***Update – the giveaway is now closed!
Redecorating a room is nothing like having a baby.
Except, it totally is.
You find out the awesome news…Is this really happening? YES!
You start having the weirdest cravings…Watercolor! No, kilim! I need that vase! I want EVERYTHING!
You may even get a little hormonal…IF YOU SPILL BEER ON THAT RUG I WILL MURDER YOU.
And finally, after months of gestating and physical discomfort, your metaphorical loins give birth to…your new living room!!!
Oh hey there, bloggy friends.
I swear I have a good reason for my prolonged absence. But, I can’t tell you yet. It’s super secret. Which is hard for me—I’m great at keeping other people’s secrets, but as an innate over-sharer, keeping my own is as challenging as not compulsively checking Pinterest.
No, it’s not that the living room reveal is going to be published THIS FRIDAY (eep!). It’s not even that there will be a SPECIAL GIVEAWAY to celebrate the reveal (eep!). It’s a secret of a more personal nature. That hopefully I can share soon.
Until then, here is a completely random assortment of projects I’ve ogled during my radio silence:
Isn’t this tissue paper party sign by Confetti Sunshine just FAB??
This bed tray project is so easy, you can make it when your loved ones are sick in bed. And then photograph them while they’re sick in bed. Hailey of Here nor There is a girl after my own heart—anything to get the shot!
Love love love Kittenhood’s faux cross stitch wall art—you’ll never guess the materials she used!
Hello Lidy always rocks her modern takes on holiday decor, and this head succulent planter for Halloween is no exception. No, it’s not too early, it’s the end of September for g’s sake.
Make a simple poster frame for your giant, well, posters. And then style it like Lay Baby Lay, who is clearly the Queen of Vignettes. So pretty.
I’m digging the chic utensil rack created by the ever-inspiring team at A Beautiful Mess. Now if only my kitchen were white…
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I know by now you must think that my living room reveal is a thing I made up and never actually did. But this time I really, really, REALLY mean it: the reveal is on Friday! For reals! It will be amazing! If only for the reason that it is finally finished and actually published!
Happy hump-day, all, see you soon!
Some days weeks projects just don’t go as planned.
And whenever that happens, my head is filled with very dramatic music.
Just replace “show” with “blog” and you can sing along to my Blog Despair Soundtrack.
The blog must go on.
The blog must go oooooooonnnnnnnn.
The BLOOOOOOG. MUUUUUST. GOOOOOO. OOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNN.
I need a few days of DIY-ing rather than blog-ing, or else I’ll never get this last cursed living room project finished. But the blog IS going on. Just, not this week.
Have a great rest of your week, all. Here’s wishing you better luck than I’m having! And a good soundtrack for all your dramatic moments.
This is not the first time I’ve featured DIY art projects here on the bloggy, nor will it be the last. Because you can really never have enough art.
Unless maybe you live in the MoMA. In which case you probably really love art, so nevermind.
Trust the team over at A Beautiful Mess to wow us with every post. This easy floral embellished photo is where it’s at. They even published another fun photo art project this week: shrinky-dink photo magnets. I die.
Rachel of The Crafted Life needs no introduction with her instantly recognizable and totally awesome manicured hand shots. Here she shows us how to jazz up a plain frame with ribbon. Add a favorite print or hang it on its own, so cute either way!
Geometric animals are the new black. Liz over at Love Grows Wild is rocking the trend with her geometric stitched elephant.
For those of you who actually print personal photos (go you!), try turning them into an art installation, like this constellation photo display by Vanilla Craft Blog. Adorbs.
You have to click through to the original post for this paper wall art piece by Sugar & Cloth. It’s AMAZING. Don’t be intimidated by the awesome, it’s very easy to do and Ashley breaks it down beautifully.
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Ok I held out this long but now i just have to say it: it’s September. What.
What are you up to this weekend? I’m trying desperately to make headway on my last living room project, but the humidity is killing drying times. We had a delightfully dry and pleasant August so I shouldn’t really complain, but honestly—WHY is it so humid now that I need to stain wood?
I always loved being a student.
And I really mean always, from Kindergarden all the way through college graduation. The clubs and activities! The stacks of textbooks full of exciting new knowledge! The lunches!
Ok, no, I didn’t like the lunches, I’m not a crazy person, just a very nerdy one.
Those good old school days may be over, but nothing appeases my inner student like cracking open a brand new notebook. I know I’m not the only person who gets a thrill when the back-to-school supplies hit the shelves, so this project is for us—DIY ombré notebooks for us hopelessly nerdy crafters.
Rachel of The Crafted Life has been wowing me for ages with her ombré craft projects. They are totally beautiful and impressive—that cloche!—but I admit I’ve been a bit skeptical…could it really be that easy? Really, Rachel?
Well I finally decided to give it a go and use her ombré technique for this DIY, and I have to say—it really is easy. And awesome. And I now want to ombré-ify all the things.
So THANK YOU, Rachel, for being endlessly talented and inspiring, and for letting me share this fabulously simple method here on Jade and Fern!
DIY Ombré Notebooks
Skill Level: The Easiest
Time: 10 minutes tops (plus drying time)
What You Need:
What You Do:
Step One – Lay your notebook on an old sheet or drop cloth in a well-ventilated area.
Step Two – Spray the bottom half of the notebook with light coats of spray paint until you are satisfied with the saturation of color. You don’t want to spray up towards the top of the notebook—it’s actually the overspray that creates the ombré gradation.
Here’s an extremely pixellated and teeny-tiny gif to show you how:
Step Three – Let the notebook dry according to the instructions on the spray paint. And you’re done!
Now I’ve got THREE new notebooks for jotting down project ideas and to-do lists and dreams and doodles and…
What do you miss the most about school?
Be sure to swing by Rachel’s incredible blog (as if you didn’t already know about it!) for more incredible projects and techniques—this girl really knows how to inspire!
I’m off to see what else I can ombré up…