I love the way this looks. And you don't need to buy a for poster bed. Could made with piping at Home Depot or Lowes on the cheap.
Free Pattern: Cycle Satchel
Great for camera, water bottle, snacks, phone and anything else you can't fit on your arms.
Get tutorial at Made by Marizpan.
Get tutorial at Made by Marizpan.
Vintage Marquee DIY
June 28, 2012
Love Jordan's vintage marquee out of foam board tutorial! Wish I held a movie night just to make these.
She says it take an afternoon to make but it doesn't look complicated.
Online Wedding RSVP
June 27, 2012
Kid's Birthday Gifts: A Little Something Extra
I think these would be a great 'extra' addition to a birthday gift for a kid, especially if you bought something small and wanted to add a little something more. You can buy the lollis, the pot and the floral foam in one trip to the dollar store! $3 total! Molly saw this photo while I was writing the post and said, "Will you get all those lollipops? For me? Please." So, there's your test group. Proof it will be a hit. Via The Z-Pack.
Quickie DIY Gift Bag
June 26, 2012
Do you ever have those days when you're preparing to go to a birthday party last minute and buying the present on the car ride over? OMGosh, I'm so ashamed to admit that but I've done it more than once. Or do you ever have a present and not enough time to run out and get packaging? Try this super easy tut! Via Hello Sandwich (Love the title too;). I think you could make it as big as you need depending on how wide your paper is. Heavyweight wrapping paper or butcher's paper would probably work.
Chocolate Covered Truffles (with a secret ingredient)
The summer is perfect for indulging on all those things you couldn't in the winter, slushies, milkshakes and of course ICE CREAM! But honestly, sometimes an entire ice cream bar or cone seems too filling for a snack.
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These little homemade ice cream chocolate covered truffles are great for snacking but not over indulging. And they're extra special because when you make them homemade you aren't limited to just vanilla. Today I used Edy's Slow Churned Light Ice Cream in yummy black raspberry flavor.
First start with your ingredients and utensils: ice cream, milk chocolate pieces, a cookie dough scooper and my secret ingredient (see below). Also not pictured, non-stick aluminum foil.
Take your non-stick foil and place in the freezer on top of something flat.
Now, scoop out the ice cream into perfect balls. Okay, I know this is hard. Ideally, your ice cream should not be melty. I bought mine a couple hours earlier so it was a little too soft but if you don't mind waiting leave it sit overnight in the freezer, then 5 minutes before you are going to scoop take it out and let sit.
To scoop the balls skim your scoop over the top surface of the ice cream allowing the ice cream to fold over itself into a ball. Once you've scooped your ice cream, take the scooper to the freezer and unscoop the ice cream ball onto non-stick foil. Repeat for as many ice cream balls as you want.
Let the ice cream balls sit in the freezer for another hour or until hard. A couple minutes before your balls are almost done re-freezing take your chocolate and heat it up. Here's where my 'secret ingredient' comes in. Take two spoonfuls of coconut oil and put it in with the chocolate chunks. Coconut oil helps to give the chocolate an extra silky flavor. Also, it's great for chocolate covered strawberries. Yum! Plus, coconut is just amazing!
Once your chocolate is ready and your ice cream balls are hard, take a fork and pierce a ball (preferably on the side that was resting on the foil) and dip into chocolate quickly. Try to get the entire ball covered but don't leave in the chocolate too long or it will melt and fall off. This is why it's better to have thin chocolate.Once your ball is covered take it immediately back to freezer and place on non-stick foil. Rest it on the side where your fork was. Tricky, tricky. Repeat for the rest of your ice cream balls. Don't let the balls sit outside the freezer while you are dipping or they will melt and loose their shape and break apart in the chocolate. You can add sprinkles at this step if you like. They look so pretty that way.
Let freeze for a couple hours or until hard. Then remove from freezer and SERVE! 
Edy’s® Slow Churned Light Ice Cream is churned slowly for all the rich & creamy taste of regular ice cream, but with half the fat and one-third fewer calories. Now that’s a reason to smile. Give a smile with Operation Smile: http://www.facebook.com/EdysIceCream For every ice cream smile captured in a photo and uploaded to Edy's Facebook Page, Slow Churned will donate $5 to Operation Smile. By the end of the summer, the goal is to give away more than 25,000 scoops of ice cream, capture 25,000 ice cream smiles and gift 500 surgeries/smiles to children in-need. I submitted a photo of Molly see here!
“Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Nestle via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Nestle.”
Grading Up
June 25, 2012
Lace Felt Throw
What a lovely idea. You could also do with suede or any other thick non-fraying fabric.To get the lace pattern to cut you could scan actual lace then enlarge the image in photoshop or any other photo editing program, print and use as template.
Permanent Outdoor Movie Screen
June 24, 2012
I'm kinda in awe of this. Made with PVC Pipes, tethers and a white tarp. Aside from the car seats in the front, this looks really quaint. Via PVC Pipe Plans. There's no tutorial but if you email the builder: Jon Martin. He might tell you how he did it. Said it withstood 65 mph winds.
Reusable Cloth "Paper" Towels
Oh my gosh. So neat. You can purchase here. Or you could try and make these on your own. Just cotton fabric backed with terry cloth.
