Am Feelin The Love!

Well what do you know!!!  I won my second award, yay me and yahooooo!!!

Ok, now that I got that out of the way I would like to thank my Lord and Saviour...alright, I will spare you the speech this time. For now though 

I will thank Najeema Iman, from I AM Curly Locks.   She nominated me 

for this award and I am so very grateful to her for bestowing this honor

on B.A.T.G.  You rock Najeema!

There are rules attached to this award so here they are,

• Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post. 
• Tell us seven things about yourself 
• Award fifteen recently discovered new bloggers 
• Contact these bloggers and let them know they’ve received their award  

7Things About Me

1. I love my life.  The good, the bad, and the ugly, I love it all!
2. My favorite flavor is lemon.
3. I can't stand procrastination and clutter.
4. Am working on finishing my first book and it is no joke.  (insert long sigh) 
5. Its important to me to love God openly and share his love with others.
6. I love challenging myself to learn something new every day.  
7. I am a good listener and a peace maker.

Well thats it for me, it's time to pass it on.  The Versatile Blogger Award goes to.... 

1. Veater Family Adventures
2. The Happy Natural Baby
3. 40's - Reason To Live, Love, And Laugh out Loud
4. Boutique On Feet
5. Healthy Thai Food By The Bennett 
6. Coffee And Camo
7. Krafty Creations With Kiley
8. A Place Called Simplicity
9. A Blonde And A Brunette
10. Allotment 2 Kitchen
11. All Things Edifying
12. Mamma Town
13. Mediterranean Inspired
14. Nona's Notes
15. Purity Clothing Co.

To all my winners, please share the love and pass the award along.

All the best!!!

Wanda Mcphee

The Magic Of Mirrors In Decor

Venetian mirrors inside Coco Chanel's home

Mirrors by far are my favorite design element in home decor.  Why is that? You might ask.   Well, for starters, you can find a mirror in just about any style, shape, size or color under the sun.  And if that isn't good enough reason, here are some other reasons why mirrors are so amazing.

Original Louis Philippe mirror

Use A Mirror To:

• reflect light from a window or chandelier throughout a room
• reflect an outdoor view
• visually expand a space (the reflection doubles the expanse/space)
•  basic function – to check hair/makeup before leaving the house
• to introduce a different shape or texture
• to reinforce a style with the frame shape
• to create a focal point in an otherwise featureless room

Of all the features and benefits the mirror provides, I must say that the light, space and airiness it brings to a room is what I enjoy most.  Interior decorators say that a mirror should reflect a wonderful view.  I agree.  Mirrors look best in places where they can reflect light from a window, or where they are adjacent to a window so that you see "outside" in them...trees, the sky...you get the point.  So, if you have a small space or would like to kick it up a notch in your home consider adding a mirror.  You'll be surprised at how this simple addition can transform and liven up a room.

Here are some great mirror photos for inspiration, enjoy!

www.trendir.com

www.apartmenttherapy.com

Picture from decor magazine

christmasoutdoorhomedecoration

christmasoutdoorhomedecoration

Antique french mirror - origin unknown

Gorgeous mirror with column detail - origin unknown

Drift wood mirror

 darrelldeanantiques

Love Conquers All

I LOVE JESUS.  I say this with pride during this Easter season because I want to be the kind of Christian who is not spiritually "in the closet".  Jesus died for me, the least I can do is serve and acknowledge him openly.  


To my bothers and sisters from other faiths and beliefs, welcome, know that I love you too.  We are all equal in God's eyes.  He created us all.  He loves us all.  


L O V E  is what the Easter season is all about.  Jesus laid his life down because he loved us. 


Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.  John 15:13 

No higher expression of love could be given or experienced. Life is is our most valuable possession; and when someone is willing to lay that down for their friends or their country, it is the ultimate sacrifice. 


I encourage you to remember the real reason we celebrate this season.   Enjoy the candy if you want but know that the death and resurrection of Christ was absolutely Easter bunny and Easter egg free.  Angels.....but no bunnies. 


Many blessings on you and your family during this holy season.  Have a happy EASTER!.

D.I.Y Headboards Gone Wild!

It is no secret that I am a certified D.I.Y fanatic.  No delusions here, am owning it!  Show me a "how to" project and my happy quotient goes way up.  Don't know why that is but hey, thats how the good Lord wired me.

One of my favorite things to experiment with is headboards.  It is such a splendid opportunity to unleash your creativity and infuse your own personality into your bedroom.  And this my friend is what makes your home uniquely yours so go for it!

Creating A new head board could be as simple as draping fabric over your old one or it could be so complex that it may take many months, even years to complete.  The great thing about it is, you decide what you want.

I have a queen bed that needs a head board so of course I decided to make my own.  I found so many beautiful options.....    These are my favorites so far.  What do you think?

