Tattered and Inked

Sundae Scoop @ I Heart Naptime

Saturday Seven @ Positively Splendid

Bedazzle Me Monday @ Everything under the Moon

Keep Up with Tattered & Inked!!

2012-02-29T20:09:00.000-08:00

First off,

I need to give you guys a HUGE Thank You for making it so that Tattered & Inked now has reached 1000 Followers!!

That's sooo exciting to me because when I first started, I had NO idea what I was doing and NO idea of all the amazing people I would meet, all the astounding amounts of inspiration that was out there and NO idea that I would love you guys and love blogging so much!!

So I just have to tell you how much it means to me that so many of you join in on my creative moments and keep me feeling loved and supported :)

Basically, you guys are the best!

I can't wait to start celebrating with some fun giveaways- so stay tuned!

Speaking of staying tuned...

I've said it about a million times now but tomorrow marks a big difference here in the blogging world when Google Friend Connect goes away for non-blogger blogs.

Sad times :/

And eventually it'll be faded out for all of us so I wanted to make sure that I don't lost any of my amazing followers.

There are SO many ways to follow- just pick your favorite to keep plugged in!!

Here's the ones offered on my sidebar:

Facebook, Pinterest, Google Plus & RSS Feed

are all offered via my social icon buttons!!

I'm always talking about something on my FB page and my Pinterest boards are evergrowing!!

Google plus is taking some time to get used to though, but I'll get there :)

And subscribing via RSS is always an easy way to go.

I also have an easy email subscription button hanging out over there if you'd just rather get updates sent to your inbox!

Linky Followers is all the rage right now and super easy to sign up for and follow through!
I love that you can categorize your blogs too :)

Just hit 'follow me' on the box on my sidebar to get started.

So there ya have it guys!!

Bunches of ways to stay connected with the craziness over here :)

Have I mentioned how much I love having you guys as followers???

I know, I know.

I'm stopping now :)

Hope to keep seeing you around- Happy Early First day of March!!!!

My Charming St. Patrick's Wreath

2012-02-29T11:13:00.005-08:00

It's March 1st tomorrow!!!

Can you believe that February is already over??

I'm excited because March means spring break...and my birthday :)

So it's always a fun month.

What are you most excited about for spring???

I love St Patricks Day because it's the first holiday that really starts bring spring colors in.

I love seeing fresh green everywhere and since green isn't usually in my colors, I love getting the chance to play with it!!

I'm not big on spreading 'luck' everywhere so I racked my brain trying to come up with other words that could be used for St Pattys...

and I guess you'll have to wait a sec to see what I chose :)

I decided to go with a different wreath base this time around because I had a fun grapevine wreath kicking it in my garage from Goodwill.

A mere .50 cents.

Love a good steal!

And amazingly enough, it didn't even have anything hideous to pull off of it

(which is usually the case)

It was just in plain, somewhat shabby, form.

I trimmed him up a bit and then got out a ton of supplies.

Does anyone else craft like this?

I usually get out pretty much anything I could see myself using and then get to work.

I use probably about a 1/4 of what I get out...but I can see everything and know what works and what doesn't.

It's my little process :)

I ended up using just a few things to make my flowers and embellishements:

*Green T-shirt

*Sheet Music

*Twill ribbon

*Wooden Discks

*Scrapbook Paper

*Green printed Ribbon

*Buttons

I used the t-shirt, music sheets and scrapbook paper to make my chunky four-leaf clovers.

The covered circles were some wooden discs I had that I wrapped the twill ribbon around and hot glued.

I had fun making different flowers and clovers and then hot-glued them to the wreath.

Since the grapevine wreath was more of an oval shape, I wanted to add something to the top too.

Cue in my St Patty's word I wanted to put on there.

I finally decided on 'Charmed' because I just kinda of adore that word :)

Doesn't it fit perfectly?

I made a fun little pennant banner out of scrapbook paper and then used some chipboard letters that I inked black to spell out 'charmed'.

The twill ribbon worked perfectly to string the little mini banner.

Aren't mini banners the cutest?

I 'm in love with all the textures and colors of green :)

Though these grapevine wreaths are finicky little creatures.

I don't think they're big fans of having things hot-glued to them :)

I had to work with it a bit to get all the pieces to fit nicely and not just fall off the crazy vines.

I ended up looping the ribbon on the banner through the vine and then hotgluing the ends together.

I think he turned out charming, don't you?

Have you made any fun St Patty's day projects recently?

*********************

Tomorrow is March 1st which means that Google Friend Connect is offically leaving all non-blogger blogs!!

Even though I'm hosted by Blogger, I'd love for you to follow through any of the other ways I have available to you:

Have a great Wednesday!!

Linking to:

Show me Extraordinary @ The 36th Avenue

Share and Wow Wednesday @ A Turtle's Life For Me

Everything but the Kitchen Sink @ A Little Knick Knack

Feature Yourself Friday @ Fingerprints on the Fridge

Free for All @ Sassy Sites

Saturday Seven @ Positively Splendid

Sundae Scoop @ I Heart Naptime

St Patty's Day Project Parade @ Itsy Bitsy Paper

Bedazzle Me Monday @ Everything under the Moon

Heading out of my Comfort Zone: Two-Toned Dresser Redo

2012-02-27T19:41:00.008-08:00

Whew.
It's been a day.

And most definitely a monday.

Sorry this post is getting up so late...

Just a bajillion little things that led to having no time to sit down and chat it up here.

Until now :)

I've been dying to share my newest furniture redo with you guys and see what you think.

I'm pretty used to keeping it simple and within my 'comfortable' color schemes.

So I was excited to go outside my comfort zone and go in a different direction than I usually do.

A friend of mine offered me this dresser when her parents were moving and getting rid of some of their childhood stuff.

This dresser had seen better days so it came to live in my garage :)

Check it out...

So this guy hung around a bit until the weather finally allowed for some good painting to happen.

It took a bit for inspiration to hit but thanks to the back-up I got from my Facebook friends,

I decided to go with the beautiful grey I picked up at Habitat for five bucks.

I love the slatted design on the tops and sides.

And the grey was the perfect, silky hue for it.

While the first coat dried, I played with the hardware.

Changing the hardware wasn't much of an option for this piece considering I would have to do something about the giant holes that they live in if I did.

So I stuck with the original pieces.

The color scheme I had in my head didn't scream oil-rubbed bronze.

So I decided to just glaze the original brass.

It ended up with a nice worn look that I loved!

I used some black acrylic paint, brushed it on, and then gently wiped it off.

I didn't really wipe it off much to leave the look I wanted.

Once it dried, it was good to go.

Want to see the difference?

This is where I strayed off my normal path.

Usually, I'd go all one gorgeous color, maybe some distressing and glaze.

Or possibly some white accenting.

But I really liked the idea of keeping some of the wood color around.

But I wasn't head-over-heels in love with the color of the original wood.

So I decided to tape off the middle insets of the drawers after I painted them.

I painted the edges the grey color and then used painters tape to tape off the middle part.

I did let the grey paint dry overnight to keep it from lifting the paint right off though.

Here's where these guys came into play...

some of my favorite go-to helpers to get the job done :)

I used the pre-stain conditioner to prep the wood after I gave it a good sanding.

Then I brushed on my dark walnut mixwax stain.

