Jen-uinely Inspired

Christmas Came Early!

2011-12-29T20:01:00.000-08:00

I'm pleased to introduce Isabel Dorothy,

born December 15th, 5:45 AM, 8lbs 2oz and 20 inches long.

She is the new love in my life and the reason I have been absent from my blog.

I'm pretty sure you won't hold it against me ;-)

Isabel wasn't due until January 2nd, however on December 8th I was diagnosed with preeclampsia, and on December 14th, my doctor decided to induce me at 37w2d since the baby was considered full term. And even though Isabel was early, she was still a big girl! I can only imagine how much she would have weighed if she had gone till her due date. My guess is close to 10lbs.

My husband and I are getting used to being parents and having our world revolve around our little bundle of love. I could stare at her for hours. I know that every mother feels this way, but I think she is the most beautiful baby in the world. She truly takes my breath away.

I have two last projects I hope to get around to soon before I finally post her nursery reveal. I will probably take the next few weeks off from my blog so that I can enjoy being a mommy, and perhaps clean the house which looks like a tornado hit it, but I promise to return, so please check back!

xoxox

Jenny

A Little Christmas Inspiration

2011-12-11T20:25:00.000-08:00

I must apologize for being absent as of late. Today I reached the 37 week mark and I'm definitely feeling it! I'm tired, uncomfortable and just plain slow. To top it all off, last Wednesday my feet and ankles ballooned to about three times their normal size. And Thursday when I went in for my first antenatal appointment (where they monitor the baby's heartbeat), my feet were still swollen and my blood pressure was around 148 laying down. The nurse of course called my doctor pronto and I was ordered straight home to rest for the weekend. Do not pass go-do not collect $200. I go in for another antenatal test on Monday and see my OB on Tuesday, so we will see if I am ordered on home or bed rest for the rest of my pregnancy. Fingers crossed that I am not, because I just might go stir crazy!!

On another note, I hope to post pictures of our home decked out for Christmas soon. I just need to make the house presentable for posting (i.e. clear off kitchen island of all the paper clutter, put away the rest of the shower gifts that have been living on the dining room table, etc.).

And the nursery is almost ready for it's final reveal. The rug and ottoman finally arrived last week!

Until then, here is a little Christmas Inspiration compliments of Pinterest (by the way, if you have an iPhone; which Santa got me for Christmas and let me open early, you MUST download the Pinterest app!)

source

Jenny

Words for Monday

2011-12-05T08:18:00.000-08:00

spotted here

Happy Monday :)

Jenny

Christmas Bingo Card

2011-11-30T15:24:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun Christmas Bingo Card hanging that I created a few years ago.

The bingo card measures 5x7 and came in a kit I had purchased. I dug through my box of treasures to decorate the card, but you can find similar pieces at your local craft store or online. The photo is a favorite of mine. It's a photo of my mom Janet when she was a little girl and it appears that she has put Santa to sleep with her wish list for Christmas.

I punched a hole in each corner of the card and thread silver pipe cleaner through the holes to use as a hanger. And then I embellished the card with buttons, rhinestones, lace, glitter star and rhinestone button....

a pre-made flower, bottle brush Christmas tree, metal Joy word, a metal "tis the season!" label, garland, pom pom fringe, and crepe paper. I also matted the picture onto white card stock and cut a scallop edge with scissors and then outlined the photo with some silver glitter glue.

You can purchase a bingo cards online....

Source

Or also search the internet for Bingo Images or Clip Art. Here is one that I found in my search....

Source

This would make a fun topper for a special someone's Christmas present, or perhaps an ornament for the tree? I have mine hanging on our entertainment center in the family room.

Jenny

41 Reasons...

2011-11-28T08:06:00.000-08:00

Today is my dear husband's 41st birthday. I thought I'd honor him with 41 reasons why I think he is the best guy in the world.

1. He has the ability to make me laugh like no one else can. Even when I am trying to be mad at him. Which makes him a very smart man.

2. He's my best friend.

3. He has yet to kick me out of the car for my back seat driving. I don't think I'd be able to put up with myself like he does.

4. He can strike up a conversation with a complete stranger and come way friends. He's that likable of a guy.

5. He's a great cook. So much so that he does the cooking in our house. I know, I'm very spoiled.

6. He treats his mother well. Which I think is very important in a man.

7. He is handy around the house. We did after all build our house.

8. He teases me mercilessly, but I know it's because he has a big ol' crush on me.

9. He loves to surprise me. Not jump out and scare me kind of surprise, but surprise me with a trip to Disneyland like he did for my 27th birthday.

10. He asks my advice on what shirt to wear with what colored pants or hat. I love that.
11. He is a walking calculator. He is a math whiz and our financial planner. Math is not my strong point and I am thankful I can leave the numbers up to him and know that our future is well taken care of.

12. He is a travel bug like me.

13. He is big on tradition like me. Like reliving our first date every year, or exchanging ornaments every Christmas.

14. He knows to get me flowers for my birthday, anniversary and Valentines day.

15. He's been there for me through some very hard times. I can always count on him to be my rock.

16. When I asked him what first attracted him to me, he told me it was my eyes. Oh be still my beating heart!

17. He's taller and bigger than me. I once dated a guy who was smaller than me and I had a very hard time with it.

18. He's supported me in my new love for running and has run beside me in 5 out of 6 half marathons even though I'm a slower runner.

19. I love how he plays hide and seek with the dogs. It's the cutest thing.

20. He has a green thumb, whereas I have a black one.

21. He puts up with my obsessive painting and repainting a room until I get the color right. Our poor master bedroom is on it's 5th color.

22. He loves the outdoors as much as I do.

23. He thinks things through, whereas I tend to be impulsive.

24. He has allowed me (although I don't think I really gave him the choice) to turn our "office" into my craft room.

25. He gives the best hugs. Period.

26. He doesn't make fun of me for my fear of heights. In fact, when we were in Italy and climbed up and down countless towers, he would walk in front or behind me so that I would feel safe.

27. When were were first dating, he was away at college at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, and we would write each other letters (this was before email) every day. I still have the letters in a box somewhere.

28. He lets me eat the crispy fries.

29. He has a wicked sense of humor.
30. He is kind and thoughtful and not afraid to show his feelings.
31. As a Fire Captain, he risks his life every day he goes to work. He is my hero and I love his bravery.

32. He can dish it as good as he can take it. We are each others best sparing partner - in a good natured way.
33. He went and saw the fist three Twilight movies with me. I couldn't put him through a fourth one. I'm not that cruel.
34. When I'm sick, he'll make me chicken soup and take care of me.
35. He'll affectionately tell me "You're killing me smalls", after the movie The Sand Lot, when I do something silly. And it always makes me smile.
36. He makes me feel safe.
37. I have never once doubted his love for me nor mine for him. Our love for one another is pure and true.
38. He's super smart. Like encyclopedia smart. If I don't know something, I just ask him.
39. He always asks me what I want to have for dinner, what I want to watch on tv, or where I want to sit in the movie theater. And while sometimes this may get on my nerves because I feel like I am the one always making the decision, I would rather he ask my opinion than not all.
40. He has this twinkle in his eyes that just stops me in my tracks.
41. Kids love him. They eat him up. And I know that he is going to be the most amazing dad.

Happy Birthday Babe!

xoxo,
Jen

Words for Monday

2011-11-28T08:04:00.000-08:00


Pinterest

Happy Monday :)

Jenny

Words for Monday

2011-11-21T07:49:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday :)

Jenny

Pregnancy Update

2011-11-17T15:33:00.000-08:00

4D Ultrasound taken at 27w2d

My OB sent me in for another 4D ultrasound to have some fibroid tumors checked on. I happen to have 4 of the suckers, but thankfully they have not grown or moved. Before we did IVF, I had surgery to have a large fibroid tumor removed, and my OB decided to leave the smaller fibroids so as not to cut into my uterus too much. Now we just need to watch them and hope they don't obstruct the birth canal. If they do, I'll have to have a c-section,which I'm really hoping to avoid.

Our first 4D ultrasound at around 4 1/2 months produced some freakish pictures. The baby looked more alien than anything. However, our second 4D ultrasound at just under 7 months produced some astonishing pictures (above). We could see her cute button nose, tiny little mouth, precious eyelids, amazing hands. We couldn't get over how detailed the 4D ultrasound was! We just had our third 4D ultrasound today at 33w3d and the pictures weren't as clear as my last ultrasound, probably because the baby has grown and is more crammed inside my tummy. My husband and I were both shocked when the technician told us how big the baby was....6 lbs 10 oz! And I still have 7 weeks to go!! Oh my! And surprise, surprise, she has a full head of hair. She probably gets that from her momma ;-)

The pregnancy is progressing as it should be. I'm growing, although I'm not huge I've been told. However, I feel huge! Sleeping has become a challenge. I now have to sleep with a pillow between my legs for comfort and find myself tossing and turning A LOT. And bending over to pick something off the floor has become just about impossible and I'm sure hilarious for all who witness me trying too do so. I find myself grunting and groaning when getting up off the couch and out of my car, which my husband loves to tease me about. I'm also tired A LOT, and hungry A LOT. The baby seems to be sucking the energy and food out of me. My plan is to work right up till Christmas and I just hope I have enough energy to do so!

Jenny

P.S. The nursery is coming along. Just need to add some decorative touches here and there. I hope to post pictures of the finished room soon!

Christmas Collage

2011-11-16T09:46:00.000-08:00

Out of all my seasonal collages, this is probably my favorite. I love that is not your traditional Christmas colors, but rather an array of colorful pinks, greens and blues. I was inspired by a K & Company paper pack and coordinating embellishments.

The top three embellishments were all pre-made. My only touch was a bit of ribbon to the ornament.

The pink Christmas tree I made. The foil 25 was pre-made. I cut the star out of some glitter paper and then added the pre-made JOY on top.

The ornament was pre-made, I just added some ribbon. Be Jolly - I made the white polka dot frame base and then tied the top pre-made piece with ribbon. The felt snowflake is from Stampin Up! and I just embellished it with a glitter oval frame and button. I added a chipboard frame to the pre-made felt flower. And for the Santa, I just added a red frame.

Last up in my collection, my Valentines Collage, which I will feature in February.

Here are my other seasonal collages to date....

Halloween

Fall

Summer

Spring

Home

Jenny

Words for Monday

2011-11-14T13:05:00.000-08:00

spotted here

Baby Shower #2 was this last weekend. It was a joint shower. I was worried that none of the men would show up. However, they surprised me and actually got really into the games. Like really into them. It was a fun shower and we are so lucky to have such thoughtful friends.

Shower #3, and the final shower, is this coming Sunday. The shower is being put on by my crafty friends. I can't wait to see what they have in store in the way of decorations :)

Happy Monday!

Jenny

DIY Paper Christmas Trees

2011-11-08T08:16:00.000-08:00

This is the first in a series of Christmas craft projects I plan to share with you in months of November and December. Christmas is my favorite holiday and as soon as November hits I am inspired to make all things Christmas.

I made these three trees several years ago. I was inspired by a Making Memories ad in Creating Keepsakes magazine. I can't remember which tree it was that Making Memories had featured, it might have been the fringe or loop one, but I knew I had to make my own. And of course everything is better in threes!

Here's a close-up of the tree trees. The first is a loop version, the middle one a fringe tree, and the last is a collage of torn paper. All three are super easy and fun to make!

