I've Moved!

Hey Guys! I've moved. Come visit my new website:
christinawilliamsblog.com

This site will remain open as an archive, but I won't be updating it any longer. Drop by my new site for new projects and some old favorites!

Moving!

Hi Friends!
I know it's been ages since I've updated my blog.
That's because I'm moving. I'm finally making the leap to my very own website.
Can't wait to show you what I've been working on. The new site launches next week.
Stay tuned!

xo
christina

DIY Striped Straw Necklaces

A few weeks ago, my friends at Party Pail sent me a challenge: choose some of their party supplies and make a craft project with my kids. I did my best Barney Stinson impression when I replied, "Challenge accepted!" Although, I had absolutely no idea how I'd meet this challenge. I mean, there are only so many variations on paper plate masks, right?

A few days later, something reminded me of these paper bead necklaces my sister and I used to make from old magazine pages. Basically, you cut the pages into long, thin triangles, and wind each triangle around a toothpick and glue it. When it dries, you have a colorful tube-shaped bead. We made hundreds of those beads. It was my goal not to let any magazine go wasted. I bet my mom loved having bags of those paper beads allllll over the house. Twenty-some-odd years later, I'm still making things…so I guess nothing really changes.

When I thought of those beads, I realized it was the solution to my crafting challenge: Let's just cut up some striped straws to make tube-shaped beads. It's simple and colorful, and kid-friendly. So these necklaces were born of a crafting challenge combined with a memory of my childhood hobby (which may have seemed like hoarding at one point).



Want to make some necklaces of your own? You probably have most everything you need hanging around the house. Yarn, tape (not pictured), scissors (also not pictured), wooden beads (we used a combination of these round beads and these cube beads), a handful of striped straws (Party Pail gave us the orange, pink and green ones for this project), and a clip of some sort (or anything else you can attach to the end of the yard to keep the beads from falling off).

 Step 1: Cut up the striped straws. I didn't measure exactly, but each straw made about 10 beads.

Step 2: Tape one end of the yarn like the end of a shoelace. This makes threading easier for small fingers. Next, attach the clip to the opposite end of the yarn to keep beads from sliding off while you're working.

Step 3: Start stringing your necklace. Charlotte loved making up different patterns and she named each design. One was called "cotton candy" another was "pink lemonade" and one was the "unicorn necklace," of course. Once you're done beading the necklace, tie the ends together with a square knot, and cut off all but about .5" excess yarn. You can easily tuck the ends into one of the straws to hide them.

That's it. Now throw on a necklace (or six) and hit the town. We made necklaces for our stuffed animals, for our friends and neighbors and we still have plenty of supplies to pull out for our next play date.

A Happy Living Room

The nice folks at Chairish recently invited me to put together a style board using one of their accent chairs. I love interiors. I love style boards. And I love, love, love Chairish. But let me tell you something: I don't know what I'm doing. I don't have special training, I don't even know what centuries of furniture work well together. Sure, I've designed a couple kids' rooms…but those are for my own kids. So I'm pretty sure that doesn't count.

I know what I like, and I put it all together. And it sort of works. For me, at least. I mean it probably doesn't technically work. But this is a room I could be very happy in and I  believe that's what our homes should be. A collection of things that make us happy. A place where we can be comfortable being ourselves.

Here's the living room scenario I put together. It all started with the sexy pink chair up top. She's outfitted in hot pink tweed and she's got fantastic legs. Then I remembered this artist that I recently fell in love with, and the rest just sort of happened. My favorite rooms have more of a "collected" feel. That collection is built over a lifetime, and each piece has a story--the sunburst clock you got from your grandmother; the terrarium your kids made you for mother's day; and that perfect piece of artwork you bought in college and moved all over the country just because you knew you couldn't live without it.

I love the young, fresh, happy feel of this room. I'm quite certain many of these pieces will eventually find their way into my own living room. Especially that side table…so nobody buy it before I get to it, or I'll put you on my bad list. It's not a good place to be. I promise you that. But if you happen to snag it before I do, congratulations. All is fair in love and living rooms, I guess.

