Domestically Yours

Christmas Home Tour 2010

2010-12-03T05:08:00.000-08:00

It's feeling very much like Christmas around this household! Enjoy!

Welcome

Living Room Tree

small arrangement above front door

Foyer table #1

Foyer/Living room table

Living room coffee table

Mantel

Above the stove

Behind the kitchen sink

Wine room table

1st Floor Bath

I hope you enjoyed my Christmas 2010 home tour! Happy Holidays to you and your families!

Kelly

My Christmas Mantel - Re-do

2010-11-30T05:22:00.000-08:00

I really stressed over my mantel this year, it was the last thing to be decorated. I just had no idea what it needed this year. I knew that I wanted to use the long needle pine garland and the NOEL letters so I just set them both up there to get inspired and they haven't moved since. I have just added on around it. It's definitely growing on me.

Update: I knew I didn't like the previous arrangement on the left so I had to go and change it today and now I have that warm cozy feeling that says "I'm done".

Previous pictures

And now the Re-Do

Thanks for visiting! Can't wait to see all of the other Mantels out there. I have linked up to Layla's Christmas Mantel Linky party, check it out!

Kelly

Fun with fresh greenery

2010-11-28T17:39:00.000-08:00

Today for the first time ever I purchased real greenery to decorate for Christmas. Why haven't I ever bought fresh before this? What is wrong with me? How did I not know how great it is, the smell, the look, the feel...mmmm.. love it! I combined what I purchased with some spruce clippings from my yard to create arrangements for my front porch urns and a little something to go behind my kitchen sink. I've even added some to my mantel but you'll have to wait to see that. I have had a lot of fun this weekend decorating for the Christmas holidays. We have some hosting to do over the next few weeks so I wanted to make sure I get it all complete. Here is a little sneek peek.

The wreath is also fresh and I'm loving it. What I am not loving is the white dust all over my door mat from the drywallers going in and out.

Love this little burlap bag that I picked up today too, it was at a local garden supply store, I picked up a little tiny one too but don't have any plans for it yet.

I am so excited to see the tours of everyone's homes soon.

Kelly

Basement Remodel Update #2 - Framing and Drywall

2010-11-27T19:07:00.000-08:00

We're moving along nicely but the downside is that my house is constantly covered with an inch of dust and the plastering has not begun. The framing is complete and all of the drywall is up. Next up is the plaster finish over the drywall which should happen tomorrow. I'm learning very quickly that these tradesmen are not very reliable. They pretty much show up whenever they feel like it. Here are some pictures of the progress.

Stairway before it was opened up at the bottom

Stairway after it was opened up

Finished area with closet before walls were taken out and opened up

After the walls were taken down

Before

After (bathroom with storage closet on left)

Finished area before wall on left was opened up

After wall was opened up

Future wet bar area

Water heaters were removed

A different view of future wet bar area

Wet bar area after wall was removed to the finished area

Bathroom before

Bathroom after (On outside wall there is a storage closet above and access to ejector pit sump below)

Old Tool area

New play area(this area will have a drop ceiling because of all of the plumbing access)

Alcove for TV area

Alcove after (notice the big furnace is gone!)

Storage area before

Storage area closed in

Inside bathroom (45 inch vanity planned against back wall...toilet to the left)

Here is a picture of the vanity that we've purchased for the bathroom

and here is a picture of the cabinet style and color we purchased for the wetbar.

Hope you enjoyed, I'm off to look at paint colors and select flooring this week.

Kelly

I'm baaaack...

2010-11-17T11:04:00.000-08:00

Is anyone out there?? I wouldn't blame you if you ran for the hills, afterall it has been a loooooong time since I've posted anything and I do sincerely apologize. It was a crazy summer and the kids have taken all of my time. They still do :), but now my girls are in kindergarten all day so I am finding myself with a more me time now in the form of the little guys naptime.

When we bought this house 3 years ago the basement had one small finished room and a closet. The rest of the basement was unfinished. With 3 small children we were in desperate need of more finished space, both to entertain and a more dedicated place for them to play so that I could reclaim my beautiful sunroom which is now serving as the play room. There were a couple of major things that were standing in our way before we started this remodel. One was the oversized (read as...GIANT) furnace smack in the center of the basement, second, were the two 40 gallon water heaters, and a water softener also right in prime real estate territory.

So far we have done the following
1. Knocked down the walls of the finished area to open them up to the unfinished area.
2. We have removed the old furnace and replaced it with a smaller more effecient unit and had it zoned for all three floors. it was also relocated to the back where it will be inside of our storage area.
3. We removed the old water heaters and installed a tankless water heater also back in the storage area.
4. Relocated the water softener.
5. Had plumbing moved around and rough plumbed for bathroom vanity and wet bar
6. Framed walls and ceiling

Another problem with our basement...well not so much with our basement but more to do with "us" is that we have too much "stuff"! This remodel has forced us to rid ourselves of unnecessary things. We had a large garage sale this summer which helped tremendously We are still a work in progress but hope to have everything neatly tucked away into a reorganized storage area when we are done.

