Monogrammed Wreath

A friend of mine is celebrating her birthday next week so I thought I would make her something special. I found some scrap book paper that I fell in love with and then had to figure out something to do with it. I decided to mod podge it to a letter and then use it on a wreath. The cream and natural rosettes worked well with the navy blue and it just came together. I hope she is enjoying the wreath and it gives a warm welcome to all her guests!

What Are We Doing This Week?

I cracks me up when I get a call on my cell phone from my family asking me where I am...Really? So the three times I told you I was going out to dinner with friends, you didn't hear me? Ha! To help solve that, and get everyone one on the SAME page, I created a family schedule. I use it to write down who is going to be where on each day. This one uses scrap book paper on the inside of a frame. Then you just use a dry erase marker on the glass and update each day of the week. I hung this right by the garage entry door (the entry and exit place for everyone in the family) so it's easily accessible...and no excuses for not seeing it. I hope it works!

Chalk It Up to Good Times

I wanted to make something fun for my parents retirement party and thought barware would be a good place to start. I thought it might be fun to decorate a wine glass for mom and and beer stein for dad using chalk board paint. Luckily for me G had some on hand! I found some really nice glassware and then used painters tape to make boxes on each of them. It takes about three coats of the chalk board paint to coat the glass well. You then have to let it set for twenty-four hours. The key to the whole project (ask my sister, she knows from experience...) is to score inside the painter's tape before you take it off. If you don't the paint will peel right off! Then write your message of choice in chalk and enjoy! Just add wine (or beer)!

The Infamous Kit Kat Cake

While hanging out on Pinterest one day, I found a Kit Kat cake. I asked my son if he would like to have something like this for his upcoming birthday, and he of course screamed, "Yes!" A few weeks had gone by and it was time to prepare for his birthday and I had forgotten about our little Pinterest conversation. I was asking him what kind of cake he wanted for his party and he gave me a look like, "Are you kidding me?" I get that look a lot from my children so I didn't realize what he was talking about. He soon reminded me about the Kit Kat cake! Like everything else, I had to make it my own...so I added the M&M's on the side for color (oh, and the fact that I ran out of Kit Kats)...It was a huge hit and we have never gone without birthday cake leftovers before!

Gallery Wall

Mom wanted a gallery wall to display all her grandkid pictures, so she gave me a call. I walked around her house collecting items I wanted to include, and by the time I was done we only had to purchase three things: a key, a C, and one frame. I then arranged the items on the floor and got them to work together. To hang everything a little easier, we cut large paper bags and created one large canvas. I then put it under the items and traced them out and measuring for the hangers. Then we hung the canvas on the wall and hammered the holes, since we had marked them all. Finally, we hung the pics on the nails and adjusted anything that is a little off. Love it!

Nothing Says, "I Love You," Like Your Name in Breadsticks

For my children's birthday, I always let them pick what we're having for dinner and try to make it special. We go out with the extended family, but I try to make our family dinner something fun for just us. This year my son wanted breakfast for dinner with waffles, eggs, sausages, and strawberries. I thought I would add something different, so I added some breadsticks but used them to spell out his name...

Pottery Barn has Nothing on Me!

I saw some adorable eggs in the Pottery Barn catalog and thought, I can make that! I found wooden white eggs at Hobby Lobby and took a sharpie marker to them. I mimicked the font and dotted it like it looked on their eggs. Then I found a great pot, filled it with moss, and headed to G's house for a stick from her trees. I found a great one that would support the weight of the eggs once I tacked some twine to the the top of them. It's a great neutral conversational piece that matches with any decor!

What Did We Get Ourselves Into?

G and I scheduled a sewing day together (Quite a hum-dinger of a time, eh? Well, margaritas were involved too...). She found a purse she wanted to make and we were off to get our fabric a few days prior (to make sure it was washed and ready to go). We found some great fabrics, I selected a gray linen and she picked her favorite, chambray. I decided rather than make the same one, I would copy a purse of hers I liked. We ironed, sewed, ruffled, fixed mistakes, drank, and sewed some more. It was quite an ordeal, but we loved how they turned out!

Great Friends Can Do Anything

A dear friend of mine asked me to walk a half marathon with her. At first I thought, am I kidding myself? Then I realized, I can walk 13 miles...especially if we are supporting each other. We ended up having a great time together, supporting a wonderful cause, and it was an experience that I'll never forget. To make sure, I decided to encapsulate our memories into a shadow box. I keep it in my office and glance at it frequently and it brings a smile to my face.

Purple Car!

My nephew is obsessed with purple cars, so for his birthday I wanted to surprise him with a treat! I decided to find some soft fleece and make him a purple car pillow. It turned out being almost over half his height, and I think it was a hit. He sometimes lies around on it while watching tv...

I'm Seeing Green

It was time to head to mom's and redo her pillows too. We wanted to give her couches some color, but keep things in her comfort zone. We found these fabulous fabrics at Joann's and then used the easy envelope technique to make pillow covers. My customer was quite happy with her end product!

Super Powers at Work

While planning a women's retreat for church, we came up with the idea to have the event team wear bright pink, satin capes. It has been a great way to promote the event, let the girls have a little fun, and create conversation on Sunday morning! It's going to be a lot of fun!

Don't Count Your Chickens

Well in this case it's fine if you want the right balance! Here's an easy Easter decoration that requires only some candle holders (that you may have on hand), some glass vases (that you can dust off from all the flowers you have received), and some eggs from your local craft store. I found these that matched my decor and then just alternated colors as I placed them in the vases. I love them on my mantel because they match my existing decor, but still celebrate a great holiday!

Play Ball!

One of the joys in my life is our family baseball outings. We spend quite some time on the field and have certainly adopted a new "family" of other baseball families. This season we are the A's, but I wasn't digging the dark green and yellow color combo. I decided rather than purchase a shirt, I'll make something that I can use to accessorize any outfit. While I was at it, I created nine others for all the team mom's. We are a force to be reckon with, especially since we have a winning season (it's so nice to be on a winning team for once!) and you can't miss us coming!

I'm Seeing Spots

Or dots, in this case! I took my daughter to the paint your own pottery studio again and wanted to give a new technique a try. I keep seeing it each time we went in, but decided today was the day. She also enjoyed it as well. You take one paint color make a big dot, then keep making smaller dots inside of one another. Let dry and (don't accidentally drop the paint bottle on it so you have to start all over, like someone I know) you're done!

I Did It!

After humming and haing about it, I finally did it! I opened my own Etsy storefront. I figured, if I can get paid doing something I love, why not give it a try! I actually sold my first item, the yellow and gray wreath. No other sales just yet, but let me know if you are interested! You can visit me here!

Not Quite as Easy as It Looks

I had been seeing tutorials on Pinterest for the sunburst mirror and I really liked the retro look. I decided to try it, but I didn't realize what I had signed up for...I had painted around 60 wooden dowels (that took way too long and involved rubber gloves, paint, a paint brush, and wax paper). I took a circle piece of wood and hammered in a picture hanger in the back. Then after the dowels dried, I delicately placed them around the circle and added gorilla glue to keep them in place. Once I had them all strategically placed radiating from the center, I added more gorilla glue and the placed the mirror. I put some heavy books on the mirror to dry over night. I was so happy with the finished product, but it was way more than I thought I was getting into!

Framing a Window

I had so much fun making my pillows, I thought, why stop there! I fell in love with one of the fabrics I used and thought it would make some great curtains. Since I bought the last of it a Joann's, I thought it was time to do some research. You can buy anything online! I found a great site, fabric.com, and knowing the brand and line I found the fabric I wanted in no time. Just a quick purchase and the fabric was on it's way. I had never sewn three yards of fabric before, so these hems seemed like they took forever! It was easy though, I just had to make a big rectangle. I bought curtain clips and a rod to hang them on. I was quite ambitious and really wanted to get this done in one day. I took down the existing cornices, spackled the holes, painted the wall, sewed the curtains, hung the new rods, and finally hung the curtains. It took me all day, but I was so happy with the finished product and I love seeing them everyday in my great room!

Eureka! I Did It!

After several attempts, I finally figured out how to make cake pops! Candy melts are the trick. It's easy: just slowly microwave, stir, dunk, swirl, and decorate with sprinkles! The key is having a drying rack that allows you to stand them up to harden. I made them for my daughter's birthday, and as you can see they were a big hit with my nephew!

The Little House of Treasures

My sister introduced me to this adorable little antique shop in Orange Park called the Little House of Treasures. It has some great finds and a lot of items with "potential!" I found this quaint little side table in a brown wood that I can imagine finding in my grandmother's house back in the 1970's. I decided to paint and distress it to give it some charm. I am in love! I added a little plant and it's a great welcome piece to guests at my home.

Fake It 'Till You Make It!

I found a great "fake it" project on Pinterest for Roman Shades. I always wanted a pair somewhere in the house and I had a small window up stairs in need of some pizzazz. It involves only a few hems and three curtain rods. The hardest part is picking out the fabric you want to use. I had just made a pillow in this same fabric and fell in love with it, so I went for it! Now I'm trying to figure out how to add this to some other windows in my house...

