived here for 3 years. We are planning on ripping it out and then painting the subfloors, ala Ashley. Not exactly traditional, but it's cheap and pretty!

We won't be doing an elaborate stencil, though. We're thinking big, broad horizontal stripes in muted colors. I can't wait and I'll keep you posted on the progress. I also have a few other ideas for art for the other walls that includes some of my favorite photos of the hubs and me. Time to get crackin'!

So, we're one step closer to ma king the master our own.

Well, folks, today's post will be short and sweet. We figure you might need a break from all our crazy ramblings once in a while, so today's your lucky day.: )
First Order of Business If you haven't already voted this week for the Crafting with the Stars competition, there's still time. Head on over to Sew Dang Cute and try to guess which one is ours, then vote for it!

We are thrilled with the way our project turned out for Round 2! We're really hoping we make it to Round 3, because the idea we have is super cool. So, vote, people, vote!: )
2nd Order of Business We may or may not be somewhere really fun, working on something totally cool. We're dying to share more about this top-secret project, but here's a glimpse of stuff we may or may not be using.

Clockwise from top left: 1. Mason Jar Chandelier 2. Tissue Paper Art 3. Newspaper Wall 4. DIY Faux Buck 5. DIY Zebra Painted Rug 6. Benjamin Moore Sunburst 
Ok, this meeting is adjorned. Have a great Tuesday!

No… I'm not getting all creepo on you… this is a PG blog-Our moms read it! What I'm talking about it this adorable ball of fur that's now a part of the Mangin family…

I'm seriously head-over-heels in love with her! She's a Bernese Mountain Dog that will be eight weeks old today and she has the sweetest disposition ever! Jess came over to meet her the other day and was surprised at how smitten I am, so she said,"I didn't think you were a dog person?" to which I replied,"I'm not! I just like my dog!" Ha! What can I say? It's true!
So in honor of Miss Pennlyn (AKA Penn) I'm sharing some Doggy Style projects…
Four Post Bed… Puppy Luxury! I first saw this bed a few years ago in a Lowe's Creative Ideas magazine, and immediately loved it. I don't think the size will work for Penn, but I love the look and idea of it.

Source: lowescreativeideas.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
You could also just find a coffee or end table, flip it over and get your DIY on, turning it into a bed. And of course, I'm loving the yellow!
Crate Bed Since Pennlyn will be a pretty big dog, I'm thinking this style bed is a bit more her speed. I'm loving this DIY bed made by Home Frosting and I can't wait to make one. She used leftover 1x4s, but I think I might use some free pallets. The finish she created is fabulous!

Source: home-frosting.blogspot.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
DIY Pet Tags Leave it to Martha to come up with these adorable tags.

Source: marthastewart.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
I was about to order a generic tag from the pet store, but I plan to try this DIY this week before going the generic route. I just need to make sure it's heavy duty enough. I'll let you know how it goes!
Pet Art I'm not really a huge fan of having pet pics all over the place (remember… not a"dog person") but I do think some pet art might be cool in the kids' playroom.

This took me about 30 seconds to create on Picnik. I used the"Posterize" effect and voila… Pet Art! I think I'll order it as a canvas this week.
Hungry Puppy? Since we've only had Penn for 5 days, her food is just in the bag, but I do have ambitious plans to create some kind of cool looking container. The hubs thinks I'm insane and wants to know why the dog food container needs to be cute, but he knows who he's married to, so he's cool with it. Here's one fun idea…

Source: tidymom.net via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
The style isn't mine, but I think I could add some of my own modern flair to it. I sorta had something wooden and rustic in mind, so we'll see…
Custom Stuffies These are the funniest things ever! I think they'd make such an awesome gift! This seller on etsy makes custom stuffies for your pet. Just send a picture of your pooch and you'll get a look-a-like stuffie in a few weeks! I've contacted the seller, because she doesn't have this as an active listing right now, but I'm hoping she'll be back at it soon! Pennlyn definitely needs a mini-me stuffie!
WAIT! Hold the press! Shevon contacted me and you can now buy a custom stuffie!
Here's the link: Custom Stuffies (Soooo stinkin' Cool!)

Source: etsy.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest

So, it looks like I have a lot of projects to get working on! Although, before I get working on my puppy projects I think I need to get Penn house-broken and doing fancy tricks (can I teach her how to go get my laptop for me?) I'll keep you posted on Miss Pennlyn and any cool projects we make for her!
Oh, one last thing… She WILL NOT be owning one of these… Thundervest…No Comment!

Source: thundershirt.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
Thanks for letting me introduce my little lady to you!

WAIT! Don't stop reading! The voting for Crafting with the Stars is now open! We've entered our first project and we need your votes. We obviously can't tell you which project is ours, but we can give you a hint… look for the coolest one… that'll be ours! Nah, we really do have some stiff competition, so head over and vote for your favorite 3 projects. The winners will be announced Wednesday. Thanks! Click HERE to see the entries and vote!

