look at the birdie

wreath

2012-02-22T08:25:00.000-08:00

i see these all over pinterest and i just love them- i needed one-

at the dollar store i picked up this wood like wreath.. yes, 1.00-

after you have the wreath- wrap it with yarn- i used red heart grey-

felt flowers- cut out a circle like below that has curves-

then cut into it and cut all the way around leaving a small circle at the end-

start rolling it up- the base is the circle left at the end-

after a lot of cutting and rolling you will end up with these!

using that glue gun start placing them on your wreath-

once you feel like you have enough-

stand back and look at the super cute wreath that you just created!!

loooove!

i added a brown ribbon to hang it on my front door-

it just yells....SPRING

dollar store

2012-02-19T16:59:00.000-08:00

i love reading about crafts that are done with little 2 no $$- i seem to enjoy doing the same thing- most of my crafts and make-overs are on a very light budget (thrift stores, garage sales- etc) or i get a lucky freebie-

on the freebie note- my sweet grandma seems to always have something 2 give away!

last week- she handed me these wonderful jars and asked if i could use them-

YES please!!

i wasnt sure what i was going to do with them- but they are so neat i wanted them- hehe

i have spring fever..i just do.. its this crazy warm winter- so i wanted something..spring! i needed a little color after all the bright valentines stuff came down- i took off to the $store with something in mind-

a sheet of this moss and a handful of some fake silk- $2 out the door- got home and created this-

it still needed something-

the ribbon finshed it off for me

not 2 bad for two bucks!

$19 find

2012-02-12T18:38:00.000-08:00

i have been so pumped to show you this $19 find i told you about.. so- i finally got working on it and after a couple days finished it up!

i found this table out in buffalo (annies attic) one sunday afternoon- it needed some major TLC but i was sure it had some great potential!

Here is the before pic of the beauty i picked up..

OH WAIT! WHO FORGOT TO TAKE A BEFORE PICTURE??? ME!!! ahhhh....

i am still so mad as i write this post that i forgot to take a before pic... it just isnt the same to show you the after pic w/out it- but- here it is anyway-

after

it was a very sad-ugly- bad brown stained table that had been pretty worn- after some sanding and some black glossy paint it looks lovely!

at first- i wasnt planning on keeping the hardware it came with but after i finished it up i really like the look of it- i feel like it has a lot of charm :) i also love that it has a drawer for storage!

so note to self-

slow down and take pics before the sand paper & paint get into my hands!

on another note: do you love the new birdie look? i sure do!

-birdie

lips and moustache lollipops

2012-02-09T11:31:00.000-08:00

i am busy organizing lucas' school valentine party- which has been oodles of fun for me!! crafting and organizing- could i have a better time at this? i dont think so!!

one prize to be given away for valentine bingo are these lollipops- i couldnt resist making these- so cute!

i can just picture all 21 kids with lips and moustaches.. makes me giggle!
get your pattern here-
http://blonde-designs.squarespace.com/blonde-designs-blog/2010/2/3/lip-and-moustache-lollipops.html

slippers

2012-02-07T12:42:00.000-08:00

wanted to give you a peak at those slippers i told you i was making at sewing sunday- then i felt it would be a good time for some good old fashioned show-in- tell!

my new slippers!

how yummy is this yarn?!?!!

time for the show-in-tell.......

throwing you back- early 80's here... this is a pair of crocheted slippers my grandma made me when i was little-

how fun is this? i can't believe i still had these- i found them stored away in the attic at my moms house- i am so glad i kept them!! i love seeing the work my grandmas hands made- xoxo

a little different then the ones i wear now- but i totally dig the tassel

sporting these ones while i work on my blog- cozy and cute!

hanging hearts

2012-02-05T07:08:00.000-08:00

i spent my friday night making these crocheted hearts - (big night huh! ha)

i wanted a little valentine something to hang by my sink-

very easy to make and took really no time at all-

you basically crochet two hearts the same size- stuff them and stitch them up- then as you can see- i pulled string through to be able to hang them-

another valentine project down!

happy sunday!

i am off to sewing club- making some slippers today with great yarn i picked up at hobby lobby yesterday on my day trip down to mankato-

pattern for the hearts here-

http://owlishly.typepad.com/owlishly/2009/02/corazoncitos-free-amigurumi-heart-pattern-in-3-sizes.html

owl love

2012-02-03T13:09:00.000-08:00

a little owl love

pick your paper- free hand one owl then trace the other 3- i used measuring spoons and a tip of a pen cap to make those perfect circles for the eyes-

i thought about giving these away for valentines-

but....

the front door got some valentine love instead-

owl see you soon!

-birdie

painted rocks

2012-01-30T12:20:00.000-08:00

if you are a follower- you are well aware by now that i have a thing for hearts-
i have been seeing some painted rocks on Pinterest- i thought i would give it a try- hearts of course!

i have a sweet little pottery bowl i will put them in - a little dash of color for the living room side table- i have a feeling they might get played with just a little-hhmmm nolan :)

nice little valentine project to do with your kiddos!

once your done with them in your house- scatter them outside in your garden or landscaping rocks- people will love seeing the random painted rocks!

vintage valentines

2012-01-26T11:02:00.000-08:00

gearing up for the sweetest time of year! valentines!!

i just love how sweet the vintage valentines are-

i have been collecting for a little while-

finally i sorted through them to make garland-

i found my favs and ones that go together nicely-

i used spray adhesive to stick them to the cute polka dot scrap paper

then ran a ribbon through

love how sweet it turned out!

i want tub-be yours...

all a flame for my valentine (love the fire fighter of course)

i always love to put this one out at valentines but it wasnt going to work in my garland so i decided it would make its way onto my kitchen counter in a frame!

it's a fun way to display all the valentines i love! and was super easy-

classes

2012-01-16T11:42:00.000-08:00

-birdie news-

i added two new classes for you to take a look at-
something to do while winter drags on... learn to crochet!
or-
check out the studio site to see if other classes interest you-
www.sewtropolis.com

taking a family vacation to Cali Thursday- so i am busy getting ready- i will be back with new postings (valentines stuff ) late next week-

birdie

valentine baby

2012-01-11T14:38:00.000-08:00

nolan and i are going to give a very sweet mom from our ecfe class tomorrow this newborn hat i made- she is expecting her 3rd girl! she is due right around valentines day-

a little hat- a little heart- for a little valentine baby-

i picked up these flowers at michaels (1.00 section-you get 3) they have a little close pin on the back- perfect for closing gifts up and adding a card-

used my ink pad art for the card

how sweet to bring a new love home for valentines day!

the entry

2012-01-08T10:01:00.000-08:00

hello! happy sunday- i am here to post the entry make-over for you all to see- so here it goes-

before pictures of the entry-

this is a 1950's house

my little helper

i never realized how dark our house was- back in 06' we did a complete gut on the kitchen and so the new white kitchen broke up all this dark wood- now that its white i can't believe how long we lived like this... yuck.
dont get me wrong- original wood work is beautiful- but i am much more into the updated look for this house!

and...............................................wait.. are you ready???.....

so yummy- right? i love the door color- i love the rug and i also love this little extra decor piece i made to match the entry-

i made him too but not for the entry :)

picked up this frame for cheap and sprayed it- used scrap book paper- sanded and painted the "c" the green from the rug- a little hot glue and it was finished-

so what do you think?
do you think i should spray the baskets on the shelf?

take a peek here at the kitchen nook before and after-

the dark wood again- this is the only before pic i have :(

the updated kitchen nook

i painted this door the same as the entry- i just love how it stands out against the white trim- ( boy do i need something on that table)
i have been a busy gal- i am moving on to the next room! hope you enjoyed!

-birdie

the rug

2012-01-05T10:22:00.000-08:00

i started painting all of our trim in the house this past fall- it inspired a little more than anticipated- along w/trim came painted doors, hardware and a RUG!!

today i will be posting about how i did the rug and by the end of the weekend i hope to show you the front entry makeover!

so- once the trim was painted the rug i once loved became the not so perfect fit anymore- with the white trim and blue/gray walls the beige rug was out.. on a hunt for a new rug was impossible- i would never find the perfect size and flatness of this rug that has been part of the entry since 2006..i think the longest thing that has lived in our house besides us and the dogs! lol. so i decided to paint the rug i already had- why not? it wasnt going to work anywhere else so here it goes..

the "old" rug- laying on a huge piece of plastic- just in case the paint goes through it doesnt leak onto the floors-

next very carefully measure where you want your lines to be and tape them off with painters tape- make sure you really press down on the tape so it does not seep through-

i wanted to add some color to the entry so i pulled this green from a print i have in the living room and went with it-

** tip- line your paint tray with tin foil so you dont have the mess of cleaning the tray after and you can keep reusing it!

