Messenger Bag

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!  I enjoyed the past few days spending time with family.  I can’t believe we are getting ready to ring in 2014!

I made this messenger bag for my daughter for Christmas and, because she reads my blog on occasion, I couldn’t post it until now.  I had low hopes that this project would turn out well, so I didn’t take pictures as I went along.  This was my first try at a bag of this sort.  I did follow this tutorial for the bag, and this tutorial for the magnetic closure.  I found both tutorials on Pinterest.

There was a lot of back and forth between the pictures, the text, and my actual project to get this done, but it all worked out!  I bought the owl fabric for the lining {fabric.com}, because my daughter loves owls.  The colorway worked out great with the pair of tan corduroy Gloria Vanderbilt pants I picked up at Goodwill for the exterior of the bag.

I followed the messenger bag tutorial for cutting all the pieces out.  I held onto the two back pockets in case my daughter wants them added in.  I also cut the waist band, removing the belt loops, for the strap.

I was really pleased with the way it turned out, especially since it was my first time making something like this!

Linking up with:

Make It Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Be Inspired at Common Ground

Merry Christmas!

Just like everyone else, I’m looking forward to spending some time with my family.  I wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas, before I sign off my computer for the next few days.

See you all next week!

An Early Christmas Present

To me, from me!  I splurged and bought myself a sign from Paula at Castle and Cottage to put over the mirror in our dining area.

This sign takes the place of the rabbit prints I had here previously.  They are cut off a little in the below picture, but you can get the idea.

I was able to utilize the two nails from the rabbit prints for the sign, so no additional nail holes in the wall {high five!}.  In my world that means less complaints I have to hear about what I’ve “hung on the wall now”!  Anyway, I loved the font and the old look to it that Paula achieved.

And, if I do say so myself, I am pretty good at picking out presents! 

Ice Skates

I found a pair of ice skates at a yard sale over the Summer ~ $2.00.  I’d been looking for a pair {or even just one} to use in my Winter and holiday decorating for awhile now, so I practically ran to these when I saw them. 

I wanted a little “fur” around my ice skates so I picked up these hair accessories at Hobby Lobby.  The two on the toes are clips and the fur around the tops is ponytail holders. After cleaning up the skates using a Magic Eraser, I cut the ponytail holders and hot glued them on.   The clips I just clipped on.

Since I wanted an icy look to the blades, I got out the Epsom Salts.  Some spray adhesive on the blades and then a sprinkling of Epsom Salts.   I then tied on this little wooden Let It Snow {also found at a garage sale this Summer}.

I’ve hung them on one of the chairs outside our front door.  I think they are a nice addition to our simple outdoor Christmas décor. 

I like that most of what I have up outside can stay through the winter months ~ with the removal of the ornament related decorations. 

A Shady Switch

You might remember when I recovered a lampshade in our master bedroom here.   This is how it looked in the bedroom.

Then I found a remnant of the same toile in a different colorway at Hobby Lobby just a few weeks ago.  This particular colorway actually goes better in my bedroom.

So, what to do?  We have a floor lamp in our sun room {which we use as a den} and I was happy to figure out that the lampshade was the same size as the bedroom’s shade.   I switched them!  I put the bedroom shade in the sunroom.  Luckily, the colors in this shade work with what I’ve got going on in the sunroom.

I recovered the floor lamp’s shade for my bedroom lamp, using the new toile remnant.  I just had to pick up some flat trim and a beaded trim for the bottom of the shade.  A quickie tutorial ~ trace a rough outline of the sections on the shade onto paper, cut out and use this as your template for the fabric.

Remove the existing trim from the lampshade by running your hot iron over to loosen the glue and pull off.

After you’ve got your fabric pieces cut, adhere with hot glue until each section is covered.

Add your flat trim to the vertical areas between each section.  This covers up the rough look of the fabric sections.

Add your top trim and, if doing a beaded trim like I did, add the beaded trim to the bottom.  Then adhere your flat trim on top of the beaded trim’s lip so it is hidden.

What do you think?  It goes much better with the Duck Egg color going on in here.

This switch worked out great for me, allowing me to get a new look for a small amount of money.

Linking up with:

Make It Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Fall Into Fall at DIY by Design

Treasure Hunt Thurs. at From My Front Porch to Yours

Be Inspired at Common Ground

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

A Gift For The Tea Lover

One of the gifts I’m putting together for Christmas this year is for my sister-in-law and I can share that because I’m pretty certain she doesn’t read my blog.  My sister-in-law enjoys tea and when we stayed with her back in June {on our trip from Long Island to Pennsylvania while moving our son}, she had quite a variety to offer me. 

This particular label came with the set that I recently ordered from MagicPug and used on wine bottle fabric bags.  I didn’t think it really worked for wine bottles but thought it might make for a nice label for a little gift bag for tea related items.  I used some black and white ticking stripe fabric that I had gotten to use for stockings.

I put it together basically the same way I did the wine bottle bags here, just a little smaller.  I used a black sheer ribbon for the tie.

I called on my fellow Buckeye, Michele from The Nest at Finch Rest, for some suggestions on what to put in my gift bag.  Michele is someone I think of when I think “all things tea”, so I knew she would come up with some good suggestions.

I went to Home Goods and they had quite a large selection of items to choose from {for the coffee lover, too!}.  I got a tin of English teas, Cinnamon Vanilla Dunks, Booklover Chocolate {dark chocolate in a book shaped package}, and Green Tea.

I embellished a small demitasse spoon I picked up at an estate sale with some bling and glitter.  I also added a magnet to the back so she can use it on her refrigerator.  The glitter looks a bit like snow or sugar.  I just added the spoon into the bow I tied. 

A nice little tea themed gift that I think she will enjoy!

(I just noticed the spoon slipped out of the bow and is attached to the tea tin inside the bag!  Gotta fix that!}

A Simple Christmas ~ 2013

This year, I really did keep things simple in my Christmas decorating.   It still feels festive and I’m good with it.  My tree takes the longest.  This year I added a Merry Christmas wire ribbon throughout the branches.

I added in some carolers I got last year on clearance at Christmas Tree Shop to the mantel.  They are not a bad price to begin with {2.99} and I think on clearance I got them for $1.00 each.

As small as my craft/sewing room is, I had to add a little something.  I found this elf sewing a stocking at Joann’s, when I went in looking for a few supplies for presents I’m making.

I felt he was fitting to put on my sewing table.  Little touches here and there are doing it for me this year ~ like just adding a jingle bell on a ribbon to the lampshade that was already wearing this little wreath.

A snow couple near the front door along with the Frosty hat I made last year.

Some faux greenery around the estate sale mirror I recently picked up that hangs in our dining area. 

I love how this mirror reflects the tree lights and fireplace at night.

And a basket with a “Joy” liner filled with more faux greenery and some ornaments as a centerpiece on our dining table.

In the master bedroom I added in a small wreath and my Ballard Designs “Naughty” and “Nice” stockings to the bed.

I’ve got some simple things here and there in the kitchen, but they are hardly worth showing.  Just enough to give me the feel of Christmas and that’s good enough for me this year!