HOOT!

You may not remember - but last year for Halloween I created a boutique outfit for my youngest daughter that got rave reviews! I have become hooked on appliques and decoupaging clothing to create that one-of-a-kid look. Here is an outfit I just finished.  The applique was drawn by me and hand sewn (after the iron on procedure) to the shirt.  I also made a matching bow complete with coordinating button.  The tights and skirt were purchased to complete the outfit!  The fabric was purchased at a local Salem shop.  The whole outfit cost less than $30 - that included a handmade shirt and bow, tights and skirt! Keep an eye out for her holiday outfit next month!

Design a Bathroom with a Seaside Flare Incorporating Handmade Goodies!

I love clean coastal and shabby beach chic look. You capture the essence of a Nantucket beach cottage in your own home that can fit into virtually any budget.  A couple of years ago I discovered this fantastic paint by Benjamine Moore called Aura... which is all we use now.  This is - in most cases - a one coat paint that goes on like butter and the quality is superb with low-VOC that is good for the environment and you!  To learn more about the paint you can visit your local paint store or the Benjamine Moore website.  This paint will run you about $60+ for a gallon - but it is well worth the investment. 

When painting your bathroom you will want the Benjamine Moore Aura Bath & Spa Matte finish paint.  This paint will not run or streak when humidity hits your walls like many paints can... and now have a matte finish in your bathroom with Aura paint.  A good tip when painting is to give a fresh coat to the ceiling so it doesn't appear dingy once you have repainted the room.

To me, beadboard is very beachy.  I really like the look of white beadboard in a bathroom with a chair rail or molding that separates the painted wall from the beadboard.

Walls = Benjamine Moore Aura Paint in Jamaican Aqua

Beadboard = Benjamine Moore Aura Paint in Snow White

There a many ways to accessorize a space without spending a fortune.  A great way to do this is to shop for handmade items.  Not only are you supporting your local artists... you are also reducing your carbon footprint.  There are many sources online to shop for handmade goodies.  Two of my favorite are 1000Markets and Etsy.  Below are a list of handmade items found that will compliment this design and color choice above (or any variation) - just click on the picture and it will take you to the storefront of that handmade item!

Original artwork and photography can brighten up lonely walls...

 Seahorse Painting by KarinGrow

Photographs by Modern Classics Paper

Starfish and sea inspired wall hooks for towels and beadboard towel racks compliment the beadboard walls.

 

Starfish Wall Hook by Monkey and Squirrel

 Beadboard Towel Racks by JLJ Designs

To accompany those towel racks and hooks you need to dry off with luxurious handmade linens.

        

        

PESHTEMAL Towels by Turkish Bath

Floor and tabletop accents tie a room together with bathmats, soaps, mirrors, window treatments and accessories... don't forget to top it off with some funky cabinet knobs!

       

Recycled T-Shirt Rug by Talking Squid

 

 Shabby Cottage Style Boxes by The Broken House

Ocean Shea Butter Soap by Sherri's Scents and Soys

Sea Shell Soaps by Annie's Powder Room

Ceramic Abalone Shell Soap Dish by Salt and Earth

 

Naturally Scented Soy Candles by Sawgrass Candles

Beach Cove Shea Butter by Tropical Bomb

  

  

Sea Glass Cabinet Knobs by Beachy Rustica

  

Starfish Mirror and Starfish Garland by Beach Grass Cottage

Putting all of these mouthwatering items together will truly create a seaside spa oasis!

Transforming a Small Place into a Cool Space

When I decided to move my older daughter in the upstairs bedroom - we needed to give it a bit of a make over and style it for a teenager. The room is narrow and long with a small, small closet that is also used as a doorway to the storage space/attic. In the closet we put hanging storage caddies to create more storage and organization in a tight space. On the walls - We used Benjamin Moore - Aurora Paint to get that one coat look. We ended up having to go over the yellow twice as the aqua wasn't covering enough.



I picked up a vintage vanity and repainted it - putting new hardware on all furniture. With all the trim and floor repainted an off-white - we painted the furniture to coordinate. Throw in a few storage items and accents and presto - a fun and functional room for teenage girl! It has a beachy, surfer vibe to it... hang ten!

Before Picture

Salem, Ma... Halloween... And Learning a New Craft!

