(Not our yard! That’s Jenna Lyons’ former garden.)

I had a grand plan of things I wanted to do to the outside of our home that I put together back in 2009, two months before Eleanor was born. Allow me to quote myself: “Of course, the arrival of spring will also mean the arrival of our baby, so maybe we’re getting ahead of ourselves!”

Nah, you think? Childless me was so naive.

So now, two kids and four years later, I’m reassessing. I’m copying and pasting my original exterior to-do list, below, with some clarification.

• paint & repair the trim
  We still need to do this.

• paint the front porch and the back deck
  I would miss the hand-painted rug that I did, but the porch needs to be refinished.

• replace the railings for the front porch with a style more appropriate for the house
  I’d still love to do this, but at least our railings are functional.

• cover the sides of the front stairs (lattice?)
  Yep. Actually, stucco would be a more seamless choice.

• build a gate to hide the storage area under our back deck (lattice?)
  Still a good idea.

• replace our ugly white screen doors with simple, unobtrusive ones
  I removed the front screen door entirely because I couldn’t stand it anymore, but I’ve yet to replace it.

• install gutters with covers that supposedly don’t need to be cleaned
  We can skip this, and continue to have our gutters cleaned seasonally.

• remove the aluminum siding on the addition and stucco it to match the rest of the house
  We had a couple of quotes and this is cost-prohibitive.

• change the house color
  It would be nice.

• paint the garage to match
  The garage needs to be painted either way, and of course it should match the house.

• put up cute new house numbers
  Yes!

• maybe change the mailbox?
  Maybe!

• add an outlet out front and in back (there are none outside)
  We did this! And now it’s broken! Yay.

• add another metal sculpture in front of the house (we already have one)
  Really? One is enough, Nicole.

• put in some foundation plants/shrubs
  I sort of did this, but more is needed.

• plant a small tree (pagoda dogwood?) out front
  Probably not the best idea to plant a tree too near the house.

I feel bad, looking at this list and realizing how much of this has yet to be done, but it’s expensive stuff. And the only new item I’d like to add to the list? Build a wooden fence. The neighbor’s yappy dogs used to be an annoyance. Now that we have kids and they have a more aggressive dog that wants to bite their hands off, a wooden fence would be nice.

© 2013, published by Making it Lovely as The Exterior To-Do List | 15 comments | affiliate links may be used in posts

For Beginners

My first DSLR was a Canon Rebel XT. I wanted to be able to shoot all of my product shots for my stationery line in-house, and my husband bought that camera for me in 2006. I used it with the kit lens (EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6) until Tristan generously sent her used 50mm f/1.8 to me when she upgraded to the f/1.4 lens in 2011. The nifty fifty was the lens that led to my photographic awakening. The next lens I got was a Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8. I bought it to replace the kit lens because I wanted the fixed 2.8 aperture, and I was very happy with it for a long time.

I no longer have that camera or any of those lenses. I sold the Rebel with its kit lens on eBay when I upgraded to a better camera body, and later sold the Tamron as well. I sent the 50mm back to Tristan so she can pass it on to her husband, and it became the traveling pants of lenses.

My Recommendation for Beginners

• Buy the nifty fifty right from the start. Get the Canon Rebel T4i with its 18-55mm kit lens, and you’re set for around $1000.
• If you know you want to upgrade that standard kit lens right away, get the Canon Rebel T4i body only, plus the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8. That setup, along with a 50mm f/1.8 lens, will cost around $1500.

Upgrading

I waffled between the 5D Mark II and the Canon 7D when it came time to upgrade. I went with the latter and I’ve been happy (though if I were buying a camera today, I’d want the new 5D Mark III). Next, I turned my attention toward photographing interiors. I rented and tested a few wide-angle lenses, and chose the Canon 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5.

I received the 50mm f/1.4 as a birthday gift in 2012 (that’s when I sent the f/1.8 back to Tristan). Just as the nifty fifty taught me the importance of lenses, the f/1.4 taught me about the difference in quality. Soon I wanted to upgrade my Tamron as well. When I’d heard that the new Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II had come out, I used my accumulated credit card rewards points to buy it. (Some people get plane tickets — I choose fancy photo gear.) It’s the most expensive lens I own, but photographers always recommend investing in lenses rather than a body, and this is a lens I’ll have for a long time.

