Style Lush

Update: The Light Accent Wall

By Hillary

I had no idea that I could go into a paint store with only a chip of paint from my wall and walk out with a quart of paint in that exact colour. This is why I love the internet. I was fully prepared to paint the entire nursery because I didn't have touch up paint to cover the repairs I needed to do. So thank you, lovely people of the internet. You saved me a lot of time and a bit of money (which means I can buy the alphabet wall decals I've had my eye on for a while.) 

{Photo credit: amazon.com}

Easy DIY Bunting

by Megan

We recently threw an Under the Sea party for my kids, and my favorite decoration was this super simple and inexpensive bunting, made by me.

Desssert table before the arrival of the cupcakes

Supplies

12 x 12 Scrapbook Paper*

Ribbon (I used 3/8" grosgrain)

Scissors

Hole punch

Cut your paper in half, and then cut triangles from each half. The first triangle takes a bit of measuring and or guesswork, but once you have that one cut, you can use that as a guide for the rest. My cuts are not perfect, and as far as I can tell that wasn't noticable.

Once you've cut your triangles use your hole punch to punch holes in the upper corners of each triangle. Again, perfection is unnecessary, just try to keep them at essentially the same place on each triangle. Then string your ribbon through each hole and you're finished! You can space your bunting however you would like. If your paper is slipping around on the ribbon you can secure each piece in place with a bit of tape on the back.

 

Assuming you have a hole punch and scissors on hand, you could make this entire craft for under $2. Michael's frequently has sales on scrapbook paper, making them 4 for $1, and there is always a bin of $1 paper whenever I walk in the door.

*This is a very versatile project. The amount of paper you'll  need depends on how long you want your bunting to be. I used three sheets of paper, which yielded 24 triangles, which was enough to hang the bunting in front of the fireplace, over the mirror above the dessert table, and across the tray of my daughter's highchair.

{Photo credits: by me}

Wood Plank Doormats

by Blythe

Every spring I leap gleefully into my back yard when the sun comes out.  I plant tomatoes!  I fire up the grill!  I fill the bird feeder! 

And then I track dirt and pine needles through the house and remember that I should really get a good door mat.  (And apparently so does everyone else, since Jess just wrote about them last week...great minds think alike!)

I like the ones made from wooden slats.  They are simply designed and are built with spaces where the stuff that comes off my shoes will fall through to the ground.

Teak Doormat at Crate & Barrel

If I were handy, I could even build my own.

{Photo credit: crateandbarrel.com}

Summer boredom buster for kids: Dried beans

by Emily

I am not kidding when I tell you this: when my kids get bored and I suggest we get out the dried beans to play with? THEY JUMP UP AND DOWN AND SCREAM. In excitement.

Now granted, dried beans can seem... daunting to clean up. But really, I promise you, whether you have carpet or hardwood or tile, it isn't horrible. Yes, it takes longer than cleaning up a box of crayons or a dress up bin, but remember that part where my kids jump up and down and scream? It means that A) it keeps them occupied (WORTH IT) and B) that I don't do it all that often anyway (so I can handle cleaning up dried beans once every month or so).

I keep about four pounds of beans on hand at all times, in a big Ziploc bag, and all I do is dump them out on the living room rug and let the kids play. I think six bags would be even more exciting, honestly. They love to drive trucks, trains and cars through big piles of beans; they also love sorting them into cups and spoons. They love pretending to cook with them using a few pots and pans from their play kitchen, or stirring them in my big pots with wooden spoons. The beans can easily eat up 90 minutes of play time. Ninety minutes, you guys! GET SOME BEANS.

Even better (this tip courtesy of genius blogger Jen), if you have a plastic kiddie pool on hand, drag that into your living room and dump the beans into that. Much easier cleanup, and there are no rogue beans rolling under the couch or behind the media center, only to be discovered six months later, covered with cobwebs. NOT THAT IT HAPPENED TO ME.

{Photo credit: dollartree.com}

Trend: Tribal Wedges

By Jessica

Wedge sandals have been mentioned here before in many different ways and years, even. I have to be honest that it wasn't love at first sight with me where wedges were concerned, but now I find myself even more drawn to them. They are obviously a comfortable and stylish favorite with quite a wide range, but what has caught my eye most recently is a group of wedges with rather bold heels.

Madden Girl Whisperr

Not Rated Match Maker

Not Rated Mix Up

Mia Milann

Naughty Monkey Urban Traveler

LAMB Iowa

Type Z Kagey Tribal

 

What do you think? Way too bold or just bold enough?

(Photos from: Zappos.com)

Summer Tote Bags

By A'Dell

I'm in the market for a new tote to carry this summer. It needs to be pretty big, because I plan on cramming it with snacks, diapers, hats, sunscreen, and any other odd items I seem to pick up and carry around with me. (My wallet and phone go in there too.)

I have a beloved LL Bean Boat and Tote, but it's not as PRETTY as I'd like it to be for everyday usage. I'd like to not spend a lot, as this bag will probably get beat up with trips to the pool, playground, and shopping, but I don't want anything to fall apart on me mid-July, either.

Sequin Stripe Tote, $29

Generously sized at 15" x 17", I could fit diapers, my wallet, and a pile of other things in here.

Drawstring Hobo Bag, $39

About 19" x 15", this one is still generously sized and I like the bright color. It's canvas, so it feels like it might show wear and tear a lot sooner than I might like.

Boardwalk Tote, $49

Available in a coral, mint, or navy stripe, this one is too spendy for what it is (typical for J Crew) but I LIKE IT. The mint stripe is particularly unexpected and fun for summer.

 

Slouchy Nylon Hobo, $49

Again, with the spendy price for a relatively simple bag. SIGH. This is biggish (19" x 9") and the nylon says, "I play nice with children," which is good when you have small people with dirty paws surrounding you. The solo picture makes it look small, but on the model it's pretty generously sized without being a garbage bag (as these hobos sometimes look).

Slouchy Canvas Tote $50

I would complain again about how much this costs, but everything at Land's End goes on sale all the time so you could easily score this for 20% or 30% off. The handles look like it won't go over my shoulder though, which is pretty key for me.

Orchid Breeze Dot, $60

It's so bright and pretty! Also comes in a navy stripe.

Canvas Bucket bag, on sale for $69

The most spendy pick of all, but currently priced at 50% off, this is a pretty nice bag with leather handles and trim. Eligible for the aforementioned promo codes Land's End sends out almost daily, so you might be able to score it for $50 or so.

Bookcase style

by Christina

I have a house full of bookcases. I love to rearrange them, add new trinkets, move the books around, change up the backs. A bookcase can be a focal point in a room, typically a large piece of furniture so if you do it right, it can be a show stopper and add to your decor. Styling a bookcase can be hard if you don't know where to start so I'm going to break it down with a few little tips for you.

1. Your case can be all books or just a few, totally up to you.

2. Don't line everything up in a neat little line when it comes to decorative items, layer them in, tall item behind, shorter in front/off to the side.

3. You can't go wrong with groups of 3.

4. If you have a dinky item, put it on a stack of books, not just sitting on it's own.

5. The back of your case is showing, decorate it by painting it or covering it in fabric or paper.

6. If there's a top, decorate it, too.

This is the bookcase in my office,(sorry for such a shoddy picture) lots of books, fabric back, some "stuff".

And here are some fav's from pinterest.

via

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Have you already mastered bookcase styling or was this a little bit helpful?

DIY iPhone Cover

By Tara

When my husband bought me an iPhone for Christmas a year and a half ago, he also bought me a gorgeous case to go with it. Unfortunately, that pretty little case was made of a hard plastic that could only stand up to me dropping it in various locations too many times, before it started to flake off pieces of itself all over the place. Really, I am lucky it has lasted as long as it has.

But, basically, it's time for a new case.

I've liked the various Style Lush suggestions made recently, from both Jessica and Blythe, but because I think I'm due for a phone upgrade when the next version comes out (and my stupid home button keeps acting up, meaning I am counting down the DAYS until that happens), I don't want to spend a ton of money on anything.

Then I came across a post on How to Nest for Less (idea originally from Oops, I Craft My Pants) on using scrapbook paper and a generic clear case from Best Buy to create as many different designs as you want, and now I can't stop planning cases to match my outfits. Or the holidays.

   

This is why I love the Internet, right here.

(Photo from: howtonestforless.com)

Free Printable Art

By Sara

A few years ago, when I was knee deep in the nursery design for my first kid, I came across the Feed Your Soul:the free art project created by blogger Jen Wallace of Indie Fixx. Jen has a passion for all things creative with a focus on indie design and when the economy collapsed she wanted to bring happiness to people through free art. She reached out to a handful of artists she admired and began Feed Your Soul:the free art project to keep the positivity flowing. The art available for download comes from artists around the world and from many different mediums. I found some really lovely pieces for my son's room that I had professionally printed and then matted and framed myself. 

These are just a few of the pieces you can find available for free download at Feed Your Soul. Find your next favorite!

(Photos from: Feed Your Soul)

Children's Book Recommendation: The Paper Princess

By Rebecca

When my daughter was a baby, my sister-in-law gave her a book that had been inscribed by the author. It was a hardbound picture book rather than a board book, so until she was old enough not to mangle the pages, I kept it out of her reach. Now that she is four, she requests the book for our bedtime story more often than not. It's Elisa Kleven's The Paper Princess, and it is a beautiful, imaginative story.

The Paper Princess tells of a paper-doll princess, recently cut out and not quite finished, who is blown away by the wind into a series of adventures. She rides on a Ferris wheel, gets crumpled up and thrown in a trash can, is rescued by a jay building her nest and finally, she finds her way home.

The book is beautifully illustrated and written in a warm, wistful way. Even as an adult, you will find yourself rooting for the princess to find the girl who drew her and loves her! It is a sweet story and is a wonderful change of pace from the Disney princess stories that my daughter also loves.

(Photo from: goodreads.com)