All hail the power of Baking Soda!

I have been obsessed with baking soda and all it's many uses for sometime now. My husband has joked about getting me an "I heart baking soda" t-shirt. If he ever actually did...I swear I would wear it! Arm & Hammer has not paid me a dime.... I am just floored by how many uses there are for baking soda. From skin care to toilet cleaning, baking soda is my bff - helping me avoid the costly toxic alternatives! My love affair for the powder started when it dawned on me that I could use it for cleaning the bathroom instead of the pile of sprays and liquids that had my head reeling from the fumes.

Helpful Uses for the Wonder Powder

• Mix with water to form a paste to clean teeth
• Clean counter tops, toilets, tubs and dishes
• Take the itch from pesky bug bites
• Clean silver
• Remove mildew from showers and outdoor furniture
• Remove stains and scuff marks from fabrics and other materials
• Remove burnt food residue from pots and pans
• Cut back on the "wet dog smell" after your dog's bath (sprinkle on and brush off)
• Clean your child's toys safely
• Add it to your diaper pale between smelly poops or sprinkle in the bottom of your regular trash can before adding a new bag. 
• Add to your shampoo for fuller more manageable hair
• Exfoliate your skin
 

Tutorial: Easy (No Sandpaper) Distressed Finish

I was given this blue peg shelf from a fellow vendor at Artique...thanks Meg! I decided it would be a great way to display some things my husband and I have collected from our trips to Maine (we love Maine). The problem: bright blue paint that doesn't go with our bedroom color scheme.

Follow these simple steps to see how I quickly and inexpensively created a distressed look without sandpaper!
 
STEP 1: Apply tan or white based acrylic paint, lightly in scattered uneven strokes, to one area of your work using the the wide part of a foam brush.

STEP 2: Immediately after applying the paint, use a sheet of foam packing material (or another non-absorbent material) to wipe the paint strokes. Be careful to blend the paint into the wood in the direction of the grain. You usually see this material packed around electronics like televisions and printers.

Continue STEP 1 and 2 until the entire surface has been covered. It's important that you do this process in sections, as acrylic paint dries quickly and the blending process must be done before the paint dries completely.

STEP 3: With a sage color acrylic paint (or other color of your preference) use the pointed tip of the foam brush and paint streaks unevenly over the white washed affect. Again, be sure to work in sections. This second coat of paint helps to add some more color depth.

STEP 4: Again before the paint has a chance to dry, use your trustee sheet of foam material and blend and wipe in the direction of the grain.

Repeat STEPS 3 and 4 until the entire surface of your work has been covered.

The Garden At Dusk

A little dusk shooting with my Cannon 20D. I'm still learning about this camera. So much fun to play with.

 

Terrarium Woes

My daughter, my wonderful Ella, was turning one and I was going to throw her the most magically perfect enchanted forest-themed birthday party imaginable...that is until life stepped in and complicated things.  After some pretty time consuming crafting hours were logged and I agonized over all the details I never got to complete, the party needed to be postponed. Ella came down with a pretty high fever the day before the long-awaited day, so we decided to move the gathering to two weeks later.

I had planned to give all the kids their own little terrarium as a thank-you gift for coming to the party. I gathered the glass sauce containers from our recycling, cleaned them, spray painted the lids red, and glued little paper whole punch circles on top so they would look like toadstools. I filled the jars with small stones, a mix of charcoal and soil, laid moss on top, and stuck in little plants (ok...weeds that I pulled from between the bricks on the patio). After I laid out and printed cards explaining how to care for them (haha), I tied them to the jars with twine. I had ten terrariums ready to go when the scheduled party date came and went. Unfortunately, by the time the new party date arrived they had become cute little decorated jars of mush!

