Pretty Petals

Ikea Ektorp Sofa + Comfort Works Velvet Slipcover = Beautiful

 

Remember last year when I did this post on the review of my Ikea slipcovered Ektorp sofa? Well, just before Christmas I recieved a beautiful slipcover in the mail from a company called Comfort Works. This company makes custom slipcovers for Ikea couches.

I ordered my slipcover in a beautiful gray velvet called Rouge Ash....

 

 

I am just over the moon excited to find this awesome company to order slipcovers for my sofa. I just can't get over that they make velvet slipcovers!  I love velvet.

This is my winter look.... lol. 

 

My Ikea couch post from last year prompted so many emails from all of you asking quesions if I was happy with my Ektorp sofa... and yes I still do LOVE it!

 

 

 

 

I thought you might also like to hear a little review about my new little cover from Comfort Works just incase you were thinking of an Ikea slipcovered sofa or chair... or already have one like me. Here is the scoop....

*Their slipcovers are super well made... the zippers are nice and sturdy and the fabric is beautiful. I am so happy with their products.

*The best part about all of this is that the slipcovers are completely washable which was the most important feature to me.

*They are located in Australia... but they will ship any slipcover for $10.00 worldwide! That is an awesome selling point for me.

* You can order free fabric samples so you can get a feel for the fabrics before you choose... I love that part too.

* they custom make your slipcover in the fabric you choose and deliver it within 4 weeks. The cost of the velvet slipcover like mine was around $350

So that is the scoop about this pretty velvet slipcover.

They have lots of other fabric choices for replacement Ikea slipcovers... and their customer service is the best. I must have asked a hundred questions before I finally decided on this one and they were great with all of my questions.

 

 

 

Here are a few more pictures of my Winter living room.... with a few touches of spring flowers for good meausure..

 

 

 

 

 This is my new chair from Pier 1 that I found on craigslist... my husband likes to say this is the chair that looks like a basket... funny funny.  I love pier 1's cool chairs!

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!! xoxo Heather

 

p.s.- Speaking of Australia... my sweet friend Natasha is trying to raise money to help the relief fund for the Queensland floods... please stop by her blog to check out the details. If you donate $5.00 you can be entered to win a gorgeous painting from her or her sweet little son...

 

oh Hello!

 

Hello there!! Well... it has been quite the break for me from this little blog... I think I might need to dust things off around here. ;)

Hope all is well with you! We had a very nice Christmas...  It was nice having days with the kids where we didn't have to do homework... and we could lounge in our jammys all day. I love those days! I am anxious to get around and see what all of you bloggers are up to. I have really been trying to take a little break from being on the computer so much. I think we may all need those little breaks once in awhile.

I thought I would pop in here today and show you my Mantle project I am working on. You might remember this mantle from previous posts, for years it was my headboard in my bedroom... and it also used to be a peachy color. My friend and I dragged it out from behind my bed and set her up in my dining room on New Years eve when we were having a little family get together. Nothing like moving furniture around with friends during a new years eve party right? Our kids truly think we are nuts..  hehe

 

I painted it white because the peachy wasn't working so well in the dining room.

 

 

and then I put my two fave frames on top.

empty frames on top of a mantle for my non existant fireplace isn't out of style in 2011 is it?  I hope not... because I sure do like this little set up...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So there you have it... my first project of the year. It always feels so good when a new year comes around... it is like a new beginning of sorts.

See you again soon!!

xo heather

 

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you a beautiful Christmas! I hope you enjoy peace, love, and wonderful memories this Christmas...

xo Heather

Sweet Cheeks

 I love macro photography... and interiors.... but recently in an attempt to step out of my comfort zone with my camera I have started trying to take some picures of little children. (little ones that are not my own!) Going from interiors and product shots for my website... to children is kindof crazy. They move... and they move a lot. You can take 500 photos and only get 1 good one. The one biggest thing I did not expect to find when I started my venture of photographing children is how I walk away with my heart absolutly FULL.

This photo above is one that I ADORE... It is not the best picture as far as clarity... or lighting, but what IS perfect about it is just that one little moment in this little ones sweet spirit. A moment that her Mother and Father will treasure more with each passing year.

 

 

My favorite photos are not the ones where they are looking at me and smiling... my favorites are always those little moments when you see their little personality shining through..

 

 

 

 

This is little Emry Shea... she is 3. Emry is my good friend Stephenie's niece. this girl LOVES to play dress up. She wouldn't let us pick her outfits... she picked out every piece that she wanted to wear for her photos. It was so much fun and we got so many great pictures!

 

 My favorites are these ballerina ones... pure sweetness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the little Miss posing for the pictures!! hehee... she is adorable.

 

 

I am still not sure if I want to pursue photography as a career... but if I did, I would love to specialize in artistic coloring of photos. I love taking pictures... but I also loving playing in photoshop too!

 

 

 This is little brother Easton... he is 2 and is the cutest little guy.

 

 

 

We tried to get some Christmas photos too...

 

He is looking at his buzz lightyear ornament in this picture... SO cute.

 

 

 

 

 

 little Emry was beginning to have a melt down at this point so I couldn't get a good one of the two of them together....funny how we got so many great pictures of them by themselves but not one good one of them together! I love this picture anyway... it is so funny with her little face! hehe... and little Easton looks like he is thinking, man she is stressing me out! Typical boy/girl scenerio right? lol

I was nervous to share these photos on my blog since I am a beginner at all of this portrait business, and even if my photos aren't flawless ... the memories and little faces captured are pure magic!

 xo Heather

 
 

 

Sweet Swappin

My dear friend Natasha and I decided to do a little swap a few months ago. I am finally finishing my end of things... Life just has a way of getting in the way you know?

I created her a necklace... she requested candy colors when I asked her what colors she would like, so this is what I created for her.

 

I love the bow! It is currently almost summertime in Australia where Natasha lives so the candy colors of this necklace are perfect for hot summer days. The pink rhinestone piece reminds me of a snowflake... so every time I look at it I think of how it is winter here...and summer there... which is always so fascinating to me~ and I think it is so cool how we share this wonderful friendship from across the world. ;)

 

 

Hope you love it N! I also have a few other pretty little things for her but I am going to leave that a surprise until she gets it.

 

 

On the recieving end of things... Natasha painted me a gorgeous set of beachy paintings inspired by the Australian coast.

I told her I had been wanting a painting of the ocean and this is what she came up with for me... I LOVE them. Her creations are just perfect for me. I love them so much because they are simple... and in the best shade of deep ocean greenish-blue. I am so priveleged to own one of her beautiful paintings. She has such a unique and beautiful style to her work.

 

 

 

My son is trying to take this one with the sailboat off of me for his room! haha. I might let him hang this one in his room and I will display the other one somewhere else but so far I havent' been able to split them up.

This swap was so much fun... it is always fun to exchange gifts among your friends isn't it? I don't think there is anyone that truly GETS us like our girlfriends.

 

We have had a busy week this past week with Thanksgiving and it was my sons birthday party... we have spent the weekend putting up some Christmas decorations. It is looking very festive! Hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving. Happy Christmas trimming!

xoxo Heather

Softly She Shines

I am excited to start Christmas decorating. This week I have started to bring some things out.  My Mom bought me these super cute glass glittered birds. Can't wait to find a home for them!

 

These are a new additon this year to my vintage ornament collection... I found them at an antique show. I love the pretty shade of blue and vintage glitter on them. I have been dreaming up ways I want to decorate my tree...

 

 I made a necklace recently and today I put it into my etsy shop...  it is called Softly She Shines...

 

Perfect title I think, it  would be so beautiful for the holiday season coming...

 

 

It has been pretty rainy here today, so I have been sipping on coffee and staying inside trying to get caught up on laundry. This H initial mug is my new favorite and I never use any other one.... if it is dirty I wash it just so I can use it...lol. It was a super sweet gift from my friend Andrea... :)

 

 
 

 So, I am still in my pajamas... and it is 6:57 in the evening.... and my little doggie Jada is feeling the same way as me... lol!!

 

Talk to you soon! xo Heather

 

p.s.- thank you for the votes on my Photo in the previous post! It was the winner for last weeks competition!! So now there will be an editorial vote where they will choose a winner of all the weekly winners... that will take place in December... so keeping my fingers crossed... thank you so much for voting!

 

Photo Contest

Good Morning! I want to say thank you SO much for all of your sweetest & heartfelt comments on my last post. They were SO very powerful and uplifting...  The power of women never ceases to amaze me! I almost never do posts like that, because sometimes it is hard to be a little vulnerable....

but you know it is nice to know that everyone is not alone in this journey.

in other news...

I took a chance and entered the photo above into a Better Homes and Gardens Fall Centerpiece contest... and I was wondering if you had a minute if you could vote for it?? I hope I am not being annoying!! lol but I would so apprecite it! The winner will be entered into a judging to possibly win $1000. Kinda fun!

