Friday, December 10, 2010

Suck it, Michael's


For the past couple of weeks I have been coveting these sequin candles from Michael's.  I have grand ideas of how to incorporate them into my holiday decor


However, they are priced at $6.99 each.  Holy mother of pearl!  In my grand plan, I needed four of them, and if ya'll don't know by now, I'm kinda of cheap.  I was not about to hand over $30 of my hard earned money for these bad boys.

So I did what any logical blogger would do-- I do it my damn self.

I knew I already  had a bunch of red glitter leftover from my cheerleading coaching days, so I stopped by Walmart and picked up four pillar candles for $1.50 each.


On a flat surface I laid out some wax paper and shook some loose glitter into a pile.




I used painters tape and taped the top part of the candle to create a clean line.  I used simple Elmer's Clear  Glue and covered the bottom part of the candle. 

Next, I rolled the candle in the pile of glitter



Once I removed the tape, I had a clean line



Thumbs up indeed.

I am really happy with the outcome and I can't wait to use them in my decorating!


 So for less then the cost of one candle, I was able to make four.  Boo YAH.

How about you guys... do you meander through stores and think "well hell, I can do that?" 

Always & Forever,
  ME

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

House Crashing: Falconhead

Recently, I have acquire some new readers and followers.  First off, welcome! and thank you for joining this my little corner of the interwebs.   I don't want to be rude, so let me take a minute and show you around our home.  And when I say minute, I pretty much mean 60 seconds- our apartment is kinda small.

This is the layout of our dear Falconhead


We live in a three story apartment building, however, we are lucky enough to have a first floor apartment.  Although our privacy is sometimes compromised, it does make it easier for our guests.  Instead of having to buzz you in, or run to the main door to let them in, they simply walk up to our porch and knock on the door.


Our "foyer" if you will..





As you walk in and bang a louie, you can now see pretty much the entire apartment in one fell swoop:


When we first moved in, we had the dining table by the porch door and the buffet sat under the shelves (you can see that here).   However, once we realize how much we were utilizing the porch door, having the table directly in front of you when you walked in was rather cumbersome.  Now we have a spacious entry, AND our dirty dishes don't have to travel 60 miles from the table to the kitchen sink.

Speaking of kitchens, here is ours:


The openness of the kitchen into the great room was really something that sold us on the apartment.  I love how I can be cooking dinner and still watch TV or hold a conversation with JEGs while he is on the couch.  It really has been great for entertaining.

Surprisingly, I have a lot of people ask me if we painted the apartment, or if it was already painted when we moved in.  The answer is yes, we painted it.  When we moved in every single wall was that builder grade white, and I hated it.  I knew we were going to be here for at least two years, and I wanted to put some color and life into these walls.  So we went bold.

For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted a lime green kitchen, and I felt like this was the perfect place to do that- between the open concept living area and my plethora of neutral furniture, I was willing to take a risk.  We used Valpar's Jalapeno Jelly on the three walls in the kitchen, and toned it down by painting the rest of the great room a darker neutral with Valspar's Jekyll Club Cherokee Tan (I didn't name it, folks). 



As we move down the hall, you'll pass our one and only bathroom.  This room is huuuge, and people always comment about the size when they see it (that's what she said). We didn't paint this room because we felt like the red shower curtain and accessories were bold enough. 



I will tell you one thing:  that white porcelain tile is a pain in the ass to keep clean.  White grout + red towel fuzzies= me swiffering this room twice a week.

Last, but certainly not least, we have the boudoir:



The paint in this room is Valspar's Lighthouse Shadows, and I adore it.   I find it so calm and serene-- a perfect oasis.

