Saturday, April 30, 2011

[Scrapperday: Mother's Day Card]


Have you checked your calendars? Yes, that's right, Mother's Day is a week away! So to prepare for the occasion, I decided to whip up a fun little card. :0)

I got the idea around Valentine's Day after I saw one of Kristina Werner's videos from her blog, KWerner Designs (adding my own flair as always!). I thought it would be the perfect, non-traditional "Happy Mother's Day" card for any mom.


I especially love the little cut-out heart as the "o". And it was super easy to make! (seriously, it only took about 10 minutes to make) Bonus: who doesn't love a handmade card?!

Happy Scrapperday! :0)

Linking up to these parties!

[Jen]

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Easter Wrap-Up

Hi everyone! Sorry I've been M.I.A. for the past week. Guess I got wrapped up in Easter, Earth Day shopping, etc.

Anyways, how was everyone's Easter? Mine was fun filled with the Easter Bunny coming to visit for the first time this year (my daughter is 2, so we were sort of introducing her to the whole concept), dying Easter eggs for the first time (and we didn't even make a mess!), and visiting family. Here are a few highlights:

[Elizabeth was so excited after she woke up that the Easter Bunny came and wrote her a special note on our chalkboard table! Even more excited that there were Easter eggs filled with M&M's (her fave!).]

[Dying colorful Easter eggs...]

[A little Easter tea party is such a treat! And there's a side of yummy monkey bread to have for dessert!]
[Jen]

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Happy Easter!


Wishing you all a happy and safe Easter! :0)

[Jen]

Monday, April 18, 2011

[Motivational Monday: Easter Brunch Ideas]

With Easter weekend coming up, I thought I might look around for some Easter brunch ideas. I would love to host a brunch someday, but with busy schedules this year it just won't happen. It's still nice to have lots of great ideas to keep on file, so be inspired!





What are your plans for Easter?

[Jen]

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Race for the Cure 2011


This past weekend I attended my first Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. It was a 5K race, but I do hope to someday participate in the 3-Day. I have always wanted to go since my grandmother died of breast cancer and it runs in my family. Plus I wanted to support such a great cause. But this year was special. It marked the 5-year anniversary of my mother-in-law being cancer-FREE! And what better way to celebrate than to have my husband's entire family walk right along with the cancer survivor in the Race for the Cure!

[My daughter is all decked out in pink ready to race (with chip in hand). And a pink feather boa also decorated the stroller.]

[I even painted my nails to get all geared up for the race. :0) Just a little fun with some pink nail polish.]

[And...they're off!]

[A sea of people.]


It was such an amazing experience that I will remember forever. The determination and strength of the survivors and those who are still battling breast cancer is so inspirational. And I am very proud of my mother-in-law for never giving up and continuing to live life to the fullest.

[Jen]

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

[How-to Tuesday: Cleaning Micro-Suade Seat Cushions]

My dining room chair cushions are micro-suade and seem to stain very easily. To prevent them from staining, I SHOULD have covered them with Scotch Guard, but I didn't. Blame it on being lazy. I even bought the stuff, so there's no excuse! Anyways, now that my 2-year old can sit in a normal chair while she eats, things get dropped right on the seat. (Of course I am blaming it all on her, but I am just as guilty for being a messy eater!)

So here is a photo of my dining set to give you an idea of what the seat cushions look like:
(and if you're wondering on how I made this chalkboard table, click HERE)


Yes, those seats were all stained at the time of this photo. I just had them cleverly hidden.

So now, I finally attacked the seats and cleaned them. Take a look at the before & after pics. But I must warn you, the "before" photos are pretty yucky!

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

How did I do it, you ask?? By using this handy dandy product:


Folex Instant Carpet Spot Remover. I just sprayed the entire seat (of course you don't have to if you just have one small stain), agitated it with my fingers, and dabbed it with a paper towel. It's like magic! We bought ours at Home Depot and have used it many times over the years on carpet and other upholstery. And it hasn't failed me yet! :0)

[Note: No compensation was received for posting about Folex. Just wanted to share a useful cleaning tip!]

