Category Archives: etc.

Entertain / etc.

Let’s have a Valentine’s Day Party

February 5, 2013

Oh my, there is a lot of really cute Valentine’s Day party supplies and ideas out there.  I’ve been pinning a lot, but I thought I’d share I few more of my favorite finds here.
You’ll be seeing more of the Ombre Love Party Supplies by Minted.  I love Minted’s new party decor line.  It’s all customizable and the quality is premium.  I’m working on some ombre accessories and treats to go wit this party theme.  I’m having lots of fun with it, so can’t wait to share it with you.
Arrow cupcake toppers // Mini Bunting // Ombre Party Supplies
Gold Hearts Stationary // Pink and Gold Tassel
Pink Heart Stickers // Heart Dishes // Gold Heart Muslin Bags
Are throwing a Valentine’s bash or making Valentine’s for your kiddos? Or this just more of a special grown up day for you and your significant other?

DIY / etc.

Angular Hearts

February 4, 2013

Happy February friends.  Even though I’ve already been posting lots of Valentine’s ideas already, it is now officially the month of love.  So, here’s a fun heart shaped idea that keeps with my geometric theme. I think these simple angular hearts would look darling over a dessert table on hanging in a large picture window.  I have mine hanging at different heights and depths on a wall in my dining room.

And how about a cute, kind of silly, baby with these fun angular hearts? Olivia quite enjoyed posing in my pictures.

Supplies:
wooden popsicle sticks (10 for each heart)
hot glue gun
paint
fishing line
I found popsicle sticks in 2 different sizes at my local craft store.  The larger ones are just normal popsicle size and the shorter ones are 2 1/2″ long.  They are so simple to make, just dot hot glue on the ends of the sticks and overlap the sticks to connect them together.  For the tops and bottom of the heart, make right angles with the sticks, then all the others will fall into place correctly.  
I spray painted mine metallic gold and white. Then, simply hung them with fishing line from the ceiling. They are very light, so just a little scotch tape holds them up fine.  Wouldn’t these look cute in a glossy red or in a couple shades of pink as well?  

etc.

What I Learned at Alt

February 2, 2013

So, I’ve had a few days to process and think about my Alt experience.  And to be honest, I’m still trying to figure it all out. Yes, there were amazing parties with fabulous attention to detail. The whole weekend was a one of a kind experience and I feel like a took advantage of every moment and opportunity I could. I definitely took away information and inspiration from the panels and sessions.  So, after pouring over my notes again, here’s my Top 10 tidbits of useful information and inspiration. They are kind of sporadic and random, but I think that’s how my brain works.  I’m going to read over these every week and try to remind myself of where I want to go, and some of the tools and ideas that will help take me there.

Got to sit and chat with Kathleen of Braid Creative and Jeremy and Kathleen. Not to name drop, but I’m an even bigger fan now. Photo courtesy of Justin Hackworth.  

1. Content is King!
2. Know your goal and stay true to that goal.
3. Think Bold, Think Beautiful, Think Big.
4. Traffic doesn’t matter, just have an engaged audience.
5. Clean is beautiful.
6. Have a unique perspective and a strong voice.
7. Think customization not organization.
8. Find your own voice.
9. Collaborate with those that inspire you.
10. Figure out what you are good at and what you like.

See, I’m happy and having a good time!

There’s also something about being around the same people for concentrated periods of time, that teaches you about people and human nature. I love to observe people, and this was a good learning experience. A lot of it was just a reminder of the person I DON’T want to be. I want to be a relatable, approachable, and an authentic person. I want that to come across in my blog and when I meet people face to face.  And though I was disappointed with, what I thought were, “blog friends”,  I also met some fantastic people that were down to earth and real.  Some were even BIG TIME bloggers and that was very refreshing.

Well, without boring you with all kinds of silly details, that’s my synopsis of Alt. If you have specific questions, feel free to email me.  I’d be happy to share more. And I would definitely recommend this conference for anyone wanting to take their blog to the next level.

Just for fun, here’s a Top 10 of my favorite people at Alt (this was really hard to narrow down, and there are others that should be on the list, but then it wouldn’t be 10).  You may want to check out their blogs. I found these folks to be the kind of people I’d like to be real life friends with. 
1. Holly and Lauren (my roomates)
2. Alix
3. Erin 
5. Chelsea
6. Vivian
7. Sarah
8. Rachel
9. Whitney
10. Megan

etc. / Find

Window Shopping: Life on Churchill St.

January 31, 2013

I’d like to introduce you to my friend Julia of Life on Churchill St.  Julia and I are just online, bloggy friends, but if we lived closer to each other, I’m pretty sure we would be real life friends as well.  
Life on Churchill is a really great blog.  It’s one of my personal favorite reads.  It’s a mix of crafts, diys, family, design and so much more.  She has just opened her Etsy Shop.  I’m really excited about the vintage and antique finds she already has there.  And I know she’ll be on the hunt for more great finds.  And check this out, she is offering O+P readers a special discount.  Now through February 14th you can get 10% off (enter code VINTAGEVALENTINE10). I hope you head over there and check out the Life on Churchill St. shop.    

