LEmily's Yellow House

Pregnancy Montage

2011-02-02T21:49:00.000-05:00

So, I'm officially a day late (and a dollar short?). And I'm BORED out of my mind!

So I made a montage of my pregnancy!

Welcome to Baby Land!

2011-01-23T12:24:00.000-05:00

And now, please allow me to inundate you with a reason to "ooh" and "ahh", but, most of all, "aww!"

Before:

And now:

And, in case you can't get the full gist of the room, I have video!

Very, very delayed update!

2011-01-23T12:07:00.000-05:00

Well, our "new addition" hasn't arrived yet. However, we finally worked on the upstairs! Since I've last posted, we've moved upstairs to what was formerly known as the "Jesus Room" because of the menacing Jesus pictures on the wall when we moved in.

Here are the before pictures:

And now, our new bedroom:

Off-Topic Post About My Other "Project"

2010-09-26T01:34:00.003-04:00

OK, so I have a blog and pictures up on my whattoexpect.com site (http://www.whattoexpect.com/profile/WhyLimeWhyNot) but I felt like posting my creative alternative to just posting my expanding belly.

Now that I'm halfway through and looking at some of the older pictures, I do have to say that my first trimester, boy was I bloated! I still feel like I fit into my clothes better now than I did then, even though I'm up to about 20 extra lbs. and, back then, it was only four.

Five Weeks:

Seven Weeks:

Nine Weeks:

12 Weeks:

16 Weeks:

21 Weeks:

26 Weeks

In doing this, I'm realizing watching my belly expand isn't that interesting. In fact, I'm glad I don't keep track every week. Going from bloating to trying to arch my back to look more pregnant to looking like I had a big lunch to finally looking pregnant without too much work really makes these photos kind of boring. I'm glad I added my pie charts.

And, just for good measure, I wanted a picture of me with a bowling ball when the husband and I went a few weeks ago, just to compare:

A Living Room I Love Living In!

2010-09-20T18:58:00.001-04:00

And finally, the "accent" wall had to go. I, unfortunately, picked such a light blue color that it was washed out during the day. So, I decided to go bold. I actually picked the *middle* color on the paint chip. (Gasp!)

Oh, and here's the link to the original Living Room when we moved in: LINK

Even though the husband was convinced that "Courtyard Shadow" was gray, I knew he would love it once out living room was one solid color. And I was right!

Oh! And because my MIL was as sick of seeing all the TV wires as I was, she came to the door with this!

The first thing my cat had to do was make a little garden apartment for himself on the bottom shelf.

See my record player and lamp that came with the house? Well, I'm just glad I finally found a paint color that made me not mind the husband's favorite lamp so much.

Oh! And remember the hooks I made months ago? Well I finally hung it on the wall! And, get this, I hung keys on it!

Beautiful Front Porch

2010-09-20T18:40:00.000-04:00

While waiting for paint to dry, the urge to paint (and inhale paint fumes, apparently) was hard to suppress. I saved this nightstand from my in-laws' curb about a year ago. Finally, I decided to use it outside. But, first, I had to paint it.

I needed to fix the back that was falling off. I have to say, that box of 400 Finishing Nails I bought just keep coming in handy!

After a light sanding, I began with the four coats of white matte spray paint.

When it was finished, I was so excited to put it on my porch with my adorable Christmas Tree Shop lantern on top.

I ended up loving the lantern so much, I bought bigger ones to hang from the planters' hooks--since my thumb is officially black and I've concluded I cannot care for a plant...at all.

The Bathroom Is Finished!

2010-09-20T18:24:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the crazy week that started with a few paint chips and excess energy.

A few weeks ago, I decided my first floor needed to be finished. I wanted to have a first floor that was done. DONE...as in no more "I'll get around to it."

What started it was the need to paint the bathroom, finally.

After my husband finished with the Wainscoting a few weeks ago, we decided on a color. And, I swear, it's the happiest shade of blue (almost a teal), actually.

Oh, and here's the BEFORE pictures.

And now, may I present my bathroom!

Let The Painting Begin!

2010-09-08T08:19:00.000-04:00

Just taking a break from what will now be referred to as Crazy Painting Week. But wanted to update to let you know there's a big post coming. My Facebook statuses (stati?) for the past few days have been:

"Had to cancel my sword-swallowing performance for this afternoon, as well as my fire-breathing rehearsal this evening. (Ticket money will be reimbursed.) Damn, this baby sure is picky about its in-utero activities! Guess I'm painting all day again!"

"'No, I don't think nesting is real...by the way, I'm repainting, um, everything.'"

My Husband's First Blog!

2010-07-02T18:36:00.000-04:00

Well, my Darling Husband set up his first blog. Since there have been requests, he now has the blog $hit My Pregnant Wife Says.

http://smpws.blogspot.com/

It's slow-starting, but with the stuff he's accumulated over the past few weeks, I'm sure he'll have more followers than I do!

Guess What We're Getting For The House In February?

2010-07-01T23:09:00.003-04:00

Tee Hee! Due Date: February 1st!

Guess this means we'll be working on the upstairs finally!

Keeping My Hands Busy

2010-06-06T02:12:00.001-04:00

I've recently needed a distraction for my hands in the past few days, so I've been trying to get back into crafting.

The first thing I did was make a dry erase calendar. I had been meaning to do this craft for ages, since I saw a version on Somewhat Simple. Even though the one seen on that blog is very organized and incredibly detailed, I just needed something to compensate for my procrastination to buy a 2010 calendar, which led to finding ones in June that are $20.

I got a cheap frame at Jo-Anns and some clearance scrapbook paper and used a ruler to draw the grid I needed. I did everything with dry erase marker on what would be the front, and traced everything with permanent silver marker on the bottom side, so I wouldn't accidentally wipe the grid and days of the week lettering off when cleaning it.

I love how quick it was, and how great it turned out.

While I was at Jo-Ann's, I picked up a few jewelry making accessories so I could put this March of Dimes ring to good use.

I loved the ring. It says "Be Happy" and "Be Healthy" on it, but I hated the cheap looking purple string that it was attached to. I realize it was a token of gratitude for donating to charity, but, I really did want to wear the ring, but I needed a solution.

After some beads, about an hour with a pair of needle-nose pliers, and the sanity to keep pushing my cats away from the little jewelry pieces, I had this.

Hear ye, hear ye!

2010-05-25T13:00:00.000-04:00

It is a joyous day in the kingdom of LEmily's Yellow House. The queen, herself, decided to be ambitious. She typed "How To Start A Lawnmower" into Ye Olde Google, got an answer and put it to the test. Because of her heroic efforts, her lawn is now mowed to perfection (save a few stragglers that should probably be weed-whacked). And so on, and so forth. Long live the queen!

Simple First Communion Cake

2010-04-28T16:37:00.001-04:00

The husband's nephew had his First Communion a few weeks ago and, now that I'm known as the family cake maker, I was enlisted to bake and decorate the cake for his party.

Christmas Crafts

2010-04-28T16:33:00.000-04:00

After December, I kind of cut back on blogging. So much going on and procrastination got the best of me. But, better late than never!

Here are the beginnings of my Italian style baskets I made for my side of the family. When I lost my job, most family members said they would be angry with me if I spent money on them. Therefore, my Christmas shopping was done at Dollar Tree.

My favorite gift I made, though, were for my cousin's twin girls. I bought blank doodle pads and pasted fun scrapbook paper to the fronts and stamped their names across them. Then, I modified the designs for crayon sacks, seen on many craft websites to give to them.

The Constipated Bathroom

2010-04-28T16:16:00.000-04:00

The progress we've had on our bathroom is nothing short of labor-intense. Therefore, our bathroom is now known as constipated, since the end is still a little ways away.

