August 2011 - Prairie Hive

Monthly Archives: August 2011

Touched-Up Treasures

Written on August 31, 2011 by DawnT

My incredibly creative friend Meg over at Never A Dull Day recently posted her newest project – a dresser/changing table set for her soon-to-be born nephew. It’s amazing! She used his bedding as her inspiration and went to town with a paint brush.

DET PaintFurn Megs%20Woodsy%20Dresser Touched Up Treasures

image via Never a Dull Day

A few months ago, she painted this argyle dresser/changing table for another nephew as well. Talented, no? And a tad bit crazy.

DET PaintFurn MegsArgyleDresser Touched Up Treasures

image via Never a Dull Day

With Meg’s inspiring post of the newest of her never-ending creations, I was reminded yet again how much I adore painted furniture. Whether it’s with a funky pattern or just a bold color, a coat of paint can do wonders for transforming great furniture items, which can then transform a room. I also love that it gives old, tired pieces new life and a renewed purpose!

Here are a few more painted pieces that I think are pretty nifty:

I have a piece very similar to this that I also use for a tv stand. (Coincidentally, I picked up at an antique store for cheap when I was visiting the afore-mentioned Meg!) But the wood on mine is so beautiful, I don’t think I could bring myself to paint it. But I do love this color!…

DET PaintFurn alittlebusy.bloogspot.com%20Painted%20tv%20stand Touched Up Treasures

image via A Little Busy

DET PaintFurn apartment%20therapy%20bed Touched Up Treasures

image via Apartment Therapy

image via Centsational Girl

image via Design Sponge

image via re-nest

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Design, Home, Inspiration, Kids Tags: Dawn T., decor, furniture, home, Inspiration, kids, paint

Bifftastica Giveaway!

Written on August 30, 2011 by Prairie Hive

biffbags Bifftastica Giveaway!

We are super excited to have another giveaway for you this week from our friend Briana of Bifftastica! She makes wonderful bags out of vintage fabrics, as well as jewelry and lots of other crafty goodness. Briana also started the Alliday craft show, which we are happy to be helping out with in December (click ad button for more info!).

The bag we are giving away is one of her “Apron” style bags, and is made from vintage barkcloth drapery from the 50′s, lined with a 70′s sheet and closes with a vintage yellow button closure (pics below).

bifftastica Bifftastica Giveaway!

To enter to win, just leave a comment below and let us know what you’ll be carrying around this fall! We will leave the giveaway open for a week and will choose the winner using a random number generator. For an extra entry, Tweet out the giveaway (be sure to include @prairiehive so we see it!). Sorry to all our readers around the globe, this giveaway is open to US residents only (unless you have a US address to ship to).

Good luck!

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Fashion, Giveaways Tags: fabric, fashion, giveaways

Oh, if I had a swing

Written on August 29, 2011 by Kim A

Image via Sunsurfer from Pinterest

The swing pictured above is my idea of heaven. I’m certainly not a hammock person — way too much anxiety trying to balance on one of those things. A little too stressful for my personality.

But since I was a child, I’ve loved swings — as evidenced in the many baby photos I’ve been looking at with my parents this weekend. There are at least six or seven photos of me in my baby swing, at a park, or playing in my backyard swingset.

I’ve always dreamed of a relaxing front porch swing, and Prairie Hive has taught me to stop dreaming and start planning. So I’ve been busy looking for the perfect swing.

Image via Apartment therapy

This swing from Apartment Therapy is perfect for the urban dweller, it looks so rustic but modern at the same time. I’ll bet those homeowners have fun!

Image via Cedarworks

I’ve been spying a lot of these cute skateboard swings online. How fun for kids! This one might be going in the tree in my front yard.

Image via thehousethata-mbuilt from Pinterest

And at last, the quintessential front porch swing. White paint gives it a modern, fresh look. And what’s a swing without a burst of color with these happy pillows? I think this might be happening soon.

What are your dream home features?

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Kim A.

Happy Weekend!

Written on August 27, 2011 by SarahV

SVmorning Happy Weekend!

Image via aljeka.deviantart.com

Ah, doesn’t this look peaceful? I’m hoping to catch a little of this over the weekend, as this one is sandwiched in between two extremely busy work weeks! We had a great time last Tuesday at our first Prairie Hive/Booksmart Tulsa collaboration – a signing and cooking demo from Flour owner and author Joanne Chang (check our Facebook page next week for some pics!)…we look forward to more design/food/crafty themed events with Booksmart in the future! As for the weekend…is it wrong that organizing closets sounds relaxing?

Here is a great way to get personalized, affordable art for your home…The Commission Project. Anyone know of someone local that would do something similar?

We have a group obsession with bar carts…we’ve been trying to work one into a photo shoot in every issue and haven’t succeeded yet… so I absolutely loved this bar cart round-up.

You know I love easy DIYs…so what about this washi tape DIY list?

Even my food snob husband was impressed with this new food blog, Spoon Fork Bacon. Or maybe it was just because it had the word “bacon” in the title…

Happy browsing and have a great weekend, everyone!

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Weekend Round-Up Tags: weekend roundup

Tulsa Trails

Written on August 26, 2011 by Roxanne D

I love nature and take advantage of Oklahoma’s sporadic good weather days to spend plenty of time outdoors. Hiking is a favorite pastime and I usually reserve it for trips to southwestern Colorado. However, I decided that it is time to put an end to that and have been investigating the Tulsa area trails.

So far, this INCOG site provides a decent list and shows the old train rail routes that have been turned into pedestrian trails. I think it’s a great use for land that could have been left with no purpose. Here are some inspiring pics from trails around town. I think the first I’ll check out is the Lost City trail in Chandler Park. That sign just looks too charming.

RDTulsaTrailsLost%20City Tulsa Trails

Image from Carrie Fleharty

The Lost City Trail is also known for it’s draw to local rock climbers and can provide some fun and surprising entertainment for unknowing runners. The KATY trail is about 8 miles long and connects downtown Tulsa to Sand Springs on an easy grade and provides great downtown skyline views, water fountains, benches for resting and trail spurs that connect nearby neighborhoods.

RDTulsaTrailsKatyBench Tulsa Trails

Bench on KATY Trail from INCOG

RDTulsaTrailsKatyRiverCity Tulsa Trails

KATY Trail in River City Park from INCOG

I’m sure there are several running groups and resources in town, so if you know of any great groups, please share with me. A couple of sites I found are the Tulsa Running Club and Tatur TOTs (Tulsa Area Trail Ultra Running – Traning on Trails) Group. Last winter, the TOTs group took a field trip to the Osage Hills State Park west of Bartlesville to explore the trails. There are some great shots from their run and you can see many thing from old bridges and large rock formations to some creek falls and views across the plains.

Tulsa Trails

Sand Creek Falls in the Osage Hills from Trail Zombie (TOT runner)

RDTulsaTrailsosagetrail24 Tulsa Trails

Sperry Bridge on the Osage Prairie Trail from INCOG

I’m excited to see all the new possibilities for exploring the Tulsa area. I guess I spent so much time running around in the woods behind our house as a kid that I thought I knew everything this part of the country has to offer. That seems not to be the case since I haven’t explored one of these trails. Well, that’s not quite true; I’ve utilized the resources at River Parks, Mohawk Park and Redbud Valley Nature Preserve at Oxley Nature Center.

After a day reconnecting with the world around me, I’m always inspired. How about you? I’m motivated just thinking about all my new adventures and these crafts might be just the thing to keep me busy while I wait for it to cool down just a bit.

RDTulsaTrailsTwigCoaster Tulsa Trails

Twig Coaster from Martha Stewart

RDTulsaTrailsvickie crochetwoodbowl Tulsa Trails

Crocheted Wood Bowl by Vickie Howell from Craftzine

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Tulsa, Unexpected inspiration Tags: green, things to do, tulsa

TV to Reality – Two and a Half Men

Written on August 25, 2011 by AlaynaB

AB%20 %20two%20living TV to Reality Two and a Half Men image from www.setdecor.com

I catch myself watching reruns of Two and a Half Men late at night. Not sure why, I don’t watch it any other time, but it seems to be an easy, mindless show to fall asleep to.

It also happens to be the best looking bachelor pad that I have seen! I mean, it has a super relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. It’s a place that I can see myself walking into, propping my feet up and feeling right at home.

You won’t find any of the stereotypical chrome and black leather here. Instead there are lots of warm neutrals, beautiful wood, and just the right amount of accessories to make it feel like home without being too cluttered.

So, here are some pieces that I have found that would allow you to recreate that same feel in your own space….

Let’s start with the big, comfy couch that is the center of the space. I think I actually found the same couch! This is the Carlisle Upholstered sofa from Pottery Barn. The turned arms and deep, double cushions scream comfort.

AB%20 %20two%20sofa TV to Reality Two and a Half Men image from Pottery Barn

The side chair that I found, from Pier 1, is a great rattan and woven banana bark chair. With a simple natural seat cushion and a couple of throw pillows you will get the same great look for a fabulous price of only $179.99 (on sale from $199.99).

AB%20 %20two%20pier1%20chair TV to Reality Two and a Half Men image from Pier 1

The striped rug has subtle colors that compliment all the warm neutrals. This rug is from Treo Modern. The stripes aren’t quite as wide as the inspiration rug, but they are large enough, and in similar colors, so we get the same feel.

AB%20 %20two%20rug TV to Reality Two and a Half Men image from Treo Modern

Now, onto what might be might favorite piece of furniture….that great ottoman! Unfortunately I couldn’t find one with that fabulous pattern, but I did find this one from West Elm that fits in perfectly with the other colors in the space. I love the size of it and the fact that it can double as a coffee table or extra seating…very versatile!

AB%20 %20two%20ottoman TV to Reality Two and a Half Men image from West Elm

Now, finish everything off with some great pillows that are from repurposed vintage cotton saris like these from West Elm, and you will be set!

AB%20 %20two%20pillows%20west%20elm TV to Reality Two and a Half Men image from West Elm

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Design, Home, Inspiration, TV to Reality Tags: design, home, Inspiration, tv to reality

Dawn’s Deals: Chair Edition

Written on August 24, 2011 by DawnT

Last weekend, I hit up a couple of estate sales with my good friend Briana, of Bifftastica and the Alliday Everyday handmade craft show fame. (Keep checking in on the blog. There just may be a Bifftastica give-away making an appearance soon!) I’m on the hunt for a few key items including a storage unit, which I referenced in my last post, as well as a couple of comfy old chairs with good ‘bones’ that I could reupholster (at least one for the living room and one for my bedroom).

The first sale we traipsed to was the mecca of all estate sales that Briana and her family had visited the day before. It was so good that she brought me back for more rummaging… and for the 50% off sale! I scored a few cool accessories and these really fun, colorful pillows (possibly handmade by the owner?). I’m not yet entirely sure where they will go, but for $3.25 a piece, I couldn’t pass them up. They’re just so happy!

DET Chair05a Dawns Deals: Chair Edition

The next estate sale didn’t have much, but immediately upon entering the living room I knew I had hit the jackpot. There was a pristine chair with nice wood legs and not a thing wrong with it! FOR ONLY $40!! I doubt this thing has been sat in. Ever. The fabric is in perfect shape, and actually blends well in my living room. It would be a shame to recover it. I was giddy. In addition to this fantastic deal, the nice gentleman helping to run the estate sale loaded it into his van and followed us back to my house, where he kindly placed it in my living room. Such service!

Here it is in its new home:

DET Chair01a Dawns Deals: Chair Edition

My cats seem to approve as it has yet to be free from a kitty nap since it arrived.

DET Chair04a Dawns Deals: Chair Edition

What deals have you found recently and where?

Stay tuned as my hunts are only just beginning, and I will continue to share what I find!

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Design, Home

Tidy Baubles

Written on August 23, 2011 by LisaW

Image from Coco and Kelley via Pinterest

This was going to be my summer of organization. While the kids played so sweetly together in the backyard, I was going to organize every closet and drawer in the house. So now that we’re back in school, not only is not one single drawer organized, I’m pretty sure everything is a bigger disaster than when summer began. Excpet for one thing- my jewelry. Not long before summer was over I decided I was finally going to tackle at least one of the messy areas in need of attention. For whatever reason I chose my jewelry.

Image from iheartorganizing via Pinterest

I’ve seen so many creative and beautiful jewelry displays. I knew I wanted to do something similar, but I had to be realistic or it would never get done. I love the displays that use frames or windows like the one above and I love the shadowboxes in the following picture. But my space is pretty narrow and I was hoping to keep cost (and time) as low as I could.

Image via Pinterest source Unknown

So…instead I purchased a package of 4 cork tiles like these (available at K-Mart for less than $10)

and push pins like these (also available at K-Mart) and I got to work!

I just nailed the cork tiles into the wall and hung each necklace with a push pin and about 30 minutes later I could see everything hung neatly in my closet! So convenient and easy! And my kiddos were still playing sweetly together in the backyard when I was done!

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Design

Donuts are the new Cupcakes

Written on August 22, 2011 by SarahV

Image via 100 Layer Cake

Maybe it’s because I’ve never been a big cupcake fan – all that icing and cutesy sweetness – but have you noticed that donuts are popping up everywhere these days as the new go-to dessert?

I’ve been thinking on this post for a while, but decided what better time to put it out there than right before our Booksmart Tulsa: Flour Bakery + Cafe event. There are some fantastic looking recipes in Joanne Chang’s cookbook for eclairs, donuts and the like… (however, I will point out that her bakery also makes cupcakes).

A quick browse through a few wedding blogs and you’ll notice donuts are the new “unexpected” dessert food for receptions and showers – whether as a tableside snack, in place of a cake, or as a late night party treat.

Images via (clockwise from top left): 100 Layer Cake, The Knot, Ruffled and Martha Stewart Weddings.

They can be used as hot coffee or cocktail toppers…

SVdonutwedding3 Donuts are the new Cupcakes

Image via Martha Stewart Weddings

I am personally in love with the donut trucks that have shown up in a few towns. Carpe Donut, in Charlottesville, VA travels to weddings, events, concerts, etc. to serve up organic and delicious looking snacks to locals. Can someone please get on board for this in Tulsa? Seriously.

SVcarpedonut Donuts are the new Cupcakes

Image via Dominique Attaway Photography

You can even incorporate your love of donuts into your home decor…

SVdonutsign Donuts are the new Cupcakes

Image via Joe Vintage on Etsy

All this donut talk prompted me to visit two of my favorite donut shops last week. The Donut Whole in Wichita, KS is a fun little indie joint open 24 hours, serving inventive flavors such as (pictured below): Fruity Pebbles, Pistachio, Peach Cobbler, Cherry Chocolate, Rice Krispie Treat, Caramel Sea Salt, Red Velvet and S’mores. The flavors change daily and seasonally, so stop in if you happen to be in Wichita.

SVDonutWhole Donuts are the new Cupcakes

And here in Tulsa, everyone’s favorite spot is OK Country Donut Shoppe, where you can pick up yummy iced treats in almost any shape imaginable. See what’s in the case (here was my pick from Friday) or special order your favorite shapes, spell out Happy Birthday or even a name. Let’s see…think I could eat V-E-S-P-A-S-I-A-N? Probably, considering two of us did a pretty good job taking down what’s shown below, no kids in sight.

SVOKdonut Donuts are the new Cupcakes

And finally, if you’re a cupcake purist or just can’t make up your mind – you could always try something like this…happy snacking!

SVdonutcupcake2 Donuts are the new Cupcakes

Image via Always with Butter

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Entertaining, Events, This is the new That Tags: Entertaining, events, food, This is the New That, trends, tulsa

Happy Weekend!

Written on August 20, 2011 by SarahV

bristow1 Happy Weekend!

Here’s just a sneak peek of where we are headed this morning to shoot our “Cool People, Cool House” for Issue 3! We wanted to do something a little different for our fall issue, so we are heading out to the country! Look for Issue 3 in early October…chock full of fall inspiration (even though we are shooting in what are STILL 100+ temps).

It was a hectic week so I’ve got just a few goodies for you to take a peek at…

I must be digging ribbons these days because I found both of these Pins from the last week or so…I’m sensing a DIY coming on – both the necklace and the lamp look pretty simple, yes?

And what about these vintage record cake plates from Oh Happy Day?

Mostly just WOW.

And lastly – we are getting really excited about two upcoming events that we are co-hosting: First, this Tuesday, Aug 23 – the BookSmart Tulsa Meet the Author night with renowned baker Joanne Chang, of Flour in Boston…book signings, yummy tastings, Q&A and more! And next, coming up October 1 – we are going to be hosting the Make-n-Take at Indie Emporium! We will be there during the day Saturday to walk you through a simple DIY, share some of our favorite finds from the show, and participate in all the festivities! Hope to see you at both of these events!

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Weekend Round-Up Tags: weekend roundup