Another Idea

Originally I had thought of turning the frame (from my last post) into something for over our bed. After seeing this however, I have changed my mind.

From a super cute blog called Tatertots and Jello.

I think I'm going to use her "summer" idea for over our bed, maybe spell out our names or a cute word.

For the frame, I'm going to finally put our cork collection to good use.

I'm pretty sure I can wing it, but I went ahead and Googled just in case:

1. Gather the corks (see "How to find corks for craft projects" on this web page).

2. Decide what you would like to display and how much room you will need.

3. Figure out what size board you want and find a wall that will hold this cork board.

4. Start with a piece of heavy foam board (much lighter in weight than wood), cut to size and cover with paper the same color as the corks. If the board is white than you can decide that since the foam board will not show through too much in between the corks, that this may be acceptable to you.

5. Framing – you can go to a Goodwill type store and purchase an old frame and then simply cut the foam board to size, or you can use a professional frame maker to build a frame around the cork board. Check out all the alternatives – price, quality, and timing – ahead of time.

6. It might be a good idea to have the frame in place before you starting laying out and gluing corks. This way you know that everything will fit at the end.

7. If you don’t put the frame on the board before you start gluing, make sure you leave a space (up to one inch) around the edge of the board so it can fit into the frame.

8. Lay out the corks in a pattern that pleasures you. You can use a box pattern (two up/two down) or you can have a row of horizontal corks and then a row of vertical corks. You may have to cut some corks down to size to fit within the frame. Glue the corks down using a glue gun doing one row at a time starting at either the top or bottom of the board.

9. Hang and enjoy.

I think step 1 is funny. I didn't need a website to tell me how to collect wine corks. I drank wine.

Also, I wouldn't have thought to paint the foam board the same color as the corks. Good thing I Googled.

Gifts

There are two old, metal medicine cabinets in each of the student rooms in my building. I have had my eye on one for a while. Yesterday, I mentioned it to one of our maintenance people and he went in his shop and came out with this beauty:

I know it doesn't seem like much, but with a little love and a lot of Martha Stewart Inspiration, I hope it will look like this:

 

According to Martha, A vintage medicine cabinet takes on a more glamorous role with ease. Refurbished and hung in the bedroom, an old wooden cabinet -- found at a flea market or yard sale -- is just the right size to stash jewelry, perfume, and other accoutrements. We lined a mirror-fronted chest with pink velvet and added dowels and decorative hardware. Mount the cabinet to a wall or the back of a closet door with appropriate hardware.
Jewelry Cabinet How-To

1. Cut dowels to the width of the cabinet's interior. Sand, prime, and paint dowels and any surface of the cabinet that won't be lined with velvet; let dry
2. Measure the length and width of all interior surfaces; cut poster boards to those dimensions. Label the back of each piece with the name of its section.
3. Cut pieces of velvet 1 inch wider than poster board; miter corners. Use spray adhesive to attach velvet to poster boards, wrapping excess fabric onto backs. Spray boards and mount them in the cabinet. Use decorative tacks to reinforce the board on the back of the door.
4. Install painted dowels about 1 inch above each shelf with dowel brackets.
5. Screw hooks to inside of back cabinet wall. Hang silk cord inside door using tacks. Attach door pull to cabinet front.

I will not, however, use pink velvet. I cannot think of a more un-Laura fabric.
 
Gosh, I'm so excited for my project!
 
I was also given:
 

It used to be some kind of screen. Kyle said it looked likes something you'd use to pan for gold. I ripped off the dirty mesh right when I brought it home. I am going to paint it and use it as a frame for above our bed.
 
I can't wait to get started!
 
p.s. My students have gone home! My building is closed! A week of quiet freedom!

Just a Few More Days Now

Just a few more days until my students leave for fall break and Kyle and I are on the road home. We'll be driving on Tuesday to be with family a, leaving the next morning to be with family b, and leaving two days later for another night with family a. Definitely worth the time spent in the car.

Sure I am excited for...

turkey and stuffing,

taters, 

and pie, but the best part of Thanksgiving is...

family!

Sicky

Oh my, this cold has got to go away! I am sitting at my desk just sneezing away. I wish I could go home but I have much to much to do before my students leave for Thanksgiving break!

