Cute While Cooking

I know some of you think I've fallen off the crafty wagon.  Well, I've just been preoccupied with a few other things, is all!  And to prove I still do the occasional project - just wanted to share a birthday gift I made for my son's girlfriend.  They were here over the weekend.

 

She likes to cook so I thought she might enjoy looking cute while cooking : )  I bought my materials at GW this time because I was hoping I would get more fabric for the money.  The spotted fabric is from a flat twin sheet.  The brown fabric is a duck cloth window panel.  They were $3.99 each {and I think I might have enough fabric left for another apron although it might not be double-sided like this one}. 

I cut a strip the length of the twin sheet to make the ruffle.  I used almost all of it!  I cut off the side hem, intending to make some cute embellishments for the front of the apron.  Another length was used for the sash/tie across the top.  I cut 2 panels from the brown curtain so the apron is reversible {but it looks the same from the front or back}

After tucking the apron into a bag with some tissue paper, I tied a big bow to the handle and capped it off with a pin she can put on the apron (or sweater or scarf), a cookie cutter in the shape of a crown & a glittery M.  {I got the cookie cutter at Sur la Table for $.60}

 

Daughter A *who's modeling the apron in my pics* said it makes her want to cook something : )
Hopefully, Girlfriend M will feel the same way and then Son C might benefit from some cookies or brownies or a gourmet meal!  Oh, rats!  I let the cat out of the bag - gifting with ulterior motives...

And as a Halloween treat for both of them.  They each received a mug from the dollar section at Target.  It has Charlie Brown on the front saying "Good Grief!".  Inside I put a bag of chalkboard spray painted rocks {a la Pottery Barn} & chalk.  Now they can both say "I gotta rock!"  teehee

So, you see?  I'm not totally out of the crafting game - I still dabble a little!

You might find me partying at some of these places *HERE*

Blessings! 

Cool, Cr@pPy & Challenging - Oh, My!

I've got a C concoction going on today since I'm participating in Jenny Matlock's Alphabe - Thursday.  It was difficult coming up with just one C word to focus on because there are so many choices, but I decided to limit myself to 3...

Since I started blogging a few months ago I've seen soooo many Cool ideas!  You all are completely amazing & talented & creative & inspiring... *do I have your full attention yet? : ) *  I saw so many ideas I wanted to borrow but I couldn't keep them all straight in my little pea brain.  So, I started an idea file {found in my tool bar} where I tucked away the links of things I wanted to remember. 

My all time #1 favorite, uber Cool idea to date is *HERE*
These scultures are made out of driftwood by  Heather Jansch !!

I have absolutely no hope of EVER constructing something like this, but I had to save it and share it because it blows my mind!!!  The fluidity and beauty of these creatures astounds me.  I'm confounded by her vision!  In fact, I wouldn't be surprised, in the least, if one of them actually galloped away!!  Whew!  Oh, I'm flushed - those sculptures truly move me!!

Ok! So that was the Cool... moving on to the Cr@pPy Crafts

{1}Do you recall this wall of vinyl frames?  

Do you recall I predicted they would fall down one day?

 Well, slap me silly & call me a fortune teller cuz look what happened

As it turned out, the black frame was not the part you 'rub on' the wall.  It was the negative space that was sticking to the wall!  A few little sticky spots were not going to hold up the large frame!  And it didn't, obviously.  I may have even damaged the wall because I kept rubbing & rubbing the black trying to get that part to adhere to the wall!
Looks like this one's next... Grrrrrrr!

So, I'll warn you again:  If you are tempted to buy the faux vinyl wall art from Target - Just Say NO!!

{2}I picked up a few discontinued fabric samples from JoAnn Fabrics a while ago.  I've been doing different projects with them *see here, here & here*

I was saving my favorite for a special project.  Love it!

I finally decided on a handbag.  I wanted a funky shape for my cool print and came up with this

My idea was to have interchangeable handles, so I punched holes to install grommets.  Unfortunately, I chose a grommet the wrong size for my punch.  Now I just have holes.  I'm not calling it a Craft Fail yet.  I'm not buying a new punch yet either.  I'm calling it Cr@pPy planning & filing it under 'In Limbo'

{3} I could keep going on & on but I'll just bore you with 2 today and move on...

My Challenging Craft is definitely my hip chair I found at GW right before Labor Day

I thought it was just going to be a reupholstery job & I thought it would be pretty easy with it's clean lines.  But when I removed the fabric I found Mr. Grumpy Potato Head underneath

& it smelled!  I couldn't bring myself to just cover it up so I stripped it down to the frame.

Now we're talking a totally different ball game.  I don't know nothin' bout redoing this!! 

The back was tufted.  And the seat has deteriorating burlap which I wanted to replace but can't because there are wires running through it.  I can't spend a lot of $ to redo this.  So there it sits in the garage where Handy Hubby : ) walks by it and asks every day how much longer it's going to be there.  Siiigh!  

So there you have it - The Cool, the Cr@pPy & the Challenging!

