Poppies at Play

True love story~

2012-01-24T21:02:00.000-08:00

My parents celebrated their 42nd wedding Anniversary, or as they like to call it,

their 504th month of marriage.

Their love story is one of my very favorites,

and I get to be a part of it!

I can honestly say I have never seen them fight. Disagree, YES...but never fight.

I remember someone asking my dad what his dream vacation would be.

His answer,"Anywhere Kay is".

They RESPECT each other,

SACRIFICE for one another

and ENJOY each other's company

Weekly dates have always been crucial to them, even when they had 5 little kids.

They gave me a precious gift...

a home filled with music, laughter, faith and

the knowledge that families can be HAPPY

and they can last forever with a lot of work and a lot of

LOVE.

Not so cutesy love printable~

2012-01-24T19:34:00.000-08:00

Click HERE to download the print

You are pretty cool..

2012-01-07T09:30:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to let you know that

you are pretty fantastic.

You are smart, creative and you can do life!!

You have so many amazing things to accomplish.
Believe that you can.

Don't give up on your dreams. In fact, come up with more dreams, bigger dreams...
and then turn those dreams into reality.

You're worth it.

Print HERE

Valentine's vinyl~

2012-01-05T10:45:00.000-08:00

Valentine's subway art vinyl~

Pictured on a 12'' X12'' board

$8+Shipping

Click HERE for ordering information.

Minor front room changes~

2012-01-01T21:09:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's celebration! What a crazy fun couple of weeks! The Joe has been off of work and it's been so awesome to have the kids home. I love being able to spend time with all of them. What a wonderful time of year! Treats miraculously showing up on your front door every night, listening to the christmas CD's that the Haskells have made for us over the years and watching the kids anticipate the most magical night of their lives. I also love being able to take advantage of the "Santa is watching" leverage that always seems to improve my kids behavior for a few days.

Admittedly I also love the feeling of Christmas coming to an end. It's nice to be able to feel like we successfully made it through another year. It feels good to wrap up Christmas and be able to give the house a good cleaning...not that I have actually done that yet, but I'm sure it will feel fabulous when I do....{{tomorrow maybe}}...**fingers crossed** I'm also very motivated at this time of year to change things around a bit. I'm in the mood for something new! Not the 'spend a lot of money' kind of new, just shuffling things around.

I made a new family sign for the front room to and decided to attempt to hang it with a collage of family pictures. For the most part I try to avoid collages. I have never been very good at them and usually just end up taking everything down and being annoyed by the vast multitude of new holes I have created in my wall, but I figured ahhh, what the heck. Holes can always be filled.

I wanted the focus of my sign to be my family. I haven't really zeroed in on what I want my New Year's resolutions to be, but I definitely want them to include building a stronger relationship with my loved ones.

Here's an up close and personal shot of the sign so you can read what it says.

Here's the collage....and I don't even hate it! It's a Christmas miracle:)

Look for vinyl in the family and home section of the vinyl market

Thanks for stopping by for a visit. Have a happy New Year! Kiss the kids for me:)

Easy Teacher Gift~

2011-12-13T10:52:00.000-08:00

My SIL Sarah told me about a fun idea she had a couple of years ago. She gave wrapping paper and bows to her neighborhood friends along with a note that said something like, "Have fun wrapping up the season!". Along with being creative, she is also very thrifty!! She bought her rolls of wrapping paper the year before when all the stores were practically giving them away.

I'm not that great when it comes to thinking ahead, but I do LOVE the idea and thought it would make a perfect teacher gift this year. After all, who couldn't use a little extra wrapping paper...especially a busy teacher that hasn't had much time to prepare for the holidays.

It's also a gift that works well with any budget. You can buy a roll at the dollar store, or you can deck out the gift with tape, ribbons, bows and gift tags.

Make up some cute tags of your own, or feel free to grab mine!

You can find the link to the free pdf print HERE

The Christ Child~

2011-12-07T11:49:00.001-08:00

Vinyl for sale. Check the Christmas Vinyl for details.

Merry and Bright~

2011-12-06T08:01:00.001-08:00

I had a friend mention last week how close it was getting to Christmas...

My response was,"Don't remind me!!! I'm not ready!!!"

I thought later about that and how sad it was that I was dreading the day just because I hadn't finished my shopping. I know there is a lot to do to prepare, but I also need to be reminded to ENJOY the SEASON. What a wonderful time of year and how unfortunate it would be for me to spend it dreading, stressing, hurrying and being frustrated.

Instead I want to spend my days being grateful. Being in love with my family and enjoy the precious moments we have together.

May the days leading up to Christmas be merry and bright for you!

May your stress levels stay low, your "to-do" list get done quickly

and

may your hearts be full of love and gratitude for the birth of the Savior.

Merry and Bright vinyl can be found in the Christmas section of the vinyl market.

Meet me under the mistletoe~

2011-11-28T20:00:00.001-08:00

Yep, that's all I want to do today.

Free print HERE

~Joy to the world~

2011-11-22T08:46:00.001-08:00

Free print HERE

Count your blessings sign~

2011-11-03T12:28:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make an orange sign for the season.

Orange is one of my favorite colors, but it can be a little intense so I decided to make a big white frame to tone it down.

I took a 6''X8' board and cut it into 2' pieces and then chopped all of the edges at 45 degree angles.

I glued and stapled the edges together and gave it a light coat of paint.

I was hoping to keep it very simple as well as bright and cheerful.

An everyday reminder of how blessed I am.

Love note~

2011-10-25T14:10:00.000-07:00

This one is dedicated to my sweet true love:

find the printable HERE

Thanksgiving blocks~

2011-10-25T09:13:00.000-07:00

Stacking blocks in different ways makes for a fun and simple holiday display

To make these Thanksgiving blocks I cut a piece of a 2X4 into 2 equal parts, 10.5'' each.

I cut a smaller block off of one of the pieces which measured 2.75''.

Painted them with Burnt Umber by Folk Art

and added vinyl lettering.

I will be selling the vinyl for $6 a set which will include shipping.

Shoot me an email if you are interested and I'll send over a paypal invoice.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Andy

Thankful hearts~

2011-10-19T20:12:00.000-07:00

I am a child of God~

2011-10-17T19:38:00.000-07:00

Click HERE for the pdf

Ding dong the witch is dead!

2011-10-11T11:01:00.000-07:00

A fun after school snack, or a Halloween treat for the neighbors.

Just pick up some Ding Dongs and supplies to make mini witch hats.

Click HERE for the pdf printable

Father's love printable

2011-10-10T12:45:00.000-07:00

You can find the printable pdf version HERE

Kitchen Sign~

2011-10-10T11:53:00.000-07:00

Remember the cabinet door I bought for a few bucks?

Well, initially it had 5 squares.

I chopped off a couple and used the larger piece to make this headboard shelf

I was able to salvage one of the remaining squares to use as a frame for a kitchen sign.

I cut some 1/4'' mdf strips to glue to the center to give it a plank sort of look.

After brushing the slats with a coat of green paint and glueing them into place it was ready for vinyl

I wanted to include everything I love about the kitchen in the sign.
It always seems to be a gathering place where we can hang out, enjoy ourselves and make lasting memories!

Transforming the front room~

2011-10-05T13:16:00.000-07:00

Our front room was bright and whimsical. This weekend I was ready to make a change.

I was craving something clean and refreshing.

I had helped my friend Heather hang board and batten trim in her master bedroom and she gave me all of her extra supplies, which was super nice! I loved how her room turned out and wanted to do something similar in my front room. This weekend The Joe and I celebrated our anniversary. We went to a football game(something he really enjoys) and worked on projects(something I really enjoy). It was a wonderful way to spend time together and make some fun memories!

Here are a couple of the process pics. It was actually a very fast project. We had everything tacked to the walls within an hour and a half. We used 4'' boards for the top and 2'' boards for the battens. We chopped the bottoms of the 2'' boards at a 45 degree angle so they would match the base molding.

To space the boards evenly, we cut 2 board that were 17'' long and held them in between the battens while we tacked them into place. One near the top and one near the bottom. It was really easy and we didn't have to worry about measuring everything!

After saying goodbye to the bright yellow wall and painting everything I felt like the room needed a little something more so I made a shelf to one of the walls.

I was worried that the shelf might hurt the look of the room, but I actually love how it all came together!

The paint colors are antique white and pebble gray by Glidden.

