Jennifer Rizzo

Clue day 4.....

2012-03-08T06:00:00.000-06:00

day 4....

Jen

A minute to make a change....

2012-03-07T11:39:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone, I don't normally use my blog as a soap box for personal views, but there is voting going on right now on an issue that is very important to me, so I wanted to take a minute mention it in case you were interested too.

I know this isn't something for everyone, but if you are interested in our right to know what goes into our foods and labeling genetically modified foods, please feel free to read on.

As many of you know, I am very into organics and non-GMO food. I have a child with special dietary issues and we have to be so careful about what goes into her body. Until I had seen the effects, I would never have thought that what goes into your mouth can make such a big impact.

We have a right to know about everything that we are eating and there is a lot going into our food right now that we have no clue about. The fact we didn't know about how bad BPA was for us has finally come into light. It took 20 years of our families and our kids putting it in their mouths using it before any one did anything about it. The European counties are way ahead of us with labeling items such as wheat and nut allergies and GMO's, and we are very behind on labeling our own foods. I've done a lot of reading on GMO's and I subscribe to a site called FoodDemocracyNow. Here is what they have to say:

Today, an estimated 75 to 80% of processed food in the U.S. contains GMOs (genetically modified organism). For the past 15 years, Americans have been denied the basic right to know what’s in our food, despite the fact that more than 50 countries around the world already require labeling of genetically engineered food.

Even communist Russia and China label GMOs, allowing their citizens the fundamental right to know what they’re eating!...

...Right now members of Congress are writing a letter to tell the FDA that it’s time to label genetically engineered foods. In the next 48 hours your Senators and Congressperson needs to hear from you immediately so you can have the Right to Know what you're eating.

Every voice counts!
Thank you

I made the phone call to my congresswoman. It took less than two minutes. This is actually the second day of the 48 hours so you would need to call today.

You can click here if you are interested in making that call.

Thanks for sticking with me there. I'll get off my soapbox now :)

jen

clue day 3....

2012-03-07T08:29:00.001-06:00

Here's your day 3 clue......

Jen

Clue number 2... can you guess the name of my spring line?

2012-03-06T10:39:00.001-06:00

Any one up for a challenge? After seeing some of the great responses yesterday, I think a bit of fun is in order...

I'll give you clues all week long and see how your sleuthing skills are. As you see each snippet of a picture, your idea might change.... :)

Here is your day 2 clue...

The closest guesser will receive a $50 gift certificate to my spring line. In the event 2 people guess the same thing, the first guesser wins.

Happy guessing!

Jen

Spring line launch.. March 12th!! and a giveaway...

2012-03-05T06:30:00.000-06:00

I've been getting ready for the spring line and I had actually wanted to launch this week, but Chicago weather hasn't been cooperating. I had a day lined up to shoot outside and of course it snowed.....

So we did some inside shots yesterday and have a few more to squeeze in this week.

Here's a sneak peek...

Now the the giveaway...with a catch ... :)

I already know what it is....but whoever can guess closest to the name of my new line will win an item from my new collection ...

Any guesses?

Jen

The lamps new home... Stella in Evanston....

2012-03-02T08:31:00.001-06:00

I wanted to share with you where the lamp I made over went to live. :)
This is one of the boutiques I sell out of in Evanston, IL. They just did a huge remodel and it looks gorgeous!

She buys and consigns from a lot of local artists and carries one of a kind items.

I sell jewelry and home decor and other artsy bits there.

It looks amazing!!!

I LOVE this wallpaper.

She also has some super cool clothing there too.

Stop in if you are near the north shore and say hi!

2116 Central

Evanston, IL

And I I had some news about my spring line on Monday!!!

Jen

Lamp: from drabulous to fabulous...

2012-02-29T08:03:00.000-06:00

I found this nice lamp and shade at the thrift store. It had a really nice shape, but the brass was really dated and the shade was boring.

I gave the base a fresh, new look with spray paint and recovered the shade. Ahhh the power of hot glue..

Tomorrow I'll show you where it's new home is...

Jen

The difference a bit of drywall makes....

2012-02-27T05:00:00.000-06:00

With the dark paneling down at my Mom's house; I can't believe what a difference there is with how the room looks!

I just had to share the before and after with you!

My mind is now teaming with ideas for decorating and colors. We've been trying paint colors on the wall. It always amazes me how different paint looks on the wall versus on the paint deck.We picked up a super cute chair at Homegoods this weekend I can't wait to show you, and I finally found bookcases on-line that are going to fit perfectly on each side of the fireplace. Our time line is to hopefully have the cabinets and granite ordered this week.Things are finally slowly rolling along....

And hey, I've been nominated for a Homie award! I would love it if you would pop over there and vote for me!

Jen

Wacky Wednesday....let's play the photoshop my kitchen game...

2012-02-25T17:51:00.000-06:00

"...It all began with that shoe on the wall, shoe on the wall shouldn't be there at all!!!"

I've been getting e-mails from various bloggers and friends about seeing my kitchen around the web. It's kind of weird that all that came out of from one photo shoot for Country Living. While I am so completely flattered, and not criticizing by any means, this one made me laugh(Thanks 'Cuz.), because there was just a little photo editing magic done. I felt like I was reading the book Wacky Wednesday to my Little where you have to pick out everything that is just a bit different.

This is from the most recent sighting on the MSN.real estate page

So let's play a version of that picture game where you look at one picture and the other to compare and see what is different... I can spot at least 3... can you see any more? Some of them were some styling choices and were not digitally edited out. I'll post the answers at the very bottom.

Here is a similar picture from when my kitchen was first completed..

and here is MSN's pic

How did you do? :)

Jen

1. everything was brightened to ultra white... what I like to refer to as crazy teeth bleached white.

2.the chandelier swag was chopped out

3.they made my old fridge seem like it's stainless

4. They photo shopped out the handle on the cabinet next to the fridge

5. They got rid of the bottom of my cook book stand under the cabinet to the left of the stove.

6. Oh, and there's no cracker crumbs on the floor or a half spilled box of cereal that no one bothered to clean up.

The "before" the remodel pictures...

2012-02-24T05:00:00.000-06:00

My very, very, brave Mom gave me permission to post pictures of her home just before we begin the big remodel.

I am so proud of my Mom. She's a wonderful woman who loves us so much. She has spent many years doing for her kid's and other's before she has done for herself and sacrificing. She is finally taking that step to make her home beautiful just for her. I am so happy that I am able to help her with it and that she trusts me to not mess up her house. :)

Her style is very different from mine, While I am very Modern Vintage Cottage, she is very Traditional European and she also loves English influences. But that's okay, it's fun to get to work on a space that stretches me a bit and look at things a bit differently.

Jason (from Klaske Construction just outside of Dekalb, who did my kitchen.), is also going to also be doing hers, so I know things will roll right along and it will be fabulous.

She and my Dad had their house custom built in 1983, when that heavily grained oak was in style (as you can see). While they are solid wood cabinets, I think they are going to do much better in their next life garage storage. After 29 years, we are going for a much lighter wood with a grey tone and she want's her cabinets staggered at the top. We are also looking at granite counter tops. We have a running joke about the current counter tops because the laminate that is on there now, at one time in my teen years was the same ones that McDonald's had. ..McDonald's changed theirs like 15 years ago.

The flooring is going to be a darker wood. I know she is so excited to finally get wood floors after all of these years! I know she and my Dad had talked about it before he passed away and I am so excited for her that it is finally going to happen! I'll post updates as we go along.

See that half wall and dark paneling? After this week they are GONE! Finally after 29 years! The mantel is being changed; and the furniture is going to charity. We had considered painting the paneling, but I think my Mom just wanted a fresh start. We are also going to be getting rid of the fireplace cover and open it up. I am trying to talk her into lightening up the brick, but ultimately, it's her home and should be what she loves.

Isn't it funny how this picture looks like it was taken with an old camera? We are actually pushing the kitchen 3 feet into the family room. It's such a long room, it can lose a bit and still feel cozy and not cramped.

The cabinets still need to be ordered so we are on the 4-6 week plan right now, gathering our inspiration and ideas, and picking out all of the bits and pieces. My Mom has been such a good sport; my brother's and I have given her constant ribbing about the dark paneling, counter tops, and cabinets like any good, sarcastic children would for years and she's really rolled with it pretty well. I am going to be so happy for her when it is finally a space she loves.

Jen

Fashion loves...

2012-02-23T05:00:00.000-06:00

One of my boards on Pinterest is Fashion Loves.
I am so addicted to Pinterest.
Though I find I'll pin a ton of stuff and then forget to go back an look at it.

I love to see all of the clothing outfits people have put together and I can imagine myself buying with an unlimited budget....

Source: justinetaylor.tumblr.com via Jen on Pinterest

Source: thistleshomeandgift.com via Jen on Pinterest

Source: greenbeautyandstyleslices.com via Jen on Pinterest

I seem to be drawn to cute and ruffly..

