Repurposed chalkboard

This next project was all hubby's! He did it to surprise me; isn't he creative?! 

He and Beckham went to the Rebuilding Center (that place is SO fun!) and picked out an old, framed window. I think he said it was $2. Then he painted the glass with chalkboard paint! He even wrote the cute message himself. He says he isn't happy with his writing, but I think it looks great. 

Isn't it cool and shabby?! I absolutely love it. I think it'll be really fun to change the message for seasons and holidays. 

When I was pregnant with Beckham I ordered a gorgeous wipes case on etsy. It was one of my favorite things. But sadly, there was an unfortunate incident recently that may have involved a particularly messy diaper... I won't go into detail. And you can't really wash these fabric covered wipes cases. So I had to toss it. But I really missed it! So I decided to attempt my own. 

I'm only a little bit happy with it. I hate that the case I happened to have lying around was a green one. Wish it was white. And I really like the fabric, but don't love the way the ribbon around the edge looks. But for just using supplies I had around the house, and for my first attempt, it'll work. 

Here's the back. It's padded with a little batting under the fabric. I just used a lot of hot glue. We shall see how it holds up to everyday use! I may be making more of these... if I can perfect them I think they'd make a great little gift for mommas-to-be. And it seems everyone around me is expecting right now! Better not drink the water.... ;)

DIY succulent terrarium

I'm obsessed with succulents. Many of you know this. They are just so adorable! And so easy to grow. Plus they grow just about anywhere, and if you plant little clippings they grow into a new plant! I know I've mentioned this, but it thrills me to no end. Guess I'm easily amused.

I came across this glass container today while cleaning out a cupboard. I never really use it for anything. 

So I put a little potting soil in the bottom, then a nice layer of moss (left over from my mother's day creation... which by the way is so happy it's blooming!!). I added a bunch of water, then poured out the excess. Then I clipped a few stems of succulents from my existing plants, and pulled off one hen. Or chick. 

I tucked them into the moss and added some cute little pebbles for a rustic look.

Et voila! 

Super simple, took about five minutes, and looks so cute. I've been meaning to check the thrift stores for interesting containers to fill like this. I just love instant gratification. Especially when it's basically free!

This is way off the subject, but I thought you'd like an update on our new kittens!

On the left is Cleo and on the right is Quinn. They are almost 5 months old and driving us crazy! In that wild, chaotic, into everything kitten way. But oh, how I am enjoying them. 

They play hard, then crash. Often on our laps. Usually together. I just love having these little sisters. They have so much personality, and they are each so different from the other. Just like kids I guess. Love them. :)

upcycled baskets

Can I just say I love Family Fun magazine? One of my fabulous aunties gets an extra copy at her office and always brings it to me. Here is a great upcycling craft I found in the March issue: weaving cut up strips of t-shirts into baskets! Love it! The original tutorial is for a rug made of t-shirt strips using a hula hoop for a loom. I was fresh out of hula hoops, so I skipped on to the tutorial for making smaller baskets using an embroidery hoop. 

Here is my first basket! I used one 4T undershirt, a 4T t-shirt, and one of my own tees. For this size (3" tall by about 4" at widest point) I used a 14" embroidery hoop and still had some strips left over. I loved this project so much that I attempted to do the same thing with cut up strips of plastic grocery bags. 

I love the idea of repurposing them! I always use my own shopping bags when grocery shopping, but hubby forgets... and I tend to forget at places like Target if I'm just stopping for a few things. I cut off the top handle portion and the very bottom and discarded those. The rest I cut into about 1 1/2" strips. 

I followed the same instructions, and ended up using about 5 or 6 bags for this little basket. 

It's much tinier than my t-shirt basket, about 2" tall by 3" in diameter. 

Perfect for holding the elastics I use for my coffee cozies! 

I'd really like to try a fun, colorful rug for the boys' playroom if I can find a bargain hula hoop. Again, here are the links for the tutorials if you'd like to weave your own:

Rug

Basket

from sweatshirt to purse

While cleaning out my closet recently I came across this sweatshirt. 

It used to fit me. Used to look cute, actually.

Then I had babies and, well 

it shrunk.

But the minute I pulled it out of its drawer I knew I had to make a purse out of it. The ribbed top with the bow would be perfect for the top of a cute handbag. And this silky, bright pink velour just couldn't be tossed into my Goodwill pile. 

So it sat in my sewing room (aka our office) for a couple months. But I kept thinking about it, and finally yesterday I pulled it out and just started cutting. 

I cut off the sleeves and bottom ribbing, and cut away the kangaroo pocket.

Then added a crazy array of interfacing, fusible fleece and batting. Funny little scraps of each.  I was determined to not buy a single thing for this project. I used quilt adhesive spray (Sulky- my new fav thing) to hold the batting in place....

...for this! I knew right away it had to be quilted. A la Juicy Couture. Well, not quite a la Juicy. But kinda.

