Friday, July 22, 2011

$3 Topiary Trees

I had a lot of fun with this project! When I set up my new TV stand I knew I needed something on either side of the TV. To take away from the TV-ish-ness of all it all. Anyhoo...
I've always thought topiary trees darling around the house, so I set out for my local Craft Warehouse to begin channeling my inner moss ball.  (Wow, Ash, feeling a little weird today?
Imagine my surprise and delight when I found the perfect balls on sale for $3 a piece! 
And I'm just saying, if you are at all interested in this little projecto, hustle on down there- they are clearing out their Spring stock. Or wait another year. Up to you.
I decided to use some mason jars I had for the pots, but if you have none check out Goodwill.
 $.29 ea. Seriously. 
 Next I poked around our local stick emporium (aka my yard) for some sturdy little trunks. West helped me fill in dirt around the stick. So much fun to include the littles :D
I trimmed them down to size with clippers, and then attempted to carve points.
 After a little trial and error, I found clippers are good for the basic point and taking off any nubs that could hinder the moss ball, but you'll need some sand paper before it will come together smoothly.
 I used a shish-kabob stick to give myself a little opening to work with. Whatever you've got on hand will work though.
Push the stick into the hole you've prepped and you are through with the "tough" part!

I felt like the jars were a little plain on their own so I tied some scraps of fabric around the middle and then decided to add a bow around the neck. I'm thinking some spanish moss would look great around the base of the "tree".

Two pieces of scrapbooking paper glued around a toothpick. I call this Westly's bird as much because he loves it as because he's already destroyed twice :/

The finished product :)

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Living Room

 Hello again! 
I thought I'd start the home photo tour with the living room- it's the nerve center of our little home and I've just finished a week of getting busy with the projects in there ;)

I've surprised even myself by taking not only a before picture of our living room, but an entire video!!!
Check out the big room two weeks after we moved in.
(And on the day of West's b-day party, no less!)

Now before I reveal the entire room as it is now, I wanted to walk through my recent projects. 
Hence, this photo of a very functional, yet very brown desk. This was a wedding gift from a friend, so I've hesitated until now to alter it...

....but no more!!! If you remember from the video, a little wooden cabinet, paired with white Billy bookcases were our old entertainment center. Wasn't working for me. So I worked with it.

Laaaa!!! 
I can't tell you how good it feels to get something right in this house!
This feels like me. Well, like us ;)

Tomorrow (or the day after) I'm planning to post a short tutorial on how I made my little topiary trees for $3 each! So easy, and sooooo easy on the budget!!! 
Stay tuned!

Monday, July 18, 2011

Time to Share!!!

Over the next few weeks I'm going to be sharing what lies inside my new home with y'all! 
My plan is to tour room by room, starting with before photos/ individual projects, and finishing each with a full room with a reveal! There are a few rooms that aren't yet complete, so I will be sharing photos of my plans for now :)

See to you soon!

Briella's Birthday!

We celebrated Briella's Birthday this past Saturday!!! 
The definite highlight of the day was Briella deciding it was time to walk, right in front of the grandparents! What a good little girl :)

I found a darling cupcake kit that inspired the decorations for our little family party :)


...and was up until 4am the night before making tissue-paper pom-poms!
Exhausting, but fun and worth it :)


She loved the balloon my parents brought!

Walking!!!


Matchy-wachy sisters!!!


Lighting the candle!

Excited about that cake!!! 



 Such a clean and dainty little eater!!! 

Unlike someone I know on his first birthday...
Hahaha :)
 And believe it or not, things haven't changed much!!!


Presents! 

This little piggy bank was a gift from her Great-Grandma Grace. Years ago she found it at the coast and kept it for her future great-granddaughter! What a precious gift!

This Dr. Suess board-book got a bit of a maker-over!!! Check out the title- my super creative Aunt Mia replaced the faces of the characters inside with photos of family members! So fun :)  

I can't believe it's been a whole year since she was born!!!
Happy Birthday my sweet Briella Rose!!!


Monday, July 11, 2011

4th Fun and Photos :)

I'm a little late, but our 4th was such an awesome day I had to share about it :) We woke up early to make the most of one of Paul's rare weekdays off, and drove to the coast for breakfast!
We visited our old favorite, The Wildflower Grill, just as you enter Lincoln City.







Then hit the beach for some fun in the AMAZING weather that day!










































Then home we went for some naps, before celebrating with my family that night, and watching the show at Creekside.
It was a lovely day :)