paint your plates :: diy

golden eggs :: inspiration :: home decor

nests make the perfect spring decor, don't you think? i tend to make one each year for our family table and this year, i painted my wooden eggs gold. i mean... why not?! they look so pretty with the black & white feathers nestled in an antique bowl.

my boys keep trying to trick us though... occasionally they will sneak one in their pocket in the mornings before going out to our chicken coop to collect the eggs. then one of them runs in yelling about how we have a chicken that is laying golden eggs! you should see their faces as we play along, pretending to be amazed.

it's all fun and games until one brother throws a lovely golden egg at the other. when it doesn't break, their jig is up.

mommy gets her decoration back.

air plants :: nature photography

i just discovered air plants a few years ago. now, each spring, i eagerly await their arrival (i have to order them because no one in town sells them). well! last weekend these little guys showed up on my front porch and i freed them from their box. i am totally amazed by their beauty and the fact that they simply don't need soil to live & grow.

i soaked them in a bowl of water for a bit and for now they are enjoying a some light on our dining table. soon, i will hang them around in glass spheres or other items.

so, what about you? do you have a green thumb? or do you prefer low maintenance plants like these?

let's go fly a kite (frame) :: diy

vintage bottle chandy :: diy

i collect vintage glass. what's funny is that it's not at all intentional. i just pick them up here or there because i love the color or size or shape. it wasn't until i had 3 shelves full of glass bottles & vases that i realized i'm a serious collector. i seem to always find fun uses for them and today i am sharing one!

this chandy was really pretty simple to create. i used wire to secure the bottles to a large ring. then i strong more wire (4 pieces) to attach a top tier (smaller metal ring). this gave it a layered look. lastly, i adhered each connection with hot glue so that they wouldn't slide and cause unbalance.

this would look amazing on a sun porch. or above a bed! i have flowers of the fake variety stuck in there now, but i'm really looking forward to spring when can fill this baby up with some water and fresh blooms!

mirror makeover :: diy :: home decor

what do you think of my recent mirror makeover?! i found the mirror at salvation army and knew it had some potential. plus, also, i had an old anthropologie necklace made of fabric flowers that i stopped wearing a couple years ago. it was time to cut it up and put to a new decorative use. by adding the small book page flowers, the busy-ness of the fabric patterns are broken up a bit.

i think this would be darling in a bathroom or girl's room. where would you put it?

xoxo

faux fur rug or wall decor :: diy

i'm loving the modern and rustic glam look of a faux fur rug. it was really, pretty simple to make as well. here are the details...

1. i found the faux fur at joanne's. one yard is enough for an area rug
2. fold your fabric long-ways. 
3. cut out your design through both sides so that the rug is symmetrical. warning: your fabric will shed.
4. put in dryer for 20 minutes on high heat. when you take it out, your fabric will no longer shed
5. if you are using this as wall decor, then you are finished! just hang and enjoy
6. if you would like to make a rug, glue on rubber rug stoppers so that you won't slip around when stepping on it

voila! see, i told you it was easy. xoxo

white wreath :: diy

here's a wreath diy that can carry you through the holiday season and then some!

supplies needed: a foam wreath, tulle ribbon (mine was sparkly!), feather ribbon, thin glitter ribbon & hot glue gun

1. cut ribbon into equal lengths long enough that you can tie around the wreath
2. secure each piece with a knot (no glue needed yet)
3. glue feather ribbon along the inside of the wreath to cover knots
4. loop and glue glitter ribbon for hanging

and that's that. happy weekend friends!

painted shades :: diy

i've been slowly redoing the window coverings in our home. after completing the kitchen and our bedroom, i have moved onto the boys' attic room. this time, i painted directly on the old plastic pull-downs and i think it turned out really well!

i chose to use martha stewart's line of acrylic paint because i was fearful that the paint may chip and peel off over time if i used an off brand. i have no actual basis for this except that sometimes the combo of a dryer acrylic won't stick well to smooth services. the martha stewart worked amazing and since painting these, we have rolled and unrolled the shades with no problems!

this technique can also be used on linen or canvas fabric shades to add a little interest.

have a good weekend friends! if you decide to try something similar i would love to hear about it! xoxo