Gold Leaf Eggs and Terracotta Pots

HAPPY RESURRECTION WEEKEND EVERYONE! 

SO IT'S FUNNY HOW MUCH I LOVE GOLD THESE DAYS. I USED TO HATE GOLD UNTIL RECENTLY AND NOW I LOVE ANYTHING GOLD! I'M BECOMING OBSESSED. (INSERT GOLDMEMBER MEME HERE, HAHA) SO THIS EASTER I WAS TRYING TO THINK OF A FUN DIY EASTER PROJECT TO DO AND SAW SOME POSTS ON GOLD LEAF EASTER EGGS AND ABSOLUTELY LOVED THE IDEA. I ALSO HAD THESE ADORABLE SUCCULENTS FROM MY PAMPERED CHEF PARTY THAT STILL NEEDED POTS SO WHAT COOLER WAY TO MAKE PLAIN TERRA COTTA POTS REALLY AWESOME LOOKING THEN BY USING GOLD LEAF! I WAS VERY INTIMIDATED AT FIRST TO WORK WITH GOLD LEAF BUT IT ENDED UP BEING PRETTY EASY AFTER I FIGURED OUT A COUPLE THINGS. I BOUGHT MY GOLD LEAF AND THE ADHESIVE GLUE FROM AMAZON AND JUST FOLLOWED THE DIRECTIONS FOR THE MOST PART. THE ONLY THING I WOULD CHANGE IS THE DRYING TIME FOR THE GLUE. IT SAID TO LEAVE IT ON FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES BUT IT SEEMED TO DRY OUT WHEN I DID THAT. I USED SOME DECORATIVE EGGS THAT I BOUGHT AT WALMART AND THEN ALSO SOME REAL EGGS THAT I BOILED. FOR THE DECORATIVE EGGS, I FOLLOWED THE DIRECTIONS AND LET THE GLUE SIT BUT LIKE I SAID IT SEEMED TO ACTUALLY DRY OUT AND THE GOLD LEAF WOULDN'T STICK. SO FOR THE REAL EGGS I DIDN'T LET THEM DRY AS MUCH AND THE GOLD LEAF STUCK MUCH BETTER. YOU NEED TO JUST TOUCH THE GLUE AND MAKE SURE IT IS DRY BUT TACKY. ALSO FOR THE TERRA COTTA POTS YOU REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU ONLY LET THE GLUE DRY FOR A MINUTE OR TWO BECAUSE THE POTS ARE SO POROUS THAT IT SUCKS UP THE GLUE VERY QUICKLY. YOU REALLY COULD DECORATE ANYTHING WITH GOLD LEAF SO HAVE FUN AND BE CREATIVE AND HAVE A HAPPY EASTER!

DIY Advent Calendar

DECEMBER IS ALMOST HERE AND WHO DOESN'T LOVE A CUTE, CHEAP, AND EASY DIY ADVENT CALENDAR!? GROWING UP, THE ADVENT CALENDAR THAT MY MOM WOULD PUT OUT WAS ONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE THINGS THIS TIME OF YEAR. IT WAS A SHELF WITH LITTLE DRAWERS AND SHE FILLED EACH CORRESPONDING DAY WITH DIFFERENT CANDIES. I WOULD ALWAYS TRY TO GUESS WHICH CANDY WAS GOING TO BE THE NEXT DAY. SHE STILL PUTS IT OUT, BUT NOW IT'S MY NIECE AND NEPHEWS WHO GET TO OPEN THEM UP. MY MOM SERIOUSLY IS THE BEST GRANDMA! <3

WELL LAST YEAR I DECIDED TO MAKE AN ADVENT CALENDAR FOR MY HUSBAND, RYAN. RYAN LOOOOVES CANDY, HOWEVER WE NEVER BUY IT, SO I DECIDED THAT THE MONTH OF DECEMBER COULD BE A TREAT FOR HIM. HE ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT LAST YEAR AND SO I AM DOING IT AGAIN THIS YEAR AND SHOWING Y'ALL HOW I DID IT!

FIRST, YOU NEED SOMETHING TO HANG EACH DAY ON. MY AMAZING BROTHER IN LAW, DENNIS, MADE THIS WOODEN TREE FOR ME FOR CHRISTMAS A FEW YEARS BACK BUT YOU HONESTLY COULD JUST GET ANYTHING TO HANG THEM ON. HERE ARE A COUPLE PICTURES OF ONES I HAVE SEEN AND LIKED THAT ARE SO EASY AND CHEAP! MARTHA STEWART ADVENT CALENDAR + THE MERRY THOUGHT ADVENT CALENDAR

