Sunday, August 30, 2015

{ DIY Weathered Wood -Cider & Donuts- Sign }

As you guys know I've been slowly adding fall decor throughout our house & this weekend I made the cutest little sign for our dining room!! I went with a completely different fall feel this year & needed some fresh stuff to use. You all know I like to be as real & let's be honest CHEAP as possible with decor, because I switch stuff out so frequently..Well, I needed something for a space in the dining room to go with the "theme" I'm working on & couldn't find anything that wasn't generic or just ehh..so I made something!! I pulled some scrap wood out of our pile & broke out the chalk paints & well keep reading below.. 


I had a specific mindset of what I wanted while I was making this sign..I wanted bold, rustic & weathered with only cream, black & copper/gold...{ more on that in another post later}!! I had the black & cream ,but didn't have any gold..then I remembered I had these gold decal stickers..& popped one on for some color!!  I love how the wood is super aged & weathered and chippy! It made the arrow look aged & more natural I think!!!


We had this old broken down vintage scale, so why not throw some apples on it.. Yup, they're real & so yummy!


I used a sponge brush & a half dried bristle brush for this..the wood grooves weren't the easiest to paint, but that's what makes it charming haha! So with some chalk paint & 30 minutes this sign was well worth it!!



P.S. sorryyy for the lack of pictures on this project I just don't want to give away the fall dining space just yet..I will be posting soon though!! Stick around it's the cutest in the dining room ;)! I hope you all had a great last few days of August!! I'm curious as to what you guys are doing this year for decor & when do you start decorating?? Feel free to get with me on any of my social media outlets :)!!

Paige.Rose


Saturday, August 29, 2015

{ DIY Chalk Painted Cottagey Farmhouse Stool }

Heyyy!!! What an awesome start to the weekend today was..lots of projects, sister time, sun & fun at my grandma's adorable new home!! My heart is full today with love, joy & gratefulness that I've been blessed with a crazy/fun family, wonderful husband, cute fur babies & being able to do something I love!! Back to that last part..Today I started clearing stuff out for some fresh new fall decor, & worked on this cute little DIY stool my grams gave me the other night!! The family have been moving her in since last week & just taking in that she's back down in the city with us, not to mention in the CUTEST  most charming & cozy house!! While we were moving stuff out of boxes I spotted a little white granny chic stool that I knew I could turn into a cute cottagey/farmhouse gem!! I've been wanting one for a while now, but honestly I'm tooo cheap to splurge on from one of my favorite dealers, because I know Mark can find one for free while contracting. Anyways, I took it home that night & started painting it right away & then finished it up in the sun while the pibbles played & my sister finished a huge projects she's working on for the Grand Rapids float show { I can't wait to share that with you guys  soon too!!} !! 





.Before.

 

.After.


As you can see from the "Before" picture, it was painted white with little flowers on the edge detailing..I used  one coat of grey/blue chalk paint & then chalkboard paint I had laying around & did two coats. I then hit the edges with some potting bench green & some cream. I also used a bit of cream on the distressed parts!  After that dried over night I used some sand paper { by hand, not the palm sander} to distress some areas where  wear & tear would be most realistic on an aged farmhouse stool! 

Note: The brown glass bottles are all vintage thrift/garbage finds!!


I added some faux little drill/screw points & then just distressed them to blend in with the look.




I love how the cream & green pop through on the edges for that cottageyy/ garden look!! It's my new favorite piece & now to find a spot in the house..



I hope you all have a lovely weekend!! I can't believe September 1st is right around the corner..I feel behind on fall decor already ha. I always say once Sept 1st comes the holidays come so quick & that seriously makes me so happy!!  Are you all ready for fall??


See my gram's lake house & story here A Cottage Story & more..

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

{ Dwindling Summer.. & A Simple DIY Herb Sign.. }

Heyyy you all!! I hope you guys are enjoying the last bit of summer, it's been super cool & fall like here in the north & I'M IN LOVE!! I'm one of those weird types who love the fall AND winter haha eek! As I was gathering & cleaning the kitchen/dinging room up for some fall decor  { Yep, September first I start } I found this cute little herb sign I had made about three years ago..It was one of , if not my very first DIY blog project even before I started my  actual website!! I realized that I never officially blogged it so I am today!! It's a short & simple post ,but I thought I would give it some love since, it's one of my favorite neutral cottage/ farmhouse signs to use all over the kitchen year & year!! 


