Pilarina's Workshop

A fresh start

2010-09-16T12:10:00.001-05:00

Sometimes it's fun to start fresh. That's what I'm doing and you can find my new creative ramblings and plans for my new business venture here:

www.projectanthologies.com

Please join me.

FOUR DOLLAR TABLE!

2010-05-09T17:04:00.005-05:00

The title is in all caps because you have to shout it! I mean - $4?! C'mon. So, this was at the Goodwill and it was in very rough shape. But - after washing, sanding and re-screwing the legs a little - it was in just bad shape. An improvement. The problem was with the top of the table. It was laminate and was bubbled and crusty like someone had spilled acid on it years ago. ? Who knows. My solution? I used textured wallpaper and then painted and sealed it. Voila. It is very cool and unique - and STILL JUST COST $4.

My antiquing technique is coming along nicely. Check out my sexy legs!

The new shaggy rug also makes me smile - but that baby was a little more than four bucks so it doesn't get a blog post. ;)

Also showing this off at Diane's Second Time Around!

Silent Auction Class Quilt

2010-04-12T19:30:00.005-05:00

Yeah, yeah... I haven't posted here in ages. I've actually done plenty o'projects but - haven't been good about taking photos and posting them. But, no worries - I haven't quit my day job.

So - my latest, biggest project has been this quilt that I made for my daughters pre-k silent auction. I took fabric squares and fabric paint into the class and each student painted a spring painting. The students are all 3- 4 years old. Just so you know. ;) At home I trimmed, pieced, added appliques, and sewed the quilt. Technically, I did not "quilt" it (the process of sewing through all layers in some sort of pattern throughout) - I binded (bound?) it and batted it - but I wanted it to be more of a snuggly, blanket type-thing. It measures about 3 x 4 ft. I think?

I hoping for big money at the auction this weekend. Not for me of course. For the children of GLDS. :)
My daughter's picture is the one in the top row, middle here. Yellow butterfly with red polka dots.These pictures don't do it justice. The flannel backing is beautiful and the lettering matches the front picture borders.

Linking to the DIY Day Party at A Soft Place to Land!

Men's Shirt Repurposed

2010-03-01T12:47:00.004-06:00

My Monday Metamporphis is a men's shirt that I picked up last week at "The Goodwheel" (as my 6 year old calls it). It is a men's shirt, Calvin Klein, nice blue pin stripe. Worn just enough to be comfy - but totally free of any yuckiness. I almost raided my husband's closet to do this - but I was pretty sure that as soon as I did that - he'd ask for the shirt that I had re-made.

So - here are some before shots...

Laying - waiting for me to make it pretty.

I tried it on and marked the sides where I wanted to taper it. I still wanted it to hang on me and be long...but I did not want it big and boxy. The picture below shows a line that runs from about three quarters down the arm, under the arm and down the side - tapering in some at the waiste. I folded the shirt in half and marked the other side accordingly.

I was not too uptight about precision here because I knew it was still going to be loose and a bit oversized. A cm here or there is not going to show for this project.

The material that was cut off the sides became cute ruffles on the front. Ruffles are hot right now - you know that, right? :)

Voila. My new shirt (I had to edit off my head because I hadn't done my hair- yes, I'm that vain). I always wear my creations around my little sis soon after I finish them and see if she compliments them - if so, I know that it was a success! This one got a compliment. Yay!

Check out other way cooler projects!

Ottoman slipcovers!

2010-02-25T10:10:00.003-06:00

I bought two of these little red ottomans at Target a few years ago. They've been great because they serve as a storage place for toys in the living room (the tops unzip) - and as ottomans. Well, they've been SO well-used that they had become very "well-used" looking.

Check out the close-up. GROSS.

So - I sewed little slip covers and they have another few years left in them! I could tell you all the parts I would do differently next time - but that may take away from their charm. ;) I will say I wish I had made the top portion a little bigger so that the covers would be easier to put on and off. But, they do work and look much nicer! Not to mention I was so sick of the red after having red couches and these red ottomans for a few year. Notice the black couch in the back? Used to be red. A post for another day. ;)

My cute little table

2010-02-19T20:16:00.004-06:00

I came upon this old sewing table at the Goodwill right after we moved. I was pretty sure my husband would think I was insane if I came home with more furniture after we just finished moving into a smaller house and have a garage full of junk that doesn't have a place in said house. However, we really did need a place for our TV in the den (our other house had some built-in shelves that held this tv). Soooo - I grabbed this little dude for ten dollars. I brought it right home and cleaned it up, removed the HEAVY old sewing machine, and painted it my favorite black color. It was done before he even got home - and sat for quite I will before he noticed it. ;)

I ended up doing some sanding on the edges to "distress" it because I scraped it up putting the TV up on top of it. Our big, old (because I think 4 years is old for a tv these days) TV is even heavier than that old sewing machine was. This little table also got new brushed silver hardware that I had on hand. I, personally, LOVE this little table. The big, old TV... that's a different story. I'm envisioning a cute little flat screen up here... but one hasn't turned up at the Goodwill yet. ;)

I'm linking up to Creative Cats Friday @ Poppies at Play!

Who's the Leader of the Club?

2010-02-16T18:54:00.005-06:00

Shortly after my son started saying he wanted a Star Wars bedroom (see yesterday's post), my 3 year old daughter informed me that she has "never liked pink and brown polka dots" and really wants a Mickey Mouse bedroom. Don't mind the fact that she has never actually expressed an interest in The Mouse - whatever. I humored her for awhile talking about how that "would be cool" and "maybe someday". Then - we moved. Once we moved I decided to go ahead and do some Mousey things to her room while not going overboard. I actually love how it turned out.

It started with this little headboard from The Goodwill - $5 - score.

I painted it white with some good ol' Krylon spray paint and then glued little red beads I had from an old necklace to it.

Ooh - an existing lamp that I just hot-glued some ~~ridiculously expenisive~~ very exquisite mouse ribbon on to!

The bedding is an expensive set of sheets from Wally mart and then a blanket cover made by yours truly. I went with red and turquoise fleece and LOVE the colorful result. I just sewed the two layers together much like a duvet cover with no duvet inside (she rarely uses covers anyway). The mouse ears are just a big flannel applique I made. I feel like it is totally mouse-i-fied without looking - ummm - cheesy?

I made the bed skirt by simply sewing a turquoise ribbon along a full-size white sheet that I had trimmed and hemmed to fit as a skirt for this twin size bed.

The last part that took a little work was making window treatment. I've mentioned before - this is a rental - so I'm not going to go buy all new blinds even though these leave plenty to be desired. However, fun polka dot valences go a long way (let's hope she DOES like red and white polka dots).

It was fun, done in a day, and has made my baby happy.

Linking to the famous ASPTL!

The Star Wars Bedroom

2010-02-15T11:01:00.008-06:00

I decided several weeks ago that I wouldn't force myself to start posting on this blog until I was actually in the mood and felt that it would be fun and not a hassle. And today is the day. I'm not sure how often I'll post here... I do have dreams of being up there with the ranks of The Nestor, Kimba, Lindsay, Susan, Thrifty Decor Chick...and SO many others. But, with a full-time job, two little kids, a great husband that I like to hang out with - it's hard for me to do a niche blog very well right now. But, I can use it as a small motivator to me to stay creative and enjoy doing some projects. So, that's how it shall stay. For now. :)

Today I'm displaying a few photos of our son's new Star Wars themed bedroom. I don't have a full before/after type thing going on because we just moved in this house a few months ago and so the before room would just be an empty room.

The one "before" I can show is the dresser that was handed down to me from my great aunt. It was used for a couple years in our guest bedroom in it's antique glory - and then when our little boy was about 18 months old we painted it like this for his room in our new house:

It has now transitioned once again and here is the more "grown up" (if by grown up you mean 6 years old) version. This time it's painted especially for the Star Wars room!

The color is a very pretty light grey and soft black. The knobs really make the dresser! Thank you Ebay. Each knob is a different SW character. Below - yoda - my fave.

To go along with the dresser, we hung a black corner shelf to display some action figures:

And finally - my husband and I combined our talents to make this awesome Darth Vader headboard/wall decor for over his bed.

We would love to paint the walls and do it up a little more - but it's a rental house that we aren't sure how long we'll be in. The good news is that using his Star Wars toys and accessories, it has turned out very cool. I'll try to get a whole room shot soon (as in - when I get a new camera and aren't taking all of these on my blackberry). ;)

Thanks for stopping by. I'm linking up to the following:

It's So Very Cheri - Creative Party

and

Coming in 2010

2009-12-03T18:02:00.002-06:00

So - we've moved and settled into our rental house. It has been a lot of fun making this house into a home. In lieu of all the projects that have been taking up my time, some trips planned and the normal holiday season business, I am taking a blogging hiatus here until the new year.

See you in January with plenty of pictures of thrifty ways to spruce up your new digs!

