DIY Stenciled Pillows

I recently had the opportunity to review the Julia stencil by Cutting Edge Stencils.

I just LOVE it!!


I had a hard time deciding which stencil to review.   Cutting Edge 
Stencils  has so many amazing designs to choose from!





The stencil came packaged with a free stencil and wonderful instructions.  It 
was a lot bigger than I expected.  If I were doing a wall, the coverage
of one pass of the stencil would great.


I've had the stencil for weeks (months!) and couldn't decide what I wanted 
to do with it....there are just SO many great ideas.


I decided to start small and make a pillow.  I've been recovering my living room 
furniture with drop cloth and needed new pillows.


I started with a piece of drop cloth...

Because the stencil was so large, I taped pieces of newspaper under the parts 

that I didn't want to paint.  You can just use blue painters tape on the stencil.

I watched the online videos to make sure that I understood how to correctly

use the stencil.  Even though my project was smaller scale, I still wanted to do it right!

One suggestion was too roll off the paint on a paper towel or piece of newspaper. 

 Because this was my "test" project, I just used regular acrylic paint. I did not add a fabric additive to it.  I plan to do this again because I want to paint a pair of curtains.  I will add a fabric additive that time.

To make the pillow, I used my favorite stuffing method....old bed pillows!

Isn't drop cloth fabulous!  It has given my living room an awesome

new look for very little money!

I love my Cutting Edge Stencil.....it is very versatile and can be used

for so many different projects!  Painting a wall, stenciling a piece of furniture, 

stenciling curtains or even.....a pillow!

What have you stenciled recently?

Tea Party Hats {and party pics!}

Confession.....when it comes to crafting, I'm not always very patient!

I'd much rather paint a wall or use a meiter saw.  When it comes to

crafting 9 little tea hats....ugh!

So lest you be fooled by the above photo....here's my version of a high tea hat!

My sweet daughter calls it her "zookeeper" hat!  My mom came over to help, took one look at my version and said..."How about if I take some of this to my house and work on it??"

The wrapping paper idea....a BIG fail!  It just kept crumpling....that, and I needed to buy about 7 more rolls to make 9 hats!

Instead, my mom used white table paper....traced a circle and cut it out. She then used white duct tape to make the hat shape and wrapped it with some pink ribbon.

A MUCH better result.....I am indebted to my mom!

Each little girl got to take home a tea hat and a tissue paper flower...and no,

I can't take credit for those cute cupcakes either....I hired a teenage girl to make them....best decision EVER!

 Thanks to your many suggestions over on my FB page, we had awesome food!

I wrapped deli turkey around string cheese, made PB & J sandwiches in flower shapes, 

finger jello and pretzel sticks in cheese.

My mom made the adorable carrot curls, chocolate-covered strawberries and

chocolate-covered oranges.

Each little girl had the opportunity to "dress-up" in gloves and jewelry..

...and we also had a special time "doing our nails!"

The day was a HUGE success....this group of girls is so sweet...and so quiet

compared to a group of 9 boys!!  I couldn't believe the difference!

Although it was a lot of fun....I think that next time we'll just have a 

picnic and run through the sprinkler party.....and skip the hats!

Update your switches with custom colors!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Leviton for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Have you painted a room a beautiful new color only to realize that those ugly cream switchplates no longer match??

Yep.....white beadboard wallpaper and "lovely" cream switchplates!  UGH!  For some reason, it didn't hit me until after I got the whole project done that they didn't match....

Leviton's newest product Renu is a smart way to update to look of a room in a snap!

After the intial installation, you can change out your switches and wall plates using their easy-to-use snap on system.

The Renu collection includes:

-switches

-combination switches

-wallplates

-dimmers/remotes

-tamper resistant outlets

-tamper resistant GFCI outlets

-quickport connectors

All are available in 20 popular paint colors that were picked out by decorating experts!  So if you are like me, and change the color of your kitchen 5 times in 6 years.....you don't have to worry about matching your wallplates.  Just snap on the new Renu wall plate and you are good-to-go!

Leviton is hosting 3 Twitter parties on:

Wednesday, April 18th 9pm EST

Thursday, April 26th 9pm EST

Wednesday, May 2nd 9pm EST

Just follow@ Leviton and #Renu to participate and you can possibly win a Home Depot gift card!

Leviton also is offering 2 sets of Broadway tickets as a grand prize for the twitter party on Wednesday night! Join in on the fun and see if you'll win!

Be sure to check out Renu and like Leviton on Facebook.

So, if you are a compulsive painter like me, Renu allows you to customize your look in a snap!

Tea Party Sneak Peek

I've been a little bit stressed about this tea party for my daughter....I'm not the greatest

of party planners and many times, the ideas in my head don't always translate well into real life....ever happen to you??

Son to my husband at lunch: "Yeah....watch out.  Mom's a little grumpy today!"

