DIY Home Decor: Framed Wallpaper

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’m not much of a DIYer. But that doesn’t stop me from busting out the glue sticks every so often and trying to make some crafting magic happen. Sometimes I see things on Pinterest or on other blogs and I get so inspired to add a similar handcrafted touch to my own home. I want to be crafty. I want my scissors to be like a magic wand upon yards of fabric. But I don’t have all the right tools, I don’t have neat handwriting and I’m terrible at drawing straight lines (even with a ruler). Usually half way through a seemingly easy project, I realize it’s going to require skills that I can’t muster. Then I get frustrated, like throw down the scissors and stomp my feet kind of frustrated.

 The inspiration {via}

So was the scene last weekend when I decided to tackle my latest DIY home décor project. I’ve been wanting wallpaper in my home for a long time. I love it. Keith hates it. And when I saw this pretty framed wallpaper on Pinterest I was certain it would be a great way to please us both. I found some extra wallpaper from my parent’s house and my dad gave me four old wood frames that were lying around in the basement. My foolproof plan was to mount the wallpaper on foam board, pop it into the frames and then hang them over our bed. Oh it sounded so painless.

I learned a valuable crafting lesson. Just because a project’s steps are few, does not mean they are easy.

Crafting on the guest bed? Perhaps a more serious workspace would help.

Cutting the foam board to the right size took some work, but I wiped my brow and trudged through it. I breezed through the measuring, cutting and adhering (I used spray adhesive) of the wallpaper. It was getting that foam-mounted wallpaper into the frame that was the hard part. I had to trim and trim and coax and beg that foam board into the frame. It’s not that I measured them wrong—all the foam board fit into the frames pre-wallpaper mounting. Ok. Fine. I probably did something wrong between the set up and step one. So I stomped my feet, pouted and called Keith in to help. It was an ugly scene.

In the end, I turned out two near perfect, framed pieces of wallpaper that I love. We hung them over our bed along with the two empty frames that I intended to wallpaper, too, but I am now just pretending the look was intentional. I love the results of my little room makeover. The lines created by the frames look cohesive with the pattern on our beddings, which I’m so glad about because I was just starting to grow tired of it. And I love that we have some original art (yes, art) in our home now.

Tell me, are you gifted in the craft department? What tips can you offer to an amateur crafter like me? Please share because I'd like to continue this habit but could do without the stress!

Really Easy Infused Vodka DIY

I have another super easy DIY project for you and this one involves booze! But first I just have to say how hard it is to keep my “not change into sweats right when I get home” resolution. The first thing I wanted to do when I got in last night was peel off my jeans, but I remained strong and cooked dinner. And then ate dinner...in the same clothes. Are pajama jeans socially acceptable? Because if I’m going to keep this up I think I need to invest in a pair.

Ok, back to this really easy DIY project that involves booze. For Christmas, Keith and I made our own vodka. Now before you get too crazy, remember that I said this was super easy. We didn’t actually make vodka. I left out a word back there. We made our own flavored vodka. We flavored a vodka that was already made. There.

I love to give personalized gifts, but I’m not much of a crafter. So when my friend sent me a link to an article on this new home vodka flavoring trend I was excited and nervous. I got my husband on board and we ran out to Costco for two bottles of their finest Kirkland vodka and a pack of fresh basil. (That’s right, no vanilla bean booze for us. We were going to get crazy with this.)

After posing for a picture in the parking lot we came home, unscrewed the top of the bottle and stuffed the (washed) basil leaves in.

I set the bottle in a dark corner for two days to “brew”. While we waiting, we ordered these pretty bottles from the Container Store and I searched around the house for some ribbon to decorate the bottle. After two days our vodka had turned a pretty lime green color.

I gladly took it for a test run before bottling it up and was pleasantly surprised to see that it had a very nice basil flavor. I mixed it with lemonade, but would have added some muddled strawberries as well if I had any.

I rebottled it because the basil leaves were looking a little limp and not too pretty after two days. If you’re planning to keep the vodka around for a while, I’d suggest straining it from whatever it’s being infused with. You can add fresh ingredients back in if you’re going to be serving it at a party. It will decorate the bar and wow guests.

Give it a try. Then share your flavor ideas with me! I think I’m going to try rosemary infused vodka next.

It's Cookie Time! Wendy of "Wendy See Wendy Do" Breaks Down the Pittsburg Table

Today I have a special treat for you, dear readers. I mean that literally and figuratively because at the end of this post you will be rewarded with delicious cookies. Today I asked my favorite food blogger, Wendy of Wendy See Wendy Do (who also happens to be planning her own wedding) to guest post. A while back, Wendy mentioned that she wanted to do something really different at her wedding and it might take the form of lots of cookies. Unique wedding detail + cookies = happy blog readers. Wendy, take it away!

