2011 August | Beneath My Heart

DIY Project Highlights!

August 15, 2011 AT 2:19 pm 5 Comments

August 15, 2011 By traci 5 Comments

I wanted to thank ya’ll for coming to my “Best DIY Projects of July” party!

Even though I posted it a couple of days late, there was a GREAT turnout!

I absolutely loved seeing all of your projects at my party. I do not have a lot of extra time each week to visit as many blogs as I would like, and yet there is so much DIY inspiration out there that I am missing out on. Having this party each month helps me feel more in touch with all of the amazing projects out there in blogland.

One of my favorite parts about having a blog is being able to highlight other bloggers.

So here are a few of the projects that caught my eye at last month’s party.

Huge Kudos to Megan, from Diamond in the Rough, who refinished the wood floors in her 1946 Bungalow! She’s got mad skills!

There is nothing more beautiful than freshly refinished hard wood floors…..aaaaaahhhhhh. Be sure to visit her and check out all the projects she is doing in her home.

My buddy, Claudia, from Casa de Berry, turned this free coffee table into a one of a kind kids’ play space. I love the vibrant green paint with the yellow hardware… FUN!

Katie, from Impatiently Praying for Patience, shows you not one, but TWO DIY projects in this post. She takes a broken down table that she picked up curbside, and turned it into a beautiful dining table. She also shows you how she turned a headboard into a functional chalkboard/coat rack in a beautiful shade of blue.

I am loving the brightly painted furniture all around blogland right now (even though I do not have a piece of it in my home!) :) It still makes me smile. I love this wardrobe that Laura, from B & B’s Nest, bought for her new playroom on Craigslist.

She painted it a cheery yellow, and now it is the perfect piece for an inspirational playroom!

Ya’ll know I’ve got to feature this DIY project using burlap! Janet, from I Heart My Glue Gun, took an old chair, and gave it new life with some paint, burlap, and a monogram!

I just love it!

That’s all for now, but I hope to spotlight some more great projects next week!

Thanks again for coming to my party.

Have a blessed day!

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Haven 2012 Tickets are NOW on Sale!!!

August 15, 2011 AT 12:00 am 3 Comments

August 15, 2011 By traci 3 Comments

Ack! I am sooooo stinkin’ excited about this, ya’ll!

Tickets for Haven 2012 are for sale!

Hurry on over and purchase them right now!

It’s going to be the MUST attend event of the year. We are having so much fun planning this, and you are not going to want to miss out!

And I cannot wait to make some of you my REAL life friends and hug your necks!!!

Go… NOW….hurry…..buy your ticket before they sell out!

There are only 250 tickets available at this time. Each ticket costs $199.00 (with a $5.99 Eventbrite registration fee.)

The Haven Conference website will answer many of your questions, but if you think of another one, you can reach us at

[email protected]

Also, you can connect with the Haven team and other attendees at our facebook page HERE.

Be sure to follow Haven 2012 on twitter for important announcements about the conference. Click HERE to follow.

Hope to see you there!

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Free 8×10 Canvas Print! (Or $50.00 toward a larger one)

August 13, 2011 AT 8:17 pm 3 Comments

August 13, 2011 By traci 3 Comments

Hey Friends!

I couldn’t wait to tell you about this great deal from Canvas People!

Right now, they are offering a FREE 8×10 canvas print (or a $50.00 credit toward a larger print!)

I love this Canvas Print Photo College from HowDoesShe!

Isn’t this adorable?!

Canvas prints look great on a mantle too…

How Precious!

These canvas prints make great baby, wedding, and birthday gifts.

Just click on the button below to order your print now. I’m not sure how long this offer will last, so hurry on over there. :)

Thank you Canvas People for such a great offer!

*Canvas People is an affiliate sponsor of Beneath My Heart. I was not paid to write this post, but if you order a canvas print through my website, I will receive a small percentage of the sales. Thanks!

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Pictures and Video of the New Addition to our Home

August 12, 2011 AT 9:21 am 29 Comments

August 12, 2011 By traci 29 Comments

There has been a lot going on around here!

We now have a two story addition to our home!

