GRACE

This painting has always been one of my favorites. A small copy was in our home growing up and its simplicity is powerful as a reminder of humility, gratitude and faith. Read the HISTORY of this painting HERE.

A few years ago, I stumbled across this large painting of "Grace" on craigslist. Although I knew it was larger than the little one my mom has, I didn't realize how HUGE it was until I got to the seller's house to purchase it. It's a good thing we had a large empty wall in the dining room for it to call home. 

Since hanging it on our wall a few years ago, the frame has always slightly bothered me. The frame was just too fancy for a humble painting, with gold and cherry wood coloring. And, I don't have any of those colors in my decorating. I have wanted to paint it for a long time, and I finally did.
All black.

And I painted it right there on the wall, because it's huge as I mentioned. I sanded it, taped it off and painted it with a foam brush and then a smaller paint brush for the detailed border.

I enjoy the new look with a solid black frame. 

~ Chelsea ~

Little Touches For Our Guest Bathroom.

Our new bathroom with the ordinary towel bar (hung at an angle).My Handy Honey said "I know you will do something better than that". So, I gathered some items that I already had and.......
made a "Pretty Bird" towel hanger!

Brown glaze over antique white paint!

Do you like?

And while I had my brown glaze going, I applied some to this awesome old cabinet that a dear friend gave to me recently.

I LOVE the quote hanging on the knob! "The future is as bright as your faith", by Pres. Thomas Monson.

Chelsea gave that to me as a special gift!
~*~ Lynda~*~

Felt Fun

Today, I made a little felt book for my daughter using a baby wipes case that was given to me. The case was embellished by someone else, so is very cute on the outside. 

I didn't use it very often, so I turned it into this.

I sewed a layer of quilt batting to two rectangles of felt and hot glued them to both sides of the interior. The quilt batting allows it to have a softer padded surface and prevents the hot glue from seeping through the felt. 

Then Shea helped me decide what colors to make the different felt shapes out of. We had a good time making it and I think it will make a nice quiet toy for her to imagine with. 

I love the simplicity of felt. It doesn't fray and it comes in so many bright colors.

~ Chelsea ~

Valentine's Day Infant Outfit

I love Valentine's Day! Whether there is a special someone or not, it's a wonderful time to show the people in my life that I care. I especially love celebrating with my favorite little people, my kids! Today I made a special outfit for the newest member of my family. I wanted to do something representative of Valentine's Day but also versatile enough to be used other days. In addition, baby legs were on the menu since her little knees are in contact with the floor a lot these days. I found some cute knee-high socks with hearts on them at my local dollar store and that was my inspiration. Using other fabrics from around my house and my friends house (we crafted together today), I whipped something up. I am pleased with how it turned out, but mostly I just think my daughter is adorable! I asked her to model the outfit for me and she obliged (although, she was moving around so much my camera could barely keep up). I hope you like this non-pink Valentine's Day outfit. Maybe you'll want to craft something "love"ly of your own!
<3 Crystal

My Shabby Bedroom Series (Amateur Art) - Details that Bring it Together

The last thing I did in my bedroom is add the little touches that help me start and end my day on a good note. A large sign above my bed helps me remember to be AWESOME. I hung that up after my recent divorce and it is a good reminder. I made the sign with a $0.51 piece of wood, the yellow ooops paint, a sander, white contact paper that I had on hand, and Chelsea's cool Silhouette machine. It was one of the signs from the boutique that I decided to keep. I found out later that it's actually a quote from "How I Met Your Mother." Wherever it came from, it pushes me along on harder days.
The bird pictures are ones I found online and simply printed with colored ink. I actually took great effort to find birds that are native to this area. It helps me remember the beauty that surrounds me. I like that they look like they're from a birdwatching guide. I enjoy having something pretty to look at that brings happiness.
Other details in the room help to round out the design and fill in the gaps. I like my bedroom and I'm glad that it looks beautiful when it's cleaned up. I hope this little series has inspired you to refresh your room and make it a happy place for you!
<3 Crystal

