i LOVE plates...tutorial

I decided to do a quick project for Valentine's Day since the beginning of February starts tomorrow! I had to do one with items that I actually don't have packed away (most of my craft items are packed away so we can do sheetroc next week in the basement so they don't get dirty). I had 4 small white plates and a red paint pen. And here's what came out of it! Materials:

-plates

-red paint pen

-printed letters of words you want to use (optional)

-a black sharpy to add in "hearts" or whatever else on your printed words (optional)
-an exacto knife or razor blade

If you're using printed words (you can just free hand it if you want. I did both ways), cut them out with the exacto knife. Don't worry about cutting out the thin lines (especially at the top and bottom of the "O") because the paint won't be able to get into the thin crevices without bleeding.

Roughly stencil it onto your plate. Let it dry a little, then fill it in, adding the thin lines and touching it up. It's hard to get it perfect, so if there are small "bleeding" mistakes, just let the paint dry a couple hours, then go back with your blade and scrape the paint you want gone to clean it up.

Let them dry completely.

Mine are far from perfect, but I've made peace with that.

I got the idea for the "la la love u" one from the song "La La Love You" by the Pixies, but I remembered that Sparkle Power also sells signs that say that. No copy-cat intended! But I do love those signs. I'll be buying one for the new babe's room.

Nursery Inspiration

I've been looking around online for some Nursery inspiration, and you get nothing less when you look at the kids' room tours on Ohdeeoh! HOLY EYE CANDY!! Here are a few of my favorites:

{all images from Ohdeeoh}

Can't wait to find out what I'm having so I can get started!!! But, I still have 5-6 more weeks until that will happen. I'm tempted to go somewhere else to find out, but I'll save my money and just wait patiently a few extra weeks.

Color of the day: Red

Most of my favorite things are red. My favorite shoes, fresh strawberry pie, my red table, and some of the decor in my house (some old books I've been gathering from the thrift store, not to read but to decorate with, and a candle stick holder that I spray painted red) I'm loving red right now, just in time for Valentine's day. Can't wait to do some Valentine's projects!! But for now, I'm trying to baby my family back to health from the flu. If it's not one thing, it's another.
Happy Monday!

Basement progress

Now, I'm almost certain that you all could care less about the framing in my basement, but I'm pretty excited, so I'm gonna share anyway! This will be the play room, picture taken from the family room.

On the right will be a bedroom, and on the left a bathroom, also taken from the family room. I didn't get a shot of the family room itself, because it doesn't look that exciting yet. But it is all framed and done!

Mr. J decided when we built the house to make 2 rooms under the garage, which would obviously have to be completely cement walls. One to use as a workshop for him, and the other a theater room. This is the theater room.

And within the theater room (off to the side) a large storage area. This is begging to be organized, and it WILL BE, but for now it's where things will be stuffed (i.e. the lovesac) so that they won't get completely covered in white powder from doing the sheetroc.

The only room not pictured is my craftroom, since that's the only one left that needs to be framed. Then, onto electrical and duct work, followed by sheetroc!!

Well, I'm 13 weeks now, and usually I start feeling better around 14 weeks, so hopefully things will start looking up in the next week or so! I've got so many things I'm wanting to do. It's easier to come up with projects when you're just sitting around staring at your walls all day! And there's a lot of organizing projects I'm wanting to work on as well. Just bare with me a little longer, and then hopefully I'll get some motivation for work! Have a wonderful Thursday!!

A few small additions...

...in Gavin's room. I hung these airplanes a couple months ago, but never took pictures. He LOVES counting them every night. "two-tee-two!" Yeah, that's how he counts to 3.

And just in time for Christmas, my mom found this clock that will go perfect in his room! I was dying when she showed me! LOVE IT!
The pendulum up top swings as the clock "ticks".
She also found the perfect one for Kadie's room, but I'll show you that later.

Keeping busy...with felt food!

Well, being stuck on the couch/in bed lately, I've been getting pretty bored. Unfortunately, my kids have too. The poor things have spent a lot of time in their jammies and watching TV lately. It's enough to make me feel like a bad mom, even though I know I can't help it right now. I just can't wait for this to pass. It's been worse then my other pregnancies for some reason. ANYWAY!!
I decided to do a project that could be done from the couch, and that would give my kids something new to do! Felt food! They love to have pretend picnics in the living room, so I decided to add to their "food" selections.
Here's a nice little Japanese dinner to share!!

Complete with Sushi...

Gyoza... (a favorite in my house growing up, and now a favorite in my own house. My dad went on a mission to Japan) I made them the same way as this tutorial.

and some shrimp!

Of coarse they needed some pastries for dessert. Not at all in sync with the Japanese meal, but oh well!!

I also gave a banana a try, idea from Craftiness is Not Optional. I love the slices of banana, but I wasn't happy with my banana itself. I just kinda winged it. I'll have to give it another try sometime, maybe get some tips from Jess! Hers is SOOOOOOO much cuter then mine!!

Anyway, that's what today has consisted of. Don't be surprised if I keep coming back with more. It's nice to have something to do that my kids reap the benefits from. And get a break from the television. (sigh.)

Little thrifty load

After my little adventure to the thrift store yesterday, I didn't find much, BUT I'm super excited about what I did find!

My favorite would have to be these little cuties!! Are these little canisters not the cutest?! $.75 for the pair. I think I'll probably use them in the new playroom {when it's done of coarse} for Kadie's play kitchen {when I get to that project. Sigh.} But I AM determined to have a play kitchen for her birthday this year! And the playroom should be done by then!
I also found this pretty pyrex casserole dish for only $1.50. I love these!! I want some bowls too!

3 skirts. The one on the right will definately be for me because it has a soft, stretch band waist which will serve perfectly as a maternity skirt. The other two, we'll see if they'll be refashioned for me or as dresses for Kadie. I loved how the middle one looks like vintage fabric, even though it isn't.
I also found 2 vintage pillowcases that match the sheet I used to make this! I love this linen, so I was happy to find more of it! $.50 a piece.

And last, I grabbed one of these cases. You may think I'm weird, but has anyone seen on other blogs where they've mod podged some fabric on these and used them for train cases, video game cases, camera cases, etc.? I think they're adoreable! So I wanted to try one out. I'm not positive what it will be used for yet, but believe you me, I WILL find something to use it for!! After it gets a little cleaning and it's refashion.

Oh, and what is this?? Could it be wood that my hubby picked up last night to start on the framing in the basement?!

Oh yes. Yes it could.

One of the BEST things about Mr. J is that when he decides he's doing a project, he doesn't mess around getting started. And once he gets started, he doesn't stop until it's finished. PLUS, he does this stuff for a living, so he's SUPER FAST! Believe it or not, he built our whole house in 2 months, no joke!!

Oh, he's that good.

Projects for 2011

I'm so excited for the projects we're planning for 2011. Starting off with finishing (most) of our basement. Which means craft room for me, a play room, a bedroom for my little Tootsie, a bathroom, and a family room, all for me to play with and decorate! {my future craft room in the photo below. It's not as crammed as it looks} And then of coarse decorating a nursery for the soon to be babe. I've been looking for ideas for baby nurseries, and I'm anxious to find out what I'm having so I can actually start buying/making things!!

Well, I decided I'm going to get out of the jammies today, actually put some makeup on, hop in the car with a bowl next to me (just in case) and go thrift shopping. I haven't been in months, and I'll only have to trek around the little one since preschool starts again today! Hooray!!