Great Ideas!

How have you been?!  We are STILL working on that silly house.  Trying to get it ready to sale.  Getting closer and closer though.  We were very optimistic that we would not have to replace any carpet but…..looks like we’re going to have to.  Oh well……

In the meantime…..I received my new Ballard Catalog in the mail yesterday!  A fun distraction from all of the work!  I am loving lots of things they’re showing this go round.  And saw some fab. DIY ideas!

Such as these pretty drapery panels.

Theirs are burlap with a gorgeous white crewel embroidery design and are lined.  They’re also pricey.  Starting at $179.00 per panel.  But…..how easy would it be to make your own for a fraction of the price!   Burlap is cheap cheap at around $3.00 a yard.  Then purchase a medallion stencil and paint your design on.  Line if you wish and you have a beautiful panel.  Since I am soooo into turquoise, I could also see this pattern in a robins egg blue.  YUMMY!

I LOVED LOVED this dining table!

The top is zinc.  Which I have been in love with for awhile.  Theirs is $800.00!  YIKES!  I think you could make one for a fraction of the price.  The legs look a lot like fence posts and the rest of the design is very clean lined and simple.  A little white paint and distressing, buy a sheet of zinc and form over  a plywood top and….. voila!

In Ballard’s new catalog, they show the table above with these fab. wicker chairs.

The texture of that table with the wicker…..to die for!  Okay, so you can’t knock these off, but maybe with all of the money you would be saving on the table……

They are however, $299.00 each.  Plus shipping.  I do so adore them though!

I also saw this plaque.  Another easy peasy DIY idea!

If you can’t find a round tray, old cabinet doors are perfect for recreating distressed signs.

  Just a few thoughts. 

Heather and I always have these crazy DIY ideas swirling through our heads.  Which does NOT mean that they ever get done!  

Have a happy week!

Denise

Wee Gardens

Heather and I have been enjoying ourselves with Pinterest.  Have you tried it?  It’s addictive, I have to admit.  And a great place to basically archive photos and ideas that you love. 

Which is where I found wonderful photos of these tiny gardens.   A tiny fairy garden is something that I have wanted to create for years.  Thank goodness I didn’t choose this year to finally make my wish come true.  The heat would have surely fried everything!

Just collecting the tiny furnishings and goodies looks like so much fun.

Many of the gardens are planted in larger containers.

I have visions of actually planting an entire garden.  Complete with paths where you can wander and find something wonderful and amazing around the next corner.

Maybe next year!

You can find all of the above photos and other great info. for creating your own garden HERE.

Denise

Cowboy Up!

We LOOVE our little boys!  Oh yes we do!  But lets face it, the little stinks are difficult to decorate for.  There just isn’t a lot of cute “boy stuff” out there.   Heather and I have been brain storming, trying to come up with some cute ideas.  ……….not easy………….. 

But our buddy, baby K.K. says……….

“I want a cool bedroom too!”

Couldn’t you just kiss that sweet little face silly!?

Anywho…….not long ago, Heather found the cutest vintage dresser with a wagon wheel carved in the bottom.  Remember that old furniture from the 50’s?  It was crying for one theme and one theme only.  Cowboy!

Lovin’ that bandana print.

Plaid top.

Cow print sides!

Love, love it!

And you wouldn’t have to do a full out Cowboy theme.  You could just put some other plaids or solids with this piece and have a cute cute little boys room with just a touch of whimsy! 

This piece will be available for sale later this week or this weekend at The Rink.

Have a wonderful day.

Denise

I’m Here!

So sorry for the loooong absence!  My computer was broken and gone for repairs for 3 weeks!  During which time I was about to go CRAZY without it!  I didn’t realize how addicted to blogging I really am.  Other than that, Hubby and I have been working HARD at getting my mother’s house ready to put on the market.  I think that we’re about a week away from completion.  Finally!  It’s been tough in this heat, but that is our first priority right now.  It is looking GREAT though.  Everything freshly painted, from the ceiling to the baseboards.  Hopefully, I’ll have pictures of our staging by next week.
In the meantime……..
I thought that you might enjoy one of Heather’s latest projects.
Another little girl’s room.  Girls these days have definite ideas about what they want.  It can be pretty tricky giving them what they are so adamant about while still maintaining some sense of style that will outlast their current interests.  This little girl wanted Barbie everything and pink pink and more pink.
A tour of little Miss Haley’s room……..


