These moments are what life is all about

It is my pleasure to introduce you to my nephew, Sawyer Brooks Connally. He was born a couple days before Christmas... and oh what a wonderful Christmas present he was. I am so in love with him!

In this photo he is wearing a precious little hat that I purchased for him from Baby Gap in Pentagon City.

Quickie Project

Pheww....I just survived one of the worst stomach flu's I think I have every experienced. It was one of those sicknesses where, at the time, death sounded like a sweet release....(*slight sarcasm*)....but I do remember having that thought. As soon as I recouped a little, and could stand up straight again, I grabbed my staple gun and did a quick craft project.

So...Ryan and I bought two old coffee bags a couple years ago when the original Greencastle Coffee Roasters was closing...and I got very close to throwing them away a couple times. But then it dawned on me that I should just staple them to a canvas. The coffee bags make a great statement piece and would look great on a wall in a coffee shop (or just in a home).

This project was one of the easiest projects ever. The hardest part was just trying to keep the coffee bags aligned correctly on the canvas before stapling them into place.

These canvas' are up for sale for $25 buckaroos a piece so feel free to contact me if interested. The dimensions are 24'' x 30''.

I hope that this project inspires you.

Stay healthy ya' here ;  )

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Sweet Sweater Pillow!

This year for my mom's christmas present, I designed a pillow made from a thrift store sweater. The sweater was an XL mens sweater that had never been worn. The BIGGER the sweater the better because  you get more material to play around with. For this pillow I was using a 24" square pillow insert I purchased from Ikea.

First, cut your out your sweater,  and sew the sides together, leaving an opening on the bottom so that you can later on insert your pillow filler.

For the finishing touch I added a rosette pin. To create the rosette pin you cut your fabric into about a 5'' strip, and make a small knot at the end of the fabric. You then fold your fabric and wrap it around the knot  and glue and twist until you have your rosette. Add fabric on the back to secure it and and add a pin and your are done. The whole project took just about an hour to complete. Super simple and super cute.

Here are some pictures of the finished product.

Merry Christmas Eve EVERYONE!!!!!!!!

I know this is a last minute post but I wanted to really quickly wish everyone a Merry Christmas and to also share an awesome movie suggestion to watch with your family over the Christmas break. Of course Miracle on 34th Street and It's a Wonderful Life are the classics....but this year in addition to those classics I am taking Seven Brides for Seven Brothers to watch with my family this year. It is a great older movie with lots of humor and and in the end they all get snowed in together so it is a great Christmas movie : ) You will love it. So this year if you are looking for a new movie to watch with your family as you are cuddled up on the couch with your new fuzzy reindeer socks that your aunt got you for Christmas....maybe watch Seven Brides for Seven Brothers?!?!...ok...haha.

Merry Christmas Everyone and God Bless you as you enter the new year!!!

Stiffel Lamp Renovation- For Sale

This is my second lamp renovation within a 2 month time span. For some reason I just keep finding old lamps with great potential pleading for a makeover!!! And me being the nice...thoughtful person that I am...I just can't refuse :) This new lamp renovation is one of my favorites. It is a little more involved than the first one I did, but the results make the extra work so worth it.

First off, I found an old Stiffel lamp at a local store in Frederick, MD for a great price. I loved the details on the lamp base and the shape of the shade. Some of the things I did not like was:

1. The lamp shade fabric was old and yellowing
2. The brass on the lamp looked dingy and dark
3. The wiring in the lamp was old and no longer worked.

I know this is a long list of negatives.....however, I was willing to take on the challenge because I really wanted to learn how to rewire a lamp, and I also wanted to try a new idea I had for a lampshade. This lamp was a perfect candidate!

Once I got home I researched the Stiffel lamp and found out that they are a collectors item and are worth  anywhere from $180.00 to $300.00 on ebay. How exciting! I had no idea it was worth that much when I bought it. I knew then that instead on painting over the brass I wanted to just enhance the finish so that the lamp still retained its signature look.

So here is the reveal.........

Before:

Not quite the looker!!

Dark Brass....ewe.

AND AFTER!!!!!

The first change I did with the help of my husband Ryan was to re-wire the lamp. The old cord not only did not work, but it looked like a fire hazard. So I bought a rewiring kit from Home Depot. You can find them in the lighting section.

I then added a new 3-way bulb and held my breath as I turned the knob....and it WORKED!!!!!

So now I have a functioning 3-way lamp!

Second, I refinished the lamp. To do this I used a little product called rub'n buff, in the color: Antique Gold. The antique gold color gives a warm finish as apposed to the cold brass. This stuff works great! You buy it in a little tube but one tube could refinish two floor lamps!

