And the winner is...

photo source

The winner of the Giveaway is Julie from Jam's Corner! (Julie, please email me your info on where to ship the darling button art). Thanks to all who entered the mini giveaway. It was a first for this growing blog of mine, and hopefully not the last! If you have any suggestions for future giveaways, I would love to hear your thoughts (ie. entries, reminders, what you would enter for - Handmade items like the things you see on PPP? Treasures thrifted? Add space? Upcycled home decor? Spill, please.)
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Brass sheet jewelry display.

When getting some wood at Home Depot the other day, I saw these metal sheets that are used in cabinets and screen doors. The brass is super pretty and I really liked the cut outs in the sheets. The cut outs are the perfect size for clasps and hooks to slip through if used to display necklaces and earrings. I already have a jewelry box (HERE) that I repurposed out of an old medicine cabinet that holds bangles and chunky pieces, but a few of my long dangly necklaces and earrings still needed a place where they could easily be accessed when accessorizing. I decided to purchase a brass sheet and see what I could come up with!                                        

My first thought was to frame the brass sheet with a wood and then paint it teal or red. Because I wanted to have my jewelry in the bedroom, and wall space and dresser tops are pretty full and designed how I like it, I opted to hand the long metal sheet behind the door. I used a belt made of fabric (with a poppy print) to hang it! All I did was weave it through the cuts outs and then fasten the belt. I could have also used ribbon, but I loved the look of the belt (and I rarely wear it, so it works!) Next was the fun part of going through my jewelry. Once the necklaces and earrings were in place, I added the newly made jewelry hanger to the hat hook on the back of our bedroom door. 

And there you have it, a diy jewelry hanger with Home Depot roots! 

Guest Post: Create a Beautiful Nursery on a Budget.

[photo source]

Katie over at Moore from Katie has put together some great ideas and tips for creating your perfect nursery. "Baby DIY" has not appeared much  on Pearls Poppies Pinkies Up (once possibly?), so I hope this can get some momentum going for child-loved projects and posts related to little ones! What not a better place to start than the Nursery!

In her words:

“I’m pregnant. In nine short months I will have a little bundle of joy! What needs to be done? Where do I start?” This, well something like this, was my train of thought when I found out I was pregnant. With all the options that require an educated decision, like umbilical cord blood banking, circumcision (if you have a boy), or whether or not to hire a doula, the nine months of pregnancy can end up being more stressful than not. For me, I found however that there was no better way to remind myself how exciting pregnancy is than decorating my baby's nursery.

Somehow, nothing seems real until the crib is in place, the artwork is on the walls, and the changing table is stocked with diapers and lotions. Unfortunately, retailers know that parents-to-be will spend a lot of money to outfit their baby's room. Even a simple mobile can cost a pretty penny. That's where your DIY nature comes in. With a little creativity and very little money, your nursery can be the envy of all the expecting moms. Here are some tips I found useful to get you started.

1. Repurpose! You don't have to drop a ton of money on a changing table. Find a used dresser and fix it up. Remove the drawer pulls. Choose a paint color for the body of the dresser and one for the drawers. I use low-VOC, eggshell finish paint, but choose whatever color fits the theme you’re going with. Find some darling drawer pulls at your local home improvement or craft store and attach them to the drawers, toss a changing pad on top and voila! You have an adorable, one-of-a-kind changing table. For extra safety, I recommend using a heavy-duty staple gun to attach a safety strap or some type of walls along the edges.


2. Rock it! Rocking chairs can be enormously expensive. Scour the thrift stores in your area or check Craigslist for a used rocker. Paint it to match the nursery. You can purchase a stencil and some stencil paint from your local craft store and decorate the chair to your liking. Buy or sew a cushion for the seat!

3. Go mobile! Cut a 1-inch wooden dowel to the desired width and drill a vertical hole through each end and at intervals along the length of the dowel. Insert the ends of a 24-inch piece of string or wire through the end holes for the hanging apparatus. For the mobile itself, sew or thread pieces of string to lightweight stuffed animals, fabric flowers, painted wooden cutouts, stuffed felt circles or any other safe objects. String these through the remaining holes at different lengths. {DIY mobile ideas via Pinterest HERE}

4. Hang ten! Purchase or repurpose ten equal-sized, or odd shape frames and paint them to your liking. Insert artwork. Try some black-and-white family photos, some cute postcards or greeting cards, or make your own artwork with stencils, stickers or using your own artistic abilities. Perhaps you have some artwork stored away that you made as a child. Hang the pictures on a long wall in two rows of five, one above the other, or hang them in a collage like pattern to create a different effect.


