Lovely things: Canvas tote

I had been meaning to pick up some reusable cloth bags for shopping trips, but I could quite get my head around paying $5+ for an ugly bag. Only I would require my shopping bags to be fashionable. haha.

I picked up a couple at Forever 21 > pretty darn cute for $1.50 each right?

Old Navy had a couple of pretty bright colored ones with fun illustrations too. If you're willing to spend a bit more, these Etsy sellers deliver. I just adore the little bow one and the doily tote reminds me of the Christmas gift I made last year.

bow tote
anchor tote
french grocery tote
dear doily tote

DIY growth chart tutorial

materials
white acrylic craft paint
Mod Podge (matte finish)
tacky glue
Liquid Nails (available at hardware stores) or other strong fabric adhesive 
balsa wood shapes (ovals, leaves, circles multi pack)
24" balsa wood strip
wood chip lettering (optional)
9ft cloth ribbon
2 sheets contrasting green felt
1 yard of denim fabric in "natural"
1/2 yard leafy patterned fabric
a bit of twine
(11) small brads or fasteners
scotch tape

tools
hand drill
glue gun 
scissors
paint brush
thin flat artist's brush
exacto knife
measuring tape
fine point ink pen in black

Download the tree template here.
please note: I created this template & I'm offering it for free. Please don't re-post without proper backlink. Not to be used for personal monetary gain.

More photos of the finished banner here.

steps:
1. Download and print the tree templates on (4) sheets of 8.5 x 11" computer paper.

2. Using scissors, trim around the tree shapes so there is no remaining white areas.

3. Next, using the exacto knife, cut out the white areas in the middle of trimmed tree shapes. Make sure to do this on a protective surface. I used an old magazine.

4. Using scissors, cut the denim fabric 32 inches long, and 30 inches wide. Measure 64 inches from your 9 ft ribbon spool. Cut, so you now have 2 pieces and set aside.

 

5. Place the 24" balsa wood strip on the top of your trimmed denim fabric. Apply several dots of Liquid Nails (or other fabric adhesive) on the corners of the balsa wood. Wrap the shorter piece of your ribbon around the edges, pressing the adhesive as you wrap. Cover both sides of the balsa wood with more adhesive and fold denim fabric over it. Allow this to dry 24 hours, but you may carefully proceed with the next steps.

6. Line up the trimmed tree shapes according to the diagram (included in the download set). Place tiny pieces of tape on the backside of the design to hold them in place.

7. Center the paper tree bark on the denim banner (Don't forget to leave room for the tree leaves!). Using the Mod Podge and paint brush, apply a thin coat over the tree bark. (Tip: If you have trouble with the paper sticking, try brushing a little Mod Podge on the back of the paper too)

8. Allow 1st coat to dry - about 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, cut leaf shapes out of green fabric and felt, like this:

 

9. Apply 2-3 more coats of Mod Podge until the bark is bonded and sealed to the fabric.

10. Use tacky glue and a small brush to secure the fabric leaf shapes to the banner. Don't be afraid to layer over the top branches. It will give it more depth.

11. Allow everything to dry (I waited about 12 hours). Meanwhile, using the remaining 64 inch ribbon strip, line up with a measuring tape. Using a stiff, thin flat bristle artist brush apply inch marks with acrylic paint. Note: I used a number stamp set with a white ink pad for the foot measurement markers.

12. Using the hand drill, make holes in the balsa wood shapes (again, use a protective surface). With a fine point ink pen, hand-write "year 1" on one of your balsa wood shapes. Continue with "year 2" etc.

13. Once your banner is dry and set, use the hand drill again to poke holes in the tree leaves, all the way through the banner. Using small brads, fasten the drilled balsa wood shapes to the banner.

 

14. Poke one more hole in the banner using the hand drill (This is for the fabric ribbon measuring tape, so make sure  the placement is toward the top of the banner). Fasten the measuring tape to the banner using the twine and remaining brad.

