Last Minute Hostess Gifts on Pinterest #holiday #entertaining

Quick! You've been invited to a last minute celebration, and you have no idea what to take for the hostess! Here are five quick and easy projects to help you out

Clockwise from top Right

Rit Dye Note Cards by Snaps of Ginger - Simple and sweet, and if your hostess throws alot of parties, she will certainly appreciate some stationery!

Dipped Utensils from HGTV - An incredibly easy project, and one that can be delegated to your children if you are in an extra time crunch trying to get everything ready to go to the hostesses home! Just get some wooden utensils and paint from the dollar store, dip, and dry!

Antler Ornaments from Tatertots and Jello - With it being Christmas and all, some simple glitter dipped antlers add a charming touch to home decor and a Christmas tree!

Black and White Wine Carafe on the DecoArt Blog - One of my favorite projects and it was so easy to whip up. Bring a bottle of wine, or two plain glasses!

DIY Vanilla Coffee Sugar Scrub by designed by dawn nicole - Just fill a mason jar with the mixture, tie with some ribbon and you're good to go!


No matter which project you go with, your hostess will be pleasantly surprised, I promise you that! These also make great last minute gifts for any woman on your list, and great stocking stuffers too!

Outdoor Fall Decor ideas on Pinterest #homedecor #outdoor

I love decorating our front porch for the seasons. Usually at Halloween there are cobwebs everywhere, and for the Winter lots of branches with figure skates on the door. One season that I haven't quite mastered yet is Fall!

I love all of the ideas in this weeks Pinterest round up for a variety of reasons. Burlap, boxwoods, leaves and pumpkins. Pops of color with neutrals, wood with metal. The juxtaposition of the mixed elements is so awesome and makes for a really natural looking composition.

I love that the front door basket features an unexpected element with the starfish. The tones are super neutral, and while the starfish might be seen as a summery element, it fits with the color scheme really well.

Personalize your space with these family pumpkin decorations, a super easy DIY project that you can whip up in no time.

Add some burlap, feathers and dried flowers to your door with this gorgeous monogrammed wreath.

Fill an old watering can with leaves and place pumpkins at the base. Super easy, but it packs a punch and is beautiful in its simplicity. 

Or add a monogrammed pumpkin to your planters of mums for another element of personalization!


Our house number can sometimes be particularly difficult to see, so I think I may combine some of these elements with a watering can I already have, branches from the forest, and a large faux pumpkin or two to paint our house number on! Put those at varying heights between the garage doors, and we have some personalized outdoor fall decor!

Fall Flower Arrangements from Pinterest #flowers #autumn

While scouring the pages of Pinterest for fall flower arrangements, I was determined to find something that didn't incorporate pumpkins. Not that pumpkins aren't lovely this time of year, but they.are.everywhere.

Then I found this pin, by gardentherapy.ca, and thought it was so lovely...for a variety of reasons.

 

A simple jar from your fridge (empty of course) wrapped with birch bark and twine, then filled with white and light orange flowers. Really, you could fill it with any color of flowers for it to be appropriate for fall, as it gets its main design elements from the birch bark and twine.

The details from the birch bark and twine are beautiful. Rustic, yet clean and simple.

Look in your kitchen cupboards for vessels that are different and unique. We have some beautiful milk glass pieces that I love to fill with flowers, as well as mason jars and traditional clear vases. Then take fresh snips from your garden, or visit a local farmers market for in seasons flowers. 

To see more beautiful fall flower arrangements, visit the gallery on Home Trends Magazine. They have curated some of the most gorgeous arrangements, in vessels like vintage silver footed basins and milkglass pieces.

Fall Crafts with Acorns #DIY #crafts

As the leaves fall off the trees and we start getting ready for snow, other things are also falling...like acorns! Crafting with them can be as simple as collecting them and filling a bowl for a centrepiece, but there are so many other things that you can do with them!

