Okay, so writing with frosting is not one of my strong suits....well, writing in GENERAL is not one of my strong suits. But we just wanted to say
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
October 31, 2011
October 27, 2011
Twirly Skirt and Pleated Headband
So here's the thing. I want my blog to be mainly about furniture and decorating. But I named it "AllThatBringsJoy" because I want to share ALL the things that bring joy to my life. And that includes some cooking and sewing. But even though I don't claim to be any kind of expert in the whole furniture painting/decorating field, I'm ESPECIALLY novice when it comes to cooking and sewing!!
I spent about 4 hours sewing today and I loved it. I can't wait to buy some more fabric and make something else.....I might only last until tomorrow as a matter of fact :) Today I made my Bug a twirly skirt and a matching pleated headband, both of which I found on none other than Pinterest!
I'd been to the fabric store too many times to count in the last couple of weeks and I kept seeing this adorable corduroy fabric for 50% off. So after coming across this cute headband on Pinterest the other night I decided to look up ruffle skirt and see if there were any easy skirts I might be able to make. And sure enough there was a tutorial for that too! I LOVE Pinterest.
So here's how it turned out!!
Some twirling action for you......
And some close ups of the headband!!
Now that I've made these once I think it will take half the time next time. And there will definitely be a next time!! Oh, and by the way, the fabric for both came in at under $5!
October 24, 2011
Placemat Pillow
I found this pretty placemat at Target a couple weeks ago for $3.99 and remembered that ThriftyDecorChick had once talked about how easy it is to turn placemats into pillows. So into my cart it went! I'm very careful about how much I spend at Target, we all know we'd like to take that whole store home with us!! But $3.99 seemed like a great price for a pillow :)
I knew I'd need some filler to finish this project and I didn't want to spend much, so at one of my many thrift store stops I picked up a decent looking pillow for $1.25 planning on ripping it open.
I got out my MIL's seam ripper because I haven't bought myself one yet :)
And I carefully ripped the seam along the bottom near a corner, but not all the way to the corner. I don't know why, but this just seemed like a good place to open it up.
I opened it up large enough to stick my fist through.
Then I got out my thrift store pillow. It was actually a new pillow from Target (my local Targets give to the local Goodwill stores). It was a nice pillow, but just kind of plain and boring. So I opened it up carefully with the seam ripper hoping that I might put that fabric to work some other time on some other project.
Then I just put the stuffing into my placemat. Unfortunately the stuffing was green, but luckily it didn't show through my light tan placemat fabric!
I ended up using only half of the stuffing from the thrift store pillow, so I have some leftover for the Christmas placemats that I just bought last week.....
I threaded a needle with some light tan thread and I sewed the pillow shut by hand. I was actually able to use the original holes in the fabric from when the placemat was sewn together. It looks great and isn't noticeable at all!!
Here it is finished sitting on my $7 Saver's chair that I whitewashed over the summer. It sits in the basement and brings a nice new color down there. But the walls are knotty pine that has been primed and patched but never painted! So this was taken in my kitchen :)
Here it is with my blue pillow. It is just another envelope closure pillow! I got that fabric at fabricguru.com for only $8 a yard. I just LOVE these colors together!
I used to long for the pretty accent pillows I'd see at stores and in catalogs. And now that I've found easy, inexpensive ways to make them for myself I just can't stop!!
Linking up to:
October 20, 2011
Closet Shoe Rack
I've been in love with those cute benches with baskets underneath for shoe storage that are sold at Crate and Barrel and Pottery Barn since I first got married. At our first house there was no place for one, not to mention the PRICE. eek. But when we moved to our current house there was this awkward space by the backdoor, which is also in my kitchen. When you come in the door you are immediately confronted with the side of the refrigerator. Very welcoming.
It's a small space, 12 inches to be exact, and it needs to have some shoe storage plus be welcoming and pretty. I drew up some plans for my husband to build a very shallow bench that I could use baskets with, but baskets this size were not easy to find. Then one day at Target I found this piece of furniture, I swear it was supposed to be used as a wine rack, but now when I look it up online it shows it for shoe storage. But really, when I did it I was being creative! ;)
It doesn't fit my husband's shoes, but he has a shoe obsession and when we moved in I nicely gave him the built in shoe rack in our closet. Our very small closet. The main thing is that the kids shoes are easily accessible and organized, and this works well for that! Plus my rainbow of flip-flops (well, more of a neutral rainbow!).
I attached some stick on velcro on top.
Than I made a cushion. It's basically an envelope closure pillow with a 2 inch edge added to it. I had no tutorial to follow so I just guessed as I went!! It turned out well, except some sturdier fabric would have been better. I used some 2 inch thick regular-density foam that I cut to the length and width of the unit. Then I added the stick on velcro to the back of the cushion!
This pillow came with my patio set and happened to match and fit so nicely! But now I have this green envelope closure pillow sitting there.
Looks comfy doesn't it??
