A Little "Pinspiration"

I don't entirely agree with that quote but it is kinda funny! Us "pinterest lovers" do spend a lot of time on the computer, but I try to use my time creatively. I spend a lot of time discovering other blogs, looking for new ideas, looking for ways to embrace creativity.

Since I do spend a lot of time there, I thought it was time for some housekeeping/organizing on my Pinterest page. I "cleaned up" my boards, editted some, deleted some, move some to different boards, etc. I need it to be organized because I like to check my recent pins to decide on my next project(s), {because there is never just ONE}, and see what supplies I'll need before I head out to the craft store.

As I was looking through all my pins, I could hardly believe I have over 600 pins!! How could I have that many?! I need to get busier! Ha!

Of those 600+ pins, some are just quotes that I love, some are seasonal ideas, and a few are part of My Wish List. So I had to know how many I've actually implemented. So I scrolled through and started counting...and I have given about 60 of them a try...that's a whopping 10%! I feel like I've done more, but I guess I just spend a lot of time looking through blogs for inspiration and ideas.

My pinterest obsession began in the entryway of our home. Ok, it threw up in our entryway! In fact, the entire area is Pinterest Zone! It started with re-doing our coat closet by removing the ugly wooden sliding doors and closet-length coat rod and filling in with lots of cubbies for everyone. It then spread to the main wall. That wall is now sporting 3 pinterest projects!  My favorite is definitely the one in the middle - the Framed Dates , which I found via Andrea Steed. The one on the left, the monogram key chain holder, I found via It's A Crafty Life. And the one on the right, the twine-wrapped monogram letter was inspired by browsing Etsy. I must say, the area is much more inviting (as it should be since it is the first thing our guests see) and organized now. So many shoes, coats, jackets, vests, hoodies, scarves, backpacks, etc! It is amazing how much of these things a family of 4 acquires! It is much more functional now and we are not tripping over things to get in/out of the house anymore. Well, as long as the shoes make it INTO the cubbies, and coats and bags ONTO the hooks. Here is my main inspiration piece...in fact I think this might have been my very first pin ever. It is from Better Homes and Gardens. So this is where I got my idea to have cubbies up each side with a bench in the middle and hooks in the center.

[caption id="attachment_334" align="aligncenter" width="192" caption="Better Homes and Gardens picture that I really like"][/caption]

Redoing the closet was not thrifty - we bought the wood/cubbies/trim at Lowe's and it really added up! But, it was worth it because of all the time it will save us looking for things that seemed to get lost behind those dark wooden doors that only slid to one direction at a time.

[caption id="attachment_411" align="alignleft" width="108" caption="EWWW!!!"][/caption]



On the main wall I probably spent a total of  $35. And I must thank my handy husband who hangs everything for me. I am not handy with the drill, so I leave that work to him. He spent a long weekend measuring, cutting, drilling, painting, etc and trying to duplicate the BHG picture above into our space. Just look at him hard at work! And notice Little Miss L watching from her step. :)   Awwww...

I have also started a few projects in my other rooms, and I will reveal those once they are finished,

but I must pace myself. :)

For now, welcome to my Entryway...

[caption id="attachment_412" align="alignleft" width="244" caption="New Closet"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_413" align="alignright" width="199" caption="Main Wall"][/caption]

Easter decor

I can't believe we have our air conditioning on in the first half of March! This is so rare. We've had temps in the 80s for a few days, and its here to stay for atleast several more days. So I do believe Spring is Here! It was time to finish my Easter decorations.

First I updated my front door wreath. I wrapped a styrofoam wreath with multicolored yarn and hot glued a springy green flower on the front - super easy! And under $10!



Then I gave my dining room table some love. Featuring my first ever no-sew project...my table runner! I made this last fall and had put it away during the holidays. I am so happy with my choice of fabric; I even had enough leftover to make this memo board! To make the table runner, all I did was fold in an inch on each underside, place stitch witchery inside the fold, and iron away...on all 4 sides. Voila! When I made it last fall, I added a bowl of green apples to it for some fall decor, but at the time, I had no idea how well it was going to work with my spring decor!  It was so easy that I'm tempted to make one for every season!

[caption id="attachment_385" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Fall decor"][/caption]

The bunny/wagon is an heirloom from my grandmother. And the smaller figurines are from my husband's grandmother. The centerpiece I crafted this afternoon.

*Important update: after posting this, I found out from my aunt that not only was this my grandmothers bunny/wagon, it was made by my great-grandmother when she took a ceramic class in 1969! Her initials and the date are carved in the bottom! So maybe I got a little of my artsy/craftsy side from her!

