~Pamela Susan~

A tour of the girls' bedroom--vintage style!

Ready for some more pictures of our new house?  The girls' room is just about done and I've got a slew of pictures for you!  If you've been wanting to decorate your little girl's room with a vintage twist, hopefully this will help give you some inspiration.  And guess what I realized about their room once I began looking around--almost everything was purchased either at an estate or garage sale, or made by me.  (Yes, I love to save a buck!  And in my opinion it's more fun that way!)  So, now that the weather is beginning to warm up, and you're needing some new furniture, check out those sales!  (And envision what that old dresser or bed set might look like with slap of new paint on them!  I tell ya, it does wonders!)

**and I've gotta tell you that there's a big beautiful maple tree in front of the window which unfortuantely casts a green tint in their room--I tried my best to fix it in photoshop, so bear with me! :)

(my Put a Bird on it! painting... so Portland, I know! lol)

(bought this frame for 30 cents and spray painted it, and painted an a for Miss A!  Katie Daisy totally inspired me with this one.  I have another frame ready for a C for little Miss C!)

{$20 desk/chair set from a garage sale}

{$8 American Girl doll table/chair set and $3 tea set (garage sale!)--yes, I was freaking out when I happened upon this find!}

{this live flower adds a special touch to the over all feel}

{the girls' dolls finally have a spot to call their own!  i think the rug (anthropologie) and the print (yes, another Katie Daisy print!) help define this area as their own--gives the corner a small bedroom feel just for them!}

{the print says We Are All Magnificent Creatures} i love it.

{picture frames-- .50 at thrift store, prints (yep, you guessed it--Katie Daisy!) and dresser for $50 at an estate sale. dollhouse--$30 at consignment shop--I love finding all these treasures in such random places!}

{Oh, and i just have to point at the quilts i made a couple years ago because they took HOURS upon HOURS to sew... but worth every second of it!  I still need to make shams for them. twin bunk beds--$40 on craigslist--we painted them, err, or should I say Aaron painted them :)  rug-ikea}

{a happy little hedgehog family lives here}

Such cuties!  We named them the Tiggy-Winkle family, after the Beatrice Potter hedgehog character. )

clothes hamper--consignment shop

mirror--I have a confession to make--yes, Aaron and I made it 7 years ago for Avery when she was a baby, but we totally copied the idea from a mirror we saw in an art gallery while living in Minneapolis... can't take much credit for it.   

And here's the hallway view from the room, with one of our favorite prints to greet them when the girls wake up in the morning...

it's an Owl and the Pussycat vintage print of our favorite poem by Edward Lear.  In my opinion it's a must for everyone to memorize. :)

I hope you've enjoyed the tour and that it'll help give you some inspiration if you have a little girl's room if this is your style!  I'm still on the lookout for a fun light fixture to give it a nice finishing touch (and someday we'll remove those despicable popcorn ceilings!).

 

Thanks for coming by!

xo,

Pamela, a mama who is loving decorating her new home!

A day with paint

 

(this girl does not like dirty hands!)

 

Another wonderful, color-filled day in the studio with Kaaren! 

 

xo,

Pamela

Our weekend {General Conference, Cinnabuns, Anthropologie dish towel kitchen art, & our NEW kitchen! How's that for some excitement?!}

What a fun-filled day we've had!  It was General Conference time again which we always enjoy.  For some reason my girls have started a tradition of donning costumes for this special occasion (last time Miss J was a dragon and today Miss A was a dog--kinda hard to tell in the pic).  And might I add my girls are making good use out of the empty totes I've been unloading from the move? hee hee :)

Let me tell you, these totes provided some endless entertainment today!

Did ya see those empty totes in the background?!  I'm so proud of all the unloading we've done!  We're getting pretty close with being done unpacking the the basement.  Feels so good.

Last General Conference we made my Mom's Cinnamon Rolls but this time I decided to switch things up a little and make my Aunt Mary's Cinnabuns... deeelicious!  (If you visit her blog you should try some of her other recipes--she is the QUEEN of baking!

Here they are right before taking them out of the oven...

And here they are all frosted.  Oh so good.

My kidlets liked them, too!