Supplies needed:

3 Styrofoam cones
1 wooden dowel cut into 3 pieces
3 pots for your base
3 Styrofoam half balls
Moss from your floral dept.
3 different kinds of ribbon
Hot glue gun
Glue or adhesive
Scissors
Jingle bells & Pom poms
Decorative ribbon and trim for collage tree, as well as dowels
Assortment of Christmas scrapbook paper

To create the loop Christmas Tree strips:

Cut a 3" x 12" strip of scrapbook paper and fold it in half and secure with adhesive at the top. With scissors, cut strips from the looped bottom, to just about 1/2" from the top.

To create the fringe Christmas tree strips:

Cut a 2" x 12" strip of scrapbook paper and fold it in half and then in half again. With scissors, cut thin strips to just about 1/2" from the top. Unfold and you now have one long strip of fringe.

To create collage Christmas tree pieces:
(sorry, no picture)

Tear random pieces and strips of scrapbook paper or scraps in various sizes and shapes.

The create the loop and fringe tree:

Starting from the bottom of your styrofoam cone, wrap the tree one strip at a time, securing with adhesive or glue. Trim the strips to length as you work your way up the tree.

To create the collage tree:

Wrap your stryofoam cone in some plain paper and secure with adhesive or glue. Now for the fun part, start gluing and overlapping the torn pieces of paper until you have covered every inch of the cone. Add some trim and ribbon to the bottom of the cone and secure with hot glue or pins.

To assemble your trees:

1. Now take your three pots and place a half styrofoam ball in each.

2. Cover the exposed styrofoam ball with moss using hot glue.

3. Take a dowel and stick it through the center of the sytrofoam ball.

4. Take your tree topper and stick it through the top of the dowel.

5. If either end of the dowel feel loose, secure with hot glue.

6. Wrap each dowel with ribbon and secure with hot glue or adhesive.

7. Add a bell or pom to the top of your trees.

8. Now stand back and admire your craftiness and display your trees for all to see!

Jenny

Words for Monday

2011-11-07T07:38:00.000-08:00

My husband's three adorable aunts threw me the most beautiful shower yesterday. I hope to share photos once I get copies.

Happy Monday :)

Jenny

Halloween Collage

2011-11-05T20:43:00.000-07:00

Halloween came and went and I never got around to putting my Halloween decorations out, not even my Halloween collage. This being pregnant thing sure has made me lazy. Well, better late than never, here is my Halloween Collage...

The embellishments were mostly pre-made. The large spider I made using a die-cut machine. The web and 3 spiders were a Jolee's pre-made sticker. The witches hat was also Jolee's and I just placed it on top of a vellum tag and added some ribbon. Happy Halloween was pre-made, I just outlined the frame with some glitter glue.

The first square I wrapped in various Halloween ribbon from Martha Stewart. The moon and crow were both die-cuts, I just outlined the moon with glitter glue (one can never have too much glitter!). The pumpkin was printed on paper, I just framed it with a silver pipe cleaner. I stamped BOO on the pre-made green tag. The other BOO I created with a stamp and colored it in with some pencils and then added glossy accents to give it some dimension. The Trick-or-Treat bag was another Jolee's creation that I added to a vellum tag.

The witch and broom were both pre-made (Jolee's I think) and I added the vellum tag. And then I added I pre-made spider to the spiderweb paper.

Next up, my Christmas Collage!

Here are the links to my other seasonal collages...

Fall

Summer

Spring

Home

Jenny

Etsy Finds 11.4.11

2011-11-04T07:53:00.000-07:00

I hope you don't mind some Christmas Etsy Finds. Now that we're in November, I have Christmas on the brain!

1. But you said... - Classic movie preserved in a fun ornament. My husband and I exchange ornaments every year, and this one might have his name all over it.
2. Crepe Rosette Ornament - These have a pretty, vintage look to them and would be easy to make.
3. Personalized Photo Star Ornamanet - Baby's first ornament next year?
4. Tulle Wreath - Love this wreath!
5. Felt Sugar Cookie Ornaments - I want to make these. If I do, I will be sure to give a tutorial.
6. Gift Tags - I love to make my own gift tags. You could make these with a rubber stamp, or print the greeting onto some card stock with your computer and printer.

Christmas happens to be my MOST FAVORITE holiday, and I have lots of fun Christmas projects to share with you this month and next! I will try and dig out some decorations this weekend and post my first project next week.

This weekend my husband's three adorable aunts are throwing me a baby shower. My first shower of three, three weekends in a row. Baby Isabel is more loved than she knows!

Wishing you a fabulous weekend. xo

Jenny

Nursery Progress

2011-11-02T12:19:00.000-07:00

The nursery is slowing taking shape! The glider arrived, and boy is it fancy. Not only does it glide, it also rocks and swivels. Now if only it could make me a mocha or latte, I would be even more impressed. The ottoman is still in transit,but should arrive before the baby. I purchased a floor lamp at Target to go between the chair and crib, and covered the lampshade in some fun green polka dot fabric I had left over from my hoop project. I plan to dress up the bottom of the lampshade with some fun pom pom fringe.

Here's my hoops again. For the DIY go here.

The hubby requested a pillow for his lower back for the countless hours he will be spending in the chair with the baby. And me being the good wife that I am, sewed him this fun pink pillow. I didn't tell him that I was planning to make a pillow anyway ;-)

The pom poms for above the chair arrived this week! I can't wait to assemble and hang them.

PartyPoms

I also bought a cream pom pom to soften all the pink.

PartyPoms

I have been eyeing this fun rug for the nursery.

Urban Outfitters

I'm also eyeing something like this for curtains. If I can't find ruffle curtains in the right length I'm thinking I could get this shower curtain (or two) and make them into curtains.

Urban Outfitters

Next on the list of projects:

Create some frame art to go above the dresser.

Paint the changing table, that is after we dig it out of the closet!

Clean out the closet, which happens to currently house all my Christmas decorations.

Get the hubby to build me those book ledges for behind the door.

Make a ruffle lamp shade for lamp on dresser.

Finish it all before the baby arrives!

Nest! Nest! Nest!!

Jenny

Embroidery Hoops DIY

2011-10-31T12:30:00.000-07:00

Who knew embroidery hoops, with some fun fabric, could be turned into wall art? I don't care if everyone else with a nursery has them hanging on their walls. I just love them so!

Most of you could probably figure out how to makes these if you wanted to, but I'll give you my DIY anyway....

Supplies:

1. An assortment of wooden Embroidery Hoops from your local fabric, craft or thrift store. I used to be big on cross-stitching and had quite a few hoops collecting dust in the closet.

2. An assortment of colorful fabric.

3. Scissors.

4. Hot Glue Gun.

First off, let me just tell you to please ignore the string tied around the hoop. I was planning to use the string to hang the hoop to the wall, but the string needed to be higher, and I found a much easier way to hang the hoops. I never claimed to be perfect ;-)

Step 1. Take your hoop apart and place your fabric over the "inside" hoop. Next place the "outside" hoop on top of the fabric over the "inside" hoop. Tighten the "outside" hoop.

Step 2. Trim the fabric approx. a half an inch from the edge of the hoop, leaving enough length to glue the fabric to the inside of your hoop.

Step 3. Place a small amount of hot glue to the inside of your hoop and fold the fabric over, gluing the fabric to the inside of the hoop.

Step 4. Finish gluing your fabric all the way around.

Step 5. Voila! You now have a pretty fabric covered embroidery hoop. Continue steps for the remainder of your hoops.

I decided to used some scraps of fabric to create a monogram "I" for Isabel. I sewed each piece on with some embroidery thread. And then hand embroidered "I is for Isabel" in blue embroidery thread, although it's kinda hard to see in the photo.

And the finished project once again. I'm really pleased with how they turned out.

Stay tuned for my next post later this week, where I will give you a sneak peak of the nursery progess and how the hoops look hanging above the crib.

Jenny

Words for Monday

2011-10-31T08:11:00.000-07:00

spotted here

Happy Monday and Happy Halloween :)

I played in the Nursery a bit this weekend and have two posts for you this week. I've been feeling like a bad blogger lately but have to remind myself that I'm pregnant and just trying to get enough sleep every night is a challenge.

Jenny

Words for Monday

2011-10-24T07:38:00.000-07:00

spotted here

Good news! The glider for the nursery is being delivered this Tuesday! Which means I can finally start decorating the room!! This weekend I completed the hoop project and hope to post the tutorial later this week. So stay tuned.

Happy Monday :)

Jenny

Etsy Finds 10.21.11

2011-10-21T08:54:00.000-07:00

1. Ruffle Purse - I'm a sucker for ruffles.

2. NAP Pillows - Yes please!

3. Star Collage - This is a cute idea for the nursery. I happen to own a star punch, and a heart punch, and a butterfly punch. So many possibilities.

4. Monogram Embroidery Hoop - I might incorporate something like this with fabric hoops I'm making.

5. Chalkboard Frame - last week it was the chalboard tray, this week it's a chalkboard frame. Can you tell I have a thing for chalkboards?

6. Shell Ring - love this ring.

My priority for the weekend is to work on the fabric hoops for the nursery and share the tutorial with you. If I have to skip cleaning a bathroom, so be it!

Wishing you all a fabulous weekend! xo

Jenny

Nursery Progress - sort of

2011-10-18T07:49:00.000-07:00

Here's the "progress" we've made on the Nursery so far. Basically, we emptied the room of the guest furniture and assembled the crib. Here's the view as you enter the room. I've decided to not repaint the pale blue walls (much to my husbands' excitement I might add!), since it's a feminine blue, and will add accents of pink and cream and white instead.

Here's the view looking out towards the door. The dresser, which we plan to use as the baby's dresser, belonged to my father in-law as a boy and then used by my husband growing up. I had wanted to painted the dresser white, but it feels wrong to paint a family heirloom. Plus my husband said no. I might add some fun knobs instead.

And here's a close-up of the crib we got from Pottery Barn. I originally had my heart set on this iron crib, but changed my mind once I discovered the mattress did not raise or lower, and that our backs would probably kill us after a week of lifting the baby in and out of the crib.

So what's the hold-up on decorating the nursery, you ask? Because, as most of you know, I have been known to paint an entire room and redecorate in a weekend. Once I get an idea in my head, it's all I can do to contain myself. Well, this is the hold-up.....

We splurged and ordered this glider/rocker and ottoman from Pottery Barn, and it takes 8-12 weeks for delivery. 12 weeks would put us into December, so I'm really hoping it's more along the lines of 8-10 weeks. Anyways, the glider is going to go in the corner, next to the crib, and I kind of need it in place before I can assemble all of the other pieces of the room. Which is killing me. Because I want to decorate the nursery so badly!

Here are some of the ideas swimming in my head...

Once the glider is in place next to the crib, I am thinking of putting a floor lamp in the corner. And make one of my ruffled lamp shades.

I am also thinking of hanging these pom-poms above the glider. Maybe trade out the darker pom-pom for a cream or white one.

I had originally planned to make these fabric pom-poms, going off this tutorial. But then I gave it some serious thought, and realized that after cutting out 100 circles or so, I would be hating myself after the first pom-pom. They do look fabulous though.

And then there is of course these to die for fabric hoops! I have already picked out the fabric for mine, just need to assemble them and take pictures so I can share the tutorial with you. I plan to hang the hoops above the crib.

We already have some nice faux wood blinds covering the windows, but I also want to add some curtains. I haven't decided if I will make curtains or purchase some. These pink ones are kind of nice.

