tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66804762913032687212024-03-06T00:45:09.624-08:00Things that are prettyHeather Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852147906478768563noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680476291303268721.post-76272005754869990872013-09-05T17:14:00.003-07:002013-09-05T17:14:57.503-07:00Vintage delightsDuring one of my frequent trips to the thrift store I stumbled across a delightful bundle of vintage gift wrap.<br />
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For me this was really exciting because it combined two of my favourite things – <i>vintage era</i> and <i>gift wrap</i> – win for me!<br />
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Here are a few shots of my favourite patterns from the bundle.<br />
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Don't you love these wedding prints?<br />
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And these fun patterns? </div>
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And these adorable ones for kids?</div>
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I think this one is my favourite from the bunch.<br />
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Can you believe this package was only 35 cents? I wish there was a year printed on the package. I'd love to know how old it is.</div>
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Now that I have all this great paper, I need to find some gifts to wrap and some creative uses for it in home décor projects. Any ideas?</div>
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Heather Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852147906478768563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680476291303268721.post-53000508747105169312013-06-19T11:25:00.002-07:002013-06-19T11:26:30.034-07:00Pretty peoniesI just wanted to share with you the beautiful peony blooms I just picked from the bush at the side of my house.<br />
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Peonies are one of my favourite flowers. Their big, delicate blooms are so pretty and their smell is intoxicating!<br />
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Light pink peonies are my absolute favourite, but our dark pink bush came with the house, so I'll take them.<br />
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Do you love peonies? What's your favourite colour?Heather Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852147906478768563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680476291303268721.post-76908687894816825682013-03-27T12:13:00.000-07:002013-03-27T12:13:01.151-07:00Happy Easter!Here is a quick little post to show you the easy Easter eggs I made. All I used were some brown eggs I had in the fridge, a pencil and a sharpie.<br />
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First I blew out the eggs using a straight pin and a straw. I roughly followed <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Blow-Out-Eggs" target="_blank">these directions</a>.<br />
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Then to decorate, I sketched out my design on the egg first with pencil, then went over it with a black Sharpie. Easy peasy! </div>
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I wasn't super perfect with them, as I didn't mind if they were a bit
wonky and abstract. Plus, I didn't have a whole lot of time! You could
get as detailed as you like. The Sharpie was really easy to work with on
the egg. It didn't bleed, dried fairly quickly and the egg was a nice smooth
surface to draw on.<br />
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I have them displayed in a little basket in my front porch.<br />
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I want to wish you all a Happy Easter this weekend as we contemplate the
death and resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ. I was reminded this
morning at the mothers' connect group I attend, to not let Easter pass
me by without really thinking on its significance. It's not just
another holiday, it is the centre of our Christian faith. My prayer is
that God will give me a fresh understanding of the significance of the cross this season.<br />
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Happy Easter! Heather Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852147906478768563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680476291303268721.post-61309069856923004182013-03-19T17:39:00.000-07:002013-03-19T17:43:19.231-07:00Some Sewing FunThis past weekend, my little family made the trip to the <a href="http://www.nationalhomeshow.com/" target="_blank"><b>National Home Show and Canada Blooms</b></a> at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto. A big thanks to our friends at <b><a href="http://akadesign.ca/" target="_blank">aka design</a></b> for the tickets! (The show is on until March 24 if you're interested in checking it out.) <br />
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Among the rows upon rows of booths displaying windows, doors, decks, hot tubs, massaging recliners (not that I have a problem with all of that) I found a little gem - <b><a href="http://lovesewingtoronto.com/" target="_blank">The Sewing Studio</a></b>. They are a store/studio in Toronto that sells sewing machines and offers sewing classes.<br />
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Their booth was set up as a mini studio and you could sit right down to make your choice of project in about 15 minutes. What a unique idea and totally fun! It was nice to take a break from looking at all of the home reno stuff.<br />
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It didn't take much convincing for me to sit down and make a project. Their booth was so cute and inviting, and the instructors so friendly and helpful!<br />
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I chose to make a mini cosmetic brush roll. I have
been wanting to get a brush holder like this, so I was excited to find out that
was one of the options. Now I don't need to buy one!<br />
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It was such a simple project, yet the finished product is really attractive. The fabric patterns they
had to choose from were so fun. <br />
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Here's the outside. Who doesn't love chevrons?<br />
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And the inside. Cheerful polkas and stripes.<br />
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And here it is with my cosmetic brushes loaded into it. <br />
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I don't have step-by-step photos/instructions because it was an
impromptu sewing moment. But there are lots of easy tutorials available all over the web.<br />
<br />
The Sewing Studio was also giving away
little bundles of fabric. The best freebee of the day by far! (I was a bit tired of the mini flashlights and measuring tapes.) How chic are
these patterns? I wonder what project I will come up with for them... <br />
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Maybe I will make some more cosmetic brush rolls to give away as gifts!<br />
<br />
Thanks to <a href="http://www.lovesewing.com/" target="_blank">The Sewing Studio</a> for a fun memory and a cute/functional/easy sewing project!<br />
<br />
<br />Heather Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852147906478768563noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680476291303268721.post-77092051529678773602013-03-11T16:26:00.001-07:002013-03-11T17:19:10.527-07:00Birthday wishesFirst things first...<br />
<br />
I'm still alive! My apologies for the VERY long break I've taken away from my blog. I think the cold weather hindered my motivation and inspiration. <br />
<br />
Now that it's getting warmer and the days are longer, I'm hoping to get going again with my posts. Thanks for sticking with me!<br />
<br />
My husband is turning the big 3-0 this coming weekend, so I surprised him this past weekend with a birthday dinner at a restaurant with friends. <br />
<br />
As an added touch to the simple get together, I designed some note cards for guests to write a birthday message for Jeff. I collected the notes, tied them together with ribbon and gave them to Jeff at the end of the night.<br />
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Guests enjoyed sharing their sentiments and Jeff loved all the special messages.<br />
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Happy 30th Jeff! I love you.Heather Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852147906478768563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680476291303268721.post-86740498841025890142012-12-13T16:15:00.002-08:002012-12-13T16:23:08.637-08:00DIY Christmas projects digital download<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6XN9jZU4ZRgDmLHZPq-fxYWeQURJHoDhyphenhyphenvlE3f05znZoCy-ievjQ5c_Xdf7STYXwbsxI5xTLKlQVEAO62kRjypu_RmqA6G_lBGSvcNEzCeVb26zfOYaimYDN5Zk7we4UAtHvP7WxFtg/s1600/bloggers-christmas-ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6XN9jZU4ZRgDmLHZPq-fxYWeQURJHoDhyphenhyphenvlE3f05znZoCy-ievjQ5c_Xdf7STYXwbsxI5xTLKlQVEAO62kRjypu_RmqA6G_lBGSvcNEzCeVb26zfOYaimYDN5Zk7we4UAtHvP7WxFtg/s400/bloggers-christmas-ideas.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Last month I had the awesome opportunity to collaborate with some fabulous bloggers to bring you a week of DIY Christmas projects.<br />
<br />
Shannon and Dean from <a href="http://www.akadesign.ca/" target="_blank">AKA Design</a>, Allison from <a href="http://houseofhepworths.com/" target="_blank">House of Hepworths</a>, KariAnne from <a href="http://thistlewoodfarms.com/" target="_blank">Thistlewood Farm</a>, Laura from <a href="http://findinghomeonline.com/" target="_blank">Finding Home</a>, Sarah from <a href="http://cozycottagecute.com/" target="_blank">Cozy Cottage Cute</a>, Shauna from<a href="http://satoridesignforliving.com/" target="_blank"> Satori Design for Living</a> and myself all shared a DIY ornament or decorating project. <br />
<br />
As promised, the digital download of all the project tutorials in book format is now available! Thanks so much to Shannon and Dean at <a href="http://akadesign.ca/" target="_blank">AKA Design</a> for putting this download together.<br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Bxtz5IzjRL2BQzR5Q2JILUlpeTQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikzVMI08rRRzn0Z74cyKYkAtBRV0bIAo0yLzzVGKkP6UUyT1Y2Uz-hw7kQ4wrVjQZR4LWemD-2LQOz9LZ0rHOd4ji9F0bqapOik8DB4OyhFFRA_tUlEOJE0672qnjfzNdtUuo5CdGl8g4/s400/Bloggers+2012+Christmas+Decorating+Ideas+&+Projects+image.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Just click the image above to view the PDF online. Once the new window opens and you are viewing the PDF, you can download it by selecting 'File' then 'Download' from the drop down menu in the top left corner of the browser window, under the book title.<br />
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Happy DIYing and Merry Christmas!<br />
<br />
Note: This PDF is to be used for personal or gifting purposes only. Using this digital download for commercial purposes or to make <i>any</i> profit is not allowed. Thanks.Heather Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852147906478768563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680476291303268721.post-33970834874311012972012-12-10T17:35:00.000-08:002012-12-10T17:35:35.149-08:00A partridge in a pear treeLittle by little I am getting my Christmas décor up. It's a lot slower process this year with my nearly one-year-old little guy underfoot!<br />
<br />
Due to my limited time for decorating, I need projects that are simple to create, but still look elegant.<br />
<br />
So here's what I came up for for the centrepiece on the sideboard in my dining room - a pear tree using my cupcake stand.<br />
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The pears are from the grocery store (obviously) and cost about $5 for a dozen. The glittery little bird came from the dollar store. Now I realize it's not exactly a partridge, but work with me here, OK?<br />
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I designed the banner on my computer and printed it. Then cut it out and taped some jewelry wire to the back of it so I could manipulate it to fit around the pears. It's secured to the pears with a bit of tape also.<br />
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And that's all there was to it! <br />
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One thing to note, is that using fresh fruit puts a limited time on your décor. I bought the pears about 4 days ago and they are already starting to get a little too ripe. I will have to replace them soon. Maybe I will look into buying artificial ones, but I think REAL pears have such an elegance to them!<br />
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I'm linking up to <a href="http://thingsthatarepretty.blogspot.ca/p/link-parties.html">these parties</a> this week. Check them out! <br />
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<br />Heather Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852147906478768563noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680476291303268721.post-79296745474142155352012-12-06T10:33:00.001-08:002012-12-06T10:35:07.394-08:00The smells of the seasonThe Christmas season is here! I guess I had better start pulling out the Christmas décor and getting the house ready! Christmas is definitely my favourite time of year and there's nothing to get me in the spirit than some great Christmas music and some wonderfully spicy-sweet smells.<br />
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Here is a re-post from last Christmas - a tutorial on how to make your own "Christmas smelly pot". It is so good, I just had to share it again! Can't wait to make this pot-of-goodness this year.<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">*********************************************************************************</span></div>
<br />
Christmas is my favourite season of the year! It is a time to reflect
upon the birth of our Saviour Jesus and the hope of salvation He
brought to the world.<br />
<br />
I also savour the happy music, pretty decorations,
sparkly lights, yummy food and special times with friends and family.