I could have stopped there, except I went and fell in love with another lens. I was looking through a preview copy of Click Magazine, and I noticed that many of the photos I liked were all shot with the same lens: the Canon 35mm f/1.4L. My 50mm always felt a little too close/zoomed in since I have a crop sensor (APS-C) camera, but the 35mm is perfect. The lens has barely left my camera since I got it, and it’s my favorite for photographing my kids indoors and in low-light.

My Current Camera Body and Lenses

• Canon 7D
• 50mm f/1.4
• Canon 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5
• Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II
• Canon 35mm f/1.4L

Other Gear

• Make sure you have a UV filter for each of your lenses as scratch protection.
• Pick up a lens cleaning kit and a blower.
• Get yourself a proper camera bag. I like ONA and Epiphanie, and you can take a look at my roundup of cute camera bags.
• Get yourself a tripod too. Originally, I bought the cheapest one I could find at my local camera store. Sure, it was a little wobbly and basic, but it was fine to start with. When I upgraded, I went with the same tripod and head that Nicole Hill Gerulat recommends.
• If you want to get yourself in the picture, you’ll likely want a remote. The Canon RC-6 Wireless Remote is only $20. I keep one attached to my camera strap so I don’t lose it.

I’m only familiar with Canon cameras, but feel free to ask any questions you may have and I’ll at least attempt to answer them! I’m always happy to hear other opinions and recommendations too.

© 2013, published by Making it Lovely as Essential Photography Gear | 27 comments | affiliate links may be used in posts

I took a 2-hour video class by Matt and Julie Walker of Tiger in a Jar when I was at Alt Summit last month, and I was inspired to learn more about lighting. I feel like I understand my camera and natural light, but I could still use some improvement and I have absolutely no experience with lighting equipment. I’m working with Bing, to help take my inspiration and ‘Bing it to Life,’ so I’m going to take a photography class to learn more.

Sometimes I can pull off a good shot, like the one below from the day I took August’s last monthly photo, but it’s hit or miss, and I’d like a little more understanding and control of the outcome.

I searched on Bing for photography classes in Chicago and came up with a bunch to check out. I visited each site and read Yelp reviews, narrowing it down to a couple of top contenders. I could see a few of my friends’ Facebook posts in the search results too, mentioning photography classes they’d taken, but I also used Bing to ask for some direct feedback on my Facebook page.

I’ve heard good things about Clickin’ Moms, which was recommended, and I think I might join. A sample issue of their new magazine, Click, randomly arrived a few weeks ago and I liked it a lot. In fact, I cashed out all of my credit card rewards points to get a Canon 35mm f/1.4L lens because I noticed so many of the shots I loved were using it. I am looking for an actual class here in Chicago to go to though. A couple of people recommended Chicago Photography Center — one that I was already considering — so that helped me make my choice.

Now I’m just trying to figure out which class will be most beneficial. I want to learn more about lighting, and there are specific classes for Fundamentals of Studio Portrait Lighting and Flash Photography. I think I might want to start with Intermediate Digital Photography though, which includes “detailed review of light; a deeper understanding of exposure and white balance use and techniques; introduction to flash modifiers including flash lab and an introduction to portrait lighting.” It might be good to increase my overall photo skills before moving on to specifics, right?

Whichever class I take, I’m sure I’m going to learn a lot. They’re each three hours long, for seven weeks, and there are homework assignments to be done that will be critiqued. I’m looking forward to it.

© 2013, published by Making it Lovely as Looking for a Photography Class | 40 comments | affiliate links may be used in posts

Last week, I hosted a craft workshop at Anthropologie. There were two sessions, with twenty five people in each. We braved the slushy Chicago snow, gathered for crafts (and drinks and treats), and made some cute Valentines. At the end, everyone took home goodies from Pink Loves Brown (assorted pins from my stock), and sample waffle pecan bars from Ticket Chocolate (yum).

Thank you, Anthropologie, for having me, and thank you to everyone who came out! I wish we could have had more time, and more people (I know it sold out really quickly). For those of you who couldn’t make it though, I’ve included a list of supplies and instructions so you can try your hand at making your own.

Look at how cute Kim’s turned out below! (That’s her on the right, above, with me on the other end and Jess Lively in the middle.) You can see how the little clip part works, and you can position the clothespins so that you can put notes and photos at the top or bottom, or both if you wish.

