White Poppy Painted Mason Jar

June 13, 2019 By Linda 9 Comments

White Poppy Painted Mason Jar – Painted Flowers on Mason Jars DIY

White Poppy Painted Mason Jar - Painted Mason Jar Craft Ideas - Easy How To Paint Poppies - Easy Mason Jar Crafts - Painting Flowers on Mason Jars

My husband is frustrated with the weather.

In Chicago, of all places.

And he’s lived here all his life! He wants it warm and dry …

and Chicago is just not cooperating.

How to paint poppies - Marimekko poppies - white poppies - Mason Jar crafts - White Poppy Painted Mason Jar

Sure we get a throwaway gorgeous day peppered in here and there. A casual reminder of what we’re missing by not living in one of those warm climate states.

And, admittedly, he’s hankering for summer weather when, technically, it’s not actually summer.

But my biggest fears about his demands for warm and dry means my retirement dream of a downtown Chicago condo with spectacular city views from every room will remain just that …

a dream.

Sigh.

I do have one teeny tiny hold out sign of hope. And it’s called Uber.

We had a meeting with the IRS last week at their downtown Chicago offices (no, we’re not being audited; in fact, the IRS owes us quite a sum of money and we had to prove our identity).

But I digress …

Anyhoo, we took Ubers to and from our appointment. At off-peak travel times. And it was a very pleasant experience.

And during that very pleasant drive, my husband did admit that while he’s not the biggest of downtown Chicago fans, he would be up for exploring the Chicago Riverwalk area.

Hey, it’s a small sliver of hope!

So maybe on a warm and dry summer evening in mid-July, he’ll become as intoxicated as I with downtown Chicago as the sun sets and the skyline lights up … 😉

So, now you may be asking, Linda what do white poppy painted mason jars have to do with the weather in Chicago and my dreams of living downtown? Not much, really. Except despite the wet and temperatures vacillating from high 50’s to high 60’s, the flowers are a blooming! So I thought I’d get in on that blooming flower action with some painted flowers on mason jars of my very own …

and share with you all the tutorial on how easy it is to paint poppies!

White Poppy Painted Mason Jar Tutorial – How To Paint White Poppies on Mason Jars

How to Paint Poppies - Easy Tutorial DIY painted Poppy - White Poppy Painted Mason Jar - Painted Mason Jar Craft Ideas - Easy How To Paint Poppies - Easy Mason Jar Crafts - Painting Flowers on Mason Jars

Materials*

Aged Gray Rust-Oleum Chalked Paint

Linen White Rust-Oleum White Paint

Raw Umber Americana Acrylic Paint

Pint Size (16 oz) Ball Mason Jars

80 Grit Sandpaper

Paint Brushes

Clear Matte Spray Sealant

*affiliate links included.

Rustoleum Chalk Paint in gray - How to Paint White Poppies on Mason Jars - Easy Poppy Painting Tutorial

Start with two coats of Aged Gray Rust-Oleum Chalked Paint. Let dry thoroughly between coats (I tend to give them overnight, but chalk paint dries quickly so if in a rush you can add the second coat in a few hours).

Rustoleum Aged Gray chalk paint - White Poppy Painted Mason Jar - Easy Tutorial on How To Paint Poppies on Mason Jars

Once dry, use 80 grit sandpaper on raised lettering, numbers, areas to distress.

White Chalk Painted Mason Jars with Painted Poppy

Use Linen White Rust-Oleum Chalked paint to add poppies using a medium tipped brush.

White Poppy Flowers Painted on Mason Jars

Use paint brush to create six connected dots to form the base of the poppy.

Let dry before proceeding to next step.

Using Aged Gray Rust-Oleum Chalked paint and your medium tipped brush, add dots to the middle of the poppies.

Let dry before proceeding to next step.

Using Raw Umber Americana acrylic paint and a fine tipped brush, ad dots to the middle of the poppies, like so.

Using the same Raw Umber acrylic paint and fine tipped paint brush, add small stems to each poppy, like so.

Let dry completely before proceeding to next step (I typically give this an overnight dry before sealing with a clear coat – see below).