Here it is after a couple of coats:

Ok.

So I did something crazy here.

Bear with me.

I decided that even with the walnut stain, it wasn't giving me quite the rubbed aged look I was going for.

I stomped around a bit trying to decide what was bothering me and then it hit me.

Umm. My favorite thing in the world.

It needed glaze.

Duh.

(that was my internal monologue in case you were wondering)

I brushed the glaze on and oh.my.gosh. I was in love.

Head over heels love.

Now, I'm not going to go crazy and do this on every piece from now on, but it was the perfect touch that this guy needed :)

Go ahead.

Check out the difference for yourself and tell me it didn't make it look a bazillion times better!

I popped the drawers back in, took my sander to it for a few minutes to give it a good distressing then sealed it with a protective wax to give it a buttery, satin feel.

Check him out now!!!!

Ahh!!

Isn't he soooo good-looking??

I admit, I was nervous there for a bit about how it was going to really turn out but it looks so much better in reality than it did in my head!!!

Don't you love it when that happens??

And just in case you need another glimpse of it's humble beginning, here's a quick reminder...

I'm in love with him.

And I hope someone else is too because, sadly, we don't have room for him in our house.

So he'll be finding a new, fabulous home to live in :)

(Why is it a he?? Really. Who knows. It's how I picture it.)

So spill it you guys.

I'm anxious to hear what you think about my newest venture.

Loving the two-toned or is it not quite your cup of tea??

I have a ton more furniture redos coming up so gear up :)

And I hope you're as happy as I am that Monday is finally over and we're that much closer to spring break!!

Love you guys :)

'Nite.

Linking to:

Get Your Craft ON @ Today's Creative Blog

Tips and Tutorials @ Homes Stories A to Z

Homemade Projects @ Tip Junkie

Stache Party @ My Lil Pumpkin Patch

Link it up Wednesday @ Junk in their Trunk

Show me Extraordinary @ The 36th Avenue

Share and Wow Wednesday @ A Turtle's Life For Me

Everything but the Kitchen Sink @ A Little Knick Knack

Feature Yourself Friday @ Fingerprints on the Fridge

Free for All @ Sassy Sites

Furniture Feature Friday @ Miss Mustard Seed

Saturday Seven @ Positively Splendid

Bedazzle Me Monday @ Everything under the Moon

Painted Duck-Cloth Pillows

2012-02-24T16:40:00.007-08:00

Ooh, it's starting to feel like Spring around here guys!!!

We've had blue skies, 70-degree weather and gorgeous sunshine the past couple days and I am in LOVE.

Completely ready for spraypaint, capris and sunglasses season :)

How 'bout you??

I've been working on several furniture redos that I'm dying to show you...so be on the look-out.

You can see some sneaks as to what they are on my facebook page.

Onto today's project.

I have a slight love affair with pillows...

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one with that love affair though.

And these ones I actually made :)

No stuffing placemats this time!

Wanna see what I came up with??

I had fun :)

Supplies:

*A yard of Duck Cloth (I got contrasting colors- a beige and dark brown)

*Sewing machine

*Stuffing

*Acrylic Paint

*Foam Pounces

*Stencils of your choice

I love this stuff.

I first used it back when I did my kitchen stool makeover and I'm super impressed with how it holds up- especially since a four year old eats there regularly!!

I swear, we spilled a big amount of spaghetti sauce and it came up!

So you know it's amazing :)

I found mine at JoAnns fabric and the label calls it 'duck cloth' and it just feels like drop cloth material.

So I picked up the two colors in enough yardage to do a couple pillows.

I decided I wanted to glam them up a bit with some vintage-y type painting so I printed out some stencils.

Oh yes.

I still love the whole 'keep calm and carry on' slogan and used it to inspire my 'be calm' pillow.

All I did was print out the designs, cut them out with my exacto knife

(yes I STILL do this even though I've entered about a bajillion giveaways for a silhouette. Sigh. Someday...)

I then used regular old acrylic paint to stencil them on with a little round pouncer.

Works like a charm.

You can also pour a little fabric medium into your paint to make it a bit softer but these aren't really for laying on so it didn't really matter.

To make my "H" pillow, I painted the H on and then used a paper doily I had to get the circle imprint.

I just laid it on the cloth and pounced some paint into the design.

Added a little bit of pretty :)

Once I was done painting, I got the sewing machine out and whipped some pillows up :)

I love the contrasting brown on the back!!

Here's my 'be calm' one in all it's glory:

Isn't he cute?

I took some fine-grit sandpaper to the paint to rough it up a bit to give it more of a vintage feel.

And the same to my little "H" pillow:

I just love them!!

I always love having a fun pile of pillows and these are a fun addition :)

What do you think?

Need some more vintage pillow eye candy in your life??

Are you excited for Spring like me??

Linking to:
Weekend Wrapup Party @ Tatertots and Jello
Sister Sunday @ Sisters of the Wild West
Saturday Seven @ Positively Splendid
Sundae Scoop @ I heart Naptime
Get Your Craft ON @ Today's Creative Blog

Tips and Tutorials @ Homes Stories A to Z

Homemade Projects @ Tip Junkie

Stache Party @ My Lil Pumpkin Patch

Link it up Wednesday @ Junk in their Trunk

Show me Extraordinary @ The 36th Avenue

Share and Wow Wednesday @ A Turtle's Life For Me

Everything but the Kitchen Sink @ A Little Knick Knack

Linky Followers Blog Hop: Round 2

2012-02-22T18:56:00.000-08:00

We're at it again folks!!

Google Friend Connect will be going away next week so it's time to start making sure you have all your favorite blogs in a place where you can read them :)

In case you missed it last week, here's the scoop:

GOOGLE FRIEND CONNECT

will be discontinued on Feb 29 for any one that is not with blogspot, and rumor has it that it is being completely phased out for everyone soon

BUT

There is a NEW awesome tool–Linky Followers

It has so many amazing features (that GFC never had). If you have not signed up you should. (And you can have GFC and Linky together). You will LOVE the new features!!! I'm digging' 'em :

In honor of the new Linky Follower craze, Cheri from It's So Very Cheri is hosting a LINKY FOLLOWER PARTY HOP.

Here are the RULES:

1. you MUST have the LINKY FOLLOWERS tool on your site to participate.

If you see that your link has been deleted you need to add the LINKY FOLLOWER tool to your site and then come back over and re-enter your link
{You can have both the LINKY FOLLOWERS & GFC on your site but you must have the LINKY FOLLOWERS toolto participate in this party hop.}

2. You MUST follow the person who has the party on their site as a thank you.

3. Just add your blog button to the LINKY PARTY below.

4.Then grab the BLOG HOP code

5. Then you follow other bloggers–(as many as you want)

You will find the code right under the Linky Party where it says CLICK HERE TO ENTER–just under that it says: WHAT IS A BLOG HOP? GET THE CODE HERE. Click on GET THE CODE HERE and enter it into a post on your site. You can grab info from my post if it helps you with your post.

–leave each one of the blogs that you follow a comment letting them know you are following them and ask them to follow you back.

If you want to add the BLOG HOP to your own site you will get lots of new followers–(see rule #2)

It worked great last week and I've already found a ton of new Blogging buddies!!

