DIY Vintage Sign Clock

As much as I have so loved pumping out tons of baby projects and sharing all the baby love with you guys, I definitely want you to know that I've done lots of other things this summer :) 

The heat has kept me out of the garage for the majority of the summer which has made me a bit sad since I love painting and redoing big pieces but it's also let me get a few small projects done which has been great! 

I shared a quick & easy summer/fall wreath with you earlier in the week and today I wanted to share a project I did for my dad for Father's Day. 

I stumbled on an awesome round piece of wood while at Lowes one day and inspiration immediately struck. 

I love when that happens. 

It was actually a package of two so be ready for what I did with the other one :) 

As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to whip up a vintage inspired clock. 

So first things first, I stained it my beautiful dark walnut so that when I distressed it, the dark stain would show through. 

Next, I had to decide on a design for the vintage sign portion. 

My dad's family own's a party & food shop in South Carolina called "Cromer's" and it's a big part of his childhood and is still owned by some of his cousins today. 

So if you're in South Carolina and dying for boiled peanuts, look them up! 

They are definitely the place to go :) 

Anywho. All that to say. 

I knew I wanted something inspired by the Cromer's logo. 

So I used my Silhouette to trace the Cromer's logo and just took the 's off so it would be just my parent's last name. 

I used a vintage font to add their wedding year under it and then cut it out with my amazing Silhouette. 

I used my cut vinyl to create a stencil and painted it on in black. 

Then did the same thing for just the four main numbers so the numbers wouldn't be too busy and take away from the logo design. 

Then distress your heart out :) 

Lastly, grab a clock kit from your local craft store- I got mine at Hobby Lobby. 

Just make sure you pick the right size for your project.

My hands were a bit long for my clock but the metal is super thin and was easily cut to alter it a bit. 

Our next problem was cutting a notch out of the back of the clock in order to set the clock mechanism in. 

Cue my amazing husband and our dremel.

Now....learn from our over-zealous mistake and don't wear your poor dremel out.

It was the only tool we had that would even come close to etching out a notch big enough for our mechanism box but it's not really the tool meant to do it. 

We didn't have access to a router so we made this work.

But killed our poor dremel in the process. 

But we did end up with a notch deep enough to get the clock mechanism through and then attached the hands according to directions on the back. 

Throw in some batteries, set your hands and stand back to admire your gorgeous vintage clock!!!

I'm in love with how amazing the 'logo' turned out with the original font & design of my dad's family's store. 

How fun would it be as a 'cold drinks' outdoor sign? 

So many fun possibilities :) 

Are you loving the vintage sign look? 

I was so excited with how it turned out and thrilled that I could incorporate part of my dad's heritage into it. 

See you guys soon- hopefully with some updated bump pictures :) 

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Burlap & Lace Yellow Ruffle Wreath

I figured we would take a break for a minute from baby stuff and talk a little craftiness.

Since that's what I'm usually all about anyways :)

We have been crazy busy the past week- hubby took on a huge outdoor project that I've been dying to have done for years so I'll be sharing more on that soon! 

We also had the sweetest baby shower last night thrown by some sweet friends & family so I've been busy sorting and getting things ready for baby! Less than 5 weeks- eek! 

But for now, let's talk one of my favorite crafty projects. 

Which is of course a new wreath! 

If you have followed for very long at all you know that I have a slight obsession with wreaths. 

Tons of my tutorials can be found here for them! 

I switch them around in the house a lot whenever my moods change or I'm just up for something different in a space. 

And some of my older wreaths have been retired and re-used for new ones. 

I was wanting something for our front entry area because I had grown tired of the wreath that had been there. 

So I decided something yellow was the ticket :) 

Doesn't it look gorgeous with all the neutrals, yellows & blues going on? 

And after I hung it up I realized it could go for summer & fall if I wanted. 

I"m thinking a couple glittery pumpkins & leaves would be super cute tucked into it come fall. 

I was a terrible blogger and didn't get pictures of the whole process.

But I'll walk you through it the best I can :) 

Basically, it's the same technique I used for my fall rosette wreath that I'm still swooning over. 

The only difference being that I covered the entire wreath form with my fabric squares rather than adding ribbon to part of it. 

Supplies needed: 

*Desired fabric- I used light burlap, yellow striped knit and lace

*Wreath Form

*Straight sewing pins

Cut your squares of fabric and spend an hour or two watching your favorite show & pinning them into the wreath form to create all the gorgeous textures. 

I wish I had more yellow on hand, I would have added a bit more in. 

But I supplemented with some burlap I had on hand which makes it more fall-friendly I feel like. 

Score for having one wreath that works for two seasons! 

I ended up throwing on a quick burlap ribbon at the top for something extra. 

Totally not planned but I love eye-balling my projects like that and messing with them until they 'work' just right. 

I'm thinking it's the perfect addition for the entry area but it doesn't mean it will stay there forever :) 

Switching things around the house is one of the easiest ways to change up the look without spending a dime. 

Which is always the best way to go! 

So how's that for a quick wreath tutorial? 

I love these style of wreaths because they all look different depending on what materials and colors you use. 