The "BEFORE" pictures

Stairway

Future bathroom

Future TV viewing area and closet around the ejector pit

Old tool area

water heaters and storage area to become wet bar

Storage area will remain a storage area (also includes the sump pump, central vac and now

includes the tankless water heater, water softener, and furnace). We're going to adjust the shelves to be able to stack totes more efficiently.

Unfinished area...door to finished area to the side of the stairs

Finished area

Finished area and closet

....coming up next will be a few progress pictures I'm getting excited to get the electrician out here so we can button up the walls and ceiling and get on to fun finishing work.

I'm really happy to be back!!!

It's been a while.....

2010-04-04T19:23:00.000-07:00

...but I promise it won't be much longer before I'm back with more exciting things. It's been a little hectic lately for me and I have had to put the blog on the back burner but we're getting ready to start our basement remodel.

My Home Tour Updated New Photos

2010-02-23T06:38:00.000-08:00

I got a good start yesterday on getting some pictures taken of our home. I've been wanting to do this for quite some time and I am so thankful that Danielle over at Transforming Home for lighting the fire under me to get it done. I missed her real life house tour linky party but I'll be sure to be ready for the next one. I am still missing a few rooms, the master bedroom, master bathroom, family room, and full bath upstairs. I hope to post those today as well, but nevertheless here are some photos to get your started.

We have only lived in this home for 2 years so we haven't yet put our stamp on each room. Some rooms have gotten a partial "stamp" though. With that said I will point out the things that I like/hate about each room and what I plan to do about it.

Dining Room

Recently I painted this room a shade of cream with green tones in it (think celedon). Overall it just looks creamy. We don't have a dining room table, nor do we really need one right now. We used to have one, didn't like it, and never used it so we use it as a wine room of sorts. Eventually I would like to have a large dining room table but it just won't work in this room. The chandelier will eventually be replaced as well.

Living Room

This room....oh this room....I just don't know what to do with it. I am not thrilled with the furniture but can't replace them right now. The walls have not been painted and there are no window treatments except for a nice pleated shade so it's very bare. It connects with the dining room so I am thinking that I need to just continue the paint color from the dining room throughout this space. I am just so clueless about colors that work with this furniture. I also am not really making it a priority right now so it just exists "as is" which is sad because it is something you see right when you walk in the front door.

oh yeah..don't you just love the tag left on the bells of ireland?? Nice.

Living Room/Foyer

This is the transition from living room to foyer. Hate that cord from the lamp, I bought cord covers to make it disappear but haven't gotten to it yet.

Foyer

I have a call into a painter to come quote this thing! You can't see it but there is an awful faux painting all over it done by the previous owners. Maybe a marble type effect? In any case it does nothing for the space. It needs some sort of color to show off the beautiful woodwork done on the staircase and define the niche at the top. I would love to be able to get that horrible brass chandelier down and give her a coat of oil rubbed bronze or black paint. It's so high up and so large that I don't even know where to begin to get someone to get it down and then eventually put it back up for me. Someday....

Half Bath

I painted this bathroom last year sort of a milk chocolate color. I am ready to change it already. I like it but I am now craving Gray! There is a cool recessed ceiling with molding around the perimeter of the room too. In the photos it looks like I have two tones of the brown paint however it's just shadows. It's just painters white up there right now. I need to learn a little more about paint and color and put the right one up there to coordinate with the wall color. It's an odd little shape of a room, hard to photograph.

Kitchen

Aside from switching out my stove and diswasher to match the other stainless steel, I actually like this space. I spend a lot...let me say that again...A LOT of time in here.

This is the transition from foyer to kitchen (off in the distance is the entrance to the sun room which is up next)

Sunroom (aka...the toy room)

I love love love this room....it's just that it's not mine right now, it belongs to my girls. Oh sure, I have a couple of wicker chairs and a small desk in there but that's it, the rest is theirs. This room is an add on done by the previous owners, it was originally the back door to the patio. This is what it looks like 90% of the time....the other 10% of the time it looks worse if you can believe that. We are currently beginning the project of a basement finish so as soon as that is complete, we will rip out that storage bench (hopefully to use it down in the basement), paint, maybe add window treatments and furnish with some nice pieces. I can't wait because I think this will be a really cool space.

Guest Bedroom

This room is one of those rooms that falls under a lower priority category which is sad because it's such a sunny pretty room and afterall it is for "guests". You'd think I would make my guests a higher priority. I do have a plan for this room though. I am NOT going to paint this furniture, I am going to leave the pine as is and work with it. I am going to purchase this bedding.

I am going to add a couple of glass lamps and paint the room a nice neutral color, and of course add window treatments. I can't wait to finish it...but in order to do that that would actually require me to start it.

My Baby's Room

About 6 months ago this room was a white box. It's a very small room so I think it's perfect for a childs room. We painted (I will update with paint color when I look it up) and added beadboard. I love it and hope it will remain timeless for the little guy as he grows up.

My Girls (twins) Room

This is the bonus room above the garage and is perfect for the girls. When we moved in the room had a polar bear type mural on one wall and I needed to get rid of that so I quickly painted the room a very pale pink color. I left the sky/cloud mural on the ceiling, which also included a red airplane. That doesn't quite fit, but there wasn't any way for me to get rid of it so it stays for now. Because the girls were still in cribs when we moved into this house I didn't quite go with any "theme" like I wanted to. They have since transitioned into beds but still I have not given them any real "big girl"

type decorating. I hung their old curtains on a 2 inch valance rod that was already on their window when we moved it. It looks awful and I plan to hang that rod that is in the corner but just haven't gotten to it (notice a theme here). I did just have a baby in my defense but still.....I hate these things that are just left undone.

