Lily gets a new dress

New Grosgrain post. See it here!

Makeover your patio without hiring a contractor

Since summer is around the corner I thought to mention these handy wood tiles good for concrete patios, balconies and in the yard. I like this idea because they are removable and portable so even renters can improve their space. There are many different kinds at many different price ranges. The most expensive have interlocking bottoms and come in a variety of patterns. There are a number of companies out there that sell these. But all of them ask for quotes which to me means 'out of my price range'. Just type in interlocking wood tiles in google to see the various sites.
Ikea also sells something like this for a more affordable price at a little over $3 per square foot. However, they don't have interlocking bottoms so I don't know how you would keep them in place if you didn't have anything to hold them together. But you can buy them at select Ikeas. Check it out here!
Another great invention for the DIYer is vinyl wood planks. Wait, don't stick up your nose at them just yet. Yes, they are vinyl but not the shiny fake looking kind they made in the 80s. These are wide 3 feet by 4 inches. So they lay like real wood planks plus they have the texture of wood and have a matte finish. Each plank has a sticky backing to them so there is almost no prep work involved. I installed these in my father's kitchen in one evening by myself. All of the people who saw it thought it was wood laminate. This too comes in a variety of prices and qualities but I bought my Novalis planks at Lowes for $1 per square foot and it looked great! I'm not advising to use it in your living room but for the kitchen or bath they are a really inexpensive, quick way to makeover a space.

Blowing my nose.

Today is a sick day. But I promise I WILL push through and write a post.

My sandbox is prettier than yours

This makes me wish I threw out my old sand from last year and bought new sand. I found this while perusing pavers at Walmart yesterday. The bags were twice as much as the tan (aka boring) sand but I think at $8 per 20lb bag, $28 would fill a small sandbox. Not too bad. It came in vibrant hues of pink, purple, blue and green. All of which are guaranteed to stand out on your brand new carpet:)

Paperdoll ME!

OMG! I just found the cutest idea for a birthday party: personalized paper dolls of your child. I did my paper doll in Photoshop. This was the easiest way to whiteout the background, resize the dresses and add tabs. But if you don't have a photo editing software you can still make these. First, have your child stand in front of a white background. Mark where they stand on the floor with tape. Then mark where you are standing on the floor. For the basic doll, I'd recommend photographing your child in their undergarments or bathing suit as this looks more authentic. Have your child hold their arms out to make room for a myriad of outfits. Then, having your child stand in the same place, photograph them in a variety of outfits. Be sure that they stand in the same position. Print the doll and outfits on heavy paper. Cut out images very carefully or use an exacto knife. Make accessories like shoes, hats, gloves, whatever tickles your fancy. Laminate doll for durability. Another neat idea would be to add magnets to the backs of all the accessories and dolls and post them on your refridgerator. Make dolls out of your own family (dog included!) The possibilities are endless.

FairIE Festival

Today we attended the fairy festival (whoops....I mean fair"ie") all the way in Glen Rock, pretty much on the PA border. The weather was appropriately misty and grey. Lily wore her petal tutu but it was nothing compared to some of our fellow attendees.
Even the dogs donned wings, I kid you not. Some donned "less" than others. Yuck. Aside from the fanatical christian protesters and cornfield parking lot, the atmosphere was appropriately whimsical, albeit hippy dippy, phish fan, wiccan loving. But the kids seemed to like dressing up in their hair wreaths and tissue wings. What child doesn't like the idea of fairies? Answer: the zealot 12-year olds holding the pickett signs.

One more thing....

I sewed a new item for Grosgrain. See it here!

Bring life to your tired closet.

On another fashion note, I thought I should mention Wardrobe Remix. A flickr group devoted to showing off your perfect outfit. Great to use for wardrobe inspiration.













No commerical pics allowed, purely everyday people, flaunting everyday (and not so everyday) outfits. With over 8,000 members you're sure to find a photo to bring life to your tired closet.

A month of outfits

I loved this idea. Lucky Magazine has put together a month of outfits (I'm hoping for each issue). If you don't want to purchase the magazine you can view the images here! The entire month is put together in only 20 pieces of clothing. Very chic.

Look flirty while frying fish

Love these totally feminine, totally flirty retro aprons. Who needs to lingerie when you have one of these in your closet, just whip up some dinner. Buy them here at Perdoozy.