Dark Hair Ombre DIY
June 22, 2012
I've definitely been considering ombre-ing my hair. I was definitely hesitant because my hair is so very dark. I've seen some dark hair ombres on Pinterest look terribly abrupt, going from black to blond almost instantly. But after some consideration I think if done right, it can have a very summery look. Below is a DIY video. Looks very doable. Now all I need is a spray tan and new bathing suit to go with my soon-to-be ombred locks and I'll be ready for summer.
Fringe Balloon Tutorial
June 21, 2012
Tutorial for making your own fringe balloons! Via the Glitter Guide. We wanted to make some for our photoshoot. I even went as far as to MAKE the fringes but ran short on time and never got to attach them:( Look great in photo ops. Love the gold pastel look color schemes.
No Sew Knotted Pillow
Don't have the time to sew a pillowcase? I know that story. Check out this amazing no sew pillow cover via Organize & Decorate Everything. If you had a few safety pins you could keep the knot from ever coming undone. I might seriously do this with some of my shabbier pillows. Four kids and non-stain resistant pillows don't mix well.
Renting Alternatives: Window Boxes
June 20, 2012
This house looks VERY similar to ours. I'd love to add window boxes But as I've mentioned before, we rent. However here are some alternatives to window boxes that are attached to the house.
Plant stand for regular window boxes. If you painted them the same color as your house, they might simply blend in. For the cost, I recommend building one. Here are some window boxes on eBay for a very good price. $47 shipping included.
Cement Block Herb Garden
Great idea for a small herb garden. Much cheaper than a raised bed. I bet you could even stain the cement redish brown.
Places to Go: Katerskill Falls
Brian and I are planning on camping in the Catskills in two weeks. I found this amazing waterfall that I'd like to climb. It's Katerskill Falls, dual falls, and has a swimming hole mid-level. I think the saturation has been manipulated in the picture but still, looks like something you'd see in Maui. I'd love to get there. Does anyone have any other great suggestions for activities in the Catskills? The only thing I dislike is hiking over 5 miles. Anything water related I'm totally into.
Must Have List: Large Format Printer
June 18, 2012
This is one of those things on my "Must-Have-Someday" list. A large format color printer can be so very pricey to purchase brand new but if you're willing to buy used it becomes a far more attainable purchase. Wouldn't it be fantastic to print out patterns without having to piece together paper and tape together? Or print large scale photos to frame without having to employ the services of Staples?
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Here are some used printers out there that are surprisingly affordable! All are color and have a resolution of 2400x1200 dpi. Currently on auction at $400 + $120 shipping on Ebay. HP DesignJet 130
HP DesignJet 130 Buy It Now Price $425 + $70 shipping
HP DesignJet 130
Retailor Your Jeans: The Butt
June 16, 2012
I've posted about how to alter the sides of your jeans, but this tutorial shows you how to alter the butt as well and still have that flat felled look. Great for those Mom butt jeans or if you've lost some weight and don't want to spend money on new pants.Inspiration Home: Camp Attic
Have a windowless short attic? Make into a divine year-round camp. Just attach large sheet from center of ceiling to top of wall then to bottom of wall. Separate spaces with a contrasting hued see through sheet attached from ceiling and wall. Tie back with strap. Repeat using a canvas. Light the room with warm hued, floor placed lamps. Use low furniture like platform beds.
Inspiration Home: Surround Sofa Bookcase
June 15, 2012
Yeah, I'm guilty. I eat on our sofa. But we also have been living coffee table free for 5 years. So how? We surround our sofa with shelving. Ours is a little different as it is attached to the wall but still the same concept. Whenever I want to sit a hot mug of coffee down all I have to do is turn ever so slightly. Really opens up your living space when you eliminate your coffee table which is necessary when you have kids and live in a small house.
Cute Cheap Dress: She Inside
Via SheInside. This is only $36! With discount only $28.80. I'll be putting it in my cart, like NOW!
Use coupon code: Barbro20 for 20% off your order. Also, free shipping!
Source: sheinside.com via Joy on Pinterest
Some more amazing finds from She Inside.
Ombre Crop Summer Blouse + FREE PATTERN TO COME
June 14, 2012
I was asked to try Tulip Tie Dye and create a project based on their product. So of course, I wanted to try the latest tend, ombre. Ombre is great for that bohemian summer look. So I designed a very summer top to use with the ombre dye.
Stay tuned tomorrow for the FREE PATTERN I'll be sharing for the crop blouse. It's a nice summery piece and if you're not into showing midriff like me, I think it looks great paired with a high-waisted pair of shorts.
There are several ways to dye using Tulip Tie Dye. I used the boiling water technique.
The kit comes with everything you need.
First, I brought a pot of water to a boil.
Then I mixed the colors together to get a bluish purple hue.
Then I dipped the garment. First I dipped it the entire way, removed it from the dye after 1 minute. Then dipped it 3/4 of the way, removed it from the dye after 5 minutes. Then dipped it 1/2 of the way, removed it from the dye after 10 minutes. And finally dipped it 1/4 of the way and removed it from the dye after 20 minutes.
Finally, I rinsed the top in warm water.
But if you're not into dip dying you can also die this without boiling water and without dipping. Check out the video below for how to do ombre without boiling water. Honestly, if I were to do this project again, I would do it this way, especially if you are using non organic material like polyester. The dye saturates better using the below technique. However, DO NOT put in wash with other clothes. It WILL stain everything.
Tulip Tie Dye Kits are available at Walmart, Walmart Canada, Michaels, JoAnn, A.C. Moore, Hobby Lobby, Hancock Fabrics, Meijer. Tie dye kit contents and colors may vary by store.
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