Five Friday Faves

It's Friday, everyone!

Given that the week was just a whirlwind of stuff to do, I'm looking forward to taking it easy peasy this weekend. I might go ahead and start some seeds for my garden and keep shopping materials for my mudroom makeover, but really that's about it. Next weekend will officially commence with the mudroom makeover (shall I absolutely render myself completely ridiculous with titling this series of events "Mudroom Makeover Madness" for the month of March? Time will tell, I suppose) and then we'll really be rocking and rolling!

Here are my five faves for the week. Enjoy!

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It's pretty apparent that Old Awful Man Winter isn't letting us out of his grip any time soon (more snow on Monday?! Say it ain't so!), so I think these knit poufs are the perfect way to up the cozy factor in your living spaces in the meantime.

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Jonathan Adler for TOMS?! YES. Saw these in my inbox yesterday and almost fell out of my chair. These are perfect for Spring! You know, whenever it decides to get here.

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I think these prints by Sullivan Elaine Anlyan for Anthropologie are awesome. They'd look great in the vision of my bedroom I have in my head for the future and I daresay that they'd look super amazing in a nursery (do you hear me, sister?! Get on this!). Also: anything bunny gets me every time.

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Gold antlers for all your sparkly/dangly-thing hanging needs? Don't mind if I do. Supporting handmade businesses? Double don't mind if I do.

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Are you following me on Instagram yet? I'll forgive you if you aren't yet, but you totally should ;) Even though it feels like -2649668714 degrees out, I am forever loyal to my giant hazelnut iced coffee, cream no sugar. We've been changing our diets pretty drastically at our house, but this is one thing I can't quit.

Happy weekend, all!

You're the Best

It's Hump Day, friends, and that means we're halfway through another week, slowly creeping closer to Springtime (just kidding, it's snowing), and most importantly, it's almost to the weekend!

How's your week? Mine's been NUTS! Monday was full of work and a PTO meeting at Peyton's preschool, Tuesday was full of work and bloggy things (Hi to new friends who came over from Knock Off Decor!), and here we are on Wednesday and I plan on taking it e-a-s-y. After the 9 to 5, of course ;)

I was thinking the other day how much I enjoy sharing things with you on this space. Readers, you are the best bunch a girl could ask for! In just six months my little blog has grown by heaps and bounds already, and I look forward to growing it even more in 2014.

So thanks, friends, for being the best! You give me the most wonderful reason to come here and chatter away.

If you want to check me out on your favorite social media platforms, you can find shenanigans here:

Facebook

Instagram

Google+ (still learning this one, but who isn't?)

Pinterest

Bloglovin'

Twitter (honestly, Twitter escapes me, but feel free to follow for an occasional tweet from me. They are rare and elusive).

See you on Friday for my Five Friday Faves and next weekend officially starts Mudroom Makeover Month! I hope you'll follow along for the ride.

Let me know where you hang out on social media in the comments and I'd love to follow back!

DIY Spoon Art {A Pottery Barn Knockoff}

Happy Monday, all!

I'm super excited about this project I have to share with you today because it's a pretty fun Pottery Barn knockoff that is SUPER easy to do. I've had my eye on this piece from Pottery Barn for weeks and I'm SO GLAD I didn't have to part with $200 to have the look in my home.

Ready? Let's go!

First off, the inspiration:

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This is the Spoon Shadow Box by Pottery Barn and I loooove it. What I don't love, however, is that it's $199 plus shipping and it measures 30" square. While the price hurts, the fact that I don't have that much wall space in my kitchen hurts, too.

I thought it would be easy peasy to replicate in a scale that suits my kitchen, and as luck would have it, it worked out perfectly!

The best part? It cost me $14--and truth be told, I overestimated how much linen I'd need, so it very well could have cost me less.

It fits in my kitchen AND saved me at least $185? That is what I like to call a win-win, friends.

