a few creative inspirations!

Here's a few fun things I found Pinterest recently :)

just loved this Thanksgiving table

commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com

love

bhg.com

great feel!

bing.com

 stuck it on here because it's just lovely :)

love this pretty room

marthastewart.com

and this one...

padgetthoke.blogspot.com

genius!

clementineandolive.blogspot.com

free printable antique sheet music wrapping paper!

printable.tipjunkie.com

great holiday cookie bag idea!

designspongeonline.com

simple and sweet, great diy gift idea

texascottage.blogspot.com

another cute gift idea

nicety.livejournal.com

super cute free printable tags!

jonesdesigncompany.com

doing this  finger print tree today! for a kids craft!

styleunveiled.com

Enjoy!

Cj

DIY Family Tree

I found this super simple yet beautiful family tree idea on The Bride's Diary. 

I love it, you could do so many different things with this thing. Another project I cant wait to do! 

Enjoy, Cj

DIY paper flower mirror...

So I have no clue what this french MC Maison article is saying :) but the mirror sure is lovely. I have a very similar vintage mirror I just packed up, I might just have to re-create this once we get to the new place!

Un miroir bordé de fleurs en carton - Marie Claire Idées

(I'm thinking "a mirror with a border of flowers in paper?" :)

Enjoy, Cj

DIY ghetto fabulous - book shelves

(pic from Ministry of Deco)

I haven't been doing too much design dreaming for our house recently, I just don't really know where we are going or what we are doing with the house. To move or not to move, that is the question :) We have had our house for sale since mid Fall and show the thing constantly... like almost everyday constantly :) We had an offer in, but the people had a change of heart. So we are back to waiting to see where the Lord wants us to be, and if moving is in His plans.

I haven't been looking at my design blogs, because my brain gets going too fast and I know if we are moving it will be a waste to re-do stuff here! But I did stumble across this great idea @  Table Tonic (a great Australian design blog) , a wonderfully "ghetto fabulous" idea of turning cheap IKEA spice racks into super cool book shelves! They really could hold anything! (photos, vases, candles) And they can be painted any color you can imagine! What a fun accent to a child's room, so functional too. I will be stealing this idea once I figure out which house I am going to hang them in :)

 BEKVÄM | Spice rack

and @ $3.99 each, they definitely qualify for the ghetto fabulous category :)

Looking forward to using these soon! I know my boys will enjoy them!

Cj

birthday bash photos

Jason @ Drumm Studios Photography and Design, 

Thank you so much for beautifully documenting such a fun evening! 

Mike @ CARAVAN, your food rocks! Your hummus is incomparable and chicken kebabs are amazing! Thanks for the wonderful dinner!

United Bakery,  I really have no need to ever make a chocolate cake again :) Your 3-layer chocolate cake  is just too good and your prices are awesome! 

This birthday was very much enjoyed!

Cj

page wreath

Last week, I was checking my email and of course had some random facebook emails that resulted in the FB vortex...you know....we all know....the one that you 20 minutes later stop and realize your looking at some family vacation pictures from Hawaii in 2005, and you don't even know the family! Ya, I don't do facebook much, because when I do it's that! Some people have great self control there and it's a wonderful tool to keep in touch, not so much for me :) 

 This day wasn't necessarily that bad of a vortex, but actually a cool find. This picture of this beautiful wreath popped up on my news feed and I couldn't help but click on it! It was a link to this blog, domestic life (which looks like a super cute blog). She had a bunch of fun and unique DIY wreaths. I couldn't help but post the pic's. You could make this with so many things! Sheet music, old books, patterned paper, and the list goes on! 

If I have a chance before our trip, I'm totally making one! 

Enjoy, Cj

DIY Recycled Crayons

DIY Toddler Friendly Crayons

Wet weather = toddlers getting stir crazy stuck indoors.

So how about gathering all left over crayon bits and creating different and exciting new shapes. Think moustaches, alphabet letters or numbers, hearts, anything available in baking tins. Heat makes a crayon a little loopy; it may melt into a swirl or pool into a whirl.You don't have to stick to just one colour - try different colour combinations like blue and white. They can also make great party favours!!

Tools and Materials

• Kitchen knife
• Old crayons
• Mini-cake tins (that you don't mind getting wax in)

1. Parents can use the knife to chop crayons into pea-size pieces, taking care to keep colors separate so kids can combine them as they like. Use perhaps a cork cutting board - it will be hard to get the wax out and they are quite hard to break!
2. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees while children fill the tin with crayon pieces, arranging them in interesting designs.
3. Bake just until the waxes have melted, 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Remove the shapes after they have cooled. If they stick, place tray in the freezer for an hour, and the crayons will pop out.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Crazy Crayons - Martha Stewart Kids

We have a  million broken crayons around here and I'm constantly tossing them! I follow this super cute Australian blog,

Chic Mother & Baby Blog {daily} | Dress, Decor and Design Inspiration for Baby, Mum and Women 

and found this ever so useful recycling idea for your old crayons! Its super easy, even little ones can help. Enjoy! Cj

okay i know it's not even thanksgiving yet, but...

A friend e-mailed me the link to the Dear Lillie blog and said I would enjoy it. The second I clicked on it, these 2 projects came up and I knew I was a fan :) They are both super simple and don't cost much to make. The words on the pillows were done with a sharpie, how easy is that :)
They'd make great gifts too! Check out the how-to's here @
 Dear Lillie

design peek // the Michaelson living room

I have been re-decorating and designing some furniture for a client this past month. Hence my lack of creative projects on the blog, most of my creative juice is going into this project for the next few weeks :) Here are a few pics of ideas, colors, and inspirations for the project.

 I'll have to share the before and after pics once it's done! 

I'm doing lots of these topiaries! They are classic and great for all seasons! 

I just did 2 of these couches above in white 

and re-upholstered 2 chairs in the tan and white fabric above

Vintage French Linen Pillow Covers | Pillows | Restoration Hardware

I'm love these linen pillows :) The couches aren't here yet, but these guys are!

The room I'm doing has cream on white striped walls, but I will be doing these grey and white guys for my own project soon :) I just love the frame collection wall above, and the fisheye mirror :)

Enjoying this project... and wanting to keep all my purchases :)

Excited to share the end results!

Cj

simple fall banner

Here's a simple fall decor idea! I just printed words and verses in Word, printed and cut them out, then glued them on some pretty patterned paper. I also used some pre printed words from a paper source word pack :) And then of course, hung them on the token twine and clothes pins! I'm not a huge halloween fan, so we kinda just skip to Thanksgiving. So much to be thankful for :) 

Enjoy, 

Cj

favorite online invite website!

Ok, let me preface this saying there is nothing more thoughtful and sweet than a hand written note, card or invitation. Real paper is always the coolest and classiest, But I do have to say my new find

 paperless post 

is the coolest and classiest electronic stationary t  that I have found so far! Beautiful, unique and SO affordable! 

This is Evite gone right! 

I just made some invites this past week for a shower I'm throwing for a friend in a few weeks. Normally custom invites, plus the shipping will cost anywhere from $50-100, and would  take the design, print, and assemble time. But with Paperless Post they were done within a matter of minutes and were less than 10.00 for almost 50 invites! You can't beat that!

The templates and liners are super easy to use and completely customizable. The website receives and organizes all the RSVP's and responses, and also offers reminder emails, party information change emails and printable spread sheets. From an invitation to custom stationary Paperless Post does it all. 

Looking forward to using them soon! 

Enjoy! Cj

Click here to sign up and receive free paperless stamps!

http://www.paperlesspost.com/invite/carlybrannon@earthlinknet