And here's our new kitchen! (Yes, the place is bit of a mess, so just bare with me, k?)! :)

Told you it was messy.  I just figure it is what it is. :)  I love the counter space and the cute cupboards.  But do you want to know what one of my favorite features of this area is? 

This wall!

We're constantly drawing and writing on the chalkboard area.  This is what I drew last night while waiting for the buns to rise before throwing them in the freezer to bake this morning...

And see the framed art up above?  They're dish towels!  I've always admired the dish towels at Anthropologie but have never wanted to spend the $18+ on them to dry my hands or dishes, but to throw them in a frame and call it art, I can handle that!  It's something I've been wanting to do for quite some time now.  (I found the frames at Michael's.)

Cute, cute, cute.

This next one is my favorite...

And this one was purchased at Paper Source (3 for $15!) Canned goods--right up my alley!  My mom would've love this one, too. :)

This is a happy little spot between my fridge and stove.  Each piece was bought by me throughout the years (besides the gifts from my mamasita).

Canister--Guillermo Cuellar

Moon Phases print--Katie Daisy

Tea pot--Warren MacKenzie (believe it or not, this tea pot is the exact same one pictured in Warren's hand in the link--Aaron and I just happened to be visiting his studio in Stillwater, Minnesota when NPR was interviewing him and bought it.  So cool.

Salt/Pepper shakers and blue pie bird--my Mama, Susan Nebeker (we need to make her a website!)

Platter--Ellen Currans

2nd pie bird--unknown potter from Virginia

A happy little spot indeed!

And just in case you needed proof that those Cinnabuns really are that good...

They are!  In fact, the entire baking pan has only half a bun left on it.  Go make some!

 

xo,

Pamela

 

 

Butterfly loooooove.

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you!  The girls made butterfly cards for their classmates...

 

Such happy little insects they turned out to be!

Even my Valentine helped out.  Oh, how I love him. :)

In a few minutes I'll be making another trail of hearts for the kiddos to follow to find their little Valentine's gift from us... personalized paper dolls from Lily & Thistle!  Can't wait to see their little faces when they see them.

So from our home to yours, Happy Valentine's Day!!

 

xo,

Pamela

 

A Sea of Stitches {A Grandmother's Flower Garden Doll Quilt}

So Miss C is getting a special present from 'Santa' this year--Kit, the American Girl doll.  I can't wait to see her face when she sees her new doll.  And as a special gift from me, I'm making her a doll quilt for her.  And why is Santa not giving it to her?  Because I want her to know it was ME who spent hours and hours on it, NOT SANTA. LOL

It's not done yet, but here it is...

Yes, this little quilt is a labor of love, let me tell you!  I chose to pattern it after the vintage Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt.  So far it's 100% hand-stitched and is taking a while to make, but I've loved working on it here and there, in the evenings after the girls go to bed, while waiting for them in the car at after-school-pick-up and so on.  

I've used mostly 1930's reproduction fabric to make it, which is perfect for Kit, whose story takes place during the Depression Era.

As I said in the title, this project is a seeeea of stitches!  If you don't believe me, take a gander at the backside...

I want to thank Anna, who inspired me to tackle the fabric hexagon.  Are you interested in attempting it, too?  Do it!!  Anna shares many other projects that involve hexagons that don't take quite as long as my doll quilt.  Her blog is absolutely incredible.  So inspiring... do check it out!

Now, I best get going so I can work on it a little more.  I'm just about finished with the cream border.  Wish me luck that'll I'll finish on time (in fact, I need to finish it quick because I need to finish Avery's quilt, too.  Like I said... wish me luck!).  And guess what--my dear Dad is making the girls' doll a wooden bed as his Christmas present and these quilts gotta be done for them!  I can't wait to see what he's made.  So sweet of him.

Here's to hexagons!

 

xo,

Pamela

p.s. The paper hexagons I used were purchased here, as well as much of the 30's reproduction fabric.  :)

p.p.s. Thanks to my friend Kelli who gave me some of the 30's reproduction fabric this summer!  Looooove it!

A little Christmas bedroom Cheer

It's amazing how a dash of Christmas bunting can cheer up my girls' room!  And as you know I'm always up for cheering up any sorta room.  Pink and silver glass balls add the perfect touch to it, too, don't you think?

And this vintage pink Christmas tree... oh, how I love thee.  (And so do all the many stuffed animal friends!)

