Birds, Birds, Everywhere Birds

Shannon at Bless Our Nest shows us how do make this elegant monogram in a frame.


Emily from Remodeling this Life recovered a storage ottoman.

Nest Files

And because I insist on copying Simplemom in all that she does I got? did? started? A tumblr blog? account? thing? I don't even know. All I know is it's a much easier way to save links and a great way to share them with you and organize them for myself. All this bird watching is getting away from me and y'all are too talented to just have a couple links per week.

So, I loaded it up with stuff I don't want to forget. Mostly house stuff but some food and some dorky stuff. Click Here if you want to know what I'm talking about. Then just click on the links that sound interesting. The tumblr link is also on the sidebar over there so you can access it at anytime and learn from all the geniuses that I have come across. You are all amazing!

What Will Your Walls Say? :: A Giveaway

Are you sick of giveaways yet? I didn't think so. Allow me to introduce the newest advertising partner at the Nest, Fruitful Vine Creations. What is Fruitful Vine Creations? I'm glad you asked. It's a mom run business making the world prettier and personalized, one house at a time. With vinyl words.


I ADORE these vinyl creations! You can order any phrase, name, monogram, verse....that you want and put it just about anywhere you want. Wouldn't this monogram look great above a bed?


How about some house numbers for your front door or on your porch?


Or a phrase in your family room? There are so many colors, fonts and sizes to choose from.


The letters are a cinch to put on and can be removed easily without damaging the walls--perfect for us renters. You can put them in a frame, above the fireplace, over a photo grouping or fill up that wall as you go up the stairs.


The possibilities are endless.


Getting married soon? What about some personalized signs to remind your guests to sign the guest book?


Wouldn't this look nice on the doors of the reception hall or on the limo, on a large serving platter in the couple's wedding pattern on display for the guests?


This thank you would look great placed in a frame on a large easel on the gift table.


Don't forget about giving these personalized beauties for gifts for new babies, weddings, birthdays and what a nice housewarming present.




Fruitful Vine Creations is offering a $40 Gift Certificate to use towards any of their products. All you have to do is leave a comment here and I'd love to hear what you would get if you won! Stop by Fruitful Vine Creations to see even more samples of customized art. Don't forget that you can click on all of those buttons up there at the top right to visit any of the fine sponsors.


For a limited time: Order any item from the wedding line by February 14th and mention the code: NESTER to get 15% off. Hehe--I have a code! Be sure to visit all of the zillions of other giveaways at the Bloggy Giveaways this week!

Make 2009 The Year to Remodel :: A Guest Post

I asked Tim, The Remodeling Guy to write a post today for our reading pleasure. Tim's got a new blog that is full of useful information centered around remodeling. I have really enjoyed soaking up all of his housing smarts and I think you will as well!

When I sat down to "scrawl" out a guest post for The Nester I felt a bit intimidated. She's a hard act to follow! What with all the witty humor and comments about high heels, blush brushes, and paper towel preferences that just wouldn't sound right coming from me. I started to swear…oops typo…sweat.

But I remembered what I'd read in The Best of The Nest, and I realized that I was among friends here. We're kindred spirits. You love your houses. You love making them beautiful, creating wonderful spaces, and coming up with super cool solutions to seemingly impossible problems! And you love doing it yourself and doing it without breaking the bank! I get that. Me too.

Of course, I am a builder guy, more into the woodworking, the concrete, the walls, ceilings, floors; you get the picture. No window mistreatments coming from me. Though I do love a fabric store as much as the next guy…

Grab Your Tools!

This looks inviting!

I'm here to encourage you. I'm here to tell you that you can do more with your house than you think you can! I've met so many people who just think that the problems with the house are just "too much". Better to just move, maybe even buy a new house. Hogwash! No more of that talk!

I get a huge sense of satisfaction from taking something that was lacking and, through a little bit of creativity and work, getting the "wow!" out of it. Don't you?

So I want to encourage you to not only think of what you can put in the room, or on the walls, or over the windows. Let's also look at what we can do to that room, or bust out that wall, or replace that window. It's not as hard as you think and it doesn't have to cost a fortune.

