My February “Finish-it-Up” Challenge

February 26, 2015February 28, 20155 Comments

I accept the challenge! That’s what I did back in January. Serena, from the blog, ThriftDiving, http://www.thriftdiving.com/, offered up a challenge for February. The idea was to commit to 5-10 projects we never finished and work on them in February! What a great way to get ourselves to get those projects done!

So here was my list:

1. Make a couple of pillow covers for my front porch.

2. Sew the seam on a pair of jeans to make them ‘skinnier.’

3. Sort through my seashells and figure out a project for them.

4. Paint the floating shelves in the hallway.

5. Frame maps to hang in Lauren’s room.

6. Paint the trim in my dark hallway.

So, how did I do? I did them all! Not all perfectly, but they are done!

1. The Pillow Covers

Yes, I did make these, but I cheated a little. I picked the fabric from Lauren’s overflowing fabric closet. I liked the turquoise, of course, and thought the red was good because of Valentine’s Day. When I showed Lauren, she asked if the sewing machine had behaved for me. Um..well..

I glued them. I really don’t like to sew, and a few years ago, I had seen a Pinterest story about someone who had recovered all her patio cushions by hot gluing fabric on them (which I have also done!), so I figured why not pillows too! It worked and I was done with number 1 very quickly!

2. Sew the Seams on a Pair of Jeans

Yes, I did this too and yes I actually sewed them. No hot glue!! They turned out okay, but as I wore them, they kept stretching more and pretty soon they were still too big, So I will have to pull the dreaded sewing machine out again and sew them a little skinnier.

Here is the seam I sewed.

3. Sort Through Seashells

I went through my several boxes and jars and bags of seashells. I sorted them all out by type and even some color. I know what I am going to do with them, but it involves buying several frames with mats, so it will probably be awhile before I actually get the whole project done. But at least I know what shells I have and how to use them!

just a small part of the collection

4. Paint the Shelves

basic brown

Yep! They got painted. I purchased them from a thrift store, and was so excited to find them, I couldn’t wait to put them up! They were just a plain brown, but they are now white. When my daughter Haley walked down the hallway that evening, she asked ‘Weren’t those shelves a different color this morning?” Yes, they were!

5. Frame Maps

Just need to get these on the wall

The maps are framed and hanging above the bed in Lauren’s room. I got these maps from the yard sale my mom and I have every year. Not even sure who they came from, but I love old maps and these were California mountains, so they were perfect!

My State!

Now they look even better on view for all to see!

They are up!

Love how they look!

6.Paint Trim in Hallway

Before-blah brown

dark and dreary

Yeah! I got this done! I have been wanting to do this for quite awhile. Haley and I painted all the trim in the living and dining rooms a couple of years ago and I had been wanting to do this too. Well, this was the push I needed. I painted a coat of primer and then 4 coats of paint. I used Benjamin Moore Cloud White.

New and improved

This included all the trim and 6 doors!

Loving the white

There is also a built in cabinet in the hallway, but I left if the color it was. I may go back later and paint it, but painting all the rest was plenty. My husband hung a chandelier that used to hang in the dining room. Love it!

I plan on painting the walls too. I don’t like how the green looks with the new trim, so maybe that is my project in March. I hope to add a sisal rug to the area also.

Well, that’s it. Challenge…Done! I feel so good having completed this. Please check out Serena’s blog and see what else she has done. She completed her basement challenge and it is an amazing space!! Maybe next time you can join in too!

Link Parties we have joined:

http://staceyembracingchange.com/2015/02/26/creative-inspirations-linky-party-124/

http://www.impartinggrace.com/2015/02/grace-at-home-no-143.html

http://www.aglimpseinsideblog.com/

http://www.jugglingrealfoodandreallife.com/

http://www.nancherrow.com/2015/02/fridays-unfolded-link-party-146.html

Home

http://chiccalifornia.com/2015/02/26/tiful-link-party-59/

http://cityofcreativedreams.blogspot.ca/2015/02/city-of-links-60.html

http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

http://chiconashoestringdecorating.blogspot.com/2015/02/flaunt-it-friday-246.html#

http://diy-vintage-chic.blogspot.com/2015/02/fridays-five-features-no-79.html#more

http://www.lifeonlakeshoredrive.com/

http://www.pamspartyandpracticaltips.com/2015/02/dare-to-share-152.html

Meet the Furry Ones!

