Sunday, April 24, 2016

Hand-painted signs & a porch makeover

I saw the cutest hand-painted signs on my Instagram feed this week and instantly fell in love!  I wanted to try to make some of my own and I think they turned out pretty cute.
I used some scrap wood for this one, white washed it and then used a pencil to draw on my design.  I will be investing in some nicer paint brushes because the ones I have are not for something like this.  
 Nevertheless, I love the way this looks and can't wait to make more!  
I made one for the porch and of course I had to makeover the porch.  It is a work in progress but so far it is looking better! 
It is a narrow porch so this is the only way to get a shot of it from the front.  My vintage metal chairs need to be painted, I just have to decide which color to paint them. 
I am going to get some new outdoor pillows and an outdoor rug for this area as well.  One of these days we want to widen the porch and add an awning to it, but that might be a ways off. 
Here is my porch sign.  I used stir sticks to build the sign, then whitewashed it and painted it.  New paintbrushes are a definite must in my near future!
I didn't have a table so I made one using a milk can and an old table top.  It works perfectly for setting your drink on while you enjoy the front porch! 
My vintage window frame is the perfect touch for my sign and vintage Homeco. candle sconces are on each side.  I think they need to be painted as well and I might have to take apart a solar light to put in place of candles. 
I can't wait to paint more signs and do some more work on my porch makeover!

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Sunday, April 17, 2016

Lilacs & Other Signs of Spring

Lilacs are one of my most favorite flowers, their scent is intoxicating!  I have always wanted my own lilac bush and I finally got one.  This weekend the lilacs were ready to be trimmed and brought inside the house to fill it with that amazing lilac smell.
I spotted this cute little black bunny in the back pasture on Friday night and he is still around.  Trying to get pictures of him has proved difficult because he doesn't know what to think of me and the dogs don't know what to think about him! 
Darker color lilacs in the living room in tiny bulb vases. 
The cows are back in the pasture, different ones from last fall.  There are 3 and this little baby is so cute.  He likes to let you know that he is there with the cutest moooo you've ever heard.  There is also a big red cow who is the "mama" to this one and a hairy little bull with the sweetest horns.  One of these days I will get a picture of all 3 of them. There are little piglets out back too but their location makes it hard to get a picture of them, but don't worry, I will!
Lilacs in a square vase on the mantle look and smell lovely. 
Since this Spring and Summer will be spent working on our house, camping will probably not be happening until at least next year.  So Cody set up a camp spot in the front yard that feels just like being in the mountains.  I am sure we will have some sleep overs out there so that we won't miss camping too much! 
Lilacs in a vintage carafe in the bedroom are a must! 
Another thing I have always wanted was a clothes line and this house had one.  It's not the one I want, but it's the one I have for now.  I hung some sheets up this morning and Cody is already out there building me a bigger and better one! 
I am so happy Spring is here!

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Saturday, March 26, 2016

Photography & Design

Have you ever been afraid to do something because you don't know what people will think of you?  I have been sitting on a Facebook page solely for my photography and design for months.  I am afraid that people will judge and critique and make me feel like I am not good enough.  But today, I decided to share it and invite my family and friends to like it.  Because it is time to show the world that I am talented and capable.  It's more than just photography, it's graphic design and event planning too.  I can do all of these things and more.  So if you feel so inclined, please like my page and let me feel the love!
Not to mention you will get to see more pictures of the love of my life, my adorable nephew Fischer, who is pictured above!


Friday, March 25, 2016

Birdhouse Makeovers

Have you been to RiteAid lately?  If you haven't, you are totally missing out!  They have the cutest little birdhouses in their garden section and right now they are 50% off.  I have been eyeing these two birdhouses for awhile and finally went and got them.
They are both pretty cute as is but I knew that with a makeover, they would be even cuter.  I picked out some colors and got to work. 
When your husband is an auto body painter, some things tend to wear off on you.  The first thing I did was to mask off parts that I didn't want painted over.  I even used automotive masking tape.  I think my husband would be proud! 
Here is how they looked after they were painted.  How stinking cute are these now?  I wish Cody would let me paint our vintage camper like this but I just have a feeling he wouldn't go for it!
 
It's not a perfect paint job but it is so much better with these colors.  I left the silver but covered up the red, green and blue colors.   
I think these adorable birdhouses are ready to hit the road and take a camping trip as soon as the weather warms up.  I know I am too! 
Aren't the striped awnings so cute?!  Even the windows have curtains tied back on the sides and the front.  It reminds me a lot of my own camper
These will eventually hang somewhere in the yard, but for now they are chilling at the base of one of our trees.  I wonder if birds will love living in these? 
Some close-up shots to see the detail.  These are kind of a flimsy plastic so be careful with handling them.  I already broke the front hitch off of the camper and busted the tailgate on the truck.  Good thing some glue and body work was all it took to fix them! 
And just for fun, a little before and after shot.  So much cuter in my favorite colors!
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Sunday, March 13, 2016

Experimenting: Yarn Egg Basket

This Saturday, I spent the afternoon with my aunt experimenting with making yarn egg baskets.  My mom has had one since I was little and I always loved it.  When my aunt posted on Facebook that she was going to make some, I jumped on the chance to come make some with her.   
I thought she had made them before and would teach me how, but she hadn't so we learned together.  I made a smaller one and a bigger one and the smaller one turned out the best.  

