tinkerwiththis

fabric covered letter: E

2012-01-25T20:44:00.002-05:00

Remember that thing I did with the light switch? Well, I did a similar thing with fabric and a wooden letter:

fabric-covered switchplate tutorial: make it pretty

2012-01-14T17:41:00.000-05:00

You wanna make one, you know you do, and if you have a few dollars and five minutes, you can:

In order to do that, you'll need:
fabric
scissors
mod podge
plastic switch cover
marker

First step, trim your fabric about a 1/4-1/2" larger than your switchplate using scissors or a rotary tool:

Second step, mark your openings and screw holes on the fabric, and trim using scissors. Leave enough extra material inside the switch square to allow the fabric to fold in and adhere to the back of the plate.

Now, cover your plate with a thin coat of mod podge. Place it on your print side down fabric, making sure to line up your holes. Press flat.

Turn your plate over, and trim the edges, leaving enough to glue down to the plate underside. Cut towards each corner on the inside of your switch hole, and glue to the underside.

That's it, you're done! Easy right? Perfect for a craft room, laundry room or a kids room. I made mine for the bebe's room. And I love it. It's so cheery.

52 A YEAR: week 2

2012-01-13T05:46:00.002-05:00

Blue. I'm not exactly thrilled with this shot, but the way my week is going, I'll be lucky if I have time to shoot something else. So for now, this will have to do:

52 A YEAR: week 2 theme

2012-01-10T08:13:00.000-05:00

Our theme for this week is 'blue'. I'm really interested to see how you all interpret this!

52 A Year: week 1

2012-01-07T13:10:00.001-05:00

New. Everything is new right now. This is even the first time I'm blogging from my phone. That was the first time I added 'blogging' to my phone's auto correct. This is the first new phase of my new life and I'm just sitting here trying to survive. Yes, I have a beautiful new baby, yes I am now part of a new 'family', but my gosh, it takes a bit of stamina and sheer will-power to adjust to 'new'.

I'm not a complainer, usually I'm a go-getter. A do-it-aller, a firecracker. I'm a to-do lister. A project-starter. The girl you hate because she seems to find time to do it all. All that stuff you wish you knew how to do. Well, she's a thing of the past my friends. Or at least she's on a temporary leave of absence. For now I find myself just getting by, trying to get enough sleep to function during the 'light' hours and maybe even accomplish a thing or two, like washing diapers or showering. Nothing fancy really, if I have dinner planned and made, it's a good day.

That being said, I know I'm blessed. I have a beautiful, healthy, calm and happy baby. I have a wonderful husband who strives to make sure I'm 'ok'. I have the ability financially to stay home {thanks to said husband} and try to get the hang of this new career that I now have the utmost respect for. And we have blessings beyond our deserving, thanks to an amazing thing called grace.

So here I sit, up at midnight again, keeping this baby warm and upright to avoid upsetting her tummy after our last feeding, and I'm thinking about all the other new mothers out there. Sitting up alone in the dark of night wondering just what they got themselves into. Just like me, alone, but equally part of an unspoken world, trying to give everyone the illusion that we are just fine, 'doing great!' we say, but really, we would all jump at the chance for a good nights sleep and a bit of makeup.

But that's life, and it's a new adventure. Just like breaking in a new pair of shoes. There's going to be pain, maybe a couple of blisters and even a little blood. But if they're cute, it's so worth it.

If you are participating in the 52 A Year Project and would like to link your blog post and pictures, please click on the button below:

52 a year: a photography journey through 2012

2012-01-03T11:38:00.000-05:00

Well Marybeth decided to rope me into a photography project to keep our creative juices rolling, and keep us learning new styles and techniques. And since neither of us can commit to creating or blogging an image a day, she decided once a week was a lot more reasonable. We've created a Facebook page, 52 a year, for members who commit with us {cause we all should be committed...} and we'll be announcing a weekly theme on Mondays, giving you a whole week to come up with something fabulous, or just something, depending on how crazy your week is. We will also have linking available here on the blog in the comment section of each weekly theme post. {once we figure out how to do that!}

So here's our first theme, which you have until next Monday to complete:

A Christmas baby

2011-12-22T15:35:00.001-05:00

Alright, so I stuck my bebe in a stocking and took her picture, don't judge me. I'm actually in love with this photo of her. It was the very last one I took during the session and was lucky enough to capture her beautiful eyes. So if I don't talk to you all before the holidays {I tend to be a little preoccupied lately}, have a wonderful Christmas! We'll be celebrating comfy and cozy-style at home.

I've also submitted this photo to Inspire me Baby which has lots of great inspiration and hints for stellar bebe photography...
This photo was included in the Inspire Me Baby Best of 2011 – inspiremebaby.com

this old foreclosed home: a nursery reveal

2011-12-17T15:51:00.001-05:00

Well, here it is finally, the finished nursery, a culmination of months of unfocused design:

The pink chair that might get replaced with a cushy rocker if my behind never heals! Is there such a thing as a 'sit-bone'? Because if so, mine hurts...

The crib:

The redesigned dresser, as you've all seen before, with the new changing mat secured on and all the drawers full of wee little clothes:

The organized closet, ready to rock with labels on everything so the husband knows where to find things when I send him searching:

And here's some of the details. If you have any questions about where I found certain items or how much they were, let me know and I'll do my best to let you know.

And and Aaaaaaannnnnndddd, the nursery's newest addition, Baby Elsie Grace born on 12.9.11, weighing about 7 lbs which was great, because anything bigger would NOT have come out of me the way she did! And just FYI, I wanna tell the world a big giant "I-told-you-so" because I said to everyone I was going to deliver early, and they all just laughed and looked at me with pity, as if going before your due date on your first child was an absolute pink flying unicorn. Ha, I had myself a cute little pink flying unicorn. Now hopefully, once she's old enough to have an opinion, she'll like this room as much as I do...

this old foreclosed home: the invention of an office

2011-12-07T15:39:00.000-05:00

When we bought this sad little house, the upstairs wasn't laid out very well. At some point, it looks like the parents said "That's it! We need more room, build an addition!" with no thought or purpose to the design beside space. I mean, they even opted for less expensive options, like panelling, drop ceilings and carpet. So I KNOW that they were only thinking 'space, space, space!' Anyway, it was now up to us to make it work. To make it feel more on purpose and less like two giant rooms.

Here's what the hallway looked like before:

We decided that it was too confusing to have two rooms the same exact size, so we left the one on the right large so it would clearly be recognized as a master bedroom. Then we decided to put a hallway right down the center of the two doors and push the second bedroom wall back, quite a bit. Enough to make an open area large enough to hold the set of windows for natural light, and a desk and shelves for a usable computer area. This should come in handy when bebe decides she's going to get a Facebook account in 23 years, if Facebook's still around that is.

So here you can see the new wall and the office area, along with new doorways to the secondary bedroom and the master bedroom. Make sense?

Here's the new office area painted and waiting for floors...

We really designed around having that set of windows in the hallway, to provide natural light and avoid the long hallway feeling like a dreary tunnel. It's nice and bright during the day:

And the finished area, which personally I find is a great resource and space for both of us. I'm really glad we made the decision to rework the plans and have something that we could get a lot more use out of.

yo yo, 'sup?

2011-12-03T18:44:00.000-05:00

Well since learning how to make these, I've decided to put them on everything. EVERYthing. I might pin a couple to the dog. The husband might find a couple on his socks. I love how easy they are to make. In fact, they're so mindless, I made a bunch while watching some tv last night and even taught the girls how to make them this past crafty night. They were a big hit.

Anyway, here's a bunch of things I've stuck them on:

A bebe skirt, a headband and some hair elastics.

A gifted bebe skirt, along with a matching headband.

hair clips.

the elastics up close and personal.

a keychain for my bebe diaper bag.

That's about it, for now. Expect to see them all stuck on your presents this year!

craft night present-makin' marathon

2011-11-30T07:13:00.000-05:00

well, if there are any of you planning to come by tomorrow night, i've compiled a list of projects to choose from:

make your own placement clutch. supplies:
placemats
magnetic snaps
embellishments for the front
i will supply the sewing machine

make ribbon paperclips. supplies:
coordinating ribbon
hot glue gun
paperclips
scissors

make a flower bib necklace. supplies:
pre-made flowers or supplies to make some
felt
embellishments {fancy buttons or brads}
chain
chain clasp hardware
hot glue gun

to-go cup cozies. supplies:
felt
embellishments if you choose
i will provide the sewing machine and the template

pacifier clips. supplies:
ribbon
velcro
embellishments
mitten or suspender clips
i will provide the sewing machine

photo tile coasters or canvas art. supplies:
white square tiles {home depot or lowes} or 8x10 canvas
adhesive backed cork roll {don't need if making the canvas}
pre-printed 4.75x4.75 square images or pre-printed 8x10 image
mod podge
sponge brush

button art. supplies:
buttons
embroidery floss
i will provide the needles
muslin or linen fabric piece

There. Now if anyone has other projects they want to try, just let me know here or on facebook and i'll write out the supply list for you. We should have a grand time making little happy Christmas gifts, so come one come all!

birds of a feather

2011-11-29T09:44:00.000-05:00

So I've made a mobile for the bebe's room, but I'm not sure if I love it. What do you think? I found the tutorial for making the fabric feathers here and although I love the feathers, I'm still undecided on the finished project. I don't know if it's too busy, or if I just need to look at it in the room for a few days...

It was really simple to make actually, I just used two paint stirrers, spaced and drilled some holes and then pulled the twine through and tied a knot. It's cute, don't get me wrong, I just can't make up my mind. Maybe it's the bebe brain?

and something for me...

2011-11-28T13:52:00.000-05:00

I finally broke down and made myself one of those ever-popular bib necklaces. Really simple actually, just some hot glue, felt, chain and pre-made flowers. I found the fabric and the burlap flowers on clearance for a couple of dollars and the filler flowers are fake flowers. I simply glued the flowers in an arrangement onto the felt, glued {and stitched, for extra holding power} the chains to each side of my felt and then cut the felt out so none of it showed through in the final product. Simple!

handcrafted Christmas: ribbon paperclip bookmarks

2011-11-26T08:55:00.000-05:00

These again were inspired by a similar idea on Pinterest and a really long wait in the fabric cutting line yesterday morning. All you need is some coordinating ribbon, paperclips {mine are small but you could use a larger version as well} and some hot glue.

