Projects & Tutorials

Our Faux Finish Wall

1 · Feb 29, 2020 ·

I had a vision for a wall in our dining room. I wanted it to be bold and yet subtle. A statement wall that didn’t speak too loudly. I wanted a burst of color but am natrually drawn to neutrals. It’s a wall of contridictions.

On top of that, I wasn’t sure exactly what the finish was that I imagined. You might say it looks a little concrete-ish or even like plaster. I saw something that mixed with an old world feel and sort of looked like a chalkboard that you’ve just kind of erased – with streaks of white still stretch across it.

I’d been dreaming about this wall for a couple months and then in true Shelby style, 2 days before Thanksgiving I decided that I couldn’t wait any longer and wanted to do a little dining room update before the big feast. As luck would have it, it was an incredibly quick project. And easy, Gretta even hopped on board helping out. I did it, documented it and moved on… then never posted the results. Until now.

So in full disclosure, this project was done nearly a year and a half ago. I’m jogging my memory with old recorded Instagram stories and photos that I had never bothered to download off my SD card. I’m still sure I can talk you through it if you’d like to replicate something like this youself. It would also make a really great finish for a styling board for photography backdrops and flatlays, even if you aren’t interested in committing to adding it into your home.

To Begin:

Figure out what color you want your wall to be. The overall color that was speaking to me was Sherwin Williams Earl Grey. However, I did not purchase that paint. Instead, I found a tone that was 1 shade lighter than it and 1 shade darker and bought a quart of each of those. Combined, they will give me the desired level of darkness.

Other Materials Needed:

2 colors of paint (I used SW Mineral Deposit & Hamburg Grey)
a large sponge
2, 3inch paint brushes
1 smaller paint brush for dry brushing
painters tape if you’re slopping (I myself am daring enough to go without)

My walls were orginally a soft buttery yellow. I figured it was a light enough hue that my paint selection would cover it. If your walls are darker than your selected medium tone, then I would recommed adding a coat of primer to them before you begin your project.

Using your large, 3 inch paintbrush begin adding large swishes of paint to the wall. Add a few dark and then a few light, tackling section of the wall at a time. I mentally dividided my wall into 3×3 foot sections.

Next, prime the sponge with just a quick layer of paint, brushing it one with large brush. You’re actually painting the sponge, not the wall in this step. Don’t completely cover the sponge, but it helps to have a little extra paint on it when you begin blending the paint on the wall. Gently, begin blotting the paint on the wall, using small dabbing motions that will begin to blend the 2 tones of paint together.

Warning, it looks like 90’s sponge painting at this point and is not pretty. Keep going. If you’re seeing too many round sponge holes, being dabbing a little harder in places with will vary the texture.

Now take your dry brush and smear the paint. Use brush strokes in various directions. Keep playing with the texture until you start liking it. Then move onto the next section and repeat.

Once you’ve covered the entire wall, begin dry brushing with longer strokes, blending the sections together. If it seems a little dark in spots, add some of the lighter paint. And visa versa.

If too much paint begins building up on your “dry brush”, wipe it with a paper towel before continuing on.

Once I “finished” in other words I loved the way the overall texture looked, I found there was still just a little more yellow poking through in some areas. Since the wall was still pretty wet and I really didn’t want to add any more paint, I added about a teaspoon of water to my sponge a very lightly dabbed those yellow spot. This essentially made a thinned out paint layer that easily covered those “holes”.

Are you in need of more detailed directions? The entire process is saved on in my Instagram highlights, where I’m talking through the process and showing what I’m doing, as I’m doing it. Click here to instantly link to my Instagram page and watch “Dining Wall”.

I don’t think there’s really a right or wrong way to accomplish this and you sort of just have to play with it a little until you’re happy with the result. I still have a little yellow that shows through here and there, but I like the extra dimension that it gives. I also underestimated the size of my light switch cover and a 1 1/2 years later still need to go back and touch up that area… but we’ll just put that on our someday list!

