A Warm Hello

Punches used to create these daisies

Today I have created a card using a new JustRite stamp set "A Warm Hello".  There are nine sentiments and nine frames in this set. The sentiment was die cut using the smallest Spellbinders "Labels Two" die. I built this card around using the new Cheery Lynn "Lattice" die from Joan's Gardens.  I love cards that have a lattice on them and this die is so perfect for creating all types of cards.  I decided to create an overlay for the lattice and die cut an opening with the largest Spellbinder "Labels Two" die.  This piece was then embossed with the Cuttlebug "Swiss Dots" embossing folder.  The lattice was glued to the back of the die cut window.  For the background, I used a piece of designer paper from another one of the new paper pads I just received from Joan's Gardens called "Botanical".  You can see all the new paper pads on Joan's blog.  The lattice was placed at the top of the card then a strip of aqua card stock embossed with an old Cuttlebug embossing border was placed at the bottom of it. 

Five daisy flowers were created.  Each flower has three layers of the punched "Large Daisy" and four layers of the "Medium Sun" for the stamen.   These pieces were all shaped using the Flower Tool Kit.  The leaves are from the Sizzix "Branch w/Leaves #2" die.  They were also shaped before adding them to the card.  The corners are from the new Spellbinder "Floral Doily Accent" die cut set.  A rhinestone was added to the center of each die cut corner.  A pretty silk bow was added to complete this card. 

You can purchase all the products used to create this card from Joan's Gardens.

The Benefits Of Fresh Flowers...Who Knew!

Did you read the article on the benefits of fresh flowers, written by Wendy of the Shabby Nest, in House of Fifty?

Not only do flowers instantly make a room more beautiful, but studies have shown they also increase feelings of well being and decrease anxiety. 

Abbe Fenimore Studio Ten 25

So I say, go out and treat yourself to a beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers this weekend! And if you need any tips for keeping them looking fresh longer, Wendy has some great tips for you here.

To see a collection of rooms made even more beautiful and inviting by the presence of fresh flowers, read my latest Ideabook written for Houzz here.

SNS # 79 showcases farm tables

Mason Bay


Welcome to Saturday Nite Special #79

If you're new here, join in! There are three categories to link to. Home Decor as well as Crafts, Sewing, Recipes, plus the 3rd themed link up which stays open indefinitely. Check below for this weekend's theme.

Party starts Fri night and ends Sunday 11pm pacific, so you have all weekend to join!

I'll be featuring SNS highlights during the weekend on FJI Facebook, so join in and see what they're all saying about your stuff. :)

this weekend's theme

~ farm tables ~

Farm tables hold an earthy quality that is reminiscent of a simpler time.  They're timeless, organic and generally oh so very wonderfully weathered and chippy. :)

Modern Prairie Girl

A bleached toned top is perfectly charming with a fresh white base.

Coastal Living

This unexpected visit of a very chippy rendition certainly takes center stage in an otherwise sea of whites.

Miss Mustard Seed

This little farm table with it's vibrant base is a clever way to naturally bring in an unexpected bright hit of color.

 

 Home Sweet Homemade

And who says farm tables have to be full size? Here's a creative coffee table version.

We all love old doors, so team that up with a table base and you have yourself an instantly authentic farm table.

Mason Bay

And then there's my own version of a farm table desk measuring at a whoppin' 16 feet. It's timeless lines will have this desk stay in style for many years to come.

Got a farm table to show us? 
Link up yours in this weekend's 3rd themed linkup.

~ next up ~

galvanized finishes

*the list is subject to change on occasion

Be sure to check the themed linkups master list to add your newest creations anytime. 
They're always open.
List HERE.

 

~ SNS blah blah linkup rules ~

 Has your link been removed? Please reread the rules and try again! :)

1. Please link up your intended post, NOT your blog homepage url. (post, then click the title of your post, then cut and paste that url)

 2. Please put a link in your post (button or text) that leads back to the party so others can see what's up. (see BUTTONS label under main blog header)

 3. This party is geared for DIY type projects we can all attempt to make ourselves. Items for sale may be linked up IF your entry is posted on your blog and in tutorial style.

4. For Home Decor and Crafts, Sewing, Cooking, please link projects up that are new to SNS and/or within 1 month old. Repeat linkups will be removed.

The 3rd weekly themed link may have older posts and not brand new to SNS and will remain open for your new additions at any time. Click HERE for the main list.