And then of course I am still thinking of doing one of these floor to ceiling book ledges. I wish I had a larger wall for these, but the only wall that works in the room is the one behind the door. Oh, and I love the pillow on the chair. I just might have to make one of these.

And lastly, if there is room once the glider and ottoman is in place, I would like to paint the deep bookcase that my husband built in high school, and place it beneath the window as a changing table.

Can the glider and ottoman hurry up and get here please? Because I'm dying to decorate the rest of the room!

Pregnancy update: I am just over 29 weeks along now, or a little over 7 months. We went in for a level 2 ultrasound two weeks ago, which is a 4D ultrasound, and got the most amazing pictures of our little girl Isabel! We could see her cute button nose, her tiny little mouth, her precious eyelids and her tiny hand which was resting along the side of her face. She is already so beautiful! I am feeling her move inside me more. Her little feet kicking the right side of my belly, her head is on my left side.It is such a trip to have a little being moving inside me :)

Jenny

Words for Monday

2011-10-17T13:02:00.000-07:00


Pinterest

Happy Monday :)

Jenny

P.S. I hope to have a post or two up this week.

Words for Monday ~ the late edition

2011-10-11T07:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday :)

Jenny

Etsy Finds 10.6.11

2011-10-06T12:36:00.000-07:00

1. EAT sign - I have some red cardboard letters hanging in our kitchen that spell EAT, but I love the metal and cursive look of this eat sign.

2. Mesh Poncho - I have been obsessing over ponchos lately. I need to find one long enough that will cover my growing belly. This one isn't long enough, but I still love it anyway.

3. Punkin - Isabel should be around 10 months next October. I wonder if I can find a pumpkin big enough? Would this be considered child abuse?

4. Green Velvet Purse - This purse just screams my name!

5. Red & White Stapler - I believe you have my stapler. If you even have to ask what movie that quote is from, shame on you! ;)

6. Chalkboard Tray - I'm pretty sure I've featured one of these in an earlier Esty Finds. But I still love these and want to make one!

My Friday starts today (yay!) and at 4 o'clock on the dot I will be hitting the road and on my merry way to Bodega Bay where me and 12 other girls will take over a house for the weekend and get our craft on. We try and do these retreats 1-2 times a year and I love them so! I have already warned my husband that this will not be changing when the baby comes along.

Wishing you all a glorious weekend whatever it is you are doing!

Jenny

Mendocino Getaway

2011-10-04T12:34:00.000-07:00

Our 15 year wedding anniversary was last Thursday, September 29th. I still can't believe it's been 15 years. I can only imagine how much more time will fly when we have a little one in our lives next year. At first we weren't going to do anything special for our anniversary, other than go out to eat. But then we got to thinking that this will probably be our last getaway alone, as a married couple, just the two of us....for probably a very long time. So we quickly booked a stay at a B&B in one of our favorite places, Mendocino. And I'm so glad we did!

The weather wasn't ideal. It was dreary and rained on and off most of Saturday. But we didn't let it stop us from getting out and exploring the town, shops, beaches and most importantly, enjoying each others company.

The quaint town of Mendocino. Pretty as a picture even in dreary weather.

Packard House B&B. We stayed in their Garden Cottage, which had it's own private entrance.

Our room. It also had a gas fireplace, sitting area with tv, small eating area, and a private bath with spa tub and shower.

Just a few of the many B&B's that line the streets of Mendocino. I took this photo the morning we left, and as you can tell the fog was as thick as soup!

The rugged coast of Mendocino. These are the bluffs directly across from town, and within walking distance of our B&B.

A girl's gotta rest! This bench overlooked the ocean on the bluffs. I could have sat here all day, except it was starting to rain.

My crazy, shorts wearing husband. He has been known to wear shorts in the snow. He could live in just shorts and t-shirt if I would let him, which I do for the most part. Except at weddings. I draw the line at weddings.

Baby bump Isabel's first trip!

I feel like I have slacked off BIG time in the project department and will try and post some projects or at least some inspiration for you soon. I'm going away this weekend on a scrapbook retreat. 13 girls in a rented house out in Bodega Bay. Oh the fun to be had!

Jenny

Words for Monday

2011-10-03T09:34:00.000-07:00

Source

Happy Monday :)

Jenny

15 Years of Bliss

2011-09-29T07:43:00.000-07:00

15 years later....

Our wedding day, September 29, 1996, in the hills of Sebastopol, CA.

and I still love this man with all my heart and soul....

Photo booth at a cousin's wedding last year.

He still makes me laugh like no one else can!

Lucky for us goofballs, we found each other.

I feel so blessed to have found and married my best friend and love of my life.

Jenny

Pumpkin Shadow "Box"

2011-09-27T07:45:00.000-07:00

This is a project I did last year. You know those craft pumpkins you see at your local craft store? Well they make the cutest "shadow box" for Halloween! Unfortunately I created this project before I blogged, so I did not take step-by-step photos, but I will try my best to describe the steps in creating my pumpkin.

Supplies:

Craft Pumpkin

Knife

Marker or pencil

Round, flat styrofoam piece found in the floral section of your craft store

Moss

Crepe paper and needle and thread

Hot glue gun and glue sticks

12x12 Piece of scrapbook paper

Vintage photo or clip art

Decorative pieces for inside your shadow box

Using a pencil, I drew my opening on the front of my craft pumpkin and where I needed to cut with my knife. I then decided to also cut the back half of my pumpkin. You can leave the back of our pumpkin on if you like, I just chose to cut mine off. Using a knife that I didn't mind dulling, I cut along my pencil line and removed the cut-outs.

Here's the back of my pumpkin. I laid the pumpkin down and traced the outline on a piece of 12x12 scrapbook paper and set the paper aside to glue onto my pumpkin once I had the inside all built.

If you look closely, you will see moss on the floor of my pumpkin. I cut my round styrofoam piece to fit inside my pumpkin and used hot glue to secure it, and then I covered the styrofoam with moss, which I also used hot glue to secure. For a fun look, you could spray paint your moss black or silver or whatever color, and add some glitter spray to the moss. I of course think of this after my pumpkin is all built.

Once you've laid your ground piece (the moss), now you can add all the fun pieces inside. I found a little glitter tree in the floral section of Michael's, and a little glitter witch cut-out that I placed onto a round piece of gold glitter paper for a moon. I glued the moon and witch onto the piece of scrapbook paper I had set aside.

The black and white photo is a photo I found of my grandmother Dot and her brother Jim when they were little. They're sitting on top of an old stump, and I loved how Jim had his arms wrapped around his sister Dot. I printed the photo onto some glossy photo paper and then used some makers to add color to their clothing, hair and a little color to their cheeks. I then cut out the photo and left a little base, which I folded back. I also added a little witches hat and placed it on top of my grandma's head and then added some black glitter to her mary janes. I added a little "Trick or Treat" banner and glued it onto the front of the stump. If you don't have a vintage photo, you can search the internet for free vintage photos or clip art.

You can kind of see in the photo below the strip of card stock I added to the back of the photo to hold it up. Very much like how a photo frame would stand up.

Around the front opening of my pumpkin, I hot glued crepe paper which I gathered with a needle and thread. I laid a strip of orange, then black, and another strip of orange crepe paper and then weaved my needle and thread down the stacked strips of crepe paper and gathered it until I had the desired length for my opening. I then folded my gathered crepe paper in half and used a hot glue gun to glue it to the opening. I must warn you that you will more than likely end up with some hot glue gun burns on your fingers like I did!

And because you can never have too much glitter or bling, I hot glued some glitter leaves that I found in the floral section of Michael's onto the top of my pumpkin.

Lastly, once I had my pumpkin built and embellished, I used more hot glue to glue the scrapbook paper I had set aside onto the back of my pumpkin.

And here sits my pumpkin on the buffet in our dining room. A one of a kind shadow box!

Jenny

Words for Monday

2011-09-26T08:41:00.000-07:00

And I like my stuff! Happy Monday :)

Jenny

Pregnancy Update

2011-09-21T07:49:00.000-07:00

I'm just a little over 6 months along now, and 25 lbs heavier.
I will take 25 lbs over 60 or 80.
I am still not used to my new fuller face.
I am enjoying the rounder belly, but not the rounder face.
I suppose that makes me vain.
I have come to the harsh realization that not a lot of stores carry maternity wear.
But I am doing my best to look cute and fashionable while pregnant.

I love watching my belly grow, bigger and bigger. It's a beautiful thing!

I feel our little girl move around constantly. She's an active one.
We have a named picked out. Isabel Dorothy.
After my husband's grandma (Isabel) and my grandma (Dorothy), who both passed away several years ago.
I know that they would have loved meeting their great-granddaughter.

I have tried to go off Prednisone 3 times now (3 months, 4 months and 6 months)
but every time my Hyperemesis kicks in full gear and I get horribly sick.
Like puke my guts out 7 times in 12 hours sick.

So I am resigned to staying on Prednisone for the rest of my pregnancy.
Which is no harm to the baby.
It would just be nice to know that I was rid of my Hyperemesis
at 6 months...or 7 months...without the aid of steroids.

But again, I am SO THANKFUL that there is something I can take to keep my Hyperemesis at bay.

The crib arrived the other day and the hubster and I plan on assembling it this weekend.
I can't wait to dress the crib up with the bedding I got from Target.

I have also started the hoop art project for above the crib. I will post pictures once it's all up.

We also ordered the glider and ottoman,which take 8-12 weeks to make.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed they arrive before the baby does!

So the nursery is slowly taking shape. And I am getting bigger by the day.
I promise to share pictures as the nursery comes together.

Jenny

Autumn Banner

2011-09-19T12:52:00.000-07:00

Here's my little craft project from last weekend, an autumn banner.

And here's a close-up of the individual banner pieces...

I used a border punch along the top of each banner piece, and added a flower and glitter leaves on the end border pieces.

The letters were pre-cut chipboard letters that I received in a goody bag at a charity scrapbooking event (or crop). I brushed some glue on each letter and then poured glitter over them and let them dry. I cut the scallop circle using a die and then placed the circle on top of a medallion I created out of some gold tissue paper I had saved from a gift I received (repurpose and reuse!).

Here's a side view of the banner pieces. The medallions really pop off the banner pieces and add some dimension.

And here is the banner hanging above the slider in the kitchen. Bringing just the right touch of fall to the kitchen! (Please excuse the smudged glass, apparently my quick clean job was a little too quick!)

Jenny

Words for Monday

2011-09-19T12:51:00.000-07:00

Source

Happy Monday :)

Jenny

Fall Collage

2011-09-13T07:50:00.000-07:00

September is here, which means it is time to switch out the Summer Collage for Fall.

For those of you who missed my earlier posts about my seasonal collages, I have a collage that hangs in our entryway for every season: Home (the in-between seasons collage), Spring, Summer and now Fall. Halloween, Christmas and Valentines will be revealed in their respective month. The collages are a fun way to honor the seasons and use up my stash of craft supplies.

Top: I cut out a little house out of Scrabble scrapbook paper, stamped the word Family onto cardstock and placed it over the house, and then secured a clear acrylic heart with a red brad over Family. The flower is layered and has velvet leaves. The word Fall is made from Basic Grey chipboard letters.

Middle: The tree was stamped using a Stampin' Up! stamp. The Autumn circle was a pre-made chipboard shape. The 28 are Tim Holtz metal numbers, and represent my husband's birthday - November 28.

