{oc cottage}

Avoidance, Denial & Artistic Slob-bery...

2012-01-21T18:57:00.000-08:00

i do have a dining table...really i do!
i use the word "dining" loosely though since not much
dining ever goes on there!
{ June ...this post is for you! semi-full disclosure! ;}
[the flecks you see are tarnished GGG, i swear! that cat hair
you see...well, that's just plain cat hair...sorry!]

it's THE surface that gets the best light in the house
so it's my staging area/photography studio.

to say that it's piled high with "props" would be an understatement...
to say that every visible and invisible square inch is covered...
now that would be the truth! ;}

for whatever reason i decided to embark on the task i have been
avoiding for...well...forever! call it spring cleaning...we don't really
have spring here so spring cleaning in january works just as well
as april!

maybe i simply had a hankering to refresh my memory as to just
exactly what that table looked like? it's been ages...who can
remember these things??!

so, i started weeding...and separating...and sorting...

and along with all of the above, came a lot of asking, too...
asking myself why!in!tarnation! do i have all these things?

seriously! yes, yes, i am a creative sort and i need to let my muse
lead me where she will...{did that make you gag?! i was attempting
to be artsy! ;}

ok, ok, the real deal is that if i put stuff "away"...i forget that i have it!
i am old and frail...ok, not really, but sometimes i think i can actually
feel the grey matter seeping out my right ear, so i can't put too much
stress on my brain!

"stress" would mean making my self remember just exactly where i put
said bit or bob! i just can't do it...thus...it must all remain at my fingertips!
which accounts for the mounds upon mounds of "props"{read:crap! ;}

{sidebar:these peeps appear to have a mosh pit going!}

sound like hoarder denial to you? yah, me too!

so, like i said, i weeded and sorted and trashed for hours on end!
ok...at least one entire hour...

separating...discarding...purging...in the vain attempt to liberate
my table...from, well...me.

and i still ended up with all this mess!
geez!
do i put it in shoe boxes?
zip lock bags?
tupperware?

and for corn sake! i hadn't even started on the other end of the
table! {it's a very long table! ;} what's to be done with me?

i know...the problem is me...and my slobbery!

for now, i am exhausted and in need of carbs and sugar...
and fatty foods! {they clear my head!} i will think about all
this again tomorrow...
at Tara!

{Lorenzo LLama wasn't there to help....just to gloat! look at that smirk!}

Pick A Peck Of Pretty Poppers!

2012-01-16T09:45:00.000-08:00

i just had to give it a go!
Tink's Tutorial made it look so easy and fun...how could i resist?
{excuse the unedited pics...Picnik does not seem to be working...
at least not for me...so, these shots are au naturel! ;}

you may know Tink better as Elyse of Tinkered Treasures ...
former punk and newly crowned romantic who is giving Marty Stew
a run for her money in the queen of craftiness department!
and her Valentine poppers are featured in the latest issue of Romantic Homes.

now, as we all know, being unprepared is my motto!
hey, it's not something you probably want to aspire to...
just being honest! ;}

when i get the itch to make something...
when my muse wakes up from her nap...
when i have had too much sugar...

invariably, i am lacking many...or darn near all of the basic
bit and bobs i need. case in point: toilet paper rolls.

so make way for improvisational crafting...aka MacGyvering

there it was in all it's glory...
a beautiful paper towel roll, sticking right out of the hefty
bag in my kitchen!

so, i just snipped that sucker into 3 sections!

obviously, my poppers are not regulation Tink size...

but they still turned out pretty cute!

{and you can give the smaller ones to people your only like...
and give the full sized loo roll poppers to those that you actually
love! because, as we all know...nothing says i love you like
toilet paper! ;}

thx ever so for the tute, Tink!
once you get gluing and snipping and tying, you almost
can't stop...well, almost...that is until you remember you
have an as-yet-still-unopened-bag of Hostess donettes! ;}
i have my priorities!

Met Monday @ BNOTP
Project Parade @ DIY Showoff
JSIWU @ The Girl Creative
Brag Monday @ The Graphics fairy
Tuesday's Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice
Good Life Wednesday @ A Beach Cottage
White Wednesday @ Faded Charm Cottage
Air Your Laundry @ Freckled Laundry
Pink Saturday @ How Sweet The Sound
Saturday Night Special @ FUNky Junk Interiors

This, That & The Other...

2012-01-14T16:52:00.000-08:00

i'm weeding through the 700 plus shots i took Christmas
morning...boy do i have an itchy trigger finger! i will take a
picture of anything it seems!

i was even making pink vignettes out of things that Santa brought!

i guess i am always "mentally" blogging...even on Dec. 25th! ;}

hmmmmmm...amidst all the pinkness...there appears to be
something amiss in this shot! ;}

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet The Sound

my baby niece put Mary, Joseph & baby Jesus to bed...
you know, they must have been tired after their long
night in the stable!

even the pets get in on the goings on! poor Noelle!

why i keep my day job...
how in the world do you take pictures at night?
{but if you squint your eyes and have a couple glasses
of wine...you'd swear you were in Stars Hollow!}
i should take better pictures by now...but then again
i should be 20 pounds thinner...and keep my roots in
check better...but i need a nap just thinking about that
kind of effort! phewwwwwww!

Well, Fan-cy That!!!

2012-01-08T15:54:00.000-08:00

day late and a dollar short...that really should be the name of
this blog! trends and all manner of coolness pass me right by
much of the time...most of the time. thankfully, i am just a tad
too lazy to be all caught up in that stuff so i don't need a shrink
to help me with my self esteem or anything! ;}

{photo: matthew mead holiday }

some of you may be aware that mr. matthew mead put out a little
publication called holiday a couple of months ago...fiiiiiiine piece
of work too! well, i just got my mitts on it a few days ago and...
katie bar the door! such a wealth of cuteness and ideas! but it was
these fans that caught my eye first!

and just who says they have to be for Christmas only??!!
doesn't anyone else have a tree, of some sort, for all the other
holidays too?
well...you should!

so with the help of the inimitable graphics fairy, i found designs for
".everyday" !
{i didn't think ""detailed" instructions were needed...i'm sure we
all have been making fans since we were wee things...a dab of glue...
bits & bobs...a little string...and there you go! ;}

a door knob...

a package...

any 'ol thing you desire! above and far beyond o tannebaum!

Mosaic Monday @ The Little Red House
Project Parade @ DIY Showoff
Met Monday @ BNOTP
Brag Monday @ The Graphics Fairy
Good Life Wednesday @ A Beach Cottage
White Wednesday @ Faded Charm Cottage
Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

and always remember to think outside the fan!

Best 10 Out Of 11??!!

2012-01-02T09:24:00.001-08:00

i know...i know! post titles that are not concise and to the point are
a "no-no"! they are "unsearchable" by those spider crawler bots that
make you queen of Bloglandia! but, you know...life is hard enough
without fun{read: crazy} post titles...right??! ;}

anyway~~~over at the DIY Showoff she is asking peeps to share their
top 10 projects of 2011...at first the mere thought of it made me sweat...
but then i remembered my "stats" feature...and there they were...graded by you,
according to page views! phew! what a load of my mind! ;}

number 1...by a landslide is the Butterfly Wreath .
8100 page views since august which has nothing to do with me!
i think it must have made it to the front page of
Pinterest one day since i had 1100 visits that day...
still get about 50 a day...
all i can say is THANK YOU PINTEREST! ;}
{don't laugh! i know those numbers are paltry to most of you!}

i have already yacked on and on way too much!
so, i'll spare you anymore and just let the pictures do the talking!
Novel Roses

Buckets & Clips

Fancy Flowerpots

Cooking With Jane Austen {forgive me, Jane!! ;}

Chalkboard Paint Trinkets

How NOT To Make A Wine Cork Initial !!!!!!!

Material Girl Pumpkin

Fun With Marie Osmond

Why Didn't Giada Think Of This

ok, so no rooms were gutted...no walls torn down, no furniture stripped...
yah, yah...that's just not the kind of gal i am! paper, paint, glue and a dash
of sarcasm...anymore than that...and i will need a nap...and some chocolate!

2011 Recap @ DIY Showoff

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Just Use It !!!!!

2012-01-01T16:07:00.000-08:00

i have things...many things...that i buy and squirrel away for
that once perfect project...the one that occasionally comes along
...with divine inspiration! ;}
unfortunately, those divine crafty times are few and far between!
so, my "squirrel stash" is now about the size of Mammoth Mt.!
do you have room for mammoth Mt. in your home? me either!
in 2012 i'm using it...all...i'm gonna get that mountain down to
the size of an ant hill if it kills me!
{geez! 2012! do you remember thinking how old you'd be in 2000?
wow! where did those 12 years go?! ;}

and i am starting with my vast collection of peat pots!

no painting...

nothing cutesy...

nothing fancy...

and in Garanimal fashion...

their contents are clearly labeled

{with a bit of help from the Graphics Fairy}

i am using them...actually using them...

as basic-bare-bones catch-alls!

for anything and everything...

although they do look pretty cute...all lined up!
that was NOT intentional...i was merely thinking of function...
not form! no time for such things when you are trying to move
a mountain! ;}

Mosaic Monday @ The Dear Little Red House
Met Monday @ BNOTP
Brag Monday @ The Graphics Fairy
White Wednesday @ Faded Charm
Good Life Wednesday @ A Beach Cottage
Weekend Wrap Up @ Tatertots & Jello
Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

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What Are You Doin' New Years...New Year's Eve?

