Paint

09.08.2015

BEHR Whisper White

BEHR Whisper White is the perfect warm white for any space.

I love decorating bathrooms because they are spaces where you can have a little more fun and test creative limits. I use color throughout our home and have never painted a space white. However, I wanted to makeover my daughter’s bathroom, and I was ready to try something new. White would brighten the room (who doesn’t love a bright bathroom?!), and I could accent with fun bright colors. I created this vision board for my daughter’s bathroom:

New hardware
Fun typography artwork
Behr Marquee Paint (white)
Kelly green accents
Playful shower curtain
Patterned accent wall (click HERE to see the tutorial)

Once I had my vision, I was ready to tackle my daughter’s bathroom makeover. We recently used BEHR MARQUEE Exterior paint for the trim on our home, and we were instant fans. I headed to The Home Depot to check out BEHR MARQUEE Interior Paint color selection. This paint has a one-coat coverage guaranteed when tinted to any of the 372 colors in the MARQUEE Interior One-Coat Color Collection. Do you realize what a time-saver this is?!

The color selection for BEHR products is unbelievable. I never knew there were SO many shades of white. The white I decided on is from the BEHR Home Decorators Collection, and it’s called “Whisper White.”

It was the perfect shade of white for my bathroom. I was in love.

It worked well with the off-white trim, and I was excited to paint over the flat greenish-beige paint that was currently in the bathroom.

I bought a gallon of Behr’s Marquee Paint & Primer and was ready to tackle the project. White paint over darker paint can be difficult, but this Behr Marquee paint is amazing! Its coverage is wonderful, and the entire room was almost done in one coat. I went back through and touched up areas, but if you use one of the 372 colors I mentioned earlier in the MARQUEE Interior One-Coat Color Collection, there is a ONE-COAT coverage guarantee! Also, check out BEHR’s website for all kinds of How-To’s. Check out the before…

And the after!

And another before:

And the after!

I had a little fun painting the mirror a kelly green color. I debated also painting the cabinets this beautiful shade, but I decided updating the hardware would be the best thing for now. (I wasn’t quite ready to commit to green cabinets!)

BEHR’s Whisper White provides the perfect backdrop for my daughter’s colorful and fun bathroom!

Go create something!

Are you new to my blog? Go HERE to see my home tour and HERE to shop for items I use in our home.

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This post is brought to you by BEHR. Color that’s True to Hue. If you feel it you can find it. Visit True To Hue. BEHR® sponsored this blog post. The opinions and text are all mine.

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DIY

08.31.2015

Outdoor Tassel Garland Tutorial

Today I’m sharing an outdoor tassel garland tutorial that is inexpensive but so cute!

Pool Party

With our summer poolside parties, I’m always looking for fun ways to decorate the pool area.

I’m obsessed with all the tassel garland I’ve seen people using in decor, and I wanted to hang one outside across the pool. However, I needed the tassels to be weather-proof and plastic would be the best material for them. Last summer I used reusable plastic table cloths to create a bunting (to see more about that project, you can click HERE), but I decided the disposable plastic table cloths would work best for the tassels. I found really inexpensive tablecloths at the dollar store.

Outdoor Garland Tassel Tutorial:

First, I took my tablecloth out of the package and rolled it out horizontally.

Once I had it completely unrolled, I folded it in half lengthwise. This allows you to cut more tassels at once.

The way these tablecloths are folded could vary, but mine had a side that was all folds, and another side with some folds and ends. I made the side with all the folds on the top, and I cut apart everything at the bottom.

I then left around a 2-inch border on top, and I cut 1-inch slits all the way down.

Next, I went through and cut them into smaller groupings – I had about 10 “slits” in each grouping.

Now it’s time to make the tassel loop. You unfold and layout the tassel (remember we kept the fold at the top). You just fold and fold and fold until you’re left with a pretty thin folded strip.

Hang in there – you’re almost done! You fold the folded strip in half to create the loop.

Staple the loop towards the bottom (near the tassels), and you have a tassel!

Just repeat the steps for your tassels, and I hung my tassels on a nylon rope.

Go create something!

Are you new to my blog? Go HERE to see my home tour and HERE to shop for items I use in our home.

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DIY

08.30.2015

9 IKEA Hacks

I’m excited to share these 9 IKEA Rast Dresser Hacks. These pieces are sure to impress and will make you want to create one for your home!

