What's new?

One way to make a diaper cake

I've been emailing back and forth with Carla from thriftin and craftin for the past couple days. She wanted ideas on how to make a diaper cake. I think maybe her computer doesn't like mine, because she still hasn't received my multiple attempts at sending pics...I'm going to go ahead and post here. Maybe someone someday will google 'diaper cake' and be able to use these ideas, too.

The first one I made was a couple years ago.

(this is where you can see the original post.) That one was solid diapers. I remember I just kept wrapping diapers jelly roll style around and around each other. Lots of tape, a few curse words, and a couple extra arms wouldn't have hurt, either.

This time I thought to use round boxes as bases.

Or did I just want to find one more thing to cover with vintage wallpaper? ;-) Well, it saved on diapers...I only ended up using around 30 newborn size to cover them.

This pic is a pretty good illustration of how one would apply the diapers. I tied sheer organza ribbon VERY loosely around the box itself, then started poking the diapers in and around each box. Then tightened the ribbon as necessary.  OH. I also filled the top box with flatback marbles for weight, so those folded under diapers on the two bottom levels wouldn't so easily flop out. At this point I thought "I need more doos and dads!" Four more little things cost $16 and STILL it didn't seem full enough.

So luckily I thought to foof it up with these pink tulle bows

I think they're pretty good space fillers. I at first was just wiring vintage buttons as flower centers inside light pink tulle circles, but they weren't enough on their own either. Now, as you can see I've just stuck them in the centers of the larger and darker bows. As I sit here looking at these pics the doos and dads seem a bit off balance, so I think I'll go do a bit o' rearrangin' now. See you soon!

Mural Monday ~ Week 12

I'm pretty sure these crazy cats are facing the crazy dogs that I posted on week 7 from across the alley. I was in such a hurry when I snapped it from my moving vehicle this morning that I forgot to check.  I did try very hard to get this posting done last night. I went with camera in one hand and "A walking tour of Eureka's murals" in the other. I guess the Chamber of Commerce put this flyer together...my friend Karen recently sent it to me. The first four of four that I went to check because I hadn't posted them yet were completely gone from the bldgs. I have no idea why so many are being painted over. Then when I did find one that I hadn't shared before the sun was shining directly in my camera and I just threw my hands up and decided "It can wait a day!". Tried to go back this morning and get the one that the sun was blocking and there were a bunch of cars blocking it! Looks like it may be one of those early sunday morning photo shoots...rest assured; I will get the shot for you! :-)

I recently decided that I want to buy each of our two granddaughters a miniature needle felted animal for Christmas every year. Might oughta buy a shelf that hangs real high up when I give them their first ones this year, huh? Today the VERY talented Jenn Docherty (she was on Martha back in the Spring) listed some for the first time since last March, and YAY!, thanks to email notification, I was THERE to buy one! You absolutely have to be THERE with these talented sellers. Her nine listings were GONE within 3 minutes! Here's the one I got; Ernst the Mushroom Hunter :-) These will be so fun to collect! And I'm confident the girls will someday love their collections.

I'm in major Baby Shower mode. It's in less than two weeks. Way back in July when Carla from Thriftin & Craftin (she's gearing up to host a baby shower as well) posted a pic of some great little Target dollar spot purses marked half off I ran and bought all 38 that my T had. I then directed Melissa that she could not invite more than 38 people ;-). And of course, she somehow took the invite list all the way up to 38. So NOW the challenge is making a few different things times 38 to put inside these purses! Argh. I think Carla did notebooks too...here's some (38, to be exact) that I put together. (Still coming up with new ways to use my old wallpaper!)

   

These measure 3x4.5" and come in two-packs for $1.99 also at Target. I just noticed when I went to link to Carla's blog that she did sachet bags...I think I need to do that, too! Use up some of this 2 pounds of lavender I recently bought! I'll post a pic of the filled and decorated purses/bags soon. For now I have to get crackin' on the diaper cake. I'll be a lot more comfortable once I scratch some of these things off the to-do list! Have a great week!!

Mural Monday ~ Week 11

Keen readers of this blog may remember this photo and say, "Hey! You already posted this picture!" Yes, I did...quite a while ago. But not as part of the Mural Mondays! It may have started the idea of doing these weekly shares, though.

