I love to find old lamps at thrift stores, and last year, when I was visiting my aunt and uncle in Michigan, we found this pretty cut glass/crystal lamp base:

We were at one of my favorite thrift stores, in a sweet little small town near my aunt and uncle’s sweet little small town (can you tell I love Michigan?).   It’s more like an antique store, but they sell things at thrift store prices.  Can’t beat that!  This little lamp was only $10, and my grandmother had one like it on her dressing table.

I decided that I’d use a drum-style lampshade.  Those are kind of trendy right now, and I thought that would be a nice contrast with the obviously old-fashioned lamp.  Instead of buying a plain white one, I hit the fabric department at Hobby Lobby and bought this customizable one:

As you can see, the price was right, plus I used a 40% coupon.

I bought 8 yards of burlap a few weeks ago, because I’m going to use it as a table covering at an upcoming reception that I’m hostessing for my husband’s work.  I decided I could spare a little for the lamp shade.  First, however, Sunny decided to try it as a bed:

I have had to embrace the idea that dog hair improves all aspects of home decor!

These lampshades have a white wax paper covering that also serves as a template for cutting the fabric (or paper) that you choose as a cover.

Then, you peel away the outer cover and the lampshade is STICKY and ready to apply the fabric.  Go slowly, because it’s not much fun to peel it off and reposition things.

I sealed the seam with my glue gun.  The burlap has a nice hemmed edge that I used on the bottom of the shade.

As is true with most of my posts, this is too easy to be called a tutorial!  If you had a nice fabric rosette or a jeweled pin, that would look nice on the shade.  Different trims can add a more custom look.  Perhaps even a monogram would look nice?!

I put the lamp on one of the nightstands in my guest room, so that means Amy might be trying it out before the summer is over!

By the way, have you seen this idea before?  Put your wireless password in a frame in the guest room, so your visitors can get connected easily.

I’m also going to include a charging station/area in our guest room when we move.  Whenever we upgrade or change cell phones and other electronics, I throw the chargers in a drawer in the guest room.  People often forget to pack chargers when they’re traveling, and I can usually help them out.  It’s just one more way to make guests feel at home.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hey everyone!  I am hard at work this week sprucing up my screen porch {the before is HERE} so while I scrub, sew pillows and fluff out there I am popping in with a quick easy mason jar project.

I recently saw something similar to this for sale in a store for the ghastly sum of $20 a jar, of course I tucked the idea away knowing I could make them for myself for almost nothing.

All you need is some mason jars, some burlap scraps and some jute twine. For the top you can use any embellishment you already have. I had picked up two of the toppers at Michael’s {the blue flower and the jeweled flower}, then thought to ask my Mom if she had any vintage jewelry she wanted to part with and she let me pick from my grandmother’s costume jewelry “stash”. That one {below} has much more sentimental value then the ones from Michael’s!

After I made them, I displayed them for awhile in my hutch/cabinet.

Then I decided to move them to my desk, and filled them with paper clips, some stickers and such.

Wouldn’t these also make a nice gift, or be perfect in a guest bathroom to hold cotton balls, q-tips etc?

I think the directions are very self-explanatory, but in case you are curious as to the details, I just cut a square of burlap, fringed the edges evenly and tied it with the jute around the top of the mason jar {so it can open}. Then I hot-glued {or in the case of the broach, pinned} the embellishment on. Super quick and easy!

Hope your summer is off to a great start!

{While you’re here, don’t forget to enter the $100 Visa Gift Card Giveaway HERE!}

XO,

I had hoped to show you the final result on this project, but I had to special-order the knobs from Hobby Lobby, so you’ll have to stay tuned for another update next week.

I scored a dresser at Goodwill a few years ago, and immediately painted it an off-white and distressed it.  This was in the days before chalk paint!  It’s about to get a coat of Annie Sloan chalk paint in Pure White, because it’s going to go in my daughter’s closet when we move, and all of her furniture is white.

I’m going to keep the fabric covering the drawers, though, because it’s a great neutral shade.  I’m really pleased with how this project turned out, and since it’s a fun alternative to simply painting a piece, I want to show you how I did it.

Here’s the dresser (minus seven knobs and a white paint job!):

Here’s a close-up of the fabric on the drawers:

If you use a patterned fabric, like I did, it’s important to line up the repeats as much as you can, just like you would on pillows or window treatments.  Also, be careful since sometimes drawers are slightly different sizes!  Measure each one separately before you cut out the fabric.

I ironed the fabric and then used a layer of quilt batting between the fabric and the drawer front.  This smoothes out any wrinkles in the fabric and creates a slightly padded look.  I used a staple gun on the inside edges of the drawer fronts to secure the fabric:

Here’s a close-up, so you can see the bits of batting peeking through:

You could certainly stop with just doing the drawers, but I covered the sides on this one.  That was a little trickier, because it was impossible to hide the staples.  You also have to fold your fabric over so no raw seems are showing:

A row of trim (like the gimp I used on my dining room chairs {here}) would cover this edge easily, and really finish the piece.

My daughter picked out these rhinestone-embellished fleur de lis knobs, and I think they look great!

Stay tuned for an update with the finished product, just as soon as those knobs arrive!

Thanks for stopping by!

About a month ago, I snagged a gorgeous frame at Goodwill for $3.  As often happens with thrift store scores, it sat in my garage for awhile because I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do with it.

My daughter, Annabelle, and I were in Target last week (this happens far more often than I’d like to admit), and she fell in love with a jewelry display board, which I refused to buy her, saying, “We could make that SO easily!”   Because Annabelle would like to start her own blog (but we won’t let her at the ripe old age of nine), and in the interest of keeping her writing skills sharp during summer vacation, I asked her to jot down a few paragraphs for y’all:

“I saw a jewelry board in Target and fell in love with it.  The frame was white and it had a peachy pink fabric.  I said, “Mom, I want this in my room,” but we (unfortunately) left without it.  

 When we got home, my mom pointed out a frame that looked just like it!  [Mom's note: This was the Goodwill frame, of course.]  We then went to Hobby Lobby [Mom:  This also happens far more than I'd like to admit!] and got a fabric with Paris writing on it.  I am going to have a Paris-themed walk in closet when we move!”

Well, why not?  Her room will have a walk-in closet, and if you’ve followed us for any amount of time at all, then you know that I have no problem decorating closets!

To make our own jewelry display board, we started with the thrift store frame and a can of spray paint.  Isn’t it a pretty frame?

Next, we assembled the French script fabric, two layers of quilt batting (because that’s what I had in my craft closet), and a piece of foam core board that we cut from an old science fair project.  Since we were scrambling to put this together on the same day that we were leaving town for a week at the beach, I had to go with what was readily available!

Annabelle helped with every aspect of this project.  I had her cut out the batting and the fabric.

We picked a nice area of the fabric, centered it, and made a sandwich: fabric (right side out), two layers of batting, and then the foam core.  We folded the edges of the fabric around the foam core like a package, and then I used a hot glue gun to secure it.  Another alternative would be to use very thin plywood and a staple gun, but again, we were using what we already had.

After checking to make sure that everything was straight, centered, and smooth, I glue-gunned the fabric “sandwich” into the frame.

Not bad for about $5 and 15 minutes, right?

We had to find a spot for it right away, but after we move it will go into her closet.

We borrowed these cute little jewel-tipped pins from her mannequin, but I think we could make some pretty easily [crazy glue + beads + pins].  Maybe that will be our next summer project!

Thanks for stopping by!

So there you have my excuse for why I am posting the “in progress” rather then any completed projects today. Terry and I have been very busy bees scouting out the local thrift stores of late. Our hope is to hold an “11 Magnolia Lane Vintage Market” at the end of the summer, so I have accumulated some amazing pieces I am in the process of transforming. Here is the current state of my dining {aka my “painting”} room…

First off, I scooped up this mirror at a thrift store in our little town. I practically snatched it out of Terry’s hands {sorry girl!} but it had such amazing potential I just had to have it. I am not going to share the bargain price I got it for, since it will be for sale shortly, but it was a very good deal.

However, painting it has taken years off my life–I learned the hard way that the detailed nooks and crannies will be beautiful when all painted and waxed up, but painting each of them will make you more than a bit crazy.

Janet showed me this fabulous french gilding wax she has. It goes on, as she says, like liquid make-up over top of the light wax. I bought it in the silver finish as I wanted to glam up the mirror a little. I am still perfecting the final look but I think I like the silver sheen over the old white, do you?

And drumroll….this is by far my favorite find. Even my husband has asked if we really have to get rid of it. I feel in LOVE with this china cabinet because of its french country styling. Here is the before…

I could just see it it would be stunning with a coat of Paris Grey Chalk Paint. It has a very Restoration Baby & Child vibe to me, so if you know anyone in the DC area who might want it for a baby nursery email me asap, I am dying to paint the inside pale pink! If not, I think it will just be all gray, even inside, as it has glass shelves and would be lovely in a dining room, a kitchen or even a bedroom…. if I can stand to part with it! And, OH–wait for it– when I got it home I realized it was made by HENREDON, truly a quality heirloom in the making. She still needs to be waxed up, the inside painted and some detail work done, but here she is “in progress”.