Supplies

• wood slices between 4-6″ (I was going to use birch, but then decided that mossy hickory slices were prettier)

• acrylic craft paint (I brought black, white, red, a pretty blue, and gold)

• paintbrush(es)

• mini clothespins

• paper silhouettes (you can download my templates and use a silhouette cutting machine to cut them, or draw your own and use an x-acto knife)

• white glue

Instructions

This is an easy craft to do. Paint your wood slice first. Stripes are easy, and you can even mask them off with painter’s tape if you’re not confident about your painting ability. Polka dots, circles, and following the rings of the wood are all good choices too. Next, glue the mini clothespins to your silhouettes, either one in the center, or one at the top (facing up) and one at the bottom (facing down). Once your clothespinned silhouettes are dry, along with the painted wood slice, glue them together. You could just use the clips too, and skip the silhouette people. Done! And cute.

© 2013, published by Making it Lovely as Wood Valentines Craft Night (and a How To) | 18 comments | affiliate links may be used in posts

I’m looking forward to seeing some of you there!

Update: The event sold out an hour after it was announced (!), but you can still sign up for the wait list in case of cancellations.

© 2013, published by Making it Lovely as Craft Night at Anthropologie | 20 comments | affiliate links may be used in posts

Here’s a shot of my library from 2007, about six months after I started this blog, and then a recent shot of the same space.

I remember having trouble with that first photo way back then, but I did my best and I thought it looked all right. I still see some problems with the newer one, but it’s clearly an improvement. The first one needed a lot of help from Photoshop to even get it to an acceptable level, and the second had just a little tweak for brightness and contrast.

I’d love to learn more about lighting. There was a professional photographer here yesterday (shooting my house for a magazine’s Christmas issue to come out next year), and the contrast between myself and him was stark. He took his time, perfecting every shot and getting the lighting just right. I usually come in, set up my tripod, take a few shots, and move on. I was easily five times faster than him, but I’m sure his photos will be five times better than mine.

This was a quick snap — one that isn’t very good — but look at all that gear. I wouldn’t know how to use a lighting umbrella, or where to shine a spotlight at the ceiling to better illuminate the area behind it.

Having a blog for the last five years has pushed me to better my photography, and the constant practice has paid off, but I’m curious about what my photos will look like in another five years.

© 2012, published by Making it Lovely as Photo Skillz | 35 comments | affiliate links may be used in posts

Here’s a cute DIY project to add a little sparkle and shine to your holiday! These colorblock Christmas trees took a few hours to create, but if you simplified the palette (and skipped the glitter paint), you could finish them in about an hour. Here’s what you’ll need.

Supplies

• Kraft Paper Cones
• ScotchBlue Painter’s Tape
• Paint Brush
• Martha Stewart Crafts Paint
  
  • Light Pink Trees: Pink Carnation (Satin), Rose Chrome (Metallic), Sugar Cube (Glitter)
  • Dark Pink Trees: Peppermint Bark (Satin), Rose Copper (Metallic), Florentine Gold (Glitter)
  • Green Trees: Artichoke (Satin), Citrine Gold (Metallic), Peridot (Glitter)

The smaller cones were to be glittered on one side, so I first painted the entire cone in a solid color. The larger cones were each going to be painted one one side with metallic paint (which I knew to have good coverage), so I started by taping them off and painting just half in a solid color. It’s easier to tape a cone vertically, though I’m sure these would look fantastic done horizontally if you’re up for the challenge.

Acrylic paint dries quickly. I found that by the time I was done painting the last of my six cones, the first would be ready for another coat (I did three on each). After the last coat had dried, I removed the old tape from the larger cones and retaped them to paint the other sides. The metallic paints I used looked good after just one coat, but I still did three — because I am weird and like to keep things even.

Adding the glitter… there went the whole ‘keeping things even’ idea. I lost count of how many coats of glitter paint I used! I knew they would take a while to build coverage, and I think I may have put 10-12 coats of paint on each cone. Early on in the process, I considered ditching the paint and just using glitter, but it was my hope that by using the glitter paint, each Christmas tree would be less likely to flake and leave a sparkly trail wherever she may go.

So far, so good. The glitter is staying put, and I love the two-tone effect.

I’m not sure if I’ve found the perfect place for these yet though. I like the effect of the mirror, doubling them and showing off both sides, but there’s already a lot going on in the hutch above, and with the stockings below. What do you think?

This post is a collaboration with ScotchBlue™ Painter’s Tape. To join the creative community, visit www.facebook.com/ScotchBlue.

