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Friday, August 31, 2012

Invitation to the 2nd Semi-Annual High Point Furniture Market Sample Shopping Trip


Ok y'all.  It's that time again!



Mark your calendars for Saturday, Oct. 6th, for the  2nd Semi Annual pre-market High Point Furniture Market sample shopping trip!

We will be taking a trip over to High Point, NC to shop at High Point Liquidators/Sample Studio.  It's a very, very popular place with designers because there are major deals to be scored on High Point Furniture Market samples.  


The shopping is at its best right before the start of each furniture market, which takes place in High Point twice each year.  The next market begins on Oct. 13th.

Businesses like High Point Liquidators/Sample Studio buy out furniture market showrooms and offer them for sale at drastically marked down prices.  Usually 25% - 50% off of wholesale.  Yes, wholesale not retail!

HP Liquidators/Sample Studio is only open to those with a tax id.  We'll be using my tax id to shop or some of you may have your own.

Oh - one important note - this is open to everyone - not just bloggers!

Below is just a sampling of some of the many items that were available for sale at our last trip in April. I'm sharing several pics because I want you to see that there is something available for every decor style.












We will arrive in High Point at 10am on Oct. 6th to shop for as long as you like.  We had great fun on the last trip going to eat lunch together!  

Shoot me an email at handgrs@gmail.com if you're interested or have any questions.

Go here to see more details about where we'll be shopping and here to see some of the majors scores from the last trip.



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Thursday, August 30, 2012

Pumpkins ModPodged With Napkins

With Fall fast approaching, I'm bringing back a popular post from October 2011.  My readership has grown quite a bit since then so I thought there may be some of you who haven't seen these cute pumpkins before.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I made some mod pumpkins for Ms. JB that I'd like to share with you.  They were really easy and budget friendly too!


They look really cute with the decor in her house.  Here's a view from the back side.


I blame it all on these cute napkins that I fell in love with...and on Ms. JB's love of stripes...and on all of you inspiring, talented people out there in blogland!


Here are most of the supplies that I used.  Faux pumpkins, spray primer, ModPodge, a spray mask (but not the proper kind that should really be used), two different patterns of napkins, a ruler, pencil and scissors.  I used a couple of other items as I went along that aren't included in this photo, but you'll see them below.


I started off by wrapping the stems of the pumpkins with painter's tape.  Then I spray primed the pumpkins so that the orange color wouldn't show through the napkins.



I decided to use the striped napkins on the larger pumpkin.  The napkins were three ply thick, so I peeled them apart until I had just one layer.  I cut three napkins into strips roughly 1" wide.



You'll have to ignore the surface of my well used work table.  I need to recover it.  It really isn't dirt that you see.  It's just places where adhesives have been used in the making of window treatments, cornices and upholstered headboards.

Next, I applied the strips of napkin to the larger pumpkin with ModPodge.


After letting them dry completely, I added a coat of ModPodge over the applied napkin strips and allowed that to dry completely.  This is the completed, striped pumpkin.



It was looking a little neeked, so you can see that I added some leaves, curled ribbon and berries around the stem.  I'll go into that process below.

I covered the smaller pumpkin with the leafy napkins using the same process that I described above.


Since these are supposed to be mod pumpkins, I wanted leaves that look a little more mod too!  I ModPodged pieces of the striped napkin, the leafy napkin and a solid green napkin (that I already had) to a piece of stiff paper.  I borrowed a couple of different faux leaves from my stash and traced around them onto the ModPodged napkins - after they had dried thoroughly.



I then cut the traced around leaves out so they could be glued to the pumpkins.  I glued the leafy pattern to the striped pumpkin and the striped pattern to the leafy pumpkin.  I also glued a couple of solid green leaves to both pumpkins.

Next I made some curled pieces of ribbon to use.  I simply cut some strips of ribbon, slathered them with Stiffy Fabric Stiffener, and wrapped them around a pencil until they were dry.  I stuck the pencils down in some floral foam to hold them up while they were drying.  You can see I used some painter's tape to hold the ribbon ends on the pencils.


It was easy to remove the ribbon from the pencils once it was dry.  This is what I wound up with.  I think they make cute little curly cues.