I am so thrilled to be making my second appearance on Follow the Wife! (My first was a few month ago in Meet Wendy and Joe and their Chicago Wedding.) You can imagine how tickled I was when Libby asked me to write a guest post! As a soon-to-be Mrs. I love checking out all of the awesome inspiration, advice and real weddings here on Follow the Wife!! What a great place to get new and fresh ideas when I am feeling like my Pinterest board is looking a little stale! So let’s talk weddings, shall we? I am getting married this summer in Chicago and have realized one learns about a lot of things when you are planning a wedding. I am talking stuff you never even knew existed... like rental tax, wedding insurance, chair covers and Pittsburgh Tables. Have you ever heard of a Pittsburgh Table? I hadn’t and I am from Pennsylvania! Long story short... it is a wedding cookie table on steroids! I first heard about the phenomenon from my caterer during my initial tasting. She told me how one of her brides (from Pennsylvania) had this thing called a Pittsburgh Table at her wedding and it was an enormous hit. I had to investigate. What I found was a wonderfully unique wedding tradition that I now plan to have as part of my own wedding this upcoming July!

Pittsburgh Table {via} 

New York Times writer Ron Lieber says no one really knows where the cookie tradition started but for as long as folks have been getting hitched in Pittsburgh there have been cookie tables. Here is how the Pittsburgh Table works: Western Pennsylvania mothers, daughters, family and friends spend weeks, sometimes months, churning out trays and trays of lady fingers, buckeyes, chocolate chip cookies and any other recipe imaginable. These cookies are then neatly set out on a table during the wedding reception for guests to enjoy. Easy as pie, right? Wrong!!

Fun Cookie Jar Idea for Pittsburgh Table {via} 

Pittsburgh Wedding Planning says brides wanting a Pittsburgh Table at their reception should plan on baking 5 to 10 cookies per guest. So (based on 5 cookies per guest) if you are expecting 150 guests you need to plan to bake at least 750 cookies or 63 dozen. 63 DOZEN COOKIES!!! That's a lot of cookies!! To lighten the load you will need to enlist family and friends to help bake. Ask your favorite aunt to bake up a couple batches of her signature cookies and then put them in the mail. You could even invite a bunch of ladies over for a day of baking, romantic comedies and cocktails! How much fun would that be??

Guests enjoying the spread {via} Ross Mantle - New York Times

 Personalize Your Pittsburgh Table! 

- Include recipe cards with the cookies so guests can make their favorites at home.
- Set out craft bags for guests to take a little extra cookies with them as a favor.
- Have the caterer put carafes of ice cold milk and chocolate milk for a "Milk & Cookies Bar."

To me.... the Pittsburgh Table represents what a wedding is all about: family and traditions. Generations of cookie recipes from two families coming together all spread out on a table for your guests to savor. Talk about something special! Whether you are from Pittsburgh or not! Well no cookie related post would be complete without a scrumptious recipe to ogle over, right? One of my fiance Joe's favorite cookies is the Snickerdoodle. So when we were making our list of cookies we would want for our own Pittsburgh Table Joe said this recipe had to make the cut!

Chocolate Chip Snickerdoodles

Slightly adapted from Food & Wine

Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1 stick of butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
-In a large bowl, sift together flour with baking soda, baking powder and salt.  In another large bowl, beat butter and 1 cup of sugar until creamy with an electric hand mixer.  Add melted chocolate and egg to butter mixture and beat until smooth.  Slowly add in dry ingredients being sure to scrape down the side of the bowl.  Add the chocolate morsels and beat until mixed in.
- In a shallow bowl, mix together remaining 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon.  Using a tablespoon measure out 1-inch balls of dough and roll into cinnamon sugar.  Place dough balls on baking sheets lined with parchment paper at least 3 inches apart.  Flatten balls into 2-inch rounds.  Bake for 12-14 minutes then transfer to a rack to cool completely.  Enjoy!

Thanks, Wendy! I absolutely love your Pittsburgh Table idea and can not wait to see all the wonderful cookies you have at your wedding.


Readers, do you love this idea as much as I do? Would you try this at your wedding?

How to Find Found Objects

A lot of brides are incorporating found objects into their weddings. I’m not just saying that because I'm one of them. It’s really happening.

For my wedding, my mom and I thought it would be fun to display centerpieces on cake stands. The florist agreed and our search began. Really, it was my mom’s search. She was much better at finding cake plates, so I woke her up early this morning to find out exactly how she did it.

The Mother of the Bride’s Tips for Finding Found Objects

1. Decide on your theme before you begin your search. You may love mason jars, but they are too casual for an elegant ballroom wedding.

