a little of this, a little of that

{XO} Valentine's Day Wreath

2012-01-26T10:25:00.000-06:00

I have the best project to share with you!

In honor of V-day (which will be here soon!), I wanted to spruce up my front door.

I was inspired by this wreath on Pinterest. I loved it, but I did not love the $75 price tag!

Here is my version:

Oh, and mine only cost $14 to make. Sweet!

Supplies Needed

Glue Gun

Wreath (any size)

Vine Garland

Red Berry Stem (I used two)

Flowering pink stem (I used two)

Pipe Cleaners/Floral Wire

To make the "O"

I started out by cutting all the pink "flowers" off the stem, like so:

This leaves you with lots of little pink bushes

Add glue to the back, and press firmly onto your circular wreath.

Repeat this until you have completely covered your wreath.

Looking Good!!

To make the "X"

Start by uncoiling your vine garland.

Decide how long you want each side of the X.

I cut mine to 24".

The garland kept wanting to curve, so I twisted and bent it a little until it laid flat.

Hold your two pieces together, and wire them together. I couldn't find my floral wire, so I just used a pipe cleaner.

Cut your red berries in bunches from the stem, and then use your glue gun to attach them to the "X".

Press them firmly to the X.

After your X and O are finished, you need to wire them together. I still couldn't find my floral wire, so I pulled the wire out of some wire-edged ribbon I had laying around.

This is a "figure it out" step. Line up the X until it sits on the O the way you like it. Then use your wire to attach it.

It should look like this when you are done wiring them together:

Hot glue on some white ribbon, and hang up your adorable new wreath!

Close up of the berries and flowers:

Happy V-Day!

Linking up here!

{Kids Bathroom} Makeover!

2011-11-18T14:45:00.000-06:00

We have finally moved our ninos out of the master bathroom and into their own!

I started out framing their mirror for $20!

(Read about it here)

I then decided I wanted to panel the one wall in the bathroom like Emily @ Decorchick did:

Here is my "towel wall"

BEFORE

Just so you know....I had to hang the towels up to take a picture. I'm sure the towels are never on the floor at your house, right??

Another shot:

It all looks pretty plain and blah. AND, the towel rod was WAY too small to really hold any towels, after you wrestled them on there.

Following Emily's great instructions, my paneled wall turned out like this!

I'm lovin' the hooks I found for their towels!

Here it is with all the towels hung up:

And guess what? We have had NO towels on the floor since I finished this project! It's so much easier for my kiddos to hang up their own towel.
I feel like a genius! (j/k)

Here is the bathroom after a fresh coat of paint, a framed mirror, and a paneled wall:

Much Better!

Linkin up here

$20 DIY Mirror Frame: The Tutorial!

2011-11-01T08:00:00.003-05:00

Hope y'all had a great Halloween!

If you read my post here, you've seen how my plain, boring mirror turned into a framed beauty!

Before:

After:

Here's the How-To!

Supplies needed:

Molding (my is actually window casing, and is 3.5" thick)

Trim Paint (I use semi-gloss finish)

Liquid Nails

Paintable Caulk

Miter Saw

The first thing I always do is paint my boards! Paint the front AND back. The backside will reflect in the mirror.

Next up, measure your mirror.

I measure one side at a time, and cut the molding for that side. I clearly label each piece, because each side will be a littttle different (around .25" difference)

(I forgot to take a picture of me cutting the molding....a pic of my miter saw will have to do!!)

After you've measured and cut all four sides, time to put it up!

I used liquid nails, and glued right to the mirror.

Make sure you level each piece....

To make sure none of my pieces moved while drying, I used blue painters tape to hold them up.

After they were all dry (I let my pieces dry overnight), I caulked the four corner seams.

I then gave a touch up coat to the corners that I caulked.

All done!

Close up of the corners:

Cost Breakdown:

Molding - $20

Paint - Leftover from previous projects

Caulk/Liquid Nails - Leftover from previous projects

Total: $20!

***for those of you that have those pesky plastic mirror holders***

These were holding up my mirror on top:

I could not glue the molding on top of them! After googling around a little, I figured out that I could just unscrew them,

and then shoot a little liquid nails behind my mirror.

I let that dry overnight. I took off the mirror holding thingies the next morning, and voila! Done! No more pesky mirror clips.

Linkin up here!

{Last Minute} Halloween Ideas!

2011-10-28T13:34:00.001-05:00

We hosted a funnnnn playgroup at our house today!

I thought I would share with you all the fun ideas I used for food and games!

Salty Bones

(bread sticks with marinara sauce)

Source: Our Best Bites

Frankenstein Pudding

Source: How I Keep Sane

Mummy Juice

Aren't these cute?!!

Source: Blue Cricket Design

Witch Wands

(pretzels dipped in almond bark)

Source: Our Best Bites

Mummy Dogs

(hot dogs wrapped in crescent roll strips)

Source: Our Best Bites

Creepy Crawly Crispies

Source: Creative Party Ideas

Test Tube Treats

(Party Favors)

Source: Sassy Sites

Pop the Pumpkin Game!

*almost* all the kiddos loved this! I had darts that they got to pop the pumpkin with. A hit!

Source: Pinterest

Hope some of these ideas will help your Halloween be a little more fun!

Linkin up here

$20 DIY Mirror Frame

2011-10-24T16:05:00.001-05:00

I've been wanting to "frame" the mirrors in our bathrooms for like.....forever!

