Monday, November 29, 2010

Free Christmas Printables

One of my favorite and easy ideas for Christmas decorating is to replace some of the framed pictures in the house with holiday art. If you have a color printer and some cardstock you are good to go!
Here are some links to some of my favorites. Just click on the photos to link to free Christmas printables!

via brooklyn limestone

via a little lovely

via eighteen25


images via craftily ever after
Speaking of Christmas decorating... the crunch is on this week. My home is being featured on the Summerset Manor Christmas House Tour... one week from today! Time to get busy!

Thursday, November 25, 2010

No-Sew Roman Shades

I wish I could, because it is so great, but I can't take credit for this project idea. Jenny at Little Green Notebook shared this tutorial a while ago on how to make roman shades out of mini blinds, fabric and a little fabric glue. For a girl who can't sew, this project was right up my alley!
At first I was skeptical, until I saw how many people commented on her post with their success stories. I decided to try one out myself.
I made one for my office first. (sorry no pic) It has held up well and no one has suspected that it wasn't sewn.. or at least they haven't told me so!
So, I gave it another go in a bedroom and it turned out great again. I love the finished product.



So, for those of you who were wondering what I had up my sleeve for my favorite fabric from Premier Fabrics, there it is! The bedroom has two windows in it and I used just over a metre for both.
The room finally feels complete. Here is a photo is the room before the shades.


It is kind of an awkward room to photograph because it is an L shade with an alcove. Here is a couple of shots of both windows with the new shades.



Please excuse the old rad, my wrinkly bed and dirty windows! You don't notice these things so much until you take pictures!
Just for fun, here is a picture of the bedroom before paint and wallpaper.


This was an emotional moment for me when we discovered what was under that paper :(
It all turned out okay in the end though!

This project is seriously so easy! Find a window in your home that needs some love and make one! You will thank me.. I mean Jenny:)

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Painted Cabinet

I finally finished painting the cabinet in the dining room. I decided to go with white, since I am still trying to lighten up the space. I just love white paint. I swear, if I have a can of white paint, I'll paint anything that is standing still :)
Here it is before paint:


And here it is finished:



I didn't fill the holes on the drawers before I painted, assuming I could just find new pulls to replace the old ones. Unfortunately, the holes were not standard distance apart, so replacing them was proving difficult. I really didn't want to go back and fill the holes and redo the drawers. I was done with the cabinet at that point - on to other things!
So instead, I primed the old pulls and painted them the same color as the cabinet. I was hesitant, but I'm really happy with how they turned out. For two reasons:
#1 -  They blend into the cabinet. I had been thinking silver or chrome handles, but it may have looked a little busy.
And # 2- It saved me money!
Here is one more with the wallpaper in the room.


I'm so glad to have it finished. One more thing off the to-do list!

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Winter Willow Wreath ~ via Centsational Girl

I'm offically in Christmas mode today with the generous cover of snow we received today! I know it is early but I can't resist. I put out a few decorations, but I like to use real greenery, so it's just too early!
I just spotted this wreath over at Centsational Girl.


I think it is the prettiest wreath I have ever seen! Gorgeous! I guess it helps that those are my Christmas colors too:)

Head on over to her blog and check out her how-to and a few more pics.



Thursday, November 18, 2010

My "New" Chair!

I'm so excited! After purchasing an old chair last year, I finally sent it to be reupholstered. And today, I got to pick it up!
Isn't it beautiful!


Remember what it looked like before? Who would have ever chose that fabric? Plus, it was in really bad shape. Kinda gross actually.


I poored over fabric websites and visited fabric stores for the last year looking for the perfect fabric. I am a bit fussy, but my problem was more what would work with the room. I have a geometric print wallpaper, so I didn't want another pattern that would complete with it.



Also, the chair had a channel back which wouldn't allow for any pattern that wasn't random, or else it would love uneven.
I finally picked one that worked well with the other patterns and colors in the room.
What do you think?


The fabric is Waverly Sun N Shade Mimosa Mushroom. It's an indoor/outdoor fabric so it should withstand lots of use!


I am contemplating painting the legs white.. not sure. It feels a bit wild to me since the rest of the room is so soft and serene feeling, but I think it provides a punch that the room needed.
What do you think?

Monday, November 15, 2010

The $16 Bench

What do you get when you have a handy guy and a $16 sheet of plywood?
A new bench for the porch!

He whipped it up one evening with a sheet of plywood and some leftover trim pieces.




It was a little rough, but with some sanding, silicone, plaster and a couple of coats of primer and paint, it now looks like this!


I added a bench seat. The fabric is Waverly Cross-section from fabric.com:



I was inspired by Megan's mudroom bench seat from Honey We're Home. So, I pretty much just followed her directions!
I attached the foam to a piece of plywood using spray adhesive. Then, we wrapped the plywood and foam with cotton batting and stapled on the fabric.



