Thursday, April 25, 2013

The Liebster Award MarvinsDaughters

Here we go,  I sure hope I don't trip on the way to the podium!! I need to remember to smile and stand up straight! Wait  I can sit at home in my jammies and accept the Liebster Award!!! It's an award in blogworld!!
 I want to start off by thanking Andi over at Delusions of Ingenuity  for nominating me!! A sincere thank you Andi I am so flattered and honored!
 The blogworld to me is like being a radio DJ, you are always wondering, "is anyone listening?"  That is why bloggers love comments! It is great to know that someone checked out your post. And even better to have someone nominate you for the Liebster Award!!



According to my research...... OK I will give everyone a moment to stop laughing and catch their breath after visualizing me doing some research.....The Liebster Award originated in Germany. It is a pay it forward type award. The Liebster award is for new, upcoming bloggers with less than 200 followers. After being nominated you first thank the blogger who nominated you, again thank you Andi!! Then answer the 11 random questions they ask you. Next you are to share 11 random facts about yourself; 22 bits of random information about me, oh my gosh lets get started!! Then I get to nominate three bloggers with less than 200 followers, ask them 11 questions, and well that's the pay it forward part! Lastly make sure you link your post back to the blogger that nominated you! So let's get started I am sure everyone will sleep better tonight knowing 22 bits of random info about me!!
Here in red are the 11 questions Andi asked me:

1. Do you have a pet preference?  If so, what? Dogs dogs dogs! I have to say I am a bit worried about myself. I have become a "dog park person," I know the names of all the dogs at the park.....but hardly any of the peoples names. I bought our dog Dexter a sheepskin coat this past winter, I have been to the "Puppy Playhouse" and I liked it! I fear I am going down a road of no return!
2. Is there a blog that inspired you to get blogging? Some of my friends suggested I start a crafting blog, I laughed. Then I connected with my childhood friend (Wendy) and she had a crafting blog (CreateCraftChere)......well I had to have one too!!! I love sharing this blogging journey with her. Our friendship truly is forever!!
 Grab button for Create~Craft~Chere

3. What's your favorite movie(s)? I love all movies and it is so hard to pick a favorite. As a kid I use to have what I called "Tomato Soup Saturdays" when I would make tomato soup (with Ritz crackers) and watch Shirley Temple movies on cable TV. On the other side of the coin (way on the other side) I sat with my mouth opened throughout every minute of Pulp Fiction the first time I saw it. I love love love all the Toy Story movies!! But I guess "The Way We Were" is my fave favorite, love me a good love story and some Robert Redford!!!
 
4. What's your favorite food? I like, love and appreciate all food equally!! But if there is melted cheese or bacon involved, it's mine!!!
5. Boxers or Briefs? Boxer Briefs!!! The best of both worlds!! Just kidding. But my answer is serious! Favorite (book) author? Geeze the boxer/brief question was easier for me!! I am an avid reader. I always have a book to read. I have a really odd fear of being without a book to read. And even though I have a Kindle HD Fire : ) I am an old school girl that still reads actual books.
 
6. Favorite childhood memory?  My whole childhood is a favorite memory, I grew up on a golf course my parents owned and operated in Northern California. I could ride my bike to the banks of the Sacramento River. Any memory with my sister is a favorite!! Maybe not for her.....lol
7. What superpower would you choose? Can I invent the "cure cancer superpower??"
8. If you could do anything (career), what would it be? Fortunately I have had an absolutely amazing and successful "career" that has brought me joy everyday. I have two amazing sons that fulfill me each day like nothing else could. Of course now that one son is out on his own and the other son ready to go in the blink of an eye, I wonder, does Guy Fieri need a co-host for Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives? I am perfect for the job!

 
9. Where do you dream of traveling to? To Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives preferably near warm sunny beaches.
10.  Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter? Summer, because gardening is in my soul.
11.  What's your goal for 2013?  Amazingly enough, it was to answer 11 random questions about myself! Who knew? Phew now I can relax for the rest of the year! This will give me some extra time to focus on a crafting venture myself, my sister and a friend have been working on........   

Is anyone still awake? Now for 11 random facts about me..... 

1. I was once on stage with Bill Cosby. I am not going to explain this, but here are some details, It was at Harrah's Lake Tahoe, on a date with a musician and that's all you need to know! 
2. I have made many "creative choices" with my appearance, fortunately none that were permanent. 
3. I started kayaking late in life, so I need to make up for lost time!
4. I love that I can sit on my couch and look out the window and see Mt. Rose and know that Lake Tahoe is right on the other side!
5. My husband is also my best friend! 
6. I can't stop thinking of things I want to make. People ask me "what inspires you" I always answer the same "what doesn't inspire me?"
7. I really enjoy following Andi's blog about the building of her new home.
8. Both of my boys started talking really early, and none of my friends or family were surprised???? Like I had set some kind of example for them I guess!!
9. I am going to design and sew a wedding dress, just because I want to! Yes I will be blogging that creative venture!
10. I blog late at night. And I know I am not alone.
11.  I love connecting with other crafty creative people in the blogworld! And the real world too!!!