Greenery Wall Garland Tutorial

3 · Apr 10, 2018 ·

I have an empty wall behind our dining table. It’s a big white blank canvas and after 2 years of living here, I still can’t commit to hanging things there. Sometimes I just love the clean slate. However, this spring for the very first time I decided to add just a touch of decor in this space. Spring was calling and I wanted to bring the outdoors in.

This was a project that combined some of my wedding floral techniques with a little interior design flare. It was a really simple project and I only have to tiny nail holes in my walls, easy to patch up or ignore when I decide to take it down and move onto the next project.

Items you’ll need:

Chicken wire
Wire cutters
Nails (or Command hooks) for attaching the chicken wire to the wall
Twigs or Grapevine (I used a mix of grapevine and pussy willows foraged from my yard)
Flowers/Greenery (I used 1 bunch of real wax flower and these faux plants from Hobby Lobby)
Wire for any stubborn stems

Using your wire cutters, cut a thin strip of chicken wire. Mine was about 3 inches wide and 6 feet long.

Next, loosely stretch out the chicken wire and attach it to the wall. Make sure it’s not too tight against the wall or you’ll struggle to weave the twigs and greens through the holes.

Begin tucking the grapevines and twigs into the chicken wire. You may need to wire any stubborn pieces into place but for the most part they should be fairly easy to weave through the holes of the chicken wire.

Once you have a layer of twigs in place, begin adding your greens or flowers. I used wax flower, which was a live plant and let it dry out naturally in the arrangment and then added a few more faux greens. Baby’s breath would be a great alternative if you’re looking for a small white blossom that will dry naturally or you could use all artifical product. These queen anne’s lace are a really beautiful option.

Make it as lush or airy as you like. You could even use a premade garland as a base and then add twigs or grapevine into it, which would make the project even more simple.

I’d love to see your versions of wall garlands (or even table garlands, mantle garlands… the options are endless!)

Art in Bloom at GRAM

0 · Mar 22, 2017 ·

I’ve had a fairly busy month of March so far. Actually, it’s been surprisingly really busy but really good. And wrapping up my busy month is an event I’m really excited to be a first time participant in, Grand Rapids Art Museum’s Art in Bloom.

19 floral artists have been asigned paintings or works of art in which they are challenged to interpret with floral ingredients. This is a little out of my comfort zone, but trying new things is good, right? So I’m busy with my last minute scheming for my installation but wanted to invite anyone in the Grand Rapids area to attend.

GRAM Art in Bloom 2017

My piece is especially outside of my usual tastes which is making the challenge all the more interesting. And suddenly I realize how different each artist can be and beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. But more on that later, since I want you to come and see my piece in person, I won’t give away many more details here.

For the full schedule of events, head to the Grand Rapids Art Museum website or their Facebook page here.

Valentine’s Breakfast

0 · Feb 14, 2017 ·

I have a confession, I’m not really a fan of Valentine’s Day. In grade school, I was always passed over and didn’t get as many Valentines. In high school, I was never sent flowers or found myself the object of anyone’s affections. And I’ve never been in a relationship with someone who showered me in grand romantic gestures. I could really skip the “holiday” all together.

But I work in the wedding industry and the floral industry, which means that this day is the day where romance and florals collide in the most vigurously passionate way. I have to seek to find acceptance in the traditions of this day, even if that means I’m in it merely for the love of flowers.

However, after almost 7 years of marriage and 2 kids later, one comes to realize the true meaning of love. It’s isn’t always about the lustful notions that February 14th so often advertises. It’s a deeper, more content understanding of what home, family and devotion is really about.

As a work from home mom, it would be really easy to skip over the day all together. My girls would be none the wiser and the tempation is great. But sometimes I do try to be cute and in my own way show them some extra love on this day. In the same way, it needs to be shown our significant others, so I decided to start the day with a little Pinterest inspired treat. It’s not a huge gesture, but I’m a believer in the little things that can make the biggest impact. It’s all in the details and the little ways to show that we care.