I applied mine with a paint brush as apposed to a rag. I liked the texture that the paint brush gave.

The last step was to transform the lamp shade. I cut off all of the former fabric to reveal the inside frame. I then sewed a linen fabric with a lining underneath to fit around the frame. Be sure to allow some extra fabric to be able to create the gathers. Then I added the grommets to the top and in the middle. To create the gathers you insert ribbon through the grommets in the middle and tie them around the fabric with a bow.  I love the look of this shade. Plus the shade is completely adjustable due to the ribbon which is another great aspect of this design. The shade is fun and flirty and takes away some of the formalness of the lamp!

I am putting this lamp up for sale so if you are interested in buying it please send me a message. Until then I am going to enjoy it in my own home.

Thanks for reading!!!!! And Merry Christmas!!!!!

Kiss Cookies (Smoochy...Smoochy!?!)

Okay...I am about to share one of my most favoritest cookie recipes in the whole world. The cookies taste sooooo amazing and the recipe is very simple. Once you eat your first coookie you will be so overcome with joy and happiness that you are going to kiss the first person you see...haha. Maybe that is why thay are called Kiss Cookies....of course it has nothing to do with the fact that there is a hershey kiss in the center ; )!!!!

So here is the recipe...

1 c. butter, softened
1/8 tsp. salt, scant
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 c. chopped nuts, optional (I never put nuts in mine : ) )
5 3/4 oz. chocolate kisses

Cream together butter, salt, sugar, vanilla. Add 2 cups flour, nuts. Chill dough 3 - 4 hours or overnight. Unwrap the chocolate kisses. Press 1 tablespoon of chilled dough around each kiss. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet, 350 degrees for 12 mintues. Cover cookies in powder sugar once they come out of the oven and have cooled...and enjoy!

                                     

Hope you love the cookies! Oh and FYI, I am working on lots of craft projects right now. They are all currently in the spare room of my apartment so it looks like I am a hoarder. Can't wait to complete the projects...blog about them...and then sell them so I have more space : )

Rockin and "Rollin" Roll Recipes

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving filled with great food and family time! So I don't know about you...but the dinner roll is one of my favorite staples of the Thanksgiving meal. I LOVE the turkey and the cranberry sauce, but if there are no homemade rolls Thanksgiving just does not feel the same. I know I am shallow.... : ) And yes....I love carbs a little bit too much, but nothing beats a fantastic homemade roll recipe.  So in order to contribute to my in-law's Thanksgiving meal this year I decided to make my grandmother's roll recipe. Growing up my "Mamaw" would always make these rolls and I looked forward to them every year. This year was the first year I made them for myself with the help of my mom and Ryan.

Here is Mamaw's Recipe: (The secret to the recipe is lots of butter...Paula Deen WATCH OUT!!!)

2 packages active dry yeast
1 c. water (warm to touch)
1 tsp. sugar
2 c. milk (can be cold)
2/3 c. melted shortening
3/4 c. sugar (-2T)
4 tsp. salt (use 3-4 tsp.)
2 beaten eggs
10-11 c. sifted enriched flour

Directions:  Soften yeast in warm water, add 1 tsp. sugar to yeast mixture. In kitchen aid mixer, add milk, shortening, 3/4 c sugar and salt. Then add yeast mixture to kitchen aid bowl. Add eggs, beat well. Add 4 cups flour and use hand mixture to just get the clumps out then change over to bread hook and add rest of flour, 2 cups at a time till it makes a soft dough. Knead in the mixing bowl with butter (on hands) till smooth and elastic. Cover with wax paper and keep sitting in warm place approximately 2 hours till risen. Punch down to size then divide in halves until you get golf ball sized rolls. Flatten and add a sliver of butter in center and fold on top of itself. Place in 9x13 glass container with raised sides with parchment paper. Bake at 400-425 for 15-20 minutes.


These rolls will not disappoint. The only drawback of this recipe is that the rolls tend to dry out significantly by day 3 and are not the best for making Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches (Does anybody else out there love themselves a good Thanksgiving meal sandwich?)hahah. Anyways, this year my mom made some of her own rolls off of a recipe she got from allrecipes.com. I was hesitant at first because they were not what I grew up eating but the rolls she made were AMAZING! They tasted significantly similar to my grandmother's recipe, however, these rolls stayed moist for days and days. They are some of the best rolls I have ever had!

Here is the recipe which can also be found on allrecipes.com

 

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups warm milk
• 4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 7 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. Pour milk into a large mixing bowl, and sprinkle yeast over the surface. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Beat in the sugar, eggs, 1/2 cup butter, and salt; blend thoroughly. Gradually stir in the flour to make a soft dough. Cover bowl, and set in a warm place until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
2. Punch down the dough, cover the bowl, and allow to rise again. Repeat this step two more times.
3. Break off 2 to 3 inch size pieces of dough, roll lightly into round shape, and place in prepared baking dish, edges touching. Repeat to make 36 dough balls. Cover and let rise until doubled in size.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
5. Bake rolls in preheated oven until tops turn golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. When rolls are finished baking, drizzle melted butter over the top, and serve warm.

The next time I make rolls I might just have to use this new recipe. I hope you get to try these recipes for yourself sometime! Take care everyone.

Reclaimed Window

For a while now I have been on the search for something that could function as a coat rack for the entryway in my home. I wanted something that was unique and unexpected. The last time that I went to North Carolina to visit my sister and her family I stopped by a cute antique store/gift shop that had a plethora of those old reclaimed windows...similar to these:

In order to make the window function as a coat rack I wanted to add vintage knobs. I got my knobs from World Market because they were inexpensive and had that antique look. I also wanted to paint the glass with chalkboard paint so that we could write cute messages on it like "love you snuggle muffin" and "I went SHOPPING...so could you clean the house while I'm gone?"...haha. But anyways back to my point, I ended up falling in love with the glass as it was so I decided against painting it.

The following are some pictures of our entryway now. I love hanging dried flowers from the window in the summer and spring, and coats and scarfs in the fall and winter.

*Caution* Prepare yourself for WAY too many Pictures!!!!

And this is what the window looks like with a little Christmas Cheer!

Oh and speaking of Christmas this is a new Christmas Decoration that I purchased from Chartreuse and Co in Frederick, MD. It has two scrolls on the sides so that you can change the numbers. I just love it!!!

I hope you all have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!!!

Are those for ME?!?

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for spontaneous surprises from my "hubbans" (otherwise referred to as husband) : ). When I came home from work tonight Ryan surprised me with flowers for no reason other than because he loves me...awe (gushy)! 

You are the bestest "hubbans" there is!

Thank You Ryan! I have love flutters for you!

Lamp Renovation

It's that time of year again, when we all start scrambling for gift ideas for our family. In an effort to save money, I have decided to make as many gifts as I can. Of course, I love to give gifts that are from the heart and that show that you care. And what better way than something home-made that you can be proud to give to someone special. 

 During my last visit to my in-laws house, I saw that they had an older lamp that had seen better days. It wasn't a horrible lamp but it also wasn't a show-stopper by any means. Part of the lamp fixture was broken, so the lampshade was being held to the lamp with a piece of flexible wire. In a moment of genius, I thought it would be a great idea to somehow steal the lamp and re-do it for a christmas gift for my in-laws. This probably isn't the best idea for just anybody to go steal something without asking to renovate it, but I have a very good relationship with my mother-in-law so I am pretty confident that when I reveal the lamp to her she will love it that I gave it a little lov'in.

I told my husband Ryan to steal the lamp and just tell his mom that he is going to use it in his church office until he can get something else...haha. So she has no idea what I am doing to her lamp!

The first change was to fix the lamp hardware so a new lampshade would fit properly without having to be held on with horrible wire. Here is the before picture.

BEFORE:

And here is the After

AFTER:

The total for this renovation was $24.00. The supplies for this renovation included fabric glue, spray paint, a new lamp-shade, ribbon, tape, and a fine-grit sandpaper.

lampshade = $18
ribbon = $3
Rust-Oleum's Heirloom White Spray Paint = $3 (the Heirloom White gave the lamp the perfect vintage white shade)

I already had the tape, fabric glue, and sand paper on hand.

To enhance the lampshade, I glued the fabric ribbon to the base of the lamp-shade using a simple fabric glue that I got from Wal-Mart. You can also use hot glue, but the fabric glue makes the process a lot easier. (less mess)  I used pins to secure the ribbon to the shade while it dried. After 2 hours of drying time you can remove the pins.

To transform the metal base I sprayed two thin, even coats of paint. **Make sure you tape off the parts you want unpainted! (cord, hardware) Depending on the coverage, you may want up to three coats. After the paint dries, you can then start my favorite part of the process: Distressing. Distress = De-stress.  Just lightly sand, any ridges or designs that you want to highlight. The sanding gives the lamp a wonderful, vintage,  distressed finish that makes your piece look knockout. WARNING: distressing is addicting because the more you sand, the more you want to sand. At some point you need to pull yourself off the lamp and call it quits :)

Here are some close-up pictures of the paint finish.

                                           

I hope you enjoyed this lamp transformation and try it for yourself. Just maybe try it on something of your own before being gutsy like me and stealing somebody's stuff...hahaha. Merry Christmas Tina and Dan! Hope you love your new lamp as much as I do when I finally reveal it to you.