Showing posts with label DIY. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DIY. Show all posts

Saturday, December 5, 2015

DIY Watercolor Mug that is A Pinspiration Success


Happy Weekend! 
It just seems like it was January, and here we are in the first weekend of December!
Since this was a busy week, 
I am finally able to start Christmas decorating and putting away Fall decorations!

This post was the second post on my blog last year, so I thought I'd bring it back, because
it's one of those projects that turned out beautifully, and 
would make a wonderful gift for teachers, hostesses, or neighbors!

Artsy, isn't a word, I would use to describe myself. It is a word I would use to describe all of my daughters. Marissa my oldest loves photography, especially landscape, Katelyn has been writing stories since she learned to put a sentence together, and Lindsay let's just say she's good with a pair of scissors, for now, but she is the one who truly has a green thumb in our family.

Although, I am not good with an artist brush, or putting pen to paper and drawing a masterpiece, I love to do arts and crafts, and this post by Poppytalk, inspired me to add a pop of color to my morning cup of coffee.

It's simple enough, all you need is a white ceramic mug, nailpolish (and make sure it isn't old nailpolish. Old nailpolish doesn't work at all, it just clumps up.), a disposable container ( I used a pie tin I bought 3 for $1 at the dollar store) and warm water.

The color combinations are endless. Try one color, or layer color on top of color, allowing each color to dry in between layers. Here is the first one I did. To date...This is my #1 Pin on Pinterest!
*Update- A year later it still is!



With my coffee! The pattern reminds me of the crashing waves of the ocean and the sky above.

For next time, I think I am going to go with a Halloween theme, glow in the dark, purple, black, or a fall theme with orange, red, and brown, or yellow and orange. Should be fun! If you make one let me know, I'd love to see what color combination you create.

*Update- I still have the mug a year later, and the watercolor has remained. 
I wash it in the top rack  of my dishwasher! 


Enjoy the rest of your week!

Until next time! xo,



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Thursday, November 19, 2015

Christmas MasonJar Candles

Happy Day before Friday! I am so glad you stopped in to visit me today! How has your week been going? Ours has been busy, busy, busy, with Thanksgiving coming, getting five families organized, who's cooking what and when, is always fun! Then Saturday, it started with only the Rose convention, and then we were invited to go see 'The Peanuts' movie, and my daughter's class is going to Disneyland in March, so early in the morning they are having a rummage sale to raise money, and she can bring baked goods! So guess who is baking for that. Luckily, my daughters said they would help me, and tonight my daughter is having a fun school event, a young entrepreneurs get together kind of like Shark Tank. Her team came up with this idea, kind of like a cozy for coffee, but this thing can be heated or cooled up to keep your drinks at the desired temperature, in cute animal shapes like a baby squid and crab. They do look really cute! I'll get a photo tonight on IG!




Today, I have a really quick and fun DIY for Christmas, since it's just around the corner, what dare I say just another 35 days until then, there is something magical about the glow of candle light, that I decided to make with Mason Jars and candles.



Right now Michael's is having another amazing sale with 60% Off Christmas decorations. I bought 3 Christmas picks, you could also use, small glass or plastic ornaments, 3 Mason Jars ($1.99 each), and Christmas ribbon. I also found these Mason Jar tea light inserts at Target, they were $4 for 3. I already have a mountain of tea lights!

First I picked the Christmas elements off the pick and filled the Mason Jar with them.



Then I hot glued the ribbon around the lids.
Before putting on the lids, I inserted the tea light insert, and candle. Followed by the lid.



And that's it. Super easy and fun! I finished it all in less than 20 minutes. 

Hope you enjoy making these as much as I did!
Enjoy the rest of your week!

Until next time! xo,



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Saturday, November 14, 2015

2015 Ornament Link Party

Ornament Exchange Link Party

Welcome to the First 2015 Holiday Ornament Exchange!

Since this was the first ornament exchange of this kind that I joined I wasn't sure what to expect. Erlene from MyPinterventures put this all together, and I was amazed to find out that this was her first one! I'd first like to say she did an amazing job, and thank her for all the hard work she put into this exchange! 

Usually with exchange link parties, we post what our exchange partners have sent us, instead, for this link party you are invited to share, your ornament DIY or shopping experience by adding it to our inspiration of Ornament links.

The Ornament I made was, a White Deer bust cross stitch ornament,


and my partner, Keala at Recipe for a Sweet Life sent me this 
'Tis the Season for PRESENCE! 



