A wooden box with no home

Before I get into the bulk of this post I just wanted to say stay safe and warm everyone in Buffalo,NY today. Don't travel if you don't have to! I can actually believe I am typing this sentence, which is sad, but I can't believe I am actually seeing this happen...To say this winter has been bad is an understatement. Today we got issued a blizzard warning until 2am Thursday. This is the second blizzard warning we got this winter. We are expected to have storm totals of 16". Craziness. Yesterday it was a high of 48° today, we have a march blizzard. Cool. 

So one of our local craft stores in the area is closing, which means crazy close out discounts. Right now they are running 40% off everything and they will eventually get to 90% off. This little wooden box caught my eye as I was running around the store grabbing as much as I could. 

How charming and precious is this little box that could? This was very unlike me to buy something that I had no end use for within crafting. But you know what? I'm so glad I grabbed this, and for only $2.99 if it didn't work out its not like I broke the bank.

For this project is was thinking a tri tone with a nice beefy stain on where the cut outs are to showcase the beautiful craftsmen ship.

I've used these stains once before, and I'm kind of obsessed. They are just as small as a normal acrylic craft paint bottle and they go on very easy and they don't smell as much as normal stains. I started first by doing the staining.

I decided the oak stain was getting lost with what I envisioned so I took the walnut stain and applied it over my oak stain, the result was actually exactly what I was looking for.

Then I just started to paint a lighter grey around the top edge and a darker moody grey on the bottom half.

The inside of the box I wanted a pop of color, but before I could do that I had to apply the stain to the inside cutout panel. 

With all staining you want to make sure you are removing excess stain and to stain with the grain. 

I just painted the insides and the lips of the wood pieces the same colors as the outside and the I chose my pop color, a lilac.

Four coats later, that's right four coats! The wood they used to make this was very absorbent. But once it was painted I really really liked it.

Once it was dried, it need a home. Currently it's been living on a small shelf in my bedroom, but I have a feeling it will be moving around my home a bit before it finds it's perminant home. 

It's actually not too bad there. It's been on this shelf now for about two weeks so I'm definitely living with it a bit before I move it. 

The Aqua Lent Challenge

Oh man do I chuckle at these someecards. Sometimes I find myself looking at them for hours and laughing out loud...by myself. GUITLY! I haven't found one yet that wasn't funny. But this one is kind of true. 

Every year we are, I don't want to say expected but well expected, to give something up for Lent. 40 days. Doesn't seem too bad, until it's day 2 and you realized how much of a whimp you are and you're sneaking what ever you gave up back into your routine. *raises hand because I gave up 1hr into it*. 

Every year I give something up. Every year I make it one more day longer than I did last year. Not this year. This year I'm going to really try to make it the full length of Lent and I challenge you all to do the same! 

I don't like to post about religion or my

beliefs because that's not what I'm here to do. But it's only fitting that this gets some blog time. We all know that one person who tries to push their beliefs onto others and make everyone guilty when they think otherwise. That's not me at all. But I am asking you to join in this challenge with me! 

What's the challenge you ask?? I'm calling it the Aqua Lent Challenge! 

Doctors and research shows we should be drinking 8 glasses of water a day. To me that's crazy. I don't even like water. It tastes dirty to me. I've tried all waters and all different ways for me to like it, it doesn't happen. So I don't even drink it....I'll wait while you make some crazy remark, I've heard them all....done? Ok, good. Continuing on...

So this is a little crazy but I'm challenging myself and anyone who wants to join on a 40 day water challenge. For Lent I will be giving up any drinks I normally drink on a day to day basis and putting water in it's place. But there are some let's say rules that I and anyone who wants to join should follow. (See how I said should and not has to, you can alter this for your lifestyle or your own liking).

Rules of this challenge:

- You are allowed one cup of caffeine a day (this way no one will get a headache from no caffeine, you'll thank me for letting me keep your coffee) 

- You are allowed to designate one day during the week where you are able to "cheat" and go back to your old drinking habits. This day you can choose on your own to whatever fits your lifestyle, I still have to decide on mine. I hope by giving a "cheat" day this challenge will be easier to follow through with. 

- You cannot get "creative" and tell me you have water in your ice tea mix. Been there, tried that, drank it while you weren't looking. You may however, add any natural sweeteners like fruit, veggies, raw sugar, etc to your water. 