We haven't had a sink since before Thanksgiving, The shower bar has been dipping lower and lower since Halloween, and for about three weeks in March, we were without a shower.

Here's my father-in-law and the husband taking down the plaster wall in February so we could cover over the hole from the previous medicine cabinet.

Following this procedure, we brought in a guy to drywall out ceiling and wall, as well as put in a window.

And here it is, nicely primed and ready for more.

2009-12-01T17:55:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I wish Dollar Tree had an online store, especially when I'm stuck at work and gathering ideas for Christmas.

Baby Steps

2009-11-23T00:05:00.002-05:00

I feel like I've lost almost a week of my life to this flu. I watched TV the entire time I was sick. Actually, scratch that, I woke up, put on something I'd want to watch, fall asleep after five minutes and repeat the process every four or five hours. I'm finally feeling better and I'm trying to catch up on lost time today. So I actually ventured out of the house and went (where else?) the craft store and the dollar store.

First, I had seen these made on a few Web sites now, but I loved the idea (and the frugality of it), I had to make my own. I didn't take pictures of the steps, but I will tell you it involved a candle stick holder, a little hurricane vase, some glass frosting spray paint and a hot glue gun. Then I added a ribbon and stuck a candle in it for instant Christmas decorations!

Where I Got The Idea

And Here

And my other project is in the dryer as we speak: a stamped-print shirt. Oh, how freakin' cute is this?

My friend, who watched me haphazardly place the stamps said, "You know you just put owls on your boobs, right?" Some quick thinking and I answered her with "Well, they're called 'hooters' for a reason, right?" Then I realized how perverted my shirt was. Oh well, it was just the prototype to see how I liked the look.

But look at how cute these owls are! I love this stamp.

The instructions on setting the paint are below.

LINK

Craigslist Finds

2009-11-19T23:40:00.001-05:00

Right before I got sick, I started getting addicted to the Free Stuff on Craigslist, especially anything involving Curb Alerts. My most recent finds are just waiting patiently in my living room for me to feel better.

Finally! A real living room table! The potential for this baby is actually a little overwhelming.

Here's a find I grabbed in the dark and didn't even know exactly what it was until I got home. Other than a missing screw, I think it's the coolest piece of furniture I've ever owned!

But wait, there's more!

But wait, there's MORE STILL!

And the whole thing? Completely pulled apart? Oh, it's incredible...

I can't wait to get some paint and Mod Podge on this baby, but not only that: I can't wait to fill it! Who knows what I'll fill it with, but I still can't wait!

Skating Party Cupcakes

2009-11-19T23:19:00.000-05:00

Even though I'm stuck in bed, I finally uploaded some pictures from my camera, including the cupcakes I made for my friend's roller skating party a few weeks ago.

Can you tell they're supposed to look like rollerskating wheels? Well, even if they don't, I had fun using an apple corer with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

So Much Craft Time I Can't Use!

2009-11-19T22:53:00.000-05:00

I've become a statistic, officially. I am at Day Four of Swine Flu, given to me by my husband who finally went back to work today. Unfortunately, I haven't even been out of bed for long periods of time, other than visiting the doctor.

I promise, once I'm better, there will be more updates!

"I Can Make That!"

2009-11-07T10:00:00.000-05:00

So, even though Apartment Therapy did not hire me as a blogger, I can't hold it against them. I'm sure there were TONS of applicants. But, I still maintain that a lot of the stuff they push on their Web site could be handmade, rather than purchased. With that said, I exclaimed the weekly "I can make that!" when seeing this.

Apartment Therapy LINK

Bank/Keyholder LINK

I am determined to create something with this in mind. Actually, when I was at Jo-Ann's yesterday (yeah, it was pay day, where else would I be?), I saw something I may be able to work with. But, sorry, $32 for this? I love it and all, but $32?

I Passed! I Passed!

2009-11-07T09:20:00.000-05:00

OK, um, maybe not "passed", per say. But I did take a quiz and I pretty much got what I think I deserved. And, by quiz, I mean this gem from HomeGoods (ahh, my splurge store-because I trick myself into buying more because of the good deals) and Deborah Neddleman founding editor-in-chief of the late (great) magazine, Domino.

But, here were my results on what type of decorator I am:

Emily, you are an EARTHY CASUAL

You're interested in creating a welcoming home where people feel comfortable and happiness flourishes. You appreciate the warmth and individuality of natural materials and handcrafted things and are inspired by colors and forms from nature. You love mixing up different textures and are sensitive to the tactile qualities of objects. Your style is grounded and solid, not flighty or frilly. And you are never taken in by the trend of the moment.

You value creativity. You are stylish and fun loving, and can be an inspiration to others. You have a natural sense of drama, and you know you have to be willing to take risks—whether with colors, finishes, furniture choices, or ideas—for your home to stand out. Your home can be happy and lively and the place all of your friends want to be.

As I read it, I wasn't saying "duh" as much as I was saying "thank you! Finally someone gets it!"

Oh, and here's the color pallet suggested for my home.

I'm hoping the dark color in the upper left is a chocolate brown, rather than a black because, OK here it is, I'm afraid to work with black. Like, petrified of black furniture looking too cold and dark and intimidating. And, funnily enough, some of my favorite pieces in other home blogs I've seen are black! But, no, I can't commit. Maybe black furniture is like that guy who you think is out of your league in high school, and you work yourself up so much about him you never even attempt to talk to him. Then, one day, you find out he's a nice guy. A swell guy. A guy you can be friends with. And somehow the fear of talking to him goes away instantly. (Don't really know where that analogy came from, but it makes sense to me.)

Once again, here's the LINK.

One More Thing

2009-11-01T22:32:00.000-05:00

Oh! And the last Halloween decoration I added were these little pumpkins.

And, with the addition of puff paint, I added some 3D designs.

After they dried, I spray painted them.

And, of course, I forgot to take a picture of the finished pumpkins. But, they were lovely. Because they were live pumpkins, I had to throw them away.

The Party

2009-11-01T22:23:00.000-05:00

So, somehow I started a tradition of throwing a Halloween party. I've done it three years now. But this year, I was so happy to be able to show off my decorations! As you've seen most of them, I wanted to show some final pictures, now that most are packed away for next year.

And this is my husband, who dressed as his inner child (really, an excuse to wear his footie pajamas I got him last year).

Cheapest (Favorite) Costume Ever

2009-11-01T22:09:00.000-05:00

OK, so I completely procrastinated figuring out a costume for myself for Halloween. I was more concerned with decorating the house. But, after spending only $1.50, I was able to come up with, what I think to be, my best costume yet.

$1: aviator sunglasses at the dollar store

$.50: dark nail polish (part of a two-pack at the dollar store)

With a red bandanna, a silver sharpie, a black T-shirt, flannel shirt, jeans, boots and TONs of black eyeliner, I rocked Halloween.

Oh, and did I mention I practiced singing Poison for two weeks straight, only to sing one song twice at two different karaoke bars. Totally worth it, though.

Cooking with Pumpkin

2009-11-01T21:35:00.000-05:00

I meant to take more pictures of the cooking part, but when I'm cooking, I get completely distracted with it.

So, I had two pumpkin's worth of innards. Separating the seeds was a draining experience. Wow...I just realized that was a pun, in fact, because there was a lot of draining that had to be done.

But before the draining could be complete, I had to separate the seeds from the, um, little stringy pieces. (I couldn't figure out how else to phrase it.)

Finally, after running them under the water in the colander, the little bits came off, but weren't big enough to be strained through the holes.

And then, I noticed that the seeds floated in water, and the pulp sunk. Ah-ha!