This first version is just looped through the paperclip at the top, pulled tight and cut.

This second version is just looped through and hot glued in place, then cut.

So simple {and quick} to make and perfect for stocking stuffers...

yup, it was Pinterest, again

2011-11-25T12:01:00.000-05:00

Thanks to that site I just happen to love so much I want to marry, I created something out of a piece of furniture that was headed for the dump.

I bought this a LONG time ago for $5 and it sat and sat and sat in my basement, while other projects took presidence. Well, after a year of climate changes, moisture and movement, the drawers didn't fit so well anymore and I just couldn't deal with it, so it sadly gathered dust. It was on it's way out until a friend pinned an idea, baskets instead of drawers in an old dresser! Egads! So after a new coat of white paint {2 actually} and some wainscot panelling cut to size, it has a new life as a guest room side table. Luckily I had the Ikea baskets laying around from an old wardrobe AND they happened to fit PERfectly. And who couldn't use more storage, especially since that room's going to be filling up soon...

thanks mom

2011-11-24T20:07:00.001-05:00

This Thanksgiving, I have a lot to be thankful for, my life is full and blessed. As is my belly! Regardless, there's one thing i've always appreciated: my creative gene. Thanks to my crafty/artistic mom, I've always had an outlet for my imagination, and she always encouraged me to create.

Well this one I can't take credit for, but thanks to Pinterest and all those other imaginative people out in the world, I came across an inspiring idea. So I took my butt down to the thrift store, bought a sweater for $6.00, cut off the sleeves and stitched a hem. Easiest. thing. ever. And, I love them. And, they keep my legs warm. My dearest Pinterest, I love you, please don't ever die...

So Happy Thanksgiving to all you creative and not-sure-if-you're-creative people out there. You never know until you try!

handcrafted Christmas: placemat clutch

2011-11-23T17:30:00.000-05:00

And who doesn't want to know how to make this?:

Yeah, I know you do. Have ten minutes? Cause that's about how long it will take you to make one of these bad boys. First you'll need:

a placemat
magnetic snap set
scissors
hot glue gun
felt
embellishment, or vintage pin

First you want to fold over one side of your placement, to create an envelope and sew the sides shut:

Next you want to place your magnetic snaps, like so, and cut a circle of felt large enough to cover the snap. Hot glue felt to inside back of bottom snap, to keep things from getting caught on there...

Now just hot glue your decorative embellishment over the top snap {or another piece of felt and then add your pin} and you're done! They were so quick that I had to make a few, and one of those just might be for me for keeps...mm hm. Any questions, let me know!

go to dessert: death by chocolate

2011-11-21T12:46:00.000-05:00

So this is my go-to dessert and by far my husband's favorite. It's super easy to make and absolutely delicious, and it just looks impressive.

What you need:
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 box chocolate pudding mix
heath bars
whipped cream

Ok, so you bake the cake according to the directions. Once it's done and cooled slightly, you can just break it up with a spoon in the pan. You can also pour a little coffee liquor over the cake and let it sit before layering it into your dessert, but i've been skipping that step lately ;)

While your cake is baking, feel free to make the pudding and let set in the fridge. I usually make my own whipped cream at this point too and then set it in the fridge. Also take the time to break up your heath bar into small pieces.

Now, starting with the cake, just start layering until you run out of the goods. It's that simple. Always leave off with a top layer of whipped cream, and top it with some crushed heath bar. Mmm mm.

handcrafted Christmas: fabric covered tins

2011-11-18T16:42:00.000-05:00

As you will see, I made a quick tutorial, but the original idea comes from here. She used fabric glue, which would probably work better, but I was too lazy to look the original instructions up, so I went with mod podge. Because who doesn't love a little mod podge?

Anyway, All you need is some mod podge, scissors, fabric scraps, old mint tins and a brush.

Place a layer of mod podge on the top of your tin and adhere your fabric scrap. Even everything out. Repeat this step with the bottom.

Trim the excess once everything is dry. I also added a bit of mod podge to the edges to help with fraying. It seems to work, and if you get any on the metal part you can just scrape it off with your nail when it's dry.

I made several and have different plans for each.

Here's one though, coordinating button magnet sets. You could also use them to gift some tags, or as business card holders. Perhaps gift card holders or jewelry tins. They'll be great to have around for wrapping on a whim.

burp cloths for the bebe

2011-11-17T09:12:00.000-05:00

Ok, I knew it couldn't be that hard. And I knew I wasn't paying that much for something my bebe was just going to be spitting up all over SO I figured it out! All it takes is some flannel {$3 a yard on sale!} and a serging stitch. Simple, easy, no mess. I could handle this.

Luckily I was able to find some really cute patterns, those whales make me happy.

And I was able to figure out that my fancy machine has a serging foot and stitch. Wahoo!

The final cost for this project: .75¢ Yup. A whopping 75 cents a piece. Insane really. Each cloth is a quarter yard. Don't those whales make you happy too?

handcrafted Christmas: craft ribbon tags

2011-11-16T08:27:00.000-05:00

Winner winner chicken dinner! Well, not really, just a cozy for your starbucks! The winner is....wait for it.....bumbleBEE! thanks for playing everyone and keep reading, because i'll be having a few more giveaways in the spirit of gift-giving!

Back to crafting, I'm currently in the gifting mindset, and this year Christmas will be mostly handmade. I'm trying to keep it simple, so craft paper is going to be my wrapping go-to. I wanted to make some fun tags at least, to pair with colorful ribbon so my packages still have some pop. If you've never sewn ribbon onto paper, I highly recommend it. It's fun, fast and festive!

My trick was to keep the tags {craft cardstock cut to around business card size} lined up one after another and then cut them apart after I was finished with that particular ribbon. Really quick and simple. I think I may end up attaching a lot of these to packages with mini clothespins, so I only punched holes in a couple of sets. These could also make really cool stocking stuffers for the stationary fan. Anyway, try it, you won't regret it!

at it again: another thrifty find updated

2011-11-15T15:32:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm at it again, this time with a $3 hanging shelf I purchased a while back at the thrift store. I knew it would eventually live in the nursery, but I had no idea it would end up the way it has. I pretty much had no plan going into it, but after finding some adorable inexpensive knobs, I knew what it should be!

First, it was white {off-white}, and in pretty good shape, so instead of painting it again, I decided to give it a quick distressing with my sandpaper block. If you don't have one of these, it's not necessary but it does make the job easier then working with just the paper.

Second, I measured for, marked, and drilled the holes where my new knobs would go. Now here's the tricky part. The knobs are long screws held in with hex nuts, which means, to make them flush, I had to partially drill a larger hole in the back of each of my holes I already drilled. This way the nut fits into the hole, and becomes flush with the back, so there are no hanging issues.

The following step is daunting. I have a Dremel, and a metal cutting blade, but if I didn't, I don't know what I would have done. All that extra screw coming out of the back had to be cut down, again, to make everything flush. All the sparking made me nervous, but as long as you wear gloves and safety goggles, you should be fine. Don't take my word for it though, I kept imagining my basement up in flames!

All in all, it was an easy enough project, with the right tools. I wish I had better pictures for you, but unfortunately I didn't think to stop at each step since I was so excited about getting it finished. The whole project ended up costing me $13 dollars, which is not bad, considering it's one of the cutest things in there now!

cup cozy packaging

2011-11-14T12:47:00.002-05:00

Well, I've been picking my brain over a good way to package these cozies for Christmas, and I think I've done it! I'm making this template available for you all, in case you need a handy way to gift these as well. I went ahead and printed mine on cardstock craft paper, but they look just as lovely on white cardstock. Download the template here.

They're a little loose on the 'cups' but this gives you the option of filling them with a couple of tea bags or a packet or two of instant coffee...happy gifting! And don't forget to sign up to win a cozy here. Oh and PLEASE respect the art and only download these for personal use!

A cozy cup of tea

2011-11-11T13:40:00.000-05:00

Okay, okay, I know I only 'pinned' these a mere 11 hours ago, but I was dying to try them. Since the wee bebe will be on her way so close to Christmas, I have to stock-pile gifts early. And my goodness are they addicting. I love the way they came out and I experimented with different stitches, thread colors and felt embellishments. Yay for some cold weather to keep me away from that outdoor painting project...

And the best part is I have one for winning! Just leave a comment here with your easiest go-to DIY Christmas gift idea and you'll be entered to win this bunted cozy. I'll even throw in a couple of those yummy pink Tazo teabags. I'll announce a winner next Wednesday, the day I'll officially be 36 weeks, yikes! Good luck!

dresser revamp

2011-11-11T03:24:00.000-05:00

I've been looking and looking and looking for the perfect bebe dresser. Something that was fanciful, gorgeous, cheap and in need of a complete makeover. And could fit a changing mat. Well, I couldn't wait any longer, I was literally starting to freak out over it thanks to my obsessive need to nest and organize, so I went where I knew I could find something cheap. It also helps that I found something white, because that meant no painstakingly annoying painting in my future.

So here it was, in all it's boring and blah glory:

Notice the missing handles, and the knicks and dings? Well, you can't really see those from back here, but trust me, there's a whole corner there that someone jammed into a wall accidentally. Lucky for me, I didn't care and it was only about $115 for the dresser in as-is condition. I could live with that!

And here it is after some minor adjustments:

Minor adjustments included taking sandpaper to most of the edges and drawers to blend some preexisting scratches and to give it a more worn, shabby chic look. Next I recruited a good friend who just happens to live next to a Hobby Lobby in the midwest. She did a little hardware shopping for me and I ended up with about 15$ of new handles, which would have cost me a whopping 55-60$ if I had splurged at Anthropologie. The drawer revamp took me about an hour, if you include lining the drawers, if not, it was about 20 minutes. And cost me about $135 dollars. Not bad considering all the dressers in those bebe boutiques will run you around $700+.

Before, with yucky boring knobs:

After, with rustic looking white hardware:

And I even lined the drawers in some adorable paper I had laying around. I know I'll be the only one to see this, but I like the added touch:

I can already foresee a dual naptime for both bebe and Sadie, she seems quite attached to that chair:

clip on clip off

2011-11-10T09:07:00.000-05:00

So I became a little obsessed with making these pacifier clips, ever since I saw this tutorial and this one on Pinterest. Dern you Pinterest! As if I didn't have enough to do, you have to torment me with all your brilliant and creative ideas.