I THEN TOOK SMALL KRAFT ENVELOPES THAT I HAD LEFT OVER FROM MY WEDDING AND SEALED THEM SHUT AND THEN CUT THEM IN HALF SO THEY WOULD BE LITTLE OPEN POCKETS. THEN ON THE COMPUTER I MADE DIFFERENT DESIGNS FOR EACH DAY AND PRINTED THEM OUT AND GLUED THEM ONTO THE ENVELOPES. YOU COULD ALSO JUST GET PLAIN WHITE ENVELOPES AND COLOR ON THEM WITH SHARPIES OR WHATEVER. YOU COULD EVEN JUST MAKE POCKETS YOURSELF OUT OF THICK CARDSTOCK! POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS! AFTER THAT I JUST FILLED EACH POCKET WITH DIFFERENT CANDIES. RYAN LOVES GUMMY WORMS AND GUMMY BEARS SO FOR THOSE I BOUGHT LITTLE PLASTIC BAGS TO PUT THEM IN FIRST BEFORE PUTTING THEM IN THE ENVELOPES SINCE THEY ARE STICKY AND NOT ALREADY WRAPPED. YOU REALLY COULD PUT ANYTHING IN THE ENVELOPES- IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE CANDY. A CUTE IDEA ARE LITTLE NICE NOTES OR SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO DO EACH DAY. AGAIN, THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS!

AFTER THAT ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS HANG THEM UP HOWEVER YOU WANT AND YOU HAVE A CALENDAR! YOU COULD ALSO ADD A STRING OF LIGHTS IF YOU WANT BUT MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T GET TOO HEAVY! 

I HOPE YOU ENJOY MAKING AN ADVENT CALENDAR! HAVE A HAPPY DECEMBER AND A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!! <3

DIY Autumn Wreath

WELL FOLKS IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE MY LAST POST. LIFE HAS BEEN A BIT CRAZY FOR ME WITH MY SISTER'S UPCOMING WEDDING AMONG MANY OTHER THINGS BUT I AM HOPING TO START BLOGGING ON A MORE REGULAR BASIS AGAIN! SO FOR MY FIRST POST AFTER A LONG HIATUS I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU A FUN, CHEAP AND EASY DIY AUTUMN WREATH MADE FROM PAPER!

RYAN AND I ARE TRYING TO BE GOOD ABOUT STICKING TO OUR BUDGET SO WE CAN BE OUT OF DEBT BY NEXT FALL(!) WHICH MEANS FOR HOLIDAY DECOR THIS YEAR I MUST THINK OF INGENIOUS WAYS TO DECORATE AT AN AFFORDABLE COST.

AFTER WORKING 10 YEARS IN A FLORAL SHOP, I HAVE COME ACROSS MANY TACKY FALL WREATHS AND REALLY WANTED TO STEAR CLEAR OF ANY AND EVERYONE OF THOSE! (HAHA) HOWEVER THE REALLY NICE WREATHS GENERALLY COST AN ARM AND A LEG SO THIS CALLED FOR SOME DESPERATE CREATIVITY! AND BY CREATIVITY, I MEAN PINTEREST =) 

SO I REALLY CAN'T TAKE CREDIT FOR THIS WREATH. I DID CHANGE A COUPLE THINGS AND MADE IT MY OWN BUT THE WHOLE CONCEPT CAME FROM THIS LOVELY POST ---> BROWN BAG FAUX BAY LEAF WREATH

THE REALLY COOL THING ABOUT THIS KIND OF WREATH IS THAT YOU COULD CHANGE THE LEAVES TO BE ANY SHAPE, SIZE AND COLOR FOR ANY SEASON! I PERSONALLY WANTED A DEEP BARN RED/BURGUNDY TO MATCH MY FRONT DOOR BUT YOU COULD DO THE GREEN BAY LEAVES LIKE IN THE ORIGINAL POST OR MAKE THEM ALL DIFFERENT FALL COLORS OR EVEN FOR WINTER YOU COULD MAYBE EVEN MAKE THEM WHITE LEAVES! THE POSSIBILITIES REALLY ARE ENDLESS! BELOW ARE PICTURES WITH STEPS. HAVE FUN CREATING YOUR VERY OWN PAPER LEAF WREATH!

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

HOT GLUE GUN WITH LOTS OF GLUE

PAPER BAGS OR KRAFT PAPER (I USED KRAFT PAPER BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT I HAD)

PAINT (CRAFT/ACRYLIC PAINT OR WATER COLOR PAINT)

PAINTBRUSH AND SOME WATER

SCISSORS

FOAM WREATH

A LITTLE TWINE/STRING

STEP 1:

I DIDN'T HAVE GROCERY PAPER BAGS SO I USED A ROLL OF KRAFT PAPER THAT I ALREADY HAD. I ROLLED OUT PROBABLY ABOUT 7 FEET WORTH AND CUT IT INTO 3 SECTIONS JUST BECAUSE IT WAS EASIER TO WORK WITH

STEP 2: 

PAINT THE PAPER. I ORIGINALLY USED WATER COLOR BUT IT WASN'T GETTING AS DARK AS I HOPED SO I ENDED UP USING ACRYLICS OVER TOP TO GET A RICHER RED. IF YOU ARE DOING A BAY LEAF WREATH, WATER COLOR WOULD PROBABLY BE BEST BECAUSE YOU GET A NICE TEXTURED LOOK AND THE BROWN WILL SHOW THROUGH MORE. IF YOU USE ACYRLICS OR CRAFT PAINT, STILL MIX WATER IN WITH THE PAINT TO GET DIFFERENT HUES AND SHADES! 

