A weekend of Projects brings me happiness!

For the past 2 years now over the Thanksgiving Holiday we (I) decide to take on a pretty big project in my house.  It's like tradition now, so this year was to be NO different!

I was happy when I explained to the Hubby what I wanted to do this year and he was on board with it.  (In the past that hasn't been the case)
I have been searching out the perfect outfit of moldings for our windows and I finally came across one I loved on Pinterest (I am obsessed with this site btw and if you need an invite I'll help you out!)

This was it:

courtesy of caitlincreer.com

So I gave the picture to my hubbie and he worked his magic.  I have two windows in my MB that I wanted him to give it a go on...and he sure did!

Here is the before and after:

 Before:

 

After:

The picture quality is not the best but you get the idea right?  Those blinds are a for sure BYE BYE, but I left them in for the picture so they would add some dimension because everything is white :)

AMAZING what a little window love will do, don't you think?

I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving.  I sure enjoyed the company I was with this year.  Everyone had harmony and there was a lot of acceptance and love around.  Just as it should be. 

I took a lot of great pictures of the food and fun, but this one happened to be my favorite. I love the way I feel when I look at this picture, and it pretty much sum's up my feeling of Thanksgiving.

I just made some Ornaments for my tree this year, and I'll be posting that in the next couple days. 

Stay tuned :)

Loves, 

Jill

DIY Boot Socks Tutorial!

I saw this awesome idea on Pinterest (If you are on Pinterest you can follow me here...My Pinterest)
I looove boots this time of year, especially on my daughter!
I decided to take some of her too small or damaged clothes and turn them into Boot socks :)
This really is a darling idea, and so naturally I have been making them like crazy!!

The Tutorial:

First off.  She noticed the other day that her FAVORITE pair of black leggins had a hole in them.  So after much convincing I told her I was going to Recycle them and turn them into Boot socks and she will still be able to wear them :)  She wasn't so hip on the idea, but I promised a great outcome!

First:  I held up the leggins to her and visually decided how long I wanted to make the boot socks. Then I cut off the leg part of the leggins.  You'll see the ankle part is up and gets wider as it goes down, which is the thigh part.

I set the cut leggin on the not cut leggin and made the same cut. (So I would have two equal sides)
Then TA-DA! your done!! That easy.  It would be way fun to add embellishments or lace or buttons on the side or whatever your creative imagination takes you with these.  For me and this outfit I wanted a solid black, but I will most likely add some big buttons on the side later.

I still had some leftover leggins fabric left, so I decided to make a hairbow.  This again was super easy and I did it in probably 5 minutes.

I cut out different sized pedals:  I did not use a template because I didn't want perfect circles.  I just visually cut with my sewing scissors and made sure each on was a different size.

 

 I then placed them on top of each other and used my sewing machine to sew a few stitches right in the middle. (Oops to the color!)

Then I hot-glued a cute button onto the top. 

I felt like it still needed one more thing however, so I took a little bundle of tulle and stuck it out the side.  I cut a circle of felt to the bottom to stabilze everything and cover up the stitches etc then glued a clip to the felt. And here it is!  Super easy.

And here she is all put together and ready for school!

Here is another one I made out of a too small sweater.

These were colorful enough I didn't do anything to them, just put them on over her tights and sent her to school!

So fun!  Maybe when I stop making them for her, I'll make myself a few pair!

Loves, 

Jill

Recycled sitting bench...P1

When I was in 3rd grade I had a friend (Chandy Beebe now Olesen) who did the coolest thing.  In her garage she had some bins that were labeled with: Plastic, Paper, and Glass.  And every time anyone in her family had that type of garbage they would put it in the bins and then Charlene (mom) would take them to the recycling place.  This was my first introduction to recycling.  And I have always recycled since.  (Thanks Chandy!!)

Did you know that today is National America Recycles Day??
To honor the day, I thought I would post this bench that I just refinished!
Here's the story of the cute little thing...

I found this sitting bench at a garage sale last year.  It has a straw netted sitting part that I had removed by this point.

I decided I wanted it to go right in front our bed that I refinished back in April. More on that post HERE.
Since the color of this wood is not my type of styling preference, I was excited to do this transformation and turn it into the piece that I know it could be :)

I decided to do something risky.  I had a can of gray paint, (that I used to redo my main bathroom, which I posted yet so I'll do that soon) but I had one problem with it.  It was TO gray.  I wanted it a lighter, closer to white gray.  So I decided to mix the gray paint color with my white primer.  Then I painted the peice with two coats of the newly created paint. And this was how it ended up.

It turned out fine and I feel like the "created" paint did the trick just dandy!
Here you can see the contrast in the wood color to the gray color...

I was happy with it, but it was a solid gray color and was to perfect.  I like perfectly, imperfect pieces so I decided to give it the lightest ever whitewash (just a watered down white paint) and then give it a good sanding to give it that perfect vintage look... here is the whitewash, very small change...

