ABP Featured on FaveCrafts

I smiled so big when one of the editors at FaveCrafts asked me to contribute a craft project that my cheeks busted blood vessels. Seriously. It was disgusting.


After a little brainstorming, I came up with a craft that used materials that were oh-so-available; ala coins. Inspired by the movie Empire Records....which rocks with 90's awesomeness...in which a teen glues quarters to the floor, this project gives that idea a good hard kick in the pants. You don't need an artistic bone in your body...just spare change, a bit of hotglue and a frame.

Go check out some rad photos on how-to plus a little instructional commentary from yours truly. (that's me!) And I am sure your daddy-o will be proud to be display this piece of art (unlike the Disney tie that mysteriously got a giant Sharpie squiggly line on it). Plus, this gift looks expensive. And your #1 guy won't feel like you nickel and dimed him....but you totally did. Happy crafting ya'll!

Decoupaged Digits

That's right people. I am putting the swagger back into decoupage with a simple piece of art that you can do right at home. and for CHEAP. Just take a look at my finished result:


Let's say you have a frame that you want to feature a little gender neutral, totally personal, yet still hip work of fantasticalness. And the place you wanna feature this soon-to-be-hotter-than-a-jalapeno frame is not really appropriate for a blownup picture of you in your tankini in Cancun. (Pixels are not my cellulite's friend). SOooo, what's a girl to do?

Decoupage : The ancient art of gluing.

That's right. And the best part about our favorite glue-filled activity (while keeping your nose clean anyway) is that most of the supplies can be found in your home! Here's what you need to get your decoupage on:


Glue
Water
Scissors
Paper (or magazines or photos or whatev)
Something to stick your cutouts to (in my case, a piece of foamboard)
Paint, glitter, a pinch of love (optional)
Brush (or sponge or fingers)

First, cut out whatever little doodad you wanna paste down. Let's say you are making a Britney montage. Cut out a pink wig, a sign of Cedars Sinai, a microphone, a Cheetos logo, and a chubby Kev-dogg. Also include a picture of fireworks...cause you know, like a firecracker she makes it hot.


Personally, I chose some numbers that were near and dear to my heart. 1435. I printed them out in Word. And went to town with my nearest scalpel. Just call me Meredith Grey.


Then I mixed some water, elmer's glue, and some yellow paint. I added water till I got at the consistency I wanted...and brushed it all over the foam board...then laid the cutouts on top and gave it another good wiping or two. Pretend you are Nicole Kidman...on the beach...spread generously. The key to making the "old" look is to vary the colors...a little more brown in one wipe, a little more white in another.


The best part is that this piece of art incorporates some other existing art in my room! And you can personalize yours to do the same. In our kitchen was a yellow sea fan...but it was all by its lonesome in the hue department. Bringing in another piece of sunshine was just the ticket to make the yellow really pop. Plus, the frames in the kitchen hide outlets...no more wall acne!

Wanna get some digits? Cause you know you are lovin the numbered fun...Here is some inspiration.


So how bout you? Do you decou? What have you glued lately? Got digits in the house? And if you were to do this art, what numbers would you choose and why? Would they be your birthday - cause of the personal historic significance? or maybe your name is Jenny and you like 8675309 :) I think I just aged ten years.

Artsy Fartsy

I don't know about ya'll but I do NOT like the idea of purchasing art. Sure, Etsy has some great folks who are reasonably priced and their work is FANTASMICO. but didn't those people want to be 'starving artists'?! And who am I try to force feed someone who wants to be skinny?!?! Now force feeding a child is my style...or coercion to get a man to eat vegetables....I have even been known to shove a spoon in old peoples mouths (they gotta get their fiber)....but handing over a little, tiny, wee bit of moolah for a unique and utterly beautiful piece of art is not how I roll. I like art that is cheaper than dirt (and not that expensive fortified dirt...I am talking about the free dirt that comes with children, animals, and gossipers).

So obviously I was swooning and cringing when I saw the above photo in the December issue of Cottage Living. I was totally in love with the piece. I love the depth of darkness and the softness of light. It's modern. It's fresh. It's totally unique. But it's also probably ridiculously expensive. And I would never buy art that costs more than my first car. I mean, art doesn't even have a motor! Or air conditioning....oh wait...my car didn't have that either. So what's a cheapskate girl to do?

DIY! that's what! Out came a new frame (curtesy of Tar-ghey $8) and my box of paints and a scrap of white twill fabric. My goal was to make a piece that had tons of browns, lots of contrast, and even more randomness. And for all you artsy fartsy folks out there - I used a 2 inch brush, acrylic paints, and a large glass of sweet tea. (the tea was for a little inspiration...and a hit of caffiene. every artist needs a muse!)


