Aurora's Creations

Miss me?

2012-01-31T09:25:00.000-08:00

You probably would have if I was an awesome blogger that actually kept up with her blog. Sorry :)

SO, please tell me-what would you like to see more on this blog? Lately I've come to a realization that I just don't have enough time for everything in my life. Therefore, the blog has gone neglected. But I really want to keep up with it...just not sure where I want to take it.

I'm thinking I'll just keep posting as many "creations" and things as I feel you might all be interested in and see how that goes?

You like?

Fantastic...

Let's try this Tuesday!

2011-10-11T09:03:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking I can easily keep up with a post on Tuesday and a post on Friday, if nothing else. So here's what Tuesday is going to be these days:

Let's try this Tuesday!

Where I post a tutorial or a project idea on Tuesday, I make it, you make it if you want to, and then on Thursday I will show you how mine turned out and you can link yours up, too!

Word up.

So here's what I want to try

DIY Gold Twig Bracelet courtesy of A Pair & a Spare

Aren't these gorgeous? I love the organic look of these, and would love a legit metal set of bracelets like these, but why do that when I can gather some twigs in my yard, glue and tie them together and spray paint them for FREE!

Love love love these!

Holy moley, I'm sorry...

2011-10-09T19:49:00.000-07:00

I have been soooooo busy. It kind of sucks. Well, no, it's good, but it's hard to blog lately. Tomorrow I start school and I'm pretty excited. Excited, but nervous because it will be difficult. BUT it will be worth it.

I have some exciting tutorials I've been meaning to post, and haven';t had the time to do it, but I will be posting them this week, fo sho!!

Blog on!

Holy Fall

2011-09-29T12:54:00.001-07:00

Go here

And do it now.

If you need Fall inspiration then holy mother, this is where you'll get it.

Painted Toms Shoes...well...uh...sorta

2011-09-27T13:20:00.000-07:00

So...I wanted a pair of Toms. Wanted them reeeeeeeeeaaaaaaally bad. So I went to buy them. And couldn't find the ones I wanted. It turns out that the ones I wanted aren't sold that way-they were made the way I wanted them. Are you following me? I saw a pair of Toms with cute embroidered flowers all over them. They were an aqua blue with red orange nd yellow flowers all over them and I fell in love with them. I was ready to shell out the $60+ to acquire them, too, and then I learned the cold hard truth.

So, I figured I would buy some and paint them. Perfect. But then I realized that not all of my projects turn out well, so maybe just maybe I should practice on a cheaper pair of canvas shoes first. So, I went on Amazon.com and looked for a cheap pair of canvas shoes and found fake Toms. Yep. Not Bobs, not Toms, just a regular old canvas Toms like shoe. Awesome. Even better for $16...Yep...$16.

So I painted them. And I love them. I painted navy blue "wires" with lighter blue birds sitting on the wires. Then I took puffy fabric paint and wrote some quotes on the bottom, outside, left and right of each shoe.

I used:

"...Do what you love and do it often..."

"...Life is better with friends..."

I like these shoes.

Excuse the ghostly pale legs. Thank you.

Bracelet Week #2

2011-09-25T16:32:00.000-07:00

Can't I ever do anything right? Nope, I guess not. I've been busy. Not too busy to blog, but busy in life and things. I suck at keeping up with this thing lately, but I'm trying, and I'm not quitting, so bear with me!!

Another bracelet tutorial.

Just crochet a chain and tie it off with a pretty little bow to get a supercute bracelet!

Enjoy!

Coming soon:

Painted Toms Shoes

Christmas goodies

Fall decor

AND MORE!

Told you I wasn't giving up!

If you didn't think I was crazy before...

2011-09-19T08:15:00.000-07:00

You definitely think I am now!

I'm sick. The kids are sick. What are we doing today?

Watching Christmas movies.

I know it's only September. But there are few things I love more than Christmas movies...my kids are the same way...

Day 1 of BRACELET WEEK!

2011-09-11T15:41:00.000-07:00

brace·let /ˈbreɪslɪt/ [breys-lit] noun 1. an ornamental band or circlet for the wrist or arm or, sometimes, for the ankle.

How about an entire week of bracelets? Bangles, cuffs and MORE!

You know you're excited...

Yarn covered bangle made from a water bottle.

How to:

Cut a horizontal piece from a water bottle. Yep, just take some scissors and cut straight across in whatever thickness you desire. It is difficult to get a straight line, so I'd suggest marking two staight lines to cut along.

Now tie your yarn onto the new chunk of plastic and leave a 2-3 inch tail.

Wrap yarn around and around and around until you get annoyed/get all the way around the pice of plastic. Tie onto the 2-3 inch tail you started with.

Now, the fun part is embellishing! I thought it would be cute and simple to just tie a bow onto my bracelet. You can attach a felt flower, a brooch, a clip on earring, or whatever else you think is great!!

Etsy Day

2011-09-10T08:58:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been pretty absent from blogging for the last...well...month...but I've been B U S Y!

I thought things would slow down after my sister's wedding, but they just sped right up, with school and kids and life and getting a PUPPY!

So, here are the things I've been drooling over on Etsy.

BayanHippo

I need this bag. NEED it. But I'm so cheap...

AuntSisterPicks

Love these vintage pillowcases

Stavroula

Check out the different ways this can be worn.

JillsJoy

I would totally wear these earrings!

Infinity scarf/cowl/hood/cozy awesome thing tutorial

2011-08-30T09:23:00.000-07:00

I know I'm not the first person to think this up, so don't think I'm a tutorial genius or anything. I just saw my pile of repurposing garments and thought "A-ha!"

1. Take a sweater (this one is an XL for maximum options)

2. Cut said sweater.

3. Hem raw edge of sweater (not pictured, because well, it's not)

4. Take creepy pictures of yourself in your hallway when it's 80 degrees outside.

Excuse the ugly edge in this picture-I twisted it wrongly. Is wrongly a word? It is now...

BRING ON FALL!

Why I've been MIA

2011-08-29T08:50:00.000-07:00

Making pretty bridemaids dresses.

Getting ready to bring this little guy home. He's 3 weeks old in this picture, and we can't wait to being him home!!

Exploring Victorian towns.

Staying at one of the best place ever for my sister's wedding. No, she didn't get married here.

We had a bonfire on the beach, too.

Enjoying our hometown.

Especially at sunset

Making a wedding come together with 2 other AMAZING ladies! They know who they are :)

Joke today

2011-08-23T11:01:00.000-07:00

What was the boulder's favorite music?

HARD ROCK!

Options Dress tutorial

2011-08-17T21:19:00.000-07:00

Holy cow look at all of those options with this puppy!

How did I do I do it?

Allow me to explain...

1. Get a giant t shirt. I found a 3XL at the Dollar Tree.

2. Cut the arms off and cut straight across the neck to make it look like this:

3. Take the sides in so your fun bags don't fall out.

4. Sew a casing on the top of each side, but make sure you leave a space on each side-not much, just a tad. Also cut off the very bottom hem and leave it in one big piece.

It should look like this when turned rightside out:

5. Feed the long piece through your casings using whatever method you like the best. I just use a giant safety pin.

6. Try out all of the options!

I think this is my favorite, and I think it would be even cute if it was belted!

Fall Sewing Ideas

2011-08-16T09:14:00.000-07:00

Although it feels like Fall already here in the Northwest, I am starting to plan for my Fall projects in August. I'm not the only one who does that, am I??

Here's what I really really want to make/buy/acquire in some form:

Make New York Cape Pattern

Make a navy maxi dress, make the cowl, thrift a cardigan (like I don't have enough of those already) and finally wear my boots. Source

I have a dress sorta inda like this, lots of long sleeve tee's to wear underneath, need tights and wear my boots!! Source

So, pretty much I will wear dresses and tights and make a cape jacket and break in my boots!! Maybe I should wear y boots today...but I can't. Sad. Tomorrow it is!

Are you thinking about Fall yet? Tell me about it!

DIY chalkboard fridge

2011-08-16T08:47:00.000-07:00

I never thought I'd see the day that was inspired by one of my daughter's favorite shows, but it came.

See this fridge? It's in the fake kitchen of a fake family on a kid's show named Good Luck Charlie. And, well, I LOVE IT!!

But as much as I would turn my fridge into a giant chalkboard in a second, my husband would probably hate it.

So, I did this:

They sell rolls of sticky backed chalkboard paper at Michael's and I acquired some leftovers from a wedding project, and slapped it up on my fridge! Easier said than done, though. I had to fight with the air bubbles underneath it, but I finally got it right.

The only thing I don't like is that you can see the previous writing on the board, even after you erase it with watr. Oh well. Life's tough, and I'll probably not be taking anymore pictures of it anyway.

Saturday is officially ETSY DAY!!

2011-08-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

Here's the deal: I'm always ALWAYS drooling over things I find on Etsy. Honestly, most of them are things I never have the extra cash for, and some are amazing deals. Others make me laugh.

Therefore, since I'm so obsessed with Etsy and browse page after page several times a day, I thought I'd share my droolworthy favorites with you all!!

Click the pictures to take you to the source.

I have officially fallen in love with prairie skirts! I love this with the boots and a white cotton shirt!

Like a bun in the oven!

I couldn't get over how cute this card is, for someone who is expecting!!

I know, it's summer...

Pretty...in it's own way.

I'm not sure why, but I really really want a vintage typewriter. I have absolutely no purpose for it, other than looking at it.

What are you drooling over lately? Leave a comment and tell me!

And guess what I'm doing today? FLEA MARKET!! I'm very excited...and a little nervous...I'm taking my kids and I'm pretty sure they are going to be miserable...I'll report back!

Make your own sandals, courtesy of Etsy!

2011-08-09T17:28:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted to make my own sandals/shoes.

I've tried

I've failed

I've sorta kinda succeeded...which means fail...

BUT today I saw this on Etsy:

Click on picture to take you to the tutorial.