And then here is some of the detailing work...

 I sprayed 2 coats of Poly on it to protect it from moisture and make it easier to dust.

Now all that I have left is to get my sewing machine out and cover the current seat with a fabric, that I haven't found yet.  This week I will be finding that fabric and should have a finished photo soon!

I also have a bigger piece that I have been working on (refinishing) to hang out in my master bedroom too.  Hopefully this weekend I will finish the painting on that piece, cause I can't wait to have it in my house!!!!

I'm so happy I could save this piece's life and find a way to make it work in my home...Here's to National America Recycle's Day!!

Loves,
Jill

The life of a caterpillar...

This darling little caterpillar...was hanging out on the cement in our backyard, one warm October evening.
Our kids really, really wanted to keep him as a pet.  They wanted to hold the caterpillar, and bring him inside and feed him and watch him grow.  Now, we adults, all know that Caterpillars turn into butterflies (or moth's) but my kids had no idea, so we decided it was time to learn one of the miracles of life, together.

We took that darling caterpillar inside and put him in a Mason Jar. We collected some leaves and sticks and a little grass to eat, and brought him inside to enjoy some time with us.  We went to bed that night, and when we woke up the next morning and our cute little caterpillar had already created his cocoon and was commencing his new journey.

I really had no idea how long it would take for his transformation (or what kind of new life for he would take on for that matter!) but we were soooo excited for it all to happen.
We put The Mason Jar on top of the counter in the kitchen and we looked at it everyday.  My kids would pick it up every so often and asked me if he was really going to "change" into something cool, or beautiful.
"yes it's really going to happen!", hoping that our experiment was going to pan out, so my kids could see this amazing transformation take place.

We keep waiting,
and
waiting,
and
watching.

So imagine my surprise when last week, after I put the kids to bed, I was cleaning up the kitchen and talking on the phone, when suddenly I saw something move in the Mason Jar...I got up close to the jar and HOLY SMOKES it happened!! This amazingly beautiful bright green caterpillar had turned into a rather awesome looking...MOTH!
I started yelling for Cory to come take a look (since I haven't ever done this experiement either) jumping up and down in excitement!!
My kids had been in bed for over an hour at this point so I decided to wait until the morning to tell show them...It seriously was torture to have to wait!.
What if the Moth dies overnight cause it needs food???

The next morning, I got all the kids up and told them I had something exciting to show them.  I took them over to the Mason Jar and there was the Moth. Sitting in the Jar, very still not moving.
Even when I shook that Mason Jar, the Moth was still as still.
I didn't care.  I just talked it up to my kids and they were all amazed with me, that something sooo amazing could happen in 1 short month.
We Ahhh'd over it, and stared until Asher said "uh mom, is it dead?"
Oh crap, was my first thought.
Second thought was, Maybe...
So I took it outside and opened the lid and took all the leaves, sticks etc out.  I also took the cocoon out...

Gross...sorry.
We sat the moth on the step outside. So amazed at the transformation and the new life that the moth will be able to (hopefully) lead now, we totally forgot that he wasn't flying yet.

It stayed right there on that leaf, not moving.  And then...it started shaking.  It's whole body started shaking. It was rather weird. We watched it wondering what in the world it was doing.
I think after watching it for awhile we gave up a tiny bit of hope that it was going to fly.
I thought keeping it in the jar over night may have not been the right decision.
It just kept shaking.  We had sat there long enough watching, that it was time to start getting ready for school.
So, it was time to leave the window.

Everyone left, except Lily.  She sat there.  Watching this little Moth, and waiting for it to take flight.
I asked her a couple of times if it was still there and she said "Yep".  She just sat and watched it.
Then I heard her squeal!! I ran over to the window and that moth was flying around all over the place!  That Lily, knew he was going to fly and he really did!  We all got to watch him fly around for a bit and then he took off.  To start his new life.

I don't know why this little event made such a impact in my life. I'm usually quite logical and I understand why things happen.  But this one, I don't understand. The whole metamorphasis and transformation struck a chord with me.
Just as this beautiful caterpillar can transform into an awesome looking moth, we can "transform".  If we don't like where we are (or even if we are happy, and we want to be something better) we CAN.
We can gather up our "cocoon" of items (for me: family, the gospel, scriptures, books, good friends, and a good blanket) and surround ourselves in them and make a change...for the better.  It is Never to late.

Whatever we want in life, it is right there waiting for us to...want to change and to make the change.

And when it's time...we can take our new flight and move onward in our amazing journey. 


I really loved this experience.
I highly recommend experiencing it for yourself :) Don't let the next caterpillar get away from you. Grab him stick him in a jar and let him inspire you to...

Loves,
Jill

And the winner is.....

And the winner of the thinkThin Giveaway is.....

Alicia Voights!

Congrats girl!

I'll get a hold of you and bring you your bars and check out your new place!