The Splurge or the Steal

Hot Chocolate Bar

2011-12-19T07:45:00.000-08:00

We hosted a party at our house this weekend and had a hot chocolate bar. The kids loved it so much. I opted to purchase the traveler box of hot chocolate from Starbucks. It comes with their festive holiday cups, lids & stirs. I included recipes for Salted Hot Caramel and Peppermint hot chocolate.

For the peppermint chips we used the Andes peppermint crunch baking bits. For the caramel I used the caramel chips that are available in the baking aisle by the chocolate chips. I served them along with chocolate sprinkles in recycled frappucino bottles.

For the decor I hung white snowflakes from Target and the Dollar Tree. I mixed them in with white tissue pom-poms. The mini white fans are from Party City. The snowflakes holding the "recipes" are from Crate & Barrel.

A little taste of Christmas at our house...

2011-12-12T15:21:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pics of our Christmas Decorations. Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season. We are hosting a Polar Express night party at our house for our church group this weekend. I will be posting about that in a couple of days.

DIY Salvage Wood Nightstand Dresser Restoration Hardware Style

2011-10-14T09:55:00.001-07:00

We purchased our bedroom furniture at Z Gallerie probably about 8 years ago. I never loved it completely but it we got the floor model for a very good value. It was time for a change and I figured since I didn't love it - if I messed it up it wasn't the end of the world.

I used a regular old paint stripper. The stinky kind you let sit and then scrap off. The glossy finish came right off. I had to repeat several times but eventually that natural salvage wood like I wanted appeared. Since my furniture had a cherry finish there was a lot of pink left in the wood. I cleaned it with Soft Scrub bathroom cleaner with bleach (I know what was I thinking???). However it worked. I then used a basic water based cleaner to get the rest of. I kept wiping until the paper towels were no longer pink. I also removed the feet because there were a couple of loss ones and they made it unstable.

I am so pleased with the finished product. It has the exact Restoration Hardware look I was going for! Best of all, it only cost around $30 for all the stripper.

My Inspiration - St James Closed Nighstand from Restoration Hardware

The Old Nighstand

The DIY Salvage Wood

DIY Sunburst Mirror

2011-10-13T14:02:00.000-07:00

I got the idea of a DIY Sunburst Mirror from the Isabella & Max Rooms Blog.

There are tons of DIY ideas all over the internet, but it is a pretty easy project. I purchased a mirror from TJ Maxx that was not the prettiest in the world. If you are going to cover it up get an ugly one - it will be priced more reasonably. Some people have used craft mirrors. I decided to get a decorative mirror so it would already have hanging hardware. I have had a glued mirror fall before and since this was going to be over my bed I decided to put safety first.

I used Bamboo sticks that I got from Michael's. Cut in varying lengths depending on the size you want. I went to a couple of websites and found some starburst mirrors I liked to get an idea on sizes. I trimmed the Bamboo sticks with scissors and then "painted" them with Rub n Buff in Gold leaf. Then I just glued away with my hot glue gun.

Materials:
Bamboo Sticks
Mirror
Rub n Buff
Glue Sticks
Hot Glue Gun

The finished product:

DIY Picture Frame Wainscoting

2011-08-08T06:06:00.000-07:00

I have been absent from blog posting because ALL we have been doing in any spare moment we had is putting up molding for the last 2.5 months. What a job but we are so pleased with the end results. I don't have photos of the project while we are working on it - my hands always had too much paint, caulk or liquid nail on them to take photos :)

The top paint color is Vapor Trails by Benjamin Moore (matched at Dunn Edwards). We used their Velvet Finish (slight sheen from the side but looks flat from straight on - great for cleaning). Bottom "wainscoting" portion is painted Dunn Edwards Swiss Coffee in Semi-gloss.

There are so many DIY instructions out there so I won't bore you with all the details, but here are some quick tips that helped us. Please don't hesitate to comment or contact me with questions.

Cut spacer bars that you can insert in between your chair rail and molding so you dcrease the amount of measuring. We used a 4" spacer between the chair rail and in between frames.