My Shabby Bedroom Series (Storage Stands) - Night Stand Stand-in's

A nightstand is kind of a must. Where else are you going to put your watch and phone at the end of the day? My problem with traditional night stands in my bedroom is that there isn't a ton of space and a traditional nightstand does not provide very much function besides being a surface. In my bedroom I decided to make them do double duty. On one side of my bed I have a desk with drawers on either side. This is a place to study, take care of bills, and put things of importance that I need to take care of later. I also have a basket on top with some books within grabbing distance from my bed. Desktop accessories, such as flowers and a vintage perfume spritzer, add character and beauty to the room.
On the other side of the bed is a small dresser with drawers. This can be used to store anything, really. Currently it's housing diapers and wipes for when I don't want to go upstairs to change my baby's bum. On top of the dresser is a lamp for times when the ceiling light is just too much.
Both the desk and the dresser are painted in an "ooops" paint turquoise color that I just love. They are also distressed with the hand sander to add texture and depth. Even though the pieces are not a matching set, they balance the room because they are visually about the same "weight" and they are both the same color. The yellow flowers and the yellow lamp echo each other as well. So you see, a nightstand can be more useful than you might initially think. What furniture could you use as a night stand? Shop your house for pieces that just need a new coat of paint to refresh your room and add storage.
<3 Crystal

My Shabby Bedroom Series (Dandelion Duvet) - Duvet Cover From Flat Sheets

A bed is not complete without a cover. My bedspread is an IKEA duvet. So snuggly, so warm, and so perfectly squishy. I had a couple covers for it, but they were very modern and in this room refresh I was going for a more natural, indie, vintage feel. I wanted something lighter and  more unique. I drooled over some duvet covers from Anthropologie, but  moved past my lusting and into planning what I could do DIY. I got the idea to make a new cover for my duvet by using flat sheets. As it turns out, 2 of IKEA's cheapest flat sheets sewn into a pocket fit a full/queen duvet perfectly. This made my project significantly easier since all my edges were already finished for me! Hooray for being able to be lazy!

This is What I Did:

1. I started with the design on the top. I wanted to have a subtle nature-inspired pattern. I found inspiration in some eyelet lace ribbon that I had. It was $1 for the entire spool at my favorite discount fabric place. I liked that it was just a bit creamier than the natural white sheets. I laid out the sheet on my living room floor and I formed the lace ribbon it into a loose pattern of dandelions in seed. I made three large "dandelions" coming from one side of the sheet. I didn't want the pattern to be symmetrical and perfect in the least... more loose and flowy.

2. Once I got the pattern where I wanted it, I started forming it better using pins along the way to hold the ribbon in place. I used a lot of pins. This was tedious, but very necessary.

3. I then sewed the ribbon onto my sheet with my sewing machine. This was incredibly difficult with the machine I have. I think a quilters machine would have worked much better. But, because I had pinned the ribbon, I was able to accomplish this step without too many tears and no swearing (actually... I don't ever swear). I just went slowly and pretended to be a patient person temporarily.

4. After the top of my duvet cover was complete, I sewed the second sheet on top with right sides together. I left a large portion of one side open to be able to put the duvet inside.

5. The last step was to turn the cover right side out and stick it on my duvet.

I'm pleased that it is very neutral while having just the right amount of design to compliment the other features in the room.  You could use this method with any sheet. There are so many beautiful sheets out there... think of them all as options for a duvet cover, a curtain, or fabric for any project. They are usually a very reasonable price per yard. Have fun!

<3 Crystal

My Shabby Bedroom Series (Sweet Seat) - A Reupholstered Chair

I believe every bedroom should have at least one good comfortable seat. You don't have to have a deluxe master suite to accommodate a sweet little niche for reading, holding your baby, or sitting to put on those boots that you have to tug on just a little bit. I wanted a place for things like this, but upholstered furniture is not cheap.... and, if you haven't noticed, I am. Also much of what can be bought is boring or bulgy-looking (in my opinion). When I stumbled upon this chair marked for $1 at the thrift store, I got an idea. An awful idea. My brain got a wonderful awful idea. (no idea why I just started quoting "The Grinch...." just now).

(Before)

Anyway, I decided to repaint and reupholster it. I looked online for advice and I did find a good re-upholstery article HERE. It gave me courage. I busted out my heavy duty stapler. Then using the chair's old fabric as pattern pieces, I did my best. One good thing I did was take detailed notes as I deconstructed the chair. This helped me put the pieces back in the correct order. I learned that all those extra bumps of fabric actually needed to be there... it's not going to be a straight edge like a clothing pattern. I also learned to avoid buttons until I am taught by a professional. Tufting is no laughing matter. I consider this chair my "training project". Please don't come to my house and look at it closely. It is awful. But I do like sitting in it and I'm excited to use the knowledge I gleaned from this project for other furniture pieces in the future.  

(After)

<3 Crystal

Customized Wall Decor!

I am so excited! After 3 years of being in limbo, we have moved into our own home! It's an older home that has been fixed up, but of course, we are going to change a lot of things to make it just the way we like. Our list is a mile and a half long. I'll have an enormous amount of projects to share with you all in the days ahead.

