FEATURES from week #24

Amaze me August

FEATURES

Please click on the pictures to be taken DIRECTLY to their fabulous blog. 

Chelsea @ CREATIVE MOMMAS made her hunny a beautiful valentine. This is so romantic.

A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING really has it all. This blog is full of awesome recipes, crafts, and photography. This gal travels, let me tell you.

Holly @ CRAFTS BY HOLLY made these adorable quilt like coasters. I think they are just stunning.

Claire @ BLESS MY NEST did this mirror all up, with this beautiful fabric. I love that rosette too.

Ashley @ IT's A BLONDES LIFE redid her living room, and I just love pretty much everything about how she did it.

Lori @ OUR FOREVER HOUSE made these beautiful split pea cones, that she placed ever so beautifully on some candle holders. Doesn't this look so cool? I think so, for sure.

Lesley @ FIVE SECONDS FROM CRAZY made such an awesome scarf, from scraps, and yes I love it SOOOO much because it's yellow, and I love that color. Plus Lesley is pure awesome, so I love her too.

Lauren @ WEST FURNITURE REVIVAL is just about one of my favorite furniture gals. I don't know if she gets lucky, or she is that good, but EVERY darn thing she touches turns to magic. This is prob, my fav piece yet. I am in love.

Shelley @ CUSTOM SLIPCOVERS BY SHELLEY made some beautiful pillows for her front room. They are so cuddly and soft looking, and of course fashionable, and fabulous. I came across her blog recently, and was BLOWN AWAY by how talented she is. Shelley, is a master at creating the most BEAUTIFUL slipcovers, and transforming the most hideous furniture into sheer fabulous. You have to go say hi to this wonderfuly, talented, and VERY sweet mama. She is awesome.

My sweet friend Brooke @ MOMMY DOES made her MOMMY this beautiful wipe of calendar. You guessed it, I love it because it is yellow. How cheery, and fun, and bright is this? I would really love looking at that every day. She did fabulous, and those little rosettes, oh how I love rosettes.

THANK YOU SO MUCH LADIES
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How to line your drawers with contact paper.

I remodeled my kitchen a couple years ago. After finding all the pics, I can't wait to show you guys some pics of how it used to look. One of the main things I did was turn my regular cabinets into huge sliding drawers. I've loved it, BUT have not loved that they were just unfinished wood, and actually not even sanded down properly. I kinda redid my kitchen on a small budget, and the guys who did it, really didn't care about small details like that, I guess. 


Most of the drawers were redone, but i still had a few that were the white typical drawers, so they all didn't match. I thought, I would eventually get around to painting them all the same color, BUT, after almost 2 years that still hasn't happened. So on to plan B. 


The same liner I used to redo my desk HERE, and line under my sink HERE, is what I used to give these drawers a facelift. It ended up being 10 times easier, and WAY cheaper than had I just painted them. Even then, I still would not have the protection these liners provide. You guys know how easy they wipe clean, right. I guess there is a reason why they are meant for this very thing. I am in love. 


Here is how I did it, step by step. It was easy, but with some quick tips, I might save you from some grief, and make it even easier to do. 

One of the white standard drawers, originally there. Pretty beat up right?
First step for all of the drawers obviously is to clean them. Make sure they are clean and DRY.

After being lined it looks so much better. I was a little short in the back there, oops. 

One of the large drawers, wooden, and unfinished. There have been some spills, and everything just stains the wood.  

See what I mean, totally not sanded. Luckily I don't have any reason to go rubbing my hand along that, BUT still, how much better to have it look finished right?

Yikes, splinters up the ying yang. 

Now since the drawers were a little to wide, I had to add an extra strip, so I added it to the back. I measured once, and cut out four of them, since I have four of these big drawers. I cut it long enough to go all the way down the sides, as you can see here. However, contact paper doesn't exactly stick to well to splinters, so, plan B, below. 

Hot glue baby. It worked like a charm. I used just a line along the top edge, and at the very edge if needed. 

It may look a little bumpy, but thats ok with me, much better than it not sticking. 

Here is the large sheet, draped over the sides. Again, I measured it long enough to go over the sides, as before. I cut out 4 exact pieces for the other drawers too. 

I removed the top 1/4th and rolled the paper under. Then got ready to apply.

Starting at the very edge, and lining it up against the side I started pressing down in the middle. 

With my handy dandy hotel card, I pressed, and got out as many bubbles as possible. I worked my way from center to the outside edges. It was super easy, as long as you place it properly, and really use the card to smooth it out. 

I wanted all the edges to look finished, so I cut an extra piece for the back, (actually this is the front part of the drawer.)

Applied the same way, and added a few drops of hot glue to make sure it stayed put.

This is the back of the drawer, and I just need one more piece to finish the drawer. 

Pretty much finished. So much better, I seriously love it. 

Here it is, installed again. I have the heavy duty sliders, that come out all the way. This particular drawer is where I hold all my plastic containers. 