Source: polyvore.com via Jen on Pinterest

Source: nibsblog.wordpress.com via Jen on Pinterest

Source: allthingslovelyblog.com via Jen on Pinterest

Source: polyvore.com via Jen on Pinterest

Source: modcloth.com via Jen on Pinterest

dress from jeanne oliver designs

Source: jeanneoliverdesigns.com via Jen on Pinterest

Source: ardenb.com via Jen on Pinterest

Source: gallery.me.com via Jen on Pinterest

I seem to see a common thread of yellow running through what I picked.. no pun intended....
Yellow, grey, a little green, a little lavender... what colors are you drawn to this spring?
I am drawn to a little pink. I finally dyed the ends of my hair now that it is growing out. I went to my Middle's school today for Recycling Wednesday and the kids kept saying "Your hair is pink?!"..."Middle, your mom has pink hair!"
What can I say, I am totally "IN " with the first grade set. That's where all the cool people hang anyway... in the lunch room.. at 12 pm on a Wednesday afternoon, separating empty milk cartons from the garbage, talking smack about the playground and Disney channel, all to the smell of tater tots...
I've achieved my dreams. :)

Jen
P.S. I wanted to announce my spring line is coming the second week in March with a HUGE giveaway... over $500! I am announcing it now, so I can motivate my lazy behind to keep going. I work better under pressure :)

Make something beautiful.....

2012-02-21T10:46:00.001-06:00

My good e-friend Teresa Sheeley is teaching a new e-course, Make Something Beautiful.

If you've ever wanted to learn more about art techniques, but never had the guts to go back to school, this is the class to really expand your horizons.

Teresa has a beautiful art style that has wonderful water color backgrounds. I would take a class from her just to learn that!

Here is more about the course:

"This course will focus on what you would find if you were going to art school. Introduction to various tools of the trade; drawing, painting, color, technique and even art history. Learning about tools, different paints, technique and color are such important aspects to any medium you are drawn to. It's good to know why things work the way they do and even where they originated from. Having these skills will only enhance where you are in your life of art."

Teresa has also generously offered to give away 2 spots to 2 of my readers! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post. I'll pull the names next Tuesday.

Teresa is also giving away free class spots on her blog too make sure you head over there for another chance to enter ( and a discount for early sign up.)!

Jen

Pops of red and pink and a bit of catching up....

2012-02-20T05:00:00.000-06:00

I have to admit, I am dying for some warm weather, and for some flowers to start poking their heads out of the ground.

We can feel it in our house too. My "Little" asked me the other day why "...that stupid groundhog had to see his shadow... I hate him that stupid groundhog."

While I don't like her using the word stupid. I have to admit I agree with her,

My mind is on spring as I work on my spring line, I really want to have it ready by the second week of March at the latest, the problem is, where do you take "springy" pictures in Chicago in March?

Needless to say, it's pretty drab here. I think it's hard to stay cheery. Last week there was just a grey day in the 30's and I felt like curling up on the couch all day and had no energy. I just didn't want to do anything. In typical Midwest weather the sun was out the next day, it was 50 out and I was bouncing off the walls with enthusiasm.

When I came across these pics in my archives, they were just the bit of brightness I needed with their pops of red and pink. At least I can start planning my garden. I am going to make my potato patch twice as big this year. Last year we ate through all of them by September.

I am also helping my Mom design her kitchen and family room renovations.After 29 years the dark paneling is coming down! whoo-hoo! Way to go Mom! It's new cabinets and the whole deal. I'll have lots of those pictures to show you as we go along too.

I have some sales and things coming up! I am going to be selling at Polly's sale after my collection comes out, and then I am going to brave a booth at the Kane County Flea Market in May and then 2 weekends later is the Nada Farm sale...

And this year is a big year for me... I'll be turning 40 this year over Easter weekend. I have to admit I am not super happy about it.But hopefully I will be busy enough to not really thing about it. :)

So I hope you guys can get a chance to stop by and say hi at one of those events. Thanks for listening to me babble. I hope you are hanging in there too for the longest part of the winter. I think this stretch is the hardest. I keep telling myself only another month or so until we see some real blooms.

Jen :)

Curtains from tablecloths....

2012-02-17T07:45:00.003-06:00

Many of you asked about my new drapes... I thought I would let you in on my secret...

While I loved my old drapes, I really needed something that would freshen up the room a bit and give it that "spring" feel. My only problem is that my window is 108 inches wide and my curtain rod is 87 inches high. It takes 4 panels to cover the window. Last time it was almost $200 just for some panels on sale. I thought I would look for some cheap fabric when I got around to it.

I was out shopping and I walked down the linens aisle on a detour. A fabric pattern caught my eye on some tablecloths. A 60 x 102 inch table cloth was only $16! That was less than $70 for all four panels! They gave me not only more than enough width and length, but they were already hemmed at the bottom and finished on the sides! This was a much easier solution than buying fabric and almost cheaper.

I measured how long I wanted the curtains and sewed the top over with a straight stitch to make a rod pocket. Next, I hung them on the rod. It took less than15 minutes and was so incredibly easy. I don't know why I hadn't thought of this before. You could also do no-sew by folding them over and using drapery rod clips. I had tried that at first, but with having a double rod it looked kind of weird with the sheers.

I am so happy with my new curtains. They are a really nice heavy weight cotton and tablecloths are meant to be washed so I know they will launder well. When I want to change them I can just use them as tablecloths again or even make pillows out of them.

All posts in the BlogHer Winter Home Projects program are 100% editorial content presented by a participating sponsor. Our advertisers do not produce the content. This post is made possible by Home Depot and BlogHer.

Want a mug for that coffee?

2012-02-16T08:43:00.001-06:00

As many of you may know, I have a mug obsession.

It could have something to do with the fact my only vice is coffee all day long, but I love sipping my favorite drink out of a cute mug.

When I was at my friend, Jeanne's, over the summer, I loved how she had all of her mugs on a french bottle rack. Being the good friend I am, of course had to copy her.

I love having all of my prettiest mugs out, ready for one of my friends just to grab one.

...Coffee anyone? :)

Jen

P.S. because you all asked.. here is one I found on Amazon for $69.

Confessions of a serial rearranger...

2012-02-14T05:00:00.000-06:00

I am finally forced to admit it. I have an illness. My poor hubby. Every time he walks in the house, he thinks he's somewhere different. I was going back through some pictures last night and I came across some old pictures of my living room from 2007 when I started blogging and I can't believe how much things have changed. My tastes have evolved so much and how I have moved to a lighter, brighter more cohesive style. I never really knew what I liked when I started blogging and I have slowly moved into really knowing what I love. I guess we all gotta start somewhere.

There is a very cool side to blogging, which is how you can chronicle the history of your style. However, the very uncool side is that you can chronicle the history of your style.

Bear with me.... I am going to take you along on this journey through the good, bad and really UGLY. There are many cringe-able pictures here.

2007

Seriously.. the shelf isn't even straight, I can't believe those vases stayed on there.

The room was so long, I had no idea what to do with it for the longest time. I just pushed everything up against the walls.

I LOVED that metal wall sculpture. I thought it was the coolest and I still have it in my garage. I just can't bear to part with it.And then there's the red table and could someone PLEASE get this girl a level....?

At this point in 2008 I had a redesign class come to my house. It was the best thing that could have happened to that room... and all of that crappy furniture.

Couch, picture, coffee table paint job!

Wall color change! I thought this was sooo much lighter... ha!

I wanted a big mirror here and we couldn't afford one, so these are dollar store mirrors.

2009

Another couch change!

2010

I took the mirrors down and wanted a big mirror. ...So I put a tiny one up?

Moved the other couch in for more seating.

2011

My hubby found this dresser on the side of the road and I finally got that mirror...

2012
Only to finally get a mantle and move it all around again....

Now here's a quiz.. can you look back through all of the pictures and find the one thing that hasn't changed?

Would you ever believe it was the same house? Owned by the same owners? Isn't it crazy how much it has changed? Me thinks this might call for some kind of a party...

Of course, it's been over 3 years since the last bit of paint went on the wall so I am itching again I am so over yellow... :)

Jen

The little dresser......

2012-02-13T05:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to everyone who is coming over from The Lettered Cottage! I am honored to have my kitchen featured there today. You can see it here.
***
My super sweet, and extremely patient sister-in-law was nice enough to keep this little dresser in
her garage for me for the last... um.... 6 years (sorry Jen!). I finally found a place for it, and

now that she's home, I can't wait to give her a good scrub and nice new coat of paint!

Isn't she lovely? It's the cutest thing, only about 3 feet tall, andhas a little secret too.

Can you guess?

Look how the top drawer lifts up to become a little writing desk!

all those tiny drawers to stash secret things in.

and a pull out desk top as well.

It even has the awesome original handles. I am thinking a pretty light grey or blue. What do you think?