C you next time!



ps for those of you still hanging around  and who asked to C this...
Here's the crumb.catcher/dust.ruffle dress from Plan B

Blessings!

Paper Bows

Yay! I'm finally back in business! 
I haven't been able to load pictures to my post for almost a week and it was crampin' my style!  And not even because I have anything fantabulous to share with you. It's just I want what I want when I want it!!  That's not too much to ask, right?!
Well, all I've really got today is a quick little project.

This is the centerpiece I have on my table this year.  Although I had all of the pieces last year, I've never had them together in this combination before.  It's just a pre-fabbed candle ring on a pedestal with a foam pumpkin on top.  The only thing new is the paper napkin I used for the bow. 

I'm in LOVE with the quatrefoil pattern right now, so when I saw this pack of cocktail napkins at Target I had to have it.

 I only used 3 napkins to cover my pumpkin.  See how *here*

Anyway, the centerpiece pumpkin looked a little plain so I used one of the napkins to fashion a bow for the top.

I started by opening up a napkin and cutting it into 1/4's

I took strips and fashioned them into parts of the bow

Then I took left over twist ties from treat bags and wound them around a chopstick to make curly Q's

And since my pumpkin is foam, I simply used straight pins to attach all the parts of the bow.

Easy Peasy!

*That's more than I can say about getting pictures to load to my post!!*

You might find me partying at some of these places *HERE*

Blessings!


Time to Celebrate!

Back in the summer of '95 *or soon there after*, every sibling in Handy Hubby : )'s family (9) who was married at the time {5} was expecting.  Thus producing a bumper crop of 5 babies in one year!  Whew!

Today is my baby's birthday - her closest cousin in age was born 4 days before her.  *It's a good thing she was a girl cuz they got to our boy's middle name first - these days names are closely guarded secrets haha*

Well, at our local art museum (IMA) they have a number garden and my MIL loved the poetry of having 5 grandchildren turning 5.  She always said she wanted to take a picture of the 5 5's at the IMA "5".  As it turns out, that has not been so easy to accomplish.  She's been saying it every year and now they are starting to turn 15! : )

On my last visit to the IMA, I discovered that if you stand at exactly the right angle you can get the 1 & the 5 in the same shot.  So now she has a small window to get the 5 5's together *the name stuck & they've been lumped together ever since* for a photo op in front of the 15.  Good luck with that Grammi!

Anyway, for the big day I made this 'CELEBRATE' banner

*I don't even know who to link this idea to because these babies are everywhere!*

And I know the letters are hard to read  but Daughter S will know I personalized it for her because I used the paper scraps from the notebooks she decorated for school.

This was a no.sew project and certainly a labor of love because hot glue goes through burlap like nothin'!  Hot & messy.  And I don't have a Cricut or Silhouette so I used a stencil & cut out the letters.  

Can you say low tech?!

Ah well! Anything for 10 seconds of happiness, right?!  

At least it was cheap - found the 3/4 yd. burlap remnant for $1.80.  The ribbon was all 50% off.  And the twine was from the $1 section at Target.  The rest I already had.

So, did you spy the vinyl frames on the wall above the banner?  I've been wanting to add some artwork in that space but didn't know what to put there because you can see it from downstairs.  I had considered a frame wall with real frames but when I saw this set on clearance at Target I thought I could do the whole wall for the price of one actual frame plus there wouldn't be any nail holes.
Daughter S is going to love this because she's artsy like that and will love seeing it going upstairs to her room... but if you're tempted to buy it at your Target just say 'NO'.  You get what you pay for - it's super cheap!!  It will probably fall down on the next hot or humid day.
And I can just hear Handy Hubby : ) saying already, "Pffft!  What is that?  The gateway to the estrogen ocean?!"  *that's what he calls our household since our son went off to college and left HH stranded, alone, to fend for his poor little 'ol self with 3 females*

Anyway, speaking of frames, do you remember this one I got for $2.04 at HL?

 
Well, she needed a message board for all of her notes

Happy birthday, my baby, my explorer, my busy bee!
for my loving angel who gifted me with THREE whole extra days inside me too stubborn to be born for a little extra mother/daughter bonding!
I shower her with the gift of time : )

Now how do I get the days to stop passing so quickly?! *sigh*

And this all would have made much more sense if I had actually finished the clock I was working on but I ran out of time... ironic, no?

*I'll do another post about the clock later*

You might find me partying at some of these places *HERE*

Blessings!

Fruits of my Labor {Day Weekend}

When I was pondering how to spend my Labor Day weekend, I had so many projects & ideas in mind...

I have tons of things in the works that need to be finished up.  Each one seemed more boring than the next though.

I found this little cutie on my last trip to GW for only $14.99!

Wouldn't that be cute just about anywhere?!

I've already gotten a 2-pack of canvas drop cloths to recover it with.  Visualize a great pattern & some spiffy pillows on it!

Well, I didn't get to do that.  But boy did I want to - maybe one day soon!