 I love the saying, as I 
am crossing my fingers I feel my oldest daughter's presence with us
for Christmas this year, as she's hoping like I am to visit from 
Washington State!

Want to see all the amazing ornaments we have shared?
We are linking up all of our ornaments in the link below so everyone can see all the beautiful handmade and/or store bought goodies we came up with!
Let's all get inspired this season!
The Hosts of the Exchange~

Ornament Exchange Hosts


We want to say a huge "Thank You" to all the blogs that shared the exchange announcement on their sites, we could not have done it without you! Hugs! 
Ornament Exchange Helpers


Make sure to visit all the other wonderful bloggers of the 2015 Ornament Exchange! All of their incredible creations are linked in the link party below.

DIY Adulation | The Farmhouse In The Field | Tastefully Frugal | My Sweet Things |Christmas Tree Lane | Simply Kelly Designs | Munofore | Decor To Adore | Tulips & Orchids | Rhinestones & Sweatpants |Happily Ever After, Etc. | From This to That | DIY Just Cuz | This Design Journal | I am Homemaker | Organized by Sunshine | Displaced Yinzer | My Life From Home | Nets Blog About Jnets Line | 10 Acres and 6 Chicks | Books and Life | Gardenchick | Two Purple Couches | DIY Just Cuz | Across the Blvd | Kentucky to Cali | Insolence + Wine | Our House Now a Home | Weekend Craft | Mary and Martha's House | Random Bits of Happiness | Dragonfly and Lily Pads | Garden Matter | Recipe For a Sweet Life | Mama's Journey | Amber Downs | Toolbox Divas | Craving Some Creativity | Vikalpah | Flourish & Knot | Raising Fairies and Knights | Blue Willow House | The Road to Domestication | Love My Messy Messy Mess | An Oregon Cottage | Home On The Corner | Fearlessly Creative Mamma | The Evolution of Mom | The Green Mountain Couple | Simply Home Love | Run with Jackabee | simple.pretty.life | The Chilly Dog | Try it - Like it | Gypsy Road | Playfully Tacky | Wife Mommy Me

We want to see your ornament tutorials too! Show us your creations by adding your post to the party below! Please add only ornament tutorials to the party. Thank you!

An InLinkz Link-up

Sunday, November 8, 2015

DIY Holiday Gift: Orange Spice Body Scrub


If the holiday hustle and bustle has you feeling harried, homemade gifts are a great way to slow down and show the special people in your life how much you care. (Bonus: Focus your creativity on home-spa gifts, and you’re likely to get a whiff of aromatherapy from pure essential oils.) Remember to save one of whatever you’re making for yourself, so you can enjoy a little rest and relaxation when you’re done being crafty!

I’ve been making my own gifts for years now, and I’ve learned to look for projects that don’t make a huge mess and can be completed in a single sitting. Body scrubs are my go-to gift, because they don’t require a lot of prep and it’s easy to customize different essential oil blends to fit the people on my list.
Try this simple recipe for the spice-lovers in your life:
Orange Spice Body Scrub
1 cup (237 ml) turbinado sugar
1/3 cup (59 ml) jojoba oil
10 drops sweet orange essential oil
3 drops anise essential oil
3 drops rosemary essential oil
3 drops frankincense essential oil
1 whole star anise and/or dried orange peel for decoration
Prepare a clean, 8-ounce (250-ml) sealable container. Add turbinado sugar and follow with jojoba oil. Finish with essential oils and stir until mixture is thoroughly blended. Add an additional 1 tablespoon (15 ml) jojoba oil as needed for desired consistency. Top with whole star anise and/or dried orange peel. Seal jar tightly. Use within 3 months.
Essential oils can irritate sensitive skin, mucous membranes and eyes. Use wisely and keep out of reach of children. For external use only.
Now all you need to do is download a gift tag and voila! You’ve got a gift at the ready.
Source

Friday, September 25, 2015

DIY Metallic Herb Pots

Happy Fri-Yay! Hope you all had enjoyable weeks! It's going to be a relaxing weekend around here, Josh has a football game to go to, and at Lindsay's school there is Film playing tonight, with pjs and popcorn, so the girls and I are going to that! I'm just finishing up with Fall decorating, and enjoying the much cooler fall temperatures. The girls and I have been walking the dogs to school in the mornings. It's a pleasure to get outside and enjoy the fresh air. It's absolutely blissfull! I have had two roses on my bush, the first of the season. I'm fertilizing them this week, and hopefully sometime next month, I'll be able to share them with you. The first two were small, especially coming off a hot summer, but it was really nice to know my little rose bush survived the Summer!