If you look closely you'll see a family of birds of butterflies peeking back at you...

These miniature birds were found in the $1.50 bin at Michael's.  So petite, so darling.

And these prints... I'm so happy I stumbled upon Katie Daisy's Etsy shop The Wheatfield.  What an amazing artist.  Do you recognize her work?  Her designs can be found at Anthropologie, Whole Foods, Hallmark cards, just to name a few!  And she's only 24.  Holy freaking cow.  Her work inspires me so!  I can't tell you how much I love them.  Having positive, uplifting sayings in my girls' room is important to me.  Not to mention her style is downright gorgeous.

And that's just a few her prints that decorate the walls of my home.  I can't get enough of her stuff.  

Yes, it's a cheerful little room, I think.  I'm not going to want to take the decorations down post-Christmas.  I just might not.

And speaking of Christmas, our elves Petals and Winkie are at it again.  Those naughty elves.

And for those who have recently asked if my house ever gets dirty... yes.  Yes it does.  And this is just my table.  I should've turned around and snapped a shot of the kitchen for you.  That sight would've made you feel really good about your own home. :)

Yep, my house tends to always get a bit messier than usual around holiday time--I suppose because I like to come up with last minute handmade Christmas gifts that always take longer to make than expected.  Anyone else relate to this?  Please tell me you do.  My current project is a hand-stitched doll quilt for Miss C.  Hand-stitched as in hand-stitching about 40 (post edit: more like 170!! 40... what was I thinking??) 1.25" hexagons together to make a Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt.  It's taking a loooooong old time to make but I'm loving the results.  I'll post pics soon.

Hope you all are well, and are finding joy in your families during this emotional week.  My prayers and thoughts continue to be with the families of the shooting victims both in Connecticut and my home state of Oregon.

Big, bug hugs~

Pamela

 

My friend's Craft Show {and a Giveaway!}

Since moving back to Portland, OR I've made a new friend, Mimi.  She's one of the craftiest people I know, so I'm sure you can see why I have so much fun with her. But more important than being artsy-fun, she's a wonderful person--genuine, down to earth, and lovely as can be.

And I have good news for you!  She is participating in a juried craft show, The Handcrafted Holiday Market, this Saturday (November 17th) at Marylhurst University's Library from 10 am -5 pm.  (The University is located between Lake Oswego and West Linn at 17600 Pacific Highway (Hwy. 43).) 

I can't wait to go!

I was at her house yesterday and snapped some photos of her product line.  Here is a sampling of what she'll be offering at the show...

(Rings and Bobbypins--around $5)

(Gift card/business card holders--so cute!)

(Tissue holders)

(The fabric used in this necklace design is from an old quilt... so clever!)

(As you can see, there will be many necklaes to choose from, ranging $14 and up.)

(And more necklaces... love those buttons!)

(Earrings)

("Wreath Garlands" will be available along with a couple "book" wreaths--so lovely!)

(I'm in love with these bookmarks! {approx. $6} )

And check this out--one of my readers (yes, that's you!!) will be winning one of her NOEL wreath garlands AND a ring!

Classy and pretty.  Who wants it??

To enter this giveaway, please leave a comment on this post telling us what your favorite item is that she is selling.  Easy peasy.  A random winner will be announced this Saturday, the 17th, so hurry up and leave a comment--you don't have much time!  The giveaway has ended... thanks to all of those who entered!

And if you're a Portlander, I hope you can make it to the show!  Maybe we'll run in to each other while there. :)

 

xo,

Pamela

Happy Halloween!!!

Remember when I asked you what you thought I was making in the last picture of this post?  Megan guessed right... it was a witch's cauldron!  We made it as a prop for our church's Trunk or Treat/Chili Cook-Off event last Saturday night. 

Here's the 3 foot balloon we used to paper-mache the cauldron...

And here it is all papered up...

Here it is in action...

What a fun event this was to help be in charge of!  We knew we wanted the witch and cauldron to be the focal point of the room, so we put her in the middle of the tables with the different crocks of chili.