A Friend's Nursery - ooh la la!

2009-10-28T11:48:00.004-05:00

Oooh - pretty baby stuff. Who can resist?! Here is my latest sewing project. I know many of the blogs I read and a lot of what I've been doing right now focuses home decor and thrifty decorating and reusing of old items. However - one of my loves is sewing! Last year I spent a lot of time sewing and selling on Etsy... but it began to feel like a chore and let's face it - the dollar per hour is not too alluring in the sewing business. So, now I have been enjoying projects that present themselves with no stress or payment involved.

The latest project is one I mentioned here. This delightful fabric choice by my friend is for her upcoming (soon!) arrival's nursery. I made the bed skirt, bumper, basket liners and valences for her. It was a lot of fun and turned out super cute! So - the finished project... ta da!

Here are the little baskets packed with her goodies for the shower.

I couldn't resist this picture - check out the homemade cupcakes...they were scrumptious if I do say so myself and coordinated with the bedding!

Chocolate with mint buttercream icing and pumpkin with cinnamon cream cheese icing were both topped with little mod-podged owls from her fabric on sticks trimmed with coordinating ribbon. Fun stuff!

This is her finished crib - lovely! I love the colors with the dark wood - I think she did an awesome job picking out the fabric!

DIY Tie-Dye Shirts!

2009-10-06T20:17:00.007-05:00

This past weekend we attended a "Celebration of Cultures" festival - and there was a booth there selling tie-dye t-shirts. My five your old son was drawn to them and really wanted one. I - of course - told him... "we don't need to buy a tie-dye we can make our own". Some days I should think before I say that phrase. However, the next day my husband actually went and bought the supplies (two t-shirts and a tie-dye kit) and supervised the activity and they turned out great. Anyone who hasn't done this for awhile... give it a whirl with your kids! It's a lot of fun, they get to plan, be creative and then be surprised the next day when they see their finished product. Plus, the kit comes with plenty of dye... you could actually do some bandanas, napkins, an apron, a table cloth... the possibilities are endless! We stuck to t-shirts though. ;)

The KIT

Clothing optional during the process

Gloves not optional - this dye is serious business

The kids picked different banding techniques - but each turned out cool
Such concentration...
And yes, this is my daughter modeling her finished product in all her glory. No idea why goggles were necessary here - but hey - I'm liking it. You can also catch a glimpse of my son off to the side... but he isn't wearing his goggles so I couldn't let him in the photo.

Linking up to DIY day at Kimba's!! :)

Transitioning to Fall

2009-10-03T08:43:00.008-05:00

It's that time of year - the air is getting crisper and pumpkins are showing up everywhere! I love it. Spring is usually my favorite - but fall is a close second. My projects have been minimal lately unless it involves cleaning out a closet or toy chest because we've just put our house on the market. However, I did make time to do a fun fall table scape on our dining room table and add a touch of fall to our front porch. And being as ~~broke~~ thrifty as I am... I think all supplies were found at Walmart (I know, I cringe a little too but you do what you have to do) and they worked great!

So - our table looked like this a lot of the summer...

And is now transformed to this:

I used a mixture of real and plastic pumpkins and squash... the leaves were actually cut off a strand of leaf garland that I had from a long time ago. The brown charger that they are all sitting on was like $2 on clearance... cheap project but it gives the table a fun look for visitors.

The other area that had a little metamorphosis is our front porch. The summer re-do had it looking like this:
The addition of a fall bouquet from above mentioned super-cheapo store added a fall "pop" that I love to come home to!

The little nest and eggs in the bowl were actually free. The kids found the nest in the front yard... and the little eggs are small wooden ones from my daughter's play kitchen (which is currently in storage as part of our de-cluttering attempt while our house is on the market). So - voila, there you have it. Quick, inexpensive and minimal... but it does feel a bit more like fall now!

Check out tons of cool ideas at BNOTP!

A Fun Family Craft - Family Flags!

2009-09-25T19:01:00.004-05:00

This post is brought to you by my five year old son. He has an imagination and a sense of creativity that I like to think I have something to do with...although his Daddy is no dummy...so who knows where he actually gets it. Anyway - he asked me to take him to Michael's last weekend. He had a list of what he needed - below is the list. It turns out it was all just different colors of felt, but he had it very well planned out and even though he's just now in Kindergarten and learning to read - he wrote the first and last letter of each color so that he'd remember what he wanted. I thought that was pretty resourceful!
So, here it is part way through the project. There was a lot of planning, cutting and gluing going on. He worked for at least an hour (which, you know, in kids years is like 4 hours).

Have I mentioned I got him his own hot glue gun for his birthday last year. Sniff - my little boy makes me so proud. ;) Look at him wielding that dangerous tool. (BTW - Steelers jammies made by yours truly).

Here's the finished product! It is a Team T family flag. He planned it out with one T in the corner for each family member. The middle is a tiger - his current favorite animal. Not too shabby, huh? He plans to take it up and hang it at our summer get-away in Pennsylvania next year where the "T" side of our family gathers. I love it.

AND - this is one that my three year old and I made together. She - of course - had to pick out some felt too when her brother was doing his shopping. She's not quite as skilled with the hot glue and scissors as her brother (yet) - so she did the planning and I did the cutting for her. She did most of the placement and gluing though. Pretty cool, huh? I'm sure any of you who have young kids recognize this guy.

All in all a fun and successful family craft time that didn't end in tears or cost a lot of money... can't ask for much more than that. I can also see doing these with a theme for holidays, etc.

A Place for My Dog Toys

2009-09-21T19:16:00.004-05:00

My little furry dude was feeling blue because both kids have fancy toy boxes and his was just so plain. Look at that face - he obviously felt like he got the short end of the stick. Even though he does have his own little recliner... I mean - really... the galvanized metal bowl (score for like 6 bucks at Home Depot) is nice... but it needed something more. And because I am a good mom - be it to kids or dogs - I obliged. I used some sponges from the dollar store, cut little letters out to spell his name, glued toothpicks as holders (not necessary, but made them cool looking) and fancied it up a little by sponge painting his name to his toy bowl!

TA DA! Now - every one knows that these toys are for MIGHTY! His full name is Mighty Boy - but this works. ;)

Hope Mighty Boy doesn't mind I'm linking up to Creative Cats. ha ha ha.

Wow! The power of a pressure washer!

2009-09-21T10:36:00.006-05:00

Today - may be very boring for some - or for all ... but for some reason I LOVED watching my husband pressure wash our patio this weekend! As I mentioned last week, we're considering trying to sell our house soon. So, we're doing all the little things that one does when they want someone to buy their house; decluttering, sprucing up the landscaping, cleaning windows, touching up paint... and pressure washing! Check out this transformation! The lower right square is the completed one (duh). I love this before and after. The stuff on the patio wasn't just loose dirt or anything it was stained, discolored - way more than we even realized. Anyone wanting to do something to get a lot of bang for their buck - try this out. This was one rented from Home Depot for a few hours and it worked great.

This isn't pretty like the other stuff you'll find here... but it is a metamorphasis! ;) Check out a bunch of other cool projects at Between Naps on the Porch!

The making of a beautiful nursery!

2009-09-16T07:51:00.004-05:00

Phew - long time no post. I think that is the first time that's happened to that extent since I started blogging here. I was out of town for work and have also been undertaking some big things around my home. First, I have been asked by a good friend to sew some of her decor for her nursery for her upcoming baby! She has chosen a very cute owl print and coordinating patterns. I'm very excited about seeing it all come together and getting to be a part of the project. So - that is where the artistic piece of my brain is going to be for a bit. I hope to get some before and after pictures of the nursery and will share soon!

Here are the fabric choices:

Purdy, huh?!

In other BIG undertakings... I'm toying with the idea of putting our house on the market and renting a house closer to our kids school. I say "I" because my husband seems luke warm to the idea as he is ear-deep in dissertation writing. However, the move would also benefit him (we'd be very close to campus) - once we actually completed it. The tricky part is the selling of the house and moving of the stuff. The part that makes this decision difficult is that we will, undoubtedly, be moving at some point in the next 2 years. If we knew we had 2 years left here - I'd jump in and move in a second... but what if we only have 9 months left? That's a lot of work for 9 months. Our location has become increasingly inconvenient since our son started kindergarten on the other side of town and I'm just looking for some relief. Plus, the idea of not having to sell a house when we do get ready to leave town is very appealing.

I'm blogging about this here because I know some of my readers have experience with moving AND with making rental spaces look lovely... both of which I'm going to solicit ideas on when the time comes. Perhaps even a give-away involved. Stay tuned!

Trash to Treasure Coffee Can

2009-09-01T09:36:00.006-05:00

Life has been busy. I have some big projects in mind that I hope to share soon (valances, closet reorganization, painted dresser) but in the meantime I have just been trying to catch my breath since getting the kids started at school and soccer and everything else that seems to pop up.

