Colorblocked Wooden Baubles.

On my outing to Goodwill this past Saturday, everything was 50 percent off! So coming across a strand of seven wooden napkin rings for $1.50, hands down no questions about it, they needed to come home with me. Just look at the neat geometric shape to add to the already super great price of these wood bits! When I put an instagram photo of these wooden rings up, the question I asked was "Chunky necklace or color blocked napkin rings?" My friend Natalie replied, "Both!" Perfect, right? Create a colorblocked necklace that can easily be untied and used as a table setting accessory.

Statement piece jewelry is everywhere right now. The bib necklace and other bits and baubles are something I have been noticing all over Denver {and Fashion magazines}. I think they are such a great accessory, yet so many of them can be costly. Now, I know it is not the norm to come across wooden napkin rings at every thriftstore out there, but any type of wooden bit with a hole in the middle can be used for this project. Check out your local craft store, or keep on the hunt at flea markets, Ross, HomeGoods, garage sales, etc. 

Making your Colorblocked Bauble: 

Gather your wood pieces, paint, yarn or string, and something to hang your wooden rings on to dry. For drying, I used a pencil set across two jars {The pencil being where I hung the wooden rings, and the jars as an anchor on either side-- creating a little trapeze looking contraption. It kept my painted wood from setting on anything, allowing them to dry properly}1. Dip your wood piece half way into your paint. I used BEHR's sample size of cobalt blue. It is a matte finish, which is what I wanted {and what I had in my paint bin}. You could also use multiple paint colors to achieve a different look. 2. After dipping your wood piece, hold it over the paint to allow excess drips to go back into your paint can. You can also utilize a flat paintbrush to wipe off paint if the coat is too thick. 3. Hang your half painted wood piece on your pencil trapeze drying contraption {or by other means} so as not to set the paint on any surface while it is drying. 4. Repeat steps 1-3 for each wood ring. 5. Allow to dry fully for one to two hours. Maybe more because the dipping process creates a thick layer of paint {I left mine to dry over night} 6. Cut your yarn to length, giving extra slack to play around with once you have the baubles around your neck {I like to have options for long, medium, and short, how about you?}. 7. String your colorblocked wooden baubles onto your yarn. You can really be creative with this. Use ribbon or even a long chain repurposed from another necklace. Make it completely your creation. It is truly up to you! 8. Add your necklace to your outfit of the day, and get ready to wear your statement piece about town! {And, if you somehow aren't agreeing with your necklace. Take it off, pop some napkins in your baubles, and throw a dinner party! Your guests are sure to notice your statement colorblocked accessories }

Repurposing Dinnerware {over at Darling Magazine}

Today at Darling Magazine I'm sharing how you can repurpose dinnerware with a bit of creativity and your handy Sharpie. A version of this project can be found in a past posting, 'Sharpie Patterns and New Summertime Mugs'. Meander over to Darling where you can read my article in full and be inspired by the articles from many other Darling contributors-- over here.

Behind the Scenes and Messy.

I have been down right under the weather. As much as being home would normally mean DIY and productivity, the last three days have been stark opposite. My weekend was a blur of catching up on Project Runway, a tangled mess in pillows and blankets, and the ever constant downing of liquids. Thank you to all of you who have sent me wishes to get better! And a special shout out to Dacia for her amazing suggestion of Organic Tea remedies. I thought that maybe today I would have the strength to muster up some painting, at least for 20 minutes. Yeah, no. That's not happening. I was able, however, to muster up the strength to take some photographs of the messy behind the scenes that comes with DIY, thrifting, and well, lack of housekeeping do to a full time work schedule and this recent head cold.

Amy, my good friend from 20minutemom, wrote an encouraging yet humbling post last week. It was on blogging and perfection (You can read it HERE). I could really relate to what Amy said about how we tend to hold a high unrealistic standard for ourselves as bloggers (or even just as women) as we browse and look at what others are doing, what they are writing about, and the projects/stylings they come up with in everyday living. Especially with being under the weather, the standards of making things, designing this and that, and posting about it had to go on the back-burner for PPP this weekend. Normally I get ahead of myself and work on DIY, thrifting, and projects on the weekend to get a head start for the week. I love doing this! Yet I had to ask myself as I sat in frustration, sick, and unable to work on anything this past Saturday and Sunday: Am I keeping it real? Am I frusterated due to my high standard of wanting to achieve perfection? Am I creating an untrue sense of reality for the audience of my blog? Am I comparing myself to others,  and making an idol out of all this?

