{diy} officially refurbished wicker

 The mismatched set of $150 wicker furniture (with cushions) has been a work in progress for quite awhile. Gotta love craigslist. It all started with the ideas, then the paint, and finally I have finished the pillows. The end result has made me really happy. It took some convincing, but the mister finally went for the Shock Red Montana Gold spray paint.

 

It is a favorite spot. Few things are better than being in the backyard with a book sitting in some wicker furniture...

{decor} pillow love

I feel like every magazine I have ever read has mentioned the ability to makeover a room by changing the accents. In a living room pillows are often a topic of discussion. The living room has been a focus of my new found desire to spruce up our home and it is definitely coming together. I created a bird pillow not too long ago that I posted about here. Now I went a little crazy and ordered a pillow... or two... or three... to add to the mix. Here are the recent arrivals!

I was inspired by Emily Henderson's Secrets of a Stylist. One episode in particular really lit my fire :) I have to admit that I have bought more than one item from the etsy shop owners featured in this redesign. The California pillow is from Plumed, an adorable handmade shop that will custom embroider a pillow just for you. I wanted to reflect my love for the East Bay. I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. The grey chevron stripe also caught my eye. It is from a fabulous store called Moxie Mandie. I heart her prints and she also was willing to make a custom size to meet my needs (and the pillow insert I already owned...). I can't wait to have the couch restyled and to share it with you!

Happy Sunday!

{diy} baby shower onesies

It was so fun to help throw a baby shower for my sister-in-law. One of the things I wanted to put together was a diy onesie station. It ended up being a big hit and I was so impressed with the adorable onsies that hung on clothes lines strung in the backyard. 

As a guest you could choose to paint or iron-on to create your masterpiece. I provided several different foam stamps, iron-on letters, and specific images printed onto transfer paper. A tabletop ironing board and extension cord allowed for guests to complete their designs outside with the rest of the party.

An example and simple directions were hung on twine above the table that displayed the materials. 

Each paint color had its own little ceramic plate (which cost about a dollar each at IKEA) and sponge brush. The sponge brushes are very inexpensive and made it so easy to apply paint to the foam stamps. The foam stamps enabled people to make legit looking onesies. 

A bowl of miniature clothes pins were on the table so that guests could hang their creations up to dry. The finished onsesies created a little gallery for guests to walk through, gather ideas, or simply enjoy.

We even covered the future dad's favorite sports teams. Gotta love printable iron-on paper.

{celebrate} baby shower invites

The invites are out and the celebration is quickly approaching. The theme? A new chapter. I was inspired by a Martha Stewart book-themed baby shower and used their incredibly charming images for these invites. There are five simple steps:

1. Format invites in a word processing program.
2. Print
3. Cut and trim using an edge punch
4. Create insert with special directions for guests and registry information
5. Address, stamp, and send.

These images also greatly influenced the color palette of the party. The combination managed to feel slightly gender neutral, having the aqua to balance out the different shades of pink. After putting these together and being so happy with them, the following colors have become the focus of our little soiree.

As a bonus we already have handmade fuchsia overlays from the lovely rehearsal dinner our family threw for the mister and me. Those, paired with my small collection of aqua jars and vintage teal ornaments, should create a nice backdrop for this joyous event.

I cannot wait to meet my future niece or nephew!

{dreaming of} fall

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... fall. Today was the first day that really felt like fall to me. As I rolled my bike out of our apartment laundry room it crunched through a pile of leaves. It was light outside, but cold and misty. I love fall. I love the weather and the thoughts of crafting at home to the sound of rain on the windows.

... making my own cheese. Can you believe they sell kits now, just add milk. Homemade mozzarella with the last of my tomatoes still clinging to the vine. Sign me up. 

... baking French Macarons. Since the arrival of my new Kitchen Aid, it is all I can think about. Baking has won me over.  I was spellbound watching butter and sugar being beat together. The pillowy cloud of sweetness was never something I could whip up by hand. Magic.

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... going to bed earlier. I have found that I like to be out while the world is waking up. Biking to work as the light gets brighter and the birds lift off the telephone lines is the most peaceful part of my day. The only problem is, if I go to bed too late, it is impossible to drag myself out from under my cozy comforter in the wee morning hours. 

... a tattoo. I have thought about a tattoo for a long time. I like the idea of getting one with my mister. However, my hubby, the avid blood donor that he is, has been hesitant because it would mean being unable to donate for an entire year. When we returned from Mexico he was surprised to discover they wouldn't accept his blood because we had traveled to an area that had been exposed to Malaria. Now I am left pondering what it is that I would get now that the opportunity is presenting itself. I love the freedom and peacefulness of soaring birds... I love the Eleanor Roosevelt quote, "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." I also think it would be romantic to get a tattoo that matched or connected to a tattoo that the mister would get. Hmmm... so many things to consider. 

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We are half way to the weekend. Hope you are having a good week so far...