Let's get down to our supplies:

 To copy this look, you'll need the following:

• A frame...or two. I actually made two of these, the second I am yet to hang. I snagged these at the thrift store for $2.99 each. You can easily find a frame that is big enough or small enough for your space. If you want a spend a few extra dollars, you could even go all out with a shadow box.
• Spoons. As many as you think you can fit in your frame of choice. I picked these up at the same thrift store, four for $1.00. There are seven here, so I spent a little less than $2.00.
• Linen fabric, ironed. I went with the linen because I really was going for the same look as Pottery Barn, but you could easily choose a fabric that suits your personality and decor. Personally, my next choice would have been burlap. Because I overestimated how much fabric I'd need, I wound up spending about $7.50 on this fabric with a 40% off coupon at Joann Fabric, but I totally could have saved some money by getting less fabric. Luckily, I do have plans for what fabric is left.
• Not pictured: hot glue gun, sawtooth hanger, and craft paint (I picked black, but again--you could totally pick a color that matches your kitchen)

To start, I removed the backs of the frames, tossed the glass, and kept the cardboard backing. The cardboard is what we'll use to mount our spoons. If your frame is missing it, a piece of foam board or cardboard from around the house cut to size will do the trick.

I gave each frame a quick coat of black craft paint. Nothing too perfect, because I knew I'd be distressing it slightly.

While your frame dries, cut your fabric. I used my cardboard as a rough guide:

Then you'll want to wrap your cardboard with the fabric. Think wrapping a present while you do this--it'll keep your fabric neat. Also: try to pull your fabric as tight as you can while not bending your cardboard. You don't want any fabric sagging with the weight of the spoons added.

Then, you'll want to insert your fabric-wrapped cardboard back into your frame, either using the tabs on the frame, or using hot glue. I did both, just to be safe.

Then you'll want to situate your spoons to find a layout you like best. It helps to do this before you start getting hot and heavy with the glue gun.

It just wouldn't be a craft tutorial without my kitchen floor showing up in there somewhere.
Also, forgive the change in lighting. This was an evening into the next day project, but really only took an hour, total.

Once you have a layout that tickles your fancy, glue those babies down! I put some glue at the lower bottom of the actual spoon part, and another bead of glue at the end of the handle. Use some pressure to help the glue get through the fabric and onto the cardboard for a little more stability. This is where pulling your fabric tightly comes in handy--if the fabric is not pulled tightly enough, the fabric will pull away from your cardboard with the weight of the spoons.

I added a sawtooth hanger to the back of my frame. Looking back, adding the hanger would have been easier BEFORE I added the spoons since I couldn't lay my frame flat to install the hanger properly.

I hung it over my pantry door. I love the high end look and I love that I spent a fraction of the price.

Granted, this isn't the same size as the Pottery Barn piece, and it's missing the glass front, but I'm okay with creating a version that suits my home.

That itty bitty baby spoon on the far right? It kills me.

And that's it! A super easy project that saves you a few bucks. 185 bucks, to be exact.

What were you up to this weekend? Any projects going on in your neck of the woods?

Wanna see where I party? Click here for an awesome list of link parties I participate in..

Also linking up to:
Coastal Charm
Savvy Southern Style
Imparting Grace
Jennifer Rizzo

Five Friday Faves

Another Friday, another round of faves!

It's a rainy and unseasonably warm Friday around here--after being pummeled with what feels like non-stop snow and rain since January 1, we're going to reach almost 60 degrees today! Saturday and Sunday are looking to be pretty warm (I mean, comparably), so we're looking forward to getting some fresh air outside. We are going to do some space/garden planning in our backyard and maybe check out an estate sale in Ocean City. Big plans, people!

I'm hoping to have a pretty sweet Pottery Barn knock-off wrapped up this weekend that I can share with you next week--can't wait! It will reside in the kitchen, which has been pretty much neglected since we moved in.

