Clockwise, fromtop left:
Cost...
Again, I was drawn to the beautiful appliques and colors...
Hmmm. Months ago I read an article where someone had taken a placemat and transformed it into a pillow. I checked the back of the placemat and it was "lined." A beautiful possibility began to take shape. A purchase was made and I high-tailed it home to begin the transformation.
All you have to do is use your seam ripper and open a hole in the bottom seam. Stuff with a pillow form (14"x18") or stuffing and sew the seam back up. The whole process takes the better part of 10 minutes. Seriously.
Honestly, this little gal is just as pretty as any of the other pillows I saw and she was a fraction of the price. I'm dancing the happy dance. What's more, two more placemats came home with me and are awaiting their transformation (scroll up to see my favorite one completed)...
I love Chinese Lantern Lilies like the one to the left. This time of year I often see them in the stores. I am drawn to their shape, their color, and their paper-thin appearance. Nature is incredibly beautiful, isn't it?
I'd like to thank everyone who participated in my Breast Cancer Awareness Give-Away Give-Away. I was touched by the beautiful tributes of those who entered the contest. Thank you for sharing your very personal stories and experiences with breast cancer survivors and their caregivers in such a sensitive and loving way. It's obvious those you nominated are some very brave and selfless souls. I wish I had a tote for every nominee as all were deserving, but only one can win...
Although no one will be happier than I to hear this bit of news, I am sure you will be pleased to know that I repainted the 
As I was waiting for the coats of paint to dry on the above mentioned chair, I started a new project. Yes, it's not enough to be knee deep in one project, I needed to stretch myself thinner still by adding yet another cog to the wheel. A little background... I've been noticing more and more as I peruse "shabby to chic" furniture refinishing blogs, that many of the items bought to be refinished are purchased at Goodwill Industries. Last Saturday I coaxed my husband into taking me to a Goodwill retail outlet in a neighboring town. I was hoping to find and purchase a little table to refinish for the grandkids play area. It needed to be short enough for my grandkiddos to sit or kneel on the floor and use it, because I didn't want to have to store a bunch of chairs, so I went looking for an end table that I could shorten the legs and refinish. Are you following me???
It's not that I particularly love "I Love Lucy" style furniture, but look at the height of that first tier. It was the perfect height for what I wanted, and I loved its chunky spindly legs. I consulted with my husband who said he could rip off the top part of the table without any problem at all. My man has muscles. Here's the proof...
Perfect height. Perfect size. Perfect price. This, my dears, is why people shop at Goodwill...
And I got a sweet little Curious George sticker for no additional charge. Should have left that on for the grandkids...
Getting back to today... As I was waiting for the paint to dry on the chair, between applications I started stripping the stain and varnish off the table. In order to fill the little holes left from the spindles in the top of the table, we bought some wood plugs at Hobby Lobby. We filled the holes half way up with glue, popped the plugs in, and sanded a bit more...
I'm telling you right now, I am loving this little lady...
This next week, weather permitting, I'm going to paint her "Heirloom White" and add a little "antique" glaze to accentuate her curves. Wish me luck.
Thanksgiving has to be one of my favorite holidays. I love the whole idea behind having a holiday that is based on a virtuous principle -- that of gratitude. There is something wonderful about gathering family and friends together to celebrate our appreciation for blessings received. In comparison to other holidays, I think Thanksgiving has, for the most part, been unsullied by commercialism. That's a point in its favor as well!
It was time to put it all together... I've never had mad skilz when it comes to floral arranging. I always hand that chore off to someone else, rather than do it myself. Unfortunately my husband was hard at work, so I couldn't pawn the task off on him, and none of my daughters live at home anymore. It was up to me. Mores the pity. I took comfort in the fact that placing gourds in a tray shouldn't be that hard. I grabbed some twigs and leaves from my at home stash and went to work...
I like the fact that I can reuse this idea year after year and reuse the different items -- tray, vase, candle -- throughout the year. Plus, all said and done, it cost about as much as I would normally spend on a fresh floral arrangement. All in all a pretty sweet little score.
