Happy Halloween Wall

Here's my turquoise wall decorated for the Halloween Baby Party:

I made the garland out of scrapbook paper and dental floss.

I painted my pumpkin on the back of kraft wrapping paper using acrylic paints!

Clouds for Baby's First Birthday

I love having a turquoise wall in my kitchen.

I mean, look at how much fun it is to decorate!

For Clara's first birthday:

I made the clouds out of wrapping paper and just turned it so the pattern faced the other way. Then I crumpled them because it's so flimsy it needed the texture.

Instead of taping it up, I used that sticky gum stuff that you put up posters with.

The garland is made out of scrapbook paper and strung together using dental floss (it's the best for garlands and hanging things because it is strong and is so thin--oh, and it smells minty).

Coralee's Baby Scrapbook

by my Mom and me

Dante's Baby Scrapbook

It's become tradition that when my friends have babies, I make a scrapbook.


The Baby Scrapbook shower gift has evolved over time. In the beginning and up until recently my mom and I left slots for pictures in the pages. Now we leave the center blank so it is easier to choose which pictures they want to put in.

I apologize for the low quality photos. I hadn't planned on posting, but thought they might be helpful to others :)

The Desk all Painted Up

My mom sent over this desk/dresser since she was making room for a new piece of furniture.

It started off as a yellowy wood color, but after sanding it and painting it with Antique White it looks entirely different! I wanted to change the hardware, but the handles are too odd of a size to buy replacements at Lowe's.

Before:

After:

And in our bedroom:

 

And SURPRISE!

I painted it the same blue as our wall inside. I used mod podge as a glaze to protect the paint since my laptop will be residing in here. I'm sure that something like polyurthane would be a better choice, but I just used what I had on hand.

The Laziest Nightstand Makeover

Scene:
Garage Sale

Cast:
Me
Baby Clara
Old lady

(On my way to my mom's, I see a garage sale sign. Follow arrow. Stop at sale. Decide if it's worth taking the baby out of the carseat. Decision: go for it!)

Me: This is nice (looking at nightstand or whatever it is supposed to be)
Old Lady: Yes, it is. I think she wants ten dollars.
Me: Hmmmm.
        Okay, I want it.


Decisions, decisions.

What color should I paint it? I intend for it to be baby Clara's, and after finding knobs at Ross on clearance, I was thinking green. BUT I only want to spray paint because I am ridiculously lazy. None of the colors worked, so I bought two cans of Valspar White gloss spray paint but only used maybe one and a half at the most.

I modge podged K & Comapny scrapbook papers on the inside and then on the back where I didn't want to waste paint.

Voila!!!

She isn't perfect, because once again I am too lazy to sand or prime. Yup, let's call it shabby chic with out the work.

Tools: spray paint, screwdriver, modge podge, scrapbook paper



The back of it. I modge podged scrapbook paper because I didn't want to waste my paint.

The inside is so cute! I can just imagine my little girl using it as a doll house if she wanted to.



Pretty green knobs from Ross

The Turquoise Hutch Love Story

Here's the story:

Once upon a time I wandered into a thrift store. I walked around till I came to the furniture section and behold!

The sweetest little yellow hutch caught my eye.

The crafty yellow glaze and country angel stickers were cute, but not my taste. I opened the doors and it smelled like cinnamon! Its previous owner must have stored her cinnamon sticks in there, because it was then that I knew I had to have it (note: how often do things smell GOOD at a thrift store?)

I bought her for $50 and crammed her into my tiny car. My back end didn't shut all the way and it bounced up and down on the freeway all the way home.

I was nervous the whole way home. When you are married you can easily anticipate your spouse's reaction. It was not going to be good. I was right.

But it made me fall in love with my hutch even more! He eventually accepted it, but now I feel like the hutch and I have a special bond. I understood how beautiful she was even when someone else didn't ;)

Her original intent was to hold (some) of my craft supplies (goodness knows I've got ten hutches to fill with that stuff). When we moved and Calvin didn't have a closet because his room is the office, I let him borrow it. I am sure that when we move again it will have a new home.

I love my spray painted turquoise hutch!

If you love the color, it's Valspar's Mediterranean glossy spray paint. I am addicted to the color. I have spray painted his dresser and star in the same color and it is just the cutest!