Friday Inspiration 8/20/2010

Keep Home Simple had an adorable baby shower gift idea: Onesies in a jar! That's the kind of cutesie packaging people are shelling out a fortune for in designer products. But this gift is frugal and fabulous.

No ordinary onesies fill that pretty jar, either. WalMart onesies were given some personalized flair with Heat N Bond and some pretty fabric cut into adorable shapes.

I definitely want to remember this idea for the next baby shower I'm invited to. It's too cute not to give away!



Laurie @ Scene of the Grime had a brilliant idea to revamp a Dollar Tree mirror with seashells. Isn't it beautiful?

I grew up surrounded by shell encrusted decor and I absolutely adore the look if done right. This is just gorgeous to me. I'd love to do something similar. I have to find the right piece first.



Decor Chick shared her ongoing progress with a multipurpose room and I love this idea of board and batten. It opens up a room and adds interest like wainscoting but for a lower price!

Amazing, isn't it? The entire look of the room is changed by adding some dimension to the walls. After the battens and door&window board at the top are in place, all that's left to do is paint.

I really want to remember this the next time we are in  a house. It's not possible in our apartment because of our lease, but this is one idea I need to tuck away for future inspiration.

Little Blue Prints used a french script stamp to embellish a lamp shade. I probably won't use a stamp, but the idea of words on a shade? LOVE it!

What has inspired you this week?

Seeking Inspiration

Here's the only other decoratable (Not a word. I know.) wall in the master bath.

Click here to see the other wall.

The wicker shelf is another recent thrift store find (that I LOVE). Wicker from Portugal for two bucks? Oh yeah, original maker's tag on the back! What's not to love?

The painting is exactly the same as the one on my shelves across the room. Don't hate. It was dirt cheap and I figured if I put the two far enough apart people might not notice? 

Well, who am I kidding, but it's there for now.

The problem with the shelf, is I have no idea what to put on it. The shelves are slightly smaller than a 16 ounce glass so normal decor items don't fit. 

What would you put on it? 

Also, it's held up with only two small built in hooks at the top and I'm not sure how sturdy it is. So, yeah, heavy but pretty breakables are out of the question. 

A friend suggested towels rolled up like in my master bath inspiration photos. I'm liking the idea. Towels are light, will be great to have handy and won't break if the shelf decides to dislodge itself from the wall. 

I'd love to hear any other suggestions as well. 

Aaahhh, the roses. A hostess gift from guests we had over. Love them! 

I would love to get some input.
I'm even open to suggestions about painting it although I'd be sad to say goodbye to the honey brown. In my experience, if a manufacturer paints wicker, it's to hide inconsistencies.
If wicker is good quality, it's left alone after a coat of stain and sealant. As if to say, Look how gorgeous I am! Oh yeah, baby, I'm the real thing.
But the right idea could blow me (and my preconceptions) away.

So, how would you decorate this shelf?
Inspire me!

Friday Inspiration 8/06/2010

I love Humble Housekeeping's creation: a homemade candle chandelier! 

Carly actually made that box from scrap wood she had and then painted and hung it from her master bedroom ceiling to showcase the glass hurricanes she got at Dollar Tree.
Beautiful!


Oh my. This cheap headboard project at This Fresh Fossil had a big wow factor for me. Not only was it amazingly frugal but it had a dramatically beautiful result. It made me remember that simple can be fabulous too!

A great Homemade Mamas project: Monster Spray. How adorable is that? 

Homemade sweet smelling spray fortified with Mama goodness to keep monsters away! Now, my toddler isn't experiencing the monsters in the room stage yet, but I'm adding this as inspiration so I will have it on file. I think it's a brilliant idea and will help Baby Boy feel safer when he does begin to fear monsters. 

I think something like this is so sweet and understanding. Many times, logic just cannot make sense to children. Logic and the fact that they are truly safe, will not make a child feel safe. That confidence is the gift, not the make believe spray.

What has inspired you this week? 

Friday Inspiration 7/30/2010

Pretty homemade spa towel wrap? Yes, please! I really want to make one of these for myself!

Centsational Girl has a lovely (and easy, thank you) tutorial that has me believing even I could do it.


This wall paper added to a shelf is lovely! The idea is from Better Homes and Gardens. Isn't it gorgeous?

I don't have access to any wallpaper, but this idea just resonates with me and I can't wait to figure out how to use it in my home. Scrap book paper, maybe?


Ali @ Honey and Maple Syrup revamped an old dresser to give it her personal brand of fabulous and it reminded me how much I want to make over Baby Boy's old white dresser. It's been in the family for years and could use a little funky personalization.

Isn't it lovely? Numbered picture frames embellish the drawers and the small top drawers are actually an entirely separate piece! She made it her own and that's so inspiring!