Here is the link below for the voting..

http://photos.bhg.com/category/vote/photo/568554

 

I am detemined to visit each and every one of you that left me a comment the other day...so I hope that I will get some time later to do that. Wishing you all a happy day today!!

xoxo heather

 

edit: Thanks for your votes girls! You can vote once a day up until the 14th ... forgot to add that to my above post.. . thanks so much!:)) xo

 

 

 

 

Life Lessons

Some life lessons I have been learning lately… 

 

How the changing of the seasons can bring on a whole new perspective…

and change can be good.

 ~

How there will be days in your life when you just feel deflated… but knowing that tomorrow holds hope and promise is what keeps us going stronger.

 ~

How music has the amazing power to uplift people…

 ~

How sometimes you had a friend that you thought was a friend that really just isn’t?

 ~

How important it is to say hello and smile…

 ~

How sometimes life has a way of testing you when you are down,  to see how strong you are maybe? To see how much faith you have? To see how much you can grow?

 ~

How to be ok with just being yourself… flaws and all.

 ~

How sometimes you want to be happy, but you just can’t be in that exact moment

and it is OK to let yourself feel down for a little bit..

 ~

How sometimes watching our teenagers make mistakes is so painful

it literally squeezes every ounce of breath out of you..

~

How a kind word can change someones whole day...

 ~

How cliquey~ness is hurtful …

and serve as a reminder that I never want to be that kind of Woman.

 ~

How raising children is hard…

but the proudest accomplishment to your resume.

 ~

How sometimes you just need a hug..

 ~

How political opinions can quickly spread hate if you aren’t careful…

 ~

How to recognize your own strength…

 ~

How not to allow envy to creep into your heart, but to be happy for all the blessings in your life

and to know that God has a plan specific to you, even when you just don’t see it yet.

 ~

How sometimes men just don’t think the same as women… and that is just the way it is, period.

No sense trying to make sense of it.

 ~

How when one thing goes wrong, a million other things go wrong too…

 ~

How when life gets us down, we need to focus upward…

and ask for help to get through.

 ~

How while we are praying for help, to never ever forget to say thank you for the blessings.

Every. Single. Day.

 

 

 I have been going through some rough times lately... sorry if this post seems a little dreary but sometimes you gotta be real, you know? It helps to just get it all out there somehow..

We all have those times in our lives when things are just hard and we have to climb a mountain or two or three. I am just a girl who is trudging along,  … and while we all have our own mountains to climb, some days I guess it is ok to stop & sit down for a few, take a deep breath… then get back up and dust off and keep on trudging!

 

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

 

xo Heather

Pillow from a vintage towel..

My Mom and I bought a few of these vintage homespun towels at an antique show a few months ago. I haven't been feeling well this week, so while I was watching tv & sipping tea this morning I decided to get one out and try to make a pillow.

 

 

 I folded it and sewed it up on my sewing machine like a pillowcase with a flap, ~ envelope style ~  so that the pillow can just slip down in. Now don't mistake me for a good sewer...

I am not, I was winging it as I went along.

My stitches are nowhere near perfect, but I was thinking about the lady that hemmed this towel before me. The stitching along the hem was hand stitched and slightly imperfect just like mine. Maybe she was in a hurry and trying to get dinner ready for her family, and get the house swept up before the kids come home from school, and trying to do the pile of dishes in her wash basin too, but decided she needed to hem a towel first? yep, maybe that is why her stitches were uneven...

 

Then I added two rows of ruffles on the flap, (I am still not even sure how I got those ruffles to go right...pins did the trick I think!), and some linen ties to the sides... 

 

 The pillow just slips in and I can slip it back out if I need to wash it.

 

 Pretty for being an old towel!! I think whoever owned this pretty old towel before me would be proud!

xo

p.s.- linking to White Wednesday at Faded Charm

Fall at my House

I am not usually a very Orange person... it is probably one of my least favorite colors. I am usually very anti-orange during the fall season, but this year am feeling more drawn to it. Loving those shades of dark yellow, browns and oranges. I am also loving those pretty rust colors I keep seeing in the stores and then I think to myself, heather what is up with you, you hate orange??

 

 

 I am glad we still have a few more weeks until Thanksgiving so I can enjoy it all a little longer. I am really not minding the touches of orange at all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I bought the red striped rug at Ikea for 3.99! Just used it as a table runner instead of a rug. ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

This pillow I dressed up with some fabric flowers... I think it looks very fallish.

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!!

 

 These leaves are what greeted me this morning when I woke up and looked out the front door... they looked like a blanket on the ground so I took a picture. Hope you all had a fun Halloween! We had such a great night, the sky was so pretty while we had our trick or treat... there were lots of kids... and lots of candy... fun times.

Happy Fall!
xo