~all things pink & crafty...

~Knitted Cowl

2011-11-13T18:41:00.000-08:00

So I learned to knit last year. I have to say that I love it. It is so relaxing for me. Now, I dont't know how to do a lot, but I'm slowly working on it! Well... I saw this beautiful cowl on etsy and I thought I would try it... my favorite part? This huge button. I know... strange.

This is my funky big button. Actually, its a wooden button with a cute shell button on top. I just liked it.

So here's my version! I think mine is a little long, but I just got carried away. I do that. ;) Tell me what you think!

~Fabric Hairbands

2011-11-13T18:27:00.000-08:00

Oh Pinterest... you've enriched my life so...

So anyway, saw this cutie hairband @ http://www.maryjanesandgaloshes.com/2010/09/braided-headband-tutorial.html and loved it. I had all the materials, so why not??? I agree. This was a quick easy project.

I took a hair elastic and snipped it.

I took 3 pieces of fabric, each about an inch wide, and braided them together. I made two of these. Then I wrapped the end with a scrap of fabric and put a quick stitch at the base. On the first one, I used my sewing machine. Then I broke my needle, so this picture was actually taken from the one I hand stitched. I suppose you could use glue, but I felt that a quick stitch would be best.

Here are my finished bands! I promise you, this was such an easy project!

Well... I notice my son cut my nose off. Amateures.... :)

~Fabric flowers

2011-11-07T17:53:00.000-08:00

If you read my last post, you know that I'm a hopeless Pinterest junkie. But I cannot help it! All these wonderful ideas from extremely talented people. What's not to love?

So, my infinity t-shirt scarf is a hit. I love it! But I wanted to try a little somethin' somethin' to make it "mine". I saw these floating around Pinterest on clips and headbands and purses....

This tutorial (perfect instructions!) can be seen @ http://blairpeter.typepad.com/weblog/2006/03/fabric_flowers.html . I'm telling y'all... this was so easy to make! She even gives you a printable template. Here's mine...

I followed her directions and I decided to place a button in the middle. (I love buttons...). Then, to add some bling, I strung loops of beads on top of the button. Just strung and strung until I liked it! Here's another...

So.... have you guessed where I found the material?

Haha! I just had to take a picture of this. I hacked the junk out of this t-shirt! After I cut the hem off the bottom, then cut straight across from armpit to armpit (the part used for the scarf), I had this left over. Yep, I agree. Perfect fabric for flowers.

These were our Church Camp t-shirts. As you can see, cut from armpit to armpit. But still lots of usable material. Ta-da!

I am a believer in using what you have. No need to go out and buy lots of supplies! Look around for a minute and you'll find soooo much to work with! By the way... on the blue flower, I used magnets on the back. On the grey flower, I used a regular pin from a holiday pin that I no longer wear. So far, I'm really liking the magnets. Makes no holes and if they are strong, they don't move an inch! Hmmm.... I'm telling you. Look around! :)

~T-Shirt scarves! (I'm in love...)

2011-11-07T17:32:00.000-08:00

My name is Jennifer. It has been 4 minutes since my last pin. I am addicted to Pinterest.

Thanks for listening. I just had to get that out there.

So.... I have so many loves here lately. But I think my favorite thing that I've been seeing is scarves. Now I have always loved scarves, but let's be for real. As much as I may love something fashionable, when its gone, its gone. Right? So you can imagine how happy I've been with scarves making a comeback.

So... Pinterest.... oh, Pinterest. You have opened my eyes to so many fabulous things! Like diy scarves. I am working on a pretty little sweet knitted cutie pa-tutie, but that's taking some time. And if you know me, you know that I am such an immediate gratification crafter.

Sorry! Back to the topic at hand. Pinterest. So, I begin this post by saying that none of these, or very, very little of these ideas are mine! :) I will do my best to give credit where credit is due!

T-shirt scarves were popping up like crazy. And heavens knows I have tons of t-shirts. Perfect. Lets start with this beauty...

I saw this @ http://aprettypennyblog.com/2011/01/02/project-restyle-easy-no-sew-t-shirt-necklace/ and it was love at first sight. Her directions were so easy to follow! So.... Here's my version.

Oh gosh! I love it.

Next!

I saw this very cool idea @ http://organizeyourstuffnow.com/wordpress/?p=18948 and saw possibilities all in my closet! Here's my version....

So where'd that flower come from? Check out my next post! Listen.... if I can do these, you can too! Think of all those t-shirts that have a little spot on them, or a bleach stain. Perfect!

~Colorful color organizers... so easy!

2011-09-08T14:14:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I'm so sorry I've been away for sooooo long. It has been a crazy summer and an even crazier start to the school year! But I'm back and I have a few projects to share over the next few days.

Alright... so I have seen lots of different ways to make crayon organizers. But none of them seemed to work out for me. Then along came my precious angel nephew, Jameson, and with him came LOTS of formula cans. My sweet mother in law started collecting them for me.

So I just removed the outer label...

and picked out scrapbook paper in coordinating colors. I cut the paper to fit around the can, sprayed with adhesive, and wrapped the paper around the can. So easy!

There are so many times in class where we just need a specific color. This is the perfect solution. Now we don't need to pull out a big box for each student everytime we need a color. Everyone just grabs what they need. AND they are so pretty! ;)

~What a happy birthday!!!

2011-05-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

The girls over at The DIY Dish are giving away lots of cool products to celebrate their birthday! Check it out!

~Teacher gift idea

2011-05-06T11:26:00.000-07:00

It's Teacher Appreciation Week! Being a teacher myself, I try to be conscious of doing something special for my boys' teachers to let them know how thankful we are.

*This idea would also be great for an "End of the Year" gift.

I found this printable at Taidye Original and I fell in love! It inspired my "Summer by the Pool" gift basket. I started with these items:

See those pails? I stinkin' loved them because they are rippled on the end with little holes for draining. PERFECT for the pool or beach!

I found these puffy felt stickers in the scrapbooking section at Michael's. I thought they would be perfect on flip-flops. I attached them to brads so that they could be changed (future gifts for teachers-interchangable flip-flops decals).

I personalized the bottles and pails using my Cricut and contact paper. Matching, of course ;)

Here is a close-up. I attached those adorable printables to a pair of sunglasses.

Pink lemonade singles in the bottles. Nice touch, I think! :) These items can be purchased at a variety of stores.... very inexpensive possibilities!

~Revamped fruit bowl

2011-05-02T18:30:00.000-07:00

Good evening! I wanted to show you my latest project. I have had this fruit bowl for a long time... I picked it up at a yard sale. Now, it took a while to get inspired, but I really like how it turned out. BUT it was a little if-y for a while! Keep reading.... you'll see... ;)

I'd seen so many different pieces where white can been seen under the top coat of paint. So I just hit those spots that I would be roughing up. Now for the color!