Finish with a coat of clear finish matte spray (this is my go to brand that doesn’t cause the white paint to yellow).

I also made a second jar using Rust-Oleum Country Gray Chalked Paint (which I refer to as greige)

And I made a third jar with a white base and gray and greige painted poppies …

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Fabric Wrapped Cork Board DIY

January 31, 2019 By Linda 14 Comments

Fabric Wrapped Cork Board DIY – How To Make Cork Board with Fabric.

In case you were wondering ….

yes, it really was that cold in Chicago yesterday.

When I woke up my Weather App told me the air temperature was a brisk -21 degrees.

-21 degrees!

Yeah, that’s normal. Not. Just like the Chicago river filled with blocks of ice is normal. Not.

I supposed I shouldn’t complain. Great Forks, North Dakota supposedly reached -38 degrees last night.

I honestly had zero expectations of actually experiencing the cold yesterday. I honestly had zero expectations that I would set foot out the front … or back … doors. I honestly had zero expectations of even getting within a few feet of said doors (especially the front door which is super drafty!).

And in preparation for honestly not experiencing the cold yesterday, on Tuesday I did a big shop. Five-filled-to-the-brim-shopping-bags-and-a-12-pack-of-diet-Coke big shop …

but then …

karma kicked us in the butt.

Though, is it really karma when all I did was prepare to not go outside in polar vortex sub-zero temperatures? I always thought karma was some kind of cosmic payback for doing something … well … bad?

So what happened, you’re probably asking (or, perhaps pleading?) me to tell you instead of rambling on about what karma is or is not.

Well …

the furnace died.

Dead. Nada. Nothing. We flipped the switch and …

silence.

No humming motor sound of the furnace turning on. No booming metal sound as the furnace kicked in and started blowing warm air out.

So here we all are … Mike home from work; Molly home from school; Ernie the beagle home because, well, he’s a dog and he’s always home … shivering in our home.

Now, on the plus side-ish: We have two furnaces. And the one that decided to kick the bucket heats the new addition. So the bedrooms upstairs are still warm.

But the main first floor living spaces — living and dining rooms and kitchen — can’t get above 60 degrees. Not exactly cold enough to drive us out of our home to a warming station. But just cold enough to be uncomfortable.

Luckily the heating guy showed up relatively quickly. And luckily it wasn’t a full furnace replacement (phew).

But why does this always happen on the coldest day of the year? Or, at least happen to us on the coldest day of the year? The last time we had to replace the furnace (the one that heats the main living spaces and bedrooms) happened on …

you guessed it …

the coldest day of that year!

So now I’m trying to figure out what horrible things I may have done to inflict this cold karma on me and my family! 🙂

So today, in honor of sub-zero temperatures, I thought I’d share a project worthy of a polar vortex kind of day …

How To Make Fabric Wrapped Cork Board DIY

Materials

Cork Board (I used 12 x 12 cork tiles)

Fabric (I used this gray/beige/white paisley fabric, purchased from an Etsy shop)

Glue Gun

Scissors

Cut the fabric, leaving a 1-2 inch border around all sides.

Add a dot of glue at the corner.

Fold down the corner piece onto hot glue. Hold for a few seconds until dry.

Add a bead of glue along one length of the cork board.

Press fabric down and hold for a few seconds until dry.

Add an extra dot of glue at corner. Fold over and hold until dry.

Okay, now I’m suppose to show you more pictures of how I folded over the other edge of fabric to finish off the corner … but I must’ve gotten distracted or something. Because I simply cannot find any more photos.

So instead I’ll just leave you with the finished fabric wrapped cork board diy project …

Oh, and in case you were wondering, it really is that cold in Chicago again today. Woke up to be greeted with a -16 on my phone’s weather app …

brrrrrrr …

but at least the heat is working today! 🙂

I’ll just leave you with a shot of the Chicago polar vortex from @online.chicago on Instagram …

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The Painted Sink: Where Is It Now?

January 15, 2019 By Linda 4 Comments

The Painted Sink: Where Is It Now? – How To Paint a Sink.