Let's move onto my faves for the week and get the ball rolling on the weekend!

source: H&M

I always seem to forget the H&M has a line of products for the home now, and I'm always so pleasantly surprised when I do check out their website. I love love love this little vase, and their selection of pillow covers is extensive and priced super-reasonably. Perfect if you like to switch up the look of your pillows!

source: How to Decorate from Ballard Designs

Ballard Designs has its own bloggy blog, and I found this gem of a video while I was perusing around. Embarrassing admission alert: properly folding fitted sheets is not my forte', so guess what? I usually don't. I fold them as best I can and leave it at that. My mother would be downright horrified. So thanks, Ballard Designs, for helping me not be such a failure at folding linens.

Also: I am obsessed with the color of that cardigan.

source: World Market

This chair is super cheery and reminds me of Spring. From the legs to the color and pattern...love. I am a fiend lately for anything that will bring Spring into my home (thereby forcing it to happen, naturally) and this chair fits the bill.

 source: Land of Nod

I'm pretty sure I've shared the sheet set that coordinates with this duvet cover, but I am loving the entire set. I think a big girl room makeover is in the works for Peyton this summer, complete with all this fantasticness.

source: Urban Outfitters

And in the spirit of anything not having to do with Winter and it's downright fug lately, I give you this print from Urban Outfitters. A quote by the great Albert Camus--one of my favorite quotes, and this print is so so pretty. I feel like hanging it on my front door as a big "Eff you" to Winter.

Who is ready for their weekend? Hope the weather cooperates where you are!

Mudroom Inspiration {Mood Board}

I have hereby declared the month of March "Mudroom Month."

This sad little room in our home has taken a real beating this Winter, what with the boots, shoes, hats, gloves, and coats its seen. We have a proper coat closet in the entry hall, but I've always wanted to make this room super-functional not only for us, but for guests as well. We enter and exit our house through the mudroom and garage, so we walk through it at least four times a day.

I started prettying up the mudroom back in August/September by painting it the same color as our Powder Room, Morning Fog by Olympic. And then I did absolutely nothing with it. There is currently an old coffee table-turned bench in there, but the bench hasn't been upholstered, the walls are bare, there is no storage for shoes, coats, purses, etc. etc. etc. When I come home, I dump my purse/diaper bag/coat on the table-turned-bench and there it sits until the next time I need to leave.

It gives me the sads--from the pathetic little $12 flush-mount light to the beige vinyl floors. Builders-grade to the maximum. (An aside: when I count the number of chintzy lights like the one in this room and full-on boob lights in our house, I am reminded that we have a loooooong way to go, baby).

If you've been following me on Pinterest you might have seen my "Mudroom Ideas" board. If not, here's a fun little mood board for you to get you in the spirit of Mudroom Month:

1. Cutting Edge Stencils // 2. Urban Outfitters // 3. Home Depot // 4. A Gier Design // 5. Target // 

6. Home Depot // 7. Target // 8. Fabric.com // 9. Lowes

There's the plan, loosely. I think I may stray from my usual fondness of Dark Walnut stain for the wood pieces to something with more of a red tone to match the coffee-table-turned-bench (thinking either Red Oak or English Chesnut).

I plan on DIYing most of the elements, namely the hook rail (maybe installing a shelf/lip to display art over it?), upholstering the coffee-table-turned-bench (see item 8), and making up some art of my own. I do plan on purchasing that New Jersey print because we are Jersey folks through and through (not Jersey Shore-type people though--ack!).

Ultimately my goal is to make this room functional for our every day use and for our guests when we entertain. I'd also like to set the tone for the rest of our house: that this is our home, full of warmth, character, and love.

Right now, that room is DEFINITELY not giving off those vibes.

I'll be blogging my progress as I go--as small as this room is, I do see it taking me a full month to get through since I'll really only have the weekends on work on it--and sharing a final reveal (hopefully) by the beginning of April.

Wish me luck, friends! This little room has had me stumped for months, but I say no more!

