rito loco truck wrap, it's real!!

this is so exciting in so many ways! this is the first time something was created to this scale. it's so crazy to create something on the computer or on print but to see it live especially at such a large scale is amazing. even better, the client loves it! also designed, menus and hole punch business cards. following these guys on their journey has been fun and there is still more ahead. stay tuned for updates on their website and other marketing materials. keep a look out for them in the dc and northern va area and get your rito's!!

pillow makeover

decorating the new house is the fun part! i had a vision of what colors to use in the living room. so i was looking for very specific items. one of the first things was new pillows for the couch. the ones we had were old and i really didn't care for the pattern at all. i'm not a big fan of reds. i like neutral colors. the couch we have is already a light beige so it was only a matter of building from there. i'm loving light teals and tans together. inspiration swatches:

should be easy to find right? hmm not really. since i was looking for pillows in specific colors i didn't find much. there was always something off like maybe there were only 2 pillows available or the right colors but i didn't like the pattern. or i liked the pattern but not the right colors which almost made me rethink my color scheme. the money part is what really threw me off. at the very least the pillows were $30 each. the cheapest i found was 2 pillows for $25 but not the right pattern. i could not bring myself to pay even $50 for four pillows that i didn't even like that much. then i thought to myself, i can make my own pillows! "i can make that," this thought comes to me often. sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. i think this comes from my dad. if he thinks he can make it he does and he does it well.

ok back to pillows. so i went to joann fabrics and bought a pretty light teal and tan fabric in the upholstery section (sale 2 yards for $18) and 4 stuffed pillows (sale 2 for $8). i used the backing from the old pillows for two reasons; 1. because they matched the new fabric perfectly. 2. the micro suede material, we actually use are pillows so we want comfortable pillows. they are not just to sit and look pretty. but why not have the best of both worlds? plus this saved me even more money! it worked out so great. and the bf likes them which makes it even a bigger plus.

using vintage buttons for jewelry storage board

of course moving into a new home makes me want to organize things better. for years i have been trying to find a way to hang up my necklaces. usually they are in a box and for me, out of sight is out of mind. i was thinking of using a cork board and pins but i wanted something a little more exciting so i kept putting it off.

two weeks ago I went to an estate sale. this is one of many estate sales i have been to. my dad turned me on to them. when i went to my first one i felt a bit sad. this person had ‘made’ their home and collected all of these things they loved and for whatever reason it was all being sold. but i guess it’s better to sell it to people who will carry it on and maybe they will love it too rather than being thrown away.

anyhow i started collecting old cameras. curious to see if any of them work but regardless i like the way they look. on one of my trips i bought a bag full of buttons for $5. i know to some this is odd but they were unique looking buttons. i also make belly dance costumes so i thought at some point i will put them to use. i do this with a lot of things like fabric, trinkets and such. two weeks ago at an estate sale i found a pinning board made of fabric for $9. i knew right away what i wanted to do with it. i purchased wooded pushpins from the container store $2.99. at first i was just going to use the pins because the board alone is pretty enough but then i thought of those buttons and the glue gun. my mom introduced me to the glue gun and i haven't put it down since. it saves so much time and there are so many things you can do with it. i glued the buttons to the push pins and this made my new necklace holder. all for $17 and i still have a lot of buttons left over for many other projects. i also love that the entire thing minus the pushpins is made from items that another person cherished.

new home!

other big news, we purchased a townhouse in june! so exciting! but i think i was more excited that the search was over. when people find out you’re looking for a home and say, oh how exciting! this excitement in the beginning is short lived. it is only exciting when you get the key in your hand. the actual process is frustrating. homes were flying off the market as soon as they were going up, offers were rejected, one home inspection wanted to make me cry. bleh BUT let me tell you it was all worth it. and for the people out there that said when they got their home it ended up being the home that was best, this ended up being so true! the home we settled in is the best home out of all the homes we looked at and put in offers. there isn’t anything i don’t love about it. sure of course there are things to fix up but those things are changeable. the location, neighborhood and house layout is everything we wanted. the house suits us well.

there are a lot of updates and renovations throughout the house in the works right now. i will be posting photos soon.

follow up to sister’s baby shower

hello, 4 months later. see it’s getting better :) there is a lot to catch up on so i’m going to jump right in.

i left off with my sister’s baby shower invites. since then she had a baby girl! june 3rd, makiya was born! this is my favorite most recent photo of her. 

look at those cheeks!! they are perfectly made to be grabbed and kissed!

we wanted a healthy baby of course but i was secretly hoping for a girl. girl outfits are so adorable. of course the day she was born i immediately went out and bought her dresses and a bib that says, my auntie rocks! i also wanted to make her something she can keep for a long time. for a while i have been meaning to make something with fabric and canvas and thought this was the perfect opportunity.

first i bought fabric to cover the entire canvas. then i bought fabrics in similar color scheme just different patterns and cut them out into elephants. i tucked in all the edges and sewed a stitch all around. i wanted the stitch to be seen to give it more texture. this also prevents fraying. lastly i used buttons for eyes. hope she keeps it for a while.

not the best picture as it was taken with my phone but you get the idea. oh yeah and for my sister's baby shower we made tissue poms using martha stewart's tutorial. came out pretty good. afterwards my sister kept them and hung them in the nursery. made with love by her mommy and auntie.