I saw the cutest paper roses stuck to branches and I knew those roses would look better attached to some garland. So in the spirit of the approaching holiday, I bring you a super easy DIY project.

What you’ll need:
All you’ll need is colored construction paper/card stock paper, sissors, double sided tape, and thread/rope/twine of some sort.

Step-by-Step

1- Start by drawing a spiral on a square piece of paper. 4in X 4in seemed to work pretty good for me.
2- Cut out the spiral by cutting along the lines you’ve drawn.
3- Once you’ve cut along the lines you will have a lose spiral that you can start rolling.
4- Begin to roll, starting with the outside end and working your way towards the center. Rolling will naturally form a rose shape.
5- Secure the spiral with double sided tape so that it doesn’t unravel.
6- Wa-la. you now have a rose that you can attach to anything. I attached mine to a strand of fabric with thread. Easy peezy.

Once I made all the paper roses I attached them to a braided strand of fabric and hung the garland on my head board. The coral colored roses matched my coral colored pillow cases, so it was a perfect match.

I look forward to some more V-Day inspired projects. If you have any must-share ideas, please let me know. I’m always on the search for the next project. Don’t forget that you can ask me anything you’d like by clicking on the image below.
Have fun and enjoy your weekend!

Tunes
If you haven’t listened to Rilo Kiley, please do. You can listen to them here. The lead singer of Rilo Kiley is Jenny Lewis and I love everything about her. I love her look, her voice and her rabbit fur coat. Hope this playlist gets you through your Friday. This album has gotten me through a lot more than a Friday, so I know it’s a keeper.

Blog Love.
My Vibe, My Life- this is a brand new blog, so I thought I’d share the love. She’s a fearless designer that is loaded with tips. She contributed to book Decorate, by decor8.
Cute and Delicious- A Los Angeles blogger who blogs all about Vegan treats and crafty fun! She’s also engaged and planning for their wedding. So fun!
Eat.Sleep.Wear- A high-bun fashion blogger who always finds the best locations to show off her stunning outfits. I’m jealous!
Hula Seventy- A momma blogger, artist, freelance writer & photographer. She lives in Portland OR. Anyone envious?
~>O<~ A great source for inspiration if you’re interested in design, patterns, fabric and crafts, all brought to you by Lena Corwin of Lines & Shapes.

Are you inspired yet?
I’ve been incredibly busy this week and haven’t been able to surf the net as much as I’d like. I did happen to stumble upon some really great things that I hope will inspire you as much as they did me.
1. MUU- OMG! this baby stuff is fabulous. I really need a little kid so I can design their room and buy cool stuff.  Love the cribs and they are actually reasonably priced! They’ve got a blog too!
2. Bholu Interiors- Some goodies for  you brought to you by the Australian designer Jodie Fried. Her products have a childlike simplicity to them. Check out the pillows people!
3. Bloggers Bringing in the Big Bucks- Read this article about how personal bloggers have turned their obsession into a full-time money makin job.
4. Choosing a Digital Camera Lens- I’m in the market for a new Digital SLR, so I’ve been a busy bee researching everything out there. Here’s a good article on Lens.
5. Monster Factory- yup, that’s right, MONSTERS! These little stuffed critters are adorable. I love how some of them are so ambiguous and strange.
6. THIS VIDEO- a new little film (3 minutes) by Kinga Burza for Kate Spade. “I will never love you more…”

This week was the very first giveaway on the blog and I couldn’t be more excited to announce it’s winner. Brainstorm Print & Design has been a great partner in making this print available to one lucky reader. Ok, here it goes…

Miss Amy, we will be in contact and Briana over at Brainstorm will ship your print ASAP. I really hope you enjoy the print and that it’s a show stopper in your son’s room. It’s definitely a great learning piece.

I know you guys were thinking that mustard was my favorite color. The truth is that mustard is amazing but not AS amazing as mint. I started to fall in love with mint probably two years ago and now every time I see something mint, I run towards it like a mosquito to citronella.

*Please note how AMAZING my two favorite colors go together. Mint + Yellow = Magic!

