My Creative Blog [Search results for people] 

Remember that time that we were invited by that cutie Nate Berkus to be a part of one episode on his show?

Remember how we loved working with Nate and were so flattered when he invited us back for 3 more episodes?

Well those amazing experiences helped us realize a few things… 1- We love a good DIY challenge 2- We really enjoyed being part of a TV show 3- People said we're not half bad at it
We are crazy, over the moon, still can't believe it ourselves, excited to announce that starting July 2013 we'll be the hosts of our very own DIY Show!!!

We're so glad that we can finally tell all of you! This has been such a hard secret to keep!
So here's the deal… Our show is called,"Knock It Off" and we get to do exactly what we love… Get high end looks and amazing style without spending a fortune!! We're going to help viewers"knock off" those pricey styles the DIY way! Being on a show is great, but having a network believe in you enough to create an entire show around you is beyond amazing! We've noticed a bit of a trend in home shows… it's all huge makeovers with enormous budgets- fun to watch, but not something most people (including us) can do in their own homes. Knock It Off is the home show for REAL people- people with a budget- people who want to have an amazing home, but not break the bank- people that love simple, creative ideas- people like YOU!!

We'll have tons more details to share as our premiere gets closer, but for now, here are a few details What: Knock It Off Where: Live Well Network (ABC/Disney) When: Starting July 7, 2013 Make sure to check your local listings for The Live Well Network- it's a national 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! They just premiered a new vacation rental show called"Sweet Retreats" and we're loving it!

As we get further into the show, we'll be sure to fill you in on some fun behind the scenes peeks. We love our crew and it has been a blast to work with them!

Our official Knock It Off Facebook page is live we're ready for followers!! Of course our regular EC2 page will still be active, but if you want sneak peeks, exclusive show content projects and more, be sure to LIKE our Knock It Off page!
Also, we'd be so thrilled if you'd help us spread the word! We want the world to know that Knock It Off is coming soon!! Thanks!We're sure you guys have some questions about the show, how it all went down, and more and we'd be super happy to answer them!! Leave a comment below. Thanks so much for taking this amazing journey with us! We are beyond excited and hope we make you all proud!!

PS- We'll still be posting regularly here on EC2, but don't panic if you see a tiny slow down. Monica is still working full-time teaching, so we do all of our Knock It Off work on the weekends. Our pace is a little intense until summer, but we're so excited about it all, that we hardly notice!! We have plenty of fun posts planned for the next two months!! PSS- The design team is working on the show graphics and we can't wait to be able to share those with all of you too!! Make sure you've liked the FB page so you'll know as soon as it's ready!!

This is the first installment of a mini-series on entertaining and hospitality. For me and Eric, it's a big part of our relationship and family- we love having people over and sharing our home and our food! Over the years, we've learned that so many people are intimidated by the idea of having company over. The stress and hassle they feel, makes it not-so-fun to have people over. I have some entertaining tips, ideas, and also some myths to debunk over the next few weeks! Let's get started… When's the last time you were at someone's house and wished the entire experience was fancier and more formal? Let's be real… I have never left a friend's house and thought,"Man, I wish she had more fork options around my plate, and the wrinkles in the cloth napkins were so distracting!"

The Martha Blog This photo is from a dinner Martha hosted recently for a"few friends." The menu was: Warm Salad of Spring Vegetables -Â Green Pea Jus Osso Bucco -Â Risotto Milanese with Saffron Pavlova -Â Passion Fruit Sorbet NEWSFLASH: Your guests DO NOT expect the Martha treatment (Unless you're really Martha Stewart, in which case- thanks for reading our blog!) Yes, it's nice to sometimes add special touches, and there is definitely a time and a place for that, but don't feel pressured to impress. REMINDER: It's assumed that the people coming over already like you and vice-versa! You don't need to impress them- just make them feel welcome. Since we sold our dining room table three weeks ago, our weekly company has been sitting on folding chairs around two Costco tables and they keep coming back! Monica's Entertaining Rule # 1: Don't try to impress your friends and family. They already like you and think you're pretty great. On this note, I want to share one of my favorite blogs with you. Catalog Living is a humorous look into the lives of families living in the uber-perfect rooms in all of our favorite catalogs. Gary and Elaine are my favorite, and they often live in Pottery Barn rooms. Here are a few of the rooms and captions that made me smile…

Satisfied that he’d gotten enough practice in today, Gary decided to treat himself and stow away his counting board a little early.

Kids! Dinner! Last one to the table gets the tetanus stool!

Recognizing the familiar sound of a shattering crunch followed by a scream, Elaine prepared for another recitation of her “These are not powdered sugar donut holes” speech These absolutely kill me and I was laughing so much tonight choosing which ones to post. There are tons of funny ones, but I chose these pictures to remind you that you don't live in a catalog-perfect home (again, sorry Martha if you're reading… your home is quite perfect.) Yes, people don't want sticky pancake syrup on themselves from leaning on your kitchen table, but don't go overboard thinking your home needs to be spotless and look like something out of a magazine. So, let these things sink in over the weekend and next week we'll work on some easy peasy tips and ideas to make this entertaining thing less stressful and a lot more fun! Have a good weekend and don't forget to submit your Design Challeng{ed} photos!

One of our New Year's Resolutions was to share a little bit about ourselves. And you want to know something about me? Last year was the year I quit {almost} everything. Want to know something else? Last year I didn’t like who I was. Let me explain.

Probably one of the most frequently asked questions of us is “How do you do it all?” The answer for me this past year, was “Not very well.” First, let me preface this by saying, I’m speaking only for myself. I recognize that every person juggles their hats differently, and every person has a different tolerance level for busyness. I would say that I have an above-average tolerance for busyness- it takes very little to stress me out. However, that level was completely maxed out last year.

I'm sure it had nothing to do with you, Mr. Berkus. You're too dang cute to cause much stress.
Don’t get me wrong- I’m not complaining about the past year. No way. I have a fabulous life and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. And I have to admit, I really liked it when someone said “oh my gosh- I don’t know how you do it all! You are so inspiring!” On the outside, it looked like I had it all together and that it just wasn’t a big deal to juggle all those things. All of that busyness was of my own making. Yup, I said it. But if you were in my home every day, you’d know that I was short-tempered with my husband and wasn’t allotting any quality time for him. I was hurrying my kids through their day, not really focusing on them, just waiting for naptime to come. I was comparing myself to other bloggers and feeling badly about my projects. My confidence took a hit because I was so focused on how good other people’s stuff is and how insignificant my stuff was. I got uber-upset when a criticism would come along. I wasn’t enjoying my life. Period. I felt like I couldn’t ever give 100% to anything I was doing because I was spread so thin. I was exhausted.

source
I finally realized that I needed to simplify my life a bit so that I could really focus on the things that matter most to me: my faith, my family, this little ol’ blog and the opportunities that might come as a result of it. I quit my job and stopped coaching tennis. I have dedicated myself to enjoying my babies while I still have them at home. I’ve stopped putting pressure on myself to come up with the best projects ever, and am just creating things that I love. I’ve developed the ability to say no, if I know it will negatively impact my family. I figure that I won’t ever look back and wish I had worked more and spent less time with my family. I’m happier, more focused and more productive. Plus, my kids think I’m more fun. I’m not saying it’s all better. I’m a work in progress and I’m still tempted to compare myself with others. In fact, it's often still really hard to say"no" to good things, especially when I know it may disappoint people.

So, what am I saying? I guess my hope is that you'll realize that it's ok to say no to some things, even when it feels like you're letting people down (I'm a HUGE people-pleaser, and this was hard for me to learn). I know that it's not possible for everyone to quit their job to pursue just the stuff that gives them joy, but there are tons of good things that we can do with our time, that don't fulfill our goals in life. I encourage you to evaluate what's important to you, and then pursue those things. Don't bog yourself down with stuff you think you're supposed to be doing, just because it makes other people happy or even because you like the appearance of being busy. Figure our your priorities, and cut out all that junk that messes with them. Just my two cents.: )

So, how about you? Do you over commit or are you good at saying no?

Phew! We don't know about you, but we are exhausted after that month-long Creating with the Stars. But on the other hand, we really miss it! We could not be happier with the way our first ever contest went and hope you all enjoyed it and were inspired by it too! We are chomping at the bit to get back into the swing of our own projects,but before we do that, we thought we'd take a look back at the things we learned form Creating with the Stars 2013- David Letterman-style!

10. You get what you pay for. We learned this the hard way, for sure. We deicded to use a survey company that was very inexpensive to host each week's voting and we had major problems every week with it. You guys noticed it, too, and we promise that next year the voting will be sooo much easier! Putting out a little bit more money will be worth it if we can avoid all the hassles we dealt with!