The airplane..

Family Room

This room is pretty much done except for needing a little art on a wall or two. The couch pillows, and mantel are contastly evolving with the seasons, but that is pure fun for me. As you can also plainly see there are a couple of decor items that won't be around forever and that is the swing (with baby boy in it....he is using his sisters pink blankie to sleep with...he's secure in his manhood) and the jumperoo.

Master Bedroom

I debated even showing this room...it's awful to me. White bare walls, old bedding, shoes laying on the floor because there is no more room in our closet, mismatched leftover decor from other areas of the house. We have a great lighted recessed ceiling. No excuse not to make this into a great room.

This second photo that shows the useless sitting area and the closet will hopefully serve as a "before" photo. We hope to knock down the wall facing the sitting room and close that area off and make that whole thing a closet (windows will be inside the closet). I'd put in some thin interior french doors that still allow some light into the room. There is another window next to the bed that is pretty large so the room still gets plenty of natural light. The other thing that this would accomplish is to give the room additional usable wall space, because as you can see we have a dresser back in the sitting area too. It's about 3rd on our list of "big" re-do's.

Master Bathroom

This will be the 2nd item we'll re-do after our upcoming basement remodel. This bathroom could be so much better, the shower is tiny and behind the door, the bathtub is like the elephant in the room. It takes up about 1/3 of the space and while it's a very very nice tub, we know that we can accomplish the same thing in about 1/2 that space. The vanities meet in the corner and while that might seem nice, the pipes for the sinks run around the corner and were left uninsulated (this bathroom is above our 3rd car garage) and the first winter we were here, they froze and exploded into the garage. In order to fix them the plumber had to cut out the inside of my husbands vanity. We need new vanities so we'll be tackling this after the basement!

.....stay tuned for another post on the "before" photos of our basement as we begin our basement refinishing!

No Sew Curtains Part II

2010-02-22T06:24:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I finally finished the family room curtain. Quite honestly I did not know what I wanted to do with this one so I just made a big rectangle out of my fabrics, hung it up and tried to decide. I think I was originally wanting a relaxed roman shade look, however I think it's just a little too heavy for this unless I attach some loops on the fabric and eye hooks on the window. I may try that some day but for now it ended up looking like this. The ribbon is something I had on hand and looks ok, but I was thinking of maybe a black ribbon to match the trim fabric and maybe make it stand out a little. I'm sure it'll be constantly evolving just like everything else in my house.

I am still hoping to join Danielle over at Transforming Home for her Real Life House Party Tour.

Kelly

No Sew Curtains Part I

2010-02-11T17:25:00.000-08:00

I fell in love with these Burlap Curtains that Jen over at Tatertots and Jello made. She is so talented and I adore her blog. I set out to use the same color scheme and style since I liked hers so much (clever huh?), but my problem was that I get so much sunlight in these windows that burlap was a just a little too transparent for me. I decided to line them with the same material that I used to make my PB Pillows. Doing this allowed me to actually be able to turn the curtains around and show the burlap side or the linen side. I actually ended up liking the linen side with my kitchen better.

Here is the reverse side (too lazy to climb up and flip the rod around...sorry)

Here is the eat in kitchen. I did not ruffle mine like Jen did because my material just didn't seem fluid enough to do it. I tried but mine looked goofy. I sort of like the simplicity here.

Part II of these curtains will be to make one for this window which is just off of the eat in kitchen area so I'm going to use the same fabrics. The rod is already on the window so I'm going to use what is there.

These were made simmply with my hot glue gun. I will post a tutorial on how I make the family room curtain, but for the others I followed Jen's great tutorial. Thanks Jen!

.........Stay tuned for Part II

Linking up to:

Frugalicious Friday at Finding Fabulous

DIY Boxwood Topiary

2010-02-03T08:43:00.000-08:00

After sitting on my mantel like this for a month or so...

I have finally made the boxwood balls into what I originally set out to do which are a pair of topiaries. I wanted to be able to move the trees into different containers as seasons changed or even be able to set them on a pot just like the "before" photo when the mood struck. In order to do this I needed to cement them into a portable container. I decided a solo drinking cup and plaster of paris would do the job. I mixed the plaster of paris according to the directions on the box and added it to the cups. I then stuck the dowel into the plaster and held it with scotch tape. The same scotch tape grid I used for making my Paperwhite arrangement.

Once the plaster was hardened, I stained the dowel a darker color. The Boxwood ball itself was hollow so I needed a way to get it to stay on the dowel. Luckily the ball was actually two halves with little snaps every so often to hold it together so I was able to unsnap it, add a styrofoam ball inside, and resnap it back together. Now I was able to insert the dowel through the boxwood and into the styrofoam ball to secure it to the dowel. Once secured I placed the tree into it's container.

