Friday's Featured Slipcovers

Lovely quilted sofa slipcover by Teresa at Cozy Cottage Slipcovers. She never ceases to amaze me!


I expect nothing less than greatness from Gina at Slipcover Chic. This beautiful tobacco slipcover sofa is as gorgeous as ever!


And just for fun...I found this leather corset chair slipcover on etsy by Black Motifa! How fun would this be for Halloween?

<a href="http://pinkandpolkadot.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s272/carriesue425/Pink%20and%20Polka%20Dot/125slipcoverpartybuttoncopy.jpg" /> </a>

So if you have a slipcover, link up! We'd love to see it! Please make sure you grab a party button and link back here. Also, make sure you link to your direct slipcover post...or you may be deleted;0).

Birthday Pause

I took a birthday pause this week. You can do that when you turn 43. You have my permission to pause on your birthday. I was, actually, really excited about my birthday this year. I'm still not sure why. I met a lady in the grocery store on the day of my birthday who was a brain cancer AND breast cancer survivor. She said, "I'm just grateful to be alive." We were both buying the grape chicken salad in the deli at Lowe's Foods. It's the best! When I turned 40...I thought it was all down hill. I thought things like..."Is this what my life is cracked up to be?" "What am I doing?" I think it was a mini mid-life crisis. This week, I've just taken the time to enjoy celebrating my birthday. My husband has dubbed it birthday month. I'll take it! I've enjoyed the fact that my 5th grader still wants me to come to her fall party at school. I've enjoyed my friendships and appreciate the safe place they warrant me to be myself...and not judge. I feel happy and content right now. I've been reading all the girls' "31 Day Posts" and have been most impacted by the Emily's "Remodeling this life" and "Chatting at the Sky." They have both reminded me to stop and pause and accept the grace.

p.s. Don't forget to link up for the slipcover linky party tomorrow!

Halloween Dress Form

Another use for your dress form...halloween decor! Dress her up!

All the kids in the neighborhood will love you for it! They'll think you're the coolest mom! {That is...unless you give out salt water taffy on halloween night} The pumpkin head is motion sensored...and makes scary noises!

What you need:

• dress form
• long sleeve shirt
• plastic bags
• 4 rubberbands
• 1 pkg cheese cloth
• 1 paper doile
• gloves
• rice or dried beans for pouring in the gloves
  
• a pumpkin head or whatever you have (skull...)

Put the shirt on the dress form and stuff her arm sleeves with plastic bags. Tie off the sleeves with rubber bands. Fill the gloves with rice or dried beans and tie off with rubber bands. Start draping and wrapping her in cheese cloth. Fold doile in half and shape as a collar. Tie around her neck with cheese cloth. Maneuver her hands to hold her head. Insert scary music and you have instant spooky!

Friday's Featured Slipcovers

Today I'm featuring one of my reader's. Her name is Julie and she created these fabulous cheat seat cushions! I asked her to explain how she made these. I think these are genius! Easy to take off and wash! Brilliant!

after

Julie say's..."As for the cheat-seat cushions, they consist of the top square and individual side panels, that are an extra 4 inches long, allowing enough room to wrap under. The side seams are about 1" longer than the side, and then folded/hemmed at a 45 degree angle, so there isn't a lot of bunched up fabric at the corners. The bottoms of each side panel are hemmed, and heavy duty twine runs through the hem. Pull the string tight, just make sure the top cushion panel remains centered.

Bad news on the slipcovers, though...now my hubby says there's no reason to replace the couches for at least 5 more years. Aargh. I hate it when crafting backfires!"


before

Don't forget that next Friday, we will be having a Slipcover Party! Always the last Friday of the month! So get to slippin'.

The Lazy Girl's Quilt Tutorial

Finally, it's here...The Lazy Girl's Quilt Tutorial. This is not your grandma's quilt. The goal here is for you to be creative and have fun! The quilt I made is for a twin size, but can easily be adjusted to fit a toddler or a California King. It's up to you! I started out with a different fabric from the turquoise...had it all cut out and lined up and then hated that fabric. I love the way the turquoise floral turned out. Use what you have and see what you come up with.

How surprised will a family member be when they open the quilt you made them...at Christmas? It's a thoughtful and sentimental gift sure to be treasured for years! {Gosh, do I sound like those Snuggy Blanket commercials?} So get to quilting by clicking on the button above, you can download the Tutorial for measly $5 buckaroos. Happy Quilting! Make sure to add pictures of your quilts to the flickr group, "Lazy Girl Quilts." Inspire us with your creativity!