Now making these was SO simple, that I can't possibly ever bring myself to buy one. No matter how cute it is. And that's saying a lot for me. I loosely followed the tutorials, but I used mitten clips from the dollar Target section {4 for $1, holla}, ribbons and some pre-made embellishments {felt stickers anyone?}. I didn't want to put the embellishments directly on the clips however, since I thought about them inconveniently popping off in the future. Instead I opted to put them above the clips, where they will see much less finger time. I attached them with hot glue and sandwiched the ribbon between an embellishment and a felt circle. The flowers were made by me and attached the same way.

I also tried some without any embellishments:

Now I obviously don't need this many clips, so a bunch of these will be put aside for upcoming bebe gifts:

still here

2011-11-09T09:39:00.000-05:00

Just grow grow growing. I'm making a bebe people! This is exciting! I never really though I would be pregnant, never imagined what it would be like, never hoped and prayed it would happen to me, but now that it is, it's pretty nifty.

I'm still working on the nursery. Waiting patiently for the husband to decide the right time to put the crib together, planning the dresser revamp pending the arrival of some much needed new knobs, and deciding what each drawer should hold and why. Yes, I'm ridiculously organized like that. The gifts are waiting in boxes downstairs and I have a whole laundry basket full of things to be washed, folded and sorted. This is the kind of busy work I live for.

In the meantime, I have some pacifier clips to make, and some onesies to embellish. Along with a little bit of shopping to do. Bebe girl needs some church clothes!

repurposed drawer

2011-11-08T08:59:00.000-05:00

I bought a small two-drawer dresser last year and the sad sorry thing has just been sitting in the basement, waiting desperately for a makeover. Although, after spending only $5 on it, I don't feel so bad. The drawers don't fit quite right anymore though, so I plan to paint it all and use baskets for storage instead of the drawers. So now I have two lone drawers. What to do, what to do...I know! I'll turn them into sliding under-the-bed storage. Genius! So with a bit of paint, a drawer pull and some wheels, I now have a tidy place to store extra anything. Blankets, magazines, fabric etc. These would be great for kids toys too, like all those legos no one ever wants to put away.

I really should have painted the sides, but I was feeling lazy:

Neatly tucked away:

Had an empty hole left from the previous handle, so I filled it with some scrapbook paper:

Voi la! Just paint, screw in the wheels {I had to use a small piece of pine board on the inside for support} and add your hardware of choice.

a bebe shower

2011-11-07T09:51:00.000-05:00

This past week has been a whirlwind. As of last Saturday, we didn't have power. We miraculously kept ourselves warm by the fireplace for a couple of nights, but finally surrendered to mother nature and bad circumstances and drove ourselves to Rhode Island for a couple of warm nights at my mothers residence. I had visions of everyone huddled around our fireplace breathing cold air and wishing I hadn't actually decided to go through with my baby shower. But alas, Wednesday morning we came home to a warm house! The power was back and so was my spirit. Time to bake and clean and hot glue decorations! We hosted the party at my abode, because it was easier to accommodate everyone AND I wouldn't have to lug gifts around, a win-win yes?

Marybeth put on her superwoman cape and did an amazing job with EVERYthing. I helped, but she planned planned planned and baked her little heart out. And she managed to stress over details like clear punch cups, pink chocolate and rolled silverware. She's a saint in a pink tutu. We also had some help on the days prior from Ruth, and the day of from Sara and the Husband. Without everyone working hand in hand it wouldn't have been such a fantastic day. And a huge thank you to everyone for buying me stuff. I am seriously a little less worried about bebe's arrival now that she'll have clothes and blankets and places to sit/lay/swing. Up until now the plan was a towel on the floor or the bassinet!

Ready for lots of photos?? Here are the favors, felt flower pins and chocolate chow mein nests:

Delicious treats:

Some yummy food:

Gifts galore:

Since we're still stumped on a name, I thought this would be a good idea:

And a little photobooth fun: {disregard the non-matching rug and the green painters tape, the loss of power seriously delayed any progress on the porch this week!}

And an ode to some of my favorite people who couldn't be here: {But not all, since we could only fit a few stick people on the plate, sorry Melissa and Tina!!}

All in all, a fabulous day and this wee bebe will look back on this one day and realize just how nuts her mother is. If she hasn't figured it out by then...

fall into me

2011-10-27T19:46:00.000-04:00

The leaves are sad. They tried and tried to make a glorious appearance this year, but every time they started to glow, the rain came and washed them out of their trees. So now there are just a lot of sad lonely brown leaves laying around everywhere. I have managed to catch a few bright spots:

Well, lots of things have been happening around here. I've managed to have a few photo sessions on the better weather days. I turned 34. I grew about 97" in my belly. Maybe not that drastic but it sure feels that way. I've been working almost full-time, as in 6 out of the last seven weeks which is awesome, but also very exhausting. I am officially 33 weeks along, with no child birthing classes in sight. I keep trying but for some reason I live in the part of the state that's anti-natural. If only I lived in Oregon...

Marybethy was oh so very kind enough to get out her camera and spend a Sunday with us, shooting a few wonderful pictures for me to cherish:

this old foreclosed home: a 'main' to 'guest' bath

2011-10-21T08:39:00.000-04:00

Well here's our upstairs {guest} bathroom before picture. Nasty yes? They really loved blue at the time, so the sink, shower and even the flooring all matched. Lovely. Those we knew we had to change. Then we realized the walls had to go too. They were a very thin plastic panelling, painted over, a bad decision all around. And that trim? Ghastly!

Once we had it down to bare walls we started making our design choices. The four piece tub we installed is fantastic. This is actually the second house we've put one in and they're very easy to install and even easier to keep clean. There's no grout to worry about so the white stays white for the long-haul. We also opted to match our vanity to the downstairs bathroom since we loved the countertop so much. This one has plenty of space for our guests to spread out and get ready. {The blue may end up changing, but for now I love it and the husband just deals with it.}

The only complaint we had about this bathroom, was the space. It's extremely tight when you have two people getting ready in the morning. My husband would bump into the doorknob all the time and that really drove him nuts. Luckily, for him, there was a bigger better badder bathroom on the way...

The nursery has promise

2011-10-20T07:42:00.000-04:00

It doesn't have any furniture, but it has promise. Well, it does have a pink chair:

Great prints that make me happy:

Some lovely canvas art:

A small pink mirror in desperate need of a clean:

And a bow holder inside the closet, made by moi:

Nothing matches really, and I like it that way.

this old foreclosed home: a half-bath with history

2011-10-18T11:26:00.000-04:00

Well this is what we had to work with when we bought our place, a half-bath that was dark, dingy and pineapple-y. Lots and lots of pineapples. Pineapples on the wallpaper, pineapples etched into the cabinets, pineapples on the toilet paper holder, apparently the 80's were good to pineapples. It was rough to say the least. In fact, it was the only room with wallpaper, thank goodness, because 30yr old wallpaper is stubborn.

So here's where it started, and the extent of how far we had to demo to get it going. The ceiling was a surprise fix, but it all worked out in the end. When we removed the vanity we found this interesting note, and thought it was great to find a little history buried behind the walls.

Here's our after, much brighter and a lot less fruity. In fact, there's not a single fruit or vegetable in the joint.

The upper half of the walls were stripped of the wallpaper, and the lower half were covered in wainscoting. The paneling was attached horizontally on purpose. I promise. Although we did it to avoid seams, it gives it a little more of a modern feel. I did all the trim myself, so the easier the better. The sink and vanity are from Lowe's Allen&Roth collection and it's a deep java color. It works well with all the white, and the counter space is amazingly ample for a small bathroom like this one. The mirror is from IKEA, and cost about 40-50$. The neat thing is, it was the perfect size to cover the giant hole left by the built-in cabinet. We didn't cover up the note or the hole, which gives us easier access to the lighting wires.

And here's a nifty trick for storing toilet paper in a pretty and functional way. This covered glass container cost $5 at TJMaxx and it sits right below out towel rack, so keeping water out of the jar was essential.

So there you have it, a half-bath worthy of showing off. The only odd thing that gets people every time? The light switch is outside the bathroom!

i love you always

2011-10-17T14:05:00.000-04:00

Who doesn't love all the new graphic prints as art out there now? I actually saw this quote on a distressed piece of wood and although it was lovely, it wasn't worth the $100 price tag. So in short, I made my own. For about $2. Much more reasonable, and although very different and much smaller, it works for what I wanted it for.

All you need is a printer, an 8x10 canvas and some mod podge. I printed my quote out on regular printer paper and cut to size. Layer your canvas with a very thin layer of mod podge and then apply your paper to the top. Smooth it out and leave to dry. Make sure it's fully dry before attempting the top coat. Once it IS completely dry, layer a thin top coat of mod podge for protection. You use thin layers and allow drying time to avoid bubble. Have patience, and your project will come out almost perfect. Like this:

I bought a 10-pack of 8x10 canvases at Michaels, and used a 40% off coupon for a whopping total of $1.20 per canvas. And just for my lucky readers, I've made this print available to you all for FREE. Yep, free. To download, just go here and click on download original size. Happy canvasing!

Dan and Bethany: lakeside wedding FINAL PACKAGING

2011-10-04T21:06:00.000-04:00

So I finally mailed out the end result of the wedding shoot back in the end of July. When you get the family and friends discount, you seem more patient, but you also get more goodies...

I wanted to try out a few things I've seen, and my attempts were not in vain. The bride and groom loved them.

First I made a coaster set, which I've done before, just not with photos. All in all the process is the same and the result was beautiful. I'm going to make myself a set of Brooklyn ones as soon as I have some spare time.

Then I made a larger 6x6 tile, to be used for setting cooking utensils on or as a pot holder or even to display on a plate holder.

The one thing I absolutely loved was the canvas art. I used an 8x10, so I could print from home, but if you had something printed for you, a larger canvas would work too. It was bubbling up a bit, but once all the mod podge dried, it was flat and beautiful.

