HOLIDAY CARDS AND CARAMEL SAUCE

Last week was a bit of a Christmas prep blur. But I wanted to share our Holiday cards and neighbor/co-worker gifts with you this year. We always do our little gifts in a jar- this year it was caramel. And this recipe was not only easy but super fast to make, so if you are scrambling for something to make, look no further.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup dark karo syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
melt butter, sugar, and syrup, bring to boil. Boil for 4 minutes without stirring, then remove from heat.
Stir in 1 can sweetened condensed milk and the vanilla. Let cool for a bit before pouring into jars.

Makes enough to fill 4 half pint jars

After many requests here it is folks our 2013 Christmas year in review card.

FREE PRINTABLE CHRISTMAS GIFT TAGS

I love wrapping presents! I know some people hate it, I used to be one of them, I would shove presents in gift bags with tissue, and call it done. Maybe it's Pinterest, or being surrounded by creative types that has changed me, but now I get pumped to wrap gifts. I usually pick a color scheme to work within and just run wild. Last year it was kraft paper, black, and apple green glitter accents.This year it's all about red and white. I am so behind this year with a lot of our holiday projects, I'm blaming a late Thanksgiving... But, I was able to find the perfect white eco-friendly gift wrap at our local art supply store, and a fun herringbone red ribbon so I hurried to get everything together.

If you are trying to get out of a wrapping rut just pick a few colors and stick to those- mix and match patterns and texture and everything you do will look great.

I created some fun tags to go with our gifts this year. You can download them for FREE HERE!

INSTAGRAM HEART PHOTO COLLAGE

Our anniversary was 2 weeks ago. We both agreed we wouldn't spend more than $5 on a gift or a treat for the other person. We usually just go out and enjoy a nice meal to celebrate-This year it was a local Thai/Sushi place- So good- If you are ever in Sun Valley you have to go to Dang's Thai and Sushi Bar. I wanted to give John something that would celebrate the past 7 years, and be simple, he doesn't get into mushy stuff, and I don't really either. Then I saw a picture on Natalie Jean's Instagram of her cute son in front of a photo collage wall in their home. My brain immediately switched gears, how I could make this in my home? I decided on a small framed collage, I already had the frame I just needed the photos.

I researched the best ways to print my instagram photos, and ultimately I came up with the idea of laying out 2x2 images on a 4x6 photo so my local photo center could print them easily for me. I also had about 1,000 pictures on my computer I had taken before instagram was even a twinkle in Facebook's eye- so it was just easier to transfer everything from computer to photo shop.  There are some great apps and websites though if you don't want to go that route.
Pinstagram
Mpix
Foxgram

Supplies:
Exacto knife
Cutting mat
Photos
Acid Free Photo squares
Frame and mounting board

Method:
Once each of my small photos was cut out I began laying them on the mounting board. I tried several different layouts before deciding a heart looked the best, and it felt a little bit more free-spirited than filling the entire frame or having a stiff grid.

Once they layout was set I used my photo squares to stick the photos to the mounting board. Then just frame and hang, and you have it!

I like fat hearts, not tall ones, so I think I may add more photos to widen it at some point when I find the perfect square frame.

The hardest part was deciding which photos would be included, we had so many fun ones. I loved going through them all and finding photos of things we totally forgot about- like the time a Times-Square tourist trap about King Tut lured us, and our $20 with promise of seeing a real mummy. At least we looked good in the gift shop pharaoh hats.

DECEMBER 2013 DESKTOP CALENDAR

So yeah it's December. What? To celebrate the final month of 2013 I'm rolling out the first of many desktop calendars. I also created some iphone, and ipad backgrounds to coordinate. You can find the collection here on Flickr.

If you're unfamiliar with Flickr, follow these steps:
1. Hover over the images to see all of the sizes. When you have found the perfect size for your desktop, click on the image. This will open the image on its own page.
2. Click on the icon of the three dots, its on the bottom right, then click the '"View all Sizes" link inside the menu.
3. This will take you to a new page where you will see all the sizes. Click on "original"  Then click on the "Download the Original size of this photo" link.