Framed Paintings // Vintage Clock
Hangers // Brass Birds
I’ve asked Julia to give herself a little introduction.
Hi, I’m Julia, I share about vintage finds, inspirational ideas, and a bit about daily life on my blog. I love connecting with new friends through blogging. It is so encouraging to find like minded friends with similar interests.

I’m a mom of two preschoolers, we live in Minnesota after growing up near the coast of Georgia. My background is product design and my husband is a designer too, it impacts how we live our daily life. My faith in Christ is really important to me and I try to integrate in Life on Churchill.
Julia has some great tips and tricks for thrifting, you can read more about them here.  She also did a little thrifting Q&A with me.
What’s you favorite thing to thrift shop for? 
I love a good piece of mid century furniture. That is always the first thing I look for. Once I check out furniture I look for home decor, everything from knobs and handles to vases and vintage children’s toys. 
What is your holy grail, or the one item you are always looking for?
I would love to find a vintage Eames lounge chair. I keep telling myself if I’m patient and continue to look I will someday find one! I’ve also been on the lookout for a vintage fisher price a-frame house to add to our fisher price collection. 
What’s your best thrifting find of all time? 
A few years ago a neighbor had a garage sale. I just stopped for a moment and spotted a brass birds wall hanging. I bought it for $15 and later confirmed with the Artisan House that it is a Birds in Flight by Curtis Jere valued over $1000. It fits in nicely over our fireplace.
How often do you make it to a junk, thrift or antique store?
I visit the thrift store at least once a week. I go frequently enough that I recognize a lot of the employees and I’m sure they recognize me too. I visit a few estate sales on average once a month. And antique stores maybe once a quarter. I love antique stores but can’t afford to pay premium prices.
Do you have any thrift regrets, something you wish you wouldn’t have bought?
Not one in particular. I do sometimes buy things for nostalgia sake and then realize later that the toy is broken or the book’s binder is severely worn. The good news about thrifting is the items are affordable. I like that I’m giving a product a second life, and if I re-donate it later someone will likely adopt it again.
I hope you’ll show a little love and head over to Life on Churchill St. Blog and Etsy Shop.  Be a friend and leave a comment, pin one of her great crafts, or do a little shopping.  

DIY / etc.

Lavender Sachet Business Cards

January 28, 2013

Well, I’m back from Alt.  I had great intentions of posting while I was there, but I really didn’t have a moment to spare.  I’ll share more about my experience when I’ve had a couple days to process all that a did and saw.  But, I will tell you, it was a fantastic experience and I’m exhausted mentally and physically.

In the months leading up to Alt, I kept reading about the fantastic business cards that people made and shared at Alt.  I wanted to come up with something memorable and unique.  So, I made these Lavender Sachet Business Cards.  I knew I wanted something with fabric and something that would leave a lasting impression.  These cards grabbed the attention of a few senses, not just sight, but also touch and smell.

So, here’s how I made these personalized lavender sachets.  To start, I printed my business card on fabric at Spoonflower.  In Illustrator, I drew out my business cards to fit on a fat quarter of fabric.  I made my cards 4 1/8 by 2 5/8″, so that I would have a seem allowance to make them almost exactly business card size when they were done.  I was able to fit 35 cards on the piece of fabric.  Spoonflower is a fantastic company, with excellent customer service.  I’ve printed fabric with them before.  For mother’s day, I printed one of my Grandma’s hand written recipe cards onto linen and made it into a tea towel for my mom.

Then I found a really great grey and white ikat cotton to back them with.  So that the lavender would not show through the front of the card, I lined it with white cotton.  I cut all 3 pieces to exactly 4 1/8 by 2 5/8″.  
I placed the white piece on top of the printed piece and them put right sides together and sewed the card  all the way around leaving a 1/2″ opening on one end.  I trimmed the corners and then turned the card right side out.  I ironed it flat and crisp and then filled each one with about 1/4 cup of good quality lavender.  

To close the opening, I first tried just machine top stitching them, but I really didn’t like seeing the seam. I knew I didn’t have time to hand stitch them all, so I tried something I have never used before.  I’m kind of embarrassed to say it, but I used fabric glue (Fabri-Tac permanent adhesive).  It kind of feels like cheating, but really is worked amazingly and gave me the clean seamless finish I was wanting.  But, standing in line at the fabric store with this glue in my hands was a little embarrassing.  I kind of wanted to explain myself to everyone else in line.  Like “I DO know how to sew, really!!”

They smell fantastic and it was nice having one in my suitcase while I travelled.  I have plans to make more of these for favors for a future event.  The possibilities are endless when you can print ANYTHING on fabric with Spoonflower.  Wouldn’t these be perfect for a spa themed shower favor?

DIY / etc.

Valentines Window Art

January 23, 2013

I just couldn’t help myself, if you follow me on instagram (@jeranmcconnel), you’ve probably noticed that I painted my front window again!  I just had so much fun with it this Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I warned you that I would be repeating my geometric heart design over and over.  So here it is again.

I’m on my way to Salt Lake City for the Alt Conference.  So wish me luck friends.

DIY / etc.

A touch of pink

January 22, 2013

Here’s a little peek at some of the pink that is showing up in my house just in time for Valentine’s Day.  My decorations are simple and nothing really fancy at all, but that’s kind of the way I like it.  I have my big Geometric Heart on the wall and then a touch of pink here and there.

My pink Ombre Owl made his way to the mantel beside my Breathe print.

I filled little votives with Valentine’s Day candy corn and placed a tea light in the middle of each one.

And I brought out my family hearts that I made last year.

This little framed geometric heart is a scaled down version of my Giant Geometric Wall Heart.  I have how-to instructions for this framed version coming soon.

And I also strung up last years Vintage Book Page Bunting.

Do you decorate for Valentine’s Day? If so, what do you put out?  
I leave tomorrow morning for Salt Lake City, for the Alt Conference.  I am hectically trying to get everything done around around here, it’s going to be a jam packed day.  

etc. / Find

Window Shopping – Ikea 2013

January 21, 2013

A couple weeks ago, on our way back from my parent’s place, we stopped in San Francisco and I got to walk around Ikea.  I hadn’t been in a few months, so I was in need of an Ikea fix.  There were lots of “new to me” items that caught my eye.  Here’s a round up of of some of my favorites.  

I did bring home a couple of the green velvet pillows for our couch.  The Pantone color of the year is Emerald, so I couldn’t resist.  It may look like grey is my favorite color, but it’s really green. Every good redhead should love the color green, right?  Grey is just my favorite neutral.  It plays together so nicely with all the colors.

I also bought this fun log tray, it was only $2.99.  I’m starting to think I might have a tray problem, I really love using them and displaying things on them.  Well, maybe it’s not really that big of a problem, now that I count them, I really only own six or maybe seven.

And if you follow my instagram (@jeranmcconnel) you might also have seen the bookshelf/picture ledges that I put up in Dylan’s room.  Those were of course an Ikea purchase, the Ribba ledges.  I’ll post more about those soon, because they were a great solution for storage in a small space.

I really love Ikea.  To prove it, I’ve been to Ikea in SIX different countries (Canada, US, England, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Australia).  That’s pretty good, right?  Are you a fan?  How can you not be when there’s meatballs and furniture all in one place?

DIY / Entertain / etc.

Giant Geometric Wall Heart

January 17, 2013

I’m lovin pink for Valentine’s Day this year.  Last year I went with a vintage look with classic red and gold. But this year, pink feels soft, light, and fresh. And it looks so great with grey and a little splash of gold.  

Oh yes, I’m still on my triangles kick. I am loving this triangle patchwork heart.  The idea came from a quilt square.  Please be warned, you’re going to see it a lot in this year’s Valentine’s treats.  I decided to go BIG with my decorations this year, so I covered a whole wall of my dining room with this giant, geometric heart.  Why not, right? 
It was simple and inexpensive (that’s really all that I do).  You will need 10 sheets of scrapbook paper (to make 20 triangles).  I used 4 light pink, 3 dark pink and 3 metallic gold ones.  You’ll also need scissor or paper cutter and glue dots (I tried double stick tape, but it didn’t hold well).   Simply cut your scrapbook paper in half diagonally, then play around with a design and pattern that you like.  Then stick them to your wall.  I started by marking one straight line with a level and chalk.  It gave me a guide to start with and kept everything straight.    
And if you don’t have space for something this big, I have a mini framed version here. 

Just for fun, I made a little video of me putting up the heart.  I was in the mood to try something new.  
And this catchy little jingle is Blew My Mind by Dresses.

I know Valentine’s Day is still about a month away, but I’ve got a busy week ahead of me and I thought I’d get a head start.  Plus, with all these football posts I’ve been putting together lately, I needed a girlie fix.  I think this giant pink heart might have done the trick.  

Entertain / etc.

Let’s Have a Football Party

January 16, 2013

Well, it’s been long enough since Christmas and New Years, I guess I’m ready for a another excuse to have a party.  I’m not even a football fan, but I am a fan of the snacks and get togethers football brings. I’ve done a little round up of some cute party finds that are out there.  Happy playoff season! 
Cookie Cutters // Water Bottle Wraps // Invite
Game On Cupcake Papers // Striped Paper Straws
Football Cupcake Toppers // Printable Football Containers // Striped Paper Bags