 Clockwise from Top Right

Personalized Acorn Christmas Ornaments from My Nearest and Dearest
Acorn Cap Candles by Create for Less
Acorn and Leather Napkin Holder
Acorn Tea Set by Red Ted Art (hello, adorable for a little fairy tea party!!)
Bell Shaker by Mini Eco

All it takes is a little creativity, and what I love most about using these elements is that your little ones can help gather the acorns, and prep them by sorting and washing them. Full prep instructions here!

My favorite project from the collection above is the acorn tea set. These little projects for fairytales and imaginative play are so awesome for little ones, and they definitely make me yearn for a little girl. I've seen fairy gardens and homes all over Pinterest, so this tea set would be perfect if your daughter loves all things fairies.

So get out there and collect your acorns, sort and wash them, then prep them for crafting. No matter what project you choose, it'll be a great, hands on experience for you and your children.

Autumn Paper Garland from Etsy #homedecor

I've already expressed my love for fall...this much we all know. I love everything about the season. Scarves, boots, cozy layers, and a warm cup of cider.

I also love decorating our home for the harvest season, and using alot of natural elements from a nature walk.

We have a beautiful stone double sided fireplace {which is what really sold us on the house} with a gorgeous mantle. It's perfect for holiday decorating, and usually capped off with a chalkboard sign of some sort.

This year, I'm looking to add some type of garland to the mantle. Off to Etsy I went!

Clockwise from Top Right

Fall Mini Bunting by littletidbitsofjoy
Blush pink and gold fabric garland by PenelopeandLala
Scalloped Glitter Garland by stephlovesben
Paper Garland Crisp Fall Days by ArtsDelight
Golden Yellow Felt Garland by FairyfolkWeddings

I really can't decide which one is my favorite!! They're all so beautiful, and simple!

Just Five More Minutes #parenting #healthysleep #blinds #childsafety

Just five more minutes...those are the words that ring in my head most mornings when the baby starts fussing, wanting to be fed or changed.

Just five more minutes.

So far, we haven't had much luck in the window covering department to ensure that he has the proper blackout blinds so his sleep goes uninterrupted. Thankfully, with the ¾" Premier Single Cell Blackout Shades in Linen Bark, those five more minutes of peace and quiet are becoming a reality.

Aside from the blackout feature of these cellular shades, I really love that they are cordless which means that they are a safe option for baby nurseries and children's rooms. On the main level of our house, we have all of the cords tucked up and under the cell shades that came with the house. Not exactly ideal, and little hands can still reach up to roll them down...pinching fingers, and posing strangulation hazards. Having cordless, blackout blinds or roller shades is a a safer choice when you have small children in your home.

Blinds.com is helping parents get those precious five more minutes by making safer choices when it comes to window coverings, blackout blinds and cellular shades for around the home.

Those sweet five more minutes are sometimes all you need in the middle of the night to recharge your batteries. For me, shopping the Safer for Kids Collection at Blinds.com provided us not only those five extra minutes of sleep, peace and quiet, but they also provided us peace of mind as our little guy grows up and starts to be on the move.

From a home decor perspective, the Blinds.com Blackout Cellular Shades in Bark coordinate really well with the Where The Wild Things are theme, and will certainly grow with the room as it changes from nursery to toddler bedroom and beyond, all the while being a safe window covering choice.


The perceived texture of the cell shades is fantastic, and plays nicely off of the natural wooden mobile hanging over his crib (at a safe distance, of course!). We chose to put his crib on a wall away from the window to ensure that there would be no cords to play with once he is a bit older, rolling...crawling...kneeling and eventually standing.

Five more minutes...that's all I wanted, and thankfully, I have gotten far more than that. I got my shades from Blinds.ca but you can also find the same ones here at Blinds.com, and while you are there, check out the full Safer for Kids Collection, which is on sale for the month of October.

Make the switch to cordless cellular and blackout shades like we did, and enjoy your five more minutes. Enter in for your chance to win $100 to Blinds.com below!

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Disclaimer: I was provided the ¾" Premier Single Cell Blackout Shades in Linen Bark from Blinds.com for the purposes of this review. All opinions expressed, as always, are my own.