And I can't forget to mention the smells. Oh, the smells!<br />
<br />
Whether it's
freshly baked cookies just out of the oven, a scrumptiously scented
candle, a freshly cut Christmas tree or spiced apple cider brewing on
the stove, the smells of Christmas are divine!<br />
<br />
Last year I saw a friend
put together what I have come to call a 'Christmas smelly pot' – for
lack of a better term. "Brilliant!"
I thought, "I must do this." So I went about creating my own 'smelly
pot', modifying it a bit to make the recipe my own. Now my house can
smell like Christmas everyday of the festive season!<br />
<br />
Here's how to
create your own 'Christmas smelly pot' in a slow cooker.<br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
Half an orange;<br />
1 apple;<br />
2 bay leaves; <br />
2 to 3 tablespoons of whole cloves;<br />
2 cinnamon sticks;<br />
Splash of lemon juice.<br />
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1.
Cut the apple in half so that the core makes a pretty star. Stud the
orange with some of the cloves. If the skin of the orange is
particularly tough, pre-make some holes in the orange with a pointy
object (I used a chop stick).<br />
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2. Fill a small slow cooker with 4-6 cups of water, add all the ingredients listed above.<br />
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3.
Set the slow cooker on low and let simmer away, uncovered. After a few
hours the mixture will begin to darken in colour and fill your house
with its lovely Christmas aroma. As the pot simmers the water will begin
to evaporate. I just add more water a few times a day to keep it topped
up.<br />
<br />
4. At the end of the day you can place your pot in
the fridge overnight. Take it out the next day and reheat for more
smelly goodness. I usually use my smelly pot for 3 to 5 days before
making a new one.<br />
<br />
Note: Although all of these
ingredients are edible, I have not tried tasting this concoction, nor
would I recommend it – even though it does smell good enough to eat!<br />
<br />
Enjoy and Merry Christmas!Heather Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852147906478768563noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680476291303268721.post-192212427213349112012-11-28T02:55:00.000-08:002012-12-04T19:39:01.931-08:00Scrabble Ornaments and a Christmas CollaborationI am so excited to be collaborating for the next week with six other fantastic bloggers to bring you
some awesome Christmas decorating ideas and projects! Thanks to Shannon and Dean at <a href="http://www.akadesign.ca/" target="_blank">AKA Design</a> for being the ring leaders on this!<br />
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Each day one of us
will be featuring a Christmas project on our own
blog. We’ll be sharing the links to each others projects on our
social media (twitter, facebook, pinterest) so you can easily check them out.<br />
<br />
Then stay tuned later in December for a FREE downloadable PDF of all of the project tutorials!<br />
<br />
Wednesday is my day to share with you, and here we are!<br />
<br />
Being a lover of Scrabble, I couldn't resist making some ornaments out of old Scrabble tiles. Who doesn't love those cute little square, lettered tiles? <br />
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Being a Christian, I decided to use the five advent themes celebrated in the weeks and days leading up to Christmas for the words of my ornaments: <i>Hope, Peace, Joy, Love</i> and <i>Christ</i>. This adds more significance to the ornaments, reminding me to reflect on the reason I celebrate Christmas - the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.<br />
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OK, here we go with the tutorial! Stick with me. I took lots of pictures to help explain each step. This makes it a really long post, but trust me, it's not as complex as the oodles of pictures make it seem! <br />
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<b>Supplies:</b><br />
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Supplies needed:<br />
Scrabble tiles (pulled out of an old game purchased at a yard sale)<br />
Thin jewelry wire <br />
Beads<br />
Jingle bells (also purchased at a yard sale)<br />
Scrapbook paper<br />
Dry adhesive or glue (pictured later) <br />
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Tools needed:<br />
Drill<br />
Exacto knife and cutting board<br />
Needle<br />
Awl (or other pointed object)<br />
Scissors<br />
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<b>Step 1: Drill holes</b><br />
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My always-so-handy husband drilled holes in the top and bottom of each
tile, using the smallest drill bit in his set - 1/16th. He fashioned a
simple jig to hold the tiles in place while he drilled.<b> </b><br />
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<b>Step 2: Paper backing</b><br />
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I wanted to dress up the ornaments a bit, so I thought some festive-patterned paper on the back would look fun. I had this handy StudioTac dry adhesive leftover from my college days, and it worked out so well for<b> </b>sticking the paper to the letters. I'm sure another type of glue would work just fine, as long as it's not too wet, so the paper doesn't warp or bleed.<br />
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1. Glue letters to scrapbook paper. </div>
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2.
Use an exacto knife to carefully cut around the wooden tile (this paper
is double sided, so that's why there is a patterned side facing up).</div>
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<b>Step 3: Punch holes</b><br />
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Once the paper is on the backs of all of the tiles... <br />
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1. Use a needle to poke a small guide hole from front to back.<br />
2. Take a larger pointy object (I used an awl tool) to poke a hole on the
back (this is where the small guide hole you just made it helpful - shows you know where to make the hole). This
pushes the paper into the drilled hole of the tile leaving a clean edge on the paper.<br />
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<b>Step 4: String letters together </b><br />
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Feel free to improvise with whatever works for you here. I have outlined a pretty detailed step-by-step process of what I did, but there are a myriad of ways you can string them together. As long as they are all attached together at the end, you have succeeded!<b> </b><br />
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1. Cut a 4-inch piece of wire and feed through the bottom hole of your first letter. Add a bead or two to the wire on each side of the letter.<br />
2. String the wire through front and back of the top hole on the second letter. Pull tight.<br />
3. Feed wire back up through the beads on the front of the tile.<br />
4. Do the same as step 3 on the back of the tile.<br />
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5. Feed the wire piece at the back, through to the front of the tile. You should now have two ends of wire at the front of the tile.<br />
6. Twist the two pieces of wire together.<br />
7. Feed the twisted wire back through the hole of the tile and trim with scissors as close to the back of tile as possible.<br />
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Repeat this process for each letter in your word.<br />
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<b>Step 5: Make a loop for hanging</b><br />
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1. Cut a 12 inch piece of wire and double it in half. Feed through top hole of first tile. Give wire a couple of twists so it is secure around the tile. Thread a bead or two over the wire. <br />
2. String beads on each side of wire, leaving space at the ends to secure them together.<br />
3. Twist ends tightly together.<br />
4. Feed the twisted ends back through a few beads to secure closure. Trim the excess wire.<br />
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<b>Step 6: Add a jingle bell</b><br />
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If you don't have a bell, you could just finish it off with a few beads at the bottom.<br />
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1. Feed wire through top loop of bell, give a twist or two to the wire and add a bead (similar to step 1 in the previous hanging loop instructions). Feed wire through bottom hole of bottom tile the same way you did when stringing the letter tiles together.</div>
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2. Feed wire back down through the bead and secure around the bell. Trim excess wire. </div>
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And now it's done!</div>
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Now only four more words to go for me.... <br />
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Aren't they pretty?<br />
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And I like how the backs are lovely to look at too.<br />
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And here they are on the tree.<br />
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Please take some time to stop by all the friendly blogs participating in this fun Christmas affair!<br />
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<a href="http://akadesign.ca/merry-christmas-garland-with-metal-rim-tags/" target="_blank">AKA Design</a><br />
<a href="http://www.houseofhepworths.com/2012/11/27/sparkly-silver-tinsel-ornaments/" target="_blank">House of Hepworths</a><br />
<a href="http://www.thistlewoodfarms.com/" target="_blank">Thistlewood Farm</a><br />
<a href="http://findinghomeonline.com/" target="_blank">Finding Home</a><br />
<a href="http://www.cozycottagecute.com/" target="_blank">Cozy. Cottage. Cute.</a><br />
<a href="http://satoridesignforliving.com/" target="_blank">Satori Design for Living</a><br />
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I will be pinning all the participating projects to this <a href="http://pinterest.com/hmac31/bloggers-christmas-collaboration-2012/" target="_blank">Pinterest board.</a> So be sure to follow my board and repin!<br />
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I'm linking up with these <a href="http://thingsthatarepretty.blogspot.ca/p/link-parties.html">great link parties</a>. Be sure to check them out!
