Happy Easter!

 

Happy Easter Friends!

This is my favorite day of the year as I remember what my Savior has done for me and for you.  

I give praise and glory to the Lamb! 

Love and hugs to each and every one of you. :)

xoxo

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.   1 Peter 1:3  (NLT)

Thanks to all of you checking in on me!

Have you ever wondered why you don't realize you need rest until you actually rest? Like when I don't know I am hungry until I bite into something and then eat like it's my last day to experience taste buds.

And apparently I did not know I have needed a rest from the B-L-O-G.  I spell it because the thing can just loom over me like this beckoning addiction that I can't shake. I even began noticing my camera was filling up with photos of crafts and less and less were of my precious girls and family. Yikes.

So something needed some adjusting and that something was my priorities.

I then did things I had neglected because the spinning wheels in my brain are always concocting some sort of SOMETHING to make.  So I folded the laundry that I rewashed 3 times because I kept forgetting it was still in the washer and rejoiced that said clothes finally graduated to the dryer. 

I also found my dining room table under oodles of fabric, scissors, and yarn with some home school papers thrown in for good measure.

I have played doll house and tea party. We even have had front yard picnics where I got some photos...

I have even watched many a concert that included a barbie guitar, a tambourine, and some maracas. With high heels and some fancy dresses.  It was a delightful symphony of sounds. And I would not want to have missed it for the world.

I planted flowers (and the girls helped) in my front yard like vincas, pentas, and zinnias.

 All different shades of pink of course.

And also becasue we apparently totally dig flowers that end in AS. 

OK.  I just reread that line and I SO did not mean to make that funny but it ended up funny.  

Read it out loud. 

See?  Funny.  

The backyard has only A-S flowers too.  Azaleas.  Begonias. No, wait!  We planted Jasmine too!  HA! 

OK.  Enough already.

So I have been enjoying my hiatus to just live my life. Today we had a sweet little Easter party at my daughter's school where they hunted for resurrection eggs and heard the whole story of Easter.  It was so touching to watch their reactions to this bittersweet message of love and sacrifice.

Also, for those of you who are new to my blog...our family hit a kind of crossroads last summer when my husband lost his job.  So many of you have been amazing as we have traveled this unknown road.  My husband is still unemployed but today he had an amazing interview and we are really hoping this is the one.  We probably won't know for a few weeks but if you think of it...please pray. 

So now I prepare for this gala that will take place next weekend. I am still unsure about what I am going to do as I am hosting a table.  I have a zillion ideas and plan on implementing them but nothing ever ends up the way I originally plan it.  So next week will be a bunch of tutorials while I create a tablescape using thrifty ideas to make it affordable. We can see how to turns out together! :)

So tune in next week!  And thanks for hanging in there with me while I have been blessed by everyday, ordinary (that is actually extraordinary) life!  I love that all of you are a part of my life and bless me so much!

So again...hugs to all you friends and especially those of you who sent emails to just say hi and see how I was doing.  It warmed my heart and I am thankful for everyone of you that read this blog and encourage me!

I will be back soon! :)

Simple Looped Ribbon Chandalier

 

Kind of different right?

I actually started out making this with the idea of making a normal ribbon chandelier.  I was going to put lengths of ribbon around an embroidery hoop and aim for a kind of beachy, grown up feel instead of the usual bright and pretty ones I have seen. I wanted it more subdued and peaceful. So I started researching these trying to figure out if I should sew on the ribbon, glue it, or tie it onto the hoop. 

Add I found this REAL glass ribbon chandelier and got inspired.

I am actually not a mod girl.  I am a cottage style girl all the way.  But there is something about the clean lines of modern design that gives me a sense of peace. I am drawn to that from an inspirational point of view.

 I figured...I could SO do that with looped ribbon!  And so I did.  I literally just glued loops together and then sewed fishing line through each loop and tied it to an embroidery hoop I painted to match.

 The ivory, white, and pale blue satin ribbon make it so delicate and pretty.  

It actually matches my master bedroom perfectly!

 See my shams? :)

I actually tried looping ribbon around the hoop but it started looking like a really bad wedding decoration.

Like an 80's throwback. Shudder. 

So I ripped it off and repainted the damage I did.

I was actually trying to hide all the tied off fishing line but it's growing on me.  

And I like the simple look of the painted hoop.

What do you think?

Classy ribbon chandy?

Pretty baby mobile?

Rear view mirror decor?

Or 80's tacky with a wanna be modern flair?

I still like it though. :)

Painted Number Magnets

So I was in the dollar store for some ribbon today and on my way out I spotted these number magnets. I instantly thought of the light blue can of spray paint at home that had barely enough in it to spray paint something big.  But these would be perfect!

I loved the idea of making them light and bright while making this a little painting project. 

