May Adventures: Supper on Rainy Night(s)

When it's pouring outside,

turn out all the lights and bring out 

the candles for dinner.

May Adventures: Pork Pie

 For The Big Bad Wolf...

May Adventures: Spring Chandelier

Feels too formal

   Help for a too pretty chandelier...

Clip an old wreath

Nice for spring

May Adventures: Decorating with Nature

You don't have to look far to find incredibly beautiful touches for your home.

          Display the natural art 

•  atop candle holders

• inside overturned vases

• under a cheese dome!

Transfer Words on Doors

In the spirit of labels and doors, here is a project you can do at home that requires a few tools and a steady hand. This project was inspired by the inviting "Welcome" sign I saw painted on the door of a shop.

• Choose a door to label. You might like to do this for your laundry, pantry, or linen closet door. The laundry seemed a good place for me to start. It's not too visible a door if I mess up, and because I do seem to spend a lot of time there. Why not fancy it up a bit?

• Use your computer to make a label. Print it, and tape the label to your door to be sure you like how it looks. Once you are satisfied, attach the sign to your door with a piece of scotch tape. Use a level to verify the sign is straight.                               

 

• Purchase graphite paper from a craft store to use to transfer the pattern to the door. Cut a piece to fit your sign. Slip it under the label so that the black side is facing the door and the grey side faces the back of the label. Tape the transfer paper to the door.

• Using a ballpoint pen, firmly trace the first letter of the word you chose. Peek under the transfer paper to ensure that the letter is dark enough. 

• After you complete the word, remove the papers. With a steady hand and felt tip pen, retrace and fill in the word. I used a bit of black acrylic paint and a small paint brush (round, size 1) to fill in the heavier parts of the letters. After the paint dries, use the pen to smooth out any lines.

Paint a Growth Chart on Your Door

Use a door to record and celebrate growth spurts!

• Search the internet and peruse catalogs to find a design you wish to replicate.
• Add a quote if you'd like.
• Use a pencil and long ruler to mark each foot of growth.
• Use pencil to lightly sketch the design on your door.
• With a paintbrush and craft paint, fill in your design. Keep a wet cloth handy for any mess-ups.

Be prepared to take the door with you if ever you move...

A New Old Door

Give a modern metal door an old door look.

• Paint the door and allow it to dry.
• Use a piece of sandpaper and gently rub paint off in areas that show wear - around the edges and hardware.
• Enhance the feeling of age by attaching an antique garden tool.

Opportunity's at the Door

Family and friends pass through doorways as they enter and move about your home. You can use the doors to communicate personality, whimsy, and warmth! In the next few posts, we'll look at a few ways to do this.

White paint ushers in spring!

Whether it's a coat of white semi-gloss latex or a simple bouquet, you've sent a welcoming message to your guests.

Use a glue gun to attach a dried bouquet and ribbon to a guestroom door.

                                                                                      

Love Those Labels!

Everything in its place!

 Labels are a great way to keep your closet organized. Remember the basic wardrobe we explored in an earlier post?

If you'd like labels that correspond to the Lucky magazine article as well as labels for other closet items, click on "Closet labels" below.

Save the file and print the labels on card stock. Cut them out and glue them to your hangers and storage boxes. Nice job!  


Click here for Closet labels.

Labeled boxes look better than messy stacks any day!

Idea #4 Ornamental Lighting

                                     Attach unique ornaments to lamps to create a special look! 

                                                            

         

                                   

Reveal or conceal with eye catching ornaments

Do you have anything you'd like to draw attention to or away from? Idea #3 is to use a hanging ornament to move the eye to your best advantage!

Highlighting a painted ceiling

Ornamental Idea #2

Stars and candlelight

Use interesting ornaments to give a bit of pizazz to your candle holders.

Uses for Stored Christmas Ornaments

Idea #1 Attach to a ceiling fan chain

Some ornaments are too lovely to spend 11 months in a box. Look around your home for creative ways to prolong your enjoyment.