STEP 3:

ONCE PAPER IS DRY CUT INTO MANY LITTLE LEAVES (WHATEVER SHAPE AND SIZE YOU PLEASE!) I DID THEM ALL ABOUT THE SAME SIZE. I USED ABOUT 150 LEAVES TO COVER MY 18 INCH WREATH.

STEP 4: 

TIE A PIECE OF TWINE/STRING AROUND YOUR FOAM WREATH FOR THE LITTLE HOOK

STEP 5:

START GLUEING AWAY! I MADE MY LEAVES ALL GO IN THE SAME DIRECTIONS AND ALMOST GLUED THEM IN ROWS SO I MADE SURE I COVERED EVERY INCH OF THE FOAM. CURL THEM UP AND MANIPULATE THEM A LITTLE BIT TO GIVE NICE TEXTURES.

STEP 6:

HANG AND ENJOY!

NOTE: TWO DAYS AFTER I HUNG IT UP OUTSIDE, I NOTICED MY LEAVES STARTED TO CURL FROM THE HUMIDITY. IT LOOKS REALLY COOL BUT IT LEFT SOME OPEN HOLES SO I HAD TO GO BACK AND MAKE SOME MORE LEAVES AND GLUE THEM INTO THE PLACES WHERE FOAM WAS REVEALED. 

Chalkboard Paint Easter Eggs

WELL AFTER A LONG HIATUS I AM BACK AND HOPING TO BLOG AGAIN ON A MORE REGULAR BASIS! HERE'S TO WISHFUL THINKING... 

EASTER 2014

YESTERDAY WAS EASTER AND IT WAS SUCH A LOVELY DAY HERE IN CENTRAL NEW YORK. I ACTUALLY WAS WEARING A SLEEVELESS DRESS WITHOUT A SWEATER ON FOR MOST OF THE DAY! THANK THE LORD IN HEAVEN IT FINALLY FEELS LIKE SPRING =)

BELOW IS SOME QUICK HAND LETTERING I DID OF LYRICS FROM A BEAUTIFUL WORSHIP SONG TITLED "FOREVER" BY BETHEL MUSIC. I THOUGHT I'D SHARE IT BECAUSE IT FITS PERFECTLY WITH EASTER AND HAS BEEN STUCK IN MY HEAD FOR THE LAST 2 WEEKS! HE IS ALIVE!!! <3

I WILL PROBABLY TRANSFER IT TO MY AMAZING FRAMED CHALKBOARD MY LOVING HUSBAND MADE ME FOR CHRISTMAS FROM JUST WOOD, CHALKBOARD PAINT AND A FRAME HE GOT FROM SALVATION ARMY! SPEAKING OF CHALKBOARD PAINT.... HE HAD A TON LEFT OVER FROM THAT PROJECT SO I HAVE JUST BEEN DYING TO USE IT SINCE THEN AND I FINALLY FOUND THE PERFECT PROJECT! 

CHALKBOARD PAINT EASTER EGGS!

THESE WERE SO EASY TO DO AND MY NEPHEWS AND NIECE HAD SO MUCH FUN DRAWING ON THEM! THE COOLEST PART IS THAT IF YOU MESS UP, YOU CAN JUST ERASE IT AND START OVER! 

SO FIRST IF YOU ARE USING REAL EGGS EITHER BOIL THEM OR BLOW THEM OUT. I PERSONALLY JUST BOILED THEM BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE AVOCADO DEVILED EGGS THIS WEEK BUT I THINK NEXT YEAR I WILL GET PAPER MACHE EGGS OR BLOW THEM OUT SO I CAN KEEP THEM FROM YEAR TO YEAR! SO REALLY ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PAINT THEM EITHER WITH SPRAY PAINT OR GET A BRUSH AND USE REGULAR PAINT LIKE I DID. AS YOU CAN TELL IN ONE OF THE PICTURES BELOW I PAINTED THEM ON THEIR LONGER SIDE AND PLACED THEM IN AN EMPTY CARTON TO LET THEM DRY IN EVERY OTHER OPENING SO THEY DIDN'T TOUCH EACH OTHER. ONCE THE ONE SIDE WAS DRY I TURNED THEM OVER AND REPEATED. I DID END UP TOUCHING UP SOME SPOTS THAT DIDN'T COAT THE EGG ENOUGH BUT FOR THE MOST PART THE FIRST COAT WAS ENOUGH. SO ONCE THEY DRY COMPLETELY AFTER 10 MINUTES OR SO, THEY ARE A BLANK CANVAS FOR YOU TO PLAY WITH! SO JUST GRAB SOME CHALK AND DRAW! THIS YEAR I WAS UNDER SOME SERIOUS TIME CONSTRAINTS SO NEXT YEAR I HOPE TO GET A LITTLE MORE SERIOUS WITH MY CHALK LETTERING ON THE EASTER EGGS =)