3 coats later the stripes were finally covered- i let it sit over night - the next day i pulled the tape and re-taped for the next color-

painting in with the black- also needed 3 coats to cover it all up- i couldnt even believe this was working!

and...................ta da!! la la da! do what do what! yo yo! hello!
exactly the way i pictured it! YES!!!!!

i cant even believe this is the same rug- i am so curious to see how it takes to wear and tear- im putting it out for the front entry make-over then rolling it up until spring- i dont wont it ruined with muddy dog prints :)

ink pad art

2012-01-03T12:49:00.000-08:00

santa put this beautiful ink pad in my stocking!

i had picked up this pack of pencils back in september when the school supplies were out- that shows you how many crafts are on my to do list...

take the pencils and dab them into the ink and make your art-

hearts for me-

cutest baby gift tag- dont you think?

you can also pick up white stickers and make labels for envelopes-

i enjoyed sitting down to do this one- i have a gift to wrap up for my sisters birthday- i wonder if she will have a ink art label? :)

*if you are making cards or tags use a card stock*

buttons jars and ikea

2012-01-01T18:37:00.000-08:00

happy jan 1 friends! i spent the day packing away all the christmas decor- hubby got the tree to the curb and the house is back 2 its original state-

now time to start some projects!!

i have been wanting to do a few projects that required some ikea shopping- the hubster and i took some time yesterday and went off to mark those things off the to do list- it was nice to have the extra set of hands to hold my goodies while i shopped- thanks hunny :)

first little project of the year

and soooo easy!

i went to ikea with one jar in mind but left with another- these jars are a great size and the tops come on and off smooth- what would i do with the frosty look??

ding ding..

:::chalk:::

let the sorting begin

its just makes me giggle with delight

love the jars- love how it turned out- love ikea

happy new year

2011-12-31T08:45:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

some things the birdie will be working on in 2012

-putting the baby in a big bed

*bye bye crib

front entry make-over

*touch ups and some new DIY decor

-painting a rug

*how 2 DIY

- finishing up the trim in the house

*how to prepare trim

*before and afters

-updating our bedroom

-end table make over

*a 19$ find-its a beauty!

-felt projects galore

-crocheting and classes

-organizing craft space

hunting for my perfect outdoor furniture for our patio

come one lovely wicker find me!

something i can spray paint :)

plenty of crafting projects to drool over too!

stay tuned to a exciting 2012!

-birdie

marbles

2011-12-26T19:25:00.000-08:00

lucas always enjoys playing with marbles at nanas house- so- i thought he would enjoy a little bag of his own-

i found this sweet fabric at sewtropolis-

it is the new design by sarah jane for michael miller fabrics

the collection is a.d.o.r.a.b.l.e

quick little bag i made on the machine with a tie ribbon-

santa stuck the marbles and bag in his stocking- he seemed thrilled when he got them.. but- he hasnt touched them since :( oh well- as they sit and wait to be played with -they rock a stylish bag!

holiday train

2011-12-21T08:36:00.000-08:00

i took the boys out to loretto-MN last tuesday to see the canadian pacific holiday train come through and make a stop-

first time we have ever done it- it was worth it!

santa handed out train whistles that kept the boys busy for a long time!

look at how they are dressed!

NO BOOTS- NO GLOVES- NO SNOW PANTS

december 13th people- there was mud... not snow!! SCORE!!

we took a ride

stayed warm by the bon-fire and ate cookies

this is what it looked like for us when it stopped

my little LOVES

then the train car opened up and a rock'n band played christmas songs for about 1/2 hr. it was a.w.e.s.o.m.e!

this is a free event- they ask for food donations-

i am attaching the link for more info- great cause- great event!

we will most definitely do this again!! Happy Holiday train 2 you!

http://www.cpr.ca/en/in-your-community/holiday-train/Pages/HT-history.aspx

reproduction

2011-12-19T19:32:00.000-08:00

my sister had emailed me this pic off etsy last spring... how cute is this??

this year i made a majority of christmas gifts- i know its seems silly to make an easter decoration for a christmas gift- but it didnt matter -it was the perfect gift-

(etsy photo)

my sister earned a huge gift this year.. she is the best sister!!- so- what do i get her that is so special or shows the love and appreciation? well- a hand made gift- she would love that!

so as i was brain storming ideas for her i came across the felt birds- aha! jens gift- i can make this- plus i looove working with felt so it was really fun for me to make-

wire, felt, floss, needle and a little stuffing

not a bad reproduction huh?

love you birdies

i am pretty sure she loved them too!

i love being able to re-create something- who needs a pattern?!?
what hand made gifts did you make this Christmas?

kisses- kisses

2011-12-15T19:01:00.000-08:00

i am not sure why this year i am not dancing around with excitement that christmas is right around the corner- b/c i usually am- actually i think i am a bit annoying with christmas cheer most years- maybe its the lack of snow...

any who- my little big guy has been begging 2 bake some christmas cookies- how do you turn that down right? so we turned the christmas music on and we went 2 town baking...(my favorite christmas cookie) this grinch is doing one cookie baking session only this holiday season so might as well make what i love! and the kid will eat anything as long as it has sugar- so were good!

baking means- lucas is busy- mixing-baking and sneaking in (see below).. i am watching and cleaning up- he is going 2 make some lady so happy someday! (pats on the back)

i caught these little hands in candy bowl more than once and it wasnt to decorate the cookies!

peanut butter kiss cookies

and some kisses for mommy of course!!

soooooooooooooooooo yummy!!

right out of the oven- nothing better!

we had so much fun- i love watching how interested he is in learning- its nice 2 spend that special time with just him- thank you lucas for getting me in the christmas spirit yesterday with your enthusiastic ways! you are the sweetest boy! kisses!!

bleach pen shirt

2011-12-14T14:42:00.000-08:00

grab a shirt- bleach pen and create!

(make sure you pre-wash and dry a new shirt)

make sure you have something between the shirt- i used a piece of card board- otherwise your creation will soak through..

this pic shows a salmon color-

this is when it was still wet

i wanted something simple on my shirt and love hearts- i went for the sides when creating- i made 3 going down one side and just one lonely one on the other side-

finished bleach pen shirt!

i let it dry over night and then washed it in cold water by itself- after the wash- the hearts were bleach white- i am impressed with how it came out- while i was creating and watching it dry- i was a little skeptical on how "cute" it may turn out- but.. i love it!

easy-inexpensive way to gain a new shirt for the long winter!

jute pears

2011-12-11T07:52:00.000-08:00

good morning! ok i have been MIA for a week- just starting to feel better and the kids are off to breakfast with grandma and grandpa so i have a quite few minutes to blog...finally!! this is what i was up to friday night-

it just happens that this craft was on the "to do" list and 3 light bulbs blew this week- perfect timing!! starting at the top glue your way around the light bulb wrapping the jute- do this until you wrap it all up- i finished by putting a touch of stick on the top for a more real look-

one done

i stopped at 3

i am anxious to put them out after all the christmas stuff gets put away- they will go in a bowl with the fabric balls i made- it will be fun to have something new to put out after the house feels empty and bare- i might color the stems green- will see-

until next time- enjoy your sunday!

-birdie

not mine- but oh- how i wish!

2011-12-03T21:48:00.000-08:00

i spent my saturday night relaxing- enjoying all my cozy christmas decorations and checking out new things on pinterest- when i came across a blog from a craft that i had clicked on- this blog is hands down-right up my alley- it caught my eye and sucked me in for a while- she writes about.. her home- her boys- photography- her farm- recipes and more! she got my imagination rolling.....

i have mentioned someday wanting to have a vintage sale- well really- i dream about having a big red yummy barn that i can set up 2 craft and re-due furniture and have the front as a shop for people 2 come drool over goodies that i have for sale or 2 just come and dream about- well here @ Meadowbrook farm i found more than the barn that is in my dreams- she has the worlds most sweetest vintage decor/kitchen- recipes and gardens... ooh and did i mention her barn?? what about the land she gets 2 walk on and her photography is amazing!! i am sharing a few of my favorite things from her blog.. there were so many but here are just a few...

this looks like the most amazing-peaceful and fun place to live-

seriously? is this for real? there are no words for how much i am in love with this kitchen- check out the flowers outside that window!!

i can imagine myself picking fruit from my garden and having it displayed like she did

look at that table cloth

but then i would need my bestie over to bake...

we could enjoy her goodies on this.....

porch swing- with the most lovable fabrics or sit and chat by the...

that's right.. the water..

i have on many occasions told shea that someday i want to live on a farm... a non-working farm- there is something about a barn and the old memories that are within- i must have some old soul in me- my dad had a farm house for a while that had a big red barn and i still think about it-

after the fire dept is behind us someday i think shea would enjoy the peace and relaxation of a cozy little farm house...i sure know i would! until then i will just keep dreaming and live through this blog to get my fix-

a couple other things i just loved on her blog for christmas-

to check her out-
http://themeadowbrookblog.blogspot.com/

enjoy! birdie

all photos taken from meadowbrookblogspot

these make me..