If you can't decide which category to enter yours in, please just pick ONE and go with it. It's all good!

 5. By linking up to SNS, you approve to being highlighted on FJI Facebook, added to the themed linkups and for possible future features on Funky Junk Interiors' blog without additional permission required unless your post states otherwise.

 Come on over and see if we're talking about you this weekend. :)

Life is like a Butterfly

Punches used for flowers

Today I have a card created with a new flower punch from Joan's Gardens.  It is called the Super Giant Lilacs/Daphne.  I am very excited to get this punch because so many times I want to create small flowers for my cards.  I will be creating some different flowers with other pieces from this punch.  

The design paper used is  called "Sparkling Spring" 6"x6" paper stack.  Joan has a lot of new paper pads with such beautiful paper.  Be sure and check them all out on her blog.  On the top of this sheet there is a little verse; part of it reads . . . The butterfly flutters about as if to say "Look at me, am I not beautiful with my new wings?"   I thought this was perfect to go with this stamp from JustRite.  It is from the "Butterfly Gardens" stamp set.  Rhinestones were placed around the border of the sentiment and the center chalked with yellow.  The doily behind the sentiment is another of the new Cherry Lynn doily dies from Joan's Gardens.  It is called "Canadian Kaleidoscope".  You now can order eight different beautiful doily dies from Joan.  

The design paper I used has small pink flowers in each corner and I wanted to make some of them dimensional.  There are three different sizes of the small flower on the mega punch so I created all three sizes to embellishment my card.  The flowers are a pale pink and the stamens are two punched suns out of a darker pink.  The butterflies were punched using the Martha Stewart "3-in-1 Butterfly" punch.  Rhinestones and Stickles were added to the body of each one.  The border around the card was created using the Martha Stewart "Swirling Lace" punch. 

All the products used to create this card can be purchased from Joan's Gardens.  If you don't see something you are interested in, just email or call Joan and she will be happy to help you. She has been working on her new blog appearance to make it easier to find the products you are interested in but she is currently still updating all the info.   Contact information for Joan is on her blog.

This card has been entered on the Embellish Blog for "Square Cards Color Trends Challenge".   Here are the colors to be used:

Thanks for stopping by.    Have a wonderful weekend.

Oh, How These Scenes Inspire Me!

Anna of Black & Spiro...I tell you, I will visit this delightful boutique in person one of these days! Anna has put together another simply gorgeous display. The large scale butterfly fabric hung in the window is just a delight and sets off the bright turquoise lampshade perfectly.

And...Katie Rosenfeld.

The divinely pretty work of designer Katie Rosenfeld has also recently caught my eye. Have you been introduced to her and her work before? If not, visit her here!

What has inspired you lately?

Randomness

First of all, I need to announce the lucky winner of the Pick Your Plum giveaway! That lovely lady is Kristen at kristenmadson (at) gmail (dot) com. (Please email me at thriftydecorchick (at) gmail (dot) com!)

Congrats Kristen! What will you do with that extra $100??

This week I have all kinds of RANDOM running through my head – and some of that random will be spit out onto this post. :)

First of all, there’s that little event called the Royal Wedding. Heard of it? No? You must live under a rock? ;)

I’m not really into all things royal, but I can’t help but get swept up in all of it. I mean, they’re so cute and young and in love (I hope!) – it’s just fun to watch.

Because the ceremony will be held in Westminster Abbey, it has me all nostalgic about our trip to London a lifetime few years ago. There’s so much amazing architecture there, but my favorite place – hands down – was Westminster Abbey.

You can see a peek of it here to the right of Big Ben:

I took that one from the top of the London Eye. (So cool!)

There was a wait to get inside, but when you have this to look at, the wait was fine with me:

The intricacy and detail was astonishing. Just unbelievable.

That domed area under the cross looked like this up close:

It absolutely boggled my mind that this was created about 1,000 years ago (give or take). I find it completely fascinating.

If I remember right, we couldn’t take pictures inside (that may be why I don’t have any!). But I’ll never forget it.

Here’s a photo I found online:

That’s just one small portion of it – it’s about 10,000 square feet. :)

We had an event at a nearby church and I got this picture through a window, with the Abbey in the background:

These are scans of pictures, and I’m SO sad because this photo is in such bad shape. I played around with it in Picnik and that’s as good as I could get it for now.

I can’t wait to see the four hour coverage of the ceremony!! ;) (Set your DVR for early tomorrow morning if you’re interested.)