I put in some extra effort and wrapped everything up in wax paper and then tissue paper to make sure nothing stuck or was injured in travel. The tags were made with some brown kraft paper and stamps and I used twine to wrap it all. Add some bubble wrap and it was good to go. Go dear pictures, be free!

this old foreclosed house: a kitchen recap

2011-10-03T22:32:00.000-04:00

Well, since we're down to about two things left to do in the kitchen, I figure it's as close as we're getting to finished right now. So here are the pics, including the brandy new backsplash...

The wall that HAD to go. The kitchen was too dark and cavelike with the other room closing it off. Since I'm not big on first floor bedrooms, especially ones with windows right next to both home entries, we decided we could afford to lose it. In essence, we went from 4 to 3 bedrooms, but gained a dining room and an office space {which most people use a bedroom for anyway}. But honestly, it was one of the least expensive and most important decisions we made in this home redesign. It was a load bearing wall though, so we had the professionals come in to install the new support beam that was later approved by the inspector. Here's the hubby doing a good job of demo-ing:

And here is the main cooking/eating/chilling out area. I went through about 2 dozen IKEA designs before I figured out where I wanted everything, and how to get the most storage out of the cabinet layout. It was a crazy and stressful process since we moved around the fridge, the stove and the dishwasher, but it has a nice open flow to it now. We lost the bar that was cutting the room in half and opted for a moveable island. We also decided on hardwood floors installed to match the existing ones in the adjacent room. No one can even tell the difference, our installer did an excellent job. We spend most of our time on the lower level of the house, so all of this was money well invested.

Here's a picture of my favorite sink {the second one, not the first!}. Everyone loves it and comments on it immediately upon entering the house, and the best part is, as far as farmhouse sinks go, it was fairly inexpensive. Thanks to IKEA, this only threw us back about 300 dollars. Well worth it, although, I have been known to break a glass or chip a bowl on it...

And another big decision we made in the structure of the room was to remove the very shallow food pantry and the back door, replacing it with a new laundry room and double slider. The slider lets in a lot more light than the single door and two small windows did, and the laundry room being upstairs is absolutely a must. Especially when you have a large belly and can no longer carry full baskets of clothes around.

Well that's that. The last thing we have left to do is a crown molding to finish off the tops of our cabinets, but that'll come later, once all the other little things are finished up. All in all, we probably spent about 15 thousand on this section of the house. We were able to keep our costs so low thanks to amazing IKEA products and prices and doing most of what we could on our own, such as demo, insulating, cleanup, painting and finishing work. We did splurge to have the cabinets installed, but mostly because looking at all those flat boxes that made up our kitchen was daunting, and we had a time constraint with moving out of our apartment in time. Other than that it was one of the most stressful things we've ever done as a couple! But then again, it's probably prepared us for this bebe...

it's a...they're not finding out!

2011-10-02T13:10:00.000-04:00

A quick gift sewn for a friend who doesn't know what she's having yet:

The tie onesie was SO quick and easy, but I spent a lot more time on the onesie dress since I had to add the elastic in myself. The flower is attached with a velcro circle, so it's easily removable before washing. I didn't know how it would hold up in the wash, so I figured better safe than sorry. {The skirt fabric was a goodwill find, that ended up being an Amy Butler organic sheet! I loved the pattern and can't wait to make more cute things with it.}

Well, I just found out I'll be working again all this week, so it'll be quiet around here again. Maybe I'll just throw a bunch of house pictures on here for you guys!

been busy, loves!

2011-09-26T09:45:00.000-04:00

Obviously. It's been a bit of a whirlwind around here lately with no sign of slowing down. But it's ok, I like it that way. Today is a photo editing day, so I'll leave you with some things I currently love. Now you can stare at them until I actually have some real time to share with you all. Cheers!

some bird love:

seeing all the mini-clothes lined up in a row:

some book label love for a wee library:

and a favorite new {second-hand} outfit:

L is for Letter

2011-09-14T07:49:00.000-04:00

I'm busy with work this week, but I thought I would pop in and share another tutorial with you. This one is for a catch-all message center. It's quite simple to make really, the biggest tool you'll need that you might not have is a staple gun. Absolutely worth the money to have around, so invest if you can. There are a lot available for about 20 dollars or so at your local hardware store. I usually think of these ideas {off of other inspiration I see} and start doodling something so I don't forget my train of thought, like so:

To begin, here are some of the supplies you'll need for step one: a canvas, piece of fabric {i've used linen here}, a staple gun.

Now, iron your fabric into folded sections, so you can pop in business cards or postcards or mail. The sizes of the pockets are totally up to you, so you can customize it. Keep everything pinned for safe keeping.

Wrap the fabric and pockets around the canvas and staple onto the back. It's not pretty, but luckily no one will see that part. Do the sides first and pull tight, so your pockets won't sag.

Alright, you should have a board that now looks like this:

The next step is optional, step two. For step two you'll need some new supplies, like an xacto knife, some fabric paint, freezer paper and a printed letter/design of your choice.

Trace your letter onto a sheet of freezer paper, wax side down.

Now cut it out carefully using an xacto knife {another quality investment if you don't own one}. Iron your design where you want it on your board, wax side down:

Fill in the stencil using a sponge and your fabric paint. And that's about it! Hang once it's dry and admire your handywork, ahhh:

Stinking Adorable Onesie skirt tutorial {onesie dress?}

2011-09-09T08:18:00.000-04:00

Okay, who wants to make one of these? It's so simple. I came up with the idea out of a 'how-would-i-ever-use-this?' moment.

Here's what happened. I like to buy sheet sets, vintage or new {new when they're marked down and super inexpensive}. It's a great way to get a lot of fabric for a little bit of money. Fabric shower curtains are good for this too, along with tablecloths. In other words, I'm no stranger to the Target clearance aisles. Anyway, I bought two sheet sets in two patterns I liked for baby stuff. While I was cutting up the fitted sheets to make a pillow, I thought to myself, these are good scraps with elastic already in them, what can I make out of them??

So voi la, we have a lovely baby onesie with an attached skirt. Here's a tutorial for anyone who wants to make one yourself. This one took me about 30 minutes start to finish, and I had to pause to take photos. So start with cutting up a fitted sheet, leaving about 6 or 7 inches from the elastic edge. Make sure to pin the elastic bands so you don't loose them inside...then measure around your onesie and sew ends together.

Now is a good time to cut the bottoms more evenly:

Take your skirt and iron down the bottom hem, pin and sew.

Now you should have a cute looking wee skirt:

Attach to your onesie keeping the long seam in the back. I followed the stitch that was already on the fabric, just below the elastic band.

There you have it! Easy, yes? Mine needed a little something, so I added the fabric flower with a quick stitch. {I'll show you all how to make the flower sometime soon.} So, what do you think?? Honestly, you could whip these up in 15 minutes, once you got the hang of it. GREAT for personalized shower gifts.

buttoned up

2011-09-08T13:36:00.001-04:00

Since I've been feeling like uber crap the last couple of days, I decided to opt for an easy sort of craft to keep me from going crazy. A girl can only sleep and blow her nose so often.

I've had this idea in my mind for a while, and again having been so inspired by what is out there on the internetz, I thought I would delay no longer. The husband is a little freaked out by all things pink, so I'm leaning a lot more of the nursery decor to a much more subtle neutral pallet. Don't get me wrong, there's still a pink chair in there, but almost everything else will be less bold. Thus, the wooden and tan button assortment. {I threw a tiny little pink one in there for fun}.

This is a really simple project to do. Just start with a piece of linen {I doubled it up for added stability}, add your array of buttons and keep a needle and embroidery floss handy. I laid my design out freehand and then marked the button holes with a fine tip sharpie. I did loose my place from time to time, but don't stress about it, no one will even notice. Start to secure all your buttons using the floss.

Once I finished, I trimmed my linen down to fit the inside of the frames back cover. I used masking tape and pulled tightly to keep everything in place.

Add your design to your shadowbox frame and you have your final product:

And keep this in mind for Christmas presents. You could include something meaningful to the recipient, like a button from a wedding dress or a small photo decoupaged onto a flat button. You could make their initial or a small sillouette of their house. The possibilities are absolutely endless.

how about some lobsta?

2011-09-03T13:47:00.000-04:00

Here we are, the last hoorah of summer. We decided to take advantage of the amazing weather and the day off, and visit a couple of little Connecticut towns. Our first stop was a town called Chester which is adorable and small and has cute shops and beautiful homes. We decided to head out to Abbott's on the shoreline for some fresh fresh super fresh lobster. Our friend Ruth had never ever even tried lobster. Crazy right? But she is southern, so we'll give her the benefit of the doubt. Not all of us can be lucky enough to grow up with lobstermen uncles.

So on to Abbott's where we dined and relaxed, and apparently took most of the photos: Mmm, lobster, too bad I couldn't partake, well, not in a whole one anyway.

And then here's me wishing I could eat the whole delicious beast, and here's Ruth wishing she had a more normal friend:

And of course, here's Ruth indicating her first time with the lobsta, and Justin indicating that he's always number one:

And here's a quick shot off of Lookout Point in Stonington. None of us had ever been to Stonington before, so we gave it a shot. It's right next to Mystic, but it was a lot smaller, more relaxed and less touristy. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming and I personally think it would be a great area to get a summer rental. Being so close to Mystic, there would always be things to do fo' the bebe, and we could just chill on the beach on days we didn't want to mingle.

Anyway, here's to a great summer weekend, hoorah!, goodbye, and thanks for everything.

for the birds

2011-08-26T11:38:00.000-04:00

It seems I'm not really going for a theme in the nursery, although I seem strangely drawn to anything bird related.

I found this iron-on as a tshirt design on clearance. There was a little saying that I cut off before ironing each bird separately to two pieces of linen. I had the frames spraypainted white since i'm not really a fan of the raw light wood look. Once they were each in their frame, I cut off the excess material and hot glued the edges down to the back. {Total for this project: $6.} These pieces are so lightweight and easy to hang, they would be perfect for anything, even hanging off of pins in your office cubicle!