Another project of Ali's (Honey and Maple Syrup) really got me wanting to create my own version. She used the design on a rubber door mat to paint wall art! Isn't the scrolly pattern beautiful?
What do you mean scrolly isn't a word?

I just love the swirls and feel of patterns like that. Definitely doable and relatively easy to replicate with a homemade stencil. I hope, anyway! At any rate, it's an idea to tuck away into the inspiration pile.


Ellie @ Beauty 4 Ashes gave a thrifted candle holder new life with a little spray paint.

Gorgeous example how a thrift store find can become something you love with a little creativity (and spray paint doesn't hurt, either!).


There are so many amazingly creative people in blog land who are constantly seeing potential in something ordinary. Their stories have me raring to create this weekend! I'll post the results here, even if I fail miserably. Lessons learned while creating are the most fun!
Here's hoping you find some inspiration and use it to create something wonderful.

Friday Inspiration 7/23/2010

Hanging candles?

I love the way this looks. I can imagine it hanging overhead in our little outdoor space and would love to use this idea for a homemade version. 

Heidi @ UCreate has posted a great tutorial on making zipper rosettes! I can't wait to try it! 

I'm trying to gently kick myself back into crafts that have some sewing in them. There's this inexplicable avoidance going on now that I actually have a sewing machine.
Strange.
The very last easy sewing craft I did (which was ridiculously easy, so it doesn't really count. But hey I'm grasping at straws here) was my silk fabric flower (found in this post).
Maybe trying zipper rosettes to ease back into sewing land will finally give me the confidence to break in that singer Hubby got me months ago. 

I'd love to embellish some towels for our bathrooms like Tresa @ Reese Dixon. 

I just adore the idea of taking something plain and poshing it up with a bit of pretty fabric. But what sets her towels apart are the sewn in loops to hold them on hooks. LOVE it!


I love making soap! It's been a while since my last batch, but the soapsicles created by Greenbean have me itching to make some of these delicious looking gifts!

They look good enough to eat!


Young and Crafty's embellished feminine lamp has my wheels turning on prettying up an old lamp shade of mine.

I just love browsing websites for inspiration! Finding the little things to inspire projects of my own constantly keep me busy, which is great! The creative outlet of projects (even tiny ones) is such a relaxing thing for me to work on when Baby Boy's napping.

Have you found more inspiration this week?
Let it move you to make life just a little more beautiful.

Friday Inspiration

Back again for a few things that sparked an idea in me this week. I'm going to have more inspiration than I know what to do with once I get back home!

I love this simple idea to use a cereal box for a drawer organizer. That's my kind of usable craft! Once I get back home, I think I'll make some of these for our resident junk drawer while I finish up my snack box storage crafts (started in this post).

I love the hanging lamps in this HGTV zen bedroom.

I don't remember where I first saw these beautiful plates, but I just love the bright swirly accents on the white background.
Very similar to some in Veranda's spring table settings.
I'd like to use the unusual color combo in it some how to accent the master bedroom, I think. I'm already using teal/turquoise. Soft pink, coral red and mahogany will be gorgeous accents to the main color palette of teal and cream.

Amy at Positively Splendid has a tutorial for homemade citronella candles that had the crafter/candle lover within jumping for joy. They are super easy and so pretty!
I can't wait to get some citronella oil and make a few for our outdoor space (and maybe a few pretty smelling ones for the apartment!) when I get home.

If something catches your eye, or makes you wish you had such a great looking space/accessory/furniture, use it as inspiration! Draw on things that make you happy and encourage peace of mind and surround yourself with them. It's even possible on a budget! At least, that's the thought that keeps me planning and working to slowly transform our home as best I can with what we have. Here's to the weekend that's peeking around the corner!

A Wish

I was taking a break from the incessant organizing/cleaning when I saw an update on one of the blogs I subscribe to. Go to Passionate Homemaking to read Lindsay's thoughts about the poem below:

Cleaning and scrubbing will wait 'till tomorrow,

But children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.

So, quiet down, cobwebs! Dust go to sleep!

I'm rocking my baby. Babies don't keep.

by Ruth Hamilton

This poem has me so wistful! I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment, but I long for a time when I can indulge in that type of thing again. Because, right now, it's impossible. If I don't do it, it won't get done. And my determination is waning. For the past few days, I've been dragging my feet in the worst way. I never do nothing, but it's precious little that does get done. I'm very discouraged at having to do it all alone when I have no clue, no confidence in myself if I'm doing things right. After all, I've never done this type of thing before: gotten a house ready to put on the market. What does one do? And how? I'm weary. I desperately try to keep from a meltdown, making myself take breaks and trying to spend a little time outside and giving attention to Baby Boy every day, but this huge responsibility is wearing on me. Anyway, I'm posting this poem for a little inspiration. A reminder that the familiar, unhurried bliss of quiet home life will eventually come around again. A time when my biggest worry will be figuring out how to work story time around nap time and the occasional chore. But for now, I'll continue to work and trust.