Jen

I have some new things stocked in my Etsy store. This will be the last bit of stuff until my Spring collection release in March (which I am super excited about!). When it's gone, it's gone. :) You can use the coupon code Jen10 for a 10% discount through this Friday.

Forcing bulbs...

2012-02-10T05:00:00.000-06:00

I had a few bags of bulbs left over last fall that I was just too lazy to put it. I was afraid they would rot if I just left them out in the open or they would attract critters; so I put them in the "beer fridge" in the garage.

I decided that I would try forcing them for some early blooms. I just put these in an old mug from Goodwill with some gravel on the bottom and put in a little water every day just till it barely touched the bottom of the bulbs. I didn't really expect much, but what the heck?
I used Tulip bulbs. I have heard Paperwhites are even easier to force, but I have to be honest. I hate the smell of Paperwhites. I think they faintly have a "sick' stink. We have enough of that going on at the Rizzo house already.

When they actually started to grow roots, I was shocked and elated! And then I saw tiny green shoots popping up and it was even more exciting to see something growing in February!

The ones I put in the birdbath basin with some potting soil and patio moss are already springing to life!

Every day they change, and some days, a lot! I just make sure I keep everything evenly moist.

Roots are feeling their way down and little green shoots reach towards the sunlight.

I think I am going to have to rotate the bowl every day to make sure they don't lean. I am so excited to see what it looks like when it is flowering! I might do some in gravel for my girls room in teacups.

It was the easiest thing in the world to do. I'll never buy pots of planted forced bulbs again.

Here is some more information on forcing bulbs if you too are feeling that spring time itch. :)

Jen

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown...

2012-02-09T15:36:00.002-06:00

I am a part of the Blogher book club, and they recently sent me a copy of the book The Weird Sisters to read and review.

I did like it, though the author told it from the omniscient first person plural perspective(which I didn't even know existed) and I thought I was distracting. I kept forgetting and I was like "who is that talking?"

I did enjoy it however. Three sisters return to their childhood home to help out with their sick mother. Each one thinking the other one is living the perfect life when in reality; each one is more messed up than the other.

If you're looking for a good read, or to learn more about the book, you can read the book club discussions here.

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

Party highlights....

2012-02-08T09:12:00.000-06:00

There were some great refreshes at the party Monday, here are some highlights!

A vintage boys room at Alabaster Rose

A beautiful dining room and buffet update at My Sweet Savannah.

a Gorgeous bedroom refresh at Saavy southern style.

The Wicker House's fabulous living room

A fresh take on stenciled curtains at The 2 Seasons

a pretty mantel at The Gilded Junkyard

and a pretty dining room makeover at Worn Cotton

Jen

Refresh your room linky party.....!

2012-02-05T17:47:00.001-06:00

I know, it's not exactly February 6th yet, but in honor of those of us who would rather be blogging or on Pinterest instead of watching the Superbowl; I am going to put up the linky party now.. so join in and link up~! Let's call it the Linkybowl!!!!
There is nothing like putting away all of the Holiday decor and then itching to give everything a facelift and a fresh look.
Here's the before of my Holiday house. It was pretty naked when everything came down.

I was really ready to bring in some nature.
Here's the refreshed room!

This is my the top part of concrete birdbath from my back yard. I had bulbs left in my garage fridge from fall and decided to give it a shot at forcing them. After a good wash, I put some potting soil in the bottom and lined it from moss that was on my brick patio and put the bulbs on top. I'll keep you posted if it works. If anything, it looks pretty.

I also potted up a bit of patio moss. Gotta love free patio moss. I can't believe some people try to get rid of theirs!

I put up some new curtains for something brighter. Wait till you see where I got them from...

I did splurge on some tulips. I couldn't resist, they had such great color and just made it feel springy. The little table is from our upstairs hallway.

I put my big nest basket and bird cages on my mantel top.

And my kids had fun finding some branches in the yard to put in the mantel area.

I thought this pillow from Homegoods looked prettier in a display than on my couch.

Thanks for taking my refreshed living room tour!

So link up your refreshed rooms!

Rules:
1.You must link directly to the post you are linking, not you blog
2. You must link back to this specific post so everyone can find it. If your link is missing I may have removed it for not backlinking.

Refresh your room party Monday!!

2012-02-02T22:54:00.000-06:00

Join in on Monday for the Refresh you room linky party!!!

I think it's a great way to get over those winter blah's.

Even though we have been having some pretty nice weather here; especially for Chicago, I am ready to bring in some springy feeling things and just update a little.

Some easy ways to update are:

-Add some pillows

-Move the furniture

-Swap drapes from another room

-move some end tables or some art work.

It can give your house a whole new, fresh feel.

I know my room is going to be very different than this picture from last year, with the mantel.

See you Monday! Have a great weekend!!!

Jen

Rediscovered Treasures.....

2012-01-31T22:03:00.002-06:00

I had the honor last week of having an amazing group of women come to my house and learn the basics of making jewelry. Most of these women hadn't done much with jewelry at all and they all left with beautiful and unique completed pieces. I was so proud of them!

By the end of class they were wire-wrapping like champs! And they all made amazing custom pieces for themselves. Ladies, thank you so much for coming! I really enjoyed our time together.

Jen

The front entry project I forgot to post about....

2012-01-30T05:00:00.000-06:00

I don't know how I forgot to share this. I had meant to post it ages ago and then it kept get putting pushed aside until I just forgot about it. And i know I've used the after picture, but I don't think I've posted about how it began.

Our front entry always looked like this.... In fact sometimes, it looked worse.

I never could figure out how in a house of five people there are 40 pair of shoes and 15 coats. I didn't even think that we owned that many shoes... and everything kept getting thrown on the same 5 hooks and the kids couldn't reach the coat rack, so their solution was to just chuck everything on the floor...so all we did when we came in the door was trip over the mountain of stuff on the floor.

My solution was to pull everything down from the wall and start over, but I needed an inexpensive solution.

I screwed (2) 1 x 4's into the studs, painted the whole thing white, and then screwed in some vintage school house coat hooks I had found on Ebay for a few dollars each. The entire project was under $25.

The nice thing is now everyone has their own coat hook and a place to put their backpacks. While 50% of the time it still ends up on the floor, at least now it has a place. :)

Jen

Two little piggies....

2012-01-25T05:00:00.000-06:00

Now that oldest has her own room; it's just Middle and Little in the other room. Oldest is a bit OCD and everything in her drawers is organized and neat; but let's just say Middle and Little are complete opposites. After kissing them goodnight, I tripped across their room trying to escape and almost never surfaced. Their room is basically in shut-the-door status. Between clothing that who knows at this pont if is dirty or clean, drawers that appear to be throwing up their contents, naked Barbies, ripped paper and cardboard boxes, and itty-bitty pieces that hurt when you step on them, they've managed to completely raise the bar to hoarder status in the week and a half since it had been cleaned. It's almost impressive.The amount if destruction they cause is amazing. I am contemplating bunk beds for them, but I am afraid it would just give them more empty floor space to crap-up.

In the mean time I was surfing Pinterest for some ideas as their room is almost ready for a complete overhaul.... and a dumpster.

Source: suziebeezie.tumblr.com via Jen on Pinterest

Source: horchow.com via Jen on Pinterest

Source: cozycanadiancottage.blogspot.com via Jen on Pinterest

Source: houzz.com via Jen on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Jen on Pinterest

Source: houzz.com via Jen on Pinterest

Jen

The truth in your decorating voice....

2012-01-23T05:00:00.000-06:00

I cringe when I look back at pictures of my home from when I first started blogging. It was dark and cluttered and mismatched, and not in a good way.

Before blogging, all of my decorating influences had been either magazines, the shows on HGTV (which I now refer to as "the real estate channel".), or the Pottery Barn catalog. Not really trusting in what I wanted, it ended up being a mish-mosh as I waffled between what I thought,- I wanted, what was popular and what I thought other people would think.

And even though my home was decorated in the reds, golds and greens of the early 2000's, which are perfect for some people; I kept ripping out pictures of these light, airy rooms. Yet, somehow when I made a change such as painting a wall or getting new drapes, I might change it a shade or two an think it was a huge, bright change, but to be perfectly honest, if somebody walked in, they would never even notice it was a different shade. Even though I wanted.. no craved....change, I was truly afraid of changing, so it was almost easier to do almost nothing.

At one point I listened to a friend who helped me pick out a bunch of things for my home. Even though I wasn't really feeling what was picked out, I went with the flow because I loved her home and I thought that I should do what she said, and what I liked I hadn't really seen anywhere else. The fact of the matter is, I waffled. I knew I didn't like anything she picked out, but I was too afraid to listen to my own voice, and I needed up spending a lot of money on things I didn't like at a time when there was really no disposable income. It was money I basically threw away. I had spent too many years listening to someone else about how things should be in my home.

I think what was the turning point for me was when we were forced to do our kitchen the October before last. I wasn't really prepared, but I knew this was probably the only chance we would be doing our kitchen for along time and with our budget; this was it. There were no second chances, so I better make sure I loved it. After lots of looking and ripping out magazine pages, and book marking blogs, I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted and instead of falling back into the same old, "what are they going to think?" mode and worrying about what other people though, I finally trusted my own gut instinct and went for it. My hand was forced, I was cornered and I decided to rise to the challenge and trust my decorating voice.

I have never regretted trusting that voice. I was so happy with how it had turned out that I finally realized that it was okay to believe in what I liked. It doesn't matter if no one else has it in their house, or I hadn't seen it anywhere else. I realized my home should be a reflection of us. What I and my family loved, and what we needed to do in the space we have. The bookcase we just built... I would never have dreamed of trusting myself to actually go with it two years go. Now I am so happy I took that chance, the space is already proving be be so useful... I am wondering how it would be to do one on the other side and make it more of a room.....

I've had some people criticize that I change my house around all of the time, and they joke that it's never the same place twice, but sometimes I don't think it's in a nice way. Maybe almost critical. While part of that, I admit, is a love of decorating for me, another part of that is that our lives and needs as a family are constantly changing, so of course our home will change! And how do you find out what you really like if you don't ever try to find out? And it doesn't cost a lot to make some of those changes, sometimes adversity in the money department can bring out the best creativity.

While homes are just places to keep our "stuff" , they are important to our lives, and when you have a home that works for you, no matter what's it's size, it makes life much easier to live.

*I think we all have that voice and need to learn to trust it.

*We need to believe what we see. If a room is blue, but we keep ripping out pages of red walls, even if it's not popular, we need to trust what we want where we put our heads down at night.

* Our homes are reflections of us.. and you know what, it's all okay.

*We need to let it be okay to change things to how we like it, even if it's not what popular in magazines or on blogs.

*We need to not listen to people who say shouldn't or can't. Why can't we, it's our homes.

*Our homes should have function for how we live. Form follows function. And this lady it right, it does not have to be perfect to be beautiful.

*There shouldn't be decorating "rules" or "what's in and out", just guidelines. I read once that a group of designers made a list and toilet rugs were out. I admit they are gross. You know what's grosser? Kids who pee on your floor when they miss the toilet and now the grout is permanently stained... instead of a $12 toilet rug. That's gross.

* And freedom. We should have the freedom to not measure our selves or our homes up to anyone else; "because as many people there are in the world, is as many ways there are to live."

I didn't say that, but I wish I did.

It's brilliant.

I hope when we have our refreshing our room's link party February 6th, you are ready to take some risks, trust yourself, and make your home a place you truly love.

Jen

stories...

2012-01-20T05:00:00.000-06:00

One thing that I love about blogging besides all of the creative people and projects are the stories people share. I admire how they open their hearts. I wish I could be brave enough to do that more. I think it's a hard things to do and to do honestly.

Here are some stories I read this week from some amazing bloggers.

Beth's Blogiversary story

Chatting at the Sky's faith

Miss Mustard Seed's inspiration

Little blue boo's cancer journey and her amazing spirit

Paige's awesome vision

Every week I read what these incredible women write and am in awe of their spirit and I am humbled. These women feed my soul with their openness and remind me it's not all paint and pillows. I hope this weekend they will feed your soul as well.

Jen

Santos doll kits...

2012-01-19T07:24:00.002-06:00

In Jeanne Oliver's Creatively Made e-course, I am teaching a class on how to make Santos Cage Dolls next week. I have armature's available for anyone that's interested in my Etsy store.

And a few people asked to see some examples of what the cage dolls looked like, and what we would be making... Here are some that I have made.

I think that there is always a mixes reaction to dolls like this. People either love them or they think dolls are creepy. And that's okay. There's something for everyone. :)

I wanted to say a big thank you all for your comments about my bookshelf wall, we are super happy with it too. We haven't built a ton of things like that before, so if we can do it, you can too. :)

And thank you for the Stylist.com from the Huntington Post mentioning my little blog this weekend.It was a nice surprise.

Jen

built- in bookcase reveal....

2012-01-17T05:00:00.000-06:00

I am so excited to share this with you! It sounds so funny, but to finally have small space of my own dedicated to creating is like a dream come true. And it's something that I have thought about doing for so long that I can't believe that we actually did it! My hubby was such a good sport too and quite the hunky handyman.:)

Here are two shots of the space before. We are in a split level and are lucky enough that our dining room area is a bit more elongated than the other homes in our area. I was never quite sure what to do with the back area as you can tell by the two photos.

Before

After

What do you think of my bookcases?

let's get closer...

and peek around the corner...

Ta-da! Isn't it exciting!!!

My daughter even made me a sign.We still have to move the clock over the mantel and I still have lots of fussing to do. I want to put a magnetic cork board up among other things, but I couldn't wait to finish to show you.

it was so nice to pull stuff out of plastic tubs and have space to put it!

We made the shelves adjustable so that I could get bigger things on there if I needed to.

There's even a space for my sewing machine and canvases and tall stuff too.

I wanted the back to blend in with the rest of the house and serve a purpose.

...And hide the incredible mess I am capable of making. And this way if I need to spread out past my desk, the table isn't too far away, and I don't have to be constantly cleaning up my space.

And if for some reason I am not using the space any more, we now have a little home office or even a place to put a reading nook. I feel like that area has more purpose.I am so glad we finally took those first steps and just did it!

Jen

P.S. For those of you that have asked; my drapes were sewn from a Thomas Paul fabric called Aviary.
*Linking to Thrifty Decor Chick
Creations by Kara

Almost there!

2012-01-15T23:00:00.000-06:00

Just a few finishing touches and I'll be back tomorrow(Tuesday) with the bookcase reveal!

Jen

Built-in progress....

2012-01-13T05:00:00.000-06:00

Here's a sneaky peek of the shelving going in for a much needed mini-office/studio. Even though we were deluged with snow today, Wednesday was 51 degrees! A perfect day for construction!

I am in the middle of painting and adding molding. I hope I can have it done on Monday to show you!

Jen

Crochet.. more than just for scarves....

2012-01-11T08:38:00.000-06:00

As many of you know, I am a huge crocheter. I started learning from my Gram when I was about 9. After all ,we are Polish; it's like a national sport. I rememember reading in the paper a few years ago that there was this dying village in Poland with no work and all of the young people were leaving to look for jobs. Someone there had the brilliant idea to start selling crocheted lace underwear on the internet and it saved the town. There's Lifetime movie for you. I'd love to see in person all those 80-year-old Busia's making crotchless panties.

I learned by example and have a hard time following patterns and only now am learning the names of stitches. It makes me happy that crochet is becoming so hot and gives me a ton of ideas...

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Jen

Ready to build....

2012-01-09T05:00:00.000-06:00

Well, here is the "before" of our space! That blue desk tucked back in the corner has been my work area for the last few months. I've been finding that as my wholesaling has been increasing; I need a spot to have everything constantly out, and way more storage.

The width between the end of the sliding door and the back wall is actually 7 extra feet. We were blessed with a small bump out in our small split level as you can see here. If we had a bigger house (someday!) I would turn an extra dining room or living room into a studio/work space, but alas, even though it's not big, we at least have the blessing of a nice home. Though, one thing I have learned about living in a little house is you really have to make your space work for you. Right now we don't need a sitting area as much as I need a place to work . It's all about creative cramming. :)

Plenty of room for a small office or studio space! The book case part is actually going to come out about 5-6 feet from the wall, like a small divider, and the shelving part is going to be on my side for storage and the other side will look like a wall... And as I am getting geared up for my spring line, I am going to need it! Right now I have planned to take it up just past the top of the top of the slider; but not all the way to the ceiling to block the light we do get from the window. I would love to find a skinny, vintage window panel to hang in the ceiling above it. How cool would that look? Because even though we are building bookshelves, well, they have to be pretty. My Mother-in-law told me when they needed bookshelves in the 60's they would take cinder blocks and put planked boards across them and then stack them. You gotta give props for creativity. I am not even dreading the building part. It's actually the painting. I hate painting bookshelves, but it will be well worth it.

Hopefully all will go as planned and I'll have some new shelving to show you next week! Can you tell I am really, really excited??

Jen

P.S. Jeanne Oliver's class Creatively Made starts today. You can still sign up!

Come take a jewelry class with me!

2012-01-06T12:55:00.002-06:00

If you live near the Naperville, IL area, I am excited to announce that I'll be teaching a rediscovered jewelry class at one of the places I sell from!

It will cover wire wrapping, modifying vintage pieces and even a little bit of the business of selling your jewelry and where to find supplies.

The cost is $49 and it will include a kit of supplies and your finished piece plus refreshments.

You can e-mail me at the above address on the flyer for information or to sign up. :)

Jen

P.S. Blog readers get a discount ( $44) ! Just let me know in your paypal notes.

What are the 2012 trends???

2012-01-06T00:40:00.001-06:00

I know there was a collective gasp of disbelief when Pantone announced their color pick for 2012....
Tangerine Tango...aaccck!

I can't even imagine putting that color in my house.. then again...

I learned at a conference that home decor is 6 months to a year behind fashion, and I know for a fact that blogland is about 1 to 2 years ahead of the rest of the world, and even farther out till I can afford it at Homegoods :) So, I am not super concerned about it. After all, 2010 was turquoise and look how popular blue is now.

And 2009 was Mimosa which I have to admit I was seeing a lot the last year in pops of color on accessories.

And I am now noticing shades of the 2011 pick creeping slowly into the view.....

Though fuschia does pair really well with both blue and grey, and pops so prettily against the neutral trend of whites and ivories.

Source: d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net via Jill on Pinterest

Source: bellemaison23.com via Blair on Pinterest

So, with all of that in mind, maybe tangerine tango has it's place?

So what do you think about the trends? What do you think is coming up, even if it's not your style?
Here are my 6 top picks... please chime in with any others, and feel free to disagree... :)

1. Crochet accessories
2. Natural stones
3. Natural Paper
4. Danish Modern resurgence
5. Dark blue denim
6. More color, but brights not jewel tones

And What do you think the Pantone color will be for 2013?? I have my guesses and I am guessing a very saturated kelly green ....I would love to hear your opinion. :)

Jen

Are you ready to refresh your rooms???

2012-01-04T05:00:00.000-06:00

Mark you calender for the second Annual Refresh your Room Party!!!!

Monday, February 6th

We did this party last year and it was a blast.

It's all about shaking off the winter blah's, putting away the holiday decor and giving everything a fresh new look! It doesn't have to be expensive, shop your home first. Move lamps or pillows, add flowers, change up the furniture arrangement like I did here in my living room from last year. I have the new mantel in there this year, so I can change it up even more!

Before

After

I didn't buy anything except the flowers. Everything was from either another room or something I had shoved in a dark closet. Scrounge your basements and attics. You never know what you might find to refresh you room!

Last year we did it in March; but I am feeling an itch to pull out some paint cans and recover some pillows. Are you ready to make comes changes now that the decorations are down?

Jen

Built-in dreaming...

2012-01-02T05:00:00.000-06:00

I think we are finally going to take the step and build a built in bookcase in our dining area one of our first projects of the year. We are going to use it as a room divider and I am excited because it's actually going to give me a bit of studio/office space on our main floor in our little house. I've been looking around for ideas and these were a few I just loved on Pinterest. I was going to buy bookshelves to use, but I think it would be much cheaper to build them ourselves, and we can really make them fit our space the way we need. Mine won't be as elaborate as any of these, but they are great for inspiration!

Source: 1.bp.blogspot.com via Jen on Pinterest

Source: hookedonhouses.net via Jen on Pinterest

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Source: houzz.com via Jen on Pinterest

Now we just have to work up the guts to start it :)

Jen

Little etsy store sale....

2011-12-31T10:08:00.002-06:00

I am running a little sale in my Etsy store through next Wednesday.

15% off everything in stock.

Just use the coupon code

newyearsale

to get the discount.

Happy New Year!!!

Jen

I still love my wood countertops and other questions answered....

2011-12-30T05:00:00.000-06:00

I have to admit, with the holidays, I've been really bad at getting back to people who have asked me some questions. I promise I am not that rude in real life.

I thought I would answer them all here....

1. You did your remodel last year, how are your wood counter tops holding up?

I still love them. They are holding up beautifully. Most of the main counter top I've only sealed twice. Right around the sink has probably been about 4 -5 times, but it is constantly getting wet there and being wiped down. It's easy to reseal them, its just a matter of wiping the sealer on before bed and they are ready to go the next morning! A year later I would do them all over again.

2. What is that color on your walls in your kitchen?

The kitchen and dining room are Benjamin Moore Bennington Grey.

3. How did Country Living find you to feature your kitchen?

They actually saw my post on facebook when we did the big reveal and e-mailed me. Now I did already have a working relationship with them; but I got that by putting myself out there (I literally ambushed the editor at a conference...that's a whole 'nother story.).

4.What is that fabric on your burlap tablecloth? Where did you get it?

Joann Fabrics, I think it was $6.99 a yard.

5. How did you start wholesaling?

To be honest, it all started with me schlepping my stuff to stores and showing it to them. Some places were hits, some were misses. It's easiest to call a store you think you would fit into, ask if they take local artists and then schedule an appointment. Sometimes they love your stuff and sometimes they don't. It's about finding the right store with the right fit.

6. Do you ever teach any classes?

Yes! I am actually teaching in Jeanne Oliver's e-course and I am going to be teaching a jewelry class just outside of Naperville, IL at the end in January (which I'll be officially announcing soon.). I am going to start teaching more local classes on furniture re-do's and home projects. I used to teach CPR and Public Education classes when I was a firefighter/paramedic. I was pretty good at stop, drop and roll. In fact, I think that's how I ended up with 3 kids.

7. Were you really a firefighter?

(in case you are wondering, I am the guy in the middle.)

Yes I was. Even though that's not who I am any more, I am so proud of who it made me. There's a whole book behind that one some day. Even though I have finally settled back in to who I am supposed to be as an artist, my hubby does say "You can take the girl out of the firehouse, but not the firehouse out of the girl." I don't know if that's a complement or an insult.

9. Do you ever stop?

NO. :)

10. Are you going to be stocking any more texting/fingerless gloves?

I am going to do one more restock at the end of January and then I'll be getting ready for my spring line. I'll also be putting in some Santos dolls and some other goodies.

11.What are your next projects?

A living room re-paint, and a pretty cool project in our dining room that I am not going to talk about yet :)

Is there anything I missed that you were wondering? Ask away! Leave a question in your comment and I'll answer it right underneath. :)

I hope you have a Happy New Year! I'll see you in 2012!!!!!

Jen

Learn to make Santos dolls....

2011-12-29T05:00:00.000-06:00

I am excited to announce that I am going to be one of the teaching artists in Jeanne Oliver's e-course, Creatively Made! I've gotten quite a few e-mails about my Santos dolls, and it's just been so crazy busy with the holidays that I haven't had a chance to make any, let alone list them. But, as a part of Jeanne's class; I am going to be showing you the entire process, top to bottom, and all of my secrets in making these beautiful and soulful girls.

Jeanne also has many other amazing artist's featured in her 4 week class.

Here are a few things Jeanne has to say about her class:

"We will cover mixed media, journal making, journal techniques, collage, leather and metal stamping, charcoal drawing, image transfers and much more.

I even have a special guest artist that will teach how to make Santos dolls (hee hee... me!). All of the art techniques taught will go along with the course and will make the whole experience even more meaningful and fun!

There will also be fun studio tours to encourage you to make space for yourself and your gifts.

There will also be inspiring videos from many of the creative women in my life that share bits of their heart and their journey to embracing the gifts that they have."

Some of the projects covered in the course

Santos dolls

Vintage Journal with old books

Image Transfers

Mixed Media Vintage Girls

Leather and metal Stamping

Journaling

Mixed Media Collage and Tips

How to use photography in your art

“Painting” with Stabilo pencils

Reflections from other artists about their own creative journey and embracing the gifts they were given,

as well as

Some of my favorite art supplies and how to use them

*Mixed Media collaging and techniques

*Creating Mixed Media Vintage Girls with Templates

* Leather and Metal Stamping

*Creating Your Own Mixed Media Collage with Templates

*Vintage Art Journals from old books

*Creating Your Own Dream Journal

*Journaling techniques

*Incorporating Old Photos into your art

*Incorporating Vintage Hardware into your art

*Creating your own Santos Doll (guest artist)

* Self Photography

To see more on Jeanne's class you can go here.

It's such a great way to start the New year. Maybe it's even a resolution to finally start on your creative path this year... this would be a great push for you in the right direction. And, the best part is you can see me be a total dork on camera.:)

Jen

top 10...

2011-12-26T23:26:00.000-06:00

There are a lot of posts going around, showing their 10 favorite posts of the year. I think this is a great idea and I would love to share mine with you!

1. My first was actually one of my first posts of the New Year last year, The My Style Evolution Party,

I loved seeing how people's style had evolved and changed over the years, including my own ( and I should add how it keeps changing...).

2. Debuting my Urban Journey Spring Collection. I have to admit. It wasn't the biggest financial success for me, but it gave me that push to really start creating what I wanted to and not what I thought everyone wanted me to create. Sometimes things that seem like failures at the time end up being successes because of the experience.

3.Having Fifi O'Neill and Mark Lohman come out and shoot my house for publication. This year was a cloud nine for me in that aspect because it was right after my Country Living photo shoot. Here's the thing you need to know. I love my house, I think it's nice. I think that there are a lot of nice houses out there. If I can get published, or have a shot at my house, YOU can too.

4. Work Bench to potting bench. This was my Grandfathers' work bench and I love having it to use in the garden. Oh how I dream of spring already.

5.Summer. Strawberries. Sugar. Jam. need I say more?

6. My daughter's bedroom makeover. She loves it. It's very her. At 9 years old, she moves her furniture around every week. I wonder where she gets that from?

7. An August night garden dinner. I cook about 85-90% of our dinners from scratch. It's not that I am a super woman, it's just that I like to cook, and when you are trying to make gluten-free for one child, and eat organic and local, and try to control borderline high cholesterol, you cook a lot. I know I don't post a lot of recipes, because I think what I make are a lot of very basic foods, but I did love this dinner.

8. My friend ,Jeanne's, house. It's even prettier and more welcoming in person.

9.My mantel. I LOVE it. It makes me happy to see it everyday.

10. And finally. Changes and someone's listening. I am so happy with how my faith has changed and grown this last year. And the possibilities that have opening up for me. I finally feel like I am on the right path after years of wandering aimlessly. It's amazing what faith can do.

I am looking forward to spending this next year with you and having new adventures and opportunities. There have been some rough spots around here too; but I know the new year can bring amazing things. :)

Jen

to see more top 10's stop over ay Beth's top 10 linky party.

The posts of Christmas past....

2011-12-23T05:00:00.000-06:00

Today, I plan on baking cookies with my kids, and then eating them till I am sick the rest of the weekend, all while I drink eggnog, eat pierogi's, sausage and sauerkraut, and not check my cholesterol until February :). Merry Fatmas.

I thought you might want to visit some old holiday posts, and to be honest, I just liked the title in my own dorky-way :)

You can visit my memories of a white tree covered in plastic fruit here.

Or some of my favorite past Christmas crafts here.

or some simple holiday decorations from outside my kitchen window.

or my vintage inspired Christmas tree from 2009.

or hop in Mr. Peabody's Qayback machine to 2008 when my neighbors and I had a holiday sign painting party (Which we all still put up every year.).

I hope you enjoy these posts down memory lane and have a very special and blessed holiday weekend.

Jen

P.S. Thank you Dallasnews.com for mentioning my blog!

Pops of red....a mini-kitchen tour....

2011-12-21T05:00:00.000-06:00

Even though it has been a few years since I have had red in my house, I wanted to add a bit to my kitchen. It just seemed so festive.

I found this awesome table runner at Tar-jay... it makes my kitchen feel just a little Swedish.

I love pomegranates. My kids love them too and beg for them every day.

It's not so bad peeling them under water in a bowl. I think they are so pretty and add just a pop of color. There is nothing like a dash of juice and some seeds in some champagne. :)

I found this plate at Anthropologie on sale for $7. I thought the deer was perfect and I liked the little red dots.

A couple of candy canes in a jar are perfect for bribery. We buy the ones from Whole Foods that are colored with natural beet dye. My little one is allergic to some red dyes. While they aren't a bright red, they still taste yummy. That's why there are only about 6 left and I just opened them about 5 days ago.

a mug from Goodwill holds a little holiday nest.

And I had to show you this little, red chair I picked up this last fall.

I bought it at The Kane County Flea Market. I had intended to sell it, but now I just can't part with it, it's so darn cute; and the kids love sitting on it. Maybe I should make it the new time out chair ;)

Jen

Some Housewalk highlights...

2011-12-19T08:49:00.003-06:00

I am still making my way through all of the homes on last week's holiday house walk; There are such beautiful homes and amazing decorations. Here are just a few I'd noticed, but there are so many more...

A Vintage Vine

Family Room Design Studio

Are you ready for Christmas yet? Are you set for Hannukah? It seems like the holidays just rushed up this year. I am almost done shopping, but I need to go through everything first. It seems like it all comes up so fast, I am wrapping , and then I've shorted some one on a gift and have to rush out last minute.

Lat night we got some hot cocoa and drove around and looked at lights. It's amazing what some people come up with. We might have to upgrade from our icicle lights next year. I am going to see what's on sale after the holidays. I love me a good after X-mas sale. :)

Jen

The sparkle, doily, snowflake banner....

2011-12-16T09:59:00.000-06:00

I've been banner crazy this holiday season, and I had seen a few on Pinterest that I just adored. One had doilies hanging with ornaments. I loved the idea of doilies, but I wanted mine to have kind of a vintagey, collected feel.

My Jo-Ann fabrics has a bin they have all different sizes of doilies for a dollar or two each.

I picked up 6 in different sizes.

The I grabbed my crystal glitter, white craft glue and a brush.

I just brushed the glue on the doily, covering the entire surface.

Then right away sprinkled glitter over the whole thing. I shook off the extra and put it aside to dry. I did this with each of the doilies.

I put a small crease in the end of the paper I was glittering over and poured back the extra glitter for a future project.

Once they were dry, I just stung twine in the holes at the top of each "snowflake", The craft glue makes them a little stiff so they are easy to string on and they hold their shape really well.

I then tied a loop in each end and hung it up on my mantle.

It's super cute and so pretty when it catches the light. It was a pretty quick project to do too. I think it would be an easy project for the kids during winter break too.

I wanted to mention
My friend Christie at Carter's Cottage is having a big chalk paint giveaway for Annie Sloan's American Tour, so stop on over to enter!

Jen

Holiday Banner love...

2011-12-14T23:37:00.000-06:00

I have been really into holiday banners this season;banners and glitter. :) In fact I have a project coming up that features both!

I found all of these lovely images of different banners on Pinterest, giving me even more inspiration!

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I am still enjoying the tour. I hope to get through all of them this weekend and have a nice recap next week for you! There are so many great homes with so much inspiration!

Jen

Simply Christmas...

2011-12-13T08:48:00.001-06:00

My brilliantly creative friend Anne Marie from Nada Farm has released a new e-book!

Simply Christmas

It's filled with all kinds of wonderful things about how they celebrate a simple holiday on the farm. It has craft projects, decorating and recipes. It's only $2.99!

You can tell she really has put her heart and soul into it (just like everything else she does. :) ).

They also have a lovely shop of hand-made items and hand-carved spoons.

If you're interested you can click here to go to their shop.

You can still join in on the Holiday houeswalk party! There are so many beautiful and festive entries I am still making rounds!!!

Are you in the holiday spirit yet?

Jen

Welcome to the holiday housewalk party!!!!

2011-12-11T22:45:00.001-06:00

Last week was so much fun with all of the beautiful homes! There was so much wonderful inspiration! Now is your chance to show off your holiday home!

Link up! The only rules are:

1. You MUST link to your specific post, not your general blog.

2. You MUST link back directly to the part some where in the post. That's the only way that other people can find it....And you can get traffic back to your blog. You can use and old post as long as you amend it.

Here is a button you can paste, copy and hyperlink to if you like for your blog.

I can't wait to see all of the wonderful things you've done!

Holiday housewalk day 5!!!!

2011-12-09T05:30:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the last day of the Holiday Housewalk 2011! It's been such a great tour so far with all of the gorgeous homes! Yesterday we saw Traci Thorson photography, Nada farm, Blondie'n'sc, and a special surprise house, French Larkspur.If you missed any of the your you can go to my right side bar and click on the house you missed, or click here to start from the beginning.

We are so excited to have you here today for our final line up! I'll show you 3 preview pictures and then you can click on the numbered tour button to go to that house.

Don't forget about the holiday linky party Monday! You can join in and show us how you decorate your holiday home!

Today's final line up includes My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Dreams Intertwined, Simple Thoughts and Flea Market Trixie. These beautiful homes are a great way to end a wonderful tour!

First, let's stop in the lovely home of My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Then over to Heidi's beautiful house at Dreams Intertwined

Next is Paige's lovely space.. Oh how I love Paige. :) She's such a sweetheart.

And finally the fabulous Flea Market Trixie!

I really hope you enjoyed the tours! Make sure you say hi and leave a comment for the hosts of each home for all of the hard work they did in getting ready for the tour. I am so thankful to each and everyone of them for taking the time out to participate, and for all of you for taking the time to stop over!

Jen

Holiday housewalk day 4!!!

2011-12-08T05:30:00.000-06:00

Welcome to Day 4! We've seen some amazing houses and there are even more.
Today we have Traci Thorson, Nada Farm, Blondiensc and Surprise.... another Surprise house!!!!
I have 2 -3 sneak peek pictures to show you and then you can click on their buttons to take the entire tour of their home. Get your Pinterest buttons ready, there are a lot of click worthy pictures coming!
If you are just joining us, or missed the first few days, you can click back to my first day post here and then blog hop from house to house.

Let's start the tour with my sweet friend Traci.

and I know many of you know Anne Marie from the Bi-annual Nada farm sale.

And my good girly friend,Tara, who was on Romantic Country Magazine earlier in the year.

And can you guess the last house by the pictures??

Enjoy the tour! We'll have more homes featured tomorrow and remember to join in on Monday for the Linky Holiday house party where you can show us your homes!

Jen

Holiday housewalk day 3!