With the use of a slotted spoon, the seeds came out perfectly!

With the pulp that was de-seeded previously, I put it in a blender and blended...and blended, and blended, and blended (see, I knew I should have registered for a food processor). I read online once it gets to the consistency of applesauce, it's great for cookies, breads and anything else that would require the basic pumpkin from a can.

P.S. Looks nothing like what's in the can. I'm not going to question it.

So, I made pumpkin bread, which was delicious.

And I made pumpkin coconut chocolate chip cookies...but the husband got into them before I could take pictures.

One minute I saw the bowl, the next minute it was gone and I heard him running through the house and slamming the bedroom door.

When I pried it open, I found this.

But I did get a picture of the big cookie I made with the leftover dough. It was supposed to be shaped like a turtle, but ended up looking up like a manatee...or a fetus.

Nom nom nom.

My Husband's First Time

2009-11-01T12:38:00.000-05:00

Yes, that's right. My husband had never done it before. He was nervous, but I assured him it would be fun and he'd like it. I, being the more experienced one, couldn't wait. It had been so long since I last did it and I knew I wouldn't have enough time during the week. So, I am happy to announce, last Sunday...we carved pumpkins!

(Haha, you people have sick minds if you thought I was referring to anything else...)

And, yes, now that you know what I'm talking about, it's true, my husband never did it. He grew up painting pumpkins, or not decorating at all because my mother-in-law hates Halloween. She goes to Aruba every year to avoid it, actually. I don't blame her, I guess. It's not for some anti-pagan reason or anything like that; her birthday is a couple of weeks before and, growing up, she always had Halloween-themed birthday parties.

Anyway, we went down to my the farm by my grandparent's house because I wanted to pick our own and pay three times what we would pay at the grocery store--it was the one splurge I can recall when I didn't run around looking for the best deal in town.

When we brought them home, he got right to work, breaking two of the pumpkin carving knives trying to cut open the top...then he read the instructions that say not to do that. After scooping out the innards for a good half hour, we used the stencils my mom saved (from 1991!) and gave us. He used painter's tape to hold his on, and by the time I was done, I remembered I had spray adhesive, which worked wonderfully!

Oh, and poking holes in the pattern beforehand makes all the difference in the world, let me tell you!

Another Costume!

2009-10-29T08:33:00.000-04:00

My sister-in-law's daughter is being Gabriella from "High School Musical". I think it's the third movie because she's going as Gabriella from the prom. The dress she bought for her was a little flat, she told me. So I was commissioned to figure out a solution (I love a challenge). Easy-made tutu, here I come!

I saw this LINK from Crystal's Craft Spot and couldn't wait to try it. I could not believe how easy it was!

Oh! And the dollar store, I was thrilled to find out, sold 8-yard spools of tulle! I went through about eight of them. With a few stitches from he sewing machine I had my base.

I soon had visitors when making the tutu; the cats would not leave me alone!

Here's the finished product, including those curious little ones.

As the tutorial says, I need to flatten it out. It's in the bathroom right now, awaiting a long shower.

I'll post pictures of my niece after Saturday. I totally want to make one for me, but I don't think it'll go with my current costume idea.

Stone Candlestick Holders

2009-10-29T08:21:00.000-04:00

I love the look the stone spray paint offers. LOVE IT! My husband now gets mad when I use it because he enjoys it so much, he thinks it's his to use. But I used it anyway.

On my trip to the dollar store this week, I bought regular glass candlestick holders.

I don't think I would have looked twice at them, but I began scouring the store for stuff to use the spray paint on because I still had a lot of it. When I came across these, I knew they'd be perfect.

And, in my humble opinion, I believe I was right.

The candles are actually red, but spray painted black so when they burn, they'll have a bleeding effect. Oh, I can't wait until Saturday!

Christmas Decorations for Halloween

2009-10-28T22:43:00.000-04:00

Last week when I went to the dollar store, they were still stockpiled with Halloween goodies. When I went this week, however, Christmas had arrived, leaving only a few sad shelves of paper plates with pumpkins and ghosts on them.

Ha! Like that would stop me!

Found some cute birds that would go on a Christmas tree.

Sorry, but birds do not represent Christmas to me. They are dirty creatures. Dirty, I tell you! And, one of them stole my bagel once while I was walking down the boardwalk in Atlantic City. Flew right by my head to do so. OK, maybe not any bird that looks like the ones pictured...but my dislike for any member of the bagel snatcher's species are not nice!

See? Even Beth and Buster know of their evil!

Anyway, I'm on a spray painting kick lately. So, what did I do? I brought the evil out in these birds!

Even the feathered tail looked even more evil with the weird spray paint effect.

I used some magenta nail polish on their eyes to really bring out the evil and my chandelier is now evil-ized!

Oh, my Halloween dining room is really turning out to be great!

Oh! I Keep Forgetting!

2009-10-23T00:26:00.001-04:00

I ran out of spray paint, but I finished one of the end tables I bought a few weeks ago. And I love it. I'll love it even more when its mate is done.

I almost hate to admit it, but at the same time I have a love/hate relationship with her. The paper is from a Martha Stewart collection I found on clearance at Wal-Mart.

You can see a little hint of it in the staging of my photography project.

Oh, and I absolutely love those specialty scissors!

We Interrupt Your Normally Scheduled Blog Post...

2009-10-23T00:01:00.001-04:00

So mad about "Project Runway" right now. Nicolas was one of my favorites! He reminded me of one of my friends from college, and I would text him telling him the status of his "gay doppleganger" whenever he did well. Now, I had to text him tonight with the sad news. He, of course, did not care.

OK, not to vent my sadness over PR through this whole post, so I'll talk a little about what I attempted tonight.

I had the ambition tonight to drag one box of winter clothes down and go through them all.

Well, since I rarely throw anything out, I found six things I still want (four of which still fit well, but I always lose weight in the winter, so I'm not concerned). Then, there were two much bigger piles of clothes I didn't like any more and clothes I bought when I was about 50 lbs. lighter.

I don't miss those days: I was the typical broke college student and lived on Diet Coke, Caesar Salads and Ephedra (well, I do miss the Ephedra, I'll admit). But, hey, I graduated college, got a full-time job, started eating full-time again, not to mention I married into an Italian family where the carbs are as plentiful as the love.

(Ooh, look at those hips! Any other woman would probably crop this photo. Me? Nah! I love it! I think those are what some would call "birthin' hips"! Bring it on!)

But, this does leave me with the dilemma of "What the hell can I do with blouses that are too small?" Really, I wanted to figure out a project I could do to repurpose them into clothes I could wear again...that didn't end up looking like a patchwork quilt of random fabrics.

So...after watching a very unfortunate episode of "Project Runway", I still had no ideas. Er, actually, I still have no ideas, I should say. Oh sure, I could make pillows, bags, curtains, table runners, stuff for the house. But these are MY clothes. I want to make something for ME! (Yeah, I'm having an only child moment right now.)

Oh well. If any of my three readers have any ideas, let me know!

Point and Shoot. I Can Do That!

2009-10-22T08:42:00.000-04:00

I consider myself a less-than-amateur photographer. At the same time, I consider myself a professional picture taker. I took one photography class in high school and I don't really remember a lot from it, other than the smell of the darkroom chemicals, which I came to appreciate. But when I do take photos, I'll catch them at an awkward angle, or I'll haphazardly find some good uses of light. Most of these accidents occur when I'm trying to balance a drink in one hand, and take the picture with the other.

I decided to stage some fun shots around an old book of poetry, including Poe's "The Raven", I found at the library, and spice them up for Halloween.

The wine with the funky label I happened to find the week before. And I used the leftover fabric from Lenny's cape as a backdrop.