Today I am sharing with you, an easy and lovely DIY Mettalic Herb Pot. This is going down as almost Pin Worthy for me. It came a little close to the look I was after, but I have some ideas of how to freshen it up to get closer to this pin. Which I am definitely going to try making another one? These are really fun to make, and so pretty too!
 
This was the original inspiration
 
 Copper or Rose Gold via Etsy
 
I'm more of a Rose Gold or Copper kind of Girl!

The garden shops are now getting new shipments in of Fresh Herbs, and one of my favorites is Lavender, so I picked one up. It may be small now, but in the Fall they love the warm weather, and should be established by the time Summer comes back again to withstand the heat.


One thing I absolutely loved about this project was using Metallic Gold Spray paint!
Ha, you can tell by my fingers, that I now have the 'Midas Touch'. Rust-oleum did live up to it's claim, "Rich, Shiny Finish and Fast Drying", it was all of those. No sooner did I spray it on the base of the pot, it was dried.



My craft store, didn't have any Antique White acrylic paint, so I improvised, and mixed White, with Toasted Marshmallow. I covered all of the pot except for the very bottom, with which I spray painted gold, and tried my best to blend it in so there wasn't an exact line, more of an ombre look to it. Finally, I coated it with a clear Polyurethane to protect it from the outside elements.



It turned out ok. I just want to go back in and give it another go.


Here's to a Fabulous week!
Until next time!
xo,

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Monday, September 14, 2015

Simple DIY Rustic Fall Centerpiece

Hello Friends! I hope you all had a fun and relaxing weekend! Yesterday, Lindsay and I took a ride into town and spent the day looking at all the cool Fall and Halloween décor all over town. We stopped by my husband's shop and he was leaving early, and *blush* I forgot my phone, and asked him if he'd like to go to Michael's with me, so I could use his phone for the coupon. Surprisingly my husband loves going to craft stores. I'm not going to wonder why, I just enjoy that he likes to go with me. I picked up a some gorgeous faux fall flower bouquets, that were 50% off, and with the coupon, took another 50% off, so they were originally $10, I picked them up for $2.50. Not a bad deal.



The night before, Lindsay and I painted about 10 Mason jars. I love a good deal and never pass one up. This isn't a sponsored post, but I love Classico spaghetti sauce, and I had no idea, that 'Atlas Mason' was under the label. My Fry's grocery store, has buy 5 get $5 off sale, they were already reduced a $1, in the end I picked those up for $1.50 each. So I have slowly been saving these jars, for this fun project. This mason jar, she painted with Apple Barrel's Acrylic paint in Chocolate Sprinkle, and for a top coat of Folk Art's Metallic Acrylic Paint in Chocolate Brown.


Here is the Classico 'Atlas' Mason jar, for the Simple Fall centerpiece. The sweet little owls, I picked up at Wallmart from last year's Better Home and Gardens Fall Collection, as well as the leaf garland. 




For this project I had my husband make me a rustic box out of leftover walnut wood
 he had lying around his shop, that was going to be tossed.


I used Quart size Mason jars for this project. Painted them with Acrylic Fall colors,
Apple Barrels' Acrylic Paints in Classic Caramel and Spiced Berry, and
 Folk Art's Acrylic Paint in Vintage White. 


After the jars had completely dried, I distressed them a little with sand paper, medium grit. 


Thank you for stopping by today!
Wishing you a beautiful week!
Until next time!
xo, 
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Friday, September 4, 2015

Follow Friday #33:Fall's Beauty

Happy Fri-Yay!  I'm glad you stopped in to visit me today! Happy Labor Day Weekend! Let me just start by saying, that I am super excited for this weekend, mostly because it is a long one!! It's been monsooning all week, everyday we've gotten rain and cooler temperatures, and yesterday when I was taking the kids to school, not only was it cooler, but I love the smell, it wasn't just the smell of rain, but there was a smell of Fall in the air! Then last night, and this is why I love this time of year, all our neighbors left their houses to come out and enjoy the night air, seeing all the kids getting outside to play! Now I can get out of the house and actually do things, living here in the desert feels like the reverse, we don't get snowed in, we get shut in from the heat! Today it's supposed to be in the low 90Fs and I am loving it!




With that, I am going to be sharing 4 Autumn/Fall decorating, baking, styling, decorating and gardening blogs for Follow Friday!