So yesterday, I started making this little treat, homemade pop tarts. I thought it would be fun and I’d make them in cute heart shapes. It was only after I started making them that I realized that my heart shaped cookie cutter is only the size of a silver dollar, so I had to skip to plan B. And for the record, square ones taste just as good.

My husband has a big day of errands and traveling ahead of him, so it was the perfect hand-held breakfast for a man on the run and the girls love anything with sprinkles.

I used this recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction for the filling and used her step by step tutorial. However, I didn’t have any shortening in the house, so I substituted this pie crust from Allrecipes (I had to double the recipe) and it turned out amazing. I made a total of 13 tarts, filling half of them with the cinnamon and brown sugar mixture and the rest with my huband’s homemade raspberry jam. For the ones with jam, I simply ommited the cinnamon from the glaze for the top. This breakfast was a winner and I think I get a gold star, at least for the morning.

This just added a little sweetest to my Tuesday morning. Even if you’re not celebrating today, I hope you find someone to share a some love with this week. I think the world could use a little.

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.”

– 1 John 4:17

My Mantle Makeover

25 · Nov 30, 2016 ·

The previous owners of our house did an amazing job of making sure that everything flowed from room to room. This included matching the travertine tile on our fireplace with that on the kitchen backsplash. They used the same tile in two different shapes. However, there were two flaws with that plan. First off, even though they were the same stone the colors were different. I saw a sample of each tile and side by side they look identical color-wise, but they must have come from two different dye lot batches in the end and some strong amber undertones were very present in the fireplace tile. This might have been well enough, except that when we moved in, of course, I had to disrupt that color flow by adding a few of my own spins and style into the space which created the second problem. I really wanted the living room to have a brighter, more airy feel but in doing so, the travertine tile in that room suddenly became an eyesore. I really thought I could live with it but the spicy brown tones were entirely too rusty and soon enough my mind only registered orange every time I walked into the room.

Without completely tearing apart my fireplace (which I would absolutely love to convert back to it’s original fieldstone and wood burning glory), paint seemed like the best option. I was tempted to paint the entire thing stark white. I thought an opaque look would be modern and edgy. But I’m much more comfortable with the imperfections of the whitewashing process so I decided to start there, since I could always add more paint and make it completely opaque but I could never reverse it the other way if I didn’t’ like it.

I was also really cheap on this project and used paint that I simply had laying around the house. The entire venture only cost me $9, and it would have been $6 if I had liked the paint color I originally bought for the black mantle (more on that later).

Items needed for this project:

Paint brush
Water
Paint (I used Annie Sloan’s French Linen, Sherwin Williams’ Alabaster and Sherwin Williams’ Greek Villa for the tile and Sherwin Williams’ Agreeable Grey and Sherwin William’s Wintersweet Grey for the actual mantle
Containers for mixing the paint

Here’s the before photo (and I’ll apologize in advance for the shotty photography throughout the entire post).

Step 1

The first thing I wanted to do was whitewash my tile. However, I did my first coat in grey. I wanted to add some depth and texture and layer the colors like you would naturally find in brick or stone. So I used Annie Sloan’s French Linen paint. You wouldn’t have to use chalk paint, but I did because I had leftovers and I really like the warm grey of this color. I thinned it down by adding water. The paint because ever so slightly transparent in my dish, I still wanted to keep lots of grey pigments. I didn’t measure exactly but it was pretty close to 2 parts paint, one part water. If you do thin it too much, just add more paint to the mix or you may just have to do more coats of paint.

You could hardly see any difference when I finished this step. The change was very very subtle because travertine is such a porous stone, it soaked up a lot of paint. This will remain true in all of the following steps as well. I let it dry for a couple hours, or until it was dry to the touch.

Step 2

I repeated step one again. I saw very little grey on my tiles and I really wanted it to cover the orange more than it was so I added another coat. These coats were all slopped on really quickly with a two inch paint brush, I didn’t worry about perfection since I wasn’t trying to attachive a perfect look.