I'll be honest, the seat cost at least twice what the bench cost. The foam itself was $30, and that was a deal because I scored a leftover piece. Why is foam so expensive?
I already had the black baskets and they fit perfectly in the boxes, hiding the shoes that were piling up at the door.
I guess, all in all, the bench cost about $60 and a little bit of work. I think it's cute and it gives a bit of storage!

So, for the porch makeover, I've checked many things off the list:
  • Repaint cabinet - done!
  • Put in a bench - done!
  • Make seat - done!
  • Replace trim around new door - done!
  • Paint all trim and wainscotting - done!
  • Paint walls - next on the agenda.
I hope to post the finished room soon!

I'm linking over to The Shabby Nest!

Sunday, November 14, 2010

I finally have a plate wall!

Remember when I decided I wanted a plate wall? Well, I finally got one! It took me a while, since I had a really hard time finding plates that I liked. I've finally accumulated a few. Most of them are from Winners/Homesense at just a couple of dollars each. One is from my trip to Quebec City - a little souvenir!


Not surprisingly, they are mostly shades of white and blue. I didn't realize until I pulled them out to hang, that they were all so similar. Originally I had thought colorful and fun, but I love the white plates against the blue wall in the kitchen. The wall is rather large, so I will be able to add to it over time. I will also switch them out with the seasons (I have a couple of Christmas ones thrown in for now).

This one is my favorite:

So pretty!

It looks pretty at night with the reflection of the chandelier:



For now they are hung with standard plate hangers that I picked up at Walmart. If I decide that I like it and the plate wall is there to stay, I may consider buying adhesive plate hangers.
Fellow blogger, Joi, from Nuestra Vida Dulce, has used them and I like how you can't see any of the wire.
Isn't her kitchen plate wall adorable? So colorful and fun!


I hope you all had a great weekend! I just got back from gathering sticks and branches with my mom and sister, for our outdoor holiday pots. I smell like pine, but I love it because it reminds me that Christmas will soon be here! Although, between now and then, I'm appreciating these beautiful days!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Beantown Handmade = Canine Couture!

Steph sent me this photo today that he came across on Apartment Therapy.


I just had to share it.
1. Because it looks just like Beaufort, and I think he may need one for Christmas.

He could pull it off right?


2. Because they are made by Anne and Michael for their etsy shop Beantown Handmade, and you have to check it out! If you have a dog you will love all of their stuff - it's adorable! Plus, they donate a portion of their revenue to animal rescue organizations. Can you think of some little pup who may need to stay warm this winter?

Here are some more, modeled by Anne and Michael's Boston's Bean and Lily. (I can't resist!):

This cracks me up. It's called "The Count"



I wonder how he feels about having his ears covered?

Anne and Micheal advise that you shouldn't purchase for a dog that won't enjoy the experience - a dog's pride is one of their top priorities. I am unsure about Beaufort. He certainly wasn't a fan of his Halloween costume, so we didn't have the heart to leave it on too long. But he may enjoy a sweater or hat. We are realizing he really does not like the cold and wind and we have very cold winters here in PEI, so he'll have to get used to it! Plus, I don't know if I can resist. They are just too cute!
Let's just look at one more... The Abominable Snow Bean hat:


So head on over to their etsy shop and check it out. You must be able to find one pup to buy for this Christmas?

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Fabric Shopping!

My sister and I decided to split the shipping and order some fabrics from fabric.com. I can't wait for it to arrive! Remember when I was swooning over this fabric?


Jamie from isuwannee used it in an upholstery project.



I finally found a place for it. I'll post the project soon:)
I also ordered these fabrics and since I can't sew, it will be interesting to see how my plans for them pan out!
 



Wish me luck!


Monday, November 8, 2010

Is blue my favorite color?

As a grade 2 teacher, I am frequently asked what my favorite color is. I usually say pink. Just because it's fun and the girls love it when that is my response. Some people would insist that white must be my favorite. But is white even a color? I'm not sure. Either way, I am quite fond of it.
While decorating my house I came to realize that whether I knew it or not, i apparently really like blue. I have shades of it everywhere! The kitchen walls are blue, the office walls are blue, the accent color in the living room is blue, my dining room has hints of turquoise. And when sorting my Christmas decorations, I realized all my decorations are blue!
I love an entire room or just hints of blue here and there. Here is a collection of some of my favorites:








images via syle at home and elle decor
If you are a blue lover as well check out House of Turquoise. Erin has a blog that features rooms in in every shade of blue. Full of gorgeous images!
What about you? Have you discovered a favorite color you didn't know you had?