DIY Baby Bird Mobile

I have been following the number of hits each blog post recieves and I noticed that my nursery ideas post gets way more views then any other post.

So I thought it would be fun to occasionally post a baby craft project. Since I have no need to make baby crafts right now, I am simply going to share my fun findings!

I thought the birdie mobile was very cute idea! The URL below gives directions and even has a link on the sidebar so you can download the pdf pattern for the birds.

http://www.spoolsewing.com/blog/2008/05/16/bird-mobile/

Happy Crafting!

In honor of Easter...

Easter Ideas!


There is a fine line between cheesy and cute when it comes to Easter decor.
I think Martha had some great Easter ideas on her website. Here are just a few that I really liked...

Marbleized eggs. These look awesome!

For Directions to make your own Marbleized eggs, click HERE



How do you like these simple daffodils? I think that would be fun to have as name cards if you are having a big family Easter dinner! This is fun paper to cut out flower petals and a paper cupcake cups for the center of the flower and of course jellybeans!

I thought these spring chicks looked cute and delicious! For directions click HERE






If you have little ones at home and you don't want to dye eggs, but you still would like to do something fun for Easter, why not find some cute glitter stickers and use those instead?


These are just a few ideas I pulled from http://www.marthastewart.com/

Out with the Old and in with the... Old?

Repurpose and ReuseThere is a new and growing trend of re-purposing, part of the on going trend of "going green" I honor of this growing style I have a few pictures to share with y'all. I would have NEVER thought to use my old doll house as extra storage in my laundry room

This is very similar to picture I posted previously, but I completely love the idea.

Ok, is this not cool? Garden Gutters! Reusing your old gutters and creating a little herb garden. How fun is that, and yummy too!

This idea I have seen done before in my Aunt's home. She actually used an old door as a head board, they wanted to be a little bit more discreet about it so they took the hardware off.

I recognize that this style is not for everyone, but you have to admit it is inspiring! I always admire the creativity of those that are able to reuse old items.

Images retrieved from Google

The Inspiring Vessel Sink

Vessel sinks are very popular right now, so I thought I would do a quick post on them.



Although most of the styles you see are contemporary, vessel sinks can also be very organic... just check out this Ginkgo leaf vessel:

Vessel sinks work great in any bathroom, whether be master or half bath.

It is important to purchase the appropriate faucet. Most vessel faucets I have seen are single post and a great deal taller then your standard faucet.

Sink material can vary greatly from Carrara Marble, Glass or Copper

There are so many fun shapes and styles to choose from, so if you think you want to put in a vessel sink make sure you take a good look around and see what is available!

All images retrieved from Google search.

Inexpensive DIY Cabinet Refinishing

If you have been wanting to refinish your cabinets, but don't want to spend a fortune and don't mind DIY then this is for you!




Cabinet Transformation by Rustoleum! No sanding, stripping or priming, so it saves you tons of time! It can be used on wood, laminate or melamine cabinets and it costs $80 per kit. They have several colors you can choose from and when you buy the kit it comes with instructional dvd to give you step by step instructions. I also found the website very helpful. They have instructional videos on there.

If you are curious take a look: http://cabinets.rustoleumtransformations.com/videos.php

If you are to scared to dive right into the kitchen then maybe you have a bathroom or laundry room cabinets that you would feel more comfortable tackling first. It can never hurt to practice on a small space first.

Ok, so the only thing is the website says one box does 80 lnft of cabinets, but I am almost positive when I was looking at a box at The Home Depot it said that one box does 40lnft. I personally haven't had a customer try it yet, but I am dying to get feed back. The price is just so hard to beat and it is less labor intensive then most cabinet refinishing.

If you are interested in getting cabinets refinished, but don't want to do it yourself I know that Home Depot offers a free in home consultation on cabinet refacing and I would be really shocked if Lowes didn't do the same. I personally can give you no feed back on pricing because I am not sure how much they charge for labor, but I know it will be less expensive then refacing cabinets(refacing is when you replace your old doors with brand new doors)

Hope this is helpful, like I said, no feed back yet from customers, but the price is definitely right!

Here is the link to Rustoleum's home page... lots of great tools on there for you!

http://cabinets.rustoleumtransformations.com/

Nursery Ideas

Looking at nursery ideas can be fun, whether you are expecting or not.

Along with the trend of clean lines also comes a trend of white furniture, and you really can't go wrong with white when purchasing a crib that you plan on using more then once. Although this particular sleigh style crib pictured above does seem more feminine then some.

Green and white is a fun trend. I think this nursery pictured above has just the right amount of color contrast for a very classy looking nursery. Oh, and lets not look over the fun shaped crib!

I love the simple patterns used in this nursery that really gives it some pops of interest.

Oddly enough the wall decor in this room really works well despite the fact that there are an even number of pictures hanging on the wall. Usually odd numbers work best, but this doesn't bother me.

Nursery themes are always fun, just look at all the little frog stuff!

Black and white is always a timeless option and I love how that adding a bright color of paint can give this nursery some personality.

Again we see an interesting crib and white furniture.

Clean lines and organic shapes create such a refreshing space.

I think the giant diaper pin is cute! Also love just using pops of bright colors with subdued ones. Also love the small splashes of pattern on the window treatment and various pillows!

Sometimes finding the right nursery style can be difficult. One of the easiest things you can do is find an inspirational picture and let that help you get started on designing and planning your nursery!

Making an Entrance

What to do with your Foyer...

For starters some general suggestions (but of course doesn't mean that you HAVE to do this or that your foyer will not look AMAZING if you don't)

Area rugs can make a large foyer feel more intimate.

The picture above shows a foyer with durable stone tile. Now although I LOVE stone, I realize that not everyone has the budget for stone tile, but do be sure to select something that is durable and easy to clean in the winter months.



Bright happy colors like orange and yellow families suggest a joyful welcome. Remember this is the last room you see upon exiting and first room you see upon entering. Often bright colors feel more welcoming and less formal to guests.

You can never go wrong with a mirror in an entry way. Not only is it convenient for that last look at yourself as you run out to work, but depending on the space and the size of the mirror it can help make the room feel larger. (side note... that mirror is way to big for the wall it is on)

Remember, no more then 2 pieces of furniture are recommended for your foyer area.


Now, I completely understand that orange and yellow are not for everyone so why not use them as accents on throw pillows that compliment YOUR STYLE.



Now lets face it here people, as much as I love looking at pictures of grand foyers I understand that not all of us (myself included) have a grand foyer to decorate and that depending on your living conditions we often need small spaces to fulfill multiple purposes. Sometimes just having a shelf on the wall with cute decor, or recent family pictures is all you have space for in your entry way.

For the rest of us, maybe your entry area also becomes a space that encompasses mail, children's back packs and out door toys. The rest of these pictures are ideas for organizing your entryway for its multipurpose needs.

First of all can I just say how much I LOVE THIS IDEA! Seriously, how stinking cute? Using shutters to hold mail and greeting cards!

Love this last one because not only does it give you storage for the shoes, but it also gives you a place to sit while you take your shoes off and of course the fabric gives you more opportunities to bring in color and design!

Images retrieved from google.com