So cheers, time to go gear up and prep for that nasty hurricane. Earthquakes, hurricanes?! It's the end of the world as we know it. Well, maybe that's a bit dramatic.

another idea

2011-08-25T10:08:00.000-04:00

that I've seen all over the web, but haven't had the chance to make yet was this:

It actually came out of an old frame my friend Carrie handed down to me. It started out gold and cream, and held an old floral oil painting. Once I received it, it was promptly spraypainted red and fitted with a chalkboard. {See it here.} Only problem is I was a little chalkboard happy at the time, and my house doesn't need this many chalkboards.

So an idea came from all that Pinterest inspiration and I couldn't be happier with the end product. After a free frame, a jar of white spraypaint, some wooden clothespins, scrapbook paper and hanging wire, my total came to a little under $10. And it only took me about an hour, start to finish including making all the little clothespins for hanging. Not too shabby and it could work perfectly for an office, kids room for artwork or bow storage, or a kitchen catch-all center. For now, this will be perfect for baby Zs room. {No, we haven't decided on a name but in the meantime I'm sticking to my guns and torturing the husband with my favorite one...}

you had me at goodwill

2011-08-24T10:28:00.002-04:00

As many of you know, I'm in LOVE with thrift stores. And now that there's Pinterest, there are so many great ideas to create from thrift store finds. This is just the story of one of mine. I found the idea on Pinterest a while back and thought how brilliant it would be to make a knock-off version since all the store-bought versions are so pricey {even tjmaxx had a version for 30$!}.

All I needed was two old cake pans {varying sizes}, some E6000 glue {wicked stinky, I recommend doing the glueing outdoors}, an old candlestick holder, some rope and a hot glue gun. Use the E6000 to glue the top and bottom of the candlestick to the top and bottoms of your cake pans. Finish the look by hot glueing your rope {twine, ribbon, whatever you like} to the edge of each cake pan. You could also mod podge the bottoms of the cake pans if you wanted, but I liked a simpler look. So after a few hours of drying time, this is what you have:

So for $8, this is a nifty little storage container for my crafting whatevers:

like a beached whale

2011-08-23T19:42:00.000-04:00

I've had my heart set on making these, and having a baby girl is the perfect excuse. So is a beach day.

Well, I packed up some felt and scissors and went to work while Marybeth's children terrorized the beach goers. {Not really, although there were the seagulls who definitely deserved it...}

Here's the end product:

I think I'll make a whole bunch of various flowers and hold onto them until I find headbands or outfits for coordinating with. For now they'll all reside in a felted flower purgatory. {The large gray flowers were purchased from Michaels a couple of weeks back.} And by the way, we most definitely felt the earthquake up here in Connecticut. I've never felt the earth move before, it was bizarre and cool and creepy all at once...

shoe fetish

2011-08-22T11:30:00.001-04:00

I have a thing for shoes. For me. And now it appears I'll have a thing for shoes for my little girl. I couldn't resist these little adorable shoes from Old Navy.

And notice the new closet knobs? Those were from Hobby Lobby. I love them and hope I can score a few more for a changing table/dresser redo. I found a perfect one last weekend, but it was a little too old and shaky for my liking. With a little bit of love it could have been gorgeous...

Oh and here's a peak at the fabric I've been basing the room design around:

baby on the brain

2011-08-18T14:41:00.000-04:00

Growing a mini human has to be the most surreal thing I've ever done. I don't even remember I'm pregnant until I look down and see the big giant belly staring me in the face. I'm not used to having nothing to wear! Unless it stretches or hangs, I can't fit into it and anything that buttons is a thing of the past. Everyone keeps saying I look great, but I just feel like a giant, well, giant. And the best part of all this? The pain of the last few days that can only be attributed to a growth spurt. Awesome.

But besides the amazing expanding belly {and butt!} there are only good things. I have had a fantastic pregnancy thus far, with little to no sickness, and that's really all I could ask for. The kicking has started, and we now know the sex of the baby, so the nursery decorating and clothes buying are about to start. I'm having a really hard time figuring out what I need though, and I'm not about to run out and register for a whole room full of things I won't use. So any and all input is greatly appreciated! The only things we're sure of at this point? We will be using an organic mattress, trying our hand at cloth diapering, most definitely breastfeeding and the chair will most assuredly be painted pink. Besides that, I'm lost. And trying to agree on a name?! Oi vey.

For now, here is the new and improved giant me:

And some prints I designed for the nursery:

at least I still like the cream cheese.

2011-08-12T20:42:00.000-04:00

I wasn't all that impressed on my visit to Philadelphia. Sorry Philly, but you're gritty and dirty and not exactly my kind of city. I'll take NYC any day. But you do have some history, and since we picked the one day it poured as our site seeing day, my photographic journey is limited. Luckily we spent more quality time with old friends and new ones than in the heart of the city. So I give you the best Philly had to offer me, it's not much folks, but it's pretty:

i'm at it again

2011-08-04T11:59:00.000-04:00

My husband likes to remind me that I have my priorities all out of whack. And he's right. He calls these creative tangents of mine "pet projects" and they are exactly what I shouldn't be doing when there are other much more important things to do. Regardless, here's my latest pet project for your review:

I was having trouble locating a catch-all, key/message center for the kitchen, so I made my own. A tacky square frame from TJMaxx seemed the perfect starting point. I think I paid $5 for this:

And with a little love, turned it into this:

I painted it white, painted the middle with a chalkboard paint and added in the adhesive cork board around the outer edge. The chalk holder is an upside drawer pull, attached after drilling holes through the frame. The key holder is actually a magnetized spice rack from IKEA. I purchased it a while ago but didn't end up having the space for it. Luckily, it was a perfect fit for this project. So there we have it, the possibilities of repurposing are always endless. Cheers!

I got sprayed

2011-08-01T11:42:00.000-04:00

Or rather, I sprayed. Everything I could find. Here's a sneak peak at some of the items and the color scheme for the baby room. I think today I'll be working on that pink chair...

Dan and Bethany: Lakeside wedding part I

2011-07-28T22:45:00.001-04:00

I haven't had a chance to go through all the photos from Dan and Bethany's wedding, but a couple of shots stood out to me and I thought I might share.

This one I think is gorgeous, serious, but glamorous: {do you think I should remove the lamp post in the back of their heads? I'm debating it.}

I really love the composition here:

And this one was a difficult but fun shot to try. I've never done anything with sparklers before so it was definitely a learning experience. Luckily we had several sparklers...

another quick note:

2011-07-28T13:14:00.000-04:00

Here's something else I've been so busy working on:

This little minor bit of information now gives me the opportunity to design and decorate the nursery! Oh what fun we will have. I already have a name picked out that I absolutely love, but the husband's not as keen, so it's either going to go by the wayside, or there's going to be a lot of convincing to do...

a quick note

2011-07-27T15:20:00.000-04:00

Here's just part of the commotion this past weekend:

craft night: wrap bracelets

2011-07-26T12:58:00.000-04:00

So I have/had lots and LOTs going on this week and last, been uber busy and have tons to tell, but for now, let's focus on the craft night at hand.

We'll be making these. They seem easy enough and adorable. If you, of course, have something else to work on feel free to bring that! Hope to see you there!

Some quiet time

2011-07-19T20:01:00.000-04:00

is what I really needed this morning. I have a great fantastic wonderful friend in town for a few days, but due to my preggers exhaustive state, I've been sitting out on the day trips. Today she and her husband went to Boston/Salem and with the wedding coming up this weekend, I knew a long day like that would just wear me out for good. Tomorrow we'll be hanging out though, so no worries.

In the meantime, I spent a little quiet time making my wedding jewelry {not my wedding, rather, the wedding I'll be photographing on Saturday!} and these this morning:

As soon as these next couple of weeks are over, I'll be listing them in my etsy shop. In fact, I have several new things to list, which is on my to-do list, which is rather long and tiring to look at...

winner winner, what's for dinner?

2011-07-18T10:22:00.000-04:00

So the lucky winner of this would be Amber!!

Congrats Amber!! Now send me our info on facebook so I can ship this to you before summer's over. And thanks everyone for playing along, i'll do another one soon, so stay tuned!

because I'm crafty like that

2011-07-16T00:16:00.000-04:00

I decided I wasn't ready for maternity pants just yet, even though my belly seems so be. It's disconcerting to outgrow a size you've been for the last 15 years of your life, but I suppose everyone has to at some point. Maybe now I can stop shopping in the Junior's department.

For the time being, I plan to make my pants and shorts last as long as I can, so I came up with a clever and crafty way to do that. I give you the fabric covered button ponytail holder that used to keep all my random cords organized.

Now I have several to hold my pants up. This is good news, because I seem to be growing fast, and I'm a little shopped out presently {I didn't think it could ever happen either}. Here's how it works:

Don't judge me, my belly looks huge in this photo.

vintage sheets: a quilted pillow cover

2011-07-15T15:02:00.000-04:00

So I have a sick obsession with vintage sheets. I have a whole collection that I have no idea what to do with and yet every time I walk through a thrift store I find a beautiful new pattern or colorway and I just have to have it. That said, I've decided I'm finally going to make something out of them. All of them. For now, I sewed up this little number. I've had it in my head for weeks, as soon as I bought the embroidered pillow in front of it. I love the eclectic feel when you combine these mismatched fabrics together. I think it gives the guest bedroom a cottage-y, cozy sort of feel.

I did quilt it, but just with straight lines. I'm not that daring yet. I plan to make a vintage sheet quilt soon, and possibly one for the baby, depending on what we end up having. For now it makes me happy just to see this guy laying around.

luck and laze

2011-07-14T21:36:00.001-04:00

Well today was a day off from all the house projects {minus one minor hanging-the-blinds incident} and I was off to the beach. I somehow managed to last for hours in the sun without a burn to bring home. It may have been the first time ever! I guess that's where SPF 50 will get you. The weather was delightful and the breeze off the ocean always makes me smile. So here's to lazy days. If only everyone could be as lucky as this girl.

craft night: a GIVEaway

2011-07-13T09:23:00.000-04:00

Yes, you read that right, I'm giving away my craft night craft that I slaved over! But seriously, I had a lot of fun making this bag and I think it came out lovely, so I want one of you to have it...even though I'm secretly warring with the I-want-to-keep-it fairy on my shoulder.

So here she is in all her wicker bag glory, complete with silk flowers and unique buttons. The inside is lined with a deep teal fabric. It's pretty perfect for the beach, large enough to fit your reading materials, sunscreen, flip-flops, etc., but small enough to make you look stylish and low-maintenance.

