The Stuff I Live For

My Over-the-Top Dining Room Cabinet January 4, 2009

I bought this cabinet about a year ago. It spent months lookly sad and bare because I was coveting some really cool plates that I knew I shouldn't buy. So, I crazied it up myself over the summer. I was playing with my new camera today wanting to take pics of something with lots of color and remembered that I never shared pictures of my over-the-top dining room cabinet. I've reaffirmed my knowledge that pictures taken with a camera flash just aren't great. Natural light is amazingly better, but I had to use a flash in this room.

I put a different fabric (my fave thing of course!) behind each shelf.

On the top shelf is a gorgeous plate from a really unique etsy shop called Love, Lindsey.

No one who sees this in my home gets the plate on the second shelf, so I'll explain… There are FOUR of us!! I just stuck a decal I bought from Lowes on there. The salt and pepper shakers took a ton of time. I had to go through a zillion magazines to find black-only prints of S's and P's. And finally, a too-cute stuffed fabric bird in black and white.

On the bottom shelf I placed the felt cupcakes I made a while back. I told the girls not to touch them and amazingly they haven't. The 'cake stand' is a simple green plate from Target sitting on top of an upside down candlestick holder. If these were real cupcakes, or a glass plate, I'd have glued the plate onto the candlestick holder.

This really epitomizes my style. I love, love, love color. It makes me happy. I could never have white walls in my home. In fact, I wish painting were easier. I'd change our wall colors every year or so.

Web Hosting October 13, 2008

I have web hosting services for two different websites - both this one and my biz site, and though I started them two years apart, they're both hitting me at the same time. Coincidentally, my web hosting services (two different hosts) are both due to renew within the next 60 days.

If you're a blogger with a hosted site (not free blog), or if you're thinking of upgrading, you might want to visit Web Hosting Rating for independent customer reviews on the best web hosting providers. I know there are tons of moms each day starting new e-commerce sites and web hosting is a must for all of them. This site has lots of articles with info on strategies and plans for e-commerce site.

Check out the reviews and shop around just like you do for any other important purchase. Not all hosting providers are created equal.

I’m Still Alive July 31, 2008

I haven't been here in a while!

I decided to do a couple of craft fairs this fall so I've been busying making, sewing, crafting. NOT that I'm complaining! That's what I love to do.

I've also been powerwashing some sidewalks and driveways in my Gram's 55 and over community this week. It's a 3 to 5 hour job each time. In the 100 degree heat! So, I have a nice base tan for our upcoming vacation at Ocean City, NJ this Saturday and I made a few bucks. Actually it feels good to actually go out and do some 'work' for money.

I'll be back before vacation, though, and maybe even while I'm there. Of course I can't go on vacation without my laptop

Throw Pillows and Windows Update July 12, 2008

I didn't think anyone was going to notice my throw pillows in the pictures I posted of my 'windows mess,' but apparently a lot of you are really observant. Thanks for your kind comments on them! I was going to post about them when the living windows were done, but you got a peek already. Thanks to all of you who emailed me or commented checking up on the windows job too. The windows are looking really good, but the job's taking a lot longer than we expected. You can see how they look here. I used to have old, brown ones so these fresh white ones make a huge difference.

I despise our living room couch because it's always messy looking. The covers come off for washing and they're just too big for the cushions. The whole big couch is always messy looking and I'm constantly straightening it. So, I decided to cover as much of it as I could!

Heather Bailey prints are my new obsession. As you can probably tell, I love color. I made all the pillows in two days a couple of weeks ago. They were so easy, I don't know why I didn't do them forever ago. I used the few pillow forms I already had and just used stuffing for the rest. If you have a couch that needs some freshening up, throw pillows are great ways to add color to it and brighten up the entire room.

She’s Crafty, She Gets Around June 11, 2008

…She's Crafty, She's Always Down - That's the Beastie Boys in case you don't share my taste in music.

I ask your forgiveness in advance, for I need a moment to gloat. I've been beside myself with excitement these past few days. I've been drooling over this project table from Pottery Barn for at least a year now. Right now, it's priced at $1,099.00 plus a $120.00 surcharge, plus regular delivery charges!

So I had a family friend/carpenter (Joe) make me this for less than 20% of PB's cost:

I had to paint it, but what a deal! I am soooo happy with it. It's perfect and even has a little shelf on the bottom to put my sewing machine's presser foot on. Over the last week, I took apart the guest bed and got to work on making the spare room my craft room. Here's some more of it:

 cutting table

  fabric shelving (which Joe made too, last year)

  more shelving (Joe made this too)

  sitting area

I did all the outlet covers and light switch covers in different Amy Butler prints.

I've already been getting plenty crafty in there and Eric is all but admitting his jealousy of the room. Not because he wants one. Because it's keeping me from him slightly. I've got a craft room and a guy who always wants me close, if even just to watch the Mets lose with him. Aren't I a lucky gal?

I Need These! (to be read in a whining voice) February 7, 2008

I got this cute little cabinet from Home Decorators for my dining room. I have nothing fabulous to put on it, and it's looking pretty pathetic, like it's being punished in the corner.

Saw these great plates on Love It A Lot and I need them. No, really, I mean it. I NEED them. They look good enough to eat. Well, eat off of. The site says they'll be available February, 2008. I want to see the price and I've been checking their site everyday. Come on, it's the 7th already! I need these. The cabinet needs these. (Thought maybe if I said it once or twice more, my hubby would believe it.)

More Framed Collage Decorating Ideas December 5, 2007

Speaking of collages… these are in my family room. They wouldn't have as much impact or get noticed much if they stood alone, but together, these three frames are a lot of fun.

The shadowbox frame on the bottom left is from Pottery Barn and probably cost twice as much as the one of equal quality above it, which is from Joann-Fabrics. In the Pottery Barn frame, I put together a collage of my husband's old ticket stubs and such, many dating back to his high school days. The frame above it contains old matchbooks which I purchased on ebay for not more than $10. Also from ebay, and at about the same price tag, are the old skeleton keys on the right. I used upholstery tacks to hang them at equal distance from eachother and simply hung the frame around them, without the glass or frame backing.

I'd like to add a collage of old postcards or coasters sometime. This is an easy, unique decorating project anyone could do with a collection. Try: stamps, baseball cards, soda bottle lables, bottle caps…

Make a Framed Fabric Collage December 4, 2007

I needed something on my very bare dining room wall so started shopping around online for some artwork. Too pricey! I love buying stuff for my home, but my preference would be to buy a few smaller-ticketed items rather than one piece of art. I have tons of fabric scraps around the house and decided to frame some for a collage. I bought eight frames in different colors and sizes and put this together. I just love it.

For the holidays, I've changed out the prints with Christmas fabric. You could also try holiday scrapbooking paper or wrapping paper, but I chose fabric because I had it and wanted to avoid the glare paper might show. To make changing them back easy, I simply put my everyday fabrics behind the holiday ones. I’ll keep the holiday prints in back of the everyday prints when I switch back, too, for an easy update next Christmas.

Finally, add some greenery for a final decorating touch. It should stay in good shape for a couple of weeks and when the needles start to fall too much, I'll clip new pieces from the back of our Christmas tree.