Yesterday my son had to stay home from school because of a little cold. So - as he drew pictures at the kitchen table - I tried out my new silver contact paper. It's FUN. I want to cover everything in silver now! But, knowing my husband would think I lost my mind...I just spruced up my little coffee station. I've had this coffee container for several months and keep refilling it because it is a convenient shape, size and my three year old can open it (she loves to make her momma coffee and I'm not going to discourage it). So, to make it a more attractive permanent fixture on my counter top - I covered it with silver contact paper, a paper bag label, decorative paper on top, and some mod podge to seal the label. So easy and silly - but a fun little project to do while my son did his thing - and it got rave reviews from my ~~personal barista~~ daughter this morning.

My reusable coffee container

All spruced up with it's silver self. Notice the matching cinnamon?

This is a view of the whole area a couple months ago before I also redid the mail spot and medicine spot.

See? Looking better! I love getting things organized, a little cuter and simpler. A little change goes a long way in making a busy household feel manageable!

Linking up to Poppies at Play to give you a chance to see some way more creative projects! Also, for some impressive Trash to Treasure - check out Reinvented!

A Train Case Metamorphosis

2009-08-24T08:11:00.007-05:00

I've been eyeing these little train cases at the Goodwill shops for awhile and then started seeing some around on different blogs. So - a couple weeks ago I finally grabbed one and did my thing. However, like many projects - it didn't exactly turn out as fabulous as I had hoped. It did -however - teach me a lot and keep me interested to try it again. Here is what I did with this one:

Primed and painted it by hand (didn't spray paint).

Used all materials that I had on hand.

Actually painted contact paper and cut into decals before applying to the case.

Coated it all in ModPodge and then an acrylic sealer.

Painted the hardware.

Covered the handle with painted contact paper. (yeah, weird).

Skipped the "touching up" phase - it's sitting on top of the fridge to hold medicines and it's fine.

Before:

After:

Some things I'll do different next time:

Try to use spray paint so that I don't have unsightly brush strokes - OR - cover the whole thing with contact paper and mod podge - only painting the trim.

Buy the color of contact paper that I need - painting it actually worked... but kind of a pain.

Probably just leave the hardware alone. And the handle.

This little dudes are heavy too... so my visions of actually traveling with one may not actually happen. But - it does look cute sitting around the house, no?

Linking up to Metamorphosis Monday! Check her out!

My $12 side table!

2009-08-19T10:23:00.005-05:00

No time for witty, entertaining or even wordy in this post. But - I just had to get pictures of this side table that I made up here. It started as this:

I got this old cutting board (I guess) at the Goodwill store. One of the HEAVY items I wrote about a few posts back. Here it is just setting on top of a little plastic table that my kids use.

A few weeks of searching finally turned this up at a different Goodwill. The coolest part? The top turns. Wheeeeee!

Part way through the process - my beautiful, recently re-done cutting-board-turned-table-top ended up like this. Whoops.

But - no worries. Gorilla wood glue did the trick. As did much black paint, some Mod Podge, and an acrylic finishing coat. Voila. I love it. And the top turns. Wheeee!

Toddler Birthday Outfit

2009-08-13T12:22:00.005-05:00

Busy days around our house. Our first child is heading to Kindergarten tomorrow! So - I've gotten to spend the last week hanging out with him (he's usually at Pre-K as I work full-time) and supply shopping and getting ready! He wanted to sleep with his new backpack on last night. So sweet.

My crafty ways have been for the most part stifled this week as I stay extra busy juggling my kids, work, and home. I did get this little beauty from my Etsy shop shipped out today though! It is a little birthday outfit I made for someones daughter. I hope she loves it! It was fun to make (that's a hair bow attached - not some weird bow tie)! In fact, looks like something I would love to wear on my birthday next month. Hmmm... do 37 year olds look OK in tutus? ;) I think so.

Transformation Thursday

2009-08-06T14:59:00.009-05:00

Also! Click the side icon to view more DIY projects on ASPTL!

The transformation that I'm showing off this Thursday is actually an item that has been transformed before. This sad little chest was once painted a mint green (oh the horror) and then we stripped it down and had been using it in it's natural state (oh the horror) for several years now. It's been a toy chest and a coffee table and right now functions as both:

The pictures made me very sure of my decision to paint this little chest. The wood is not pretty... I was used to the way it looked, but seeing it in the photo made me realize that this baby needed something.

Part of my transformation also included this tray and this rug. The tray I already transformed once before. It also has a matching partner... but it didn't work with my new chest. The rug was in our living room before but I had moved it out. I decided to try something new with it. Here are the before pictures of those two items:

The picture below shows how I taped off an area around the edges. Did you know you can paint a rug? I was pretty sure you could... but I wouldn't have tried it on a rug that I would be upset if it didn't work out. This I originally bought at Big Lots! I can't remember how much I paid... but it was very ~~dirt cheap~~ reasonable.

I actually used a paint brush and black paint from a can for most of it and then finished off with a spay paint can.

So, put it all together... black paint from a can, trim color that matches the walls, a little red spray paint, and some chalkboard spray paint... and best of all - it all came from my house. I didn't buy anything new for this transformation. This little nook of the room looks much better! Yay.

Look how cute the rug border is!

The tray actually needs some touching up... but I wanted to go ahead and post the pictures... so just ignore that part!

Head the the Shabby Chic Cottage for some more great projects!

I guess it's a spice rack...

2009-08-04T12:58:00.007-05:00

So - on my outing to buy the heaviest things at the Goodwill Outlet last week - I got this. I'm not sure what it was. But it is such nice solid wood that I knew I'd have a use for it after I made it prettier.

I just had to clean it up, paint it white, and add some decorative paper to the back. I modpodged the paper so that if it does get dirty being in the kitchen I'll be able to wipe it clean. I actually painted it by hand with kitchen and bathroom trim paint that is supposed to be hearty and wipe clean well. It sounds very well planned - but actually I didn't have any white spray paint on hand so I just used what I had. I love how it turned out and I put all my little spices that I use almost daily in there instead of balancing them on my stove (see picture below). The other problem is the stacked dishes on top of the cabinets. I dealt with that too.

Here is a close-up of my pretty new spice box rack thingy.

I also bought some baskets that day that were on sale at - of course - Michael's to store my platters, dishes, fondue pots, etc. that were stacked on the cabinets. The finishing cute-but-useful touch were the little silver frames that are next to each basket. I bought these a few weeks ago on clearance at Michael's for pennies a piece. I painted the little cardboard inside with chalkboard paint and labeled what is in each basket so that I don't have to go searching up high when I need something.

Here's a better view of the finished product:

So, next up is to add some hardware to the cabinets. AND - does anyone have a good idea how to non-permanently but strongly attach that little rack to the back splash there? I have used TONS on the 3M mounting strips that are supposed to hold things permanently but they aren't working. My husband thinks we need to go ahead and drill into the wall - but I kind of hate to do that because we're probably going to be selling this house in less than a year. Any suggestions are very welcome! Thank you!

Click here for some more great second-hand treasures.

Also - Just found a new site that is very cute! Joining her Creative Cats Party - check it out!

MAIL TIME!

2009-08-03T09:25:00.005-05:00

I had a great weekend filled with projects. I am so excited to have some new pictures and posts... and most of all - to have prettied up some things around the house.

The first one I'll share this week (I'm starting off small here) is a little box that I found at an impromptu visit to the Goodwill last week. We actually have an outlet store here that has HUGE bins of ~~crap~~ treasures that you pay for by the pound. It is at this point that I need to state the obvious. If you pick out the three heaviest pieces of ~~crap~~ stuff, you don't get the best deal. 'Nuff said.

BUT - I did get this very cool little box - that I had a specific purpose for before even buying. I actually liked the creamy yellow color that it had already been painted. As luck would have it, I found a matching color of new spray paint at Michaels. The unlucky part - I bought two cans of this stuff and it is the worst spray paint I've ever bought. It sprayed unevenly leaving big drips and took a long time to dry. If anyone really wants to know the brand - I'll tell you. I'm not being secretive... just lazy as it is out in the garage right now and I don't remember what kind it was.

So - here is the before picture. Notice the little feet are broken and missing. When I started trying to take the other one off - I ended up taking all the trim off too because some of that was broken.

This is the space that needed help! I'm kind of embarrassed to post the picture - and I will say that this is on a bad day. But, it obviously needed some help. And one goal I've developed as I'm do these little projects is to make them useful and pretty. It's not an either/or - they should really be both - because I'm not about just doing useless things. Usually.

So - then, I did my thing with the temperamental spray paint. I might have said a few bad words as I made a mess of things due to the new brand of paint. Then, some cute black ribbon - and VOILA! It is perfect. And look at my little counter space and mail holder. Ahhhhhh. SO MUCH BETTER. I love it.