I tucked a little bit of paper towel around the cup to make sure it didn't wobble. I topped with moss to cover the cup and paper towels and added a little bit of linen ribbon to dress it up. The mercury glass containers are adorable, I love them and snagged them for cheap at a Pottery Barn sale.

I am looking forward to different seasons where I can change them up a little bit with a different ribbon or container (especially Christmas).

Linking up to:

Show and tell at Blue Cricket Design
Make it Yours at My Backyard Eden
Get Your Craft On Thursday at Life as Lori
Frugalicious Friday at Finding Fabulous

Making a "Super Kid" Happy

2010-01-29T08:27:00.000-08:00

This week one of my daughters is "Super Kid of the Week" at preschool. This is a big deal dontcha know? This week I also bought the new BHG magazine with these cute little cookies on the cover.

They sounded simple enough. I didn't have a couple of things...one being the fluted edge cookie cutter so I just used a drab ole round one. The other thing I didn't have was ground vanilla beans so I just scraped the beans out of a pod and also used vanilla extract on top of that. Because she is super kid I thought that stars would be fun in the middle and I just so happended to have a 1" star cookie cutter from Christmas. I'll post the recipe below, but honestly I didn't like making these. The dough is really crumbly and hard to work with, the bottom cookies that are just plain ole circles ended up larger than the cutout cookies and since you are supposed to sandwich them together that doesn't work out too well. I ended up having to literally cut the bottom cookies around their edges to make them work.

But...........despite all of this, when they were complete, my daughter was over the moon happy with them. I got a huge thank you and a big hug. She cannot wait to take them school to give to her friends, along with about 10 things for show and tell. It made it all worth it (but not so worth it that I wouldn't just buy a couple of rolls of sugar cookies next time :))

..for a little side fun, my little man just turned 4 months old the other day and I found a cute way to remember it. Just making good use of my PB Pillows

Vanilla Dessert Sandwiches

(courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens)

Prep: 45 min Bake 10 Min Per Batch

Chill: 30 Min. Oven: 350 F

3 Cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Cup unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 Cups granulated sugar

2 Tbsp. milk

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. pure ground vanilla beans* or 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Vanilla sugar (scrape vanilla beans and put pods in sugar jar, store indefinitely)

1 recipe Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting (below)

1. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar and beat until smooth and creamy. Beat in milk, vanilla, and ground vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining four mixture by hand. Dough will be soft.

3. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill dough about 30 minutes or until easy to handle. On lightly foured surface, roll half the dough at a time until 1/8 inch thick.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degreesF. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles from dough. Using a 1-inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles from the centers of half the dough dircles. Place dough circles on parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. Reroll scraps, including the 1-inch dough rounds, and cut out additional dough circles as directed. Repeat with the remaining dough half.

5. Sprinkle the dough circles that have the centers cut out with the vanilla sugar. Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cookies cool on cookie sheets for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

6. Spread bottoms of the solid cookies with about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the vanilla cream cheese frosting. Top each with one of the cookies with the center hole, sugar side up. Refrigerate filled cookies to store. MAKES 24 SANDWICH COOKIES.

VANILLA CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

In a medium bowl stire together 6 ounces cream cheese, softened; 1/4 cup powdered sugar;and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth.

*GROUND VANILLA BEANS should not be confused with vanilla powder.

Fabric Covered Magnetic Board

2010-01-27T05:36:00.000-08:00

Since I was getting tired of peeling scotch taped artwork off the sides of my cabinets, I decided to give them a cool place to hang it up without ~~making me completely insane~~ using all my tape. They really got into it and helped me pick out a cool fabric and the paints for the magnets. Now let's hope they use it. On second thought, they have to, I'm hiding the tape.

Materials:

1. Galvanized metal from the home improvement store (in the roofing section). Aluminun will not work. We carried a magnet with us in the store to see which would work. It came in a roll.

2. Tin snips to cut the sheet metal (scissors did work on it, but were much harder to maneuver)

3. Leather gloves, the metal is SHARP

4. Fabric

5. Picture frame

6. Magnets (found in the wedding aisle at JoAnne's

7. Small wooden finials (found also at JoAnne's)

8. Glue (used my glue gun)

9. Acrylic paints

10. Spray laquer

Instructions:

1. Glue the finials onto the magnets

2. Paint the finnials, when dry spray with clear finish (I used laquer)

3. Cut the metal using your picture frame glass or backing as a template

4. wrap the fabric around the metal and hot glue

5. Put it inside the frame and replace backing on the frame

....and your done!

Linking up to the following parties:

The Thrifty Home - Penny Pinching Party

Blue Cricket Design - Show and Tell

What to make of this?

2010-01-25T19:50:00.000-08:00

I found this the other day at a thrift shop. I know that it's a lamp, or at least it's supposed to be if it actually had all of it's pieces, but it seems to have been stripped naked the poor thing. It's very heavy, solid wood I am guessing. I was drawn to it's cool shape and vintage keyhole. Just reminded me of an old piece of furniture. It has absolutely no markings on it. I have no idea if it will look good when and if I put it all back together and put a shade on it but for $1.00 I had to give it a try. I have even considered trying to take the base and the top screw portion off and using just the "urn-like" portion as a decorative piece...maybe do an antique finish on it in black or ivory.

