{a budget bedroom make-over!}

Hi everyone!!
I've been busy changing up my son Matthew's bedroom. Matt hasn't lived at home for 3 years. He graduated from college in May, got a fab job(!!), and moved to north country a few weeks ago. Last week-end, he was home to visit friends and he slept in the basement. Green light!!! ;) ;)
My 17 yo niece Emmalee is coming to stay next week. I would normally have her sleep in Matt's room, but this year, she gets to stay in what we're now calling the guest room. {The hub's said this... "be careful how nice you make it...Emmalee may never want to leave." haha, right?} I adore Emm and cannot wait to see her next week - we only get to visit once a year. Each visit, I work on her to attend college up north. :) :)
{the before...}
Please keep the laughter to a minimum roar.
I know, I know...1990 called and wanted their white verticle blinds back. They're so gone!!! LOL!!!!

The first thing I did was to remove the wallpaper border that went around the entire room. Next, I primed the walls (the bottom was a dark green, top portion of wall and ceiling were light green). Then I chose a soft white for the walls. I wanted to keep the wall color neutral, so that I can change out the bedding and wall coverings easily.

I saw this quilt on clearance at JCPenney and for the price, ordered two...thinking I could cut one up for pillows, table cloth, etc. I ended up using the second quilt to add length to the drapes. The brown portion of the drapes was originally one panel that I cut length wise to make into two panels. (One panel purchased on clearance @Walmart for $15.00.) Chocolate brown grosgrain ribbon tops the seam of each drapery panel. I have the hardware pull backs for the hubs to install this week-end. They're white and match the white wood rod, all purchased @Walmart.

The maple bed was my hub's when he was a kid...and then it was Matt's when he was a kid. :) I went back and forth...should I paint it brown, or should I paint it white? I decided on white, but really think that brown would've been pretty too. I went for a girly feel for the room since I was totally thinking of Emmalee (and my other nieces as well, plus any girlfriends who come for a visit).

The old wood chair was left behind last year at our rental house. I spent ten bucks on a quart of semi-gloss paint and voila! It looks cute in this room, right?

See that tall floor lamp by the bed? I bought that years ago...used it in my livingroom. Years later, moved it to my bedroom. Didn't need it in the bedroom, so I repurposed it. I spray painted it brown and bought a new drum shade. I added some chocolate brown & white printed grosgrain ribbon to the top & bottom of the shade. Total cost to punch up this oldie but goodie = $17.00, including new shade. :) :)

The wall art placement is strategic. HA!!!!!

In the "before" photo, you may notice Matt's golf ball display. Well, the hub's put that up there using some sort of freakin' screw that I could not get out of the wall, no matter what. I ended up doing a number to the sheetrock, and yes, I mudded it, sanded it and made it as good as I could. Then.......I ended up painting right over those stupid screws. So, the ribbon art hangs from those very screws today. :)

I had the frame for the ribbon art floating around my craft room - it came with a matt for 4 photos. I removed that, covered the back of the frame with the ribbon (simply wove it up/down, using mostly American Crafts, Offray ribbon and a bit of Strano).

I found this oval embroidery hoop at Hobby Lobby ($5.99). Using some kona cream cotton that I had at home, along with a piece of dark brown felt and a bit of coral cotton (the coral cotton was from the packaging of the top sheet on the bed), I cut a square and a heart, zig zag stitched them both onto the cotton, and placed inside the hoop. I then cut the fabric close to the hoop and gently pulled it around to the back hoop piece and glued it down. I think this piece looks like applique. :)

I have ordered this corner shelving unit (from Walmart) and it will go in the corner on the other side of the bed. I want to get a brushed nickel clock, but not sure if I want to hang a clock, or put one on the shelf.
So, I guess that's it from the budget bedroom make-over!
We are supposed to set a new heat record today (breaking record from 1933). Temps will be in the high 90s and humidity is insane. Still...it's better than an upstate NY winter!!! We don't have air conditioning in our house, so I just closed all the windows because it's already 85 degrees at 8 AM. We are people who can handle the cold, but we're not made for this kind of heat. :) :)
Hope you enjoyed this post today and that maybe something from my bedroom project will inspire you.
hugs, patti

{moxie fab perty flirty!}

I saw this image at moxie fab...and thought I must make time to play this week!!

