On the Road Again - Lamp Restyle

Smarty Pants, my almost 5 year old, absolutely loves cars.  He loves to play with cars, he likes to watch movies & shows about cars, he knows the make & model of most cars, he points out the different types of rims (huh?), he even enjoys going to all-day car events with The Mister-- I guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree :)  So, of course, he wants a CAR room.  I didn't want to pigeon-hole him, so at first it started out as a "Transportation" room, but now I think it's time to go all-out cars, cars, cars!

First project...

A Car-inspired Lamp

I took a plain old lamp...

this one was part of a set that we purchased at Home Depot years ago

Changed out the lamp shade...

I picked up the black drum shade at Target for $13

Cut out white craft felt into 1 x .5 inch pieces... 

Asked Smarty Pants which cars he wanted on his lamp and

Glued everything down with a hot glue gun...

Quick and easy!  The hardest part was figuring out the spacing of the dotted white line.

My lampshade has a 37.5 inch circumference so I spaced apart the felt strips every 1.5 inches. 

Cars in Motion...

just ignore the cars that are driving backward...


As far as projects go, it was really fast and easy-- 20 minutes tops.  And the best part is that Smarty Pants absolutely loves it.

Next up:  Pixelated Car Wall Art

linked to:
between naps on the porch
all things heart & home
sew much ado
someday crafts
somewhat simple
shabby nest
just a girl

Oh Martha Monday - Felt Fortune Cookies

These are darling...

how-to here



They're cute for Valentine's Day, but in a different color scheme, they'd also make a unique favor for an Asian-inspired party or wedding. And with a glue gun, I think they'd be pretty quick to crank out.

Where, oh where, did the weekend go?  And for that matter, where did January go??!! Happy last-day-of-January!

The Rotunda - Before & After

I thought I'd share a small project that's been in-the-works for a while. Last summer we framed the alcoves in our rotunda... I mentioned it way back when. Last night I finally put together the finishing touches.   As usual, I'm very slow with this decorating stuff, but I'm happy with the outcome.

{before}

{after}

i found the vases at Home Goods last fall.

the pussy willow stems are from Target.  They're well-made & flexible.

With all the white and cream, it's a nice, calming look.  I was eyeing some peacock feathers the other day... I might go that route when I get tired of serene and want a splash of bold color.

I have a couple of projects that I've been working on involving Hot Wheels, Lamps and Pixelating... Hopefully they'll be ready to share next week.

Have a great weekend!

linked to:

between naps on the porch

Rugs, Rugs, Rugs.... and an Overstock Discount!

We're in need of a large area rug for our Family Room.  Our feet are cold and our poor floor has been taking a beating.

When we purchased our home, it came with beautiful travertine tile throughout most of the downstairs rooms.  However, as with most soft stone, it chips easily... especially when Hot Wheels (those little metal devils) are dropped and thrown at rapid-fire speed-- pew, pew, pew! pew, pew, pew!  Since Hot Wheels and CARS keep my fellas busy and (mostly) out of trouble, I can't justify taking them away.  So instead of removing the problem, we're just going to cover it up!

Our Family Room is very neutral, so picking a rug style has been hard for me.  Do I want to go floral?  contemporary? retro? statement piece? or blend in?   And to make it even more difficult,  The Mister has an opinion too (can't this just be a dictatorship? it's much easier that way! heh heh! )

Here's our Family Room:

pretty boring... the right area rug could definitely warm up this room!

our current rug worked for our previous home, but is way too small for this space. also, the cream colors just blend into the rest of the floor.

And here are some Area Rugs that I'm we're considering:

floral

via overstock

i'm leaning away from traditional, but this may be transitional enough.

via crate & barrel
a little busy, but i saw it in person and liked it.  the mister's non-commital though.

contemporary

via overstock

i'm drawn to this.  the mister said "crop circles?"  and yet, i'm still drawn to it.

via crate & barrel

i also like this one.  the mister said "pick-up sticks?"... you see what i'm dealing with?  dictatorship already! :)

via overstock

the mister discovered this one.  the circles are growing on me...

retro

via west elm

kinda neat and puzzle-like...

via overstock

ooh, this is bold.  definitely a statement piece.

We've been "researching" rugs on and off for over a year now.  So when I received an email from Overstock offering a discount to my readers,  and my other tab was open to Overstock's huge selection of area rugs... Well of course I took that as a sign! 

