breaking the rules with blue

do you have a favorite color? i have several. blue green, sage, cream and chocolate. they relax me. they say cozy to me. i love these colors.


when you love something you are naturally drawn to it. that is the way i am with these colors- especially when decorating my home.

i have found myself on more than one occasions saying "i can't paint it blue, i have blue everywhere." or "i really love the green one, but maybe i should buy a different color since everything else i own is green."


then i realized. who cares if everything in my house is blue? it is my house {and my hubby, who loves the same colors as me} so if i want every room to be blue, then that is what i will do.


maybe that is a no-brainer for you. for me it took a while to come to that realization. i feel like my house really flows well together. every room has at least one of my colors - sage, blue green, cream or chocolate.


so whether it is red and black. yellow and white. or orange and brown. whatever your favorite colors are i say go for it. buy it. paint it. sew it. whatever color makes you happy and makes you feel at home.


go ahead. break the rules.

DIY: chalkboard cabinets

i've mentioned chalkboard paint before. man i love that stuff. if the Lord blesses me with a boy some day i hope to do part of one of his walls with chalkboard paint. super cute.



in the meantime, i will use it in my kitchen. i have seen people chalkboard paint their cabinet doors before and loved the idea and wanted to include it in my kitchen redo on my pantry cabinet door.


boy am i glad i did. it was so simple. so fun.


supply list:
- chalkboard paint {i got mine at home depot for around $11. this stuff goes a long ways though, so you won't need much. i've also used the spray paint version. i did not like it.)

- chalk


how to:
1.) make sure your cabinet door is primed if you are painting over wood.

2.) paint with the chalkboard paint like you would any latex paint. i did two coats.

3.)very important - wait at least 3 days before you write on it. so hard to do!

4.) even more important - "season" the chalkboard by rubbing the side of a piece of chalk up and down the chalkboard until it is covered with chalk. then wipe it off with a paper towel.

5.) write something cheerful on your new, beautiful chalkboard. i did words that remind me of fall. maybe the words to a poem. a song. a verse. a recipe. change it for the different seasons. change it monthly and use it as a way to remember important dates. leave it completely blank for your children to write on. most importantly, enjoy it!

inspirational site

came across this website today. perfect for a copy cat crafter like myself. {thanks rachel for leaving a comment on my blog with a link to your site. love it.}


so click here for great ideas. http://www.oneprettything.com/ the best part is one of my sister's ideas was used on the site!

inspiration

tonight as i was "watching" tv with my husband, i came across a picture in an old pottery barn magazine that i love. i love it so much i am going to do it at my house.


so. first comes inspiration. check. then comes the plan.


the plan is to watch for a sale on unfinished wood at hobby lobby and buy three ledges. i love in the picture how the ledges are hung slightly low, so it feels almost like a real shelf.


as i looked more closely at this picture i really liked how they used letters. naturally, i guess, i am drawn to them. so the plan grew. not only will i do three shelves but each of us in our family will each have a shelf, with our initial on it and pictures of us. our travels. our fun memories.




so after plan comes action. hopefully in the next few weeks i will complete this project.


thank you pottery barn. once again, you've inspired me.

DIY: movie themed invite

here is an invite i created for a hollywood themed bridal shower my friend was throwing for her sister. i came up with the idea {an original idea! wow!}, but she put it all together and did an amazing job with it.

you should try it too!

supply list:
- black cardstock (29 cents a sheet - although it does go on sale for cheaper.)

- a square punch (at hobby lobby about $9 regular price. watch for sales or use a 40% off coupon)

- computer

-glue


how to:
1). first we cut the black cardstock so that it would fit into business sized envelops.

2.) next step was the hardest. my friend really hurt her hand with this one. punch the sides of the invitation to look like a movie film {up and down the long sides}. she made 40 invites, so i think her hand was really sore by the end.

3.) she used her sister's engagement pictures and microsoft word to create the rest of the invite. notice her use of movie terms in the invite: "palof productions presents...". you could also use words like "starring {bride's name", etc.

4.) cut the info part of invite so it fits in the middle of the punches on the cardstock and glue.



total cost: around 35 cents per invitation because we didn't use a 40% off coupon and there wasn't a sale on the punch. still very cheap and cute!

DIY: a language lesson from the kitchen

in my former life i was a spanish teacher. because of that i am always noticing different moods of language {i know. nerd alert}. the kitchen is all about the imperative mood {or commands.} think about the words you use while in the kitchen. cook. eat. whisk. beat. flip. add.


all of these are commands.


this {and a picture from the lettered cottage} inspired my art work for my newly redecorated kitchen. some of this artwork is a work in progress so you'll have to wait to see it. what i have done was cheap and easy.

supply list:
- again letters from hobby lobby. what i used are the super think letters. $1.99 each.

- paint

- two sided 3m mounting tape $2


how to:
1.) so simple. paint the letters.

2.) hang with the mounting tape to avoid the hassle of putting nails in the wall and making sure they are level.

unique organization idea

i love to have an organized house. i love baskets for blankets, toys and towels. i love jars for pennies, pencils and pins.


on the otherhand...


i hate mail. well, except for home magazines and letters from friends. i hate that you have to do stuff with that, well, stuff.


i put it in a basket. usually. then twice a year that basket gets too full and then i must file it. yuck.


so maybe i should try to use something more unique for organization of mail. i liked this idea from martha:


it could be cottagey painted a nice green or blue. then maybe distress it. i could see it in my office organizing my different projects and ideas. i could see it used at christmas time for christmas cards.

how do you stay organized?