I hope everyone had a great weekend....ours was busy as usual. The weather has seemed to warm up a little so my boys have been enjoying more outdoor activities. After finishing my dining room project I have changed my focus once again. I have decided to sell cakes. I was a cake decorator for 9 years before I stopped to stay home and raise my 2 boys. Now that they are getting a little more independent, I feel I have a little more freedom. I am in the process of creating 5 flavors that I will offer and tried one of them this weekend....Mocha cake! I t was yummy!!!....If you are a coffee lover you will love this cake....the smell alone was so enticing.....of course I had a few slices, had to sample it.lol I would like a larger variety of decor to offer so I am currently creating gum paste flowers and remember those flower candies that we used to fight over as a kid that they used to decorate cakes? Yeah those.lol  I will post a couple of cakes I have done and will be posting more along the way. Wish me luck on this new venture!

I did this for my son who loves Pokemon.

This was an order for a Holiday theme party.

This was an order for a special birthday....I used molded chocolate for the decorations

This was a Christening cake I did for my nephew.

I have to warn you.....these following pictures were taken when I first started doing cakes.....at that time I don't think they even had digital photography....man I feel old.lol! I tried to salvage the pictures but they are still a blur...but here they are anyway. I also had to do everything in butter creme......there was no fondant available. I had to find ways to get creative for those 3d cakes.

Batman cake

Beer Bottle and mug cake.

 Christening Cake

Airbrush of the Birthday girl.

 Horse Cake

 These became popular during the Kentucky Derby season....I guess like the Superbowl parties but horses.lol

 Power Puff Girls

Airbrush Wizard of Oz cake for a big Wizard of Oz collector.

Boho chic!

Since Summer will soon be approaching, I have been thinking abut how I can refresh my wardrobe from last summer without having to spend too much. I've been really into Boho-chic. I guess you could say it's an updated version of the 60's and 70's. I've been looking for that perfect (for me) hobo bag. I admit I love designer handbags, but they just don't have the look I was going for. So yesterday i decided to use some left over fabric I had from my dining room make over. The fabric that I love with the birds on them....so with some frustration, big mess and staying up all night a little patience...this is what I came up with! A bag big enough for all my junk!

I used a large piece of coral I purchased years ago to use as a decorative weight, I finally found the perfect project for it! I know it's not perfect....but it is for me :o)

Dining Room Makeover!

Hello blog...I have sooo missed you!lol I know it's been so long since I've posted but I have been trying to finish some projects at home and trying to get over a cold that has lasted over 2 weeks! I hate getting sick! You know how it goes, if one gets it, it's like the domino effect.lol Well enough of that, I'm so excited to share that I have finally finished my dining room project! I started with tackling the light fixture.......

As you can see...I was so excited to see what the shade I found would look like......then remembered...oh! I should take a before pic!lol

 See what a little can of spray paint can do! I knew that the glass shades just would not go with what I wanted to accomplish....so I purchased some Krylon White gloss....then distresses the paint a little after it dried. I then sealed it with a clear acrylic gloss. I also changed the shades with something much cleaner in design. I was very pleased with the outcome (my husband was too since I didn't have to buy a new chandelier.lol!

And all it took was a few hours! I always do my painting when the weather is nicer and warmer outside, it seems to help in a quicker drying process.

In the same time I was doing the mini projects I was trying to finish my focal wall. I decided to make a big mistake do a stencil on the focal wall of a quatrefoil pattern. It lasted longer than I thought...and didn't help any that I was sick as a dog. I painted the wall gray and used an iridescent acrylic paint to do the pattern in so when the light hit it a certain way it would sparkle! I love how it turned out but there were a lot of boo boo's.lol

I now have more love for freehand! The thing with the stencil is if it's off by just even a centimeter...it turn into an inch at the end! I want to share the ugly truth to show that it's only paint and it can be fixed as best as possible.

I was also inspired by this fabric that I just fell in love with. I decided to make a quick framed art with the fabric. You could also do this with any fabric that you love when decorating....it's an easy solution to wall art!

I just love the colors and the birds. It also adds a bit of chinoiserie which I think goes well with the quatrefoil fabric.

I wanted to place the fabric somewhere else in the room to make it cohesive...I made a lamp! This is a very easy project and fun too! I took an old lamp shade I had and made a template.....

I just placed a piece of paper over the metal frame and made an indentation so I knew what size to cut the fabric. I place it over the piece of fabric and cut 8 pieces that would connect like a puzzle.

Cut the excess fabric after it's all glued.

I used a glue gun to attach it to the old shade right over the existing fabric.....just make sure that when you do each panel that you smooth it out so there are no wrinkles. I work my way from the top to the bottom.....makes it much easier because glue gun dries fast. I used some trim to cover the seams. I purchased a brass lamp base from the Thrift store for $5.99....and used Krylon black gloss paint. I had to rewire the lamp...but that is super easy! You could purchase lamp kits from Lowe's or use an existing one from an old lamp like I did......