Remember, be creative with the details and make it personal! I added another balsa piece that I stamped with "Watch me grow" and wood chip lettering with the child's name. I also signed & dated the banner when it was complete. Have fun!

My lovely office art wall

In my old layout, my desk was up against this wall. Now, it's a collage of pretty art.  A few tips for hanging picture collages:

-Measure the wall space you'd like to cover, then lay out your pictures on the floor within the measured area. When you are satisfied, take a picture with your camera for easy reference. This definitely helps if you have to stop in the middle of your task.

-Use a level to make sure everything is straight, then place a dime size amount of Earthquake putty to the back of the frame and push it against the wall. It won't damage your paint and your pictures will stay nice and straight.

I also relocated my chandelier to the center of the room. It definitely has more impact here!

I love this French artist... her pieces are like bits out of an enchanted fairytale. This pair of prints, "Happily" and "Ever after" were inspired by the artist and her fiance's upcoming marriage. Prints sold here.

The map of Paris (upper left) is actually a roll of very nice quality decorative paper. I found it at Aaron Brothers for $4. What a steal! I loved these sleep masks, and thought they'd look nice framed in a shadow box. I searched forever, trying to find the perfect style. Then I found these brown & pink ones for $4 each at Tuesday Morning. They are designed by Martha Stewart, but they must have been on clearance for a while because I've never seen them in a craft store before.

Just below my picture wall sits my side table. I picked up this whimsical little table clock at the Crown & Crumpet gift shop in San Francisco on my bachelorette weekend. Sadly, the ticker ticks awfully loud, but I enjoy it just the same. (Bottom right) I pulled these tiny frames from the Michael's dollar bin. Too small for most photos, I removed the backings & simply hung the frames.

And of course, another wall decal! My own mini eiffel tower...

Au revoir! More to come!

My lovely sewing space

As promised, here's some pics of my new home office / craft room / girly haven. First up, my sewing space. I must clarify that after a recent conversation with my mom, this old sewing table actually belonged to my mom, not my grandmother as I previously thought. Either way, a nice antique! The table top opens to reveal a sewing machine, which I now have to figure out how to use.

When selecting frames for these, I wanted to work off the black curtains in the room, but also create a vintage feel. These frames have distressed strips of dark brown in them, perfectly working off the wood of the sewing table.

Hemingway frames available at Aaron Brothers. Buttons and Scissors art prints by Eva Juliet on Etsy. Found Objects: Pins print by With Wallpaper on Etsy.

I frequently misplace things, particularly my scissors. I strung my pair up with some old pink binding ribbon and hung from the vintage spool hook I crafted.

I had all these spare buttons around, so I gathered them up, displaying them in this tiny clear canister. I found these cute black & red button containers in the dollar bin at Michaels. And with my infinite love of cupcakes, I couldn't do without this wool "cupcake" pin cushion. Don't you love how the color matches my table top fan? Which brings me to the fan...

My office is on the 2nd floor of our house. This room in particular feels the summer heat more than the rest. I absolutely detest the look of contemporary fans. They're giant dust magnets, usually a yellowing shade of white plastic. Yuck! I saw this vintage fan on Etsy & knew that it had to be mine. The seller recently cleaned & oiled it and replace a couple parts. It works like a dream! For being so small, it pushes out some pretty powerful air too.

Remember this post about wire baskets? I found these inexpensive wall baskets at Ikea (in the bathroom section). Perfect for small storage. Here, I'm showing my mounted rubber stamps, but I also have a basket for my paint supplies and fabric trims & notions.

There will be plenty more of my lovely office makeover, so stay tuned this week for more posts.

Get ready...

 

This week I will be showcasing my newly redecorated home office - full of whimsical details and girly charm. I'm very excited to show you all, so forgive me if I keep you in a bit of suspense.

Lovely things: Miniatures

While Gary & I were sightseeing in Chicago 2 summers ago, we had the pleasure of visiting the Art Institute. I think my favorite exhibit was the Thorne Miniature Room collection.

This beautiful room is actually the size of a banker's box. Cool huh? Seeing these in real life you could just peek into the glass, look out the tiny windows and see the countryside. They're that detailed.

