anthro-inspired necklaces!

these days i find myself in need of some jewelry to spruce up/outfit-ify the post-baby-whatever-fits look i have going- with some bead excess to burn & some anthropologie to inspire, i went for it!

since i started out my business-y crafting a few years ago with handmade jewelry i have a hard time giving myself 'permission' to buy new jewelry when i could hypothetically make it myself. normally i try not to directly copy another person's designs, but i figured using my own beads i had on hand would personalize these necklaces a bit & i've just had to face it that i'll never be buying originals from a store that charges a couple of hundred bucks per necklace. sorry, anthro. so here's what i came up with!

the inspiration:
[anthro's pernilla]
my version:

here are two others i really liked - i have some similar beads that i think i could make something cute with!

coral just always says spring to me. i don't think you can beat jeans, a plain white tee & a pop of coral somewhere!
happy spring!

new town, new thrift!

i mentioned that we moved to a completely new town back in october... one of the great things about small town living is checking out the new small business thrift places in the area! it's also been my fun escape from the stress of so much new [& anytime i get a little mommy-break in the afternoon] to wander & check out the local cool junk. i'm sure they thought i was casing the joint, walking around taking pictures with my cellphone, but i was armed & ready with the explanation that i''m a local blogger, new to town, & eager to share all their beauties with my readership! hopefully they can't argue with that. [truly, i think no one noticed/cared.

here are some of the fun stuff i've come across & had a hard time not bringing home with me:

this little chair is just the perfect shade of mustard. i keep going back to visit it... it's $70 which is not too terrible considering the perfect condition of the upholstery, but i can't quite pull the trigger. i do love it though, & it would be perfect for my little living room desk.

 i loved these hook racks, but for the price i think i'll have to diy- it looks like they are old cabinet doors painted pretty colors with big beautiful coat hooks. i actually already have something similar started for our little hallway that i'm trying to make into a mudroom of sorts. but i loved the colors of these & the 3rd one has burlap added! pretty.

one of my favorite parts about a place with multiple booths is seeing how many different styles of display there are- & i especially like seeing creatively upcycled ideas! this booth had an old rake handle hung upside down holding wine glass stems. so pretty! i think if i did something similar i'd use it for big chunky necklaces instead, but with the glasses it would be a cool touch to a farmhouse/industrial kitchen wall.

 here's one that did come home with me! i'd written about how much i loved that scrolly ikea mirror that everybody's doing such cool things with, so when i found this awesome similar one for only $18 bucks, it had to come home with me. i'm already in the process of spray painting it my favorite green & i think i might hang it in the dining room- we may possibly re-do K's room in a paris theme when she gets a little bigger, in which case we'll move it over to hers.

 if i was going to do a whole mirror wall like this awesome one, i'd have picked up this beauty too! i actually did text the photo to a friend to see if her little girl's room needed it.

i also did buy this little set of 4 vintage clothespins for $1. i saw an adorable nativity ornament on pinterest that i'd like to make with them... & the price was right!

i very closely considered buying this little guy for toilet paper/extras storage in our little master bathroom corner, but hesitated because i didn't love love it & then it was gone. 

 thankfully, the one i did really love was this chippy off white iron one... i stalked it for a few weeks, & when i thought it was gone, i was sad. then i looked up & realized they had just moved it to a hanging spot from the ceiling! it even had gone on sale for just $15 & i snapped it up! i didn't get a photo of it in the store, but here it is hard at work storing our bathroom toiletries:

there was one booth in particular that had more obviously handmade stuff. i ended up accidentally running into the owner one day & got to meet her! i especially loved her burlap webbing & glitter chipboard letter banners [this one was back at  thanksgiving] & lots of her stuff since then has been really cool. she's one of the first booths i go look at whenever i visit. always inspiring!

goodwill is farther away [& there's only one in town instead of the 2 we used to have nearby] so i haven't found as many scores there recently, but i do check as often as i'm able. i was laughing last night at how all of my lamps have been from goodwill, & i don't think I've ever paid more than $10 bucks!

what's your favorite recent thrifty score/discovery?

pinteresting: fabric wrapped chandelier!

