Monogram Door

One of my favorite things, like I had mentioned in a previous post is decorating my new front door. I have even created a pinboard on Pinterest. One of the coolest things I had found while searching for things to beautify my new door was a personalized monogram. I am sure if you are a Pin-a-holic like me, you have seen some of them on Pinterest. I purchased mine from Southern Proper Monograms. I love how it turned out however I thought it came already painted. It did not, but that was not a problem because I had some Kilz left over from my chandelier make over.

Check it out~

Before

After and it looks fantastic on my door.

Penn State Wreath

I've recently been inspired to create art for the front door of our new house. What can say more about a person's home than how they care for their yard? I think it is how they decorate their door/front porch, but thanks to my wonderful husband, the yard looks great too! I have been busy creating things for Halloween but I wanted to create a wreath for football season. I saw a great one that had a large football on it but I wanted to use things I already had around the house.

One of my favorite places to visit is the ribbon outlet in Hagerstown. I like to refer to it as "ribbon heaven." I could spend hours in there searching for ribbon that I don't even have a current use for at the moment. If you live in the DC metro area and are a crafter you must check it out, Berwick Ribbon Outlet.  Anyway, last summer I spent many hours looking through the ribbon bins to find ribbon. I had purchased this ribbon very cheap. Of course I told my husband I had plans for the ribbon when I bought it. :)

Some of my inspiration ribbon for this project had a paw print pattern and the other was blue and white polka-dot. They were just screaming to be made into something Penn State. The spools that you can purchase at the ribbon outlet are much larger and more economical than what you get at the local craft store. I think I paid $3.00 for the paw print and $10.00 for the polka dot. This is what I still have left after the wreath and a few other projects.

I used a hay wreath because I wanted the wreath to have some depth. I left the plastic on so that there would not be hay all over the floor. I also had created a balloon wreath for my son's birthday with the same material and I liked how it turned out. I took the ribbon and wrapped it around and I was able to use push pins to hold the last piece. Then I created a large bow from some ribbon that had wire in it. Finally, I stole (I mean borrowed) my son Camden's mini football that he had in his room.

I am so happy with the final product. I have a feeling that I might need that left over ribbon to make a few more of these after our friends and family see how cute it turned out. We might need a few more mini footballs though.

TABLE REDO

Over the summer when we were shopping for furniture downtown, we came across just what we were looking for to fill our entry way. This little table was just the thing. We wanted a black table so we purchased some black paint and using the recipe from Jamielyn at iheartnaptime, we created our own chalk paint.

Here is what the table looked like before.

The first thing I did was to remove the drawer pull and then sand down to the wood. It took about 2 coats to cover completely and to look cohesive. I am pretty happy with how it turned out.

One word of advice I will give to those looking to make your own chalk paint. *Make sure that your Plaster of Paris is completely mixed in or you will have chunks in your paint and will have to sand them down and start over.

Once we had it painted, I put on a new drawer pull that I purchased for $1.50 at Hobby Lobby. I think it looks great.

 All ready for fall and our upcoming Halloween Party. 

Chandelier make over

So for weeks I have been searching for the right chandelier to make over my laundry room. After scouring several local shops I was feeling defeated and I did not want to pay the prices I was seeing. With a quick trip to IKEA I found something that I thought just might work. It was only $39.00 so the price was definitely right! I was excited to get it home and get started with the transformation. Here is what it looked like before I got a hold of it.

The hardest part of the project was removing the crystals. I took pictures to remember where they needed to be put back. I used small jewelry pliers to try to keep the small rings in tact. To achieve the antique white look I wanted, I used Kilz spray paint. 

It took a few coats because I got a little close and had to sand down the bubbles. It was also hard to get in the small spaces so I had to spray it in shifts and let each side dry.

 The final piece- Trust me it looks much better in person.

I love my new light and I couldn't have beaten the price. My only complaint is it isn't as bright as I might like it but once we install wainscoting around the room, I think it will brighten up the area more. I hope you found some inspiration in my small transformation. :)

The Ultimate Baby Shower Gift

A few years ago when all of my friends started moving from couple status to families, I was attending an obscene amount of baby showers. Don't get me wrong I love a good baby shower, especially after having my own, but I could never find the right gift. One night while doing some online shopping, I came across a website where someone had created what I like to call
"The Ultimate Baby Shower Gift." It was a paint can decorated with scrapbook paper and ribbon and then filled with all kinds of goodies. I quickly jotted down the things I wanted to include in mine and headed out shopping. I first went to Home Depot to pick up a paint can and opener ($7.00) then headed to Michaels to gather the outside coverings. While there, I picked up a spiral journal in the dollar section, a little jewelry box, scrapbook paper, and tons of ribbon. I used the ribbon to decorate the handle and to cover where I overlapped the paper. The box I thought could be used to keep small items in such as first tooth, lock of hair, etc. On the outside of the can I decorate with nursery colors or gender specific papers. Sometimes I like to include the name if I know it and on the back is where I put the poem. 

On the inside of the lid, I created a place where the birth details could be written down if they were not known at the time of the shower/gift giving. I also made tags for each of the items I purchased. (First toy, first bath, first food, etc.) You can personalize based on what the person receiving the gift likes. The first one I made was for my Vice Principal and at the shower there were many "ooh's and ahh's," I knew I had found my new go-to gift. I wish I could give credit to the person who created the adorable poem that goes with it but unfortunately there was never a name given.

Here is what the poem says on the back:

Baby books are great ideas,

But sometimes life gets busy.

Living with a little one

can put you in a tizzy.

Milestones pass too fast at times,

to find the proper page.

So, jot a note of each event,

with date and baby’s age.

“Took 3 steps on May 5^th”

Or “teething on 5^th of December.”

Then drop it in this memory can

to help you to remember.

Some other shower cans:

 

Several baby showers later, I have been commissioned to make many other cans. Some of the events I have created cans for are: birthdays, graduations, weddings, honeymoons, and special events, just to name a few. (See attached pictures)

Now as most of my friends are moving on to baby number two, I am off to create more works of art. If you are interested in specifics or would like to have one created for your event, feel free to contact me. I hope to post more pictures soon.

Michelle :)

Today I am embarking on a new adventure....blogging!! Inspired by Pinterest and the many other great bloggers out there, I begin the journey. After sitting down with my friend Megan of Our Pintersting Family I feel somewhat prepared. Just one month ago I moved into a new house with my husband Ryan, son Camden, and our Westie Millie. Making a house a home is our goal. I hope you enjoy reading about our adventures.

Michelle :)