Teacher Gifts = Wrapped Chocolate Bars

This year the middle school teachers will receive wrapped chocolate bars dressed like Santa.  I purchased the super sized Hershey bars at the grocery store yesterday and used what I had on hand to decorate them.  They turned out cute. (I also think if I altered the colors this design could be repurposed for Thanksgiving next year.)

You want to see the dining room?

There is so much in here that I've created myself. I hope you like it. Upholstered zebra chair, Thomas Paul look alike pillow, ferns on the frame to coordinate with  my Kelly Westler Fern fabric (not shown). YET!

Chevron Frame Pics

In case you wanted to see the whole grouping, here is another view of the hallway.  I'm loving the scale of these painted chevron frames and how it relates to the dining room. 

Chevron Wreath Frames

I painted some wood in a chevron pattern and hung wreaths over them to decorate a narrow hallway. There are three of them. They are purposefully rustic and aged looking. This little hallway combines a little of everything that I'm enjoying this year: high contrast, chevron, aged wood, grey wash, geometric, lime green, copper, natural elements, upcycled, and DIY for Christmas. Whew.  That's a lot to describe. Simply said, I know my hallway looks unique and non-emergency traditional this season. Yea! Task accomplished.

Where are the fun ornaments?

A valuable lesson learned...Meet Tree #2: My little one will wake up tomorrow morning to find "his tree" ready for him to decorate with "the fun ornaments." He can hang them with his brother  after school or before school, or hang them on Tree #1 if they feel like it.  It will be their project. This decorator is stepping aside for the season. I almost made a huge mistake by thinking the decorating was my show, my thing, you know...my seasonal showpiece. A week ago,  I chose to leave all the fun (read gross) ornaments in the box and BOTH KIDS  NOTICED.  AGAIN.  For the third year in a row.  Seriously. I thought they would value a beautifully decorated designer tree.  In my defense those "fun ornaments" are the Bart Simpson, Hans Solo and Yoda ornaments. (Feel my pain?) I admit my mistake in editing their "fun ornaments" and potentially affecting  their Christmas memories.  Sooooooo tomorrow, I am stepping aside and from now on am letting my kids have their say in the holiday decor. Right after I reassemble and redecorate the beautiful wreath that hubby accidentally crashed tonight. (Sigh)

DIY coordinating gift tags

1. Cut out several wrapping papet motifs and glue to CARD STOCK. (It thick and stiff paper.)
2.  When glue is dry. Trim edges tightly around the motif using scissors.
3. Add a hole punch and ribbon.
It will be cute and coordinated.

Meet my new chandelier!

Its been a long time since I had a chandelier in the dining room. (Or a table for that matter after I SOLD IT to my neighbor about 2.5 years ago.) This fixture became my early Christmas present and we hung it today. I still need a real table...but for now...for my 10 guests arriving in 14 days ...this table will "do" for now.  Welcome new chandelier!

Back porch in the fall

The back porch is my favorite place on a fall day. 

Homemade penguin costume

Made my own pattern. 
Time 2.5 hours.
Cost $11. 
2 yards black. 1 yard white. 1/2 yard yellow. 1/4 yard red.
The best part is what he said when he put it on:  "This is, by far, the best costume I've ever had." (said with warmest sincerity.) Mmmm. I'll treasure that for a long time. 

Finish it Friday: Foyer Painted

I used Ashley Grey HC-87,flat in the Benjamin Moore Historic Color deck but had gallons #2 and #3 matched at Home Depot with the Behr Ultra Premium line/Paint and Primer in One.  I will be trimming out the foyer next. (That explains the creamy white paint under the grey.) The door openings will be the first to be trimmed. I've got great plans to kick up the oohlala factor in this house where the builder omitted trim. Grrr. I'm off to tackle the next step.

Finish it Friday: Painting the two story foyer

Goodbye SW Sundew. Hello BM Ashley Grey. (Hopefully Ill get this finished in the next two hours. Its been a year since I started.) Yeah! FINISH IT FRIDAY.

Teachers Rock...Teacher Appreciation Gifts

Inpsiration hit while in the checkout lane at Target tonight.  I created 6 prototypes after watching American Idol.  If only I had more time to work on these cuties...sigh.  I think I'll pair the patties with a gift card and a thank you note with the "You Rock" logo on the cover in case they miss the subtlety. (That word needs to appear in the National Spelling bee.)  Looks like I'll be making more "'You Rock" patties tomorrow.