DecoArt Media: My Top 5 Favorite Products

Mixed media is something that I have been really interested in since doing my sculpting course in University. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts, we didn't have kilns or the ability to torch or fire anything, so we had to resort to using unconventional sculpting materials such as styrofoam, concrete and even cardboard.

Decoart recently came out with an artist grade Mixed Media line, so when the opportunity came up for me to test out some of the products, I jumped at the chance. Here are my top 5 favorite products from the Mixed Media line.

Texture Sand Paste and Modelling Paste

What I love most about these products is that they are buildable, yet really lightweight.

In the past when I have painted with plaster on wood, I loved being able to build out the texture and make a truly three dimensional piece of art. However, plaster breaks and the piece becomes incredibly fragile. With the Mixed Media products, I can get that same effect with both the modelling paste and the texture sand paste.

The Texture Sand Paste gives a really great fine sand effect to your piece. If you are working on adding any beach themed home decor pieces, this product would be a great addition to give dimension, depth and texture. I really liked pairing it with the Liquid Glass, for an unexpected texture pairing to give balance and also to ensure that the focus is on the gritty sand texture.

The Modelling Paste is really amazing. By using a palette knife, I was able to layer it on smooth in some areas, and thick in others to play with the different textures. While the Texture Sand Paste is gritty, the Modelling Paste is really smooth.

Crackle Paste

Similar to the texture sand and modelling pastes, the Crackle Paste goes on with a palette knife and provides thin or deep cracks, depending on how thick you put in on over your surface. I was curious as to what it would do over a medium like the Modelling Paste and was really pleased with the results. Sometimes mediums will resist one another, but that was not the case here!

Misters

I really wasn't expecting to like the misters as much as I do. With vibrant, yet transparent, color options, you can spray as little or as much as you would like. I chose to add carbon black over top of my crackle paste, to give a bit more dimension into the foreground of my abstract pieces.

Liquid Glass

I was so excited to test out the Liquid Glass. This product comes in a squeezable bottle with a very fine tip, so you can make the perfect little glass bubbles on your piece. What's even better is that those tiny glass bubbles dry three dimensionally, which makes for yet another layer of texture!

 
The results on all three pieces were fantastic, and I really love the black and white pairings, along with the layers of  texture. I definitely will be adding more one of a kind textured pieces like these to my Etsy shop, and think that they would look fantastic mounted on glass.

Disclaimer: I was provided the Mixed Media line by DecoArt for the purposes of this post. All opinions expressed are my own!

Fall Color Trends for 2014

When it comes to changing things up in home decor seasonally, all you really need to do is look for a gorgeous color palette for inspiration.

But how do you incorporate these luxurious and rich fall colors into your exiting home decor?

Throw pillows and blankets are your friend, especially with cooler months on their way. It is such an easy way to bring a pop of color into your home. Look for ones with quatrefoil, geometric, and tribal prints to be extra trendy!

If your home decor is super neutral, think grey scale or white on white, consider an unexpected pop of color and change out {or paint} your lamp shades in one of the colors above. My personal favorite is the wine tone, however the goldenrod and pumpkin come in as other top options! 

For powder rooms, swapping out hand towels and candles is a really easy way to update your home decor.

And the easiest way of all? Fresh flower arrangements!

Clay Feather Mobiles on Etsy #homedecor

This Spring, I was inspired to make a really gorgeous white and paint dipped clay feather mobile for our nursery and when I started...I couldn't stop.

Mobiles are now a fixture in my Etsy shop and have been getting a crazy amount of notice on Etsy and beyond!

I love them because they are so natural, yet versatile. No nursery? No worries!

These mobiles, all made to order by hand, are great for really any room and don't necessarily have to be hung from the ceiling. Consider a wall that is seemingly too narrow for a painting or photograph; what would you put there to spruce up your space?

Creating a dreamy master bedroom escape, but have two awkwardly positioned windows? Put a wall hanging mobile between them!