In the meantime, I want this in my house someday:

(real simple)

A pretty dressing area. I have also always wanted a vanity where I can put my makeup on and feel beautiful.

Birds and Buttons

Just in time for my favorite holiday and a trip home to be with family…I get sick. The past two days have not been fun, but I’m trying to take it easy so that I will be in tip-top shape to close the building for fall break and road trip north.


My birdies are finished, but not without my own personal drama. I don’t think I mod-podged them correctly and they bubbled up into something nasty. I got mad, complained like a baby, and threw them away. The next morning, Kyle pulled them out of the trash (it was a brand new trash bag mind you) and they looked marvelous! Who knew?

Before we had two pictures like this, one hanging next to the shower and the other sitting on the vanity.

Now this birdie,

and this birdie

to match our birdie shower curtain.

Our latest project: buttons!

I have a collection of vintage (some are just downright old) buttons. I didn’t spend time collecting them, but rather, inherited the lot. Regardless, they’re fabulous.

Kyle and I bought our Christmas tree last week, a fake, rustic, beauty of a tree. Imagine a telephone pole with branches from Pottery Barn.
We are turning my button collection into button garland for the tree. We are also going to make ornaments out of the larger, fancier buttons.
What should we use as a tree topper?

Kyle and I were sitting at the table last night, stringing buttons onto cotton string, totally engrossed in our project. I asked Kyle if he ever thought in a million years he’d be doing this. He said no, and he definitely didn’t think he’d enjoy it. What a little crafty nester he’s turned in to.

Weird Weekend

What a weird weekend.
This is not the weird part:

We had some friends over for little fiesta: Kyle’s famous enchiladas. Kyle and I love to play host and hostess and our friends were impressed with how cute our apartment is! We had a fabulous time. Dinner, drinks, dessert, and time spent downtown. Kyle and I were exhausted when we got home…we left dishes everywhere and went to bed!

I made cookies for our dinner party and they were yummy…I impressed myself. I rolled sugar cookie dough (from the tube) into little balls. I rolled the dough in crushed up almonds and sugar in the raw. The sugar on the bottom of the cookies crystallized and made the cookies a bit crunchy on the bottom and soft in the middle.

The weird parts:

Last night a student (and probably a few of his/her friends) thought it was a good idea to discharge a fire extinguisher in the basement…and no, there was no fire to extinguish. The powder and smoke from the extinguisher cause the alarm to go off thus evacuating 400+ students at 2:00 in the morning. I couldn’t really get back to sleep after that and woke up out of sorts.

I had a hair appointment at 10am and, since we only have one car, Kyle dropped me off on his way to work. I walked home. I remembered to bring a book with me to read while my hair was colored. I remembered to bring a few dollars for a latte. I didn’t remember, however, to bring keys. I got a ride to Kyle’s work to pick up the apartment key. By this time, he only had an hour left of work, so I made a quick trip to the mall. I found two cute pairs of flats for work- a black pair and a brown pair. I also found a few goodies in the Target dollar bin- fun Christmas cookie cutters, Christmas cookie sprinkles, and a rolling pin. I swear I did not leave my keys at home on purpose just so I could go to the mall!

Because of my forgetfulness, it was 3:00 by the time I started laundry, and of course there were all the dishes! There were eight of us at dinner so we pretty much used every dish, glass, and fork we own.

The weirdness continued…I walked out of my apartment (which leads into the residence hall) to find that someone dropped a glass and left it for someone to it up. Someone wrote a not-so-nice message in spray paint in one of my stairwells, someone left a smiley face in permanent marker by our elevators, and, umm…someone puked in the hallway. There I said it.

So basically, that has been my life for the past 24 hours. It’s never a dull day…heck, it’s never a dull minute.

On a crafty note, a couple of years ago I bought two paintings from TJ Maxx. I love them. Kyle hates them, however, and makes it a point to tell me daily.

A couple nights ago I said, “fine, let’s rip them apart and see what we can do with the frames.” So we did, and here is what I’m doing with the frames. It’s just the start. I am going to add branches and mod-podge the birdies into place.

Also, I am watching The Wizard of Oz. It’s on TV. How great is that!?