Love, love, love how it turned out!! 

I gusseted the bottom so it is nice and roomy (gotta stash diapers somewhere).

And lined it in pink satin with cute pockets. 

Double pocket on one side for lipgloss and other important things. 

Not bad for an old sweatshirt and no pattern!

This might be my new addiction... gonna have to search through sweaters and sweatshirts at the thrift store. This was ridiculously fun. And free!

Plus I had scraps left to make a matching quilted coffee cozy!

With the cutest little crocheted button ever, from my grandma's collection. 

Fun stuff. :)

Repurposed coffee table... and a cool vintage find

My favorite coffee shop here in town just happens to be next door to a big thrift store. This is convenient for a couple reasons:

1. I can zip right over without having to load/unload kids twice, just to see if they have anything great

2. I can drive by after getting my coffee and peer at the furniture on the sidewalk

Recently I was doing the drive-by option and spotted this small table out front.

Loved the shape. The color isn't bad either, but I'm really wanting more white in my living room. Plus it was a bit beat up, but I wanted something somewhat shabby and weathered.

It was $5! 

I primed it

Then spray painted it a pretty antique white

 I am just in love with this cute little table!

I used sandpaper to weather it a bit, but I think I'll do a little more. 

I also stumbled across another great living room find on craigslist recently...

Isn't it gorgeous?! It's 70's vintage but in great condition. I just love it. I think it's actually a dresser- it has 3 drawers inside the cupboard doors. But it works so well against a long wall in our living room.

I love this detail.

So much character. It appears a lot whiter in these photos than it actually is. It's more of a buttery yellow, which is really pretty, but I'm considering painting it the same antique white as the small table, then hand painting on some accents like the orange-y ones it has now. 

Slowly but surely working on my living room update! I'll post before and after pics once it's finished. 

A week of Ruby: day 8

For weeks I pondered a creative way to present all the fun gifts for Ruby to my SIL at her shower. I wanted something somewhat useful, rather than just another gift bag. But I couldn't come up with anything unique!

So there it was, the day before her shower, which also happened to be my birthday. After some shopping at Lush, we were driving home for Beckham's nap, and Mike had this sudden inspiration. 

"Don't we still have that brown storage ottoman around somewhere?"

"yeeahh...."

"let's spray paint it and recover the top, then put all the gifts inside!!"

Ahhh, my brilliant and endlessly creative hubby. Love him.

We just so happened to be within a mile or so of a huge fabric store, so we stopped. And I just so happened to stumble upon the prettiest fabric!!

I sent Mike to the hardware store while B napped for some spray paint...

then after getting home from my wonderful birthday dinner and putting the boys to bed, I got to work.

So, here is the before pic (but I had actually started priming it already- almost forgot to take the pic!)...

....and after it was mostly primed...

Here is the lid after I covered it with new fabric! This was so easy- just lots of pulling the fabric tight and a staple gun. 

And the finished product! Didn't realize how blurry this photo turned out...

But you can see it better here. Pretty, right?! It sure made a cute gift box!

It's been so much fun sharing all these projects with you, my dear 13 loyal readers! ;)

Promise to lay off the sewing posts for a while... although I have some fun stuff up my sleeve. All in good time. :)

Repurposed potting bench

I've been dying for a potting bench for a long time now... somewhere to organize all my gardening stuff. I wanted to get it out of the garage and closer to my backyard garden. It occurred to me recently that it didn't have to be an actual potting bench; those are expensive! So I started keeping my eyes open at garage sales for some sort of furniture piece that could be repurposed into a little organized potting space and just last week stumbled upon this!

It was only $5! I don't actually know what you call one of these... it's like a kitchen cart thing. It came with casters to roll around but I didn't use them.

Isn't it great?! I found some tiles leftover from our kitchen and made a little "floor". It has a great, shallow drawer that I put my packets of seeds into. 

Plenty of room for my plastic buckets that I use for weeding or harvesting in the late summer. A big 5-gallon tub filled with soil. Extra pots.

Oh, that lilac looks familiar, does it? I may have sprayed a few extra things yesterday while working on my teapot. Those are actually gerber baby puff containers. I kept saving them, thinking I could do something with them. They make cute little containers for garden tools!

And they make a great outdoor vase for a few sprigs of rosemary!

I also half-sprayed this plastic pot that a plant came in and repotted some succulents into it. Love it. Must buy more spray paint.

But what to do with the towel bar on my 'new' potting bench? I don't really need a towel out there... Any ideas?

Thrift store teapot makeover!

I found this adorable [but dated] teapot at a thrift shop here in town for $1! I loved the shape and cute curvy lines of it, and knew that all it would take is a couple coats of spray paint to turn it into something gorgeous!

 First I primed it...

Kinda cute in white!

But, oh, the lilac.... 

So pretty it makes my mouth water.

Spray paint is fun! I may have gone a bit crazy. Check back tomorrow for my "new" potting bench complete with lilac accessories.