Inspired to Share...
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Dawn: Posted on Saturday, May 25, 2013 3:28 PM
As I was posting another blog post recently, I realized that I haven't given you a sneak peek into the DB Décor workshop... shame on me!
So, here is a little background... DB Décor originally began with a booth at a craft market which went out of business just months after my opening a booth in the building, which was 10+ years ago. It was put on the back burner until ... This guy got married!!
(Isn't his bride beautiful?!?)
You see, he was a student of mine...years ago! LOL He was in a Kindergarten class that I taught when I student taught, and then I had him again as his 2nd grade teacher. Yes, I know that it is a huge "No No" to have favorites, so I can't technically say he was my favorite, but... you get me??? He simply was full of life...passionate about all that he did. As he grew, well...he just inspired me and made me so incredibly proud of his trajectory in life...he's a talented singer/musician and recently graduated college and is currently pursuing a career in music ministry...I feel like a proud Momma! :) I always kept in touch with him and his family and made him PROMISE me that I would get an invite to his wedding... indeed I did!
By this time, I had left the classroom and opted to be a stay at home mom. Needless to say, I have had to be creative with the discretionary expenses in our lives because it now became my job to SAVE money instead of SPEND it. So...I had to do a little thinking to come up with a gift for this sweet couple getting married.
Since my hubby is in the commercial concrete business, I asked him to bring home some old 2x4 forms that they could spare at work (He owns the company and thankfully has the privilege to share... somewhat!)
I cut the board down and decided that I would create an "Establishment Board" with the couples wedding date. (Actually my daughter-in-love is the inspiration for these boards! Hers is the first one I made.) I had everything on hand, so the project cost me $0. However, something like this is really PRICELESS to me. Here is what I created:
Don't squirm yet...we also gave them a gift card for a local restaurant too :)
Needless to say, I must have hit a nerve when I posted the pic of my creation on Face book, because soon orders came POURING in, which was just in time. At this time I was also preparing to raise funds to go on a mission trip to Turkey. See that adventure here.
The orders for the boards were numerous and thankfully so! I was able to raise my funds for the trip and more!
However, I was trying to work out of the inside of my home and hubby began getting tired of coming home to see this... What a mess!!!   I tried to organize everything nice and neat in the room that had to share some space with DB Décor.
This is our grandsons' room when they come to visit, so it was functioning as a dual purpose room. The problem was that I had long out grown the space!
 Then, hubs had a BRILLIANT idea! He decided that he would share his space in the workshop and I could graduate to the bigger space outdoors. I must admit, when we built our house I thought hubs was thinking awfully grand when he wanted to put a four car garage in...two to park cars and the other two to park extra vehicles, garage "stuff" and an area for him to have a work shop space. At the last minute of drawing up our house plans, I talked him into air conditioning it and putting in a half bath (thinking the kids could go in there when outside playing and they wouldn't have to "track in" mud/dirt etc.) That happened to be a very smart move because it's most comfortable to work in the AC and have a toilet close by!
So...the workshop renovation began... Here is my inspiration pic and while it certainly didn't turn out exactly like that work space, I used some ideas to better suit my needs.
 Shopping began and I was OH, SOOOO EXCITED!  Here is where we started:  We started by clearing things out, then adding some shelving. We bought 2 shelving units from Home Depot. Hubs was in charge of this stage and my youngest son was also included in the building process of this transformation. And boy did things start looking much different, pretty quick...The long table tops are unfinished interior doors...about $30 each.   Notice the plain lampshades...they were not spunky enough for me, so I painted polka dots on them.
Have I told you how much I LOVE organization and my labeler???
I love the large work table! Ahhh...the space... The work table gets a new look from time to time...just to show that painting can change looks dramatically for pennies!
   The fun part was the organization and decorating of the space. Some things were purchased, but many were created using household items...cheap or free is the way to go! I made a visit to a fave flea market and found a few fun decorative items for the new space...all for a little over $100. I bought the rocker at the flea market. It matched perfectly provided a place to relax at moments. **The pillow chair matches the theme of the print of two ladies on a bike that I also found for just a few bucks at the flea market. The pic reminded me of my childhood bestie and I as young girls. We, too, tried riding the same bike...funny memories!**
I longed for the space to have a bit of whimsy...including the half bath.    And so...there you have it! From start to finish... Thanks for taking a peek into DB Decor! AND...Thanks Andrew and Taylor for growing my business and helping to fund my trip to Turkey! Much love!! =)
Inspired, Dawn
or check out my Etsy shop!
