Becolorful

Motivated Monday May 28th

I hope you are enjoying a fun filled, relaxing, and warm and sunny Memorial Day weekend.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by and see some of the amazing features from last week and to participate in this week's event.

Starting the week of with a bang is this kitchen remodel via

musebootsi

Colorful, vintage, cool.

A true revisionist.

from this -

 

to happy design.

to see more click here. 

 

So, have you heard of washi tape?

I hadn't, or maybe I just didn't know what it was called.

Anyway,

Bear Rabbit Bear Crafts

brings us into the light with her imaginative idea of using this ubiquitous material to change up her daughter's bicycle helmet.

No argument here. I bet she can't wait to wear it.

:D

 How about this out-of-the-box idea of incorporating shelf liner to refresh a pair of glass top tables?

That's what you will find over at

Lattenene's Cup of Chat.

Inexpensive and ablaze with that pop of color and pattern.

 

Heather from

The Sewing Loft

linked up her floral keepsake created from recycled t-shirts.

Be sure and congratulate Heather for having this project included in the latest issue of

Green Child Magazine.

Yay Heather!

 

Motivated Monday May 21st

 

Are you looking to be inspired and motivated? Then you came to the right place.

There are just a few of the great design projects, recipes, sewing and jewelry making posts from last week.

Enjoy.

In no particular order..

1.

 First up is this stenciled table 

via

Domestic Imperfection

I liked this photo that showed you how she had first stenciled the table with paint and then stained the entire piece. This photo is during the staining process. To see the finished project be sure and stop by her blog.

The stencil is from  Cutting Edge Stencils. I have one or two of these babies in my arsenal too and I love them.

 

 

2.

 We have all seen the darling little pillow case dresses out there but here is one with some real STYLE and options.

 

via

Sew Fantastic

 

 

3.

With warm weather already upon us I think we are all looking for healthier lighter menu options. When I saw the thumbnail for this salad I knew I wanted to know more.  Such an interesting variety.

21 Rosemary Lane

  I can't wait to give it a whirl. Maybe over the holiday weekend.

 

 

4.

From

Practical Stewardship

there was this post featuring her

Imitation Red Robbin Seasoning Mix.

I haven't eaten at Red Robin for years but I still remember their seasoning. It was really great as I remember and definitely worth emulating. 

 

5. 

I love reading Betsy Speert's Blog because she always shows her readers the before pictures in her room makeovers and then takes us through the various steps and design decisions.

This one shows us how she took a friend's great room from this

to this.

To read more stop by here.

 

6.

I don't think I have received many jewelry making posts and I don't remember featuring one but this earring tutorial has great pictures and easy to follow directions. If you ever wanted to try this yourself you will want to stop by 

 twelve-O-eight

 

 

Motivated Monday May 14th

Better late than never right?

Sorry for the delayed Motivated Monday but Mother's Day took me out of town and away from my computer.

I tried to post via my iPad but Typepad and iPad aren't very friendly.

I'm thinking this is more of a Typepad Fail.

Errrrr...

 

Anyway, I hope your Mom's Day was spectacular.

Look what my three sweeties did for me yesterday -

This was posted on Liz's blog  which, of course, I subscribe to via email. I saw this before I had even rolled out of bed. Tears before coffee. It was going to be a great day. :D

 

from around the globe…

Liz in Des Moines, IA

 

James in Toyko, Japan

 

Adam in Cedar Rapids, IA

 

Happy Mothers Day, Mom, from your three. 

 

How lucky am I ?

Very.

Love you guys. Thank you so much. I am so glad I had that girl first because I know she is the one that orchestrated this project and leaned on her brothers to get their photos to her. She is a typical first born. :D but I am proud of those two boys also for listening to her and following through. Will miracles ever cease? :D

 

So on to Motivated Monday.

I'm so late in posting that I will keep my comments brief but I didn't want you to miss some of these incredible posts from last week like this 

                                           Pesto and Feta Turkey Burger

via

Renewed Upon a Dream

Yum!

Or how about this 

Penny Counter Top

over at

Domestic Imperfection.

Amazeballs!

 A classic design

that I will be adding to my Pinterest for sure.

 

Another surface treatment idea was this yardstick resurfaced table top from

Life on Walnut Street 

 

I don't know how you all think of this stuff but wow, am I ever happy that you do.

Incredible!

 

I also loved this stunning pink chair 

via

Bella's Crafty Mom

 

Can you believe she updated the fabric on this chair by spray painting it with a mixture of paint and fabric medium?