CYBER MONDAY SPECIAL

Now Through 12/3 take 15% off in the shop. Happy Holidays! STYLE ME GREEN STUDIO SHOP

THANKSGIVING PUMPKIN CENTERPIECE

I like to re-use things if you haven't noticed- not in a weird hoarder, crazy cat lady kind of way, but more in a "I saw this idea on pinterest/Martha Stewart, and was like I can totally do that with something I already have" kind of way. This idea came from pinterest, 2 years ago, yeah - I was pinteresting before it was even cool... haha. (I literally overheard that exact statement at the grocery store a few weeks ago, I maybe rolled my eyes so hard they got stuck.) But, I digress- the moral of that story was I'd been filing that idea away so long and this Thanksgiving seemed like the perfect time to let it be free.

You'll Need:

A pumpkin

Flowers

A Vase/jar/container

Method:

Cut the top off of the pumpkin and leave yourself about an 8" diameter hole. Scoop out the insides. Place a small vase or plastic container inside the pumpkin to hold the water for the flowers. Arrange your flowers. 

The whole process ended up taking about 30 minutes. I think I'll end up going back to the floral shop and adding some olive branches and more hydrangea blooms closer to the holiday,for a soft green touch- but I like where it is going. 

PUMPKIN BLING

I have an addiction, unfortunately it's not really treatable, considering it involves painting everything gold. From picture frames, to trays, our house is littered with objects that fell pray to my Midas touch. I even think about what I can paint next. (a pile of pine cones in my office is just screaming for a holiday makeover.) This time it was pumpkins. I wanted to add a little glam to our Thanksgiving table, right now the plan is to head toward a bit of a rustic glamour- but it's all still coming together in my head, and I know it actually wont materialize until moments before the meal.

But not all is lost if we bag the gold pumpkins because I think they make the perfect pre-thanksgiving accessory. I've never been the kind to decorate for Christmas before December begins, so these will hold me over quite nicely until I can get my glittery hands on the pine cone pile. I just wish I painted them sooner. Do you have any DIY addictions?

THANKSGIVING PLACE CARDS FREE PRINTABLE

Congrats to Abby Bell the winner of the Studio Launch Giveaway. We are extending our holiday card sale until Friday because we've had such a great response. Just enter code HOLIDAY at checkout. You are all so awesome!

I'm still a bit stunned that Thanksgiving is a week away. I suppose that means I should have had my Christmas tree up like 8 weeks ago- oops. It seems like the time has flown out the window. Although reflecting on the year thus far, I am so thankful for all of the opportunities this blog has brought me, and all of the great friendships I have made because of it. And get this, you guys blew up Pinterest with that post about white chicken chili,. So, thanks for being amazing readers, followers, and occasional visitors. It has meant the world to me - I am so thankful for all of you. I get to do what I love because of you. Also, sidebar I think that chicken chili recipe would be great with turkey leftovers!!!

As a thank you to all the great followers, I'm posting these free printable thanksgiving place cards. There is a formal set, and a more casual set. Hopefully one of them fits with your holiday. These place cards can be customized by typing in your guests names using Adobe Acrobat, or placing the pdf into a Microsoft Word doc. as an image and writing over the top. Or you can hand-write the names for a more personal touch.  Click here for the formal set, or click here for the casual set.

Monday we will share our ideas for the perfect centerpiece, and how to recycle your Halloween pumpkins for the perfect accent to your Thanksgiving table.

Please remember these labels are for personal use only. Do not post for sale or distribute.

