Robyn's Nest

Aromaleigh v2 "Smokey Green" look

2011-12-02T20:19:00.000-08:00

This is my fourth look (and probably my favorite) using Aromaleigh this week. The two main colors (Grazia and Regulus) are from Aromaleigh v2 limited edition collections (still available for purchase) Fall Tapestry and Starry Night respectively.

The other colors, oyster and ice, are from Aromaleigh v1 collections, which are discontinued. I also used zero eye liner pencil from Urban Decay on my upper and lower lash lines.

My foundation is a mix of Frisky and Naughty Abyssinian and my blush is Aromaleigh v1 Rocks! Sonic Rouge in Femmefatale. Of all my blushes (and I have over 20), I think this one looks the best on me.

On my lips, is Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in #050 Paradise topped with Rimmel Vinyl Lip Gloss in East End Snob.

Please come back and visit soon.

I hope you will consider following my blog!

Aromaleigh v2 "Starry Night" purple look

2011-12-01T14:15:00.000-08:00

Hello,
In this look, I'm using izar, a free sample from the Starry Night limited edition collection that I received in my last order. What a pleasant surprise. I paired it with Pink Portent, a pale sparkly lavender/pink from Aromaleigh v1's Wonderstruck collection, which is still available on the site.

According to the site description, izar is a "deep amethyst purple frost with a muted lowlight, shimmering with brilliant rose pink sparks."

On my face I used Meow Cosmetics pampered puss mineral powder foundation in a mix of Frisky and Naughty Abyssinian followed by Aromaleigh ultra resolution finishing powder in Clear. On my cheeks, is Aromaleigh rocks! sonic rouge in Candy-o. And I am wearing Rimmel moisture renew cream lipgloss (spf 15, collagen, vitamins a, c & e, and no funky smell or taste) in #115 Rose Cocoon. . . I love this gloss! The other eyeshadow colors referenced in this diagram and Aromaleigh v1 colors.

Click here to check out more of the Starry Night collection.

If you've done a look using the Starry Night collection, please feel free to leave a link in the comments section. I'd love to see it.

Please come back and visit soon. I hope you will consider following my blog!

Brand new Aromaleigh product. . ."Glamoured" Finishing Powder!

2011-11-30T16:37:00.000-08:00

Hi Nesters!

Aromaleigh just announced the arrival of Glamoured Finishing Powder. According to the site, it combines the best attributes of Aromaleigh v1's Metamorphosis, Coquilles and Ultra Resolution Finishing Powder. Glamoured is available in three different shades (see photo below) so there is something for nearly every complexion. Sounds like it might very well be an HG (holy grail) powder for many of us. Instead of trying a sample first, I'm going to jump straight to a full size of Gypsophilia.

Click on the photo to check out the wonder of Glamoured for yourself!

I'd love to hear your thoughts about Aromaleigh v2 in general and this powder in particular.

Please come back and visit soon. I hope you will consider following my blog!

Aromaleigh v2 "Fall Tapestry" Copper Look

2011-11-29T19:32:00.000-08:00

Hi again,

This is my second look using Aromaleigh's limited edition collection, Fall Tapestry.

Here are my thoughts on these colors:

Miuccia: A nice softer "blender" color for fair to medium skin tone. It was a tad dark for my brow bone so I lightened it with a matte pale yellow eyeshadow (Oyster from Aromaleigh v1). I feel it would make a nice highlighter for medium to dark skin tones.

Celine: This was surprisingly softer than I expected by the looks of it in the sample baggie. I think the color would be intensified if it was foiled (add to a small amount of water or sealant and applied wet).

Rebecca: Love this color. I think I'll use it on my lid next time. It has a nice medium/deep burnished burgundy copper look when applied dry over a primer. When foiled, it is a bright beautiful copper (click here to see how I used it foiled as a liner).

Donna: A nice not too dark burgundy brown with subtle sparkles. Great crease color, liner when foiled, or a beautiful smokey eye for blue or green eyes.

My overall thoughts so far on the Fall Tapestry collection are that the colors are beautiful and very wearable. The quality is up to Aromaleigh's prior standards which makes me very happy.

Please come back and visit soon.

I hope you will consider following my blog!

Aromaleigh v2 "Fall Tapestry" Look

2011-11-28T12:17:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

This is my first look using Aromaleigh's Fall Tapestry collection. I received my order yesterday and couldn't wait to start playing. I selected mostly neutrals so I was pleasantly surprised to find 3 free samples that were not neutrals in my order. I tend to be reserved in my color choices but like to be a bit more daring on occasion so it should be fun experimenting with the freebies.

According to the site, this is a "limited edition collection of 16 runway-inspired shades formulated with the season's most prevalent color trends."

Here, you will find skin swatches, color descriptions, inspirational photos, and links to bloggers' posts about the collection.

In addition to the eyeshadow diagrammed below, in this look I'm wearing Aromaleigh (v1) Rocks! rouge in Breathless, Meow foundation in Frisky/Naughty Abyssinian, and lip balm.

Please come back and visit soon.

I hope you will consider following my blog!

Decorating updates and Etsy finds

2011-11-11T16:51:00.000-08:00

Hi Nesters,

I've done a little bit of decorating to cozy up our home for the changing season and I thought it would be fun to share the updates with you.

I originally purchased this little chair to sit in front of part of our sliding glass door in the family room. I thought it would be extra seating for company. Well, we don't entertain all that often, but when we do, it's usually in small groups and our current family room seating is adequate. I missed the open feeling of having nothing in front of the window so I moved the little chair to our media room, which would be considered the formal living room in most houses. But since we don't entertain formally, it's better used as a media room. We definitely can use extra seating in here and the chair is finally getting some use.

I painted the chalkboard frame white and added a tray with a small framed clock print, a clock coaster used as a candle holder, a faux herb plant, and a wooden bowl for chalk. The chalkboard now says, "Time flies when you're having fun!"

I've made some recent pillow purchases on Etsy. There are so many talented people out there, you are bound to find something to suit your decor. I purchased the crown and bee/wreath pillow covers as a set from Simply French Market, the double frayed ruffle pillow cover from The Industrial Cottage and the Swiss cross pillow cover from Red Bird Vintage Home.

The mercury glass lamp is also another recent find from Tuesday Morning. It has a black French label on it which adds to its vintage style charm. It even came with the perfect woven shade.

My new entry wall decor and tablescape.Wood vintage eye chart inspired art "The meaning of life is quite simply whatever you want it to be."

And in case you haven't seen my previous home tour, here's a mini tour so you can imagine where my tiny 46" entry wall is situated.

Please come back and visit soon.

I hope you will consider following my blog!

Ugly serving tray redo and tutorial

2011-10-28T13:05:00.000-07:00

Hi Nesters,

The weather's no longer scorching hot here (90's to low 100's most of the summer) so I've been able to get back out in my workshop. I purchased this sad (in my opinion) serving tray at the Salvation Army with the idea that it would never ever look like it's original form once I was finished with it. Aside from the aesthetics, it was in very good condition with no chipping, cracks, etc. Here's what I did to transform it:

Wiped it down with a damp cloth and let it air dry.
Gave it two coats of Rost-oleum Wet or Dry Sandable Primer in #1980 Gray Primer, drying between coats.
Sprayed two coats of Rust-oleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover in Satin Heirloom White, drying between coats.
Using 200 grit sandpaper, I roughed up the edges here and there to give it an aged feel.
Then with a damp rag, I applied (especially in the nooks and crannies) Minwax Water-Based Wood Stain in Colonial Pine.
I let it sit overnight to dry completely and then I put it on our family room table to display some of my favorite things. The whole project took just a couple of hours and most of that was drying time.

I love how it turned out. It really makes the objects look grounded on the table. I have a few other thrift store trays of varying sizes in the works next. I'm thinking about using one on my nightstand or dresser and maybe selling the other one in my Etsy shop (if I can bear to part with it).

**Shared this post at Dumpster Diva's Cute & Creative linky party!

Please come back and visit soon.

I hope you will consider following my blog!

Meow Cosmetics "X" look: Mothman

2011-10-27T15:51:00.000-07:00

Hi Nesters!

I'm back with a look from yet another of Meow Cosmetics' new eyeshadow collections released for the Halloween season. This collection is called "X." The tag line reads. . ."X you will believe. 13 unexplained shadows from Meow Cosmetics."

The colors and finishes in this collection run the spectrum but Mothman is my favorite. It's a "metallic iridescent taupe with forest green undertones." Click here to view the entire collection.

This look is just Mothman with Meow Citrine glow powder as a highlight.

Please come back and visit soon.

I hope you will consider following my blog!

Zombie Apocalypse Look I

2011-10-17T20:07:00.000-07:00

Here is my first look using one of Meow Cosmetics' newest Halloween collections, Zombie Apocalypse.