I am honored to be participating in a competition (sponsored by Hickory Hardware and Pittsburgh Paints & Stains) with 8 other bloggers. We were all given IKEA Rast Dressers and asked to use Pittsburgh Paints & Stains Trim, Door & Furniture Paint, and our pick of any hardware from Hickory Hardware.

For my makeover, I was inspired by a dresser from Anthropologie, and you can see the full tutorial HERE.

I loved seeing how the other bloggers completely transformed their IKEA Rast dressers. You will barely recognize the original piece:

Serendipity Refined made over the IKEA dresser into this industrial-inspired nightstand for her son’s first college apartment. It’s so masculine and sophisticated.

Life on Virginia Street‘s Rast hack became a sleek new stand for her printer.

Canary Street Crafts Mod Podged Burlap fabric onto the IKEA piece.

Creative Cain Cabin‘s dresser became sewing storage.

Sew a Fine Seam‘s dresser became much more modern with the simple lines and gold casters.

Mad in Crafts took a modern approach with her Rast and added fun elements and long legs.

Bliss Ranch transformed the dresser into an apothecary’s chest and the glass doors are everything.

Addison Meadows Lane‘s dresser became a beautiful desk, and I would love to have this piece in our home.

There a whole lot of creativity running through this group of bloggers, and each makeover is so unique!

Which of the 9 IKEA Hacks is your favorite? It’s hard to pick just one!

Go create something!

Are you new to my blog? Go HERE to see my home tour and HERE to shop for items I use in our home.

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Decor

08.25.2015

Bedroom Makeover

I’m excited to share our recent master bedroom makeover with you today.

In the past few months, I have slowly been making over our bedroom. We’ve lived in our home for almost two years, and it’s time the master bedroom received some attention. It’s a beautiful room architecturally, but it also poses some difficulty with decorating. The main wall is windows – from ceiling to floor. I’ve had our bed on almost every wall and finally decided to just embrace the beautiful windows and put the bed in front of them. I love to see the bed when I first walk in. I assume this has to do with my crazy need for symmetry, and the bed in the center of the windows balances the space for me which makes me happy! My vision for the space is elegant and relaxing with a soft color palette. The picture below is the before.

The walls were greenish beige (I forgot to take a photo before I painted the room earlier this summer). I remembered when I was almost done painting, and this is all I have:

Apparently, I was a little too excited to get that paint on the walls! My next big change was the bed. Our previous bed was with us for over a decade, and it was a complete set – bed, dresser, nightstand, and armoire. I was tired of my showroom-perfect matching set, and I had my heart set on a tufted bed. I considered stealing the painted tufted headboard from our guest room, but I had designed the entire room around that headboard. After a lot of online searching, I ended up finding a great deal (I stacked several coupons) on a tufted headboard from Target.

I also swapped out the patterned window treatments for some cream shears and velvet ones. And I switched out one of the nightstands for an Antro-inspired IKEA hack I had made.

You can see all the details HERE. It’s a constant work in progress, but I’m getting there!

Go create something!

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DIY

08.16.2015

(Anthropologie Inspired) IKEA Rast Dresser Hack

Pittsburgh Paints & Stains and Hickory Hardware are sponsoring a blogger competition that I’m excited to be participating in. Each blogger was sent an IKEA Rast Dresser and asked to give it a makeover.

*You can see all nine hacks HERE, and you can quickly vote (via Facebook) for your favorite. There are so many creative transformations! If you love my makeover, I would love your vote! Thanks SO much!

The IKEA Rast is a small, basic dresser. Like all things from IKEA, it required assembly. My son helped me assemble the dresser, and I was dreaming of what it would become.

Below is my inspiration and vision for the dresser:

This is the Mirelle Three-Drawer Dresser from Anthropologie. It’s BEAUTIFUL, but it’s $1700! I was determined to get the look of this luxury piece by giving my Rast dresser a makeover.

