If you are looking for a recycled or green gift, be sure to check out Great Green Goods. I was thrilled to recently have my broken china jewelry featured by them on their site, which features eco-friendly products that are made by creative minds with recycled materials. You can read their review of my jewelry here: Dishfunctional Designs — Makes you want to Break your Plates
From Pennsylvania artist, Laura Love, gorgeous pendants, bracelets, charms and earrings created from recycled broken dishware. The necklaces with the added accent of recycled vintage flatware are my favorite. If you're the type who can't bear to toss Great Aunt Mabel's cracked and chipped tea cup, you can send it to Laura since custom work is available. Priced around $50.00 for necklace and $60.00 for bracelet at Dishfunctional Designs.
Vintage wood dominoes (click to learn about the history of dominoes ) Jewelry made from recycled materials is earth-friendly and all the rage. The exciting part about making jewelry from recycled materials is that the supplies you need are most likely already right in your own home! One type of jewelry that is super-stylish and easy to make is domino jewelry. Dominos are fun to craft with and they can easily be made into either pins or pendants.
I created this domino pendant from a copy of a vintage St. Patrick's day post card To make domino jewelry you will need dominos (either the old fashioned wooden kind or the newer, plastic kind), miscellaneous papers (think collage elements such as copies of vintage images, ephemera, scraps of pretty paper and words or text cut from an old book or magazine, wallpaper scraps, old cigar box labels, etc.), scissors, a decoupage medium, a sponge brush or small paintbrush to apply decoupage medium, jump-rings (for pendants) or pin-backs (for pin brooches), and a strong adhesive glue. Optional additional embellishing materials include colored pencils, pens, markers, glitter, sequins, small beads, flat buttons, and bits of lace. I usually like to decorate only one side of the domino and leave the numbered side (the side with the dots) untouched or mostly uncovered. That way when you are wearing your pendant you can turn it over and show your friends that it's a domino!
For this domino pendant I used an illustration and text from a damaged antique book To begin, first choose your base paper. That will be the largest piece of paper that will cover only the front, or plain side of the domino. This will be the foundation for your finished design. To create your paper base, lay your domino on top of the paper and trace around the domino with a pencil. Then remove the domino and cut out your base paper. Using a small paintbrush or sponge brush, apply a thin coat of decoupage medium to the plain side of the domino following the directions on the decoupage medium. Next adhere your base paper to the domino and gently press to adhere, being careful to remove all bubbles and lumps — and set aside until completely dry.
Mod Podge is one type of Decoupage Medium Now comes the fun part! Select images or snippets from your papers and arrange them in a collage-like manner to your domino's base paper. Use a very thin coat of the decoupage medium to adhere your elements to your domino. Let your creativity be your guide. Here's a tip: I like to start with the larger pieces of paper and then add smaller snippets to that piece in a layered fashion. When finished, set aside until completely dry. Once your artwork is complete, apply another coat of decoupage medium to seal the piece and let it dry completely. To make a domino pin brooch, adhere a pin-back to the reverse side of your domino with a strong adhesive. To make a domino pendant, adhere a jump ring to the top edge of your domino with a strong adhesive.
Another pendant made with an illustration from a damaged antique book. With a few basic materials and a little creativity, you can create your own recycled material jewelry that is fun to make and fun to wear! P.S. — Oh, and be sure to learn how to play dominoes before you make domino jewelry, as you can be sure people at least one person who sees your awesome domino jewelry will ask you, "How do you play dominoes, anyway?" (click here to learn!) Laura ( Click here to see more of my domino jewelry! ) Advanced Technique: Resin Coated Domino Jewelry
Level: Advanced To achieve a glossy, glass-like finish you can coat your domino with resin. Working with resin is an advanced technique that requires a bit more time, patience, as well as safety precautions.
I used a copy of an antique Valentine to make this domino pendant, and then coated it with resin What is resin jewelry? The Dick Blick Art Materials website describes it best: " Resin jewelry is made from liquid plastic that turns solid when a hardener is added....Resin has a wonderful appeal for its glass-like properties from crystal clear to translucent glowing hues." Click here to learn more about the properties of resin. Before you begin: Resin can be hazardous. It is extremely important to carefully read and follow all directions that are included with the product you are working with. It is also recommended that you do not work with resin around children or pets. You should also read all MSDS (safety data sheets) for any hazardous mediums that you are going to work with. I recommend purchasing materials from businesses that include the MSDS safety data sheets with your purchase. Before coating a domino with resin, complete all the steps above under the How To Make Domino Jewelry, stopping after applying the finishing/sealing coat of decoupage medium. (do not adhere pin-back or jump rings to your domino.) Allow finished domino to dry overnight. Working in a clean, dust-free, and temperature controlled area (according to resin packaging directions), prepare the resin exactly according to package directions. Be sure to cover your workspace with newspaper to protect all surfaces, and have paper towels on hand in case of any spills or messes. Allow resin to set and dry according to package directions. Once completely set and dry, follow the directions above to adhere your pin-back or jumpring to your finished domino.
Image was embellished with glitter before resin was applied
Recycling, Repurposing, Upcycling ' what's the difference? 'and what exactly is Upcycling?
We all know what recycling is. A plastic bag is used to carry home groceries then is later reused by the owner who uses the bag a second or third time, perhaps to again carry groceries or store items. The bag has been recycled by its owner. The bag is being reused but the value of the bag remains the same.
In upcycling, the item is often no longer being used for its intended purpose but is repurposed ' given a new purpose ' and along with this new purpose it is also given an increase in value (usually both aesthetically and monetarily) It is worth more in its new form.
Recycled ' used again and value remains unchanged
Repurposed ' used again but with a new purpose
Upcycled ' used again, with a new purpose, and with greater value than its original state
Why are upcycled items so desirable? They are created with innovation and creativity!
Necklace pendant made from broken Shelley Blue Rock teacup
Wisegeek said it best:
'Upcycling is designed to work in opposition to consumer culture, encouraging people to think of new and innovative ways to use things, instead of simply buying new consumer goods. It also benefits the environment, by promoting reuse over discarding whenever possible.' There you have it! Laura
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.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At the end of 2011 I set a goal to give our hideous powder room a face lift… well, 2012 came and went and I'm here to apologize to anyone that had to do their business in my ugly bathroom. My bad! This isn't a full, makeover so let's just call it a"pick me up" (I thought about calling it a poop-me-up or something like that, but Jess hates jokes like that. Ha! I think I might need to hang out with Katie Bower or something!)
Part of the reason I waited so long is that this bathroom is Weird, with a capital W… I actually got on the floor to take a picture of the ceiling, so you can see the wonky shape of the room…
Yeah, it's straight up weird, but I finally got over it and got to business! Here's what we did for our Powder Room Pick Me Up…
The pear colored paint, stayed the same, but we added a birch stencil that made it so much cooler (and almost aged me by about 15 years… really, who decides to stencil the one wall that has the light, toilet, and sink!Ahhh!)
I recycled some old frames and added some super inexpensive Ikea prints The mirror was another freebie! I used a piece of wood that was an old wagon side- Jess hooked me up with the wood. BFF with barnwood hookups = Awesome! Tutorial coming later this week!
I said ADIOS to the builder grade light fixture…
And fell in LOVE with this outdoor light from Lowes! It was under $40!
I recycled an old, ugly piece of art into a custom piece with one of my favorite verses from an old hymn. I love how the words are subtle, but man, do they speak to my heart every time I read them. I've got a full tutorial coming your way on this baby. The before and after is crazy different!
And if you don't know by know, I can't really have a room without a touch of my sense of humor, so in direct contrast from the hymn artwork… let me introduce you to POTTY TALK!
It's just a little ol' chalkboard where you can leave a note while you… well… ya know… We told our kids that bad words excluded, anything goes on the Potty Talk wall. The first week we had a lot of #1 and #2 notes, but since then it's been pretty entertaining. I'll also mention that Uncle Bry and Daddy are responsible for the potty poems. Those guys make me laugh! Last, but not least, I added a rug from Target and called it a day.