Any overhauls going on in your neck of the woods? Share about them in the comments!

Wanna see where I party? Click here for an awesome list of link parties I participate in..

Also linking up to:
Coastal Charm
Savvy Southern Style
Imparting Grace
Jennifer Rizzo

Shop Updates

Tuesday Shop Update time!

This isn't really super new news, but because I was so busy prepping inventory for my first craft show I didn't have time to share a couple of the new items I had listed in my shop. However, if you follow me on Instagram, you might have caught a sneak peek or two in the last couple of weeks.

New necklaces! These are super fun necklaces with pretty nicely-sized antique bronze pendants on ball-chain necklaces of the same finish. The Key and Antler pendants are on 30" chains, and the Feather is on a 24" chain. Naturally, you can customize the length of chain you'd like--just let me know. These are great for layering with longer or shorter pieces.

Check back with Whimsy Renee Handmade often--once I get my craft room/office completely reorganized, I have some new items for Spring that I can't wait to start working on!

Wooden Ladder Turned Blanket Rack

I think it's a fair assumption that I am not the first person to have a pile of potential projects in the garage because "I'll get to it this weekend."

You know what happens next. Your projects sit there for a while. Your husband complains. Your pile gets bigger. Things get out of hand.

This happens for several reasons:

a.) You have concrete plans for a particular item, but some other project comes along that grabs your attention. If you're the creative type, this always seems to happen. We need to do ALL THE PROJECTS AS SOON AS THEY ENTER OUR BRAIN.

b.) You bought the piece with no real plan but instead in an eyes-glazed-over-black-out-heat-of-the-moment, and then find yourself stumped on what to actually do with it once you get it home.

c.) You had a plan, but you find something better for your needs, and so the items sits in rejection in your garage until you figure out if you should sell it or use it.

This is one of those projects, option "c". A garage reject project, if you will.

I had been jones-ing for something...anything...to paint this weekend. I need to break out of my funk and was looking for something that would be quick and easy that would hopefully get the ball rolling on the project fantasticness.

Enter: the ladder.

Denny and I picked up this ladder at an antique store we're both particularly fond of, along with some other pieces that eventually found their way to their rightful places in our home. Originally I had plans to hang the ladder over my couch and build it up as a shelving unit because I couldn't find a multi-pane glass door anywhere and I was settling on just using this. And then Denny actually found the door at an estate sale. That's how the ladder sat in the garage for about seven months, woefully neglected and sad, until today, when I finally decided its fate.

As a blanket rack.

I realized as I started brushing on the first coat of paint that I didn't have a proper "before" photo, so this is what I present to you as the "before":

It was already painted a teal-y green color, but I knew it would clash pretty badly with what we already had going on in the living room. I gave it just one coat of Salt Glaze by Martha Stewart. It's the same color I painted our buffet, a very pretty, cool shade of blue.

We are dealing with a slight warping issue due to the fact that the antique dealer
we purchased this from was keeping it outside,
but I have hopes that Denny will help me fix that soon.

This is a much better storage solution for our blankets (which are seeing a lot of use because OMG COLD) than just draping them over the top of the couch. Let's be honest: you can drape them all pretty all you want, but they never stay that way, right?

So, who else has a "pile o' projects" in your garage/basement/shed/spare room/etc? What's the next project on your list from that pile?

Wanna see where I party? Click here for an awesome list of link parties I participate in..

Also linking up to:
Coastal Charm
Savvy Southern Style
Imparting Grace
Jennifer Rizzo

Five Friday Faves - Valentine's Day Edition

Happy Friday, and Happy Valentine's Day!

If you think this holiday is the bees knees, then yes, I did really mean my Happy Valentine's Day greeting. If you think this holiday sucks, then I'm sorry and let's still be friends.

Okay? Okay.