Seriously!

Love it with that ottoman too.

 

I noticed the whole peacock rage back around Christmas time and I thought this 

Peacock Vanity 

from

Make Me Pretty Again

was a great original take on that theme.

Here is a teaser shot. You will have to visit her blog to see the full piece.

Very fun.

 

 

Motivated Monday May 7th

It's that time...

it's Motivated Monday here at BeColorful.

You all have me motivated this week with your great recipes, painting, decorating, and sewing projects.

Here are just a few highlights from the last week that you really shouldn't miss.

Click on any of the links to read more about these incredible ideas like this 

updated antique child's chair

via

Vintage Verve

 This simple painted design looks great, especially on that rug.

Great color combo too.

Then there was this uniquely stenciled mirror

 via

Dans le Townhouse

 I love things with words on them.

 

I am seeing a number of projects using wooden pallets but thought this

Gardening Table 

via

2 Crafty 4 My Skirt

 was especially fun.

 

 

 This kitchen redo 

via

Decorating Cents

blew my socks off.

She took her kitchen from this:

to this:

 

I love how sophisticated this new look is. I am surprised by how well I like those darker cabinets and I am crazy for that over sized hardware along with so many other elements she chose.

 

 

This office furniture update from

Snug as a Bug Baby

is mind boggling.

By combining several pieces of office furniture and then painting them all  a satin black, she got this great and expensive looking office wall unit.

Very impressive.

 

 These ballet recital invites really took me back.

I did some for our daughter's fifth birthday party back in the day that were very similar to these but, honestly, these from Bear Rabbit Bear are much cuter.

:D

 

 

Motivated Monday April 30th

Welcome to this week's Motivated Monday here at BeColorful.

So what was inspiring from last week? Plenty, but these were a few of the unique ideas that I wanted to draw your attention to...

Like this simple to make

Baked Buffalo Chicken Dip

from

Accidentally Wonderful

 

Definitely giving this one a whirl.

I was beginning to think it was Buffalo Chicken week last week because there was also this great version along that same theme from

 

Back for Seconds.

Her Buffalo Chicken Cups not only  sound delish but they have that pretty party food look that makes them perfect for entertaining.

(I'm all about the visual)

:D

And speaking of visual, how adorable are these Winnie the Pooh cookies created by

Bringing Beauty

I am seriously impressed.

 

 For all of you gardeners out there you won't want to miss this clever idea from

Repeat Crafter Me

I thought these painted rocks, a project you could easily do with little ones, was delightful. Makes me almost wish I had a vegetable garden... almost.

:D

 I thought this Restaurant Take- out Book from

Green PB &J's

should also be added to my project list.

By collecting menus from local restaurants, and printing others off the internet, she was able to compile a book of take out menus and restaurant coupons for local eateries. 

 

And last, but not least, from my favorite blogger, my Lizzie, at

Life in Yellow

comes this inspired idea of wallflowers made from Ikea napkins.

 

For parties or for an anytime pop of color these affordable beauties are an easy to create dash of the unexpected.

 

 

Motivated Monday April 23rd

 

I apologize for the late posting this week.

Sometimes it is just unavoidable.

Fortunately I had started adding some of your projects to this post by mid week so I had a pretty good start on the writing or it may not have happened at all. I am glad that I was finally able to pull it all together for this week though because there were some really really really great ideas linked up.

Some weeks are perhaps better than others.

:D

Here are this week's featured posts.

Drum roll please.......

Right out of the blocks I noticed that there were some vintage or romantic themed projects like these Bejeweled knobs

 via

 From Generation to Generation

Talk about a wonderful touch of glam.

Love it.

 I'm definitely remembering this idea for a BeColorful furniture piece down the road.

 

These fabric backed glass plates also have me stoked to get down to my studio again.

The plates from

Note Songs

are so pretty and feminine aren't they? I think a graphic or 70's feel fabric could be another fun take on this idea.

Seriously, I can't wait to try it.

 

 This concept for a childs 

art smock made from plastic table cloths

via

Vixen Made

is, I think, nothing short of genius.

:D

 

It was easy to see as I read your posts that the warmer weather that we have all been experiencing is obviously turning our thoughts towards summer and end of the school year type projects such as these.

This spirited chalkboard painted terracotta pot via

Accidentally Wonderful

would be a perfect gift for that special teacher and something she/he could actually use.