Remodeling is Fun!

Remodeling doesn't have to be a nightmare! It can be a total blast! If you're inclined toward the Do It Yourself project, then it can be really fun. The work itself is great, it's the dealing with contractors (like me) that gets a little dicey! But even that can be great if you tackle it right. I'll be writing about what I mean by that in the near future.

Where Should We Start?

One of the reasons I can write about remodeling every day is because there are like a bazillion things under that heading. You can start almost anywhere! Maybe, you should just do like I would if I came to your house... start at the front door!


Paint It!

I love a red door. A door painted red, blue, black, or some other color that compliments your exterior can really make an impact on the curb appeal of your home! This is a quick and easy project with a big payoff!

Bling It!

Okay, now we're getting really simple here. But, if we stretch the definition a little, I think this still qualifies as "Remodeling". It also meets some other important criteria...fast, easy, cheap (depends...be careful!), and it makes a huge impact!

This hardware from Schlage is very nice!

I don't know about you, but I know that my door could absolutely stand a little blingage!

Light it Up!

Lighting in general is a quick and easy project that makes a huge impact. Combine it with the front door and really step-up your stoop! Below is a photo I snagged from the Kichler website to illustrate my point:

What about the big jobs?

Oh yes, there are jobs of all sizes and I'll tackle all of them over at my blog. I hope that these quick and easy ideas just sort of "get you in the mood".

I've started RemodelingGuy.net just so I can talk all about remodeling of all sorts, so if you need some help or inspiration, come take a peek. I'm also looking to make the blog an "interactive" type place, where you can send me pictures and thoughts on your remodeling projects or problems and we can work through them together. If you have something I can help you with, please come by and let me know!

Thanks to The Nester for giving me this chance to encourage you to make 2009 the year of the REMODEL! Okay, I'll admit it does sound a little scary. But we can do it together!

Thanks Tim! Y'all be sure to visit Remodeling Guy and FYI his wife Kim blogs at Forever...Wherever! My blogging buddy Melissa also has a guest post today at The Inspired Room--stop by if you have a chance as Emily from Remodeling this Life shares something inspiring. We are all about the remodeling today.

10 Minutes to a Room You'll Love:: Part 1 Family Room

Over the next four Mondays we'll discuss super simple, easy to do steps you can take right now to make your family room, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom a more enjoyable place to be. Today we are focusing on an inviting Family Room.

Sometimes the things that make the biggest change in a room can take just minutes. You don't have to purchase new furniture. Just make sure you are using what you already have to it's fullest. You know, accentuate the positives. Right Bing?

1. Furniture Placement: Pull the sofa and chairs away from walls and closer together to allow for more intimate conversation. Let me repeat. Pull the sofa and chairs away from walls closer together to allow for more intimate conversation. Avoid the trap of aiming every chair directly towards the television. Aim the seating towards the center of the room for conversations sake. We have a couple seats in our room with their backs to the TV. If needed, they can be turned around but the purpose of this room is people. Of course, our sofa and man chair do have good TV viewing stations so this works for us.

Has your sofa been stuck up against the wall? Most people naturally place the biggest item {their sofa} on the longest wall. Kristen decided to move her sofa away from the wall. It had been there for 5 years. She really had nothing to lose by moving it because if she hated it she could simply move it back. Here's what she had to say about the change:

I cannot believe the difference this has made! Moving our couch off the wall to the middle of the room has created an intimate, cozy setting and works better with the traffic in the room.

2. Maximize Seating: Challenge yourself to see how many seating options you can place in your room. Use the extra wooden arm chair from your Grandmothers Dining Room table, the ottoman that can double as a coffee table. In my 13' x 14.5' size room I have seating for 8 at all times and can move more chairs in if needed.

3. Open the Blinds: And I don't mean twist that rod thing. Pull them all the way up and let the sun shine in. You will be surprised at the transformation your room will have. Currently, we do not have blinds so I pull my mistreatments right before bed to keep in the warm. I love driving by a home and getting a peak at what's inside and I don't like the feeling of being all closed in when I'm sitting inside my house.


