Cafe Stools Makeover

Though I mostly share projects that dabble in felt, believe it or not, I do like home improvement projects ranging from big to small.  Some of these home improvement projects just sort of 'speak to me'.

These dated cafe stools, kept whispering to me, every time I walked into my kitchen, that they wanted a makeover.

Seriously, how could I resist?  If your furniture starts to talk to you, you really should listen.

So, I painted the stools white, using Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint in Old White. 

For weeks, maybe even months, the stools remained white.  I considered transferring a cool vintage looking graphic onto the stools.  The challenge, finding an image that both the Mister and I could agree upon. 

Finally, we decided on a grain sack design. 

I made a stencil using some painter's tape and Washi tape (yay! I found another use for Washi tape), to get the grain sack design.

Dabbing Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint in Graphite into the DIY stencil, a grain sack design was created.

The most challenging thing, trying to duplicate the same size design, in roughly the same placement, on the second stool.

In the end, I'm glad, I'm glad we couldn't agree upon an image.  The grain sack design seems more classic. It makes a statement while still subtly blending with the decor in the my kitchen.

Since the makeover, my cafe stools have been blissfully quiet.  

I think they are happy.

I know I am.

I'm Feeling Gray

I'm feeling gray...or grey.  The good thing about feeling gray is that gray is such a trendy color right now. 

The only problem, there are so many grays to chose from.  Bluish grays, grays with purple undertones, grays that have some brown tones, pure grays, dark grays, light grays.  The list is endless.

I attempted to find the 'perfect' gray online.  I visited about 20 fellow bloggers, each claiming to have found the perfect gray.  Classic Gray, Stone Harbor, Gray Pearl, Oyster Bay, Horizon, Edgecomb Gray, Eternity...it was starting to feel like it would literally be an eternity before I found a color I liked.

This is what happens when it is gray {and snowing for days on end} outside.  I get bored.  I get cage crazy.  Things end up getting painted, moved or changed.

Fortunately, I'm not the only person that feels like this.  My little helper was feeling gray, too...and she couldn't wait to offer her opinion for the perfect gray and lend a helping hand.

But, to be honest, it's hard to feel too gray when the chandelier I got for my birthday finally came out of the box it has been sitting in for 2 months...

 And, the ceiling fan came down.

And, these little brackets, we found at a flea market, finally found a place to be displayed.

What do you do when you are feeling gray?

Embroidered Initials Felt Heart Pin

The weather isn't conducive to the romantic gesture of carving initials onto the trunk of a tree so I decided to make do with carving them onto a piece of a felt.  Of course, by carving, I mean embroidering.

First, I cut two pieces of hearts out of felt.  With embroidery thread and needle, I embroidered initials onto the front of the heart.  I sewed the front of the heart to the back of heart using a running stitch. Before I finished closing the heart completely, I stuffed it with some fiberfill. 

Add a pin to the back of it and you have a romantic little brooch.  

 

I think my handsome husband knows, he has the key to my heart initials carved into a tree trunk or not.

*Key to my heart tutorial found here.

Embroidered Felt Heart Tutorial

What better way to tell someone they have your heart than by giving it to them?

These easy to make embroidered felt hearts can be personalized to suit your Valentine.

Whether you want to give them the key to your heart, a sweet sentiment of XOXO or Cupid's arrow, the possibilities are endless.

To make your own embroidered felt hearts:

Cut two hearts out of felt.  I used pinking shears to give the edges of my hearts more of a design flair.  Embellish the front of the heart with a design of your choice.  Embellish your design through embroidery or by adding buttons.

Secure the front of your heart to the back of your heart by doing a simple running stitch around the boarder.

Attach a pin to the back of your heart and it becomes a brooch.

Whether you get detailed in your embroidery...

or chose a simple design...

these embroidered felt hearts will have your Valentine mooning over them.

DIY Embroidered Handwriting Keepsake

Turn your child's handwriting into an embroidered keepsake.  Those carefully written letters should be preserved and displayed.  A simple and easy way to do that, with embroidery thread.

To create your embroidered keepsake you'll need the following:  fabric, embroidery hoop, water soluble pen, needle and thread.

Enlist your artist of choice to write something onto your fabric.

Center the written sentiment in your embroidery hoop.

Begin embroidering. I used a back stitch for the letters.

