The Alison Show | Keep it Crafty & Sassy

Our Interior Design Journey

This post is alternately titled: How Ikea Contributes to Divorce OR

The Magic of Photography in Making Things Look Way More Awesome Than They Ever Were

Don’t be alarmed, Eric and I are doing fine! But I’ll talk about Ikea and how it leads to divorce later.

To start this post I’d like to share some pictures from 2010 of our home shortly after we refinished the floors and I thought I could refinish vintage furniture to be awesome. These pictures were taken by THE FABULOUS Diana Palmer of Yan Photography.

I got the table and the chairs off of Craigslist when we were first married in 2008. I thought yellow was a good idea, but I used the wrong paint. So it was impossible to eat off of. The table is now totally ruined and in the shed. I recovered the cushions on the chairs, but they were SO OLD to start with that now they are FILTHY with gunk in every corner, the staples I used to recover the seats tear your clothing (I’m serious) and the joints are super rickety. They are more of a cream than their original white. Haha. The rainbow organized bookcase was a BATTLE with Eric but remains to this day!

That couch is now grey and those legs broke. To see what this room looked like post-Gigi pre taking over our basement…go here. We bought a new cover about 2 months after these pictures, but it’s now covered in stains, and the sidearms are broken …the rug was demolished and too dirty to keep past a year. The gold lamp was a wedding gift we didn’t register for…we still have it, and I made that skirt! Haha. If I could fit into it I’d give myself an award. Unrelated but worth mentioning.

For the full journey READ ON!

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Studio 5: Add more fun to your bun!

Today I went on Studio 5, our local late morning news show, to share some fun ideas for your hair for spring. I decided to title it, “Add more fun to your bun!”

I shared my tutorial for making a flouncy fun bun, my pleather hearts of gold, and a few other ideas (pom-poms, glittered animals and fresh florals) I will go into greater detail on later this week! Until then, enjoy a LARGE pregnant Alison. I was running so behind (I’m SO SLOW when I’m preggers) that I got to the station 10 minutes before I was supposed to go on. Haha, but I still think it turned out fun.

xo,

Alison

watch all my other crap here!

Put a flower in it!

From right to left: Thistle crown and pink hair // Ranunculus crown // Vintage floral swim cap // Pile of roses on a blonde // Roses on a comb in a fun bun // Inspired by Frida // How to make a floral crown

I have been really feeling floral hairpieces since last spring! But last spring I started working on our book, and I basically didn’t do anything other than that for a long time! So I’ve been super stoked that they are not only still around this spring, but that they are in full bloom. (Forgive me?)

I also don’t have a ton of occasion to bust out a floral hair piece…you know, in between my episodes of Vampire Diaries and trips to the Provo Bakery… I just never seem to have a good excuse.

UNTIL the dinner party I threw at Alt Summit! Then I pounced ALL over that crap.

BUT I also think if you were taking a family picture, attending a wedding, or just going on a special date, adding some fresh florals to your hair would be fun and worth the hassle. Just think of all the Instagram likes you’ll get .

Brittany Jepsen of The House That Lars Built is basically the reigning queen of putting a flower in it, and she has a whole fabulous series of how to do it here!

On Monday I’m going to go on Studio 5, to talk about some fun DIY hairpieces for spring. I’m going to try to whip up a lil’ fresh floral something…so stay tuned!

Have a great weekend!

xo
Alison

Top 50 Mom Craft Blogs

Look who got named #17 in Babble’s Top 50 Mom Craft Blogs…

THIS GIRL.

I’m never really sure how to define my blog, yes I do crafts, yes I’m a mom, but I’m not a mommy blogger or a total DIY blogger, or at least I don’t think so, because I started mostly writing essays. And I tend to insert tangents here and there like: 10 Things I Learned from Watching the Justin Bieber Movie. But if Babble wants to call me a Mom Craft blogger, I’ll take it! Because I’m like, totally a mom, and totally into crafts.

They say if want your blog to get all huge you have to be more niche, and I get that. But I just can’t commit!

In other news, on my Babble blog: Here’s the thing… I posted 6 Books by Women That Will Inspire You to Write Your Own Memoir

And I’ve rounded up all of my Spring time style and craft ideas right here!

My mom came to town to spoil me! And I’m pretty freaking excited. So I hope you’re doing well and lots of love!

xo
Alison

Flashback: Gigi’s Handmade Yummies

I made this dress for Ginger before she was born from an old shirt of mine. It fit her for the first week of her life.

A neighbor knitted that adorable cardigan, and I hand embroidered the “G”. Look at those little yellow jaundice eyes! Poor thing.

The pregnancy is getting rougher. Yesterday was a bad day, as I hinted on the ol’ gram, but it ended well. In fact, it ended so well I can’t talk about it without getting all verklempt. I’ll write more about how thankful I am for friends, and all the love I felt when I’m not so sleep deprived! But because I’m getting sicker, it’s getting harder for me to do all my STUFF, so I’m having to carefully plan what things I can and cannot do.

At the top of my list of things TO DO are:

1. Get my lil’ man’s nursery together

2. Finish Ginger Jane’s big girl room

She recently switched out of her crib into a twin bed (not because I wanted her to, but because she started like pommel horsing out of it), so we threw the toddler out with the crib-water (ew?) and put her in a new room while we were at it. The baby boy will have her room. We want to try to enforce the idea she’s being replaced as soon as possible. KIDDING.

Like I said, I can’t make everything I want to, so I’m going to focus on a few things. What those things ARE I’m not sure yet, but I’ll figure it out. I was sick with Gigi too, so I wasn’t able to make as many things for her as I would have liked either. But, you know me, somehow I managed to sneak a few crafts in there. And since you’ve probably forgotten, or weren’t around back then? I thought I’d share them with you.

The rest of the photos are by Heather. Duh. In fact this was the first photo shoot she ever did for me! Heather is my neighbor, and she moved in one month after I had Ginger. Best thing EVER.

I sketched that spice jar modeled on a vintage one I have, and then embroidered it. Embroidering is a perfect pregnant lady activity because you can sit on the couch while doing it! I wasn’t making mobiles back then, so I bought this one from Jikits I still love it! It hangs in my man’s office now.

Holy crap, I still remember crawling around on the floor to measure out that blanket. I was so swollen, and SO HOT. Ugh, Summer pregnancies! I did the binding by hand, another good fat lady activity. I still love that fabric! And that blanket.

Newborns sleep so much! I remember making that little shirt for her while she was napping one day from a shirt I had that had a hole in it. I love those little red buttons. I plan on making lots of tiny t’s for my man! But first! His nursery!

I’ll keep you posted on the rooms, I’m trying to finagle a deal…so I’m waiting on that. You know, cause I don’t have money. Haha.

Thank you so much for taking this walk down memory lane with me. It has cheered me up considerably!

I hope your week is better than mine! I love you all.

xo
Alison