Use Wood filler on the gaps where the chair rail meets and around the corners. We also used it on the nail holes only in the chair rail. You can sand it and you get a much smoother end result than caulk.

Use caulk on top and bottom of the places where the molding/frames meet the wall.

Use spackle to fill in the nail holes on the frames. Much easier to fill them with spackle than caulk. You could use wood filler but we had such a mass quantity that we would have never finished sanding all those small holes.

DIY Sphere Wine Whisky Barrel Hoop Chandelier

2011-05-26T06:10:00.000-07:00

I have wanted a sphere Chandelier for a while but couldn't find the exact one I liked. Z Gallerie has the Eclipse Chandelier for $499. It is very pretty and elegant but I wanted a chunkier look. For the size I need the prices just skyrocketed from there.

My original plan was to order Whiskey or Wine barrel hoops. If you are interested there are many different sources - ebay or internet stores. They are fairly reasonable. However I was walking through the garden department and stumbled on this, which is essentially the barrel hoops just already attached. And it was around $26.

I found this chandelier at Lowes:

First I coated both the hoops and the chandelier in a pearl white paint to give them the Zinc look. This is not a necessary step however, the hoops were a bronze color and the chandelier was black.

Next drill a hole in the loop so you can feed the chandelier wires through. It is now ready to hang.

DIY Ombre Dip Dye Dress

2011-05-25T14:08:00.000-07:00

I really wanted this dip dye dress from Modcloth but it is sold out. I had this older white shift dress from Banana Republic that was in my donations bag. I figured why not give it a shot with a DIY dip dye.

I purchased RIT liquid dye in Navy Blue. Start by trying on the garment and getting a good visual on where you want the dye pattern to change. You can mark it with a straight pin or just eyeball it. Warm up tap water in the stove or microwave. Dump the warm water in your bucket or sink (I used my kitchen stainless steel sink - be careful of fiberglass sinks - the dye might not come out). Wear protective gloves making sure to keep one glove clean and dye free to hold the light end of the garment. Dip the whole garment in if you want the bottom to be a lighter shade of the dye, if you want it white then keep that section of the garment out of the dye. Keep the middle section in about 1/2 the time of the darkest top section. Keep in mind fabrics will take the dye differently so keep your eye on it and judge accordingly. When the color desired is achieved rinse the fabric until no more dye comes out. Clean your sink up with bleach when done. Then wash garment by itself according to the garment's directions. I washed mine twice just to ensure I had no color transfer on my car seats/sofa/etc...

Make sure you give yourself plenty of time. My dress ended up being purple instead of navy because I ran out of time to keep it in the dye bath. However it worked out great for me because I have way too much navy in my closet and the purple is a welcome addition.

Let me know if you have any questions or tips.

Orange and Aqua Party Invitations

2011-04-14T07:04:00.000-07:00

I had a request to design some custom Baby Shower invitations. They sent me over the inspiration photo for the nursery and then I came up with an invitation design based on that.

I used the Orange, Aqua and Brown from the nursery and designed a typography invite around that.

I found these beautiful Orange gumballs at Party City. They have really ramped up their candy selection and have a variety of color themed candy. The best part is the quantity, you don't have to purchase 10lbs of orange gumballs when you only need 1 lb. - not to mention the shipping on the heavy gumballs.

I enclosed the shower invitation and gumball sleeve in a crystal clear box. I purchased them from clearbags.com. They have great quality and fairly reasonable prices. I made a belly band out of chocolate brown cardstock and then sealed it with a "BABY" sticker in matching orange/aqua/brown.

For the final component I made wrap around address labels to coordinate with the invitation. For both the address labels and Baby stickers I used Staples sticker paper.