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<br />Heather Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852147906478768563noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680476291303268721.post-37498981296128212902012-11-21T16:17:00.000-08:002012-11-25T10:52:24.426-08:00Cheery magnetic message board<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhpcxcQ-O_qjQKOq3qj0l3vsMHmHf-NMd_12_Y05aTIGoAC3PvjpDiFN-yk5X_M4maTb4rz7AuS32n0ss68ptgLbg0XJbeE85PCkxra7zMskz7udAdB5KYuKmVwVefC7TEMIoCX2K4bGk/s1600/finished.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhpcxcQ-O_qjQKOq3qj0l3vsMHmHf-NMd_12_Y05aTIGoAC3PvjpDiFN-yk5X_M4maTb4rz7AuS32n0ss68ptgLbg0XJbeE85PCkxra7zMskz7udAdB5KYuKmVwVefC7TEMIoCX2K4bGk/s1600/finished.jpg" /> </a></div>
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Quite awhile ago I pinned an idea for a magnetic message board made out of a cookie sheet that had been covered in fabric.<br />
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I thought this was a genius idea (and still do!). I've seen similar renditions all over the blogosphere since then, but I still wanted to make my own. It is such a simple idea and looks so darn cute when finished.<br />
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For my version, I picked up a round pizza pan at the dollar store and some cheery scrapbook paper and ribbon at the craft supply store.<br />
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I know it's fall and the Christmas season is approaching, but I couldn't resist the friendly grey and yellow colour scheme. Please excuse the spring/summer look of this project even though it's November. Perhaps the sunny yellow will add some cheer to dreary November days.<br />
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I cut the paper in a circle the size of the pan. I used my VERY OLD compass from my high school math set to draw the circle. It was JUST big enough to draw the circumference I needed. Then I cut it out carefully with scissors.<br />
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My always-so-helpful husband drilled paper-punch-sized holes in the pan for me. I sanded the pan a bit to smooth off any rough edges made by the drill. Then I lined up the scrapbook paper and punched holes in the same spot. <br />
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I took the <strike>lazy</strike> simple route and used double-sided tape to adhere the paper to the pan. Next I fed the ribbon through the holes and tied a simple bow. Doesn't the finished product look so sweet?<br />
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Thanks goes out to my <a href="http://mountcustard.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">sister-in-law</a> for the lovely ceramic magnets. I've had them for awhile but they always looked a little too nice on my rather busy refrigerator. The magnets were on my mind when I was planning this project and picking out materials. I think they suit perfectly.<br />
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I like the finished product so much, I don't want to stick any messages to it! This whole project cost me about $3.<br />
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So now that I've got this springtime-looking project complete, it's on to Christmas decor!<br />
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Stay tuned next week for some special posts about DIY Christmas ornaments. I'm honoured to be collaborating with some other fantastic bloggers on this Christmas project spearheaded by Shannon at <a href="http://akadesign.ca/" target="_blank">{aka}design. </a><br />
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I'm linking up with <a href="http://thingsthatarepretty.blogspot.ca/p/link-parties.html">these great link parties</a> this week. Be sure to check them out!Heather Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852147906478768563noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680476291303268721.post-63120104761629478262012-11-07T12:18:00.000-08:002012-11-07T12:18:43.410-08:00Office in a box<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3X9dNnw-f5BfZ5xWU_tFd1F9Sn3tbZdGvQ2G1X4NGWR6oXrUFY-l932SYjy4jOf4vmEClutHbV6L4gCqxZY14ItBz2vGUUOEKZuubz_EEz2KjLORm6cQm3ZUmhuAqGEZC8wvewkfHCU/s1600/Header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3X9dNnw-f5BfZ5xWU_tFd1F9Sn3tbZdGvQ2G1X4NGWR6oXrUFY-l932SYjy4jOf4vmEClutHbV6L4gCqxZY14ItBz2vGUUOEKZuubz_EEz2KjLORm6cQm3ZUmhuAqGEZC8wvewkfHCU/s1600/Header.jpg" /></a></div>
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Living in the smallish house that we do, and having the majority of our free space consumed by baby paraphernalia, there isn't a lot of space left for things like, say...an office for me. Alright, forget an office, I'd settle for a small desk in a corner. But even that seems near impossible. <br />
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No, these days my 'zone' (as my husband likes to call it) is spread out all over the couch in our living room. Laptop, iPhone, notepads, pens, coupons, flyers, lists, notecards...you get the idea.<br />
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Here's a visual for you.<br />
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I'm constantly piling up my stuff and shoving it out of reach when our little guy is not napping or down for the night. Not exactly pretty or organized.<br />
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An 'office in a box' was in order. Something that would keep all my little items contained and organized. It just so happened that this great box was stored away in the basement with my gift wrap supplies. Perfect!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpK61pOdmzejGFqE0iT1oBCO-Am8dxb5IaEMGKg6OVDs3dmSOkd5HJKbkmkmPPc31f830cTlugnIGnx9QsMvhJlnqX21SMxsTj2Su3g05M9YxjkCFCBE7EjQbb3ZFpYMLnvHjRpGWa8ZM/s1600/Before1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpK61pOdmzejGFqE0iT1oBCO-Am8dxb5IaEMGKg6OVDs3dmSOkd5HJKbkmkmPPc31f830cTlugnIGnx9QsMvhJlnqX21SMxsTj2Su3g05M9YxjkCFCBE7EjQbb3ZFpYMLnvHjRpGWa8ZM/s1600/Before1.jpg" /></a></div>
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I have been holding onto this box for a few years now, knowing that one day it would come in handy.<br />
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I almost tossed it a couple of times, but those handy compartments inside would call out "Keep me! Keep me! I will be useful one day, I promise!"<br />
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So I hung onto a it little longer and now, FINALLY, I have found a use for it! <br />
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I wanted to update the fun/cheery pattern on the outside to something a little more modern and mature. It would be great to have it match our living room decor since that is where the box will be living.<br />
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My plan was to cover it with some pretty Martha Stewart wrapping paper that I scored for a great deal at Michael's craft store a few years ago when they were clearing out her gift wrap line (I stocked up). Then cover with clear Contact shelf liner for durability.<br />
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I also found some adhesive metal label plates on clearance at Michael's. Perfect for the outside of my box!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0G-6KqI_vvc931l28naXj0cRGK79jjrqtZOgdvrBEueYt6HBA-Una40OyHdXCKAUFlpTMaBKap8_3j6kjbvHdyaYFxcGKz-8tJY96xscAYDO5ThsQrK5SvEaT6bGYEfGy5F3SdHBMD6g/s1600/supplies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0G-6KqI_vvc931l28naXj0cRGK79jjrqtZOgdvrBEueYt6HBA-Una40OyHdXCKAUFlpTMaBKap8_3j6kjbvHdyaYFxcGKz-8tJY96xscAYDO5ThsQrK5SvEaT6bGYEfGy5F3SdHBMD6g/s1600/supplies.jpg" /></a></div>
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Inside, I wanted to increase the box's usefulness, so I planned to add magnetic stick-on pieces (from the dollar store) and a corkboard (cut out from an Ikea cork hot pad).<br />
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So I set to work covering with paper. I didn't do any fancy measuring, just placed the box on a large piece of wrapping paper and cut to size as needed, adhering it to the box with double-sided tape. The corners were a bit tricky, but it all turned out I think. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6_1AOSt2hnokaMtCqS1T17EdiwCoJ_kgfpQSyCRbIgmbM2SiUEogauPLgIC4C4-tWS0vSlsEnOH6UF2e658wKp1HLXewzGSAh1BZhhr8gFiInuC6lpYSAiS5Iq7hZLmBxbt4-ENjicc/s1600/LidInside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6_1AOSt2hnokaMtCqS1T17EdiwCoJ_kgfpQSyCRbIgmbM2SiUEogauPLgIC4C4-tWS0vSlsEnOH6UF2e658wKp1HLXewzGSAh1BZhhr8gFiInuC6lpYSAiS5Iq7hZLmBxbt4-ENjicc/s1600/LidInside.jpg" /></a></div>
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Some black ribbon adds a nice touch around the edge of the lid. I dug in to my scrap ribbon box and brought out the glue gun for this step.<br />
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Next, it was time for the Contact paper. Thankfully, it wasn't as tricky as I thought since the adhesive paper is actually somewhat removable. So, when it didn't go on just right, I was able to adjust it without wrecking anything. That made me very happy.<br />
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And now... here is the finished box with label plate.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfngqcESJwBT2OaCTTtA2af_0TbsFvsAxwQ6BXWmj8Soy7T7nntBAZ8aJbT35LrwQXvzNmGy390HY02QWio13ffNlx0Tqer5K7v41ePTDRm6-ImqJLJQ-9RiweXkkfZ4Z818XEvaxRy8o/s1600/nameplate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfngqcESJwBT2OaCTTtA2af_0TbsFvsAxwQ6BXWmj8Soy7T7nntBAZ8aJbT35LrwQXvzNmGy390HY02QWio13ffNlx0Tqer5K7v41ePTDRm6-ImqJLJQ-9RiweXkkfZ4Z818XEvaxRy8o/s1600/nameplate.jpg" /></a></div>
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And here's the inside, all ready to be filled up with my office 'stuff'. (I had to add a few more magnetic pieces than originally planned so it was strong enough to hold my magnetic notepad in place.)<br />
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Ahhhh, organization. I love it!<br />
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And look how pretty it looks on the shelf in our end table beside the couch. The accordion files on top of the box now hold my weekly grocery flyers and coupons. <br />
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Much better than the former chaos don't you think?<br />
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I'm linking up with these <a href="http://thingsthatarepretty.blogspot.ca/p/link-parties.html">great link parties</a> this week. Be sure to check them out!Heather Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852147906478768563noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680476291303268721.post-55941716623715104532012-10-30T19:24:00.002-07:002012-10-30T19:55:09.767-07:00Happy Hallowe'en!Tonight my husband and I finally got around to carving our pumpkins. Nothing like leaving it to the last minute!<br />
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I art directed, he executed. Here is a quick share of our creations.<br />