Bottom: The Definition was pre-made, I just the stamped leaves and inked the edges. On the flower, I added a grommet with the word Home in the center and placed it on a square piece of card stock.

And here is the collage hanging in the frame.

I will post this weekend's creation once I have some better light to take photos.

Jenny

Words for Monday

2011-09-12T08:16:00.000-07:00

Source

Happy Monday :)

I got crafty this weekend and should have a post up this week with my creation.

Jenny

Etsy Finds 9.9.11

2011-09-09T07:35:00.000-07:00

1. Gone Crazy. Be Back Soon. - This has been my work week. I'm so glad it's Friday.

2. Orange Nylon Bag - I normally just "window shop" my Etsy Finds, but this bag I purchased. It's the perfect bag for our upcoming weekend getaway to Mendocino at the end of September.

3. Cabernet Scarf - Eternity scarves are my new favorite scarves. And this cabernet one is so rich and yummy.

4. Vintage Christian Dior Orange Boots - If these puppies were a size 9, I might've had to get them to go with my new bag.

5. Convertible Skirt/Dress - It's a skirt. No wait, it's a dress. Love!

6. Triangle Hoop Earrings - These are fun and different. I like different.

Ahhh, did I already say how glad I am it's Friday?? These last few weeks at work have been hectic, but this week has been especially so. The beginning of the school year is always a little crazy, but this year has been ridiculously, over the top crazy. But it's Friday! Yay! No big plans for the weekend. The hubby is working both days, so I plan to lay low at home and recharge my batteries.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Jenny

Words for Monday

2011-09-05T18:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday :)

Jenny

Etsy Finds 9.2.11

2011-09-02T07:42:00.000-07:00

1. Burnt Orange Canvas Purse - Wouldn't this make the perfect fall purse!The seller has lots of other cute purses at great prices.

2. Orange Chunky Cowl - I love this color. And I love scarves!

3. Gold Lace Earrings - The detail on these earrings is amazing.

4. 1950s File Boxes - Hmmm...what could I keep in these cuties?

5. Raggedy Mummy Doll - How cute is this mummy doll?? Very!

6. Geekery Chiyogami Paper Necklace - I can't believe these beads are made out of paper. I recently bought some large beads and might attempt a similar necklace.

I'm the office manager for a K-12 Charter School and this last week has been CRAZY busy! School doesn't officially start until Sept. 6th, but our teachers returned August 15th, and each week has been getting a little more busy. Last year things didn't calm down until November, and this year seems to be going the same way. So boy am I ever happy about the three day weekend!! Saturday we have my grandmother's 80th birthday party to attend, Sunday we're checking out gliders for the nursery and some more maternity clothes for my every growing belly, and then Monday I hope to catch the movie The Help since the hubby works.

Wishing you a wonderful 3 day weekend for those of you who are lucky enough to get Monday off!

Jenny

Fall Decorating Ideas

2011-08-31T07:49:00.000-07:00

I realize that Fall doesn't officially start until until Friday, September 23rd, but as soon as the calendar turns to September, I can't help but think of Fall. I'm of the kind, that as soon as Thanksgiving is over, I break out the Christmas decorations. And as soon as the calendar turns to September, I break out the fall decorations. October 1st rolls around? Out comes the Halloween decorations. I figure that if I am going to go to the trouble of decorating our house for the holidays, I might as well enjoy them for an entire month. Or longer. And besides, I have yet to have the holiday police come knocking on my door.

Here are just a few ideas that have me itching to break out my boxes of fall decorations...

I really dig these pumpkin topiaries. Craft pumpkins would be perfect for these and could be used again next year.

Pottery Barn

This pumpkin topiary is charming as well.

Country Living

I have been scouring the internet for fall mantle ideas. I love all the pumpkins on this mantle.

Martha Stewart

And this mantle of vases filled with the bounties of fall.

Pottery Barn

I love the neutral colors of this display. Especially the mercury pumpkins. OMG.

Pottery Barn

Here's those mercury pumpkins again. I want these BAD!

Pottery Barn

These white pumpkins are quite lovely too.

Pottery Barn

And here's a plethora of lovely arrangements.

Pottery Barn

Here's a simple way to decorate with candles.

Better Homes & Gardens

Pottery Barn

I need to get me some bell jars.

Country Living

HGTV

And last, but not least, every door needs a fall wreath in my opinion.

Pottery Barn

Do you decorate for fall? Or have I inspired you? I promise to share my fall decorations with you as soon as they go up. I also will be sharing my Fall Collage, as well as a fun, vintage craft pumpkin shadow box that I made last year. So stay tuned!

Jenny

Words for Monday - the late edition

2011-08-30T07:59:00.000-07:00

spotted here

Happy Monday :)

Jenny

Etsy Finds 8.26.11

2011-08-26T07:55:00.000-07:00

1. Kumari Garden Quilt - If only I was more of a sewer, I might try and make something like this for the baby.

2. Ruby Ring - I could see myself wearing this on my ring or middle finger on my right hand.

3. Aquamarine Shell Bowl - This would look cool in a bathroom with some cute little soaps.

4. Paper Flower Wreath -Fun project for a rainy day.

5. Custom Initial Monogram - I love this! Simple and sweet.

6. Vintage School Desk & Chair - This already sold, but I still wanted to share it. This would be a cute addition to a little kids room as an art desk or to do their homework on, or a timeout even ;)

I'm so excited for this weekend. We're going camping for 3 nights at Lake Mendocino. We used to camp there every year for a week straight, but haven't been able to for the last 3 or 4 years, and I've missed it so! I've missed sleeping in a tent listening to the sounds of nature, sitting around the camp fire, loosing myself in a good book..all day long, playing games at the picnic table, cooling off in the lake, disconnecting from technology (except for my Kindle), taking walks around the campground, napping in the hammock. Ahhhh....camping is good for my soul :)

Wishing you all a lovely Friday and even lovelier weekend!

Jenny

Nursery Picks

2011-08-24T20:50:00.000-07:00

I've been scouring the internet and blogosphere for ideas for the nursery. The internet is a lovely thing! There are endless, beautiful nurseries out there. So many inspiring spaces. Here is a peek at what ideas and pieces I have chosen for the nursery...

1. This IS the crib I am ordering. The Bratt Decor Venetian Iron Crib from Pottery Barn. I love the classic, antique look of this crib. It's going to look perfect in the nursery!

2. After looking at all kinds of rockers and gliders, I think I have settled on one that looks more like a chair and that I can eventually move into another part of the house. Jim and I plan to try some out in the stores, and if I can't find one I like, then we'll purchase this one from Pottery Barn, even though it is a little more than we want to spend.

3. I just ordered this 3-pc Simply Shabby Shic Cherry Blossom Crib set from Target. It includes a bumper, sheet, and skirt.

Here's a better picture of the pattern on the bumper. I also ordered this quilt.

4. Fabric embroidery hoops for above the crib. I am making these for sure! I just need to find the right pieces of fabric.

5. Pom-poms. I found a tutorial on how to make the ones picture below. I will be making these in shades of pink and maybe cream or yellow. They will hang above either the crib, glider or dresser.

6. We have a small, deep bookcase that Jim built when he was in high school that I plan to paint pink and convert to a changing table like the pink cabinet below.

7. And I WILL find a wall for shelves like these. Floor to ceiling. Love them!

I am also on the hunt for a chandilier for the nursery and I plan to make some curtains, even though me and my sewing machine have a hate/love relationship.

I will try and post photos of the nursery as it comes together. As well as any projects I make.

Jenny

Words for Monday

2011-08-22T07:24:00.000-07:00

spotted here

Happy Monday :)

Jenny

Etsy Finds 8.19.11

2011-08-19T07:43:00.000-07:00

1. Neon Arrow - I love signs, and signs that light up - Awesome!

2. Foursquare Necklace - I love the geometric feel of the necklace, and the colors remind me of the beach.

3. Owl Earrings - These earrings are just pure cuteness!

4. Orange Flower Shoe Clips - I'm not a regular high heel wearing kinda gal, but these sure would look cute on some heels when I do test out my high heel walking abilities.

5. Wire Baskets - If you haven't noticed by now, I have a thing for baskets. They are an easy way to organize all your "stuff". I like to organize stuff, A LOT. As you can tell by my craft room and utility closet.

6. Keep Calm and Work On - I like the original saying too "Keep Calm and Carry On". This version is super cute for the laptop. "Keep Calm and Blog On" would be a fun version too for us bloggers :)

My aunt and uncle are coming to stay with us for the weekend. I can't wait! They will be the last guests to stay in the guest bedroom before it morphs into the cutest, little nursery to ever exist! My mom is also coming over to visit, and then on Sunday we will be celebrating my birthday and also my mother in-law's birthday, which was August 5th.

Have a wonderful weekend!

xoxo,

Jenny

Happy Birthday to Me!

2011-08-17T07:47:00.000-07:00

Me having my cake and eating it too on my 2nd birthday. Wasn't I adorable?!

Today is my birthday.

I'm a Leo (hear me roar). Which might explain the crazy mane of curls.

I'm turning 39.

This is my last year to live it up in my 30's before I move on to the big FOUR O.

I'm a bit sad about turning 39.

But 39 also happens to be the most wonderous year for me.

Because it is the year I will become a mommy.

It is also the year that my husband and I celebrate 15 years of marriage and 18 years together.

And as that old saying goes "you're only as old as you feel".

I still feel like I'm in my early 30's.
And think I still look 29 ;-)

I just wish my husband didn't feel like he was 10 years old most days.

xoxo,

Jenny

Christmas in August

2011-08-16T08:02:00.000-07:00

Hello. My name is Jenny and I am a freak who insists on making handmade Christmas cards every year. You're probably thinking that doesn't sounds that terrible. That is until you hear how many cards I actually make.by.hand.

We're talking in the ballpark of 150+ cards.

Go ahead, call me a freak. I have earned that name.

It all started innocently back in 2003. I thought to myself, "I'll make my own Christmas cards this year. Won't that be fun and save me a TON of $$". Flash forward to 2011 and I am still making my own Christmas cards, because I can't seem to stop. And I'm afraid if I sent out store bought cards, everyone on my Christmas list would call me a fake, or worse.

Why is the number of cards I make so high, you ask? Well, because my husband is a fire captain, and every year we receive cards from almost everyone in the fire department. So it's really all my husband's fault.

And because I need to make 150+ cards, I have to get started on them in the Summer, when most people haven't even begun to think about Christmas.

Anyways, I came up with my design for our Christmas card this weekend. One for family and friends, which is a little more detailed. And then one for the fire department, which is a little easier to mass produce. I have to confess that they both are SUPER CUTE! But I can't show them to you yet, because I don't want to ruin the surprise in case anyone on my Christmas card list also reads my blog. So instead I will show you a few of my cards from Christmases past.

The card that started it all. The base and photo were computer generated.

2003 Family & Friend Card. The snowman was made from a technique called quilling.

The snowman was stamped and the glitter square frame was heat embossed. The Joy was a die-cut.

This card consisted entirely of stamps. A lot of stamping went into this card!

The snowman was stamped and then colored in with markers. The red strip was embossed.

The snow flake and dot border were stamped, as was the Joy. A tiny jewel was placed in the center of the snowflake.

2010 Christmas card. The reindeer, snowflake border and greeting were all stamped. And a bit of red glitter was placed on Rudolph's red nose.

