How to Make a Fairy House

Today we took the decorating outside for our new fairy garden!  Until a few weeks ago I had no clue what a fairy garden was.  The girls fell in love with the idea while at a friend's house helping her start her own fairy garden.  At first I thought this was a great activity just for the outdoors, but today found out that it could keep the girls entertained indoors on a rainy summer day.

The first item on our list was making the fairy house.  Avery picked out the biggest unfinished bird house available at Michaels.  Of course, they had to paint it pink!! (Addison's orders).  Once painted pink I gave the girls pliers and safety glasses to pull apart the pine cones.  (Please use discretion on whether your child is old enough to be using pliers, but make sure they have their eyes covered since little pieces do fly off.)  Surprisingly, the pieces of the pine cone were easy to cut with children's scissors after they were off the pine cone.  Our pine cones became our roof and used fake flowers and a wooden butterfly to decorate.  The girls instructed and handed me pieces while I hot glued them to the roof.

Tips for roof:  Cut tops for straight edges along the roofline (they cut easily with kids scissors) and start from the bottom and work your way up!  Don't worry what the edges of the underneath pine cones look like, they will be hidden.

I took the girls to a local thrift store and let them go wild.  We found some really neat things that they are decorating.  I figured by making the pieces themselves it would hold their interest more and they would appreciate what they had done...since all the rainbow loom bands we bought are sitting in a container now :(

I'll show you some of our other projects on Thursday.  Please share any pictures you have of your own fairy gardens.  The girls keep looking up pictures for new ideas.

4th of July will be here in a few weeks, keep Anne Maddox Boutique in mind for fun 4th of July outfits!  Also check out our newest hi low maxi skirt!

Recycling Old Pillows for Fido

You know how I like repurposing things.  Today I'm going to show you how to reuse your old pillows for man's best friend.  I know most people don't like to sew, especially the hand-sewn sides of a pillow. And since man's best friend is sometimes a little messy...this style of pillow sham is easy to slip off and throw in the washing machine (mine has already visited the washing machine).

I picked this decorating fabric from Joann's Fabrics.  It is washable, but has to be line dried.  The width of it was a perfect fit for my pillows.  Step 1: Measure the pillow.  When measuring your pillow make sure to use a sewing measuring tape to account for the curve in the pillow.

Step 2: After measuring your fabric
cut your fabric to fit.
I didn't have to make a side seam
due to using the wider decor fabric.
Make sure your back edges have
enough fabric to overlap by 3".
I cut my fabric width to the same size
I measured on the pillow (this will
make sure the pillow sham
fits snug to the pillow).

Step 3: Sew back edges
After cutting the fabric,
I ironed and stitched each side
of the fabric that will overlap.
(This will be your opening
to put the pillow in)

Step 4: Layout the pillow to sew, then pin edges.  Make sure your finished edges
overlap so that the pillow
won't show through on the back side.
This makes the pillow easily accessible
later for washing.

Step 5: Sew the edges of the pillow

Step 6: Flip inside out and stuff with pillow :)

Finished back side of pillow.

Have extra pillows to spare?  Local animal shelters are always looking for beds for our four legged friends until they find a new home.  I'm sure they would appreciate your donation!

Check our our new 4th of July headbands and new maxi skirt from Anne Maddox Boutique!

Have an idea to share?  I'm always looking for fun things to share!

FUNdraiser Decorating

You may wonder where have I been?  That is a good questions with various answers, but the main one I am going to talk about today.  I’ve enjoyed the past few weeks getting ready for the 157-C Education Dinner Auction that took place recently at Prestwick Country Club.  I personally don’t have tons of money to give back to our schools, but got involved with my kids Education Foundation to give back with something I enjoy doing…decorating! 

Looking for a venue to host a shower, wedding or party?
Check out Prestwick's Facebook page here.

Among other fundraisers, annually the 157-C Education Foundation puts on a dinner auction that entertains around 300 people and raises money through silent auction items, live auction items, split the pot, can raffles, wine pulls, etc.  Originally, I was attracted to the event for its atmosphere and as a fun night out to raise money for the local schools.  I know many people perceive that their high property taxes go to our children’s schools, but we all know the economy and loss/delayed government funds have indeed affected our schools.

Bokay Flowers helped us come up with an arrangement.
Check out some of their awesome/one of a kind
arrangements here.

Now on to the FUN stuff…  Our logo is a tree and motto “Funding Growth in the Classroom”.  In years past a theme of “Give, Grant, Grow” was adopted and along with it a “natural” essence at the event to go along with this theme.  So how to you merge “Country Club” and “natural”?  This was the biggest challenge going into it. 