What would you do with it? Paint it? Keep it in it's current condition? Toss it to the curb? It does have a good crack down the length of it, but nothing is loose or anything and it really isn't super noticeable.

Right now it's actually on top of my kitchen cabinets and it looks like an urn up there from far away.

I want to hear your thoughts!

White Chicken Chili

2010-01-25T18:56:00.000-08:00

White Chicken Chili

Mmmmm, one of my top 3 fav soups!

The Ingredients:

(not pictured: garlic, oregano, cayenne)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1  Med Onion Chopped
1  Can Green Chilis diced
1-2  Cloves of Garlic minced
1 Tbsp Ground Cumin (I use about 2 1/2 Tbsp because I love a strong Cumin taste!)
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1/4 tsp. Ground Cayenne Pepper
1 32 Oz box of Chicken Broth
3-4 Cans of white, Pinto, black beans or a combination of all three
2 Cooked Chicken breasts diced
1/2 Cup Cream
2 Tbsp Flour

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over Med heat, add onion and sautee for 2-3 minutes until tender.
2. Add Chicken, Chilis, Cumin, Oregano and Cayenne pepper sautee another 1-2 minutes
3. Add Chicken broth and bring to a boil
4. In a small bowl combine flour with some of the soup broth until smooth and add back to pan and bring to a boil
5. Rinse and drain beans, reserve 1 can of beans to puree or mash, add the remaining beans to the pan.
6. Add pureed beans to the pan and stir
7. Just before ready to serve, add 1/2 cup cream (I use fat free half and half) to the pan and let warm up (NOT BOIL)
8. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, shredded monterey jack cheese, and chopped green onions

Notes:
1) Roasted corn is also good in this soup (...or frozen...or canned)
2) Diced jalepeno can be added as well as another can of chilis to spice it up a bit

Enjoy!

K

Thrift Store Clock to Mirror Transformation

2010-01-23T14:35:00.000-08:00

Found this little goodie at the thrift store last week. I did like the clock however I didn't need a clock, I wanted a mirror so I removed the clock and put in a mirror. I didn't even clean it up, I sort of like it's chippy tarnished-ness. I may however give her a sparkly new coat of paint some day but just not today. My living room (you know the room nobody really sits in?) is sort of lacking and this perks it up just a bit.

The best part?
$3.00 for the clock
$ .99 for the mirror

The before:

AFTER:

Linking up to the following parties:

Funky Junk Interiors- Saturday Nite Special

Between Naps On The Porch - Metamorphosis Monday

Twice Remembered Cottage - Make Your Monday

Cottage Instincts - Make it for Monday

The Persimmon Perch - Made it Monday

It's So Very Cheri - It's So Very Creative

The Girl Creative - Just Something I Whipped Up Monday

A Soft Place to Land - DIY Day

Copycat Pottery Barn Number Pillow Covers

2010-01-17T06:31:00.000-08:00

This was a challenging craft for me for the simple fact that it involved my sewing machine. In the past her and I have had issues, meaning we haven't exactly seen eye to eye. I think she hates me but I brought her out anyway and I ~~begged her~~ tried to make peace with her. Apparently shes feeling a little neglected so I sucked it up and promised to bring her out more often. I think it worked because I had a lot of fun with her and hope to bring her out again soon. So back to my project, I really liked the look of the Pottery Barn number pillow covers but really didn't want to shell out $99 for them so off I went to try and recreate them. Mine do not have the definition on the back which I do think is really cute but since I saved over $80 I think I can live without them.

Warning: Long post of instructions so if you just want the "after", scroll to the bottom.

The inspiration:

(Pottery Barn) (Pottery Barn)

(Pottery Barn)

Tools:

1. Approx 2 1/2 yds of fabric (I used cotton/linen) for four 18" pillows

2. Fray Check

3. Black Fabric Paint

4. Freezer Paper (MUST be freezer paper, smooth on one side, waxy on the other... DO NOT use wax paper)

5. Sewing Machine (although this is optional since many of you make pillow no-sew pillow covers)

6. Iron

Step 1: Cut the fabric

I cut the fabric to approx 21 inches square and applied fray check to the edges so they wouldn't...well....fray. I let them dry according to the directions on the bottle. You'll want to wash the fabric after this has dried to allow for shrinking.

Step 2: Making the stencil

I first printed out the number using font 'Engravers MT' in Microsoft word. I printed it using font size 750 (as large as I could get it printed on 8 1/2 x 11 paper). Next I took that print out and scanned it on my printer and allowed it to fill the page. The number ended up being 9 1/4" tall and 7 1/4" wide. You could also take your printout to a copy machine or printing company and have them enlarge the numbers for you. After I printed out my large numbers, I taped the page down to the smooth side of a piece of freezer paper and cut out just the number. You can then remove the printer paper from the freezer paper. Keep the freezer paper, toss the printout.

Step 3: Mark, Pin and Sew Pillow Covers

You can skip this step if you already know how to make your own pillow cover...no sew or otherwise. I laid two fabric pieces together wrong sides out and measured in 1 inch from each side and traced a straight line all around making my sewing line 19 inches square. I used a pencil since it's the inside of the pillow. Those of you that sew are probably cringing right now that I used a pencil. It's not like it was a sharpie or anything. I then pinned the two layers together and sewed three sides of the pillow cover closed, leaving one side open, because...duh you have to get a pillow in somehow. I say this because I was flying along with my first pillow and realized I had sewn 1/4 of the 4th side shut!