After taking the pictures, I cropped and edited them with the photo software on the Costco Web site, where I then ordered the prints.

Here's what the full staging area looks like. Scotch tape holding the fabric up, and a corner of it tied to a chair. Oh, how classy.

I used scrapbooking scissors to cut the edges of some scrapbooking paper and black mat, then some spray adhesive to get the layered look.

I found some tea light holders at Ocean State Job Lot for $1 each. They used to have stained glass decorations on the back, but most of them had been stolen. It was a perfect holder for the pictures, especially since I knew I would be using battery-operated tea lights, so there would be no fear of fire.

(Ahh, look at that crafting mess all over my dining room. That only means one thing: It was a successful craft weekend.)

At Least I Didn't Put It On a Box of Wine...

2009-10-22T08:17:00.001-04:00

I saved this empty jug for a few months, not knowing why I didn't have the heart to throw it away. There's something about empty bottles that makes them difficult to part with.

Finally, I found a way to add it to my Halloween decor.

Found the stickers at the dollar store, which was much better than the $7 A.C. Moore wanted to Martha Stewart wine stickers.

After cleaning the label off (found out eye make-up remover works well for that), I stuck it on and added it to my Sideboard O' Halloween.

Throwing Our Coats on the Furniture is Getting Boring

2009-10-22T08:07:00.001-04:00

I received these coat hooks from Lenny's Nana last year and they just sat in my hall closet, feeling sad and lonely. Our coats were usually flung on the chair facing the front door.

After a few coats of spray paint...

And some Mod Podge and Paper...

Can't wait to hang them up!

When the husband saw them last night, he said "Oh! These came out so nice! I love squares!"

Oh dear...

He loves squares, and I love circles. Should I be worried? Are we incompatible?

Spooky Sale at Jo-Ann's!

2009-10-18T09:34:00.001-04:00

It's been difficult, but I've been curbing my Jo-Ann's cravings because I knew there would be a fantastic sale beginning today. So, just a heads up to some of the offers: $.99 All McCall's Patterns, 60-percent off Blizzard Fleece prints and solids and Snuggle Flannel prints and Cozy Flannel solids, 40-percent off papercrafting supplies (of course, it excludes Cricut and Yudu machines and cartridges), BOGO Thread and that's just a little sample of the sale!

So, what am I doing here? Off to Jo-Ann's!

Mod Podged Pumpkin

2009-10-17T09:38:00.001-04:00

Absolutely not my idea at all, I will say that. I've seen it on a few blogs this season. But I did want to show the process here because, damn was it simple!

I found the small pumpkin at Joann's for about $3. All of their Halloween stuff is 50-percent off! Woo!

I have a confession: I hate the color orange. I don't know why, but I've never gotten a feel for it. It just always looks tacky. Oh, I don't mind the little bit here and there, but the color itself just turns me off completely. So I was glad to have a way to cover it, but still make it holiday appropriate.

I spray painted the stem with some light blue, but it didn't really want to take, so I gave up.

Using one piece of scrapbook paper cut into strips of varying lengths and widths, the Mod Podging commenced!

Tip: I found it easier to wet the strips with water before Mod Podging the backs. Also, I spread a layer of Mod Podge on the pumpkin for extra hold.

(And, that would be Miss Beth investigating.)

After covering all the (evil) orange with the paper, I added a few more coats of Mod Podge.

The nice thing is, I've used the same paper in my dining room as a mat for pictures, so I was very happy to have some dining room decor.

(See previous post to see the finished product.)

UPDATE: I used some silver ribbon and hot glue to finish off the badly-painted stem.

Pottery Barn, eat my Mod Podge!

2009-10-17T09:26:00.000-04:00

I can't rationalize spending the amount of money Pottery Barn would like me to. Maybe it's jealousy. Maybe it's the pretentious reputation the store has. Maybe it's the episode of "Friends" in which Phoebe hates Pottery Barn. But I've never been a fan. Sure, I'll look at the catalog, but in my mind, I'm constantly saying "I could make that!" for some of their items, especially decor.

Last week, Apartment Therapy was looking for freelance writers from my area and its application included a sample column. So, I had the idea to do a weekly column taking accessories from stores I believed were charging too much, and writing tutorials on making similar products yourself. Not that it'll pay enough to quit my day job, but it's a nice project it's a great project.

Anyway, here's the "inspiration" (I use quotes because I still can't help rolling my eyes at Pottery Barn):

Oh, OK, and here's the link, if you really want it.

Originally, when I wrote the sample column, it was listed as $24. I'm a little disheartened to see it's been reduced to $16. But, it's still more than I paid!

Here's the bulk of the column (wow, I feel awkward stealing my own writing, for some reason):

Wooden Tray: $7 ($4.20 with coupon for 40% off at Joanns.com)
Skull Cutout: $2.99 ($1.79 with sale on all Halloween supplies at Joann's)
Black Gloss Spray Paint: On hand (typically $3-$5)
Silver Metallic Spray Paint: On hand (typically $3-$5)
Mod Podge—Gloss Finish: On Hand (typically $3-$4)
Foam Brush: On hand ($.50 for two)

First, coat the tray with the black spray paint. I didn't like the idea of the silver on the outside, but with some painters' tape, you could create the look of the PB version.

Next, cut the wire holding the mandible (thank you, high school anatomy!) onto the skull, and paint each piece separately with the silver spray paint.
Tip: Do a few coats of light and quick sprays instead of a few heavy coats. This gives the finished look more of an even tone and the layers dry quickly.

Use Mod Podge to adhere skull to tray. After the glue has set, give the entire tray a few coats of Mod Podge to seal it. If you'd like more of a durable finish, spray the Mod Podged tray with acrylic sealer a couple times.

My cost: $7.99
Cost without coupons, supplies on hand and maximum prices: $24.49. Yes, it would be $.49 more, but you'd have leftover Mod Podge, black spray paint, metallic spray paint and a foam brush, which could all be used for other projects around the house.

Am I A Bad Wife?

2009-10-17T09:07:00.000-04:00

My husband is in the National Guard and, once a month, he goes away for drill for the weekend. I used to dread those weekends...an empty bed, no one to come home to, big home projects I don't feel right doing myself. Somehow that's changed in the past few months. Now, I look forward to them. I can craft all weekend and have the house to myself to completely destroy with craft supplies taking up every room, if I want, without him hemming and hawing about stepping on a stray sewing pin or the smell of Mod Podge (I think I've OD'd on the stuff because I don't smell it anymore).

So, this month, he has to be there for five days! FIVE WHOLE DAYS! Don't get me wrong, I'll still miss him terribly, but at least I can keep myself entertained. He left this morning and I went back to bed, sprawling out in starfish mode just because I could. When I woke up, I grabbed the laptop and actually brought it into the bedroom with me. This is another thing I can't do when he's home because I've been told my typing can be awfully loud and has been compared to machine-gun typing. So now, I'm "shooting" away, with two cats jumping over one another on the empty side of the bed. I'm about to begin a list of crafts to accomplish. If it weren't the weekend between pay-weeks, I would be in heaven!

The list:

Work on the two stools/end tables.

Possibly make a table runner for dining room table.

Start on coat hooks for hallway.

Put up curtain rods in kitchen and move curtains to other windows.

Figure out Halloween costume. (Eek! Two weeks left!)

Visit mom and get Halloween decorations she's throwing away.

Scrape walls in bathroom to get ready for painting.

Vacuum. (I know, it's not very crafty, but I don't remember the last time I vacuumed, so that's not a good thing.)

That looks good for now. I don't want to get too overwhelmed.