I thought it looked cute paired with the willow branches for the last few week's of summer..It's so neutral & was super simple to make!! I got this piece of wood with the hooks already on it at +Big Lots  for $1 , &  sanded the blue color off & painted it with cream paint. I used some black & then distressed & smudged the lettering etc..I love the weathered, imperfect/farmhouse appeal!



This pry is a little scary haha, but I just slid/wedged the sign to the top of the latter..no worries it's not above any heads..right?! ;) 


Have a great rest of the week & dwindling summer days..I can't wait to share with you all what I'm doing for our fall dining room..it's nifty!!! Are you guys ready for fall EVERYTHING? Or are you hanging on to summer still?

Paige.Rose 


Tuesday, August 18, 2015

{ DIY $10 MAP ART!! }

Happy almost Wednesday all!! It's been a great few days celebrating my birthday & shopping, of course shopping haha! This weekend the hubs & I went to the cutest tavern event for needy dogs, and got to spend time with a family member we haven't saw in ages!! My mom & sister took me on the cutest little shopping spree on my actual birthday { Monday } & I loved every second of it!! You guys know I just love the quaint little towns with the cutest little gifts, but I also LOVE IKEA ;)! After our little junkin adventures in some of my favorite spots we headed to IKEA for some moreee shopping & lunch. I ended up picking up some cute things & one of those items was a $10 map { Thanks mom } ha!  I've been wanting a map for sometime now, but haven't found any that were worth buying..but this one was perfect & CHEAP! I got home & had no idea where I was going to put it... Yup, I just buy things & just go with it haha!! Today I just bummed around the house due to my back & then it hit me...stick it on the frame wall for a 3d  asymmetrical like art piece!!! I didn't want to just hang it like everyone else, that's way easy & boring, so I came up with this & LOVEEEE it!! First I called my BFA artsy sister & got her opinion, stared at it more & then decided it was staying!! 



The frames, map & cabinet/ baskets all go so lovely together! The cabinet is from +HomeGoods  !! The lamp is actually a mason jar  that I didn't like it with this decor, so I just turned it around to the plain side. The DIY lamp tutorial is on the blog listed in  { Popular Posts } on the right side of the blog if you're interested!


I love how the blue/grey accent wall looks with it!!! It's different & that's what I love!! I tried putting this in other spots in our home, but honestly it just got lost & with a frame, it was too traditional! 

Side Note: I'm on the hunt for a huge rustic wood frame, for another location ;) !


I used some 3m to hang the map. It seriously { Like all my projects } was super simple & practical!! It took me all of 5 minutes to hang this!  

** The frames were all thrifts or free finds!!


I hope you guys love this little DIY!! Now to point out all the places I want to see { Oh, honeyyyy haha;)} !! 
Have a great rest of the week & end to the summer everyone!

For more pictures & inspiration on this little outing adventure & blog updates follow me via



Tuesday, August 11, 2015

{ Summer bath refresher / update with a chippy cottage sign!! }

Welcome back!! It's one of those nights where I feel like I want to jump out of my office chair while listening to my country playlist & take on the world hahah! Instead of taking on the world I'll stick with blogging , sipping some diet Dr. Pepper & chasing our office mascot { Mr. Wibbles the bunny} around haha! I'm actually so excited to share this cute wood chippy cottage sign my hubby pulled out of the trash!! Yup, another free find & it's sooo cute! My bathroom on our main level isn't the biggest, but it works fine for me, but also needed something for summer! When the hubby brought this sign home I knew where it needed to go..after it got a little TLC!!


I loved the before colors & extra chippy look, but it was in really rough condition & after I washed it, even more paint came off , so I needed to paint it. I decided to go with cream & green chalk paint & use black for the lettering. I have a few pops of greenery in my bathroom & it was a perfect match!!


I love all chalk paint, but honestly for the price & the size I love the Americana Decor paints found at Michaels!! I love switching up colors & with the small containers it's super easy!!


I really liked it on the cabinet!!! I had to move it temporarily though because of how it's warped & could possible come tumbling down. Once I get some time I''ll secure it back up there!!



Like I said above, not the biggest bathroom AT ALL { Thank gosh we don't share} haha sorry honey , but it's clean, fresh & bright!! I love the light blue hint in the walls with the neutral cottageyyy spa accessories!




Chippy goodness,right?! I just spruced her up & then used a wire brush to distress a bit over the newer paint. Simple, charming & freeeee!! 



You guys know I'm never using or putting things where they "should" be  & actually I kinda like this sign here..Note to self, I need some new towels!!  

Thanks for dropping by again friends!! 

Have a lovely Wednesday!

Paige.Rose

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Monday, August 10, 2015

{ Red Velvet & Raspberry Mousse Parfait }

Hi, guys! So this was a spur of the moment post I wasn't even planning on doing really, but once I finished making it I thought whyyy not?! Typical me & what makes my little blog practical right haha? Anyways.. I went on a major grocery shopping haul today { blahh} &decided to pick up some stuff to bake with & well I made this yummy parfait!! I usually cook/bake a lot through the week for us, but honestly I haven't been cooking very much at all..I blame the summer haha! I came up with this little recipe when I spotted the huge pack of delicious red raspberries!! Sit back , grab a pen & paper and jot this one down for an end of the summer treat!:)


 .Recipe.
 1 red velvet cake mix
1 can raspberry filling
1 large pack of fresh raspberries
1 pack of Jello brand chocolate mousse
chocolate chips
4 eggs for cake mix
oil for cake mix
milk or water for cake mix
vanilla extract
powdered sugar for garnish

.Instructions. 

Follow the instructions for the cake { I sprinkled some sweet chocolate chips in each pan with a dash of vanilla extract }. Instead of using 1 square cake dish use two round pans or dishes , so they fit in the parfait dish! Let the cakes cool & then cut a circle in each { if they're to big to fit in the parfait dish}. I leave our range fan on to speed up this process ;)!! After you've made & are cooling the cake, start on the mousse part!! I bought two boxes & it literally took 5 minutes. Read the instructions & put in the fridge until you're ready to use. Wash the fresh raspberries & get started assembling the parfait!! The 1st layer should be mousse, the 2nd cake, 3rd raspberry filling from the can, 4th cake again & finally the last scoop of mousse!! Fill the surrounding edges with as many raspberries as possible & place a few on top!!  Sprinkle with a few chocolate chips & powdered sugar & you're done!! See super easy & yummy.

 




This is my own recipe so feel free to tweak it etc.. It's super simple & actually surprisingly not overly sugary!! With some ice cold milk & of course some cute straws { You guys know I'm straw obsessed ha} it's the perfect end of the summer dessert for any occasion ! 
Enjoy loves!

Paige.Rose 

 
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Sunday, August 9, 2015

{ Practical Home Office Decor & Storage }

Heyyyy! It seems like it's been forever since I published a post...Lots has been going on or you could say lack of! Lets just get right into it, you know those spaces where you have a vision, but either budget/space or both seem to get in the way? Ya, well our home office / DIY spot is like that!! It seriously bugs the crap out of me that it's usually in disarray & well the decor wasn't really speaking to me hahah! I ended up switching out some stuff like pictures, decor, & adding some neutral storage boxes etc..It feels so much brighter & the junk aka tools are hidden away in cute organizers!! This space gets used a lot so, I wanted to keep everything from my chalk paints for smaller projects to our personal paperwork organized!! As with anything I blog  this space was done on a practical budget with items from regular stores etc..I promise there are no $400 desk or $300 chairs..yet hehe just kidding!! 




I got these cute little neutral storage  boxes for $4 at +Michaels Stores ! They're super cute, cheap &are pretty sturdy for the price actually!!


Side Note: The polka-dotted mouse-pad was a DIY, I'll be blogging it soon hopefully!! 


I've always loved this picture. It was a gift from my aunt & uncle when we first moved into our condo years back!! I thought it looked cute hanging in the office with the "Office" sign from at +HomeGoods  above it!! I mean how cool would that be to have your office hundreds of feet off the ground?! I hate heights, but love this vintage inspired picture!!


Both the crocks are thrifts & I just added some cheapy flowers for the ambiance! The old vintage stamped drawer was a garbage find!!



**The metal white flower wall organizer is  from +HomeGoods as well as the driftwood wreath!


I've been looking for a new office chair literally for months now!! I'm not paying $300 for a chair, so this garbage find one will work for now or until my back gives out eek! I'm thinking an +IKEA USA  parsons chair for support, comfort & appeal! Guess I'm headed to their clearance area soon..