Let me know if you have any questions :)

Oh and one last thing: please, pretty please, make sure you have enabled your email to be attached to your profile!!! I try to respond to all of your comments but I can't when blogger says you are a 'no reply' blogger!!! So please go into your settings and make sure you can be contacted back!!! I hate not being able to answer some of your questions!!!

Love you guys!

Closet Transformation with a Little Help from Elfa

2012-02-22T15:51:00.000-08:00

First off,

I should probably tell you guys that I am NOT in any way being asked or paid to do this post :)

I was simply SO excited about finally getting my closet usable and organized again that I absolutely had to share it with you.

Cuz I love you guys and all.

So now that that is out of the way,

let's move on to the disaster of the closet I was working with.

We have tiny closets in our master but at least there are two of them so that we each have one.

That's our saving grace.

But I may have a tiny bit of a shopping problem.

Ok a big one :)

I love clothes and I love finding good deals...and I love love shopping.

So that's a problem when one has a super tiny closet with just the one hanging rod and shelf.

Need proof?

Check it.

I had given up hope long ago.

Thus all the clothes sitting in piles on the floor.

It's kind of horrifying to show you these pictures.

I guess it's a test of my trust that you'll still love me, huh??

So lovely hubby promised that he would get it installed for me and he and my dad worked all this past saturday picking it up and getting it installed.

I love them :)

So they headed to The Container Store to grab my already pre-ordered Elfa.

(Me and mom had gone in a couple weeks ago to get it designed for my closet!!)

Here it is in process:

If you want a great tutorial on how to install it and why it's so much better than the stuff you can get at Lowes, check out The Borrowed Abode's tutorial on putting hers in.

It's great.

It really didn't take them long at all.

The longest part was actually me sorting through my clothes to figure out what was going where and what to get rid of.

Simon enjoyed being right up in the middle of everything, as usual.

Are you ready to see what I could do with it after???

Ah. Bliss.

This corner of my room is so dang hard to get a picture of.

But the difference is amazzzzing.

(Yup, it totally deserves all those z's)

Can you believe such a tiny space can hold all that??

The greatest thing about The Container Store is that the Elfa specialist draws up plans for your EXACT space and designs it down to how many drawers, shelves and rods you want to get in there.

You can also add shoe racks, wood trim and valet hooks to any of the systems.

I was SO excited when I saw it all drawn up.

And those drawers hold a TON of clothes.

I hoard jeans and those middle two drawers were able to contain all of them.

That's a feat.

I was able to get three hanging areas- one for just shirts and blouses, one for dresses and skirts and the last small area for dressy shirts and tanks.

Everything else tucked into drawers or into baskets sitting on the shelves.

It worked wonders!!

Check out the side by side views:

I'll admit,

I've kept the closet doors open just to look at for the past few days.

I'm an organization junkie.

And to answer the question I know is coming...

Yea...it's a little pricey.

But get it when it's on sale and sit back and sigh in relief when you don't have clothes attacking you from all angles when you reach in to grab something.

It's totally, 100% worth it.

The MAJOR perks of using Elfa:

1. You get it designed exactly for your space so it utilizes every inch of your area you want to use.

2. It's incredibly easy to install- no millions of screws or anchors.

3. It's moveable so it can grow with you. (perfect for kids so you can rearrange it as their clothes grow!!)

4. It has tons of options for drawers, shelves and rods- and you can dress them up a bit with wood accents.

5. They're incredibly durable- hubby pulled down on the rod with all his strength and it wouldn't budge (and he's strong!!!)

No. More like 145,799,553% worth it.

That should seal the deal, right?

What's your biggest problem closet??

If you like this project...

Linking to:

Get Your Craft On @ Today's Creative Blog

Screen & Yarn Monogram

2012-02-20T09:39:00.007-08:00

Whew.

This weekend has been super busy.

We spent most of the day saturday installing my new Elfa system in my closet to get it all organized.

I can't wait to show you guys the before and after!
You'll be amazed :)

I also scored a great roadside find this week- you can check it out on my facebook page.

I've got several pieces I'm working on right now so you'll start seeing some furniture redos soon!!
Are you excited??

I know I am... I love getting back outside and painting!
You know I'm excited when I spend most of the day cleaning out the garage to get ready for furniture painting season :)

Anywho.

I wanted to share a fun and super easy project I did over my winter break.

You know I have a thing for monograms and I've been wanting to mess around with some mesh screen stuff I had lying around.

So I decided they'd make a good match :)

Supplies:

*Frame (I had an old one lying around)

*Screen (bought mine at Lowes forever ago)

*Staple Gun

*Yarn

*Needle

I bought the screen stuff forever ago for a different project and had tons left so I was excited to get to use some of it again!

I liked the bronze-y color of the frame, but decided to give it a little color.

I gently brushed some aqua paint on and then rubbed it off with a paper towel to get a distressed effect.

Subtle but made a big difference.

I took the screen and used some heavy duty scissors to cut it to fit the frame.

Then I used my staple gun to attach it to the back.

This stuff is spiky so be careful that it doesn't bite you :)

Then I went on to my monogram.

I decided to use an aqua yarn (big surprise, huh?)

and the needle I used had a big eye on it so it could let the yarn go through it.

This part was a bit tedious.

If you're the super OCD type, 'sewing' the yarn on might be a process.

I just eye-balled how much space to go between stitches.

Tie a tight knot at the end of the yarn just like you do when hand-sewing something.

Then start wherever you feel the most comfortable at on your letter.

I started at the top part of my "H' and worked my way down, then over.

Pull it tight each time.

I ended up doing two rows of stiches to make it show up better.

You could go with even more rows and it would be pretty too :)

I love how it turned out :)

I think it's very spring-ish so I'm excited to get it up and start feeling sunshine around the house!!

What do you think?
Do you need to add another monogram to your decor??

Hope you guys have a great start to your week :)

If you like this project...

Linking to:

Tuesday to Do @ The Blackberry Vine

Stache Party @ My Lil Pumpkin Patch

Show me Extraordinary @ The 36th Avenue

Catch a Glimpse @ A Glimpse Inside

Everything but the Kitchen Sink @ A Little Knick Knack

Simply Creations @ Simple Home Life

Sister Sunday @ Sisters of the Wild West

So There's Good News & Bad News....

2012-02-15T16:58:00.000-08:00

Don't worry dear friends.

Nothing completely crazy.

But just in case you haven't heard I wanted to give you the heads-up.

Did you know that Google Friend Connect will be going away as of February 29th for all

non-blogger blogs?

Craziness, people.

And, no I'm not a non-blogger blog so as of right now, you'll still be able to follow me via GFC.

But there is rumor that it will be phasing out for everyone soon too.

So that brings me to my main point...

I don't want to lose any of you!!!

So that's the bad news part.

Here's the good news.

Our friends over at Linky Tools came up with Linky Followers:

It's a great new way to follow blogs with a lot of fun features that GFC didn't have.

It also allows you to sort your blogs which is fun :)

So, in order to keep following your fave blogs, you just need to sign up on their site and start following your blogs that have the Linky Followers Tool on their sites (which a lot of them already have!!)

In case you have no idea what I'm talking about...

This is Google Friend Connect on my sidebar... what most people use to follow blogs at the moment:

I WILL be keeping GFC up for now.

So don't worry...if you like following that way, it's still an option!

But I've also added the new Linky Followers tools below it.