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We used a cordless drill to make the holes. Pretty quick and easy, though a bit messy (lots of little pumpkin bits flying about). <br />
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I'm happy with how they turned out. And now I have a big pile of pumpkin seeds to roast. Yum!</div>
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Wishing you all a safe and fun time trick-or-treating tomorrow night!</div>
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I can be found linking up at <a href="http://thingsthatarepretty.blogspot.ca/p/link-parties.html">these parties</a> this week.<br />
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Heather Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852147906478768563noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680476291303268721.post-67545532670256480042012-10-29T19:40:00.000-07:002012-10-29T19:49:57.691-07:00Couponing - a whole new world!So, I didn't share any new posts or projects last week. My apologies.<br />
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The reason? Last week I gave less time to blogging and more time to another activity that is new to me - couponing! Don't worry, I won't be trying out for TLC's <i>Extreme Couponing</i> (not any time soon at least).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3KUL13VNPSAjUHWKQxnaebAkD7OAlVTYJOfaMIsuIyee6HXJCCCn-whdqKBqbrlYxA3GbJIBbSAsOAoUvQkbuVL7TRDDF3eso9iYFDY9Tl-AyyvEeSL2-hYCrrplgdiJTDfA6OtDKXuk/s1600/Keep-Calm-And-Coupon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3KUL13VNPSAjUHWKQxnaebAkD7OAlVTYJOfaMIsuIyee6HXJCCCn-whdqKBqbrlYxA3GbJIBbSAsOAoUvQkbuVL7TRDDF3eso9iYFDY9Tl-AyyvEeSL2-hYCrrplgdiJTDfA6OtDKXuk/s320/Keep-Calm-And-Coupon.jpg" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://queenbeecoupons.com/keep-calm-and-coupon/" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
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My husband and I are on a mission to trim our budget, so this is one way to do just that. Thankfully I have some thrifty friends (especially you Rachel!) who can help me learn the ways of becoming a coupon master.<br />
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And there is a lot to learn. It's been almost overwhelming at times. But I won't get into that here.<br />
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One great thing about couponing is that it is another outlet for me to be organized in a pretty way. I am excited to start a coupon binder or some other organization system. I haven't decided what it will be just yet.<br />
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Okay, am I sounding like a complete nerd here? That's alright. I fully embrace my nerdy tendencies.<br />
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I hopped on Pinterest to see how others are beautifully organizing their coupons, and I found some great ideas. I thought I would share some of them with you. (If you are going to pin any of these images, please so so from the original source as they are not my images. Thanks!)<br />
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I like this box method - especially the patterned dividers. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcbl-QfMNy17rENsfquVkT6DxiLSiZUJabcW3L_45te6Bn2ZJCGJEF-a5KUFGIRMPvsHCQiN0o0Wdr9FvrENZtiWaid0FVjH5jOXwXCCGveZm3OcaGCnXR8Z_eBPs7v4uO-i6YsLL47c/s1600/aquabox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcbl-QfMNy17rENsfquVkT6DxiLSiZUJabcW3L_45te6Bn2ZJCGJEF-a5KUFGIRMPvsHCQiN0o0Wdr9FvrENZtiWaid0FVjH5jOXwXCCGveZm3OcaGCnXR8Z_eBPs7v4uO-i6YsLL47c/s400/aquabox.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://momsbyheart.net/my-new-coupon-organizer/" target="_blank">Source</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The aqua pages of this binder caught my eye. When I left Pinterest to check out the original source, I found out they're from Martha Stewart's office line at Staples. Oh Martha, you always get me!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZNCwQXIF319vs1H-pzrJLpI8M0jmfiB5DhyphenhyphenFkQXiQMOpoR-ujIgPay2ejdjv2pVYlxr9MbJlzjTSS4A8qZNsBETGvfpR49xPpUgKhGu3beylwrc3ejDsogU9JDykjSKq3tCvyrMH13OI/s1600/Coupon-Binder-MS-Staples.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZNCwQXIF319vs1H-pzrJLpI8M0jmfiB5DhyphenhyphenFkQXiQMOpoR-ujIgPay2ejdjv2pVYlxr9MbJlzjTSS4A8qZNsBETGvfpR49xPpUgKhGu3beylwrc3ejDsogU9JDykjSKq3tCvyrMH13OI/s400/Coupon-Binder-MS-Staples.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.laughterandgrace.com/795/" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
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Love the rainbow colour-coding going on here!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgMzkus-hV1TWUrkbabptxTMBYTYPSfM4-sY082YSYUK1ssR0dPjMP3An3fBGxncpM3k58HW82Pb3o7mf4OliuphhQOYl77INxMnc7Pvd1xCX_qoOoBqUGiAjNoUk-C_JzTIvNluTpzFk/s1600/rainbow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgMzkus-hV1TWUrkbabptxTMBYTYPSfM4-sY082YSYUK1ssR0dPjMP3An3fBGxncpM3k58HW82Pb3o7mf4OliuphhQOYl77INxMnc7Pvd1xCX_qoOoBqUGiAjNoUk-C_JzTIvNluTpzFk/s400/rainbow.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.percyandbloom.com/the-vintage-moth/2012/4/10/how-to-make-your-own-coupon-binder.html" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
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This binder is just so PRETTY and there are lots more great pics of it in the original post.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigyJ_8Hw8S2aA1GXST77qaIT6jo0nljmZDFWit_BVL377nL0zsw1LzRH9hxCEdrK-ZFyRAEtC8zQt3ObczQA4I49xq7_pVJqKzIgRm1SwPy719rbVt-OjO8d1Y2Qy4oQ-K6qmEUeY5518/s1600/prettybinder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigyJ_8Hw8S2aA1GXST77qaIT6jo0nljmZDFWit_BVL377nL0zsw1LzRH9hxCEdrK-ZFyRAEtC8zQt3ObczQA4I49xq7_pVJqKzIgRm1SwPy719rbVt-OjO8d1Y2Qy4oQ-K6qmEUeY5518/s400/prettybinder.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.abowlfulloflemons.net/2011/04/week-12-challenge-create-coupon-binder.html" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
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You can check out my entire pin board of inspiration <a href="http://pinterest.com/hmac31/couponing/" target="_blank">here</a>. There are so many great ideas out there.<br />
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When I get myself organized with a pretty and functional system, I will be sure to share it with you.<br />
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In the meantime, tell me, do you coupon? How do you stay organized?Heather Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852147906478768563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680476291303268721.post-39416035116292222022012-10-15T17:08:00.001-07:002012-10-15T19:52:47.727-07:00A child's mealtime caddyI love to organize. It makes me happy inside and out to tackle a project - big or small - and end up with a neater, more functional space.<br />
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This project definitely falls into the small category, but small things can make a big difference!<br />
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When it comes to meal and snack time, there are a few staples we always need handy for our 10 month old little guy - sippy cup, rice snacks, spoons, wash cloths, to name a few.<br />
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Our dining room table was getting a bit cluttered with all of the things we needed to have within reach. I decided to put together a little caddy to keep all of his essentials organized and close at hand.<br />
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I bought this great little divided basket at the dollar store for $1.25. It turned out to be the perfect size for what I needed. I love it when that happens.<br />
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I wanted to make the basket more personal, so I went digging through my sticker collection and came across these fun, adhesive-backed buttons. I had purchased them on clearance for a mere 70 cents awhile back, but had totally forgotten about them.<br />
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I was so pleased to rediscover them - they were perfect for this project!<br />
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Once I stuck the buttons on, I went to work filling the caddy with all the essentials.<br />
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It's fun, organized and even matches my little guy's place mat!<br />
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We just use a booster seat instead of a high chair in order to save space in our dining room. The caddy is the perfect size to fit on the booster seat tray or over the back of his chair when not in use.<br />
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Organization. I love it! And all for less than two dollars!<br />
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Please visit my <a href="http://thingsthatarepretty.blogspot.ca/p/link-parties.html">Link Parties</a> page and check out where I'm linking up this week. <br />
<br />Heather Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852147906478768563noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680476291303268721.post-26403552502086725342012-10-09T17:43:00.001-07:002012-10-11T06:27:11.918-07:00Homemade thankful rolls - yum!Happy belated Thanksgiving to all of you Canadian readers!<br />
I am so blessed and so thankful to the Lord for His abundant provision in my life!<br />
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We had a lovely family dinner with my parents, my grandmother and my siblings and their families on Sunday. Then Monday we had a quiet day at home, just the three of us.<br />
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We even got out for a mini family photo shoot! My hubby took some great shots, and I just can't resist sharing a couple of them with you.<br />
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Our family dinner on Sunday was pot-luck style (well actually, my incredible mom did most of the meal). I offered to bring some homemade rolls.<br />
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Now, I have never made homemade bread of any sort before, but I had seen a fun idea for <a href="http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2011/11/thankful-rolls.html" target="_blank">'thankful rolls'</a> on Pinterest and I wanted to try it out! <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJt3nc1LhLDHpDXlW-kfBOmak2wgRCZdnUUxHEtFgZyhJTIEjmTcpkPUo_sX5mDhQhyphenhyphenWNCbTn1LVV4DTgfgec2WQx_5UKm0VHB6G8OUw2cGhhlNac4n4ls4Xv1-HPZAQyz3PzhjCiTSNw/s1600/thankful-rolls-rising.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJt3nc1LhLDHpDXlW-kfBOmak2wgRCZdnUUxHEtFgZyhJTIEjmTcpkPUo_sX5mDhQhyphenhyphenWNCbTn1LVV4DTgfgec2WQx_5UKm0VHB6G8OUw2cGhhlNac4n4ls4Xv1-HPZAQyz3PzhjCiTSNw/s1600/thankful-rolls-rising.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2011/11/thankful-rolls.html" target="_blank">Source: Thankful Rolls from Pinterest via The Girl Who Ate Everything</a></td></tr>
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The idea of the thankful roll is to put a little message inside each roll. The guests at the table get to open their roll and share their message during the meal.<br />
