We party hard in the Mangin family… We I love themed parties and have for about 10 years… before all the party planning websites and pinterest existed, I actually had to be creative and come up with ideas on my own {gasp!} I used to go a little extreme with the parties, but the hubs made me scale back I learned a little self control. I never went nuts like ponies and millions of dollars, but party prep would take FOREVER and other wifey duties would be ignored. Right now I'm planning Kira's 4th birthday party. She's wants a DOLPHIN themed party… UGH. I just designed her semi-dolphiny, semi-nautical invitations. I'm going to go with an ocean/dolphin party. She's cool with it.
I thought it would be fun to pull up some old party pics and get the creative juices flowing. These pics weren't taken for a blog, so go easy on me! Kitty Party Obsessed with cats, we did a kitty theme. Pink. Black. All things Cat.
Probably my favorite cake ever.
Pumpin Party I took the easy way out and went with the fall theme since it's a November birthday. Pumpkin Mini Golf
Bobbing for Apples
Garr… Pirate Party It's been done 100s of times, but he loved pirates! (Oh, my word… do you love that I accidently drew him a french mustache instead of a piratey one?)
Wish this picture was better, but we made two huge plywood boats so the kids could have cannonball wars and walk the plank!
So, no we're not fancy-schmancy, but my kids LOVE their theme parties, and their mommy does too! All our friends know how we roll and they're great sports… Minute to win it anyone?
Starwars Babyshower anyone?? Little fella was going to be named Lucas after Luke Skywalker!
Ok, looking back at these made me laugh and inspired me to get my butt in gear and get all dolphiny! Here's a few pins to get me going…
Source: newenglandfineliving.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
Source: thesweetestoccasion.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest How do you partay?
You all know I'm cheap careful with our money, so it should come as no surprise that when I was considering what type of party I should have for my son (Bob the Builder? Veggie Tales?), I decided to go with an All-American Boy party because I could get all the July 4th stuff cheap the day after the holiday (Charlie-man's birthday is the 9th). Even though it was really affordable (yay!), I was really excited about all the cute stuff I got or made for the party. Monica helped me out with a few of the projects and then was there to help set up, so I want to send a big thank you out to her!: )
I made Charlie's invitations on Picmonkey (stay tuned for a tutorial on how to make your own!), and since I didn't have time to mail them because I am a last-minute kind of girl, I just sent them as an attachment to an email. I know that probably breaks all kind of birthday party invitation rules, but I figured my friends and family would love me anyway. I had planned on having the party at a local park so that the kids could play on a big playground, but the weather was supposed to hit 101 degrees, and we Bucks Countians can't handle that kind of heat. Thankfully, a good friends of ours let us move the party to their house so we could be near a pool. Crisis averted! (Or so I thought…)
I hit the jackpot with the Target dollar bins (is there ANYTHING you can't do with supplies from the dollar bin? Seriously, they totally should be paying me!), and cleaned out their fourth of July goodies like big stars, cute pails with handles, adorable sunglasses and a couple of other things I can't think of now.
Changing the location messed with all of the plans I had for decorating, but we managed to tweak some things and come up with this backdrop for our food table (this is pre-food. Darn that I didn't get a picture of it all set up lookin' fine!)
I love this pennant banner that we made, and can't wait to fill you in on how we made it, and what I'm doing with it now that the party is over!
I also made and printed out a few food labels (as if anyone needs help identifying Chick-Fil-A nuggets, right?!). I did these last minute-of course!- and so decided to poke a hole and stick a toothpick through to help the sign stand. Worked like a charm! Monica may have said that this was ingenious.; )
I think this table runner was my favorite feature of the whole party! It was super easy, but deserves a post all of it's own.: )
My mom gave Charlie this chair for Christmas, and I thought it would be the perfect spot for him to open his presents. We added a little banner (from Target) to the bushes behind his chair and two little pinwheels to either side. A red blanket completed our present-opening spot!
Each kid got to choose a pair of sunglasses to take home, and to help them"stay cool".
This is when the drama started. A major storm with lightening, thunder, and high winds blew in fast and knocked down all of the decorations and ended our party rather quickly! I'm thankful for such helpful family and friends who didn't care at all, and helped clean up the place in a hurry!
We took a few minutes to eat our brownie-fruit kebabs (recipe from here).
…and eat our cupcakes, and then wrapped things up.
So, it was not exactly as I had envisioned but it sure was memorable. I love this sweet, funny, little boy more than words can express. Happy birthday, Charlie-man!
Have you ever had any major weather drama during a party? Did it make you wonder why you even bother, too?; )
One of the things we're most grateful for is our friends. We've talked about them a lot here on the ol' blog, but we try really hard as a group to stay connected and do fun things (we all went to see the premiere of Breaking Dawn together yesterday!). Last year I (Jess) started what will hopefully become an annual tradition with oour girlfriends: a Favorite Things Party! What is that, you ask? We made a little video to tell you all about it…
Basically, you ask your closest gal pals to purchase their favorite thing for under $10- one for each girl coming to the party. Then, dress it up with some fabulous wrapping paper and come bearing your gifts, and of course, your favorite appetizer (or dessert, but I'm partial to apps, so because it's my party, that's what we do. ha!) Here's a peek at last year's gift from myself and Monica:
Last year, I threw the party together at the last minute, but because I want it to be a special night for our friends, I decided to create some invitations. Chalkboard typography is THE biggest thing on Pinterest right now, so I decided to hop right on board the bandwagon. I kinda love it.
I also made a blank template so you can add your own information. Download it here:
I made the entire invitation in Picasa with the following FREE fonts: 1. Bergamot Ornaments 2. KG Makes You Stronger 3. Handy George 4. Kraft Nine 5. Peach Sundress Ideas for Appetizers/Desserts/Drinks: My favorite part of the favorite things party is the food, of course! I'm crazy about seafood and this party gives me a good reason to sample these Crab-filled Crescent Wontons.
I'm going to give this recipe for homemade hot chocolate in the crockpot a try, for sure:
And then it would be really fun to dress up that hot chocolate with lots of yummy fixin's (yes, all of the sudden, I'm Southern.)
Hot Chocolate Bar And ohmygoodness, my friends might just receive this Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark as their present AND dessert. Ha!
Ideas for Wrapping: Monica's favorite part is the wrapping. Did you know that in addition to an obssession with socks, she's also abnormally passionate about wrapping paper? I'm already ahead of the game (Monica) for my wrapping this year thanks to The Plaid Barn. It's a daily deal type site that I'm addicted to! Honestly, I have to do the whole wants vs. needs thing to resist buying a deal every day! However, this wrapping deal was too good to pass up. It has bags, wooden tags, stickers, clips, and everything I'll need to make sure I have the cutest packaged presents. Mwhahah! (Slightly competitive BFFs, but totally kidding!) I got 45 pieces for $7.42! Major SCORE!
Click HERE to get the Holiday Packaging Kit holiday wrap pack or to see what other goodies they have for sale today!
Here are a few other fun wrapping ideas we found for ya!
Typographic Gift Wrap
Gift Wrap Envelope (For the record, we do not endorse the buying of the wrapping paper used for that envelope.)