Ten minutes later my masterpiece was near completion. Some might say that it resembled a muddy mess...but look closely and you might see a cloudy river or a stormy night or a few angel wings or even a howling coyote. The key is to paint till you feel happy...or buzzed from the Lipton. And then frame that baby.


In our den, we have been phasing out the red accents. It was time to replace the crimson magazine holder that called our hearth home for the last year. And my new paint-doodle was just the neutral piece that could temporarily turn our fireplace into an art gallery. Adding a candle and a bowl with mossy orbs was just the right pieces to complete the look.

Plus my new artwork covers up that little metal knob that is essential for cutting off the gas for our fireplace logs. But that ain't the best part. The fact that this beauty cost under $10 (and that includes the frame) puts the "lust" in my "illustration". Plus this is one piece of artwork that I won't see as I lurk on your blogs. It is totally unique. And that makes me very happy.

So now all you gotta do is get out there and get some inspiration - grab some paint and leftover fabric and you will be well on your way to creating a masterpiece that will put Picasso to shame. And for all of you that need a little shove in the right direction - check out some of these fabulous posters that would be perfect for a little copy-cat action here here and here. You too can be Monet (and keep your ears while you're at it!). Artsy Fartsy never smelled so good.

Sew Simple I Can Do It

When I saw some of the cutesy crafts that Meg at Whatever made, I was totally impressed. Then I found this Martha Stewart video and decided to attempt my own personalized appliques.

A quick trip to JoAnn's enabled me to grab a variety of all-purpose thread, some quarter-yards of cutesy fabric, and some fusible interfacing. Then I headed to Target and Walmart to pick up my little people clothing. I broke out the sewing machine and followed the instructions to the letter.

My first attempt - a little fur lined hoodie from Wallie-mart personalized for my neice, Clara. A February birthday will be the perfect opportunity to 'present' her with this gift.

And a little onesie for a friend's baby...and let me tell ya, the straight lines of the "W" were definitely easier than the "C". Since the little one is named Willow, the modern pink leaf-patterned fabric is reflective of her 'natural' title.

In my mind, packaging gifts is just as important as the gift itself. So a chocolate satin bow with a personalized tag makes this onesie more popular than Super Bowl commercials. Well, almost. Steph - be on the lookout, the package is in the mail :) I hope our little girl likes it. And yea, any smiling, drooling, gas, or sleeping means that she loves it.

How bout you guys? Have you attempted an easy-peezy-lemon-squeezy craft that is too cute? Please share. Afterall, we adults have to do the crafts. Because babies can't sew...they can do this...but they can't sew :)

Painted Pumpkin Party

In celebration of TODAY, we are hosting a little painted pumpkin party! I scoured the globe in search of the perfect painted pumpkin and on the way, fell in love with some of the best spraypainted, fingerpainted, and theme painted little Jack's. These acrylic adorned wonders are not only fun to make - but a heck of a lot safer than handling cutlery!

On my adventure to find some of the best looking 'kins - I did find a gem of a project that will be just up my alley come next Halloween. It involves some dead little trees, some black spray paint, and a black painted pot with candy corn.


The best part about the spooky forest decorations is that I calculated it to cost under $10 for a pair of them (assuming you can find some branches for free in the woods). That is my kinda project! Perfect for hanging treats on just like in the BHG version.

Ok - back to the Pump party:

Gourd yourself with gold! These glowing wonders are perfect for a top a buffet, smooshed into a wreath with some moss, or stacked inside a tall vase for some sheeny fun. I love the traditional influence with the greens and oranges peaking out from beneath the golden veil. And how fabulous would a dinner party be with one of these minis holding your name card - it would be worth it's weight in gold I tell ya.

Neutral territory can be difficult to find in a pumpkin. But these muted colors could tie in your new pumpkin with any room of the house. Easy to do and uber-graphic with it's straight lines and cubed overcoat - this pumpkin is anything but square!

It's bewitching to paint pumps on pumps! And any cute shoes with ribbons are all I need to pump up the party. These are adorable and easy to boot! If I owned a shoe shop, I would line my front window with different size pumpkins with painted footwear on each one. Talk about a winning display - those shoes would be to die for!