My take on the Sweet Verbena BOHO Maxi dress!

2011-08-07T09:23:00.000-07:00

If you haven't checked out this tutorial (or any of her tutorials, for that matter), you need to go over to Sweet Verbena and go exploring.

Remember this post I did? About all of the projects I wanted to try? Well, I tried the BOHO Maxi Dress!

Here's the super cute one from Sweet Verbena

And mine

Obviously not the same...at all. Well, I followed the tutorial completely, except that I didn't put the strip of fabric at the bottom, but honestly, I really like that part on hers.

I found this fabric on clearance at Joann's for $6/yard and got about 3 yards. I like the crazy pattern, but I feel like I look bigger than I actually am in it...not sure about it.

What do you think?

Minus my ccrazy face. I'm so bad at taking pictures of myself...anyone have tips for that, either??

Treasures

2011-08-03T11:46:00.000-07:00

99 cents on Ebay.

Beautiful.

Love it.

My bridesmaid dress!

2011-08-03T08:09:00.000-07:00

The 6th time is a charm, right?

I've remade the top for my dress a TON of times and finally settled on this one.. I like it...a lot actually.

Now, my question for you blog readers is this:

Should I make it knee length or keep it right where it is at right below the knee?

I feel like right under the knee makes me look weird, but right at the kne kind of weirds me out, too.

What do you think?

Have you heard about Staright Talk 2?

2011-07-31T18:00:00.001-07:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Straight Talk for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

call a friend

everything you need

Do you want to cut your cell phone bill in half? Hate the annual contracts that major cell phone carriers require? Tired of paying for 411 calls? Sick of paying 100s of dollars for a cell phone? Want unlimited calls, text, pictures and web for about $499 PER YEAR?! When you put it that way, you'd have to be crazy to be stuck in a contract. Think of ALL the money you could save-what would you do with it?

Check out these videos for extra info:

hook, line and sinker

mom knows best

A few other exciting things about Straight Talk 2, is that you can buy reconditioned phones with MP3 players, cameras and bluetooth capabilities from them for around $10. Did you read that right? $10!! I don't know about you, but I think that's pretty impressive! And you can also purchase smart phones from your favorite manufacturers like Nokia and Motorolla.

It gets even better if you make international calls. They have flexible low rate plans that allow you to make those calls from your home, cell phone or office.

I hope that this helps someone reading this. We're always trying to save money, but not skimp on quality and I think that Straight Talk 2 can help with that. A cheaper cell phone plan with better perks for less money!

Things to try!

2011-07-31T15:53:00.000-07:00

I've been slacking on the blog thing lately, but that doesn't mean I'm not looking for inspiration! I've actually made a few failed projects lately, with a camera phone and a broken camera to take terrible pictures with. Good stuff!

Here are some things I'm dieing to try/thinking of making for Christmas gifts. I know Christmas is a good 5 months away, but I'm a planner...

Anthro knock off earrings from My Girlish Whims

Foot warmer from Simply Jenna

Infused vodka from Morgan Made It

Boho maxi dress from Sweet Verbena (which is my new blog obsession :))

There you have it! Projects that I want to make so bad and won't be abe to tackle until after my sister's wedding.

Sigh.

Life is so tough...

What are you still doing here? Go check out these amazing tutorials and leave these ladies some comments!!!

Vanilla Sugar Tutorial

2011-07-28T09:39:00.000-07:00

Mmmmm vanilla sugar. Doesn't it sound dreamy? Like the biggest, comfiest bed floating in the sky that smells so sweet...? Too much, right?

Ok, so I think you've heard me say about 100 times that my sister is getting married, and well, since she is getting married I've had tomake a few bridal shower gifts for the lucky lady. Last weekend we went to a wonderful shower that her fiance's family put on for her, and I gave her a bag full of goodies! Handmade goodies of course!

One thing I included was vanilla sugar. Yum yum.

I have used vanilla sugar in recipes before, and thought it would be a wonderful gift! I might be giving hese for Christmas, too :)

All you need is a jar or airtight container of some type, sugar and vanilla

Put the sugar in the jar, leaving 1/2 inch or so of head room. Add some vanilla extract. I had about 2 cups of sugar to 2 tsp of vanilla extract.

Put the lid on. Here's where I shook it to mix it and realized it did NOT work out. It turned into a ball, so I poured it out into a bowl and mixed it with a fork, which worked very well.

All mixed and fluffed with a fork.

Back in the jar. See why you need that headroom? It fluffs up a wee bit!

Now, you can print out a pretty label and tie the top with some ribbon and keep it in your pantry for up to 6 months, or give it away!

Keep in mind-I have never kept mine for longer than a couple of weeks, but have read that it will keep just fine for 6 months!

Also, I've seen other recipes that have you slice up a vanilla bean and put it in the sugar jar with the sugar, but you have to let it sit for like a week before you can use it with all of it's vanilla goodness. I'm not patient at all, so I went with the faster version, but do what you want :)

MMMonday-Wearable planter

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

Oh man oh man oh man.

I love these.

I mean. Wow. I can't even tell you. But I have a couple of issues with them.

Issue #1-Where do you get the plants for them?

Issue #2-Do you have to grow the plants for them?

Issue #3-What happens when the plants die?

I like my jewelry to be wearable all the time, and for $30, I'm afraid these wouldn't be...that's why I haven't bought them...yet...but you know Christmas is right around the corner...

On another note-wish me luck! I'm going to take a placement test tomorrow so I can go to college, finally! Woot woot for me! I'm freaking out, because well, let's just say that math and I don't quite get along...

WINNER!

2011-07-21T15:08:00.000-07:00

The winner of the AMAZING pair of earrings from Joanniel Creations is...

#4 Megan's Cookin!!

Thanks to everyone who entered, and better luck next time!

By the way, there will be another giveaway in a few weeks, so come back by!

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY-LAST CHANCE!!

2011-07-21T10:33:00.000-07:00

Last chance to enter the giveaway for a BEAUTIFUL pair of earrings!

GO HERE AND ENTER NOW!

Winner will be chosen later this afternoon-PST!

I'm a natural beauty

2011-07-20T09:34:00.000-07:00

Do you ever come across something so "Right on!" or "Niiiice!" or "I love this!" that you get all excited about it?

Well, I just did.

I just discovered Life of a Passeri and saw "I'm a Natural Beauty" and decided to click away.

Here's what it says:

"The general standard for beauty in our society is really damaging to the way that women and men perceive themselves. So I'd love anyone who would like to to join me in promoting healthy perceptions of beauty!

So here's the deal: try and post at least once a month about healthy, natural beauty; healthy body image, taking care of your body, loving yourself etc."

I think it's a GREAT idea and so true that the general standard of beauty in our society is really damaging!

So, here's my first "I'm a natural Beauty" post:

When I was in first grade, I started worrying about what clothes I wore, and what people thought about my appearance. I can't pinpoint exactly why I was so concerned about it, but I think it had to do with a girl in my class that was always asking me strange questions.

I remember one time when we were standing in line getting ready to go in to class at the beginning of the day, she turned around, stink eyed me and said, "Are you Christian or Catholic?" I was a little surprised, but I knew that my mom always took us to Catholic church so I said, "Catholic." and didn't think it was a very big deal. I didn't care mucch about religion, and I didn't think anyone else cared which one I was, until that day. She apparently did, because she said, "Well, this school is only for Christians. You sould go to a private school for Catholics. You're at the wrong school." I don't remember what happaned next. I assume I just stopped listening, or just plain didn't care. It didn't really effect me, until she started making fun of the clothes I wore after that. That's when I assume my insecurities about appearance began.

I told you that to tell you this: I was picking out my clothes for the next school day on night when I got really frustrated. I remember that I loved to wear some green stripey stretch stirrup pants (go early 90s!!) with a purple floral shirt, until that girl started telling me I didn't match and shouldn't wear clothes like that. Well, I couldn't find the "right" outfit to wear, and my dad came in my room and knew I was frustrated. I remember saying something like, "I don't want to look stupid at school" or something to that effect, when he stopped, and told me we needed to talk.

My dad explained to me that what other people thought about my clothes or hair or the way I looked didn't matter. He told me that as long as I didn't lie, cheat or steal, and I was a good person, I shouldn't even listen to what other people say about me. In first grade, I learned a lesson about confidence, self image and other people's insecurities, as well as my own. I was maybe 6 or 7, and was lucky enough to learn that lesson and have it stay with me throughout my life. There are grown people who still haven't learned that lesson!

After my daughter was born, I had some issues with inssecurities. I cared what people thought about me. Not about a post baby body, but about being a "young mom." People always commented on my age when I was out and about with my little mohawked baby. It began to wear on me, and I was embarrassed to be a young mom. Then it hit me, almost out of nowhere. The advice my dad had given me back in first grade! I started to think about how much I loved being a mom, and how proud of myself I was to have gone through a very difficult labor and thought nothing of it. I started thinking about how lucky I was to be bale to have a child so early and be a young spirited mom. I gained confidence through myself, and my accomplishments.

That is the point of this post. To tell people to love themselves, and not care what other people think and judge about you. You are worth loving. No matter where you come from, what you look like or what you've been through-you are worthy of being loved-by yourself and others, no matter what is "wrong" with you. Because the fact of the matter is that it doesn't matter what other people think of you. As long as you're a good person, with a good heart and you're happy with you. That's what matters. And you SHOULD be happy with you. Always.

Don't forget to enter the Giveaway!

2011-07-20T08:44:00.000-07:00

If you haven't entered the giveaway, you have one more day to do it, so go HERE and enter enter ENTER!

The winner will be chosen tomorrow!

Good luck!

Tutorial & Free Printable-Menu Board

2011-07-16T14:26:00.000-07:00

There have possibly been thousands of these on blogs all over the internet, but this is my version, which is simple, fast and super cute.

