Something for the Road

Something New for 2012

We have loved our “New Year’s Resolutions” canvas, but it was stamped 2011 and it was time to switch things up.

So, I’ll paint over the old – I’m not getting super creative, using the same colors.

But, this year I’m using vinyl lettering (instead of contact paper) from my friend at On The Wall.  I think it will simplify things.  For my 24 x 36 inch canvas, the lettering cost me $20.  That was my only expense for this project.

The toughest part was lining everything up.

I sprayed it in Krylon Espresso paint using leftover paint from last year – there was just enough.
The fun part is peeling off the letters.

I like it.  We’re sticking to a quote to live by this year and we’re adopting it as our family mantra.
Doesn’t it apply to almost everything?

OK, so one thing I’m trying to decide . . . the letters are not as clean as I had hoped because I didn’t take enough time rubbing the edges of them.  I kind of like the rough look, though so I’m debating –
should I leave it or should I touch it up?  Help.

Pillows

The pillows are finished.  I’m sure they’ll keep changing, but I like them for now.

Premier Prints Suzani, TJ Maxx find, and Ampersand embroidered by Mom.

Premier Prints Chipper, and a jacquard from Jo-Ann’s.

Great tutorial on inserting a zipper with piping on a pillow here and here and here.

Merry Christmas to Me!

I know, it’s kind of strange to get excited over window treatments, but I had these . . .

 

Vertical blinds . . . see how they don’t look great opened or closed, and then there is of course the whole “missing slats” thing when kids get extra exuberant around them.  Anyway, I’m not a fan – I’m sorry if you are.  Also, I’m pretty sure a decorator did not plan this house.  Do you know how difficult it is to figure out what to do with a bay area with a slider and side-lights?  Unattractive and expensive.  There, I’ve said it.

My only solution was three curtain rods combined with corner connectors, hung close to the ceiling.  The curtains are from this great fabric.

And, more in the Family Room.  Yay!  However, Christmas was great to me . . . .

Roman Wood Shades.  I absolutely love these.  I wish I could’ve used them on the bay window.  Just enough privacy and they are warm and attractive.  Bye, bye vertical blinds!

It may be a small thing to most people, but I find this room much improved and it makes me happy.

The Best Day Ever

Do you ever have a day where everything just drops off your schedule?  I never do, and when it does I fill it with very productive things from my to-do list. BUT, yesterday all of the planets aligned and it actually happened, and I sat back and decided to just spend the day doing things my kids wanted to do.  We made snowflakes and bows, ate pizza in the middle of the day, and played games.  It was the best day ever.

This Snowflake Tutorial rocks.  We had so much fun making these for our 12-days of Christmas Lady.

Gabi wanted to make Bows and Bows, and they had a fun time recycling magazines and catalogs.

I have been without a star on the top of my tree, and I spotted this Paper Star.  It did take us 2 hours to figure it out and I ended up stapling it together, although she didn’t.  It didn’t help that the directions were in Norwegian.

I could really handle more days with “nothing” to do. 
I’m sure more of us need to spend more time with the people we love doing things we love.  Don’t you think?

Winter Trees

I needed a centerpiece and I couldn’t get trees out of my head.

Malerie found this one.  You know I like felt circles, and in my stash I found the perfect bottle cap star to place atop.

 

I also knew that I liked trees made out of twine.  I poked some red-headed pins in them for just a little bling.

The bottle-brush trees are from Mel’s.  One of my favorite places.  I just had to have them.

The snow is rice and plastic bead filler.  The votives were $1 at Michael’s. I think I like it.

Ruffled

Remember this ruffle wreath?  I love it.  I made it for Valentine’s day, but it hangs in my foyer, year-round.  I’ve gotten lots of compliments on it.  It was time-consuming, but I knew it was what I wanted to make for my friends’ favorite things party. 

Did I say it was time-consuming?  I think it was over 300 circles per wreath.  I didn’t count, but I did cut down the time required for this project by getting a nifty new tool.

The rotary circle cutter by Olfa is what made this project doable.  I made small, 8-inch wreaths, this time with 2-inch circles.  Felt and pins were the only other supplies needed for this project.

Old method.

New method.

Done.  Love them.  I hope they do too.

Grandma’s Handiwork

I have great memories of sitting with my Grandma A and crocheting.  I’m not very patient, so I would zoom ahead and she would patiently take out my stitches when I found myself in trouble and then I would continue.  That was 30 years ago.  She still crochets and is constantly looking for projects to keep her hands busy.  Her hands still look young.  I hope I have her genes.

A couple of months ago I saw these crocheted covers for these stools.  I fell in love with them.  So, when Grandma asked me if I needed an afghan, I brought her this picture to see what she could do with my IKEA stool.  We looked through her stash and found several colors that coordinated with my family room.

 

Pretty cute for an IKEA stool, don’t you think?

And, it’s just what I needed for my little workspace.

Thanks, Grandma!

Wicked

I do love Fall, but it always seems to come upon me too quickly.  I have a friend who loves Fall, and every time it is here, I think of her.  From September until Thanksgiving, you can walk into her house at any time and feel all of the warmth, see all of the colors, and smell all of the wonderful smells of Fall.

I don’t usually decorate much for Halloween and it is not my favorite holiday, but I have been trying to be more festive. So, I add a little every year.  When I saw this banner, it seemed simple enough and more my style . . . . .

We followed the directions exactly, except we did triangles in true pennant-style.  Because there was less room way, it measured 7x9 (instead of the 5x7 they suggest), and we sewed (instead of glued) a channel for the twine to hang the banner.  But first, we traced the lettering (275 Blackadder ITC) onto each flag.

Gabi is my detail-oriented painter.  She filled in all of the lettering on each flag with a brush and black acrylic paint.

She does great work, doesn’t she?

I like it.  Not too Halloweeny for my taste.  Just right. Kind of makes you feel like being a little naughty, doesn’t it?

 

Hey, I do have a few Fall decorations. I’m collecting some ideas for next year. . . .

A Little Change

I have been looking for a cabinet for this space for quite a while.  I found this one on Craig’s List for a steal, and even though I was all ready to re-finish and paint some great treasure, I don’t think this needed it at all.  I love that I can put piano books in the lower, un-seen area and display some of my other things on the top.

So, perfect cabinet for this space, but it seemed a little dark.  So, I unscrewed the backboard, painted and replaced it.
Definitely one of my easier projects and I did it with a houseful of little girls.

Benjamin Moore’s Woodlawn Blue is just what it needed

I love the color and once I get my “stuff” in there, I think it will really help it to pop.

I’m still amazed at what excites me.  Now, what to put inside?

Digging In

Anyone who knows me, knows that I’m not afraid of hard work or of getting dirty.  I think my weaknesses lie in the fact that I dig in a little before thinking it through, sometimes.  I have also been overheard saying that I could clean my house all day, but once I’m in the yard, I’m at a complete loss.  My luxury expenditure in life would be a Yard Guy.  I really love a beautiful yard, but I lack the nurturing that it takes to get it lush and beautiful.

I have (had) two boxwoods in the front.  They used to look nice – before I moved in.  But now they are snow-beaten and parts of them are dying.  Every time I came home, I tried really hard not to look at them.  But, when the kids and I spent some time in the yard on Saturday, I just knew they needed to come out.

That poor little boxwood didn’t even know what hit him.  I just couldn’t wait – I didn’t think it through.  I don’t know what I’ll replace them with, I just knew it had to come out.

It is sad, isn’t it?  Poor thing.  Now, for the other one . . . . So, what to put in it’s place?

Peonies?

Hydrangeas?

More Lavender?

Help!  Where’s my Yard Guy when I need him?