Zinc Colored Paint

2011-03-31T10:22:00.000-07:00

Zinc looks so amazing but the color is hard to replicate. I wanted some of the metal letters from Anthropologie for my coffee table. I went to purchase some but found they only hang on the wall. I needed them to be freestanding. At JoAnn's I saw paper mache letters. They carry multiple sizes and they are freestanding. I purchased the 6" letters. I painted them black first. I then put a very light coat of silver - which didn't get the look I wanted. I found in my stash of paint a pearl white so I tried that. The pearl top coat gives them a metallic feel but the black still comes through for that aged zinc look. They best part they are light weight and won't scratch my coffee table if they get knocked over.

On a side note - the topiary is just a moss ball from JoAnn's. they had these colored round tins on sale for $.99 - I painted it silver and stuck the moss ball in. Topiaries can be so expensive, I think this totaled about $3.

Lego Birthday Party Recap

2011-03-29T14:06:00.000-07:00

We hosted my sons birthday party this weekend. We did a "LEGO Factory" yellow and gray theme. I purchased each kiddo one of the small Creator sets. We let the kids run around and get some energy out for the first half hour of the party, then we all sat down and worked on the build. I moved all the furniture out of my living room so everyone could just spread out on the floor. Then we had cupcakes and then the kids played on the swings and ran around the backyard. It ended up being a fun time.

I printed a bag for each child to put their built LEGO set in. The Lego served as their favor as well. If your kids like LEGOs I highly recommend a party like this. The kids really enjoyed themselves. Any questions, just let me know. I also have the invitation set posted here: LEGO Factory Invitations

DIY Yoke Industrial Pendant Lighting

2011-03-28T15:33:00.000-07:00

I worked on my new pendant lights over the weekend. I found these economical Yoke Style Pendants at Home Depot. They are about $39 a piece, which is a great price. All the other lights I was considering were priced at $200 or more per light.

The lights only come in Antique Brass, which is a beautiful color and is a huge trend for 2011 design. Unfortunately that just doesn't work in my kitchen. I wanted a brushed nickel look. I used my old standby - Rub & Buff and just rubbed it onto the lights. I am so pleased with how they turned out.

If you are interested in some amazing Yoke Style Pendant lighting and have a nice budget to work with, check out Circa Lighting. Their collection is amazing.

Wrapping odd shaped presents

2011-03-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

I always struggle when it comes to wrapping odd shaped presents. I usually try to place them in another box but sometimes that just doesn't work. I am not a huge fan of gift bags as I prefer wrapping paper.

I found a great way to wrap this round box. I placed the box on the wrapping paper and traced it. I then cut out my tracing and used double stick tape to secure it to the box. I traced the other side and did the same thing. Then I covered up the middle with wide ribbon.

DIY Popcorn Party Boxes

2011-03-13T15:33:00.000-07:00

I found these adorable scalloped topped boxes at Wal-Mart. They are only $1.50 for 8 boxes. The had them in a variety of colors.

I created some labels, printed them out and am going to use them as popcorn boxes for my son's birthday party. They would also work really well for teachers gifts or favors.

Real Life Photo of Cost Plus Jackson Table and Chairs

2011-03-10T14:30:00.000-08:00

Here is a quick snapshot of the Cost Plus Jackson Table and Chairs. The store only had 3 chairs so I am shy a chair. I might end up doing a bench on one side and moving one chair to the desk in our kitchen. Or just go with a couple of more chairs when they come back in stock.

Cost Plus World Market Jackson Metal Tub Chair Review

2011-03-10T06:17:00.000-08:00

I had to do a quick review on the Jackson Metal Tub Chair from Cost Plus World Market. I just purchased them last night and they are amazing.

I have been trying to find something to similar to the Tolix chair but didn't want to pay that much. There are several options out there - Overstock.com has some as well as some other online places. The bummer is they are a flat silver, which might work nicely for some, but I really wanted the darker galvanized look. Cost Plus really came through. They look amazing and are a great price at $99 a piece. They also carry a bar stool as well. They have many great industrial pieces right now and I was really impressed (they are not paying me - I just really liked them and wanted to share).

LEGO Birthday Candy Enclosure Invitations

2011-03-05T18:36:00.000-08:00

My son's fifth birthday is approaching and we are doing a "LEGO Factory" party. Each child is going to receive a small LEGO kit from the Creator series to build during the LEGO workshop. The set will also be their favor.