9. Running the contest and trying to do each round's projects = Crazytown Even though we like the projects we came up with during the season trying to do them while hosting the contest, coordinating posts, emailing back and forth with stars and contestants, all while wrangling our kids and managing the rest of our lives and another HUGE project, we were on overload. Whoever thought of participating in each round (I'm pretty sure it was Monica,) is insane, and you WON'T be seeing that next season.: )

Week 1: Upcycled Door turned Desk, Week 2: Anthro Wood Cut Art Knockoff Week 3: Painted Piano, Week 4: Colorful and Fun Kid's Bathroom Makeover
8. You people are competitive! For real! We went into this season thinking it would be awesome and a whole lot of fun, not ever thinking people would be so into it! Even readers who weren't contestants got fired up about the littlest thing!. Honestly, we had no idea we would be dealing with so many Sherlock Holmes! Now we know you guys are in it to win it, and will back up your favorites no matter what!
7. Planning and preparation were key for these procrastinators! Posting seven days a week within a strict time frame is no joke. Usually, we decide the day before what we want to write about the next day, but not so with CWTS! We began seriously planning in October 2012- approaching sponsors and stars, writing emails, figuring out guidelines etc. We were super glad we did this because the contest went pretty smoothly. Thank goodness!

We finished our round 1 project last year at 1 AM. Procrastinate, much? 6. The pressure is on when the world is watching, We absolutely hate it when something doesn't go quite as planned. We recognize there were a few glitches in the contest and because so many people were coming here every day, those mistakes were just that much more noticeable. Ick, we really don't like that. No more mistakes next year!
5. Go big or Go home! We always say we're not afraid to try or go after anything and it worked in our favor with this contest! We landed some amazing sponsors by just asking if they wanted to partcipate! Plus, we went out on a major limb (that involved pretty lame dancing and fake mustaches) to get our incredible stars on board! (PS. this video gets a little long, so feel free to skip the middle!)

4. It's pretty darn fun to help new bloggers get a step up! We were unbelievably grateful to Tam for giving us a platform to showcase our fun ideas when we won last year. It made people notice us, and we were so thrilled to do that for these 12 crazy-gifted girls. We hope that you'll continue to support your favorites and follow along as they grow bigger than us!
3. The Stars you all love really are that incredible!
These ladies took time out of their very busy schedules to help better the contestants projects and photos. All of the contestants comments on how wonderful the stars were to work with. Thanks ladies!

2. It turns out we're not the only talented people in blogland. Ha! But seriously, the talent that the contestants showed, and the amazing projects you all linked up blew us away. We love that this blogging niche is so encouraging and open to sharing of ideas, and man, our list must-do project list grew by about a mile after all of the fabulous ideas we saw throughout the contest!

1. Creating with the Stars is the Most Epic Blog Contest on the Web! We already can't wait for next year's contest. It's definitely not too early for you to start creating awesome things because submissions open in February 2014!

What did YOU think of the contest? Will you get your game on next year?

Want to catch up on all the projects from Creating with the Stars 2013? Click below!

Round 1 Projects & Winners Round 2 Projects & Winners Ro und 3 Projects & Winners Round 4 Projects & Winners

You guys have been so good to us lately! You've dealt with all the blog switcheroo craziness and we thought we should thank you for it! Well, technically Canvas People are the ones doing the generous giving, but we're sharing the love with you! They run this deal from time to time, and this time around we get to share it with you!

Canvas People are offering a Free 8x10 to every EC2 reader! (or if you're more the large print type you can get $40 off of your order)

To get your free canvas, click HERE One of my very first blog posts ever was about a canvas gallery I ordered through Canvas People. Remember this?

So the question now is What to Print?? Pictures or a Printable? Don't worry, we've rounded up an awesome collection of free, legit prints that you can use on your canvas. How's that for exciting?
. To download them, follow them using the links provided to their source sites, save the image to your computer and upload it to Canvas People using the link above.
This would look great in a master bedroom or bath.Download the I love us printable.

Source: eighteen25.blogspot.com via East Coast Creative on Pinterest The school year is almost over, make one of these on canvas for one of your kiddo's teachers Download the Teacher Appreciation printable 16x20

Source: eighteen25.blogspot.com via East Coast Creative on Pinterest
We love the colors in this one!Download the Room in Our Hearts printable

Source: simpleasthatblog.com via East Coast Creative on Pinterest

Love isn't just for the month of February! Download the fairytale printable

Source: simpleasthatblog.com via East Coast Creative on Pinterest
Jess has an obsession with coral, so this would be perfect. Comes in tons of colors!Download the What I Love printable

Source: eighteen25.blogspot.com via East Coast Creative on Pinterest
And my personal favorite is one I made from a quote I saw. Download Straight Gangsta printable

You know by now that our favorite online paper store is Moo & Puppy. I made this monogram printable to put on a canvas, but I was thinking of making one for each of my kids' teachers. All you need to do is 1-visit moo and puppy2- choose your paper pack- you get like 8 papers for $3.00 (what a deal!) 3- Use picmonkey.com to add a background shape and letter4. Use this link to get your free canvas!

Ooh, and we just found a few more adorable printables (comes in lots of colors!) from Paper Coterie that are perfect for Mother's Day, and every other day for that matter! Download Love printables

We hope you have a great weekend and have fun choosing what to print! Aren't FREE things awesome? We sure think so! Enjoy!

Sometimes it's hard to really make something like the tragedy in Japan seem real when we're so far away. We can watch the news, see the YouTube videos, but still it can be hard to even imagine the devastation and even harder to have the same heart that Jesus does when his people are hurting. This blog is called REAL housewives for a reason… we're trying to be real and transparent with our readers and even more importantly, living out a REAL, authentic faith in God. So, I'll be honest, I don't always have the kind of compassion and burden for those that are hurting that I should. I let myself and my life get in the way. Japan does seem real to me because I've been there. I've met wonderful people and I had the privilege to meet a family that has dedicated their life to serving the people of Japan. The Bengtsons Please be praying for their family as they try to put life back together and offer hope to those hurting in Sendai, Japan.

Last night I took a few minutes to look through some pictures from my summer in Japan. It was amazingly beautiful and every person I met was incredibly kind.

My primary purpose while I was there was to help take care of Dean and Linda's two sons while they prepared for a move. I also assisted Shauna (one of my dear friends and life-long role models) teaching English classes.

In addition to praying for The Bengtsons and Japan as a whole, I also found a cool, tangible way to help. The Salvation Army has designed this great shirt and 100% of the proceeds go towards aid for Japan. I looked into these shirts closely and due to donations the cost to produce them is almost non-existent, so the money is actually going to help. I really like the shirt and it's a good reminder that even after the media dies down, and the next big news event comes along, that the people in Japan will need our prayer for far longer. So maybe consider ordering one as a way to help and a reminder to pray.
Just a few gifting ideas for these shirts: 1- Teacher Gifts- I guarentee you the teacher will love it and it won't be the same old 2- Christmas presents- yes, I know it's VERY far away, but I think it would be a good lesson for my kids to give them one months later and remind them that we still need to be praying. (I hope my kids don't read my blog) 3- Graduation Gift- stick it in with some dorm stuff Click HERE to order a shirt through the Salvation Army

If you're looking for a place to provide support financially and aren't sure who to go through, the organization that the Bengtsons have recommended, and are working with is CrashJapan and you can donate through that link.
Have a great Tuesday!

Last night they sent a new Swedish documentary about Wikileaks / Julian Assange. First of all; I totally agree with his philosophy. All classified information must out to the people. We have a right to know what's going on 'behind closed doors', which the videos shown clearly prove. I got a stomach and heart ache when I saw it. I nearly cried when I heard how they bragged about killing innocent people in Bagdad. They didn't care whether it was children or grown ups.

American authorities demanded that Wikileaks returned all their information immediately and it's of course obvious why; they don't want the world to know how their soldiers really act inhuman and evil and show what video games and being a long way from the consequences of killing means. It does something with them. They lose their sense of understanding what a human life is worth. They don't give a damn. Simple as that. They should be prosecuted and get  death sentences or at least life in prison for what they've done.

And honestly, I don't believe a word of what Assange is being accused of. I think these women has been bought to stop him from doing what he does. That's politics for you. That's how people with power act. That's how it works. He's done nothing wrong but shared with us information. And that is not illegal!

Now, I guess you've all heard it. Stockholm was attacked. Of course it was terrorism, even if the police won't confirm it. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out! Luckily he didn't really succeed in what he planned to do. No one died but him. Ironic. But of course the country is in chock. We thought we lived in a country that would never experience terror. We thought we lived so far away from all that. We're just a small, unimportant place up in the north. We were wrong. And now it will never be the same. It may very well happen again. All the Nordic countries are suddenly at risk. A terrorist attack could happen at any time. There's no way of knowing.