Last but not least, I also have purchased a new dining room set. I was tired of the style of my old table which quickly sold on Craig’s List, and that sale financed the ‘new to us’ set. Terry and I are both completely obsessed with caned furniture, and Christy is as always on the same page with us–you saw her chairs here–so I was thrilled to find a table I loved with six caned chairs on Craig’s List. We are actually using the new chairs in our kitchen since now I have six chairs instead of four, a long overdue upgrade since we are a family of five! The new table will go in our dining room  with our current slipcovered chairs so it worked out perfectly.

I haven’t started painting it yet but my plan is to use Annie Sloan Pure White, similar to Christy’s dining room set makeover. First off is to recover the chairs, the “vintage” green velvet {seen above} needed to go.

So, I will be back with the “afters” hopefully sooner rather then later. Thanks to Janet for her sage chalk paint advice, it really is such an easy product to work with. And, let me know if anyone wants first dibs on the cabinet or the mirror {11magnolialane@gmail.com}, and, check back they will be for sale soon.

Thanks for stopping by,

When we were offered the opportunity to read and review Mary Kay Andrews’ newest book, Ladies’ Night, we pretty much jumped at the opportunity. After all, we’re all about our Ladies’ Night Out {Read more HERE and HERE and HERE}.

Reading the book was great fun, and this opportunity gave us the excuse to plan our own “Ladies’ Night” for our friends and readers. Terry and I planned a fun, light menu of finger foods and a yummy dessert for our guests. {Mary Kay Andrews also includes recipes in her books; you can see her recipes HERE}. We tracked down old “vintage” looking books at a used bookstore to embellish and whipped up a yummy batch of sangria just in case anyone got thirsty while crafting .

First of all, this new, fun book centers around Grace, a very successful DIY Home Blogger. This book had me hooked when it opened with Grace photographing her “white ironstone platters…placed on an antique grain-sack table runner”…how can you not love her? In typical Mary Kay Andrews’ fun style, the book follows Grace as her marriage falls apart, her blog is taken over by her former assistant and husband, and she is forced to go to a divorce therapy group which quickly becomes her ”Ladies’ Night“. Aside from this book being a great beach read, it’s also a very interesting look at the business side of blogging and I commend Mary Kay Andrews for recognizing the professional side of this burgeoning industry.

Grace is fun, crafty and spirited and Mary Kay definitely did her research on the DIY blog niche, from the paint colors she talks about Grace using to the more technical side of running a blog; it was an enlightening read. The book is highly entertaining, the characters are funny and engaging, and their antics make for a bit of a page-turning read.

Our Ladies’ Night was a bit calmer then some of the events that take place in the book! We have wanted to do an event with Janet of The Empty Nest for a while. We love her store, and since we share friends and readers, we thought spinning some sort of chalk paint and a craft into the social side of Ladies’ Night would be the perfect fit. Janet {in green below, who just oozes creativity} came right up with the idea of decorating old books as the perfect tie in the to our book-related Ladies’ Night.

We spread the word, gathered the girls and last night got together for a fun evening of crafting, painting, mod-podging, eating, drinking and socializing.

The process for the books was easy. Janet provided an abundance of chalk paint and other decorative embellishments. We used hard backed books and the first step was to paint them with chalk paint. {You really can paint anything with chalk paint!}. Each crafty girl then went on to create their own masterpiece.

Janet provided the guidance and some wonderful embellishments like this lovely French postcard from the 1930′s, now preserved forever on this book.

This Ladies Night was something different from the types we’ve done in the past which usually involved shopping {also something women do well together!}, it was a great way to be creative and it was so fun to see how different and beautiful each book became.

Janet has promised she will do this again {we can’t wait} so we’ll be looking forward to more creative “Ladies’ Nights” to come!

Thanks ladies to all of you who came out last night! We loved seeing how creative you were . It was a pleasure to meet Traci {her blog here} and spend more time with Annabel and don’t forget to pay Janet’s store a virtual visit Here}

So, tell us, what do you love about getting together with your girlfriends? What fun Ladies’ Nights have you done? 

Answer in the comments section for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card and a copy of Ladies’ Night, signed by the author!