Step 3

This is where I started playing with white paint. I used Sherwin Williams Alabaster paint in an eggshell finish. This is the same color paint that is one my living room walls and a great way to use up some leftovers. I thinned it down to the same consistency as the grey and slapped a coat on. The tile was still absorbing a ton of paint but I could see a few specks of white when I finished with this layer.

Step 4

Another layer of white was added when this one dried. I was tempted to leave it at this point, but something just didn’t feel right. It seemed really stark and cool against the rest of the room, which was strange since I used the same paint color that is on my walls but all the warm tones in that paint completely disappeared. So onto step 5.

Step 5

I actually had to go to the paint store. Thank goodness for those $3 little samples since that’s all the paint I needed. I picked up Sherwin William’s Greek Villa – a color that seemed way too creamy yellow to ever be considered on my walls, but I felt the extra warmth with be perfect on the fireplace. I was correct. I thinned this color down also and placed a generous layer on the tile. I only added one layer of this color and walked away.

Step 6

I lived with this for a few days but realized how badly I really want to paint to actual mantle white to match my trim. My husband, on the other hand, was having none of it. I couldn’t leave the idea alone. I like the contrast of black trim and the boldness it has to offer, but it’s not for me – I am light, bright and neutral in my décor choices. So we struck a compromise and painted it grey.

Back for another $3 sample. We chose Sherwin Williams’ Agreeable Grey – seemed like the perfect color to settle our dispute. The sample was a satin finish, which I always use on my trim pieces, and was enough paint to do an entire first coat on the mantle.

Step 7

A couple more days went by and I determined that this grey wasn’t really all that agreeable in my room. I had left the floor tiles in front of the fireplace their natural, beigy brown color since they didn’t have those rusty undertones. But the grey felt too cool against their warm tones. So for the second coat, I used Sherwin Williams’ Wintersweet Grey. It has the teeniest, tiniest tinge of brown in the grey and complimented the tile perfectly.

And I’ve lived with the finished project for about a month now and I think I’m really happy with it and finally ready to share the results.

Here are a couple other notes and helpful tips:

I used Sherwin Williams paint but they don’t sell the small $3 samples. However, Lowe’s now carries Sherwin Williams colors and they do offer these little sample that I simply cannot live without.
Make sure you step back and check your work often. The paint looks so different from across the room verses up close where you’re working.
I always use satin finish paints for all of my trim work. It’s durable and can be wiped without appearing shiny.
And I’m sorry, but I don’t have any notes to share about how durable this is or the longivity of paint on the tile.

Enjoy!

Bloom the Workshop

0 · Jul 11, 2016 ·

I am almost certain I’ve been living in a time warp. The days are flying by so quickly, I can’t seem to keep up on life, much less this journal. There so many events that I want to share, so much to talk about and in the blink of an eye, I’m posting content that’s well over a year old. Like this.

Last May (May 2015 that is), I was once again honored to be a part of Bloom the Workshop. There’s something special that happens in a workshop setting. There’s the collaborating and combining of artistic forces that one would see in any styled shoot, but there’s an extra energy. There’s excitement from all the attendees eager to learn and soak up every little piece of knowledge and beauty from the day. This workshop is, by all means, special.

This portion of the day took place within an apple orchard. We had hoped to catch a few lingering blossoms, but the trees had shed their petals the week before, leaving only lush greens behind. I’m a fan on greenery, so this wasn’t a huge disappointment on my end. The emerald backdrop allowed our shimmering gold and blush blooms to be the full center of attention. I adore the way the graywashed round table added just the right amount of “rusticness” against the gilded dessert, clean white plates and golden candlesticks.

Next week, Bloom is hosting another local workshop at The Felt Mansion. I will be there, along with two other amazing florists, creating a total of 3 different styled shoots all at one workshop. I can hardly contain my excitement, just dreaming of the beautiful flowers that I have headed my way for the day. Rumor has it, that there are still 2 tickets remaining so if you’re thinking of attending, don’t miss out!

This shoot was also featured on Inspired by This early last fall.