Here's a bonus, if you love Starbuck's Pumpkin Spice Lattes,
here's your chance to pick one up Early!!


Beet, Cheddar and Apple Tart by ClockWatching Tart

This time of year I love Apples, and not just in pies, cakes, and breads! When I found this blog, which if you love food and travel, you are going to enjoy reading it, but this recipe just reminded me of Nana, when she ate her Apple pie with a slice of cheddar on Top, and I thought that was the strangest thing, but if you haven't tried it you should. This recipe, also intrigued me, because I only recently began enjoying roasted beets, I would never touch them before, until my Sustainable Cooking glass when one of the other students, twisted my arm to try them. This savory recipe, is on my to make list!

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Fall Planting Ideas via The Gardening Cook

Great Fall Gardening Ideas from preparing gardens for the fall, planning for a Spring garden, Seed saving, to What to plant now!

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Autumn Coffee Filter Wreath by Recaptured Charm

I don't know why I haven't seen this blog sooner, amazing diys and decor ideas! I love this whole wreath, with dried flowers, sunflowers, artichokes and feathers, and the best part it's a DIY!

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Autumn Porch by My 1929 Charmer

Another blog, I can't believe I hadn't found before. Her blog is both beautiful and charming. Ok, I've said it before, I am starting to get a little obsessed for decorating with roosters, but I love how cozy and inviting her porch is, from the window box, to the plaid pillow and throws!

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Hope you all enjoy your Labor Day Weekend!
Until next time!
xo,






Thursday, August 27, 2015

DIY Antinque Candlesticks


The other day my husband and I were out shopping, and out of the corner of my eye, I spied a pair of unfinished pine candlesticks, and they were on sale for $4 each. Oh, I scooped them right up. Another obsession of mine are, candles. When we lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I must have owned close to a hundred of them. Votives, pillars, candlesticks in every color and scent imaginable. The best part about this was they were a blank canvas, and I could do what ever I wanted with them. My original idea was to simply white wash them with the extra Miss Mustard Milk paint in Ironstone, I had left from my painting project {to be revealed soon}.



Then on our recent trip up North, we had some time to burn, so it was my son that suggested we stop in World Market. First place I always head to is the bath and beauty section to put  try on some lotion, and check out their candles. That's when these beautiful antique looking candles caught my attention. They were the same size as the wooden ones I bought. I checked the price and they were, Can you believe this they were $20 each!



Wow! I thought to myself, I can do the same with my candlesticks,
 I already had the milk paint. I just needed to buy some antique wax.



All I did, was paint  the candlesticks with two coats of Miss Mustard Seed Milk paint in Ironstone. By the way, I found working with Milk Paint very easy! 
Distressed them with a medium grit sandpaper. Using a slightly damp cloth, I gently applied small areas of Antique wax where I wanted the worn areas of the candlestick showed. Then with the same slightly damp cloth, I buffed the wax around it.

I loved how they turned out. I seriously can not wait to use them to decorate for Fall!






Until next time,



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Friday, August 14, 2015

Follow Friday #32 : Sweet, Sweet Summer

Happy Fri-Yay! I'm glad you stopped in to visit me today! Hope you all are enjoying the sweet last weeks of Summer!! Where has the month gone? I just realized it is the middle of August already!! It's been a busy week over here! Fridays are my favorite day of the week, because I can look back at the week, and say, we've come along way baby! On Monday, I had the sweetest call from my daughter in Washington. The rest of the week has been a blur of baking and painting!  It's looking like next weekend will be better for us to go up North! I'm going to finish up the hubby and me project! Before starting something new, look for an upcoming Fall project, featuring my favorite Mason jars!


Here are a couple of Favorite Things, I saw to start the weekend off Right!! I adore Lilies, and how charming is this coastal seashell basket, against the turquoise chippy door! Beautiful!


For Follow Fridays from now on, I will be featuring 4 different blogs, one cooking/baking, one gardening, one décor/style, and one crafting

15 Cold Treat for Summertime via Cookie & Kate

I know I promised I wasn't going to talk about how HOT it still is, but it was 113F today y'all,
and I seriously felt like I was melting!!
Think one of these recipes is getting made tomorrow!!

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A Summer Trio from Peonies and Posies

Every post is an enjoyable display of vibrant blossoms and blooms! On Monday's she posts a meme, what she is arranging in a vase, and she also offers some very resourceful gardening advice.

