This Week We're Loving....

Huge Monograms on walls, doors, gates and more!  And not vinyl, we've done the adhesive vinyl.  And while we love the clean look it gives, There is just something about the depth and texture a wooden monogram can add to a room....

 

And there are so many options!  You don't even have to go with just a monogram....

 

 

Calling All Lilly Lovers!!!

OMG!!! How many of you Lilly Pulitzer lovers have old agendas lying around just because you can't bare to throw away such beauty??? Raise your hand.....yep.  I thought so.  Look at all of these ideas I've come across for repurposing all of those pages....All you need is an old agenda and a little Modge Podge

Coasters

 

 

 

Mirror

 

 

 

 

Bangles

Wall Letters

 

 

And here are a few recommendations from Lifeguard Press:

• Use the patterned monthly divider pages as unique scrap-booking paper or decoupage paper.
• Cut out and frame the monthly "Lillisms" (sayings, rhymes and quotes on each monthly page) for cute and clever artwork.
• Use the decorative pages as wrapping paper for small gifts.
• Cut or tear the patterned pages into a variety of geometric shapes and create a collage by gluing them to a piece of paper, then slip that into the exterior clear insert sleeve of a ring-binder to create a Lilly-patterned binder.
• Cut out dress-shapes from the patterned sheets (being sure to include tabs at the shoulders and around the waist) to create Lilly-patterned paper doll dresses.
• Cut the agenda's patterned sheets into squares and use as unique Lilly-patterned origami paper.
• Make rolled paper beads from the more colorful pages of the agenda and create unique jewelry, hair accessories, or even a beaded curtain.
• Glue or mod-podge your favorite patterns or pages to blank ceramic tiles and then coat them with polyurethane for DIY coasters.
• Using a variety of sizes of hole-punchers, punch out small circles or shapes to create Lilly Pulitzer confetti!
• Re-purpose your favorite pages into note cards or gift tags

Want more? I'll be pinning these ideas and more over on our Pinterest page! 
Follow along with us at http://pinterest.com/mmmonogramming/

Personalized drop cloth pillow tutorial

I love pillows.  Love to change em around, personalize em, make em.  They just add a little something special to your decor, you know?


So, I wanted/needed some new pillows for various places in my house.  As usual, budget was low.  I have plenty of old pillows to use for stuffing, so I just needed the covers.  I also wanted them to work with my new design vision: cottage chic, funky junk, whatever you want to call it.  I didn't want new shiny pillows from the store.  I had some dropcloths that I had bought to make curtains out of, so I started there. 


First, make your pillow cover with any tutorial you wish.  We have an easy one here.


Then, buy or make a stencil.  I used my vinyl cutter to make a seahorse, then pulled the seahorse out and used the outline for my stencil.  I especially like this because I was able to adhere my stencil to the pillow.

Then, I took out a sharpie and colored it in.  Here is what I came up with.  

So easy, my 11 year old can do it!

The Shabby Creek Cottage
House of Hepworths
Somewhat Simple
Brambleberry Cottage
The Trendy Treehouse
Savvy Southern Style
Somewhat Simple

Fan-cy

I love it when I am watching design shows on HGTV and the first thing the designer says is "That ceiling fan has GOT to go!".  Well, clearly, that room is not in the South.  We NEED our ceiling fans down here, ugly or not!  Of course I have them in nearly every room in my house.  I thought there MUST be some way to make them more attractive, though I have never seen much of anything except your typical, run of the mill ceiling fan.  Down here, they are so common you don't even notice.

Then, I got a Lowe's flyer in the mail.  This beauty was in there. LOVE, WANT.

What an awesome solution to ugly ceilingfan-ness!  Not so fast, cowgirl, this baby was originally priced at $699...are you kidding me?  (*It has now dropped to $399, same comment still applies).  So, I put my thinking cap on and came up with my own CUTE and CHEAP solution.

Voila:

Tween Bedroom

Master Bedroom

Tutorial follows for the Tween Fan.  The shade in the master came from Ikea, and was constructed differently.  A little ingenuity and these tools got that one hung pretty quick!

