decorating
Pallet Flag Tip
The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays – especially when I can celebrate with a good ol’ fashioned small town parade. Nothing screams “proud to be an American” like your local insurance agent throwing hard candy at little kids who run out into the street to grab these free treats. Seriously can’t wait. Now’s the time to get into the patriotic spirit with a little Americana decor, which brings me to this burning question. Is the pallet flag trend over? I don’t keep up with these things. I’m all about displaying what you love for however long you love it. It eventually all comes back into style anyway. I’m…
3 Creative Ways I Store Shoes
The one thing my kids are really consistent about (besides asking for a snack every 5 minutes) is taking their shoes off when they come in the house. I’m not sure if that’s because my husband and I did an exceptional job of training them or if my kids would just prefer to be barefoot. Hmm. Let’s go with the exceptional training. Yeah, I like the sound of that. In reality, if you only knew how many times I’ve left the house and one of my children wasn’t wearing shoes. *sigh* Anyway, shoe containment is a real problem. I’ve never lived in a house with a proper mudroom to hold…
DIY Wood Bench
Remember my son’s bedroom? He rests his head, for at least part of the night, on a knock-off Pottery Barn bed we made. For the other part of the night he transform into a stealthy ninja and plays musical beds. We never hear him coming. I blogged about the bed about a year after we made it. The only thing I don’t love about the bed is how heavy it is. This wouldn’t be a problem if we were the type to stay in one home forever. 4 years is our record. The moving itch is real, folks. The main reason the bed is heavy is because the mattress sits on a frame made…
Vintage Wood Gate
I found a wood gate recently. Actually, Handy Husband found it and said, “hey, you should do something with this.” That sweet talker. This gate is the real deal. Kind of like me. The gate has the weathered patina that can only come from years spent in the elements. Kind of like…uh…wear sunscreen kids. It got me thinking, what could I do with this gate? Use it outside? Use it inside? I liked the idea of inside, but that moment of spontaneity struck when Handy Husband wasn’t home. My girl muscles are impressive, but I could still only lift one end of the gate. Getting it in the house without…
Dining Table Refinish
It’s confession time. I try not to become emotionally attached to inanimate objects. It’s silly in the grand scheme of things. I do know this, but still…I really, really love my dining room table. It used to be the lunch table at one of my favorite jobs. Over time, one too many hot paper plates was set on the table and the finish started to wear off. I bought the table and 4 chairs for $150. I was over-the-moon excited. The legs on the table alone were worth it. They make my heart go pitter-patter. But I’m not emotionally attached or anything. The good thing about the finish wearing off the…
DIY Felt Spring Wreath
I know you have been waiting with bated breath for me to share another felt project. Wait no more. I have a doozie for you today. Meet happiness on a door. Otherwise known as my spring wreath. In the interest of full disclosure, I love how bright and cheery this project turned out, but boy, was it a pain to create. Literally. Doesn’t that inspire you to make your own? I have a way with these things. I decided to make this wreath after seeing similar ones on Etsy. While my project was drastically less expensive, it did take me several nights to make it. I also incurred quite a few hot glue burns.…
IKEA Lamp Hack
On Monday I showed you pictures of my new headboard. It took me a fair amount of time to work up the gumption to show you pictures of where I sleep. It’s a little creepy. Point of clarification: You aren’t creepy, it’s the internet creeper that’s creepy. You are freaking amazing and I’m glad you are here. Anyway, I’m slightly neurotic (I’m sure you couldn’t tell) and posting pictures of my bed meant I had to iron my pillowcases and the part of the flat sheet that would be visible. Oh, and the duvet cover. I’m pretty sure I cleaned my oven too. So, yeah. That was a pain in the butt.…
New Headboard
I decided after 12 years it was time for a new headboard in our master bedroom. That seems reasonable, right? I wanted Handy Husband to make me a headboard. This also seems reasonable, right? (Nod and agree with me.) After all, he does have experience making this one and this one. Alas, his free time for honey-do projects is limited these days. That meant I needed to take matters into my own hands. In case you are wondering, that means I went online shopping. I didn’t bust out the power tools or my car keys. I was in my element. I wanted a wood headboard, but hesitated to spend so much money…
Scalloped and Basket Weave Felt Pillow – No Sew
It’s been awhile since I’ve shared any crafty projects involving felt. Did you hope think I dropped that obsession? Ha! That’s crazy talk. Here’s how it all went down… I’m still having problems with my sewing machine. By “problems” I mean the bobbin thread is a hot mess and I don’t have the patience to deal with it. By the way, does anyone need a sewing machine? It really is amazing what I can create when I’m avoiding figuring out how to work my sewing machine. I needed wanted some new decorative pillows for my bed and thought I’d try my hand at making over two pillow covers that I own. Waste not, want…
Trash to Treasure: Art for Boys Room
I big fat love those HGTV shows where some clever person turns utter trash into something beautiful and useable. This story isn’t quite that special and the storyteller isn’t nearly that clever. However, I did climb over rusty gates wearing flip flops and wade through piles of junk in an old barn and even stopped alongside the road to find useable trash for my son’s room. That should be worth some bonus points for completely free art, right? What was my trashy treasure? Hubcaps! The best I can tell from my 16 second search on eBay, these 3 hubcaps are from a Pontiac in the 1950s. I found them in the…