Stay tuned this week. I have at least three more projects to post... and maybe another. I'm linking up to Metamorphosis Monday! Yay - check her out! Updated: I found another party too - this is another big one! I can't believe I hadn't had the pleasure of checking out her blog until today. I know most of you have! Southern Hospitality!

Personalizing the Thank You

2009-07-30T19:59:00.006-05:00

We recently spent a week in rural Pennsylvania with my husband's side of the family. In addition to a lovely and relaxing stay away from the rat race of home - we celebrated our daughter's birthday and were blessed with gifts and love all around.

When I started to do thank you notes, I decided that doing something unique and handmade was the best way show our appreciation. I used a family photo that was taken of the four of us that week (as we sat by a camp fire using a timer on our camera but it turned out surprisingly decent). Using a googled imaged of PA, Picnik , and PowerPoint I created a snazzy little picture and then printed it on some off-white card stock. The finishing touch was a little red bandanna bow. The result was perfect for the occasion. I can't wait to have someone else to thank now! There are so many tools available for FREE and using your imagination you can make anything you dream up!

A Post without Pictures

2009-07-22T16:46:00.004-05:00

A post without pictures on a creative ideas blog is a little lame. However, I don't want anyone to think I've completely lost my mojo and am not busy creating and getting ready to share. I haven't. And I am.

To update on a few things. If you hang a cork board in your bathroom (like I showed here) to organize your jewelry, either a) secure it with something heartier than sticky tabs or b) do not hang it on a wall near the toilet. It is not fun at all to walk into the bathroom and see all of your jewels (yeah, right) in the toilet. My recently sanitized jewelry is now hanging on the other side of the bathroom in a FRAMED cork board which is nailed to the wall.

In other news - my little sister came to town and on the way to my mom's house we stopped by a thrift shop that this blogger has written about (in fact I'm linking to a post from this week where she found a lamp at the store). It was very cool - and huge (although all I scored this time was a one dollar leather purse) and then another little store in the same town caught my attention. I can't wait to return and do some actual treasure finding. The other store had shutters, cabinets, old stools, chairs, beds - and more. I just had no time to make thoughtful purchases. And no money either come to think of it.

Finally - I'm VERY excited that a friend has asked me to help her with some owl themed bedding for her nursery. She's due in November so we'll get started soon. I love all the owl stuff this season and I'll be posting pictures soon.

So - that's it. My post without pictures. But I'll be back soon with something to show... I just haven't decided what yet.

The Transformation of our little stool

2009-07-16T13:26:00.005-05:00

This little stool has been in the family for a long time. I can remember it at my grandparent's house years ago - it was just one of those things that was always there just sitting in the living room, so when she offered it up for grabs... I grabbed it! However, the fabric it was covered with had seen better days and lately the trim started falling off and little upholstery tacks had been coming loose. Luckily, none of these tacks ended up in any little feet around here - but I was afraid it was just a matter of time.

My re-doing of the stool was done with what I had on hand and it is definitely a more casual look, which works with our home. The top is a fabric that I had from some old curtains - and the trim is a pretty little print I bought at the beginning of the summer and hadn't used for anything yet. I like how it turned out - and I didn't even get out the spray paint. I just couldn't paint the little guy - I was afraid it would look too different - and fade the memories I have of it in my grandparent's house.

And because nothing "just sits" around this house - it is placed directly below the chore board so that my son can reach the chalk to mark off his accomplishments. ;)

Check out more cool Transformations at The Shabby Chic Cottage!

An Old Window

2009-07-10T06:40:00.003-05:00

I just read Kimm's post at Reinvented and she's talking about decorating with old windows and asking for other ideas. My husband and I first did this several years ago and have changed out the pictures a couple times. I think we bought the window for $10 at a junk shop in my home town in Indiana. We've definitely gotten our money worth and always get compliments on this. It's very simple. After breaking the glass out and cleaning up the window pane - I just added pictures attached in clear frames. I've used floating frames and fishing line before too - for a kind of floating picture feel.

I look forward to our next move because I may do something completely new... or not... I sure do love pictures of my kids around. ;)

A Handmade Baby Gift

2009-07-08T19:54:00.000-05:00

My husband's cousin and his wife are having a baby. They registered for a very cute bedding collection Crib Set - which they have received. We don't live near them but will be seeing them this week. After looking through the options online... I was thinking of getting this lamp, which goes with the collection. I love the color combo of this collection. However - that just seemed too easy. You know, to buy something. Or to use their registry. ;)

So, I took this unstained, window pane style mirror and fancied it up to match their Migi Splash collection!

I ended up painting inside the frame on the glass a little to give the white trim a thicker appearance. Then, I used cutout contact paper as stencils for the fish. These were the hardest part - at one point an entire fish pealed off when I went to remove my stencil. Definitely remove tape while the paint is still wet.

The little fishing pole is actually a chopstick painted white with some craft rope as the line. The hook is real. I'll warn the cuz's not to let baby play with this. ;) The rest of the decorating was done with small sponge brushes.

We don't know the sex of the baby yet - but once we find out... I feel a fish-themed onesie of some sort coming on. I'm waiting though - because if it's a girl - she's going to need some pink and a matching bow.

I'm linking up to DIY at Kimba's Blog: A Soft Place to Land. Click the button before this post... or just go here and check out tons of cool projects.

Thrifty Thursday Chalkboards!

2009-07-02T09:12:00.005-05:00

This chalkboard was created out of a need for somewhere to start our five year old son tracking and fulfilling his responsibilities around the house. He's been wanting to earn some money for random toys that he would like to purchase - I'm proud of him that he's asking to work for them and not just for us to buy them. So - we've jumped on it and started a "Chores" list. Since it will be constantly changing and evolving a chalkboard will be a good way to jot down chores and let him work on reading and writing skills with us as we check off chores, etc.

Here is my $1.79 tray from the Salvation Army store.

I used chalkboard spray paint and then hand painted a border to match the area where we are hanging it. I will admit... this isn't my greatest masterpiece ever. But, I won't openly critique it. ;) It serves its purpose and it does look cute hanging by our ladder frame. However, I have to devise a new mounting technique. It fell down mid-picture taking!

I also picked up these little plastic plates while I was shopping for my big chalkboard. I think they were $.99 a piece. I made a custom chalkboard for each child to hang on there door knob to their bedroom. This is actually an example of a cute idea... that in practice didn't turn out great. My son's is fine, cute, works, etc. See:

My daughter's (3 years old in 2 days) lasted about 3.5 minutes until she drew ALL over the plate including the WHITE ribbon that I trimmed it with. Duh. Why would I use white ribbon?! Then she SLAMMED her door knocking the chalkboard to the floor and breaking the hanging ribbon in the process. A re-do is in order... grrr. But, live and learn. ;)

Head to Tales from Bloggeritaville for some more great thrift finds!

Linking up to a Trash to Treasure Tuesday at Reinvented also!

Trash to Treasure Tuesday and Tablescape Thursday

2009-06-30T10:57:00.010-05:00

Edited: I'm reposting to include the Tablescape Thursday icon. My tablescape below is really rather embarassing compared to the others. But - I've got to start somewhere... ;)

These are some plain desert plates I've had forever. They are very nice - but I really never use them. So I decided to fancy them up with a 4th of July theme. We love the 4th around here - mostly because our littlest blessing was born on July 4th 2006! So - these plates will actually probably be used to serve some birthday cake on Saturday.

I used paper napkins - cut the star out in a circle. Then used spary adhesive to put it on the bottom of the plate. I then used modpodge to seal it. The food, etc. won't touch it since it is adhered to the bottom and showing through. AND - if I really want to - with some elbow grease, etc. I can change out the theme for a different holiday. These plates are also always handwashed - so I'm not worried about that. All in all - I like them and think I will use them at least twice a year - which is twice more a year than they've been used.

Here is the finished plate. I did four of them and then put them on some red place mats I bought around Christmas.

The finished table . Yes, my placemats need to be ironed... but I'm lazy like that. There will just be four of us this weekend (our big plans with family are next weekend)... so this works perfectly! The blue metal star is from the Dollar General. It is heavy and nice. I'll probably use it somewhere other than just here on the 4th. By the way though - Dollar General? Different from the Dollar Tree. This baby costs FIVE dollars. Oh - and the table cloth... a canvas drop cloth. I know - they're awesome.

Here's my little sweetie this morning. Sorry for the funny cropping - it was a horrible picture of me... I don't usually edit myself out - but, really, yuck.

By the way - if you missed my cedar chest "reinvention" yesterday. Check it out! I'm proud of it. Also, click the "reinvention" button at the top of this post to see Kimm's ideas and lots of other cool links if you're into this sort of thing. ;)

*EDITED NOTE: A thought; these would be very easy to do with some clear contact paper and any paper or fabric decor. You could cut a circle of the contact paper just the size of the bottom of the plate and use it to secure a decorative touch that would show through. Then - these could easily be switched out for any holiday or event - or just to match your evening decor!