We can't wait for the Favorite Things Party next month! After we have it, we'll reveal what our 2012 favs were and share some fun pictures from our night! So, are you ready to host a Favorite Things Party? We'd love to hear if you're thinking of planning one now too!
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Duck Brand provided by ShurTech Brands, LLC. All opinions are 100% mine.
Thursday night we're hosting a fun cookie decorating party for some friends and their families. Even though we're in the middle of filming two episodes of"Knock It Off" I still want to do all of the fun holiday festivities that we normally do… I just don't have a lot of time to do things like umm… decorate! LOL. I just needed to remind myself that hosting a Christmas or holiday party doesn't have to take a ton of time, and it doesn't have to cost a lot! I decided that I would make it my goal to decorate for the party with Duck Brand® holiday design duck tape. With just one roll of their fun little penguin holiday design tape, I took care of place cards, candy containers, cookie take-out bags, and a fun little pennant banner. Not too shabby for just some tape 'eh?
Here’s how it all went down…
I have plain white bowls, that I accented with tape and then I’ll toss all the various cookie decorating toppings into them. Easy Peasy Right?
I liked the colors in the penguin pattern tape, but Duck Brand® has a great selection to choose from if you’re still putting together some holiday DIY projects; there are holiday bows, a snowman print, a candy cane stripe, seasonal sweets and pretty holiday colors to pick from as well.
For the place cards, I used an ornament ball, leftover card stock, and then accented the side of each with Duck® Tape. Here’s a trick… if you need to get your ornaments to stand straight on a flat surface, all you need to do is put a glob of hot glue on the bottom and then press it down onto some scrap paper. The glue will harden flat and then you can pull it off and then you’ve got a flat-bottomed ornament.
Since we’re having the kids decorate cookies, I needed to think about take-out bags. I mean we’ll definitely sugar them up, but we don’t need them eating all of the cookies! I had a bunch of plain white bags leftover, but wanted to fancy them up a bit.
I cut the tape in varying lengths and then tiered them like a Christmas tree. It’s nothing fancy, but perfect for quick party decor!
Finally, I wanted to make a little backdrop so I tried my hand at a Duck Tape® pennant banner.
Here’s what I needed:
Baker’s Twine
Duck® Tape
Scissors
Cut a 4″ length of tape and place the sting in the middle of the tape.
Lastly, just use scissors to cut it into a triangle shape. I can’t believe I haven’t tried this project before. It was SO stink in’ easy!
I set out to prove to myself that I could keep it simple, not spend a ton of cash, and decorate for this party just by using one roll of Duck Brand® holiday design tape! And I think that it worked! I’m super excited about our party Thursday and am pretty relieved that I have everything pretty much good to go!
For more ideas of what you can create this holiday season check out Duck Brand® on Twitter and pin your own crafts using the hashtag #DuckTheHalls!
So, how will you Duck the Halls this holiday season for last minute, easy peasy DIY projects?
Well, I'm not sure how this could possibly be true, but my little girl turned three a few weeks ago.
I'll leave all the sappy stuff to my personal blog, but I wanted to give you a glimpse of the details of the party. Campbell is really into Angelina Ballerina and, a few weeks before her birthday, decided she wanted to have an Angelina birthday party. I scoured the internet and could not find really cute Angelina party supplies, so I decided to be creative and make some of my own and decorate the way I wanted to.
First off, Kevin and I created a"party room" in our basement. We decided to use the area of the basement that normally houses our ping pong and air hockey tables. We just moved those aside and got to work. The color scheme was pink, silver and white. We created a fun entrance to the party room, but hanging a streamer garland across the doorway and then hung regular streamers from the garland so the kiddos had to walk through to see the rest of the room.
Then, we hung pink and white balloons, as well as, paper stars that I had cut out of stock paper and embellished with glitter paint, from the ceiling. This was actually really easy, but a little time consuming. We used large plastic pink tablecloths to cover the far wall, and to create a backdrop for pictures and a few of the games. The round tablecloth on the floor helped the kids easily sit in a circle for the"Pass the Ballet Slipper" game, and was a convenient spot for them to eat lunch and not make a mess all over our carpet!
I made the favor bags using regular old paper bags and a tag that I created on Picnik. I punched holes in the tops of the bags and threaded sparkly ribbon through to close them. These are so simple and cheap, but looked adorable!
I found an awesome tutorial on DIY printable cupcake toppers, which, again I embellished with some silver glitter paint.
The very simple menu consisted of pigs in a blanket, mac & cheese, carrots, fruit salad, cheese puffs (Campbell's request), and snickerdoodle trail mix. The star on the far left was an indestructable pinata that none of the kids could open. Kevin ended up breaking it over his knee.
One of the games was"Pin the Mouse Ears on Campbellina". I mounted an 11x14 picture of Campbell on poster board. Then I framed the picture with a pink polka-dot ribbon.
I made sure to take a picture of each guest with Campbell for a sweet thankyou card we sent after the party.
I just had to include a picture of the pretty ballerina herself!
And this is the best picture of the day, taken by Monica. Jane B., you need to frame this!
Last Sunday night we gathered together with 200 of our family, friends, crew, and blog readers to celebrate the premiere episode of our new show Knock It Off. (To watch full episodes online, click HERE. To see all the projects featured on the show click HERE)
To say the party was awesome would be the understatement of the year! We know many of you (our amazing readers) live far away, so we wanted to share our night with you!
A huge thanks to Nicole from Expressions by Nicole Marie for doing all the photography for the night. She's a Philadelphia area photographer. Check out her website to see more of her work.
The dessert table was by far our favorite thing ever! Linda (more explanation on her later) put this together and it reflected us perfectly!
Paint cans, paint sticks, adorable chalkboards, and mini tools captured our DIY theme perfectly.
Yes, Linda made all of the desserts including the tool cookies. They were a huge hit!
Who knew paint sticks could be so perfect as food labels? She dipped the end in paint and then stamped on them. This would also be a great idea for an art themed birthday party!
The tools were plastic and spray painted silver to accessorize the table.
Every little detail was thought of- look at the mini Jess and Monica!! Janeny from Craft that Party made the adorable peg dolls with Knock It Off on them. They made adorable cake toppers! Janeny does all kinds of custom peg dolls that are crazy cute!
Check out the centerpieces… quart-sized paint cans filled with custom Knock It Off lollypops from Vintage Confections. The tool keychains were our little party favors- I think my kids thought the tools were the coolest thing ever!
Jess and I were at the main entrance to greet all of our guests (which was super fun to meet so many readers!!), then everyone got appetizers and dessert and finally it was time to watch the premiere. And what's a premiere without popcorn?
Linda used some paint swatches (with permission of course) to make a garland for the popcorn table.
And now, who is this Linda woman you ask?? She is a blog reader we met and got to know by doing a Knock It Off episode at her home- check her out in an upcoming kitchen episode! Linda owns Frog Prince Cake and Cookie Design and she also helps with party planning.
