Yarn Wreath

I was super excited to make a Christmas wreath for one of my "Christmas Craft" blog posts! There are so many awesome types of homemade wreaths on the internet it was hard to choose. Check out Pinterest (shocker!) to find one for yourself.

I chose a yarn wreath for my first time!

A good tip (that I didn't follow) is to purchase plumbing foam and tape it together to make the base of your wreath. Apparently it's only about $1. I can be kinda lazy though (shocker! again!) and the $5.99 floral foam wreath at Michael's was alot easier to bring home! Bad Shawn! Baaaad Shawn!

Here is my base and my yarn ready to go.

Threading the yarn around the wreath was a bit time consuming but overall not hard one bit! 

Whenever I began or ended a yarn color, I used a dab of hot glue and a little knot, both placed on the back side of the wreath. I chose to do 6 blocks of 3 colors.

The next day, I made some flowers out of old Tshirts (which is a different blog post all together) and they turned out really cute. I just happened to have old Tshirts in matching colors!

I think it turned out really cute! A very easy, inexpensive (and even cheaper if you're not lazy, like me) Christmas decoration! And throw in a little recycling for good measure :)

Here is a close up of the flowers.

Cute, eh?

Stay tuned to the blog for more Christmas Crafts!

:) 

Jewelry Organizer

Here we are at another post inspired by Pinterest! If you're new to my blog, please check out Pinterest.com! You'll be glad that you did.

Here's the "Pin" That inspired me:

So I went to Lowe's to get my supplies! I then discovered that you can only buy full 4x8 sheets of peg board at Lowe's. My jewelry organizer was only going to be 2ft by 18 inches so that was too much for me. I ended up finding a 1/2 sheet at Menards for around $3.

At Lowe's though, I picked up some paint for the pegboard and a multi pack of pegs and hooks for about $10.

First, George cut my peg board and I painted it.

Then I had to choose a spot to hang it! I decided that bright pink pegboard didn't exactly match our cream, brown and blue bedroom, so I thought it best if I hid my organizer......

What does my closet have to do with this?

A hidden accessories paradise!!

For once my necklaces won't be tangled in a drawer!



I think my favorite part is the ribbon that I used to hang all my earrings! I didn't even know that I had so many!

This project was surprisingly easy and I am IN LOVE with the results. Usually when I'm getting ready, I don't add much extra jewelry because it always took so much time to search for what I needed and de-tangle it from the mess in my jewelry box. Not anymore! Now I can just push my clothes aside and see everything that I have right there!

I can't wait to have date night with fabulous accessories!

Have a great day!



Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

I hope that this holiday finds you all with friends and family, enjoying great food and counting your blessings.

I have had such and amazing year and have so many things to be thankful for. First of all, in the last year, George and I became engaged and then we were married! He says I like to rush things :) We had a beautiful wedding enjoyed by many friends and family. It was truly the best day of my life and I am so pleased that we were able to share it with everyone. Planning our wedding was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life and it was everything I've dreamed of and more.

I am so greatful for our families! They are the people who make us who we are and I love that each year we grow closer together. Our family has remained heathly, for the most part, this year which is something I never take for granted.

We've had many visits with great friends who live far away, those are moments that we hold very dear to us.

I've found a new passion in life, crafting amd blogging! Every week I'm finding new projects to try and getting inspired every where I look! I'm so thankful for this blog as an outlet to express my creativity! The idea of blogging has be nagging at me in the back of my mind for a few years now and even in this short amount of time, I realize it's exactly where I should be! Being creative and sharing my ideas with the world is intimidating, challenging, rewarding and humourous all at the same time. Thank you for taking this journey with me.


Lastly, I'm thankful for new life. My niece is an innocent beautiful bundle of love who is already bringing our family so much joy. I can only hope that our family continues to grow each year. :)

I'd love to hear what all of you are thankful for....


"Dear God, Thanks for this beautiful life and please forgive me if I don't always love it enough."