If you didn't hear our BIG announcement, stop reading right now and take a look here. We are excited beyond words and are so grateful for your support and encouragement! And to think…it all started right here!: ) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Remember that little contest we were a part of a couple weeks ago? It was a great contest run by Homes.com for an awesome cause- creating projects for a chance to win $5000 for your favorite charity. Well, sadly, we didn't win, but, we're pretty thrilled with our entry and wanted to share this super happy space with you guys.Let's get on with the project shall we?
I (Monica) have had this project in my mind for a few months now. It was inspired by a printed pattern I had seen in the window of a shop. I couldn't remember exactly where I saw it, but I was pretty sure it was a cool shop we had passed when we were in London in November. Great story right? Crafty DIY project inspired by a European city… Then, two weeks ago it hit me… It was JCrew at our local mall! I just about died laughing when I put it all together! Well, JCrew or London, I sure am glad it inspired me…
For under $20 we created DIY Wood Shim Wall Art

I wanted something with BOLD color, and a modern feel, that married well with a bit of industrial flare!

How's that for a Before and After?
Who knew our dumpy oak piano could be such a show stopper? (You can read all about that little makeover right here. )

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

Even though it looks pretty complex, the process was super simple and the longest part of the process was waiting for the paint to dry. Here's how we did it: #1- Purchase Long Wood Shims

We bought 5 packs of these from Lowes for $3.84 each. They sell two sizes, so make sure you go with the longer of the two 11 7/8" (yellow package).
#2- Cut the ends at a 45 degree angle. I used my miter saw and cut each piece- I started with one at a time, then did a little math in my head, noticed it would take an eternity, and then started cutting five at a time. Worked like a charm!

#3- Paint Your Shims I created a little spray paint zone in my basement and used all my leftover spray paint colors. When you're painting, just make sure that you put half with the angle to the left and half with the angle to the right or you'll be stuck with one sided arrows!

After they had dried I was left with this awesome assortment of color!! I used about 13 different colors, but I also think doing the whole project in various shades of one color could look pretty epic too!

#4- Make (or use) a Plumb Line Once we decided where we wanted our center point, we needed to get a straight vertical line to follow.

We took a nail, some bakers twine, and a socket to DIY a little old plumbline. Nail it in and voila!

#5- String Line your Vertical I love my string line… seriously, I use it all the time! We put it at our top and bottom marks (created using our plumb line) and then snapped that baby to give us a guide line.

#6 Determine your Pattern This step saved us major time. Use the floor to get your layout right and then installing it on the wall is a breeze. We wanted our pattern random and we wanted varying lengths and heights.

#7- Glue it on the Wall Rather than using 300 tiny nails (that could very easily splinter the shims) we opted for Gorilla Wood Glue. It was simple to use, will hold securely, and won't damage my walls completely (the way liquid nails would).

Following our pattern, Jess glued and I placed the arrows. Shims are very imperfect, so I had to be okay with tiny gaps and just kept using the center line to keep things straight.

Even before it was finished, we knew we were obsessed with it!

We finished it off with some fun accessories and the coolest light fixture ever, and called it a day.

There were a lot of DIY elements around our Crafting for Charity project, so to find out details about other projects, you can check 'em out below., We'll be posting more about them in the next few weeks, so just hold tight.: )

Even though we didn't win, we hope you'll still check out Worthwhile Wear, which was founded by our close friends Dan & Steph. They've committed their time and talents to make it their life's work.

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

That beautiful face is not a stock image. They're from Dan's last trip to India a few months back. The work Worthwhile wear is doing is critical and we hope you'll check out their site and follow along with them on Facebook.
What do you thinkj? Could you paint a piano green? Or glue shims to your wall?

Hey Everyone! I'm so excited that I can finally share my Christmas Countdown with all of you! I had to wait until P&G was ready for it on their pgtryit.com site, so I'm sure you've already created yours for 2012, but hey, Pin it for next year! Tomorrow is Jess' Christmas home tour and I don't know about you, but I'm really super excited (okay, yes I've seen it all, but not in pictures!)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hope your Thanksgiving was awesome and you're ready for the crazy holiday marathon that is the next few weeks! I don't know about you, but the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is probably the most exciting time of the year for my family. It's also really easy to get so busy that we miss taking time to do some of the things we love!
As the Trend Trio Home Expert from P&G’s Have You Tried This Yet? I'm going to share with you a fun craft that you can make to ensure the month doesn't pass you by!

Christmas Countdown Tutorial Christmas Countdown Tutorial This is not yo mama's countdown where you just get a little piece of candy that most likely was packaged last year… This is an interactive family activity that I know your family will love. The best part is that it will ensure that none of the special activities and traditions slip through the cracks.
Step 1- Start with a plain Jane piece of plywood. I'd recommend looking for one that has really cool patterns in the grain like this one does!

