I'm a Sucker for You || Valentine Tutorial || Giveaway

This is such an easy project that would be perfect for giving to teachers, friends, family members, and of course, Valentines!  **No sewing machine is required for this tutorial!**

A new addition to the family || Home post

*Don't forget to enter my Facebook Giveaway!

I think I am finally realizing the trick to decorating my home.  It needs to be filled with things I love.  Though that concept is a no brainer, I don't think I fully understood it until recently.   I look at the picture below and think to myself, why did I buy that???  Why is that even in my home???  I know tastes change over time, but this stuff below is not that old.  I mentioned in my last living room post that I believe I was decorating to what I thought it should be as a new home owner and newly wed.  It was like I still had not left the nest yet or just barely begun spreading my wings.  If that doesn't make sense, I'm sorry.

Awhile back, I sold the white entry table because I found the most amazing piece ever.  I went into my local Habitat REstore, and there she was in all her glory.  I knew she had to come home with me, and after squeezing her into the back of the Subaru, I was so happy because she barely fit!

Let's do a before and after.

After:

She's a beauty right?  She was on sale for $125, but I talked the REstore employee down to $100.  I sold the existing table to a friend, so that helped bring the cost down too. She's in great shape except for a few, minor aesthetic flaws like the two corners.  I tried the pecan/walnut oil trick, but that didn't work for my piece.  I thought about using a stain to match it, but the corners are not that much of bother to purchase stain pens.

I haven't styled the piece, and I do not need nor want a lamp on the piece.  Matt finally installed lights above, so there's ample light in our living room now.  I really don't want it cluttered like before.  Ugh.

And then there is a surprise which takes up most of the space on top . . . .

BAM!

A working analog radio with a record player.  It sounds amazing in the home.  Owen and I turn it on daily.  I can listen to my country music, or we can put NPR on at night.

When I showed this to Matt after I got home with it, that was when he decided the piece was worth it.  A functional crendenza . . . whaaat?  1960 got it right.

HERE'S A LITTLE TIP CONCERNING CORDS . . .

seriously just realized I have a dot on my lens!!!  sorry!

Duct tape.

What do you think of our newest addition?  Have a great weekend y'all!  I plan on sewing a bunch.

The glass vase is from Pier 1, and the mirror came from Home Goods on clearance.

Facebook + Giveaway

I took the plunge and now I am on Facebook.  Well, at least I think I am.  :)  Let me know if there are any kinks as I am new to this.

Here is what you will find on my Facebook page.

• Random comments and questions. 
• Updates on blog posts.  I blog about sewing, quilting, crafting, and redecorating my home along with DIY projects.
• Updates in the shop and when new items are listed or when I have sales.
• More interaction with me, and no, I was not born in 1987.  :)

When you "Like" my page on Facebook, it helps spread the word about my blog, which helps spread the word about my Etsy shop.   When I reach 300 likes, I'll pick a name and send you your prize.  Super easy, right?  Good!  I don't expect to hit 300 likes very quickly, so I'll randomly mention this blog post until I do reach 300 likes.

Giveaway Prize List:   (a list???  why yes, YOU pick!)

• A bundle of fabric in your color preference
• A yard of fabric from Spoonflower, your choice
• The book Young House Love: 243 Ways to Paint, Craft, Update & Show Your Home Some Love by Young House Love
• The book The Handbuilt Home by Ana White

Here's the link to my Facebook page.  Sorry, I have no fancy buttons at the moment.

https://www.facebook.com/owensoliviashop

Thank you for supporting handmade and my passion for design and all things pretty.  :)  You rock!

bringing art into the kitchen + how i solved the problem of displaying my son's art

i really enjoy art in a kitchen.  it brightens a space up and instantly adds personality.