T-Shirt Scarf!

Welcome to my very first "Upcycle" post!

This is an idea that I found, of course, on Pinterest! - See previous posts if you still don't know what Pinterest is!

This "Pin" lead me to this article on TidyMom.com!

http://tidymom.net/category/diyprojects/t-shirt-scarf-tutorial/

She gives some amazing step by step instructions!!!
If I can do this, trust me, anyone can!

I used an old TShirt of George's (if you don't know who George is, ready the Nifty Thrifty post below!). - You should use a shirt that will fit a total of 8-12 paper plate circles on it - or 4-6 on each side.

 

< Traced my circles...

....then cut out my circles >

And spiral cut the circles -a lot of cutting in this project! After your cut the spirals, stretch them a bit to give them some extra bounce :)

Then I took some extra fabric and used my trusty hot glue gun to secure it together! TidyMom said that some T-Shirts will require two spirals to be glued together to ensure it's got the right length, but my spirals were extra long so I got to skip that step!

Here she is all done and curly!

I ended up cutting my sprials because they were a bit too long! When I put it on, I used a flower clip to hold it in place and finish the look. You could tie the two sides, or braid them, like I did when I wore it to work the next day.

Certainly not like any other scarf I've seen in the stores lately!

The best thing about my new scarf? It was FREE! And, recycled!

If you want to make one (and I encourage that you do) go to TidyMom.com and follow her instructions!

**I do realize that the picture quality leaves a lot to be desired here. Let's not make my little scarf feel bad about it though, it's not her fault! Leave her a comment and tell her how cute she is!**

Loves!

Nifty Thrifty!

Thrift Shopping is something that I LOVE to do!

I love clothes and changing my look often but I'm also really cheap!
I never pay full price for anything!

The best way thing about thrifting?
It's guilt free! I can come home with a bag full of clothes and George (that's what I call my husband) can't say anything because I usually spend less than $20!!! And it's recycling!

It's such a thrill to dig down in the racks and find something totally amazing!

I make sure to shop in all departments and all sizes! Something

that was a juniors dress could be a women's tunic! Also most clothes have been shrunken (makes me wanna say "it's already been sharunken" - in my best "Bring It On" voice) by their original owner so that L or XL on the label isn't always accurate!

Recently I found this adorable jumper while at the Salvation Army.

It's gray with a herringbone pattern and a slight shimmer! A little short to wear on it's own but add some tights and we're good to go! I used a low slung belt to gather and pull the dress a little to make it fit more like a skirt/shirt combo. This dress has pockets but they are a bit low on my body so the belt covers them nicely. You could also sew the pockets shut and cut off the excess fabric if you wanted.

It goes perfect with my $24 boots from GoJane and my fave black cardi!

A great outfit for Christmas Eve or New Years Eve, maybe?

I am also starting to work on clothing "upcycling." which is where you take thrifted clothes and repurpose them into something new. Like a tank top into a purse or a woman's sweater into a child's dress. - There are so many ideas out there on the internet, many of them don't require any sewing! The possibilities are endless! Stay tuned for future upcyling posts!

Happy Thrifting!

:)

Blogazy

Blogazy is a word I just made up, it means "blog lazy," which I have been totally guilty of this week :)

Please forgive me!

I have good excuses though, I'm an Auntie now! So a lot of my time has been spent snuggling an adorable little wiggle worm!

And I've been working on the (150 or so!) wedding thank you cards that I have to get out!!!! (just about 1/2 done).

*I have been "creating" though.
I've got two craft posts in the works:
DIY T-Shirt Scarf  & Peg Board Jewelry Organizer

Not to mention, I've got some nifty thrifty finds to show you as well.

So in order to not be actually lazy in my day to day life, I was forced to become "blogazy."

So I've written this not very interesting post in the hopes that you will become excited about one of the aforementioned upcoming posts and not forget about my blog all together?

Sound like a plan?

