well, I gave it my best shot

BEFORE

AFTER

Well, I gave it my best shot, but I think the verdict is hideous.

Oh well, anybody need a white peacock?

see other spray painting projects here.

birthday banner

A few years ago I made this banner for Haven for her birthday tea party. We now get it out every June, and display it in honor of her birthday month. She is proud of it, and this year it hangs on her bent twig bed.

It was really very easy and fun to fashion, and a great project to use all those bits and pieces you have left over from other projects.

I simply cut triangles the size that I wanted out of heavy twill fabric, and then attached scraps of other fabrics by sewing around the edges. I left the edges raw, as I like that frayed look that it will get over time. I then glued on glittered letters I had in my scrap booking stash, but you could use any letters you might have, paint or stencil letters, or even embroider some if you have one of those fancy machines.

Then I simply embellished to my hearts content with buttons, and trim, lace, and hard chipboard do dads (like that bowl of cherries by the V), rickrack, charms, and I even found a cute ribbon bumble bee at the bottom of my sewing basket! You can see it on the very first triangle if you look closely.

The sky is the limit with this project, and it was really fun to try and capture Haven's girlie personality in the creation of it. There are also a few scraps used that were from some of her out grown garments, like that pink eyelet on the H, and that sweet blue bird fabric on the V.

I attached the triangles to a gingham ribbon with some colorful binder clips that I had on hand. It would also be cute to sew the triangles on a ribbon, or use biased tape over the top edge of the triangles leaving some surplus on each end for hanging.

How about making a banner to honor someone special in your home, and start a tradition of your own?

If you have never left a comment before, today would be a great day to do so, I would love to hear from some of you lurkers.

Have a great Wednesday!

you can find more trash to treasure here

and more home decor here

The scary closet!

Our new home has an oddly shaped room that the former owners used as an office. We could probably use an office, but the Master bedroom in this house is more like a bowling alley, so we needed the desk in there, just to use up some space! This room was then labeled the play room. ElizaJane was ecstatic to put it mildly that they would have their very own playroom, and excessive compulsive organizer girl, otherwise known as Haven was ecstatic that she would no longer have to deal with toys in their room. Her room is not a bowling alley, and the girls share it so space is at a premium. These doors led to the playroom closet, and I don't even have to tell you how crazy messy, and truly scary it was! My Dad and Hubby built us some uber fine shelves, and it is scary no more!

Is this fantastic or what!!! Thanks Dad and Hubby!

I purchased most of those bins 50% off, because they were considered Christmas! Love that!

The girls can now play with the play mobile, without even getting it out! Love that to! And so does that newly married play mobile couple!

Check this out too! so fun!

http://betterafter.blogspot.com/2010/01/chaise.html

Hey check this out!

http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/2010/01/sns-12-highlights-and-picture-winner.html

Finagling by Lumberjack boy

Lumberjack Kartwright has been working in the barn quit a bit lately, and this is what he came up with! He jumped in with both feet, and made this fantastical bench from an old Queen sized Head board and foot board. He is hoping to make a little money to stash a way for the future, with his new wood finagling business.

I think it's downright fabulous myself, but then I just might be a tad biased. What do you think? No, not about if I'm biased, I think that is very obvious. What do you think of this beautiful work of lumberjacking art?

I graciously offered to "store" it for him, free of charge of course, since he is family and all, in my entry way/foyer/dinning room. Funny how it goes perfectly with my decor and all. I wonder who finagled that? I plan to make a pretty cushion for it, not that I'm taking possession or anything, just want to show it off in the best light possible.

Lumberjack boy won't let anyone sit on it, so don't come over and try it out, or you may have bought a bed bench that you never knew you wanted! That is not to say that this bench is not sturdy enough to hold three well fed Lumberjacks comfortably, just that Kartwright is a tad "attached" shall we say, to his "baby".

Can you tell I'm proud of Lumberjack boy? I must show it from all angles, or you may miss the splendiferouseness of the entire project. Isn't splendiferouse a word, I thought it was, but spell check says NO? They say lumberjacking is not a word either, but we all know that they're wrong on that one! What do they know, they don't even recognise Lumberjack boys real name! Cute idnt he?? A bit pasty perhaps....oooh we miss that sunshine....but real cute just the same!

If you are at all interested in the purchase of this larger then life, gotta have it, bench wonderfulness, just give us a shout out through the ol' net. Or, better yet, if you have an old bed that you would like made into a bench, Lumberjack would love to hear from you! Or, even if you don't want, or need a bench, but you have some other lumberjacking project in mind, he is open for business as they say.