For smaller projects or when it's cold out, I use the office & work table to paint, diy etc..My paints are usually all over so this basket helps keep them organized & still visible as to what I have/need to replace! The basket was a hand-me-down! 

I really hope you guys got some rustic inspiration for your office or crafty space!! I know office accessories & furniture can be really expensive , so being able to share some  simple/thrifty alternatives   was a must!! 

Have a great week guys!!

Paige.Rose

Monday, August 3, 2015

{ Simple & Profitable Garage Sale Tips!! }

Hey everyone!!  I hope you all had a great weekend. We had a long, sunny & accomplishing weekend enjoying the outdoors right in our own yard actually..weird right?! We actually held a " Vintage Sale" this weekend & it was quite a success!! I've mentioned this before ,but we "pick" all through the year &  the last 3 summers we've held garage sales & this year we held a VINTAGE SALE!!!! It was actually pretty fun & we made some fast cash off of thrifty finds & stuff I already blogged & needed to purge! Nothing is safe in our house furniture wise haha, constantly  staging,moving, photographing & swapping stuff out!!  Today I'm sharing some of our tips to bring in the customers & cash!!!



1.)  Stage your goods!!


This is a big one that many forget to do! When people are shopping they try to picture what the stuff will look like in their space or what they would pair it with, just help them out ;)! My hubby actually staged this little rug & vintage trunk with the chandy & brass pot! Give people a visual on stuff you're trying to sell!!

2.) Make a Simple/ Sturdy /Unique Sign!!



This one is also huge!! I know everyone likes to go buy the Dollar Tree "Garage Sale" signs, but honestly they're generic, small & flimsy!! We bought some $6 board at our local Home Depot & grabbed some free, yes freee scrap pieces from Home Depot to use as the stake ! I used a permanent black maker & outlined the lettering in white chalk after & tapered the corners with green. It's simple, rustic & eye catching! Instead of just using " Garage Sale" or "Yard Sale" I used "Vintage Treasures" instead & boy was that a hit!!! We had people directly asking if this was the Vintage sale & how they specifically were looking for our sale!! Now, I know not everyone is selling vintage treasures, but be CREATIVE!! 

3.) Post the sale on Craigslist!! 

Many people look on Craigslist & map out their day of where they want to hit before hand! We posted a simple ad with 3 simple pictures, time & address! Be clear & simple with a little visual! 

4.) Make sure your items are clean!!!


I get that this is a yard/garage sale, but do you like shopping dirty, dusty or smelly goods? Yeah, me either! It takes a few minutes to dust or wipe something down with water. If you don't have time to wash the stuff use some vanilla spray or antibacterial spray!!

5.) Use tables & organize items together!


Make sure items are somewhat categorized . Put all the wall decor together, clothes in one area, & furniture together displayed!! We used two black tables with burlap runners, for a more concise look. The burlap was $8 & I'm using the leftover for a project..win win!!!

6.) Offer  FREE refreshments!!


I'm not saying go buy $20 in pop , we offered  $2 lemonade with some $1 vanilla wafer cookies! People were so pleased & actually  commented how nice that was!! I mean for $2 to make someone happy & shop more on a hot summer day...It's worth the $3 in lemonade & cookies!!

7.) Price everything!!


This is something we actually learned..we actually did price everything, but some of the tags fell off with the wind etc..It makes for awkward on the spot pricing, which isn't good for the seller..haha!

8.) Make it FUN!! 

Seriously why not make the best out of the warm weather while sitting & waiting for customers etc.. We had the country music going { low } & a huge fan going for the added breeze { Thank gosh, it was 88 today } !! 

9.) Greet EVERYONE!

Greet everyone with a warm welcome & " Help yourself to some free lemonade & cookies"! I'm telling you it works!! 

10.) Be fair!!!


Don't gouge on people! If you have something marked $5 & they offer 3..Take it!! It's a garage sale & just because you paid an outrageous price or you - THINK- it's valuable doesn't mean others will!!

11.) Have a FREE box!


This also draws people in. Who doesn't like something free? #freeisforme


Well there you have it, all the simple tips & tricks to purge all your junk..I mean treasures  onto someone else while making some moneyyyy!!

Have a great week everyone!! 

Paige.Rose


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