Supplies:

Free printable (can be found below instructions)

A certificate or document frame

One extra piece of computer paper

1. Take the back off the frame, and discard whatever goofy picture or fake document it came with

2. Trim the edges of the printable so it will fit well, and put it face down in the frame.

3. Put the piece of white paper on next. Then put the backing on the frame.

4. Write up your menu for the week with a dry erase marker!

PRINTABLE!

Directions to print:

1. Click to enlarge

2. Right click image and save to your computer

3. Open file and print image full page

I use a menu board, becaus it helps me plan our meals ahead of time and stops my husband from always asking what's for dinner :)

Easy DIY French manicure!

2011-07-15T14:04:00.000-07:00

FYI don't type a blog post while your nails are drying...

No, but really this was super easy and turned out pretty well. Too bad I didn't wait until after I did the dishes to do it...

I got the tutorial from The 2010's Housewife and it's great!

All I used was nail polish in white and clear, nail polish remover and regular Q-tips!

Etsy feature and a GIVEAWAY!

2011-07-14T14:44:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves a good giveaway, don't they? Of course! Well, I have just about the BEST giveaway for you guys EVER!

Joanniel Creations on Etsy.

Here's what she says about herself:

"Welcome to joanniel creations. My name is Jo. I am a stay at home mom and I have my own home based jewellery business. I am very fortunate to be able to do what I love.

I started making jewellery by accident. I lost an earring that was very dear to me and decided to try to make a similar pair. It didn't turn out very well but it sparked an interest in jewellery making. Five years later, here I am. You could say that losing that earring was a blessing in disguise!

I hope you enjoy wearing my jewellery as much as I enjoy creating it for you.

Website: joanniel.com

Blog: joanniel.blogspot.com

Fan Page: facebook.com/joannieldesigns "

Everytime I look at her Etsy shop I find at least 10 pieces of jewelry to drool over.

Here are some of my favorites:

Are you drooling yet?

******************

Are you dieing to know what the giveaway is?

Beautiful earrings, aren't they?

And one lucky Aurora's Creations reader will win them! Exciting!

To enter the giveaway you must:

1. Become a follower of Aurora's Creations.
&

2. Leave a comment below, telling me that you're a follower!

Good luck, and the Winner will be chosen next Thursday, on the 21st!

Simple DIY framed art

2011-07-13T08:49:00.000-07:00

A while ago I was perusing the shelves at Target and saw this:

I thought it was just about the cutest thing ever! But let's be honest-pay $19.99 for that to hang on your wall, or make it yourself for almost free? Hmmm...tough choice.

So, what did I do? I made my own version on Picnik.com!

I just need to frame it and find a good place for it...I'm thinking in the bathroom. I've been looking for a new piece of art for my bathroom.

And these just might wind up beng Christmas presents, too!

PS-I'm am definitely not the first one to think of copying this idea, I'm sure, but I'm hard pressed to find some sources. Therefore, don't be mad at me :)

PSS-If you want to click on my version and print it out and frame it-go for it! Just link back to me if you share it on your blog!

Nail polish remover transfer tutorial

2011-07-11T15:38:00.000-07:00

I heard about this tutorial at The Country Chic Cottage and have done a few projects using it and I think I'm obsessed!

Here's my how-to!

Supplies:

-100% Acetone Nail Polish (It HAS to be 100% or it won't work)

-A tea towel

-A black and white image that has been darkened and copied on a TONER INK CARTRIDGE! Inkjet and laser jet WILL NOT WORK!

Protect the work surface with a cutting baord or piece of cardboard.

Place your image face down on the towel.

Saturate a cotton ball, napkin or toilet paper (that's what I did) with nail polish remove and dab a GENEROUS amount over your image You'll be able to see the image on the backside. How long and how much nail polish remover to use really depends on your image-just lift up a corner and peak carefully.

Let it dry and wash it and use your towel!

*Sorry for the terrible pictures, but my camera is apparently dieing, which is always great, right? And I can't find my charger for my back up camera, so you get a blurry picture of the finished project. I know, you're welcome :)

Treadle on!

2011-07-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

There are a few things that I always lust over at antique stores, and never in my wildest dreams do I think I can talk my hubby into letting me buy, and one of those WAS a treadle sewing machine. We were casually talking about a treadle I saw at a thrift store, when he indulged my curiosity for an antique dressform in a window at an antique store, yesterday, when he told me I should buy the treadle! I was pretty sure that I didn't hear him right, but I did-he told me to go buy it! So, while I perused the antique store in total disappointment, I suggested we go to another on by our house, just for fun. We're kind of antique store freaks...but that's a good thing.

So, as we turned the corner in the shop, there she was sitting by a plastic shrubbery-all alone and needing a new home.

Pure Tiger Oak and Iron goodness. I practically drooled over it, not only because I am a sewing fanatic, but also because the detailed design on it was an Egyptian motif! I also have a thing for Egyptian...well...anything-I have a tattoo of an Egyptian symbol. It is beautiful. Absolutely stunning and in great shape!

I've been researchng the history of it, and I'm not sure if what I've found is legit or not, but according to a few sources, it was probbaly made in 1911 by the Franlin Company for resale at Sears Roebuck Co. :) Don't you wish Sears, was still selling these? It was made to be almost exactly the same as the Singer model of it's time, but for a more affordable price-$12-$15 asopposed to $40-$50 for the Singer variety.

Wow. I love it. I dreamt about it last night.

So, do you own a treadle? Do you know anything about them? Any suggestions on how to date it, clean it, maintain it, since I'm new to this?

I'll post a tutorial in a little bit...I've been lacking in the craftiness department lately!

Furniture re-do & other projects

2011-07-05T11:02:00.000-07:00

My sister gave us a basic dresser, but it was bright green,which didn't match ANYTHING in my son's room, so I perused my stock of spray paint an found an awesome Midnight Blue Matte Indoor/Outdoor can and went to work!

After it dried I took black acrylic paint and painted a race track, and took a white paint pen and on a whim wrote "Welcome to the G.T. Speedway" "Gentlemen start your ENGINES!" And he absolutely LOVES it! I hear him in his room saying, "Gentleman, start you's engines!" Yep, he says you's, not your. So stinking cute!

My next project was these transfers that I did with 100% acetone nail polish remover! I printed out some really neat images from The Graphics Fairy and took them to the local copyshop to make darkened copies. I went with black and white images, because I wasn't sure if color would work or not. I put the images facedown on the plate and transferred them with the nail polish remover. It was so easy and I think I'm not obsessed with this transferring thing! One thing, though-I sprayed a coat of clear gloss sealer on top of the image afterwards, so it wouldn't scratch off. And of course, they're not food safe!

Here's the other one I made for my sister for a bridal shower. It has her and her fiance's names in the middle of the frame and the date of their wedding at the bottom.

I also tried to nail polish remover transfer on a tea towel, which didn't turn out as well as I would have oped. But I do like that it looks faded er go old. I didn't darken the bird image because it looked terrible when I did. Next time, I wil just go with it!

Close up of the bird image. Not too bad...not too good either...

Check out Monte Carlo-The movie is now playing in theaters!!

2011-07-05T07:40:00.001-07:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Monte Carlo for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Have you seen the previews for Monte Carlo? My daughter is a BIG Selena Gomez fan, which is fine by me, because, believe it or not, I like her, too! I think she's a decent teen actress, and the songs she sings send good messages. So, we're going to go have a girl's day and see Monte Carlo! It's a rare thing to find a movie that both of us want to see, so I'm pretty excited!

The movie is about a young woman(played by Selena Gomez), her uptight step sister and her best friend. They use their savings for a dream trip to Paris-lucky!! Well the trip apparently turns out to be a big disappointment. They decide to take a break from their boring tour and check out the lobby of a luxury hotel, when one of them (judging by the previews that would be Selena Gomez's character) is mistaken for a spoiled British heiress. Before they get the chance to reveal the truth about who they are, they are wrapped up in misadventures and go on a vacation to Monte Carlo instead!! Crazy!

You might want to "like" the Monte Carlo Facebook page, too!

And have you tried Fandango? You should definitely check it out!

I'll let you know how the movie is after we see it :)

Handmade Gift Exchange!

2011-07-03T15:34:00.000-07:00

This is my 3rd time participating in the Craftaholics Anonymous Handmade Gift Exchange, and here's what I made to send to my partner:

It's a necklace with my Gift Exchange Partner's children's names on it and some beads in colors she loves :)

Here's what I got!!!!!

A hand crocheted yellow and gray (my two favorite colors right now) throw pillow!!!!! I love it so much!

If you've never done a Handmade Gift Exchange wth Craftaholics Anonymous, you really really should!

Green Month #14-Cardigan Overload!

2011-06-30T13:35:00.000-07:00

It turned out that I had 3 100% cotton long sleeve shirts in my "refashion" pile just waiting to be turned into good things!

I used the tutorial in the video here.

But for the navy blue one with the yellow flowers, I used a freezer paper stencil and yellow fabric paint to make the flowery doo dads. I like it A LOT! And the blue one, I turned into a 3/4 length sleeve.

I have 3 new cardigans in under one hour for under $10. WHOA!

Look at my excitement!

I hate taking pictures of myself. And it was really windy. And my hair is nuts-O today. And I have a really good food baby belly going on there. Hahaha. Life's tough.

So, why are you still reading this and not making your own cardigans??

Green Month #14-Upcycling projects GALORE!

2011-06-30T08:44:00.000-07:00

So, I've been slacking as of late with Green month, but hey-life is tough-and busy!

So, today my plan is to go get a few things and come home and MAKE MAGIC! Here's a roundup of what I plan to make:

Ok, so I know this girl is like 13 but she's a refashioning genius, apparently!

Source

The wonderful thing about all of these projects is that they can be done with things you have on hand!! That monogrammed plate and tea towel are transferred with nail polish remover!! Wha??? Yep, but it has to be 100% acetone and the image has to be printed from a legit copy machine with atoner cartridge, not your home inkjet printer. That's ok, because I need to get some printer paper, and I'm going to go to the dollar store and get some tea towels, a plate and 100% acetone nail polish remover and make it happen! I'll jsut go to a copy shop to get the copies made, too! Perfect!