Decorative fabric 

Salvage wood 

A paint job and a strategically placed mirror

A large framed piece of Art

Salvage doors

Antique mirror

Burlap 

Multiple framed photos

And finally tapestry.  

This is going to be so hard to choose but since these are all so gorgeous, I cant go wrong with any of them.  Well, am of to marinate on my choices but I will post a picture of my new head board once I decide and "git er done!"  Cherio!

Tearin It Up Decoupage Style!

 Decoupage.   This is one of those words that sounds so much more exclusive, and complicated than it really is. Though the end results can look very expensive and  high end, decoupage is actually very simple.  If you can cut and paste paper, congrats, you can decoupage my friend. 

A few days ago I  started experimenting with this very exciting craft. I must say that I am so happy I tried it.  It is so very easy to do....even therapeutic and relaxing.  I didn't even use a scissors to cut the paper, I just ripped them up by hand. Oh, and I did it all while watching a movie.  Ahhh.....good times.


The first two images are collages I made from magazine pages.  More to come!  

To Try this,  all you need to do is:

1. Glue your choice of decorative paper to a flat surface or object. Could be a piece of furniture, mirror, plate, vase, old suit case, a mannequin and so much more......think outside the box and have fun!

2.  You then follow with a coat of glue/decoupage medium to protect the images you glued down.  You can use white glue or a decoupage medium like mod podge.

3.  When its dry, follow with a coat or two of clear varnish.

Decoupage Tips

Use a Popsicle Stick to help smooth out wrinkles and removed excess glue.  

Use a Foam Brush to spread glue onto the item you will decoupage. If you don't have a foam brush, you can use an ordinary paint brush or a cotton swab.  

Use Scissors to cut out pictures and other images you will be decoupaging. When cutting pictures with small details, use a utility knife.  


Rip paper free hand for a more organic look.

 Use Tweezers to help when positioning small pictures.  

Keep a Damp Rag/towel nearby to wipe up excess glue and for clean up.

Check for bubbles as your decoupage dries. If one forms,  pop it with a pin or utility knife and then smooth it down with your fingers.  

Where can I find pictures and images to decoupage?

What I like most about decoupage is that you can actually recycle all of those old magazines and damaged books into something beautiful and meaningful.  From your kids doodles....ahem...I mean Art, to perhaps love letters from the husband, this is a great way to preserve and showcase them.

hgtv

You can also decoupage with: 

Catalogs, wrapping paper, wall paper fabric, fabric napkins, greeting cards, post cards, photographs, travel brochures, handbills, programs, garden seed packages, foil covered paper, paper doilies, ribbon, posters, dried flowers, tissue paper, and more. And, as if this isn't enough, you can buy paper specifically made for decoupage. The options are endless.  

Here some fabulous decoupage pieces for inspiration.  Enjoy!

Bombus

Bombus

idoallmyownstunts

Photo source unknown

craftzine

chameleon-interiors

artatheart

pinkpigwestport

design2share

rhinestonearmadillo

Well, thats all for now.  Am off to tear tear up some paper. Cherio!

Its All About The Napkin Ring

I truly believe that beauty is in the details.  A good example of this is the napkin ring.  It is not a necessity to set a table, however, it is such a quick and easy way to spice up a table setting.

houseofpeltier

 Napkin rings come in so many shapes, styles and prices, the choices are endless.  You can also make your own, this way you can personalize the colors and style to fit your own specific taste.  If you have broken costume jewelry, ribbons or old magazines somewhere in the house, you can make your own napkin rings from these materials quite easily.  Since napkin holders do not take up much space on a table and they are easily stored, why not create different styles for different occasions......  Just take a look at these beauties and you'll see what I mean.

zenceramics

These are ceramic with sea shells as an accent.  I like the way how each one is slightly different in color and texture from the other. 

eabdesigns

Go above and beyond the norm.   Add a couple of brooches or earrings in different shapes and sizes to fabric napkin holders.   Your guests will notice and appreciate this sophisticated detail.

houseofpeltier
The texture and natural color palette of these napkin rings is just divine.  Works great with color and monochromatic color schemes.

localcolorseaglass
How cute are these sea glass napkin rings!  I see these in my D.I.Y future...

merchantoverseas

This is so unusual and chic.  Check out the Swarovski crystals on this! You can also get a similar look with rhinestones. 

houseofpeltier

Lol, the next time you see a pine cone, pick it up.  

houseofpeltier
All I can say is wow.  So fresh and delectable looking, yet sooooo simple.

Revisions

These gorgeous napkin rings were repurposed from vintage spoons and forks.  

houseofpeltier

Burlap napkin rings are so textural and nostalgic to me.  The addition of this sweet red ribbon makes it extra special.

Well, I hope you enjoyed our napkin tour.  I sure did.  Before I leave though, you'll find a step by step guide at www.ehow.com to make your own napkin rings.  The tutorial is super easy and a lot of fun.  Happy crafting!