Homemade Halloween Costume

2009-10-12T01:39:00.000-04:00

Ever since my mom made my Halloween costumes, I've always wanted to be able to make them. Usually, I don't think of a good costume until a week before Halloween so I don't have time to make one for myself.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when my husband asked me to make him a cape for school. He's a teacher and decided to go as a Math-a-Magician. Get it? Get it? ... It may be only a joke his wife and third graders would appreciate.

So, we went to Joann's. Could you imagine how excited I was that my husband was going to fund my Joann's habit? At least this one time...

Then he picked out stretch velvet for material. I love him, I really do. It's the fabric I ended up hating because I had to line it with fabric without any give.

And, of course, Beth had to investigate.

Really, I just cut a rectangle with a tapered bottom, lined it with cheap prom dress fabric (it was on sale, and, coincidentally, looked like what I wore to my junior prom). Then turned the top over twice and sewed it across to run a ribbon through it to tie around his neck.

Then I used double-sided fusing web to make the numbers by sticking it to remnants of fabric, cutting out the shapes and ironing them on. Oh, another thing I learned about the evil stretch velvet: lowest setting only! Christ, it nearly ruined the bottom of my iron when parts of it first melted.

When the cape was done, I took a few pictures of my husband "flying" around the living room. Unfortunately, he deleted said pictures, so I'll have to get him to pose with the cape tonight...(he's reading over my shoulder as I type, so I'm trying to hint...)

Apparently that didn't work.

But here's the finished product.

And, in my twisted mind, when Buster started playing with it, I imagined his disappointment when he realized he couldn't do math.

Best. Product. Ever!

2009-10-11T23:57:00.000-04:00

OK, maybe not ever, as I've said the same thing about Mod Podge, acrylic sealer and scrap booking paper at one time or another. But I did splurge on the product many other craft and home blogs I follow have recommended: Chalkboard Paint.

The fronts of our ironing board-turned-spice-cabinets were looking a little plain, just painted white, like the trim. I kept thinking of adding grape stenciling to them, but I couldn't commit to it. Somehow I found it easier to commit to matte black? I dunno...maybe it was the invitation to relive early elementary school memories of drawing designs on the chalkboard before classes, except this time, they wouldn't be erased by a teacher.

Ahh, look at that blank canvas.

I've noticed that when I'm taping before painting, I finally get the knack of it for the last few pieces of tape. Oh well...I think it's still my least favorite part about painting.

But, even with the tape, I had to touch up the paint a little bit. Oh, it looked terrible when it was wet.

I could barely wait for it to be dry before I went out and got a bucket of chalk and got to work decorating for Halloween, albeit a cheap attempt.

I also "transcribed" a message from Beth, our older cat, who my husband and I feel would rule the world if only she had thumbs.

Mod Podge Giveaway

2009-10-11T17:53:00.000-04:00

As much as I'd like to win this for myself, I figured I'd be generous for my, um, three readers (Hi Dad!).

Win a copy of "Rosie O'Donnell's Crafty U", courtesy of Mod Podge Rocks.

Link

Mess=Progress

2009-10-09T11:23:00.000-04:00

I think my reason for procrastinating putting up a blog was exhaustion due to the non-stop weekend we had and the late nights the week before and this week I've had at work. But, since I finally have some down time, I can update with the progress we made last weekend!

It's weekends like these that make me wonder how we fit 48 hours in a weekend. Don't get me wrong, I would love to expand the weekend to get even more done.

First, I finally got sick of my unpainted trim in the kitchen.

Ooh, it hurts my eyes!

And I got out my old painting clothes (who am I kidding? It's not like I've ever put them away, honestly. I don't think my husband cares I wear the paint-stained pants to bed) and got to work. I was surprsed when Lenny and one of our friends joined me. Hell, that trim was painted so fast, I had even more time for another project...

Oh, thank goodness! Much better!

Eventually, we will be getting new windows, so I haven't gone through the annoyance of trying to paint the existing windows we have. That's what the blinds cover, thank goodness.

In between coats, I began making curtains for the kitchen. Have I mentioned I am in love with my grapes and wine theme?

The green fabric is actually made from a cheap flat sheet from Wal-Mart. The green just happens to accent the grape leaves painted on the walls. And the bottoms? Well, (totally giggling with anticipation of telling you), they're dishtowels!

Here's what they looks like on the window...although, I may do some changing around because the other windows are looking a little bland in comparison.

While I was working on the curtains, my husband began taking down the drop ceiling in our bathroom.

And my father-in-law nailed down my countertops! Sorry for exclamation point, but it's very liberating having countertops that no longer move around when I do anything on them.

What we found above the drop deiling was this, which we have to live with for a little while, but the extra six inches that have been added actually really makes a difference in the feel of the space in our bathroom.

Now, this is a very important tool in all of our household endeavors: A kitchen chair we inherited from Lenny's parents. We've used it for everything.

And my final project of the weekend, which I can say my husband gladly helped with, was decorating my window boxes. I found wooden slats at Wal-Mart, which my husband happily spray painted with stone-like spray paint. Our friend and I wrote little tombstone sayings on them, even a few off-color ones ("Billy Mays Here!" and "Michael Jackson Cause This Is Thriller!").

Please forgive the intense need our house has for a good power-washing.

More Halloween decorating and construction is scheduled for this weekend! Not to mention, I just got paid. My weekly trip to Joann's is set to commence as soon as I get out of work!

Rose Bows

2009-10-02T00:24:00.000-04:00

From working late the past two nights, I've been a little distant from crafting. As frustrating as it is staring at my two blank stools/end tables just waiting for spray paint when I get home after a 12-hour day at the office, I keep saying to myself "it's just more money to put toward my crafting habit".

But tonight, I had to come home and catch up on "Project Runway" so I wasn't in the dark tomorrow when coworkers talk about it tomorrow. So, while I'm watching this week's episode, I wanted to do a quickie-craft post.

I chose to give away one of my favorite skills: making roses out of ribbon. I use these for bows on presents when I want a little something extra that's not usually seen in stores. I learned this from a craft show I would watch back in elementary school on my sick days. Hell, sometimes they would show what would be on the next day and I'd "coincidentally" feel sick the next morning so I could watch it. I wish I could find it on DVD. (Not sure if it was "The Carol Duvall Show", but it may have been...)

Start with a ribbon, at least a foot long.

Find the middle of the middle and fold it over so the two ends form a right angle. (See? I still remember math! Kind of a personal victory.)

Take the bottom piece of ribbon and fold it over the triangle. Then fold the alternate piece over the first fold.

Keep folding until you get to the end of your pieces.

Grab the very last fold between your first finger and thumb and let the rest fall. It will look like an accordian-like shape.

This is the tricky part that takes a little practice: while keeping one piece stable, pull the other piece toward you.

It will start forming a rose.

When you pull the one piece, it does not stop; if you keep pulling it, it will come completely undone.

Once you've pulled the piece to create the desired rose size you're content with, tie it together with either floral wire or a twist tie, which was what I had on hand.

And you're done!

Different width ribbons create very different roses, some more realistic than others.

I've been known to re-enforce the tightness of the rose with a needle and thread.

If the gift is a bigger than the rose, itself, you could double or triple them up, or add one rose to a little ribbon below it, like I've done below.

(The bow below the rose is simple figure-8s folded over one-another and sewn together with a needle and thread to keep its shape and keep it together.

Oh! And the best thing I've discovered for ribbon is Fray Check. It's a very liquidy glue that keeps, well, frays in check.

The Wedding Present

2009-09-29T23:13:00.000-04:00

Two of my dear friends got married this weekend and I wanted to make them an extra special present. But I also wanted to craft more.