The fact that he did it on a Sunday, two weeks before Christmas when a huge amount of people were out shopping, on the most crowded place in Stockholm shows the evil behind it. I doubt he was alone. And as the CIA sad, if Al-Qaida takes responsibility we are definitely 'screwed'. In that case we are suddenly side by side to London and New York.

I'm worried!   

You get to read about our projects, you know what the inside of our houses look like, but who are The Real Housewives of Bucks County? Well, this must be your lucky day, because today we're sharing a bit of ourselves with you… (Warning, some of these questions are cheesy, but who doesn't like a little cheese and we like 'em!)
Meet the Real Housewives of BC

1. Do you have kids?

2. Where is your birth place and are you far from it now?

3. What is one thing you could not do when you were a child, but you can do now?

5. What are your hobbies?

6. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

7. If you could travel anywhere in the world — where would you go and why?

8. Have you ever met a famous person?

9. What is your least favorite thing about yourself?

10. One that describes your BFF and blog partner?

11. How tall are you?

12. When you were little — What did you want to do"when you grew up?" Are you doing it?

13. How do you spend your free time?

14. Favorite sport you like to watch or participate in?

15. What kind of food do you prefer eating when you are out?

16. Last Movie You Watched?

17. Would you like to be famous?

18. What Book Are You Reading?

19. Favorite Bible Verse?

*Photos courtesy of Doug from Candid Moments Photography. Thanks so much, Doug! You did a great job working with some very amateur models.: )
So, it's your turn now. What questions do you have for us? We're game for answering {almost} anything!

We absolutely could not do what we do without the support of some amazing people and businesses! As we head into Fall, we wanted to share a few of our Fall favs from some of our favorite people, Be sure to take notice of the coupon codes and special deals going on right now!

1. You know I've got baby boys on the brain, so I'm totally loving htis Joshua 1:9 Boys Print from Red Letter Words.
2. This adorable Dearborn Orange paper pack includes the perfect colors for Fall and with all those amazing patterns, you can create some really cute stuff! Use the discount code EC2blog20 for 20% off your order. Also, for a limited time, pay only $50 for 50 different paper packs - that's amazing! You can see what we do with our printable scrapbook paper here. Seriously…endless possibilities!

   

3. If you're local and need some professional design advice or just help getting started, Bare Root Designs is the place to go! Great design classes and rekindling the art and love to sewing are just a few of the things offered1 Make sure you check for upcoming events and classes on their website.
4. I actually almost squealed when I saw this Wall lighting with Opal Glass Shade from Lucent Lampworks. We can testify first-hand that Brad's lights are legit- gorgeous AND well-made (we've even used a couple custom lights on Knock It Off!) Save 10% off your order with the code EC2tenoff.

   

5. We are all about stenciling walls, but have you thought of stenciling furniture? This trendy-cool Small Step Up Triangle Stencil from Royal Design Studio is the perfect size for that boring piece of furniture you have sitting around that you just didn't know what to do with! Use the code ECC10 to get 10% off your order.
6. Window films from Artscape are such a great way to gain privacy or to add style to a plain window. They're easy to adhere and are non-permanent, plus there are some really cool designes like this New Leaf Design.

   

7. Again with the orange, but this time it's on something you can wear! This Tangerine Braided Headband from Henle Headbands is sweet and simple, but a little punchy with that orange color. I'm digging this color for Fall, for sure! And be on the lookout- I wore a Henle headband in one of our episodes and it was so cute and really comfortable!
8. Of course, along with a baby comes the need for a diaper bag! I've never been disappointed with Thirty-One gift bags and kind of think this Casual Cargo Purse is just the diaper bag for me! And if you hurry, you can c hoose any purse for 50% off when you spend $35 dollars in August! Done and done.: )

   

9. Welcome to our newest sponsor, Misty with Stella & Dot! Stella & Dot sells gorgeous jewelry, bags, scarves and more. And f or every $50 spent on Stella and Dot website before tax and shipping between NOW and September 9th, you will receive AN ENTRY TO WIN the gorgeous Frida Necklace Hello, color and more color. A fashion forward statement piece that brightens up any look and outlook. Wear it with a t-shirt and jeans or wear it out for an evening on the town. The Frida is 17" long with 2" extender, hematite plating, and lead and nickel safe.
10. Have you read Smart, Blonde & Crafty, yet? The completely FREE August & September edition has a great question & answer article with Karianne from Thistlewood Farms, lots of creative kids snacks for back-to-school and fun game ideas for your little ones. You're sure to find loads of inspiration on every page.
11. Fall is my favorite time of year to burn candles! We cant get enough of CJS Eco Chic's Heirloom Candles in scents like Brown Sugar & Fig, Apple Cider, Amaretto Spice and Cranberry Apple Marmalade. And get this: A l arge 16 oz candle is only $13!! Plus, because these candles are soy, they last a really long time!

12. Our favorite thrift store, Liberty Thrift is having their 15th Anniversary Sales through the month of August at all five locations! Check out the specials page. to see what they have going on this week!

13. And finally, we have to give a shout out to our favorite photographer, Stacy from Salvatori Photography. If you're in need of amazing photos and are in the area, you need to call her! She took family photos of us as we revealed the gender of baby #3 and this one of my son is a total gem that I will love forever. She's totally booked for Fall, but it's never too early to schedule your session for Spring! This girl is busy, so get on it, people!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now is the time to think Christmas presents, people! It will be here before you know it, and trust me, you can't go wrong with ANY of these incredible items. And remember- this is just a sampling of what they offer. Head over to their sites and give them all some EC2 love!: )

I have a thing for pictures that tell a story, and there are many of them. The stories they tell are appalling and shocking, heartbreaking and sad. They show a world of starvation, war, heartlessness and pure evil. They show the harsh reality so many people live in and though we might not want to see this side of life, I recon it's important to know they're out there.

Although we might not be able to help them it might help us to be more grateful for what we actually have ourselves.

The afghan girl, picture shot by National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry. Sharbat Gula was one of the students in an informal school within the refugee camp; McCurry, rarely given the opportunity to photograph Afghan women, seized the opportunity and captured her image. She was approximately 12 years old at the time. She made it on the cover of National Geographic next year, and her identity was discovered in 1992.

Thisphotograph has become synonymous with The Battle of Gettysburg, which was the most bloody battle of the American Civil War. Photographer Timothy H. O'Sullivan documented and recorded the battlefield, and this picture became a sensation.

For many, this was their first chance to see, first hand, the true extent of the Civil War. However, it was not until 40 years after the battle that the pictures were mass produced, as photo-engraving had not been established. The picture shows dead confederate soldiers on the battlefield.

Alberto Korda took this picture of Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara, titled 'Guerrillero Heroico' or 'Heroic Guerrilla'. It shows Che, as he was known, at a memorial service for victims of the La Coubre explosion.

Despite being one of the most reproduced images in history, Korda, a lifelong Communist and supporter of the Cuban Revolution, claimed no payment for his picture.

Lawrence Beitler took this iconic photograph on August 7, 1930, showing the lynching of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith, two young black men accused of raping a white girl. It sold thousands of copies, which Beitler stayed up for 10 days and nights printing them.

It has become iconic over the years as it is one of the best and most recognisable images of lynching which at the time was commonplace, but now serves only as a reminder of the pre-Civil Rights era.

The photo shows a crowd that have turned out to view the lynching, and the audience a mixture of anger and fulfilment. The photo was so popular it has been the inspiration for many poems and songs down the years, 'Strange Fruit' by the Jewish poet Abel Meeropol (later sung by Billie Holiday) being the best example.

Possibly the most talked-about, debated and controversial picture in history, the picture of the moon landing has been seen as a feat of human engineering at its best, and has been speculated as a hoax by contractors of the event.

Those in doubt of the authenticity of the picture have come up with many suggestions as to why and how it might have been faked. However, none of the accusations have been proved correct and the debate continues in some circles.

The American flag installs national pride in the US as the winners of the so-called 'Space Race', and their establishment as the world's one remaining super power.

This photo of a naked and terrified young girl running towards Pulitzer prize-winning photographer Nick Ut has entered popular culture as a symbol of the horror of the Vietnam War. It was taken during the American bombing of the village of Trang Bang, Vietnam.

It is said that this photo ended the war in Vietnam and served as an icon for the peace movement that was prevalent in the 1970s.

Often considered the most iconic photograph in history, 'tank man' or 'the unknown rebel' shows an act of courage and defiance and earned the anonymous man widespread fame.

It took place during the protests at Beijing's Tiananmen Square on June 5, 1989, and has subsequently become a symbol of the end of the Cold War era, and one of the most famous photographs of the 20th century. Four people claim to have took photos of the event, but the most reproduced image, and the most famous was by Jeff Widener.

Kevin Carter's photo shows a heart-breaking scene of a starving child collapsed on the ground, struggling to get to a food center during a famine in the Sudan in 1993. In the background, a vulture stalks the emaciated child. It is a horrific picture that gave people a true look at the dire condition in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Carter was part of a group of four fearless photojournalists known as the "Bang Bang Club" who travelled throughout South Africa capturing the atrocities committed during apartheid.

He won a Pulitzer Prize for this work and came under a lot of scrutiny for spending over 20 minutes setting up the photo instead of helping the child. Three months after taking the photo, he committed suicide.

I have seen this picture several times through the years and it touches my heart more and more each time. It brings tears to my eyes and my heart aches for this little, helpless girl.

This image of a child in Uganda holding hands with a missionary shows big contrast between the two people and serves as a reminder of the difference in wealth between developed and developing countries.

Mike Wells, the photographer, took this picture to show the extent of starvation in Africa. He took it for a magazine, and when they went 5 months without printing it, he decided to enter it into a competition. However, Wells has stated that he is against winning a competition with a picture of a starving boy.

Photographer Eddie Adams took this picture of the execution of Nguy?n Van L'm by Nguy?n Ng?c Loan during the Vietnam War. Adams later apologized in person to General Nguyen and his family for the irreparable damage it did to Loan's honour while he was alive.

Picture from an Einsatzgruppen soldier's personal album, labelled on the back as 'Last Jew of Vinnitsa', it shows a member of Einsatzgruppe D is just about to shoot a Jewish man kneeling before a filled mass grave in Vinnitsa, Ukraine, in 1941. All 28,000 Jews from Vinnitsa and its surrounding areas were massacred at the time.

We've been crazy excited about this post since our friend Staci agreed to partnering with us! From time to time, we revisit our Be Intentional series. Staci's story is one that we hope encourages you to set goals in your life (in any and all areas) and then take intentional steps to achieve them. We love this girl, we're so proud of her, and are honored to share her story today!

Meet our friend Staci… ********************************************************************************** I am going to be honest. I am"no good" at home decorating and DIY design and crafting. To be brutally honest, I flat out stink! Oh, believe me, I have dreams about a beautifully decorated bedroom and a warm and cozy living room with amazing wall colors and fresh flowers in beautiful vases accented on my tables and shelves. But, I am just not good at putting everything together to transform a room. So, thankfully, I am NOT writing this post to give you tips about DIY design! Really…you should be thanking me!!! Haha! On the other hand, I thank God for making us all unique and designed for the purposes HE designed us for. So, you may be wondering who am I and why have I been given access to writing to an audience of DIY pros and creatives?!?! I may not be good at DIY design and transforming the rooms of my living space, but I have been on a little DIY transformation…in my body and in my life. My name is Staci. This is me in January of 2010.

I know what you are thinking. Oh goodness. Yikes. I am thinking it, too. "Did she stuff her shirt with melons?" "Did she put pillows in her pants?" "Is she a really grouchy person?" "She looks angry." All to which I can reassure you…NO. I did not put melons in my shirt. I didn't add pillows to my pants. And no…I am not grouchy nor angry!!! Okay, maybe you weren't thinking"exactly" that, but when I look at these pictures of who I was 2 years ago, I can hardly believe that was me.
The reality is, I was 260 lbs. of hurt. 260 lbs. of frustration. 260 lbs. of failed diets. 260 lbs. of zero confidence. 260 lbs. of someone I never, ever wanted to become. Sad, unhealthy, embarrassed, lonely and hopeless.

Have you ever been at your rock bottom? The place where you feel that you are never going to get out of? The place where you feel that no one understands? The place where you feel so far away from where you truly want to be? That was me 2 years ago. I don't exactly remember what it was that sparked a deep desire in me to change once and for all, but I was really starting to think that God didn't create me to be any of the things I was becoming. And he surely didn't desire for me to be trapped in a body that I was ashamed of, embarrassed about and so hurt to be in. Although, one post is not nearly enough to share with you all that has gone on in my life and my transformation over the past 2 years; I will share with you where I am today and the main reasons I am where I am.

I reached my final goal in November 2011. This is me today at 135 lbs.:

Never in a million years did I believe that this was possible. I still look at my before and after photos and I cannot believe that was me and now this is me. You can only see the images, but I can see the hurt and defeat in the before photos. And I can see the strength and hope in the after photos. I haven't just transformed physically, I have transformed emotionally as well.

This picture of my old jeans is a clear reminder of where this journey started! Staci would love for her story to reach and help anyone that might need encouragement. So, you have her permission to Pin her pictures and share it with anyone that could use some encouragement and motivation!

When people hear of my success or they see it for themselves when they see me, there is always one question that gets asked:
WHAT DID YOU DO TO LOSE THE WEIGHT?!?! At first, I used to give people my simple cookie cutter answer of what I did: I started eating right and exercising daily. And I prayed. Sometimes minute by minute. But, after seeing the sometimes disappointed looks back at me because for some reason or other, when people give us the straight up hard truth (even though it is common sense), we somehow think that we could never do that. We believe the lies: "I could never do that."

"I don't have that kind of willpower." You know what? I am not crazy motivated. I don't have any more"willpower" than you. I don't have a magic formula and I sure don't have a magic potion. But, I do have intention and a God who never gives up on me. Even when I give up on myself. Jess and Mon talk often about"Being Intentional". For me, being intentional means doing things even when I don't want to because it is what I need to do. Being intentional means having a plan at all times. Being intentional means setting goals. I am not speaking of having plans and setting goals because I believe I have my future all figured out or that I can truly control what happens tomorrow or next week, but I desire to have a plan and set goals because it is one of the ways that lives can change. It is one way that people can move from an undesirable place in life to a place of freedom and the ability to fully live the life they were designed for! By setting goals, I had to make choices as to"how" I could get to that goal. I set a 6 -week, 90-day, 6-month and"end of year" goal. If the scale wasn't moving, I had to assess what I was doing. And change something immediately. There was no time to go off the path I needed to take if I wanted to meet my goals.
This was me about 1/2 way through… I was around 190lbs.

In addition to setting goals, I also had to learn what I needed vs. what I wanted. Monica and Jess have talked about wants vs. needs in decorating. Well, I may have wanted to go out to my favorite restaurant for a big burger and fries, but I truly didn't need a big burger and fries. See the difference? I know, I know…it still seems like it is a willpower thing. But it really isn't. It's looking at my plan. If I want to weigh 10 lbs. less in 6 weeks, a burger and fries isn't what I need. Does it mean I will never be able to have a burger and fries? Not at all. But right now, that isn't part of the plan.

Bottom line, I am not here to tell you what to do and how to do it. I am merely trying to tell you that you CAN do it. Do what works for you. Do what you know you need to do. Even if you don't have to lose weight, it is still important to fuel your body with healthy, nutritious foods. And it is so important to take some time out of your day to get moving. Find something that you enjoy and get moving! Be intentional. And above all else, remember that you were created for a purpose. By taking care of your body; physically, emotionally and spiritually…you are unleashing a power within that no one can take away. And you are unleashing the power to connect and encourage others around you! When I am struggling or having a day where my wants seem to be trying to overpower the intention of my needs, I cling to the words below. Maybe it is with eating, maybe it is trying to get through an intense workout, maybe it's facing the daily pressures of life. Here is what I hold on to:

" I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." ~Philippians 4:12-13

In the midst of the depth of all of this; the tears, hard work, the defeats and the triumphs, I have made every effort to maintain a attitude of openness and realness with others as well as a level of humor. So, I will leave you with one last photo. It is my favorite one of all!!! This is my mom and I in my old pants…yes, two of us!: -) 125 lbs. lost and gone forever!!! I am forever changed!!!

