Quarantine Ideas
We remind the kids every day that we are “safe at home”, not “stuck at home”. And truly, we are blessed. But, sometimes it can be a little overwhelming having everyone here full time. I want to keep them all entertained, educated, occupied, happy…
Here are just a few ideas that may help during this time!
1. Follow my craft idea board on Pinterest! I add ideas to it as I see them, so check it out for some of the things we have tried and some we still hope to try!
We have loved some of these! One true favorite was shaving cream art! Smear down shaving cream in a pan, add drops of food coloring and swirl them in any pattern with the end of a paintbrush. Lay a thick piece of paper on the colored cream and press. Lift up and scrape cream off the paper with a spatula. Look what it leaves behind!
2. Educational apps that make learning fun! I know we all try to limit screen time. But we all need a break and a little help too! There are several we love, but one that the 6 year old can use by himself is Book Prunelle. It’s an ebook platform for kids , featuring powerful stories to inspire them to become the next generation of conscious kids. They tackle challenging topics in an entertaining and child-friendly way to help kids grown mindful and kind-hearted. Cool, right?!
You pay for a subscription by month or year, but right now you can try the first month for free! And you can use the code JESSIMARIEL5 off of either subscription too!
They have books like this one explaining the Corona Virus in terms kids understand!
3. Read with Dolly on Thursdays! The boys both loved this for some reason! Dolly Parton reads a story live on YouTube every Thursday and saves it to her channel to watch anytime. The boys were glued. And mom cleaned the kitchen! 😉
4. Duo appto facetime anyone. Maybe you knew about this? I did not, but was so happy to learn! With this app, any type of phone can video call one another. Now the kids can video call with grandma and grandpa!
5. Neveo journal making! Neveo lets you add photos all month to an app and at the end of the month they put together your pictures and captions into a journal to be send to grandparents, friends, etc. So helpful for keeping up with some of those seniors that can’t get out right now! Use the code SUPPORT for two free months of 50 photo journals!
I hope these little ideas help even a tad bit. Hang in there. Give yourself grace. We’ve got this.
XX,
Jess
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Frame Hanger Project
I love old picture frames. All kinds. I’ve got a hallway of empty ones upstairs. Sometimes I fill them. Sometimes I paint them. And sometimes I do something fun with them…
This frame I once painted black with a silver line. Years ago. I was over it. (Ignore the ugly paneling in the upstairs hall we hope to rip out soon)
I wanted something lighter and brighter for my office. And I needed a place to hang some of my beautiful Parabo Press photos. (If you haven’t ordered from them, you must. They are gorgeous)
So first I lightly sanded the frame. Then I painted it white. I used wall paint for this project because it’s what I had. And its quarantine. And this step wasn’t super important for this project. It took 2-3 coats, but doesn’t need to be perfect.
Then I sanded with a foam sanding block. I scraped the edges and roughed up the centers. Go slowly and start lightly. Keep going until you love it.
Then, because I wanted just a little something more for this one, I used a small brush and “dry brushed” on some charcoal gray paint. This means I dipped a tiny amount on the brush and then swiped most of it off onto a paper plate. When the brush is almost dry, wipe it on the frame. It will give you just a tiny bit of paint and give a smudge-y look. I used a paper towel to rub this in as I added it too. It came out nice and weathered.
Then to add some wire. You could use twine or ribbon, or whatever you have. I had some picture hanging wire from a hanging kit. I cut it slightly longer than the width of the frame, maybe a half inch extra on each side. Then I pulled it tight across the frame and used a staple fun to staple it in place. I twisted the extra ends into a little ball to help keep it in place.
You can get tiny clothes pins on Amazon.
And viola!
I’ve also done this before with chicken wire…
What do you think?
Doing any quarantine projects?!
XX,
Jess
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Quick and Easy Valentine’s DIY
I made these fabric hearts last year and loved them so much I put them out again this year!
It’s so simple that it doesn’t require much instruction, but a fun project for anyone because there are so many possibilities! I used scrap fabric that I had on hand, making this super inexpensive too! I picked a couple fabrics that complimented one another and had a rustic vibe. You could use anything at all! The only other supplies you need are liquid stitch (always handy to have a tube on hand!) and some stuffing. You can get both of these at your local craft store or a Walmart. The stuffing sold here at our Walmart was in too large of a bag and I knew I didn’t want a ton. So, quick fix was to buy a small pillow insert at Walmart. This was about $4 and I have plenty left for more projects.
Start by drawing a heart on cardboard. Try a cereal or cracker box! Then trace this heart onto the backside of your fabric. Do sets of two hearts in matching fabric. Then run a bead of the fabric glue around the heart. Leave a few inches unglued. I left a quarter inch or so around the edge. I used a few binder clips to hold these while drying. You could also set a book on them. When they are dry, stuff fabric into them. Doing it in this order allows you to fill them full and puffy without ungluing. Now add glue to the last few inches and clip to dry. You could always add sequins, embellishments, ribbon, or any extras too.
