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Quick and Easy Curtain Upgrade

November 15, 2009 By MeganS 12 Comments

I bought these curtains (pictured below)from Target. I loved the sheen, I loved the rich color.

They look great, right?

Once I hung them, I started to doubt my design choice. That is a lot of brown.  85 inches of brown faux silk panel times two, to be exact.  It was too much and it looked too generic. Those curtains, that wall of brown could be anyone’s house. I wanted better. I wanted something that would better reflect our style.

Instead of admitting to my husband I made a mistake, I decided to alter the panels. I had some left over fabric from making a valance for our dining room and a bench pad from our sitting room. I decided to add that fabric as an accent insert fabric. This ended up being a twofer-I used extra fabric so I didn’t have to spend any more cash and I subtly tied all the rooms together by using the same fabric. [Read more...]

Filed Under Contributors, Decor, Home, Meg Tagged With create a curtain, curtain tutorial, curtains, design, directions, home decor, how to, make your own curtains, sew, sewing, Target, thread, tutorials, update your curtains

How To: Microwave Heat Pack

September 14, 2009 By MeganS 25 Comments

I have baby fever. I have it bad. Really bad.

I promised myself that before we could start trying for our third child, I would get in shape. I put on 40 lbs when I was pregnant with my 1st, M. I got pregnant with P, our 2nd, just 6 short months after M was born. Six months is not a lot of time to drop 40 lbs, even if you are not caring for a newborn.

P will be 2 in October. I have a lot of excuses as to why I am still carrying all the baby weight…. I will not bore you with them.

I will however share a secret with you.

My key to weight loss.

Yeah, diet and exercise works. Burn more calories than you take in and all that jazz. But for me, the key to weight loss is reward. The first jean size I dropped, I got a haircut. A real one. Not a 15 buck walk-in haircut, a real, make an appointment, get a scalp massage while you get your hair washed haircut.

My rewards lately have been scaled back a bit. We are on a budget and are doing some remodels (posts on that later) so money is tight. So now, I have a much more frugal reward. And let me tell you, it is almost as satisfying as a fancy haircut. My reward? You ask. I tell.

Homemade Heat Packs

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This heat pack is a warm (obviously!), comforting, fragrant muscle relaxer and this is how you make one: [Read more...]

Filed Under Arts and Crafts, Contributors, Family, Meg Tagged With heat packs, heatpack, homemade heat packs, homemade heatpacks., how to, how to make heat packs, how to sew a heat pack, make your own heatpack

5 Simple Tips For Photographing Children

August 18, 2009 By Desiree Fawn 5 Comments

takingphotosofkids4

As a parent, there are so many moments that you want to remember and cherish for years to come. If you are afflicted with “mommy brain” (as I certainly am!) then a camera is your best bet on keeping those memories intact.

However, children are busy little bodies and snapping successful portraits of them isn’t always easy. Here are a few tips to help you fill your albums with fantastic photos while keeping your sanity and having fun!

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Tip #1: Location Is Key!

There’s no doubt that your children will be more receptive to a photo shoot if they are also having fun while you’re doing all that pointing and clicking. Taking your kids to a park, the beach or to the zoo maximizes your opportunity for fun photos while they are happily playing or being otherwise distracted.

You will also benefit with backgrounds that are much more exciting than your living room or kitchen! Taking photos outside also allows you to take advantage of natural light instead of relying on artificial lighting which isn’t especially flattering for anyone. [Read more...]

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Filed Under Contributors, Desiree, Family, Professional Photography Tagged With how to, kids, Professional Photography