© 2012, published by Making it Lovely as DIY Colorblock Christmas Trees | 37 comments | affiliate links may be used in posts

A bunch of us bloggers gathered and got our craft on, choosing different projects from the book. (I went with the Nutcracker Bowling League.) I have since decided that I ought to set aside entire days devoted to group crafting, because that is fun.

Video! Done in one take! Alison and Susan are naturals. (Oh, you guys. I’m totally going to be a pro at this some day. I’m working on it.)

The trip was made possible by Vivint. Styling and awesome background by Cayleen Haynie, and music by Pleasant Pictures.

“I kind of Sgt. Peppered them up a little bit.” See? Pro-talk. The nutcrackers are awfully cute though, aren’t they? I’m a little hesitant to let the kids use them as bowling pins. I think I need to make a few more, specifically to set aside as decorations.

We got our party on* later that night, after our marathon crafting was over. I’m pretty sure 95% of the internet’s cute, crafty bloggers are based in Utah, including most of the ladies below.

* Parties in SLC are mostly fueled by Diet Coke and Diet Dr. Pepper. Also, I got eyelash extension while I was in town! (Sadly, not before the video and photos though.) Utah, you’re a kick.

A big thank you to The Craft Pack for having me out to Salt Lake City. Their book, A Hip Handmade Holiday is available now, for $10.

© 2012, published by Making it Lovely as A Hip Handmade Holiday | 26 comments | affiliate links may be used in posts

I found these vintage wooden nesting tables at the Renegade Craft Fair, here in Chicago, a couple of months ago. I loved the shape of them, and that they nested together, but they looked a little plain in my library.

I decided to paint them in an ever-trendy ombré/gradient effect, figuring that when the trend moves on I can always repaint them again later. As I was preparing to paint, I look more closely at the tables and realized that someone had already painted them at some point, in a faux-bois effect. At least I didn’t have to feel guilty about being the first one to take a paintbrush to them!

I gathered everything I needed to get started: a lead test, sandpaper (150 and 180 grit), a mask, painter’s tape, paint and primer, a drop cloth, paint stirring sticks, and a good 2″ angled paintbrush. Below is a video showing the whole process.

I didn’t know how old that painted surface was, so I used a simple lead test to be sure that the tables were safe to work with. Then I sanded the tops with the rougher sandpaper, wiped them down, and taped off the edges. It would have been ideal to disassemble the tables and just work on the tops, but they were held together with a combination of dowels, glue, and magic. Prying them apart would have been difficult — possibly disastrous — so tape it was. Next I primed them, painted, sanded again with fine sandpaper, and applied a final coat of paint.

The three colors are Benjamin Moore’s Coral Gables and Petal Rose, and the third was a 50/50 combination of the two. I was careful to do a thorough job of sanding, and I made sure to abide by the recommended paint drying times (16 hours between coats because it was oil-based). I think that’s going to make all the difference when it comes to durability.

I love the way the tables play off of the new red pot of the fiddle-leaf fig tree, and the whole area feels a whole lot happier. Bringing that pillow up from the living room certainly helped too! It feels right to add a little more color to the area, since the kids play there a lot. August has already taken to using the nesting tables as stairs for his little animal figures.

© 2012, published by Making it Lovely as Ombré Nesting Tables (With a How-to Video) | 53 comments | affiliate links may be used in posts

Supplies

• glass paint or all-purpose craft paint (I like Martha Stewart’s line)

• stencil brush or paint dauber

• adhesive vinyl stencil

• ceramic trophies (or whatever you’d like to paint)

I designed my stencil in Adobe Illustrator and then used my Silhouette cutting machine on vinyl. There are pre-made adhesive stencils in craft stores, and plenty of sellers on Etsy willing to make one for you. You can also cut one out of contact paper with an X-acto knife.

After you’ve affixed your stencil (as smooth as you can get it around the important detailed bits), you can dab the paint on thinly with a dauber. Peel the stencil off before the paint dries. If you have difficult to reach portions (like the inner triangle of my capital ‘A’, for example), you can use a pin to lift up a corner so you don’t ruin the paint by trying to do it with your fingers.

The glass paint that I used will cure in twenty-one days if air-drying, or it can be oven-baked at 350°F for 30 minutes, and it will be dishwasher-safe once cured. I tend to go light on my DIY instructions (you’re all smart cookies), but if you want a more detailed tutorial, I found this project by searching Pinterest.

The trophies are cute when empty, but I like them as vases and plant pots.

© 2012, published by Making it Lovely as How to Make DIY Monogrammed Trophies | 15 comments | affiliate links may be used in posts