-
Jelly Jar Recycled into a Votive Candle Holder
In keeping with the Spring themed projects, I created a votive candle holder to pair alongside my previous blog project; A Spring Inspired Butterfly Garland. Both were created using pretty floral napkins I purchased from Etsy. The decoupage technique I used on this project is perfect to apply to any container you want to decorate but still want it to be somewhat translucent for candlelight to show through. Any smaller jar will do when creating a holder for a votive candle. I had this small jelly jar I chose to use from my stash. I really like the size and weight of the glass. I cleaned it very well using…
-
Our Easy Method to Clean a Pea Stone Patio of Winter Debris Including Pinecones and Pine Needles/Rock Garden and Yard Cleanup
We love out outdoor space. We have a nice lot surrounded by woods, a pool and a pea stone patio and pergola we put in two years ago. We live in the Northeast so the canopy that covers the pergola during the summer months is taken down and stored during the winter months. This leaves the pea stone exposed to all the debris falling from the surrounding pine trees. Pinecones, when whole, are no problem to remove but when thousands of dried scales fall onto the patio and become mixed into the pea stone it is EXTREMELY difficult to clean. Not only is it messy looking, the scales can be…
-
Decoupaged Wood Butterfly Garland/Spring Inspired.
I’m so excited about the coming Spring. When on the the hunt for some new faux florals, I came across this cute pack of eight wood butterflies which included a string to hang them as garland. At the same time I found some beautiful floral napkins on Etsy and I started planning my next project. For $3.00 these were definitely coming home with me:) The napkins were approximately $.80 a piece and I purchased 6 of them. I knew I would want extra ones for future projects. After lightly sanding off any rough areas, I painted the wood forms, on the front and back, with white acrylic paint. This will…
-
Decoupaged Glass Bottle Using Rice Paper/Air Dry Clay/Spring Inspired
Between our large home projects I usually have smaller craft projects I’m working on. The upcoming seasons always motivate me to make home decor either for our home or to give as gifts to others. I find its such a great way to pass the time and get the creative juices flowing. Even simple projects such as this, made for no specific reason makes me feel good and starts me thinking about how I would like to change my house for the upcoming Spring. From blueberry pancakes to an empty glass Maple container comes my first spring inspired craft of the season. I love the shape of this particular bottle…
-
Vintage Accent Table Makeover/Homemade Chalk Paint
This vintage accent table was an antique store find many years ago. It was missing some of the trim and the finish on top was worn out in spots. It was one of the first pieces we thrifted after moving into our home. Originally I thought I would be using it only temporarily until I had found bigger and better furniture to fill our space but after living with it for a few years I realized how much I liked having a triangle shaped table to fit into the odd spaces in our home. When we bought this table we weren’t considering style or finish, however, we did appreciate that…
-
Beginner Friendly Way To Customize And Recover A Bench Seat
We were very fortunate recently to be given a piano from a co-worker of mine. It had originally belonged to one of his grandparents so it was an overwhelmingly generous gesture. When we received the piano the bench was in perfect condition. The bench isn’t something I would have chosen for our home but it does closely match the finish of the piano so until I find the perfect bench we will be keeping this one. Unfortunately it didn’t take long for my cat to discover this unblemished piece of furniture and promptly went to work on it. Thankfully the seat isn’t real leather. The majority of damage is on…
-
Easy One Pot Dinner/Use What You Have
I was clearing out my refrigerator before grocery shopping for the week and pulled out everything that either needed to be used before going bad or was a remaining ingredient that just didn’t make it into other preparations. I don’t like to throw away food and try my best to use EVERYTHING. The recipe for this pork stew can be found below. During these winter months in upstate New York, I prefer to prepare meals that feed my family multiple times a week from one day of cooking. I rely heavily on one pot meals like stews and soups. It’s also convenient for my family to have meals like this…
-
Rug Pads/Ones To Avoid And Putting A Different Kind To The Test
I love to change the look and feel of the rooms in our home by switching out the area rugs every so often. Sometimes I just rotate them through to other rooms or, if I come across an amazing sale, I’ll buy a new one. I’m frugal so I will put up with something I no longer care for to get a good bargain and luckily that’s just what happened this month. EXISTING RUG… This rug I’m replacing is generally in very good shape. I’ll shampoo it with my Bissell and definitely find it a new place in my home or sell it on Facebook Marketplace. Either way it won’t…
-
Home Decor During The Winter Months/Simple and Cozy
Hello, This is an unintended edition to my previous blog on packing and safely storing away our Christmas decorations but still keeping some decor throughout our home, during the cold months, that provide that warm and cozy atmosphere. Living in the Northeast is beautiful during the winter and I decided a few years ago to embrace the season instead wishing it away. That just makes the cold season drag on and feel endless. I like to keep the cozy feel of the holidays during the cold months without it looking like Christmas. Here are a few things I like to do to decorate for winter in our home. First: I…
-
Easy Ways To Keep Holiday Decorations Safe And Organized.
We love the holidays and personally I wouldn’t mind leaving the decorations up for just a bit longer. The twinkling lights give our home so much warmth and coziness. It makes me sad to see it go. Just look how upsetting Bella finds it:( The things we have hold so many memories and the majority of it I use over and over again every year. All our things are stored in our basement and its not ideal. We live in the northeast and deal with flooding during power outages and unwanted critters for sure. I’ve managed to keep our things safe for years by taking a few extra steps that,…