A little bird.

I bought this little guy at a thrift store a few weeks ago for 25 cents.  A buy like this is a steal to me!  I loved him and just thought he needed a facelift.  Although I do recognize that other people may never spend a dime on a knick-knack like this.

So, I gathered my paints and brushes and decided to get to work.

And this was my finished product.  He is now sitting on our window sill above the sink.  This project made me so happy today.  For me, it's the little things in life! :)

DIY scarf organizer.

It has turned into DIY week!

Many of my friends and family members know that I love wearing scarves, especially this time of the year.  When my neck is warm, my whole body temperature seems to increase...Has anyone else noticed this?!  Along with warmth, scarves add much needed style to my wardrobe!
Because of my love for scarves, I have accumulated many scarves over the years from family and friends who give me wonderful souvenirs from different places.

A lady can NEVER have too many scarves!

My husband, however, would disagree from an organizational stand point.  I used to have all my scarves folded up in a bag on our closet floor.  Not the most convenient and tidy storage idea.  I know some of my friends store their scarves crumpled in a bedroom dresser, which takes up a lot of space.

So, I found this idea on Pinterest and thought I would share it on our blog.  Josh and I agree that this means of storage has been MUCH better!  I apologize ahead of time for the poor photo quality.  I didn't have the greatest lighting, but these will do.

First, you will need an extra hanger from your closet and some shower curtain rings.  I bought these from Target for about $1.00.  It is important to get circular rings that clasp together like the ones below.

Next, fasten the rings around the hanger.

Then, you can hang your scarf collection from the rings so they are easy to see and find!
I ended up using two hangers in order to organize all my scarves.  If you have a sturdier (not plastic) hanger, then you may be able to get away with only using one hanger.  Make sure to use plenty of scarves to cover the entire hanger in order to prevent the scarves from sliding to one side.

Hope this is helpful!  I loved this organization tip and I spent about $1!

Here are some other ideas that I found for those who are willing to spend more money to get their scarves organized.

Scarf Hanger from IKEA...Brilliant!  $7.99

Tie & Belt Hanger from Target $12.59

DIY vintage sign.

I have been waiting on the state board of nursing to issue my license number.  I need that number before I can start working, so the delay has been quite a disappointing surprise.  I have been studying my class notes from this past year and being a house wife these days.  But, I still can enjoy a little free time while I have it!  So, in celebration of the free time, I thought I would do some crafting and write my first DIY post.

A vintage style sign.

You'll want to start with a piece of wood or a plaque.  I used a $0.50 thrift store find and just painted it black.  It isn't perfect, but it'll do the job.

Next, figure out what you want your sign to say.  Sooo many options here.  I am making the sign as a gift for a friend.  I want her to be reminded that she can "plant seeds" wherever she goes in life if she is connected to Christ.  Print out whatever you want your sign to say in the appropriate size.

Next, with a pencil, shade on the back side of the letters.

You'll then want to position your lettering onto the sign and tape it down.

Next, with a ball point pen, trace around the outline of your letters. You'll want to press pretty hard so it shows up.  Because of the pencil shading on the back side, it'll transfer the outline in pencil right onto your wood!

Next, I took a paint marker and filled in the lettering. If you want a clean solid look you'll need to do a couple coats of this. For my purposes, though, I was going to sand and distress it anyway, so it definitely did not have to be perfect.

Next, I let the letters dry really well and sanded it quite a bit to "distress" the lettering and make it look old.  I used 220 grade sandpaper.  I then took a wet paper towel and wiped up the dust to clean it up before the final step.

Finally, I gave it two generous coats of Mod Podge. This will seal it and give it a little shine, but you can do it in a matte finish as well. (Michaels is offering 50% coupons on their website.)  Either way, it'll give it a finished look.

Once dry, your sign is done!

So I'm sure there are better, easier ways to do this, especially if you have the right tools, but this cost less than $5 to make. I can't wait to make more as gifts!  Enjoy!

Welcoming Fall.

Fall has been my favorite season since I was young for many reasons. 

I love when the air changes from humid to crisp, prompting the use of sweatshirts and scarves.  When the leaves on the trees turn red, yellow, and orange, I can’t help but think about how beautiful it is (even if it is just a lack of photosynthesis and chlorophyll).  Also, hot apple cider and ANY baked pumpkin treat are especially tasty during these Fall months. 

We took some time to decorate our house to celebrate the change of season.  It is fun having time around the house to do projects like these!  

Pumpkins!

I carved a pumpkin to make a pot for our mum.

Pumpkin seeds from carving...Yum!

Fall wreath.  I made new felt flowers and added some berries.

Close up.

Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins...Oh my, so good!