I came across these lovely little dollhouse props. So pretty. It's hard to imagine the time it takes to create such realism in this tiny form.

It's a small, small world. Miniatures from Pei Li's etsy shop

Style Parade 3.26.10

So here's another outfit from last week... I picked up this lace front cardigan a while back, but haven't had a chance to wear it yet. Isn't it pretty? I don't think I'll ever grow tired of cardigans. I layered it with this thin peach top and amazing bow skirt. Remember this from my engagement outfit post?

These are the most comfortable heeled sandals. More than I usually spend (I think they were between $65-$85. I don't remember) but so worth it. They are sort of a neutral pinky shade and I love the cutout design of the leather.

Since I went through the trouble to grow out my hair for my wedding, I'm keeping it long for a while. I've been experimenting with more styles lately. One I love is being able to just put my hair up in a rubber band and adding pretty hairpins like these.

I wore this very dainty lace necklace that I got from etsy. This is my 2nd purchase from this seller. She sells some very pretty pieces in her shop.

skirt: Anthropologie; on sale $70. cardigan: H&M; $24. shoes: Seychelles. bow bag: H&M. adorned hairpins: Ann Taylor Loft; $12. Necklace: Edor's etsy shop; $24

This is why Etsy is cool...

It's difficult to turn off that wedding planning voice and I still follow wedding blogs and such for continued inspiration (on all things that I do). But how magical would this be - A Mary Poppins themed wedding?

Mary Poppins treasury picks on Etsy

Imagine... your bridesmaids - holding umbrellas, wearing cocktail hats adorned with bits of berries. The men wearing newsboy caps & red bow-ties. You could be married on a rooftop or in an old city park with street lights. The favors could be "A spoonful of sugar". Your guests could send you and your husband off by flying kites! I've heard releasing birds can be messy business, but you get the idea.

A good wedding theme isn't too gimmicky. The key is to take the inspiration, but apply it in a way that is subtle. Like, for instance you wouldn't march down the aisle singing Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (or maybe you would) Haha.

Wow. 3 posts today. I must have a lot to say.

Style Parade 3.24.10

This was actually an outfit from last week that I'm just now getting around to sharing with you all... Remember my post about wanting high-waisted wide leg trousers? I broke down & tried on the Anthropologie pants. They were terrible. Not only were they brown (not black like I thought) they had pleats that ran down the front of the legs, which gaped unflatteringly on my thighs.

But then, guess what I found at H&M? The perfect wide leg trouser! In black and for $35. They had them in a grayish brown shade too, so I picked those up as well. They are made of soft linen. I love linen pants, except for the wrinkles, but you can't really tell with the black. They even came with a nice little belt.

I paired with this bold stripe top, this pretty bow bag. The material is very cheap - that faux leather that is so plasticy it's annoying. I usually pass on bags like this because of the material, but I just loved the bag so much that I was willing to overlook it.

Finished off with gold sandals. Funny story about these sandals... I bought them at a Payless while we were on our honeymoon in Hawaii because I forgot to pack my sandals (who visits a tropical place and forgets their sandals?! Me apparently). I mean, I looked through my whole suitcase because I swore I packed them! Then, when we got home I started to unpack and found the sandals that I had packed in a hidden compartment. I guess I had forgotten I put them in there. haha. Gary always teases me about things like this. I could be staring directly at something and not even see it.

Wide leg trousers: H&M; $35. Stripe top: Target; $10-$15ish. Bag: H&M; $17. Necklace: Forever 21. Gold sandals: Payless; $12.

A birthday gift

On Saturday, Gary & I attended our friend's child's 2nd birthday party. It was train themed (click here for pics of the party). Everything was so adorable! I love kid's parties. There's so many fun details and it's nice to watch kids run around and play together. I wanted to make a gift because it's been a while since I've had a fun DIY project. I came up with this cute idea from his name - Bodhi, like the tree. It's a growth chart. My original plan was to hand draw & paint the tree bark with the ruler measuring up the bark. This didn't work so well, for 2 reasons: 1) My freehand illustration skills are not so good. 2) It was really large. I mean, 24" wide and 5 1/2 ft tall.