Onto news around these parts – I FINALLY decided on a sofa for the family room. GoodNESS…it took me a while. I shopped around even more (after my last post), and was thisclose to putting our deposit down on a sofa from Macy’s, but then ended back with this one from Arhaus:

You may remember I originally was going for the slip covered version, but in the end, knowing thyself won out. I KNOW any wrinkles in the cover would have driven me batty. And the cleaner look of this sofa just fits the style of our family room much better.

I’m going with a microdenier fabric – a version of microfiber. And it’s as soft as a bunny’s butt…I’m not even kidding you.

**I’ve never touched a bunny’s butt, but I’m guessing it’s pretty darn soft.

Now…I just need to decide on the color:

I don’t know what’s easier – buying a sofa off the floor (like we’ve always done) and seeing the color on the sofa but not in your house, or being able to take a sample of the color home…without the sofa. ;)

I was planning on going lighter, but I luuuuurve that chocolate color. Hmmm…

Do you have a light sofa? Love it, hate it?

I had a recent hair travesty that I had to share with you all – it was that bad. If you follow me on Twitter, you heard about my very unfortunate hair cut a couple of weeks ago.

I took photos just to show how bad it was. :)

This was the cut from the side (this was just a few hours after the cut):

Isn’t that pretty?? What in the ??????

I was so upset once I realized how bad it was, I ended up cutting off most of the length myself that night.

You know – getting rid of the mullet.

I thought it was looking much better, till I washed it the next day and looked at the back with a mirror:

And then I realized why the hairdresser didn’t show me the back of my hair after the cut. :)

This doesn’t even show how bad it really was. It was destroyed. (And I didn’t cut that part – just the bottom.)

I usually don’t get worked up about this stuff, but this time I was just slightly concerned. :) I wore my hair in a pony for a while, then got it fixed at a very unlikely spot…Big League Barber.

Yes, where my hubby and son get their hair cut. :) One of the girls there had fixed a bad cut before (I have bad luck with hair and cars) and she did such a great job then, I asked for her help again.

I LOVE HER. It’s shorter than it’s ever been now, but I love it!:

Excuse the self portrait taken in a bathroom. :)

Now I think it was all meant to be. And I’m going to keep going back to the stylist at Big League – especially since the cut was only $15!! WHOO!

And finally, we are sending out big prayers to those affected by the recent tornados. As Hoosiers, we’re no strangers to this weather, but the devastation always takes my breath away.

This video will absolutely make you shiver. How terrifying.

As always, you can text “REDCROSS” to 90999 to send a $10 donation. It’s such an easy way to help. Or of course, go to the Red Cross site here to find out other ways to donate.

It sure puts a bad hair cut in perspective, eh?

Praying for everyone!

Now I must end my random thoughts with a message a friend posted on Facebook this morning. It really resonated with me and I wanted to share it with you all:

I don’t know the origin of this poster, but I know I. LOVE. IT. This is my mantra, all wrapped up into a few sentences.

I have a feeling this will be going up on a wall in our house…somewhere. :)

**A lovely Facebook reader said this is the Holstee manifesto. (Thanks Sheila!)

Thanks for listing to random (deep?) thoughts…by Sarah.

Don’t forget about the Before and After Party coming up this Monday! Let’s start May off with a bang! (Post will go up late Sunday evening.)

Have a great one!

Frugal Friday~

Welcome to this week's edition of Frugal Friday! So, who's getting up early (or in my case staying up REALLY late) to watch the royal wedding?

Okay, that really has nothing to do with my Frugal Round-up, I'm just throwing the question out there cuz that's how I roll. ;-)

So without further wedding-related procrastination, here's my Frugal Round-up for this week.

Liz Marie shared her very clever coffee filter lampshade. Too cute for words.

Less That Perfect Life of Bliss shared her lovely French Buffet makeover. I especially liked her "If You Give a Pig a Pancake" style post. So fun.

School Daze shared a scavenged outdoor table that I just love. This is frugality in all its glory.

And finally, Evolution of Style shared her powder room makeover. Loving this stencilled wall.



Now it's your turn! You know "da rules!"

1. Please link directly to your post and not just to your blog.
2. Please link back to The Shabby Nest.
3. Please visit other participants and leave them some comment love!

I reserve the right to remove any post that is not in keeping with the spirit of Frugal Friday including, but not limited to, those posts that link to your link party, your shop or giveaway, and those posts not linking back to the Shabby Nest. Thanks for playing fair!!