Tips from our local florist, Becky Dees at Bokay Flowers, helped merge the elegance of Prestwick Country Club into an elegant/natural event.  We knew we wanted to incorporate fabric to soften and bring in the white of the furniture.  Her tips of using dowel rods and fabric tape helped make this become a reality.  I love the way it turned out!  She also recommended in season flowers that were easy for “non-flower” people to make into beautiful bouquets.

Want a custom pallet table or wine rack?  Message me
on my Facebook page for details!

Another challenge was furniture.  In the past we had used benches, pallets and wooden electrical spools for tables, etc. My husband built tables that Kathy, Amy and I, painted in a white wash to merge the “country club” look with the natural vibe the event has.  My husband and my contribution to the event were three pallet coffee tables, a sofa table, a tree and two wine racks.  The goal was to offset decorating costs by selling the furniture through the silent bidding.  Thanks to the generosity of those at the event, we were able to offset a majority of our decorating costs.  My personal favorite was this wine rack.  The tables seemed to get a lot of interest.  Daymon (my husband) and I are trying to figure out a way to market these, although it may be a while before you see them at Anne Maddox Boutique.  Shipping seems to pose a little of an issue J 

If you don’t know this about me already, I LOVE to repurpose things.  For those who are not familiar with this term it is called “upcycling”.  We used pallets to make all of the furniture.  Members of the foundation also donated pillows that Kathy, Amy, and I, covered in burlap and stenciled with our theme thanks to Kristin.Looking back, we should have sewn them all.  Most of them we hot glued which made some parts of the process easier.  Someone even purchased one of them at the event!  This mixed the elegant settees with our burlap décor. 

A BIG thank you to my husband for
making this life-size tree a reality!

 

My house is finally getting back together…no more burlap fragments, saw dust, paint, etc.  I have to admit I do miss it.  It was fun putting this together with friends.  A big “thank you” goes out to all of the 157-C Education Foundation members, parents, teachers, administration, and local businesses that helped make this event a success!  If you didn’t join us for the event this year, why not try it out next year!  Hey, it beats going door-to-door selling, and gives you a fun night out!  Win…win!!

Check out these new items from Anne Maddox Boutique!

Never Fear, Color Tips Are Here!

COLOR…this five-letter word puts fear in most people.  One of the biggest questions I get from people is about choosing the right colors.  If you understand the color wheel and follow the rules…I advise you to stop reading now to avoid heart failure.  As I have explained in the past I have NO formal training and do not follow the “rules”.  For those of you who don’t even remember that you learned about the color wheel in elementary school and want to avoid “poop” on your walls...please keep reading.  You understand exactly what I’m talking about when you’ve seen colors on a wall that remind you of something that should be kept private in the bathroom.

Before

Laura’s rule #1: Invest in a color chart.  This will cost you money, but will save you some in the long run.  Stay AWAY from the small color sample sheets in the stores.  No matter how much they have “perfected the lighting” it will not look the same as in your house.  The color chart helps you understand what undertones are in the colors (colors that may come out once painted on your walls).  For example if you are wanting a deep brown use one with grey undertones or you will have a color that looks like questionable material mentioned above.  My favorite color chart is the one from Benjamin Moore.

If you are painting in an area with fluorescent lighting – make sure to paint a large sample area.  I’ve seen many beiges look like pink on the walls...oops!

Pick at least two shades of a color you like and paint it on your walls.  Look at it different times of the day.  I like accent walls for a bold color (then if it is too much or you tire of it – only a small wall to repaint).  In our living room I am painting an accent wall in a navy color, then accenting with silver velvet curtains.  If you are doing an accent wall paint the colors close together so you can see how they look together.

Laura’s Rule #2: For furniture, a backsplash, floors and any other costly items, stick to neutral colors and styles that will not quickly go out of style.  Dare the color and quirkiness for things like pillows, paint colors, accent pieces, etc., that can be replaced more easily when you tire of the color.  This is the reason I like “antique like” items.  They have withstood the test of time and have such a uniqueness that supplies timeless decor.  Don’t believe me…why does everyone love to look at homes in the “historic area” of most towns. Don’t worry.  I prefer an updated antique style that you pay high money for reproductions and don’t realize it.

After - Accent Wall for Fireplace

I went with a neutral grey color for our sofa and recliners.  One thing I do invest money in is our staple furniture like couches and recliners that are used on a regular basis.  We were told in a furniture store that “this is a quality sofa, it should last you 5 years”…keep shopping or you will regret it.  You need a quality structure that is going to hold up over time.  You will get your money’s worth in the long run. 