**NOTE** The establishment boards are custom created for $30(+shipping if you are not local) and make great wedding/ anniversary or special occasion gifts! Contact me through my Facebook page or my Etsy store (links above) if you are interested or just want to look around.
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Dawn: Posted on Wednesday, May 15, 2013 12:01 AM
Ok, so I must confess that today's post about my grandson's 1st Birthday was not my own creation, but rather my daughter-in-loves.  She had been searching the world over for a cute and fun theme for our youngest grandson's 1st birthday and she found her inspiration from this pic found on Pinterest... So, this post I am simply sharing our ,oh so fun, 1st Birthday experience... Sorry for some of the blurry pics! :( Meet the Birthday Boy...  We will start with a sneak peek at the treat bags... My Cricut sure came in handy for this project. I used the digital cartridge on Cricut-Craft Room named "Mustaches and Glasses." The large mustache below was found at Hobby Lobby. And this framed piece was simply created on the computer. As you can see below...the framed print didn't make it to the table as planned. Shortly after we placed it on the stand, it was knocked off as we hurriedly tried to finish the table decor. Needless to say...we used it, just minus the broken frame and glass. One of those moments when I saw my daughter-in-love just one tear away from a meltdown. Sadly, no time for that! Ha My Daughter-in-love had this chevron printed canvas in a grouping as wall decor. She simply added the number to it to use as table decor. The number was used in a photo shoot for her firstborn when he turned one. The chevron table runner was on hand as well and perfect for the table too! Again...these popcorn tubs were already bought as I am using them to hold the kids toys in our movie themed den...pics to come later. But they were purchased at the Dollar Tree and sure came in handy for this party. TJ Maxx/Home Goods is a great place to pick up these cute striped straws and cupcake holders. The cupcake holders were the perfect size to hold individuals cups of party chex mix for the kids. I am fairly certain that he LOVED the cake! :) After cake...came gifts galore. This teal colored rocker usually sits in my workspace, but we borrowed it for the party...it was perfect for opening presents. Btw...just a fun tip for you...the red balloons were polka dotted using white paint and a circle sponge dabber. Party City was out of red polka dotted balloons so my daughter-in-love came up with the idea to paint them on! Worked great EXCEPT...paint them singly, not while they are in a balloon bouquet. I learned the hard way :) And then it was time for a little dress up fun...sadly...the Birthday Boy wasn't interested! Yikes...insert MAJOR MELTDOWN HERE! It was a good thing that we had some others on hand to enjoy some pretend play! (We did have to twist a few arms to model for us!) (The "backdrop" for the fun portraits came straight from the kitchen windows from my son and daughter-in-love's house. Again...$0 spent!!!) Some of the guests had more fun dressing up than others! LOL Can't you hear this little guy saying, "Way to go buddy...Way to get yourself together!" haha WOW...I have to admit that parties can be expensive and certainly time consuming to plan for, but it's already been so fun to look back and see how we celebrated this great big milestone. Whew...no party planning for a while! Thankful...cause I need to catch my breath! Hope you enjoyed ... Inspired, Dawn |
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Dawn: Posted on Tuesday, May 07, 2013 1:08 AM
 It's that time of year again...time to show some lovin' to our fave teachers. My daughter-in-love treasures the teachers that spend 2 days a week with our precious grandson, Caden. So when she heard that his teacher was turning "30" she envisioned showering her with special treats to ensure that she had a very blessed birthday. Other moms jumped on board just as quickly and we were all anxious to see her surprised face when she saw all of her birthday/teacher appreciation treats! After brainstorming, she jumped into action and found herself browsing the stores for a sweet little something. She came upon a practical gift...a plastic drinking cup with it's own straw and only cost $5...SCORE! She had a package of leftover Jolly Ranchers that she threw in the cup...30 pieces of candy to celebrate a 30th birthday! Finally, a trip to the DB Décor workshop was needed to jazz up the cup with a cute bow... we found some chevron burlap ribbon and a spunky pink striped ribbon. We finished it off with a bow tied in raffia with a handmade tag attached that said... "Hoping you'll have a 'Jolly' Birthday!" So...let's review: 1) Purchase cute container 2) Fill it with yummy goodies 3) Add a festive bow 4) Create a handmade tag Too bad that I am not in the Kindergarten classroom anymore to receive adorably cute gifts such as this...oh drats! Moms are getting more and more creative with gifts for teachers these days!! Hope this inspires you to do a little something for that special teacher in your kiddo's life too! Inspired, Dawn |