The Cedar Chest

2009-06-28T18:36:00.006-05:00

I mentioned this chest on my last post. Since then, I've been out of town for work and then to meet my new nephew (yes - he's adorable and tiny)... anyway, I'm excited to get back to my blogs and be able to show off the metamorphosis of my new favorite piece of furniture.

Here is what it looked like when I brought it home (the toy on top was not included. ;) My daughter insisted it be in the picture). By the way - this sucker is HEAVY. It is a Lane cedar chest and I paid $30.

It was in good shape but with dated, somewhat smelly fabric on top and was missing a couple of the white knobs. This baby actually got sanded and PRIMED (something which my husband always encourages but that I tend to ignore because I'm very impatient - and maybe a little lazy). The hard work paid off because I LOVE the result.

Here it is as it was just finished. Guess what I used for the top? Yep, a canvas drop cloth. They are all the rage around the blog world... and I have to agree. Quick, cheap, and looks great!

Here it is in it's place. I holds a basket for each of my kids to put their shoes, lunch box, whatever else gets dragged in from the car in... and my husband found that there is room for his school bag as well. ;)
This is mainly just a gratuitous cute puppy picture - but also to show you the reason that said items from picture above can no longer reside on the floor. ;)
To see more cool transformations - check out Metamorphosis Monday!

Finding Good Junk...

2009-06-23T20:10:00.004-05:00

I've started getting a pretty good sense of where I like to go to find fun "junk" to re-do in my area... I have a couple favorite thrift stores in town now. However, I've also had some good luck with Craigslist lately (selling and buying). Last week - I happened upon an add for a cedar chest - it is a Lane and in great shape. I wasn't at all in the market for one - but as soon as I saw a picture of this one I knew just where we could use it. After it's makeover, it turned out even BETTER than I imagined. I can't wait to share pictures...although I can't until Friday. I know! That is so lame. But I'm out of town and didn't bring my camera along to upload the pictures.

My other new obsession ("other" being in addition to scouring for ugly things to make pretty) is reading Freecycle ads in my city. I'm not even looking for anything in particular. I just like to see what people are giving away! Anyone out there gotten anything awesome from Freecycle? I'd love to hear about it!

Junk Party on my front porch!

2009-06-18T08:56:00.007-05:00

I have been excited to share this post because it is a few small projects in one - and an entire EASY makeover for our cute little front porch. The best part... I think I only spend about $25 or $30. Actually, I think the best part was the actual fun that the projects provide. I love the creative outlet of starting with some junk and ending up with something beautiful.

So here goes - The before: Our front porch. The bench was made by my talented husband several years ago and it needed some company. Note: those aren't really stars on our column - it's our house number that I cleverly blocked out for privacy purposes. ;)

I searched for a little side table for the bench for a couple of weeks. This style table kept showing up in thrift shops and I started getting a vision for it. I found the perfect one last week at a Goodwill outlet shop for $5.

This is a little future flower holder. 99 cents. Again at the Salvation Army store. Yes, home to the wine rack, magazine stand, ladder...

This beauty was actually fluorescent orange before some black spray paint.

Here's the first glimpse at the finished area. Check out the table! I love it. White spray paint and decoupaged fabric on top (why yes, I am becoming a Mod Podge pro). The little future flower holder was painted red with silver stripes taped off (my five year old son was especially impressed with the stripes... I love positive feedback - even from a five year old ;)).

This glimpse shows the hanging flower holder in the background as well. The cushions for the bench were handmade by yours truly. I actually did purchase the great outdoor fabric from fabric.com - however - I used a $5 cushion found at a thrift shop to recover for the main cushion. It is not EXACTLY the right size... but I think it serves its purpose alright.

Final view. I think it is cheerful and homey looking. Our neighborhood is a builder's neighborhood where the houses are all VERY similar. I love it that ours now has a little more character and personalization. My husband has played a huge role in this too planting flowers and creating lovely landscaping. Oh - one last bargain to mention... the hanging flower baskets (sans flowers) were $4 a piece at Big Lots.

To see more cool "junk" made over beautifully - check out: Kaneesha's blog...she's having a junk party today!

Edited to add a couple more links! Thrift Thursday @ Bloggeritaville! and a new one Transformation Thursday at Shabby Chic Cottage

Steppin' Up

2009-06-16T10:26:00.007-05:00

It's Tuesday again! This will be my third time or so in linking up to Kimm at Reinvented...trash to Treasure!

My find this week is a little ladder that I found at the Salvation Army store for 99 cents. This was the source of the wine rack and magazine holder I've shown as well. So, the ladder started out plain brown wood - a little country looking.

The wall I hung it on needed it to have a little color. When I tried it all white - it stuck out too much. So, I used a little golden/peachy paint with a sponge on the face of it and some rub on lettering. The lettering made it feel personal and perfect for these pictures of the kids. Now - the pictures are printed off on card stock and then decoupaged. I need to do another coat. I wanted them to look old-fashioned, antiqued. What do you think?

A Summer Craft for the kids

2009-06-15T10:11:00.002-05:00

Isn't she lovely? The kids and I made our own butterflies this weekend. This was an easy craft that we thought up... my almost three year old enjoyed it and was able to do a lot of it herself, and my 5 1/2 year old also enjoyed it. So - there you have it. Something for all ages. Would you like to do your own? See below for some quick tips.

Supplies needed: Clothespins, Glue, pipe cleaners, construction paper, scissors, marker, googly eyes (or you can just draw the eyes), strings (if you want to hang it from somewhere)
My daughter chose to decorate hers with stickers - which was a fun way for her to have control over how it looked. I had to do the cutting and gluing, so adding something like stickers lets them get creative on their own.
My son was able to do it all himself - which was a challenge for him - in a good way. He was very proud to see his creation all finished.Hangin' from the chandelier!

Thrifty Thursday Find

2009-06-11T11:17:00.004-05:00

I'm sharing for the Thrifty Thursday's post at Tales from Bloggeritaville. This was another snag from the Salvation Army store a couple weeks ago. The same place I got the wine rack. I think it was $3? It is something we actually needed in our downstairs powder room, although I wasn't at all crazy or about the color or the bird. Sorry - nothing against birds... I'm just not into "country"... I like more cottage, eclectic, shabby chic type stuff. Sometimes there is a fine line... but this little bird crossed the line for me.

But, some paint and my FIRST attempt with Mod Podge - made all the difference!

I love it - and our puppy hasn't even seemed to be too excited over the TP and magazines that are within his reach. Let's hope it stays that way.

This is the picture that hangs above it. It's a little print I got in Japan years ago when I lived there for a time. I think it looks lovely with the new magazine stand.

Finally - a new sewing project

2009-06-10T13:24:00.004-05:00

My little ones have "water play" days once a week this summer at their preschool. I made my daughter a little cover-up to wear over her suit to school on those days and I love how it turned out. So - I am offering them in my Etsy shop now. I've been busy with so many little projects and a couple Guatemalan T-shirts that I hadn't had time to do many new things lately. It was great to get to play and come up with something fun! Here's a sneak peak but click on my shop link to see more!

The 99 cent Wine Rack

2009-06-08T22:22:00.003-05:00

I have an adorable little swimsuit cover-up to post that I made this evening for my daughter. It was a kind of a spur of the moment thing - but it turned out so cute, I'll add it to my Etsy shop. Watch for the post tomorrow probably!

In the meantime... I'm going to participate in a couple linkies today (I don't think that's at all what they're called). I just found a (new to me) blog - A Picture is Worth 1000 Words and she does "2nd time around Tuesdays" and I will also link up to Kimm at Reinvented. I'm getting this post done the night before because I'm going to busy with work tomorrow. So - if you don't see their Tuesday post yet - check back! Both of these women do some very creative things and I love browsing their blogs.

My trash to treasure and 2nd time around piece this week is this little wine rack I found at the Salvation Army store. It was 99 cents. Did you hear that? 99 cents. I've been needing a wine rack - we don't drink a lot of wine around here (I totally enjoy wine - so if you were thinking of buying me a bottle - still feel free) - but now and then we end up with a few bottles and no good place to store them. So voila - I give you my new 99 cent wine rack, which I think is completely cool.

The BEFORE - a little rickety, dirty and brown -but that's it.

The AFTER - black paint, cleaned up, left some of the brown for the cross bars, and a bottle of wine!

I know - the bottle looks lonely. Must get more wine now. Also, the flash made it apparent that I could use another coat of spray paint... although, in real life - it looks all black (glossy) - so I probably won't mess with it.

