Blink - 2 years Later

Today we took advantage of the beautiful weather to take some pictures at a nearby park. I thought it would be interesting to see how much my girls have changed from when we took similar pictures at the same park two years ago. Enjoy!

The Girls - 2011

The Girls - 2013

Sophia - 2011

Sophia - 2013

Piper - 2011

Piper - 2013

Riley - 2011

Riley - 2013

The Girls - 2011

The Girls - 2013

I love these girls so much and am amazed at how quickly they are growing up. They are such good little girls. Sure, they argue sometimes, but they are best friends and love playing together. They love their mom and dad, are grateful for all that Jesus has done for them, and have generous, caring hearts. They are smart, athletic, and full of life. As much as I'd love them to stay little girls forever, I am also so proud of them and ever thankful I am their momma. I get to watch them continue to grow in this incredible life God has planned for our family.



Threads -- My Little Sewing Business

A couple of friends recently kept encouraging me to start my own little sewing business. So, I began Threads Custom Fabric Creations and have been busy ever since.

Come "like" me on facebook! Threads Custom Fabric Creations

I have already sewn at least twenty drapes, some lined and some unlined. Here are just a few:

I've played with all types of fabrics and textures. One client even had me make cafe curtains out of painter's drop cloth. I love her enthusiasm and out-of-the-box thinking.

I've made several Monogrammed Tooth Fairy Pillows which come with a poem in the pocket ($15/ea.). These make adorable gifts for children and parents The Tooth Fairy likes the ease of finding the tooth in the pocket rather than spending a ridiculous amount of time searching under the pillow for her oldest daughter's sacred tooth. Ahem...um...I mean...these pillows are great to hang on the outside of the bedroom door.

This week I'll be sewing looped ribbon security blanket "lovies" ($15/ea.) for a couple of baby showers. They are ultra soft and coordinate with each baby's nursery theme. I'll post pictures of them as soon as they are finished. Here are a few I've previously sewn for other babies:

Now that I'm sewing as a business, it's about time I get some of my own labels. What fun!

DIY Memo Board (No Cork Required)

I'd like to show you how I changed old wall art into a memo board (bulletin board). No cork boards were harmed in this project.

Once upon a time there was a large cafe/bistro framed picture. And as much as we loved it when we purchased it ten years ago, alas, like all fads, the bistro style for interior design had long since faded.

I decided to reuse the frame to create a bulletin board (memo board). I did not want to use a cork board in this project for two reasons. #1 most cork boards are expensive. #2 most (not all) cork purchased by the roll or square for DIY projects is so thin that once installed, it hardly holds a push pin.

I decided to go to the fabric store, 50% off coupon in hand, and buy one yard of 1/2 inch green foam. This is the kind of foam that is on a roll and is purchased by the yard, not the prepackaged foam which often is more expensive.

From the bistro picture I removed the glass and art but kept the cardboard backing and frame. I traced around the cardboard piece onto the larger green foam and cut out a piece of foam the same size as the cardboard.

Next, I simply wrapped leftover scrap fabric around the foam and used packing tape to secure it onto the back of the cardboard. I had a fabric layer on the front, foam layer in the middle, and cardboard layer in the back.

Finally, I placed placed it back in the frame and folded the little frame staples back down to keep the memory board in place. Viola! Total Price: $5.50 for the foam.

Oh, and push pins remain in this board because the foam is 1/2 inch thick.



Dining Room Before and After

This is how I changed my formal dining room from luscious red to aged faux.

Before

After

I used these pictures found on Pinterest as my inspiration for technique (not color):



My husband used a roller to paint the ceiling with the Behr Paint in Shelburne Buff - full strength - not diluted and I worked on the walls. First I used Behr Paint and Primer In One (Benjamin Moore color in Shelburne Buff) diluted with water and Martha (Stewart) Living Faux Finishing Glaze (clear - no color).

I brushed that on using a 3 inch brush. Yes, I painted the entire room with a brush. I used mostly vertical strokes with some horizontal strokes too (no diagonals, no sponge, no swirls). I was going for a very specific look. I wanted the red to peek through so I wasn't trying to cover every bit of red color.

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Next, I hand-brushed on a layer of brown glaze. I used Valspar Translucent Color Glaze in Mocha.

This shows the buff paint/glaze layer plus the Mocha glaze layer. I also glazed the crown molding with the Mocha glaze wiping most of it off and leaving the rest in the molding details.



Finally, I brushed on a few swipes of Martha (Stewart) Living Metallic Paint in Vintage Gold mixed with the clear glaze. I didn't want the gold to overpower the rest of the colors. It was just an accent brushed on here and there to create a little more drama and light reflection.

And we ended up with this:

So, to recap --

Before - I know the red is pretty, but the light remained off almost all the time. The room was a dark, cold space and we never used it.

After - This room is being transformed into my new sewing room. It's brighter, lighter, warmer, and inviting. I basically live in this space now and love it!