Pottery Barn Knock Off {Place Card Holder}

In between projects I saw this on the Pottery Barn site and just had to have it!   How cute are these?! But at that price  I thought I could save me some Moola if I made them myself. So I did! I think these would be great as table markers at a wedding::hint,hint:: So I set out to get some supplies: First I remembered seeing this somewhere: So I went to Michael's and sure enough. Score! These four cuties were $2.49 for the pack. So affordable. Next I had to buy some type of birdie, or embellishment for the top.  I couldn't find any ceramic ones but I found these:  also from Michael's  Then I went over to Home Depot and got me some white porcelain tiles at 13 cents a piece. Can you say super affordable? Then I got my trusty can of Rustoleum spray paint in Heirloom White and gave the easels a few coats. After they dried I simply glued the tile to the easel and glued the birdy to the top. I used super glue but you can us

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How to Reupholster a Vintage Sofa Part 2 and Winner

Update on the vintage sofa reupholstery project Well it wasn't so bad. After figuring out what type of trim to use, I got the confidence to say, "The wing chairs are next!" much to the chagrin of my children and spouse. Hee hee. You see once I'm on a roll, I'M ON A ROLL. I used to think it was extremely difficult to upholster a piece of furniture but now, not so much. Sure it does take a lot of time and a lot of staples. And speaking of staples.  I used them a wee bit too low on the sofa and so the trim didn't cover them entirely. I guess I should have used the tacks. Well I have two options: one is to remove those noticeable staples, ever so gently so as not to rip the fabric and tack it up with the dark tacks or paint the staples a dark color so they are not noticeable which would you pick? Right now the seat cushions are being sewn by my mother and then I will cover up some throw pillows to make it all look nice.  The

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How to Reupholster a Vintage Sofa Part 1

I have been wanting to reupholster this sofa for the longest time.  (vintage sofa) But I've been a little scaredy cat! This was a craigslist find and I just loved it when  I saw it. I had envisioned this for my photography business and use it as a prop. It would look gorgeous in a family pic. like this:  {fall photos: Patricia Martinez Photography McKinney Texas} But then I also wanted to actually use it in my home. I decided I may as well take a chance on it and upholster it myself. What did I have to lose except a really nice sofa, right? So, I googled and youtubed how to do this. It seemed fairly easy but complicated at the same time. The first thing keeping me back was the cost of good fabric. Holy Cow! $25 per yard!! No thanks. So one night as I was perusing ebay, I found fabric for REALLY cheap. I'm talking $53 for 15 yards of chenille!! This was it. I had to get it.  It is the perfect color and the fabric is very durable. Remembe

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Master Chef Junior Casting Call and Behind The Scenes

How cool would it be if your child became a Master Chef, while still being a kid? Right? Well I met a bunch of super talented kids at the Dallas MasterChef Jr. open casting call. So what does it take to make it for MasterChef Jr.?  According to the casting director, Liz, MCJ is for kids 8-13 who love to cook! They are no ordinary cooks. They have to know their stuff. Some of the things they will have to demonstrate are: measuring water correctly, mincing and dicing vegetables and cooking an egg. They must know their way around the kitchen and safety with knives and heat is a given. The winner gets a $100,000 cash prize! Wowza! Last year thousands of kids attended casting calls in such cities as New York, L.A., Dallas and Chicago.  These are the kids at the Dallas casting call.    This is the sign in table. The parents get a packet to fill out and the kids get a name tag with a number.    They all wait in this "holding room" until their number is called.

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