5. Set the mood! Lighting is everything in the nursery. You don't want overhead lights glaring at you during a middle-of-the-night feeding. Find a lamp at your local thrift store and use enamel spray paint to update the base if you wish. Cover the lampshade in cheerful fabric using fabric glue and attach fringe or tassels to the bottom of the shade.


6. Store it! You can never have too much storage in the nursery. Buy some plain, heavy cardboard stacking boxes at your local craft store and paint them with stencils or cover them in pretty fabric. Glue labels to the front and place them strategically around the nursery so you're never scrambling for an extra pacifier or burp cloth.


Simple tips like this helped me create a nursery that was my own, and that I didn’t have to fork out a lot of money for. Now, my baby and I can share new memories in her nursery together!

Katie Moore is the lovely author of this guest post. She is an active blogger living in North Carolina with her husband and little girl, Lily. Katie is passionate on the topics of pregnancy and pregnancy awareness, and all other things Mommy. She enjoys writing, blogging, and meeting new people! To connect with Katie contact her via her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter, @moorekm26. 

Repurposed denim: Bleached ombré effect.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love denim. Cleaning out shoes, shirts, knick knacks, pantry items, bathroom things; Easy. But a pair of well fitting jeans that are hard to come by are equally hard to get rid of. Even on their last leg, with holes, faded knees, grass stains, I keep them (A conclusion you would come to on your own if you only saw the top shelf in my closet). To challenge myself in this area, I've decided to repurpose those jeans that are well loved. I can openly admit, that an armful of those jeans in the closet stack are barely worn because they are so old; use it or lose it right? Exactly. Hence, the wonderful world of repurposing! My first denim experiment, a bleaching process for a faded effect!

You will need: Jeans or jean shorts, scissors, bucket, bleach, distilled WHITE vinegar (NOT regular vinegar), water, shorts hanger.

My old jeans: Worn in knees and too short. (Originally from the Gap. I still like how they fit around my hips and legs, so I knew they would still be flattering as shorts).

Cut the jeans to length. I cut mine long with plans to hem and roll them up. Remember, that unless a seam is sewn, the cut offs will continue to fray after each wash and dry. Adding a simple seam will keep them the desired length and from fraying to their ultimate shorty short's fate.

Soak the shorts in 2 parts water to 1 part bleach. Soak for 5-30 minutes depending on the bleached effect you want. I soaked mine for 30 minutes and left the waste band out of the bleach solution to keep the true denim blue at the top of the shorts. (It created a neat ombré effect! You could make a more drastic ombré effect by first soaking a majority of the denim and every few minutes or so lifting the denim out of the bleach solution. This will make the waistband a darker shade with the bottom of the shorts completely bleached.) Next, dip your shorts into 2 parts water to 1 part white vinegar. This stops the bleaching process. Let dry and then wash on cold/cold and run them through the dryer. (If you bleach your shorts completely, you could even soak them in dye to make colored shorts. I plan on doing this for my next pair! I have RIT yellow and orange dye at the ready. Wouldn't yellow ombré shorts be adorable?)

The beauty of this bleaching process is that you can do it to any denim piece! I have a denim dress from Target circa 2007 that I may try this on. A little tip, if you repurpose old jeans for this project, save the scrap denim, bleach it as well, and do some sample runs of using RIT dye. This is a perfect way to play around with color shades for a future denim dyeing endeavor. You can also save your scraps to make a denim headband, braided denim belt, a denim rosette, and even more ideas I am sure you crafty readers out there could come up with!

*Don't forget about the Giveaway! Two more days to enter HERE.

A head and a hat.

Home decor items that look like they could have walked right out of the book Water for Elephants or from a large trunk filled with old world travels are always welcome to find their way into my home. This old Phrenology head is one of those items. I honestly have no idea where it came from, as it sat in my dad's office for as long as I can remember. The fun head took a little meandering through a few Christmas dice games (white elephant gift status) until one year I so happily opened it myself during the game, and the head has since been in our home. It has functioned as a book end, office desk decor, and now I've decided it is time to be a hat holder (it really is fitting). I have this 1930s style hat that I found at Nordstrom Rack (for $10!), and it looks just right with the Phrenology head. I just love the text and detailing at the base of the piece. What quirky decor items do you have in your home?

Don't forget about the Giveaway! You can go check it out HERE. And Pearls Poppies Pinkies Up is now on Facebook for you to "like" over HERE. Have a wonderful day!

Guest Post: A bit of lace, a tank turned maxi, and doily details.