DIY Gilded Floral Crown

0 · Apr 1, 2014 ·

Yesterday was the warmest day we’ve seen so far this year and it was as if the whole world simply came bursting back to life. Neighbors were in the streets, yards were being raked and the snow mounds bordering my lawn shrunk to the point that I can now see the tops of cars passing by my house. And guess what I found buried underneath some of that snow? Life! There, braving the ice and cold, are the little tips of my spring bulbs waiting for their time to bloom.

I’m eagerly awaiting that moment too. But until then, I thought I’d share a little bit of flowery goodness with you today and how you can create it yourself. I’m simply loving the floral crown trend right now and this one is especially glam with gilded gold leaves.

So here’s what you need:

*I used one stem of pink lisianthus (which had two flowers) and a cream garden rose. For greens I used mini coin as my base and filled in with silver dollar eucalyptus – but the options are limitless, use what inspires you!

Step 1: Spray paint your greens. You can completely coat them or let a little green show. I like to leave a little nature shining through.

Step 2: Form a circular base with the grapevine wire. The form should be slightly larger than your head as once the greens are attached the fit will be more snug.

Step 3: Once the paint has dried, clip the long stems so only an inch or so remain, along with the leafy, pretty part of the plant.

Step 4: Using floral tape, wrap the stem of the greens and attach it to the grapevine wire. Continue to attach stems to the grapevine wire, leaving the other end of the greens free until you have created a full circle of greens.

Step 5: Begin filling in the larger leaves, taping them to the grapevine wire. The larger leaves (eucalyptus) are optional, but I like the extra texture they add.

Step 6: With the small pieces of floral wire, attach the loose ends of the leaves to the crown so it creates a full and lovely circle. How tightly you attach the greens is up to you, a looser greens with create a more wild and relaxed look.

At this point you might choose to add an additional layer of gold paint which would help to camouflage any floral tape and wire.

Step 7: Trim the stems and add flowers. I chose to place them off to the side, but the options are limitless. To add them – pierce the base of the bloom with the floral wire and then twist and attach to the crown.

Step 8: Wear your gold crown pretty lady!

All photos by the fabulous Ashley Slater Photography, thanks love!

Capturing the Now

0 · Mar 21, 2014 ·

As if life isn’t busy enough on its own, this week I’ve been dealing with a sick baby and then of course I found myself battling the bug a day later. On the bright side, I did get to cancel my appointment to have my wisdom teeth removed… silver lining, right?

Do you feel like you’re just battling through life, rather than living it? There are some days that I just can’t get this notion out of my mind – it’s as if I’m just surviving rather than actually living. We just have to push through until we recover, surviving until the next paycheck, making it work until we can afford something better – always looking to the future. But what about the now?

While looking to the future is what gives us hope, and I truly believe that that’s hugely necessary and helps us persevere, however, I do believe that we need to search for some contentment and acceptance of the “now”.

I heard through the grapevine that yesterday was National Happiness Day. And while I completely wonder who determines these things, I also was inspired by the number of people who celebrated it, they celebrated being happy – now. I love that idea!

And I have a couple of projects up my sleeves that do just that…. they celebrate us, life, being a woman and preserving through the hardships.

Project #1 I’ve already told you about. The Romance Shoot is a great way to pamper yourself and find an excuse to feel pretty. I’ve teamed up with Hetler Photography and Helena Young to design a soft and romantic backdrop for these photo sessions, while their job is to make you feel gorgeous and then capture that magic. The original idea was to make this solely a boudoir marathon, but then we thought women don’t need to wear lingerie to feel pretty. Sometimes sexy is in the confidence to just be you. So we opened these sessions up to anyone, maternity, boudoir or whatever reason you might like to have your beauty captured. Sometimes women need to be reminded that they are beautiful.

Project #2 is something for me. Yup, I’m being selfish on this one, because I can. It involves my love of beautiful blooms and surrounding myself with them. I’ll share more on this later.

