***THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED***
Not to rush the season, since it’s just Halloween, but because sooner rather then later it will be holiday card season, we have decided to give away a PSA Essentials Custom Stamp (a $40 value)! These add such a nice touch to letters, cards or even (ugh) bills. And, they are completely customizable with your name, address or monogram.
Thanks to the PSA “Peel & Stick” technology, you can just peel off the inside decoration and swap it out for a new monogram or a holiday motif, or you can always just peel off the outside ring if you move and add in a new address.
The winner will be able to choose one stamp and customize it with ANY of these designs!
Rules to Enter:
Giveaway will end at midnight on Sunday, November 4th. The winner will be announced here on Monday.
To enter:
Good luck!!!
I posted last month on my closet redo, and then followed up with a post on how I organized my shoe boxes with plastic bins and chalkboard labels {here}. I promised a tutorial about how I painted the harlequin diamonds on my wall, and this is it. Sorry for the slight delay–Fall and Halloween posts bumped it off the calendar for awhile!
Harlequin diamonds are simple to paint, but time-consuming. Having done a few paint techniques in the past, like the painted wallpaper I did in my laundry room, it’s easy in terms of difficulty, and moderate in terms of time. Are you with me? Good.
The first step is to gather your supplies. Are you painting first? I did–I used an interior flat latex from Lowe’s (the color is “Princess”). I gave the entire closet a coat of pink, including the ceiling (I often paint the ceiling in a small space). Decide what color you want your diamonds to be. Do you want a BIG contrast, like black and white? If so, then you’ll paint the lighter color on your walls first, and then use the darker color when you paint the diamonds, so you’ll need twice as much of the lighter color. In my case, I chose to use a glaze technique, because I wanted a very subtle, silvery sheen, and my 5′ x 8′ closet needed two jars of Martha Stewart’s glaze in Mercury (available at Home Depot).
Supplies:
OK, here are your steps:
1. First, prep and paint the room in your lighter color. Here’s my closet with its coat of pink:
2. Now, decide how big you want your diamonds to be. The rule of thumb is that they should be twice as tall as they are wide. I decided to make mine 20″ tall and 10″ wide. Obviously, the smaller they are, the more work they’ll be with all the taping you’ll be doing. I’ll be using 10″x 20″ for the purposes of this tutorial.
3. Using the level and a piece of chalk, draw rectangles on your wall that measure 10″ x 20″. The level will ensure that your lines remain straight. Start in the corner that’s opposite the door, or whichever corner will be most visible. In a closet, that’s none of them since they’re all full of clothes! 
Also, I started my first horizontal line 10″ from the ceiling, not 20″, because I wanted the top row of diamonds to be a full PINK diamond, not a full SILVER diamond. Translation: if you want your top row to be diamonds of the lighter/first color, do it my way. If you want your top row to be diamonds of the darker/second color, then start your top line 20″ from the ceiling. When you’re finished, your entire room will look like it’s made of rectangle bricks!
Use a level and chalk to draw rectangles on your wall.
I like using chalk because all these lines will need to be erased eventually, but if you have a hard time seeing them on your paint, go ahead and use a pencil. Just write lightly!
4. Now, mark the midpoint on all four sides of the rectangle. For my rectangles, this meant that I made a mark with the chalk at 5″ on the top and bottom, and at 10″ on the sides. Using your painter’s tape, you’re going to use those four midpoint marks as the “points” of your diamond. You’ll only be able to tape every other diamond, and it will look like this:
Tape every other rectangle to form a diamond.
5. Paint inside each diamond with your second or darker color. Since I used glaze, I mixed one part glaze with two parts paint. This made the diamonds a subtle silver color, which I loved.
NOTE: If you’re using dark paint for a high-contrast look, I would experiment with one diamond in a discreet area first to see how much of a problem you’re going to have with the paint bleeding under the painter’s tape. That will depend on the texture of your walls, the consistency of the paint or glaze you’re using, and even how well you applied the tape. If bleeding is a big problem, you can “seal” the tape line by painting on the line with your first/lighter color, waiting until that dries, and then painting over it with the darker color. Fortunately, I didn’t have to do that!
6. After your diamonds have dried, remove the tape, and do the same thing for the unpainted diamonds. Make sure you line up the tape with your already-painted diamonds so that their points all line up! When it comes to corners, you can always make a diamond a little wider or a little thinner without it being obvious, so some of my corner diamonds are 9″ or 11″ wide. Just don’t make the diamond taller or shorter!!