Add a homemade memo board and you barely notice that big bad refrigerator! :)
Okay so this one was taken today with bad lighting, different pictures on the memo board, and the new green pillow. But I thought you could use a bigger view :)
Linking up to:
October 17, 2011
Halloween Costumes
This year Lainey finally became potty trained :) And as an incentive (okay, bribe) she was told by Nana that she would receive a "princess day." Well, on her princess day she chose a beautiful cinderella dress. It was so gorgeous I couldn't imagine just using it as dress up clothes! So her Halloween costume was born. I immediately started thinking about Casey's costume and looked up "Prince Costume" on Pinterest. After combing through all of the "the artist formerly known as Prince" pictures I found a little prince charming costume!!
I found a picture of this costume complete with a wonderful tutorial from the site
www.makeit-loveit.com. I borrowed my MIL's sewing machine once again and spent a week straight at the kitchen table sewing. My house and family missed me, but I'm back now :) And it was worth it! I had a lot of fun watching all the pieces go on the jacket. At first it looked like a Dr.'s jacket, but little by little with the addition of some red and gold it got fancier and fancier. And my son was SUPER excited that I was making his costume. So excited that Lainey got a bit jealous, so I decided to make her some accessories. At the same site there was also a tutorial for Cinderella accessories, so I made some white fingerless gloves and an adorable headband. (You can find a tutorial for an entire Cinderella dress there too if you'd like!)
So without further adieu, here's a photo montage for you!! :)
It was a windy day!! :)
Happy Halloween, I hope you get lots of candy!!!!
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October 12, 2011
Envelope Closure Pillow
I know there are a lot of tutorials out there for "no-sew" projects. Pillows and Curtains and things. But I'm not embarrassed to say, I LOVE sewing!!! The only experience I have is a little home ec. and clothing class in high school. But a few months ago I decided to make some easy roman shades that involved minimal sewing. My mother in law let me borrow her machine and gave me some tips here and there. Now I'm saving up for my own sewing machine so she can have hers back :) At the moment I'm making my son a prince charming costume for a halloween party this Friday. It's taking hours upon hours to do, but I'm completely enjoying it!!
So a quick and easy project to do on the sewing machine is an envelope closure accent pillow. Each one I've done took me less than an hour. The worst part is actually just cutting the fabric if you ask me!
First find yourself a pillow insert. I've found a good way to buy them is at your local Goodwill Store. They are $1.50 at my stores and sometimes I can even find Pottery Barn inserts. The covers are usually stained or old and dated, but the insert inside is worth every penny of that $1.50!! Cut your front piece of fabric to the size of the pillow plus 1/2 an inch. My insert was 11 x 13 so my front piece of fabric was 11 1/2 x 13 1/2. Then cut 2 pieces for the back of your pillow. You want them to overlap about 2 inches plus a 1/2 an inch for the seam. So for my 11 x 13 inch pillow I cut each piece about 11 1/2 x 9.
Pin the two back pieces about 3/4 of an inch on the sides where they are going to overlap eachother and sew a 1/2 inch seam.
Once the two seams have been sewed lay the front piece right side up. (Meaning the side that you want showing when the pillow is done) Then lay the two back pieces down right sides facing down with them overlapping in the middle.
Pin them together and sew around the whole pillow with a 1/2 inch seam.
Cut off the corners so it will be easier to get crisp corners when turned right side out. Then turn it right side out! You can use the end of a pencil (eraser side) or the end of your seam ripper to push at the corners. Iron all of the seams flat so they look crisp and professional and you're done!! Simple!!
And one from the back.....
Linking up to:
October 6, 2011
An Autumn Entrance
Fall is my absolute favorite time of the year. I love the sweaters, fuzzy socks, pumpkins, mums, EVERYTHING!! I love that it means Thanksgiving is coming, and then Christmas!! Then January through April come to town and I go into a deep depression ;)
I've always wanted to decorate the outside for fall but have been afraid to spend the money. This year I just bit the bullet. I started buying mums at the beginning of September so at least the cost was spaced out over the course of a month :) I started by planting some mums in the middle of our yard where we have an oddly placed garden bed. (it is there to hide the well and enforce that it doesn't get hit by the mower!) I removed the dieing begonias first. Then I pushed down the dead viney flowers (sorry, I'm new to gardening!) that were in the yellow pot and plopped a pumpkin down in them.
It's a little hard to tell here, but the mums on the ends are actually light yellow. I love how it turned out! I planted two more in the pots next to my front door that had been the home to some beautiful vincas all summer. Then I splurged. I went to Ikea and got some lanterns that I've been wanting since spring. I got 2 big lanterns and a little tiny one and some candles. Total cost $26, not that bad, I know. But I cringe at the total cost for the whole thing!! Then I ran to Home Depot and picked up a cornstalk. It left my car a mess :( I'm trying to think of a way to attach them on either side of the picture window, but for now they're leaning next to the door. I bought a million gourds and mini pumpkins at the grocery store and there you go!!
Nothing spectacular or out of the ordinary, but nice all the same :) Total cost? About $75.
$28 for the mums (4 were a gift from my awesome neighbor:)
$26 for the lanterns
$10 for corn stalks
$4 for big pumpkin
$5 for gourds
I plan on using the lanterns again for my Christmas decorating and on the patio table next spring/summer, so they were worth it! Here's some extra shots, and my favorites at night with the lanterns lit!!
Come see some more outdoor fall decorating at the "It's Fall Ya'll" Linky party!!
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