Back in the habit....trying to anyways

Around There, Over There, Back There.....Everywhere but HERE...is where I have found myself. Time to get back to the root of what makes my life complete....Creating...Posts COMING SOON! I'm back with a vengeance.

Headband Fun

Today was a day for new learning and new things from old things. 

As most people are now days I am too addicted to Pinterest....so after pinning and googling over loads of pictures I came across a few inspirations!!

Learning to do a 5 strand braid was one of them. After finding the picture of a used 

t-shirt made into a headband from this great site...I gave it a go! :) 

This is the results from my first attempt! >>>>

* Please excuse the flash* lol not a professional photog! :) *

After a success at this I caved and wanted more......Thanks to some fanciful headbands from C.O.M. I was inspired to use up the mounds of elastics lying around my craft room and the excess pile of bow materials as well. And created these two cuties for my kiddo! :)

And thats all for today! :)

~With Luvz,

Skirts A-lot

I have a lot of fabric on hand and rarely enough time to make things for myself. But since I am going to be teaching fashion design I feel like I should be able to show off my skills when I am teaching! :) Since skirts are quick and easy, thats where I started! My goal is to make everything that I wear and this is a start! :)
ENJOY!!

~With Luvz,

Button Art

Hello again! :)

I have spent the last few weeks trying to start any project...Needless to say nothing struck a chord with me and a lot of them went to the trash on the first stage. So after all of that I just spent my time lurking on Pinterest! :) {LUVZ} Well after a few browsing sessions I came across some art made with buttons and figured that I could maybe make use of the millions that I have with some kind of art piece. And since the kiddo has been gone so much, my way of treating her to a gift when she came back is crafting something special...This is what I came up with! :) Can't wait till tonight when she sees it. But for now you can oogle over it! ENJOY!!!

How did I do it? 

1) Painted canvas

2) Drew the A in pencil

3) Arranged buttons

4) Glued the buttons down with Tacky Glue

Thanks for hanging in there! :)

With Luvz,

I'm here....sometimes

Since starting work and the family life picking up for summer vacation I have been slacking on here. I promise I have been busy putting my craftiness into action but I also have had no time to document or display any of the craziness going on the past few weeks.  But I WILL leave you with a cute shot of the kiddo and her custom bow for the Fourth and a look at what I hunted down at the local auction house the other night! I promise in the next week I will show off more projects and keep you coming back for more!!! But today is just a lil side note to let you know that I still care about you and want to thank you for sticking in there while I mindlessly wandered around for a few weeks!!! Enjoy the picture show! :)

* She didn't know my new phone could take a pic looking at the front of the screen! :)...NEXT Photo I must remember to look up....lol

'CEREMONIAL DRESS'

ARTIST: Thierry Poncelet

I COULDN'T RESIST THIS ART PIECE. MY HUSBAND AND CHILD ON THE OTHER HAND COULD CARE LESS...
**However, I cannot find the artist name on the picture nor can I find others on the internet as of yet...SO if by chance anyone knows of or has seen anything similar please comment below I would like to know more about the art. 

AS FOR PLACEMENT IN THE HOME WITH A NICE DISPLAY TO SHOWCASE THESE GREAT FINDS ..Uh..um..well......I HAVE THEM HUNG.. THEREFORE I WILL REFRAIN FROM SHOWCASING ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE FIRST SET! :) 

Thanks again for hanging in there and I will be back sooner than last time with some new goodies! 

~WITH LUVZ,

Finally : An Earring Holder

I have been trying for quite some time to get my jewelry out of a bag, a bag that I packed over 6 months ago! I just love to display all my jewelry so that when I am finally dressed I can walk along and scoop some toppers! :) When I kept seeing these wonderful designs created with picture frames and such using mesh screen I knew I had to make me a few of these! (* yes I mean a few just for me! I have a big bag you see!)
SEE BIG BAG>>>>

I found a frame I liked but when I saw the price of the mesh screen at the home improvement store down the street I thought it was crazy to spend that price to make it myself. But as always I put it to the side and wait for its chance to shine and after a trip the good ol' grandparents this weekend I found myself with a large quantity of some screen used for porches and things. Not what I had intended but since it was strong and not being used and brand new to boot I had to give it a whirl and I am thrilled once again with my creation! :) Just waiting on the chance to make another for the rest of the bag!!!! lol

ENJOY~

All I did was:

1.) staple the cutout screen to the inside of the frame, *where the glass goes*

2.)hot glued some beads on the corners on the back *to help it stand away from the wall when hung*

3.) attached a picture hanger bracket at the top in the center (on back)

4.) hot glued the flowers and bead to the front

5.) Hang up and decorate with earrings! :)

~With Luvz,

Wordle Fun

Another new site to check and and some fun.....Wordle 

This is really neat to give someone as a gift or use around the house as a decoration.

