Commercial Break Break

Are you reading this during a gruelingly long Project Runway commercial break? I feel your pain, mon amour.

Here. Watch this.

Shareen will inspire you with her effortless reworking of vintage dresses. And endear you with her wisdom and spirit.

To be an individual means that no one can compete with you. You become without rival.

Oui.

Pillow Talk

I'm needle deep in accent pillows for the patio right now. But, before I began sewing, I checked out the Creative Pillows & Cool Pillow Design post at CrookedBrains to make sure that I was making an inspired decision.

I wasn't. I'm not. Mine are square.

But that doesn't mean that I didn't fall in love with the Ostrich Pillow.

And I long for the day when I see many a weary traveler snuggled up in them at the airport.

Yes, now, I stick to sewing the basics. But a girl can dream.

At the bottom of the post you will see the links to the 10 other cool pillow installments. They are not to be missed. Especially if you are procrastinating.  

Better After

My credenza is swelling.

With pride.

She was featured yesterday in a post on Better After, a blog showcasing transformations. Go on over and give her some love.

But be careful. Better After is blog crack if you've never been before.  My fellow Phoenician blogger, Lindsey, showcases before and after photos from around the world. Your screen will ooze with ideas.

LEGO Vaughn: The Mural

I never thought that I'd spend so much time staring at a wall.  

With my face only three inches away from it.  And the subtle acrylic paint pigment aroma waltzing into my lungs with every inhale.

And I never thought that I'd enjoy it.    

But, I did.  My mental health barometer most assuredly moved from content towards bliss.

Fulfillment during the journey?  That's a sign.

Like the headboard, the mural project was born from Vaughn's vision.

A vision of a LEGO guy crashing through his wall.

When I sent him some drafts I included one with LEGO Batman and another with a Star Wars light saber fight.  He was so logical in his selection process.

Um, I just want the regular LEGO guy, because I feel like I might outgrow Batman and Star Wars.

 

Vaughn was so helpful in the painting process too.  But, as the opportunities dwindled down to detail work I tried to think of other contributions he could make.

Um, Vaughn, how about you go check on Anthony and see if he needs your help painting the headboard?

No, that's OK.  I'm really more of a decorative painter.

When the end of LEGO week fell into our lap, everyone that could paint a straight line was helping.  I turned it into a paint by number.

R = red
LR = light red
DR = dark red

And I premixed all the colors and labeled them.

And prayed quietly at bedtime that tiny bearded paint gnomes would come out of the wall sockets and finish the red LEGOs per my labels.  Because the red took about 8 coats.

The last night at about 5 PM, 11 hours before our 4 AM quitting time, Vaughn told us that it looked perfect.

That's better than I ever imagined.  You guys have been working really hard and should take a break.  I mean it.  

So, will you come play XBox with me?

I love him.  And pretty much every word that comes out of his mouth.

Here is a recap of the photos I posted on my facebook page.

Need your a mural on your wall? let me know!

Update: Links to all the LEGO projects:
Upholstered Box Spring
Name Art
Headboard and Cornice

DIViji: Dining Room

You're Invited: to a virtual dinner at Viji's.

Please bring one of the 3 Cs.

Chocolate, Chardonnay or Cheese.

Dining Room BEFORE:

Dining Room AFTER:

Anthony supplied the frames.

I provided another set of curtains.

And Viji brought the spray paint for the chandelier.  Brought it like I've never seen a can a spray paint brung before.

Bon appetit ma cheri.

Choking and Ouising

Even though my In Your Business B&B is still a few years down the road, it is never too early to start scouting out locations.

According to Hooked On Houses, Sally Field's home in Steel Magnolias is on the market in Lousiana for $1.175 million.

I know what you're asking.  

Are those beautiful pastel curtains from Shelby's bedroom still there?

You know it.  And impeccably preserved to boot. <Insert sigh of relief>

Current photo:

While perusing all the pictures, cinematic as well as current, I learned that the movie was based on a true story.

I could have done without that info.

It's like the universe just said, "Um, yeah, your Steel Magnolias snotty-ugly-cry isn't enough.  We are going to need you to have a complete emotional breakdown during the film.  Maybe even choke and shart a little bit."

I also learned that 'Ouiser' is not spelled 'Weezer'.  Who knew?

D to the I Distraction: Derby Date

I finally had my date with the Kentucky Derby.  

Jealously perusing all the grandiose hat photos. And after that, enviously admiring the mouthwatering drinks sucked down by my 'brethren in the same tax bracket' sweating it out on the Infield.

This was my favorite.

Photo: Weasie Gaines

I tried really hard to choose something not red with sequins, but I couldn't.  I refuse to apologize.