Cute, cheap and easy

2009-06-05T07:45:00.005-05:00

This little piece was inspired by another blog I read -BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHICH ONE! So -please - if you recognize it - let me know and I'll link up to you! I did, of course, put my own spin on it and it turned out different but the concept is not my own. I think I maybe spent $2 on this? I got the T (first letter of our last name) at the Dollar Store and then used materials and things I had around the house for the rest of it (in fact, the back is a piece of hard cardboard-type-stuff that came in the packaging of something recently. I planned to hang it on the front door (which is black and I thought it would look good) but my husband diplomatically vetoed the idea. C'est la vie. So - I placed it on a little shelf in our dining room. And I actually like it there better... I think the front door probably needs something a little more substantial if we put anything there.

So - what do you think? Does it look cute and decorative or like one of my kids brought home a project from school? I'm hoping the former... but sometimes after working on a project it's hard to look at it objectively. Kind of like eating your own cooking.

Experimenting here... I didn't end up using the small black frame - just the fabric and glass.

The finished project:

Easy trays have changed my life

2009-06-03T09:36:00.004-05:00

Ok - right off I'll admit I didn't snap before pictures. I didn't expect to love these little trays enough that I'd post pictures of them here. But I do! One of them is wooden and was metallic gold. I got it on clearance at TJ Maxx around the holidays. The other one is a hard plastic and had a bright, kind of ugly, picture of wine and grapes on it. I think I got it at a grocery store maybe?

SO - some (you know what's coming) spray paint and then some coordinating contact paper and they are now completely useful (easy to wipe clean) and look like they belong in our family room instead of just being there.

We use a big Ottoman as one of our coffee tables and it is so handy to have these trays to put drinks on and then to also move on to the couch to hold my coffee if I'm working there, the kids snacks, etc. Seriously, for about $10 total... I am definitely getting my money's worth. So - voila - here they are:
On the ottoman:

Because you have to look the part...

2009-05-28T17:26:00.001-05:00

Our family went to The Renaissance Festival last weekend. Each child got to pick out a souvenir. My daughter picked a tiny little carved treasure chest that she got to fill with colored stones. My five year old son picked a bow and arrow (a toy one - the arrow tips are erasers...which -by the way - would be very easy to make). When we got home he declared that he needed a Robin Hood hat and a quiver to go with it. For those of you who (like me) aren't completely up on your bow and arrow lingo - a quiver is a carrier for the arrows.

So - after much discussion of the shape of the hat, and some resizing due to by son's huge ~~head~~brain, I whipped up the requested hat and quiver. I love that I even had a red feather on hand. See... being crafty pays off. ;)

Reinvention Tuesday!

2009-05-26T11:14:00.000-05:00

I've been reading this blog: Reinvented... she has cool thrifty, decorating ideas and on Tuesdays invites readers to participate and post links to their recent projects. This week she showed a couple things they did for her teenage daughters room. So - in that spirit, I'll show a couple thrifty projects I've done lately in the bedrooms:

This was a quick and easy solution in my daughter's room (thankfully not yet a teenager ;)). Her books were overflowing from her existing shelves - so I got a couple wooden crates, spray painted (my husband has joked that if you don't want something spray-painted, don't leave it around me) and added some little jewels! Didn't cost much, gives her easy access to choose books - and looks cute.

This is a glimpse of one of her walls. I actually did this a couple years ago. This is an old mirror, painted and hung with a ribbon, and old lamp shade decorated with fabric and trim to match her bedding and window dressings (which my mother made for her). I LOVE the pink and brown theme.

From my closet: A CHEAPO way to store my costume jewelry. One cork board and a bunch of little hooks. Now, my stuff is no longer tangled and thrown in drawers.

This little peg/shelf was purchased for 50cents at a yard sale last week. It was all beat up with chipped paint and some sort of country themed-heart and birds on it (I should have taken a before picture - it was really ugly). But some black spray paint and then some silver and pink paint for the cherry blossoms (I was just playing, I'm not an artist as you'll notice) and it now holds a bunch of scarves and belts that were laying on a shelf and always a mess. I LOVE a quick project like this that helps me feel more organized!

These Walls Do Talk!

2009-05-14T09:50:00.001-05:00

Those of you with young children know that it is hard to find a place for all the artwork that makes its way into your home. I know at our house, my husband and I struggle with what to display, what to tuck away and save, and what to just pitch (because, let's face it, we can't save it ALL).

A couple years ago I had the developed this idea of making easily changeable frames in my son's room to switch out some of the constant influx of masterpieces that he brings home from preschool. I started with just empty frames on the wall in which I would clip (or tape) the pictures. However, I recently added cork boards into the frames which made a huge difference. They appear much more "finished" now and it is so easy to change out the art work. Plus, they really add a fun touch to his room!

I got the frames and little letters at Michaels and spray painted them to match his room. You could also buy plain black or white frames and skip the lettering for a little bit more "sophisticated" look.

There are many doodles/quicky drawings that don't make it into the frames - we save the frames for the special pieces. I love the pride and the smile that shines on my son's face when he walks in and notices I have displayed a new picture!

Not Made with Dishtowels!

2009-05-11T10:46:00.001-05:00

I made my mother an "artist tote" for Mother's Day. She paints and is taking a class in the fall - so I wanted her to have a fun bag to take to class with her. I like how it turned out - although - I think I could've/should've made it a little bigger. But it is definitely big enough to carry a couple pads of paper and supplies - so I think it will be fine. And my mom liked it a lot! :)

And then, for my sisters (which I actually made first to practice) I did little clutches or "night out" purses. These are fun little handbags to carry your cell, some lipstick, etc. in - not your everyday mommy bags. ;) I used this tutorial... which was very helpful and they turned out great!

So, I've had a couple of fun weeks doing non-kid projects... but I feel some kiddie crafts coming on. Stay tuned!

The Boudoir Completed

2009-05-11T09:41:00.001-05:00

Here are a couple more pictures of the completed bed re-do. I love the way it brightened up the room (our old comforter was a dark green with gold and Burgundy/red tones) and I didn't have to change the wall color or anything other than the bedding. The best part? I think I spent about $50? Maybe $75. I made the duvet cover out of a pair of "clearance" king size sheets and a beautiful shower curtain I found at TJ Maxx. Plus, the shower curtain was big enough that I made matching shams and then used half of it for a shower curtain in our master bath (and standing stall size) - so we're nice and coordinated up in here. And the sheets are 500 count I think - so nice and soft. The pictures on the wall are new enlarged images of pics I took but the frames we had. The pillows on the bed are a mixture of some I made and some we had.

The new duvet cover is currently being put to the test by being washed and dried. Someone pee'd the bed. I won't name names. It wasn't me. Or my husband. Or Brother. Or Mighty Boy. Ahem.

Anyway - spring time is a great time for freshening up the house! Loving it.

More decor

2009-05-05T11:19:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I sewed a new duvet cover for our master bedroom and I'm working on pillows. Duvet covers are harder than I anticipated! It's the SIZE of it. Trying to keep it all straight. Oh my goodness. I do love how it turned out...here's a sneak peak picture. I'll post a picture of the room once I have it all done.

A quick Before and After

2009-04-30T11:57:00.002-05:00

Editing to Link up to a Goodwill Party Post! Scroll down to the old banguet chair!

I've been doing some improvements to my work area (I mainly work here... but am organizing and making changes that will allow me to do more of my sewing and craft stuff up here too - as opposed to the dining room table). Here are some pics of what I did this week. I've had fun - but, like all projects, the starting is more fun that the finishing for some reason.

An old filing cabinet in the garage. Ugly.

A $3.99 chair from the Goodwill store. Ugly.

The space - I know this looks like a holy mess... but I had pulled everything out of it's place and had a huge pile of fabric scraps, etc.

Ta-Da! - My little workspace. I just use a laptop, so I will be able to easily move it and set up my sewing machine. So far - I'm loving it! Note the chair and filing cabinet - so much better, huh?!

The Dog Days of ... Spring

2009-04-13T13:40:00.000-05:00

The weather where I am is slowly getting better - but I stress... slowly. I am so ready for a constant, undoubtedly SPRING season. I think the grayness has gotten in the way of my creativity and motivation to do much lately. My Etsy site has been quiet during this time - which is most likely due to a few different factors, but not the least of them being that I just haven't felt like making many new things or marketing much lately.

However - I did enjoy this project last week. I made the little doggy bed pictured (second picture) for our new puppy, Mighty Boy. He has been the recent excitement at our house and is keeping us busy (in a good way)! It is our first family pet and we couldn't have hoped for a better little guy.

We made this last weekend!

2009-04-01T14:44:00.000-05:00

So my daughter was devastated when we didn't win a cake in their school cake walk last Friday night. To calm her sobbing - I said that we should make a cake together the next day. Yes - she thought that was a good idea. And she would like a "Pablo" cake. For those of you without young children - Pablo is a character (the blue penguin) from a show called "The Backyardigans". So - thanks to Nick Jr. com - we were able to get some ideas and voila! You will notice it's my son who actually helped - but baby girl was duly pleased!

My rainy day project comes to fruition...