I've always been a little intimidated by it. What if I messed it up?

Well, I'm here to tell ya that it is pretttttty easy!

Here's the mirror

before

Here it is

after!

A close up of those beautifully mitered corners.....

Sigh. Love.

I think it turned out pretty great for $20!

Come back later this week for the FULL tutorial!

Linking up here

{5 Minute} Finger Paints

2011-10-10T14:26:00.000-05:00

We whipped up some easy homemade finger paints today!

Recipe

2 cups Water

1/2 cup Corn Starch

Food Coloring

Combine the water and cornstarch in a pan, and whisk it until the corn starch is smooth

Turn the heat up to high, and bring the water/cornstarch mixture to a boil. Whisk continuously.

The mixture will thicken up FAST!

Once thickened, remove the pan from the heat and divide the mixture between bowls. Start adding some food coloring!

Mix it up....

Enlist a little help if you like :)

And done!

Linking up here!

{Fall} Mantle

2011-09-16T15:37:00.000-05:00

I'm back! The last few weeks have been a much needed break for this momma.

Little Miss E is growing big, and smiling lots!

I updated my mantle last week, in the hopes of luring fall to Texas.

(If you haven't heard, we've had 70 days of 100+ degrees here in Dallas this summer. Yikes!)

Fall Mantle:

Loving this little green bucket I found. It goes great with my autumn colors!

Close up of both sides of the mantle:

I got most of my foliage at Hobby Lobby. They had lots of fun autumn stuff that didn't look too plastic-y.

Happy Fall!

Linking up here

I Spy Bag {a tutorial}

2011-08-07T18:21:00.001-05:00

This was such a fun and easy little project! It has been on my to do list for literally years!

I finally got around to making them, and wanted to share with you how you can make one too!

Supplies needed

1/4 yard fabric

1/8 yard clear vinyl (found at all fabric stores, and even wal-mart!)

Plastic Pellets (found on doll aisle at Hobby Lobby)

Miniatures

Sewing machine

Scissors

Start by cutting out all your fabric

You will need:

Two strips measuring 4.75"x2"

two strips measuring in 7.75"x2"

A square piece of fabric for the back measuring 7.75"x7.75"

Clear vinyl measuring 4.75"x4.75"

Sew the two 4.75"x2" strips to opposite sides of your vinyl, like this-

Take one of your 7.75"x2" strips and pin it, right sides together, to your square.

Sew it. Should now look like this:

Take your other 7.75" x 2" strip and pin it to your square.

Right sides together!!

Sew it, and it should look like this:

Now, take your back piece (7.75" x 7.75") and pin it to your completed square, right sides together.

Sew all four sides, leaving a small gap on one side to pour in your plastic pellets and miniatures. Like so:

Turn your bag right side out, and iron if you think it needs it.

(do NOT iron the vinyl....just the fabric)

Now for the fun part!

Choose your miniatures. I found all mine in the scrapbooking aisle at Hobby Lobby and on the dollhouse aisle.

I love miniature stuff! Some of my favorites:

Click to enlarge and see the cuteness!

I let my kiddos choose which ones they wanted in their bags.

Next up, add the plastic pellets. I used 2.5 cups for each bag.

Sew your hole closed, and now you have an I Spy bag!!

Close ups:

Mr. A's bag

Miss J's bag

I added a tag to each bag with a picture list of everything inside. It helps me turn it into a game for them. I just say "can you find the ____ ?"

I found clip art images of the items, and used Word to make the tags. Each tag is 4"x4", and is laminated for durability.

To attach the tags to the bags, I used large eyelets (also called grommets).

All Done!

Presenting.....

2011-08-04T20:18:00.000-05:00

Hey friends!

If you read my blog, you know that I've been expecting a little bundle of joy.

She's finally here!

Little Miss E

8lbs 13 oz, 20 inches long.

Right now I'm focusing on getting some sleep, and playing with my other two kiddos.

I'll be back soon with a fun tutorial!

Art Birthday Party

2011-07-20T07:45:00.001-05:00

If you saw my post here, you know that Miss J wanted an "Art Party" with a ruffly rainbow cake.

Here are some photos from her super fun party!

Balloon Banner

Party Food

Rainbow Marshmallows

yummmm

Rainbow Twizzlers

(a huge hit! I had no idea how much the kiddos would like these!)

Aren't the clear paint buckets cute? I am in love.

Assorted goodies

Mini Cupcakes

Bottled Water

Activities

CANVAS PAINTING

I found the cutest art smocks here for everyone to wear-they got to take one home.

It was fun seeing everyone paint!

Lots of creativity, and lots of mixing colors!

FACE PAINTING

We had a local face painter come, and it she did a great job!

PHOTO OP!

I found this fun frame at Goodwill for a few bucks.

After a quick coat of spray paint we had a fun photo prop!

Some fun shots:

PARTY FAVORS

No party would be complete without party favors!

Miss J wanted to include everything you would need to be "artsy" at home-a coloring book, composition notebook, markers, crayons, and a paint set.

Overall Jane & her friends had a great time!

Sources and Ideas:

Paint and No Spill paint containers found here and here

Kids art aprons found here

Clear paint buckets for food found here

Balloon Banner Tutorial found here

Rainbow Sprinkle Marshmallow idea found here

Ruffle Top Cake idea found here

I'll have another post up soon with free printables from the party!

Linkin up here & Tidy Mom

{Modern} Monogram Quilt - The TUTORIAL!

