Out with the Old...

I just had 3 days off. Ben and I had a lot on our to-do list. One of those things was replacing our hallway light. We moved into this house about 2 1/2 years ago and we have since replaced all of our light fixtures. This was the last one. It's been on our To-Do List: Home Edition for about 1 1/2 years. So, yeah, this was a big deal. And I couldn't be happier with how it looks. God bless those little things that make such a big difference!

Here is the before and after. 

It might not be a big improvement in your mind, but believe you me, it is to us :)

Rose Cabochon Earrings

Fun fact about me- I love crafting. If I were a stay-at-home mom, I would craft all day. Because I am not a stay-at-home mom, I craft when I have time, which is almost never. That’s why I’m always looking for cheap, easy things to do. Not only can I do it and feel great when I've finished something, but I only choose things that I know I’m going to love as well. I'm a big fan of jewelry so this is a go-to.

I first got this idea from a blog called homemadebyjill.blogspot.com. She made these earrings and I instantly fell in love. I  went to Etsy, did a search, and bought some rose cabochons and the earring backings and got to work. These cabochons can be used for anything. I've contemplated gluing them to bobby pins/barrettes, rings, and even a necklace – if the rose was big enough. 

Tonight, I decided to do earrings. This is a 1,2,3 step project. 

First: Get your supplies: rose cabochons, hot glue gun, and the earring backing. 

Second: Glue the rose on the earring. 

Third: You're done. Now strut your stuff!

See what I mean. Super easy, really cute,  and pretty affordable too. Do you know how much you could pay on a pair of earrings like this? A lot more than whatever you just paid on the supplies. I love it. 

Next up, I might try a ring and a barrette. I could go for days with these delicious little roses!

Dance Party Edition

This last week, I was in Vail, Colorado. I was there for a work conference. It was a lot of fun, but boy was it good to come home. I think most people who read this know me, 

but for those of you who don't, I am a working mom. I work 40 hours a week. 

Sometimes, I feel I am away from home more than I am at home. Being gone for six whole days was tough. However, I did enjoy my time immensely.  I learned a lot of new things, met a lot of new people, and over-all, had a great time. It's kind of nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of life. Nonetheless, it was really great coming home to my little family, with my two cute little girls, and my amazing husband. My husband, who- by the way- also had a great time while I was away. He claimed it wasn't stressful and he and the girls had a great time. Not totally sure how to take that- other than count my lucky 
stars that I met and married him 7 years ago, that he gave me two beautiful, perfect daughters, and that he can take care of the house in my absence :)

Today was our first whole day together. This morning Emma and I were gone for a few 
hours attending her friend's birthday party. Emma had requested I take her because she missed me so much this past week. {tear} But tonight, after dinner, we had a good ol' fashioned dance party with the whole fam. When these pictures were taken, we 
were listening to Huey Lewis and the News. Great band. Great music. 

Even just looking at these pictures, I am reminded of how incredibly lucky I am to have an amazing home life, and an amazing professional life. Life really is good for me.

Don't Fear the Wreather

Today, I did a last minute fall project. I got the wreath from the Dollar Store, where everything is $1. I love this store.I always go in with good intentions and walk out with 12 things. Kinda defeats the point. I also got these bunches of flowers from there as well.

I was inspired by a few different things I saw on the inter-webs. But one really motivated me. Sherry from Young House Love did her own take on a fall wreath and I figured, I could do that! So, I started clipping my flowers with my wire cutter and got to work. 

I started by added my flowers one at a time, spacing out the colors. I didn't know if I was going to use the green leaves from my flowers, so I just kept them. After I got all of my flowers placed, I put in some of those leaves to give it more depth. I actually love the green in there. I feel like this project gave my back door something to love, not fear. 
More cow bell. I gotta have more cow bell. Click on this link if you need a little laughter!

This project literally took me 15 minutes. I got out some twine and hung it on my door hanger. I love how it turned out. 