Oh my word.... this was after 2 coats.... SO not working! (I was attempting to use an acrylic paint that I had on hand.... and I stinkin' loved this color.)

Ummm... no....

On to plan B! A quick run to Wal-mart always saves the day! This color was really close to what I was using. Whew!

THIS is what I had invisioned! But not done yet.... :)

I took some sandpaper (I have no idea what grit and all that. I just grabbed what I had.) and roughed up the edges to give it a worn look. I love how some of the white peeks through.

I really like the finished product!

I see a bowlful of lemons in the future....

But for the moment, squash will have to do! haha

But I need your help... should I go over this with a glaze? Thanks for your help!

~A new Cricut!

2011-04-23T14:15:00.000-07:00

There is a new Cricut coming out and I am entering to win one! Go to Everyday Cricut to enter! Good luck!

~Sand Dollar Easter Craft and Lesson

2011-04-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

During Spring Break, one of my students went to the beach and his family came home with over 100 sand dollars. I know!

She asked if she could send in some for our classroom. "Of course!" was my response. I knew there was a sand dollar story that helped teach the Easter Story. The timing for this project was perfect!

We started with our plain sand dollars. I read the following poem:

The Legend of the Sand Dollar

There's a lovely little legend

that I would like to tell,

of the birth and death of Jesus,

found in this lowly shell.

If you examine closely,

you'll see that you find here,

four nail holes and a fifth one,

made by a Roman's spear.

On one side the Easter lily,

its center is the star,

that appeared unto the shepherds

and led them from afar.

The Christmas Poinsettia

etched on the other side,

reminds us of His birthday,

our happy Christmastide.

Now break the center open,

and here you will release,

the five white doves awaiting,

to spread Good Will and Peace.

This simple little symbol,

Christ left for you and me,

to help us spread His Gospel,

through all Eternity.

Author Unknown

I gave each student a set of water colors. When we started, we realized that the sand dollars really soaked up the paint! BUT...

If you dipped the paintbrush in water and spread it over the paint, it would lighten a bunch. So now I think I have all the colors I want to use. :)

This is mine and Jessica's, my student aide. I know! I stinkin' love her shade of pink!

And here are a few samples from around my classroom. As you can see, some of them got a little happy with the water colors! But actually, in person, they weren't that dark and the colors showed up more.

Hey! Beauty is totally in the eye of the beholder!

Happy Easter!

~Magnetic Picture Holder (well... Kinda)

2011-04-09T20:08:00.000-07:00

I'm so sorry I've been gone for a while! Its been pretty busy around here lately. But I'm continually inspired by things I see everyone doing. So last week I saw where the very talented Shanty2Chic ladies made a cool memo board. I was immediatly drawn to this project because I had all of these materials just laying around begging to be used, too!

So I started with 3 scraps of 2x4's. I cut mine 12" each (a BIG thank you to my brother in law's father for the amazing eletric miter saw!)

I painted them Heirloom White, then sanded the corners and edges. I went around the edges with some distressing ink, then painted over it with Ralph Lauren Glaze. The first board in the picture doesn't have glaze on it... just so you can see the difference. ;)

Next, I glued the boards together. I had a metal decorative board I had picked up at The Dollar Tree (if you look back at some of my earlier posts, you can see some other ways I've used these). I used a spray adhesive to cover the metal board with scrapbooking paper. I went around the edge with the same distressing ink.

I had some flat bottomed glass pebbles. I sprayed the bottom with adhesive and stuck them to the scrap paper. Then I just cut around the edges.

My poor E6000 has seen better days! Once I got it going, I glued magnets to the backs.

It can be used vertically or horizontally. Now I have to decide if I want to stand it or hang it on a wall. After looking at it both ways, what do you think?

*Everything used for this project was stuff I already had. SO... Final cost: $0

~Lisa leonard giveaway!!!!

2011-03-09T18:41:00.000-08:00

Oh my you know I've wanted one for a long time! Check it out! http://www.lisaleonardonline.com/blog/2011/03/09/big-big-giveaway/

~Cheap & Personal Phone Cover

2011-01-04T18:22:00.000-08:00

This is my cheap, personalized phone cover. I got the cover at Ross for under $5. I added the lettering and dots using the Cricut. It was easy and I used materials that I already had. Can't beat that!

~Personalized Art Kit (Easy!)

2010-12-03T18:53:00.000-08:00

Have you seen these art kits at Michael's? They are filled with lots of creative possibilities! Oh, but look what you can do....

Before:

After:

Here's what I did: I simply slit the side of the plastic covering. I cut out the letters and dots, glued them to this pretty scrapbooking paper, and slid it into place.

The back is the same paper, with dots. I will say that I think this was a hit with my niece... she didn't let it go for a minute. And here's another positive.... there's no mistaking that this art kit belongs to Abi!

*These art kits are often on sale at Michael's. If not, use a coupon! Inexpensive but personal gift that any child would love!

~Christmas Tassel

2010-11-23T18:48:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness! I have been away for so long! I am truly sorry. It has been a crazy first half of the year... my schedule has seriously interfered with my crafting!

Ok... so the Monday before Thanksgiving, our family decorates for Christmas. Now... we are not skipping over Thanksgiving. Its just that we spend time with my family during Thanksgiving, so when we return from our trip, we find its so nice to walk into our decorate home.

So as we were decorating last night, I found this little fellow. See.... I made him last year BEFORE I started this blog. So I thought it was only fair to give him his moment.... :)

Here's the story.... (for those that know me... there's ALWAYS a story!) I was in Cracker Barrel and saw this gorgous Christmas Tassel. My crafty mind thought, "I could totally make that!" Well, if you can believe, just a couple days later, I found these flat-bottomed ornaments at Target. Just what I needed! I made this snowman from various ribbons and chenelle yarn from Michael's.

I started the first row of loops rather short. The next row was a little longer, and so forth. Just hot glue and continue. I even added some burlap loops because I love burlap and he was my creation and I could! So there, Cracker Barrel!

My boys helped me with the last step, the chenelle yarn. I just wrapped large loops around their fingers about 8 inches apart. Then tied them together in the middle. Done!

As long as you can find an ornament with a relatively flat bottom, you can make it into a tassel!

~Moose and Wormy Winner!!!

2010-08-28T19:33:00.000-07:00

And the "Hoarding Apron" goes to.... (drum roll....)

SalemMomma!

Email me your info, please! Thank you to everyone who participated and stopped by!

~Tim Holtz Giveaway!

2010-08-22T18:09:00.000-07:00

Scrap with Stacy is hosting a fabulous giveaway that, truly, is making me drool! Head on over there to check it out!

~Giveaway Scout

2010-08-20T19:47:00.000-07:00

Have you checked out this site? This is a site that will post giveaways from all over the "blog world". Go to GiveawayScout to find amazing giveaways galore!