4. Turn off the Overhead Light: Want to look 10 years older? Stand under an overhead light--especially the kind from the ceiling fan with 4 different naked light bulb bottoms showing--they will surely highlight every crevice on your face. Soften up the room with lamps. And TURN the lamps on! Most family rooms can hold three lamps placed around the room.


5. Bring the Outside in: Natural items like shells, sticks, pine cones, and acorns can be piled in a bowl. My boys are always bringing home rocks and we keep them in an apothecary jar. A nest under a cloche or a plant, cuttings from your bushes in the backyard--all of these items help bring life to a room.

6. Remove All Clutter: NO PILES. Look around, how many things are in the living room that are not used daily in that room? Do you have stacks of magazines and books and mail and too many toys and two printers and a laundry basket full of summer clothes? Do yourself a favor and declutter.


7. Music: Most DVD players will play CDs. I also have a radio hidden under my skirt. My table skirt that is. Music can set the mood for a room and take the edge off a stressful day.


8. Cozy it up: Use pillows, throws, a rug, mistreatments on a window or table, table runners, even a tassel. Fabricy elements add softness to a room. Shop the house and see what you can find to add some textural warmth.


9. Humanize it: Candid, informal photos, children's artwork, the quilt that was handed down--all of these items have a quality that represent natural beauty and trigger relaxation and help put people at ease. Something about the imperfections are welcoming and disarming.


10. Fire: Do you have a fireplace? Use it. Is it in disrepair? Load it up with some logs and strategically place some chunky candles inside for some ambiance. If you don't have a fireplace an arrangement of candles can go a long way to add visual warmth to a room. And although I say there's no wrong--there's a rule with candles that you must not break. LIGHT THEM! Do not have a never been burnt candle sitting out in your room. There is nothing more sad.


So there we have it. Ten easy no brainer ways to quickly comfortize your family room. None of these ideas are earth shattering but look around, how many of these things are actually happening in your room?

Are you a 1 out of 10 or 10 out of 10? I just moved my sofa because it just didn't seem right and I have an empty wall right now that I'd like to humanize some.

Go to Part 2:10 Minutes to a Room You'll Love :: Master Bedroom

Family Room Kit: A Giveaway

Because I'm not rich I thought I'd give something away for you family room that I have on hand. These are a few things that are integral parts of our family room. Why you ask? Because I like to have a pretty house but I don't want to spend much money or time to get it.

Here's the loot I've got for you:

1. Natural Elements including but not limited to a pretend nest that is not very natural
2. Good Smelling Candle
3. Hand made double tassel on a rope made by moi
4. Photo Frame for an informal photo
   
5. CD I will burn of my favorite music to play in my house
   

Like this stuff but wonder how in the world you will use it? No worries it's all explained here.

Be sure to make yourself an extra pot of coffee this morning and enter yourself to win some great stuff over at the Bloggy Giveaways!

Contest closes Friday at Midnight and as usual, there are no rules {nope, you don't have to write an essay, subscribe, go to another site and stand up, turn around 6 times and come back and tell me you love me} but, be sure there is an email connected with your blog profile or leave your email in the comments so I can contact you when you win!

To Flash or Not to Flash

Darcy made a new button for your nesting pleasure. Click here for the code. I really like it and I've heard tell that some people aren't crazy about blinking/flashing/rotating buttons like this one.

<center><a href="http://nestingplacenc.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i534.photobucket.com/albums/ee349/GDest07/Nesting%20Place/IDHTBPTBB.gif" /></a></center>

I'm taking kind of an informal survey in the comment section--tell me your thoughts. How do you feel about flashing buttons on a blog?

Decorating Kids' Rooms

Growing up, my mom let me decorate my room however I wanted. I moved the furniture often, and painted the walls a light shade of pink. One time I picked tiny flowers, pressed them and then stuck them to the molding around my doors with hairspray. When I was in the brand name phase I hung bags and boxes from my favorite stores on the walls.

Having this kind of freedom when I was a kid helped me become more confident in taking risks and trying new things as an adult. I like to offer the same freedom to my children. While I'm a firm believer in "there is no wrong" when it comes to decorating, I do keep a few guidelines in mind while decorating my kids rooms. The key is to use items that are timeless, durable and will grow with your child. Invest in the basics.