Step 4: Iron on the Stencil

I first ironed the fabric (use the correct setting for whatever fabric you are using), then I laid a square sheet of freezer paper approx the size or larger than the stencil itself waxy side up between the fabric layers then center the stencil on the top layer of the fabric waxy side down. Iron over the stencil until it is nicely adhered to your fabric (cool huh???). I loved this part! The freezer paper in between the fabric layers isn't entirely needed, but it does come in handy when you paint the fabric as it keeps the paint from bleeding onto the other side of the fabric. Really it's just an added layer of security.

Step 5: Painting

For the painting, I used black fabric paint diluted just a little bit with water to make the black...well...a little less black. I used a sponge paint brush to apply. I also slipped a piece of cardboard in between the layers of fabric to make it a bit sturdier to paint on and to be sure my paint wouldn't bleed anywhere even though I had the freezer paper in place.

UGGGHHH...and no matter how good I try to be with the paint, my stupid finger had a little bit on it and I touched the number 3 pillow. Darn finger.

Step 6: Add pillow form and sew shut

I used my four couch pillows that I already had to fill my covers. Once inside I just pinned the opening closed and ran it along the machine. It won't be super easy to rip the stitches when I want to change them, but quite honestly I do not have the time nor the patience to hand stitch these closed. It's definitely not perfect, but it was fast :)

Voila! 4 new pillows for only a few dollars each!

I am linking up to:

The DIY Showoff - Show and Tell Week

Funky Junk Interiors - Sat Nite Special

Cottage Instincts - Make it for Monday

Between Naps on the Porch - 53rd Metamorphosis Monday

The Persimmon Perch - Made it Monday

Twice Remembered Cottage - Make Your Monday

Blue Cricket Design - Show and Tell

The Thrifty Home - Penny Pinching Party

The Shabby Chic Cottage-Transformation Thursday

Finding Fabulous - Frugalicious Friday

Mantel Party

2010-01-15T07:13:00.000-08:00

Because I love a good party, I'm linking up to The Mantel Party over at Stories of A to Z

Now...understand that my Mantel is in a "transition" phase right now so I'll explain what is going on here...

I keep adding to it without really getting anywhere yet. I found the mercury vases at Pottery Barn on sale and then ordered some boxwood balls with intentions of making a topiary, however I think that the balls are a little too large so I am waiting for the smaller ones that I ordered to arrive. In the meantime they just rest on the vases. I decided to keep them in hopes of finding another home for them because I just adore boxwood anything! I am also getting a little bored with our mirror and am always on the lookout for something a little lighter in color and maybe a different shape to take us through spring and summer. Since this little party happens every week I figure I can share it's evolution.

Little White Vase Makeover

2010-01-13T05:19:00.000-08:00

I know it's still winter and all, but I just cannot get into anymore winter decorating so along with my Christmas decorations went the winter things too! Spring is slowly blooming in this house. I had a little fun with a pretty paint color (Krylon - blue ocean breeze) and a plain white vase. I looove orange flowers too and I'm really liking these two colors together. I don't know yet though if it'll go behind my sink beside the wire cage or up on the mantel. Neither is really 100% decorated right now just sort of thrown together so I'm sure I'll be changing it ~~6457~~ a few times before spring even hits. Not even sure if it's a good idea to spray paint in 20 degree weather, but I did it and it worked out fine but definitely wouldn't recommend for any large pieces.

BEFORE:

AFTER (behind my kitchen sink):

AFTER (on my mantel):

Hopefully whereever they end up they'll bring cheer, I think they're just so happy looking.

Linking to:

Monday

Metamorphosis Monday at BNOTP

Made it Monday - The Persimmon Perch

Wednesday

Blue Cricket Design - Show and Tell

16th Penny Pinching Party - The Thrifty Home

DIY Show and Tell Week - The DIY Showoff

Desk challenge completed (a.k.a memo board)

2010-01-10T19:52:00.000-08:00

I finally completed the memo board! I have to say it's definitely growing on me. I wasn't certain about it when it first went up because I think it's too poofy...like a headboard. The outlets came through fine too. You can still see things plugged in but unless I have it completely rewired that is just the way it is. I think this is definitely an improvement. Look! More paperwhites! You should all see when I start to pull out the Tulips! I'm crazy for Tulips!

Desk Before:

And the desk after (Please ignore the cubbies....that still needs to be dealt with)

I am linking to:

Metamorphosis Monday at BNOTP

and

Make it for Monday at Cottage Instincts

DIY Paperwhite arrangement...and a little Brie on the side

2010-01-10T08:18:00.000-08:00

I have had these paperwhites for a few years now and have been meaning to do something with them. While we were organizing and purging our basement I came across some black rocks, a shallow bowl/vase and a bottle of wonder water. I've used wonder water before and really like it. I needed a new arrangement for our new coffee table and I thought these would work out great since it's almost spring. What?? I know, "almost" is a stretch isn't it. It's actually pretty easy to put together one of these displays, it's hard to believe that they sell for so much at some places.