This would make a great kids craft too but I wanted to do it myself. So there. :)

My oldest daughter is learning to count to 100 and these will be fun to use on her letter magnet board.

So I used a bit of spray paint and then got out some pretty paint colors and started decorating them.

It was ridiculously fun. 

Have you ever noticed how coloring and painting is so soothing?  My friend Kelly told me at her previous job, the company actually provided coloring books and crayons if you got too stressed out.  I think that was pretty smart. I would have had a melt down on a daily basis to have a creative outlet and get to color.

Easy peasy...and pretty! 

And it matches my kitchen so they can go on the fridge. It can't get better then that.

Oh look!  I can even use my cookie sheet turned fabric tray!

Yep.  This was fun.

Ruffly White Wreath

 Introducing My New Spring Wreaths!

I tell ya friends, this was a labor of love. My idea for a wreath was not at all what you see in these photos.  I was thinking along the lines of yarn with some fabric and felt flowers.  But I decided that I wanted something that could be a Year Round Wreath.

So I had a retired white bed skirt that I use for scrap material and there was still a lot of it.  So I decided to make the flowers you have been seeing like crazy on this here blog.

DISCLAIMER:  I am capable of making other kinds of flowers.  

I am just obsessed with ruffles right now.

But I think I am all ruffled out.  

But this was a LOT of material.  I actually ran out before I was even close to finished. 

But then the hubs and I were cleaning out the garage and I found another bed sheet that I had saved for material as well.  YIPPEE!

(Hence the need to clean our the garage.  I can't throw a blessed thing away)

What I absolutely ADORE is the fact that this was a slightly different color white...almost eggshell or ivory.  So if you look at it, the slight variation in the white gives it such pretty depth.  

I was so EXCITED to have a beautiful accident!! 

Beautiful accidents are the BEST!

The way I made it a year round wreath was just keeping the base white and then adding the flowers with straight pins that I can remove for each season.  I can wield  a hot glue gun with frightening tenacity so my restraint here should be applauded. I used different pins to be part of the flower designs and I think they turned out perfect.

Oh, did I mention I needed to make TWO since I have a double door entry?

Like I said...a labor of love. :) These little pretties were a 3 day project but worth every second!
UPDATE:  4/13/13
Check out my tutorial on how to make A Pretty Ruffle Topiary which shows how to make the ruffles for these wreaths. I hope to have a video tutorial up for these some time soon.

I hope all of you have a FABULOUS weekend.  

Hugs and blessings friends!

The Napkin Rings were Lonely...So I added a Runner to Match :)

WHEW!
Huge sigh of relief. Today was the day to turn in all of our donations for the auction. I think I will never procrastinate again.  This is a lie, of course but I will repeat this to myself anyway. I work best under pressure but I sure hate it when I am in it.

So.  The runner and how it came to be.  The napkin rings are so lovely but I felt it was not enough.  I would have bought napkins but...well, white is boring yet I wanted to stay neutral.  So I figured I would find a generic runner and just add my flowers to it.  Which I did.

But let me tell you how excited I was when I saw this runner at Target! I mean, it would totally match the texture thing I had going on when I added the flowers!  Whoa. And this runner is kinda....ehh...all by itself. But adding the flowers gave it this sweet compliment and I loved the outcome.

However.
I felt like my own one man sweat shop getting all this stuff done. The kids got nuggets and mac and cheese, the best husband in the world got them ready for bed...and I just sewed and sewed. Again, not digging the last minute thing.

I made 6 flowers, 3 for each side and they really worked out so well. But it did not seem quite right.

That space there to the left felt like it needed 3 more flowers. I had tried putting the flowers at the very end but figured if this hung over the ends of the table, the flowers would get lost and look a little weird. But sadly, I only had a yard of chiffon and I really needed 2 to make another 6 flowers. And 9 cups of coffee to jack me up and keep going.

So in a rare display of crafty resignation...I said it was fine. 

I am way too picky, and I am leaving it the way it is.

So I rolled it up, tied it with more twine, and smiled with the relief of being alllllllll done. :)

Fabric Houses Wall Art

So here is my second completed project for the silent auction.  This one has me biting my nails since this will depend on personal preference and taste.  But I am also hoping things like this will be in my  soon to be Etsy shop. This particular piece is in a glass frame but I like working directly on canvas.

 The materials I used were all from my fabric stash: burlap, linen, old towels, an old bed skirt, and yarn.

This would be so perfect for a little girl's room. I kept the fabric pattern colors light and playful.

I love the look of handmade stitches.  They are imperfect, childlike and whimsical.  

And the frayed edges of the fabric give it just the right texture.

I am loving the swirly blue sky and green grass too.

I hope someone likes this enough to bid on it!  

Do YOU like it? 

(be gentle)

Off to sew and create some more!