Lake Time

Hey Gals, I’m heading to no internet land…..the lake.  But before I go I noticed that Rachelle with She’s Crafty……..she’s a past feature……..she’s have a great sale on her nursing covers.  She sent me one of these for my son’s teacher…..and it’s made very well and very cute!  Wish I would have had one of these……..the ole tee shirt didn’t always cover up the girls…….and I’m not talking babies………well maybe I am.  :)

Help a mama out………

Have a great weekend!

Pink & Polka Dot

I don’t organize my features…….there I said it………as in, I never plan ahead……I think someday I’ll get on the ball and have themed weeks……write a few ahead of time and schedule them to be posted when I’m away from the computer….I aspire to be like that……..I’d also like to remember every feature I ever did. There are so many lately that I think that I have already featured……This is the reason I had a button designed for featured bloggers……that way I know I featured them already.

Imagine my surprise when I get an email from Pink & Polka Dot saying that was her table in the Mod Podge feature. I clicked on her blog and thought “oh yes, I know this one…..I’ve featured her” But I didn’t see the darling, cute, wonderful featured button that all featured bloggers SHOULD display. So I asked her……..GAH! I haven’t featured her. Yipee! She’s got way too much fun inspiration to let this set much longer in my FFF. (she was in my FFF forever I noticed)

So here’s her table just in case you missed it. She decoupage paper to it. I have a table just like this….it even has some of the vinyl ripped….this would be a perfect project. The table was in my husbands room when I met him……..poor guy….that’s why he stays out of all decorating decisions.

I could look at her craft room for hours……..some people look at fish tanks to relax………..I look at craft rooms. And I just have to say……….I love me some burlap.

While visiting her blog again……..I saw something that knocked my socks off. She re-did her floors. Wood floors are so beautiful…..but can be pricey. Not very budget minded………but she found a way to do it.

Don’t they look nice? I hate to tell you this, but they are not real wood…..no they aren’t laminate either……..

She used these vinyl stick on strips. She has a tutorial on her blog too. WE LOVE TUTORIALS! Amazing results.

You can see she added it to her laundry room too………her newly re-decorated laundry room. Can you tell I’m a bit obsessed with Laundry rooms lately? I am………I’m also obsessed with Mud Rooms……especially faux mud rooms in the garage…….so if you have one, I need photos.

The girl has some mad skills. Of course she can sew………bla bla bla……….I’m really starting to get irritated by all you fancy pants sewers…….UGH! Not only can she sew, but she makes slip covers……..and pillows out of old shirts. Recycling at it’s best. This print has seen better days for a shirt, but as a pillow……oh so cute.

Nice chair……..dated print………although I still like it……She went the brave way and made slipcovers……..WHITE slipcovers.

She found white canvas fabric at Walmart for $5.99yd. Dang she’s talented. Why can’t you people live next door to me?

This looks like she just picked it up from IKEA….love it. And who cares if it gets dirty…….it’s a slipcover.

Her talent in giving furniture new life doesn’t stop there. This lovely chair would be fine for some people, but she’s like me and likes to paint wood………it looks better anyway. Just my opinon……today.

Point made…….Just try to tell me you don’t like this better. The black paint……the sassy zebra print……..even if that’s too bold for you…..other fabric is available. Beautiful.

The real reason I love her so much is………can you see them? The shutters! I have shutters above my fireplace too. We are kindred spirits……..this proves that I do have style. Mine are here.

I also like peering into her living room.

Here’s a fun project she shared with us……….of course she added a tutorial…..love her.

She has a few tutorials on how to do monograms using your printer……..

Yes………..she also has a tutorial on this darling onesie. Really.

I noticed she also has an etsy shop with some fun goodies.

Do you think she knows how talented she is? Maybe you should go tell her? Do the right thing. :)

The Thrifty Home

It’s hot out there people………107 today in the Rose City.  Thank God for central air……..but silly me keeps thinking that I’m stressing the grid too much…….I’m also trying to keep my son and his friend busy and inside.  You would think telling them they could play unlimited Wii downstairs would have given me a couple of free hours…….but they decided to do a fort….every blanket, pillow, swim towel, piece of furniture is being used……It’s a mess………but it’s giving me time to write a post. 