Step 2- Lightly spray paint. I gave the wood the lightest possible coat of white spray paint. Keep the can far back and move it back and forth very quickly. The spray paint got rid of the warm brown tones and began to highlight the grain.
Step 3- Paint the grain to highlight the details. I used about 1 part paint to 3 parts water to paint over the awesome grain! I dipped my brush in the mixture and then dabbed it dry on some paper towels. I used a really light hand and tried to feather the paint on, so that it looked natural.

Step4- Use Stencils to title your board. I used a simple, industrial font and stencils that are adhesive backed. They make my crafting life so much easier.

Step 5- Spray paint 25 wooden clothes pins. I picked a cool-toned grey blue color that would pop on the white-washed plywood.

One tip about spray painting- have an old drop cloth handy. I use this piece of plastic when I need to paint in my garage so that I don't get it all over the floor.

Step 6- Choose some washi tape colors. Washi tape comes in almost every pattern imaginable these days. You can order from a huge selection online, but I actually got these colors at my local craft store. Washi tape is really versatile and can be used on all kinds of surfaces.

Accent each mini envelope with your washi tape and then either hand write or stamp your countdown numbers.

Step 7- Measure, Place & Hot Glue your clothes pins. The easiest way to do this is to just lay it out on the wood and then measure your spacing to keep it consistent in each row.

I just love the end result!

Step 8- Plan 25 Awesome Family Activities. Write down 25 things that you want to do. Each day you will open an envelope and do what's written inside. I recommend using a calendar to plan out your activities before putting one inside each envelope.

Our activities range from something as simple as reading a holiday story as a family to going out to see all the Christmas lights in our neighborhood.

I hope your 2012 holiday season is super special and that your family enjoys all the awesome activities you plan for them!

The countdown is on!
What kinds of activities will you choose for your family to do this month?

Make sure you check back to keep up with all of the Trend Trio videos, blog posts, and product tips to help make this holiday season the best one yet!

During the years that I owned a homestaging business I became a master at hanging artwork quickly and getting it straight the first time. Since I'm no longer doing that as my job, I've gotten a little lazier with how I hang artwork and sometimes just take the one-nail, easy way out. Using one nail usually looks great at first, but eventually looks something like this…

Have No Fear… ZOTS will save the day! These little adhesive stickies were a homestager's dream come true and I still use them all the time! I've used them to hold curtains in place, keep pictures straight, put together little spa bathroom accessories, and more. Although they were originally created for crafting and scrapbooking, they are super-helpful around the house.

They come on a roll, and you just pull them off and stick them where you need something to stay put!

The end result is much better and I know these don't appear perfectly straight in this picture, but measurements and my level promises me they are. The shadows and colors on the edges make it seem off by a bit, but I'm trying not to obsess over them (I'm not as laid back about perfection as Jess is… I'm working on that! )

You can get ZOTS for about $3.00 at Michaels or JoAnn Fabrics. Add them to your home decorating supplies today!
Have a Great Weekend!

Happy Monday, everyone! We are working our tails off this week on lots of Fall projects and fun blog stuff, so to help us out, we've asked a few of our bloggy pals to share some of their projects with you. But get ready, because next week, we'll be back in full force!: ) We're so pleased to introduce you to Rebecca from My Girlish Whims. We've been communicating the past several months through email and were fortunate enough to share our top wedding planning tips with her readers in February when Rebecca was busy getting married and going on her honeymoon. Rebecca is a really talented jewelry designer (make sure you check out her anthro jewelry knockoffs!), but we're in love with this Paper Fan Banner she made. Isn't it darling?

Ok, take it away, Rebecca!

Hello East Coast Creative Readers!

My name is Rebecca and I blog over at My Girlish Whims

My blog is all about beading, crafting, and general life as a girl!

I'm so excited to be guest posting over here today, because I live very close to Jess & Monica! We haven't met in"real life" yet but I'm sure one day we will: )

I just got married in February and have been trying to repurpose a few of the items I DIYed for my big day so I don't waste them! I had a ton of these fabric flowers left over:

Which I had made to hang off the pews in the church.

My hubby and I recently bought our first house and so I've been working on collecting/making some home decor accents. I thought I could use the silver flowers from the pew cones for up in our bedroom, which is eventually getting a grey/silver color scheme.

I got this bucket from the"as-is" section of IKEA for $1.50. There was nothing wrong with it…I think they just aren't selling them anymore!

I spray painted it silver with leftover spray paint from another wedding project

I poured in some glass marbles (that were actually left-overs from my bridal shower!) and then stuck in my fabric flowers (this post has a full tutorial on how to make them if you are interested)

Here's the finished product:

Yay! I think it turned out so cute, and all it cost me was the $1.50 for the bucket!
I put my little flower bucket up in our bedroom on our IKEA TV-holder-thing-a-ma-whatsit. Yes, that is the technical term.

Other side has a picture of us from our big day: )

And there are the flowers!

Slowly our house is becoming more decorated…and slowly I'm using up some of my wedding decor too: )

Thanks so much to Jess and Monica for letting me guest post! Please stop by my blog sometime to say hi, I'd love to meet you!: )

Thank YOU, Rebecca! You can't beat a cute project with that price tag!