When I'm 70, I am going to wear this one.

Photo: Weasie Gaines

And all the diamonds are going to be real and I am going to pull them off when I leave and give them out to the best DIY hats made by my drunk friends from the Infield that are now in a much lower tax bracket than I.

Just to add some non-red sequin diversity to the Derby mix, I will give out a few more awards.

Best Height: If my red number up top would have had the feather stature that this one does, I would have been completely smitten.

Photo: Liam Spradlin

Best Dressed Couple: It goes to the guy with the Charlie Chaplin hat and his lovely date.  I wonder what it would take to get my Anthony into something matchy like that?  I hope roofies are still around by the time that I can afford to attend the Derby.

Photo: Dan Dry / Power Creative

Best Infield couple:  "Guys Hung Like A Horse."  Like a dead, limp, lifeless horse.

Photo: Donald Vish

Best Derby Badass:  I want to be friends with her.

Photo: Weasie Gaines

Best DIY Hat:  I pray that it is actually DIY.  The base looks expensive, but that ribbon wrap around the wire stems is rough.  "A" for effort.  And what the hizzy, I will give her the award for 'Making Me Want To Get Into the Hat Business" too.

Photo: Andrew Kung

Best Hat for "I'm Going To Try and Nab a Rich Husband Here, and if I Wake Up in the Morning and Can't Find My Dress, Then I Can Use My Immense Hat To Cover My Wobbly Bits As I Leave the Hotel."

Photo: Kinetic

 Best Smokey-Drinky Photo Bomb:

Photo: Sam English

And finally.  New this year.

The "Thank God. Now I Don't Actually Have To Talk With 'The Help' Award."

Photo: Dan Dry / Power Creative

Links:  Kentucky Derby There are so many lovely pictures to check out.

School Days: When Life Gives You Lemons

When life gives you lemons...

Water down the juice and sell your sour pucker cups to elementary school parents under the ruse of 'donating the money to charity.'

Wait.  That's a college lesson. The third graders at my favorite elementary school actually followed through with the donation.

The fundraiser was started by last year's batch of budding nine-year-olds.  Spring for them meant learning about business.  Business costs, supply and demand, advertising, sales pitches.  All the fundamentals paralleled with reading the action packed novela The Lemonade Wars.  It was all just another random lesson until the day before spring break 2011. That day one of their sixth grade friends died in the hallway from an ongoing heart condition. During their sadness and hurt, and with the help of their teachers, they decided to start their own businesses for an upcoming school event to raise money for the Phoenix Children's Hospital.  A place routinely frequented by their sixth grade buddy.

Each third grade class picked a business.

Lemonade Stand
Manicure Station
Candygrams
Tattoos

Sort of a One-Stop-Salon-Shop if you will.

The business hours were set for 'Celebrate Learning Night' when every grade level would be lovingly leading/dragging their parents through the hallways.

Jen asked last year's kids to come up with as many advertising ideas as they could.

Sign spinning. Great.
Commercials for the school news. Let's do it.
Ask Ms. Heidi to sew us a lemon costume like that pizza guy that stands on the corner by Slices. Um, I'll ask.

Of course she knew I would say 'yes.'  She was just being polite.

Just like I said yes when this year's class needed lemontastic T-shirt iron-ons with their snappy slogan.

The four classes together raised $740 last Thursday night.

And I delightedly watched 22 mini entrepreneurs work a lemon costume with more ferocity than the Suns Gorilla on crack.  If I was a fightin' girl I would have driven the lemon above down to the corner by Slices and had her tell the Pizza costume, "You better call Pizza Hut, because you just got pizowned!"

Let's be real.  The only thing that stopped me from making that drive was the fear of kidnapping charges.

Some of the success of the night could be credited to Isaac's belly advertising too.  I hope that he has as much heart and generosity as those third graders.  And I hope he likes costumes because it is out of his hands until he can utter the words, "Please Ms. Heidi, I don't want to wear the Mr. T headpiece anymore."

Genius: Jason Lee

The Great Debate: Is it ever OK to Duct tape your kids to the wall?

Yes.

Yes, it is.

Jason Lee is a wedding photographer by day and a dad to Kristin and Kayla by day, night and in between.  He started the visually ravishing Kristin and Kayla blog in 2006.  Some of the blog pics are moments in time for the girls, but most are priceless treasures.

Treasures like Bored At Work

The Year in Pictures videos he does are almost too much for me to handle.

 

Photoshopping your kid's head stuck in a turkey?

Genius.