And for those of you interested in a source list. Here you go:
Pink Chair
Fringed Pillow
White/Gold Lamp
Sunburst Clock
Gold Foil Pillow
Artwork
Turquoise Framed Mirror
Light Blue Sofa
Terrarium
Brass Side Table
Hive Vases
Zebra Pillow
Coffee Table
Rocking Chair

Recent Print Projects

I've been busy with print projects lately, so I thought I'd share some of them here so you can see what I'm doing when I'm not playing with my kids or blogging. This week's round-up is a selection of business cards and promotional materials I've done recently.

First up, a new business card for the creative ladies at Crave Interiors. For their cards, I went with clean lines to reflect their crisp, fresh aesthetic. These cards have a matte finish, which is a sophisticated alternative to traditional glossy cards. The Crave team headed off to market recently and I can't wait to see what they're going to do next.

Next up is a business card for Capital Fund Law Group. I'm a huge fan of matte finish; so this one got the same treatment. This card is single-sided with a subtle watermark in the corner to reflect the logo. I also did a coordinating letterhead and email signature for him, too. I'm always amazed at how much information can fit on one tiny piece of paper. (And just FYI, I blurred part of his email address above, since it's not listed on his website.)

Here's a custom thank you note I designed for Dr. Jordon Green. On the inside, there's a little message thanking patients for referring friends and family to the office. I wish I could say I designed the logo, because it's awesome…but I didn't. I've been taking on quite a few medical and dental projects lately. I love it. And it's always a good reminder to floss. :)


And last, here's a little collection of promotional goodies I put together for my most recent trip to Alt Summit. I wasn't sure what I'd do with the roll labels when I ordered them, but I've always wanted them. And guess what? I use them for everything. I put them on the back of the mini notepads I made to give out with my business cards. I put them on the back of the merchandise in my etsy shop; and I use them for return address stickers on my shipments. They're perfect and versatile and I love them. And don't even get me started on those customized golf pencils. In my book tiny = cute, so these babies are clear winners.

And now I have a confession: I have four different sets of business cards. Four. It's practically a lifetime supply of business cards. But in my line of work, having an excessive amount of business cards is probably normal. Right? Of the four designs, these are my favorites. They're a silk laminated card with a spot UV treatment. It's kind of hard to see the spot uv in this photo, but take a look here to see the shiny hearts on the back. And the silk lamination adds a great, velvety smooth feel to the cards. Next time I see you, just ask and I'll let you stroke one of my business cards. You know you want to.

Well, that's it for this week's show and tell. But that didn't even make a dent in the pile sitting on my desk. So stay tuned. I'll be back later to geek out over more paper goods.

Orange Recipe Cards

Introducing the latest addition to my recipe card collection!

The newest card features a hand-drawn basket weave design, and the photo features our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. :)

Sets of 25 cards now available in the shop. 

Life Lessons I Learned at Alt Summit

When I had the chance to attend the first-ever summer session of Alt Summit last week, I jumped all over it. While the winter and summer events are very similar, the summer version seemed more low-key. It was a smaller group, and had a relaxed feel to it. I had a great experience both times, so it's impossible to choose a favorite. My trips to Alt helped me to remember some important life lessons:

