all hallows eve{diy wreath}

I'm slowly trying to add a little Halloween to the house. As I've mentioned before, I'm not a big fan of Halloween, especially the scary and gory aspects! But, there's got to be a way to add a spooky twist with the things I like!

We all know that it all starts with the front door! Why should wreaths be saved for the holiday season?  With that in mind, I headed to Michael's to trick(pun intended!) out my front door.

It goes without saying that fake flowers are my least favorite thing to use in design and decor. But, it's Ohio in October so using anything living is not possible or cost effective. I was really surprised at the options available! My favorite thing to use in any arrangement I design is texture. It's difficult to find things that aren't real that have the texture of the real deal! Not only was able to get my beloved textural elements, I also found some pretty close to the real deal greenery and flowers.

This is the first time I've attempted to make a wreath with faux flowers and I'm thrilled with the results! 

I found moss, thistle and dusty miller to give the wreath texture.

I was surprised to find pretty real looking kale and hydrangea! 

Start by removing everything form the stems.  I used floral clippers but you can use wire cutters or scissors. I wired the larger blooms to wreath with a thin gauge wire. After wiring I went back in with the hot glue gun to make sure all of the blooms and greens were firmly attached.

And now, the fun stuff! I attached the thistle with wire and glue as well. The skull is styrofoam so I was able to stick on top of a wooden skewer(otherwise known as leftover chopstick!) and secure it with glue. Then I simply slip it into place.  At the last minute I decided the bow I was going to use seem to polished so I opted to use some yarn. I LOVE the result!

Et Voila!!

It's pretty but  dark and a little spooky! It's the perfect mate for our new "welcome" mat!! 

 

Do greet visitors at the front door with a little bit creepy holiday spirit? 

an ugly duckling transformation{oh my heart and home}

i've been wanting to give our first floor a little makeover for a long time. but, anyone with a young child will tell you that household projects tend fall lower and lower on the list of priorities as you devote your time, attention, energy and money to your little one. it wasn't as if the house was falling down around us! it just looked a little tired. 

my husband and i talked about it. well, i mostly talked and he sort of nodded in tepid agreement. i headed to pinterest to get inspiration. i came up with an idea of what i wanted and promptly shelved it. a few weeks ago, i decided enough was enough! 

i tackled the most complicated project first. i've had this vintage loveseat for probably ten years. i was okay with color but my husband hated it! and, if i'm being totally honest the upholstery had seen better days.

the peachy orange color and the dark wood were very old fashioned, and not in a good way. 

i knew i wanted to add color and personality to the living room. the best way to that is with pattern. and floral patterns are my jam. however, in order to sell my husband on the idea it couldn't be too over the top.. 

this fabric served as my inspiration!

after reading two dozen or so blog posts i felt confident enough to start. because the fabric was a little pricey, i decided to paint most of the upholstery and simply recover the seat. i wanted the color to be a a rich blue somewhere between navy and federal blue.

i used regular latex wall paint, water, and fabric medium(1:1:1). and then i got very nervous!

but, i kept going because i had no choice. i was also 99% sure i'd made a huge mistake!

there was also lots of swearing! i continued. and, because i'm a terrible blogger and i was sure this was going to be a pinterest fail, i didn't take more pictures. womp. womp. somehow, with lots of worry, elbow grease, several coats of paint and a battle with a heavy duty staple gun, it went from that ugly duckling.

to this...

 

and, i'm in love! i want to stare at her all day and tell her how beautiful i think she is! 

slowly things are coming together! i can't wait to show you the entire room:)

 

 

 

     

april showers bring may flowers {and a giveaway}

This post was made possible by Blogger Babes. I received a complimentary copy of The Flower Chef in exchange for my honest review. Thoughts are 100% my own.

when i first decided that i really wanted to work in the flower business i was still floating on the cloud of newlywed bliss. our wedding had been everything i envisioned and that was due in large part to the flowers! it sort of surprised me that the part i enjoyed most was researching and deciding on all of the blooms. and my florist hit it out of the park!!

i got a job in a local flower shop to learns the basics of flower care and design. i loved that i got to work with flowers everyday but i  didn't enjoy the less than ideal working environment!   i'm largely self-taught.along my journey,  i've  read a lot of flower blogs and watched a ton of youtube videos to learn basic techniques. i love playing with color and texture but i've always felt a little insecure about what i was doing because i was figuring it out on my own.  i've fallen into a bit of a rut with my flower business-new motherhood and raising a toddler will do that to you! i was thrilled to get a copy of this book in the mail, sit done over a cup of coffee and look at all of the gorgeous arrangements! it helped me get inspired all over again.

THE FLOWER CHEF: A MODERN GUIDE TO DO-IT-YOURSELF FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS would have saved me so much grief!! inside florist carly cylinder takes you step by step through the basics of arranging, flower varieties, prep/care and even cost! 

 

 

i get questions all the time from brides thinking of doing their own flowers for their weddings. i typically advise them to proceed with some caution and to practice a lot!! this book is a wonderfully helpful guide for any bride headed down the diy path. it would also make wonderful reading for any flower enthusiast wanting to step up their game and make those bunches of grocery store blooms look a little more high end. 

blogger babes, luna bazaar and the flower chef are hosting a pinterest giveaway. the prizes are a must have for any flower enthusiast. 

that first prize...gah!!! 

blogger babes and the flower chef have also graciously gifted a copy of the book to one of my lovely readers.

super simple to become eligible enter:

the winner of the book will be selected on wednesday and don't forget to head on over to enter the luna bazaar, blogger babes, and flower chef diy contest!