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Dawn: Posted on Saturday, April 13, 2013 1:26 AM
So...I have been wanting to go to an Estate Sale for a while now...had never been! I know...as much as I love flea markets it's simply shocking that I had never looked around at an Estate Sale. Well, there's a first time for everything! And then we were off to look around at an Estate Sale just a few miles away. We came to the sale on 25% off day...whoo hoo! Christi found a couple of old friends to chat with...Ha! Heather stumbled upon a set of hurricane globes for $4.50 and I found a few frames and prints. BUT...this is was my happiest find... a lonely wooden bunny. I found some scrapbook paper that would look great in my home and traced around the wooden bunny. The next step was to Mod Podge the paper onto the wooden bunny. I used a different patterned paper for the bunny tale, eyes, nose and inner ears. Try to get air bubbles out, but don't worry too much...the paper will lay flat after drying. Using my scraps of ribbon, I made a bow for the bushy tail and a bow to tie around the bunny's neck... So, there you have it...my first Estate Sale find makeover. Can't wait to find more goodies... Ahhh...this is addicting! Inspired, Dawn |
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Dawn: Posted on Friday, March 22, 2013 10:58 PM
As I have mentioned in earlier posts, my hubs and I teach a Sunday School class (Young Love) and our new classroom recently underwent a redecorating project (a post about that is in the works). One of the final projects was to provide a supply of pencils on each table. We needed: 1) cheap or free supplies 2) the décor to coordinate with the room. 3) the pencil cans to display a table number This is where my stash of saved empty cans came in handy! =) Using 2 rolls of fringed burlap...bought at half price at Hobby Lobby ($4 a roll...$2 half price), I used my Cricut Expression 2 to cut out numbers 1-9. These were used as stencils instead of using the actual number that was cut out. First, I placed the stencil on the burlap and used a sponge dabber dipped in paint to create the number in the middle of the length of burlap. Second, after drying I simply wrapped the burlap around the cans, securing it with a line of hot glue on the back. It was as simple as that! And this is how they look in the classroom: Goal accomplished...minimal cost, functional and coordinates well with the room! Inspired, Dawn |
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Dawn: Posted on Friday, March 22, 2013 10:31 PM
This post wasn't planned, however I couldn't finish another post without sharing these photos! I obviously love me some BURLAP! Here are just a few examples of projects made using burlap material... (and this is just a sampling!) Is it fair to say that I love me some BURLAP?!? Inspired, Dawn |
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Dawn: Posted on Thursday, March 21, 2013 3:04 PM
Ok, so as many of you know...I absolutely L.O.V.E. to shop in flea markets (much to my hubby's dismay!) My eyes are always open and ready to jump on a clearance purchase any day of the week and twice on Sundays...ha, well...maybe not Sundays! Naps are always necessary, I mean a MUST, on Sundays :) While on our yearly anniversary trip, I talked hubs into doing a little "fleas and tiques" shopping with me...he was overjoyed...REALLY! haha Nonetheless, I happened upon a collection of barn wood frames for $3 each. While I didn't have a idea in mind, I love the rustic meets contemporary look...it's like marrying the new with the old! So I scooped them up. Shortly after, I made my way AGAIN to the clearance aisle at Hobby Lobby (hubby L.O.V.E.S. to see this payee in the check book =0) and found this wire piece that obviously belonged on something else, but the something else was no where to be found. Again, it found it's way into my basket and headed home with me... It's cost: $2.40. These finds sat in my workshop for a month or so until I was cleaning up one day and an idea "DAWNED" on me...I will introduce these two and they will become great friends. Step 1: Tie a burlap bow onto the wire.  Step 2: Add a hanger to the back of the frame.Step 3: Glue the wire onto the front of the frame. Step 4: Hang it up for all to enjoy! BEFORE It was helpful that I already had the 11x14 red painted canvas on the wall as it has previously helped frame another piece. So all I had to do was replace the collage with this newly created bargain décor. AFTER So, while you are out and about...keep your peepers open to possibilities! This sweet "old but new" piece of décor was created for $5.40. Can't wait to see what you find... Inspired, Dawn |
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Posted on Monday, March 18, 2013 9:33 PM
