Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Sweet Sweater Pillows

So the holiday season is beginning to slow down, finally... only one more Christmas to go this weekend, but... the newsman has dubbed a storm brewing to hit this weekend, "The Storm of the Century."
-
So, I thought that if we do get a good old fashioned stay indoors blizzard, I could count on getting some more projects done... then I figured I should blog about some of the projects that got accomplished during the last snow storm... hence today's post!
-
While buckled down a few weeks back (and three bottles of wine into the day) I decided to whip out some thrift store finds and make some sweater pillows I have been dying to have!
-
-
When planning to make pillows, I find that buying stuffing can be spendy... so at the local thrift store I decided to buy pillows that passed the sniff test (and don't forget to wash them, too!) for only $.25 a piece.
-
-
Then I picked out some sweaters to use as the fabric for the pillows. I grabbed shirts that went with my color scheme and the bigger the better! Bring on the Men's XXXL!
-
-
First, I washed the pillows and the sweaters! Then I turned the pillows inside out... drew my pillow shape onto one side... pinned both sides together... and cut threw both sides at once!
-
Headed to the sewing machine and stitched away, leaving a small area to stuff the pillow. After it is stitched, flip it right side out, rip your thrift store pillows open and stuff your new pillow! Then hand stitch your filling hole shut!
-

-
Ta Da!

-
Three sweater pillows for pennies! Note that you shouldn't operate a sewing machine after drinking wine, your pillows will not be perfectly square... but if that is how you cope with snow days, I understand! :-)
-
Happy Thrifting!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Do You See What I See!?

Wow... my blog has got to be the most boring place on the internet right now! Talk about disappointing... anywho, that is about to change! Combined with being snowed in last weekend, and a full week of vacation next week, I've got things to post!
-
-
First and foremost, do you see what I see? Majorly cluttered counter and a HUGE empty wall! Well last summer, I got shelves to put on them naked walls... and they have sat in my dining room since... well not anymore! Enter a snow day, three bottles of wine and a nagging wife (aka ME) - and things get done!
-
-
Start with some measuring and leveling...
-
-
Some marking and more leveling...
-
-
Bring in the drill and...
-
-
Ta Da!!! Prudy new shelves and a much cleaner counter! I took me all of five seconds to fill the shelves once Chris was done! Not only eye catching, but super useful!
-
-
Left Shelf
-
-
Right Shelf
-
I (((heart))) IKEA!!!
-
Apologies for the dirty camera and whacky focusing... I'll blame it on the wine!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Wednesday Wishes

Hello Again! Time for a Wednesday Wishes post!
-
Lately, I have spent a lot of time looking at pillows. I am pretty sure I can make my own, but wanted to get ideas on all types of pillows. See I am looking for pillows for the couch, ottoman, beds, different chairs and even floor pillows. With the holiday season quickly approaching, I am feeling some pressure to get this completed. So I turned to one of my favorite sites for inspiration, Etsy!
-
Low and behold, I came across Alexandra Ferguson's shop, my goodness! I had seen her work earlier this year in one of my 'Real Simple' magazines... She will definitely leave you saying, "ooh la la!"
-
-
Alexandra creates handmade pillows with 100% recycled felt (saving at least 4 bottles from headed to landfills) stitched into sassy statements and decorative motifs.
Have to love a green product!
-
-
Her creations make me smile. The monograms are to die for!
-
-
And all of her other products, well you get the idea...
-
-
I start to consider turning some of these into a DIY project, but for now I will just continue to droll... Okay, time to focus and get thinking about pillows that I can actually accomplish pre-holiday gatherings.
-
Happy Wednesday!

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Happy Birthday Munchkin!

To those who may not know, my baby sister turned 18 today! But she will always be my little munchkin. Love you Tiana!
-
-
Photo taken/edited by me during one of our shoots a few weeks back.