sometimes there are beautiful lovely creative ideas that are so pretty you just have to pick up right away & go make your own interpretation of it! such was the case when i saw this completely adorable fabric wrapped/tied lampshade [she calls it a scrappy lampshade] by lindsey at the pleated poppy:
so creative & colorful & perfect for a little girl room, right? except i didn't have/need a lampshade for K's room, so i started with this white wire basket from the dollar tree, & lots of strips of fabric leftover from making my fabric wrapped bangles.
then i snipped the bottom off with some metal snips. i figured i could rig it somehow to hang from her boring builder-grade light fixture in the middle of the room [our whole house has them. blech.] i chose to snip the entire bottom right up to the edge like this:
but if i was going to make a lampshade with it i would have left a little border to hang it with like this:
then i started wrapping the top and bottom, mostly to cover the sharp edge:

please excuse the weird bump- i originally tried to tie a new strip on & then wrap the knot to hide the starts & finishes but later just ended up tying them & leaving the ends out & it looked much better. then the rest was just picking fun colors & trying to space them out, weaving them over & under, and knotting them to start a new strip when each one ran out!
...until the whole thing is covered. it was a very fun and a pretty quick project depending on how many little encouragers you have helping you, full of freshly-napped what-doin-momma energy.
and here it is hanging in her room:

i ended up rigging it over her existing 'bulb' light... i just took off the glass cover & hooked the edge of the basket onto the little screws that normally hold the glass bulb onto the light fixture on. the small edge of the basket actually fit perfectly around the metal base of the fixture. we put the glass bulb away & also removed the lightbulb since i wasn't sure if it would be a fire hazard with the fabric touching the metal base. 

so here's to finished projects & thanks lindsey, for the inspiration!

for next year.

also, can i just live in a west elm christmas? look at these unbelievable pictures. i want to buy/make/and yeah... just basically live in. seriously.
felty white snowflakes & natural tree/bark/woodsy stuff... massive inspiration for next year! note taken.

pinteresting: pom poms!

like many of my fellow crafty folk, i've completely fallen for pinterest. i think it's completely genius, and it has become my go-to for all sorts of craft ideas, home decorating, party ideas, and even recipes! i check it more than i do twitter or facebook. love it.

i'm sure you've heard the saying "those who can't do, teach" & if you've seen the movie the wedding planner, "those who can't wed, plan!" well, i think it turns out that a new saying has taken hold in my life:

those who can't craft, pin!

having a second child [and a dog who is so needy she might as well be a third child] has taken even more of a crunch out of my crafting time, and more significantly, energy than i'd even expected! something always has to give. if i get something crafty done, it almost always means the house is a wreck & we had goldfish crackers & fruit snacks for dinner.

after several weeks of super early mornings with my big girl who just moved into her new big girl room & bed, i've decided it's time to invest in light-blocking curtains for her room. seeing as how many of the ones out there are ugly/boring/expensive, & how i have a difficult time choosing/committing to such a large & potentially statement making element to a room- i was having a hard time. then i remembered this image sitting in my 'pretty to make' pinboard:
pom pom trim on curtains! so i've decided to try to find simple white black out curtains, and then add some fun pom pom trim to customize them to the room & make them comparable to this super expensive anthropologie set:
i'm always amazed at how much anthro stuff costs in comparison to how simple they really are! then i started thinking about all the lovely fun things you could do with pom pom trim! pretty much anything with an edge can be made cuter- bath towels, kitchen towels, pillows, tablecloths, blankets & quilts! you can even add it with iron-on tape if you're the no-sew type! these are my favorites that i'll definitely be doing in the near future!
i even found a really fun way to try out making my own little pom poms [that i wish i'd known about back when i made my pom pom wreath]:
i can't wait to get busy pom pom-ifying everything! pinterest is the best! you can find all the original sources for these photos on pinterest.com... many of them include instructions or tutorials to make your own!

easter basket love!

easter is rapidly approaching & it's one of my favorite holidays. maybe even more so than christmas when it comes to celebrating the life of my savior... if you think about it, it's pretty amazing to celebrate his birth [christmas], but how much more so to celebrate the fact that he would sacrifice his own life on the cross to save mine? [easter]

i have to admit, i think easter baskets are a fun tradition for the littles, since death & resurrection are kind of deep topics for them at a young age. not that you can't start teaching them early, but i think it's cool to focus on the new birth & life we have through salvation in Christ- a major gift he's given believers that we celebrate on easter.

so, if easter weren't like, you know, this weekend i'd be using this tutorial for a wrapped piping basket by v & co. to make coordinating baskets for the kids. however, the only way i see 2 easter baskets getting made is in the dead of night between a.m. feedings.

in other words, not likely.

but look how cute.

and look how easy! although i do find v & co. in particular great for making not-so-simple stuff look as though it is really easy & no big deal- she's just talented that way. hers look uniquely homemade but not cheapo crafty & sit so sweetly and well-constructed on the table holding eggs. i'm a little concerned that mine would look wrinkly & slouchy & would be sure to be covered in melted chocolate & jelly bean slime before i could even get a picture for the blog.