2011-12-01T15:08:00.000-08:00

::happy::

i was at the mpls market a couple weeks ago (thanks tasha!!) and came across these sweet little buttons- birds and owls- yes please!

i was sure i would not be wearing them so i turned them into magnets!

dont they make you smile?

what craft will you be working on this weekend? have a good one!

-birdie

crafting w/the b's

2011-11-27T07:08:00.000-08:00

the 5 of us bitch and stitch gals get together once a month- mostly crocheting- all working on different things- jayne thought it would be fun 2 switch up group this month 2 a crafting theme- everyone bring a craft sample and enough for everyone 2 make and take- i was totally on board- i love crafting! so here are the crafts!!

i brought stuff 2 make button ornaments- i thought it was cute since we are a stitching group 2 make something out of a sewing item- i saw these on pinterest and they originally came from martha stewart's web site-

my samples

jaynes craft

first we took some satin- then made a running stitch

brave jayne then took the blow torch.. yes, blow torch and went to town along the edges- she rocked it-

then with some gathering and glue you get beautiful flowers- these are the samples.. ok, the sample picture! pretty 2 add to that holiday outfit!

jens craft was making tile coasters- something i had pinned and wanted to make! spray self adhesive on the tile then lay the paper of your liking down and spray with a clear sealer- these 3 are mine- i love them! super easy, great gifts and great way to get some color in a room-

also make sure you add some felt on the bottom of the tile so you dont scratch your surface

nikol-the sewing studio chic (face behind sewtropolis) brought us a sample of... fabric bracelets!! this one is mine- love- summer colors...hmm, missing summer already?!? took 3 pieces of fabric- with a twist and a couple knots- clamp them together with some glue and clasps and tada!

i had a great time at our crafting stitch and bitch this month- i really enjoyed making all 4 projects! thanks B's for another fun and successful craft night!

thanksgiving

2011-11-24T17:15:00.000-08:00

-birdie

serving tray

2011-11-22T19:02:00.000-08:00

i took this boring tray that has been sitting in our front closet since we got married and gave it a make over-

used this fabric i found at sewtropolis and used a glossy MP to cover the bottom of the tray- but first i used beige spray paint 2 give it all over new color-

my plan for the tray is for it 2 sit on the couch (remotes, fire pager, cell etc..) basically for the hubster 2 store his things while watching the tube- i also love it as a display tray as well-

do you have one of these trays laying around that you could put 2 better use?

number one

2011-11-20T20:21:00.000-08:00

christmas craft #1

it finally snowed here in MN and that first snow fall brings holiday cheer in this girl- the christmas music is now being played- the gifts have started being bought and made :) and i am looking forward to making our home festive in the next week! as much as i look forward to putting my fall decor up- i am ready to pack it up- bring on the red and green! so -to get this party started a couple of us stitch and bitch group gals got together last friday and made a couple crafts- ideas totally taken from pinterest with our own spin- have i mentioned i love pinterest? have i told you i have spent hours upon hours pinning? back to the to pin here- i mean point!! haha...

pine cone hanging decor

collect some pine cones- free in my yard.. need some? help yourself..

glue gun- ribbon choices ( first pic) go ahead and glue the ribbon on-

busy at work- these pine cones had plenty of sap so the goo gone is and was a must!! you are welcome goo gone for that advertisement-

then we took more ribbon made bows and glued those on-

sample

more- cute!!

then i added some norway pine- i really like the touch that added-

this is the one that will be displayed on the front of my house! its in the garage right now waiting until after thanksgiving to get its spot.. it will look beautiful out there!

keep watching for more christmas crafts!

tea cups

2011-11-14T18:51:00.000-08:00

i know.. i know.. soo cute right?!?

i was a busy girl this past weekend-

**tea cup pin cushion**

this is how you make your own

first grab a tea cup that you want to use-any size-any color- i went for the white so i could really choose any fabric-

i found my tea cups at the thrift shop for .49 cents each.. yes- .49 cents!!

check it!

cut your choice of fabric into a circle- then grabbing the fabric stuff with stuffing as full as you want then gather the end- like your holding a balloon before you tie it off- with your glue gun- glue along the edge of your tea cup but not to close to the edge- you dont want to see the glue- then stuff your cushion into the cup- the fabric will catch the glue- push down gently on the top of the cushion for a bit to make sure the glue holds-

once i figured out a way to make this and for it to look nice- the second one took less than 5mn to make! (i have to admit the first 5x i tried..it looked like ****!! i even had to switch up my fabric- b/c i ruined this piece above)

one for me- one for a gift!

it looks super cute in my craft space-

enjoy making your cup of tea!

-birdie

thankful rings

2011-11-12T17:31:00.000-08:00

i have been taking the boys to open gym the past couple saturdays to burn off that boy energy! they have so much fun- it makes me feel like lucas is still super little too- since open gym is where he spent his ECFE days which seems like yesterday and here he is a kindergartner already-ahhh- anyway... this morning we stuck close to home since nolan has been fighting a super bad cold and cough this week and now lucas is getting it- we didnt think it was best to infect our open gym friends- so i had to be creative or it gets to be a long day! this morning we sat down and made thankful rings-

lucas cut strips off fall colored paper

nolan colored while lucas was busy cutting

then we talked about what we were thankful for...

lucas did the writing.. his first thankful thing.. mommy!!

i love that i rate #1

nolan added his artwork <3

thankful for firefighters.. of course!

(i love that swirl on his head)

as we put them together we talked about how we love our family and friends and how thankful we are for each one of them-

i put it on our dining room table so we can be reminded while we eat of the things we are thankful for- i added my vintage turkey that i scored a few years back- i love how lucas really thought about the things he was thankful for-

mommy

daddy

god

sun

family

jack

maggie

firefighters

lucas*nolan*beagles (this was mine)

health (this one 2)

thanksgiving is right around the corner.. what are you thankful for?

easy decor

2011-11-09T12:12:00.000-08:00

a very easy way 2 have decor that matches a room- fabric balls- you see them everywhere right? well here is a easy way to make them- cheap!

get a coupon from your local craft store- they all have them- usually about 40% off one item- i took my coupon and got these 6 styrofoam balls for 2.99- then you need mod podge- oh yeah!

**i felt like i wanted to pull some color into our family room so i used scraps of fabric i had to make that happen-

:supplies:

i took the scrap of fabric and brushed on the MP then wrapped the ball- i used as many strips as i needed to cover the ball entirely- i gave them a soft squeeze for a mn or so- this way all the little straggle pieces fold down- i did not MP the ball after the fabric was on-

super happy with how they turned out- i want to get a little red in here so i am going to make more-

it feels good to get a craft done off my *to do list* and this one was fun-easy and cute!

have fun! -birdie

potpourri

2011-11-07T08:28:00.000-08:00

fall is in full effect here in MN- cold is coming are way and soon the snow will be falling- here is a recipe to make your home smell wonderful for the cozy days ahead-

1 qt water

3 bay leaves

3 cinnamon sticks

1T whole all spice

1T whole cloves

1 slice of an orange

put all above ingredients into a pot and let simmer on your stove
**add water when needed
people will be asking why your house smells so good and you will re-write this recipe more than once to pass along- its a hit!
thanks to my bestie nicole for passing it to me a few years ago-
enjoy and be cozy!!

-birdie

fabric headbands

2011-11-02T13:04:00.000-07:00

hello november! this is the month we all start to gear up for the upcoming holidays- for the past 3 years i have participated in a holiday boutique-i not only bring my tastefully simple stuff- i like to bring a few craft things to sell as well- this year i came up with fabric headbands- if you want to get your hands on one- come shop at the deephaven holiday boutique!

something fun for yourself or a gift

saturday- november 19th 3:00-6:00pm

17775 breezy point road- deephaven

featured vendors

paperly

silpada

willow house

tastefully simple- oh yeah!! :)

31 gifts

pampered chef

demarle

dkw cakes

baby ashby designs

wheelhouse sketches

norwex

wall organization systems

little passports

tons of handmade items

everyone is welcome! have a fun afternoon out and get some of your holiday shopping done- support the small business'

she has wine to drink while you shop and great appetizers too! hope to see you!

trick or treat

2011-10-31T05:30:00.000-07:00

have a happy halloween

from the birdie!

i love fall

2011-10-29T07:31:00.000-07:00

here is some fall decor that has caught my eye over the past month-

i wanted to share them with you-

these next 2 (up and down) are from scissors and spatulas-

one of my favorite blogs-

she always has the best decor for her front door and entrance-

this is my owl:) he sits in my kitchen- i had to share!

i am all over these for halloween lunch- the boys will dig this for sure!

mason jars and candy.. um, yes please!

i love this for the birds- the vintage camera-

well -i really just like everything about it-

this is one pretty wreath!

i am not really a wreath gal, but i would hang this on my door!

what did you come across this month that you love?

bookmark the site/pic so you have it for inspiration-

-birdie

new fabric

2011-10-26T19:57:00.000-07:00

ok- so the story goes like this- i was in search of a new lamp for my sewing table- i was at the thrift store and came across this- it was the perfect size-