1. There is not one right way to do things. Shortly after I had my first baby, I realized there's no one right way to do things: Cloth diapers or disposables? Formula or breast feeding? Co-sleeping or cry-it-out? Every parent and every baby is different. It was a very grown-up moment for me when I realized I get to choose what's best for me. I was reminded of this lesson both times I attended Alt. The same idea applies to blogging: some people blog for fun, others for business. I'm in the middle somewhere. I love the relationships I've made as well as the opportunities that have come my way through blogging. It's what keeps me coming back. But it can't be my focus right now. And that's ok. I'm spread thin between family and home and design work. A big thumbs up to those bloggers who can maintain their family life and manage to publish blog posts daily. I can't. And it's ok. It's liberating to accept my limitations and take things at my own (snail's) pace rather than comparing myself to others.
2. People like people who like them. Meeting new people is always awkward for me. The key is realizing that it's awkward for many others, too. If you're constantly waiting for someone else to make the first move, chances are you'll be disappointed. So take control of the situation and say hello. Just be nice, be yourself, and be interested in what the other person has to say. Soon the awkwardness is over and you're on your way to making a friend. Occasionally, awkwardness prevails, and there's just no connection there. So brush it off and keep going. You're not out anything to try. And guess what? It gets easier the more you do it. The genuine connections that happen as a result of your efforts will be absolutely worth the awkwardness you endured to get there.
3. Quality over quantity. This lesson can be applied to many aspects of life as well as blogging. I'm going to apply it to both blogging and meeting people. Perhaps it's just my way of justifying not posting every day, but it's true: nobody wants to read a half-hearted, thrown-together post. So take your time producing quality content. You'll feel better about putting great stuff out there and your readers will know they can count on you for only the best. As for meeting people, take point #2 above, and remember it's quality over quantity. You may burn through 500 business cards in one conference, but how many of those people did you truly connect with? Your time is better spent focusing on quality relationships versus a multitude of superficial ones. So when meeting people, pace yourself. Establish relationships, and everyone wins
4. Be yourself. This is likely something you've been told your whole life. I have. But it's also one of the hardest things to master. This was my main focus going into my second trip to Alt. Before the winter session, I carefully planned my outfits based on what "they" would like. I practiced my elevator pitch and thought up questions to ask my new acquaintances…all of which are probably normal when approaching a new uncomfortable situation. Despite all of my preparation, I didn't feel like myself. I was trying too hard. This time around I didn't really even think about my outfits until the last minute. (Maybe not the best idea). But I dressed like myself. I was comfortable physically, which boosted my confidence. I talked to people like I talk to my lifelong friends. No rehearsing or planning ahead; it was much easier this time around.
5. Always keep learning. Whether you step out of your comfort zone and attend a big conference, or you just watch some YouTube tutorials on a new hobby you're interested in, learning is wonderful. Never stop. Knowledge is a gift; and we're so lucky we live in a time where we have such easy access to incredible things. Keep learning and exploring the world around you. Only good things can come from it.

I need to send out a BIG thank you to my parents. Thanks for taking my little friends so I could focus and learn new things knowing that my kids were in good hands. It's always nice to take a break from full-time parenting. And my kids thank you for all the yummy snacks and fun activities. Grandparents are awesome. Thanks, Bryce, for supporting all my crazy schemes and for keeping me laughing along the way. Thanks to all of you, new and old friends, for liking me just the way I am. Big hugs all around.

P.S. The little notepads and pencils were in the little business card goody bags I made for Alt. The extras will be sent along with orders from my Etsy shop as a little surprise gift. :)

Rad Dad Printable Cards

Father's Day is on Sunday. Are you ready to knock his socks off? Donut breakfast in bed? Family water balloon fight? A super-neat new necktie? How do you tell him he's the apple of your eye? However you show him your love, add to it with this simple printable card. Print one for each of your kids and let them color in a fun background to snazz it up a bit. Or put some coupons inside for a trip to his favorite movie theater, a sleep-in Saturday, or an outing to his favorite fishing hole.

Show that Dad in your life how much you love him with some heartfelt words. Some dads are tricky to shop for, but a love note goes a long way. Even if Dad's a regular old tough guy, he likes to know you think he's super rad. 

Download the printable file here.

Summer List Updates

Today's the first day of summer vacation. I'm actually feeling good about summer this year. This is the first June in a couple years that we're not doing a long-distance move; staying in one place feels awesome. I've got a couple tricks up my sleeve to keep the kids learning and having fun, as well as preserving my sanity. A couple of these tricks are new, and some are tried-and-true traditions.

One of those traditions is attempting to complete all the activities on both of the Summer Lists I wrote. The first list is from way back in 2011, and the second one is from 2012; my kids ask me to print them out every summer. We all still enjoy doing the activities on the lists. And that makes me happy.

Something that doesn't make me happy, though, is that horrible font I used on that first summer list. Just terrible. In my defense, 2011 was the year the vintage typewriter look had a special place in my heart. It's truly only acceptable when used in (very) small doses. And I just splashed it all over the place--just thinking about the lack of restraint makes me cringe.


Another thing that makes me cringe? The way I used to deliver my printable files to you guys. I misplaced one of my files recently, and went to get it from the link I shared with you years ago. It was a nightmare trying to get to it. Not good.