Here is how it looks coming up the driveway…

Today, the roof is being dried in.

I cannot tell you how excited I am about the space this addition is going to add to our home!

I put together a little video to give you a tour of the inside of the addition.

If you are reading my post through a reader, you will need to click on the title of this post to view the video.

My mind is racing with all the ideas of how to decorate these new spaces. It’s going to be soooo much fun!

Tour of our New Addition from Beneath My Heart on Vimeo.

Have a blessed day!

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Drop Cloth Skirted Wood Desk {a creative storage solution for my office}

August 10, 2011 AT 10:15 am 36 Comments

August 10, 2011 By traci 36 Comments

Last week, I shared my new skirted desk in my guest post over at Shanty2Chic.

I am so excited with how it turned out!

(I am going to paint the walls a different color. This is the color that was already on the walls when we bought the house two months ago. I think a lighter paint color will help the desk stand out even more!)

I love this desk/table because there is sooooo much room to work! And I love the way the drop cloth skirt hides all my “uglies”…

I bought those storage bins at Walmart, and I am going to buy two more for the other side of my desk when I have the money.

It was so much fun organizing all of my crafty stuff!

Now just in case ya’ll go thinkin’ that I’ve got it all together, and my room is so neat and organized now, here’s what the other side of my room looks like….

See why I need more storage bins?

I am DETERMINED TO GET ORGANIZED now that the boys are back in school!!

If you missed my guest post over at Shanty2Chic, and you want to know how to make this desk yourself, here is the tutorial.

(Believe me… if I can do it, you can do it too!)

I purchase three 2x10x8′s from Lowe’s and place them on our saw horses…

Then I cut each board 82 inches long. (You could cut them as long or as short as you need them.)

Then I cut 2×4′s to make a frame smaller than the top of the table.

I used PL adhesive caulk at the end of each 2×4 before I used my nail gun to nail them together.

I also used PL adhesive caulk on the frame before I nailed it to the top of the table…

I place the three 2×10′s on top of my 2×4 frame and nailed them together.

Next, I cut some 2×4′s for the legs of the table and nailed them to the frame. It didn’t matter if my table had ugly legs because I knew I would be covering them with a skirt.

I made my table 30 inches high.

Then I used a clean cloth to wipe on the stain…

It is called Provencial from Minwax.

For the skirt, I cut strips from some drop cloths 31 inches long…

I LOVE drop cloths! I especially love that they are already hemmed on one side, so I didn’t even have to break out my sewing machine for this project!

Next, I stapled the drop cloth to a 1×2 board that was cut 82 inches long (the length of the front of the table.) I gathered the material every couple of inches to create my skirt.

Then I attached the skirt to the table by screwing the 1×2 into the table top. (I used 2 inch wood screws.)

drop cloths

Then the material lays nicely between the 1×2 and the table top!

I did the same thing to the sides of the table too!

This skirt is perfect for hiding my craft supplies in my office.

I grabbed some accessories from around my house to decorate it for now. Of course, I may change it around a bit still.

But for now, I am really going to enjoy this roomy desk!

If you have any questions about my desk, just let me know! :)

And don’t forget that tickets for Haven 2012 go on sale Monday, August 15th!!

I hope to see you there!

I’m linking this project to….

Home Stories A2Z Tips and Tutorial Tuesday

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Filed Under drop cloth projects, furniture makeover, home office, organization 36 Comments

DIY Nursery Word Art {for my niece!}

August 9, 2011 AT 9:32 am 29 Comments

August 9, 2011 By traci 29 Comments

My sweet niece, Courtney, is expecting her first child this September!

She is having a baby boy! {I love boys.}

And I will be a GREAT Aunt Traci! {I’m too young for that title, right?}

It’s all my sister’s fault.

Despite my denial that I am too young to be a Great Aunt, I am extremely excited about the arrival of Colt Allen!

My Aunt Pat and her daughter, Kelly, hosted a baby shower for Courtney this past weekend, and as always…they were amazing hostesses!

Here is some beautiful eye candy from the party…

Aunt Pat and Kelly created the cutest little candy bar…

The food was delicious and the fellowship was fabulous!