Gooey Butter Cake

I'm from St. Louis. Born and raised. 22 years of my life. Something that is a St. Louis tradition is gooey butter cake. It is rich and delicious. You can only find it in St. Louis. Here is a picture of the brand that I remember so well. 

Well, for those of you who are missing it or haven't yet tried it, 

I have a recipe just for you. 

1 pkg. Yellow Cake Mix

1 Stick (1/2 cup) Butter

3 Eggs

1 (8oz.) pkg. of Cream Cheese, softened

1 (1 lb.) pkg. of Confectioner's Powdered Sugar

1 Tsp. Vanilla

Directions: 

Heat oven to 350 degrees. 

Mix together cake mix (just the mix, not the other ingredients called for on the box) with butter and 1 egg. 

Pat into ungreased 9x13 inch pan. 

Cream together cream cheese, 2 eggs, powdered sugar, and vanilla. 

Pour over cake mixture, spreading to the edges. 

Bake for 35 minutes. 

Let cool thoroughly before serving. 

I promise if you try this recipe, if you like rich deserts, you will like this. 

Painting A Blank Canvas

I have been under the influence of canvas for a while now. 

They are cheap and endless with possibilities of decorating. I've seen a lot of ideas on Pinterest lately. I've seen a lot of chevron out there, but to keep things simple- I decided to go with straight lines. So, off I went to my living room floor to paint my blank canvas and give it some meaning in its life. 

Supplies needed: canvas, craft paint, foam brush, painters tape, 

and one episode of Parks and Rec. Amy Poehler is my jam. :)

First, I taped off my sections. Then I squirted some craft paint onto a paper plate and started with the darkest orange first. Then I added some white to my paint puddle and did the slightly lighter one below. I then added some more white paint and did the lightest one up top. I was going for the ombre look but ended up doing it in the wrong order. 

Oh well, I still like it and think it's pretty gosh darn cute. 

In the end, I really love it. I choose orange because I just got a new comforter that I got from Target. It is this one from Nate Berkus and I.am.in.love. 

Seriously, I squeeled like a little piggie when I got it on the bed tonight. LOVE. 

Freezer Paper Fun

Freezer paper stenciling is one of my most favorite things to play with when I have time to make a project. I buy mine at Walmart in the aluminum foil section and have had the same box for years now. It goes a long way. 

Today, I tried my hand with a few pieces of clothing I felt were boring. A plain white tee and a plain purple tank top. 

I started by getting my star craft punch. Then you just punch out the stars on your freezer paper. Super easy, right? Then you grab an iron that has been heating up, and you place the freezer paper matte side up. You want the glossy side down. This is the side that adheres itself to the fabric. It almost acts like a sticker. 

For this project, I wanted as little clean up as possible, so I just dropped some dots of fabric paint around on the stars. This way, I could just grab my small, foam brush and get to work pushing the paint around until the entire star was filled. It works best if you use a pressing method with your brush in an up and down action instead of the painting method where you're smearing back and forth. You have a better chance of not lifting up the freezer paper. I mean, it's on there pretty good, but why screw up your chance of it not being perfect. :)

After I got all of the stars filled in, I rinsed out my brush. Some might not care and could just throw it away at this time, but $0.20 is $0.20 and I like using mine as many times as possible. So, after my brush is drying I came back to peel the freezer paper off of the shirt. Literally, you peel it like a sticker. It comes off pretty easily. Then, ta-da. 

I have a brand new shirt ready to go. No more boring white shirt. Now, it's a declaration of independence. Wait, maybe not a declaration of independence, but it's definitely a declaration of fashion. I know I love how it turned out. 

I did the same thing with this purple tang top with polka dots. I used a hole punch with this shirt. Again, super easy, super quick. Just how I like my crafts. 

You should try it. It's really versatile. And, if you or your kids are anything like my Emma, you will need a little something-something on every shirt ever made. 

No matter how cute it looks solid-colored or how busy your momma is.