 

If you’ve taken time to read more than one post of mine, you know that I appreciate a good bargain.  I love it when I can find something I really want for less.  I have a great time putting together rooms from thrift items……….now I realize not everyone gets that or even wants too.  But I do know that this girl does.  A Thrifty Home.  She is more thrifty than I ever dreamed of being.  I had so much fun cruising around her blog for not only tips, recipes and kid crafts…….but she has some great ideas……before and afters……she has a little bit of everything.  She’s my new hero.  With the economy the way it is, I think a lot of us are looking at ways to trim the budget, do without and create more from less.  Her site is a great place to start.

I love the hard water tips……..I am so going to try this.  I don’t think we have hard water, but I do have some build up in my water tray from the fridge and around my faucet.  Drives me crazy.  She shows all the details in cleaning this and it’s non-toxic, so that’s even better in my book. She uses Vinegar………I think the white kind……you’ll have to go see to make sure.  Me too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wouldn’t it be nice to do this with no chemicals?  I’ll answer that…….yes…..yes it would.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While we’re on a cleaning kick…..she uses lemonade Kool-Aid to clean her dishwasher……I wasn’t even aware that I needed to clean it, but I guess I will.  The important part of this photo is really the tip out drawer.  Hers weren’t the tip out kind to start with…….they were the fake kind……or is it faux.  Mine are like that…….she has a tutorial on how to make them the tip out kind so you can store your Kool-Aid and other stuff like sponges.  So handy.

She proves she thrifty by re-doing these lamps.  She picked these up at her local thrift store…..we’ve all seen them…..and probably just kept walking….

But look!  She spray painted them…….and tells you all the details on her site.  What would we do without spray paint? 

Keeping the kids busy and being thrifty can be challenging…….when my son and his friend get tired of building a fort…….we’ll have to try our hand at Tie Dying.  She shows directions and tips….kids love this and since I’m from the NW……..we all have a little hippy in us.

Just to show off she has a tutorial on making an I Spy Quilt for her son……Great idea……..but way more work than I would be willing to do……..even if I was willing, I don’t sew remember? 

It’s time to fill my Iced Tea and crank the AC……I hope the grid makes it. 

Thanks for reading…..off you go to leave her a comment about how you found her…….tell her I sent you.  I love surprising people like that.

We are THAT Family

I realize that many of you may already know or read Kristen’s blog.  We Are THAT Family

She’s a “mommy blogger” who will have you in stitches after reading only one of her posts.  I love her creative way in parenting her children.  I have found myself relating more than once and I only have one child.  I bet she’s the fun mom on the block.  I’ve really enjoyed getting to know her through her blog recently.  I’ve also really enjoyed seeing some of her DYI projects.  I love a good project, especially if I can copy it. 

Laundry rooms…….UGH!  Usually this is not a fun place for us to hang and don’t throw anything at me, but my husband does most of our laundry……….OK, well pretty much all of it.  But I’d still like a cute laundry room and maybe if got some pretty new red appliances, I would take over the task.  Worth a try isn’t it?  Kristen thought the same thing.  So she talked her husband into a DYI project to help her with this wonderful task we all love.  Here’s a before……typical right? 

After……..Isn’t that amazing?  She has it all detailed for cost as well as a tutorial!!!  She got this idea from a post on The Nester………of course.  I love this idea, but it makes me so so sad.  My washer is a top load………it wouldn’t work.  Some day……

Details…………all on her blog.  This is a non sewing project so you know I was all in a twitter over it.  Glue gun and a shower curtain….life is good.

She also added some Mud Room appeal to make her room a bit more functional for other uses as well.  Love.

 

She’s a woman after my own heart.  Not many women are gutsy enough to take a large WOOD piece of furniture and paint it.  Not many of us can handle the comments….”oh you can’t paint that…..you should just restain it…….oh it’s such pretty wood……you’re going to ruin it”  WHATEVER!  Talk to the paint brush people because look at this beauty.  She added some patterned paper for the back drop………you can’t deny that it looks 200% better………1000%  Love it.

 

Here’s a pretty table setting I snatched off her site.  Red stars, bandana’s………she is so good.  Eating from this place setting next to that hutch in all it’s glory, I’d be so so happy.  I’m sure it would be some sort of cobbler too……       How many of us have a pantry door like this?  You probably never gave it a second look………she didn’t like hers………..she replaced it with a screen door………see I told you she was gutsy.  Never in a million years would I have a see through pantry door……..But it sure is purdy………they had bought a basic screen door, cut it down, added accents, painted it………..TaDa! Here’s my favorite part……….besides any cookies inside.  Using a fork for a handle.  More Love.  And you know she had me at a red door.   Not only will you find an occasional DYI project, you’ll find plenty of creative writing.  You’ll be ready to feel like part of the family in no time.  Go see for yourself.  You’ll be glad you did.  