You may recall I painted a couple of bathroom sinks in my home over the years …

here in 2013 …

and here in the powder room in early 2011.

I’m often asked how the sink has held up over the years.

And let me tell you: Here in the powder room, it’s held up pretty well. Especially since I painted this sink close to eight years ago, and I’m 99.99% sure the paint-the-sink product box stressed this should not be intended as a long term solution.

I’m 99.99% sure the shelf life should be closer to five years or so.

You know, temporary. A temporary solution to mask the ugly until you get around to a permanent solution.

But guess what? There will be no permanent solution. In our Chicago neighborhood, our home is considered a tear down. Which leaves me with 00.00% motivation to invest in anything that I can’t take with me. So my only option is to live with some nicks and knacks.

That’s okay. I can live with that. 🙂

Shall we take a closer look?

You can see some scuffing along the edges.

Here’s a closer look. You can see how the paint is being peeled back, exposing the ugly fiber glass underneath.

The drain has taken a bit of a beating too …

And finally, there are a few nicks here and there …

Oh, and the color has yellowed a bit over the years.

And with all that …

at the end of the day it’s still a whole lot better than the faux fiber glass biege/orangy builder grade sink that was all the rage in the 90’s.

Just kidding.

Faux fiber glass beige/orangy builder grade sinks were never a rage. At any time in the history of the U.S. Or the history of the world, for that matter. Just a cheap option in the world of builder grade flipping.

Which has me thinking: exactly who are these builder grade designers that thought a faux fiber glass beige/orangy sink is just what a homeowner would want?

Maybe it’s not an upgrade in builder grade materials we need. More like an upgrade in builder grade designers. 😉

Christmas in the Kitchen 2018

January 2, 2019 By Linda 2 Comments

Merry Christmas …

from the kitchen …

a week (and a day) late.

I know, I know. But I’m not holding my head in shame. Nope. I’m taking full ownership.

Besides, I already took pictures of the kitchen pre-Christmas day. And downloaded said pictures. And, among hundreds and hundreds, picked my favorites. And edited said favorites. And then culled through those favorites to pick my favorite of the favorites. And added them to this post. And then looked at them again and didn’t like how they looked. So I edited them some more. And I culled it down (again) to my favorite of the favorites of the favorites …

and if that sounds exhausting, it can be. But after all that work, how could I not share my Christmas kitchen? A week (and a day) late.

My original post idea for Christmas day (a week and a day ago) was to share my favorite part of the kitchen at Christmastime. And you might be surprised to find out my favorite, especially when there are so many things to choose from.

There are the delicious smells of cookies baking and roasts roasting. Which are definitely delicious. But that’s not my favorite favorite.

And then there are the cute mini wreaths on the cabinets that make me smile each time I enter the kitchen …

but that’s not my favorite favorite.

What I love the most about the Christmas kitchen is the sound of the dishwasher running on Christmas day.

Yep, that’s my favorite favorite.

It evokes memories of my childhood. It seemed like (to little me) that my mother hosted all the big holidays. Which kept the kitchen very, very busy.

And there are so many great memories of the smells of the turkey … or crown roast at Christmas … cooking in the oven. Then there was the peeling of potatoes. Not exactly a favorite memory, but it was something my dad and would do together.

But at the end of the day, with full bellies and the table cleared … and the last giant pot or roasting pan scrubbed, dried and put away … we would turn off the bright overhead lights and turn on the dishwasher.

And that soft sound of the water rushing and thrashing about to clean our Sunday best dishes was so ….

so …

comforting. And satisfying.

The perfect end to the perfect day!

Oh, and Happy New Year too! I don’t have a New Year kitchen or story to share. It looks pretty much the same today. Though, a little less merry …

and a little more messy! 😉

Christmas Table Setting in Gray, White, Gold

December 20, 2018 By Linda 6 Comments

Christmas Table Setting in Gray, White, Gold – Gray and White Holiday Table Setting Idea.

It’s official. I’m an old lady.

How do I know this, you ask?

