Fotini, Author at Farmhouse Chic Blog

{ Silhouette Onesie }

August 9, 2012 by Fotini Filed Under: diy, diy onesie, onesie, sewing, silhouette, silhouette onesie 40 Comments

I bought this beautiful fabric at JoAnn Fabrics a couple months back, for $1.99! I didn’t know how I was going to use it, but I knew I’d love to make something for Isabella with it! The same time that I bought her ruffle bloomers for her first birthday photo shoot, I bought a beautiful turquoise pair too! The color in my new fabric and the bloomers were a perfect match!!

I’ve been crazy about silhouettes lately.. So classic and fun! I searched google for a little girl silhouette, and found this one (here). Perfect for my little princess 🙂 I edited the size of the image to fit the page, and printed it, then cut it out. Next, turn your fabric over, design side down, turn your picture backwards and trace. Carefully cut your silhouette out. For Isabella’s first birthday onesie I used a fabric glue to attach the fabric, this time I decided I wanted to sew it on instead. This was a little interesting for me, because I’ve sewn very few times in my life! It was family movie night, so I hopped on the couch with my boys and got to it!

Some may not be impressed by it, but I was really excited with how it turned out! I think it’s safe to say this will be a hand-washed item, just in case my stitching isn’t super tough! I can’t wait for her to wear it. I will update with a picture when she does! 🙂

**Update** She wore it yesterday, and I got a few questions as to where I bought it 😉

Shared this project on the weekly linky parties (HERE), thank you so much for hosting ladies!

Life Lately : iPhone Pics!

August 5, 2012 by Fotini Filed Under: busy life, exciting projects, family, iphone pictures, kids, life lately, love, pictures 5 Comments

I’ve been just itching to begin some really exciting projects for the hubby and I… He’s so busy and some things I can’t do on my own, so we are on a short break for at least another week! So please, keep checking back for updates! We have some really exciting projects coming, ekkk!!!

Despite our every day busy-ness, I always make time for my pictures 🙂 LOVE them!

This month is an exciting one for our family! We have family visiting from the West Coast, birthdays, Christians’ starts FIRST grade (omgsh!), a great friend is getting married, and vaca 🙂 Looking forward to it all!

My NEW “OLD” Bench!!

July 23, 2012 by Fotini Filed Under: diy, diy project, extra seating, rustic bench, rustic wood, sitting bench, wood bench 38 Comments

My husband promised to build a bench for our living room gallery wall (coming soon!). I was very surprised when I came home yesterday to him and our son building it!! He found two aged pieces of scrap wood that were perfect for this project, so that was our inspiration! Using what wood we already had, he came up with the design for the legs, based off of a specific style he was going for. It didn’t really turn out how he predicted, but we were both very pleased with the results!

Here’s what you’ll need:

2 pieces of aged wood (ours came from a skid!) 4 feet by 6 inches by 1.5 inches
1 8 foot piece of 2 X 3
2 8 foot pieces of 2 X 4’s
wood screws
stain and polyurethane
chop saw and table saw
sander

First, sand the planks to a smooth consistency. Next, we set the planks side by side and took a measurement. Ours was about 13 inches, width wise. Measure your 2 X 3’s at about 11 inches for your support braces. You will need three. Cut 8 2 X 4’s at 18 inches. Cut 6 2 X 4’s at 3.5 inches. With the 18 inch 2 X 4’s he made a chalk mark for an angle he wanted to make for the legs, then cut with the table saw. Now you will need to measure the angled side of the 2 X 4’s to know how far in to put the braces. Screw into place. Grab the 6 2 X 4’s at 3.5 inches and screw them between your angled legs. Three on each side. These will now be your sturdy legs! Screw into your end braces. Two 2 X 4’s at a 45 degree angle, serve as an additional brace to keep the legs sturdy. You’re almost done! Start staining your piece. We did not stain the top of ours because we loved that natural look. Once you are done staining, add a thick coat, or two! of polyurethane.

And there you have it! A one- of – a – kind piece you’ll have forever! I can’t wait to add some beautiful pillows and my gallery wall to really showcase this piece!!

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”Let’s

Mirror Makeover!!

July 16, 2012 by Fotini Filed Under: bright colors, diy, diy project, kids bathroom, mirror makeover, spray paint 32 Comments

I wanted to do the kids bathroom with a fun, unisex theme! I didn’t want it to be too girly for my son, and vice versa! My color pallet for the bathroom was going to be brights!! I will do another post for the entire bathroom reveal 🙂 To add some character to the half bath downstairs and kids bathroom upstairs, I bought two mirrors for $25 each, to replace the boring, clean- line ones currently in our bathrooms. As, I had mentioned, I wanted the kids bathroom to be bright and fun! I headed to walmart to peek at the spray paint! I found this great color, called Blue Ocean Breeze. It resembles turquoise, and I knew it would be perfect for this mirror!!

Here’s what you will need for this makeover! :

Mirror or frame of choice
white or gray primer { I used Krylon Gray Primer }
spray paint color of choice { mine was Krylon Blue Ocean Breeze, Gloss }
clear gloss finish { I used Krylon Ultra Clear Gloss Finish }
painters tape
newspaper and/or plastic

First, make sure the frame of your mirror is clean and dry. Start by using newspaper or sheet plastic to cover the mirror, hold with painters tape. (This to me, is easier than taking the entire mirror out!) I decided to spray paint outside on top of plastic, probably wasn’t the best idea due to the fact that it was quiet windy out, but it got the job done! If you plan on painting indoors, make sure your space is properly ventilated! Cover the entire piece with primer, let dry and go over it again for any missed spots. Begin applying your color of choice in long, even swipes, back and forth, to every side until covered. Let dry for a minimum of 15 minutes, and add a second coat. Let this dry for, at least, an hour. Once you have determined the entire frame is dry, add your glossy finish. If you just want a smooth shine, a soft, swift coat will do the job. If you prefer the super glossy look, lather that baby on 😉 Once completely dry, peel your newspaper/ plastic away and scrape off any paint that may have leaked through and hang your masterpiece!!

I was so excited with how this project turned out! It is definitely the statement piece in the kids bathroom and so beautiful!

My little guy taking pictures for Mommy 🙂

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Making The Most of Your Space – – Laundry Room!

July 9, 2012 by Fotini Filed Under: diy project, laundry room, organization, washer and dryer storage

One of the only things I would like a little bigger in the house is the laundry room! I spend a lot of time in there, daily, haha. Since making it BIGGER isn’t going to happen, I needed to make the most of what I do have! Thankfully, I have an amazing husband who loves doing projects with me ( for me! ), but he agreed that the laundry baskets piled up in the corner wasn’t the best..

The space for our laundry is small and narrow, and we have the Whirpool frontload washers, which are huge. Probably wouldn’t buy those again if I could take it back! But anyways, I told my hubby what I wanted, and he headed to the drawing board. He came up with a wood pedestal for the washer and dryer to rest on, with spaces for three laundry baskets underneath!

Here’s what you’ll need :

4 – 2 in. by 8in. by 10 ft. planks
2 – 2 in. by 3in. by 10 ft. planks
1 – 4 ft. by 8 ft. by half inch plywood
Wood screws
Stain and polyurethane
Sander ( for preference )
Chop saw for planks
Table saw

First you want to measure your space. We made the pedestal long enough for our trash can to rest on, as well as, washer and dryer. Next, measure the length of the three laundry baskets, side by side and be sure to include space for planks in between. This is going to be the basis of your length, longer if you prefer. Cut your larger planks to size, for length and legs. Screw each set together using wood screws. Secure your work by adding the planks on the inside walls for support. Next, screw your plywood into place. For a soft, smooth feel we sanded the entire piece. For staining, my husband placed the pedestal on a small cart, which made it simple to stain the whole thing at once! Once your stain is dry, brush on a polyurethane nice and thick. Let dry overnight. When it comes to installing, keep in consideration that you will need to make a hole for your dryer vent (at least that was our case). Place washer and dryer on top and enjoy your new space!!