Project #3 is something special for someone I don’t even know yet. My version of a pay-it-forward. Details are still in the works, but I might need a little bit of help bringing this crazy idea of mine to life. That was about as clear as mud, right? Let’s just say that if you have a heart for hospitality and are in the creative/wedding industry, we might want to chat.

Project #4 is my small role in Bloom | The Workshop. I love helping other creatives and watching others succeed. So being a part of this creative workshop is extremely exciting to me as I want to see others blossom and grow.

Last January I put together a small photo shoot showcasing some Valentine’s bouquets (you might remember it from here). As I was putting the details together, I began thinking about a model for the shoot. And then ultimately, I decided I could model for it. I can make myself feel pretty once in a while, right? So I did, blemishes, flaws, remaining baby weight and self-consciousness aside. I didn’t want any pictures of myself until I lost those last few pounds – I was living for the future and not fully grasping the “now”. But I’m glad I had the courage to model, because I think we all need to be reminded of our beauty once in a while. Capture the moment we’re living in and focus a little on the now.

Happy Friday to my beautiful friends!

Photo by Heather Cisler Photography, oh my goodness was it cold that day!!

The Romance Shoot

0 · Mar 12, 2014 ·

Dreaming of warmer weather and some romance? Ladies, I’ve teamed teamed up with some of Grand Rapids’ finest to make you feel amazing, pampered and pretty! Introducing “The Romance Shoot”.

Think whimsical romance, with soft colors and lots of texture in a gorgeous country landscape. Helena DeYoung will enhance your beauty with awesome hair and make-up, and Kellie Hetler will capture it with her amazing photography. Styling and props will be my responsibility with visions of draping curtains, a wrought iron bed, floral garlands and crowns all coming to life. Pictured is just a hint of what we have up our sleeves… although this is definitely the snowy version!

These sessions will take place in the warmth of May and are perfect for boudoir, maternity or anyone else who wants to feel pretty because after all, EVERY girl deserves to feel BEAUTIFUL!

Contact myself or Kellie for more details!

Valentine’s Bouquet Inspiration

0 · Feb 14, 2014 ·

Back in the snow and gloom of January I had an idea. Valentine’s Day would quickly be approaching and it’s a day that always calls for some gorgeous blooms. However, sometimes these mounds of perfectly placed, symmetrical and classic roses need a little extra love – ferns and baby’s breath can only do so much. The careless air of a wildflower bouquet has always been more my style and frankly, sometimes these typical rose arrangements are a bit sophisticated and stuffy for my taste.

So I thought, why not make bouquets out of these readily available Valentine’s flowers that were my style? You don’t have to have extremely high end blooms to make a pretty bouquet, they just need to be artfully arranged and displayed. My goal was to gather some of these grocery store blooms and create something gorgeous and over the top romantic. These are all flowers that are readily available and can be glamorous if just arranged and displayed correctly. So if your man stops at Speedway on his way home from work tonight, don’t lose heart… you can still have some beautiful flowers!

Bouquet Recipe 1:

3 stems pink spray roses
6 cream roses
3 pale pink roses
3 medium (colored) pink roses
4 cherry roses
3 bakers ferns
1 tree fern
1 sprig cedar (salvaged from my back yard – because I promised everything would be easy to source!)

And don’t underestimate the impact a glamorous ribbon can make… the velvet one here is amazing!

Bouquet #2 has a few more components and is a little fancier. But it still has lots of Valentine favorites including tulips – just to tease you with the thought of spring!

Bouquet Recipe 2:

5 pink tulips
4 stems burgundy mums
2 pink snap dragons
3 medium (colored) pink roses
3 stems pink spray roses
2 cherry roses
2 cream roses
2 light pink roses
3 stems eucalyptus
1 bakers fern

And I couldn’t resist putting together a little floral hairpiece with some of the leftover blooms, which is a certain way to make any girl feel like a princess! Then we added some glitter and sweet treats and then convinced Heather Cisler Photography to come play with me in the middle of a snow storm!

This project was also featured over on Burnett’s Boards earlier this week, which was super fun as well, let’s spread the love all around!