[caption id="attachment_381" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Spring Decor"][/caption]

*

I used an almond colored Krylon spray paint on an old glass vase. Then hot glued Hershey's robin eggs onto sticks I collected from the front yard. The ribbon I had on hand in my craft stash. Total cost of paint + candy~ $5 (vase and sticks I already had).



Its the same idea I used for Halloween where I glued candy corn onto sticks.



And for Christmas where I glued tiny ornaments.



Once I find something that works well, sometimes I go a little crazy with it!

Happy Spring!

First no-sew project

I do not sew. I would love to learn and maybe I wil...someday. But there are so many great no sew projects to try in the meantime. Once I  discovered stitch witchery, I knew I could find lots of possibilities for this stuff.

I started with a table runner for our dining room table. I found the perfect fabric for my dining room at Hobby Lobby. I just measured the width and length that I would need for my runner, and cut the fabric, allowing an extra inch on each side. Then folded the underside edge of the fabric in the samewidth as the stitch witchery. then ironed away. On all 4 sides. voila!

I had actually made this last fall, hence the display of green apples for my centerpiece. And had plenty of fabric leftover to this memo board that you can read more about here if you haven't already. I lovthey choice of fabric more every day. Because I realized that I can use it as both my spring and fall runner. Having bought it last fall, not even realizing It would look so "springy".

This was so easy that I'm tempted to make one for each season...but again...I must pace myself.

Stitch witchery + iron = possibilities!

I also use stitch witchery to hem pants.

I also found a neat product called Heat N Bond I bought it to iron to the back of felt for other projects. But realized that i had many patches to place on my daughter's Girl Scout Brownie sash. I just traced the patches onto the Heat N Bond, cut them out,andironed them on! No sewing required!

Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to my husband of 11 years!

You're still the icing on my cake!

Wedding Day Pictures...

5 Year Anniversary:

Today...not the best picture with my eyes closed...but we were in a dark wine cellar and the flash was really bright!

Our little trip to wine country...

After spending my days taking care of my husband and kids, it is such a treat to get away and be taken cared of by others. and not just taken cared of, I'm talking PAMPERED! We really don't do date night very often, ok rarely, so every year on our anniversary, we make sure to go somewhere and make it special. Usually it's just an hour or so away to a nice hotel and dinner, with some shopping thrown in there too of course! Thank goodness we have parents who are able to watch our kids every year so that we can do this. This year we decided to go somewhere new after some friends recommended it to us...Hermann, MO. We instantly knew this beautiful bed and breakfast was the perfect place. As soon as we arrived, we were greeted at the door with champagne, and brought to our room where we received a fresh tray of bread, sausage, cheese, and grapes. Our room was very cozy, complete with a balcony, fireplace, jacuzzi, and steam shower!   The view was beautiful overlooking the vineyard and Hermann Hill.

One of my favorite things about bed and breakfasts is reading the journal entries left by others. There was a stack of journals (one of them from 1996!) with entries from people who've stayed in that room over the past years. Many of them were anniversaries, honeymoons, or just special weekends away. So I left a sweet note about why we were there and how much we loved the room. This picture is for my mom who loves Tiffany style lamps! I knew she'd like this one! The light from the lamp made a really funky color in the picture and I'm not real handy with camera settings, so I just made it black and white for a neat effect with the old journals and chair.

Then we went to Stone Hill Winery and took a tour where we tried several kinds of wine and decided on a bottle of Steinberg white wine to take home.

We went out to dinner at a small local restaurant where we ordered fried shrimp. I find it ironic that we never agree on what to make for dinner, but when we go out to eat, we often order the same thing! Kinda romantic huh?

Then around 10pm, we were brought dessert in our room...gourmet chocolate brownies that had chocolate kisses baked in the center, accompanied by ice cream covered in port wine chocolate sauce. Yum!

The next morning we had breakfast in bed...just more pampering...ya know I could easily get used to this! We had both ordered omelets (surprise surprise - although we did order different veggies and toppings). Do you see a trend here? Eat, eat, eat!!! In case you're wondering, that's a mimosa with our breakfast.

Oh sure why not. :)

After breakfast, we visited a chocolate shop so that we could bring home some truffles for my parents as a thank you to them for taking care of our kids while we were gone. We also perused an antique shop just for the heck of it, before heading home. And it got me thinking that its been a long time since I've walked through the antique shops in my own area, so I think I'll be doing that soon to see if I can find any treasures.

So, we had a wonderful night away and here's to many anniversaries ahead of us!...