We spent $32 on wood. We already had all other supplies used.

American Walnut

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Rustic Inspired Initial

July 2, 2012 by Fotini Filed Under: diy, diy projects, fireplace decor, Hobby Lobby, initial letter, Pinterest, spray paint, wedding 25 Comments

For our wedding back in October 2010, I purchased two partical board initial “R” ‘s (similar to the ones sold at Hobby Lobby here for under $3!) I spray painted them a satin knickle finish at the time of our wedding. Well, anyways, I still use one with my living room decor and the silver just wasn’t cuttin’ it for me anymore… I want it to be the accent color I plan on using which is a burnt yellow. I headed to walmart and bought a color I thought would look good, it was Krylon’s glossy Bauhaus Gold. Came home, sprayed it and quickly realized it was too gold (hence the name!)

I had some metallic decor-art finish, so I grabbed a small brush and started dabbing the letter with the silver paint. It looked rediculous, but I still had some sanding to do, so I knew it wouldn’t look like this forever! Once the paint was dry, I began sanding with a low grain sandpaper. Most of the silver I had just painted on ended up coming right off, but it gave it some definition, and the silver that I had on it previously started peeking through! I’m really happy with the final product, looks old and rustic, yet it’s sentimental to our family!

My son added a ‘cars’ sticker around the time of our wedding,
I won’t take it off because I know it’ll make me smile when he’s older!

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Making the World Cuter…

Life Lately: iPhone Pics!

July 1, 2012 by Fotini Filed Under: iPhone, pictures, summer 1 Comment

Again, I feel like another month flew by! Hope everyone is enjoying their summer!

Carnival Party – Featured!!

June 25, 2012 by Fotini Filed Under: blog feature, blog love, carnival theme birthday, the answer is chocolate 620 Comments

What a GREAT way to start off the week! Carol, from The Answer Is Chocolate, has featured my son, Christian’s, Carnival Themed { Sixth } Birthday party!! Make sure to click HERE and check it out!

Also, be sure to check out more fun pictures from last week’s post, HERE!

Fun Garden Stakes!

June 25, 2012 by Fotini Filed Under: diy, fresh veggies, garden stakes, gardening, Pinterest, planters, vegetable planters, wine corks 25 Comments

I think I might be a little late at getting my veggie planters started, but hey, better late than never! Since I’m a newbie, I decided to start out with just a few to make sure I can get them to grow (and keep them alive!).

I bought two cheap medium sized planters, garden potting soil, and a packet of oregano, leaf lettuce, tomatoes, and bell peppers. I really hope they turn out, because I would totally love picking fresh veggies right out of my backyard! I like the idea of using the planters because they’re easier to maintain and you can place them anywhere!

Now, I needed something cute to display the names of each vegetable… I was looking around the house for large Popsicle sticks, but couldn’t find any. Then, I remembered I had a stash of wine corks.. I grabbed those and wooden skewers. I wrote, with permanent maker, each veggie, pushed the cork onto the skewer and stuck it into the soil. It looks cute, gives it character and was free (from stuff I already had at home!). Once my plants are in bloom, they will look adorable peeking through!

Supplies

Hubby doing the dirty work, while I take pictures 😉

Cute!!

Hey, my lettuce is growing!!

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Chevron Wall Letters – Featured!!

June 25, 2012 by Fotini Filed Under: blog feature, blog love, chevron, chevron wall letters, joyful stamper, the gilded hare Leave a Comment

Joyful Stamper

The Gilded Hare

My chevron wall letters were featured twice this past week on Joyful Stamper and The Gilded Hare. Head over and check it out, and be sure to check out my DIY tutorial HERE!