Take a Number

I have been admiring all the numbered accents that are popular lately, and for some reason hadn't gotten my mitts on anything numbered ... until tonight!

I had gotten a crock at Target and not been completely happy with it - it feels like it is supposed to look old but they didn't do a good job so it just looks blah. It was better than the one it replaced so I decided I could live with it. Well tonight after dinner I told husb I was "getting outta this house!" and ran to the garage with a few spray paint projects under my arm, and right before slipping out the door I grabbed that crock.

I made a quick stencil, and copied Young House Love's glass etching project procedure (using spray paint instead of glass etcher), and ...

Now I love the crock! And do you know what funny thing happened? The paint came out a little splotchy, and the "7" came out uneven and then I got a scratch on it peeling my stencil off (I used the wrong kind of tape), so I decided to run with it - I gave it a few more scratches and now it has a little character to it.

Makes me want to get rid of all those rubber utensils and go thrift store hunting for some well-loved wood and metal ones to fill it with!

Quick fix for a little boring ceramic. Now I am officially on the numbered accents band wagon... what home accent will it stop at next?

You gotta try this!

Last week I was driving with the kids and Susie started fussing so I turned up the radio. The song that assailed my ears was totally inappropriate. I didn't realize it, but I had been slowly getting fed up with media and that song was the last straw. I turned the radio off, irritated that the general public embraces such content as okay, but also angry at myself for not having the patience or strength to listen to a tiny bit of whining, and instead of calling on God for that strength, seeking immediate relief in something that glorifies Satan, not God. When Ty came home that evening he went to turn on the TV after dinner and said, "What's wrong with the TV?" I said, "It's unplugged." and smiled sweetly. He said, "...why?" I said, "We are having a no-media week." Amazingly, he just said, "Okay" and he was the one who held me to it when I wanted to cheat later on in the week, and decided to keep it up after the week was over!

We ended up cutting out TV/movies completely, any music with words (including talk radio) and internet surfing that first week. Now we are okay with movies for date night or family movie nights, and I do read my blogs again, but still don't do any surfing or social sites. Since making the change, I have felt so much more peace, had more patience and gotten so much done, since I am not distracted by the TV going all day, or the radio interrupting my own thoughts in the car. I also lost 4 pounds during the first week, by only making this change! We decided to keep it going - we are now on week two, and aren't feeling like we are missing out at all.

It was interesting, for the first few days I would get those old songs stuck in my head out of nowhere. But now, feeling this peace, I keep thinking about 2 Corinthians 10:4 & 5, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."

I highly recommend going media-free for a week, or even a day. It puts things in perspective, and lets you focus on the things that really matter.

Custom Wall Collage Frames, Two Ways

Quick easy and cheap project... make your own wall collage frame! The ones in the stores can be up to $50 and they are pretty plain and store-bought looking. I got this one at a garage sale for $3, added glass for $14, used $0.89 wrapping paper to create a warm patterned backdrop on foam board, and $2.76 in scrapbook paper to mat each picture...

I think it looks warmer and homier (is that a word?) than the store bought ones and it was pretty affordable...

I might end up adding a jute string that it looks like it is hanging from, and a decorative hook. The frame is pretty beefy so I will have to test out the proportions. Also, I have not decided yet if I will leave these pictures or keep updating some of them. Most of them are big memories so they might just all stay. If you wanted to keep it up to date, you could do it like another wall collage I have behind my couch...

In this collage, each picture is not fastened to the scrapbook paper mat, instead, each photo slips into photo corners, so they can be easily swapped out...

that is, IF your family ever schedules a photo shoot so you can have an up-to-date collage!

Master Bedroom Side Table

I have been working on my master bedroom again, since neglecting it for some time. The desk that was never used was moved out and I brought in this cute little side table that I found at a consignment shop...

I have wanted a table this style for a long time and am very happy with it. It is a funny color that looked green in the shop I bought it in, and then when I got it outside I realized it was actually a mustard or goldenrod color, but thankfully it still went with the scheme in my room.

I also got these blue jars for $2 each! I told the lady (after I purchased them) that she could charge more for them. They had no lids so I use them for candles...

And my stash of Martha Mags and a funny fish finish off the bottom shelf...

My grandma got that fish for me in high school and told me "It was so ugly I knew you would like it", which was hilariously true. I was going through a weird phase.

I also got the curtains almost done before my gracious friend had to take back her sewing machine! As soon as I figure out how to fix my machine and finish the hem, I will show you those, too.

I am loving garage sales and consignment and thrift store shopping lately, and especially when it is a decent piece of furniture. I have been getting frames there for my wall collage in the bedroom, and as soon as I get some more mats, I will show you how it turned out! You really should check out the thrift stores though. It may seam a little daunting, but instead of thinking of it as something I have to do (you can't just go once and expect to score you have to frequent the stores), I think of it as 10 minutes of 'me-time'! And you can also get a schedule and see which days they have 99-cent sales, etc. All the chains are different but most of them operate on a schedule where certain tag colors are 99 cents on certain days/weeks. Check it out - you might find a treasure. Happy hunting! =)

Burlap Frame Mats

I saw this picture in the Pottery Barn catalog a while back and clipped the picture for my idea notebook...

Among other things, I really loved those burlap mats in some of the frames! They look like this closer up...

Well, then Bower Power had to blog her version before I got around to doing it myself and that just irked me, so I had to get my bum in gear and do it!

I used the same general process except she used fabric and I used burlap. I also used Tacky Glue instead of spray adhesive. Here are some of my tips.

I used a ruler to help keep my flaps nice and straight and to try keep the ends folded back (burlap seems like it'd be easy to work with but it is not - perhaps that's why Bower Power used fabric)...

Then I clamped it down and let it dry for about 15 minutes...

I did that for each side. Then the last threads on the ends of each flap in the corners weren't long enough to stay glued to the backside, so I used some electrical tape to keep them back (duct tape would work). And I cut around the outside edges instead of folding like Bower Power - since the very edge is covered in the frame anyway, it seemed more simple...

One last general craft tip: when working with tacky glue, it can take forever to shake it into the end where it comes out, so I replace the lid after each use and keep it upside down while I am working so it is ready at all times - no shaking required...

This is the result of all that folding gluing and clamping...

It is for the MIL Master bedroom reveal I am working on the last details for. Speaking of details, look at that texture...

I need to do this for something for my own house now! Love it!