DIY Wedding Centerpieces on a Budget

Hi y'all! I'm excited to show you some MORE photos of the wedding I helped decorate back in June.  Did you know that you can DIY your OWN wedding decor, make it look gorgeous and still stay on or below your budget? Well, you can!

**Though I was compensated for this post in product and/or monetarily, all opinions, ideas and comments are 100% my own. Please note: this post may also contain affiliate links.**

I saw this cute copper mini lantern on Oriental Trading and I knew it had to be a part of our decor. The best part, each one only cost around $6, so truly speaking, even if you have a larger wedding reception, it can still be a cost effective choice. Here's the stock image.

Mini Copper Lantern

Here's what I did with it.

Photo by Hector Rivera Photography

I used these pots, which I milk painted in a soft pink, and potted some succulents into, inside the lantern.

Mini Terra Cotta Pots

Here's a close-up:

Photo by Hector Rivera Photography

I also used these Basswood rounds since the theme of the wedding was a rustic one and some mason jars, burlap and faux flowers:

Basswood Rounds- Oriental Trading

They also served as decoration for the cake table at the reception:

Photo by Hector Rivera Photography

My incredible friend made these amazing cookies to mimic carved wood and to match the rustic decor.  Aren't they wonderful!? They taste even better than they look, if it's possible!

Photo by Hector Rivera Photography and Cookies by Dawn of Pop-a-Razzi

I bought the gorgeous sequined runner on Amazon. You can find it here for less than $10. The burlap was super cheap, too. My tip would be to get it by the yard or to scour FB Buy/Sell/Trade groups for it, since many people buy too much and end up wanting to get rid of the rest for very little money.

Photo by Hector Rivera Photography

A little burlap and lace and you have yourself a rustic wedding! Seriously, how gorgeous are these cookies by my friend Dawn?! She mimicked the burlap, wood, lace and flowers and even 'carved' the initials of the couple in the icing! Nothing beats a hand decorated cookie! :)

Photo by Hector Rivera Photography

Photo by Hector Rivera Photography

Photo by Hector Rivera Photography

If you recall, I made these cute bags to hold the cookies. It's all about the details.

Embossed Favor Bag Tutorial

Here's a preview at what the full church looked like! I'm very excited to share the rest of the wedding decorations with y'all!

Photo by Hector Rivera Photography

Are you getting married soon? If so, are you planning on going full on 'DIY'? I'd love to hear some of your ideas in the comments!

A huge thank you to Oriental Trading for partnering up with me for this post! Also, make sure you check out their awesomely well-organized site: Marry Me, where one can find everything one might need to plan a wedding!

Stay tuned to see the rest of the projects for this wedding!

Photo by Hector Rivera Photography

 

My 'Everyday Amazing' story, inspired by the upcoming book "So Close to Amazing" by KariAnne Wood

Hi y'all! So today's post is about to get REAL. If you came here for a DIY or tutorial, well I'm sorry to say that's not happening today. No, today, I'm telling you my "Everyday Amazing" story which I was inspired to share by my good friend, KariAnne Wood's upcoming book titled "So Close to Amazing" which you can order here.

You guys. YOU. HAVE. TO. BUY. THIS. BOOK. I'm serious. I have laughed until my tummy hurt, I have cried, prayed, reflected, been confronted with my own personal shortcomings but most of all realized that BECAUSE of all of the above, I'm actually 'amazing'. Yes, I am amazing. Why? Well, because for one, I am a creation of God! Also, I rock at a lot of really neat things, and at the same time rock at being bad at many things, too! :)

If you're new to my blog, my name is Evey. This is me, well how people are used to seeing me...when I'm onstage at Home Shows, on TV and morning news shows or just on social media.

Photo by Stefanie Photography

Here's a more recent one:

Photo by: Hector Rivera Photography

And here's also what I look like, quite often when my health fails me and I end up in the hospital...

The reality is, I have 6 (we're now up to 8 as of Dec. 2018)  autoimmune illnesses, 2 genetic disorders and COPD. That means I spend about a quarter of my life in and out of the hospital. That means, I won't live as long as I'm supposed to. That means, I've coded 7 times in my life. That also means, I live my life to the FULLEST. It means I find the beauty in EVERY. DAY. It also also means I love every aspect of my life, and I try to experience as much as possible.

I had the opportunity to read KariAnne Wood's So Close to Amazing before it hits shelves on September 5th, and it has been everything I thought it would be and more. If you know KariAnne, you know she's an incredibly kind and selfless being. You know that she is bubbly, funny, very talented and has an incredible eye for design. She also has an incredible story. This well written memoir is both emotionally moving and very funny. It tells her story in a thought-provoking and beautiful and amusing manner.