[please tell me someone else has that problem too?]

but yes. definitely on the "one day" list.

strawberry pillows.

i can't even stand how cute these strawberry pillows are over at purl bee!

these are at the very tippy top of my to-make list for after i've survived some of the newborn days. they are so sweet, so springy & so perfect for a certain little girl's pink & green big girl room. love them.

if you're feeling a little more mini-version, v & co. has a great how-to for a pincushion sized one & you wouldn't even have to use it for a pincushion... i think it would be adorable as a zipper pull to cheer up a little springtime rain jacket!

craigslist wishlist!

i know window shopping on craigslist doesn't really count as crafty [even though we all know most craigslist finds are a cool way to get something on the cheap & transform it into something fabulous with a little sanding/painting/creativity] but with my due date looming this weekend & no baby yet, a craigslist wishlist is about as crafty as it gets around here.

especially considering the amount of diy decorating blogs i read... ahem.

most times i am looking for fun & not actually to buy, but if i had some cash to burn & the luck that these steals weren't already snapped up, here are some things i'd be trying to coerce my husband into picking up for me right now:

it has only taken me about 20 minutes to convince myself how badly i need this set of 4 gorgeous ladder shelves for my craft room re-do i'm [still] working on.... and get this: all 4 for only $125. a massive deal, especially for something that doesn't need to be painted at all! i'm already picturing them covered in little baskets and jars full of all my craft stuff.
this super cute 'shabby chic' bedside table looks just about like what i'm looking for for my little girl's big girl bedroom after the baby gets here... again, minus the sanding, painting, & decoupaging that adorable little drawer since it's already done for me! it would match perfectly with her green & pink decor [remember the lamp?] & is also right in our price range at $60... aka $50 if i work the bargaining angle & the sellers are friendly!!
my long-term search however, is [big surprise] anthropologie-inspired: a perfectly beat-up, worn-in leather couch. you know what i mean: something not so scary brand new that you're afraid to let anyone within 10 yards of it, but not so old & funky that you think it might have been infested with something in somebody's great-aunt's basement at some point [eww.] i've seen several great ones, but not surprisingly, they get snatched up quickly when the price is right.

i guess it's kind-of the holy grail of craigslist thrifting if you will. but check out this one i saw this week, which actually has a matching loveseat... perfect.
confession: i emailed the sellers about all of these. i couldn't help myself.

we've both bought & sold a couple of things on craisglist over the years. it can have its strange aspects, but overall is a fun & pretty harmless way to buy inexpensive furniture! anybody else have a favorite thing to search for on craigslist?

loving lately!

maybe it's because i'm on the short countdown of having a baby this year, but i can't get enough of all the fun valentine's projects out there even though i know it's not likely to happen around here! if i had unlimited energy and resources, there's about 50 things i'd be making & totally love/heart/pink & red-ifying the entire house! here are my favorite

1. for future reference [i love to be able to find things later when i do have time aka the 'crafty file' concept.]

2. in hopes that some of you crafty folk do have the time & energy this year & maybe have not yet seen some of these ridiculously adorable ideas to inspire you! sharing the love, folks, sharing the love. literally.

candy postcards

valentine banner

&

love canvas art

spool fabric love letter

yarn love sign

ruffle chalkboard hearts

ruffle fabric & paper hearts

paper heart garland

ric rack love banner

valentine coupon booklet

i love these so much i might make them all next year. how genius is that method for perforating the little coupons in the booklet? i'm going to check & see if i have a wooden spool in my stash- that unraveling love note is just too sweet!

i admit i bought M a valentine's day card at target last night instead of making one. i'm a bad, bad crafter sometimes! but it just said the right things, you know? & it unfolded like an accordion, wasn't cheesy or stupid, & had really pretty black & white photography in it. i think that's all you can really ask of a store-bought card these days.

hope you have big pink & red plans with your valentine this year!