Another thing people often comment about  is the furniture in our bedroom.  The two dressers and my bedside table were passed down to me, and was my paternal grandparents.  When JEGs and I moved we found a date of 1934 stamped on the back of the mirror.  I adore them-- JEGs, notsamuch.   Also, the hope chest at the foot of the bed also belonged to my father's motherand was purchased roughly around the same time the dressers were made.  When I inherited it, it was in rough shape;  a leg was missing, the stain was worn off, it wouldn't open correctly and the trim in the front was broken.  For my 28th birthday, JEGs (with the help of his friend Joey) brought it back to life by repairing everything that was broken, and Momma G ( my wonderful mother-in-law) sanded it down and restained the entire thing.  Probably the best gift I have ever been given.

Thanks for letting me show you around our humble abode.  Drop on by if you are ever in the neighborhood!

Always & Forever,
  The Duchess of Falconhead.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Dare to DIY: Week 4

This week it's all about giving!

I started this project with the idea of creating a homemade ornament like last year.  However, when I saw this weeks assignment for Kim's Dare to DIY Party was to make a homemade gift, I thought this would be great to share as a small token for family members or friends.

This is what you will need:



  • Felt
  • Scissors (they can be your own.  You don't have to steal Jeff's like I did).
  • batting ( mine was leftover from this project.)
  • thread
  • sewing needles
  • pen
  • template (you can also use a cookie cutter for an outline)
One of my favorite symbols of the season is the dove.  They are the symbols of love and peace and are found in Christianity and Judaism.

...or I might be obsessed with bird silhouettes.  That is a possibility.

Take the template and trace it twice on the felt in opposite directions (you'll need one for the front and one for the back).


 Cut them out.


Next, stitch a design on the front.  I chose a lazy daisy stitch to create a floral design on the front.  After you have finished your design on the front, use a blanket stitch all the way around to sew the front and back together.   Before you sew it shut, stuff in a little batting.

Voila.  You have yourself a vintage-inspired bird ornament.


I also stitched the year on the back:


Looking back, it kinda reminds of my keychain.  Maybe I do have an obsession.

So how about you folks?  Do DIY gifts, or are you a strictly by-the-list person?

Always & Forever,
  ME

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Fabulous November


 
Hi November. 
So you came, you gave us a chill in the air-- but we won't hold that against you.  You had some pretty awesome things packed into your 30 days:

Parenthood:

 I was kinda skeptical of this show when I first saw the cast.  Yeah, it had some big names in there (Craig T. Nelson, Monica Potter, Joy Bryant) but it also had Dax Shepard.  C'mon, this guy was on Punk'd and the most memorable thing I can remember him ever saying is "that's a 81 Honda... HOW DARE YOU."   However, insomnia will make you do a lot of things, and one night I watched 5 episodes on demand.  I have been hooked ever since.

 The show is about having kids and dealing with the day to day problems a family has, however, that is not what has hooked me.  I love the relationship between the the siblings (Peter Krause, Lauren Graham, Dax Shephard, Erika Christensen) and I am enchanted how easily the banter is amongst the characters-- the teasing and constantly talking over each other-- it's something I can relate to.  It's also like a reunion of actors from "Shows Lizzie Loved, But Are Now Off the Air" (American Dreams, Dirty Sexy Money, Gilmore Girls, Trust Me). 


Nuptials

We attended a beautiful wedding in Macungie, PA and I am still talking about how wonderful it was!  Read more about it here.


Winter Ale

I might have to hand in my Fabulousity Card, because friends, I think I am a beer drinker.  I blame JEGs.
First he introduced me to Yuengling, and I was all, "Ok.. I can drink about half a glass".  Then he brought home Sam Adam's Oktoberfest and I was finishing a full beer on my own.  Now, I have met Winter Lager and I can't get enough.  So good.  In the words of my friend Heather "NOM NOM NOM". 

Thankful
If nothing else, this month makes you really sit back and realize what you are thankful for in your life.  I am, of course, incredibly thankful for my family: my mother and father, my three brothers,  my two amazing sisters-in-law, my three fabulous nieces and my adorable nephew.  However, this year I am so thankful to include (and be included) in a new family-- my in laws.  I am so thankful for the mother-in-law and father-in-law I was given.  They are such good, caring, and honest people-- and my mother-in-law has awesome taste in accessories and handbags!  I know!!  I couldn't have molded her better if I tried!

