May's Highlights & Happenings

Wow, May really flew by... I guess that's what happens when you have too many things going on in a single month, plus all those DIY projects I've been dreaming up. Now that summer is FINALLY here, this homeschooling mama is on break! Can you hear the rejoicing and jubilation in my words? That means more time for projects, which is a good thing because (and I'm really excited about this and couldn't wait to share) I'm going to be a contributor at Remodelaholic!! Say what?!! 
It is very fitting don't you think? Seeing that I'm a non-recovering remodel-aholic myself... *wink* I painted my dining room last year, and I'm very ready to do it again. I've been forcing myself not to re-paint (or tear out walls) until I've enjoyed the previous work at least two years, but I can't say I'll win that battle.  See what I mean? A die-hard remodel-aholic! Look out for my first article for Remodelaholic at the end of the month. 

I've had the privilege of working with some pretty awesome peeps & sites, and my latest obsession is no exception.
I have joined up with Whimsey Box as an influencer, and I think you'll really like the new feature it adds to a few of my blog posts. Many of you want to know where to find the materials in my tutorials, well now you have the option to shop the materials from my post. I add a product link that leads you to the item via Whimsey Box or Amazon. So this is what you'll see every once in a while at the end of some posts...and if you like it, I'll do it more frequently.

This will hopefully makes it easier for you to find (or at least to look up the details of) the product before you make a run to your local store, and I also get a few cents when you purchase through my material links. So thank you in advance! *chuckle* I know my husband would appreciate me trying to supporting my chronic crafting & decorating addiction. Feel free to pop over to Whimsey Box, you'll be able to follow many fantastic projects, and don't forget to check out my profile page and follow along!

Besides surfing awesome websites, I have been working on my living room makeover, which I recently shared has been a bit of a challenge to complete (see the progress report here). 

I have another hundred projects to complete for my living room, but I thought it was time to take a little break from that space and cleanse my palette. So I'm going to pop over to my laundry room and do a few updates throughout the month of June.
Remember what it looked like before? Well it is time to revisit that space and make it sparkle! 

I hope your May was as beautiful and blooming with possibilities as mine... now on to summer!! 

The Living Room That Wasn't...

I've shown you a million small projects I've done to makeover my living room (a million being only a slight exaggeration...well it feels like only a slight exaggeration...I'm exhausted!), and by now you're probably eager to see the finished results! 

Bad news...my living room is as ornery as ever and simply refuses to be finished. I've thrown up my hands in despair and submitted to the decorating-powers-that-be. 

Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of progress.  I've painted artwork for the walls, I've painted the fireplace, I've painted chairs....

I've painted furniture and hardware, and just about everything else.  I'd like to say I've painted walls, but I haven't figured out how to do it with my extremely tall ceilings yet.

When you are working with the ittiest bittiest of budgets, and every little item and design idea has to be a do-it-yourself project (or bust!), then it takes lots of time and revisions to the dream. 

That being said, I've decided to live in it for a bit, refresh my palette by tackling a different room for a little while, then revisit the living room in a month or two. 

I'm hopeful that by then I will be able to complete the other hundred projects necessary to whip this living room into shape.

In the meantime, I guess I've made a little bit of progress... *wink*

Step-by-Step Abstract Art

Do-it-yourself art has become increasingly popular. Many of us want walls filled with art, but don't have the budget to accommodate. What about you? Have you braved wielding the brush and sparing the pocketbook? Art is subjective, so don't be afraid to whip out a canvas and create something you love...after all, it can't hurt to try! Banish your painting fears and give it a go, the most you'll lose if hate it is a little bit of time and paint.

