Touch up painting

I had a really fun day today.  I spent the baby's nap going around our house touching up all the paint.  The house is 4-5 years old, as is the paint in the bucket we had leftover from the builder.  I was really sweating the color match, but it was fine.  I did notice that all the painting was done on the bottom 3 feet of the walls.  Hmmm....do little children reside here?

Its a really boring builder brown.  Whole wheat is the color, from Sherwin Williams.  Its a nice color but its everywhere other than bedrooms (which I have painted)....and its FLAT paint.  Flat.  On the walls!  Why would anyone put flat paint on anything other than a ceiling?  I have 4 small children.  You can't wash walls with flat paint.  Flat paint + small children = lots more painting.  Ugh!  I didn't even try to paint the playroom.  That's a whole room job and I'm going to do it another color.....I just haven't decided what.

It wouldn't have taken as long as it did, except I haven't done it in awhile.  I usually go around every 3-4 months.  Apparently its been a lot longer that that, because I had a lot to do.  Oh well....I can finally check this off my to do list.

Now I just need to decide what color to paint the playroom.  I would love to do the light blues and greys, but in addition to painting everything flat beige, ALL the trim and doors is done in the same blah beige, so grays, whites, and pale blues do not play nice with blah beige.  I am not up for repainting many feet of trim and doors right now....

*Sigh*

Brown maybe....

Simple Superhero Cap and Cuffs {tutorial link}

 

My son was invited to a Birthday Party and like always, I ask the mom what she wants the kiddo to have as a gift.  (A mom's and kid's idea of a good gift often differ, plus I wouldn't want to get them something they already have! :)

She knows me well and knows that I rather enjoy crafting, so sent me this link that she found on pinterest.  Blankets weren't staying tied on when used as capes, so something else was needed. Never fear....Kelly to the rescue.  :)

The tutorial is great, I just made a few minor modifications.  

I bought 2 tshirts at the Dollar Store, since they weren't on sale at Hobby Lobby this week.  From now on....I'm saving the shirts that dear hubs donates.  This is such a perfect gift!!!

I opted for snaps (at the mom's request) at the neck instead of velcro, but am going to let them be tested and can add velcro if snaps seem to be cumbersome.

I used the green scraps to make these appliques.  I cut 3 squares bigger than my star shape out of wonder under, ironed them to the knit scraps, then die cut the stars (you can trace and hand cut though), ironed onto cape, and then stitched with contrasting thread.

I used a freezer paper stencil that I cut with my silhouette to put the "M" on the back.  The Birthday Boy's name started with an "M."

It wasn't very nice of me to have my sweet boy model for me then make him take it off so I could wrap it. 

No worries....I promised him a set of his own.  Hopefully he will forget until Christmas! ;)

Since I sewed on the appliques and the cuffs, this is SC#31....wow I am sooo behind!

Sports theme thank you card {tutorial & printable}

I made these for the mommy for the baby shower I just helped throw.  It was a vintage sports themed shower (more decorations to come when I get the pics).  I purchased this really cute vintage sports paper to wrap the water bottles and used the scrap on the thank you cards

When I help host a baby shower, I always make the thank you cards for the mom and bring the blank envelopes to the shower.  I pass them around and have everyone self address them.  This way, the mom only needs to write a note and pop it in the envelope.  No need to look up addresses....one less thing the sleep deprived mom needs to worry about! :)

Supplies:

Card blank

Printer

Scrap paper

Glue or sewing machine

How to:

Run a piece of scrap paper through first so you know how your printer is aligned.  Then just stack your card(s) in and hit print. (This printable is set to print on a 5 1/2" x 8" sheet of paper....which is the size of the card before you fold it in half. ;)

I used the standard 4" x 5 1/2" which fits an A2 envelope.  I buy bank note card packages when they are on sale.  They come in white and Kraft paper.  If you get them on sale, they are only $0.09 per card!  Not bad...especially since the rest was done using scraps!

I strategically punched out the pennants so that you could see the baseball stitching, basketball and soccer ball, but these would look cute in any color combos.

Then I stitched them on!  I didn't bother gluing (since I was doing a lot) and didn't need the extra step.  If your not a sewer...go ahead and glue them on where you want them.  You can take a pen and "draw" in the pennant strings either in between each pennant or right over the top.

Chalkboard Labels Giveaway

 So my latest thing is using and now selling chalkboard labels.  For my mother's day gift a few years ago I purchased myself (yes, you read that correctly) a commercial die cutting machine.  Ever since, I've been coming up with ways to help it pay for itself.  I was slowly working that way with my paper garlands, but now I'm loving the chalkboard labels.  I have labeled my laundry room, pantry, and playroom.  I am working on my office, linen closet and kids closets now. 

They are available in a variety of shapes and sizes and I'm happy to customize an order so you get the exact amount of labels you want.  The best part....you can write and erase...write and erase.  Which is good for us type-A perfectionists that don't love our own handwriting.

A month or so ago, I got in contact with Jen, the writer of my favorite organizing blog iheartorganizing, because I thought her readers would enjoy some labels.   I sent her a little package to try out, review, and post about during the giveaway.  You can find the post here.  