2011-12-31T18:31:00.000-08:00

i will be spending it in Narnia...ok, way GEEKY, I know...but
not AS geeky as, say...Middle Earth! ;} to me, New Year's Eve
is craziness and drunk drivers...so I play it safe.
i am just very grateful that this "eve" is less eventful than last
week's "eve"...and that my kitty girl is finally better! small mercies!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!
BE SAFE!
BE CAREFUL!
BE THANKFUL!

and see you next year! ;}

{ photo: walden media }

This New Year...

2011-12-29T20:00:00.000-08:00

let's step into the new year with

new ideas

new dreams

new hope

new inspiration

new creativity

new desire

new vision

and a brand new bag of Flaming Hot Cheetos! ;}

Happy New Year everyone!

{and mended hearts...we miss you Bern!}

Sing We Noel!

2011-12-24T16:38:00.000-08:00

here's wishing each one of you a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

family, food and fun!

and most importantly, remembering the reason we
celebrate and the best gift anyone could ever receive!

For there is born to you this day
in the city of David a Saviour,
who is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you;
Ye shall find the babe wrapped in
swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS! AND GOD BLESS US EVERYONE!

Wreathed In Glory!

2011-12-24T10:37:00.000-08:00

how awesome is that sight? {yes, i'm already crying...}
we can all thank an awesome man named Morrill Worcester for it!
he is the owner of WORCESTER WREATH CO in Maine and mastermind
behind the WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA project!

read the story of his idea to honor our fallen soldiers and its
fruition HERE ...it will truly bless your heart...so many volunteers...
so amazing!

this man OWNS the Christmas spirit!

to know that so many people are thinking of and honoring these soldiers must
be a comfort to their families...they will not forgotten.

{all photos Worcester Wreath Co }

A Tree Skirt You'll Want To Wear!

2011-12-20T19:01:00.000-08:00

burlap...
stencil...
fab-oooooooooooolicious!
now i am just certain that ange of The Blooming Hydrangea is just a peach...
a doll, in fact...nice as can be! unfortunately, we can never be friends...
she has a stick-tu-ative kind of patience that i neither know...nor comprehend...
just look at that AWESOME stenciled burlap! the same pattern,
painstakingly repeated over and over again...
oh, for the love of kris kringle, i need a nap just thinking about it!
{she probably measured and stuff like that...ACK! ;}
and yet...i also get palpitations! because HEL-LO DOLLY, how cute it it??!!
wouldn't that material make adorable coolots? ok, not really, i just
wanted to use the word coolots in a post before 2011 was over! ;}
but i'd totally take a chair, davenport or throne covered in it!!!

by now, poor ange is more than sorry that she ever allowed me the
privilege of sharing her lovely creation! but honest and truly...is
it not fabulous? in all its damasky vintage-y wall paper goodness??!
{you can tell i went to design school with the firm grasp i have on
all that designy terminology, right? ;}

as someone who grew up with a "sheet" tree skirt, ange's Tree Skirt just
simply set my heart all aflutter!
so, go check it...and all manner of crafty cuteness...out at Ange's!!

Silvery Goodness...

2011-12-18T16:29:00.000-08:00

yep...just the merest hint of silver...and my inner badger takes
over! so, when i saw these little ornaments my eyes glazed over
and i lost all my words...all except, "shiny! shiny! shiny!"

the fact that they were 75% off...well, let me tell you, there
was almost the need for a defibrillator! {they were only $4.95
to begin with! ;}
now, i have to say the little brown birdies were not really doing it
for me...but i had a suspicion that i could come up with some
sort of presto change-o to remedy that!

off the The Graphics Fairy, naturally...for a bit of Christmas cheer!

pop out that glass! {but i saved it...you never know...come next fall,
those little brown birdies just might warm the cockles of my heart! ;}

instantly festive!

print, snip...there you go!
{the hardest part is deciding on which graphic cuteness to use!! ;}
easy, lazy, classy, cute...all rolled into one cheap package! ;}

and, for good measure, i made a "year-round" version since i don't think
i'll want to put them away just because December has gone!

Met Monday @ Between Naps On The Porch
Mosaic Monday @ The Dear Little Red House
Project Parade @ The DIY Showoff
JSIWU @ The Girl Creative
Brag Monday @ The Graphics Fairy
Tuesday's Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice
Good Life Wednesday @ A Beach Cottage
Trans Thursday @ Shabby Creek Cottage
VIF @ Common Ground
Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

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When You Need A Little Chritmas...Now!

2011-12-11T15:06:00.000-08:00

sometimes...most of the time...ok, all the time,
there's the need for just one more thing...that
extra little detail to make the wall, the shelf, the
mantel look juuuuuust right! and often you can
just poof that little something in to existence!
not as easy as it was on I Dream Of Jeannie...
but then again you won't have to wear that
little tiny top...unless of course, you want to???!! ;}

so, let's say you have a selection of Christmasy Sandy
Lynam Clough cards cuz, seriously...doesn't everyone?! ;}
{ok, maybe not everyone does, but Kae did...and that's
when she got her Martha on! ;}

and you have this frame that you haven't known what to do with...

and you have some red spray paint...

ohhhhhh, i like that frame all by itself! a little sprig of green hung in
the middle...cute!
but where was i...

Kae is all about the gold accent...so she added a touch of rub n' buff to
bring out the detail and to just plain sparkle!

she slipped those cards in and...voila!

it looks like it came right out of a catalog...or darling pricey shop!
and it sure sets of Sandy's cards famously!

Project Parade @ DIY Showoff
Met Monday @ BNOTP

ummmm...words fail me...poor Noelle! ;}

Yuletide Tagger...

2011-12-10T18:05:00.000-08:00

what???!!!
ok...don't judge!
so, i 'm slightly...more than slightly...freakishly...
obsessed with my chalkboard taggery!

and now they have morphed into gift tags/tree trimmings!
sure...they may not be quite as cost effective as buying 3700
tags for $2 at walmart...but you can punch quite a few from
a roll of chalkboard contact paper!
easy peasy yultide squeezy!

and if you expected to see these gift tags attached to wrapped gifts...
well then you have come to the wrong place! in my world, the gift
wrapping takes place at about 2 am...Christmas morning! ;}

Love You Annie Sloane...But Check Out This Homemade Chalk Paint!

2011-12-09T17:11:00.000-08:00

if necessity is the mother of invention...then Michele, the proprietrix of
Knot Too Shabby , is quite a...
hmmm...not sure where I was going with that... ;}
let's begin again shall we...ahem..

nestled at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains lies a quaint little city
named Glendora...and i am talking Stars Hallow quaint! among the many
adorable shops filling its twinkle light enrobed tree-lined main street you
will find an equally quaint shop called Knot Too Shabby .
it's simply bursting with old suitcases, bird cages, vintage books and
refinished furniture...none of which are the reason i gathered you here
today...

Michele, finding the cost of the standard bearer's chalky paint to be a tad
prohibitive...just took the bull by the horns...can do spirit and all...and
mixed up her own recipe! now, this sort of effort goes well beyond the
bounds of what i am willing to exert for my "art"...no laziness here...
completely foreign to me! ;} but i can admire her ingenuity! i'll have to
admire it from afar though...or else i'll need a nap...and some chocolate! ;}

find her recipe HERE !!!!

A Pretty Popular Piece of Paper!

2011-12-07T09:57:00.000-08:00

once upon a time i bought the piece of vintage french ephemera
and was inspired to use it as a prop in many a picture, this being
my favorite...i even had some cards made!

a little while later i decided to have this give away with a french theme
{among 10 other "themes" ;} and that little piece of frenchness was included.
{i'm thinking it's about time for another give away too...even though the above
give away is long over, it's actually one of my all-time most viewed posts...so,
there seems to be a need! ;}

well, the winner of that give away was the sweet Miss Anne of Fiona & Twig.
she was also inspired to photograph the little scrap...

and her picture was included with her article in the latest issue of
Artful Blogging !

while my picture...{sorry, best i could do, this page in the magazine
was a tad blurry, oh well... ;}

was included in the December issue of Romantic Homes!
{thank you Paulette & Beth!}

That is one pretty popular piece of paper! ;}

ps~ Lady Jennie did translate it for me...
but let's just say that the content of the words in no way
reflect the beauty of the document...a tad morbid they are! ;}

{A Bird's Christmas}

2011-12-05T22:03:00.000-08:00

so, a little birdie told me that he wanted to be part of my Christmas!
and when i saw that he brought several of his birdie buddies along...
i decided to find a way to make them all at home on my Yuletide
mantel!

i got these two situated first...

this guy has a bit of an attitude as you can see by his face!
he insisted on being high above everyone else so he could
keep an eye on things and make sure they were all minding
their p's & q's! so, i created a vintage book perch just for him
and a nest of paper shreds in a GGG incrusted pointe shoe.

this little guy wanted his little feet firmly on the ground...
poor thing is afraid of heights!

now Meshach...

and Shadrach...

well, they had served in the military and wanted to put their skills
to use guarding the tiny Christmas tree and the words of good cheer!
and a fine job they are doing! i've had nary a thief, tagger or kitty in the
vicinity!

and let's not forget the silver tweeter twins...
they like nothing better than to check their reflections
in the vintage mercury balls...and each other!

while Abednego scans the perimeter...

danger lurks around every corner...or, as in my house, just sits in
the window sill, bold as brass!

then everyone had a place and a purpose and birdies from thither and yon
let out a joyful cheep because the big tall lady would now be getting back to
her flaming hot cheetos...and quit messing with their tail feathers!
{i just wish Meshach & Shadrach would have told me to move the middle
frame to the right, just a tad...before i took the pictures though! ;}

Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors
Christmas Mantels @ My Uncommon Slice Of Suburbia
Good Life Wednesday @ A Beach Cottage
Holiday Home @ Southern Hospitality
White Wednesday @ Faded Charm Cottage

Chalk, Paper, Scissors...

2011-12-04T23:53:00.000-08:00

i am thinking simplicity...
carefree...
stressless decor...
yah, yah, you know me too well! i am just lazy! ;}
so, a cute chalkboard place card can be achieved by.....
messy paint? ick...plus 3 days to dry...the ants in my pants
find that hard to live with!
real tiny chalkboards? don't happen to have a plethora of
them on hand.
the chalkboard contact paper that i have 75' of? BINGO!

i popped that contact paper {coolest thing ever! get it at AMAZON } on some cardboard...used my fancy punches
to make some fancy shapes...

and there you have it!
now, in a fit of whimsy i thought it would be cute just leaning
against a tiny paper birdcage...but these are turbulent times!
so, i thought it would be best to create some stability...and
while i have no means to accomplish such a feat on a worldwide
scale...i can succeed on a tablewide scale!

so, i just battened down those hatches, in a macgyver-like fashion,
with wine corks! seriously, these things can do anything! i'm sure
in no time, we will be hearing that the cure the common cold...
cellulite...and static cling!

E is for effortless!
and it's also for easy peasy!!

i really like them!

but please! don't attempt these place cards unless you have a full
5 minutes to spare! ok...3! remember, i am an expert! it takes
years of not training to be this lazy!

next stop on the lazy express... The Graphics Fairy for some Christmasy vintageness!

snip, snip.
dab, dab.
loop de loop.
bob's your uncle!

the zen feeling that will come from the ease with which you created
{i use that term loosely! ;} these napkin rings just might inspire you
to iron your napkins! ok...i didn't do it for me...but ya know...it could
happen!

next i went nuts and just used one of the cork & crystal
ornaments i had already made. the paper napkin
ring would just be thrown away...but these would make
fabulous parting gifts for each contestant...i mean guest!

stressless can be cute!
you'll already be stressing over gifts...
cleaning...
your unsightly roots...
a little simplicity never hurt anyone! ;}

Met Monday @ BNOTP
Project Parade @ DIY Showoff
Brag Monday @ The Graphics Fairy
Mosaic Monday @ The Dear Little Red House
Christmas Tables @ The Lettered Cottage
Good Life Wednesday @ A Beach Cottage
Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors
Weekend Wrap Up @Tatertots & Jello

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Once Upon A Cammode...

2011-11-27T16:41:00.000-08:00

pleasant enough, don't you think?
and yet the need for something fresh and
new was as strong edward's need for bella's blood!
{sorry...all the twilightapulooza with the latest
premiere has gotten into my brain...}

but this is Kae's bathroom...she's no fan of the sparkly-
skinned so i will xnay the vamp talk and get back to her
toilet!

the basic idea was for a bit more space in a severely
spatially challenged room...that 3 grown boys share!
{yah, they were raised on pink and lace and shabby...
consequently they play hockey and the sweaty drums...
and are stinky...boys are boys from the womb...you just
can't change that! }

yah...yah...she's all pink and lace and shabby...but expect to
find a cat on her ironing board when you stop by for tea! ;}
anywho...weren't we talking about a bathroom? sometimes
i get a little distracted...

well, it was a nice bathroom...

the only thing more destructive to a bathroom than 3 sons...
is the contractor you actually pay to destroy it!
and didn't he do a fine job! ;}
they only had one "potty" for about 3 weeks...
but that is a whole other post...story...etc!

luckily, they have a contractor with some mad skills...

so, he built them a new medicine cabinet so they could
get rid of the under-sink cabinet and free up more space...
for Mitchum...Axe & Lotrimin!

and how about some cool new tile instead of the one-piece
fiberglass thing! niiiiiiiiice!

rockin' new fixtures...very House Beautiful!

so, let's recap...

from this...

to this!

this...

to this...

this...

to this...

not bad, eh?
ok, it's not like you can fit the entire mormon tabernacle choir
in there...but at least it "appears" at tad more roomy!
who can't use a more bead boardy, pedestaly, tile-y space?! ;}

Met Monday @ BNOTP
Project Parade @ DIY Showoff
Sister Sunday
Meet Monday @ You Are Talking Too Much
Tuesday's Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice Of Suburbia
T & T Tuesday @ Home Stories A-Z
Wow Us Wed @ Savvy Southern Style
Good Life Wed @ A Beach Cottage
Open House @ No Minimalist Here
Inspiration Friday @ Common Ground
Home Sweet Home @ The Charm Of Home
Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage
Inspiration Friday @ At The Picket Fence
Farm House Friday @ Laurie Annas

Candy Land!

2011-11-26T11:14:00.000-08:00

all these Christmas treats were so cute and pink
and delicious i wanted to eat them up...but i just took
pictures instead...i'm sure the shop owner was pleased
with my restraint!
if i had seen a display like then when i was a kid i
would have flipped! but then we all become kids
at Christmastime, don't we?
{some of us more than others! ;}

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet The Sound

Two Minute Thankful Decor...

2011-11-21T06:50:00.000-08:00

now, i realize that not everyone has 144 peat pots just sitting
around taking up space { get them HERE ! they literally cost cents...
yes, ¢'s! which is precisely why you will end up buying way more than
you need, like i did! ;} but even if you don't happen to have a gross
of peat pots...you could use terra cotta pots...
glass vases...
or perhaps a wooden vessel you have artfully whittled from a tree branch? ;}

this actually takes lazy to a new level...of well, laziness...ahem.
although "taking something to a new level" implies a certain
amount of exertion...so, that is a poor choice of words since
the exertion level required for this project is a 1...no, let's make
that a 0...a -1...hmmmmm....

just pop yourself on over to The Graphics Fairy ...peruse, gather &
print up any of her Thanksgiving prints {the link above will take you
right to the Thanksgiving selection...yes, i did all the work for you...it
is that time of year...and all the "goodwill towards men" is just coursing
through my veins! ;}

then just lash {"affix with string" sounds so boring! ;} them to the vessel
of your choosing! but first you might want to give them a festive
edging! or use an expensive yet fabulous paper punch {i find that i
like to use my expensive punches quite frequently so that i can mentally
amortize their uses over the year and feel that i have made a wise investment! ;}

fill and fluff with bits and bobs...or corks...which actually can bob...

vintage shreds with glittered & decoupaged acorns...
or even something less whimsical/borderline nutty!
{to each their own...so, i went with the whimsical/
borderline nutty! ;}

team them up with your other fall-icious treats to create
a festive vignette in a jiffy with NO sweat equity needed!
after all, you need to save your precious strength for
all the chewing you will be doing on Thursday...followed
by a nap, naturally! ;}

Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors
Weekend Wrap Up @ Tattertots & Jello
Mosaic Monday @ The Little Red House
Project Parade @ DIY Showoff
Met Monday @ BNOTP
Brag Monday @ The Graphics Fairy
Good Life Wednesday @ A Beach cottage
Fall Into Fall @ DIY By Design
Primp Your Stuff @ Primp

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Pink Thx!

2011-11-19T07:17:00.001-08:00

a little touch of PINK for your Thanksgiving preparations!
are you ready for all the family?
all the food?
the promise to yourself NEVER to eat that much again! ever!
{ok, forget that one! ;}

it's almost here! chop! chop! ;}

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet The Sound

Time Flies! {..and other insects}

2011-11-17T06:43:00.000-08:00

busy, busy week! ok, weeks!

hard to believe it's already thursday...

harder still...Thanksgiving is next week!
{HOW DID THAT HAPPEN??!!!}

then Christmas!
remember when you were little...and weeks crawled by
like months!
where did that feeling go?
sheesh!
ARE THE HOLIDAYS SNEAKING UP ON YOU???
here's wishing you some extra hours in your day!!! ;}

Mixed-up Media...

2011-11-13T14:55:00.000-08:00

this is what i had in my head...sort of... ;}
i thought, 'oh, i'll just glue the material to some cardboard,
then i'll draw on a fabulous pattern, then i'll just cut it
out...zip...zap...zoom...all done...looks great...so pleased...'
blah, blah, blah.
it did not quite work out that way! ;}

there was no small amount of carnage involved first.
hacking and sawing!
what i really needed was a chain saw!
apparently, when you glue fabric to cardboard, the cardboard
becomes all bendy...the already-hard-to-cut-material becomes
impossible to cut and you just end up with something that looks
like beavers chewed all around the edges!
ok, maybe you don't end up with that...but i did!!

so what began as my triumphant butterfly ornament making
session...fizzled out rather quickly!
what the heck was i doing! ACK!

and in my usual LAZY manner, i just freehanded the butterflies...
which is probably the reason that they don't really look like any
butterflies you have ever seen! they are a tad bottom heavy and,
actually, they look like they are wearing pantaloons! I know!
butterflies in pantaloons...you heard it here first! even my cats
were pointing and laughing!

the one saving grace...i just happened to have champagne colored
GGG that looks tres fab against the vintage patina of this graphic
i borrowed from the fairy...this butterfly is a keeper. the others?
well, i think i'll open the window and set them free! ;}

but i was feeling ornamenty...and you guys keep pinning cool
things that i see on my pinterest page, so i had a plan b...b is
as far as i go...plan c, d & e or beyond...well, they are just too
much effort to even contemplate!

corks & prisms...that's the ticket and i know that's what you were
all thinking, right? who wouldn't be!

a cork...
and a prism...
how hard can it be?
well...

i just tried not to overthink it...
take a cork...
then add a prism...
but i wasn't in love with it.
too plain...too boring.

so, i added some vintage sheet music & hand stamped seam binding.

some burlap and a tiny shell...

this and that...
scraps, left overs and the like.
how green am i?
not green at all...just a cheap hoarder! ;}

a mini-starfish, string & fabric shreds...
{nothing screams "Christmas" like fabric shreds! ;}

a seriously Lazy Girl project!
corks, glue gun, bits and bobs...then let your imagination run wild!
it's a great idea and a good way to use up all your hoarded odds & ends!

hanging dangling objects within paw's reach of felines?

nope...not such a great idea!
i didn't take pictures of the carnage that ensued...
i just wept silently and lamented my moronitude!
live and learn..or in my case, live...and 20 cats later...
still never learn!
{but if you heard his howitzer purrrrrrr...you'd forgive him anything too! ;}

Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors
Project Parade @ DIY Showoff
Mosaic Monday @ Dear Little Red House
Met Monday @ BNOTP
Brag Monday @ the Graphics Fairy
Meet Monday @ YATTM
Talent Tuesday @ Vintage Wanna Bee
Good Life Wednesday @ A Beach Cottage
Air Your Laundry @ Freckled Laundry
Inspiration Friday @ The Picket Fence
Potpourri Friday @ 2805
Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage
Vintage Inspiration Friday @ Common Ground
Week End Wrap Up @ Tattertots & Jello

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Shiny Happy People...

2011-11-12T10:11:00.000-08:00

oh, the things you can do with a matchbox!
ok, maybe some of things shouldn't be done...but, you know...
live and learn! ;}
glitter! now glitter should ALWAYS be done to a matchbox!!
have you seen that sign on pinterest, "glitter is the herpes of
crafting?"---wow! never really thought i'd use that word on the
blog---anyway, if that is true...then back off! i'm a carrier!!!
if that's our modern world...dirt and grunge over sparkle and
shine, glimmer and glow...well then count me out! as the old
song says, "shine! make 'em wonder what you've got...make them
wish that they were not...on the outside looking bored!"
so i'll just shine, thank you very much! ;}

PINK SATURDAY @ How Sweet The Sound

Clip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah...

2011-11-06T17:37:00.000-08:00

so, i have to be honest here...i'm not quite sure if this came
about through inspiration...or desperation...but let's go
with inspiration, shall we! ;} who wouldn't be inspired
by these cute little "dollar bin" jars from Michael's?
that's a no-brainer!

but this is where the desperation comes into play...blackboard contact
paper that i found on AMAZON ...pretty darn cool...pretty darn fun...i can stick it
anywhere...
but for the love of mike...there's 75 feet of it! and i am plum out of
ideas about where to stick it {now that didn't sound at all ladylike,
did it??! ;}

well, i stuck it here! {after i had used one of my cute paper punches!}

then an idea began to percolate...
the one thing i have more of than blackboard contact paper, is
clothes pins...{clips...pegs...}
well, ok, i have a lot of shoes...
and gummy bears...
shells...
and q-tips, but none of those fit into this plan!
focus!

stick that little clothespin onto the paper...trim a bit...
bam! 2 seconds flat...you're done!

personalize pins for the recipient...
in this case, the recipient was me...so i HAD to have one for "chips"!
they are my life's blood! {the Frito-Lay Corp. is the Edward to my Bella!;}

"notes"... pictured here we have music "notes"...
but bank notes are welcome too!!! clip away!

"stuff"...this clip can follow me anywhere...'cuz i do have "stuff"!
and it's so non-committal...use it for Christmas receipts...or your
bearer bonds...you decide!

"everything"...if i have to spell this one out...
well...then i just give up, people!

these would make jiffy quick treat or Christmas present for your
child's teacher...or your blackboard obsessed friend...
i stress the "jiffy" and the "quick"...if you have 3.5 minutes...
you are in like Flynn!

Met Monday @ BNOTP
Mosaic Monday @ The Dear Little Red House
JSIWU @ The Girl Creative
Project Parade @ DIY Showoff
Tuesday's Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice
Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style
Primp Your Style @ Primp
Good Life Wednesday @ A Beach Cottage
White Wednesday @ Faded Charm Cottage
Weekend Wrap Up @ Tattertots & Jello
Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

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Little Creative Give Away On The Prairie

2011-11-02T22:20:00.000-07:00

pretty cute, eh?

yep! i'd take all this too!

and if you threw in this little trinket...i wouldn't
mind one bit!

but i would want all this to boot!

greedy of me?
well...yes!
but i do want it all! {i'll "own" my greed! ;}
and just because i am not inclined to share, doesn't mean
you can just win all of these treats for your very own!
you see kristin of FADED PRAIRIE is having a Creative Give Away ...
so, pop on over and leave a lil 'ol comment...and all this...and more...could be yours! ;}

fingers crossed!

You're Invited To A Mixer...

2011-11-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

how cool is this?
way cool!
too cool!
beyond the valley of cool!
ok, ok, i'm done...just wanted to be sure you
understood the how seriously cool this is! ;}

the creative {and cool} genius behind these masterpieces is
the one and only nicole dinardo of UN AMORE DESIGNS

yes, she's the one who customized the pioneer woman's kitchen aid!
but she's not all cowgirl cuteness and flowers!

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! she has a wild streak!

oh, to have this in my mary engelbreit red kitchen that
i don't have! but when i do have it...i'll need one of these!

vintage-y pin-ups! this warms the cockles of my WWII heart!

shut up!

argyle??! i just might need a defibrillator!

old keys and pink...lawsy me!

a wine bottle...just plain fabulous!

cherry blossom charming!

i am just amazed by her ideas alone!
her talent...well, these pictures speak a thousand words!

which one stirs your heart? ;}

{all shots HEATHER LYNN PHOTOGRAPHIE & UN AMORE DESIGNS }

Good Life Wednesday @ A Beach Cottage

All Keyed Up...

2011-10-31T06:47:00.000-07:00

yep, just what you have all been waiting for...key tags!
no?
you haven't?
you were waiting for the life-size Breaking Dawn mural
i was going to paint on my living room wall? yah, well,
i ran out of candy corn...and without "fuel food" that
project will just have to wait...so tags it is ;}

when i saw these...i knew i'd need to be a copy-cat and
make them with my own "found" objects...meaning i
found it when i was rummaging for something else...
so i thought i might as well make use of it! ;}

off to a good start thankx to The Graphics Fairy and some old
tags i've had since about the time MacArthur boarded the Missouri!

what is the creative process without a touch of four-legged anarchy!?

my first foray into straying from the original was the keys...
i do have some old fashioned ones, but they are decorative
and made of iron and consequently very heavy...they would have
needed to be mounted to a tag that had been reinforced with rebar!
and gol darnie, i am fresh out! ;} so, i went with the mid century
smaller version.{i just wanted to say "mid century"...like i meant
it...but i really don't... ;}

paper was glue-sticked to tags...
then the rummaging began!
on the one hand i need all my junk all around me when i
am "creating" for inspiration...but on the other hand, it
can be distracting! so many ideas at once...taming them
can be exhausting...and require a ding dong or two!

so, i snipped, and tied and glued and chopped until i had...

these.

i think simplicity was the key to the originals...
i have a hard time with simplicity...although it does
have its place...it's a little boring. ;}

a scrap of my fab script material...

a bit of burlap and a tiny sand dollar...

a smidge of cork...

but other than that...they are exactly like the originals!
and i found them to be delightfully photogenic!

now go forth and copy...with things that should have been trash...
and your own little twist! ;}

Met Monday @ BNOTP
Project Parade @ DIY Showoff
Mosaic Monday @ The Dear Little Red House
Brag Monday @ The Graphics Fairy
Tuesday's Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice
White Wednesday @ Faded Charm Cottage
Good Life Wednesday @ A Beach Cottage
Hooking Up @ HOH
Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here
Weekend Wrap Up @ Tattertots & Jello
Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

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it's key! as someone who used to live by the preppy handbook...
i just had to throw that in there!!! ;}

Houston...We Have Pictures!

