Archive | decorating RSS feed for this section

Friday Favorites.

26 Apr

Yesterday was [finally!] a nice day outside.  Sunshine.  Little wind.  All I could think about was iced coffee and hammocks.  Regardless that the temperature hasn’t yet passed 60 degrees, my coarsely ground coffee beans were mixed with water in giant pitchers on my counter last night, and I have pretty solid plans to take a nap in my hammock on Sunday afternoon.  Iced coffee and hammocks.  Definitely two of my favorite things.  Also –

A vintage Nancy Drew party!  Now granted, it was planned for an elementary crowd.  If I planned a vintage Nancy Drew party for my 30th, would you come?

How fun do these look — Springtime Italian Rainbow Cookie with Lemon Curd.  I’m going on a retreat next weekend and I’m tempted to try these to take a share.  We’ll see if early next week holds the time needed to bake them.  They do look a little involved …

DIY Bird Feeders.  I might have to find some time to make these to hang from the trees for my bird friends.

I want to make at least five of these.  Terrariums are the coolest.  I would put a gnome in mine.

Martha does it again.  Travel keepsake boxes to hold airline tickets, photos, and all sorts of things from trips.

And, lastely, a motto for a new week.

Coffee with ladies and egg crafts.

26 Mar

After a busy Sunday morning of palm waving, hosanna singing, and personal care kit assembling, I went to the local care center to lead a worship service.  I gave them palms and then had coffee with a couple of ladies.  They fought and interrupted each other often.  [In the middle of one woman telling me about her great-granddaughter the other woman asked her loudly, “Are you going to get cremated?”]  It made me very uncomfortable.

Sunday night we [you know – we] gathered in our usual place at our usual time.  I was even early enough to read a story to a cute little almost-one year old before he went to bed.  We [you know – we] ate supper and then dove into egg crafts.  We had traditional dying on one end of the table [after we figured out what colors the pesky little tablets were] and filling hollow eggs with candy at the other.  It was egg-citing, egg-cellent, and an all around egg-ceptional time.

DSCN0302

 

slipcovered.

30 Aug
There is likely little guesswork involved to realize that I’m poor.  Student loans helped get me through school but they are no fun to pay back on a beginning pastor’s salary.  That being said – I take all the free furniture I can get.
Like this ottoman from my mom’s house.  She asked me if I wanted it over the phone and I think I said, nah.  It was kind of ugly.  But then I remembered I was poor and live in a huge house with only enough furniture to make 1/3 of it livable.  Okay.  Sure.  I’ll make a slipcover for it.
I bought the fabric ages ago and had it draped over the ottoman for months.  The task of actually sewing a slipcover scared me.  I don’t sew three-dimensional things like that.  I sew quilts.  They’re flat. A slipcover?  I didn’t quite know how to tackle it.
I knew I wanted something simple and something that would only take a night to complete.  Thank you, design*sponge, for this tutorial.  Slipcover done in a matter of a couple hours and it looks so much better than the maroon furry-ness of before.  It does the job and I think does it well.  

crafty.

4 Jul
Like paper and fabric crafty.  Not suspicious and deceitful crafty.   [most days not anyways.]
I feel like my veins have been running on mod podge instead of blood lately.  
Mod podge and spray paint.

I used both of those supplies to make coasters.  I bought tiles for 16 cents at Lowe’s and used paper I had on hand to create simple coasters to save my furniture from sweaty glasses.  They were super easy and pretty fun.  I’d make more; anyone want some?

A completed baby quilt for a new baby Hemenway.  [My first ever baby quilt was made for a baby Hemenway.  If one were to compare Gavin’s quilt to new baby’s quilt, the skills I’ve learned would be most evident, which makes me feel both accomplished and embarrassed!]
A file cabinet redo.  My mom brought an old black file cabinet when she came to visit last.  It was pretty dinged up and the black was nothing too exciting.  I spray painted it and mod podged fabric to the drawers.  It’s not perfect but it will do the trick.  [It was still in the process of drying here.  I was too excited to wait.]

Lampshades have also be decorated and an outdoor swing painted.  
Next up: new cushions for the swing and an ottoman slipcover.

link it up.

21 Sep
There is much to tell you.  I write from the Blooming Prairie Public Library, mooching the free wifi because we still have no internet at the church and my iphone wifi was not cooperating today [I blame the high winds].  I just finished attending a women’s circle where I was entirely intimidated by the Bible study leader; Evelyn was a missionary in Cameroon for over twenty years and she knows her Bible.  I’m learning lots of names and eating lots of cake [as served at such functions].  I met with my accountant yesterday morning and he put me in a splendid mood for the day.  [Who knew meeting my accountant would brighten my day?]  Marilyn and I continue to have a good time in the office, and this week is certainly much better than last.  I have a wild rice chicken soup in the crock pot at home – a recipe from the Central Lutheran cookbook.  I was asked to serve at the noon-time rush of First Lutheran’s [in Blooming] lutefisk dinner in October; I get to wear a red apron.  I’m planning a fall festival for families in mid-October and looking forward to not preaching next Sunday [as it is my installation].  
There is much to tell but instead of long stories, I only find the time right now to post a few links.  Stories will hopefully follow in the next couple days, but for now, let these links and photos be the storytellers of my days and dreams.
I really want to read this book.  There is something about fonts and typography that simply makes me happy and excited.
I made this and this last night.  Both proved to be quite tasty.  I made this, also in the crockpot, a couple weeks ago.  Also tasty.  Also on a recipe note, these look extremely dangerous.  Extremely.  I must not make until I have a function to take them to and then leave the leftovers!
I want to make this for necklaces and hang it in my bathroom.

