{inspiration} for Grayson's big boy room

My poor husband...I have the patience of a 5-year-old when it comes to a project.  Usually he just gets out of my way and let's me work, unless I need his help and then he gets roped into it!  Unfortunately for him, this weekend included one of those projects that required his help.


On on whim on Saturday, I decided we needed to take down Grayson's toddler bed and move the queen-sized bed from the guest room into his room...as in right then.  Luckily my husband was willing and able and we switched everything out without much trouble.  Grayson's room looks great, but isn't totally finished.  I need to add a few more things, change a few things around, and it'll be great.  Until then, I thought I'd leave you with some of the spaces that I have "pinned" for inspiration.

                                                                             Source: playingsublimely.com via Mary Jo on Pinterest

                                                                           Source: kfddesigns.blogspot.com via Mary Jo on Pinterest

                                                                              Source: hollymathisinteriors.com via Mary Jo on Pinterest

                                                                       Source: fireflyfurnishings.com via Mary Jo on Pinterest

winner, winner

The winner (according to random.org) of the beautiful "i am" (customized) necklace is #51:

A big congratulations to 

Thank you again to all of you who read this little ol' blog!  I never really thought anyone outside my family or friends would care to read about our home updates or the crazy ideas and projects that are floating around in my head.

link love: 08.27.2011

Today was one of the first Saturdays we've spent at home with nothing to do, so it's flown by!  Of course that means I've been working on lots of projects.  We spent the afternoon and evening swapping our son's room around.  I had a friend come over and give lots of advice for arranging the room and things on the walls...it looks great!  I will post pictures soon. :)

As a result of the stream of projects, I'm posting link love a little late...but here are a few projects that have caught my eye this week:

 

                                                           Source: ashleeraubachphotography.blogspot.com via Mary Jo on Pinterest

Grayson starts preschool on September 6...and after seeing this I plan to have him write his name on a little chalkboard for a picture that day! I'd love to have this be a "first day of school" tradition in our family to see how his handwriting develops and changes.

                                                                    Source: alicia-lafamille.blogspot.com via Mary Jo on Pinterest

I spotted this daybed made out of pallets on a blog and fell.in.love. How great would this be on a screened-in porch?!

                                                                          Source: myhomesweethomeonline.net via Mary Jo on Pinterest

I am a little late to the fad that is Instagram, but it is pretty fun. I love this tutorial on creating your own "Instagallery" for all of the photos you've taken.

What has caught your eye this week?

{thankful}: fabric banner

 {thankful}: fabric banner, $30

 Each flag is made of a hand-cut letter that is applied using fusible webbing and then machine-stitched for added security.  The banner measures approximately 7 feet (with long "tails" on each side for tying) and each flag measures approximately 4" x 6".

It's not even September 1 (which is my self-imposed "start date" to decorate for fall), but I'm already thinking of fall.  Maybe it's my oak leaf pillow sitting on the bench or the fact that it's cool enough (in the 80s) to wear jeans today, but I'm ready to start some fall projects!

I made this "give thanks" banner last year and thought I'd post it on the good ol' blog.   If you're interested in ordering one of these fabric banners, I'd love to make one for you!  If you'd like a custom banner with a different saying, I'd love to create one for you, too.  Send me an e-mail at 517creations(at)gmail(dot)com and I will set up a custom listing for you in my shop!

{one of my favorite things}: one line a day journal

I have a confession. I've never been good at keeping a journal. I love the idea of journaling, I love journals, I love pens...but I'm not great at putting it all together.  Until I found this...

 The One Line a Day journal.  I can handle one line!

The coolest thing about this journal is that there is one page for every day of the year.  On the page, you'll find five spaces to record a line about that certain day for five years.  Not only does this little journal give you a small place to write your thoughts, it gives you a chance to reflect on the past years!  I so wish I had found this journal before Grayson was born.  I'd love to go back and read about what he was doing on that exact day the year before and the year before that. 

I keep mine on my nightstand, with one of my favorite pens, and mainly use it to write down funny things that Grayson says or "milestones" that he has.  I'm sure I'll record more of my thoughts instead of his actions as he gets older.