Plus they're a fun way to keep your hands busy if you're restless like me when watching tv. 

Is it bad to say that I'm excited about fall coming up and August isn't even here quite yet? 

I think it's Hobby Lobby's fault and all their gorgeous fall decor that is ALREADY out. 

But in the meantime, I'll be waiting on baby girl to make her appearance :)

Which is a thousand times more exciting. 

Love you guys! 

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Large DIY Distressed Signs {Nursery Project}

I'm finally able to pop in this week and share one of the DIY projects that went in Baby M's nursery! 

If you missed the nursery reveal last week, you can check out all the eye candy over here. 

Today let's talk about the huge distressed signs on the focal wall!! 

When we decided to put the crib on this wall, I knew I wanted something hanging on each side and couldn't quite put my finger on it. 

Then I stumbled on these gorgeous pieces of wood that were hanging out in my dad's barn. 

They were huge and thick and heavy. 

As soon as I saw them, I  knew they'd be perfect for a couple of amazing signs to hang on the wall by the crib. 

I had to convince both dad and the hubby that they would indeed be perfect for signs.

They were convinced they were too heavy to be anything. 

But they cut two pieces a little over 5 feet for me. 

I got them home and sanded the heck out of them to bring out the gorgeous grain and get all the dirt and grime off of them. 

Once they were sanded, I painted over them with the same color as the blue walls in the nursery, it's called Mint Whisper by Valspar. 

I didn't put thick coats on because I wanted the grain to still show through. 

For my letters, I used Microsoft Word to create the huge letters- make sure you pick letters that don't have a lot of details if you're going to cut them out yourself- they can be a pain :)

I used a very simple font and made them huge- one letter per page.

Change your letters to 'outline' before printing so you don't use a ton of ink.

Then I cut them out using my exacto knife to create stencils. 

I did these for my smaller letters too. 

Sometimes I'd just rather use Word than get my Silhouette out :) 

Especially when I don't want to to waste paper or vinyl. 

After creating my stencils, I used them to paint my letters on in a glossy white I had on hand. 

The pictures above show the dramatic difference between keeping them nice & pretty after painting verses distressing them. 

I love how the grain shows through- especially on a thick piece of wood like this. 

It makes it perfectly aged :) 

After distressing the sign, I rubbed a layer of clear wax on for protection and a pretty finish. 

Isn't the distressed wood just perfection? 

These pieces were already aged on their own so they had amazing cracks & lines in them that made distressing them a breeze. 

I make sure to get the edges & corners a little more, where natural aging & wear would occur. 

We hung them using heavy duty cleat brackets we found at Target that were meant for heavy items. 

Make sure you use the right hanging brackets when hanging big items like these.

Definitely don't want them being pulled off or falling off!! 

I love how perfect they were for framing the sides of the crib on our white focal wall.

"Sweet darling" and "Little Lovebug" are nicknames hubby calls his girls so they are super special to us :) 

Making a room personalized just for our family is my favorite thing in the world to do.

I love bringing sweet details in and creating spaces that are all about us. 

You just can't buy that in a store. 

Now all we need is our little lovebug here so we can enjoy our sweet little space!! 

What's your favorite technique for creating signs? 

Are you ready to tackle large ones like these?? 

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Pretty in Pink Dresser Makeover

Earlier this week I was finally able to share our full girly nursery reveal and I have so many projects from the room that I want to share with you!!

Hopefully I'll get them all in before baby girl decides to arrive which is a mere six weeks away!!
(where has the time gone???) 

One of the big projects I was dying to get my hands on was working on a dresser for the baby's room. 

I had been searching even before we found out we were pregnant :) 

I knew I had a certain piece in mind that I wanted and sometimes Craigslist/Goodwill can be tricky beasts. 

But I definitely scored big when I stumbled upon the exact dresser I had in mind on Craigslist after just a few weeks of looking. 

It was only 75$ and came with a matching solid wood mirror which I've already re-purposed. 

Hopefully I'll get some pictures of it soon! 

Check this beauty out: 

It was in great condition and was perfectly solid wood. 

Behind the middle door are two more drawers which I love :) 

And I die for all that original, gorgeous hardware.

The only thing it needed was a track replaced in one of the bottom drawers.

Easy peasy. 

Since it was already in such great condition it didn't require much prep-work to get started.

I gave it a light sanding, removed the hardware and then dusted it off. 

It took three coats of a gorgeous pink to cover it. 

I used a color called 'Camellia Rose' that is in the Valspar collection.

BUT I had Sherwin-Williams color-match it and got a quart of their amazing proclassic enamel finish paint.

I can't rave enough about their latex enamel paint.

It's the only thing I use on furniture anymore.

It's easy clean-up, dries with a gorgeous, hard finish and goes on beautifully. 

I was so excited about painting a piece such a bold color! 

I'm a big fan of keeping walls & other pieces (such as the glider/crib/rug in this room) neutral colored so the other pieces like the dresser can be an awesome pop of bold color! 

Plus I'm not a big enough fan of pink to put in on walls so I used a soft mint blue on the walls and let my girly pink shine on the dresser. 

