From Eat-in-Kitchen to Coffee Nook

Hey! Today I wanted to share another of our

home improvement projects.

Most older homes have both an eat in kitchen or breakfast nook 

AND a formal dining room.

However we decided that we wanted to make the "formal" dining room

our everyday dining room, so that left this little spot without a purpose.

My husband and I just love coffee, and our kitchen has limited space,

so I decided to make a little coffee nook!

I found those two cozy chairs at a consignment shop in town, 

and Ryan built the little bistro table.

 

We have coffee here almost every morning.

It's really beautiful with the morning light coming in the windows.

We framed out those windows in Farmhouse style

and also updated the paint on the walls, with Kilim Beige from Lowe's.

Ryan built the light fixture, and I love the country feel it provides.

 These little shelving units were perfect

for our coffee makers and mug collection.

It's such a cozy little spot and a very functional space for us.

So I'm curious - do you have family meals in your breakfast nook

or in a formal dining room?

Have a great weekend!

xoxo

jessica

Painted Coop

I had so much fun painting this coop this weekend!

I imagine in the winter it will be a nice pop of color.

 I found this quote in How to Be a Wildflower by Katie Daisy.

If you haven't discovered that book, I highly recommend it :)

Since our farm's name is Starry Fields, 

all of the flowers are star shaped. 

Hope you had a good weekend!!

xoxo

jessica

Two Lives Linked: A Modern Wedding Ring Quilt

Last year two of our dear friends got married.

The bride has modern taste, but also loves

the country.  She's an architect, so I knew

she would appreciate something structural.

I found the inspiration for this quilt on Pinterest,

but it was very small (about 9"x9" I think).

So I created my own design on a much larger

scale.  I imagined zooming in on a Double Wedding Ring

and cropping it so that you only see two of the rings linked together.

Does that make sense?

Then I backed it with that gorgeous arrow

tapestry from Urban Outfitters!

Before I bound it I embroidered their names, wedding date,

and one of the arrows from the back.

I hand-quilted it in straight lines, using pearl cotton.

I also quilted around each of the arcs.

Then I bound it with some scrappy binding I made.

 

For my first quilt design it actually went fairly smoothly.

I didn't save a pattern, but if y'all are interested I may

think of whipping one up.

I kind of want one for myself ;)

xoxo

jessica

Farmhouse Fireplace Renovation

About three months ago, we bought a farmhouse on 20 acres.

We love the land, and the house, but the interior design didn't match

the exterior.  It was all farmhouse on the outside, formal on the inside.

We've been doing some renovations and redesign, and this fireplace

was the first thing we did!

About an hour after we closed on our home, 

Ryan started ripping this facade off the wall.

(we were kind of excited to have our own place)

We updated the brass by unscrewing it from the fireplace
and spray painting  it with black high-heat spray paint.
Then, Ryan built the white frame and screwed the stained wood mantel piece on top.

We attached it to the wall and began shiplapping
at the mantel until we were about 2" from the ceiling.
We then added a 1x2 and a 1x3 for trim at the top.
I caulked the spaces between the trim pieces and painted it white.
We think it made a huge difference!!

Oh let's see them again side by side:

  

I promise it's the same fireplace ;)

All that slate tile was hidden underneath the wood - yay!

More reno projects to come, we've been busy!!

Jessica

Reverse Applique Football T

It's football season y'all!

So today I lit a pumpkin spice candle, turned on the game, 

and whipped up this little t-shirt for Charlotte!

Y'all, I am so in love with reverse applique.

It's like regular applique but faster and easier and...reverse.

I'm gonna make one for my other two kiddos too! and maybe myself!

You know you want to try it out - keep reading for the tutorial!

Supplies:

t-shirt

jersey knit material (or an old t-shirt you can cut up)

embroidery floss

needle

scissors

Step 1:

Trace your pattern onto the shirt.

I used cookie cutters, but you could also print something

out that you find online.  This will be the line that you sew along.

Step 2:

Place your colors of knit under your design.

You can either just pin it in place, or use a little

craft glue to baste it.