Laura’s Rule #3: Have fun with color!  You don’t have to be matchy-matchy.  I highly advise you not to be.  I’m using several grey and blue tones in our décor.  You also don’t have to have the same color woods.  The trend is to go with dark floors, but make sure your furniture is not also dark.  You do need some contrast or everything will just blend together.  I have been known to paint dark colors in tray ceilings under much criticism until people see the final result.  Voila!  It looks like higher ceilings.

If you are a visual person like my husband, look at magazines, Pinterest, catalogs (they always have some great ideas of how to display things) or even watch HGTV.  My favorite designer is Candice Olson. 

After

I recommend buying any accent pieces you like in various sizes and colors.  Bring them into the space with old pieces you might reuse.  Play around with them and then take back what doesn’t work.  Just make sure to keep your receipts and not procrastinate in returning them.  Home Goods, Marshalls, etc., are great places to look for unique items for a great price.  They even have reasonable accent chairs.  Don’t pay a lot for these items then you won’t feel bad recycling them later (or if you have children and they break it – not that I speak from personal experience lol – we have gone through many tubes of super glue over the years). 

Most importantly go with what you like and have fun!  Don’t be afraid to embrace a color that you love in pictures.  Feel free to share your pictures of your own projects.  We are still in the process of finishing up our own project.  More photos to follow!

Anne Maddox Boutique has cute items for a baby showers, birthdays, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day and Easter!

Repurposing Old Furniture With a Distressed Finish

Before

One of my favorite pieces of our remodel project is this coffee table I found on Craigslist from a resale store.  Not only did my purchase help fund a nursing home, it saved me a lot of $$ and gave me a unique piece you won’t find anywhere else!  Today I thought I would walk you through the process in case you have some old furniture you would like to repurpose for little money out of your pocket.

My favorite thing about this piece is all of the curves and detail.  In its prime it was a high quality piece that is very sturdy and made of solid wood.  It does have some nicks and dings, but I think they made this type of painting make it look even neater.  If you want to make a piece look more distressed carefully take a hammer and make your own distress marks using such items as a nail head, chain, chisel, etc.  I would recommend practicing on a scrap piece of wood.  Then follow the steps below. The amount of distressing is up to you.  I did more distressing on this piece that I did on our kitchen table.

Don’t worry, distressing is easy.  However, I do not recommend this to a perfectionist painter (this type of painting drives my husband crazy).

After

Step 1: Pick a paint color that you like.  You can go with an enamel spray paint for a smoother finish, but you will be very limited on colors.  I used an Olympic enamel paint that I color matched to a Benjamin Moore paint I had previously gotten a color sample of.  Just make sure it is an enamel paint so that you doesn’t rub off easily.

Step 2: Other items you may want to have on hand: a good paint brush, liquid sander, cut up old t-shirts, something to protect your floor, disposable gloves, eye protection and a 7” paint pad.

Step 3: Clean the surface with a damp rag

Step 4: Take a liquid sander (Yep, no sanding required!!  So no dusty mess!) and apply to your piece and let completely dry.  Liquid sander products are available at most home improvement stores. Use the old t-shirt pieces to put the product on in a circular motion (don’t forget eye protection and gloves for this part).

Step 5: If you have an edge like I did that connects to the top I recommend painting this first.  Take your brush and paint in small sections.  Wrap a t-shirt piece around your finger and wipe off edges and details that you don’t want to have paint on them.  This type of paint does dry quickly.  For any places on the main part that you want to have the worn look, let them dry a little more so you don’t just wipe all of the paint off before wiping them.  For flat areas I recommend wadding up your t-shirt for a more natural look.  If you mess up, no big deal you can always go back with a sanding block.  Just make sure your pattern is irregular.

Step 6: For the top take the paint pad and go in long swipes across the top.  Just make sure not to use too much paint or you won’t get the “striping” and may mess up what you have already done below. 

Step 7:  If you need to do another coat, although you most likely won’t need it.   Just keep in mind a second coat makes it harder to wipe the paint off the edges. 

My other favorite piece is this old dining table.  Believe it or not, I found it FREE on Craigslist.  I was sooo excited and loved the way it turned out!  I also has a leaf so we have more room when entertaining.  I didn’t distress this piece as much as the coffee table and for the top we used a cabinet and door foam paint roller for a smoother finish.

Before

Stay tuned for next week when I give some tips about choosing colors and show you how to repurpose some of your old pillows for your four legged friends!  Once we get our room together I’ll post pictures of these furniture pieces in their natural setting.

Partially Done

After

Keep Anne Maddox Boutique in mind for baby gifts, headbands and spirit wear.  Give her a Valentine's Day gift she can use all year long.