I went with a yellow and gray theme because my center piece on the food table is my son's LEGO storage head.

I did a simple gray and yellow design for the invitation and printed them on a heavy card stock. In each invitation a sleeve of lemon heads will be included as a fun treat. I printed the gray flags on sticker paper from Staples. Then I adhered them to these great treat bags http://etsy.me/dONcAg I purchased Etsy seller InTheClear. They have amazing service and a great selection of fun items. I had to trim the bags a little for the size I wanted but they still worked out great.

DIY Subway Art

2011-03-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

In searching for subway art for my dining room walls, I just couldn't locate the size that I really wanted. I decided to tackle it myself and see how it came out.

I purchased artist canvas at my local craft store. They have them available in many different sizes. I painted them with chalkboard paint. I prefer the brush on kind, just because you can control the coverage a little better.

I printed the letters on my computer using Word. I colored over the black letters with chalk and then cut them out with an exacto knife and scissors. After I had the placement as desired I used decoupage to secure them onto the canvas. I decided to not seal it as I didn't want to ruin the chalkboard look.

Overall it was pretty time consuming, but when I saw they prints were running $850 at Restoration Hardware, I decided it was worth every bit of hard work.

DIY Wire Locker Pool Basket

2011-03-04T13:02:00.001-08:00

I love the look of the vintage pool/locker wire baskets. However they are pretty pricey, hard to find locally & I wanted to put food in it so something cleaner was nice.

I located these http://bit.ly/fpGp4R at the Container Store. They carry a couple of different sizes. They are a reasonable price at $16.99 for the small basket, the one I purchased. I did want to add some sort of vintage number so I printed a number on craft paper. The font I used 1942 Report, available for free download. I used a grapevine covered wire to hang the tag on the basket. Twine would work just as well, I just happened to have a role of the covered wire on hand.

Restoration Hardware also carries a great selection of these baskets. A little more expensive, starting at $39.

1st Birthday Party - Brunch

2011-02-21T11:31:00.000-08:00

The brunch celebration was so much fun. I served an egg casserole, sausage tartlets, glazed doughnuts, mini quiches, fruit, blueberry muffins, yogurt parfaits & monkey bread. It was a lot of cooking, but totally worth it. Here are some fun photos.

Recycled Frappucino and Tea Bottles with some Paper Straws

2011-02-08T06:36:00.000-08:00

I ordered these adorable black and white paper straws from www.thesugardiva.com I added a label printed on sticker paper to a recycled Starbucks Frappucino bottle.

For the drinks I am using recycled Iced Tea Bottles from Trader Joes. Add matching stickers and you have a great serving piece.

A couple of hints - look for bottles with peel off labels. The only printing that was on these bottles was the expiration dates. It came off easily when I was using Goo Gone to clean up the remaining stickers.

I colored the tops of the tea bottles with a silver Sharpie.

Cupcake and Glitter Valentines Free Printables

2011-02-08T06:27:00.000-08:00

We made these Valentine's for the girls at my sons school. It is a great kids project, they love to do the glitter shaking. We added a name to each one but they could be easily printed with no recipient name. For glittering we used Martha Stewart's glitter in tourmaline and kunzite colors.

If you would like the file I would be happy to send it over. Just leave a comment or send me an email.

Cake Bunting mini flag decoration

2011-01-30T13:33:00.000-08:00

Since we will be serving brunch at my daughter's birthday I am not going to serve cake as well. We will be doing a variety of breakfast pastries and I will put adorning the cinnamon bread with this decoration.

The bunting is super easy to make and so fun. You can tie it to sticks to add to a cake, tie it around a drink dispenser, it is really versatile.

Many of the buntings are made with fabric but I decided to use paper. You can purchase digital scrapbook paper at a variety of online sites. Two Peas in a Bucket is a great sight as is Etsy.com

I used my digital papers and created a triangle, making sure the "fill" is transperant so you only have an outline of the triangle. Then clone the triangle so all of your flags are the same size. I then rotated some of the triangles and lined them so you have two triangles that can be cut out as one shape and folded over your twine. I used a contrasting color so I could see the lines for cutting out. I added a "1st" to my middle flag just for some added personalization.

Once you have printed and cut out the flags I folded them over my twine and secured them with double stick tape. I like to leave some untapped part at the very top so you can slide your flags along the twine. This helps when adjusting for size when you insert it on the cake. I doubled up my twine for extra strength and to prevent the bunting from sagging. Divine twine would be great for this application. I ended up using cross-stitch thread. It is beautiful, comes in tons of colors and is $.35 per package at your local craft store.

For some extra color I added glitter along the edges of my flags. I used my favorite Martha Stewart glitter glue and glitter. Purchased at Michael's in the color "turquoise".

Birthday Invites - Print at Home

2011-01-29T13:19:00.000-08:00

For my daughter's first birthday I am doing black and white with aqua accents. I started with this invitation that I created in Word. The frame was my starting point. You can create your own frame or there are many available for purchase. The trick to this type of invitation is just playing with the fonts and styles then stretching out the text to fit the area. Creating many different text boxes seems to work the best.

I then added the cupcake and a little color with some glitter glue. I used the Martha Stewart glue and glitter (I purchased mine at Michael's - it is available at JoAnns as well but Michael's has more color options). I find the glue easy to work with, the fine tip is amazing for control and it doesn't "settle" like some other glues.

The frame ended up being my design inspiration for the party. I did the address and return labels in smaller frames. Then I am using the frames for water bottle labels, food labels, all in different sizes. The projects will be posted soon.

Cookie Favor Boxes

2011-01-20T18:08:00.000-08:00

I got this great idea from Style & Grace http://bit.ly/emdNrn for a baby shower that I was hosting. I added a sticker on the top because I opted to not frost my cookies.

I purchased my boxes here http://bit.ly/gZVJ1U. The boxes are great. Beautiful and crystal clear, they do a wonderful job of showcasing anything. I am even thinking of using them filled with Hershey kisses or another holiday candy.

I wrapped the boxes with a satin ribbon and then accented it with embroidery thread. It is available in so many colors and a $.35 package from Michael's goes a long way. The aspen wood shavings are also available at Michael's in the floral department.

DIY wrap around address labels

2011-01-20T16:19:00.001-08:00

We needed just a few Valentine's cards this year. Teachers, grandparents, bffs, etc.. I added some text to a photo, printed it on pearlized cardstock and rounded the corners with a corner punch. For the envelopes I purchased a package of silver envelopes from Michaels. I created DIY wrap around address labels in word. They need to be a little over 1/2 inch wide and I just cut the length to what looked nice.

To print the labels I used Staples sticker paper. It has a great matte finish and is less expensive than buying full label sheets.

Chevron Canvas Print

2010-10-31T13:45:00.000-07:00

I used Sunset Magazine's Chevron Template http://bit.ly/Ezy9d again for this canvas print. I picked up an artist canvas, available at any craft store in a multitude of sizes. I painted the canvas white. After letting it dry I cut the zig zag pattern out of the template. Then secured it to the top of the canvas. Working my away across (I printed out a couple of different templates) I taped off the zig zag pattern. After making sure the tape was securely down I painted with Benjamin Moore's Studio Finish Latex Glaze in Metallic Silver. After letting the paint dry I removed the tape and the print was complete.

Pumpkin Decor

2010-10-30T12:16:00.000-07:00

I need a quick tablescape for a pre-trick or treating pizza party at our house. I just added a couple of faux pumpkins, spray painted silver branch and mini-chalkboard. It worked pretty well, I think I will use it for Thanksgiving as well - just change the chalkboard message.

Applique Chevron Throw Pillows

2010-09-06T06:29:00.000-07:00

I had some left over fabric from the draperies I just made (another post on that later...) and wanted to make some pillows. Using Sunset Magazine's Chevron template http://bit.ly/Ezy9d I came up this:

Print out the templates and trace the pattern on to your fabric. I chose a white fabric so the pattern was easy to see. Cut out all the pattern and arrange it on your pillow. Pin it to secure and using the applique stitch on your sewing machine follow the pattern.

Once complete pin the right sides together of your pillow and sew at least 1/2 seam. Make sure to leave a large enough space to stuff your pillow. Turn the pillow right side out. Prior to turning I usually trim around the corners to make them more distinguished. Stuff your pillow and finish stitching the last area of your pillow.

Moroccan all over stencil - wallpaper look

2010-05-05T19:02:00.000-07:00

I started my summer project - to stencil our gigantic living room wall. We are transitioning our home from a Tuscan look to more of the Glam/Modern look. The wall is so long that it would take 16 rolls of wallpaper. So I used the PDF download from Fresh Crush Blog (thank you so much) & got started.

Stencil Paint: Benjamin Moore Studio Finish Latex Glaze in Silver.
Fresh Crush Blog: http://freshcrush.wordpress.com/2010/04/18/moroccan-stencil-download/

Home Goods Mirror Revamp

2010-05-05T18:44:00.000-07:00

I purchased this mirror at Home Goods - the original color was not super fabulous but the shape is great. I silver leafed it with the usual silver leaf supplies. Here are the before and afters...

DIY Silver Leaf End Table

2010-04-25T11:06:00.000-07:00

I just completed this Silver Leaf End table. The original table is from Ethan Allen. I am doing a major decor transformation at my house and this is part of the process.

The leafing technique is not too difficult just very labor/time intensive.

Before:

Tools:

After:

Silver Leaf & Damask Prints

2010-02-16T14:03:00.000-08:00

I set out to wallpaper (with a damask print) one wall of our master bath, but we will most likely be remodeling it in the next year or so and the wallpaper was such a time investment for a short period. I did have some prints that I needed to refresh so I used those instead to get the same feel for what I wanted.

The original print:

The process:
Took the prints apart and recovered the "matte" area with a damask print. I used fabric glue and just worked the fabric until it was nice and smooth. On the corners I folded them over as if wrapping a present. I couldn't find a print I liked that complimented the damask fabric. Instead I opted for an antique mirror look. I applied Silver Leaf on the back side of an 8" x 10" piece of glass. I then attached the glass to the print.

The final project:

Graham and Brown Beadboard Wallpaper

2010-01-11T06:49:00.000-08:00

I had seen the Graham and Brown paintable Beadboard wallpaper on a couple of different blogs and decided to give it a try. I had not ever put up wallpaper but it was so simple. After putting it up, I applied a paintable caulk between the seams and painted it the same color as the trim in our house. I then had someone come in and install the chair rail. I am really pleased with the results.

Magnetic Advent Calendar

2009-12-13T07:44:00.000-08:00

I just finished (almost - still need another package of numbers) the advent calendar. I had been looking and looking and then saw the one Buzzings of a Queen Bee made and fell in love with it. I purchased the little boxes and decoupaged them with scrapbook paper and then added a piece of magnetic tape to the back of each box. I found this magnetic framed board at Hobby Lobby. It had writing on the back so I spray painted it matte black. Then each box just attaches with the magnet - they can be easily removed/rearranged.

I also thought it would be a fun way to distribute favors at a party. Each box could contain the favor and guest could take theirs as they leave. Best part - you can coordinate any theme with all the available scrapbook papers out there.

Christmas Decorations are up...

2009-12-02T06:48:00.000-08:00

Our decorations are up and have been for a little bit now. I am always so excited to get them up. Our pre-lit tree blew a fuse in the plug so the lights aren't working. I am off to find a new fuse today so I will include photos of the tree soon.

Found a replacement rug

2009-11-14T12:50:00.000-08:00

I found this rug at Target, part of the Shabby Chic line. I love it and it fits the room perfectly. It works so much better than the Shaggy Raggy rug. I wanted the Shaggy Rug because of its softness but I am glad it ended up not working out after all.

