Valentine's Day Decor

Good morning all! 

I'm here with a couple of announcements:

1. We survived a week snowed in together.

There were a couple of close calls,

but nothing a sleepover & trip to Hob-Lob couldn't fix.

2. I haven't lost my crafting mojo. 

As a matter of fact, it's in full swing.

Sometimes I just get too into it to grab the camera. ;)

This year, I really missed the Christmas decor.

I didn't mind it being put away,

I just needed something in it's place.

That's when I decided to decorate for the L-O-V-E holiday.

What better and cheaper way than with a rag wreath?!

I used what I had in my fabric stash. 

Added a bit of ribbon.

Then topped it off with a heart made with my Cricut.

Now I have a cute Valentine wreath 

AND shared it with you.

Ahh, all is right with the world! 

God's blessings on your day, Sarah :)

BOO Germs Be Gone

Good morning friends.

Remember when I made my monkey sanitizer?

Well you should never forget a good thing.

This year as an adoption fundraiser and small gift idea 

I created a spooky version.

Simple hand sanitizer +

cricut halloween shapes +

modge podge +

ribbon +

diamond accent stickers ='s 

BOO Germs Be Gone.

Don't be scared,

it only spooks the germs. ;)

So what do you think?

Is this BOO-tiful craft on your to-do list??

I'm linking up with the DIY Showoff.

Click on over for eye candy galore!

Dishtowels With *Bling*

Good morning all!
Today I'm teaching my Breastfeeding Prenatal Class
but before I get going I had to visit. :)
The boys have kept me super busy this week.
So I'm sharing a crafty creation from awhile back.
You know I have a thing about taking the
ordinary and making it extraordinary.
Well, my kitchen towels were next in line.
My old ones were pathetic so
I gradually weeded them out.
I picked up these towels at the Dollar General.

They're a microfiber towel and I LOVE them!
They were already fun colors
but I wanted to make them sing.
I pulled out my Brother and together we
added a quick monogram and layers of ribbon *bling*.

The old dishrags have made their exit

so now when I open the drawer 

these gals are smiling back at me! 

Look at how sassy my gal looks just waiting

for one of those dirty boys to wash their hands.

Now I'm off to teach my class.
I seriously love teaching newbies about breastfeeding.
Thanks for stopping by!
Enjoy your weekend
and by all means,
beautify the ordinary. :)

Serving Tray

Good morning friends!

I'm here to share a quick therapy session project.

I tackled this a couple of weeks ago

and I'm proud to say it's doing it's thang perfectly.

I started with a past it's prime Auburn tray.

After sanding, spray painting, 

Modge Podging scrapbook paper,

and antiquing the sides 

I finished it off by clear coating my heart out.

Whew! 

Now I have an adorable tray to serve snacks on

when we entertain friends that are girls. :)

Don't underestimate the treasures you already own.

They're FREE and just waiting for a breathe of new life!

Click over to Today's Creative Blog for more inspiration. 

Have a beautiful day friends.

Boy Toys With A Mama Makeover

Hi all!
Thanks for loving me through yesterday's meltdown.
As promised I'm back to normal today,
whatever that is. ; >
Today I bring you a project that was a year in the making.

It all started at a yard sale last summer,
when James purchased a boy's dream come true...
a real treasure chest!
Here's a picture of him once the transaction was complete.

He's beaming!!!

Now flash forward 12 months, to last week.
That's when I went looking for a solution to house
the every growing figure collection in my living room.
I had lots of ideas but decided on quickest turn around time.
Mama wanted to wrap it before school pick up.
I started by lightly sanding the chest.
Then I spray painted it with Valspar's Wrought Iron.
Once it was dry it needed a little something extra.
I scored a roll of these damask stickers months ago
and had them stashed back for the right project.
I'm thinking this was just the right project.

I love it so much that I'm actually excited
about James keeping a few toys in the living room.
Hooray for Boy Toys with a Mama Makeover. :)
For more mama makeovers stop by
the Thrifty Decor Chick's Before and After Party.

Crafty Creation "C" for Carson

Hi friends!

How are ya'll doing?

It's only Wednesday,

but it's already been a busy week here.

But, I'm never too busy 

for a crafty creation.

Right?!

This crafty creation is for my cousin's son, Carson.

He just celebrated his first birthday this past weekend.

