...a jewelry holder!

Hey everyone! Happy New Year's Eve!!
Citrus Tree Studio is having a New Year's crop...and they have got some kick-a$$ challenges going on!! Lay-outs, cards, altered items - it's all covered!
Melonie has a challenge to get organized for 2012.
For Mel's challenge, I made a trip to Hobby Lobby where I purchased three knobs (50% off). I had a plan to create a jewelry holder for our niece, Elly, who will turn 11 yo this next week.

After the board was lightly sanded, I painted it w/MM coral paint and then dabbed it with TH vintage photo ink. Using one piece of Lily bean pp, I cut, inked and mod podged each piece to the pine wood board (just under 8x10"). Next, using a sponge brush (sponge brushes give you a nicer finish when the mod podge dries), I applied a top coat of matte mod podge.

Once the piece was dry, I screwed in each sparkly knob. {Note - the knob screws were really long and needed to be cut so that they didn't poke through the back of the plaque. The hubs did this part for me.}

Don't hesitate to come by Citrus Tree to participate in the fun. I was away for months and months...no matter! The girls there are sweet and welcome everyone. :)
Thanks for coming by and I hope you all have a wonderful night tonight...welcoming in 2012!!!
I'm also linking up to Creations by Kara, Look what I made!
hugs, patti

bathroom cupboard make-over!

Seriously, this cupboard was so grungy and awful that I didn't even think to take a before photo. Now I really wish I had because I love the way this fresh cupboard looks. :) I bought this pine cupboard over 20 years ago, at a Country Folk Art Show. Here are the doors and center divider that I removed. I scrubbed, sanded and then spray painted it a glossy dark chocolate brown. Using Elmer's spray glue, I then applied some fabric to the back of the shelf spaces. This cupboard was meant to primarily hold my face cloths and hand towels.
This is our second bathroom. The one that guests don't use...some people don't even know it exists. ;) haha! We all shower in here every day though because we like this shower best. :)

Some fresh ceiling paint (and ceiling repair done by yours truly - I am getting so good at mudding!), bold green (I know, it's not for everybody!) wall paint, cute new curtains (2 rod pocket panels, material purchased at jo-ann's), new light & faucet and it feels like an updated bathroom.I'm linking up to The House of Grace Blog, Twice Owned Tuesday challenge and to Look What I Made! I really appreciate seeing old pieces get new life!

Thanks for stopping by! hugs, patti

Homemade wall art in our updated bathroom!

We finished the guest bathroom today! The last of the grout! YAY!! :)

The hubs and I re-did a bathroom by removing the original pink mosaic floor tile, toilet and vanity. I love our new white tile floor w/bright white grout....even though I need to swiffer it twenty-four seven. ;) ;) The toilet is awesome! I know that may sound weird to be so excited over a new toilet, but this baby is sleek in design which makes for easy cleaning which makes me so happy!

The day the hubs removed (okay, more like tore out) the old vanity, I stopped him long enough to remove the doors. Using one, I painted it a bright white semi-gloss (Valspar trim paint is the best), and then traced a pattern around the inside of the door. I then mod podged down a piece of LYB scrapbook paper. Such an easy project!

Just for fun...here are some bathroom pics too.

before...

after...

I'm linking up my wall art project to Twice Owned Tuesdays, at the creating a house of Grace blog. This is the 75th Twice Owned Tuesdays challenge. Very cool!

Thanks for stopping by today!
My hubs is feeling better...well enough that we're planning to go cut a Christmas tree tomorrow. :)

Hope you're feeling the magic of the season!
hugs, patti

anything goes at the Paper Variety!

I love "anything goes" challenges! They are so easy to play. :) :)

I recently punched some snowflakes, added them to red cs, and then applied this "merry and bright" rub-on. When placed inside a bright white frame, it looks like this. Simple & sweet.

I'm linking up to the Paper Variety.

Hope you are enjoying this holiday season!
I'm almost done with my shopping. I baked two batches of cookies yesterday. Still don't have a big tree up...the hub's had a bit of surgery (last week) and putting up the tree requires him to lug out the tree stand, saw, drag the tree into the house, etc. It's work. I'll be content with my little artificial tree, just as long as I have my boys home and a healthy hubby. :)

Thanks for coming by today!!
merry, merry, patti

Crate & Barrel Knock-Off Pillow!

This morning, I saw this "Merrie" pillow at the Crate & Barrel website and ran to my fabric stash. I knew I had this green fleece, bought years ago on clearance, and thought it would make a cute tree pillow. C&B's pillow:

Using cream colored cotton duck cloth cut from my recently altered bedroom drapes as background fabric, I began hand stitching the hand-cut circles of green fleece into the shape of a tree. I also added some dark green felt circles for a little contrast. The bird is machine stitched red felt w/a tiny DMC black french knot for an eye. The tree trunk is a simple rectangle of brown felt, also machine stitched.

Total cost for this pillow --- zero dollars. HA!! That's one good thing about getting older, as you age...so does your stash for crafting. :) :)

I'm linking my pillow up at the House of Grace blog, for the Twice Used Tuesday Party!

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you're having a great week-end. The sun is shining here today!!

hugs, patti

A holiday buffet vignette~

I had so much fun with my very first vignette. I've been under the impression that "vignettes" should be and are fancy. Vignettes are for decorator's with BIG budgets and serious skills. Vignettes belong in grand homes. Well, guess what? That's nonsense! You can have a vignette in a small 10'x12' dining room, on a repurposed buffet, and it doesn't need to cost a fortune.

Mine is proof. :)

I picked up a yard of this red & white fabric at Hobby Lobby. I sewed the table runner and then covered the lamp shade. Some offray felt trim was also added to the shade. Here is a view of the open shelf that holds some red & white dishes that I got on clearance at Kohl's last year - birthday present to myself. :)
This tall glass dish can be used as a candy dish or candle holder and if flipped, it is a vase. It was on clearance at Pier One. Yarn trees - because I love yarn trees.

And, finally a peppermint candle, also from Pier One, completes my holiday buffet.

I'm linking up to A Thoughtful Place, and passing along the merry. :)

Happy December, all!!!

hugs, patti

Yarn trees!

You've seen them...styrofoam trees covered with jute, burlap, fabric, yarn. I adore them!!

All you need for this trio of trees are 3 stryofoam tree shapes, yarn and some glue. I used red yarn I had on hand and Tacky glue by Aleene's. It dries quickly and comes out of the bottle in a thin line that is easy to control. Start at the base of the tree and apply a tiny bit of glue. Add your starting end of yarn and let dry for a minute, just so your starting point is sturdy. Now, apply a row of glue - sparingly - you don't need a lot and you don't want it seeping through. Wind the yarn around, applying glue, then yarn...until you reach the top. These each took me over an hour to make. Find a comfy spot - I made them while watching a hockey game.

Mine are placed on top of glass candlesticks from Walmart. I love the texture they add to my red and white holiday buffet.

Thanks for stopping by today! Happy December!

hugs, patti

a red ribbon wreath~

I saw this ribbon wreath in my December 2011 issue of Woman's Day magazine and right away knew I would make one. {Honestly, my pics do not do this wreath justice.} There's just something about the color and texture of this wreath that I find so appealing. It took 8 spools (30 yards) of 1 1/2 " red ribbon - purchased at HL, half price. One round 12" white styrofoam wreath, sharp scissors, and I was good to go. Total cost - right around $20.00. The ribbon pieces were all cut 15" long. Once your ribbon is ready, all you do is tie each piece around the wreath and knot. Scrunch them up so that no white from the wreath shows through. I think one done with green ribbon would be beautiful too.

Hope your holiday week-end was happy. Ours was wonderful. Both boys were home! Son Matthew had to work - he is a new manager at a Sam's Club up north...but he managed to get to grandma's for Thanksgiving dinner. Son Thomas left last night (and texted me at 12:30 AM that he was back "safe & sound") for his college house that he shares w/4 roommates. He'll be home again for Christmas. :)

I'm linking up to chic on a shoestring.

Thanks for stopping by today!

hugs, patti

wall art inspired by grandma.

This past summer, my mother gave me some pins (my grandma called them brooches) that had belonged to my paternal grandmother and also a couple that were my mother's.

Last year, I bought a shadow box from Marshall's. I had no immediate plans for it...until I painted my bedroom. I'm now putting my bedroom back together. For my wall art project, I simply pinned the brooches onto the fabric covered interior of the shadow box. Done! The easiest project ever! Using a measuring tape, pencil, and level, I hung the box on the wall next to my dresser. It is so pretty. And meaningful. It reminds me of my beautiful grandmother. I love it.

I'm linking up to chic on a shoestring budget.

