Christmas Advent Calendar!

This is such a fun AND easy calendar you could make with your kids. A creative way to count down the days til Christmas. Each tin could be filled with candy, small toy, or scripture for the day!

You will start with a small 24 count cupcake tin.

Next you will need a couple different designs of card stock, glue, sticky magnets, and the numbers 1-24 printed on regular printer paper.

Cut you card stock into squares that fit over your pie tin, glue on the numbers, and put magnets on the back and VOILA! A cute, fun Christmas calendar!

Optional:

I did round the corners of my squares with a paper punch.

I also replaced some of the numbers with cute Christmas cut outs!

Kitchen Chalkboard

About a year ago Brad and I lived in the most darling little house. It had glass door knobs, beautiful windows, and GREAT character! This house was built in the 30's people!! Well they decided to tear it down... awful right? But before they did, they let us take anything we wanted from the house! We left with 8 sets of door knobs, 7 doors, and nine windows!
After a lot of thought, and a lot of laziness, I actually tried to make something with one of the windows.
I wanted a chalkboard for my kitchen, and I did it!
My friend Reta and I grabbed our favorite windows, taped them off, and with a can of
5 DOLLAR CHALKBOARD SPRAY PAINT




This is what we came up with... and I love it!

Thank you to SEAN WALLIS for taking your time and antiquing the edges! You're the best!

I loved this project so much, I seriously want to chalkboard everything! Tables, beds, walls.... EVERYTHING!

Who knew?

Who knew pounding a washer could be so fun.... and SO cute!  My mom came for a visit last week and shared this idea she had gotten from a website called Sugar Doodle. I haven't quite mastered it yet, but I decided to share it with you anyway.

You'll need:
Washers
Metal Stamp Set ($6 )
Hammer
Permanent Pen

After you hammer your guts out... color over your letters with a permanent pen, and wipe it off.

The pen will stay in the indention's, and make the writing a little darker.

They will come out a little like this... OR hopefully a lot better looking

~BRITT

Pattern Love

I bought this pattern over six months ago and hadn't ever found the time to use it. I'm SO glad I did. This little darling dress took me about 2 days, off and on (whenever the kids were sleeping)! 

I forgot my love for patterns! 

I cant even remember the last time I used one, but this wont be the last!

Look at the cute detail on the sleeve!

and the side detail... ahhhh!

Anyway, I guess my whole reason for this post is to get you to love patterns too!!

 I think I went through a stage were I thought everyone of my ideas had to be original, and really I still can. NO one has this dress in this pattern... and I through in a little belt to pull it all together. So seriously have fun when you sew, don't burn yourself out. Take a couple days off and on finishing a project, so you still have time to take the kiddos to the park!

PATTERN USED      McCalls M6321

Vacation Baby!

Just so you know, I'm out of town till the 16th. See ya then... with lots of fun pictures!

Bottle 'em up.... family style!

I was browsing craft blogs when I stumbled on this little gem. I WILL make this. I found the Idea from the FunkyJunkInteriors.

I have always wanted to do genealogy and learn more about my family history, but never have really known how, or had time. Not that putting up a few pictures will feed my desire to learn more about my family, but it sure hits the sweet spot! I love pictures, old pictures in particular.

I asked my grandma to send some pictures to me. Including early pictures of my mom, my grandmas wedding, and even my Great Grandparent's day to day pictures! I cant wait till they come and I can look through them all!!

As for the bottles....... no luck at the D.I yet...... but I haven't lost faith! I did find a bunch at the antique store but each bottle was about 12 dollars... and I'm kinda on a budget here!



Gumball Greatness!

I was visiting my BFF Rose's blog last week, and came across this CUTE project to do with your kids.

(Heck, I'd make one for myself!)

GUMBALL NECKLACES!!

AWESOME RIGHT?

I found this project easy and fun!

Lil found this project...

Delish!

You'll be COOKIN!!!

I was walking around a cute little shop the other day with my mother in law, and found this darling apron! Not that I cook, but I do plenty of dishes! This apron is the perfect height to keep all that nasty water, on the edge of the sink off my clothes! Plus who wouldn't want to look stylish while doing the dishes???

Don't tune out if your not as excited as me about a apron... this also make a great little girls dress! I know right!! Lil tried on the apron the other day... and it was stinkin AWESOME she did... because it looks amazing.....smart little girl (just like her mama).

Now I don't have the BEST tutorial on this, but honestly this is not a project you have to be exact on, so just have fun!

You'll need:

I used about 1 yard of fabric for the bottom ruffle

1 yard of fabric for the middle ruffle

1/2 a yard for the top ruffle.

Top band

For the top band, and both the side ties I used 1/2 yard of white fabric.

Side ties

Slip the raw edges in between the binding and sew. Do this to all 3 layers. As shown in image 5.

Now I used already doubled folded bias tape, but if you want to save a little money you can make your own binding, or you can just hem all the edges, of each layer.

You can also do a cute cross stitch, pretty much whatever your heart desires...that's what I did!

When the binding is on all layers, baste them together, close to the top. This is just to keep them together when sewing on the band. set aside.

Take each of your side tie pieces, and with right sides together sew down the side 5/8 seam. About 3 inches from the end, sew at a diagonal, making a pointed edge. Trim off the seam. Turn right side out and press.

Press in 1 inch on both sides of the top band. Then press in slightly the other two sides.

Fold wrong sides together and press. (to make it easier later, allow one edge to be slightly higher then the other)

Pin the band over your skirt, making sure that the longer side is pinned to the back. This helps you make sure you will catch the back fabric when you sew.

Before sewing also tuck in the side ties. Pin and sew around the entire top band.

Enjoy!

Teapot Lamp

If you have followed my personal blog, you would know my love for the thrift store.

Well I have come across a blog of very talented women who also shares the same love for the DI!

She takes old dressers, lamps, pretty much anything you can think of, and turns it into AMAZINGNESS! I want to go shopping in her house! She recently was featured on the 

Nate Berkus Show!

Her style is AWESOME, and I will continue to feature some of her projects on my blog.

 You can see still shots of her house HERE.

So now that I've gotten my obsession out in the air, I want you to see a project I recently did of hers. The teapot lamp. This was one of the easiest projects I have done, and fun. I also loved that I got to do it with Brad, ( I let him drill the holes, and wire the lamp :)

I got all my teacups, bowls, and teapot from the DI for 50 CENTS!!

This is how it turned out. To see the tutorial visit Vintage Revivals, for the breakdown! I used her grey and yellow design because it best matched my house, but there are so many varieties and options! The only advise I think you should definitely not stray from is the type of drill bit she used. I used the same kind, but a different brand.... DON'T. You will end up back at Home Depot, an hour later... promise :)