If you are ever wanting to make a similar cauldron, do it!  It takes a little time to make it, but was so much fun.  After the paper-mache dries, cut the rim so it's nice and round, paint the cauldron black and allow time to dry. We set the cauldron on top of a  the base of a round plastic laundry basket (I cut the top off, leaving about 6 inches of the bottom of the basket).  After setting the cauldron on the basket, use flickering flame lights (we found ours at Lowes with the Christmas lights) to surround the basket, along with some sticks/brush.  A big metal pot was put inside the cauldron with dry ice and water, along with some flourescent lights off to the side.  At this point I should add that the cauldron/basket/wood was all set on top of a small tabled covered with black cloth.  For the final effect, Aaron downloaded a Witches Brew bubbling sound effect that we played on a cd player, placed beneath the table so as people came around to serve themselves the chili, they could hear the bubbling cauldron.  The witch would stir the "brew" and let out occasional cackles, then pretend to taste test the brew, and add a few plastic spiders/mice to the brew thoughout the night.  Needless to say, she was a hit.  Make one next year!

Each table had either a witch boot or hat as a centerpiece with flickering battery-operated candles. 

Since Mr. Owl didn't want to be left out of this event, we brought him along as well.

Before Trunk or Treating in the parking lot, the kidlets paraded across the stage to show off their costumes. Can you spy my little witch in this picture?

A few of my friends helped cut out pumpkins... I love how this owl turned out!

Here's my cute friend and her family...

And check out this couples' costume!  Very cool.

Yes, a fun night was had by all. 

Now it's time to get all dressed up again for some Trick or Treating... it looks like the Portland rain might stay away this evening--too early to tell just yet. But here's a Happy Halloween to each and every one of you!  Be safe and have fun!

 

xo,

Pamela

Witch boots--the best craft I've done in a long time {and some schnazzy witch tights to boot--hehe}

As promised, here are the witch boots!  My friend gifted me with this darling one a couple weeks ago.  Isn't it downright witcheriffic?? :)

I absolutely love the details...

It's been quite happy sitting next to Mr. Owl...

She taught me how to make my own a couple nights ago...

Here's a brief description on how we made them just in case you have some black boots in your closet waiting to be witchified--cut off the tip of a witch hat (or sew your own 'tip') and before gluing it to the front of the boot, hot-glue a piece of wire from the inside of the boot up to the tip of the pointed fabric--I hope that makes sense--if you don't glue a piece of wire alongside the fabric up to the point, you won't have a nice point, which is the witch trademark!  It's a must do.  Then, using fabric, ribbon, and trim, decorate away!  Don't forget to put stuffing inside the boot to help make it stand up on its own, as well as topping the stuffing with some fancy-schmancy, shimmery fabric, such as tulle.

This same friend also inspired this next picture... how cute is this??

They're actually candlestick holders purchased from Michael's...

Thank you, Lindsay, for teaching me the witch-boot-way!  You rock.

 

xo,

Pamela, a gal who's ready for Halloween

 

p.s. If I were you, I'd gather up your closest group of friends and have a witch-boot-making-party.  Warm up some apple cider, gobble up a plate of doughnuts, and craft away!  A guaranteed wonderfully witchy night. :)

p.p.s.  Can anyone guess what we're making in this picture?  Hint: it's witch related.  And it's huge--3' in diameter to be exact.

Lil' Blue Boo's Lil Journal Project

{ Second post in one day?  Yes, because I want you to do join this project with me this weekend!!}

Okay, I just wanted to jump on her real quick while I'm waiting for our pizza dough to warm up a little before rolling it out (just took it out of the fridge) to share this fun project with you!  Ashley from lilblueboo.com started a journal project where she gives you "assignments" every day... it's a great way to jump start your creativity!  There's also something so special about writing/drawing/doodling in a sketch journal/book with blank pages.  Do you know what I mean??

I've wanted to get one going for a while and this was the perfect inspiration for me.  I got my sketchbook at Michael's at 50% off, so it cost only $5!  And it has a canvas covering, so I'll be painting it sometime down the road.

So who's in it with me?  It's not too late to start!  She's on day 10, and I'm only on like day 4 or 5, and I plan on catching up this weekend.  So far it has been so rewarding for me.

 

(The first assignment is to write the following with your non-dominant hand, which helps "unleash hidden creativity".)

So grab this 50% off coupon and join with me!!!  Not only will it be loads of fun, but incredibly fulfilling... I can already tell. :)

 

xo,

Pamela