I had heard about the wine box ceremony a few months after our own wedding and I thought it was great. Well, knowing my friends, Matt and Rachel, were wine fans, I thought it would be perfect.

I found the perfect box at Home Goods. I even ran around the store, trying to find a suitable wine bottle substitute to make sure it would fit in the box, and the box would still be able to close. I made due with a bottle of margarita mix. (I even got a discount because the clasp was broken--something I never thought I would be able to ask for, but I mustered up the guts and got a whole $1.64 off! Haha.)

Now, I know the box looks gorgeous. And when I brought it to my dad for advice, he tried to talk me out of doing anything to it. But, what you can't really see in the picture are the knicks and scratches on the box. But it was a solid wood box, and it was the perfect size. Especially for the two glasses I was lucky enough to find to also fit in.

(Please ignore the old mail, tape dispenser and my wine glass. One day, I will adequately set up my pictures...or maybe not.)

So, first I had to remove the hardware and figure out a suitable replacement for the broken clasp. I'm telling this out of order, though, because I ended up bringing the whole box to Lowe's to show to the hardware department manager. But, she was able to help me find one that worked just fine.

Because the clasp wasn't the same color as the hardware, I spray painted them all in my brushed silver spray paint. (I think the can is magical...I keep finding projects for it, and never running out!)

I had found a window box shelf I adored at Home Goods, as well, so I sanded it and added it to my collection of things that needed to be spray painted blue.

After three coats, the box came out perfectly! I didn't bother spray painting the inside rims because I figured I would either touch it up or figure out another solution later.

Knowing the wedding colors were blue and brown, I was able to use scrapbook paper I had for use in the living room. I had made blue- and sepia-toned wallet-sized copies of some of their engagement picture and other pictures I found on facebook. I used a ruler and craft cutting knife to cut in the squares as a sort of mat for the pictures to sit in.

Then, I started placing pictures in the holes and used Mod Podge to adhere the pictures to the paper.

Then, I placed the pictures and paper on the box top and used even more Mod Podge (but, then again, I don't believe there is such a thing as too much Modge Podge). Then I added the names and the wedding date cut from the invitation and the Save The Date cards, as well as the decorative ribbon.

After about four coats of Mod Podge, I started spraying it with acrylic sealer. Then added another three layers of Mod Podge. Then sealed it again with five more layers of acrylic sealer. Needless to say, these pictures weren't going anywhere.

While I was waiting for the layers to dry, I had to figure out a way to make sure the wine bottle and glasses were well packed. After remembering getting into trouble as a child, I remembered how easily carved floral foam is. (Quick story: my mom had some, I had fingernails and was an only child and amused myself for about an hour with the stuff.)

When I brought home the blocks, I began to carve them with, don't laugh, an ice cream scoop and a melon baller. I should point out, at this moment in time, that I worked for five years at Carvel. It was nice to find out I hadn't lost the art of the perfect scoop.

Unfortunately, the box was a little too small to accommodate all the bulk of a wine bottle and glasses, while still being able to close the lid.

So, after wasting a few hours on that, I cut slices from the cut pieces and used Liquid Nails to adhere the foam to the velvet lining.

Instead of touching up the edges of the boxes, I remembered my glue gun. (Oh, my glue gun. I made a vow that if I ever opened a craft shop, I would name it "Happiness is a Warm Glue Gun". Sorry, kind of a fan of puns.)

I purchased a piece of scrap fabric with a wedding motif. First, I ironed the rough edges under, then glued the corners to the corners of the box. Before that, I attached ribbons to the sides of the box just for a little extra holding power for the contents. I used finishing nails as an extra precaution on the ribbons.

After adding the hardware back on, I had to make a nice presentation of the "instructions" for the box.

Here's a bigger picture of the text.

Here's the final product.

After another few layers of acrylic sealer, I was ready to wrap it up.

If you're a fan of Mod Podge, this article from Mod Podge Rocks is fantastic for wrapping. I used the Press 'N Seal wrapping like the article recommended. I haven't heard anything from the bride and groom, but they're in Aruba, so I won't press them for details of how well my Mod Podge held up.

Oh, and while I was waiting for one of the many layers of either Mod Podge or acrylic sealer to dry, I spray painted a frame with some leftover blue spray paint, and used my circle cutter to use some of the leftover pictures.

Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture of the final products and wrapping. (I even made a bow from leftover ribbon! I'm pissed I forgot to shoot it!) But when I told friends what I made them, I got at least three informal invitations to future weddings because they liked the gift idea so much.

What To Do...

2009-09-29T20:54:00.000-04:00

Just made my first Craigslist transaction!

(Side note: I need to stop watching so many episodes of "Law & Order: SVU" before making said transactions. Oh, the paranoia!)

So, now I have two wooden stools, painted white, that are blank canvases.

When I brought them in the door, my husband said they would make great side tables. Now, I'm looking at them with even more potential than I did initially.

At least now I get to stare at them in the house for a few days and decide.

Love it!

Small Victory

2009-09-29T11:01:00.000-04:00

My husband saw a picture in Real Simple magazine of built-in shelving and called me over, saying "Do you think we could do this with one of the taller crawl spaces upstairs?" I nearly hugged him because I have secretly wanted built-in shelving somewhere in my house. But I didn't hug him at the time because, when he called me over, he was on the toilet.

Yeah, I don't know when we lost that barrier of closing and locking the bathroom door when it's just the two of us, but it's gone completely. Welcome to marriage!

My Husband Now Regrets Getting Me a Sewing Machine for Christmas

2009-09-27T19:20:00.001-04:00

My cousin's wife has a baby shower this weekend five hours away. However, I have a wedding this weekend for two of my very good friends. But I did make a present to send up with my mom.

I used the tutorial from Crap I've Made for Appliqued Tie Onesies, then, seeing as I have four more onesies left in the pack and plenty of fabric, I got a little creative.

I will say, though, I accidentally bought one sided iron-on webbing, so I didn't get a flat look, but I liked the 3D looks I created.

Oh, by the way, they live in Maine. Hence the pun.

This was before I added the buttons.

They're never too young for Puff Paint (and apparently, I will never grow out of using it).

I especially love that I only ironed and sewed the middle of the wings to the onesie, therefore it has a flapping effect. LOVE!

(No, it's not an arrow pointing to the baby's shoulder blade, it's the devil's tale!)

And here they are all together. (Oh, didn't realize my foot was in the picture. Er, um, nevermind the desperate need for a pedicure.)

And, of course, I couldn't get enough of the crafting, so I went a little nuts making the bow and wrapping the gift. (Yes, her name is Emily, too!)

Oh, and the cat enjoyed the process of wrapping the present, of course.

UPDATE: Here's a picture of my cousin's son, Deklan, proudly sporting the onesie!

Weeknight Craft

2009-09-22T22:22:00.000-04:00

OK, I have a HUGE crafting post coming up, but the project I did was for my cousin's wife's baby shower this coming weekend, so I have to hold off on posting it on the off chance my cousin or his wife reads it and finds out early what it is. (Oh, it's so good, though! So good!)

But, until I post that, I had to get my craft on tonight.

After looking at all my craft blogs for a few days, I've noticed a trend of decorating for autumn. Well, being that it's officially the first day, I went to the dollar store and spent a heaping $4 to give my home some fall flair.

With the help of a glue gun (only one burn to report), I decorated a wine glass and two candle holders with some festive foliage. (Can you tell I have a thing for alliteration?)

And the finished glass and candle holders look like this!

And, yes, we now have TWO kitties to worry about burning themselves, so I spent another $2 and bought battery operated candles.

I know, I know...it's a little minimalistic, but I'm still in that hesitant novice crafter mindset of "I'll add more, I swear, but for now, I need to take a step back and appreciate what I have."