~Moose and Wormy Giveaway

2010-08-19T19:14:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to share this giveaway! Its from Lindsey, who has an amazing etsy shop.... Moose and Wormy. Her designs are unique and original. I'm telling you, she can create ANYTHING! Just look at this adorable "Little Hostess" apron...

These capes are the stuff little boy's dreams are made of. Just imagine!

These toddler Cowpoke "bibs" are ingenius for those "Big" kids that still need a little protection from runaway food... :)

Now for the giveaway! Lindsey's latest creation... The "Hoarding Apron"! (Click here to check out her blog and see more about this apron.) She is offering this apron to one lucky winner!

Here's how to enter:

(Leave a separate comment for each entry)

1. Go to Moose and Wormy and come back to tell me your favorite item.

2. Add Moose and Wormy to your etsy favorites.

3. Make a purchase from Moose and Wormy

4. Become a follower of All Things Pink & Crafty (or tell me you already are!)

*Total of 4 entries!

The winner will be announced next Saturday (Aug. 28).

~Somewhat Simple giveaway

2010-08-19T18:35:00.000-07:00

Head on over to Somewhat Simple to check out her amazing giveaway! Oh, how I HAVE to find one of these tools! I sure could have used it on my lap boards! :)

~Trash to Treasure Lap Boards

2010-08-17T18:34:00.000-07:00

Well... here's the long-short story. Marcus and I received these hard placemats years ago as a wedding present (13 years, actually!). After moving and redecorating, etc., these babies ended up in the yard sale pile. By the way, does anyone else have a yard sale pile in their garage that grows and grows?
Finally, I had a yard sale this summer. When I found these in the bottom of a box, I saw them with a fresh vision. Well... my vision was to revamp these, with the cork backing in mind as the "new and improved" part.

Then, as my new students were participating in centers, I saw a need. Many of my kids wanted to spread out, get comfy, and color/draw. But I had nothing for them to use....

I grabbed the placemats, my spray adhesive, a little roller (found in the wallpaper department at Lowe's... fantastic tool!), and scrapbooking paper.

I sprayed the board and rolled the paper down, smoothing out bubbles with ease!

I used sandpaper to remove the extra paper from the edges, then rubbed a little distressing ink around the edges to make it POP. You know I love that stuff....To finish, I used Valspar clear gloss spray to seal the paper. (2 or 3 coats)

Ok.... for the next part, let me explain. I know I could have just stuck the paper to the back of the tile and been done. But see... I have been DYING to use the Dimensional Magic!!! Have you ever felt that way about a new craft item? I know... I know...

Anyway, I took these tiles, cut and adhered coordinating paper, and went over the paper with Dimensional Magic.

I'm telling you.... I stinkin' love this stuff! Oh my gosh I cannot wait to use this on something else...

I glued the tiles to the clips, glued the clips to the boards... magic, I'll tell ya!

Marcus and the boys helped me pick out "boy appropriate" paper. Don't you love these monsters?!

And can you believe this paper?! I found this at Michael's and just about fell over when I saw it! Perfect.... simply perfect! (I teach 3rd grade)
I loved the way these clips turned out.
This paper was a must. When I saw it, the words "Fruits of the Spirit" immediately came to mind. Had to have it....
Just check out that dimension... Y'all, this is just the beginning of my new love obsession with this stuff! HA!
Aaahhh.... much better! Moveable, workable, cute, colorful... AND practically free! Thanks for looking!

~Unique stamped necklaces

2010-07-24T19:39:00.000-07:00

For our bridesmaids' gifts, my newest sister-in-law gave us the coolest necklace. It's a silver chain with a pearl on one end and a jade charm on the other. To "fasten" the necklace, you loop one end around the other. Cool, right?! So.... of course I've wanted to make one since laying eyes on it! But I wanted to add a personal touch....

These are the tools I started with. (My sister, Cheree, is the designer for this one... it's for her!)

To make the dangly charms (for lack of a better word)....
On the small square, I punched their first initials and last initial. On the larger square, I punched the year they married.

I attached the dangly charm to the end of this cool charm we found at Walmart. I know! Walmart has some really pretty beads and charms... just FYI...

Here's the finished necklace! Want to see more of how to put it together? Take a look at this necklace....

I wanted to make a special birthstone necklace for my cousin Tracy. Her son, Carson, is being dedicated at church tomorrow and I thought this would be a sweet keepsake for her.

I started with a simple chain. Now... it was hard to find one long enough. Mostly, the chains in the jewelry section of the craft store are 18". Not long enough. Then I found a 60" chain at Hobby Lobby. This was plenty to make 2 necklaces.

Carson was born in April. I found these birthstone charms that were perfect. This is the beginning of the dangly charm.

Before I finished the charm, I pulled the stem through the end of the chain. Then I made the loop and twisted the remaining wire around the top of the jewel.

I punched the letters and numbers...

Carson's initial and birthdate. Go over the letters with a sharpie and wipe off quickly to achieve the black look in the stamps. Ok... dangly birthstone charm on one end... personalized charms on the other.... just loop one end

over the other

and..

There you go! A unique, one-of-a-kind necklace! Oh... the possibilities....

~Bottle cap belts

2010-07-19T19:03:00.001-07:00

First, let me give a heartfelt apology for my absence! Between vacation and 2 church camps, it's been a busy summer! But speaking of church camp... my family just returned from Indian Springs Holiness Campmeeting. Its an old-fashioned campmeeting, with a tabernacle and everything. Well, we were able to fit in a little crafting..... :)

So, let me give you a little background... people from all over come to Indian Springs. Many people come from Kentucky. And apparently there is a drink there called Ale 8 1. Now... you may know about this drink, but me, I had never heard of it until Indian Springs, where those from Kentucky bring it in. (Georgia soft drink = Coke)...

So to make a cool keepsake, my niece starts collecting bottle caps. But she wasn't sure what to do with them. I had seen these in the mall and on different sites, but I wasn't sure if my idea would work! We asked her mom to stop by a thrift store and pick up some belts. She found this camo belt and leather belt.
I took the bottle caps and, with a pair of flat-nosed crafting pliers, fanned out the edges (to make the cap not stand up as much).
Using my Crop-a-dile (love it!), I punched a hole in the center of the cap and through the belt, where they were to meet.
To attach the two, I "crunched" a grommet on. I know that is not the correct terminology, but that's exactly what it was like! I was afraid that it would dent the center, but it didn't! :)
Here is the camo belt. I really liked how this one turned out (I think because I wasn't so sure it would work!).
This one turned out great, too. I had seen leather belts with caps before, so I felt like this one would look good.
(Can you see those little toes? My photographer... He wanted to help his mama! Sweet boy...)
Before next camp, Hanna and I want to make several different things for her. I would love to hear your ideas! Thanks!

~Lisa Leonard giveaway!

2010-06-14T22:16:00.000-07:00

Ooohhhh.... I have been dreaming of winning one of Lisa's Designs! Hop on over to Remodelaholic to enter, too!