And so my friends, after viewing about a million rugs and measuring & remeasuring, we finally purchased a rug last night.  One of the above rugs is making its way to us as we speak.  Care to guess?  I'll make the big reveal once we're all situated.

And, thanks to our friends at Overstock, here are a couple of discount codes especially for you:

121745 - good for 10% off Overstock products (excluding movies, books, and electronics). This discount code never expires, however, it can only be used once per email address.

202234 - free shipping promo code for electronics.

Thanks for reading and happy shopping!

legalese:  No animals were har... I mean, all the ideas and opinions expressed are my own. No monetary compensation was received for doing this post, however, I was provided with a 10% discount code. 

Real TV - Season 25: Oprah Behind the Scenes

I've watched Oprah sporadically throughout the years but, since this is the final, highly-anticipated last season,  I decided to tape the shows and watch them after the kids have gone to bed.  I have to say Season 25 continues to be fantastic-- showstopping guests, great topics, and over-the-top viewer love. 



Even more fascinating to watch is Season 25: Oprah Behind the Scenes, which airs on Oprah's OWN network.  What goes on behind the camera, and all the work that goes into producing a show is, for lack of better words, simply a-m-a-z-i-n-g.  Oprah isn't kidding when she says she has the hardest working team on television.  I literally feel their stress... and relief when everything works out.  I enjoy watching Oprah interact with her team as well as seeing all the efforts that go into the making of a single show. I don't blame Oprah for retiring... what an exhausting, neverending routine that she's been doing for the last 25 years. 

And, of course, of course, of course, it's interesting to see the celebrities as they prep for a show (Liza Minnelli rehearsing in her little black hoodie was just adorable-- think what you may, but that tiny woman has spunk!).  They also include some interesting tidbits that aren't addressed on air (the Judd episode and why Ashley didn't appear... hmmmm....).  Fun stuff!

Between Oprah's shows, Top Chef, Glee and American Idol, I'll have enough shows to watch to last me through Fall! 

p.s. I haven't started watching American Idol yet... hope those judges are good!

2011 New Year's "List"

{I started typing this post in December... time to stop tweaking it so I can get this out before 2012!}

Last year, in lieu of making a new year's resolution, I instead made a 2010 New Year's List-- A long laundry list of things that I hoped to accomplish during the year.  It worked well because I'm hugely motivated by crossing items off a list.  However, since we were still settling into our house last year, the "list" was ridiculously long.  So it's no surprise that there's some things that I never got around to completing. 

A year later and I think it's time to conquer some of these tasks and add a few more!  Here is my new

2011 New Year's To-Do List--

Organize the blasted junk Craft Room

probably not surprising that this is at the top of my list.  my blood pressure will be happy once this room is straightened out!  oh, and this picture was taken after i worked on it a few days.  it looks MUCH better than when i started!

problem: 

Not enough storage space.  Too cluttered for me to walk into, let alone work in.

what i've done thus far:

I bought the large expedit and it's a start, but i need more practical storage space. Must go vertical!

solution:

Purge!

Donate the misfit toys that somehow ended up in there.
And how did that gigantic sub-woofer end up in there too?
Organize the Expedit

Install shelves in the walk-in closet

Create an inspiration board
Create an idea file
Create a gift wrap area

Organize our Garage Entry

problem:  

Tripping over shoes, book bags & discarded jackets.

what i've done thus far:

nothin'

solution:

Create a mini-mudroom area in our teeny, tiny garage-entry

Buy hooks for jackets & book bags

Create storage for errant shoes

Set up mail bins

Organize the Office

problem: 

Most of the paperwork is still in boxes, artwork is still not hung.

what i've done thus far:

Purchased and set-up the furniture.

solution:

Set-up and organize the office

Hang wall art

Organize files (ick!)

Unload boxes and organize the other stuff (double ick!)
This is actually The Mister's "to do"... I may just pass the buck :)

Bonus Room

problem: 

No place to display the kid's artwork
Need to purge the baby toys & reorganize
Absolutely nothing on the walls

what i've done thus far:

Purchased the ikea curtain wire system

solution:

Set-up art wall system so we can display the boys' picassos
Purged & reorganized  the toys
Create & hang wall art
Create & hang Map bulleting/magnetic boards
Add wall shelving to store books and magazines

Boy's Rooms

problem:

the boys rooms are still not completely set-up

solution:

Happy Vee's "Around the World" Room
hang vinyl "world" artwork
create & hang globe mobile
organize his books!
finish photo gallery
hang shelves & chalkboard
hang ceiling "art"
buy big boy bed

Smarty Pant's Car Room

create modern car artwork for over his dresser
hang wall art
create magnetic board
hang ceiling "art"
create car lamp

Other House Stuff

find & buy a rug for our family room
hang the photo wall gallery or art in our family room
finish replacing the window treatment for the upstairs
finish decorating the powder room... new mirror, wallpaper (?)
decorate the boy's joint bathroom
create message board for garage entry
encourage The Mister to finish cleaning out the garage so I can park inside!
install lighting in happy vee's room
install chandelier above kitchen table

For Me

problem:
often tired and grouchy, usually caused by not enough sleep & not enough personal time

 solution:
Get to bed by 11 PM
Be more patient (especially with the 3 yr old who is a tad defiant)
Find time to hang out with the girls more often.
Find a babysitter
Go on more dates with the Hubby
Walk more (the Shape-ups should help, right?)
Get my hair cut more often
Get a massage, by a professional (the one armed, 30 second massage by a sleepy Mister does not count!)
Plan a family trip!

Well, it's nice to have everything written out, but I'm going to need a huge amount of energy and drive to get through this list.  Extra hard with youngsters underfoot.  Come this fall, when Smarty Pants starts Kindergarten and Happy Vee is in Preschool (and I have 2.5 hours of solitude), I just may actually make a dent in it!

Do you have a 2011 "to-do" list?  What are you tackling this year?

Oh Martha Monday - Lace Votives

How pretty are these?

how-to here

These would be lovely for a girl's party, shower, or perhaps a romantic Valentine's dinner.  I would definitely use battery-powered candles though.

Here's to a calm, productive Monday!

Weekly Inspiration - 1.22.2011

So many great blogs.... So little time.  How does one keep track?  I use Google Reader to "follow" my somewhat ginormous list of favorite blogs.  It's the only way that I can keep track of the many interesting ideas, projects and inspirations that blogland has to offer. I'm hoping that one day the good folks at Google will come up with a way to categorize "favorites"-- but, until then, I'll just continue to *star* my favorite posts and cross my fingers that I remember the correct "search" words.

I find myself *starring* interesting posts on a daily basis, but don't always have the time or opportunity to incorporate them into my own blog.  So I thought I'd highlight a few posts each week which have caught my attention and perhaps, have caused me to pause and think a little... which is usually a good thing! :)

Happy Reading!

marshmallow structures via the artful parent

my kids would literally "eat this up!"

ars gratia artis via little girl big closet & adiaphane

beautiful photos.  i think they're taking the fashion blog concept to a whole new level.

the power of women as consumers by roxy of effortless anthropologie @ little girl big closet

to buy, or not to buy, that is the question...

 junk drawer overhaul via brooklyn limestone

this serves as a gentle reminder to myself-- "hey, you're not done cleaning that junk drawer room!  get back to it, pronto!

blogging tips by madigan made

i think she hit it out of the ballpark with these tips.  good advice for all bloggers and, if you're interested in the "behind the scenes" of a blogging, an informative read.

candy cane heart suckers via the idea room

my kids love peppermint and would absolutely adore these. too bad i don't have any leftover candy canes this year.

Have a great weekend!

Felt Heart Garland

Here's how my Felt Quilled Heart Garland turned out--

i put a couple dots of hot glue on the top of each heart and attached the baker's twine

now the mantel has a little fun color and, believe it or not, little hands have yet to touch it.

i hung the garland using these clear 3m hooks.  they're tiny, almost invisible, and easy to apply & remove.



I had extra hearts so I did a vertical garland as well--

it was an easy way to gussy up the hall closet

if i had planned this out better, i would've strung the twine through the center of the heart during the gluing process (and perhaps punched a small hole through the bottom of the heart for the string to pull through).  but it turned out fine hot gluing the baker's twine to the back of the hearts. 

See here for the felt heart tutorial

This week went quickly, but boy am I glad it's almost the weekend.  Have a good one!

linked to:
all things heart & home
tatertots & jello
under the table and dreaming
between naps on the porch
coastal charm
someday crafts
the shabby nest
someday crafts: valentine's linky party
somewhat simple - valentine's linky party