I have been wonderfully overwhelmed with the orders that are rolling in.  Her readers are so sweet with their comments.  If you want to get in on the $25 giveaway to my Etsy shop, check out the post and enter.  As a bonus, if you buy something from my shop use the discount code IHO10OFF, through the end of October, for 10% off your purchase.

Happy Labeling!!!

Yep....still here....

I haven't posting in a little bit, but that's cuz I've been crazy busy working on a handful of projects.  Projects that I hope to post soon.  Including....

A huge magnetic chalkboard

A faux farm house table top for above my washer and dryer

Another baby shower (including invites and thank you cards)

Sewing a cute pennant for said shower

Repainting a dresser for the mom of said shower

Recovering a bench

Ramping up my chalk label business

Sewing some quick capes for a Birthday gift

Oh...and raising 4 small kiddos!

Cake pan turned recipe holder {quick tutorial}

A friend found this old weathered cake pan at a flea market for change.  She knew I could do something with it.  The first thing I did was see if it was magnetic....and it was!

I cut some brown vinyl on my silhouette and applied it to the the inside.  Popped a couple of marble magnets into it and voila!  Instant recipe holder.

Fall Burlap Pennant Banner {quick tutorial}

A quick and easy fall banner.

Supplies:

Burlap

Acrylic Paint and brush

Permanent marker (to match paint)

Jute

Sewing machine and matching thread or hot glue

How to:

I die cut my burlap, but you can easily cut the shape with scissors.  I used my computer to write "fall" then sized it to what I needed.  Print the letters in outline.  Using either a lightbox or your window, put the burlap over the paper and trace the outline with a permanent marker.  Paint in your outline.  Be sure to put a scrap piece of paper under your work, so it doesn't bleed through on your desk/counter.  Let dry.  (Crucial step.  Trust me.  I had paint all over my sewing machine because I was too impatient.)  Line up your pennants in order and sew the burlap onto the back of the pennant using a zig zag stitch.  (This would have been a bit easier if I had used a cording foot, but once again...too lazy/impatient to get it out.)  Optionally, hot glue or fabric glue the jute to the back.  Or hand stitch.

Here it is on my (undecorated) mantle.  Hey, its still September....for one more day.  

It was 90 here yesterday.  Not feeling too fallish yet.  

Tomorrow.  Tomorrow I'll decorate.  Then it will at least be October!

Dresser redo

I am LOVING this chalk paint stuff!!!  Besides the gorgeous finish, there is NO sanding and NO priming!  WooHoo!!!

I did a few repairs then painted it in ASCP Old White.  I lightly glazed it and put the original hardware back on.  

I know its a great piece when I want to keep it.  But alas....there is no room in my house, so it went up to the shop.

Here is what it looked like before.  Not too bad.  Some of the bottom had been chewed by....something?  I also had to do some veneer repair to the top.  Ugh.  First time, but it came out ok.

Hall Tree Makeover

This is a piece that has been painted and painted (before a certain *ahem* someone knew how to paint furniture) and painted.  And now painted again.  It has also been moved and moved and moved and moved.  It had been beaten up then stuck in room after room, then in the upstairs hall because there was no place for it.  I finally asked myself, "Why do you keep trying to make it work?"

So I attacked it with a light sand (only to clean up some of the bumps and bruises) and then some ASCP in Paris Grey.

See these hooks?  I took the bright silver ones off, since they didn't really fit.  I found these at an antique store.  I know they are supposed to be ceiling hooks, but they were the perfect amount of rusty and quirky so I put 'em on.

Then I waxed it and attacked it again to distress it.  There was no way I was stripping this baby and that's what it needed, so I figured I'd bring out the flaws rather then try to hide them.

 

And my dear friend hand painted this tile (since I broke the other one trying to get it out).

Here are the legs... 

Below the grey is black.  Below the black is white.  Below the white is wood.  They all make an appearance.

Here is the (almost) before and after.

Its up for sale in our booth SOLD.  I really like the after, but my entire house has a carmely-tan trim (which sets the tone for the entire house!), and grey just does not work with that!

Armoire Redo

(Sorry no "staged" picture, but this baby was too heavy to move around for pics, so I cropped out the messy garage! ;)

Found this baby on Craigslist (love CL!!!) originally for The Painted Paisley (the furniture painting biz I have with a friend).  

Then when I moved "B" to her own room, the room did not have a closet so I needed an armoire and decided I'd keep it.  I started painting it before the 115 degree 3 month heat wave set in and so  it sat, and sat, and sat in the garage with its base coat, but that's as far as I got.

We finally had a break and two of my kiddo's started school, so I had a little more free time and tackled the rest.

Ripped out the shelf inside and added a bead board backing.

Outside - ASCP Chateau Grey

Inside - ASCP Old White

Look at the pretty details on the front that are brought out with a little dark wax.

And the hardware that originally I was going to paint or replace, but looks perfect as is now!  

Before and After

Since I took so long I found another piece for the nursery.  This one is for sale SOLD here.