I Can See My Bathroom Counter Again!

This week I FINALLY attacked my jewelry organization problem. I've been meaning to do this for awhile but I actually DID it this week. I think it's because the Hubs started talking about wanting to "take out the bathroom cabinets and just put in a pedestal sink" because "it just creates clutter"

I have NO idea what he could be talking about.

We agreed that this was crazy talk and we needed the cabinets/counter top, but just in case he had an hour to himself in the house alone and the necklace pile was too much for him to bear, I got to work on a solution.

Supplies:

• 4 Cork Tiles - Walmart/Target $5-$7 (I like this option because you can use as many as you need and put them where ever you want, totally customizable)
• Fabric - at least 28" x 28", mine was just a remnant I picked up at Joanns for $2 :)
• Push Pins - Dollar Tree $1
• Rockstar - Optional but helpful
• Hot Glue Gun/Glue

1. These cork tiles are 12x12 so I cut my fabric at 14x14.

2. Hot glue onto cork and press fabric down onto hot glue.

3. Do all 4 sides.

4. Nail them to the wall, one in each corner.

5. Put up as many as you want/need.

6. Then I separated my stuff into 3 categories - bracelets, necklaces, and earrings/clips.

7. Use push pins to hang jewelry on the cork :) and you're DONE BABY!

Look how NICE and ORGANIZED that looks!!

I even found a spot to pin my flip flop flower clips from dollar tree ;)


I even found stuff I had forgotten I had! I am LOVING it! And it took like NO time to make it and was pretty cheap too :) Cheap & Easy are 2 of my favorite words ;)

Linking up to these AWESOME parties, check em out!

A Housewarming Gift

When my husband and I's next door neighbors and friends were moving away *tear* I decided I wanted to do something fun for a housewarming gift.

Their new kitchen had a black and white theme going and a retro feel to it and they decided to keep with the theme. I saw the cutest idea out on the tutorial-sphere, lol, for some retro fabric themed dishtowels and I KNEW I had to make them!

This is a pretty basic tutorial, no measurements or pictures or anything useful like that, and I'm sorry. My tutorial addict title is deceiving if it makes you think I'm any good at actually CREATING ONE.

But here we go anyway!! :D

Supplies:

• dishtowels - I like a set of 3
• fabric - don't need much, a fat quarter would even be enough
• ribbon - um ... like less than a spool lol
• sewing stuffs - machine, thread, needle, scissors

OK! So here is the NONtorial -

1. Wash your towels and fabric. Iron the fabric.
2. Decide how big you want your band of fabric and then add about a 1/4" - 1/2" on top and bottom for the ribbon to lay over.
3. Measure your ribbon length along the towel but leave some extra at both ends because the towel will stretch as you sew.
4. Cut your fabric and your ribbon.
5. Pin your fabric if you're a pinner. I don't pin ... I hate pinning. I hate it more than mayonaise ... and that's a LOT.
6. I folded the short side under and just sewed it on without the pinning.
7. When I got to the corner I put the ribbon on top and sewed both at the same time.
8. When I reached the end of the towel I folded over the edge of the fabric to meet the edge of the towel and without lifting the needle, sewed that section.
9. Go back down the other long side of the fabric with the ribbon as in number 7.
10. Sew the other sides of the ribbon.
11. Cut and burn the ribbon to be even with the edge of the fabric.

DONE :)

I love the lemon fabric! And the black and white polka dot! I tied the towels together with a green ribbon that matched the green in the lemon fabric and placed them on a black plate.

I also made these Lemon Raspberry Thumbprint cookies because they are HEAVEN ON A PLATE and they kept with the lemon theme :)


Tell me that ain't cute! They thoroughly enjoyed them and the towels looks just AWESOME in their kitchen!! You can totally customize this idea for holidays or any other gifty type occasion and they make a totally cute package!

Linking up to these awesome parties, go check em out!

Embellishing a Gift

Just a quick post today since I've got TWO birthday parties this weekend!

ADORABLE right?!

A few weeks ago I was going to a birthday party for a 2 year old little girl and I was at a LOSS as to what to get her (yes, I am aware I've had THREE 2 year old girls).

I went with my usual standby for little girls ... DRESSES! I LOVE little girly clothes :) So I found the PRETTIEST little smocked A-Line dress at Target and figured it would make a lovely gift because she could probably still wear it next year as is the beauty of these dresses, amIright?!

Well, then as I passed by the clearance section I found a little jacket that matched the color of the dress PERFECTLY!