Before:

After:

It feels much cleaner to me! Just what I was hoping for.

I'd like to add a dark gray throw pillow to the chair and figure out a good window treatment,

possibly making shutters?? I would love to be able to figure that out!

Family vinyl~

2011-09-29T17:14:00.001-07:00

Repurposing a cabinet door into a headboard shelf~

2011-09-27T12:53:00.000-07:00

I bought this cabinet door from the "as-is" department at IKEA. I picked it up for $3(love those deals!!) Initially it had 2 additional squares that I chopped off so I could use it for the top of a coffee table. We used it for a while until Emmie gave us an old door that we wanted to use instead.

The cabinet door has been hanging out in my garage for a couple of months so I thought I'd try and turn it into a shelf/headboard for my daughter's room.

It's a pretty easy project if you have the right tools!

I set an 8'' mdf board next to the door and played around with drawing sides until I figured out one that I liked. I cut it out with a bandsaw and traced a matching one for the other side.

I chopped the edges of a 10'' board at a 45 degree angle with a miter and routed the top side.

Before I put it all together, I drilled hanging holes in the top side of the cabinet door.

I put wood glue on all of the edges and tacked them into place with a pneumatic nail gun.

Here's a shot of the previous headboard.

And here's the headboard shelf hanging above her bed.

I love how much it brightens and cheers up the room!

Hopefully Liv will like it too!

Forget me not~

2011-09-26T07:40:00.000-07:00

Such a wonderful talk by President Uchtdorf on Saturday.

Click HERE to check it out

Click HERE if you'd like this printable

Duct tape Halloween topiary~

2011-09-23T14:45:00.000-07:00

The supply list for a duct tape topiary is pretty small...

You'll need:

Styrofoam ball...(go with a small size, trust me:)

a wooden dowel

2 rolls of black duct tape

glass or a pot

candy corn

hot glue

The black rosettes are made by cutting 6''-8'' of duct tape, folding the edge down and rolling.

You can check out a more detailed tutorial with THIS project.

Once you have a few million (j/k but it feels like it) rosettes, glue them to the styrofoam ball.

Keep them nice and close to each other. It takes a lot. I used 2 full rolls of duct tape.

Shove a painted dowel into the center of the ball and plant it in a pot full of candy corn.

I probably should have used something a little less edible. I'm sure this won't make it until Halloween...or Sunday for that matter.

Easy and inexpensive birthday gift~

2011-09-23T07:31:00.000-07:00

For a quick gift idea,

wrap up a box of Lucky Charms and stick a printable tag to the front!

There's one tag to use if you're giving it as a group gift and one if it's from an individual.

Click HERE for the printable

Trick or treat eye chart~

2011-09-19T19:12:00.000-07:00

Click HERE for the printable

Winner of the vinyl giveaway~

2011-09-19T06:50:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Jennifer! Lucky #48!

She is the winner of the last week's vinyl giveaway and has chosen vinyl #1.

Thanks so much for all of the entries and the input on your favorites! That feedback is very helpful!

Have a beautiful Monday!

Halloween Vinyl Giveaway~

2011-09-16T07:15:00.000-07:00

VINYL GIVEAWAY

Enter to win your choice of the following vinyls:

Pictured on a 12''X16" board

12''X12''

Pictured on one 6''X14'' board and one 6''X24'' board.

(If you are interested in purchasing vinyl, click on over to the vinyl market)

To Enter:

Leave a comment letting me know which vinyl you would choose.

Please leave me your email address if it is not attached to your profile.

One entry per person.

US and Canada entries only please.

Winner will be randomly chosen and announced on Monday, Sept. 19th

Thanks, good luck and have a awesome weekend!!

Andy

Fall Subway Art Printable~

2011-09-13T14:58:00.000-07:00

Are you as excited as I am that the weather is cooling off!! I am SO READY for Fall!!

Today we're celebrating the change of the season with an 8X10 subway art print!

I had to throw football in there...not my very favorite part of the season, but definitely The Joe's.

My favorite part would have to be the changing leaves, changing temperatures...and being able to wear jackets!!

Click HERE for the printable version

And while we're on the subject of favorites...I'm going to have to share my song love of the day.

This is why we fight

By the Decemberists

Have a good one!

Andy

Quick fixes for an outdated kitchen~

2011-09-13T07:09:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to have a guest writer today!

Rachel from re.SOLVE Interior Design Studio is here to give us some great tips about how we can dress up a boring outdated kitchen! Please give her a warm welcome!

Take it away Rachel:

Not all of us are Do-it-yourselfers. So, while we save up our cash for the dream remodel there are some quick and easy fix-ups.

1. Cabinet knobs and pulls are to a kitchen what jewelry is to your every day casual outfit. What better way to dress up a t-shirt and jeans than to throw on a glamorous necklace?

There are several considerations to make when purchasing new hardware for an already adorned kitchen. Take a look at your existing hardware. Are they knobs (one hole in the drawer/door) or pulls (held on by two screws- two holes)? I am not going to tell you stories, pulls are not the easiest to replace. When replacing a pull, I suggest bringing your existing piece to the hardware store and ask for assistance. Measuring the distance between the holes can be trickier than expected and the specialist can show you what pieces will work best. I also recommend that you consider that future remodel that you may be saving up for. Can you reuse the hardware for your new cabinets? Will the style fit? While you may only be doing a temporary touch-up, this is a good time to dream of the whole picture!

2. While you may have heard it before, paint is a fantastic way to give any old space new life. Brighten up the space with a creamy white or light neutral color. Bring some life into the space by choosing a small accent area and painting it your favorite bold color. I have a bathroom in my own home with outdated bright aqua counters, and to top it off, they are trimmed in gold! The walls and cabinets were peach (ouch). To modernize the space until I was ready for a remodel, we painted the walls French grey with white trim. We painted the cabinets a dark, coffee brown. Now, the crazy blue and gold counters… okay they aren't gorgeous, but it's not nearly the eyesore it used to be! For kitchens, choose an eggshell finish so that your painted surfaces are easy to clean.

3. Another quick fix is to clean off those counters. Nothing makes a kitchen look small and congested like nick-nacks and small appliances filling up every flat surface. Try a magnetic knife holder for the wall to get the knife block off the counter. Store items that are not used daily in lower cabinets. Nothing gives a kitchen a "new" look like stainless steel. Try a metal container for those wooden spoons and dish sponges. This clean up is something that may need to be repeated from time to time. I just moved my cute spinning spice rack to my pantry after realizing that I only use it every few days, and it usually accompanies a trip to the pantry anyway. While it may be made for the counter, that doesn't necessarily mean it has to stay there and use your preparation space and sanity!

4. Paint your appliances. The first image that came to my mind was an white and light grey dated kitchen with white appliances. Why let those boring white appliances blend with the rest of the space, dragging it down? My make-believe kitchen received bright apple green paint on the appliances, for a look that has a fun and retro twist.

5. Lastly, open up an outdated space with outdated cabinets by removing the doors from your upper cabinets! This is not for the cook with cluttered upper cabinets, but for someone who has a nice looking set of dishes and is ready to have them on display. I also recommend this solution to those who move through their dishes regularly. We wouldn't want to exhibit settling dust and cobwebs.

To see Rachel's work and get more of her fabulous ideas, hop on over to:

Halloween party treat ideas~

2011-09-12T06:52:00.000-07:00

Whether your hosting a Halloween party, helping out in a classroom, or just delivering goodies to the neighbors, you have to agree... Halloween treats are so much fun! Admittedly I am drawn to the cutesy treats more than the bloody finger and gory eyeballs. Although they are enjoyable to look at, I have a harder time actually eating them.

Today I'd like to share with you a few of my favorite cute Halloween treat ideas.

I love these mummy cupcakes. They look fairly simple and they are so adorable!

Via ifood

If you are trying to combat the sugar overload of the holiday try out these batty treats made with cream cheese, poppy seeds and peppercorn. Click on the link below the pic for the recipe.

Via My Recipes

WHOOO can resist owls...or Oreos for that matter?

Via Southern Living

Licorice eyebrows are a must have to complete the look of these scowling witches.

Via Martha Stewart

I'll be incorporating these broom treat bags into our holiday somehow. I am in love.

Via Martha Stewart

This is my kind of spider! Almost cartoon looking. Yes, perfect for us arachnophobes.

Via Culinary.net

Oreo's dipped in chocolate with candy eyes and rows of piped chocolate make darling mummy suckers.