To make up for the ugly font and the ridiculous printable run-around, I've given that first list a makeover. The content is still the same. It just looks better. I've outfitted it with a snazzy new color way, as well added a black and white option so you can print on colored paper like I did up above. I've tossed all those summer lists into my dropbox of printable files, which is much more user-friendly. The second list is still the same (as it's not currently offending my aesthetic sensibilities). But maybe one of these years I'll get sick of it…you never know.

I'll be back soon with some of the other summer fun we're cooking up around here. Of course, everything is very last minute. Really, though, would you expect anything different from me?

Here's an easy link to my new, improved printable files:

Summer List 1 (color)
Summer List 1 (b/w)

Summer List 2 (color)
Summer List 2 (b/w)

And Happy Summer Vacation!

Big Kid Bedroom

Hi guys! I'm so excited to share this room with you. I feel like I've been working on this project for ages, and it's finally done! Hip, hip, HOORAY! I teamed up with my friends at The Land of Nod to create this fun room for my 8-year-old. Many of you know I've been writing for their blog for a couple years now, and it's no secret that I love everything Nod. I've been a customer for years, so working with them is really a dream come true.

In order to keep the nice folks at the FTC happy, I need to tell you that my friends at Nod gave me some of the things for Hudson's room. Most of the items we bought with our very own money; but I'll denote everything below in my sources so you don't feel misled. Now that I've jumped through that pesky disclosure hoop, let's move onto the fun stuff:

My son's name is Hudson. He loves sports, science, Legos and the color red. We've lived in our new home for almost a year now, and I've been flitting from room to room working on project after project. Hudson waited so patiently while I tackled other projects, like his sister's room, until it was finally time to turn my full attention to his room. 

You may remember the inspiration board I created several months ago. I stayed pretty true to the board, but added a few things as I went along. Sometimes I feel like kids rooms are a little too theme-y for my tastes. Don't get me wrong--I've seen some fantastic theme rooms. Like many kids though, mine are interested in so many things, and their interests change. So rather than locking onto one distinct theme for this room, I let Hudson be the "theme" of his room. This room is a pretty accurate reflection of his personality and the things that are important to him. And that makes me happy.

Legos are the bees knees right now. Have been for several years. I first realized we had a problem when I couldn't take two steps in the same direction without stepping on a handful of those delightful tidbits. I saw this fantastic organizing system on Pinterest and knew right away it was The One. It's just an IKEA system with some labels on the drawers. But it definitely does the trick.

Santa made the Lego table for Christmas, and I hear it was the easiest DIY ever. One IKEA table + 3 Lego pads + Spray Glue. You get the idea. It took about five minutes to get a perfectly customized lego table. I made both the bulletin board and the shelf (tutorials coming soon!). I realized the shelf was a necessity when the younger kids and their friends started destroying some really time-consuming projects. Now Hudson can display his creations without constant fear of a Natural Disaster (i.e. Little Brother) while he's at school. 

I love this scene so much. I took most of these photos while Hudson was at school, but then realized I didn't get a good shot of the dresser. I ran back up to take more photos in the afternoon and saw this little rock shop he'd set up. So pardon the mess, but it's just too sweet to take down. The green sign reads: "Last Day of the Rocks and minerals shop. Free touching." So hurry on over if you want to touch some rocks. It's free, you know.

Some of my favorite accessories are flea market finds. Hudson has loved bowling since he was tiny. And the tennis racket was from the time I took him on a little date to the Alameda Flea when we lived in California. He picked up this blue racket and I just couldn't say no. When we got home, I realized it had an "H" on the strings. It was meant to be.

Also, I think it's fun to see how this paint looks different in every photo. The two photos above were taken at the same time of day, but on adjacent walls. Sometimes the paint looks blue and other times it looks gray. Once after I'd just finished painting the room, I stood in the corner comparing two walls for about five minutes because they looked so different. It was at this time I realized two things: 1. I really like this paint color, and 2. I'm undeniably a complete nut job.

I firmly believe eight is the perfect age. He's grown up enough to be semi-responsible and super fun to talk to; yet still sweet and cuddly and secretly still likes his teddy bear. If I could freeze him right now I would.

The two "posters" above his bed are actually just wrapping paper sheets from Paper Source. They were five bucks each, and they're absolutely perfect. He's got a Minecraft poster he's dying to get up on that wall…so I imagine the poster spot will change frequently.