My apologies if this post now has you now thinking about Christmas. In August!

Jenny

Words for Monday

2011-08-15T07:49:00.000-07:00

spotted here

One of my all time favorite quotes!

Happy Monday :)

Jenny

Etsy Finds 8.12.11

2011-08-12T08:02:00.000-07:00

1. Sea Urchin Necklace - My mom gave me the teeniest, tiniest white sea urchin that she found at the beach. I might try and make it into a necklace like these.

2.Turquoise Rotary Phone - Digging the color of this phone. Me want!

3. Classic Turquoise Hard Shell Suite Case - It could be that I'm just obsessed with this color right now, but I love this suite case.

4. Turquoise Bead Earrings - Yep, I'm obsessed with this color. But aren't these earrings pretty?

5. Paper Roses - Love these. Notice the hint of turquoise?

6. Scarf - I realize it's still summer, but doesn't this scarf look warm and cozy?

I plan to be a homebody this weekend. Do a little de-cluttering, and cleaning of course, because my husband has still not hired that maid I'm been asking for.

Happy Friday and Happy Weekend! :)

Jenny

Wedding Card & A Family Wedding

2011-08-09T09:01:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we attended the wedding of my little cousin, Joylani. I still remember the day my Aunt Gail brought her home from the hospital. I was in love the first time I laid eyes on her. I used to spend summers at my aunt's and would often babysit Joylani. We'd play dress up, bake cookies, build forts. I can't believe my little cousin grew up when I wasn't looking! But I am so proud of the beautiful woman she has become.

Here is the card I made for her wedding. It has sort of become my "go to" design for weddings. It's simple, elegant and quick to make. The roses are made with an embossing folder from Stampin Up!

And here's just a few photos from the wedding...

Husband and Wife!

Two of my favorite aunts. My Aunt Gail (mother of the bride) and Aunt Debbie.

Grandpa Richard and Grandma Joy said a blessing before the dinner. Grandpa Richard married Jim and I 15 years ago.

The first dance.

The wedding cake looked like roses. It was so life like!

It was a beautiful night and wedding!

I wish Joylani a lifetime of love and happiness.

Jenny

Words for Monday

2011-08-08T13:46:00.000-07:00


spotted here

Happy Monday :)

Jenny

Etsy Finds 8.5.11

2011-08-05T07:46:00.000-07:00

1.Monkey Knit Hat - I just think this is the sweetest little hat!

2. Bird Felt Pillow Cover - Love the two little red birds. Love birds. I could probably make this but might want to pull my hair out after the 10th bird or so.

3. LOVE Print - I am thinking of getting this print for the nursery, along with another print by the artist.

4. Colette Earrings - I love the color combo of these earrings. They remind me of summer.

5. Mama Ring - cute :)

6. Shut The Front Door - I am guilty of saying this. I just can't help myself. It makes me laugh.

Today my husband and I are making our annual trip to the Sonoma County Fair. It's where we had our first date 18 years ago. I have already decided on what I am going to eat. A CORN DOG! And maybe an ice cream cone :) Afterwards we plan to catch a movie. I want to see the new Steve Carrell movie - Crazy, Stupid, Love. And then Saturday my little cousin is getting married. And Sunday I plan to stay home and do nothing, except maybe nap!

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Jenny

Thoughts On Being Pregnant

2011-08-04T07:42:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, I will be 4 months 3 weeks along.

I find it too hard to count in weeks. Math is not my strongest suit.

I can't believe I'm half way there.

I swear my belly grew 10 times in size overnight.

Is there a gremlin in there?

I keep hearing about this flutter I will feel the first time I feel the baby move.

I can't wait to feel the flutter.

I love that my belly finally looks like a baby bump, and not a beer belly.

And now that I have a belly, I am finding bending over a bit challenging.

My husband is already putting on the sympathy weight. Because he feels obligated to drink my share of the wine.

I'm still on steroids for my hyperemesis. I've tried to taper down twice, but got real sick again. So I guess I need to stay on them a little longer.

Without the steroids I would likely be in the hospital or on home health care at home, so I am thankful for them.

And because I am on the steroids I feel GREAT.

And no, I do not have any super power strength. I'm not taking those kinds of steroids.

I love being pregnant and can't wait to meet our little girl come January.

xoxo,

Jenny

Linked up at

Nursery Ideas

2011-08-02T08:12:00.000-07:00

I've been collecting, or rather "pinning", ideas from all over the internet for the nursery. My Aunt and Uncle are staying with us at the end of August, and will be the last guests to stay in the guest bedroom before we transform it into the nursery.

Wanna hear something funny, I have had people ask me with a serious face if I was going to turn my craft room into the nursery. Ummm, hello! Do I look crazy??? No way Jose am I loosing my craft room. Sorry future guests!

Anyways, as my belly continues to grow (I'm just over 4 1/2 months now) I am itching to get started on the nursery. Here are just a few ideas I'm considering....

I am about 99.99% sure I am making these hoops and either hanging them above the dresser or the baby's crib. I also like this wall color, it's similar to the color I used in my laundry room. Right now the guest bedroom is a soft, pretty blue.

Source

Here's another nursery with the fabric hoops. I like how they incorporated the name.

Source

Pom Poms. Love them! These would look so cute hanging above the crib in place of a mobile, or maybe in the corner of the room. I like how they used different colors.

Source

A wall of children books. AWESOME! I also love the chair. I am on the hunt for an affordable glider chair that looks like this.

Source

Love the DREAM banner hanging in the window. As well as the slipcover glider chair.

Source

I can't wait to get started on all these ideas!

Jenny

Words for Monday

2011-08-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

spotted here

Happy Monday :)

Jenny

Card Swap

2011-07-28T19:54:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to taking pictures of the cards I received from the card swap I participated in a few weeks back. I received 13 cards in all, one of mine back, and 12 other pretty cards which I am going to have a hard time parting with.

Aren't they pretty?

Jenny

Postcards from Truckee

2011-07-26T08:16:00.000-07:00

We are fortunate enough to co-own a vacation home in Truckee, where we love to spend our summer vacation every year. For the last two summers, we extended our usual two week vacation, to three weeks. Three weeks truly allows you to unwind and forget about work and all the chores awaiting you at home, and allows you to have a real vacation. I look forward to summer in Truckee every year.

Here are some scenes from our summer vacation....

Would you believe there was still snow in July? Crazy!

Yet, at the same time there was signs of summer.

My husband took these photos of the poppies. Aren't they gorgeous?

There was fishing. Our friends kids entered a fishing derby on Donner Lake.

There was tubing down the Truckee River.

My shadow in the Truckee River. I wish I had legs this long!

We explored the train tunnels above Donner Lake. One of our favorites places to take new visitors.

There's an opening in the tunnel where you are awarded with a breathtaking view of Donner Lake.

We also hiked a little. Notice the sign. Leave it to my husband to want to still hike.

I was relieved when the trails were no where near as dangerous as the sign led us to believe.

The falls were amazing. Lots of snow runoff!

And the scenery, beautiful.

And I couldn't ask for better company!

Did you go anywhere fun this summer or have any fun vacations planned?

Jenny

Words for Monday

2011-07-25T08:30:00.000-07:00

spotted here

I'm BAAACK!! We returned from vacation yesterday afternoon and I feel refreshed and energized. Here's hoping I still feel this way by the end of the work week! Ha!

This week is a busy week for me, but I am going to try and squeeze a post or two in and should be fully back into the swing of my blog next week.

Happy Monday :)

Jenny

Lazy Days of Summer

2011-07-07T09:10:00.000-07:00

White Rock Lake outside Truckee, which we visited last summer.

I had posted my Words for Monday with a little disclaimer that I was on vacation for the next 3 weeks in Truckee but that I would try and put up a post or two, or three. But apparently my post vanished.

So far my vacation is going as planned. I have managed to get a nap in each day! Today we head into town to check out the shops before the first set of guests arrive tomorrow.

I still need to post the cards from the swap and hope to do that later today, after my nap of course ;-)

Jenny

We're Having a Baby!

2011-07-01T12:34:00.000-07:00

Source

I feel like shouting that from the top of the highest mountain.

We're having a baby!

This has been a long and difficult journey for my husband and I. When I married at 24, I had it all planned out. Spend 4 years getting used to being husband and wife and build or home. At 28 try for our first child, and then at 30 try for the next. I wanted a boy and girl. It sounded easy enough. Well at 28 I had my first of 4 miscarriages over the course of 10 years.

Not only did I have the heartbreak of miscarrying, I also have a rare condition while pregnant called Hyperemesis Gravidarum. Less than 2% of woman are burdened with this condition. Why I get to belong to this exclusive club, I don't know! The only way to describe it, is it's like having food poisoning 24/7. At 6 weeks I could not keep any food or liquids down and was vomiting 7 times a day. At my worst I was vomiting every 30 minutes. I lost 20 lbs, was hospitalized over a month and went without eating anything for a month straight. I couldn't work. I had no energy. It was basically hell.

After my 4th miscarriage last year, we decided that we needed to seek the help of fertility specialist if we were ever going to make our family a reality. Because of my Hyperemesis and how sick I get when I'm pregnant we decided to try IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) and selected to have the embryos genetically tested for any chromosome abnormalities. We felt that this was our best option for guaranteeing a healthy embryo be planted in my uterus. Out of the 9 eggs they retrieved, I had one normal egg. ONE. The other 8 were no good. I was so thankful for that one perfect little embryo. But even with all the extra steps we took, I still worried about miscarrying. For those first 12 weeks I was optimistic yet cautious. And at 6 weeks my Hyperemesis hit. However this time we tried something new. My doctor had me start Corticosteroids to control the vomiting and anti-nausea meds (Zofran) for the nausea. And it worked! It has been like a miracle drug. For the first time I am able to function. It's been a real blessing, almost a miracle.

My husband and I are ecstatic that after 15 years of marriage we are finally going to have our own family unit other than our two very spoiled dogs. And I get to decorate the baby's room! A new project!

Thank you for letting me share our good news with you.

xoxo,
Jenny

P.S. It's a girl (they can tell you that with genetic testing, pretty amazing!) and I'm due 1/2/12.

Words for Monday - the late edition

2011-06-29T08:51:00.000-07:00

spotted here

I've been sick since Saturday and haven't even touched a computer till now. It feels good to be back among the living. Anyways, here is the late edition of Words for Monday :)

Jenny

Etsy Finds 6.24.11

2011-06-24T09:07:00.000-07:00

1. Sterling Silver Necklace - I just love the layers and how this necklace drapes. So pretty!

2. Avocado Chalk Board - My favorite color in a fun chalk board. This would look cute in a kitchen.

3. Vintage Red Wire Trays - There's just something about wire trays that makes organizing your office fun.

4. Hammock - Now that summer is here, I've been spending some quality time in our hammock. I love the detailing on this hammock. And the price isn't bad either!

5. Bright Green Floral Tote - I am drawn to this shade of green like a moth is to a light. I love the bright pink roses on this bag. This would make a fun summer tote.

6. Aqua Desk - I love the color and lines of this desk. I could picture myself sitting at this desk typing away on my laptop.