How To Know When Upholstery Should Be Painted

To paint or not to paint...that should be the question before painting our upholstered furniture. But sometimes we just dive into a project with our eyes wide shut. After all, won't our gusto and faith in all things beautiful produce a DIY miracle? Probably not, then we'll have to compromise our vision, or live in denial. Well, don't do that when it comes to painting your furniture...I mean, your guests and family have to sit on your furniture, and they certainly won't suffer any delusions regarding our DIY's. *grin*

Things to Consider Before Breaking Out the Paint

• Texture: While most fabric will absorb paint, the factor that makes the difference is whether the material can be brushed, rubbed, or if necessary sanded without damaging. Being able to brush the material keeps it feeling soft and normal without turning it into a hardened or plastic-like surface (unless that is what you're going for). Upholstery that has a "fuzzy" quality rather than woven is ideal.
• Color: Look for colors that you can lighten a shade, or darken a shade rather than seeking a drastic makeover. This allows you to use minimal paint for maximum results...which means a soft finished product that no one will know has been painted.
• Print: No print or pattern is preferable, however a print that doesn't have too much contrast can still be covered without too much paint. 
• Tufting, buttons, etc: Know that any part that has tufting, a lot of folding, or tucking will be more difficult to soften up, and any paint in those nooks and crannies should be well moistened if you choose to proceed.

My Midcentury Paint-Over

I have two amazing (and oh-so-comfy) midcentury modern chairs I found online for just $30 a piece.
They are soft to the touch, firm to the tush, and easy on the eyes...well, except for that particular hue of ugly on the cushions. What's wrong with a light minty color you ask? For one it's not quite the color I'm going for in this particular room (or anywhere, ever), and for another it is more of a dingy mint color where some yellowy stains interfere with the color. Yep, these are the perfect pair of chair cushions to paint.

I am using Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan in Paris Grey. The chalkiness of the paint makes it perfect for rubbing off any paint accumulation thus keeping my cushions soft to the touch. It sands down to dust and perfection on furniture, so why not fabric? I started by watering down the Chalk Paint® to a one-third paint to water ratio (or basically as thin as it could be without losing color), and applying it in even strokes with a sponge brush. If you want to ensure good "bleed" of your paint (probably the only time bleed is a good thing in painting!), use a spray bottle to moisten the upholstery first.

I quickly brush across the chairs pushing the cushion hairs around with my sponge brush. Go with the grain, then against the grain, working the paint into the fibers.

Immediately after (or even during) paint application, rub vigorously with a cloth. When you are done painting each surface of the chair rub all the fibers in one direction so they lay down while drying.

Mid-dry (and it only takes about 10 minutes for the surface of the paint to begin to set up even though the cushion will be wet), use a stiff bristled brush (or your cloth if preferred) and give it a vigorous brushing. Once it has dried completely, if there are still areas that feel stiff to the touch, lightly sand (or brush) the area again. Usually the brushing works wonders and there is no need to sand at all.

And voila! I have changed the hue of my cushions from dingy mint to a flattering grey-blue, and the users will be none the wiser! Sometimes the subtlest changes make the greatest impact, see the cushion before, and the cushions after? ...Um yeah...no more dingy-icky. *rejoicing ensues* *also a quick dance party in which I say "uh-huh, it's my birthday"*

How to Make Cute DIY Drawstring Bags

I've gotten that organizing itch again... with all the crafty projects, summer road trips, and junk drawer-like messes, I've decided to bring things back into order using drawstring bags.

What can I say, I'm the naturally messy type, and being able to scoop up items and toss them into like groups just helps keep messes to a minimum.

With three kids everything I own gets a lot of wear and tear, its ridiculous how much wear and tear considering I have all girls! I'd like these bags to stand up against the onslaught of use, so for these bags I'm using the sturdiest material I own; Smart-Fab's disposable art & decoration fabric. It is strong, it doesn't fray or fade with washing, and it is great for painting on, making this the material of choice for a durable and attractive drawstring bag! 

Smart-Fab material comes in rolls so you can make bags of any shape and size. I'm thinking about creating some long drawstring bags to house my kids kites, beach gear, and a dozen other items we lug around throughout the summer. 

I was surfing through the Smart-Fab Pinterest page, and was impressed with all the things you can create with these large rolls! With kids I'm always looking for sturdy craft materials, and if you're a mom you are too, so if you want more info take a look at their website or Facebook page.