The entire room cost me under $60 and now it's a decent space, with a bit of personality! I love when I can switch things up for almost no money! Check back later this week for the mirror and artwork tutorials! What do you think of this Powder Room Pick Me Up? Would you be willing to do your business here??
The new after. New additions include toile shower curtains from Pottery Barn, which happen to match our existing paint perfectly. Thanks to Joan for her input on this!
We also installed Horizon Shutters after finally fixing the trim on the Marvin replacement window.
A simple detail but one that I love, love, love....our new porcelain cross handles. I came across these about a year ago (they're reproductions) and realized that they would fit our existing faucet (also a reproduction). Switching them out was easy — I discovered this by watching hubby do it.
This is the original paint color we used during the first remodel and I still love it.
I was considering a salon wall here but since I'm currently working on a salon wall in our den, I didn't have enough pictures for it. What do you think? Add a salon wall or leave it?
I spruced up some of my Grandmother's old picture frames with some botanical prints from one of my salvage books. It's amazing how many things of hers — things I grew up with — have found a place in our home!
Did I mention how much I love the new porcelain cross handles? And the vase is another piece from my Grandmother. xo You can go here to see the original remodel.
This is how we found this bathroom when we bought the house three years ago. Like the kitchen, we never used it before we gutted it. This was attributed to some plumbing issues and the fact that we couldn't wait to cleanse it of the 1970's grooviness. After we gutted it, we updated plumbing & electrical, added insulation, new drywall, crown and base moldings and replaced the fixtures (claw foot bathtub, sink and toilet). The only thing we recycled from the original bathroom was the medicine cabinet. Tub, sink and toilet got hauled off to the Rebuild It Center in town.
We're having a warm spell these last few days, and it is making me all the more hungry for spring. Our local grocery has been keeping beautiful spring flowers in stock, and I'm rarely able to resist bringing home an armful of fresh blossoms. This week it's lilies.
Last week it was daffodils.
The week before that, white tulips.
....and here's the last of the white tulips as they were beginning to fade. We had a busy weekend as we finally began our 'renovation' of the old sauna. This includes (present tense -we're still working on it!) removing the old steam benches (to be recycled into shelving), and prepping (with primer and spackle) and painting the wall boards. Like all projects, it's taking forever, it's hard work and we probably won't be done until next weekend — photos to follow! Off to paint! By writing this, I'm hoping that it motivates me to actually go out there and paint. PS. We didtake breaks to celebrate Valentine's Day with a couple of date nights, and a lovely fireside french toast breakfast on Valentine's Day morning!
This post brought to you by Astrobrights Papers by Neenah Paper. All opinions are 100% mine. Can you believe that NEON is making a major comeback? I mean, I know everything comes back, but I really thought that when I retired my My Rebox Pump-ups that it was gone for good. My husband also sported some hideous neon Umbros… so I'm praying he doesn't find out that Neon is back! Yikes.
AstroBrights papers paper is ready for the neon craze and they sent us some of their awesome paper to create something for our kiddos heading back to school. Kenzie is just beginning to switch classes this year (yup, she's big stuff) so we wanted to create something awesome for her locker. One thing I love is that Astrobrights paper is acid free, so even at the end of the school year it's still going to be neon, not all faded! Nobody likes faded paper! Ha! Here's what you'll need: Astrobrights paper Paper Cutter (optional, but awesome) Frame Cork roll ModPodge Glue Spray Paint
Spray paint your frame. We love ornate frames!
Since the frame was empty, we recycled an old yard sale sign and added cork.
We wanted it to be really secure, so we used some duct tape to connect everything.
Then we were ready for the Astrobrights paper. Using our handy-dandy paper cutter we cut it into thin strips.
We cut all of our strips the same width, but we randomly varied the lengths.
We used good old tacky glue to cover the surface of the cork and then started randomly arranging the strips.
Once we had fully covered the surface, we used ModPodge to seal the entire thing. This is what will give it a finished look when it's dry.
Once the Mod Podge was dried, we trimmed the edges, put it in the frame, and added heavy duty magnets to the back. The finished product was awesome!