2011-12-07T05:00:00.000-06:00

Every day just keeps getting better! We visited with both Dear Lillie and Jeanne Oliver yesterday. I know you thought there were only 2 houses for today, but there really are 3! Today we get to see the gorgeous homes of Holly Mathis interiors, Susie Harris and a special surprise house... ! I've posted some preview pictures, click on the buttons to take each tour! You can also click through on each blog to the next. Make sure you stop back tomorrow for more new homes!

First, the talented Holly Mathis interiors...

Then the wonderful Susie Harris!

and now for a special stop at our surprise house...

Stop on over and visit!

Se you tomorrow with more gorgeous holiday homes!

Jen

Holiday housewalk day 2....

2011-12-06T05:30:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was such a fun day! The homes were beautiful and it is really starting to get me in the holiday mood!

Today I have two more beautiful homes for you; Dear Lillie and Jeanne Oliver Designs!

Here is a sneak peek! Click on the button to take the complete tour of each home! They have so much more to share! If you missed yesterday, you can click here to start at the beginning!

Both of these ladies have amazing style and gorgeous shops! I have a few of Dear Lillie's t-shirts myself, and Jeanne just released her beautiful Coming Home Collection.

Tomorrow I have 2 more fantastic bloggers homes to share!

Jen

Welcome to the virtual holiday house walk!

2011-12-05T05:30:00.000-06:00

Welcome to those of you who have stopped over from The Inspired Room and The Nesting Place!

I am so excited to have you here today and to share the first of the lovely homes on our week long house walk! No fees, no bad weather, and no real walking!

I'll kick off the tour with my house and then the next two stops on the tour will follow! Funky Junk Interiors and Morning T!

So grab a cup of coffee,put your feet up, and enjoy all of the holiday prettiness and inspiration!!!

Welcome to my front entry. Please come in!

I am enjoying having a mantle to dress up.

I filled the opening with greenery and flameless candles for a pretty glow.

I love me my chalkboard and these little plants from Home Depot.

My daughters and I spent a crafting afternoon and re-purposed all of the old salsa and pickle jars I've saved and made the min-snow globes that are so hot right now.

I think these are the cutest things ever. I think we are going to make some for the teachers.

Yes that is kosher salt in my still non- functioning globe light. I thought it looked kind of cute and snowy.

I made a hanging wreath candelabra for the holidays. Just something to brighten over my table. I do love the crystals and glitter for the holidays!

Thank you so much for coming by my place! I hope you enjoyed the tour!

Here is a sneak peek at stops 2 and 3! Click on the button to take the full tour of these amazing homes!

I'll have new houses every day this week and next week Monday is our big holiday link up party! I'll also have it on my sidebar for the entire month until the new year so you can go back and visit any ideas or houses you loved!

Enjoy!

Jen

The coming home collection.....

2011-12-02T14:30:00.001-06:00

What do you do when you have a friend that is so amazingly talented? Do you get jealous? Envious? Do you wish you were her?

No.

You lift her up. You let your heart swell with amazing joy for her.

I am so proud of my Friend, Jeanne's, new collection. It's beautiful, focused and a work of art.

I love her fabrics, her artwork, her vintage and her design choices.

I am so impressed. I wanted to share with you some of that she's accomplished.

She is also having a $500 giveaway on her blog to shop her collection!!
Just in time for the holidays!

Head over to Jeanne's to enter. Make sure you look around her shop too.

I am also excited because she is going to share her beautiful home with us as a part of the Holiday housewalk next week.

Head on over to Jeanne's to see all of her beautiful things and amazing lookbook!

Jen

Special Holiday open house sale at Stella...

2011-12-01T17:08:00.001-06:00

One of the stores I sell out of in Evanston , IL is having a special sale this weekend! It's the first store I started wholesaling at and it holds a special place in my heart! They carry some of my handmade and much of my jewelry. The owner and staff are amazing people and all of the artisan goods are just beautiful, not to mention the amazing clothing lines.

If you get a chance, stop in this weekend for some holiday cheer and tell them I sent you! :)

CENTRAL STREET
HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE
Sunday Dec. 4th

11:00 - 5:00
(Stella will have extended hours this day)

Please Join Us For

A 20% Discount, Raffle,
Goodies & Holiday Cheer!!!

2116 Central Street

Evanston, IL

847-864-5565

-Jen

2011-11-29T22:36:00.001-06:00

I am so excited to announce the line-up for the holiday house walk next week!

I can't wait to see all of the magic these ladies have done to their homes.

And make sure you mark your calender's for the following Monday, December 12th for the linky party where you can share your holiday home!!

I am so excited! I've been pulling out all of my decorations. I hope you'll join us!

Jen

Make a MERRY banner....

2011-11-28T04:30:00.000-06:00

I had so many questions about how I made my banner for 3 French Hens, That I thought I would show you by doing a really cute, holiday banner project, it's super easy too.

You'll need white cardstock. Your letters printed on your printer (The templates are at the end of the post.), a hole punch, a paper edger, eyelets, scissors, a grommet tool and twine.

These little buggers are officially called eyelets. I want to call them grommets. You can find the brass ones at Micheal's. But I know Joann's and Hobby Lobby also carry the gold and silver and in the scrap booking section I've seen multi-colored and shapes. Go crazy! :) They also carry the grommet-squeezer thing. I don't know the official name for it. If you don't have eyelets you can skip this step, the paper might be more likely to tear.

After printing your letters to size, trim them till you have about an inch around each letter. Sometimes it helps to line up all of the letters and trim them at the same time as long as the paper isn't too thick.

Punch with your shape puncher around the edges. I bought mine at Joann's with a 40% off coupon. I think it's by EK. I like this one because you can line up your previous punches.

I found out that if you also sign up your husband at Joann's, you get two coupons in the mail each month.

Punch all the way around. If you get a funky edge like this, no sweat, just give it a little trim; no one will notice.

punch your holes in about the same place on each letter sheet.

Then it's time to do your eyelets. Place one in the hole and then like up your tool.

press firmly together like a hole punch.

and viola! You have eyelet magic! I will tell you, one you figure it out, it is addicting!

Then you are ready to add your twine, or ribbon.

String it through the last card first, into the first hole and then behind to come out the other hole, so that your string is behind the letter. Do the same thing for each letter.

Once they are all strung, tie a loop in each end, and hang! If you wanted you could totally glitterazi it up!

And you have a cute Merry, banner! You can double click each letter below and then right click it to save it as a picture. Depending on your computer, you might have to play with the size to get what you want . My letters all measure about 4-5 inches across, but you can make them any size you like.

Happy eyeleting!

You can see more projects at Home stories A to Z!

Jen

Small Business Saturday....

2011-11-26T15:25:00.001-06:00

Today is Small Business Saturday! It's a great way to shop local. I want to take a minute to thank all of the retailer's who have been carrying my items. If you are out by them please take a minute to stop by and peek around!

Stella 2116 Central Avenue, Evanston, IL

Denise's Adornment's 221 S. Third St. Geneva, IL

The Vintage Nest 1891 Tower Drive, Glenview, IL

The Antique Shoppe, Fairbury, IL

The Resale Connection 1719 Ogden Avenue, Lisle, IL

Lucy and Louise Atelier

Promenade shops at Briargate, Colorado Springs, CO

A mantel for Christmas...

2011-11-25T04:30:00.000-06:00

My hubby wanted me to name this post "If you build it, he will come."

I thought that was quite clever, and I was so excited to finally have a mantel.

I've dreamt of having a fireplace with a mantel from the minute we went house shopping.

When we bought this house(sans fireplace)I hoped that my next house would have one. Well, 11 years later we are still on our "starter" house and I was still mantel dreaming.

I knew even a fake one wasn't currently in the budget.

However, a few weeks ago, I was headed to the store and lo and behold, one of my neighbors had put this one out to the curb for the trash. They were even kind enough to tape the screws to it. Thank you thoughtful neighbors.

It was a golden oak color and made of press-board, but I didn't even care. A coat or two of paint, some sand paper and a fake backer, and she was ready to go. It's not perfect, there a hole cut in one side of the base, but she's all mine.

I used her in my booth at Morris and had quite a few offers, but I knew it was coming home with me.

I was so excited when we finally got it put together in my living room, I was bursting. I am looking forward to decorating it this holiday season, and when the kids saw it, they were so excited that we had a real place to hang the stockings this year.

Best. Roadside.Find. Ever.

Yes Virgina, there is a Santa Claus.... and he likes to leave stuff in the trash.

And it's awesome.

Jen

P.S.Make sure you stop over at Fishtail cottage for all of her amazing giveaways! I am giving away some earrings!

3 French Hens pt. 2..

2011-11-23T23:33:00.001-06:00

There were such amazing vendors there and the best part is, I got to see some old friends too...

I met both Kathy and Mindy , who were so sweet and purchased things from me for their own shops,

There were the girls from the Past Present shoppes.

And the fun girls from Ruffles and Rust design.

