Favorite Things Friday and Lia Sophia Winner!

Thanks again to everyone who participated last week!  Here are a few of my faves:

Craftopotamus shared some easy wall art:

Sew Can Do shared some great uses for felt, one of which was a Treasure Map for the kids:

Reach Beyond Limits shared something that makes all of her worries go away: a field of pink daisies

My mom actually pointed this one out to me: Peanut Butter Playdough shared by The Pumpkin Patch

This sign idea is such a great idea shared by Crafts By Amanda:

Whimsical Creations made these beautiful gift tags:

The Crafting Chicks made this awesome corsage tee that I am pretty sure I am going to have to copy soon...

And lastly, A Load of Craft shared how to make an inexpensive swaddle blanket...I really loved this picture though:

It may make me a little baby hungry...

And now for the winner of the Lia Sophia Necklace:

#7

Katie said... 7

I love the Apex ring! I think this necklace would be a awsome gift for my mother :) winner will be contacted via e-mail and will have 48 hours to respond, otherwise a new winner will be drawn

Thanks to everyone for participating!  

Your Faves From the Week:

1. Flower Hair Bows Tutorial @ Yards&Yards	2. Super Summer Salad Supper	3. Paper Cake Treat Boxes	4. Star Wars Gift Bag @ Sew Can Do	5. Slumber Party Cupcakes
6. Avatar, the last airbender	7. Flower craft	8. Retro Ric Rac Apron	9. jewellery as art	10. Button Tufted Canvas
11. Sesame Street Hats	12. Home Made Planters	13. Zipper Flowers	14. Help me with this Frame!	15. Memo Board Initiation
16. Dining Room Redo	17. no-sew flower headbands	18. Diann~Glassware finds	19. Cozy Cat Cushion	20. birthdays are the best!
21. Pottery Bird	22. cheap/easy shadow box art	23. Hanging Artwork	24. The Tale of a Shower Curtain	25. Desk or Table
26. Safety Pin Bracelet	27. Pleated Plum Tee Refashion	28. Burlap & Ruffles	29. The Making of a Dress	30. Recipes Organized
31. Spices Organized	32. 3 Technique Tee	33. crazy cat lady?	34. Homemade Baby Wipes - Homemade Mamas	35. Rag Wreath - Homemade Mamas
36. Baby Wraps	37. Easy Crafts for Kids	38. Invitation Re-Do	39. Wrought iron finds	40. metallic chandys
41. DIY Window Cornice	42. Rockin' Deals	43. An 1800's Fireplace Mantel	44. Gingerbread S'mores Cake	45. Toddler Tee & a GIVEAWAY!!
46. Chocolate Tapioca Pie	47. Parmesan-Cheddar Squash Casserole	48. Birthday Bucket Tutorial	49. Purse Planter	50. Faith & Love Printable art
51. FREE ABC/123 Posters	52. Pleated and Whiteboard Frames	53. Decal love	54. Meals on Wheels	55. Sonoma Day Trip
56. DressMakers Quilt	57. Jennifer Dress	58. ANthropologie Marjorelle Necklace	59. The Caffeinated Globe ~ Doughnuts	60. An Extraordinary Date with my Daughter!
61. Simple Gift Pouch	62. Felt Rose Earrings	63. Choc Banana Zebra Cupcakes	64. Baby Shower Gifts	65. CK
66. Our New Baby	67. It's Complicated Garden	68. Toilet Roll Snowflakes	69. Top 5 Hits	70. Extra! Extra!
71. HELLO Snickers!	72. Creamware collection	73. Summer's Bounty	74. DIY Double Framed Clock	75. Deck Chair Redo
76. Snapple Vases	77. crocheted shortcake egg	78. crocheted doll armchair	79. paper mache letters	80. Gray China Cabinet
81. Ice Cream & a Giveaway!	82. what a mess!	83. handstamped giveaway	84. Laundry Room Sneek Peak	85. Chalkboard Makeover
86. Vintage Chair Rescue	87. The BEST Sugar Cookies	88. T Shirt Butterfly Mobile	89. Faux Marble Ceiling Tutorial	90. Heat Wave Halter
91. Antique Dry Sink	92. School Desks	93. My Latest Finds @ Goodwill	94. 10-Minute Throw Pillow	95. Learn to Sew Piping
96. SEASHELL TOPIARIES	97. Yarn Wreath	98. Fun Fabric Flowers TUTORIAL	99. Craft Caddy	100. Rescued Picnic Table
101. Fancy Kitchen Towels	102. Eye Chart Art	103. Great Free Photo Play	104. T-shirt Shrug	105. Chair Makeover!
106. Fun Finds	107. Flower Tooth Pillow	108. Ticket System~Kids	109. aprons and placemats!	110. Garden Organizing
111. Juicy Crochet	112. Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Waffles	113. Scrappy Advent Calendar	114. Home Office	115. Sweet Contry Skillet
116. Little Guy Ties	117. Card paper wall hanging	118. Ribbon flower	119. musical artwork	120. Headband tutorial
121. Scrapbooking	122. Handbag & pouch creativity	123. Creative Lap Tray	124. Reach Beyond Limits	125. Ruffley Checkbook Cover
126. peach-basil sangria	127. Easy Wainscoting	128. $5 Thrift Store Bench	129. floor candle stand	130. Girasole - Sunflower
131. Blueberry Cheesecake Cupcakes	132. Recycled Wood Art	133. Grilled Scallops	134. Humble Housekeeping	135. Nightstand Makeover
136. Eco-Friendly gift wrap TUT	137. Fabric tote TUT	138. PINK SWEATERS BLANKET & BOOTIES	139. Frame that wall	140. Novel Wall Art
141. Express-inspired headband	142. Broken Mirror Dresser	143. Made~Over Beethoven	144. Duct Tape Monograms	145. My Favorite Back2School Tips
146. Watermelon Jello	147. Gathered Tote Bag	148. Coat Peg Redo	149. Hawaiian Straw Leis	150. Basket redo
151. easy ruffled pillowcase	152. Bowties and onesies	153. Doily Banner TUTORIAL	154. Sunburst Mirror	155. I love U-pick farms! Find one near you...
156. Rag Basket DIY!	157. gluten free dessert & GIVEAWAY!	158. I love Raspberries!	159. Raspberry Freezer Dessert	160. Play Ball!
161. SILVERWARE & LACE	162. baby bibs	163. Easy Necklace DIY

