Archive for August, 2010
Bird Play: Freebie Winner!
I’m not sure what Sherry and I debated more this week – our answer to this week’s giveaway question about what bird we’d be (all we know is we’d have a birdhouse with lots of white painted furniture in it) or what photo we’d pick if we were up for the prize from Modern Bird Studios. But that prize is reserved for one of our lucky readers, which definitely brings a smile to our faces.
And even if you don’t end up with a free 12″ x 24″ customized hand-painted modern art piece this week, more smile-inducing news is that you can score one at a discount. Yup, Modern Bird Studios is giving everyone 15% off when they use the code YOUNGHOUSE through September. Plus you can check ‘em out on Facebook and Twitter for more updates on other giveaways and to see their latest creations.
But on to our big winner. That lucky lady or lad (thanks to the always random selection style of our bird-brained pal random.org) is… Jackie, who’d like to be a pretty goldfinch. Congrats! Do you already have a photo in mind for your personalized piece of art?
Next week not only brings the start of September – can you believe it??? – but another gifted giveaway, so pop back over on Monday as usual (and yes, there’s a clue in there somewhere). Stay tuned…
See our Giveaway FAQs page for more info. Pics from Modern Bird Studios.
Do It Yourself & ReadyMade
You may recall that back in April when Sherry’s belly was still full of baby we had some visitors stop by Clara’s nursery, including one wielding a big camera.
Well the pics from that double-duty photo shoot for Do It Yourself magazine and Kitchen + Bath Makeovers have finally seen the light of day. At least the ones for Do It Yourself have (the others will be popping up later this year). In fact, a bunch of you have already mentioned seeing them in the Fall 2010 issue that’s out now.
Our usual “He Said, She Said” advice column took a one-issue hiatus in order to share those photos of Clara’s DIY-riddled nursery. There’s even a never-before-seen angle that necessitated a ladder outside of Clara’s window to capture the shot. To check it out and read all the fine print, just click the image below for an enlarged version (and click it again to zoom):
Of course there’s plenty else to see in the issue. We love that they’re calling it their “second chances” issue since it’s all about breathing new life into old salvaged items. Feel free to check it out at Barnes & Noble or even Home Depot.
In other magazine news, I’m pleased to share that my little lady – well, not my littlest lady – was featured in the latest ReadyMade magazine. See that mention of “Speed Clean Your House” at the very bottom of the cover? That’s where Sherry comes in…
Just flip to page 30 for Sherry’s interview (or click the image below to see it larger). You can also read it over on ReadyMade’s website if that’s your preferred method of mag absorption. We hope cleaning up is even easier thanks to the roundup of quickie ideas. Oh and the tip about chlorine bleach was added by the writer, just in case anyone who knows about our bleach aversion was wondering.
As usual, the issue has a bunch of other cool projects and why-didn’t-I-think-of-that ideas in there (like the green-roofed doggie digs on page 38). It reminded us how much we enjoy reading ReadyMade. So feel free to check the rest of the mag out whenever you get a moment!
But enough about us, what are your cleaning shortcuts and secrets? We’re always looking to get ‘er done even faster/easier, so spill it.
Reader Redesign: Somebody’s Nesting
It’s about time that we featured some projects from our über-productive pregnant Twitter friend Jen Woodhouse (who also happens to have moved recently from Nashville to the Richmond area). Jen’s been furiously nesting ever since landing here in Virginia and we thought you guys would love to see some of her projects (all of which you can learn more about on her blog The House of Wood). Here’s her letter:
Inspired by your awesome Craigslist dresser project, I refinished an old dresser and will use it as a changing table/dresser for our little Eggroll. You can read more about the project here.
And since I find myself wanting to show-and-tell all my DIY stuff with you guys, here’s a tufted headboard that I made along with some artwork that I created on the cheap above it! Read more about the artwork project here and see a step by step of the headboard here.
Lastly, here’s a fun little project for anyone else who feels the urge to organize baby clothes. I bought these blank clothing dividers from an online supply store (just google “clothing dividers”) for $0.29 each. I created a template (which you can download here), found some adorable backgrounds via Google images, and tweaked them in Photoshop. Then I printed them out on white full-sheet labels, cut them out, and stuck them on. You can see more here. So that’s what I’ve been up to. As always, thanks for the inspiration! – Jen
Thanks for sharing all of your projects with us, Jen! We’re having trouble picking a favorite so we’ll just say that they’re all awesome and we bet your little Eggroll can’t wait to come out into the world and see them. What do you guys think? Care to name a favorite project from the slew of fun transformations above? Anyone else out there nesting? Or refinishing furniture, making art, whipping up a DIY headboard, or making clothing dividers just because? Spill it.
Oh and don’t forget to check out: our weekly BabyCenter post! This time we tackled a fun little craft project that can definitely transcend the nursery or the playroom (read: you could just as easily whip one up for your living room if you’d like). Here’s a sneak peek:
Check out all the other photos along with a step by step tutorial right here. Fun, fun, fun.
