Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Rustic Full Length Mirrors



Here I am with some full-length mirror ideas for my closet.  As you can probably tell I have kind of a 19th century saloon vibe going.  We already have wood looking tile as the floor, and I plan to have a chandelier and velvety ottoman in the room.  So really I could go rustic or fancy with the mirror.  So far I've been thinking if we DIY this we'll just get a $5 mirror from Walmart and add weathered pallet wood as a frame.  I like a lot of different looks here.













































I'll probably just prop this thing--whichever I choose--against the wall rather than hanging it.  I like the casual feel of that look.

So is there one here you prefer over another?  Now taking advice!

Closet Ottoman




In my last post I mentioned some other things I was looking for to decorate (usefully!) my closet.  Here are some of the ottoman ideas.





























The last two most closely resemble what I am looking for.  There is just something about a dark blackish blue that speaks to me.  It gives hints of darkness, night time, and a luxe one at that.  It seems like there should be some cheap way to make my own ottoman but I haven't found it yet.  I'd guess either leather or velvet fabric would be quite expensive.

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Small Chandelier Ideas


For my overhead light in my closet, I'm dreaming of a small chandelier to fancy the space up.  I'm searching through Houzz for ideas and I'll share my favorites here.  I'm also on the lookout for a tall mirror and comfy ottoman so hopefully I'll seek out and share ideas for those here, as well.

Please vote or share your suggestions!


























I think the second one is closest to what I was picturing.  I want to stick it next to a mirror and ottoman in a future post to see how they all work together.

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Top 10 Cheap or Free Crafts


Are you in charge of planning a craft day for your church or club? Do you like to find projects that are free or low cost?

I put together this list of my most popular projects, most of which recycle things you'd normally throw away, or cost very little.

1.  Cover pumpkins with Duct Tape.



2.  Make a looped scarf out of a T-shirt.



3.  Make an infinity scarf from a T-shirt.



4.  Make a rope scarf from a T-shirt.


5.  Cover a diaper box with fabric.



6.  Cover a diaper box with Duct Tape.



7.  Make a Sensory Box for your kids.




8.  Make tasty PB Cups with stuff in your cupboard.



9.  Make some Italian salad dressing to keep in your fridge.



10.  And finally...pull out another T-shirt and make a ruffle scarf!









Wednesday, September 2, 2015

What are my Gifts?



I was reading an inspiring post on MoneySavingMom.com today and she encouraged us to embrace our gifts and let go of the things we think we "should" be good at.

As a fellow blog writer I appreciate hearing that she finally gave up on artistic writing (I'm so not good at that myself).  I love to write and share things on my blog, and it *does* make me feel alive when I've drafted some words that I want to share.  However, I do wonder what the point is when it isn't widely read.  Something about her post encouraged me that it is still worth doing because of that feeling of coming alive.

Reading and learning something new makes me feel the same.  I love the wide variety of books I've started to explore in the last couple of years.  The freedom I feel when studying what I find interesting, excites me.

I was an obedient child, and adult for that matter.  I spent (and still do) the majority of my time setting intentions and working towards those things I think I should be doing.  I'm worried about being the right kind of wife, the right kind of mother, the right kind of American, the right kind of daughter, the right kind of church member, the right kind of homeowner....you get the picture.  Those are very subjective things which leave my behavior to the mercy of a societal structure I didn't decide on.

Anyway, this post has no conclusions.  I don't think I've really discovered or decided what my gifts are or where I should spend my time, but I wanted to write for writing's sake, because it makes me feel alive :)>.

Chocolate Yogurt Oat Muffins

  1 C oat flour 1/2 C sugar 1/4 C cocoa powder 1/2 t baking soda 1/4 salt 1/2 C chocolate chips 1 egg 1/2 C plain greek yogurt 1/4 melted bu...