bodner006

  I take zero credit for these little babies.  Sew4Home gives an amazing tutorial and I just followed it.  That's it.  Well, I did make a few adjustments to fit my needs.  But that's it.  Really. I followed the instructions to a tee the first time.  The bag came out great, but I thought it was a bit too big for me.  So, for my next try, I just cut the size down a little and created three compartments instead of two. I filled my bags with white rice and lavender buds.  Here's the back . . . . loving on flannel.  I've got a whole basket heading over to Robin's Egg tomorrow.  If you've got a sore neck, shoulders, back, or wherever, I've got the cure.  And they come in pretty fabric.  And they make fabulous gifts.  :) Debbie Sharing with: House of Hepworths  Somewhat Simple The 36th Avenue  DIY Showoff  Sugar Bee Crafts   The DIY Dreamer  Home Stories A to Z  

Francesca started out like many dressers, stained your basic brown and coated with a sealer.  Over the years, the brown became more drab and the sealer was bruised, beat up and flaking. She was just waiting for this makeover. Yet I waited patiently for my shipment of Miss Mustard Seed's Tricycle Red Milk Paint . This was my first experience with her paint and it HAD to be Tricycle Red.  HAD to be. Oh, such pretty packaging After applying my first coat, I waited like an evil genius:  rubbing my hands together by my face, chanting something like, "Chip away, my pretty, chip away."  But, alas, no chipping.  I applied the second coat, still an evil genius, but definitely less conviction.  There was a little "wanna-be" chipping going on in a few places.  I put on a third coat, and not much more.  I had read (as I read all Miss Mustard Seed's posts ), that this can happen, and the paint is unpredictable.  So, I just went with it and decided to whip...

It was one year ago today that the floor fell away from my feet.  One year ago today that Black Friday will now have a completely new meaning.  One year ago today that I had to call in the troops because I knew we couldn't handle it alone.  It was one year ago today that my sweet boy was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Leukemia isn't all Jack has had to experience.  He was born with Down syndrome, which means absolutely nothing to him (and the more you know about Down syndrome, the more you realize that it shouldn't).  He smiles and laughs his way through the day.  He still does, even undergoing cancer treatments.  Jack has also had two major hip surgeries, both requiring a body cast for months at a time.  Once again, laughing and smiling, army crawling in his cast. I know he'll get through this.  Maybe that's why I can say leukemia hasn't been all bad.  We've done things and met people we never would have if he wasn't...

When I saw this little baby on Craigslist, I thought it looked like a tree.  And I have an affinity for birch trees.  So, after a few layers of paint, I'm hoping I achieved the look.  (***crossing fingers that you think so; no fine artist degree here***). Here she is before, in all here orange pine stained glory: And here she is after **trying** to achieve the look: Am I the only one seeing it?  I think the design lends itself to a tree.  Or maybe I just need to get out of living in the woods. I started with a base white after priming.  Then I added a tiny bit of black to the white to make a very light gray.  I used a large bristle brush so it would create a texture kind of look.  Then I added the black and brown "bark characteristics" of the birch tree with an artist's brush.  I thought much of that was too highlighted, so I went over those parts with the light gray again.  Three coats of polyacrylic later, and here she stands.  ...

We are officially in business!  The creations by myself and my partner can be found at Robin's Egg and we're thrilled to be there.  If you read this post , you can check out the photos I took of the rest of the store.  In the meantime, here are photos of our little space: Loving Brenda's dresser Now that I've given you a glimpse of our shop, I'm giving you are extra special reason to visit:  The Holiday Open House at Robin's Egg.  This weekend, November 25th and 25th, is Robin's annual Holiday Open House.  If you print out the Early Bird ticket below, or head to their Facebook page to print it out, you can arrive one hour before the doors officially open.  Sounds good to me! Also, the shop is collecting new fleece blankets for a wonderful local charity.  You bring a blanket, you get 10% off your entire purchase.  Another win win.  Have fun shopping, Debbie

I've been wanting to make small changes to our kitchen, and shabby ruffled curtains were just the right touch!  Kind of happy with how these bad boys came out.  I mean, I am no seamstress.  Darts are what I throw at a board in the local pub and I still haven't figured out where that third thread comes from, somewhere in the depths of the bobbin.  It's such a mystery to me. But, I've seen the rage of ruffles (yes, it's a thing) and I've been intrigued with using painter's cloth for a project, so I broke down and dug the sewing machine out of the bowels of the basement.  And I'm glad I did.  :)  Although my curtains are quite different than theirs, I have to credit two blogs for giving me the inspiration:  The Shabby Creek Cottage and Thistlewood Farm .  Check out both links if you can, as they are full of good information. So, the first step was to head to my local handy, dandy Lowes and pick up a package of the thinnest painter's drop cloths...

So, I've been asked to guest host a SPARK party for the month of November. YIPPEE!!!! Link up your fun holiday items you've been working on. Or get inspiration from the entries below! It's November, that means that not only are we all gearing up for the holidays, but it's also time for our new November SPARK themed party! Time to inspire and be inspired with our recipes, stories, home decor, photography, crafts, DIY projects, Etsy items, and more. The November theme for the month is- A big welcome and thank you to our party giveaway sponsor this month- Printcopia is a photo printing company that creates personal photos on canvas prints . The process is super user-friendly, just click the link and upload your photo. You even have to option to upload from Facebook or Instagram. One lucky winner will receive a custom 8x10 canvas print (ARV over $40) a Rafflecopter giveaway SPARK is co-hosted by these lovely blogs and these November guest hosts SPARK Participation Gu...