Funky Desk

Last week, I got a small kids’ desk for free, off of Craigslist.  A few weeks before, my sister and I had picked up a very similar one that was solid oak…so…I assumed, since this one looked almost identical (even the hardware!), that it, too, was oak.  Since the description said it needed some work on the top, I figured all was good, and I was going to luck out.  I didn’t bother asking if it was oak when I called.  Well, after driving for about 45 minutes (including going in several large circles, because the woman didn’t remember the street names…seriously!??!), I arrived.  The desk, was not oak…but cheap sauder, and in bad shape. But, I took it anyway, it was free, and I figured I could play with it.  I brought it home and cleaned it up, sanded lightly and painted it white.  The top was so badly damaged, it couldn’t be left painted, so I decided to cover it.  This was going to be a little ‘vanity’ for my two girls, so I wasn’t too worried about perfection, just the cute factor.  Their room is lavender with pink and white accents.  I couldn’t find wrapping paper (which is what I was looking for) with just those colors, but I found this… oh my, I fell in love.  It’s so fun and funky and whimsical.  Plus, it includes many other colors, so when my mood my girls’ mood changes and they want a different color, we are set!  I used spray adhesive to glue it on the top and drawers.  Now, I must add, when I did this, it was PERFECT…no bubbles at all.  I was thrilled!  I even added two light coats of a clear spray sealer.  Still no bubbles.  For two whole days, it was perfect.  (outside).   Then, I brought it into their room.  An hour later, the top has bubbles and wrinkles.  I’m so bummed!  I can’t figure it out…maybe the change in temperature?  It was about 85 degrees outside, and 72 in the house?  I don’t know.  But, my oldest daughter doesn’t mind (even though it’s driving me insane!).  I think I’ll probably add Mod Podge to the top, for added protection, since it already has bubbles (I initially tried to use Mod Podge, but could not get it to apply smoothly enough, so I went with the spray adhesive instead.  (Does anyone have a trick on how to apply thin paper without getting bubbles or wrinkles???). So, while it’s not high quality furniture, it’s ok.  My girls are 2 and 7, so I’m sure eventually, I’ll find them a real vanity, but for now, they are thrilled with this one, and I think it turned out pretty cute, too.

Book Caddy

A while back, I found this beautiful (ahemmm) little caddy at Goodwill for $2.50.    Oh yeah, it has bright teal and purple splattered paint all over, and coordinating boots on each end.  Nice.  Although I’m sure it fit into someone’s decor at some  time, it definitely did not fit into mine!  I know I saw Sarah, at Thrifty Decor Chick, redo one like this for an herb decoration here…and thought I could do it for our books.

So I removed the boots, lightly sanded it, and then painted it Oil Rubbed Bronze.  I wasn’t sure what I wanted to put on the sides, but today I finally bit the bullet, and this is the result…

I used my Cricut to cut the words out of cardstock…and used Mod Podge to adhere them.

 

This is my favorite saying, because when I read a good book,  it takes me away, and I really can imagine the impossible…like a pig that talks or a Fawn befriending a young girl…or even, a vampire that falls in love with a human (yeah, I’m one of those people who LOVE that series, and btw, I’m on TEAM EDWARD!).

 

 

 

It holds a ton of books and is very sturdy, and now, it fits into our decor perfectly.

I’m linking up with all the creative people at these sites, go check them out and find some inspiration!!!

Get your craft on Thurs

HookingupwithHoH

 

Thanks for stopping by…please leave me a comment…I love to read them and visit you as well!     :)

A Busy Week!