{Um...maybe it's because I'm trying to homeschool you, clean the house,

do laundry, and make 10 'flowers' from tissue paper that look more like

rumpled balls rather than cute flowers???}

Thankfully, my artistic (kind and patient!) hubby is always around to "rescue" 

my ideas and turn them into something usable!

Case in point....the R2D2 cake...

Totally was a hubby rescue!!

{I had to laugh when I looked at these pictures....it was about 2

colors "back" in my kitchen that has been about 5 colors in only 6 1/2 years!}

So.....I am rather pleased with how the place settings are turning out...

I just made some tissue paper flowers, cut scrap fabric with pinking shears

and tied them around a napkin with baker's twine...

My other "brilliant" idea....making "high-tea" hats from wrapping paper...not so successful.

I'll keep you posted on that one....I had to call in help from my mom!

Thrifty Thursday #57

So I am frantically trying to pull together a tea party for my daughter's "end of co-op" celebration....sometimes I question my sanity when I decide to do these things.


I am just NOT a party planner.....I see cute ideas like tissue paper flowers and when I try to pull it off, it looks more like rumpled tissue paper... does this ever happen to you???


I may be calling in the reinforcements real soon....my mom!


But you all have been crafting and painting and sewing up some amazing projects!


Here are just a few from last week's Thrifty Thursday .....


After some blood, sweat, and a whole lot of scraping, Thrifty Inspirations

second attempt at this side table is beautiful!

It's Overflowing shared how to tint a bunch of bottles that she got 

from Freecycle with food coloring and Mod Podge.

The Inspired Momma used her children's scribbles to create this pretty work of art.

First Home Love Life has a wonderful tutorial for how to make this PB knock-off ruler.

These sweet treats from A Blossoming Life look incredible....

dairy free chocolate banana pops!

Tousled Day whipped up this mailbag using placements and a fabric belt....ingenious!

Forever and a Recipe painted ceramic tile with chalkboard paint to create these cute coasters.

Finally, I just had to include these butterfly cupcakes from Happy Hour Projects.
They are simply adorable!

If you were featured this week, feel free to grab one of my buttons!

Here are some very simple suggestions for the party:

1. Please become a follower of Thrifty Decorating.

2. Be sure to link to your POST and not your blog.

3. Please copy and paste my link button somewhere in 

your post or blog so that others can link back.

You can also party with Johnnie 

at Saved by Love Creations!

Mariposa Pix {and a deal for you!}

The last time we had a whole family photo my second son was sitting on my lap as a baby....

yes, baby girl was not even included....it had been that long!

And there is a good reason.....professional family photos are not fun!

We have tried at retail places like The Picture People.

Usually someone's hair is sticking up...a collar is awkwardly turned....or one of our

children is throwing an incredibly embarrassing tantrum about smiling...

Yes...we have some of those pictures...one child smiling, one child red-in-the-face screaming!

And the prices never seem to reflect the quality of the pictures.

So when my friend, Jen, started her business Mariposa Pix, it was the farthest

thing from my mind to have her do a family portrait!  I was NOT exposing

myself to that type of torture!

But as I watched some of the galleries that she posted, I was intrigued.

I'd love to have some gorgeous shots of our family and kids to put on our walls.

So I caved and contacted her....

Let's just say that the day of our photo shoot, mama was not quite in a good mood!

For starters.....advice to self...never leave head-band curls in overnight unless you

have an engagement as MEDUSA the following morning!

I put my hair and my daughter's hair in headband curls the night before....

OH....MY....GOODNESS!!

Truly....when they say leave them in for an hour, they mean it!

I never knew my hair could go quite so high!

So after a frantic spray down with some water, we started over!

My boys had to be wrestled into button down shirts....and to top it off,

we were all fighting as we got in the car to go to our location!

So as we drove there, I hissed..."If you all smile, I will buy you slushies!

But you MUST smile and not argue with a thing she says to do!"

{They all got slushies!!}

Jen is just amazing!  Can I stress amazing!

Literally, when my kids were headed home slurping on their slushies they

had the nerve to say..."Gee, Mom, that was actually really fun!"

And this is is why Jen's shoots are so much fun.....she takes you to a

location that you are familiar with and a place where you feel comfortable.

She also works with you as a family and takes into account personality and style

of your family,

This shot was my husband's suggestion.....

Here, my kids wanted to climb on an old tree....

Mariposa Pix is also a recognized for  her newborn photography.

Jen's work has recently been featured in literature published by Lancaster 
General Women and Babies Hospital.

Jen uses fun props to make your photos unique and memorable!

Aren't they just precious?!


So here is the deal for YOU!


If you book your first session Mariposa Pix by May 30th, Jen is 
offering $25 off your photo session!


You can choose your session in May, June or July, just book it by May 30th 
and mention Thrifty Decorating to get your $25 off!


You can see more of Jen's work at Mariposa Pix or head over to her 
FB page and "like" Mariposa Pix!


I am so excited about our pictures...now I need to think of a cool way display them!