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As the weekend drew closer I was getting a little nervous. What had I signed myself up for? Could I really successfully bake homemade rolls on my first attempt? I wasn't too sure.<br />
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Thankfully I came across a simple (but time consuming - lots of waiting for dough to rise) <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/11/pw_dinner_rolls_-_no_kneading_required/" target="_blank">recipe on Ree Drummond's blog: The Pioneer Woman</a>. I especially liked that it was a 'no kneading required' recipe.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYmyvfNnBciIabaFAeV91u5o_Jbr0b3lVoRurm4eKNng09KAsIENWJ-X_uhDc1huE8vS2RLckGWXoL3bSaeaXDPQE2WjYaOtLJ40BwwbZf9jwKfqk4C-XRjvAO2HsTCYuIJmpZi1tnGI/s1600/PW_rolls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYmyvfNnBciIabaFAeV91u5o_Jbr0b3lVoRurm4eKNng09KAsIENWJ-X_uhDc1huE8vS2RLckGWXoL3bSaeaXDPQE2WjYaOtLJ40BwwbZf9jwKfqk4C-XRjvAO2HsTCYuIJmpZi1tnGI/s1600/PW_rolls.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/11/pw_dinner_rolls_-_no_kneading_required/" target="_blank">Source: The Pioneer Woman Blog - PW Dinner Rolls</a></td></tr>
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I read the recipe over carefully - at least 5 times! There were a few different stages of rising that the dough had to go through, so I wanted to be sure I had it all timed out properly.<br />
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While waiting for dough to rise, I typed out these little pieces to wrap in foil and place in the rolls before baking. My messages were sentences for each person to complete.<br />
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I am happy (and thankful!) to say that my rolls turned out successfully. Thank you Pioneer Woman!<br />
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They were sooo yummy (if I do say so myself!)<br />
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Everyone enjoyed eating them and sharing their thankful thoughts at our meal. Perhaps this could be a new tradition. What are your Thanksgiving meal traditions?<br />
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Check out my <a href="http://thingsthatarepretty.blogspot.ca/p/link-parties.html">Link Parties</a> page to see where I'm linking up this week!<br />
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<br />Heather Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852147906478768563noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680476291303268721.post-31174643936095000482012-10-01T17:58:00.002-07:002012-10-01T18:44:35.538-07:00Fall art tutorial - from failure to successHave you ever had a great idea for a DIY project in your head, then when you go to do it, reality takes over and it just doesn't quite work out how you intended?<br />
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That's what happened to me with this Fall art project. I was about half way through when I realized it <b>was not</b> going to end well. Sigh.<br />
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However, all was not lost. With a bit of tweaking and simplifying, I was able to make it all work out. So, if you will stay with me, I will lead you through my Fall art how-to, from failure to success! <br />
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This all started because my front porch was in need of some Fall-themed wall art. You can check out the spring/summer look of my porch in <a href="http://thingsthatarepretty.blogspot.ca/2012/08/front-porch-reveal.html">this blog post</a> that shows the reno/redecorating of the porch.<br />
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My idea for the wall art was inspired by this image I found on Pinterest (<a href="http://factorydirectcraft.com/factorydirectcraft_blog/burlap-lace-candle/" target="_blank">original source here</a>).<br />
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I love the simple elegance of the lace on burlap. I thought I could capture that look by covering an art canvas with some burlap and spray painting a lacy stencil on it using some doily scrapbook paper I had on hand. </div>
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This project started off well. I even took a nice picture of all the supplies you would need: two small canvases from the dollar store, burlap, scissors, staple gun, white spray paint, and doily scrapbook paper. I did forget to include a utility knife and ruler in the photo.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghntizR5u9Q498Xlm1HK7YeeTbNky_eeNzu7B0sNhZ5Ja8-RoycAeI3ThApPLWyrkB6jfcTr5p_2tJbuSpna8w2W0DuGc5DaCP0_cZDIX3ZH7EN6wvOxyPxfr-do9EHgnJ7JUopea0O1U/s1600/supplies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghntizR5u9Q498Xlm1HK7YeeTbNky_eeNzu7B0sNhZ5Ja8-RoycAeI3ThApPLWyrkB6jfcTr5p_2tJbuSpna8w2W0DuGc5DaCP0_cZDIX3ZH7EN6wvOxyPxfr-do9EHgnJ7JUopea0O1U/s1600/supplies.jpg" /></a></div>
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Using a lightweight staple gun, I covered two small canvases with some burlap I had leftover from my wedding decorations (we had a <a href="http://thingsthatarepretty.blogspot.ca/2011/10/memories-of-harvest-love.html">fall wedding three years ago</a>). </div>
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This part of the project went off without a hitch and looked great (except that I ran out of staples half way through and had to make a trip to The Home Depot).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_zSnXzbQzAmhCtLge6_qeyMJ0qQ18Bn7ubmwulCorDFk_U1HvpbBop9j5dHUF_DnFAcuGPzR7x3kEqWVQVvyGAIhNOyr7sz_biVQndBqW2YN6AEChXo_5Yikhh-e8Av7hpNfC-UJFLM/s1600/burlap_beforejpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_zSnXzbQzAmhCtLge6_qeyMJ0qQ18Bn7ubmwulCorDFk_U1HvpbBop9j5dHUF_DnFAcuGPzR7x3kEqWVQVvyGAIhNOyr7sz_biVQndBqW2YN6AEChXo_5Yikhh-e8Av7hpNfC-UJFLM/s1600/burlap_beforejpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmBei6aTurPj7kflvpBXSsC1SVF8DI6W4_yC64YxlCJt5gLiQK7XGypWNvE4sM5zAnD8KnFyb2n3RWIt9WNuASJPIgYnrjzeBeRTx-kjopzcToucdeyO3pOPQbF3IxFxwet4jhcPgOROQ/s1600/burlap_staple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmBei6aTurPj7kflvpBXSsC1SVF8DI6W4_yC64YxlCJt5gLiQK7XGypWNvE4sM5zAnD8KnFyb2n3RWIt9WNuASJPIgYnrjzeBeRTx-kjopzcToucdeyO3pOPQbF3IxFxwet4jhcPgOROQ/s1600/burlap_staple.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5DgnOAYVD3hWbFlzkF8uIGLN-seOmzAkbmm0I-dLuffvKoSW8ruLO9Yv_A7nurMvmYkKp410WZZelUPcGtsnMEda35jLMpbbEnxhaCWO5Zd8tctGAzdDAzinoGFSv_nUqeHXQ15HB_yU/s1600/burlap_covered.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5DgnOAYVD3hWbFlzkF8uIGLN-seOmzAkbmm0I-dLuffvKoSW8ruLO9Yv_A7nurMvmYkKp410WZZelUPcGtsnMEda35jLMpbbEnxhaCWO5Zd8tctGAzdDAzinoGFSv_nUqeHXQ15HB_yU/s1600/burlap_covered.jpg" /></a></div>
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Then I cut a section of the doily paper. My idea was to use it as a stencil to spray paint onto the burlap. Simple, right? <b>WRONG!</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxUndYK8KPb4vRT5A5gi9WKNPhSeJ_6yTyIQ1mQLMJ_7834X5QoV8Caxi4ynM4oo0_7J4XQpuN_1RniLU8PXN-EnxO0CczfTERDcd80hZvrLVH_4lZoliLm706mGGFpARFLZRTSqAFQI/s1600/cut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxUndYK8KPb4vRT5A5gi9WKNPhSeJ_6yTyIQ1mQLMJ_7834X5QoV8Caxi4ynM4oo0_7J4XQpuN_1RniLU8PXN-EnxO0CczfTERDcd80hZvrLVH_4lZoliLm706mGGFpARFLZRTSqAFQI/s1600/cut.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju7c8-qInakWENQLRhggXej3Pxv6cu2mtpF6ftFBs9q-zEvoCbp8yvBEYMu_rU7m0MF2Zicd-IqONjCJ4GGaJpOZP776n7llnJj401XE4MHWy3CmRNIBDIjZK63308CIlFh5l-akh8wXw/s1600/testpiece.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju7c8-qInakWENQLRhggXej3Pxv6cu2mtpF6ftFBs9q-zEvoCbp8yvBEYMu_rU7m0MF2Zicd-IqONjCJ4GGaJpOZP776n7llnJj401XE4MHWy3CmRNIBDIjZK63308CIlFh5l-akh8wXw/s1600/testpiece.jpg" /></a></div>
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This is where it all fell apart. <b>Spray paint on loosely woven burlap is not a good idea</b>. </div>
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Luckily, I was smart enough to do a test piece first before actually spraying my burlap-covered canvas. The burlap was too porous and sucked up the paint. A lot of the detail was lost. </div>
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This wasn't quite the look I was going for.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji60YuhHoq4SK-BKREFuoe4Bdu1nsiXy_s1_S__0aVJRSFhxtx6arCE82KaOR7TPeS-5R8eSR0C_xnQM6Y-da2qPcVJ2Myf_-OD0k_ekKC-g7Li6FITuf8JzvYzf_fNwsU1SUHdsMdlw4/s1600/testpiece_after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji60YuhHoq4SK-BKREFuoe4Bdu1nsiXy_s1_S__0aVJRSFhxtx6arCE82KaOR7TPeS-5R8eSR0C_xnQM6Y-da2qPcVJ2Myf_-OD0k_ekKC-g7Li6FITuf8JzvYzf_fNwsU1SUHdsMdlw4/s1600/testpiece_after.jpg" /></a></div>
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So to salvage the project, I decided to simplify things and just use actual lace and ribbon like in the Pinterest photo. I dug into my box of ribbon remnants and came up with these pieces.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4l01pMOqjRzGjA22VXfuU264ZSRoHw1MsxycRur1EwE3vl4-jwDyGLkkYBuyrUAfcGbEhCEnvqxi12ScI9gILAkppdG9MdOdLAkgUOkCGBDjqILeIhXVzwh87P2qzLxG1XFb-j_NbDbU/s1600/burlap_ribbon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4l01pMOqjRzGjA22VXfuU264ZSRoHw1MsxycRur1EwE3vl4-jwDyGLkkYBuyrUAfcGbEhCEnvqxi12ScI9gILAkppdG9MdOdLAkgUOkCGBDjqILeIhXVzwh87P2qzLxG1XFb-j_NbDbU/s1600/burlap_ribbon.jpg" /></a></div>
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I used the staple gun to attach the lace and ribbon at the back of the canvas. Here are the finished products.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwHtulhxDoYS3VENPPpMGwDUCCm_CSIveXpb2NRoFlnbGJMM-Ua0FxkOnPbVF5pSrfS3S8vsAkJaiJcOV_0Djn9vhcLtgAwvw2TyzWXpX1BEpL8vNfySYgZu37zAfdkjF8wCB_z0dh8g/s1600/art_finished.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwHtulhxDoYS3VENPPpMGwDUCCm_CSIveXpb2NRoFlnbGJMM-Ua0FxkOnPbVF5pSrfS3S8vsAkJaiJcOV_0Djn9vhcLtgAwvw2TyzWXpX1BEpL8vNfySYgZu37zAfdkjF8wCB_z0dh8g/s1600/art_finished.jpg" /></a></div>
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And here is how the art looks in my front porch. I used the same nails that my round black and white wall art usually hangs on.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1_S1ib_uQPaP_CaEVqjVOjXn7Im1z7_wB077zBtQ4KHovgsVWboTznCtxWg4X6mVMI7VK-c9dxIB6pjJmxtWS07j-ED9hqt6cwwqbFCptxReZ9QzWYi0DD0tYGWlIsMP_0JNDZ6v6PM/s1600/full_finished.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1_S1ib_uQPaP_CaEVqjVOjXn7Im1z7_wB077zBtQ4KHovgsVWboTznCtxWg4X6mVMI7VK-c9dxIB6pjJmxtWS07j-ED9hqt6cwwqbFCptxReZ9QzWYi0DD0tYGWlIsMP_0JNDZ6v6PM/s1600/full_finished.jpg" /></a></div>
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Here is a shot of my Fall display below the art. I added some lace and burlap to tie it all together.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4RR2QWP6i-_Np9Lpc4VllbRgBCjSuPNQPvAVbRXw76b_bgLyUDIstmzMedf2WmzjQ_1SGla5n_TddEbor-rBbxpfA4GLSTI3RynMSmXRCR_EwF84qFqPbwzjyB6_AotQgtZ51GuWDUk/s1600/table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4RR2QWP6i-_Np9Lpc4VllbRgBCjSuPNQPvAVbRXw76b_bgLyUDIstmzMedf2WmzjQ_1SGla5n_TddEbor-rBbxpfA4GLSTI3RynMSmXRCR_EwF84qFqPbwzjyB6_AotQgtZ51GuWDUk/s1600/table.jpg" /></a></div>
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Even though my original idea didn't work out, I love it when I can work an idea through and come up with a revised solution. </div>
