Winter Blues Wednesday - It's a Party #54

Welcome to this week's Winter Blues Wednesday party.  Last week's party was filled with so much inspiration.  Here are this week's features:

First up is this beautiful vignette created by JBigg's Little Pieces. 

I just love the blue bowl that started it all.  Really pretty.

Comfortably Carried Away transformed a foot stool into this beauty using a drop cloth and transferring this pattern.  She uses a slightly different method of transferring the image.  Hope you check it out.

I think this craft room peg board created by How to Nest For Less is super cool.  

What a great way to keep organized.

This is one before and after makeover done by Dixie Delights.  

The transformation of the den is incredible.  

Laughter and Grace transformed a plain wastepaper basket into this jute wrapped basket.

Such a great project.

If you were featured, please grab an "I've Been Featured" button (you can now find my buttons by clicking on the buttons tab right under my header).  Now let's get started with this week's party.  I can't wait to see what you have been up to.  Link up anything you have been working on...home decor, sewing, crafts, organizing, baking, recipes etc.     I will keep this link open through Friday.

<a border="0" href="http://www.diybydesign.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipw62ZdrKpNmaJdWF0-T8fM7RV9-cuZSxfrIWZ_j8O996HWzXChosS5wOVixR0OXFygAvhfK7VB34IUIgHiT38YyF7GxGTfXiPhdmuMMlhadOaxv_VUL8kw37m08BRwJqtn31mvleXUpzi/s128/18542134351.jpg" /></a>

A few rules:

1.  Please become a follower (if you already follow me on Google, I would love for you to follow me on Linky Followers as well).  

2.  Please grab my party button above and display it either on your sidebar or somewhere in your post.  This way word can spread about the party.  The more people at the party, the more fun we will have.

3.  Please enter the link to your actual post, not just a link to your main blog page.

4. Please visit others who have linked up.   Everyone works hard on their projects and blogs...let's show each other some love by visiting each other.  Let's have some fun and hopefully make a few new friends along the way.

Ok...Let's Party

--Judy

Decorated Boxes

I just love a quick and easy project that yields such awesome results.

I found this beautiful gray and black damask contact paper at Home Goods.   

It was only $5.99 for two rolls.

I simply covered two empty shoe boxes with the contact paper and...

Voila!  Instant decorative boxes.  

I felt like it needed just a bit more so I added grey grosgrain ribbon I had in the house.

Don't forget to stop back tonight for my Winter Blues Wednesday party.

The party opens at 8pm EST.  Hope to see you then.

-Judy

Embroidered Bolster Pillow

I have been wanting to make a bolster pillow for my guest room for a while now. 

 A few months back I made pinch pleat drapes for the guest bedroom.  

You can click here for the tutorial.

I had enough fabric left to make a bolster pillow cover.

When I got my new embroidery sewing machine for Christmas,

 I knew that I wanted to use it on this project.

I embroidered the word "Dream" onto the fabric.

I made decorative cording using grosgrain ribbon.

Here is the end result.  

I'm still getting the hang of the new embroidery machine.

I have to figure out how to hoop the material so that the

words appear exactly where I want them.

I probably should have made the font slightly smaller 

so that it would fit exactly in the cream section.

Since I was so focused on getting the embroidery just right, I missed the fact that I somehow didn't center the pattern.  Ugh!!  But that's the perfectionist in me.  Overall I love how it came out.

I used the same technique I have used before.

You can click here for the tutorial.  

It's a perfect finish to the guest room bed.

Can't wait to hear what you think.

-Judy

Partying at Chatty Chics

Home Tour at Debbiedoo's

Today I'm over at Debbiedoo's giving a full tour of my home.

  

I hope you will stop by Debbie's and check it out.  

If you get a chance come back and let me know what you think.

On another note, remember the Ethan Allen mirror I have been lusting over?
It costs $669 plus tax, plus delivery.  I just can't justify that.
However, I was searching for information on the mirror on the internet
and found it being sold on Craigslist for $200!
Only problem is that the listing is across the country.  The woman who is selling it has been wonderful, even bringing the mirror to Fed Ex to get a quote to ship.  It will cost $143 to ship.  That would bring the total cost of the mirror to $343, still less than half of what it would cost new (UPS was even more and the post office won't ship it because the box is too big).  The woman told me she owns it two years and it's in perfect condition.  I didn't ask why she was selling it...maybe I should.

Friends...I need your advice!!

Am I crazy?  Do I even consider it?  Will it make it here in one piece?
Please let me know what you think.

Thanks in advance.

Have a great weekend.

-Judy

Master Bedroom Closet Reveal

I have spent much of the past several weekends working on my master bedroom closet.  

I already have an organizer system in my closet, but wanted to pretty it up a bit.  

I started by painting the walls the same color as the tray ceiling in the master bedroom.

I thought this would take no time at all.  It ended up taking me over three hours since the organizer was already in the closet and I had to cut in what felt like a million times.

While the closet was empty, I went through each and every item and edited what would go back into the closet.  This is really an important step in organizing your closet.  

After loading five bags of clothing to give away, and reorganizing everything that went back in, 

here is my new and improved closet:

A few weeks ago I started this makeover by removing my closet doors and adding drapes instead.

It totally opened up the inside of the closet.

I added decorative boxes on the top shelf to hold all of my handbags and other infrequently used items.  

I created labels for the boxes using my Silhouette machine.

On each label I wrote down the contents of each box.  

This way I can tell at a glance what is inside.

I also added a damask stencil to the closet. 

I used my Silhouette machine to cut out two different sizes 

of the damask pattern out of brown adhesive vinyl.

While I was at it, I created a sign for over the door inside the closet also out of the brown vinyl.

The damask on either side of the sign is the negative side of the vinyl cutouts.

I mixed a few elements on the Silhouette machine to make the scroll design.

I think there are several key elements to having a well organized closet 

that is both functional and pleasing to the eye.  

 1.  Have all the same hangers.  This may seem like it's not a big deal, 

but you would be surprised at just how much better your 

closet will look and function.

                             2.  Organize your clothing by type and color

Having your clothing organized by type and color makes putting together outfits much easier.

3.  Organize your closet by season.  Right now I have all of my winter clothing up front and visible.

  4.  Store less used items in decorative boxes at the top of your closet 

so as not to take up valuable "real estate".

So what do you think?

I can't wait to hear.

-Judy