And Jeanine from Chippy Shabby always has a fabulous display and amazing things. I wish I had had more time to shop! And Mark who braved a ladder for me in a display emergency, and sweet Janice who was across from me.

It was beautiful how everything was set up and I am really looking forward to next year!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Jen

PS. Diana56 you left me a message, but there is no e-mail back! E-mail me!!!!

Virtual Chirstmas house walk 2011...

2011-11-22T04:00:00.000-06:00

I have some exciting news! December 5th through 9th I'll be hosting a virtual Christmas house walk featuring some of your favorite blogs!

Then the following Monday the 12th, you can join in with your own home for a housewalk linky party!

If you think you are going to join in, here's a button for you to put on your sidebar! Just right mouse click, save as a picture and you can then link it as a widget.

I hope to see you all there!

Jen

3 French Hens pt. 1...

2011-11-21T08:09:00.001-06:00

I want to thank all of my blog readers who braved the cold and came out to 3 French Hens. I was so excited to meet all of you and it really meant a lot to me! Especially those of you who drove from so far away....

My wonderful hubby and Father in law helped me set up the first day. I couldn't have done it with out them.

and my booth was right next to Polly and her gorgeous things...

I hope you had a great weekend!
I have more vendor pictures tomorrow.....

Jen

Hope to see you this weekend!

2011-11-18T07:20:00.001-06:00

See you Monday with lots of pictures and some fun news!!

I am headed to 3 French Hens!!!

Hope to see you there!!!

Jen

Impromptu Linky party! I painted my kitchen cabinets!

2011-11-15T22:39:00.001-06:00

I've seen some many great kitchen redo's lately, I wanted to give everyone the opportunity to show it off while I mire in glitter. :)

I am sure you remember our unplanned kitchen renovation.

Here's a peek at our before and after

I found this really, really old, super-gacky picture from about 8 years ago. What was I thinking? It's almost painful to look at.

Tada...it's so much brighter! And no boob light!

Link up and let's see your kitchen transformation!

-The only rules are you must link to a specific post on your blog, not just your blog... and you can use an old post, but you have to fix it so it links back here, so it's easy for every one to click around!

Glitter birds....

2011-11-14T22:59:00.001-06:00

In case you are wondering where all of the glitter went to at Micheal's and Hobby Lobby, it's at my house. And when I say at my house, I mean in my hair, on my pants and in the cracks of our wood floor.

Dang glitter.

I am getting ready to sell at the 3 French Hens Holiday market in Morris, IL (hope to see you there!) this weekend and have been creating up a storm.

I have to admit my house is a bit of a hot mess.... a crazy, can't barely walk mess, a sparkly-someone-turned-it-upside-down-and-shook-it-and-then-put-it-back-right-side-up-mess. Like Hoarder's.. with glitter.

I've been working on some crocheted wreaths with paper bird ephemera that I've just fallen in love with and the sparkles are the best part.

and I am having a blast with the glitter as you can tell.

Though there is nothing like a bit of glimmer to get you in the holiday mood!

I hope to see you this weekend! I am temporarily closing my Etsy store on Wednesday and when I reopen it next week, it will be full of all kinds of new goodies!

Jen

Creatively made...by Jeanne Oliver and a giveaway...

2011-11-13T23:29:00.001-06:00

My good friend, Jeanne Oliver , is offering an amazing e-course which I am so excited about!

You can hear Jeanne talking a little about it here:

Creatively Made E-Course from Jeanne Oliver on Vimeo.

It will feature lots of art and great projects! It's the perfect way to start off the new year! Especially if your New Year's resolution is to finally get focused and really rediscover those talents you've been pushing aside for years.

Jeanne has generously agreed to give away 2 spots to my readers! So leave a comment on this post to win a free space in Jeanne's e-course!

Jen

Remembrance....

2011-11-11T09:09:00.001-06:00

My father was a veteran from the Vietnam war.

Veteran's Day always has a different meaning for me.

My father served in the army, survived a helicopter crash, won an award for saving the life another solider form a rice paddy, and then returned home to start a family and live his life; he passed away on Veteran's Day 13 years ago during surgery.

While we are reflective and thankful for the service they've given, they truly have made a sacrifice. Any one who has grown up with a veteran in their home knows that nothing is the same for them after they go home and live the rest of their lives. War is a traumatic thing that changes people forever.

In saying that I truly say thank you to our Veteran's for keeping us safe. For all of the war controversy, those men and women are making huge sacrifices of their entire lives.

Thank you.

Jen

I am finally real....

2011-11-08T04:30:00.000-06:00

I should clarify that.. I am finally a real business. I havea tax exempt number and a FEIN number and everything. This is a big step for me. I’ve been sellingwhole sale for a few years now, but I’ve always just gone to Jo-ann’s or Micheal’sor where ever I needed supplies and bought what I needed, sales tax included . Notthinking much about it. ..So basically every item was getting double taxed.Once when I bought it and another time from my retailer selling it. So whydidn’t I go tax exempt before?

Well, I have a problem. I have what I refer to as “stupidmath brain” This also goes along with “really stupid history brain” . What didthis mean for me in my educational years? It meant ruining 2… count ‘em, twosummers in summer school to REPEAT BASIC ALGERBA… And almost not graduatingbecause it took me 3 TIMES to passthe U.S. constitution test.

TheLord obviously gave me many more “creative” gifts than "smart" gifts.

Now lest you think I am a complete idiot (Which I know mylittle one’s preschool teacher does because I’ve gone to the wrong school TWICEon the wrong day to pick her up .), I graduated with a 3.8 GPA from college, graduated at the topof my medic class, and actually manage to get the food in my mouth once in awhile using a fork. However, it never dawned on me to add up the amount ofmoney that was going out the door every time I paid sales tax with everypurchase for resale. I didn’t think it really mattered and was really all that much.When I actually sat down and added it up, what I was throwing away was astounding.

Let me tell you, in the course of a few months getting readyfor a show, it added up to quite a bit, which could be a lot of extra supplies,or in the very least, some math tutoring.

So my brave sister-in law-came over last night and helped meset up everything I needed, and answered every one of my patience-tryingquestions. She’s a saint... While this means I have to start charging sales taxat my shows, and paying sales tax to the government; it also means that I am notthrowing money away, because when you are running your own business, everypenny counts.

Why didn’t I do it before? I was overwhelmed. I was stymiedat the thought of spending a couple of hundred dollars at the accountants toget it all straightened out ,and the minute I went on the IRS business page, totry and figure it out my eyes glazed over. And I just felt like maybe mybusiness wasn’t good enough to deserve it, even though it’s the right of everycreative, supply costing business owner to do what they can to grow their business.

So I am finally a real business. It’s an amazing feeling to have some control and direction. And actually, I feel a bit grown up. :)

Jen

Christmas prettiness...

2011-11-07T07:29:00.002-06:00

I told myself I was not going to start thinking about Christmas decorating yet, but I was on Pinterest the other day and my eyes kept wandering..... Is that so wrong? Last year I wasn't even excited baout it. I think it was because we had just gone through the stress of our impromtu kitchen remodel and hadn't quite recovered. This year however, as I am working on holiday items for the 3 French Hens Holiday Market, retailers,my booth and a few other places, I am getting super excited.

Source: countryliving.com via Jen on Pinterest

Source: bhg.com via Jen on Pinterest

Source: theinspiredroom.net via Jen on Pinterest

Source: iroonie.com via Jen on Pinterest

Source: celebrationsathomeblog.com via Jen on Pinterest

Source: homestoriesatoz.com via Jen on Pinterest

Source: perfectlyimperfectblog.com via Jen on Pinterest

Source: freshome.com via Jen on Pinterest

Custom mix your own paint colors...

2011-11-03T23:31:00.000-05:00

You know how you have a certain picture of a color in your mind and you just can't seem to find it on the paint deck? You know how your grey might just need a touch of blue, but no one has that shade?

Be brave.

You can do your own custom mixes.

really.

Please excuse these pictures, they were taken way back before the kitchen remodel

...way before I had decided on a white kitchen.

It's as simple as playing around like the kids do and mixing colors. Letting it dry, and trying a bit more in tiny increments. Kind of like cooking, a pinch of this and a pinch of that. It doesn't have to be expensive either. I've used old paint, I've used art paints, I've even used craft paints. Most of the time I end up using up all of the sample cans I brought home that aren't quite right.Just make sure to mix it in small batches, so you can remix and try again if you don't like the results.

After mixing, label them clearly in a baby food or small jar while you are waiting for the paint to dry, (because paint always is different when it dries.). Mark it clearly on the surface so you remember which paint is which. There's nothing like finally getting the right color and then realizing you don't know which container it is.

when you finally have found the paint of your dreams, paint it with at least 2 -3 coats on a clean WOOD paint stick. Letting it thoroughly dry inbetween. Not paper. The color reader can't read it correctly.

Then happily take your dried, newly mixed to the paint store of choice and ask them to color match it.

Seriously. See I told you it was simple.

Now go paint!

Jen