 

 For the crochet artisans out there I thought this warm weather idea for tiny feet from

Crochet Dreamz

was too adorable not to share. It's enough to make me wish I knew how to do this sort of thing.

There was also this

Winter to Summer makeover from

Sweet Nothings 

 

It's amazing how just a few tweaks can make a room feel airier and brighter.

Love that ottoman.

Another great DIY decor idea was this

convex wall mirror from a ceiling medallion and a truck side mirror

(yes you read that right) :D

via

Worthing Court

 

 

Brilliant.

 

Finally the week wouldn't be complete without a painted furniture makeover and this cabinet turned craft center from

Thrift Store Decor Junky

fit the bill perfectly.

Love the chalkboard paint, the black and the black and white themed embellishment. Be sure and stop by her blog to see the wonderful treatment she did to the sides of this fun piece.

 

Motivated Monday April 16th

Welcome to this week's Motivated Monday here at BeColorful.

I'm running late tonight so rather than struggle to come up with some crackerjack copy I will just cut to the chase and share with you some of the clever posts from last week. To see more of last week's Motivated Monday click here.

 First up, I am intrigued by this submission from 

Naptime Creations

She shares with all of us bloggers out here how to add photo menus to our blogs. These could be used for more popular posts, categories, or specific areas of interest such as your home or project gallery.

 

She is using Blogspot as a host to her blog and I work with Typepad which is rather finicky about what it allows me to add to my sidebar but I am anxious to see if this would work for me too.

Add this to my to do list.

 

I've got to say I am totally amazed at the variety of posts that get linked up here on Motivated Monday. Like this one from

Jewelry Making Journal

I never would have thought of this but I sure am glad she did.

Rene offers us a tutorial on how to make this simple tool to help hook up some of those difficult to clasp bracelets. You know the kind I'm talking about.

 

 One of my favorite bracelets I can only wear if someone is around to help me clasp it. This is a great idea. Thanks Rene.

 

When it came to organization or simplifying your life type posts I thought this idea  of a DIY home decor organizer offered up by 

I Can Find the Time

was genius.

She uses an inexpensive photo album to corral all of her fabric samples and paint chips. Throw something like this in your purse and you always have them to refer to when you are out shopping. So simple that it had me thinking, "Why haven't I thought of that?"

 

As I was visiting all of last weeks blogs I discovered this post of restaurant-waiting games for kids

via

Repeat CRafter Me

 I found myself wishing I had known her and read her blog when my kiddos were small.  A few of them take me back but there were some new games that make me want to borrow somebody's kids and take them out to eat.

:D

This straw wrapper worm game was my fave.

 

 

Isn't that so fun?

 

I am just coming off of a great family weekend so I didn't get around to Motivated Monday until this evening.  I relish our time with the kids and I know you understand when I say I didn't have enough time to comment on each post this week but I did enjoy reading them all.

There were so many captivating ideas, motivating projects, and delicious recipes linked up. I wish I could feature them all but hopefully these few will give you a sampling of some of the fun and functional projects that were shared here last week on BeColorful. 

Motivated Monday April 9th

I hope your Easter was as  sunny skied and delicious tasting as it was renewing.

There were just so many great ideas for Easter decor and recipes here on BeColorful's Motivated Monday.

If you missed last week's event you can still see it all by clicking 

here.

This week I am again excited to share with you  some of the posts that I found particularly ingenious, tasty, or motivational.

First up is this stunning guest bedroom update from 

Betsy Speert's Blog

I thought this color combination was so fresh and out of the ordinary and the collection of birds was a fun and unexpected touch.

 

As for motivation, this paper reed project from

Suzy's Artsy Crafty Sitcom

is something I have seen in stores and thought, "I bet I could do that".

 

Well now because of Suzy's tutorial I think I now know how to best tackle this idea and am adding this to my project bucket list.

 

Next up there was this fantastic glammed up side table from 

The Hell On Heels Housewife

I have been seeing more nail heads lately and now I am obsessed with them. So, I was totally smitten when I saw her take on this look.

Seriously cool don't you agree?

 

An easy project and useful too were these chalkboard painted wineglasses via Oceanside Daydreams

If your parties are like ours people are always forgetting where they set their glass and which glass belongs to whom so this is a perfect solution. Just add a name to the base of each glass with chalk. You can change it up again for the next party  and it is a bit different than the usual wine tags.

 

 

This post from 

CW Frosting

has me definitely inspired.

