Embroidery Hoop Wreath

August 15, 2019 By Linda Leave a Comment

Embroidery Hoop Wreath DIY – How To Make Embroidery Hoop Wreath With Faux Eucalyptus & White Roses.

For the next four years I’m going to try and spend as little as possible on craft supplies. Let me count the reasons why:

#1 – College. While my first child graduated from college in the spring, my second (and last) child starts her freshman year next week. And with the start of college comes the tuition bill. And this time around the bill is bigger. Gulp. So I’m going to be scrimping, scraping … and praying that nothing big decides to malfunction around the house. Fingers crossed.

#2 – Random Craft Supplies. I have boxes and bins and drawers and shelves filled with various crafting supplies. Things that I thought I wanted to make but never made. Supplies for things I thought I wanted to make, never made … and now can no longer remember what I wanted to make! There’s extra supplies from things I did make. And then there are craft supplies I bought with absolutely nothing in mind; I just thought they were cute.

#3 – Ad Revenues. I’m not sure what’s going on (and it’s probably because I’ve taken a couple of very extended breaks from blogging over the past year … or perhaps things are just slow in the summer and I never noticed before), but my blog ad revenue took a nose dive these past few months.

#4 – College + Ad Revenues. Did I mention college? 🙂 And did I mention ad revenues? Because those ad revenues are what I use to cover that college tuition. And when ad revenues are down … well, my stress levels go up! Fingers crossed (I’m doing a lot of that lately) things will pick up for the upcoming holiday season.

#5 – Recession? I haven’t fulled recovered from the last one and I feel like I’m always looking over my shoulder for signs of the next one …

So I’ve decided I’m going to be much more frugal. I’m going to dig through those boxes and bins and drawers and shelves and (for the most part) craft with what I have. And what I don’t have, I’ll spend as little as possible to acquire.

Take this embroidery hoop wreath craft.

I picked up those hoops years ago. One of those I can’t remember what I wanted to make left over craft supply. The faux eucalyptus leaves were purchased in the spring, long before I started panicking about college tuition! The faux roses are from the dollar store; again picked up years ago. The only ‘new’ craft supply purchased for this project are the faux eucalyptus stems. They were a very frugal $3.19 (link in materials list).

How To Make An Embroidery Hoop Wreath

Materials*

Embroidery Hoop

Faux Eucalyptus Stems

Faux Eucalyptus Leaves

Faux Roses

Florist Wire

Floral Tape

Wire Clippers

Jute or Rope for Hanging

*some affiliate links included.

How To Make Embroidery Hoop Wreath With Faux Eucalyptus & White Roses.

Attach eucalyptus stems to bottom of hoop using florist wire.

Cover wire with floral tape.

Strip the rose stems of the plastic coating. Then remove the wire.

Use florist wire to replace the original faux rose wire.

Make a little loop thing at the end so the wire stays put.

Attach roses to hoop.

Add a jute loop and bow and hang.

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You can find all my craft projects at this link …

Succulent & Seashell Mason Jar Planter

August 8, 2019 By Linda 1 Comment

Succulent & Seashell Mason Jar Planter – Mason Jar Planter Ideas.

Every few years, I like to try my hand at growing things. Again.

Translation: Every few years I contract a bout of amnesia and forget I do not have a green thumb.

And this year is “every few years.”

I started on my “I Can Grow Things” spree with my front and back yards. My track record of growing grass is not … well … not strong. So this year I decided to try again. For the umpteenth time.

Translation: When I say I’m trying again to grow grass in my front and back yards that means I doled out a ridiculous amount of cash to a landscaper to try and take back my yard from the weeds and plant grass seed in the front, and sod in the back.

The experiment is still in the early stages, but I have to say there is quite a bit of green going on around here!

Translation: There was quite a bit of green going on until (1) the dog peed on the sod out back and; (2) the city of Chicago finally got around to trimming my (technically their) tree out front and left a 6 foot pile high of branches on the newly-seeded-and-growing parkway grass for the weekend.

But before the dog and the city’s Bureau of Forestry decided to test my resolve, I felt empowered … emboldened … to try my very own hand at planting some succulents. In a mason jar. With seashells.

No large sums of money were doled out for this project. 🙂

How To Make A Succulent & Seashell Mason Jar Planter

Materials*

Pint Size (16 oz) Mason Jar

Pea Gravel or Aquarium Gravel

Seashells

Potting Soil

*affiliate links.

Add pea gravel (or aquarium gravel).

Add seashells.

Add potting soil and succulent.

Water.

I also made some using sea glass that I shared on the other blog, Mason Jar Crafts Love …

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Easy Distressed Terracotta Pots

July 30, 2019 By Linda 5 Comments

Easy Distressed Terracotta Pots – How To Age Flower Pots Tutorial

Easy distressed terracotta pots - how to age flower paints with paint and sandpaper

Let me set the scene for you:

It’s a gorgeous summer day. Like a day you wish each and every day could be like. Like a day you want to retire to … and a day that has you wondering exactly what city, what state, what country, what island you could you move to that would guarantee you a full year of days just like this day.