My thoughts on these three colors. . .

brains over beauty - Satin/matte finish that photographed surprisingly very similar to my skin tone. I can see this color being a staple neutral that will go well with many accent colors.

head shot - I was a little disappointed that the maroon didn't show up very well. If you blend it at all, the top color (maroon) disappears and you are left mostly with the dark base color. Even so, the base color is still lovely in my opinion. I might try it next as a liner. More daring girls will love this color foiled on the lid.

undead - I like the sheen and sheerness of this color. It blended out flawlessly and made a great highlighter.

Overall, I am very pleased with this "daytime smokey" look.

Meow Cosmetics "Cheer Me Up" look

2011-10-12T15:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I woke up with a cold and after moping around for a couple of hours, I thought to myself, "I could really use some makeup to lift my spirits." So I dug through some never-before-tried samples and came up with a new look. I like the way it turned out and it definitely cheered me up.

Here's what I used:

Meow iprime eyeshadow primer - from lashes to brows
Meow Alien Abduction eyeshadow in Mind Control - lid
Meow Holiday Wishes eyeshadow in Surprises - crease and outer corner
Meow Sunless Sea eyeshadow in Erato - brow bone highlight
Meow Pampered Puss foundation in a mix of Frisky & Naughty Abyssinian
Meow Ghost Stories glow in Past - under cheekbones and around hairline
Meow PINK Inc. blush in Slip - cheeks

Mind Control - soft lusty lilac with a blue iridescence undertone
Surprises - cabernet wine
Erato - creamy vanilla hued biscuit
Past - ttranslucent bronze/gold
Slip - bright warm coral PINK with a slight refreshing twist of citrus peach

Meow Cosmetics Pandora's Box Look III

2011-10-05T17:25:00.000-07:00

Here is my third look using Meow's Pandora's Box collection. Enjoy!

Check out all of my Meow Cosmetics looks here.

You can find these eye shadows here: Meow Cosmetics

Meow Cosmetics Pandora's Box Look II

2011-10-05T16:33:00.000-07:00

Hi Nesters!Here's a quick look using colors from Meow Cosmetics' new collection Pandora's Box. For this look, I used colors I wouldn't normally pair together but I thought it would be fun to show you something different.

Check out my other Meow Cosmetics' looks here.

Thanks for stopping by!

You can find these eye shadows here: Meow Cosmetics

Meow Cosmetics Pandora's Box Look I

2011-10-05T13:21:00.000-07:00

Hi Nesters!

I received and swatched my Meow Cosmetics Pandora's Box samples yesterday. Today, I picked the most neutral colors in the collection for my first look. All of the makeup I used in this look is Meow, except the liner and lippie. I hope you like it.

Lid - indecency (Pandora's Box e/s)
Crease and outer corner - mayhem (Pandora's Box e/s)
Browbone highlight - citrine (glow powder)
Liner - moonwalk gel liner (purchased from Aromaleigh)
Cheeks - hope (blush)
Lips - mix of 1 lipstick and 2 glosses
Foundation - Mix of Meow's Frisky and Naughty Abyssinian (Pampered Puss formula)

You can find these eye shadows here: Meow Cosmetics

Meow Cosmetics "Pandora's Box" Swatches

2011-10-04T18:34:00.000-07:00

Hi Nesters!

I received my samples of Meow Cosmetics' Pandora's Box eye shadow collection today. Here are my swatches. I applied the eye shadow on my arm over a base of lotion. Photos were taken in front of a sunny window and I used fill flash. So many pretties here. I'm going to post full sized swatches on Meow's facebook page if you'd like closeups of each color.

You can find these eye shadows here: Meow Cosmetics

Dawn Eyes Cosmetics - Daytime Look and a Review

2011-07-13T21:58:00.000-07:00

Hi Nesters!

I know it's been a couple of months since my last post, but I've been devoting most of my free time to my kids now that school is out. However, I recently received a sample order from Dawn Eyes Cosmetics ("DEC") and the colors were so beautiful, I had to do a look for you all. As many of you know, I'm a neutral makeup kind of gal but I do branch out into other colors on the spectrum on occasion. This look is a warm daytime look that can easily move into night with the addition of a dark brown shadow in the outer corner and liner under the lower lashes.

Dawn Eyes Cosmetics is a fairly new online mineral cosmetics company. I came to know the owner, Dawn Merrill, through a Facebook fan page for Aromaleigh Mineral Cosmetics (no longer in business). Shortly after she started blending her beautiful eyeshadows and getting them up on her site, she sent me a selection of samples to try and I will review those specifically at a later date. In general, the eyeshadows are of excellent quality, highly pigmented and show lots of Dawn's creativity. That girl never met a sparkle she didn't like and there are many degrees of sparkle in her vast shadow collection. My initial favorites (in addition to the ones I'm wearing here, which I absolutely adore!) are beige goes bold, copper sparkle pink, ugly gold, chocolate diamond, khaki with kick and walking on sunshine.

Here's what I used in this look:

DEC mineral eyeshadow in "warm sand" - lid
DEC mineral eyeshadow "copper beige" - crease and outer corner
Aromaleigh eye lustres mineral eyeshadow in "daphne" - brow bone
"tip taupe" creme eyeshadow (you can get this from many online resources) - upper lash line (I used a fine liner brush)
Meow pampered puss mineral foundation in "frisky/naughty Abyssinian" (2/3 to 1/3 mix) - foundation
Aromaleigh pure rouge in "sweetheart" - cheeks
NYX round lipstick in "frosted beige" - lips
Covergirl Professional WP Mascara in "very black" - lashes

Photos were taken indoors in front of a sunny window with flash and have not been touched up.

Thank you for checking out my latest look. I hope you'll check out Dawn Eyes Cosmetics for yourself. I think you'll be pleased.

Robyn

10 Free Mineral Eyeshadows (e.l.f. promotion)

2011-05-18T10:07:00.000-07:00

Hi Nesters,

I just wanted to let you in on a new promotion from e.l.f. cosmetics. They are offering 10 free mineral eyeshadows with a $25 purchase. Considering how inexpensive e.l.f. products are, you can really stock up your makeup collection for not a lot of money. And then you get 10 free mineral eyeshadows to boot. Only 4 days left so go get your shop on, ladies!

Need even more makeup? Don't forget to enter my giveaway (see sidebar). Once I reach my former # of followers, I'll be giving away either a gift card or makeup, you get to choose.

Thrift store mirror makeover and some other dining room changes

2011-05-09T20:36:00.000-07:00

Hi Nesters,

Back in February I discovered a "new to me" thrift store and got a great deal on this mirror. The store owner was asking $15 and I bargained with him and got it for $8. All along, I knew exactly what I would use it for but it took me a couple of months to get around to the project.

Here's what I did. . .

1) Wiped down the entire thing with a wet rag and taped off the mirror.

2) Spray painted the wood frame semi-gloss black two coats. I didn't let it dry a lot in between coats though. Just a couple of minutes. I wasn't looking for a perfect finish since I knew I was just going to scratch and scuff it up anyway.

3) After letting it try about 30 minutes, I took varying grades of sandpaper to it to highlight some of the detail and give it a timeworn feel. Then I dulled the entire finish with 0000 steel wool. I didn't want a shiny finish but since I only had semi-gloss paint on hand, I had to improvise. Steel wool gave it the satin/matte finish I was looking for. I used a clean dry paint brush to dust off the sanding particles.

4) Then I opened up an almost empty can of water based dark walnut stain and wiped it all over the frame. With no waiting time, I wiped it off again. The stain stayed in some of the nooks and crannies and darkened some of the sanded areas.

5) I sprayed a paper towel with Scott's Liquid Gold furniture polish, wiped the entire frame down, removed all the tape and newspaper, and hung it in my dining room.

I think this was one of the fastest makeovers I've ever done. Not bad for someone who's been nursing a cold for the past five days. I'm just so sick of being sick, I think I needed something creative to do to pull me out of my funk. I especially love how the mirror brings in the light from the window across from it.When Jason got home from work today, he noticed it immediately and he really loves it. Yay! (not like I was going to take it down if he didn't though, but it's always nice when he likes my projects).

Mirror in its found state (minus the tape).

I love the detail.

Semi-gloss black spray paint.

The dining room wall used to look like this:

And now with the addition of fork and spoon wood prints I got on sale from World Market, it looks like this:

My Mother's Day flowers from Jason are the perfect accessory for this room.

Here are a few more things I've changed around in the dining room recently:

This vignette. . .

Became this. . .

(French chocolate print downloaded for FREE at The Graphics Fairy)

And this. . .

Became this. . .

(French postcards, letters and labels downloaded for free at The Graphics Fairy)

I shopped my house and garage for accessories, moved a few more things around and this dining room "before". . .

Became the new dining room "after."

Shared this project at Dumpter Diva's Cute & Creative linky party!

Come back and visit soon.

If you like my blog, please consider following me!

Mondays with Marilyn

2011-05-02T19:53:00.000-07:00

Here are some of my favorite atypical photos of Marilyn. I hope you enjoy them.

If you enjoyed this post, please add yourself as a follower ("Nester").

Get your Mother's Day Coupon for Beau Marche!

2011-04-25T20:18:00.000-07:00

Hi Nesters!

