Special Little Touches {Fun Ideas}

I shared a peek into my daughters' room recently and I wanted to share one of the special little details I added to the room. When I stumbled across their dresser at a garage sale the family was hesitant to sell it because they had recently found it in the attic of their grandmother's house after she passed away.  I assured them it was going to be well loved and they sold it to me for only $30!  The dresser has great details like key hole locks that actually work and Knapp joints; I added the cream ceramic knobs since the original ones weren't looking so good.

I wiped down the drawers but they still didn't look quite clean enough. I figured the easiest solution would be to line each drawer.  I didn't want to line the drawers with regular ol' paper shelf liner. No, this dresser was too special for that. It deserved a unique touch.  I decided to use fabric to line the drawers.  I simply removed the small nail holding the bottom of the drawer in place. Then I pulled out the wooden bottom and used some fabric I already had in my stash to wrap over the edges and secured it with a few staples on the under side. Next, I slipped the piece of wood back into the bottom of the drawer and nailed it down. This only took 20 minutes total and it's so fun to see when I open the drawers!

I always find that the simplest of things can add so much!
P.S. The chalkboards I used on the girls' baskets are actually wood cutouts painted with chalkboard paint. We drilled small holes in the top and strung lace ribbon through the holes onto the basket.

It's Just So Charming

I usually like to wait and show pictures of projects I'm working on after they're completely finished and just the way I want them.  But, for the sake of this blog (and wanting people to actually read it), I'm going to do a tour of our home even though it's a work in progress.  
My friend, Kristin (I may have mentioned her on here before!), came over and took some pictures for me since we're in the process of buying a camera at the moment.
I flip flopped on whether I would show my favorite or least favorite room first. I decided I'll share our little girls' room first since it's my most favorite room in the house, it's just oh so charming.  Maybe once you see it you won't think the rest of the house is quite as boring as it may be (I've got some great things planned).
Here it is!

Everything two little girls need packed into a little room.  My style always tends to be a little bit of old and a little bit of new, mixed in with stuff we make, that's how I like things!
I took the large doors off the girls' closet cause they were too hard for them to open on their own.  In their place I added sheer white and grey flowered curtains.  The girls have their baby bed and kitchen in there as well, the rest of their toys and books are stored in baskets under the bed.  Stacked on the shelves are some of their larger toys and baskets full of scarves, tights and hand-me-down shoes that don't quite fit Ruby (my youngest) yet.

I keep a few dresses and sweaters hung, other then that everything fits nicely into the dresser drawers and baskets.  The white baskets with their names on them are their pajama baskets.  I like to keep them out in the open so it's easy for them to grab a pair at night.

I made the curtains, spruced up an Ikea mirror (more on that coming up), and sewed some pillows.

My hubby made these bookshelves, they've been so perfect and I enjoy them every time I see them.  We modified these building plans which were pretty simple to use and they hold a good amount of books which is a must in this house!

Ribbon strung on two World Market hooks is perfect for hanging the girls' artwork.  And the little chalkboard easel was a great find from a yard sale - $10.

Close up pic of the DIY curtains.

And lastly, THE bed!  My mom saw this in an alley (in a sketchy neighborhood), told me about it, and we went to get it right away!  It was very dark, old, nasty wood but the lines were so great I knew it needed a home.  It's a King size bed frame. I wanted to use it for my girls' bed but there was no way we could fit a king size bed in this room, so, after a while I realized a full size bed turned sideways is the same width as a king size bed, we shortened the side rails, painted it a pale blue and Voilà!!  Perfect, chunky, short & wide little girls bed that looks like it popped right out of a fairy tale!

Well, there it is.  I hope you enjoyed it.  Let me know if there was anything I missed that you were interested in.  Up next, I'm thinking it will be the living/dining/school/library/computer area.

Good Finds

Yes, I'm doing a blog post with iphone pictures.  But, iphone pictures are better then no pictures at all... hopefully!
I never used to go to the thrift store or estate sales, I always thought "I don't have time to hunt for the 1 good thing in the shop", or "I'll never find stuff like my friends do, they're just way better at finding that 1 great gem in the shop".  I was crazy.  I am such a bargain shopper at heart and love, love, love a good deal so it's not surprising that I've got bitten by the thrift store bug.  I mainly look for things to use around my house, furniture and props for photo shoots, and uniques items of clothing for my girls. 
I always find it fun when people post their great deals and finds so I thought I would share a few of my recent deals. And because I'm nosey and always wonder what others spend on their goods I'll try and list the prices as best as I can remember.
Below, from a thrift shop Kristin took me to (it's one of the best!): large woven basket $3, darling white table cloth with crochet trim $3, blue flower pillow case for my girls room $1, chip-y blue small basket $1, metal and wood basket (I like baskets , you'll notice as I start to show pictures of my home on here)$1, wood crate $3, vintage pyrex $10, small mason jars $2, candle sticks that need some painting $1 each, large tin canister $6 (it's really cool in person and totally worth 6 bucks!), small poppy tin $1 or $2.

Below are pictures from an estate sale I went to recently.

Clockwise: Cream crochet table cloth $5 each- I got 3 cause they were so pretty, large blue tablecloth/blanket $2, 2 white pillowcases with crochet trim $1 each, the most wonderful yellow crocheted yellow throw $3

Giant metal pale $5, big old jar $1, vintage ledger $1 (I dream of giving this to someone dear to me to use as a guest book for their wedding), small glass jelly jars $10 for a box full of 50 jelly jars and vintage drinking glasses, same blue blanket as above.

Wooden ladder $10, I actually think it was closer to $5 but I can't really remember, I would have paid far more then that either way!

Old 2 sided puzzle $3.

*Disclaimer: Not all thrift store are good, some just sell old clothes and broken toys, BUT when you find a good one that sells neat vintage furniture and trinkets then they can be amazing.  There are a lot out there so keep looking!  I just happen to have 3 favorite shops within about 10 mins of my home!
So, something new and different on here, I hope you all enjoyed it.  Up next, a peek into our home (this will be fun)!

Hanging Mason Jar Candles {Tutorial}

Here is the little tutorial for the hanging mason jar candles seen in the vender shoot I did in this post here.  I know this is a pretty simple idea but people have been very curious on how this all came together so hopefully this will help you out a bit!  

I hope that makes sense. :)  Let me know if you have any question and I'll try and help!

Bridal Shower Vender Challenge

I was asked to participate in a bridal shower themed vender challenge for Brenda's Wedding Blog, which will be a part of The Best Wedding Site Magazine.  Kristin Rogers, Jacqueline Ahne and I teamed up and came up with a lovely spin on the color pallet that was assigned to us (lemon, mango, and periwinkle).  We wanted this evening bridal shower tea to have an eclectic, aged feel with lots of fun details, and warm light all around.

We used Kristin's backyard as the backdrop for this shoot, it was just the perfect mix of rustic and charm needed.

Jacqueline Ahne of Floral Design By Jacqueline Ahne did such an amazing job on all the floral arrangements. The flowers were so stunning in person and smelled amazing!!

I used a salvaged door as the table top, it made for such a unique base and added all the more character to the table.

The guest favors were individual bags of tea with little tags that read "Brew a pot of tea in honor of the bride to be"

Brenda wanted the table design to be affordable and realistic for the average reader.  Other then the items collected form Etsy venders (list below) I tried not to purchase anything for this challenge just to show what can be done with all the trinkets lying around your house.  Below is a vintage tea pot my great-great-grandmother brought over on a ship from Finland.  Delicious Christy's Southern Red Velvet Cupcakes from Suite 106 Cupcakery.  Everything else are thrift store finds purchased over the years.

As a fun spin on a place card I used hand stamped vintage silverware placed in a mini flower arrangement to mark the spot for each guest.

Lots of mismatched china, candles, vintage globes, and mini chalkboards...

...Tea cups full of buttons...

...And lots of old books and cute knobs from World Market.  It's quite fun to see what can be pulled together with things from around the house!  Hope you all enjoy it!

Up next... Quick tutorial on how we hung the mason jar candles.

