fresh picked whimsy

Insta LOVE

Like so many of you, i'm hooked on Instagram.  You can find me there @lorimcdonough. 

So, when i found out that i could get my Instagram photos printed in a 4x4 format, i was so excited!!! I know, i may be late to the party, but look...they are so fun!  I ordered them from mpix and got them so quickly. I covered my fridge with them, because i'm always in the kitchen and these are the faces that make me happy.

L♥Ve!!!!

They even have an app so you can send them to print right from your iphone.  Cool, right?!

Thank you, mpix, for my insta-happy-place. :)

 

Introducing the LOVE Collection...

All new handpainted and hand lettered wood signs...just in time for Valentine's Day but sweet enough to enjoy all year long. ♥  Everything is available in my etsy shop!  Locals, you can find these goodies at AH Collection at Clay Terrace and Hamilton Town Center, too!

 

This one is personalized for you and your sweets...

shout out to my true love...

thanks for the inspiration! xo

Rotating holiday art frame DIY

So, i found this frame at a garage sale for $1.  It's obviously handmade, is an odd size and it didn't come with glass.  I just loved the rustic-ness of it and knew i'd find something to do with it.  Three years later, here you go...

Now brace yourself for how simple this is.  This same DIY can be done with any old frame that you may have in your stash...or go grab one at your local Goodwill.  You will need a frame of your choice, wrapping paper of your choice, paint and tape/tacks. 

If you use a smaller frame than i did you could use scrapbook paper, but my frame opening is 12x16 and i love this wrapping paper.  I bought it at Hobby Lobby in December, but when i put all the Christmas wrapping away, I kept it out because who wouldn't love to get a gift wrapped in these fun dots anytime of year?  

I simply cut the paper to fit the opening and added an extra inch to all sides.  I used acrylic paint to write the word love in cursive across the paper.  You could use chalk to "sketch" it on first before you paint it on.  Chalk can be erased so simply with a dry cloth and you can paint right over it.  I painted on the white first and then while the white was still wet, i followed over the lines with aqua so that the two colors sort of softly blended together.  Again, don't fret about your painting or lettering skills...just have fun with it.  It doesn't have to be in cursive either, if you're more comfortable with printing.  And, if you're using wrapping paper and you don't like how it turns out the first time, you can easily start over again with more paper.

You can get creative with what word you choose, the colors, the paper...knock yourself out!

Once it was dry, I attempted to tape the paper to my frame, but because it is raw wood, the tape wouldn't stick.  So, i just tacked the paper to the back of the frame.

I'm going to lean my framed art on a shelf, not hang it on a wall, so the tacks will not be a problem.

If my frame were metal, plastic or finished wood, i would have used packing tape to frame the paper.  I just don't want to affix the paper permanently. 

The whole idea here is that when Valentine's Day is over, i will remove the tacks, store the paper and make a new piece for St. Patty's Day, then Easter, spring, 4th of July, etc...  I'm going to keep my eye out for wrapping paper that would lend itself to this little rotating holiday decoration!

A lovely greeting for a front entryway...

in my home or yours...

Give it a try! 

Jumbo window hearts DIY

Is it too soon to decorate for Valentine's Day?  Well, even if it is...i've already started.  I love hearts.  So, i love decorating for this holiday.  I decided to go BIG in the studio.

I'll show you how i made these jumbo window hearts.  It really was easy peasy and inexpensive!

Everything starts with a doodle for me. 

I went to Hobby Lobby and bought 6 red poster boards.  Depending on how many windows you want to decorate, you will need to buy more or less posters. 

I used 2 poster boards per window...one up and one down.  You'll need white acrylic paint and a paintbrush, scissors, tape and chalk.

I taped two poster boards up on one window.  Then using the chalk, i drew a heart that filled the window as much as possible.  The great thing about chalk is that you can "erase" it with a slightly damp cloth and start over again if you need to. 

Then, i took the posters down and cut along the chalk lines.  Next i used that first heart as a template to trace onto the boards for the other two windows with chalk and cut them out, too. 

I used the white paint to decorate each heart and didn't worry about perfect dots, lines or stripes.  Everything was quite imperfect...so don't fret about your painting skills.  Just have fun with it!

i like to use plastic plates for my palette. 

Acrylic paint dries very quickly if you don't over saturate the paper.  I painted both sides of the hearts so i could enjoy them inside and out!

 Another quick and easy Valentine decor DIY tomorrow, too!  See you then!

Family ties #GlobieFamily

On the last night that Katie was home with us over Christmas break, we watched home movies.  For 4 hours straight.  Oh....my....goodness. 

That was the most fun we've had in a long time.  Vacations, birthdays, first days of school, holidays, simple everydays and all the kids wanted to watch their birth videos!  (their birth videos are very G rated:)  I LOVE that we spent the night watching memories together.  Truth is, we have a lot of fun together no matter what we are doing.  And, the only thing that really matters is that we are together...

in the van...

playing on family game night...

wrestling, er, i mean snuggling...