~Check out Brody!

2010-06-01T19:17:00.000-07:00

Look at our little man! This is my nephew, Brody. His mama is Tara @ therapy for roses. How adorable is this?!? Please be sure to take a close look at your magazines for the next few months. You never know where Brody will pop up! Congratulations, Brody! We are all so proud of you! :) I love you, Little Man!

~Mary Kay giveaway winner!

2010-06-01T19:08:00.000-07:00

And the winner is.... by Random.org.... Debilou ~ Mississippi Mama! Congrats, Debbie! Email me your information so I can get you your awesome gift!
~Thanks again, Erika, for the giveaway! Be sure to check out Erika's site for all your Mary Kay needs (wants!).

~Stamped pendants

2010-05-31T18:10:00.001-07:00

Ok... I have longed to make stamped jewelry. I mean, really... I have looked and looked for metal stamps all over. In stores... the internet...

Well, a friend tells me about Harbor Frieght Tools. You can buy metal stamps there in various sizes. I ran.... RAN, I tell you! to this store, which happens to be not too far from my house.

Here's what I did. I bought these little round discs at Michael's. There are also diamond shaped pendants in this pack (future post!). I used a regular hammer to stamp the letters onto the pendant. The "C" is for my first born, the "E" is for my second.

*Where you stamp is important. Do not... I repeat, do NOT stamp on your kitchen table. Don't question how I know this. Just trust me. Go find you some nice concrete.

Ok. Second want. I have always wanted to try to make these dangly charms. So, I found crystal beads and made a birthstone charm for each boy.

I also made this family monogram pendant and dangly pearl charm. I'm not so sure this metal worked as well as the other charms. But tell me what you think! :) Thanks!

~Its a Mary Kay giveaway!

2010-05-25T16:24:00.001-07:00

I am very pleased to introduce you to Erika Condon. She is a Mary Kay consultant and has put together this amazing prize for 1 lucky winner! How perfect is this? This prize includes 4 "fun in the sun" products that everyone needs for summer. Here's what this gift includes:

Mary Kay SPF 30 Sunscreen. It's waterproof and sweat-resistant for up to 80 minutes - lightweight and oil-free, so it can be used on the face and body
Mary Kay Lip Protector with SPF 15. It keeps lips guarded and protected from the drying effects of the sun and wind.
Mary Kay After-Sun Replenishing Gel. It's formulated with botanical extracts and rich in soothing antioxidants. It absorbs quickly to replenish vital moisture to the body.
Mary Kay Self Tanner - perfect for that extra bit of glow!

Oh, I can see me now.... toes in the sand.... book in my hand.... Oops! Sorry! Back to reality!

Anyway, 1 lucky person will receive this huge gift from Erika. So... on with the rules!

~For entry #1: Comment to this post about where you would love to use this gift.

~For entry #2: Post about this giveaway on your blog, come back and leave another comment to this post.

~For entry #3: Register with Erika on her personal MK site www.marykay.com/econdon

A possible three entries! Woo-hoo! AND.... for any followers of All Things Pink & Crafty, Erika has offered 20% off your total purchase made from today through Sunday, May 30! Thanks, Erika, for this awesome giveaway!

*I'll announce the winner next Tuesday, June 1.

Good Luck everyone!

~Make a friend's day special :)

2010-05-25T16:02:00.001-07:00

My friend Jill is a new mother! In law... that is! We wanted to do something special for her, so we decided to throw her a Mother-in-law to be shower! I so wish I had pictures to show y'all. We made her an "Emergency" basket to meet all possible forseen problems. Of course, we also added some pampering things to relieve stress. I thought a shirt proudly displaying her role would be perfect!

I found the sheets that can be cut out and using my cricut, I cut out these letters. I added her son's birthyear as the "Established" date. Cute touch, I think! These letters ironed-on with ease! Yep, I'm hooked...

So, I encourage you to find something that you could do to make a friend's day special. I know that whatever you do, it won't go unnoticed.

~(Congratulations, Joel and Katie on your new life together!)

~Have a great weekend!

2010-05-22T14:09:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!

~Summer Book Thong

2010-05-17T18:52:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you.... but one of my most favorite things to do in this world is to be on the beach, toes in the sand, and a good book in my hands! I have made several of Book Thongs like this, but when I saw these cute little flip-flop charms, they just begged to go to the beach as a new summer book thong!

Pink.... of course. These are so super easy to make. I'd say 20 minutes, tops. I have used a couple of various materials, but here's how I made this one:

2 ft. (approx.) Thin hemp cording (sold in the jewelry dept. @ Michael's - comes in black, white, and brown)
Charms for each end (I have also used old "hanging" earrings!)
beads of your choice (make sure the center hole is wide enough for your string)

I start by stringing the charm for one end. Pull through enough cording to double back through the beads. Then string your beads, working the extra string through as you go. When you get to the last bead (here, I always finish with a big silver bead with a wide hole... you'll see why!), tie a couple of good knots. THEN... pull that big silver bead over your knot. Clip away extra string!

For the other side, I string my beads starting with the last (that big silver bead), stringing my second charm on last. Work string back through, making sure your final length is not too long, tie your knot, and pull your big silver bead over your knot. It always holds!

Now, for the finishing touch! I made these cards to hang the book thong from. This is sure to bring a smile to your reciepient's face! How cute would this be for a "End of the Year" teacher's gift?

I am a firm believer that a font should reflect a personality. (I have mentioned that I stinkin' love fonts, right?) So... you can make this frilly or silly, the choice is yours! But seriously, it's called a Book Thong... the end result will probably be silly.... :)

~First ever giveaway winner!

2010-05-17T18:46:00.001-07:00

Oh my gosh, y'all! Thanks so much for making my first ever giveaway a big success! And the winner is....

Dawn who wrote, "Hi, I'm a newbie here! I love your blog!"

Dawn, send me your info, please, so that I can get your gift to you!

Truly, the most heartfelt thanks to everyone who entered! I so look forward to hosting another giveaway. Check back soon for the next one!

~First ever giveaway!!!

2010-05-14T12:45:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh! I am so excited to have my very first ever giveaway!!!

So a few weeks ago, I received the most unexpected suprise... the great people at CSN stores online contacted me about a possible giveaway on my blog. I went to their site ("bar furniture") to check it out. Oh.my.goodness! They literally had thousands of items to choose from... they have over 200 sites! So, my task of choosing an item was not an easy one, let me tell you. AND their prices were un.be.lievable! But when I saw this little pretty, I knew.... oh, yes... I knew...

Isn't it gorgeous?! And here's the cool thing... there are several other pieces to match! I'm telling you, I fell in love with this site!

Here's something else I noticed... they have free shipping on many of their items! I love that!