Remove the tape from the first set of diamonds. Every other diamond will be painted.
7. Paint your second set of diamonds and let them dry. Remove the tape. I used a damp washcloth to wipe away all the chalk lines.
8. Embellish your diamonds with upholstery tacks or gems, if desired.
9. Wipe your brow–phew! that was a lot of work–and enjoy the gorgeous diamonds you’ve painted on your wall!
Leave me a comment if you have any questions and I’ll be happy to answer them.
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A few months ago one of those exciting emails popped into our email shortly after I shared this post on my chair makeover(s). An editor from a magazine was asking for more pictures of my office and could she maybe submit it for possible inclusion in a specialty shelter publication?
I was stunned! Of course, I staged {and cleaned up!} the space and sent her some photographs. We did several iterations with color “pops” but sadly, the powers that be decided not to include this room.
I can’t admit to even being surprised. I don’t even have a rug in here yet so I kind of didn’t really ever think it would get picked. I can honestly say in this case, it was fun to be “nominated”. There are so many projects I would like to do for this space, I just can’t feel upset that at this stage it wasn’t selected.
I love working in this space. I have a gorgeous lake view out the window and a space where my daughter does her little art projects right next to my desk.
In addition to the workspace in here, we added this IKEA chair as another reading spot for our kids and they have a TV in here where they can watch or play video games away from the rest of the house. With kid at different ages, separation is often essential to my sanity!
Almost everything in here came from IKEA. I put this room together several years ago when I started my wedding invitation design business {now closed}. I wanted something similar to the Pottery Barn “project” desk so I made up my own with three Expedits and 2 long black desk tops. I have tons of storage for all the paper I use/used with my graphic design business.
The armoire where I store gift wrap and other craft supplies is tucked behind the doors, out of the way.
So even though you won’t see this room when you are flipping through a magazine in the grocery store check-out line, I still love working here each day.
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Before I jump into congratulating the winner of our Organizing Giveaway…we have some EXCITING news to share.
If you follow us on Facebook then you have already heard that Terry and her family are expecting a new BABY in the Spring!
Here are her boys finding out they will be getting a new baby brother! {Thanks to Courtney Anderson Photography for allowing us to share these beautiful pictures}
While it is, of course, tremendously exciting for them, she has asked Christy and me to decorate the nursery–so that’s exciting for us too
Its going to be a very exciting spring around here!
OK…the winner of the Organizing giveaway is:
Congratulations Amy! We’ll get your organizing goodies out to you ASAP.
Thanks to all who entered and special thanks to JenMarie for the labels and chalkpen.
XO,
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Last month I received the most amazing surprise on my doorstep! It was from Martha Stewart Crafts and it was filled with the most inspiring paints, stencils, tools and ideas.
Opening this box felt like Christmas morning! Thanks, Martha!
I just couldn’t wait to dive in. Limiting myself to one project was nearly impossible, especially when the theme for this project was Halloween. This is what I came up with– I hope you love my Halloween Inspired Chalkboard using only Martha Stewart Crafts!
This was my first project using Martha Stewart Crafts Chalkboard Paint in the fabulous shade of grey. I wanted to create a spooky entryway and I loved the idea of writing a Halloween message for all my fall guests to see. I also loved the idea of a grey chalkboard rather than the typical black. I already had two thrift store art frames in my basement that I wanted to re-purpose, so I was off to a quick start.
These frames were pretty old, so I did have to cover them with black spray paint prior to adding the chalk paint. I used spray paint designed for trucks (called Bed Liner). I think that stuff is amazing. You don’t have to sand or worry about imperfections as the thick adhesive coating covers every little scratch, ding and chip. I love that it has a hint of sparkle and adds a ton of texture to the frame. It was the perfect fix to this imperfect frame.
Adding the Martha Stewart Crafts Chalk Paint was simple. This particular frame had plastic, rather than glass, and it was a bit dusty from being the basement. I simply cleaned the plastic with a glass cleaner. Once dry, I evenly applied the chalk paint with one of the brushes Martha Stewart Crafts provided. It took 3 coats, but I love the result and the color.
Once painted, I was ready to add a spooky verse or poem. I have the WORST handwriting, so I knew I could not do this part of the project freehand. I was grateful to find some transfer paper in the wonderful box of Martha goodies. I already had a Halloween sign, and I personally love the font styling so I felt it would be perfect to copy onto my new chalkboard. My kids also love this sign as it tells you to “smell my feet.”