At the risk of being cliché…I have a black thumb; I am just not good with plants. I love to admire them but can’t seem to give them the right thing to keep them from turning brown, white, soggy, or crispy.  In my defense, we have a small home and no optimal way to store ten jars of living plants requiring a certain amount of sunlight (it was still too cold to have them outside). Of course, accidentally covering them up with a tablecloth is not a good way to store them. So on the day of the party, all I could do was hang my head in shame as I watched each guest walk out the door without a terrarium.    : (

Determined to make it right (granted, over two months later) I've cleaned out the mushy jars and I'm ready to give it another try. Wish me luck!

Revamped Lamps

This is just a smattering of some of the lamps I have revamped over the last couple of years.

 

I am starting this blog because....

I am fascinated by the world of blogging and the amazing potential it has to inspire incredible ideas. In no other time in history was there the potential to reach and connect with like-minded individuals in such a massive way….or at least not that I know of. That’s like having the potential to brainstorm an idea with the whole world! I must say… we do have the capability of crafting one hell of a space with that much brain power….a global challenge perhaps? 

This idea of joining forces to achieve a like-minded goal began for me in September of 2009, with my involvement in Artique Co-op. Our like-minded goal: to sell crafts and other merchandise in a retail environment. Over 100 vendors share the responsibility of operating the store, which makes nasty things like overhead significantly more manageable. The economy is down, yes, but our will to sell the things we love (art, crafts, antiques, collectibles, and gifts) is stronger than ever! Because of my connection to these amazing people, I have learned so much about myself, life, and crafting. 

I have always had an undying love for design and visual symmetry. Somehow it seems that no matter what circumstances arise in my life I'll always be drawn to design as an outlet for dealing with stress, anxiety, joy, love...the gamut of emotions really. My true passion is finding a way to construct something useful and visually appealing from the once discarded.  In one of my spaces at Artique (Refocused Salvage Designs), I sell eco-friendly décor and accessories made with recycled, reused, and natural materials. In addition to the handcrafted items, the shop features Maggie Bags… a really fun line of handbags and accessories fashioned from factory-rejected seat belts.  I am obsessed with the wine tote in the color Autumn. It’s perfect for carrying my daughter’s toys, diapers, food, or whatever else.

I see this blog as a sounding board for inspiration. Although I hope it will serve as a platform for my opinions and ideas, I in no way claim to know more than anyone. I’d say that I am sort of a wide-range designer, as my background is in media, graphic design, video production, interior design, and retail merchandising. I draw on everything around me for inspiration and just love the idea of an open forum. I am always open to opposing ideas or thoughts, as I feel we all have a necessary role in making our mark. Tell me about your inspirations and opinions and I will post them for the community. My hope is that a lot of really positive ideas will become inspired by this group interaction. Let’s help each other do the things we love in a better more fulfilling way!

Once upon a bird's nest.....

This room, now staged and ready for a new family to make memories, was once a space where I felt the kicks, jabs, taps, and hiccups of my unborn child. In the corner (where the bed currently sits) I held my belly and rocked to the beat of the "Baby Mine" collection contemplating her arrival. Wondering who she... or he (we did not know at the time) would become. From those first moments we had as new parents trying to figure out what to do next, to Ella finding that she had the ability to make noise with her mouth as she cooed endlessly from the comfort of her crib, the memories of this space are vast and etched in our hearts for life. Now, the clutter and personal items have been removed and the walls have been dressed. This space ready for the memories of a new family.

Here is a peak at what it once looked like...

The red fabric horse was a gift from Artique. I made the owl out of felt, buttons, and my coveted 3 yards of Amy Butler Fabric while on a long car ride. There is a baby owl as well, hanging behind the chair...not the best pictures...sorry!

Before: Pictures I took of my daughter Ella at 3 weeks old.  
After: Vintage bird prints purchased at Artique for under $5 each, paired with white-washed Dollar store frames.

1) Revamped lamp, bedspread from another part of the house, hand-me-down night stand, and a copy of Charlotte's web from my childhood.

2) Gorgeous crewel stitched pillow I picked up at a local Flea Market. The blanket was a baby gift from a friend of the family.

3) Bird's nest made from broken milk glass lamp shade and cardboard eggs.