gift giving

i like wrapping presents almost as much as i like giving them. i used to work at a homegoods in highschool, and i was continually assigned to wrap for the bridal registry customers (wrapping was complimentary to anyone who bought a gift off of the registry). this had to be the only thing i enjoyed about this job, aside from being paid. but now i'm dynamite at christmas time, so i can't complain!

with a myriad of weddings, showers, and birthdays lately, adding a little paint to the mix is something new for me. i feel like it makes the whole a experience special; there are only so many ways to wrap a present, right? also, the "butcher paper" quality to this wrapping is rather ordinary (i usually use it for man presents), but with a touch of pink paint...it was perfect for my friend's little girl emma rose (affectionately e-rose). toni, her mother, said she'd keep it forever!

 

ear jewelry

earrings seem small and un-intrusive; you collect a pair here, a pair there, and before you know it, it's this big, out of control pile that's taking over your jewelry chest. perhaps it wasn't this way before chandelier earrings, or before i was an adult (you can't get in to much trouble with an assortment of studs). one thing is for sure though (for me, at least)--i will not wade through a heap of mismatched earrings in the early hours for the sake of looking cute at work. i'd really rather go jewelry free. 

lucky for me there are dozens of tutorials online for solutions to this issue, going something like this: buy frame + stretch porous fabric over backing + hang frame + arrange earrings = live an earring-adorned, stress-free existence. plus, i love, love, love having them out in plain sight (the frame hangs on the wall next to my bedside table); it's like art, plus it's functional and thrifty and wonderful.

at the time i created this frame/organizer/earring wonder, i grabbed a simple black frame from michael's--i was pretty much desperate, so i figured anything would do. a little pizazz goes a long way, so i'm thinking when phil and i move (in the next few months), i might create a triptych or arrangement in our new home of several small, baroque-style frame like this (i may have to tone the color down for the sake of gender neutrality in our bedroom...or not): 

loud and proud

occasionally i have a fabulous idea mid-sleep; i wake, and if i don't immediately write it down, it's gone. i started keeping a pad of paper and pen next to my bedside table. it was an excellent solution, but being that i'm ultra-clumsy, i kept spilling my glass of water on the paper (during the night)...which pretty much defeated the purpose.

almost serendipitously (hey, how often can you actually use SAT vocab prep words?) i stumbled upon chalk paint at joanne's fabric. i simply cannot express how cool (i think) chalk paint is. clearly there are hundreds of applications, but for me painting talk bubbles (and keeping chalk nearby) was at the very top of my list. this was such an effortless project, and considering our nightstands are from ikea, there was nothing to lose. ok, so "i love pa" (phil's intials) wasn't a grandiose midnight scheme of mine. a cute way to express my love though, no?

pimp my apron

as i was rummaging through my craft/linen closet for modge podge recently, i ran across a rather plain, canvas apron. i almost shoved it back into it's a orginal position on the shelf and shut the door...and then i remembered i had no apron, and beggars can't be choosers. "natural" is not a bad color, but bold colors are generally more fun, and therefore better.  i plotted out a color scheme and simple design:

tort and hare

my work week was as packed as packed can be; nothing a little acrylic therapy can't fix. wednesday night (while hubs was in class) contained the whole tri-fecta: jeopardy, chips & salsa (and beer), and this little throw back piece. i happily painted some basics patterns and lines as the intellectual geek battle raged on in the background.

i'm not sure i adopt the "slow and steady wins the race" methodology (from aesop's fable "the tortoise and the hare"), but i think the story's characters are lovable (working in short spurts and taking a long nap sounds ideal, but i'm pretty sure that wasn't the moral being taught). baby fever is making it's way through my group of friends, and i find myself drawn to potential room themes and accessories. one of my friends (who also works in my office, so i literally saw her belly grow every day over several months) recently had a little girl, emma rose. e's room theme is elephants, with pink and green as the color pallet--be still my beating heart! i can't decide what part is more exciting: a whole new room to decorate or 8+ months of ice cream on demand (via phil). i know, i know, there's a baby involved too.

phil came home just in time for the finale of my project. he snapped some pics of me spraying the painting with a high-gloss varnish, to keep it vibrant and oh so shiny. fancy!

a well-deserved bed

this is the dog bed that got me back on my sewing feet (per my last post); it's not much to look at, but they have warmed to it quite nicely. we keep it under our coffee table. i imagine they think of it as a dog fort (which is what i would do, if i were them). 

"hello dear" pillow cases

have you ever had a project looming over your head, and rather than pushing up your sleeves and getting to work...you just start another project, that's somewhat fluffy and of no importance whatsoever? me too. i wanted to paint something spectacular for the space above our bed. the inspiration didn't come to me right away. this is what we started with, a picture wire project i hung for valentine's day:

and then we went to this, when i spontaneously bought a canvas because michael's was having a 50% off sale. i ended up covering it in fabric (drape and staple, so easy!). side note: phil is asleep on the left; i think this was after a beach day:

i had to take drastic measures:

sew-sew

i have been wanting to learn to sew for what seems like forever; but for now, let's call it 2(ish) years. sewing is a skill that i've always been attracted to. i can mend and re-attach a button with the best of them, but i'm still getting my sea legs when it comes to full-on sewing projects, like purses or pants. which is where i'd like to be: purses, pants, shirts, aprons, etc. i have a wonderful machine that my mom gave me for a birthday, so nothing should be stopping me. except maybe time, and courage.

i recently had a breakthrough when i made a pillow for my pups. i was a little miffed when i went to went to buy them a bed at petsmart--are people seriously paying $85 for dog beds these days? rip, to the off. i decided to make a trip to joanne's fabric. 1 hour, 1 yard of green and 1 yard of giraffe print fabric, 2 bags of pillow stuffing, and one brown spool of thread later...i was ready to sew! it took about 1 hour to cut, pin and sew the pillow and another 45 minutes to stuff and finish it.

it was simple and useful, and happily my dogs were drawn to it immediately (picture coming soon). this pillow was the jump-start i needed. phil and i recently scoured a thrift shop for a desk that i could use for my sewing area. we quickly came upon this quaint writer's desk; love at first site. we have plans to paint it green eventually, but i think i can handle it's rustic vibe for now. hopefully it will serve me well, as i graduate from pillow to purse.