Good :)

She is love.

The subtle smell of innocense
The simple longing for love

Relishing in this infinite joy
I don't want to give it up

This love belongs to me
Although it is not wholly mine

Her eyes barely open
Unable to take it all in at once

Minute by minute our hearts grow
Bigger even than our imaginations had planned

She is sweet, she is soft, she is warm
She is ours, she is love.


It's been a long time since the threads of a poem came out of this brain. However, we find inspiration in the tiniest of things :).

Double DIY and a Disaster!

This post contains a couple of ideas that I found on Pinterest! Seriously, www.pinterest.com, you will LOVE IT! Follow me - Shawniepatrica!

Anywhoo - Tonight I will show you how to make chalk board paint in any color!
Then, I'll show you how NOT to use it...
Then...we'll regroup and I'll show you a successful chalkboard paint creation!

Let's get started, shall we?

Chalkboard paint is becoming very popular these days. Primarily you'll see it on kids playroom walls or on tables, but it can also be used in kitchens and garages - for calendars or to-do lists, endless possibilities! You can buy it in black and green (I've heard white as well) and in spray form or in regular paint can.


Here's what were are gonna try.... (photo from pinterest.com)

 I thought this was just the most clever idea! The black was too boring for me though.  I remembered seeing a recipe for homemade chalkboard paint on Pinterest as well, so I looked it up and thought I'd give that a try too. Why not?

To Make Chalkboard Paint you need:
Flat latex paint
Unsanded Tile Grout
That's it! The measurement is 1 cup of paint to 2 TBSP of grout.


Here are my supplies all ready to go:

I used a cool whip container to mix the grout and the paint together (make sure you do this in a well ventilated area because the grout is quite potent).

Be sure to mix very well and get the clumps out as much as you can. It's very important for you paint to be thin like it was originally, it's much easier to work with, trust me.

Now, the first time that I made this the paint was very thick, but I pressed on and began dipping my glasses...

I swirled the paint around to coat them evenly and let as much drip off as I could. I wiped the bottoms with a plastic knife and set them on wax paper to dry.

The next day I found this:

FAIL!



Yup, all the sanding in the world could not salvage these babies.


So I soaked them in hot water to loosen the paint, and thought about the process...


I decided to try again and make the following adjustments:
1.) Buy FLAT paint - on the first batch I bought a sample size container of paint and didn't realize that they only come in satin finish. This time I bought a quart of flat paint. - I think the satin finish may have attributed to the thickness of the paint the first time.
2.) Mix the grout and paint together better - the lumps were everywhere!
3.) Tape the stems with painters tape to get a more even line (genius I know! Duh!)
4.) BRUSH the pain on instead of dipping, making a thinner layer and causing much less mess.
5.) Make sure to keep one hand paint free at all times (there was a lot of rogue paint on the top portion of the glasses the first time around.) This time, I washed my hands between each glass.

The process went much better the 2nd time around.
Here's what they looked like when I set them down to dry:

Much more even and neater overall.

8 hours later they were dry and the paint didn't crack!

The good ol internet says when making a surface into a chalkboard you must condition it.
So I sanded down the rough spots and then rubbed chalk all over the paint and wiped with a damp cloth....

I couldn't believe it worked! - In hindsight, this project would be much easier with two people, so call a girlfriend over to help!

The next day I had some girl friends over for a little party and they were a hit!

The end result:

What do you think?

Cute, right? 

PS - I promise my picture taking skills will be improving :)

Happy Thursday!

Almost an Auntie

Any day now I am going to become an Auntie! Within the next 7 days (hopefully!), my sister-in-law will be giving birth to what I am sure will be the most beautiful baby girl that has ever been born!

My SIL and I have been waiting for this moment, probably since she got engaged to my brother! My mom, on the other hand, has been waiting for this her whole life! The next generation in our family is upon us and I know we all truly couldn't feel more blessed.