How do you record your thoughts or your child's milestones?  Do you keep a journal?

**Don't forget to enter the 100 followers giveaway!  The winner will be announced next Monday!**

{giveaway}: 100 followers!

I reached 100 followers through Google Friend Connect on Saturday...I can't believe it!

I am so thankful for all my readers and friends...and still totally shocked that people read this little blog.

So, in honor of reaching an awesome "milestone" on this little ol' blog, my friend Cat (over at Cap Creations) is giving one of my followers my VERY FAVORITE necklace...the i am (you customize) necklace.

This necklace is made up of a small sterling silver disc that is slightly domed and hand stamped with the words i am. Behind it a larger sterling silver disc that is hand stamped with any word of your choosing up to nine characters. A single freshwater pearl dangles beside it and it is all pulled together on a sterling silver ball chain. Many possibilities with this one. i am loved, blessed, married, single, happy, saved just to name a few. Measures approximately 3/4 inch.

I wear this necklace every.single.day and always receive compliments on it.  It's simple, beautiful, and a fabulous reminder as I put it on every day...I AM blessed.

TO ENTER: 

You must be my Google Friend Follower since this is a THANK YOU to all my wonderful readers.

Please leave a comment below, any comment, to enter! (And if you just came across my little ol' blog... follow along now & enter to win this fabulous necklace!)

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES:  (Please leave a comment for each entry!)

• Follow Cat's blog.
• Hop over and "like" Cap Creations on Facebook.
• "Like" 517 Creations on Facebook.
• Be sure you're not a "no reply" blogger!  Read this post to find out how to check!
• Blog about this giveaway (include a link to this post) and encourage others to enter!

THE DETAILS:

This is open to all of my followers through Google Friend Connect. The winner will be announced in one week on Monday, August 29!  Check back here next week to see if you're the blessed winner! 


Thank you to all who entered...the giveaway is now closed.

link love: 08.20.2011

I can't believe it's been over a month since I posted some of my favorite links.  It's been a fun (and BUSY) summer around here so I'm definitely looking forward to the slower pace of fall.

Here are a few things that have caught my eye this week:

                                                                          Source: rosehip.typepad.com via Mary Jo on Pinterest

I pretty much love every.single.thing about this picture.  We are planning  a little swap with some of the rooms in our house and this has helped me "finalize" what I'm thinking for our guest room/my sewing room.  I have been on the hunt for vintage sheets to create a quilt (or duvet cover) and am going to see if my grandma can crochet a few of these pillow covers.  Beautiful.

                                                                  Source: blog.capscreations.com via Mary Jo on Pinterest

My friend Cat, over at Cap Creations, shows us an easy way to re-create the look of a canvas print without the price!  I think I'm going to try my hand at these with a few of my printables.

                                                                     Source: joyshope.com via Mary Jo on Pinterest

Joy's Hope is always packed with awesome tutorials and beautiful pictures.  Julie turned a plain cookie sheet and a can into an "art on the go" solution for the car. Genius!

                                                                  Source: notjustahousewife.net via Mary Jo on Pinterest

Vintage doors (from her 1938 home) + aqua spray paint + green spray paint = a vintage door privacy screen to love!

                                                            Source: iammommahearmeroar.blogspot.com via Mary Jo on Pinterest

A new "bloggy friend" of mine posted about some alphabet rocks that she made for her son.  I came across this picture on Pinterest a few days later.  What an awesome idea - especially for little boys. :) Brilliant! 

Have you come across any great links this week?

new {to me} chairs and bench

Remember when I posted about these chairs? I have LOVED the chairs since I first saw them in the PB catalog. They are beautiful, but definitely not in my price range...

Source: potterybarn.com via Mary Jo on Pinterest

Walmart makes a similar chair for much less, but they have a wood seat instead of the rush seat.


I have been keeping an eye out for something similar, as the chairs we used at our dining room table weren't working out very well for us right now. They are beautiful, with a green chippy painted finish, and belonged to my husband's grandmother, but they were so top-heavy that Grayson would turn them over a few times a week.


