Dollar Store Candle Craft (FAIL!)

You can't win them all my friends - this is my first (shared) craft fail.

My original idea came from this post on Glitter Guide which I found on Pinterest.
Double sided tape + glitter = easy, cute, glittered stuff.

I wanted to make 2 vases for my Christmas dinner table.

First step - collect everything you need from the Dollar Store!

- Vase
- Double sided tape
- Glitter
- Epsom salts

I wanted 2 stripes of red glitter on each vase.  I was paranoid I would tape completely uneven and waste a whole roll of tape, so, I used a stripe of painters tape as a guide.  Then did a row of double sided tape above and below the green tape. Nice and even!

Next, I went bananas with glitter.  It stuck no problem to the double sided tape.  Very good idea Glitter Guide!!

Next, fill your vase with epsom salts - it looks like snow!!!
Then add some cute candles and ta da.  Dollar Store craft at it's best.

Not happy with how they turned out.  I like how the glitter stuck to the tape - very cool tip for future crafts, but these just ended up looking cheezy. 

I ripped off the glitter tape, and now here they are on my festive table.  Nice and plain.  And now I like them.

Recreating an Inspiration Room

When you look at a nursery like this, it's easy to say "whoa, love that!", but then end up doing a traditional Winnie the Pooh room from Babies 'r Us because you can never imagine being able to do this room yourself.

No need to be intimidated, I can guarantee this room is just as easy to accomplish as the easy bed-in-the-bag nursery... without breaking the bank!

Artistic Design for living

Let's breakdown the elements in the room and figure out how to recreate this beautiful, inspirational nursery!

Starting with the paint colour - I just love this icy, baby blue from Benjamin Moore!

Blue Ice (Benjamin Moore)

A glidder in a nursery is so important for those late night feedings.  I can remember sleeping in that thing at 4am...  feels like just yesterday!  I spent a pretty penny on my glidder, and I'm glad I did.  Worth every cent!  Thankfully, it's still in good use at my Brother's house with Aunt Kitty and the babies!

This one isn't even that pricey - $995 from  Monte Design Group

Luca Glider

Personally, I would have changed the piping colour - LOVE this look!

The pillow in this room is from Trina Turk and runs well over $100.

I've NEVER spent $100 bucks on a pillow.  Especially for a nursery!!!!
This pillow screams DIY.  Check out this tutorial from Living Savvy

And one from Urban Jane

I'm not sure exactly where the crib in the inspiration picture is from, but a white crib like this is easy to find.
I love the curved lines on this one from Pottery Barn.  And, $750 isn't too much to spend on a crib.  This one converts into a day bed, and then full size bed.  You'll have it for years.

Hayden Crib.  Pottery Barn.  $750

Check out this dresser I found on Sears.ca for just $279.99 (it comes in white!)  The legs are the exact same as the one in the inspiration shot.

Change the hardware and Voila!!!

Chrome Pull.  Home Depot.  $6.99

Area rugs are one of my favourite things to shop for.  They are readily available at big box stores these days which means you can save some big time money.  Especially if you are looking for something rather simple... like a chocolate brown area rug ;)

Crazy deal - this one from Home Depot is just $239 for an 8'x10'.  Amazing deal.  And really, who wants to spend more than that on a nursery rug. Do you know how gross spilled milk smells after a while?!?!?!  I don't care how much you clean that thing!

8'x10' Chocolate Brown Shag Rug.  Home Depot.  $239

Now, if you are looking for something with a little more detail, shop around.  There are so many great rugs out there that can add a little something extra to your room.  But for a nursery, I wouldn't recommend spending too much money.  This one from Pottery Barn is a fair price.

8' x 10' Striped Rug.  Pottery Barn.  $750

Custom made rugs are always an affordable option.  Visit a local carpet store (or call my buddy Keith at Direct Carpet).  You can bind a stain resistant carpet into any rug size you want.

You can ask my friend Shannon, I am (now) a PRO at shopping for crib bedding.  One thing I learned from shopping for her baby's bedding, is that custom is not always more expensive.  I found a ton of options for crib bedding on Etsy.com.  And the best part of etsy.com is that the shops are mostly owned by independent people, which means you can always haggle a good deal out of them.

Check out this adorable crib bumper.  Just $20.

Mezoome Designs.  Etsy.com

Starting at just $24 for a custom change pad cover, Sweet Dreams Custom Crib bedding on etsy.com will make anything, in any pattern or colour that you can imagine.  You can even get a 5pcs set for $339.  Really, not a bad deal for all custom!

Think about getting just a few pieces custom - Like a bumper pad and a quilt, and then shop at Sears or Babies R Us for solid colour pieces to match.

Sweet Dreams.  Etsy.com.  Custom Bedding

I am crazy about the drapes in this room.  I LOVE the combination of orange and brown.  These are super easy and cheap to sew yourself.  And these days, grommets are so easy to do yourself.  They literally just snap in place.