Via How Does She?

This has to be one of the cutest candy owls on the planet. I fun twist on the popular cake pops.

Via Blah Blah Blog

If you're looking for a treat to make with younger children, witch hats are perfect!

Have them dip a candy Kiss into frosting and stick it to the top of a cookie.

Via All You

Witch legs popping out of cupcakes are a great idea for the older grade schoolers. Perfect for a laugh.

Via Gordon Gossip

Is it possible to make candy corn look classy? Apparently so.

Gordon Gossip makes a beautiful treat. Ideal for friends and family.

Via Gordon Gossip

Last but certainly not least, my favorite candy owl ever. I shared the link last Halloween as well. One Charming Party is a fantastic place to find party and treat ideas. Click on the link below to find everything you'd need to host a class party...including games, crafts and decor.

Via One Charming Party

Of course one thing I'm dying to make this year is caramel apples!
I've never made them before and I've always wanted to!

What's your favorite frightening treat?

a touch of pink in your Halloween~

2011-09-08T12:44:00.000-07:00

Add a little bit of pink love to your Halloween by printing and framing a stalker's love note.

Download HERE

Attach this sign to your candy jar. Who in their right mind would pick trick anyway??

Download HERE

A fun way to welcome your guests to the party.

Download HERE

Dress up your cupcakes with pink and black toppers!

Download HERE

Here's to a happy pink Holiday!

DIY Halloween Blocks

2011-09-06T09:34:00.000-07:00

Easy Halloween blocks!

Grab a 2X4

Print the Halloween letters and cut the 2X4 into matching pieces.

Paint the blocks black, orange or white and use Mod Podge to stick the letters to the front of the blocks.

HERE is the link for printables

Have a beautiful Tuesday!

XOXO,

Printable Gift Tags~

2011-09-05T09:02:00.000-07:00

I had to make a couple of gift tags this morning and thought I would share them with you. Here is the gif version. Click HERE to download the pdf.

Have a wonderful Labor Day!

Design Shuffle tips on decorating with printables!

2011-09-01T06:14:00.000-07:00

A big huge welcome to Susi from Design Shuffle! She's visiting today to share some tips about decorating with printables!

Hi, everyone, I'm Susi and I write as a guest blogger for DesignShuffle.com, a fabulous social media site that promotes interior designers and their work from around the world. My writing focuses on things I'm passionate about: interior design, decorating ideas, home furnishings, gardening, travel and art. I get to look at gorgeous things all day and write about them. I'm a very lucky girl!

Thanks for inviting me and Design Shuffle to visit today! I love the idea of decorating with framed printables. Printables are so charming and can bring cheer to any room of the house. The popularity of the "Keep Calm and Carry On"poster has created a passion for textual prints that inspire and charm. Here are 8 ideas to decorate with printables throughout the home. Hope you enjoy!

York Designs via

Framing printables or any art can be a creative challenge. Love this clever framed print... using the existing wire of the frame as a place to clip on the art makes for a easy way to switch out the art at any time. Adorable printable.

Infarrantly Creative via

Love this kind reminder to wash your hands. Perfect for a kids' bathroom or even as a tongue in cheek touch in a powder room.

Houzz via

Adorable for a kid's bathroom, this framed printable of ìYou are My Sunshineî is a great way to greet the day or say goodnight.

Elle Decor via

Love a small printable tucked on a shelf in the kitchen. Inspiring printables can work as interior design ideas in every room of the house.

Printables via

A framed printable is a great addition to party dÈcor. Makes the space feel customized for the occasion. Borrow a frame from your home or find one at a thrift store for an inexpensive, personalized piece of art.

The Crafting Chicks via

Hang framed printables for holiday decorating as well. A framed printable in a entry or on a mantel adds to the festive holiday spirit.

House of Turquoise via

Mixing framed printables with family photographs on a gallery wall gives add meaning and emotion to the photographs. Use framed printables to add blocks of color to the wall as well.

Beneath My Heart via

Interesting as a bedroom design idea, an inspiring saying next to the bed is also a great thing to see before you fall asleep or as you wake up. This printable is custom framed with a wrapping paper matóso cheerful.

Get more interior design ideas and such by checking out the top work from Los Angeles interior designers to New York interior designers and more. Check out the latest at Design Shuffle!

Thank you so much Susi! It's been a pleasure! I'm in love with all of these creative examples of decorative printables and can't wait to incorporate some of them into my home!

Autumn banner printables~

2011-08-30T20:16:00.000-07:00

Print and string letters across a mantle or shelf!

Click HERE for the pdf

Give~

2011-08-30T10:40:00.000-07:00

When I was 18, I spent Christmas in California. I hadn't intended on being there for the Holidays, but we had car problems and weren't able to make it back home. On Christmas morning I was surprised to see a gift for me under the tree. It was from Josh, my friend's 8 year old little brother. I was touched that he would consider me and worry that I wouldn't have any presents to open on Christmas morning. I carefully pulled off the paper to reveal a well worn talking calculator. Of course I was very grateful for his thoughtfulness. Later that day while visiting with his mother I discovered how surprised she was by the gift. I learned that the calculator was Josh's very favorite toy. I was so touched that an 8 year old boy, who didn't really even know me, would give up something that was so special to him.

Although that was may years ago, I think about that experience often. I wonder what gifts I am willing to give. Would I give up my favorite things for my family, my friends, my neighbors or a stranger? Do I worry that what I have to offer may not be good enough? Josh wasn't worried about giving me a used toy and by doing so he taught me a beautiful lesson. Give what you have, do what you can. It's not about things, it's about showing someone that you are thinking about them, that you care about them and that they are not alone.

During a recent choir practice, one of the ladies talked about the primary song, "Give", Said the Little Stream. Since then it has been popping into my head and I have been thinking about the words. In the song the stream is in a hurry to get down the hill, and even though it is small, it helps everything around it grow as it passes by. Like the little stream, I am in a hurry. Life gets so out of control and it's easy for me to get caught up in my own craziness. I am grateful that even on the busiest days if I remember to take the time to do something for someone else I have more time, my day runs more smoothly and I am HAPPY! When I was struggling with decisions as a teenager and getting depressed, my dad told me that I must not be serving enough. He was right. Giving was the answer, and it still is. When I get confused and sad, I know what I have to do. I need to serve.

"Give", said the little stream as it hurried down the hill. "I'm small I know but wherever I go, the fields grow greener still."

Fast forward to Halloween~

2011-08-26T20:31:00.000-07:00

I apologize for jumping ahead...I really am not trying to ignore fall or the harvest and all of that goodness. I just had a thought for a Halloween sign and then I had to throw a few things together to see if it would work in a display.

It measures 6'' X21.5'' and is pictured on a board that is 9"X22''

The cost is $8 and it comes in black or white vinyl.

The spooky vinyl $8 as well and measures 9''X21.5''.

It is pictured on a board that is 16''X22.5''

Check out The Market for ordering information

Since we're on the subject of Halloween we might as well start advertising with a printable that there are things the kids can do to help us be less grouchy:)

Fall Decor Trends by Christina Johnson

2011-08-26T07:40:00.000-07:00

Christina Johnson is visiting today, sharing the fresh decor trends of the season!

As summer gives way to autumn and the air turns crisp, it's the perfect time to revamp your home decor. Bring some of the rich textures and colors of fall indoors, to create your own cool weather sanctuary. Take a peak at some of the fresh trends in fall decor.

Color

Painting is a simple, affordable way to reinvent a space. Imbue your home with fall's popular warm, cozy colors. Whether you want to go bold or stick with neutrals, this season's palette offers something for everyone. Among the trendiest paint colors are soft gold, burnt orange, mocha, creamy beige, asparagus green, earthy browns and tans, and shades of gray, ranging from peppercorn to a pale gray violet. In a neutral room, an accent wall in a bold color can add depth and interest. Some popular choices are creams and beige with a brown or red accent wall.

Wall Decorations

Accent pieces, such as throw pillows, candles, art, sheets, comforters, slipcovers, floral centerpieces, and knickknacks, can complement the color of the room and add a fun or sophisticated feel. While neutral furniture has been the standard, don't be afraid to experiment and add a splash of color, as accessories can be easily swapped out with the change of seasons. Copper, red, black, chocolate brown, brass, wine, and funky patterns are popular this season. However, shades of orange have been stealing the show. Add some burnt orange pillows or a few pumpkin orange vases to give your home a fall feeling.