Last Friday I was walking through a local "antique" mall and came across these beauties for $9.95 each! It was love at first sight...until I counted them and found that there were only 3 for sale in the booth. We need 4 for our table. I almost cried right there but decided it wasn't my day to have these chairs.

**Please ignore the dirty garage floor in the background!**

The next day we were were over at a friend's house looking through books and other treasures that she was giving away. The couple is downsizing and had cleaned out their attic and pared down a lot of their furniture. Bill, the husband, asked me if I could use a bench. It was beautiful with wooden legs and a leather upholstered top with nail head trim. I am pretty sure birds started singing because I realized that I could use the bench at our table along with the 3 chairs that I found at the antique store! We threw it in the car and ran thanked them profusely and brought it right home.


I dropped the bench off, got right back in the car, and went to the "antique" mall, hoping that MY chairs were still there. They were and they were on sale for 15% off!


After spending a few naptimes spray painting the chairs black and one naptime making a slipcover for the bench, I have a totally new {to me} dining area!

We also hung wide plantation blinds in the windows today and I'm planning on making some curtains in the next few months. But, for now, I'm loving the new look of our dining area.


What do you think of those beautiful sunflowers on my table? I bought the whole bunch for $4.88 at Sam's today! Who says a girl can't buy herself flowers? I guess my husband technically bought them as I'm a stay-at-home mom and he's the one who brings home the cashmoney bacon.

Do you have any updates in mind for a room in your home? Is your style ever-evolving or do you make a choice and stick with it?

Linking up to:

Weekend Wrap-Up Party

Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest

Feature Yourself Friday @ Fingerprints on the Fridge

Pity Party @ Thirty Handmade Days

Friday Flair @ WhipperBerry

Friday Fun Funds @ Kojo Designs

Today's Creative Blog

C.R.A.F.T.
Tutorials & Tips Tuesday

A little something I've been working on...

I've been using every nap time for the last 4 days to work on a little transformation to our dining area. It has involves lots of spray paint, a drill, and sewing.  Here's a little peak at part of the work:

**I wonder why one leg was suddenly longer than the other when I took this picture? :)**

It also has a little something to do with the chairs that I posted about over on my Facebook page.  I'll be sure to show the whole space as soon as it's complete!

Another quick little note...I just found out that my Oak Leaf Pillow project will be featured on Knock Off Decor tonight at 8pm! Yay!! If you haven't checked out Beckie's blog, you must....it's awesome!

made by "mom" monday...

My mom, who lives in Virginia, has had a sewing machine for as long as I can remember.  She quilted (I think by hand, right Mom?) when I was very young - I can remember the large quilting hoop in her sewing room - but gave up sewing for a while.  All of that changed at Christmas when she was gifted a brand new Singer machine!  For the past 8 months, we've spent countless hours talking about sewing tutorials, fabric, and the price of thread. :)  On most days I'll also hear my phone signal that a text has come in, only to find it's a picture of Mom's recent project.

In fact, for her birthday in June my dad and I schemed to create a beautiful sewing room for my mom.  I wish I had taken pictures before I left!  

She has definitely been putting that beautiful room to good use.  Here are a few of the projects she has finished this weekend:

A reversible "teacher tote" and pencil bag.

A wet bag (as part of a baby shower gift that includes on of my car seat canopies) and 2 pleated purses with matching pouches!

Way to go, Mom!  Keep up the awesome sewing. :)

Oak Leaf Pillow: Wisteria Knock Off

I definitely do not want to wish the last days of summer away, but I am SO looking forward to fall. Being a former teacher, fall has always seemed to signal a "new beginning" for me, usually meaning a new school year. But two years ago, fall meant a totally different new beginning...it was during that fall that we visited our future hometown for the first time. We were following God's leading to possibly move to Missouri, leaving a city that we loved and moving to a town that we'd never seen.


One of the things that I missed when we moved from Virginia to Texas was the beautiful fall. Well, God totally knew what he was doing (doesn't he always?!) when he placed us here during that beautiful fall weekend. The weather was spectacular, even cold for a girl who'd spent over 4 years in Texas, and the trees were amazing. I truly believe that we were here that weekend for a reason.