I thought that I would just start with a simple wall arrangement. All of these mirrors and pictures were gold or silver originally. I hand painted them with a nice off-white color. It was some paint that I already had, what a blessing! I know there is more than one way to accomplish home decorating, but I like laying the items out on the floor first and kindof playing around with it to see what feels good to my eyes.

When they are placed on the wall I strive for a well balanced, measured and leveled look. I seem to achieve this best with the help of my husband. He holds them on the wall and I stand back to get a good look. We started by hanging the center larger mirror first. Aren't those two antique English saucers pretty?
I love this vintage, round, lacy mirror! I love it even more with it's new color.


These two hibiscus pictures where an inexpensive purchase from Wal Mart about 4 years ago. I love floral pictures and these had the color of blue I was looking for in the living room.

Here is a close-up view of how I brushed the paint over the detail on the frame of the mirror without getting paint in the nooks and crannies. It helps to make those pretty details stand out more.

Love, ~*~Lynda~*~

My Shabby Bedroom Series (Mood Music) - Record Player Redo

I'm a self-proclaimed music person. Music talks to me in ways that words can't. It can even dictate my thoughts and moods... yeah, I have to be careful about what music I listen to. So, knowing this about myself, I knew I needed something musical in my bedroom. Something to set my mood... whatever it may be. Enter the record player. There is something cozy about that scratchy sound and the warmer tones of a record. And bonus! records are like $0.50 at thrift stores. I decided to buy one of those vintage inspired replica record players... you know... the typical oak one that they sell on the Home Shopping Network during the middle of the night (I don't know... I actually don't even get the Home Shopping Network). I liked the look of the really old phonographs, but I didn't want to invest a lot into restoring one to actual working condition. So I found an already functional cheesy replica on Craigslist for pretty cheap. It was cherry wood, but I wanted to lighten it up. I painted it a color in my paint stash called "Antique White". I thought it was appropriate. After letting it dry, I distressed it with sandpaper and then went over it with a rag that had mahogany stain on it... you know, dirty it up a little. I'm pleased with the end result and love listening to my records while I fold laundry (...oh no, not laundry again. Still need to tackle that pile).

<3 Crystal

My Shabby Bedroom Series (Playful Pillows) - Painted Pillow Tutorial

Hello! Happy Tuesday Morning! Do you ever feel like your bedroom is the LAST place on your home's "to do" list? You get to all the rooms that people might see or the places that actually need your attention for sanitation purposes and your poor bedroom gets set on the back seat for a day when you're caught up on everything else. Well, I have learned that those days never come and to have a refreshing place to retire at the end of the day is important. So carve out some time this week to do something to refresh your bedroom (I'll be attempting to get that massive pile of clean clothes put away) and be prepared for a big payoff. Life and our brains function better when we have a beautiful retreat to go to as needed.
I thought I'd show everyone out there in blog land some of the decorating I did to my bedroom to make it fresh and calming. I'm very frugal when it comes to decorating so I did many things by hand. It's not perfect, but I take pride in the fact that I created it myself. I hope you like it too and that you'll feel inspired to get creative in your bedroom decor. I'll post a detail every couple days so come back often. At the end of this series, visit back for a photo of the whole room all together!

First detail: Playful Pillows (With a DIY Tutorial)

When I was planning this room refresh, I visited the Anthropologie website to get ideas (and to remind myself how insanely expensive stuff is there). I saw a cute pillow with a bird on it while I was browsing. It really wasn't anything like these pillows, but it got my own creative juices flowing and I realized that I wanted some feathered friends in my bedroom.
For the bird pillows I shopped my house. I had some pillows that I wasn't using. Plain. Cream. Boring. Pillows. But never fear, I also had paint! Yes, just regular ol' water-based paint. You could use craft paint. I used a paint that I had purchased in the "ooops" section at the hardware store. Here is what I did in 4 steps:

1. I found some bird shapes that I liked online and printed and cut them out in an appropriate size.
2. Then I used a pencil and very lightly traced around the shape directly onto my pillows.
3. After that I started painting! Using a small brush, I filled in the bird shape with my paint and let it dry.
4.  I thought it still needed something else, so I took some beautiful lace details that I had purchased at a discount fabric store on a whim (they were seriously about 10 cents a piece) and hand sewed them to the pillow with matching thread. I thought it added some dimension and boundaries that had been lacking.

The tufted pillow is something that I had found years ago on a super clearance. It was love at first sight and I have held on to it all these years hoping it would someday find a place in my home. It finally has and I have to say I still love it! So, you can see that having a little fun with plain pillows can help you have a custom one-of-a-kind look in your bedroom without being spendy. What kind of pillow will you make?

<3 Crystal