2011-10-29T11:36:00.000-07:00

gloriosky! my 24 hour probation period is over
and i am once again allowed to upload pictures!
{although i still have to report in once a week and
wear and ankle bracelet! ;}

so, i thought i'd go with some really obnoxiously bright shots
to celebrate pictures in general...and pink in particular.
{royal winton's "julia"}

i feel like a new man...uh, woman...uh, person {what's the pc way
to say that these days? ;} one never appreciates basic technology
until it's taken away...ok, it was my own fault but let's not cloud
all this melodrama with facts! ;}

PINK SATURDAY @ How Sweet The Sound

Picture This...

2011-10-28T06:45:00.000-07:00

...you'll have to...mentally...cuz there are NO pictures here!
nope, no sireee bob!
i kept getting this funky error when i tried to upload
which i ignored...and instead of letting it make my head
want to explode, i turned off the computer {because the
alternative was frissbee-ing it out the window!} well, blogger
finally told me WHAT the error was this morning...hee hee...
wow! what a dork I am! but who didn't know that already? ;}
i am out of storage space so google is holding my posts hostage
until i pay a ransom...wow! can you stand that drama??!!!
anywho, now that i am all nancy drew-like and the mystery
of the missing pictures is solved, looks like it will be another
24 hours...
i'm sure you'll live...
i'm sure you never even noticed...
i really just wanted to whine! ;}

{Lack Of} Flower Power...

2011-10-23T14:23:00.000-07:00

now if you saw this little pretty, wouldn't you want to make it?
yah...me too.
i wasn't even intimidated by the fact that it's origami...i mean
everyone knows that origami means "a simplistically cruel
way to befuddle the lazy" in japanese.
how hard can it be, right? even had step-by-step directions...
pictures and everything from Cut Out & Keep ...piece of cake, right?
{they are called kusadama flowers...this should have been my first clue...
when you have the words kus, sad & dam all in one name...anyone in their
right might should be filled with a sense of foreboding...but you know with
me, "right mind" is optional! ;}

so, you're supposed to use a post-its as your template...3 x 3...easy enough.
and right now, i'd like to say that i used the b & w copies of vintage book
pages because i was going for the stark, white, wintery look...but that would
be a big fat lie...i just didn't want to waste my vintage stuff on a experimentation,
which for me, ends up frankensteiny!

3 x 3's cut...i got my vintage on by getting some cuteness from The
Graphics Fairy

your first step is to fold it in half, so any one-sided print will do just fine.
then two...
then three...
then four...
i've folded napkins...i can do this, right?

no, as a matter of fact...i can't!
i just DO NOT get the next step...the one that makes THREE folds end
up inside each petal instead of the stupid TWO i keep making!
why does everything require math! sheesh!
i tried...i really did...i made the first one from a pink post-it...
over and over...fold after fold...after fold! it was so accordioned
i felt the strong urge to POLKA!

then you glue them together...easy enough, right?
meh...

somehow mine doesn't have that nice round hole in the middle...
yah, besides the pathetic 2 folds instead of three...thank you for
reminding me!

this was the second one i made...
i know...you thought that the first picture was so bad that it had to
be my proto...
uh, no.
i had the bright idea to liven thing ups and use funky scissors to make
a cool edge...not a good plan...take it from me. and in my mind's eye
i was thinking the folds weren't flat, but were opened and i used a
paint brush to force them open even! not! funny thing how my mind's
eye's memory is juuuuust as bad as my mind's mind! ;}
i also went crazy with the hot glue...not pretty...lots of glue-y entrails
everywhere!

it was so pathetic i thought i'd give it leaves...which just served to make
it look like a weird...ugh-ly butterfly. what can i say, i have the midas
touch! ;}

ok, this one is better...but i spaced on my count and i only made 4
petaly tube things...not 5.
i know...i am an embarrassment to anyone with glue burns and mod
podge stuck in their hair!

they look ok when you can only see a little of them...
{this is called a mercy crop! ;}

they really aren't hard...
well, my 2-fold version isn't.

who knows, maybe you have to use calculus to get that 3rd fold
thus adding an extra olympian degree of difficulty that i have no
weapon against!

a bit of advice from this crafty moron to you...although vintage paper
would be cool...i wouldn't use pages from before bell bottoms, platform
shoes and the hustle...it's too brittle and tears instead of folding...but then
don't we all.

they are not all together hideous...
for the Christmas tree...maybe tipped with glitter?
of course they can be made bigger or smaller, so on
gifts or a bouquet is not out of the question.

and if anyone can explain the 3rd fold to me...
i'd be grateful...and humbled...
{probably embarrassed too! but i have a brand new bag of
flaming hot cheetos to help overcome that...so, let 'er rip! ;}

THANK YOU TERRY S...I GET IT NOW! YOUR EMAIL IS NOT
CONNECTED TO YOUR COMMENT SO I CAN'T REPLY TO YOUR
COMMENT...MAYBE YOU'LL SEE THIS THOUGH...THX!
IT'S THE KITE PART...THE KITE...NOW I GET IT!

Mosaic Monday @ The Dear Little Red House
Met Monday @ BNOTP
Project Parade @ DIY Showoff
White Wednesday @ Faded Charm Cottage
Good Life Wednesday @ A Beach Cottage
Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors
Brag Monday @ The Graphics Fairy
Weekend Wrap Up @ Tattertots & Jello

Nothin' But Blue Skies...

2011-10-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

she paints...

she crafts...

she grows...

she bakes...

she sews...

and her porch is adorable!

her name is jenny k of Blue Sky Confections ...go check her out...
you'll be as exhausted as i am...but it's a good kind of exhausted!
{i am so glad to know that someone else is doing all these things...
it really takes the pressure off of me! ;}

That Little Devil On My Shoulder...

2011-10-18T20:55:00.000-07:00

would you look at those mirrors???!!!
i know!
and here i am...caught unprepared...my smelling salts
and fainting couch so far out of reach that i may just
end up in a heap on the floor! but if i was on the floor
next to those mirrors...somehow i know everything
would be a-ok!

so, tripped and fell into the clutches of a site called
AN ANGEL AT MY TABLE that is just brimming with so
many lust-worthy delights that i kept
thinking that the word "devil" really should be in its name...
because nearly every item could cause you to stumble!
{i'll take any one...or all of those birdie abodes, thank you!}

it's a watering can...that looks like a teapot!
i know!
and i don't even have any plants...or drink much tea
unless it's with a nyquil chaser during flu season!
and yet...i want it!

as if the fabric isn't fab enough!
the pink dingle-balls...stop it!!!!!

i could only toss unused tissues in this...
i couldn't bare to make it icky!

and i am just a sucker for anything union jacky!
{God save the queen!}

wow! not sure if i could use it...for real...
the thought of used tissues, burst ketchup packets,
smashed Smarties & ibuprofen stuck to pennies,
last months bills, a flashlight & 3 books within its
beauteous depths...no, no nanette!

i just want to frame this picture!

if you need a votive...it really should look like this!

jingle bells, hearts & wreaths...
3 great things that go great together!!!
{what commercial is the from???}

mini chandies!
i could tack one of these above my kitchen sink and pretend...
right?

now, pots like this i have seen a lot...
but with that added edging? not!!!
a-dorable!

can you have too much candle lit mercury glass? i think not!

vintage-y velvety blooms!
on your sweater...
at your waist...
in your hair...
{up high...where your cats cats use them as a toy!! ;}

this combination of mirror and bird cage...
lurrrrve!

and these little baubles...i want to try and copy!
i am in a frenzy of inspiration...how hard can it be?
{i'll get back to you on that one! ;}

now, never let it be said that i am trying to lead you astray...
fear not, little lambs! these sorts of sinful catalogs and websites
have been sent to test us...fire-y trials that we can stand fast
against...and then copy everything as best we can!!!
which is not to say that if i won the lottery i wouldn't buy
everything in this post so fast it would make your head spin! ;}

gorgeous photography!
beautiful wares!
oodles of inspiration!
AN ANGEL AT MY TABLE ...is a little bit of heaven!

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You Asked For It...Yet Another Pumpkin Post!

2011-10-17T06:34:00.000-07:00

ok, so maybe you didn't ask for it...
but you're gonna get it anyway! 'tis the season
for pumpkins and you are not leaving autumn
without getting my 2¢ worth of fall-icious fun.
which brings us, once again, back to my scripty
faux burlap fabric that i am bound and determined
to use every last square inch of...because it was quite
a spendy purchase!

so here is the reverse side of of the fabric...
too much?
hey, never let it be said that my "tutorials" are
anything less than thorough...or something!
i used 2 hand towels as the "stuffing"...what has
every body else used? i seriously had no idea what
to use...well, actually when my girl kitty is asleep
in a little ball...she's the perfect shape...but i had
this feeling that she'd be less than amenable to the
idea...and that i'd lose 5 pints of blood in the attempt...
so, towels it is!

fabric cut to size...what size? eh, no idea...
trust me, there were no algorithms or
hypotenuses used in this process! i just figured
i'd squish it up until it looked pumpkin-esque...
or something!

quality control...always close at hand!

forcepts...clamp...rubber band! i couldn't think of anything
else to use...and again...the cat was unwilling to cooperate!
then i tugged and pulled and pleated...growled and messed
it all up and started over again...don't let my skills fool you...
making fake pumpkins is NOT an exact science!

a festive tag made from the Graphics Fairy's wares!

as is this framed sheet music for a bit a staging magic.

hemp twine & wine corks...where is she going with this??!!
{trust me...she doesn't even know! ;}

yah, yah...it seemed like a good idea at the time!
but i think we can all agree...it's a "FAIL!"
i had to think of something else...i just couldn't look
at that...i just kept laughing! ;}

so, not all pumpkins have to have a long stem...
some just have a stubby one, right? well, that's my story
and i'm sticking to it!
i x-nayed the cork protrusion and rewrapped the twine
so that it climbed a tad higher...more stump-like.

upon reflection...{aka...after a glass of wine} i thought that it might
have been a good idea to wrap the twine higher still, then coil it
and glue it at the top to create a more realistic stump...for the
faux pumpkin...yah...i know...sounds like i have been smoking
some of that hemp twine!

but realistically faux...or no.
i still like it better...sans cork protrusion! ;}

and when fall has left us...
since it is towel filled...
i can just use it for my future absorption needs!
how green is that??! ;}

i'm done...i promise!
and you all get a merit badge for enduring this post! ;}

Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors
Met Monday @ BNOTP
Mosaic Monday @ The Dear Little Red House
JSIWU @ The Girl Creative
Project Parade @ The DIY Showoff
Brag Monday @ The Graphic's Fairy
Tuesday's Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice Of Suburbia
Good Life Wednesday @ A Beach Cottage
White Wednesday @ Faded Charm Cottage
Open House @ No Minimalist Here
House Party @ Saved By Suzy
Share Awesomeness @ The 36th Ave
Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage
Vintage Inspiration Friday @ Common Ground
Inspiration Friday @ The Picket Fence
Air Your Laundry @ Freckled Laundry
Weekend Wrap Up @ Tattertots & Jello

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I Know, I Know...Shush You!

2011-10-15T12:04:00.000-07:00

i know...i know...i said that i was swearing off the WUSLU
stuff...but in a moment of weakness this morning...i peeked...
bad girl!
naughty, naughty!
a newspaper across the nose for you...uh, me!
now, i don't ever actually sit with my feet propped up
on a stool...i am usually sitting on the floor and using
a stool as a table.
but good golly miss molly! this is sure cute!
and at only 21 vapors-inducing dollars...
well, i'll leave the rest up to you.

{forget you saw this..i was never here!}

Jeanne d' Romantic Domino

2011-10-13T06:53:00.000-07:00

looking for a little Domino...
a bit of Jeanne d'Arc Living...
a smidge of Romantic Homes...
a dash of Country Living?
well then sister i have just the link for you!
right HERE !
it's a UK on-line mag that i happened upon during my travels
and it's a bit of all right, mate! {not buying it, are you?! ;}

{ok, back to being American ;}
perusing its pages was a fun little jaunt filled stores
i have never heard of...articles and people i don't know...
in short...intriguing to the max {wow...i think i just channeled
another decade there, totally! woops! ;}

like say... VELVET BROWN ...sure the name reminds me of Velvet Jones
on SNL...but their cute wares make you forget that in in a jiff...

and then there's NORDIC HOUSE...wow! oh, the ideas one can get just from
the photo styling!

BERRY RED ...fun stuff, cute stuff...and GREENGATE! lots and lots of it!!!

RED LILLY ...a string of mercury bird lights...that's all i'm saying!

so, if you have a few idle moments today...or tomorrow...
or whenever...check out HEART HOME ! it's a
nice little world to escape into!

Ornithology 101...{Birds On A Wire}

2011-10-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

yes...birds again...
i missed my calling as an ornithologist!
well, if the study of birds includes the glittery papery kind
{and NO dissecting!;}
i saw this wreath on BAYBERRY ...and while it doesn't cost a major
fortune...i thought i'd take a crack at it myself...free is always better...
free makes me quite happy!

now this wire was not the proper gauge...should have been a tad
thicker...and i actually do have the thicker stuff...but i can't seem
to locate it at present...if any of you know where it is...please let
me know...i'm sure i'm looking right at it...under a pile of crepe
paper or ribbons! i suppose there's something to be said
for being organized and tidy after all! i'll get to that tomorrow...
naaaaaaah!

so, this is the makeshift, semi-wonky wire-y foundation i made...
you're impressed...i can feel it through the world wide web!
{this will be my symbol when i get rich and buy a dude ranch...
"the lazy loopy ranch"...has a nice ring, eh? I will hold "lazy
girl craft workshops" there...where we can watch other people
make things! ;}

now, to get down to brass tacks!
using an assortment of lovelies from The Graphics Fairy,
my birdie template and my nasty old pink scissors...

i made a flock of these guys...

maybe being an ornithologist is over rated...
these birds are nice and quiet...and no poop anywhere! ;}

at this point...i am lamenting my lack of a tripod...
once again!
please, keep reminding me that i MUST get one!

i have NO wall surface that gets any sort of decent light
by which i can take a passable picture!

so, these shots will have to suffice...until i get a tripod!
remember...
you are supposed to be reminding me!

i just popped that flock onto that wire with a bit of hot glue...
and bob's your uncle! voila!
there's always a cheap and easy way to make a copy of a
pretty you admire...it may not be perfect...but perfection
is highly over rated! ;}
just give it a go...you never know, you just might like your
version a whole lot better...or it may be complete trash! ;}
never know until you try!!!! {obviously the ornithology
would be a better choice than a career in motivational speaking?
there's a reason that no one calls me "the tony robbins of crafting"! ;}

Brag Monday @ The Graphics Fairy
Met Monday @ BNOTP
Project Parade @ The DIY Showoff
Tuesday's Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Good Life Wednesday @ A Beach Cottage
White Wednesday @ Faded Charm Cottage
Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

You Know You Want It!

2011-10-08T11:05:00.000-07:00

AND SO DO I!!!!! and Cynthia of CYNTHIA'S COTTAGE DESIGN
is actually giving it away!!!!
SERIOUSLY???
SERIOUSLY!!!!
SHUT UP!!!!
I KNOW!!!!!

she is celebrating making the cover of American Miniaturist Magazine !
and apparently people who make tiny treasures have really BIG hearts! ;}

and all those cute little yummies are included...

top to bottom!!! holy cats!!!!

i really had to dig down deep to find the better angels of
my nature just to write this post! why am i telling everyone
about it...
when I WANT IT!!!!!

well, i knew you'd want it too!
so, hop on over to CYNTHIA'S and
congratulate her for her cover girl coup!
and enter to win this amazing baker's rack!!!!!

and may the best man win!!! ;}

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet The Sound

Care To MINGLE?

2011-10-07T15:00:00.000-07:00

care to delve into the world of the queen of PINK herself, Marie Antoinette?

care to peruse all these tempting little treats?

care to run through the grass with a bunch of women somewhere
cold so you can wear a cute sweater and scarf? {sorry, i can only be
serious for 2 sentences, max! ;}

then...get ready to MINGLE! that's right Stampington has yet
another cool new publication!
and if you'd like to win a copy, just pop on over to
Summerland Cottage Studio for you chance!!!!

HOLIDAY...With Matthew & Tink!

2011-10-06T18:18:00.000-07:00

it's time for another Matthew Mead magazine...and the Christmas
editions are always pretty darn awesome!

check out this VIDEO to see just how awesome!! {sorry! i tried to embed it...
but it just won't cooperate! ;}

and stop by HOLIDAY WITH MATTHEW MEAD ...there's so much
more to see...and more prizes!

then pop on over to COTTAGE for your chance to win this
bonanzalicious expanded edition!!!!
{and tell Tink i sent you...and that Marty Stew says, "hey!" ;}

Bird Flew...

2011-10-03T06:39:00.000-07:00

what in the heck is it with me...and birds?!
i have never had a bird...never even wanted one...
but if i see an item...any item...shaped like a birdie...
i just gotta have it!
it's a sickness!

so, naturally, when i saw this little pin...i did a few dipsy doodles
of joy! the price, however, was not so joy inspiring...so, i saved
the picture for future inspirational use.
{i only saved the picture and not the site...if anyone recognizes
this work, let me know so i can give a shout out...thx!}

i was hoping to find a fatter, more disney-esque birdie shape
to use...you know, the kind of birds that sit on your finger and
sing or tie the sash on your dress...alas, there were none to be
had...so i just sort of winged it and ended up with this little guy.
he'd have to do as my model/pattern.

the original was too plain...i wanted words and music!
the sheet music i had was just too darn big, so i went with
old hymnal pages that had a smaller font size...just right!
sheet music...glue stick...cardboard...voila!

i achieved the shiny plastic look with several coats of Liquid Laminate...
dries in a jiff and every coat made the cardboard stiffer and stiffer. a good
thing.

popped on {glue gun} a run-of-the-mill pin back {they cost about $3 for
a million @ Oriental Trading or Fire Mountain Gems...or Michael's or
Walmart for that matter. A fashionable pin...any lazy girl would be
proud of!

it's cardboard, so we are not talking family heirloom here...
but for zero dollars and in about half an hour i was able to
create this cute little guy...who will look just dandy on a vintage
sweater...when it gets cool enough to even think about
looking at a sweater without having a hot flash...maybe
January! ;}

the vintage wallpaper was a bit too fragile and not at all up to the task
so, this little guy will grace a clothespin until further inspiration strikes!
{he'd sure make a cute package tie-on!;}

Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors
Time Travel Thursday @ The Brambleberry Cottage
Fall In Love With Your Home @ Decor To Adore
White Wednesday @ Faded Charm Cottage
GYCO @ Today's Creative Blog
Met Monday @ BNOTP
Mosaic Monday @ The Dear Little Red House
JSIWU @ The Girl Creative

The Secret Life Of Dishes...