AND IT WAS $2!!!!

So basically to make this you follow my Rosette Tutorial with a few little changes:

1. Make the rosette. The fabric I used for these was from a pair of khaki pants my hubs was throwing away (GASP!) I rescued the precious material and cut a few strips out of the leg! I cute one strip of leg about 1.5" wide full circle around the leg to make the big one. I cut another one same size and cut it in half to make the small ones :)

I have so much material left from that one pair of pants I could create an army of rosettes ... should the need arise.

2. Hot glue the rosettes onto a piece of felt in the shape you want them on the project.

3. Take thread in the color of the fabric and make a horrifically ugly attempt at hand sewing the rosettes to the project. I wish I had a picture ... it was a scene. It was also late and I was in a hurry lol

4. After that I decided to girly it up even more and add some pretty pearls :) I hand stitched them on and tied them up real good.

DONE :D

Tell me that ain't the cutest!!! And you could do this to just about ANYTHING to make it cuter! I got a cute tank on clearance yesterday and it is SO getting the rosette treatment :)

She didn't look terribly impressed, but she's 2 so I didn't take offense ;)

Well ... she MAY have seen the hand sewing job ... in which case, I can hardly blame her.

Linking up to these AWESOME weekend linky parties! Come check em out!
Weekend Wrap Up Party @ Tatertots and Jello
Weekend Bloggy Reading @ Serenity Now
Sew Darn Crafty @ Sew Many Ways

A Tutu Outfit

Check it out!! I was Toasted! Or more precisely, my pretty rosette bracelet was!! Go check out The Polka Dots on Parade and see more craftsy awesomeness on Wow Me Wednesdays!

For today I have a super cute tutu to show you!

I made this sweet little tutu as a gift for a 4 yo little girl to go with the Painted Pearl Shirt I shared yesterday! I think it came out SOOO cute and she loved it SOOO much!

The tutu's I make are the super fluffy double layer ones. I probably use more than tulle than most but I like my tutu's POOFY lol

I was going to attempt a tutu-orial on this but then I realized that I have no measurements and can't seem to think good (lol) so instead ... here are some links ;)

How to make a tutu
Quick and Easy Tulle Cutting

On this tutu, I actually ran out of hot pink tulle half way through (GASP!) and I bought the tulle in Tennessee when I live in California so the chances of finding the same shade were pretty slim. So I decided I would try a 2 color tutu! I had some white in my tulle stash and that went with the shirt so I was BACK IN BUSINESS.

To make the 2 color tutu I did hot pink on top and white on bottom instead of stripes. All you do is when you make the X out of the 2 pieces of tulle, keep one color on top and the other on the bottom. Easy Peasy :)

After I was finished, I decided to add a satin waist band. I took a 7/8" ribbon and wrapped it around the band between each piece of tulle. Then I took a 1.5" satin ribbon and added a pretty bow. It needed a little something more so I took some paper scrapbooking flowers and layered 2 together. I used a jeweled brad and stuck it through the bow to adhere it all together.

The outfit came out ADORABLE! I think it's one of my favorite that I've made so far! I also took a plain white headband from the dollar store and in the same way as the tutu bow, I layered 4 paper flowers and a cute brad and stuck it to the headband.

Making these outfits has become one of my FAVORITE handmade gifts. I made my girls' Halloween costumes last year too and they came out SO cute that they are planning out this year's costumes already!

Linking up to these awesome linky parties today, check em out!
What I Whipped Up Wednesday @ Sugar and Dots
Wow Me Wednesdays @ Polka Dots on Parade
Wicked Awesome Wednesdays @ Handy Man, Crafty Woman

What I Wore Wednesday #2!!

It's Wednesday again!! (Or close enough anyway ;)

That means it's time for The Pleated Poppy's What I Wore Wednesday post where we post our outfits worn the past week in an effort to get us out of our clothing ruts and put somethin cute on our butts :)

I'm also linking up to No Model Lady for All Dressed Up!

I did pretty well this week I think!

Wednesday - Running errands

Shirt - Ross (Clearance - $3.99)
White Capris - gifted from a friend
Teal flip flops *not pictured here but totally cute* - Payless last year

Speaking of Payless ... I HEART their jewelry! This necklace came from there last year and I just LOVE it :)

Thursday - Errands and lunch with the hubs ;)

Pretty dressy - Ross Clearance ($8.99 srsly)
Cute lil rosette bracelet - made by me :D

Seriously, how cute is the back of this dress?! I love halter style dresses and you can't even see my bra straps cause I got one of those convertible style ones at Target! It can go like 5 different ways and one is halter = BOOB WIN.

Super cute white canvas wedges - Payless

Friday - Out for dinner with the hubs and Lil Miss for a PRE-Mother's Day thing.

Awesome top (you can't see it here but the top of the sleeves have the cutest little tie! LOVE this shirt - Kohls (Sale - $13.99)
Khaki crops (that are my favorite thing to wear EVER cause they make my butt look HELLA cute) - thrift store $5!!!

White flip flops - Payless

Saturday - Didn't happen because I basically went to the gym and did notadamnthingelse all day including getting dressed lol

Sunday - Mother's Day :) dinner at my mom's house

*WOW is that a bad picture. Remind me to clean my mirrors tonight.*

Dark Gray asymetrical cardi - Target (Clearance - $6.98!!)
Light Gray lace trimmed tank - Old Navy (Clearance - $5!!)
Skinny Jeans - Target ($10 on sale!)
Cutest Yellow Wedges Ever - Payless (Clearance last year - $5!!)
Necklace - Target (Clearance $4.98!!)

Monday - Errands and lunch with hubs :)

White short sleeved cardi - Ross
Blue Tank - Ross (Clearance $5.99!!)
Same Target Skinnys and yellow awesome wedges as above lol
Yellow/White rosette bracelet - MADE BY ME :D

Tuesday - Stuff round the house, errands and picking up kids

Black Embellished Tank - Old Navy (sale $5!!)
Khaki Bermuda Shorts (that are WAY cuter in person than in this horrible photo) - Old Navy Brand (thrift store $1.99!!!!!)
Bracelets & Teal flip flops - Payless

I have to say, I am STILL enjoying this WIWW stuff. I get excited about what I'm going to wear everyday and look forward to putting together outfits! It might take a little longer now, what with the obsessing and all, AND the photo taking, but it's worth it :) I feel so good about myself and can totally see a difference in my attitude as soon as I get dressed. Even the hubs has noticed! And that's always nice :)

Hope you all are having a lovely week!

Painted Pearls Shirt

Isn't this just the CUTEST?!

It literally cost me like $6ish and like 15 minutes to make :) (if you don't count drying time ... which I don't ;)

I used this tutorial from Jen @ My Own Road and this post on my best friend's Rebecca's blog, Searching Out Simple, to get started ...

We were going to a 4 year old's birthday party and she is the SWEETEST little thing and just LOVES all things girly. So when her mom said she was VERY into tutus and the like I thought this would TOTALLY go with one! (I'll post the tutu-orial tomorrow :D)

So I don't have step-by-step photo instructions on how to make it, but really, it's so easy you don't need them!

Supplies needed:

• T-shirt (I got mine from Target and the paint held up well. Sometimes a cheaper shirt does NOT)
• FABRIC paint
  
• Pencils/pens in 2-3 with different sized ends
• Cardboard (to prevent paint bleeding through fabric)
• *Optional* Ribbon for a little bow (needle & thread to sew bow on)

1. Put cardboard inside the shirt to prevent bleed through ... VERY IMPORTANT lol

2. Decide how many strands of pearls you plan on doing and what you would like the shirt to look like. I used these two ideas as a guide, check out this & this!

3. Dip the eraser end of a pencil in the fabric paint making sure not to get TOO much that it will be clumpy. Dot onto shirt 2-3 times per dip ... this is how you get the cool variations in color :)

4. Use a marker bottom to get a bigger pearl size and do your second strand the same as the first. Continue like this until you have the desired amount of strands.

5. Let dry according to fabric paint bottle. This is when you can attach the bow if you're doing so.

6. Bow Option* Take a small piece of ribbon and tie into a bow. Sew the bow onto the shirt. lol

Now stand back so you can fully appreciate the cuteness of what you've created :)

I see these shirts all over and they are just ADORABLE! The little girl LOVED hers and it was just too cute on her :)

Now go forth and create! And if you make one, post the pics!! I would LOVE to see :D

Linking up to these parties ... go check out more craftsy awesomeness ...

Show Me What Ya Got @ Not JUST A Housewife
20 Minute Tuesday @ Sweet Floweret
Take A Look Tuesday @ Sugar Bee
Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays @ New Nostalgia
Tutorials and Tips Tuesday @ The Stories of A to Z