Jewelry Frame

A jewelry frame is great because

• It's functional as well as decorative.

• It allows you to view all jewelry at once and quickly make your selection. 

• It helps you identify and weed out the jewelry you no longer use or like.

The 6 easy steps to make one of your own
1) Remove the glass from the frame you choose.
2) Cut a piece of heavy cardboard to fit the frame.
3) Cover the board with your choice of fabric. I used duct tape to attach a scrap of black velvet to the cardboard.
4) Fit the board into the frame. You may need to add more cardboard backing to get a tight fit. Secure backing to the frame with duct tape (greatest invention ever).
5) Measure and cut a piece of wrapping paper to cover the back.  I used household glue to attach this to the back.
6) Attach hardware and hang the frame. Hang jewelry with straight pins or thumbtacks.

                                                                    Admire your creativity!

Closet Creation: Fewer Clothes, More Attitude

I decided to go ahead and clear out the clothes that did not fit into one of the four seasonal sets. If this seems too drastic, you may wish to move the extra clothes to another closet or storage space. Once you live through the different seasons and try the ensembles, it should be easier for you to determine which clothes you no longer need.

Once I cleared things out, I got inspired to give my closet a new look.

Check out the before and after!

BEFORE

AFTER

AFTER

Clothing Essentials Challenge - Shopping & Trial Run

• Step 3: Once you've looked through your closet, determine if there are gaps you want to fill. Shop carefully!

• Step 4: Try several of the outfit ensembles suggested by the magazine/video article to see how your essentials work together. Last week, while on vacation in a warmer climate, I tried out my spring essentials. 

 
 
 

If all goes well, the next logical step is...

• Step 5: Remove all other clothes from the closet.

Yikes.

 

Clothing Essentials Challenge - Shop Your Closet

• Step 2: The article focuses on a look for spring, so start with your spring clothing. With the list in hand, look through your clothes. It helps to select the scarf, blazer, and a coordinating pair of pants or skirt first. Stay with colors that flatter you and clothes that fit well. I used ivory and navy pieces rather than the suggested white and black. Make sure you choose clothes you love enough to wear for three months!

          Go through the same process to select the basics for your summer, fall, and winter 
          wardrobes. Selecting pieces for fall and winter is a bit more challenging since the article  
          features clothing suitable for warm weather only. For example, I substituted a camel  
          colored wool jacket for the leather biker jacket, long sleeve knit tops for the tanks, and  
          corduroy pants for the shorts. 

          At this point, you have 

• grouped together key pieces of clothing for each season
• identified clothes that do not fit into the four groups and
• identified essential items you lack. 

        

Clothing Essentials Challenge

I love the ideas from the becomingminimalist blog. It suggests ways we can have more in life even as we own less stuff. 

I found the post about cleaning out clothes, however, to be tricky to carry out (see becomingminimalist). 

Even after weeding through, you'll notice that my closet still looks maximum. 

How do we pare down our clothes closets so that we still look "put together"? 

Here's the first step to meet this creative challenge:  

• Step 1: We need a practical guide to help us. Check out this great article from the March edition of Lucky magazine. The article shows you 90 looks (both work and casual) that you can create using a few essential pieces. Take a look at the video on the online magazine - Luckymag.com. 

Buy the magazine or watch the video and make a list of the essentials. We'll use it as a guide only. You want to create a look that's all your own!

Decorate with Family Recipes

College photo of my grandmother- Lovely handwriting!

This idea gives you a creative way to preserve and display family recipes. Here are the steps to honor the cooks of your past:

• Determine the space available to display recipes.

• Purchase small frames. I chose frames with clips which are easy to assemble.

• Choose a recipe from each relative. Hand-written ones gives us a sense of the loved one's personality. 

Little Rosco and Jam Cake

• Cut paper or thin fabric to make a background that coordinates with your kitchen.