In reflecting, I had to take a lesson in humility. I am not perfect. And I want to keep it real. So, here's the reality: I am lacking creative brainpower and energy. My house is a mess. My posting thoughts are jumbled. My projects are on hold and piling up. I haven't cooked Matt a good meal in days, maybe weeks. I have found myself falling into the trap of feeling inferior. I ran out of milk and creamer, yet have no willpower to get to the store. But this is all okay. This is where I am at today. All mess, all jumble, all congested, all fatigue. And to keep it even more real, I am still working on the defeating high standards bit. (Hence challenging myself to photograph the unorganized, messy, and not so pretty). I want to continue to challenge myself in regards to what Amy said about holding unrealistic standards for ourselves. As more than just a blogger, I am a friend, a wife, a swimmer, a daughter, a doer, an educator, an artist, an explorer, and a frozen yogurt lover. And I want to challenge myself to give all those parts of me more quality time (which means prioritizing and embracing imperfections, even when it comes to this little blog). Anyways, I hope you feel inspired to meet other's where you are at, to be honest, vulnerable, and to stop comparing yourself just as I have been challenged (even in the little world of blogging) Thanks again to Amy for her inspiring post!

Guest Post: Confessions of a Thrifting Momma

photo source 1/ 2

Thrift store hunts may be a daunting endeavor to some, and an even bigger scare when thinking about thrifting with children in tow. To encourage you to brave the thrift store treasure hunt, my friend Noelle is here to share her experience and attest that it is not the impossible {even as a mom with two little ones}! 

In her words:

Lauren has inspired me so much with this little blog of hers, that I’ve gotten back into my love of frugal treasure hunting, repurposing and handmade gift-making with a renewed passion. I’ve been wanting to jump into the blog world for quite some time since I am a graphic designer and also a mom: (lots of stuff to write about, be inspired by, etc). But alas, life gets the best of me and I’d rather be busy playing with my kids and making things. I have so many projects in my head right now. I can barely think because all I want to do is go cut some fabric and start sewing! It’s literally killing me to sit here, knowing that I have brand-new fabric downstairs waiting for me to start planning with. Anyway, I told Lauren that thrifting with kids was a whole new ballgame and thought that sharing my experience might be fun for others to read about.

Last week I had the itch, so I decided to stop by my local Goodwill (conveniently right next door to our Vons grocery store) before going grocery shopping. At noon. Before feeding the children. Genius idea #1. Then I got sucked into the New Arrivals rack and found tons of brand name, new clothing and decided to try some things on. Genius idea #2. I asked if I could take the kids into the changing room in the cart with me and the clerk said sure (14 year old boy who has no clue), and dangit, they put a flag on the cart so no one will TAKE CARTS in the dressing room. So I took the baby out of the carrier and the 3 yr old out of the cart and entered the dressing room. Genius idea #3. Mind you, it’s about 12:45 at this point and we haven’t eaten or done our grocery shopping yet.....ughhh. I’m getting tired just thinking about that trip! I ripped through the clothes all while yanking my 1 yr old back under the very high doors and making the 3 yr old stand up after peeking at the next door neighbor and asking loudly why someone was in the room next to us, all while constantly apologizing to the neighbors. Tired yet? I sure was!

Despite the craziness of hunting with kids, I managed to come away with a Forever 21 hoodie, a Target tanktop, a Banana Republic sweater top, a comfy new jersey knit dress, a gorgeous lacy blouse, a Lauren Conrad t-shirt, and these BEAUTIFUL gems:

Tray and gold dish were each only 99 cents! EEK! Jar is for my sis-in-law for Christmas, hope she doesn’t read this. But only if I’m willing to give it up!

