Tag: Better Homes & Gardens

A Dining Room, Before and After Styling

I came across this dining room by Kathryn Ivey recently and loved the black chippendale chairs and IKEA Stockholm rug against the white backdrop and dark trim. Then I came across the same room, as shot for Better Homes & Gardens. Subtle changes make a big difference!

The tabletop is more styled and lush plants and flowers fill some of the visual emptiness compared to the previous photo. The 5×7 rug was swapped out for an 8×10, which is a much better fit for the room. (We have the same one in our dining room — such a good rug, in wool, at a great price!) Other changes to note: the chair cushions bring in a little color, and the natural tones in the wood table are echoed in the wicker planter and straw market tote in the kitchen.

And yet another iteration was shot, this time with her and her husband. This is the way the home appeared in print (BHG, February 2015).

The rest of the home is wonderful too. I was never a big fan of blue until a few years ago, but give me a turquoisey teal now and I’m all over it! The color makes appearances throughout, as does my other favorite, pink.

Fun, right? It’s a rowhouse built in the 1890s, but it feels very now with a lot of color in a mostly neutral shell. You can see more of the BHG feature here.

February 2, 2017
My Mask in Better Homes & Gardens

Hooray! I knew in an abstract sense that my mask would be in the October issue of Better Homes & Gardens, but it was thrilling to actually see it in the magazine.

You can vote everyday for your favorite mask at BHG.com. I also created three more projects for BHG that I’ll be sharing with you in October, and I’ll post instructions for making your own version of my mask next week.

September 27, 2010
Halloween Mask for Better Homes & Gardens

Remember when I mentioned that I would be crafting four Halloween projects for Better Homes & Gardens? Well I’m thrilled to finally be able to share the first project with you: a Halloween mask.

Above is the mask as it appears on BHG.com and as it will be in the magazine. It looks great, but I actually had to cut it in half at the last minute. See, it originally looked like this:

The other three bloggers each used masquerade masks (which I did not know until after I had completed mine), so as the odd duck out I was asked if I could cut my mask down to size. You have no idea how nervous I was as I took scissors to it! Looking at the others I suppose I should have cut into the nose more, but I didn’t have a reference to work off of so I winged it. Luckily I managed to pull off the last-minute alteration without destroying the mask in the process. Phew!

You can view all four masks at BHG.com, and you can vote each day for your favorite until October 10. After that, there will be three more Halloween craft projects, with a winner for each. One overall winner will then be chosen to commission an exclusive design for the October 2011 issue of Better Homes & Gardens! That would be amazing, but I’m honored just to have taken part and thankful to Better Homes & Gardens for this fun opportunity. And I can’t wait to share my other projects with you.

{ click here to view my mask and vote for your favorite at BHG.com }

September 10, 2010
This Project Made Possible by You!

I’ve created a little banner to identify projects funded by our winnings in the 48-Hour Challenge. We’ve held onto the money until we could decide how best to use it. Half has been set aside for an important business expense (securing Trademarks), and the other half is being divvied up among several new projects around the house. Thank you again for your support, and for making all of this possible!

October 8, 2009
Up for the Challenge: We Won!

I wanted to thank you all earlier, but I was waiting until I heard from Better Homes & Gardens…

We WON! Making it Lovely received the most votes in the 48-Hour Challenge at BHG.com and we’ll be the recipient of a $5000 bonus! We’re so excited, and we’re eager to get started on a few new projects around the house that will now be possible. And obviously, we couldn’t have won without your tremendous support. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

June 17, 2009
Up for the Challenge: The End

Today is the last day to vote in the 48-Hour Challenge. The timing of the challenge was a bit crazy (coinciding with my ninth month of pregnancy), but Brandon and I took it on and we’re so proud to have been a part of it. Thank you to Better Homes and Gardens for asking me to be a part of the challenge, and thank you to the other participants: The Cottage Nest, The Home Garden, The Wood Whisperer, and of course my friends over at This Young House. We were thrilled to be in such wonderful company, and the other four projects were all incredibly inspiring.

Here’s a look back at where we started…

And where we ended…

And during the process we went from a married couple to a family.

Thank you too, all of you, for your support throughout the whole process. There were times when I thought I was in a bit over my head (*ahem*, porch painting), but the end result and your thoughtful comments made it all worth it. And I truly appreciate those of you that took time to vote for us, whether it was once a day, once in a while, or just once. Thank you.

June 12, 2009