It looks like this:

So I would LOVE if you'd follow me via the new Linky tools.

That way I don't lose any of my fabulous friends :)

It's super easy to do and completely free.

In honor of the new Linky Tools...Cheri from It's So Very Cheri is hosting a Linky Followers Blog Hop!!

Here are the rules:

1. you MUST have the LINKY FOLLOWERS tool on your site to participate.

2. You MUST follow the person who has the party on their site as a thank you.

3. Just add your blog button to the LINKY PARTY below.

4.Then grab the BLOG HOP code

(Click on GET THE CODE HERE and enter it into a post on your site. You can grab info from my post if it helps you with your post.)

5. Then you follow other bloggers–(as many as you want)

That's it guys :)

And it will help spread the word about GFC and Linky Followers- so it's a win-win for everyone!!

Happy Hopping!!

Let me know if you have any questions...

I'm hanging here...

2012-02-15T08:47:00.000-08:00

I'm hanging out over at The CSI Project again today :)

I love posting over there and seeing all the fabulous contests they have each week.

This week we used some sponsor material and I think you'll love who it is!

So head over to check out what I did with the fun items!!

Happy Wednesday!!

14 reasons why I love you...

2012-02-14T12:35:00.000-08:00

Well...

We don't go all out or anything for Valentines.

Ok...

so last year we drove to The Melting Pot in Memphis for a special date.

But really, that's as big as it's gotten.

Or...

Wait.

our first Valentines Day he did take me to a place out in the country overlooking this gorgeous valley and sang a song he had written for me on the guitar...

so nevermind.

We usually have some fabulous Valentines days :)

So today I'll get in the silly, corny love-y mood and tell you the 14 things I love about my sweetheart.

To my hubby:

14 reasons why I love you...

1. You always make me laugh. Sometimes too much :)

2. You're the most supportive person in my life. You support my school even when it sucks, you support my crazy spraypaint addiction and all the crazy decorating that goes on in our house.

3. You've (mostly) stopped rolling your eyes when I start a sentence with "so...I was thinking that I might change up..."

4. When I have a random class assignment where I have to come up with things that would get me out of a coma, you're first response isn't you or little man...it's spraypaint. (should that be telling me something??)

5. You didn't flinch when I said I wanted to add some 'tangerine' into the master bedroom. You did stare off into the distance for a little longer than I would have liked...but you just smiled and said 'sounds great!'.

6. You give the best, most amazing bear hugs ever.

7. You read. Which is probably the biggest turn-on ever :) I love discussing books with you and getting excited over silly things like finding an old copy of The Hobbit.

8. You never let me get away with saying a particular phrase wrong. Even when I think I've gotten away with it, you'll always catch me and say 'did you just say...' Thanks, hon, for keeping me on my toes.

9. You have the same addiction to White Collar and 24 that I have which makes tv watching that much more special :)

10. You're as dramatic as I am...which makes for some pretty epic fights. But also for some hilarious commentary.

11. You pretend to not like all my girly shows but then you get just as worked up about Ben keeping Courtney on the Bachelor one more episode or Tyra sending the wrong model home...hmmm.

12. You tell me I'm the most beautiful girl in the world...even prettier than Montana off of CSI New York and Natalie Portman. I know you're lying but it counts all the same :)

13. You're the best cook ever. Which is perfect because I suck at it.

14. Most importantly, you're the sweetest, most loving guy I know and you are the best hubby and father I could ask for for our family.

I love you babe :)

Thanks for putting up with me...

I'm so glad you're my Valentine.

And I love you guys too- don't feel left out :)

Happy Valentine's Day!!

I'd love to hear what you love about your Valentine.

Spill :)

It's a Snow Day (And other randomness)

2012-02-13T08:32:00.000-08:00

The weather has had snow in the forecast for today all weekend

so we've been keeping our fingers crossed that Arkansas wouldn't be moody and decide not to give it to us.

It delivered :)

So we're having a snow day today-

our first all year!

And very likely our last all year too.

So little man and I are watching movies, making snow ice cream and puttering around the house.

I really just don't have anything clever for today.

It's that awkward feeling of Valentine's being tomorrow but it being too late to really put up anything for it.

And not quite soon enough to post any of my fun spring projects I've been dying to show you.

So I gots nothing, guys.

Except for the cute valentine I made up for little man to give all his grandparents.

I used the Jenga Block Photo shoot to come up with it and I think it turned out cute...

He's giving them out tomorrow :)

Oh- and don't forget that I'm having a fun giveaway over on my Facebook page!!

It ends tonight so get your entries in :)

Love you guys!

More Fun Valentine Printables!

2012-02-10T11:00:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is right around the corner?

Are you ready??

I think V-day around here is going to consist of treatment plan writing and maybe a quick dinner to one of our fave places- PF Changs.

But OT school doesn't seem to be wanting to share the love for the holiday at the moment :/

Lots and lots to do.

Sigh.

But just in case you're needing a few more ideas for Valentines, you've gotta check out this fun site!
Talk about Valentine eye candy :)

Mooo has tons of free valentine's printables up for grabs!

Plus you can sign up for their Mooo club to recieve news of all their awesome prints they put out!

I don't usually just post about a website but oh my gosh- the cuteness!!!

My personal favorite is the 'I love you to the moon and back' tag...

So just in case you're needing some more valentine freebies...

head over and check them out!

Hope you guys have a fabulous friday!!

Oh, oh oh!!I'm having a Facebook Fans only Giveaway over on my Facebook page so you should definitely head over to check it out :)

Jenga Love Blocks

2012-02-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

Sooo...

I have a thing for jenga blocks.

Yup, I said it.

Not just jenga though.

Tumbling Towers, Falling Bricks...whatever you want to call those cute little wooden blocks,

I love 'em.

I've shared my obsession with these blocks in a couple projects here and here.

But this is the simplest, prettiest little project with them ever.

And I heart them very much.

Check out these cuties:

I put on my scrapbooking hat and dug through my old 'stash' of sticker letters and my ever-growing pile of paper...

and I started covering them up.

I wanted to keep the edges exposed because I liked the idea of the raw wood showing through...

The easiest way I've found for covering things is by lining the paper over the piece and then bending the paper around the edges to make a nice crease line.

That way I know exactly where to cut.

For these, I cut a little inside the crease to make sure the edges show.

I used one of my adhesive staples, mounting squares, to adhere the paper to the blocks.

I always seem to have bad luck with Mod Podge when it comes to small surfaces and thin paper...

so this stuff worked like a charm.

I used sticker letters to make phrases on one side of the blocks...

and then used my old friend for the other sides...

my little label maker :)

Of course, little man jumped in on the action and decided he needed an impromptu photo session.

I take advantage of these whenever he's willing cuz soon, I'll have to beg him to be in front of the camera.

And then I took them outside for their little photo shoot...

In love.

I'm obsessed with how these pictures turned out...

don't be jealous of my blue chippy chair :)

No really, you probably shouldn't be.

The poor thing is falling apart.

Because dumb me didn't spray it with weatherizer.

I have plans to try and keep it around a little longer though.

Pwomise.

Here's the other sides with their sweet 'words of love'...

I have a thing for imperfections.

Probably because I know nothing we do is perfect so I like it when

imperfections show themselves as beautiful.

Like this little block...

Perfectly imperfect.