Let’s clarify what “mint” means to me, because clearly the internet assumes it’s just a light shade of green. (see color bars below ) This is true except it has to have the right amount of blue, the right amount of green, and yes…the right amount of yellow. I know that yellow is a sneaky one, but it must be mixed in. If you type “mint” into your search browser you’ll usually get something too blue. However, if you type “sea foam” into your browser, you’ll most likely get something a bit more accurate. Don’t you just love sea foam??

I love how I just rambled on and on about the science of minty goodness.

Another fun fact…I’d love to be a color specialist for some brand. My favorite thing about home goods, clothing, and fabric in general is the color it has. Is it reddish yellow or is it a little more “rust”. I’d also love to be the person who gets to name colors. Wouldn’t it be better if mint was called, “the best ice cream flavor” or if mustard was called “grandma’s couch”. All of a sudden your colors have a personality. wa-la!

And yes…I just rambled some more. I’m done.

Do you have a color obsession or a job to offer me as a color specialist. If so…contact me right away!

* Note #2 the images above were pulled from Pinterst Mood boards and if you know who the images belong to, send me their links so I can apply appropriate credit.

Stop on over to Formspring and ask me ANYTHING you’d like. I’ve gone back and forth on this decision and finally decided I’d give it a try. I’ve heard good things and bad things about the site, but we’ll see how it goes. I thought it would be a nice space for my readers to get to know me a little bit more and chat about things I don’t mention on the blog. (click the image to ask a question)

If you’re a blogger who is currently using Formspring or has used the service in the past, I’d love to hear all about it…the good and the bad.

With all the blizzardy things going on outside, I’ve been in the mood to bake some yummy treats. This recipe happens to be one of the boy’s families favorites that I’ve fallen in love with over the years.

This is a recipe that I was introduced to when I started dating the boy almost 9 years ago. His mother and grandmother make this cake for him on his birthday and he loves it. He’s not a sweets eater, so if you find him chowing down on something sweet, you know it’s totally worth it. This simple cake recipe is very similar to the St. Louis, Gooey Butter Cake with some slight changes and a totally different back story. I’ve been told it’s a southern “thing”. Enjoy!  (read the family story above on the recipe card)

What You’ll Need:
1 package golden butter cake mix (I used Pillsbury)
4 eggs
1 stick butter
8 oz. cream cheese
1 lbs. powder sugar

Directions:
First, mix together cake mix, 1 egg & 1 stick of butter. Once mixed, press into 9×13 in baking pan to create a “crust”.

Second, mix together 3 eggs, 8 oz cream cheese, powder sugar. Pour mixture onto the first layer and spread evenly across the bottom of the pan.

Bake @ 350 degrees for 45 minutes

Do you have any family recipes that are worth sharing? I think the online blogging community should make a cook book. What do you think?

Jump to GIVEAWAY—–>

I’m moving right along on this whole quilting adventure. I’m applying the “cassie” method, which means a lot of analyzing, list making, pondering about this and that, and then finally making a solid decision.

I wanted this first quilt of mine to be very me if I was going to put a lot of time into it. I knew that if I bought a pattern off the internet I couldn’t get the customization that I wanted, although I knew I’d making it a bit harder on myself. My solution was to search the internet for the quilts that I liked and find the commonality between all of them. The obvious commonality was that they were all made out of triangles, the patterns were repeating and usually in a radial pattern. Next I started to sketch out what I thought would be a doable pattern and wha-la…I’ve got a pattern.

Now I don’t know what to do next. Haha. I’m assuming I need to figure out all the measurements. (I’m really dreading this part) I’ll be watching some tutorial videos to help me out. I’m starting to think I’m crazy for starting this, but now I’m in it for the long haul.

This past weekend the boy and I went to JoAnn Fabrics to pick up some of the essential quilting supplies that all the pros say you absolutely need. I was shocked at the prices of simple triangle rulers and the rotary cutters. Good thing a lot of the supplies are one-time purchases!