I thought about trying to sneak into our local public school to get a pic of it in a locker, but that seemed a tad extreme… so here it is on a shelf. Kenzie can't wait to try it out at school! Currently Astrobrights is holding a contest each week in August called Make Something Astrobrights. Go get some paper today and create something awesome. Link it up to their facebook page for a chance to win some cold.hard.cash. While you are on Astrobights facebook page enter for a chance to win $30,000 in school supplies for your favorite school with the Give a Brighter Year Sweepstakes. If you don't have a favorite school, let me know and I'll give you the name of my kiddos' school! Ha! At first I wasn't sure about the neon craze, but after this project, I'm sold! I think the ornate frame with the neon is what did it for me! What's your opinion of neon? Will you be adding any to your home?
W e're at a stopping point with our renovation of the old sauna. Left to do is paint the fir floors grey — glad some of you like the unfinished look! We're holding off on this task until summer when we won't be using it as much....when we reconvene our evening walks. Go here to see before pictures!
I am so excited about the new shelves! Hubby recycled these from the old sauna benches he removed. The old table, which weighs a ton, is a gorgeous handmade table that came with the property. It's been tucked away in the barn so we thought we'd finally put it to use.
I'm really happy with what Hubby did with the table and shelves as it's going to provide some much needed storage for a project I'm working on!
I dug out this great old basket I had down in our basement. I picked it up several months ago but found it to be a bit over sized to use for laundry.
And oh yes, the gym!!! Not all that pretty but serving us very well now that the place has been spruced up a bit. The large wood mirror is something I bought at an auction in Maine many years ago. It was one of my very first antique purchases. I've strategically used it to cover up the hole from the old medicine cabinet that was there.
Here's the outside facade. I'm really anxious to get a new door....which style do you like best?
Option A, except in white, is a classic style French door. I think this would be a more casual look.
Option B, also in white, is more of a traditional front door and I'm wondering if it would make this little outbuilding look more like a sweet little cottage. What do you think?
Only 11 days until Christmas, everyone! Start panicking! Just kidding- I absolutely love this holiday season (September through December is my FAVORITE time of year!) and have been tweaking, arranging and rearranging my Christmas decor for the last few weeks. And guess what? I probably won't stop until I take the stuff down on January 1st. I'm so excited to show you around on my first official home tour. Come on in and make yourself comfortable! (Warming: LOTS of pictures to follow, and hopefully, I'll be able to keep my mouth shut and let you enjoy it!: )
I'm still in love with my blue front door, and decided to forgo the traditonal holiday colors in favor of a rustic, woodsy color scheme. Browns, creams, copper and a few wood tree trunks!
Welcome to my foyer! This is what greets you as you come in the front door.
Isn't that houndstooth wrapping paper fabulous? Monica has great taste in (and an obsession with!) wrapping paper, so I have her to thank for it.: )
I tried my hand at making a wrapping paper leaf garland this year. It's pretty cute, but took a long time!
Living Room
I had fun decking out my mantel- again going with the rustic,woodsy theme.
I had to include my wood slice wreath, threw in some cut greens leftover from our tree, wrapped a few little presents with cute wrapping and added those charming. brightly colored reindeer from Target.
I love the Pottery Barn stockings that were a gift to us from my mom, and think they look great against the stenciled fireplace.
On the other side of the room, the moss monogram made it's appearance again this year.
I can't wait to show you how I made this faux-console table for behind the couch. So easy and makes a world of a difference!
Dining Room
I'm so close to a full reveal of my dining room (coming January 2013!), but couldn't resist sharing a few little glimpses. It's beautiful and I often think,"This can't be my house."
Family Room/Basement
I recycled the Nate Show ornaments that Monica made for me last year (why buy new when the old stuff is so cute?!), and bought two adorable plaid pillows on clearance from Target to stick on top of my old thift store trunk. And of course, what makes the space is the reindeer sillouette art.
I totally dig this space!
And see that little red pillow with the zipper? Monica and I made that last year for our fourth Nate Show episode. So cool, right? Kitchen
I kept it clean and simple in this room, folks.
I made that felt garland and let me tell you, it was a bear to make. Worth it, but oh-so-time-consuming.
We broke out the framed Advent calendar again since it was such a big hit last year.