And the video of the how to make a cardigan, is great because I have 2 green long sleeve cotton shirts that I will chop up today and let you know how it works for me. And don't forget that Walmart sells those shirts she used for a few dollars each! I'm going to do some fun freezer paper stenciling on a few of them, too.

The shirt with the lace strip? From Sweet Verbena and you can use a t shirt you already have on hand! Perfect. I however, only have super duper thin strips of whacky colored lace, so I guess I'll have to make a trip to the fabric store. Darn ;)

I'll be posting my experiences with these projects in the next few days, so come on back! And maybe tomorrow we'll do a linky party??

Green Month #13-Food bank

2011-06-29T13:20:00.000-07:00

Is your pantry overflowing? Are there tons of NOT expired foods in your cupboard that you know you're not going to eat?

Enter: your local food bank!

Instead of letting the food in your pantry expire, and get thrown in your trash can, then in your garbage canister, and then in your local landfill, donate it!

Simple, effective, and GREEN. And most importantly, you're helping out those in your community who may have fallen on hard times.

Man, I'm losing it.

2011-06-25T14:54:00.000-07:00

I'm so stressed.

I don't even know why. Well, I do, but I don't think I should be stressed.

My stomach is constantly in knots, I can't fall asleep until well after midnight. I feel overwhelmed. My husband has been gone for 3 weeks, and comes home today and that might be why. I just have a hard time believing it will go away.

I hate stress. I feel like my heart is constantly beating really fast, and I don't have much of an appetite.

I just took a sress quiz and I think that made it worse. I wanted to cry when I clicked almost every anser to each question. All but the one about sex. haha. No complaints there. But I'm unorganized, I don't exercise, I try to eat right, but typically reach for the easy choices, and I don't always enjoy what I do for the bulk of the day everyday. I think the latter one is because I do it all day and night every day and night. I have a wonderful husband, but he goes to work and isn't there to do what I do all day everyday. I hate asking for help, bcause I feel guilty. I'd rather take the burden on myself anyday, instead of inconveniencing someone else.

I also am super stressing about starting college. I need to take the placement test and it's freaking me out. There are so many factors surrounding the test, that I already feel like I'm drowning. Can I handle school and being a mom? I freaking hope so. Lately I don't feel like I can handle ANYTHING.

Life goes on, eh? I suppose. I just hope this all goes away after my hubby comes home :)

Green Month #12-A thrift store save

2011-06-24T09:32:00.000-07:00

Go here to see an old post of mine about rescuing a sad sad thrift store garment and turning it into something GREAT!

Keep in mind, I didn't take a before picture of it, but I can tell you, it was a sad, gigantic sweater before I got to it.

Review-Walgreens Brand Health and Wellness Products

2011-06-23T22:02:00.001-07:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I live right by a Walgreens, and a couple of other major Pharmacies, but I always find myself sticking with Walgreens! Why? Quality and selection, that's why. Especially when it comes to their brand of Health and Wellness products.

My husband and son suffer from seasonal allergies. We normally buy the expensive name brand allergy medicines to try to give them some relief, but find that they normally don't. One day I ran to Walgreens to get a movie at Redbox, and picked up some Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products, specifically Wal-itin allergy medicine for my husband. It was much MUCH cheaper than the name brand variety, and he loved it! I was shocked that it worked better than the other brands, I saved like $5 and my husband was happy!

I know some people aren't big fans of store brand medications, but did you know that Walgreens brand medications are always pharmacist recommended, most contain the same ingredients of name brand medications AND have a 100% satisfaction guarantee?! So, why not try them?

And another great thing about Walgreens is their Walgreens Way to Well Fund™. It strives to bring preventative wellness programs to communities by contributing up to $3 million dollars annually-how great is that? For more information please check out www.walgreens.com/waytowell

And one more great thing to mention: Several bloggers are giving away Walgreens Gift Cards! Check it out at giveaways!

Green Month #11-Refashioning thrift store finds

2011-06-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

Before:

After:

Not bad, eh? I'm enjoying the 90s vibe coming back into style.

What I did was take the dress in (it was a size 18 originally) on the sides and take the hem up to above the knee. I had a huge chunk of fabric leftover, so I added a block of it at the bottom and viola!

Some retail dresses that are sorta kinda similar:

Refashioning is a great beginner way to get some sewing experience and make some great new pieces of clothing for CHEAP. It's also fun and not too time consuming.

My refashioning tips:

1. Try to get garments that are way too big. This is obvious. The bigger the garment, the more options. It's ok to get a garment that fits you, if your refashioning plans accomodate it.

2. Shop where you don't normally shop. You can find an xxl men's button down shirt and turn it into a peasant top, summer dress, skirt, shorts-anything!

3. Get what catches your eye! Do you like obnoxious prints? Flannel? Polka dots? If you find something that catches your eye, get the refashioning wheels a-turning!

4. Think about your final result before you start chopping away. Sometimes it helps to sketch it out or print out a picture of a finished garment to work from.

5. Try try again! I don't know how many times I've thought I could make something cute from something ugly, and it looked waaaaaaay too home-ec. That doesn't mean I haven't tried again.

6. Most importantly, if you're not having fun anymore-STOP! What good is a hobby if it's going to give you a heart attack?

I hope this inspires you to try your hand at refashioning! Happy hunting!

MMMonday-Acupuncture and more ramblings

2011-06-20T17:23:00.000-07:00

Have you ever tried it?

Well, I just got back from my second acupuncture appointment and I LOVE IT! I've been going for a chronic upper back pain that started when I was in Middle School Band class playing the flute. Yep. Since middle school. That's been about 13 years now. I live with it everyday. EVERYDAY! And I finally got sick of it and went to my doctor and she gave me a referral for acupuncture. SWEET!

So, I have only gone twice, but I can already feel an improvement. The pain is still there, but it's different than it used to be. Slightly less painful, an definitely slightly more tolerable. I'm pretty excited!

So, if acupuncture scares you, stop being silly! If you have chronic pain, it might be worth your time.

Green Month # 11-Recycled Glass Jar ideas

2011-06-18T20:37:00.000-07:00

I took a regular old canning jar and turned it into this!

What is it? A pretty jar now. What am I using it for? I will use it for a couple of things, actually. This one is going to hold some silverware for an event I'm planning. Green is the color scheme. I did a contrasting color on a smaller jar so I can use it to hold something else-maybe a candle, maybe some pens, maybe whateva!

Supplies:

Glass jar

Contact paper

Hole Punch/scrapbook paper punch

Acrylic paint

1. Punch a bunch of holes out of the contact paper.

2. Peel the paper backing off the dots and put them on the jar where you want them.

3. Paint over the entire jar.

4. Let dry and take the dots off.

D-O-N-E!

More inspiration for recycled glass jar crafts:

SOURCE

REVISED Need to vent to Blogland

2011-06-17T23:27:00.000-07:00

Due to the fact that my prior post was in bad judgement, and written out of a desperate need to vent in any form, I have deleted it. Well, I am re-writing it. The things I wrote in this post previously are now permanently GONE, as to not offend or effect any particular person. The reason for this is SOLELY because the First Amendment Right of Freedom of Expression does not apply when "defamation" can be construed. I was not intending to "defame" anyone's name, or do harm in anyway, and I am certain that what I wrote could only be traced back to the person it was written about if the party investigating the identity was a close personal friend or family member of mine. That being said, I also know for a fact that when searching for my name, or that person's name, this blog or blog post does NOT come up in any major search engine, so it would not effect anyone's life or job search negatively in any way shape or form. BUT because I am a good person, I have erased the things that were concerning to one individual.

Green Month # 10-Fathers Day Gift Idea & a free printable!

2011-06-16T09:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a FREE printable that was made by yours truly :)

It's a Fathers Day Scratch ticket!

Print this out, and glue it onto a slightly larger piece of cardstock.

Next, cut a square of contact paper large enough to cover the symbols near the bottom of the printable. Paint the contact paper's plasticy side with acrylic paint. I used silver because it's more traditional, but you can use any color you'd like! Let it dry, and put another coat of paint on it. Let that dry.

Now, peel the paper backing off the contact paper square and put it over the symbols.

Voila!

This is the finished product! I tied a "lucky penny" scratcher keychain to the side, too! That was easy to make-just drill a little hole in a penny and put a small keychain ring through it!

Close-up of the "lucky penny" scratcher.

Another green Fathers Day project idea:

Found here

I think that lamp is awesome. I wish I would have found it sooner.

This is what I made for my dad for Fathers Day. I also got him a Barnes and Noble gift card, but I had to make something. No matter how sub par it is. I'm not expecting rave reviews, but I think my idea was good in theory. They are handmade, hand stenciled hankies! I used the silhouette of a cowboy boot, a cowboy hat and the state of Nebraska, since that's where my dad is from. I hope he likes them.

Obviously I cut squares out of some bleached muslin I had, ironed them, and zig zagged the edges all the way around. Not perfectly, but seriously, he's going to blow his nose into them, so why do they need to be?

Pretty green because I used supplies I already had and didn;t drive around to find more supplies. And it was also FREE and only took about 20 minutes.

I just used contact paper for the stencils, too!

Green Month # 9-Thrift Store Shopping Tips

2011-06-11T11:35:00.000-07:00

I am a serious thrift store shopper-I kind of have a problem ;)

People are always asking me how I find such good, cute, cheap things, and I always try to tell them to com shopping with me one day and I'll show them. That's not always possible, so I try to tell them my secrets.

