Spring Garden

It's February! Time to get your sun hat on and head out into your gardens!

Today we're exploring the time-honored tradition of bell jars.

More after the jump!

DIY: Chalkboard Cheeseboard

This project was inspird by this slate and bamboo cheese board. And although it's sort of reasonably priced, it's only available in the UK. In quantities greater than 25.

But I don't live in the UK. And I don't really need 25 cheese boards. I mean, cheese is delicious and all, but I have to draw a line somewhere.

So I made this:

More hot cheese board action after the jump!

Pickle Jar Candles

I've mentioned that I love jars. They're the coolest. They're like, free with your Smuckers purchase and you can reuse them! It's awesome! This project cost me nothing. I used only what I had on hand in my crafting stash, and I KNOW how much my fellow craft sisters hoard, so there's a reeeeeally good chance you've got stuff to make these in your cupboards right now.

Continued after the jump!!

DIY Patio Lights

I've done a few posts already featuring different DIY lighting projects, but this one is a little different. It's EASY. Like, no tools required WHATSOEVER. I give you:

DIY Patio Lights!
 If you already have twinkle lights on hand (and who among us doesn't have a giant ball of tangled twinkle lights in the garage right now?) this project will cost you one dollar, plus tax.

Follow me after the jump!!

Thursday Miscellany: The Little Things

Summer is finally slowing down for my family (and it's a good thing, because I am about to collapse) and I'm starting to look forward to all the great things about Autumn. Like cooler weather, watching the leaves change, spending more time in the kitchen, football, holiday dinners, new sweaters... I'm beginning to drool here.

And so, in the spirit of retrospection, this edition of Miscellany is dedicated to some of the little things that have made me immeasurably happy this Summer. Things like my hanging bud vases, which were a STEAL from CB2, by the way.

We grew these from seeds.
Super cool.

This bag of peaches from my lovely neighbor Bob.

Voted Most Likely to Become Cobbler.

 A lazy dog day, which for Dexter is very, very rare.

He didn't even try to lick the camera.
He must be sick.

This new glasses chain that I bought at Dollar Tree. My optometrist has been gently suggesting that I should consider bifocals, because I'm constantly putting on and taking off my reading glasses. Like, CONSTANTLY.

But I'm only 32, dangit!! I've got plenty of miles left on my eyes before they require bifocals! But a glasses chain? With pretty beads? That is a compromise I can make.

I bought several, in assorted colors.
Fashion!

And finally my brother-in-law, who loves to annoy me in small ways that amuse him. For example, at a BBQ we hosted recently, he drew mustaches on all the faces in my Harry Potter 2011 Calendar.

I hate to admit it, but it's actually an improvement.

And how about you? What little things are bringing you happiness today?

I Hope You Kept Your Fat Pants

We all have two sets of clothes: the clothes that fit now, and the clothes that are a size too small that we intend to fit into again someday. Well, I hope you've also got some of your old "fat pants" laying around somewhere, because you're about to need them.

I usually leave the cooking to the professionals over at Where the Hell is My Spatula? but this recipe is too good to keep to myself. And here's the best part: it's embarrassingly easy. Like, your guests will be super-impressed and they'll be begging you for this recipe, TRUST, but you won't want to give it to them because it's so simple it's almost profane.

Desserts this delicious and beautiful should be harder to make! This recipe is so easy and idiot-proof it almost feels like cheating.

Get in on the secret after the jump!

Cutie Pie Nursery Pendant Lamp

This super-cute pendant lamp was made using something I bought from the dollar store and a bunch of crap I had on hand. Secrets will be revealed, after the jump!!

Thursday Miscellany: Dexter

And by "Dexter" I mean our dog, not the cable show serial killer. Although our dog was in fact named after the cable show serial killer, so I'll accept either answer. Good old Dex. This dog tries my patience like nothing else I've ever known, and I'm a person with huge patience reserves.

He lays in wait for his prey. Then he gets sleepy and has a nap.

When we were considering what sort of dog to get for our family, the most important attributes were playfulness (for the kids) and loyalty (for me). After much reading (on the part of my husband; I don't research things so much as I make rash decisions based on emotional reactions) we decided a Boxer would be ideal for us. This is an excerpt from the Boxer entry on Wikipedia:

"Boxers are a bright, energetic and playful breed and tend to be very good with children."

Well, how perfect does that sound?? Immediately after that bit, and which we somehow managed to either not read at all or immediately forget, is this:

"They are active and incredibly strong dogs and require adequate exercise to prevent boredom-associated behaviors such as chewing, digging, or licking. Boxers have earned a slight reputation of being "headstrong," which can be related to inappropriate obedience training."