In celebration of Mother's Day (May 8th), I am offering a "15% off your entire purchase" coupon in my Etsy shop, Beau Marché. Enter code MERE15 at checkout to receive your discount.

Click on the bouquet to shop Beau Marché

NEW! Skin Care by Beau Marche Naturals in my Etsy Shop!

2011-04-20T16:31:00.000-07:00

Hi Nesters!

I'm so excited to share the news. I just launched a small line of specialty skin care in my Etsy Shop, Beau Marché. I've been creating bath and body products for friends and family for 8 years and have finally decided to offer them to the public. I hope everyone enjoys using them as much as I love creating them.

First up are "Bonne Nuit" Facial Cleansing Oil and "Bonjour" Sugar & Oatmeal Body Scrub. Coming soon to the Beau Marché Naturals lineup. . . 1) Au Revoir Restorative Facial Oil and 2) Le Visage Parfait Skin Perfecting Mask.

Click on the photo to visit Beau Marché

And the winner is. . .

2011-04-18T16:05:00.000-07:00

My recent blog giveaway in which the prize was 5 full size Aromaleigh Spells! eye shadows concluded yesterday. Today, I wrote down the names of all of my blog Nesters on little strips of paper, put them into a vase, and let my 7 year old son draw one out. Congratulations to Jackie! I will be sending her an email letting her know she won. Thank you to everyone who entered this giveaway. Don't forget, there will be another giveaway when I reach 184 followers so if you're not following me yet, please add yourself.

"Distressed Finial" before and after (a Pottery Barn knock-off project)

2011-04-12T10:14:00.000-07:00

Hi Nesters!

I'm sharing with you yet another Pottery Barn knock-off project. This time I took a $1.39 thrift store wood wall-mounted candle holder, turned it upside down added some paint, banged it up a bit and voila! Distressed finial.

Here are the steps:

1) Washed and dried candle holder.

2) Painted with Krylon Heirloom White spray paint and let dry completely. I did not use a primer first because I wanted the paint to come off easily when I distressed it.

3) Used sandpaper and a chain (this part was fun) to remove some of the paint.

4) Wiped all over with walnut ink but you can use a water based wood stain in a dark color to achieve the same effect.

5) I unscrewed the bottom bell-shaped piece so the finial would have a flatter bottom and then placed it on my mantel.

Pottery Barn's Distressed Finial Before
During
My finial "after"

Thanks so much for checking out my latest project. Have a great week! Click HERE to check out my other projects/transformations.

Sharing at:

Making the World Cuter Monday at Making the World Cuter
Get Your Craft on Tuesday at Today's Creative Blog
Tip Me Tuesday at Tip Junkie
Anything Related Tuesday at All Thingz Related
Tuesday Trash to Treasure at Rural Grace
Tutorial Tuesday at Hope Studios
Transformation Thursdays at The Shabby Chic Cottage
Everything But the Kitchen Sink Thursday at A Little Knick Knack
Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
It's a Hodgepodge Friday at It's a Hodgepodge Life
Saturday is Crafty Day at Along for the Ride

Etsy Treasury Feature: "My Grandma's Kitchen"

2011-04-06T18:12:00.000-07:00

Today, I came across this Etsy treasury (created February 8th) in which my vintage bread basket liner (the photo with the lemons) was featured. The curator of the treasury didn't notify me (all of the others have) so I never new that it was in fact my first ever Etsy treasury feature since my shop opened in February. Some of the photos are missing in this treasury I believe because the items have sold since the posting of the treasury. Now if someone would just buy my little "bun warmer." ;) ~ Robyn

'My grandma's kitchen' by prindle02

A little walk down memory road....

InspiredSalvag... $	Warm Your Buns with this Cut... BeauMarche $12.00	vintage shades of green rust... compostthis $50.00
50s kitchen canister set for... johnnyvintage $35.00	1957 Olds Hubcap clock metalartdude $35.00	Vintage Yellow Thermos with ... OldClassicVint... $11.00
Pair Vintage Diner Chairs. V... rhapsodyattic $350.00	70s vintage mod smoked glass... jackiedretrobo... $16.00	PRIMITIVE KITCHEN UTENSILS pamsantiques $8.00
On The Rocks, Ice Cube Tray,... junquegypsy $8.00	hung up Elstreasures $	1940's Misses' and W... HelaQ $
TheVintageRobi... $	1962 Vera Calendar Tea Towel lunaparkfoundr... $22.00	Pink Depression Pillar Optic... SavannahGuz $80.00
Hoosier Cabinet Shaker Set, ... MidwestFinds $72.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Etsy Treasury Feature: "June Bride & The Garden Party"

2011-04-06T18:02:00.000-07:00

Hi Nesters,

Here's another Etsy treasury in which one of the items in my Etsy shop (Beau Marche) has been featured. In this case, it's my Vintage "Something Blue" Wedding Handkerchief. Every time something in my shop gets featured it totally makes my day. Thank you to briarroseboutique for the feature. Click on the photo of the hankie if you want to visit the listing.

'June Bride & The Garden Party' by briarroseboutique

Oh, they say when you marry in June, you're a bride all your life. And the bridegroom who marries in June gets a sweetheart for a wife. Bridesmaids Gifts, something for him & her, odds & ends, unique items to celebrate the special day.

Hannah Headband in Roses and... MyLittlePixies $14.50	Spring SALE 10% Off Will You... craftypagan $13.50	Pink Floral Garden Party Hat CarolinaRoses $25.00
LOVE softie decoration valen... looploft $20.00	REALTOUCH CALLA LILIES AND ... modagefloral $185.00	Mens Cufflink-Fashion Cuffli... cufflinksfacto... $19.00
My Romance - Vintage Bridal ... blushandbunny $60.00	Vintage "Something Blue... BeauMarche $6.00	Personalized black and white... sewcutebykatie $15.95
Father and Son Necktie and B... MeandMatilda $41.99	Vintage Rhinestone Bracelet ... vintagebellabr... $72.00	SALE Black Leather Tophat To... FantasiesInLea... $65.00
Rosebud Lips Old, New, Borro... rosebudlips $34.00	CUSTOMIZED Barn Wood Wedding... ShandrusCreati... $65.00	Miniature Holy Bible 1 inch ... MothersMiniTre... $3.75
Distressed White Picture Fra... BriannaPaigeDe... $14.99

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Tell all your makeup lovin' friends. . .I'm hosting an Aromaleigh giveaway!!!

2011-04-04T19:04:00.000-07:00

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED

Hi Nesters (and future Nesters)!

I decided that I can't wait until I reach my former following status (see giveaway link on sidebar) to host my next giveaway. Waiting sucks and I'm impatient so here it is...

♥ The rules are easy peasy: You just need to be a follower and live in the US or Canada. Make sure you have an email attached to your profile so I can contact you if you win.

No email = No win

♥ The prize: 5 Full Size never used (sifter seal is still intact) eye shadows from the Spells! collection. Expelliarmus, Incendio, Imperio, Lumos, and Riddikulus.

♥ If you entered my ongoing giveaway (the one listed in my sidebar) and want to be included in this one instead, please send me an email letting me know of your desire.

♥ Giveaway ends 11:59 p.m. Sunday, April 17, 2011.

Sharing my new chair!

2011-04-03T16:14:00.000-07:00

Hi Nesters!

We had an empty area in front of our sliding glass door in the family room and I thought a small-ish accent chair would fill the space nicely without taking up too much room. This chair fits the space perfectly. It sits in front of the part of the door that doesn't open so the path to go out isn't blocked at all. It's size is substantial enough to not look like a little kids' chair but yet it doesn't overpower either since it doesn't really have arms. I would say it's a good size chair for when you want extra seating for guests but you wouldn't want to curl up in it to read a book. The chair seat is the perfect height and I can sit all the way back in it and my feet still touch the floor (I'm 5' 4").

Some assembly (just attaching the legs) was required but I knew that from the description before I bought it and it went smoothly. The fabric is the perfect color. It is a flatweave (some sort of microfiber?) with a velvety/chenille feel but there are striations in it that give it the appearance of linen. The legs have a modern shape but the tufting on the back gives it a more traditional feel. This combination of styles suits our decor wonderfully.

Oh and did I mention the chair was only $169 at Wal-Mart.com? Yes, Wal-Mart. . .I know! Shipping was free and they sent it directly to the store of my choosing. It arrived about 1 1/2 weeks after I ordered it.

You can probably tell that I'm thrilled with my new chair. I've never ordered furniture online before so I was hesitant. Most of the reviews were good so I took a chance. And since I had the option to return it to the store instead of having to ship it back, it was a no-brainer for me.

P.S. We got a new rug too! I found it at Lowe's for around $125. There's the old rug rolled up leaning next to the armoire.

Here's an old photo of the previous rug. When we got our leather furniture for the family room a couple of years ago, we also got a new rug. However, I ended up liking the new rug better in the media room so I swapped them out. Now the crazy color blocked rug (yes, I did love it at one time) is looking for a new home.

Thanks for stopping by!

Robyn

Another Etsy Treasury Feature!

2011-03-29T20:23:00.000-07:00

Hi Nesters!

Not to toot my own horn (beep beep!), but I'm so thrilled that another one of my creations was featured in an Etsy treasury. This time, it's my Pottery Barn Inspired Bunny Rabbit (top row, center). This is my third feature since I've been open and it feels very nice to be appreciated for my craftsmanship.

I'm really enjoying my Etsy shop, Beau Marche. I've met so many lovely customers and shop owners in my 2 1/2 months of being open for business. Please visit Etsy, check out some of the artisans there, and see what all the fuss is about.

'Inspired by all things Pottery Barn Style' by SundayTreasures

who doesn't just want a home filled with Pottery Barn Inspiration!

As Seen in Pottery Barn... SundayTreasure... $79.99	Pottery Barn Inspired B... BeauMarche $14.00	Pottery Barn Inspired M... InMind4U $85.00
Pottery Barn Inspired V... IdahoMomof2 $65.00	Farmhouse Style Magnet... belou492 $32.00	Set of 3 Art Inspired b... langshaw $60.00
Pottery Barn Daisy Set ... MuralKits $109.00	Pottery Barn Oversized ... MuralKits $79.00	Pottery Barn inspired -... PillowtasticPl... $24.00
New Listing - Up Cycled... VintageShore $39.00	Pottery Barn inspired -... PillowtasticPl... $24.00	Architectural Distresse... KnickofTime $12.99
Pottery Barn inspired b... candaceashley $25.00	Book Wreath-Pottery bar... BellaAngelo $25.00	NEW SIZE - Family Name ... crazygirlblond $37.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

My 2nd Etsy Treasury Feature!

2011-03-28T11:45:00.000-07:00

Hi Nesters!

It looks like my little Americana tin star bucket is popular this month. This is the second Etsy treasury that it has been featured in. I'm very flattered especially considering the faux finish on it is my own handiwork. If you've never been to Etsy.com before, please go visit. Everything there is either vintage, handmade or a supply with which you can make something. No mass produced crap.

Robyn

'sugar shack' by allsewnup

in honor of the most unique breakfast place, the high hopes farm sugar house, nestled in the foothills of the Berkshires

Save 11%, Ships April 8... WildWomanJewel... $24.03	Vintage Raccoon Mountai... CinfulOldies $9.00	Lemon Sugar Handmade So... SilverMapleSoa... $5.50
Americana Vintage Tin l... BeauMarche $9.00	Sugar Shack Stained Gla... TAINTEDTOAD $350.00	delicious maple sugar ... CraigsMarket $
Natural and Rustic...Fa... LovingLeeCraft... $12.00	Homemade Maple Marshmal... whimsyandspice $6.00	Pure Vermont Maple Suga... MansfieldMaple $15.99
8x12 - Hinge - fine art... humboldtstreet $32.00	Buttermilk Pancake Char... shayaaron $9.90	Buy1 Get1 -Goldfinch am... Raceytay $35.00
Mid Century Modern Syru... DivingHorseVin... $12.00	French Toast with Maple... kangaroodyer $26.00	Perfectly Stackable - A... dearange $34.00
Miniature Dollhouse Met... bonnyblue2 $11.99

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Thrift store wooden box makeover & tutorial

2011-03-25T13:13:00.000-07:00

Hi Nesters!

I picked up this white washed wooden box (formerly from Target per the original label) from the Salvation Army Thrift Store for $1.39. I knew it had potential when I saw it so I grabbed it up. I've had it sitting on my "to do" shelf in my workshop (aka garage) for a few weeks now waiting for inspiration to strike me.

While I was perusing The Graphics Fairy's FREE vintage graphics the other day, I came across a wonderful vintage French label and I instantly knew it would soon adorn my thrift store box. Here's what I did:

Lightly sanded the box inside and out and wipe clean.
Using a foam brush, I painted/dabbed on espresso colored stain all over (including on the metal hardware) to give it a mottled appearance and let it dry before touching up some missed areas in the carving.
I printed out a copy of the French label I found at The Graphic's Fairy on regular computer paper using the photo setting so I would get a good quality copy.
I cut out the label and then burned the edges with a candle to give it an older feel. Stinky and messy but oh so fun!
I applied matte finish Mod Podge to the back of the label and affixed it to the lid of the box and let it dry.
I then applied one coat of the matte finish Mod Podge over the entire top of the box (including the label) to seal and protect it.

It now sits on top of our coffee table and holds the coasters I made over.

***Click HERE to check out my other projects/transformations.

Sharing this project:

Making the World Cuter Monday at Making the World Cuter
Get Your Craft on Tuesday at Today's Creative Blog
Tip Me Tuesday at Tip Junkie
Anything Related Tuesday at All Thingz Related
Tuesday Trash to Treasure at Rural Grace
Tutorial Tuesday at Hope Studios
Transformation Thursdays at The Shabby Chic Cottage
Everything But the Kitchen Sink Thursday at A Little Knick Knack
Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
It's a Hodgepodge Friday at It's a Hodgepodge Life
Saturday is Crafty Day at Along for the Ride

Brag Monday at The Graphics Fairy

I was Featured in an Etsy Treasury!

2011-03-17T01:00:00.000-07:00

Hi Nesters!

I feel honored that my Americana Vintage Tin Look Star Bucket was chosen for this Etsy treasury.

Robyn
___________________________________________________________

'Wish Upon A Star' by AkulaHopeDesigns

Time for a little wishing!

Wish on a Star Wood Pai... RusticGardenSt... $6.00	Shine AlisaPaints AlisaPaints $107.00	Wishing Star - sterling... soradesigns $26.50
8"x10" Photog... PhotographyHer... $25.00	Wish Upon A Star Handst... sarahfewell $39.00	Vintage Paper Folded St... ShePinTea $6.50
SEAGULL Canada pewter d... LorenzoMele $8.00	starry eyes . Karen Hil... Andromedii $20.00	Compass Rose Nautical V... EmpireCityStud... $34.95
make a wish - ring nanofactory $8.50	Blue Nebula - Original ... MelissaSherows... $500.00	She Hung the Moon - Vin... TrashAndTrinke... $48.00
Be a Star crescentcityco... $18.00	NEW-The Nautical Star-G... domesticallyUR... $4.00	STaRRy NiGhT - LaRGe 13... DirtKicker $125.00
Americana Vintage Tin l... BeauMarche $9.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com A/B image testing.

Inspiration. . .

2011-03-16T15:48:00.000-07:00

Hi Nesters,

Here are a few things I've come across lately that I either want or just simply appreciate. Enjoy!

Pottery Barn

Blueyedgirl on Etsy

Heartfeltgiver on Etsy

Pottery Barn

MamaTita on Etsy

Rainbowswirlz on Etsy

Thrift store candle holder redo

2011-03-12T17:33:00.000-08:00

Hi Nesters!

I've been quite busy lately crafting/repurposing/upcycling (pick your word of the moment). Here's another thrift store find ($1.00) that I hope inspires you to view things in a new way.

When I spied this little beauty, I knew the pewter finish wouldn't match my decor but I liked the size and shape. I also knew I had some oil rubbed bronze spray paint at home so I brought the candle holder (it holds a taper or a pillar) home with me.

This was one of the easiest redo's ever. 1 coat of Rust-Oleum grey spray primer, 2 coats of Rust-Oleum oil rubbed bronze spray paint, and voila!

Before

After

Thank you for reading!

Robyn

Pottery Barn Bunny Knock-Off

2011-03-11T18:24:00.000-08:00

Pottery Barn has some very cute bunny rabbits for sale right now. It's nearly spring and Easter is just around the corner. Instead of paying PB's prices, I decided to create my own using a thrift store plain white rabbit figurine.

1) Plain white ceramic bunny gets two coats of Krylon spray paint in Espresso. Let dry.
2) Then one coat of Krylon spray paint in Heirloom White. Before dry, I used a scrunched up piece of something (can't remember what...sack, paper towel...whatever was handy) and blotted some of the paint off. Let dry.
3) Use sandpaper to remove more of the white paint and bring out the detail.
4) Lightly rubbed walnut ink (you could use waterbased dark wood stain) all over to give an aged feel. Voila!

Here's a photo progression of the steps to the final result. . .

Looks like melted chocolate here

~~This adorable bunny is for sale here in my Etsy store.~~ SOLD.

Click HERE to check out my other project/tutorials/transformations.

Robyn

Sharing this project. . .
Making the World Cuter Monday at Making the World Cuter
Get Your Craft on Tuesday at Today's Creative Blog
Tip Me Tuesday at Tip Junkie
Anything Related Tuesday at All Thingz Related
Tuesday Trash to Treasure at Rural Grace
Tutorial Tuesday at Hope Studios
Transformation Thursdays at The Shabby Chic Cottage
Everything But the Kitchen Sink Thursday at A Little Knick Knack
Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
It's a Hodgepodge Friday at It's a Hodgepodge Life
Saturday is Crafty Day at Along for the Ride

Vintage Loveliness. . .

2011-03-07T19:14:00.000-08:00

Hi Nesters!

I've collected vintage handkerchiefs for many years and am now ready to part with my entire 16 piece collection. If you're into vintage linens please visit my Etsy shop, Beau Marché, and take a look around. There's a lot of vintage loveliness to be had. If you don't find something in my shop, please browse other sellers. There are lots of amazing shop owners and artisans on Etsy.

Here's a preview. . .

Sharing here: My Romantic Home

Blog news and a giveaway!

2011-03-03T11:03:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!

You may have read that my following gadget recently disappeared from my blog (along with all my 184 blog followers--who I lovingly refer to as my "nesters"). After several attempts to fix it, I'm giving up on any hopes of retrieving it. So I've added Google's new friend connect member following gadget.

However, now I'm starting from scratch with no followers. I thought it wouldn't bother me to not see all of your faces smiling at me from my sidebar and that just knowing you're out there would be enough and that I would get over the loss of my following gadget..........well, it does bother me, just knowing is not enough and I'm not getting over it. ;) And I really miss you all.

So. . .I'm having a giveaway as soon as I reach 184 followers again!!!

For those who follow my blog because they share my love of makeup...I will compile a gift bag of makeup products (unused/new full sizes and samples) most of which will be Aromaleigh Mineral Cosmetics products because that is what I own the most of (prize description coming soon).

And for those who follow my blog because they share my love of gardening, crafting, home renovation or home decor...I will mail you a $25 Lowe's, Home Depot, Joann's or Michael's gift card (your choice of one).

RULES:

All you have to do is start following me using my new gadget. That's it--easy peasy! You will need to have an email attached to your follower profile so I can contact you if you win. If you don't want to have an email on your profile, you can just leave it in a comment here (example: robynsnestblog (at) gmail (dot) com).

Extra entry(ies): If you'd like to get an extra entry into my giveaway, "like" Robyn's Nest on facebook. If you already like my blog on facebook, that's great--you already get an additional entry. For an additional entry, post about my giveaway on your blog and leave a comment here with a link.

Want to follow my blog but don't want to enter the giveaway?. . .please send me an email letting me know that you are opting out. Otherwise, you might accidentally win something really awesome.

Updates about me, my shop and other stuff. . .

2011-03-01T17:48:00.000-08:00

Hi Nesters!

Still no working following gadget but I'm slowly getting over it. I blog for the love of it and not for the fame or glory (ha ha) although I do still miss seeing all of my Nesters' icons on my sidebar (okay, so maybe I'm not totally over it being gone--yet). But I am finding fun things to do to keep me distracted from the disappointment of the missing following gadget (sounds like a good title for a mystery novel).

But there's good news to reflect on. After having my Etsy shop "Beau Marche" open for only 2 days, I made my first sale. Since then (approximately 20 days), I have made 3 additional sales. Not enough to make me rich, but definitely enough to make me ecstatic. I didn't realize the joy my little online store would bring me. I used to sell my kids' outgrown clothing, my maternity clothes, and some of Jason's albums on eBay (and made a good chunk of change doing it), but I didn't get the same satisfaction as I do from my Etsy shop. This is more personal and more ME.

I'm a treasure hunter at heart and have been since I was a child tagging along with my grandparents to yard sales whenever my brother and I would go on vacation with them to our family's beach cabin in Santa Cruz. I still get excited when I'm in a thrift store and I find nearly new Tupperware for $1.50. That stuff can be pricey and I'm a girl who can't resist a good quality storage solution.

My heart also swoons over almost anything vintage. I love the timeworn aesthetic and the wonderment of the history behind the treasures I find. Although I don't wear any myself, I am particularly fond of vintage clothing and jewelry and I used to collect vintage slips. When I would visit my grandparents in Chowchilla, I spent countless hours playing dress-up in my mom's old prom dresses (my grandma even let me try on my mom's wedding dress a few times) and my mom and grandma's costume jewelry collections.

Currently, I'm in the process of selling off some of my vintage jewelry collection (none of it belonged to family members--I just can't part with that). Although several pieces are in excellent wearable condition, some of are in not-so-perfect condition. But then I bought them that way. Just because a piece was missing a stone or two, didn't mean that I couldn't enjoy looking at it in my jewelry box. Not everything is meant to be used you know. Some things are just there to be appreciated. Some pieces I purchased with the idea that I would turn them into something else but sadly that never came to fruition. Hopefully, someone else will see the potential in some of my treasures and want them for their very own just as I did at one time.

I also went through a phase (can you call several years a phase?) where I acquired vintage linens of all kinds. Doilies, table runners, handkerchiefs, pillow cases, sheets, you name it. If it had a pretty pink rose or flower on it, I probably bought it. Entering a new phase in my life of "less is more," I am parting with many of my collectibles and selling them in my store. So far, every single thing you see in my Etsy shop is from my own collections that I have accumulated over the years. It will probably take a while before I'll need to purchase anything specifically for the purpose of selling in my shop. Okay, it's time to wrap things up. If you stuck with my post this far, I appreciate and admire you.

I'll leave you with some eye candy from my shop. . .

My follower gadget is broken and so is my heart.

2011-02-27T15:31:00.000-08:00

Hi Nesters,

I don't know what happened but today I checked my blog and my follower gadget wasn't working. It's like it just disappeared. Instead of seeing all the smiling faces and icons from my readers, there was this message. . .

"We're sorry. . .The item you are looking for was not found or has been deleted. Please try again."

I've tried to remove it and re-add the gadget and I've tried inserting the follower code from a backup of my template, but I still get the same results. I posted a help message on the blogger forum and am hoping someone who knows more about this stuff than I do will find a solution for me. In the meantime, my 184 Nesters (aka followers) are lost somewhere in limbo land and I am sad and heartbroken (I never realized how much I enjoyed looking at all of you lovely readers every day).

Here's my solution. . .since my preferred method of reading all of your blogs is with Bloglovin', I've decided to add my own Bloglovin' icon to my sidebar so you can follow me there too. In my opinion, it's a much better way to read blogs than using blogger's reader. I can also personalize my settings to have my favorite blogs' updates sent to my email (as they are posted, daily or weekly).

Click below to follow me via Bloglovin'

If you're not familiar with Bloglovin', here's a screenshot of what I see when I open up my page:

Of course, this is a reduced size version. But I can scroll down through the list of recent blog posts and read a short excerpt of each new post (click on "see all" on the blogs I follow gadget on my sidebar to see a real life version). If I want to see all recent posts by one particular blogger, I simply click on their name on the left and all of their posts show on the main screen. It's just a nice alternative to blogger/google friendconnect following gadget (especially if yours doesn't work anymore like mine).

Please keep me in your good thoughts and wishes and hopefully my old follower gadget will return one day.

"A Little Birdie" before and after (a Pottery Barn knock-off project)

2011-02-26T19:46:00.000-08:00

Hi Nesters!

We've all seen the Pottery Barn chippy little time worn birds in their many variations. And we've also seen their price tags (yikes!). Well, on a recent trip to the thrift store, I found a little bird figurine ($1.39) that was crying out to be made over into just such a chippy bird. See his transformation below.

Pottery Barn bird candles

Pottery Barn ceramic bird

My thrift store bird

Here he is with one coat of espresso spray paint.

I applied one coat of heirloom white spray paint and lightly pressed a plastic bag on him to remove some of the paint while it was still wet. Then, I applied a little walnut ink with a dry cloth (you could use gel stain instead) to give him a more aged feel.

Isn't he cute? And since I already had the spray paint and walnut ink on hand, the whole project only cost me the original $1.39 I spent on him.

Right now, he lives on our coffee table.

Thanks for checking out my latest project. I'll be posting more transformations in the future.

I'm sharing this project at:

Making the World Cuter Monday at Making the World Cuter
Get Your Craft on Tuesday at Today's Creative Blog
Tip Me Tuesday at Tip Junkie
Anything Related Tuesday at All Thingz Related
Tuesday Trash to Treasure at Rural Grace
Tutorial Tuesday at Hope Studios
Transformation Thursdays at The Shabby Chic Cottage
Everything But the Kitchen Sink Thursday at A Little Knick Knack
Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
It's a Hodgepodge Friday at It's a Hodgepodge Life
Saturday is Crafty Day at Along for the Ride

Marvelously Messy

My latest home decor finds...pillow covers

2011-02-24T11:14:00.000-08:00

Hi Nesters!

I've wanted to share my latest acquisitions with you for a while now but my new Etsy store (and "life" in general) has been keeping me busy. I decided to take a little break and post about my new goodies.

The first one is an embroidered "Nest" pillow cover purchased on Etsy. You know I love me some bird/nest stuff. It's a cute durable little pillow (made from cotton canvas) and perfect for my chair. I read in this chair a lot as well as watch t.v. The chair is so roomy that my 6 year old son often joins me in it. The pillow is getting lots of use but I know the cover will last a long time since I can remove the insert to wash it or mend it if necessary. Pillow covers are really a good way to go for pillows that will see a lot of use since you can replace the cushion inside when it gets old and flat.