Well I achieved the random aspect of this assignment! Now for my three nominees:


1. Wendy over at "CreateCraftChere"  Of all of Wendy's many talents, I am the most jealous of her crocheting skills. I often "suggest" things for her to make! She loves that about me. Wendy inspired me to blog, we are the kind of girlfriends that share everything!! You must check out all of her crafty skills at her creative blog!
2. Bec over at "Two Worlds" is my next nominee. I love connecting with bloggers from all over the world. Bec is based on the Sunshine Coast Queensland Australia. I feel like I am on vacation when I visit her blog. Definitely check it out!
3. Elisha over at Pneumatic Addict Furniture: is #3. OMGosh I love every single project she has on her blog!! This lady is setting the trends, not following them! I am pretty sure Martha Stewart must be getting ideas from Elisha's blog!! If not well she should be!! If you like cool, well made, on trend, unique, did I say cool? projects, click on the link above and visit her blog!

Please visit all three of my nominees and leave them a comment. Don't forget to sign up and follow them on their blogging adventures too. Make some time to visit Andi, who nominated me, over at Delusions of Ingenuity Andi along with her husband, are currently building a new home. Talk about the ultimate DIY project! I love following long term projects. She has a great writing style and and even better attitude. My favorite blog to follow....and that is random fact #12!

Here are my 11 random questions for my nominees.
1. What is your most favorite and least favorite part of the blogging experience? (Yes we are starting off with a two part question)
2. What inspired you to start blogging?
 3. What kind of camera do you use?
4. Do you have a favorite photo editing program?
5. What draws you to check out a blog? The photos? The writing content? Crafting style?
6. What book, magazine and/or newspaper are you currently reading?
7. If I gave you $50,000 what would you do with it? (my husband wants me to make it perfectly clear that we are not giving anyone, anywhere $50,000.....geeze I didn't know he would read this!!!)
8. If I bought you a brand new car what kind would you want? (OK that question was just to irk my hubby)
9. What was the last movie you watched....that you liked!!?

10.  If I made dinner for you, what would you like me to make?
11.  In the future would you do a guest post on my blog?
  

Congratulations to all my Liebster Award nominees!! Make sure to follow up at their blogs and see their answers to my questions.
I will proudly honor the Liebster Award forever here at Marvin's Daughter's. I am humbled. 
Thank you for visiting, and have a great day, Lori
 For those first time visitors PLEASE check my other posts, I usually add some crafts to my chatter!! 



Thursday, April 18, 2013

DIY Pillow Slipcovers


 ”A
Thank you Marty for featuring this post over at AStrollThruLife! Check out the Inspire Me Tuesday Party for some incredible creative talent! Also take at look at Marty's beautiful home decorating projects while your there!Do the bright colors of spring rejuvenate your soul?


DIY Pillow Slipcover Tutorial

Finally it looks like some sunny skies in the weather forecast here!

Chevron Pillow Home Decor

This DIY adventure started in the cold gray dreary days of February. And it's Pookie's (my sister Julie) fault! While we were at the fabric store (with our dear friend Pooh) Pookie finds this fabulous orange floral fabric and says "Look at this Lori."  It was love at first sight, and it was on sale!! A few yards were purchased and it was mine!! When I got home and laid the fabric on my dark green couch, well it looked a little Home Depot orange to me. Uh oh!!










(Click on any picture to enlarge)

Quick I need some creamy/ivory colored fabric to buffer this bright orange I said, that is when the cool cream textured fabric below joined the project.


At Bed Bath and Beyond I found this cool washed out orange, rectangle shaped pillow below that I thought looked like it belonged in our group.


*


Then I saw the Paris pillow....my heart pounding as I realized it had every color of the project palette!

And more importantly, I had enough coupons for them!!!


I was happy with my pillow project, it felt complete. Until I dreamed of an orange chevron pillow.


Time for the DIY to start. First I measured my original dark green couch pillows. I cut the cream fabric below, for the front of the pillow, one inch larger than my pillows are. For the back pieces of the slip cover, I added four extra inches of fabric to each side. I folded and stitched one side of each back piece to make a hemmed edge.


In the photo below you can see the hemmed edges, and how they overlap for the back of the slipcover. With the right sides of the fabric facing each other, stitch around the outer edge of the slipcover. Turn it inside out and you have a slip cover!


Of course I couldn't find any orange chevron fabric. That didn't stop me, I decided to paint me some! First I taped out a lattice pattern and then trimmed the tape to make a chevron pattern. For me this was a quick way to lay out a semi-even pattern. Check it out in the photo below.


You are now watching paint dry.


Once the paint was completely dry, I pinned the trim to the front piece of fabric. I turned the cord part of the trim inward for stitching. I stitched it on using the zipper foot attachment on my sewing machine.