Row 1:
Trust me, I'm not making a political statement with the title of this post. Let me explain... Today I went shopping for some placemats for our casual dining area just off our kitchen. I had three qualifications: 1.) I wanted an autumn theme or colors, 2.) I wanted the placemats to look informal or casual, 3.) I'm cheap -- I wanted them to be inexpensive. I looked everywhere, including Target. Generally speaking, I can find anything I want or need at Target, but not this time. What's a girl to do when her favorite go-to store doesn't deliver? She makes them herself. That's what she does. A little acorn love = burlap placemats with acorn stenciling.
After the disappointment of not being able to find anything suitable, I drove over to Hobby Lobby to purchase some burlap. I bought 2 1/2 yards of burlap, four acrylic paints, and some thread for $10. The burlap was $2.99 / yard, but I used a 40% off coupon from Hobby Lobby's website that brought the price down to $1.80 / yard. This made six double thickness placemats that were 13 x 18 inches. I cut the placemats out using my rotary cutter which made the job really quick and easy. I used some interfacing (optional) that I had on hand, sandwiched it between the two burlap pieces, and zig-zagged around the edges of all three layers. Then I moved on to the stenciling...
Keep all of the pieces because you'll eventually use all of them. Now you're ready to stencil. I use a small piece of sponge to stencil with rather than a stenciling brush. I find I have more control with a sponge. I make my first acorn using the stencil for the top part and then using the stencil for the bottom of the nut.
For the middle acorn you need to cover up the bottom part of the first acorn so you don't paint over it, like this. Use the piece that you cut out of your stencil for this. You can use a little tape to lightly hold it down.
Then place the top stencil where you want it, like this, and stencil away.
Take the top stencil off and put the bottom stencil next to the already painted top and color in that part of the acorn.
I put three acorns on each placemat, but all that is personal preference. I think these would be cute with pumpkins or leaves too.
It took me about 2 1/2 hours from start (cutting out the fabric) to finish to make six placemats. These placemats have a rustic, woodsy, imperfect feel to them, which, I'm hoping, adds to their appeal. At least that's what I'm trying to convince myself. Six placemats @ $1.66 each. I wouldn't use these for Thanksgiving Dinner, but for casual dining they'll work and you've gotta love the price...
"Lantern Bloom" by Laura Gunn for Michael Miller fabrics may be one of my favorite fabric lines of all time. I know I say that often about various fabrics. My problem is there are so many fabulous fabric designers that I am a bit fickle when it comes to declaring favorites. I'm like a 12 year old with a new crush every other week. Suffice it to say that this line, "Lantern Bloom", is gorgeous. This collection is filled with abstract prints with an Asian flare. Unique designs including hanging bird cages, tile mosaics and vases filled with delicate blossoms are presented in vivid hues. The fabric looks textured, distressed, earthy and alluring. It compels you to reach out and touch it and then examine every nuance. Laura Gunn, by her own admission is a "mother, artist, designer, and compulsive crafter." You can find her blog, "Paint in my Hair" here. She started out as a painter by trade, so as a result her fabrics capture the textures and variegations found in that medium. Very cool, sophisticated, and contemporary. I love them.
Having introduced you to the buttons, I will move on to the pleats... there's three on each side. I say this because sometimes a purse will be one-sided. By that I mean, all the special doo-dads will appear on one side but not the other. The extra special features on my totes cover both sides...
And finally, here she is in all her splendor. I wish I could give my little bird away with the purchase of the tote. She seems to fit right in...
You can find "Gilded Cage" in my Etsy.
I've been busy lately trying to build up my Etsy shop a bit. Last week I finished off six dwipes (dwipes = a diaper and wet-wipe mini-tote) and included them in my shop. The little boy dwipes that I added are made from fabric from the Oh Boy! line by David Walker Studio for Free Spirits Fabrics. This line has a charming array of designs from dinosaurs to trains, lions to planes, and dots to robots! It's everything a little boy could ask for. 