Look what she did with some spray paint and a bit of felt!

I will have to go dig through my pile of cast offs and see if there is something in there that I can paint.

:D

If you follow my blog here then you know  that I am frequently  transforming some piece of furniture with a vivid coat of paint. So far, though, I haven't  done anything in chalk paint. I guess I need so many different colors that it isn't cost effective for me. So, when I saw this post from 

21 Rosemary Lane

I was definitely intrigued. Not only does she share the reasons why chalk paint is so popular but she offers up a recipe to make our own.

Barbara, I think I love you.

:D

 

It is always so fun to see what all of you have been up to and I can't wait to see what you come with with from week to week.

 

xoxo,

p

 

Motivated Monday April 2nd

 Happy Palm Sunday.

Lent seems to be blowing by.

Wasn't it just Ash Wednesday?

It's a good thing it went by so fast for me because

I gave up alcohol for Lent.

???

Seriously, I did.

So now only seven days left...not that I'm counting

:D

but I am thinking Mimosas for Easter brunch.

Actually the month of March with all this warm weather just flew by. So when I saw this  this easy tissue paper window decor from

Creative Juice

and realizing Easter is only a week away I knew this needed to be the feature to kick off this week's Motivated Monday.

The project looks to be  simple and affordable. Plus, she tells us that removal is a snap. Just what you are looking for when you are creating something rather temporary.

All this warm weather lately has had me stressing over what to wear and I'm a bit disgusted that things aren't fitting like they did when I packed them away back in September. So for the past couple of weeks I have found myself looking for healthier meal and snack options to help my cause. This easy recipe from

Inspired by Felicity

for roasted chick peas definitely caught my eye. It looks like it would be a  much better choice than chips but it could still satisfy my salt cravings.

 

 

The words Gluten Free weren't even in my vocabulary a few years ago but recently I have had several friends that have been diagnosed with a gluten intolerance so this  cauliflower pizza recipe from 

Gluten Free A-Z Blog

is for them.

 

Looks tempting, doesn't it. Looking at that lonely piece of pizza though, makes me think my issue with my wardrobe might be portion control because, really?, one of those little slices would never fill me up.

:D

 

The Graphics Fairy is always sharing some great vintage looking graphics on her blog and it is always fun to see how people incorporate them into a project. 

 The Weathered White Hutch embellished her ruffled tea towels with one of these graphics and I thought they really turned out nicely.

 

Another kind of project that was linked up this week involved duct tape.

A couple of years ago I used two different colored rolls on the roll out keyboard drawer of my desk. I created a stripe pattern by alternating black and white tapes and I thought I was pretty clever. That was then.

Well lately we've all seen those eye catching patterned rolls of duct tape out there and I am always curious as to what people are doing with it.

My project with tape was rather predictable but this duct tape embellished dresser from

Latternene's Cup of Chat

definitely has the wow factor.

 

 

There were sewing projects too. If you sew at all you will

 not want to miss this detailed tutorial for a monogrammed and ruffled duvet.

The colors are so lively and Spring like

and the applique work and monogram make it uniquely your own.

I'm going to make you work for this one. To see the full image of this duvet you will need to stop by and visit My Beautiful Mess. You won't be sorry you did. Very cool.

 

You also all probably know my penchant for door candy. I love something with a seasonal theme and the more original the better so when I saw this Baseball Wreath from

Caught My Fancy

I had to agree that it certainly did.

 

Finally, this week, the coup de gras was this counter transformation from the

 Divine Ms. Dharma aka the Canadian DIY Project Queen.over at 

The Wannabe Mermaid

:D

 

If you have ever considered painting your counter tops you will want to check this out, pin it, bookmark it, or save it to a folder.

 

Yowza. Impressive! and a whole lot less $$$ than granite.

So,

What did I get done this week?

Nadda.

I moved some furniture around, then moved it back.

I dabbled some paint on a candlestick but didn't get it finished.

I talked on the phone...a lot.

In fact I talked for four hours with my favorite daughter ( all one conversation).

I watched a bit too much telly. I wasn't going to watch American Idol this years but they have some serious talent there this year and I have to admit, I love GCB. The writing just cracks me up. I see they are airing re-runs of The Million Dollar Decorator so they must be ramping up for a second season of that guilty pleasure too. I can't wait.

I DID clear off a bunch of random crapola off my desk but that wouldn't have made an interesting post and I did work out on the elliptical every single day but that wouldn't make a very interesting post either. So, loved ones, I bow down to all of you this week. You inspire and motivate me.