*Get a sturdy bed. Avoid that plastic, race car toddler bed that you'll have to give to your neighbor next year. You will trip on it and curse it's very cartoon character name. Instead, look for a bed that your child will be able to use for all of their years in your home. Have an extra full size bed in your attic? Paint it a great color and use it until they move out of the house.

*Buy a solid color comforter. Avoid the Star Wars comforter and just get the sheet set instead. Simply display their favorite Star Wars toys on a shelf over the bed. That way, next year when they like the Green Bay Packers you don't have to go out and buy all new stuff. You can just switch out the sheets and display cheese and the like.

*Invest in a real lamp. Don't opt for miniature fro fro lamps just because your child is young. Having a full sized, respectable lamp that will grow with your child will save you from replacing it later. Lighting can make or break a room. Put a lamp right next to the bed for reading.

*Have a seat. A place to sit even if it's just a wooden chair is so useful to reach items high in the closet or sit and put on socks. If you can afford it, get a cushy chair and place it next to a lamp to inspire snugly reading and comic book drawing.

*Use color wisely. I love color in a child's room. I love color everywhere and if we weren't renting then all of our walls would be painted in rich colors and stripes. Use bold color on the windows with mistreatments and fun trims. For the money, you can't make a bigger impact than paint. And in only a few hours time it will transform a room. Allow your child to have some say in the paint color, you can easily change it later. Another way to bring color in is to paint the furnishings.

*Let them decide. I pick the furniture and supply the lighting and bed linens, they get to do the rest. Right now, my boys have strung Christmas lights and taped up 25 of their favorite race car drawings. They love it and so do I.


It's their room and as they get older, they should have more input on how they want it to look. By supplying a few basics, you will ensure that your child's room is utilized to its fullest potential and that they have a great backdrop to create a room where they love to be.

What was your room like when you were growing up?

Bird Watching

The Scooper at A La Mode really did some decorating damage mistreating her windows.

Are your cabinets starting to look old or outdated? Jennifer at The Magic Brush shows us how she can transform dated cabs to something fab! But warning--she's a professional!


Need to cover an ottoman? Sarah at Blue Castle gets creative. And look how darling this room is!

Thanks to each of you who left a comment and emailed me yesterday. I could not believe your response! Gosh y'all are geniuses! I'm thinking I'll just print out what you said and read it. That should go over well, no?

In Need of Your Advice

Remember how I bragged like 5 times already that I have to, I mean get to speak at blissdom? Well, Melissa and I {and Tsh is also involved} are speaking about blogging. It is a blogging conference you know. The thing is, I would be so much more comfortable talking about fabric and hot glue and ring clips and toile. I have a blog so I can talk about what I love. Other than that I usually feel like I don't know much about blogging.

Oh and our topic is get this: Success.

Not only that, here's the description:

What is the definition of a successful blog? What do successful bloggers do that sets them apart? Nester and Melissa Michaels have gone from being beginner bloggers a year ago, to being two of the most recognized voices in their niche. How did they do it? What did they do differently? What did they gather from around the internet and how did they make it their own? You will leave knowing the secrets to their success.

So, this is what we have to, I mean get to talk about. It makes me want to run and hide under my poofy bed skirt and eat toaster strudels. Success? I have success and can tell others how to have it? I'm not sure what I did differently because it's the only thing I know. I'm all about sharing anything and everything that I happen to know about blogging. But, I'd love to hear what you think.

Is there anything specific you would like to hear if you are/were going?

What questions would you have?

Basically I'm asking you, what should I talk about?

*****

Winners of the hugs and kisses necklace from Lisa Leonard Designs:

The Andersons and LuLu from LuLu and Co.

*****

10 Minutes to a Room You Love: A Series

For the next 4 Mondays I'm going to attempt to do a series exploring simple things that you can do right now to make a room better in both form and function. We'll be covering:

• Family Room
• Master bedroom
• Bathroom
• Kitchen

{now it's later and I came back here and made all those blue words above into links so you can read what we did with each room. later, gotta get back to the future now}

The information is not gonna be earth shattering. However, knowing the information isn't usually the hard part. Implementing the information is where I usually have the problem. I'm hoping to keep it easy enough that you can make any changes quickly but also useful enough that you will see a difference in each room with just a few quick adjustments.

Do you have one quick fix that you make sure to use in a certain room?

Dream Home:: A Giveaway

Don't forget to enter daily to win the HGTV Dream House!



It's not too late to enter to win a kisses and hugs necklace from Lisa Leonard Designs! Contest closes Saturday at midnight and the winner will be announced Monday.

A Picture Worth a Thousand...

If you don't want to read all about how I finally got something that I've always wanted and how happy it makes me then please stop reading now. Because I got something that I've always wanted and it makes me so happy. And after you read this, you are gonna want one too. If you don't want to want one, you might want to stop reading now as well.


Fair warning.


Up at the top is a photo of our old house. The before photo. And this right above these words is the after. I wrote all about it here. I loved that house. I adored that house. It wasn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination but it was quite beautiful.


Then we had to sell it. And move. I remember when we moved the one regret I had was that I never had one of those artists come and draw my house for me. You know how people have a portrait done of their home? I figured it would be thousands of dollars and I'd have to have some weird person with a beret and big easel sit in my yard for a few days and freak out the neighbors.


Then came Karol. We've been reading each other's blogs for over a year. She's an artist. And a month or so ago she let me know that if I could send her a photo of my old house she could draw it. With colored pencils. I did. Thinking she would draw me a postcard sized house that might resemble the photo. I couldn't wait to see it.


You can imagine my surprise when the UPS man showed up at my door last week with a box as large as our fireplace surround. This non postcard sized rendering was framed and triple matted. And had the unmistakable ambiance of our house. Our yard. Our birch trees with the zillions of tiny leaves that started falling in July. Those shutters that my husband made and I painted Restrained Gold. The painted brick that took me 2 weeks to find the right shade of off white. She got every detail right.


I am madly in love with the newest addition to our home. Karol, you will never know how much I adore this work of art and I'll treasure it forever. We have so many memories there and I love that I can look at it every day. If our house where we live now caught on fire and our family was safely out and I had 2 minutes to grab what I could, this rendering would be in the first trip out the door.


Maybe you are like me and you get a little sentimental about your home. Maybe you had to move out of a home you loved. Maybe your childhood home has special significance. Maybe this is the perfect gift for someone. The great part is that Karol does not need to come sit in your yard. She doesn't need a beret. She can capture your home or a favorite spot from a photograph.


Karol has an amazing website where you can see some samples of her work. Click here to see my house as it was being drawn. I am beyond impressed with her artistic ability. This is one of those items that is worth spending your hard earned money on. It's not cheap, it's priceless. And it wasn't even thousands of dollars.

There's No Wrong

Do you ever wish that you could have a set of rules that if you just followed them step by step then whatever goal you are trying to achieve would be met?

Are you looking for rules to follow when decorating your house? I've been known to spout a few rules myself but I always try balance it with humor and a reminder that design rules are made to be broken. I mean, I have a feeling that someone out there is using ivy over their cabinets and they love it. And it looks great too. Maybe even someone has all black walls.

How you decorate is a personal choice. So many of you have emailed me and ask for advice. One thing that I usually notice when you all send me your photos is that everything in your homes looks pretty great. Usually, whatever advice I give is responded with "You know, we've been thinking about doing that and just haven't done it". I always feel good when you tell me that because it makes me feel like I'm on the right track.

But, you don't need me to email you and tell you that. I am gonna tell you right now--whatever it is that you have been thinking about, just do it! For yourself!

Paint that wall, those cabinets, the paneling, that brick.

Pull up that carpet, rip out that door.

Move the sofa, change the dining room to a library, buy a new big beautiful chandelier!

I know why most of you aren't doing it. Sometimes yes, it's the money and time but usually, it's because of The Rules. Those unspoken rules that we feel are out there but we aren't sure we fully know them or even want to adhere to them. One of those rules is the straitjacket of perfection. What if I get the wrong size, buy the wrong fabric, hang it incorrectly, use the bad paint, scratch the wood floor, make an extra nail hole, what if it's ALL WRONG?

This is decorating, not brain surgery.

I have made every one of those mistakes and more. I have spilled the can of paint, broken the mirror, cracked the dish, ripped the sofa, made too many nail holes, lost the instructions, measured once cut 55 times, purchased the wrong size, regretted a choice, and painted the same wall 4 different colors in one month.

{And you know what, it all worked out}

Necessity truly is the mother of invention. Sometimes, the best way to know how to do something is to just get your hands dirty, make mistakes and learn. What if you figure out a better way, come up with a better idea, or like the unplanned better than the planned?

You all are smart, creative women, and I have full confidence that you are equipped to make your home perfectly imperfect and beautiful for you and your family. I have a secret way to help you get over the fear of taking a risk. Tell yourself that there is NO WRONG.

More and more I have the feeling that everyone just wants a list of do's and don'ts to follow. I'm so glad that feathering your nest doesn't work that way. You don't need me to tell you what size to get, or step by step how to pull off something. Maybe how I did it won't work for you. You figure out what works for you.

I'm not saying that everything I've ever done has looked great or that everything you will ever do will look great. Some things just don't work out. My point is that you have a choice.

You get to decide.

Casa Howard

So I hereby declared The Rules to be null and void. There is no wrong unless you don't like it. Would I paint all of my walls black? No. Would I tell you to paint your walls black? No. Have I seen it done beautifully? Yes. For every rule there is an equal and opportunistic rule breaker. I bet the owners of this guest house were all "You're gonna paint the walls what color?" when the designer told them about the plans for this room. And the walls are the very thing that make this room remarkable.

Edited: Since the publishing of the post the owner of Casa Howard contacted me here's what was said:

Dear Nester, as the owner of this guest house (why don’t you mention it ? CASA HOWARD !!) I would like to tell you that no, I did not ask my colour expert (Marina de Lagarda) "You're gonna paint the walls what color?", rather “ how can we find the right black to do it?”. After many trials….this was the (wonderful) result !

Even though they were probably calling me out for assuming they questioned the color, I was thrilled to hear from them and even more thrilled that this color was the goal! Next time I'm in Italy...

Winner of the Home Book: Jacky at The Sweetest Petunia

Similar Reads:
The Rules
Perfect vs. Good

Lisa Leonard Designs :: A Giveaway

Artist Lisa Leonard recently released her newest creation just in time for Valentine's Day. It's the Hugs and Kisses necklace and two lucky people will win one.


She's got all sorts of beautiful, personalized jewelry to choose from.


Don't forget to check out Lisa's Limited Edition Pieces. Ready to win a necklace? Simply leave a comment and to make it fun, tell me if you've ever seen some of Lisa's work in real life before. I have. I've got the Teeny Tiny Initials necklace and I just adore it. And if you are like me and never win anything, just give up and go on over to her shop and order yourself one now.


Winner of the Home Book will be announced tomorrow!

A Fun Way to Waste Time

consult 103 by TheNester

Have you ever played at polyvore?

Will you see me at blissdom?

will you see that i'm much better on the blog than in real life?

will you see that i don't want to do anything without my sister?

will you see that i'm not as thin as my camera sometimes makes me look?

will you see that my hair isn't as thick as i wish it were?

will you see that i'm just a dork?

will you been seen at blissdom?

will you be taking that risk? letting us all see you, even the parts that are easy to hide in our digital world?

i cannot wait to see you. with all of your beautiful imperfections. because you know, it just doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful.

and i cannot wait to embrace that with you.

see you in four weeks.


You can continue to enter the Home Book Giveaway until midnight on Monday with every vote for Chatting at the Sky.

The House Bible: A Giveaway

This giveaway is now closed.

You know how people buy those books to simply sit and look pretty on their coffee tables? This is not one of those books. It's The Home Book by House Beautiful and I use it like an encyclopedia.
There are step by step how to's on how to use fabrics.

Helpful little tips on things like how to create a beautiful tablescape--let's do this one soon.