2. Set a Price and don’t go over it. “The florist said she charged $25 for a footed bowl, so I set my price at $12,” says mom. “Sometimes I’d price average though. I bought one that cost $18 and another that cost $8.” If you stick to a price that’s lower than one the florist quotes you, you’ll end up saving a bit of money.

3. Search everywhere! Seriously, never stop looking for your desired objects. Mom found them at antique stores, lot sales and even Home Goods. (Ok, those were not vintage, but I’m not going to tell you which ones they were!) You can also look on ebay or etsy, but I found a few of the same cake stands sold for more (plus shipping) online. *

4. Get others in on the action. Shop with friends so you have extra eyes to scan the piles of stuff in antique stores. They’ll continue to look for you as time goes on. Mom made friends with the owner of one antique store and he called the house once every few weeks with news of more cake stands.

5. Have an exit plan. Eventually, you’re going to have to transport the found objects from your house to the florist or the reception hall and back again. We ended up with almost 40 cake stands! While we focused on collecting them, my dad collected wine boxes. The cake stands also fit nicely into some of the boxes from shower gifts, so be sure to save a few of those.

6. Know when to call it quits. We’re still working on that one. Mom just bought a cake plate last week, and is already thinking about the next thing to collect—milk glass!

*Use your florist as a resource here. He or she may have some great leads about cool places to shop. For example, our florist told us about a store in downtown New Haven, the English Building Market. I also learned about a few local flea markets during a makeup trial, so be sure to ask everyone!

Visit the Marketplace at 100 Layer Cake. There, you can score the finds of other brides.

If you don't want to invest a lot into a collection of items, consider renting them.
I found Recollection Vintage Rentals on Style Me Pretty.
They carry everything from flower vessels to furniture!

While we had our eyes on the prize for most of the time, the actual process of collecting cake stands was very enjoyable. I'd recommend it over buying these items in bulk. I loved going on rides and hunting through stores. Plus, the thrill of victory every time we found a cake stand was unbeatable.

Who else is collecting found objects for their wedding? Where are you getting them? I’m itching to find new places to shop!

Mr. & Mrs. DIY from Yours Truly

Last night Keith and I got to talking about simple pleasures. I had a less than great day and decided to focus on the tiny things that bring me joy. Now, before I go on, I need to state a disclaimer: I count seeing my husband at the end of the day a major pleasure. In fact, it’s the moment I look forward to when I walk out the door every morning. Now, back to the simple pleasures. I think we underestimate them and we’d all be happier people if we spent more time recognizing them. My biggest simple pleasure (oxymoron alert!) is a neatly made bed with clean sheets. I mean, fresh-out-of-the-dryer-and-are-still-warm sheets. Ahhhhh. Another one of my favorites is a clean room. Over the weekend we cleaned our guest bedroom, which had been doubling as the wedding gift/props & accessory holding space since, um, December. It was so cluttered that I was afraid my overnight guest would be tempted to hold a midnight cocktail party with all the housewares I had piled up. (Luckily, the overnight guests were my parents and they love cocktail parties!) After we cleaned, I couldn’t stop walking into that room and admiring our work. I was surprised how good that clean room made me feel, and that is why I classify it as a simple pleasure.

Why am I rambling on about simple pleasures? Well, they are the details in life that are easy to achieve. I can’t watch a fireworks display every night, but I sure can pick up my mess and enjoy a clean room as often as I choose. The details you incorporate into your wedding are simple pleasures, too. The dress, the happy couple and the kiss are the major pleasures of the wedding. Your guests expect that much. The monogramed cocktail napkins, drink stirrers and mustaches on sticks are the simple pleasures. Wedding bloggers today are all about the details, and I think too many brides stress over them. They claim they aren’t creative enough, or they don’t think they have enough time. Well, I’m here to tell all you brides you can have your cake and eat it, too. Stop making excuses and check out this easy to execute wedding detail! A detail that is sure to pleasure your guests, the Mr. & Mrs. Chair Letters.

ta-da! Photo by Cynthia Brown Studio

If you read Follow the Bride over at Creative Odds ‘n Ends, then you saw my original how-to. If you missed it, click on over and have a look. I’ll wait.

Ok, by now I assume you’re planning your trip to the Hobby Lobby for wooden letters and ribbon. Paint ‘em up, wait till they dry, then tie them to the back of a chair for a test run. I had some trouble keeping the “S” from spinning around and adding a second ribbon seemed to secure it. What do you think? Are you feeling great already?

It’s ok if you don’t like them. Maybe you already ordered chair covers! The point I’m trying to drive home is that it’s important to spend a little time (seriously, a little) thinking about the details. You’ll love them and your guests will love them!

Tell me, what are your simple pleasures, in day-to-day life and at weddings? Anyone else have any easy DIY projects?