Pottery Barn Bedroom for Less

While browsing through the PB summer catalog I found THIS lovely bedroom I absolutely fell in love with!  

The nearly $1600 (not including artwork) price tag? Not so much. 

Here's my picks on how to get this look for le$$

LINKS

PB Starfish bedding

IKEA Bed

TARGET jute rug

HOME DEPOT rug

TARGET glass table 
PB Cooper Mat 
SANDHILL wood basket
ALL POSTERS Monet painting
ART.COM Van Gogh painting

My total INCLUDING selected artwork? $642.84 
OR $442.74 if you opt for the cheaper and slightly smaller rugs.  
Same great look without the hefty price.

List of MckLinky Parties

McKlinky parties to everything from Fashion, Crafts, DIY, Decorating and much more!
Use this list to link up your project fast and easy

MONDAY
Cottage Instincts- http://cottageinstincts.blogspot.com/
Twice Remembered- http://twiceremembered.blogspot.com/
Between Naps On The Porch- http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
The Persimmon Perch- http://thepersimmonperch.blogspot.com/
Thrifty Decor Chic- http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/
Made By You- http://skiptomylou.org/
Just something I whipped up- http://thegirlcreative.blogspot.com/
Making the World Cuter- http://makingtheworldcuter.blogspot.com/
Market Yourself Monday- http://sumossweetstuff.blogspot.com/
The Graphics Fairy- http://thegraphicsfairy.blogspot.com/ *Can only post projects that contain her free graphics
Make My Style- http://avidaccents.blogspot.com/ (Fashion projects)
Keeping it Simple- http://craftskeepmesane.blogspot.com/
Modern Craftswoman Monday- http://toolsareforwomentoo.blogspot.com/

TUESDAY
Talented Tuesday- http://theherberfamily.blogspot.com/
Get Your Craft On- http://todayscreativeblog.blogspot.com/
Timeless Tuesday- http://paulagracedesigns.blogspot.com/
DIY Day- http://asoftplace.net/
TootYour Horn Tuesday- http://sillylittlesparrow.com/
Make It Yours- http://mybackyardeden.blogspot.com/
It's So Very Cheri- http://itssoverycheri.blogspot.com/
Trash to Treasure- http://reinventedkb.com/
Power of Paint- http://domesticallyspeaking.blogspot.com/
Take A Look- http://craftedition.blogspot.com/
Tuesday Talent Show- http://myhouseofgiggles.blogspot.com/
Tutorial Tuesdays- http://hopestudios.blogspot.com/
Lucky Linky Tuesday- http://luckystarlane.com/

Wednesday
Beyond the Picket Fence- http://beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/
Show and Tell- http://bluecricketdesign.net/
Penny Pinching Party- http://thethriftyhome.com/ (frugal ideas only)
Someday Crafts- http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/
Idea Sharing Wednesday- http://womenwhodoitall.blogspot.com/
A little craft therapy- http://lanieree.blogspot.com/
Boardwalk Broadfest- http://bobbypinsboardwalk.blogspot.com/
Make It Yours- http://mybackyardeden.blogspot.com/

Thursday
Strut Your Stuff- http://somewhatsimple.com/
Life As Lori- http://lifeaslori.blogspot.com/
Tales from Bloggeritaville- http://lbratina.blogspot.com/
Beyond the Picket Fence- http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/
The Shabby Chic Cottage- http://theshabbychiccottage.net/
Make it Wear it- http://thetraintocrazy.com/ (fashion projects)
I Made It- http://everythingetsy.com/
My Creative Space http://kootoyoo.blogspot.com
House of Hepworths- http://houseofhepworths.com

Friday
Miss Mustard Seed- http://missmustardseed.blogspot.com/ (painted furntiture party)
Finding Fabulous- http://decormamma.blogspot.com/
I'm A Creative Cat- http://poppiesatplay.blogspot.com/
The Shabby Nest- http://shabbynest.blogspot.com/
Remodaholics- http://remodaholic.com/
Categorically Crafting- http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/ (different category every week)
Linky Loves Friday- http://sweetcharlie.blogspot.com/
Feature Yourself Fridays- http://fingerprintsonthefridge.blogspot.com/
It' a Hodgepodge Friday- http://itsahodgepodgelife.blogspot.com/
Show off your Stuff- http://firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com/
Fab Fridays- http://frugalandfabulousdesign.blogspot.com/

Saturday
Funky Junk Interiors- http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/
Check Me Out Saturday- http://iamonly1woman.blogspot.com/
Saturday Soiree- http://alittlelovelyblog.blogspot.com/

Sunday
Under The Table and Dreaming- http://bystephanielynn.com/

If you know of any that I missed leave a comment and I'll add it to this list.

Thanks!

How to make a clickable header in Blogger

Wanna have a clickable header?!

 Look no further! Super easy tutorial to follow.

What is a clickable header you may ask?

Well look at the top of my page to try mine out!

Here is a pic of my NEW clickable header

And here is a pic of my OLD NON clickable header. My links were UNDER the header and in plain text.

.

Rather than explain how I did it I'm going to send you straight to the original source. I've long been a fan of Kari at The Snails Trail and she recently posted about it. Her post is easy to follow and complete with pictures and all!

Good Luck!

If you change your header to a clickable one let me know! I'd love to pop over and take a gander. Leave a comment with your blog address

Creating a Button for your Blog

Adding a Button to your blog is a great way to advertise.

[A button is a clickable image that leads others to your blog. Like the one I have in the top right corner]

If you already know the basics and are just looking for the HTML coding scroll down to the bottom of this post. I have included codes for BOTH types of Buttons: Grab My Button & Regular Button

There are 2 types of buttons: a Grab Button, and a Regular Button

Both are really easy to create

But first you will need to create an image (for which you will need Photoshop, Illustrator, or something along those lines)
Pxlr is a great online open image editor. And it's FREE! Woo hoo! You can also use Phoenix or Photoshop Online.
You will also need an account with Photobucket or any other image uploading website. (the basic accounts are free)

My tutorial will be with a Photobucket account.

First Upload your image to Photobucket.

 (Make sure you saved it in JPEG format and that your image is NO bigger than the width of your sidebar! An average sidebar is around 180-220 pixels. A good sized button will be around 200 x 200 pixels. give or take)

Find your image and click on it. It will automatically upload for you.

CLICK SAVE

Next, find your image in your account and click on the SHARE button

A pop up box will appear.

Click on the GET LINK CODE button

Then copy the DIRECT LINK code to your clipboard by either right clicking or clicking Ctrl C.

That is the HTML code you need to complete the rest of your button.

Next, you will need  to copy and paste the following code into your blog by clicking ADD A GADGET and then selecting the HTML GADGET.

CLICK HERE for the BUTTON CODES!

blogger was being dumb & not letting me post the codes. It was trying to read them and getting confused I think. GOOGLE DOCS to the rescue!

Creating a 3 Column Blog

Since I've been doing a lot of renovating 'round these parts (you like?) I thought I'd share with you some of my tips I've picked up along the way. I'm self taught so what I do may/may not be "by the book"

with that in mind....

HERE IS A GREAT TUTORIAL on how to switch to a 3 Column Blog (one with 2 sidebars)

*It might be a good idea to create yourself a private "TEST BLOG" where you can play around without it affecting your real blog. Mine is titled alchemyjunktestblog

Here's a screenshot of the website

These tutorials work even if you have a background such as a "cutestblogontheblock" background. Although I HIGHLY recommend removing the background temporarily while you add the third column.

I hope this helps! If you have questions feel free to ask. I'd go through it step by step for you but this website does it so much better than I ever could :)

and.... It's waaay easier than you think! There are only 3 or 4 steps.

If I can do it... YOU CAN!

***Adding some spacing in between the columns***
Once you've added your third column you may want to add some spacing in between the sidebars and main posting area. (Mine were too squished together) To do this CLICK HERE for this tutorial. Again, it's 1 simple step. very easy to do. 

Readin' and Ritin'

*Custom Chalkboard Paint Recipe is in the middle of this post... scroll down*

I can't believe it has been over a month since I posted.......

lot's going on

but I know it is the same with each of you.

 This I know:

 God is good.

 God listens.

 God hears our prayers.

 Family is everything.

I am so grateful for ALL things.

So here is what I made:

A chalkboard.

I know.

You been there.

You done that.

I tweaked it.

I started with this delicious found object.

Love the patina.

Didn't like the chalkboard paint choices.

Made my own.

Custom Colors How-To

Start with flat-finish latex paint in any shade. For small areas, such as a door panel, mix 1 cup at a time. Recipe is 1 Cup of paint + 2 Tbsp of unsanded grout. double or quadruple as necessary.

My color choice: Moss Meadow from Benjamin Moore

My grout choice

1. Pour 1 cup of paint into a container. Add 2 tablespoons of unsanded tile grout. Mix with a paint stirrer, carefully breaking up clumps

*side note: (I used luan for my project and cut it to size)

Here is a pic of the project ready to paint!

2. Apply paint with a roller or a sponge paintbrush to a primed or painted surface. Work in small sections, going over the same spot several times to ensure full, even coverage. Let dry. (I painted 4 coats. Not necessary, I just felt like painting.)

3. Smooth area with 150-grit sandpaper, and wipe off dust.

4. To condition: Rub the side of a piece of chalk over entire surface. Wipe away residue with a barely damp sponge.

You now have your own custom colored chalkboard!

To finish my project I used Gorilla Glue to glue the now painted Luan to my found object

Follow directions when using the glue.

glue EXPANDS!

You like?