Christmas craftiness {home and gift}

this yarn wrapped wreath is a breath of fresh air on my door. it started out as a wreath gone wrong... but turns out if you wrap something in pretty yarn and glue some pretty things on it it's lovely :) sometimes simple is best!

rudolph candy canes are sooo much more fun with a little jingle! perfect for classroom gifts.
great idea violet!

handmade ornaments {target inspired} with leftover scraps of fabric from my LOVE letters. so simple, so festive!

LOVE fabric letters {anthro inspired}

hey howdy hey! some crafty friends of mine decided to do a monthly craft night and here is what we made this month... fabric letters! mine are 12 inches tall and covered in fabric that matches the colors in the quilt on my bed. i just LOVE these :)

(and so do little hands! i also love those little hands!!)

v is for violet!!
she loves to be in the mix making things with me :)

so. much. fun.

xoxo

she's done... {putting the pieces together, cont'd}

YEY!! my fireplace project is complete!! after being blocked off from my kids for, well, way too long we can finally appreciate it. it's much lighter in color than the dark reddish-brown boring tile that was there before. i think it adds interest and a breath of fresh air into the room. it's different and took me a few days to get used to, but around here we approve :)






and what really sent me into high speed work mode was that dang game 6 of the world series! i got to one point where i couldn't watch it anymore, but i could listen, so as i listened i scraped dried grout off of the tiles. it was a great way to calm my nerves :)

hope everyone is enjoying fall and family!!
xoxo

meet ruby

meet ruby!
she's a lovable labradoodle "puppy", the first child, of my lifetime friend leona and her husband landon. if you looked up the term "lucky dog" in the dictionary i think you could easily see her picture! ruby is so loved and for good reason- she's happy-go-lucky, sweet and minds her manners. she is rewarded with gourmet dog treats, trips to anywhere and everywhere a dog is allowed, and lots of play time :) fun stuff! when leona asked me to paint her portrait i was so excited! she wanted a fun, loose, painterly look that she could hang up in her soon-to-arrive little boy's nursery.

this photo is known by her parents as "the nefertiti"- love it!

and here was my interpretation... signature red collar and all :)
xoxo

beautiful struggle... {a quote}

putting the pieces together... {new mosaics}

well hello there :)
and BEWARE crawling babies! my fireplace is under construction! here it is, almost half done.

i have had this project in my head for the last 4 years. i never knew exactly what it would look like so i waited. i'm loving the versatile neutral colors and the random glass piecing for this space. i grouted today and just love how that pulls all the pieces together. i will be working on the vertical portion soon and plan for the pieces to be a little different from below. will update with that. i'm loving it so far and loving working on it!

i try my best to keep up with my projects, and posting here, but if i'm slow in posting just know, i'm being inspired!

xoxo

summer dress... y'all like?

i wanted an easy summer dress to wear day or night... this little number was my first go at it :) thinking of trying my hand at some more... longer lengths, different colors

what do yall think? what color would you wear?

painting a house

so, i'm not literally painting a house, but i AM painting a house :)

this is a work in progress and far from being complete,

but i wanted to share what i've been up to these days cause things are still going on over here despite the thin postings. this is a painting for my in-laws that will complete a wall of their past and now present homes! i was so excited when they asked me to paint their current house and eagerly broke out my oil paints (from college!) yes, it's been a while since i've done any oil painting, but since then (college) i have always considered it one of the mediums i enjoy working with the most. working on this has lit the fire for painting once again!

once it is completed i will be sure to let yall know :)
☀

pillow covers

more pillows! my couch has been in desperate need for some more color. i have loved my nana pillows, but i have had these fun fabrics for a while and the plain-ness of the old pillows on my couch has been annoying me, so i made some simple slipcovers a few nights back. i love how much color they add and an unexpected graphic print can be super fun :) besides, it's little commitment, if i don't like it in a few months it can be changed!

this one is a small 15x15"...loving the polka dots!

i kept the 22x22" ones for the couch in similar blue tones to match the other pillows

this zig-zag print is everywhere and is also super fun!

i love adding my little labels onto things i make now... it feels so "official", so i have to snap shots of them too :) it's the little things, right?!

and ta-da! there is the couch as it sits now... the little ruffley pillow is from pier one and technically could be blamed for my recent swing into the blue/greys. it is what i took into sherwin williams that lead me to paint the china cabinet interesting aqua... love that little guy :)

need some new pillows to spruce things up? send me a note!!
xoxo

revisiting... {mosaics}

one of my biggest artistic passions is MOSAICS!!!
i know this because i don't mind spending hours upon hours working on one project to get it just perfect (to my standards). i'm so excited because i've been just itching to work on one and now i have a good enough idea for my next project! it'll be rather large though, so you won't see it for a while and i'll probably get a few other things up here in the meantime. but. it's going to be so fun!! in honor of it i thought i'd revisit some of my previous work to catch some of you up :)

fun initial letters

an art nouveau coaster for the coffee drinker

detail from a peacock plaque

12" square mirror

a bath for the birdies

12" square mirror

lazy susan with the doves

18" square mirror

and planters

as you can see the possibilities are endless!! any guesses as to what my next project will be? hummmmm?... hint: it will be on a permanent indoor structure!
xoxo

neutral pillows... {ruffles galore!!}

In finishing up some details for the chair and ottoman below are 4 matching throw pillow covers in neutral tones. Neutral, but girlie... with all the frills, RUFFLES!! These pillows are to be the backdrop for beautiful rosettes... SO fun because they can be pinned on, changed out with the season or on a whim.

slipcovers... {chair and ottoman}

My sweet {and immensely talented} friend Andrea of the Chica Boutique asked me to create these slipcovers for her leopard print chair and ottoman. I love an easy-going look that still achieves custom fit and design. Heavy duty white canvas and burlap update leopard print with such a fresh, clean look. Then throw on a few pillows to change up the look from season to season! ☀

what's cookin... {Meatball Minestrone}

on this gloomy day I opened the One-Armed Cook cookbook looking for this recipe. i love this cookbook because it makes cooking easy and that's what i need for cooking motivation... anyway, so good I thought i'd share.

Meatball Minestrone

1 c frozen chopped onion
2 tsp bottled minced garlic
1 T olive oil
1 can cannellini beans, undrained
1 (32 oz.) container chicken broth
1 pkg dry vegetable soup mix
1 (16 oz) pkg frozen cooked meatballs
2 cans Italian style diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 c ditalini pasta, uncooked
...(i've found that this pasta has several names- just look for small round ones)
1 (10 oz) pkg fresh washed baby spinach

1. in large saucepan over med-high heat cook onion, garlic and olive oil until tender - 5 min
2. stir in beans, chicken broth and bring to boil
3. stir in vege soup mix, meatballs, tomatoes, red pepper and return to boil
4. add pasta and cook, stirring often for 15 minutes
5. add spinach and stir until wilted- 1 minute

bon appetit!

{and stay tuned- there is a fun slipcover post coming soon!!}

painted china cabinet

befores:

afters:

this was a first time around to paint furniture and i would do it again for sure!
it wasn't necessarily easy, but it gave me such great results that it was worth the effort for sure.
interesting aqua works in my home! ➹