Linda is SO talented and we can't thank her enough for all her hard work. She thought of every detail and pulled everything off with perfect planning! If you have an event coming up and need amazing desserts or even help planning contact Linda! Also, be sure to LIKE her on Facebook and check out all of her awesome creations!
Check back on Monday when we're going to post on the decor of the party and where you can find all the fun items Linda used!
We also had a mini-Red Carpet leading to a Knock It Off Photo booth. The KIO logo decals came from Ten23 Designs- they do stock and custom design vinyl.
We're so happy that we have so many fun pics of our guests! Check out this weekend's episode to see this fun couple's bedroom transformation!
This couple were the stars of the premiere episode- they loved their dining room->playroom transformation! Plus, they're adorable!
Cute couple alert! Jess and Kev!
Me and my boys… (an no my hair isn't red, just looks like it in this light)
Baby brothers are always good for an extremely weird picture!
We're so thankful for fun, strong, supportive women in our lives!
Have we mentioned we have the BEST sponsors ever? This is Nancy from Bare Root Design Studio- We'll be sharing more about all the fun giveaways in another post.
And of course, we wouldn't want to be on this crazy journey with anyone else. Doing what we love and getting to do it together is the coolest thing ever!
We hope you're enjoying the show- if you've gotten a chance to check it out, we'd love to know what you think! Feel free to email us, leave a comment, or post on Facebook!
This post brought to you by Dollar General. All opinions are 100% mine. Sometimes party planning can cost a pretty penny! I love hosting parties, but this time of year is expensive all around. Jess and I were super excited when Dollar General challenged us to create a fun Christmas party using Dollar General Holiday décor items. For only $20 we prepared an adorable Christmas Cookie Decorating Party.
We were thrilled with the selection of boxes, toppers, fun utensils, and little decorations we found at Dollar General. We had totally planned to DIY something from the store, but everything was too cute to mess with!
We set up the table with individual little work stations for each kiddo. Since Jess and I love raw cookie dough, we're sure to give each kid just a bit to taste!
I love these decorative straws and they looked perfect in a mason jar of milk
We found these adorable little shakers and filled them with sprinkles
After the cookies were all decorated, we had these fun little boxes for everyone to take their cookies home in.
So, if you're looking for a fun and inexpensive way to host a party this Christmas season, we'd totally recommend that you check out Dollar General- we never would have been able to decorate an entire party for under $20 if we were shopping somewhere else.
What fun parties are you hosting this Holiday Season? Monica & Jess If you're not a fan of Dollar General on Facebook, you can like them here. http://www.facebook.com/DollarGeneral
So, if you haven't heard (which is very unlikely because, let's face it, we're pretty excited about it and have been shouting it from the rooftops), we are working on our very own TV show for the Live Well Network! If you're not familiar with LWN, don't worry, you will be soon!! The team behind LWN is amazing and they're putting together so many cool, new shows!! Make sure to check your local listings for The Live Well Network- it's a national network, so even if you don't have cable, you can still watch it!
Anyhow, once we heard our official air date (which is only a month away!), we got to thinking that we couldn't let this momentous occasion pass by without a little celebration! So… we're having a big, ol' party!
And you know what? We want you to come! We recognize that not all of you live in our neck of the woods, and we'll totally recap the party for you here, but for those of you who live in the area, we would LOVE to meet you, give you a glimpse of what our show is all about, and of course, eat lots of good food! We're even going to have a few fun giveaways that you won't want to miss!
Here are all the details you need to know:Who: Well…us and you. Duh. What: A super fun party to celebrate our new show, Knock it Off! When: Sunday, July 7th from 6:00-8:00 PM Where: Mr. B's Cafe (Calvary Church of Souderton) Rt.113, Souderton, Pa 18964 We just ask one thing: would you let us know if you're planning on coming by Sunday, June 30th? You can RSVP by using the form below. Due to the nature of this party, we're asking that you leave any kiddos under the age of 10 at home. Thanks!
C'mon, don't you want to hang out with us?!! We are so psyched and want to share this big event with you- Seriously, we wouldn't even have our own show without this blog and all of you! We really hope to see you there! PS- A HUGE special thanks to Linda from Frog Prince Cake & Cookie design who is taking the lead in making sure this party is the coolest! Thanks Linda! If you haven't checked her out, head over to Facebook now and give her some LIKE love!
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,alaKatie 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 youvotedtoday? Please take a minute to do so- we will love you forever!
We interrupt this regularly schedule DIY program for an important announcement (I've always wanted to use that phrase somewhere!): We have some incredible sponsors who provide loads of amazing products just waiting to be purchased for one-of-a-kind Christmas presents! I've broken them down into categories for you… Gift-Giving
Ok, you may remember me talking about the amazing art prints from Red Letter Words, but did you know Dee also offers adorable greeting cards and candles? Not only that, but messages printed on the greeting cards are so meaningful and thoughtful- perfect as a stocking stuffer, a gift for a friend, a teacher and the list goes on and on. Get 15% off until December 15th with the code MERRY15. Order by December 19th for Christmas delivery. (Excludes custom prints and the print of the month)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Every year I try to give my neighbors a little gift, and this 1-2-3 Dip! Gift set from Pampered Chef is perfect! I am such a sucker for chips and dip. I pretty much could live on it. And if you don't have neighbors, buy a few as hostess gifts (they'll be sure to get you an invitation to next year's party!: ) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, Jane sent us a few of her 100% soy candles to try, and I can.not.get.enough. of the Christmas pine scent. I've been burning it around the clock since I got it, and the beautiful thing is, that because it's soy, it's long-lasting! Order a few of these as gifts, or just go ahead and buy a stash for yourself! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How about this adorable Littles Carry-All Caddy in the Winter Wonderland pattern from Thirty-One Gifts for teachers in your (or your kid's) lives? Fill it with a mug, some good chocolate and a gift card to Starbucks and you're set! It comes in 10 different patterns, so you'll be sure to find something for everyone. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Entertaining
Planning a holiday party? Spread some Festive Cheer with this cocktail idea from Garnish. Goodness, could their stuff be any more darling? I could literally spend all my party budget on the goodies from Garnish- who needs food anyway? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I came across this super-cute idea to use scrapbook paper as a charger on a holiday table, and I'm in love! You could totally use this fabulous paper from Moo & Puppy and alternate the patterns underneath the plates for coordinated, but not identical place settings! {Swoon}
Use the code HOUSEWIVES20 for 20% off of your order. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I love Dream Dinners. I really do. And they are total life-savers if you are hosting a holiday party or dinner. So many of the meals can be easily turned into appetizers, like this Coconut Shrimp with Sweet & Sour dipping sauce. Make your holidays stress-free with ready-to-cook meals. Use the codeDDNC201110 for 10% off your first order. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For the Home
Well, looky what I found on Craigslist. A $15 chair that would be absolutely stunning if reupholstered in some new fabric! Jet Upholstery could do that in heartbeat, and guess what? You can save 25% off any fabric order when you mention RHBC. Now go! That chair won't last long (especially because I can't keep my eyes off of it!) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In our winnings from Crafting with the Stars, we both got to choose stencils from Royal Design Studio. They are the best place to get designer decorative stencils and tools. Monica chose this Morrocan Stencil- Chez Sheik:
And I'm getting this lovely Large Fabric Damask stencil:
We both have big plans for our stencils and come on, you know you have an area in your house that's just dying to be stenciled. Am I right? Head over to Royal Design Studio to be totally inspired. Use the coupon code RHBC10 for 10% off your order! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Giving Back
We are often so focused on buying gifts at this time of year, but really, it's also a great time to give back. Head on over to Scout & Nimble to see how you can be a part of her awesome iniative to do just that. Also, did you see this ah-ma-zing rug she just got?