Easter is around the corner, so I have been busy with some spring canvases...until I ran into a little prob! So, today I am sharing a tutorial. This tutorial came out of a bit of frustration with having imperfect projects...ha, I am a slight perfectionist! The problem: trying to make sure that my polka dots that bordered my canvases were equal around the canvas. After my first attempt with stamping polka dots, I realized that the polka dots were not evenly spread out surrounding the canvas. Solution: I came up with a system to place polka dots in each corner first, then the center on each side, and on and on. This was one of those posts where it really was just easier to post pics of the process rather than try to explain it. I am a visual person, so I thought I'd pass my successful attempts on to you! Here is the process in pictures... And here are some of my finished products. You can purchase them through my Etsy shop: So, try the tried and true method to perfecting Polka Dots! Would love to see how yours turns out... Inspired, Dawn |
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Dawn: Posted on Sunday, March 03, 2013 10:27 PM
For those of you who have been following me...you remember that I recently inherited a new dining room table set from my dearest Aunt. However, it was in need of a little TLC...see post here. After refinishing the dining room chairs, I decided that I needed to do something with a metal tin that was displayed in the dining room too! I bought the large 24x24 inch tin while shopping in Canton, TX and found it for around $12. I originally thought that I would use it as a magnetic board, but that idea never seemed to take root and it just sat displayed on a floor easel in the corner of the dining room. After making over the dining room chairs, I discovered an idea to bring in some coordinating fabric to the tin the in the corner. On another recent anniversary trip, my hubs and I had visited a few "fleas and tiques" stores and had picked up some inexpensive barn wood frames. The thought crossed my mind to simply back the frame in houndstooth fabric showing off a monogrammed letter cut using my Cricut, placed on scrapbook paper and embellished with buttons. I attached it to the easel itself, using burlap ribbon (which is my love these days!!!) Making sure it was centered, it was tied securely and then I step back to admire my work. Ahhh...not bad for $0, since I had everything already on hand. Do you have any ideas about how to display a large piece of tin? I am open to some thoughts out there...please share! Thanks again for stopping by for a quick visit and I hope that you were inspired to dress something up in your house as well...and then share with the rest of us.. =) Inspired, Dawn |
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Dawn: Posted on Sunday, March 03, 2013 6:04 PM
 I remember well...the table that we sat at when visiting my favorite Aunt. It was at this table that I learned that I liked to eat leftover roast beef and mustard sandwiches and that coffee tasted pretty good...as long as it was doctored up with lots of sugar and cream. But sadly, the time had come...the table that once belonged to my fave Auntie Ruth needed a new home. Auntie had a new home herself and she had a house full of orphaned belongings. So one pretty day, the hubs, my mom and I headed south for a visit and to pick up a few things from Auntie's house.  I must admit...this was a hard day. My dear Aunt had entertained my mom and I numerous time throughout the years and I loved visiting her and her home. Although it was not the decorator's dream home...it spoke volumes about love and hospitality :) Oh, how I looked forward to going for a visit there when I was a youngster!But this time, we visited her in a new facility...an "assisted living home" or a "rehabilitation home" as my Aunt likes to call it. This was the first trip to see in her new place and she was happy to show us around. Because she had been a Baptist minister's wife for 50+ years, I thought she would be eager to show me the chapel in the facility. We walked in and I immediately thought there was such beauty in the room...my eyes were drawn right to the stained glass windows...they were spectacular. I asked my aunt if she had been to the chapel for a service yet and she quickly and proudly responded, "NO... and I don't plan to come. " Shocked, I asked her why??? I couldn't help but spill out a quiet chuckle when she said that the room looked "too Catholic"...gotta love a Baptist Ministers Wife!!! She's true and blue, through and thru...Baptist and Baptist only runs through her blood.  Nonetheless, we had a great visit and I shared with her my interest in taking her table home with me. While we had a pub style table in our dining room already, my husband didn't particularly like the height of it. We had been talking about getting a new one, but just couldn't justify it when there was really nothing wrong with the one we had...other than the fact that it did serve as a craft table once upon a time and had a few scars from those days :( Despite not really needing a new table, but wanting hers, I paid some cash to my aunt and the table was soon being loaded into my hubby's truck. The table was coming home to No. 9257... straight from the 70's!!!   Here is what I started with...a wooden table with black leather seat cushions. It had certainly held up great for kids, grandkids, great grandkids, and many nieces and nephews, however it simply didn't fit the decor here at No. 9257! So...I grabbed something to rough up the wood slightly and began painting it black. I also knew that I wanted to put something with a black and white print on the cushions and was in search of just the right fabric.  