The second find is a vintage inspired butterfly collage print pillow cover (also from Etsy). I couldn't find an insert this size in my local stores so I made one myself with some muslin and cotton batting. I think the neutral colors with a subtle pop go well with my decor. I added two faux suede pillows (only $12 each at Target) to round out the pillowscape on my couch.

This is a preview of my new coffee table. I'll be posting a little story about that in the future. And the rug you see here (which used to be in our media room) is getting replaced so I'll probably post about that in the future too.

Thanks for stopping by!

Robyn

***Sharing at My Romantic Home's Show & Tell Friday

Repurposed ugly coasters & tutorial

2011-02-15T19:15:00.000-08:00

Hi Nesters!

Today's post is the first of a few "repurposing" projects I've worked on over the past few weeks. This one I did earlier this month. But I caught an awful cold bug and was down off and on (a mom's job doesn't stop when she's sick) for two weeks so I'm just now getting around to posting it. The other projects I'll be posting shortly are ones I did this past week while my son was out sick from school. Poor guy had a stuffy nose, cough and fever (usually around 100.4 but got as high as 101.5 on the last day) and missed an entire week of school. First up is my coaster project.

I've never really found coasters that were to my liking. I've found some that were "good enough" and utilitarian but none that I would actually consider leaving out on my coffee. Still not sure if I'll leave these out all the time, but at least they're cute. Okay, so I decided that I would search for some coasters that were ugly and cheap (easier to do than I thought) and redo them to suit my taste. My first stop, I visited a thrift store which is located a few doors down from my neighborhood grocery store and I found exactly what I was looking for. . .

Here's what I did:

1) Cover the top of the coasters with one coat of flat black acrylic craft paint and let dry.

2) Cover top of painted coasters with a coat of Mod Podge.

3) Cover top of Mod Podge coated coasters (say that 5 times fast, I dare you) with a piece of scrapbook paper (I had some left over from a previous project) and trim paper just to the edge of coasters. Let dry.

4) Take high grit sandpaper and (using a downward motion) remove excess paper from the edges of the coasters.

5) Apply a thin coat of spar urethane varnish. Let dry. Apply two more coats of varnish, drying in between coats. Sand with 400 grit sandpaper in between coats if you see brush marks. I didn't want a glossy surface on my coasters so I buffed with 0000 steel wool to remove the shine after the final coat dried.

Here are the finished coasters. Each one is unique but they all go together.

Voila!

If you've had trouble finding coasters to suit your personal taste, I hope my project inspires you. If you've already done a similar project, I'd love it if you'd share a link to it in the comments section.

Sharing this project at:

Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
It's a Hodgepodge Friday at It's a Hodgepodge Life

Marvelously Messy

Saturday is Crafty Day at Along for the Ride

Great deals on affordable makeup at e.l.f. and a contest

2011-02-10T17:16:00.000-08:00

Just in. . .great deals from e.l.f. cosmetics. If you're looking for affordable high quality makeup, you've found it. I personally use the e.l.f. neutral palette and love it!

Click on the photo to shop and get your fabulous deal!

Have a beautiful weekend!

My Etsy shop is open for business!

2011-02-07T17:17:00.000-08:00

Hi Nesters!

You may have noticed the announcement that's been sitting at the top of my blog letting you all know that my Etsy shop is coming soon. Well, that day is finally here. . .

Welcome to Beau Marché (boh mahr-shey "beautiful market")! Click on the avatar below (or on my shop banner above) to visit my shop.

I've always had a secret yearning to open and run my own store. Being a full-time wife and mother, it just didn't seem to be in my future. But since my family is my priority, I was okay with that. But Etsy (an online global handmade and vintage marketplace) has made it possible. It's sort of like eBay but without the auctions. And everything you find on Etsy is either handmade by the shop owner, vintage (more than 20 years old), or a supply that someone can use to handcraft things. That's it. No mass produced swap meet sunglasses here.

And I love buying on Etsy because I know that when I do, I'm helping an individual grow their business and possibly feed their family and not just padding the already fat bank account of a huge corporation.

I have 3 items in my store so far but I have several more vintage, repurposed and handmade items ready to be listed in the near future.

Thank you everyone who wished me well on Facebook. I appreciate your support!

A silver robin's nest

2011-01-26T09:32:00.000-08:00

My friend Lyndsey made this beautiful robin's nest pendant for me with her very talented hands (and she's not even a jewelry maker by profession). The gift was a surprise and arrived in the mail this past Christmas Eve. It's so sweet and I simply love it.

Click here to read more about Lyndsey and how we met.

Wall art project part II (and a tutorial)

2011-01-23T12:00:00.000-08:00

Hi Nesters,

Here's the second part of the wall art project I worked on last weekend. If you missed it, here's part I (Deconstructed Wall Art). I'm showing you the reveal first because I know you'll just scroll down to the bottom before you finish reading this post anyway. ;)

If you're interested in how I did this project, check out the rest of the post...I've given you a little tutorial.

Decoupaged initials and bird, egg and bird cage graphics adorn our family room wall (cause you know I love me some "bird" stuff)

"R" for Robyn (that's me)

"J" for Jason (my husband)

Vintage bird cage graphic

Vintage birds nesting graphic

Vintage bird eggs graphic

Before: A similar picture to the one you see here on the left was hanging on right side of the mirror. I don't have a before photo of them all together, but you get the idea.

After

Tutorial:

I started out with MDF (medium density fiberboard) letters that were painted white from the craft store. They had a hanging hole already drilled in the back but they didn't hang straight so I used 3M foam adhesive squares.

I painted each letter (top and sides) with soft black acrylic craft paint
Then I affixed scrapbook paper to the top of each letter using Mod Podge (I did not top coat it yet)
I used sandpaper to remove the excess paper and give the edges a timeworn look
I added paper embellishments to each letter (words, pictures, scrabble tiles, etc.)
I covered the entire project with a coat of Mod Podge to seal it
For the graphic prints, I went to The Graphics Fairy and downloaded them (for FREE!) and printed them in the sizes I needed onto card stock. I then shopped my closets and found some frames I wasn't using. One of the smaller ones was antique gold so I gave it a quick coat of the soft black acrylic craft paint and then roughed up the edges to give it a vintage-y feel.

More photos of the painting process and adding the decorative paper using the letter "B" from my previous wall project as as example:

Again, the final result!

Thanks for checking our my latest home project. If you enjoyed this post, please add yourself as a follower ("Nester").

I'm sharing this project at:

Brag Monday at The Graphics Fairy
Making the World Cuter Monday at Making the World Cuter
Get Your Craft on Tuesday at Today's Creative Blog
Tip Me Tuesday at Tip Junkie
Anything Related Tuesday at All Thingz Related
Tuesday Trash to Treasure at Rural Grace
Tutorial Tuesday at Hope Studios
Transformation Thursdays at The Shabby Chic Cottage
Everything But the Kitchen Sink Thursday at A Little Knick Knack
Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
It's a Hodgepodge Friday at It's a Hodgepodge Life
Saturday is Crafty Day at Along for the Ride
Marvelously Messy

Follow my blog with bloglovin

Deconstructed wall art collage & tutorial

2011-01-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

"Every act of creation is first of all an act of destruction.” ~ Pablo Picasso

I've dabbled in many types of crafty media over the years, but collaging is one of my favorites. However, I've never done it on this large a scale before.

Here are a few examples of my collage work using torn pre-printed paper, rubber stamping, heat embossing (do you see my signature gold bee on each item?), stickers, walnut ink, chalk, ephemera, buttons, beads, fibers, etc.

Below is a journal/scrapbook/photo album (can be used for whatever) I made for my daughter several years ago. I think she was around 8 or 9 (she's 14 now). Inside, I stamped a rainbow dragonfly and wrote. . .

To my daughter Sierra,

Follow your heart, dream big & always be yourself.

Love, Mommy

She still hasn't used it yet though. She says it's too pretty and she doesn't want to mess it up. Maybe when she's older and has children of her own, she'll put their photos in it. Who knows.

I made this book as a gift for a friend who was the out-going secretary of a club that I was going to be the new secretary for.

I made this bookmark for a friend who lives far away and was going to travel even farther away on vacation. I made it in the hopes that she would be able to use it while relaxing with a good book.

So on to my most recent collage project. . .

Flanking both sides of a mirror over my fireplace are two pieces of 20" x 20" art (I use the term art very loosely) that are very similar but different. I purchased them for lack of finding anything else to put in their place. I wasn't in love with them and always knew I'd find something else to replace them. They've been up for almost a year and I haven't found anything to take their place so I decided to make something myself utilizing what I already had.

This is what I started with. It looks like cheap hotel art. I can't believe I actually bought it (and it's mate) and hung it up. I must have been desperate and had a temporary lapse in judgment.

My inspiration from a magazine.

The back side of the art.

I ripped off the paper backing.

Removed the many staples and the cardboard backing.