Being an Auntie is going to be so fun!!! I especially feel lucky that I will be an Auntie before I am a mom. I think it's better this way because, duh, hand-me-downs, haha! Just kidding, kind of. For real though, I'll really get to focus on helping my SIL and being there for my niece, I simply cannot wait!

All of this has got me thinking, what does it really mean to be an Auntie? I know I will be there to love and support this child, along with my brother and SIL. It's so much more than that though. A relationship between and Auntie and her niece is a treasured thing. You can be so many things to this little girl all at the same time. How does one even know where to start? Luckily, I had many amazing experiences with my own Aunties to help me figure it out.

- Being an Auntie means brushing your niece's hair when she complains that her mom is too rough.
- Being an Auntie means letting your niece wear your fancy earings whenever you come and visit.
- An Auntie is there to back up the mom when the child gets unruly.
- An Auntie will take her niece for the night, weekend or week when the parents need to get out of town.
- An Auntie will try to get her niece to eat brussel sprouts.
- Being an Auntie means letting your niece stay with you on spring break (bonus points if you live somewhere tropical)!
- An Auntie will leave her niece a note when she thinks her bedroom is far too messy - and offer to help with the cleaning and reorganizing.
- An Auntie will make you special food without onions.
- Above all else, being an Auntie means being a friend.

I am so greatful for all of my fabulous Aunties who've taught me everything I know about this job.

Love you all!

"Only an Auntie can spoil you like a Grandma, love you like a Mom and keep secrets like a Best Friend."

Happy Birthday Lulu!!!!!

Today our beloved Brittany, Lulu Belle, turns 3 years old!!!!!

For her special day I made her a cake with bananas and maple syrup!!!

We sang her happy birthday and she gobbled up her treat!

Yes, I know I am a dork :)

Enjoy your Sunday!!!

What do you give?

There was a time after college when I moved from Michigan to south Florida. I loved the weather, and being with my family who lived there but hated being that far way from Mama and the rest of my family and friends back home. The adventure didn't last long.

While living there, my dear Auntie had gotten me a job as the receptionist at the office where she worked. And it was there that I first heard a quote on the radio and very quickly scribbled it on a post-it note, even though I knew I'd never forget it.

"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give."

That Florida radio station and many websites attribute those words to Mr. Winston Churchill (although there are many websites that also say it was not him). Regardless of where they originated, hearing these words has impacted my soul.

I'm sure the "giving" was meant to imply all things philanthropic and volunteer-based. Yet I believe there to be much more to it as well. For me, it's about the energy that you give to the world. It's asking you to think about the vibes that you throw off of your body up into the air for someone else to catch. It's challenging you to live in a way that inspires others and yourself. Obviously the "get" is the material business, our salaries, our possessions, our toys - those things make up your "living," your calculated net worth, but they don't make up your life, do they?

Your life is made up of who you are. And who you are is what you give to this world everyday.

Here is what I promise/hope/want to give:

1.) Positivity - I promise to look at each day as a gift and a challenge. I promise to always believe that people are inherently good at their core, no matter how many times I've been hurt, or disappointed.

2.) Kindness - I hope I serve the world with a smile. I hope that people would rather be friends than enemies. I hope that joy is contagious.

3.) Appreciation - I am thankful for this life, I am blessed to here. I want to thank God for these wonderful gifts each and every day.


I believe these small manifestos will make me happier. Hopefully that happiness will drop a little here and there as I walk through life, and maybe attach themselves to someone else along the way.

Spread the happy. Tell me, what do you give?



PS - Special shout out to my mama who inspired this post when she said to me: "You should blog about that quote you love, I can't remember it but I it's one of my favorites." Love you mom :)

DIY Jeweled Headband

I keep seeing jeweled headbands in the magazines and on TV. Last year I bought a black and silver one from Target and I wear it all it time.  I like them because you can jazz up your usual hairstyle without losing extra sleep on weekday mornings!

