How to make a rustic three tier stand with reclaimed wood slices and glass candlesticks.

Hello, and welcome to the second instalment of There For the Making | Zero Dollar DIY Challenge. If you weren’t here for the first post in the series, don’t forget to check back to see how I made a framed monogram chalkboard from supplies around the house. All the bloggers on this challenge came up with amazing projects, and I can’t wait to see more. Thanks again to Sarah at Flourish & Knot for organizing and hosting us!

Before and After: Bedside Tables Whitewashed with Chalk Paint

How to whitewash dated pine bedside tables with white chalk paint for a fresh farmhouse look. Includes before and after photos.

Hello friends, and welcome to Personally Andrea. If you’re new here you can poke around and find some recipes, crafts and projects, even learn a little more about me.   I hope you’ll stay awhile, maybe even sign up to receive my posts in your inbox, usually a few times a month...

DIY Eucalyptus and Mint Foot Soak

Bath salts and essential oils make a pretty, scented and therapeutic soak for your feet at the end of a long day.  Wind down and clear your head with this eucalyptus and mint foot soak you can make yourself.

How to Freeze Pomegranate Seeds

How to freeze pomegranate seeds (arils) to keep them longer and ready for baking, breakfast smoothies or salads.

Nutmeg Spice Mini Loaf Cake

Deliciously spiced and light nutmeg spice cake, baked in mini loaf pans it's perfectly sized for snacking or gift-giving.

Last summer we had the good fortune of spending a few days in Boston, MA to do a bit of sightseeing, shopping and eating well.  I looked up some of the most highly recommended restaurants ahead of time and one of them was the Flour Bakery.  It didn’t disappoint.  It had all the charm and character you would want in a neighbourhood bakery/cafe.  Plus a completely decadent assortment of baked goods and yummy beverages to go with them.

How to Make Birdseed Ornaments

How to make birdseed ornaments for your own backyard birds, or as a pretty and practical handmade gift.  Fun craft to make with kids!

So a sad thing has happened in our neighbourhood over the past couple of years.  An invasive species called Emerald Ash Borer has either killed or made sick all of the ash trees.  All.  Which is a lot of trees, considering our neighbourhood bears the name Ashgrove. 

Kate Spade Inspired IKEA Desk

A plain white IKEA desk hacked into a Kate Spade inspired glamorous desk, with some gold spray paint and striped wrapping paper.  Read on to find out how...

So this is part of the ongoing story of me trying to make life happen a little bit better.  Everyone has this story, so hopefully you can relate.  My goal is always function before form.  In other words it’s more important for it to work well than to look beautiful.  But it kinda has to look beautiful too.  Here's how I came up with a functional IKEA desk made to look beautiful, inspired by Kate Spade.

Caprese Salad Skewers with Balsamic Glaze

Simple Caprese Salad style appetizer skewers dressed up with balsamic glaze.

As I’m writing this it’s the very last day of summer vacation.  But I wanted to share this appetizer of caprese salad skewers with balsamic glaze while the farmer’s markets are still bursting with amazing tomatoes and our herb gardens are still going strong.

Using a Free Printable to Make Coffee Station Art

Hey there bloggy friends, it’s been a bit of a long break around here!  It wasn’t totally intentional, but once August came around, summer hit me fast and hard and I suddenly found a lot of other things to do besides blogging.  I missed you, but I hope you found a few other things on the internet to entertain you…

* do you have a coffee station yet? *

Organized Closet with IKEA ALGOT and Chalkboard Labels

Organized closet.  Sometimes I feel like those two words are only true for a few minutes at a time.  But in an attempt to declutter a kid’s bedroom as part of a redecorating project, I turned to IKEA’s ALGOT system and one of my favourites…chalkboard labels, to help make an organized closet a reality.

Two Ways to Paint Lettering Onto a Rustic Sign

Well it’s no secret that I like to have signs and labels and pretty lettering in my home decor and on the gifts that I give.  And there are enough different way of accomplishing it that you’re sure to find a way that suits you, if you like it too.  For this project I used two different ways to paint lettering onto a rustic board to make a sign that hangs in this newly decorated space.  You can read about the whole transformation here.

Big Box Store Furniture Goes Shabby-Chic with Chalk Paint®

gonna try something new

I’d love to say I’m one of those funky, cool chicks that shops vintage and antique, and pokes around flea markets on the weekends.  But sadly, that’s not true.  I’m a full-on suburban mom who hangs out at the big box stores like Superstore, IKEA and Costco.  And while I’m there I buy everything from milk to dishes to furniture.  So now my house is home to a lot of big box store furniture which seemed practical and functional at the time, and came at a decent price point. 

Kate Spade Inspired Planner {using duck tape}

kate spade wannabe

I love Kate Spade.  And all her stuff.  All stripey and polka dotty, exuding class and sophistication.  I’m pretty sure she’s a lot like me.  Maybe.  Or not.  A girl can dream, can’t she?  But I really did want one of her planners this year.  One that looks like it has lots of shopping dates and girls’ lunches in it.  This large black stripe one actually.  But the thing is…well…it’s shockingly expensive.  And anyways, I’ve always used this planner because the inside layout matches the way my brain works.  Which is pretty helpful in a planner, wouldn’t you say.  But it’s QUITE unattractive.  So what’s a crafty girl to do?

Best Banana Cake from Scratch

Best old-fashioned banana cake recipe, from scratch.  This is a family favourite for birthdays that still tastes delicious the next day, if there's any leftovers!

Oh yeah.  Carve yourself a big slice.  I know you want to.  This is seriously the best banana cake you can bake from scratch.   Even my dad, who is a self-professed non-liker of banana cake…likes this cake.  In our spree of spring family birthdays, this one almost always get chosen by someone.  And even though this was the third cake in as many weeks, there is only one slice left, just in time for the next birthday cake to make an appearance today.  You’d think I was a full-on pastry chef these days but trust me I’m not.  I do binge cake-baking in the spring for birthdays and Easter and then it’s back to muffins, loaves…and cookies if they’re lucky.

Dip Dye Ombré Tea Towels

Here’s a fun way to add a personal touch to your kitchen, or to have a hand-made gift to give away.  Dip dye your own plain white tea towels to co-ordinate with your kitchen decor, or simply add a splash of colour.  How about neon yellow?

Duck Taped Mini Composition Books

Lord have mercy.  Does this winter have to be SO winter-y?  Coming in from the cold to hot drinks and warm fire is really starting to lose it’s charm.  Wouldn’t you agree?  Really looking forward to spending lots of time outdoors...being warm!  

In the meantime....I  came across some old photos of this craft that I did in the fall, and I’m thinking I’ll pull this one out again over the March Break when some indoor craftiness might be in store.  It’s a simple one, and just a bit girly, perfect for those who are the pen-and-paper-types, like me.  I can never have enough little notebooks around!

Pottery Barn Inspired EXPEDIT for Craft Storage

Well I’m still on my little new year organizing streak..it’s probably being helped along by the Arctic climate outside.  The more time I spend inside these four walls the more I need functional and pretty around here.  I’m a big fan of EXPEDIT units from IKEA.  They’re affordable, absolutely fit the bill for functional and pretty storage, and can be styled to suit pretty much any space.

Perfect Chocolate Cake from Scratch

So we had a birthday in the family last weekend.  And we all make a big effort to make the day special for the birthday person.  Although parties and outings may not happen till another day, it’s nice to be spoiled on your special day, right?  And around here nothing says “spoiled”  like having cake for dessert.