Hall Bathroom
I had to show you this fab plaid rug I got from Target (yes, Target again, and no they don't pay me). It's so cozy, but doesn't scream Christmas. Love it.
Thank you, Jones Design Company, for the pretty (and meaningful!) printable! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- But nothing in my home beats watching these two enjoy the holiday season. Celebrating Christmas with kids is so.much.fun.
And not to be outdone by the fun, crazy Mangin picture, here's a greeting from my cuties!: )
I hope you enjoyed my Christmas home tour! Let's play the favorite thing game. Ready, set, go! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And oh yeah, if you missed Monica's tour earlier this week, check it out HERE. There's some good stuff in there, folks!
A couple of weekends ago, I tore apart my office. It wasn't something I had on my 'to do' list but it had been bothering me for awhile. The issues I had with my office were that I didn't have enough drawer space to organize my odds and ends and it was feeling a bit stagnant and dreary. You can go here to see the original remodel. So my goal was to brighten it up while also finding ways to improve organization. I stole the dresser from the guest house (one of the first antiques I bought when I lived in Maine) because the desk drawers alone weren't enough to hold office supplies, stationary, telephone books, all my inspiration photos from magazines, my various three-ring binders, etc. The extra drawer space has completely transformed the function of the office!
I converted this antique picture frame into a mirror to help brighten up this corner of the room. That little door you see in the reflection of the mirror is a small closet where I keep our old, and very ugly, filing cabinet.
I made two purchases: the sisal rug and another slip covered armchair from IKEA. I like this armchair because it's easy to pick up and move, which makes working on the computer with Hubby a lot easier to do.
I stole the Matisse nude (which doesn't show up very well in this photo) from the salon wall in the den!
I also finally found a place for this little Eastlake wall cubby. I picked this up years ago but never really figured out what to do with it. Now I have it by the door for outgoing mail.
In effort to make this space feel brighter, I gathered up all my marble collections (the lamps and the bird baths), as well as this old alabaster ash tray. I'll use it as a holder for thumb tacts. So that's what I've done! No big changes really, I mostly just recycled items we already had. Oh, and one of my favorite new changes to my office, is having the horse painting on my desk. It's one of my most beloved paintings and I just love the companionship those four beautiful horses offer.
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bed Bath & Beyond. All opinions are 100% mine.
You know that around here we pretty much dance to our own beat and love to decorate with a fun, out of the box style…have you seen my Fabric Christmas Tree post or my new mid-century modern fireplace? So when Bed Bath & Beyond asked us to help them celebrate"Holiday Your Way", we knew it was a perfect fit.
Not only do they have helpful tips for how to decorate and prepare your home for the holiday season, but they also have great advice on making houseguests happy. We're all about entertaining and making sure our guests are having a good time, and have a cozy place to sleep and relax as well. Remember our friends guestroom we helped give a face lift to…
Now, not everyone has the time or space to do an entire room makeover. So, that's why Bed Bath & Beyond is here to help you figure out what you do need for your guests with the space you have with their guest room checklist. Of course you first want to welcome them with love and a cool door mat like this one from BB&B, which is actually made from recycled rubber tires!
I only wish I had come across their Holiday Your Way articles before hosting a huge crew for Thanksgiving. We had 12 people sleeping at our house, we hosted friends and family for dinner & games on Wed. night- 27 people, and hosted Thanksgiving for 17. It was awesome!! But, to make Christmas hosting ever better I've rounded up some ideas from Bed Bath & Beyond for ya!
One way to make your guests comfortable if you don't have a spare bed is with an air mattress, which BB&B has a great selection of. This AeroBed has a really nice pillow top and I can vouch for it's comfort because my in-laws own it and I've slept on it before.
I especially love their tip about color coordinating your guests' bath towels, this will come in handy if you have a packed house and would like your guests to keep track of which towel they are using. This set of Lasting Color Cotton Towels by WestPoint Home look so soft… and I'd love you to share if you have any tips for keeping/getting your towels extra soft. My cousin Jacqui has such soft towels every time we stay there. This past Thanksgiving when she was down visiting I actually re-washed about 10 towels, just to try and get them to seem extra soft right before she arrived. I think I'll be making a BB&B trip soon for new guest towels. So if you have any tips, send them my way.