No exciting plans for me this weekend. Jim works both Saturday and Sunday, so I will most likely putter around the house, and maybe take some pictures of the master bath or family room for my next room reveal next week. Wishing you all a Fabulous weekend and Friday! :)

Jenny

Flower Card & Award

2011-06-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

Here is my card for my friend Berta's card swap. I made 13 cards. A card swap is where you make as many cards as people signed up for the swap. You usually have a month to make your cards, and of course I wait till the last minute every.single.time! The Swap is due on Saturday and I'm still working on my cards on Monday night. Anyhoo, after you finish making your cards, you mail/drop them off to the hostess, and she then swaps the cards back out from all 13 participants. You receive back 1 of your cards and 12 other cards. It's a fun way to collect beautifully handmade cards. Once I receive the swap back from Berta, I will post all the cards from the swap so you can ooh and ahhh.

I used the stamp set One of a Kind (Close To My Heart). The cards are to supposed to be blank (no sentiment) but I added a sentiment just for my blog readers :)

A close-up of the flowers. I hand stamped the flowers and cut them out and used foam squares to "pop" the flowers and give them dimension.

A side view where you can kinda see the flowers raised.

On another note, Vikki from My House, My Garden nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award before realizing I had already received the award from The Rich Life on A Budget. What a treat to be nominated for the same award in one week! Here is my original post from the award in case you missed it. I want to thank Vikki for thinking of me. I found her blog while blog hopping one day and fell in love with her bedroom makeover. If I could make my bed over like hers, I would. Vikki has a beautiful house and family and is one of my favorite blogs to read.

Jenny

Words for Monday

2011-06-20T08:41:00.000-07:00

spotted here

Happy Monday :)

Jenny

Etsy Finds 6.17.11

2011-06-17T08:20:00.000-07:00

1. Vintage Tray turned Chalk Board - Love this! I already have the chalk board paint, now I just need to find a vintage serving tray.

2. Vintage Silverware Garden Markers - wouldn't these look whimsical in potted herbs on the kitchen windowsill?

3. Amethyst Potion Charm Necklace - I don't think I've ever seen amethyst this color before. I love the size of this necklace.

4. Buttons and Burlap Love - I'm always on the lookout for ways to use up my collection of buttons.

5.Silver Leaf Earrings - I've been wanting this earrings for awhile now. I should get them. Don't you think?
6. Vintage Glass Covered Dish - I love dishes like this for storing jewelry, cotton balls in the bathroom, or crafty stuff in my craft room.

No big plans this weekend. I need to make 13 cards for a card swap that I signed up for which is due next weekend. So I will be spending some quality time in my craft room this weekend. And maybe catch a movie with the hubby. I'd like to see Super 8. Any fun plans this weekend?

Jenny

Versatile Blogger Award

2011-06-15T19:38:00.000-07:00

The lovely Adrienne of The Rich Live on a Budget gave me a Versatile Blogger Award.

Thank you, Adrienne. I am very honored!

If you have not already discovered Adrienne's blog, I urge you to go do so now! She has a wonderful knack for sharing the riches of her life, from fashion, health, food, and wisdom with her readers. Plus, if you did not already know, she is the one who convinced me to start a blog. So she's truly brilliant! ;-)

To accept this award, I am to tell you 7 things about myself that you do not already know. Now, some of you who I have met IRL may have already heard some of these stories but I'm hoping most of these are new and entertaining, if not also funny to read.

Here it goes...

1. Several Octobers ago, I had an unfortunate run in with two deer (not at the same time) in my VW Passat. I hit both deer (actually the second deer ran into me and was entirely at fault), just 5 minutes from my house, and within a 100 feet of each other. What are the odds? I had my car back from the auto shop only a few days after hitting deer #1, when deer #2 ran into me. My insurance agent and the auto shop could not believe I had hit a second deer when I told them what happened. They must have thought I was the WORST driver. My close friends jokingly refer to me as the "deer killer". In fact, here is a photo a friend of mine tagged me in on Facebook. I am so lucky to have such funny friends!

P.S. I am not sure of the condition of deer #1, but he was no where on the road when I came back up the hill so I like to believe that he was okay. And deer #2, after running into my passenger side front fender, got back up on all fours and trotted across the road going along his merry way!

Hey Jenny..this deer stopped us today and asked if we had seen a blond woman in a Passat who had taken out his cousin, oh and Uncle Buck is still waiting for prosthetic.

2. When I was in 5th grade, we moved down to San Pedro for two years. It was quite a culture shock for me. Going from a small town in Northern California (Monte Rio) to a big city all the way in Southern California. While in class one day, me and some kids were talking, and one of the kids asked me if I was a virgin, to which I promptly replied "No, I'm a Leo". I did not understand why they all broke out in laughter. What, were Leos rare in Southern California? I was still puzzled by their reaction when I got home, and asked my mom what a virgin was. She of course asked me why, and I told my mom what transpired in class and what my response had been. I'm pretty sure I turned three shades red when my mom explained to me what a virgin was.

3. When I was 16 I decided that I wanted to dye my blond hair a deep shade of burgundy. I don't remember why. Probably because I was a teenager and didn't think things through. What a ROYAL MISTAKE. Of course my pale skin looked even more pale with burgundy hair! I sent my mom to Safeway to purchase some blond hair dye. 4 boxes later my hair was blond again but very fried. I think at box 2 my hair was a nice shade of old lady mauve. Too bad it hadn't been around Halloween.

4. In 2004 my husband and I were fortunate to travel to Paris for 2 days and all over Italy for 3 weeks with my family. My great grandparents on my dad's side were both born in Italy, so it was a very special trip for me. I fell in love with Italy, it's food, people, and land. We rented a van and traveled all over, staying at Lake Como, Florence, Padua, Spoleto, Sorrento, and Rome. And we saw so many beautiful places along the way, like Venice, Capri, Pompei, San Gimignano, Lucca, Pisa, Siena, Cortona, Assisi. I hope to go back again some day.

Siena, Italy: Jim, Me, Grandma Virginia, Aunt Gail, Aunt Debbie, David, and Grandpa John.

5. My great grandfather, Vincenzo Sconza, who left his home and family in Italy and arrived to America at the young age of 17 by the way of Ellis Island, started a candy company out of his basement and eventually grew his candy business into a large candy factory in Oakland in 1939. So if you ever find candy at the store made my Sconza Candy Company, that was my great grandfather's company, which is now run by one of his sons.

My Great Grandmother Maria and my Great Grandfather Vincenzo, and his sons Jim and John (my grandfather)

6. 18 years ago, on July 30th to be exact, my husband called me up and asked me out on a date to the Sonoma County Fair. Up to that point we had been flirting at parties, but I could feel a connection between us, and I was so happy when he called me up and asked me out. He was ever the gentleman and paid for the whole date, which included a day at the fair, where we rode the carnival rides, bet on the horse races, and walked around with big old grins on our faces. Afterwards we grabbed a quick bite to eat at Burger King where I believe we both ordered the whopper with cheese meal (so romantic!), and then he took me to the movies to see Sleepless In Seattle. I knew he was the one for me when I got him to see a romantic movie! And every year since we relive our first date.

While we did not do the photo booth on our first date, we have made a point to take our photo every year since. We have 17 years worth of photos, these are from 1994 - 1999.

7. In 8th grade I almost failed as a cheerleader. My closest friends were all cheerleaders in 7th grade, and I wanted to be one too. Mostly for the cute outfit. So I tried out and made the cheer leading team. Then came time to learn all the cheers. I have a horrible time remembering things. And the cheers and dance moves were almost too much. I was ready to throw in my pom poms and quit when my friends rallied around me and offered to help me work on the cheers over the summer. With the help of my friends, I managed to remember all the cheers and dance moves and had the time of my life cheering along my friends all of 8th grade.Go Guerneville Gators! And yay for friends!

8th Grade Graduation photo: Gina, Monica, Me, Allison, and Deanna. All of us were cheerleaders except for Alli. And we're still friends to this day.

I selected five blogs to pass the award along to. There is no pressure whatsoever to accept your award, but I think we all enjoy finding out little things about one another.

Always A Crafty Girl
It's Just Not Paper
This, That, and Other Crap
Baylor Says
Stranded In Cleveland

Jenny

Craft Room Reveal

2011-06-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, my friend Adrienne came over and played in my craft room for a bit. It was fun showing her the ropes and tools in paper crafts. She made two very cute projects which should be up on her blog soon. While my craft room was still clean, I thought I better take some photos and post them. Because my room does not stay clean for long, especially when I am in a creative frenzy. As long as it takes me put everything away and clean up my craft room, it takes me a split second to mess it up again.

When I first started to scrapbook, ALL my supplies fit neatly into a small rolling case. A year went by and I setup a small desk in the corner of our office and called it my craft space. And now 10 years later my craft space has evolved into an entire room. It's my happy place, where I create and play and make pretty things :)

This is as you enter my craft room from the doorway. The L shaped desk is comprised of 3 desks and offers lots of space to spread out and make a mess on. Most of the white furniture (the 3 desks, 2 small bookcases on desks, large bookcase, 2 rolling credenzas) I scored for FREE from a former job. All the furniture probably cost around $1000 and I got it for free!

Here's a picture from the back of the room looking out towards the window on the front of our house. The walls are painted a soft, shabby shic pink.

Lots of natural sunlight to create by.

The left side of my desk, where I keep my favorite stamps organized in cute basket.

My Copic markers are within an arms reach in a cute little wire holder that spins. Display + cuteness = bonus!

At the center of my desk sits my "tool caddy". Actually this used to be an old garden tool caddy that was sitting out in our garage collecting dust, that is until I covered it in scrapbook paper and gave it a new purpose. I keep all my essential tools and supplies, like scissors, adhesive, pens etc. in my handy dandy tool caddy. I can just grab it and go when scrapbooking over at a friend's house.

On the far right of my desk sits a spinner rack that holds my ink pads for stamping.

Across from my desk and behind the door, stands two bookcases I got from Target, which holds my scrapbook paper, punches, ribbon, kits, and stamps. The shelf/bulletin board unit I got from Pottery Barn years ago.

More pretty baskets. I spray painted the pink one, it used to be cream. And I tied some fake roses on the baskets for an added touch of pretty.

I keep my scrapbook paper organized in upright file holders by manufacturer and theme. Half of scrapbooking is staying organized.

I wish I could brag that I made these Chinese lanterns, but they were left over from a Chinese New Years Party we had last year, and I thought they would look pretty hanging up in my craft room.

I found this pretty wire card holder while in Oregon on craft weekend with my friends Berta and Lou. It's perfect for displaying handmade cards from friends.

At the very end of my desk, towards the back of the room, sits a tall bookcase with those clear 3 drawers you find at Office Depot or Target, except I covered the drawer fronts in my favorite fabric and spray painted some white. Covering the drawers solved the problem of the visual clutter. I hung some wire baskets on the wall to hold some of my favorite idea books.

Here's a close-up of the fabric covered drawer fronts. I cut a piece of chipboard the height and width of the drawer front, sprayed the chipboard with spray adhesive and covered it with fabric, and then used adhesive to attach the the fabric covered chipboard to the drawer front. An easy and pretty solution to hiding the clutter inside!

I keep the majority of my acrylic stamps organized in these 6 canvas bins, and they are bursting at the seems! I found the canvas bins at Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Cookie jars from Target and Ikea used for storing more stamps.

Pretty things on display.

Flowers and buttons displayed in glass jars from Ikea and other stores.

This and That. I found this metal wall unit in an antique store in Santa Rosa. It's perfect for holding some of my favorite stamps.

A wire Eiffel Tower I found in an antique store, although I don't believe it's an antique.

Banners I made that hang above the window above my desk.