- You must make sure water is the main drink you are drinking throughout the day.

- You must start tomorrow, Ash Wednesday, March 5th and end on Easter Sunday. 

- If you are joining this challenge with me keep me posted! I would love to see how you're doing with it! 

Here's to hoping I make it the full week! You think I'm joking but I'm not. In all seriousness, I think this will be a healthy, helpful and interesting challenge! 

Just call me the Wreath Whisperer

Wowzers! It's been way too long since I've posted something for you fine folks. A month to be exact! Lots have happened in those 4 weeks. Of course there has been crafting, have you met me?! But I also went to Las Vegas MAGIC market week, which is a 3 day trade show held for the fashion industry that buyers and vendors attend to and I got the great opportunity to attend this year! I may post about that but if I do be prepared for tons of pictures and me yapping away! It was such a great opportunity I still can't believe I was able to go!!! I also caught the flu when I returned to buffalo from my trip and the a head cold right after that. I couldn't catch a break! I'm finally feeling back to myself. You don't know how grateful you are to be able to breathe out of both of your nostrils until it's taken away from you overnight. Seriously, try to eat something with your mouth closed like your mother taught you and you can't breathe in either of your nostrils...it's not fun or a cute picture.

Enough of my life recapping! Let's get to that post I've promised you. Now that you all probably have 50+ felt rosettes made during the time I was gone lets put them on something shall we?

This wreath was made for valentines day, but you know what...everyday is valentines day so it's okay that it's now march and I am just posting now about the day of love...

 

Surprisingly since this is now my 3rd wreath that I have made I didn't have any of the supplies on hand to decorate the wreath. So I just went to Joann's (a local craft and fabric store) to pick up the wreath mold, the yarn, the LOVE wooden sign and felt. With the use of a 40% off coupon (they always have them, get the app you won't be disappointed, and they take competitor coupons too!) this project came in at about $10. Music to my college student ears!

I just started to wrap the wreath with the grey yarn like I have in the past for other wreaths. You can see a better step by step tutorial here. This took me a little longer since it is a shape I'm not use to wrapping.

Once the wreath was wrapped completely with the yarn I started to make the felt rosettes (which you all know how to make since I have given you plenty of practice time!!) here is a better tutorial for some of you folks who have no idea what I'm talking about...

After I made a good amount of the rosettes, I made a bit more than I used and made some smaller or bigger depending on how I cut the felt out. I then moved onto painting the LOVE sign a nice red and hot glueing that to my wreath. I glued it on an angle, which my photo skills here are not up to par but trust me its on an angle.

Then I just glued the rosettes in smaller clusters towards the end of my heart wreath...

I had so many left I decided to add some to the very top of the wreath. I'm really glad I did this because without it it would be one undecorated heart. More roses are always a good thing, am I right or am I right ladies ;)

Thankfully at work we just happened to do a massive prop purge the week I made this wreath and this burlap ribbon that I took home with me was the perfect addition to this little project. So introducing the free yet appropriate burlap ribbon. I hot glued the ribbon to the back of wreath this time and have found I like this way a lot better than what I've been doing previously. When in doubt, hot glue it.

Three hours later I found myself the owner of a nice new lovely wreath! I still have it hanging up in my kitchen, at this rate I may as well keep it up until next Valentine's day...

 

 

Have you ever found yourself making the same crafts over and over because you just simply love them? Or found yourself surprised how fast life can go by and you realized you've left your readers hanging? (sorry again, I love you all!!) Here's to many more crafts and better scheduled posts!!

Simple Rosettes

I am one of those people who go on Pinterest, pin something and then either one of two things comes out of my mouth:

Option one "wow, this is amazing I'm going to do this, save this for later and it will look/taste exactly like what I pinned" (which is said about 95% of the time but I end up forgetting I pinned it! never get around to it or the pinned item doesn't end up like how it's suppose to when I try)

Option two " lets pin this and try to find an easier way and just use this as a guideline" This is what happens 100% of the time. If I can find an easier way to do something, a cheaper way or a way to use it as inspiration and create my own thing in the end, I'm all in. 

So option two it is. I have seen these fabric or felt roses around Pinterest all the time. I have read tutorials, I have watched YouTube videos. My roses never looked like anything anyone should be proud of or put their name on. I'm a very creative person, so it annoyed me to no end that I couldn't get the cutest detail in all of crafting to work. That is until the night I just did my own thing...

Isn't it just the cutest thing you have ever seen????! You better be shaking your head, smiling or clapping while saying "Yes". If not, don't worry I'll say it for you. I am still so proud I figured this out. It's not the best rose but you know what, it's cute, it looks like an actual flower and I did it using two tools anyone who doesn't craft has in their house. Now tell me you're not excited to find out how I did this!

I'm a very visual person but I also welcome the fact of directions as a crutch. Just in case something doesn't go right, or my phone dies (because let's be honest that thing is always on my person and where I google) I can rely on written directions.

1) To create the roses, you will need a piece of felt, a pair of scissors (tool #1) and masking or painters tape (not pictured, tool#2)

2) with your scissors, cut the desired amount of fabric you want, however big you want your flower just make sure you cut a square or rectangle. But don't cut the square or rectangle as big as you want the flower, if that makes sense. You will have to cut it and twirl it so you'll want to accommodate for that.

3) This is your fabric you will be working with before you "mold" it

4) Start at one end and in a circular motion cut in a swirl-ish direction. That's totally a word, ok probably not but let's pretend! Think Apple peels, or porkie pigs Q tail, or a spiral.

5) Your felt should now look like this or something similar once you are done cutting

6) With your scissors you want to create the "pedals", to do this you just cut scalloped edges into the swirled cut felt. The bigger and wider the scallops the bigger and wider your pedals. 

6a) Not pictured because I needed both hands, sorry. Take the smallest end of your swirled felt and fold it into itself, this creates the bud of the rose, then just wrap the rest of the fabric around the bud, it should start to look like a flower, make sure the bottom of the rose is flat. When all the fabric is wrapped, just take a small piece of tape and tape the end to the side to keep it together. You can also hot glue it closed as well. UPDATE: I have had my roses taped now and hung somewhere for over a week and they are holding up just fine and haven't unraveled. 

7) you just made your first rose! Keep going at it!! 

These roses are a sneak peek for a post coming later this week! Stay tuned!

Lovely lil sign

One night my sister! Jackie, and I went crazy with the crafts. Over two nights we each did three crafts. We're talking more than an hour crafts, that's serious craft time. I loved every minute of it and what came of it.

Spending time with my sister is one of my favorite things to do but crafting while doing it is a double bonus. Now that it's finally close to valentines day...how is it only in eleven days?! I can finally share with you some of the crafts we did.

I love love. I also love cute inexpensive DIY crafts. And I love to paint. I love that this little sign is all that and more. It has so much potential in this world. Can't you see it on a bookshelf? Or a desk? Or a mantel? Or shelf in the living room? On the living room end table...seriously stop me I'll name every surface for this lovely sign to rest.

Isn't it just so adorable? I found it at Joann's on an end cap and it was marked down from $5.99 to $4.99 then 50% off? WHAT WHAT! Cue Cupid coming in on his wings, I was in L-O-V-E.

It didn't always start off this charming...

It's a very thin wood material, like most of the wooden crafts at Joann's and Michaels, but I didn't care. I didn't have a plan for this little nicknack, which is very unlike me. I decided to just paint it all white with acrylic paint and a craft brush in hopes that a crisp white surface would give me an idea.

From there I had it! I was going to paint the LOVE portion red and use the crackle medium acrylic paint over it. I apologize for not taking a picture of this step, I was just so excited. All you do to create the crackle effect is paint the surface your color you want your cracks to be, then after that dried you paint the crackle paint over top. This paint is very soupy and almost looks like snot, you think I'm kidding but I'm not it's the best comparison I could make. Wherever you paint the crackle paint is where it will crackle. You let that dry, then paint over everything your final color, once that dries the cracks will form and you will have a rustic crackling sign. It took about an hour for the crackle paint to dry before you could put the final paint layer on.

Then, once it was all done, I left the base white, I decided it needed something. So I turned to washi tape. This is a recent obsession of mine. There are so many cute patterns and you can get a roll for under $2 and it will last you for a long time. Trust me, I did a whole Disney scrapbook with a roll and still have some left. 

Again, I didn't take a picture of this step, sorry! Eek! But I chose the red hearts, I just laid the pieces of tape down onto the base to cover it and clipped around the edges so it was all the same length.

And now it lives on my end table! I love easy crafts like this, and seasonal crafts!