It just so happened that Hobby Lobby was running their 40% off of decorators' fabric that week in particular...so I headed straight back to the fabric section of the store and found JUST what I was looking for...black and white houndstooth. My inspiration had really come from this black and white pair that sat in the corner of the room... I must admit...I was SLigHtlY overwhelmed with the the project, yet excited all in the same breath!! Because I couldn't wait for the project to be complete, I worked fast and furiously on the transformation. It couldn't be finished quick enough...I even pulled an all nighter finishing the chairs. Jiminy Cricket...I am MUCH too OLD for those anymore!!!  Needless to say, a few yawns and catnaps later I was proud to stand back and admire the newly transformed furniture. What do you think???  The leather panels in the chair backs were originally going to be recovered as well, but after polling several friends the concensus was to just clean them up and use them as they were. Here you can see 30+ years worth of crumbs that had collected around the edges...ooooh, yuck! Nothing a little soap and water couldn't take care of though. Lastly, I used some leather conditioning oil to make them shine like new. And...there you have it...my beloved new dining room set :) Thanks Auntie! You can count on me to take good care of it and, hopefully, it will collect crumbs from our family in the seat cracks for another 30+ years! Stay tuned for the transforming paint job to the table! Inspired, Dawn |
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Dawn: Posted on Monday, February 25, 2013 2:06 AM
Well, I must be totally honest...lately, I have just been...well...BUMMED! This past week has totally just been downright blah for me. Maybe it's the winter blues or maybe it's some recent difficult news. Right when life just seems to be coasting along on the gentle waves of life...then, BAM! You get slammed with a giant wave that just engulfs you and every ounce of joy that was once residing in you!  My hubby and I teach a nearly/newlywed class at church and one of our dear couples got the diagnosis of Lymphoma just a few months after their gorgeous wedding day.The wife battled it once and was in remission, then got the news that it had returned...she was a young and vibrant, healthy 25 year old who had just begun her career as a nurse! It's been well over a year and she is still recovering from treatments...slowly, but surely. Needless to say, it's tough to watch :/  And then, just a few short months ago, a dear friend who lives in my neighborhood and shares the carpool task with me, because our boys go to the same private school, was told that she had stage 2b breast cancer. I knew my friend was waiting on test results and we had planned for her to call the clinic back once I got to her house so that she wouldn't receive the news alone...her hubs is in the military and was flying that week. She indeed called me, but had no words. I knew then that our idea had not gone as planned and she had heard the news that it was indeed cancerous. I dropped what I was doing (literally leaving my grandson with some visiting friends) and rushed right over, just a few blocks away. I came through the door and knelt beside her chair and sobbed with her...grieving the news. Then came the task of telling her hubs and mom...needless to say...DIFFICULT DAY! She is currently mid way through her chemo treatments. The final blow came just weeks ago when another sweet friend of mine was diagnosed with a grade 3-4 Glioma on her brain. (Isn't she gorgeous!?!) The doctor has simply told her that her prognosis is "not good"...she, however, has MUCH bigger faith and is only focused on leaning on God and His plan for her life. Her attitude, outlook and hope inspire me beyond words!!!  She has 2 children, the oldest one was a student in my Kindergarten class years ago (another post...a very cool testimonial story.) SIGH...well, I actually did more than just sigh! That news really brought me to my knees and dampened my spirits considerably! So, I began thinking...I can't fix any of these situations, but maybe I can brighten some spirits and in turn will bring some inner peace for myself. So...DB Decor sprung into action. Pinterest came in handy as I searched for several easy recipes when our Sunday School class made some frozen crockpot meals and casseroles for our Sunday School friend to throw in the oven on days that she felt a bit weak and lacked stamina.  And my workshop came in handy for her as we had a fun "crafting" day together...rather a "Wreath 101" tutoring class for her alone. What a great day! Somehow, I didn't get a picture of her creation, but it was a beautiful wreath for her front door...2 wreaths actually!  Then came a workday at my neighbor friend's house. Organized by a mutual friend, we planned to put up the Christmas tree and decorations for her. That day turned out a bit differently than we originally planned...we instead decided, first, to do a little "house re-do"...she had given us full reign of her house!! We felt that her kitchen table and dining room table needed to be "switched", and it was...but not without a minor catastrophe!! While moving the hutch, my helper somehow managed to pull it over on her and caught it with her head...and face. Yes! I have pictures!!! I will hold those as leverage against her...LOL!  