P.S. I must share that I am a recovering sweets & desserts addict! So, I will share one of my absolute favorite treats that I make almost daily for myself! Enjoy! Quick Chocolate Oatmeal (adapted from my absolute favorite dessert blog Chocolate-Covered Katie) 1/2 cup quick oats 1 small banana (broken up into small chunks) 1 1/2 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa 2 Tbsp Unsweetened Applesauce 15-20 drops of Liquid Stevia 1 tsp. vanilla extract 3/4 cup of Light Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk or Light Vanilla Soy Milk dash of salt 2 Tbsp. fat free cool whip (optional) Spray small saucepan with cooking spray. Combine all of the ingredients together in the small saucepan. Stir everything together until thoroughly mixed. Turn heat to high and continue stirring oatmeal until oatmeal starts to bubble slightly and thicken. After oatmeal starts to slowly boil, turn heat off and continue stirring for another minute or so to finish heating all the way through. Pour into a bowl and enjoy! For an extra treat, add some fat free cool whip on top! *You can also add a Tbsp of Peanut Butter to the above recipe for a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup bowl of oatmeal! My husband's favorite!: -)
***********************************************************************************
So how's that for some intentional living? I don't know about you, but Staci has encouraged, inspired, and motivated us big time! Staci recently started blogging about all things health,fitness, and nutrition, so check out Musings of a Wellness Hopeful for all kinds of recipes, motivation, and more!

Got questions for Staci? Leave a comment and she'll get back to you!

Only following on the blog? You're missing out. Use the buttons below to join in on all the fun!

I feel very honored to have been awarded the 'Super Comments Award' by Mona from Providence ltd Design. Mona has been with me since my first day of blogging leaving wonderful comments for me along the way ever since, for that I truly thank her.

The way this works is you answer a series of questions about yourself and then pass it along to seven others who have left wonderful comments so without farther ado'.
1) Why do you blog??
I keep wondering that myself since I work ten plus hours a day and time has always been an issue for me but I can't help myself. I only just discovered blogs last year. I mean I saw them listed but didn't know what they were so always skipped over them. Last summer I opened one and I was enchanted. I mean here were all these people opening their worlds to us, sharing their homes. That first day I spent the entire day reading and after a month I wanted to be a part of that circle, so I took the plunge and dived in for better or worse.

2) Name your three best memories:
First is my Dad who's gone now'.riding around on my Dad's foot when I was little. I remember plopping on that poor guys foot the moment he walked in the house and he never minded and always gave me a ride'remember doing that? He also taught me how to tie my shoes and ride a bike, it's the little things that make me smile now that he's gone.
Second was the day I moved from Phoenix, AZ to New York City, NY to be with my future husband. I loaded up a large truck and drove across country all by myself. If you've ever driven a 22-foot long truck you'll know how much work it is coupled with the fact I was changing my entire life and leaving everything I knew. It was the scariest thing I've ever done but also the best. It showed me that I was capable of doing anything and from that moment on if I wanted to try something I did!
Third was the day we brought Dylan dog home four years ago. I hadn't had a dog in thirty years, dating myself here, I've had Persian cats. My husband really wanted a golden so I said lets get one and I've never regretted it. Dylan's great company, almost to smart for his own good, great to cuddle up next to and loyal beyond belief. But I think the best part about him is his eyes, you look into those golden brown eyes and you see love shining back!

?3) Name four of the best fiction books you've ever read: I don't have four favorites, I read all the time and there are to many to name. Some favorites I like revisiting are: Beauty by Susan Wilson The ladies of Missalonghi by Colleen McCullough I love mysteries by Mary Higgins Clark and Nora Roberts I read a lot of textile, art and decorating books too but what I like reading is all over the place.

4) What are the five best movies ever made?
Again I don't have favorites because I watch everything under the sun but when I'm alone I like light hearted movies, nothing serious and never anything scary....hate scary movies.
5) Name five things you cannot live without:
My family and friends. My best friend Deb is the sister I never had so I feel very blessed.
My antique textiles, I feel like I've finally figured out what I'm supposed to be doing in my life. It gives me a great sense of peace!
My computer, I have my web site/business on here and it's easier to talk to my friends overseas.
My monthly facials, it's relaxing, keeps my face in place and one of the few things I actually do just for me.
Auctions! I love auctions, the thrill of the hunt, the adrenaline rush just before you bid and sometimes winning, it's very exciting!
6) If you could change your name what would it be?
Chase! I saw a movie once with Rene Russo in it and her characters name was Chase, it was a really cool name. I like my name, Debra, but I introduce myself as Debra and people always say "hi Debbie", I HATE BEING CALLED DEBBIE! Not that there's anything wrong with being called Debbie....:)

7) Tell us a unique and interesting fact about yourself.
I can build! I decide one day to build a garden room in our side field and the first thing I needed were raised field stone garden beds. So I went out and bought a book, read it and went to work. See up in the far left corner my pile of rubble'these poker flowers are in a perfectly round garden bed that's twelve feet wide, I built that. You'll see better pictures in the spring, promise, now I'll bore you with my ability to build!

8) What do you love best about yourself?
My ability to do whatever I set my mind too. I believe everyone can do anything just stop talking about it and go do it. I've accomplished everything I've set out to do in my life so far, yes, it really is that simple. Just do it!
9) If you had a freaky Friday experience, who would you change places with?
Honestly, nobody because I like who I've become as a person. I've worked dang hard to become who I am why would I want to give that up? I'd like to have past and present people to dinner to pick their minds but trade places with them'nah!
10) What is the best thing about being a woman?
The ability to multi-task if I didn't I wouldn't get half the things done that needed to be done.

Now it's time to pass this gracious award on to some of the people who have brightened my days:
Stacey at: Style Addicted Mom Joan at: for the love of a house Sharon at: My French Country Home Jermaine at: French Kissed Deborah at: Boxwood Terrace Vanna at: lvroftiques better known as Delusions of Grandeur Debra at: 5th and State
THANK YOU!

I can't believe I actually won something but I did and it's fabulous! I want to thank Debra over at 5th and State and her nephew who chose my name, for the wonderful dessert cookbook by Chef Alain Roby. I can't wait to try out one of the recipes this weekend!

{If you didn't hear, The Real Housewives of Bucks County are now East Coast Creative (Get the story here ). You'll still be getting all the DIY, Design, and Monica & Jess that you love, but change your favorites to www.eastcoastcreativeblog.com Thanks!}
Last week we got real with you all and shared some of the struggles of a PTB (Part-Time-Blogger). You can check out the post here, but basically we're trying to figure out how to write a successful, growing blog, when it's not yet your full-time job (Notice we say"yet"… girls can dream right?!?) Due to the huge response we got from so many PTBs, we thought we'd share some of what we've learned along the way.

Pre-plan your posts. We spent about 6 months blogging by the seat of our pants. Ex: 10pm on Monday one of us would be DIYing a project for Tuesday morning. That still happens occasionally, but planning out projects ahead of time, helps us balance out the type of posts per week (DIY, Design Trends, Recipes, etc). It also helps cut down on our time shopping for materials. When you know what projects you're working on for the week, you might be able to cut your Lowes trips down to 2 or 3… sometimes, it used to be 5 or 6!

Using a simple Google calendar is a must for us because there are two of us that need to know the plan. Seeing the month or even two weeks at a time planned out makes things seem nice and manageable!
Check your Memory Card. Don't check to see if it's working, check to see what's on it. Jess and I have commented numerous times that we take more pictures of projects than anything else. Before blogging, I was a camera junkie. I had it with me all the time and we had awesome pictures of our kids. About a month ago, I decided enough was enough. Blogging was getting in the way of family pics. This is a peek at my April 2012 photos in Picasa.

Not one single picture of any of my kids, or even a single human for that matter. Ugh! I made a decision to be intentional and take more pictures of people than things! Here's a peek at May 2012 so far (and yes, I started May's folder about a week early)

I'm happy to be more balanced in this area, and really it's not about the pictures, it's about where my focus is and what memories I want to preserve… projects or people?? I'm choosing people.
Find a Blog Mentor. Officially or unofficially, having someone that you can ask blog questions to is so helpful! Beth from Home Stories A to Z was the first blogger we were able to reach out to with questions. She was always so helpful, even if our questions were silly or kinda obvious.

Having someone that knows the ropes and is willing to give you support when you need it is essential. Don't be afraid to reach out when you have questions. (You can even ask us, but we're still technically considered rookies)
Recently, we got an"Official" Blog Mentor. We write once a month over at Beckie's blog, Infarrantly Creative. That started a relationship that has helped us more than we ever could have imagined. Once a week we conference with Beckie about all things blog related. This lady is amazing! We give her a topic we want to talk about and 60 minutes later we have about 5 pages of notes and are so invigorated and full of ideas and things to try!

If you want to take your PTB to the next level, consider reaching out to someone that you think would make a great blog mentor. It'll rock your world!

Prioritize.
This sounds so obvious, but believe me, once the blog world sucks you in (in a good way, of course!), everything else can take a back seat. Decide what's most important to you, and what things you're ok living without. Actually write your priorites out on paper. It helps! For example: I made a choice to stay home with my kids (I work 10 hours a week outside of our home), so I only blog during their nap time and after they're in bed. Truth be told, I barely open the computer until 1 PM. However, I've had to give up sleep (low on my priority totem pole) in order to keep my top priorities straight. Give and take, right?