It's almost Monday. I am going to hit the ground running this week.

xoxo,

P

 

 

Motivated Monday - March 26th

It was another one of those weeks that I didn't have time to comment on each of your links but I did take time to visit them all and you are all incredible. Some amazingly creative projects, humorous writing, inspiring posts and Pinterest worthy pictures.

Thanks so much to all of your that joined in this week. Here a few of the varying types of motivating projects that I thought you might enjoy reading if you didn't have time to visit them this week.

How great are these artsy looking Doves from Simple Nests?

  

 

or these flower pops from Madtown Macs

A fun spring twist on the regular cake pops... Adorable!

Then this closet envy post from

Ciao Newport Beach

had me oohhing and awing repeatedly.

I will be pinning four or five of these babies to my Closet Board

  

Seriously, it's a must see post if you love clothes, jewelry and shoes.

This cheesy potato recipe from Couponing and Cooking had me salivating.

It may not be low cal but it sure looks tempting.

Finally, I was orange crushing on this rustic orange dresser from

551 East Furniture Design

So on trend.

 

Motivated Monday March 19th

Much to my dismay Google is retiring Google Friend Connect, which means that after March 1, 2012 BeColorful will no longer support the Google Friend Connect community that we’ve developed.  

I will miss your nearly 600 faces in my side bar!

If you would like to continue following BeColorful through google this is my new BeColorful Google+ page . 

I'm not sure how it all works yet so bear with me if this is your link of choice.

If you would prefer you can still stay up to date with the latest BeColorful posts by subscribing via

email

Linky Followers

Facebook

Networked Blogs

Friend Feed

If this is how you have already been following then you don't need to do anything differently.

Regardless of how you follow BeColorful, I am always flattered when some one finds something here relevant enough to them that they want to return for more.

For that I want to give you a a big shout out.

Thank you.

If my posts did not show up this week here is what you missed...

A Space to Inspire

A spectacular black and white tile and marble European styled home in Texas

Hello Spring {again}

My nod to Spring on our front door.

...And now on to the link event that is Motivated Monday

This was a week of projects that are near and dear to my heart.

For starters, look at these wonderfully colorful painted pieces like this red low boy via

 A Girl and a Brush

Isn't she gorgeous?

Then there was this jaw dropper delight from

 Chantilly Charm

 

 I'm in love!

Another colorful creation came our way from The Boonie Life. Totally smitten. This is just a teaser photo. Be sure and stop by her blog to see this beauty in all of it's emerald glory.

It wasn't all painted pieces though. There were some great craft ideas too, like these

distressed vintage flowers via

Ashley's Dandelion Wishes

This grain sack lamp was another head turner from

 Generation to Generation

So very Pottery Barn looking.

Falling Down House

has a solution for remembering whether the dishes in the dishwasher are clean or dirty. Want to know what it is? Click here. 

 This seems to be a universal issue. We may all be doing our own take on this idea.

For a bit of design motivation you will want to visit

Betsy Speert's Blog

and take in her Tropical dining space and spirited writing style.

 

Finally, if you are serial renovators like Mike and I then you will appreciate this post from

Pretty Old Houses

This post is an interview with a serial renovator that  will have you bonding with a fellow re-modeler and nodding your head in approval. 

Crazy, but I was so inspired that I started getting those stirrings that maybe we are ready for another major project.

... it's a sickness. :D but seriously, doesn't that pretty house pic make you want to go create, paint, build or update something?

No? maybe we are a rare breed.

 

 

Motivated Monday February 27

 

Welcome to this week's Motivated Monday here at BeColorful.

Probably because painting furniture and accessories is what I do but, as usual, I am always intrigued by the furniture makeovers I see here. There were some great ones linked up here this  past week. One that especially caught my eye was this stellar lamp redesign from

Lattenene's Cup of Chat

 I can't wait to try this technique on a lamp for The Traveling Door event this year.

I also really enjoyed reading about Musebootsi's make- over for her cocktail table.

If it has chalkboard paint then you know it has to be fun. Hers didn't disappoint.

 

Musebootsi

 

 

Then there was this "Mustang Table" via A Girl and A Brush.

Now I couldn't imagine what a Mustang Table was until I saw the pictures.

:D

Ahhhh, now I get it and I love it.

 

The best part about hosting Motivated Monday is seeing all the fresh ideas you all seem to come up with week after week. For example, I have thrown away more of these ribbon spools over the past couple of years than I could count. So, I was a  bit chagrined that I wasn't as clever as Live Creatively. How pretty are these little boxes that she made from the very things I was throwing out?

I also have to say that that A Girl in Paradise made me a follower for life when she dazzled me with her shoe bling.

I know, right? How cool and easy is that?

I kept scrolling through the links and a  few submissions later

Path to Wellness

had me motivated to eat better this week with this great Vegetable Stir-fry.

I am probably tempted by the fact that it has noodles in it, but hey, it has to be better than the Sesame Chicken from our neighborhood take-out.

Then Life On Walnut Street

delighted me with her subtle nod- to- spring mantel art.

Finally, the room make- over prize this week would have to go to

Are We There Yet?

because you have to give serious kudos to someone who can take a bathroom from this..

 to this...

Now that is impressive.

One side note, I hope you will stop by Decorating Insanity tomorrow, where I am guest posting, and check out my journey on my evolving painting style.

 

 

 

 

Motivated Monday February 20th

The calendar says February but it feels like Spring here in the Midwest. It seems, though, as if Spring fever and the desire to lighten up and spruce up is kicking in not just here but everywhere. I always relish seeing what all of you have been up to and this past week was especially fun. I'm thinking  that apparently we are all feeling motivated by this great warmer weather.

For example, did you catch this Pantry Organization submitted by Domestic Imperfection?

How great is that design on the back wall? Love it and

 her idea of removing the door and installing an old screen door? Well that is just truly unexpected and inspired!

Then there was this great reversible tote and Kindle cover from

Happy in Red. 

For the commuter or a day at the beach this would be perfect.

 

Next there was this doll house from Caught My Fancy.

I always wanted a real doll house and when I grew up I thought I would have one for my daughter.

It never happened for either of us but I still am totally intrigued by them.

I love how this one is set up for larger dolls like the American Girls and was made from a re-purposed TV cabinet! This is a definite must see.

The door slides open to reveal the house inside.

 

What a creative mom and what lucky little girls she has.

 

Looking ahead toward St. Patrick's Day, I thought this Lucky Canvas from Mollie's Mom was an easy, creative and cute idea that could even be incorporated into some sort of door candy.

 It just looks so fresh and welcoming.

 

Finally, there was this boy's room update via

The Wannbe Mermaid that really "rocked" me out of my chair.

"Dharma", as she likes to be called, is one of my favorite bloggers.

I have always loved her sense of humor but now I will have to add sense of style to that list of attractions too.

I told her after I read her post that I would imagine that all the other boy's moms in her area must hate her now for setting the bar so high. :D

I'm not worthy.

 

Motivated Monday February 13th

Happy Valentines Week

When it comes to a Valentine post this one via 

Blue Velvet Chair

is the absolute Be All End All.

So okay peeps, consider yourselves warned, you will be pinning to Pinterest for the next 30 minutes for sure.

This was one of my favorite ideas from this post but you will have to check it out for yourself.

Recycled sheet music from Secret Pie Shoppe

 

 For a house/decor project I thoroughly enjoyed 

Hell On Heels Housewife's

Magnetic Chalkboard post.

Gluten Free A-Z shared some very helpful hints and a few internet finds in her post. These egg shapers may have to go in my cart. How fun would they be for Easter brunch or May Day? With a breakfast this fun I would be smiling all day.

 

I am always drawn towards a good door candy idea and this rustic wreath created by 

DIY Kinda Girl

really caught my eye. Complete with a tutorial, you will want to pay her a visit.

 

Finally, I  wonder why with all the organizational posts I have been doing recently that I hadn't thought about organizing my own blog post ideas. I usually have little folders on my desktop or a blog idea board on Pinterest for keeping track of prospective blog posts but I was so inspired by this printable Blog Planner from 

Between You and Me

that I am rethinking my own methods.

This is the cover but there are printable note pages, give away pages, and places to keep track of links. She thought of everything.

 

Motivated Monday February 6th

 

 

It was another very productive week here at BeColorful.

Seriously, you all amaze me.

How cute is this quilt (and the sweet little girl baby)?

This awe inspiring project was linked up via

Snug as a Bug Baby

She also has an Etsy shop you will want to check out.

 

There were a number of sewing projects this week and they are making me think that maybe I need to take a class or two and give sewing another try.

This ruffled apron via One More Moore has me definitely inspired. 

