MellyBean

Etsy Find Friday!

2010-04-09T09:06:00.000-07:00

One of my all time favorite websites in the entire world is Etsy. I used to sell items on Etsy and I've always LOVED getting inspiration from there.

There are so many original and creative artists in the world and it's a fantastic site for all those creative cats to showcase (and profit from) their talents...

So...I thought each Friday, I'd end the week with my favorite finds from Etsy.

This week's theme is wall decals:

How cute are these!! I have a large circle with "Ellie" in her room...I will be getting one of these puppies in her new, big-girl room.

By Margot Madison

I also love this alphabet...again...another cute idea for a kid's room.

By Tasty Suite

I absolutely love this quote...I usually see it framed (which I also love) but I like the idea of this being in a kitchen or a just a busy hub of a home where kids (and mommies) tend to stress out!

By ChuckEByrd Wall Art

And for my personal favorite...the simple number decal.

At $4 a number, I think this would be so cute to do a series on glass jars, boxes, plates...

By Lean the Graphics Queen

And just 'cause I thought this was funny (and random)...an apple jacket!!

By Handamade

Easter!!!

2010-04-06T06:53:00.001-07:00

I hope y'all had a wonderful Easter! We absolutely did - the Easter bunny came to visit Ellie Sunday morning (sorry - I was too wrapped up in the moment with Ellie to snap some pictures of her basket!!), we had a great day at church, lunch with Jon's parents, and a small Easter egg hunt!

Remember that I mentioned making a jacket for Easter for myself? Well, the pieces are cut, SOME of the jacket is assembled but I really just ran out of time to finish it. SO - I worked with what I had and just added a couple of home-made flowers to a sweater.

I really need to focus more on pictures because I didn't get a full shot of the family in our Easter outfits! But this is what we got:

I WILL continue to work on my jacket and WILL post it once it's finished!

As for my weekend projects - y'all, I'm TRYING to stay crafty but sometimes it's just impossible to get that extra time (and energy) to do anything!! (BUT - I DO think my little fabric flowers count towards my craft project of adding the flowers to a cardigan :) :))

I'm going to work on some more dresses for Ellie this weekend...I feel like I'm saving my bigger and more time consuming projects for the verrrry end...

Here's the fabrics up for this weekend's sewing:

Circus!!!...and the Easter Bunny...

2010-03-31T08:31:00.000-07:00

I have NOT forgotten by project-to-do list. I DID make the tray with Jessica like I promised and I DID take a picture!! What's left - post it, already! I will...soon... :)

Until then, let me first say that this past weekend, I did not do any sort of project. I was having way too much fun hanging out with Ellie and Jon at the circus and seeing the Easter Bunny!

Here's Ellie at the circus:

She had a blast! It started at 7:30 and I was amazed she stayed awake until the 10pm finale!

I've gotta say, there were so many moments I was so depressed for the animals :( I mean, an elephant balancing on a ball with a bedazzled head-piece and glitter toe-nails just broke my heart. Ellie, loved the acrobats - they were pretty amazing. But her favorite was definately the pony-rides (as you can see on her face).

THEN, on Saturday morning, our neighborhood put on an Easter festival. I totally love our neighborhood...they do so many cool things for FREE (technically I guess it's not free since we fork out our HOA dues but at least we get some cool entertainment out of it, right?).

There was a petting zoo, more pony rides (line was way too long so we didn't ride), an egg hunt, and free pictures with the Easter bunny!

Ellie could not get enough of the bunny - she waved at him/her the entire time we waited in line - it was precious!

So that was our fun-packed weekend! I DO have a crafty project I'm working on this week. I'm ATTEMPTING to make a jacket for me to wear Easter Sunday...we'll see how it turns out!

And here's just a couple of more pics of Ellie from the weekend :)

New Fave!

2010-03-18T13:59:00.000-07:00

I am 6 inches away from obsessing over this new find - silk flowers!! Have y'all seen these?

Not the faux, silk flowers - but these gorgeous, super cute hand-made silk floral broaches/clips.

Second Hand Rose

(This is my absolute fave)

Thread & Pedal

Chloe & Maddie

I've been searching for a special alternative for Ellie's Easter hair-piece. I considered a HUGE peony (though I still think are adorable) but once I saw one of these puppies, I knew I had to have one...or two...or maybe even three.