1.99..what a deal!

found this awesome lamp shade at hobby lobby- self adhesive... do they make it any easier?? came across some great fabric- also at hobby lobby- a set of 3 coordinating fabrics- all to come home with me..ok-so- lamp base-check! lamp shade- check! new fabric- check! oh and 2 top it off i found ribbon to use instead of sewing fabric together and gathering it- this lamp mission just became the easiest thing i will ever make over! once again- yeah for hobby lobby and thrift stores!

taped off the parts that didnt need spraying and off i went...

i ended up spraying the ribbon 2!

um- i am pretty sure- i looove the way it turned out-

that blue just makes me want to screech with delight!

while in mankato we stopped at probably the most nasty- smelly thrift store i have ever been 2... it was a tough shopping experience- but i did walk out of there with these 6 vintage trays for a grand total of 2.00.. i actually think they are way cute so i am not going to touch 4 of the 6- i picked the two that were in rough shape- took one of those and sprayed with my blue again! then took the same fabric and sprayed it down- works great for a magnetic board- added a little fabric flower touch for some color-

here is another fabric from the collection- framed it up with the cute doily i had- i really like the look of fabric framed for decor- so these new wonderful things i made took a spot in my craft area... here is what my space looked like.....
before..and

:::after:::

i changed a few things up :) i took the H wall hanging and made it into a hanging pillow instead- used the frame for my new fabric- new lamp- used other frames i already had to show off those 3 cute pics under the shelf.. i like the cleaner look of my new space- i think i will keep it this way for awhile! ha!!

girls weekend

2011-10-24T18:25:00.000-07:00

helllo girls weekend! 8 of us enjoyed a crafting weekend in amboy, MN about 1/2hr outside mankato- we left early friday morning making a pit stop in mankato to check out hobby lobby- lets just say i was a bit excited..

here i am! finally visiting a hobby lobby! listen up folks.. this is well worth the stop anytime- they had so much stuff it was unbelievable- hobby lobby rocks!

off to amboy.. this is the house we stayed at- it was so charming- i never expected the inside to be as wonderful as it was-

first off- i walked into the kitchen and this was sitting on the island starring at me- i was in love at hello- this bird makes me smile- check out these built-ins...

and more..

this is over the kitchen sink- again-love! after touring the house and picking our rooms- we were off for a little walk into town- now- i am not sure this town has changed much since it was established...

gas anyone? look at the two old men standing visiting- steppn back in time-

besides the antique shop and yarn store (which we did view her plucking her rabbit and spinning its yarn) this was the only other shop to check out- i loved the entrance to her shop- it was so inviting- check out that door-

jods- striking a pose in front of the tallest thing in amboy

bffs since- well... a long time!

the crafting crew!

jody and i shared a room on the upper level of the house- we stayed in a room that had two white iron day beds and a wicker dresser- everything was white with pink vintage decor- it was so cozy! this was hanging on our wall- i cant believe i didnt get any other pics of our room- it was really sweet-

this is where we spent most of our time- what a awesome set-up- we all had our own table and there was also a couch/chair and tv- with a little kitchen area 2- lots of crafting and laughter in this room over the weekend-

jody taught herself to crochet- she manged to whip up a few hats over the weekend- here is one she made herself- you rock jods- i am so proud of you!

me- making headbands- besides jods and i- all the girls were scrapbookn- they made such wonderful pages and projects- i was so in awe of their stuff-

jen- made up a little make and take project for us- we all went home with a note pad/frame project-

how stinkn cute are these? haha

plastic frame turned upside down- decorative paper in the frame- post it and a embellishment- love! thanks again jen- fun 2 have a memento to take home-

sunday breakfast- i sat here with my coffee and looked at my the bird- i was so sad to leave him there...he is just the cutest isnt he?? we all packed up after a fun- creative and accomplished weekend- we took one last swing into mankato on the way home.. i found this owl ring- now my weekend was complete!

moms need time away- they need breaks- time with friends and time to get crafting done uninterrupted- i feel so lucky to have had this time this past weekend- thanks to my hunny for keeping things in order so i could enjoy my girls weekend away- 2 the 8 of you i shared this weekend with- thank you! thanks for the new memories- i am already looking forward to next year! xo

**i did come home with a few other treasures... keep checking back for what i do with them!

this weekend

2011-10-20T19:36:00.000-07:00

i am off for a crafting- girls weekend!

i will be back tuesday with details and projects to show off!

have a great one! -h

happy owl-oween

2011-10-19T12:09:00.000-07:00

i couldnt resist printing these halloween labels out when i came across them- then they sat on my desk for a couple weeks- what would i do with them?- i had to share them- they are 2 cute 2 keep for myself- halloween...candy.. ok- so i cut them out- used spray adhesive to stick them on the clear bags and bought my favorite chocolate snack to put in them.. chocolate covered peanuts...yum! to top it off- i thought it would be cute to use my modge podge clothes pins-

whooo will get one for halloween?

http://personalgiftpail.com for halloween printable
clothes pins archive: june- ribbon wall hanging

another use..

2011-10-17T21:05:00.000-07:00

this yellow jar came from the i heart jars blog i did back in august-check it out-

after spending 2 lovely hours on pinterest last night- i walked away from the computer and immediately went and made this- super easy- the jar was already sprayed so i made a hole in the top then sprayed it- stuck the pump in and..

ta-da!

it looks so cute- thanks pinterest! i love having more uses for my jars!

h is for

2011-10-15T07:16:00.000-07:00

hot pink houndstooth! haha

i have been seeing these button letters all over the craft blogs- thought i should have one in my craft room- so often we pick up fabric we love but dont have a project for- so it sits waiting to be used- i am glad i found a use for my pink houndstooth! enjoy the weekend! -harriette

teaching success

2011-10-10T20:24:00.000-07:00

beginner crochet class at sewtropolis was a hit! a big thank you to owner- nikol for inviting me in to your cute-cozy store.. i am in love with the couch we sat and crocheted on and many other things in the store- lisa and mary were awesome students! what a fun place to spend a monday night! thanks to all of you!!

(couch nikol reupholstered herself!)

if you havent yet- you must check out sewtropolis in south mpls- fabric- yarn- classes and other goodies-
keep checking back for my next class dates in november and december!

inspired

2011-10-04T08:07:00.000-07:00

ok- so i thought i was a pretty organized gal- but when my friend nicole turned me onto the iheart organizing blog i was put to shame- this gal is unbelievable! her house is amazing- everything she does is perfectly organized with a label and her design and decor is just right up my alley- she was actually featured on "house proud" on Nate Berkus a couple weeks ago- can you believe that? soo awesome! anyway.. she has me inspired to do more organizing and i have lots o plans in my head- first since i had a bit of time today i took on a small project.. this is what i call my messy baking cupboard

before and ...

after

i used these small white baskets to put all my stuff in- this way -i can pull the basket out to find something instead of searching around- i used clip art to make my labels- its not a huge re-vamp- but it sure feels good- oh and i had to show you this tin-
this was in my house growing up- my mom stashed the chocolate chips in it- it's in my kitchen cupboard now- doing the same thing- i just love it! thank you iheart organizing for inspiring me- i can't wait to get some of my other projects done- it is a matter of time before you go look at her amazing blog- i want to tell you a couple of my favorite things she has done- 1) her closet made into office/desk 2( laundry room... all i can say is..love it- she has many things i heart 2 look at- i know you will too-

ps- i now want a laminator!! teehee!
i am working on my laundry room now- stay tuned!

buttons

2011-09-28T06:34:00.000-07:00

felt-fabric-a little stitching-some glue= buttons

last sunday was truly a perfect inside day for all of us- shea watched football- the boys played and watched a movie w/out fighting- and i got to sit in my craft room and create- so much fun

cutting 6 round felt circles-fold 4 over and over and glue or stitch to the bottom whole circle- after that- G or S the top one on- then be creative for the topping- i used fabric-buttons-thread and some beads- here is the stash i made that day

i wanted to make a signature mark on them- so i came up with this- i love hearts- so it seemed appropriate- plus it hides the back of the pins-

more than half are gone already- i guess people like them :) cute on coats for winter or a bag

the felt pin idea originally came from a craft fair my sister went to last winter- i just put my own spin on it!

felt is really fun to work with- i feel like there is so much you can do with it- i also like stitching it on to hats- happy felting!

day dreaming

2011-09-26T17:56:00.000-07:00

i day dream of a patio with cozy furniture that i can go cuddle up on-drink coffee and blog-this has been a dream of mine since we moved into our house 8 almost 9 years ago now-except the blog part-thats new in my dream-so i got my patio this summer!! yippee!! now i am on the search for exactly what i want for furniture-its a smaller patio so it needs to be something small and sweet-usually i am a immediate gratification kind of gal but ever once in a while and this is very rare...something means so much that i really will wait-this time being furniture for the patio-so it sits empty now-in my dream i have always pictured some wicker..now-i have seen some things I like but last week dear sweet cutie pie Nate Berkus showed the exact piece of wicker i am dreaming of! here are some pics.... i took the pics right off the tv while i watching it! Haha so classic..

so this piece belongs to a lady from Nantucket so i can't even beg and plead on a email to nate that i need this piece- i have to really hunt for this one..i love the round shape-and isn't the yellow to die for as well!?? Ooohhh....i can just see myself in it under a cozy quilt blogging about it :) wish me luck my friends-and feel free to be on the hunt for me as well- that would be much appreciated- i love his show and him so much! wouldn't it be just a gas to see his show in person?? ddaydreaming again! oh and the shops they were showing in Nantucket looked pretty dran cute too!

someone old-something new

2011-09-25T19:09:00.000-07:00

HELLO!!! I am back! I have been just all out of sorts with out a computer- but all is good now and i am back to blog- thank goodness- oh how i missed you- even though i was not posting i was still typing on my droid- so here is a post from last thursday- enjoy!!