• Place the original or a scanned copy of the recipe on the background.

• Add a small picture. It is nice to use a photo of the recipe's author if you have one.

To the right is a "Jam Cake" recipe written by my husband's grandmother. It seemed fitting to use a childhood photo of my husband's father. He must have just loved it when his mama made cake!

Pantry Guest

 A tribute to our guest who wasn't able to stay long.

Our secret- A Rag Bag pillow

I love this little chair - a tag sale find that fits perfectly in our mud room. But the big secret I'm letting you in on is this: the cushion is also my rag bag.
Try this creative move yourself to get a cute, soft cushion and a place to store your cleaning rags when you're not using them.

To do this:
Pick fabric: Choose fabric you like. You may have a tablecloth you no longer use because of a stain, a beach towel, curtains, etc. Check your local thrift store as well for fabric possibilities.
Sew it: Using a pillow case for a model, cut and sew to form the two sides and bottom of a simple bag. Don't forget to leave the top open! Stuff the pillow with cleaning rags ( I cut up worn towels), fold the top flap over, and hide the flap beneath the bag.

More hot glue and silverware

Why stop with the walls? (See my previous post) You may also want to use a hot glue gun to attach items to a door...








                                                                
                                                  


                       or over a doorway!

Make a Wallboard Organizer

It feels good to have a place to keep things in order!

These wall boards are easy to make from cardboard. (Like those moving boxes in the basement!)

To make your own:

• Determine the size board you want and cut two pieces of cardboard to that size. Two makes the board thick enough to handle thumbtacks and pins.
• Tape the pieces together using duct tape.
• Cover board with fabric (I used canvas and burlap). Use duct tape or a staple gun to attach fabric to board. 
• Hang the board: For the smaller board, I used upholstery tacks to attach ribbon to the back of the board. I hung it from an over-the-door wreath hanger. I used a staple gun to attach three hooks to the back of the large board. These hang on three upholstery tacks nailed in the wall.
• Get organized!  You may want to make labels for the different tasks that need your attention. 

Office Sign

 I'm open for business!

From Light Switch to Office Sign?

I ordered this great looking light switch from Anthropologie but it doesn't fit my switch! I would love a little sign for my office...Stay tuned!

New Look for Kitchen Backsplash

Isn't this about the time resolutions go awry? I have some catching up to do!

Stamps purchased from Ballard Designs and an ink pad give a new look to my kitchen tiles.
Purchase or borrow stamps and an ink pad (I used black). Plan out the pattern. Keep a wet paper towel nearby so you can easily wipe off and try again to get look you want.

Hot Glue Silverware

Whip out your hot glue gun and go to town. I added old silverware here and there to the wall border in my kitchen. To do this project, look for interesting flatware at thrift shops or garage sales. Add a bit of glue to the areas where the flatware touches the wall and hold for 15 seconds or so until the glue cools.

Click here for more hot glue gun ideas

Sketch Your Travels

I painted a sketch of a recent trip.

To do this, purchase a watercolor sketchbook that fits easily into your traveling gear. Use a pencil to sketch the different memories of your trip into a collage. I get ideas from guidebooks found in hotel rooms, newspapers, and brochures. Use watercolors and a black felt tip pen to add color and narrative to the page that captures the adventure.

Tea Cakes and Sprinkles

Tonight we had Tea Cake cookies. With sprinkles of course!

Mudroom Labels

Here is the finished look for my January 6th idea- I found the holders at a craft store and printed new labels on a sheet of the tea-dyed paper.
                                                  He said, "Has this sign always been here?"

Tea Dyeing Paper

For yesterday's and future projects, I needed a supply of antique-looking paper. To make it, I added copier and card stock paper to a pan that contained a kettle's worth of boiling water and six family size tea bags. After a few minutes, I took the sheets out of the dye and arranged them to dry flat on towels. I now have a nice stack of "old" paper.