If you've been out and about this summer, you have probably noticed the maxi dress, lace, and jean being at the top of the fashion trend. I bring you a post with all three of these, all repurposed, and all completely doable (even for the basic seamstress!). My very best childhood friend Miranda has the most wonderful mom, who basically has so many talents when it comes to DIY (sewing and embroidery are her forté for sure). My personal experience with Nancy's sewing ranges from the sequined mermaid costume I wore as a preschooler to the hand handsewn lace garter I wore on my wedding day. The woman has skills. And I think it would be fair to say that any girl that loves fashion would be extremely blessed to have a mom who could look at a shirt/dress/shorts and an hour later whip up a new rendition on the old clothing item. Yes, Miranda, you are blessed! When Miranda sent me these photos of Nancy's repurposing, she commented that these are fun and easy ideas for the person like her that is trying to save and be ever so frugal (despite the temptation to spend on trends)! 

Worn in jean shorts and some lace: 

Feminine detail just perfect for summer.

{Shorts like these have been seen in stores for up to $80!}

Concert tee and vintage table doily: 

Cut and sewn into an airy Boho top. 

Three yards of fabric and a ribbed tank: 

Made in an hour maxi dress.

{Cut the tank in half, wrap the fabric around your empire waist to measure your size, sew the skirt, sew skirt to tank, and voila!}

Beautiful girl, beautiful clothes!

About Nancy, the woman behind the threads:  "I have been sewing since JR. high school. I used to go to Clarkdale {Arizona} in the summer growing up and stay with both sets of grandparents. I was around both my grandmothers who would sew all the time. My Dad's Mom made barbie clothes for me and my Mom's Mom taught me to embroider. They both sewed on Singer treadle sewing machines. Back then they had Home Ec in school. I love to make things, but have never made my own patterns, that  might be something I could try." 

A Giveaway!

Pearls Poppies Pinkies Up is having a giveaway!

This week you have the chance to add a fun little piece of button art to your home with this {mini} giveaway! I posted about button and yarn {diy} art here a few weeks ago. To continue with the love for buttons and to celebrate two months of being a blog (with visitors from all over the map stopping in), this giveaway is both a thank you to readers like you who have a love for old meets new, repurposing, thrifting, diy, and affordable lovely in the home as well as a fun way for one of you to get a hand me down piece of crafted art! This darling button art is made with neutral toned buttons stitched on a tan fabric, with a vintage looking frame that is a bit worn around the edges. The words "Love" stitched across the heart of buttons is a reminder of just that, to Love often. Who made this art is unknown, but the piece has been in my home for the past year after I found it at a fun little shop in Southern California. Now its time for this handmade piece to brighten someone else's home. Here is how you can enter the giveaway (choose one of the options in bold for entry):

-- Like Pearls Poppies Pinkies Up on Facebook {here}, and/or share about the giveaway by linking up via your blog or FB, and comment below saying that you did so (required).

-- Become a follower of Pearls Poppies Pinkies Up via Google Friend Connect (or Bloglovin'), and comment below saying that you did so (required).

--And one last thing if you enter(optional), that you leave a link to your blog if you have one, along with a note of how you came across Pearls Poppies Pinkies Up.

I will be picking at complete random the lucky person who gets this darling framed button art in one week from this posting. You have until July 30th to enter. Check back on July 31st when I will announce the lucky person (and so that I can get your contact info if you win)! Thanks for being a part of the giveaway! 

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The quiet of a morning.

This morning I have been organizing for the week ahead, brainstorming upcoming PPP posts, and multitasking home to-do's after a weekend in Kansas. It has been a nice relaxing morning, quite opposite the full week past and full week ahead. Taking time to enjoy the morning and sit in quiet between chores and writing gives me time to let ideas flow yet also reflect on the state of my heart. I know it has been widely broadcast, but I just wanted to extend my thoughts and prayers to the families in Aurora. Aurora is just minutes away from our home in North East Denver, with the tragedy affecting neighbors in our own community. This morning it is difficult to just hop on and write about projects and thrifty home design because my still heart weighs heavy for this city and those people who I do not know, yet feel connected to because of our common hometown. One thought has been on how to give back and encourage---if any of you bloggers/readers are also thinking about this/have ideas, do share!

On a lighter note, I hope you are enjoying your Monday, and know that I am thankful for you!

Kansas and my personal blog.

Out in Kansas
Trigger, Bud, and Blue (who obviously, had something to laugh about)

We so enjoyed a few days out of the city and in Kansas country. We celebrated the newest married couple in the family, soaked up some 107 degree heat, off roaded in the pasture looking' for cattle, had some midwestern cookin', and enjoyed the small town atmosphere that was Prairie View (And got stuck on using " n' " rather than " ing "... I'll give myself a day to adjust). It also made me smile to find out Pearls Poppies Pinkies Up has a few Kansas fans! So exciting, and a shout out to those of you in the Sunflower State! 