Thursdays...garage-yard-moving-estate sale day..i really love to go out and see what i am going to find -i have had great luck finding some really neat stuff for almost nothing- if you dont know by now i mostly love to find things that are old/vintage or things that i can make over- it is such a feel good moment to accomplish something i have dreamed up in my head- i keep talking about this vintage sale i am going to have- well people- i promise- mark my words-someday i will have this sale!! after about a year of picking up this and that and redoing things my way- i will have this sale- the sale that people will talk about for years! i have already come to a point- well kind of- where i am out of room in our little 50's house to keep all of these delicious finds-so my fine vintage loving friends-these lovely things may be in your homes someday soon..ok- back to the topic..

sewing-today i stopped at a moving sale- this sweet old lady- selling her things that she could no longer hold on to due to her recent move to assisted living- as her and i were visiting- i could see the sadness in her eyes- leaving her house behind of 54 years and selling things that meant something to her once upon a time- one thing that i have to share is her perfect set curled hair- she was one of those ladies who gets her hair set once a week...love it! Anyway -as I stumbled upon a box of sewing things she asked me if I sewed -yes! I love sewing and crafting..her face lit up -she practically put the sewing stuff in my car..she was so happy to see a younger woman interested in sewing -i could tell she was happy her sewing stuff was going home with me! i only wanted a couple things but she insisted i take the whole box for 4.00!! pretty sure I will never ever use this much bias tape in my entire life but ever time I look at it I will think of her- she was the kindest lady-

so today- not only did I score some sewing essentials- I met a woman who shared a little part of herself with me-meeting her made me think again about how fast life goes-cherish all the memories you make because some- someday- get left behind-

learn how to crochet

2011-09-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

COME and LEARN how to CROCHET

I will be teaching a beginner crochet class here at sewtropolis, mpls- october 10th from 6-9pm

whoo-hoo- i am super pumped about this!

we will be using this awesome organic yarn from the shop

why make more garbage when you can reuse-right??

come hang out at sewtropolis with me and the other beginners and make one of these for yourself!

you will also learn other stitches that will help you on your way to other projects.

please go to http://www.sewtropolis.com/ or call 612-827-9550 to register for the class!

bathroom is done!

2011-09-11T08:53:00.000-07:00

if you have been visiting my blog- you may have noticed i have been out of the office- not as many DIY projects to show off- well- i have been a busy lady since coming home from vacation- sending my baby off to kindergarten- helping a friend with a huge sale and.... updating our bathroom!!!!!

hello!! LOVE! check it out...

old 50's wood needed a little updating- i am so lame and forgot to take BEFORE pics- so this is what i captured while in the middle of taking down doors, trim, etc..

paint me please- ok!

off to work i went- sanding everything- it was a very messy job

sanding done

now time to paint

you must buy good paint, a good brush and a good roller

one night i would paint one side of cabinets and doors then the next the other sides- all in all- it took a good 2-3 coats of paint to look really good- the trim was so easy to do- if you are ever thinking about updating trim in your house- super easy job- just make sure you sand down the old stuff very well- to get the best look- don't skip this part- you will be very disappointed-

got this little cabinet in Walker, MN on vacation- p.e.r.f.e.c.t. for our bathroom- SCORE!!

so- what do you think? the white is lovely isnt it? happy updater over here for sure! it brings such happy life to the bathroom- out with the old in with the new! 10 out of 10 for DIY bathroom make-over!!

fall hats

2011-09-07T18:32:00.000-07:00

the weather the last couple mornings sure has felt like fall- on vacation i finished up these hats for my gf's 3 boys- their cute faces will look absolutely adorable in these this fall and winter- enjoy jess!

crocheted black hats w/felt motorcycles.

favors that i love

2011-09-05T06:57:00.000-07:00

going to my gf sheilas is one of my favorite homes to visit- the cozy-loving warm feeling of their home and family makes you feel so welcome- the kids and i went over for a last back to school play date last thursday- as we were walking into her house- her wicker on the porch caught my eye- its not like i havent seen it before- its been sitting there since last summer when she picked up from a garage sale-but this time it was screaming at me- paint me! i said "sheila- we need to paint this"- she was on board from the the minute the words left my mouth -so- after some discussion we made a plan- after some spray paint color issues- we used the color regal blue- so pretty!

before

after

before

after

look at the color we added to their porch- w/some pillows this is one great update! thanks sheila for letting me help you w/this project!

** things to remember before spraying outdoor furniture- wipe down all dust/spider webs etc. make sure you use a spray paint for wicker and to use a sealer when finished.

vacation depression

2011-08-29T13:31:00.000-07:00

im back....although i would rather still be on vacation- i had to grocery shop today and do laundry...i also have all the noise from my neighbors remodel- ugh -i want to be back up north- watching lucas jump in the pool- all myself may i add- run after nolan heading up to the lodge and waking up to the sounds of the loons- what a relaxing and wonderful time we had-i want to share more stories and some pics but we came home to a computer that wont even turn on-we figured it was on its way out but not even to turn on to download photos come on-so i am blogging on my droid which really sucks-but i missed it and needed a little fix-so stay tuned once again for photos and new projects- hope you had a wonderful week like i did

UPDATES!!!
i took 400 pics on vacation last week- here are just a few of my favs-

jen (my sissy) and i's crocheting table for the week-on the porch-looking at leech lake

I finished 2 neck gators and 1 and 1/2 hats- jen finished 2 scarfs and a dog sweater- no pics :(

some of the great events at the family resort-we did them all!

lucas and E cheering for the turtle races

E and speedy the turtle

bumpa time at the lake

auntie took E and lucas out on the tube-giggles heard all the way back at the beach

little E water skiing for the FIRST time! go E- she rocked!!

both my beach studs

xoxo

Family group pic 2011

we found this beach and it was amazing at sunset- the waves were absolutely beautiful- we walked down here 3 different times- it was really peaceful

me and my sissy- not planned- just goof'n around- it turned out to be one of my favorite shots

big red bump on lucas' forehead--took a face dive while getting him out of the pool- all my fault :(

lucas likes to be very silly- snails anyone? we came home w/only 4- i was shocked..

my sweet boy lucas loves to pick flowers for his momma- i can't even count how many hand picked flowers i have received from him- one special one he picked up from the beach- one for me, auntie and nana-

such a wonderful-fun-family trip- so many new memories made- this is our 3rd trip up to Huddles and we have our cabins booked for next summer- it is such a great family resort- with all of the old works to it- nothing new and fancy-Walker MN- is just a 15mn ride- the boys and i went in one day to play and another day we went in and did a little shopping... i did find myself a VINTAGE piece of LUGGAGE!! $6- score, its blue and in good shape- i will re-due the inside- found a couple other little things too-

we had beautiful weather everyday- we were so lucky! lots of sun and fun- i sure cherish my time up at Huddles- i think the boys tonight are finally back to a normal schedule- kindergarten open house this morning and a bus ride- next week we officially have a kindergartner in our house- time sure flies-i can't believe summer is coming to an end- off to finish up a hat that i will blog about in the next couple days- night-night!

on vacation

2011-08-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

stay tuned!

little lace

2011-08-18T07:02:00.000-07:00

cute lace old navy tank anyone? you can buy this tank @ oldnavy or you can DIY like i did!

tanks are on super sale now-

buy some lace @ joanns (its cheap- like under $2) for a yard!

make sure 2 pin it in place

sew pretty close to the edge on both sides- so it wont flip up after wash and wear

sporting my new tank- sorry- the pic isnt that great- but you get the idea- another super easy make over!

flea finds and more

2011-08-16T05:02:00.000-07:00

i spent my sunday morning with my buddy nicole- we checked out the local medina flea market on this beautiful warm morning- here are some of the things i came home with-

all of these for $5- they caught my eye when i walked by this "mans booth" i couldnt believe it- it was the only non-guy thing he had- score for me! look at the runner...

**look for these at my vintage sale

HELLO!!!! vintage cameras!! LOVE me some vintage cameras!! so- i found one at an estate sale this summer and fell in love- it is so cute displayed on a old book in my entry- today i came across FOUR!! normally i would have to hunt and hunt for something like this to find them at a low price- well today- i paid $11 for ALL OF THEM!!! if you know vintage cameras- you know that this is a absolute steal!

checking it out

polaroid

this one is my favorite-it makes you wonder what kind of memories were shot on this...

in training

this is the one that i picked up at the estate sale that started the hunt

i have never seen a pinocchio puzzle- lucas loved "nokey-pokey" so much at about age 3- he was still super excited when i brought this home today- its in great shape- $2- this will be one i hang onto for my grand babies someday-

i have seen a few of these fischer price fire trucks on my hunts but have never found one worth the price for the condition- today once again was my day! great condition and paid a big 3 bucks! boys lovvve it- but they love anything with fire trucks- it reminds me of toys from my generation-

these were not from today but had to share them-

helped my neighbor out w/her garage sale last week and scored these for $2. six mint condition vintage napkins- they look brand new- i doubt they were ever used- they came from her dads house. i love the bright colors- my mom has her eyes on these- so i am not sure they will make it to the vintage sale-

as i am posting this and looking through my finds- i just can't believe how much wonderful stuff i came across that i just love! thanks once again buddy for a fun morning- wishing all of you happy finds!

napkins 2 pillows

2011-08-12T19:20:00.000-07:00

i wanted to had a little splash of color to our living room- i came across these super cute patterned cloth napkins at target- went to joanns and got two pillow inserts on mega sale and went to work-

this is a EASY make over for anyone to do- you just need a sewing machine-
the napkins were 9.99 for four-getting two pillows from that- you can't find those prices at pottery barn- DIY pays off once again!

sock monkey

2011-08-10T16:26:00.000-07:00

i figured- i already have two monkeys in the house why not have monkey hats for them-

lucas is sporting the first creation of the sock monkey hat -made by me- last night- the cooler air made me feel like making something cozy- i put the finishing touches on this morning-

i am not ready for the weather that goes along with wearing this hat- the star tribune says- we will have a very cold winter but not as much snow... wait.. did i just day snow? yikes- i better make a summer project tonight!

i did not have a pattern-feel free to go ahead and take this photo to make one of your own- happy crocheting!

btw- i am thinking of putting together a crocheting class for beginners- watch for more info

featured

2011-08-07T08:36:00.000-07:00

whoohoo! i got my first feature with my vintage luggage! i am so super excited!! check it out!
she picked 4 projects out of 137 that were linked

http://www.momnivores-dilemma.com/

thank you momnivores for loving my luggage as much as i do!

i heart jars

2011-08-05T08:07:00.000-07:00

i have been picking up jars here and there at estate and garage sales this summer- all most all of them i have scored out of the FREE bin at the sales- gotta love that! i had a dream of making something cute for my fireplace mantel with the jars- but that is not what i ended up doing- instead i wanted some color in my front entry and i love red- so out came the spray paint and.....

tada!!!

make sure you use a glove when your spraying- i can't tell you how many times i have now sprayed my wedding ring- not so easy to get off.....

the yellow was a tester- turned out very sweet- i will have many of painted jars in my big vintage re-due sale in a year or so-

and my front entry has some color! you can also use them for vases, utensil holders and canisters for your counter- lots of uses and gives great color to a blah spot in your home!

yellow one made it on my kitchen table :)

my friendship buttons

2011-08-03T04:36:00.000-07:00

can you believe these wonderful vintage buttons?

i feel like i have scored not once- but twice! my best buddy nicole put her mom on a mission to find us some buttons- and she did- she scored a whole jar for $5- my buddy let me have first pick out of the jar-she knows i live for vintage finds and that i would get such a thrill from these!! last week we went up for a visit- there i sat on her living room floor sorting- having more fun then anyone can imagine- i was in heaven looking through these! i had my stash and was hoping she would give me the ok to take these suckers home- and of course- nicole being nicole- she let me take my new found stash!!! she is so good to me! not only did i score on the vintage buttons- i scored finding her as my buddy 10+ years ago now- we have formed a sister like friendship- a friend i will cherish and love for the rest of my life. thanks for being you buddy! and thanks again over and over for my buttons- i have them sitting in a jar on my sewing table and will think of you every time i see them! xo

no-sew flag banner

2011-08-01T04:57:00.000-07:00

i love these sweet little banners that stores are showing- lots of them complete with sewing machine stitching- i wanted one for lucas' room but wasnt going to pay the high price when i could make one myself and with the fabric i want- so 2 match his room- i used this firetruck fabric that i had bought at the MN quilt show a couple years back- but- instead of using the machine- i wanted to sit in front of the nate berkus show and put one together- so i used my trusty glue gun instead!

what i used

cut out your felt a tad bigger then the fabric

lay fabric on top and glue down

glue banner to ribbon

find a spot and hang it! i hung it while lucas was sleeping- he noticed right away in the morning and thought it was so cool! way to go mom!! super easy project and a fun way to add a little fun something to a room- the next to do will be a happy birthday one-add letters on top of cute birthday fabric and have a reusable banner for parties- yes!

mom challenge

2011-07-28T14:14:00.000-07:00

i saw this on a blog that I visit often and found it to be so thoughtful that i wanted to share it with you-
isnt it true? another day passes that is another day closer to our babies leaving home someday- it makes tears well up in my eyes to think that someday my house will be 2 quite- i wont have someone needing me everyday- i wont hear the giggles, the fighting and the wonderful stories of imagination from my beautiful children-some of my favorite parts of the day are when lucas insists on a morning kiss- when nolans morning hair makes me giggle-when lucas asks to hear stories from when i was little- hearing nolans voice starting to make new words- our play time together and watching my boys as their brotherhood bond grows- but when my children are sleeping and i sneak into give them that one last kiss at night- as i stare at their sweet sleeping little faces- i think how lucky i am- lucky to have such- healthy- happy- creative-playful little boys- this is my gentle reminder to give a little more- and each day remember these simple little things that make life such a joy-

i will be printing a copy of this- to get yours Go to iMom to print out your own copy.

vintage luggage

2011-07-24T14:39:00.000-07:00

this weekend was crazy days in excelsior- i found this awesome piece of vintage luggage at a flea market for- are you ready??? .50 cents!! yes, .50 cents!! SCORE! you need to know something about me- i have the BEST sense of smell ever! honestly- i can smell like a hound dog! ha...so- anyway- this sweet little piece of luggage really had a horrible old lady smell inside- airing it out for years would not have helped- so i had to take matters in to my own hands-

i opened it up and started ripping all of the guts out- it took a while and i kind of wish i would of wore a mask- it was so stinky- after tearing it all out - i gave it a good scrub down- taped it up and got it ready for its make over-

i used a berry pink that i had already- i did go ahead and spray the inside just a soft coat to get rid of the smell- it still stunk even after the fabric was out and it was washed- then i went to town- sprayed the outside with a good couple coats and then used some polyurethane to top it off- after the kiddos were in bed- i pealed the tape off and it looked great! i loved how the silver and pink looked together- then- i started on the inside- i took fabric that i heart so much and that i already had- and finished it off with a ribbon binding- that i also had-

so what do you think? LOVE?? me too!! can you believe this adorable thing came from that brown- smelly thing?? and for only .50 cents- i am pretty happy with my vintage find and make over- i plan to use this for carrying yarn- craft supplies etc.

i linked up with these two favs for this project- wish me luck in being featured!!

<a href=”http://bluecricketdesign.net” target=”_blank”><img alt=”I’m showing off” src=”http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c201/rdulgarian/comecheckmeoutcopy-1-1.jpg” /></a>

<center><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_795338141 src="http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa446/momnivoresdilemma/RecentlyUpdated.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a> </center>

last pair

2011-07-20T05:52:00.000-07:00

i made my last pair of flippers for the season yesterday- although i had fun making these all spring- i am happy to move on to some fall creations- i made 50+ pairs of flippers this spring/summer- lucky little girls and some adults are sporting my creation :) until next spring- bye bye flower flippers-

living room part 1

2011-07-17T17:15:00.000-07:00

hey followers! did you notice i was a bit MIA this week? want to know what i was up 2? well- again- i am one to be known to change things up more frequently then one should- but- when you stay at home all day and look around at the same walls and same decorations- change is really a must for my well being! ha!
i recently found some owl prints on etsy- they are printed on old dictonary paper- so cool! I really like them and they are a great addition to our living room- but-once i saw my favorite blogger share her new entry make over with some stenciling- i had the idea to spruce up my owls. here it goes- beware- this is so fun!!

before

after- it added so much to the room! eeeek!