Or at least 300 days out of 365 like this day.

It’s sunny (of course). Temperatures are in the mid-70’s. There’s a slight breeze; just enough to rustle a few leaves. Absolutely zero humidity.

Am I right? Did I not just describe the perfect day.

I’m out the back porch working on this easy distressed terracotta pot project, listening to the sounds of the city around me.

Birds are chirping. I can hear the garbage truck working it’s way down the alley. The dogs next door start barking when they see me. Across the alley I hear the little voices kids playing out on the second floor balcony.

In the distance, I hear a drumbeat. And not the tom tom kind. But a full on rock and roll riff.

And as I “paint’ these terracotta pots … and I use the word paint very loosely because I’m basically just dry brushing and cross hatching away … that rock and roll rift picks up speed and volume. So I start dry brushing faster and faster along with the beat.

And the little voices across the alley on the second floor balcony hear the drums too. And they call out for the drummer to stop.

But I’m digging it. It the perfect background music for this particular project. And in no time at all, I’m done.

And the music ends.

But now the little kids with their little voices on the second floor balcony across the way call out, “hello person.”

Are they calling out to me? Perhaps another neighbor is working in their back yard too?

I wave. And they wave back.

So yes, they were calling out to me! The perfect icing on the perfect day.

End of scene.

P.S. I add a little drum riff tune to the video tutorial to help set the mood for you too!

Easy Distressed Terracotta Pots Tutorial

Materials*

Terracotta Pots & Saucers

White Chalk Paint

Chip Brush

80 Grit Sandpaper

*includes some affiliate links

Start with paint. I prefer chalk paint because it’s easy to work with and dries incredible fast. But you can use an acrylic paint too. Just use a matte finish.

Using a chip brush, dry brush on pot in cross hatch pattern. Don’t worry, you can’t make a mistake.

Keep painting until you get your desired look. I went a little heavier on the paint, but made sure some terracotta color still shows through.

Don’t forget to paint the saucer too!

Optional: Distress with 80 grit sandpaper. I just hit a few of the edges around the top rim and bottom.

Easy distressed terracotta flower pots - age flower pots with chalk paint and sandpaper

Just add plants to finish them off!

Now back to finding the perfect city/state/country/island where I can find the perfect day, day after day …

I’d also like someplace that I can enjoy the sounds of the city in the background …

and little voices calling out “hello person.”

Rock and roll drum riff optional.

🙂

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Easy Distressed Terracotta Pots - How To Age Flower Pots with Chalk Paint - DIY Aged Terracotta Flower Pots

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Succulent Place Card Holders

July 23, 2019 By Linda 10 Comments

Succulent Place Card Holders – Gold Dipped Terra Cotta Pot Planters

I created a video!

I know, I know. No big deal, right?

Nothing to jump up and down about, right?

Nothing to phone home about, right?

I mean, let’s get real here: people have been making videos for decades. Just look at the success of YouTube. Not to mention all the videos flooding Instagram and Facebook feeds.

People have actually gained fame … and fortune … for their video creations.

As the saying goes, you can’t swing a dead cat online without hitting a video!

So my little video is really not a big deal. But then again (for me) it feels like a pretty big deal.

You see, I noticed some blogs started featuring “My Latest Video” videos as part of their blog posts. And I wanted to get in on the action. Only problem?

Where to start!

What I did know: I didn’t want to actually shoot video footage. Instead, I wanted to use still images from my blog posts and turn them into a video slide show with music and text.

Now, many years ago, I recall working with Windows Movie Maker with the kids on school projects. But, alas, Windows Movie Maker is no more.

After much Googling and watching many, many how to make a video tutorials, I settled on the Microsoft Photo app (which I used on my laptop, not phone). There are limitations when it comes to fonts and font size and font placement. And you need to find your own free music sources …

perhaps one day I’ll offer my own video tutorial on how to turn a blog post into a video slide show using Microsoft Photo app …

but at the end of the day. I’m pleased.

For the most part.

And if anyone has a better program or app I should look into, please let me know! Preferable something free that offers more flexibility with fonts and font placement!

For my first video, I turned my how to make a succulent place card holder tutorial (below) into a slide show with music and text (above) …

How To Make A Succulent Place Card Holder

Materials*

Potting Soil

Painter’s Tape

Alphabet Rubber Stamps & Ink Pad

*includes affiliate links

Succulent Place Card Holders - Gold Dipped Terracotta Pots Table Setting

Step 1: How To Make Gold Dipped Terracotta Pots

Use Washi tape (which is more flexible than painter’s tape on these mini pots) to tape off area to be gold “dipped” (which means spray painted).