Mix it up

You no longer need to worry about adhering to a single style or aesthetic for a room. Eclectic decor is one of the bigger trends of fall. Mix masculine and feminine, antique and modern, or combine artwork of different mediums and styles. Try pairing your antique coffee table with a modern sofa. Try adding a splash of pink, or vases full of flowers, to an otherwise masculine room. Location no longer matters either, whether you live in a Manhattan Rental, or a country colonial, whatever you call home should be decorated based on your taste.

Up-cycled home goods

Take recycling to a whole new level by using up-cycled pieces. Whether you want to take on a craft project or browse Etsy; you'll be amazed by the range of re-imagined materials. Recycled-content counters have seen an increase in popularity but are still unique enough to drum up some compliments. Accent items, like clocks made from old records or bowls made from magazines can be chic and functional as well.

Basic window treatments

Lush, heavy window treatments have been abandoned for more streamlined versions. Design aficionados are predicting that linen panels will be huge this fall. These window treatments can soften any room. The classic fabric comes in a variety of colors and patterns to complement the colors of the room. With lighter material, the fall days will not seem so dark and dreary.

Wallpaper

Bold, neutral, solids, and patterns can all add texture to a space. Wallpaper has become easy to apply and remove, making it an affordable way to update a room from season to season. Metallics can add glamor to a room, while printable wallpaper allows home-owners to customize the design to their tastes.

Thanks for giving us the inside scoop on the fresh trends of the season Christina! I'm excited to hear that wallpaper is much easier to apply and remove. I love the look, but the labor scares me! I am totally in love with that bathroom, so I may just have to give it a shot!

Be Yourself

2011-08-24T06:58:00.000-07:00

Dear You,

You are a child of God. You are unique and beautiful and full of promise. You have so many great things to accomplish in this life. Worrying about what others think of you can be crippling. Please don't let those worries dictate who you are. Decide that you will not let silly words or made up ideas keep you from finding your dreams and being who you are meant to be.

You have been given a precious gift, the gift of agency. With that gift you can decide how you feel about yourself. Do you really want to take that gift and hand it over to someone else? Especially someone who is mean, hurtful and doesn't even really know you at all? Why would you let a person like that decide how YOU are going to feel about YOURSELF?

Believe in yourself, and if you don't yet know how....rely on someone who KNOWS you and LOVES you to help you understand how spectacular you are, because you are SPECTACULAR!!! You are a bright shining star and I love you. I love all of the quirky little things about you. Don't be afraid to be who you want to be.

With all my heart..and then some,

Robin's egg blue hutch~

2011-08-16T17:59:00.000-07:00

Finding a sweet deal on a hutch is not an easy task. I've been keeping my eyes peeled for a while now, searching classifieds and consignment stores. Not that I necessarily need another one, but I just really like them and so when I see one for sale, I can't help but check out the price...which is usually a couple hundred dollars..

While we were out shopping garage sales last Saturday I saw this little beauty. Base included, it was only $25. To top it off, the people selling it actually delivered it to my front door for free. HELLO.

First things first, I had to say goodbye to the faux glass door panels. Ick.

I traced the panels and cut out identical pieces of bead board to replace them.

I painted the whole thing robin's egg blue, sanded the edges and rubbed brown paint into the beads.

The base was completely filled with spider egg sacks.

Another ick....BIG HUGE ICK, but it was still worth it.

For now it's sitting in my front room.

I might move it, but probably not very often.

This is one that I can't muscle around by myself. It's a heavy beast.

I don't mind the original hardware.

I might change the knobs if I find something that I love, but I'm definitely keeping the handles.

I like the dark contrast.

What do you think? Do you like bright colored eye-catching furniture,

or do you prefer neutral colors that will easily work with a lot of different color schemes?

I can definitely see the benefit of neutral colors.
It really makes it soooo much easier to change things up, but once in a while I just crave color!

School days printable~

2011-08-01T09:30:00.000-07:00

Super cool old door turned into a coffee table~

2011-07-26T10:05:00.000-07:00

My incredibly nice neighbor and friend Emmie asked me if I'd like to have an old door that she found as she was cleaning out of her family's garage. I was WAY excited of course because I have been searching for a good old hardwood door for some time now. I wanted to turn it into a coffee table for the front room. It's big and will work for puzzles, games and make a good foot rest for a lot of people. Plus I just think it looks cool:)

I had the door sitting in the garage for a week trying to figure out a good way to make a base. I have a few different styles of legs that I've salvaged from other tables, but the styles didn't seem to match the door. When it came down to it, I decided I wanted something similar to the base that was already on my other coffee table...only longer so it wouldn't look weird. I was thinking about ways to re-create it when I noticed that the base actually comes apart and the middle board is just a 2X4 with a few cuts in the end of it. SA-WEET!! I could just replace it with a longer 2X4!!! Way less work than I was anticipating, especially since The Joe made the cuts on the 2X4 for me:) Thanks Love.

I unscrewed the top and took the base apart.

Painted the new, longer 2X4 black to match and put it back together.

This is a pic with the smaller base. My son and Nephews helped me take the hinges off of the door. They love taking things apart.

I wanted to add a little bit of a personal touch so I created a vinyl stencil.

I sanded off quite a bit of the paint to age it.

I LOVE the hardware on the door!!

I'm so excited and The Joe has mentioned a few times how much he loves it as well.

Thanks so much for the door Emmie!! You are the best!

Garage sale picture frame~

2011-07-25T07:20:00.000-07:00

I of course love a good garage sale find as much as the next gal, but I can't compete with The Joe when it comes to the love of garage sales. He is addicted. He has to have cash on hand when Saturday rolls around so he can head out in the morning and find some screamin deals. The cutest thing is that he always comes home with things that he thinks I will like. He found this picture frame for me a couple of weeks ago.

I didn't sand the frame because I really like the dark brown under the white.

While I was painting, The Joe kindly cut out a piece of bead board to fit inside the frame.

The bead board was a quarter from the scrap bin at Home Depot.

I wanted to make a sign with a word in each of the slats of the bead board with a picture in the corner.

Since the picture ran across the beads, I cut the bird to match so the vinyl wouldn't peel off.

Spanish Olive by Glidden is one of my favorite greens.

We have a really cool tool that shoots those little metal things that you find in the back of framed pictures. It works really well to hold the bead board in place.

I hope you've been having a lot of love and laughter in your homes this summer! We have sure been enjoying spending time together. We just got back from a family vacation to San Francisco. We had such a great time!! I love having my children and hubby and all crammed in our van together. No one can escape!!! WAHAHAHA. I was really impressed{{and shocked}} that there was very little fighting. We had lots of treats, lots of potty breaks and I'm pretty sure I have the movie "Tangled" memorized now. Last night as we were driving, Mira kept telling all of us that we are her best friends. It was the sweetest thing I've ever heard. They are my best friends and I hope we can always stay that way!!!

Summery display

2011-07-05T10:15:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th yesterday!

I couldn't have imagined a more beautiful day!

We spent the afternoon and evening with a majority of The Joe's fam playing softball, eating delicious food and watching fireworks! The firework show was amazing!! I love that we were allowed to have huge, shoot em off the ground explosions this year! Wow! So much fun!!

I was in the mood to change things up a little bit this morning. Not that I was sick of patriotic decor, I was actually enjoying it quite a bit. I was mostly just in the mood to make something so I created a sign and rounded up a few accents for a summery display.

I flipped my 4th of July sign over and made a lemonade sign on the back of it. A lot of my signs are double sided. Saves on material and I don't have to store as many decorations.

I loaded it up with dishes. The Joe looked at this display and said..."hmmm, so the 4th is over, it's time for lemonade huh?" I guess so honey, I guess so.

Have an enjoyable 5th of July.

4th of July Cupcake Topper Printables~

2011-06-30T09:37:00.000-07:00

After putting these together, my daughter said," looking at these is telling me that I'm hungry".

To make the flowers, cut out the rectangle designs and fold them like a fan. Staple the center of the fold.

Pull the edges of the folds back and tape them together.

Stick them on toothpicks and voila, cut little cupcake toppers!

4th of July Centerpieces~ Candle wrapping printables.

2011-06-24T20:06:00.000-07:00

Company coming over for a 4th of July BBQ?

Need to throw together an easy centerpiece?

Snag the printables and wrap up your candles!