I probably also bragged last time I showed this bldg that it is ONE of TWO big and fabulous health food stores here in little ol' Eureka. I really do love them both.

I'm still working on the bedroom remodel. I thought the painting was going to be the hard part! Ummm, nope. Not hard at all compared to the doo-dad jobs I've been creating for myself the past four days! Like, how many times and ways can you use vintage wallpaper in one room?

The door I like. I like the dresser, too

but right now I'm hating it against the green wall and near the curtains I made yesterday. Argh! I'm going to 'sleep on it', and if I wake up still hating it I'll probably send it to Larissa's store for resell and start over on something else. Or maybe stick a different paper over it? Double argh!!

OH, here's something sweet.

Our pool stayed open two weekends beyond Labor Day...I guess because LD was such a nice weekend nobody wanted it to end. So yesterday was the final final day for the pool... I took a break from decorating to go out there with the kids and we were the only ones there. And it was cold! God bless this boy tho...he'll jump in every time no matter what!

Back to work! xo

Saturday check-in

Before I forget, another talented gal has joined the world of blogging and she's jumping in with both feet by offering a give-away! Her name is Shannon and I'm sure she'd be thrilled if you'd take a moment to go check her out and leave a comment. Maybe you'll win the prize! http://papereclectiques.blogspot.com/

Also, just in case you somehow forgot, the lovely miss Jenny is giving away some of her delicious art...leave a comment by tomorrow and you could be the lucky winner!

Speaking of Jenny, I recently acquired this BIG old tablecloth that was just SO unique I had to have it. I don't usually 'do' tablecloths but this one I had to have--because I knew it was headed straight for the craft room! It was composed of all these squares, which you could hardly appreciate all crammed together, so I cut them apart. The actual design center is just under 14" by just over 14".

Isn't that the best!? Every day IS a holiday ! Here's one that I sewed up as somewhat of a table scarf.

I'd also like to embellish one with beads and embroidery stitches and make it into a pillow. I think I might should share so I'm going to list a few unfinished squares on etsy.Soon. Have to take better pics and finish my current painting project first. Let me know if you'd be interested in one!

Back to the painting...we're going green in the bedroom! Don't forget to leave comments with Shannon and Jenny, and have a great weekend!

Framed Wallpaper

Here are three of the wallpapers that I recently added to the packs I have for sale on etsy. I used seven inch frames from the dollar store. I really do LOVE these papers!

Mural Monday ~ Week 10

This is one I've been wanting to share since the beginning of these weekly shares, but it's almost impossible to find it without at least one dumb car parked right in front of it. About the only time that seems to happen is Sunday evenings, so just for you, dear readers, I went down there yesterday evening to take this pic. :-) It's across the street from our favorite local doughnut store. Caleb and I have been walking, running and eventually riding bikes up there since before he turned one. I once journaled about that walk of ours here.

The highlight of this past weekend for us was driving to Redding and back (three hours each way) on Saturday to attend miss Kadence's second birthday party. I had a hunch that she would just love pushing a little grocery cart around and was so pleased to find them currently selling at Costco WITH plenty of groceries (the carts at Target don't come with groceries. Or a baby seat. OR a bottom rack!)

I was right! She absolutely loved it. Problem was; so did every other little girl in attendance! The nonverbal exchange going on in this picture is "Our moms are sayin you have'ta share!" "Are you KIDDING me?! It's my BIRTHDAY for cryin' out loud! Can'tya just go play with somethin ELSE?!"

Wanna see somethin' sweet?

FYI         For some unknown reason I felt like sharin' the love today and have expanded my already colossal size pack of vintage wallpapers on etsy. Look at these precious baby papers!

The blues and pinks are absolutely perfect and the scene paper is suitable for framing. I love them! and am guessing you might, too. 