Creatures of the night can crawl into your heart! These crafty little critters courtesy of Parents.com are made from mini kins and are not for the easily scare-able. I can see myself walking into a room half asleep and totally attacking this wee little guy thinking a gargantuan mutant arachnid was loose in the house :)

Glitter me good! Even Martha loves these sparkly little suckers and we all must obey Martha...I hear she got some friends in the clink that will take you out if you try to argue!

Plaid, and painted, and polka-dots, oh my! This fantastic idea is a virtual variety show! Make a slew of different shapes, kinds and colors into a cohesive theme with the help of integrated hues. Not only do the colors collaborate but you can customize these for your own country style front porch.

And the last guest in the painted pumpkin party is totally cracked up! This lovely Jack looks spooky and chic all in one. Covered with crackling paint from a leftover project can make your pumpkin look old as time but fab for today. If only I could find my crackling paint I would do this project on minis for more harvest decor.

If you have some painted pumpkins you love (maybe your kids did Spongebob who is guarding your porch tonight or your two year old had fun fingerpainting his mini guard), and you would like to share - shoot me a photo via email. That would be the treat in my Trick-or-Treat!

Happy Halloween! Hope it is safe and fun for all of you!

Nate Berkus Said So

And if Nate said so, then we must get to it. What am I blabbing about? Oh a little thing called sea life essentials. Mr. Decorating-Fantastico-Berkus said that each living space should contain at least one piece of sea life. And who am I to argue with perfection?!?! clarification - decorating perfection. Seriously folks, I am married! And Mr. Easy on the Eyes is no match for my boyfriend :)


Back to the post - let's focus. Our office is kinda seaside themed. And on our last visit to the sea, I was able to pick up some amazing coral, shells, and beachy souveniers. Shells can be found just about anywhere. And it is a fun game with kids. You can even use a guide to find out exactly whatcha found.


When in the Bahamas, I picked up some sand dollars and threw them in a bucket of bleach. I know. I am a horrible person. But on the upside, I was in a place that you could literally kick the sand and three would float up...so I feel like I was helping the natural selection process along :) Don't judge me.


Also, because our coral reefs are endangered - make sure that if you get coral - it is not living but found on the beach or bright white in the sand. Just make sure that whatever great sea-life souvenier you bring home that you take the time to bleach dip (or throw it in a baggie to stash in your freezer for a few days) to eliminate bringin some unwanted sea critters or sea debri into your home. Eel poo is not something you want to display.


Here is another tip - Mini Pringle containers are the perfect snack on the beach and then reuse as a holder for your cup-o-sand.

I wanted to create a way to display a sand dollar from our most recent trip to the beach. So I picked up a shadow box from Ikea, pulled out some sandy colored scrapbook paper and my trusty glue gun.
The edges of the sand dollar got a dab here and there and WahLA!

Instant art. A classic hurricane held my pink tinted sand and a piece of coral that I picked up and a mucho cheapo art card completed the look.

Now Nate would be proud. I have my office shelves decked out with shells, sailboats, and a couple odds and ends to give that washed-up-on-the-shore feel.

Wanna get some seaside art on the cheap? How bout craving the homemade stuff? Well, it just so happens that I am BFF with some folks that can send you a super chic coral leaf print for only twenty bones. Or check out Etsy for some sea shells under $5 to make your own crafty-craft. And for those of you that do not care for this inexpensive route, (saving money - pashaw!)Z Gallerie has some fantastic faux coral that will put the sea in your 'See my super-posh, Nate Berkus designed room?!?!'

Asking For It

When I heard that one of my best friends, Brook was preggars...it took me a while to come out and ask to do a shower. Why? Well, we went on a trip together with our church youth group & we were both in a uber busy stage. Also, Brook had a miscarriage with her first pregnancy. Out of fear that it might happen again, she was reluctant about spreading the good news with this baby. I can only imagine that she felt hesitant to let herself get attached. And I wanted to respect that by waiting till the fingernail chewing first trimester was over and all was well. So when she started telling other people, it was definitely time for me to pop the question.

I wanted to make it really REALLY special. After all, this girl was glued to my side during my wedding preparations and I know that I would just fall apart if I didn't get to vent to her every other day. She is that precious.

Asking "Can I throw you a baby shower?" just didn't seem enough. So I put my craftiness skills to the test. I decided I would give her a gift...a small token that would distract her momentarily and then spring on her the motive behind it.

I got a paper parasol and set upon painting it up really cutesy. I did it based on her original choice of bedding. And although it doesn't match what she ended up getting - I am so glad because dude, her new bedding choice rocks!

With the help of my trusty glue gun, some trim, ribbon and a bit of imagination - Brook's parasol was complete.