GARDEN VEGGIE OMELETTE BAKE RECIPE

If you haven't entered the giveaway you still have time, read here.
With the holiday's around the corner we have been searching for some quick easy meals we can feed our guests. Specifically, breakfast. We never eat breakfast, outside of protein shakes, so finding something filling that wasn't pancakes or waffles was a must. John had been wanting to try baking an omelette, and while I usually fear his made up recipes, (chili and olives anyone) I thought this one might actually turn out alright. And it was beyond alright. So good. Can I get seconds please? I have to emphasize that this was John's brainchild, and he did all the work, because he didn't want to give up the animation rights to this recipe.

Ingredients:
6-8 eggs
3 cups spinach, wilted
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 medium red pepper. chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Wilt the spinach in a skillet. Scramble the eggs. Chop the veggies, and stir into the eggs with the spinach and cheese. Grease glass baking dish, and pour in egg mixture. Bake for 20-25 min. Serves 4-6

A NEW SHOP AND A GIVEAWAY

I know many of you have been waiting for this announcement just as much as I have.  I'm so excited to announce the formal opening of Style Me Green Studio. I founded this business with an eye toward keeping it fun, and fresh, with an emphasis on eco-friendly printing techniques and papers. I felt there was an absence of eco-friendly paper goods on the market, and after the prodding of several friends for custom designs, I was inspired to bring my eco-friendly cards to the masses. And the Style Me Green Studio brand was born.

My philosophy has always been that you don't have to sacrifice style to be eco-conscious. That is what you will find in the shop, a mix of traditional, rustic, and contemporary designs created to highlight your party, or event.

If you are a regular follower of this blog you will notice the blog design has slightly changed to keep in line with the new website/shop. Visit the new site by clicking the home link above. www.stylemegreenstudio.com And for a quick link to the shop visit the shop at the pink link above. I will continue to add more items over the next few weeks so check in on a regular basis. If you are looking for a custom design you can email me for a custom quote starting today! I can't wait to work with you.

Holiday cards are on sale now through November 20th exclusively to SMG followers, just enter code: HOLIDAYS at checkout.

I'd also like to announce a giveaway! Starting Wed. Nov. 13 - Wed. Nov. 20 you can enter to win (25) printed 5x7 announcements. (This can include a holiday, save the date, baby announcement, or invitation)

To enter:
Visit the shop and leave us a comment with your favorite piece. Be sure to include your email so we can contact you.

If you want an additional entry you can share this giveaway with your friends via facebook, instagram or twitter. Be sure to use the hashtag #stylemegreengiveaway and tag @style_me_green

Be sure to leave a comment with your email letting me know how you shared so we can validate your extra entry.

EXCITING NEW THINGS ARE COMING

I am so happy to share with you all some exciting news. Style Me Green is expanding. In just 7 short days we will be re-launching the site to include some great new additions. This blog won't change much, I love being able to share recipes, projects, and natural beauty tips with you all. But, there will be some fun changes, I don't want to spoil the surprise. If you follow @style_me_green on instagram you got a little sneak peek on Sunday night. For all of you blog followers here is another little hint- we will be incorporating a shop! AND we will be doing a HUGE giveaway next Monday when the shop launches, so stay tuned for that. I'm so excited, and I have all of you to thank for it! Thanks for helping my dreams come true!

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI RECIPE

As promised here is the chili recipe we are obsessed with. It's our family's Halloween tradition to make chili before trick-or-treating. Since we are a bit too old for the trick-or-treating part, we decided that we would just keep the chili part of the tradition alive. So add this to your list of must try Fall dishes!

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked diced chicken
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 TB Vegetable oil (used to cook chicken if needed)
2 cans (15 1/2 oz) Great Northern Beans (rinsed)
1 can (14 1/2 oz) Chicken Broth
2 cans (4 oz) chopped green chilis
1 tsp of each: salt, cumin, oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup greek yogurt (you could also use sour cream)
1/2 cup whipping cream

Directions:
In crockpot place cooked chicken, onion, garlic powder, beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Heat thoroughly. (3-4 hours on low) Or bring to boil over stove, simmer uncovered for at least 30 min.