I mean, besides what I see looking back at me in the mirror. Oh, and my actual age.

I know I’m old because advertisers aren’t just targeting me … they’re actually reaching me.

All. Day. Long.

The find me on the Hallmark Channel. And Lifetime. As I tune in to the never ending and delightfully cheesily predictable holiday movies. Reaching out to me about Medicare Part D and products to help when I fall and can’t get up.

They find me on AM talk radio in the car. Though, sometimes they are confused and think I’m an old man with a certain dysfunction (wink, wink).

And not-to-sound-paranoid-with-a-paranoid-sounding-observation: I sometimes wonder if they’re listening in on my phone and/or watching me on my laptop (I really do need to figure out how to turn off that camera). You know watching and listening as I watch Hallmark Channel movies and listen to AM talk radio. Because advertisers are always following me across the internet with pop ads for … you guessed it ... old people stuff.

And what does this all have to do with my holiday table setting … or the holidays at all?

Because at this time of year, advertisers have one more way to remind me that I’m getting old: while listening to Christmas music on the radio. There’s one station here in Chicago that goes full-on 100% Christmas music in November straight through Christmas day. And when I’m not tuned in to AM talk radio (geez, I really am an old lady, aren’t I?!?) I’m tuned into Christmas music.

And the ads?

You guessed it. Old people things and services.

Tis the season to be old and addled, fa la la la laaaaa, la la la la!

So to defy what the advertisers are insisting (I will fight my outer old lady to the bitter end!), I decided to go with an “Everything Old is New Again” holiday table setting …

Let’s start with the (faux) crystal candle holders and tapers. Old me would call them old fashioned, old lady table decor. But new/old me? New/old me calls them eclectic. Quirky. A fun mix of old with the new, sparkly white Scandinavian inspired trees.

And the gold flatware (which is actually gold toned stainless I found at Target)? Old me would see them as ostentatious. Flashy. Tacky. But new/old me? New/old me sees them as glam, rich and classy …

I’m liking how this whole new/old me thing works. 😉

Finally, the vintage-look-French-striped napkins (found mine at World Market). Old me would’ve called them rags. Relegated to wiping up messes. But new/old me? New/old me calls them linens. Crisp and fresh and deserving of a pressing before use.

Yes, I did iron them.

In keeping with the everything old is new again theme, I think I’ll apply it to myself. So when I look in the mirror instead of old me seeing wrinkles, new/old me will see lines of wisdom. And laughter. And smiles.

P.S. My apologies if this blog post is filled with ads for old people stuff and services. I mean, I did mention old people stuff in the copy and Google knows and documents everything. That’s not paranoia. That’s just fact.

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Christmas Tree Painted Mason Jar

December 18, 2018 By Linda 3 Comments

Christmas Tree Painted Mason Jar – Christmas Mason Jar Craft.

Ernie got a little taste of the blog last week …

and turns out he thinks it tastes even better than Kibbles N Bits.

Though not quite as tasty as that Sloppy Joe he stole off the dining room table a few years back and devoured before a single drop of Sloppy or Joe hit the floor. 🙂

If you missed it, I put up a picture of Ernie looking at (okay, more like avoiding looking at) the Christmas tree as part of my Christmas living room post. I also shared on Facebook and Instagram.

And as the likes and comments rolled in, I could see Ernie’s little doggy ego growing bigger and bigger. He was really eating it up!

You get it, right? Eating it up. Like Kibbles. And stolen Sloppy Joe’s. 🙂

So when I moved into the living room (again) to take pictures of my newly created Christmas tree painted mason jar, Ernie stayed put. Didn’t move. Burrowed in, in fact …

Which is not his normal behavior.

Normally the minute he sees the camera and tripod move into a room …

he swiftly moves out.

And as I moved around the room with the previously feared camera and tripod, he didn’t budge. Barely even noticed me.

So strange.

Now granted, he was on daddy watch. Which, I suppose based on his refusal to move, might actually taste better than both Kibbles N Bits and a stolen Sloppy Joe.