[Jen]

Monday, April 11, 2011

[Motivational Monday: Window Curtains]

I have a confession: I know nothing about window treatments. I try to add drapery to the windows, but I just don't feel like I am doing a good job at all. Let's just say I don't feel like the windows are living up to their "full potential". Plus, it doesn't help that I've been bit by the home-decorator bug and want to completely redecorate/paint everything! So basically I need lots and lots of inspiration to get me started to recreate the look that I want.


[Another confession: I am terrified of adding patterns to large pieces. Little pillows, a throw, of course! But never anything that I wouldn't easily (and inexpensively) change out. But I must say, I LOVE these curtain panels! The color is so bright and cheery, and even the pattern adds an eclectic charm. Something to consider...]


[Ahh, neutral curtains. *swoon* So clean yet not at all understated. Love. And I really like the grommet paneling. So chic!]


[I just adore this Pewter Gray color on these panels. And I have been trying to add a little more gray in my home decor, like I discussing in last week's post. And the dark curtain rod adds a nice contrast.]


[Yet another pattern that I simply love! The carved circles on this one is so subtle that it almost blends in with the ivory curtain. I can totally see this in my home.]


[Even though I can't physically touch the fabric through the computer screen, I am assuming the texture is very soft and earthy. This is another neutral curtain panel that is definitely not understated. And the rope tie-backs make the entire look.]

Okay, I must warn you these next few photos are not inspiring or motivational. Here is what my windows look like now:


As you can see, there are actually 4 panels up to make the 2 windows seem like one large window. And since I don't sew, I never joined to 2 panels on either side together to make one thick panel. So I am constant having to rearrange them to keep them from gaping.


There. That's better. Well, sort of.


I also have a single window with the same window treatment. One wall is painted yellow and another adjacent wall is painted green (it was already like that when we moved into the house). I decided to go with red curtains to give it a Starbucks look. But now I want to paint the walls a more neutral color and will need window curtains to go along with the transformation. And I think buying longer panels and raising the curtain rod to the ceiling will elongate the walls.

What do you think? 

[Jen]

Saturday, April 9, 2011

[Scrapperday: Big Shoes to Fill]


I just realized I haven't shared any scrapbook pages I've created in a while. It's been all about Spring lately, so I thought I would show you a page that totally captures my daughter.

Every morning while I'm getting ready for the day, she has a mission to try on all of mine and my husbands shoes. So funny! And what's more hilarious is when she attempts to actually walk around in these gigantic shoes! So of course, I just knew I had to document this daily event. :0)


She certainly has "big shoes to fill"! I created this title with various letter stickers/rub-ons from different collections. The tag is simply made out of cardboard backing (from those packs of cardstock paper) and some blue stitched ribbon.


The paper collection I used was from the All Occasion Page Kit by Making Memories. I am really pleased with how it turned out. Very simple yet totally showcases the two photos.

Linking up to these parties! :0)

[Jen]

Friday, April 8, 2011

[Frame Friday: Double Frame Art by Forever Decorating]


LOVE this Double Frame Art idea that Terry created over at Forever Decorating! So much more interesting to look at than just a single frame. Perfect solution for all of those mismatched frames that I've somehow collected. :0)

Wondering how the smaller frame is attached to the bigger frame??


Command Velcro strips! So it's easy to customize and change out whenever you want. Genius! And she made this entire work of art for under $10!! Definitely going to try making this!

To check out her full tutorial on how to create this art project, click HERE.

And a BIG thanks to Terry for letting me feature her project! Thanks Terry! :0)
[Jen]

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

[How-to Tuesday: $2 DT Hurricanes]

About a year ago, I was inspired by Leanneja over at Organize and Decorate Everything on her thrifty candle holders (view her post HERE). And so I thought to myself, "hey, I could do that!" So I did. :0)

[I first went out and bought some supplies: tall cylinder vases & candle holders from the Dollar Tree, and E6000 glue from Hobby Lobby.]

[After researching the Internet, I found that this glue works best on glass. Plus you can still use it on basically anything, except Styrofoam.]

[After putting the E6000 on the glass to adhere the candle holders to the vases, I had to wait at least 24 hours for it to dry. This is an extremely important step!]

[And voila! As you can see here, I put eggs and flowers inside and wrapping a colorful ribbon around it to decorate for my Spring Mantel. But I am sure as the seasons change, I will put an actual candle inside.]