Here’s my supply list:

IKEA Rast Dresser
(4) Colonial Elegance® Country 1-5/8″ x 1-5/8″ x 7-1/2″ Hemlock Stair Divider Baluster
(4) Colonial Elegance® Metal Stair Baluster Fasteners
(2) KOK Woodgoods 46″ Long Oak Corner Guard
(1) 3/8″ x 3/4″ Embossed Hardwood Moulding with Ovals Pattern
12 1/2″ x 26″ Piece of Scrap Wood
Pittsburgh Paints & Stains Trim, Door & Furniture Paint
Mirrors
1-1/8 In. Park Towers Satin Dover Cabinet Knob
Wood Glue
Trim Nails
Clamps
Permanent Paint Pen
Loctite PL Premium Polyurethane Construction Adhesive

Once the dresser was put together, I took the drawers to a glass company (special thanks to Delaware Glass & Mirror in Muncie, Indiana!) where they cut mirrors for the drawer fronts.

Then I picked up the rest of my supplies from my local Menards.

I started with several decorative trim pieces. I used the 3/8″ x 3/4″ Embossed Hardwood Moulding with Ovals Pattern on the top and bottom of the dresser for decorative accents. I put the two KOK Woodgoods 46″ Long Oak Corner Guards on the front corners. They were extra long, so I measured and cut them to size.

I used wood glue to attach all the trim. I added a few finish nails to the corner trim pieces.

The trim pieces were all clamped and left overnight to dry.

The next day, the legs were added. The legs were made out of (4) Colonial Elegance® Country 1-5/8″ x 1-5/8″ x 7-1/2″ Hemlock Stair Divider Baluster.

The block at the top and bottom was removed.

These are such an inexpensive leg solution!

They were added using (4) Colonial Elegance® Metal Stair Baluster Fasteners.

The top of the dresser is not ver pretty, and it needed to be special.

For the top, a piece of wood was cut to size.

Wood glue was added to the top of the dresser.

And a few holes were predrilled to the wood top.

Then the top was attached using glue and nails.

The corners were so sharp, and I sanded the top and sides and rounded out the two front corners.

My dresser was starting to look pretty fancy…

I bought two quarts of Pittsburgh Paints & Stains Trim, Door & Furniture Paint in Vintage Beige (which has a beautiful grayish look) and Antique White. This paint is great because it has a gel consistency which allows for easy applications – there aren’t drips and it goes on smoothly! It has a beautiful finish with no brush marks and it comes in five ready-mix colors.

I painted the entire dresser in Pittsburgh Paints & Stains Trim, Door & Furniture Paint in Antique White.

Then I went through and sort of dry brushed with Pittsburgh Paints & Stains Trim, Door & Furniture Paint in Vintage Beige for a more vintage look.

The mirrors hadn’t been permanently applied to the drawer fronts yet – they were only on using screws. I placed the mirrors on a flat surface and added lines to give the look of the small pieces of mirrors using a permanent paint pen in gray.

Once the paint was dry, I glued the mirrors onto the drawer fronts using Loctite PL Premium Polyurethane Construction Adhesive.

I glued little star embellishments to the mirrors – similar to what the Anthro piece has.

I added the Hickory Hardware knobs (1-1/8 In. Park Towers Satin Dover Cabinet Knob) and my dresser was almost complete!

This piece required a little extra details in the drawers.

I added starched fabric to the drawers. (To see a full tutorial on using starched fabric in decor, click HERE.)

And my dresser was done!

The smaller dresser size makes the perfect nightstand in our bedroom, and I’m in love with my faux Anthropologie piece!

UPDATE: I’ve dealt with cracked mirrors thanks to my 4-year-old. See all the details HERE.

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DIY

08.11.2015

Chalkboard Menu Planner

Today I’m sharing this easy and inexpensive chalkboard menu planner.

If I ever win the lottery, I’m hiring a personal chef. I fail miserably at meal planning. I don’t enjoy any of it – searching for recipes, making the grocery list, shopping for groceries, and cooking. I’d much rather be painting something. But since it’s sort of needed for my family’s survival, I decided to get myself organized. Today I’m sharing a tutorial for a DIY meal planning chalkboard. (Because chalkboards always seem to make things seem more fun!)

To make my chalkboard, I used a smaller board (9 1/4″ x 18″) cut from a larger (9 1/4″ x 6′) board.

I taped off the edges with painter’s tape because I wanted to easily create a frame around the chalkboard.

Next I painted the board with two coats of chalkboard paint. Once the paint was dry, I removed the painter’s tape.

I now had a frame around my chalkboard. Using the chalkboard lettering technique I shared a while back, I added lettering to my chalkboard. (Click HERE to see the full tutorial!)