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My New Obsession: Swiss Dot

And my new little white dress has a skirt made of Swiss Dot :)

Posted this on Wordless Wednesday

5 Problems and Solutions to Apartment Living

Last week was a pretty eventful one.  I was informed of a job opportunity, had an interview, and got it all in a matter of 2 days.  I am going to be the manager of our apartment complex!  I have mixed feelings about this, but have mainly felt excited and like it is supposed to happen.  I have been bored the last couple months and I think this is exactly what I needed.  I thrive on change I think.  I love our apartment and my life, but I just love to mix things up every so often!

So, we are moving September 1st.  Luckily it is just downstairs and the building next to ours.  Unfortunately it is an older version of our apartment (although we are getting new blinds) and the ceilings are a normal height.  I am SO going to miss our 13 foot vaulted ceilings :(  We also will have our own washer and dryer, but it takes up Allie's closet.

Here are a few of my ideas of decorating solutions to these problems:

1. Lower ceilings: mirrors on the walls to make it feel more open and I want to use lots of light colors/white in the main living space

2. Less closet space: put most of our stuff in storage (we get unlimited amount of this) use wicker baskets to store other things we use more often (on top of cabinets, on shelves, etc.)

3. Smaller windows bring in less light: sheers in the windows to bring in more light, use lamps in darker spaces

4. Ugly Counter-tops: There are lots of temporary options for this, I just am not sure what the best option is yet...granite tiles laid on top, large cutting boards, contact paper, tempered glass boards, vinyl adhesive tiles, vinyl tablecloth, or faux granite wallpaper...

5. A little less square footage:  This is similar to the solution for lower ceilings, but I will also be storing more of our furniture.  I will be arranging what we do use to keep the room feeling open by putting the big pieces closer to the walls and not cutting the room in half with the couch.

These are my ideas for color schemes right now:
Main living room: Gold and whites/creams along with some brown (and possibly turquoise)
Allie's Room: Browns (woods) and some accent colors (mainly turquoise/light blue)
Bathroom: White and black, along with some silver
Master Bedroom: Possibly Silver/gray and yellow, as in these colors:

Needless to say, I have a busy couple of months ahead of me: training for the job, going on vacation for a little over 2 weeks, then jumping right into moving and starting the job on Sept.1st.  I will try to keep my blog updated as much as I can, and I am definitely keeping Favorite Things Friday going, but please forgive me anything is lacking in my blog for the next couple months :)

Little White Dress Refashion

Lately I have been noticing a lot of pretty white dresses:

I particularly liked this one, although it is hard to see in this picture:

I decided that I wanted to make this one (from my sister's wedding) a little more fancy (its the one on my little sis at the far right):

See what I made with my turquoise skirt here.