Teacher Appreciation Week: Clever Sayings and Sources of Inspiration

Oh my golly! Teacher Appreciation Week started today. 
I don't have any gifts made. (I like to make them.)
The kids have a jillion teachers this year.  (So they need to be affordable to make.) 
Plus my family is crazy busy this week. (I need to be able to make the gifts quickly.) 
I surfed and found this site with a bunch of clever little sayings that I can build upon.  (Whew!) 
Stay tuned to see what I come up with.  In the meantime, here are some photos that I found inspiring. 
From The Idea Room        
 From EmilyGiovanni.com            
 From Skiptomylou.blogspot.com
 

Surf the shelter blogs for HOURS!

If you love reading shelter magazines, and surfing the blogosphere for inspiring home design blogs, you may enjoy this list of nominees, finalists and winners over at apartmenttherapy.com.  (Voting is closed.)
Apartment Therapy.com's Homies 2011 Awards List 
Perhaps someone I know will be on the list next year. 

How To Get Published with Carolyn Sollis

Had a great day at the Kravet Show Room with Carolyn Sollis.

Finish it Friday: My Thomas Paul Inspired Pillow

The first one is finished! Bummed I can't complete the second one till later tonight.  Wait till you see what I have planned for the windows. I'm off to see a baseball game. Happy Friday!

Thomas Paul Inspired Pillows

I decided a few weeks ago to try to recreate a Thomas Paul pillow.  I couldn't find the fabric after many exhaustive searches and couldn't live without it.  So I tried to create a derivative piece of fabric artwork for my own house.  I'm dubbing today as Finish It Friday.   Stay tuned for the finished pictures later this weekend.

How to Embed a Link in Your Blog -- Point to Your Source

My friend Toni asked me how to isolate a word within in her own blog post and how activate the word as a link to a source on the web.  Have you ever wondered how to embed a link in your blog without sending your reader away from your blog?  Let's say you are writing a blog post about paint websites and you want to link to for example: Benjamin Moore or Sherwin-Williams.


Here are the steps:
While writing (or composing /"editing") your post in Blogger: (Read that underlined part again)
1. Highlight (click and drag over) the text you want to activate. (example:  Highlight the words Benjamin Moore)
2. Select Blogger's Link tool (Look for the underlined word that reads Link)
Tip: If you aren't sure which one is the link tool, let your mouse linger over the editing tools and their names will pop up.)
3.  A white box will pop up asking you to enter the URL
3. Enter the URL (the web address) of the exact page you are pointing your reader. 
4. Click "Test the Link" to see if you have indeed linked to the page you want.
(It's kind of easy, right?)


Yet...I know there are some that get confused and need more explanation. 
So...If you staring at the computer and suddenly aren't sure what to put in the white box...here are your options:
1--If you have the webpage memorized, well then, you are a memorizing genius, and I want to be on your team when we play Trivial Pursuit.
2--If you're a seasoned computer user, you can open up a second tab on your browser, go to the website, surf to the exact spot you want to show your readers, then Copy (by using the keyboard strokes, toggle Ctrl-C)  the web address from the top of the page. Then surf back to the little white box and Paste in the web address in the box (by using the keyboard strokes, toggle Ctrl-P)
3--Or if you are like my mom, you can go to the website, copy it down on pencil and paper and try to squint your eyes and retype it inside the white box and risk messing up a keystroke or more, then express your frustration with technology by calling me when I'm making dinner and telling me that there is something wrong with your computer.  (True story. Happens all the time.)


Enjoy and apply your newly learned blogging skill. 
The best lesson here is that it's important to site your sources and give credit where it's due. 

The View that put a Drapery Crisis into Perspective

The BEST phone call I received in 2010 came via cell the moment I arrived at The Grand Canyon. (Two days prior to Thanksgiving.) A sweet business gal I know called; not knowing I was out of town. She was having drapery issues with a client of hers. And the stress of fitting it all in was a bit too much at that moment. Instantly upon seeing the canyon I knew I could help put the issue into perspective.  My eyes were on the scenery, my ear was on the phone and  I knew with every ounce of my being that the drapery crisis du jour was only "small-blip of a moment" in our lifetime. After giving her my own words of advice, I also quoted a well known industry pal of mine, Scot Robbins. "There's no such thing as a drapery emergency." That statement + that phone call + this view was a great free business lesson for me.  (And my drapery friend, after a much needed break, got it all worked out and got her Thanksgiving dinner finished too.) I hope this view can help someone else too.