Right here! Now if that doesn’t spell c-r-e-a-t-i-v-e, I don’t know what does. Perfect fix for all those ugly, early 90s entertainment centers!
A Wall Re-Do August 18, 2009
When we moved into our current home, it had wallpaper in every room but one. I got to work with a steamer and removed a border in the kitchen, a border in the laundry room, and the wallpaper in the second bathroom, but the rest of it was neutral enough (and the removing had proved to be so much work) that I just left it.
Almost everyone doesn’t mind this wallpaper in my dining room, except me. I’m not a big fan. So I’ve ignored it for 3+ years. Until now. I decided it needed some sort of focal point to distract from its vastness. Some art.
I had some random, cheap supplies already on hand–some big canvases that had been painted and hung in our old apartment in Fargo, some new, smaller canvases that I got for under $1 apiece at Jo-Ann Fabrics, and some sets of white plastic frames I picked up on the clearance shelf at Target last summer.
I stopped at Michael’s and picked up two bottles of paint that I thought I could mix to match my inspiration, a teal pillow in my living room. Turns out the color isn’t exactly what I imagined…it’s more the hunter green that was popular in the mid-90s. Oh well…maybe some day I’ll get sick of the color and re-paint it all. The entire project, start-to-finish, took less than 2 hours, so it wouldn’t be a very big deal to re-do it.
I tried out a few arrangements on the floor before deciding on this one.
I threw in the grapevine wreaths (already had them, too), for balance. Please ignore the toddler reading through my magazines and the various ripped-out pages scattered all over the floor. I was also in the midst of another project: going through my box of “inspiration” pages, and these had not been discarded yet.
Then I hung it! When I get some 5×7 pictures printed, I’ll put them in the frames, which will complete it. When you consider that the frames hold 5×7s, the big canvases are 16×20, you realize that this is a BIG wall. It could use more. Again, maybe someday! :) Not bad, though; a wall of art for under $10.
Summer Boredom August 17, 2009
Even though my daughter is a little young for some of these activities, this is the type of stuff I log away in my brain for later. End-of-summer boredom is setting in for lots of kids, and instead of plunking them in front of the tube, try these ideas!
On a more personal note, I feel like a balloon. I’ve received confirmation from most mommies that they got bigger faster the second time around (pregnancy), but seriously? If I’m this big now, how will my skin have room for 5 more months? Did it slow down so at the end you were around the same size, or will I be twice the size I was last time?
Sunday Sunshine 08.16.09 August 16, 2009
Good gravy, this mommy is creative. She must never sleep!
Speaking of creative mommies, here is a very compelling post (and discussion following in the comments) about living simply. I would love love love to hear your response to it.
Freebies for Photoshop and Vector.
A beauty of a post from Aunt Ruthie.
I’ve long been a fan of Caroline Tran’s work, but this wedding stood out to me because of the incredible attention to detail. The bride did a fabulous job of putting it all together, and Caroline did her usual stellar job of photographing everything.
Sunday Sunshine 07.05.09 July 5, 2009
Shrinky Dink Awesomeness! – via Living Locurto
Use the Good Stuff – I feel like I link to something Tsh wrote every week, but people! There’s good reason for it! So go read…
And in case you thought Root Beer Cake was her only claim to fame, you thought wrongly. Scroll through a few of Joy the Baker’s recipes, and your mouth will be watering.
Chick and Egg Cake Pops April 13, 2009
After seeing a photographed step-by-step tutorial for Bakerella’s cake pops on Pioneer Woman’s site, I decided that I should give them a try.
I’ll start with the good side of this story, the photos.
I decided to go with the spring chickens, since they were (in my opinion) the cutest. I also did some eggs. I didn’t have any fun spring colors to shoot them in front of, so bear with my drab chipboard. ;)
They each developed their own “personality.” We have the normal chicks:
The dancing chicks:
The shy chicks:
The chicks-gone-bad-and-turned-into-a-weird-looking-guy-with-green-hair:
Some eggs that turned into Jesus (see? the crown of thorns and the blood and water from the convenient gouge in his side?):
And enjoying:
The bad side is that, between Husband and myself (yes, he helped, the sweetie), I bet we logged 7 or 8 hours on these babies. I think they’d be a great thing to do with, say, a group of pre-teen girls, where each person would decorate two or three, but to do an entire batch by ourselves was very time-consuming. I have much more respect for Bakerella after attempting them!
More Drawings February 24, 2009
I’m guest posting drawing over at Beck’s today with a few more of my Search Term Illustrations. Fun times!
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t borrow these on occasion January 19, 2009
Remember back in November when we had my Blogiversary Giveaways? Well, I ordered more products from both vendors, and I just had to show off these cute little clips Anja got. Love ‘em!
My Best Craft EVER January 15, 2009
Now, don’t be expecting much here. I am not known for my crafting abilities. However, I do enjoy taking on the occasional project. This, here, is my piece de resistance (You’ll have to pretend that had the correct punctuation.).
I made this apron for my sister-in-law for Christmas. I intended to make 3 others for additional relatives but quickly realized how stinking much time that would take me. I started in September and finished the week before Christmas. It’s two-sided. It has hand-stitching to make it look more “professional.” It was hard to part with. But, of anyone, she would appreciate it the most. So…here I am modeling the flipside before I wrapped it.
My sis-in-law told me she would appreciate a dress made in a similar fashion for next Christmas. I love you, A, but fat chance!
If you’d like the pattern, buy it here.