You're probably wondering what all of that has to do with a pillow knock off. I was reminiscing about fall one day, when it was over 100 degrees here, and came across this pillow on the Wisteria website. The price? $89!

Isn't it gorgeous? Definitely. But I'm too cheap crafty to spend $89 on a pillow.


I actually made a pillow cover to cover up some of my ugly old pillows, but you could certainly use this method to make your own pillow, with a few added steps.


To cover an 18x18" pillow, I needed a 19x19" cover (to allow for 1/2 inch seams), so I set about making a pattern that was 19 inches square. I just taped some paper together from my son's scrap box. I liked how the leaf seemed to go over the "edge" of the pillow, so I made my paper 19 inches. This would allow for the design to flow over the edges of the pillow.


I am not the best artist and usually like to trace any pattern, but part of the charm of the Oak Leaf pillow (for me) was the organic nature of the leaf. It wasn't perfectly symmetrical, so I figured that I could do my best to recreate it.


After pulling the photo up on my computer, I drew my version of the oak leaf and acorns:

You'll notice that the leaf is traced in Sharpie...that's because when you use Heat N' Bond to applique your fabric, you need to trace it in reverse. I simply traced the shapes on the front of the pattern so they would show up on the back....then traced the back of the pattern onto my Heat N' Bond. Make sense?


Normally I would would have appliqued the leaf first, but I liked that the stems of the acorn seemed to be "behind" the leaf on the original pillow. So I laid everything out (after ironing the Heat N' Bond on and cutting out my patterns), finding a placement I liked, and only ironed the acorns down. I then used a pencil to draw the placement of the stems. I would have used my fabric marker but it has disappeared! :)


I machine-stitched around the acorns and used a "straight stitch" to sew the stems. It's much thicker than a regular stitch and almost looks hand-stitched.


Here's my pillow with the acorns and stems:

Next up, adding the vein pattern to the leaf. I drew the veins on the leaf and used the same straight-stitch to add them in brown:

A close up of the straight-stitched veins...

One more tip, I actually sewed the details on the leaf while the Heat N' Bond paper was still attached. It makes it much easier to manipulate and it isn't as "floppy". The paper didn't seem to bother my machine, but be careful with yours!

This is what the back of the leaf looks like with the paper still attached. The stitches created a sort of perforation in the paper, so it was easy to take off. You might have to work a tiny bit to get the pieces out from under some of the stitching, but it wasn't much trouble at all for me.


Now it's time to iron your leaf on! I peeled the paper off, ironed my leaf on, and then machine-stitched around the leaf with the same straight-stitch.

If you want to make a pillow, you'll need to cut the same size for the back (19 inches square) and put right sides together. You'll sew almost all the way around, clip your corners, turn it inside out, stuff your pillow, and then stitch the opening closed!


I wanted an envelope-style pillow cover, so I followed those steps. There are LOTS of great tutorials for that if you need help.


My oak leaf pillow looks right at home on my chippy painted chair on the front porch!

Is fall your favorite season? Or are you hanging on to the last bits of summer?

** edited to add: I used cotton fabric and a linen-like fabric for my appliques.  The body of the pillow cover is made with an Onasburg fabric.**

Linking up to:

DIY Fall Festival

Tatertots & Jello Weekend Wrap-Up
Thirty Hand-made Days Pity Party
Kojo Designs Friday Fun Finds

Tutorials and Tips Tuesday

before and {happily ever} after...master bathroom

I showed you the before and {happily ever} after of our master bedroom a few weeks ago, so I thought I should show you the after of our attached master bath!

It's not a very big bathroom - compared to the huge master bath we had in our last house, complete with a shower and garden tub - but it's a great size for us.  In my book, smaller also equates to less for me to clean!

When we first saw the bathroom it looked like this:

It was decked out in a floral wallpaper that coordinated with the bedroom, lots of oak trim and cabinets, linoleum flooring, popcorn on the ceiling, a shower complete with a handle and a hard-to-clean glass door,  and 2 odd "headers" - one above the shower and one above the vanity that had florescent lights inside.

Here is the {happily ever} after...

