{wednesday} link love.

since i doubt (hope) i won't be on the computer much the rest of this week, i thought i'd pull together a short link love today.

these paint by numbers coasters on d*s are cute. i really need to chop up our branches and make something!!

i'm sure this will be making the blog rounds, but this fence bench on the brick house is pretty sweet. gorgeous and just about free.

this decorated chalkboard is super cute and would make a great gift. and, i didn't know sharpie made paint pens! i will be on the lookout. from creature comforts.

wristlet key fob diy over at prudent baby. another cute (and cheap) gift.

these newspaper ornaments are really nice looking and would be easy for kiddos to make. via life in the fun lane.

diy monogram mugs are another inexpensive gift option. i've seen similar initial mugs for $10 or more, so why not make your own? thanks design mom!

i guess that's it, friends. i look forward to eating lots of food and being lazy over the next few days. are you taking part in black friday? we've gone to a few stores super early a few years in a row, but i don't know if i can do it again this year. i'm hoping to take advantage of the internet instead.

headboard is finished!

after waiting what seemed like forever to find a great (+cheap) headboard, i didn't wait long to fix it up to my liking. d and i both wanted to keep the gold flourish at the top, but i wasn't sure how to tape it off since i had decided to spray paint the headboard.

so, with my vast knowledge (haha) of paint, i figured i could use some type of oil to act as a mask/barrier. i figured it couldn't hurt, and if we didn't like the results, i would just paint over the swirl at the top. so i brushed some vegetable oil onto the gold swirly and started spraying.

after several light coats and some drying time, i wiped the paint off of the filigree. it didn't block the paint completely, but we both LOVE how it turned out. one word of caution though: if you do attempt to block the paint this way, make sure you do a good job of rubbing all the extra paint/oil off. i got most of it, but a few light smudges on our pillowcases prove i wasn't thorough enough. i'll probably put a clear coat over the top when it's dried out a little more.

friday link love.

we are getting new carpet in our offices at work today, woohoo! i've only worked here (nearly) 3 years, and the carpet and walls have always made me cringe. well, they let us paint, and i am super excited to get the new carpet in. it's going to be like we moved into a completely different office space.

can you believe thanksgiving is next week? it's too soon. where did the year go? and do i have to get the tree out? i've highly considered cutting a tree shape out of pretty paper and taping it to the wall. no, seriously.

i've got to work on our headboard this weekend. with the sun setting about the time i get home, i have no daylight hours during the week to sand and paint. bummer.

this puffy bloom tutorial on no big dill is another take on fabric flowers. so different and so cute for little girls. maybe i can get myself in gear to make a few.

great article on the mansurovs discussing equivalent focal length and field of view. they also did a comparison between the 35mm f/1.8G(which i have) and the 50mm f/1.4G. definitely helped me feel better about my lens purchase.

both of these before and afters on d*s this week were amazing. putting a dresser up on legs and that adorable type tray makeover? love.

this crayon apron would be a cute gift for little ones this year. tutorial on prudent baby.

lovely leather cuff tutorial on made by me. shared with you. reminds me of a sexy red bracelet miranda on satc wore...

great upholstery tips on all things thrifty.

paper twine flower tutorial on no big dill. these would be pretty bunched together on top of a gift or tied around a bag...

i love the quote from bazaar of serendipity this week: "my little dog, a heartbeat at my feet." (wharton) such a simple line of text to describe something so meaningful in my life.

cupcakes.

one of my favorite images from the party i shot last weekend.

cupcakes and party hats, what's not to love?

my diy camera bag.

when i went to amarillo recently, i searched for a bag that would hold my tenba insert. i actually had a few at home that worked, but they looked more like computer bags than purses, which is not what i wanted. also, since i'm a cheapskate, i didn't want to spend much. like... less than $30.

luckily, at our last stop (kohl's), i found this cute, shiny red bag that looked to be big enough (i carried a small tape measure just to be sure). it zips down the middle, stands up on it's own and has an opening on either side (so it's more like 3 sections instead of 1) with zipped and open pockets inside those. i think it's supposed to work like a computer bag, but it looks nice and feels sturdy. and more importantly... it keeps my camera gear out of sight. oh, and it was $20. so, total i spend $40 on my camera bag instead of $90+.

so... how much stuff does it hold? i used it this weekend, and i carried with me:

nikon d60 + kit lens attached

telephoto zoom (70-300mm)

prime lens (33mm)

fisheye lens

sb400 speedlight and diffuser

a few memory cards

+ inside the bag

car keys

wallet

cell phone

and, i still had some extra space. i'm telling you, this thing is pretty big. but, if you're only taking the camera and one extra lens, there's plenty of space for a bottle of water or something. and the great thing? i can just take out the insert when i'm ready for a new bag or i've worn this one out.

thriftyness!

i feel like i actually accomplished a few things this weekend! we put a heavier comforter on our bed this weekend. i've had this green one on our guest bed forever, but thought it would be perfect in our new gray room. and one of my finds this weekend? that retro pillowcase. i bought it thinking i would just use it for the fabric, but i stuck it on a pillow and i think it's going to stay there for a while...

