a friendly little reminder

for the kids of course. 
 

 


















thanks martha ; }

wooden crate

Thanks to Ana, over at ana-white.com {seriously love it there}, I made my own old looking crate out of old fence posts, some new 1x12 and I don't have a router so I bought some cheap handles. I'm so proud of myself. I even used the tarnished old wood screws that were in the fence railing. I don't love the look of old gray fence and shiny new pine together so I added a little walnut stain with an almost dry brush then rubbed it off to get a more similar looking wood. I made it to house shoes by the door as the fall/winter tracks in dried leaves and other weathery things. And I'm sick of looking for the kids shoes that they didn't put away. Thanks Ana!!

plain white no more

this is my girls dresser. it is perfect that she can reach her dresses but it so boxy and kind of looks like a filing cabinet attached to a small closet. I can't change the boxy so I added the flower hooks for whimsy and today I used more scrap paper and mod podge. love the stuff. seriously.

Isn't it so much better? {{Excusing the drying warpy paper}} I think it is so much more fun. And little sis loves it!!

organizing pretty

You know those ugly translucent brown wall file holders. Seen in offices everywhere. Good for holding mail and files and other such things. While they are useful, they don't have to be an eyesore. I primed and painted and glued and now have an attractive place for bills and receipts and other such things. I also took a frame with broken glass (tossed that) and covered up some foam core poster board and pushed in the hooks, added a little hot glue to the back of those for stability and then rubbed on "keys" to the frame. I hung the frame with peal and stick foam adhesive.

Be our guest!

I've been working on our guest room. A lot over the last few months. I showed you the dresser and that was just the beginning of it all. Here are a few little things. The square art work I saw on remodelaholic.  Super simple, cut one to two inch squares of scrapbook paper and mod podge (on wood or cardboard or like me poster board) from the outside in. I put ribbon around the edge for a more finished look and it hides uneven placement. Then I took left over paper and a couple of rub-ons to make the sign. The heart is from a simply handmade idea for valentines. I just altered it. I also made the shelf with a couple pieces of scrap wood. It is hideous so I stapled fabric on to it. I don't love it but eh, I made it. Then I decorated an inexpensive unfinished wood tray (hobby lobby) with more leftover paper from the squares, originally it was for a catch all on the dresser but it fits so nicely in the bathroom with the candle; which is wrapped in paper and stapled on.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HBx3x9JPG

owl are you?

I love me some before and afters. I love to find cheap, ugly things and make them suit my needs. I needed a way to display the boy's kindergarten artwork. While at hobby lobby I found cheap ugly pictures in the 80-90% off aisle. Ok they aren't terrible they just don't go in my house,  I can imagine a few places where they wouldn't be ugly at all. Anyway with a little mod podge you can change just about anything. So now I have a darling owl in a rustic looking frame. Which fits into my boys woodsy room.

guest room dresser

It's been a while since this was finished. But, I'm behind on life, so my blog follows suit. I took the advice from allthingsthrifty.com from their glazing 101. Except I made my own glaze with one part dark brown paint, four parts water. This furniture was my great grandmothers and has been sitting in my basement guest room not very loved. And it was showing it's wear and years of previous love. I thought about painting it for a few years. really.  And finally did it. I primed it, got a quart of off white oops paint for a dollar, painted, and then glazed.  I love it now! It has a similar looking sister too that has yet to be painted!

Get inspired and make something!

lamps and lettering

A two dollar lamp from a yard sale got some glossy purple paint. ( i may actually like it better in the white primer, hm) And that is my short hair in all it's windswept glory. the lamp with a 3 dollar shade from goodwill, it's not complete yet. I've also been putting up some vinyl lettering. (sorry pic is really dark) I put the clock up a while ago, but it seemed so big and empty. I think the lettering was just what it needed.

brassy to classy

Oh this is so much better. It looks nicer hung up in my dining room too. Just a little metallic rustoleum, no primer needed. One word of advice, if you get a phone call in the middle of painting put the phone away, don't leave it in the painting area.

up to? up to?

ok, if you didn't catch the sleeping beauty quote, get yourself a daughter (you can borrow mine) and watch it.  this is what i have been up to.

dollar store print, mod podge, paper, stencil, picture and acrylic paint, thats what it took for this cute bathroom deco. i made one for all the kids. (modest ones) i have also used this stencil a couple other places in the house, i love it, i;m trying to figure out out to get a large one on my wall in my LR.

Don't judge me, my bed isn't made. I was to busy making a headboard out of a door. (it was an extra door that didn't go to anything, not the one in the pic, random) I say look up some tutorials online and don't use a door. use some thin plywood, i was trying to make this as cheap as possible and it cost me just over 20 bucks for all the supplies, but i didn't use all of them and have lots of fabric left over for more pillows.

I made an easter dress for my little girl. I also made a skirt following this tutorial from the same lavender fabric for me. My friend gave me yards and yards of this stuff, i still have more, oh what to do, what to do!

And last I'd like to welcome you in. It's not perfect, but it keeps getting better, with everyone else's awesome ideas.




get inspired and make something

rustic soap jar

I saw a cute jar at my friends house for hand soap and thought, I can make that. So I did. My skills were rudimentary at best and if I did it again I would know what to do differently. I used a large drill bit and a large nail and hammer to make my whole on top and pliers. Today I found out I wasn't alone in thinking I can make that. I found this tutorial online that makes it simpler. I am totally satisfied with it. Maybe I'd be even more satisfied if I painted the lid.

http://heatherbullard.typepad.com/heather_bullard_collectio/2010/02/diy-mason-jar-soap-dispenser.html