I recently discovered Fabric.com… and happened upon this site just in time to browse a fabulous sale! So I went a little crazy and ordered a total of 5.5 yards in a variety of yellow patterns to add some more splashes of color to our family room.
Here’s a peek:
And a shot with the purple couch:
Love it!
Stay tuned to see how these fabrics get incorporated into our family room decor!
Just thought I’d capture a few little characters around the house, inspired by the new ones we added to the mix last weekend.
Funny story about these ladies — I was actually in Moscow in 2010, but had no opportunities to go shopping or see the sights (even though I was staying a mile away from Red Square). I didn’t even have the chance to browse the airport shops. Later that year, my parents were in Alaska, and found this Matroyshka set in an authentic Russian store. So she bought them for me as a “consolation prize” for not getting to shop for my own set in Moscow!
I bought a set of these tea light birdies on clearance at Pier 1 a few years ago. They were too cute to pass up, and the price was great!
You can follow me on Instagram @onuwriter06
Have a wonderful weekend! I am planning some crafty projects, so check back in next week to see how they turned out!
Thought I’d share another update on our veggie garden! It’s been 5 weeks since we planted our garden, and things are literally bursting at the seams!
The squash is like the vegetable version of the Incredible Hulk – see how the leaves are squished up against the netting!! But no zucchinis to eat yet.
I have a tendency to make a lot of impulse purchases from the veggie, fruit and herb section at Lowe’s. Weird, I know. I guess it could be worse. This summer’s impulse buy was 1 tiny cantaloupe in a 3-inch pot. Fast-forward 5 weeks and it has completely consumed the left-hand side of the bed. It’s growing up the side of the netting and sending little shoots out that grasp onto anything within reach – zucchini stems, the tomato plants, etc. It’s threatening to overtake the strawberry plant behind it, but I’m keeping it in check with my handy dandy clippers! I think this means I’d better create a more solid plan before I plant next year’s veggies!
My 4 cucumber plants have a lot of small shoots on them, and one in particular is starting to look like an actual cucumber! Hopefully it’ll be ready to harvest soon!
I also noticed a few tomatoes hiding among the leaves…
I definitely waited a little too long to transplant my veggies – I know a lot of people have been harvesting for a few weeks now. But maybe this means we’ll be reaping in fresh produce into the fall months!
I have to confess something before I get on with this post.
I have a love/hate relationship with crafting. (whew! I said it)
I am easily seduced by DIY ideas. I imagine wildly creative sessions with editorial-worthy results. The reality? I usually jump into things without planning. I make huge messes. I get discouraged easily. I have a vision of the results that the reality never achieves (in my opinion). And to top it off, my husband has a ridiculously good eye and hand for crafting/drawing/design. Which usually means he completes the project to perfection as I pout in the corner (yes, I am totally embarrassed to admit this).
But I am determined to change this. First by carefully planning the craft before I even step foot in a Michaels or Hobby Lobby. And second by trying to remind myself to take things slowly and have patience throughout the process. It’s a work in progress, but so far, my new mantra has yielded a presentable front door wreath, and my latest endeavor: painted bowls to house office supplies on my desk.
The inspiration for these bowls came from the lovely Ez over at Creature Comforts. You can view her version here.
I wanted to play around with a few different dishes, so I purchased some basic white oven-safe ceramic/porcelain ones at Target, all for very reasonable prices. I couldn’t find the same brand of paints at my local Michaels crafts store that Ez had used, but I found a comparable brand that stated it would work on porcelain/ceramic. I knew I wanted pinks and oranges, since those are the colors I want to use in my office. I also picked up a metallic silver to add some bling, a variety pack of brushes, as well as small round sponging brushes, all from Michael’s.
I laid out all of my dishes, wiping them down with rubbing alcohol first to ensure they were clean.
And then I got to work! With a little planning first, of course! I started with the bowls, as they seemed easiest. I squirted a dollop of paint into the center, selected a brush (I used a fan brush for the pink and a more rectangular/basic brush for the orange) and started swirling paint up the sides.
I wanted to get more creative with the plate and the mug. After a failed attempt to stencil the plate AND the mug, I scraped the paint off and decided on an easier design: orange polka dots for the plate, using one of the sponging brushes, and pink chevrons for the mug. However, the chevrons didn’t turn out as planned either. After one sorry-looking row of zig-zags, I just went with the artistic swirly all-over brushstroke look. And then added some silver polka dots for good measure.
Here’s a finished shot, complete with office supplies!
I can’t wait to pull the rest of my office together! I think these would look perfect on a white wood desk, mixed in with a bouquet of fresh flowers!
These would also be great for storing other little trinkets, keys, jewelry, etc. Or just as a colorful accent on a coffee table!
**Note: this paint is NOT food-safe! Please do not use it on dishes/items that you would serve food on/in.
There are two ways to “cure” this paint: the first is to let it air cure for 21 days; the second is to wait 48 hours, then place item(s) in a cold oven, set the temperature to 325-degrees, bake for 30 minutes, and allow to cool before removing. I intended to do the oven curing, but wound up letting them sit for 21 days.
My veggies have been growing out of control lately, but I have yet to get any produce out of them. I was beginning to worry that I had waited too long to plant them, but as I was watering tonight, I spotted my first harvestable produce!
It’s the little things that make me happy. Especially a little home-grown strawberry!
And it was dee-licious!