Since I was at home sick all weekend,

we missed the festivities. :( 

When James found out we missed the party he said

"Well YOU might have been sick, but I wasn't!!!"

Needless to say Carson might forgive me

for being sick, but James won't.

Oh how that child loves a good party! 

Now on to the fun...

the gift.

I started with a "C" from Hob Lob.

I painted, modge podged, sanded, decorated,

antiqued and then modge podged some more.

Until this...

became this.

I just couldn't help myself 

and had to make a matching card.

Once everything was good and dry,

I used my Crop-a-dile to attach twine as a hanger.

Finally, a cute gift demands cute giftwrap. :)

Since I'm practical and crafty

his gift included a cute pair of camo shorts too.

So do tell,

do you wish your name was Carson

and this was your gift?!

Don't forget to stop by the CSI Project
for the ultimate in Modge-Podge Inspiration.

A Fabulously Fresh Retro Garbage Can

Hi all,
and welcome to my weirdest,
most fabulous crafty creation yet!
The patio project is moving along nicely.
We've cleaned, rearranged and decorated.
The only thing missing?
A fancy-smancy garbage can...
that is until now.

It all started as I was digging around
for new found treasures behind our shed.
I was rummaging around when I came across this.

Can we agree that it's quite possibly
the most retro garbage can evah??
Yes, I was sure you'd agree.

The cool part was that it was metal
and although u-g-l-y, it still had life left.
So I set about giving it a beautiful makeover.

I started by spray painting the lid.
Pink,

that's right a pink garbage can lid.
Because really, if we're going
it might as well be all out!

Next I started painting the can.
The official color name is Watermelon.
I knew I was going to attempt stripes
and I wanted the top to match the lid.

Side note: If you're trying a new technique
it might as well be on something that was already garbage.
That way when if you mess up,
there's no harm, no fowl.


I progressed on to my second color.
I call it Pistachio green,
but Krylon calls it Ivy Leaf.

Finally, I taped off again and started my last color.
For the bottom I chose Navy.
I wanted a dark color and
I already had 2 cans on hand,
SWEET!

After multiple coats of the Navy

I had the coverage I was looking for.
Once I couldn't stand it any longer
patiently allowed my paint to dry,
it was time to take off the tape.
I removed it slowly and at an angle.
For the most part my lines were crisp and clean.
Not bad for a first timer! ;>

Although I was loving the stripes,
I knew it still needed a little something.
Hum,
think, think, think...
and then,
Cricut to the rescue!

I whipped up my saying in white vinyl.
I used my painter's tape to line up my words.
Toss
It
Here
(cause yo Mama is really tired of picking up after yo tired tails)

Of course I added a small flower to dot the I
and another flower on the handle.
Because I just couldn't help myself. :)
Finally I topped it all off with
a clear glossy top coat.
TaDa!

You like?
Me LOVE!!!
All it took was a couple cans of spray paint,
painter's tape,
vinyl wording,
a bit of imagination
and a little hard work.
HOORAY for crafty creations!
Thanks for stopping by
and don't forget to visit,
The DIY Project Parade,
Somewhat Simple,
Tales From Bloggeritaville ,
Today's Creative Blog,
Blue Cricket Designs
Someday Crafts,
and last but not least

for more inspiration. :D

From Christmas Stars To Patio Decor

Hi all!
Let me be the first to tell ya,
we are thoroughly enjoying our Spring Break.
The weather is gorgeous...
sunny skies, a good breeze and not too hot.
Yep, it's the kind of weather that begs you to be outside.
I'm so glad the fellas chose the patio
spruce up as our Spring Break project!

Since we already have a great brick patio in place,
we'll spend our time just freshening things up.
Our backyard was really in need of some color!

Luckily I found the perfect way to interject a little color.
I picked up two Christmas starts at Tuesday Mornings,
for $3.99 each.
SCORE!

I promptly hooked them up with some spray paint.

Krylon's Ivy Leaf, to be exact.

It took multiple coats to cover up all that beautiful tole painting.

No worries though, I persevered. ; >

Finally, I used twine to make a hanging loop.

And of course I added a touch of fringe!

So now here's where you come in.

I need to know if you like the star 

hanging on the window,

OR

hanging on the brick.

I'll keep you posted on our patio progress.
I can't wait to hear your thoughts
on my Christmas stars turned, patio decor!

Paper Posies

Hi all!

Today's post is totally inspired by spring.

But before we get started,

I have a question for you.

I was wondering if you've seen 

all the beautiful posies floating around?

They're everywhere and gorgeous! 

Now although I love the fabric ones,

you know my heart belongs to paper crafting.

So when I decided to try my hand,

I knew paper posies were the way to go.

I started by cutting out flowers with my Cricut.

I used two different petal styles

and lots of different sizes.

Once I had a good variety,

it was time to for a little spray acrylic. 

After a couple of coats of acrylic

and some drying time, it was back to the fun.

I layered my petals and placed a large button on the back.

I used a thin black strip of tulle to lace everything together.

Here's the back...

and here's the front.

Finally, I attached my paper posy 

to a plain orange candle with a loop of tulle,

and TADA! 

So do tell,
don't cha just love it??
Yep, I'm definitely seeing more of
these paper posies in my future.
Wouldn't they be adorable on the corner
of a plain picture frame?!
Oh the ideas! :)

I'm linking up with The Idea Room
and Today's Creative Blog,
so click on over for some fabulous inspiration!

Easy Egg-stra Special Easter Eggs

Hi all,

and Happy Easter!

I hope your day was as beautiful as ours.

Today's warm weather and gorgeous sunshine

made for the perfect Easter egg hunting weather.

Which was good, because we enjoyed multiple 

Easter egg hunts over the course of the day.

So if I promise to share our Easter in more detail later,

would you indulge me with a crafty creation?!

I wanted something cute and cost effective 

to hand out to our family on Easter.

Enter Mama's Egg-stra Special Easter Eggs!

I started with plastic eggs,

and added a strip of ribbon with hot glue.

I left the two sides open

and tied ribbon fringe to top it off.

Big Daddy even busted out the grill lighter

to seal all those ribbons.

Thanks sweetie! :)

Here's all my easy-peasy-eggs now.

To finish them off I stuffed them with candy.
Then I used them to make little Easter basket style goody bags.
I'd say those are some especially exciting,
egg-stra special Easter eggs! :)

So do tell, what do you think??
Thanks for sharing in my Easter fun.
But most importantly I tell ya...
He Has Risen,
He Has Risen Indeed!

Monogrammed Spring Tulip

Hi all!
Are ya'll enjoying the longer days
and warmer weather as much as we are?
One word,
GORGEOUS! :)
Spring has arrived like a breathe of fresh air,
and not a moment too soon.

As part of my Spring has Sprung frame of mind,
I've been adding color to my blah winter decor.
So while on a recent trip to the Dollar Store
I spotted the perfect addition to my project list.
A simple, cute and PINK Tulip for one dollar, SWEET!

Here's how I made this tulip blossom.
I started by simply tying a green ribbon
around the top to use as a hanger.

I wanted to add a custom monogram by adding a fabric H.

I even used my Cricut,

but it didn't turn out so well.

So I compromised by attaching 

some extra ribbon to add color.

Here's my spring tulip now,

bringing bright cheer to my front door.

I liked the results, so I lived with it for awhile.
Until, I came across this...

the monogram I needed to complete my project,

for a $1.50! :)

I promptly brought it home and got to work.

The wood was a bit rough so I sanded it.

Then I painted my H black with craft paint.

Next I traced the H onto my toile scrapbook paper.

Oh scrapbook paper, 

I can find a million ways to put you to good use. ;>

I used Modge Podge to attach the paper.
To make the edges crisp,
I cut it a little big and sanded the extra paper off the sides.
To finish it off I topped it with a glossy spray acrylic.

Once my H was dry it was time to move on.
I attached my H to the tulip with hot glue.
Then I tied a ribbon through the tulip
and around the H to secure it.
And of course I added on some extra ribbon,
for color and FUN. :)

I gotta tell ya,
the finished product made me smile!
Here it is, back out on the front porch.

Now my toile flower hanger
has found a friend
AND my front door is balanced.

Hooray for thrifty decor, color
and SPRING.
I love the way my monogrammed tulip turned out!
So, what do you think??
I'm linking up with The DIY Showoff,
A Soft Place To Land,
My Backyard Eden,
and Today's Creative Blog,
so click on over for more project inspiration.