I know I know I know……..

I know I need to do a feature………..I even have one all set to write………..I know! 

In the mean time you can go see my “outdoor room”.  All on a budget of course.

 

It’s record breaking temps here…….105 degree’s in the Portland Oregon area.  Plans are for a movie later.  And yes, a feature…….

Mod Podge ROCKS!

Amy over at Mod Podge Rocks is haunting my brain. She is. You see, I secretly want to mod podge everything……well everything I can’t or won’t paint. For some reason, I have this mental block making me think it’s too difficult. I’ve done a little here and a little there……..I even have jars of Mod Podge in my craft room. Both matte and glossy……I have good intentions. It’s time to get over myself and get the projects that have been swimming around my feeble mind DONE!

Amy’s site is all about Decoupage. Not all photos are her work, she features other mod podge work….so yes, I am aware that not all photos are her creativeness……..but that doesn’t mean I am going to research and post who’s is who’s………..seriously, you must think I have a ton of time……..but I did get the floors mopped this week.

I bought an old dresser for my son at a garage sale a few years ago…..only the best for my baby. I painted it blue to match his baby room (the baby room that had puppy paw prints around the edge of the hard wood floor we painted a barn red….still kicking myself for not having a decent photo of that……and this was before pottery barn had their puppy theme) and now that his room is an Explorer theme………it’s still blue, the dresser…..doesn’t really go at all. I have all these old vintage maps………I figure I need to mod podge them all over this dresser…….wouldn’t that look cool? I better get it done before he’s in high school. I know I can do it with Amy’s help. She has many many projects with directions on how to decoupage paper or even fabric onto furniture. So cool! I can hear your mind churning now.

The other project that I have put off for about 5 yrs now is re-doing my switch plates. I’m way too cheep to buy fancy ones……and I haven’t really seen any I like……..I want a black and creme harlequin print to cover them in. Wouldn’t that be cute? She’s got the link or tutorial on her site……I’m gonna need it.Here’s a GREAT idea to keep the kids busy. Art at it’s best. This art piece below is made out of labels. So not only are they being artistic, but they are recycling…..seeing the beauty out of garbage. Plus it will keep them busy……..great summer project for those older kiddos.This isn’t her studio………is it yours? But she shows how easy it is to make a quick craft space. Of course the top of this table is decoupaged……yes it is.

BEFORE-AFTER - Great space to get crafty.

Amy has many many ideas to ignite your creativity. Don’t be afraid.

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Interested in sponsoring a post? Contact me. Krjdemmon@comcast.net

The winner is Kara with Creations by Kara!

We have a winner!  Kara with Creations by Kara has won the pre-made template from The Design Girl!  While there, I found a few fun photos and usually warrant a little squeal………because most of what I’m going to show you are all her before and afters.  She’s brilliant.  Even I would have walked past a few of these items in their before condition.   

Seriously do we not see these old computer desks EVERYWHERE?  Since she’s in Utah, she probably picked it up at the local  DI……that’s Good Will to the rest of the Nation.  I think she did a brilliant job in creating a wonderful storage area.  And it’s CUTE! 

 

Do I even need to say anything about this piece below?  She saw the beauty…..somewhere.

Oh……hello gorgeous!  See didn’t I tell you…….she’s brilliant!

OK, I understand the need for plastic flower pots….they don’t break and they keep your plants moist longer…….but you know what?  Most are UGLY!  There I said it………hate me if you want……but they are. 

But I do like a painted plastic one!  So nice looking don’t you think.  I don’t hate it anymore.

What do you get when you put together one ugly gold plate rack……..again a dime a dozen at GoodWill…….

Add a few frames you can pick up at your local WalMart.

Add a couple of antique looking keys….and what do you get?

You get an updated piece of wall decor for your house!  Brilliant!

She’s got alot of fun ideas on her blog.  Go see her.  Check out her blog design NOW, because it’s going to be even better soon! 

Thanks for entering everyone!