House: Before and After

So I've been out of blogging commission lately - largely due to some significant life changes that have occurred - namely selling our house, changing jobs, moving (multiple) states, etc

But I was going through old pictures and had to post these before and afters of our house.  We were in our house for 5 years and it was a labor of love.  We got it looking really great (and then moved).

Hoping we can get our next house how we want it and actually live in it for a while.

*Disclaimer: all the "before" pictures included the previous owner's belongings.

Front of house: BEFORE

Front of house: AFTER

 

Living room: BEFORE

Living room: After (new builtins, recessed lighting, etc)

Dining room: BEFORE

Dining room: AFTER

Guest room: BEFORE

Guest room: AFTER

Girls bedroom: BEFORE

Girls bedroom: AFTER

Boy's bedroom: BEFORE

Boy's bedroom: AFTER

Master bedroom: BEFORE

Master bedroom: AFTER

Master bath: BEFORE

 

 

Master bath: AFTER (this was probably our biggest project)

 

 

Basement: BEFORE

 

 

 

 

Basement: AFTER

 

Path to backyard: BEFORE

Path to backyard: AFTER

Backyard: BEFORE

 

 

Backyard: AFTER

 

 

"You Are My World" painting

My life has been turned upside down at the moment.  I did, however, finish a project I've been planning for a very very long time (like 2 years). (Priorities people!!)

This is for my great friend who had a baby.  We went back and forth on something she would want for her nursery. 

Her mother made this gorgeous quilt (wish I had a picture of it) which also left samples of the fabric. 

I wanted to incorporate the fabric somehow in the painting - which I did in the lettering.
 

I cut out the lettering with the fabric samples on my Silhouette machine.

After painting the world with different shades of green, I decopouged the whole thing to make sure the fabric does not go anywhere.  It is on a 16x20 canvas.

I love it.  It has the simpleness (my friend was looking for) and yet is artsy enough for me.

Wedding gift pillows

So when one of my best friends from high school asked me to be in her wedding, I knew I had to something creative for her present.

Since I ordered extra silk fabric with my bridesmaid dress, I thought I would put it to good use! 

I wanted to make something that would remind her of her special day, but something she could still use.  Her wedding colors were silver and turquoise.

I used my silhouette to cut out the Mr. and Mrs. from the silk and then sewed it on with matching blue thread.



Here is a close-up of the lettering sewed on.  

Congratulations Nikki! I'm so excited for you! Hope you can get good use of your new pillows!  

 

Teacher appreciation gifts

So this post is long overdue, but at the end of the school year my daughter wanted to do something for her teacher to say thank you for the wonderful year. 

So, thanks to pintrest, we got this idea from the blog of a friend of mine (for some reason I can't link her post about it, not sure why).

My daughter drew and painted the whole thing herself (which she was quite proud of) on canvas and then I glued the flower on top (compliments to my silhouette).  

I love how it turned out, and I'm sure her teacher loved it too.

 

Nursery decor

So a good friend of mine is going to have a baby girl.

I wanted to do something for her baby's room.  Her colors: tan, navy, coral, pinks. And a bird motif.

I wanted to include some cherry-like blossoms to remind her of DC (she is moving away this summer)

So here is what I came up with:



I had this idea of having a damask print in the background with metallic paint (remember my obsession with metallic paint?)

So I cut out a stencil of a damask print on my Silhouette with vinyl.

It was actually much much more work than anticipated.
If trying this tactic, I would suggest a stencil that isn't vinyl.

(or isn't as intricate as a damask print which has so many tiny little pieces to take out.)

But I love how it turned out.  The damask print is subtle -- but it really shows up in the flash of this picture so you can get a better look of it here:
 

It makes it look like it is painted on wall paper or something.

I had a lot of fun with it.

 

Anchor away

So it was my friend's birthday and I was in a creative drought that needed quenching, so I wanted to paint something for her.

Her house is adorable - filled with a nautical motif with boats and maps, etc. So I thought an anchor would be quite fitting.  Simple. cute. (and easy, which fit my schedule this week)

I've been a little obsessed with metallic paint lately, so the anchor is in metallic paint, which really makes it pop when you see it.

 

You can kind of catch the gleam of the metallic paint in this picture here: 

Family Night board

So I found this picture of a Family Night board I made for my sister-in-law for Christmas last year and I loved how it turned out.  (It took way WAY longer to make than anticipated because I desperately needed a new blade for my silhouette. )

This picture is without the pegs that went under the words - I didn't manage to put them on until we flew down for the holidays (too much to do before traveling)

But I thought it turned out cute and I hope she has found good use for it!