First I wanted to make a pretty sash that would tie in a bow at the back.  I bought some ribbon at Walmart for $1.50 that was the exact color I wanted.  I decided to sew some lace on top of it.

I pinned the lace to the ribbon and just sewed 2 seams down each ribbon (I had to use 2 pieces of ribbon to make it wide enough)

I folded over and sewed the end of the ribbon/lace to finish off the ends.

Here is what the back looked like to get an idea of where I sewed along the lace.

I also attached lace just above where the sash was going to be.  Mainly to cover up the bigger eyelet pattern (which was also being covered by the sash)

Then I cut along the bottom of the dress (just the outer layer - not the lining) to make it a little shorter and to make the lining show at the bottom.  I attached the same lace along the bottom of the outer layer. (This outer layer is a Swiss Dot fabric and the lining is just a thin white cotton)

Then I attached the same lace along the inside of the neck (front and back) so that just the top of the lace would show when the dress was not inside-out.

That's all I really did, but it made SUCH a difference

The back:

Some jewelry options:

What do you think?  Which necklace do you like better with it?  I will post the pic of it on me on What I Wore Wednesday  in a week or two after I wear it :)

And, speaking on white dresses, check out the pictures I took over the weekend:

I am posting this HERE.

Red Letter Rising Necklace Giveaway

Corie, the owner of Red Letter Rising, has offered one of my readers a necklace of their choice from her etsy shop.  Look at all of the cute necklaces she makes!

And, I love these coasters too:

To Enter

Leave a comment for each of the following you do:

1. Visit Red Letter Rising and tell me one of your favorite necklaces.

2. "Like" Corie's Facebook page.

3. Follow A Few of My Favorite Things.

Giveaway will run into the weekend.

Thanks Corie!

The Guilded Bee Giveaway Winner...

 

...is...

#5  Morgan @ Meet Virginia!!

Congrats!  

For everyone else, there will be another Etsy jewelry giveaway tomorrow so stop by and try your luck again!

Thanks again Sasha!

Favorite Things Friday!

Hey guys!  How's it going?  I realize a lot of you just stop by on Fridays, so in case you missed them, here is a recap of my week in posts:

Sunday - A smokin' deal you don't want to miss

Monday - J. Crew Tee Tutorial

Tuesday - Where I am dying to be right now

Wednesday - What I wore last week

I also just finished editing the pictures from the wedding I did a couple weeks ago.  This is one of my faves:

And here are my favorite posts from last weeks link party:

Kristine @ The Painted Hive has pretty much my dream house.  Check out her dining room before and after.

I am in love with Mason Jars right now. Decor Chick made a Mason Jar soap dispenser.  This is going in my "To Make" folder for sure. 

Rebekah @ Potholes and Pantyhose made this dress from a pillowcase!  What?!

Kit @ Chic Provence designed this small, intimate and very chic wedding setting.  Are you kidding me?!  It is SO pretty.

Amanda @ Shabby Remix shared this Anthropologie inspired shower curtain.

Ashley @ 6 Inches of Ribbon shared her bookshelf revamp.  Here is the fabric she used:

The Cape on the Corner shared this succulent wreath she was debating on buying.  I say go for it!

La Maison Reid made this pretty french feedsack pillow.

Staci @ Craftify It shared this meaningful clock she had made for her parents.

Adorkable Annie shared some really cool chairs

If you were featured, feel free to grab a featured button on the sidebar :)

If you haven't entered the Gilded Bee Giveaway, the winner will be announced sometime this weekend, so hurry and enter!

Thanks for sharing your faves with us this week!

1. Girly Dress with Pockets	2. Framed Nursery Monogram	3. Yellow Butterfly Dresser	4. A Picnic & Giveaway!	5. beautiful things
6. Quick Cardigan Makeover	7. fleur de pink	8. Simply chic Potholders	9. Homemade Gatorade - Homemade Mamas	10. 5 Minute Halter Top - Homemade Mamas
11. Super Cute Giveaway	12. My Vintage Necklace	13. Orange Creamsicle Muffins	14. Vintage bottle caps	15. use what you have
16. Ode to Tin Boxes	17. 30 SUCKS! Bday Gift	18. French Cabinet Re-do	19. The Caffeinated Globe ~ Farmer's Market	20. A Butterfly and a Pieter B
21. Screen Porch Design	22. Easy Wall Art	23. Felt Treasure Map @ Sew Can Do	24. Ruffled Summer Top @ Yards and Yards	25. Words to Live By--10yr old's Room Rules!
26. Hot Household Tips	27. Children's Chef Hats	28. My Master Bedroom Makeover	29. re-doing the cottage	30. Lemonade Stand Sign
31. Pea Pod Baby Shower	32. Parisian wreath Tutorial	33. Baskets!	34. Desk Makeover	35. Garage Before & Afters
36. Farmers Market Jam	37. Day In the Life	38. Summery Tea Towel Purse	39. Rachel's New Pooch Pillow	40. Vintage Napknis Chair Cushions
41. Free Pattern: Kids Apron Set	42. Girly Birthday Party	43. how to build a bucket garden	44. Cabinet Decor	45. Dresser Before & After
46. Antoinette Cabinet	47. Coconut Cream	48. upcycled dress	49. Cocktail Ottoman	50. Quick Chiffon Chain Necklace
51. Embroidered Linen Pillow	52. Big Bad*** Breakfast Burritos	53. Soft Pretzel Bites	54. Cookie Cutter Backyard Makeover	55. DIY Sweet little present!
56. The Great Crochet Coaster Comeback!	57. Ballard Knock off	58. Summer Doily	59. For Such a Time as This	60. Reach Beyond Limits
61. Feeling Beachy	62. Hydrangea Topiary	63. Framed Front Door Welcome Sign	64. Discover Your World: My Ode To Natural Beauty	65. Ice Cream Cart Bank
66. Photo Letters Display	67. Yellow Bookcase	68. Sleeping Beauty Birthday Cake	69. Blog Makeover!	70. Peanut Butter Play-do
71. Cutey Mod Curtains	72. designer challenge	73. Word Blocks	74. LadyBugDress and Flowers	75. New shoes!
76. Tiered Pillowcase Dress~Flower	77. End Table Redo	78. Homemade Playdough - Summer Fun!	79. Baked Chicken Tenders	80. Seashell Wreath
81. Guest Room Reveal	82. {BOOK} wreath	83. Homework Before Play	84. Go Away Bonnie	85. Vintage Table
86. For the Love of Vinyl	87. Darling Invites	88. Crab Pomodoro	89. Manhole Cover Backyard Vignette	90. Little Bird Place Setting
91. A Princess Birthday Hat	92. Old Drawer Candle Holder	93. Reusing Business Card Magnets	94. FREE	95. July Favorite Things
96. Disco Pinata	97. Scrunch Belt Tutorial	98. friday's favorite ~kindle	99. Top 5 Hits	100. Gift Tags
101. Tutu - sewn not tied	102. Crowd Funded Fashion	103. Christmas in July..Designer Trees @ Santa's Shoppe	104. Journal Cover	105. Crafting For A Cause!
106. Composting is Easy	107. TUTORIAL: Sugar Lollipops	108. Cheesy Love!	109. PB Inspired Shelf	110. Simplify Summer
111. Yarn ball Dandelions & Cardboard Necklace Display	112. Bathroom Redo	113. Hair Bow-Tie	114. Tag-Along Lion	115. The Clever Chic
116. Burlap Tote w/Shabby Rose	117. Round Bread	118. Gift for Guys - Wrench roll	119. New Old TV Cabinet	120. Jessica
121. Ruffle Shower Curtain	122. Strawberry Cream Pie	123. Romance and a Jewelry Tutorial	124. Super Delicious Super Easy Pasta Bake	125. Sweet Peach Streusel Muffins
126. Cinnabon Cupcakes @ Just For Love	127. beautiful art	128. Fried Zucchini Flowers	129. A Play Dress	130. Ruffled Table Runner
131. Lightweight Blanket Tutorial	132. Upside-Down Shelf	133. The TP Box	134. Chic Mirror Tutorial	135. Petite Aqua Side Table
136. Scalloped Baby Blanket	137. Ocean Sensory Box with Mermaids	138. Vintage Blue & White China	139. Scrappy Recipe Card Download	140. Mother's Cloche
141. Corsage t-shirt	142. Scalloped Bunting	143. My Victoria Collection	144. Scarves I Love	145. Etched Glass
146. Wii Love Cake!	147. proCRAFTinatingPA: Christina	148. Romantic Pink Rosette Duo headband with jeweled center	149. Angela	150. Art Quilt #5
151. Cherries and Texture!	152. Taco Tuesday	153. Ready for Fall	154. $0.50 Nursery Monogram Re-Do	155. Summer Wreath
156. Zucchinni Bread	157. Cozy Cat Cushion	158. Light Swaddle Blanket

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