Incredibly strong dogs. I cannot emphasize enough how true that is. Dexter has the strength of an ox, and he regularly outruns my husband, when my husband is on a bike.  This dog is a machine. He has eaten several pairs of my shoes, but only the expensive ones, so at least we know he has good taste. He digs in the yard like a backhoe, but only in very discreet parts of the yard, so you won't really notice it until you step in one of his holes and snap an ankle. He also goes completely deaf when he gets excited, so all those commands you spend hours teaching him will be rendered useless the exact moment you really need to use them.

The Boxer sites also fail to mention that they REALLY
like to stick their faces in your face. Like, a LOT.

Also, and I don't know how this isn't the first thing all those Boxer websites mention, Boxers are GOOFY. And I don't mean in an adorable way. I mean that if you spend twenty minutes watching a Boxer interact with anyone or anything, you will raise an eyebrow and declare that this dog ain't right.  Dexter does things that not only don't make any dang sense, but also make him look like a special kind of idiot. ALL THE TIME.

In fact, my sister emailed this gif to me recently, with a message that if we had stairs at our house THIS IS WHAT DEXTER WOULD DO:

Because he's so weird and everyone knows it. And so are ALL THE BOXERS. And yet, we've never even considered trying to find him a new home. Because he loves our kids SO MUCH, and they love him.

So. I guess we'll keep the little monster. Before you professional dog trainers tell me that it's our fault he's such a space-cadet, trust me when I tell you I KNOW it's our fault. Consistency is key, and we don't really provide much. We've tried some obedience methods with limited success, and we're currently trying another system that promises super-ultra-maxi results. If it works, I'll link it here for anyone else with a "special" dog.

Until then, I've bought a shoe rack that he can't reach.

Side Table Redo

 I'm pretty happy about this week's project. It turned out just as I'd hoped, which is almost unheard of for me. This little side table used to look like this:

 Lovely bones, but a bit on the... homely side. She just needed a little makeover. Tutorial after the jump!

DIY Retro Patio Sign: Part 2

Last week I made a retro sunglasses cafe sign, and now I'm posting the follow-up:

Instructables after the jump!

Miscellany

mis·cel·la·ny

ɪsəˌleɪni; Brit. mɪˈsɛləni/ Show Spelled[mis-uh-ley-nee; Brit. mi-sel-uh-nee]

–noun, plural -nies.

1. a collection or group of various or somewhat unrelated items.

So I've been thinking lately that there are things I'd like to say here that are unrelated to DIYing and crafting. Personal things. Opinions, thoughts, and other assorted crap. But I don't want to overrun the blog proper with my blah blah blahing.

To this end, I've decided to take one day a week, Thursdays to be specific, and post whatever is on my mind. I apologize in advance, because this is probably going to end up being mostly lame. Fortunately it'll only happen once a week, or until I get distracted and forget about it.

Lately I've been thinking about gardens. It's the predominant focus of my projects lately, and there's more where that came from. My mom and I went to a local nursery recently, called Crickelwood, and it blew my mind. It's the coolest place ever. The weird thing is I had no idea it existed. I think most people in my town are probably unaware it exists. I've driven past it dozens of times on the way to my dentist's office and I never noticed it.

Suddenly I need a blue door.

It's called the Secret Garden by those who work there, and until now, I guess the secret was pretty safe. It's barely noticeable from the street, even when you know where it is. Once you enter through the front gate, all tucked away underneath purple bouganvillea, it's like you're in another world.

Pictured: so many things that I NEED.

Like, I want to live there. Everything is green and cool and beautiful. If I could relocate every part of Crickelwood into my own yard, you best believe I would. As it is, I can only hope that the beauty I found there will somehow, in some tiny, fractional way, transcend my clumsy attempts at recreating it and that I'll be able to reproduce some of the charm of this place.

Odds are slim. But as ever, I won't let that stop me.

Do you see that bench? I need to read a book there.
By the way, that green frame is like, five feet tall.

 I mean, seriously, why can't I have this?? You know, aside from the labor, expense, and time it took to build it from scratch. Is there a Crickelwood in your area? Or rather, is it there, but you've never noticed it?

DIY Retro Patio Sign

Sooo, I was noticing that we've got this jigsaw in the garage. And loads of leftover plywood. And I've always got several cans of spraypaint laying around. I put it all together and had an idea.

See how it came together after the jump!

DIY Potting Bench

This is how I spent my 4th of July weekend!

Well, not the WHOLE weekend, just a few hours. I also spent a goodly amount of time eating corn on the cob and watermelon. And I admit, I DID spend the lion's share of my time in the pool, squirting my kids in their faces with a Super Soaker until they banded together like Voltron and flipped my floating lounge chair over.