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Thanks for stopping by,

 Our baby just went down for a nap- isn’t he sweet?

I’m hoping I have enough time to share this yummy Almond Joy impersonator refrigerator cookie bar recipe with you all.  Coconut is all the rage right now and for good reason, it not only tastes great but studies are showing that it boosts immune systems, fights off fungus & yeast, and it lowers cholesterol.  It also balances out your thyroid and can help regular blood sugar.  I’m really focused on blood sugar right now and have been trying out lots of coconut recipes.  My kids also seem to be on board with my current coconut obsession.   Coconut definitely has a texture that you either love or hate so it is important to grind as fine as you possibly can.  This bar cookie is really tasty and if you add the chocolate topping you can really lower the amount of maple syrup.

Chocolate Almond Coconut Bars

• 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut (unsweetened)
• ½ cup almonds
  
• ½ cup pure maple syrup (I think 1/4 cup would also be plenty sweet if using the chocolate topping)
  
• 4 tbsp virgin coconut oil
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ bag semi sweet chocolate chips melted

Directions

1. Heat chocolate chips in a double boiler- until melted and smooth.  Set aside.
   
2. Combine all remaining ingredients in a food processor until well blended and all pieces are small.
3. Pour into a small casserole dish (I used an 8×8 inch) and press down into an even layer. 
4. Pour melted chocolate on top, spread into an even layer.  
5. Refrigerate for an hour before cutting. Bars can be stored in the fridge or freezer for a couple of weeks.

Such and easy and fast recipe… throw everything into your food processor!

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by,

These girls had great lines, but you know that I love my painted furniture.  I decided to give them a coat of Annie Sloan chalk paint in Paris Grey.  Or is it Gray?  It took one coat, and I opted not to wax them, although I might change my mind.  Here’s how they turned out:

I love the matte finish of the paint, and I was impressed that one coat covered the wood (I just used a brush, even on the cane).  When I painted my dark dining room table with Pure White a few months ago, it took two coats.  You can read about that process {here}.

I borrowed the gray chevron pillow from the dining room, and used a small plant stand in between the two chairs to make a conversation area in a corner of our living room.

I’m sure some of you are still gasping that I painted them to begin with, but I’ve decided that lighter colors make my entire mood happier, so slowly but surely I’m going to paint the entire house white!!  Stay tuned for more, and thanks for stopping by.

Last week I hosted a tea in honor of my Mother’s birthday at my favorite Tea Room {the same place we held Terry’s baby shower last winter} for a few of her closest friends. Since many of my Mom’ms friends were traveling to attend the party, I wanted to give them each a little favor to take home and remember her special day.

The decor was pink, girly and flowery {an easy choice since my mom loves gardens and flowers}, so when I saw these cute pink, flower-shaped soaps I knew they would be perfect. Having seen all the creative ways Christy has used these monograms from For Chic Sake, I decided to make a personalized card for each guest, which I then attached to each soap as a take-home gift.

Making these was simple. I chose a printable and customizable monogram in colors I liked via For Chic Sake and just typed in each guest’s monogram. I saved the file on my computer, then resized each file and cropped it into a square shape. I used my design software, but I think you could do this fairly easily in any number of computer programs.

I printed out each monogram on white cardstock. To make them extra special, I layered them on a second page of cardstock with double-sided tape right on the edge to make the monograms extra thick, almost cardboard weight. I cut each one carefully with my guillotine paper cutter after they were attached to get a perfectly clean edge. I think the extra thickness just made them a bit more special.

I enclosed each soap in a simple plastic “goody” type bag and tied it with a pretty ribbon. Then I attached the card on top, easy.

They were just a little added touch to what was a wonderful celebration.

and, wishing you the happiest of birthdays, Mom!

XO,

Our daylillies are blooming now, so the yellow kind of clashes, but what can I do?

I bought the long flag banners a few years ago–I think from Lillian Vernon. Sometimes I use traditional bunting, but this house seems to work better with the banners.  I use the 3M command hooks to hang them from the front porch.

My white violas are still blooming, although the heat will probably kill them soon.  The red, white, and blue balls are from Hobby Lobby, a few years ago…

I put the red candles back into the candle-lier, and a “God Bless America” cupcake pick in the small grapevine wreath.

All I need is a galvanized bucket of iced-down Coca-Cola, or Jones Soda (in glass bottles, or course!) for things to be complete for a cookout.

A few sparklers and a set of cornhole boards might be fun, too, right?

What are you doing to celebrate Memorial Day?

Thanks for stopping by!