The color swatch book let me preview the variety of colors so I could determine which I would love most and get rolls in those colors. I am a sucker for bold greens, blues, and of course black and white, but my ever girly girls begged for some drawstring bags in pink and purple. Aw, I'm a sucker for my munchkins...sure why not, some  in colors for me, and some for my girls! 

I'll share step-by-step instructions on how to sew drawstring bags below, but first I thought I'd share the fun I had painting designs after sewing. The girls also enjoyed painting their drawstring bags, but were a little shy about me sharing their creations on the blog. Ah well, you'll have to take my word for how adorably cute their designs were...but then again, I might be biased. *grin*

When painting your drawstring bags, insert a little piece of cardboard or paper to protect against the paint seeping through. Some of my drawstring bags have a different design on the back.  A great idea for organizing is to paint a picture of the items the bag will house, or to stencil a word saying what goes in each bag on the back. 

Steps to Sew A Drawstring Bag

You're ready to feed the string or ribbon through the top, and paint your drawstring bag. Once the paint dries, organize your knick knacks, sit back and admire your awesome work!

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Mothers Day Reflections

Happy Mothers Day!
A flower for the mothers out there!

I've been a mom for 10 years now. Wow... I can hardly believe it! It seems like just a moment ago that I was rubbing my nose on chubby little baby cheeks, breathing in that smell of baby scalp and Johnson's shampoo. 
I didn't plan for any of my three munchkins, but I always expected them. Envisioning what a life as a mom would be all my life, yet never being prepared for what it really was. All its happy moments -many admittedly taken for granted, and it's frustrations...mostly with myself.
Everyone wishes me a happy mothers day and we reflect on the worth of a mother, which of course evokes a moment of introspection; I can't help but wonder, what has been the mark of my motherhood? Have I taken the blessings bestowed upon me by my own mother and expounded upon them? The tremendous responsibility of molding lives that shapes the world we live in, have I taken that to heart as I should?  
It is these moments of reflection that remind me that everyday life with it's ups and downs, all my efforts to create a loving home for my family, all the habits that we form, behind every moment and dream, there lies a higher purpose and a great responsibility.
Motherhood is not always easy, so to the mothers out there I say be encouraged, be vigilant, be strong, do not be weary with well doing, and love much.

"Strength and honor are her clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness. She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all". Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised." ~Proverbs 31:35-30 

Pintastic Pinboards & Painted Pins

By now you realize that I'm a bit pin board crazy. You have to understand, in a home full of little artists you need plenty of spaces to display artwork, inspiration, and other items. 

So when I found this ugly picture of a cherub in a beautiful frame at Goodwill for a buck, I had the perfect project in mind for it!

I removed the glass, put a layer of cork, batting, and cream colored fabric before placing the backing on, then tucked this completed little gem into my living room bookcase.

This is the perfect place to pin my favorite decorating inspiration. Yes, I am a huge Pinterest fanatic, but I still love to clip certain choice images from magazines and pin them to a board I can touch! I often include my own sketches, plans, fabric swatches, and paint chips for the space I'm making over.  

Of course, I couldn't just use any old pins on such a beautifully elegant pinboard. You know me, I'm way too cheap to buy cute pins while I have a large collection of perfectly functional ones at home. That being said, I was feeling a little resentful toward my old ugly functional pins!

I love the simple small changes that make a big difference. Using a little piece of felt, I took my existing pins, and gave them a little makeover!

Spray paint the tops, avoiding your fingers...because apparently I am am a bit of a spray paint klutz and it is harder than it sounds. *grin*

And presto chango! A few bucks in your pocket, and your old pins get a new outfit to try on. *wink* They are definitely ready for their debut...which no one will really notice, but you'll know it made a difference. 

Click here to see my painted jars tutorial.

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Looking to make this? Use your existing frame & pins, and purchase these supplies: