Itsy bitsy teeny weeny sewing kit

There are some things every home/dorm room/apartment should have in case of emergency:

toilet plunger- need I explain why?
draino (or some earth friendly alternative)-especially necessary if you have long hair
fabric scissors-for when you need to make cut off shorts
some sort of sedative- for the occasional breakup or hyper manic episode (you know who you are)
a mini sewing kit- that's what this post is about!
Whether you're a seamstress or completely naive about sewing, like myself, a mini sewing kit is a must have. I usually keep one in my desk at home and one in my purse, but there are a lot of options out there, depending on your needs. Here are some of my very favorite, affordable options.
I love the bright colors of these and the leather will hold up for a long time.
Island Leather Sewing Kit $14

source: See Jane Work
This kitchy sewing kit would make a perfect gift for a new grad.
DIY Sewing Kit $16
source: UO
This cute, stand up, sewing kit is meant to be seen.
Decole Mushroom Sewing Kit $24
source: UO
This very functional twin set includes a sewing kit and a first aid kit and would be perfect for the glove compartment of your car.
Mini First Aid kit & Mini Sewing Kit $9.98

source: Container Store
Perfect for mending a button on the fly (pardon the terrible pun).
In Love Mini Travel Sewing Kit $5.99
source:Quilting Warehouse
There are also plenty of handmade options...
This one looks like a fabric wallet and you can always re-supply the kit when needed.
Mending Kit $12.50
source: Lady Farmers Market
It amazes me what crafty people can do with an old Altoid's tin.
Mini Fix Kit $9
How cute is the label on this?
source: Polly Danger
Another Altoid tin creation but this one has a removable felt needle book that attaches to top. How smart is that?
Desk Sewing Kit-Forever in Blue Jeans $15
source: Dribs n' Drabs
Finally, the mother-load of all "mini" sewing kits. This is a great option if you'll be mending items for more than one person.
Mini Sewing Kit -138 Piece Set $9.49
souce: Organize.com
So what do you think about mini sewing kits? Do you have one?

{Make sure to enter this weekend's giveaway. Winner will be picked tomorrow night!}

DIY: Michael Miller, say "hello" to vintage side table

I'm trying to make my little DIY projects a little more complicated each time so you don't get bored, but I warned you that I'm all about some decopauge right now. This idea comes straight from Mintage Home and it's a furniture redo + decoupage project. Thank you Mintage Home for the idea and the instructions!

So, B and I have a little vintage table that we keep in our "entryway" and the second I agreed to take it from his sweet grandma, I knew it would need to be redone. In the before shot you can see I stacked magazines and some random books here, mainly so the table wasn't empty.
Here's the table in all its naked glory waiting for it's "exfoliation." I promised myself I would do a better job sanding between each step as this is my least favorite thing to do and my laziness really shows in my previous pieces.
Ok, you know the drill, sand, prime (with Kilz this time, so much better than my previous choice), sand, paint, sand, paint, sand...(my poor bicep).
I chose white paint and set up a little vignette for you...wait for it...we are so not done yet.
In case you're wondering what this fantastic photograph is about, well I won it on Our City Lights in a surprise giveaway I didn't even know I was entering (Diana, you're so sly)! You can see more of Naomi Rose's photography here. I spray painted the picture frame a "watermelon" pink that I absolutely adore but B says only needs to be on something small (yeah, we'll see about that!)
So, with my handy Mod Podge (in glossy) I decoupaged the Michael Miller fabric to the table. I put about 5 coats on and then wet sanded it with 400 grit sandpaper. I honestly don't know how long this is going to keep and I should probably seal it, but for now I'm quite pleased with the results, and B likes it too so double points for me!
TAH DAH!
This project took some patience but was really pretty easy, and by "easy" I mean tedious and kind of pain in the butt...
I should probably learn to sew before I run out of ideas for my fabric...
What are you working on?
{I just wanted to say that yesterday's response to the "revolution" post was overwhelmingly encouraging to me. I loved reading about what you LOVE about yourselves. You all are some amazingly strong, talented, beautiful women and I'm so thankful to have you not only read this blog, but take the time to leave thoughtful comments...THANK YOU!}

Memorial Day DIY Part 1

B and I have taken advantage of our day off (together!) to get some projects done around the house. I'll post two separate projects (both are super basic) in the next couple of posts, so as not to overwhelm (ha! Please sense the sarcasm).