and what else did i find? a headboard! the acb was having a 1/2 off sale on saturday and i was lucky enough to find 3 queen size headboards to choose from (this never happens!) it was marked $10.91 down from $19.91... so, yep, i got it for $5 with the sale. it's missing something on the posts... looks like there was brass that broke off... but i'll figure something out. my thought right now is to paint it matte black (should i leave the swirly thing gold?) and i've also considered painting some sort of type or graphic over the black... and yes, our garage looks awful, please don't judge.

friday link love.

it's getting cold, my friends. and last night i woke up thinking our house was going to blow down... oh well, i guess the semi-warm weather couldn't last forever!

i've got some fun stuff going on for this weekend. i'll be taking photos for a little boy's birthday party (dragon themed) and hopefully getting some crafty stuff done as well.

oh, and i did try out my new flash a few times this week, and all i can say is wow! it helped me take the most color accurate photos of our bedroom ever. i have a feeling this will always be with me in my camera bag.

here are some links from my week:

my friend katie has a new website, blog and etsy shop! congrats katie, everything looks amazing (as usual...)

compiled list of useful photography tutorials on snappyshutter.

pretty rose wreath from the pretty poppy. i need to decide what kind of wreath i want this year and make it! this is beautiful though, and would be great for all year.

this diy painting on ceramic is beautiful and would make a great personalized gift. i've actually seen a few other variations of it, but ashley ann's turned out just perfect!

this casserole dish carrier tutorial is really smart. would definitely come in handy the few times a year i do take food somewhere outside my home! from little birdie secrets.

i've been looking for an inexpensive way to build an outdoor table rather than buying a cheap, ugly one or spending tons of cash on something prettier... this pallet table from sewing in no mans land could be finished so many ways and done very inexpensively (aka free) depending on what you already have on hand.

another pretty felt flower tutorial, this one from lorajean's magazine. i would skip the glitter and make a bunch in pretty colors!

these apple rolls sound really good! i don't think d would eat them though, do i'll have to save that for a get-together... from little birdie secrets.

brown paper bag popcorn from our best bites. cheaper and way more healthy than the store-bought stuff. and yes, you microwave it!

anthro knock off belt tutorial on a lemon squeezy home. there are so many cute belt tutorials lately, but this one looks easy - basically an upgrade on an existing skinny belt.

grosgrain has been posting cute cardigan tutorials all month, but i think this one is my favorite. i've got a stack of sweaters that were headed for the thrift store, but i think i'll try to make them into cardigans instead.

images 1/2/3

mellow yellow.

i wasn't sure what to think of this color combination when the order first came in. i'm cool with yellow and gray - it's the light blue that threw me off.

but as i started cutting ribbon and paper for the cover, the more i knew this was a winning combination. i absolutely adore how this book turned out, and i hope the couple does too. i would love to see the photos from this wedding and how these colors were incorporated.

i feel like my composition in my photographs is getting better... but at the same time it seems like my technical skills are getting worse (how does that happen?). i can usually fix/adjust most of my mistakes in photoshop... but the point is to not have to do that. but, as with most of life, you take one step forward and two (or more) steps back. i understand i need to be patient and practice more.

friday link love.

oh, weekend... how i am looking forward to you. this week has been an odd one. but with all the things going on that i want/do gripe about, i try to remind myself of all the other things in life that i am thankful and grateful for. so with that...

i am looking forward to

learning to use my new flash

finding the perfect bag for my new photo insert

spending time with family

helping out a friend

here are some links from my week:

a welcome reminder to pick up some spaghetti squash from hot and healthy mom. no need to tell my husband.

this diy fabric ball would make cute, fluffy ornaments for your tree. i would imagine it would also be a cool wreath... found on fresh crush.

crochet pattern roundup over at luvinthemommyhood. not that i can crochet. a girl can dream, right?

really smart portfolio book. found on design work life.

these buckeyes sound delish. a homemade version of the reeses. from smitten kitchen.

this falls under the "why didn't i think of that?" category. and while i have made baby books for a few friends, none have been quite as cool. you can win one at prudent baby.

loving these pasta skeletons! from the coterie blog.

great tutorial on prudent baby on how to sew with bias tape.

leather bow tutorial on made by me. shared with you. these would be great gifts!

this ruffle scarf is really cute! will have to make one someday... found on living with punks.

photo credits 1/2/3

flash!

aaahhh, so excited! new photography stuff! i've really been wanting an external flash to use on my camera for a while and couldn't decide between this SB400 or a lightscoop... and i really felt like the flash would do more for me long-term. it's gotten great reviews, and i can't wait to try it out. it showed up yesterday, and i still need to get some batteries for it... technically it's my christmas gift, but d is generous enough to let me play with it now.

for those wondering why i would buy another flash when i have one built-in... well, this one tilts and is a lot more powerful. basically, i can bounce the light off of the ceiling or a wall to create more light without giving my subjects a pale, deer/headlights look. and, i pretty much never use the built-in flash unless i have to because of the reasons above. that doesn't mean i like jacking up my iso and praying nobody moves. this will help me get better photo indoors with low-light situations...