{{Tape them to the candle as well as themselves so they don't slip}}

DIY Three Pendant Necklace~

2011-06-23T10:55:00.000-07:00

The fun thing about this project is that you can do it with a large group of people and end up with very different looking necklaces depending on the the paper used and the combination of wooden shapes.

You can buy packages of square or circle wooden discs at Hobby Lobby. I believe a package of the square were 3 bucks for 22 pieces to give you an idea of cost.

Next you will drill holes in them. Use a SMALL drill bit. The first one I tried was too big and broke the pieces of wood. For the square pieces you can either drill them in the corners for a diamond shape or on the flat side for the square. You will only drill one hole on the piece you will be using as your bottom pendant.

I preferred drilling the holes BEFORE I put paper on the front of them. I tried it both ways and there seemed to be more paper tearing when I drilled the whole afterwards.

Find a cute paper and use Mod Podge to stick it to the front. I like to cut a square just larger than the piece of wood, glue it on, and once it's dry, use sandpaper on the edges for a really clean transition. I would also suggest putting another coat of Mod Podge on the top of the paper after it's dry to seal it.

Press the paper with your finger around where you have drilled the hole and you will be able to see a little indention. Use a pin to break through the paper and rub it against the inside of the hole.

Connect your pieces with large jump rings. Needle nosed pliers come in really handy!

I tried to make the 2nd and 3rd pieces coordinate by putting the little green birds feet on the 3rd pendant.

I put it on a chain that I already had, but you can also use ribbon or twine or something if you want to avoid the cost of a chain.

**Side note, if I made this again, I would have painted the other side of the wood. The necklace lays pretty straight because of the weight, but if it were to flip around it would be nice to have a painted surface on the other side.

Things I am grateful for today~

2011-06-20T15:29:00.000-07:00

LIFE: I saw the most amazing sunset yesterday. Pink and white filled the entire sky. I am grateful to be able to live in this world. Who knows how long each of us will have this opportunity. I'm so grateful for my life.

LIBERTY: I don't even like being on a diet because it means I'm telling myself that I "HAVE TO" do something. I can't imagine living without the freedom to choose. What an amazing gift. My heart goes out to everyone who has ever paid the price for my liberty.

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS: I am always grateful for happiness and I'm trying to be grateful for the pursuit as well. I know that my level of happiness depends greatly upon my attitude, desires and efforts to be positive no matter what life throws my way. Every day is a brand new opportunity for us to make the changes in our lives that will allow us to be truly happy.

DAD: I was reminded yesterday of how beautiful my life has been because I have a loving father. He is a wonderful example to me because continually serves the Lord and loves to serve his family. He enjoys life and makes me laugh. I know he would do anything and everything for me and it's such a comforting feeling. I want to be like him when I grow up.

GARAGE SALES: This seems very trivial compared to the rest of the list, but I am grateful for them! I've been able to decorate my home in a way that I love using second hand items! I found this brown window on Saturday and I love having it in my home!

CEILING FANS: I bought The Joe ceiling fans for Father's Day and he was so cute about it! He had to do all of the work putting them in and I was a little worried that he would think that was a bummer of a gift. He climbed down from the ladder and said, "THIS IS THE BEST FATHER'S DAY EVER!!!". What a guy. He is everything to me..... and the ceiling fans are pretty awesome too.

SAMPLES AT COSTCO: Taking 5 kids to the store by myself can be somewhat of a natural disaster. I am grateful for little free treats to keep my children excited and entertained. Today they even had dark chocolate covered pomegranates. Such a heavenly thing.

I could go on, but I will spare you the extreme rambling session that is trying to make it's out of my head. By the way, thank you to those of you who gave me feedback on my banner design and ideas. I removed the post because I will be changing things up. The plans are getting more involved and will take a while to work out, but I'll keep you updated! Thank you for being so sweet and generous with your compliments. Love you all!

~Andy

Chalkboard jewelry~

2011-06-14T13:29:00.000-07:00

We're throwing together a craft night for our young women tomorrow night and we needed something inexpensive. Little chalkboard necklaces came to mind. They are easy to make, and it's a fun way to let the girls express themselves!

You can either cut little boards yourself, or buy pre-cut wood pieces at Hobby Lobby or other craft stores.

It doesn't take much chalkboard paint to cover a huge number of necklaces!

To hang them, you can either drill holes in the top of the board, or you can buy these tiny hinge clips at Hobby Lobby. Wait until they are 40 or 50% off and they aren't very expensive. I paid $1.50 for 15 clips. They're really cute and make the necklaces look like mini clipboards.

I bounced around the aisle trying to figure out what kind of rope to buy. I REALLY like what I ended up grabbing. It's elastic so you can make the necklaces short, but still get them over your head.

I cut out some vinyl as an option for the girls.

I think we'll do earrings as well. I bought a bag of circle rings and earring hooks and just drilled holes in the wooden circles.

I think it would also be fun gluing them onto ring forms! I should have grabbed some while I was at the store! I'm hoping the girls will have fun with them!

Thin 4th of July flag crate~

2011-06-13T08:19:00.000-07:00

I really like the look of old crates, but sometimes I have a hard time decorating them. I'd like to fit them on my shelves where I keep seasonal decor, but they are just too big. Well, this morning I figured that I could probably just make a thin crate for the look and if I wanted it to be functional, I could use it for magazines.

This is a pretty easy project. It's made from 2X4 scraps and 1/4'' slats of mdf.

I cut a 16 1/2'' piece of the 2X4 and two 12'' pieces.

Screwed the shorter boards onto the longer piece,

And nailed three 1/4'' mdf slats that measured 4''X16 1/2'' on the front and 3 on the back{bead board slats would work just as well and would probably be pretty darn cute}.

Simple little 2X4 crate box!

I painted and distressed the front of the box. I left the back white so I can flip it after the holidays.

I drilled a hole in the top left corner

and used a band saw to cut out a star to attach to the front.

I've had a couple of random knobs from Hobby Lobby for awhile and was able to actually use one today. Lol

And that's it! The project took about 1/2 hour from start to finish. I did have my 1/4'' slats already cut out, it would take a bit longer if I had to cut them down to size.

Have a wonderful Flag Day tomorrow!

Father's Day Gift Idea~

2011-06-09T21:38:00.000-07:00

Ties are pretty common Father's Day gifts, so why not add a tie holder into the mix?

As you know, I have an unhealthy obsession with shaker pegs and buy them in bulk.

If you are not quite so obsessed, I would suggest buying little hooks. It'd probably be cheaper.

{{and easier to put in if you don't happen to have access to a drill press}}

I put the pegs 2'' apart. Much closer than I would for a coat rack. I want to be able to stuff it full of ties.

I find that folding my vinyl helps me to get it centered on the board.

Happy early Father's Day Joe!

Feature, feature...read all about it:)

2011-06-08T19:58:00.000-07:00

I apologize I've been blog negligent as of late...I was excited for a lazy summer, but it's been a little crazy town! Aren't things suppose to slow down?? You'd think they would, especially with my hubby off for the summer months!

Anyway, I had to take a moment and thank Cupcake Mag for interviewing me and featuring my little blog! I'm very flattered and humbled that anyone would take the time to post about me and my site!

Take a look-see!

{Click on the image to see the interview}

Thank you so much Casi!! {Editor of Cupcake Mag}

Have a wonderful evening everyone!!

Andy

Renting your school books!

2011-06-02T13:45:00.000-07:00

With the end of the school year approaching some of you, or possibly your family members, may be heading off to college soon! It's an exciting time but unfortunately a very EXPENSIVE time as well.

If you are looking for ways to stretch your school dollars, consider renting your text books!

A great place to rent school books is Campus Book Rentals

Why would you rent books??

Well, for one, it's sooo much cheaper than buying books!! You can save crazy amounts of money and if you change your mind and decide you want to keep the book, all you have to do is pay the difference! Campus Book Rentals even has a 30 day risk free trial period! Return your books for any reason within 30 days and you'll get a full refund! That's pretty sweet!!

If you are worried about renting books because you like to highlight and write notes in your books, don't worry! When renting from Campus Book Rentals you CAN highlight and write in your books!!! They just ask that you do it respectfully.

There are no sign up fees, registration fees, or sneak up and bite you in the back fees {{and honestly it sounds like they are pretty lenient if you happen to get your books back to them a little bit late}}.

They have a great selection of books and are currently serving over 5,500 schools, so they must be doing something right!

