Archives for April 2013
Throw Pillow Throw Down
April 22, 2013 by 1 Comment
I went to the Bon Jovi Concert
April 21, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Repurposed Window
April 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment
I love old windows! I am always trying to find something new to do with them. At the top of my stairs, I have 3 frames with pictures of my 3 children on their blessing day. This window I found has 3 openings….hmmmm!
This is how you make a fabric mat background for your window:
Measure the opening
Cut cardboard the size of your measurements
I have 3 pieces the exact same size. I used my rotary mat and guide, but I used a utility knife so I didn’t ruin my rotary cutter.
Next, cut your fabric 1″ larger on all sides. Love this Riley Blake print!
Get out the hot glue gun – yea! Glue all sides and pull the fabric so it is tight.
It should look like this on the back:
Front:
You can put these on top of the glass, behind the glass, or instead of the glass. I put mine behind the glass.
I took each of the photos and attached them by putting push pins in each corner. I didn’t actually put a hole in the picture, just next to it and the tack holds the picture in place.
To secure the cardboard mat to the frame, use small nails and hammer them in each of the sides.
Because this is pretty heavy, I wanted to hang it safely. I used “D” rings and attached them with screws to the back of the window. To hang it, I drilled holes where the “D” rings hit and used anchors and screws. The “D” rings hook over the anchored screws.
I really like how it turned out! Looking at my daughter’s photo on the left (13 years ago) all I have is this snapshot I took of her in the basement (it was on film of course). The date is even stamped on the side of the photo. We’ve come a long way in photography!
Chalk Paint Piano
April 17, 2013 by 24 Comments
Have you seen those darling pictures of painted pianos on Pinterest? I love how they look – but who in their right mind would paint their piano???? While I was visiting my friend out in Virginia she told me she wanted me to paint her piano….gasp!!! All I could think about was how I was not going to get paint on the keys, in between the keys, and how was I going to paint around all the intricate parts of a piano. The best way to deal with your fears is to face them. And so I did!!!
Here is the piano before. When she told me it was free, I started feeling better. Like, even if I mess it up, she’s not really out much money!
The first choice in the right direction was using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. This made all the difference in this piece. It goes on like a dream, you don’t need to prime, and it has that old look which we wanted on the piano. This quart of paint was just enough for 2-3 coats on the piano.
The piano needed 2 coats and a light third coat. I did it in one day. I brought in a fan to help the paint dry faster. I didn’t tape anything off. I used a really good edging brush and was careful not to get it on the keys or drip in between the keys.
Here is the finished product: It completely changed the look and feel of the room!!
I lightly sanded the edges so some of the dark color would show through a little. I didn’t distress it too much. When the paint was completely dry, I went over it with Annie Sloan Soft Wax and applied it with the wax brush. The Soft Wax is amazing! It gives furniture such a warn, homey feel. It feels like the piano has looked like this for 100 years. It is hard to explain how great the wax is, you just have to try it!
We had fun decorating the top of the piano. I dug this old painting out of her basement that she bought for the frame. I love it! The two fancy ladies sitting around the piano – who has a painting like this these days!
We added the yellow chair for a little pop of color.
What do you think? Are you ready to paint your piano?
Fabric from xo.gigi modern fabrics
April 16, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Look what just arrived in the mail! A darling assortment of fabric from xo.gigi modern fabrics! This is such a fun online fabric shop. There were so many cute prints to choose from, I had a hard time narrowing it down. I am thinking I will be making a new wall quilt for my family room, some throw pillows for the living room and something for my girls out of the cat print! Can’t wait to get sewing!!!
These are some other cute prints that I love!!
These fabrics are going to be the throw pillows. Look for a tutorial coming soon!!!
Doesn’t fabric just make you happy!!!
Gigi also has a blog with lots of fun sewing tutorials. Check it out HERE
Pinwheel Baby Shower
April 15, 2013 by 1 Comment
My friend, Brittany, hosted a “Pinwheel” themed baby shower this weekend. She is such a great hostess! She gave me permission to snap some pictures!
I love being greeted by the baby shower theme. I love the pinwheels on the green window.
I love the pinwheel banner and the use of the shutters on the cupcake table.
She printed out labels for each of the water bottles and attached a toy pinwheel that can be kept as a favor.
There were pinwheel cupcake toppers which also could be taken home as a favor.