What little boy would not giggle over that kind of talk?
Transfer Paper allows you to copy images and fonts perfectly from one sign onto another.
I have never used transfer paper before and I am sad to say I have wasted countless hours erasing, re-writing and erasing. Martha Stewart Crafts Transfer Paper is amazing!! It made this part of the project so quick, easy and stress free. I didn’t have to worry about my atrocious hand writing as I could simply copy and paste.
You can see how the transfer paper left faint markings on the board, now all I have to do is go back and fill it in with chalk.
I love the wording on the frame, but it only took up a small portion and didn’t look like I wanted it to. I needed to come up with a plan “B” and fast. Back to the box of goodies Martha sent me. What would fill up the frame without taking away from the wording? Check out this great rick-rack/chevron stencil I found:
Here is the final product. I embellished the board with a handmade burlap flag banner and some creepy spiders, and I LOVE the end result.
I have to point out those bat stenciled goblets and gold pumpkins at the bottom of my photo. I told you that I would not be able to stop at one project:). I absolutely loved working with the Martha Stewart Crafts and the Sticker Stencils were no exception.
The sticker stencils are AMAZING~
These goblets and bottle took me less than 30 minutes to create and it cost me less than $6.00. Each glass cost $1.00 at my local dollar store. That cool bottle was store bought sparkling lemonade that I found at HomeGoods for approximately $2.00. I served the lemonade at my fabulous 30-Something Fashionista Party (check it out here) and saved the bottle because of that super cool top. I think the goblets and bottle combined would make a fantastic hostess gift set. Maybe include a cool Halloween inspired cocktail recipe like my Spooky Orange Creamsicle Cocktail.
{Click HERE for printable recipe}
Lastly, I painted some small pumpkins using Martha Stewart Crafts Gilding Paint in silver and gold. I have to say, that stuff is powerful and gives you a lot of bang for your buck. I barely used anything and covered 6 small pumpkins. I also love the metallic colors which will carry over to my fall dining room tablescape this Thanksgiving.
Look for these on my Thanksgiving tablescape!
I hope you enjoyed seeing all the wonderful things that Martha Stewart Crafts made possible for me this Halloween. Please note that I received these products via The Blueprint Social (www.theblueprintsocial.com) for this post, however, the opinions are 100% my own, please find my post disclosure HERE. I sure enjoyed this campaign and want to thank Plaid, Blueprint Social and Martha Stewart Crafts for this opportunity.
For more great projects please visit Martha Stewart Crafts on FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND PINTEREST.
Amy will be back tonight to announce the winner of the Organizing Giveaway!
sharing at~
Oh Yum!!! If you need anything more to like about Fall, here is the perfect drink to toast the season. In my house, as soon as the apple cider hits the stores this drink becomes a one of our favorite adult treats.
I have mentioned my husband’s talent for bartending previously, he concocted this drink with the fixings from an ‘Apple Cider Bar’ we had at an Engagement Party we hosted last year. The couple liked it so much they served it as their “Signature Cocktail” at the wedding! It’s always a hit.
You can tweak this to your liking, and I apologize to those who don’t drink alcohol, you could obviously play around with whipped cream and apple cider but using the flavors in the alcohol really is what gives this drink its fun flavor.
You need apple cider (obviously), I typically use Trader Joe’s but any kind is fine, and “Whipped Cream” Vodka and “Buttershots” Liquor.
You also need ice, a shaker with a strainer, and ice cold martini glasses, something we seem to always have on hand in our freezer! I coated the rim of this glass with a sugar/cinnamon mix to make them a little more festive.
To make the drinks: Mix 2 parts vodka to 1 part buttershots in the shaker (with some ice) to your liking, then pour in the apple cider and shake well–very well–you want the ice to break up a bit and chill the drink. I would recommend 2:1 on the liquors then at least 2 parts cider–but that still may be too strong for some, so adjust accordingly. Be warned: these are strong drinks–just like a classic martini. This drink is also a great after dinner/dessert drink because they are on the sweet side.
And, if you are hosting a Halloween Party, you might notice these drinks coordinate perfectly!
Hope you enjoy a perfect Fall weekend!
Cheers!