Ok... so here's the deal... to enter into my First ever giveaway:

1. Leave me a comment to this post.

2. Become a follower and leave a separate comment telling me you have (or that you already are! Love Y'all!)

3. Post about this first ever giveaway on your blog and leave a separate comment letting me know.

A possible 3 entries (one for each comment)! I will announce the winner Monday night. Good luck everyone!

~Mother's Day

2010-05-09T18:24:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day! I wanted take a minute to brag on the Mothers that I have been blessed to have in my life.

This is my mama, Sue. Growing up, everyone called her "Mama Sue" because anyone could go to my mom and she was there for them. My mama is truly a blessing to me. She is a constant pillar for our family. She is an unwavering Christian warrior and I completely look up to her. She is my dearest friend... I can share my heart with her and my heart will be safe.

A few years ago, we (the ladies.... and my boys...) were at the beach. We were watching "Sarah, Plain and Tall". In this movie, she calls her aunts "The Treasures" because that's what they are to her. I quickly picked this up for my mom, my aunt Brynda (Bee), and their friends. I have to call them the "Traveling Treasures" because they are always on the go!

Thank you, Mama.... for being who you are. Thank you for always loving me, always setting the perfect example of what a Christian mother should be, always showing the love of Christ by putting others before yourself. I love you more than there are words....

This is Martha Ann, my mother in law. She is such a blessing... I can't even begin to tell you! She is a woman that I admire. I think the world of her...

She has been through so much in her life. She lost both of her parents tragically when she was just a young mother. She lost her husband of 33 years tragically as well. Yet through it all, she has been a pillar of strength for her family. She is the picture of Christain love. She always puts her family first, before her own wants and needs.

Her favorite scripture is Proverbs 3:5-6... "Trust in the Lord with ALL thine heart; and lean not onto your own understanding. In ALL thy ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths." Let me tell you... She lives this! She lives Christain wisdom...

She is hilarious... I love spending time with her, just laughing! She is a woman that you can share your heart with, but she will be honest with you and tell you what you need to hear. (That's hard sometimes, but usually right on!) I love her dearly and I know that I am blessed, beyond what I can say, to have her in my life....

Thank you, Marthann, for loving me as if I were one of your own. Thank you for always being there for me and showing me what kind of mother in law I should hope to be one day...

You know... One wonderful woman in my life would have been more than many women get... but I have two... Truly, I am blessed. And I know it well!

Mama, I love you
Marthann, I love you

Thank you both for loving me, too

~Somewhat Simple Giveaway

2010-04-29T08:37:00.000-07:00

Hey! Go check out the giveaway that Steph @ Somewhat Simple is having! Get ready for the beach! :)

~Family sign turned wire picture holder

2010-04-25T17:06:00.000-07:00

Oh, I wish I had a "before" picture for this sign! (...sigh...) Anyway, my mother-in-law found this wooden cut out at The Dollar Tree. She gave it to me and said, "Here. We can do something with this!" Oh, she saw the possibilities! So... I knew I would paint it black, but then what? Then I remembered Carson's first year block.... yeah, baby!

This project was so simple! I drilled small holes where I wanted to place the wire picture holders. I don't think you can tell, but there are 3 coming from the back, and 2 on the top, coming out from the "A" and the "L". I curled the ends of the floral wire using needle nosed pliers. Instead of zig-zagging the wire like I did with Carson's block, I chose to use a simple curve. Then I used a dab of gorilla super glue to secure each wire.

For a special touch... we added too cute pictures from the bride and groom's childhood, with an engagement photo in the center. Aren't they adorable?!

I am linking this post to:

Between Naps on the Porch

Twice Remembered

Cottage Instincts

A Soft Place to Land

Today's Creative Blog

Blue Cricket Design

My Backyard Eden

The Shabby Chic Cottage

Somewhat Simple

Funky Junk Interiors

~wedding candy dish

2010-04-25T16:57:00.000-07:00

These dishes were used at my brother-in-law's wedding reception. Seriously... I made them using a glass candlestick and a round glass dish, both from The Dollar Tree (yes, that's $2!). I cut the "B" out using my cricut, just to add a personal touch for the occasion.

~ wedding rehersal dinner made easy(er!)

2010-04-25T16:24:00.000-07:00

My husband has a big family! And the last of his sibilings just got married this past weekend. We wanted their wedding to be extra special, so Tara and I tried to add special touches where we could. My sweet mother-in-law was in charge of the rehersal dinner, so we jumped in to help. To see more of what we did, check out Tara's blog, therapy4roses. We are trying to "tag-team" all of our projects between the two of us!

Aww... me & my husband! Tara and I found these notecards at Michael's. This part was in the center of the card. We cut away the outside border to use just this demask pattern.

We found some scrapbooking paper that was an exact match to the green they chose to use. I printed the names onto the paper using a regular ol' printer. We cut them into this cute shape and added distressing ink to the edges for a little extra something. :)

So... you know how kids can get easily bored, then start to act up? Maybe it's just mine... anyway, we thought we would take care of that before it even became a problem! These tins came from IKEA (I stinkin' love that store...). Again, I printed the names onto the cardstock, cut them out into a cute shape, and then Tara distressed the edges and attached them to the tin.

At each child's seat, we placed activity pads, pencils, and markers (all from The Dollar Tree). We covered their table with butcher paper, letting them draw right onto the "table" to add to the fun.

They also had personalized sports bottles. With 10 kids to a table, we knew there would be spills. So again, we thought we would be preemptive with these bottles.

For the girls, we also included a button making kit. For the boys, we had army men. Crafts and war... all at the same table! BUT we had entertained children during the nights festivities. Mission accomplished!

~prayers for Tracy and Carson

2010-04-14T19:35:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I want you to meet my cousin, Tracy (I call her Tracy Faye... She was named after my favorite person in the world, my Aunt Faye, who was taken to be with Jesus when I was 6 years old.)

If you have been lookin around my blog, you will see that a few of my projects lately have been centered on Tracy and sweet baby Carson. Click here to see his name blocks and here to see his first year block.

Here is Tracy with my sister, Cheree.
Here is Baby Carson's prayer from us. We wanted to have this framed for Tracy so that she could read this prayer on those hard days and long nights.
Carson has been prayed for since before he was born!

I had to add this picture of my precious mama (Mama Sue to everyone around!) serving our punches. (1-chocolate coffee punch ~ heavenly... 2-reindeer spritzer (a Christmas recipe) modified for our spring baby shower, thank you!)

That's me, my sister Wendi, Tracy, and Cheree. As you can see... our Tracy Faye has always been, and will forever be, very loved in our family.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Which leads me to my prayer request: Tracy is in the hospital tonight with dangerously high blood pressure. They have tried to lower it all day with little luck. Feeling that they can't wait because of Tracy's health, they are starting to prepare her body for induced labor, which should begin in the morning.

