wheelin' and dealin': pottery barn-esque ribbon

Hi y'all. It's been five days. How did that happen? If the writing inspo doesn't flow, the writing doesn't happen. But that little dry spell is over, and I've got myself an idea list.

And some [big] news that I'd really like to share with you. That's tomorrow.

But for today, check out this awesome buy from Hobby Lobby. I was actually shopping for a denim patch to repair the gaping hole in the part of my jeggings where holes shouldn't be allowed. Anyway, I spotted this, had a moment of blackout from disbelief when I realized what a good price it was, and then snatched it from the shelf as if someone was going to come wrestle it from me.

I saw some nearly-identical ribbon like this in Pottery Barn's Christmas collection. It was a small roll for over $16. This, on the other hand, was 69 cents a yard!

I used half for it a wreath I can use all year. As much as I love wreath making, an 8 to 5 job calls for time-saving ideas.

I embroidered the text using the back stitch and kept the ribbon secure with an embroidery hoop. Burlap is very forgiving as an embroidery material. Super easy. And crazy-inexpensive!

I'm hoping to tackle some more embroidery projects soon. They are incredibly therapeutic and somewhat addicting. It must run in the family - my mom has told me that she used to stay up into the early hours of the morning while she was pregnant with me. Care to join? We can channel our inner old lady and stitch on the porch in rocking chairs with some sweet tea. Yes? Ok, great. Here's some inspiration:

[1,2,3,4]

feeling crafty?

When life gets crazy, there are a few things I like to do when there is the slightest moment to breathe. I either sit alone (can't do this for very long...need people!), read by Bible (which, as always, I need to do more), or create something new. Here's a few of my latest creations...

A birthday pillow for my dear Becca

Pretty simple. The pillowcase was pre-made. If you get a whole pillow, make sure the pillowcase has a zipper so that you can get in there to stitch. Or you can buy a pillowcase and a filler pillow. Or...you can sew the pillowcase and buy the filler pillow. But my sewing skills are not quite up to par...
Here's the inspiration:
pretty pillow instructions


 A wreath to welcome Spring

What better to do on the first day of Spring than to make a wreath to make it feel welcome? I'm totally NOT sold on the carrot...but it'll do for now, I guess. It's a little disproportionate, don't ya think? I still love that carrot, though...
I learned some wreath making skills from my high school job at a lovely interior design store. This is a grapevine wreath ($4 but only $2.40 with my 40% off online coupon), three spring-y sprigs ($4 each but currently 50% off at Hobby Lobby - aka Heaven on Earth), a little bit of florist wire, and that carrot ($4 from Bethdales in Townecenter). I just tug and twist until I think it looks presentable.


Shamrock Strawberry Pie

Easy smeasy! I wanted a green dessert for St. Patrick's day, but this was as close as I came. I added some Irish love by cutting a shamrock out of the top pie crust.
All you do is put down one pie crust (in a pie pan...duh). Then, wash/core/split a carton of good strawberries. Toss them in a separate bowl with 1/2 cup flower, 1/2 cup sugar and a tablespoon of cornstarch. Put the berries on the pie crust. I sprinkled some brown sugar and nutmeg on the top. Lay your other crust on top - cookie cutted (not a word) or whole. I baked at 380 degrees for about 40 minutes. Just watch the crust close so it won't burn. When it's about half way done, be sure to drizzle plenty of butter over the crust. Really good served warm with ice cream!


Watercolor experimenting

I am not painter. I don't think I'm patient enough nor do I have a steady enough hand. So I'm thinking some basic water color might be my thing! It's pretty forgiving. Who likes to stay within the lines, anyway? That doesn't make life more fun. I just got the cheapest watercolor set (about $6), a watercolor pad ($3.50) an old small paint brush, a sharpie pen and a cup of water. I'm pretty happy with this so I think I'll keep experimenting with my new love. I made this into a homemade card. Greeting cards give me a warm and fuzzy.


A new kind of wreath

I can take absolutely no credit for this. The only thing I have is the ability to follow directions and an eye for what looks, well, decent.
This was literally $2. I bought the book and the foam wreath fromt the Dollar Tree. I had a hot glue gun (of course), a stapler, a little acrylic paint and some old random ribbon. The only guilt associated with this project is ripping pages out of someone's novel that they poured a lot of hard work into. I made the sacrifice for my latest craft obsession...
Here's the real brains behind the operation:
pretty pages
The only thing I did different was staple the ends of each book page to keep them in their individual shapes. It saved time and avoided more finger burns from the hot glue gun. Which, of course, are inevitable.
Mine looks a little blan in the picture. It needs a friend and a color wall. No-can-do when you are a townhome-renting college student.


Some encouragement
I used to get really frustrated when reading craft/cooking/sewing blogs. I was either too intimidated to try or in disbelief that anything I did would ever compare. This post only shows the somewhat successful projects, but I wouldn't have accomplished them without lots of failed attempts. And, of course, there is always room for improvement. 

Don't be afraid to fail
Be afraid not to try

Go create something.

Happy Spring!