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Are you still trying to figure out invitations for your Halloween party? Look no further–I’ve got you covered! Check out these darling mini-apothecary jars (they used to be spice containers) that have been turned into frightfully fabulous invitation holders, courtesy of a little imagination and Aleene’s glues and adhesives.
I find these little jars at yard sales and thrift shops for just a few cents each. I use them to hold beads and other craft supplies, and, of course, spices. But when I recently found myself with a surplus of them, I started to think about the fact that they look just like tiny apothecary jars. Wouldn’t they look cute~and slightly poisonous~holding Halloween invitations?
The nice folks at Aleene’s recently sent me a big old box of love–bunches of their products to try. Look what was in my box:
So fun! I immediately used the Jewelry & Metal Glue to fix a pair of earrings that had broken (thanks, guys!), but that’s beside the point. I then gathered the supplies for my project:
Next, I typed up an invitation on the computer. I used the font “Chiller,” but I’ve seen tons of other free fonts that would work well for a Halloween party, too. Knowing that the invitation would be rolled up message-in-a-bottle style, I printed it longer and shorter. I cut the cobweb scrapbook paper slightly larger, and used the Repositionable Tacky Spray to stick the invitation on the cobweb paper. (**As a random aside, we use this tacky spray every year when my kids are doing their science fair projects. It’s the best way to stick paper and photos to the tri-fold presentation boards that we use!**)
The spider looks cute there, but he doesn’t get to stay, or the paper will never roll up!
I tied my rolled-up invitation with a tiny piece of raffia, although I don’t think this is an essential step.
After tying raffia and black ribbon around the neck of the bottle, I used a drop of to hold my scary spider in place. And yes, this is a paid review (the disclaimer is at the bottom), but I can easily and truthfully say that I use Tacky Glue all the time! I used FOUR bottles of it to build my daughter’s dollhouse three years ago (read about that post HERE), which is the biggest project I’ve accomplished with it, but there’s always a bottle in my craft supplies.
So, why not whip up a batch of these and get ready for a thrilling and chilling Halloween celebration?
If you want to learn more about Aleene’s products or their I Love to Create program, check them out on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest!
Disclaimer: I wrote this post as part of a paid campaign with Aleene’s Glues and Adhesives and Blueprint Social. The opinions in this post are my own.
Thanks for stopping by!
Recently our good friend/reader Leslie posted a request on our facebook wall~
I can relate, can’t you? Leslie has the most adorable kindergarten boy/girl twins and I can just imagine all the beautiful work they bring home. However, its twice as much paper for her to deal with!
Before I share the way I deal with my kids’ art and school papers, I wanted to share some ideas I found that also might help Leslie {0r anyone else} overwhelmed with all that paper.
This inexpensive IKEA curtain system could hold artwork and is a great use of an empty wall.
{source}
At the end of the year I would put all these sheets in a large notebook but in the meantime, a paper towel holder and some clear sheet protectors are all you need for this solution. Since I know firsthand that most preschool and kindergarten artwork often varies in size/shape/thickness, this may not work for those with younger children, but it’s still a neat idea.
{source}
This idea might not be very practical in a rental home, but there is a wealth of ideas here, like tacking sheet metal to the wall to create a magnetic surface for artwork, etc. Ikea sells smaller versions of metal boards which would work perfectly.
{source}
OK, here is the art/paper solution I have come up with, I can relate to Leslie’s issue as two of my children still bring home work on a regular basis. My oldest is mostly done with the “art” stage, but I will show you in a minute where I keep his school papers for the long-term.
First, I built a large chalkboard in the hallway off our kitchen. I recently added some inexpensive black hooks along the bottom molding. Each child gets ONE hook for their current favorite piece of art, or “A” spelling test.
Here is the funny thing, did you notice? My way-to-saavy-for-her-age three-year old, removed her brother’s work and added in another piece of her artwork! So, I should say, “ideally” each child gets one special piece on display at a time, how sneaky she is!
Outside of this display, all their artwork {that I decide to keep } goes into this super easy storage solution.
I started making these art folders years ago when my first son was young. The idea came from a neighbor who taught art classes in her home. At the end of the year, she gave each student a “portfolio” made from folded posterboard. It was inexpensive, easy to make, easy to store and holds a ton– even the thicker “paper plate” type artwork fits in fine.
Because they are so thin, they are easy to store. I tuck mine under my kitchen desk, right where I clean out backpacks.
At the end of the year, I give each folder a quick clean out. I have learned that saving every single piece of “fall” artwork may seem important in October, but once the folder is full, it’s easier to let some of the less, ahhh…creative? artwork go.