Shaggy Raggy Rug

2009-11-09T09:54:00.000-08:00

I ordered a Shaggy Raggy rug for Gracyn's room in white. I have one in my son's room and love it. They are so soft and fun to lay on. I was so dissapointed when I opened it - the rug is OPTIC white. It makes the other white fabrics in the room look yellow. So I am still searching for another rug.

Vinyl Monograms and Damasks

2009-11-03T13:57:00.000-08:00

I am so happy with the Vinyl Monograms and Damasks I purchased from Etsy.com. There are numerous choices and vendors to select from. I ended up buying mine from littleloveletters, lola decor & circlelinestudio. All three provided great service, quick shipping & a wonderful product. I love that these can be easily removed at a later time. They do take some time to apply, but that time is mostly spent measuring and lining up.

Mini Ball Topiaries

2009-10-30T06:53:00.001-07:00

I was working on the shelf in Gracyn's room and wanted to add some greenery. I had these round balls in a container in my living room. The buckets were galvanized silver from Cost Plus. I spray painted them with white enamel paint and just stuck the balls into each container.

Nursery Wall Letters

2009-10-12T06:30:00.000-07:00

I love the aqua and red color combination. I thought some red accents would be a nice contrast in Gracyn's room. I just finished her letters last night. I purchased the letters and then decoupaged scrapbook paper onto the fronts. Then painted and sealed the sides and back. I still need to add sawtooth hangers or ribbons - but I have not decided which way to hang them yet.

Added a ribbon...

2009-10-11T13:57:00.000-07:00

I purchased this necklace at F21 this summer and have worn it a lot.

I saw that J Crew has one similar in their fall collection but with a ribbon. I had some left over black silk from when I made my ribbon chain necklace. I love how the ribbon can be easily removed and create a totally different look.

Chandelier - Check

2009-10-11T08:11:00.000-07:00

So we found out last week we are having a girl. Since we have a boy already I had a little girl's room pretty much planned out in my head. The first item on the list was to install a chandelier. The painting will take place on Thursday. Dunn-Edwards color: Blue Spruce.

The overall scheme is the aqua colored walls, black furniture & all white bedding & drapery.

Hand Pained Frames

2009-06-25T12:59:00.000-07:00

I am going to a baby shower on Saturday and wanted to include something a little more personal in the gift I was giving. I made these three frames in the colors of the nursery. They can be time consuming but overall are easy to make. Any craft store should have a pretty good selection of unpainted frames. Add a little paint and some varnish and you have a fun present.

J Crew Fall 2009 Gold Bauble Necklace

2009-06-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

I found this necklace at Forever 21. It is priced at $8.80. I couldn't locate it on-line but my receipt item number is: 61037521021. I thought it was a great option to the J Crew Necklace that is coming out in the fall.

J Crew July 09 New Arrivals

2009-06-20T14:12:00.000-07:00

Contrast Stitch Shirt - Size 6. There was only one left - they said it flew out the door.

Jakarta Cardigan Size Small. Also only one left in each size.

I also purchased the Slub Cotton Shirred Ruffles tank in Shadow. I will post photos of that soon.

Pleas let me know any sizing, fit or any other questions and I will do my best to help out.

Loop Necklace

2009-05-15T06:14:00.000-07:00

This Loop Necklace is inspired by the Canopy Necklace. I used a smokey glass 6mm bi-cone shaped bead. I also eliminated the fireballs because I wanted this to be more of an everyday necklace. It is super easy to switch out some beads for fireballs. What does everyone think? Fireballs or keep it the way it is?

Yellow Topaz Drop Necklace

2009-05-04T14:04:00.000-07:00

I saw a necklace at Anthropologie with these colors and fell in love with it. I went to the bead store to see if I could by chance get the right beads and they had them. I love the way these colors compliment each other and it is a little shorter style which I find more comfortable to wear for everyday. The right side still needs to more beads attached but I ran out of headpins and now Michael's is out of stock.

