DIY Monogrammed Coasters

Happy Wednesday!  I am so excited to share this DIY with you all!  Let's get down to the nitty gritty...

Supplies:

• Bathroom or kitchen tiles (found these at $3.95 for 9 tiles, but there are definitely cheaper ones out there)
• Mod Podge
• Clear Acrylic Sealer (I used Krylon's Crystal Clear in the gloss finish)
• Paper and a color printer (or you can use scrapbook paper)
• Sponge brush
• Felt rounds

Step 1:  Measure your tiles and determine how large you would like the paper to be.  My tiles measured 4" X 4" so I made each of the monogrammed papers approximately 3.5" X 3.5".  I found fabric online and simply saved the image - ta-da!  Then I just put my monogram on top of the picture.  I chose 3 prints and printed off 3 copies of each.  Cut the paper to the appropriate size and set aside.

Step 2:  With the sponge brush, brush on one coat of Mod Podge.  Place the monogrammed paper on top and gently smooth your fingers over it with a very small amount of pressure.  Let it dry completely for at least 30 minutes.

Step 3:  Brush on 3 coats of Mod Podge over the monogrammed paper, allowing it to dry completely between each application.

Step 4:  After the Mod Podge has dried, apply one to two coats of the clear acrylic sealer.  After the sealer has dried, apply the felt rounds to each corner.

Step 5:  Voila!  You're done!  Let them dry over night and tomorrow you can enjoy your new coasters!

This has got to be one of the easiest DIY's I've done and it was inexpensive to boot!  This would be perfect as a house warming gift, Christmas gift or even a birthday present.  Hope y'all enjoy it!  It was a fun, simple and the end product was lovely!

Girls Weekend

Since the husband was out of town this weekend on a bachelor trip for a good friend, it was the perfect opportunity for a girls weekend with my mom!  My mom came in town on Friday and Saturday we decided the hit up a few antique stores/flea markets in the area.  The first one we ventured to was one I had been hearing about for some time now - Prattville Pickers.  It is 98,000 square feet and they have an auction house within it as well.  I'm going to go ahead and say it was a huge disappointment.  Everything was highly over priced and there was a lot of, um...junk.  I did happen to snap a few pictures while we were browsing...

This bizarre print (not an original) was $85...

This lovely monkey/candle holder/book end (?) was "unique" and therefore they were asking nearly $200 for it.  I wish they had two {enter sarcasm here}.

The aisles within the shops were so crowded with (pardon my french) crap that you could hardly walk in them...

A view of the furniture area...

Now, there were a few items that I really thought were lovely minus the price tags...this trunk was going for $700...

I don't remember what this fan was going for, but I do remember it was more than I wanted to pay ;)

This was actually the only piece that was low in price - it was going for only $40!  Too bad I didn't need a new desk!

Loved these old shutters, but at $600 I couldn't see the husband being very happy with me :)

After we left Prattville Pickers with our heads down and tears welling up in our eyes, we decided to head to my go-to antique store Eastbrook Flea Market.  This place is great!  They have everything under the sun and their price points are excellent.  I didn't take many pictures, but I did see a lot of fiesta ware and thought of my sweet friend Sheila over at The Adventures of Ordy and Joon!

Now, for the creme de la creme.  While piddling along in the main furniture booths I spotted a dresser.  I thought it had great potential and just needed a little loving. {TIP: Please do not spend a ton on a piece of furniture you don't plan on keeping exactly as it is!  Moving on...} So I took a peek at the price tag and noticed it had been marked down from its $110 price tag to $50!!!  I immediately set my sights on it - but told my mom that we should walk around the store a bit more and if it is still here once we are done then it could be mine.  And it was :)

I am so excited and happy about the new piece!  It's in the living room right acting as our TV console.  I'm going back and forth on if I want to restore it and keep it its natural wood or paint it.  What would you suggest?  If you painted it, what color would you paint it?

Pillow Talk

Recently, I've been searching for some new pillows for our master bedroom, guest bedroom and the living room.  That's pretty much all of the rooms in our home.

via cococozy

Adding pillows to a bed or sofa is an easy easy way to add color or pattern without making a huge investment.  And if you come to a point where you aren't loving the way a room looks - punch it up with some new pillows!  Mix it up with different patterns, colors, sizes and shapes.  It adds dimension and keeps your eye moving around the room creating visual interest.

via pinterest

via furbish studio

via i suwannee

via design*sponge

Another pillow trend I love (although, it's always in trend in the South) is having monogrammed pillows.  They are the perfect personal stamp to a bedroom, living room or any other space on your home.  They seem to add something different than a patterned pillow.

via jenny wolf interiors

via kristen f. davis designs

via houzz

via forever cottage

I love being able to switch out one aspect in a room to give it new look and feel!


TIP: A trick I like to use to give my home a new feel is collecting all of the pillows in every room.  Bring them all to one location and put them in new rooms.  It doesn't work for all of the pillows, but can lead to you using an element in one room that you may not have considered before.  Enjoy!