So, here they are:

Aurora's Thrift Store Shopping Secrets:

#1-Get over the gross factor. Let's face it-thrift stores smell funky, there are some sketchy looking people there, and some of the stuff they sell is junk. So what? When you go to the mall you see sketchy people, you smell nasty smells and there's a lot of stuff there you'd consider junk, right? The difference? At the mall, you can pay $50 for a shirt. At the thrift store, you can pay 50 cents! Now, if you ask me, that's a BIG difference.I like having an extra $49.50 in my pocket, thank you very much.

#2-Go often. This may be a struggle for some people, but for me, it's easy. I am a SAHM, so I have nothing but time. The thing about a thrift store is that their inventory changes everyday, and some days you may scour the place from top to bottom and not find anything good. That's ok. You can do the same thing at the mall. If you go to the thrift store often, you'll have a better chance of finding treaure.

#3-Dig! This is another thing people have issues with. Digging. I found a pair of Old Navy Jeans and a pair of Abercrombie jeans in the $1 bin at my favorite thrift store by digging! Yes, I had to go through some funky mom jeans, but so what? They were washed before they were put in the bin so no biggie!

#4-Know your sizes- This seems like a no brainer, but seriously, know what size is best for you in every piece of clothing. Why? Because I have yet to see a thrift store fitting room I want to undress in. To me, they always look like they;re going to blow over.

#5 Stop caring what people think of "thrift store shoppers." Because, seriously, who cares?

A few other things:

I never buy pillows, stuffed animals or anything stuffed because it's too hard to sanitize.

I wash everything I buy.

I never get swimwear, underoos or any other super nasty things they sell, because they're gross. I don't want anything that touched someone's gine-butt.

Green Month #8-Stashbusting Kindle cover

2011-06-09T13:15:00.000-07:00

Whammy!

I basically took fabric paint and painted the "STFU I'm reading!" part and then just sewed a sleeve the size of the kindle and attached a button and a tab with a buttonhole for a closure.

Yes, the button is super cockeyed, but that's ok.

Oh yah-I put some ruffles on it too :)

Green Month #7-KINDLE

2011-06-08T15:01:00.000-07:00

Alright, so I struggled a lot with the "green" aspect of this.

I just bought a Kindle.

Yesterday I realized that I had a ton of books I was done reaing, and I wanted some new reads. I was browsing books and realized that I could get a TON of classics for FREE if I had a Kindle, and I could get a ton of bestsellers for CHEAP. So, I just bought one. Like, literally an hour ago.

I know that's not really enough time for a great review, but I'm already in love with it and not sure why I didn't get one a long time ago. it's already paid for itself!

So, here is my "green" theory:

For me, personally, the Kindle is greener, because I won't be hoofing it around town looking for a new books every month or so, and I won't be spending hours searching the internet for a book, either. Yes, I ALWAYS buy my books used, but there is still the icky fact that they come to me via some type of gass guzzling vehicle. So, now I can go digital and be greener and happy!

Woo-hoo!

***

That leads me to my question-Do you have a Kindle? If so, any tips or suggesions for a new Kindle owner? And do you have a cver/pouch for it? Did you make it or buy it?

A little bit of inspiration.

I'm going to go make one now...smell ya later!

Aurora's Creations Flickr Group

2011-06-07T09:53:00.001-07:00

http://www.flickr.com/groups/1712239@N23/

Go ahead and join up to show off YOUR creations!

Green Month #6-Scrapbusting Bow Earrings.

2011-06-07T09:45:00.000-07:00

Another great way to be green is to USE WHAT YOU HAVE. Don't go buy more materials-get creative with what you've got!

Supplies:

Scrap fabric

Hot glue gun

Earrings

2 Headpins

1. Cut your fabric like above picture. One square and one tiny rectangle for each earring (so 2 of each).

2. Pinch your big square in the middle.

3. Keep ahold of the pinched part and grab your little rectangle. Put a dot of hot glue on the backside of the bow and put the end of the little rectangle on that glue dot. Hold until it dries

4. Put another dot of hot glue on top of the end of the rectangle you just glued-yep right ontop of where you just glued-and wrap the rectangle around and hold until it dries.

Now you have 2 bows!

5. Now put a big glob of hot glue on the back of the bow and glue your headpin in place with the loop or head of it in the glue glob. Do for both earrings.

6. Put the headpin's other end through the loop on the earring and bend it.

7. Then twist it around itself and bend it to make it hang the way you like it.

8. Wear 'em!

They are super cute-try them out with all kinds of fabric, although, I've got to say that I tried a silky fabric and that didn't hold it's shape too well, so maybe have a plan B for that kind of fabric.

Make some and let me know about them!

Green Month #5-Dyed Shoes

2011-06-05T15:50:00.000-07:00

Lemon Yellow Dyed Shoes

They are lemon yellow, I promise!

This is nothing new-I took a pair of white canvas sneakers that I got from Target, pulled the laces out and dyed them with Rit Dye according to the package.

Easy peasy and I ♥ them!

The best part is that the shoes already had an elastic sewed in under the tongue so I could go laceless with no fuss or muss!

Other pictures from a fun day at Ft. Flagler Beach in Washington:

Green Month #4-WhoopdWhoop

2011-06-02T12:29:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of this website?

I JUST did, and have a feeling I'll have a few late nights browsing the amazing things that are on here.

And one great green thng to do is to buy handmade. Not only do you support the little guy, but you're not supporting a company that has a crazy carbon footprint, or that makes toxic nasties. Yes, I said toxic nasties.

So, I don't know the ins and outs just yet, but I do know that the jist of it is a handmade bartering system. You get "whoops" for listing your creations and inviting friends, and you use your "whoops" as currency to "buy" things from other people.

A M A Z I N G

Green Month Project #1, 2 and 3-Bags, bags, bags!!

2011-06-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

#1 Grocery Bag from an old t shirt

These are all over blogland, but here's my version. This is also the same method you'll use to make bag #2.

I saw this watermelon tshirt at the thrift store and couldn't resist!!

1. Turn your t shirt inside out and stitch the bottom together along the existing hemline/surged line.

2. Cut off any excess fabric (this is optional)

3. Lay your shirt out.

4. Cut along the armhole, making it a little bigger than the original seamline.

5. Fold your t shirt over to line up the cut you just made with the other side.

6. Cut the other side, tracing your first cut.

7. While your shirt is still folded, cut along the collar line, but go bigger and deeper than the original collar line.

8. Turn rightside out and fill with groceries!!

#2-Beach bag from old tshirt!

Follow all the directions for bag #1, but cut large slits all over the bag.

Fill with beach towels and flip flops and take a picture in front of your sliding glass door when it's raining :)

*I would suggest that if you're going to use it for more than bigbulky items, make smaller cuts, and start the cuts up about 6" from the bottom.

#3-Purse from old t shirt

Follow steps 1-3 from bag #1. Next cut the corners off of the bottom of the shirt and stitch up.

Now, fold in half and cut the arms off, but again, go deeper and farther than original seams.

Use some of the leftover fabric to make straps to sew to each side of the top of your shirt.

Turn rightside out.

Tie together.

Purse!

Whammy! 3 bags, in under one hour!

Introducing-Green Month!!

2011-05-31T12:10:00.000-07:00

Yep. Green Month.

I'm not talking hippy dippy don't shave your legs green. I'm talking about projects, crafts, ideas, etc that are green and since they are green they are SUPER inexpensive. A lot of them will be utilizing things you already have on hand, things that you normally would throw away, things that you can find on clearance and at thrift stores!

The biggest point of this month's theme is to live better. I'm not going to go on and on about the trash heap in a landfill, or your carbon footprint-you don't want to hear that and frankly I don't want to tell you that. I want to show you how to do things you LOVE but do them greenly. Is greenly a word? Well, it is now!

So check back this month for lots and lots of great GREEN projects!

Linky Party Features!

2011-05-31T08:10:00.000-07:00

Here are the Mod Podge Linky Party Features!

Wow

Look at this!

Wait-you don't see anything? THAT'S CAUSE THERE WERE NO LINK UPS!

LOL.

Clearly too soon in my little blogs life to do a linky party.

Oh well, I guess-could have been fun!

Etsy shop feature: Joanniel Creations

2011-05-28T19:01:00.000-07:00

Two days ago I recieved a small package in the mall that contained the BEST pair of earrings I've ever purchased!!

See them?

Looks like I'm spying on my neighbors, huh?

I got them from Joanniel Creations on Etsy.

You've got to go check out her shop!

Just a few AWESOME items in her shop! Go check them out!

Linky Party & Mod Podge May Roundup

2011-05-27T11:22:00.000-07:00

Mod Podge May has been fun, hasn't it?

Well, I'm all out of ideas now.

And the end of the month is almost here.

So, in case you didn't tune into every Mod Podge May post, here they all are.

Just for you.

Cause I'm cool like that...

Mod Podge Wine bottles

Mod Podge Rocks Blog (not my project, but I plan to make these)

Photo Rubic Cube (not my project)

DY Photo Book

Magnets

Vintage Jar Labels (not my project)

Mod Podge Shoes!

***********

Are you Mod Podged out yet?? Of course not!

Link up your favorite Mod Podge projects!!!

The linky party will be up until MONDAY, so link your projects up, go check out some other great blogs, and come back on Tuesday for the top picks!

Don't let me down, people! Someone link up!!

Father's Day Gift Idea

2011-05-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

Looking for the perfect gift for that special Daddy?

Try this-just listed in my Etsy shop!

Here's another great idea! It says MOMS KEYS but can be personalized any way you want it!

Mod Podge May-Wine Bottle to Flower Vase

2011-05-20T14:23:00.000-07:00

Beautiful, aren't they? And those are Dollar store poppies in there!

I'm not sure which one I want to keep. I love them both. I had 2 wine bottles on hand and couldn't decide which label from The Graphics Fairy.

Here's the how-to:

You need:

An empty wine bottle, sparkling cider bottle or champagne bottle

Mod Podge (I used gloss)

Brush

A label

Some flowers of some kind

Free time

The first step isn't pictured, because I was not having fun with it. You have to remove the label from your wine bottle. I tried Goo Gone on mine...don't even try It made NO difference. You should just run the label under warm soapy water and scrub the poo out of it with a scrubby sponge. It will take a minute, but it's not too bad.