Just in case it is not entirely obvious I would like to point out that the name Lumberjack Boy is not to imply in any way that Kartwright possesses any skill whatsoever in the area of large tree excavation, but is only the pet name that came to a loving mothers mind when she beheld said boy clad in plaid flannel.

today I linked to FUNKY JUNK, and

check out the other projects

BEIGE, BLAND, and BORING

Is this not the most boring chaise lounge you have ever seen?

Beige, Bland, and Boring,

the three dreaded B's.

I hated this thing, but I also had a vision.

A vision that came to life this past week!

All that was needed was a few yards of black and cream ticking fabric,

a remnant of aqua linen,

and some serious gathering skilledge.

We now have a cute cottage look to go with the rest of the room.

I decided to add a monogram to break up the stripes.I plan to put some big black buttons on the corners there where the pins are, just haven't found them yet.
Whatchathink?
Check out some more great projects at Shanty to Chic!and more at The shabby Chic cottagealso linked to blue crickett designalso Miss mustard seedand Funky Junkand

jean patch applique tutorial

What is a girl to do when her favorite jeans get a hole in the knee? Until now, this hasn't been a problem really, as the girls seem to grow faster then their jeans wear out, and the boys, well holes are cool apparently. Kartwright did say though, when he saw this latest project, and I quote, "that is pretty legit". If you are unfamiliar with this phraseology, let me inform you. Legit, is short for legitimate, meaning, for real, unique, genuine. Used in a sentence..... You all are legit!

Soooooo, here we go, with said holey jeans.

Draw a picture of something you like, or copy a coloring book picture, or use one of your children's drawings. I drew an Owl, be sure it is big enough to cover the hole!

Get this stuff at the store. I found mine at Walmart, the brand name is Wonder Under by Pellon. I found it by all the interfacing, in the fabrics. It is paper on one side, and sticky glue stuff on the other. It is sold in yard increments. Buy extra, you will start wonder undering other stuff once you are hooked!

Cut out pieces of the wonder under just big enough for the pieces of your pattern, and iron them on to corresponding fabrics. Iron on wrong side, and follow directions that come with it. Basically, it is just dry iron, for a few seconds.....no big deal! (that red you see, is my ironing board cover)

Proceed to cut out pieces, using your picture as a pattern. You can trace design on the paper side.

Remove paper, (it just peals off), and place pieces properly on jean leg, covering hole. Then simply iron again. Use DMC, or embroidery floss to stitch the blanket stitch around each piece of the applique. Sew on buttons for eyes, embroider feet and beak, or any other embellishments you can think of, unless of course you are doing an airplane, or rocket ship, or skull and cross bones....then feet and beak would feel a bit out of place I fear.

Voila!!! favorite jeans have reached, "i will never take them off" status.

sheet music wreath ornament

Handmade gift idea # 4

I recently discovered THIS blog, and have been inspired numerous times by the projects there. This is a simple project, found HERE, that I had a lot of fun doing. I am going to use it as a hostess gift for a tea party that the girls are invited to later this morning. It would be a small gift, good for SS teachers, nursery workers, neighbors...etc. It would also serve well as a package topper, or goody bag tag. I chose to make it out of Hymn book pages, as I liked the project instructions sheet music example, but the possibilities are endless. It would also be fun to use magazine pages, or an old children's story book. Of course there are all kinds of scrap booking papers that would be beautiful, or you could even use wrapping paper, or old Christmas cards. My Haven plans to make one for a decoration for her bedroom door! Why don't you try it, it's a quick and easy project, and could serve as a lasting source of encouragement for someone in your life!

She's got handles, Sonic's drinks, and a little girl who needs prayer

Could you pray for a 5 year old little girl named Katie today? She was just adopted, and brought here from China a few short weeks ago, and today, she is having extremely serious heart surgery. Her ability to communicate is very limited, and I am sure she is afraid. I recently met her Mom who is an absolute dynamo! Her name is Kim. Please pray for the surgeons, and medical staff, that they will be skilled, as well as compassionate. Pray for full recovery for Katie, and for peace for her new forever family! Thank you!

Here she is, finished, and in her new home. Whattaya think?

These handles weren't what I had envisioned, but at least I found some that fit! Target, can you believe it? No one else had anything close!

Here is the lamp I redid, another one of my smelly store finds. I think it was $6.00. I was going to replace the shade, but then I saw some painted shades at a store, and I thought I would try. First I took out the plastic liner. Remember, it was cracked. Then those ugly sequins and beads. Then I just painted right on the silk fabric. You can't really tell, but it is white and brown striped. the stripes are supposed to be imperfect, and running into each other. I am pleased with how it turned out.