Photography - Kristin Rogers Photography
Flowers – Floral Design By Jacquline Ahne
Cupcakes – Suite 106 Cupcakery (Winners of Cupcake Wars on Food Network!)
Vintage Engraved Silverware – Wooden Hive
Personalized Tea Bags – Idea Chic
Invitations and Thank You Cards – Lemon and Lavender

Simple, Back Yard Baby Shower

My friend, Shannon, is pregnant with her first little girl (she already has two boys). So when her sister asked if I would do a few decoration type things for the shower I was happy to help.  Truth is they treated me by saying they were going to buy "Corny baby shower decor to make you gag" if I didn't do it, so really I had no choice. :)

It really was just a simple, small group of friends and family getting together so I didn't do much.  We threw up some tissue paper pom poms that I tied to torn strips of fabric to make a garland.  We also hung some large pom poms in the trees and made the food table nice and pretty.

We kept everything very casual and easy.  Pink utensils and napkins tied with strips of fabric then placed in a tin bucket. 

The food was all made by my friend, Amy.  It was delicious, colorful, and perfect for our little gathering.  The fruit kabobs are stacked on a large cake stand and the pasta salad was served in tiny, vintage, jelly jars (you could also use small mason jars like these).

For dessert they had a sundae bar with lots of toppings. Yum!!

I take back all (or at least most) of the mean things I've said about diaper cakes in the past, cause this was a very cute diaper cake indeed that my friend Miya made!!

Here is a close up shot of those giant pom poms hanging in the tree.  These are the same pom poms that made an appearance in this shoot here.

Even the simplest, casual baby shower or party can have fun details that make it feel extra special!

Swings, Trees & Curtains {Family Photo Shoot}

Daisy contacted me to do her family's yearly photos, along with the lovely Kristin Rogers.  I love how it all came together, simple, cozy, and happy.  Here is what we came up with.

Curtains, blanket, pillows, and snacks to go along with story time.  Daisy brought along muffins that we all ate, they were quite yummy!

I love using a tree swing in pictures, it's whimsical, playful, and sweet.

Giant, puffy, marshmallow lollypops.  I found these fun treats at World Market and the girls thought they were a great addition to the shoot.

I had to show you all the adorable dress Daisy wore during the shoot.  It's the Sunny Soiree Dress from Anthropologie that has a yellow and white, bird print bottom with ruffled top.  She added a wide, black belt to it to help pull the outfit together which I thought was such a classy way of dressing it up a bit. Perfect!!
If you would like to see the rest of this shoot go on over to Kristin Rogers Photography and check it out.

Bridal Shoot {Inspiration}

I really enjoyed working on this bridal shoot.  It was a great collaboration from a group of crazy, talented people!!  We had just got a bunch of rain, followed by sunshine which was just enough to make this field burst with wildflowers (and they were yellow, which went nicely with the shoot colors).

I wanted to keep the table simple but still filled with pretty things to look at.

I used a mixture of blue and white dishes, antique silverware, and small white ramekins filled with ripe strawberries.

The table was draped with simple white lace.

The (there are no words for how beautiful these are) flowers were done by Jacqueline Ahne of Floral Design By Jacqueline Ahne.  She is the kinda gal that you give an idea to and she runs with it and she ALWAYS delivers.  Beautiful.

I layered the table using cake stands, picture frames and baskets, all stacked in different ways to add some interest to the table.  I also added some antique trinkets, amber jars, glass votives, and a vintage crocheted lace runner.

The adorable pale green cake was displayed on a small side table.  It was backed by an old window resting on a large wooden easel.  This was perfectly lovely till a big gust of wind came in and knocked the window right on top of the cake. :(
For more images check out Kristin Rogers post or Bill Blakey post on this shoot.
Thank you Kristin for putting this all together, I know it was quite a task to pull off!  Here is a list of all the people involved in this shoot.  It really was such a pleasure working with this group, I definitely felt out of my league!!  

Hair – Dianna Lopez

Make – Up – Amy Clarke

Hair Pieces – A Touch of Vintage

Jewelry – Nicolenjoli Jewelry

Flowers – Flower Design by Jacqueline Ahne

Wardrobe & Styling – Rodellee

Wedding Cake – Cakes ‘N’ Bake

Bride Model – Allie Dayhuff

Bridesmaid Model – Tracy O

Groom Model – Rodrigo Nicolau

Groomsmen Model – Jon Riv