Courtney has loved all the Nursery Word Art she has been seeing in blogland, and she was wanting something for Colt’s room. Of course, she asked me to make one for her. {She definitely wasn’t going to ask her mama…she knows better.} :)

She showed me the beautiful boards that Tonya, from Love of Family and Home, has been making, and asked me if I could do something like them.

(click on each picture to see how Tonya made hers.)

Here is how I made my board…

First, I went to Lowe’s and purchased a 16×36 paint grade edge-glued piece of wood.

The board measures just under 16 inches wide, so I used my skil saw to cut the board 16 inches high as well, creating a perfect square board.

Next, I sprayed two layers of KILZ spray paint on the board.

Courtney is decorating Colt’s nursery in blues and green. She gave me a swatch of the green fabric she will be using in the room. I used it to pick out my color for the board.

I applied the green paint and let it dry.

Then I sanded it with my sander. (You can use sand paper or a sanding sponge.)

The sander took some of the paint off, but let the white primer shine through underneath.

Next, I used my silhouette machine to cut out the letters of the saying that Courtney had picked out for her board.

(She loved this saying because it used the word “blessing”, and that reminds her of my mom, Nana. Mom would have definitely been calling her first great-grandchild a “blessing”.)

I laid them out the way I wanted them, sometimes using a level and a pencil to help me keep the words straight.

When it was time to adhere the words to the board, I put a layer of Mod Podge on the board with my sponge brush, laid the words on the wet Mod Podge, and then applied a second layer of Mod Podge on top. You can see in the picture below how the mod podge hasn’t dried yet.

This was my first time trying this project, but I was really pleased with the way it turned out.

And Courtney loved it!!

She said it was even better than she expected!

And that’s all that matters. :)

(I love you, Courtney! You are going to be a GREAT mom!)

I can’t wait to see it in baby Colt’s room.

And I can’t wait even MORE to kiss sweet Colt’s face!

BLESSINGS!

Reminder:

Tickets for Haven 2012 go on sale on August 15th!!!

http://www.havenconference.com

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The Shoveling Crew {cheap, but cute labor}

August 7, 2011 AT 11:28 pm 23 Comments

August 7, 2011 By traci 23 Comments

The addition to our home is moving quickly!

I am so stinkin’ excited I can hardly stand it.

We had the block laid last week, but over the weekend, we had to hire a shoveling crew to fill the dirt back in around the block.

Since we are on a REALLY tight budget, we had to go for very cheap labor.

This crew said they would work for ice cream, so we said, “Get ‘er done!”

If you need a little smile, here is the “crew” in action.

(If you are reading this post through a reader, please click on the post title and view this video on my blog. Thanks!)

The Shoveling Crew from Beneath My Heart on Vimeo.

P.S. This video was not staged. My boys helped their daddy shovel dirt for over 3 hours in the hot sun on Saturday. I was so very proud of them!!! And so was their daddy!!!

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Beautiful Backyard Spaces

August 5, 2011 AT 3:03 pm 3 Comments

August 5, 2011 By traci 3 Comments

I would like to welcome Arcadian Home Decor to my blog today and

thank them for this great guest post they have provided about Beautiful Backyard Spaces!

There’s nothing that provides fond memories like a beautiful backyard space. Playing in them as a child and growing up to host nighttime dinner parties in them as an adult, beautiful backyard spaces have lots of design potential. And since this space is, and should be, an extension of interior décor, you can decorate it with home accessories and decor that reflect your personality.

You can place patio tables and chairs, candles or modern flowerpots outside, or maybe even have a fire pit installed for some real intrigue. Just take a look at these beautifully decorated backyard spaces for some inspiration.

Backyard Spaces

Four Inch Fold (via)

The table decorations on this backyard picnic table are simply breathtaking, aren’t they? This is definitely an easy look to replicate in your own backyard. Place a low-lying table on blanket, using large floor pillows for seating. Add colorful seasonal flowers and vintage tableware, et voila, a beautiful, and whimsical backyard dinner party.