I thought I would share some other shots, of her surroundings.





This is my A collection

And here my sweet Australian cyber friend Lisa, is a Sonic Route 44! They come in all flavors, including my favorites: Cranberry slushie, watermelon Coke, and Lemon berry slushie (on those really Hot days, yum yum!) Lately I have just been getting Coke, but I always feel so boring when I do that! They are mucho big, and they come in a really nice styro non biodegradable cup that stays cold, and doesn't sweat all over. I can hardly pass a sonic without pulling in. Sonic by the way is a drive in/thru fast food restaurant. You can pull up, and order like an old 50's diner. the wait staff deliver your food to your window on roller skates. Not your food, the wait staff, on roller skates I mean. LOL!!! I'm not crazy for their food, but their drink choices are almost limitless!

Next to my yummy drink, is my best friend, when he was but a boy, before I had even met him. He was probably taking some other girl to the drive in then, but that's okay, cuz I snagged him, and boy am I sure glad I did!!

Let's play the November thankful game again!

Today I am grateful for:

- Our foreign blogging friends, (who don't have Sonic, poor things)!

- My Thanksgiving plans, can't wait!!!

- My children's love for reading.

- My heavenly Father, who is a husband to the husbandless, and a Father to the Fatherless

- The fact that, He knows my name, He knows my every thought, He sees each tear that falls, and hears me when I call!

What are you grateful for today????

She's a new women now!

Here she is, my little smelly store treasure, after her extreme makeover. I am loving this Chinese blue color lately, and even though I have nothing else in my house this color, I succumbed to it's taunting. Our office/studio/craft room/ computer space is painted chocolate, but has white wainscoting about 5 feet up. All the furniture in there is dark wood, so the color options, were wide open! The only thing that was not an option was brown. Sooooooo, I just chose what I liked, and here it is.
For those wood lovers out there, I can only say, I am truly sorry. I love painted furniture, especially honey oak, as it is my least favorite. For you this is most likely a make-over gone bad, but for me it is a beautiful transformation. When I find some new pulls, I will post a picture of her in her new home, and I promise it will be a better one! I can't seem to find any pulls that are 2 1/2 inches apart! I'll keep searching.

Here she is open.

Here is my next project, I hope to find a solution to the broken shade.

Here is a close up of the less then beautiful shade, with beads!

Perhaps I will start having Make-over Mondays here at A Snip of Goodness, with all my new smelly store finds!

Now for our November thankful game. Your comments have been so great. They have reminded me also of more things that I have to be thankful for. How about sharing today, along with the things we are thankful for, how this exercise has been helpful, or A Snip of Goodness, if you will. If you have not played along yet, please do. I would love to hear from you! ...here we go

Today I am grateful for:

- My ungrateful cat Jewels, even though all he really does is eat and run, I love him just the same.

- This crazy lamp I have still sitting in my foyer, just because it makes me laugh.

- A husband that can sing "He's got the Mommas and the Papas in his hands" like no other!

- A Father that enjoys spending time with his Grandchildren

- A Mom who still cares about my birthday, even when I don't

Come on, just try it, you'll be glad you did!

Extreme Make-over

Wow, this is not a very good picture, (sorry) of a not so attractive desk. I bought it at my new favorite smelly store, teehee, for $60.00. I know, I paid too much. I was brave, and asked the girl at the desk if they would maybe take a bit off for me, I thought, it won't hurt to ask, right?! She said, "Why, whats wrong with it?" I replied, "well, nothing I guess", and she said, "well, they won't take anything off unless it's missing a piece" to which I said, "Well, the handle is broken, and laying on the floor?" to which she replied, " It has to be something major, like a leg or something!"...... ???? I'm still trying to process that one, a three legged desk, do you think they could sell a three legged desk at good will?? maybe ....I'm just sayin!
Sooooo, here it is, and tomorrow I will show you how I gave it an extreme make-over. Tune in, and let me know if you like it.

Now for our November thankful game, lets jump right in, won't you join us today?

Today I am grateful for:
- My new pretty desk
- Wood floors that don't show much, so I don't have to vacuum and mop much
- Sunshine in November
- That new Hallmark commercial with the little toddler boy who records "Merry Christmas" in his card to his Grandparents. I think it says Merry Christmas (not Happy Holidays, or Seasons Greetings) at least 12 times! Thank you Hallmark!
- Three children who enthusiastically tell me "Good morning", every day!