Use what you have Easter craft!

A few days ago I felt very inspired to make some decoupage Easter eggs. I ran around like a chicken with her head cut off (no pun intended) gathering eggs, paper, modge podge, trim and sat down to start my little masterpieces. I quickly found that modge podge does NOT stick to Styrofoam eggs. Bummer.

Thankfully, CVS had an enormous supply of those plastic eggs you can put treats in so I snagged some of those for 50% off and got to work!

I found scrap book sheets at Michael's I loved so much I purchased them to make these eggs but the really fun thing is that you can use virtually any sort of paper you like. So grab some plastic eggs and get gluing!

Here is what you need:

ModgePodge Glue (I recommend glossy unless you have a gloss medium you can put on after using the matte)

Gloss medium if using matte glue

Craft paint brush

Pretty Paper (try old letters, magazines (Anthro catalogues are GREAT for this), left over scrap book paper, wrapping paper.)

Fabric trim or ribbon

Small plastic Easter eggs

Stickers, acrylic paint, gems, and/or any ephemera that inspires you!

Glue gun

Steps:

1. Mix a little Modge Podge with a little water. The consistency should be like half and half.

2. Rip paper into dime, nickle and Quarter size shreds and lay strips in water/glue mixture.

3. Start pressing the largest glue soaked paper pieces around the center seam of the plastic egg (where the egg would break apart if you were to put a treat inside)

4. Gradually introduce smaller and smaller pieces of paper layering towards each end of the egg. Use the smallest pieces at the rounded "tips".

5. Allow to dry pressing down wrinkled areas intermittently. Paint on your gloss medium if you used matte glue and want a glossy finish.

6. Once dry, starting at one end of the egg glue ribbon or trim around the egg lengthwise.

7. Apply gems, flowers, ephemera, painted acrylic designs.

Tips:

*If you don't want to go to the craft store, dig through your closets and use what you can find. Buttons, old jewelry, fabric samples, and yarn could all be used to embellished these beauties.

* To give a little consistency to your eclectic collection stick to a color scheme or repeated motif. I chose scrapbook papers in similar tones with vintagy images on them. My trim was all selected from the dollar section of the craft store. Even though all my eggs are different they do have some commonality to tie them together as a group.

*Consider placing one at each place setting at your Easter brunch! Or set up a craft table with these supplies and avoid awkward conversations with relatives! No one can ask you when you are getting married or when you are going to have a baby if they are too busy crafting!

*Fill with jingle bells, sand or beans before covering to create a fun, musical, easter basket filler for kids (and fun adults).

*Part of the "charm" of this project is that it doesn't have to be perfect! Allow yourself room for the grace of creativity and your own intuition and your final product will be beautiful and unique!

On hanging dinner on the wall...

In our home I like to decorate with a strong out door element in every room. Branches, baskets, florals and plants abound...and where they don't I am working on it.

We are in the process of re-doing the dining room and I have been brainstorming for wall art.

I turned to Audubon prints to deviate a little bit from the botanicals that are an inspiration for every room.

It started with a pair of sweet little humming birds...

But then i decided that a delicate bird might be to flighty and feminine so some how I got onto game.

You know. Ducks and pheasant and rabbits and elk....

all prints from art.com

And after picturing these critters on my wall I realized that maybe I would be well suited to become a vegetarian.

I'm back to searching for bird prints featuring fine feathered friends that won't be joining us for dinner.

This also brings me to all the antlers and animal sculls we have been seeing recently. What are your thoughts on the antlers?

I actually have a pair my mother in law found in her back yard and they are currently hanging out on the coffee table. They intrigue me because I love their form and feel. We also lived at their house for a while and I used to see deer around all the time. They looked at me. I looked at them. It was special. The antlers have a sentimental authenticity. Not to say those who have embraced the deer head as a trend don't love deer---but a lot of the places they are showing up just seem odd to me. There are isolated cases where it looks good and works with the design (and I'm not going to say if I think the photo below is one of them.)

photo via we love domino @wordpress

As a trend, I'm over it. And I'm not sure I was ever really under it...

If you want to read a funny post or two on antlers go here and here. The second link listed has a post titled "Is this ram satanic?". It's pretty hilarious---especially if you go and read the blogger responses. My do people have opinions (I chimed in too! See if you can find my response.)