Anyway, my Valentine's Day is consisting of surprising Peyton with a small gift, surprising my hubster will a little gift, working, and our regularly scheduled pizza night on the meal plan. Hooray. Exciting, right? Tomorrow night we'll celebrate Valentine's Day belatedly by going out to dinner. And nary a piece of Valentine's Day decor is to be seen in our household.

Blogger fail, right?

And here I give you my Five Friday Faves--Valentine's Day Edition, to make up for my slacker status this February. Just pretend it's packaged in a pretty red envelope with glitter and pink bakers twine and we'll call it even.

source: Butterfly Above

source: Target

 source: Pier 1

 source: Z Gallerie

source: Privileged Door

What did you do or are you doing for Valentine's Day? Please tell me your day was a lot more festive than mine.

Happy weekend!

A Look Back at January

Oh hey, look, it's already the middle of February and I'm going to recap January. I have plenty of other things to do/blog about, but I was on a roll with monthly recaps last Fall and then fell off that wagon with all of the craptastic-ness that came with November and December.

I'm looking to get back on the horse, so I figure we'd start his month with a look back at January--my top three posts:

Garden Planning--Old School Style

This is the one where I whipped out my pencil and paper, armed myself with some seed packets, and tried to kick the winter ho-hums in the backside. Spoiler alert: it didn't work, but at least I have a plan to keep my gardens happy and thriving and the opposite of dead and sad.

Soft White Muslin Trees for Winter

After the crazyness of the Christmas decor had been packed up and put away, I craved something softer and less crazy than the red-and-green-and-gold-stuff-crammed-on-every-horizontal-surface look. Enter these sweet little trees made from poster board and ruffled strips of muslin fabric. Super easy, and they are still sitting pretty on my buffet.

Easy Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup

This was the most popular post on el bloggy blog in January. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that everyone I know has a serious case of the sniffles? It's that time of the year, and nothing helps you feel better more than homemade chicken noodle soup. And nothing is easier than making it in your crockpot. Truth.

There's my January in a nutshell! Looking forward to sharing a couple of mood boards and a Pottery Barn knockoff for the rest of this month, and then (hopefully...finally...PLEASE) getting my hands dirty on some projects in March.

Aaaaaand, this summer is shaping up to the QUITE the summer because of the following festive opportunities:

• My baby is turning THREE! Last year she kind of got the shaft on her birthday because I was burned out from wedding crafting and prep, but this year she has requested a Princess Party and so she will have a Princess Party of epic proportions.
• My Momma is getting married in July and wants a good ol' fashioned DIY wedding in her backyard. YES.
• My sister is having a baby! She is due in August, so this means four things: 1.) sweet baby cuddles! 2.) I finally get to be an aunt! 3.) nursery decorating! and 4.) baby shower!

If you can't tell, parties are my favorite, so we can all look forward to a summer of DIYing and festivities!

That Time I Did a Craft Show + Weekend Update

Hello, lovelies!

I missed posting on Monday, and I didn't even realize that I hadn't posted until I was crawling into my super warm bed to watch "Friends" re-runs until I fell asleep. Sometimes cozy beds and the best show to be on TV ever in the history of TV wins, ya know?

I participated in my first craft show on Saturday. I will call it a success because a.) I sold two items, which means that yes--people will want to buy my stuff! b.) I have realized that church-sponsored shows are not my scene--I'm super glad I did it, but glad I am learning; and c.) I was able to network and was invited to another craft show in April.

Things I learned at the craft show: make sure your handmade banner doesn't fall apart that morning and MORE HEIGHT.
Also: still working on a line of pom pom items for the shop. Hopefully I'll get them rolled out before Easter!

Signing up for another craft show means I am already half way to my 2014 goal of signing up for four craft shows this year. And we haven't even gotten into full-blown craft show season!

Speaking of other goals, I am so consumed with the winter yuck and doldrums that I can't bring myself to get started on projects to tackle in the house. I am, however, whipping up a few mood boards to help inspire me to get a move on, already.

And then there is this:

At the Atlantic City Boat Show.