I hope that is the end to the weirdness for at least a little while. Nothing surprises me anymore so I won’t hold my breath.

I Love it When That Happens

Yesterday was a rough day. Between my typical work day and my lengthy work commitments in the evening, I spent all of about an hour with my husband. Kyle is incredibly supportive of my job and understands that working with college students and living in a residence hall with them means that I generally keep crazy hours. All the understanding in the world on his part and on the passion for higher education on my part doesn’t make it easy, though.

I woke up feeling a bit blue. Kyle goes to work today at 10 and gets back at 7. Once again, not much time together. I absolutely did not want to get up this morning and hit snooze for about an hour…sorry Kyle!
I get K-LOVE’s encouraging word e-mailed to me every morning and today I click and the link and up pops:

"Trust in the love with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding." - Proverbs 3:5
I love it when that happens!

Proverbs 3:5 has been my absolute favorite verse for quite a while. It speaks to my biggest challenge- trusting and relying on myself instead of putting all my trust in Jesus. I am analytical, scientific, critical, skeptical. According to StrengthsQuest, my top four strengths are responsibility, input, intellection, and arranger. I like order, information, data, check-lists, organizational systems, and label makers. I like (expect) my life to fit into my ideas of what makes sense, what is logical and obvious. God, however, doesn't really fit. That is where faith comes in. StrengthsQuest provides you with your top five strengths. My fifth strength? Belief. I think that's just perfect!

Proverbs 3:5 has been a staple in my life, a motto, a mantra I repeat to my self throughout my day. I have it taped to my computer screen, I have it written in my journal, highlighted in my bible. I reflect on it during tough times (Laura, remember to trust God not yourself!) and I rejoice in it during celebrations (Laura, isn't it great that you have a God you can trust in everything...that you don't have to rely on your own understanding!).

I am a perfectionist. That is my responsible strength coming in. I always tell my staff that I hold them to high expectations, but the expectations I hold myself to are even higher. Proverbs 3:5 is a reminder to me that God doesn't want me to be perfect. That walking with him isn't about taking the right steps all the time. It's about stumbling and falling and trusting that He will forgive and help me back up again. I was raised Catholic and one time in college I was sitting with the priest for confession telling him all the things I had done wrong, the ways in which I struggled with my relationship with Jesus. I don't pray enough. I don't read the bible enough. I am not thankful enough. I am selfish. The list went on and on. He looked at me and said, "Laura, you know what's great. There is a God who is perfect in all these ways and more. You have a God...and you know what? You're not Him?" Wow! Such a powerful statement that has stuck with me for a long time.

Just when you need reminded of something, bang, you get it! I love it when that happens!

On our wedding day, I walked down to the dressing room to get ready with my bridesmaids and Proverbs 3:5 was written on the white board in the room. I just looked at it and kind of giggled. Thanks God!

"Do not depend on your own understanding..." and it's a good thing! I do the best I can with the decisions I have to make. Sometimes they work, something they fail (and other times they are epic fails).

"Trust the Lord with all your heart..." and it's a good thing! My analytical brain sometimes tries to tell me that God doesn't make sense, that belief isn't logical. Then my heart kicks in and faith takes over.

I just love it. And maybe I even have a Proverbs 3:5 tattoo. I'm just saying. Maybe.

My Latest "Project" and a Happy Birthday

Starting a blog has definitely been an adventure. I have absolutely loved reading all the incredible blogs out there and getting inspired. There are some really talented women who have shared great crafty ideas that I hope to try one of these days, like:

Monogrammed Candles

Coasters

Aprons

Famiy Rules Canvas

Unfortunatley I haven't had the time for these yet, but I have found a bit of time to start stamping note cards (I only own two stamps and three ink colors, but it’s a start!) and I would love to start some more home decor projects. For the time being, however, I thought I’d show you my most recent “craft” adventure.

That’s right, it’s a bulletin board; more specifically a bulletin board about “brain food” and what you should be eating to prepare for exams. For two years I studied student development theory, higher education administration, outcomes of higher education, and resource management. I have my M.A. diploma proudly hanging in my office. I must admit though, I still enjoy a good bulletin board. I put this one up on the 5th floor to help out one of my staff members.