2011-07-16T07:04:00.001-05:00

I am SO excited to be guest posting at UCreate today!

Kari's blog is one of the first I started reading when I discovered this whole crafty blog world!

It took me forever, but I got a tutorial together for my Modern Monogram Baby Quilt.

Head over to UCreate for the FULL tutorial!

Rainbows & Ruffles

2011-07-12T20:19:00.002-05:00

Miss J is 4!

I can't believe it!

For her birthday, she wanted an "Art Party". It was so much fun!

My favorite part was the cake. I haven't had this much fun making (and eating) a cake in a long time!

My inspiration for the cake was one I saw at Whisk Kid.

Instead of making a cake from scratch, I just used boxed cake mix, and Wilton food coloring (aLOT of food coloring!).

Here's how my cake turned out!

I love how bright the layers are!

Here's the whole sha-bang:

Top of the cake:

I ADORE the ruffles. Miss J seemed pretty excited too :)

To make the ruffles, I used Wilton tip #103(the rose tip), and made zig zags all over the top.

In the colors of the rainbow of course!

Crafty Mama was the inspiration on the ruffles!

More details on the Art Party to come....

Linking up here

How to be a {superhero}

2011-07-08T15:11:00.000-05:00

Make believe and dress up are a regular activity around these parts!

Miss J been requesting her very own superhero get up for a while.

Who am I to say no??

Aren't they cute?!

The mask and cape were pretty easy to make.

The pattern for the mask can be found here.

I made mine out of felt, sewed them together, added a little elastic, and voila!

For the cape, I followed the tutorial over at Puking Pastilles.

The applique patterns I used on the back of the capes can be found here.

Overall, it was a VERY easy sewing project. I just used scrap fabric laying around.

My niños are happy superheroes!

Linking up here

{Modern} Baby Monogram Quilt

2011-06-29T07:00:00.002-05:00

Every now and then, I get an idea in my head that is all my own. That sounds funny, right? I've had this vision of a quilt I wanted to make for a while, and finally got down to making it!

It seems that all my friends are expecting right now, so baby everything has been on my mind.

I really love how these quilts turned out.

****THE FULL TUTORIAL CAN BE FOUND HERE!****

The "Henry" Quilt

Close up of that cute monogram:

Love it!

Colors of the quilt:

Lots of polka dots in white, orange and lime green.

The "Taggart" Quilt

Close up of that super cute monogram:

I really liked the fabrics on this one!

Aqua-ish blue, brown and white. Pretty classic colors!

I thought they turned out darling!

Pretty much what I envisioned in my head; not always easy to translate into a finished project!

Linking up here!

Evolution of a {Lamp Shade}

2011-06-22T15:29:00.001-05:00

Every once in a while, I find some great stuff at Goodwill. If you thrift at all, you know it's totally hit and miss.

I've been on the hunt for a lamp for Miss E's nursery. I found this awesome crystal lamp base (that is currently sold at Target!) a few months ago at Goodwill.

I wanted a drum shade, and luck would have it, there was one in great condition at Goodwill.

I decided to go ahead and recover the drum shade with some extra fabric that matched the crib bedding I made.

It turned out like this:

Yep, I realllllly didn't like it. Ick. It has been sitting in her nursery for months, waiting for another re-do.

I didn't like how match-y it was to the rest of her room.....

Then I saw this lamp shade at Attemping Aloha. It's a great knock off of Pottery Barn's.

The only problem is that I do NOT have the patience this late in my pregnancy to make a million tiny fabric rosettes. No way!

Cruising the fabric section at Hobby Lobby, I made a great find!

Shabby rosette trim by the yard! Pre-made frayed rosettes. Awesome!!

So, I stripped my lampshade....and spray painted it white.

I didn't worry about it looking perfect; it was just going to get covered up again!

Using my trusty glue gun, I attached the trim.

It turned out like this......

It is EXACTLY what I wanted!

Close up of that ruffly sweetness:

Linking up here

Cake Pops {Tips & Tricks}

2011-06-16T14:16:00.000-05:00

I LOVE to make cake pops!

They are so classy looking, and pretty easy to do once you get the hang of it.

I know there are a meeeellllion tutorials out there for a basic how to, so I'll list some below.

These blogs all have great instructions and pictures if you need a refresher on how to make these little gems.

Little Miss Momma

Love from the Oven

Bakerella

{My} Tips and Tricks

After you roll out your cake pops into balls, you want to put in the lollipop stick.

I dip my stick in melted chocolate {or} candy melts BEFORE I insert it into the cake ball.

Put your stick about half way in; don't push it all the way through your cake pop.

Do this for all your cake pops, and then put them in the fridge for a few hours to get nice and firm.

This is a CRUCIAL STEP if you want your cake pops to not fall apart when dipping them.

When you are ready to dip, work in small batches. I only do about 6 at a time. This will keep your pops firm for dipping, and they won't fall apart when you coat them.

I use my spoon to drizzle on the coating, and then I lightly tap off the excess.

I tap on the stick near the cake pop.

If you tap too far back on your stick, your pop will fall off. Experience speaking!

If you are adding sprinkles or sugar sparkles, you must do it right after you coat your cake pop. Do it before the coating hardens.

Don't those look yummy??

A whole platter of sweet goodness....

Linking up here!

Easy Frame {Update}

2011-06-14T08:14:00.000-05:00

In this post, I let you tour our "new" home office.

Remember this little spot between our bookshelves?

I love this little nook!