Saturday morning pile up on mom & dad's bed...

putt putt...

at the fair...

or the happiest place on earth...


With Katie away at school now, this quality family time together, whenever and wherever we can have it, means everything. 

I'm excited to announce that i am now a blogger affiliate for the Harlem Globetrotters.  We will be going to see them when they come to Indy on MLK Day.  We have never seen them before and my kids are so excited!  You know i will be sure to tell you all about it.  I remember watching them on TV as a kid in the 70's...in their own cartoon, on Scooby Doo and on The Love Boat!  Do you remember that?

*Affiliate disclosure:  I was not paid for this post, but will receive tickets to their upcoming Indianapolis show.

"The Harlem Globetrotters love seeing families laugh together during our games, and would love to see your family when we come to a city near you.  If you're looking for an awesome event the whole family will enjoy, get your tickets to the Harlem Globetrotters "You Write the Rules" tour.  Your family's smiles will start before you even get to the game because this year, your family can vote at harlemglobetrotters.com, and decide rules for the game like two balls in play at the same time that could affect the final outcome. After the game, Globetrotters will stay on court to sign autographs and take photographs with your kids.  The only thing better than finding an event the whole family will enjoy, is getting a great deal on it.  Save $7 per ticket* by using the promo code "TOGETHER". 
Get ready to experience a show your family will remember for a lifetime!  *Discount available on select ticket levels"

 

have a seat

Ahhhh, i finally got this project done.  I'm ashamed to admit that it's been a decade in the making.  For realz.  I bought these chairs at a garage sale when Griffin was in diapers (he's 12 now).  I got them for a dollar a piece!  They were filthy and gross.  I think they had been in a garage for years and years.  After I scoured them, i painted them each a different shade of blue. 

My mistake was leaving the gallon of paint and brush by the freshly painted chairs.  Toddler Griffin quietly found them and decided they needed a little more paint!  I was able to mostly fix them, but there is evidence of his michieviousness on them still today and i LOVE that. 

The part of this project i never got to was recovering the yucky seat covers.  I don't really know why.  I just never got to it.  Until yesterday.

I actually ordered this oilcloth a year ago from here.  I love polka dots and i love black and white.

I think i removed 10,000 rusty old staples.  It was very hard work and my hands hate me today.  By the sixth chair, i just couldn't do it anymore.  My fingers were so sore.  Riley rescued me and finished the job.  Such a good boy!

I love love love how they turned out!  Here is the official BEFORE...

and the official AFTER...

There's just one more thing that i think they need.  See those seat backs?  They are like little blank canvases to me.  i think i want to number the chairs.  No vinyl numbers or perfect stencils for me...just my hand lettering.  What do you think?  Anyone, anyone...Bueller?

Stay tuned...

it's a feeling

i love the fresh start of January.  i know it's technically just another month, but it feels so different.  I love that feeling after the Christmas decorations have come down, and everything seems so open and fresh.  There's this feeling that anything is possible because you've got a whole year in front of you.  I know it's all in my head, and that's true at any time, but it works for me anyhow.  And even though i hated taking Katie back to school yesterday and will be sending my boys back to school tomorrow, i am looking forward to starting fresh in the studio...super excited to work on some new projects, make new art, teach more classes and see where this journey takes me next.

This print is new in the shop today.  A client requested it and i fell in love with it. 

the one where we jingled all the way

Yes, i'm aware that it's late for another Christmas post, but it will be my last for 2012 and it's very necessary.  It's the annual Woods of White Oak aka "WOWO" Christmas party.  It must be posted and preserved for posterity; just like this ugly Christmas sweater, which made it's rounds that night...

We look forward to this night all year.  The little kiddos stay at one house under teen and tweenage supervision...

while we big kids move from house to house, enjoying holiday hors d'oeuvres and spirits...

(Stacey's famous photo made another appearance along with a new one featuring Debi in the 80's...

we may or may not be starting a new tradition...stay tuned)

We traditionally take tours of each other's houses.  We live in a neighborhood of 40+ year old houses.  Jeff and Debi win the prize for biggest master bathroom.  How many WOWO residents can they fit in there, anyway?  Oh yeah...we needed to find out...

strange bedfellows?  I think, yes.

Who knew 'Arry Potta lived in WOWO?  The Click's, that's who...

seriously...how cool is that?

In between houses, we came upon this sight.  I think Jim & Stacey's kids have seen too many episodes of Duck Dynasty!

This night is about...

coming together to celebrate something really special.  Friends who are like family.

 Thanks again, for a wonderful night, friends!!!  Love you all!

The year of me!

Brand new print in the shop to kick off a brand new year! 

Happy New Year, friends!  Wishing you all the love and happiness and hope that a new year brings!