When you have guests over it's not just about a cozy air mattress to sleep on and soft towels to use, but about keeping them entertained as well. Bed Bath & Beyond has a smart tip about making sure your guests have your WiFi password so they can use their own tablets or laptops, as well as showing them how to use and turn on your entertainment consoles. Our pal Ann Marie from White House Black Shutters made a super fun Wi-fi artwork so guests could look over and have the code, but strangers would never know what it was! Genius I tell ya! I could have used this over the holiday, because I think I gave out the wi-fi 30 times.
One other guest must-have is a Keurig; it's the best way to make sure everyone has the drink they like, how they like it. Eric loves pumpkin coffee, my mom decaf, my aunt tea, the kids cocoa… you get the idea. Did you know there's a Keurig espresso machine?
Isn't she pretty! I like my k-cup Keurig machine, but if you enjoy a nice cup of Italian espresso every now and then, why not!
Bed Bath & Beyond is a great place to go for tips to survive the holiday season if you're expecting a house full of guests. Stop by their Holiday Entertaining section for more advice on important things to know and prepare for like guests' food allergies, activities for the kids, and more. I was pleasantly surprised how fun and helpful their articles were!
So tell us, what are some surviving and enjoying the holiday tips you've learned throughout the years?
I love entertaining, but I'm always looking for ways to improve!
The title of this post couldn't be more appropriate because I'm in Disney World with the fam this week. It has been an amazing three days so far and we did meet the"fairest of them all" while having breakfast the Royal Castle (totally worth the arm and a leg that they charge for it btw.) But don't worry, I'm not talking about Snow White today, I'm going to give you the low down on my"New" dining room mirror!
I need to give you a little back story first. Remember how I"stole" Eric's tool box to make the Anthro Dresser? Well, no worries, at the Liberty Thrift Store grand opening we bough him a new dresser for our bedroom and his old one is the new"tool box." I stinkin' don't have a pic down here in Florida, but it's awesome and I think will be very cool after some serious DIYing of course! Well, the new dresser had this super scrolly, ornate mirror that I didn't plan to use in our bedroom. I was in the garage, near the new dresser and mirror and had a mini"Ah-ha!" moment. The fancy frame was the perfect contrast with my super-simple frame wallpaper. Score!! I consider this mirror FREE because it just came with the piece I bought. So here she was… a real beauty eh? I told you she was totally all"Mirror Mirror on the Wall"…
Did I mention that this bad boy is huge and weighs like a million lbs? Ok, not a cool mil, but seriously over 75 pounds! To demonstrate its size, I did the professional thing measured it got my 4yr old to lay down next to it. (My poor kids have such a weird mom…Okay kids, go lay on the ground next to the thrift store mirror so mommy can take a picture)
So my first step after the official measurement, was to tape/paper off the entire glass surface. I thought it was going to be a nightmare with all the curves, but amazingly, the paper slid perfectly under the edge. Eric couldn't understand why I was freaking out with excitement about how easy it would be!
I did some ripping and angling, but it was still done in about 5 minutes. I used 8x11 scrap paper on all the edges and then a piece of craft paper down the middle. Easy Peasy.
I took it to the garage and used black satin spraypaint. This is the perfect opportunity to bring up some major beef I have… What in the world is up with Valspar's NEW spraypaint cans? They're awful! They spray all over the place, and are just plain terrible. Have you tried them? Are Jess and I alone in our hatred? I adore Valspar paint, so I'm bummed and hoping they change this new can A-sap! Anyhow… crazy rant complete…
After two coats, she was all ready for my dining room wall! I did wait a while for the paint to dry because I didn't want paint getting on my wallpaper.
I love the contrast in the fancy lines of the mirror and the simple, almost childlike lines of the wallpaper. It makes me chuckle a little bit.
I still have some serious accessorizing to do when I get home, but for now these recycled items will do just fine. Slowly, but surely this room is going to come together! What do you think of my"Free" thrift store mirror?
PS- Don't forget to check out our upcoming Nate Show Episode This Thursday, December 1st!