I also want to make this.

And these.

Anyone know where to find oodles of scrabble tiles?  I’m kinda in love with them right now.

a house tour.

20 Sep
I finally moved the boxes of things I don’t want to unpack right now to one of the empty upstairs bedrooms where I will unpack and dig as needed.  For now, I’m happy to have a box-free downstairs and a living area that actually kinda sorta looks lived in.  It’s still a lot of space – a lot – and lots of carpet to vacuum.  Come play and we’ll do cartwheels or go gnome bowling.

This is the east side of the ‘great room,’ which will become the board game/puzzle/appetizer corner once I buy bar stools.   Scrabble is out and ready for your visit!

The view through the dining room and into the kitchen from the game corner.  I love my expedit shelves from IKEA dearest.

I don’t even know what to call this room – this is the view towards the front door from the ‘great’ room.  Right now it’s empty.  This is where we’d do cartwheels and play gnome bowling.

The other half of the ‘great’ room with my super tiny television.  [It was in my craft room but I found myself wanting to sit out here instead of there.]  

The super awesome wonderful kitchen.  Counter stools will go where the random garbage can is currently sitting.  To do: buy stools.  
I still deprive you of the complete tour – craft room, guest bathroom, and office photos still to come.  Thanks for visiting!

Itching.

5 Aug
Pinterest has me itching for my own place.  For a blank slate.  I’m looking forward to putting my creative urges to work come September, especially because of these photos …
Cover bricks in pretty paper for bookends.

Use a small tension rod in the cupboard to hold small spices.

I will paint a wall gray.  

Crates!

latest pinterest favs.

4 Jul

I think I’m going to spray paint nearly everything in my new home.  Do we think folding chairs would chip easily?  Would a spray paint primer work best first?  [I think I’m going to learn so much about spray painting nearly everything in my new home.]  These colors actually match my plates and the bowls that I drool over and will eventually buy …

This just makes me smile.  Look at her cubby knees!

Source: etsy.com via Lindsay on Pinterest

Oh, C.S. Lewis …

Maybe this can be a project for the week.  I need some organization of my thread and bobbins.

dessert table deliciousness.

19 Jun
The rain held off, the people were fun, and – if I do say so myself – the dessert table was very well received.
My baby for the last month and my excuse to abuse pinterest was the dessert table at the sister’s graduation party.  
The dessert table – in lieu of a cake – consisted of chocolate, lemon, and funfetti cake pops on red/white striped paper straws, salted caramel bars, raspberry bars, an assortment of cookies, scotcheroos, and my Aunt Jean’s famous zebra bars.  Oh, and mini yellow cupcakes with piped buttercream frosting.  Not all were made by me – oh heaven’s no.  Family pitched in and made the dessert table what it was.  
The tablecloths were red and large white/red paper dots were punched and scattered.  Platters were mostly from the dollar store – seriously.  I bought a candlestick ($1) and a real plate ($1), used special adhesive [I do love a good adhesive.], and made cake platters.  We bought paper lanterns and made a few paper flowers with tissue paper/newspaper, and fashioned a large hanging centerpiece.  It was fun.  There are also extra cakepops; you should come over.

dessert tables.

15 Jun
A long while back, when I knew that I would be moving home for a portion of the summer and that Emma’s graduation party would be a big part of what I would do while home, I emailed my sister.  And I politely asked to be her party planner.
I get bored so easily.  I need a list of things to do.  [Even if those ‘things’ are clean the house or read a book.]  More than one day of nothing drives me nuts and, without living in a community with friends and the Cities as my disposal, I knew I might go a bit stir crazy.  I worked hard to have things to occupy my time.
And so I quilt.  I’m engrossed in a new book.  I’ve become a bit addicted to Twitter and watch How I Met Your Mother on Lifetime.  [Pretty sure I’ve talked about that before.  That’s how much I’m now in love with that part of my day.  And NPH.]
I knew I would need a bit more on my schedule and thus I bid for the position of party planner.  Bid and won.  [After little struggle or convincing.  Shoulders shrugged and, “Eh.  Okay.”  I got the job.  I didn’t even have to supply a resume.]
My main assignment has been the desserts.  Since cakepops are the main attraction, I gained charge of the dessert table.  Pinterest being my main source of inspiration, here is what I’m thinking so far:
Source: etsy.com via Lindsay on Pinterest

← Older Entries

%d bloggers like this: