{DIY} Valentine craft idea on a dime

When I tell you this DIY Valentine art work {craft} took me all of a few minutes and just a few dollars, that is the truth!

Of course most of my crafts are done on a dime, that is the fun of it.

Started with a blank white canvas board, Graphite chalk paint that was recently loaned to me by a friend here. I wanted to test out the color.  I love it, but it is NOT going to be the one for the entertainment center.

Much to cool with the butter walls.

Stencil bought at Hobby lobby for 2.00.

I made this craft for our bedroom, which is getting ready for Spring soon.

I know we are still in January, I just meant Cleaning wise.

Special gift from my FIL this past Christmas.  He said it has been in the family for over 80 years.

I love it!

Painted the canvas Graphite, let it dry,

taped my stencil on lightly,

and used a stencil brush and craft paint to fill in my stencil color.

It is so cute on the dresser.

Sharing with
Vintage Inspiration
French Country Cottage
Show and Tell
Frugal Friday
Inspiration Friday
Design dazzle
Funky junk interiors
Transformation Thursday
Somewhat simple
Fireflies and jellybeans

Home decor vignettes {tips on creating your own}

I still crack up over the word home decor vignettes. I don't know why, vignettes  is just a funny word to me. 

 Do you know I had no clue what a vignette was until I started blogging? 
I had created many, however, I never knew the term.

Sooo...I have been changing up some things in our kitchen, getting ready for the Winter months ahead.

Once the leaves all drop in our yard it completely takes on a different look indoors.

One I am not too fond of, kind of bare and nakked.

{Goodwill silver tray made over to a chalkboard $2.00}

As long as the sun is shining, it's all good.

I will be doing more cooking indoors as well, soups, stews, sauce, all the comfort foods of Winter.

A little more baking, pumpkin breads, apple crisp, banana breads, and all that good stuff.

Soon this will be all different too.
 Christmas decor in the kitchen is coming.

Hopefully, getting inspired with new recipes as well.
There is the roo, for those of you that asked, he went behind the stove.

My new roo cookie jar, compliments of my MIL! Good cookies,and a great new Roo!

{Family room}

That's about all for my new fresh Fallified vignettes.

Here are 8 tips from HGTV.com on creating your own beautiful home decor vignettes.

1. Build your vignette around a light source.
If your arrangement of objects is in a dark corner, it won't be seen and the effect will be lost. Try building your vignette around a lamp.

2. Choose objects to support the style and theme of your room.
If your room is formal, a symmetrical design works best. If the room is casual, asymmetrical groupings are better.

3. Use color in your vignette to coordinate a room.
Use items in shades that complement the dominant color in a room. Silk flowers or artificial fruit are good ways to introduce color into a grouping of items.

4. Display objects in odd numbers.
Place several objects of similar shape, size and color together in odd numbers for maximum impact. Groups of three or five work particularly well and are stronger visually than a group of two or four.

5. Vary the height of the objects.
Use small pedestals to elevate items. Try stacking books to create a platform for smaller objects.

6. Stick to a theme.
Group candles, for example, or family vacation photos. If the vacation photos are from the beach, add a seashell.

7. Create depth.
Place objects from the back of the flat surface to the front instead of in a straight line the length of the surface. Placing objects atop a mirror, or leaning them against a mirror that's on the wall, is an easy way to create a sense of dimension.

8. Vary the textures of objects.

Mix hard and shiny accessories with rough and natural. Use weathered wood or iron architectural elements to introduce an unexpected texture. Photo frames, which come in finishes from shiny enamel to beaded, offer an array of texture options.

If you missed my announcement earlier about the blogger block party...
go HERE for more details

Joining:

Table top Tuesday

Tutorials and tips

Tuesdays treasures
A bowl full of lemons

Craft and home decorating ideas {Homerama in Charlotte, NC}

When a friend asked me to go to the Homerama, I was excited to go along.  

I had first heard about it through a  blogging friend Cindy....she took complete home tour pics you may love to see. 
(I am just sharing some crafts I spied)
  Baxter village is only 10 minutes away from me, so it was a fun fast trip to head on up.

The homes we toured were all in the upper 500,000's and up.  Of course way out of my price range.

I loved a lot of their craft idea's and we can all afford to do most.

If you recall I just did something like this with an old Goodwill mirror.  This sat pretty in a dining room area....all dressed up for Fall.

This next idea my gal pals and I decided we are having a small burlap party.

We are making these placemats for the holidays, and I have a small twist to add to them...they are so cute and so simple.

Each one had a different saying.
Next,

Here is something my Mom used to do, hang baskets all over the kitchen walls...

I really love this idea and forgot all about it until today.

How about cute lamp embellishing? This looked like a simple butterfly patch..

easy peasy.

My friend Mary has two daughters and she loved this idea.  How easy, craft hoops, material,

and felt.

Just adorable for a girls room.

Such fun colors in here too.  I spy an OWL.

{Bathroom}

Pretty apothecary jars filled...

{Laundry room}

This looked really cute.  Just some simple craft trims rolled in  to flowers and then some streaming down.

Adorable.

How about a pantry like this girls?

Loved the wrap around wine rack with the chalk boards.

this idea is so easy too..these were just wood letters painted.  You can buy them inexpensive with coupons and make your own wall art just the same for a nursery.

I spy another owl...

Well that about wraps it up.  I certainly can't afford the house, but I can afford the crafts!
So let's get busy!

{Us girls getting silly and comfy in a media room}

Thanks for stopping by.
See you later on tonight for the newbie party.

Joining:
 Making Monday Marvelous

Halloween decorating ideas!

I know it is a catch 22 for Halloween decorating.  

Some of my readers are empty nesters now and no longer get into it like they used to.
Some are still kids at heart and love it....so you never know.

Because I have two boys, I still get into it.

There will be NO Halloween parties this year at our house, however, there will still be some decorating.

Let me show you some inspiration I have found, and some things I just may try to create.

(The yellow cape cod)

I noticed this year at Michael's Martha Stewart has expanded her line of crafts and decor, these lables or similar ones she features.

Love this centerpiece idea...

http://debbie-debbiedoos.com/2011/09/halloween-decorating-ideas.html

Here are a few of my past Halloween decorating ideas...

Simple lampshade embellishments and some dollar tree skulls.

Can't wait to get out my big skeleton head...

I love to do fun table scapes too...

Our front porch was my favorite last year...not sure what I will come up with this Halloween.

I even made a fun Halloween wreath last year.

Hope I gave you some inspiring fun new ideas.

Even if you don't decorate for Halloween, perhaps you will throw in a few spiders and skeletons this year.

It's fun, easy and cheap,
go to the Dollar tree!
DO you decorate for Halloween?
Have a great day!

As always thanks for taking the time to come by and chat it up with me!

Succulents are all the rage!

It has been quite apparent in my life that I am NO gardener.  

I do well with certain things year after year and that is what I stick with. 

You all know about my recent Cilantro kill, which btw I replaced the pot with a succulent.( I have to erase cilantro and chalk in succ)!

Speaking of succulents, they seem to be all the rage lately.  

I have seen a succulent wreath, succulent pots and just some random succulent shots in blogland.  

With the school year coming to an end shortly, I was thinking on what to get as teacher gifts.

I thought I would get a little crafty along with a nice gift card and some strawberry bread mix that I bought at our local peach stand.

Started with some simple cheapo clay pots.

I hand painted them with craft chalk board paint. Then I put each teachers initials on them, added the twine and a little scrap book embellishment.

Nothing too fancy, however thrifty, yet cute.  Put in a pretty bag, with a gift card and the strawberry cake mix, and there you have something personal for a special teacher.

Teachers deserve all the recognition and appreciation we can give them.  

Jack has had a great year because of them.

NEWBIE party going on
 HERE
Joining:
Tip Junkie
WOW us Wednesday
P.S.  Word Verification is still driving me nuts..
I'm just saying, and I have been very patient with all you newbie gals...but PLEASE consider taking it off.
Thank you.

I can see a connection....

 Today I was going through emails regarding features, questions,  and all that good stuff.

I started thinking about all of us women, like how we came together, and what exactly lead me here to blogging. I figured I would put this post out for the newbies, they may be interested...

Most of you know, I was encouraged by a few on RMS (rate my space).

  I then encouraged many of you whom are here today...y'all know who you are..I would have to sit and really think on that one, because I do believe there is a a couple of handfuls at this point....

One thing that brought a lot of us here is our creativity. And for some of us, it was just to start a journal of life,  family times, recipes, etc.. 

Whatever the reason, I want to say thank you for being here along with me. 

The times that I wanted to stop and take breaks, were mostly times of self reflecting and trying to figure out what I was doing, or not doing.

I am by nature a people pleaser...my bad, because I can't please everyone, and I have learned that along the way.

Ya know I am a deep thinker sometimes...I know trouble, trouble!

Some of my friendships here  make perfect sense as to why we are friends, and others, I don't even try to make sense of it. We just like each other, and that is good enough for me. Keep that in mind all you newbies, sometimes the least expected of friendships will turn up, and you would have never thought otherwise.

These two ladies, have been extremely sweet to me, as many, many, many of you have been.

Now you would wonder, how I could make a connection with these ladies....

not sure, but I did, and I adore them...

Meet Savannah Granny

Ginger!

I met her on RMS (rate my space).

Ginger would actually correspond with my Mom on occasion, and  my Mom in turn  always made sure to tell me she was asking about me, and would say such sweetness.

THen one day up pops Savannah Granny in blog land.

If you do not know her, she is a real hoot.  A great personality with a real zest for life.

Ginger recently shared how to organize your cabinets.. 

and no she just did not make them neat she actually added the shelving..it was a great idea.

I think Ginger is having a lot of fun here in blog land, and that just tickles me.

Then there is my friend Granny's attic

Vicky

look at her cute little Valentine vignette...she is a craft lady...

I do believe she has been reading my blog from very early on.

I see in her having the same zest for life and family that Ginger has ( Savannah Granny)

I wonder if they are friends yet?

Well they should be...and I just wanted to let you gals know about them too!

Enjoy your Saturday night.  It is cold and windy here, and my chili is smelling fine!

So what brought you to blogland? Do you

Love it,  are you confused at times? Frustrated? Happy?, tell me your thoughts....... 

For the record...I am very happy,

I am doing exactly what I was meant to be doing,

it is very clear to me now.

Now....if there were only enough hours  in a day!

Bored Cone heads!

Day two: House bound

Woke up to this...

 Snap!

 No more umbrella and the candle piece gone too! Oh well, just stuff.
So what is a girl to do, who is bored? I KNOW...craft! Because you know how good I am and all, I would never want to disappoint my friends here. So I started off with this...

I have seen some gals make cute felt trees and topiaries..I of course had to come up with something a little more zany....

I have said it before and I will say it again. Magazines hold so much inspiration...I have Modged podged my life away with magazines this past summer. And this page here, I just tore out and stuck in a frame..I loved it, and with Valentines day coming RED was perfect.

I just added the heart, I picked up from Michaels, for a buck, painted it, added a little bow embellishment, that I took off some candy I purchased at the Dollar tree. Waste nothing when it comes to crafting...you never know what you can use it for.

And there you have my first Valentine vignette. 

I sprayed the cone with Elmer's spray glue and took the moss and just adhered it to the tree. Messy job, but easy. 

Then I took some cute candy I bought from the dollar tree and added that.  

This may fall into the category of bad craft, but I was BORED people, had no kids all day yesterday, and hubby was working. SO that's what you get!

Now these guys, I don't think their going to make it much longer.  

HOWEVER, all you newbies who have contacted me, left your links, etc.  Have no fear.  

First let me say, don't give up if this is something you feel you have enjoyed, but you are just getting a little frustrated at not getting activity.
Quick tid bits here before you go....

Put yourself out there, go introduce yourself to another like minded blogger, and start following. Do you really think people are just going to magically appear at your blog, because you have one? NOPE..

  For some reason, I try to be polite and follow back people who follow me.  You will get your skeptics on that, however, I don't mind that way at all, it has worked for  me thus far, when I know the person has followed me.

TURN OFF Word verification, NOW, NOW, NOW!!~ Blogger has been very good about weeding out spam on the blogs. You may get some in your inbox, but it is not going on the blog, most of the time.

Last bit for today.....if you are new, chances are you do not have a lot of comments.  IF  and when a gal comes and visits you, HEAD on over there, NOW, NOW, NOW, and say hello, give back the same.
Now that does get increasingly more difficult as time goes on...but don't worry about that now, you are new, and you need to make a good first impression, you only get one chance at that! So go have fun. I will be having my first featured blog this weekend.

HERE is the info on my new feature OPTION

And if you think I sound demanding and bossy, well I am! In a good way.....XXX000

Joining Marty for tabletop Tuesday
Kim from boring to better party 
Domestically speaking 
A glimpse inside