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The best part? The finished product was actually easier to do than my original plan!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwHtulhxDoYS3VENPPpMGwDUCCm_CSIveXpb2NRoFlnbGJMM-Ua0FxkOnPbVF5pSrfS3S8vsAkJaiJcOV_0Djn9vhcLtgAwvw2TyzWXpX1BEpL8vNfySYgZu37zAfdkjF8wCB_z0dh8g/s1600/art_finished.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwHtulhxDoYS3VENPPpMGwDUCCm_CSIveXpb2NRoFlnbGJMM-Ua0FxkOnPbVF5pSrfS3S8vsAkJaiJcOV_0Djn9vhcLtgAwvw2TyzWXpX1BEpL8vNfySYgZu37zAfdkjF8wCB_z0dh8g/s1600/art_finished.jpg" /></a></div>
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I'm linking up with <a href="http://thingsthatarepretty.blogspot.ca/p/link-ups.html">these great parties</a> this week. Be sure to check them out!</div>
Heather Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852147906478768563noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680476291303268721.post-10757966843137930522012-09-26T17:03:00.001-07:002012-09-28T10:51:57.354-07:00Fall decor and a free printableAs I'm sure I have written before, Fall is my favourite season. There is something about the cool crisp air, the changing leaves, the warm, yummy tastes and smells (hello Pumpkin Spice Latte!) that hold such anticipation and promise.<br />
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Now that Fall has officially arrived, I have my decor all set up. Just in time it seems! Our Canadian Thanksgiving seems so much earlier this year -<b> only a week and a half way</b>!<br />
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I have been inspired by all of the fall mantels I've seen on other blogs and on Pinterest boards this season, so I thought I would try my hand at the 'layering' technique that everyone is using.<br />
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I didn't want to buy a lot of new decor, so I stuck with what I had on hand. That being said, my layering probably isn't as good as it could have been, but it was fun getting creative with what I already had in the house!<br />
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We don't have a mantel, but we do have a nice sideboard in our dining room and that works just as well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFGXCpKFSUJwktcUsLpMEPfBPVmA5k-pHnLt3BEyT0CRZXQEUZv6KEa47q3In26hyphenhyphenLi-WBnxIEQk8t4A2-tWX8SiZ7K9EuPHvtqNOf8dYDl-R7UUlMGwCzdDDKY84EzlG82c_Tzy3mqg/s1600/_MG_7046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFGXCpKFSUJwktcUsLpMEPfBPVmA5k-pHnLt3BEyT0CRZXQEUZv6KEa47q3In26hyphenhyphenLi-WBnxIEQk8t4A2-tWX8SiZ7K9EuPHvtqNOf8dYDl-R7UUlMGwCzdDDKY84EzlG82c_Tzy3mqg/s1600/_MG_7046.jpg" /></a></div>
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Now you are probably asking, is that a wedding photo in the display??? Well, yes. Yes it is.<br />
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My husband and I were married on Thanksgiving weekend three years ago (<a href="http://thingsthatarepretty.blogspot.ca/2011/10/memories-of-harvest-love.html">there is a blog post about it here</a>). So I thought the photo was fitting, plus it helped out with the layering.<br />
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The smaller frame on the left was a shower gift. It holds the verses about love from 1 Corinthians 13 in the Bible.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmaI9gbnoX_ezTYIr7JtjM5rgNs1vXCBaX3j6BjT3n812j19CMTVVHZdxAWE1VtvL1WI9ARExG9CFdiBUEYE9Ugu2B1MpzbgyirsMbrvwCjz55iKrGcUXqdGLRajb-FIp3FihHHLlrSg0/s1600/_MG_7058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmaI9gbnoX_ezTYIr7JtjM5rgNs1vXCBaX3j6BjT3n812j19CMTVVHZdxAWE1VtvL1WI9ARExG9CFdiBUEYE9Ugu2B1MpzbgyirsMbrvwCjz55iKrGcUXqdGLRajb-FIp3FihHHLlrSg0/s1600/_MG_7058.jpg" /></a></div>
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The lady who gave us this gift is a talented calligrapher and wrote this out <b>BY HAND</b>! It is unbelievable when you look at it up close, it is so perfect it looks like a computer font. <b>WOW</b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVV64DMfp1h5fkiTye6UIc9qnoccNUjAuQFCUhnhCDmdsV4h_IGIBltTbPYyfWFKTWtNdfOCKwjE-l27KCo1EBtznU27HHmSHebUIdmhz87aErD7fI9fYc6K2gXk8_On8FnOs7nfSH2A/s1600/_MG_7061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVV64DMfp1h5fkiTye6UIc9qnoccNUjAuQFCUhnhCDmdsV4h_IGIBltTbPYyfWFKTWtNdfOCKwjE-l27KCo1EBtznU27HHmSHebUIdmhz87aErD7fI9fYc6K2gXk8_On8FnOs7nfSH2A/s640/_MG_7061.jpg" width="473" /></a></div>
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The white frame on the right was originally brass and purchased for 10 cents at a yard sale. A couple coats of spray paint and <b>tada! </b>Funky vingtage picture frame.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2e8XB9SDXmBCjTCGZ4aPYgNYV-PFKYEZBIEyLr08eMoChAVbnxhaMFTVrn4l4-6qkgUfwTl0Gb4u_h0dfXVrpAKQM99rKSG7UrtiqU8Ox8Oh82ToDthO1QdZNA7nSeQYSjc5Sy4Abog/s1600/_MG_7055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2e8XB9SDXmBCjTCGZ4aPYgNYV-PFKYEZBIEyLr08eMoChAVbnxhaMFTVrn4l4-6qkgUfwTl0Gb4u_h0dfXVrpAKQM99rKSG7UrtiqU8Ox8Oh82ToDthO1QdZNA7nSeQYSjc5Sy4Abog/s1600/_MG_7055.jpg" /></a></div>
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Now check out the artwork in the picture frame. This is my first attempt at a <b>free printable</b> for all of my lovely readers! <b>That's you!</b><br />
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Follow the link at the end of the post and you can download it for <b>FREE</b>! Don't you just love free stuff? I know I do! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyM0OP0lqrDOM_makwQskM53zX5G0IQV8UE6_tbtmugXoOMuIq34zNWXNiijA1RUHpjJaG41eBV1bUQzFdVf3mmjAi_pNujAZKbP7uXYUnxDjf0Ln_2WwyKOhqNlI77oH6uXAsG4Lo8y8/s1600/_MG_7050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyM0OP0lqrDOM_makwQskM53zX5G0IQV8UE6_tbtmugXoOMuIq34zNWXNiijA1RUHpjJaG41eBV1bUQzFdVf3mmjAi_pNujAZKbP7uXYUnxDjf0Ln_2WwyKOhqNlI77oH6uXAsG4Lo8y8/s1600/_MG_7050.jpg" /></a></div>
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I gave the candles some height by using glass dessert bowls from my kitchen cupboard. I placed one candle on top of and the other inside of a dish.<br />
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The dried bouquet is actually my wedding bouquet! You can see what it looked like on my wedding day at the same <a href="http://thingsthatarepretty.blogspot.ca/2011/10/memories-of-harvest-love.html">blog post</a> mentioned above.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-UGqPYAM8qnS2DLLXaQUChgALM75MoSg6eVja9Z5I_evEDh631tR4xQsPaA1CNi5pa6FaPnCzlu0rkrASSx6smt5y3d027_L9eu7JmIZRUgwcZtpy9sCDq4ppRnGH6Wj29m0B641sXg/s1600/_MG_7056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-UGqPYAM8qnS2DLLXaQUChgALM75MoSg6eVja9Z5I_evEDh631tR4xQsPaA1CNi5pa6FaPnCzlu0rkrASSx6smt5y3d027_L9eu7JmIZRUgwcZtpy9sCDq4ppRnGH6Wj29m0B641sXg/s1600/_MG_7056.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzSSKncT3KLrnMfG1TtZ9USff0my5OjhsqFD0IpEwpG3EACEwZZ7QuRdFXqeXmN0_U0dQ86sA9ZdPcdDkjnDNhsNI4jVsXUyA1QnuYbK9rqqNQnia4DaCg9JHK007MpuvRXT5xSxR2Nhc/s1600/_MG_7069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzSSKncT3KLrnMfG1TtZ9USff0my5OjhsqFD0IpEwpG3EACEwZZ7QuRdFXqeXmN0_U0dQ86sA9ZdPcdDkjnDNhsNI4jVsXUyA1QnuYbK9rqqNQnia4DaCg9JHK007MpuvRXT5xSxR2Nhc/s1600/_MG_7069.jpg" /></a></div>
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The lantern I picked up this summer at the thrift store. It usually lives in our front porch, but I thought it worked well inside for this display.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD0YjJk9SfZ8GoZlMRfzXxtu1RS_7cnLGz2sRY6CIp76C-BMDf3oztBzTXPjgrtHNiodcnqZWmyxlXUcNA5nWlHb5uO0G5uf5GW1kWv9AhkMVJUyV_VIZAvPxOXCvNQehzaFe87g1sexE/s1600/_MG_7075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD0YjJk9SfZ8GoZlMRfzXxtu1RS_7cnLGz2sRY6CIp76C-BMDf3oztBzTXPjgrtHNiodcnqZWmyxlXUcNA5nWlHb5uO0G5uf5GW1kWv9AhkMVJUyV_VIZAvPxOXCvNQehzaFe87g1sexE/s1600/_MG_7075.jpg" /></a></div>
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The white mini pumpkins I did purchase this year at the supermarket, but they were just 50 cents each, not a big expense.<br />
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So, what do you think? Was my first attempt at layering a success? Any suggestions? <b></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFGXCpKFSUJwktcUsLpMEPfBPVmA5k-pHnLt3BEyT0CRZXQEUZv6KEa47q3In26hyphenhyphenLi-WBnxIEQk8t4A2-tWX8SiZ7K9EuPHvtqNOf8dYDl-R7UUlMGwCzdDDKY84EzlG82c_Tzy3mqg/s1600/_MG_7046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFGXCpKFSUJwktcUsLpMEPfBPVmA5k-pHnLt3BEyT0CRZXQEUZv6KEa47q3In26hyphenhyphenLi-WBnxIEQk8t4A2-tWX8SiZ7K9EuPHvtqNOf8dYDl-R7UUlMGwCzdDDKY84EzlG82c_Tzy3mqg/s1600/_MG_7046.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Don't forget to download your free printable!</b> It's available in two sizes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7q1tVGASQzTmsNPtnAgkLCpP234-XxQBmud6VOTzxBsXhJ4xGll3OdlsXszZZvGCcBFdzzP-d0tojom1qOw37r7fYFk-Rvka-DiILokb6sSI_uAYLvT8q7y__CZoCR9mKE-Kg3QVpLZY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-09-26+at+7.58.04+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7q1tVGASQzTmsNPtnAgkLCpP234-XxQBmud6VOTzxBsXhJ4xGll3OdlsXszZZvGCcBFdzzP-d0tojom1qOw37r7fYFk-Rvka-DiILokb6sSI_uAYLvT8q7y__CZoCR9mKE-Kg3QVpLZY/s400/Screen+Shot+2012-09-26+at+7.58.04+PM.png" width="283" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Bxtz5IzjRL2BVFkxVEEzcHVoMTg" onclick="recordOutboundLink(this, 'Outbound Links', 'downloads/eph-fall_5x7');return false;" target="_blank">Download 5x7</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Bxtz5IzjRL2BbllycUl6bnk3Slk" onclick="recordOutboundLink(this, 'Outbound Links', 'downloads/eph-fall_8x10');return false;" target="_blank">Download 8x10</a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Note about downloading:</b> This links to a Google Doc. <br />When it opens, click on 'File' in the top left, then 'Download' in the drop down menu.</span><br />
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I'm linking up with these great <a href="http://thingsthatarepretty.blogspot.ca/p/link-ups.html">link parties</a> this week as well as <a href="http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2012/09/autumn-mantels-link-party/" target="_blank">Centsational Girl's Autumn Mantel Link Party</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Heather Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852147906478768563noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680476291303268721.post-30369422582624650162012-09-18T18:54:00.001-07:002012-09-20T11:49:33.318-07:00Phone shelf update with vintage jar organizerWe keep our phone, pens, sticky notes and other odds and sods on one of the shelves on our ladder shelf in our eating area off of the kitchen. It was a boring little shelf with our pens et all being held in a tired-looking black desk organizer that I'm sure came from the dollar store eons ago. It had been bothering me for awhile, but I just hadn't gotten around to doing anything about it.<br />
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Here are the "before shots". <br />
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Notice the black book on the left?
That is my address book that has got to be about 15 years old AT LEAST.