The Grammys

Oh the Grammys. It's the one night in award show season when anything can happen on the red carpet. I mean one year Lady Gaga arrived in an egg! I do remember the one year they had to update the dress code or apply one because so many stars we're crossing the line.

But this year, is it just me or was I the only one unimpressed with what the stars were wearing. Nothing really caught my eye and made me go "wowzers". That is until Queen Beyoncé arrived...I mean am I right?

You cannot tell me she doesn't look elegant, stunning and sexy in this gown. As for the rest of the red carpet looks, it was interesting. Yes, interesting. We will go with that...

White was all over the carpet. It's really starting to prevail and became acceptable and I'm loving it as long as you can work it, and they all do.

Then we have the women wearing suits. I'm probably going to get a lot of scowls for this, but I just don't get it. I understand a great business suit or a perfectly tailored blazer on a women's body but this is award season. A perfectly structured tailored gown can do the same thing.

Ah, color! Isn't it so refreshing and stunning?

And the couples and groups didn't stop at looking ordinary or blending it. Each artists looks make so much sense as to who they are as an artist, actually everyone this night did. 

I've decided to start and end this blog post with the looks that had me the moment the artists stepped on the carpet. Miss Ariana Grande and Kelly Osborne, good job. Beyoncé, you go girl, you do run this world.

Fashionably Late

Wow oh wow. Talk about major procrastination. I live for award season and the red carpets. So far this red carpet season I've seen some major trends arriving on the carpets. Tuxedo inspired looks (black and white) , navy's, reds, nudes and patterns are all showing up. 

I'm loving that the actresses and actors are starting to surprise us. Past red carpets you would always see the same actress in the same silhouette just a different color( ahem, Sofia Vergara with your mermaid/trumpet dresses) but this season were seeing growth and change. I love the looks and it's hard to pick a favorite, because each one of these stars looked amazing.

This will probably be my longest post to date, but seeing as I'm doing less chatting and more picture showing I hope you can forgive me.

Let's look at the golden globes shall we...

I remember the one red carpet I watched and stars were arriving wearing red gowns, at first I was all "woah, there going to blend in" then I was all "woah, this color is such a great color and it could be the new black". That last statement I still believe in, when I think of an award show I think of blacks,navy more classic colors, but who says red can't be classic? 

I mean look at these gorgeous stars, how can you pick just one that you love? Although JLaw will always be my girl. Her dress was getting a lot of hilarious spoofs after she walked the red carpet, my favorite? I saw a photo of a girl who took a duvet cover and some duct tape and made her own gown, how hilariously inspiring! I love that tuxedo looks are starting to break out and shine. Of course black will always be great, look at how many stars chose it!

I love this nude trend we have been seeing lately on the carpet! It's such a neutral that you can do anything with it, or just rock it as is like many of these stars are, also a little pattern never hurt anyone.

Ah, how refreshing color on the carpet! I really enjoy that the pastel trend from last spring is starting to carry over into evening wear but in a better less Easter egg painting way. 

Up next is the SAG awards! I really enjoy this award show because it's kind of the forgotten one but the one that has meaning, not that the others don't. The screen actors guild, or SAG-AFTRA, is pretty much the union that media artists are apart of. The sag awards are awards given to these faces we all know and love. The best part, is these artists vote for who should win, so ultimately your peers are giving you these awards and not a committee that's behind closed doors. 

So let's see the fashion!

Navy seemed to be the big trend of the night, and the big trend overall on the carpet so far this award season. It's a great color and works for most skin types. I love how classic it can be but it can also be used for a fun modern take on a classical Hollywood silhouette. 

Find me a red carpet where there isn't black and not one actress didn't look stunning wearing it...seriously challenge me...

We didn't see much color this sag award but the colors we did see we're smaller suggestions of what we saw the week before at the golden globes.

White and nude are becoming second most appeared on these red carpets and I'm not really hating it. I say if you can rock it, style it and not look washed out wearing it then you go, glen coco. Anyone get that reference? Please tell me you did, or we can no longer be friends. 

Like I said its so hard for me to choose who is my favorite and what designer had the best dress. I loved them all! I can't wait to see the fashion that shows up this Sunday at the Grammys, the Grammys are the one award show where I feel you can have the most fun, it's ultimately a big concert. You know ill be watching!!!