Fireplace Makeover Remodel!

The fireplace can be a gorgeous focal point of a room.  The original fireplace for this house was over 60 years old, and was in much need of a makeover!  We ended up making it a bit wider, changing the old stone on the floor to a new slate, used american plaster over the original brick to round the edges and bring more uniformity to the wall, as well as add wooden moulding to the tops and sides.  Check out the before and after!!!

Here we made the unit wider, and framed out a place for electric and cords in case we later wanted to put the television back up on the wall again.  The brick around the inside fireplace is now covered by the prepping of american plaster.  

We put up the dry wall over the frame.  

Painted the rest of the room, added the wood trims and painted everything white.  Added recessed lighting on the ceiling.  

We were adding finishing touches for decorations for Christmas.  Hanging curtains (they are on the floor, LOL), and started that fire! Turned out beautiful and we love it!

Adding a focal point in a room adds incredible POP!  The mantel is the first thing we see when we walk into the room.  It makes the room cozy and warm.  Now get started on your fireplace remodel! It is SOOOO worth it!

Tschüss,

Emma

Throw Pillow Madness!

Spring is here! Finally! Time to add bursts of color to your furniture, inside and out!  

What a difference it makes to add a pillow here and there, using different accents and shapes to draw the eye around the room.  There are many great fabrics available, but one in particular that people still love is fabric by Riley Blake Designs!  Check out their chevron fabric bolts and fall in love! 

Chevron is another type of zigzag pattern, and it is all over the place! Find the zigs and zags in light and dark colors, mixed with white, in small and large patterns!  There are many great places to purchase this fabric.  Just google the company name and it will take you there!

Here are some throw pillow must haves for around the house that my mother and I made for 2013!

Riley Blake

Riley Blake 

Tea Party!

Add these pillows with your favorite fabrics around the house, inside and out.  Don't be afraid to mix and match colors and patterns together!  Have fun with it!

Happy Spring!

~Emma

Queen Emma Designs... designer 18" doll bedding, furniture, food, and accessories!

Very excited about my hobby turned new business venture.  Together with my amazing mother, we design, create and sell bedding collections, furniture, food, and accessories that fit any doll 18" or smaller, including the perfect fit to American Girl Dolls, Battat Dolls, and Maplelea Dolls!  It has been a fun ride so far, and we look forward to the future! We have had a fantastic turn out for all of our products, and are adding more daily!  Here are a few of our favorite items:

Queen Emma Designs website... check it out :)

"Pink Pixie" Bedding Collection

Aprons to match girl and doll! Reversible!

"Blue Moon" Bedding Collection

"Annie Green" Bedding Collection

"Olivia's Garden" Bedding Collection

"Ali's Tea party" Bedding Collection

Nightstand with accessories

Sofa, Chair, Side Table, and Coffee Table

At a craft fair....

Beds and Bedding

Bedding Collections

Red Apples

Carrots

Donuts

Brownies

Sliders

Eggs and Toast

Cakery Bakery Shelf with food and Accessories

Cakery Bakery 3 shelf unit

If you're interested in these items, check out our Etsy store!!!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/QueenEmmaDesigns

Queen Emma Designs Etsy Shop

Book Shelf and Picture Display

Tire of finding the perfect book shelf?  Not ready to commit to a solid wooden shelf that costs a pretty penny?  Search local stores such as Big Lots and Ollie's.  These stores have a lot to offer on a budget and last minute.  I was looking for a shelf that would be tall enough to take up some wall space without being near the ceiling, providing shelves for photo and book display, as well as be light and easy to move around ( I LOVE to move furniture around the house to give it a quick, fresh new look)!

(found at Big Lots)

I found this shelf and got super excited.  This was just the quick and easy shelf I was looking for!  It took me some time to put it together, (about a half an hour or less with both of us working on it), and VOILA!  Sturdy and ready to be displayed!  The shelf height can be adjusted for each one depending on what you want to put inside.