So after my failed attempt I did what I do best - design in Photoshop. I created an image on a 30x30" canvas, then chopped it up into four 8 1/2 x 11" sections so I could print it out on regular paper. I used Mod Podge to seal the design, then made the tree leaves out of cut fabric.

I made a ruler out of cloth ribbon & pinned it to the banner. That way they can just let it down when they want to measure him. They can track his height by writing on these little balsa wood shapes, nestled in the tree leaves. This project was time consuming, but I was really happy with the result. And, I learned how to use a new medium - decoupage!

Later I'll be posting a more in depth tutorial on how to create this yourself, including downloadable templates of the tree bark.

Lamp auditions

This is a tale of 3 lamps...

The first one, although unique, wasn't quite right. Then I went to Target. Behold! 20% off lamp sale. I came home with the middle combination. Stylish...but a lot of brown. Then I tried pairing with a white shade...not bad.

Then I saw this and this on Design Sponge. A bell jar table lamp! Oh the possibilities... but $150 at West Elm?! Back to Target for this lamp base, which I filled with dried grapevine. I swapped the white shade for the original brown one. I like where this is going.

So, I know I'm coming across a little crazy. I mean really, it's just a table lamp. Did I really purchase 3 of them? Yes. And I had to post just so you'd believe me. I've been holding 'lamp auditions' since I brought home the first one. Each lamp gets one week to be showcased, then I move onto the next to see how I like it. The losers will go back to the store.

What's the craziest thing you've done in the name of home decor?

Monday link love

Nice library themed engagement shoot via Grey Likes Weddings is leaving me feeling bookish. I think old libraries are cool & also kind of creepy. I love the smell of new books (hence why I spend hours in Barnes & Noble) but I can't stand the smell of stale pages.

Learn how to make this gorgeous flower wall from the Ruche shoot via Design Sponge.

I want to take a trip here to taste yummy maple syrup at the source via Jen Loves Kev.

Style Parade 3.22.10

So it looks like a couple of you would actually entertain romping around in one of these! I'll start off my Style Parade catch up week with the romper I was telling you all about. I'm really happy with how this look came out. I wore it on Saturday to a friend's son's birthday party. I layered the romper with a simple cotton lace front camisole, paired with a long thin knit sweater. I wore brown suede flats - although you can't see them.

My mom bought me this at Disneyland in one of the shops in New Orleans Square. It's not Disney though - made by Goorin Brothers. I loved the feather print design and the menswear tie fabric.

I added this large vintage-inspired locket to complete the old-timey look I had going on here. It's really pretty - it has a swirly monogram detailing etched into it.

Romper: Target; $20. Knit sweater: Urban Outfitters. Camisole: Target; $8. Fedora: Goorin Bros; $45. Locket: Forever 21; $8-10ish

A lovely little vignette

Happy Sunday.

I hope you're all soaking up the last of the weekend. I'm desperately trying to fight off these sniffles before it becomes full blown sickness. But aside from that, this weekend has been nice. Full of friends, time spent with my mom and progress at home.

a teaser pic if you please... My home office and personal haven away from it all. More coming soon.

Rompers

So I guess rompers or play suits are back in style. I think they are just darling! Although you have to look at the practicalities of these onesies for adults. Firstly, using the restroom could be time consuming. haha. Also the fact that not all shapes will fit into these nicely...especially those ladies with long torsos. Although I don't think full figures are out - just look at these ladies. I think they look great.

 

  

 

 from Alexandra Grecco's etsy shop

 from I'm Your Present

The looks above could easily be a bit too costumey for real life, unless you're into cosplay. Here's some rompers that could easily work for a day at the beach or a summer party...

I actually tried on the halter neck Target one, but in a different pattern. It was surprisingly flattering. I think the key is finding a style that has looser fitting shorts.

Would you ever wear a romper?