And my whole little stack of love blocks...

After this picture, they all came tumbling down.

Oh well,

you can take the blocks out of the Jenga but you can't take the Jenga out of the blocks.

Don't try to make sense of that.

Just go with it :)

What do you think?
Have I convinced you to keep an eye out for old Tumbling Tower games?

I'm off to see what I can do with the rest of them...

Happy Wednesday ya'll :)

Linking to:

Creative Juice @ Momnivore's Dilemma

Sugar and Spice @ 733

From Dream to Reality @ DIY Dreamer

Share and Wow Wednesday @ A Turtle's Life For Me

Party Time @ 36th Avenue

Latest and Greatest Friday @ Days of Chalk and Chocolate

Friday Flair @ Whipperberry

Simply Klassic Sunday @ SImply Klassic Home

Think Pink Sundays @ Flamingo Toes

Red & Aqua Valentine's Wreath

2012-02-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

And you just thought that I'd leave red and aqua for Christmas, huh?

No ma'am.

I fell in love with this color scheme hardcore over Christmas and decided it was definitely needing to stick around for a bit.

And Valentine's is the perfect excuse to bring red back into my aqua world.

I told you guys that I'm {not really able to} go all out for Valentines since grad school is royally trying to kick my butt.

(I spent about four hours writing up a mental health protocol last night- aghhh)

But just because I can't pink, red and white up my house doesn't mean I can't have a few touches of love, right?

And of course I had to make a wreath because my obsession requires it :)

And this time it's not in miniature form.

So, therefore, let me introduce you to the red & aqua wreath.

It makes me happy :)

Easy enough supplies:

*Styrofoam wreath form

*Aqua Yarn

*White Yarn

*An assortment of DIY flowers

*Pins

You know the drill.

Wrap, wrap and wrap some more.

Am I weird that this is actually one of my favorite things to do?

Some people really hate this part...but it's somewhat therapeutic for me.

I'm an odd duck, I know.

Here it is all wrapped and ready for some fun embellishments:

I really didn't do a good job making a tutorial for the red ribbon flowers on the wreath...

so this is as good as it got.

I took some wire that I had lying around

(I have a random spool of this stuff for some reason...there's no telling)

I cut off a good amount and then just wove some ribbon back and forth onto it.

Once I decided I had a good amount on, I made a circle with the wire, wrapped up the ends and then snipped the excess wire off.

So I had a little ribbon circle and then just glued a button to the middle.

Here's me weaving the ribbon onto the wire:

I made a few different rosettes and stacked flowers until I had the amount I wanted.

The big one I just completely made up and I still haven't decided if it's my favorite thing in the world or not yet.

But I adore the colors :)

Instead of hotgluing the flowers on, I pinned each of them on.

That way, when I get tired of them it won't mess the wreath up to take them off.

Making it interchangeable of sorts.

I also wrapped some white yarn around the other side to add a little bit more color.

I love how all the colors come together and that it's not overtly valentines.

I wonder if my neightbors ever wonder why I'm outside taking pictures of my tree with various things always hanging from it??

What do you guys think?
Was it okay to bring the red and aqua back out?

Hope you guys have a fabulous monday :)

Linking to:

Creative Juice @ Momnivore's Dilemma

Sugar and Spice @ 733

From Dream to Reality @ DIY Dreamer

Share and Wow Wednesday @ A Turtle's Life For Me

Party Time @ 36th Avenue

Latest and Greatest Friday @ Days of Chalk and Chocolate

Friday Flair @ Whipperberry

Simply Klassic Sunday @ SImply Klassic Home

Think Pink Sundays @ Flamingo Toes

10 Hand-made Valentines Ideas

2012-02-03T15:26:00.000-08:00

After sharing my 'have a ball' valentines printables with you guys earlier today,

I thought it'd be fun to share some other handmade valentine ideas I've stumbled upon recently :)

There are so many cute ideas out there!

1) You're A Peach!

(via The Sweetest Occasion)

2) I 'Wheelie' Like you Valentines

(perfect for boys!)

(Via Thirty Handmade Days)

3) Candy Kiss Printables

(via Living Locurto)

4) Bear Hugs Treats

(via FamilyFun)

5) Valentine Pencils

(via FamilyFun)

6) Printable Valentines

(via Amy is the Party)

7) Valentine's Day Templates!

(via I Heart Faces)

8) 3-D Valentines

(via Design Mom)

9) Candy Pencils

(via FamilyFun)

10) Owl Valentine Card

(via Live, Learn, Love)

Aren't they just way cute?

Hopefully that gets some creative juices flowing for you guys :)

Which one is your favorite??

"Have a Ball" Homemade Valentine Printable Tags

2012-02-03T12:36:00.000-08:00

I had a fabulous reader, Dawn, email me last week with a request.

First off, let me tell you guys, that I LOVE when you send in suggestions or ideas for projects/printables.

It's so fun to hear what you guys come up with and I love being able to put some of them into action.

Dawn had seen a cute saying (I think via Pinterest) and wanted some printables that she could use for her son's valentines.

Ooooh. The gears started turning.

I ended up making both some bag topper printables (like the ones used at my son's pirate party here)

and also some cute tags.

The tags would be easy to put on anything- bags, little boxes, homemade cards.

There are two color versions- one more for girls, and one more boy-ish.

And after sharing them with Dawn, I wanted to share them with all of you in case you needed any last minute valentine ideas!!!

You can find bouncy balls pretty cheap at craft or party stores and Oriental Trading has bulk options.

The tags above can easily be customized to add your child's name with a program like Picnik or Photoshop.

Or you can have them handwrite it in the blank :)

Here are the cute bag toppers in case you'd rather go the ziploc bag route:

Just click on the file name at the bottom of the post, print and then fold over the top of a ziploc bag.

I used the tags for little man's valentines.

I have these cute little boxes (which you'll see more about next week)

and all I did was tuck the bouncy ball in, tie it up all pretty and add the printed tag.

Easy peasy.

Click below to download your favorites:

'Have a Ball' Bag Toppers- Pink

'Have a Ball' Bag Toppers- Red

'Have a Ball' Tag- Pink

'Have a Ball' Tag- Red

As with all my free printables,

these are for personal use ONLY.

Please do not claim them as your own or alter them.

Printables are for Tattered and Inked readers only.

What do you think? Would they make cute valentines?

I hope you guys like them and they make getting homemade valentine cards ready a little easier :)

I'll be back later today to share some other awesome home-made valentines that I've found!!

Have a fabulous Friday!

Linking to:

Saturday Seven @ Postively Splendid

Creative Juice @ Momnivore's Dilemma

Sugar and Spice @ 733

Share and Wow Wednesday @ A Turtle's Life For Me

Party Time @ 36th Avenue

Latest and Greatest Friday @ Days of Chalk and Chocolate

Friday Flair @ Whipperberry

Family Heart Project

2012-02-01T06:34:00.000-08:00

Every now and then my four year old has better ideas than me.

Dead serious.

I sit there and look at him for a minute and am just like 'wow, that's a great idea!'

He's the best :)

So when he saw me cutting out shapes for my big project (that I'll be showing you soon) with my new jigsaw,

he watched and watched.

*You could totally see the gears turning*

And then asked me if I could cut out hearts.

Now, it was my first time ever using my jigsaw.