2009-03-26T12:19:00.000-05:00

Here it is - my piece of sunshine that was created yesterday. I love how it turned out. The best part is that I made it bigger than what my daughter will wear so I won't be tempted to just give it to her - I can actually add it to my little inventory.

Here is a picture - or check out more here.

Bringing the Sunshine

2009-03-25T10:08:00.000-05:00

It's raining, it's pouring...

Rainy days are some of the best days to sew. I kind of love being couped up knowing that it's not a good day to be outside anyway and just creating something beautiful. Today - it shall be a little dress. It's in my head right now - but it shall soon be on my Etsy site. I think I'll use a brilliant yellow with little colorful polka dots. It's the perfect fabric to turn this rainy day into something sunny.

I'd love to hear from others... I don't have many commenters yet - but if you happen upon this, share a link of what you're working on today - or your favorite rainy day project!

I made something for myself!

2009-03-19T14:39:00.000-05:00

I've seen these on a couple other blogs lately... dishtowel purses. I thought they were cute, but probably not something I would spend time making. Especially since I rarely sew for myself - I'm not selfless - I just like to do kids clothes best. But then yesterday I walked by my kitchen and saw this towel hanging there and thought "I want to make a little spring purse out of that."

I didn't want it to look country or crafty... I was going for fun and whimsical. I just used white hankies for the lining and then a pink silk scarf that I never wear as the handle. The little silver clip is actually an old costume pin/broach that my grandma gave me. What do you think?

All Sorts of GREEN Up in Here!

2009-03-17T10:23:00.000-05:00

The simplicity of a St. Patrick's Day theme appeals to me. Green and Shamrocks. It's easy but yet there are so many possibilities. This year the kids and I made little sachets for each of their teachers. These were made out of soft (VERY soft - I love this fabric) organic, green cotton. We cut the shamrocks, sewed on a monogram applique for each teacher, and then sewed and stuffed them. We put a little squirt of lavender oil on the stuffing. The results weren't quite as beautiful as I had envisioned - but it was fun and they smell great! I will make a simple one for myself to keep with my linens.

Next - I made simple shamrock applique t-shirts for each of my kids out of a bright green bandanna. They are so simple but very festive and they were both excited to wear them to preschool today. My daughter got a matching bow to boot!

Little Leggings!

2009-03-11T14:57:00.000-05:00

I'm loving these little leggings for my daughter to wear under her dresses this spring. I like that she doesn't have to have tights on - but she is not just exposing her bare legs and undies while playing. This is the only picture I have right now that shows what I mean (can you see them peaking out from under her dress?)... I am making some more today to go with this shirt I have listed on Etsy. The shirt is cut long, but not long enough to be considered a dress. I think I will turn the listing into an outfit instead of listing separately. This is a fabric that I don't have more of currently so I am selling as a OOAK. I keep debating just keeping for my daughter, but it is a little big on her. I do love it though!

Compartmentalizing

2009-03-04T10:09:00.000-06:00

Containers... my kids love containers. My son especially has a room filled with little bags, packs, boxes, whatever - places to put things. Are all kids like this?

This one I made for him before he was born, awww. I had a short-lived basket making hobby. Very short lived.

This extra-special one was given to him by his aunt (it contains more containers!)

This is a Red Sox cup he confiscated to keep Happy Meal toys in.

And here we have a treasure chest that he and Daddy made together, it holds... what else? Some treasures!

And is it just kids? I think not. Especially those of us who sew or craft - we're always needing new compartments and containers for our threads, beads, buttons, needles, and more. So - lately I'm trying to reuse instead of buying new containers every time the fancy strikes. Here is a wooden compartmentalized tray that originally had little horses in it - now used for sewing supplies. All I had to do was redecorate the top and it fits right in with my eclectic group of supplies.

And finally, here is plastic cookie container (not sure where all those cookies went...ahem) now divided (cut and used some plastic ribbon holders that I didn't need to make dividers) and holding my clothing tags!

Both of these reused items were decorated using just a glue gun and some on hand supplies. And a note on glue guns - KIDS love these. I know it is not something you can let your child play with on their own... but my five year old has his own and is allowed to get it out when I'm working on sewing and crafts and work along side me. His favorite thing is to glue buttons together to make cool little sculptures. We get bags of mixed buttons at craft stores and it has provided hours of entertainment and creativity!

And if you are in need of some fancy containers but don't have any left over cookie boxes- how about looking here? Etsy Container Search. ;) These are actually a bunch of decorative boxes for different uses - but they're great and I'm sure just the tip of the iceberg on Etsy!

Hopping Down the Bunny Trail...

2009-03-01T19:13:00.000-06:00

My children's daycare is having their annual silent auction. All of the parents are encouraged to collect donations from local businesses - or just contribute gift cards, or whatever. Then there is a big silent auction night where all the families, friends and friends of families walk around and bid on items. This is the biggest fundraising event all year for their school and is quite a tradition. It's always a lot of fun and you never know what type of items will be available. Last year we somehow ended up with some Sea Monkeys. I'm hoping we fare a little better this year. Some families go all out and are able to contribute a condo for a weekend or some sports team tickets.
For our donations - I've got a call into Monkey's Treehouse hoping for a free family admission pack or something - and then I've made this! My daughter's classroom is putting together a whole gift basket with an Easter them, so this will be included in that. The puffy cottontail on the back was actually my son's idea. I gathered the edges of the little tail applique before sewing on - and then actually stuffed it with some poly-fill stuffing. How cute is that?!

I considered listing on Etsy because I have supplies to make more if needed but - I'm trying to steer away from the holiday wear. Any interest - just leave me a comment or email me. I'll be happy to do custom ones!

More Revamping, Reusing, Recycling

2009-02-26T10:22:00.000-06:00

How do you demonstrate to your children the concept of waste reduction? I know most of us talk about recycling plastic bags and bottles, etc. ~ but what about less obvious ways? The outfit I posted in the last post is a flimsy example...but it is a way I reused something that could have just been stuck away in a box until next year, or even thrown out. After I posted it - I started thinking about how else I am being resourceful and creatively reusing, revamping or recycling items in our every day lives. The best way we can teach our children is to lead by example.

In that spirit - here are a few other projects around the house that are getting us thinking about revamping, reusing and recycling!

I just went through my daughter's closet. We are very lucky to have two nieces each a little older than my daughter. We get LOTS of hand-me downs. Most of her other clothes I make (I know, this will probably only fly until she's about 9 or 10). But, with good care many of the clothes still have life in them when the third child has outgrown them. We sorted together (which is fun and spurs memories and talks of how much she has grown) and came up with a box of clothes to donate to our American Vets and a box to take to an upcoming consignment sale. We talked about donations and giving to others and also about working hard to save and make money. (Side note... the sorting of the styles, sizes, seasons of clothing was actually a great activity for my five year old to take part in too. Categorizing is right up his developmental alley.)

Next, I am cleaning and revamping my office and sewing supply area. This is a CHORE. Our current space in the house is not exactly an ideal setup for my sewing... however, with some creativity and using what I already had on hand - I've made some great progress. I'll post before and after pictures. One of my favorite things... I used a little wooden horse stable toy that my daughter doesn't use to store a lot of my tiny items for sewing. I tried to entice my son into sorting all my pins and buttons and such for me, but he drew the line.

The cleaning of all my sewing items resulted in the discovery of some t-shirts that I had started to use for my little Guatemala tops I make (yes, that beauty is my daughter;) ) and then found that they ran too small for the size I needed. So, instead of throwing them out - I have used them for the basis of a new spring outfit! I kept hanging on to them thinking I needed to just get rid of them... and then it hit my that I could rework them into something really cute! Pictures coming soon!

Some other every day ways we try to reuse...

Save all egg cartons, toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls - this make great craft basis'.
Buy the reusable grocery totes! If you haven't done it yet - do it - or make one. They're easy. Or just search on Etsy... here, I'll get you started!
Refill water bottles - or just buy a big pitcher.
Save cardboard boxes. They make great forts, cages... the possibilities are endless.

So, please share...how are you demonstrating to your kids the art of finding new uses or even just re-uses for old things?

The Revamping of a Product

2009-02-25T14:45:00.000-06:00

I have turned a cute Valentine's Tank that I hadn't sold into a whole spring/summer outfit. I love how it turned out. The skirt has a stretch soft cotton waiste (see more pics here) that enables it to be pulled right on. I'm trying to do almost everything with no snaps, buttons, or zippers (CPSIA reasons). This turned out so cute that I'm sending this one to my niece. She is three and is going to be a big sister in a few months. I have a blanket that I made for my nephew that I haven't mailed yet because I wanted to put something in the package for Audrey. This will be perfect.

I plan to make some more skirts and coordinating tops in this same still. The style is great because the skirts and a ruffle on the shirt do not take up much fabric - being very cost efficient - but still so cute. I'll probably add some appliques out of patterned fabric on some of the tops, rather than the rick rack (which I LOVE but you gotta keep things mixed up!)