Next, take your pre cut label, and put Mod Podge on the back of it. Yep. That's what I said. You could slap the Mod Podge on the wine bottle, but I wa trying to NOT hve excess Mod Podge all over my bottle. If you want excess, go for it.

Now, put your label on your wine bottle. Adjust as necessary, making it even and square and pretty. Now run gently with your fingers to remove any bubbles or funk.

Now brush a thin layer of Mod Podge over your label, being careful not to get it on the bottle.

Let it dry.

Put your fowers in the bottle and try to figure out which one to keep and which one to maybe potentially give away as a gift someday. Yeah, that's a toughy...

Sun inspired sandals tutorial

2011-05-18T09:20:00.000-07:00

DISCLAIMER:

My feet look, well, not so pretty in these pictures. And also I neglected to shave my legs that day. So, no those are not sasquatch toes you see, but mine. Enjoy!

Side view of funky feeties. I also had the sandals tied in the back on this one. Kind of ballet slipper style, I guess.

This time the straps go around the back and are tied on the side.

And you can also just tie a giant bow on the top of your foot!

Here's the how-to...sort of.

Basically, cut of the original straps that your flip flops came with and throw them away.

Next take 3 loops for each flop, and tie knots in the end, and feed the loops through the strap holes, loop end up, and hot glue the knots in place.

Now take a super long strip of fabric (I used a knit so I didnt have to hem anything) and string it through the loops! Done!

My strap was probably close to 2 feet long, make yours longer o shorter, depending on what you want to do with your straps.

What I like best:

-You can change the way you wear the sandals

-They're super comfy

-They're insanely easy to make

-It was a really really cheap project, you might have all of the supplies on hand already.

What I dislike:

-I can't put them on without any hands being used.

-I can't see wearing them when I need to be able to chase my kids, or walk through trails, or do anything that involves fancy footwork.

Oh sweet baby Jesus

2011-05-17T15:03:00.000-07:00

Grosgrain is giving away a Silhouette SD Machine.

Oh me oh my I want one of these.

I just can't bring myself to spend the moo-lah on one...

And the winner is...

2011-05-16T20:15:00.000-07:00

#5-Julie!!!!!!!

I will email you right now!

Thanks everyone for playing along. Keep checking back for more giveaways and awesome stuff!!!

Mod Podge May-ModPodgeRocksBlog.com

2011-05-16T14:13:00.000-07:00

Have you been

to ModPodgeRocksBlog.com?

Well, let me give you a sneak peak before you go.

ONE MORE DAY TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY!

2011-05-15T09:20:00.000-07:00

Go Here

to enter my Freschetta Simply Inspired Pizza Giveaway, for a chance to win a coupon for a FREE pizza and a cutting board!

Giveaway will end at noon PST tomorrow!

Good luck!

Mod Podge May-Photo Rubics Cube

2011-05-13T21:10:00.000-07:00

SOURCE

What a great idea for a Father's Day gift!

Go to the source and check out her tutorial-BUT I must say, that I would do it a little differently. I would use regular photos on photo paper and just Mod Podge them on, of course!

I'm going to make a couple for Father's Day for sure! Awesome!!!

Mod Podge May-Mod Podge Shoes, yes I tried it!

2011-05-12T09:24:00.000-07:00

Used this tutorial

So, they're not perfect, not even close. I'm not too sure about them. From that angle they look decent, but the sides and the back are, well, not so good. I'm going to wear them around the house and then reapply some Mod Podge and see if that can remedy the issue!

I'm thinking of throwing a bow on there-what do you think?

Freschetta Simply Inspired Pizza Giveaway!!

2011-05-10T07:03:00.001-07:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of FRESCHETTA® for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I've got to be honest-frozen pizzas are not known to be the greatest, BUT have you tried this? I typically stray away from the frozen pizza section of the supermarket, because I expect a cardboard-like food to come out of my oven in 20-30 minutes, but not with Freschetta Simply Inspired!

I think I might be in love :)

Looks good, right?

And you can enter to win a coupon for a FREE pizza as well as a cutting board that will look similar to this one-both from Freschetta!

All you need to do to enter is:

-Become a follower of Aurora's Creations

-AND leave a comment on this post, telling me which flavor you are most likely to try!

Simple, right? And who doesn't love a delicious free lunch?

Especially one that uses 30% LESS packaging and still locks in the amazingly delicious taste of the pizza!

I personally love the Classic Bruschetta, but there is also Hawaiian, Chicken Bianco, Farmer's Market Veggie, Tuscan Farmhouse, Rustic Pepperoni Pomodoro, and Southern BBQ Chicken! Yikes, that's a lot!

FRESCHETTA® Simply…Inspired™

Mmmm Mmmm. I'm drooling just writing this post. I know what I'm having for lunch today!

MMMonday-All things BEATLES!

2011-05-09T09:59:00.000-07:00

I am making a wedding gift for my sister, and was looking at Beatles quotes for inspiration, because there's a quote that she really loves by The Beatles and I couldn't remember it precisely, and now I'm in Beatlemania. At least in my mind.

Inspire Bohemia

Source

source

Hair Tutorial

2011-05-08T19:31:00.000-07:00

I saw this on Grosgrain, and had to post it! I'm trying it tonight, with my short chin length hair and I'll let you know how it goes!

Holy cow, Batman!

2011-05-08T19:13:00.000-07:00

I just spent about an hour looking at this Blog's line-up of projects.

Holy cow.

Mod Podge May-Mod Podged Shoes!

2011-05-08T15:51:00.000-07:00

Alright, so I know there are a ton of these floating around the Blogosphere, but this one makes me really think it could work. I tried to do a Mod Podge shoe once, but it wasn't good-at all! But I think that is mainly because I used a par of flats that were too small for me...anyway...

GO HERE AND CHECK IT OUT!

Happy Mother's Day and some projects

2011-05-08T09:23:00.000-07:00

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL THE MOMMIES-REAL MOMMIES, IMAGINARY MOMMIES, MOMMIES TO BE, MOMMIES WHO ARE HOPING TO BE MOMMIES AND EVERY OTHER KIND OF MOMMY!!

I hope you all have a fantastic day!

Now, check this out.

Oooo and this. The photo negative lamp is probably my favorite!

Just a couple of AMAZING Mod Podge projects to inspire you :)

Mod Podge May Photo Book

2011-05-06T13:29:00.000-07:00

How to make your own Photo Book.

Yes, you can order one for $20 from Snapfish and Shutterfly, and all of those other ones. And yes, they are professional and awesome and big and good. BUT you cna also make one yourself for approximately 50 cents.

Yep.

50 Cents.

Supplies:

-A board book. Use an old one that your kids don't read anymore, or do what I did and buy a pack of 2 small ones for $1 at the Dollar Store

-Mod Podge (I used Matte)

-Pictures printed out on regular computer paper

-Sandpaper

-Scrapbook Paper

-Scissors

First things first-trace! Trace on your pictures, the shape of the pages. This should be easy because we're using a board book.

You'll end up with a bunch of these!

Here's all of my stuff ready to be glued, er, mod podged.

Slap some Mod Podge on the board book pages, and put your pictures on top and smooth out.

Glue and smooth all of the pages EXCEPT for the cover.

Now put your book under something heavy. I used a ghetto blaster.

After it's totally dry, take some sandpaper and sand around ALL of the edges.

Then Mod Podge each inside page, and let each one dry before going onto the next one! This is the tough part.

Now Mod Podge your cover on and oui-la!

A fun gift for Mother's Day, or a fun book for your kiddos. Use pictures of family that live far away, or your immediate family, or make one with silly faces :) Have fun!

Mod Podge May-Magnets for Mom's Day!

2011-05-05T10:41:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick, easy, AWESOME tutorial for a Mother's Day project that uses MOD PODGE!!!

Magnets!

The star is over a my sister's fae, because I didn't think she'd like to be in Blogland. And the milky white ish one is still drying :)

Supplies:

Mod Podge

Round wooden token looking thingies (you can get them at Joanns)

Pictures!

Magnets (I use the strip of magnets because it's cheaper)

Sandpaper

Directions:

Trace on your picture around your wooden token thing. Pretty obvious.

Cut it out.

Apply Mod Podge to the token thingy and put the picture you just cut out on top of it.

Put the newly mod podged token under a stack of heavy books. Let it dry completely!

Take some sandpaper or a nail file and sand the edges of your photo/token.

Apply a generously smooth layer of Mod Podge over the top of the photo. Let it dry COMPLETELY. Seriously, don't touch it. Don't even think about touching it. Don't even think about thinking about touching it!

If I were you, though, I'd try to push some bubbles out of it. Mine were super bubbly. Life's tough, eh?

Once they dry, put your magnet on the back. Mine were self adhesive, but you could hot glue or super glue some on instead.

There you go!

Magnets for Mom's Day!

****

Check back tomorrow for another Mom's Day idea and Mod Podge tutorial!

Mod Podge May #2-Vintage Jar Labels

2011-05-02T09:25:00.000-07:00

Check out the post I did

HERE

(PS-Those are not my pictures)

Drumroll please.....

2011-05-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for

??????????????????????????????????????????????

Cause if not, you might want to get ready.

That's right! Mod Podge May here at Aurora's Creations is commencing TODAY. And it is going to be a doosey!

May's tutorials, posts and ideas will be all about MOD PODGE!!!!!

AAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAaaaAAAAaaAaaaAAAAAAAa!!!!!

Pretty exciting.

To kick it off, check out this SUPER old post of mine about turning regular washers into necklaces. There's a video that explains how to make them (the video is obviously not made by me) and they tell you to use "diamond glaze" on these, but Mod Podge works the same way!!