Remove from heat, add yogurt and whipping cream. Serve immediately.

HAPPY HAUNTING: OCTOBER 2013 HALLOWEEN MOVIES

This week is Halloween, I love Halloween, its probably one of my favorite holidays. I'm not to jazzed about candy, or having people scare me- but I do love seeing all the great costumes, and driving past houses with pumpkin leaf bags, oh and watching all the spooky movies that come on in the last weeks of October. If you are anything like me scary movies are not your thing- Silence of the Lambs is pushing it for me on the fear spectrum. I'm more of a "It's Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" kind of girl. Another of my favorite Halloween traditions is making chili and corn bread on Halloween night, we did it when I was a kid and I carried into adulthood, because it just feels right. Later this week I'll share the white chicken chili recipe I'm obsessed with lately. It's the perfect Autumn pick me up on cold, rainy,spooky nights.

But let's get back to the flicks, here's my list of Halloween movies on Netflix and TV 2013:

NETFLIX:
Ghostbusters - also on TV Comedy Central on 10/31
ParaNorman
The Nightmare Before Christmas - also on TV ABC Family on 10/29
Rosemary's Baby
Scream
The Mummy (Not The Brendan Fraser Version)
Carrie (The Original)
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (I had to watch this for a German History Class once, it was weird, But I kinda liked it)


CABLE:
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride - ABC Family on 10/29
Twilight - on ABC Family 10/30
It's Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown - ABC on 10/31
The Addam's Family - ABC Family on 10/31
The Addam's Family Values - ABC Family on 10/31
Hocus Pocus - Lifetime on 11/1 (They are airing this on Friday...)

HOMEMADE MARINARA FROM FRESH TOMATOES

One of my favorite parts off Autumn is harvesting our garden. We had some early frost warnings so a lot of our tomatoes were picked early, most were still green. I tried letting them ripen up in a bowl last year, but learned they do better in boxes and paper bags. So this year we corrected our error, and had a bounty of tomatoes all at once. We diced some for salads, made a round of Ketchup, and ate tomato-filled foods for a week- I am surprised I haven't turned into a tomato, seriously like Violet Beauregarde from Willy Wonka turning into a blueberry.

But we still had 7 huge tomatoes left and they were on the brink of getting too soft. Usually if something was about to rot, I would throw it in the worm composting bin but we stopped feeding them so we could transition them to winter. (More on that next week)   I couldn't stand wasting them, and I wasn't about to dive into the deep abyss really homemaker-ey moms call vegetable canning, NO, not over 7 measly tomatoes. Long story short, I made this marinara sauce, and it was so good, beyond good even. You can actually taste the flavors, it was so easy that I will never buy the canned stuff again. Seriously, your mouth is gonna be like, WHAT?!

Ingredients
6-8 large tomatoes, chopped
2 small onions, diced
1 clove of garlic, diced
1/2 T fresh basil
1/2 T fresh thyme
1/2 T fresh oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Chop the onions and garlic and saute in a sauce pan. When those have caramelized stir in  chopped tomatoes. Incorporate the fresh herbs. Let the sauce simmer stirring occasionally, the water from the tomatoes will cook off and you will be left with a thick, hearty sauce.

SEPTEMBER ECO FRIENDLY FINDS

The changing of the seasons not only signals a change in wardrobe, but adjustments to your home as well. Think about it in the same way you would your wardrobe. Adding lush fabrics, texture and warmth can be easy if you start of small. A knit toss pillow, a wool throw, and some wooden accessories can cozy up a space, just like that. This month's favorites are a collection of small things you could add to your home to warm it up for fall. I just ordered #2 and I can't wait to snug it right onto the guest bed.