Let me show you how I updated the black frame.

Easy Frame {Update}

I started out with the frame looking like this:

I like this black frame, but I already had WAY too many pictures in our office. I knew I needed to switch it up.

I took out my super cute pictures of Miss J, and started with a blank slate.

I measured the opening of the frame....

And then cut some fabric a little wider than the opening.

(LOOOOVE this fabric!)

I just taped it to the frame backing, using super high end tape:

Just kidding. I used plain old scotch tape.

I made sure to pull the fabric tight around the edges.

Looking good!

I found a quote I liked about faith, and printed it off on some off white card stock. I centered it on my board, and Voila!

Much better!

Linking up here!

Nursery Reveal: The finished product

2011-06-07T14:51:00.004-05:00

Well, I have about 6 weeks until little Miss E gets here.

Yikes!

Her nursery has been finished for quite a while. I just haven't gotten around to posting it!

I posted here about her Crib Re-do, here about her Dresser Makeover, and here about Stenciling the Curtains.

And, here is her nursery!

Monogram above Crib:

Dresser and Changing Table:

Pretty Purple Knobs on the Dresser:

Close up of bedding made by *me*

Inside of the bedding:

The vinyl tree (that I looooove!)

Stenciled Drapes:

oh, and just for fun, here is what the room liked BEFORE it got a makeover:

SCARY! Right?!

Sources:

Paint color is Easter Morning by Valspar

Vinyl Tree & Branch above Dresser from Simple Shapes

Monogram above Crib from Toodles Design Studio

Upholstered Recliner from Lone Star Baby

Crystal Knobs on Dresser from D. Lawless Hardware

Window Treatments and Hardware from IKEA

Crib and Dresser from Burlington Coat Factory (new paint job by me!)

Linking up here!

& Sugar and Spice!

Where have I been??

2011-06-06T07:48:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts! We took an 8 day family vacation, and these are some of the places we've been!

First we visited my family, and my favorite little sister!

Next, just me and the hubby went here for 2 nights while my parents watched our kiddos. Ahhhh. Relaxation!

Then we hopped over to Sea World and Miss J got to do a lot of this:

She got to be one on one with the dolphins for an hour and a half before the park opened. Yeah, she LOVED it!

Then we stopped in Austin, TX

And then we finally came home. It was a FUN trip, with lots of things to do and see.

Now I'm just trying to get unpacked and all our laundry done! I'll be posting a project soon!

Bow Keeper {with hooks}

2011-05-24T14:24:00.001-05:00

Little Miss E should be here in about 9 weeks. I am so excited!

She already has an insane amount of bows and headbands. Some inherited from Miss J, and some given to me by a friend who also bought her daughter lots of bows when she was tiny!

I wanted a cute bow keeper/holder thing, so I started with what I already had.

I had several bow holders for Miss J, so I just recovered one! It was a canvas covered in batting and fabric.

I started with these fabrics....

Since this will be hanging up in her closet, I thought I would go with a non purple color scheme. Change it up a little!

I cut my fabric a little larger than my current bow keeper, and used my glue gun to attach the fabric.

I just glued right over the old fabric.

I made sure to pull the fabric tight as I went around the frame.

On the front of the bow keeper, I just left the raw edge showing. I covered it up with my black polka dot fabric.

Then, I added the black polka dot fabric, again using my glue gun.

I love it!

Next, I added thin black ribbon, again using my glue gun. I evenly space the ribbons going horizontal and vertical.

Here's what my ribbons looked like on the back....nothing fancy, but no one will ever see it!

Here's the bow keeper with all the ribbon on it:

To jazz up the top a little, I layered a thick black ribbon with a hot pink one:

I mentioned that Miss E has quite a few headbands....I wanted to use this bow keeper for those too! I looked around Lowe's for some hooks, and found some that worked perfectly!

They are called "Ook Hooks". Fun name, right?

They are technically to be used to hang up stuff on masonry (like brick, etc), but work great for my little project.

They have little hooks in them that you hammer into whatever surface you want:

They only come in white, so I whipped out my black spray paint (for plastic).

Gave them a few good coats...

Since my bow keeper is a canvas covered in batting and fabric, that means it has a wood frame.

I lined up my hooks on the bottom of my bow keeper (on top of the wood frame) and hammered them in!

(I was worried that hammering would chip the spray paint, but it didn't)

After all 5 hooks were hammered in, it was looking good!

The finished product:

Covered in bows and headbands!

Linking up here

Stencil your own Window Treatments

2011-05-17T12:24:00.000-05:00

If you read my post here, you'll know that I recently tried to make my own stencil....yeah, it didn't turn out so good :(

My lovely sponsor, Cutting Edge Stencils, generously offered to let me try out any stencil from their site.

I chose the Parsley Blooms.

I wanted something not geometrical, and not too floral....

I loved that it came in two sizes. The biggest stencil was 20" across, and the smaller one was 15" across.

Perfect for drapes!

I started out with some plain white drapes from IKEA. They were only $20 for two 98" panels!

Do you know how expensive window treatments are?

This was a steal worth driving an hour for!

I used my stencils, some plain old acrylic paint, and stencil brushes.

Steps to stenciling your own Window Treatments!

1. Carefully tape your window treatment to a large open area so you can stencil the whole thing all at once.

(don't mind the wrinkly-ness. I ironed it a little before stenciling....)

2. Decide how you want to position your stencil.

I used a little blue painters tape to hold my stencil in place.

