Win a Holly Abston Original Illustration

I met a new blog friend named Holly Abston last week. Holly left a comment on my deconstructed french chaise post the other day, so I stopped by her website to visit her. When I saw her amazing illustrations, I was speechless! I love the soft colors and the vintage feel to them. From poking around her site, I found out that Holly is a mother of three and that her work has been featured in several magazines!

I contacted Holly and she sent me two of her paper doll illustrations with which to surprise my niece on her birthday last weekend. As you can see from my niece's shirt in the first photo, she loves horses, so the Pretty Girl paper doll and the Pretty Pony paper doll were perfect. Since there was a lot of craziness going on during the weekend, it wasn't conducive to concentration and detailed scissor cutting by a seven-year-old. My sister-in-law said they would have fun cutting and playing with them on a quieter day. Aunt Amy (that's me) wanted to play with them right then and there, but I guess she makes a point. :) My grandmother had a different idea. She insisted they were so beautiful and that they should be framed. I agree with that too, Grandma!

In honor of Grace's birthday and the talents of Holly Abston, Holly has agreed to do a giveaway here at WhisperWood Cottage. She has a whole slew of illustrations that she has created. Check out this circus series...

this Sisters art print...

and this adorable Girls' Night Out Halloween print...

[ Pssst! Doesn't this look like Cheri, Roeshel, and Holly? Hee! Hee! ]

Talent, I tell you! If you have a Grace, a Gabby Goo, or a Jumping Bella Bean in your life, then this giveaway is right up your alley. Here's the scoop...

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

WINNERS: One winner.
PRIZE: Choice of one illustration in Holly Abston's Etsy shop.

DATES: Giveaway closes at 5 pm CST on October 6, 2011. Winner announced on this post on October 7, 2011.

SHIPPING: Standard shipping available worldwide.

HOW TO ENTER: Visit Holly Abston's Etsy site and leave a comment below or on WWC's Facebook page about which illustration you would choose and how it would be used.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER IS...

Facebook commenter Amalie Rose Ottley. She likes The Lemonade Stand illustration from Holly Abston. Congratulations, Amalie! Please contact me with your mailing address.

Win an Ottoman Kit, Learn to Upholster!

Win your own Home Decor 1-2-3 ottoman kit and tools from The Upholstery Studio!! 

Enter to win at The DIY Club. 

The prize package (valued at over $140) includes an instructional DVD, printed instructions, and all the quality tools and supplies you need...including the pre-cut lumber. All you have to provide is the fabric and the time. Brilliant!

To get an idea of what you can do with it, here's my tufted faux fur ottoman...

You should also check out the ottomans that Cheri, Holly, and Roeshel made, too! Cheri went industrial with a utility cart ottoman, Holly went romantic with a pleated skirt, and Roeshel went contemporary with a typographic print fabric that she designed herself! The options are limitless!

Enter to win at The DIY Club

Upholstered Headboards for Beds

Yesterday's post about changing over from summer to fall in the guest bedroom got me to thinking about all the changes that have happened in this room over the years. This post does not capture all of the changes (because that might be a really long post), but it does focus on one of my favorite features in the room...the slipcovered headboard. It's a bit of brilliance all wrapped up in a single headboard and a few slipcovers. What other headboard or bed can you change the look of in a matter of minutes? None, that's how many!!

Here's how my Lewis Headboard & Slipcover (from PB) has looked over the years..

THE STRIPED HEADBOARD SLIPCOVER...

August 2010

THE LINEN HEADBOARD SLIPCOVER...

January 2011

THE DENIM HEADBOARD SLIPCOVER...

July 2011

THE LINEN HEADBOARD SLIPCOVER AGAIN...

September 2011

Since PB headboard slipcovers can be a bit pricey, I've purchased ALL of my headboard slipcovers off of eBay. At some point, I might try to sew one, but that's probably a long way off! I decided to see if anyone else made upholstered headboards with slipcovers and found this one at moreheadboards.com.