Spa Night: More Peaceful Space (mini)Transformations

In keeping with the Spa Night theme, here are a couple of the many tiny projects I was working on before leaving for the big cleaning project. Each of them were started, keeping in mind my desire to consciously make our new home a more relaxing, peaceful space. I'm excited to be making progress on our peaceful transformation, and I know I'll appreciate all the little touches once we go back home. Maybe they will help me relax after the stress of my current project.

Before.

After.

Framed a bit of fabric and rehung a grouping by the front door.

I like it because it's a bit off kilter. And there are gorgeous colors from the peacock palette going on :)

The other week when we chose poolside plants at Home Depot, I picked up a little plant to brighten up a corner in the apartment. Our first living thing in our new home! Yay! I love green growing things. I'd like to have plants in every room. For now, I have this little beauty.

While moving it to it's new home I realized the pot I have doesn't have drainage like the container the plant came in. Nope, the store container wouldn't fit into my pretty pot. I know. I tried.

Solution?

Cut off the bottom and place it bottom side up in my pretty pot. Voila! Instant drainage. Add happy little plant plus potting soil to finish the job.

After giving the plant it's very first drink in it's McGyver'd pot, I carried my new pretty to the master bedroom to find a display spot.

Here's what it looked like before, the mini fridge in front of the window. Topped with a basket of some of my sarongs and a few tropical flower accessories for my hair. Can you see on the left near the green and yellow sarong where my artist son went crazy with a black sharpie? I attacked it with every cleaner I had. Even a Mr. Clean eraser. The stubborn mark faded, but refused to disappear.

Move the basket over, add a placemat to hide little Picasso's indiscretion and here's the new little space. I think I'd like it with something plain beneath it instead of the tan and green placemat, but for now, I think it's pretty in it's own way :). And my little plant gets lots of sunshine.

Click here for my first peaceful transformation post. My Peaceful Inspiration post goes into detail of what I'm trying to accomplish.

I think I'll take a soak in my newly scrubbed tub (which means I'd have to scrub it) and relax with an egg white mask and a book tonight. In the mean time, it's still day and there's more deep cleaning to get done. Take time for yourself this week! Happy pampering....

Friday Inspiration

Creative Jewish Mom is a blog I found out about through my mother. My mom. The original crafter. The reason I'm so in love with my glue gun. Anyway, to kick off today's inspiration post, here's Creative Jewish Mom's Recycled Toilet Paper Roll Wall Decor. Gorgeous, right? Earlier this week I was lamenting throwing those things away. There has to be more than just letting Baby Boy play telescope with them, right? Voila! So now I know what to do with them. Only thing is, now I need to start collecting them.

Isn't this beautiful? I'm thinking of making my own for the wall and I love how the printed border is just gorgeous surrounding the plain background. Guess what it is? A cover for a tub of lip balm. From some fabulous paraben free skin care shoppe I stumbled upon called Kiss Me in the Garden. And I love that name, too. Yup. Even lip balm is snazzier than my walls right now.

I found this while browsing vintage auction sites. I'm still looking for unabashedly feminine things to inspire my powder room decor. Love the way this mirrored tray shows off all those girly bottles. And the filigree border? Swoon!

Found this decor idea on Apartment Therapy. Paint ceiling rosettes one color and hang them in a grouping. Love it!

And yes, Little Apartment on the Prairie has once again, inspired me. I've written, "Create a Spice Rack" on my Project List there in the sidebar, and was considering using baby food jars (if I could ever get my hands on them). This magnetic spice rack is perfect for our small space! I'm wondering what else I'd use since we don't have baby food jars. I mean, every thing I make is utilizing something we have or can get for really cheap (ie free). Aaahhh... honesty.

Since moving from a larger home to a tiny apartment, we have more frames than I know what to do with. I've become very interested in grouping them all together in a cluster, either in the living room over the couch, or on one of the dining nook walls. I like this photo, also found while browsing. It has me planning.....

As you can see, this week's inspiration has been all over the spectrum from fancy fine to fancy cheap. I seem to be drawn to curved, round shapes this time around. Don't know why. It's something I didn't realize until I loaded all of these photos. Hmmm...

Anyway, I'll be very busy in the coming weeks with a huge project. Can't say what yet, but I'll keep the updates coming once I'm in the groove. Here's hoping you never stop looking for inspiration.

Friday Inspiration

So, I admit I'm addicted to DIY blogs. There are so many inspiring people writing about how they are making their spaces more functional/beautiful.So here are some posts I found inspiring this week:

Centsational Girl just finished a fabulous redo of her laundry room. The colors are beautiful, clean and spa like. I want to achieve this feel in the master bedroom.