October is a great time to be living in Salem, MA. We celebrate Halloween all month long here - thousands of people migrate to Salem to participate in Haunted Happenings... to hear about the famous Witch Trials and simply have fun getting caught up in all the hype of the season. I digress a little though. Ever since I have been in the "handmade" environment - I have been so impressed with all the artists who design children's clothes. I love that one-of-a-kind boutique look that you can't buy in stores. A particular design caught my eye - decoupaging with fabric.


I wanted to learn how to do this... however, the sewing machine scares the daylights out of me... I can sit through any horror movie you put in front of me and not flinch - but stick sewing machine in my face and I start screaming... running for the door. I am not sure why I have never taken up this craft... My grandmother was a top notch seamstress and by the third grade my mother was able to make her own dress that she then wore to a recital... so... why wasn't that gene passed onto me?!? Well - I was doing some fabric hunting and found the cutest Halloween fabric square pack by Moda. I did a little research on decoupaging clothing and I was off. Will all the supplies I needed I made a go at it. My mother was able to help with sewing the edges of the fabric on the jeans... and presto! I completed my first boutique outfit for my daughter! I am hooked... I now know why these are sold for so much as it took me about four days to complete.


I even hand embroidered on the jeans and the shirt! Devan wore the outfit to school today and got a lot of ooohs and aaaahhs... and when she was asked where she got it - she simply said... "My mom made it" and though small... I really felt proud of my accomplishment.

How To Make Sea Glass In a bottle Wedding Favors

Summer is on it's way and notoriously the busiest wedding season of all. Couples flock to the surf and sand in hopes of creating that magical setting the shore seems to offer.

When I was in the process of planning my own wedding, we were on a very strict budget as most are. It was then my fiance and myself chose to do the invitations, favors and many other "wedding" items ourselves. This was a huge money saver... but not a time savor. Hand creations take time - but there is more love put into something you make than something you buy. People notice and appreciate this. I was searching and searching for ides for favors... coming up with the same "done-to-death" idea after another. That is when I went rummaging around my storage room... and since we were having an "Ocean" themed wedding... this was perfect. I had collected so much sea glass over the years (because of my jewelry biz) that I decided it would be great to use the glass in favors. I purchased glass bottles of different shapes and sizes and filled them with the shards I had collected. I had to return to the shores many times to collect smaller pieces as well... I had many bottles to fill - about 80 - so that meant many hours of beach combing. I enlisted my family in the hunt... and before I knew it, I had more than enough glass. My guests loved them and they were something they could keep - put on a window, counter, piece of furniture - whatever they chose it was the perfect seaside decoration! Listed below are the materials and simple instructions on creating "Sea Glass in a Bottle" favors for your special day!

Materials:
1. Glass bottles with cork stoppers: Can be purchased at a craft store for less than $1.00 per bottle.
2. Sea Glass: Beach comb for the glass if you are near the shore or you can purchase "faux" glass from craft stores, the Internet or Ebay, however, they should be small enough to fit in the opening of the bottles.
3. Glue: Any craft glue will do.
Raffia: You can choose the plain tan or there are different color variations as well to choose from.
4. Avery business cards or thick card stock and cutter: Purchase these at your local office supply store in ivory or white. If you choose not to hand write them you will need a computer with a printer and visit the Avery web site to get the specifications of your business cards to design them or you can use Microsoft word and create a template. Also - as seen in the picture - I used a heavy card stock, and a scrapbook paper cutter to make the tags.
5. Single Hole Punch: There are many designs to choose from

To begin, print your tags out using which ever format you have decided upon. If you choose to make your tags from (as shown in my picture example) you will need to cut your card stock down to the desired lengths - stamp them each with a decorative stamp of your choice and write them out as you wish. Take your hole punch and punch one hole in each of the tags in the upper left or right hand corner. You should also pre-cut your raffia into desired lengths - long enough to tie a bow around the bottle neck. Next, you want to start filling the glass bottles with the sea glass. You might need to use a small funnel to make it easier if possible. Once all the bottles have been filled, place a ring of glue around the cork stoppers and place them back into the bottles. Now take your raffia and affix a tag to each bottle, finishing with a bow. You can even use recycled baskets or galvanized buckets to hold your favors in - also adding the the rustic seaside charm.

You have just created your very own beautiful "Sea Glass in a Bottle" favors that will be timeless keepsakes for all of your wedding guests!