Another really great thing about Campus Book Rentals is that they are teaming up with Operation Smile!

This year they will be donating enough money to cover a minimum of

1,000 life changing cleft lip surgeries

They will be donating a portion of the proceeds from EVERY BOOK rented to meet and hopefully exceed the goal of 1,000 surgeries! You can save money on books and feel good about helping families that otherwise could not afford these kinds of surgeries! Personally, I think that's pretty awesome!

So if you are a student....or just have a desire to be more educated:) Hop on over and consider using

Campus Book Rentals!

You can also find them on facebook and twitter!

It's worth looking into! It's a great way to stretch your budget!

Love printable~

2011-06-02T07:43:00.000-07:00

Just.

because.

heart.

typewriter.

fonts.

This one is called 1942 Report and you can find it on dafont.

Wooden Firecrackers~

2011-05-31T11:19:00.000-07:00

If you're looking to add something new to your holiday decor but don't want to spend much money, try these wooden firecrackers! They make an easy and fun summer accent for shelves or side tables. You could even make larger versions for the front porch.

Start out with different lengths of wood. I used ripped 2X4's, but 2X2's would even work better.

Paint them different colors.

Decorate with vinyl or paint

and hammer in a piece of twine or rope.

I cut a few pieces off of an old lanyard.

I found that if I folded the very bottom of the string, it would stand up more easily.

Hopefully not too much of a throw back to Rice Krispies:)

It's really an easy breezy project that you can whip up quickly and it's kid friendly if little hands want in on the action! If your kids are small and you don't want them hammering, you can use golf tees or wrap yarn around screws and glue them to the top of the block.

DIY shoe or blanket bench~

2011-05-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

Before we jump into today's project, I want to congratulate:

Hilary from Rexburg!

Hilary is the winner of the Summer vinyl giveaway from last week!

Hilary said that her son loves Elmo and would love to have the Sunny Day vinyl!

Thanks for entering and for giving me feedback on design styles! Much appreciated!

Are you as obsessed with telling people how much things cost?

When I find a good deal on something, I just have to shout it to the world.

Well world...here's me...shouting

The total cost for this project was $2.50

Would you like to know how?

I've said it before and I'll say it again:
Check out the scrap bins at hardware stores!!

This piece of mdf was only 2 bucks at Home Depot.
It has few bumps and bruises and footprints, but who cares??
I didn't have a cart with me, so I dragged it to the front of the store. I couldn't pass it up.

I brought it home and cut it into pieces. The large pieces are for the top and bottom of the bench and measure 4'X14''. The three squarish pieces are for the sides and middle support. They measure 12''X14''.

The long skinny piece is for the back lip and it is 4' long as well. It can be as tall as you want. I think mine is about 5''.

I also used two 5'' strips to cut a design for the sides of the top lip. I penciled in a design and then cut it out using a Band Saw.

I routed the 5'' back piece so the sides had to start out a little smaller to match up.

I glued and nailed the side pieces to the back lip.

I nailed the three side supports into the bottom.

and then attached the top to make a box.

I nailed up from the underside of the box to tack the back lip into place.

To give the bench a bit of a lift, I used some feet from an entertainment center that we got rid of a few years ago. I knew I'd use them eventually. Before you say goodbye of old furniture see if there are any parts that you can salvage for other projects...feet, hinges, knobs, doors...

Since I only had 2 feet I had to cut some 2''X2" scrap pieces for the back legs.

I will eventually switch all of the legs out for a matching set, but this works for now.

For the back of the bench I borrowed a piece of beadboard from Ty and Dee that they found in the scrap bin for $.50. The next day I went back to Home Depot to see if I could find a piece to replace the one I borrowed and I found another piece for $.50. SCORE!!!

After painting the bench white, I antiqued it by painting in the beads with brown paint. I'd paint 4 or 5 stripes and then go back and wipe off the excess paint. Once the cloth had absorbed some of the paint, I used it to wipe down the entire box.

I also painted in the cracks and wiped the excess with a damp cloth.

This kind of bench works in an entry way, mudroom, under a window or at the foot of a bed.

It is rare to find a piece of mdf that large for $2. If you had to buy a new piece you could probably build it for around $45.

Have a great Memorial Day!!

Summer Vinyl Giveaway!!!

2011-05-25T07:28:00.000-07:00

To introduce the latest vinyl designs, we're having a little giveaway!

The winner will have be able to choose one of the following vinyls:

I pledge allegiance~$8+Shipping

White vinyl

fits on a 12''X12'' board or tile

4th of July Subway Vinyl~$10+Shipping
White vinyl
fits on a 12''X12'' board or tile

Sunny Day~$10+Shipping
White vinyl
fits on a 8''X18'' board.

To enter:
Leave me a comment and let me know which vinyl you would choose.
That's it! One entry per person.

Winner will be randomly selected and announced on Memorial Day!
Best of luck and have a rockin' day!

**US/Canada entries only please

Land that i love~

2011-05-24T10:34:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to start making some vinyl designs for the 4th of July.

I've been dragging my feet because it really hasn't even felt too much like Spring yet, but I am starting to get excited! The kids only have 7 more days of school!! Wahoo!!!!

I love our country. I love the 4th of July!

Not only is it the our great nations birthday, but it is also my brother's birthday.

He's one of my dearest friends and it's so fun to celebrate!

Here in Eagle Mtn. we have such fun celebrations in the summer.

My personal favorite is the city parade.

It's so old school, it's awesome. They throw out SO much stuff!!!

Candy, shirts, otter pops, toothbrushes, frisbees...all sorts of goodies!

You know the Porters....we're all about free stuff:)

I'm starting to feel the summertime excitement buzz just talking about it!

Here's a little summertime sign I put together this morning.

These are 7'' X 10" pieces.

I started off by painting them *bright red* maybe a little too bright....

Nah, they'll be fine.

After which I sanded the edges and rubbed them with brown paint b/c I was out of gel stain.

Paint works pretty well too.

Printed out my vinyl

and stuck it to the boards.

If you'd like to make this project, you can buy the vinyl from me for $6+$4 shipping.

Visit The Market for details.

If you'd like to make this project without buying vinyl, you can frame this smaller printable version.

Have a great day! I'm off to make cookies for Jesty's pinewood derby night.

If anyone has a great recipe for chocolate cookies...share the wealth!!!

XOXOXO,

PVC pipe bracelets~so so EASY!!

2011-05-23T10:49:00.000-07:00

The great thing about a PVC pipe project is that you can almost always find someone with a leftover piece in their garage, and if not, they aren't too expensive!

Here's a super-dee-dooper easy bracelet made from a PVC pipe.

Take a piece of pipe and cut it with a miter saw into tiny rings.

Don't forget to wear safety glasses, those things can really jump off the saw.

They don't have to be exactly the same size...just similar.

Use a scroll saw or a band saw to make a tiny cut in every other ring.

Link the rings together and you've got yourself a bracelet.

The great thing about these is that you can make them any size you want!

So they'll fit mama's wrist...

or the kidlet's wrists...

You can even add more links and make necklaces.

SOOOO easy, quick and you can make a cazillion with one PVC pipe!

To add color, spray with Krylon spray paint!

Bench made from Ikea scraps~

2011-05-18T17:29:00.000-07:00

I took a trip to the as-is department of Ikea today.

I was really looking for a door that I could use for the top of a craft table, but when I saw wooden slats for a buck, I had to snatch them up for a bench. It's hard to go to any kind of scratch and dent store with a project in mind. I find it's easier to figure out a project once you've had a chance to check out their stock.

I picked up 3 flat square boards(cupboard doors probably)

2 posts and 6 slats.

Total for the supplies was $20.

I put one of the posts up against the corner of one of the cabinet doors and traced it.

I cut the notches out using a bandsaw.

I only did this to the center board because I wanted to put the other two flush against the sides.

I chopped the posts down so that added to the width of the sides, they would be the same length as the slats. Make sense?

I was able to nail some of the boards into place with a pneumatic nail gun, but when two thicker pieces were together I needed long screws to keep it secure. I had to laugh at myself because I shot a ton of nails into the thick boards without even considering that the inch and a half nails weren't even coming close to making it through the thickness of the board. Ah well, a bench can always use an extra 30 holes in it right?? I touched them up with a little black paint, so hopefully they aren't too obvious.

At first I hadn't planned on putting extra supports on the sides, but they surely needed it and luckily the posts were long enough to accommodate the extra necessary pieces.