We did a lot of work in this small bathroom. We:

• removed all of the wallpaper
• had the walls re-textured
• painted the walls the same blue as the master bedroom
• installed new tile floors (that I grouted myself. Yay!)
• removed the "light box header" and header over the shower
• had a new shower installed
• had the cabinets and trim painted (including the trim on the mirror)
• scraped the popcorn ceiling and had new texture sprayed
• replaced the faucet - we kept the same vanity and counter top with the intention of replacing the top at some point in the (distant) future
• had a new light installed over the sink

There are still a lot of things that I'd like to do in this bathroom, including adding a few decorations and sewing some kind of window treatment, but I love the "after"!

One of my favorite projects in the bathroom involved customizing a regular shower curtain into a darling ruffled one that is the perfect size for our "stall-sized" shower.  I'll have to share that project soon!

What about you...do you have a huge master bathroom, a perfectly-sized room for you, or just wish you had bathroom that your kids didn't follow you into?  Haha!

{noreply-comment@blogger.com}

I love receiving comments and I also love to reply to your comments from my e-mail account.  I try to reply to each comment I receive, but more often than not, when I hit reply, instead of seeing your e-mail address I see noreply-comment@blogger.com and I can't reply.

Most people don't even realize that they are listed as a "no-reply" blogger!  Here's how you can set up your account to be sure that bloggers can reply back to you via e-mail:

Log-in to your Blogger account and bring up your Dashboard.

Click on Edit Profile.

Look for the section labeled Privacy - you're looking for the box labeled Show my email address.  Be sure that the box is checked!  You're not done, yet...look down under the Identity section and be sure that your e-mail address is entered in the Email Address box.

Now click Save profile and you're done!

When you add your e-mail address, it does not change the e-mail address you use to log in.  If you don't want your personal e-mail address to be listed, you could always create an e-mail address that's just for blogging/commenting like I've done!

Have you checked to be sure your e-mail address is listed?  I can't wait to reply back to you!

before and {happily ever} after...closet turned mudroom and laundry room

As soon as we moved from Texas to Missouri, I started a collection of ideas for our "new" home...the home I didn't know anything about and one that would take a year of waiting and 6 weeks of renovation...but our home, no less.   I printed out photos that I had in my "Inspiration" folder (from my pre-Pinterest days), collected paint chips and flooring samples.

One of those ideas was the closet turned mudroom that Wendy over at the Shabby Nest created in 2008.  I loved that idea and filed it away for "someday".  Well, that idea ended up being PERFECT for our home!

When we first walked through this house and walked through to the laundry room, I saw this closet...actually, I saw two closets.  The door to the garage is the door on the left, there is the closet in the photo, a space for the washer and dryer, and another closet by the back door.  Who needs two closets in a laundry room that's full of huge cabinets?

 **I'm sorry about the terrible before pictures!  I think I was too excited about the house to take semi-decent pictures. Ha!**

We lined the interior of the closet with beadboard, added a few hooks and a "bench" and now we have a mudroom!  It's the perfect place to stash everything as we come in the door from the garage.

I'm still looking for a cute basket to put under the "bench", but for now a laundry basket is the perfect place to put our shoes when we come in from the garage.  I'd also like to make a cushion for the bench to build up the height a little...that'll be a project for the winter!

Here's the after photo of the rest of the laundry room... 

We removed the linoleum flooring and added laminate with a "hand scraped" look, painted the cabinets and trim a crisp white, scraped the popcorn ceiling and had it re-textured, and painted the walls green, Grasscloth by Behr.
 

This room needs is looking a little plain, though...any suggestions for decor for this wall?  I'm also thinking of adding a curtain and maybe a carpet runner?

**Edited to add**

I have had a few people ask me about our floors...I love them!  The brand is Cottage Collection and the color is Rustic Teak.   We purchased ours at Derailed Commodity, but I did a quick Google search and found them at several other places (including online).

I love the hand-scraped look and the wider planks.  We have a big dog and a little boy running around on them constantly and they have yet to show any wear or tear.  They do tend to show more dust (and dog hair!) because they're dark, but it was the look I was going for so I don't mind vacuuming every few days. 

I hope that helps!  Please ask away if you have any other questions!