[Make] J.Crew-esque Heart Top

I usual shy away from DIY-ing my clothes, but I've been wanting a top with a big wonky heart on it for a while. Something between J Crew's Heart Me Sweater and the more casual heart tops by Wildfox Couture.

I knew that I wouldn't get that much use out if it (I'll probably be hearted-out by Feb 15th), so instead of making a purchase, I decided to DIY it.

In true DIY/Upcycle fashion, I used a top that I already had. Call it my guinea pig top-- comfy, but almost ready for the donate pile since I hardly wear it. The blah color and the baggy, not-so-figure-flattering fit are detractors. So basically I chose something that I wouldn't be too upset about if I messed up.  :)

In hindsight, the heart should have been a bit higher... or bigger.
 And look at me trying to pose. Har-har!

BTW, if you can't find Freezer Paper, I found a good alternative.

Click "Read more" for the how-to

[Wordless Wednesday] Green Tree

 

happy vee pointed out this "green" tree in our neighbor's yard...

the green is rather stunning, isn't it? probably one of the few times that a tree looks better without leaves!

oops... this is supposed to be "wordless".  pssst... have a great wednesday!

[Make] Fish Bowl Valentine's Card

Valentine's Day... It's a love/hate thing for me. Love the plethora of hearts. Love the romance. Love the Valentine's Day parties. What do I hate? The candy! Some candy is fine  (preferably a smooth dark chocolate), but a bag full of processed sugar? Add in two small boys... Eh, no thanks. I know I can't prevent it, but this year I decided not to join the sugar brigade.

Since 4 year old Happy Vee loves fish-- he got a betta for his 4th birthday-- I thought a fish bowl valentine would be perfect. And since he also has a palate for goldfish crackers... 

it even stands up by itself!

Click "Read more" for the free download and tutorial

[Make] Decorative Heart Box #3

The last of the heart boxes! Are you tired of hearts yet?  I hope not because I have a couple more blood-pumping projects up my sleeve.  Heh-heh... blood-pumping...  I really shouldn't write these posts late at night.  :)

Anyhow, the tutorial for the burlap and wood heart is coming up after the jump. If you missed it,  the green heart-on-heart tutorial is here and the brass chevron box tute is here.

Click "Read more" for the tutorial

[Make] Decorative Heart Box #2

Last week I shared the tutorial for the 3-dimensional heart box. Next up is this brass chevron heart box. I really wanted something modern, clean... and shiny. I think this hits all points. 

Click "Read more" for the tutorial

[Wordless Wednesday] Rainbow Pom-Pom

Click "Read more" for the wordless tutorial :)

[Make] Sequined Heart

While cleaning up my craft supplies (yep, still working on organizing), I found a small foam heart that was half-decorated then abandoned. If my guess-timation is correct, it's been sitting in it's half-done state for about 15 years. Yikes... Definitely time to make something with it! So I removed the previous decoration and started fresh.

I usually stay away from the traditional pink and red hearts, but I still wanted something colorful and fun. I think the candy-colored sequins do the trick!

glitzy!

Click "Read more" for the details.

[Make] Decorative Heart Box #1

While browsing the aisles of a craft store (my favorite past-time) I found some papier mache heart boxes. They are sturdy and just the right size to hold a small gift (Valentine's teacher's gift perhaps?) or to use as a trinket box. I purposely tried to make them timeless so, although Valentine's Day is looming, no pink or red on these hearts!

I get fidgety when I have to make the same thing twice, so they are all quite different. After pondering a few of my favorite things-- shiny metallics, wood, geometric shapes, burlap, succulents-- here's what I ended up with...

First up is this 3-dimensional heart box:

Click "Read more" for the tutorial

[Wordless Wednesday] Icy Succulent

photo taken in our backyard. it hardly ever freezes here so.... brrrrrr!

pssst... stay warm!

[Pin It // Make It] Heart-in-Hand Gloves

Pinterest... Do you pin?  I was lucky to have joined when it was in beta mode and I've been a dedicated pinner ever since. If you haven't tried it, it's a great tool to capture and share inspiration and resources.

However, how many times do you pin things and how many times do you actually do something with that pin? Except for a few party planning ideas, my record is pretty bad. So, as a little push for myself, I thought I'd start a new series-- Pin It // Make It.  Sounds easy enough, right?  :) 

A week ago I pinned these heart gloves and, after a little research, tracked down the original source at eu.Fab.com and also yastikizi on Etsy. Cute, huh. Since there's not a tutorial, I had to create my own. Now, if you know me, I hardly ever sew and just learned to thread a needle a few years ago. So, ahem, don't judge me too hard. Anyhow, with my basic skills, I thought I would recreate these heart gloves.

Well, there are a few differences. First of all, mine is the much cheaper version...$1 gloves and $0.25 acrylic felt. Also, the heart could've been a little bigger... If I wore gloves more often, I'd invest in a nice wool pair and also use a wool felt. But I hardly ever wear them, so this will do.

Click "Read more" for the tutorial

[Tried // True] Winter 2013

Click "Read more" for the details

[Organize] Our Entry

Let me just say it... Our entryway is problematic! We are a shoes-off household and when we enter through our front door, shoes, backpacks, and jackets are discarded immediately upon entry. Unfortunately, this means that our formal living room also doubles as a mudroom. gasp! Oh the horrors! 

We do have a large hall closet, but it's in the middle of the house and too far away for the sand-dropping, mud-tracking set. So our living room has to double as a "mudroom". Poor living room... If he had a voice it would be British and he would be cursing and tossing around "bloody" left and right. Kidding... sorta.

So balls, boots and bags... oh my! They took over our entryway and they had to go. The balls went to the garage, the boots found a new home and the bags with sports gear went into the closet. And the jackets and hats and shoes... why they found a new and improved "home" on their proper racks. 

Click "Read more" for the entire post

[Wordless Wednesday] Winter Mantel 2013

pssst... simple, isn't it? have a great day!

[Organize] Where I Blog

In the spirit of the new year, it is time to reorganize and de-clutter our space. This week I looked around our home and it was easy to find the "problem" areas. Although we have some major reorg to do in the office and garage, it's the cluttered everyday spaces that drive me crazy. So we'll tackle those first!

First up is my "office". It's not really an office but the kitchen workstation that measures a mere 36" x 22" and is prone to paper build-up, runaway office supplies and messy drawers.  Time to de-clutter, simplify and personalize.

Due to the brown/gold granite, it tends to be a dark little space. Can you believe I've been living with this granite for almost 10 years?!! I didn't choose it but our old house had the same granite. What are the odds?  Anyhow, a kitchen remodel is not in our near future, so I just work in my dark little space and count my lucky stars that a window (and fish tank) are right next to me!

Click "Read more" for the details

[Make] Cork Letter Tack Board

I'm reorganizing my work space and one thing that I really need is a tack board. Nothing big since I only have about 2 feet of usable wall space, but something fun and stylish since my desk is in the kitchen and in plain view... no closing the doors in this office!

I saw these cork letters from Urban Outfitters and almost pulled the trigger.  But then I remembered the cork tiles in my craft stash and decided to make it a DIY project.  The best thing about DIY is that not only can the size be customized (the UO cork letters are on the smaller side) but you can also select the font of your choice.

Click "Read more" for the tutorial

[Make] Cork Pencil Holder... with shiny polka dots!

The first project of the New Year!  And of course it has something to do with organization. Just like the next person, I'm trying to start 2013 off on the right foot.  And that means cleaning up the chaos that is my desk. I'll share more about my desk reorg later, but here's one of the projects that I have been working on-- a little pencil holder that I whipped together using supplies that I already have on-hand. Another goal of mine this year... to shop my own craft supplies before heading to the store. I have a craft store addiction, so we'll see how well that goes.  :)

it's called a pencil cup... but where are the pencils? :)

click "Read more" for the tutorial

Back to it!

The kids are back in school and Winter Break is officially over.  Boom. Just like that.  After a week in San Diego and a couple days in the South Bay, we literally just rolled back into town yesterday.  Unfortunately, our elf is nowhere to be found and he forgot to take down our Christmas decorations and stock our refrigerator with food... and gosh, I was hoping he'd stay long enough to tackle the loads and loads of laundry.  He did feed Garfield the fish though...

So back to reality for us!  I have a lot of clean-up and reorganizing to do, so I thought I'd just leave a few snaps of Winter Break 2012--

cotton candy clouds (beautiful but chilly weather!) : a nap while waiting for christmas dinner

playing with his bro's marble run (which took 2 hours for 2 adults to set-up!) : okinawan sweet potato (a new year's treat)

woodpecker in an old oak tree (can you spot it?) : the gas lamp district in san diego (our home away from home)

nutella & cream gelato from chocolat (their food is good too!) : at the sd children's museum

It's time to pack it all up!

Hope you're having a nice week!

Thankful & Happy

 

Thank you for your readership. This blog is a big, wonderful, positive part of my life and you being here truly means the world to me. 

 

Have a wonderful, safe and CREATIVE new year!