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DIY - Glass and Wood Tray

May 1, 2013 | By alisonde

Far better to serve you with this transformed tray that includes stripping and staining the wood, cutting a piece of metallic and cork wallpaper from a leftover project and having glass cut for the interior of the tray.

Before the transformation this tray was in a local thrift store for $7. It's design said "country kitchen."

First, we stripped the paint and then stained it with Cabot Custom Tint in Moonshadow. After it was stained, I cut a piece of metallic cork wallpaper left over from our guest room and had a piece of glass cut to fit inside the tray. Now, it not only holds art books and vintage art pieces, but can serve drinks and snacks in a pinch.

Tags: wood and glass tray, diy, lifestyle expert, cabot stain, Lowes, wood staining, wood projects, do-it-yourself

SoapBox Soaps

April 29, 2013 | By alisonde

Their plan is simple - use soap to improve the world. They say that more than 3,000 children's lives can be saved everyday with something as simple as a bar of soap and clean water. For many of us, taking a shower and lathering up each morning is routine. So why not get a little energized with the AWESOME scent plus clean, of course, with one of these soaps.

“What if a company could change the world through empowering customers to change it through simple, everyday purchases?” That's what one of the co-founders of SoapBox Soaps asked his fellow co-cofounder when coming up with the idea. Okay, he admits it wasn't that articulate, but it was a start.

In just two short years, they have donated their soap internationally to a number of countries including Ecuador, Haiti, Kenya, Thailand and Uganda. 4 Continents in total. 7 Countries. They also provide soap locally to struggling families at homeless shelters, women shelters and nursing homes here in America. Good, right!? So are you clicking on SoapBox Soaps right now to to buy? One soap, $4.99 or two for $9.99.

I say:

I admit it, I'm a body wash fan, but the scent of these soaps is so refreshing I had to give them a try. And yes, I do like the compliments when someone standing close says, "You smell good." Usually it's my husband doling out those compliments (yes, he's amazing). These will be packed on my trip to Europe, (lemongrass & lavendar are my picks) so I'll have more room for other liquids in my carry on. And you have time to order a few to give mom for Mother's Day. I know it's not a chic and sophisticated gift, but a kid could use a little allowance to buy his mom a soap with a such a do-good message, surely mom will be touched.

Christina says:

When it comes to cleansers, my usual go to is body wash because it leaves my skin feeling soft and supple. Unlike most bar soaps, this one doesn't leave my skin dry. The scent is light and refreshing and I love that I still feel moisturized after my shower. The company also donates one bar of soap for every bar of soap you buy, so someone else will feel so fresh and clean because of you.

Lauren says:

I love the natural feel and smell of this soap. My favorites are the cinnamon and the orange blossom scents which fill my shower with a refreshing fragrance after I use them.

Soaps are: Made in America. Gluten-free. Vegan. Packaged with 100% recycled fibers.

What's NOT in them: Parabens, Phthalates, petrochemicals, Palm Oil

Tags: soapbox soaps, soap box soap, charity, do-good, cahritable companies, mother's day gifts, companies that give back

DIY - Transform a Chair with Bold Color and Lace

April 21, 2013 | By alisonde

We turned an ordinary chair into more of a show piece with a custom tint stain and lace.

Reinvent an old chair into a show piece meant to be seen rather than stored. Sand it down to start with clean wood. We stained it with a Cabot Custom Tint in Amethyst.

We stained the lace with a dried lavendar tint and then applied the lace around the back and seat edge of the chair with a spray adhesive.

Tags: cabot stain, cabot wood care, do it yourself, diy, Craft cuts, wood, home decor, interior design, Lowes, lifestyle expert, Style Expert, chairs, lace on chairs, lace designs on chairs, wood staining, flea market finds

DIY - Frame with Paint Chip Art

April 16, 2013 | By alisonde

A Frame with Flare

We've been finding numerous ways to use paint chips in our DIY projects from Halloween costumes to Christmas ornaments. This time we created paint chip art work for a vintage frame I puchased at the Rosebowl flea market in Pasadena. I wanted to create a way to display bold colors in a frame without more brush strokes. And voila, a fun display where you can add a message with an eraseable marker (that can be changed as often as you like) for those entering or leaving the house.

Watch our DIY Diva series for the process:

Bought frame from flea market for $5

Sanded and then stained the frame with Cabot Pecan satin finish.

Created a color block design using paint chips (free).

Had glass cut to fit frame approx. $10.

Bought backing and easel back for frame approx. $10 from Aaron Brothers.

Added message with an erasable marker—You can change the message as often as you want.

Tags: cabot stain, cabot wood care, do it yourself, diy, Craft cuts, wood, home decor, interior design, Lowes, lifestyle expert, Style Expert, wood staining, flea market finds, wooden frame, paint chips

DIY - Vintage Sled Becomes Dog Bed

April 10, 2013 | By alisonde

Penny's new view point from her fabulous DIY sled to dog bed. Watch the video for more info.

Picked up this vintage sled from the flea market. I thought it was a long bassinet, but the owner corrected me when she showed me where the rails had been. We stripped and sanded the wood and then stained it with Cabot Polystain in Dark Oak.

Then I created a pillow for comfort with a remnant from a fabric store and foam padding from Michaels. I screwed on caster wheels from Home Depot so I could move the bed to different parts of the house easily.

DIY - Vintage Tool Boxes Become Pretty Garden Boxes

April 8, 2013 | By alisonde

I turned two vintage tool boxes purchased inexpensively at the Rosebowl Flea Market in Pasadena, CA into beautiful garden boxes perfect for gift giving.