May Preview

2011-04-28T09:39:00.000-07:00

Really helps, right?

You know, I always called this stuff ModGE Podge? Wow...I'm a smarty, eh??

Still camera-less

2011-04-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

Yikes. I'm getting my camera back from my mom TOMORROW and I can't wait! I feel lost without it. Like I can't craft anything for fear of a bad bad bad tutorial.

So, I have something for you. A couple of somethings. These are some tutorials I'm planning to try:

Boring to Wow t-shirt

Fabric Jewelry

Recycled Spoon Garden Markers

I actually made these, but don't have a camera, besides my cell phone, and I did take pictures, but um...let's just say they aren't blogworthy...

So, look at hers, because they are way better than mine anyway.

Elsie Marley:Knot Shorts, courtest of Grosgrain

Ok, so I know they're for kids, but I'm going to make a pair for myself!

Ribbon and Pearls Necklace

I've been wanting to make one of these for a loooooooooooong time.

***

Alrighty, so this weekend it's on-I'm going to craft up a storm and get these things done!!

Hoppy Easter (Late!)

2011-04-25T10:04:00.000-07:00

This is my new boyfriend.

His name is Ringo.

He lives in my backyard.

We like to snuggle.

Until he gets bored.

And then he goes to eat some carrots.

Or Kale.

Or bunny jump all over the place.

***

I had a great Easter-how about you?

Mine was SO great, I left my camera at my parents house yesterday.

Why do you care? Because I had a super cool tutorial to post today, but it's on my memory card that is in my camera.

So, I will try to do a new tute today and use my cell phone for pictures. Yikes. I'm not promising good things...

Happy Earth Day Tutorial!

2011-04-22T10:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Earth Day!!

This is a picture of a firepit I finally finished in my backyard! Hooray! I played around with Paint and made a fire and some marshmallows roasting...pretty good, eh??

Supplies:

16 "Windsor" retaining wall blocks-$1.37 ea at Lowes (total cost is about $21.92)

Shovel

Time

How to:

Dig a hole the size of desired firepit.

Stack blocks.

Fill in around the outside with excess dirt.

Wait for sunshine and warm nights to build a fire and roast some weiners!!

***

Mine's a funky circle, but that's because there used to be a stump there and there are still lots of GIANT roots that aren't going anywhere, so I had to accomodate.

Have you heard?!

2011-04-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

ABOUT GROSGRAIN'S

????????????????????????? Yikes, I'm so excited.

DIY Bird Bath

2011-04-20T08:49:00.000-07:00

I am completely in the gardening mood lately, eventhough here in the Northwest, it is still nearly freezing at night and rains most of the day.

I have been doing a lot of outdoor projects, but this one was super easy and lots of fun! A DIY birdbath!!

Supplies:

A bowl

A plate

E-6000 glue

Directions:

Turn the plate and the bowl upside down

Put a thick line of glue around the rim on the bottom of the bowl.

Place the glued part of the bowl onto the bottom of the plate.

Let dry! I let it dry for 24 hours, to be safe.

****

Don't want to make one? Buy one here.

Homemade Granola

2011-04-17T15:19:00.000-07:00

This recipe is delicious and super simple.

Ingredients:

Old fashioned Oats

Nuts (your choice of type and amount)

some type of dried fruit (I used cranberries)

Anything else you think might be delish in your granola ( I used mini marshmallows)

Honey or light corn syrup

A pat of butter

Directions:

Spread your oats and nuts out on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 until golden brown, but stir them around often!

While the oats and nuts are baking, put a good 1/2 cup or so of your honey or corn syrup and your pat of butter in a small saucepan and heat over medium just until the butter melts. Do not overheat!!!

When the oats and nuts are golden, mix them in a big bowl with your corn syrup and butter mixture. Add the rest of your ingredients and stir to combine and make everything nice and sticky.

Then spread out on a cookie sheet and lightly press the granola down with your hands or a spatula.

Next, I put my granola in the oven for a couple of minutes-literally like 2 minutes. You probably don't have to do that, but I do.

Next, let cool completely and cut into bars, or squares, or just break up into pieces and put on your yogurt or eat it with milk like cereal, or do whatever!

Yum yum!!

T shirt re-do

2011-04-15T10:04:00.000-07:00

Please excuse the towel on the towel rack and my dirty mirror :)

So, what do you think?

I haven't worn it yet. Doubt I ever will. It's amazing what sucking in your gut can do for a crappy shirt. haha.

I ~~like~~ love the shirt, but I don't think it looks good on me. Too much belly fat.

BUT you should still make one :)

Here's how to do it:

Take a shirt that's way too big for you (mine was an XXL women's shirt that I got on clearance for $3 at Target) and make it fit. Trace a well fitting shirt on the giant one, and make new seams. Super simple.

I cut a scoop neck in mine, but you can leave the neck alone if you like.

Next just cut a bunch of circles out of the excess fabric you had leftover from making it fit and pin them all over the shirt.

Then sew them on!

Whammy!!

Oh, and clean your mirror before you take pictures in it...

Eeeewww...toothpaste marks...

Teacher Appreciation Gift Idea

2011-04-12T09:56:00.000-07:00

Alright, so I never thought I'd be that mom. I didn't want to seem like a butt kisser to my children's teachers. And, well, I'm not. But my daughter LOVES her teacher. Loves her so much that when they have a guest teacher, my daughter gets angry and wants to have the guest teacher call me to come pick her up.

Kids, eh?

During Christmas time I saw a bunch of really really fun teacher gift tutorials, and I just didn't use any of them. Why? Probably sheer laziness, but anyway...now it's getting close to teacher appreciation week in May, I'm told, and I thought it would be fun to do a project for my daughter's teacher.

Insert I am Momma-Hear Me Roar.

I love this blog, don't you? Yikes, I could read all the pages in one sitting, easily!

Check out this idea:

It's a printable from her blog that was made to go with a plant or some flowers for your favorite teacher!

I'm going to print this and pair it with a few packages of flower seeds.

: )

Mother's Day Craft Tutorial

2011-04-11T08:33:00.000-07:00

We all have Mother's, right? And some of us are lucky enough to have children to make beautiful gifts for those wonderful mother's on Mother's Day...or in my case, Grandmothers :)

I saw this tutorial at My Girlish Whims to make a modge podged candle holder with tissue paper and thought, "my kids could make these for their grandma for a Mother's Day gift!!!"

Now, Rebecca at My Girlish Whims did a much better job with her candle holders than mmy kids did, of course, but ya gotta love the 3 and 6 year old touches they added!

This is the one my 6 year old daughter made. She wanted to do yellow tissue paper on the bottom and pink on the top! I added the bow after the modge podge dried.

This is my 3 year old son's candle. Um...let's just say he tore giant strips of tissue paper and stuck a tiny bit of modge podge on the candle holder and wrapped the tissue around it and then walked away to play with monster trucks. He was angry that I didn't have any blue tissue paper for him to use. I basically just added a ton more modge podge to his to try to make it look ok. It looks...well...3 year old-ish...in a good way :) I added a bow later, too...

Looks so pretty when it's lit up!

***************

Keep checking back for more fun projects, because I have big plans for the month of May-

let's just say

Spring Sidewalk Chalk Photo Shoot

2011-04-08T11:09:00.000-07:00

We used this for a birthday card for Grandpa. I wanted to figure out a better version of a birthday card for him, because he hates cards. SO when the sun shined for a little bit, and the driveway was dry, we broke out the chalk! It was actually real chalk, not sidewalk chalk, but it worked fine, of course, and it was lots of fun!

She's floating away!!

Aaaahhh!!

I want to do another picture like this with the whole family's feeties, but my husband has a barefoot issue-he won't walk barefoot anywhere. I think the military did that to him. So, he's weirded out by having his bare feet on the pavement. Silly silly.

Such a simple concept with endless ideas. Next I want to do a surfboard and have my kids pretend to be surfing. I might wait until the summer for that, though, so they can have their bathing suits on! How fun!

Linking up to Craftaholics Anonymous!

Flip Flops-A love story

2011-04-06T08:37:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time in a land called " Washington," there lived a young girl named Aurora.

Aurora loved the summer and loved the grass and the sand at the beach, and loved the ease and comfort in a pair of flip flops. Especially the good old super worn out, beat up, best friend flops that flooded her closet.

One day, many summers later, Aurora went to the mall with her two children. She was meeting a friend and needed to waste some time, until they got there. Then it happened. On the way through the parking lot, it broke. Her favorite pair of basic black flip flops from Old Navy, that she bought 4 years prior when pregnant with her daughter.

What would she do?

How would she cope?

She bought a backup pair to get her through the next few hours, and was miserable.

Soon she would go to Old Navy and get a new pair, right? Wrong! They didn't make those ones anymore. They changed their basic flops just enough to drive Aurora crazy. She bought 2 pairs, and hated them both. What was she to do?

I'll tell you what she did. She stopped wearing flops until she saw an amzing tutorial from Alisa Burke.

It's a super simple flip flop strap embellishment. I cannot for the life of me find the original tutorial on her blog, and I am 200% sure it came from there, sorry :)

So, I will explain how I did it, using her tute.

Basically I just took a bunch of small fabric scraps and sewed them all together with crazy lines on my machine.

Then I wrapped the fabric around the straps with the seam underneath and glued and clamped them down.

When they dried, I took a needle and thread and sewed them into place.

The hardest part was just getting the little piece that goes between the toes right, but it wasn't difficult, just had to decide which way I liked it.

Easy Peasy!

Now I have to get used to flip flops again. I keep tripping all over my own feet when I wear these.

I'm in L-O-V-E

2011-04-05T08:41:00.000-07:00

Can you blame me?

I'll post a simple summery tutorial tomorrow!

Vacation Ideas-Branson, Missouri

2011-04-01T02:01:00.001-07:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel Hilton Promenade at Branson LandingWhat are your vacation dreams? I'm always trying to find great new vacation spots, and I think I found a great one!

