And School Begins!!

It is the beginning of a new school year and I have been so busy getting my classroom ready to welcome my new kindergarteners.  Not to mention I have had home visits AND Open House (100% attendance, I might add).

I love going to meet my new students and hopefully ease any anxiety they may have about starting a new venture.  These children ARE amazing. 
 I decided to add a new highlight to my classroom this year.  My theme has always been the "Alligator Room" (being a Louisiana native) but to add to the decor my husband and I created a new Reading Nook!

We took two pallets and bolted them together, sanded, primed and painted them red. 

The fabric (already in my stash) was stapled to an old frame and drapped over the side gauze panels. 

 After one quick seam on the gauze, I slide extra fabric tubes in and hung it with fishing line.  It is AMAZING at what you can make with the things you have on hand!!

Located right under the window allows for great lighting.

One pallet was smaller than the other which allowed for a little step!

 Fishing line was tied to a spring... which is the inside of an old toilet paper holder.  Don't ask, I have NO idea why I had it.

My bulletin board where the First Day of School photos will go of my new little

Investa-GATORS!!

It is going to be a FANTASTIC year!

Have a blessed day!

Vici

Robyn Story Designs and Boutique~Giveaway

For all of you DIYers out there, go check out this amazing giveaway from Robyn Story Designs and Boutique and her blog. 

It's"TIME" for
EVERYTHING ANNIE SLOAN
GIVEAWAY

And we're going to give you EVERYTHING, EVERY color that Annie has!!



ALL 28 COLORS FOR YOU TO PLAY WITH!!!
That's right - I'm including the  
FOUR BRAND NEW FABULOUS COLORS  
In Mini Pots/Sample Size
from 
ROBYN STORY DESIGNS and BOUTIQUE

Every color is amazing, from the Greek Blue of the Aegean Sea to the Scandinavian Pink of Denmark.  All of Annie's Colors tell a story about a place or a thing that she has seen on her journey's.

French Linen
A cool neutral khaki grey inspired by the bleached, deep neutral of old pieces of French and Italian furniture.

 Coco
A warm greyed brown, the color found on old French woodwork.
 

Pure White
Quite simply a pure clean white

Barcelona
An older color brought back by popular demand

AND

Also included with this wonderful selection of paints is:

Annie Sloan Work Apron

A Set of 6 our GORGEOUS, FUNKY KNOBS

and

Annie Sloan's Creating the French Look book

Isn't this a wonderful opportunity, and OH to win all of these fabulous giveaways.  

If I COULD ONLY get to Tampa, Florida. ( in my best whiny voice) They even offer you coffee and invite you to stroll from room to room.  WOW!  They offer anything from Fun to funky, Casual to Sophisticated.  You know I am a  Fun and Funky kinda girl...little Shabby Chic on the side!!!

 Now this is just a taste of what they have so go check it out.

 

• Retailer of Annie Sloan Paints
• Custom Mirrors
• Artful Lighting
• Framed Art
• Original Oils 
• Full Design Service
• Shoes, Handbags, Belts and Bling...
• Fashion Accessories and Everything.
• Unique Furniture, Fabulous Home Decor and Accessorie
• Exquisite Custom Floral Design

Ideas are already spinning in my head of what to do with that Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. The Apron is adorable.  And those knobs, those knobs,~~~~need I say more?

 Don't forget 

Annie Sloan's Creating the French Look book.  

I can see myself sitting down with a nice cup of coffee, in a cozy seat reading it.  Excuse me, I was daydreaming there for a second but ...back to reality.  Go ...Go...Go check out this giveaway!!!

I wish you all a Blessed Day!

Vici

Moment of Truth!

The Pinterest Challenge is here.  OMG! What amazingly talented people.

First of all, thanks to Sherry @ Young House Love and Katie @ Bower Power for challenging each of us to step out and actually make one of our inspirations we have pinned on Pinterest. Take a look at what inspired these women and what they created and also, check out their co-host friends, Lana @ Making a House a Home and Emily Henderson .