It is soooo out of date, I'm not even sure why I still have it. As you will
soon find out, it DID NOT make it into the update! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEips7Vw3a6SWG-jfxjNN5c5V-ww3wVGV0kfvjeFmYEI22qQzFFMTzFKUWKAbg-spO3v0Xr4TXLiQcJCAwWZxEz7PevOJJrMPuHOaTkXzXUj0ht3XL2-4tJVV_sD2riqrFcef0o7hbs4gx0/s1600/before1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEips7Vw3a6SWG-jfxjNN5c5V-ww3wVGV0kfvjeFmYEI22qQzFFMTzFKUWKAbg-spO3v0Xr4TXLiQcJCAwWZxEz7PevOJJrMPuHOaTkXzXUj0ht3XL2-4tJVV_sD2riqrFcef0o7hbs4gx0/s640/before1" width="520" /></a><br />
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I had this charming vintage, coloured-glass jar that I picked up at a
thrift store (you can read about other coloured glass pieces I've collected <a href="http://thingsthatarepretty.blogspot.ca/2012/06/coloured-glass.html">here).</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZUWSCRRX6ia0-UiXuifzsGOH5aAPiEefY_yw5aI_90H2GK8uDFtpUp2e47eL2sgmeT7r91-MSUl_I16HLeXI1MXoB5EOinhAPyaljoTVje8LG9kDaKO5zY5ax_IINUstrLEtq56wgC4/s1600/jar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZUWSCRRX6ia0-UiXuifzsGOH5aAPiEefY_yw5aI_90H2GK8uDFtpUp2e47eL2sgmeT7r91-MSUl_I16HLeXI1MXoB5EOinhAPyaljoTVje8LG9kDaKO5zY5ax_IINUstrLEtq56wgC4/s640/jar.jpg" width="535" /></a></div>
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I thought it would be PERFECT to store the pens etc. And it is! See?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6pYJVKIEqeBErs-f1mikaGxwJRrNaxODha4z772TJjGiiCoTrTz0e23-u5omSfjUrwZWHUHe9BwA_nEZTCseJMQb58hRE8Q9jDaET5M3uyEf5ZHde0qFQlOceq0XhjNUlVLIIvZ6HGQc/s1600/jar_after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="693" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6pYJVKIEqeBErs-f1mikaGxwJRrNaxODha4z772TJjGiiCoTrTz0e23-u5omSfjUrwZWHUHe9BwA_nEZTCseJMQb58hRE8Q9jDaET5M3uyEf5ZHde0qFQlOceq0XhjNUlVLIIvZ6HGQc/s640/jar_after.jpg" width="520" /></a></div>
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The wire handle holds the sticky notes just right and the lid
works to store my clips. Did you notice the nicely coloured pens in the jar? A
re-organized pen jar calls for some fancy pens! I dug them out of my
craft area. I will get more use out of them on the shelf here than
stuffed away in a drawer in the basement!<br />
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Here is the finished shelf (clearly my other shelves now need work).<br />
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Did you notice my addition? I wanted to add a little something extra
to the shelf besides the phone and a jar for pens. I had some little
vintage books that I'd picked up at a thrift store a long time ago
(these were also stuffed away in the basement). They are the perfect
size and the red adds a little pop of colour. They are very beautiful OLD books and I think I will have to do another post about them someday soon. One of them is a New Testament from 1921!<br />
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In order to make them
stand on their own, I fashioned myself some homemade book ends out of a
cardboard box I salvaged from the recycle bin.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO_y_geTywtmHoHV6TiVqA-d9pkBkmnjRTrwIWdq55WTlQlPETp_prog-xFcRMI31laUSA0cjT_UPv4_LIJjFTmaZDbcVNF8XpA3U_Atfou3WptPFeDDKRqzc6NGZGMEgQ0ZYLfwBmnSs/s1600/bookend1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO_y_geTywtmHoHV6TiVqA-d9pkBkmnjRTrwIWdq55WTlQlPETp_prog-xFcRMI31laUSA0cjT_UPv4_LIJjFTmaZDbcVNF8XpA3U_Atfou3WptPFeDDKRqzc6NGZGMEgQ0ZYLfwBmnSs/s400/bookend1.jpg" width="340" /></a></div>
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I cut
out one corner of the box and cut it in half lengthwise.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9ME0P9nBLof7DSQZySaG30Z9pP3CM4HvsuyFVIk7nPJuRTb5Sx8Wwpow1BReSH1I2gQopT_RhRXg3MgE_K_l20Ck51p4vCp56cZrK55hu1-S_VRWc8vp_dU5cg-m_oYKy6giFfLOiME/s1600/bookend3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9ME0P9nBLof7DSQZySaG30Z9pP3CM4HvsuyFVIk7nPJuRTb5Sx8Wwpow1BReSH1I2gQopT_RhRXg3MgE_K_l20Ck51p4vCp56cZrK55hu1-S_VRWc8vp_dU5cg-m_oYKy6giFfLOiME/s400/bookend3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I taped the two pieces together to fit the width of my book stack, and
VOILA! The perfect book ends. I hid the cardboard inside the covers of the two
end books, so they aren't visible from the front or sides.<br />
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<a href="http://thingsthatarepretty.blogspot.ca/2012/06/coloured-glass.html"></a>
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What do you think? Was the shelf update a success? I am happy to be putting to use some items that were just sitting around not doing anything.<br />
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*My apoligies that my photos aren't the best, it was dark outside when I took these shots so the lighting wasn't the greatest.<br />
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Check out my <a href="http://thingsthatarepretty.blogspot.ca/p/link-ups.html">Link ups page</a> to see who I'm linking up with this week!Heather Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852147906478768563noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680476291303268721.post-82010704446853984702012-09-16T17:01:00.001-07:002012-09-16T17:01:33.338-07:00Vintage charm in a boxOn my most recent visit to my parents' place, (side note - they still live in the house that I grew up in and it's even the house where my mom grew up - talk about family history!) I was in the kitchen with my mom when she pulled out her recipe box and sighed "look at this mess!" She was referring to her overstuffed, disorganized recipe box. The age of searching for recipes online and printing them out on letter-sized paper has wreaked havoc on recipe boxes everywhere! Can anyone relate to this?<br />
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But that's not really the point of this blog post. She continued on and commented that she had had this particular recipe box since she was a young girl in 4-H club. I did the math and we're talking almost 50 years here - now that's vintage! (just the box, not my mother.) It's the only recipe box I've ever known my mom to have and I remember it well. Now, having a love for things of a vintage nature I have a new appreciation for this little metal box that I've seen all my life. It is so perfectly 60's and full of retro charm. I'm so glad she kept it all these years! It was definitely worthy of a mini photoshoot, so I emptied out its disheveled contents to capture all its angles.<br />
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Now if I would just organize all my mother's recipes for her, I just might become her favourite daughter...just kidding, my mom would never play favourites. But perhaps recipe organization is a subject for a future post.<br />
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Heather Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852147906478768563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680476291303268721.post-5041660591964096572012-09-11T21:04:00.001-07:002012-09-13T16:09:16.390-07:00All buttoned upA couple of weeks ago I wrote about the cute buttons I found (<a href="http://thingsthatarepretty.blogspot.ca/2012/08/cute-as-button.html" target="_blank">read about it here</a>). I had my first opportunity to put them to use this past weekend. My niece turned three and we got together with family to celebrate. Here is how I wrapped her gift. <br />
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I love how the green buttons match the green polka dots in the wrapping
paper and just make it POP! What a happy coincidence - I had this paper
on hand already.<br />
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No sewing required here. I just threaded the green ribbon through the button holes with a needle.<br />
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The little frill on the edge of the purple ribbon gives it a bit of extra girliness.<br />
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With a name like this, how could I not make a flower out of buttons?<br />
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I thought about pulling out my glue gun for decorating the envelope, but I went the quick and dirty route and just used double-sided tape. It worked out just fine and dandy.<br />
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So much fun to be had with a bit of ribbon and a few colourful buttons!<br />
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Check out my <a href="http://thingsthatarepretty.blogspot.ca/p/link-ups.html" target="">Link ups page</a> to see where I'm linking up each week. <br />
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Heather Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852147906478768563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680476291303268721.post-1502013892883392872012-09-07T10:23:00.002-07:002012-09-07T11:27:27.775-07:00Fantastic fabric<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am so excited! I ordered some fabric online last week and it has come in the mail. Don't you just love getting packages in the mail? I know I do!<br />
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I have been searching for the perfect accent pillows for our living room sofa for awhile now, but I just couldn't seem to find ones that were 'just right'. So I thought maybe I should attempt to make my own pillow covers. I went to the local fabric shop, but again, didn't see anything that I LOVED.<br />
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Then I found out about this great online fabric shop <a href="http://www.tonicliving.com/" target="_blank">Tonic Living</a> from reading <a href="http://akadesign.ca/?p=4425" target="_blank">this post </a>by <a href="http://www.akadesign.ca/" target="_blank">{aka} design</a>. I fell in love with sooo many fabrics after checking out their site - you should take a look!<br />
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So here is what I decided on. It's called "Gazebo, Cloud". The colours are perfect and I love the water colour kind of look the pattern has. <br />
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The fun thing about Tonic Living is that you can order fabric samples for just a $1 each. So in addition to my 2 yards of fabric, I also ordered some fun samples of the other patterns I loved. The samples vary in size, but they are all around 8 inches square more or less. I'm not sure what I will do with them yet, but I think they will come in handy with future craft/DIY projects. Aren't these patterns so great?<br />
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So now I'm off to sew some pillow covers. Fingers crossed that they turn out well (my sewing skills are limited)! Stay tuned for a post about my finished pillows!Heather Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852147906478768563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680476291303268721.post-11354838657566719132012-09-04T19:34:00.003-07:002012-09-09T16:49:33.354-07:00Chalkboard update and fancy chalkI nabbed this cute little chalkboard at a yard sale this summer for only a dollar. The price was right, but a makeover was definitely in order. Here's a photo of the before (well, it's partway through its makeover, I
got excited and forgot to take a true 'before' photo, but you get the
idea).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxSvV8Z1whLmlP6c91k-GEV3V9PW9fc3WieD-z4q1yRQwTMjnwYOpV5Yp4XDIWtK3eyxm3aRXCuwxCVnA8mJOvXF7QElOJQFvcDaJyZ2OUFmIDu0MCeqhFBk2u__rVU1Tap_Anm5IiPNo/s1600/chalkboard_before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxSvV8Z1whLmlP6c91k-GEV3V9PW9fc3WieD-z4q1yRQwTMjnwYOpV5Yp4XDIWtK3eyxm3aRXCuwxCVnA8mJOvXF7QElOJQFvcDaJyZ2OUFmIDu0MCeqhFBk2u__rVU1Tap_Anm5IiPNo/s640/chalkboard_before.jpg" width="476" /></a></div>
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The natural wood look wasn't doing it for me – a little too folk artsy. At one point in its life, I bet that little knob at the top had a pair of wooden folk art hearts hanging from it by a piece of twine... I knew right away that it needed an update.<br />
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Here is the finished product after I painted it white, repainted the chalkboard area and scuffed it up the frame a bit to give it an aged/distressed feel.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKeB9M2Lr1uQ8trP2zkf1RK7a01HIcTNEbq1Pbi3GFIX-ANyT3YI74mNHM0boQseadEl4U1cIRRMMMm5yHt5gs-s63CQHs6CgsD_wnrKsPJQ8HCjJ_h0qkfm9jEVWoLQEklLjgP2CMso/s1600/chalkboard2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKeB9M2Lr1uQ8trP2zkf1RK7a01HIcTNEbq1Pbi3GFIX-ANyT3YI74mNHM0boQseadEl4U1cIRRMMMm5yHt5gs-s63CQHs6CgsD_wnrKsPJQ8HCjJ_h0qkfm9jEVWoLQEklLjgP2CMso/s640/chalkboard2.jpg" width="476" /></a></div>