I heard through the grapevine that Branson, Missouri, is a great vacation spot! I never even would have thought about it! Most people go for the beach or the big city, but my husband and I like history and we like it A LOT!

And here's a GREAT hotel!!

Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel

Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing

One thing I love about a good hotel is location, location, location! The Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel is located in a great one! Close to the Branson Landing, which is a downtown waterfront area filled with fun shops and restaurants that the wntire family will enjoy!

And of course, they have a very nice looking pool, which is one of my vacation go-to ideas. I love a hotel with a pool, because when everyone comes bacl to the hotel room and needs a break, the pool is close and easy to use. It's still a fun activity when you're pooped :)

And get this: both the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing and Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel offer tempting packages that include two adult tickets and two children’s tickets (ages 4 to 11) for two full days of fun at Silvery Dollar City. It also includes a $25 food and beverage voucher for a yummy Steakhouse located on the second floor of the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel. This two-night, three-day package starts at $455.00 plus tax. Who doesn't love a deal!! Especially with kids, right?

What would I do in Branson and the surrounding areas?

Here's a sample itinerary day for ya:

We would wake up and head to the Sugar Leaf Bakery in Branson to pick up a delicious looking muffin and cup of coffee.

Next I think I would take a stroll around town-not too fast, literally just stroll. I love peaking in and out of fun shops and cafes-who doesn't?

After that I think we would have to do something kid-friendly to keep my kids happy, so we would go to the Branson Scenic Railway! Both my

After the Railroad, I think we would grab lunch and then head to the Titanic Museum!!!! We are huge history buffs and would love it!

When we were done at the Museum, we would probably be hungry and ready for dinner and eat at Chesters. Have you seen the pictures of their burgers They makes me drool!

After all of that we would head back up to our hotel room at the Hilton and snuggle up with a movie, or maybe go for a swim.

Aaaaaaahhh, what a life!

FREE ORGANIC SEEDS!!!!!!!!

2011-03-31T14:23:00.000-07:00

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If I had my choice, I would build my own house in the wilderness and grow and raise all of my own food for my family.

I think we put too too much faith and trust in the food industry and that scares me sometimes.

So, the past few years I've had failed attempts at gardening, but this year, I'm going all out. I'm going to build a few raised beds and become a backyard farmer.

And what better for that then ORGANIC SEEDS??!!

Have you heard of Herbal Mama's School of Domestic Arts?

If not, you must check her out! She has a post to FREE ORGANIC SEEDS! What is better than that? All you have to do is pay $4.99 for shipping and handling and you get 25 seeds packets!!!!!!!!

25 SEED PACKETS!

Go here to get yours now

I got mine! Time to start building that garden bed, eh?

Think of the possibilities-Vintage Jar Labels!

2011-03-28T08:58:00.000-07:00

I normally do a MMMonday on Monday, but found this post at FaveCrafts.com and couldn't resist!

Mother's Day is coming soon, and I'm thinking this could be a great project!

Go HERE for more info!

From decorations to newly labeled lotion and perfume jars. Even for booze bottles ;)

This just looks too fun!

And the labels are easily obtainable from The Graphics Fairy...for FREE!

Here are some good ones:

Labels

Advertising

Here are a few of my favorite possible labels

I love lilacs!!

Oh wow. This mermaid one is definitely my favorite!

Did you know that most of the label and advertising images on her site have the option of having the picture with and WITHOUT the original text on them?! How cool?! So you don't even have to do the work to get rid of the text!

I can't wait to whip up some projects with these labels!

Mama's got a new necklace!

2011-03-25T15:20:00.000-07:00

I loce earrings and I love necklaces-other jewelry, eh, not so much. So, I'm always looking for new necklaces and necklace tutorials. I always see some I love, but never get around to, and well, I've been on a quest to use up my stash of crafty supplies before buying new ones, so I've come up with a few new tutes for ya!

Here's my first one:

OooOoOoO...AaaAAaAAAaaaaw, right?

And it's super simple.

Supplies:

Wooden beads

Sewing machine/needle and thread

Lace (I used that lacey stuff that's near the seam binding at Joann's. You could just use some lace that you have and cut it into a long strip)

1.Fold your strip of lace in half and sew up one side.

2. This is where my pictures end, apparently, so I apologize. but it's so easy, that you'll do just fine. Pull your newly sewn tube rightside out.

3.Put a knot in your tube where you want your first bead to be next to. I hope that makes sense.

4. Put a bead inside of your tube, next to your knot.

5. Make another knot as close to the bead as possible.

6. Repeat steps 3 and 4 and 5 until you have the desired number of beads you want.

7. Tie a little bow on the side.

8. Tie the necklace together at the ends, or sew or be super not lazy and attach a lobster clasp.

Oui-la!

I don't know how to spell that correctly.

*********

On another note-sorry for ditching out on the blogging thing lately. It's been a crazy week. Seems to be going around the blogosphere, lately, eh?

Now that the weather is getting nicer, I'm dreaming about an outdoor garden and firepit, so stay tuned for those tutorials in the next month or so-whenever I can find my supplies for the cheapest, possible!

Now go where your necklace around town!

MMMonday-Jello Jigglers

2011-03-21T16:31:00.000-07:00

MMMonday is brought to you by the kid in me :)

My son is sick, daughter is almost done being sick and we made Jell-O. Jigglers? No. Sick hands don't help cook. Sorry kiddos. But Jell-O is exciting.

Source

And stay tuned for an exciting announcement later this week!! Whenever my kids get feeling better

Paint and brushes and drop cloths-OH MY!

2011-03-18T22:23:00.000-07:00

I have interesting things to blog about, I swear, but right now I'm a little prec occupied with my house.

Yep.

My house.

I ~~hate~~ love painting.

I've done a lot of it in mylife, and well, I always hate it when I'm done with a project, and then I get this brilliant idea to paint something again. Ugh.

So, this was the color of our house when we bought it. Inside. All of it. Except the bathroom. The bathroom was white. And they remodeled the entire house EXCEPT the bathroom. Thanks guys, thanks. Anyway, at first I loved that color. I think I was just excited to not have white walls. I painted the kids rooms, we re-did the bathroom and painted it green. And I painted the kitchen. I also painted the cabinets white. That was stupid. Really stupid. But, hey, life is tough!

So, anyway, I hate that tan color now. Hate it with a passion. Last weekend we were at my sister's fiance's family's cabin/vacation house thing and the color of their walls got us thinking. What are we doing with tan walls? Let's paint this sucka!!!

So here's our new color palette for our house. I'm in

L O V E

The bathroom is already this green. I love it.

Today I painted the hallway that blue color, which I REALLY love. Eventually the living room will also be the blue. It's light and bright and beautiful.

The yellow-y color is what our kitchen/dining room and entry way and bedroom will be.

Exciting.

So, I'm taking this paint overhaul slowly as to not get bored and quit halfway through.

And I'll try not to forget the crafting in between touch-ups :)

DIY Jewelry Box

2011-03-15T12:06:00.000-07:00

I've always had a jewelry box. Nothing special, just functional. But it really never functioned the way I wanted it to. So when I saw a beat up old cigar box at the thrift store for 25 cents. I snatched it up. My daughter rolled her eyes, but I got excited!

Is it pretty? Eh, sort of. These pictures don't really do it justice, but when it's on my dresser, I love it!

So here's the how-to!

Supplies:

-Hot glue gun

-Modge Podge

-Cigar box, or some other type of cardboard box

-Book pages (scrapbook paper would work well, too)

-fabric

-several small jewelry boxes

-Embellishments

-2 inches of ribbon

1. Fold a piece of ribbon in half and hot glue it to the underside of the lid of the cigar box. It's a little handle for pulling the lid up.

2. Put a ton of modge podge all over the box and paste your book pages on it. I also did the inside of the lid, but left the picture of the lady uncovered cause I kind of like it.

3. Arrange your small jewelry boxes inside the box in a way that suits your fancy. Hot glue them down.

4. Cover with fabric, fold down the edges and hot glue along the outside.

5. Add a pocket of fabric (that's what that green fabric is) to the underside of the lid if you like.

And, well, there you have it!

You made a jewelry box.

When all of my earrings are set out in that box all pretty, it makes me want to try them all on...and sometimes I do...

MMMonday-vintage/eclectic/retro bedroom design

2011-03-14T09:40:00.000-07:00

When I first thought to do MMMonday, I wasn't sure I could keep up with a weekly array of things I was drooling over. Now I realize that maybe I change my mind waaay too much :)

This MMMonday is about vintage inspired master bedrooms. I'm not sure if what I have in mind is considered vintage, eclectic or retro, but I love it!

My bedroom has always been well, dreary, dull and boring. We use it as a laundry room, workspace, gym and a place to sleep for hopefully 8 hours everynight.

I found a Pottery Barn duvet cover at the thrift store last week for $6 and well, my brain almost exploded. Good exploded, I promise. The duvet cover is actually part of the Pottery Barn Teen collection (ha!) but I don't care-I love it!!! And believe it or not, my hubby does too!

So, after I put the duvet cover on, I realized that our bedroom needs a transformation...big time! So I took down the dark curtains and cut a vintage sheet I had in half and put it up for curtains. I like it. Hubby likes it! Now I'm stuck.

source

I like the pillows and I love the picture wall and the light fixture.

source

This table. Oh my, this table! It is fantastic, isn't it? This is kind of where I want to go with my bedroom. But translated into a bedroom. Bright random colors, floral prints and lots of laid back charm.

source same as above picture

Get rid of the pink walls and it's wonderful!

Oh man and then check out Vintage Junky

In my searching for inspiration, I've come across 2 books that I'm going to try to locate at the library:

In Print by Cath Kidson

Bazaar Style by Selina Lake and Debi Treloar

Wish me luck!

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Anyone have any amazingly good sources of vintage design inspiration??

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REVISED Need to vent to Blogland