I love that when the light is on the picture of the bird just glows.

 I also recovered the original dining chairs with the quatrefoil fabric. If you have chairs like mine they are the simplest to recover. All you have to do is unscrew the seats from under which are usually attached by 4 screws. Place the seat top side down on the fabric you want to use (make sure you fold it over to give allowance for the foam) and cut it out. Use this as your template for cutting out the other fabric you need for the other chairs. All you need is a heavy duty staple gun! 

Start by placing staples on the top....1&2.....then 3&4..........5&6.....7&8......you get the idea (always pulling tight). I place them about an inch apart....then just work your way out....always in that pattern. When you get to the corners just pull it tight and tuck and staple the excess fabric.

This is the original fabric it had....

If you have an existing cover on....I just removed it and used it as a template.

So after all that.....here is the before.......

Sorry all I had was a Christmas pic.lol But you get the idea......

If you have ever considered doing a room make over, go for it! The simplest changes makes a big difference and you could accomplish anything even on a small budget! Little tip on saving money on paint.....Sometimes paint can cost up to $30 a gallon! What I do is I go to the clearance section of the paint....I check it once a week and they always seem to have a neutral color on clearance....they sell them for $5 a gallon! I just get all the neutrals.....as much as I would need for a room.....then choose a color from the templates......I go about 3 shades darker from the color I want. Purchase the sample for $2.95 and just mix it with the gallon.....I seem to always get close to the color I want. If it's too dark...just add more white, If you want it darker add some more color. I'm not too picky when it comes to the shade so this works for my cheap self.lol Remember....It is always better to have paint left over for those touch ups in the future! Here is how it turned out! I can't wait to have a party! :o)

See how I covered up my boo boo's.....shhhh..... ;o)

The Picture in the white frame was a needle point my late aunt made....I knew this was the perfect place for it :o) The brass tree is something my mother had and kept for years....I love it so much, it brings memories of the home I grew up in.

Love for Decorating

I Have been so busy these past few days with all the projects around my house. My mind never rests and I just keep on thinking of new things to do to improve my surroundings. I've only lived in this home for almost 3 years, but only now have felt like I am getting comfortable enough to really know what I want certain rooms to look like and really narrow down "my style." There are many options out there when it comes to design and decorating so it could get quite confusing at times. I always start with the "feeling" I want the room to have, maybe...cozy...or fresh...romantic...glamorous.....you get the idea. Then  I decide on the color palette I would love to have, sometimes this inspiration comes form fabric or a painting or a piece of furniture....or maybe something that you own that you just love! I also get lot's of ideas from reading blogs about decorating. I came across this blog called Hooked on Houses I love this blog.....because the snoop in me is always interested in what other homes look like inside. She also talks about my all time favorite movie Somethings Gotta Give, besides the fact that I am drool crazy over Keanu Reeves, I just love the way the house is decorated in this movie, so light, airy and timeless....plus who wouldn't love to have a home in the Hampton's right? She also has many other movie homes and plenty of pictures and information about them. I just thought I would share....maybe you too could get some inspiration :o)

Here is a fabric swatch that I have been really inspired by and plan to do my dining room in......

I plan to recover my dining chairs in this fabric.

I also plan to do a wall treatment with a stencil of this on my dining room wall to coordinate in grey and pearlescent color so when the light hits it you could see a hint of the pattern...ooo...preeetty.lol I have also decided to re do my dining room chandelier....I will post updates on that later. I have been dangerous with a can of white spray paint lately.lol I've been painting lot's of things white to go in my dining room including my old chandelier. I will also have a bedroom update soon because my husband and I have found our headboard! I get it this Friday....Yay!!! Till next time...happy decorating! :o)

Not So Door Wreath!

Can you hear it.......can you feel it?! Ahhh.....yes, it finally feels like Spring is on it's way! After a looong cold winter, I'm so excited to be able to do some projects for the outside! Now when I paint something outside it actually dries!lol On Friday I was ready to take down that unimaginative blah remnant of Christmas and winter wreath that was on my door.....I just got tired of looking at those pine cones! I was ready to do my usual switch out of winter wreath to spring wreath....when I noticed, it was looking pretty sad! The butterflies on them looked like they've been through a battle, and the the pretty spring green it once had was starting to look grey. So I decided I wanted something different....something new....not your usual door wreath. I wanted it to reflect the colors inside my home.....and be able to leave it up through all the seasons. Well, remember when I told you I have this infatuation with twigs, and birds....with the use of stuff I had around the house.....this is what I came up with!