Backyard Spaces

Remodelista (via)

In his own little neck of the woods, architect Steven Harris installed a ground-level fire pit. Fire pits add this really great ambience to any outdoor space and can even extend your outdoor parties when it gets cool outside, since they actually provide a good bit of warmth.

Backyard Spaces

Apartment Therapy (via)

In this cute backyard nook, is a canopied reading area. Definitely easy to replicate; just drape a white sheer curtain over some outdoor cushions. What a pretty spot to relax or take a nap when it’s nice and cool outside.

Backyard Spaces

Elle Décor (via)

This garden/backyard is feminine, quirky and chic, just like its owner, fashion designer, Nanette Lepore. The table was custom designed by Jonathan Adler and features colorful Bisazza tiles. Love the colors shown in the table, the flowers and accent pillows—so beautiful.

Backyard Spaces

The Blue House (via)

In this makeshift backyard space, the designer surrounded the balcony with potted plants and trees to add a sense of nature that you get in an actual backyard. They decorated the space with some simple white patio chairs and bright-colored accent pillows and tablecloths.

Backyard Spaces

Coastal Living (via)

This home’s designer created his own private oasis by planting varying sized shade trees, shrubs and plants. The result is a beautiful backyard that looks more like the edge of some exotic woods than a home in the suburbs.

There are many ways to create your own beautiful backyard space. You can plant different shrubs or colorful flowers in flower vases, have a beautiful table decor ready for an outdoor picnic, install a fire pit or water feature, or create your own private escape with a makeshift tent and pretty accent pillows. The choice is up to you — just remember to be creative and have fun with it!

Content provided by Arcadian Home Decor, a site that specializes in top quality home accessories at extremely affordable prices. Come visit us today!

Arcadian Home Decor is the best source for home decor accessories at discount prices. Founded in 2002, Arcadian Home Decor originally started selling decorative home lighting fixtures and lamps online with its first website Arcadian Lighting, and has become one of the top Internet retailers for home lighting products.

*This was not a paid post.

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My Trip to Sarah’s {Thrifty Decor Chick} for a Chair Re-do!

August 4, 2011 AT 8:17 pm 17 Comments

August 4, 2011 By traci 17 Comments

I hope you are having wonderful week!

I went to my oldest son’s Middle School Open House tonight, and I am still trying to recover. :)
Am I seriously old enough to have a child in middle school? (Do NOT answer that!)

Today, I put together a little video of my trip to Sarah’s {Thrifty Decor Chick} house. I went up to see her about a month ago to help her with a chair she wanted to re-do in her office. You can read her post about it HERE.

There is NO way she could have done it without me. {wink}

Actually, we only finished about half the chair while I was there, and she completed it by herself. I think she did an awesome job!

So here’s my little silly video.

(If you are reading this in a reader, you will need to click on the title of this post and view the video on my blog.) Please do!

My Trip to Sarah’s from Beneath My Heart on Vimeo.

See ya soon!

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“Best DIY Projects of July” Linky Party

August 3, 2011 AT 2:05 pm 8 Comments

August 3, 2011 By traci 8 Comments

Well ya’ll, I totally dropped the ball on this one! :)

I know you were waiting on pins and needles for me to put up my linky party this past weekend…NOT!

But I just 100%, totally forgot! Please forgive me.

Where did July go? I mean, really?

Anyway, we are still going to get our party on!

I cannot wait to see your BEST DIY project from July.

We had so much going on in July, it was hard to me to pick just one, but I think I am going to have to go with the makeover my hubby and I did on Mandy’s bathroom.

It was a huge DIY project for us and one that we were really proud of. :)

If you missed it, you can read about it HERE.

Now it’s your turn!

Remember the guidelines:

1. Please only ONE project link up per person. (That’s why we call it your BEST.)

2. Be sure your project is a DIY project related to home decor or home renovation/improvement (since that is mostly what my blog focuses on.)

3. I encourage you to check out other bloggers’ projects and leave some encouraging comments. Everyone loves a pat on the back for their hard work,right? :)

4. Please link back to this party in your post through a text link or by using my button. (It’s common blog courtesy to the host.) Thanks! (If you do not know how to link up to a party, click HERE for my tutorial post.)

Here we go!!!