Doing Dishes

I decided to surprise my daughter with a trip to the pottery place, one of her favorites! Sometimes you just need a blank canvas (or pot) to let your creativity flow. I created a vase to hold a plant and she created an ice cream bowl. We used dots to help add a little something to each piece. We love to stop by every now and again to make something special. We have a whole cabinet of something specials actually! We love to eat off our special plates every night and it makes the kids feel special too!

Housewarming

My sister just moved into a new home and I wanted to create something new for her. She went for a new look in her kitchen using blues and greens to match her cream cabinets. I found some ribbon I fell in love with at Hobby Lobby that really represented all the colors and motif well so I bought it, not knowing exactly what I was going to do with it. I then found a distressed frame and got an idea. I love monogramming things, so I pulled together the ribbon, the frame, and printed a C on thick paper. She loved it and it happily sits on her kitchen counter!

One for Mom Too!

One of the best things about making all these crafts is sharing them! I created this little gem for mom and dad for Valentine's day. My parents are so cute and get me a gift every Valentine's day, so this year I wanted to make one for them. It was a hit!

Puppy Love

My poor little dog, Georgia, was sad I was making so many neat things but hadn't thought to include her. So, it was a no-brainer! She kept using my new pillows as little puppy beds. I decided to make her her own pillow bed with a little flair! I found the softest chenille and used some coordinating fabric to monogram it. She is in heaven and now uses it everyday!

I Can Do That!

We've been in house for over six years and as you can imagine I have been changing and updating things little by little so it's our home. One of the things I have never liked (from day 1!) is the cabinets in this house. They are white wash and we have beige walls, so they are a bit blah...My sister inspired me to change that. She was distressing her bedroom set for a new look, so I thought I would give it a shot. I started with a small bathroom cabinet that hangs on the wall. It went from drab to fab in just a few days! I used a dark chocolate brown and distressed the edges. Then I covered it in polyurethane and added new hardware. I have to say, the picture really doesn't do it justice and you have to see it in person!

Pin This!

One of my dear friends is an Alabama fan and is always seeking out something in a houndstooth pattern. While on one of my regular trips to Hobby Lobby, I found houndstooth felt! I knew I had to get it make something for her. I tried my hand at some different patterns for pins. Then I went a little crazy making them for some of my family and friends. They were a huge hit and I'm awarding a prize for the first person I see wearing one of the pins...Who's reading this?

What's for Dinner?

The sound of these words is like nails on a chalkboard to me! Meal planning is not my forte, and neither is cooking for that matter. But, the organizer in me decided I need to make this a less painful process! And, of course, to put a creative touch on it! I decided to make a menu board using a frame, some scrapbook paper, and a dry erase marker. This sits on my counter and I let each family member pick a night and choose the meal. It certainly helps make my trip to Publix that much easier too!

"I Really Wanted a Wreath..."

After seeing all the crafting I was doing, my mother quickly put her order in for a rosette wreath. She wanted yellow ribbon. Well, having to take things to the next level, I wanted to really make this one extraordinary! I love the gray, yellow, and white combination so I went down that path. I was so excited with the finished product! I used a whole roll of yellow ribbon (it's so cheap when you get it 1/2 off), gray felt, and some white linen remnants. I always smile when I see this wreath and love to see it welcoming me when I visit my parents home!

How NOT to Make Cake Pops

Like everything else, working in the kitchen takes practice...and in my case, it takes more than the average person! Mom bought me a cake pop maker for Christmas so I thought I would try it out. It does a wonderful job making the perfect little round cake balls. After making 48 of them (it makes 12 at a time, 5 minutes each batch) I knew it was going too well. I used the recipe book to make the frosting. I combined a can of chocolate frosting with [a liquid ingredient I can't seem to remember] and microwaved. It came out like a donut glaze and dripped all over the place. It was really yummy, but couldn't hold it's shape or harden. Take two! I had some white chocolate chips and I started to microwave those slowly as indicated on the bag. After burning the first batch, I had to try again. This is a very slow process, only 30 seconds at a time! Well, as you can see, they did hold their shape and harden, but stuck to the cake pop stand...So, after much help from the FaceBook community I learned: 1. Use candy melts. They are much more successful. 2. Stand up cake pops to harden and dry. I'm not giving up yet!

Sharing the Love

I find joy in making someone smile! What better way than to share my crafts! I had some more corks so I decided to make something for mom. Since the "C" doesn't stand on its own, I had to get creative. Based on something I saw in G's house, I thought why not hang it on a mirror. Mom was thrilled and it used up my existing corks. Time to drink up so I can have more fun crafting with corks!