3. Using a roller brush (loaded with paint but not dripping), roll right over that stencil!

Carefully peel back your stencil to see your fantastic result!

I was worried at this point-I was CONVINCED that the paint was going to bleed underneath the stencil. I was so happy that it didn't!

4. Repeat a million times, until you cover your window treatment with as much design as you want.

FYI-Even after repeated use on two panels, I never had trouble with paint bleeding underneath the stencil.

5. Go back over your treatment with the stencil in another color, if you like.

I wanted a two tone look, so I went with a lighter shade of purple for my second stencil.

I let the stencils overlap in a few areas; I liked the way it looked.

Don't you love how crisp the design is? These stencils really are great!

My one word of caution: put something under your window treatment while you stencil it....the paint went right through my drapes, and on to my tile floor!

My hubby came home and was like "why is our floor painted purple??!" All it took was a little elbow grease and water to get it up!

Now, would you like to see the finished product?

Close up of the design:

I think they turned out lovely!

They are bright, and a little on the modern side. It goes well with the rest of the nursery!

Linking up here!

{How To} NOT make your own stencil

2011-05-16T08:03:00.000-05:00

This post is going to start with a big fat FAIL. I don't usually share all my craft failures, because really, who wants to read about it?

I *attempted* to make my own stencil....I thought I would be all thrifty and just do it myself.

I've been wanting to stencil my own drapes in Miss E's nursery, so I thought I could just make the perfect stencil.

I started with some stencil blanks from Hobby Lobby.

Cheap, and there are 3 in a pack.

I printed off my design, laid it carefully underneath a stencil blank-

and started tracing.

Then, I got out my exacto knife and started cutting.....and cutting....

A close up of how UGLY this was looking!

I was frustrated, but decided not to give up. I printed off the free quatrefoil design Jen offers, and made another stencil.

This one turned out MUCH better, but after spending an hour cutting it out, I realized the design was SO small that it would take me FOREVER and a day to stencil my curtains.

I ended the day in craft defeat-almost!

I then emailed my sponsor Cutting Edge Stencils. I told them about my disaster, and they offered to send me any stencil off their site for free!

Want to see how it all turned out? Stay tuned!

Our {new} Home Office: A Tour

2011-05-10T20:46:00.001-05:00

Do you have a room in your house that bugs you? Well, mine was our home office. It never looked the way I wanted it to!

I had a lot of autumn-ish colors going on. I was sick of perpetual fall in our office.

I wanted light and airy-more of a gray/yellow/white combo. These fabrics were my inspiration:

Don't you looooove them? I do!

(from Hawthorne threads)

I started with paint. Ahhhhh yes. The easiest way to transform a room. I decided to go with gray.

If you've ever tried to choose the perfect gray, you feel my pain!

After several samples of paint on our wall, we finally chose the perfect gray.....or so I thought!

I went with Valspar's Polar Star.

I painted mostly at night, when the kiddos were asleep...and I'm 7 months pregnant. Imagine my surprise the next day when I wake up to discover that my perfect gray was gray-BLUE! I almost started crying!

There was NO way I was going to re-paint the whole room, so I decided to live with it. And you know what? I love it now!

I found the perfect rug that is gray-blue to accent the room.

Here it is:

Modern, and not floral. Those were my requirements.

(I loved the way this rug looked in Emily's room!)

The area above our desk was looking a little bare after painting....

So I jazzed it up with black frames, my favorite B&W prints of our family, and some vinyl.

Much better, right?

I did the vinyl myself on my Cricut.

It's the biggest project I've ever done with vinyl.

The monogram measures about 36 inches across.

Next, I found some fun frames to add to the desk.

One of my fave pics of me and the hubster.

I found this frame at Home Goods.

I love the swirls...it's a good contrast to the stark black/white/gray in the room.

I found this little vase at IKEA, and thought it added a nice pop of yellow.

Found this lamp at Home Goods also. We've had it for a few years, but I still really like it.

Here's the desk side of the room:

Opposite of the desk is the bookcase wall:

I love my little nook in between the bookcases-

The vases are all from IKEA.

The mirror is my FAVORITE part of the room. I love it!!!

(from Home Goods)

I used some of my inspiration fabric to frame a quote:

We have really lovely bay windows in our office, and they let in tons of natural light.

Close up of vinyl above windows:

I realllllly wanted to do window treatments on these windows in a fun yellow/gray fabric, but the hubby says no. He likes the uncluttered, minimalist look we have going on. I must admit, it's growing on me. So for now, bare windows :)

I think that's about it! Hope you enjoyed our home office tour!

Linking up here!
and @ Under the Table and Dreaming

Easy {boutique} Burp Cloths

2011-05-04T13:24:00.000-05:00

I have made many burp cloths over the years!

This is the easiest kind for me to make for new mommies-to-be, and thought you might like my quick and easy tutorial!

(if you can sew a straight line, you can make these!)

Supplies Needed:

Fabric in two coordinating colors

Sewing machine

Scissors
Ruler

(told you this would be easy!)

Step 1. Cut out your fabric into 11x16" rectangles. (one of each fabric)

Step 2. Pin RIGHT sides together.

Tip: when sewing with minky fabric, pin the heck out of it! It will keep the fabric from moving, and will look great when done!

Step 3. Sew all four sides, leaving a small opening to turn it right side out.

Step 4. Turn your burp cloth right side out.

Step 5. Top stitch all the way around your burp cloth, making sure to tuck in the "hole" you left for turning.

