by @according2kelly on January 15, 2008
i love all things travel related… mini suitcases, vintage luggage labels, old travel postcards & posters
. (i think you get the idea.) but most of all, i love maps. big or small, flat or round, i love them all. so it’s no surprise to me, that while watching one of my favorite guilty pleasures, the wall map totally caught my eye. (click on the picture to enlarge it.) i’ve always loved the idea of having a huge wall map… either in the kid’s room or perhaps in a game room or office. i’ve toyed with the idea of “sticking pins” in the places we’ve visited, but this idea is so much better. instead of your basic push pin, they’ve used postcards & pictures to signify special locations. i loved it when the little boy was asked “do you remember where england is?” & he replied “it’s the one with the big clock”. i seriously LOVE this idea, it goes way behind your basic geography lesson. i found a similar map HERE, unfortunately they are all sold out, although i did spy a few on ebay. obviously there are probably hundreds of map options out there, but i kinda like THIS one, THIS one, or THIS one. oh, & THIS one too.
by @according2kelly on December 21, 2007
why not whip up this festive one… the bonus, you (or the kids) can eat it when the holidays are over! for the super easy directions go HERE.
by @according2kelly on December 11, 2007
so i have all these pictures of the kids with santa, from years past. (mostly because ana brandt does these incredible santa sessions every year!) anyway, i was tired of having all the photos pile up in the drawer & i decided i definitely needed to do something with them. at halloween, i just displayed all the old halloween-ey pictures on a magnet board in my kitchen… boring! so this time around i knew i wanted to do something a bit more decorative with them. that’s when i remembered that my cousins whit & abby had just mod podged some cute frames. perfect! so i ran down to the craft store (actually, i pretty much make daily trips, so it wasn’t much of an imposition), bought some frames, scrapbook paper, wood stain, & mod podge and i was set. i followed the directions on the jar & ended up with a whole slew of frames. i had a lot of fun slopping glue & roughing them up to make them more “vintage” looking. here are some of my favorites… (click on the picture to enlarge)
by @according2kelly on December 6, 2007
i would love to have THIS precious little print hanging on her wall. however, if she’s a “pink princess”, which i suspect she will be, simply because i’m not, then THIS one might be a better choice. & if we lived somewhere “chilly”, i’d probably hang THIS one as well. (but when you live in sunny california, it just seems silly to have a picture of snow on your wall. but, i guess i could always send out the cards.) don’t you just love what you can find on etsy?
by @according2kelly on November 26, 2007
and all through the house
all the creatures were stirring,
especially the mouse;
the stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
in hopes that st. nicholas soon would be there;
if i were reading this aloud, ala book on tape, right now you would hear a loud “rewind effect”, before i re-read “the stockings were hung by the chimney with care” because that’s where i’m getting stuck, while trying to transform my home into a winter wonderland… for years i have had what you might call a “vision.” i really want knit or crocheted stockings, you know, the ones that look like long socks. i LOVE the ones at sundance & the ones at pottery barn kids are pretty cute as well, but i don’t think i can justify the price tag. i’ve been googling & etsying and no luck! silly me, i figured i’d find them all over the place! but they are either too cutesy for my taste, too small, or just don’t even look like stockings (the measurements are all wrong). this is when i wish i was better at crocheting or knitting, then i could whip these babies out in a jiffy!
by @according2kelly on November 12, 2007
or maybe your just looking for a change. either way, maybe one of these ideas will inspire you & get your creative juices flowing…
you don’t need museum-worthy pieces to create an arresting composition…. remnants of four graphic fabrics add drama when placed in metal frames & hung in a grid pattern. extending nearly the full width of the room, the pieces act like wallpaper. when choosing fabrics, stick to bold over scale patterns, as small florals will lose presence when viewed from afar.
as you read, the magazine (which one it was, i can’t remember) suggested fabric, but this same look could easily be accomplished with scrapbook (or even wrapping paper) as well. imagine the possibilities! this would be perfect for bedroom (maybe mine?), or what about a craft studio?! already i have possibilities twirling in my head! but, if your looking for something that screams “classy”check out this next idea (be sure to click on the picture & enlarge it, this shot just doesn’t do it justice!) :
a painting isn’t the only work worthy of being centered above a mantel. a family tree becomes an artistic installation when its names, dates & birth places are exhibited in flowing calligraphy on card stock with a mat border. the family name is written in light ink on dark paper, while the revers is true for the surrounding “branches” of the genealogy chart. uniform frames with an antique finish add harmony to the display.