Husband laughing hysterically, but the clothesline is basically invisible against the fan, even when standing directly below.  It's level, secure, and cute....really, what more do you need?

Ok, so the Tween Fan was a little more involved.  Supplies needed: 18 gauge wire, wire cutters, pliers, this clampy thing (I am sure it has a name, but they sell it in the plumbing section for about $2-$3).  Duct tape (this is high tech!) and in this case, I was reusing old lamp shades, so grosgrain ribbon and a glue gun.  Shades were originally purchased at Lowe's and come plain or in several colors for $14.99.

1. Cut three pieces of wire that are approximately 2 inches longer than the diameter of your lamp shade.    Bend at a 90 degree angle approximately 2-3 inches from one end.  Now "lay" this end on the top of one of your lampshade support thingees (is there a name for these?) and duct tape together.  I used gold duct tape from my daughter's vast collection so it would be less noticable. Attach the other two wires to the other two lamp thingees in the same manner.

*If you are doing anything decorative, such as ribbon, you should do it now.  I simply hot glued grosgrain ribbon on the top and bottom edges of my shade.

2. Now take you plumbing clamp thing and center it in the middle of the top of the lampshade.  Bring your attached wires under and bend around so they are holding up the clamp.  The whole thing is kind of loosey, goosey at this point, but that is ok.  Your wires should be secure where attached to the lamp, giving you some stability.

3. Unscrew the clamp so it is completely open and place it around your ceiling fan above the lights but below the blades. ***Be sure your ceiling fan blades are NOT moving at this point.  You do not want to whack yourself in the head!**.  Place the clamp back together and tighten clamp as tight as you can get it.  This should secure everything pretty tightly, and if you were careful to get the clamp close to the center your shade should be level and beautiful.

4. Twist your wires back around themselves and cut off any excess.

And there you have it!  

If I wasn't clear, please feel free to ask questions...and if you make any of your fans Fan-cy, please leave a link, I would love to see!

Skip To My Lou

Between Naps on the Porch
Making the World Cuter
Coastal Charm
A Stroll Thru Life
Tip Junkie
Stringtown Home
A Bowl Full of Lemons

Some things are better left to a professional....

 While we love to DIY, there are just some things that are better left to a professional.  So, Tim, the contractor is working his magic on the house this week and checking some BIG projects off our "to do" list!

 Tween "Suite" List:
-remove wall
-close up extra door
-remove chair rail in one room

Master Bath List:

-door on water closet

-change outer door from glass french door to solid door (who the heck puts a glass door on the bathroom and then no door on the toilet??? You could practically see the potty from the front door!)

Huge project:  add mudroom/laundry room...currently washer and dryer are located in garage, but conveniently on a separate concrete pad and located in the perfect place for a door to be cut into the living area with a straight shot to the kitchen.

PROGRESS:

Dining room:

-Get those dog-ugly florescent lights out of my ceiling!  What the heck????

So, that is the update...what do you think??

Progress and Painted Floors

 Closing is done and I have had my project pants on for a WEEK.  Progress IS being made!  I am sure you remember the before (how could you not?  You are probably still having nightmares!)

 In progress:

*Wall has been painted.  You can't really tell from the first picture, but it was a lovely shade of orangey terra cotta, eek!  Now, Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray....much better!


And a sneak peek of the complete room:

 Now, doesn't that look SO much better?  The lovely floor is now painted one color...painted?  Yep, painted.  We got lucky on that one.  When I originally started researching how to cover the lovely 5 color stained concrete (I thought) floors, I found a handy tutorial over on Young House Love, one of my favorite blogs.  Once we closed, and I dug around in the garage, I found the products that had actually been used on the floor.  Lucky me, they were all water based (not concrete stain) and did not have to be stripped.  We were able to wash a couple of times and paint right over em.  The paint is supposed to be durable, so we will see. 


 I love the look, what do you think?




Linking up to these fun parties:
Coastal Charm
Stringtown Home
A Bowl Full of Lemons
Between Naps on the Porch
Making the World Cuter
Savvy Southern Style

Really, you bought THAT?