So jealous. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ok, that's it! No excuses for lame gifts this year, people!; )
My daughter turned four on Sunday. Please hold on while I choke back tears and try my hardest to turn back time.
How does that happen so fast? Ugh. Anyway, she is like every other four year old girl on the face of the planet very into the Disney movie, Tangled. Because we were so busy trying to get our kitchen cabinets finished for her party, I pretty much forgot about decorating and games until 11 PM the night before her party. Even so, I was able to pull together a cute birthday display and wanted to share where I got all the FREE, adorable ideas and printables in case you know a little girl having a birthday soon.: )
We already had that giant table-turned-chalkboard that Monica made on our first Nate Show challenge, so I used it as a backdrop for our display. I found a huge amount of free printables that I used to make the pennant banner, and the sails for my little jello boats, plus a few other things not shown from Paging Supermom. Honestly their Tangled collection is so stinkin' adorable, and it's FREE to boot! Make sure you take a look at the super cute invitations they have too! Campbell loved it.
I have to say though, that the best part of the display was the cake, and I can't take any credit for it at all. There is a sweet story behind this cake (and the cupcakes that aren't shown): A beautiful 13-year old girl created this cake as a means to raise money for the adoption of her little sister from Haiti. (You can read about their journey to adopting Seraphina who has a life-threatening disease called Sickle Cell Anemia, here.) Her name is Sydney, and she's started a fundraiser called Penelope's Cakes, and accepts donations for the cakes she creates. She does a fabulous job ( my family loved the chocolate cake!), and Campbell was so excited when she saw it for the first time! If you have a need for a cake for special occasion (or just because you're hungry for cake), please think of Penelope's Cakes. My hope is that they'll get so many requests for cakes that Seraphina will come home to her family before the end of the year so she can get the healthcare she so needs.
Honestly, there is NO way I could have done anything like this! That little lady is so talented! Is it possible to force best-friendship on children? If so, we're doing a really good job with Monica's 3rd, Kira, and Campbell. Love those two.
To end the party, we thought it would be fun to release flying lanterns into the sky just like they do in Tangled. We found these lanterns for 98 cents each and they were so awesome. Per several online suggestions, we decided to tie a long string to the lantern (about 50 feet long) so that they didn't fly away and start a forest fire. (Our fire department is literally right behind our neighborhood and we fear their wrath!)
Kids and adults alike were in awe. Too cool.
All in all, it was a fun day and a great celebration of my sweet girl. What are your kids crushing on these days?
Only following on the blog? You're missing out. Use the buttons below to join in on all the fun!
Before we get into today's post, we wanted to take a minute to stop and express our extreme sadness over what happened in Sandy Hook Elementary School on Friday. We know that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and we pray that that is true for every person affected by this tragedy. Please keep those sweet children and their families in your prayers as you go through this holiday season and beyond. If you'd like to help in some way, you can donate here. Psalm 34:18The Lord is close
to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A few weeks ago we filled you in on one of our most-anticipated holiday traditions: a Favorite Things Party (we even explained what we do in a fun video which revealed that we really are dorks). To make it even easier for you to host your own, I created this adorable chalkboard-inspired printable invitation.
Well, because our girlfriends have such great taste, a recap of all the gifts is in order, don't you think?! You know Monica and I can't resist creating pretty things, and our gift packaging was no exception. Let's take a peek: Monica's Gift
Monica used the fun wrapping accessories she talked about here. Each girl got a mason jar of"Melted North Pole Snow" and a striped paper bag with a super cute wood tag. I'm not going to tell you what her gift was yet, because she's going to show you later this week. It's a good one, friends. Definitely worth the wait.: ) Jessica's Gift
I wrapped my gifts using paper from Target (is there any other store?!), gray and white bakers twine and little paper tags that I hand-stamped with my mini alphabet stamps. Lest you think they were perfect, take a look at Monica's tag.
Haha. Oops, ran out of space, and then the dog licked the tag and smeared it.: ) Our Girlfriend's Gifts
Before we open any gifts, we go around and guess what we think each girl brought. It's fun to see how well you know each other. It turns out that I don't know them very well I'm a bad guesser. Without further ado, here is our list of favorite things from our closest gal pals to you!
1. Our most stylish friend, Jane (sorry everyone else!) brought homemade Candy Cane Sugar Scrub. I don't what recipe she used, but I found a recipe you can make for yourself here. She also gave us Eos Lip Balm, which is fabulous if you've never tried it. 2. My gift was so random. It included Brownie mix, because I'm obsessed with the batter. True story: I bought 6 boxes (one for each girl), but the night before the party I got hungry for brownie batter and used one of the boxes. My poor sister got jipped that night, but I made sure to buy another box for her later! Good thing she loves me anyway.;) I also gave Maybelline Illegal Length Mascara which I shared my love for back here. I totally dig that stuff. 3. My sister Chrissie's most favorite thing is getting a large Diet Coke from MacDonald's whenever she can, so we all got a gift card to Mickey D's, along with her favorite candy: Reese's. Her gift wins as most unhealthy, but also the most yummy!
4. Lindsey, our tell-it-like-it-is-friend (which we love, by the way!) gave us some pretty pink lace undies from Aerie and her most-used spice: Tony Chachare's Creole Seasoning. She promised us she'd give us her famous jambalaya recipe, as well. (I haven't forgotten, Lindsey! I'm coming after that recipe!) 5. Steph, our socially-conscious, health food-nut friend, (remember last year? She gave us Spelt flour. Hilarious) gave us her favorite bag from Worthwhile Wear, the company she and her husband started to help save women from human trafficking. Most meaningful gift for sure, but super cute and functional, too! 6. Jane, the sweet, sensitive and ultra-caring book junkie, gave us an Amazon gift card in a handmade card, which just made my day. I love downloading books to my kindle, and now I can do it without feeling guilty! 7. (Or 8, if you look at my picture above. I clearly can't count correctly) was Monica's gift, but like I said, you'll just have to wait to see that one!
Sadly, we didn't get a group shot of the seven of us, even after I made an announcement that no one could leave until we had done so. That's two years and counting that we have more pics of the presents, than of our friends. Boo for us. There's always next year, I guess!: ) So, if you came to our party, what would YOU bring?
So… how's it going getting everything done in time for Thanksgiving you ask? Well, I'll just tell you that it's 12:14AM as I start writing this post and there is a pile of laundry approximately 8 loads high waiting for some folding action (not.gonna.happen.) Anyhow, all things considered I think we're in good shape with all the madness. The one awesome and tricky thing is that my family is all arriving a day early from Boston. I'm SO thrilled!! I just need to finish my dining room (oh and clean the whole house) by about 7pm Tuesday… yikes, technically that's today already! All that aside, I'm excited to give you a peek into our progress!! This weekend was a wallpaper party!! (Actually, it was nothing like a party. My father-in-law and I just wallpapered. He sort of hates doing it, but he's good at it, and was nice enough not to say no when I asked. Calling it a party just makes it sound more fun and exciting!) You probably remember that I had ordered Graham and Brown's Frames wallpaper.
The paper was a dream to work with because the repeat didn't matter (I wanted a random look) and the pattern didn't go off the roll. Seriously, this saved us hours!
If you haven't wallpapered before, you should totally try it. It's not as hard as people make it seem. Seriously, some people make it sound worse than a root canal without Novocaine! Here were some of my supplies.
I'm not going to give a wallpaper tutorial because there are about a million online, but I'll tell you my one must-have item… a folding table. I use this to do all the pasting (this paper wasn't pre-pasted, but even if it was I usually add extra paste).
You just slap the paste on with a brush, then I went over it with a mini roller. Just to be sure it was nice and pasty (reminds me of a certain vampire I love!)
So wanna see what it looks like?? Here you go… Drum roll please…
I REALLY, REALLY love it. Not just a little, a whole lot.
Once the paper was up it was time for moulding! Remember I mentioned some cool idea using PVC pipe? Well, here are a few ideas we toyed with…
Single row of PVC between some shoe moulding…
Double row of PVC sort of Olympic-style…
In the end it was time for a hubby to DIYer heart to heart. Eric was willing to do the PVC if I was in love with it. He admitted he thought it was a cool concept etc, but he talked me out of fantasy DIY land and back into mom of four kids with less than 72 hours before company arrives land. We calculated that it would take approximately 7 Billion PVC circles and would probably end up being a detriment to our marriage, so…
Very simple, plain Jane, clean lined moulding it was. In the end I think we made a very wise choice and I will just plan to use my PVC moulding elsewhere (soon!) Oh, and BTW… if you didn't know already, I'm a dork sometimes. I totally didn't think ahead and look where I divided the wallpaper and paint… Hellooo light switch!
Sweet huh? Oh well, it is what it is. A tad quirky, just like us: ) Ok, so this novel of a post is almost over, but I have one more thing to share… We needed to paint over the navy stripe in the crown moulding. It matched perfectly for The Nate Show, but now looked pretty out of place. So what color?? Hmm?? Let's try 'em all!
Thought the yellow might be fun… Nope, made the wall seem all choppy. White to look like monsterous moulding… Nope, made the paper seem too off white. Grey, because can you ever go wrong with grey… Perfect!
We're almost done! Tomorrow we need to touch up the trim where it was nailed, add the enormous mirror I repainted and repurposed for over the buffet, and then accessorize! I can't wait to see the finished product!! Here's where it's at right now…
You'd never guess I have tons of family arriving in less than (Oh.my.word.) 20 hours! It's okay, we're good under pressure. I'll be revealing the finished product on Turkey day, so be sure to check back between football and food!
Ok, this is the last thing I'll write about Charlie's 2nd birthday party- I promise!: ) We were super excited when we were asked to do a project using the new Tulip Tie Dye Kit. True story: when I first met Monica she wore a lot of tie dye t-shirts. For a Bucks County girl like me, that was really strange, but all that tie dye know-how came in pretty handy for this project!
This kit is really cool. Instead of the old-fashioned method, they provide you with five squeeze bottles so you can place the dye exactly where you want it. Of course, we didn't use it that way. We're rebels like that. We used a dropcloth for the pennant banner and the sign because we thought it would give this project an aged look, plus it's cheap! Lay down the plastic cover over the surface you're going to be working on.
Make sure you wear protective gear…
…and dress the part. You don't want to get this dye everywhere. (Not that we did, or anything Nope, not us. We're clean project-doers.)
Create a template for your pennant and trace it onto the dropcloth. We cut out about 10 triangles.
It was really easy to mix the dye because you just add water to the powder in the squeeze bottles provided. No mess…at least, at first.
We decided on dip-dying our pennants, so we poured the dye into bowls and dipped the tips into the dye. We held it there until it was sufficiently saturated, pulled it out and wrung it out a bit.
Then we laid them out to dry before we dipped the other ends. (Note the towel we destroyed in this process in the right hand corner.)
They got this great blue jean and weathered red color almost immediately and we were so excited! The colors were perfect for my All-American boy themed party.
For the sign, we measured a 2x3 piece of dropcloth and cut it out.
Monica used the traditional method of twisting and tying random sections with rubber bands,
and then dipping them in the dye. After the drop cloth was dyed, we wrapped it in a plastic bag and let it soak in over night (just follow the directions on the box and you can't mess up!)
The next day, we hot-glued rope to the backs of the pennants right along the seam of the dropcloth. That made it easy to glue on a straight line!
We left a lot of rope at either end so we could tie our pennant banner up when we hung it.
You're supposed to wash these after your done, but we didn't think they would get a lot of wear and tear, so we skipped this step. We just ironed it a bit before writing"Happy Birthday Charlie!" on it with sharpie.
We hung them up at the party and were thrilled with the way they look!
I have plans to hang the pennant banner in Charlie's new reading nook, but that will have to wait until after vacation next week.
This was a fun project (albeit, very messy!) For tons more tie dye inspiration and how-to's check out Tulip Tie Dye at these places: Twitter: http://twitter.com/ilovetocreate (@ilovetocreate) Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ilovetocreate and http://www.facebook.com/ILoveTulipFashionArt Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/ilovetocreate When was the last time, you tie dyed? Did you ever consider trying it out for home decor?
* Tie Dye Kits are available at Walmart, Walmart Canada, Michaels, JoAnn, A.C. Moore, Hobby Lobby, Hancock Fabrics, and Meijer. Tulip Tie Dye Kit contents and colors may vary by store. *Disclosure: I was provided with the Tulip Tie Dye Kit and Surface Cover for this project. I wrote this post as part of a paid campaign with iLoveToCreate.com and Blueprint Social. All opinions and photographs are mine.
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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Have you guys heard of The Inspiration Board? It's a new fun tool created by our friend Jamielyn from I Heart Naptime. (She's a real sweetie and an awesome star in Creating with the Stars. Woot woot!) Have you ever seen those mood boards or room design inspiration boards that real designers create? Usually you have to know how to use Photoshop to make a really good one, but not anymore! Now you can take all those pins you've been saving up and put them onto one style board that you can share with the public or save for your own reference! Plus, they're not only functional, they're super cute with loads of features that allow you to customize the board to your preference.
Jamielyn asked us if we would create a board and since we have CWTS on the brain, we just had to whip one up using the details from the contest:
We love the little details like the fun washi tape, paper clips and push pins! It's a really cool way to add some style to your pins and we hope you'll give it a try. And even if you don't want to make your own, there are tons of other boards for you to browse through for inspiration. Jamielyn is hosting a launch party with loads of incredible prizes, so head on over and join the party! Have a great day!
Grow old with me, the best is yet to be. E.B. Browning
I have great parents. I mean, really great, Totally in love and fully committed to each other, God and their three daughters. Not only that, they are tons of fun.
In early September, my sisters and I threw a 40th wedding anniversary celebration for them and it was so much fun to plan! The party was held at the country club my parents belong to, Saucon Valley Country Club, which is absolutely breathtaking. My wedding reception was also there, and I have pics of my hubs and me in that very courtyard above in all of our wedding finery (do people say"finery" anymore, or have I been working with the elderly a bit too much lately?). They do a top-notch job on all their events, and this was no exception! My sisters took care of the order of events for the evening, which included a roast of my parents by one of my uncles (stinkin' hilarious, I tell you), a special song sung for them by David Felty, a family friend and broadway musician, and a dance to their wedding song played by Lou Lanza and his band. They got the hard part (at which they are amazing!), but I got to do the fun stuff: the decorations!
The welcome table housed an old window on which I wrote the guest's names and seating arrangements. I absolutely loved the way this turned out and added just the right touch of vintage. I also included three cute photos on canvas from different decades in their marriage, a guest book where each guest was encouraged to leave a note or a memory, their wedding album, and a bouquet of dried lavender.
I used this method for making the canvases and they turned out awesome. My only wish was that I used matte Mod Podge, instead of glossy, but I just didn't have time to run out and buy it. If you're going to attempt this, buy the matte kind!
The invitations were Tiffany blue and chocolate brown, so I wanted to use that color scheme in the centerpieces. My sister, Chrissie, and I toyed around with a bunch of different centerpiece ideas, but finally settled on using dried lavender from the Peace Valley Lavender Farm. We loved the subtle light blue color, the rustic, organic texture of the stalks and the smell, which was heavenly! We placed coffee beans in the bottom of simple vases, cut the stems of the lavender to the appropriate height and then placed the bouquet in the vase. Finally, I wrapped the vase with a brown grosgrain ribbon. We bought round mirror chargers form Michael's that reflected the light of the votive candles we placed around the vase. The centerpieces were very simple, but oh so pretty, and we were thrilled that we could incorporate a local Bucks County product into the decor!
Some of the fun details…
Mmmm…sangria. I prefer the white wine sangria, in case you were wondering.
We told our guests that they should expect heavy hors d' oeuvres, but we ended up having a pasta bar which was a blast and so delicious! Guests could choose their pasta, alfredo or marinara sauce and a variety of toppings like crabmeat, scallops, chicken, green peppers, onions, artichokes, olives and more. Perfect!
Because of all the miserable rain we had prior to the party, we weren't able to use the courtyard, so most of the party was held on the terrace where the band played and the guests danced.
Can't forget the cake!
All in all, it was a beautiful night of celebrating an inspiring couple. Here's to 40 more!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please don't forget to head over to Sew Dang Cute to place your vote for the best fabric project. We are only one step away from the final round, so we need every vote we can get! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Happy Monday!
*Thanks to Steph and Ammon Perry,, for taking the photos for us!
Did you ever have one of those"Ah-ha!" moments? I tend to have them in two places… the shower (one of the only places a mom of 4 is ever alone) and church. About a month ago during an"Ah-ha" moment, I came up with an idea that has turned into what we're calling Real Housewives: Design it Forward. We're pretty excited about it and we have a feeling you will be too! So daily we blog about cool finds, amazing projects, and what we're doing on our homes… sometimes we find ourselves pausing and wanting to look and do something outside of ourselves. We thank God each day for our families and that our needs are provided for. So what do we do from here? We design it forward…
We're committing to using our time, talents, and treasures to help someone else. We want to make someone feel extra special, cared-about, valued, and loved. Here's our vision… quarterly, we want to find a family, a single mom or dad, or just someone who could use a little TLC and do some surprise design for them. We're hoping you'll want to join in and help us and then we're going to challenge you to find someone in your area to Design it Forward for as well (think link party). We love this little old blog, but you know what?? We're called to love people even more, so here goes… Real Housewives: Design it Forward! Porch Perk Up Through the help of Calvary Church of Souderton, we found a single mom that could use a little extra TLC. Since we adore all things fall, we thought we should do a little porch perk up. How cool would it be to come home and have a porch all prettied up for Halloween and Thanksgiving?
http://www.bhg.com/
Shhh… don't tell, but here's our master plan…
So, how do I help? We'd love to have some hands-on help on the 25th as we perk up the porch, but we know our readers are from all over. So here's our Plan B… Since this is a single mom, we thought it would be cool to accept donations related to # of children. Either the ones you have or how many were in your family growing up. For example, I could donate $4.00 because I have four kids (still shocks me to type that) or $2.00 because I was one of two kids growing up. Your money will go directly towards perking up the porch, we promise not to go get pedicures or anything shady like that! If we collect enough money, we have a second and third family lined up and we'll just do more porch perking! Wouldn't that be awesome! And BTW… if anyone knows the Duggars, have them read this post, because that would be like a Twenty-something donation!: ) Just click the little donate button to donate… Thanks!
Did you know we have some amazing sponsors that help make our little old blog possible? Yup, they're amazing and I (Monica) wanted to tell you why… ********************************* Stuff See that funky, fun header at the top of our blog? Well, that takes you to the website of one rockin' furniture and accessory store. One of our blog readers checked it out this month and thought it was pretty awesome too! With the holidays approaching, head over and get something fun for your house before company comes! (My personal favorites are the farm house tables and cool accent chairs)
RT. 309 | 927 Bethlehem Pike (3 Miles North of Montgomery Mall) Colmar, PA 18915 Tel: 215.716.3325Fax: 215.716.3431 Email: info@stuffcloseouts.comstuff Open Friday, Saturday & Sunday ********************************* Jet Upholstery So one DIY that I pretty much don't ever plan to attempt is reupholstering furniture. Way outta my league! Thankfully, I have Jet Upholstery right around the corner in Bucks County. Their work is amazing. Today, I hit a thrift store on the hunt for a cool chair to have Jet refinish for me! I'm still looking, but I know that when I find it, they're going to make it amazing! They also have an amazing selection of designer fabrics and can get just about anything you want. I just found this chair on Craigslist… and I've been drooling over this fabric…
So, give Jet Upholsty a call or check out their website. Go find an ugly chair for pennies and let them make it fabulous for you! JET Upholstery3102 Bedminster Road Bedminster, PA 18910 215-795-0881 215-220-3443 fax Store Hours: Mon-Thurs. 9-5 Friday 9-4 / Sat 9-12 ********************************* Mandy Hajel, 31 Gifts
So, you probably know about 31 Gifts and how it's taking the world by storm. If not, stop right now and go check out Mandy's site. Really… GO! There are so many reasons to love 31… adorable fabric options, super cute bags, really fun parties, and it's a business that is based off of the Proverbs 31 woman. Rather than going on about the products, let me tell you a bit about Mandy (she's one of my bffs!). You see, Mandy and I used to teach English together… that is before she joined 31. She's been with the company for 1 year and in that time has made enough money to replace (and more) her teacher's salary, she's earned a family vacation to Disney World, a romantic trip for two to Mexico, a Dell laptop, an Ipad 2, a huge Best Buy giftcard, an XBox, and more. Do you think I earned all that as a teacher?? Umm, Nope. So, if you're looking to make a little side money before the holidays, give Mandy a call, she'll hook you up and teach you her secrets to success! Amanda Hajel Phone: (301) 791-3579 Email: hajelfamily@yahoo.com Website: http://www.mythirtyone.com/hajel/ ********************************* Blossom Bands So, what are your kids wearing for Thanksgiving and Christmas? Ok, maybe it's a tad early to know 100%, but you need to get thinking! The only thing you need to be sure of is to include a Blossom Band for your little ladies. I bought a Halloween one this month for Kira and she loved it! Bethany has tons of ready to sell items as well as custom pieces to match whatever outfits you're planning. You know how in decorating it's all in the details?? Well, a Blossom Band is the perfect detail to make your holiday outfits fabulous!
Bethany Lander Etsy: Bands Etsy Store Email: Bethany@BlossomBands.com Website: http://www.blossombands.com/ ********************************* Jennifer Black, The Pampered Chef
If you read Jess' post on her amazing Apple dessert, then you know that we LOVE Pampered Chef products. Did you know that I only use stoneware to do all my cooking? Really, I have almost every stone they sell. It's definitely one of my favorite things. With thanksgiving coming, you should peruse their catalog and see what you need before cooking for the masses. I actually never buy something without hosting a party because the benefits are insane. I'm a huge fan of the catalog show because # 1- I don't have to find a date in my crazy schedule and # 2 Did I mention the amazing incentives and FREE products? So, call Jane, host a catalog party, and get a bunch of free stuff! Ok, even if you don't do the party thing, you must own at least one piece of stoneware and Jess recommends the apple corer slicer! Jennifer BlackPhone: (410) 952-1179 Email: Janeniferjblack@comcast.net Website: http://www.pamperedchef.biz/jenniferblack ********************************* The Land of Nod I've loved Crate & Barrel forever (we actually registered there for our wedding) so of course I LOVE their sister store, The Land of Nod! You'll definitely want to check them out for holiday decor and Christmas presents.
Here is one Must Have item if you have elementary aged kids.
It's the BEST doodle book ever! Taro Gomi draws the coolest Japanese doodles to get your kiddos thinking. Each page usually has a picture and a prompting question. Ex: An empty plate and the question… The Queen's coming for dinner, what do we feed her? My kids ADORE this book and fought over the pages enough that I finally bought a few more! The Land of Nod has offered our readers FREE shipping on most Holiday Toys, so click the pic below to take advantage of it! LMK if you buy a fun doodle book!
*********************************
Did Jess and I mention that life has been a wee bit crazy lately? Each week we keep saying that"it should slow down next week", but so far it just keeps on being awesome and crazy! Dream Dinners has been a total savior in this area! The other night I was over and asked Jess what they were going to do for dinner (because I had nothing planned for my family) and she just pointed to an amazing looking Dream Dinner thawing and ready to pop in the oven. Even if you love to cook, it's so wonderful to have some DDs on hand for the unexpected busy day. Give Kris a call and bring your friends- it's so fun to make meals together! Kris Petrich, Owner 309 at Advance Ln 262 Bethlehem Pike, Ste 101 Colmar, PA 18915 Tel: 215-822-4055 Email: 309advanceLNPA@dreamdinners.com Website: http://www.dreamdinners.com/ A BIG Thanks to all of our sponsors! Thanks for taking this crazy journey with us!Now, go show them some RHBC love! If you have a business or a product that you think our readers would love, contact us to talk about becoming a blog sponsor.Thanks!
One of the most fun parts of the CWTS contest is getting to see the fun projects linked up in our weekly link party! The girls in this contest are seriously talented, but guess what?! So are YOU! If you want to get a burst of inspiration, check out the fab upcycle projects that were linked up right here.
We were immediately drawn to this end table when we saw it in the party since we're both HUGE fans of rustic industrial style furniture. Allison from The Golden Sycamore put some serious effort and time into this piece and it tells! It's absolutely gorgeous! Well done, girl.; )
As I mentioned a few weeks ago on my blog, I'm really into the industrial look right now. I seriously can't get enough of it! While I was playing around online one day, showing my husband all these cool industrial tables, he got an idea in his head: Why not build one ourselves? One thing led to another and now we have our own custom industrial end table for our living room! (You can see the reveal post {here}). This was our inspiration for the table …
My husband and I are really happy with how our table turned out and I'm excited to share this project with you, but I want to warn you, this particular DIY project is not for the faint of heart. This project is a bit of a process and can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing and aren't careful. PLEASE do not attempt this unless you feel very confident in your abilities. Please be sure you take all safety precautions when using a power tool or dangerous chemicals or objects and read the instruction manuals before using them. I am not a trained professional. If you are uncertain, please consult an expert before attempting this or any projects on this blog. I will not be responsible for any injuries or damages caused by any attempts to recreate this or any projects posted on this blog.
Alright, now that that's out of the way, onto the tutorial. Aging Galvanized Metal
SUPPLIES: 8 — 3/4" x 10" galvanized pipe ($29.60) 16 — galvanized floor flanges ($116.16) 48 — 1/4" x 1" galvanized lag screws ($22.08) HCl / toilet bowl cleaner Plastic container Small map gas torch ($41.97) Heat safe gloves ($4.46) Vegetable oil Beeswax Metal pan Metal pliers PROCEDURE: Start by putting your galvanized metal plumbing supplies in a plastic container. Add enough HCl / toilet bowl cleaner to cover all the metal and let sit for 2-3 hours. This process will remove the zinc coating off the galvanized metal. **DO THIS PART OUTSIDE OR IN A VERY WELL VENTILATED AREA — YOU DON'T WANT TO BE BREATHING THESE CHEMICALS IN!! (This is a picture of the screws in toilet bowl cleaner. We did them separately, but you can just put everything together.)
After a few hours, rinse all your metal pieces off. Pour some vegetable oil in a metal container. Wearing heat safe gloves and holding your piece of metal with a pliers, heat metal with torch until it is hot enough that it turns orange. Once it is thoroughly heated, dip in vegetable oil. Then reheat the piece of metal to orange hot. Once it is hot enough, set in oil to cool for about 30 seconds. **AGAIN — USE CAUTION. DO THIS PART IN A SAFE AREA AND HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER NEAR BY IN CASE OF FIRE!!
The metal will still be very hot, so take the piece of metal out of the oil with a pliers.
Cool the metal with water.
Once it's cool to the touch, scrub off burned oil residue with water and a wire brush.
Lightly heat metal again with torch (about 30 seconds) and coat with beeswax. Once coated, rub with cotton rag while still warm.
Let cool before handling. Metal will still be hot for a while.
And that's it! Haha! I know the process is intense, but if you really want the aged look, it's worth it! Here is what your finished product should look like. Repeat process for all your pieces of metal.
Now onto the wood shelves.