I used an old picture frame, 2 pieces of clear acrylic, some artificial twigs with berries, and the tiebacks I didn't end up using from the curtains in my kitchen.

First I painted the old picture frame white with acrylic paint and sprayed it with clear acrylic sealant after it dried......Then I drew a picture of birds on the clear acrylic (or you could do it on the glass from the frame) with a permanent marker on the back side. You will also fill it in with paint at least 3 coats on the back side. So when you turn it right side up...the paint will look smooth.

I used clear acrylic because it was much lighter and safer than glass since it was going to be placed on the front door. I used two sheets (one I painted on and the other I placed on the back side of the picture to protect it) which I got from one of those cheap kid frames that I bought for 1 dollar.

Your wreath could be made with anything you desire....I know you're thinking that's not very spring like......but again use things that you love.....flowers, leaves, twigs, the possibilities are endless! Make it a reflection of what you love and what you want everyone to see as a reflection of your home.

I tied the twigs together with floral wire and screwed on the four corners of the frame, on top and bottom picture hooks so that I could wind the floral wire through it and attach it to the wreath.

Use any wide ribbon you like and attach it to the back of the frame. 

 

And there you go......a great alternative to the usual wreath! You could place anything you like inside the frame.....from pictures to quotes or just good ol' "Home Sweet Home." :o)

Sweet Baby!

Finding out this morning that my cousin is having a baby boy (Yay!!!) just made me think about the baby shower I gave my sister last year for her sweet baby girl. I love giving parties especially "Themed Parties" Yes, I am one of those crazy people that goes all out for Halloween, I make my own costumes for my self and children....I am also that weirdo eccentric that dresses up for the Renaissance festival....even though I'm not part of the fair.....phew! I'm glad I got that off my chest.lol  I used to make costumes for my husband and he would actually wear them....but this was before we got married...hmmm....I guess he didn't have to impress me any more he got smarter after.lol  I wanted to share with you some pictures of the things I made for my sisters baby shower and maybe give you some Ideas, because even though the colors are pink and green, they could be applied to any party just by changing the colors and theme. My theme was "Garden Tea Party" of course so appropriate for a sweet baby girl :o)

I was on a budget so I made some of my decorations with things I had around the house.

I had scrap book paper That I cut out with craft scissors and used hole punches with fun shapes to add interest and bought butterfly stickers to decorate them with and strung them on pretty ribbon. I have these atrocious chairs in my breakfast nook that look like it's been through a war.....I covered them up with some sheer panels I had saved and tied them back with rubber hair ties and placed a flower on top. A great way to save is shop when they clear out items from every season.....I just happened to have this party after Easter so it was perfect to grab up all those spring clearance Items! I made a home made chocolate cake and covered it with this edible grass (from Easter) that tasted yummy like apple flavor! I used scrap book 3d stickers and purchased 2 packs of the same stickers so I could place them back to back with a toothpick in the middle so I could place them on the cake. 

I bought book mark sticks (from any craft store) .......I love the charm I found, so sweet! Just attach them with a jump ring. I printed out labels on scrapbook paper (the other side is glittery pink) then cut them with craft scissors.  I live next to a discount store so I would go once a week and check their clearance section...I bought mix matched tea sets and containers which made the table look cute and colorful!

It was so much fun! See how I hung and spread out the souvenirs :o)......When doing a party take your time, doing things waaay ahead of time is much easier on the budget.

My Dream Dining room!

In a perfect world of unopinionated husbands and never ending funds this is my dream dining room....Idea.lol Sometimes I just love going through the Internet and browsing and saving photos of things I would love to use in future projects. I've had this idea of giving my dining area a fun, funky retro feel. I think retro fabrics have so much character. I also want my dining area to still tie in to the rest of the house but in the same time having it's own space. Because the dining room is the space used for entertaining, I want it to feel lively and fun! I treat decorating the same way as I would getting dressed for a special occasion. You have the base which is your outfit which either has pattern or a plain color, then the accessories that accentuate the outfit like shoes, handbag and jewelry (which is the bling in the room).  Well here it is...my Idea...it all started from this fabric that I found on Fabric.com.

This fabric just makes me smile :o) There is just something about it I love! maybe it's the quirkiness about it?

Well here is my palette Idea for the whole room......

I can't decide on the paint color.....but I'm thinking the one in the middle....what do you think?

 I want to anchor the windows with velvet black drapes to give it a rich luxurious feel and layer it with the two fabrics to soften it up.

I love these accessories I found in zgallerie......

So pretty! I just love how the black would compliment the drapes.

I have always been fascinated with the art deco period and love old glam movies....I love how this beveled mirror buffet server has that feel. Martinis anyone?!lol

Love the deer head....and how cute are those birds!

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Well that's it! This will be my ultimate project so I'm gonna enjoy it and take my time.....maybe.lol