Our DIY Wood Headboard

 

I want to share with you a very simple, DIY headboard project that my husband & I did together to celebrate the warm weather & sunshine. 

 

 

We started by gathering a total of 6 pieces of wood from Home Depot.  We used 5 longer boards for the actual visible part of the headboard that each measured 8' x 1&3/4".  Our bed is a king & measures 76" in length.  We realized that the headboard would be about 10" longer than the bed on each side, but wanted this grand, over-scaled look.  The hope is to one day put lighting or hang plants on each side of the bed, utilizing the extra length & space of the headboard.  We also purchased a 108" thicker piece of wood that we cut in half to use as the support/legs of the headboard.

 

Next we cleaned & stained all the wood using a Polyurethane stain in Espresso.  We gave the wood 2 coats of stain & 2 coats of a clear Polyurethane finish, letting each coat dry for at least 2 hours in a well ventilated area (outside).  With the finished sides facing down we put the 5 boards together vertically on a clean surface & measured in 24" from both ends.  We then positioned the legs horizontally on the back of the headboard at the 24" mark.  Each leg, which acted as a brace, got 5 long wood screws screwed in directly over the center of each of the vertical boards. That was it.  We let the piece dry outside overnight & then excitedly put it behind our bed. The final look is rustic chic & we love it.  I painted a whimsical field of flowers on a large canvas & hung that above the bed.  

 

 

To complete the look I threw a variety of fun, colorful pillows on the bed. 

 

 

 

Everyone in the McDonald house seems to be enjoying the new space!  It was such a fun, simple project which has inspired us to try making a coffee table next.  Stay tuned...

 

Xoxo,

Heather



Little Boys

With thoughts of my family's move this weekend I have been day dreaming about decorating our new space.  I found some really adorable items for a boy's nursery/room & I thought it would be fun to share these finds with you.  Next time I am out thrifting or antiquing I will have to snap a few shots of other unique items I would add to a child's room.  I always try to add my own style to existing items purchased from the bigger retailers! I hope you enjoy.

 

Xoxo,

Heather & Eugene

 

1. Zoo Mobile 2. Blocks 3. Blue Scooter 4. Fun Art by Me 5. Make-Shift Changing Table  

6. Deer Hook 7. Grey Hanging Lamp 8. Grey Crib

 

 

 

Art Giveaway

Hello friends! I'm honored to be part of a giveaway over on my friend's blog, Breathe Happiness!! This blog is beautifully inspiring & lovely to read/look at. Pop on over there ASAP!! To enter the contest be sure to subscribe to both of our blogs & then leave the girls over at Breathe Happiness a comment here. What will you win? Three of my latest Navahoe art prints matted & ready to frame (frames not included). 

Life Through Instagram

I am sure you have all heard of Instagram.  I love Instagram, which is kind of like Facebook, but with simply pictures.  I am a photographer, so that makes sense.  If you are a part of this community, pop on over there & follow me @hlynnmcdonald!! Here are some Insties (Instagram pics) of my life lately.  

Josh, my husband, & I decided we would take a Friday afternoon adventure last week.  He had gotten off of work early so we loaded up the car with Eugene, our little boy, Cali, our Jack Russell, coffees, my DLSR & a sense of adventure & headed west.  You can go wrong when you head west, right?  The first town we went to had a historic downtown, supposedly.  It wasn't much to write home about so we continued on.  The lighting was perfect as the sun began to set so I snapped some dreamy Wisconsin farm Insties.  

Wisconsin is notorious for having hidden little gems scattered all about the countryside, which is exactly why we left our house without any plan in mind.  We found this place, The Chalet, in good old Sugar Creek, WI. It was charming to say the least.  There was a cozy fireplace going, Brandy Old Fashioned's were being passed about & there even was an oyster bar...in Wisconsin.  We did not feel brave enough to try oysters in this land-locked state.  However, we really wanted to try the in-house aged steak & crab legs Valentine's dinner.  In the end, we went the cheaper route & got the fish fry, an essential on a Friday night.  It was pretty good, but not great.  Next time, we'll save up our pennies & get the steak! 

We ended up at Wilmot Mountain.  Let's be honest, it is not a mountain, but you can ski or snowboard here...down some nice hills.  There is a very Swiss-themed lodge to sip hot cocoa in while sitting in front of a large fireplace.  Since I don't ski or snowboard, well, & we had little Eugene with us, we opted for the fireplace option.  We watched what had to be all of the surrounding town's teens go down the hills & off the jumps while simultaneously & ferociously flirting.  It was such a fun night!!

I have also been busy creating!  This is my balance, my therapy, my love.  I have been doing a lot of patterns lately, as you can see.  I even branched out into some Native American & Moroccan-esque art.  These designs look awesome when made into greeting cards, iphone cases, throw pillows, framed prints & canvases!! This creating keeps me sane.  Feel free to also visit my Etsy shop!

Most importantly, I have been trying to dig a deeper inner well.  I have been intentionally filling up my internal world with scripture, prayer, sermons & of course images of God's beauty.  This church, Door of Hope, has started a new sermon series called Labor of Love.  I would like to borrow this phrase & call my quest for a deeper inner well a labor of love.  We must, after all, have full cisterns to be of any use to those whom we love & the people we meet. 

Xoxo,

Heather

Patterns A Plenty

Howdy friends!  I hope this day finds you well & warm, wherever you may be. This is what I have been up to as of late. Creating, designing & launching my artwork on Etsy & Society6.  I am sure you know about at least one of these sites, if not you must check them out! You can find these note cards shown below here for purchase, if you'd like. 

And if you want to see these designs as pillows, iphone cases & more, swing on over here!

From my heart to yours, have a lovely day friends.

Xoxo,

Heather