After that I just hot-glued the leaves and ribbons to the pumpkins.  I started off by cutting and gluing some pieces of solid green ribbon that I already had.  Then I glued the larger green leaves on top of the ribbon and added the smaller patterned leaves on top of those.  I cut down the curly cue ribbons to make them the length that I wanted and then glued those to the pumpkins as well.  I finished them off by gluing on some berries that I pulled off of some of the picks that were in my stash.



And voila - easy peasy mod pumpkins!  Ms. JB was pretty pleased, which makes it all worth it.

You can see my 2011 Fall mantle and other Fall touches in my kitchen and family room here, my living room and foyer here and my outdoor Fall decor here.

Partying here:
Wickedly Creative Halloween Ideas at Itsy Bitsy Paper
Pintastic Monday - Fall Edition at Sarah Dawn Designs
Count Down to Fall Party at Domestically Speaking
Meet Me Monday at You Are Talking Too Much
Tuesday's Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Tutorials Tips and Tidbits on Thursday at Stone Gable
Grace at Home on Thursday at Imparting Grace
Weekly Top Shot on Saturday at The View From Right Here
Overflowing with Creativity on Sunday at It's Overflowing
Sundae Scoop Party at I Heart Naptime
Everything Fall Link Party at The DIY Showoff


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Tuesday, August 28, 2012

A Little Lamp Makeover

Happy Tuesday everyone!

I'm slowly, but surely chipping away at the makeover of my powder room.  In fact, all I have left to do is to frame and hang some artwork!

I know that lamp makeovers are everywhere, but it occurred to me that maybe you think that making over and updating a lamp means that you always have to paint or refinish the base somehow.  Not true!

See this little lamp?


It's cute enough in its present state, but still very traditional looking.  I'm on a mission is to get rid of some of the traditional.

By simply switching out the shade, adding some ribbon and getting rid of the Chinese medallion finial, the lamp has a new and updated look!


And if you really want to see something that will burn your eyes, take a look at the lamp that used to reside here.


Don't fret over the fact that you don't see anything to tie the navy and gold colors together.


It will all make sense in the end.  :o)

                                       

I'll be sharing my little lamp makeover at these fine parties:
Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
Meet Me Monday at You Are Talking Too Much
Motivated Monday at Be Colorful
Tuesday's Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Tutorials and Tips Tuesday at Home Stories A to Z
Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style
DIY by Design on Wednesday
Uncommonly Yours on Wednesday at Uncommon Designs
Show and Share on Wednesday at Southern Lovely
Tutorials Tips and Tidbits on Thursday at Stone Gable
Show Me Extroidinary on Thursday at The 36th Avenue
Grace at Home on Thursday at Imparting Grace
Open House Party Thursday at No Minimalist Here
Share Your Creations on Thursday at Kristen's Creations
Potpourri Friday at 2805
Tickled Pink Fridays at 504 Main
Flaunt it Friday at Chic on a Shoestring Decorating
Feature Friday at Blissful and Domestic
Inspiration Friday at At the Picket Fence
Overflowing with Creativity on Sunday at It's Overflowing
Sew Darn Crafty Sunday at Sew Many Ways
Sunday Showcase Party at Under the Table and Dreaming
Sundae Scoop Party at I Heart Naptime





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Sunday, August 26, 2012

Sunday Worship

So I pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in him.  
May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15: 13, NLV



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Friday, August 24, 2012

Don't You Just Love S.W.A.G?


Websters defines swag as this:

swag

1  [swag]  Show IPA ,noun, verb, swagged,swag·ging.

noun
1.
a suspended wreath, garland, drapery, orthe like, fastened up at  or near each end and hanging down in the middle; festoon.
2.
a wreath, spray, or cluster of foliage, flowers, or fruit.
3.
a festoon, especially one very heavy toward the center.
4.
a swale.
5.
a swaying or lurching movement.

Whatever.  That is so 2011.

How about:

     Swell 
     Wonderful 
     Awesome
      Goodies

How about S.W.A.G in a bag?  AKA bag o' loot.

No good enough?  How about free S.W.A.G in a gorgeous free bag?

Free S.W.A.G from places like these:


This is just a sampling of the many companies that are donating SWAG for our BAG at the Southern Bloggers Conference.

It's gonna be good, y'all.  I pinky promise.


You can purchase your ticket here.




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