I had to play around on the site and show my kiddo the fun she could have with words. I didn't get the full effect of how to change the font size of specific words and such like I seen in the gallery but I had fun with it and this is what I made. 

FOR Addy of course! *she seems to always benefit the most from my crafter explorations!* but HEY what can I say I love seeing her smile! :)

ENJOY!!!

The printout that we made
(* I used computer printer fabric for the page because I didn't have any card stock handy!)

After putting interfacing on the back of the printer fabric I spray glued it to this backer board

Then placed the printout in an extra frame that we had on hand

Addy picked out the frame decorations and we hot glued them down and hung it above her bed!

I love how it turned out and that it was made especially for her! 

I can't wait to make this for my niece and nephew! I can already see a ton of ways I could use this site for crafts!! Next time I will find out how to resize the words for more play! :) Hope you find a little time to WORDLE today! 

~With Luvz,

Inspirations

I am sure you have heard of PINTEREST....(even if you haven't) this is something that I would call inspirational at best. Yes like many other followers I am in LOVE too.

** FYI its a must see if you haven't gotten the hint yet!**

But you see I am the type of crafter thats what I call a DIYer....... 

I love to do it my self, create from what I have on hand. I crave the challenge of creating what others can create but in my own ways. Some may say this is forgery or copy-catting but I just can't help but grasp the concept of how its made and a "I can too" attitude!! :) But as always, I put my TwIsT on it!! OKayskies This is getting a little crazy and off point....

LIKE I was saying Inspirations is what I see all around me and thats where most of my ideas spur from.

THIS WEEKS INSPIRATION ----> A great mom, blogger, and Exceptional CRafTEr herself Craft-O-Maniac put together some cute headbands with the circle flowers that are all the rage lately. And thats where my inspiration for these came from! :)

AND Since I was off this morning and have felt like I have neglected my room lately I decided to sit and watch some movies and craft a little.... This is what I did! I loved that all of the materials were extras stuffed in a ziploc, shoved in a crafter drawer! AND FREEEEEEE! 

So cute but thats where it ends today! I must return to work and craft another day! :)

~With Luvz,

No Sew for Kids

I love love LOVEd this>> 
Its a great way to a no sew pillow design and I immediately thought about how fun it would be to show Addy how easy making you own designs can be. Plus we were at the Dollar Tree and found some decent t-shirts that would be great to make our own version of the pillow! And they had her favorite color (*right now) So here is how it went..

ENJOY THE PICTURE SHOW!

The $1 shirt....

A little touch of Addy....

Just to show you that I was messy!

And in the end it looked like this...

simply rinsed with water (carefully trying not to get it in other spots!)

And the Finale! :)

LOVE IT and so does she! Great project for the summer! I am already thinking of other ways to make this whole new no sew printed look work. Maybe beach towels or tablecloths so many ideas are rushing I wish I could take a snap shot of my thoughts to have for when my someday crafts come to light! :) But for now just enjoying the summer fun......More to come!

~With Luvz,

Summer Bliss Reading

Since I am in grad school I would typically have anywhere from 3-10 published journal articles to read at any given time; either highlighting the importance of some study or filling in the bibliographies at the end of a 20 plus page paper that was due soon. (To be perfectly honest it was probably due the next day! lol) Life has been like this for the past few years....slowly but surely my days are starting to wind down, the papers  reading and writing are over and I have one thing left to do and I can move on from my school life and start my real life, okay at least be fully functional in my real life as a mom, wife and business owner. I have looked forward to the days in which I can lie on the couch and watch tv without the nagging feeling that I am procrastinating on a mound of homework! .....So when I finished up this past semester I told myself that I would own this summer and take it prisoner and make it my own by avoiding any type of school work and concentrate on me. Get back in touch with what I loved to do and actually enjoy it. And thats why I have titled this one Summer Bliss. I have been having Summer Bliss for the last few weeks by diving into some books that I haven't had a chance or desire (thanks to the articles) to read over the last few years. One in particular my mother passed on to me and said that it reminded her of my childhood and that I had to read it. This book is by James Patterson, I am not in tune with certain authors but I did know that this particular author is known for somewhat murderous novels. *Something my habitually hopeless romantic reader of a mother would not dare to pick up.* So at that moment I knew it was different and with a childhood connection I had to dive right in. I love the way he has short chapters. (~if you are like me you are squeezing in the reads! And short chapters are great for this because I don't feel as if I am skipping around or get lost and rereading.) In no time I blazed through the book and I surprised myself about how I really missed a good picture show! Yes I am a visual reader and play out my own little movie upstairs. Anyways the book is Sunday at Tiffanys if you care to check it out yourself but be warned its a tear jerker! :)

*Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Since I enjoyed the style of the writing and I just happen to have another James Patterson book available I decided to pick it up and have another go.

This last book was 7th Heaven...Great book from a women's murder club series. 

* image courtesy of Google search.