To download the artwork I used for my chalkboard, click here –>Menu

Below are Amazon (affiliate) links for the china marker I use in this tutorial and the chalk pen is also another great option:

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I added stain to my frame, and my chalkboard menu was complete!

Until I hire that personal chef, I’ll keep organized with this chalkboard meal planner.

Go create something!

Are you new to my blog? Go HERE to see my home tour and HERE to shop for items I use in our home.

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Printables

08.06.2015

Encouraging Printable

I’m excited to share this FREE Encouraging Printable with you today.

It has been a little while since I have shared a free printable, and I have been wanting to do something with this quote from Gracie Allen for a while. You can access the JPG file of this printable by simply clicking on the image below and saving it to your computer!

I love this quote. It is such a great reminder that God is in control, and I need to trust His plan for me. (This is SO hard for the control freak in me!)

I mounted my printable on wrapping paper and used glitter tape to hang it on my wall.

You can also save the PDF file of this Encouraging Printable HERE –>

Never place a period where God has placed a comma

Print a copy for yourself and another for a friend. Frame the print for a special (and inexpensive) gift idea!

I have lots of other free printables from cleaning schedules to chore charts to Bible verses. Click HERE to see more!

Go create something!

Are you new to my blog? Go HERE to see my home tour and HERE to shop for items I use in our home.

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Decor

08.03.2015

Monday’s Must-Haves

I’m excited to share my Monday’s Must-Haves.

I am not promising I will do this every Monday, but I thought it would be fun to occasionally share my must-haves with you. It may be something I have had for years or something I just recently stumbled upon. Today my must-haves are both new home decor items. The first is this beautiful gold bar cart from Target.

I was obsessively looking for a bar cart for several months, and this was everything I had envisioned and more! I love the gold matte finish and its simple lines. It can work as a bar cart or even a coffee (or in our case – hot chocolate) bar! It is sturdy and a great find for the price. It works with just about any home decor style.

My second must-have today is this gorgeous personalized chalkboard. Of course, I am sharing a chalkboard, but this is not one of my DIYs. I bought it from a local chalkboard artist, and she is AMAZING.

*UPDATE: Unfortunately this artist no longer creates these beautiful chalkboard art pieces.

I love the combination of the sleek, sophisticated bar cart with the more rustic frame of the chalkboard art.

I would love to hear what your Monday’s Must-Haves are right now!

Go create something!

Are you new to my blog? Go HERE to see my home tour and HERE to shop for items I use in our home. Find me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest *This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. I only recommend products that I love and use myself!

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DIY

07.27.2015

Easy Kid Decor

The toy room is the space in the house where I can be crazy and have fun decorating. When kids come over to our house, most of them run in and run straight up the stairs to their space. I want kids to continue to love the space, and I felt it “needed” three things:

The whimsical animal head plaques popping up everywhere.
The felt ball garland makes every space instantly cool.
My kid’s artwork.

I have been super crafty this week, and I have not one, but THREE easy and inexpensive tutorials for you all today!

I’ve been obsessing over all the fun animal head plaques I’ve seen people making, and I created a few (odd) creatures myself. These little guys are really inexpensive to make and surprisingly not as hard as would expect!

For this project, you’ll need:

plastic bowl (I picked mine up at the dollar store in a three-pack!)
wooden plaque
spray paint
styrofoam balls (also found at the dollar store)
glue gun
cardboard (I forgot to add this in the pic, but a cereal box works great!)

I spray-painted my plaque and created my creature(s) using the supplies I had.

I used hot glue to glue my cardboard and styrofoam balls and make my elephant. Next, you’ll need the supplies for the paper mache:

newspaper
water
flour
bowl

I created a paste using water and flour and cut strips of newspaper.

My daughter loved helping me with this part: You just past the strips and completely cover your creature. After it has fully dried, you can paint it. I used spray paint because it’s so easy.

Then, use the glue gun and glue your animal to the painted plaque.

And if you want to see how I made the bear, here’s the breakdown:

And our pig (which my daughter declared was “weird but cute”):

I had a few extra plaques, so I used mod podge and created plaques of the kid’s artwork:

This is the EASIEST project, and your kids will feel like superstars when they see their artwork on display. All you need for this project is:

wooden plaque
spray paint
artwork
mod podge
sponge brush

You glue the back of the artwork to the plaque and then cover the entire top of the plaque and artwork with Mod Podge.