Ok, so the details. In order to win her, you can enter in the following ways:
{You get one entry per task completed, so be sure to comment here and tell me which ones you did.}

Become a follower of this blog.
Become a follower of my facebook fan page.
Become a follower of my photography fan page.
Leave a comment here {and please don't forget to tell me all the tasks you completed!}.

So the max number of entries you can get is 4. Make sense? I'll announce a winner on Monday, the 18th.

Good luck everyone, and just for 'kicks' here are the flip-flops I did lastnight:

master bedroom COMPLETE

2011-07-08T08:55:00.001-04:00

To say complete is a little misleading, there's still blinds to buy and install, a large floor mirror to find and some wall art to install BUT complete to me at this point means no more construction or paint needed. So we've moved in, sans blinds and all.

This is where the room started:

As you can see, there's not much to work with. The cat hair carpet HAD to go, the drop ceiling was awful and the panelling I had decided I could live with {after some paint that is}, until we made some layout/wall changes and then it seemed silly to even attempt to keep.

Here's the during process:

We have new sheetrock, floor to ceiling. And after painstakingly removing all the leftover staples, we have a raw plywood floor to work with. The biggest changes happened on the opposite wall, where we changed the entry door location and removed the closet. Then we changed the door position to the {new} bathroom to accommodate double sinks and built out cubbies for his and hers custom closets.

And here she is, in all her finished glory:

Now the husband has full reign over both closets, since, if you've ever seen my hall closet, you know that gluttony already becomes me in the clothes and shoes department. Having addition space for my 'stuff' would just be shameful. So now he has room to spread out. All in all we love having the space and it's just so nice to have a bed you can walk around...

guest bedroom/craft room COMPLETE

2011-07-07T12:31:00.000-04:00

So it is definitely nice to get a room completely finished. Here's the progression of the guest/craft room. Originally, the baby room was set to be the craft room but we all know what happened there! So using half of the guest bedroom was a good compromise. Here's the before with nasty carpet and dark woodwork:

And here's the same side with new paint, refinished hardwoods and all new painted trim work:

No one really needs a set of dressers for guests, so I opted for the bench with drawers, for guests who prefer to unpack some things. The closet is also empty and ready for guests, and there's plenty of extra sheets and blankets hanging around along with some lovely reading materials and candles.

The other side of the room houses all my craft supplies and tools nice and hidden in the two wardrobes we no longer needed for clothes. With some new drawers and shelves, I could give them a second life without having to be openly organized to visiting eyes. The desk is an old door from the demo, and the set of drawers was picked up at the thrift store for five dollars. After some paint on everything, I have a really great set-up for minimal cost. More money to spend on fabric...

And just for kicks, here's how big I am already:

don't let your summer footwear flop

2011-06-29T09:08:00.001-04:00

I know it's summer, it's hot and we're all so VERY tempted to buy shoes that cost about 1-5$ BUT let's not let that keep us from being cute and stylish. Rubber flip-flops are great for the pool, the beach, or if you're a frat girl. When you're 33 years old, not so much.

I bought two pair of flip-flops from Old Navy for about 5$ each. Mind you, they're already a half step above the rubber version, but I wanted something more. For less. The story of my life. So all you need is about a half hour per pair, some silk, beads/pearls, felt, hot glue gun and scissors.

Follow the tutorial here to make your flowers. This isn't the exact way I did mine, I did the circles and skipped the extra cuts, but I like her style flower as well. Then cut two felt circles and turn them into pacman. Glue the pacman mouth onto the underneath of your flip-flop straps. Then simply hot glue the flower onto the felt circle.

And look at that. You now have grown-up flip-flops. And for the sake of the tutorial, I'm showing you my sad in-desperate-need-of-a-pedicure feet.

Here's a second pair I did slightly different. Go with it, use your imagination and by all means, show me your nasty toes too!

i saw it on the internetz

2011-06-28T10:42:00.003-04:00

So here's a little project I spotted on the internet a few weeks ago. It made me stop and think, "Brilliant! What a space saver!". So I picked up the jar at Goodwill, and the topper votive holder at ACMoore and voi la! For $1.50 I have a great functional jar. Even the husband approved. In fact, I think he used the word 'neat'. Impressive.
This was my inspiration.

And since you guys are demanding house pictures: although I'm not the type who likes to show not-quite-finished projects, here's a picture of the baby's closet, sans drawer pulls. But I liked this unit, it was easy to assemble and install, and it's secured into the wall so little hands can't pull anything down. The rods are adjustable, so it would work for a smaller closet too. Also the shelves are movable, but once you move them they have screws to tighten and keep them from falling out.

IKEA suckered me into this soft {neutral} bunny. Shame on them.

And just because, I'm giving you a quick peak into a future post. These pots are from IKEA and I think they might be the most gorgeous thing I've ever found there. They're in the pots & plants section, but I've bought several for garbage cans, pencil tins, and yes, for plants. These are hosts to citronella candles right now and they look great when lit. You can find your own here.

5 weeks and counting

2011-06-25T11:51:00.000-04:00

Until I get to find out what I'm having. This whole pregnancy thing is so foreign and strange to me as it is, I think knowing the sex will definitely help make it 'real'. For now, I'm trying to adjust to this belly thing. I just feel like I'm bloated after eating too much chinese, except I don't wake up in the morning with a magically flat stomach again. Hopefully the house will be done SOON, and I can get back to my regular workout routine so I can at least feel like I'm making my best healthy effort.

wearable summer

2011-06-24T09:11:00.000-04:00

I saw these beautiful paper flowers in the craft store the other week and I instantly thought they would make fantastic jewelry. Well, my first thought was a ring, so I tested it out and realized what an epic fail that would be. One trip to the bathroom where you forget to take it off before washing your hands and it was ruined. So, my next thought was a necklace. As long as you don't swim, or shower, or dance in the rain with it on, it would survive.

And voi la, we have gorgeous neck wear:

I've attached each one to a white painted wooden circle for durability and comfort on your neck and then to a silver 18" chain. I'm asking $12 each {it includes shipping} and you can pay with paypal or check. I've already picked out mine {not pictured} so these are all the surplus. I'll take first come first serve, you just tell me which number you would like. I'll try to keep updated on which ones are spoken for as soon as they're reserved. If they don't all sell here, i'll move them over to my etsy site, but you guys get first dibs!

it's about time

2011-06-21T22:53:00.000-04:00

First off, apologies. You know why. I've had a crazy whirlwind couple of weeks and this week is proving no different. Most of my madness is self-induced, so no pity please. I may have some house progress photos for you soon, things are really starting to come together...

In the meantime, a post I promised: Dan & Bethany's engagement shoot. Well, a quick word about the couple: they're young, vibrant and so in love. I hate them. Kidding, kidding, they're both very wonderful smart sweet people and I know they'll be so happy together.

A little about the shoot: This engagement shoot was something to get us sort of warmed up for their wedding, next month. They had planned to come visit for a weekend, and of course, the weekend was wet and cold and not at all picture weather. BUT being, the young vibrant happy people they are, we all decided to give it a go regardless. They were really up for anything which makes my job easy. I gave them both leather boots and accessories and the rest of what you see was mostly picked up from flea markets and thrift stores. We picked daisies during the shoot and even ended up asking an old farmer if we could take a few shots around his farm. After he agreed he quickly added that the cows were already inside, fearing we would be disappointed by that information.

So although I didn't get the warm sunny day I had hoped for or the bright blue sky, I'm pretty happy with the photos. And they loved them, so that makes for a job well done in my mind.

Well, enjoy:

Dan and Bethany: engagement shoot

2011-06-12T14:14:00.000-04:00

A sneak peek of the photoshoot this weekend:

see you all tomorrow!

pink passion

2011-06-09T22:03:00.000-04:00

Since I am actually working a full 40 hrs this week, I can honestly say, thank goodness tomorrow is friday. Not that we'll be relaxing or anything. We have a couple of friends coming into town and they've/I've agreed to do a little engagement shoot even though I'm shooting their wedding in less than two months. Never you mind, but I'm really looking forward to this. I've been planning shot ideas, buying props and storming up my brain for weeks. And since nothing is ever as cool as I think it will be, I will probably disappoint myself, but for now, let's imagine it will be grand.

In the meantime, here's a lovely peony that stopped by my garden for a couple of weeks. And here's to a happy weekend, regardless of poison ivy, morning sickness or weather...

Maybe I just have too many magazine subscriptions...

2011-06-06T18:25:00.000-04:00

I have something to admit. To all of you. I'm ashamed. I picked this wooden crate up...off the side of the road. I know! Shame on me, but free? A girl can't say no when she sees potential. And someday I will be an elderly hoarder surrounded by 'potential'. Let's hope it never comes to that. For now, This box was my next project.

I sanded and sanded and then left it outside to dry since the wood was a little wet from the rain. I didn't do much else to it because I really loved the color and the wear and tear, and why work harder than you have to?

As you can see, it snugly fits magazines. How perfect.

And since I never stop at good enough, I drilled holes on each side and attached some oil rubbed bronze door handles I found at the thrift store, 2 for $1.00. Now I can lift the box easily. And the whole project cost me $1. Come on people. Really?

a revamped dining room

2011-06-04T14:39:00.000-04:00

Ok keep in mind that there is still SO much to do in this room. I'm really wanting to create a faux paneled wall with a chair rail, the bench is getting a redo soon and a new pad, and the dining table will move onto a better home as I search for something else white and inexpensive.

That being said, this really is a huge 'function' area for us. Basically J gets ready to walk out the door from here in the morning and there are lots of things to gather up and shoes to put on while I make breakfast.

Here's the before, I even left a dustbunny on the floor for you guys:

Well after a morning of reading and rereading IKEA directions, we have a new shoe cabinet and a more organized 'station':

This is perfect for us, because there's no chance the dog will ever attack my shoes again. Also, there's a handy small drawer for all J's things. Loose golf tees, small flashlight, wallets, etc.