Carson will be around 6 weeks early. The doctors believe that his weight is around 5 lbs. Their main concern is our Tracy. I know that God is in total control... He will make this a blessing in His own way. But right now.... I just want peace for Tracy and Carson. Please pray for them tonight. And pray for Ryan, Tracy's husband. He is a wonderful husband who will be an equally wonderful daddy.
We love you so much, Tracy Faye!

~cricut cake giveaway

2010-04-08T19:43:00.000-07:00

Cuttlebug Challenges is having a cool giveaway! Click here to check it out! Thanks~

~beneath my heart giveaway

2010-04-07T17:09:00.001-07:00

Hey! Traci @ beneath my heart is having an awesome giveaway featuring handmade jewelry from The Vintage Pearl. If you haven't already checked it out... go! Have a blessed day!

~Do you see what I see?

2010-04-01T10:25:00.000-07:00

Do you see what I see?

It's my gorgeous new changeable frame from Kristi @ justsimplysouthern! I won this from a giveaway that Traci @ beneath my heart was having. Oh my.... how I stinkin' love this frame!

Let me tell you... this frame is a-maz-ing! I grabbed one of my favorites I had laying around and within seconds, well... let's just say I was in tears. It's so perfectly simple to switch pictures just like that!
Kristi was soooo sweet to me. She allowed me to custom pick everything. I told her what I liked, the colors that I use in my home, a TA-DA!

Please take note of the detail... oh my... can you tell I'm in love?

This is how the frame is packaged. Now tell me... with a cutie picture like this, how can you go wrong? How can you NOT fall for this frame? Adorable!

Kristi, you are wonderful. It is absolutely perfect! Thank you for making my day! (month... spring.... shoot, this should last me through till fall!)

~easter baskets

2010-03-28T07:13:00.000-07:00

My very talented Sister in law, Tara had a wonderful idea for personalized easter baskets. When she told me her idea, I just knew it was going to be adorable! She told me exactly what I would need... which was one thing... white contact paper! Check out her baskets here!

I found these beach pails at Michael's for $1. For the mothers of boys... do you ever feel like at Easter everything looks a little girly? Anyway... I thought these pails would be the perfect solution! (and leaves plenty of room for Easter loot!)

Have a wonderful, BLESSED Easter!

~baby's first year block

2010-03-27T20:28:00.000-07:00

I know... I'm obsessed with these blocks! I get so inspired by the blocks that the ladies over at How Does She? make. Then I saw the birthday block that Jamielyn over at i heart naptime made. So I kinda' combined some ideas to make this for Tracy and Carson's shower.

I took a 2x4, about 18 inches long, and covered it with the scrapbook paper I used to make Carson's blocks (here)

I distressed the edges and corners with a sander, then brushed over them with brown ink. I used 20 gauge floral wire from Michael's to make the picture holders. To make sure I had room for all 12 months, I measured for each hole (I know... I usually eyeball it...). Then I nailed a hole for each wire. I dipped the tips into E600 to secure them. (Some of the holes weren't deep enough, so I went back and drilled those.) I attached the letters and numbers with Mod Podge, then went over the entire block to seal it.

Here's the finished product at the shower. I can't wait to see all 12 months filled with beautiful pictures of Carson!

~shutters revamped

2010-03-20T15:37:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, our family went to a local antique mall. We love to go here because you just never know what you'll find! Which brings me to these babies... I saw them sitting in a corner. I swear they called to me...

This very sweet lady saw me carrying them around and said she would check on the price. She comes back to find me and says, "They are $5." I say, "Oh... $10 for 2 shutters. Not bad!" She says, "Oh no, $5 for both." I think I blacked out for a moment... then grabbed them and ran!

Now, I know this lacy background is a thing of beauty... but not what I was looking for! ;)
And had a broken off knob...
Hang with me! Focus on the potential!

I ripped off the lace and (finally!) got the old knobs and stub off. (They were painted over!)

I painted them with Rustoleum Heirloom White, distressed the edges with sandpaper, and brushed over them with a glaze.

At one point I thought about something like chicken wire here. But I just wasn't settled on that idea.

I really like twine... then this idea hit me. I want this to be some sort of message center/photo holder. So I attached the separate pieces of twine in each corner. Then I gathered them together and tied them in a knot. I continued this process just a couple of more times until hitting the bottom. I'm sure I should have measured and all that, but I'm more of an "eyeball it" kind of girl!

Now that I have both sides all "twined", I attached burlap to the back. (I used hot glue for the twine and the burlap.)

Here's one finished shutter. Isn't she pretty? I really liked it hanging this way, too. (I'm still working on the 2nd shutter. I was just anxious to get one completed.)

I picked this knob at Hobby Lobby (1/2 off!). It has a wrought iron feel to it.

Now I think I'll add some mini clothes pins. Any other ideas? I'm listening! :)

~baby blocks

2010-03-13T20:09:00.001-08:00

When I saw the amazing blocks over at How Does She?, I will be honest... I fell in love. Fell hard...

I wanted to make my cousin, Tracy, blocks for her baby shower. BTW... I babysat Tracy. Changed her diapers. Fed her. I... am... old... Anyway! Back to the blocks!

I started with 2"x2" blocks from Michael's.

This was a big job, so I had to hire some great help! This is Ethan, painting his heart out!

Look at this concentration!

I will be honest. These blocks really soaked up the paint! I guess I should have primed them...

After getting them all painted, I sanded down the edges and corners.

Then I went over the blocks with Ralph Lauren glaze (Smoke). This was my first time using this product... not sure if I did it right! :)

I wanted just a touch more brown, so I dabbed the edges with a distressing ink.

I cut out the squares to cover the blocks and then distressed the edges of these, too.

Next, I ran them through the Xyron sticker maker.

All that was left was sticking the squares on! I cut out the letters and stuck them on with Mod Podge.

Aerial view...

Side view...

Tracy chose these colors for her nursery. I hope they all match!

I just love that N...

Once I got started, this project wasn't hard to finish. I hope Baby Carson likes them!

~a coastal giveaway

2010-03-07T10:28:00.000-08:00

Click here to enter Linda's giveaway @ Coastal Charm! Thanks everybody!

~another magnet board

2010-03-06T19:10:00.001-08:00

This is my sister, Cheree, who I love dearly! (should that have been whom?) She is the best kindergarten teacher ever! Now I know what you're thinking... my opinion is biased. Well, did I mention that she is the Teacher of the Year in her county? See? I told you.... ;)

She actually goes by many names... Mrs. Fricks, Miss Cheree, Ree, and Ree Ree (my boys). So I hope that "Mrs. Fricks" being on the sign is ok with her kids!

For her board, I decided to turn it horizontally. Then I trimmed it using jute and a cutie button. (I love buttons...)

I made the magnet using their Christmas card and a business card magnet. Let me add... this was my magnet I had made for our home. But when I finished her board, the brown tones just matched perfectly. So I told her she owed me another picture! :)

~monogramed glass dish

2010-03-04T18:31:00.000-08:00

I stinkin' love The Dollar Tree... isn't that a nice way to start off a post? Anyway, I was looking around my favorite aisle (frames and candles), when this holder caught my attention...