What have you made lately that you love? Link me up 'cause I want to come see. :)

Thanks for stopping by!!

hugs, patti

A simple roman shade.

A delivery delay with our bathroom floor tile - special order coming from Toronto - has nixed our plans to work in the bathroom this week-end. We're replacing the floor, toilet, vanity and some wall tiles. Everything's on hold 'til the floor tile arrives. That didn't stop me from making a new window treatment for this little bathroom though. :)

Browsing some awesome blogs a couple of weeks ago, I came upon Angela's 365 days 2 simplicity blog. She has an excellent tutorial for making your own no sew roman shades. Big shout out of thanks to Angela...since your directions that I printed were never out of an arm's reach while I was making my shade. :)

Anegla's directions are for a no sew version of a roman shade. I chose to stitch up the side seams of my fabric because for me, stitching is easier than using heat & bond.
A second change that I made was to use spray adhesive on my shade's slats. I very carefully sprayed the slat and immediately pressed it firmly to my fabric. Worked like a charm.

My fabric was purchased at Jo-Ann's - 50% off, $4.99 yard. It was called an outdoor fabric on the label. It's a machine washable, duck weight cotton, so it has some nice body to it. My shade was $2.97 and was purchased at Walmart.

When I finished this first shade...honestly, I was wishing I needed to make another one!

It was an easy project w/Angela's directions. My window looks out onto our private backyard. I checked outside today to see how the shade looks from there and it's cute out there too!

Thanks for stopping by my blog today! Hope you're having a nice week-end!

hugs, patti

hate less. love more.

It's the little things in home decorating that add your own personality to your space, right? Since I am loving this cream/tangerine colored fabric, I went to Hobby Lobby and bought another yard. I had this idea to cover the back of a kitchen shelf that is directly across from my kitchen curtain, made w/same cream/tangerine fabric.

Using a tape measure, rotary cutter, scissors, and elmers spray adhesive (first time using this product - love it, but you only need a little bit and you should cover anything that you don't want sprayed), I set out to change my shelf to look like this.
Tell me it's not cute!

On a scale of one to ten, with a ten being a full blown PITA, this little project was about a 4.5. And, it is rated a 4.5 by me simply because I so suck at math. Now, one would think that after measurements are taken and written down...that the fabric would then be cut according to taken measurements. But no......that would be the easy way. 1/4 inch here, 1/2 inch there - I so hate fractions!!! {...and seriously, it blows my mind that I have 2 grown sons who are both excellent in mathematics.}...and it's a darn good thing I bought an entire yard of fabric. Here is a "before" look.
I cut an "x" in the fabric for the outlet. Sprayed the wall, placed the fabric on wall, smoothing out with a credit card as I went from left to right. The fabric is actually hung in 3 pieces. Left, center and right. You may notice that the pattern is not perfect, but I think because it's so busy, it's okay.

I used to hate this shelf. So boring. Blah. Dullsville. But now...I hate it so much less. :) :)

Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you have a happy week-end!
hugs, patti

...it's a table.

After I hoed out and painted our foyer, we were left with a bench, rug, wall art and a mirror.

For 3 days straight, I cleaned up coffee spills, by the front door, from the hub's very early morning. He makes his coffee in the kitchen and only needs to carry it about 20 feet to actually leave the house. Just....cannot...be...done...without...a...spill. ;)

Browsing around the house after cleaning up the day 3 spill, I spied these two chunky candlesticks that I had on top of a bookcase. They were looking pretty blah up there....so, I thought, put them together and you may just have the perfect height for a small table that could be placed next to the foyer bench.

Hop in the shower and quick run to Hobby Lobby before work.

Go to work. Come home, make supper and then, open up that gorilla glue. This was my first time using gorilla glue. Holy crap is what I have to say about that! You only need a little bit...and once you glue 2 pieces together, it is for-ev-er.

Here is the finished little foyer table that holds the hub's coffee every work day morning. He sits there, puts his work boots on, and amazingly makes it out the door spill free. :)





He loves it. I love it. I love my coffee spill free ceramic tile floor. Total cost was $12.00. The painted wooden top piece was six bucks - 50% off, bottom pine piece was .99 and I needed to buy the gorilla glue, which was just under five. Cheap and easy. The table, I mean. :)

I'm linking up to Twice Owned Tuesday, at the creating a House of Grace blog.
Thanks for stopping by today!
hugs, patti