Little Apartment on the Prairie is sewing her very first slip covers for her furniture. My furniture are thrift shop finds as well and are in sore need of  looking clean updating. I adore her and many times reading her posts parallel my own life, as we're in very similar situations. She is inspiring, and a reminder that no matter how tough life is, I want to search for beauty and make my life an inspirational place to be.

An older post of Nester's has got my wheels turning about our master bedroom. I've mentioned how I want it to have a resort spa feel. A place where we can go to relax and get away from the stress of it all. Reading her tips will help me get one step closer to making our hideaway a reality.

The CSI Project reaffirmed my belief in giving longer life to things you love by updating them! I believe I shall be hoarding Rub n' Buff from now on....

And as always, looking at photos of my beloved island inspired me to slow down and be thankful for what I have. A beautiful heritage, a loving husband and a wonderfully imaginative little boy. What else could a girl ask for?
One of the many beaches in American Samoa where I grew up

Wedding day with my love.... almost 4 years ago

My other love....our little man

Find what inspires you and never let go of it.

Project List

So, I've had this list of projects for a while, but have only now decided to post them here on the blog sidebar. I have a few completed and will post photos of those projects as the days go by. I'll be linking the items in the list to their respective posts as I get them done. I actually have one to post today. Yay! Here's to learning and bettering myself, my home and family throughout 2010!

Peaceful Space Inspiration

Now that I am no longer surrounded by the clutter that comes with moving from a house to a little apartment, I can focus on making our rooms conducive to relaxing. It's going to take lots of planning and a little ingenuity, but I'm excited about it! I'm hoping to have at least the beginning of projects to show for it when next week rolls around. Here's a little peek, though:

Living room inspiration: Peacock color palette with Polynesian patterns.

I have a vague idea of how to implement this, and I really hope it all comes together! I'm nervous about it though because everything might not work as a whole, but oh well. There's only one way to find out, right?

Tapa designs. I love the traditional designs of my culture, but I'd like to create my personal interpretation of them using traditional shapes and one of my favorite palettes: peacock colors.

Guest bathroom inspiration: Maroon powder room. Elegant and feminine. I'm thinking luxury and velvet like these drapes below. The femininity will hopefully be balanced with the deep strong maroon color. That's what I want, anyway. We shall see what we can come up with.

The cottage look above isn't me, but I adore the idea of personalizing the area around the mirror by draping some fabric. It adds a feminine touch too, I think. I don't know how I would do this, but I love it.

Master bedroom inspiration: Resort Spa. I imagine teal like the ocean and tan like the South Pacific sand; a peaceful, light space with soft colors of the ocean incorporated throughout the room. I want to feel like I'm on a getaway at a fabulous, relaxing spa resort while staying away from nautical or overdone seashell themes.

I love the thought of sheer curtains at every corner of the bed. So luxurious and resort-ish, isn't it? And it also makes me think of the sea breeze playing with the sheer fabric and the tropical sunlight shining through. We don't own a canopy or four poster bed, but I would like to use this somehow.

The combination of bamboo runner and candles is so lovely and relaxing.

These baskets remind me of honey colored wood that I saw everywhere on the island where I grew up. The gorgeous natural polished wood was crafted into supporting pillars in family meeting houses, or traditional tiny wooden benches that were used as pillows by the older generations of islanders. It just makes me think of home.

Master bath inspiration: Spa massage room. 

I see bamboo, tropical flowers and aromatherapy. 

I doubt I'll be able to afford a bamboo piece like this, let alone have the space to put it up in our little bathroom, but the clean lines and beautiful bamboo wood grain is inspiring. And I do need some sort of storage. Right now the only place to put things is in the double cabinet beneath the small sink.

Our master bath suffers from lack of towel storage as well. I like this idea...maybe not in a basket, though.

This, as well as the other candle/bamboo runner photo in the bedroom inspiration is the sense of calm and pampering and tropics that I would like to have in the bed and bathroom.

Whew! I love having all this together so I'll have a visual reference as I work on adding these touches to each room. Our toddler's room is the only one that is on track with it's theme, which is Learning Playroom. It definitely needs tweaking, but it has everything he needs, unlike the rest of the rooms. So, I decided to focus on slowly bringing the rest of the apartment along before I do anymore to the nursery. After all, the adult spaces need to be inviting too! We are not allowed to paint, which makes it even harder to add personality on a budget. At least I can look back at this and refocus once I get going. It's easy to get lost in a redesign, no matter how small it is, but now I'll have my inspiration post to help me get back on track. Don't forget to check out tonight's Spa Night post on a homemade acne spot treatment!