Make // Pineapple Gold Leaf Bowl

I wasn't going to jump onboard the "pineapple decor" bandwagon. But then, on our trip to Kauai, I saw this 1970's designed pineapple bowl while perusing the Tourist Section at Walmart. You know that section? The one that all the locals avoid? I was fearless and risked my reputation for this!! I kid. Sorta… Anyhow, for 5 bucks, I figured I could indulge the trend.

BTW, this bowl is made from pine, not pricey koa or monkey pod that some of the vintage pieces are made from. So while this pineapple bowl brings me back to the time of avocado shag carpet and orange formica… aah memories… I'm clearly someone who enjoys living in this century, and had no problem updating it with a little paint and bling.

My only struggle was deciding on a design…  Should I paint it on the diagonal? White with gold polka dots? Paint it all? Leave some wood showing? Gold leaf?

Eventually Gold Leaf won out. I have a gold leaf kit that's been hiding-out in my craft supplies for the past year or two. Truth be told, gold leaf can be a little tricky to work with, so I put off using it until I had the time and patience. Well, last week I had the time and patience-- woot! Here's how my first attempt at gold leafing turned out.

Click "Read more" for the tutorial

Make // Design a Pillow with Tulip For Your Home

Today I'm sharing a stenciled pillow project, sponsored by the folks at Tulip®. I happen to love their Soft Fabric Paints and have used them on several textile projects. This paint is exceptional on fabric and always dries soft and flexible. So it's no surprise that I was excited to try some products from their new Tulip For Your Home line.

With stylish stencils and an extensive line of paint colors, they make it EASY to create affordable, on-trend home decor. It's the perfect medium for personalizing any textile project-- from pillow cases & placemats to lampshades & canvas art.

I was given all the tools to create this pillow case, including the "cool" color palette of blueberry, ocean and nickel.

Click HERE for the full post

Upcycle // Egg Carton Succulent

Like many before me, I love succulents. They are pretty, unique and, if you forget to water them… no big deal!

It's usually the silvery, flower-like echeveria imbricata (aka hens and chicks) that most people get     excited about… especially brides and bloggers. We have these guys and their cousin, agaves, planted throughout our backyard and they do really well in our mild, drought-like, Mediterranean climate.

HOWEVER, they like to be outdoors and once you bring them inside they turn into a spindly, sad looking mess. I've tried putting them in our sunny west-facing window with the rest of my succulents and they just don't do well. They won't die overnight, but eventually… It.Will.Happen.

Since I have an abundance of egg cartons and, with Earth Day coming up in April, I thought I'd try my hand at making a flower-like succulent out of a plain ol' egg carton. It's not easy copying Mother Nature, but I figure a handmade version is better than killing off another one of her offspring. ;)

Click "Read more" for the full post

Upcycle // Papier Mache Roses from an Egg Carton

I'm craving flowers. Which can only mean one thing… Spring is almost here. Next week, March 20th!! With the kids' schedules and my own responsibilities, I haven't had much down time lately. I'm definitely someone who needs some quiet time in order to function properly and it just hasn't been happening lately. So, after several weeks of feeling uninspired and burnt-out, when a little free time presented itself, I knew it was time to remedy the situation. For me, the remedy usually means "creative therapy" --  Forget all the other stuff for a bit and create something.

On Monday morning at 8:00 sharp, right as the kids were being carted off to school by my hubby, I pulled out some supplies and got to work. I didn't feel like waiting for the stores to open, so I dug into a bag of recyclables that I've been saving for a future project. Since Earth Day is next month, what better time to start an upcycle project.

At first,  I didn't have a clear plan, but I did know that I wanted a hands-on project that is easy to make, uses recyclable materials, and breathes a little Spring into our home. I think these egg carton roses hit all the marks.

Click "Read more" for the tutorial

Make // St. Patrick's Day Conversation Bottles

Do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day? While we're 100% not-Irish, we're still a family that loves corned beef & cabbage, leprechaun & rainbows, and pretty much anything green & gold.

Here's a festive way to serve up beverages for St. Paddy's. The bottles can hold a special tonic or, in our case, chilled water. And if flat water is not your thing, just remove the labels on some new Pellegrino or sparkling cider bottles and start decorating. Or, if you want smaller bottles, there always green beer bottles as well. Any way you serve it up, these conversation bottles will add a bit of flair to your tabletop on March 17th.

Click "Read more" for the Free Printable & Tutorial

Make // Marbleized Glass Hearts

I saw this technique used for fingernails a few years ago and tucked the idea away for a future project. I'm not one for painting my nails, so I found this to be the perfect way to use some of the nail polish that I have stockpiled in my vanity. Why do I have so much polish when I hardly ever paint my nails? Who knows?! I guess I'm attracted to all those pretty colors, but when it comes down to it, only my toe nails get gussied up…. And that's only during sandal-wearing season.

