How to: Redo a Lamp Shade

    Ever since Andrew and I have been married, I have been trying to get rid of the lamp he had that ended up in our living room.  Just not my style, I will put it that way :) Well, I have finally done it!  Not without a little work though.  I have been searching for a lamp for a long time to coordinate with the floor lamp we have that I love.  While I found a base that was perfect (and on sale!), the shade was red...our color scheme is brown, orange, light blue, tan, etc. I was not discouraged though! Sure, I could have gone out and purchased a new shade, but it probably would have cost more than this little project.  I had done some research in upholstering lamp shades, so I decided to go for it!  Here is a little tutorial on how to do it. No matter what type of lamp shade you have, you can do it!  The shade I used was actually a bit more difficult because it had a wire boning in it, so I could not adhere the new fabric to a large surface, I only had the top and bottom to work with. Regardless, I think it turned out pretty great, enjoy!

Here is the before:

Here is what you will need to get started:

-Iron

-Fabric scissors

-Fabric and coordinating finishing ribbon (I suggest purchasing this after you draw your pattern to save money on getting too much)

-Roll of tracing paper or wrapping paper works just fine

-Pencil

-Hot glue or fabric glue

Lets get started: (P.S. If you have a shade that is not currently covered, skip down to step 3)

1. Use an iron to remove the finishing ribbon. As you can see, it softens the glue so that it can be easily removed.  It should pull off pretty easily, if not, run the iron over it a little longer.

2. Next, use your fabric scissors to very carefully cut along the seams of the outside fabric and remove. Do not cut the inside liner!!

3. Iron your fabric

4. Make your pattern.  Roll out your tracing/wrapping paper.  If you are using wrapping paper, lay it pattern side down so you can use the white side to trace on.  Lay your lamp shade on its side and place your pencil along either end (you will need to trace both ends so starting at the top or bottom does not matter).  Roll your lamp along the paper and follow it with your pencil.  Make sure you start at a distinctive point so you do not make your pattern too long.  Do the same on the opposite end and draw straight lines to connect the top and bottom lines.  Cut out the pattern with a half inch border, better to have too much fabric than not enough.

5. Next, lay your pattern over your fabric and pin it all the way around.  You do not want your fabric shifting or your pattern to move as you cut so pinning is crucial to making a perfect cut!

6. Now, start gluing! If you are covering a flat surface shade, it is easier to use a spray adhesive. Start on the lamp's natural seam and spray small sections of your fabric at a time and attach, making sure you smooth out wrinkles and pull it tight.  If you are covering a lamp shade like mine with wire boning, you may want to grab a partner!  My handy husband was kind enough to help me.  Once you glue a seam (it is easiest to start on one of the wire boning pieces, it is a good anchor), start moving around the lamp laying down small increments of glue at a time on the top and bottom endge. I used hot glue, but you can also use fabric glue. As soon as the glue is down, have your partner pull the fabric tight and lay it over the glue.  Press the fabric down so it has a nice, tight, professional look.  Work your way around until you reach your original seam, trim the excess, fold the fabric under for a clean, finished look, then glue in place.

7. Now you have probably noticed your unfinished edges on the top and bottom.  Most lamps have a wire lip, use this on the top and bottom to tuck the fabric under.  Tuck small portions at a time and glue as you go; work your way around the lamp. Finally, once the top and bottom are tucked under, glue down your finishing ribbon on the inside to give the edges a perfect, finished look.  You can also purchase ribbon with a self adhesive which is very handy instead of glue!

8. FINALLY!  Step back and admire your work!  This shade did not take me long at all and the end result is so much better than what I had.  I got a custom shade for about $12, the fabric looks expensive, but I got it on sale, as well as the ribbon.  I already had the hot glue, and other materials.  Let me know what you think and I would love to see your refinished lamp shades!

I hope you enjoyed this blogging "How to".  I love crafting and decorating, so it is always fun when I can merge the two!  More "how to's" to come, I am going to be upholstering a head board soon so be on the look out!
-Carrie

Scratch That!...

  So I posted earlier showing my new spring wreath...well I have a new, new spring wreath!! I love this one so much better! My sister found this tutorial on a blog so her and I both decided to make them, I had the day off so I finished mine. I'm so excited about it and hope I can maybe make them for others, I think it's a super cute idea! Enjoy:


The fabric




Jumbled




Wreath before




Final result

   There's my FINAL spring/summer wreath, for sure!
-Carrie

    February was a quick-ish month for us THANK GOODNESS! March is always such a refreshing month. It's beautiful here in the spring and it's exciting as we see so many people come out from hibernation and start enjoying the city again. It's something I never really noticed back in Texas, but up here the weather has a lot more cause for people staying inside. Even the birds have started to come out again.