DONE!

Close up:

A few more cute burp cloths:

Linking up here!

Brown Paper Packages

2011-05-03T07:11:00.001-05:00

Have you ever been to Brown Paper Packages?

If not, you are missing out on a seriously cute blog! Kierste has so many original and fun ideas.

I'm guest posting today-go check it out!

Want to know how to make an adorable burp cloth in five steps??
Seriously, five steps!

If you can sew a straight line, you can make these!

Check out the tutorial here!

Rainbow Cake {in a jar}

2011-04-26T20:10:00.003-05:00

I had SO much fun making this that I had to share it with ya'll!

I have never tried making cake in a mason jar before, but it totally works, and is SO cute looking!

Go here for the recipe, and I'll give you my tips to make it turn out great!

Start with some yummmmmmy looking cake batter, divided into several bowls.

(I used neon food coloring for all my colors)

Spoon in one layer at a time, filling your jar about halfway with all your colors. Like so:

TIP: the first time I tried "layering" my batter in the jars, it was WAYYYY too runny. Add about 2 tsp. cornstarch, and 1-2 Tbs. of flour to each bowl. It will thicken it up, and make it much easier to "layer".

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, and top with frosting and sprinkles when cool.

Love it!!

FYI: I used half pint mason jars.

(because I love stuff that is miniature!)

Linkin' up here
and Tidy Mom

{How to} Spray Paint Furniture

2011-04-22T07:51:00.001-05:00

I've been promising you a "how to" post on spray painting.

Here we go!

First off, most of the things I spray paint are small-like picture frames, random do-dahs, chandeliers etc.

tutorial found here

chandy makeover found here

Sooo, the thought of spray painting actual furniture was a VERY scary thing for me.

Here's what to do if you want your paint job to turn out great!

The brand of spray paint you use MATTERS! I have used lots of brands, and I honestly think that Krylon is the best. Do not buy the $1 can of spray paint. You will wind up using 4 cans of cheap-o paint to do what 2 cans of Krylon can do. Experience speaking!!

(the "no cheap-o spray paint rule" applies to ALL spray paint projects. Not just furniture!)

I do not sand my furniture before priming. I think it creates a huuuuuge mess, and if you use a good primer, it's not really a necessary step.

Prime your furniture before spray painting! DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP! I cannot emphasize enough how much it matters whether or not you prime. If you don't prime, your spray paint will chip and look awful.

I have tried lots of brands of primer, and the best by FAR is Kilz. It covers a lot with one can, and it is just awesome. For some reason, it leaves a fine "grainy" texture on your furniture after it dries. Use 220 grit sand paper and lightly sand your furniture after you prime. That grainy feel comes right off, and leaves your furniture feeling smooooooth!

Prime the heck out of whatever you are spray painting. It will take a few coats, but will be worth it! Prime until your furniture is a uniform white, with no splotchy patches.

After you prime, it's time to spray paint! No matter what color you choose, the rule is the same. Light, even coats, with plenty of drying time in between.

If you want to save your hands, use rubber/vinyl gloves when spraying/priming. It is hard to get spray paint off your hands!

(this is my favorite kind to use)

After you spray paint, it's time for the final step-Polycrylic. This seals and protects your paint job. I've read that polyurethane will yellow over time on furniture that is painted white, so polycrylic is a better way to go.

Other pros of polycrylic: it is way less odorous than polyurethane, you don't have to use mineral spirits with your brush, and it doesn't bubble. I used the minwax brand, and I really like the results. It is easy to apply, and dries fairly quick.

I highly recommend sealing your furniture; it really is a step you shouldn't skip. It will keep your primer/paint job from chipping!

For those that will ask: I have tried brush painting furniture before, with latex paint, and I never get good results. I always have brush strokes, and I just don't think it looks as professional. I think that spray paint is usually a much better option.

Specifics on spray painting a crib

see the transformation here!

All of the above tips apply.

I personally emailed several ladies in blogland who spray painted their cribs to ask how their spray paint job has held up. They all said it has held up great, with no chipping, and that they wished they had done it sooner!

Spray painting is going to be your fastest way to give your crib a face lift. I can't imagine trying to get in between all those slats with a brush!

Disassemble your crib as much as possible before spray painting. It will make it easier to get in all the nooks and crannies.

To give you a reference, my crib (which is a large crib) took 6 cans of primer, and 5 cans of spray paint.

Hope these tips help, and feel free to email me with questions!
alittleofthis.alittleofthat.blog@gmail.com

Linking up here!
and Tidy Mom

Easy Easter Snack Idea {Goldfish Carrots}

2011-04-18T22:42:00.003-05:00

It's Miss J's turn to bring snack for her preschool again. She and I wanted to jazz up snack time a little....she loves bringing a "fancy snack" to school.

I don't know how fancy these snacks are, but they sure turned out cute!

Rather than load them up on sugar (which I'm sure they will get enough of this weekend for Easter!), I wanted something less sugary.

I saw a great idea on No Fuss Fabulous.....

Can you ever beat goldfish? What three year old doesn't love 'em?

How to make goldfish "carrots"

Take a disposable decorating bag (the kind you put frosting in), and fill it about halfway with goldfish.

Gather the top and tie with green ribbon.

Done!

Totally cute, right?

And, they take all of 5 minutes to make!

Linking up here
and @ House of Hepworth's & Today's Creative Blog!