The headboard (below) is one of the details I added as we went along. It just sort of happened and I couldn't be happier about it. I found this incredible local shop that's kind of a mix between a flea market and an up-cycling shop. The headboard is actually made from a 1940's bowling lane. I told them what I had in mind and they made it happen. Even down to the exact size and finish color I wanted. I'm thrilled.

Now hanging this bad boy was another story. I didn't realize the bowling lane headboard would be so heavy…so I had to find two studs and use a french cleat and make sure the whole thing was level, and most importantly, safe. After a pep talk from my dad, a new drill bit and a lot of cursing under my breath I did it. I've never felt so victorious in my life. The thing is on there rock solid and completely level (despite my crooked photo). I may have done the running-man down the hallway immediately after I hung the headboard. But don't worry, there are no witnesses (that I know of).

So there it is! Hudson loves his room, and I'm so happy with the way it turned out.

Here's a lengthy list of the items I used in this room…but let me know if I missed anything:

Land of Nod Products:
items they gave me are marked with an *

• Meteorite Quilt
• Robot Sheets
• Quilted Moving Sham - Orange
• Gummy Bear Night Light*
• Light Blue Meteorite Sham*
• On the Grid Nightstand
• Bubble Clock*
• Metal Letter H*
• Black Stripe Teepee
• Planets Science Banner*
• Orange Canvas Bin
• Monster Storage Bin

Other Items:

• Headboard - custom made by Fantastic Mr. Finds
• Robot Print
• Bicycle Print - sold out
• Silhouette Canvas (DIY)
• Globes - vintage
• Bowling Pin & Tennis Racket - thrifted
• Shelf Brackets - custom made by Etsy Seller Designs2Create
• Constellations Wrapping Paper, Periodic Chart and Hemisphere Map (bulletin board background)
• Lego Table
• Lego Storage
• Bulletin Board (DIY - tutorial coming soon).
• Shelf  (DIY- tutorial coming soon)
• Paint color - Benjamin Moore Silver Gray

Mother's Day Gifts + Garden Tribe Giveaway

Hi Guys! Remember that time I practically wrote a love letter to Baylor Chapman about The Plant Recipe Book? Well, that very same day the nice folks at Garden Tribe emailed me with great news. I don't, in fact, have to wait till my next trip to San Francisco to take a class from Baylor. They offer an online class called Party Plants, (pictured above) taught by Baylor herself. Best news ever.


Because they're so kind, they let me take the class for free! It was about 30 minutes long, and came with a bonus class called Party Gifts, which inspired all of my Mother's Day gifts this year (pictured in this post). During the class, I learned several mind-blowingly simple tricks to make planting and caring for my plants so much easier. And I watched Baylor put together a sensationally cool centerpiece that sits right on the table. She also demonstrates how to moss-wrap plants, which opens up all sorts of gifting and displaying possibilities. The only problem is that I just can't get enough.


I took my two younger kids out shopping today…first to my favorite consignment shop looking for new containers and then to my new favorite nursery--Millcreek Gardens. I'm so excited to have such a great resource close by. Seriously, if you're local, check them out. They have everything you need to make the incredible centerpiece Baylor demonstrates in the class. I'm so excited. I'm currently scheming up a dinner party just so I have an excuse to make a centerpiece.


Garden Tribe is giving away a free Party Plants class to one of you! Enter for yourself, or give it to your mom for Mother's Day! And if you don't win, definitely think about giving the class to your Mama for her special day. It makes a fantastic gift…you don't have to ship it, and she doesn't have to put it away somewhere. Everybody wins.

I'm going to make this giveaway a quick one, so I can notify the winner before Mother's Day. That way you'll have the option of giving the class to your mom. But I wouldn't blame you if you want to keep it for yourself. ;) The giveaway closes at 10:00 pm Saturday, and I'll notify the winner Saturday night.

Just hit up the Rafflecopter widget below to enter:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pop of Color + Wayfair Giveaway

I met the nice folks from Wayfair at Alt Summit earlier this year; and I'm so excited to be one of their new Homemakers. That's a fancy way of saying I'm a contributor for their blog. I jumped at the chance when they invited me to participate in their Pop of Color campaign. Here's how it works: They sent me a $100 gift card to pick out something colorful for my home. My end of the bargain is that I get to show you before and after pics of how I added some color to my home, and tell you a little bit about my shopping experience. Pretty awesome, right? And even better: I get to give one of you lucky readers a $100 gift card of your own. More on that later.