Also, on a more blog business note. To those who enjoy my personal blog (more of a bookmarking of life adventures): To keep Pearl Poppies Pinkies Up a little more streamline, I'll be posting the longer adventures over at my personal blog "The Tiens", keeping this blog mainly focused on design, thriftining, diy, projects, home decor, guest posts, treasuries and the likes. For more tidbits on the daily life adventures of Matt, myself, and our pound pup, hop on over here and add us as a blog you follow!

Dreaming of {functional & affordable yet design-y} garage interiors.

Does anyone else get goosebumps when they walk into a garage that is neater than their house? It is the rarity, but an organized garage that meets Martha Stuart standards can be done. It may not always look pristine, because lets be honest, life is messy, but just some simple additions can really transform a space. One common thread is vertical storage, hooks, and labeled containers. For some people, their garage is a work space, so having an area that is charming and inviting, with things in their place, makes work and projects that much more efficient (and you can spend more time on the actual project rather than digging around for materials). Matt and I are lucky this time around, because not only does moving into a new place mean a new chance to purge and reorganize (done and done), but moving into a new place with a brand new garage means starting from scratch in the design department. The wood still smells freshly cut, its that new. Up until now, and most likely forever, the garage is Matt's space....but a girl can still dream about design elements, right? Honestly, having a handy man engineer for a husband is a dream, and one that is on the neat side of the spectrum to boot. I should really thank his mom again for that (Thanks, Jayne!) You should see our garage progress so far (You will see it eventually, its in the works. For now, see some early garage construction here and here). That man has a hidden talent for garage organization. Hallelujah. I may just enter in to add some labels and organize my own area of diy/paint/misc storage. So back to that dreaming about beautiful yet functional garage bit (even without built in cabinets).

Martha Stuart Living
Vertical and mint green

Tip Junkie
Peg wall gardening station

BHG
White bright and labeled. 

Martha Stuart Living
Tool tracing and mason jar storage

BHG
Potting space with cleaning storage

Goodhousekeeping.com
Traditional and functional (This could be my grandparents garage)

For specific photo credits and more ideas meander over here.

And here is a * gold star if you actually have a garage that looks like any of the above! You could teach a thing or two about donating the unneeded and organizing like a pro. Any tips out there for garage design from you readers? What has been super helpful and something you would suggest for a soon to be "use the garage as a catch all work space in the dead of winter" girl? 

Fan{cy} metal spins right round.

Because of the heat, my recent thoughts have been on early morning cool, greek yogurt popsicles, swimming, and fans. Vintage fans to be exact. I may be head over heels for blades, metal, and a hint of rust...

Photo source 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

...or possibly smitten for glossy retro and a pop of color. How wonderful is that yellow? (A great place to find vintage fans are flea markets. But, if you do not want to get dirty, and you have some extra allowance, Etsy has some great finds, like the robins egg Lasko fan here and pictured above).

 photo source 1 / 2

There is a  retro fan in brushed nickel online at, wait for it, Wal Mart (I know what you are thinking, how can this be? But, it's true. So if you are in the market and want a brand new fan with that old look to it, this may be the fan for you). I think I will wait for that vintage fan a little longer. And once I find it, it will sit on out tall dresser (like above) and point directly at our bed. Yes, please. The price has to be right for me, but it is tempting to splurge and have cool nights in our room sooner than later. What does the summer heat make you go a little crazy for?

Inspired by Crafternoon Delight's racerback tank {a DIY}.

This project I orginally came across at Crafternoon Delight. This is such a quick way to transform that large baggy t-shirt that you have been stuffing away in the bottom drawer of your dresser. This is also the perfect project for those men's t-shirts you come across at Goodwill and secretly wish you could wear, but then sadly realize you would look like you are wearing a sleep shirt. I found one of those very large men's shirts at Goodwill for 99 cents last week. It is worn-in-soft with baby blue stripes, and possibly is from the 80's. When I saw Teal's project at CD, I knew I had to make my own racerback tank. Here is my attempt, with a few glitches (But, hey, that is part of learning during a first try at many projects. For detailed instructions, hop on over to craftd.blogspot.com ).

Gather your materials and find a flat surface to work on.

Cut 1-2 inches off the bottom. Set aside for later.

Cut the sleeves off.

Cut the crew neck off. Flip your shirt over. Cut more of a V-shape for the racer back. Cut a bit more around the sides to create a tapered tank back.

Gather your set aside material that you cut off.

Wrap the extra stringy fabric around the back straps to get a racerback look.

Striped racerback tank. I like how it drapes.

I played around with the front neckline a bit. It is not quite how I want it yet. It looks cowly and more of a boat neck. See what I mean in the photo? I took extra stringy fabric from the cut off parts to wrap around the tank straps and make thinner. I am no seamstress and I don't want to just cut, botch it, and regret my scissor moves. Any tips for the front neckline?