This past week went by in a flash!  My sister, whom I haven’t seen in over 2 years, came to visit on Sunday, bringing my nephew along, and I can’t even tell you how long it’s been since I’ve seen him!  My 6 year old, Sasha, fell in love with his cousin, and was practically attached to him the entire time, and Ryan was so wonderful.  He spent time teaching each of the kids to skateboard, and played Legos and video games with them.  He has such a sweet spirit, and is such a good boy.  I can’t believe he’s almost 23…I still think of him as a little boy.  At one point, he wiped out on the skateboard, and got a hefty road rash on his leg…I asked if he wanted me to get some Band Aids for it…he laughed (sweetly) and said “No Thank you Aunt Kelli”.  Yeah, I still think of him as a little boy.  A little boy that I love so much!  It was such a wonderful time of catching up and having fun, and although they were here three days, it went by waaaaay too fast.   So after they left  I had one day to do nothing…yeah right :)  ….but, I had one day to prepare for our trip to Silverwood Theme Park, in Idaho.  The kids all earned free tickets, in a reading program earlier in the year.  It is not too long of a drive, about 3 hours (including stops for the kids who couldn’t wait), and a break for lunch before hitting the park.  The water park is by far, my favorite…and now that I think of it, I don’t think I got a single picture while we were in that part…bummer!  But, I got tons of pictures on the other side of the park.   The youngest two (the youngest two, who went…the baby stayed home) had a blast.  We found all these smaller rides and they just couldn’t get enough.  There were also Bumper Boats, where you’d drive around and spray people with an onboard water sprayer.  It’s hilarious to watch…but even better, was watching my hubby use the quarter operated water guns above the Bumper Boat pond, and SOAK anyone and everyone who got within his reach.  He was like a little kid up there.  I worried that those whom he soaked would be angry (they were REALLY soaked…no mercy) when

  they got off, but they all came over and shook his hand and laughed about it afterward.  It was fun. 

 

 

 

 

 

It took all day Friday to recover  from that trip.  Fun, and definitely worth it!  Saturday, I started not feeling well, and still feel that something isn’t right…you know that feeling…I’m calling the DR tomorrow to find out more.  Anyway, the week went fast, and there was no time for crafts, sadly.  But, I have another new project that I will (hopefully) work on today.

Have a great day!  Thanks for stopping by.

“DAD” Craft

Yay!  I got my “Dad” Craft done, well, almost done.  I still need to attach picture hangers to the back, so I can hang it up in the craft room, but otherwise, it’s done, and I love the way it turned out.  Now, I got the idea for the wood blocks from somewhere…if anyone knows where these originated, please let me know so I can give them credit!!!  The one I saw had initials on each block, spelling out a child’s name, but, this is my version.  I really love it.  These are some of my favorite pictures of my dad, and I’m so happy that I’ll get to see them every single day!

 

 

This first picture is the entire block, the next ones are the individual blocks, in order:

 

 

 

 

It says     Memories are the most

 

 

 

 

 

             beautiful pictures

 

 

 

 

               our minds can paint

 

 

 

 

                 and nothing can ever erase them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, that is my tribute to my dad.  I hope you like it, and maybe you’ll try one of your own…

Thank you so much for stopping by!  Please leave me a comment so I know you were here :)

 

Linking up…go check out the fun!   Funky Junk's Sat Nite Special

Rescued

My hubby is so sweet!  Today, while working, he saw this poking out of the garbage at one of his stops…

Now, if you look really closely, you can see the price tag was still on it:  $69.99 (woo-hoo), that has got to be the most expensive freebie we have ever gotten!  Of course, it’s made all the more special, because he was thinking of me.  The tag says it’s an India Rug Umbrella Holder, and while it does have a broken ‘handle’, we will attempt to repair that (for cosmetic reasons only), and I think it will go in my craft room, to hold my dowels.  I had been wanting some sort of tall vase for that purpose anyway, and the colors on this are really bright and cheery.  It really is much prettier in person than it looks in the photo…

 

Tomorrow, his mission is to check out the rest of the ‘garbage’ at that particular stop…he said it was full to the brim with stuff that looked pretty good…I told him to watch for anything wood, and especially picture frames   :)

Thanks so much for stopping by…please let me know you were here!

I’m linking up…be sure to stop by and check out all the fabulous projects!