But there he is. In the background. My constant companion. Paying me no mind as I took pictures of my finished painted Christmas tree mason jar …

How To Make Painted Christmas Tree Mason Jar

Materials*

Ball Regular Mouth Pint Size (16 oz.) Mason Jar

Santa Red Americana Acrylic Paint

Holly Green Americana Acrylic Paint

Snow (Titanium) White Americana Acrylic Paint

Real Brown Folk Art Acrylic Paint

Design Master Clear Matte Finish

80 grit sandpaper

Paint Brush

*includes affiliate links

Start with two coats of acrylic paint in Santa Red. Let dry overnight between coats.

Distress along raised lettering and markings with 80 grit sandpaper.

Add a dot of holly green acrylic paint.

Use a toothpick to drag the green paint up to make the top of the tree point.

Then use the toothpick to drag the paint to make tree limbs.

Continue process until you cover the jar with little trees. Let dry.

Use fine tipped paint brush to add tree stems using Folk Art Real Brown acrylic paint. Let dry.

Using a toothpick and white paint, add snow to trees. Like so.

And so.

Repeat. Let dry.

Finish by adding some snow.

Let dry overnight before sealing with matte clear coat.

I’ve decided that this little painted Christmas tree mason jar needs a little fame of its own. So I’ve added it to the Etsy shop. You can find the listing at this link …

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Christmas Home Tour: Dining Room

December 13, 2018 By Linda 4 Comments

Christmas Home Tour – Dining Room Christmas Decor – Gray, White, Red Christmas Ideas.

The dining room.

The least used but most seen room in the house.

It’s smack dab in the middle of everything. You can’t got to the kitchen without passing through the dining room. You can’t go to the family room without passing through the dining room. You can’t go to the powder room without passing through the dining room.. You can’t do laundry in the basement (that’s my husband) or paint mason jars in the basement work space (that’s me) without passing through the dining room …

… and you can’t sit in the living room and not see the dining room.

You get it, right? Visible. From. All. Angles.

And yet while highly visible, not used much. Well, not used much for it’s intended purpose.

Dining.

It is used, however, as the place where everything collects.

And when I say everything I mean my things.

I’m the guilty one here. I’m the one who lets junk mail and half-finished crafts and painted mason jars pile up here. I’m the one who stashes bubble wrap and packing peanuts behind the table.

And since the dining room is the most seen room in the house, all my ‘stuff’ is visible for all to see!

Sigh.

I find over time I become completely blind to the mountain of stuff. I pass through on my way to the kitchen or powder room or basement and it just doesn’t register …

until it does.

Then it haunts me. Taunts me. Mocks me.

And when I’m fully haunted-taunted-mocked, I finally break down …

and break down the mountain. One half-finished (or failed) craft project and one piece of junk mail at a time.

There is one time of the year when I try really, really hard to keep the dining room table (mostly) clear.

The holidays.

But I’m not always successful.

Because … well … I mean the holidays do involve a fair share of crafting and junk mail.

Yes, that’s me making excuses!

And as I sit in the living room looking into the dining room my little eye spies a box of Duck Tape. A few Christmas cards. An empty mason jar box filled with gray and white ribbon. A cookie canister. And embroidery hoops (from a failed craft project).

So, yeah, the mountain is growing …

🙂

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Christmas Home Tour: Living Room

December 11, 2018 By Linda 20 Comments

Christmas Decorations in Gray, White & Red – Christmas Home Tour – Living Room.

This post is dedicated you.

All of you.

All of you lovely, lovely people!

Thank you … thank you … thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Your responses to my where have I been blog post last week overwhelmed me. All your support and encouragement lifted my spirits …

and gave me back my joy!

Did I say thank you?

You all reminded me about the very best part of blogging.

You!

Your comments. Your words of encouragement. Your words of understanding.

Seriously, it filled my heart! I felt like that moment in The Grinch where his heart just grows and grows and grows. With the reading of each and every comment you left my hear just grew and grew and grew!

Thank you!

I’m not sure how I lost sight of all of you in my blogging journey, but somewhere along the line blogging turned from a passion to a burden. Honestly, I was having a teen girl moment.