I ended up using one and a half bottles of wonder water

I followed the directions and heated up a pan of water to 130 degrees and laid both bottles into the pan for approx 20-30 minutes or so until it was liquified.

Once it was liquified, I poured them over the rocks in my vase/bowl. I also placed the bowl into a dish of warm water. This is also in the directions, it helps to get rid of air bubbles in the liquid. I let it sit for 30 min (according to the directions on the wonder water). Once it had set for 30 min I placed the paperwhites where I wanted them and used scotch tape as a grid to hold them in place. I saw this once on The Barefoot Contessa show on Food Network. Ina has that great friend who owns a flower shop, you know what I'm talking about? Right, so anyway it worked out very well although I had a little fight with the tape (no worries...I won) so it looks a little less than desirable.

Unfortunately the flowers are a little heavy and due to the shallow nature of the bowl, the tape just didn't seem strong enough to me so I also added a string to hold them together.

The directions say that it should harden in a few hours but I left mine set overnight. I removed the tape and voila...a nice little arrangement. I noticed that one stem is leaning a little bit, but the great thing about wonder water is that you just heat it up and you can re set them!

Now....just to show you how easy it is..I will have you know that I also made this while creating the arragement. Sinful, but oh so good for dinner with some wine. Dried Cherries, Pecans & Rosemary Brie En Croute. I'll share the recipe below.

Dried Cherries, Pecans & Rosemary Brie en Croute

Ingredients

1/2 of a 17.3 ounce package Puff Pastry (1 Sheet)
1 Egg
1 TBS water
1/3 cup dried cherries, softened*
1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary or 1/8 tsp dried rosemary leaves crushed
1 13.2 oz Brie cheese round

Directions

Thaw the pastry sheet at room temperature for 40 minutes or until it's easy to handle. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 14-inch square. Stir the cherries, pecans, honey and rosemary in a small bowl. Spread the cherry mixture into the center of the pastry square. Slice the rind off of one whole side of the Brie (this will be the top). Put the cut side of the brie down on top of the cherry mixture. Brush the edges of the pastry with the egg mixture. Fold two opposite sides of the pastry over the cheese. Trim the remaining two sides of the square to 2 inches form the edge of the cheese and press the edges to seal. Place the pastry wrapped cheese seam side down onto a baking sheet. Brush the pastry with the egg mixure.

You can decorate the top with the scraps of pastry or additional rosemary if desired. Brush with egg mixture.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is deep golden brown. Let stand for 45 minutes-1 hour. Serve with crackers or bread.

*To soften cherries, mix the cherries and 1/2 cup hot water in a small bowl. Let stand for 1 minute. Drain and pat the cherries dry.

Gotta love a good deal!

2010-01-05T09:39:00.000-08:00

We have been looking for a new coffee table for a while now since our old light pine furniture didn't match anymore. World Market was having a furniture sale this weekend so we took a peek. We found this coffee table! It was only $139 and after getting it home and assembling it we noticed a few surface scratches on one corner of the top. We called them back and mentioned it, but they didn't have any other tables in stock so they took the price down to $99! Can't beat that. This table is solid wood, mahogany color and it's close to being square which I have been looking for. Square coffee tables are really hard to find! Now I just have to get her all accessorized, that is the fun part. I am having a hard time decorating right now because Christmas is done, but Spring is still a little far away. I need to go off in search of some internet inspiration today.

I plan to strip down the old pine coffee table and paint her black (or maybe white). I want to use it for the sun room (when we get to that room.) I'll probably save that project for the spring when I can work outside.

K

Cinnamon Waffles

2010-01-01T06:23:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I thought I'd make my first post of the New Year the same way we started out our day this morning, with yummy cinnamon waffles. To be honest they are just classic waffles with cinnamon in the batter but they are oh so yummy!! I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Cinnamon Waffles

2 Cups all-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 Tablespoons white sugar
1-2 teaspoons of Cinnamon

2 eggs
1 1/2 cups warmed milk
1/3 cup butter melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking soda and sugar; set aside. Preheat waffle iron to desired temperature.

2. In a seperate bowl, beat eggs and vanilla. Stir in milk and butter. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture; mix until well blended.

3. Ladle the batter into a preheated waffle iron. Cook the waffles until golden and crisp. Serve immediately.

My Tips:

I first melt the butter in the microwave, then warm the milk in the microwave. Combine the two together, then very very slowly wisk the milk mixture into the eggs. This will temper the eggs so that they do no scramble with the warm milk/butter.

Enjoy!!

K

All warm and fuzzy inside..

2009-12-31T12:20:00.000-08:00

That is exactly how I feel after being welcomed into the blogging world by Jane over at

She featured my before and after kitchen remodel on her weekly post "A Fabulous Feature". I am so thrilled because I really love her blog, very inspiring! That was so sweet of her to do, I feel all loved and stuff.

There are so many projects coming up with this house and so many that need to just make it to completion. I'm still working on that desk project and hope to have that finished up this weekend. Beyond that these are a preview of things to come.

