House Guests: Dated Cookie Cutter Home Gets an Update and Lots of Character

Do you know Camille Roskelley? Maybe you'd recognize some of her fabric. You see, she is a fabric and quilt designer. She is amazingly talented and has a love for Retro Color. But this isn't a post about her beautiful fabric...although, I think I need one of her quilts.

This post is about her home renovation.

I have been searching for home renovation pins, researching and re-designing a few things around our new home that I'm hoping to tackle within the next few months.

While searching for "Planked Fire Places" I found this beauty on Pinterest.

And then, I saw the rest of the Roskelley's re-model and I had to share it with you.

Why? Because it's a real house.

I've curated several 'before and after' pictures for you as well as paint and materials sources from Camille's website.

Click 'read more' to see the entire tour and sources.

Happy Halloween!

Free Printable from Sugar Bee Crafts and Carissa Miss

XXXOOO.

Simple Craft: Washi Note Pad

I have a confession. 

I have a ton of washi tape. 

Like a lot. 

And I haven't really gotten into the craze of putting it on everything...

even though I've pinned a ton of washi craft ideas. 

The other day I just couldn't resist anymore. 

I had the cutest set from My Mind's Eye and decided to do a 5 minute craft.

I took a stack of notepads that had survived my move this summer.

I bought them at Walmart, 3 for 2.49 (you're wondering how I know that after all this time, well, the receipt was still in the bag ;) Convenient!

I'm not a measurer, so I eye-balled the tape and had a fun time creating different designs by layering the tape strips. After 5 minutes I was wishing that I'd bought more than 2 packs of notepads last June at Walmart.

These turned out better than I thought they would. It's a pretty easy craft...one for any age group. 

They'll make the perfect little gift with a cute pencil or pen, don't you think?

XXXOOO

*this IS NOT a sponsored post, just so you know ;)

Wordless Wednesday Inspiration: Benjamin Moore "Ocean Air"

via

via

via

XXXOOO

Give Me the Goods Monday Link Party #32!

Thanks to each and every one of you who link up with us!  

We are so excited to have you here with us this week! In case you're new here, this party is hosted by FIVE bloggers! That means when you enter your links on one of our blogs, they will show up on FIVE blogs total! FIVE times the publicity for YOU! We will each pick our favorites every week, so that's FIVE times the chance for YOU to get featured!

Read More after the break.....

Give Me the Goods Link Party: Sunday Features #31

It’s time for the features from last weeks GMTG party!

Be sure to check out the other host’s features after leaving here:

Jamie @ Better with Age

Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof

Amber @ Dimples & Pig Tales

Rachel @ Maison de Pax

Every week I am so inspired by how creative you all are. It's so hard to just pick 4 features! Thanks so much for linking up! Have gotten to love following all of you.

Succulent Garden Tour from Diane at Vintage Zest

Gold Leaf Decorative Bowl from Amy at Homey Oh My

Kitchen Before and After from Kim at Exquisitely Unremarkable

How to Style an Ottoman from Jackie at TEAL & LIME

MOST VIEWED LINK THIS WEEK:

Hutch Makeover from Linda at WITH A BLAST

Be sure to visit my co-hosts to see their features! 

Jenna from Rain on a Tin Roof

Jamie from Better With Age

Amber @ Dimples and Pig Tales

Rachel from Maison de Pax

Don't forget to grab you're button if you were featured! 

Remember to come back tomorrow  "Give Me The Goods Monday"! We party every Monday!

And be sure to check out all of our features past and present on our Give Me the Goods Monday Pinterest Board!

http://pinterest.com/koogs2012/give-me-the-goods-monday-linky-party-features/

Thanks for coming over!

XXXOOO.

Freebie Friday: Autumn Banners

Check out these great Blackboard Autumn Banners from Yellow Bliss Road!

I love the banner idea, for parties OR gifts...so many fun uses!

Thanks to Kristen at Yellow Bliss Road for sharing.

Don't you just love free printables?!

Hop over to Yellow Bliss Road to download and print!

XXXOOO.

Wordless Wednesday Inspiration: Serena and Lily "WHARF"

XXXOOO.

Design Board: A Nursery Fit for a King

Oh, little baby Prince George!

Or I guess I should say, HRH Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge.

via 

I've been working on this post for a looooooong time, maybe for 6 months plus.

With the Prince's Christening and moving into his new digs at Kensington Palace on the horizon, I thought I'd share with you the nursery that I would create if it were up to me. {By the way, it was revealed that one of the Prince Georgie's God Mothers is an old friend of the Duchess' and SHE is a interior designer and is 'helping' with the Kensington Palace renovations including the Nursery...um, can I be her for a day?}.