6 Inches of Ribbon

Vinyl ‘Bowls’

A while back, I bought a bunch of albums for a craft.  Well, that craft didn’t turn out like I had envisioned, and I’ve had these records sitting in my craft room ever since.  Yesterday,  I found a craft I was willing to try…vinyl ‘bowls’.  I made my first one last night, and while it didn’t turn out perfect, it was easy, I mean REALLY easy, and it looked pretty neat (my 12 year old son wanted it to put his keys, glasses, etc. in!).  So this morning, I did 3 more, playing with the shape of each one.  I think after more practice, I’ll be much better at it (and trust me, I have  A LOT more vinyl).  So, what do you think??  I put my daughter’s hair pretties in one, but I think you could put just about anything in them.  One bit of advice, if you’re putting food into them (a rockin’ 50’s party?), make sure you use a liner, because they cannot be cleaned with water (I know, pretty obvious, but I thought I’d share, just in case…). 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn’t take pictures of the process, but trust me, it’s so simple, and takes only about 3 minutes!  There are a lot of tutorials out there, but this is what I did:

Supplies Needed:

Quart mason jar  ~  Pint mason jar   ~    cookie sheet   ~    oven   ~    vinyl album

1)  Set oven to 200 degrees, place pint sized mason jar onto counter

2)  Get a cookie sheet and place a quart sized mason jar in the center

3)  Center your vinyl album on top of the quart jar

4)  Carefully place in the oven

5)  After about one minute, check it…when it appears droopy, it’s ready to come out

6)  You only have about 20 seconds to shape it, so work quickly…carefully take your vinyl off the quart jar,and center it over the pint jar, then I just molded it to make ruffle shapes around the bowl.  It cools rather quickly, so practice makes perfect.  Not that it needs to be ‘perfect’, just perfect in YOUR eyes!  As a precaution, be careful with the vinyl when you take it off and mold it, it  was a bit hot…not too much for me bare handed, but just be careful the first time, and see how you tolerate the temperature.  :)

With my first one, I used a regular bowl to hold the vinyl while I molded it into shape.  I didn’t like how it turned out…it was much larger and less shaped into a bowl (if that makes sense?).  So, I switched to the pint mason jar for shaping.

This is such a fun and easy craft, and best of all you get INSTANT gratification!  I may try some painted or even decoupaged, the possibilities are endless, just like the possible uses for these.  I hope you try it, and if so, send me a link, I’d love to see what you come up with!

Thanks for stopping by…please leave a comment so I know you were here!

Linking up to Get Your Craft On Thursday @ Life As Lori…go check out all the awesome projects at her site!

Get your craft on Thurs

19 Years Ago Today…

I usually cannot remember what I did yesterday…honestly…with 5 kids there is always so much going on, I cannot remember what I ate yesterday, wore yesterday, or sometimes, even did yesterday.  But, I can remember what I was doing 19 years ago.  I was awoken at 5 am by my mom, saying that my dad was in the hospital, and had just had a heart attack while at work.  He was working the graveyard shift.  I remember when he left for work, he told me to have  a good night, and I said (like I always did), “ok, dad, don’t work too hard”.  And that was it.  That was the last time I talked to him.  I arrived at the hospital expecting him to be hooked up to a monitor or something…I wish so much, that it would’ve been that way.  You see, I am (always have been, always will be) a Daddy’s Girl.  My dad was my world.  He was the kindest, gentlest, most caring person I have ever met.  He would help anyone, at any time.  Everyone who met him, loved him.  He was amazing.  So, 19 years ago today, my world came crashing down.  It took me several years to even come to grips with losing him.  But, because his death took me to my absolute bottom of my pit, I met my Savior.  The Lord took my guilt and sorrow, and gave me hope and peace.  I still struggle, and miss my dad like crazy, and there is still pain and occasionally, guilt…but, I can look at his picture (on most days) and not cry, and I can remember him, with joy.  Of course, today, not so much…there are tears and there is sadness, but there is also  hope that I will see him again.  Hope that my boys will grow up to be like him, and hope that my girls will find someone like him to marry.  I was always sad that he never got to meet them, I know he would’ve loved them, and they’d be crazy about him, just like me.  But, I believe that everything happens for a reason. I know that Jesus has better plans for me, than even I have for myself.  So, while I may not be able to understand why he was taken from me, I have peace in knowing that it’s part of His plan, and He knows best.  And, I have so many wonderful memories of my dad…and lots of pictures.  So, this week, I am working on a craft that will have pictures of my dad.  It will be at home in my craft room, where I can enjoy it during the quiet times of my day.  So, if you still have your dad in your life, give him a hug, tell him you love him, and be patient when he smacks the newspaper while you’re reading, then chuckles as he walks away…knowing it drives you crazy! Thanks for listening to my story… as much as it still hurts to talk about, it does help…it’s easy to tell people not to take loved ones for granted, but please, I’m urging you…enjoy every moment you have. 

