Giving Gifts

I'm a gift giver. It's one of my "Love Languages." 

And I love putting together something fun and creative!
How about something fun like this for Mother's Day or
to say Thanks to a Teacher or
maybe something for your neighbor!

I found all items at Target and obviously my theme color was YELLOW!

A $3.00 bucket from the One Spot

I just walked around looking for a variety of things with my theme color of sunshine.

I printed out "You are my Sunshine" and attached it to a card and then added it to my basket.

For my Mom's birthday I went with the ORANGE theme.

And I made cute little tags that started out "Orange you glad..."

Her birthday is close to summer and every year I have trouble coming up with some good...

Until this year!

It was fun to walk around Target, you know my favorite place...

and find different things I thought my mom would like, all in ORANGE!

I added orange tissue paper to the mailing box and sent it off. She LOVED it!

What's Up?!

Oh my goodness, you must be wondering what I've been up to? Why no more posting you say? I don't really have any good excuses. I'm still moving. Still creating. Just not doing a very good job of documenting anything! Here's a look at some of the things I've been working on since I posted last:

(in no particular order, pictures from my phone!)

 I made some tea light candle holders from birch logs. Just drilled a big-O hold with a special paddle bit.

Greatest makeover of 2014 (next to refinishing our hardwood floors). 

Concrete countertops and tile backsplash (and undermount sink!)

A L L   D I Y  (or DIO-Did It Ourselves!)

More detailed blog post on all that some other time!

Entertaining family for Thanksgiving called for me to make a buffet for our dining room. 

Worked out great and now were using it in the basemet as a tv/blanket/wi console/DVD stand!

 Cloth napkins from canvas drop cloth!

Spray painted leaf as place-marker.

Recovered this chair in my bed room with a 

simple scrap piece of linen fabric and painted on silver polka-dots.

Made this light fixture for my foyer, and a smaller one for upstairs in the hallway. Used some of the hardware from my existing light fixture and garden orb from Target. Love Love Love to outcome!

More detailed blog post on the DIY for this one.

 My first attempt at plumbing... installed this new faucet!

Found this little one on the curb. Painted it green (from one of those little sample paints) and added this gold pull from Hobby Lobby. Now it's a fun accent piece in the kids bathroom.

Picture this guy with a dark oak look in it's former life-$10 at Salvation Army. 

A little chalk paint and updated finish on the hardware.

One Saturday afternoon we put together this firepit. 

The guy in the blue did most of the work! But these girls are tough enough!

Celebrated the new teenager of the house, my favorite son (my only son!) 

with a triple chocolate kit-kat, m&m cake.

Repainted and recovered this antique chair. 

Little secret, the black and white striped "fabric" is really a blanket from IKEA!

 Took down the wallpaper in the dining room. 

It started when I just tore a tiny little piece off and then there was no turning back!

I also painted this chandelier, the ceiling and walls. 

Do not be decieved by the guy in the redsweatshirt-he tore one little piece off and then never came into the room again!

Painted the front door and added vinyl numbers.

Painted the dark oak cabinets in the kids bath. Chalk paint and hardware from Habitat Restore.

So that's all for now. Come back soon. I promised to post the details on some of these projects. 

I'm just having so much fun it's hard to stop and blog about it all!

Metal Basket to Kitchen Light Fixture

Yes, it's been a Loooong time. You know know I've been keeping myself busy with our new house. I've done LOTS of things. And maybe not so great about documenting them. 

But just the other day I did something that I just L O V E !!!

I took a metal basket that I found at a local furniture and accessories store and turned it into a light fixture over my kitchen table. So easy! I'll show you how I did it.

I've been looking for the perfect basket to do this with.  

Here's how my basket started out, with a handle.

 I paid only $39.99!

 There was a bolt holding the handle on. 

But I wasn't able to unscrew it, so I had to saw it off with my handy Sawzal.

 I then turned the basket over and located the center. With my 13-year-old assistant on hand, 

I drilled a small hole in the center and then used a large bit to make a big hole 

that would accommodate the pendant fitter.

 It isn't the cleanest hole, but I knew it was going to be covered up by the pendant fitter.

 I made a quick trip to Lowes and purchased the 

Pendant Fitter and one of those new cool Vintage Style Lightbulbs.

 I spent $31.06 at Lowes. 

Add my $40.00 basket and I'm gonna have my new light fixture for less thatn $75.00! 

And no one else willl have one like it!

After I attached the pendant fitter to the basket I installed thw whole thing to the electrical wires according to the package directions. Also super easy to do! Just make sure you turn off the power first!

                                               I love the way it looks and I DID IT MYSELF!

Announcing the Grand Opening of my Etsy Shop!

OMG! I've been busy since my last post. 

We moved (just around the corner-but we had to pack and take all our stuff non-the-less) 

and I finally opened an Etsy Shop!

I can't wait to show you some of my home projects, 

but before that check out what I've got in my shop.

I'm selling Subway Art. I've made so many different kinds over the years.

 This can be custom for a new baby girl or boy (and I'd change the color of course!) 

 "Choose JOY" was custom made for a friend. I can do anything for anyone, 

you just tell me what you envison and I can create something for you!

I lived in Cincinnati for a season and created this one to commerate our time there. 

I can create one for any city! 

Clemson Universtiy is the alma mater to several of my friends, 

and may potentially be somewhere that my kids choose to go to college!

Let me create one for your University!

 My family and I have vacationed in Marco Island for years. 

This would be a great idea to create for your "special place."

Do you have a favorite verse for your family? 

This is great to display with a group of photos or to give as a gift!

The University of Illinois is a special place for our family, it's where my husband and I met and where he graduated! So naturally I had to create one for the U of I! All background colors can be changed.

 AND

 I'm teaming up with my good friend Emma Kate and we are making Burlap Door Hangers. 

One for each occassion of the year!

 The Bunny for the spring and Easter.

 A cupcake to celebrate those special birthdays at your house.

 An ice-cream cone for those hot months when you need to cool off!

 Shamrock for March and St. Patricks Day.

 For December and Christmas, a stocking.

 A Valentine's Heart for February.

 For the Fall, October and Halloween a pumpkin.

And this can be personalized just for your door!

This is a small sampling of what we have in the shop.
Please vist Antsi-Pants on Etsy to see everything! Click here.