Check out these ideas:

Pish Posh Girls is where I very first saw these silk flowers. I LOVE how fun they look in a ponytail!

Chloe & Maddie definately has (in my opinion) the most beautiful pieces you can imagine. I think these shoes are stunning. What a great way to dress up a plain pair of heels!

And seriously - how pretty is this belt?! I am the BIGGEST neutral-colored-clothes-buyer there is...I think this would be so cute around a cardigan. Again, gorgeous piece from Chloe & Maddie.

So - that's my newest, latest, and great accessory find. I honestly can't decide on which flower I like most but I will be sure to snap some shots of Ellie and me in whichever ones we decide on!!

P.S. - Don't think I've forgotten about my weekend project list! My gal pal, Jessica, is coming over tonight for Weekend Project #2 - Monogram Tray...We shall see how they turn out. I'm so excited!! :)

First Project - Complete!

2010-03-16T07:10:00.000-07:00

I have to say, posting my projects from the weekend is a FANTASTIC way to keep me motivated. I remembered Daylight Savings Time laaate on Saturday night and wanted to call it a night on Ellie's Easter outfit but I pressed on! I'm so glad I did!

Before I go on, I have to say, I'm not a mom that buys the huge, poofy dresses for Easter. I'm not sayin' there's ANYTHING wrong with those poofy dresses - I just prefer to buy something Ellie can wear again.

So here's the result!!

(Disclaimer: these photos were taken with Jon's phone so the quality isn't that great.)

I am so pleased with out it turned out. Ellie hasn't tried it on yet but I'll post pictures in a couple of weeks with her in it. Now the hunt begins for an Easter dress for me!

Weekend Project 1!

2010-03-12T08:39:00.000-08:00

After reviewing my 11 waiting items, I decided to start with the items that wouldn't require a lot of purchases...Most of the things on the list, I can do now and have the supplies I need. Once I narrowed that down, I then decided to choose what items I NEEDED to finish first.

Sooo...my friends, I have decided for my first weekend project, I will (partially) tackle project #10 - sew thru some of Ellie's fabric and make her Easter outfit! Easter is only 3 weekends away so I need to get busy!!

Here are the fabrics on the cutting board:

Both fabrics are from Dena Designs - Leanika Line

I was inspired by a designer on Etsy, Georgia Grace Designs. She is absolutely fabulous.

Here's a sneaky peek of the fabrics together:

So, I will be busy sewing this weekend and will post the fruits of my labor on Monday so be sure to come back and check it out!

Feeling Crafty...but have no time :(

2010-03-10T12:57:00.000-08:00

So, I have a long list of items I really want to do...I think maybe if I start blogging about them, MAYBE I'll have some discipline to do them? I know we all feel like that during the week...we get home, make supper, clean up, get kids bathed, get kids to bed, then we realize, it's 9pm and we're still in our work clothes!

I have grand dreams of being a stay-at-home-mom. I know it would definately be more exhausting than coming home from work...but it would be so nice to feel like I have the ability to take on some these projects that I'm dying to do!!!!

So here they are (in no particular order). The projects I REALLY, REALLY, want to do!!!

1. Paint my kitchen

2. Think of and create a family rules canvas

3. Create 3 canvases to hold family pictures

4. Modge Podge tray with monogram

5. Paint the shutter (recently bought from Ebay), distress, hang

6. Create the cross collage on canvas

7. Apply posies along the neckline of a cardigan and tank top

8. Create a name frame for Ellie

9. Subway tile art

10. Sew thru all that fabric I bought for Ellie's summer dresses!!

11. Personalized step stool for Ellie

Ok - the top eleven...there it is...could I think of some countdown for this??? I think I should.

I'm going to tackle one of these a week (or maybe one project every 2 weeks??) I'll take it as it comes.

SOOO...project number 1 will begin this weekend!

I'll post on Friday what will be in the works for the weekend!

I'm in love...

2010-03-08T09:38:00.000-08:00

I am LOVING this living room. I think my entire house is about to be painted this light turquoise. Although I do not (and probably never will) have a white sofa, I think this room really captures the coastal feel I've been trying to do in my home without being too beachy.

I'm not totally sold on the bamboo blinds. I LOVE the look of them, but I can't decide if they're practical?? I think they look their best when they're half up (as shown) but then I wonder about privacy in the evening and heat from the sun during the day...

Anywhoo - I just adore this living/dining combo.
You can find more from this designer at Cote de Texas.

Post for the weekend

2010-03-05T08:49:00.000-08:00

Ellie cracks me up - she has such a personality. I love seeing it develop more and more. If you're my friend on Facebook, you've probably seen these pics...but I love them so much I thought I'd post them here too!

I. LOVE. TARGET. Here's why:

2010-03-05T08:30:00.000-08:00

All of these items will arrive in Target's store in 10 days!! How cute are those storage boxes?! I would love to get a few for Ellie's bookshelf and they would look so cute in my sewing room!

I also love some of the simple ideas that anyone can use to spring up and personalize items at home. Covering a lampshade - super inexpensive and EASY to do! Or how about using some Modge Podge to cover ceramic or glass containers with fabric!

One of my favorite ideas from this collection is covering a plate/tray with fabric and making it super personalized - Jessica: WE SHOULD DO THIS (and put our monograms on it!).

Can't wait, Target!!!

Ellie is TWO!!!

2010-02-23T06:39:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago (during my un-intentional blog-fast), my sweet girl, Ellie turned TWO!!! We had a few friends over for a simple party - Jon made balloon animals for the kiddos. Ellie was SO cute and SO polite - she made me proud!

Her birthday was February 8th - This year, it was FREEZING. I knew I wanted to have a welcome up the sidewalk and wanted Ellie's help. We didn't get much done on the welcome because it was SO COLD!!

I found this SUPER cute wreath idea on one of my new favorite blogs, Tartertots and Jello.

I made this wreath the morning of - it only took me about 30 minutes!! Tutorial Here.

Total cost for the wreath = $4!

Our food and cupcake table (y'all, those are homemade red velvet cupcakes with homeade cream cheese icing and they were DELISH - thank you, Pioneer Woman!):

Jon thought of using the cookie cutter for the "2" cheese - wasn't that cute?!

I always like decorating chandeliers at parties and showers. It just seems to complete the space. I used one of Ellie's tutu's and some ribbon. (One of my girlfriends is making a bow for Ellie with this turquoise paisley ribbon - I love it)

And finally, here's my sweet two-year old with her friends! Nani and Grandpappy (Jon's parents) got her the wagon. She's riding with her best friend, Noa.

Happy birthday, Ellie! You have made these two years so joyful for everyone that knows you. I look forward to what this next year will bring you and I'm excited to see how God blesses you!

4 months later...a new post!

2010-02-22T14:29:00.000-08:00

So - yes, it has been 4 months since my last blog post. What can I say? I'm a workin' mom, with not a lotta time!! But I DO want to get back on the bloggin' wagon - so here I go!

I found something today that totally inspired me to post - screenprinted pillows. I love them! They're just the right mix between vintage, antique, shabby chic, modern, and original.

I recently saw this room at Pottery Barn:

There are two things I love about this room:

1. How easy it would be to transition color in and out as your taste/seasons change

2. Those pillows!

(For my personal preference, I think this room is pretty bland - I would personally love some wall color, window treatments, different rug, and punchier pillows in the mix)

I couldn't find the "Nest" pillow on PB's website but I'm pretty confident that it would be way more than I'd want to spend on a couch pillow.

So, check out these alternatives! Not only are they a dead ringer for the Pottery Barn look above, they are also a handmade piece of art for your home AND much easier on the pocketbook!

1. QUEEN BEE SHABBY CHIC PILLOW CASE - $16.00 SaSeaBoutique

2. Merci Pillow - $12.99 Pillows by Tamilyn

3. Paris Document Pillow - $27.00 Word Garden

4. Set of 2 french inspired pillows..crowned birdy..pretty damask.. $34.95 PrettyinPink320

(I actually think I may purchase these - for only $35 bucks you get two whole pillows! Target can't even beat that!)