*


Then I stitched the back pieces to the front using the zipper foot attachment again. By using the zipper foot I could get super close to the cord/trim. Always trim and snip your corners before you turn the slipcovers inside out.


The trim will pop right out all around the pillow. It adds a great finished edge to the pillows.


Below you can see the back of the slipcovers. Just slide the pillows in and I am done. By adding the extra inches to the back panels of the slipcovers and making sure they overlap before you stitch, the backs have a nice finished look.


Next are some arrangement pictures. Pretty much any way works!


*

*

*


There is Dexterdoodle looking at me and saying, "Really cream colored pillows??"

Dexter Havanese Puppy

We are all loving the bright pillows in the living room. That is true DIY success!


Just one lingering issue....there is a collection of beautiful plum colored fabric at the fabric store...thinking that would be some pretty slipcovers for fall!!


What is your favorite way to brighten up your home? Leave a comment I would love to hear your ideas.

Thank you for stopping by, have a great day, Lori


Sign up to follow my blog by email on the upper right side of this page. Thank you!

Thank you to my blog followers, I appreciate you all!!

I am sharing this post at these parties: 



 


Thursday, April 11, 2013

Pansy Centerpiece

Are the pansies popping up in your town?
(Click on any photo to enlarge)

Do the bright blooms catch your eye?

Every time I see a pansy I think about bringing them inside. A centerpiece is an easy way to change up your decor and bring some blooms in the house.

When we were at Costco last week I saw a stack of these boxes (in the picture below). I was drawn to the cutout top edge of the box. What a great pattern I thought. I knew I could create something with that box! Oh joy my husband thought!
So I got some paint out and went to work. First I did a layer of brown paint and then two layers of cream. For the final coat I dry brushed some black paint lightly over the whole thing.
I was aiming for a weathered wood look. I am pretty happy with the way it turned out.
I cut some hinges out with the Silhouette die cut machine. I painted the hinges with  Tim Holtz brushed pewter crackle paint.
I attached some brads to the hinges. I have had these brads with the heads that look like a Philips screw forever. They were perfect for this project.
I love the way the hinges turned out! I think they really finish the edges of the box.
Next I wanted a phrase on the side of the box. I decided to go with something French, mostly because it looked so pretty! I used one of my favorite techniques to do this. I set my printer on mirror image before I printed the phrase. I then printed the phrase onto the smooth side of a transparency sheet. I printed the phrase (one word at a time) and laid the transparency onto the side of the box and and rubbed it on, presto I made my own rub-on!! I love the weathered look of the words!
Do you like the font? I think it finishes the box perfectly.
I set my two tall pillars on either side of the box to finish off the centerpiece.

Eventually the pansies will go out in the front yard around the tree. They should bloom all summer, I just need to keep them trimmed up. Though they are welcome to stay inside as long as they like!
I am so happy with how my free recycled Costco box turned out!! I have a few other ideas for it. Check back to see how I can get some more decorative mileage out of a cardboard box! 
Thank you for stopping by. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think of my project. Do you up-cycle? I would love to hear about your ideas!
Have a great day, Lori

Follow my blog by email on the upper right side of this page. Thank you!

Sharing this post @



Friday, April 5, 2013

Paris Scrapbook

How fabulous does a trip to Paris, France in the spring sound? Can you imagine the photo opportunities? Well it is a dream come true for my nephew and his girlfriend. They are exploring the city of lights as I type this.
My sister Julie (Pookie) David's Mom, wanted to make sure they had a "fabulous" scrapbook to display their pictures of their travels. Well all I can say is she reached her goal!!! You are in for a treat visitors as I share this lovely scrapbook my sister made.
Isn't this stand perfect? The pages flip up and over, so easy to check out each one. Any page can be the cover. David and Dana can display this on a shelf or the coffee table. All their memories right at their fingertips.
(Click on any picture to enlarge)
My sister Julie (Pookie) (Marvins other and oldest daughter) yes she is my older sister, put so much incredible detail into this scrapbook!! She stamped, inked edges, punched borders added stickers and personalized almost every page. There are pockets to stash tickets, brochures and extra photos throughout the scrapbook. I guess with age comes an eye for detail!!
This is truly a treasure, made with love.
I love the graphics on this paper. It is perfect for a trip.
A London page below, for their layover.
I love this page below!! I love everything about it, mostly the mix of colors!! Pookie still has more pages to make so you can look forward to a follow up post. With more close up photos I promise!!
Pookie my (oldest and only) sister is always saying I am the creative (younger) sister...I say I am just following in HER footsteps!! Leave her a comment below and let her know how special this album is!!
Thank you for stopping by, have a great day, Lori
Disclaimer (No feelings were hurt by the age jokes in this post. My sister always says "with age comes wisdom".....)

Please follow my blog by email at the top right side of this page. Thank you!

Sharing this post @