FFA Challenge #3

The Evolution of a Room: Part 1

FFA Challenge #3: Pick a Room, Any Room

Today's challenge is to pick a room that you want to focus on.  If you are nervous about it to the point that you don’t think you can go through it then pick a room that not everyone will see all the time.  But don’t be scared!

In challenge #1 you defined what you want your house to FEEL like.
In challenge #2 you defined your style more in depth, and today we are going to start doing stuff!!

Okay so the room I chose for this challenge is my bedroom! I really wanted to tackle my living room but sense that room and the dining area and the kitchen are all pretty much the same room I thought that would be a little too much for me to handle all at once. SO the bedroom it is!!

Here are the BEFORE photos and I hope to have some great AFTERS or at least some DURINGS pretty soon!!

Welcome to my boring bedroom:

Now here are some shots going around the room.

 

A few problems we have is that we live in a 1 bedroom apartment with absolutely no storage, we can't put any holes in the walls for decorations and the dogs kennels have to be in our bedroom.

 

I really love how these pictures make this room look so big! It's awesome; it doesn't feel as big as it looks in person; if that made any sense.

Well that's what I've got so far; check back for updates as the room evolves!

And because I love her; here is a picture of me and my girl Kokua:

FFA Challenge #2

Okay, so for the 2nd FFA Challenge over at Vintage Revivals there is a cool little style quiz at HomeGoods.



I took the quiz and here are my results:

April, You Are A GLAMOROUS CLASSIC

You have a refined sensibility with an appreciation for history and tradition in your furniture and your rooms. You value beauty and craftsmanship. You are visually sensitive and understand how symmetry and a balanced layout give order to a room. But you definitely like to shake things up with some unabashed luxury and glamour to keep things from getting boring. You go for rich materials like velvets, one-of-a-kind objects, lady-like touches, glimmering accessories, and a sense of old-Hollywood romance that makes your home dramatic and elegant.
You value order. You feel happiest if your home is well organized. You understand that when your house is in order, your mind feels clearer. Rather than a lot of meaningless objects or overly-designed items, you are happier with a few well-placed things. Your home is your respite from a busy life. Try to avoid letting things into your home that you don't really love.

Your Happy Home Colors

Putting Color to Use!

Don't forget that color looks best when paired with some neutrals for a little visual relief. If you go wild on the walls or with your upholstery, pull back a little on the rugs or curtains or vice versa. Each room can definitely have its own color palette, but think of your home as a whole, with each room transitioning to the next. Some tricks: go for fairly neutral hues in hallways, or add some colors from one room into the neighboring room, even in the form of accessories or fabrics.

Putting Your Style to Work!

With your style and needs in mind, here are a few tips that will help you make your home a little happier.

1. Your Design Challenge: MAXIMIZEDesign is all about tricks, and with small spaces, the game is to literally trick the eye. Mirrors obviously expand a sense of space, and if possible, place them across from windows so they pick up the light and the outdoors. Leggy furniture gives the illusion of more space, as you can see under it. And, a mix of upholstered and non-upholstered pieces also makes a room feel less dense. Also, consider multi-tasking furniture, like a dining table pushed against the wall—it can be a desk by day and gets pulled out for dinner parties. Or a bedside table big enough to accommodate a chair and function as a desk.

2. Your Happy PlaceThink of your outdoor space, no matter how small, as rooms, and create distinct areas. A pair of chaises flanking a little side table makes a living room. A lantern hanging from a tree or pergola over a table and chairs makes a dining room. A cluster of potted plants on a patio can create a cozy nook, and a single urn or bench placed at the far end can draw your eye, making a space seem longer. Big lanterns with candles sitting on the ground create a sense of space and give beautiful light. Try out new ideas before you start shopping by taking a photo of your area and laying some tracing paper over the print to draw whatever you're planning first.

3. Be Party-Ready All the Time!Scent: The first thing you notice about a home is how it smells. Use naturally fragrant cleaning products. If you find a scented candle or fresh potpourri you love, stock up on it. Any scent you like, whether perfume or linen spray, can be used on upholstery, bedding or just spritzed into the air.

Mood: Nice, flattering light makes us feel good. So nix the harsh, direct light from overhead fixtures in favor of the softer glow from floor and table lamps. Also, stock up on some votive candles and a couple of hurricane lanterns for setting around the room.

Food: Devote space in your pantry or on a shelf for go-to party essentials: crackers, dip, chips, nuts—whatever you like to serve. Keep on hand a collection of attractive bowls and cocktail napkins, and you'll be able to set a spread—instantly!

