It's All In the Details

I am a big fan of details.
Sometimes I get more engrossed in the details than in the big picture of the room.
In the case of my dining room which I showed you last time,

it WAS visions of the details that drove me to finish the room.

This was the first thing that I got excited about:

Here's what I did.

I found some "flour sack cloths" at Fred's (5 for $5).

I have read on several blogs about the use of freezer paper as a stencil. (I can't credit the blog because several have mentioned it-AND it is even on the package of the freezer paper.) So I just picked out an image of a bird

(yes, yet another bird has found its way into my home!)

and cut it out on my Cricut (using the freezer paper).

I ironed that baby on and painted in the bird.

First let me say that the freezer paper is awesome!!

I tried to use waxed paper on an earlier project-epic fail.

The paper stuck just a little. But freezer paper? It is a dream! Seriously!

Second let me say that some people use fabric paint on projects such as this.

Well, I couldn't find fabric paint or fabric paint medium (the stuff you add to paint to make it work on fabric). I really wanted to finish this so I thought about my "paint" pants.

You know those pants you wear everytime you paint? What? I'm the only one with those kind of pants because I'm the only one who paints things (the same things-like rooms) over and over?

Oh, well go along with me anyway.

My paint pants have little smushes of every single wall color I have ever used-because I always need something handy to wipe my hands on! And the paint has never washed out.

(Ask hubby about the Notre Dame shirt with a SW Latte paint smush across the top-wait, on second thought don't, he's still a little bitter over that one.)

Anyway, after thinking about those pants and because I was too impatient to wait for a trip to Paducah or Clarksville Hobby Lobby, I decided to use my leftover wall color (Wyeth Blue by Benny Moore if you were wondering). Love it!

Then I got to thinking about my two oddball dining room chairs:

Uh, no not those precious parsons chairs. I would never refer to them as "oddballs."
I was actually talking about the two chairs that sit on the walls that don't have the red polka dot upholstery on them.

I decided to pull a Miss Mustard Seed and use a drop cloth to reupholster those oddballs.

First, those (sadly) are not my chairs, they're hers, they're real and they're fabulous! (sorry, channeling Seinfeld).

Second, they are made from drop cloths. Fantastic I know. Go read about it on the link in her name. She's amazing. But wait til you are done here. You might never come back!

Anyway, I was using her chair as an inspiration but then I got lazy and didn't want to make the pleated skirt. Too much thinking. So I just stapled the fabric on.

I was going to do the simple stripes then I saw this "chain-stitch," semi quatrefoil looking design on one of my Cricit cartridges and loved it. Here is a step by step, but it was just like the towels.

Cut out image on the Cricut--using the ever cool freezer paper.

Ironed the stencil onto the already upholstered chair.

Painted using leftover "Scarlett" paint(SW Crabby Apple).

Voila!

And because you haven't seen enough of my dining room---voila!

I'm going to link up with Amanda for the I heart my craft cutter party. Cause I do heart it. Big pink puffy heart it. Maybe even big pink puffy heart it with a arrow through it. and a M.C. loves C.E. (cricut expression) carved in it. Anyway, come over there and get some other ideas for your craft cutter!

I'm also joining in the Dining Room party at Roomspiration.

Next up will be auction finds!

Livin' on Blues Power

This is my favorite "big" project of 2011. I love how it turned out and the good news is that almost a year later I still love it! That's a big deal for me. As hubby says, I'm easy to please, just hard to keep pleased!

I'm taking this link over to Thrifty Decor Chick for her monthly before and after party. Right now there are like 450 links on it. Wowzers, but I'm going in anyway! Stop by for a minute (or an hour) and see some othe great ideas!

Borrowing from Eric Clapton:
Bet you didn't think I knew how to rock n' roll
Oh, I got the boogie woogie right down in my very soul.
There ain't no need for me to be a wallflower
'Cause now I'm living on blues power!

Man oh man I am in love with some blues.

It all started with a chair:

Then there came a table:


This post could go on forever, but I am just going to show you the pictures of my newly blueified dining room and then later I'll bring you the

"details of the dining room."

Until then, just look at this transformation.
During Christmas:

Now living on blues power:

AAAAACK! I know!! I love it!!!
Just humor me and look at all these angles.

I even "staged" the room (which I NEVER do). It feels so much more like me!

Doesn't Scarlett look lovely next to this blue?

Come back later this week and I'll share with you about my napkins and upholstered chairs. I can also talk about the auction finds I used in this room as well as talk about the wall color!

I'm linking up with the CSI Challenge favorite projects of 2011. And also with Addicted 2 Decorating.

