Saturday, November 27, 2010

Upcycled Magazine to a Christmas Tree!

So I was flipping around the internet and came across a video of Martha (yes that Martha) making Christmas Trees by recycling magazines! Hmmm. I sat and awe at the ease of this project (although time consuming) and decided I would use up one of the hundreds of magazines laying around.


This is a close up of the finished project, with the tutorial following! I will take a daylight photo and add it tomorrow!

Here is a prep-step: Bend the spine of the magazine so that it loosens up a bit. Push the pages back a couple at a time so that the book doesn't automatically close on you anymore. This will help your tree be full all the way around.

Step One: Starting with the cover, take the upper right corner and bend down and towards the spine. Continue through the entire magazine.



This is a picture of a completed step 1 on all pages. A big bushy tree.

Step Two:
The long edge of your angled page needs to be brought towards your spine again. Crease well.


Step Three
Turn your page (as shown below)


Take the extra piece at the bottom (I have no technical term for this floogy, other than floogy and then Im not even sure how to spell said term) and fold it up into ad under the previous folds.


Here is what it should look like after all folded in.


This shot was taken 1/2 way through the magazine on step 4!


Next, I sprayed it with my favorite Catalina spray paint and doused it with silver glitter. It took about 3 coats of spraying to cover. However I was honestly tempted to stop at just 2.




I hope you enjoyed the tutorial! Give it a try. This is a great project to complete while sitting infront of the tv!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Last week I slowly got out my tabletop decorations and spread a little Christmas cheer around my house. *disclaimer...don't ask my husband...he's a grinch!*

Here's a bit of what I did! The tree is going up this week!




I made a flag bunting with some scrapbook paper and ribbon I had on hand. The picture is a little dark. Which is exactly why the entertainment center needed something ele. Its a dark walnut stain against a dark brown wall which was the previous owners choice. I like it one my one wall, but in time I hope to change the wall color. There are lights in the towers on the sides, however because there is mirror in it as well, it was better for picture taking to have them off.


Here is my hutch in the dining room. I'm forgoing the traditional green with red and sticking with my white, red and blue that is in the rest of the house. I love this. The snowman plate gives me the vintage/retro feel that I want to lean towards in my kitchen and dinningroom.


The large lantern on the antique school desk was gift I received last year. I knew immediately I was going to fill it with clearance christmas ornaments that I got at 75% off the day after Christmas last year. All those balls for only $5. Love it.


Ok, confession. This is not a Christmas decoration, and not new to the livingroom, but it realy pops against the white on the shutter tha my dad made into a flower box for me.



The 3 ceiling tins needed something additional to add more contrast. Added this old (and rather ratty) wreath and added some white to it as well for just more texture.



And this is my entry tree. Just a little bitty one, but again, got for 75% off the day after Christmast last year. Great buy for just $7.50 prelit! I placed it in a large read metal tub I found on clearance a couple of months ago in the kitchenware section at Target. Placed an old stained cream table cloth around the base of the tree and made my own garland (tutorial coming). Had to include both daylight and night time captures here! lol.

Hope you enjoyed! Stay warm and dry and watch for a tutorial on a couple more christmas projects!

I've linked to the following parties! Check them all out! Lots of ideas and inspiration out there!
The DIY Show Off

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Book Bags for Sprout Preschool!

I've been busy with a lot of organizing bookfairs, fundraisers an event I will be holding called Kids Night Out and now book bags! In the weeks since surgery this is how I have assumed my pose! lol. This is my life. Foot up, wrapped and itchy! Laptop near buy and either crusinin this wonderul web for inspiration, or keepingup with by besties!

So yesterday I finalized my design that would be stenciled on the canvas bags and today, while my punk was at school...got busy!



I started with the "Sprout" which is the logo of our church's preschool...by the same name! I wanted to incorporate our logo in with installing the love of reading into our children. Here is what I came up with just on Microsoft Word because I don't have any of the fancy photo editing software. Old school I tell ya!


I got out my freezer paper which I've been hearing all over blogland works like a charm for making stencils. I traced my pattern, then using a craft knife carefully cut it out!


I used my iron on a cotton setting to adhere the freezer paper shiny side down to the canvas bags, then proceeded to paint on the fabric paint!


10 Bags later, here they are!


I'm very happy with them and believe they will be a fun addition to the classrooms at Sprout Preschool!

Monday, November 1, 2010

I was featured!

What a wonderful suprise and honor to hear from Rachel at http://www.oneprettything.com/ That my Enchanted Forest Baby Shower would be featured on her latest baby shower round up!
Yesterday was the day! Mark it...Sunday, October 31st...I made it big! Ok...tiny lie. Tiny exagerated. Tiny wishes I suppose! lol, but hey! I will take what I can get!