1. 1/2 bath paint and decor only
2. Full bath upstairs needs Dora the explorer border removed (yes..I said Dora the explorer) and a fresh coat of paint, possibly going to tile the floor as well.
3. Total basement remodel (it's currently 1/2 finished but we'll be remodeling what is finished).
4. Foyer needs painting(this may be a professional job because they are way to high for me to paint and this girl is scaaaaaared of heights!

I'm giddy just typing this post, I am really looking forward to the New Year and can't wait to get started on the improvements! Thanks again Jane and friends for the warm welcome!

I hope everyone has a very Happy New Year!

K

Metamorphosis Monday...my first

2009-12-28T18:01:00.000-08:00

I am going to link up to my first Metamorphosis Monday over at Between Naps on the Porch. This entertainment center was in the house when we purchased it and was like the elephant in the room (our family room). It came with a giant projection screen tv that didn't work very well. We removed the whole center section of the unit, recessed the top portion of the end cabinets and rebuilt a center section to hold a wine refrigerator, wine glass rack and lights above. It now resides in our dining room. We love it! I wish my pictures were better.

Before:

After:

Score!

2009-12-27T13:29:00.000-08:00

Lovin me some of the red and green ornaments this year and was able to score some at Target today for 50% off.

Target really had a lot of Christmas stuff left, I thought it would be more picked over than it was. I've made two of these ornament wreaths this year and now I'll make another with these colors. Most people are done with Christmas and here I am STILL doing it up. I learned about these ornament wreaths from Eddie Ross but took some tips from Candace at Crafty Sisters to make my second one and I think it turned out much better and feels sturdier. Hers are beautiful!

My first wreath using only the hanger and with the ornaments strung on (tops are hot glued on (don't skip this!))

My second wreath using a wire hanger, but only for the first row and then glueing the rest of them on with the hot glue gun. I like this look better.

Desk Challenge

2009-12-26T08:12:00.000-08:00

Today I am going to go and gather supplies to cover up the boring wall area behind the desk. I would like to create an upholstered memo board similar to this one from Restoration Hardware. I'd like mine to possibly be framed out and of course the biggest challenge is going to be those outlets! I realize that they are necessary and I have to work with them but they are so ugly!

off to take of the fun part, shop for supplies!

A Few "Before" and "After" Photos

2009-12-26T07:50:00.000-08:00

Here are a few before and afters. The biggest changes we made on our family room/kitchen remodel were to take out carpet and tile and replace with Brazilian Cherry hardwood (that we left to the professionals). I apologize for the poor quality photos, they were taken with our video camera because we didn't have our camera during walk through. When we moved in, it just became chaotic and I never took any more "before" photos.

Kitchen - Before

Kitchen - After

We painted, added an additional cabinet to the center island, and topped it off with a cherry butcher block top which I took to our local planing shop to route decorative edges.

Family Room - Before

Family Room - After

Wood Floors, Paint, Crown Moulding, Fireplace surround and hearth, removed Entertainment Center (see below for it's own remodel)

Entertainment Center Re-do into a Wine/Liquor cabinet (I know...that's a lot of liquor..what can I say?) Center section was removed and in it's place we added a wine glass rack, lights, and space for wine refrigerator. The top portions of each side cabinet was cut down so that they are now recessed from the base cabinets. We stained it just a little bit darker and we now love it! Personally I would LOVE to paint this unit black and might just do so in time, but that is going to be a hard sell for the husband.

Soon I'll be posting my next project which is to add/organize my desk area in the kitchen with an upholstered memo/cork board. Sounds easy right? Well....it's always those projects that you think are going to be simple that turn out to be difficult. We'll see......

A Quick Introduction

2009-12-25T14:09:00.001-08:00

Hello, my name is Kelly and I am a 30 something stay at home Mom to three beautiful children (twin daughters 4 1/2 years old, and a son who is 3 months old). My wonderful husband and I have been together for 11 years and married for 9. We have moved 5 times during those 11 years. We are currently living in the Midwest and both of us have a passion for DIY remodeling projects. I hope that this blog will allow me to bring you into our home and share those projects with you. I also have a love for cooking, shopping, decorating, and gardening so watch for a little of everything domestic! Please check back tomorrow, I'll be posting "before" and "after" photos of some of our already completed projects along with a "before" picture of my current problem area that I am working on.

K

Domestically Yours

Christmas Home Tour 2010

My Christmas Mantel - Re-do

Fun with fresh greenery

Basement Remodel Update #2 - Framing and Drywall

I'm baaaack...

It's been a while.....

My Home Tour *Updated New Photos*

No Sew Curtains Part II

No Sew Curtains Part I

DIY Boxwood Topiary

Making a "Super Kid" Happy

Fabric Covered Magnetic Board

What to make of this?

White Chicken Chili

Thrift Store Clock to Mirror Transformation

Copycat Pottery Barn Number Pillow Covers

Mantel Party

Little White Vase Makeover

Desk challenge completed (a.k.a memo board)

DIY Paperwhite arrangement...and a little Brie on the side

Gotta love a good deal!

Cinnamon Waffles

All warm and fuzzy inside..

Metamorphosis Monday...my first

Score!

Desk Challenge

A Few "Before" and "After" Photos

A Quick Introduction

My Home Tour Updated New Photos