Our "Love"ly Kid-Friendly Meal

2009-02-21T10:15:00.000-06:00

This is a quick and VERY simple meal to make with your kids.

We start with plain tortillas.

For Valentine's Week we cut them into heart shapes, not wanting to waste anything we just cut the outer layers into small pieces and put them on top.

My kids (especially my son) like things PLAIN. So, they topped theirs with just mozzarella cheese this time. We also do pepperoni and sauce sometimes. I added feta cheese, spinach and some spices to mine (daddy working late this night - no pizza for him!)

Just bake at about 350 for 10 minutes. The finished product was scrumptious as always! With some fruit on the side and maybe some carrot sticks for the kids - you have a quick, well balanced and fun meal.

A Whale of a time

2009-02-21T09:43:00.000-06:00

I got my new boy's shirt finished (it is actually cute for a girl too but I'm trying to make more little guy friendly clothing). I really like how it turned out. I think the white trim that gives it the layered look topped it off.

I asked my son what he thought of it - he said he liked it - but that maybe next I could make one with a dragon fighting a griffin on the front. Hmmm. We'll see. ;)

For Little Boys

2009-02-17T14:46:00.000-06:00

I'm the mother of a young boy and I've noticed that it is more difficult for me to come up with fun things to make for him than it is for me to come up with things to make for my daughter. I have never been one to dress my children (especially my son) in fancy clothes. I steer away from smocking or johnny suits (is that what they're called?) for little boys. Just my personal taste.

I made a snake shirt last year that was a hit. And I've done a couple other things for little guys - but this spring, I really want to expand to include more boy items.

While running a little bit ago, I came up with three t-shirt ideas (some of my greatest inspiration comes while running - and I recently lost my iPod, which I think is only helping me). I'm excited... I think I will use a Hancock gift card I've been hanging on to to order some fabric. I would love to hear ideas from other people if you have any. What type of handmade clothing would you like for your little boy?

Our Funny Valentines... the big reveal!

2009-02-11T13:08:00.000-06:00

Here it is - the handmade Valentine's Day card that the kids and I created! Supplies used included:

Red felt
popsicle sticks
white paper and a color printer
scissors
glue
red cardboard (this is the only thing I spent money on - a couple red folders for 17 cents a piece at Target). I wanted a stiffer background for the poem to be glued on.

My five year old was able to assemble almost all himself. I did cut all the hearts for them. My two year old glued the hearts and poems. We will address plain white envelopes for each of their friends tonight.

Handmade Valentines... in the works

2009-02-10T13:11:00.000-06:00

Obviously, we need to do a Valentine's Day activity around here. We're actually going out of town this weekend - so my kids will miss their parties at preschool. But, I don't want them to miss out of the fun of creating and sharing love with their classmates.

I'm all about saving some money and teaching my kids to use their imagination - so I'm trying to do some handmade Valentines with items we have on hand. I shall come back tomorrow and post pictures of what we come up with!

So far, I've got some red felt, Popsicle sticks, paper, markers, glue... and a talent for rhyming. ;) I figure this will only fly with my kids for a couple more years - so I'm doing it while I can! What are your little ones doing this year?

The Plan

2009-02-09T10:13:00.000-06:00

So, I'm planning and hoping to morph this blog into more than just a place to post my new sewing projects. I would like to add tutorials - and put a focus on crafts and projects that can involve your children. This won't just include sewing (although it really is so much easier than people realize and it will have this), I envision it including other art forms, crafts, cooking, children's literature... basically sharing creative ideas for parent-child togetherness.

I have friends who homeshool, friends who have pre-school age children home each day, and friends (more like myself) who work full-time and look for new ways to have quality time with your kids when you are together.

I want to develop this blog into a place where I can share my ideas - and have other parents build on these ideas through comments, etc. I'm brainstorming some weekly themes. It will be a work in progress. It's not in my nature to be extremely organized or structured, but I'm going to try my best to have some sort of plan and routine with posting here to hopefully draw some regular readers!

The reverse applique t-shirt!

2009-02-04T13:57:00.001-06:00

My favorite two things about this shirt:

The surprise little heart on the back - which is the cutout of the front reverse-applique

The elastic waiste which totally dresses it up and adds style! I think I'm going to try this with some of my old T's to dress them up for this spring... cute? I think so!

check it out! LOVE it a lot? Click here :)

Ooh - A Diaper Clutch

2009-02-01T16:07:00.000-06:00

It started with an idea and the right materials on hand... and ended up just as I envisioned (which is great because anyone who sews or does any crafts knows that this isn't always the case).

The finished product is a Diaper Clutch. I am notorious for leaving the house without diapers or wipes. Even though I have been a mother for over 5 years now. I think it's because I've never enjoyed the bulk of a diaper bag. So - now I have a quick convenient clutch with a couple diapers and a handful of wipes - that can even serve as a changing pad. Check out the Etsy Listing to see it in action.

Two things I will note: 1) This is not the first time I've used a thick cotton cloth diaper as the start of a project. I love those things! 2) Snaps and the required snap tools that come with them, are kind of a PITA. But, they are convenient and nifty once done. ;)

Back to Work Yesterday! Great new Shirt!

2009-01-30T09:24:00.000-06:00

I made a little one of a kind creation yesterday. This is going to fit a little girl from about 2 - 4 years. I love it because it can be worn any season. That's what I strive for with a lot of the little clothes I make, but sometimes it's hard.

Some of you may not know - but I don't usually use patterns. I like to come up with any idea - draw it, try it and then do sizing adjustments. I also use clothes of my daughter's that I like as a starting point for measurements - that helps a lot. This is one of those designs. If someone doesn't buy it quickly - my little girl will be wearing it - because it is really adorable (if I do say so myself)! Adding to the versatility is the fact that I intended it as a shirt - to be worn with leggings or whatever - but holding it up to my 2 year old I see that it could be a cute summer dress with bloomers as well.

Plus, everything I'm making right now is either 100% cotton or organic bamboo because of the CPSIA. I think these materials will end up being exempt. Etsy admins say "Keep Selling!" that things are being worked out. I hope so!

Want to see more of it?
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20405539

No new products... but hey, we have cookies!

2009-01-28T17:19:00.001-06:00

Well, today was a snow day for my kids. They are just 2 1/2 and 5 but their daycare was closed and that means I didn't really do my day job today either!

At first I was going to try to squeeze in some sewing (my luxury and dream - not my day job) - and I did get an order for a Guatemala Flag shirt, which I hadn't had customers for in awhile. However, instead of working on anything - we had an indoor picnic and made cookies!

The snow was really non-existant (we're in the South after all) - but it was cold and gray. What better way to spend the day than eating cookies and hanging out in PJ's!

Product photos to come soon. We're eating cookies right now. ;)

Productive weekend ~ and some new dresses!

2009-01-19T18:40:00.000-06:00

I spent my Sunday creating and sewing. I made two of these dresses and another one on the way. I love the style and the fabric of the skirt is amazing. It is super soft, flowy and organic. I'm making the tops in a variety of designer fabrics. The one shown below is the fun polka dot fabric... but check back soon for pictures of one in a monkey-yoga fabric and a cowgirl print! Your little girl will be so original ... and comfortable!

Valentine's Day Tank and Bow

2009-01-16T19:20:00.000-06:00

It's right around the corner. I'm getting in the spirit with these cute tanks and bows. Not weather friendly for everyone - but, even if your stuck in the freezing cold like I am, it would be super cute with a white t-shirt underneath or under a denim jacket.

Now - if I could just get blogspot to format the way I want. Be patient with me... it's getting there! :)

And now offering...

2009-01-14T10:14:00.000-06:00

...an adorable ladybug inspired toddler purse t-shirt!

I haven't come up with a really catchy name for these shirts yet (I welcome suggestions) - but I love the style. My nieces and daughter enjoy these shirts so much. They also enjoy the compliments and questions they get which let them show anyone they meet what they've packed in their purses for the day!

If you'd like one for your daughter - just leave me a comment with your email, or visit my Etsy site! This one is sold for $22 and has a matching bow that can be yours for $5. If you want two matching bows, I will discount.

Welcome!

2009-01-13T12:55:00.000-06:00

Welcome to my new Sewing and Crafts Blog!

I am starting this blog as an additional outlet for sharing my creations with people interested in buying handmade children's clothing and unique accessories for the children in their lives.

Today I am working on a new Toddler Purse T-shirt. Haven't seen one yet? Check it out here:
www.pilarinasboutique.com at my Etsy shop. To see the new design - check back tomorrow when I hope to be able to post a picture!

These are toddler tested and adored. The little lady in your life will love to be able to stick a few treasures in her "purse" that is attached in a decorative manner allowing her - and you - to relax while out and about! No worries of lost purses or items!