So that's my inspiration for the day - I love, love, love this look.

As I begin Ellie's "Big Girl Room Extreme Makeover," our living room and second bedroom will also be getting a facelift to accomodate the furniture rearrangement! I'll be sure to post pictures - you'll probably see some of these pillows on my couch soon!

I have some SUPER cute pics of Ellie to share from the weekend - I'll save those for tomorrow!

xoxo,

Melly

Lovin' this new blog!!!

2009-10-27T07:52:00.001-07:00

"Pearl Street Interiors" (http://www.littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/) is such a cool and creative little site! I found Jenny through another one of my favorite blogs, Holly Mathis Interiors. I LOVE how Jenny uses everyday and inexpensive items and makes them really personal, colorful, and fun. I found these on her blog and I'm totally inspired to make one of these for Ellie or for the kitchen.

Now I need to find a fun frame to paint :)

Fall Weekend...

2009-10-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun this weekend - the last weekend before Halloween! We FINALLY made our way to the Pumpkin Patch and it was the PERFECT day. This pumpkin patch was so fun and will definatley be our favorite to visit next year. For $7 you get a hay ride, a cup of feed (for the animals) and a hot dog. If we went during the week we would also get a free pumpkin.

Ellie LOVES animals, she loves to tell me the sounds they make. It was so cute seeing her see the actual animals she sees in her books.

We also went to the Ft Worth Zoo but was SO disappointed that they closed earlier than what the tickets (and their website) said!!! Ellie was disappointed too :( We went to Trinity Park instead and although it wasn't the zoo, it was still fun for her.

We are excited for Halloween this weekend!! :)

Realty Show Junkie...that's me!

2009-10-13T07:49:00.000-07:00

I love tv - I have a looong list of favorite shows - some of which, are realty shows. One of my favorites came on last night and I'm so excited!!

It has never been a dream of mine to be a Cowboy Cheerleader but I just love this show!! The girls are gorgeous and it seems like such a cool association to work for! I have to admit, every season, I go to their website to see if they have any job openings. I have no idea what I would ever qualify for in that field but it would just be fun to be a part of.

They also have a new work-out dvd:

I'm honestly pretty tempted to buy this puppy. Who wouldn't want to look like these girls?!

I wish I could've taken a picture of Jon's face when he saw this on the DVR...I'm pretty sure I'll be watching this alone while Jon plays XBOX.

So far I don't have any favorites - next week they will start training with the veterans...I have some favorites from earlier seasons to root for :)

Great Halloween Ideas!!!

2009-10-12T14:18:00.000-07:00

I am a sucker for anything sentimental and when I saw these CUTE ideas - I knew I would use them for my own Halloween/Thanksgiving decor. My dad and Marie are coming down for Thanksgiving with Marie's daughter, Meloday and her two awesome kiddos (Luke & Mary).

My sister and Jonas will also be coming so we will have one full casa!!!

Here is what's up on the drawing board:

Are those not TOO CUTE?!

LOVE 'EM!

What a heavy post!

2009-09-29T12:13:00.000-07:00

"Seeing death as the end of life is like seeing the horizon as the end of the ocean." - David Searls

I love this quote so much - the image is from the very talented photographer, Bonnie Tsang.

I have to say, when I saw this quote, I wondered who David Searls is...is he a Christian? To make the analogy he did, I would have to think he is...all I found from an unsuccessful Google search is that he's an author.

With this quote, I would like to offer my personal opinion on life and the popular question "Why do bad things happen to good people?"

I completely agree with David Searls - to think that death = end of life, makes the world (good and bad) seem pretty pointless and useless. I am a Christian, I believe whole-heartedly in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I also believe that terrible things happen to Christian and beautiful things happen to non-believers.

How you choose to see and interpret life can great impact your opinion whether or not there is a God. I have chosen to understand loss in my life as a way of the world - a by-product of evil.

Some people believe that everything happens for a reason - I'm not saying that's false - It's hard me to understand that having gone through pain that makes absolutely sense.

I believe that bad things happen. Period. Bad things to Christians, Bad things happen to Muslims, Bad things happen to Atheists, Bad things happen to rich, poor, young, old. BUT - this is where the beautiful power of Christ comes in - Regardless of those inevitable bad things EVERYONE goes through, we have the gift of Heaven and Grace.

The horizon is not the end of ocean. The end of this life (which is unfortunately peppered with pain) is not the end. I love that this quote and photograph capture that so beautifully.

Can't wait to do this...

2009-09-28T08:58:00.000-07:00

I found the coolest idea that I can't wait to do. I was so excited about this find I had to post it...

It's the "Family Rules" Canvas:

How cute is that?! I can't wait to get started on this (I should probably establish my rules first!).

Here's what this one says for some ideas...I think these are pretty perfect

ALWAYS TELL THE TRUTH
HAVE FUN, BE KIND, ASK FIRST, NO FUSSING, NO WHINING
BE CREATIVE AT ALL TIMES
ENCOURAGE YOUR SIBLINGS...SHARE IN THEIR JOY
HUSBAND-HUG YOUR WIFE DAILY & WIFE- ALWAYS BE ON HIS SIDE
OBEY YOUR PARENTS
NEVER LEAVE ANGRY
SING SILLY, DANCE CRAZY, HUG OFTEN, SNUGGLE OFTEN, SAY I LOVE YOU
KEEP YOUR PROMISES
USE YOUR MANNERS- YES, PLEASE...NO, THANK YOU
ALWAYS GIVE TO OTHERS FIRST
TOO MUCH TV IS BAD...TOO MUCH READING IS GOOD
USE NICE WORDS...IGNORE DIRTY WORDS
BLESS YOUR FOOD, BE GRATEFUL, EAT TOGETHER, CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF
SHARE EVERYTHING EXCEPT BAD IDEAS
SAY YOUR PRAYERS...THANK GOD FOR THIS FAMILY

I think this could also be SO CUTE customized for Christmas with your family traditions or the 12 Days of Christmas...or for a new mom with advice/encouragement?! I've also decided to customize one for Ellie with my prayers/desires for her and her life...

As much as I love this, I can't take credit for it.

Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy is the creative genius with this idea. She has a super cute blog too!

I'll be sure to post my canvases!

Weekend...

2009-09-21T08:01:00.000-07:00

Jon and I had a FULL weekend and I really needed Monday off to just rest from it all!

Friday night we got to go to Six Flags - just the two of us. Every year, Frito Lay rents the entire park from 5pm-midnight, gives $30 in Daffy Dollars ;) and has huge tubs of Pepsi drinks, bottled water and chips throughout the park for FREE. It's always so much fun to go because not only is it completely free, but the lines are always SUPER short. Jon's dad works for Frito Lay so he always give us their tickets - thanks, Big Jon!

Saturday started early with a baby shower for my friend, Faith. I left my camera at home so no pics but it was cute and she gots lots of cute things.

Saturday evening we went to the Plano Balloon Festival. Ellie LOVES hot air balloons and gets so excited when she sees them...Although we didn't get as close as we wanted, it was still cute to watch her excitement :)

EWMIGAH!!!!!

2009-09-15T20:05:00.000-07:00

BEFORE YOU READ THIS POST: I have to establish two things -
1. I am not yet pregnant
2. I am a natural-born organizer and planner

With that said:
I have searching far and wide, high and low for the PERFECT fabrics for Ellie's Big Girl room. I have decided that on her 2nd birthday (in February), we're updating her into her big girl room.

Most people keep their 1st child in the nursery and their 2nd child in the next bedroom. Again with my planning, WHEN we get pregnant again, we want the baby in the current nursery and Ellie to move to the other bedroom. Here's the reasons for keeping the nursery as-is for baby #2:

The furniture is already in place
The fence of the backyard encompasses the nursery window (where the other bedroom faces the street)
The windows in the other bedroom are HUUUGE and it gets extremely bright in there.

So - I figure, we haven't decorated the other bedroom so we may as well decorate for Ellie's big girl room. I also figure, if we have a second girl, there is zero work to do in the nursery. If we have a boy, we'd have to re-do it anyway.