Drink: The simplest and chicest thing is to have a drinks tray or table always set up. Include a mix of pretty glasses, an ice bucket, a lovely pitcher, and bottles of soda and water. When the bell rings, just add ice and limes.

Take the quiz for yourself HERE!

Super Cool Site!

Are you wanting to paint a room in your house or even the outside of your house but can't decide on the color? Take this site for a test drive: https://secure.olympic.com/colorclix/colorclix-online

I was in reader one day looking through my unread blog posts and came across a post about ColorClix. I wish I could remember who posted it so I could link you to her site but I can't remember.

She was trying to chose paint colors for her daughters room and used this tool to help her. Of course I wanted to try it so I uploaded a photo and in about 5 minutes had awesome new paint on the walls.

The before is a photo I took of our old place.

Wow! I know those colors aren't for everyone and I probably wouldn't seriously do that exactly but man, I wish I could have painted that place! I do really love that GREEN!

And here is a house I found on the MLS that is for sale. I think they needed a little color to all that grey.

I think I prefer this house green.

Anyway.... I had fun playing on this site and just thought you might too. LATER GATOR!

FFA Challenge #1

I decided to join a club! FFA over at Vintage Revivals.

So for the FIRST CHALLENGE:

Today you get to write about YOUR personality traits. What are some of your favorite things about yourself?

And decide how you want your home to feel.

I think my favorite trait about myself is that I am a happy person and always positive. That is how I want my home to feel; happy, cheerful and welcome to anyone. I want to feel a positive energy when you walk through the door but calming and peaceful as well. I am unique and not afraid to be daring which is reflected in the way I dress and the fact that my hair style/color changes with the seasons.

I wish I had the same confidence when I decorate my home because I do not want my home decor to look safe and boring I want to take risks and be daring. I am so ready to get away from the safe dull colors I am surrounded by now. I love bright bold patterns and colors but you wouldn't know it by walking into my home and it's starting to drive me nuts! I live in an apartment which can be very restricting when it comes to decorating, I can't even put a hole in the wall to hang a photo. This place also has about zero storage; so that has been a hard battle to fight. I hope these challenges can be a catalyst in helping me break free from the decorating rut I am in.

This challenge already was awesome in helping me work through my foggy brain to find out what I really want!

I hope this blog can be a resource for other apartment dwellers just like me wishing they had their very own walls to splatter paint at. But alas; the walls will stay forever cream...... and it's not the end of the world, there are plenty of other things I can do to make this place awesomely mine! I hope you stay with me for the journey.

Sunbeam Play Dough: a Recipe

For anyone that reads this blog that doesn't know what a Sunbeam is; no it is not a beam or ray of sunlight. In our church the Sunbeams are the children age 3 that will turn 4 in the coming year. This year is the first year they are out of Nursery and in Primary with all the other big kids. They are the cutest and best class on the planet! I get the opportunity every Sunday to be in the Sunbeam class with another teacher and we get to teach this great group of kids. There are 8 kids in our class and I wanted to do something special for the kids on their birthday. The only guidelines I wanted to follow were:
1. Quick
2. Easy
3. Inexpensive
The kids are 4 so this shouldn't be too hard right? But with my lack of experience and having no kids myself I didn't quite know what I should do. So I asked a girl at work who in my opinion is awesome with kids and she has four of her own that were 4 once; what would a 4 year old like to get for their birthday that fits my requirements?
PLAY DOUGH!

And from there it was just too dang easy! I pulled out the book, threw together some dough, got a ton of pretty awesome cookie cutters, made a few tags and I am ready for the year baby!!
The first child's birthday was last week so I had to get on this little project pretty quick. I decided to go ahead and make all the tags at once so I have them all and they will be ready when I need them. This will totally come in handy if I forget a birthday is coming up and don't have time to recreate this on the computer. I love it when I think ahead.

Aren't these just so stinking cute, I love it when an idea in my head comes out so well in real life! I decided to use some Mod Podge to glue the label to the jar so it would stick like a real label.
The play dough recipe I have makes a ton of play dough so I only made a quarter recipe and also made it bright blue for Andrew.

Play Dough @ Max Power                          Recipe @ 25%

1 1/2 C. Salt                                                 1/4 C. + 2 T. Salt

5 C. Flour                                                     1 1/4 C. Flour

1/4 C. Oil                                                     1 TB. Oil

2 TB. Cream of Tartar                                 1 1/2 tsp. Cream of Tartar

2 3/4 C. Boiling Water                                 1/2 C. + 3 TB. Boiling Water

Food coloring (optional)                              Food coloring (optional)

Combine salt and flour in a large bowl and mix.