SUPPLIES: 1 — IKEA Numerar oak butcher block countertop ($129.00) — we used a little over half the length, so the cost of what was used was roughly $70 Tape measure and pencil Circular saw Straight edge clamp Router Orbital sander and sand paper Stain Silhouette Cameo and stencil Paint and paint brush Mineral oil PROCEDURE: Start by measuring your Numerar butcher block to the size you want your shelves and mark where to cut. Our shelves measure 19.5" wide x 24" deep.
Set up your straight edge clamp so that your saw will cut on your measured line. You'll probably have to set it to about a half inch over to allow for the width of the saw.
Cut butcher block with circular saw. Repeat this process for second shelf.
Run orbital sander along the edges to ensure a smooth finish. Then router the edges of each shelf — remember to do the top and bottom sides to keep the look cohesive.
With your orbital sander, sand the finish off the top and bottom of both shelves.
Using Minwax Dark Walnut stain, wipe on stain and immediately wipe off to get a slightly darker color, but not too much penetration. If you desire a darker stain color, either leave the stain on longer before wiping off or apply more layers of stain to darken it.
I don't have pictures of this part, but if you wish to add numbers to your top shelf, here's how to do it. Choose the style and size of numbers you want and cut them out using your Silhouette Cameo. If you don't have a Cameo, you can always print numbers out on your printer and then cut them out by hand. Once you have your numbers, arrange them on the shelf the way you want them and then trace around them using a white or black colored pencil. Once your numbers are traced, use craft paint and a small paint brush to paint inside the lines. Let paint dry and sand lightly with sand paper to desired distressed look.
Once you are done with your numbers (or if you skipped that step) wipe both shelves with mineral oil (or some other sealant like wax or polyurethane) to seal the shelves.
Now to put it all together. SUPPLIES: Drill Wrench or impact driver All your metal pieces Both shelves Level PROCEDURE: Drill pilot holes in each shelf. You'll drill four holes per flange. Drill holes in the bottom of the top shelf. The bottom shelf will get holes drilled in both sides — top and bottom. Make sure to stagger your holes on the bottom shelf so that they don't meet up with each other through the wood. Using your wrench or impact driver, on the bottom shelf, attach 4 flanges with your lag screws on the top side of the shelf. Screw pipe into the four flanges. Attach flanges to the bottom of the top shelf with lag screws. Screw those flanges to the pipe that is already attached to the bottom shelf. Attach flanges to the bottom side of the bottom shelf. Screw pipe into flanges and screw final flanges to the bottom of the pipe — these are the table's"feet". Check to make sure the table is level. If it isn't, screw or unscrew pipes until the table is level.
Alright, if you've made it to the end of this post, I applaud you! I told you it was intense! I definitely can see why our inspiration piece was almost $700! Not only are the materials relatively expensive, but it is also quite labor intensive! In the reveal post, I said that the table cost us about $300 to make. We had a lot of the tools on hand, but we had to purchase most of the supplies. In this post I've added up the supplies we bought and calculated our total cost (using about half the countertop cost since we can use the remainder of the countertop for another project). The total came to $284.27. If you add MI tax, it comes to $301 and some change. That's a pretty good estimate on our part, if you ask me!: ) If I didn't explain something well enough or you have any questions, PLEASE feel free to ask! I'll do my best to help you out! Thanks so much for reading my loooong tutorial!: ) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Isn't that incredible?! Seriously, so good. Thanks for linking up, Allison! Don't forget to check back at midnight tonight to see the Contestants Round 3 projects!
The day is finally here! Submissions for Creating with the Stars are Open! We are so excited to see all of your submission projects!
This group of blog stars is pretty epic! One of them could be your new partner in crime! 1- Sherry from Young House Love 2- Whitney & Ashley from Shanty 2 Chic 3- Brooke from All Things Thrifty 4- Jane from Tatertots and Jello 5- Sarah from Thrifty Decor Chick 6- Beckie from Infarrantly Creative 7- Mandi from Vintage Revivials 8- Jamielyn from I Heart Naptime 9- Shaunna from Perfectly Imperfect 10- Beth from Home Stories A to Z 11- Kari from U Create 12- Brittany from Pretty Handy Girl------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Let's just recap CWTS a bit and then we'll get onto the How To details!If you missed the announcement post with ALL the details, click hereYou can submit one project that shows everyone your best stuff into the linky party below. Projects must have been made October 1, 2011 or laterand must be your own work. You have until February 21st to enter your submission. From those entries, 11 will be chosen by the blog stars and us as contestants and will be randomly paired up to work one-on-one with a Blog Star, to duke it out in a four-week competition to see who's the most creative. The Star will give suggestions, ideas, encouragement, and help so you can come up with the best project possible. Each round will have a theme and the bottom three will be eliminated based on reader votes. Once the contest is started, weekly projects are anonymous, so big blogger or rookie, everyone's on the same, even playing field! Find your favorite project to link up and be prepared to put your best foot forward if you want to survive!---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How to Enter CWTS:1.Link Up your Project. Use the Linky below to submit your project entry *Reminder: Be sure to link to the actual project page, and not just your homepage. 2. Grab a Button. You need to add a link back to EC2 in your submission post. Even if it's an old post, just grab the button code below and paste it into the post.
3. Follow EC2 on Facebook. Make sure you LIKE East Coast Creative so you get all the updates and info we'll be sharing there as well. (This step is a requirement to your entry- sorry to be big, bad, rule enforcers- We promise we aren't mean!)
4. Start Spreading the Word! The first 11 contestants will be chosen by the Blog Stars and East Coast Creative, but #12 will be chosen by popularity in the link party. Get your readers to come over and give your thumbnail a click- yours could be the most viewed!! (Just don't act like some weird robot and click on your own entry a million times, that's lame-o!)
And, as if you need any more motivation to enter, we have the BEST.SPONSORS.EVER!! The 2013 CWTS Prize packages Total over $4100!! A special thanks to Homes.com, HomeGoods, HomeTalk, and Home Depot for their generous sponsorship of CWTS.nWe're so honored to have them! The Grand Prize Winners (Contestant and Blog Star) will each receive: $500 from Homes.Com $500 Gift Card to HomeGoods Project featured by HomeTalk
All contestants that make it to Week 4 will be given a $100 Giftcard to HomeGoods to use during the week 4 home decor challenge! The Semi-Finals Winner will receive: $500 Gift Card to Home Depot (Contestant & Blog Star) $100 worth of Martha Stewart supplies from Plaid Crafts $125 Gift Card to Lucent Lampworks Project featured by HomeTalk
The Week 2 Winner will receive: $100 Gift Card to Royal Design Studio A pair of $120 Robert Allen pillows from Chic Decor Pillows Project featured by HomeTalk
The Week 1 Winner will receive: $50 worth of 31 Gifts products $60 worth of Twtsted Yarn products $70 of Henle Headbands products $100 Blog Re-design from 733 Design Project featured by HomeTalk
Okay, enough talking, let's get submitting! We're so excited to have each and every one of you!! Good Luck and May the Oddsbeever in your Favor (sorry, two Hunger Games lovers here!)