I don't have the others in the series but this was a good read. Finished it in 1 week, most of the last third of which I topped off before bolting to work this afternoon! :)

Since I have read two books from this author I think I am going to switch it up and hunt down another. I have a few left on my nightstand, patiently waiting their turn in the spotlight. (*thats what my husband calls my nighttime reading light!). I will try and let you in on the next go round! :) But in the mean time I hope you all take a short time out of your already crazy busy lives to think about just how much doing that one little thing for yourself can impact the rest of your life. I am the first to admit that I have been a better person for focusing on me and what I want for any time that I can get to do so! :) Try it or at least put something there for you everyday that just makes you happy or that you enjoy in sight, smell, touch, or release. Just taking that one moment to be just you and do just you! :)

~With Luvz, 

For my Kitchen~

Since moving into our new home I have been on a redecorating race! You see if you have ever been to any home I have lived in then you would know that everything is country and when I say country I mean COUNTRY!! (*minus the wicker baskets) Horse pictures lined the walls surrounded by real wood and barbed-wire frames and all! This is how my husband contributed to the housework, he insisted that we "follow his country ways" and just go with it.... Well I think not, anymore!!! I have seen enough cowboy boots and green pastures to last me a life time. Mind you, I am by far not country. Even though I do own 3 pairs of cowboy boots, but I can say that I have grown to only wear them when it rains. So Yes, I am trying to convert the old man to modernism as well! :) Anyways on to the redecorating.
I painted my kitchen a great pistachio green and I have black furniture in there. So my first instinct was to create a wine theme and tone down the green with some purplish accents and keep with the strong black features. When trying to find a design to go on the dominant and really only wall in the dining area I found a lovely design done by an artist on ETSY. Only one problem - I don't have the money to buy it or ship it here..... Which leads me to the here and now and what this blog is all about. My lovely artwork recreation on a very mindful budget. Only $4 to be exact!!! (The cost is from the wine and cheese colored test paint bottles that I purchased to complete the picture.)

So here is the original and its crediting artist to which I can thank for the lovely art influence>

 BY: Giardino's Shop on Etsy

This print is perfect for my wall..... however $18 to buy it is not my idea of worth it. What can I say, I am a cheapo and I knew that I could do something similar on a way smaller budget and next thing ya know I spent the next four weeks piecing it all together! 

And this is the final results!

I like it! The next step now is framing it. I think I am going to buy a large heavily decorated frame, spray it black and hang it up around the image! Super excited that my house is coming together very nicely! :)

Hope you enjoyed my new found artist - ME!!! 

~With Luvz,

Days are over- on with everything and anything!

Okay okay okay I know my 30 day challenge was a bust but I gave it my best but as usual life took over. Since my last log; the kiddo is out of school, I have started a new job and I have had a yard sale (that did very well I might add!) but over all I have just been on the go go so much that I have not even thought about the time or even what to talk about on here. So I will just restart with an any blog! :) Thats just me restart, change whatever you call it I'm random and thats just me! So when I fired up the comp this afternoon and click on blogger home I discovered this recipe that I will definitely have to try out soon! (*Especially with temperatures in the upper 90s for the next week!) So if I love it I figured why not share it with you! Hope you check it out online and in your home soon! ENJOY!!!

Now who in the world wouldn't just love to devour a sweet chocolately delightful ICE-cold Fudge Pop in the summer heat! MMmmmMMMMmmmMMMM sure looks splendid to me!!! :)

Here's the scoop from Be Different Act Normal

Recipe and all are discussed!

~With Luvz,

Day 23- Pretty things to look at....

a lemon squeezy home shows off these creative ideas....

can you believe this is hot glue! *brilliant!! 

I just love messy ones like this because it takes nothing but splattering the paint however feels right to the artist! :)

Ruffles & Stuff has a great show me how of this headband with lovely pictures. * a biggie that I love about her site! 

Tater Tots & Jello found another fun way to use up old scrabble tiles! *They even go into detail on a how to.

and again with this stunning wall display......

This is one of the cutest quilts I have ever seen! I know that there is a lot of love in this. It is made by Sandy from Pine Mountain Design.

Talk about machine love....I am in love and where do I get my hands on one of these...any takers to get me one?!!! LOVE IT and any sewer that wouldn't want one of these bad boys, well just isn't....who am I kidding I know that there is no one that wouldn't want one like this!!!! :) 

             Tula Pink has got her mind on something fantastic here!

This pretty chandelier is a remake done by a friend of the family....Delightful to say the least! :)  Pretty by Gauxriginals.....

Re-Nest string art looks fun but I don't think I would try to do one myself, okay okay maybe not this large anyways! 

More how-to from Tater Tots & Jello

Okay so I know the blog is on the bow pillow but I am more curious about the suitcase seat?!!!! LOVE it!!! * if you like you can check out the bow pillow here.

With Luvz,