To back stitch bring your needle and thread up through the back of the fabric.  I started at the top of the L.  Sew a long stitch forward, bring your needle down.  Return your needle back up, leaving space, approximately the same size as your first stitch.  Return your needle back down, where your first completely stitch ended.  Repeat.

At the end of love, I decided to punctuated it with a heart.  

 

Love should always come from the heart.

 Love was the first word Grace learned to spell. 

Love is what this sweet child of mine shows me every single day.

Love, written by a 5 year old, will be a keepsake I hold dear for always.

Valentine's Decorating

I happen to be one of those people that decorate for Valentine's Day. 

February can be a gray, dreary, cold month in the Midwest.  Valentine's Day gives me an excuse to add some happy, cheery bright colors, flowers and a heart or two to my decor and, in turn, it brightens my mood.

An easy and inexpensive way to change up decor is with pillows.

I whipped up some pillows, in less than an hour.  Using some heat transfer vinyl I customized each with LOVE and a heart.

And, those pillows are getting love...

From the dog.  Sigh.

Valentine's Day and flowers (ok, and probably chocolate) go hand in hand.

I've become a sucker for the $3.99 bouquet of roses at Aldi.  Such an inexpensive way to add some color and a good reminder that spring will eventually return.

I'm slightly obsessed with all things letter related.  I went through my collection of letters and was inspired to add an XO (hugs and kisses) for another subtle Valentine's touch.

Rustic coasters are scattered about. 

Herman, the head that usually wears my eye glasses, is donning a heart shaped eye patch...he obviously doesn't mind making a spectacle of himself for the sake of Valentine's.

Not only do I decorate the house...but I also make sure that Grace gets 'decorated'.  She has lots of heart sweaters and pretty hair accessories to wear.

Which reminds me, I need to make sure she has a chance to show off her LOVE dress before Valentine's day.

 And, though I wish this weren't the case, our front yard is still decorated with some ice cold hearts. 

Here's hoping we get some warmer weather soon and those cold hearts melt.

Do you decorate for Valentine's Day?

Goodwill Hunting Roundup

It's that time of month, again, when I show off my most recent thrifted finds.

So, without further ado...

This past month, my trips to Goodwill were minimal.  My only memorable trip coincidence with a promotion that Goodwill was running...bring in a bag of donations and receive a 30% off coupon.  *See if the thrift stores you shop, have email alerts.  Goodwill sends out emails with exclusive promotions, sales or giveaways. 

With my 30% off coupon in hand, I found some fun and incredibly reasonably priced things. 

First up, a brand new Clinique bag for $1.99. 

The best part, inside included a smaller bag.  The bright colors and flowers reminded me that despite the brutal winter we are having, spring will eventually arrive.  For $1.40, I couldn't pass these up.

Recently, Grace was introduced to chapter books and it was, as they say, love at first sight.  We devoured nearly every Junie B. Jones books.  As a result, we have been scouring Goodwill's collection of books.  Children's books are .59 cents.  We ended up finding 6 books for $3.54, a good deal but made even better with our 30% off coupon.  These books came home with us for $2.48. 

No trip to Goodwill is complete without perusing the children's clothing.  This time, I stumbled upon an Old Navy pea coat for $4.99 ($3.50 with the 30% off coupon).  It's way too big for petite little girl now. I figured, pea coats don't go out of style so it's the perfect thing to buy and save for her.

I spotted these brand new cowboy boots.  If Grace read my blog, she would certainly correct me and say that these were cowgirl boots.  Regardless, I wasn't sure if they would come home with us or not.  When Grace spotted not only the pink stars but the glittery stars, she was determined these boots had to come home with us.  The boots were $4.99, $3.50 using our 30% off coupon.

After any holiday, Goodwill is usually well stocked with donations of unused or unwanted decorations.  They are often marked down additionally, just to get them off of the shelves.  All Christmas decorations were 50% off.  When I saw these colorful glass bird ornaments, I couldn't resist...even though it meant I would have to dig out our recently stored Christmas decorations to store them along with.  With my 30% off coupon, this set of bird ornaments were .45 cents.

This midcentury modern styled cocktail shaker by Threshold, would not leave my cart, even though I really had no purpose or need for it.  No matter how much I tried to reason myself out of buying it, it still came home with me.  With my coupon, it was $1.05.

Thees party hats reminded me that before long, I'll have to start thinking of Grace's 6th (!) birthday.  Though I have been busy pinning ideas, I can't seem to decide on a theme.  Suggestions are welcomed!

What thrifty store finds have made their way home with you recently?