And I was saw happy.

Plus I couldn't say no to that chubby face when he asks me to make something for him.

So I said sure.

Then he said I needed to make three hearts.

One for mommy, one for daddy and one for him.

And our family hearts were born.

And he even begged for us to take pictures with them.

What the what?

I love that my four year old was in charge of the design concept and the photo shoot.

Totally my kid.

Don't judge.

I'd been out with the saw all day.

And hubby's afro was out of control :)

Then we each got to paint our hearts.

I just nicely asked hubby to please not paint it a bright orange.

He was totally just trying to rebel against our 'normal' house colors.

So he went with green instead.

Aren't they cute?

If you've been here long you totally know which one mine is.

The blue one with pretty white stenciling?

Why yes...it is.

Hubby did his green then allowed little man to pick the stencil.

It ended up being our wedding colors which was unintentionally sweet.

Little man went paint happy and I love all the swirls in his.

He helped put his little stencil on too :)

I dug out our chalkboard and made a quick "I love you because..." board.

That way we can leave love notes when we're feeling nice :)

And our family hearts can guard it.

I love that we each have a heart that was handpainted by us.

And I can't even claim the idea.

Because my four year old just outdid me.

And I'm totally ok with that.

Do your kiddos like to craft with you?

Any special projects you've made with them lately??

Linking to:

Valentine's Link Party @ Decorchick

Link it up Wednesday @ Junk in their Trunk

Whatever Goes Wednesday @ Someday Crafts

20 Below Thursdays @ Christina's Adventures

Everything but the Kitchen Sink @ A Little Knick Knack

Latest and Greatest Finds @ Days Of Chalk and Chocolate

Do Something Crafty @ The Crafty Nest

Saturday Seven @ Postively Splendid

Tips and Tricks @ Home Stories A to Z

Valentine's Mini Wreath!

2012-01-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

Are you guys ready for some valentine fun that is in non-printable form??

I kinda am.

I love sharing prints...but a fun project is always a good mix-up.

I haven't been able to go all out for Valentine's...

mostly because it would be too much work just to have to take down pretty soon.

I'm trying to keep myself from getting too overwhelmed this semester while taking 19 hours of grad work!!

Which means that I need to pick and choose what projects to take on :)

So my house is actually pretty springified right now.

Which Arkansas seems to be more in tune with since we haven't really had any good winter weather.

But I had to make a couple valentine's projects to spread the love a little.

So I decided to make a cute mini-wreath.

Yup. Mini.

I found these cuties in the Target dollar spot right before Christmas and never got around to using them.

Though I mostly bought them because of their size and I knew they could be re-used.

I just took some small sewing scissors and snipped the yarn off the form.

I ended up with a cute, tiny little wreath form :)

Which Simon thought was his toy.

I re-wrapped it with some red yarn and embellished it with some cute hearts I had on had...

I decided it needed a mini place to hang so I hung it from an extra frame I had...

The hearts were some chipboard hearts that I re-did.

The bigger one I wrapped with twine and the smaller one had some paper mod-podged onto it.

I wrapped a little bit of embroidery thread around the red yarn to add a little more contrast.

Mini wreaths call for mini embellishements :)

I stuck some houndstooth scrapbook paper in the frame and then clamped the ribbon into the frame to hang the wreath.

Now I can change it out whenever I feel like it.

And with my obsession with wreaths- you can bet you'll be seeing some more mini wreaths!!

For now, she hangs in the corner of my living room.

Did you notice one of my valentine's prints peeking out at the bottom?

Just adding a little more love :)

It might be a just a tiny bit of v-day in our house- but it makes me smile.

Or maybe it's just that whole 'mini' thing going on.

Everything is just way cuter in mini-form, right??

Linking to:

Homemade Projects @ Tip Junkie

Link it up Wednesday @ Junk in their Trunk

Tuesday To Do @ The BlackBerry Vine

Valentine's Link Party @ Decorchick

20 Below Thursdays @ Christina's Adventures

Everything but the Kitchen Sink @ A Little Knick Knack

Latest and Greatest Finds @ Days Of Chalk and Chocolate

Do Something Crafty @ The Crafty Nest

Saturday Seven @ Postively Splendid

Love you and Stuff Prints

Six Free Valentine Printables

2012-01-29T19:48:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for a quick and easy way to change up decor for the various holidays,

then printables are the way to go!!

In case you missed it all this past week,

I'm collecting all six of the free Valentine Printables I've made up for you guys :)

All in one easy post.

I have one more printable that popped up over the weekend when a reader contacted me.

And it's super cute- so be on the lookout!!

I love creating free prints, so if you ever have an idea, feel free to shoot me an email with a suggestion and I'll see what I can do!

I love getting new ideas for fun printables.

And don't forget to send pictures to me via email or Facebook so I can show off your fabulousness you've created with any of my prints!!

Luv you guys :)

And onto the prints...

Click on the names below to be taken to their download post:

I love you a Bushel and a Peck Prints

If You're a Bird, I'm a Bird Prints

I love you Infinity Plus One Prints

My Best Friend Prints

My Whole Heart Prints

Linking to:

Tips and Tricks @ Home Stories A to Z

20 Below Thursdays @ Christina's Adventures

*Whole Heart- White and Blue

A Week of Valentine's Printables- My Whole Heart Print

2012-01-27T09:00:00.000-08:00

It's Friday! It's Friday!

Aren't you guys as excited as I am???

Or sad that the week of printables is to an end?

Me too :/

But I've got other v-day fun for you next week- just wait!

I've been fighting off migraines all week because of the crazy weather here in Arkansas.

It's trying to get the best of me, I swear.

Add that to the horrible flourescent lighting in those dang classrooms and it makes for a pretty miserable fight against the evil headache.

Anyone else struggle with migraines?

I'm sending all my love out to you now.

They just suck.

Today's printable was inspired by the quote that swept over Blogland for most of 2011.

It orginated at...Pottery Barn?

I'm thinking that's it though don't hold me to it :)

It's a super sweet quote and inspired my wall art way back when that I still love.

Isn't it sweet and simple?

I made it in four colors- the white you see above and the three below.

I hope you guys like it :)

Wouldn't it be a sweet note to tuck on Hubby's pillow for a sweet surprise?

Click on the name below to download your favorite:

*Whole Heart- Red and White

*Whole Heart- Black and Blue

*Whole Heart: Grey and Yellow

As with all my free printables,

these are for personal use ONLY.

Please do not claim them as your own or alter them.

Printables are for Tattered and Inked readers only.

I'm sad that this is the last day of the printables series

but super excited about seeing what you're going to do with them!

Send in the pictures and I'll be featuring them on my Facebook page :)

Happy Friday guys!

If you've missed printables from the rest of the week, check them out below!

Day 1: Bushel in a Peck Prints

Day 2: If You're a Bird Prints

Day 3: Infinity Plus One Prints

Day 4: You'll Always Be... Prints

A Week of Valentine's Printables- You'll Always Be... Print

2012-01-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

I can't believe the week is almost over!!

Which means only two printables left to go!!

I'm almost okay with that because I have a bunch of awesome projects that have been in the works that I'm dyyying to share with you guys.

Although writing posts with printables in them seem to be surprisingly quick and easy.

Which means more time to read the last Hunger Games book.

Oh. Em. Gee.

That's all I have to say about that.

No spoilers- I'm close to the end!!!

And will be dying to see the movie come March! Eek.

Today's printable was inspired by hubby.
He's always a good person to turn too when I need some creative inspiration.

All I had to do was say... "I need a good idea for a printable"

and he showered me with about ten fabulous song lyrics to use.

So say thanks to hubby for this one :)

Cuz it's sweet and cute.

Perfect for a quick printable.

The lyrics are from a song by one of my all-time favorite bands, Relient K.

Awesome band with some very sweet (and sometimes sad!) songs.

This one is light and perfectly on tune for your valentine :)

And of course, in several colors!

And just cuz I can...

here's my best friend.

And my sweet (but crazy) valentine.

I'd love to hear your favorite thing about YOUR best friend!!
Share what it is by commenting below :)

Click below to download your favorite:

*My Best Friend: Red

* My Best Friend: Blue

*My Best Friend: Pink

*My Best Friend: Orginal

As with all my free printables,

these are for personal use ONLY.

Please do not claim them as your own or alter them.

Printables are for Tattered and Inked readers only.

If you missed the printables from early in the week, you can find them here:

Day 1: Bushel in a Peck Printable

Day 2: If Your a Bird Printable

Day 3: Love you Infinity Plus One Printable

Hope you guys are having a great week- can't wait until tomorrow to show you the last printable of the week!!

Don't forget to tell me your favorite thing about your best friend :)

A Week of Valentine's Printables- Infinity Plus One Print

2012-01-25T06:15:00.000-08:00

We've made it to Wednesday- woohoo!!!

Which is a great feat for me this week since I'm still dragging in the 'getting-caught-up' phase.

I found myself wandering around the house with a stapler in my hand yesterday...

then looking down and wondering why in the heck I was carrying that thing around.

I think I thought it was my phone.

Still. Weirdness.

At least I didn't try to talk on it :)

Anywho.

Are you guys ready for another printable??

Even though the last two ones this week have been personal favorites,

I think this one is way cute.

If for no other reason it brings back those good ole' elementary school days.

Remember when this ending to a sentence was the end-all for everything?
You won if you said it first :)

Bring back any fond memories??

Or maybe the fight going on in your kitchen right now.

(most likely with something a little less endearing... 'oh yea? Well I'm cooler infinity plus one!')

And not to dissapoint those of you who love color just as much as me...

it's in six lovely colors.

Just click, download, print & frame!!

Click the link below to download your favorite:

*Infinity Plus One- Black and Red

*Infinity Plus One- Black and Blue

*Infinity Plus One- Grey and Yellow

*Infinity Plus One- Grey and Red

*Infinity Plus One- Pink

*Infinity Plus One- Blue

As with all my free printables,

these are for personal use ONLY.

Please do not claim them as your own or alter them.

Printables are for Tattered and Inked readers only.

I hope you're enjoying this series as much as I enjoy making the printables :)

Happy mid-week guys and I'll see you back here tomorrow for another freebie!!

If you've missed any of the previous printables you can find them below:

Day 1: Bushel in a Peck Prints

Day 2: If You're a Bird Prints

Linking to:

Feature Yourself Friday @ Fingerprints on the Fridge

A Week of Valentine's Printables- If You're a Bird... Print

2012-01-24T09:33:00.000-08:00

So there's a lot behind this print today :)

Maybe it was spurred on by my crazy love for The Notebook...

or just Nicholas Sparks in general.

Maybe it's that whole gushy valentines feeling that spurs on a random urge to quote a great chick flick.

Or maybe just because I love Ryan Gosling.

Which this site definitely helps feed that love.

If you haven't seen the Homemade Ryan Gosling, you need to run over there and check it out.

You'll be laughing (and drooling!)

Here's one of my recent faves:

So in honor of all those above reasons,

I'm sharing my favorite quote from The Notebook :)

When they're splashing around at the beach and he's twirling her around.

You know.

And he says...

And in four different colors, of course!

Cuz one just isn't enough :)

Click the links below to download:

*If You're a Bird- Pink and Red

*If You're a Bird- Blue and Grey

*If You're a Bird- Black and White

*If You're a Bird- Red and Blue

As with all my free printables,

these are for personal use ONLY.

Please do not claim them as your own or alter them.

Printables are for Tattered and Inked readers only.

I hope you enjoy them

and then maybe go snuggle up on the couch and cry your eyes out watching it :)

Not that I want you to cry.

Just the good kind, kay?

If you missed yesterday's printable, head here to check it out!

And don't forget that tomorrow there will be ANOTHER free printable up :)

Just cuz I love you guys and stuff.

Linking to:

Share and Wow Wednesday @ It's a Turtle's Life For Me

Latest Greatest Friday @ Days of Chalk and Chocolate

Feature Yourself Friday @ Fingerprints on the Fridge

Create and Inspire @ A Little Inspiration

Valentines Linky @ Someday Crafts

Strut Your Stuff @ Six Sisters Stuff

A Week of Valentine's Printables- Bushel in a Peck in New Colors!!!!

2012-01-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

About a year ago now,

I released my very first printable.

I was super excited about it...and super nervous at the same time.

It was simple.

And it meant a lot to me because I used to sing it to my little man when he was a baby.
Well, I still do.

I was just playing around.

It was super simple.

And I didn't even know if anyone would really care about it.

So, so wrong.

It's gone a bit viral.

Especially now that it's on Pinterest.

And I still can't believe it when it soars above all the rest of my posts on my stats page.

So apparantly you guys like (and relate too) the Bushel and a peck song too.

And I felt bad limiting you guys to just that one hot pink color.

And hinted that I had a surprise in store for you guys with this printable.

And here it is, nearly a year later and...

I'm happy to tell you that the Bushel and a Peck print is now in nine colors!!!

Including the original hot pink version.

My favorite part of the whole thing is hearing about the sweet memories most of you have with this song.

It's been amazing to see how a few simple words can evoke so many different emotions from people.

I'm so excited to see where these may end up, so please send any pictures that you take of how you use the prints!!

I love you guys a bushel and a peck :)

I did a giveaway this past summer using the grey and yellow version if you remember,

and had a lot of fun dressing up an old cabinet door with it...

so I can't wait to see what fun ideas you come up with!!

Click the names below to download your favorite version:

Bushel and a Peck: Original

Bushel and a Peck: Black and White

Bushel and a Peck: Black and Red

Bushel and a Peck: Aqua Blue

Bushel and a Peck: Grey and Blue

Bushel and a Peck: Green

Bushel and a Peck:Grey and Yellow

Bushel and a Peck: Brown

Bushel and a Peck: Red

As with all my free printables,

these are for personal use ONLY.

Please do not claim them as your own or alter them.

Printables are for Tattered and Inked readers only.

I hope you lurve them, guys!
I have so enjoyed seeing all the sweet comments about everyone's memories attached to this song.

I'd love to hear yours so definitely leave a comment sharing your special memories!!

Head back over tomorrow for another fun, free printable during...

Linking to:

Share and Wow Wednesday @ It's a Turtle's Life For Me

Latest Greatest Friday @ Days of Chalk and Chocolate

weekend Wrapup Party @ Tatertots and Jello

Create and Inspire @ A Little Inspiration

Valentines Linky @ Someday Crafts

Strut Your Stuff @ Six Sisters Stuff

Placemat Pillows are baaaack!

2012-01-19T09:00:00.000-08:00

I mean, are there really any cheaper, more awesome pillows out there than placemat pillows??

Ok, so I'm sure there are some more crazy cheap ideas out there but, seriously, these are my faves :)

I've shared a couple tutorials for some seasonal placemat pillows here and here with you guys.

But I love these guys even MORE because I can keep them out all. year. long .

I scored on some cheap blue and white placemats at Target last spring and about hopped up and down in the aisle when I saw them.

(ok...so maybe I did. You know you do too!)

I found them when they were being clearanced so I snatched up three of those babies.

They only had one of my favorite print- the trellis design but I snagged two of the flower ones.

Because three is always the perfect number, right?

I filled them the same way I did my other two sets of pillows.

Just ripped open a seam on the side, stuffed the pillow stuffing in and then sewed it closed.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

And they may or may not have been scrubbed several times already when sticky hands get a hold of them.

And they've come up clean every time :)

Here they are hanging out in the living room I've been posting about all week.

If you missed it's transformation, check those posts out here and here.

The big one in the corner was an actual pillow that was clearanced so I snatched him up too :)

So do you love placemat pillows as much as I do?

Made any lately??

Do tell :)

Oh and have I told you yet that next week is going to be ANOTHER week of printables,

Valentine's Day style?

Oh yes. Get excited.

Cuz I know I am!

Linking to:

Everything but the kitchen sink @ A Little Knick Knack

Latest and Greatest @ Days of Chalk and Chocolate

Share and WOW Wednesday @ A Turtle's Life For Me

Link up @ 504 Main

Simply Creations @ Simple home Life

Create and Inspire@ Little Inspiration

Sundae Scoop @ I Heart Naptime

Craftomaniac Monday @ Craftomaniac
Tuesday Tutorials @ The Kurtz Corner
Tutorials and Tips @ Home Stories A to Z
Wednesday Wowzers @ Oopsey Daisy
Your Whims Wednesday @ My Girlish Whims
Whatever Goes Wednesday @ Someday Crafts
Hookin up with HOH @ House of Hepworths
Under 100$ @ Beyond the Picket Fence
Catch a Glimpse @ A Glimpse Inside
Latest Greatest Friday @ Days of Chalk and Chocolate
Feature Yourself Friday @ Fingerprints on the Fridge

The Evolution of my Blue Living Room Part 2: Decor Details

2012-01-18T09:17:00.000-08:00

I'm super excited that you guys liked my post yesterday about my living room transformation :)

To be honest, I was a bit nervous since it was my first time sharing an ENTIRE room of mine here on the blog.

I always feel like things aren't quite finished and that it doesn't look nearly as perfect as all the other blogs I read.

But well, then I realized I just needed to get over it.

It's my house in real life.

And even if you guys hadn't liked it, I know that I love it and that's what matters, right?

That and little man telling me that it's the prettiest room in the world :)

Ah, if all men knew how to sweet-talk like a four year old.

Anywho.

On to the fun part- showing you guys the deets!

*Warning: Picture heavy*
But surely you guessed that already!!

One last look of how far it's come...

Check out the whole post on that here.

I love this view of the room when you're standing in the kitchen.

It's a lot of color and prettiness at once :)

I did the 'art wall' quite a while ago- it was one of the first few projects I posted about!!

It's gone through a couple changes but nothing huge.

Although I have something big brewing that might bring about a replacement...

We shall see.

And of course, my lovely little table that replaced the horrid one we started with.

My bowl of balls and faux tiled tray both sit on top.

And of course a whole pile of DIY magazines :)

And since I have a love affair with pillows- there are a pile of colorful ones :)

I'll be sharing the secret behind a few of them tomorrow.

Let's just say they were che-ap.

And I'm still in love with my brown couch!!

If you've been reading very long, you know my favorite thing to decorate in the house is my mantle.

Even more so now that it has gorgeous trim to glam it up a bit!!

I shared my spring mantle last year and cannot wait to share the full reveal of this year's version.

Just a couple more touches and it'll be all ready!!

Yup, we're a skip-straight-from-Christmas-to-spring house around here.

A five dollar Goodwill shelf sits tucked in the corner holding various items throughout the seasons.

Right now it's sporting quite a bit of yellow :)

But it'll be all valentines'd out soon.

My trunk that I redid quite a while ago also sits in the corner holding several of my million blankets.

I get super cold...

On the other side of the mantle is the bar in the kitchen.

I love that it gives me some hanging room still :)

My distressed subway art hangs there most of the year with an occasional wreath to keep them company.

My refinished stools are a cute contrast to the white counters, aren't they?

If you scroll quickly up to the very first 'before' picture you can see them as they were when we got the house.

Bleh.

They've come quite a ways.

I added a couple metal shelf brackets under the bar to give it a little more interest.

They originally held shelves in my craft room but I like them better here :)

Little man keeps his cars tucked in the corner in a basket.

Cuz a kid really does live here and all :)

This is kind of a boring picture but I figured you needed to be reassured that we have a tv somewhere in here.

It's tucked along a tiny wall between the kitchen and a long coat closet we have.

It's a monster and the wall behind didn't need to compete with it so a simple starburst mirror is the only thing that hangs there.

I changed the knobs out on the entertainment center for a quick new look and love it.

And all our Wii remotes and games fit neatly into the baskets.

I might regret showing you this picture.

Considering it's of shoes, of all things.

But it's a lifesaver for me so I had to share it :)

Little man knows to come in and immediately take off his shoes to throw in the basket.

He even helps daddy get his there when he forgets!

I love that it keeps them contained and keeps my floors somewhat less nasty :)

The other side of the room consists of hubby's man-chair.

And of course, Simon had to get it on the action.

I love that we were able to get a little more seating in the narrow room and it's definitely hubby's favorite spot to take a nap :)

I'd love to replace it one day with a nice leather one but for now, it'll do.

I can't forget to show you the stool turned table in it's new home!!

Although it doesn't always stay pretty- hubby likes to take it over most of the time.

My yellow harlequin table brightens up the very back corner and was the perfect size to fit in that nook which made me crazy happy!

It holds a bunch of my decor that I change out a lot- vases, pictures, fillers.

Perfect storage area.

I blew up my 'one day can bend your life' print to a 16x20 and framed it over the table.

I love that it brings a little of my personality and art into the room :)

I'm still in love with my spraypainted vases and am still amazed that they're still in one piece!

And of course the fabulous chevron rug that you all love :)

I had to give you one last glimpse of it.

All in all,

I'm so happy with how it turned out and I think it's the room that showcases my growth as a DIY-er the most.

Looking back on all it's gone through shows me how much I've learned and branched out!!

And I've been so blessed to have fabulous readers like you to support and inspire me!!

So if I haven't told you lately how much I appreciate you- I do so so much!!

I'd love to hear your opinions about the rest of the room!

What's your favorite part?

Thanks so much for reading and sticking by me :)

If you have any questions about anything I didn't mention, let me know and I'll try my best to answer them!!!

Don't forget to check back tomorrow to see more about my blue pillows!!

Happy wednesday guys :)

Linking to:

Hookin up at HOH @ House of Hepworths

Share and WOW Wednesday @ A Turtle's Life For Me