While admiring all of the links I stumbled upon Amy @Keep'n The Sunny Side and her delightful pillow she made.  Since I'm obviously in pillow mode it caught my eye.  Just so happens, I have pinned this pillow to my Emma Claire board in hopes to make one for her. Cant's wait to get started.

  Isn't it awesome!

I love the red and turquoise don't you?

I also ran across Jaclyn @ Covered in Flour . She made this button monogram. This is a neat idea and she did an awesome job!

  Last year I made other things out of buttons for gifts.  One for a friend (using her late mother's buttons) and one for my Louisiana sis, Jennifer.

Elmer's glue crackling!!

 But Jaclyn has inspired me to try the monogram.

Check out some more of these challenges.

Sunburst Mirror by Cassie @  Hi Sugarplum!

Baby Shower Inspired by Melissa @ Below Blue Skies

Pallet Wall by Mrs. Yancy goes to Birmingham

Antipasto Skewers from Dixie Julep

Whether you sew, craft, decorate, or cook I hope, once again, you have been inspired to be creative. How could you not be?  Check out Pinterest and check out the challenge.  It will get your juices flowing!!

Have a Blessed Day!

Vici

Recycled Sweater Pillow!!!

For several weeks now I have had a new addiction.  Don't think bad of me...it's a good addiction.  It is Pinterest, an awesome website where you get so inspired from others and pin these photo inspirations on to your own pin boards!  Hope I'm not confusing you newbies, so go on over and check out mine here and get an idea of what in the heck I'm talking about!!!
I am one of the those people that constantly have ideas and thoughts and my ADD kicks in and I get so excited and want to make, redo, repurpose, sew or whatever my feeble mind is spinning at that second.  Whew, it wears me out.  When I finally get the time to sit down and make a plan, I have forgotten half of my ideas.  Pinterest has saved me and allows me to "pin" my ideas to my inspiration board I call "Things to Make".
Well, with that said, Tomorrow, I am joining Sherry @ Young House Love
and Katie @ Bower Power and their creative friends.

They have given us a challenge:  Make one thing each season you have pinned to one of your inspiration boards.  There are so many INSPIRATIONS and it was hard for me to choose.  However, I have been eyeballing these sweet pillows from Angella Eisman here.  She is amazingly talented. Be sure and visit her here

So being the ADD girl that I am, and only checking into the challenge at the last minute, I rushed home from work and made this.

You know I'm lovin' some turquoise and it just so happened, I had everything I needed!  I'm not a hoarder, but I sure do keep a lot of things...just in case...I ever need them!!

1 wool sweater (left from a Christmas tree project last year) FREE (Actually 3 wool sweaters, green, red, turquoise)
1 worn out old pillow form (burgandy) FREE
needle/thread/sewing machine
Scrap fabric (another previous project) to cover pillow (It looks a bit like burlap but heavier)FREE

This may not be the right way to make one, but it sure worked for me.

1. I cut the sweater into various width/length strips. (It had already been cut up from previous project so I had to go with what I had).

2. Measured my fabric to fit the form.  My form is square but I wanted it rounded  so I rounded the fabric edges.

3. I began to sew the sweater strips on the fabric gathering and rounding it as I went.

4.  When I got to the middle, there was so much bulk for my machine, I had to hand stitch the center of the flower.

5. Place fabric right sides together and stitch up three sides. Then turn right side out.

6. Place your pillow form in the new case and stitch open end closed.  As I said earlier, I wanted a more round look so I just folded the corners of the pillow in.

7. Move it around on different pieces of furniture and enjoy!!

I hope once more, you have been inspired.  Go check out Pinterest and, I assure you, the INSPIRATION for something will hit you!!
Have a Blessed Day!
Vici

Old to New

 A few months ago my parents wagged this ugly old cedar trunk all the way from Louisiana.  At that time I did not have a coffee table so my mind was spinning with the thoughts of HMMM. You may look at it and think "YUK" but when I look at it I see potential. 

