advent calendar, day 1

so we started our advent calendar today...and i decided to tell you guys what we did! :) i know you've probably seen it before on a paper towel roll or something, but i think everything is better with wine...well a wine bottle at least :) ok...so you will need a wine bottle, your favorite wrapping paper cut into one inch strips, and some scotch tape...i know you have all this stuff around your house...and if you have to drink a bottle of wine in the name of Christmas...well what better reason is there?

take your wrapping paper and cut it into strips...depending on the shape of your bottle, you may have to use different lengths to give you the desired shape...i used 8 inch strips on the bottom layer, 7 inch strips on the second layer, 6 inch strips on the third layer, and 5 inch strips the rest of the way up. (my wrapping paper had a grid printed on the back which made this task a lot easier to give you measurements for...if it wasn't marked i promise you i would NOT be sitting around making sure that i had perfect 6 inch strips :) haha lol have fun with this!!! my 3 yr old loved HELPING!!) :) ok, so take one strip at a time and fold it in half, without creasing it, tape both ends (with one piece of tape) near the bottom of the bottle about an inch from the bottom...

make a ring with the loops that goes all the way around the bottle. start your next layer about an inch above the bottom row...centering the first strip between 2 of the bottom ones (to stagger the strips). continue up the bottle like this...

when you get close to the top, take a 6"x6" piece of wrapping paper and fold it in half, then roll into a tube and tape to the rim of the bottle...

 

after it's taped, take one of your strips of paper and cover your "scar" where you taped the tube in :) then use a sharp pair of scissors, and to make slices around the tube making a little "fire-cracker" on top of your "tree." 

finish your taping your loops and display somewhere beautiful in your home!!  :)

hope you like!! :)

sexy spa space...for tiff and donnie

ok so for her sexy...spa...space we are starting with tiffany's dream bed...and i do have to say i think i could have some NICE dreams in this bed!!! it's BEAUTIFUL like the one HERE

we don't want that LOVELY bed to BLEND into the walls...so we're gonna give those walls a nice SPA-like blue like maybe...Sherwin Williams's Blue Sky???

but we're keepin' the trim clean with a nice creamy white like Sherwin William's Antique White...

i wanna keep the clean lines that tiffany and donnie love so much so i'm going with this white comforter with some straight pleats sewn in and the best part...its from WALLY WORLD...

loving this lil throw to add some softness to all these lines...like this one from TARGET.com i just wanna cuddle up in it!!!

and whacha think about this awesome rug to tie it all together??!! LOVE IT...

a lamp like THIS or THIS on each side of the bed...i think i would do one of each! you and donnie can fight that one out!!! :)

hang one of THESE funky chunky mirrors...

and flank it with some pics of those beautiful babies!!! :)

also...after looking at the pics of the room...i think we can work in a little reading/sitting area??? so this is what i came up with for the area opposite the bed...

love the CHAISE...can we say story time with mommy!!!!

 

with this awesome sheepskin underneath

what about THIS ADORABLE floor lamp??? cause i mean what is a reading nook without a lamp? :)  

what about these killer ledges for $10?!!!!???!!! why not right! good for displaying pictures or the occasional book! (P.S.  AnaWhite blogged the how to HERE)

i love it!!! but i guess i'm kinda biased...whadda YOU think?

Jade's retro cool kitchen and dining room

 ok...so here we go again...here is the inspiration that jade gave me for her retro - funky - cool kitchen LOVE this cute lil rug!!!

i LOVE the color combo in the inspiration...and she already has multicolored Fiestaware dishes in her kitchen...like these

i really like the brown tones in the rug...so i was thinking a nice oatmeal colored cabinet with an espresso glaze to tie them in and go with the "retro" kinda feel...like the finish on these...if you are a beginner, ana white does a great tutorial on glazing the CHEAP way HERE

but i'm thinkin' a more modern hardware like this...from LOWES.com

 

what about a chalkboard backsplash??? like this one??? i'm loving the look...and you could just write your shopping list...recipe...WHATEVER on there!!! cheap AND easy!!! AND...you can make it whatever color you want by using THIS cool tutorial...i'm thinking...chocolate BROWN...or...LIME green???

 ok so the kitchen that we are redecorating was built about 75 years ago...its a little...vintage ;) some of the cabinet doors are just really plain...and some of them look a little newer and more detailed...SOOOO....i decided that we should just take of the...umm...challenged doors and replace them with inexpensive burlap curtains...what do you think?

something that looks kinda like this...(tutorial HERE)

ok i know we talked about navy chairs jade...but i LOVED the look of these turquoise ones!!! (loving the "chandelier" in this pic too!!) you could hang glass baby food jars, with tea lights in them, for a less seasonal look... :)

i think a great rug like THIS brown zebra print would add a contemporary flair to this country chic dining area

 

sooo....whadda ya think????? :)

Jade's romantic boudoir

let's start out with an upholstered headboard like design sponge blogged HERE...

 

but in THIS fabric...(Heather Bailey's Pop Garden Pop Daisy Red)

i love this bedding from POTTERY BARN...

     

or this quilt from walmart.com

i LOVE throw pillows like THIS one from The Home Centric....

 

and THIS one from The Perfect Palace...

and THIS last one from so Sarah sews...

i told you i like the pillows... :)

maybe a lamp or 2 like THIS or THIS...

 

i think the drop cloth curtains would also work FABULOUSLY in this room...you could even sew a band of coordinating fabric along the bottom to "dress" them up a bit :) the drop cloth curtains were blogged HERE by a Soft Place to Land

whatcha think about a nice rug like THIS one from target.com

and there you have it...soft, sweet, sexy, and STUNNING!!! oh and a STEAL b/c you know...we like to do it cheap! :)

Jade's House

so my sister in love, (aka sis-in-law, but that sounds so..."red-headed step child")got a house...well sorta...she has inherited an old family home...anyways...she has asked for my assistance in decorating her "new" abode. SO after talking with her a few minutes...ok like an hour and a half...this is what i came up with for her new house :)

kids room first: 

love the antique door behind this bed!!! soo cool and modern country...perfect style for the house... tatertots and jello blogged that bed HERE.

these curtains would look GREAT!!! and they're cheap b/c they are made with DROP CLOTHS!!! (yeah the kind you paint on!!!) a soft place to land blogged DIY instructions HERE.

  

rag rug that she already has

a nice red comforter like THIS ONE from Target 

and a few adorable accessories like these...

a couple throw pillows... like this one from REITER8...

 

or this burlap one from MY ADOBE COTTAGE

maybe even this cutie from KARENSAGEZ...

 cute, eclectic, cottage country, kid friendly...what more could you want...oh yeah and CHEAP :) gotta love diy design!!!