New Orleans Inspired Vase

One of the things I loved in New Orleans was the iron works. I decided to bring a little of that to our house with the help of my cricut, some vinyl and a vase.

I started with this image from our trip:

Then I created a version of the pattern on my computer:

And sent it over to the cricut:

After the cutting completed I weeded out the negative spaces:

Then I removed the backing from contact paper:

And then burnished it down on top of the remaining vinyl.

After the contact paper was secured to the vinyl I pulled up both layers releasing the vinyl from it's backing.

The two layers were applied to the vase and then burnished so that the vinyl transferred to the vase.

And finally pulled off the contact paper and secured any lose edges of the vinyl to the vase.

So now I've got a fabulous little vase that reminds me of our trip.

Stepping out of the closet...

Because nothing in it was fitting.

: (

For the past 5-6 years, I've had a really bad habit of putting on 10 pounds, and then only taking off 5. I did fine the year I had my son... I put on 50 and took off 50. Ok, so maybe putting on 50 isn't good. But I do I get points for taking it off?

My point is that the extra 5 pounds per year... has added up to 25 pounds that had to go.

And thanks to Weight Watchers - I'm over 10 pounds down in 6 weeks.



I did weight watchers after the birth of my son and did well with it, but I've got to say, their new PointsPlus system - absolutely rocks. That coupled with the amazing recipes that Gina posts over on SkinnyTaste.com and I'm one very happy girl.

Thanks to the support of friends, I've also managed since the first of the year to almost completely give up fast food, I'm calling having it 1-2 times this year, vs. 1-2 times a week a major victory. AND, I think I've finally got my stress eating under control.

So - for anyone thinking of trying out Weight Watchers - I say go for it!!!

Crossing my fingers that in another 8-12 weeks I'll be back with news that I'm back to the weight I was at before I had my daughter almost 8 years ago.

Mardi Gras Jewelry

A couple of weeks ago my husband and I took a trip to New Orleans, we just missed Mardi Gras, but that's ok - Mardi Gras isn't really our scene. But we loved New Orleans. This was my 4th trip there and his first. I have a friend there who told us all the spots to see and she was 100% right, she picked just the right things for us. 

While Mardi Gras might not be for us, the city of New Orleans and Mardi Gras is what she is all about. And I wanted to do something as a thank you - so I created these bracelet and earrings for her. 

 Here are the supplies to create this set:

•  A variety of gold, green and purple beads
• Stretch magic 
• 10mm gold jump rings
• Gold tone crimp tubes
• Ribbon
• Jewelry tools including a needle & crimper
• Tape

Step 1 - Arrange the beads as you'd like them for the strands of the bracelet. 

Step 2 - Cut a length of stretch magic to the length of bracelet plus 4". Then put a piece of tape 2" from the end of your stretch magic.

Step 3 - Then string your beads onto the strand. 

Step 4 - And then attach each of the strands to the jump rings. 

And then loop a length of ribbon through the loops and you've got a bracelet! 

And I'll admit - I liked this set so much, I made one for myself... just because I don't like the wild side of Mardi Gras, doesn't mean I don't want to celebrate it with my own style. 

I'm sad...

My apologies for not blogging better over the past 2 months... My talents have been required elsewhere. Tending to a sick kitten to be exact.

Remember those kittens I posted about last month? I can't bring myself to post a picture of them... because the day after I posted about them, the little orange one fell very very ill. So for the past 6-7 weeks, I've been nursing him back to health. Or trying to. This care has included weeks of giving him breathing treatments every 3 hours, round the clock. Countless doses of more medications than I've ever seen anyone, let along a 4 pound kitten, take in a given day. And more trips to the vet than I could imagine.

Yesterday morning, that sweet little kitten passed away in my arms.

And I'm sad.

So so sad.

I'll be back to posting all kinds of creative things in the coming days and weeks.

Thanks for understanding.

Bridesmaids Jewelry

I was so flattered, and a bit terrified, to be asked to design and create the jewelry for the bridesmaids in an upcoming wedding. The bride and I went to pick out the materials last week, and tomorrow I'm showing her the "1st draft."

This won't be what the girls wear, this was just a starting point so that we had something to work from. Which means I'll likely get to keep this one - something I'm not at all disappointed about.

The necklace has a black satin ribbon that ties behind the neck with 3 strands of cream, champaign and beige glass beads. One strand is straight strung on wire, another has the beads on eye pins attached to a silver chain and the third has the beads strung on a silk rope with hand tied knots between them...

The hand tied strand. My first attempt at something like this. 

I'm really nervous about showing this to her tomorrow - do me a favor and cross your fingers that she likes it. 

Coffee Hand Scrub

I enjoy cooking - what I don't enjoy are the smells that can end up on your hands when you cook, especially when you cook with things like garlic and onions.

Recently I heard that you can use coffee grounds to remove the smell from your hands - we don't drink coffee here so I bought a container of coffee and tried it. Sure enough it worked.

I figured I could get more, so I researched making my own scrub and thought you might like to make it too. It works great!

Materials:

• Ground coffee - I'd imagine you could use your left over grounds...
• Liquid hand soap
• Olive oil
• Jars
• Mixing bowl & something to stir with

Step 1 - Measure out enough coffee to fill your jar about 80% full... And poor it in your bowl. 

Step 2 - Add the hand soap and olive oil. I was making enough scrub to fill 3 jars, so I used about a cup of soap and 1/4 cup of olive oil. You can adjust it however you like, you might want more soap for cleaning or more olive oil for moisturizing.

Then stir:

You might find that you need to add more liquid, just keep stirring it 'till the coffee is all completely coated in the liquids. 

Step 3 - Then simply fill your jars.

Then when you've that garlic smell on your hands, simply open the jar, scoop some out and watch your hands as you normally would.

There you go! No more stinky hands - and I've got to say, the scrub feels great to wash your hands with. 

What I've Learned Wednesday: Freshening the Garbage Disposal

Around the Holiday's I'm able to stock up my favorite garbage disposal fresheners...

First - eat the clementine. My favorite part.

Then take the peel.

And put it down the drain (this only works if you have a garbage disposal. Try it on a regular sink and I'm pretty sure all you get is a bill from the plumber.) and turn on the disposal.

I throw all my peels in a zip lock back and put them in the freezer so that throughout the year, I can pull one out and throw them in the sink.

Callie & Mac

In April, we lost our beloved cat Otto. Since then, our daughter has been desperate for kittens. We kept waiting and waiting for the right time... then we saw Christmas on the horizon and Bug decided that Santa should bring us Kittens for Christmas.

And that is just what he did. Meet Callie and Mac:

Otto's brother Wojo is not really happy about this gift. But he's adjusting...

Earring Box

I've loved giving the earrings I've made as gifts, and the favor boxes have almost been the perfect boxes for them. The only problem has been securing the earrings in the boxes so they aren't just rattling around or getting lost in a mile of tissue paper.

But - I've found the solution in a simple square of scrapbook paper.

Simply cut a square of paper the same width as the box and about 1" longer.

Then fold the extra 1" or so of the paper.

Then cut the number of slits you need at the fold.

Slip the earrings into the slits and if you'd like, secure on the back with a piece of tape.

There you go - the perfect way to secure the earrings in the box. And it actually works for any sort of jewelry. You can thread the ends of a necklace or bracelet through 2 slits.