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

Love & Economics

0 · Feb 12, 2014 ·

Occasionally I turn the TV on while I’m working (since I work from home), especially on those days where my main tasks are a little less entertaining (i.e. bookkeeping!) We live in a cable free home, so my channel options are extremely limited and I don’t find myself distracted by television too often. But yesterday, Steve Harvey was in the background chatting on about Valentines and love, relationships, etc. etc. Then he said something that really got me thinking – “You can’t find Mr. Right until you let go of Mr. Wrong”.

Now, I have no idea what your relationship status is. Whether you’re married, single, dating or kind of hanging out with someone, this statement applies. It also applies in life situations. If you’re spending all your time focusing on one project (the wrong one) you can’t move on to the right one. Time is the key here. Where are you focusing your time? Go back to high school economics; this is a classic case of opportunity costs. Are we missing opportunities while we’re stuck focusing on the wrong man, the wrong job, the wrong _____ (you fill in the blank).

Can I just say how thankful I am that I took a leap and started my own business? I had a really good job previously, but it didn’t allow me to create, have fun or be myself. And if I were still there I definitely wouldn’t have put together this pretty amazing shoot that’s featured over on Burnett’s Boards today. You absolutely need to go see it!

Spend your time wisely and live life fully. I hope you’re enjoying this week of love!

DIY Striped Placemats

0 · Jan 24, 2014 ·

It occurred to me this morning that I have not left my house all week. The last time I stepped out my front door was on Sunday, heading to church. This cold winter weather has me all cooped up and I start going a little stir crazy. If you’re like me, it’s this time of year that you start looking for pretty projects to work on and ways to add some easy glam to your home.

Back in November I created quite a few DIY items for Gretta’s first birthday party (you can see the whole thing here), these fun striped place mats were just one little piece of the celebration.

The gorgeous photos above are from Hetler Photography… the DIY portion of this post will be snaps shots capture by yours truly and they’re not pretty, but they get the point across! So here we go:

You will need:

12 x 18 inch foam sheets
Painter’s tape
Spray paint

Step 1:

Add lines of painter’s tape in a vertical direction over the foam. Remember, any area covered with painter’s tape will remain white. For thicker stripes, add use thicker tape or multiple pieces until desired thickness is achieved.

Continue adding tape until you have created your desired number of stripes. Here’s a little tip to make sure spacing stays consistent and lines of tape are straight: find a piece of furniture or object with straight lines and use it as your guide. I like to take advantage of my hardwood floors and use the lines as a guide keeping the stripes the same width as the slats on my floor and also making sure the tape stays alined with the floors on either side of the foam.

Step 2:

Spray paint. Any color works, make it match your house or party decor! No rules there 🙂

Step 3:

Remove painter’s tape once paint is dry. The paint dries pretty quickly on the foam, it took about a 1/2 hour for me, but could vary depending on the day and drying conditions. The lines might not be perfectly crisp, but that gives them a little character.

And ta-da, instant glam to your table!

A couple of other notes about this project:

I used 3 mm thick foam, the thinner pieces seemed to flimsy to be place mats in my opinion. I purchased mine at Hobby Lobby but JoAnn Fabrics carries it as well. They were $1.00 each.
The spray paint color is used is Krylon’s Raspberry
And I also wish my pictures were are pretty as Kellie’s! Let’s pretend, shall we?

Stay warm friends!

Green Bloody Marys

0 · Mar 13, 2013 ·

Kegs and eggs, green eggs and ham… a good breakfast on St Patty’s Day seems to have become essential. But what if you’re not a fan of beer, much less, green beer???

I really enjoy a good Bloody Mary. And I thought, why not begin your St. Patrick’s Day with a green one, it’s the perfect breakfast companion… or since St. Patty’s Day is on a Sunday this year, many festivities are taking place on Saturday, so you might just need this recipe on Sunday morning. Either way, enjoy!