    March filled up fast with church and family activities which is exciting. It helps the month go by quickly and brings us that much closer to consistently good weather. In fact, I really cannot believe that we are already approaching mid-March. With this last week of winter, we are finally seeing some true signs of spring! This last week I took a few pictures, there is not a lot of beauty yet, it is still early here and we are just getting out of our snow season. We actually got about 5-6 inches just a few weeks ago BUT in true spring fashion, it only lasted a couple of days! This week it is supposed to be in the 60s with one 70 degree day, ahhhhhhh! I have also been inspired to get rid of the winter and brighten up the house. I changed the floral arrangement in the front entry way and made a new spring wreath. I love arranging flowers for the house and making wreaths, it joins my craftiness and love for decorating our house as well. Here's a few pictures of spring and my latest creations:

Buds!



Playing outside with my big boy




My arrangement



Closer



Spring wreath


     As I am talking about how fast time is going, this next week also marks Andrew's and my 4 year anniversary! Four years ago on March 17th, Andrew and I went on our first date, the next day we "officially" became a couple. Even now I look back at pictures of us then and we look so different, I cannot imagine what we will say 10 years from now, 20 years from now, etc.! I am amazed at how much we have grown and changed over these 4 years, we have come so far from long distance dating to getting married and making a home together! We continue to grow and learn new things about each other every year. In honor of our anniversary of togetherness :) I have a few of our first photos together:
   



Out first date in Nebraska



Andrew's visit to meet the family



Mini-golf date in NE



Andrew's friends Brock and Kirsten's wedding

         I hope you enjoyed my mini walk down memory lane and are enjoying the spring weather wherever you are! Love always,
-Carrie

Is Spring here yet?!

    As 2011 unfolds, it's proving to be another busy year. Even so, January has moved a bit slow, as it usually does! I have been swamped with school. I had decided to take an algebra class just to brush up on my skills (or lack thereof) before I take my two chemistry classes.  Many of you know that I loath math, and that's putting it lightly; so having to work on it a couple of hours every night of the week is unpleasant to say the least. I know I'll appreciate it later though! Andrew has a difficult class and professor this semester too, so needless to say we're a couple of nerds lately!
    In addition to homework, church activities have us running as well.  Andrew is playing in the band and they have quite a few trips planned for this year!  They got a lot of publicity when they played at the National Youth Gathering last summer, and now it is paying off.  A lot of groups around the country are contacting the 211 Band to play for their events.  They won't be able to do them all, but it is awesome to even have so many churches and groups ask!  God is really working through them!  I am also busy at church...in addition to joining the sound team, I also am a part of a committee.  I am on a committee with a group of ladies to bring the women of our church together and introduce some new Bible studies to give women more choices.  We have an event coming up this Friday and after that I will be leading a Bible study with a very good friend of mine on a book called Rocking the Roles.  I am so so excited, it's my first time to lead a Bible study.  The book talks about the Biblical roles in marriage and challenges our culture's tendency lately to have a "roleless" marriage.  I love my husband and love learning how to constantly improve our marriage and our relationship with God; so I am just as excited to learn new things myself as I am to lead other women in learning about God's plan for their marriage.
    I am so ready for spring!  We have had a couple of beautiful days....well, beautiful for here, it was in the 40s!  It has melted much of our snow, however more is coming over the next couple of days.  I am excited for February only because behind it comes March and April!  While it is still chilly then, I'd give anything to have temperatures above the teens, twenties, and thirties!  It's been a fairly mild winter, but true to this time of year, we're all going a bit stir crazy!  I'm ready to get out of the house and do some things in the yard, play with Tonka without freezing, AND I really miss Andrew's and my walks that we frequently take around the Haymarket (neat historic type down town area) when the weather is nice... Well I suppose I have rambled enough and sorry, it's also my first post with no pictures!  Love you all so much!

- Carrie

Christmas and New Years

Christmas was a beautiful and BUSY time, which is probably why I haven't written in a month!
We went to Andrew's parent's house from Thursday through Sunday. We spent some time with family friends playing games and having dinner, as well as some nice family time. We had family Christmas on Christmas Eve and on Sunday, we celebrated with Andrew's grandma on his mom's side. I got Andrew a printer/scanner/copier. It sounds lame, but he has to usually complete his Masters work a day before so he can scan it in at work the morning that it's due; now he'll have a little more time to do it and scan it in at home! Andrew spoiled me this year, he got me a picture for the house, a Nebraska football jersey, AND an extra last minute surprise, he got me this beautiful dress I wanted for the cruise we are going on with my dad and family later this year. We were also very excited that his parents got us a Garmin! Andrew said I can keep it in my car so he won't have to get multiple phone calls when I need directions and/or am lost :) Here are a few pictures from Christmas:



My new jersey!