After I learned to sew then maybe I would learn to cook. :D

 For a smile worthy nod to Valetines, it was this project from Creative Juice that stole my heart. Her husband is the military so there have been numerous moves in her life.  I felt that this was just such a clever way to highlight a shared journey through life that I wanted to be sure you didn't miss it.

 

There were some great recipes shared here on BeColorful too.

This Ranch Steakhouse Salad posted by Tales From the T's had my mouth watering for sure and her photo tutorial is just what a non cook like moi loves. :D

Finally, it just wouldn't be Motivated Moday here at BeColorful without a furniture redo feature and I thought this animal print and kiwi green paint rendition from House to Your Home was worthy of a shout out for sure.

 

Motivated Monday January 30th

Welcome ( a bit late) to Motivated Monday

I left for Des Moines this week to spend a little birthday time with my oldest baby and she and I decided to head south for a bit of shopping and some girl time.

I found a great mirror for our living room ( tomorrow's post) and came up with some new ideas for our family room. So now I am thoroughly confused. :0

Anyway, I didn't get back home until late last night and I am just now getting around to writing my Monday post.

I was able to visit each submission, but time didn't allow for me to comment on them. These were a few of the highlights, though, from last week that I wanted to share in case you missed them.

 

When it came to food, I thought these Valentine Oreo Truffles via

Madtown Macs

looked extremely tasty and timely.

 

For a party post I thought this one "took the cake" (pun intended)

I have never been one for a circus but this party made me rethink my misconception. It is so chock full of clever ideas you absolutely need to check this out at

Vixen Made

 

The games, the food, the decorations... I had a hard time picking just one image.

 

The painted furniture post that stood out was this Nantucket vibed side board from

My Vintage Vibe

So pretty and such great lines.

The DIY construction/storage post nod had to go to 

The Feral Turtle 

for this great wall of cubes for wine storage.

 

... and if you are looking for an easy and inexpensive Valentine decor idea, I thought this one via 

21 Rosemary Lane

would be right up your alley.

There were so many many great ideas I wish I could share them all. Hopefully you will have time to visit more of them.

 

 

Motivated Monday January 23rd

 

Welcome to this week's Motivated Monday Link Party

I have to admit I was unable to comment on everybody's post this week. That takes a a pretty good block of time and some weeks I just don't have it. This was one of them. I did visit each post though and there are some spectacular ideas on all of them. I hope you were able to visit a few of them but some of these were posts that I would be interesting to a number of readers.

I have been doing some clearing out and organizing here at home and so I was more than a little bit motivated and a bit envious of this organization project.

Via

Wise Designs Inspiration

 There was this colorful room redo that is full of some great decorating ideas for a child's room Plus you can buy those fabulous handmade quilts on her Etsy site!

Snug as a bug baby

 I can hardly believe we are already in the third week of January. I feel so behind already. Yikes, but with Valentine's Day quickly approaching I thought that this valentine pillow project was really timely and fun.

You can find it at

About Blogging Time

I love that name. :0

 How about this dresser from

Uniquely Chic?

It looks totally high end and the hardware is absolutely perfect for this look.

A lot of you might have received e-readers for Christmas and so I thought this tutorial for a custom cover could be really useful.

 

Kindle cover via

Color Me Glamorous

 

 

Motivated Monday January 16th

Welcome to another Motivated Monday.

I didn't accomplish everything I set out to do but I did get two posts written on organizational and storage ideas for the

closet and the bathroom.

I also was able to finally write about our December trip to Vegas and my version of

How a Girl Packs.

:0

 

You were all so very busy this week too. There were eighty seven links this week! Wow. It took me quite a bit of time just to get through all of those but I so enjoy reading them. I thought I would share some of the highlights you might have missed here.

 

Did you see these?

This Pottery Barn knock off from 

I'm Not A Trophy Wife

with a little  ingenuity, a discounted dish and a bit of vinyl?

 

or how about these adorable hot-dog embellishments to dial up the fun factor for a birthday party?

Project Possessed

 

Next say hello to this pretty yellow update to a chicken wired pie safe 

via ReMade Simple 

  Another knock off of a Restoration Hardware lamp is a must see over 

at Pondered Primed Perfected

I am sure you will all want to make one of these terracotta pot turned candy jars after reading the simple tutorial over at

CW Frosting

 

Finally, I thought this was a fun twist on the diaper cake.