Her cute mirror that Heather painted with handmade flowers on the top.

Her sweet twin size bed.  Heather painted the canvas and I made the euro size pillow sham in the back. 

Heather painted the top of the night stand to match the euro pillow fabric!  Yep, she’s that good!  Each drawer is painted different with a different knob.  I have to say, I am in LOVE with that vintage Barbie lamp shade and that cute lamp.

An over view of that side of the room and a cute bulletin board that Heather covered, just waiting for all of those Barbie images that this little girl loves.
I love this room. 
So girly and just what Miss Haley asked for.  Yet it will grow with her as her interests change. 
Another perfect custom one-of-a-kind design job by Heather!  Love love her painted pieces.  No two are alike.

Hopefully I will be back to blogging full time very soon.  I can’t WAIT to see a “For Sale” sign in the front yard of that house!!
Have a beautiful week!
Denise
Joining these fun parties....

Direct links may be found on my bottom left sidebar.

HOOT HOOT

I’m sure you’ve noticed, because that’s what we blogger type girls do, that OWLS are huge right now.  What really got me started thinking about how popular they are, was when a little girl, whom Heather was supposed to be painting an Alice In Wonderland canvas for, changed her mind and decided she wanted an OWL pic. instead.

He’s much cuter in person.  His feathers are even glittered!  and he’s HUGE  about 24x32.  Little girls here want their rooms bright and colorful. 

I searched for owls pillows on Etsy.  Pages and pages came up.  I loved them all, but I have to say I was really taken with this one in particular.

You can find this shop HERE

Owl fabric is everywhere.  this image is from Fabrics.com

This would be cute in a little boys room.

If you want an owl shaped pillow instead……

This little guy made me smile.

Your can find him on Etsy HERE.

And here’s the OWL dresser that Heather painted.  Sooo cute for a little girls or a babies room.

This barely lasted a week at the Rink.

I don’t know where I found this image, but I THINK it’s a lamp shade.  I thought it was pretty clever. 

You can even find the old macramé owls from the 70’s on Etsy if you’re feeling a little vintage!  (NOT)

Alas……no kids or babies rooms to decorate here…….(sigh)………this is one trend I’ll have to leave behind.  Which is really too bad, because I love the little guys!

Have a wonderful week!

Denise

New posts at Sugar Moon Girls!

New lamp shade tutorial post is up at Sugar Moon Girls!  AND in honor of Vanessa’s Mad Tea Party, I am revisiting T-man’s great Mad Hatter costume.

Meanwhile………here at Bella Dreams………

Look what I found!!

WOW!!!  I sure hope there’s some Maple Glazed in my crop!  They’re my absolute FAVS.!!

HA!!  

Cute image found HERE

Have a fun fun weekend!  It’s hotter than you-know-where here!

Denise

New drop cloth slips!

I came to a compromise on the sofa situation. 

I ended up making the ottoman slip cover.  The two seat cushions.  And the two back cushions.  I have one more back cushion to make so I pulled the toile pillow off of my bed for now.  I am slipped OUT!  The rest of the sofa is  a store bought slipcover.  I’ll tell you what, you get what you pay for.  I paid $50.00 for the slipcover on OverStock, and pretty much got what I paid for.  It’s a piece of junk!  Thus the linen throw on the left corner.  To kind of disguise as much of it as I can.  I suppose I’ll eventually finish the entire slipcover in drop cloth. Sigh……  Any delusion I had about making slipcovers for other people, definitely ended with this project.  A LOT of work…….

 

I also bought a new lamp shade for my floor lamp.

And found a new lamp for the top of my chest.  the color of which is a lot prettier than it looks here.

Other past drop cloth projects……..

My chair and ottoman

 

Guest room bench

And my dining chairs.

Yes!  I DO love me some drop cloth fabric. 

Have a wonderful week!

Denise