Not to mention pure eye candy.

This book is a resource and like the Velveteen Rabbit it should be loved on and worn over time. I feel sorry for anyone who keeps this book in pristine condition.


If you think you would like to own this book and promise to love it and cherish it and USE it till death do you part--then enter to win one! Just leave a comment {make sure there is a way for me to email you} and the winner will be announced Monday.

Want to enter more than once? Vote for Chatting at the Sky and come back here and leave another comment telling what number vote you were for her. You can vote once every 24 hours so yes, you can enter once every 24 hours. Leave a comment for each entry that you have because I'm not that organized. Make sense?

FYI: a fan of one of the other blogs in the Small Blog category contacted a real life star that they knew, pulled a few strings and she has agreed to thank each person who votes for one of the other blogs listed. All in good fun but it's still worth voting for Chatting at the Sky! Any one know Patrick Dempsey?

Etsyology

the black apple

Last year it was a goal of mine to sell something on etsy. Maybe it's a goal of yours for this year. Here are some fun and informative reads about all things etsy.

• Selling on etsy.
• How to market your etsy shop
• Etsy Giveaways
• Top Etsy Sellers
• Top Etsy Seller {not supplies} and her blog

etsy labs

What do you sell?

Don't forget to vote for Chatting at the Sky once every 24 hours--so yes, you get to read this once every 24 hours. Hate me. But she's my SISTER!

Pssst!

Polls are now open!

Be sure to vote for Chatting at the Sky for Best Small Blog! I hope my sister wins in her category for the 2008 Weblog Awards. Thanks for voting--you can vote once per day.

5 Steps to Enjoying your Home to the Fullest

Just like you I've been thinking about goals lately. Every year my husband and I take a few days and get together with my sister and her husband and my mom and dad and we share our goals, hang out and be dorks together. It's one of the highlights of the year. I usually have some goals for my home as well as other areas of my life. And since I don't want to bore you with the statistics on how often I wish I took a shower or how much weight I've gained since I started this here blog, I'll share some house goals.

1. Get rid of excess stuff. I have a problem with keeping too much stuff around and thinking I'll need it later. I'm a big advocate of shopping the house but, I could still stand to purge in the area of fabric, frames and well, um fabric. This year, I'm gonna give more stuff away and let others enjoy it.

2. Utilize every room. Every room should have a function. My lady/keeping room in the back of the house is pretty but, I noticed over the holidays that it does not get used. I'm still trying to figure out exactly why no one sat in there and everyone squeezed in at the table in the kitchen. I'm thinking it needs a purpose and it needs to not seem so untouchable. Big beautiful pillows filling a sofa are lovely but, if guests are worried about messing them up then they defeat the purpose.

3. Use what you have. It takes no talent to purchase all new stuff and have it look great. We can do better than that. I always try to use what I already have on hand when I find I need to tweak a centerpiece or move a chair and have an empty space. It is so rewarding to complete a quick project where the financial costs are small but the enjoyment is large. I bet you have some stuff somewhere right now that can be refined into something beautiful.

4. Be Content. If you are reading this, chances are you are wealthier than 96% percent of the world {according to a very reliable source.} Instead of comparing our homes to the photos in the magazines, let's stop and be thankful that we have a warm home, and cabinets with food in them.

5. Remember, it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful. Real homes lived in by real people on real budgets are always imperfect. Sometimes the imperfections are a result of living life to its fullest, taking a risk, and having your priorities strait. The real beauty is found in the midst of imperfection. That's the kind of home I want to live in.

Do you have a goal for your home this year?

Last fall I downloaded Simple Mom's Spring Cleaning for Normal People it's what I use for a guide to cleaning and decluttering

There's room on the Nesting Place for your business button under Mom's Unite! It's only $50 for 2 months!

My sister, Chatting at the Sky, made the finials for the 2008 Weblog Awards Best Small Blog let's all vote for her! VOTE NOW!

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Southern Snow

Do you have leftover fur from your wreath?


It doesn't take much for their imaginations to come alive.

In Playmobil-dom conditions have been quite frigid.

What else can we do with this fur?