What’s left after the ‘art purge’ goes into my insanely simple storage system…each kid has one box for all the things I deem important enough to keep. Someday I plan to pass their boxes down to them–like at college graduation when we dump all their stuff on them and my husband and I escape to a tiny beach house somewhere…right?
In these bins you find all sorts of things in addition to their artwork, report cards, baby blankets, etc…I hope they will be glad I kept all this someday.
To make the Art Portfolios:
Use regular inexpensive posterboard, full-size.
In our house, each kid has a “color” for things, it helps eliminate fighting over who gets what, and their poster board is color-coded as such.
Anyway, fold the posterboard exactly in half.
I cut a few inches off each side, I have a large paper cutter but you can use scissors and a ruler, or just leave them as is. Then tape along the inside right on the edge. Again, I have an incredibly useful tape gun from my former wedding invitation business, but you can use double-sided tape, glue or even just staple them.
Once the sides are stuck together, just add a label on the front for each child.
Here is the printable version of the labels I made, you can download the PDF HERE, and add in your child’s name either on your computer or just write it in.
click to download labels
I print my labels on white cardstock, then for these I added a solid color cardstock behind each label so it would stand out.
Their art just slides in, nice and neat.
That’s my solution. How about you all? What other ideas for Leslie do you have? Please share!
***Don’t forget to enter our Organizing Giveaway open until Sunday, October 21st***
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Stay in touch with what we’re up to~
**Don’t forget to enter our organization giveaway {here} through October 21, 2012***
When I was growing up, I would have died rather than shop at a thrift store. I was lucky enough to have the option not to, growing up in an affluent suburb of Washington, DC, but a lot of people don’t have the luxury of being so snooty. Both of my parents came from more humble beginnings, and I remember that when my maternal grandmother died, my mother brought home all sorts of “treasures” from her home. I thought everything was chippy, dirty, and old-looking–was I dumb, or what? I’ve mended my ways and now realize that older stuff is usually better–it’s higher quality, better made, and maintains its value. Plus, lots of wonderful memories cling to furniture and household goods that are inherited from older generations.
Now, thrift store clothing runs the gamut. Some of it is a fabulous deal (fur coats, couture labels, designer bags), and some of it is just junk. My daughter and I joke about the number of “Grandma sweaters” we find at the thrift store. Grandma sweaters are the ones that your grandmother gave you for Christmas that are so hideous that you just donate them immediately. I got quite a few of those growing up! If you’re willing to spend some time sifting through the dross, though, you can find some great deals. Throw them in the washer and they’re as good as new.
A couple of good friends and I have a running contest to see who can find the best outfits at the thrift store. Here are my latest entries (take THAT, girls!):
Here I am with our sweet rescue dog, Harley, at the annual golden retriever rescue picnic. I didn’t realize it until I posted the picture on my personal Facebook page and a friend asked me what style my Vera [Bradley] purse was, but my entire outfit is from the thrift store, minus my boots and sunglasses! The pink jacket was $10, the brown hoodie underneath was $4, the purse (not a Vera, by the way) was $3, and the jeans were $4. If it wasn’t for the sunglasses and the boots (budget busters for sure), the hubby would have been pretty proud of me! Of course, buying the rest of the outfit at Goodwill means that I can splurge on the sunglasses and the boots. It’s all a matter of balance.
This top is my latest find. It’s blue and red chains are a pretty obvious Hermes knockoff, but I might be the only person in Nashville to know that!
While I wore it with a pair of dark-wash SFAM jeans here, it would work equally well with a pencil skirt and ballet flats for a dressier occasion. Silver hoops and a silver chunky chain necklace completed the look. Check out the reversible cuffs (love that blue and white stripe), but ignore the tiny ballet dancer in the background. She was getting ready to go to Nutcracker rehearsal (something that we do A LOT!). Not bad for a $3 shirt, huh?
I guess I’ve changed a lot since my youth, because not only am I admitting that I buy clothes at the thrift store, but I’m broadcasting it to a pretty big audience! I think that buying good quality used items makes me both a good steward of our household income and our environment. Why go out and buy something new, possibly of inferior quality or sewn in a sweatshop, for ten to twenty times the price of a good vintage item? I am blessed in that I can afford to buy new items, I just choose not to do it as often as I used to. Do any of you have some fabulous scores from the thrift store that you want to share?
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