I decorated them minimally because I couldn't find hot glue gun sticks.  Plus they are my experimental ones and I plan on making better ones soon. 
Here is what I will do differently next time, just in case you want to learn from my mistakes! 
Don't use yarn, unless it is regular yarn.  The yarn we used was sort of flat.  When I make new ones, I think I will use an embroidery floss of some sort or just string. 
Don't use flour and water. Instead, use sugar and water so that you don't have any white residue left over.  Also, don't cut the yarn into pieces and don't dip it in the sugar mixture.  Wrap the balloon in the string first and then "paint on" the sugar mixture. 
Wrap the entire balloon.  Don't try to leave a hole for the opening.  You can cut that out later! 
The little one will probably last a lot longer since I used more yarn but I think the bigger one will only last one season.  The more string you use, the better! As soon as I make the next one with my new found knowledge, I will let you know how it goes.
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Sunday, March 6, 2016

Trough Box & Faux Cotton Branches

We have been using a lot wood lately in our home makeover projects.  When I see the leftover pieces of wood, I think of all the little things we can make with them.  A trough box was at the top of my list.
I showed Cody what I wanted and thought that sooner or later he could make me one.  Twenty minutes later, this is what he made me!   
I put some vinegar and steel wool stain on it and went to town filling it up with pretty things.  I shopped the house and yard and was able to find a nice variety of things to put in it. 
Bed springs, horse shoes, silk flowers, candles and rag balls are both shabby and rustic, vintage and farmhouse.  Some of the things I love! 
I am sure that I will be adding and subtracting until I get it just the way I like it.  But for now, I think it's perfect sitting on my dining room table. 
I have also been crushing on cotton lately.  We don't have cotton fields in Idaho and I have honestly never seen cotton "out in the wild".  I tried my hand at making my own cotton branches and it is the perfect focal point for my new trough box. 
I cut egg cartons into petals and painted them brown.  I pulled cotton balls apart and formed them into bigger balls that were glued inside the petals.  I gathered twigs from the yard and glued the cotton blossoms onto them.   
I think they look pretty good and I love the way they look in an aqua Ball jar.   
Cody didn't realize how easy it would be to make a box like this or how much he would like the end result until he made one.  Now he wants to make a whole bunch in all different shapes and sizes and sell them.  I think that is a fantastic idea! 
I love having a handy husband who can take my wild ideas and turn them into something like this! 
I am not sure if it is a good or bad thing that I was able to shop my house and find all this stuff to fill it but I am glad that I had all of it either way! 
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Sunday, February 28, 2016

Spring in the Bedroom

Spring fever has hit our house!  We are all longing for nice warm weather where we can sit out in the sun and bask in it all day long.  Grady took full advantage of the sunshine we had last weekend.  As uncomfortable as the back of the truck looks, he makes it look pretty comfy!  This weekend was overcast and chilly so there wasn't much of this happening.
I brought Spring into the bedroom since it feels like awhile before it will be Spring outside.  I love changing my bedding on a regular basis and one of my favorite duvet covers is this aqua set I got at a thrift store.  
It has polka dots on one side and roses on the other.  Such a perfect duvet cover for Spring!  The foot of the bed has a vintage sheet in aqua roses and stripes.  I put it on the bed when the dogs come lay with me at night. 
I still have this spring vignette and thought it was perfect to put on the bed.  This is still one of my favorites! 
I found some really pretty fabric this weekend and made a rag garland to hang on my old wood window in the bedroom.  The 4 different fabrics all have roses and are the prettiest colors and patterns. 
I brought home 2 dozen roses from last weekend and they had to go into the bedroom on the little fireplace.  I wish I could have fresh flowers all over my house all the time! 
The sheets on the bed are not Spring sheets--it's still cold out, especially at night so my little flannel owls are hiding under the Spring bedding. 
I put some pink peonies in blue Ball jars on either side of the headboard for some extra Spring touches. 
It's definitely Spring in our bedroom and hopefully soon it will be Spring outside too! 
And we have started on our next room makeover in our house.  The living room got its first bit of love this weekend and we have much more to do.  But here is a peek of what we got done.  I am so glad to have a handy husband and one that goes along with my crazy ideas! 

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