Removed the art that was taped in place and the glass. All that's left is the matte and frame, which I happen to think are very lovely and the only redeeming quality about the original art work.

My materials. The R and J I used for another wall art project (separate post coming soon).

I ended up selecting the French collage paper you see in the top left corner as my background.

Crafting is fun but can get messy. It's all part of the creative process.

Here, I've got everything laid out and ready to glue down using Mod Podge. The letter "B" (for our last name) still needs to be painted and decorated with paper. In a separate post, I'll give a step-by-step tutorial on what how I accomplished that. Oh, I should mention that I used E6000 to attach the letter B and I re-attached the cardboard to the back for support using packing tape.

And this is the finished project below! I'm very pleased with how it turned out. It was one of those projects that I didn't have a clear vision for so I kind of made things up as I went along. Thank goodness I love the results.

I really want to show you how it looks now in its surroundings but I did another art project the same day for the wall space on the right side of the mirror that I want to share in a separate post. So I'll do the big reveal then.

To see the finished art piece close-up and in greater detail, please click here.

Here's the list of things I added to the "already collage-looking background paper: the pink rose near the word "France," the little flying bird in the top right near the Eiffel Tower, the "love" scrabble letters, the bicycle, binoculars, a little "thinking of you" note, a dimensional black number 4 circle sticker (for the number of people in our family). . .and look at the sweet little robin's nest I found at The Graphics Fairy.

Thanks for checking out my latest project. Don't forget to come back and see the wall art project I did for the wall space on the other side of the mirror. BTW, check out my comments section to see how little $ I spent on this project. I'm pretty sure you'll want to start looking around your own home for something to rip apart and reinvent.

Sharing at. . .

Brag Monday at The Graphics Fairy
Make it for Monday at Cottage Instincts
Get Your Craft on Tuesday at Today's Creative Blog
Tip Me Tuesday at Tip Junkie
Anything Related Tuesday at All Thingz Related
Tutorial Tuesday at Hope Studios
Transformation Thursdays at The Shabby Chic Cottage
Everything But the Kitchen Sink Thursday at A Little Knick Knack
Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
It's a Hodgepodge Friday at It's a Hodgepodge Life
Saturday is Crafty Day at Along for the Ride
Marvelously Messy

Get your weekend shopping done with these great deals!

2011-01-15T10:34:00.000-08:00

Hi Nesters!

Here are some great deals I found for you on home decor, makeup and skin care. Just click on the links to go shopping. Each promotion has its own end date so don't wait too long or you could miss out.

Click here to get 15% Off all Bedding at BurkeDecor.com. Use Coupon code "BEDDING15".

Click here to get your Free Gift for On the Glow with any Clarisonic skin cleansing system, including travel size! Engraving & Free Shipping too!

Click here to get your FREE 4-pc bareMinerals gift set with any $40 purchase - While Supplies Last

Glass cloche bird's nest project & tutorial

2011-01-13T10:16:00.000-08:00

Hi Nesters!

This isn't an original idea but being a lover of nature (especially birds) it's something I've wanted to do for a while now. Glass cloches can be very expensive so I decided to make my own.

I found a small (about 6" tall) hurricane candle holder at Home Goods on clearance ($3.00).

I had a bunch of vintage-looking glass knobs ($0.00) left over from a shabby chic dresser project I did years ago (I'll show you that project in a future post). I used some E6000 adhesive to affix the knob to the bottom (which is now the top of the cloche) of the hurricane lamp.

I purchased a tiny faux bird's nest ($1.99) and a packet of faux eggs ($1.99) from the craft store. The nest was a little big to fit under the cloche so I trimmed away some of the outer twigs.

I printed up a bird graphic from The Graphics Fairy, one of my new favorite blogs (and she even lets you print them out for FREE!), and inserted it under the cloche behind the bird's nest. I got the idea from The Graphics Fairy as well.

I had hoped to use a robin bird graphic but couldn't find one in a horizontal composition. I printed this one out but it didn't work under the cloche since the egg in the photo got hidden by the nest. But it was so pretty I couldn't throw it away. I ended up sticking it in a scrolly iron wall art I have hanging above my desk, which happens to be on an adjoining wall just to right of my fireplace.

The finished project. It's so sweet. I'm thrilled with how it turned out. . .and all for under $10!

Linking to: Thrifty Thursday at Tales from Bloggeritaville

Goals for my nest in 2011

2011-01-06T20:28:00.000-08:00

I didn't need someone to challenge me to come up with a list of things I want to do around the house this coming year (there's always something that needs to be done), but The Nester happened to post such a challenge on her blog recently so I thought it was a good excuse to actually get all of it written down. That is the first step to getting things done after all. . .make a list. I won't promise myself that all of the projects listed here will get done. But I'm optimistic and hopeful that I'll get through quite a lot of them.

So here's my list (in no particular order) of things I hope to accomplish myself (or with minimal help from my husband) around the house in the year 2011.

Repaint the kitchen.
Repaint the breakfast room.
Repaint the family room.

Repaint the media room. (aka Daddy's room)
Repaint the hallway.
Repaint the foyer. The aforementioned 5 rooms/areas are all currently painted the same color ("Warm Oats" by Easy Living). It's not that I don't like the current color, but after a few years of hanging/rehanging photos and artwork in different places, and just general wear and tear, it's time for for new paint. I'm not sure if I'll repaint the same color or go for something different. If I decide on a different color, I'm still leaning toward a similar beige tone but perhaps with a little less yellow in it. Maybe more in the taupe family. We'll see.
Repaint son's bedroom. It's currently a pale blue ("Igloo" by Dutch Boy) and we're planning on removing all of his sports wallpaper stick-ons and painting it either a soft beige or a mid-tone denim blue (picking up one of the colors in his quilt).

(Sorry for the bad pics. Not a bit of sunshine to be had this week.)

Repaint all doors, door jams and baseboards. In a perfect world, I would like to actually replace all of the doors but that's not in the budget right now.
Install new cabinet/drawer fronts and hardware in the kitchen and breakfast room. I got an estimate on what it would cost to have all new cabinets installed (not even changing the floor plan at all) and it was a little over $6k for just 18 linear feet of upper and lower cabinets. That doesn't even include the bank of cabinets I have along with breakfast room wall. I decided that I can live without new cabinets but will just purchase stock cabinet/drawer fronts, paint them myself and install new hardware. When we purchased our home, the cabinets were the original mid-tone brown varnish with antique gold knobs. I primed and painted the cabinets white and added chrome/porcelain hardware (30 cabinets/drawers in all).
Paint oven door, paint cook top and replace hood vent. Since our house was built in 1966, they don't make replacement wall ovens and cook tops in the size I need. I would have to make modifications to the existing counters and cabinetry and that's something I really don't want to deal with. Although our oven, cook top and hood vent are original, they are in great working condition and very clean. They are also very brown. So I think a fresh coat of "appliance white" paint will freshen them up nicely.
Install new flooring in main bathroom. When we moved in, the main bathroom was decorated in 1980's peach and gray, including coordinating peel & stick tiles. So in an effort to provide a quick inexpensive fix, I ripped out the old tiles and installed new "not quite so hideous" faux marble peel & stick tiles. After all these years they are still in good condition, but vinyl tiles don't really appeal to my design aesthetic so it's time for a new floor. I'm not sure what kind of floor I want to install but it needs to be DIY friendly. I'm thinking about doing a self-leveling concrete floor and then staining it. If you've tried this technique before, please post a comment here and give me some pointers.
Touch-up paint on exterior of house. Our house is part stucco and part wood. The wood part is up near the eaves and has weathered some over the last couple of years since it was last painted by a professional. That person didn't use a primer and it shows. Once the weather warms up in the spring, this is the first job I want to tackle (or have hubby tackle).
Replace or paint existing flush-mount lights in kitchen. When we moved in, the kitchen had the original builder's grade light fixtures from the 60's. I replaced them with generic white frosted flush-mount fixtures. Nothing fancy because I didn't want them to stand out. But I think now I'm ready to show a little more personality. If I don't find anything affordable that really jumps out at me, I'll just repaint the white trim on the existing fixtures with a dark bronze paint.

Well, that's it for now. I'm sure I can come up with several other things that need to be done but they'll have to wait for next year's list.

If you would like to see what the rest of the rooms look like, go here to view all of my blog posts that include photos of our home.

Hollywood Spotlight: Natalie Portman

2011-01-05T18:14:00.000-08:00

Natalie Portman is one of my favorite actresses. The first film I saw her in was The Professional (1994) and I've been a fan ever since. She has one movie out right now, Black Swan and another No Strings Attached (a romantic comedy co-starring Ashton Kutcher), which will be released later this month. She has also completed another film, Your Highness (an epic comedy adventure set in the times of kings and dragons), which will be released sometime this year. Thor, an epic adventure based on the Marvel Comics series, is in post-production and is scheduled to be released this year as well. Click here to read more about Natalie's filmography.

Jean Reno and Natalie Portman in The Professional

Natalie in Black Swan

Natalie in Your Highness

Natalie as "Jane Foster" in Thor

And in case you haven't heard, Natalie and her Black Swan co-star, Benjamin Millepied, are engaged and expecting a child.