If you’re reading this and saying, “wow, why doesn’t she know she’ll need this?” then please speak up and share the knowledge. I feel like a dummy anyway…why not add to it. I will thank you later on. hehe. Check back later to see if I’ve survived the measuring process. It’s a little iffy at this point.

P.S- I really wish I had Rachel Denbow of Smile & Wave to come over here and do this with me. She’s a god at this stuff. Go check her out!

If you’re interested in seeing how this project got started see–>I’m inspired! & Fabric Selection.

I’m excited to be giving away my very first super cool item. Brainstorm Print & Design has been working with me over the past month to introduce their silkscreening/design services to my readers. If you missed last week’s Q&A chit-chat with the duo, you can read it HERE.

How to play:
This giveaway is super simple. All you have to do is leave a little note for Briana & Jason in my comments section. It’d be great if you could follow both thevedahouse & wearebrainstorm on Twitter. (you’ll get brownie points)

What you could win:
Atmosphere, Third Edition
5-color silk-screen print
Dimensions:  18″ w X 24″ H
$30 value

If you haven’t already, please stop by the print shop and see all the lovelies this group has for sale. I’ve got a few in my loft that I just love. Definitely unique conversational pieces. SHOP HERE.

It’s time to pick a new camera and it’s time to spend this money I’ve been saving since college graduation. I’m on a mission to find the perfect digital SLR for my needs. I need your help finding the right camera. PLEASE leave a comment, answering the 4 questions at the end of the post.

The Backstory:
I tend to be one of those people who play around on one piece of electronic and then feel the need to move on after a couple years. I’m a big camera gal and over the past 10 years, I’ve gone through 3 cameras…all of them were great. I’m itchy to get my hands on a new digital SLR.

My current camera, Panasonic Lumix LX3 is perfect for easy, no-fuss shooting. The benefit and downfall of this camera is that it has one fixed wide angle lens that ISN’T interchangeable. The camera has great built in settings that allow you to achieve most things. This camera has been perfect for a busy amateur photographer who needs to shoot great quality photos without messing with manual functions. Now that I’m spending a lot of time blogging and shooting, I would like to be able to have more say in what I’m doing. This means I need interchangeable lens and manual settings.

Nikon vs Canon:
I’m not sold on either brand at the moment. I think the final decision will be based on how great of a camera I can get for the least amount of money. Lets say the budget is $1000.  I do however feel that buying a camera body and then buying a separate lens will be the best way to get the best setup. Not saying that kit lens aren’t good, I just know there are better out there.

What I want to know:
1. What is your setup? Camera/lens?
2. What do you use your camera for? (blogging, fashion, weddings, etc)
3. How well does the camera/lens perform in low light situations?
4. Would you recommend this camera to an amateur photographer? (I’ve been doing photography for some time, but haven’t used manual settings for years now)

I’ll be putting together a summary of everyone’s comments so I can share with other people who are camera shopping. Thanks for your time, guys. I really appreciate it.

Today’s one of those days where you look out your window and even though its still cold outside, it is so sunny that it appears spring has sprung overnight. They boy and I knew we had to take advantage of the sun and slight increase in temperature, so we took the puppy to the park. We bundled up and as we were putting our gear on, the pup could tell we were about to go have some fun, and he was included. So off we went…

We have a really great neighborhood park 2 blocks from our loft, so this is our go to location to get some energy out of Porter (the pup). He drug us all the way there and once we were there he sprinted back and forth like a mad man. He was so happy.

After awhile, another family and their chocolate lab joined up to let the puppies play. Because there was still some snow on the ground and mud everywhere else, we came home with an extremely muddy dog. He definitely was going to get a bath. He was a trooper and spent the afternoon running around the apartment drying himself off.

The rest of the day is going to be a lazy one for us. I’m sitting here blogging and watching Cash & Cari on HGTV. She’s great and I can’t get enough of her. I want her job. This evening I plan on picking up some essential quilting supplies and some ingredients for a cake. I’m making a cake because I want to eat it, simple as that. Check back tomorrow the recipe for greatness. (especially if you have a sweet tooth)

Thank you to all my readers who stopped by this week. This coming week I will be having my first giveaway, so please come by. Have a lovely weekend!