What do PB and LaVyrle Spencer have in common?

What do you suppose Pottery Barn and LaVyrle Spencer have in common? Hmmm??

I just got my PB catalog yesterday and as I was paging through it I saw these wreaths that I liked.



I went through the masses of books my husband and I have and found one that I really didn't value and would never look at again. (Sorry, romance novels don't hold a lot of interest for me.) So I started ripping out pages and rolling cones. I cut out a cardboard circle and used my hot glue gun to make a wreath.



I think it will hang in one of my kitchen windows. I hung it against a wall so you could see it better. I am thinking about using spray adhesive and glitter to add a little bling, but haven't decided yet. What do you think, glitter or no glitter?



Ssshhhh, don't tell anyone. It almost makes me want snow...

Check out these other great blogs for fun ideas:

The Inspired Room

The Shabby Nest

The DIY Show Off

A Soft Place to Land

Been play'n with my ponies

The weather has been unseasonably warm here in northern North Dakota.   No long underwear or even a coat required when I go riding my horses in the evenings.  We basically just lost a month of winter weather!  Hurrah!!

After work I rush home, change into my barn clothes and head out to the boarding barn.

So much fun loping my girls.

Lots of grooming and few treats after the ride and before their blankets go back on.

Horses are special.

Some of them are really special!  LOL!

Photography by Christina Doyea--a present from my husband several years ago.

Christmas Ornaments?

I have been playing around with things on hand and created some Christmas ornaments. I think I like them but really would like some objective comments. You know how sometimes when you are working on something that and you just can't quite step back and see it clearly? I also realize that these likely will appeal to some but not all. Seriously, constructive criticism will be appreciated!

Keep them or try again?!

Check out the 'I Can Make That' party at Just a Girl!
Kimba at A Soft Place to Land has her Do It Yourself Day party and a giveaway!
I just made my first visit to Reinvented and her Trash to Treasure party also.

Same Song, Another Verse and a Give Away!

I do have some other 'tunes' in mind, but for the moment I am staying with a theme. There is only so much I can do in the hour or so I have taken to create.   And I had to share with my husband las night.  He actually (GASP!) used one of dropcloths to paint something.  The horror!! 

And you know what?! I have decided to give away a dropcloth. Details are at the end of this post.

More pleats 'cause I really like the way they look with the mix of formal and rustic.

Crown buttons since crowns seems to be a bit of a trend.

And my quick easy pillow. I have a few ideas for more pillows but will throw them in the background of some other projects so I don't end up boring people.

But, one button or five? Which do you like better?

And the Giveaway!  I will send a Home Depot dropcloth to whoever wins a drawing I will do on November 21.  To enter the drawing leave a comment telling me what you would do if you had a dropcloth to use or run through my blog and tell me which project I have made you like best.  You can get a second entry if you post about the giveaway and let me know that you did so. 

I am linking  to the following:

http://www.lbratina.blogspot.com/

http://www.theshabbychiccottage.net/

My First Award!!

What a fun suprise in my mailbox this morning!!  :)  I recieved the Kreativ Blogger Award!  Thank you RM from A Day in the Life...   She has been blogging about the same amount of time I have and has shared some great pictures and projects on her blog!

And here are the "official" rules of the Kreativ Blogger Award:

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.

2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people may not know.

5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Blogs.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each.

Here are 7 things you probably don't know about me.
 
    1)  I have a son getting married in February and I can not believe my kids are old enough to get married or that I am old enough to be mother of the groom.  (I will be gaining a great daughter-in-law!)
 
   2)  Chocolate is my downfall.  If it is within reach, I probably ate it....
 
  3)  I am debating whether to start feeding the deer that wander through our yard.
 
  4)  I have 5 horses, 2 dogs, 3 inside cats, 2 outside cats and I think I am getting another puppy in the spring.
 
  5)   I read at least a book a week and sometimes hate spending money on books because I read them so fast.
 
  6)  Blogging and my new house have allowed me to rediscover my creativity.
 
  7)  Balancing a full-time profession, family and friends, riding horses, blogging, making things, playing with my pets and routine household chores keeps me very very busy.
 
Now here are some bloggers that I think are worth checking out:
 

Annie at Birdcages and Butterflies

 

Sherri and Punk Rose Journal

 

Stefanie at Rose Petals and Rust

 

Karin at Style Sisters

 

Jennifer at Tatertots and Jello

Fun easy ideas from other blogs

This is the time of year when I love coming across easy yet classy gift ideas. I thought I would share some of my finds from blogland in case you haven't come across these yet.

Karin at Style Sister is having a give away a set of berry napkin rings (hurry! ends today!) and presents loads of ideas on how to use these.  She also sells them if you don't win the drawing.  Look at what she has done:

                                    

                                                                                               

Another recent discover is lifeingrace.   She is doing a 12 Days of Homemade Christmas Tutorials and highlighting some great bloggers and their projects.

Th

These coasters are from the Reluctant Entertainer.

I also am a great fan of Nesting Place.  She has posted tutorials on some great projects also!

I just know this is going to be a fun Christmas now that I have discovered blogland!!  Thank you to all you creative bloggers who are so generous with your ideas!!  :)

Dropcloth rosette instructions

I have had a number of requests for instructions on making the rosettes I have used on on a pillow (and a lamp shade).

Tear a strip of fabric about an inch wide.  The frayed edges make the flowers look much better, so fabric that frays a bit when torn is best. Otherwise, pull some threads to make the edges fringey.  The length of the strip will determine how big the flower will be. I used a 22 inche strip here.  Adjust length of the strips to the size you want. Twist the strip of fabric and make a flat coil as you go. Make sure the first coils are tight and round as they are the middle of the flower. Use your hot glue gun to coat the flat surface as you go--this will be the back of the flower.   When the flower is the size you want, or you have come to the end of the fabric strip, glue it neatly to the top edge of the coil. When you turn it over, the end will be tucked behind the flower.

It is really easy, but takes a bit of playing around and 'feel' to figure out how tight to twist the fabric strip and how tight to make the coil. Be careful, I burned myself with hot glue when I made my first few flowers. I use the tip of the glue gun to spread the glue around where I want it.

Stop the madness

As any good blogger does, I am linking up~

Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday

 &  

Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Party.

&

You know, how sometimes you get started on something, and it takes on a life of its own?! I am suffering from dropcloth madness. I still have a large amount of fabric to go, and have at least one more project in mind. So without further ado, here are my latest projects.

Can you guess what this might be? Check out the pretty little posey, more pleats, and of course dropcloth fabric as the main feature.






It is my new apron. I am not sure I really need an apron, but this design popped into my head so I had to follow my muse. Anyway, it was fun to sew.



What do you think? Do you like it? I am pretty sure I am going to feel quite chic when I wear it!




And because the madness hasn't ended, I had to make this pillow. I have been meaning to do this project forever(well, ever since I had extra dropcloth fabric) but just never got around to it.



I know, poor pillow is a bit flat. I have to go get more stuffin; I ran out of fiberfil.



Wait! I'm not done yet! I had to make a table runner to lighten up my dark dining set too.



Yep, I am done. At least for the weekend. But there is more fabric waiting, and I have more ideas. Sigh.