I LOVE YOU DADDY!!!!!

Thanks for stopping by.

Christmas Bazaar Projects

As promised, here are some pictures of (some) of the projects I am working on (these were the only ones really ready for their photo op…the rest still need some work).This first one is the Christmas Countdown Clipboard I made.  There is a small metal sheet behind the blue square, so the numbers (which have magnets on the back) will stick, and then be removed, easily.  We have always done a paper chain to count down the days til Christmas, and then last year, I made this one.  I have made some to sell for this year, and I’m also giving some as gifts to my friends and family.

 

 

 

This is a photo block I made, front and back.  I have never done this before, but I think it turned out super cute…all that’s needed is a picture of a cutie little man!

 

This next one is a girly picture frame…again, waiting for a cutie picture of a little princess…

 

 

 

And, finally, I’m decorating some wood letter blocks. I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love seeing my letter all cute and sassy!  (this isn’t mine, but it’s still cute and sassy).

 

These are just a few of the crafts I have been working on.  I’ve forgotten how much I love doing this type of craft.  I’ve been so busy fixing up my craft room, and painting furniture, that I haven’t worked on this type of craft project in quite a while.  Now, I’m getting excited for Christmas (already, I know!), and the bazaar. 

Please leave me some comment love..I’m getting lonely out here (plus, I like to visit you, too, and  see what you’ve been up to).    :)

Thanks for stopping by!

linking to:

Cabinet update…

Well, last week I said that I had hoped to have my cabinet project finished by now…sadly, it’s not.  Here’s the picture of my cabinet just after I started sanding:

It is in really rough shape.  The doors (although previous owner included them) are completely broken and unsalvageable.  The back was replaced by a piece of bead board that previous owner thought would look good cut in half, across the middle even!  And, the bottom has water damage.  BUT, I love the shape and the molding and the potential (and can you see those cute little feet?).  Someday she will look beautiful.  So…someday may just take a bit longer than I had hoped.  You see, it has been around 100 degrees here for about a month.  Some days 100, some days over, some days slightly less, but generally hovering right there at the century mark.  That doesn’t make for good spray painting, and unfortunately for me, not so good for repairs either.  When I get hot, I tend to get cranky, and let’s just say that the project wasn’t going as planned, and I kinda gave her a little love tap (with my foot), and accidentally broke out the bottom…well, it was rain damaged anyway, and needed to be replaced…but, then I got even more frustrated.  So, she has been sitting there, in the heat, while I try to figure out what I’m going to do.  (sigh).  Does anyone else ever do that??  Get frustrated and cause even more work for yourself??  Am I the only one??

In the meantime, I’ve been trying to prepare for a small Christmas bazaar, hoping to become a vendor.   Tomorrow (I promise!), I will post pictures of some of the things I’ve been working on.  It’s strange to be making Christmas crafts in the 100 degree heat, but it’s fun, and a distraction (from the sweat!).   I can’t believe I’m talking about Christmas already!  I love Christmas…I could listen to Christmas music (especially Brian Setzer Orchestra) ALL.YEAR.LONG!!!  Love it!

I hope you are finding creative ways to beat the heat…wherever you are.  Thank you so much for stopping by.  Please leave me a comment so that I know you were here, and so I can visit you back!