The blonde furniture was in the dining room and the darker table was in the kitchen...but the darker piece looked more formal and the blonde pair was more fitting for the casual kitchen...thus the "switch" :) Needless to say...we carried on (even though she later discovered that she had fractured a bone in her face :/!!!) The two of us moved dressers and heavy mirrors from the attic, along with rearranging her living room space. By the end of the day...we were 1) not finished with putting the Christmas tree up and 2) were all exhausted! My helper somehow mustered up the strength to tackle the tree after she picked her kiddos up from school. (She has 3 young ones, two of which are twins and ring tail tooters! Ridiculously, hysterically, funny household!!!) Another day, we moved on to the bedroom to rearrange and begin giving that room a face lift as well.  Once my dear neighbor friend began her 3rd (of 8) round of chemo, her physical and emotional health were on the decline. It sure saddened my soul :( I missed her healthy glow from just a few months before... I came into her house to check on her one day and she was in bed, looking as frail as an 80 year old very sickly woman. Behind my back I held in my hands a new comforter set and several pictures and home decor items (flea market finds!!!) to finish the bedroom makeover. She sat up...and...just...sobbed. I hugged her and cried along with her...and whispered into her ear, "I can't fix you, but I can make you feel special while you are so sick!" She had no words... I came back the next day because I knew that she had a doctor's appointment and I wanted her to be able to walk into her beautiful new room after meeting with her doctor about some recent complications. Quickly, I began my work, hoping to be finished by the time that she returned...and I almost was! She came in and took a quick peek and I left to go pick up kiddos. This is what it looked like...a few before and after pics: The two framed prints on either side of the dresser were both flea market finds...a GREAT place to pick up some art work that someone else became tired of! The most recent friend's news of brain cancer came on the heals of the other two diagnosis'. Again...I wished miserably that I could "fix her", but I have been assured that I am expecting the impossible. GOD can, however, intervene should His will be to do so. Just to let her know that I was thinking about her, praying for her, and was willing to do whatever I could to put a smile of her face, I began work in the workshop on a few special projects. Friends were asked to make/give her things that included scripture, so that she would be surrounded by God's Word and His Truth. Here was DB Decors contribution to this sweet friend... So...today I want to inspire you... when you hit a rough spot in life, use your talents to brighten someone else's day. In turn, your day will be rekindled with a spark of JOY! Try it...and let me know if it worked for you as well! :) Inspired, Dawn BTW...if you are a praying friend, please feel free to call these 3 names to our Father for complete healing: Jessica Christy Heather I do thank you in advance for believing in the power of prayer!!! ***UPDATE*** ALL three of my dear friends are now CANCER FREE! BEYOND ECSTATIC and much RELIEVED! PRAISE OUR FATHER ABOVE!!! =) |
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Dawn: Posted on Wednesday, February 13, 2013 12:25 AM
I've been quite busy in the workshop and here is one of my favorite projects of late. It started with a little trip to Hobby Lobby to visit the 60-90% off aisle. I found this fun little wooden owl, but as you can SEE... it had a missing part! Guess both eyes didn't make it through the Christmas holidays. Yikes! This sweet little owl was marked down 80% off... I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with it, but owls are all the rave these days, so I grabbed her up! The eyes were an easy fix...I popped the good eye off and then Mod Podge two new ones using scrapbook paper cut out to look similar to the original one.  I also distressed her a tad. This project was for a teacher's classroom, so I opted to glue the owl onto a painted canvas (this one is 18x24 inches in size) and then used my Cricut to cut the lettering... So...what happened to the "eye"...well, here you "see" it on another project. It was turned into a flower for a sweet canvas for a special girlie girl in my life... Good luck with your "Scratch -n-Dent" purchases. Be creative...think differently...think fun! :) Inspired, Dawn |
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Dawn: Posted on Sunday, January 27, 2013 7:38 AM
This fall has been an incredibly busy time here at ~ No. 9257 ~ The holidays are fast approaching and that means that DB Decor is constantly open for business...ha. These are the times when I wish I had a place outside of the home to go to and then leave behind at some point in the afternoon/evening. It seems like I am constantly in the workshop these days and I am ready for a vacay day! So, this evening I just wanted to share what I have been working on. Check out my Etsy shop to see what is available these days... Thanks for stopping by for a quick visit :) Inspired, Dawn |
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Dawn: Posted on Sunday, January 27, 2013 7:34 AM
I did it! My daughter-in-love will be soooo proud. I FINALLY started selling my projects through Etsy. Take a peek at a few things that are available... Inspired, Dawn |
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Dawn: Posted on Monday, January 21, 2013 5:10 PM
It was time...time to address the mud room! Somehow we only have 1 child left at home and it looks like we have 5!! When we built our house we had the idea that our mud room area would always look like this... However, most days the space looks like this... Here's a closer look... Can you relate at all? And then, the garage entrance looks eerily similar... So, while shopping I decided to pick up a few items to create an organized area for our son's school belongings...backpack, shoes, athletic bag, etc. I wanted my space indoors a "little" tidier and thought it might help to give him his own space. (Cost: wire shelf $11...on sale! :), shoe shelves $15 each, coat rack $20) I have to admit...I really was inspired by this "Grand Central Station" sign that was a $16 flea market find. And so, the work began... However, I had a little mistake while putting the wire shelf up. While I leveled everything horizontally, it seemed that I didn't make sure that the shelf was level from front to back and the basketball that was being stored on top kept rolling off the front. No worries...I just turn the wire shelf upside down so that there was a lip to hold everything on the shelf. Sometimes...only sometimes... am I proud of my thinking. LOL!!! Here is how the rest of it came together... My daughter-in-love gave me this cute silver bucket...she used it as a prop for our youngest grandson's pic. I thought the silver bucket was a perfect addition to the space, but it needed spiced up a bit. I headed to my shop, used my Cricut to cut out a template and sponged on black paint. Turned out perfectly imperfect... And...that's another completed project. Hope it inspired you to organize a little corner in your life too. :) Inspired, Dawn |
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Dawn: Posted on Thursday, January 03, 2013 11:06 AM
So, I was returning something at Hobby Lobby when I stumbled upon their 80% off sale...oh my goodness!!! I texted my daughter in love while shopping and said, "Get me out of this store!" I found several things (too many according to hubs!) , but thought I would share one of my fave bargains. I saw this Christmas decor and immediately thought of destruction...ha! I mean... in terms of disassembling the original decor and using the pieces in a different way. So...here is what I started with. This was marked $15.99 with 80% off = 3.20! It was the metal letters that so interested me...they can be pricey, so I thought if I disassemble them then I can have me a nice collection of metal letters at a fraction of the price of what I would normally spend on them! Love me some savings!! Here is how they once looked in the store... I used simple wire cutters to cut through the circle rings that held them together... And now, I am left with a pile of letters and metal embellishments... Oh, I can't wait to see what projects my brain comes up with using these letters. I will post pics as soon as my first project is complete! So, while you are out and about, look for bargains that can be used in different ways. (The lady behind me in the check out line went to grab her some up too...she loved the idea!) Think outside the box...it's fun to be creative and come up with something unusual. Be a bargain shopper! Be inspired! Be creative! And have loads of fun along the way. Can't wait to see what you come up with!! **UPDATE** 1-7-12 Here is my first project using some of these letters... Always inspired, Dawn |
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Dawn: Posted on Wednesday, January 02, 2013 2:24 AM
Finally...we enjoyed aWHITE Christmas here at ~ 9257~ Rarely does that ever happen here in the south! Needless to say, we were excited!!! We were fortunate enough to be able to enjoy the wintry wonderland WITH electricity...many in our area were without it for days :/ I was in dream land with Christmas decor in the house and snow outside on the ground...ahhhh. Heavenly! Here is a little peek at my Christmas decor this year... ...and I must admit that while I usually LOVE decorating for Christmas, this year I had tons on my plate and simply needed some help. So, I called in my little elf friend, Kelli... She was my saving grace this year as she helped me put up a couple of trees...such a treat to be on the receiving end. I felt so pampered!! Now I know how some of my friends feel when they walk into a room that I have gotten to decorate for them.  