SO happy to have someone to tell me where to go!
His name is Daniel and he has a British accent :)




Waiting patiently for his gifts



The family




Andrew, Tonka, and me

 Once we recovered from Christmas, it was time for New Years. That weekend we really just did some organizing around the house, which was nice. New Years Eve we went down the street and rang in 2011 with some of Andrew's college friends. It was low key and we had a good time...it was even better that they live about 5 houses up from us, so we didn't have to worry about any crazy drivers on the road. New Years day we just did more things around the house, and spent the day together. It was a relaxing way to end a year that was anything but that! I make a scrapbook for every year Andrew and I have been married. So I have been working on our third year together as we're leading up to our third wedding anniversary coming this May; as I go through all of the photos from this past year, I've realized this is going to be my biggest scrapbook yet! It has been an amazing year: I have gotten to see my family more this year, than any year since I've moved here, we welcomed a new nephew Kal and new cousin Parker into the family, Andrew went to China, and we had some amazing trips  and events with the 211 Band. I am eager to see what God has in store with us this year! Andrew has a cousin getting married in April, we will celebrate 3 years of marriage in May, a cruise in November, and Texas for Christmas...all of this planned and it's only January! I pray God will bless all of y'all as much as he has blessed us! Happy 2011 everyone and here's to an early spring in Nebraska (as you can see I'm trying to will it into existence with my blog background change)!!

- Carrie

New addition to the Parr family...

    No no, not THAT kind of addition...yet ;)  We got home from Texas on Sunday and Monday headed back to work as normal.  The day ended up not being so normal, because on Andrew's way to work, his Blazer overheated.  It has needed tires for a while and has a small oil leak as well as a VERY embarrassing sounding catalitic converter, but we dealt with it because it was better than purchasing a new vehicle; however we've been saving for a while, just in case.  Thank goodness, because that day came the Monday after Thaksgiving.  Luckily I didn't have to go into work until noon that day so I was able to take him to work; we went that night to meet Andrew's parents so we could borrow their little truck until we found another vehicle.  We were so happy we didn't have to share a vehicle.  Andrew did a lot of research and we got some awesome help from my step-dad Terry who is a master mechanic.  This last Saturday, Andrew found a 2005 Toyota 4Runner 4X4.  We went to take a look at it and ended up taking it home with us!  We traded in the Blazer...Andrew was sad to see it go, he's had it since highschool, but it was nice to replace it with such a great vehicle!  Since I cart the dog around, grocery shop, etc. I will be driving the 4Runner and Andrew will take over my truck. I LOVE SUVs so I'm ok with the switch :)  It has tan leather interior that the future owners (lawyers) took amazing care of.  It also has a sun roof....or is it a moon roof?  Either way, I can't wait to try out this summer!
Here's a few pics of the new ride:

- Carrie

We're back!

    Well, as promised, I'm back after Thanksgiving!  We had such a great visit with everyone and as usual, it was really hard to leave.  Tonka did great in the car and only whined when he needed to go potty....we were relieved because sometimes he can get whiny in the car for no reason.  We celebrated Thanksgiving with my dad's side of the family and then a few days later, celebrated Christmas with my mom since we won't be in Texas then.  Andrew went hunting with my step-dad, Terry, so I had a girls day with Mom, Heather, and Kailey (and Kal) going to lunch and baking Christmas cookies!  Heather has started her own business, Heather Echols Photography, so she took photos for us when we were down there for us to post in our home as well as use for Christmas cards.  She is so talented and I don't say that just because she's my sister!  If you're in need of a great photographer or know someone who is you can find her on facebook or her website is http://www.heatherecholsphotography.com/ . Here are some or our favorite pictures from Heather and from the trip:

Tonka and his friend Whiskers, my mom's dog



My sweet sweet nephew, Kal



Such a happy boy

 

Andrew and I with our niece Kailey, and nephew Kal



Didn't mean for them to match but it sure makes for a cute picture!



Drawing with Kailey on her magnadoodle



Baking Christmas cookies

     Here are a couple pictures from the photoshoot with Heather in downtown Houston:

    I know there's a ton of pictures in this post, but I hope you've enjoyed them!!  Hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving.

- Carrie