Now, who can I get to let my 'babysit' their kids next week?


via: Bored Panda

Genius: YOU and Your Cover Photo

March 30th. That's the deadline Facebook keeps giving me before forcibly switching me to the timeline format with the cover photo.  I'm comfortable with the current set-up, so I wanted to just wait it out.

I mean, what's the point?

Creative genius is the point.

I changed my mind when I saw these creative profile picture / cover photo melds.

Genius.

Want to make your own? There is a Photoshop template here.

I used it myself to make something snappy for my new heidi schatze page. That's my profile picture below. Check on Facebook to see the coordinating cover photo.

Oh, and I would love it if you liked my page.  Love. It.

Via: Twisted Sifter and Dude Craft

Genius: Hong Yi

So, what are you up to?

Working on that TPS report? Waiting for your baby to self sooth? Trying to combat your stress tears with enough java to keep you coffee-shake-flailing until the end of the Mayan calendar?

Good luck with that.

How about you harness some of Hong Yi's awesomeness and use that coffee for an art exploit instead?


        

Genius.

And in only 12 hours.

I know this is wrong. It is just that I really love a good cup of untainted black coffee.

Yup...I kind of want to lick it.


VIA: Laughing Squid

Isaac's Crib: He Got Striped

Teacher Jen is having a boy. That isn't news to most of you.

Isaac is the name that they are going with. It is a beautiful name. That they need to stick with now, for sure--because I am entitling my adventure in making over his nursery: Isaac's Crib.

Here is your first glimpse into Isaac's crib.

Thanks to Dad-To-Be Jeff, the room walls recently became that brisk Dunn Edwards - Below Zero paint color that you see.

The irony will not be lost on Isaac--that he will likely be born with outside temperatures over 100 degrees and come home to a room painted 'below zero.' He will think it is hysterical. I am sure of it.

Our first mission was to set up the accent wall. After talking about different murals and designs, we went with stripes. Jen liked stripes because it was something that he could grow into and wasn't something over the top annoyingly cute.

We pulled some colors out of the fabric that she chose for bedding and curtains and got busy researching stripes. Word on the internet is that vertical stripes add height to a room while horizontal stripes make the room seem more spacious. When we initially decided stripes, we both assumed vertical. After looking at a slew of examples, we decided that horizontal seemed more calming and pleasing to the eye. We also realized that walls with bountiful colors and tiny little stripes made our heads want to explode. Not the feeling Jen is going for in the nursery.

I put together a wide stripe pattern from the colors, pulled a similarly sized nursery picture off the internet and then made a rough mock up with Photoshop of how the striped wall would look.

Jen approved. Jen loved.

I had the placement and stripe width already calculated (Shown on the left in pink in the photo below). When we got started we marked off the wall starting our measurements from the ceiling. Our thought process was that since the floor and ceiling didn't seem to be even, that we would rather have the crookedness show on the bottom floor stripe rather than the ceiling stripe.

The black column shows at what point a marking needs to go on the wall when the top of the tape measure is butted up against the ceiling. I know it is obvious, but I'm going to say it anyway--to get your distance from the ceiling as seen in black you add the current stripe width to the combined width of the previous stripes.

For the most part, we followed the instructions from Young House Love. The only difference is that we made more measurements along the wall to make sure that the tape didn't sag in the middle. In the photo below, where there is a pink line, that is where we marked to help place the tape. There would be another pink line at the leftmost part of the wall that can't be seen in the photo.

We were pretty ecstatic when the tape went up because it confirmed our love for going horizontal.

The orange and green stripes were only 4.5 inches wide so we got away with using the $3 sample sized containers from Behr. We got quarts for the light blue and dark blue. Throw in a roll of painter's tape and it came to about $36.

We did green, orange and dark blue in the first session. We may have rolled over the tape in a few spots too. Oops.

Rather than put down tape onto the freshly painted green and orange strips in order to paint the light blue in between them, I just did the edging by hand. I figured that I would just want to touch it up anyway, so I might as well not waste time taping it.

Jen thought I was crazy when I told her how I was going to touch up all the edges to cover up the paint bleeding. It makes such a huge difference though. 

Clean edge to my left, bleeding edge to my right and a snarly bird's nest in the middle.

Jen didn't know how fast I am.

Wicked fast.

We finished the entire wall in a day. Yes, that is including the time spent snacking, running to Ace for some mini roller covers and complaining about how this season of the Bachelor is terribly infuriating. Worse than vertical stripes.

Everyone was pleased. But, no one more than Jen. She was amped to finish the rest of the room. That very night. What's a couple more hours to get the crib put together, the closet organizer set up, and the baseboards installed?

I got out while I could.

I obviously can't keep up with my 5-months pregnant friend.