Such a joy filled surprise...This year I wanted a tree where rustic met contemporary in our den. I splurged on the white webbing @ $25 a roll, and the burlap and mesh I had on hand, but everything else was found for $1 at Target or Dollar General. The living room tree was a bit more personalized with various metal and painted wooden "B"s hung on it. I was tickled with the way Kelli pulled it all together! This pic was taken before I painted the letters for the tree...we were just looking for placement. Here is how they were painted: And then...it was on to gifts and enjoying Santa... (Our youngest grandson played Santa on his very 1st Christmas! I know...say it with me...Awwwwww! :) The next day, the snow awaited some company... And somehow our little family of 3 had grown to half of the neighborhood...all enjoying snowball fights! The teacher in me also decided that we needed a craft to end the day...and I had just the project in mind!! Hope you all had a very Merry and Blessed Christmas! Thanks for stopping by for a peek into our SNOW WHITE Christmas . We had SNOW MUCH FUN! Until next year... Inspired, Dawn PS...Visit my facebook page...DB Decor...for more decorative ideas or for ordering items that I have showcased. |
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Dawn: Posted on Monday, December 24, 2012 2:03 PM
So, I recently got an S.O.S message from a friend that says... "Hey you I'm a single broke as a joke mom. How can I decorate my tree with nothing. Give advice. I can't buy anything." The challenge was on... I wanted to know if I could decorate a Christmas tree using NO MONEY!!! Here are a few things that I offered: 1) Tie ribbon, burlap, scraps of fabric, etc. onto lights before you string them. Pinterest idea! Very cute...sorta a rustic, homey look but depending of your color or ribbon or scraps changes the look. EX. white...shabby chic 2) Do it all in white...cut out homemade snowflakes out of paper or coffee filters 3) Use wrapping paper, cut into 10 in strips, combine 3 together and use tree branch to bunch (like making a spiral wreath!) Go to a tutorial for that for more details... 4) Cut thin branches and paint (or leave natural) for tree topper 5) Raffia goes a long way and is cheap!! 6) Write on index cards your favorite Christmas memories...ink the edges, punch a hole and tie on braches with ribbon or raffia. 7) Wrap small empty boxes, put bow on and wedge between branches. Big takes up space... 8) Print out Christmas words/phrases in large cute font onto tagboard paper and tuck between branches. I had a Christmas tree that needed some attention. It was a prelit tree that had the middle section out so I wasn't using it and I thought I might practice some of my advice on the tree. I did have a box of lights leftover from my other trees, so I did add those to the tree so it would be fully lit. And, then it was time to try out some of my tricks... Burlap tied to string of lights: Coffee filters turned into rosettes: Paper towels/wrapping paper cut and rolled, combined into groups of threes and attached to tree: Wooden scraps, painted, glued a monogram from scrapbook paper and attched a ribbon: Trimmings from outdoors... (yes, my hydrangeas clippings were a bit pitiful looking :/ The frost had already gotten them ): Tree so far...nothing spent still: Next, I added Christmas cards from family and friends that we received in the mail: And fave Christmas story books, heirloom/meaningful jewelry and framed pics that are displayed throughout the house: Add some candy canes ($1 for 12 at the Dollar Tree) that I already had on hand: And kids can help with it all! What else can you use to decorate a tree for $0...it's easier than you might think! Inspired, Dawn |
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Posted on Saturday, December 22, 2012 10:57 AM
Sorry it's been so long since I have posted. I have been up to my eyeballs in projects! So, I thought I best pause a minute and catch you all up to speed. Here are a few things that I have been working on lately... This painted canvas Christmas tree has been a great seller this season. The idea came from my teaching days. Each year at Christmas, I painted a brown paper sack for each one of my students to collect their goodies in. I always looked forward to this project, so I decided to transfer it to canvas instead of a brown paper sack and personalize it. It's one of my fave projects this Christmas season. Here's some behind the scenes pics... This was a new idea for me and one of my most faves!! Love me a little Santa belly =} And wreaths are always a best seller! And personalized ornaments always make great co-worker, neighbor, etc gift... This was an inexpensive project. It included four 12x12in canvases, paint and $1 felt ornaments from Target glued onto the canvas. How easy is that?? And crosses always sell well... Gift ideas... Needless to say...it's a busy time of year for me! Hope you have seen something that has inspired you :) More pics to come...stay tuned!! Inspired, Dawn |
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Dawn: Posted on Monday, November 19, 2012 9:48 AM
 Well, it's that time of year again...time to store my "Lucy" (she's on the left!) back in the attic until the next fall season rolls around.Today, I thought I would take you through some of my fave fall decor before storing it all nice and cozy for the winter and spring months. Inspired, Dawn |
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