Crafty Friday!

Today's project I actually completed a couple of months ago. It was my first big project and I'm really proud of it. I upcycled an old changing table into a cute dresser.
When my fiance and I moved to VA we had no furniture, so it was my job to furnish the apartment on a budget. There are so many antique/thrift shops in this area so that's where I started my search. I found this changing table for only $65 and it's solid wood! All it needed was some TLC plus some paint and new knobs.

 First, I cleaned with the whole dresser with soap, water, and a wash cloth to remove any debris.

Then I removed the old pulls. I wanted to replace them with knobs so I had to fill the extra hole with wood putty. After that dried I sanded it until it was smooth. Now it's ready to paint.

I decided to do a two tone look with blue and white. I used Valspar satin finish paint from Lowes. It's great because you can get sample sizes (1/2 pint) of paint really cheap.

 I painted the drawers first. It took 2 coats and then a little touch up here and there. The paint dries really fast so it didn't take me very long.
Once the drawers are completely dried you can attach the new knobs. I got these from Lowes as well. They have a really big selection. I used different knobs, but the same style for each drawer. I like when things aren't too matchy-matchy.
Changing out the knobs is the easiest way to update or change the look of your furniture. Pier 1 Imports and Anthropologie also have really great knobs that are vintage inspired.

Next, I painted the frame of the dresser white. It only took two coats! This really surprised me, I was for sure it would take more.
And this is the finished product....for about $85.

(Don't mind the cords! We've since gotten those under control lol.)

I know I didn't use proper furniture painting procedure, but I think it turned out well. So, as long we're happy with it, I don't really think it matters. By the way, it's been about 5 months since I did this project and the paint has held up great!

Amazing Wedding Shoes

I LOVE shoes! And I cannot wait to find my perfect pair of wedding shoes. Now that I have purchased my dress, I know exactly what I'm looking for to compliment it but also stand out. I'm looking for vintage inspired styles in blue. I tried on these beautiful t-strap wedges in peacock blue at David's Bridal but they were on clearance and didn't have my size. So I'll keep looking and hopefully find some that are even better.
Here is some shoe eye-candy for your Wednesday afternoon.

Classic with a twist

Aruna Seth

Mary Kyri

House of Elliot

 All in the details

Pour La Victoire

Badgley Mischka

bridalgownsuk.co.uk

Sparkle

Benjamin Adams

 

David's Bridal

Coast

(Coast offers customizable heels and they are made for dancing so they're extra comfortable)

Pop of color

DSW

Rupert Sanderson

DSW

David's Bridal  (these are on sale for $19.99!)

 

 

 

 

 Flats

Badgley Mischka

 Beholden Bridal

Figgie shoes- handpainted

 

Creative Wedding Alters

As I've mentioned before I want to have an outdoor wedding. This means I will have to come up with a creative design for an alter. Here are 5 of my favorites from around the web.

1. Decorate an outdoor brick fireplace with candles and flowers like this from www.theantiquedoor.blogspot.com. I've also seen this done with picture frames or strands of pearls. This is great because it's unique and you can decorate it with lots of personal touches.

  

2. Antique doors. These doors will definitely add a touch rustic/vintage charm to your ceremony space.

 

 3. Wooden stairs. This is one I've never thought of but it's amazing how adding candles can create a rustic and romantic wedding alter. A big thank you to this wedding from www.stylemepretty.com for giving me some new ideas.

 

4. A big tree. I've mentioned this one on a previous post. But this photo from www.theantiquedoor.blogspot.com a of tree decorated with lanterns and lights is more of what I had in mind. I love this! Everything about it is romantic and whimsical.

5. Curtains. So simple, I know, but a beautiful way to dress up an alter.

The first example comes from www.casasugar.com. Of course I love the lace, but I also adore the flowers and birdcage.

And here's another great alter from www.stylemepretty.com. This alter is so flowy and pretty. And the garland hanging down goes really well with the shear fabric.

These are just a few of the many ways to create a unique and personal wedding alter. Good luck with making your own beautiful ceremony space!

Crafty Friday!

Lately I have been focusing the majority of my time and effort into finding a job, which is why I haven't been blogging. But this week I took a little break to complete a craft project I've been wanting to do for months. It turned out so good, I just have to share!

Now I know most of you have seen the state string art DIY on pinterest. If not, visit http://theharpsterhome.wordpress.com/2011/12/12/heart-in-ohio/. This is where is got the inspiration to make one, except for the state of Florida. I hadn't seen this done yet so I figured I would give it a try.

I changed a few things to make it more personal, so my instructions are a little different.

This is what you'll need:
Piece of wood (I got mine at Micheal's or you can cut your own)
Nails
Hammer
String (I used cording instead because it's thicker and more sturdy)
Burlap
Mod Podge
Print out of your state (http://www.nationalatlas.gov/printable/reference.html#slist)
Pencil
Tape

*Note: I made quite a few mistakes along the way so I included those in notes to hopefully prevent you from doing the same.

Directions:
1. Cover the front of your board in Mod Podge. Place burlap on top and smooth out.
 Note: Make sure to cut your piece of burlap big enough to completely wrap around all the edges. Originally, I was going to cover my board with scrapbook paper, but I couldn't get all the wrinkles out so I used extra burlap I had around the house.

2. Cut out your state template and tape it to the board

3. Draw a heart in pencil around your city.
Note: Make sure your heart isn't too close to the edge of the state. I had to move mine more center and make it bigger.

4. Hammer nails around state border and heart. Be patient, this takes time.
Note: I redid this part a few times. Make sure there's a little space between your nails otherwise they look crooked. Also, make sure you have enough nails, I ended up using smaller nails for the heart because I ran out. 

5. Remove state template.

6. Choose a starting nail and tie your string around it.
Note: I re-wrapped mine a few times until I found what looked best. Since FL is weird shape I found it easier to start at the tip of the panhandle.

7. Wrap string around the adjacent nail and continue until you get close to the heart.
Note: After I wrapped string around the whole state I went back over the panhandle area so that it didn't look so sparse. I ended on the same nail I started with.

8. Now start wrapping your string from the outside nails to the heart nails.

9. After you've completed the whole state, tie your string around the ending nail, and cut off excess.

Note: This last step is optional. It represents the 4 years I was stationed in Jacksonville while my fiance was in Tampa.
10. I put an extra nail over the city of Jacksonville. I used a contrasting red string and wrapped it from that nail to the center of the heart. I did this several times until I had a thick line.

If you have any additional questions, let me know!