And since I'm a girl who changes my mind a LOT, here's what it looked like yesterday:

and today:

Dear Blogger,

2011-06-03T17:36:00.002-04:00

Please start playing nice with Flickr again. All my photos are getting sad and lonely. Seriously, I'm having issues reconnecting my blog with my Flickr account. I think it has to do with Blogger's nonsense we're going to fix something, no really we broke it instead episode this past weekend. I'm incredibly bummed. I've even got a few posts in the making, but you know me, if there's no picture, there's no post. HELP!!

miss fix-it: how to patch a hole in your wall

2011-06-02T09:29:00.003-04:00

Now I happen to have a lovely old 1950s home, which {lucky me}, came with plaster walls. Yipee! So making holes and un-making holes is not as easy as it is with sheetrock walls. BUT this trick works well with both, so here's some useful information:

First, this is the putty I've been using to fill my holes. Out of all the ones I've tried {and believe me, I've tried LOTs}, it's my favorite. Plus, it's zero smell/VOCs. Good for preggo do-it-yourselfers. I also use the crap out of this multi-tool found in the paint section of my hardware store. It spackles, smooths, opens paint cans, cleans rollers, etc etc. It's brilliant really, I have two.

First things first, use the flat edge to remove any bubbles, raised edges, anything that could result in a non-smooth working surface. {Sorry I forgot to take a picture at this point but here's what came out of my giant hole:}

Now use the flat edge of your multi-tool to fill your hole with putty, smoothing out as you go. If you're not an expert at this, just get enough in there to make it more than level with the wall, and we'll take care of the excess when we sand.

Now here's the IMPORTANT part. Wait for it to dry. If you don't, you'll end up taking up the putty and having to start over. When you have a small hole, it won't take long, maybe a couple hours. When you have a giant crater like I did, it's best to wait to sand and paint until the next day. Here's the sanding portion. I prefer these sanding blocks because you can get a nice smooth surface when you lay it flat against the wall. There's little room for error.

Now you're ready for paint. Paint ONLY the area that needs it. The sheen will look different from the rest of the wall, due to time and sun, so you want to keep the area as inconspicuous as possible. No need to break out a brush or a roller. I find these small foam craft brushes work great, and they're cheap, so you can toss them if you're not into washing and reusing. Try to pat on the color at first and then smooth it out so you don't have any visible edges.

Voi La! You've just hidden an oops, or an old design element, or a furniture moving disaster. Let me know if you have any questions, and happy fixing! {In the picture, my paint hasn't dried yet, but once it does, it will be magnificent!}

shop 'til you find cute shoes

2011-06-01T19:20:00.002-04:00

That's always been my motto. But with all the great sales this past weekend, I even shopped after I found great shoes. Lots of new summer dresses and tops that will 'grow' with my belly. When a brand new item is less than three dollars, it's really hard to walk away. Darn you Old Navy, darn you and your fabulous sales.

These shoes came after a short search, from Marshalls, and are absolutely what I was looking for. The husband said to me as we were about to go out for the day: "Why are you wearing heels, are you nuts?" to which I replied, "They're actually really comfortable!" To which he responded: "Well in that case you can be pregnant in heels anytime!".

Welcome home my retro go-with-anything comfortable friends. You will be loved.

big project reveal: wait for it...

2011-05-28T21:45:00.002-04:00

Well, I mentioned I was working on a project that's been really taking it out of me, and oh yeah, it's making a person! Which is exhausting, just so you know.

We've known for about a month and didn't want to say anything {or really believe it was real} until we visited the doc. Well, the doc visit went really well, nothing abnormal, everything's healthy, there's only one {phew}.

So I spent the weekend thus far reading all my wonderful facebook comments, shopping for summer dresses that I can grow with, and being uber gassy. Yes, one of the perks of being preggers.

Anyway, I've had to say a sad goodbye to the 6-pack {yes, you can hate me, I had them} and in the last week or so the baby bump has made an appearance. It wasn't going to be much longer before people started to notice.

So there's the big project that I'll be working on for the next, oh, 25 years. Woo, just when I thought I could relax...

randomness

2011-05-26T15:03:00.002-04:00

A simple and cute idea for a dollar thrift store find. I'm trying to fight it, but my design taste is quickly leaning towards the flea market/worn/distressed look. I like the idea of everything having had a prior life. It makes me feel surrounded by good friends with interesting stories to tell. Plus it saves a TON of money when you recycle or repurpose something. But you already knew that.

And here's a random hilarious photo of the dog:

don't underestimate me

2011-05-25T11:21:00.003-04:00

Never, ever underestimate the ability to turn anything into an organization tool. My brain is constantly thinking 'storage!' so shopping with me can probably be annoying, unless you're looking to organize your closets.

I saw this idea somewhere in the blogosphere a while ago, except someone was using it to store belts. Well, I've been keeping an eye out at the thrift stores for a vintage soda crate and nothing has been showing up. I took a quick look at my local flea market {it's seriously two minutes from my house} and on the way out of what I thought was a wasted trip, I stumble on this crate. It was exactly what I was looking for. And only eight dollars? Score.

With five dollars worth of swivel rolling legs from home depot and two dollars worth of wood screws {#8x3/8"} I now have a handy divider for those unruly {and quite dirty actually} flip flops.

I'm quite happy with this little project, easy, quick and handy. I'll keep an eye out for more in the future, will you too?

impromptu photoshoot

2011-05-24T08:10:00.002-04:00

Well, the weather didn't want to cooperate, but we managed to get a quick photoshoot in of the girls before they left for almost-good.

There are a few quaint spots in my backyard, even amongst all the weeds and overgrowth, so we made due with what we had...all in all, I think we did ok.

See, someone was having a good time, despite being bribed with a new toy.

And then once all the seriousness was over, it was time for some fun:

goodbye dear friend

2011-05-23T10:37:00.002-04:00

So we orchestrated a surprise going-away bash for Carrie yesterday afternoon. She really had no idea, as you can see from her face:

It was a great time of fun and laughter and served as amends for all the excuses we concocted to avoid her this weekend! I think she was a little disappointed that nobody wanted to spend her last day with her!

I wish I had thought {smart I am almost always not} to use my external flash on such a dreary day, since a lot of the indoor photos came out blurred. That was upsetting to discover this morning! But alas, I give you what I could find that wasn't embarrassingly poor.

So although we will see her and her family again before their forever exodus, it was nice to say goodbye to her in our way. Even if it was a just excuse to eat cake pops. {more on those in another post!}

hello cupcake

2011-05-18T08:35:00.003-04:00

I've been wanting to find a mini-cupcake pan for a while now. I mean, if no one wants to commit to eating an entire cupcake, then why not bite-size goodness?

Well I finally found one, and lastnight's crafty night was my trial run. Even though I used a box mix (!), they were delicious. And thanks to a frosting kit I bought at IKEA a little while back, making them look adorable was a breeze. Well, not exactly at first, but that was my fault...

I'm excited to make these for parties now. Think of all the colored frosting and sprinkles options! Yum.

it's all part of my master plan

2011-05-16T09:02:00.002-04:00

Progress on the house is at a stand still currently. Why? Because the guy we use to install the hardwoods is backed up. Bummer. Serious bummer. Because I really really really want to move into our master suite. You'll see why in a second.

Here is our bedroom as it stands. The two cubbies on either side of the bathroom door will house built-in wardrobes. That I can't buy, assemble and install until the floors are done. Grr.

Then here's a glimpse at our messy new master bath. The shower glass is still being priced out, and the vanity is waiting for it's two lights, but other than that we are system's go. Water, toilet, double sinks and everything. Oh and did I mention the heated floor? It's a bathroom I may never want to leave. Can you get Chinese delivered to a bathroom?

Then there's our sad lonely pile of hardwoods just waiting to be installed. Don't they look sad?

And this is why we've been antsy to move into the new 'wing'. We've been living in the guest room since November. Not that it's a terrible thing, I mean, we're lucky to have had the bedroom to move into. Better than camping out in the living room. But we're surrounded by extra furniture that we didn't want to move to the basement just to move all the way back up here again. So our headboard is a mattress set, and our other headboard adorns the wall. Then there's an array of dressers on the other side of the room. It's crazy. We just want to move in to our rooms and spread the furniture love. Instead of living in the 13x17 foot furniture store...

do me a favor

2011-05-15T16:10:00.002-04:00

The lovely Marybeth introduced me to this fantastic summer bracelet tutorial. Honestly I have a hard time starting each and every one of these, a knitter I am not, but once you get the hang of things, they don't come out so wonky...

These guys have been whipped up as party favors for an upcoming summer shindig. I hope the ladies will like 'em!

i've been framed

2011-05-14T18:28:00.003-04:00

Forgive me dear readers for slacking on the posts, but I promise you it's for good reason. I'm working on a REALLY awesome huge stellar project and it's taking up a lot of my time. That along with the house and the intermittent freelance job and I am pooped.

But I have been crafting and decorating and of course shopping. Maybe I should dedicate a whole day to posting my weekly thrifty finds?

Anyway, I had a couple of my favorite photos blown up a while back, and have been waiting for the perfect spot in the new digs for them. But then I realized that in my giant bin of frames, I didn't have two matching 8x10s. And I couldn't justify spending a lot on MORE frames, so when I found these at TJMaxx today, I was oh so thrilled.

The mattes weren't exactly my style, so I spray-painted them white. For five dollars a piece and a little bit of work, I now have framed art that makes me smile.

a blog-by crafting

2011-05-06T11:05:00.002-04:00

A couple of quick crafts as of late:

This camera strap cozy I whipped up with the softest prettiest girliest fabric I may have ever seen purchased on a trip to the store where I was not to buy any new fabric. Oops.

Another YES ANOTHER cupcake platter. Or jewelry holder. Or candle holder. Really these things are so pretty and unique and versatile. Plus, they're SO easy to make. I have a few waiting for assembly in the basement. I think they'll be making it to the Etsy shop. Because really, how many of these things can I hide around my house before the husband calls me out on it? But sorry ladies, this ones for keeps....

cramping my style

2011-05-05T12:21:00.005-04:00

I know that we are in a transition phase. I tell myself that every day. It's not normal to move into half a house, but essentially, that's what we've done. So in the meantime, we have loads of stuff in every room. For an organizational neat freak, this is a problem. For months I've been moving things from room to room, packing things, unpacking things, creating storage solutions and basically losing my mind. Since we've had the basement permanently fixed {no more water, take that mother nature}, I decided to bring a bunch of things back downstairs and recreate a little craft room.