OK - now that the explanations are out of the way - I want Ellie's "big girl room" to be fun, bright, not too kid-dy but not too sophisticated. I love turquoise, light pear green, yellow and corral-y pink together. LOOK AT WHAT I FOUND TODAY -----

Obviously seeing the entire line is a little overwhelming - there are only a couple of prints that I can't wait to get when it comes out in October. I will be sure to post the progress!!!!

P.S. I'm a little torn between this line too - it's a very close second:

If nothing else, I've found some amazing fabrics for some super cute clothes for Ellie!! :)

Really Bad News...But Some Good News Too!!!

2009-09-14T19:27:00.000-07:00

So the bad news: ALL OF MY PICTURES ON MY MEMORY CARD WERE DELETED!!!! Yes, all 574 of them - including the SWEETEST video of Ellie making her animal noises :( While I was at the lake with my dad, his wife and her family, they wanted to transfer the photos we had taken onto their computer. Somehow, during the transfer, all the pictures were erased!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so sad about it that I started crying.
I will post some pictures of Ellie from the weekend because she was so darn cute. She was such a champ in her life jacket (which she hates) and she even took a ride behind the boat in the tube.

On to the good news!! Jon surprised me this weekend with a new vacuum cleaner! I know that seems so corny to be so excited over a vacuum cleaner but here's the mathematical facts: Carpet + 2 Dogs (1 of which is lab that sheds like crazy) + 1 cleaning-obsessed mama = love for all things clean.

So when Jon brought this puppy home, I was ECSTATIC!!!
I was originally in the market for a Dyson but could not get over all the mixed reviews on Consumer Digest and Target! I was not about to plunk down $500 bucks for something that may just be 'eh. So I found this one - half the price and I'm not gonna lie, it's heavy to push but ewmigah does it get my carpets clean.
So - if you want the Dyson but not the price - may I highly highly highly recommend the Bissell Healthy Home. Plus, you'll get lovely, toned arms :)

Ok - I hope to have a real post with pics from the weekend soon!!!!

Distraaaaaacted!!

2009-09-01T09:39:00.000-07:00

I am so distracted this week! Work is SUPER quiet and I am taking an entire week off next week. So...it feels like the last week of school...just plugging away until Friday. What am I doing next week? Something that I am so stinkin' excited about: having a staycation with just me. Yes, I'm sending Ellie to grandma's and spending a couple of days doing things I rarely get to do.

Here's how the week's gonna play out:
Monday: Coming back from my dad's lake house in Arkansas
Tuesday: Spa Day - Hair cut, pedicure, manicure
Shopping - Charming Charlie's, IKEA, Home Depot (These places are a nightmare to go into with Ellie)
Wednesday: Sleep-In, lay around the house, get in a good fall cleaning, sew through some of my fabric!
Thursday: Be a true stay-at-home-mom with Ellie. Go to a couple of parks, go to Kelly's for coffee and play date.
Friday: Dallas Zoo, here we come! Since Sunday's are considered a work day at church for Jon, he always has Friday's off. Now that school is back in, we figured this would be a perfect time to go to the zoo!

I'M SO EXCITED - I will try to take some pics and post during the week but since it's vaca, it'll be slim pickins.

CRAIGSLIST

2009-08-28T07:25:00.000-07:00

OK - I am now a HUGE fan of Craigslist. Have you ever used it? I've LOOKED on Craigslist before but I've never LISTED...until yesterday at 2:30pm.

When Jon and I married, his grandmother gave us her washer/dryer. You will die when you see this dryer. Yes, it's mustard yellow...yes, it's covered in stickers...yes, it's extremely loud when using BUT it does dry your clothes. Are you sold yet? Well, 12 people already are and it's only 9:30am!!

So...here they are, in all their glory:

I'm so excited to get rid of these!

Now I need to find what else I can get rid of...

Post Number One!

2009-08-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I don't claim to have an ultra-exciting life but I do love reading everyone else's blogs so I thought - why not make one of my own?! So...I'm gonna give it a try - I hope to make some blogger friends and connect with friends and family!

I'm a huge camera-fanatic when it comes to Ellie...that's about ALL that's on my memory card so I will post her cute-ness weekly. I also love the interesting/creative themes people create for different days of the week so once I get into my groove, I'll hopefully think of something for that!!

For now, here's some of my favorite pictures of Ellie.