DIY Project Complete

So I promised an update, but it won't be a long one...the Hallmark channel is playing in the background and for whatever reason those movies suck me in every time.

Here are the new shelves in the basement.

I absolutely love them.  They were easy, easy, easy and during the Christmas season they will be the perfect place to display our Santas.  I am not sure the room is quite "manly" enough for John's much anticipated "man cave" but I'm working on it.  Maybe I'll change out the candy jars for something a little more masculine...or maybe he will just have to be patient and see what Santa brings Christmas morning!   

DIY Shelving and the Hallmark Channel

I need a break.  I need to write about something else. Talking and writing about my grief is good for the soul, but so is a distraction.

This Thanksgiving break has been hard but also a much, much needed break.  We typically pack and travel and go to several dinners but this break was completely different.  I missed the normal hustle and bustle; but I actually enjoyed being in our new home more than I thought I would.  We cleaned and made a peanut butter pie for our dinner Friday but other than those necessary things we just were still.  This season has been so busy and so full that it felt good to sit.  Having a day to rest (while everyone else was running around like crazy having Thanksgiving meals) was perfect.  We enjoyed family time and took naps and ate pot roast.  On Friday, we did have the perfect family Thanksgiving meal after I picked up my parents from the airport.  John and Jane outdid themselves as always and we all ate until we were uncomfortable.  Then we went back for dessert!  The tricky part about Thanksgiving without someone is that you are missing a chair; an actual physical thing.  We were missing a highchair at the table but I forced myself to remember how thankful I am that I have family reminding me I am not alone and that we have the promise of heaven.  There is no greater blessing.  

With all that being said, once this evening rolled around my mind needed a distraction.  Everyone left and the hustle and bustle was over.  The only difference today was that there is nothing in the very near future to look forward to.  So I decided to make something.  I wanted to accomplish something and feel proud of it.  And with a secret (and very exciting) gift coming John's way for Christmas I wanted to "prep" the bar for the upcoming holiday (and gift).  So...I made two shelves.  I bought wood, plumbing pipes, spray paint, stain, screws, and a stud finder.  (Side note: If you do not have a stud finder, go get one immediately.)  These suckers are never coming down and it is all thanks to my brilliant dad for letting me know I could purchase a stud finder for $10 at Lowe's.  Who knew?!  He said, "Find the stud, screw those puppies in, and you're good to go."

This is obviously (looking at the picture) not a complete project and I am almost embarrassed about the chaos in the background of this picture but bear with me and I will post an update once these shelves are staged and the rest of the room is clean!  I have to say, this is the easiest and most bang for your buck (the wood was $16 and the pipes were $23) kind of project if you like the look.   I can say that I am proud and my mind was distracted for a bit this evening.  Win, win!  Now, I'm ready for my bed and the Hallmark channel. 

"Picture Book" Art

I have loved gathering ideas and different style tips from Pinterest for the twin's nursery.  It has been by far my favorite space to decorate in our entire house and while it is far from finished I feel like I have a pretty good start!  This past week I was looking through some things I had pinned and saw this picture...

Immediately I thought back to our purchase at the Antique Mall Johnny and I visited while in Lexington and knew exactly what two books I would use to attempt this project.  I found the shadow boxes at Michaels (I looked EVERYWHERE for white but they do not exist) so I ended up with black frames that I will have to spray paint white.  Here are a few pictures of this very EASY project.  

Step 1: Gather materials

 Step 2: Read the book and determine favorite pictures and corresponding words

Step 3: Trace the inside of this perfect size heart cookie cutter to know exactly where to cut the picture and then cut.

**If you are anything like me this is the hardest part!  Cutting pages out of a book was almost too much but I did it for the sake of this really {cute} project and made it through without too much trauma.

Step 4: Lay out the pictures and words where you want them on your mat.  I am waiting for the final step to glue the picture down because I wanted to find a white background to go with the frames since I am spray painting them white too.

Step 5: Admire your handy work!  I love them and I can't wait to actually get them finished and up on the wall in the nursery.  Things are really starting to come together!  More on that later...

Family Tree Project

I saw something I really wanted to copy on Etsy the other night.  I'm not sure how I ended up there but when I saw it I knew immediately I could do it myself and avoid the $269 price tag!  So I started small on a simple program I like to call PowerPoint (aka the program I use for all things school and craft related).  I think I tend to use this because it is easy to manipulate and I can still use all my fun fonts that I have gotten online.  So anyway, I started with a page the size that I wanted the art to be even though I knew I couldn't print it at home.  The idea was to take it to staples and have them print an engineer print so I wasn't technically concerned with the size at the moment.   

Once I knew what I wanted it to look like I gathered the information about where our grandparents either met, got married, or lived in their lifetimes.  I chose the most interesting places for each of them including the address of the church my grandma and grandpa got married in in Somerset.  It was fun and really interesting to hear some of the places they had been and lived together.  I finished the bottom of the artwork with both sets of our parents and then finally the address of my church where we were married in Lexington and our names.  I loved it!  Now, for the hard part...   

I knew I would need a canvas 16 X 40 inches in order for it to make the impact that I wanted it to make, so I searched online for the size I wanted.  NO ONE had the size I needed at nearby craft stores and the only other one I could find online was over $70!  That was not really my idea of a good deal so I ventured to my basement and found old canvases we used in our apartment in college that were looking for a new purpose (desparately).  Since the canvases were 16 X 20 inches all I needed to do was somehow connect the two and make one big one.  So I found the drill and a couple of screws and attached the two old canvases in the back.  

Once they were connected and secure I took the print that I had made in about TWO minutes for TWO dollars at Staples and cut it to the correct size so I would have enough to staple to the back to secure it like a wrapped canvas.  I used spray glue to adhere it to the canvases and then staples it to the back of the canvases making neat edges like wrapping a present.   

Once the art was secure and dry I used clear acrylic gloss coating to make it shine!  I sprayed it on (being very careful the room was ventilated since I am pregnant) and waited for it to dry.

Here is the final piece of art $2.64 later!  I think I have found a home for it in my kitchen too!  It is a good thing I did not buy the real deal from Etsy.  That would have been wasteful since I have a lot of diapers to buy in my near future.  

Valentine's Day Cheer

For some odd reason today I got a major boost of energy. I came home from school after talking to a good friend (aka venting), went for a two and a half mile run, cooked dinner for Johnny and I, started a couple loads of laundry, picked up the "after school" mess, and then made a wreath!

I had purchased the supplies for my wreath this past weekend with the hopes that I would have a break one night before Valentine's Day was over to get it done. Tonight once dinner was cleared I had a little bit of a break so I took full advantage of the time and made this...

...and now that my energy is completely diminished I just remembered that I need to finish a photo book tonight! Hopefully I can get finished quick! I don't know how long my eyelids will allow me to stay awake!

Coasters

This weekend as I was thinking about Christmas (and the black Friday bargains I took advantage of) I realized how easy it is to spend $100 in one place quickly making the Christmas budget dwindle. So instead of purchasing all of our gifts this year I decided to make some of them (to hopefully save a little cash but more importantly to give a more meaningful gift). I am so excited about this because I really love giving people things that I have made or created. So I present to you Christmas Present Project #1!

I made coasters!

My first step was to gather all the supplies. I am not your typical "crafter" so I really have to buy everything when I want to do a craft (even the brushes...I know its something everyone should already have somewhere around the house, but I don't).

Materials:

Smooth Bathroom Tiles ($5.76 for 36 tiles, enough for 9 sets)

Modge Podge ($3.60 with coupon at Hobby Lobby)

Clear Acrylic Gloss Coating ($4.44 with coupon at Hobby Lobby)

Scrapbook Paper ($2.95 total including 6 different designed paper that make 8 coasters each)

Brushes ($1.33)

Peel and Stick Cork Board (My parents had some I used on my first two sets. I have not been lucky enough to find this anywhere! Not to worry, I am on my way to Hobby Lobby tomorrow after school!)

Total $18.08 for 9 gifts

Next, I measured and cut 4 x 4 squares of scrapbook paper that would fit on the front of the tile. I then set out all the tiles on cookie sheets covered with wax paper so they were easy to move later on in the process and I could cover then with modge podge without worrying about getting it everywhere or having the tiles stick.

I put one layer of modge podge on the tiles with my handy brushes. I carefully placed the small piece of scrapbook paper on the tile and pressed the edges slightly so they would not bubble up. I let this dry for about an hour. I am not really sure about the timing but I waited this long because I wanted to make sure the paper did not shift when I put the second coat on. (This was the longest I waited for the modge podge to dry throughout the entire process.) I applied three to four coats of modge podge on each tile, waiting between coats for them to dry. Once I finished I took the coasters outside and sprayed then generously with the clear acrylic coating.

I let them dry overnight after applying the coating. Once they were dry I cut 4 x 4 squares of the peel and stick (very thin) cork board. I stuck it to the bottom and tied a simple ribbon around the four coasters to make a set. I love them! They turned out great and I can't wait to give them to all the teachers Johnny and I work with. I hope they love them as much as I do!