home decor
Chalkboard Canvas Wall Art {DiY}
I loved having my niece visit a couple months ago, not only because she is a total sweetheart, but also because she loves a good DiY project almost as much as I do. In the week she was here we made several cool projects, including these ombre vases, monogrammed felt baskets, and these cute mason jar candy pedestals. But my favorite, by far, was this chalkboard canvas wall art. Did someone say Mod Podge and chalkboard paint? Seriously, what’s not to love? I’m a little bit of a commitment-phobe when it comes to home-decor–I have yet to actually hang something on this big wall–so for me the biggest appeal of ... read more
Valentine’s Day Embroidery Hoop Art {Easy Embroidery for Kids}
We are in full Little House mode over here, and I gotta say, I am loving every minute. As I told Husband last night, our girls may never score a 1600 on their SAT, but my oh my, will they be able to sew, bake, & pickle like nobody’s business! Last week, inspired by one of the projects in the Little House Craft Book, Princess and I took it upon ourselves to learn embroidery. It was something I have never done before either, so we learned together. She was completely hooked almost immediately. I was frankly amazed at how quickly she picked it up! She proudly completed a practice sampler, ... read more
DiY American Girl Doll Bed {and Armoire}, Part 2
I’ve been avoiding this post for weeks now, partially because it was Christmas and things got crazy, but mostly because this “DiY tutorial” is going to be SO LAME that I’m afraid you’ll all start throwing things at me through the computer screen. It’s not that it turned out poorly; the end result turned was just fine. Better than fine, actually. It is frankly darling and Princess is thrilled. It was really just my documentation of the process that wasn’t good. I had a complete and utter blogger fail. I really should never have set myself up for a 2 part American Girl Doll Bed project. Oh, the pressure! My ... read more
A Naturally Vintage Christmas at My Dream House
I’m still working on the final touches for my own virtual holiday home tour–and the Christmas cocktail party we are throwing tonight–but I thought today I’d share some really cool natural & vintage Christmas decorating ideas from my friend Stacy’s beautiful home. Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while might her gorgeous house from this post a while back. It is the most amazing little 1927 Craftsman bungalow, made even better by her incredible quirky and eclectic vintage style. (If you love vintage items, be sure to check out her Etsy shop! She has SUCH cool stuff!) I could literally spend hours there, just drooling over ... read more
Vintage Freezer Paper Bleach T-Shirts {DiY}
It is relatively easy to find handmade gift ideas for women and kids, but guys and teenagers are a different story altogether. Every Christmas I send a small gift to each of my 13 nieces and nephews. (I wrote about this tradition last year when my nephew sent me this touching thank you letter.) While the gifts have varied over the years, they have always been something store-bought. I knew this year I wanted to make my gifts, but I was really struggling to come up with something “cool” that would be a hit with both teenage guys and girls. My friend McKenzie, who you may remember from this pickle ... read more
Felt Snowball Ornament {DiY}
Another felt project! Aren’t you excited? I know, I know, I have a problem. These little felt snowballs are super fun to make. I used my sewing machine to do most of the sewing, but if you don’t own one you could probably do the whole thing by hand with only slightly more effort. These ornaments look beautiful hanging on the tree, but they make a great gift idea as well. Give a set as a hostess gift, or tie one to the top of a present for a little extra flair! I used cream colored felt to make them look like little snowballs, but any color would work. ... read more
Homemade Rainbow Sparkle Playdough {DiY}
I wanted to come up with a small gift for the kids in my Sunday School class as well as a few other kiddos on my list, and I thought little rainbow packs of homemade playdoh would be really fun. The girls and I always enjoy making it but we usually just stick to one color (or white!) It is really easy to make and a great way to introduce your kids to “cooking” in the kitchen, since the measurements don’t have to be that accurate, it doesn’t matter if the kids get their grubby hands all over everything, it is fairly quick, and they get to play with ... read more
DiY chalkboard coaster set {handmade holidays}
I am on a mission this holiday season to worry less about stuff and instead craft my way to Christmas! I am sharing our DiY projects & ideas throughout the next month in a series called “Handmade Holidays” You can check out the rest of our projects here. Can you tell we have been feeling a little crafty around here lately? The girls and I have been working on so many projects that I hardly know where to start, but I figured I better get going on sharing some of our gift ideas so that y’all can get started on them too! These fun chalkboard coasters might be one of ... read more
DiY American Girl Doll Bed, Part 1
Can you keep a secret? I’m counting on the fact that Princess doesn’t read this blog, but I am so excited about her gift from Santa this year that I think I might explode if I try to keep it all bottled up. So shhhhhhhhhhhh! Every family “does” Santa a little differently which definitely makes things a little interesting now that our kids are a little older and starting to compare notes with their friends. For instance, we do the Elf on the Shelf, a fun tradition we started last year, but yesterday at church I overheard Princess discussing her elf with a few friends, some of whom have an ... read more
Felt “Paper” Chain Garland {DiY}
I think I might have a slight felt problem. I love it almost as much as I love ModPodge, and so far this year it has played a starring role in many a Christmas decoration. But seriously folks, what’s not to love? It is super cheap (only $0.20 a sheet when it goes on sale), doesn’t fray, & can be used for SO MANY things! I wish I could say this was going to be my last felt project of the year, but we both know that’s probably not true, so please, please just humor me a little bit longer. Pretty please? This felt “paper” chain was inspired by a ... read more
30 Minute Felt Appliquéd Burlap Pillow {DiY}
Much to Husband’s chagrin, I insist on filling our sofas with pretty throw pillows. And despite how many times a day I am forced to rearrange, re-fluff, and pick them up off the floor, I refuse to give in. I love them. Without them, the room just doesn’t feel finished. I wanted some pretty new Christmasy pillow covers this year but I couldn’t really justify the $40+ price tag at Pottery Barn. Why are those silly things so expensive? Since I don’t have the patience for “real” sewing–or for taking the time to measure, pin, iron, and put in a zipper–I decided to come up with something a little quicker. It ... read more
DiY ornament wreath {handmade holidays}
My family is on a mission to worry less about stuff and instead craft our way to Christmas this year! We are sharing some of our DiY projects & ideas throughout the next month in a casual series called “Handmade Holidays” You can check out the rest of our projects here. I have been wanting to make an ornament wreath for practically forever, ever since I spotted the original here a few years ago. Last year I went a little crazy on ornaments and other trimmings at the after-Christmas sales (more on that later), which meant this year I finally had enough ornaments to spare. My original plan for this wreath was ... read more
fall leaves canvas {easy kids DiY project}
We had a one-day cold front pass through last week, (and by cold, I mean 85 degrees instead of 95), which I took as a clear sign from above that it was time to dig out the bins of fall decorations. I also took it as a sign that it was time to rock the skinny jeans & knee-high leather boots, even if it was only for one day, and even if I was so hot I thought I might be going through early menopause. Hey, us Florida girls have gotta take what we can get. But I digress. In my eagerness to embrace all things fall, I decided we ... read more
5 tips for creating the perfect dorm room {on a budget}
My oldest niece Coryn started college last week. She is attending University of South Carolina on a full soccer scholarship so she had to arrive early to begin training with her new team. She is an amazing kid, er, young woman, and has worked so unbelievably hard to get where she is, and our whole family is so, SO proud of her! My entire extended family lives in Washington State, so I am pretty excited to have her over here on the East Coast with me. I was completely honored when she asked my sister if I could come help her get moved into her dorm and decorate her ... read more
Sunday Brunch at my Dream House
If you follow along on Project Simplify 365, you may have picked up on the fact that I have a slight problem with baby stalking. I just can’t help myself…..I love them SO much! I have so far been unsuccessful in my attempts to convince husband that we need another one, so I fill that need by obsessing, er, doting on other people’s babies. But I digress. About a week and a half ago we were invited to a brunch after church to celebrate the baptism if this little cutie pie. Isn’t she precious? As we were driving out to the country home of the baby’s grandmother, Stacy, we took ... read more
