cabinets and redos

my dining room transformation is moving along. a bit slowly, but at least it is moving forward and not at a standstill. i was able to move my waterlogged, found cabinet in this past weekend and love, love, love it! you can go here to read about it's beginnings :)

i simply cleaned off any flaking paint and then dressed it up with some fabric and new handles. since i paid nothing for the cabinet, i completely splurged on the handles. they are from anthropologie and although i think both are prefect, i must say the branch pulls on the bottom drawer are my favorite. the back of the cabinet is lined with tula pink fabric and really ads a bit of fun to the room. i used super 77 spray glue to attach it to the back, but i think the wood still holds some water because when i went back the next day, 2 of the 3 panels had fallen down. to fix this, i ran a length of double sided tape along the top edge of each nook and this seems to have done the trick.

the cabinet originally had 2 doors on the bottom, but one was not salvagable from water damage. i decided to take the doors off completely and use this for open storage of my various quilts and bridge tablecloths. i can't wait to pile the cabinet up with all the crazy pattens i have collected over the years.

that's it for now. at the rate i'm going, it might be thanksgiving before the room makes it's debut, but i will keep you posted along the way!

love and hearts

remember my post about paperclay? it was my first attempt with this product, so a lot of experimenting went on. i made 2 flowers that i was happy with and i finally found time to paint them. again, there was some experimenting with the paint as well. i only had a few bottles of really old acrylic in the house, so i was limited with the color, but all in all, i am pretty happy. at the very least - these pieces make me smile when i look at them, so i guess that means they are a success, right?

for each of the flowers, i watered down red acrylic and applied the color in a couple of coats to get a nice depth. when i finished painting them, i gave each piece a couple passes with triple thick spray glaze. right after i sprayed the glaze, i sprinkled fine glitter onto the flowers which made all the difference. even though the painting is super messy, i think they turned out really whimsical!

the "love" flower hangs from a metal safety pin which was put into place while the clay was wet. for the heart flower, i inserted a fabric covered wire into the back when i was making it. i just made sure to hook the end of the wire into a "U" shape so it won't pull out once dry. then i rummaged into my metal cabinet filled with crafting odds and ends and found these vintage leaves and berry that i used as accents.

next up is a trip to the store for more paint. that way when i make more flowers, i can have a multicolored garden when i am finished!

alignment and perfection

i feel like i have been less than perfect in every aspect of my life this summer. i just can't get the days to evolve the way i would like. ugh! i really have to practice the art of letting go. i am trying, really trying to not take everything that happens to heart, but somehow i always do. and the result? i am in a serious funk. double ugh!

thank goodness i have found a few precious moments to create. and thank goodness for the small joy of perfect alignment. the shot above is the start to my dining room tabletop quilt. the fact that i managed to get all 8 pie pieces to match up in the center is pure perfection! hopefully this is a sign of good things to come.

how is your summer moving along, are you in a rut, or have you been able to accomplish all your goals? if so, tell me your secrets - pretty please???

summer and school

this summer has really switched up my routine and i am kind of missing my old schedule. i am dying to finish working on some more botanical prints and embroidered canvases. to start sewing up some more aprons which have been selling like hotcakes! to make some more paperclay flowers (which turned out so cute painted, just wait til you see them). to being able to show this blog some more love. big things are happening here in the month of august and i want it looking ship shape for it's new friends.

the munchkins are back in school august 8th and while i love them, i am just a wee bit counting down the days til i have my routine back again :)

strawberries and salads

i know strawberry salads have been making the blog world rounds, but i am convinced that this is the most delicious salad ever. EVER.

clearly i am not a food blogger since it took me getting halfway through the salad to think about taking a photo, so please excuse the messy plate :) however, i still think it looks amazing in all it's messiness. and it is making me really hungry just writing this post!


summer strawberry spinach salad

1 lb. fresh organic baby spinach
1 pt. fresh strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

poppy seed dressing:
1/2 C sugar
2 T. sesame seeds
1 T. poppy seeds
1 1/2 tsp minced fresh onion
1/4 tsp. worcestershire
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 C red wine
1/2 c vegetable oil

mix the salad ingredients, but if you are taking to a party, don't put on the crumbled blue cheese or poppy seed dressing until ready to serve.

i mix up the poppy seed dressing, and refrigerate for 1 hour or more. make sure the salad dressing is well shaken and dissolved as much as possible before tossing with the salad ingredients.

and for a real treat, toss in some grilled chicken. so yummy. enjoy!

relaxing and weekends

i've fallen off the posting track and this is the reason why. summer is in full force and courtesy of some great friends, this is what most of my weekends have looked like. i have been bringing crafts, but never seem to get around to picking them up.

swimming, boating, tubing, grilling, drinking, sunning... i have been in heaven

what does your summer look like???

listings and more listings

i have just logged 3.5 hours on my computer uploading to etsy. that's right, the store is fully stocked! i typically like to spread out my listings across a couple of weeks to get the most views, but truthfully, i haven't been able to find the time. my photos have been edited for weeks now, but well, it's summer and things move a lot slower for me :) the above is a pair of lamps that i am really having a hard time letting go - i love them so, but i really want to share the love by not hogging them for myself. the center band is wrapped with fabric from a vintage sheet which makes these lamps so very unique and cute, did i mention cute???

 

 of course, you can always find my botanical prints. i truly cannot wait till my days are free again and i can get started on some new floral options. they are all waiting patiently in my sketchbook, ready to be digitized.

and there are also plenty of aprons covering all colors and tastes.

if you have any questions about the items in the shop, don't hesitate to convo me :)