Yesterday was Kyle’s birthday. I took him on a date to our favorite Thai restaurant. Although we intended to try something new, we ended up settling on our favorite standby: Pad Thai!

Mmmm yummy!

Kyle loves his super spicy version.

I was sad becauase I couldn't finish it all.

Happy birthday sweetie!

I Am A Winner!

Last week I entered a giveway sponsored by Addicted 2 Decorating, a fabulous blog devoted to DIY design and crafty ideas. They feature tutorials, great tips, and other info to get your projects started. They were giving away a fabulous gumball machine fishbowl and I just had to enter!

And I totally won!! It fits perfectly with our hubcaps and found objects motif.

Thanks Addicted 2 Decorating for the fabulous giveaway!

Today is the hubby's birthday. We celebrated with dinner, drinks, and the Office on hulu.com.  I'll post more tomorrow!

Sunny Sunday

The weather today could not be more perfect. It’s 75 degrees and sunny. A warm fall day that makes you forget it’s November.

Since I showed you a few of my favorite things that I already own, I will show you a few things I would love to own as seen in the latest Pottery Barn catalog.

I guess  I'll have to start saving!

Kyle and I have started two weekend traditions. The first is on Saturday mornings. Every-other weekend Kyle works at noon instead of 10am. On these mornings he gets up and lets me sleep. He makes French toast and we eat breakfast in bed. A perfect way to start the day. We have also been going out to brunch on Sunday afternoons after church. We have not been as lucky with our brunch tradition. It seems that we always get stuck in the worst possible table. The place where the owner thought, “we have a tiny bit of space here, let’s squeeze in a table.” Last time we went to brunch, we sat at the smallest possible table right next to the bathroom. Any closer and we have been eating in the bathroom. The place was hopping and it was the most popular bathroom I’ve ever seen. I think it was a one-toilet deal, so there was a chair for people to sit and wait their turn, basically next to our table. Since we were the forgotten table in the bathroom, we also got pretty bad service.

Today we tried a new place. It was packed and the food was delicious. We had to wait quite a while for a table (looking at the clock because Kyle had to make it to work). When our name was finally called, we walked to our table where a flustered waitress met us. She was trying to figure out who just walked in and who was being seated. She snapped at me a little asking, “are you Laura party of 2?” That’s me, I am Laura party of 2! It was not pleasant and quite awkward (if you know me at all I am the queen of making every normal person activity awkward). Once again, we got the "this looks like a good spot for a table" table. It was stuck to the side of the waiting area. We were not with the rest of the people at sweet tables. I felt like we were the greeters, actors pretending to eat to show people walking in just how tasty the food was. And boy was it tasty. I had the egg and veggie scramble: peppers, onions, squash, and tomatoes with organic eggs and roasted red and sweet potatoes, homemade wheat bread. Yummy!

What are your weekend traditions?

Talk About a Productive Day!

Today was a whirlwind of productivity. I was a vacuuming, floor scrubbing, spray painting, cooking, ironing, laundering fool. There was also a little fun with the camera...

A few days ago I posted a picture of a black, wire bakers rack. It was destined for green greatness.

Boring before

Amazing after

I put it opposite our bed. Our residence hall coordinator appartment doesn't provide us much space so we have to be careful not to knock it over on our way to the bathroom.

Today was beautiful. Warm, sunny, perfect. We had a home football game today. Of course I didn't go, but it was great hearing the cheering crowd through the open screen door. Did we win? No clue. I'm ok not knowing.

On the menu tonight was chicken and white bean casserole straight out of my Campbell's Soup casserole cookbook.

5 ingrediants (it was supposed to be 6 but we forgot to buy onions this week):

chicken breast

1 can white kidney (cannellini) beans

1 can tomato soup

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 onion, chopped...oops

Put all the stuff (minus the chicken) in a small casserole dish and stir. Place the chicken breast on top. I also put a little extra oregano on the chicken. Bake at 400 degrees for around 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

It was really tasty. The recipe make twice as much but I cut it in half since it's just the two of us. A simple, warm, cozy meal for a Saturday night.

If you're anything like me, you spend much too much time online lusting over fabulous finds. Although I've never purchased anything on etsy, it's only a matter of time before I give in and buy the hundreds of things that are on my wishlist! 