Having only one black headband, isn't really working for me though. I think I might need a few more :). Let's do a little shopping and find some inspiration...

This one from Nordstroms is adorable (gray is totally my color), it sells for $18.90

And I love the delicate flower on this one from the Gap, it's $9.95

Spending $10 to $20 on hair accessories, isn't really in my budget, though.  So yesterday I thought I'd venture out and make my own. You can get some headbands for around $3-$5 but I find those are mostly the thin metal type and they give me a headache. Plus, this way, mine are one of a kind!

Here's what I used:

The two headbands are from the Dollar Store ($1 each)
The flowers are from Michaels ($1.99 for both)
And the amber jewels are also from Michaels ($2.99 for a large package)
The hot glue gun, I already had.

It was very simple, the flowers were stick on but I added a drop of hot glue for good measure. Being that they are the centerpiece, I put those on first. Then I hot glued the jewels around the flowers and I'm done!

The end result:

Both were complete in about 10 minutes for around $7 (and I have a TON of jewels left over too).

Not bad, eh?

Happy Thursday :)

Cake Batter Rice Krispies Treats!

Here's an idea I found on Pinterest. (Pinterest.com - check it out if you haven't. WARNING! It is addictive!)

Ingredients:
6 Cups Rice Krispies
3 Tablespoons of Butter
1 Bag of Marshmallows
1/3 Cup of Dry Cake Batter (straight out of the box, do not prepare).
Lots of colorful sprinkles!


First melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the marshmallows and continuously stir until both are melted together.

When they are completely melted, remove the pan from the heat and add the cake mix to the melted butter and marshmallows:

Stir this quickly until all the dry batter is mixed in.
I like to have the rice krispies in a large mixing bowl ahead of time so you can just pour the marshmallow mixture on top. Then add a lot of sprinkles.

And mix and mix and mix and mix.....you get the idea!
Spread in a pan and top with more sprinkles if you like!

And there you have yummy rice krispies treats with a hint of cake batter taste.


Enjoy :)


Shawnie

Hey There!

Blogging is something I've been thinking about for a couple of years and now just seemed like the right time to jump in! I've got a lot of extra time on my hands after planning a wedding for 9 months and I needed something to fill that creative void. Not to mention, I love writing and it's been a long time since I was on a regular writing schedule. The only answer to these two problems: a blog!

So why "Creating the World I live in...," you ask? Well that's got a two-fold meaning.

First of all, my mom told me when I was a young girl "You create the world you live in" over and over again. What that means, is that I am responsible for my happiness, my attitude, my opportunities and it's up to me to fulfill myself - no one is going to do that for me. As a surly teenager I used to roll my eyes at her whenever she told me this, which was always during the middle of a whiny girl rant about how life isn't fair.  About the time I reached college though, I realized that she was right, even though I hate to admit it! Since then, I've tried to live up to the meaning of it. It's sort of my philosophy, if you will.

Secondly, being creative is what I love to do! Planning our wedding and doing all those DIY projects awakened a crafter within me and I can't get enough! I am constantly on Pinterest looking at home decor or homemade organizers or some easy at home project that has been pinned and re-pinned. I want to try them ALL! I love the idea of using something ordinary, getting a little creative and repurposing it into something brilliant! Thank God there are plenty of brilliant ideas out there for me to try at home.

So I thought, why not try all these little ideas out and share it with the world! Maybe my creativity will spark some up in someone else. At the very least, we can all make fun of me when I totally mess something up! I used to joke that I have great ideas but the finished product ends up looking like a 5th grader made it (no offense to the 5th graders out there who undoubtedly make better crafts than me), but I'm enthusiastic! And the disasters will be entertaining! That's for sure!

So here, in my little creation corner of the world, I intend to write about all things DIY, probably some new food recipes, showcase the thrift finds of my Vinnies and Goodwill trips, and who knows? Maybe I'll even write something of substance once in a while!

The promise is, though: I will create. And I will write.

Welcome :)