Valentine's Day Garland

Our house wasn't really feeling the love for V-Day. I've never been one to decorate for holidays other than Christmas, but with a kiddo, I feel all decoratey! Also, I don't have money to spend on decorations. I started snooping around our house looking for a solution. This is what I found:

- Red paper
- Red ribbon
- White cardstock

I've seen a ton of adorable garlands floating around blogland, see here, here and here (super duper cute, aren't they?!). But, I aimed for simple.
I whipped out my 1in circle punch and cut a bunch out of the white cardstock. Took the red paper and drew hearts all over, then cut them out (Note: they do NOT have to be perfect. I love the look of wonky hearts!). I took a small hole punch and cut two holes in everything, to thread the ribbon through. Threaded everything onto the ribbon, tied a knot in each end and taped it to the mantle. Easy peasy and SO sweet!



Linking up to:
We Did It Wednesday @ Sew Much Ado
Whatever Goes Wednesday @ Someday Crafts
Valentine's Galore @ Someday Crafts

Off Her Rocker

We were passed down this sweet little rocking chair by my aunt. Apparently my cousin (now 15) had it when she was little, but nobody could remember where it came from or if it was something important, so it sat in her storage room. When it came to us, it was certainly a cute rocker, but it had a few pencil lines and was looking a bit sad.

Sad little rocker, begging for love.

I knew I could help it step up its' game (is that the right its'? I never know)! A few weeks ago, I popped over to Home Depot to check out their mis-tint paint. I snatched up this lovely shade of green for .50. What a steal! Here's the cutie-pie chair after a few coats of paint.

Ahhhh... that's better.

 I'm a sucker for the cottage-y distressed look. Plus, this little guy is going to be living in my daughter's room, which is super vintage inspired, so I had to make it fit in. I took my sanding paper and got to work. Then, to make the sanded parts pop even more, I brushed on some REALLY watered down brown paint. Wiped it all off (just want a little to stick to the raw wood) and voila!

Have a seat, won't you?

I'm ready for my close up!

Total cost: .50 for paint. That's my kinda project!



Linking up to:

Heinous Frame Gets A Makeover!

I knew the moment I saw this heinous little frame that it could turn into something beautiful, I could be the one to breathe new life into it. Because I'm a total lame-o, I forgot to take a before picture (ugh!). I really wish you could have seen just how sad it was.

The only before-ish shot I've got...

Bad, right? Now imagine that with a really hideous brown, orange, yellow and red painting of flowers in a vase. Scary, I know. And yes, I'm totally painting it on my ironing board, on top of a Nordstrom bag (Nordstrom.. swoon). 

So much better after a coat of white paint, isn't it? Now we're getting somewhere! Here's where my totally sucky planning comes into play. I forgot to take pictures... again. I sanded down the frame in places to give it a nice distressed look, then slathered on a coat of Mod Podge to seal it up. Now, because I wasn't going to use this frame for pictures- I tore off the hanging wire and strung three rows of jute twine across the back, kept in place with little nails. 

Ta-Da! Nasty old frame turned super adorable hair clip display! As you may know, I make and sell these sweet little clips in my Etsy shop as well as a few local stores. One of them asked for a display and this is what I came up with. 

A little close up of the distressing treatment. Lovely, isn't it?

Quick and Easy Lip Balm

I got all of my supplies at my local Natural Food Store!

So, I've had this project on my list for ages now. Now that we're really into winter- I figured now was the perfect time to get moving. I'm in Maine- and we have some seriously cold winters here. Chapped lips seem to be a growing trend. Why buy chapstick over and over, when you know you will lose it to the depths of your purse, or your car floor. Make your own! I was really surprised how quick this was to make!

I found the recipe over at GreenBees Blog. She has some pretty wonderful tips, a great blog- make sure you check it out! 

Here's the recipe:

-2 tsp. beeswax (chop or grate it, then measure- make sure to pack it in!)
-2 1/4 tsp. jojoba oil (you can use any oil you like)
-about 6 drops of peppermint essential oil (again, you can use anything you like. I'm going to try some citrus!)

Melt wax and jojoba oil together in the top of a double boiler, although you could probably put it in a glass bowl the microwave for a few minutes. Stir to combine. Then remove it from the heat and add the essential oil. Pour into your containers, but don't fill up completely yet. Wait a minute or two, keeping the reserved mixture melted, then top the containers with the rest of the mixture. This gives you a nice looking top. Let cool for about 20 minutes and enjoy! 

For a waxier gloss/balm- I would add a little more beeswax and be sure to pack it in- as mine was a little too glossy for my liking. Although, after a days use, my lips feel amazing!  Feel free to experiment with things- that's the best part!
I used small round tubs for my gloss- I got about 3 tubs. I'm going to try some other flavors
 and even tint it with a hint of lipstick shaving!

We're linking up to Tip Junkie's "Tip Me Tuesday!"




Just a quicky for any moms out there

I got totally creative with these, went from dots to circles!

Have a little one who's still a bit unsteady with walking? Who am I kidding- I am still unsteady with walking. This is a super fast and super easy trick. Tons of my daughter's socks don't have any tread on them, with her being a new walker, things can get a little dicey when those feet meet our wood floors. I saw this trick somewhere, but can't for the life of me remember where (if it's from you, or you know who came up with it- tell me!).

What you need:
-Slippery socks
-Puffy paint

1. Take your slippery socks and put some dabs of paint on the bottom. You might get a little more creative than I... apparently I was going purely for function.
2. Let them dry for 24 hours and give them a run through the washer and dryer. No more slipping and sliding accidentally!