Conversation with the husband, following crafting:

"What do you think?"

"Um, they're leafy."

"Well, yeah, that's the point. Do you like them?"

"They're leafy."

I have yet to figure out what that means, but in the meantime, here's a picture of our new little kitten, Buster (crawling on my husband's butt, haha).

Our first cat, Beth, is not responding well to being a big sister. She is currently annoyed at her humans, as well as the little terror they brought into the house. But, as a way of making amends, I am including her picture in this post, as well.

Circle Table

2009-09-14T12:40:00.000-04:00

About a year ago, Lenny and I found a $30 corner desk at Christmas Tree Shop. It was a stain of wood we normally wouldn't buy, but for the price, we figured we'd make an exception. After using it as a TV stand, I rearranged the furniture one night and it became our entrance table. The space underneath is perfect for our shoes and bags to keep out of the way, and it's normally cluttered with mail on a weekly basis now.

Well, in between waiting for something to dry during my Crazy Craft Weekend (as it has now come to be known), I got creative with the Martha Stewart Circle Cutter. Oh, I love that thing, I really do. I used the blade I had been using all weekend, as I figured it was probably starting to get dull anyway and would have to be replaced.

I started making circles on the table itself.

After making the circles, I dabbed a little light blue paint on a paper towel and rubbed it around the circles, then wiped the excess off with a clean paper towel.

And I was left with blue circles all over the table!

I wiped any paint stains on the table with Orange Glow wood cleaner, which seemed to do the trick to get rid of the blue paint outside the circles, leaving the paint inside intact.

I decided I needed more circles, so I repeated the process and ended up with having a table we were "just OK with" to having such a great accent piece.

(Don't mind the mess around the table; quickly following my Crazy Crafting Weekend was a huge clean before my husband got home from National Guard. I swear, our house isn't normally in shambles to this point.)

Don't Even Get Me Started on Throw Pillows...

2009-09-14T12:20:00.000-04:00

Could someone please explain to me why decorative pillows cost so much? I don't agree with spending more than $6 on a throw pillow, I don't care how well it accents the decor.

I decided to take matters into my own hands. While at the craft store, I purchased some fabric discards that had the blue and brown circles I loved. (About $5 for a bundle of four 12"x18".)

Once I layed out the fabric against the pillow, though, I realized it was a little too short. So I decided to have a flashback to my 8th grade home ec class and make a patchwork pillow.

Using some coordinating fabric ($2 sheets from Wal-Mart, no joke!), I began cutting. Of course, the cat had to investigate.

(Yes, that is the WWE Encyclopedia, which makes an excellent weight when cutting fabric.)

I was kind of worn out after crafting all weekend, I didn't feel like making exact measurements and, instead, folding pieces of fabric into right angles to make squares.

After sewing a row together, I sewed the original fabric with the brown strip, using an iron to flatten out the inner seams.

Following that, I sewed my strip of sewn together squares to the top to add even more length, figuring I would cut it later.

After putting together a make-shift backing out of more brown sheets, I inserted the original pillow inside and squished around the stuffing to even it out. I was very pleased with the result, as I didn't want it to look too patchwork-y, and I loved the geometric aspect of how the squares and stripes turned out.

The Perfect Shelf

2009-09-14T11:59:00.000-04:00

Lenny and I decided we wanted a shelf in the pantry in the kitchen, which we turned into the area for the sink and the dishwasher. We figured it would be great to be able to use that area to hold dishes, as well, making it easier to transfer dishes from the dishwasher or sink, instead of making multiple trips. Unfortunately, we couldn't find anything either of us liked and we took up valuable cabinet space holding our dishes, only using two of the three shelves because the top shelf was pretty inconvenient to reach.

After a visit to my dentist, who happens to be Swedish, I decided to go to Ikea and get lost for a while while the Novocaine wore off. While in the kitchen section, I came across the cutest little country shelf. So simple, long and just the right size I was looking for.

LINK

Now would be the point in the blog when I should mention my husband says he doesn't like Ikea. Anything I bring home from Ikea, I have to sneak in the house, and tell him later where it came from, once he decides he likes it/doesn't mind it.

After putting it together—with the "help" of the cat, who was very good at finding (and playing with) parts I had dropped—I attempted to hang it by myself. This was a mistake.

After making a few holes in the wall, I waited for my brother-in-law to come over. Thankfully, he was a better stud-finder than I was (and that is now a joke among the family).

And now I have basically an empty cabinet I can store the kitchen odds and ends!

Cheap to Chic

2009-09-14T11:20:00.000-04:00

I stocked up on those cheap picture frames from Ikea, but they weren't getting much use. I finally decided to use them in my dining room. I never understood the rule about pictures in dining rooms , and I figured if the frames were nice enough, I could do whatever I wanted.

I took the frames downstairs and used leftover metallic spray paint on them. I did a nice heavy coat, so I only needed to go over them once.

While I waited for the frames to dry, I used scrapbooking paper and traced around the back of the frame to make a background for the pictures.

When the frames were dry (about an hour), I put the pictures and background into the frames and hung them in a stripe between the two windows in my dining room.

Covered Lightswitches

2009-09-14T09:02:00.000-04:00

After setting the pictures, my tray still wasn't dry yet. So, I killed even more time by putting fabric over my boring light switches.

I had some leftover fabric from a shirt I made, which happened to go with my circle motif. I cut the fabric around the outline of the light switch, leaving some excess to fold over.

I mixed some Mod Podge and water and coated both sides of the fabric before laying it on the switch.

I went over the front with a scraper to get rid of any air bubbles.

Than I did the same with the back, adding a little more glue.

I cut squares out of the corners so there wouldn't be a lot of excess, then clamped the sides so they would dry easily to the back.

When the Mod Podge was somewhat dry, I used an Xacto Knife to cut Xs into the holes for the screws and the switch, then folded them in, added more Mod Podge, scraped them down, and used a bottle of glue to hold the pieces down flat.

Before putting the plates on, I painted the switches themselves a dark shade of blue with some acrylic paint to coordinate.

While I was waiting for everything to dry, I had a glass of wine. (This is a very important step!)

Finally, I put the switch plates back on and stood back to marvel at my work.

Fitting a Circle into a Rectangle

2009-09-13T23:10:00.000-04:00

The Circle Weekend Continues!

While waiting to the paint to dry on my Circle Tray, I killed some time by using some spare scrapbooking paper and my Martha Stewart Circle Cutter, which I bought on a whim one day, knowing (hoping) I would use it for living room stuff.

Now, our walls are pretty bare, other than a collage we used as a seating chart at our wedding and the six-picture homage to our cat. Yeah, she's technically our first "baby", so we spoil her.

I cut a piece of paper around the back of the frame.

Then I cut the circle, using the circle cutter.

(Side note: My husband thought this was a Stenograph when he first saw it.)

Finally, I put the picture and the frame back together and loved the result.

Working on the next picture, I wanted to keep more of the picture, so I followed the steps before, but kept the circle scrap I cut out.

I sandwiched the picture between the cutout and the circle, lining the pattern up as best I could. It was convenient the back of the paper had a grid design on it.

After doing one more picture, I felt the need to stop. I didn't want to overdo it with the paper.

Oh, in case you are unfamiliar with cats, they own the house they live in. They may not pay the mortgage, but it is their house. Any changes to their home must be fully investigated...

Circle Tray

2009-09-13T22:27:00.000-04:00

For years, I've had a thing for circles as a favorite pattern. I'm naturally drawn to them. I decided I would love a room with a circle motif. Well, I didn't really come up with the idea out of nowhere. My mother-in-law and I went to look at furniture one day and I found the perfect couch, which came in a set with a chair with brown and tan circles, with some hints of blue. At first site, I thought it was too much detail...but I had been safe and plain in my major purchases, thinking a blank canvas would be best. I took a chance and got the circle chair.

