Family Pictures

We had family pictures taken just a couple of weeks ago. I'm having fun playing with some Christmas card layouts at "Shutterfly", and hope to get my cards out early this year.

Fall Runner

This was a quick and easy sewing project I put together over the weekend.

I wanted something to lighten up my very big and very dark table.
And add a touch of fall.



I decided to use what I already had--a long piece of textured muslin and a white dish towell from target.

I cut the muslin to the width and length I wanted. Then cut the towell in half and gathered and sewed to each end.

I added a galvanized tin trough I found at the thrift store. and some mini pumpkins,

and vintage sheet music I put through the shredder.

After I sewed the runner I put it in the washing machine, then dryer to give the edges a frayed look.

When I pulled it out, however, the runner was way to short for my table. Either I really messed up on the measurements or it shrank big time in the dryer.

I ended up cutting it right in half and adding a piece in the middle with the stitching seams exposed for added texture.

Besides the little snafu it was relatively easy and painless.

It gives it kind of a farmhouse feel,

in the fall time.

Gray

I've been busy.
Painting. And sanding.
Here's what my bed looked like before.
Very dark. I wanted to change up the look.


After this project I debated about painting my huge bed. I knew it was going to be a big job but I couldn't get it out of my mind.

I finally decided to block out two days last week to just stay home and get it done.

I chose Behr's "Light French Gray" from Home Depot.

I just love how it turned out. It lightens up the whole space. And its not white. I love white, but my husband claims I paint everything white nowadays. So this was a little challenge for me, and I think gray is my new favorite color--after white.

Altered Book Pumpkin

I had a little fun this weekend playing with some scissors and glue.
I also had a little fun playing on "picnik".

Can you tell?

I love this textured look,

and the cross process, makes it look kind of spooky.

This is the gritty effect.

ok, here's how I made the pumpkin.

I took about 5 paperback books from my son's room that I had purchased from the thrift store for .50 cents each. He hadn't ever read them yet and decided it was a lost cause so I'd make good use of them. I traced a half pumpkin shape with a pencil, then cut using an exacto knife.

Here are two books side by side that make a pumpkin shape.

Then start glueing them together. Let dry under a stack of something heavy. And then continue with the other 3 books until it is really fulland looks something like this.

This goes along perfectly with the fall style I am going for this year,

creams and blacks, with only a touch of orange.

Ballard Look-Alike Mirror

I did a little painting this weekend, and this time I tried something different. The other day at Walmart I picked up a $2 can of gray spray paint, I realized later that it was technically primer, but I like the end result.

Here's what it looked like before in my very messy garage--pretty boring.

I sprayed about 3 coats, using almost the entire can of spray paint. This was a lot easier than my usual brush method. I decided to not tape off the mirror. After it dried, I sanded the edges and and added a walnut stain for an aged look.

Then I used a razor blade and some windex to get all the paint off that got sprayed onto the mirror. That was a real pain, next time I will tape off the mirror, at least a little bit.

This is the first gray piece I have done and I really like the color. It reminds me of pieces I have seen recently in Restoration Hardware and Ballard Designs' catalogs.

I am very tempted to do this to my all black bed, but it is a king and I'll have to think on it for a while to make sure I really want to attempt that big of a project.

I am so totally doing this ...

for my youngest daughter's next birthday! An Alice in Wonderland inspired party with hanging clocks, teacups and playing cards. {source: unknown}

I have the perfect tree to have it under too, now I just need to start collecting the stuff--9 months and counting.