From Trash to "Peace"ful Treasure

This trash can was on its last leg...and wasn't all that sturdy to begin with.  I was going to throw it away, just to get some of the clutter out of my garage...thank heavens my bff talked some sense into me and told me to find a way to reuse it.  I happened to find two (see the post below)!  Go me! 

This project was for my little girls' room.  I used two sides of the trash can...

 Patched up those holes and then painted with two coats of green.  Then I used a large dinner plate and one of my kids' plates to draw the outer and inner circle of the Peace sign.  I painted them and added the "a" and the "e" free hand, along with the dots.  A little distressing and a coat of polyurethane later, and we've got initials for above their beds!  Totally and completely FREE!

FYI...we still need to get the bed frame on the bed on the left, which is why it's lower.  :)

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Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall...

OK, so I used "Autumn" instead, but I love that song, just the same! :)

I bought this old tool box at a local thrift/antique store for $4!!

I saw another one, the same size for much more money, the only difference was that it was painted red...so I did the only logical thing and bought the $4 one and painted myself...Done!

My idea for this was to use it as decoration/a place to stash the bills (the piled up paperwork in our kitchen drives us, my hubby in particular, NUTS).  So, I thought of a cute idea that would allow me to change it up season by season.

I had this old trashcan that I was going to just toss, until my bff told me I was crazy and should use it for other things.  Thank goodness for her voice of reason.  I think it was just one of those days I was tired of looking at the clutter in the garage.  Anyway, I kept it...so glad I did, because I not only used it for this project, but another one, too.  :)

I used that top piece (all four as a matter of fact)...four pieces, four seasons...getting it yet?

I primed all of them.

Then gave each one a unique color and painted the seasons on them, freehand.  Yes, they would have looked much nicer with some vinyl, but I didn't want to bug my friend yet again to use her cricut.  Gotta get me one of those!  I do kind of like them, though.  I weathered them by scratching them up with some sandpaper and then gave them a coat of polyurethane.

I thought they needed something else...can anyone guess??  Aaah, yes, rosettes, of course!

I managed to find some fabric sround the house for Winter, Summer and Autumn, but I am going to have to go out to get something for Spring.  That trashcan was so cheap and flimsy, so the pieces are nice and lightweight.  All I have to use is some sticky tac and they stay on the box quite nicely.  I can change them out and change what I put in the box each season.  Love it...and for $4!  Oh my! :)

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Bye-bye plain white onesie!!

Hellooooo stylish baby!

My inspiration for this came from Jessa Jill, she created one with cute little poppies and I just thought it was precious!

I started with a plain white tank onesie (size Newborn).  I didn't think I needed to take a pic of the before...it's a plain white onesie, we have all seen these.  :)  I am expecting a baby girl 8 weeks from today and I was looking through all of the plain onesies I had and was just sort of bored with them all.  So, I decided to start with one and see what I could do...I love it so much, you can bet I will be doing more!  And, I may make some for my etsy shop, too. 

I taught Zumba for about a year and over that year collected WAY too many expensive outfits.  I had one shirt in particular that was perfect for this project.  It's hot pink with black and white letters and I just never liked the fit of it.  We are naming the baby Avery...Zumba has an "A" the wheels were spinning!  So, I basically just cut the "A" out of the shirt, used a little bit of hot glue to hold it in place on the onesie and then stitched around it.

For the flower, I used the same shirt, cut out circles in different sizes, cut small lines around each flower to give it movement, then added a black button and stitched it to the onesie using hot pink thread that I had.  I am just loving it and I am planning to bring her home from the hospital in it.  I think I need some cute bottoms and a headband to complete the ensemble, so stay tuned for the whole outfit!

So, if you have a "Z"oey, "U"rsala, "M"adison, or "B"rooke, let me know if you'd like one!  :)

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RETIREment Gift

My mom recently retired!  Whoop whoop for my mama!  SO stinking happy for her.  My parents had a 4th of July picnic on Monday and my dad asked the family to bring something for her, something handmade, written, creative.  She is a retired English Professor, so these types of sentiments are the perfect way to say, "Congrats!"

I decided to make a sign for her new "Woman Cave."  A place where she keeps her most treasured items and where she can be uber-creative.

I started out with an old sign I had that I wasn't "feeling" anymore.  I painted two coats of a tan color latex paint, then I painted on the words free-hand.  I distressed it and polyurethaned and then added the cute, feminine rosette at the bottom...made from an old pillow sham of mine.  So, the entire project was free!  But, as we all know, it's the thought that counts, and I put much thought and love into this.  She deserves to Relax, Entertain, Travel, Indulge, Read and Enjoy! :)



Can I get your vote...PLEASE???

I am entering a photo contest over at Shutter Speed...the theme is playful, this is a photo I took about a year ago and you don't get much more playful than these two!  The contest runs through the month of July and I have a chance to win a hanging baby cocoon...just thinking of all of the super cute photos of Avery I could take with a cocoon! 

So, please take a moment to visit Shutter Speed and vote for my photo below!  My photo will have a number, just leave a comment with that number it will be counted.  THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH! :)

Fabric Bangles

My inspiration for these bracelets came from Once Upon A Craft Time's seersucker bracelets.  I thought they were simply adorable!  I didn't have any seersucker laying around, but I did have some bandanas and some green gingham.  I ordered the wooden bracelets from DIY Bangles and for the first two, simply wrapped them in the fabric and used hot glue to reinforce and then added cute rosettes!  I think they are adorable and I would be wearing them, if my hands and wrists weren't so swollen and large from pregnancy.  :)  Two months to go...

Anyhoo...here they are!

I thought I would try something a little different for another bangle, so I cut strips of a blue bandana and then wrapped them and tied them around the whole bangle...reinforced with hot glue of course!

There you have it!  Can't wait to order more and get some other cute fabrics to try!  These make great gifts.  And, I recently started an Etsy Shop for my business, Bliss Images.  I will be selling these, along with portraits and in the near future, I hope to add frames as well.  Please come check it out...Bliss Images - Etsy Shop. 

Happy 4th of July to you all!  And, God Bless America!  :)

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