Anyhow… This project is easy. It's messy. There are fumes involved. That about sums it up. Luckily, if you have nail polish remover on-hand and you work in a well-ventilated area, it's not too bad. I think the end results are pretty eye-catching!

Click "Read more" for the tutorial

Make // Bath Accessories with Mod Podge Sheer Colors

I'm a sucker for transparent, beautiful colors and, if you've been following this blog for a bit, you've probably noticed that I also enjoy working with glass. So when the opportunity came up to work with the new Mod Podge Sheer Colors, my mind was bouncing around with the endless possibilities. Over the past year or so, you've probably seen a lot of techniques for coloring glass-- colored mason jars, anyone? Some techniques are more effective than others and many have a learning curve. Well, Mod Podge Sheer Colors takes out the guess work and makes coloring glass simple and easy.

After tossing around several project ideas, I decided to go with one that is not only visually pretty, but will also tackle one of the organizational projects that I have planned for this year.

The Project: Organize My Vanity

While this may not seem like a big "task"… For me, it is. For the last several years I've kept all of my cosmetics, including brushes, eyeliners, and lipsticks in a deep, bottomless travel case. While this is great for when we actually do travel (since I don't have to pack anything up), it's a bit of a mess when it comes to my daily routine. shuffle, shuffle... Lipstick, where are you? dump, dump… Where did my blush brush go? shuffle, ouch! darn you tweezers! I know there's eyeliner in there somewhere… So, procrastinator that I am, getting my vanity organized is a big deal.  :)

After a trip to the store to peruse some inexpensive vases, I decided to use stemless wine glasses. They're wide enough to hold a lot of supplies, but short enough so that items can easily be identified, pulled out and put back. Next up was choosing a color. Mod Podge Sheer Colors has nine very pretty, translucent options. I decided to go with sheer purple, which I think is reminiscent of radiant orchid, Pantone's 2014 color of the year. Our master bath is a very boring white and cream, so really, any pop of color is a welcome addition.

Click HERE for the Tutorial

Year in Review // My Favorite Posts in 2013

Yesterday I pulled together the most read, most liked, most popular posts in 2013 by you, the reader. Today, er... Tonight, I'm sharing MY favorite posts of 2013.

instagram photo heart

After 9 months of deciding where to hang this, I finally figured it out. It was almost like giving birth... Er, nev'r mind.  It's nice to look at from afar and when I get close, the photos, and the memories that go with them, just suck me in. Slooop!

faux glass glitter & translucent glitter eggs

So pretty and ethereal... Not to mention economical (epson salts & colored chalk). And you should see the eggs when they light up! hint: click the link!

heart-in-hands gloves

This was a Pin It / Make It project that I put together on the cheap-- $1 gloves and a $.25 sheet of craft felt. So much for my Pin It / Make It "series" though... this is the one and only.  :)

cork letter tack board

I still have this hanging in my office (aka that little desk-thing in the kitchen) and it's very good at keeping track of all the little notes that I leave for myself. 'Cause, you know, if I don't write it down... (sigh)

Click "Read more" for the full post

Make // Alcohol Ink Ornaments

This tutorial first appeared as part of Under the Table & Dreaming's 4th Annual Handmade Ornament Series. 

I discovered Alcohol Ink over the summer while I was coming up with ideas for restyling these recyclable glass bottles. The look was so iridescent and eye-catching that I knew that it would be the perfect treatment for simple glass ornaments. 

Flash forward six months and it was finally time to try my hand at decorating glass ornaments. I played around a bit and came up with four different, yet simple techniques. While they look a little labor intensive, they are surprisingly easy to make and not too messy (as long as you keep the ink off your clothes!).

Click "Read more" for the tutorial

Plans for Christmas 2013 Decor...

It's November. Halloween is officially over. I'm gonna go out on a limb and declare that it is now officially okay to start talking Christmas... Mmm-kay?

When I look back upon my last few years of holiday projects, I noticed that each year I tend to focus on a particular material or style.

Christmas 2010 was white felt and silver paint-- It was my first year trying to revitalize our old, tired Christmas decorations.


Christmas 2011 was all things smooth and shiny-- pearls, satin, glass.


Christmas 2012 was natural materials and colors-- burlap, muslin and mother of pearl.


So what's in store for 2013?

Christmas 2013 is going to be the year of faux fur, leather (or pleather) and... metal hardware. Haven't quite figured out how I'm going to fit this in, but... Hey, that's part of the challenge!

Faux Fur Trees coming up soon...

Our Home // Somewhat Spooky Halloween Scene

When it comes to Halloween, I usually don't put up many decorations. Maybe a few pumpkins here and there, a few bats or some ghosts, but nothing too complicated or macabre. But I guess my decorations are so subtle that my kids' asked why I don't decorate for Halloween... So here it is, my attempt at somewhat spooky, not so subtle Halloween decor.

