Spring INSIDE At Least . . .

 Living in the Midwest means that even if the CALENDAR says spring is here . . . you know that doesn't meant it feels or looks like spring OUTSIDE.

It means that you can be wearing flip flops and filling yard bags one day . . . and the next, both are buried in snow.

Living in the Midwest means you often have to CREATE your own spring so here's my little attempt to do that.

Nothing says "spring" like bunnies and flowers . . .

. . . or nests

I treasure this one -- my daughters found this a few years ago while they were out walking the dog.  It's SO delicate and finely woven and only measures a few inches across.  That's a real Robin's egg that I found last year in the woods.  I didn't know if it would eventually smell . . . it didn't so it's the perfect touch for my little nest.

Many of these elements are rotated in and out at different times of the year, including this ornate frame.  I just swap out the quotes/verses.

No matter what the weather . . . I'm reminded that Jesus is the Creator and Orchestrator of the seasons and the source of eternal life!

Ombre Dresser Make Over

I love the ombre look so when I was 'gifted' this very old dresser, I immediately pictured it in my beachy guest room with ombre drawers.  It was in pretty rough shape so there was a bit of prep work that had to be done first.

There were a lot of chips, nicks and gouges on the drawers and the top.  I sanded first and then used wood putty to fill in all the gaps.  After drying, I sanded again.  I also decided to remove the knobs as they were wood and didn't fit with the style of the dresser.

 Wood putty has become a great friend -- it really DOES fix and hide a "multitude of sins".

 I often choose to leave pieces "as is" in back.  Often there are some really neat details that give a hint of just how old the piece is or even where it was manufactured.  This piece just had this great, old number "20" on the back so I kept it unpainted.  The rest of the dresser got two coats of Annie Sloan Pure White chalk paint which was then distressed and waxed with clear wax.

 I added these vintage look glass knobs and used Arles, Emile and Provence chalk paint for the drawers.  No real recipe.  I just started with the full strength color on the bottom and kept adding white to the next layer up until it was almost completely white.

It fits so well with the theme of my room -- and you can't beat the price . . . free!

 

Valentine's Day Warms My Heart!

 I think my favorite holiday to decorate for is definitely Valentine's Day.  The Christmas decorations come down, the house gets a good cleaning and then, the Valentine decorations go right up.  

I search all year long for vintage items to incorporate including these angels and postcards.

 How great is this book?? Love IS eternal!

This old bottle capping device is usually out all year but gets moved around and accessorized with the different holidays.

I also love decorating and filling small drawers around the house for the holidays.  This little drawer is in my buffet in the dining room.

Battening down the hatches for the coldest temps of the year here in Chicagoland so having my cheerful Valentine decorations up may not warm my toes but will definitely warm my heart!

Christmas Fence Board Art

 I love using old fence boards for artwork.  I get them for free whenever I see someone taking down a fence, on Craigslist, on a curb . . . wherever I can!  I wanted something to put above my upcycled windows in my living room.  I started with painting one coat of chalk paint on the boards, then sanded lightly and painted on the words.

The words were printed out on paper and then taped together.  Using graphite paper, I transferred the script to the boards and then painted using black, acrylic paint.  Finally, I sanded the words lightly to distress a bit and finished with a coat of clear wax.  When using this technique, I have a few, simple TIPS:

1.  Invest in a good brush.  This one cost me about 10.00 and is a number 2 round brush.  It's perfect for lettering and fine detail. 

2.  Choose a simple font.  The one I love to use is called Abbeyline and was downloaded for free at Freefont.com. 

3.  Water down your paint.  I keep a small jar of water on the table and each time I dip my brush in the water, then in the paint (which I pour out onto a piece of cardboard or plastic lid) and then lightly brush the excess paint onto the cardboard before heading to my project.  This was probably the most helpful tip -- you get nice, smooth, fine lines this way.

 

 

My favorite kind of project:  Free, simple, quick!

Upcycled Book Photo Album

I love taking photos but like many of us, they don't often make their way off of my devices.  I'm determined to not let that happen as often so I wanted to come up with a simple, inexpensive way to display them after I get them printed.

 Using one of the many old books I have, I began by decorating it with these slide holders, ribbon, etc. You could use anything you want -- so many possibilities! But since I already had these, that's what I went with.

I started by gluing some decorative paper on one half of the slide holder, trimming the outer edges.  

Using an x-acto knife, I cut out the center of the paper.

A really simple way to get nice, clean edges after you trim paper is to use an emery board to file the excess paper away.  Just make sure you are filing down/away from the top of the paper so you don't pull the paper away that you've glued.

When you've finished, this is what you'll end up with.

You could put photos in here but I chose to use the words, "Life is Sweet" and added some ribbon and an old key for embellishment.  

For the photos inside, I simply gathered 8 pages, punched a hole in the top and inserted a brad.  I gathered 8 more pages, punched a hole in the BOTTOM and inserted a brad.  You want to alternate top and bottom so your book doesn't get lop-sided.  Note:  The fewer pages you gather, the less of the book you'll be able to use because the brads will make it get 'thick' quicker.  I chose 8 pages and was able to use the majority of this 1.5" thick book.

 You could use photo corners to hold the pictures in and then change them out if you wanted to.  I didn't have any so I just used photo adhesive to attach them to the pages. At this point you could also add scrapbook embellishments, stickers, etc. but again, I wanted to keep it simple so I didn't add anything for now.

I tucked the opening pages of the book under the ribbon that wraps around the cover but you could leave them or just remove them if you want.

 

 I went ahead and made all the sections I wanted and inserted the brads so as I get new pictures, I just have to put them in.

A quick, easy, inexpensive way to keep up with the photos you VOW to print out from now on!