I loved the black metal and the pedestal look.

Then I began to look around the glassware. There were hurricanes and other votive candle holders, but I liked the simple look of this dish-thingy.

Ok... so I turned the candle holder upside-down (I liked the wide part on the bottom), then glued the dish to the top.

So. Well... My sweet, precious husband (no sarcasm here!) said to me, "I like it, but nothing else is going to fit in the bathroom!" So, I decided to make it all my own! I cut out my monogram using my cricut.

I have wanted to try monograms for a reallllly long time. I love how this turned out! Up next... oh there is so much... :)

Now... what do I use this for?! Candy? Jewelry? Candles? Please tell me what you think!

~beautiful giveaway

2010-02-22T18:49:00.000-08:00

Head on over to Just Simply Southern (here) to enter this awesome giveaway! I'll be honest... I've been drooling over several of these pieces for a long time now!

~picture block 2

2010-02-22T18:13:00.001-08:00

When I found the 1st picture of the boys on the beach (here), I came across this one, too. One of my most favorite pictures... I found this wooden block at Joann's and thought it would be perfect. Still, I wanted to try something a little different than before. So... I cut out "Love" at the bottom using my cricut (Storybook cartridge). I was totally happy with the outcome! (I followed all the same steps like the first picture block found at the link above.)

*I used the center point feature on the cricut to center the letters. I hadn't played with that feature much, so I was very pleasantly suprised!

~giveaway time!

2010-02-21T18:29:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! Between Naps on the Porch is having a tassel giveaway! To check it out, click here...

~my blooming boys

2010-02-18T18:19:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day, my sweet husband bought me a new toy. (He knows me so well... No chocolates, no flowers... crafting supplies!) Anyway, my gift was an itop brad maker. Oh, the possibilities! So, I found these beauties at the Dollar Tree. Don't get me wrong! They are nice... but I saw something more...

Ahh... my new flowers for my desk! But take a closer look...

My little angels! Ok... are they cute or what?! I removed the yellow bloom, which left the green leaves on the back. I bought the variety pack of paper flowers at Michael's. To make the brads, I simply printed a black and white picture of each boy and used the itop pattern maker for this size brad.

Ethan... my loverboy. Can't you see the twinkle in his eyes?! I never know what this child is going to say!

Creed... my sensitive, sweet little man. He is my constant show... always thinking of his next movie character to portray!

I am totally thinking about having my students make these as Mother's Day gifts for their moms. What do you think?

~DIY magnet board

2010-02-15T07:32:00.000-08:00

My sweet sister in law @ Therapy for Roses made me the most adorable magnet board several months ago. So I had to try one for myself! (She is so talented!)

I started with this metal picture from the Dollar Tree. Hmm... can this fantastic picture be improved???

Bye, bye cow! I started by giving Bessy a thick coat of Mod Podge.

I covered the front with my choice of scrapbook paper and wrapped the edges around back for a clean look. I sealed these edges with more Mod Podge.

I distressed the edges with my new favorite color, frayed burlap. It comes out as a light brown. (no red here!)

Then I added a coordinating strip to the bottom (using Mod podge) and distressed the strip.

I covered the entire board with the 1st coat of Mod Podge.

Using my storybook cartridge, I cut out my letters and ran them through my Xyron sticker maker. (LOVE that little thing!)

I placed the letters at the bottom and added a 2nd coat of Mod Podge. I also punched holes in the top. (I used a Crop A Dile for this)

I found a blue ribbon I had left over from another projects. This ribbon matched perfectly! I ran it through the sticker maker.

I placed the ribbon between the main board and the stip to act as a border. I glued a button on with twine tied to it. No purpose here... I just thought it might be cute! Then I went over the name one last time.

Here is the finished board! This is going to my son's 1st Grade teacher. I hope she likes it! I tied some cute burlap-like ribbon to the top to had the magnet board from.

These magnets were super easy! I took plastic tiles and printed off some cute pictures of his teacher (facebook is wonderful on many levels!). I used Mod Podge to glue the picture to the tile, added another coat to the back to seal, then placed a stickable magnet to the back. Done!

Originally, my plan was to have these ready for my kids' teachers for Valentine's Day. Oops! Well, I guess these will be gifts for "Just Because" Day. (Those are the best gifts anyway, right?)

~new giveaway @ the girl creative

2010-02-14T19:47:00.000-08:00

Hey! There's another great giveaway @ The Girl Creative. Click here to check it out!

~personalized mini hand sanitizers

2010-02-10T10:45:00.001-08:00

A couple of months ago, I saw the cutest project at brown paper packages (click here). Basically, you personalize bottles of hand sanitizer by using transparency film and a lazer ink printer. I loved this! So, the other day I saw these adorable pink mini hand sanitizers at the Dollar Tree. I knew what I had to do...

I took the paper off the front and back of each bottle. Most came off easily, but I did have to use a little Goo Gone. I grabbed some extra ribbon... you'll see where it ends up! (I bet you can guess!)

I found the fonts I liked that I thought represented each friend perfectly. I printed onto transparency film and cut the letters into a square sheet. I rolled the square, pushed it into the bottle, and it unrolled perfectly! To finish off the look, I added the ribbon.

Here is a close-up. You can't see the film! It really looks like the images are just floating!

Total cost for 2 personalized mini hand sanitizers: $1!

~The Girl Creative giveaway

2010-02-08T19:08:00.000-08:00

As usual, I'm about 2 steps behind, but if you haven't been here yet and checked out this giveaway, click here. I just love looking at what great ideas others have!

~The Stylish House giveaway

2010-02-08T08:45:00.001-08:00

Cathy @ The Stylish House is having a great giveaway! Click here to check it out!

~Its so very Cheri giveaway

2010-02-08T08:35:00.000-08:00

Another fun giveaway is being hosted by Cheri! You definetly need to go check it out... click here!

~picture block

2010-02-06T09:15:00.000-08:00

Ok... this is an idea I have had for a while, but I guess I just had to think this one through and wait for the perfect timing. Which came at Michael's... I found this square block for next to nothing.

I have had this picture of the boys for a few years. This was taken by a family photographer on a trip to the beach. I stinkin' love this picture... I cut it out to fit the block and rounded the edges with my puncher-thingy. haha... don't you love the exactness of my vocabulary?

Then I added some distress ink to the edges. (in Frayed Burlap.... love this color!)

I sprayed the block using Rustoleum in Heirloom White (2 coats). I distressed the edges of my block and decided I should also add the distress ink to the edges. Man, did I love the outcome!

Using Mod Podge, I attached the picture...

Then I mod podged over the entire front.

I found these cute easels at the Dollar Tree (2/$1). I really love the outcome of this project. Total for this project: less than $1! Gotta love that!