February 19, 2015February 19, 2015Leave a comment

Hi everyone! This past weekend I was busy working on some home improvements I hope to share on a future blog, so I didn’t have time to do something crafty for today. I finally decided today would be a good day to meet the rest of my family-the furry ones anyways! They are a big part of our lives and very spoiled! So first up: Esmerelda (Ezzy for short).

Enchanting Ezzy

The name comes from Disney’s Hunchback from Notre Dame .We figured she had lived a gypsy life. We adopted her from our local SPCA about 8 years ago and aren’t sure about her sordid past. We know she is about 8-9 years old, she was brought to the SPCA as a stray in somebody’s trunk, and she doesn’t particularly like men, although she has mellowed some in her older age. She is VERY protective of our home and especially us girls. She doesn’t like anybody coming in her personal bubble, which is about a mile wide space.

Love this girl!

She hogs the bed and she stares us down when we have food. We are not sure of her breed, but she looks very much like this one, a Lancashire Heeler. Ezzy has a short tail and other color markings, but this is pretty close.

Lancashire Heeler

Next up is Chica. She is a princess and a Chihuahua/Terrier mix.

Princess Chica

She came to us from a friend who was looking to find her a new home. My girls have been very involved in a 4-H Dog Care program, so we were looking for a second pup to train.. She is approximately 13 years old now, so she is my little old lady. She is very loving and sweet. She loves her treats and waits every morning for me to go to work so she can have her bone. Her favorite spot is in front of the wall heater in our hallway, so she can be cozy and warm.This is how we usually see her!

Sleeping Beauty

Her eyesight is not the best anymore and I am not so sure about her hearing either. I think it may be selective!

Last, but not least, is Scamp. He is just as his name implies. He is about 8 years old and he came from my niece, who couldn’t have him at her new place. He is a Shih-tzu/Poodle/Schnauzer mix, we think?.

Scamper Doodles

He is always looking for attention and is not always the smartest dog on the block. He wakes up in a new world every day! But he does love everyone, except maybe the cats. He likes to terrorize those! We haven’t had Scamp very long, just a little over a year.

Beach day

Next up, the cats.

This voluptuous lady is Kenya. We got Kenya from another friend back in 2009 when she was just itty-bitty.

Fat Cat

Not sure what happened! She is huge! Kenya is her own personality. She is usually not very friendly, except when you lay down in bed. Then suddenly she is on top of you and your best friend! She is very beautiful, with great markings and gorgeous green eyes.

Evil Eyes

Too bad her personality doesn’t usually match!

Kiara is the baby of the family. We have had her for 3 years and she is so much fun and so crazy! She also has beautiful calico markings. She was soooo cute!

Sooo Cute!

She loves water! and HAS to be in the bathroom with my daughter Haley when she takes a shower. She loves sitting in windows and watching the world go by. She love to steal our ponytail holders and I find them everywhere! We call them her ‘hairys’. She likes to terrorize the dogs next door too. She will sit on the fence and totally ignore them while they go crazy.

Pretty kitty

She is actually friends with one of them, but only when they are in the yard together.

A girl and her dog

So that’s the menagerie! I hope this brought a few smiles to your day!

Sunshine and blessings,

Pam

99 Cent Store Valentine Gift Ideas

February 12, 2015February 12, 20152 Comments

This week has been Secret Sister Week at work and it has been so much fun! We pick names and then for the week before Valentines, we bring the other person a little gift each day. It’s fun to figure out what to get and how to sneak it in so nobody can guess who you are! We only spend between $10-15, so a trip to the 99 Cent Store or the Dollar Tree was where I headed. I thought I would show you how you can buy a few small, inexpensive things and it can still be special.

The first day, I gave a small glass red polka-dotted milk bottle and filled it with peanut M & M’s. My Secret Sister had noted that her favorite color is red and her favorite candy were the M & M’s. I tied on a paper heart with her name on it.

The next day was a baseball theme. She likes the L.A. Dodgers, so the colors I chose were royal blue and red. I found a cool old-fashioned looking box of Cracker Jacks, a blue Gatorade, a box of chocolates with baseballs on the cover and a blingy blue keychain.

My Secret Sister also stated that she likes Disney and to cook and bake, so the baking aisle was my next destination. I picked up a box of cupcake mix, a couple of turquoise and white cupcake holders and some cute Mickey and Minnie Mouse cupcake liners.

The last day was the little Starbucks sandwich box that I covered with pretty Valentine paper. I showed how to make this box a couple of weeks ago here on the blog. You could use any box you have on hand. I will fill it with some heart-shaped sugar cookies.

I’m excited to let my Secret Sister know I had her name and find out how she liked all her gifts. I hope you all have a wonderful Valentines Day!

Sunshine and Blessings, Pam

WOOD SLICE VALENTINE HEART

February 2, 2015February 4, 20152 Comments

I have another Valentine post for you all today! This idea I got from a couple of wonderful bloggers I follow. I just love their posts! They have the greatest ideas and wonderful homes. Please take time to check them out!

The first post is from Laura at FindingHomeonline.com. Here is the link to one of her ideas: http://findinghomeonline.com/christmas-table-ideas-mini-wood-slice-wreath-place-setting/

Here is another: http://findinghomeonline.com/wood-burlap-natural-fall-wreath/

Here is my version. I also made the small ones for my table settings, but I already have those packed away :(.

Then Karianne from ThistlewoodFarms came up with this one for Christmas: http://www.thistlewoodfarms.com/wood-slice-christmas-tree

So I made a similar one!

I started out with some of the wood slices. My husband cut mine from some tree branches he had pruned from some of our trees. You can also buy them already cut at Michaels or Hobby Lobby. He cut several different sizes.

While Karianne used an old chalkboard, I use a bulletin board I had taken out of Lauren’s room when she moved into her apartment. I stained the frame a little darker brown, using Minwax Wood Finish in Red Oak. Then I spray-painted the cork with black chalk paint. Since I was using a cork board, I glued a tack to the back of the wood slice and just stuck it into the cork. Here is my Christmas version. I added chalk for the trunk of the tree and the star.

So, since my wood pieces are movable, I decided to change it up for Valentines Day! I took the pieces off and then rearranged them into a heart. I wrote ‘Love’ in chalk across the top. Super easy!!

This project was easy and something that is very versatile for any occasion.

Love, Pam

Sweets for the Sweeties

January 29, 2015January 29, 2015Leave a comment

Hi everyone! February is almost here and hearts are everywhere! My co-workers and I have a Secret Sister exchange every year for the week of Valentines. It’s a lot of fun and a great way to get to know someone a little better and create a nice work environment. We fill out little forms about our likes and interests, then pick names and the week before Valentines Day, we secretly leave little gifts for them. So, I always try to come up with something special and homemade, at least for one of the days.

My girls and I went to Starbucks this past week and Haley bought a sandwich that came in this cute little box. I asked her to keep it so I could try to make it pretty! The first step was picking out some Valentine paper. I had these on hand, but you can find lots of different prints and styles at craft stores. I also used a paper cutter, since I can’t cut a straight line at all!

I cut the paper long enough to fit around the sides of the box and overlap the front and back a little, plus go into the inside of the box.

I glued the sides on and then cut a slit in each corner, diagonally from the corner of the paper to the corner of the box, so I could fold the paper around and into the inside of the box.

Cut off the triangle that is left after folding. Glue down all your edges.

Now measure out another piece of your paper to fit over the back, front and lid of your box. I laid mine on the paper and marked with a pencil how wide the piece needed to be. Cut this out.

I cut off the little square that was on the bottom corner of the box opening and then traced the opening on the back side of the paper I just cut. Cut the rectangle out so it will match the opening on the box.

Once the opening is cut out, wrap the paper around the box, gluing in place.

All nice and pretty! Now to add an embellishment.

I cut out one large heart in white glitter paper and a smaller heart in pink glitter. I glued the small one on top of the larger one and then glued them over the opening on the front of the box.

Ta da! All pretty and ready to add something sweet! I added a little bit of pink and white polka-dot tissue and a yummy chocolate chip bar is nestled inside.

I will make some decorated heart shaped sugar cookies to give to my Secret Sister when the time comes, but this sure looks delicious!!

I tried to explain the cutting as well as I could, but it does sound a little confusing so please email me if you have any questions about the directions. Have fun!

Sunshine and Blessings, Pam