You’ll need:

5 Tomatillos
1/5 Jalapeno Pepper
2 Limes
1 Clove of Garlic
1 1/2 Cups Water*
1/4 Cup Sugar
1/8 teaspoon Cumin
1/4 teaspoon Vegetable Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
Vodka

First remove the husks from your tomatillos. Coarsely chop the tomatillos and place them in the blender.

Next cut off about 1/5 of the jalapeno. Remove the seeds and ribs, discard. Place the remaining portion in the blender. (You can use more of the jalapeno, depending upon how spicy you like your Bloody Mary. Be careful as you cut your pepper and remember not to touch your eyes!)

Next cut one of your limes in half. Squeeze the juice from each half into the blender with the other ingredients. Slice your garlic clove and place it in the blender. Add the sugar, water and cumin into the blender as well. Blend all ingredients until as smooth as possible. Including the oil into the mixture may improve the texture of the juice, giving it some extra richness. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Once blended, strain the mix to eliminate excess pulp and seeds. (Hint: Use the backside of a ladle to help press the liquid through the strainer, making the process a little quicker.) Using a fine mesh strainer (like mine) will leave you with a thinner juice, for a thicker consistency; leave a little pulp in the mix.

Add a shot of vodka, garnish with your remaining lime and drink up!

My husband is one of the banquet chefs at Grand Rapids Community College, so he’s pretty handy in the kitchen. He does much of the cooking at our house without recipes, or uses them merely as guidelines, a habit that I have started to pick up on as well. So please feel free to customize this recipe to your taste.

Some variations I might suggest:

*Adding less water will make a thicker Bloody Mary mix.
Garnish your drink with pickles, celery or other green goodies.
Worcestershire sauce and/or horseradish would add a little extra flavor (but some of the lovely green hues might be lost).
Using tequila instead of vodka to make a Bloody Maria.

The recipe as is makes enough for 5 short Bloody Marys.

Have a safe and happy St. Patty’s Day!

DIY Mercury Glass

0 · Mar 8, 2013 ·

Vintage finds inspire me. One of my favorites is mercury glass. It can be mixed in with so many decor styles and is super glamorous. I read quite often about people finding great pieces at flea markets and other antique sources. However, I have never been lucky enough to find a thrifty piece at one of these locations. I have found some pretty great non-vintage pieces at TJ Maxx, but if you’re trying to create a display with multiple pieces, this can get pricy fast.

I’ve seen several posts on how to make diy mercury glass. So I tried it, here’s a way to create the look of mercury glass at home.

What you’ll need:

Clear glass vases
A spray bottle filled with water
Mirror finish spray paint

Step 1: Wash your vases. Do not worry about letting them dry completely.

Step 2: Spritz a little water into your vases.

Step 3: Spray your mirror-like paint inside the vases. Use short quick sprays, creating a thin layer of paint over the water surface. It will be runny looking and seem pretty messy.

Note: Make sure you use mirror-like finish spray paint, regular silver spray paint will not give you the same reflective quality.

Step 4: Place the vases upside down to dry. Paint and water will run out of them, make sure you don’t care about the surface you place them on, as it will get messy. Let them dry for about an hour.

Step 5: Add another coat of paint to the vases if they seem too transparent. To do so, repeat Step 3, and place them upside down again to dry.

Another note: I do all of my spray painting outside because I am not a neat painter! However, I do not recommend leaving them outside to dry in this cold winter weather.

The water spots create that splotchy appearance we all love in mercury glass. Once your vases have completely dried, fill them with your favorite blooms.

Now I’m not going to sit here and pretend that this looks exactly like mercury glass… because it doesn’t. But mix these DIY vases in with same authentic mercury glass to make your decor budget stretch a little further. I like mercury glass with wintery greens and snowy accents and since we haven’t seen the last of the snow yet here in West Michigan, I used cedar and some other floral leftover that I had laying around. Hopefully I’ll be adding some spring projects soon! Adding ribbons, jute or other embellishments to these vases can add a little extra flare. Personalize them and make them truly yours. And have a Happy Friday!