New Earring Holder

I, like many people am a pinterest enthusiast, and found many Pictures of different ways to hold earrings.

So I figured I would give it a go and make something more grown up than the Claire's teeny bopper stands. For space is a precious thing.

I am horrible at taking before pictures, but basically the frame was a boring varnished mess and I sanded, primed it (very important) and then painted it my favorite color of Robin's egg blue. Found some pretty lace at local Thrift store and step 1..2..3 and this is what I have.

Rather hard to get a good picture that was all shocked with the flash, but this is what I got. I didn't realize I had so many heavy earrings.

All in all I say it cost me a bit over $5.00 with frame, paint and lace, but I love it and now have more space on my dresser.

 

Whats Cooking in the kitchen

I wanted to show my new kitchen accessory. I love my local grocery store that has the bulk bin section, with grains and nuts and rice and really yummy yogurt covered pretezels...mmmmm

Anyway I also love that they have a bulk spice section too. I don't like spending $$.$$ on spices when they are said to only last roughly 6 months.

My mom has had the same spices in her cupboard for at least a decade, finally I tossed them for her, sshhh she still hasn't noticed.

 And I like to experiment in cooking and don't want to buy a big jar when all I need is a tsp or so, well as you can guess with all this spice purchasing I had tiny little bag filled with spices waiting to be used on a dish, probably for a few weeks cause I lost the recipe, and I had to be very careful cause I didn't want to put Chipotle Chili pepper, or garam Marsala in my Molasses cookies and Allspice in whatever else I am making, actually that might not be a bad combo.

So I was out and about one friday after taking my Bella to school and found a few yard sales, and low and behold I found an old spinney wooden spice rack, and it had all its bottles, and because it was at a yard sale the price was fabulous, a dollar. I at first thought of using it in my craft room as I had just read in my sewing magazine, but then I remembered all my sad little bags of spices and I figured I would use it as it was intended, but after a much needed makeover.

I am really bad about taking before pictures, usually cause I am so excited about starting a project that I don't want to hunt down my camera and then hunt down my battery charger. But I found a similar looking one online

 

Just mine was a bit more darker and had a lot of varnish, grease, yuck on it.

 

Well I spent 2 days sanding it, BY HAND, and after sneezing sand dust out of my nose I was down to the bare wood. (NOTE: to anyone who sands where a mask and protect glasses seriously)

 

Then already deciding to paint white I spray painted, let dry then again

(2nd NOTE: always prime pourous material, otherwise you'll be painting forever)

 

Then I took a 220 grit sand paper roughed up the lids of the bottles and using chalkboard paint painted them with 2 coats. I was so excited that the minute, okay the next day I added all my spices to there new jars and wrote on the lids with a chalk marker and lets just say, I am in love. Not all my spices fit, and I have another spice rack hanging on the wall in total I have 2 spice 'racks' one hold 9 and my new one holds 16. I am going to need a bigger kitchen soon.

 

Here is the finished product

 

 

Isn't it adorable?

 

Stats: Spice holder from yard sale $1

Paint white and chalkboard:$3.50 each

Painters Tape for lids:$2.50

Sandpaper: Already had from another project

Total: Satistifaction

Miss Betty Singer

Say hello to Miss Betty Singer. She is a 1851-1951 centennial Singer. I call her a Betty for that was the most popular name when these particular singers where created, and well.... doesn't she look like a Betty

I got her this past weekend at a local flea market, she was a steal at $20.00 and yes she works, even though if she didn't I still would love her. I can not wait to play with her. I do plan on using her, mostly for simple little projects. My goal is to make a small quilt with her, can't you just see it a quilt made by my Betty, oh so excited

I will say that the case she was put in was not her original, it was some cheap fake wood thing that was breaking apart, cause Betty here, she is a thick lady. I threw the case out since it was falling apart and had a very strong stale cigarette smell. Can not believe I used to smoke, cause those smells gross me out


Miss Betty Singer

Copy Cat apron

The first time I saw this apron I was in love, I loved the yellow, the way it looked more like a dress than an apron and I even loved the gray, though I am not a big fan of the yellow and gray mix.

I found it on Pinterest and I pinned it planning on making it myself, I figure the best way to learn to sew is to challenge myself, but also to repurpose and make old new again, so I already decided to reuse a mans tuxedo style frill shirt if I found one at a local thrift shop. Just another thing to look for on those fun treasure/thrift store hunts.

Here is a photo of the apron from Anthropologie,

And here is my copycat version using a mans button up shirt

I am very proud of my apron, so proud that I don't want to use it to cook for I don't want it to get dirty. I didn't take any pictures or write down what I did but its pretty simple and will give a tutorial for anyone who wants to know my version. I also plan on making another anthropologie apron here in a few weeks, after I make a few dresses for my Bella, for it is spring and her 2013 wardrobe is very bare.

Stats:
Mans shirt at thrift shop $2 after 50% sale
1.5 yrds Yellow Fabric $3.75 after 50% off coupon
2 pkgs Light gray bias tape $2.90 after 40% off sale
Total cost: $8.65
Cost of Anthropologie apron: $32.00
Savings: $23.35
The extreme pleasure and joy of making something pretty: Priceless

I am still here

I am not much of a blogger, though in my head I am.

For a few months now I have not been very active in my crafting, sad to say, and even sadder to realize, recieved some unwanted news a few months back after being extremely hopful and it put me in  a spiral of sorts and left me not wanting to do much, until recently, well since christmas time.

Christmas time luckily snapped me out of my funk enough to make a large order of pajamas and a dress for my little one, and now I am happy to say that I have an abundance of projects on either knitting needle, sewing machine, and luckily emboridery hoop.


Here are a few pictures of a little tea party I through for my baby and older niece. I mostly wanted to play with my dishes and having a tea party seemed the best way to go.

The part that tickles me the most is that everything is either Thrift store or yard sale. I love it!!

Will work on being a better blogger, right now need to down some Nyqil for nasty flu bug I recieved from little people.

Happy crafting everyone