Needless to say, I love the chair and it became my inspiration for a circle decor, somewhat modern, but with a retro vibe enough to go with the 1928 molding. But, once I started on the circle motif, I couldn't stop. I did little things here and there, like stenciling a lamp shade and painting a table with circles (but, as soon as I had to clean it, the circles came right off). But, this weekend, I went circle-nuts.

I bought a wooden tray at the craft shop I wanted for my coffee table.

First, I painted it a blue my husband thought he hated (then it dried and he "didn't mind it as much").

(Yeah, I painted my initials into the first coat...)

After the second coat, I cut scrapbooking paper into strips and circles and used Mod Podge to decoupage it to the tray.

With a glue gun and some spare ribbon, I wrapped the handles, just to add that finishing touch.

More weekend circle fun to come!

Decorating the Kitchen

2009-09-13T12:03:00.000-04:00

When first moving in, and basically have a blank canvas at my disposal, I read many a redecorating book because when picturing my dream house, my only criterion was having a yellow kitchen. I hadn't pictured anything else because I never actually thought as far ahead as having my own house.

So, I was to start from scratch.

First I thought I would stay with traditional, keeping the house preserved in 1928. Then I realized I really wasn't a fan of that.

I enjoyed flipping through Ikea catalogs and looking at all the funky cheapness. Then my husband said Ikea would look silly against the old wooden doors and white molded trim. I sneak my Ikea trips into the weekends he's away at National Guard drills, then tell him only after he says he likes it where it came from.

At least I knew I wanted a yellow kitchen. At my bridal shower, my mother- and sister-in-law started giving me towels and pot holders with grapes on them, so my theme for the kitchen was pretty much mapped out. I would have accents of grapes. Well, when I realized I could incorporate that into my love of wine, I realized my kitchen would have a country-esque grape and wine theme to it, and I could get my yellow kitchen.

The kitchen was completely switched around before I would start. We needed most major appliances had to be moved around to get a good amount of space we needed and the always-sticky linoleum had to be removed.

And, as much as I enjoyed the previous wallpaper for its kitchy-ness, my husband told me he couldn't live with it.

Beginnings: The Kitchen

Once that was complete, I could begin painting. (Confession: I still have not painted the trim in the kitchen. I don't remember why I put it off...but, I swear, I'll get to it.)

I wanted to go with one of the background tans in the towels as a basis for finding a complementing yellow. I finally decided on a color called Apple Muffin, which looked like cupcake batter and, therefore, had to eat before painting or else I knew I would absent-mindedly try it.

After the Pergo floor was put down, a trend I'm annoyed to see has gotten quite popular in kitchens now, the new appliances were installed and the cabinets were installed, I used a grape stencil on the walls. I didn't want it to go all the way around because it would have been too busy for such a small space, so I strategically placed them, centering as much as I could over windows and doors.

The finishing touches were the towels and pot holders, which were hung the other day to hide the imperfections in the plaster wall.

The wine bottle is not necessarily decoration. It's actually old red wine that's gone bad that I use for cooking. There is a note on the wine warning myself not to drink it, as I had an autopilot moment a few weeks ago and took a swig, resulting in a terrible shock when I realized what I had done.

Wallpaper is the Enemy

2009-09-13T11:11:00.000-04:00

When Lenny and I first moved in, as we sipped our celebratory glasses of champagne, we began picking at the horrendous wallpaper on every wall. Most came down easily...until we got to the bedroom. Of course, that and the kitchen were the rooms we had to get in working order before we moved in, so I made the bedroom a priority, while Lenny and his dad worked on remodeling the kitchen.

The bedroom not only had wallpaper WITHOUT sizing on the back, it also had a wallpaper border additionally. Basically, it was hours and hours of picking at little pieces, since none of it came down in chunks.

Beginnings: The Bedroom

Once the border and the first major layer was off, we realized the backing of the wallpaper was so stuck on there, it took another few tips around the room, wetting it with fabric softener and water and scraping with a paint scraper to get that off.

As soon as we finished, we realized we had yet another layer to deal with: the glue. Luckily, we had a 24-hour Wal-Mart about 20 minutes away (at this point, it was probably 2 or 3 in the morning). When we got there, we looked for products intended to remove wallpaper glue. We returned home with what was promised to "remove it quickly and effortlessly". Well, after learning many, many times prior that nothing in this house would be quick and effortless, we found the glue remover to be no different.

It was as if the glue was laughing at our attempts.

We called it quits and the next morning, tried again. Basically, I was taking a scraper and getting a few inches of glue removed an hour. Then I began to experiment. Paint thinner, nail polish remover, more fabric softener and water, peanut butter (my husband still doesn't know about that...but I was desperate!). Finally, we moved on to a different project in the house for a few hours.

My husband and I had evolved into energy drink consumers by this stage (we called it Up Juice). He got the bright idea to mix vodka with it that night and brought home our first big handle of vodka for the home. It was a proud moment indeed. When he spilled a little on the table accidentally, I grabbed the wet paper towel from him on a whim and went into the bedroom. Hell, I had tried everything else, why not alcohol?

And, wouldn't you know it, the sucker worked! It loosened the glue enough that it was easier to scrape off.

We called a friend to help us, Lenny went to the store to get handles of cheap, cheap vodka (ahh, memories of college) and three of us went to work spraying the walls with vodka and scraping all night. By the next morning, most of the glue was gone, and I had been up so late, I was scraping bare walls, hallucinating that I was seeing glue we had missed.

Our joke of the night was that we'd always know our walls were "plastered", as we had gone through 2 1/2 handles of cheap vodka.

Now, this would be the time most people would say "why didn't you just buy regular rubbing alcohol"? Well, dear readers, because we knew we'd enjoy telling this story a lot better.

The First Few Days: The Bedroom

2009-09-13T01:41:00.001-04:00

The First Few Days: The Bathroom

2009-09-13T01:37:00.000-04:00

The First Few Days: The Living Room

2009-09-13T01:34:00.001-04:00

The First Few Days: The Dining Room

2009-09-13T01:30:00.001-04:00

The First Few Days: The Kitchen

2009-09-13T01:16:00.000-04:00

Welcome!

2009-09-12T23:55:00.001-04:00

After more than a year in our new-old house, I'm finally starting the blog I've been procrastinating to chart my husband and my progress making our house our own.

A little about the house: My mother-in-law sent me the link to the real estate listing

while I was at work. As soon as I saw the big front porch, I knew I would love it. As soon as my husband and I took a tour, I was sold. The house hadn't been updated since the '70s, and had been on the market for more than a year. But all I saw was potential.

The previous owner had grown up in the house and lived with her husband and three daughters. The daughters grew up, got married and moved out. When the husband died, she moved into a hospice. A few weeks ago, she passed away, sadly. I wished I had met her, although I would never have wanted her to see what we had done to her house...

A little about us: My husband, Lenny, and I had been living with his parents, saving up for a

house while we were engaged. The night we decided to make an offer on the house (the same day we saw it), my husband looked at me and asked, "Is this the house you want? Because I want to give you the home you love." I looked back at him and said, "I want that house. I am in love with that house. I want start our lives in that house." Within weeks, the piles of paperwork were filled out, the negotiations were made, and the house was ours.

It took another few weeks for the house to be functional enough to move in. But we worked tirelessly (with the help of what we called "Up Juice"-energy drink). We moved in the week before we were married. But it will always be a work-in-progress...kind of like marriage, I've heard.