1/2/3/4/5/6/7

DIY TEACUP CANDLES (EMERGENCY CANDLES)

I have been a little MIA in the last month because we had a forest fire, it was kind of scary, I won't lie. You can read about it here. I have never had to evacuate my home before, and we had about an hours' notice- let me tell you, you really realize what is important in a crisis. Fortunately, we had our important documents all in the same place, and it was a matter of tossing in medicine and passports. Oh, and John hadn't come home from work yet, so I was doing all of this alone, and as organized as I am- I really almost forgot about the cat... Pet owner of the year right here ladies and gents!

But we made it through, and thankfully everyone and everything was safe. But in the wake of our evacuation I realized we are woefully ill-prepared for other types of emergencies. We had no water/food stores, and didn't even own a proper flashlight that wasn't attached to our phones, until last week. So in addition to my other emergency prep, I wanted to make some emergency candles- but I wanted them to look good.  I had empty teacups just sitting in the cupboard and they needed a purpose in life. So that's how this DIY was born. I would estimate from my previous candle-owning knowledge, that these will burn for close to 40 hours each.

Supplies:
Scissors
Teacups
Soy Candle Wax
Flat Braid Wicks (at least 3" longer than your container)
Microwave Safe Container/ Double Boiler
Hot Glue/ Wax Adhesive

Directions:
1. Clean your cup and dry completely
2. Place your wick in the center of your cup and glue it down with hot glue. You can also use wax adhesive for this step. Support your wick with a pencil/skewer/huge ugly stick. I had a huge ugly stick handy as you can see.
3. Heat wax according to package instructions. This is where you will add dye or scent if you choose to. I added a few drops of lemon and orange scent.
4. Pour into container. You can adjust the wick to make sure it is straight after you poor the wax.
5. Let sit until the wax is cool until the candle is solid. (If you have an uneven settling you can add more wax to the top to make it a level surface.)
6. Trim wick down to 1/4″.

FAVORITE ECO-FRIENDLY FINDS: AUGUST EDITION

Starting this August I'm going to begin sharing my five favorite eco-friendly finds of each month. This month I focused on eco-friendly home decor. If there is a product you have been desperately trying to source, leave me a comment below, and I'll see if I can find something to suit your style needs for future posts! 

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

DIY SUNSCREEN RECIPE

After reading a few articles and hearing stories from people about the cancer causing properties of store bought sunscreen, (read here and here)  we decided this summer we would make our own.  I know it's a bit late in the season, but we tested out 4 different ratios of oil to zinc oxide before determining that this was the best one. This recipe shouldn't be the end-all and be-all answer to your sun prevention needs. I usually wear a hat and cover up when I am outside, as well as keeping a diet rich in anti-oxidant foods. That really is the best way to minimize your risk of skin cancer and premature wrinkles, while keeping it all natural. But I think this recipe is a great addition to my normal sun protection tactics, and I could see a difference on days when were were out in the yard gardening.  If you want to substitute some of the oils in the recipe here's a handy chart of natural SPF.

Ingredients: (1 oz = 2 Tbs)
Most of these can be purchased at your local market or health food store,
if not click each ingredient for a link on where to buy online.
1 ounce shea butter
2 ounces beeswax (makes it more waterproof)
1 1/2 ounces coconut oil
1/2 ounce wheat germ oil
1/4 ounce raspberry seed essential oil
1/4 ounce carrot seed essential oil
1 Tablespoon vitamin E oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons zinc oxide powder
1 1/2 Tablespoons liquid aloe vera

Directions:
1. In a double boiler, over low heat, melt the coconut oil, beeswax, and shea butter.
2. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly prior to adding the vitamin E oil, zinc oxide powder, and essential oils. I poured my mixture into a glass jar to allow it to cool faster.
3. The oils and aloe will incorporate easily, but stir the zinc oxide until it completely dissolves.
4. Then pour  mixture into a push-up or roll-up dispenser, you can get something similar here. You can re-purposed  used deodorant containers for this recipe too.
5. Allow your sunscreen to cool and harden overnight. If you are out in the sun for long periods of time, or swimming reapply often.

Notes:
If you don't need your sunscreen to be waterproof you can use less beeswax. If you aren't going to be using this around water you are probably okay with just 1 oz of beeswax.

SPF numbers are pretty insignificant when it comes to differences in sun protection. SPF 100 blocks 99 percent of UVB rays, while SPF 50 blocks 98 percent. SPF 30 blocks 96.7 percent, SPF 15 blocks 93%.
You'll want an SPF of more than 15 to block UVA and UVB rays, Zinc oxide blocks both UVB,UVA2, and UVA1 rays. More info on UVA and UVB here.

You could easily spend close to $30-$40 for all of the ingredients that you wouldn't already have if you don't make your own beauty product regularly, but you could get 4-5 batches before you'd run out of some ingredients. Keep in mind you can team up with friends and go in on the ingredients together.

FRAMED AGATE COLLECTION

I have been searching for some interesting art ideas for the wall that is weirdly angled between our foyer and living room. We've had a movie poster hanging there since the day we moved in, 48" of Rita Hayworth as Gilda, in all her glory. I've had this poster since high school. (Yes, I was a super interior design geek even then- I felt like N'sync posters and the like cluttered the look of a room, but a framed movie poster was much more sophisticated.) So when we moved to our post-college home I wanted something a little less "teenage dream," and a little more "Hey, I'm a real interior designer, I promise."  But it takes me forever to make design choices in my own home, so this is a huge step for us.

We tend to gravitate toward collections in this home because we have 12' ceilings, which makes for a lot of ground wall to cover- and because collections inspire us. We've always loved going to museums and spending hours in the natural history wings, wandering through the dioramas and gazing at the fossils. When I saw what was hanging over the tub in this showhouse in Utah I knew exactly what we needed for our space. 

Even though John loves agates and geodes, and I love pyrite- we selected agate slices to frame, because they were thin, yet colorful and would add dimension to space. I ordered my agates from Sonya Masur on Etsy.  Check out her shop, she has so many great stones, and her agate coasters were perfect for this project. I tested out one agate in a frame prior to purchasing, because I did not want a shadow box frame.  and they were thin enough to rest against the glass, and still get the back of the frame on, I did have to pop the rubber feet off the back of the coasters, but they came off without a snag.

To complete the look I taped a piece of biscuit colored card stock to the back of my mat, and because I ran out of double stick tape I used a fancy tape loop on the back of the agate. Simple place the agate in the center of the mat and put the frame back together. I used frames from Michael's Craft Store, I also used the same frames for this project. And I stuck with my favorite brand of metallic spray paint, Rustoleum universal metallic - but this time I got the hammered metal, in the rosemary finish, it has a great greenish silver color. It's from Home Depot.

CREAMY CILANTRO LIME DRESSING

This is a super simple, homemade cilantro dressing that we like to add to tacos, or Southwest style salad. I've seen a few variations online but most called for mayo and a packet of processed Ranch dressing mix. We like to keep things pretty basic around here- so I started making homemade ranch mix in a decent sized batch a while ago, you can safely store it for about 3 months. And as a general rule if a recipe calls for mayo, I always substitute Greek yogurt, it cuts down on fat and has a fair amount of protein, its win, win! I've included the dressing recipe, and the homemade ranch dressing mix as well, but be warned that you will become addicted!

Ingredients
3/4 cup cilantro chopped, no stems
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup milk
juice of 1 lime
2 Tbs homemade ranch dressing mix (recipe below)
1 Tbs salsa, or green chilies

Directions:
Puree all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.
Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary, if you want more heat add more salsa or chilies. I like mine mild.


Homemade Ranch Mix

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 1/2 tsp. dried dill weed
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. dried onion flakes
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried chives
1 tsp. salt


Whisk all ingredients together until blended. If you want a more finely-ground seasoning mix, you can pulse the mixture in a food processor until it reaches your desired consistency.