My favorite aisle is always the kitchen/housewares section. People walk right past these treasures thinking they’re dated or too beat up and completely miss the beauty in them. I’m going to hang the tray on the wall near my kitchen to tie into another piece of artwork with similar colors. I was planning on using the gold dish for rings in the bathroom, but it found a new home as you’ll see below.

Well, the itch wasn’t thoroughly scratched, because the very next day I had already planned a treasure-hunting trip with my good friend Danielle, who also has a love for all things worn, peeling and rusty. We somehow escaped our houses and children for an entire afternoon alone together (thank you hubbies!!) and just went from shop to shop exploring. That’s when I found a huge collection of old Reader’s Digest short story compilations from the 60’s with GORGEOUS covers, full-color interiors and beautiful illustrations. I was in love, and I got 26 books for, wait for it, $3.25!!!! They were marked as 25 cents each and I found them on the 50% off table! 

It made my day, my week, my month!

Some of the beautiful books I picked up for a steal.
I actually only bought 10 and then was so sad about leaving   their friends behind, I headed back (with children) for 16 more and made the store clerk carry them out ha! 

I was so inspired by my finds that I finally had purpose for my drab living room built-in that had been sitting half-empty for 2.5 years since we bought the house and moved in. It has been a thorn in my side forever and I finally had enough treasures to fill all those daunting shelves. Filling shelves is LAST on the priority list when you have 2 small children and are self-employed and working from home. But I did it! It took probably 3 hrs on a Sunday afternoon, but I did it and boy am I proud of myself and can’t stop staring at my creative masterpiece!

Even the sconces were $2 from a garage sale!
The huge rustic U was from Ross for $3 on clearance.

The only letter they had and it’s our last name, booya! 

Disclaimer, the baby was NOT a thrift store purchase! ;)

  Frame: Flea market, $2. 

  Bird: hardware store(?!), $1. 

  Gold dish: thrift store, 99 cents.

  Books: library sale, $5.

 Books: thrift store, 12.5 cents each. 

 Vintage Golden book: thrift store, $1. 

 Glass jars: garage sale, 3 for $1 

 (gave one away and now regretting it, I’m a hoarder) 

 Bird: gift from my mom who knows me :)

  Books: library sale, $7. 

  Potpurri: Big Lots, $2.

I can’t stand throwing away beautiful cards 

so I just decided to tuck this one into an 
empty frame and it perfectly ties in the 

mint color on the book binding, I love it!
Frame: Flea market, $3. 
Letters box: library sale, $5. 
Mirror: Ross, $20 (pricey for me!) 
Book: thrift store, 12.5 cents.
Bird candle holder: gift from my momma again!

I knew something was missing, so I stole an Ikea lamp from my office and added it later in the evening, and it was just what the space needed. Now I sit under it’s warm light while chilling with the hubby and working on new projects after the kiddos are down each night. It was light I desperately needed to be able to see my needle and thread.

I truly hope this post inspires someone else out there who’s feeling frozen by lack of time, resources, etc. because all of these shelves were filled with thrift store, garage sale and Ross finds from over the years. And that’s the biggest part, it took me a few years to feel like I had the right stuff to fill these shelves and finally call this project complete. Or maybe just complete for now. Anyway, it has already inspired me to make new pillows for the couch (hence the fabric taunting me downstairs!) Maybe I’ll send an update when those are done. But with my kiddos, that could be next Spring!

Noelle Uzzi is a wife, momma to two awesome little girls, and designer extraordinaire! She spends most of her days wiping butts and taking names on the Central Coast of California, also known as the Happiest Place in America {according to Oprah}. You can follow her creative work at www.uzzicreative.com.