Also added a great piece of red scrollwork paper. Just thought I better let you know! Have a great weekend. :-)

B is for Busy

Gosh, if I'd known how stumped for letter-based prompts I'd be by the second one I mighta rethunk this ABC idea! From now on I may just skip around to whatever letter is speaking to me on a particular day, rather than build up two weeks worth of stuff to talk about just looking for the right word! I am so overwhelmed with STUFF around here lately, I was thinking the word would be Buy...as I clearly have an issue with Buying. My motto "if one's good then twenty's better" is really starting to put a strain on the shelves, floors, closets and boxes around here. But  tonight as I rushed from a Parent/Teacher Fellowship meeting at Caleb's school (as Grandma I volunteer to help with the Fall Dinner & Auction) to the first of the year Quilt Guild meeting I realized how Busy I've been. Happily, a lot of said Busy-ness is creative. Seems I haven't been sharing much in that vein lately so I've snapped some pics and will show you what I've been Busy making.

I've recently fallen in love with old crib covers. They're usually a thin sheet of muslin with a combination of embroidery, applique, and/or paint. Really sweet graphics. I bought my first one back in April and have collected quite a few since (remember my motto). I got it in my mind to use them as backings for new patchwork quilts, thereby giving the old quilt a new purpose and creating a special two-sided quilt. On this first one I used a lovely group of coordinating 30's reproduction fabrics that I got from doe in a fabric swap that I hosted back in June. I'm just going to do five inch square patchworks on all of them. Don't want to go too crazy on the piecing aspect of it because the vintage side of them will be so sweet, people may never see the sides I put together! I did myself a HUGE favor recently and stood up at my cutting table and made 12 stacks of 70 different fabrics in five inch squares

so now whenever I feel like making another baby blanket I just grab a stack and go for it. Wasn't that nice of me to do that for me?!

I came across a nice blog recently Cranberry Cottage that had posted a really sweet idea of turning old silver flatware into magnets. I've been into decoupage lately so gave a go at some knives.

It's really not that easy finding images that will look good half an inch wide by four inches tall, but once I got past that challenge I ended up liking them pretty good. Can't believe I remembered to snap pics before whisking them off to The Nesting Place. I didn't do so good with that yesterday when I took in my recently decoupaged plates. I'm holding back the Christmas ones til the November Arts Alive so I can show you those.

They may look quite familiar from this view. Our sweet blogland friend Natalie came through here this summer on an RV trip with the fam and when she stopped by to visit she brought me one of her pedestal plates that she sells on etsy. So sweet. Did you ever see that article in the December ME Home Companion about the lady in NYC that has a teeny tiny little storefront where she sells JUST her decoupage under clear glass plates? Well, I've been wanting to do that all year, and Natalie's pedestal idea just really made it happen for me.

Of the four I took in yesterday afternoon two had already sold by the time she closed so I guess I'll be making more! Thanks again Natalie! Those pedestals were a good idea!

Better go catch some shut-eye now so I can get up and back at it tomorrow. Buh Bye!

Mural Monday ~ Week 9

I showed pics and told you about The Arkley Center on week 3's post. When you walk out the front door of the performance theatre this is the mural that you see across the parking lot.  Wow~ Look at our blue sky today!

So this had me worried earlier today..

No, he is not having a time-out. ...might we have a mouse? eeek! And you have to know he was staring back in there for quite some time before I finally noticed enough to go grab the memory card out of the computer, find the camera, etc etc. Mia never did seem to understand what he was doing either, so the best she could do was to sit and wait...just being supportive, I suppose.

Hope everyone has enjoyed their final summer weekend!

A is for Anniversary

I've noticed on a few blogs people have been doing some form of ABC journaling. I think some even call it a 'meme'...I don't really need to know what that means, but I did think it was a good idea for journal prompts. I think I'll start today, which happens to be our fifth wedding anniversary.

It was a great wedding as ceremonies go. John had turned 50 just the day before, Melissa had turned 21 on the 28th, so we thought we'd have a big birthday blowout celebrating these milestones at the new Marina bldg and invited all the friends and family we could think of. What nobody else knew was that since we had them all together we'd surprise them with a wedding during the band's first break! It's a pretty good story. I memorialized it in an 18 page album and posted it here if you feel like a fun read.

Here we are singing In Spite of Ourselves as the segue to the ceremony. I'll never be able to watch the video of this without having a big ol' smile plastered across my face. John's just about choking on the words because his good catholic mother is in the room, and I'm being the rebel... nearly shouting the off-color (almost raunchy)  lyrics. I should figure out how to upload it here.

The proposal story is funnier still. I think I'll save that for P.

:-)