I'm also super thankful for my job and the people I work with.  I have a great pilot who I get along with and really has my back.  My other co-workers are such great people to work with and every day I think about how blessed I am to go to a job that I really enjoy.

Most of all, I am thankful for JEGs.  I still look at him and wonder how I got so lucky to have such a wonderful man in my life.  I have a man who listens to my crazy ideas, deals with my stubbornness,  warms my toes, fixes my car and most importantly keeps me laughing

So thanks for hanging around November, you were pretty chill (ba dum chee).  Here is your coat and your hat--- make way for December!

Always & Forever,
  ME

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Faux Reals, Yo.


Remember last month when I carved a pumpkin with the thought it might last into this month?

I was wrong.  A week later it looked like this:


 Ugh.  I just puked in my mouth a little.

Needless to day, that little dude didn't make it much past Halloween. 

Later that week, I was at Michael's and I saw they had craft pumpkins on clearence for 70% off.   The gears in my noggin started crankin'.  I quickly grabbed two orange pumpkins in different sizes, and a white "Cinderella" pumpkin.  Nine dollars and fifty-three cents later, I skipped out of the store.

Using the same method from the first time, I printed out an image and with a little cutting (and a lot less scooping), I now have a monogram pumpkin:


I used black paint for the scroll work, because honestly, I wasn't cutting that out.  Hells to the no.    I should also note that you cannot use a real tea candle for these- LED candles only (otherwise you will have craft pumpkin en flambe). 

What about the other two pumpkins?  They are just chillax au natural for now.  Next year when we (hopefully) have a house, I will try the numbers game again.


What do you think?  Worth the $9.53 I dropped on it?

Always & Forever,
  ME

Monday, November 22, 2010

Dare to DIY: Week 2

I am jumping in feet-first to Kim's DIY Blog party.

This week is "Dare to Entertain".

I don't host Thanksgiving, and I'm not quite ready to breakout the Christmas garb just yet, so I decided to set the table for a sweet lunch for some special ladies in my life.


Someone last week requested to see the fine china I registered for the wedding.  However, I have a confession to make:

We didn't register for fine china. 

A  couple years ago, I fell in love with some china in an antique shop.  I think I picked up eight place settings for $120.  I decided to pull it out, and use it for my lady-like lunching.

After being inspired by my outing with my BFF Eddie Ross, I decided to try to mix some antique pieces with new by using the plates we did register for- Martha Stewart's Hudson in Green:


I thought the green band in the newer china really brought out the darker greens in the antique design.




Each guests seat was marked with their name and a small bouquet of seasonal flowers


I wanted to keep the stem wear light and airy because the table was small and intimate

This is my attempt at being seasonal- a $2.50 wicker pumpkin I found at Target in the clearance bin.  I was really attracted to it's natural texture, but I enjoyed the whimsy of the berries and curled vines

Ladies,  shall we sit and lunch?

Do You Dare?  Come join the fun at The Newlywoodwards!

Always & Forever,
  ME

Friday, November 19, 2010

Trick or Treat


One Tuesday morning, I found a couple Reese's Peanut Butter Cups stuffed in a frosted glass in our freezer.  I texted JEGs and accused him of trying to hide candy from me.

That was a mistake.
On Saturday morning, I opened the freezer to make waffles, and found this:


My husband strung them from the freezer by sewing them together.


The best part is that smartass crafted this little project on Tuesday night, and I didn't even see it until Saturday morning. 

I was lying on the kitchen floor in hysterics when I saw this.  I still giggle every time I think about him taking the time to sew together packets of candy.  Honestly-- can you even read that sentence without chuckling?

I love that man.  I really do.

Always & Forever,
  ME