Step 3:

Sew along the design that you traced with embroidery floss.

You can just use a running stitch.

(be careful to only sew two layers, not the back of the shirt!)

Step 4:

Now carefully separate the top layer from the bottom layer
and make a small slit with your scissors in the top layer.
I highly recommend a pair of tiny applique scissors for this,
but you can use regular fabric scissors in a pinch.

Step 5:
Now slide your scissors in sideways and begin to cut away
the top layer of t-shirt, revealing the color beneath.
This is the most fun step!!

Step 6:
Turn the shirt inside out cut the excess around the edges -
this is most important if your t-shirt is white.

And you just repeat those steps for the football!
I love this heart-shaped one for the girls,
but I'll do a regular shaped one for Hunter's.
I think she liked it!

Happy Football Season!
Jessica

Let me introduce myself...again

Once upon a time, when Pinterest was new and social media was young, I had a blog.  

It was a happy little blog, one that stretched my creativity and hopefully, inspired others to do the same.  

We had one little girl, and my husband was finishing school.  And then many things changed.  

The good kind of changes that brought joy and adventure to our lives, but made keeping up with a blog difficult.  

And so the little blog waited.  

It waited while we moved to Japan with the Navy, had two more babies, moved to Virginia, 

and finally landed in Kentucky.

We bought a farmhouse on 20 acres and named it Starry Fields Farm. 

Ryan got out of the Navy, our oldest is in school, and we're feeling more settled each day.

In three short months we've acquired two cows, three cats, six goats, and eleven chickens! 

We've planted two gardens and our property has a beautiful little creek running through the woods. 

So what is to become of the little blog?

I actually sewed something the other day, of my own design, and I enjoyed it so much I began to wonder.

Do people even blog anymore?  Isn't it all snapchat and live videos on Facebook?  

Well, perhaps, but I enjoy writing and it pushes me to be creative, 

which is honestly good for my mental health.

So I've decided to go for it.

We've done several renovations on our farmhouse that I'd love to share with you, 

as well as our adventures with farming, and I'd like to get some new sewing/crafting tutorials up. 

So that's where we're going to start. 

Sound good?

It does to me.  

If you used to follow along, I'm so glad we're back together.  

There's a community here that I've missed! 

And if you're new, well thanks for stopping by.  

I hope you find some of my past tutorials helpful, and I hope you'll enjoy the new adventures ahead.

 

Jessica

{Create} Fabric Hairbow

As much as I craft you would think I could make a decent ribbon hairbow.  But the thing is - I really stink at making ribbon hairbows.  I just can't seem to get it right - even when I follow really great tutorials.  So instead, I dug through my fabric stash and created this little bow.

I love it.  

It's so simple to make.  

It will be the perfect accessory to your girl's summer wardrobe(or yours!).  

Just follow the easy instructions below!!!

You'll need:

 a small square of fabric - about 6"x6"

a hair clip

some trim or ribbon for the center

a glue gun

a sewing machine/thread/scissors/etc.

STEP 1:

Cut a 4"x2" rectangle out of card stock for a pattern.  You don't have to do this, but I like to so that I can position it anywhere on the fabric.  Cut out two rectangles.

STEP 2:

Pin the rectangles right sides together.  Place marks 1" apart along one of the long sides.  

Preferably in the center.  This will be your opening for turning.

STEP 3:

Use a 1/4" seam allowance and stitch around the rectangle, leaving the 1" opening.  Clip the corners.

STEP 4:

Turn it right sides out and topstitch the opening closed.  Press well.

STEP 5:

Now, scrunch up the center of the bow.  Just fiddle with it until you like the way it looks, then top stitch right over the folds to hold it in place.  

 STEP 6:

Select your trim and wrap it around the center of the bow - gluing it or hand sewing it in the back.  Lastly, glue the clip to the back of the bow and enjoy!!

Happy Sewing!

jessica

{Educate} Sew By Number

Hey!  Well, I've been changing things up a bit around here.  A new look and a new sense of organization.  Now all of my posts will fit into one of four categories - which you can browse using the tabs beneath my header.  Decorate.  Create.  Educate.  Nourish.  