Vintage Poly Burlap.  Fabric.com $6.98/yd

Vintage Poly Burlap.  Fabric.com $6.98/yd

Curtain Grommet Kit.  Fabric.com.  $9.09

Do you have a room you'd like to me to help you recreate?  Feel free to email me a picture of your space and your inspiration space!!

Best Ever Potato Soup

I rarely post recipes on my blog, but this one was too good not to share.

My little man James has grown a full inch since September, but he's lost a bit of weight.  So, the Ukie in me comes out and I want to fatten him up.  Enter, Potato and Cheese soup.  Eat, EAT!!

Original recipe from Canadian Living

Ingredients

• 6 strips bacon, chopped
• 2 onions, chopped
• 8 large potatoes, (about 4 lb/2 kg)
• 6 cups (1.5 L) chicken stock
• 2 cups (500 mL) milk
• 1 tsp (5 mL) salt
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) pepper
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 green onions, sliced

Preparation

In large saucepan or Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until crisp.
Transfer to paper towel-lined plate.  Drain fat from pan.  Add onions; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until softened.

Meanwhile, peel and cut potatoes into about 1/2-inch (1 cm) cubes to make about 12 cups (3 L). Add potatoes to pan along with chicken stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Using potato masher, mash potatoes just until soup is slightly thickened yet still chunky. Stir in milk, salt and pepper. (Make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minutes; refrigerate in shallow airtight containers for up to 2 days. Reheat to continue, thinning with more milk if desired.)

Sprinkle each serving with cheese, green onions and reserved bacon.

Best ever soup.  Everyone in my family had a bowl - and of course, even Marley.

My Version!!

Just got home from a wonderful weekend in the city with my dreamy husband.  I wanted to share a few highlights, but I am too saddened by the news I just read.  I can't even concentrate.

Recreating an Inspiration Room

Have you ever looked at a designer room and thought "I want that!" but are too intimidated to attempt it yourself?  Well, there is no reason to be afraid!  Everyone is capable of creating the home of their dreams within a reasonable budget.

All you need to do is break down the room's elements, and piece your space together, while working with what you already have and new pieces within your budget.  I'll show you how, with my weekly post called "Recreating an Inspiration Room"

This powder room is beautiful.  And the reason I picked it this week it because it can easily be interpreted by any personality.

Patterson Construction Corp.

You can make this room yours by keeping all the elements the same, except for the wall colour.  Picture this in a soft yellow to give a more country look.  A pale grey for a little industrial vibe.  Or red, for a bold statement.  Whatever colour you choose, this powder room is designer quality, but attainable.

Let's pick it apart.

The most important piece in this bathroom is the vanity.  It's really what defines the space.  I believe this specific one is from Waterworks.   You can see how the faucets are in the wall, which means this was a major gut job.  The pluming work would have had to be done behind the walls.  Since most of us are just doing a cosmetic uplift in our powder rooms, purchase a prefabricated vanity, with faucet hole pre-cut.

Gramercy Wash Stand.  Restoration Hardware.  $1895

On to the wall covering.  This specific wall covering is a Phillip Jeffries wall covering.  I've heard they can cost upwards of $800 a roll.  So, I've looked at some alternatives.  Think wall stencil!!!

Moroccan Wall Stencil.  Cutting Edge Wall Stencils.  $39.95

And imagine all the colour combos you could do.

Charcoal & White or Silver

Pink & White

White & Gray

White and Green

Orange and White

Black & White or Silver

Beige & White

I love sconces in a powder room.  This is an easy fix if you have just a vanity fixture.  Just call an electrician and he can change it to 2 sconces.  But make sure you know exactly where you want them before you call.  I made that mistake in my Waterford house, and had the sconces installed way too high.  It looked hilarious.  Get your vanity and mirror first, just to be sure!

The sconces in the inspiration room run for about $540 - without the shade.

Source

Always shop around for the pieces you aren't willing to splurge on.

Aberdeen wall sconce.  Lighting Universe.  $199

Mirror - Big Box stores always have stuff like this for a good deal.  Always double check the size before you order.  I've also made that mistake before!!  In a powder room, get as big as you can!

Mirror.  Home Depot.  $55.99

Have you heard of this crazy new trend?  Ceramic or Porcelain tiles that look like wood.  Generally sold in 6" or 8" x  20" or 36", these tiles have the look of hardwood, but the function of ceramic or porcelain.  Perfect for a powder room, and perfect for installing in this gorgeous herringbone pattern.

6" x 20" Wood Ceramic Floor Tile.  Lowes.com

Wood Effect Ceramic Tiles

The last element in this room is the molding.  The gorgeous, over-the-top, perfect molding.  Even the window in decked out in amazing molding.  If you want molding like this room, do yourself a favour and call a carpenter.  But, if you are willing to take it down a knotch, there are so many DIY tutorials out there.

DIY Paneled Wall - Decor Chick

 

DIY Wainscoting - Karen at Home

Or you can look into purchasing these convienient Wainscoting kits (I may do this in my hallway!  Stay tuned!).  Elite Moldings has every thing!!!!

Elite Moldings

Good Luck!!