Also note the use of double cupcake wrappers. Bake in one wrapper and serve in an additional wrapper!
I love the smaller pinwheels scattered around and attached to the pink frame!
She taped extra invitations to colored plates and set them in easels to continue with the theme.
She hung large pinwheels on both her mantles.
She attached pinwheels to painted bottles and placed daffodils in the bottles for centerpieces. I forgot to take pictures of the back yard. There were pinwheels hanging everywhere!
Such a fun and “springy” baby shower!
My First Trip to Lucketts, Virginia
April 13, 2013 by 1 Comment
While I was helping my friend in Virginia, she took me to a little place called Lucketts, Virginia. Oh, my, it is the cutest place ever. Rolling hills, sheep, old houses….I want to move there! There are some amazing antique shops there. The first one we went to was called Lucketts Store. It’s more like a destination than a shop!!!
They had so many amazing items. And me, there, having to travel back to California with only a suitcase! I wanted to fill a trailer and drive it across the country!!
They have a “Design House” which is an old house completely decorated and amazing and everything is for sale!
Then we went to this cute barn turned antique store called “On A Whim” I love the pink and black polka dot cow in the front!
One more shop called Rust & Feathers
So much fun! I love East Coast antique shopping!!!!
My Covert Robin Gift
April 12, 2013 by 1 Comment
My Covert Robin gift arrived in the mail. What a surprise!! Mary from Passionate Perseverance was assigned my name. Of course I went on to her blog as soon as I found out. She is a darling gal with so many talents! She sent me a giant box filled with delicious-ness!! There was a bag of homemade cookies (already consumed before I took the photo), some yummy homemade jams, and sauces. I can wait to try them all!
She sewed me a pair of quilted oven mitts. I was so touched when she said she had never made them before! I feel so blessed to be the recipient of this gift.
If that wasn’t enough she hand-wrote some of her family’s favorite recipes in a journal. Again – lots of thought and time went into this gift. I am definitely going to try them all.
Thank you so much Mary! I feel very blessed to get to know you and to receive a little bit of who you are!!
The Cutest Curtains Ever!!! {tutorial}
April 11, 2013 by 15 Comments
I spent a week in Virginia helping my friend decorate her house. She has this big window in her front room and it needed some curtains. Here is how you can make them too!
We bought this 2-pack of canvas drop cloths at the Home Depot. They were $10 for the pair. We liked these because they were a little more gray than tan. 
Some of the other canvas drop cloths were only 1 in a package. The ones we bought were perfect because we needed 2 curtain panels.
They ended up being the perfect width for our window. You may need to adjust the measurements to fit your window. Measure how long you want them and then add 3″ for the hem. Make sure to consider how you want to hang them. Ours were hung with curtain clips on a rod. Cut off the extra fabric and hem. Our hem was rolled once then again about 2 1/2 inches.
We bought a Queen size flat sheet at the thrift shop it was on sale for $3.
Snip the sheet at 4″ increments and tear apart. (Do this the long way so you have enough length to ruffle.) We used 6 strips per panel. Adjust depending on the size of your curtains. The combination of the warn, softness of the sheet and the tearing gave the ruffles a nice vintage edge.
After the strips are torn, cut the hemmed edges off the strips so they are raw on all 4 sides. Sew a gathering stitch down the center of the 4″ strips. Gather.
Draw a line 1/3 the way up from the bottom of the curtain. Then draw a line every 6″ to the bottom of the curtain. You should have 6 lines for 6 ruffles.
Adjust the ruffle to fit the width of your panel. Pin the gathered seam along the pencil line. Continue pinning all 6 ruffles. Sew a straight stitch over your gathering stitch. It’s a little awkward because the drop cloth is a little thick.
Keep gathering and gathering and pinning and pinning – you can do it!!
Once you have sewn the ruffles on, they are ready to hang!! You could easily make a pocket at the top if you don’t want to use curtain clips. We bought our clips and rod at Target.
We finished our project at 1:00 am. We hung them up and sat on the couch and admired them for quite some time. They gave the room such a darling, finished look.
In my house in California, I have shutters on all my windows, so I don’t think I will be able to have my own set of these curtains in my house. That makes me sad. I took lots of pictures so I could remember how cute they turned out!!
Favorite Quote from General Conference April 2013
April 10, 2013 by Leave a Comment