Here's a pic of the base put together

and here we are with the slats tacked into place.

I'm loving that the spots are big enough to allow me to stick bins underneath.

I'm all about finding extra storage locations!!

If you happen to live by the Draper Ikea there are enough of the same supplies to make a twin.

Well, at least there was a couple of hours ago. I guess you never know!

Have a wonderful evening!

A winner and crazy cute paper crafts~

2011-05-14T20:33:00.000-07:00

First of all, I need to announce the winner of the Fashion to Figure giveaway!

I was suppose to announce it yesterday, but couldn't bring myself to come in the house.

It was so warm and beautiful, I couldn't stand the thought of sitting in front of a computer.

Many apologies.

And many apologies to the insides of my knees.

I didn't mean to burn the crap out of you.

Anyhoo....

Congratulations

ABBY!!!

You get to choose any item under $30 from the

Fashion to Figure online store!

Thanks for entering and thank you to Fashion to Figure for the lovely gift!
Check them out for very affordable and trendy plus size clothing.

Moving right along.....

Ever tried your hand at paper crafts??

My BIL Ben has made some insanely incredible things out of paper. They always blow my mind.

He made us a miniature of the first townhouse we bought as a Christmas ornament. So very cool!!

I'm incredibly impressed when people have the ability and creative intuition to turn paper into works of art.

Here are a few great ideas from imeon design.

Her darling birds come in a variety of colors

What husband wouldn't be drop dead excited to open this fortune cookie?

I love the idea of taking a basket of strawberries to a friend on a hot summer day.

Filled with yummy treats of course!

imeon Design on Etsy

Bowls? Seriously, they are so very cool.

What a great way to serve treats to your guests at a social get together.

Gretel Home

Hmmm.. How about it? Would you want a paper bouquet at your wedding??...

I would.

If it looked this fabulous.

Hecka yes!!

Via Wedding Sparrow

I might draw the line at a paper dress. Gorgeous though.

Modern Urban Style

On second thought, maybe I would wear a paper dress.

I'm in love....

Style Frizz

{{Click over and read some interesting history about paper dresses}}

I've seen many paper wreaths floating around,

but this simple brown wreath with butterflies has to be my favorite.

When I say simple I mean simple in style and color. It looks a bit complicated to make,

{{ but I'm sure you could do it!!}}

Via Serendipitous Design

Just TRY to convince me that you don't LOVE this little bird made out of vintage receipts.

GAAAHHHH!

Cotton Bird Designs

If all the folding and intensity of paper crafting turns you off, try something like using different sized hole punches to create a paper chandelier.

Oh, so lovely.

Image Via The Green Kangaroo

What the coolest thing you've ever seen or made out of paper? Do tell!

Have a fabulous weekend!!

Girly Alphabet Printables

2011-05-11T11:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Wednesday wedding day!

((did you call it that when you were a kid?))

If you touch a boy, you have to marry him, so watch out!!!!

Today I've been working on a couple of printables.

I really just like to practice using illustrator,

but if I ever come up with something you could use, feel free to print away!

This is an 8X10'' alphabet set for a girl's room or for a baby shower gift.

It's warmer here today than expected! I hope you are having a little sunshine in your life as well!

XOXOXO,
Andy

Felty pillows~

2011-05-10T14:14:00.000-07:00

I was watching a clip about Cassandra Barney the other day and totally fell in love with the pillows on her couch! If you watch the clip, you can see the pillows for a brief moment at 1:22.

You can check out the clip HERE

I only had white and cream felt, which actually works well for the color scheme in my front room,

but after I take a trip to the store, I'm going to have to make some with bright colors! I love how Cassandra mixes a variety of colors and buttons. Too too cute!!!

It's fun and easy to add a little flavor to $6 Walmart pillows by cutting out different sized felt flowers and sewing them on with a button in the center.

After browsing around I found a few other eye catching felt flowered pillows..

I totally love the simple circle flower, bright colors and straight lines!!

Craftaholics Anonymous

A fun stitching felt stitching project!

The Little Stitch~Etsy

And a couple of pop out felt pillows that are adorable.

BHG

I absolutely adore this yellow pillow made with circle felt pieces.

House and Home

Red Shoes llc always has some creative flower ideas! You'll want to take a few minutes to browse.

Red Shoes llc

I know you amazing crafters have fancified your pillows or come up with new creations on your own!

What kind of materials have been your favorites to work with?

Custom Vinyl Winner and a Fashion to Figure Giveaway

2011-05-07T07:27:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to

Cris from The Ivy Cottage!

She is the the winner of the custom vinyl!

Send me 15-20 words of your choice and I will turn them into a 12''X12'' subway art vinyl!

The winner of the Les Mis tickets from Slicktown has not been chosen yet! Slicktown is a hot new site that basically gives you a list of activities you could do on a date or with your family every night if you live in the Northern Ut area. Click HERE to become a citizen and be eligible to win 2 tickets to the sold out showing of Les Mis in SLC.

Time to jump right into our next giveaway!

Brought to you by:

Fashion to Figure started their business with the understanding that many women feel that there is a limited selection when it comes to plus size clothing. They have a desire to bring fashion and selection to women of all sizes.

To give you a taste of Fashion to Figure style, they are offering a Poppies at Play reader a chance to win

one item for $30

To be honest, before I looked at their site I was a little bit worried that the selection under $30 would be very limited. After browsing I realized that almost everything is in that price range!

Here's a small taste of the selection you will find....all for under thirty bucks!!

If you're not plus size, don't check out of this giveaway!!

Fashion to Figure has some fabulous accessories...and they are SOOO inexpensive!!!

They have a flat rate shipping of $5.95 and if you order more than $70, shipping is FREE!

They also offer gift cards.

To be eligible to win one item for $30, jump over to

Fashion to Figure.

Take a look at what they have to offer and then come back and let me know what catches your eye!

*US residents only

Winner will be chosen and announced Friday, May 13th!

Have a wonderful Mother's Day!!

Last minute 5''X7'' printables for Grandma

2011-05-05T13:05:00.000-07:00

Need a quick gift for Grandma this Mothers day?

Pick a printable and stick it in a 5''X7'' frame!

This quote just made me laugh. I had to include it.

Only one more day to be eligible to win custom subway vinyl!!

Click HERE for details!

I'm joining the Mom link up party on Sassy Sites!

Kids Creation Station

2011-05-03T15:49:00.000-07:00

Ever wake up thinking about a project?

This morning at 5am I was coming up with dimensions for a place to put craft supplies for the the kiddos.

I had a a board that I could use for the back of the project.

I bought one 2'X4' sheet for the rest of it, so the total for me was around $9.

I cut one 8'' board, a 6'' board, two 3'' boards and a 2'' board.

The 8'' and the 3'' strips were for the top section.

I wanted to build 3 cubby type things to hold paper and coloring books.

The 8'' board was for the front of the cubbies and the 3'' boards became the bottom and sides.

I cut one of the 3'' boards down into four pieces each measuring 12''.

I put them next to the 8'' board to figure out the angle of the cuts I would need to make.

I put a 6'' shelf on the bottom to hold buckets of crayons, markers and such

supported by the 2'' board underneath for support.

After I nailed it all together, I painted it with chalkboard paint.

The kiddos are DELIGHTED! They've been crafting all afternoon!

Les Mis tickets and a custom vinyl giveaway!!!

2011-04-30T15:20:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for a giveaway on top of a giveaway??

Well ready or not, that's what's on the docket for today!!!

You will have the chance to win 2 tickets to the sold out showing of Les Miserables in SLC, Ut.

AND

a personalized vinyl.

Let me introduce you to

Slicktown!

Slicktown

is a hot new site that will answer the age old perplexing question:

What are we going to do tonight???

Slicktown is the quickest way to find out what is happening in Northern Utah.

You'll find sporting events, plays, concerts, comedy acts and more!

The Joe and I take turns each month planning dates for each other and it has been really hard coming up with ideas!! I can't tell you how excited I am to have ALL of these events listed in one location!

Become a citizen of Slicktown

today and you will be eligible to win

2 tickets to Les Mis in Salt Lake City!!

A fantastic production....and it's sold out!!!

{{{psst....if you don't live in the area, you won't have a hard time selling the tickets!!!}}}

Becoming a citizen of Slicktown is totally and completely FREE.