Hand Painted Towels {Just in Time for Tea}

The tea towel to the English, the dish towel to the Yank. The companion of the freshly washed dish, the linen for the cook, and the fabric to soften a table. Before the tea towel was mass-produced (post Industrial Revolution), and popping up everywhere making its way to every home store near you, this linen was held as something novel. In the 18th century the dish towel was "a special linen drying cloth used by the mistress of the house to dry her precious and expensive china tea things" {source}. Sounds quite pristine doesn't it? I have always had a love for dish towels, and I can distinctly remember the very day that I took notice to this particular linen. I was close to 7 years old, in North Dakota, at a lady's house. She was a relative that knew my mom well, but I was just a little girl, and I don't recall much about this particular day except for the tall set of stairs in this old house, the wooden banister, the warm yellow hues, and the drawer that was opened upstairs. It was filled with vintage hand embroidered tea towels. I had never seen something so delicate and detailed like that. Embroidered deer, kittens, geese, daisies (the obvious details a 7 year old would notice). I remember looking at the few towels that my mom took home with her from North Dakota to California after that day in that old house. I think in some small way, those dish towels are part of the repertoire that made me love pretty details in home design, with bits of vintage flare. 

SO fast forward to now. Just like those hand-made embroidered dish towels, I wanted to make my own hand-made set. I had stumbled upon some flour sack towels on sale at the grocery store, purchased soft matte fabric paint, and set out with my paintbrush. For my first towel, I hand painted the design that is on my favorite pot holder from Anthropologie (a bridal shower gift that I use daily still, almost 4 years later!). It is a really unique design, and I felt up to the challenge. Using the kitchen counter as my painting space, I placed my paint cloth and a hard plastic board under the flour sack cloth (the paint does seap through  just a bit, if the cloth is thin) which I secured with a few pieces of tape (to ensure it would not move while I painted!). The painting process went like this:

I still have yet to wash it, but I know it will turn out fine as fabric paint is washable. I still have three more towels to paint on! I would say this first one was a success. I love the idea of painting a set of two or three towels to give as a gift {or maybe a future Giveaway?}. Hand painted towels can be so personalized and range from intricate to simple. I just love the way they can bring extra life to a kitchen, and for the Brits, tea time! Someone put the kettle on.

Thoughts for Thursday: Bookstore Inspiration.

The Tattered Cover, Denver's Gem of a Bookstore.

If you take a book worm to Denver, she's going to want to find a bookstore. If you take her to a bookstore, she'll walk the aisles for hours until her feet are tired. And if her feet are tired, she's going to want to plop down into a comfy chair. Once she plops in her comfy chair, she'll notice the fabric, the worn in feel, the beauty. She'll be reminded of her love for old and vintage. And when reminded of this, she'll want to find a book filled with pages of things past. And when looking at book with antiques and pickers' treasures, she'll want to bring these into her home. And when she thinks of her home and design, she'll want to read Flea Market Chic. And as she reads this book, in her comfy chair, she'll feel inspired. And when she feels inspired, she feels the sky's the limit. And when the sky's the limit, anything is possible for this book worm girl in Denver.

What inspires you today?

Fabric Chevron Terracotta Pots.

photo credit

West Elm has some pretty fabulous pillow cases. Look at these hand stitched fabric covers. The strips of fabric create a chevron pattern that fits perfectly into the vintage, flea market styled, yet modern home. These pillows were the inspiration for this simple DIY. Using fabric scrap and a terra-cotta pot purchased for $1.34 at the grocery store, I adapted the handmade look with some glue and the steady snip of scissors.

The steps for creating a patchwork chevron pot are fairly simple. To being with, decide on how thick you want your fabric strips. This will determine the amount you place within the vertical space of your pot. Although it may seem best to cut the angled edges of the fabric (laying them out to 'stage' how you glue them) before glueing them on the clay, I found that with the base of the pot more narrow than the top, it is easiest to glue the mid section of the fabric in place and then snip away the material to get that straight line that is created when the edges of the fabric strips meet up. Below is a full cycle of the placing, glueing, snipping process:

Materials: Fabric strips, glue (any craft glue), fabric scissors, terracotta pot, multitasking fingers (los dedos).

The key to the chevron look is having the angle of the fabric placement be cohesive, and to also have the point where the fabric meets up make a very sleek and straight line. The fabric on my pot does not show this as well as the pillow cases photographed above. Once the heat wave is over, I will add some soil and plant life to this little pot. In the meantime, its a catch-all for my belts!

Terracotta pots come in so many sizes and are on the very affordable side of ceramic ware. How "Flea Market meets New Mexico" chic would it be to have a cluster of these in big, medium, and small, with fabric, succulents, and bright colors accenting a patio or outside deck area?