2011-10-02T08:26:00.000-07:00

if you are a dishophile you will get this...
if you aren't, you won't...simple as that.
it's a sickness and if you haven't been infected...
if a dainty teacup doesn't make your heart flutter,
a gorgeous plate doesn't make your knees weak
and if an entire collection doesn't leave you reaching
for the smelling salts...then this is not the post for
you! ;}

so, a while ago i took pictures of Bee's china hutch...
up close and personal.

the kind of pictures i would want to see...

as if you are right there...peeking in!

i just love that little sign!

{sidebar}
if you have never seen or read an EMILIE BARNES book...
you are missing out!
She has an amazing collection of tea-related books! She has even
teamed up with SUSAN RIOS & SANDY LYNAM CLOUGH
for her illustrations! Too cute!

my favorite!!!!! english rose! i do believe it's the perfect pattern!

are you checking for dust?
{i doubt you'll find any! but don't despair...i always keep
a ready reserve on hand at my house! ;}

don't you feel like you're on safari!
right up in there with a mustard pot and pin tray!
grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrooooooooowwwwwwwwlllllllll!

{i should have taken the mini deer and little car out before
i took the shot...i am just so used to seeing them there...that i don't
see them anymore...and the reason they are there...trust me, you
don't want to go there.}
the box that the little car is on...it's a cigarette box...yes, a box
that pretty to hold cigarettes...can you imagine!

those little shells...salt cellars...are my very favorite chintz item.
could they be cuter? no!

i don't want you to miss anything...

here's the opposite view...
chintz and sunshine were made for each other!

ok, i tried my best to give you that "bird's eye"...
snoop's eye view. but i think you get the basic idea...
chintz is darn pretty!!! ;}

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet The Sound

ooops...just a smidge more! ;}

A Little Bit Fishy!

2011-09-28T18:11:00.001-07:00

starfishy, to be exact!
and 2 dozen of those, to be even exacter!
come on...you know you want 'em!
so, come and get 'em!
or rather go and get 'em!
miss maya, queen of all things Completely Coastal
...is having a starfishylicious give away!
24 pristine finger starfish...or sea stars, if you prefer...
these are my choice for painting and glittering and
all the silly things i like to do to the poor defenseless
asteroidea {i totally looked that up! ;}.

best of luck!

Lazy To The Tenth Power!

2011-09-27T18:39:00.000-07:00

i know...
i have been lazy lately...über lazy...
like, lazy to the tenth power kinda lazy.
i just feel unmotivated, you know? how you are supposed to feel
after new years. what can i say? i started early!
...and fat...i feel fat...my-thighs-are-getting-a-little-too-cozy-and-
on-a-first-name-basis-with-each-other kinda fat! {sorry, it's
dinner time for some of you...not a visual you'd be wanting!}
and apparently my fingers are fat and my brain is lazy too
because i made a tchotchke last weekend that i fully intended
to share...i took pictures...uploaded pictures...
and then i just thought...'really?! that is the best you can do??!
that is moronic...seriously moronic! trolls under a bridge
would think that was moronic!' {it really wasn't that bad...it just
wasn't what i pictured in my head, so i had a tantrum!}
and now this stupid thing in underlining my words for no reason
that i can fathom...
geez louise!
anyway, so i am just going with a shelly white mosaic for today
...in an attempt to wrest my remaining creativity
from the evil clutches of despair...and my fat thighs! ACK! ;}

{forget you ever read this!}

White Wednesday @ Faded Charm Cottage
Good Life Wednesday @ A Beach Cottage

Uh-oh, Spaghetti-O's!

2011-09-23T18:04:00.000-07:00

THIS PLACE is T-R-O-U-B-L-E!!!
i am going to NEED to take it out of my favorites!!!
i never should have put in my favorites to begin with...
MOTHER OF PEARL...what was i thinking!!!!
yes, this lamp is today's WUSLU deal!
and i am sharing it with you because i can't fight this
alone!
and...i want to hear you whimper and gnash your teeth...
just like me!
plus, there is some lust involved here...so prayer is needed.
lots of prayer...a whole meeting and possible tent revival!
I have to go eat something salty and/or fattening to
distract myself!!

UH-OH!!! ;0

Naughty Girl!

2011-09-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

i'm sure you all know SUSAN ...
she's one of THE sweetest Rock Star bloggers around!
well...i thought she was until she had to go and introduce
me to this newfangled gizmo called WUSLU !
naughty girl!
like I need to know of another place where I can find stuff!
sheesh!
there's only one deal a day on Wuslu...and that clock is today's
deal!
i don't need it...do i?
it's $16.50...isn't it cute!
do i?
be my backbone...tell me NO!
remind me that there's a clock on my stove...my microwave...
{and when Daylight Savings Time Ends...they will even be right!;}
crikey! there's even a clock by my bed!
the world is going to hell in a hatbox...bread will be $20 dollars
a loaf by tomorrow...
but isn't it cute???!!!
bad Susan! naughty! naughty!
{isn't it cute??!! ;}

The Sommelier's Nightmare...

2011-09-18T13:39:00.000-07:00

wine corks...
corkage, as it were...
with an abundance of corks, you might expect
swilling and swirling and sniffing.
naaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh, not here! ;}

{ source google }
the other day, my sister Kae was asking me if i had seen
those cool initials made from corks? well, yes i had, in fact
but you could have knocked me over with a feather, because
Kae likes a lot of things, none of which include anything that's
Etsy/Anthro/Pintresty style! so, since i have been wanting to
take a crack at one myself, i thought she would be my guinea
pig! ;}

so, i gathered up my cork collection...{no, i don't have the empty bottle
collection that goes with these corks! they are from several sources...ok,
at least two sources! ;} and arranged them in a pleasing fashion....
meaning in the shape of a "k"! well that was easy enough! but really...
how hard could it be? i didn't bother to look for directions anywhere
since it appeared to be pretty cut & dry. had i stumbled up the ultimate
lazy girl project??!!
gloriosky!

and now, obviously, we glue...
{Aleene's Quick Dry Tacky Glue was just the ticket...
it's tacky...
and it dries quick...truth in advertising.
unlike the plethora of overnight facial rejuvenation products i have
gathering dust! ;}

and glue...

and glue some more...

did i mention that you will need to keep gluing?

did i say you could stop gluing??!!

no! i didn't!
mush!!!!

there's a lot of gluing involved...
but it wasn't until i actually ran out of the tacky glue
that i wanted to set the whole thing on fire! ;}
but i didn't!
i just glued...

this is where the fun really started...you have been waiting for the
fun, haven't you?

so, by this time i was using Aleene's Tacky Gel...
i really need to look back at old posts to see if i mentioned
that i loathed and despised it before...grrrrrrrrrrr!
gel it is...
tacky it ain't!
note the puddling and seepage!
puddling and seepage are not words that one generally associates
with a craft that is progressing swimmingly!
the only thing swimming were my corks!
ankle deep in glue and now attached to the tablet I had them on!
{yah, yah, corks don't have ankles and using paper as your work
surface for a really gluey project is not bright...but it was
within reaching distance...i almost used a tee shirt! ;}

no, the knife was not for harakiri! i had to use it to gingerly PRY
the corks...my fabulously "k" shaped corks...from the tablet while
quickly easing the plastic wrap beneath! yes, you do wish you had
a camera for that performance!

phew! done!
but with a few casualties...Utah Beach was less grizzly!

{snooty sidebar}

be sure to place your 2 buck chuck corks at the inner parts of your
letter...

and your pricier wine corks on the outer edges where they
can be seen, if for no other reason than to distract people
from all the glue blobs! ;}

so, here's the thing about plastic wrap...it tends to be plasticy...
and thus, nonporous and does not breath...at all!
not one little bit!
sheesh & duh!
needless to say, the entire underside was niiiiiiiiiice and moist before
i went to bed!
you may be thinking, at this point, the directions {and common
sense} might have been a good idea! i was thinking that too...
although still leaning toward the fire idea! but instead,
i flipped the whole thing over and went to bed!

the next day i filled every conceivable nook and cranny with about
30 sticks of hot glue! you could build a house with hot glue!
{i had nixed the idea of using hot glue for the entire project
because i thought it would be too messy...i hate all the spider
webs! great thinking! ;}

finally ready!

if i have to be honest...do i? ok!
with just the merest hint of forethought, one ounce of gumption
and a tad less laziness...it would have been A LOT easier!!!
and if you had an empty frame
and backing that your were gluing the corks onto,
it would literally take minutes!!

and if, as with the example way up at the top of the post...
{the example you have already forgotten about since you
began reading this post yesterday!} you used a wooden
letter as the base, yikes! easier still. silly me, i just don't
have an entire large wooden alphabet at my disposal! ;}

yes, the right side is sagging under it's own weight...much as one
feels after a long day of shopping! ;} but it will be right as rain
when affixed to some sort of base.