The child has a need for speed. She is so her daddy's girl.

How was your weekend, friends?

Wanna see where I party? Click here for an awesome list of link parties I participate in..

Also linking up to:
Coastal Charm
Savvy Southern Style
Imparting Grace
Jennifer Rizzo

Taking Off This Friday

Hi, friends!

Just dropping in to let you know that there will be no Five Friday Faves today, because I'll be spending most of my Friday prepping for my VERRRRRY first craft and vendor show!

If no one has plans for tomorrow (February 8), I'll be selling my goodies at:

Deerfield United Methodist Church
1555 Hwy. 77
Upper Deerfield, NJ 08313

From 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Looking forward to sharing details with you after the event!

Have a fabulous weekend.

Valentine's Day Gifts for Her

Back to the Valentine's Day shenanigans!

If you missed out on Monday, I listed my five picks for Valentine's Day Gifts for Him, and I thought I'd also do a "for her" version, too. This one proved much easier, because these are things that I would personally choose if it were up to me for the gift-giving (winkwinknudgenudgehusband).

Let's get down to business, shall we?

via Kate Spade

I included a set of coasters from Kate Spade in my "For Him" guide, but I saw this necklace and it is PERFECT for Valentine's Day. If it's Kate Spade, though, can you REALLY go wrong? Methinks no, you cannot.

via Target

Spoiler alert: I already have one of these and I think it would be a gross injustice if I didn't tell you how much I love it. Because I love it. I can now bake ALL THE THINGS and not break a sweat. I can even shred chicken with it. And make mashed potatoes. Men, for serious, if you love your woman and you love baked goods, it would behoove you to purchase one for her ASAP.

via SYG Boutique on Etsy

I don't know about you, but I do enjoy a nice scarf. I have many of them, but I don't have this one. And I think that should change. Navy blue, chevron, and anchors: yes, please.

via Kmi Designs on Etsy

I think there is something so raw and simple about this: a gold-filled bar, hand-stamped with your name on a gold chain. So pretty. 

via JulieAnn Art on Etsy

And let's face it ladies: I am not the only one who has this battle at night, right?!

So there are my top five things "For Her" for Valentine's Day. Anything specific you have your eye on?

Wanna see where I party? Click here for an awesome list of link parties I participate in..

Also linking up to:
Coastal Charm
Savvy Southern Style
Imparting Grace
Jennifer Rizzo

Valentine's Day Gifts for Him

Ahhhhh, Valentine's Day.

Do you love it? Hate it?

Quite frankly, I think it's a fabulous excuse to decorate with a lot of pink and bake red velvet everythings, but that's about where my dedication to the holiday ends.

The last few years, the hubster and I have exchanged cards and small gifts, and I get Peyton a little something. I am always always always stumped what to get Denny, so I thought it would be fun to put together this little gift guide.

I present to you...

via Bella Mantra on Etsy

I love this skeleton key tie bar. If Denny wore more ties, I might have bought one for him.

 via Cyberoptix on Etsy

This tie made me smile...I mean come on--little pigs! This shop has a TON of screenprinted ties you can order.

via Target

Your guy a bit of an adventurer? I know mine is and all I hear him talk about is this GoPro camera.

via Kate Spade

I'm not going to lie, I would even like this gift. These silver-plated coasters from Kate Spade are fabulous.

via JulieAnn Art on Etsy

I am a huge fan of JulieAnn Art's cards for any occasion. And she makes cards for pretty much every occasion. You totally have to check them out!

So, what are your feelings on Valentine's Day? Do you struggle getting your man a Valentine's Day gift? Have you gotten it yet?

I haven't. Surprise, surprise.

See you on Wednesday for Valentine's Day Gifts for Her!

Wanna see where I party? Click here for an awesome list of link parties I participate in..

Also linking up to:
Coastal Charm
Savvy Southern Style
Imparting Grace
Jennifer Rizzo