My very first idea was to use some yellow felt. After playing with the felt for a while...I gave that idea up and moved on. :) :)

Here is what I came up with. {thinking of you...}
For my card, I used Bazzill and American Crafts pale yellow cs, coral bazzill, MME pink pp (w/lightly sanded edges), 6 Making Memories small black buttons stitched down w/black DMC, Martha Stewart edge punch, Basic Grey rub on sentiment and a little bit of machine zig zag. It's simple, but it says it.

I was inspired by the ruffles and buttons on the coat. I so love this coat - and I actually have a spring coat that's really similar to this one! :)

Thanks to Cath at Moxie Fab for the always inspiring, fun challenges!!

hugs, patti

{a sweet challenge at Paper Issues!!}

Paper Issues is challenging you to create something sweet!!!

I altered this clear Art Warehouse can.

{thanks - you're so sweet.}

Using October Afternoon and Pink Paislee pps, red Bazzill, and a Martha Stewart edge punch, I added rows of paper to the can. Paper is topped off with some red pleated ribbon. I heat embossed the flower chip piece with yellow Zing!, backed it w/pp and stitched buttons down w/red DMC.

The can's top uses all the same ingredients, plus two fiskars sentiment stamps. Lemon drop twine from the Twinery was tied around the circle top. The tiny card completes this sweet gift set. All I need to do is bake some cookies and somebody's gonna be so happy. Sweet, right?!

I'm linking this up over at Moxie Fab World for their Beautiful Borders challenge too.

Hope this inspires you to create something that's totally sweet!!! :) :)
Thanks for stopping by!
hugs, patti

{it's Christmas in July...}

...at the Paper Variety!
{wishing you HAPPY HOLIDAYS}

I started this card by cutting out 2 holly shapes from AC green cs. To back the cut-out holly, I cut thin strips of Bo Bunny pp and zig zag stitched them together. I then machine stitched along the top of the holly. The sentiment is an Inkadinkado stamp, tiny scalloped border punch is by ek, red offray ribbon w/LaMode button & prima pearl finish my first 2011 Christmas card. :)

Thanks to the Paper Variety girls for the fun inspiration and thank you for stopping by my blog!

hugs, patti

{happy birthday card}

I have used up so many of my birthday cards in my stash lately!! I also gave many cards to my friend, Marti, who's hubby is an officer in the Army, stationed in Afghanistan. She sends him cards every few months. This way, he has a constant supply of cards for every occasion, for his men to browse through and send to their loved ones. {Very awesome, right??}
~~~~~~~~~~

{happy birthday to you...} {click image for an even better look}

A pre-made black Bazzill card is the base for this birthday card. I pop-dotted the yellow bazzill piece onto the gray worldwin embossed cs. The accordian flower was made from the worldwin gray cs, and sanded lightly to make the circle pattern more visible. The accordian flower is finished with a yellow button and prima resin flower. I layered the flower onto a jenni bowlin heart die that was machine stitched down. The sentiment is a Basic Gray rub on. The tiny flowers are older Maya Road rub-ons that I added to this card at the last minute. I think they add a touch of sweet charm. :)

Paige, at the create blog, has challenged everyone this week to make a card using accordian flowers. I now have a few accordian flowers in my stash, just because they are so pretty and fun to make.

Thanks for coming by my blog today! :)
hugs, patti

{red, white & blue dessert!}

I'm really not big into jello desserts. I had never even purchased blue jello before and I'm not sure if I've ever eaten raspberry jello. That said, when I saw this fun recipe for a red, white and blue trifle dessert...I could not resist making one! A day earlier, I had purchased some beautiful raspberries and blueberries. So, you can see that this dessert was fate. :)
...and well, then I needed to make some glittered up paper stars from American Crafts cs, attached to blue toothpicks to add to my Fourth of July dessert.
The recipe for this festive dessert can be found here.
I'm going to link this delicious post up to Paper Issues. They're having a red, white and blue party!!! The projects in the gallery now -- over-the-top fabulous!! Check 'em out, just for fun!!!
Happy Birthday, America!!
hugs, patti

{paper issues rocks!!!!}

I am so excited! Feeling psyched to be a part of the new Paper Issues Design Team!!!

Today, I have one of my oldest scrapbooking friends here at my house, with her 3 boys, swimming and playing. So fun!! They're all out there now!

Hope you're all having as nice a Friday as I am!!!!

Thanks, Cassie!!! :) :) :)

xoxo,

patti