Problem: Here is a corner of our living room. We were given this super comfortable (RED!) couch as a gift from B's parents. I love it because it's huge, but it is red, which has caused me a little bit of a headache. We have a ton of wall space and needed something to really make this corner come together. In case you're wondering, that is a dog crate in the lower left corner...I haven't come up with a solution to make that stylish.
We've been waiting on getting toss pillows until we could figure the corner out.
Solution: Frame fabric to add color and pattern to the space while spending the least amount of money possible.
Here's what we bought: two yards of Amy Butler fabric in different patterns but similar color palettes, spray adhesive which I had from a former project and 4 "gallery" frames for Michael's at $7 a piece, and fabric scissor (don't try to cut fabric with regular scissors, you'll end up with blisters and a lot of frustration). I used the spray adhesive to adhere the fabric to the cardboard backing which was, luckily, pretty sturdy.
The result: A grouping of pattern and color that I think really compliment the room and help alleviate the negative space...
I might need to work on a steadier hand for taking photos (sorry for the blurriness).
B and I are both pretty pleased with how this turned out...but there's more to come so stay tuned. I hope you're having a wonderful Memorial Day and/or Monday!
{Giveaway ends tomorrow at 6pm. To enter, just click on the illustration to the right!}

Weekend stuff

Happy almost weekend to you all! I hope everyone finds time to do something they really enjoy this weekend. I'll be working all weekend, but no worries, I planned some fun things too!

Tonight B and I are taking the pups to the park. Since B's bike accident, he hasn't been able to walk very much (icky knee injury) so the dogs are FULL of energy. We're also going to be attending a BBQ for a good friend who's in town (yay!) We'll be eating bison burgers, sorry these guys might by funny looking but they are tasty! I also have some fabric on it's way so that B and I can begin our next set of DIY projects. Here's what we ordered:
Can you tell I have a giant crush on Amy Butler?
Look familiar?
via fabric supplies
I'm most excited about this one...it's from Michael Miller's "Flights of Fancy" series.
source: Fat Quarter Shop
I have some fun guest posts to prepare this weekend so posting might be a little light (or non existent?) For now, I'll leave you with these wonderful white spaces. This room is a good reminder that you don't always need to fill every crook and cranny with stuff to make a space come alive.
via Design Sponge
B and I are desperately trying to build our art wall. This is good inspiration.
source: Hus & Hem {thank you Made by Girl for the link}
I reached over 200 followers this week which made me do a little jig (I'm not kidding). Thank you all for your support...I never imagined I'd love blogging as much as I do and it's because of YOU!
Make sure you enter this weekends giveaway...it's a good one.

My Heart

Any of you that live with someone, whether it be a roommate or a significant other know that interior decor of your space is all about compromise. (Unless of course one of you is just a pushover, or you don't care, in which case maybe it's not a compromise). B and I both have some firm opinions about style and decor and sometimes we don't always see eye to eye. However, when I find something and show it to him and he loves it as much as I do, I can't help but do a little dance. I showed him this print and he LOVES it and I love him and the print, so everyone's happy!

Hopefully (fingers crossed) we'll be ordering it this weekend!
source: Hammerpress
B and I also have a DIY project planned for tonight and I say "B and I" b/c he's totally caught the DIY bug (which I happily gave him). I'm super excited b/c we'll be working on painting the kitchen chairs (and maybe the table) together, which means I won't have to wear out my pretty little arm on sanding (ugh). I'll update you with picture (of course!)
Also, I have another DIY project planned that I can't wait to begin and I ordered this fabric for it:
Amy Butler, Wallflower in Mustard, Lotus Fabric $7.50 per yard
source: Fabric Supplies by Charlie and Lindsay
I also ran across this project on the lovely blog, kelly + olive and now I'm on the hunt for the perfect wrapping paper (or maybe I'll use fabric?).
source: kelly + olive
There's so much I want to do and for someone who doesn't do a lot of DIY projects, I'm feeling really inspired lately (thanks to all you lovely bloggers). If I could just get a day off, I could really get some stuff done. Oh well, no complaints, I need to make the money for supplies. Finally, I'd like to share the hi light of my week with you and it just happened a few minutes ago over lunch:
B.- "So do you think you could send me that link with the fabrics you like, I'd like to look at them.
Me-"ummm (my eyes real big), ok, yeah right away."
B- "oh and we're running to JoAnn's to get some supplies for this weekend when you get off of work, right?"
Me- "Yes! Oh yes, please!" (thinking to myself "Have I died and gone to boyfriend heaven?")
Hopefully I'll have something fun to show you all this weekend so please drop by! Big cyber hugs to all of you!
~Christina