Mobiles are available in really any motif. I've done starfish and beach inspired, color themes with sculpted spheres, flowers, and rain drops. The possibilities are endless!

Etsy Items ON SALE! #sale #etsy

Have you checked out my Etsy shop in a little while?

I am still adding new and fun designs for 2014, which means that most of the 2013 designs are on sale!!

Sculpture, paintings and wearable pieces are on sale at 25%-50% off regular prices, and they're in the shop until they're gone.

If you had your eye on something in the past, now is the time to scoop it up!

There are some changes coming for my Etsy shop this year. You've seen some of the beautiful sculpted mobiles, like the one I created for the nursery, and there will be more and more items added.

Sculpted tube sculpture
Hand rolled and pressed stones
Hand shaped spheres

Lots of sculpture coming to the shop, all made to order and to make your home beautiful!

Celebrating 3 Years #etsy #handmade

Earlier this year, I celebrated 3 years on Etsy.

Three
Tres

3

It seriously seemed kind of crazy to me, but then I thought about it and it sounded just about right. I opened my Etsy shop shortly after opening my business and my how it has grown! From handmade paper party supplies to paintings and now sculpted home decor...it has followed a path that I could never have ever imagined for it.

 

Let's keep the celebration going this summer! Scoop up ornaments for Christmas, sculpted home decor, get some pre-Christmas shopping done....and enjoy an additional 20% off already marked down prices on the 2013 collection!

Use coupon code CELEBRATE3YRS at checkout!

www.sweetstellas.etsy.com

Sweet Stella's: Custom Art and Sculpture for your Home #giveaway #sponsor

I am so excited to share my new mobiles and wall hangings with you! They were created on a whim, inspired by our nursery, and have become one of the best selling items in my shop.There's one up for grabs, that the winner gets to design with me, in the Mom & Baby Giveaway next month!

They have also been inspiration all on their own for custom home decor; sculpted feathers, dipped in metallic paint, that a lovely custom is using as part of a family dreamcatcher - a great alternative to a family tree!

While my shop will be on hold for custom orders for the next few weeks, ready to ship items are happy to be packaged and trotted to the lovely ladies at the post office.

Inspiration changes all the time, but I take my main queues from the boys around me who are crazy, loveable and energetic.

Their dad is a super rational, analytical, practical and mathematical type of guy. He appreciates my art work, even though he can't quite explain why he likes a certain piece over another, and definitely inspires me to keep creating just to get a reaction.

Our eldest is an inquisitive little guy who wants to know how and why things work. He likes putting things together symmetrically, then taking them apart (or smashing them on the floor and making them explode) and is always asking questions while I'm sculpting or painting.

This little guy has already inspired a whole line of mobiles, wall sculpture and custom home decor pieces that are rooted in feathers; so natural and beautiful all on their own, but magnified and made extra special with a touch of metallic paint.

Find inspiration in your every day; invite Sweet Stella's in your home and home decor.

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White Minimalist Art on Etsy #art #homedecor

I've been sculpting minimalist pieces now for a couple of years on Etsy, and find that they are such an awesome addition if you have a bunch of eclectic art pieces in your home and need something to neutralize a space.

Minimalist means just that.

Minimal
Neutral
Simple

Minimalist to me, means pure white clay. Whether they are in a tube construction, in naturally formed fluted bowls, or flowers.

It also may mean a whole new gallery exhibition for 2015!

Thirty One Gifts with Tiffany: Home Organization #giveaway #sponsor

It took two best friends and a whole year for me to be charmed by the ways of Thirty One Gifts, but now that my home is organized and beautiful in so many ways, I am incredibly thankful that I listened to my best girls and jumped on the band wagon.

We currently have our daily life organized on the side of our fridge with the Hang Up Home Organizer. Everything has its spot, and every one in the family has a pocket for their mail and important papers.

Beside the calendar, we have my son's chore chart. Under that we have a pocket where my portfolio is stored between client meetings, pockets for pens, and our urgent to-do list...along with a chronological list of upcoming races.

I actually hosted a party in May and got so many benefits for being a hostess, not to mention had a great time having my gal pals over for brunch (and bacon!) to introduce them to this great home organization brand.

Tiffany has put another of my favorite items from Thirty One Gifts into the Mom & Baby Giveaway; the Keep It Caddy. I have one that I use for my art supplies when they naturally travel from my studio down to the kitchen, and it is such a versatile little organization tote. Think of it as your new diaper caddy, toy bin, back seat organization and so much more!

There are so many great perks for hosting a party, and going to a party too! Monthly specials, hostess exclusives and so much more!

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Disclaimer: A huge thank you to Tiffany Morrow with Thirty One Gifts for being one of the Mom and Baby Giveaway sponsors. I did not receive compensation for this post, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Where The Wild Things Are #Nursery Reveal!

Now that we {finally} have a mattress for our little guy, I can go ahead and reveal his nursery!! Be prepared for a photo dump...it's worth it, though, I promise!

Soon, his monogram and beautiful name that I can't wait to say out loud, will be over top of his cubby-dresser! We opted for an EXPEDIT unit that we already had, added twine boxes from Ikea and then filled with out favorite things. One box has diapers, another crib sheets. The third has NB and 0-3 clothes, and the fourth has sleep sacks/hats/etc.

Our beautiful Where The Wild Things Are nesting dolls from Sweet Whimsy Designs. I absolutely love how these turned out, and we can switch them around, change places, as many times as we want!

 Oh his crib. It's the same crib that Owen used until he was 3 {and a half}, but with new linens. The mobile hanging over top is the piece that inspired his whole nursery, and the line of mobiles in my shop. The beautiful chevron carpet is from Mohawk Home. #ilovemymohawkrug

When we found out we were expecting a boy, I got in touch with Noogle right away to have my bloggy-bff Shizz design our wall art. This piece, Kind Of All Wild Things, is right inside the door.

A big big thank you to The Land of Nod for their hospitality at the Bump Club Chicago event last summer during BlogHer'13. I fell in love with this polka dot sheet, and sooooo wish we had a LoN locally so I could scoop up more! The beautiful crochet blanket is by Kimberly Poole Designs, and I can't wait to wrap our guy in it for photos with Lainie Hird Photography.

And finally, where I'll be rocking this sweet boy to sleep during storytime with Daddy...just like we did with Owen when he was a little babe. The wooden basket {from Homesense, we actually used this at our wedding for the programs} holds all of our receiving blankets, and I made the ultrasound throw pillow {tutorial HERE}

And what I see when I walk by this room...

Nothing short of dreamy.

Sweet Whimsy Designs: Handpainted Peg Dolls and Nursery Decor #giveaway #sponsor

I'm not even sure how I stumbled across Sweet Whimsy Designs to be honest, but I have been following the amazing artwork of Leandra Sweet for a while now and have been so incredibly impressed with her attention to detail and the care that she puts in to every single set of peg dolls that I knew I needed her to create something amazing for our nursery.

We started talking early this year about my nursery plans, which have all been inspired by Where The Wild Things Are. I love the imagery in the book, and when Leandra said that she had been wanting to play with nesting dolls for a while now, everything fell into place.

Leandra took such a simple, raw idea and turned it into something incredible. Words cannot fully express just how much my husband and I love our Where The Wild Things Are nesting dolls. I am simply amazed by the amount of detail on them, and again, the care that Leandra took when creating them.

She even included a Max peg doll for Big Brother Owen in the package, which he adores and plays with all the time. Such a sweet sentiment, and so incredibly thoughtful of her!

So, what is in the Mom & Baby Giveaway from Sweet Whimsy Designs? A full set of ninja pegdolls!

Have an idea for a set of pegdolls or nesting dolls? Contact Sweet Whimsy Designs and I promise you, Leandra will take your simple ideas and create a masterpiece that will be treasured for years.

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Disclaimer: A huge thank you to Sweet Whimsy Designs for being one of the Mom and Baby Giveaway sponsors. I did not receive compensation for this post, and all opinions expressed are my own.