nature mobile

Let's face it.  Unless you're in Florida or California, this winter has been a bit of a beast!  Full disclosure: I enjoy winter and I love snow, so I'm not exactly hurting here.  But we do feel a bit restless from more days spent inside than out.  So when the temperatures warmed up this week, we took lots of walks and played outside for hours.  It feels like Spring!  But it doesn't really look like it... yet.

On our walk today I took a bag and had the littles gather anything that they thought looked like Spring. It was a little sad.  Some brown oak leaves, pine cones, and twigs don't exactly scream SPRING IS HERE!!!  So I threw in a few dried flowers when we got home, pulled out some left over gold sticks from Christmas, and decided we'd make mobiles for their rooms.  I just used black twine to tie our treasures to the gold sticks.  And I let them choose what they wanted on their own mobile.  They had fun directing what would go where, and argued a bit over whose pine cone was whose.  For the record, the pine cone covered in bird poop wasn't wanted by anyone.  And of course I didn't notice until it was all over my hands.  Blech.

 They were so proud of their mobiles!

 And they took their time choosing the perfect spot for them to be hung in their rooms.

 So they don't exactly evoke Spring in a huge way, but they do reflect what it looks like around our neck of the woods right now.  We were pretty happy to see tulip leaves peeking out in our front flower bed, though.  Come on over Spring!  We're ready!

gold stick stars

I'm not covering new ground here, making stick stars.  But I thought I'd share how I make mine and how I made them a little different this year.  I've made these for years, using them as decorations, or using them on wrapped presents.  They're an easy craft, and the littles really loved taking part this year, too!

You'll need:

Sticks

Hot glue gun

Spray paint/ craft paint in your color choice

First I gathered sticks with similar thickness, but different lengths.  I told Fletcher and Rowan we were on a "stick hunt"and so they did most of the work, ha!  Just a spoonful of sugar, right?  

 I laid out sticks to make stars then started using the hot glue gun at the joints.  I used a liberal amount at every connecting point.  This really doesn't take very long at all.

 Once the glue had set, I let the kids pick out their own stars.  Then I used my trusty gold spray paint to make mine all gold.  I let the front dry, then flipped them over to do the back.

 I accidentally sprayed half my hand gold in the process.  I pretended I was a Bond girl for a second, then got out craft paint for the little's stars.

 They loved painting the stars, and it actually took them quite a long time to get them just right.  There's nothing I love more as a mom than a project that eats up a lot of time!  Honestly?  I love Rowan and Fletcher's stars even more than mine.

But I do like the way mine look hung up over the mantle.

 I hung a few in other places, too.  Like over the window by the tree.  I think I need to make a lot more.  I see decorations for gifts for grandparents, teachers, and neighbors in our future!

I wish I had more time to make a million different things.  Some year I'd love to learn how to make the traditional straw Swedish ornaments.  Do you make crafts during the holidays?

stitching

I thought I'd give a little update on project make something.  I have completely focused on doing embroidery, because it is just so easy to take with me wherever I go.  I can stitch and watch the kids at the park, I can stitch while I'm waiting for the oil to be changed in my car, I can stitch while I watch tv in the evenings.  So I do.  I am so happy to say that I am officially half way through my list.  I had such a huge response to make somethings for people, and it has done my heart good to make them.  I'm sending a little piece of my heart with every something I send across the country, across the world, to people I've never met.  I've loved every minute.  I've cursed at myself occasionally.  I've really questioned my sanity.  But I've loved every minute.

And I love that my #1 question about this whole endeavor is, "Do you sell these somewhere?"  Soon, my friends.  I will soon!

{I post most of my projects on Instagram if you're interested in following along}

diy painted plant pots

This little project was inspired by some gold-leafed pots I saw on Pinterest.  I was really not into the time that it would have taken to gold leaf the plant pots, so I decided that a spray paint short cut was in order!  Anything to save time and money, in my book.  Well, almost anything.  Don't get me started on cheap coffee.

I gathered the following, most of what I already had on hand!

1. plant pots of your choosing
2. indoor/outdoor metallic gold spray paint (or any color you're loving right now)
3. painter's tape
4. accent paint colors of your choosing

First I taped up my pots in all sorts of patterns or really non-patterns, if I'm being honest.  I used painter's tape to ensure crisp lines.

Then I took these taped up pots outside to spray paint.  I used indoor/outdoor spray paint so that I can place these pots outside in the Summer.  If you're new to spray painting, be sure to keep your spraying arm moving so that you don't get paint drips.  Drips are no good.

I let them dry for a few hours, untaped them, and almost done!  I decided to add a stripe of color to one of the pots for contrast, but I love the plain gold pots, too.

And that is it, my friends!  A cheap and quick way to add a little Spring to your home.

snow days

Yesterday AND today the base and schools have closed for snow!  It's not actually snowing today, but yesterday the world became encased in ice.  We had a strange mix of snow, sleet, rain, hail, with a little thunder mixed in for drama.  Brian slipped and slid to get wood for the fireplace, and tried to snowblow a bit.  The snow barely budged with all the ice covering it.