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i'm slowly adding art into my kitchen, and knowing me, things will get moved around a few more times before i feel at peace.  if that makes any sense!  :)  my son is creative, or at least, he is acting like a normal two and half year old.  what i didn't know about him and his age was that he was keenly aware of when and how is art is displayed.  i would secretly throw away his art. (gasp! call me an awful mother, but i just know when to throw stuff away and when to keep things as a keepsake.)  when i thought owen wouldn't take notice to his missing art, he actually did.  that meant i would have to dig through a lot of trash searching for his masterpiece and after wiping off ketchup and mustard, hang it back up on the fridge.  can i tell you how annoying it is for me to hang art on a fridge?  can i tell you how many times i have knocked his art down?  can i tell you how many times we had to stick a million magnets on his art to keep it from sliding down the fridge?  and you may know about my fondness towards magnets. i seriously don't know what made me think to place his artwork above our cabinets.  i'm not even a decorating-above-the-cabinets kind of gal.   but something really cool happened when i cut his art to fit above my cabinets.  it extended the height of my kitchen!  in a visual way of course.  it seriously added an extra foot to our 8' ceiling.  amazing.  but not amazing enough that i could capture it quite accurately with the camera lens i own.  sorry about that.  you'll just have to take my word on it. the kitchens seriously feels a lot bigger.   can i also tell you how happy i feel when i am in the kitchen?  it's like i can't wait to do the dishes or make a pot roast.  just kidding.

i made an embroidery hoop saying "hello sunshine," a watercolor of my state, and placed some paper into a white frame.  got to love free art.

Update 3/13:  The art came down. Sorry Owen!

are you a fan of art in a kitchen?  how have you solved the problem of displaying your children's art in your home?

and please, keep your fingers crossed for owen's sake that i don't trash his artwork.  he will be a very sad boy.

#7 quilt finish

Can I just say this was fun to do?  Free motion quilting is da bomb.  The ability for my brain to get lost in a project was exacerbated with this quilt.  I was in a trance-like state while doodling with my BSR foot.  It was amazing.

This was quilted with swirls of all shapes and sizes, but I avoided all the colored areas.  It created a nice, heavy drape.  I am happy I stepped out of my comfort zone with this one, and I am well pleased with the end result.

This quilt is listed in my Etsy shop.

Stats:
39" x 45"
RK Kona Solids + a mix of designer cottons for front and binding
Riley Blake Sunny Happy Skies for the back
Warm and Natural cotton batting
Pieced and quilted with Aurifil 50 wt cotton

Here are my other quilts:

#1 blogged here, #2, #4, #5, #6 (needs to be quilted, which I will start this week)

#3 (Photos in my Etsy shop, sold)


This quilt is ready to go in my Etsy shop.  Have a great day, and thanks for stopping in!

Sharing with Let's Get Acquainted

WIP Wednesday || Sewing Post

This is a short, get-to-the-point post today.   I finished quilt top #7 yesterday.  One of my sewing goals was to step out of my comfort zone, and this quilt definitely does that for me.  It's super girly, which is new for me since I tend to like more greens, blues, blacks, and grays.   The quilt top came together really quickly.  It's a simple design that I plan to kick it up a notch with quilting and a touch of Ric Rac trim.   I plan to FMQ this quilt, which also helps me reach my sewing goal of challenging myself more.

That leads me to pulling out my BSR foot and trying FMQ.  Wow, I know what I will be doing in my spare time now.  It's so addicting!  This was my first time doodling, and I think I did a pretty good job.  There's still lots of room for improvement, but what I think what is so great about FMQ is how organic it is.  It doesn't matter if lines aren't straight or circles aren't perfect.  It's all art!

 #6 is still hanging around on my couch waiting for fabric. I'm thinking of using IKEA fabric since I have never used any in a quilt, but it's just finding the time to drive 6 hours with a toddler.  But I'm dying, D-Y-I-N-G to get #6 quilted.  I can't stand looking at its prettiness any longer.


I'm sharing this with Freshly Pieced.

My Living Room

Redoing my living room is one of my "home" goals for the year.  I should preface by saying there really is nothing wrong with my living room.  It is comfortable and can seat guests.  It's just a lot of brown.  A LOT of brown.  So that makes me depressed, and I am sure it depresses our guests.

My living room has had many "before" experiences since the 5 years we have been living in our home, but this photo is where it was at most recently.  I realized this room really wasn't me.  I think I was decorating to how I thought it should be.  Now I want my space to reflect me.  My style is definitely transitional; something I was really hesitant saying for awhile now because I love modern wayyyy more than traditional.  But nowadays, I am accepting that I do like some traditional things in my home, even if my cool self wants to deny it.

I just cringed a little.  Just so you know.

Here's my to do/wish list:

• Since replacing furniture is probably something the husband won't be on board with (not very economical either), I *might* slipcover either my couch or two chairs in a crisp white canvas fabric  (machine washable, of course!)  <----This will probably be just a wish considering my last encounter with slipcovering.  If I had thousands of dollars, I would sell my furniture and buy a grey sofa from West Elm or Crate and Barrel and have some funky leather or upholstered chairs from Dwell Studio or Jonathan Adler.  I love dreaming, don't you?  :)
• Replace rug
• Curtains
• Pillows
• Transform existing coffee table into something else (get rid of glass!!!)
• Hang art
• Hang light by couch
• Paint mirror
• Possibly build a small shelf directly behind and level with the couch

And this is where I am at right now.  Sorry for such bad photos!!!