Lea Seaside Dreams Upholstered Panel Headboard with Slipcover

Can't you see a pair of these in a kids room? With a nightstand in between them? Maybe upholstered in buttercup yellow? Or the cottage stripe? I can totally see it!

Natural Seagrass Green Buttercup Yellow Coral Red Sky Blue Pink Taffy Cottage Coral Stripe

I can't tell if you can order the slipcovers separately though. It only has a price for the headboard and slipcover. So, I can't say whether it's a better deal than PB or not. The traditional shape is kind of fun and I definitely like the colors. Unfortunately, the shape does not work for my headboard. So, I continued the search and found some great headboard slipcovers at Target of all places...


I wonder if these would fit my PB headboard! Hmmm...

Are you a fan of upholstered headboards,

or am I the only one?

This is sponsored post.


P.S. The winner of the UPrinting labels giveaway is...Amy at The Hay House! Congrats, Amy!!

Guest Room Gets Earthy Fall Makeover

When the weather gets cooler, I always feel the need to add those oranges and earth tones to keep things feeling warm, toasty, and welcoming indoors. The thing is...I didn't spend a dime on this simple update to the guest bedroom. It was all stuff I had in the house. Some of it we've had for over 10 years, other things we've had for a few months. Somehow, it just all works together.

The summer look...

The first few photos show you the summer look in the guest bedroom.

Fresh white linens with a blue cover on the upholstered headboard.

Nestled between two industrial stools as side tables.

My two trusty Milbradt library ladders adding height and interest to the room.

Airy, white sheers at the window.

My über-fabulous vintage greyhound sign above the bed.

Adhesive vinyl "guest suite" letters on the door.

And a vintage printer's tray turned photo display.

And here is this year's fall look...

A linen headboard cover replaces the blue.

Earth-toned bedding and ivory pillow add texture and warm tones.

The deconstructed French chaise replaces a vintage metal dresser along this wall.

Burlap, linen, and worn wood.

A reclaimed barn wood mirror made by my FIL.

Are you in the fall nesting mode, too?

Happy Fall, Y'all!

Linked up to DIY by Design for Roomspiration: Guest Rooms.

How We Made Our Own Tufted Faux Fur Ottoman...and How You Can, Too!

With the help of The Upholstery Studio's Home Decor 1-2-3 Project Plan, Kit, and Video, Ron and I made this furry beast of an ottoman! We did more than upholster it. We actually built it...from the ground up! Talk about a learning experience! It was challenging and amazing to learn!!

Check out the process of our ottoman building. We ordered the Kit from Ottoman Collection 3. It started as a bunch of upholstery supplies, and upholstery tools from The Upholstery Studio...

...and ended up like this...

In addition to the fabulous educational Home Decor 1-2-3 Project Plan, Kit, and Video from The Upholstery Studio, we also used Gorilla Glue Wood Glue...

and a bunch of products from Rockler Woodworking: DeWalt Impact Driver, Acme Ball Casters, Nortion 80-grit hook and sand for the orbital sander, and Paint Spray Respirator (when using spray adhesive)...

Through this whole process, the most difficult part was not the building of it. The DVD and instructions made that easy. The most difficult part was simply choosing the fabric! I was going to go a whole different and more predictable way. At the last minute in the fabric store, I saw this white faux fur and thought, "Why not?" With the upcoming winter, I went with the fur and we learned to tuft!

That's right! Tuft! Who doesn't need a tufted white faux fur ottoman on casters? I can't think of anyone!

Do you want to learn how to 

make your own ottoman?

Well, get a load of this! You can win your own Home Decor 1-2-3 ottoman kit and tools from The Upholstery Studio!! Wooooohoooooo! Just head over to The DIY Club and register to win! You can also see the ottomans that Cheri, Holly, and Roeshel made, too!

Linked up at: