Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice -- Freebie Friday

Calling all sewers, crafters, and creators -- those who love fabric or at least have an affinity toward it!

What is up for grabs today??

A Riley Blake Sugar and Spice charm pack and one yard of coordinating fabric is!!

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I met a great gal on Etsy who LOVES fabric so much that she married it!  Hehe!  No, she didn't marry it, but she opened a fabulous fabric shop called Plum Patchwork.  Her name is Jessica... an automotive engineer by day and a quilt master extrordinaire by night. 

She is generously providing today's giveaway!

She started Plum Patchwork when she realized that as much as she loves quilting, her greatest love is keeping on top of the latest fabric trends and shopping for the newest and hottest collections. Opening a fabric shop was the natural way to indulge that passion without the need to appear on a very special episode of "Hoarders: Buried Alive."  

She an expert at identifying and hunting down specific fabrics - so if you're looking for something specific, contact her via her Etsy shop and she'll do her best to find it for you!

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SO -- What can you do with Charm Packs?

 

 

Check out Moda Bake Shop's section on Charm Packs here.  Be sure to click  on "older posts" on the bottom right to see more and more great ideas!

Also, Blue Bird Studio has compiled a short list of cool ideas here.

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To ENTER:  (This giveaway is open internationally!  So don't just look...  Participate!)

#1 -- Check out Plumpatchwork's shop click here.  And leave a comment with your email address (so I can contact you in the event that you are the winner) letting me know you were there.

After you've entered according to #1, there are four more ways to enter!!  (You must  have done #1 to qualify for the extra entries.) 

Bonus #1 -- Follow my blog.  Click the follow button on the upper right side of this blog page.  Leave a comment (with your email address) saying you have "followed" my blog.  Old followers are also eligible.

Bonus #2 -- Post this giveaway to Facebook.  (At the end of the post there is a list of icons... just click on the "f" to post to Facebook.)  Leave a comment saying you did.

Bonus #3 -- Post this giveaway to Twitter.  (At the end of the post there is a list of icons... just click on the "t" to post to Twitter.)  Leave a comment saying you did.

Bonus #4 -- Like Plum Patchwork's fan page here.  And of course... Leave a comment!

This weeks giveaway will run through Wednesday at 11:58 am.  It's quick and easy to enter so get right on it and you could be this weeks Big Winner!

Thank you Jessica!!!

Alicia Grace

It's not Friday, but it's still FREE!

I just ordered an 8x10  canvas of this photograph.

It was free.

 (Well -- there was shipping)

I am thrilled!

Now, go get yours at: Canvas People.

Don't forget to Google search: "Canvas People free shipping promo codes" before you check-out!

The Best is Yet to Come!

You bet it is!  So I'm taking you on somewhat of a tour today. 

 A tour of my mind! 

I'll show you some of what we have, some of what I love, and some of what is yet to be...

First up...

I found this house on Country Living's website.  I love every single thing about it.

• the walls and entry table.
• the armoire and the loooong table. I've wanted one of those for years. 
• that we actually have awesome trees to hook a hammock up to!
• this outdoor dining set up.  We will have a screened porch that is going to be fabulous!
• this kitchen. Our sink will be skirted and we will have mostly open shelving.
• this bathroom.  Notice the shelf and hooks, as well as, the wall detail. 
• the outdoor paint color scheme.  Not sure if we should go for the cream as our roof is white tin... but either way: green/cream/dark brown or green/white/dark brown... I'm in love with it 

                                                                                                                                                       

Out in the shop the other day, I saw, tucked back in a dark corner, an old cabinet of some sort... I haven't thoroughly inspected it, but I'm thinking: kitchen island...

We were going to forgo an island for a dining table, but I brainstormed lastnight.  I searched my idea in Google and sure as shootin'... it's already been done.

With a family of six, presently, the idea is a bit of a challenge, but i'm thinking squared instead of rounded and seating for seven.  ...It'll work.  It's even more exciting because of the added storage to the existing deficiency in that area!

We have another idea, but I can't find any pictures of anyone else who's done something similar.  We have high ceilings in our house (which does a lot for the house since the sqare footage is so little) but the closets in the children's rooms have tiny doors.  So, we are thinking we'll make little reading nook/hide-outs above the closets since it is all wasted, unusable space up there anyway!  They'll be about the size of a twin bed.  Fun!

The following are most of the light fixtures we've purchased.  The only missing are the bathroom fixtures.  I do adore the chandelier which will be going in the girls bedroom.  The fans will go in the other two bedrooms, the pendants and semi-flush mount in the kitchen and the sconces in the living room.

Our tub!  It's tiny. 

The bathroom is so small that it only has room for a 54" bathtub.  For as short as it is, it makes up for it in depth.  I can't wait to get this thing installed! We got it from VintageTubs.com  Incredible prices and even better savings when you purchase a tub package.  We searched everywhere from Craigslist for a used to Overstock.com for a bargain.  Nowhere came even remotely close... and these are brand new with the entire set up!  I am a fan.

There.  Just a glimpse of the promise.

(and it is promising... we've got some great help!)

Happy Saturday!  The sun is shining and it's warming up...

-Alicia Grace

Kitchen Interest

As much fun as freebies every week would be... it is possible the rule that "less is more" applies here.  Never fear, it's not done for, I'm just going to add a few more f's to Friday's.  Along with Freebie Friday's, we will also have Fun Friday's (date night ideas), Frugal Friday's (anything cheap or free goes) and Feature Friday's... which is today's "f".  I will highlight products, ideas, how-to's, etc... that we integrate and/or utilize during our remodel process.

Today's feature is something I haven't seen before.  If I have, I must have thought it was ordinary wallpaper.  Alas, it is NOT wallpaper...

Wall stencils from Royal Design Studio...

I needed some sort of design element somewhere in the living area. Something to break up the monotony of my style.  I found this shop as I was perusing Etsy the other day and have not been able to stop fantasizing over putting this all over my kitchen walls:

So, I'm going to do it... I'm going to buy it today. Yay!

Here is just a small sampling of what else you'll find when you visit their site...

They literally have hundreds of designs and they come in all sizes from the size of your hand to 26" or bigger!

These stencils come to the rescue in three ways for us:

1. I can buy just one durable, reusable stencil instead of eight+ rolls of wallpaper (SAVES $$$)
2. I just removed wallpaper from three rooms... I don't want to go there again.  Ever. (SAVES time, frustration, and my right arm... both now and in the future!)
3. Our walls are bad.  This is a way to camoflauge all of the little (and BIG) imperfections! (SAVES my mind... if you can't fix it, work with it.)

(I love this! ^)

Use these to transform ceilings, walls, floors, furniture, and even fabric.  These are relatively cheap, they are easy to use (they have a no-brainer system for application) and in a few short hours you have something that is more than just "sigh... it'll do." I think I may have a small desire to set a stool in the middle of the kitchen and just stare for a few hours after it's finished. 

I once did that when we got our front loading washing machine. Hahaha!  Though, it wasn't a few hours... I'd say more like 10 minutes.. I am all too easily amazed.

Anyhow...

Check out their Etsy store here.

Check out their Facebook page here.

For how-to's, inspiration and other ways to use the stencils visit their main website here.

Let me know what you think of this plan, as well as, if you find any favorites in your browings that you can't stop thinking about and planning for!

Have FUN this weekend!  Don't forget to help us put a RUSH on Spring this week!