We have decided to homeschool in the fall - and so I'll be coming up with lots of crafts and projects for children.  You can find them under the Educate tab.  Today I wanted to share this super simple activity - which can easily be used for either gender.  

It also makes a great rainy summer day activity ;)

While we love lacing cards, with their sturdy frame and nice laces, we had a little difficulty grasping the concept of moving from one hole to the next.  So I decided to print out some pictures, punch holes around the edges, and number the holes.  Kind of like connect the dots with sewing.  

They have been a hit!  So here's how you can make your own!

Step 1:  Find a free printable coloring page through Google.  You can choose a character your child likes, or use something relevant to your unit in school. Print this picture onto card stock.

Step 2:  Cut around the picture - leaving a small border.  Punch holes around the border.

Step 3:  Number the holes.

Step 4:  Give your child some yarn and either a large darning needle or a piece of pipe cleaner folded in half and twisted to make a "needle".  I actually like the pipe cleaner option because you can make the eye as large or as small as you like, and your child can practice threading the needle.  Tape one end of the yarn to the back of the card.  Then start at number 1 and sew sew sew!  

Enjoy watching your child learn to sew!

xoxo

jessica

{DIY} Faux Boat Wood - how to make painted wood look chipped and old

 

I have been in love with boat wood for a long time.  The vibrant colors, texture, and the story - salvaged wood that's been a part of countless voyages on the sea...it all appeals to my sense of style.  Unfortunately, it's really expensive.  So, as the Officer and I were discussing our headboard options, I pointed out that I'd really looooooove a boat wood headboard.  We studied several photos and realized we couldn't think of any distressing method that would create the look we desired. 

source

It doesn't look sanded or faded. 
It looks like it's been chipped away.  Now, for a moment I actually considered painting the wood then taking a chisel and chipping pieces off... it was a crazy DIYer moment.  

Thankfully we did more research and came across a very simple technique that worked perfectly.  Lucy of Lucy Designs demonstrates this method, and even though she's not trying to emulate boat wood - it creates the same effect.  And here's the best part:  the only tool you'll need is a block of wood.  I'm talkin' a hunk of a 2x4.  I think anyone can come across one of those.  

Once you've found a block of wood and selected your paint colors, simply pour one color of paint onto a paper plate, dip the wood block in it, and slide it across your wood in a long sweeping motion.  Follow the length of the board.  It will create this really cool weathered and chipped look.  Once the first layer has dried, paint another layer - continue this method until you are happy with the results.

We painted the boards in groups of 3 or 4 so it would look like some of them came from the same boat.  The entire project only cost us $20, because the wood we used was from reclaimed pallets. 

 
The Officer also fashioned that awesome anchor from some of the scrap wood - he's amazing.
I know this style isn't for everyone - but we really love our eclectic, beachy, colorful bedroom!  Hope you had a great weekend!!
jessica

Barndoor Baby Gate

Well, I can't believe it but next week little Miss Lila turns 1!!  She has become extremely mobile...including walking :)  So a few weeks ago it was time to put up the baby gates.  

Our not-so-lovely-but-thankful-we-have-it military housing comes with the really steep stairs.  With really sharp edges.  

So we needed to stop little Miss from climbing them (and she IS a climber!).  I'm really not a huge fan of the plastic baby gates...they don't have a lot of character and are really expensive for what you get.  So my crafty husband searched the internet for a better solution and came across this lovely barndoor baby gate plan from Remodelaholic.  He used mostly pallet wood - so they were very inexpensive.  Like most everything else in our house we decided to add color.  In fact my daughter has been known to punish her dolls by making them wear all white or all grey...the horror!

The gate at the bottom of the stairs had to be hinged in the center - there wasn't enough room to open it all the way.  

It simply folds neatly against the wall.

(don't you love that handrail...?) 

My thanks to the Officer for his mad woodworking skills. 

I love them, and they add just a little more character to this big white box we live in...that I'm very thankful for ;)

xoxo

jessica

p.s. Be happy with what you have and you will have plenty to be happy about.