Washi Tape Vase

For those who have been living under a rock yet to hear about "Washi" tape, here is a quick summary:

-the adhesive is releasable, so you can use it on your walls without fear of damage
-there are endless patterns/colors available
-the uses are only limited by your imagination

In case the list above doesn't already give it away, I love "Washi" tape!  I recently found this link from the blog "Honey We're Home" showing lots of ways to use "Washi".

On a recent trip to the grocery store, I picked up some cream colored roses that were on sale.  I decided to dress up a plain glass vase for the arrangement. I used a yellow/white chevron pattern around the neck of the vase and a grey/white striped pattern vertically down the sides.

A little "Washi" tape and my plain vase now has a bit more pep.  The great thing is that nothing is permanent with "Washi".  I can easily pull the tape off without any sticky residue when I am ready for a change.

Anyone else loving "Washi" tape.  I would love to hear about your ideas!


FYI, Cork Trivet is from "IKEA".

-Laura-

Big Boy Bed for a Sweet Little Boy & A Bookcase To Boot!

 

My little boys are growing up way too fast.  It is with mixed emotions of happy/sad that I announce our house no longer has any cribs or toddler beds.  I am glad to see my boys enjoy all the fun of being toddlers, but part of me wishes I could keep them small forever.  Last week we switched my youngest son from his toddler bed to a "big boy" bed.  We loved the simple/classic design of our "Graco Lauren" crib.  First it was a great crib, then we converted it to a toddler bed, and now we are using the back as a headboard (truly a full circle piece).

Bedding Details:

1.  I found some super soft "microfiber" plaid sheets at "Ross" for just $9/set.
2.  The teal blue bedspread is from "Target". 
3.  A must for protecting your mattress with little ones, the "Aller Ease" waterproof mattress cover.

As luck would have it, I was  able to get a bookcase for my sweet little guy to go along with the "big boy" bed.  This bookcase used to be mine when I was growing up.

When I was young, I went through a "cherub/angel" motif design phase (it really was popular at the time). Appealing to my "cherub/angel" love, my Mom kindly stenciled a bookcase for me with angels on top.  While I still greatly appreciate real angels, the decorative cherub/angel motifs are not on my design radar any more.

My Dad graciously agreed to sand down the "angel" stencil, so I could put on a fresh coat of "boy friendly" paint.  I used the "Valspar" color "Vintage Teal" to tie in the color of the bedspread.
Three coats later, my little guy now has a good place to store all the books he loves.

It is so much fun to spruce up a child's room!

-Laura-

A New Coat of Paint

A fresh coat of "Rustoleum's" gloss black paint has brought new life back to my rusty and worn deck furniture.  My Dad generously offered to paint all of my deck furniture.  He has years of experience using spray paint on wrought iron furniture, so I was grateful for his help.

These "before" photos remind me just how bad the pieces looked.

Another "spruce-up" on the deck is the umbrella for my table.  I have been on the prowl for an umbrella all summer.  There are several out there that I like, but the price tags have stopped me in my tracks.  I found this tan umbrella on clearance at "Big Lots" for just $30.  It has a weather resistant metal pole and hand crank (two features I wanted). 

The "tan" color wouldn't have been my first choice ( I was hoping to find a bright green or yellow/white stripes), but this works well with our new siding color (Sherwin Williams "Resort Tan") and my chair cushions.  Here's to many meals and good times to come on our deck.

 A special thanks to my Dad for all his hard work!

-Laura-