before

after

so- are you in love 2? this is how i went about making over my walls-

first- i went on line and found a pattern i liked- you can order stencils but they can be kind of expensive- so i then enlarged the pattern i found and printed two onto stronger card stock paper that i had- then cut it out. second i measured the space around the pictures i wanted to frame in- using a measuring tape and level- i used paint tape to frame it in- i used the same paint i had previously used to paint the mattes the photos are on-

tape your stencil well onto the wall and paint away- as you can see i used a sponge and tapped the paint onto the wall- i was glad i made two stencils- half way through i needed a new one- the other was falling apart-

this is where i finished up one night and started with a new stencil the next night- once it was done- i wanted to frame it in- i went to my local hardware store and got molding and a can of black spray paint- semi gloss. sprayed them and let them dry over night- then my go to guy ( carl- he is the best at all things handy- thank god for him!) measured and cut the pieces to fit perfectly!

here is carl and i working away! well- carls doing the work i am just holding stuff in place- the staple gun FREAKS ME OUT! so every time it went off i would either make this face or yelp!

once again the finished product! i LOVE it! shea likes it too! he is so good about letting me decorate and create and not fuss at all- thank god for him too! keep checking back for living room make over #2- i am starting it this week- but still need to make some estate and garage sale stops to find a few pieces- it will be a fire place/mantel make over!

my mango salsa

2011-07-13T07:09:00.000-07:00

i fell in love with lakewinds mango salsa last summer- i was buying it so much-it wasnt cheap- i needed to start making my own- but it had to taste like lakewinds-so- i experimented- which i rarely do with cooking- but i gave it a go- and i found the taste i was looking for- i want to share my recipe with you- well- b/c its that great!

3 fresh mango

1 small bunch of green onion chopped

1 red pepper chopped

handful of cilantro chopped

juice of 1/2 a lime

yummmmm.....

after you are done chopping- add it all to the bowl

sprinkle some

sugar-chili powder-salt & garlic salt

mix it up

tada! mango salsa

super easy-super yummy

needs to be eaten w/in 24hrs..you will have no problems

if you have a trader joes- the organic blue corn chips are the best

mango tango baby! enjoy-

sunday scissors

2011-07-10T14:36:00.000-07:00

i had a little time to craft today- when i went into my hide out space i wondered what i would create- i wanted to make something i could finish-(haha my sister is laughing right now..b/c i am known to want it now/do it now) i figured i had about 45mn until someone was looking for me- i was opening my drawers where the felt lays- hmm- felt today? yes! i absolutely love working with felt-so i went to grab a pair of scissors to start creating and it came to me- a safety cover for my scissors- or will just say- a cute cover instead of safety- here it goes-

i picked the colors of felt i was going to use- then- i got the DMC thread that would match- a needle and scissors to do the job as well- you need sharp scissors to cut the felt nicely-

I cut out 2 pieces of brown felt- making sure the scissors would fit-

then i cut out my blue bird (no pattern) just cut as you want it- then after i had all my pieces cut- i took the thread and started stitching-stitch your picture on first then the two pieces of felt together- it went super fast- i used all 6 strands so the stitching would stick out-

ahhh! blue bird- arent you so cute! i am so glad you are mine-what a lovely way to spend my 45mn alone-looking at my birdie :)

thrifty thursday

2011-07-08T05:54:00.000-07:00

yesterday the boys and i had some time after our park play date and library to check out a few garage sales- we stopped at 3 and found a little something at each one-

lucas got 7 new books for 1.75

nolan got a little tykes ride on tractor 2.00

i got a little porcelain pig (hard to see-sitting on the seat of the tractor) for my craft room .25

thrifty finds for $4.00- what a deal- its amazing what you can buy with the change in your car-

we had a fun time finding our thrifty finds!

slippers anyone?

2011-07-06T06:50:00.000-07:00

this photo is from the etsy site-

bought my pattern for the oma house slippers for 5.50 off etsy- i got my pattern within 12 hours- i was off the next day to joanns to get the new yarn to start my version of the oma house slippers-

sewing club is the first sunday of each month for the past 8 years now- this sewing club sunday i got to enjoy making my new slippers on the patio with the sun shinning down on me and the beautiful view of the lake-

the pattern was very easy to follow-

my first slipper finished- as you can see- i changed the color pattern from what she had- i wanted a border-

i love how it turned out- but i needed to add one more thing-

yellow flowers!

finished product-

they fit perfect- i just love them-

you can get the Oma House slipper pattern here- http://www.etsy.com/listing/62872279/oma-house-slippers-pdf-pattern-sizes-3

i think i might take orders for christmas gifts- if you are interested- i have not set a price yet-

update on felt tank

2011-07-05T11:38:00.000-07:00

remember the under $10 blog?- the felt heart tank?- after two washes the felt looked bad- it started to pull and get pilly- ish... so- i took the felt heart off- i wasnt going to let that cute light pink tank go to waste- i sewed on a new heart- this time with fabric- i have done fabric on clothes before so i new this would work- the felt was a trial and error- so now we know- no felt on clothes people-

i had this adorable girly pink flower fabric in my stash- waiting to be used- it was calling out to me-

after you have found your fabric- wash-dry and iron it-

i put a little light weight interfacing behind my fabric

when cutting out your shape, letter etc- slip the interfacing under your fabric and cut it out at the same time-

then i always press it again after my shape is cut out- pin it on your shirt- so not to move while sewing-

(front) i really like it-

(back) i went ahead and added one on to the back for a little extra :)

me- showing you how cute my new tank is! and- i just happen to be sporting my new pink pants i got at a garage sale for 1.50 (GAP and are like brand new) how do you like my new lounge outfit?-

heart up close-mine and the tank-

happy sewing!

grass-dirt-water-sun and fun

2011-07-02T12:23:00.000-07:00

these last two days in MN have been hot- that doesnt stop my kids from scratching at the door to get out and play- so the afternoons have been spent in the back yard swimming and soaking up the fun- i got to sit back and watch my boys really enjoy playing together-no screaming or hitting- just giggles-here are some shots from my thursday afternoon with the two little blondes that i love more than anything-

my sweet baby-xo

nolan loved it- giggles the whole time

typical picture- the smaller one pushing the older one

i love the dirt and grass all over them

love this boy

looking forward to spending a holiday weekend with all my boys- happy 4th to you and your loved ones-

4th of july

2011-06-29T20:42:00.000-07:00

the mission at michaels yesterday was to find some things to decorate lukeys bike for the 4th of july parade and then- i stumbled across these-i fell in love with them-not for lukeys bike- for a 4th of july tank for me of course-

4.99

michaels 40% coupon took -2.00

costing 2.99 for TWO!

fired up the glue gun- took a pin back and glued that sucker on- in the pic my backs have an extra yellow layer- i take those off before the glue- otherwise its to thick-

i know-i know- another tank- but i live in these things-

my new 4th tank- patriotic-yes- not over the top-i like- can wear it other times as well- b/c it's- well- adorable- i know- you are wondering if you can have the other since there are two- sorry- my sissy is the recipient of it-lucky her- kiss kiss- its her favorite holiday

i apologize my pics are so dark- its 6:30am and im in the basement-

CANDY STICKS ANYONE??

who doesnt love salty and sweet- i thought this would be a fun- easy-baking creation for lucas and i to do together- here it goes-

what you will need-

wax paper

pretzel rods

chocolate

sprinkles

jar or baggies to deliver or store for yourself

cute huh?!!

i wish i could claim these as ours...

here is the scoop-

lucas- the neighbor girl and i had a lot of fun decorating pretzel rods this afternoon- they are cute and fun-but- ours dont look like this-my fault- i burned the white chocolate- so i melted milk chocolate which worked great and tasted delicious- but the blue and red sprinkles we used didnt show as well- no photos on my end- so- please use this one instead for inspiration- and make sure you dont forget about the chocolate when your melting it-

either way-happy kids with full bellies of chocolate and sprinkles= smiles

blanket or bag

2011-06-27T07:39:00.000-07:00

this morning the boys are snuggled up watching a movie- another day with no sunshine- they both have colds and are not feeling well- so- i am posting this blog from last monday-when they were feeling well and excited about their trip to the library with their new bags- happy monday- hope you are feeling well today-

i have had this airplane fabric around for 5+ years- at the time i got it- i was hoping to make a quilt for a friend who was having a baby with an airplane themed nursery- well-never got around to it- i am glad- it is perfect for our sweet boy nolan to have something made out of it- then - lucas had his fabulous beatles themed 5th birthday party this year- i was on the hunt for all things beatles for his party- i came across this fabric-how great huh?- i used it for a table cloth- what to do with it now?- make something for lucas of course!

airplane fabric- perfect for our airplane lover -nolan

beatles fabric- perfect for our big fan- lucas

what to do with this perfect fabric for each boy?

blankets? no-we have enough of those around the house-

book bags for the library? yes-yes-yes!!

here they are- so easy to put together-

if you want directions on how to make a book bag like this- please ask- i am going to skip the blog details here today- i wanted to mostly show off how cute the boys are at the library

cheese!