I Confess...

I'm really not the type to do a blog post just to join a party (that's just too much work!)

But I met Mamarazzi the other day (not IRL) and I have been thinking

confessional thoughts ever since.

My Friday Confession is all centered around this:

I am a teacher and I love my job, but I also have a love/hate relationship with snow days.

I long for those unplanned days in the middle of the week that I get to sleep in and hang out in sweats all day, but after a week of no school my confession is that

I LOATHE SNOW DAYS!!

For many reasons. I am going to tell you most of them.

Reason #1 I loathe snow days:

My house is a disaster. Craft projects and dirty dishes are covering what seems to be every square inch. I can't keep up with these kids!

Reason #2 I loathe snow days:

Snow clothes. Everywhere.

The kids go outside for like 30 seconds, get cold, come inside and make hot chocolate, then want me to help them get dressed again to go back out. Makes me grit my teeth just thinking about it.

Reason #3 I loathe snow days:

For some reason I get very lazy and my bed doesn't get made. An unmade bed sets a bad tone for my day

(I know I sound like a freak, but it does make me feel better to know my bed is made.)

Reason #4 I loathe snow days:

I eat way too much. Snow days do not bring out the best in me!

However, in true love/hate relationship fashion, here are a few things I have accomplished:

Got a room repainted. My house has 13 rooms and I have painted 17 of them-yes a few have been repainted in the 15 months we have lived here.

I have bagged up all these outgrown kids' clothes to take to a friend who has a consignment store!

I got some sewing done.

Also, I have been able to keep this blog a little more updated! Maybe snow days aren't ALL bad. Not that I want another week being homebound with 3 kids and 3 dogs!

I'm off to put something away. again. Then clean up a puddle of melted snow. again. Then go eat another brownie. again. Maybe I still loathe snow days!!

I've Got the Blu-Whoo-Ooo-s.

Hank Williams, Sr. ain't got nothing on me.

Well, actually it isn't me singing the blues, it's my house.

I won't torture you with listening to his recording while you are reading this post, but only if you promise you'll sing the song in your head.

With a really "old time" country music twang.

It's a requirement. Here I'll help with some phonetic spellings.
Ready?

I've got a feelin' called the the blues, Oh, Lawd
Since my baby said goodbye.

And I don't know what I'll do-oo-oo
All I do is sit and sigh-igh, oh, Lawd

I hate to think it all o-o-ver
I've lost my heart it seems

I've grown so used to you some how
Well, I'm nobody's sugar daddy now

And I'm lo-on-lonesome
I got the Lovesick Blu-ues.

Don't worry about my house.

I'm thinking the blues will be the best thing that's happened to it since buttons.

Y'all come back, I promise I won't make you sing!

Molly :)

The Wild Side

Let me say I love it when I find out I was ahead of the trends.

Case in point are my birds.

I started a love for birds before I even knew they were popular (pre-blogging).

I didn't know when I painted Annabel's room this bright pink (I thought was azalea)

that it would offer me a chance to enter The CSI Project.

But I'll name it Honeysuckle and join the party!!

Have you ever had visions for a room,

put it together piece by piece then once you were done

realized you created a hot mess?

That's pretty much what happened with daughter #2's room.

I knew I didn't love it.

It was way too busy and way too pink.

Then I published this picture:

Two words: hot. mess.

I had an idea and I had a whim.

So at Target I decided to buck up and spend the $75 on some new bedding.

I made curtains out of really cheap white fabric and added the zebra stripe out of an extra sheet that I purchased. I was going to do a canopy over the bed but I just couldn't see that play out well in my head so I opted for the "artwork."

I had planned put black and white pictures in the frames, but once I hung them on the wall, I kind of liked them blank.

Yes, this artwork is a mixture of some other things you have seen on "Toile in the Family."

It is a little "Ode to A'ish" and I have found yet another way to use some buttons.

(You're hoping I'll run out of those soon aren't you?!)

I love it. You would think the black would be overwhelming, but there is just something about focusing on two colors that makes it much more pleasant to look at.

Let's see the before and after again shall we?

Hot Mess Before:

The AHHHH-After:

I'm joining the million of link ups over at Thrifty Decor Chick for her February Before and After Party. If you have a few minutes, come by and check out some other fun before and afters. I can't guarantee they will all be hot mess transformations, but there are lots of cool ideas over there!

This is another favorite room redo of 2011. I'm linking up with Addicted 2 Decorating. Come see some great room redos!

You can see the other two kids rooms here, just know that I already have some plans for little man's room. Don't go thinking I am discontent. I'm just creative, that's it, creative.