As you can see, I've got some work to do.  :)

*The kitchen is almost done, so you haven't missed out on that yet.  There's been more waiting than doing on our part, so technically, it should not have taken a year to remodel it.  Sorry about that!

kleinformat || magazine feature!

I was beyond thrilled when Dolores, editor and founder of kleinformat, contacted me last summer to be included in her adorable magazine, which is designed for creative parents in Austria and surrounding countries.  The aesthetic and features could not be any more up my alley. kleinformat is such a beautiful magazine, and this issue was filled with such great eye candy.

I always like finding new blogs for inspiration, so here are the others who were featured in this issue (use Google translate to read their blogs):

http://tusindfryd-blog.blogspot.com/
http://everythingalice.co.uk/
http://annamariahorner.blogspot.com/
http://guusjes-appeltaart.blogspot.com/


Thank you Dolores for including me in a beautiful round-up.  I couldn't be any more happy!

Goals for 2013

Every year I write out goals but that is as far as I get.  I want to say that this year will be different, and I hope it will be.  To make my goals achievable, I kept them simple and didn't make a long list.   I made sure to choose goals that would make a difference in my life this year but also didn't seem overwhelming or not enjoyable.

Personal Goals
____________________________

• Perform more service to those around me.  I know I am my happiest when I am sincerely serving someone, even if it is out of my comfort zone.
• In general, be nicer.   I feel like I'm already a nice person.  I know it can sometimes come across otherwise on the blog (not that I'm a down right jerk on the blog), but I have a weird sense of humor that's sometimes mixed with sarcasm.  So that can mislead people, but I really am nice in person.  Pinky promise.  I feel we need more sincere, kind people in this world, and I want to contribute to that.
• Wear lipstick this year.  Weird, I know.

Family Goals

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• Actually have FHE (Family Home Evening) at least once this year.  Just once and I will feel great.  More than once and I'll feel like mother of the year.
• Send out Christmas cards this year.  Out of the 5 years we've been married, we have never sent one out.
• Send out birthday cards this year.  We're the most awful people when it comes to this.  Why?????
• Date more  (my husband people)

Home Goals

____________________________

• Makeover my master bedroom into a space I love and want to sleep in
• Makeover the living room

Sewing Goals

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• Participate in one online sewing group.  I have never this before, and I think this will create a great opportunity to meet new people and gain new skills.
• Make quilts for my two other sisters.  I finished my sister's quilt last year, and she loves it!  That made me happy.
• Challenge myself more and step out of my comfort zone.  

Blog Goals

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• Focus on quality, not quantity.  This is why sometimes I won't post for a few days or even a week.  I have 132 (!!!!) drafts written up, but that doesn't mean I should publish them.  It's time to clean this blog up and really focus on what is important to me.
• Move over to my own domain???
• Change up the blog a little to make everything more accessible and have a cleaner look.

I also included business goals, but those are more personal.

I think I did a good job keeping my goals attainable and short.   2012 was a good year for me.  I experienced blog growth, purchased a newer sewing machine, started my business,  stepped out of my comfort zone a few times, avoided any serious illnesses,  and learned more about myself.   I'm looking forward to what 2013 will bring.  Hopefully, there will more peaks than valleys.  :)

What about you?  Do you like to make goals?  Do you follow through each year?

cross quilt finish || #4

I feel like I am on a roll here, but really, I'm slowing down.  #4 is finally bound and ready to go to a loving home.  This quilt is my favorite so far.  I love graphics.  I love a Scandinavian feel.   It's also a very cozy quilt, which I got to experience when I hand stitched the binding.   I'm happy to have this one done, and I see many more cross quilts in the future.  It's just a beautiful design with many options.  The quilt is in my shop, and ready to be shipped.

Quilt also blogged here.

Stats:

46" x 51"

Kona Black and Snow
Hand stitched binding with Timeless Treasure Stripes
Backed in Chicopee
Cotton batting
Quilted with Aurifil 50 wt in white and Gutermann cotton in black
Washed and ready to use.

It was an early morning shoot that called for a little fun afterwards . . .