We bought our first home nearly a year ago. It's been so much fun (and overwhelming at times) making this house our home. Sometimes I feel like I'm making no progress at all. Then I look back on the before pictures I saved from the real estate listing and it makes me feel better. The above photo is what the living room looked like when we toured the house last April.

And here it is today! I'm still not done, but I feel like I'm making some strides in the right direction. We toned down some of the browns in the room by swapping the orangey beige paint for a blueish grey, replaced the wooden shutters with crisp, clean white ones and then started adding some personality.

When I first heard about the Pop of Color project, I knew right away that I wanted to tackle the little bay window area. Early on, I'd bought those two turquoise swoop chairs, and then I got stuck. So I took this as a personal challenge to get back to work. 

I wanted a little round table to go between the chairs, to make a little "conversation nook" of sorts, and some colorful pillows to tie it all together. I kept my search at Wayfair mainly to end tables and pillows so I didn't get distracted. Here are a few of the items I considered: 

Iveta Abolina Feathered Arrows Pillow  |  Safavieh Janika End Table

Bartel End Table  |  Garima Dhawan Throw Pillow

Khristian A Howell Nolita Drops Pillow  |  Safavieh Juliet End Table

Zada End Table  |  Young Buck Pillow

I ultimately decided on the red table. It's been in and out of my shopping cart for a couple months now. My main hangup was the color--I not usually a red person…but since this challenge is about adding color, I thought I'd give it a whirl. I've been shopping at Wayfair for ages. They have a huge selection, but their search is so easy to navigate. For this order I just typed in "end table" to the search box, then refined my search by shape so I wouldn't have to sift through products I wasn't interested in. Easy peasy. The only problem is that I couldn't stop thinking about those feathered arrow pillows. So I bought them the next day. They're perfect and I love them, plus free shipping never hurts my feelings.

So there you have it. I'm still on the hunt for the perfect coffee table and a couple more chairs, along with the right accessories to finish off the room…but that'll come in time. For now, I'm thrilled with the progress we've made in our first year.

Now the fun part for you! One lucky reader will win a $100 gift card to Wayfair. Here's how to enter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The bad news: The giveaway cannot include entries from Rhode Island, New York and Florida. It's crummy, but those states have extra rules we can't stick to during this campaign…so sorry!

And here's some additional fine print:
No purchase necessary. By leaving a comment you agree to the rules of this sweepstakes. Each comment to this post equals one entry and must include a name and valid email address to be eligible. A comment must link to a product from Wayfair.com to be considered for this sweepstakes. One entry per household. Limited to entrants over 18 in the US and Canada, residents of Florida, New York, and Rhode Island are ineligible to enter. Contest begins as of the time of this post and ends on SUNDAY, MAY 4, 2014 at 10:00 PM, MST. The winner will receive a Wayfair gift card/promo code, a retail value of $100 US. The number of eligible entries received will determine the odds of winning. All comments will be numbered in the order they are received and the winner will be chosen randomly by Christina Williams using the Random Number Generator at random.org.  Winner will be notified by email at the address given in their entry and must respond within 72 hours to receive their prize. If the winner does not respond within that time, a new winner will be chosen. The prize will be provided by Wayfair.com. Christina Williams is not responsible for any problems with receipt of the prize. This contest is governed by the rules of Massachusetts, void where prohibited. This sweepstakes is sponsored by Wayfair LLC, 177 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA, 02115.

The Plant Recipe Book

My friends over at Artisan Books sent me a copy of Baylor Chapman's gorgeous book entitled The Plant Recipe Book so I could take a peek. (While they did send me the book for free, the opinions are my very own…just in case you were wondering). Now back to the book: it is filled with gorgeous photos, inspiring projects and completely do-able instructions. I was so excited about all the possibilities that I drug my family all over town hunting for unusual planters.