could be a beautiful addition to any room. but i really envision this “art” hanging near some silhouettes… like the ones mique is always talking about, over at nienie’s house.
by @according2kelly on October 15, 2007
to be honest (and you might be surprised), i’m not to fond of the holiday decorating. (actually let me re-state, i like christmas decor, but i’ve never been very good at decorating for the “other” holidays.) but, i have a two year who LOVES pumpkins &
everything else associated with halloween, so i find myself going a little overboard. yet, i’ve put my foot down about carving pumpkins. i don’t know why, i just don’t like it. they are all slimy & gooey, i don’t like pumpkin seeds & they always end up wilting right before the big day. so, i usually just pile up a load of pumpkins on the porch & call it a day. but i came across this idea in the martha stewart halloween issue… instead of carving or painting the pumpkins, save yourself a headache & slap on mask. suddenly your plain jane pumpkin can be a pirate, skeleton, or a simple masked avenger. then, when halloween is over, take off the mask & you have instant thanksgiving decor! fabulous!
by @according2kelly on October 11, 2007
fillet of a fenny snake,
in the caldron boil & bake;
eye of newt, & toe of frog,
wool of bat, & tongue of dog,
adder’s fork, & blind-worm’s sting,
lizard’s leg, &owlet’s wing,—
for a charm of powerful trouble,
like a hell-broth boil & bubble.
double, double toil & trouble;
fire burn, & caldron bubble.
unlike the witches in macbeth, this witch’s brew isn’t made of toads and lizards. instead, i used spray foam insulation that i picked up at my local home improvement store.
after it was dry & hard i painted it green & hot glued on some toy eye balls, spiders & skulls… care to have a taste?
by @according2kelly on October 8, 2007
we spent the weekend crafting paper pumpkins. once again
my inspiration came from paper source (i don’t think i’m able capable of original ideas, they are all taken!)… they were selling these cute pumpkin place card kits. but at 12 bucks a pop, i decided i was better off figuring it out on my own.
they were pretty simple to make after i got my supplies: pumpkin-ey colored paper, a small hole punch, floral wire & fake leaves (i found everything at michaels). all i did was cut the paper into 1-inch strips. then i proceeded to punch a hole at both ends of the strips. i stacked the strips on top of one another, creating a small pile of strips. next, i fed the wire through the bottom hole of every strip & then the top hole as well. you then kinda push down on the top of the papers & fan them out like a pumpkin. once you have your desired shape coil the ends of the wire so that your holes won’t slip off & add a leaf or two.
okay, so it might sound a little complicated, but it really isn’t. once you start making them, it will totally make sense & come together quickly. if you get stuck or are confused, just shoot me an email & i’ll do my darnedest to explain it better!
by @according2kelly on October 2, 2007
that’s all that was required to complete this festive skull garland. we’re on a bit of a yo ho kick. (that’s gavin speak for pirate, if you hadn’t already figured it out.) so when i came across THIS kit at paper source i knew it would be an absolute necessity for our halloween decorations… now go make your own!
. (i think you get the idea.) but most of all, i love maps. big or small, flat or round, i love them all. so it’s no surprise to me, that while watching one of my favorite guilty pleasures, the wall map totally caught my eye. (click on the picture to enlarge it.) i’ve always loved the idea of having a huge wall map… either in the kid’s room or perhaps in a game room or office. i’ve toyed with the idea of “sticking pins” in the places we’ve visited, but this idea is so much better. instead of your basic push pin, they’ve used postcards & pictures to signify special locations. i loved it when the little boy was asked “do you remember where england is?” & he replied “it’s the one with the big clock”. i seriously LOVE this idea, it goes way behind your basic geography lesson. i found a similar map HERE, unfortunately they are all sold out, although i did spy a few on ebay. obviously there are probably hundreds of map options out there, but i kinda like THIS one, THIS one, or THIS one. oh, & THIS one too.