It has inspired me to share the following video...I must warn you, it's long and likely the first time I've spoken so candidly about what it's like to live with chronic pain and illness, as well as what it's like to follow my dreams not just in spite of, but BECAUSE of the above. Hope it inspires you to follow your dreams but to also buy KariAnne's AMAZING book! Don't forget to check out the other reviews and 'So Close to Amazing' stories by some of my bloggy friends below via the linky party!

KariAnne: Thank you for writing such a personal, and incredible book! Thank you for letting me be a part of your journey to sharing your story with the world. Love you lots, lady!

An InLinkz Link-up

 

10 Tips to Decoupaging the Perfect Image onto Furniture

  

Ever wonder how to perfectly decoupage a piece of furniture? Well, you've come to the right place, grab your favorite decoupage medium and and your favorite foam brush. Here are 10 tips to Decoupaging the Perfect Image onto Furniture.

10. $5 posters from your favorite big box store are perfect for decoupaging.
9.  Line up your image where you want to decoupage it and cut with sharp scissors neatly around it to fit the area.
8. To ensure a perfect cut, especially if there are drawers or doors, use painter's tape to temporarily adhere your image to the area where you will be decoupaging and measure the spaces carefully.
7. Use a ruler and pencil make light marks where you will cut the image to allot for openings.

7. The best tool for cutting at this point, is a craft or precision cutter; do so on a cutting mat, using the ruler to make sure you have straight and perfect cuts. 
6. It's time to decoupage! Start by adding some decoupage medium to the drawer, as well as to the back of your image and makes sure you are using a foam brush.
5. It's imperative that you have a tool to smooth out any air bubbles, once you place your image down. I like to use a credit card or you can buy a roller tool meant just for this purpose.
4. The most important thing at this point is to remember to allow the decoupage medium to FULLY dry before moving on.
5. You can now add a top layer of decoupage medium. I like to wet my foam brush a bit after I dip it in the medium. Do not add too much water or you WILL get wrinkles.
4. Once again, it's very important to wait until each layer or decoupage medium is FULLY dry before proceeding onto the next layer.
3. To make sure you have a good seal, add a full 3 layers of decoupage medium over the image.
2. Make sure to seal your surface if this will be a 'high traffic' piece. Use something that won't reactivate the water based adhesive or, you guessed it, you will get wrinkles.
1. My last and most important tip is to HAVE FUN!

Please check out the full tutorial post on my blog, HERE.

"Inspired by Mom" Rocking Chair Redo- The Fab Furniture Flippin' Contest

Hi y'all! I'm SO excited to share this post with you all! This is the OFFICIAL LAUNCH for our awesome Fab Furniture Flippin' Contest!** Before I get to all of the details, I wanted to show THIS beauty off! ;)

Well, she's special, that chair...here's WHY:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME and HAPPY GIVEAWAYS TO YOU!

You guys! It's MY BIRTHDAY! WOOHOO! Which can only mean ONE thing...TIME FOR SOME GIVEAWAYS! I seriously have the most amazing friends, guys! Thank you to all of you for offering up these goodies!

Thank you to all who helped get me to 3000 likes by my birthday on Facebook! We are actually a hundred over that goal!

Now for some giveaways...here are the rules and the fineprint:

Please enter below all the giveaways via the Rafflecopter widgets, and one winner will be chosen at random via Rafflecopter in 4 days.  The winner(s) will then be notified via email and the name will also be visible here in THIS post.  Please respond to the email (vendor) with your information within 48 hours of the announcement, or else someone else will be chosen.  It is up to YOU to contact the vendor to claim your prize.  You can earn entries by following the instructions in  Rafflecopter, some are optional extra entries, some are mandatory. Thank you and good luck!

Now back to your regularly scheduled blog post! Make sure you scroll ALL the way down to the bottom of the page as there will be quite a few Rafflecopter widgets in this post! :)

A couple of weeks ago, CeCe Caldwell and company sent me some of her INCREDIBLE paints for me to try. Well guys, I fell in love. I will be sharing what I did with it SOON, I promise! For now, they've been gracious enough to offer up the following for this giveaway: a quart of paint in YOUR choice of color, one finish of your choice, and a Stain + Finish in the color of your choice!