We are closing on our house this week.  I am putting on my project pants....here's a sneak peek of where we are starting....Yes, that is the floor...in THREE ROOMS....

  Intrigued?  I have plans....big plans....stay tuned!

I am in love...with Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint

If you haven't heard of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, it is an amazing product that you can use to paint over ANYTHING with no prep (sanding, primer) at all!!!  Seriously, it warms my lazy, impatient little heart.

I realize I am probably the last blogger on the planet to try Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (hereafter referred to as ASCP).  In my defense, I thought it was one of those fancy schmancy things I would have to order and have shipped...paying shipping on PAINT was not high on my list of things to do.  

So one night, with a list of projects in hand, I checked to see where the nearest "stockist" was...maybe I would drive to Jacksonville or Atlanta...well knock me over with a feather.  There is a stockist HERE, in little old Tallahassee.  Who knew?  Sweet South Cottage is a stockist as well as a great place to take a class in ASCP and just kill a couple of hours soaking in all the vintage goodness!

I took a little field trip out to Sweet South Cottage and bought a couple of sample pots: Old White and French Linen as well as the dark wax.  I am in love.  I have had no instruction in how to use this stuff properly, I see a class in my future. 

ASCP project #1: Candlesticks

Acquired from  the hoarder who lives near my house.  Seriously, not joking, you can see the stuff piled up past the tops of the windows in the back of his house! But he does have great garage sales.
Cost $12 for the set (didn't even try to bargain.  These guys are big, thought they were worth it, they are about 14" high and as big around as a skinnier person's thigh) 

Candlesticks are ceramic.  I wiped them off and started painting with ASCP old white.  No sanding, roughing, no primer.
First coat:

Too streaky, so I let it dry and slapped on another (right candle holder in pic below).  The finish at this point is opaque and chalky...hence the name I guess, duh.

Once the second coat was dry, I used dark wax and buffed to finish.  There is a learning curve with the wax, so offering no instruction.  Stay tuned, I am going to learn to do it right and then share.  My second candlestick looks much better, the wax is dry brushed on. 

Voila, finished product.  (wreath tutorial HERE). LOVE them, just love.

These are for my new "neutral" dining room.  I am hoping for something like this FABULOUS dining room by Kimberly over at Serendipity.  Love all her fun vintagey touches.

Have a great weekend, and if you like us, join up.  
We would love to join you too! ♥

This week I am partying with:

Stringtown Home

Remodelaholic

It's A Hodgepodge Life

Thirty Handmade Days

The Trendy Treehouse

Chick on a Shoestring Decorating

My Romantic Home

Shabby Nest

House of Hepworths

French Country Cottage

Craftionary

My Simple Home Life

Shaken Together
Shades of Amber

Mother's Day project

 I hope you had a great Mother's Day.  I sure did.  I have great kids.  It is such a blessing to be a mother (most days).  I don't like Mother's Day to be a big deal...don't want breakfast in bed or a big fancy dinner. I usually just ask for time.  Time off from doing housework, errands, homework etc.  Time for me to be crafty and creative.


This mother's day I tackled a couple of projects that had been brewing in my head.  Tutorial for one will be coming in June...and it IS fabulous.  The other is a slipcover.  One of the things on my "bucket list" is to learn to make slipcovers.  Ok, I know, lame bucket list.


I started tentatively a few weeks ago....

 

 But didn't get very far.  It took me a while to figure out I just needed to cut this fabric and do the front of the arm as a separate piece...not an expert here, so don't laugh.

Once I got the backs of both arms figured out, I was able to move on to the fronts.  I even decided to make and add piping so it would look more professional.  I am REALLY pleased and proud of the result!

Stay tuned for the finished product (once Joann's gets more cotton duck).  I have the other arm front pinned.  So I hope to get that done and the hem finished this week.  I would like to get all the cushions disassembled and cord recovered (I am reusing old cord and zippers cause I am thrifty (cheap) like that) this week too...high hopes in the second to last week of school....and did I mention we are hoping to close on our new house this week?