I hope you all learned a little something, and if anything, this makes you go out and line your drawers too. It makes such a difference, I can't even tell you. I don't know why it took me so long to do, but I am super happy it finally got done. I still have about half a roll left, and only a couple more drawers to complete. So with the desk, and  the kitchen, I used up 2 rolls. About a $10.00 investment. So worth it, wouldn't you say?


I will be posting some pics of the drawers before organizing them, and of course now that they are all clean, and pretty. I can't wait to show you guys, how I get by, with 4 huge kitchen cabinets gone, after the kitchen remodel. It's pretty amazing what these pull outs can do. 


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Things are growing @ Bella Before and After

Hey everyone, how's your day going so far? Mine is beautiful. The day is nice, spring like weather. I'm sitting in my garage watching the kids play outside. My daughter learned to ride her bike, without any training wheels two days ago. She's been begging to ride it like a big girl, BUT I didn't want her to get hurt, SO I kinda made her keep them on, for my sanity, more than her safety, clearly. 


She took them off, herself, and was riding within minutes. Up and down the driveway anyway, around the van, in circles, you know the drill. Still playing it safe, but RIDING on her own. 


Dino D was trying to find worms (his friends) while sister was riding her bike. Now they are both playing on the grass. 


Here are some pics of whats blooming in my garden, and can I tell you, I am so excited to be outside again. Seriously have some plans for the outdoors this summer, and finally the weather is starting to be nice. REALLY nice. 

Now I forgot what these are called, but you know they smell like heaven. I have them all around, pink and purples, and they are my all time favorite bulb. Well besides Fresia, which I also love, but don't have any of those yet. 

Very dead foliage, but new life coming through. I'm leaving that dead stuff there, because I had some growing from last season. It lasted even better than the new plants I bought. Go figure. It must be a hardier plant, so there it stays and maybe next year it will come up by itself again.

Pretty sure this is a weed, but I'm not pulling ay of those today, so it lives to see another day. It does have pretty little purple flowers on it though :)

My sweet potato, that took forever to start blooming. But growing strong now, and I can't wait to see some pretty purple flowers coming from this vine soon. 

ALSO have you noticed some new things on my sidebar. I am still working on getting everything all nice and orderly around here. One step at a time, and these little buttons were the next thing on the list. You can now click below, on each post to like me on facebook, subscribe in rss, follow me on twitter, and of course subscribe by email. All with a click. I've removed the other widgets just taking up space on my blog, (and has anyone else noticed somethings up with facebooks widget lately, it's not working).


I am trying to cut down on clutter, while keeping what is important to me, and that's all of you, and showing you my favorite blogs, projects, shops, and featuring all of those things, on my front page, WITHOUT being overcrowded. Now that's not easy, let me tell you. 


So do me a favor, and give these little buttons a test drive, you know, so you can tell me if they work or not, he he. 

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One more thing. The google search box I installed on the left sidebar at the top. 

YOU SERIOUSLY HAVE TO TRY IT OUT.

Just enter something like memo board, giveaway, link party. It gives you the option of viewing anything related to that on my blog, on links to my blog, on blogs from my blogroll, and of course the web, if you still haven't found what you are looking for. I've been trying to figure this one out for so long now. Never realized it was here under my nose the whole time. How many times have you tried to remember where you saw something, on someones blog. More than likely one you follow. Now just use the search box to search for the keyword, and chances are you will find it, or at the very least DOZENS of other related posts.

I still want to organize my projects better, instead of the labels I have going on now. That will take some time, but will be so worth it, and then you all can find things much easier, by category. 


I need to start a schedule, even if it isn't perfect. I just need some kind of structure, I think this will make things so much easier for me, and all of you as well. 


I have been working hard on coming up with some cool things for the cake decorating, tutorials I plan to start hosting here soon. 


I also have been thinking way too much on what kind of stuff I'd like to start making, and selling myself. I have way to many things I'd like to do, but need to figure out, first of all, what someone else would like, and of course I have to stay true to who I am. Whatever I decide to do, rest assured, it will be practical, and upcycled, and affordable. Everything I stand for. 


Is there anything else? Can't think right now, but please leave me any feedback, as usual, I need to know what you guys think of the changes going on around here. I do listen, and try my very best to have a pleasant place for you to come by. A place where things are easy to find, and interesting. A place where you can find tons of great blogs, projects, and shops. 


Speaking of which, I will be working on changing things up with all the sponsor spots, come April, when most of the current sponsors are up for renewal. I hope that the changes will be good for everyone.


Thanks for reading my ramblings, and for checking up on me. I appreciate you all. 


Now go enter this weeks giveaway for a chance to win an AWESOME APRON, and towel set.

BELLA'S CURRENT GIVEAWAY

FABULOUSLY DOMESTIC

Apron and Towel Set

It's not to late to link up to this weeks party, and you might find yourself a spot on the FEATURED section on my left sidebar.

AMAZE ME AUGUST

             

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