Next up, one of my favorite people EVER is giving away yet another piece on our corner of the internet! Ms. Jeanne of Junxtaposition is giving away this sweet Vintage Brass 'Master' Key Necklace! Isn't it LOVELY!? Thank you Jeanne! xo

Tammy from Farmhouse Decor is here today, TOO! Her shop is just filled with LOVELY home decor items! She's giving away this charming Mason Jar Cloche! I want one! Can I enter my own giveaway!? ;)

Next, another one of my FAVORITE people! :) Ms. Lucy of Bel Monili has offered up this awesome Inspiration Quote Bracelet with the following AMAZING quote: "Reality has limits, Imagination is boundless". Isn't that so great?! Love it so much! Thank you Lucy!

We also have some cute gift tags by Bre! Bre blogs over at Brepurposed where she shares her love of transforming old furniture and graphic design. In her new shop, you can find a collection of unique and customized prints, drink accessories, gift tags and more. Thank you for being here!

 
And lastly, I will be giving away one Chevron All Over Stencil by my favorite Stencil company, Cutting Edge Stencils! :)

 Make sure you enter them all and share them with your friends! Thank you SO much for making this past year so amazing! I know this upcoming one is going to be even better. You guys make my job SO MUCH FUN! Thank you!


a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway


a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

xoxoxo,

Evey Owner/Creator, Evey's Creations Tel: 201-281-6696  http://sweetsongbird.eveyscreations.com FB: www.facebook.com/EveysCreations G+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/105370121686355288267/posts Twitter: @EveysCreations Instagram: @EveysCreations Hometalk: http://www.hometalk.com/eveya

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Philly Home Show and Preview Party- take ONE

Hi y'all! :) Guess what?! I'll be going to the Philadelphia Home Show tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 17th, with two of my favorite bloggy friends, courtesy of the amazing Denise Sabia of The Painted Home! I am SO excited, I can barely contain myself. The best part is this awesome Preview Party that Denise has put together for us with some of her best brand friends! So thank you so much to Denise and the following vendors:

Heirloom Home & Studio 

Elite Landscaping

Lucent Lampworks

IKEA
LoveSac

Daroo Designs

HiFi Sales

Stable Tables

Sherwin Williams

Wines Til Sold OutMaggianos

I am so excited to be rooming with my buddy Natalie from A Turtle's Life for Me. I've told you guys before that she is one of my blogging heroes and honestly, the person that gave me the gentle nudge I needed to begin this blogging journey! We've actually never met in real life, so this should be fun! :)

 

I'm also super excited to be meeting Meg from Nutmeg Creative Cafe who is a fellow Jersey Blogger! :) 

There will be some really awesome personalities "At the Show". The Beekman Boys, some sweet bloggers (including Denise on the Main Stage at 3:30pm Saturday), as well as several DIY and HGTV friends!

If you want to follow along on my adventure, make sure you follow me on Instagram and of course, on Facebook. I will be sharing pictures throughout the weekend and tagging them with the following hashtags:

#phillyhomeshow

#eveyinphilly

#eveynfriends
#denisesfavs

I would also LOVE it if YOU played along and showed me what you all are up to this weekend by sharing on Instagram and tagging me and using the #eveynfriends hashtag! 

If any of you will be at the Philly Home Show, PLEASE hit me up, I'd love to meet you! My cell is in my signature or you can message me via FB.  Also, though I will only be there tomorrow and Sunday, the Philly Home Show runs for two whole weekends, so you still have next weekend to get there!

xoxo,

Evey Owner/Creator, Evey's Creations Tel: 201-281-6696  http://sweetsongbird.eveyscreations.com FB: www.facebook.com/EveysCreations G+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/105370121686355288267/posts Twitter: @EveysCreations Instagram: @EveysCreations Hometalk: http://www.hometalk.com/eveya

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A pretty blue girl...Vintage Sideboard Redo

Hey y'all! HAPPY NEW YEAR! I truly hope you enjoyed your time with your loved ones this holiday season! Congratulations to all of you winners for our 12 days of Christmas giveaways and THANK YOU to all you amazing vendors that participated!

Today I wanted to bring you a tutorial on this lovely beauty I restored and refinished for a client just in time for Christmas! Her story is a good one!

Here's what she looked like before:

Though she was still lovely, she was a hot mess! You can't tell from the pictures, she had some structural issues that needed to be addressed.

For starters, part of the right leg was missing the back part of that last spindle. Also, the veneer had seen better days and was starting to lift and warp on the top and one of the sides.

Here's where it gets tricky.  Since my workshop is very dark in the winter, and it's too close for me to open up the garage door, I don't have step by step photos like usual for this tutorial, but bear with me.  I promise to explain it in full detail.

First, I removed the veneer from the top using a damp towel and blow dryer. I hope to be getting a heat gun soon but in the meantime this is my trick! I get a towel damp and leave it on the top of the veneer I want to remove for  a few hours. Then I finish the job using a blow dryer on high heat and the veneer peels right off!