Light Topaz Crystal Necklace

2009-05-02T06:48:00.000-07:00

I have always loved the J Crew Crystal necklace, but I had purchased the Snowball necklace and the Twisted Crystal necklace so I didn't really have use for another clear crystal necklace. I did however want a different color of crystal necklace. I ended up using 6mm (for a more dainty look) Swarovski Light Colorado Topaz links for my necklace. Super simple to make - just attach the links with 6mm jump rings. I love the color of this but Swarovski choices are endless. You can click on the photo to enlarge for a more detailed shot.

Silk Ribbon Necklace

2009-05-02T06:41:00.000-07:00

I made this necklace by attaching 2.2mm bulk chain to jump rings. I used 11 chains. I wanted something a little less bulky. I found this fabulous silk ribbon on ebay for around $4 with shipping. The way it drapes is perfect, it has no body and that was what I was looking for. This is my second attempt at this necklace and I am finally really pleased with it. The photos don't do it justice (shocking - I know! considering my talent for photography - ha!). I hung it on my kitchen cabinet so you can see how the ribbon drapes.

Bead Cap Necklace

2009-04-24T17:11:00.000-07:00

My inspiration piece for this was the Botanical Necklace from J Crew. I wanted some color variation in the necklace I was making so I used 10mm round Amazonite beads (I included a photo since the colors don't show up in my photos). Every 3 inches of chain I added one of the components which consists of 2 gold bead caps placed back to back and 2 10mm round beads on either side. Each one is secured with an eye pin to attach it to the chain. If you click on the photo it will enlarge it in a new window and you can see the detail up close.

Noodle Bead Necklace

2009-04-24T15:34:00.000-07:00

Here is my take on the Cherry Blossom necklace - a little shorter and with a color of bead that I didn't already have in my jewelry box. The materials I used were: Twenty 25mm Noodle beads, 8mm Cherry Quartz Round beads (3 at each noodle bead intersection), 2" eye pins and a nautical style spring closure.

I love the Cherry Quartz, it is a soft color that will compliment many colors.

Ribbon Chain Necklace

2009-04-20T12:53:00.000-07:00

I purchased this chain to make another necklace but the proportions were off and it ended up being too large. I figured might as well put it to good use. This necklace is super simple to make just attach the chain to the desired color of grosgrain ribbon. The ribbon cost around $2.75 and the chain was $4.00 (the bead store had a 40% off sale).

Antique Brass Cluster Bracelet

2009-04-20T07:01:00.000-07:00

Back in March the photos were released of the J Crew Fall 2009 collection. There was a cluster necklace that looked to be made of either matte gold beads or gold toned pearls. I loved it so I decided to make a cluster bracelet with the same tones. This is what I came up with. It is a very versatile piece and I have already worn it numerous times.

Up next, the ecru ribbon chain necklace.

Blocks of Color Necklace

2009-03-24T15:41:00.000-07:00

So, after multiple unsuccessful attempts to find J Crew's colorblock necklace I set out to make my own. I ended up using a different color pallet, one that would work better with my wardrobe. A smaller 8mm bead in shades of pale aqua, a natural ivory and slate gray make up my version.

Clusters of Pearls Bracelet

2009-03-21T21:18:00.001-07:00

I just completed my version of the pearl cluster bracelet.

Pearl & Crystal Necklace

2009-03-12T20:27:00.001-07:00

I made this piece by combining a couple of pieces. I originally purchased the Pearl Necklace from Forever 21 for around $7.00. It was actually very nice and had the pearl clusters all the way around the necklace. I wore it a couple of times got lots of compliments and liked it.

BUT then... I saw the J Crew Pearl Cluster necklace in my local B&M. I took the side clusters off the F21 necklace so it would just have the pearls on the bottom but then the chain was to thin looking. So, I went to Target and purchased a necklace that had a thicker chain. I took all the embellishments off the Target necklace and added my Pearl cluster chain to the Target chain. Then went back and added the clear crystal beads (purchased at Michael's for $2) like the J Crew version has. I added of the 7 clear crystal beads and they really make the necklace. Unfortunately the clear crystals didn't photograph really well.