Learn when to say Yes and when to say No. We're still learning this one, folks, but here's are our thoughts about it. For the entire first year, we didn't say no to anything. And we're happy about that. Our lives were absolutely crazy, but we firmly believe that to grow your blog (just as you would a business) you have to put yourself out there, put lots of time in and keep your face forefront in everyone's mind. Doing that for the first year gives us the luxury now of choosing what's best for us and our blog, and occasionally saying no when it's not a good fit.

Source: oprah.com via Marivi on Pinterest
Be Consistent. It doesn't matter if you plan on posting twice a week or five times a week, but be consistent. Our favorite blogs are the ones who post on a regular basis- it's what keeps us coming back for more! We don't like to guess when someone might be posting, and we figure you don't either, so we do our best to post five times a week. Side note: if you want to grow your blog, posting often is key! Readers will come back if the content is different each day. You'll definitely lose readers if you post once every other week. It's just the way it is.

Step Away from the Computer If you're anything like us, you'll understand why this is important. We are constantly thinking about new projects, upcoming posts and events, how we can better grow our blog etc., so we could literally sit for hours and hours and hours at the computer and STILL have stuff we want to do. One of the best things that happened this year was our Mexico trip- a forced time away from the blog. And guess what? It was fabulous! We both thought we'd miss blogging terribly and would go through withdrawal. Not so. Real life is so much fun, and you might miss it if you sit on your rear all day staring at the screen.

Stop Comparing Not gonna lie. We went through a slump where we compared our blog and projects to another fabulous blogger. No matter what we did, or how great our projects were, we still felt like they didn't measure up. It stinks and takes away all the fun of blogging. We realized that there are millions of amazingly talented people out there, and someone is always going to be doing something more creative than we are, but who the heck cares?! We do what we do because we love it, and from what we've heard, our readers are pretty happy with it too. Every person has a gift- use yours to the best of your abilities and move on!

Source: imgfave.com via Sarah on Pinterest

These are just a few things we've learned along the way. The PTB dilemma is still something we're working on, but it's come a long way from where we started. Who knows, maybe someday we'll have a Full-Time Blogger Dilemma! That would be wonderful!
So what other tips would you add to our list?

Well hey there! Want to know something about me? I find something I like and then stick to it. I have only ever ordered one meal at The Olive Garden for about 14 years straight (Chicken con Broccoli and FYI they took it off the menu, so I don't go there anymore! Ha!) I wish jeans, sneaks, and a sweater with an oxford underneath was still as cool now, as it was when I was in high school. So basically, I don't do much in the way of mixing things up (except for in my decor and design, which is weird, but who knows…). This month some of that changed! Hello Bangs and Glasses!

A few things happened to bring about these changes… #1 I spent 8 days in London and Paris surrounded by people that had more style in their pinky finger than I will in my entire lifetime. #2. I was given an opportunity from Firmoo Glasses to try a pair of glasses for free #3. I got a zit on my forehead (I'll explain later)
So, here's what we ended up with… Awesomely geeky glasses that I completely adore (plus, I can see better!) and blunt bangs! I know I'm completely wild and crazy aren't I?

Let me tell you a little about Firmoo and the glasses first, then we'll get onto the bangs. Firmoo is the largest online retailer of glasses (who knew right?!). For years I'd been going to my eye doctor and ordering the uber expensive glasses they had. None of them were super cool, so I only wore them when I really needed to. Well now, I know that there is a HUGE world of glasses out there at like 80% less! And guess what peeps?? They give you your first pair FREE! Seriously doesn't get much better than that! (If you're the type that hears FREE and now is all distracted, here's the link to get your own free pair right away Firmoo Free Glasses)
**Oh, and lots of people asked which style I got, they're #ZS8024 **

I knew I needed to post pics of myself (not my fav thing to do), so I added fun quotes I like to distract you! Is it working? Okay, back to Firmoo… Check out their website and make sure you try out their cool virtual try-on system. You can upload a picture of yourself and try glasses on. It's like paper dolls of the future. I made a quick call to my eye doctor and got my prescription info and just typed it in when ordering. If you don't have vision issues, that's okay- they make clear lenses too! Jess' hubs Kev, calls them his placebos and I LOVE that name! Glasses are definitely an accessory, not just a necessity anymore.
A few day later, I got my glasses in the mail and it was love at first sight (Get it? Sight? Sorry, I can't resist a cheesy joke). They were step one in my mini Monica makeover. Then, I started toying with the idea of bangs… I love the look on other people, but I was a little worried because of my curly, unruly mop. Then, last week I was at the salon getting Kaden a hair cut and noticed this annoying zit on my forehead - suddenly I had my solution…bangs! If you can't beat em, hide em! Kaden gave me the go-ahead and I had one of my favorite hair stylists cut them for me! I couldn't be happier!! (If you're local, Rachel is awesome! Here's their FB page call her if you need a new do!)

I have to tell you, I am amazed that it took me so long to try something a little more daring with my"style"… I think it's a lot more"me" even. And just in case you're wondering, I'll still be ordering all the same foods at restaurants-I'm not that changed!!
Here are all the details you need to get your first pair free from Firmoo… Firmoo Website Firmoo on Facebook (head over and let them know EC2 sent ya!)
Just check out their site, choose a pair you love, and have them in about a week! (There are a few designer pairs that are excluded, but I found tons that I liked that were included)
So are you going to get a free pair? Any other"stuck-in-a-rut" readers out there?
** A huge shout out to our favorite photographer Stacy Salvatori for taking these pictures of me. She is a Bucks County local and does amazing family, portrait, and wedding pics. Check out her site and let her know EC2 sent you!! **I wasn't compensated for writing this post. I got a free pair of glasses from Firmoo (like you can) and was thrilled to review them for you guys. All opinions are 100% mine**

I'm so dang excited to introduce you to today's guest blogger… seriously, can you feel how excited I am all the way from Mexico?? Let me introduce you to Lindsay Ballard…

As Tom Cruise would say, Lindsay"had me at layered frames." It was the first project of hers that I'd seen and seriously, I spent the next two days of my life reading through the rest of her blog, Living with Lindsay. She recently completed a crazy-cool master bedroom makeover that pretty much went viral in the blogosphere and on Pinterest. Lindsey, we're so flattered to have you here and I'm thrilled we're becoming blog buds! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When Monica asked me to put together a post to share with you guys while the ladies were on their Mexican vacation (¡Olé!), I think I did a few high kicks. You see, I swear that Monica and I were originally fraternal twins separated at birth, and the RHBC gals are some of my favorites on the internet. Their combination of wit and style is something we all aspire to, right? Ever the Teacher's Pet, I really wanted to wow you (and them!) with a fun post. I racked my brain for days to come up with the right project to share. Then, it hit me (or I hit it, because I accidentally banged a ladder into it) that I knew exactly what project that should be. This is a design that I put together late last year, but it quickly became one my favorite projects ever…
What do you think of when you hear the word 'drum'? I'd assume that most people think of their kids loudly playing a drum kit in the garage, high school football halftime shows, or their favorite rock and roll band. But, most people aren't us, are they? We DIYers and home decor obsessed people probably have a drum shade spring to mind instead. Or, at least I do. I've been rolling around the idea in my head for the past few months on combining the best of both versions of drums. I'm glad that I let my mind wander down that path — it's a lot of fun when I can dream up something pretty farfetched that ends up becoming reality.

Creating this fixture was actually a pretty simple process once I figured out what to do. I put together a tutorial so that you could do it, too. DIY Drum Pendant Light Materials Needed: Used Tom drum Short piece of scrap wood 4 finishing nails Drill Jigsaw Pendant light kit (I HIGHLY recommend the cloth cord kits from Shanell's ) Scissors or X-Acto knife, if needed Canopy 1. I bought a used Tom drum off of Ebay for under $30 shipped. I'm sure I could have found a better deal at a thrift store or pawn shop around town, but I knew what I wanted and was willing to pay a little extra so that I didn't have to drag the kids all over town. This Tom is 12 inches tall and 10 inches wide. Any size will likely do — you'll just want to make sure it will fit in your space.

2. I removed the top and bottom of the drum by unscrewing the screws that hold it together. I was able to unscrew it with my fingers, but you may need a really small socket or"drum key." Please note, I know not one single thing about drums, and I'm sure the top, bottom and little screws have a name. I'm going to just call them my own terms so that other non-musician DIYers, such as myself, can more easily understand the instructions. The top and bottom will separate from the chrome ring.