Not bad for $2! And it was so easy to make! I'll be linking this project up to these parties! Hope to see you there! :0)

[Jen]

Monday, April 4, 2011

[GIVEAWAY: $50 Credit to Simply Klassic Blog Design over at Gwenny Penny]

Does your blog need a makeover? Or just a little facelift?

Lucky for you, Gwen over at Gwenny Penny is hosting a fabulous giveaway on her blog:

$50 credit toward design services at Simply Klassic Custom Blog Design



Click HERE to enter your chance to win this giveaway! Giveaway ends Monday, April 11th at 7:00am (EST).

Good Luck! :0)

[Jen]

[Motivational Monday: Decorating with Gray]

I am beginning to see more and more gray pop up in home decor. It's becoming quite the trend in magazines, galleries, designer websites, everywhere! Some may say that it's the "new neutral". And I have to say, I agree. And I would love to incorporate subtle shades of gray in my home. So here's a little something to help me get motivated:

[First of all, I absolutely love the gray-striped chair! And the weathered gray nightstand adds a subtle classiness.]

[This gray kitchen/dining area has a chic, rustic appeal. The "eggs" sign goes well against the deep gray walls, and that little accent gray pillow on the slip-covered seat is a nice touch.]

[Using gray as your base color can spotlight your bold accent colors. Love how it's paired with gold/yellow tones.]

[What little girl wouldn't love to live in this room? I love how gray is paired with light pink. Such sophistication!]

[I simply adore this nursery. Again, the gray brings out the accent color: pink. Of course for a boy, this would look just as lovely having grays and pale blues.]

images courtesy of:



[Jen]

Saturday, April 2, 2011

[Scrapperday: Butterfly Art]


After posting yesterday about my Spring mantel (click HERE in case you missed it!), I thought I might share with you how I made this little butterfly art. I was recently inspired by Jenny over at Embellishing Life on her Butterfly Specimen Art project that she shared last month and thought I might make some of my own!


I started out with this butterfly patterned scrapbook paper. I bought it from Target last year in their $1 section, and it came in a pack of about 10 Spring/Easter patterned paper. I thought this one was super cute, so I cut out 4 different butterflies.


After I cut them all out, I folded them in the middle to give it that 3D look and adhered them onto some white cardstock with a mini glue dot. So simple!


I think they go nicely in my "Blue Skies" Etsy frame. And it makes me smile. :0) Happy Spring!

Linking up to these crafty parties! Come join me!
[Jen]

Friday, April 1, 2011

Spring Mantel


Okay, I would just like to start off this post by saying that I NEVER decorate my mantel for Spring. Christmastime? Of course! But never for any of the other seasons. So this year, after being so inspired by other bloggers, I decided to give it a try! And actually, I surprisingly had a lot of fun decorating! :0)

[If you have read my previous post, you might recognize this cupcake liner wreath. (click HERE to view the tutorial) It hangs over our framed poem called "In Our Home" that we received as a housewarming gift a few years ago.]

[Below the wreath are these fun little plastic Easter eggs from last year sitting in a tea light candle tray (another housewarming gift). I think they add a little "fun" to the mantel, but my 2-year old daughter constantly wants me to take them down to play with them!]

[This "Spring" banner is a free printable from At Second Street. Super easy to make! Click HERE to print one of to make for yourself and to check out her super cute Spring mantel.]

[I decided to include one of my handmade frames from my Etsy shop. Inside the frame I made a little butterfly art that I will talk about tomorrow. So stay tuned!]

[I found this free Spring printable from Smile Like You Mean It and knew I just had to include it on my mantel (click HERE to print one out for yourself). It's just a fun colorful subway art that totally describes Spring. I stole the frame from my chalkboard frame that I first posted about when I started blogging. You can view that post HERE.]

[This little flower pot traveled from my craft/laundry room (click HERE and HERE to view a post on my craft room). I purchased it from Walmart about a year ago, and it's held up quite nicely.]

[I decided to fill these little candle holders with plastic eggs, a couple of feux flowers, and a colorful ribbon tied in a bow. And p.s., this candle holder only cost $2! I will show you how I made it on Tuesday!]

Well, that concludes today's post on my Spring mantel. I'll be linking it up to these fabulous parties! Happy Friday! :0)

[Jen]