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I had these little clips just sitting in my 'office stuff' box, so I decided to use one on the board to give it a bit more functionality.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVOlhrndXJdlVnhiblTI-dt3I_Fk6dY3snQDBpqhp-ebIbjZ4YB-WTWoLqGiGIVOGXdlQCts7UklroU5CcyFdNCWoJZDYp1S02qLKzWjX5wwO26WHWq9rdmH4yqwm6vJW_ddpz_ho-t8/s1600/clip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVOlhrndXJdlVnhiblTI-dt3I_Fk6dY3snQDBpqhp-ebIbjZ4YB-WTWoLqGiGIVOGXdlQCts7UklroU5CcyFdNCWoJZDYp1S02qLKzWjX5wwO26WHWq9rdmH4yqwm6vJW_ddpz_ho-t8/s400/clip.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here is the finished product. The clip is attached to the little knob on the board with a scrap piece of fabric and I added a coordinating decorative brad to the clip just to make it extra cute! The final piece has kind of a vintage country look to it, much better than the original folk art look.<br />
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Right now I am using it as a birthday calendar and I can clip coupons to it that I will use when gift shopping.<br />
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A new chalkboard deserves a good box of chalk, right? I had my eye on the 4-pack of nicely sharpened chalk from Martha Stewart's office supply line at Staples. But I couldn't bring myself to pay $4 for 4 pieces of chalk! (Sorry Martha.) I opted for the 12-pack of Crayola chalk instead – it was only 95 cents. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkY7Cjnp195V13BtYuS6uOguzLHZ9cqJPQl0ZaDLjc0tpoBah_ulp7nYl4pPJMlpVzbLGTAzoESjMx2W652m_T3ylkLNRnETVhzMbTXe3N1yY-EId3CxXiUQC8KrlqdYRDANPfAzsL9X8/s1600/chalk1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkY7Cjnp195V13BtYuS6uOguzLHZ9cqJPQl0ZaDLjc0tpoBah_ulp7nYl4pPJMlpVzbLGTAzoESjMx2W652m_T3ylkLNRnETVhzMbTXe3N1yY-EId3CxXiUQC8KrlqdYRDANPfAzsL9X8/s400/chalk1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I thought to myself, if Martha can sharpen chalk, surely I must be able
to as well. So I tried it out when I got home and it worked out
perfectly! Who knew? I'm so pleased with my lovely sharpened chalk that I got for a fraction of the price.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by and checking out my new chalkboard and fancy sharpened chalk!<br />
<br />
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Heather Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852147906478768563noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680476291303268721.post-37336749529409814262012-08-31T09:27:00.001-07:002012-09-01T03:38:15.590-07:00Cute as a buttonI just love buttons! Are they not the cutest little pieces of plastic you've ever seen? I was so excited to find these precious little jars of buttons in the bargain bin at Michael's craft store. Only $1.50 each – I couldn't pass them up!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZ7fgkkTmekcAkSxEjeJdByaY0pFLHoh7_SNMvKcz9yYit9NH_9dQ3Edh_-3pWG_r7VB-16K1eradTKWhL4XGOA33cBsxFvdF1y3LgsKGA6RNZAg6wBPPK4vl50WeNdfhHbPeFI6kDz8/s1600/photo+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZ7fgkkTmekcAkSxEjeJdByaY0pFLHoh7_SNMvKcz9yYit9NH_9dQ3Edh_-3pWG_r7VB-16K1eradTKWhL4XGOA33cBsxFvdF1y3LgsKGA6RNZAg6wBPPK4vl50WeNdfhHbPeFI6kDz8/s400/photo+2.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div>
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And look how cute the lids are – sigh. Attach a little tag to the ribbon or a label to the jar and they would be perfect parting gifts for a crafting party. Or a little gift for anyone, just because.</div>
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I love that there are all different sizes in each jar. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25mHU2PDfxr5rwC7J_9TVJzZa6pws96nYRnNx2Gu6tA_u0ZEe2CdH8D7yB_trrTHxL-mHPHG8ZURcqrFlCNs-891rvZZWQo8jvM0McZ-ZgIc-th8Pe20NOiwJQDVVYLux6xJ2VPY5Qt8/s1600/photo+5_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25mHU2PDfxr5rwC7J_9TVJzZa6pws96nYRnNx2Gu6tA_u0ZEe2CdH8D7yB_trrTHxL-mHPHG8ZURcqrFlCNs-891rvZZWQo8jvM0McZ-ZgIc-th8Pe20NOiwJQDVVYLux6xJ2VPY5Qt8/s400/photo+5_sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now, what am I going to do will all these little buttons? I have some ideas. Here is just a bit of inspiration I found from other bloggers. <br />
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<a href="http://www.thelittlehomewarescompany.com.au/store/pc/The-Gallery-d2.htm" target="_blank">The Little Housewares Company</a> gives this idea for re-purposing buttons as part of gift wrap.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSPNiAOF75BcmNI1i8ja58m0j56rQE95sVCqFtMzHdEk8sTb8F53eVpXxqeoQmdH0d9ZxX7GSh1fmoRz-xf0UQv1_j9l4H2Jac51howuE3Tk6ilVy1UjAR5jd52lIlo3zyZT2mwh-ISVo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-08-31+at+11.20.09+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSPNiAOF75BcmNI1i8ja58m0j56rQE95sVCqFtMzHdEk8sTb8F53eVpXxqeoQmdH0d9ZxX7GSh1fmoRz-xf0UQv1_j9l4H2Jac51howuE3Tk6ilVy1UjAR5jd52lIlo3zyZT2mwh-ISVo/s400/Screen+Shot+2012-08-31+at+11.20.09+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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And Lauryn at <a href="http://lovenotesbylauryn.blogspot.ca/2012/03/20-button-diys.html" target="_blank">Love Notes by Lauryn </a>has a whole <a href="http://lovenotesbylauryn.blogspot.ca/2012/03/20-button-diys.html" target="_blank">blog post of button DIYs</a>. I love these two ideas of hers below. So pretty and lovely and cute!<br />
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I think I need to start a button collection. I would love to collect some pretty, vintage buttons as well as some more cute, coloured ones. This will require figuring out a way to store and organize my collection. I love a good storage/organization project! </div>
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What are your ideas for using buttons? Do you have a button collection? What is your favourite way to organize and store them?</div>
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<br />Heather Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852147906478768563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680476291303268721.post-15515525773832173322012-08-28T17:40:00.000-07:002012-08-30T13:11:07.348-07:00Front porch revealWell at long last, I'm finally ready to reveal our porch makeover!<br />
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When
we moved into our house just over two years ago, the front porch was,
you could say, less than inviting. When house hunting, we almost didn't
even go view the house because of the porch photos we saw online. It
was basically a pine and plywood box and didn't exactly scream 'Home Sweet Home' if
you know what I mean.<br />
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Here are a few shots of the
original porch in all its glory. Check out the LOVELY Christmas wreath
(it came with the house and we got possession in June!) and the charming
(cough!) wooden mailbox – as if there wasn't enough wood going on already!<br />
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We decided that even though untreated pine wasn't our thing, the wainscoting and trim did have some potential. So we (okay, mostly my hubby) when to work with some paint and new black fixtures and ended up with this. Definitely an improvement. Bright and cheery. No more pine box.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi3NnWJfKDeKA1kdJJX4Iv5glJgMuaccbdoELbiBQSxJUvQlcr-GWiJs1n7hH7MC_Yh8n5g3nQ1s-JbzHjwKpDOALthNwdGlOXoDHueOtcSK3MBKtKZeobwhvXqF3iLlvpZJ6JszvgvLg/s1600/PorchPaintedFull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi3NnWJfKDeKA1kdJJX4Iv5glJgMuaccbdoELbiBQSxJUvQlcr-GWiJs1n7hH7MC_Yh8n5g3nQ1s-JbzHjwKpDOALthNwdGlOXoDHueOtcSK3MBKtKZeobwhvXqF3iLlvpZJ6JszvgvLg/s400/PorchPaintedFull.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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And the above is how it sat for nearly two years. Nicely painted, yet lacking in charm and character. This spring/summer I finally got around to hunting down just the right décor pieces to achieve the look I wanted. It involved scouring several garage sales and making numerous trips to the thrift store, but I did it! Here is how it looks now.<br />
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You can read about the <a href="http://thingsthatarepretty.blogspot.ca/2012/08/porch-chair-makeover.html" target="_blank">chair makeover</a> and <a href="http://thingsthatarepretty.blogspot.ca/2012/08/simple-wall-art.html" target="_blank">DIY wall art</a> in previous posts. I had fun with these projects and I think they give the porch a personal touch.<br />
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Everything on this table (and even the table – which I painted white) came from a thrift store, dollar store or garage sale. I love a goooood bargain!<br />
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I adore this little tea light lantern with coloured glass. I considered spray painting it black, but I just loved the aged patina too much. What do you think, did I make the right decision in not painting it?<br />
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I am happy with the doormat I purchased for only $12 at The Home Depot.<br />
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There is a little story to go with this doormat. I looked around so many stores and finally found this one on The Home Depot's website. The site said it was in stock at the store, but I had looked and it definitely wasn't there. So I went back to the store again and this time recruited some help from customer service. Well, half an hour, three sales people and a forklift thingy-ma-bob later, the doormat was retrieved from a box up in the rafters. Totally worth it!<br />
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So that concludes the porch makeover tour. Thanks for taking a look! <br />
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Linking up with these parties:<br />
<a href="http://organizeyourstuffnow.com/wordpress/home-decor-organizing-link-party-65?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OrganizeAndDecorateEverything+%28Organize+and+Decorate+Everything%29" target="_blank">organize & decorate everything </a><br />
<a href="http://akadesign.ca/?p=10027&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+akadesign%2FUAoF+%28%7Baka%7D%7Cdesign%29" target="_blank">{aka} design</a><br />
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<br />Heather Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852147906478768563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680476291303268721.post-87941308090211121322012-08-22T06:32:00.002-07:002012-09-03T08:16:21.896-07:00Simple wall artHere is another sneak peek of what's going on with my porch makeover.<br />
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I was in need of something interesting to put on the wall and I got this great idea from my friend Melody who did something similar in her daughter's nursery. It's so simple – I love it!<br />
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Simply use different-sized round cross stitch frames and stretch your favourite fabric in them!<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Tada!</span><br />
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I painted the frames white to match the rest of the porch.<br />
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The best part is, you can easily change out the fabric depending on the season. I'm already thinking of what I can do for Thanksgiving and Christmas!<br />
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Stay tuned for the full porch reveal – coming soon!<br />
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Linking to these great parties:<br />
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<a href="http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.ca/2012/08/under-100-linky-party_29.html" target="_blank">Beyond the Picket Fence </a><br />
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<a href="http://akadesign.ca/?cat=174"><img src="http://akadesign.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/diy-link-party-button.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.organizeyourstuffnow.com/" mce_href="http://organizeyourstuffnow.com/ " target="_blank"><img alt="Organize and Decorate Everything" border="0" height="150" mce_src="http://organizeyourstuffnow.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/SS852700.jpg" src="http://organizeyourstuffnow.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/SS852700.jpg" width="150" /></a>
Heather Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852147906478768563noreply@blogger.com2