happiness + gratitude journal II

i always keep a happiness + gratitude journal by my bedside so that each night i can write something about the day that i'm grateful for or something that made me happy. it just helps me keep things in perspective and no matter how awful a day i've had, there is ALWAYS something to be grateful for. anyway, i had to retire my last journal because it was full so i found this plain little notebook for a dollar at craft warehouse.

i just love chevron prints, so that's what i decided to do on this journal. first, i made a grid pattern and then i just made lines from each corner of the boxes diagonally.

then, i painted each chevron stripe a different color to mix it up a bit. super simple--just the way i like it! Ü

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kitchen chalkboard frame.

i made this framed chalkboard to keep track of all the obligations/activities we have planned for each week. after almost missing out on 2 birthday parties in 1 week, i decided we needed a different system than the calendar in the drawer because obviously no one was looking at it (including me). i found the frame and the piece of chalkboard at craft warehouse. i just painted the frame, glued the chalboard into it, attached some ribbon & voila! problem solved.

now it hangs on the front of the pantry door for easy viewing by everyone. i used a command hook upside down on the other side of the door to hang the ribbon from so i wouldn't have to make any holes in the door. those command hooks are the bomb! Ü

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stupid fat head.

a few years ago, i re-did my son's room. he insisted on a copper wall so i found this paint for just 1 wall. have you ever tried painting with metallic paint? uugghh! i'm so used to painting nice and straight all the time...well that doesn't work well with metallic paint. it actually works better to just paint like a maniac. anyway, we also ordered this fat head vinyl skater and ever since we put it on the wall, it has constantly curled at the edges. not all the edges but enough to make me crazy! i've tried everything from using a brayer to heating it up to get it to stick and no luck. it might be the metallic paint??

i finally had enough of this curling crap. so, i decided to just trace the stupid fat head, remove it, & paint it.

here is the end result. so much better, don't you think? nice & flat and no curling edges!! i can now look at this without cringing! Ü

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valentine garland.

i'm not sure about you but i am in desperate need of some warmer weather and warm sunshine! being that it is still january, it's gonna be awhile. so, i decided to make this bright & cheery valentine garland. i'll probably keep it up well past valentine's day though. i'm really loving these bright colors!

here are some close-ups of each of the pennants...

just some little buttons, brads, & ribbon to add to the fun! Ü

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valentine treat pouch.

this was super fun to make! instructions were found here.

the cool thing was that this was made from just 1 piece of 8 1/2" x 11" cardstock.

i used a velcro dot to keep it closed. the original version had ribbon handles to make it look a little bit more like a purse. either way is super cute!

be sure to check back tomorrow for another valentine project! Ü

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cute little valentine box.

i found the instructions for this cute little box here.

i used the new hearts a flutter framelits from stampin' up and then put a window sheet behind the cutout. these would be perfect for friends & co-workers. they are super simple to assemble!

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valentine projects.

be sure to come back tomorrow to see close-ups of the valentine projects pictured!

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advent.

i've been wanting to update our advent calendar for some time now, so this year i decided the time had come. i quickly came to realize why i hadn't attempted this sooner...it ended up being quite time consuming! but, i'm so glad i did it because i love how it turned out! the above picture is the kit i bought from craft warehouse. you literally have to build the entire thing...the base, the boxes, everything!

here is the finished product...

a little closer look at the different boxes...and yes, with me being me, each box is different. Ü

another close-up. the boys loved getting a little treat each day. thanks for stopping by...hope your holidays were filled with much happiness & joy!

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card holder box with cards.

i found the instructions for this box here. the two on either side are the cards which i made 2 of each. the center is the front of the box.

here are the cards in the box with some envelopes. Ü

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sneak peek.

details coming soon :)

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box card.

thanks to this stamper's video tutorial...here is my version of the box card. it was actually a lot easier than i thought! Ü

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tinting jars.

i saw this idea & "recipe" for tinting jars on...you guessed it...pinterest! love that site so much it is sickening! anyway, first just make sure your jar(s) of choice are all clean. then, mix up a batch of tint. i used 1 tspn. mod podge, 1 1/2 tspn. water, and 3 drops of food coloring. i used 2 drops of blue & 1 green.

then, just paint your jar(s) with a paint brush and set them to dry. they'll start to have a bunch of streaks on them, but don't worry...once it dries completely, i had no streaks at all. i just used 1 coat of tint. please note that these jars are not waterproof. you'd have to seal them if you plan on getting them wet but i'm not sure what you'd use &/or if it would change the look of the tint.

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"thanks" jars decor.

i recently made these adorable little jars for some thanksgiving decor. i just used recycled frappuccinno bottles and tinted them (tutorial coming tomorrow).

i placed them on my console table on top of some burlap and added some wheat stalks that i found at fred meyer in their floral dept.

a closer look at each bottle...

i embossed each of the letters with espresso embossing powder to make them "pop" a little more than if just using ink.

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halloween projects...

first, the witch's broom: i used a 4" x 11" piece of Howlstooth designer series paper from stampin' up!, sponged the edges with espresso ink, then just cut slits along both edges, careful not to cut through the middle portion of the paper. after that, apply sticky strip along the back of the middle portion of the paper.

for the broom stick, i used a piece of 7' x 11" espresso card stock. i ran it through my crimper and distressed it with white craft ink. if i would have had the woodgrain embossing folder, i would have used that instead of the crimper because that would have looked much better, in my opinion, but oh, well. Ü

here is a close-up of the tag i attached. i also stamped directly onto the cotton ribbon that is around the middle.

next, is the "trick or treat" card. super simple! just used some scraps of designer paper and the images were stamped with versamark ink and embossed with clear embossing powder.

and finally, a cute little treat jar. this was my first attempt at making rosettes. they're surprisingly simple and so fun!! you can find several videos on youtube or other tutorials all over the web.

here is a closer look at the one on top of the jar...

        here is the rosette tag.            

...and one final look at all 3 finished projects.

hope you enjoy them & thanks for stopping by!! Ü

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Happy Halloween.

all the details for these projects are coming tomorrow so be sure to check back!!

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magnetic clothespins.

i made these little cuties for my mom as part of her mother's day gift. they're perfect for all the photos she likes to put on her refrigerator.

super simple! just use some mod podge to glue your choice of designer paper onto wooden clothespins. sand the edges to distress, attach a magnet to the back, put in a cello bag, wrap with a cute little bow & you're done! Ü

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front door monogram.

another idea i lifted from pinterest. i got the letter at hobby lobby for around $3.50. added some jute twine and embellishments, and ... ta da!!

here are the flowers close up. i used stampin' up! supplies for those. i also adhered them with velcro dots, so i could change them out for the seasons. maybe some stars for the 4th of july, perhaps?

the year we started our 'lil family...

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