Click "Read more" for the full post

Our Home // Fall Mantel + Teal Pumpkins

Can you believe that it'll be October in a few days? How is that even possible? So I may be in denial, but today I decided it was time to pull out the Fall decorations. I'm hit-or-miss with the other seasons, but I love Fall decor. Something about pumpkins, those rich colors and the changing of the seasons.... Not to mention the kids being back in school so I actually have some time to think about stuff like this!

Over the past couple of years I've collected a variety of decorative pumpkins. I think I've met the fake pumpkin quota, so this year I decided to remake a few instead of buying more. Inspired by a recently purchased accent chair, I decided that the addition of teal would add just the right amount of "pop" to our traditional pumpkin display.

Click "Read more" for the tutorial

Round-up // Fall Projects

Can you believe that Fall will officially be here in the next week and a half? Have you felt a seasonal shift where you live?  In Southern California, it doesn't usually start to feel like Fall until early November. Darn. So while we have to wait a bit for cooler temps and falling leaves, that doesn't mean we can't start celebrating the changing season inside our homes.  

Here's a round-up of several Fall projects that I pulled from the archives (you'll need to click thru if viewing this in a RSS feed or via email).

Do you have any Fall projects up your sleeve this year? I've got a few in mind and just need to make my way over to the craft store.

Have a lovely day!

Make // Decoupaged Butterfly Display Box

After a long delay (four years to be exact), we finally have begun to update our family room decor. New couch- check! Accent chair- check! Coffee table- check! Rug and throw pillows- check! We just need a couple more pieces to finish it off and make it share-worthy.

While I like our new furniture, there's a lot of grey and dark wood and it was starting to look a little too masculine and serious. No-can-do. I need whimsy! I need fun!  Enter the teal chair, bull's-eye pillow and this butterfly display box. 

click "Read more" for the tutorial

Make // Design Your Own Textiles

Last year my kids brought home art smocks that they had made at camp. They looked like very colorful batik, but instead of using wax, kids school glue was used for the "wax resist". And instead of using fabric dyes, acrylic paints were used. While it was very pretty and colorful, the acrylic paints made the fabric stiff and prone to cracking. I know I didn't want stiff fabric, but I also didn't want to use messy, toxic dyes, so I had to do a little homework and find some alternative materials.

Last weekend I finally got around to trying out this technique and am pretty happy with the results!

Upcycle // Cool Jar Series - Part III

Jars, bottles and other recyclables... I have a ton of them and I'm determined to do something with them. So far, some have become colorful translucent vases, others have become photo votives and now I'm down to a bunch of glass spice jars.

I rescued these cute little jars back in January when we were purging my in-laws storage unit. They were still wrapped in their original packaging and had been in storage for over 30 years.  I think they were waiting for me.  :)

Click "Read more" for the tutorial

Upcycle // Cool Jar Series - Part I

My stash of recyclable jars and bottles has grown out of control. It's time to do something with them!! After sorting through and discarding many in the recycle bin, I thought I would try to make something decorative with the remainder. I love to try out new techniques and new-to-me products, and these free vessels are the perfect guinea pigs.

If you've been following this blog long enough, you've probably picked up that I love anything translucent-- gemstones, votives, stained glass... They just catch my eye-- I must've been a magpie in a former life.  :) Anyhow, when I stumbled upon alcohol ink and their translucent qualities, I knew that I had to try them out on glass.

Click "Read more" for the full post

Make // Flag Table Runner

July 4th is coming soon and I'm feeling patriotic. I've been wanting an American Flag Table Runner to use for the Memorial and Independence Day holidays but have never gotten around to buying or making one. Until now! 

Click "Read more" for the tutorial

Make // Water Lilies

With Earth Day earlier this week, and since I had a lot of milk jugs leftover from these votives, I decided to try my hand at another "milk jug" project.

Water lilies are one of my favorite flowers; They're beautiful, vibrant and they grow in ponds. Awesome. My love for water lilies goes way back. My 14-year old self had a bedroom decorated with Monet's water lilies prints (I even had an impressionist water lilies bed spread!) and when I first traveled to France 15 years ago, visiting Monet's home and gardens was one of the highlights of the trip. It was at his home in Giverny that Monet maintained a beautiful water garden which inspired his famous Water Lilies (les nymphéas) series.

So with water lilies and dreams of outdoor dining on the brain, I decided to come up with a centerpiece for our patio table.

Click "Read more" for the tutorial

Make // Faux Batik Circle Scarf

I'm blogging over at SEI Lifestyle this week. There's also a giveaway going on right now.  Stop by and say hello! Here's one of the tutorials that I'm sharing...

While I love to make things, I don't have the kind of space where I can make huge messes-- no cement floors in my home, my laundry room is the size of a postage stamp and the garage is the Hub's domain...  So a "batik" type project was out of question until I stumbled upon an easy & mess-free method.

Click "Read more" for the tutorial