Add oil and cream of tartar.

If desired, add food coloring to boiling water; then pour water into salt mixture.

Mix completely and knead into dough.

Add more flour as needed until dough has reached desired consistency.

Store in an airtight container or bag. (In my case a darling birthday jar.)

 

The only thing left to do now is decide what cookie cutters you want to give away. This was the most difficult part for me because they were all so stinking cute! My advice for anyone wanting to do a project like this, buy a pack for you and a pack to give away. I got this awesome pack of animals at JoAnn's and was able to use my 50% off coupon. Talk about a steal, it was fantastic! Andrew ended up getting a dinosaur and a I believe this one was the cow.

I'm so happy I've got an entire year of Sunbeam birthdays planed and ready to go; the only thing left to do now is wait for May when the next birthdays roll around!

PS: If you would like this gift tag/label shoot me an email: abenchproduction {at} gmail {dot} com and I will be happy to whip it up for you! :) Below is one I made for my niece's birthday coming up.

2012 To Do List & FREE PRINTABLES

Do you like to do lists? I love them! I especially like to use them to stay organized and have a place to jot down ideas I have that I want to blog about.

While surfing blogland I found this awesome calendar that I love done by The Tomkat Studio.

I just love the colors and the font and the simplicity of it. What can I say, I have a thing for cute calendars! I also have a thing for to do lists :) So I used the calendar for inspiration. I pretty much wanted a to do list that matched exactly. It took a lot of trial and error and a lot of scanning the millions of fonts on my computer; I don't have the exact same font she used but what I used is close enough for me. And this is how it turned out:

I love them they are just perfect!
I also created a regular to do list for anyone that would like to have one of those as well. I like to hang these on the fridge for the grocery list or whatever else I don't want to forget.

(Sorry, not sure what happened to the green one in the preview but the lists match the colors in the calendar.)

These were all designed to fit a 5x7 size page. The easiest way to print the PDF is to select the "Multiple pages per sheet" option in the Page Scaling drop down:

Then just cut them out and use as needed! I'm going to put mine in a little planner I'm making with the calender from The Tomkat Studio. Maybe I will show that on the ol blog a little later.... I'll have to write that down so I don't forget!

HAPPY 2012!! Here's to staying organized!

to download the calendar go HERE!
to download the things to blog about list go HERE!
to download the to do list go HERE!

ps: I love your feedback; if you download any of my free printables leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

Personalized Door mat: a Tutorial

Whokay, so I'm back from a like year long hiatus :)

I got promoted at my work last December and sense then I have had little time to blog BUT part of a new year resolution is to make time to blog. I have several projects I did last year that I have wanted to post but never got around to it.

So to start the year off, I wanted to post a cool project I did for my uncle's wedding gift. Okay so don't laugh at me but now that I think of this I actually did this project in October of 2010. Wow so the time sure flies by pretty quick! 

My uncle was married on October 10th, 2010. On their invitation they had this cute little 10.X.10 thing so I really wanted to add it to the gift.

Supplies needed:

Door mat-Walmart like 10 bucks

Black paint

Stencil brush 

I searched Word for the perfect font for the T and this curvy one is what we liked best! My mom is really good at drawing and I knew I would totally screw it up so I had her draw the T onto the mat so I could fill it in with the paint. This would be a lot easier if you could print the letter and trace around it but at the time we did not have access to a printer, just the computer screen to copy from. We tried chalk first so the outline could easily be brushed off, it was a mess and was hard to see. I would suggest to go ahead and use a marker or pen, you will paint over it anyway.

Once we had the outline done it was easy to start filing it in with paint.

You need the stencil brushes to get the paint in all the cracks, using the largest brush made it so easy and very quick to complete.

Once we had the circle done around the letter we let it dry a bit before adding a second coat just to make sure it is nice and black.

Adding the little 10.X.10 symbol was really easy to free hand using a smaller size brush. After it was completely dry I rolled it up and attached the card. It really didn't take that long to dry, maybe a half an hour but if you have more time give it longer before you roll it up.

They loved it and I'm really glad I was able to give a personalized gift that is also very functional.

I'll be back soon with more really great projects I completed last year as well as new ones from this year!

I have a couple BIG projects this year and I can't wait to tackle them this spring!!!