Although I love looking at fun new products, beautiful pieces of art, jewelry (my absolute downfall) and everything else fabulous, I thought I'd show you a few of my favorite things...that I already own!

I absolutely love Fiesta Ware. When I was little, I remember seeing vintage Fiesta Ware pieces at antique stores and I longed for my own collection some day. The beautifully bright colors are so inviting. As soon as Kyle and I started talking marriage and starting a home and a family together, I knew that I wanted to set my dining room table with beautiful green and yellow Fiesta Ware. My grandma so graciously gave me 8 settings of dishes for Christmas one year and when it came time to register, we signed up for more of the perfect pieces. I love opening my cabinets and seeing all the colorful dishes! I swear, food tastes better off of green and yellow dishes.

These are my new favorite shoes. Not just these pair in particular, but any mary janes heels. I have these black ones, a dark brown with a pretty flower (instead of a button), and a light brown pair with a strap that buckles into place. I think I'm a pretty snappy dresser, although I've never quite been able to pull off the cool, vintage look. These shoes are a start.

This is our shower curtain and I have to say that I am in love with it! When we registered, the shower curtain debate was a constant struggle. I wanted something pretty and whimsical. Kyle had no idea wanted he wanted. All he knew was that he hated anything and everything I pointed out. We found this one in the clearance bin at Target and I squeeled, literally, in the middle of the aisle. We agreed that it was perfect. I love birds and the cappuccino and teal colors were just what I was looking for. We have towels in both of those colors and the shower curtain hooks are vintage-inspired glass flowers. I couldn't be happier! Kyle bought me a print that has a birds nest with teal blue eggs and the quote from Emily Dickison "Hope is a thing with feathers that perches in the soul." We don't have the space now in our tiny hall coordinator bathroom, but when we move I can't wait to put it up!

This, friends, is my favorite sweater. It doesn't look like much. It is from Old Navy and cost next to nothing. But when I put it on I feel cool. Cooler than cool. Pair it with skinny jeans, a fabulous necklace and sexy hair (or at least what I think is pretty darn sexy) and I feel on the top of the world. It is also a great Thanksgiving sweater. Mustard yellow is my new favorite color and it definitely fits right in with a chilly fall afternoon. Gosh, I just love it. Maybe I'll wear it tomorrow!

Kyle gave me this necklace for our wedding and it is definitely my favorite! He wanted to get me a strand of pearls to wear with my wedding dress and he was crushed when I told him that a) I already owned a pair of pearls (a beautiful gift from my mother) and b) I wasn't wearing a necklace or anything pearl with my wedding dress. My dress was a one-shoulder deal with a crystal rhinestone brooch. I wore celebrity-style fake diamond earrings but no necklace. This necklace was his pearl compromise and it's amazing.

I love lamp, particularly this lamp, and it sits in the corner of our living room. A number of years ago when I was in high school, my dad and I woke up early and went to a local flea market. I saw this lamp and fell in love. It was marked something like $30 and I haggled it down to $10. I felt pretty great. My dad definitely did not think I needed it, but I told him it was a necessity so he agreed and helped me put it in the truck. It has traveled with me to college and back home for summers. I can't imagine my home without it.

I collect old bottles and have a few dispalyed in the living room. The tall purple bottle in the picture was the start of the collection. I was on an adventure hike with a friend in high school and we found this bottle. The crack is a product of my butter fingers...I dropped it on the way home. Later in the summer, me and the same friend were helping at a Habitat for Humanity site. We were digging and found a huge stash of old bottles. I piled them in the back of his car and took the home. A little dirt and a lot of great memories remain.

My hubby gets home from work in a couple of hours. I have settled in for the night to a book, a glass of wine, and my favorite pandora.com station.

What do you love...that you already own?

Love It

Let's talk about how I love this from Gussy!

Stop over here for a great giveaway.

Tiny Treasures

Since I had some time to myself today, I thought I'd share some of my favorite creations.

Making jewelry and creating beautiful wearable pieces of art gives me so much happiness.

But I must remember: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." -Matthew 6:19-21

It's on my mirror in case I forget.

Ok, back to my evening of reading and eating ice cream from the carton...here's proof

What is bringing you happiness this evening?