I distressed it by hand with sandpaper for my favorite finish. 

Plus those curves & crevices on this piece were crying out to have attention drawn to them.

I love how distressing brings out all the details. 

I kept the hardware in their original state because I loved the worn brass look.

I did soak them in a mixture of hot water & vinegar to clean them up a bit and make them shine a bit more. 

But if you wanted and updated look, go ahead and paint them in oil-rubbed bronze or gold. 

Adding new hardware wasn't an option to me because you can't beat the vintage vibe AND the fact that all the pieces were still with the dresser. 

Yay! 

I sealed the piece with a couple coats of soft furniture wax which gives it a silky feel and gives it a protective layer. 

I haven't even begun to come near filling all the drawers yet but I'm so excited about using it as our changing station! 

The changing pad sits on top perfectly and the drawer underneath is the perfect size for holding diapers & various things like baby powder and booty paste. 

Check out the before & after of this gorgeous girl!!!

Ah. 

So in love with all that color. 

I don't know if I'll ever get tired of painting furniture fun pops of color! 

I love white distressed pieces just as much but these bring so much personality and fun to a room! 

Are you in love with colorful pieces too? 

Painted anything pink lately? 

Be sure to check out the full Nursery Reveal if you haven't yet to see how the rest of the room came together.

You can also view a complete color/source list here if you're wondering about any of the pieces used in styling the dresser or the room!! 

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Linking to: 
The Party Bunch Link Party @ Whipperberry. Furniture Feature Friday @ Miss Mustard Seed. Handmade Hangout Party @ A Glimpse Inside. Catch as Catch Can @ My Repurposed Life. The Creative Collection Link-Up @ Classy Clutter. Link Party Palooza @ Tatertots and Jello.  Inspire Me Please @ Liz Marie Blog

{Gold & Pink Nursery} Colors & Source List

I thought that adding the colors & source list for Baby M's nursery would be a lot easier standing alone than thrown in with all the crazy amounts of pictures in the nursery reveal post! 

Check out the Nursery Reveal post here to see all the gorgeous pictures and get some details of how the room came together!

Below I'll be listing paint colors, a list of where things were purchased and links to the DIY tutorials for most of the pieces in the room. 

I"ll be adding to the DIY links as I get the blogposts up so keep checking back if you're dying to see a certain one :) 

Please let me know any questions you have- I'd love to answer them either here on the blog or via email!! 

{Room Colors}

Main Wall Color- "Mint Whisper" by Valspar

Accent Wall Color- "Ultra White" by Valspar

*all the trim & the closet doors were this white as well*

Dresser- "Camellia Rose" by Valspar but was color-matched in the Sherwin-Williams proclassic enamel latex paint. 

Gold Accents- "Brilliant Gold" spraypaint by Valspar

Hot Pink accents (lamps, frames)- "Watermelon" spraypaint by Krylon

{Source List}

Crib- used from my son's old nursery. Touched up with White Enamel spraypaint. 

Rocking Chair- DIY project *tutorial coming soon*

White Ruffle curtains- Target

Distressed Signs- DIY project *tutorial coming soon*

Wooden Monogram Circle- DIY project

Painted Monogram- purchased at  Groopdealz.com and custom painted. 

Gold Herringbone Wall Decal- Vinyl purchased from vinyldirect.com and cut/designed by me. 

Rocking horse- DIY project *Tutorial here* 

Bedding: 

Bumper Pads- Custom made by a friend with this fabric. 

Crib Sheets- Land of Nod Gold Dot Nursery Collection 

Crib Skirt- DIY project

Gold & Pink floral pillows- Marshalls & TJ Maxx

White Pillow- Ikea

Dresser- Craigslist find and redone by me *tutorial coming soon*

Trio of song & monogram prints- Designed by me and framed in Hobby Lobby basic white frames

Changing Pad Cover- Zulily.com

White & Gold Accessory Box- DIY project 

Gold & White Enamel Tray- Target

Burlap Flowers- Old DIY project

Upholstered Tufted Rocker- Thrifted from Habitat Restore and re-upholstered locally

Gold Herringbone & Pink Pillows- handmade

Pink & Gold Pouffe Ottoman- Target

White End Table- Garden Ridge & repainted in Enamel White

Lamp- Garden Ridge & repainted Watermelon

Gold & White frames- TJ Maxx

'Beautiful' Sign- DIY project *Tutorial coming soon*

Name Banner- DIY project from Gender reveal

Rug- Garden Ridge

Bow Holder- DIY project *Tutorial coming soon*

Diaper Bag- Zulily.com

Bench- Thrifted and redone by me (original makeover here & updated tutorial coming soon)

Pillows- All handmade *tutorials soon*

Lovie basket- was around the house :) 

Toy Basket- Garden Ridge

Gold Frame- Antique handed down from my mimi

Wall Art- All DIY projects

.....................................................................................................

DIY tutorials will be added to this list as they are posted on the blog! 

Be sure to visit the full Nursery Reveal here for all the pictures your heart could desire!! 

Let me know if there's anything I left out and I'll be happy to share it with you!!

Hope you guys enjoyed touring our sweet nursery :) 

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