Click HERE to become a citizen

After you have become a citizen, pop back over here and let me know!

You will then be eligible to win a personalized vinyl design that will fit on a 12'' square board or tile!

There are a few different options of vinyl designs to choose from:

You can send me 10-15 words or numbers of your choice and I will design a customized vinyl for you!

You could focus on a child's interests, names of grandchildren, or words that represent a holiday.

Whatever you want!!

You could also send me a phrase from a poem or song that is meaningful to you.

If you're not into subway art, we can go with a more classic look.

Don't laugh at me for putting my new puppies name on here...I needed another name to make it even:)

Together we can create the perfect wedding, baby shower, birthday gift-

or personalized decor for your home.

So, just to recap!!

Click HERE to become a citizen of Slicktown for a chance to win tickets to Les Mis in SLC, Ut.

THEN

Pop back to Poppies at Play and let me know you've become a citizen to be eligible to win the custom vinyl!

**Vinyl will only be shipped within the US and Canada.

Winner of the Les Mis tickets will be contacted by Slicktown members when the contest ends.

Winner of the vinyl will be chosen and announced on Saturday, May 7th.

I personally know the creators of Slicktown and I **promise** it is a legit site.

Slicktown will never ever use your information inappropriately.

In other news, you can now find Poppies at Play on facebook!

He he he...

Spoon Me

2011-04-27T07:54:00.000-07:00

What?

Using spoons for breakfast cereal??

Oh, that is sooo this morning.

There's a whole plethora of things you can do with spoons.

Spoon bracelets are really easy and inexpensive.

Simply flatten out the top of the spoon with a hammer

and bend to the desired shape using needle nose pliers.

Another fun idea is using them for bookmarks.

Not feeling the spoon love yet?

Take a peak at what the world wide web has to offer in the spoonage department...

Drill holes in the ends for a more finished looking bracelet.
This would also work really well for earrings.

Prairie Thistle Life

I love the stamped names.

So cute!

Droolicious

Making Jewelry Now

Lynette Andreasen created a choker with spoon heads.

Lynette Andreasen Blog

Wouldn't these spoons make an adorable wedding gift along with ice cream bowls and a scoop?

All Things Cool

Spoon Chandeliers??

Why not!

Smart Shop Buy

They are certainly eye catching.

Via GreenWala

I was really surprised to see how elegant plastic spoons can look!

Designed my Daisuke Hirawa, image via Design Squish

Bring out your industrial side by creating a clock with a collage of utensils

Kaboodle

or even manipulate plastic spoons with a candle to create a porcelain looking rose.

Can't Stop Making Things

Have you added a spoon project to your to-do list yet?

I'd love to see what you can come up with if you do!

Picture frame converted into hanging bookshelf

2011-04-21T15:33:00.000-07:00

This is actually a refashion of a refashion...

I found this picture for a few dollars a year or so ago and turned it into a colorful magnet board.

In the time that we've had this I think that the kids have used it a total of zero times to hang pictures.

I guess we're just not a magnet board kind of family.

What I was really needing is a bookshelf for my bookworm's room,

so once again I pulled the picture apart.

I measured the size of the frame and cut 6'' pieces of mdf to create box and shelves.

I glued and nailed 3'' pieces to the bottom of the shelves to use as hanging support boards.

After which I tacked the box and shelves into place.

I nailed the frame from the picture onto the front of the bookshelf and painted it all white.

Here she is up on the wall.

I did have to put caulk around the edges to fill a little bit of a gap.

Although it was a fun project, if you don't already have a picture frame or access to an inexpensive one, it would probably be more cost effective just to buy moulding a make a frame yourself.

I'm so excited to have a place for Liv's books!

Mother's Day Vinyl

2011-04-17T20:44:00.000-07:00

Dear Mother

#M01

Fits on a 6'' tile

$5+$2 Shipping

The Queen

#M02

fits on a 6'' tile

$5+$2 Shipping

Personalized subway art vinyl

fits on a 12'' square tile or board

$20+$4 shipping

Made from 10-15 words or numbers of your choice.

To order please email me!

Andy

poppyginger@gmail.com

I will send you a paypal invoice.

Once the invoice has been paid, your order will be shipped within 2 business days.

For other vinyl selections visit:

The Market

Parade of Homes Linky Party!!!

2011-04-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

***Welcome Welcome Welcome***

To the 2nd annual Parade of Homes

LINKY PARTY!

Where YOU are the star of the show!!

If you've somehow missed the parade, get caught up for goodness sake! Start at #1

I'll be giving you a tour of my home to get the ball rolling!

Hello! I'm Andy...the girl variety. Short for Andrea

This is my lovely family, and home is wherever they are!

{I love the look on The Joe's face in this picture}

(Picture by Val)

Welcome to our home!!

In the summertime this door is never shut.

We obviously wouldn't want any homeless flies in Eagle Mountain, we're pretty gracious like that.

Our homemade shelves hold family pictures.

I love to look at my peeps when I'm coming and going!

The blue bench is made from a queen sized headboard.

Here is what I call the yellow room, but none of my kids catch on to which room I'm talking about.

You know....the one that's yellow?? ((Huh, Mom?))

I picked up some $4.99 cabinet doors at IKEA in the "as-is" department and tacked them to the wall.

I love the yellow, but it does need white to tone it down!

I really love to sit in this room and read.

Another homemade shelf with some of my vinyl designs.

Also a place to hold your jackets when you come for a visit{{hint, hint}}

This is the room where we do most of our hanging out.
We decided to buy two couches instead of a loveseat. We have a lot of bums that need a place to sit!

Fake plants that I can't kill on top of another IKEA "as-is" treasure.

I cut a cabinet door down to use as a table top.

I picked up a couple of inexpensive lampshades at Ross and dressed them up with white vinyl.
I'm loving them! It's an easy way to add a little pizzaz to your shades, and it's so easy to change the look!

The traditional "lots of white things in one place" picture. Gotta have it!

Our family room bumps right into our kitchen/dining area.

We have a freakishly high bar, so we had enough room to make a shelf underneath.
Not at all functional, but it looks cute.

I found the barstools at a garage sale for $5 each. I know...insane in the membrane.
I spray painted them, reupholstered with easy wash fabric and put knobs on the back.

My kids favorite part of the house:
The candy machine!!

I found it at at thrift store and gave it a facelift. If the kids finish all of their jobs in the morning, they get a quarter. They work pretty dang hard for it too! It's GREAT! Then we take out the quarters and use the money to buy more candy for the machines. Full circle baby.

Here's a shot of a door turned into a pegboard for my aprons
and my favorite painting in the whole world, painted and given to me by my talented cousin Rebecca.

The Joe makes pizza every Friday night for our family and friends. I had to make a sign for him!

We have our Farmhouse curtain rod shelves over almost all of our windows. They can hold their own when 10 little hands are yanking at the curtains and they give me a place to put knickity knacks.

My sanity whiteboard.
This is where I write the menu for the week, my shopping list, extra activities and the kids jobs.

Here is our mudroom-ish area.
It never ever EVER looks like this. The children's coats and shoes spontaneously multiply and completely take over. I don't know why I even bothered painting it..Lol.

My daughter's room. Can you tell I have a color crush on blue and green?

Snippet of another girl's room

Laundry room with our homemade shelf and beadboard trim

Here's our bedroom..Ooh la la..
I made a faux headboard by tacking trim to the wall and painting the center.
The ladder shelves are also homemade.
I definitely had to get strategic to give you a shot of our bedroom. The other half is utter chaos, especially after this crazy week! Luckily it's SPRING BREAK next week and I'll have time to CLEAN!

Welp, that's all folks! I showed you mine, now it's time to show me yours!!

Parade of Homes Day No.5!!!

2011-04-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to the final day of the parade of homes!

I just have to say that it has been an enormous pleasure and honor teaming up with such inspiring woman this week!

Thank you to all of the participants!

And thank you to all of our viewers!

We had a HUGE number of hits this year which made for a very exciting parade!

Tomorrow morning I will be introducing the linky party with a tour of my own home.

{{no laughing, please}}

I would love to see what your home looks like too! Be sure to join the party!

Now put your hands together for the fabulous final four!!

{or maybe just put your fingers to the keyboard and leave them some comment love}

Isabella and Max Rooms

In My Own Style

Freckled Laundry

Much To Do With Nothing

If this is your first time here this week, start at

No.1

Thanks for coming and have a wonderful weekend!