Thank you, Rachel for featuring my post! For everyone else, you simply must go to
http://www.oneprettything.com/ and check out all the amazing talent oozing from all the features! I'm honored to be in such company!

Kids Night Out !

Quick note: The bunion on my right foot surgically removed last Thursday. For the mean time...I'll be sitting on my back side for the next 4-6 weeks. yep...this is me


I will say that means a lot of frolicking around this web of amazing talent and fabulous finds to get inspiration and of course Christmas ideas! I really should have no excuse for not getting any amount of crafting and party styling done in the next few weeks.

I am taking on yet another adventure of loving what I do and doing what I love!
I'm so enjoying styling parties, that I can't get enough. Literally. After the last one, Tim says, " no more projects, no more parties. Rest and rejuvenate! "
Although I must say it all sounded nice...I kinda laughed and rolled my eyes at him too!

Within a week, I have found not only a project, but a project involving a party!


KIDS NIGHT OUT!
I will be hosting an evening for children with themed activities, crafts, snacks and games. It will be sooo much fun! For 5 hours, the kids will hang out with me, keeping busy and have a blast, while their parents are out running errands, having date night, girls night, poker night, renovation night...whatever they want to get done without having the kids underfoot! If you are in the area and would like your children to have a great night...message me and we'll get them signed up for December 6th! Our first event!

So...with that said...I have to get busy with finding activities, games, crafts and take homes for the kids to keep busy with!

I'm so excited about this! I hope you are too!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

I love fall and all that comes with it!

Fall has arrived on Dyrnan Drive!

So I posted about Junk Bonanza and how incredibly awesome it was. Seriously. The atmosphere, the people, the junk,the deals, the laughs. Did I mention the junk?

Here's the junk that was in my trunk when I came home! Well, at least the biggest peice of junk. Not sure what it was or what it was meant to be...but its mine and
its F.I.N.E fine (to borrow from Aerosmith).

Here she is...in all her galvanized goodness...naked from the inside. Well, except for sand to keep it from blowing over.


And now with some dried Switchgrass, seed heads and twigs from the yard painted red.


From goodness to glorious-ness! (is that a real word?)


Once I get my other peices out and into their new homes from the Junk trip, I will post those also! Thanks for visiting! I've linked to Shabby Chic Cottage's Transformation Thursday! Check out the rest of the amazing projects out there!

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Enchanted Forest Baby Shower

This baby shower for my great friend Aubrey was not only a great time to spend celebrating with great friends, but I had sooo much fun planning and styling this party!





Aubrey and Eric found an adorable Eddi Bauer Enchanted Forest bedding set for their Red & Tan nursery that is just the cutest neutral thing ever! All the tiny little forest critters include, rabbits, hedgehogs, squirels, fox. So I decided to run with the theme and add a little feminin touches to boot!



I decided instead of doing a traditional cake or cupcakes for the dessert, we would do S'mores on a Stick...you know, to keep with the theme. I will be doing a tutorial on these later!




Couldn't have an Enchanted Forest without some little Toadstools! These will be included on the tutorial as well! Super easy...and got LOTS of giggles, oohs and ahhhs!




Pasta salad, veggie pizza and some Critter Crunch (aka..homemade carmel corn made by my girl Karla). It was a simple, inexpensive and unexpected spread that was a hit!











This was my first BIG baby shower as a party stylist. I'm not sure which was more work...the baby shower, the wedding or the benefit I've been doing since summer! lol. There are so many things I loved about each of them! Makes me get out there and want to get more! Need a party stylist? I can even do online consults for those that are not local! Leave a comment and I would love talk about how to style your party!

I've linked to the following parties! Check out the other amazing projects these talented ladies have been up to!



The DIY Show Off

Monday, October 4, 2010

Sneak Peak into the forest

I've been planning a babyshower for my girl Aubrey since the day I found out the first couple of weeks in April! Needless to say, thats a lot of time to gather materials for this "Enchanted Forest" theme. Aubrey found an adorable bedding set with the theme and figures I was going to run with it!

I've been wanting to use a lot of natural elements, maybe a little pinch of magic and some little woodland creatures.
The baby girls nursery will be in reds and tans, so I'm running with that also. Add in a bit of white to add feminity and we're all set.

For the first time since my brain took over and started coming up with all these ideas, i spread out all the bits and pieces to see what I had to work with. This is minus the serving peices! lol. Good thing I have a large table!






Im excited to add a couple of "nature" inspired treats to the table as well. Can't wait to see it all come together!

Just another 2 weeks and I'll have pictures to show of the party! Stay tuned!