enough photos mom- lets go

i love how nolans is 1/2 his size- made me giggle watching him walk with it

the search is on- fill up those bags-

i think the boys enjoyed having bags to stash in that they didnt have to share- made it much easier to leave the library with the massive amount of books we bring home-

yeah! for new book bags- pat on the shoulder for me- the mom :)

story time trolley with local author

2011-06-22T07:57:00.000-07:00

last night- lucas and i had our 2nd annual story time trolley date in excelsior- nancy carlson a local author has written 61 childrens books to date- doing both writing and illustrations her books are wonderful not only for the little ones but the adults too- thanks to my mom- i grew up reading carlsons wonderful books like- harriet and the roller coaster- harriet and walt- harriet and the garden- and harriet and the halloween candy- it was so exciting for me to bring my 1982 1st edition harriet and the roller coaster for carlson to sign last night :) -

while carlson being my favorite childrens author- i of course turned my child on to her as well- what child wouldnt love the illustrations of a dog, rabbit, guinea pig and more- her stories are all positive for children to learn from- her characters have fears- some have disabilities- among other things- kids are influenced and learn from the challenges they are reading about- i remember feeling the fear harriet had getting on that roller coaster in her book- and at the end- i learned if you do not try something you are afraid of you might miss out on a lot of fun-

the weather held out for our wonderful date last night- after being rained out last week- we took a nice ride down the track and back stopping in the middle of our route for carlson to read 3 books-after the 2nd book was read- lucas raised his hand and in his sweet little voice "mrs.carlson- do you have any arnie books to read?" arnie being lucas favorite character of carlsons- she did not have one with her- so- lucas borrowed her his- he was more than thrilled- to top it off- she showed the riders on the trolley how she makes her characters- lucky passengers last night- she shared her art work with the families- can you guess what character we came home with? yep- arnie!-

most of carlsons books are taken from her own experiences and that makes it more fun to read- to read more about nancy carlson please visit www.nancycarlson.com to order any of her books please use your LOCAL bookstore to do so- not only is she a great author- she really is a down to earth person to sit and talk with- she visits a ton of schools over the school year- maybe your child will be lucky to meet carlson- she has many awards and recognitions- i promise you will become hooked to her heart felt stories and messages- i hope you can start a tradition in your family with this lovely local author-

sharing space

2011-06-20T19:07:00.000-07:00

so-for now :)- my sewing corner is complete-but you all know me- it will change here and there- but- like i said- for now- its total cuteness- the beagles are lucky to share this space with me- or- i thank them for the corner of space we share-either way- if we are going to share a space the beagles need cute things too- so- here is my creative treat jar for them- i am very happy with how it turned out- cuteness!!!

plain jar from target- 5.99

cute dog fabric from sewtropolis ( i already had)

i mod podged it on ( i am seriously obsessed with MP)

painted a little chalk board paint on and MP a stripe border (fabric from sewtropolis- same collection)

still a little wet here but you get the point

woof woof! who wants a treat? cuteness huh?!!

i love how it turned out- the beagles like it too

daddy

2011-06-19T09:31:00.000-07:00

i love you my sweet husband- i really-really love you- i couldnt imagine doing this parental role with any other partner- what a journey- you are the best daddy- we love you-

lucas paged through many coloring sheets to pick the perfect one for daddy- he also wanted to make daddy a ribbon he could wear (bottom right) and a bouquet of ties for the breakfast table- our little crafter- daddy was gently awoke by two sweet little voices- one singing happy fathers day to you- after many hugs-kisses and snuggles- we all enjoyed daddys favorite breakfast- french toast-he loved his homemade treasures- smiles & full bellies = love

nana loves me

2011-06-14T13:53:00.000-07:00

the boys and i have been taking a morning stroll lately- lucas on his bike- nolan in his car- today on our way home lucas checked the mail- "a package" he yells " for me- it says lucas" he was so excited- special delivery just for him-

so excited to open it- he couldnt wait- down he went on the driveway and opened it up- from nanas craft shop- ooohhh- this will be fun-

nana made a special pin wheel and put together a package with all the fixings for lucas to make and one to share with noley-

how cute is this- love-

cant wait to get his hands crafting-

here he goes-

tada! pin wheels!!!

calling nana to tell her how much fun he had- both getting the package and making a craft-

thanks for taking the time to make something so special and fun nana-

while going to bed that night- lucas was telling me how he wanted to send a special letter in the mail to someone?? will see who gets it- i know- but i am not going to spoil it- i love how getting this special package wanted to make lucas turn around and do the same for someone else-

kids love to check the mail- they love even more to get a letter- oh heck- dont we all?! its nice to receive something in the mail other than bills- make someones day- send a letter

ribbon wall hanging

2011-06-13T19:06:00.000-07:00

these are the supplies you will need to get started on your wall hanging-

cut out your strips by tracing a clothes pin- brush on a coat of mod podge- place strip of paper on- mp over it and stick on your decorative button etc-

i had a ton of buttons and decorative things in my crafting drawers to use-

i loved how they turned out- it was such a simple but fun craft- i wish the lighting was better on these- you have to remember my craft room is in the basement-dark!

i hung ribbon that i already had- placed a nail in the middle to make it sturdy and not flop down- i glued a button (yellow) over the nail to hide it-

more- up close

you can also had a magnet on the back and use them on your fridge- put a small pack together with some ribbon and let a friend create a ribbon wall hanging- i will make some christmas themed ones and use it for the christmas cards we will receive- across a fireplace mantel- how cute!

this craft cost me 4.99

the only thing i had to buy was the paper- which i used a 40% coupon from joanns- you can get a pack of clothes pins at the $1 store- michaels and joanns both have weekly coupons- usually for 40%- print online- save some money and craft!

i now have a great wall hanging above my sewing machine to hang inspirations from-

i love it

under $10

2011-06-12T11:34:00.000-07:00

two cute new summer shirts from the GAP for under $10? no way! yes! i was out at the outlet mall this past week- i went into the GAP and found two shirts on clearance- although they were plain- i had ideas for them-

this is a cute sequin piece i had on another top that was not the right fit anymore- so- i cut it off and re-sewed it on to this plain brown t- whoohoo- so cute!

then on to the pink tank- i had visions of a pink felt heart on this from the moment i picked it up- in the stash of felt i already had here at home was the perfect pink to make a heart out of- 2 the machine i went and again- poof- another cute top!

both of these tops took me maybe 5mn each to sew on- now i have two new tops for summer at a very low cost of-
brown shirt 2.99
pink tank 5.99

it is amazing what you can do to jazz up a shirt at no cost from the things you have at home- before you donate those old clothes- check them out to see if you can use fabric or any embellishments for something new!

happy mom -with two new t's

cookies or dough?

2011-06-08T18:20:00.000-07:00

i absolutely love that lucas always shows interest in wanting to bake- if there is a lesson he can learn from me and take away and use in his adult life- i would be a proud momma if he could bake and cook- not only for himself but for his loved ones too- so when the question arrives-mom can we make cookies pleeeese? i know its another opportunity for him to learn-

this time noley oley wanted in on the action- it was a bit of a messy baking session this afternoon- but well worth it- they had a blast- i had a blast- i love watching lucas tell nolan how to bake the cookies!! one egg was broken- a lot of sugar and flour hit the floor and their sweet faces!

im not sure if its the cookies or the dough that lucas gets more excited about- i remember sneaking into the fridge as a little girl and sticking my finger into the goodness of the same chocolate chip dough as we made today- so i understand his impatience to have that batter stick at the end- another sweet memory of my boys enjoying the simplicity of a afternoon indoors

smells and memories

2011-06-05T16:07:00.000-07:00

yesterday morning i got to spend time with my sweet friend jody and our adorable children- we decided to meet at orono schools and let the kids play on the playground- i have not been up to the grounds of my old school in years- i was excited to show lucas where i went to school-he understands the meaning of elementary school and likes to hear stories about how mommy- jojo and krissy met there- i cant believe we will be sending our kids off to kindergarten in just 4 short months-

as we were walking over to the elementary school- visions of tetherball-the metal dome and wooden playground filled my mind- i was excited- but as we walked around the corner i saw all that I had remembered was gone- for sure outdated and probably dangerous these days- instead filled with colorful new playground equipment- colors that attract the eyes of kids in this generation- the only old thing standing were the swings- jody and i stood there to reminisce- i couldnt believe that our children were playing together in the very same spot we had grown up together- now they were laughing- climbing and making new memories for themselves-

curious i peaked in some windows and looked at the old structure of the school standing in front of me and let my mind wonder back to the old school days- right then it hit me- an overwhelming smell that brought me into the school and back again to being little- jody also smelled it- i didnt even have to say a word she new what I was smelling- coming from an old vent was the old library book smell- the same smell was how I remember school-

as pictures do- smells do the same amazing thing- brings our minds back to a place we may have forgot and then we get to remember- remember the innocents of childhood- remember where i met my two life long friends- i had no idea when we planned our play date that i would walk away with such emotions yesterday- what an amazing morning