I was sick and tired of looking at this:

No matter how temporary it was, I couldn't go another day staring at all that stuff. I brought everything downstairs and created some not so sturdy piles. Then I disassembled the shelves, brought them piece by piece downstairs and reassembled them. They're now happily residing in the 'craft nook'.

Then it was in with the sofa table that was so kindly donated to us fo' free. When it came to me, it was a lighter oak, so after a little sanding, staining and poly-ing, it's a deep dark warmer tone that works with the rest of our furniture. The chalkboard was also an upcycled freebie. The old frame was painted and fitted with a chalkboard. More on those projects later, I did actually take before and after photos...the picnic basket is holding/hiding all my fitness magazines. The candle holder is another goodwill upcycle made from a platter and a silver cake display.

So now my soothing wall looks more like this, ahhh, that's better:

spring has sprung

2011-05-05T09:24:00.002-04:00

Well, to be honest this photo was taken sometime early last week. Those tulips have bloomed and peaked and are now losing their petals. Although the four I cut and brought inside are doing remarkably well.

Spring has been especially fun for me this year because since we bought our house in the fall and everything was sadly overgrown, I didn't have any idea what was planted anywhere. Lucky for me there are beautiful buds and flowers and flowering trees everywhere. I even discovered I have about 5-6 lilac bushes spread around the property. Once those are in bloom I'll be cutting and displaying and smelling to my little hearts desire. There's nothing like free flowers!

Oh and that tree you see there, the one every single contractor/worker {even the husband} has been asking if i'm cutting down. Yeah, turns out it's a weeping cherry and now i'm so glad I've stuck to my guns because it is gorgeous. And that glimmering taxi cab yellow door? Well, I think it's growing on everyone...

brooklyn cherry blossom festival

2011-05-04T09:35:00.003-04:00

So we took a last minute trip to Brooklyn on Saturday, and I have to say I'm glad I decided to go for so many reasons.

First, I was able to spend what will likely be my last trip to the city with Carrie, who will soon be off off and away thanks to her house selling in a mere week! I have to say I'm not really happy they're all leaving but I am happy for her that everything is working itself out...

I was also able to meet the other half of this splendid couple, aren't they adorable?

Then there was plenty of girl time and of course all the amazing food. There's nothing like eating some great Italian food under the Brooklyn Bridge.

Another very important reason is that I had the opportunity to mark something off my nyc bucket list. When I lived in Brooklyn I always wanted to go to their botanical gardens for the cherry blossom festival and though there was no time to do it while I lived there, I was able to mark it off this past weekend.

If anyone's ever interested in going it is well worth it. They do a beautiful job with all their gardens, there's some great japanese food to try, and the costumes {both traditional and not so much} are fun to see. The girls loved all the cartoon get-ups and seeing all the crazy dresses {and wigs} the women were wearing.

All in all it was a great trip even though i'm still recovering from all that walking!

craft night: magnets are fun

2011-05-03T09:49:00.004-04:00

and easy, and necessary if you take a quick glance at Marybeth's fridge. Sorry MB, but I had to call you out on it. So tonight, bring some magnets, some felt if you have any, scrapbook paper and anything else that tickles your bare fridge fancy.

Here are some links to tutorials I thought were worthy:

marble magnets
square glass magnets
wood magnets
felt magnets

For Cynthia

2011-04-21T20:42:00.002-04:00

Sure that's not how you spell it, but I actually kept calling these Hyacinth, until I did a quick google search just so I wouldn't sound silly if I was wrong. Well, I was wrong, but it turns out, I have a few Hyacinth around the yard as well. Who knew?

The fun thing about spring is watching all the random plants and trees sprouting and blooming. When we bought the house, everything was in such sorry shape that we just pulled out what we knew for sure was a weed and hoped for the best.

Well the fact that I have these pretty yellow bushes to stare at every day is definitely the best. They're my favorite shrubbery.

Bring me a shrubbery!
One that looks nice.
And not too expensive.

it's in the mail

2011-04-20T18:28:00.003-04:00

Here's the thing, I'm really drawn to metal, tin, rustic, red anything. So this vintage red metal mailbox was the perfect find. I check my thrift stores every week/couple of weeks because of items like this. I love everything about it, including the $2 price tag.

As soon as the upstairs is finished {I find myself saying that phrase a LOT}, I will find the perfect spot and use for it. It can be wall-hung or stand on it's own. So what say you, any good suggestions for it's future occupation?

it's a blue kind of day

2011-04-16T19:24:00.003-04:00

I've been feeding my craft obsession in small doses in between a few larger projects I'm working on. I can't wait to show you a couple of things that are being upcycled, but for now these will have to do.

I found these blue and white plates at my local Goodwill for about a dollar a piece. The bases were found at various stores, for about 50 cents a piece. I only had to spraypaint one of the bases and it came out splendidly. I'm really happy with the mix of black bases and the blue and white theme. I used E6000 glue to secure the bases to the plates. It's stinky, but it works!

And here we are waiting for the rain to stop. Sadie's going a bit stir crazy. She even attacked the rag I was using to wipe off her feet after a potty run. That rag didn't stand a chance, she's a chewer.

a little spring in your step

2011-04-11T11:36:00.003-04:00

I'm sure everyone is feeling the same way about summer after this tragically long and brutal winter. As much as I love boots, my feet are sick of being smothered.

Dear spring, please be kinder, i'm cold and tired of wool.

So thanks to a very kind friend who rewards me in gift cards, I picked up these sandals from Target last night. I absolutely adore the blue pair: the braid, the straps, the color, but the yellow pair kind of snuck up on me. However, I think they'll be perfect with the nautical outfits and the flowy skirts.

With the addition of these, along with the other two pair of flats that magically appeared in my closet recently, I fear that a very large shoe purge is in order. Any size 7s out there?

and now for something the same

2011-04-08T08:53:00.003-04:00

This is the last and final post about all things Kate. I finally mailed everything to her this past week and I know I know, 3 full months to get photos to the bride? Luckily she was patient with me, and because she was a friend I adjusted and photoshopped a LOT of her pics, say 97% of them. Because who doesn't want everything to just pop?

So here is a final send-off to that fantastic and frigid December wedding, with some of my favorite shots {some repeats, some new}:

So goodbye Kate and Paul, and I wish you the most happiness in a world of endless possibilities.

write it down

2011-04-07T20:55:00.002-04:00

To reduce confusion I spray painted some chalkboard paint onto these glass jars from Target.

I'm in love with 'Rust-Oleum' chalk board spray paint and 'FrogTape' painters masking tape. Everything in this house will be labeled eventually.

it's a pincushion! it's a tutorial! it's totally rad!

2011-04-05T13:53:00.003-04:00

Are you sick of pincushions yet? {Or exclamation points for that matter?!?} I know i'm not, but I like things in multiples, so it's hard to judge. Here is the tutorial that two very cool people asked me to post. It's pretty much a rip-off of an online tutorial I found, but the link no longer works for me, so here's my version:

Supplies needed: hot glue gun, ball jar with removable lid center, stuffing, cardstock, scissors, fabric, pencil/pen, coordinating pins.

Step 1: Trace your lid center onto the back of the fabric you'll be using and the piece of cardstock you need. Cut the fabric leaving about .5 - .75" excess around your drawn circle. Cut the cardstock on the actual drawn line.

Step 2: Place stuffing on wrong side of fabric, then put lid center on top.

Step 3: Push through lid top and hot glue edges of fabric down.

Step 4: Hot glue cardstock to bottom of lid center. This isn't necessary but it gives it a clean look. You could probably do the same thing with ribbon or more fabric.

Step 5: Reattach to jar, insert coordinating pins and voi la! You're done.

Step 6: Sit down and admire your craftiness. Preferably with some hot tea and a brownie in hand.

{A Tinkerwiththis crafty tip: look in unusual places for small amounts of inexpensive fabric. Like clearance cloth napkins or baby receiving blankets. This fabric is Liberty of London men's boxer shorts! I bought it on clearance for only a couple of dollars.}

pins and needles

2011-04-04T13:39:00.003-04:00

and the wiener is....JEN!

Congrats to you and thanks to everyone for participating. We'll be having more of these soon. All the links are great for inspiration and ideas and I'm excited to try a couple of the things.

So Jen, all you need to do is pick one of the two below, and email me your shipping info to tinkerellenATyahoo.com.

Thanks and happy monday everyone!

craft night project reveal and a contest: pincushions abound

2011-03-30T08:56:00.003-04:00

It was a lovely night, filled with the dog under our feet, delicious pie and good company. We all worked on our random projects and I was delighted with how many of these pincushion projects I was able to crank out.

These two were made from mini casserole dishes, one for me, one for gifting...I loved the coordinating pins I found in my stash. These were made by tracing the dish on the back of the fabric, cutting with a 1" allowance along the border, hand sewing through the edge and then pulling on the thread and bunching the fabric into a bowl shape. I added some stuffing and then hot glued the fabric 'bowl' to the inner edge of the dish. This would probably work great with anything from tea cups to small bowls to gravy servers!

These other versions were made using the ball canning jars, where the tops are removable. See the link in my previous post for the tutorial. They were so quick and easy to make too. And they have extra storage for ribbon, pins, measuring tape, whatever you need handy and visible.

I'll be giving away one of these small jar pincushion to a lucky reader. Just comment here with a project you want to do, want to see craft nighters make, or just something that caught your eye. You have to have a link in your comment to be entered. I will close the contest and announce the winner next monday...happy researching!

craft night mish mash

2011-03-29T09:31:00.002-04:00

So this week, all are welcome of course, but we're basically doing a 'whatever you're working on' night. I have a few projects to do for some people, along with a few fun things to get to. My night will basically go like this:

Cake stands
Appliqued onesies
Pin-cushion jars

Anyone have other brilliant quick project ideas??

the gang

2011-03-25T17:01:00.002-04:00

So here they are, the rest of the craft night purchases. Once the weather warms up and I have the time to work on them, they'll be transformed into delightful creatures. For now they are wretched and homely. And due to a complete bathroom design, they may stay that way for a while.

You know, it's difficult enough designing an entirely new bathroom, but throw in a complete opposites taste couple and it's doomed. Here's to compromise becoming my new best friend!