Blissdom 2011

Blissdom was a blast! I stalked, ate, drank and listened to great music from Crystal Bowersox. I heard great speakers...Brene Brown and Scott Stratten.

What I took away was: tell your story be authentic and vulnerable don't waste emotional energy on the negative ones. It really is all about the relationships. I love this community and all the old friends I got to see and the new friends I was blessed to make!

Friday's Featured Slipcovers

Check out this dreamy little ottoman that is part of a little girl's nursery made by Much to Do With Nothing.



Coastal Nest made this adorable chair slipcover from drop cloth's to match the adorable sofa slipcover.


A Happy Valentine also used drop cloths to make this charming wing back chair slipcover! So simple and sweet!

Grab a Button if you've been featured! Go here.

Slipcover Love!

I received this email from Jamie...

Here it is! Thanks so much... there is NO WAY I could have done it without you. Your instructions gave me the confidence I needed to pursue this :o)

Next I am going to attempt my sectional. It has a chase attached to one end so it isn't symmetrical. Do you have any pointers??? I don't think I'll be able to just pin it inside out because the whole thing will get flipped, right?

Thanks again. You changed my living room and a little bit of my life :o)

Blessings,

jamie

Now to Jamie and everyone else...yes! you can slipcover a sectional and you will have to flip the fabric...so it's a little tricky, but it can be done. Pin from the inside. Take my advice and invite some sewing friends over, call it a party and provide lunch...like Nester did. Now, Jamie...did you make that pillow? Inquiring minds want to know! Pillow tutorial here at H is for Handmade.


Women every where...take courage and make your furniture your's...like Jamie! It can be done!

Friday's Featured Slipcovers

I.am.in.love. with this pleated ottoman slipcover by Dear Lillie! Go check out the before.


I'm swooning over this fabric...and the curvy arms of this chair by Shelley. Perfect as always.


Adorable slipcover in a miniature version...for a little girl by Chris at Just Beachy.

You guys are all so inspiring and encouraging! The response to the slipcover class has been overwhelming in a GREAT way! It looks like we'll have to do more than one class. I'm still trying to nail down a place, but thinking about the first class being on Sat., Feb. 26th. More details to follow when finalized. Thanks again for all your support! hugs to you all!

Tweak until you get it Right

I have had five tables in this space. You just tweek it til you get it right. I had this table before. The legs kept getting in the way. I don't even know if it's right...now. It's good enough though.

I bought this pedestal table at the thrift store and painted it green and then glazed it. Hated.it. So one afternoon I took a couple of cans of black spray paint to it. Moved it in that night. I swear by Krylon spray paint. I used black satin.

I am turning my dining room into an office/library because in the 2 years we've lived here...we've only eaten in there once. And that was because I was painting this table. I've hosted Christmas with all my family for the past two Christmas' and we never used the dining area. So...office/library it is! Remember what it looked like when I moved in? Sometimes you just have to live with the house for awhile to figure out how you use it.


I have big plans and want to paint horizontal grey stripes on the walls like Decor Adventures did here. And spray paint a chandy...yellow...amongst some other things. I feel like funkifying everything with turquoise and yellow. I think I'm channeling my inner Edie. What have you tweeked in your home for your family's best use?

Slipcover Class

I received this email from my friend...IRL, Handmade Housewife...

I was wondering if you'd ever consider doing another slipcover party...at your house? I have 2 wingbacks that I really want to do, but I'm just stuck. I've been itching to get these done. If I could get one covered I would know how to do the other one. I have your ebook...but I was thinking you could hold my hand, HA!

First, I know she can sew crazy good, but sometimes it is nice if someone holds your hand...as she so appropriately put it.

So I wanna hold your hand in a slipcover-y kinda way. Is anyone interested in a slipcover class? Are you local to the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area?...or you can come from Montana if ya want.

Remember the one we did at Nester's? She invited friends over to slip her sectional. We really had a ton of fun!

I, however, will not be inviting you to my house because it will only hold about two of you...and if you have your furniture...well just forget about it! I'm trying to find a place big enough for you and your pieces. You will be bringing your own furniture and leaving with a newly slipped piece that you'll LOVE forever...or at least until you slipcover it again! It will have to be a piece that you can transport and move by yourself and there will be a registration fee..still ironing that out. More details to follow. Right now, I'm just trying to get an idea of anyone who might be interested. So...are ya interested?

Friday's Featured Slipcovers

Adorable pleated dining slips from Check it Off.


A Little Busy was so brave with this striped slipcover. It's gorgeous!


Soyons-ouf made this funky asian ottoman slipcover! It's so retro!


If you've made your own slipcover...BRAG about it here and grab a button below!

<a href="http://pinkandpolkadot.blogspot.com"><img src="http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx78/sweetfaerie/igotmysliponcopy-1.jpg" /> </a>

Turquoise Furniture

I'm dying over this turquoise farm table! Sorry...I don't know who to credit this photo. If you do, please let me know.

I don't know if it's being house bound by snow and ice or what...but I'm about to go all turquoise on something in my house. Last year, I painted my coffee table and I'm thinking about painting this hutch the same color.

Primitive and Proper

In My Own Style

Live Creating Yourself

Have you painted anything turquoise?

Are you going to Blissdom?

This will be my 3rd year and I still have no idea what I'm doing. I sit through a session and think at any moment someone's going to figure out I really don't know how to blog. I think, "I'm doing everything wrong." Whatever that means... I go home and my husband encourages me to just do what I love..."Isn't that why you started your blog anyway?" he says. "Yes", I say and then I have to talk myself down from the cliff of comparing myself to everyone else. Everyone is unique AND at the same time the we're all alike...which is why I love this community and go back every year to re-connect with friends.

Carrie and I wondering what we had gotten ourselves into...slipping Nester's sectional.

Let me introduce you to my roomates this year: You know her as my fantabulous "Fairy Blog Mother" and she rocks the casbah! Her name is Carrie. We met because she needed a ride to Blissdom 2009. Nester emailed me and said "A girl in NC needs a ride, I don't know where she lives...but FYI." Low and behold she lives 15 minutes from me. I know she cringes every time she sees my number pop up on her caller i.d. I've almost stopped just showing up at her door unexpected for some blog emergency.

She really has become a great friend...a comrade in the Twilight series. Both of us lived in California and are always on the search for the best hole in the wall Mexican food joint. Carrie blogs at Koehmstedt and her Blog Design Site... Sweet Faerie Designs. If you're like me and want to re-design your entire blog 2 weeks before Blissdom...she's your go-to girl. Love her!



My other roomate is Chris from Celebrations at Home. She's a party planner in the Richmond, VA area. Chris and I have known each other since 6th grade. We were roomates at ECU. She stumbled on my blog one day and we've chit chatted ever since. She has some fantastic budget friendly ideas on her blog. She also does custom inspiration boards for your party and has been featured on Virginia This Morning. Chris did a guest post here for a Cinco de Mayo Party I had.

And last, if you're feeling like a 7th grade wall flower at a school dance...PLEASE go read Edie's post from last year. It encapsulates how we all feel in a nutshell.

Friday's Featured Slipcovers

This is one lovely drop cloth slip by Designer Garden. Aren't those pillows to die for?

Paint Me White made this chair slipcover out of a thrift store table cloth. Love it!

Monogrammed dining slips by Anna's Custom Design...love a monogram!

Simply Shabby Chic Style Slipcover by Maison Decor 8. Go see how she re-did this little corner.

This year, be fearless and make your own slipcover...it doesn't have to be perfect...just good enough for you! Go for it! We'll start the monthly slipcover parties back on the last Friday of February. That should give you plenty of time to get your slips on!

Home Goals

I have a few home goals...

My biggest goal is to...DO something with these horrid kitchen counter's that make me want to scream every time I see them! They are corian and I've been petrified to paint them myself for fear that it will come up in sheets. I just found this company and I'm calling today to get a quote. Has anyone had any experience with this company?

#2 Rip up the carpet on my stairs and paint them. These are from my friend's house.

But, my most important goal is to create more traditions in our home. I heard Jen speak at a homeschool conference years ago about traditions and it has stayed with me.

"Start by making your own home a place where happiness and love abound, through your love for each member of your family and for your neighbor. Try to put in the hearts of your children a love for home. Make them long to be with their families. So much sin could be avoided if our people really love their homes.

Mother Theresa

Jump over to Nester's to see some other home goals.

Happy Birthday Edie!

Blissdom 2009

I first met Edie at Blisdom 2009. I had been stalking her for quite some time. I stumbled onto her blog and immediately fell head over heels in love with this woman. She homeschooled her children {as I was then} and wore MAC make-up. My smitten-ness and respect grew as I went to her blog daily. One of my most favorite posts was called 'One of those days.' You know the one's. The day's that you would never write about, but she did. That post encouraged me...at a time when I needed it. Edie is real and vulnerable...which her real life friends already know. She is one of my daily reads. I love how she shares her faith and can't wait to read what she writes. I adore her and the love she has for her family. She really is one of a kind!

Happy Birthday my dear friend! Have a great day today celebrating YOU! hugs, Kristi

You, too, can link up with all of blog land and wish Miss Edie a Happy Birthday!

Can you hear it?

It's the sound of kid's not fighting over the wii they got for Christmas. It's the sound of Big Sister's not yelling about Little sister's entering their room without knocking. It's the sound of nothingness and quiet. It's music to my ear's right this minute as I eat my breakfast and get ready for the day. My little's are off at school. It really was such a short Christmas vacation...we slept in, ate lots of food and my arm is sore from knocking out my husband in wii boxing. Time to start organizing and decluttering!