3. I cut a piece of scrap wood so that it would fit tightly inside the drum without distorting its shape. I didn't curve the edges; I just cut it straight across. On either side, I hammered in 2 finishing nails to hold it in place (drill small holes first to make it easier). In the below photo, I hadn't hammered them in all the way so that you could see them more easily in the photo. Obviously, hammer them all the way in. I colored the nail heads black with a Sharpie marker since my drum is black, but they are pretty well hidden by the chrome rings once you put the drum back together, so you might not have to worry about that.

4. Once the strip of wood was in place, I needed to create a slot for my light fixture to thread through. I drilled three holes that were roughly the diameter of the the piece I needed to thread.

I used my jigsaw to connect all three holes into one long slot. The reason you need to do this is to be able to balance the drum. There is a clamp on the side of a Tom that attaches it to a drum kit, and it creates more weight on one side of the drum. The drum doesn't hang straight from the center, so a slot gives you the ability to slide the fixture around to figure out its balance point.

5. Thread your fixture through the slot. You can pick up a light kit at a home improvement store, which you will hang by a wire and chain. OR, you can do what I did and use one of the Pendant Light Kits from Shandell's. Instead of having the ugly chain, these kits are made from cloth cord. They come in several colors — red, gold, brown and putty — and in either nickel or brass finishes. These kits are $29 each and I couldn't speak more highly of them. They definitely give a much more finished and vintage look to a fixture.

I have a 60-watt blub in the fixture, but that could vary by project. You will need to test it on your own drum, but mine does not get warm to the touch at all, even when left on for many hours. 6. Replace only the chrome rim on the top of your drum (where the light fixture is). You may find that you need to cut (with scissors or an X-Acto knife) the little silver ring off of the what was then the bottom head (they part you don't play) and put that under the chrome rim. You'll see what I mean when you start to put it back together — you want the top to be open, but you may need that silver ring as a spacer in between the drum and the rim. Flip your drum over and attach the head (the part you actually drum) and rim to what is now the bottom of the drum. You can just screw the screws back in with your fingers.

7. Hardwire your new fixture to the ceiling. You'll want to buy a light canopy to hide the wires. I got mine at Home Depot and spray painted it chrome. I hung my new drum pendant light in a small area of our entry way. I could not possibly be more in love with its quirkiness and originality. I bet you will be the only one in your neighborhood with this light fixture!

My favorite part about it is the amazing light it throws off at night. There is an almost ethereal glow that comes through the drum head, and the light that shines on the ceiling really highlights the fixture.

And yes, I totally bribed my dog boys with treats to sit right there. I sure love those crazy mutts, even if their constant barking makes my head feel like I'm actually living in a drum! So, what do you think? Does the term drum shade have a whole new meaning for you now?

If you missed all the amazing projects of our first annual Creating with the Stars, be sure to check them out below!

Round 1 Projects & Winners Round 2 Projects & Winners Ro und 3 Projects & Winners Round 4 Projects & Winners
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sarah's unbelieveable bedroom transformation blew us away. The color combinations, details and style of the room were simply perfect and we fell in love immediately. She had a few awesome tutorials for her projects, so we decided to break them into two posts. Today, you'll see how she made that removeable accent wall that is a great solution for you renters out there, or those of you who have Design ADD like us!: )
When I heard that this week's theme was home decor I instantly knew that I wanted to do a bedroom feature wall and a dramatic headboard! With my amazing diy partner and husband, David, we got straight to work!

Living in a rental makes it nearly impossible to install classic wallpaper and nailhead, so we decided to build a separate feature wall! We wanted to incorporate two of my favorite materials, nailhead and grasscloth wallpaper. I love the texture of the wallpaper and the dimension of the nailhead!
Want to know how we built the wall? Here we go!

We purchased three sheets of plywood from Home Depot and had them cut to 7' high. Since the feature wall is 12' long, it would need to be built inside of the room. We designed it so that it could easily be dismantled into three pieces to be removed. We tied the seams together with 1x3s and built a frame on the back with 1x3s so it was extra sturdy and straight. We then flipped it over and primed it so that they wall paper adhesive wouldn't soak in.

Once dry, we cut the wallpaper to the correct height, placed it to the side and rolled wallpaper adhesive over the primer. We then used a wallpaper smoothing tool to remove any bubbles. The steps were repeated with 4 rows across, lining up the seams. It was helpful to have two people so that it could be adjusted as needed!

For the design, I was inspired by this fantastic headboard by Annie Selke. We created the design in Illustrator, and calculated the distance between the nailhead and printed it on two sheets of 11x17 which were taped together. We then punched little holes through the dots and used a felt tip pen to lay it out on the wallpaper.
Nailhead isn't the most fun thing to apply, but once you hit a rhythm you move pretty fast! Here are a few tips that I found helpful as I went.
1. To help protect my fingers from the hammer and to grab the nailhead more easily, I used rubber finger tips on my thumb and index finger (you know the ones that they sell in the office supply stores for sorting paper and such?) When I did hit my fingers, it hurt a lot less, and they weren't even sore when I was done!
2. If your wood is soft enough, push a few in with your finger first and then hammer. This saves time since you are putting the hammer up and down less frequently. Since our plywood was soft and hard in different spots, this wasn't always possible, but it helped when we could!
3. Lastly, this feature wall took about 2,250 nails. Wow, that's a lot of nails! So it was helpful to have two people or if you have the time, break it up over a few days. Total install time for the nailhead with two people was about 8 hrs.

It was helpful to install the trim (we painted first) before the nailhead reached the edge, so we knew exactly where to stop it. We used finish nails to secure the trim and then filled the holes with wood filler, sanded and painted once dry.
Next, we decided that we wanted the wall to sit just above the trim, so we cut legs to height out of a 1x12 and secured it to the back frame. We then installed a few cabinet anchors through the trim into the wall to make sure that it was firmly attached.
This wall was pretty massive! Almost the length of the room, but I LOVE the impact that it has on the space! Just because we are renting doesn't mean that without a little creative thinking we can't have a statement wall!

I mean, c'mon. That is genius, and we don't mind saying we wish we had done it first! Ha! Check out Sarah's fabulous blog, and then come back tomorrow to learn how to make that coral headboard!
Oh yeah! One more thing! Have you linked up your favorite home decor project yet? You can do that here for a chance to be featured on EC2 and win some great prizes. Fun for everyone!: )

Well, this is really exciting.

Source
The wonderful people at the Nate Berkus Show have given us TWO EXTRA TICKETS to the show we'll be taping on September 1st in New York City!

Source That could be YOU sitting in the audience within an arm's reach of Mr. Cutiepie himself! (And note to self: do not wear super low-cut top, ie: woman in white shirt below Nate. Who knows what might hang out that you don't want seen on tv?)
Shout it From the Rooftops Contest This is a spread-the-word contest. We want to see what creative ways you can tell the world about The Nate Show and our Debut! This is a totally subjective contest… no Random.org involved! We're picking the winner based on pure awesomeness!!
Interested? Here's what you need to do to score these tickets:
Creatively Spread the word about The Real Housewives of BC being on The Nate Show. (Ex: Rent a highway bilboard, Make us your Facebook status for 15 days straight, Get a tattoo announcing the big news and head to the beach, you get the idea…)

You have 15 days to be as creative as you can and to reach as many people as possible. We're looking for quality and quantity and we're sure we'll get a few laughs in there too! We have a tentative date for the tv airing of the episode, but it's not concrete, so you need to direct people to the blog and facebook to find out when. We'll let you work out the details on your own. We told The Nate Show producers that our readers would do an insane job promoting this upcoming episode of their show, so make us proud, and we'll thank you in person in NYC!!
To Enter: you need to email us and let us know what you've done to spread the word (therealhousewivesofbc@gmail.com ) We'd also LOVE to see a picture of what you've done. The Nate Show wants to see it too! Who knows, maybe you'll be their next guests??!!?? All entries must be recieved by August 15th. We'll be looking over all the entries and annoucing the winner on Wednesday, August 17th!
The Prize: The Winner will get TWO tickets to the September 1st live taping of The Nate Show! We'll both be there and will be so excited to meet you!! (If for some reason you can't make the 9/1 show, let us know a date that works and we'll get you tickets for that show instead). Sorry we can't fly you there or anything fancy-schmancy, but we would if we could!
So, Who's going to win? Who's coming to NYC with us?? Leave us some comment love and let us know if you're ready to WIN!

Well hey there! Want to know something about me? I find something I like and then stick to it. I have only ever ordered one meal at The Olive Garden for about 14 years straight (Chicken con Broccoli and FYI they took it off the menu, so I don't go there anymore! Ha!) I wish jeans, sneaks, and a sweater with an oxford underneath was still as cool now, as it was when I was in high school. So basically, I don't do much in the way of mixing things up (except for in my decor and design, which is weird, but who knows…). This month some of that changed! Hello Bangs and Glasses!