The vintage tool boxes before their transformation had been painted an ugly mustard color and were beaten and scratched up. Next steps were to strip and sand down the wood and get it ready for staining.

I chose to stain the tool boxes rather than paint them. I knew the stain would preserve the wood better and with a protective coating the newly created garden boxes could be left outside on a patio or porch to give the new blooms some sunshine. I decided to stain the boxes two colors in similar hues, the main body and handle are Horizon and the sides are Sedona Sun. Both are Cabot Custom Tints. As little decor choice I added the flat wooden birds, purchased from Save On Crafts and stained them each Cabot Ready Mix in Brown Mahogany.

Add in some gardening tools, gloves, seed packets and small pots and voila, you've got a great gift to give!

Tags: cabot stain, cabot wood care, do it yourself, diy, Craft cuts, wood, framing, home decor, interior design, Lowes, lifestyle expert, Style Expert, wood staining, tool box, vintage tool box, garden box, gardening, window boxes, flea market finds

DIY - Personalized Mirrored Frames with Monogram Letters

April 1, 2013 | By alisonde

The Plan: Create two personalized mirrored frames for either side of the bed. I decided by adding wooden letters it would create a 3-D effect and have more impact.

Watch the video for more details.

I purchased two frames which are nearly identical from the Rosebowl in Pasadena for $10. Then sanded them down to create a "clean slate" for staining. Next, I ordered two wooden letters from Craft Cuts, where you can choose the height, width and font of your letters.

Ready for staining, I taped off the interior rectangle to stain the outer frame with Cabot Stain Ready Mix in Ebony. The interior rectangle was stained with Cabot Polystain in Dark Oak. I wanted a two tone stained frame. The letters were stained Ebony. I had mirrors cut and inserted into the frames. I hung the letters using leather braided cord that I purchased for $1. I attached the cord to the back, added hanging materials and hung on either side of the bed.

Tags: cabot stain, cabot wood care, mirrored frames, do it yourself, lifestyle expert, Style Expert, diy, Craft cuts, wooden letters, monogram, framing, home decor, interior design, Lowes, cut letters, flea market finds, wood staining

DIY - Decorative Bird Cage

March 28, 2013 | By alisonde

I purchased an unfinished birdcage and bird eggs, plus a nest online at Save-on-Crafts.com which had so many cool ideas for weddings and entertaining.

I sanded the birdcage then stained both the cage and eggs. For the birdcage, I used Limed Oak which looks white and for the eggs, I stained them Sanibel which is a custom tint. Both are available from Cabot Stain and Lowes which you can buy in small 8oz cans. I then lined the cage in moss and placed the nest on top. I added in faux birds found at JoAnn's Fabric and placed them inside and on top of the birdcage.

This looks lovely on a foyer table, in the bedroom or as a decorative item on a coffee table. The whole project cost less than $60.

Tags: cabot, wood stain, birdcage, crafts, diy, do it yourself, Lowes, save on crafts, decorative objects, home decor, lifestyle expert, Style Expert

DIY - Kids Table and Chair Re-Design

March 19, 2013 | By alisonde

I found a kids chair at the Rosebowl flea market in Pasadena that was in desperate need of a makeover. The kids table was about to be donated or dumped due to it's surface being covered with scratches, marker, crayon and pen marks. It was time to give them a makeover and make them ready to be returned to a kids room as a play station.

The kids chair and table before the transformation.

We sanded the chair down. Stained the chair Limed Oak from Cabot Stain. Then taped sections to stain three colors-Lily Pad, Mussel Shell and Dried Lavendar from Cabot Stain.

We stained the table Limed Oak and then applied adhesive stencils in various sizes and fonts. We stained the letters Lily Pad, Mussel Shell and Dried Lavendar to match the colors on the kids chair.

Tags: cabot stain, wood stain, diy, do it yourself, kids table, kids chair, rosebowl, flea market finds, custom tint stains, kids furniture, furniture makeover

Spiff Up For Spring

March 18, 2013 | By alisonde

Could your home use a little boost? A little freshening up for Spring? I've got some simple, stylish and inexpensive tricks to turn your home from a case of winter blues to spring sass.

For more details, watch me on Marie Osmond's show on Hallmark Channel.

TempaperDesigns.com, $75-98

Temporary or permanent you choose - so simple - self adhesive, “peel and stick” eliminating the need for water and paste. High impact decorating for those who don’t want to make a long-term commitment. One roll will cover about 8 x 6 or 7 ft. Apply to walls with painted surface Plus you can wipe it clean.

Cabotstain.com

You can create simple decorative DIY projects and stain then with custom tints. Gets you a pop of color, but also protects and preserves the wood rather than just coating it. Moonshadow tint for the tray. Sanibel and Limed Oak for the birdcage.

Pretty Smitten.com, $80-120

Lucite monogrammed trays. You choose the background and they add your initials.

Minted.com, starts at $38 - $375

Limited edition, Custom Art Prints created by independent artists and printed on archival paper. Available in mutiple sizes and frame choices. The art we featured:

All in the Details, Highway Wildflowers, Home Sweet Home, Ligurian Houses, and Love Letter

Décor items: Rug, pillows, throws, ottoman, decorative items in our spiffed up livingroom:

Home Goods, a great choice for designer items up to 60% off specialty stores.

West Elm

My fabulous blue Tulip dress by Azadeh, azadehcouture.com Thank you Azadeh!

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