Welcome Post

I saw this idea here and I knew that this was just the weekend project for me. This project served a couple of different purposed for me. 1. To beautify my front porch and 2. to desperately learn how to use some power tools so that I wouldn't constantly be nagging the BF to help me with all my projects. And I can tell you... Mission Accomplished!

I went to the Home Depot and picked up the following items:

1 4X4 piece of wood

1 Decorative 4X4 Trim Piece (you can find these by all of the decking supplies)

1 4X4 Base Piece

1 Set of silver hooks

First, I used the table saw to cut my wood to the heigth I wanted it (3 foot). I was happy after this step, I still had all my fingers and toes! And... on a serious note...this probably isn't the best cutting position or apparel, but it served us well for the photo op!

After that, I used wood glue to attach my trim pieces to the post. I wanted to make sure that it was sturdy, so I also used the nail gun and put in a few small nails into both the top and bottom.

Thenext step was to make the sign that would hang on the post. We had some scrap pieces of MDF in the garage, so I used a jigsaw to cut a piece. When I got the size that I liked best I clamped it to the table and drilled two holes in the top for my wire to hang. I already had some picture hanging wire, so that is what I used.

Then I spray painted both my post and sign. For the sign I used chalkboard paint. Then I impatiently waited for it to dry, mostly, and used the Dremel to sand down the edges.

I'm in love! I think it has a perfect home right in front of the door!

I'm excited to change out the sign with the seasons!

Dollar Spot Redo

I wanted something to go in my kitchen so that we could write our grocery list or any reminders that we had. I found this little thing at Target in the Dollar Spot (love it!). You can't tell from the picture but the yellow was VERY bright, almost electric. Yes, I could have just hung it on the wall as it was and it would have served its purpose...but, it wasn't very cute now was it?

So, I took the whiteboard piece out of the frame and spray painted it with chalkboard paint.

Then, I spray painted the frame white (originally I thought that I wanted it white, I was wrong).

Once I got it back inside, with my kitchen lights, I realized that the white didn't pop as much as I wanted it to against my wall color. So, I dry brushed on a little yellow paint (I know, back to the color it was...). For the flowers, I cut out different colored patterns of scrapbook paper. I didn't want the flowers to be too matchy-matchy. I wanted them to have the different colors that are in my house.

I distress the edges and crumbled them to give them more texture. And I used tacky glue to add little beads in the center of them.

Then I put it up on my wall......and.......I didn't like the yellow either! Ha! I thought it just blended right in the wall, and that wasn't what I wanted.

So, I took some acrylic olive green paint and used the same technique. I put it on my paintbrush and then rubbed most of it off until there was a faint bit of paint on my brush, then rubbed it all over. It kind of gave it an antiqued look. I then used my distress ink and distressed the edges of the frame. Now, I love it!

Graduation Banner

Graduation is right around the corner for those of us here in Texas. I made a banner for one of my friends at work to take with her to her sister's graduation party. It was in her school's colors, Gold & Black.

I used gold vellum for the letters. On most of the banners I've made I have used a stencil of some sort for the letters, on this one I freehanded it. I added little gold embellishments to the letters.

Happy Birthday Katie!

My latest banner for my friend Melissa's daughter, Katie! She's having a pink and green polka dotted party! I think the colors and polka dots turned out great! I added some paper flowers with little rhinestones in the middle to add some girly-ness!