Good bye twenties!

Today I leave my twenties behind! Good bye, farewell, tata! Hellooooo thirties!!!

eh.

Yes it is my thirtieth birthday and I have to write about it because as much as I've tried to play it down in my mind I have walked up to this day with enthusiasm (love birthdays!!!) and trepidation (thirty!!? What!?). Thankfully on facebook (which makes a girl feel so special on her birthdays) people have reminded me that thirty is the new 20 (is it? oooh la la) and that it is exciting to be onto a new decade of my life.

And I guess it kind of is. After all I don't think I'd live a single day of my 20th year again---but I pretty much like my life right now just as it is. I certainly don't have things figured out but the confusion and discontent of my early 20's (Who am I? Will I get married? What will I do after college?) is gone and though I still have questions (Will I have babies? Will I work as a mom? What should I be doing right NOW? Is blogging a wast of my time?) I've learned a lot about patience over the past decade and about learning to be content with unanswered questions.

So how do I feel about being 30? It's a difficult question to answer, but I have a shopping analogy that should sum it all up: My last purchase was from Roxy (you know, surfer girl line for juniors) and I sort of got a thrill flipping through the most recent Talbot's catalogue. Yes. A thrill.

Do I feel young? Not really. Do I feel old? Heck no! I feel somewhere in between and sometimes it's good to be right smack dab in the middle.

Oscar Fashion Favorites and a major disappointment

Everyone is doing it so I may as well join in the fun.

These are my Oscar night favorites...and one major flop in my book.

Michelle Williams, you goddess.

Has a pixie ever looked this good??? Natalie Portman looked darn good with a pixie cut back as does Emma Watson now but Michelle just looks Ethereal....light years away from her Dawson's Creek days.

Cheers for goddess number two.

I think Kate looks smashing. And while part of my heart longs to see some detail inside that gem framed canvas...I marvel at the creativity of the design that makes me think of mermaids, music, deco broaches, and a lovely cocktail ring I remember seeing in my mom's jewelry box when I was little. Fashion is so personal, and personally I love this dress.

I think Natalie Portman must be one of the most graceful and beautiful women alive. As for her dress...

It kind of reminds me of a shirt I bought at Banana Republic once. She still looks amazing though...and she is pregnant. Wow.

Before I get to my last dress comment let me ask, for those of you who were still in high school in the late 90's early 00's---do you remember that one year all you could find from JC Penny to Bloomingdale's was cheep satin in black and white?

Well, I give you Reese Witherspoon.

*cringe*

It breaks my heart to say it because she is one of my favorite starlets...but this look is terrible.

TERRIBLE. Ah...I cant look at it anymore.

Not to let you go with that awkward taste of the 90's, below is one of my favorite Oscar looks of all time. If Reece had taken a few tips from Grace instead of her yearbook I think she'd be on the best dressed list. *sigh* We all make mistakes. Se la vive.

Please share!!! Do you have an Oscar night favorite? Do tell, do tell.

And there was much rejoicing...

BHLDN.

It's almost enough to make one want to get married a second time around.

Experience the visual delight for yourself here and here.

If you are a bride to be, God speed.

A Quest for Color!!! Where do you go?

Everything thing is bright and white out. After these past few snow storms my little corner of Chester County PA is a (slowly melting) winter wonderland! The white snow and gray trees remind me of all the white and weathered wood we've been seeing in the design world recently...It is peaceful. It is quiet. But it's making me yearn for more warmth than a white faux fur throw blanket tossed over a weathered wood chair can bring. It's making me yearn for....

COLOR!!!

Now, I love color anytime of the year. And I have certain sensibilities about what colors I decorate and dress with, as I am sure you do. But this time of year I have a particular craving for bright, juicy, 711 slushee colors. Colors that make my mouth water. Colors that sing of summer. Colors that simply warm me up.

I love seeing different color combinations in homes. It may not be what I do at my own home, but simply seeing it is a thrill....

Notice how white is used as a back drop for many of the colors in these photos......

domino

decor online

Side note! See the Cyclamen in the photo above to the right of the white chair? I just love those! A great winter indoor plant!

Natural warm architecture like exposed bricks and wood also can balance bright color...

