Dec. 4, 2015
Hi guys! I’m back with some updates as to what has been keeping us so busy these past several months. First up, our fireplace!
When we built our home a few years ago there were a few major items that either weren’t available from the builder like we had hoped, or were too pricey to consider at the time. One of those items was our fireplace.
We knew that we wanted a hearth, but the options provided were either full brick (that matched the outside of our house) with a hearth or a wood and tile mantel with no hearth. We had a pretty good vision for what we wanted, so we chose the option with the hearth and decided we would upgrade it ourselves at a later time.
Well this fall it finally happened, and I am so pleased with how it turned out. It may be my new happy spot in our house, especially now that its getting cold outside!
We had intended this to be a full DIY project so we began documenting our entire process, but in all honesty, it turned out to be a bit more complicated than we had initially planned so the documenting fell to the back burner.
I do have a few “working” images below, but didn’t feel comfortable providing a full DIY because of all the unexpected twists and turns we dealt with. If you’re thinking of taking on a project like this, free free to email or message me with any and all questions. It wasn’t a super hard process, just more of a “I wish I knew then what I know now” kind of thing.
Before:
We chipped out the textured bricks that hung along the top row of our fireplace, so that all coverings could sit flush once we faced the fireplace with wood.
Then Nace measured everything out and marked it with paint to make sure it was proportioned how we imagined in our preliminary designs. And the framing of the fireplace began!
Using concrete screws, we attached the new frame directly to the brick.
Once everything was framed out as we hoped, the puttying and wood filling began.
We also splurged a bit on some really beautiful marble tile from a local shop and faced the remaining inner area with tile and white grout. It was definitely the most tricky tile we have ever dealt with, but the finishing touch we were looking for!
After spraying the whole fireplace with a couple layers of paint, we added a matching marble hearth that we picked up super affordably from a local granite scrap yard. The material was free, we just had to pay to have it cut to size! A fraction of what ordering a new piece would have been. :)
Needless to say, we absolutely LOVE the turnout of our project!
Nov. 26, 2015
Attention: I interrupt this extremely extended blogging break to bring you an update and freebie.
I hope everyone is having a happy Thanksgiving and enjoying time with loved ones today. Chances are pretty high that, like you, I am stuffed to the brim with deliciousness right now, so I thought I’d share something fun and give a little update while we all sink deeper and deeper into our food coma’s today.
December is almost here, and I’ve been feeling extra crafty and creative with all the hustle and bustle of decorating for the season, so I thought I would drop off something special incase you are feeling extra fancy too. Grab this new beauty for your computer using the link below.
As for where Intention and Grace has been hiding? We’ve had a lot going on at the Robert’s household.
I promise I’m working on several new posts with some major before and after reveals. Nace and I have been working on some big things at the house these past several months, but as things go, they have proven to take up much more time and effort than we initially planned.
Cheers to more to come from Intention and Grace, and blessings for you.
xo
Courtney
Apr. 3, 2015
Last weekend our baby boy Maddax turned TWO! I just can’t believe it’s been two years since he was born. He has brought so much joy and laughter into our lives, and we loved being able to celebrate that with our sweet friends and family. We planned a fun tractor and truck themed birthday bash. This kid LOVES all things with wheels: tractors, trucks, trains, cars. Every time we drive anywhere, he points out any type of manly vehicle. By yelling at the top of his lungs. So this year I took this fun theme and ran with it. I hope you dig it!
Want to use this theme for your lil one? Check my etsy shop for custom party listings or email me directly at courtney@intentionandgrace.com. Also, be sure to check out Maddax’s first birthday bash HERE.
Mar. 25, 2015
This year I have seen dyeable craft eggs popping up all over the place (Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Walmart, etc.) and they are cheap! I snagged these from Walmart for $2 a dozen, which is about what I would spend on real eggs, but I can use these every year. I was so excited to take them home and create some beautiful things with my family, but after a bit of trial and error discovered these eggs, although pretty and fun, are definitely not an egg substitute. Since they are pretty new, I thought I’d share my pros and cons for dyeable craft eggs if anyone else wants to give them a shot.
Pros:
1. Great for toddlers and kids! We dropped several of these along the way and none of them broke! Dax just loved helping and I felt better about letting him be in control without having to worry about several cracked eggs.
2. They don’t expire. These eggs won’t start to stink up the house after a few days, and you can store them away for next year!
3. The dye is instant. Craft eggs don’t darken if they sit in the dye longer, so the dyeing process goes rather quickly. Simply dip and dry. No need to wait on an egg to get to the desired shade, you’re already there.
Cons:
1. They are super light! They float, so if you want them to be covered in dye, you have to spoon it around the egg rather than simply drop it into the dye like you would with a normal egg.
2. You can’t use water. For the colors above we could only use vinegar with the dye tablets. The problem with this was that 4tsp of vinegar is really just not deep enough to dye a whole egg. The require lots of swishing and spooning to cover an egg in dye, making it a bit more frustrating than normal egg dye which allows for 1/2 cup water to be added.
3. They don’t dry quickly. The dye seems to linger on these for a long time, not absorbing into the craft eggs like normal eggs do, so even after several minutes of “drying” I would pick an egg up to see that it was still dripping quite a bit at the base. I also found that if you overlap two colors they sometimes bleed together unless they have had significant dry time.
Techniques:
After playing with the craft eggs and the dye for quite some time this week we found four fantastic ways to use them in your home.
1. Solid coloring: Simply roll these around in the dye until completely covered and then set aside to dry. The pastels are beautiful and great for decorating with or use in an easter egg hunt.
2. Dip dyeing: Since the dye is very shallow we would tilt the cup or bowl then dip the egg in and set aside for drying, after a few minutes (5-10) turn over or around and dip another side. While one egg is drying get some others started or work on a different dying technique so you don’t have to wait around. I love the shapes you can create with this technique.
3. Watercolor: For these we grabbed a simple watercolor set by Crayola. The eggs absorbed the paints wonderfully and Dax had such a fun time painting away. I love how they turned out!
4. Sharpie: We used sharpie brush markers (my new obsession) to create fun swirls, dots, patters and calligraphy. Don’t worry about being too fancy with these, I think they more they look hand drawn, the better. I also found a fun little set of monogram stickers to create some with our initials on them.
Have you used these dyeable craft eggs before? Share some fun techniques you used!
Mar. 2, 2015
My beautiful friend Julie of Victoria Drive has been doodling and hand lettering for as long as I can remember. Her shop and instagram are a constant source of inspiration for me, so I was beyond excited to partner with her on some lovely desktop and iPhone wallpapers this month. Grab one of her beautiful goodies below and share with your friends!
Calendar Desktop | Spring Desktop
iPhone 6 Plus | iPhone 6 | iPhone 5
