Friday Links

Who else is excited for the weekend?!

Spring Cleaning 101 at Real Simple
I've been feeling the urge to spring clean like a maniac...and this is the perfect resource. :)

Button Flower Tutorial at artsy-crafty babe
Super cute. These would make good magnets. Kind of reminds me of those cute button bouquets!

Kitchen Linens for Spring at Indie Fixx
Total spring-y eye candy. I LOVE the white ones with the red printed kitchen silhouettes on them.

Designers Guide *New* Fabrics + Linens at decor8
Along the same lines as above, more eye candy...I kind of wish I had an excuse to wallpaper a whole room in one of these. Or maybe just a bathroom. :) Nathan might not have it!

e-Consult: The Home Office at decor8
So I'm a little obsessed with the idea of a home office...perhaps having something to do with the fact that I've managed to cram a design "studio" into a 12' square corner behind the front door, between the china cabinet and the living room. Ha. Anyway, this is a great article about tackling the wants/needs/design for a real home office, and decor8 gives solutions. I love it...I want to live in these kinds of articles. Like a perpetual episode of something fabulous on HGTV where they make over my life. And pay for it, too.

Spring cleaning: Tackle it room by room at simply stated
More spring cleaning...room-by-room lists of things to tackle. AKA, "Tackle it room by room."

Bloesom Kids
Okay, so it's another kids blog while I still don't have any of my own (besides Nathan.) But kids stuff is just so much more fun than adult stuff!

Prettier Checkbook Tutorial at Mudmuffins & Woogiemonsters
How to make a checkbook that isn't ugly. Loves it! Might get my mom to try it for me as she is the sewing goddess and I am not....Mom???

Felt needle book tutorial at Duo Fiberworks
I love needle books, I love felt...I need to make this. I kind of need one - I am always losing my favorite cheap little needles that I use for making those felt plushies I like. Plus, it's an excuse to buy some cute buttons.

How to: Make welt cord piping; insert a zipper; and make a structured, upholstered cushion, all at Curbly
We have this great wooden bench in our living room that is really sturdy and useful (has a shelf underneath) but it has hearts cut out of each end, which Nathan (and I) don't exactly love. I had this idea that I would make a cute cover for it, with a structured cushion on top and fabric panels that hang down and cover the sides. Easier said than done, for I am not a master seamstress, but like a light from above, these tutorials showed up one after another on my feed reader today. Hmmm....!

Before & After: Natalie's Lamp at Design*Sponge
This is adorable. I love the idea of making over lamps. An college roommate of mine had this huge 70s-ish lamp that she redid, and it was fabulous. She painted the stand silver, painted the shade black on the outside and silver on the inside, and attached some of that beaded fringe around the shade. Loves it!

Cutest Cupcake Contest Gallery
Uh, it's a cupcake contest by Martha Stewart. Who doesn't love that? I entered our cupcake wedding tree, but I don't think I'd win anything since they were bought - not make by me. :)

Functional Artwork for School Fundraising Event at Elsita
This is one of the cutest ideas I've seen in awhile. This chick took little bird pictures that a bunch of students in her daughter's class colored, then made them into stickers and decorated a storage stool with them. It is going into a school fundraiser. Is that not a great idea?! It makes me think of all kinds of similar things to do for fundraising or gifts..

Neapolitan Cupcakes at How To Eat A Cupcake
These look awesome! How fun would it be to decorate them with black/white fondant icing for a black & white party or something like that? Love it.