Nursery Reveal: Part 2

2011-04-14T13:52:00.002-05:00

I showed you my crib transformation in Part 1 of my nursery reveal.

Ready for Part 2?

I had a dresser that was in great shape. The only problem was that it was the same icky honey oak color as my crib.

It had to go!

I started with this:

After a lot of primer, spray paint, and polyacrylic, this is what I have now!

I replaced these knobs:

With these beeeeeeeee-utiful amethyst colored crystal knobs:

So girlie. I love it!

Now all that is left is to show you the rest of the room!

"How to Spray Paint furniture" can be found HERE!

Linking up here

Sports Birthday + {FREE Printables!}

2011-04-12T07:18:00.001-05:00

My little man is 2!

He had a GREAT birthday party! Lots of his little friends were there, and he seemed to be really happy the whole time.

Highlights of the party

FOOD

The Cake!

Drinks

GAMES!

Bowling

Basketball

Tee Ball

and of course....

PRIZES!

GUEST FAVORS

And now, would you like the FREE PRINTABLES for all of this??

I designed this myself in Photoshop, so please use it for personal use only!

Game Signs:

Basketball (click here)

Bowling (click here)

Tee Ball (click here)

Guest Favor Tags (click here)

Food Labels

Prize Bag Labels (click here)

Linking up here!

Empire City Studios - Welcome!

2011-04-11T11:00:00.001-05:00

There is a new sponsor at A Little of This, a Little of That!

Do you remember in this post that I showed you the awesome wall decal for Mr. A's big boy room?

Well, I ordered it from Empire City Studios on Etsy.

MY experience with them was fabulous!

Fast shipping, and they totally customized the size of the decal for me. They were QUICK to answer my questions by e-mail - that is a big deal to me!

Here are some other fun things from their shop!

I can never resist damask!

Love the idea of defining your kiddos name!

I always love cherry blossom trees; very springy!

All of their products are customizable, and they will work with you on any custom order you want.

They have 26 colors of vinyl to choose from!

Welcome Empire Studios!

{Word Whipped} Winner!

2011-04-11T07:20:00.000-05:00

WOW!

There were 364 entries for this fab "Keep Calm and Carry On" sign!

and the winner is.....

Little Bird who said-

Congrats!

Thank you to EVERYONE who entered! What a fun giveaway!

Nursery Reveal: Part 1

2011-04-06T08:20:00.001-05:00

We are expecting our third baby in July!

When we found out it was a GIRL I was very excited!

I've been busy painting, sewing, and decorating for the last few months. The nursery is FINALLY finished!

I thought I would share it with you in stages....just to make you wonder what it looks like all together :)

I started with our crib. I LOVE the lines of our crib, and the shape, and the fact that it doesn't have a drop down side.....but the color had to GO!

This is what I started with.

Close up:

Again, I love our crib, and it has sentimental value (having been used by my two previous little ones), but I have never been crazy about the color.

So, I decided to go for it, and paint it!

I took six cans of Kilz Primer, six cans of Krylon spray paint, a few coats of a polyacrylic sealant.

(don't worry, I used a really good spray paint respirator to keep those fumes away!)

Here is the result:

Close Up:

And yes, I made the bedding myself. A true labor of love!

I am so happy with how it turned out!

Before and After:

A full "HOW TO SPRAY PAINT FURNITURE" post can be found HERE

Nursery Reveal Part 2 is here!

Linking up here

{Word Whipped}

2011-04-02T00:01:00.000-05:00

I found the CUTEST shop on Etsy! It's called Word Whipped!

Holly is a super talented lady who creates fun stuff like SOLID wood hand painted and vinyl signs, subway art, and super cute custom art!

Here are some of the FUN things you can find in her shop!

Isn't this "Family Rules" sign great?! Lovin' it!

I also really like this "Family Sign". Totally customizable for your family!

My FAVORITE thing she has right now has to be the Keep Calm and Carry On sign!

This one is extra big: 11" wide and 22" tall!

Wouldn't you love one for yourself??

One LUCKY READER will win a LARGE "Keep Calm and Carry On" sign in the COLOR of their choice from Word Whipped!

Here's how to enter:

Mandatory Entry: head over to Word Whipped and pick out your favorite sign. Then leave a comment on this post telling me the name of the sign.

Additional Entries

Become a follower of A Little of This, a Little of That (or tell me if you already are!)
follow Word Whipped on Facebook
Show Word Whipped some love and heart the shop on Etsy

**leave a separate comment for EACH entry and your email address in your comment**

Giveaway ends Saturday, April 9th. Winner chosen by random.org

Make your own {Milk Glass}

2011-03-23T13:57:00.001-05:00

Milk Glass is so pretty!

Stephanie featured a DIY milk glass project a while ago, and I tucked it away in my files as a possible future project.

BEFORE

...plain glass vase from clearance aisle at Hobby Lobby. Great shape, but boring!

AFTER

...all it took was a little acrylic paint and some water.....

Milk Glass How To:

I found that mixing a little acrylic paint in a cup with a tiiiiny bit of water to thin it out was a good way to go.

Pour that paint/water combo right into your glass vase

(I found that straight acrylic paint was too thick, and too forEVER to cover)

Gently roll the paint around your vase, covering all sides

After you have thoroughly "painted" the inside of your vase, turn it upside for about 30 minutes.

When you lift up your glass vase, you will get a flood of paint; that's ok! Just wipe off the rim of your glass, and turn it upright to dry overnight.