 Luckily, I had all of the needed items on hand to "reinvent" this old piece to make it look new again. 
I had an extra can of stripper (we used from another project) and my handy dandy Black and Decker Sander/Polisher. 

Some of the small pieces of wood on the front were missing so I removed the remaining. After I let the stripper work for a bit, I scrapped off the old varnish and proceeded to sand the trunk.  After which, I primed it with, my always on hand, Kilz primer.

 

Here you can see the trunk stripped, 

and primed.

In my stash, I found this non-labeled quart can of paint.  Honestly, I could not tell you what brand it is or why I even have it but, I really liked the color.  After a couple of coats of paint, and hear comes the exciting part, I glazed it with my awesome Ralph Lauren glaze. This particular one used is called Tea Stained.

 And, Voila!  The finished product turned out great.  I'm happy.  And yes, there is a duck on the trunk.  The Hubs is an avid hunter and I have to let him have a 'little' bit of say in the decor!

You can see where I distressed the edges.

One woman's junk is another woman's treasure.

My inspiration came from almost stalking

Mandie@ Altar'd Designs. I purchased her Ebook awhile back.

Check out her many talents here. Or check her out on Facebook here. She "reinvents" such beautiful pieces. I am in such amazement every time I visit her blog.

Be sure to read her testimony. Not only is her work an inspiration, but SHE is an inspiration. Here is what she says about her business name.

 We chose the name “Altar’d” because it reminds us that God has given us “beauty for ashes” (Isaiah 61:3). We cannot compare what we do to as great a gift as that. But, what we do is take the old forgotten furniture and give it new beauty.

We take the forgotten, and make it Unforgettable

I'll leave you with that for today and hope that you feel inspired in someway.


Have a Blessed Day!!!
Vici

Creativity and Repurposing

Creativity is truly a gift. Through my journey of blogland, I have stumbled across so many talented and creative people.  Some of these people I hope to become friends with and learn from.  However, I am fortunate to have a friend of such right here in Missouri.

Since I have a couple of months off during the summer I have been helping this talented and creative friend, MJ, by working at her and her daughter's awesome store.  Now, those of you locally know it as the Byrd's Nest.  Famously, known for their infant/toddler clothing and accessories. What some are not aware of is the additional items that make this place so unique.

I want to share with you some awesome finds, in this quaint little store, that demonstrate not only creativity but also a talent for repurposing old, used, vintage (whatever you want to call it) into fascinating pieces of art. So sit back and be inspired!

Don't you just love this little vignette?

Wreath with old gloves, buttons, jewels and more

I just love the pearls and old door knob on this one!

Old tin made into a mirror with a touch of whimsy with wire and crystal jewels

This gorgeous chandelier is hanging in the bathroom. Notice the wall in the background.  It is wallpapered with print from an old book.  The title is Gone With the Wind. Anyone familiar with that one?

Old jewelry repurposed into wire wrapped rings!  Awesome.

Concert tags and bandana repurposed into a one of a kind necklace. Donated by our very own local boy and recording artist, Trent Tomlinson.

What are these?  I knew you would ask.  These are clothes donated  by our very own local girl and recording artist, Sheryl Crow.  All proceeds from her collection are donated to our Delta Children's Home.

I love this.  I'm thinking this might be an awesome piece for the future turquoise bedroom

See the hat?  Do you know where that needs to go? You are so right!! In the turquoise room!!

Children's items

Jewelry display on old candlestick

 I hope you enjoyed our little venture of creativity and a big thank you to MJ at the Byrd's Nest.  I am leaving you with one of my repurposed treasures I made for my mother (who happens to be an owl fanatic!)

Repurposed men's ties to make new HOOTies.  Embellish your scarves or purses with these cute little items! Aren't they a HOOT!!!

 
Have a blessed day, all!!