To Make Ranch Dressing: Combine 1 Tbsp. seasoning mix with 1/3 cup Greek yogurt and 1/3 cup milk, and whisk to combine.

DIY OMBRE T-SHIRT

I am FINALLY getting to some of the DIY projects that have been cluttering up my office. We've had a super busy, fun-filled summer- and between buying a new car, and our summer road trips we finally had an easy weekend at home. This project takes about 15 min. plus running it through the wash. If I had more time I would have boiled my own dye, but I was using this same tub of leftover dye to fix some shirts that got ruined in the wash, so I just used that dye for this project. If you have the time and patience I recommend making your own natural dye, here is a link. 

Supplies:
T-shirt
Dye
Basin/sink
Rubber Gloves
Hanger
Hair Clips

Directions:
1. Follow the instructions for mixing your dye, and be sure to read the safety and cleaning labels because when they say it will dye your sink purple, they don't lie. (Stainless is easier to clean than white porcelain, so line your sink with a wash tub if you are unsure.)
2. I got my t-shirt wet first, and used a chip clip and a hair clip to hold back the sleeves from the dye. Hang your shirt on a hanger and slowly begin to fold it into the dye.
3. Once you have reached the desired height of your color lift your shirt out, you only want the color at the top of the shirt to be submerged for about 1 second.
4. Slowly pull the shirt out, I mentally divided it into 3 parts and let the shirt sit for about 3 min. at each level. At this point I felt like the bottom looked great, but that the line between the white and the first bit of color was too harsh, so I diluted my dye with some water, and I dipped it back in about an inch above my previous line. (it was so much better, so I recommend this technique for blending the color into the white.)
5. Then empty your dye and rinse the shirt until the water runs clear. Make sure you don't let the dye run into the white part of the shirt while rinsing. Hold the shirt with the white on top and let the faucet run through the dye until its clear. (If you have a sprayer on your sink it helps to use this too.)
6. Wash the shirt according to your dye instructions. Be aware that the white part of your shirt will probably get some of the dye run off in the washing machine, but that it's not a lot, or even enough to really worry about, and it helps the shirt look more blended overall, and not like stripes. You can see in the last two images above the shirt before washing and after washing.

CAMP THEMED NURSERY INSPIRATION

Remember this post about nursery inspiration? How could you forget, it was just last week. In case you are just joining us, I was really inspired by a paint by numbers mural I saw on Land of Nod's website. It was my jumping off point for this design. A good friend was having a baby boy and asked me to create a fun, unique space that could grow with their son.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12

NURSERY INSPIRATION

June must be the month for having babies. I have had quite a few friends who just celebrated their babe's first birthday, and a handful more that are due later this month. If you know me well you know babies terrify me- I never grew up having baby siblings, and I have never changed a diaper in my life.  I think I am the only person in the world with babyphobia.  I used to teach kindergartners, I can handle toddlers and small children, its just something about the unpredictability of a little human that strikes fear in my heart. But I LOVE designing nurseries, and play rooms. I recently designed a nursery for a good friend who is having a little boy later this month, here is where I drew some of my inspiration. I'll share my design board with you a bit later in the week!

I love the gold crib and draperies in this nursery. What a great idea to have a larger bed in the nursery in case you need/want to be close to your little one. 

The simple owl print hung in an ornate frame above the crib really makes a statement in this space. 

The backdrop of this nursery is all neutral with touches of green and coral in the accessories.

The rug in this room really sets the stage for a "world traveler" look, the map doesn't hurt either. 

This green crib is perfect. 

The paint by numbers mural in this room was a huge inspiration for me. I hope this room has a tee pee.

I love orange and pink for little girls, this room is fresh, and fun I loved the roman shade and window seat.

I imagine this room in a cozy New York apartment, I love that little felt cloud. 

This neutral space is quite feminine, I really like how they incorporated texture to warm it up. 

I was kind of dying over the antique crib in this room, and the gingham bed skirt just hit it home for me.