Then I set on making her a little red and white polka dot fabric bag to slip the parasol into. I made a little poem - glued in on some scrapbook paper and attached the poem to the outside with some ribbon. It was adorable if I do say so myself. Oh - and the last stanza of the poem I attached directly to the parasol handle so that when she opened the gift, she would know the true intention of the gift.

Wanna hear the poem? Ok - here she is:

Brook dear Brook
You got a bun in the oven
We know how it got there
Too much of Kent’s lovin’

Brook dear Brook
You have to keep growing
Cause labor’s no cake
(Practice breathing and blowing)

Brook dear Brook
You’ll have a little one soon
Your belly will shrink
Like a deflated balloon

Brook dear Brook
I hope it won’t hurt
I promise to be there
To greet the wee squirt

Brook dear Brook
I’m so very happy for you
I pray for your safety
And the little one’s too

Brook dear Brook
You have a lot you still need
The Baby will eat, sleep, poop
And grow like a weed

Brook dear Brook
Open this package with care
This will help you be ready
For a “showered” affair.

and she opened the package and read the tag which said:

Brook dear Brook
Here is my heart felt request
May I throw you a party?
Will you be the special guest?

She said "What?! What!?" And then I asked. It was great. I mean, if she wasn't having a baby I probably wouldn't give her some random umbrella made of paper. That's just weird. But seeing how a little bambino is on the way & I made up a special poem - it seems cute...I hope.

So that is how the whole baby shower process started. And now that the invites are out, it can't be stopped! Any fun ways you have done for your guest of honor? How bout when you asked your friends to be a bridesmaid? I love this kinda stuff - I could read about it all day long.

Oh - and just so that everyone knows - she said "yes!"

Shower Invitations

When I asked for your votes on the baby shower invites for my good friend Brook - you came back with the following advice -

"Keep it simple, stupid" - paraphrased of course.
"Love green"
"Prefer #2" - maybe because it is like totally simple(?)

So I went back to the drafting board and came up with this very SIMPLE and a little more GREEN version of #2. I figure since it is pretty basic that I can be more creative with the shower itself...don't want people to think that the best thing about the shower was the invite, right?

Oh and you can't see it but the white paper is actually adorned with tiny pink polka dots. Maybe I'll even add another layer of vellum to add some whimsy :) And I love 3D invites - anything with bows, texture or puffy paint is right up my alley...so I thought the cute little bow was just enough to sweeten this invite deal.

So whatta ya thinka? Is this shower ready or stormy weather ahead? ok - that was just super cheesy - seriously though, do you like it? Or is it too simple?

The Container Store

Just a quick note to remind you about The Container Store. What is The Container Store? It is a retail smorgasbord of boxes, storage containers, and clothing organizational products.

But wait! There is more to this storage store than just plastic boxes and closet neccessities.

What I really dig is their gift wrap, totes, tags and creative packaging. It is adorable! Perfect paper & accessories for those shower favors, birthday presents, and wedding gifts! Not only can you mix and match but they also have specialty tags - like a menswear tie tag for father's day! How cute!

Here is the eye candy :)

Flower Power

Tie the Knot!

Brighten Her Day

Baby Talk

Birthday Bash

Stylish Celebrations

Reasons to Celebrate

His Special Day

Home Companion Magazine

oh. my. heavens. I think - no, I know that I am slightly in an euphoric state of mind. All due to the discovery of discoveries. The ying to my yang. The peanut butter to my jelly.

I have found for the first time (don't laugh) the website of Mary Engelbreight's Home Companion magazine.

And I am in love. Most of you will be like - duh, that's been around for - like - ever. And that may be true. I don't know. What I do know is that IT IS SUPER COOL.

Most days, I pour over magazines and websites that feature modern and sleek design. But let's be honest - I can only incorporate so much of that "newness" into my own 1974 home. We need a little traditional infusion to keep it down to earth. And Home Companion features traditional digs - sometimes they even have a little southern style :) like this - TA DA!

Click on the pic - make it bigger - awe over the spring-timey kitch. It is just lovely!

The best part of the website though is....

drum roll please...

the HANDS ON - HANDMADE Section.

Oh - I wish I was a better seamstress - then I could make these:

I think I will attempt them anyway :) That and I want to make the tag-alongs, carefree coasters, hang it up for the holidays hangers, and eyeglass cases! Oh the home-made goodness is overwhelming!

Let me know if you see something on there that strikes your fancy - and if you have ever attempted the crafts - I want to see end results - PRETTY PLEASE!