Apartment Therapy

The soft green on the walls here takes some of the edge of the fucshia and compliments it at the same time...

Turquoise and Tulips

With a ton of color white seems to just soften it for me but I also love seeing color craze drippy deep hue on the walls...

Cote de Texas

lolalina

lonny via Zunig Interiors

I also love all the color cotton quilting fabric by designers like Anna Marie Horner, Amy Butler and Jennifer Paganelli.

This little montage from Jennifer Paganelli with the snowy trees and a colorful "sky" shows

my sentiments EXACTLY!!

I love reading Ada and Darcy when I need a nice dosage of candy colors...

Kate Spade's Ad campaigns are always full of bright color and are undeniably cheery...

lala! Spring is coming!

And there is something about spice market photos that always throw my heart for a whirl...

The same thing for piles of indian dye powder...Look at it! Does it get you going? Does it speak to you the way it speaks to me? So pretty!!

I swear I get high off color. Truth be told, I will not lie. No huffing or puffing. Just looking at color...

Homes and Markets and Fabrics and Art...Above all, my quest for color is satisfied most when I am some place warm surrounded by flowers, water, and fish and colorful skies. These things I will not post photos of because they are so much better to day dream about...

Where do you go on your quest for color? Do you get color cravings too?

Chinese Laundry

How did I miss this when I was looking for laundry room ideas?

What a fun alternative to the totally clean, totally white, totally (dare I say) barren laundry room!

See the before and after at design sponge and Scandinavian Chic.

Well done Dagny!

New Love: Pure Style Home

You may know all about this already so please pardon my gush of enthusiasm but I am in love with this blog Pure Style Home by Lauren Leiss Interiors.

Lauren's style is so fresh to me and she focuses on putting things in your home that you love....and skipping all the extras. So right on! Yes!

Just look at her living room....

ahhh...it is pure lovely. It's to die for! I love it.

Look familiar? Probably because her home was photographed for Better Homes and Gardens Magazine this past December. If you missed the article you can read it and join me in my obsession of her blog here. I hope she wants lots of new readers because once you start you will be hooked!

Thank you Lauren for your home style inspiration!

Boots with the Fur.

I already thought my Sorel boots were pretty cool when I got them for Christmas...

But now that I've seen Elle MacPhearson prancing around in them, their cool factor and my pride have shot up just a bit I'm not going to lie.

I guess I should be careful not to trip!

(You know, pride goeth before the fall. haha. That was me trying to be funny.)

I do find it interesting however that we get such a rush from any type of celebrity connection what-so-ever that we then have to talk about it (ex: I ate at the SAME restaurant in the SAME booth as Patrick Dempsy in New York! I saw Meg Ryan in Nantucket! Bono looked at me at the U2 show I went to. I swear it!)

I wonder if we'd get the same rush if we knew Jennifer Aniston used Crest toothpaste.

Too!!!!!!

Does she by the way? Does anyone know?

*Sigh*....maybe it's just me.

Anyway, not to go on and on about this but while we are on the topic did you know one of my faux examples up there is true!?

Yes. One is true. And you have to guess.

This is all slightly tongue in cheek I hope you know....

But for the record I did really see Meg Ryan on Nantucket.

Now that I have those sexy boots I would like to convince my husband into letting me wear a coat like that one Elle has on. The first one not the second one. If the first one is like woah, then the second one is like woah. Read: Not so good. If both jackets are questionable than I'd even go for my grandmother's fox scarf. I'd like to wear that out. Out Out. You know, out of the house. Fur is so in right now and I happen to have a gold mine of vintage fur hand me downs (vintage fur seems less cruel to me than new, if this makes no sense to you than we can discuss at a later date).

Back to the jacket. Maybe I will just have to send my husband that photo of Elle. That should help.

Must. Find. New. Organizer!!

Shall I go lively...

lily jane stationary @ etsy

Earmark @ Etsy

Dozi @ Etsy

Or utilitarian...

Filofax

Paper Source

Paper Source

I know that most people are going digital now...and I am sure that I will graduate one of these days, still I love to open a little book and see my day or month on paper. I like to make a list and cross things off. I like to doodle on the page corners when I am on hold...an I-phone can't give you that.

Is your date book paper or plastic?