Benjamin Millepied - Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Europe

Just for fun, here's Natalie in my all-time favorite SNL digital short. I never tire of it.

Mondays with Marilyn: Champagne

2011-01-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

Glitz & Glamour: Glamarella on Etsy

2011-01-02T17:07:00.000-08:00

Fleur de lis necklace

French bird cage

Chunky beaded necklace

Wanderlust Gypsy tank

Rhinestone necklace

I've never purchased anything from Glamarella (yet) but some of their items really caught my eye. The prices on these items range from $22.50 - $62. Visit Glamarella on Etsy or their blog: Glamarella Junk.

Robyn's Nest is not affiliated in any way with Glamarella.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

A quick note. . .

2010-12-28T00:34:00.001-08:00

Gilded holiday fotd and photo tutorial

2010-12-15T18:56:00.000-08:00

Hi Nesters,

Here is my first look using Meow's holiday collection "Holiday Wishes." In this look, I also used a blush from their holiday collection "Sugarplums," as well as a glow powder from yet another holiday collection "Ghost Stories." Click here to check out all of Meow's beautiful limited edition holiday collections (there are quite a few).

1. Prior to beginning my eyeshadow application, I apply my moisturizing sunscreen and let it soak in. Then I apply my mineral foundation. After that, I start off all of my eyeshadow looks with a very light application of Aromaleigh's shadow base in medium. A little of this base goes a very long way so (like with most shadow primers). All you have to do is lightly pat-pat-pat your ring finger into the container a few times and then lightly pat-pat-pat again all over your eyelid from lashes to brows. This step is a must for applying loose mineral powder shadows so they will stick to your skin well and last all day.

2. Apply Love to inner to inner corner of lid overlapping into the center 1/3 of the lid. I used Target's large shadow brush for this step.

3. Apply Wonder to center of lid in a patting motion slightly overlapping into the outer 1/3 of the lid. I used Target's large shadow brush for this step.

4. Apply Holiday Spirit to outer corner using a patting motion (I used Target's small shadow brush). Then sweep it into the crease using a back and forth motion making the shape of a filled in "v." If you hear people talking about the "outer v," this is what they are referring to. I used a pointed silk fiber brush for this step.

5. Apply Serenity just slightly above crease color to blend and soften.

6. Apply Oyster underneath brows and in the inner corner area to soften all of the edges. I used a crease/shader brush from ecoTools for this step.

7. Apply Chocolate Mousse gel liner to top and bottom lash lines. I used Target's smudger brush so my line would be soft. You can use a thin liner brush if you want a more defined look.

8. Here I applied a soft black pencil to my waterline, mascara and brow powder to complete the look.

I used Meow's Sugarplum blush on my cheeks and Present glow powder on my cheekbones.

My outfit of the day: heathered brown wrap sweater, boot cut jeans and a scarf.

*Samples of Meow's holiday collections were gifted to me for objective review purposes.

Enter for a chance to win Wet n Wild "Sugar Plum Fairy"

2010-12-11T19:42:00.000-08:00

Go visit Makeup Zombie for the details on how you can enter for a chance to win the much coveted Wet n Wild Sugar Plum Fairy palette!

Aromaleigh Astronomical Look III and my first step-by-step photo tutorial

2010-12-07T16:44:00.000-08:00

Hi Nesters!

For my third look using Aromaleigh's limited edition collection "Astronomical," I decided to do a quintessential gradated neutral eye. And to show you how I accomplished this look, I took a photo after every step of my application process. For those of you who are new to makeup or those who are looking for an application technique that might be different from what you usually do, I hope you find this photo tutorial helpful. In the future, I might attempt a video tutorial but I'm not making any promises. ;)

Color Descriptions:

Neutrino (Astronomical) - borealis twinkles in a base of warm milk-chocolatey brown plush
Ephemeris (Astronomical) - semi-metallic cool taupe exhibits pinky-gold highlight and aurora borealis twinkles
Milky Way (Astronomical) - cream-coloured velvet adorned w/soft golden highlight and subtle blue glimmer
Oyster (Carolina Summer Matte) - matte pale cream/yellow
Umber (Pure Eyes Matte) - matte deepest brown

What I used on the rest of my face. . .

Foundation - Meow Flawless Feline in Frisky Manx (this is a little light for me but I wanted to use up some samples I had)
Finishing Powder - Aromaleigh Ultra Resolution Finishing Powder in Clear
Cheeks - Aromaleigh Perle Powders in Incandesce on cheekbones and Whisper on apples
Lips - Aromaleigh Shortcake
Lashes - Covergirl Professional WP mascara in Very Black

1. Prior to beginning my eyeshadow application, I apply my moisturizing sunscreen and let it soak in. Then I apply my mineral foundation. After that, I start off all of my eyeshadow looks with a very light application of Aromaleigh's shadow base in medium. A little of this base goes a very long way so (like with most shadow primers). All you have to do is lightly pat-pat-pat your ring finger into the container a few times and then lightly pat-pat-pat again all over your eyelid from lashes to brows. This step is a must for applying loose mineral powder shadows so they will stick to your skin well and last all day.

2. Apply Neutrino to outer corner and slightly into the crease using a back and forth motion making the shape of a filled in "v." If you hear people talking about the "outer v," this is what they are referring to. I used a pointed silk fiber brush for this step.

3. Apply Ephemeris to lid in a patting motion slightly overlapping the crease color. I used Target's large shadow brush for this step.

4. Apply Milky Way to inner corner of lid overlapping slightly into the lid color. I used a crease/shader brush from ecoTools for this step.

5. Apply Oyster all over the area between crease and brows. I used the same brush from step #3.

6. For this step, I used a thin liner brush dipped in water and then into Umber and lined the entire upper lash line winging out slightly at the outer corner. I used my ring finger to slightly smudge the edge of the liner closest to the inner corner to soften.

7. In this photo, I added a brown gel liner 3/4 of the way underneath my lower lashes using the same thin liner brush that I used in step #6 and I softened it using a natural hair smudger brush. I curled my lashes and added some brow powder and mascara. I cleaned up any loose mineral eyeshadow that happened to fall underneath my eyes or in my cheek area using a flocked sponge dipped in my mineral foundation. After that, I applied my blush and lipstick.

Photos are unretouched.

Click here to view a post about my favorite brushes.

* Aromaleigh Astronomical eyeshadow descriptions courtesy of Tanya at Easily Distracted blog.

Aromaleigh Astronomical Look II

2010-12-07T09:08:00.001-08:00

Hi Nesters! Here's the look I did yesterday using Aromaleigh's limited edition collection "Astronomical." The descriptions are from the lovely Tanya of the blog Easily Distracted (btw, she's hosting a blog giveaway in which the prizes are Aromaleigh eyeshadow).My intent with this look was to use Ephemeris on my lid and Extra-Galactic in my crease. However, when I reached for the eyeshadow my brain must have said "grab the Extra-Galactic" because when I applied it to my lid I let out a little gasp of surprise when I realized my error. Instead of wiping it off and starting over, I figured it was a happy accident and went with it. I simply reversed the placement I had intended and I think the results are pretty. Color descriptions and where I applied them. . .Extra-Galactic: semi-metallic deep mauve reflects pale pink interference and flashes o fuchsia - lidEphemeris: semi-metallic cool taupe exhibits pinky-gold highlight and aurora borealis twinkles - crease and outer cornerPerihelion: semi-metallic ultra-pale sage green gleams w/prominent gold highlight and flashes of pale violet - brow bone highlightEscape Velocity: sheer “deep space” indigo satin enhanced by smoky lowlight, pale blue highlight, and sparks of both deep and pale blue - mixed with water and lined on upper lash lineMega Parsec: sheer burgundy pearl w/a subtle pink highlight and flares of gold glitter - underneath lower lashesRetrograde: fuchsia pearl displays coppery lowlight and a hefty payload of copper sparkle - cheeks

Getting our nest ready for Christmas

2010-12-05T13:33:00.000-08:00

This year, the kids had a large role in getting the tree decorated. Sierra, who was assigned the top half of the tree, is quite a perfectionist (hmm, I wonder where she gets that from?) and takes great care in finding just the right spot for each ornament. Cameron, who got the bottom half, is now old enough NOT to hang them all in the same spot. In fact, he showed quite a flair for strategic placement. Aside from a few arguments between them. . .Mom, Sierra just grabbed an ornament out of my hand!. . .they did a beautiful job.

Listening to "sounds of the seasons" on cable while decorating

One of six vintage inspired glass car ornaments.

I received this one at my cookie exchange this year. Isn't he cute?

A friend gave me this one about 5 years ago. It's still one of my favorites.

Cameron's favorite.

I bought only one ornament this year. . .a lovely sparkly key.

Of course, I must have birds on my tree.

Lots of beautiful angels.

Voila!

Our mantel with stockings made by Nana (my paternal grandmother) and a "Teddy Bear" garland I made.