I have many more ideas in this area, so please come back soon to see more!

~Funky Junk Interiors

2010-02-06T07:39:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! Have you checked out the new Saturday Nite Special? It's an amazing giveaway! Check it out here... or click on the button on my sidebar.

~ 1st craft night (of many to come!)

2010-02-05T08:52:00.000-08:00

My beautiful sister in law and I have been wanting to have a craft night for ever! We were finally able to make it happen! Here is Tara showing her great $.50 plaques she found at Michael's.
She also bought one for me... she is sooooo sweet!!!

Tara had a fabulous idea... to make a family plaque. She cut out her letters first, to get an idea of how big she wanted them... I am loving this so far! When this is done, it is going to be gorgeous! Tara and I will both post our plaques. You can check out Tara's site here.

Here's Creed's project. Tara found these online and printed them out. Creed cut them out according to the pattern, glued the tabs, and that was that!

Look at the happiness and joy... We stinkin' love to craft! The first of many happy times!

~100th Day of School!

2010-02-05T08:39:00.001-08:00

Our 100th day of school was on Wednesday. The students are encouraged to have fun and make shirts with 100 "something" on them. I thought that I would save myself some time and use iron-on transfers. Well, let me say... they worked like a charm! My older son wanted guitars. So I found several different pictures on the internet and copied and pasted them into a Word document. With the click of a few buttons, Voila'! 100 guitars. I found the font I liked and set the print to mirror image.
My younger son loves Dr. Pepper almost as much as his daddy does! So naturally, this is the picture he chose. Again, found an image, copied and pasted.

Now, this may have been cheating... I'm not sure... but it was so much easier for me! And they can totally wear these again, and again, and again! (and, yes, my little one wore his hat like that ALL day long! I don't think it was ever straight on his head!!!)

Another great giveaway!

2010-02-04T20:30:00.000-08:00

Cheri @ it's so very cheri has a great giveaway for the entire month of February! If you haven't checked it out... click here.

Traci@beneath my heart

2010-02-04T19:55:00.000-08:00

Hey! If you haven't checked out Traci's blog, she has a great giveaway. I know I am running late on this, but definetly check it out here! Have fun @ Blissdom, Traci!

~crafting with blocks

2010-01-30T18:48:00.000-08:00

I have seen so many cute letter blocks online. I deeply wanted to try to make some, so I decided I might give it a try. Once I finally got my Storybook cartridge, things started looking up! About a month ago, my very talented sister-in-law made a wreath out of hymnal pages. It hangs beautifully in my mother-in-law's foyer. So I thought that some letter blocks would just go so well...

I started with these scrap pieces of wood.

After sanding the blocks, I painted them black. Two coats.

I took an old hymnal, found some of my favorites (a very important step... adds more meaning, I think!), and cut out the letters using my cricut.

Then I cut out the squares and rounded the edges. Sorry... I neglected to take a picture of that step! Anyway, then I used a destress ink pad to "vintage" up the edges.

I added a sticker back to the hymns using my xyron sticker maker. Then I stuck them to the blocks.

I applied 2 coats of Mod Podge to seal... Here I am waiting for it to dry (which wasn't too long, I should add!)

And here are the finished blocks. I chose "Trust" because my mother-in-law's favorite verse is Proverbs 3:5-6 ("Trust in the Lord with all thine heart..."). Hopefully I will one day get her the "in the Lord" part of the verse!

~update on knitting

2010-01-20T12:49:00.001-08:00

Well, it's been exactly one week since I learned to knit. So, how am I doing? I do want to clarify something about this project... when I started, I had 12 stitches. Then, somehow, it was 13.... then 15.... back down to 14.... I am still not sure what I did, but by Saturday night, it looked like a long, pink, curly snake! Seriously, there were really wide parts, then narrow sections. So I had to take a moment of reflection. (You may giggle now at my heartfelt, serious moment I had with my snake... I mean scarf.) I thought, will I ever be satisfied with this? Of course the answer was NO! So... I pulled out every last stitch and started over! :)

~I love a give-a-way!

2010-01-18T16:54:00.000-08:00

I love the blog Between Naps on the Porch. Today is Metamorphisis Monday (in which I entered my shelf revamp). But Susan is also having a givaway with these beautiful tassels! Go check it out ~ click here...

~my version of the apocathary jar

2010-01-18T12:23:00.000-08:00

I love to follow the Shanty Sisters over at Shanty2Chic! Girls, I love everything you do... so when I came across your apocathary jars here I knew I had to have at least one! Your tutorials were so easy to follow and in no time, I had my very own jar! Thanks, Sisters!

I chose this adorable demask ribbon instead of twine... but I have a feeling that I will have more of these beauties (with twine!). I also added the cross and tassle.

The sage pebbles came from Wal-Mart and matched my bathroom to a T! The twigs were contributed by my 6 year old son, who thought that was the best idea of all!

~my DIY shelf

2010-01-17T17:06:00.000-08:00

Well... I've had this unfinished, plain shelf sitting around for years. I think we picked it up at a thrift store... Anyway, my original idea, when I bought it, was for it to be used in my boys' room. And it sat... and sat... and sat... Then I began following all these genius ladies that take trash and make it into treasure. Of course, the shelf popped into mind pretty quickly! I began with this...

I had seen so many revamps with black paint. I had some Vaspar paint left over from a bathroom project, so a couple of coats later...

I decided to distress the edges a bit...

I popped off the pegs before I painted... the pegs were not in the picture in my mind. I wanted to add some cute, unique knobs. Hobby Lobby here I come! (as I would tell my husband, "It's not that I want to go, I need to go!") I found some adorable knobs that were exactly what I had in mind. (And my husband helped pick them out!) Here is the finished project!

A close up of my beautiful knobs...

I made this sign from the same paint, a scrap piece of wood, and some burlap.

Here's a close-up of the tile I used for the "B". I had to have it... it matched the knobs! As if I wasn't going to work that in somehow! The stencils I just printed off and cut out of cardstock. (pre-cricut... hard times...)

Both projects were easy and quick. Just my style!

~a new project

2010-01-13T15:48:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm learning how to knit! I'm so excited! Well.... let me back up a couple of years. A couple of summers ago (that's when I MIGHT have a little extra time), I wanted to learn how to knit, so I downloaded a guide off the internet and sat in front of my computer for HOURS trying to teach myself. Umm... didn't work out so well! So my friend from church said that she would teach me. Let me just say, Melissa, you have such patience! I tried to learn fast, but, bless my heart, I just couldn't! But Melissa stuck with me, and now my scarf is on its way! I will keep you posted on my progress!

~very first blog!

2010-01-11T12:50:00.000-08:00

Well, I am new to this world, so I'm in the process of learning! Today is a snow day (in Georgia!), so I have tried to take this opportunity to grasp what I need to be doing. I will be back soon hopefully with improvements!