How to Make Succulent Place Card Holders with Mini Terracotta Pots Gold Dipped

Use painter’s tape to tape off the top of the terracotta pot.

Spray with gold spray paint. Remove tape when dry.

How to Make Succulent Place Card Holder Table Setting

Step 2: Plant Succulents

Add a little bit of potting soil to bottom of mini terracotta pots.

Add succulent. Water lightly.

Using Craft Wire to Make Place Card Holder Succulent

Step 3: How To Make Custom Place Cards & Place Card Holder

Wrap light gauge craft wire around end of pencil three times.

Squash the rings together (yes, my very technical “squash” term is used here!

Use card stock paper and mini stamps to make place cards.

Slip into craft wire holder.

Add to succulents.

And that’s it!

And it feels like (to me) that I made two projects in one!

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Succulent Place Card Holders - Gold Dipped Mini Terracotta Pots Place Card Holders - How to Make Simple Place Card Holders for Summer Table Setting

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Cabana Stripe Gray & White Envelope Pillow Tutorial

July 18, 2019 By Linda 5 Comments

Cabana Stripe Gray & White Envelope Pillow Tutorial – How To Sew A Pillow Cover

I love me a Cabana Stripe.

Doesn’t it just scream summer?

And not just any old summer. The cabana stripe is so not the Seaside-Heights-Atlantic-City-of-Jersey-Shore-fame summer. It’s more like a Saint-Tropez summer. Or a Cannes summer. Or a Martha’s Vineyard summer …

in my mind’s eye, I envision lots of cabana stripes on the Kennedy compound, back in the day.

Cabana stripes can even be a Spring Lake, NJ summer.

In fact, I’m pretty sure I spotted a few of those distinctive wide stripes on an awning or two back when I was a Jersey shore beach bum.

I haven’t yet found the Midwest equivalent of the cabana stripe summer. But I’m pretty sure I could find some cabana stripes along the North Shore (just north of Chicago where our many of our local high society folks call home). I can’t confirm since I’m still awaiting my invite to a summer soiree at one of the many mansions dotting the lakefront. 😉

And Lake Geneva in Wisconsin seems ripe for a wide cabana stripe or ten.

All this talk of cabana stripes has me thinking about how different stripes can conjure different emotions.

Take pin stripes. They can either go buttoned-up corporate business suit …

or a carefree day at the ballpark cheering on your favorite team with a hot dog in one hand and a beer in the other.

Candy stripes remind me of my sister’s Candy Striping days.

And zebra stripes are … well … a whole different kind of New Jersey summer. One you would definitely experience in Seaside Heights and Atlantic City! 😉

But back to cabana stripes. I typically think of them in nautical colors (like the navy and white my screen porch sported last year) or summer yellow and white. But I think my new gray and white cabana striped pillows offer a similar summery vibe …

Cabana Stripe Gray & White Envelope Pillow Tutorial

The fabric used in this tutorial is Premier Prints Indoor/Outdoor vertical stripe in gray and white, with 3″ wide stripes for a 6″ repeat. You can find the fabric at this affiliate link ….

Let’s just start this envelope pillow tutorial with a disclaimer: When it comes to making pillow covers, I just wing it. No patterns used. Just me, my tape measure, my scissors, my pins, and my sewing machine. Oh, and thread too!

I start by measuring the length and width of my pillow form. I’m using a 20 x 20 Ikea down pillow inseert (click here for Ikea pillow insert found on Amazon).

So I cut a piece of fabric 21″ wide x at least 50″ long.

Now fold the fabric around the pillow insert (with right sides of fabric touching the pillow) and pull tight(ish) for a snug fit. On the back side of the insert, overlap the fabric at least 5″ and then fold back a layer to create a clean seam. Pin in place.

Carefully remove fabric from pillow form, keeping it folded in thirds. Lie flat, right sides together.

With right sides of fabric together, adjust your folds until the center piece of the fabric measures 19 1/2″ in total length. (I like a tight fit slip cover when using a down pillow insert, so I sew the seams a 1/2″ smaller than the pillow insert dimensions).

With right sides together, iron flat.

Iron center overlap seam (where the pocket insert for the pillow form will be) flat too.

Trim off excess fabric from center seam pocket.

Now refold fabric along the center seam, so the finished ironed edge is on the inside.

This will make sure when you sew the side seams together, the clean finished edge will be on the outside of the envelope pocket.

Pin right sides together.

Sew side seams together. I used a 3/4″ seam allowance on both sides for a finished 19 1/2″ width.

Turn right sides out and press. Here’s a shot of the envelope opening.

And now my back porch feels just like Saint-Tropez.

Okay, that’s a stretch. Maybe more like Lake Geneva.

Or, better yet, one of those North Shore lakefront masons I’m still awaiting my party invite to! 😉

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Cabana Stripe Fabric - Gray and White Cabana Striped Fabric - Pillow Cover Tutorial - How To Make and Envelope Pillow Cover

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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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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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