Color Prediction

A few years back I came across the Pantone Color Report. This report predicts home and fashion colors. It is the report designers use while they are creating for fashion week. It has been a huge help for me when shopping for my home or clothing, but most importantly, picking paint colors. Now, before I paint my house I check to make sure the color I choose won't be going out of date in the next few seasons. So I thought I would share this inspiration.
This fall 2010 colors here.
Spring 2011 color prediction you can download for free here.
Hope this helps you as much as it has helped me!
Linking up to this party...

Drop Cloth Mania

So I have been reading various blogs with all these wonderful ideas for paint drop clothes! Christmas Tree Skirts, Chair slipcovers, Curtains, Pillows, rugs and Table Runners. I have inspired to think of as many things as possible for drop clothes. I found these pictures and I am in love.

Calvin Klein Home and below are images from the new H & M Home line. Can you say Paint Drop Cloth!!!!!

or even this one from Ballard Designs, with help from a stencil....

Again Ballard Designs with some trim... I found this one over at Less Than Perfect Life of Bliss. I love her projects! You can see her tutorial here. Shanty2chic tree skirt here. Anyone else out there with some great creative uses for a drop cloth?

Toy Closet

So when my oldest was two years old, I made a toy cabinet, but as the birthday's and Christmases brought us more and more, we grew out of the cabinet and the toys took over the house. Then I saw this post at 320 Sycamore and thought hey, we could fit in a closet!

Thus... our new toy closet.

We moved all the coats out and put them in the sewing room closet. This closet is more of a central location and the boys can take the bins to the living room, their room or the sewing room and play. I already had a bunch of the bins, so we bought a few more. The shelving cost $16.

For the labels, I just printed on scrapbook paper I had and used packing tape to stick them on. Now we have organization (if not slightly OCD).

The Kids LOVE IT! They can see everything!

They have to ask to get things down, but they don't seem to mind it. When Mom takes things down she takes time out and helps them set up the road or whatever they need and they like that (and so do I). I like that we have less on the floor. We try to pick up one thing before we get another. (I am not strict on that, but I try to keep no more than three open at a time, because they are little boys and we are learning to pick up ;0) Some day I am going to paint the inside so it looks really cute .... Mmmm what color??? Suggestions welcome ;0)

linking to the Shabby Nest

Happy Birthday Bro!

Today is my baby bother's birthday. He's 24 now!

He is such a sweetie, a little boy on the inside and I just love it!

He is one of those creative types LOL! More so than me. He isn't just crafty and able to copy things, he is a true artist.

Anyway, he LOVES Alice in Wonderland and told me he wanted his kitchen to have labels on everything saying drink me and clean me and so on. He asked for some rags that said wash me. So here is what I made him for his birthday.

Now that I made it, I want one to hold my keys or kitchen towels.

This was the easiest project. Frame from Michaels ($1). First I used craft paint and painted it brown, Then I used an Ivory spray paint and sanded it down, I mean REALLY sanded it down. Then I bought some antique bronze hooks from Walmart. They came in a pack of 2 for under $3. The screws that came with it were too long,so I got some 1/2 inch screws. The only problem was that they were silver. So I used antique bronze spray paint and sprayed them to match. Here is a close up picture, you can't tell the difference.

I just printed the verse on scrap-booking paper. The rags (he wanted them to look old and scrappy) are cut pieces of paint drop-cloth. I edged them with a decorative stitch on the machine (because I was hoping to get them to look intentionally scrappy). For the words I just used a sharpie marker. I thought about using my machine for the words, but I was afraid it would not look hand written like the movie ;0)

So my attemts at keeping up on my blog have been thwarted by vacations and illness. Grrrr

Hubby and I took a vacation (by ourselves!) to Oregon for our 10th Wedding Anniversary. We had so much fun! I saw the ocean for the first time! WOW! We live in the Puget Sound area, but it isn't the same...

We also stopped and the Fabric Depot in Portland. AMAZING!!! I have to go back. I bought fabric and have so many plans of things to make I am just bursting! HOPEFULLY I will be able to get back into the swing of things here now. I have oh, so many projects lined up and ready to start. I can't wait!!!! First up, our toy closet. We bought the supplies today and this week sometime I should have our hallway closet converted into a wonderful organized toy storage system. Hopes are high anyway!!! Then, a few headboard projects, some lamps, and tables...