What are Little Girls (and Boys) are Made of?

What are little boys made of made of?

What are little boys made of?

Snips & snails & puppy dogs tails

That's what little boys made of.

What are little girls made of?

What are little girls made of?

Sugar and spice

And everything nice,

That's what little girls are made of.

Apparently the writer didn't have daughters...lately, Emme has been made of snot and sass...but mostly snot. (Sorry to those of you who don't consider snot, slobber, etc to be part of your daily beauty regimen.)

As for boys, Max   freaks out when he sees anything that resembles a bug...though he does have a fascination with puppy dog tails (that's why our beloved pug is currently residing with Grandpa).

What do you think... 

...are your sons and daughters (or grandsons or nieces, etc) sugar and spice with a little bit of puppy dog tail mixed in?

Hope you're having a lovely week...

I'm sharing at these parties:

the shabby creek cottage, The Charm of Home,The Shabby Nest, Redoux, French Country Cottage, I Can't Stop Crafting, Lolly Jane Boutique, Be Different, Act Normal,{nifty thrifty things}

If you're looking for another way to put off laundry, unloading the dishwasher, feeding your children...you could always spend "a couple minutes" checking out what I do to avoid all of those things...

take care -
 



Driftwood Picture Frames

We are lucky to live in a lake community.

Besides the fact that I LOVE wearing a swimsuit for a quarter of the year....stifle your laughs, that was a blatant lie.  Thoughts are things, right?

But really, living near a lake has many benefits, one of which is driftwood.

...driftwood, you ask?

Yeah, driftwood.

If you know me, you know I like free stuff. 

Driftwood is free.

I also like natural stuff.

Driftwood is natural.

I've been collecting big pieces of driftwood since we moved here, and have a growing pile collecting in my garage.

The last time we took the kids to the beach, I noticed how pretty the smaller twigs and sticks were and picked up a couple handfuls.

(My sweet husband doesn't even bother to ask any more.)

The first project I decided to try was a picture frame.
So, using a natural-colored frame from the Dollar Store, I grabbed my handy-dandy (and nearly dead - is it bad when it smokes?) glue gun and went to work.

A couple tips if you decide to make one...

-- I suggest starting by covering the inner edges of the frame first, and then working your way out.

-- When you cut or break a stick, it looks better (IMO) if you lightly sand the tip (which I did not do on the one pictured here - it was my first try).

Another tip...make sure the font you use for your sign has an apostrophe*. 

(*If an apostrophe is required for your phrase)

I did not do this and didn't realize it until I came home from taking it to the shop. 

Nice.

Here are a couple other frames I've made:

I made the inserts using backgrounds from Mel Stampz blog - there are lots of different background options there - and Picasa to add the words.

Mel Stampz

If you'd like to use one (or all) of my little inserts for any reason - 

they're all yours....but if you make a $1,000,000,000 from them, I expect a cut! ha!

It can't be enlarged very big, this frame is 4x6" and it was a little blurry.  But, I did fix the apostrophe!

I love this quote - I even painted it above a window in my last house.

And they're free.

Free is good.

Planning to share my little frame at these link parties:

No Minimalist Here, the shabby creek cottage, The Charm of Home, The Shabby Nest, Redoux, French Country Cottage

take care -
 



Whimsical Wednesday: Purposeful Plates

When looking for inspiration for this week's Whimsical Wednesday, I came across this beautiful China plate-turned-mirror on Etsy:

Victoria & Charlotte Treasures

and it made me think....hmmm, I wonder what other things have been made and repurposed using plates....

Tuuni

...chalkboards, of course.

Prettyville

But, I hadn't thought of jewelry like this pendant made from recycled china or

VBelleJewelry

a pretty silver ring.

Thrifty Decor Chick

I love this little table made from a chunky candlestick and wooden plate.

Bees Knees Bungalow

What a beautiful way to display a favorite quote...this one is in a potting shed.

mmmcrafts

Or, forget the words, and choose a vibrant color palate to create a plate art gallery.  I love the asymmetrical look of this one.  

houzz

Simple, white, and symmetrical - this look also makes a statement.

NapaStyle

Or, how about giving your plate gallery a little functionality by adding some hooks?

Kitchen Clock by Capricci

During my search, I came across several clocks, but this one was my favorite.

Bees Knees Bungalow

What about using it to display your house numbers?  I hadn't thought of that before.

{ARTful} Salvage

Apparently, garden art made from stacked plates is pretty popular right now - or at least they are on Etsy.

33 Barefoot Lane

But, I've never thought to use it as a garden border. 

A Cultivated Nest

 Using different patterns would be a beautiful and whimsical way to spotlight your landscaping. (Unless, like ours, your "landscaping" consists mainly of weeds...at least the plates would be pretty.)

But, the final idea I came across is not only lovely, but it can serve as a life-saving device in an emergency...

China Knuckles by ibreakplates.com

I mean, if you're going to pack a weapon, might as well be fashionable about it.

Right?

Happy Wednesday...

take care -



My First Chair Makeover

Happy Monday...

I hope that today finds everyone safe and healthy after this weekend's storms.  

When news on Saturday described it as a "life threatening" day for some parts of the Midwest, I couldn't imagine how someone prepares for that type of forecast.

 I sincerely hope that none of you or your families had to find out, but my thoughts and prayers go out to those who did.

We were fortunate here in lovely Ohio; it was cool, windy, and rainy all day.  

Perfect day for a chair makeover!

I've never seen a chair with a back like this before...it was cracked in several places, so with a little advice from my husband, I was able to glue and clamp it back together.

After realizing my new can of primer was in the back of my husband's car....30 minutes away at his work (yes! Bryan has been back to work for a week now!!), so I decided to try this now-famous paint recipe from Twice Lovely:

(I tried to find this recipe at Twice Lovely, but it looks like it was done as part of a guest post here.  So, I think that's where you'd pin it from if you decide to pin it?)

It came out looking very much like flat latex paint before I waxed it.  I've never used flat paint on furniture, so I don't know it it distresses differently than this mixture?

I also recovered the seats, which appeared to be the original upholstery (just imagine the butts it's seen!). 

(Please be sure to note the lovely vignette created by my toddlers on the back table.  Abstract, yet still classic, don't you think?)

This fabric isn't my typical style, but it was free, it fit the look of the chair, and it was free.

Recognize the corbel table? I've managed to hold on to it so far!

This chair and her twin sister are now hanging out at the shop...

My first chair makeover is complete!

Right now, I have a couple wreath orders to work on...but I'll be back in the next couple days to share a little driftwood picture frame project and a new window table with you.

I hope you have a lovely week!

Sharing at these link parties...

Sumo's Sweet Stuff, The Girl Creative, Boogieboard Cottage, C.R.A.F.T., No Minimalist Here, the shabby creek cottage, The Charm of Home, The Shabby Nest, Redoux, French Country Cottage

take care -