You know the one, right?

Where I was standing on the sidelines watching all the other girls get asked to prom and invited to all the best parties. Standing on the sidelines as all the other girls (or so it seemed) made it onto the cheer squad and dance team. And there I was. Standing on the sidelines.

Brooding.

I know, I know. Not an attractive look.

But then it dawned on me. Not everyone is going to get asked to prom. Or go to parties. Or make the cheer team. Or dance team

And who says it’s all that. Right?

And who says that’s the only — or the right — path in life?

Sometimes it’s best just to do your own thing.

Be your own person.

Own it (as Lisa Rinna says on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills).

Sometimes you just need to follow your own path.

And once I stopped looking at what the popular girls were doing, I felt freed up to just be me.

Okay, true confession time. I still do take a peek at the popular girls from time to time. But only in a see-what-I-can-learn/pick-up-from-them way. Not in a I’m-so-jealous-I-wasn’t-asked-to-the-party way.

So thank you!

Thank you for supporting me … and encouraging me … to do my own thing!

And thank you for being here when I finally realized my path is a pretty darn good one! 🙂

And it only took me seven years! Sigh.

And I’ll end with the holiday dog picture.

Yes, yes, I realize all the cool girls have a well-behaved holiday dog picture on their holiday home tour posts. But here’s the catch: Ernie hates the camera. He runs from it with his head hung low and tail tucked between his legs. But for once Ernie didn’t run away when I pointed the camera in his direction. Perhaps he was really tired. Or perhaps he was really enjoying the Christmas tree.

Or perhaps he really wanted to give me a popular girl blog moment! Ha! 🙂

Candy Cane Christmas Bunting with Duck Tape

December 10, 2018 By Linda 6 Comments

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Duck Brand®. All opinions are 100% mine.

Candy Cane Christmas Bunting – Duck Tape Holiday Crafts.

Once upon a time my Christmas decorating “theme” was all about the Santas.

And not just any old Santas. Well, actually, that’s not true. Because it was all about old Santas. As in Ye Olde Santas. You know the ones with the long beards and muted colored long coats. Polar opposite of the holly-jolly-red-faced-bright-red-coated North Pole Santas you encounter at the mall.

As an aside, my apologies if I’ve shared a version of this story before. I am getting old, after all. And my children like to point out that I sometimes (okay, often) repeat myself. 😉

But back to the Ye Olde Santas.

They started showing up in my decor when we first moved into this house. I was greatly influenced by a store that no longer exists called the Great Ace. It was a mix of hardware and decor and furniture. And each holiday season they would put up a forest of themed trees …

and the Ye Olde Santa themed tree called my name.

And for many years thereafter, my collection grew. I would pick a few new Santas each year. And family and friends would gift me with Ye Olde Santas to add to my collection.

But as with most things, with the passing of time my Christmas decor tastes and preferences changed. My affection for Ye Olde Santas waned …

as I found myself drawn to trees. Little trees. Big trees. Medium sized trees. Trees, trees, trees.

I found this twig and jute tree at Target and scooped it up right away. I had no idea where it would go. I had no idea how large it actually was (I didn’t unfurl the full tree in the store). I just know I needed this twig and jute tree in my holiday home.

After trying it out in a few spots, I eventually decided to hang it on the chalkboard wall in the kitchen. When I stepped back to admire my new medium-sized tree addition to my holiday decor, I thought it needed a little sumpin sumpin.

So I pulled out the colorful holiday Duck® brand duct tape …

How To Make Candy Cane Christmas Bunting with Duck Tape

Materials

Color Duck Tape® in red & white

8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper

White jingle bells

Small hole punch

Red & white baker’s twine

Embroidery needle

Scissors

Tape alternating strips of red and white Duck Tape to the 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper. I eyeballed the spacing … but turns my eyeballs eyeballed 1/4″ stripes.

Continue until you fill the page.

Turn over and trim away the excess.

Trace triangles on paper side and cut out (mine measure 2 1/2″ in length x 2 1/4″ top width).

One 8 1/2″ x 11″ sheet of paper produced 24 triangles.

Using a small hole punch, create holes at two ends of top of triangle.

Thread baker’s twine through embroidery needle and thread together triangles (I added a white jingle bell after every two triangles). I did tie a knot for the jingle bells to stay in place, but no need to do that for each triangle. You can just move them around where you want them and they’ll stay in place.

And hang …

One tree done, ten more to go. 😉

Oh, and this candy cane bunting looks cute on the big tree too …

And since it’s made with Duck® brand duct tape, this bunting is durable enough touse it year-after-year on my little, medium and big trees!

Pin It!

Check out my other Duck Tape holiday craft ideas:

Santa Suit Duck Tape Mason Jar Cozy @Mason Jar Crafts Love blog

Duck Tape Silver & Gold Candle Holiday Centerpiece

Duck Tape Gift Bags & Tags

Christmas Tree in Gray, White, Red

December 6, 2018 By Linda 19 Comments

Christmas Tree in Gray, White, Red – Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas.

As I was fighting with this Christmas tree over the weekend, I got to thinking …

You see, I bought this tree as a pre-lit one. Which is all great and good and convenient for like 4 or 5 or 6 years or so. Until …

until (insert drum roll here) …

until a strand of pre-lit lights stops working.

And that’s when the struggle begins. Because identifying the exact strand to replace is near impossible.

Two years ago when a single section of the tree went dark, I ad libbed (or is it ad hoc’d) it and just threw a new strand over the old.

Problem solved.

Then last year, there were a few more black out spots. So I ad libbed (ad hoc’d?) it again. The result, though? The tree was a bit overwhelmed with wires. And I knew this temporary light solution wouldn’t fly next year.

Welcome to next year!

So the unraveling began. As in removing the pre-lit strands of light. Eek.

And let me tell you, when they string these pre-lit trees they really, really string them. Seriously. It took me hours to get the old off. Not to mention all the fake tree scratches on my hands and wrists.

I won’t TMI you with a picture of my bloodied limbs, so you’ll have to take my word. 😉

And as I was struggling to unstrand the strands, I started thinking: how are these pre-lit trees strung? Is it automated? And if so, how? And if so, bravo to the engineer who came up with that automation line!

But if not … are they individually hand strung? And if so, well my combined cheers & condolences to the person whose job it is to string them. I’m hoping they wear some heaving duty gloves!

And now my pre-lit tree has one tiny little pre-lit section left. It’s the smallest piece of the puzzle that fits on the tippy top of the tree. I’m not sure why that one strand of lights continues to shine brightly. But if decides to follow the rest of the tree and dark next year …

I’m ready.

Though, next year I’ll wear protective gloves. 🙂

P.S. Clearly Ernie is enjoying this year’s Christmas tree!

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Thanksgiving Centerpiece

December 4, 2018 By Linda 6 Comments

Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ideas – White Pumpkins, Eucalyptus, Votives – Simple Neutral Centerpiece.

I know. I know.

Thanksgiving was two weeks ago.

But bear with me. I’m trying to catch up here (remember that spontaneous six months long time off thingy majingy).

Hey, it could have been worse. I have a few Halloween projects from October that I made and photographed but never shared! 😉

But this year I hosted Thanksgiving. Which was a very big deal. Because it’s been many, many … many .... long years of not hosting.

Now, it’s not like I don’t like hosting. I do. It’s just the family has grown in size as kids grow up and get married and have kids of their own. And, quite frankly, my space-challenged house could no longer accommodate all those new family additions.

But this year we were a small group. Me, Mike, my two kids, Mike’s two sisters and one brother-in-law. A perfect size for a gathering in my home!

So in preparation for our little gathering, I decided to paint the walls, make new pillow slip covers and get new rugs.

That’s normal preparation, right?

Naturally, my husband thought I was insane. And perhaps I was. But I’ll tell you what …

it gave me a chance to give the house a nice, deep clean. You know the kind, right. The behind-the-armoire-and-hutch-and-under-the-couch-scrub-the-baseboards kinds of deep clean.