I let my kids pick their favorite piece. My daughter’s artwork may give you nightmares. From far away, it’s a sweet bunny. But up close…are you ready for it?!

It’s like the easter bunny got mixed up and thought it was Halloween. These plaques are flat on the back, so there isn’t any way to hang them with a nail. I used Command Strips.

They won’t damage the walls, so they were a great solution for my plaques!

I have one more EASY craft for you. Notice the adorable gold ball garland hanging over my animal plaques? I LOVE the felt ball garland I see everywhere. I had a bunch of styrofoam balls leftover from my animal head plaques, so I decided to paint them and create a cute garland.

For this project you’ll need:

A needle and string
styrofoam balls
scissors
spray paint

I painted my balls in a cardboard box (they will roll all over as you paint them. This is an easy way to contain them and the paint mess). Once they dried, I strung them!

And I hung them using Command™ Clear Hooks.

These things are awesome and like the picture hanging strips, they won’t damage your walls.

These projects were SO inexpensive and are an easy way to add fun to your child’s bedroom or toy room.

Go create something!

Are you new to my blog? Go HERE to see my home tour and HERE to shop for items I use in our home.

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Decor

07.24.2015

Bedroom Wall Gallery

If you’re looking to add something to your blank walls, then you need to check out our bedroom wall gallery.

We have lived in our home for just over 18 months, and I’m just now getting around to working on our master bedroom. I hung things when we first moved in, but I didn’t put much thought or time into what I hung. I just wanted to fill space and use what I have. I recently discovered Minted has artwork. And not just a little artwork, they have a HUGE variety of colors and styles from independent artists. There are lots of filters you can use to select your perfect artwork – anything from style to color. I knew I wanted our bedroom decor to be soft and peaceful, but I also want to be surrounded by things we love. Minted provided the perfect artwork for our space. Here’s the before:

And the after:

I started with a limited edition art print that is signed by the artist.

The print is First Edition by Jennifer Wick. I love the soft colors (but there are two other color versions if you prefer something bolder) and the quote.

I’m obsessed with these customizable prints from the Frosted Design.

These also come in a variety of colors to match your decor, and they are extra special and make adorable decor or the perfect gift. The girl version is called The Little Miss and the boy version is The Little Mister.

The final piece in my bedroom wall gallery is Family Tree Rings by Jessie Steury.

It’s also a customizable piece, and it’s so sweet. The heart has my husband and my initials and the rings include our kids’ names.

Besides offering amazing artwork, Minted also has numerous framing options that can match any decor. I’m loving my wall gallery, now I just need to finish the rest of the bedroom!

Go create something!

Are you new to my blog? Go HERE to see my home tour and HERE to shop for items I use in our home.

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*This post contains affiliate links and is a sponsored post through Minted. I received compensation in the form of product in exchange for my review. I take pride in reviewing only products that fit my brand and will be beneficial to my readers. And while this post is sponsored, all the opinions are my own.

I just had to share this photo below – a little behind-the-scenes shot of my son reflecting the glare of the glass. Taking photos of framed art is tough!

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Decor

07.22.2015

Hanging at Haven

Hanging at Haven

This past weekend, I went to Haven Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s a two-day event for DIY bloggers (and enthusiasts). It was SO fun to be surrounded by this group of people – the people behind the pins on Pinterest!

The conference was filled with pretty parties, amazing sponsors, and informative and hands-on sessions.

Home Depot was the main sponsor, and I took a hands-on building class with Home Depot and Ana White. (Who is not only talented but she’s really sweet!) And speaking of Home Depot, my roommate Angela (from Unexpected Elegance) was put in the Home Depot’s Hall of Fame because of her amazing bathroom renovation.

I also was pretty excited to see and meet Miss Mustard Seed. I read her book “Inspired You,” and started blogging soon after. Her book really inspired me to make a go of my blogging business.

It was such a fun conference, and my brain is overflowing with ideas.

I left Atlanta incredibly encouraged and overwhelmed by the amazing people I met. Not only is this group crazy talented, but they are beautiful as well! I can’t wait for next year!

Go create something!

Are you new to my blog? Go HERE to see my home tour and HERE to shop for items I use in our home.

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Decor

07.17.2015

Painting Fabric with Chalk Paint

I’m always painting things, but one of the more unique things I’ve painted is fabric. Today I’m sharing all the details of painting fabric with chalk paint.