Now wasn't that just like a perky episode of The DIY Dish ?
and i think we all understand why they have a show...not me! ;}
but don't you think their ratings would go through the roof if...
just once...they lit something on fire! ;}

Time Travel Thursday @ Brambleberry Cottage
Tuesdays Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice Of Suburbia

Spooning...

2011-09-17T11:30:00.000-07:00

i do a lot of spooning...

and i'm not quite sure how it all began?

with a teacup? yah, i get it.

or a teapot...

like fritos on a peanut butter & jelly sandwich...
these things just belong together! ;}

i have a small obsession with all-things tea too...

and yet even i find myself asking...

"what's up with all the teaspoons, Skippy?!"

and i have no answer...

i just whip out my camera...

and shoot some more!

maybe Freud...

Jung...

or Dr. Phil...

can shed some light on this?

do i subconsciously want to eat the glitter so as to become one?

shells?
ouch!
there's a reason Mary Poppins doesn't sing the praises of a spoonful
of seashells!

i guess i could just quit trying to psychoanalyse it...

spoons just make a darn cool prop!

but...i still think there's a deep seated something that
keeps drawing me back to them! ;}

For Corn Sake! PLEASE READ!!!!!

2011-09-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

so, here's the deal...
you leave a comment on this blog...and within that comment
you ask a question...
that's just fine and dandy...until i click on your link and i see
"no reply comment" because you don't have your email address
activated... {wailing and gnashing of teeth ensue!}
AND I AM SURE THAT MOST OF YOU HAVE NO IDEA THAT
PEOPLE CANNOT REPLY TO YOU BECAUSE OF THIS!

well, to rectify this dire situation, Donna the Funky Junk Queen
has spelled out the remedy VERY CLEARLY in her post
HOW TO MAKE YOUR BLOG COMMENT FRIENDLY !

Activate your profile / email

What it does...

If your profile is activated, this provides a means in which we can #1 email you IF you activate email, and #2 - you'll show up in other's email notifications. Which is truly what you want. Trust me.

Lecture

Let's say you leave me a comment and I want to write you back. If I need to go hunt down your blog (which one, anyway? many of you have more than one), then leave a comment on some non applicable post in order to reach you, chances are I won't do it.

How do I KNOW you don't have your email or profile activated? Because when I go try and email you, your email address shows up as noreply. Which really means NO REPLY. Which means I can send it but it won't get to you.

Leery on having a profile for security reasons? Leave your profile blank but at least activate a new hotmail email account you can later delete if going public isn't working for you. However, if you're public with a blog, you really ought to go public with an email. It's good PR for your visitors.

How to activate your profile and email

#1. CREATE a profile if you don't have one already. This is somewhere in your initial blog settings.

#2. Once created, you need to activate it.

dashboard
look to the upper left
select edit profile

under privacy -
select - show my profile
select - show my email address

under identity -
ADD - your desired online email address

click save profile

And while we are on this subject...she also gives you the skinny
regarding the necessity {OR LACK THEREOF!!!} of using the
word verification feature....grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...
I'm guessing that very few of you actually work for NASA or
the CIA, so the need for all these layers of security is befuddling!
as i have moaned about before, i have THE WORST internet
service in the world! so, here, in the seventh circle of hell, if i
have to click from here to there and there again to leave you a
comment, well to put it bluntly, after about 5 minutes, i tend to
lose heart, am completely knackered and am not only in need of
some chocolate...but quite possible a chocolate martini!

all you have to do is adjust your settings correctly {as perfectly
detailed HERE!!!!! by Donna} and you will receive your
comments directly into your email INBOX, where you can read them
and then decide to publish or NOT to publish them...easy as that! and your
readers will not feel like dancing circus poodles in tutus jumping through
so many hoops {hey, i'm not judging...a tutu in the privacy of your
own home is none of my business! ;}

So PUH-LEEEEZ! for the sake of all that is good...for pete's sake...
for mercy's sake...for pity's sake...for my sanity's sake {although
that ship may have already sailed! ;} Spend some quality time
reading Donna's action-packed post and learn how to...VERY
EASILY...make your blog MUCH more user friendly!!!

HERE!! GO HERE!!! QUICK LIKE A BUNNY!! and THANK YOU
from the bottom of my heart! Now let us go forth an harmoniously blog
together! ;}

{ps. the images included have nothing whatsoever to do with this
post...or with the price of tea in China for that matter...i just had
to throw them in there because what is a post without pictures??!! ;}

Bowled Over...

2011-09-15T06:49:00.000-07:00

while rummaging through my kitchen pantry i noticed a stack of things...
in a dark corner...{this is not unusual for me...hoarding 101 ;}

paper plates and napkins were on top, but i knew that the whole stack
was not entirely paper goods...{i knew this because all my paper goods
are on another shelf! ;}

hmmmm....what was under there?
{of course, i couldn't remember...i can't remember what i had for lunch yesterday! ;}

{i'll will not go into great detail regarding the next part as it required
crouching, squatting and other indelicate actions! ;}

well, mercy sakes alive! so thaaaaaat's where those beauties have been!

yep, it was a glorious stack of royal winton chintz serving bowls!

poor things! they used to be ohhhhhhhed & aaaaaahhed over...like the crown jewels!

and then, through no fault of their own...merely the fickle finger of fate...
the were banished!

ok, banish is a strong word {it just sound really good with all the drama i
was building up! ;} let's say...cast aside like a bastard child? no, no! again
with the drama...and waaaaaay too much BBC for me!

forgotten.
plain and simple.

but they are darn cute! too darn cute to sit in a dark corner...
so, i think i will bring them out into the light again.

what say you? ;}

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage
Pink Saturday @ How Sweet The Sound

White Delight...

2011-09-14T11:01:00.000-07:00

just a little bit of White for your Wednesday...

{wow! just one line...I should add this to "wordless wednesday"
too...but i don't know who hosts it...and anyway, i imagine
that they require NO words at all...and i have turned this into
a paragraph now...sheesh...i have no self control!
so, welcome to WORDY WEDNESDAY! ;}
ok...
i'm done...
no, really!
i am!
bye!

White Wednesday @ Faded Charm Cottage

I Am Here...To "Pump" You Up!

2011-09-13T10:03:00.000-07:00

lo these many years of blogging...{what's it been? 10, 20 years now?
no? it just feels that way to you, right? ;} i have done many "artistic"
{read: "odd" ;} things to poor defenseless fake pumpkins.

and the little styrofoam suckers never saw it coming!

or they would have run screaming from my clutches in a vain attempt
to maintain any small vestige of their pumpkinly dignity!

bummer for them...i may be lazy...but even on a bad day, i
can outrun a foam pumpkin! {i'm not quite sure if i just dissed
or complimented myself there...i'll have to get back to you on
that! ;}

and as the leaves begin to turn, i see all the magazines filled with so
many new and inventive {and downright freaky!} ideas for Fall 2011...

it got me to wondering, 'what in the world can i do this year?'

unfortunately, cat hair covered pumpkins are not in fashion this season...
so, i will need to think a bit farther outside the box...and get a new lint
roller!

so, what are your newfangled ideas this fine Fall for
"pimping your pumpkins"?
chalkboard?
stencils?
"faux" this or that?
or will you just go completely nuts and leave them "as is"?
let's hear it!

Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

With The Greatest Of Easel...

2011-09-11T16:41:00.000-07:00

a set of little easels...
how am i supposed to resist tiny itty witty easels?
they are just so small and ridiculously pointless...
all of which means they simply called out to me...
loooooooooooook aaaaaat meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
buyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
youuuuuuuuuu neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed meeeeeeeeee!
and, well, who am i to argue with tiny easels??!!
ring 'em up!

now, if i had some mad painting skills i could envision a miniature
seascape...
the NYC skyline...
a portrait of Mr. Darcy...
but remember, this is ME we are talking about here...
i glue...
that's what i do...
heats up in a jiff...wham, bam!
no mixing, no measuring...seat-of-the-pants-creations...
with liberal rest periods for snacking! ;}
the kind of projects that any lazy girl can tackle...
start to finish, before they get too distracted by that
unopened bag of MUNCHOS!

so, i opted for some collage-y creations.

this's & that's...

strings & scraps {from the Graphics Fairy, who else?!}...
{somethings i ordered came wrapped in that brown craft paper...
so i took my fancy-schmancy punches to it and made half a trillion
adorable cut-outs! ;}
ok, maybe only half a billion!

keys, twine and all manner of seafaring objects

naturally, whilst i glued i came up with 20 other ideas....
but they will require many more mini easels!
hmmmmm...maybe they aren't so silly after all! ;}

Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors
Vintage Inspiration Friday @ Deb's Common Ground
White Wednesday @ Faded Charm Cottage
Good Life Wednesday @ A Beach Cottage
Mosaic Monday @ The Dear Little Red House
Met Monday @ BNOTP
Brag Monday @ The Graphics Fairy