Boy does that feel good. Like a nice, long hot shower after a strenuous work-out!

Oh, and you can catch a glimpse of the newly painted wall color above the board and batten in these two pictures. It’s a nice, neutral light gray.

And after the navy, it really brightens up the place.

I’ll share a full before & after post after the holidays with all the paint-color-rug-and-fabric resources and names and links.

But for now, let’s just enjoy some candlelight and twinkle lights in my neutral Thanksgiving centerpiece. It’s nice and low so it doesn’t get in the way of conversation. I used a few faux white pumpkins (from my stash), twig pumpkins (again, my stash) simple votives (found at Michael’s), birch wood slice (found at Mariano’s grocery store) and fresh greens from the grocery store that I dismantled and spread along the table.

That’s it. Simple. Neutral. Pretty.

Oh, and it went perfectly with my freshly painted walls ….

and sparkling baseboards!

Before I go, here’s a quick and shameless plug for my Etsy shop. I still have some cars in jars left that can be delivered in time for Christmas:

Vintage Chevy Pick Up Truck

Vintage Chevy Bel-Air

Summer Nautical Navy And White Party Ideas with Paper

June 6, 2018 By Linda 2 Comments

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of A.C. Moore. All opinions are 100% mine.

There are so many things to love about the craft store.

So many things to inspire my creativity.

So many shiny things I want to take home and glue to something. Anything.

So many shades of paint I want to splatter on anything that doesn’t move. And even some that do! 😉

But the one section in the craft store that draws me in … calls my name as soon as I step foot in the store ... is the paper aisle.

So many colors. So many designs and patterns and beautiful color combinations. So many themes.

So many possibilities!

In the paper aisle, my head explodes with all those possibilities. Paper flowers … and origami … and custom cards … oh my!

Not to mention how many affordable ways I can use paper to create something beautiful for my home …

or, even better, how many affordable ways I can use paper to create something beautiful I can share with friends and family at a summer party!

For my summer nautical navy and white party ideas with paper, I zeroed in on these amazing Love Nicole paper collections at A.C. Moore in “ahoy” …

… and “seaside.”

You can find both of these collections (and even more amazing designs and colors) at A.C. Moore … and even more design inspiration by watching the A.C. Moore Hour, a recent partnership with Create and Craft airing every Wednesday at 11 AM Eastern time. Now you can tune into your TV and regularly get great craft ideas. You can watch Create and Craft on DISH Network or stream online at createandcraft.com.

Summer Nautical Navy and White Party Ideas with Paper

Paper Gift Box Tutorial

Trace cube box template onto back side of your paper (click here to download & print the template).

Cut it out.

Fold. Fold. Fold (per template).

Using a glue stick, apply to flaps.

I also used a little tape to better secure the sides of the box.

Finished box measures about 2 1/4″ square.

Paper Bow Tutorial

You can download the bow template by clicking here.

Trace template on wrong side of paper and cut out.

Add glue.

Fold over each side to form bow’s loops, adding more glue to stick ends to center.

Use a paper clip to secure until dry. (If it doesn’t stick, you can use tape or a glue gun).

I used glue dots to secure the looped bow to the base (you can also use glue or glue gun).

Wrap small strip around center of bow to finish off, secure in back (again, I used glue dots but you can use glue gun or tape).

Paper Sailboat Cupcake Topper Tutorial

You can download the triangle template by clicking here. (I used the smaller triangle for the mini cupcakes; the larger triangle is for standard size cupcakes)

Trace on wrong side of paper and cut out.

Add a small hole to top of triangle (using a small hole hand punch) along the right angle side.

And add a second small hole at bottom of triangle.

Feed through a small dowel (I used a wooden vegetable skewer that you can find at the grocery store). Add a small jute tie at bottom of triangle.

Cut dowels and insert in cupcakes.

Mason Jar Paper Topped Sippy Cup Tutorial

Trace mason jar lid on wrong side of paper.

Cut out.

Step not pictured: Before inserting circle cut outs into mason jar bands, punch holes for straws (you can also use a knife to make an “X” after you insert into bands)