You can replace the veneer for the sides but it's not necessary. Veneer can be purchased at most big box home improvement stores and local lumber yards. Make sure you clamp well and use a good quality wood glue when replacing veneer.

Time for a pretty picture to break up all of these words...

 Sigh...isn't she dreamy!? Please note, the slight yet perfect distressing? She's gorgeous!

Back to the tutorial. :)

Next I replaced that missing spindle! Want to know just how easy it is to do this!? It's as easy as buying some Mold Builder Liquid Latex Rubber 16oz/473ml or silicone molding materials from Amazon!*

I prepared the molding compound according to the instructions on the packaging then pressed it to the other side's spindle, wrapping it around and fully pressing down to allow all the detail to be imprinted in the silicone. I let it cure as per the product's indications. Once it was ready to use as a mold, I began the layering process with wood putty or Bondo. I let each layer dry fully before adding more until it was complete. You never want to fill it right away when it's such a thick spindle, but for small trim or detail it would be fine! I used some wood glue and more clamps to hold it in place once it was dry and popped out of it's mold! :)

I then gave this beauty a custom color using the following formula of Annie Sloan Colors:

3 parts Aubusson Blue, 3 parts Chateau Grey, and 1 part Old White.

This color matched some textiles in the room where this sweet piece will live out her days.

I decided to surprise my client and paint the inside of the buffet in Chateau Grey for a special two tone look when you open up the door!

The best part about this doing piece was that it was a sentimental piece. Most of you that know me, know that there are pieces I WON'T paint, but I told my client that if she wasn't going to be selling this piece, due to the personal story attached to it, I would go along with painting it. I have to tell you that I am SUPER pleased with the result and I would paint this baby again in a heat beat! :) My client extremely happy and that is ultimately ALL that matters to me!

 Isn't she LOVELY?

***Update! Someone pointed out that I forgot to add what she was sealed in! I used General Finishes' High Performance Top Coat in Satin. Three coats of it.****

*This post contains Affiliate Links. For more info, check out our full disclosure at the bottom of our blog!

Our stint on FLEA MARKET FLIP, pt. 2!

Photo by DeeConstructed

DID YOU SEE IT?! We were on Flea Market Flip y'all!!! IT WAS A BLAST!

*******SPOILER ALERT********

Our stint on FLEA MARKET FLIP!

Hi y'all!  I'm excited to FINALLY be able to share my awesome news with you!  Last year, Erika and I filmed an episode of FLEA MARKET FLIP!

In case you have been living under a rock, FMF is a show by the HGTV network, hosted by Lara Spencer (of GMA fame) where two teams are given $500 and a 'flip list' and set free at a flea market to buy 3 pieces that they must flip for profit.  The team with the most profits, wins a cash prize!

Raspberry Nutella Mini Pop Tarts Recipe

 

Hi y'all! Nothing makes me happier than Nutella in any shape or form.  Though I've said before I hate chocolate, there is something magical about hazelnut spread with a hint of cocoa...what's that?! Nutella wants to sponsor my blog and give me tons of product!? Really!? No, not really.  Sigh. A girl can wish though, right!?  :)

This recipe is totally easy.  I won't bore you with tutorial photos or unnecessary steps.  I've done that before when I made apple pie pops. The process is basically the same, just with different filling ingredients. Two magical filling ingredients, that is.  You will also need cake pop sticks.

Ingredients:

 -Pie Crust (you can make your own or buy the frozen kind that rolls out)
-Nutella spread
-Raspberry Preserves (preferably seedless)
-sanding sugar (optional)

Method:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Roll out your dough to about 1/4 inch in thickness. Using a pizza cutter cut out strips (2in width) then cut the strips into rectangles roughly about 2in x 4in in size.  Lay on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper then place your stick on it, about 1 inch in.  If you alternate the direction the pops are going in, you will be able to get more on one cookie sheet.  Using a small spoon fill with equal parts preserves and Nutella (about 1 and a 1/2tsp of each).  Place the tops of the tarts on and using a fork pinch the border of the tart to seal them. Also poke vent holes in top of tart.  Now would be when you apply the sanding sugar.  Place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, or until edges brown and puff up.  Once you are done baking them, allow them to fully cool before you stand up the pops.

That's it! See? Told you it was easy!  Enjoy!

xoxo

Evey Owner/Creator, Evey's Creations Tel: 201-281-6696  http://sweetsongbird.eveyscreations.com FB: www.facebook.com/EveysCreations G+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/105370121686355288267/posts Twitter: @EveysCreations Instagram: @EveysCreations Hometalk: http://www.hometalk.com/eveya

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