Be Inspired Features and Link Party #136

Happy Tuesday! Welcome back for features and party day!
 

Be sure to check out the Easy Canvas Prints giveaway we have going on all this week. You have a chance to win a beautiful 16 x 20 canvas print of your favorite photo!

Now I'm excited to share some of the fabulous inspiration from last week's party ....

I love this great big welcome sign and the fun fall décor on the front porch over at Pricillas! And just look at all those pumpkins!

Tammy from One More Time Events went with a soft green, silver and mercury glass theme for her beautiful fall mantel!

Robin from RPK Interiors completed her first mid-century modern piece for a client and it turned out beautifully!

Korrie from Red Hen Home gave this dining room set a fresh new look!

This pretty blue and white secretary is a keeper for Wendy at Sometimes Twice!

Mary from Orphans With MakeUp shared her Hollywood glam console table!

How charming is this vintage radio cabinet from Anderson & Grant!

Jamie also shared these Cranberry Pumpkin Cookies with Burnt Butter Icing - oh my goodness!

And finally, Tracie from Fishtail Cottage shared a link to an interview and house tour she gave to Julie over at Little Farmstead. I'm a huge fan of Tracie's gorgeous home and stunning gardens. The tour photos are beautiful of course, but the best part is that I learned so much more about Tracie, her decorating and gardening philosophy and the background behind Fishtail Cottage in this interview. And Little Farmstead is a new-to-me blog that I'm looking forward to exploring!

Thanks so much to everyone who linked up and linked back!
If you've been featured, feel free to grab a cute little button from the sidebar!
 

Now on to this week's party...
 

*Link up your furniture makeovers, DIY projects, home decor, crafts, recipes, thrifty finds, etc... We want to see whatever is inspiring you at the moment!
 

*A link back would be appreciated, especially if you'd like to be considered for a feature.
 

*And we'd love to have you follow along with us!

We'll be back next Tuesday with features and a brand new party!

 

Easy Canvas Prints Review & Giveaway

I recently shared our new picture ledges gallery wall.

I just love the way it turned out!

 

This is an easy and economical DIY project that anyone can tackle. And my favorite thing about pictures ledges is how easy it is to update and make changes at any time without nailing additional holes in the wall!

This picture wall is in the upstairs hallway of our vacation home at Penn State and all the photos revolve around our connection here. I still have a long way to go in sorting through our the photos I want to add to the ledges. And new memories are being made here all the time!

This summer Baby Clare made her first trip to Penn State and the Nittany Lion. I love this family photo of Megan, Liam and Clare! So I was thrilled when Easy Canvas Prints asked if I would be interested in reviewing a 16 x 20 canvas print.

Ordering the canvas took just minutes. I simply uploaded my picture and chose my options. Easy Canvas Prints offers a variety of sizes, display and border options, color effects and retouching.

My canvas turned out beautifully! I am so pleased with the look and quality of the finished canvas. The colors are rich and vibrant. What a great addition to our growing gallery of photos!

 

And Easy Canvas Prints was nice enough to offer a free 16 x 20 canvas to one of you too!

 

Thanks so much Easy Canvas Prints!

 

Just leave a comment below telling me what photo you would choose!

I'll announce a winner on Monday, October 6th!

 

(Please be sure to have an email address associated with your profile. If you leave a no-reply comment, I won't be able to contact you if you are the winner and that would just be sad!)

 

The Tour Through Blog Land ...

Have you been following the tour through blog land? What a fun way to get to know your favorite bloggers a little better and make some new friends along the way. I think the very best part of blogging is getting to know the person behind the blog!
 

 

I was invited to join the tour by my friend Suzanne over at Simply Suzanne's at Home. Suzanne is a regular at our Tuesday Be Inspired Link Party and you've seen her featured here quite a few times. When you visit Suzanne's blog, the first thing you notice is the absolutely stunning photography. Reading the Q & A of the tour, I learned that Suzanne takes over 150 photos a day. Believe me, it shows. This girl has mad skills!

 

Suzanne considers her blog a personal journal that she writes with her daughters in mind. You will find mouth-watering recipes, family traditions, entertaining and decorating ideas and beautiful seasonal inspiration. I hope you get a chance to visit Suzanne's blog, you will definitely feel right at home!

 

  

Now for the Q & A .....
 

What am I working on?

Well believe it or not, I'm working on Christmas! I actually made a few Christmas wreaths this week. Don't worry, you won't see any holiday decorations in my home until after Thanksgiving. I'm generally not a fan of moving on to the next holiday too soon. But my business life pretty much revolves around our tag sale schedule and our holiday open house happens in early November. That means decorating the shop from top to bottom in vintage holiday goodness. I need to get a head start. And of course I have several furniture pieces in progress in the garage at the moment. I'm taking full advantage of the gorgeous fall weather!

 

How does my work differ from other's of it's genre?
Well there are certainly lots of similarities out there, but I think each blog has it's own voice and a unique story to tell. So even though there are lots of girls painting furniture and blogging about it, we each bring our own look and feel to it. If you follow a blog for a while, the voice of the blogger becomes very familiar. There is something very comfortable about that. As I scroll though my reader, I often recognize a blogger simply by the post title. And at just a glance, I can pick out bloggers I know at a link party. And here is the perfect example of that - there are four of us at Elizabeth & Co. and our customers tell us they can usually tell which furniture pieces come from each of us. So even though we're all pretty much doing the same thing, we're doing it in our own unique style!