What I had to do, because it was perfect weather for painting, was paint the front door.  I've been complaining about the color since we moved in 3 years ago but haven't been able to do anything about it because I have a hard time committing to a color.  {Black? Blue? Gray? Brown? Red?}

I know, I KNOW - it's just a color & it's just a can of paint.  Big whoop!

Couldn't do it.

Until now.  

Because Handy Hubby : )'s been on my case about picking out a color for a while.  And I kept putting him off.  Finally he threatened to pick the color himself.

*Um! last time I let that happen I ended up with seafoam green carpeting - 'nuf said!*

I said I'd buy paint when everything went on sale Labor Day weekend.

Well, the weekend came & it was time to pay the piper!

So, here's the old door color

I didn't dislike the color but along with the neutral trim, neutral brick & neutral brown roof the whole house was too much of the same thing and looked very bland.

After a little trial & error, I ultimately decided on a dark blue *It's called Corduroy Black actually - don't you love the name?* .
I must say, I like the Valspar Duramax paint.  It has primer in there already so I only needed 2 coats to cover the door!  

And because all of you crafty ladies have been tempting me with your fall decorations, I decided it was time to put up my fall wreath I made a few years ago!

I love the way the colors pop off the door now : )

And since I had more time, I snuck in a quick serving tray makeover on the 99 cent tray I got when I found the cute chair.  I got the idea from Amanda @ Imperfectly Beautiful *see here*

This is one of my last scraps of this wrapping paper, y'all.

I haven't been able to find any more at Target!

Well, I had to enjoy the beautiful day with my corn salsa & crossword puzzle before the rain gets here later this week!

*btw my thoughts & prayers go out to all those in Texas affected by the torrential storms!! I hear San Antonio got hit pretty hard*

I started a few other things this weekend but they are still in the works...

And, well, I couldn't stand not touching my chair & so I had to start on that, too.  Look what was under the old upholstry!

Doesn't it look like a grumpy potato?!  I guess I would too if I looked like that!  Yikes!!

I'm really hoping I can turn that frown upside down one day!!

You might find me partying at some of these places *HERE*

Blessings!

Tales of a Desk

What I'm about to share with you all is not a big deal compared to the level of Fabulousness that happens here in Blogland, but in my little world it may be one of the bigger projects I've attempted by myself.  I have reservations about delving into projects that involve large, bigger ticket items and altering them to the point of no return!! *terrifying*

This desk was handed down by my MIL.  We love it because it's solid and it's simple but pretty, although it's seen better days.

We have inherited several pieces that have all been well loved & we're starting to look a little like the Clampett's.

The desk was missing some handles, as you can see.  On the right, you had to open the drawer below the missing handle-drawer, reach in and pull the drawer with the missing handle open from below.  I finally made the executive decision to go ahead and try to glam this little baby up just a little.  Who doesn't feel better in a cute, new outfit?!

Daughter A currently uses the desk and she's been going for a vintage Parisian feel in her space.  The colors in her room are green, black & off-white.  She has a black reading chair in the corner, a black headboard, a black distressed coffee table & and a rather large room.  So I thought her room could support another black element.  To go with the black coffee table I thought I'd distress the desk too.  Then I saw what Susie at Blue Artichoke Interiors did with her porch side table & paint and I wanted to do that.  And then I saw what Brooke at The Crafting Chicks did with her stool & fabric and I wanted to do that. 

The second I saw this roll of wrapping paper at Target for ~ $3 I knew I would still borrow *steal*  their ideas as inspiration but apply it in my more frugal way.

Now I know you're probably thinking that a papered desk top may not be the best idea for writing purposes but thankfully the desk came with a glass topper so it would smooth out all of my papering sins!  And sins there were! I've never Mod Podged that large a sheet of paper before so there was definitely a learning curve involved!! *air pockets, wrinkles, Grrrr*  That's ok! It's all going under the glass : )

I sealed the whole desk from top to bottom with an acrylic spray. 

I knew I wanted clear, plastic drawer pulls & was hoping I could get a whole pack of them at Target.  I was shocked at the price - 4 for $15.  Count the drawers, My Friends - 9!!!  Always in search of a better deal, I went to all the big box stores in town, ebay & other on-line haunts.  Sadly, I ended up back at Target and bought 3 boxes.  It was just the bling the desk needed *each and every drawer got it's very own pull too!*  This was not the thriftiest makeover but we do love.Love.LOVE it!!

It is the opinion of some that the desk could use a little more distressing.  I'm sure the desk will come by that honestly.  And Daughter A has assured us that much productive studiousness will be taking place here senior year *like college & scholarship apps*  Grades are $$$$ & Baby needs some $ for school! It's just...

With the rest of the roll of wrapping paper I lined the drawers.  

With the 3 remaining pulls Handy Hubby : ) is going to help fashion a board with the pulls to be used as hooks.  I may or may not even try to Mod Podge the paper to the top of the coffee table...

Watch out all you horizontal surfaces!  I've got Mod Podge & wrapping paper and I'm not afraid to use it anymore!!






Blessings!
MLE

*I'm trying something new to declutter my posts*
Linking to some great parties *HERE* also.  Check them out - you'll be so inspired!