Now, you're ready to put in pretty flowers, or just leave it plain and painted!

(I can't wait to try this technique with some fun colors.....)

Love the "inside painted" look:

This is how my vases look now:

Linking up here!

SPRING {Mantle}

2011-03-15T08:21:00.001-05:00

My mantle has been looking very sad for.....well, a long time.

I don't know why, but I'm kind of unmotivated to do anything with it.

I finally got sick of how it was looking, and gave it a spring-y overhaul!

Here's the final result:

I'm loooooving my two new vases that I *made* myself!

I'm not a big faux-liage kind of person, so I tried to go with stuff that looked kind of realistic.

I'm liking this little bunch of stuff:

Want to know how to MAKE your own milk glass vase? Stay tuned!

I made these cute little "moss balls" and put them on my white candlesticks I already had.

I went with really earthy looking moss.

I also made this little sign; it was a different color and said something else.

I re-purposed it!

Overall, I'm liking all the white and brightness it brings into my brown living room!

Linking up here!

ps-I was totally inspired by Layla's mantle....check it out here!

Big Boy Room {Finished!}

2011-03-04T16:59:00.002-06:00

I LOVE the feeling of finishing a project. Especially a big project!

I showed you here how the Board & Batten turned out in Mr. A's room.

I showed you here all the tips and tricks I could think of for tackling B&B yourself!

So, do you want to see his FINISHED room?!

Lots of pictures to follow, and a list of where I found all his stuff at the bottom of the post.

Storage System

I was SHOCKED by how much stuff this system can hold! It handles all the toys from my living room, all of Mr. A's books, and MUCH more.

The best part? The chalkboard doors. Mr. A looooooves them!

He also loves his little chalk pail:

I showed you in this post how I used vinyl to number his bins.

I really like the way they look!

Bed

I love his bed! We also sprung for the guard rail that matches it.....it looks so much nicer than the ghetto metal one I had on Miss J's bed!

Close up of the details:

Nice and boyish, right?

Bedding

Mr. A is, of his own choosing, all about basketball.

I wanted to do a sports theme in his room without it screaming SPORTS!!

This quilt is a great weight. Not too heavy, and it feels really well made. He loves all the balls on it.

Above the Bed

Mr. A's only request for the whole room was a "hoop".

So, I found him a pretty darn cute one!

(it has chalkboard score boxes on both sides....love it!)

I customized it with his name and my trusty Cricut. Wish I could show you the whole name; it's so cute!

(you'll just have to wonder what Mr. A's real identity is.....)

His favorite past time is standing on his bed and shooting hoops :)

Extra Storage

If the storage wall wasn't enough, I found this FAB ball bin for Mr. A's bigger balls and stuff.

It's super tall, which is a plus. Also, it breaks up all the wood in the room. I like the metal.

Hubby's input

Of course my hubby had input in our only son's room.

He found this big vinyl decal and insisted that I find I place for it. I was NOT sold on it at first, but I really like it now!

Close up:

Finishing Touches

My biggest hold up in the room was what do on the looong wall above the bed.

I didn't want something giant up there, and we already had vinyl up on the wall that faced the bed. Hmmmmm.

Where else would I find what I need than at Costco! (love that store)

They were running a special on their photo canvas. $10 off each canvas; that is a deal!

I decided to do 3 canvases, and it took up the whole wall:

This is my favorite of the pictures:

I think that's it. Hope you enjoyed the "tour"!

Where I found Mr.A's stuff

Storage Wall System - Pottery Barn Kids

Bed & Bedding - Pottery Barn Kids

Tall Wire Ball Bin - Land of Nod

Oversized Basketball Player vinyl decal - Empire City Studios (etsy)

Black & White Photo Canvas - Costco

Numbered Storage Bins: Lowes (customized by me)

Basketball hoop: Pottery Barn Kids (customized by me)

Galvanized Chalk Pail - Target (dollar bins)

TIP: The pieces I bought at PBK were ALL on sale. January is their "storage sale" month (only ONCE a year), and they really mark down alot of their furniture. I would recommend buying their storage system in January, when it's on sale.

The bed and bedding were also on sale too....sale prices beat full price!

Linkin' up here

and @ DecorChick!

Print your own {Lunch Bags}

2011-03-02T08:38:00.002-06:00

Sorry for the lack of posts my dear readers!

I've had a lot of THIS going on at my house:

And by this, I mean potty training Mr. A.

The good news? He has been accident free for two days!

Woohoo! For all those (and that is pretty much everyone I know) who told me boys were harder to potty train than girls, you are wrong! Mr. A was a million times easier to potty train than Miss J.

disclaimer: I'm sure this is just my experience....everyone has told me that boys ARE harder than girls to potty train :)

Since I'm not posting about potty training, on with my latest DIY.

Miss J was assigned to bring snack to her preschool class. There are 13 kiddos in her class, and she and I both wanted to make it fun.

Following this tutorial on how to print lunch bags on your computer, I designed my own bags in photoshop, and printed them right here on my home computer.

Here they are right off the printer:

I will have a FREE DOWNLOAD of my snack time bags below!

Close Up:

We filled them with yummy treats like muffins, fruit snacks and raisins:

I found the cute pencil tag over at Paper Glitter. This is one of her free downloads!

Here's our cute snack bags, loaded with goodies:

Ready to be enjoyed by Miss J and her class!

Click Here for my snack time lunch bag printable!

Click Here for a great tutorial on how to print lunch bags on your home printer.