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Fall tablescape from Lilacs and Longhorns

There is nothing I love more than a pop of color, and again I apologize for wishing it was Fall already, but I just couldn't help myself, those lil' white mini pumpkins are just too cute! I absolutely love the chalkboard and the gallery of plates, the large buffalo check chairs, with the pops of orange and blue colors. It simply feels like Fall!

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DIY Chalkboard Dipped Planters via Lemon-Thistle

When the temperature starts to cool down more, I am going to be out, painting pots and planting my garden here at the new house. It was too hot when we moved in for me to really do anything. When I saw this DIY, for me it was perfect! I had a black thumb for so long, that is until my Lil' Lindsay started helping me in the garden, to help me remind me not to kill the plants!

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Hope you all have a relaxing weekend!
Until next time!
xo,





Thursday, August 6, 2015

A Tale of Two Paint Projects: Part 1

Happy Day before Friday! How has your week been? It sure has been a real busy back to school week around here! Lindsay and Katelyn are all settled in their classes. Lindsay even found a friend from her old school in Mesa, that just moved out here. Katelyn is in a new 20+1 program, where there are only 20 students to a class. The classes are considered blended learning, since they are integrating the use of chrome books. So far she loves it! Joshua, we have his had to change his schedule several times, and hopefully today will be the last day for changes. It's been much more peaceful around here, but as much as I like the quiet, I do miss them, their laughter and the sound of their voices.

Growing up, we lived on a huge corner lot. In the back yard, my mom, not only had her patio for her flowers and shrubs, but 2 plum trees, an apple tree, and a very nice size vegetable garden in the back, for corn, tomatoes, spinach, and melons. She spent hours digging in the dirt, and we enjoyed the fresh fruits and vegetables that all her hard work provided for us. I remember, I must have been about 7 or 8, and I asked her one day, why she spent so much time digging in the dirt, and she told me, gardening was like therapy for her.

That's how painting has been for me the last couple of days. Not to mention how fun is it to get paint everywhere, I mean everywhere, in my hair, 3 colors of paint on my elbow and fingers. I found some on my cell phone case. Oh my, I was having a blast. It was just the kind of fun break I've needed from this busy week!

Tale 1: The IKEA Rast Dresser Hack that has been in the works, since the beginning of the year.

Two weekends, ago, I took Katelyn to Lowe's to pick out a paint. The basic dresser I painted white, and will lacquer it clear. For the drawers, she wanted an Orange color. You know I tried to talk her out of it, but she was insistent that she wanted orange, and not just any color orange, she wanted Sunny Orange, like Tang colored orange or even Halloween color orange.



For those of you that are looking forward to Fall, this post will remind you of the changing of leaves, Fiery Orange. I had initially picked up a lightly coastal / tropical color, Valspar's Coral Reef. She said it was not dark enough. So she finally chose, Valspar's Orange Pecan. It's looking like Fall, Y'all!!



I was wanting to finish Katelyn's dresser before she went back to school, but with the monsoon we had last weekend, set me back a little. We have managed to get it painted and I started stenciling the drawers.Now please don't laugh at my stenciling job. For one, I am pretty craft challenged to begin with, and I need to go back and touch it up. There is still more stenciling to do, and I still can not find the darn wooden knobs that came with it, I have plans for those. Look for an updated post coming soon.

Tale 2: Trash to Treasure, special project with the Hubby

Just a recap, my husband is a custom wood worker, and when he started his business he made something for me, that I've been storing, until we moved into our new house. I was looking at it and I wanted something softer, more romantic, and French. I had him cut out fleur-de-lis embellishments from scrap pieces of wood around his shop, and I found one Thriftique store in Tempe that sells Miss Mustard Seed milk paint. I bought three samples; Ironstone, Tricycle, and Arabesque.

I sampled the Arabesque, and it was more of a dusty, rose pink, and when it dried, it now is this beautiful neutral pink/tan color! Today, I mixed together 8parts of Ironstone to 1part Tricycle, and just some FYI, Tricycle is very red. The color combination reminded me of a Strawberry Milkshake.



 As the milk paint dried, it became more like a blush whitewash, which is what I was looking for. I love how the milk paint cracks and crazes, giving the wood that chippy antinque look.




This weekend, at one of the wood shops my husband is a loyal customer too, is having a Milk Painting workshop, that I'm planning on going to, so I am really looking forward to that! This is where I say, look for an updated post coming soon.

Hope you all enjoy the rest of your week!
Until next time!
xo,