The book guides you in planting 40 popular, easy-to-find plants on their own, then proceeds to arrange that same plant type “With Company,” and then reveals some show-stopping “Special Occasion” recipes. Some traditional vessels and methods are used, but so are less conventional ones, like window shutters, wooden boats, and planting under glass (perfect for coffee tables). The transformation of everyday household objects into containers is ingenious: think light fixtures and tote bags as pots, and upside-down jars as terrariums. And because they are living and durable, they can serve statement pieces that can decorate your home for months or even years.

One of my favorites is an arrangement that appears to sit directly on the table. Genius. I cannot wait to whip that one out for a dinner party centerpiece. I'm also going to try the living wreath that I've been intimidated by for years. This book definitely gave me a boost of green-thumb confidence. 

Now for a little show-and-tell. I was so excited by the book, that I created a few arrangements of my own. I definitely need some more practice, but for my first real try, I'm pretty happy with my efforts. I picked up this vintage coffee canister at a second-hand store for $2.00 and I think it makes a fantastic planter.

I stuck with mostly succulents and drought-tolerant plants, because I have a horrible track record with keeping houseplants alive. It's been over a month since I planted these babies and they're still alive (mostly). I've even had enough new growth on some of the succulents that I've taken clippings and re-planted them so I can have even more arrangements scattered around the house. I may be getting out of control.


I realize that using containers that are meant to be planters--like the cute wall planters above--isn't the most groundbreaking discovery. But I've never dared to decorate with plants because I kill everything I touch. And a wall full of dead plants isn't very pretty. But I'm giving it a go here, because I love the texture and dimension it gives the space. (This space is in my living room, and is part of a different project I'll be revealing later on this week).

Finding some plants listed in the book proved to be a bit of a challenge, but I have since discovered a few great local sources, which will make my next round of planting projects a breeze. When I run out of space to display my new creations, I'll just have to give some away. I think making a creative arrangement would make a fantastic hostess gift. So if you invite me to dinner anytime soon, just act surprised when I show up with a living arrangement.

The Plant Recipe Book would also make a fantastic gift, while we're on the subject. Perfect for Mother's Day, hostess gifts, housewarming, etc. It would also make a beautiful coffee table book. I'm still in search of the perfect coffee table…but once I find it, this book will definitely make the cut. Even better: give your mom the book AND make her a spiffy arrangement for Mother's Day. Chances are your mom is better with plants than I am, so she'll be able to enjoy her gift for a very long time. 

***

Dear Baylor: 

You are a genius. I love your work; and I'm sorry my sad arrangements are even in the same post as your beautiful work. I'd love to take a class from you next time I'm in the Bay Area. It's quite obvious that some additional instruction wouldn't hurt me. But until then, I'll keep trying. And next time I'll follow the recipes a little more closely. xo

DIY Colored Thumbtacks

Cheap and easy. That's how I like my DIY projects.

And this one's the cheapest and easiest of them all. Honestly.

Both of my older kids have bulletin boards in their rooms; and I wanted some cute push pins for them to use. Besides being able to customize the colors, these push pins come with an added bonus: Little Brother's chubby two-year-old fingers aren't dexterous enough to pull them out of the cork boards (yet). So pretty much, they're toddler proof. Until I step on one in the middle of the night…then I'll be singing a different tune.

I'll stop blabbing--let's get to work. It's actually so simple I didn't even take photos showing you the process. Because there's only two ingredients and two steps.

Grab a box of thumbtacks. (And by "grab" I mean buy them, not shoplift them). I think they're about 89¢ and you probably have a box laying around somewhere. I did. Office supplies are my thing. Then grab some nail polish. I have a lot of that hanging around, too. It's kind of my other thing. 

Rummage through your recycle bin until you find an old box (a padded envelope would be appropriate too). I used an old cereal box. Rice Krispies…because I'm sure you were dying to know. Stick a bunch of thumbtacks into the box (or envelope) in a nice, tidy row. Now start painting. Just paint the thumbtacks, let them dry. Put on another coat or two if you need to. Don't be stingy. Wait till they're dry and pull them out of the box. Done.

I really love how the gold glitter ones turned out. And if nail art is one of your things you could do some fun designs on your thumbtacks, too. Dots, stripes, flowers, you name it. And I could be wrong, but I think Teacher Appreciation Week is coming up. Paint up a batch of these cuties and package them in a beaker or test tube and you've got a quick easy gift. 

Happy Crafting!