I think we can all agree, that's how the Founding Fathers would have wanted it.

It was a great weekend.

And here we are now!! Together again. Any Monday that finds me staring fondly at something I made despite my criminal lack of formal training with power tools is a good Monday. I made this. I love saying that.

Make one with me, after the jump!!

Craft Hack: DIY Rustic Chandelier

I know I'm prone to saying this, but I'm saying it again today: This is probably the coolest project I've ever done. It was really fun and surprisingly simple, and the end result is exactly as I'd hoped it would be.

I give you the Rustic Chandelier Knock-Off.

I saw a picture of something similar a few weeks ago and I thought that, while it was really cool and I totally wanted one, the price tag was just a teeeensy bit steep. I mean, it IS really interesting and unique, but dang. This chandelier from Rustic Designs costs $2,800. Yes, that's the correct number of zeros there. Two thousand, eight hundred dollars. That's almost three large for a chandelier made of branches.

Not bloody likely.

I knew I could make something similar, if not exactly the same, for a couple thousand dollars less.

See how I did it after the jump.

Lyric Subway Art

So, we've all seen the subway art. Most of us have some in our homes right now. And with good reason, I mean, it's really cool and retro and it's so versatile! You can personalize it any way you want! And that's what I've done:

What we've got here are some lyrics from the old 70's hippie peace & love song "Get Together" by the Youngbloods. Also, a key. My plan was to make it look very old, very distressed. I wanted to give the impression of an old shop shingle. Did I succeed? I rarely do. But I'm keeping it anyway. After the jump, the tutorial.

DIY Glass Doily Cheeseboard

This hardly counts as a project, but I'm not gonna let that stop me from tutorializing it. I mean, look at it. It doesn't get much simpler than this. HOWEVER. I think it turned out nicely:

It's a cutting board/cheeseboard/trivet. SO FUNCTIONAL. Everyone should have a few of these. Here's the deal: it cost a dollar to make. I know, right? How-to after the jump!

Craft Hack: Pottery Barn Inspired American Flag

Summer has started for the schoolkids and the 4th of July will be upon us before long. It'll be cookouts and swimming parties for the next few months, so I've begun thinking about some cool seasonal decor that won't break the bank. I love to change the look of my living room according to the season, but I'm much too cheap to spend any money on it. Thank goodness I can always count on Pottery Barn to think of things I can make myself.

Their's:

Mine:

This is a great project because of its versatility. Not everyone has $129 to spend on a wooden American Flag, and even if you did, the PB version might be the wrong size. BUT!! A 4x8 foot piece of harwood at your local hardware store is less than $10 and you'll be able to use it for several projects. And honestly, if you've got a garage, there's a good chance you've got some scrap wood laying around already.

Tutorial after the jump!
UPDATE!! This project was featured over on Bella Before & After! Check it out...

Update: GIVEAWAY WINNERS!!!

Alright, this giveaway is closed, but I've got another lined up that will begin June 27th. Thanks a million to everyone who entered via comments and email. AND NOW FOR THE WINNERS!!

For the pink cake pedestal, Antonia B. who had trouble with the comment section and had to enter via email.

For the green cake pedestal, Annabelle G. who sneaked her entry in at the end.

Congratulations, ladies! I'll be emailing you for your mailing info.

Monday, May 30
Cake Pedestal Giveaway!

Okay, I've never done  giveaway before, so bear with me. It's actually a dual giveaway, so that's pretty boss. What I'm giving away are two brand spankin' new ceramic cake/dessert pedestals, one in pink and one in green:

This is going to be an easy giveaway with very simple terms, so click through to find out the details.

Project Twofer!

I have a teeny weeny itsy bit of an issue with kids' crafts. You see, there's only so much room on the fridge for all the macaroni mosaics and fingerpaintings. I love these things, but I also love projects for kids that are actually functional in some way.

Well. Today we have two projects you can do with the kids that--GASP--won't end up in the garbage next week!! One is just for funsies and the other would make a great end-of-the-year teacher gift.

First, some cutie-pie felt hairclips:

And then a fun silk flower pen bouquet:

Both projects after the jump!

Craft Hack: Ballard-Inspired Newsprint Dress and Accessories

It's time again for a knock-off tutorial! This week, I'm hacking Ballard's Newspaper Dress ($299-ouch) and the Newspaper Shoe, Glove and Handbag Prints ($89 each). I've since seen a few tutorials for the dress (one used old dress patterns instead of newspaper and it's CUTE) but I've not seen an for the shoes, gloves and purse. WELL. I felt they were even more interesting than the dress, and I originally intended to omit the dress entirely.

Long story short, I hacked them all! And for the first time ever, I've made a printable PDF template. Wheee!

Tutorial after the jump.