The other little white heart was super simple too. I used a cardboard hear, made little cuts around the outside, and wrapped yard around the heart. The cuts helps hold the yarn in place for the first layer of wrapping. Wrap all different directions. Glue with the fabric glue. Simple!
Viola! Hope you enjoy this quick and easy project!
Xx,
Jess
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Coolest New Gadget
I have a new gadget. I’m in love. Meet Lollipop baby camera.
This thing is so cool. We have always loved our baby monitor and it did a great job for years. But the battery is dying and we knew we needed something updated. Six years is quite a long time to use and abuse an electronic. We had heard awesome things about the Lollipop baby camera and really wanted to try it. So glad we got the chance!
First of all, how cute is this design?! I love the modern, simple look. They come in this blue, a pink, a yellow, and now they have a new gray cover option too.
The lollipop itself is bendable and can be posed or twisted to suit your needs and space. You can wrap it around the crib rail or twist it to perch on a shelf. It also came with a little branch to attach to the wall to wrap it around and an attachment that holds the end wrapped around a crib rail. This is what we have used here.
So not only is this guy cute and fun, but he’s also so versatile! This actually makes traveling with this monitor much easier than with our old one. We can simply twist and place in a new location, no charging station or monitor screen to bring… because of the other perk… it shows to an app on your phone!
Yes, that’s Barrett all curled up in the corner. 🤣 Silly goose. But I can see him, hear him, and monitor everything, right from my phone.
And since you use wifi… you can even access the picture when you are away from home! What?! I can check in on the kiddos even when we have a sitter!
It also alerts you of room environment factors like temperature, and if the baby is crying. You can zoom in. And you can record snapshots or video clips of what is going on.
I’m in love. It’s been a huge help for us! Check them out on IG!
Xx, Jess
(I was gifted this Lollipop baby camera to try and review, however, all opinions are my own!)
A New Chair Love And Wedding Tid Bits
I fell in love with another chair. That happens often, doesn’t it? My wonderful, loving fiance drove me an hour away to pick the cutie up. Now, we have one more seat in the living room. Best part of this little guy though, is that it would work in just about every room of the house as things evolve.
What do you think?? I’m in love. I love the navy and white stripes, but my favorite part is the nail head trim that goes all the way around the back. I think he is pretty old and was redone with changes to the bottom half and I just adore how they did it! He even has casters, which make it easy to reposition for company. And once the walls are painted I think this will work so well in here.
Also, we have been super swamped with wedding planning. I have made every little detail by hand, and wold love to show you all, but also want them to be a surprise, so that will have to wait! But, I did want to show our framed engagement picture. This will be used at the wedding too, but also will be on the wall in our living room, somewhere! Notice the same feel of the stripes? Not intended, but I love it! I took an old frame and painted it, then roughed it up. The mat was also painted in one of our wedding colors. I think it turned out really well.
I think the two new additions go so nicely together in the living room! And, the rest of the wedding details are coming along too! Can’t wait to share! Only three months from today! 🙂
Chair Love
These have been a very busy past few weeks. Work, work, work, wedding, wedding, wedding. Time for projects? Maybe a little. I came across this gorgeous blue velvet chair on Pinterest this morning during my coffee. This office looks gorgeous and I think I’d be much more productive in a space like this, just in case anyone wants to help me out!
Aaaah, peace. Even while working so hard! Have a great day everyone! 🙂
Rustic Chair, Blanket, Antler Love
It has been super busy around here, but I wanted to drop in and leave you with a cozy winter photo. Not only do I love the old shabby chair, but also the thick knit blanket and the antlers…
Photo by Jeroen van der Spek.Â
Hope to have more projects for you soon! 🙂
My Perfect Bedroom
On Apartment Therapy today I saw this gorgeous black and white chair by Ethan Allen. First I drooled (we all know how much I love black and white furnishings, right?) and then I headed over to the Ethan Allen website to check out their new lines.Â
More drolling ensued. Before long I had picked out what my perfect bedroom in the new house should look like.Â
The master bedroom in our new 1891 house is through a walk-through closet (very cool!) and is then sunken below a couple of steps. There are raw beams overhead, and even a little stained glass window on the wall with a peak. Yes, its very neat.Â
So, this Ethan Allen room that I spotted had my mind combining my love of shiny black furniture, black and white prints, and raw, rustic wood features. Here she is:
Gorgeous, no? Actually, the Ethan Allen website had a ton of beautiful images, ideas, and products! Check out more of the line here: http://www.ethanallen.com/shop_by_room/bedrooms
(No, I’m not paid or sponsored in any way by Ethan Allen. Although maybe I should be, becuase I’m in love! 🙂
So-Ugly-It’s-Cute Chair Love
This little guy is just so ugly he’s cute!
“chair” by Daily Solitude on flickr.
Dining Room Inspiration
I found this dining room photo on flickr and just couldn’t resist showing you all. This room is just awesome! I love how elegant and glamorous it is, even when paired with the rustic wood table. I love the mirrors on the table; what a simple yet glam way to dress the room up. The wall paper makes the room bright, but still in the shades of gray that I love right now!
untitled photo by uydurrukcu on flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/uydurrukcu/5033782889/
Make Mine Eclectic 