Not a Slipcover Post

i've been feeling like a sucky mom. today it hit me as we were getting ready for school. one daughter said, "MOM! i don't have any jeans to wear." they were in the wash...hadn't made it to the dryer yet. yes, she washed them and forgot to put them in the dryer yesterday. it's my job, as a mom, to train and remind. but sometimes i get tired of doing it and check out. i checked out this weekend...and this morning paid the price with my other daughter whining at every chance she got. it goes like this...she whines, i get more and more impatient and then realize i've been checked out and she is just wanting some attention and snuggles. when will i learn? so today when they come home from school...our cubbards won't look like old mother hubbard and they will walk into the house smelling some baked yummy goodness. it always makes them happy. thank goodness we can change and they give us so many chances. tonight i will be engaged and we will snuggle.

the lazy girl's quilt tutorial will be up this week. thanks for all your support!

Friday's Featured Slipcovers

Tanza from Tea Girl had a friend make her ruffly shabby sofa slipcover. So feminine!


A slipper chair and matching ottoman slipcovers by iocchelli. So sleek!


Marie from Marie's Maison had her mother make this gorgeous slipcover for her settee...LOVE the pleats and the throw pillow!

*Congrats to the Winners of the four Purdy Paint brush Value Packs:
Lari, Our three sons, MCH Photography and The J9
Send me an email, if I don't have it.

Impromptu yard sale

I found out about a week or so ago...that our neighborhood was having a yard sale this Saturday, Oct. 16th at 7am. So, I've decided to drag everything out and sale, sale, sale. I've been in a purge mood and was going to take it all to Goodwill, but then the neighborhood yard sale was announced...so why not? If you want to come, email me. I'm selling household stuff, clothes and furniture...even this chair that I love!

In the mean time...I've been making caramel apples with a little...the epitome of Autumn!

Purdy Paintbrush Giveaway

Furniture I've painted with Purdy Paintbrushes

I have long professed my love for Purdy Paintbrushes...see this post. To me, they are the best...in my humble opinion.


I use them to paint walls, furniture...everything. So, I've teamed up with Purdy for a giveaway. They are giving, not one, but four value packs away to four of my lucky readers.


The value pack includes a 1" XL-Dale, 1 1/2" XL-Glide and a 2" XL-Sprig. To view go here.

To enter...just leave a comment about what you would paint with your Purdy Value Pack...only 1 entry please. I will choose 4 winners through random number generator on Friday. If you don't have a blog, please leave your email in your comment so I can contact you. Here's to getting in some painting before it gets too cold!

*THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED!

Blog Makeover Giveaway

My Fairy Blog Mother is having a Blog Makeover Giveaway over on her blog! Not just any makeover, but a Posh Blog Makeover worth $150. It includes:

Posh makeover:

* Custom header design
* Color matching template
* Coordinating Button promoting your site (including html box)
* Custom horizontal Menu Bar
* Cute (custom) Font for titles
* Favicon
* Installation of design (2 or 3 columns)

I don't even know what a favicon is, but she can wave her magic wand and beautify your blog in the blink of an eye! You can view her work here.

I love Carrie's work and I'm so grateful for her beautifying my blog and being my friend. Go to her blog to enter and make sure to read all the rules and regulations. Good Luck!

Friday's Featured Slipcovers

Another gorgeous slip by Much To Do with Nothing...flax linen over a mid-century chair! Gasp!


A Little Busy made this gorgeous slip from drop cloth...her first! Amazing!



Cute as pie...children's chair slip by Honey Scrap.





You can make your very own slipcover by downloading my Slipcover eBook for $10. Just click on the button above! You can post your slipcover on the last Friday of each month at our linky party...next party is 10/29.

Staff Development and Slipcovers

I took a couple of...ummm...staff development days. Yeah...staff development days...to clean my house, do laundry, grocery shop and everything else that's been left undone for awhile. Also, in between working on my daughter's room, I've been knee deep in this mess trying to finish a set of slipcovers for a pair of club chairs. I have to vascillate between projects to maintain steady creativity! Or, I just get easily bored...one or the other.

I'm not sure what's wrong with me, but I feel like ripping it off, starting over and slipping it in some funky graphic print! Stay tuned...it may turn all super funky! Remember to work on your slipcovers...we have a slipcover linky party on the last Friday of each month. Next one is Oct. 29.

A little's bedroom re-do {sneak peek}

I'm working on this little's room and obsessively changing my mind on a minute by minute basis. It's coming together...slowly, but surely. I'm loving it and I want to kick her out and move in. It's been soooo much fun to inject color into this room without painting the walls bubblegum pink. They are painted "Seagull Gray." With a neutral color on the walls, I can go crazy with color on everything from quilts to furniture. Speaking of quilt's...this one is finally done. I will be posting the how-to soon. If I can do it...anyone can! I promise.

A Goodwill lamp recovered with little rosette details. Frame painted and glazed.

I made these fake roman shades from a tutorial by Thrifty Decor Chick. I sewed mine out of a gray canvas {which provides privacy at night} and added a cute hot pink ruffle on the bottom edge. Then slid it onto a spring rod and wahlah! Can't wait to show you the entire reveal...when it's done. What are you working on?