And that concludes the tour of my craft room. Thanks for stopping by :)

Jenny

Words for Monday

2011-06-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

spotted here

Happy Monday :)

Jenny

Etsy Finds 6.10.11

2011-06-10T08:09:00.000-07:00

1. VW Print - What I really want is the VW symbol in this print! I don't know where I would put it, but I want one.

2. Daffodil Necklace - I've bought a necklace from Tamar's Etsy shop before. She makes the sweetest jewelry. I just love this daffodil necklace.

3. 1960's Retro Beaded Coin Purse - OMG I had one of these as a kid! I can't believe it's selling for $10. I wish I had kept mine.

4. Calf Portrait - Baby animals are just so sweet. I want to kiss this calf on his big wet nose he's so cute!

5. Crochet Cuff - I need to learn how to crochet. This cuff is stunning!

6. Wavy Bubble Ring - I actually own this ring in sterling silver. The seller, GeobyYWB custom made the ring for me and was super nice. I also bought some silver earrings from them.

Any fun plans this weekend?

I'm meeting with our 20 year reunion committee Saturday morning to go over more reunion stuff, and then home to do housework and hopefully spend the rest of the afternoon enjoying this finally FABulous summer like weather we're having. And then Sunday my friend and fellow blogger Adrienne from The Rich Life on a Budget is coming over to my place to play in my craft room and get her craft on. I'm super excited and can't wait to corrupt her!

Happy Friday! Have a great weekend :)

Jenny

DIY: Faux Flower Arrangement

2011-06-09T09:37:00.000-07:00

Here's the last in the series of DIY projects from my bedroom make-over.

This project is super simple.

No crafty skills needed, I promise!

Supplies:

Base (vase, candle holder, urn, even a rinse cup from the bathroom section of Target)
Realistic fake flower bouquet
Styrofoam ball that fits inside your base
Glue gun -but not required

I like to purchase a flower bouquet with a lot of flowers on it and one that has both large and small rose buds.

Next, using scissors or a wire cutter, clip several flowers off just at the base, leaving a small stem.

My base is actually a rinse cup that I found in the bathroom section of Target. Candle holders make great bases too.

Styrofoam balls come in all sizes and can be purchased from Michael's, JoAnne's or your local craft store.

I chose to just place my styrofoam ball inside my base and not glue it in with a glue gun. Depending on how well your styrofoam ball fits in your base, you may want to secure it with some glue. I then started at the top center of the ball and stuck the stem of each flower into the styrofoam, working my way around until the ball was filled in.

Easy Peasy!

Here are some other flower arrangements I have made...

These faux flower arrangements are a fun way to dress up a shelf, dresser, or bathroom, with flowers that never wilt. And they are also easy to clean, just blow them with your hair dryer.

Jenny

Graduation Card

2011-06-07T08:38:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we attended my friend Narda's daughter's graduation party. It was a lovely party and the rain managed to hold off while we were there. Narda's daughter, Dayna, told us all about her project graduation party and the fun she had, and I couldn't help think back on my project graduation party...20 years ago! Where does the time go?? I'm on the planning committee for my 20 year high school reunion, which is taking place this summer, and I still can't believe it's been 20 years.

Here's the graduation card I made Dayna...

I used a bunch of different stamps, but let me know if you want to know a particular stamp I used and I can look it up.

Jenny

Words for Monday

2011-06-06T07:55:00.000-07:00

spotted here

When I found this quote on Pinterest I had to laugh. This is me and my craft room! But I did manage to clean my craft room this weekend and hope to post pics as soon as we get some sun and I can get some decent shots. Because I know you are just dying to see all my cool stuff! ;-)

Happy Monday!

Jenny

Summer Collage

2011-06-05T17:01:00.000-07:00

Today I took down my Spring Collage and put out my Summer Collage. I figured that maybe if I put my Summer Collage out, that maybe, just maybe Summer will pay us a visit here in Northern California. As I type this post, we currently have a fire burning in the fireplace...and that's just wrong!

close up of the top:

middle:

bottom:

Come on Summer!

Jenny

Etsy Finds 6.3.11

2011-06-03T07:52:00.000-07:00

1.Top with Tie Sleeves - Cute and sexy. I adore the tie sleeves on this top.

2. Chalkboard Label Jars - Fun way to organize your "stuff".

3. Chrysoprase Ring - My favorite color. Love the oversized stone on this ring.

4. Metal Drawer Storage Unit - Hmmm...I could store my copic markers in this, or embellishments, or crafty stuff.

5. Double Layered Necklace - I love this look! I need to layer my necklaces more often.

6. Industrial Ampersand - Just because I love typography.

Happy Friday! No real big plans this weekend. Going to a friend's graduation party on Saturday and maybe catch a movie after wards, and then stay home Sunday and clean house and wish this dreadful rain away!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Jenny

It Pays To Have Crafty Friends

2011-05-31T19:16:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday when I got home from work I checked the mail at the street and found the usual inside our mailbox....catalogs (my favorite kind of mail, especially if it's the latest Pottery Barn or Ballard Designs), junk mail, yet another credit card application, bills, and a small padded envelope from my friend Lou in Oregon. I tossed the rest of the mail on the passenger seat of my car and quickly tore open the package from Lou. Inside wrapped in tissue was the sweetest, tiniest knitted blue sweater and a written note from Lou that read "I heard you were taking in laundry."

Clothes Line hanging in my Laundry Room

Close-up of the sweater Lou knitted. Her sister Berta made the red clothes. Two talented and kind sisters!

Now, I had heard from my friend Berta that her sister Lou reads my blog, although I had no real hard proof of this, since Lou has never left a comment.

Which, by the way if you are reading this post, or ever like to read my blog but are unsure about leaving a comment, don't be shy! I EAT YOUR COMMENTS UP! Seriously, nothing makes me happier than to see that someone took the time to a) read my little blog and b) left a comment.

Now back to Lou....her little package proved that she must have seen my post about my Laundry Room Redo. And not only did she read my post, she took the time to knit (although I have not confirmed that she did in fact knit this little sweater, I would bet my life on it, because the woman is a knitting fiend!) a blue sweater for the little clothes line in my laundry room, and almost identical in color to my newly painted laundry room!

Who does that?? A kind, thoughtful and dear friend, that's who!

It pays to have crafty friends!

So if you are reading this, Lou, THANK YOU. And don't be shy, leave a comment :)

Jenny

Words for Monday

2011-05-31T08:55:00.000-07:00

spotted here

Happy belated Monday :)

Jenny

Etsy Finds 5.27.11

2011-05-27T08:14:00.000-07:00

1. J+P Pillow - cute idea for a pillow.

2. Little Bow Necklace - I love how delicate and simple this necklace is.

3. Summer Poncho - I love the light, airy and transparent look of this poncho.

4. Oversized Bag - This would probably be a back killer, but it looks cool! And think of all the stuff it would hold!

5. Hoop Earrings - I'm a sucker for hoops. Love the beading on these.

6. Winning - This one just made me laugh! Thank you Charlie Sheen.

Happy Friday and Three Day Weekend!!
I have a few projects around the house that I want to tackle....like paint the family room, clean the guest bedroom of clutter, clean my craft room (I'm about half way done already), help my mom power wash her deck free of winter mold and yuck, and hopefully catch the new Hangover 2 movie in there somewhere!

Jenny

Summery Card

2011-05-26T12:09:00.000-07:00

This card was fun to make. It reminds me of summer. I've had this stamp set for awhile and finally got around to using it. The stamp set is Dream Big (Close To My Heart) and has over 36 fun little images.

This was a quick and easy card to make. I just punched some circles out of my scrap paper stash. Stamped various images in different inks. Used my favorite scallop punch on the edge of my card and added a thin strip of red paper to draw your eye to the scallops. Done in under 10 minutes!

I will definitely be using this stamp set more often!

Jenny

DIY: Silver Leaf Jewelry Cabinet

2011-05-24T20:21:00.000-07:00

If I had to choose between a recent favorite project of mine, it would have to be a tie between this project and my newly stenciled wall. Both projects were such a transformation and the end results still have me beaming with satisfaction. That's my kind of high!

Here is how my silver leafed jewelry cabinet turned out. Doesn't it shine like a jewel?

Here is the before. A dark cherry wood stain. Nice, but nothing that would make you stop and take a second look.

How did I accomplish this transformation you ask?

Well here are the details...

Supplies:

LeFranc 3 hour Size

3 - 25 sheet booklets of aluminum leaf,
that's how many I needed for my project.

Small soft bristle brush

Small foam brush

DIY:

1. First, I printed out this tutorial on how to silver leaf a dresser since I knew nothing about silver leafing something of this size! This is also the same tutorial that inspired me to try my hand at silver leafing.

2. Next, I disassembled the cabinet in the garage and spray painted the the frame and areas that were to be mostly covered silver. No reason to unnecessarily leaf these parts of the cabinet since they were barley exposed.

3. I then spray painted the hardware silver and let it dry before unscrewing it from the drawers and doors.

4. To adhere the aluminum leaf squares to the cabinet, I applied what is called "size" with a foam brush to the cabinet. It basically acts as a glue that once dried to a "tack", or tacky to the touch, allows you to lay down the silver leaf and adhere it to the piece. I purchased a 3 hour size, not realizing that the "3 hour" part meant that was how long it took the size to become tacky before you can apply the silver leaf. Apply your size in thin strokes. You do not want to apply a thick or goopy coat, if you do, it will only take the size longer to reach "tack".

5. Silver leafing is MESSY! And I highly recommend doing this project in the garage. The aluminum leaf sheets I bought came in a booklet of 25, with a piece of tissue in between each leaf. Very carefully, hold the booklet just above the area you want to apply the leaf, pull out a sheet and lay it down and smooth the leaf out with a soft brush moving the brush in a circular motion. You can also use your fingers to smooth out the leaf. Experiment and see what works best for you. Aluminum leaf is very fragile and WILL break apart. Don't fret! Just lay the broken pieces onto your piece and blend them in with your brush or finger. Also, overlap the sheets just a bit so they blend in better.

This project actually took me two weekends to finish, mostly because I had to wait 3 hours for the size to reach tack, and then because I picked a piece with a TON of drawers and surfaces! But the time and effort was SO WORTH IT!!

I choose to embrace the cracks and "imperfections" in my piece. I think it adds that old vintage feel and gives it character.

Here's a close-up of the drawers.

And the legs, they turned out the best I think.

A side-by-side comparison. Such a transformation!

Here are a few things I learned during this project...

If you feel the urge to sneeze, sneeze away from the silver leaf!

Imperfections = character. And character is good.

If you are working on a large piece like I was, do not apply size to all the pieces at once. You risk the size loosing it's ideal tack before you can apply the silver leaf to all the pieces. Rather work in chunks.

Clean you brush often by wiping it onto a clean cloth.

It's easiest to rub small pieces of the leaf into cracks with your fingers.

Tackle large jobs over several days. Pace yourself. Remember, it took me two weekends to finish silver leafing my cabinet.

Kneeling on a concrete slab floor is hard on your knees. I finally got smart on day two, and stood the pieces on a table so that I didn't have to kneel over.

Leafing is messy and will get everywhere. But it is also fun!

Jenny

Words for Monday

2011-05-23T08:37:00.000-07:00

spotted here

Happy Monday :)

Jenny

For the love of Pinterest!

2011-05-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

My usual Friday Etsy Finds is postponed a wee bit. But here's a different post to tie you over....