 

Why do I write what I do?

The blog started out as my way of chronicling the adventures Elizabeth & Co. and also as a way to get the word out about who we are and what we do. So most of my posts are about furniture projects and our tag sales. I really do love the process of transforming a neglected piece of furniture and giving it a brand new life. And I enjoy sharing the details. Not every post is a full-blown tutorial, but I do make a point to share details and how-to information in every post. I am so appreciative of those who have been generous with their knowledge and expertise. I'm just paying it forward.

 

Not every post is about the business. I try to mix it up and include whatever DIY, craft or sewing project I might be working on at home. As much as I enjoy painting furniture, I get bored easily and like to try other creative projects too. The Garden Party came from my love for playing in the dirt. And I occasionally enjoy sharing bits and pieces of my real life along the way.

 

How does my writing process work?

I am by nature a planner, an organizer and a very detail oriented person. So it's kind of surprising that when it comes to blogging, I pretty much just wing it! The Tuesday Be Inspired Party and the monthly Garden Party give some structure to my blogging schedule. I then try to post at least one project, sometimes two, during the rest of the week. And I really just post whatever moves me at the moment. There is no grand plan and I don't share every project. That would just be boring for you and exhausting for me!

 

And to be honest, blogging is incredibly time consuming. You can quickly become totally overwhelmed by your very own blog. And then there is trying to follow, comment and support your blogging friends. Add in all the social media options out there and my head starts spinning. On a regular basis I make a point to remind myself that I can not do it all. And guess what, that's perfectly okay! I love that I get to share and be a part of the blogging community. I've learned so much and met the best people. I think I've found a pretty good balance between my business life, blogging life and personal life. That balance will be different for each of us, but I think it's the key to being a happy blogger and more importantly, a happy person!

 

Okay, now I get to introduce you to a few of my favorite blogging friends. It's their turn to join the blog land tour and answer the very same questions!

Megan blogs over at Our Pinteresting Family. She is a busy working mom with three adorable little ones. And she is a total sweetheart who just happens to live right around the corner from me. I love when our paths cross! Megan always has really cute, fun and thrifty ideas. She's finds things on clearance, then pulls them out to make cool stuff. Some projects are easy enough to involve the kids and you'll always find lots of great gift ideas too. Megan has a handy husband and they also share wonderful remodeling projects. Megan has been blogging for almost three years and her most recent post is a round-up of fabulous fall ideas!

Allison from Fab Rehab Creations has three active little boys and a love for painting furniture and saving the landfills! Allison has mastered the natural wood top and just the perfect amount of distressing. And she's brave about trying new products and techniques. I find lots of great inspiration at Fab Rehab Creations and I know you will too!

Danielle from The Painted Willows has been blogging for a few months now and she's off to a great start! You'll definitely want to stop by and welcome her to the blogging world. Danielle not only creates beautiful painted furniture and crafts, but she has a real knack for styling too! I could definitely learn a thing or two from her. And don't you love the sweet family photo!

 

Hetty is from Stone House Workshop. She always leaves such sweet and encouraging comments. I love that her blog combines her interest in painting furniture and in needlework. Hetty is a certified knitting instructor and teaches both children and adults. It's that time of year when cozy throws sound so warm and comforting! And I'm just a teensy, tiny bit jealous of Hetty's brand new workshop for painting furniture!

 

 I hope you get a chance to stop by and visit these amazingly talented women!

Be Inspired Features and Link Party #135

Happy Tuesday! Welcome back for features and party day!
 

Fall has officially arrived - cool, crisp and crunchy - woohoo!
Such a beautiful time of year. I hope you are feeling inspired!

This week's features will definitely put you in a creative mood ...

Suzanne from The Painted Drawer used gold highlights to make this French Blanket Chest really sing!

This beautiful hand painted cabinet from Danielle of The Painted Willows was inspired by the movie Frozen!

Robin from Happy At Home shared a great tutorial for her beautiful headboard!

Check out this Flora and Fauna Desk from Victoria's Vintage Designs - so pretty and unique!

This beautiful green bed from The Heathered Nest looks fabulous staged for a girl or a boy!

I love this sweet cottage end table with a bold graphic design from Laurel at The North End Loft!

Ready to welcome fall, this pretty paper leaf wreath is from Cathy at Vintage, Paint and More!

 

These mason jar succulents from I'm A Yarner are just so cute!

And how pretty is this fall flower box centerpiece from Lovely Livings Blog!

Thanks so much to everyone who linked up and linked back!
If you've been featured, feel free to grab a cute little button from the sidebar!
 

And don't forget that you can also share your garden and outdoor related projects all month long at our September Garden Party. It's our last garden party of the year!
 

Now on to this week's party...

 

*Link up your furniture makeovers, DIY projects, home decor, crafts, recipes, thrifty finds, etc... We want to see whatever is inspiring you at the moment!

*A link back would be appreciated, especially if you'd like to be considered for a feature.

 

*And we'd love to have you follow along with us!

We'll be back next Tuesday with features and a brand new party!