A definite conversation starter. This  Tricycle Diaper Cake Tutorial

via  Maiden D'Shade

is just too darn cute not to share.

So I didn't get my mirror painted or a post on my library but things are happening and progress is being made so hopefully I can bring you up to speed on those two projects happening here along with my laundry room organizational post later this week.

In the meantime have a great week and thank you for keeping me motivated.

 

 

Motivated Monday January 9th

 Welcome to this week's Motivated Monday.

I can't believe I didn't get one post written since last Monday.

I guess it was a week of taking down the trees and all the ancillary decorations and packing them away while seperating out what I am ready to let go of and want to take to the consignment store next fall. It doesn't sound like much but it is always a two day deal at least.

Then there was the trip to the oral surgeon so our youngest could have wisdom teeth pulled. I was then something between Florence Nightingale and Nurse Ratched for the next twenty four.

Next it was a trip up to Galena to retrieve a chair that I want to sell back here at home and a whirlwind trip into Chicago on an Ikea run with the hubs and the toothless wonder son.

I do have plans for next week though.

By posting my intentions here on the blog I am hoping I will be more likely to feel like I am accountable to get this in the completed column.

So this week I hope to write about

1. My favorite organizational ideas for January

2. How to pack for a trip... or how I do it at least. :0

3.  The update plan and the progress in our library

4. A painted mirror project.

Okay, so now it's out there. Let's see how well I do.

:0

You, my faithful readers, have done much better and have been very creative it seems.

I throughly enjoying reading about all that you have done or have plans to do or just seeing images of things that you thought were inspiring enough to share.

Last week you didn't let me down. There were so many great posts. I'm sure you didn't have time to visit them all but these are a few that shouldn't be missed...

Kelli and The Turquoise Piano shared her favorite projects from 2011 in a recap post. I have always loved her vibrant blue piano but this great Craig's list redo was new to me. Did you miss it too? Be sure and stop by to see all of her inspiring up-scaled pieces by clicking here.

 

I thought that this Monster Spray submitted by Easy Peasy Grandma was genius, especially if you know of some younger ones that are afraid of the dark and or monsters.

I think she should market this and we could all say that we knew her when. :0  To read all about her idea click here.

 

You all know how much I love a paint revival story and I thought this one was particularly great. Not only is Sarah over at Adventures in Fami-ly a creative blogger but she also has a whimsical writing style that I throughly enjoyed.

 

 

To read all about the life story of this well appointed side table be sure and stop by Adventures in Fami-ly

Another furniture update was linked up by Making it Homey. If you have ever wondered about using paint on fabric you will want to check out her post on these painted fabric chair cushions using a stencil. To make it even more tempting she is offering a stencil give away. Gotta love that.

 

Then there were some rather unusal posts this week that I thought were worth highlighting. I think we can all relate to dropping a favorite powder blush, bronzer, or eyeshadow and discovering that it is now in crumbles. I thought it was great that Jessica at Oceanside Daydreams shared with us how to fix them up with just a bit of rubbing alcohol.

Thanks Jessica. Good to know.

 

This time of year we are all trying to make our homes look fresh, uncluttered, and inviting after taking down all of our Holiday flair.  I think what Carol-Anne did over at

Use the Good Dishes

with just a change out of the wall art is incredible. It just took that  room to a whole new level of cheerfulness. Just one wall hanging. I'm impressed.

Then there was Lori over at

Bleak Unique

with her cane rocker turned jewelry organizer.

Bet you never saw that one coming.

Seriously inspired don't you agree?

 

 

It was a great week to be inspired.

Motivated Monday January 2

Welcome to the first Motivated Monday of 2012!

 

I hope your New Year's was either the fantastic celebration or the quiet time of reflection that you were planning.

I love this time of year. I get a renewed drive to organize and better myself just like the rest of you and I look forward to sharing some of my organizational tricks and projects for the new year but today it is all about you and what you have accomplished.

There were some great posts linked up last week even though it was a holiday week. I am sure a lot of you were too busy to check them out but I did want to showcase this one specifically that I felt shouldn't be missed. 

The Coffee Table Conversion

via Pondered Primed Perfected.

You can see the full post by clicking on the link above.

Now she has a great table for the kid's playroom and with that lip around the edge it will help to keep some of those small pieces off the floor ... at least in theory. :0

 

So now it is a new year and I have a house that needs some real attention,

closets to be organized, clutter to be cleared, weight to be lost, and parties to be thrown. I will be sharing my progress but I love to read about yours too.