Here is my take: this Royal family unit seems to be classic and respectful yet, buck a lot of the stuffy formal traditional, more extraneous fan fare. They are preppy. They are elegant, sophisticated yet seem to have clean and uncomplicated or fussy taste. They are trying to raise their son as a 'normal' kid with a 'normal' family dynamic. In the hectic Royal world that this little boy will be the epicenter of, his home and of course then, his nursery will need to be a place of comfort, calm and solace for him and for his Mum, I think, too.

Here is my

 PRINCE GEORGE NURSERY

{fit for Kensington Palace or Grandma Carole's Country Hide-Out}

gray, beige, natural and neutral with white 
+ pops of tomato red 

          

All above via Serena & Lily
{Bed frame is actually named "Cambridge Bed". HA!}


  

with

Flokati

Wall of Built in Book Shelves, lined with

via

via

An imaginative gift from the Queen Great-Grandmother to hang in the Nursery
Monet's English Field of Poppies painting

via

Make a Little London Pillow Set {multiple pillows}

And I'd wallpaper the closet and dressing area with this and put a fun 'dress up' trunk full of Safari Gear:

via

The Babar Prints are what I'm super attached to in this design. Um, and get it? King Babar? I selected prints depicting Babar doing activities that will most likely be part of his life...Flying? Skiing? Tennis anyone?

Also, the elephant theme, natural and safari paper is a nod to William's love for Africa and the fact that the Cambridge's were engaged in S. Africa.

I have to share this adorable picture from HELLO Magazine.

William seems to be doing things similar to his Mums, like low-key keeping things real sort of things. Here is a picture of Princes William and Harry in their nursery...it's pretty 1980's Laura Ashley. Not over done. Actually probably incredibly similar to other British Nurseries at the time. Nothing over the top here. 

God Save the Queen
& The Prince of Wales
&The Duke of Cambridge
& little PG, no matter what his Nursery looks like!
XXXOOO

{Linking to these parties follow the break}

Stir It Up: Dessert Fiesta!

Yesterday I shared with you my recipe for Churro Cupcakes that I made for my 3 year old's Birthday Fiesta. She's REALLY into Dora the Explorer. But she's my third girl...and I sort of couldn't bring myself to do a DORA themed party...so we had a low-key Dessert FIESTA instead! I made everything ahead of time except for the churro-tortillas that I made last minute so that they'd be warm. I put everything on my kitchen island and kept it pretty informal. No backdrop, dessert table fanciness here this time. Although, this would be a pretty great theme for a bigger- all out- party.  But this wasn't a kid's party where there were 3 year olds being dropped off and kid mayhem...this was a family party with grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins. So I kept it pretty tame and it was perfect! Just enough fun for kids and adults.

Menu

Churro Cupcakes

Mucho Chocolate Cake

Cinnamon Sugar Tortillas with Cinnamon Frosting Dip

Volcano Cookies: "Ruby Snap" Margo Cookies (Cinnamon, Chocolate, Mint filling)

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Fruit Platter

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Limeade

Other touches:
Fake Mustaches {Found at Zurcher's Party Supply}
Unicorn or in Spanish...UNICORNIO Pinata filled with bouncy balls instead of candy {Zurcher's}
Sombreros and Sarrapes decorating the table
Brightly Colored Paper Fans
No annoying/cheesy Dora music or videos...instead I pulled up a Pandora "Spanish Guitar" channel. It was perfect.

Recipes:

Churro Cupcakes

Mucho Chocolate Cake - Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake and Frosting

Cinnamon Sugar Tortillas

Cut flour Tortillas into triangles or use a cookie cutter for fun shapes (like I did with the leaf cookie cutter tortilla shapes that I put on top of my Churro Cupcakes). Fry in Canola oil for a few seconds until the puff. Put 1/2 cup sugar and 3TBSP Cinnamon in a gallon size zip lock bag. Put the Tortilla puff into the bag and shake, coating the triangle puff with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Repeat until you have a made a ton...because they will go quickly! (Serve with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting that is used on my Churro Cupcakes). For this party, I used cute cupcake papers, put a dab of the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting in the bottom of the cupcake paper cup and stuck a cinnamon sugar tortilla triangle into the frosting. The were super cute and that way, people aren't taking handfuls of the cinnamon sugar tortilla triangles...they are served one at a time. And are less messy that way.

Mexican Hot Chocolate



I served the hot cocoa in little espresso cups and put cute pink polka dot cupcake papers under the cups on the saucers. It was a fun touch :)

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Hope you give some of these recipes a try!!! 

They were a HUGE hit from the 2 year old to the 90 year old at this fun party!

XXXOOO!

{Linking to these parties follow the break}