Back home in the Chicagoland area, they would just salt the crap outta the roads, and we'd all just carry on.  Here in Missouri they used beet juice.  Beet juice, I kid you not.  I have no idea if it works, or if they actually put it on our roads here, but our roads around the neighborhood are still a sheet of ice.

  So we're sitting tight, and I've been knocking things off my list.  I'm catching up on my make something project, and it seems like I've been only doing embroidery.  I may have to throw a painting into the mix this weekend.

What are your weekend plans?

advent wreath diy

Hooray for new computers!  Just in time for me to post my advent wreath tutorial.  Except not really just in time.  Really I'm about 3 days too late.  But since you could use this tutorial on a hanging wreath, too, I figured I'd still share it.  And hey, maybe your advent wreath is looking shabby and you need a new one anyway, right?  Yes, that's right.

Anyway.  This advent wreath is strongly inspired by the advent wreath my mom made when I was very young and is still in use today!  She left hers with the natural colors, and it is beautiful for certain.  But.  I thought a metallic gold would look fancy and festive for Christmas!

What you will need:
1. a wire wreath base with candle holders (found mine at JoAnn's)
2. a solid wreath base (Brian cut mine out of plywood, but any wreath base, rounded or flat, will work)
3. garland or greenery
4. natural details (I used nuts, pinecones and seed pods)
5. floral wire
6. wire cutter
7. glue gun and glue sticks
8. metallic spray paint (I used gold)

First I wired the wire wreath to the solid wreath base.  Then I wired the garland to the wreath while wrapping it around until the entire wreath was covered.  Next, I started gluing my nuts and pinecones, and added these delicate seedpods last.  I made sure to cover the entire top with my natural elements.

This is the point where Brian asked me to stop.  "Please don't spray paint that gold.  Look how pretty it is like that!"  Silly Brian.  Everything that's pretty looks even prettier coated in a shiny gold!  Seriously, though, I do like it left natural, and if you like it this way, go for it.  Just be sure to use a clear spray to seal the nuts.  You don't want rotting nut smells or woodland creatures searching out your wreath in storage!

I started spraying the bottom first, making sure to completely cover the greenery.  After the bottom dried, I carefully flipped it over and sprayed the top.  I tried to do thin layers of spray paint to avoid any dripping.  It took a while to get into all the crevices, but it wasn't hugely time consuming.  I let it dry over night, and she was ready for Advent!
I used white candles and tied little purple and pink (the colors of advent) ribbons onto the candles.

And that's it!  A pop of gold in your Christmas season.  I plan on doing this with a couple of homemade holly wreaths, too, just for fun.  I may have also spray painted some bird houses for my mantle.  Poor Brian.  I may just spray paint the whole tree gold!

november mantle + yarn wrapped garland

I've tucked away (most) of the Halloween decorations, and I've kept out the general Fall decorations.  But the mantle needed a little something extra for November.  The littles and I have been picking up acorns and pine cones galore on our afternoon walks, so I thought it would be fun to incorporate them into a garland.  I found a few sticks, drew inspiration from a Martha project, and decided to wrap up the sticks in some ombre yarn!  If you'd like to make your own to tie into a garland, or to just stick in a vase, here is what you'll need.

1.  Some sticks!
2.  Yarn of your choice.  I chose both the burgundy/red/green and the turquoise/sand/brown yarns.
3.  Glue gun.

Start with a dot of glue on the stick, and after securing the end to the glue, start wrapping your yarn.  You'll want to pull tightly.  I added glue along the way to keep the yarn secured.  Once you get started, it's not hard at all.  I did two large sticks for a vase, and a handful of smaller sticks to string together as a garland.  After I was finished wrapping, I added a couple pine cones and acorns by gluing them on. 

I tied the small sticks together with twine, but you could also use the yarn.  That's all!  It's beautifully rustic and woodlandesque, so no need to try and reach for perfection.  I think I love these cozy looking sticks.

The rest of the mantle was put together with pieces from here or there.  I left out my raven painting from Halloween, and the aqua bowls, camera, and books are up on the mantle pretty much year round.  After much deliberation, I put up this antique mirror earlier this year since it, um, "mirrored" the fireplace decoration.  Oh this house.  It's such a mishmash of eras, so I just try to go with it.

I put more of our acorn and pine cone treasures into a jar, added a few stacked pumpkins, and displayed the massive fall bouquet that my mom made me with dried flowers and plants from her yard.  The pitcher and the big vase on the floor were both made by my talented uncle.  I obviously love color, and I'm not afraid to show it, ha!

This little project is just enough to tide me over until it's time to deck the halls, because that's what I'm REALLY dreaming about right now!  Even the kiddos keep asking if it's Christmas time yet.  All the store decorations and Christmasy sights are getting us all into the mood prematurely.  Don't worry, we won't jump the gun on Christmas.  Yet.

 

Do you keep up fall decorations through November, or do you start making things merry and bright?