I went with a few black frames with pictures to display, and later added some books on their sides, as well as a few pieces of china.  it added a nice touch to the entryway between the foyer and living room.  I also added a lamp and placemat on top to make it feel warm in the evening as the lamp casts a warm glow on the area instead of the cold, overhead hallway lamp.  I'm sure I'll change the contents of the shelves as time goes on, and may even turn it into a full time working book case for my books! I need one of these for my closet next.... it would be a great place to fold my t-shirts so I can see them instead of in my drawers! I need two of these in my closet!

Love You Still.... Sayings to use with your kids!

Growing up my mother had a love for poems and wonderful words!  She would often repeat them to us time and again, sometimes just to let us know she cared, and other times to help us learn them.  We learned poems such as "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost, to lines from Hiawatha and our nightly prayers.  Since it was hard to learn them fully right away, she would start saying the beginnings and we would finish the line, and eventually we were able to say the words in their entirety.


Help your kids with a few of your favorite sayings.... start by saying the beginning of the lines and let them say the last word, or alternate lines.  Try it out! It becomes a fun way to show each other you care.

Example 1: (I modified this poem since we say it together..... the alternating words are in CAPS)

"Now we lay us down to .... SLEEP,

We pray the Lord our souls to.... KEEP,

Guard us Jesus through the ..... NIGHT,

And wake us with the morning ..... LIGHT!

A.....MEN."

We always have fun saying our prayers this way since it gives us a chance to say them together!

Another wording we use together is quite popular, and mostly found on walls! We use this when just passing by each other, saying good night, or good bye.  It helps remind each other that we love each other so much!  Here it is:

Example 2:  (Again, alternating words are in CAPS)

"Loved you yesterday,

LOVE YOU STILL,

Always have,

ALWAYS WILL!"

This always leaves a smile on our faces!  Feel free to be creative and make up your own sayings to use with each other!  We can not take for granted that the people we love know how much we love them, especially our kids.  We need to take the time, in many different ways, to let them know how much we care.  Doing this gives them the opportunity to show it back!

Last Minute Bathroom Makeover Before Guests Arrive!

Have you ever found yourself checking off "to do" lists in your head just before company arrives, just to realize you forgot the bathroom?  Look no further.  Here are a few tips and tricks to make your guests feel like royalty, or at least as if they are in a 5 star hotel.  Use items from around your house to make your guests feel as if they are truly important and welcome in your home!

First, find a spool of ribbon that coordinates with the time of year.  Burlap is also a very easy option, but use sparingly on the towels, as it sometimes leaves it's natural smell behind.  

1) As you can see in the picture, nicely fold the shower and hand towels on top of one another, and then wrap the the ribbon around to hold them together, forming a nice and easy bow.  Your guests will feel as if the towels were new or washed with care for their own personal use!  Display nicely by the sink or on the edge of the bathtub, or a chair in the corner.

2)  Grab some type of jar (could be spaghetti or jelly), cleaning out well and removing the label.  Take the same ribbon and wrap around the jar once, adding the flare of the ribbon.  Use clear tape or a pin in the back to secure it if you don't have time for the hot glue.  Throw in some flowers from the grocery store, or better yet, from the garden.  When using a small jar, even flowers from bushes such as Azalea's (shown in picture) work beautifully to add a spark of color and a bring a bit of the outdoors in!

3)  Find a small basket or bin to house personal soaps and goodies.  This way guests don't feel as if they are intruding by using items they have to look under the sink for.   I find that adding a water bottle to quench late night thirst without leaving their quarters make guests feel more comfortable.  Wrap some matching ribbon around water bottle to continue the theme.  I also added a fresh bar of soap and added ribbon as well.  The entire bathroom took about 10 minutes to throw together, making guests feel a little more at home and welcomed.  

4) Don't forget you can add ribbon to a fresh roll of toilet paper and have it displayed.

5)  To add one last touch, add a personal note, keeping it short and sweet!  "Relax!"

All of these elements can be used when putting the finishing touches on the guest room as well.  The small basket of goodies and water next to the bed helps the guests help themselves instead of imposing or having to ask for anything else.  They won't have to.... because you have already thought of it! Make them feel like a welcome guest by anticipating these needs!