A few things happened to bring about these changes… #1 I spent 8 days in London and Paris surrounded by people that had more style in their pinky finger than I will in my entire lifetime. #2. I was given an opportunity from Firmoo Glasses to try a pair of glasses for free #3. I got a zit on my forehead (I'll explain later)
So, here's what we ended up with… Awesomely geeky glasses that I completely adore (plus, I can see better!) and blunt bangs! I know I'm completely wild and crazy aren't I?

Let me tell you a little about Firmoo and the glasses first, then we'll get onto the bangs. Firmoo is the largest online retailer of glasses (who knew right?!). For years I'd been going to my eye doctor and ordering the uber expensive glasses they had. None of them were super cool, so I only wore them when I really needed to. Well now, I know that there is a HUGE world of glasses out there at like 80% less! And guess what peeps?? They give you your first pair FREE! Seriously doesn't get much better than that! (If you're the type that hears FREE and now is all distracted, here's the link to get your own free pair right away Firmoo Free Glasses)
**Oh, and lots of people asked which style I got, they're #ZS8024 **

I knew I needed to post pics of myself (not my fav thing to do), so I added fun quotes I like to distract you! Is it working? Okay, back to Firmoo… Check out their website and make sure you try out their cool virtual try-on system. You can upload a picture of yourself and try glasses on. It's like paper dolls of the future. I made a quick call to my eye doctor and got my prescription info and just typed it in when ordering. If you don't have vision issues, that's okay- they make clear lenses too! Jess' hubs Kev, calls them his placebos and I LOVE that name! Glasses are definitely an accessory, not just a necessity anymore.
A few day later, I got my glasses in the mail and it was love at first sight (Get it? Sight? Sorry, I can't resist a cheesy joke). They were step one in my mini Monica makeover. Then, I started toying with the idea of bangs… I love the look on other people, but I was a little worried because of my curly, unruly mop. Then, last week I was at the salon getting Kaden a hair cut and noticed this annoying zit on my forehead- suddenly I had my solution…bangs! If you can't beat em, hide em! Kaden gave me the go-ahead and I had one of my favorite hair stylists cut them for me! I couldn't be happier!! (If you're local, Rachel is awesome! Here's their FB page call her if you need a new do!)

I have to tell you, I am amazed that it took me so long to try something a little more daring with my"style"… I think it's a lot more"me" even. And just in case you're wondering, I'll still be ordering all the same foods at restaurants-I'm not that changed!!
Here are all the details you need to get your first pair free from Firmoo… Firmoo Website Firmoo on Facebook (head over and let them know EC2 sent ya!)
Just check out their site, choose a pair you love, and have them in about a week! (There are a few designer pairs that are excluded, but I found tons that I liked that were included)
So are you going to get a free pair? Any other"stuck-in-a-rut" readers out there?
** A huge shout out to our favorite photographer Stacy Salvatori for taking these pictures of me. She is a Bucks County local and does amazing family, portrait, and wedding pics. Check out her site and let her know EC2 sent you!! **I wasn't compensated for writing this post. I got a free pair of glasses from Firmoo (like you can) and was thrilled to review them for you guys. All opinions are 100% mine**

We've been looking forward to our fall kickoff for weeks and it's been as awesome as we hoped it would be! Honestly, we have the best.readers.ever! We so appreciate all of your support and feedback on our projects this week! If you missed them, here's what we were up to this week…Jess' Fireplace Makeover & My Foyer Update

So, to start this fall off right, we've partnered with Canvas People again to bring you FREE canvas! Use THIS LINK for your Freebie!

We love that Canvas People offers our readers these awesome deals. Right now their website is offering 25% off, but nope, our readers get an 8x10 for FREE or 50% off! SCORE! And, off course we wouldn't just give you a Freebie without some inspiration! Idea # 1- Back to School Canvas Did you see Jess' daughter's 1st Day of Preschool Pic? (Umm, cutest thing ever!) We were talking about Canvas People and she decided to get this picture on canvas and begin a tradition of getting a canvas at the beginning of every school year and putting them in her upstairs hallway.

My kiddos start school next week and I'm hoping to snap a pic even half as cute at this one! Idea # 2- Shut the Front Door Canvas

Not ready to write it in massive letters on the wall, but sorta think it's funny? We'll I'm hooking you up with a Shut the Front Door printable that you can have printed on a canvas. Download 8x10 jpeg HERE

Idea # 3 Fall Leaf Graphic Art How cool will these babies look grouped together? I am ordering these three ASAP! Of course we used our favorite digital paper from Moo and Puppy and we're sharing the downloads with you for free! Download Graphic Art Print 8x10 jpegs Birch Maple Oak

Idea # 4 Fun Fall Prints Just some random cuties that might work in your fall decor… I really love the 8x10 canvas on a mantle or shelf etc. It's the perfect size to get creative with and use in a less traditional"hang it on the wall" way! Download Autumn 8x10 jpeg HERE

Download Falling for You 8x10 jpeg HERE

Idea # 5 Print a Good Old Fashioned Picture I love this picture of me and some of my best gal pals. So often I'm printing pics of my kids or family etc, but these girls are so important to me! I think I'm going to get a canvas of this pic for my office. My posse on canvas… doesn't get much better than that! (And yes, we're a gangsta posse.)

We hope you're as excited about fall and FREE Canvases as we are! We're so glad to be back with our A-Game on! Can't wait to bring you even more fun projects that we have planned for the next few months! Enjoy your Free Canvas and don't forget to use This Link to get the Freebie Deal! Linking up to: Tutorials & Tips

Did you guys know that Monica and I love discovering and studying small businesses, right? We both have owned our own businesses, and now run this blog which has turned into a small business in it's own right. We find it fascinating to watch people do what they love to do and turn their gifts into a fulfilling career! There's just something so inspiring about the whole thing. A few weeeks ago, I gave you a peek into my dining room complete with three new fabulous light fixtures from Lucent Lampworks. We thought it would be fun to let you in on what it's like behind the scenes with Brad at his home, and how we both fell in love with a few lights for our own homes.

This is Brad. (and his adorable daughter, Lia)

He is not an electrician. He is not a trained lighting designer. He is a self-proclaimed tinkerer with a creative side who one day decided to make a few custom lights for friends and family as Christmas gifts when money was tight. He opened an Etsy shop, had a sale a few days later and is now creating fabulous light fixtures out of old barn pulleys, found items and whatever gets his creative juices flowing for people all around the world. People, this guy is seriously talented. Since 2010, his lights have been showcased in the following awesome places: *Extreme Makeover Home Edition — Beautiful New Home in Texas that aired in 2012 *The Winter Collection Catalog for Stylish Home Magazine — www.stylishhome.com
*History Channel show — Abandoned — aired August 2012
*Featured in Soulemama.com
*Food Channel — Restaurant Takeover — Canadian version airing this fall!

Monica and I went to visit his little"shop" in his basement to see how he does it all and quickly realized how out of our element we were when Brad started talking about all the old reproduction wiring, vintage plug ends and exposed sockets.: ) But what we did know was that Brad was passionate about that stuff and it showed in his work.

Brad styles all the photos of his lights himself and has an incredible set up. See all those different backgrounds? He makes most of them himself so that his lights pop against them.

He doesn't mess around with lighting his"sets" either. Every thing this guy does is done right.

See what I mean? We got a few ideas for creating backgrounds for our finished projects, so, thanks, Brad!; )

Cage light anyone?

Monica got two of these gorgeous green enamel shades made for her. You have to wait for Spring to see what she did with them, but they are incredible!

I had to get my cheesy pic with that cobalt blue beauty and Monica was totally digging this glass cylinder pendant. 

And, in case you're wondering, this trip to his shop was where I first spotted the white, enamel pendant light that is now proudly living above my dining room table.

I also spotted this cage light which inspired the industrial cage light sconces that flank the art in that same room. Brad took my idea, researched and found cages from the early 1900's and turned them into awesome sconces. I loooooove them! 

Isn't that amazing? We strongly encourage you to take at a look at Brad's shop to see what other awesomeness he has going on there. You will not meet a nicer guy and he'd be happy to help you create the light of your dreams (please tell me I'm not the only one who dreams about lighting…) Oh yeah, one more thing just for you guys! You can get 10% off your order at Lucent Lampworks by using the coupon code EC2tenoff! You're welcome! Do any of you have a small business? Leave us a comment with the name so we can check it out! It's one of our favorite things to do!