Have you discovered Pinterest yet? It's like a beautiful photo album for all your favorite online images. See something you like, "pin it" to your Pinterest album. Also pin images from your friends and other members albums. It even saves the link to each image for you so you won't forget where you found it!
It's the bees knees!

Here's a peek at my Pinterest boards. I still have some adding to do, but I'm confident that my boards will be a runneth over in no time ;-)

Want an invitation to join? Leave a request in the comments, or send me a private email and I will send you an invite. You can sign up on your own, but it takes forever to be accepted it seems! I tried two times to sign up on my own before a friend kindly sent me an invitation to join. Aren't friends great!

Jenny

DIY: Ruffled Lampshade

2011-05-18T08:23:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about silver leafing our bedroom lamps since I'm now an expert at silver leafing (that DIY to come next week!), but then I thought spray painting them turquoise might be fun. I tend to change my mind A LOT. Just ask my husband. And when I spied Dear Lillie's ruffled lampshade tutorial, I KNEW what I wanted to do with my "blah beige" lampshades.

Didn't my lamp turn out cute!

Here's the before. Nothing really too exciting going on here. I like the shape of the base, but the color doesn't really fit in with my new shabby shic blue walls.

I am going to give you my tutorial, but Dear Lillie's tutorial is 10 times better than mine, so feel free to check her's out after you read mine. I won't be offended, honest ;-)

Supplies:

Fabric of your choosing. I used an old sheet.
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Sewing machine, OR needle and thread
Tape measure
Scissors
Lamp Shade if you don't already have one

Instructions:

1. Measure the height of your lampshade. Mine was 11" tall.

2. Determine how many rows of ruffles you want. I went with three.

3. Now take the height of your shade and divide it by the rows of ruffles 11 / 3 = 3.66. 3.66 is the width of my ruffles. Why can't mine be an even number??

4. Because your want your ruffles to overlap a bit, add 3/4" to 1" onto the width of each strip. Because my strip is such a difficult number I just rounded it up to 4 3/4".

5. Now cut 3 strips of fabric. Since it's hard to guesstimate the length of your strip ruffled, it's best to cut a longer strip then you think you might need. I was cutting from a king sheet, and cut three trips the width of my king sheet. My bottom ruffle was actually the exact width of my king sheet once ruffled!

6. You can either use your sewing machine to gather your strips of fabric, or be lazy like me and gather your strips with a needle and thread while watching tv on the couch. Yes, folks. Sometimes I am just plain lazy! And I'm okay with that.

7. I gathered one ruffle strip and hot glued it to my lamp shade before ruffling the next strip. I started at the top of the shade and worked my way down.

Top row done! I added a few drops of glue to hold some of the ruffles in place along the top of my shade.

The finished shade! Isn't it too cute for words!!

Before & After. It's like Night & Day!

Now go make over a lamp! It's easy and fun!

Jenny

Words for Monday

2011-05-16T08:44:00.000-07:00

spotted here

This is good advice!

Happy Monday :)

Jenny

Birdcage Card

2011-05-15T16:32:00.000-07:00

I made this card the other weekend while at a crop. I made two cards, that way I could keep one and give one away. I gave my mom a copy of this card for Mother's Day. She loved it of course.

The birdcage, eggs and text are from the stamp set Nature Walk (Stampin' Up!),

The bird inside the cage is from the stamp set Vintage Birdcages (TPC Studio),

The dots on the base of the card are from Boutique Borders (Close To My Heart),

And the frame is the die Top Note (Stampin' Up!).

For a dimensional look, I cut out the eggs and birdcage, and placed them on the card with foam squares.

Here's a close-up of the birdcage and eggs. I colored in the bird and eggs with Copic markers, but unfortunately did not write down the colors I used. I tied some Waxy Flax around the frame because every card needs ribbon or some sort of fiber ;-)

Here you can kinda see how I popped the birdcage and eggs. I stamped the images on the card, and then stamped them again on some scrap card stock, cut them out, and placed them on the card with foam squares.

I'll share the other cards I made in future posts. And one of these days when I straighten up my craftroom, I will post pictures of my creative space. In fact, by putting that out there in cyberspace, maybe it will help me to clean my room!

Jenny

Etsy Finds

2011-05-13T15:29:00.000-07:00

1. Sugary Sweet Wall Frame Collection - love the combo of colors. This would look pretty grouped together on wall with your favorite photos. And with a few cans of spray paint, you could even make over some frames that you already own.

2. Vintage SEARS Typewriter Rings - fun, hip and cool idea for a ring.

3. Multifloral Fifi Clutch - I love the fabric and want this clutch!

4. Cozy Bean Shawl in Yellow - love the sunny color and flower shape of this shawl. If only I could crochet!

5. Pearls and Peridot necklace - my birthstone is peridot. And this necklace is lovely!

6. Vintage Bracelet - ooh pretty sparkly bracelet!

Happy Friday! I was supposed to go on a scrapbooking retreat this weekend but have been under the weather the last two days. So it's a weekend at home for me :(

Jenny

DIY: Stenciled Wallpaper

2011-05-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

When I think of stencils, I tend to think of the folk art kind. You know, hearts and ducks and country. But then one day while blog hopping, I stumbled upon Carmel's beautifully stenciled dining room on her blog Our Fifth House

Isn't her dining room just gorgeous!

I quickly visited Olive Leaf Stencils on Etsy where she bought her stencil, and saw this stencil...

Which got the wheels turning in my head that the wall behind our bed would be perfect for a stencil!

See, this is how my mind works....I see an idea, fall in love, obsess over said idea, until I have to get it out of my system and just do it! This is what my poor husband has to live with every.single.day. Don't feel too sorry for him though, because he lives to give me grief over my OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Decorating). Trust me.

Anyway, my mind wasn't 100% made up on stenciling our bedroom wall, that is until I saw this beauty

It was official. I was head over heels in love with this dramatic, over-sized damask stencil. Add to cart. Done!

Meanwhile...back at the ranch (okay, I don't actually live on a ranch, altho' the field we built our house on used to house cows, so I guess it was a ranch at one time), I had not yet told Jim what my plans were for our bedroom. Instead I hung the above picture on our bedroom wall and waited for him to notice. Aren't I cute ;-)

Okay, now for the tutorial.....

Because I had no idea whatsoever on what I was doing, I searched the internet and lots of blogs for stenciling tips. Kate over at Centsational Girl has a great post on tips for stencils. Some of the tips I used, and some I didn't.

Supplies:

Stencil

Re-positionable Spray Adhesive

Painters Tape

Paint

Paint Tray

Brush or roller (I used a special roller for the metallic paint I bought)

Wet rag for clean-ups

Patience and a free weekend!

Tips:
(these are the ones that worked for me)

1. Find the center of your wall and mark it with a pencil or a piece of painters tape. I started from the center of our bed, even though that wasn't the center of the wall, because our bed is centered in the arches. You want to start from the center of the wall so that your stencil design is evenly painted over the span of the wall. If you start from one corner, the far corner where you end your stencil may look "wonky" and "off". So start from the center.

2. Lightly - Medium spray the back of your stencil with re-positionable spray adhesive. This will help hold your stencil to the wall, which was very important for my oversize stencil - mere tape around the corners would not have been enough. You should be able to paint several stencils before having to reapply more spray adhesive.

3. Now find the center of your wall, and position your stencil center of your mark. Use painters tape to secure the edges and corners of your stencil to the wall, as the spray adhesive is not enough "stick" to hold your stencil in place.

4. Now here is the fun and scary (at first) part! Apply paint to your roller (or brush if you decide to go with a brush) in some paint and roll it over the stencil, filling in all the nooks and crannies. Many people recommend that you roll off some paint onto a paper towel before applying the paint to your stencil to prevent the paint from bleeding under the stencil. But because a) my wall color was light, as was my paint for the stencil, and b) my stencil did not have clean cut lines, I was not concerned with the paint bleeding. In fact, I rolled my roller through the paint several times before applying it to the stencil. NOW, this may or may not work for your stencil, so it might be a good idea to test your stencil and the amount of paint to apply on some cardboard before you commit it to the wall.

5. Allow the paint to dry to the touch before applying your next stencil, since you will be overlapping the stencil over the painted stencil. It might be a good idea to pick a warm day to do this project!

5. The next part is the trickiest part until you get it down, which you will, I promise. You need to line up the stencil with the stencil you already painted. There should be little cut-out markers on the corners and sides of your stencil. I circled the marks on my stencil in yellow so you can see what I'm talking about. The tricky part is figuring our where the cut-outs line up with the painted stencil. I swear this took me a good 5 minutes to figure out, but once I did, the rest were easy-peasy!

6. I painted 4 stencils in a diamond shape, so that I didn't have to wait as long for the paint to dry before applying the next stencil. Once I had 4 stencils painted, I then painted one side, and moved my stencil to the other side, and when I was done painting that side, I usually only had to wait a short while before the other side was dry.

7. The next, and last tricky part, was figuring out how to position the stencil and paint into the corners. This took some experimenting, and a few dropped stencils on my head. What I did was line up my stencil, apply fresh tape to the bottom and sides of the stencil, and hold the stencil in place with one hand while I quickly secured the top half of the stencil to the ceiling or other wall. As you can see in the below picture, the top half of the stencil is not smooth and tight. Don't worry about this. Roll your paint into the bottom half of the stencil and when you are ready to work the paint into the corner of the stencil, with your roller still in place on the stencil, release the top half of the stencil so that it is no longer taped to ceiling, and roll your roller as far into the corner as you can. Clear as mud?

Above the bed is done! I cheated and did not go behind our bed, since our bed will always be in this spot, and there really was no reason for me to make more work for myself. I am all for shortcuts if I can take them!

Here's a picture of how I cut in the stencil on one of the corners. It's near impossible to cut the stencil completely into the corner. The only way I would see being able to cut into the corner, was by cutting my stencil in half, which I was not about to do.

And here's a picture of how I cut it into the baseboard, which you will have to excuse in this picture. This section of the baseboard is normally hidden behind a bedside table.

Almost done!

Ta Da! Finished. Definitely worth a day and half worth of work! Sorry for the poorly lit picture. Go here to see the after pictures of how the rest of the bedroom turned out.

This project cost me under $100 to do. The most expensive purchase was the stencil at $49. And then the Martha Stewart's Precious Metals paint at around $18.

Stenciling was not as hard as I had imagined it would be. All you need is a free weekend and some patience. It's really easy once you get the first few stencils down. If I can do it, anyone can!

Jenny

Words for Monday

2011-05-09T08:01:00.000-07:00

spotted here

Happy Monday :)

Jenny

Etsy Finds

2011-05-06T07:59:00.000-07:00

1. Butterflies Fluttering - I love the dimensional effect of these butterflies. This would look pretty on card, scrapbook page, or even a frame.

2. HOME -I'm all about word art. Just can't get enough of it. I like how they covered the letters with maps.

3. Vintage Corbel - These beautiful corbels make me want to go antique or salvage hunting!These would look so cool on a bookcase or shelf, or even the fireplace mantle.

4. Aqua Sconces -love the color. love the flourish. plain love.

5. Pink Mini Fridge -I have no idea what I would do with this, but it's too darn cute! And it's pink!

6. Open Your Heart Necklace - So simple and delicate. If my husband is reading this, this would make a sweet Valentines or birthday present :)

Happy Friday and Happy early Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

Jenny