Milk Crate Bench Seat

Last week after all the rush to finish my Christmas gifts, I finally sewed the pillow for Skylar's crate bench seat.  Remember back over Labor Day when I spent all that time priming those crates?  I attached them together right away and they have been functional as storage bins for Sky's room since then.  I've had everything all ready to go for the pillow for ages but I'm procrastinator petey with things from time to time, obviously.  Anywho, here's my final result:

 

Here is the bench seat below Skylar's window.  I'm thinking I eventually would like to get (or make) new bookshelves for her room that would actually sit below the window and move the bench opposite the bed where her current bookshelves (which I hate) are located.  This seems like a good plan because the wall that the shelves are on now is the most open wall and would be perfect for a little play area for her.  I could even put a magnetic/dry erase board on the wall behind the bench seat.  

At any rate, I love how her room is getting cuter with every project I do for it.  The current tally of made-by-me items in Sky's room?...let's see:

Curtains with valance

Name wall art

Newborn Shadowbox

Positively Expecting Shadowbox

Family Portrait

Button mirror (which actually is hanging at Sky height in the bathroom right now, but was made for her room.

Bed pillows

And various scrapbooks including:

Baby Shower Card Scrapbook

Baby Belly Book

For Auld Lang Syne

It's been awhile.  I know, I know.  Holidays tend to be a bit busy at my house.  So this should be a good and looooong post here on this chilly and overcast New Year's Eve...

Our Christmas decor is a good place to start.  I don't have the most gorgeous or fantastic decorations but I think I successfully filled our apartment homey, holiday spirit

.

Our tree fit perfectly next to the fish tank.

The patio door lights and garlands...

All lit up!

The fish tank got some garlands and lights too.

And the doorway to the dining room as well.

Our stockings hung on the wall by the tree.

I got all of this up on Sunday the 1st when Sky was at her dad's.  A couple days later we decorated the tree together:

Mommy's little helper!

Our pretty tree

We decided this year that instead of getting presents for every single person in our ever growing family that the seven adults (sans my parents) would draw names for presents.  Once for the seven adults and once for the seven children (though we drew names before Jax was even born).  I ended up drawing Matt and Ella.  I made Matt a knight hat much like this one:

I didn't feel right not giving anything at all to everybody else, so I came up with a plan.  I made some coconut and chocolate candies for my parents (and some for me too, cuz apparently we're the only ones who like coconut).  I made simple jars of oreo peanut butter, one for each family.  And then I made some cinnamon and peppermint gummy candies for each of the kids (except Jax cuz he's too little).

My gummies in their crystallization period.

The recipes I used for my delicious gifts were:
Quick and Easy Coconut Candies
Oreo Peanut Butter
Sparkly Gummy Candies
All were found on pinterest.

I decided last year when I found a little gingerbread girl photo ornament on clearance at JoAnns after Christmas that I had to start a tradition of having a special gingerbread girl ornament for Skylar every Christmas.  Early in the season this year I searched all through the decor section at Michaels and other places I shopped through trying to find a cute ginger girl for my cute ginger girl.  Well, since nothing I found could compare to something I could make and because, as usual, money is tight, I decided to make this year's ornament from scratch.  I've seen little salt dough imprints of the kid's hand or foot as the basis for other things so I thought Sky's chubby lil hand would be the perfect shape for the dress of a gingerbread girl.  This will be the only year that we can do this type of ornament since it did get quite large (8" tall).  I used the old tried and true recipe for salt dough, imprinted her hand, then freehand cut out the girl's shape.  After baking it, I painted her with several coats of craft paint.  I used ribbon and fabric paint to embellish and voila:

Skylar's gingerbread girl ornament, Christmas 2013

 

 

Well, it's taken me a good chunk of the day (off and on, of course) to get all this up here so before we rush off to our New Year's Eve celebrations I wanted to share a couple of my Christmas faves:

Our tree on Christmas morning

Z tells Sky how it is.

Sky and Sammie making pretty pictures for great grandma and grandpa

 

 

Grandma and Grandpa's tree almost got lost in all the presents!

Later, I'll post some pics of Skylar interacting with her favorite new gifts.  Also, she got an Advent calendar from my mom before December started and I have a plethora of pictures of her enjoying it that I want to make into a sweet "Story" on photobucket.  For now we're going to head out for some fun!  Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year everybody!!!

Mini-Frame Keyring Holders

These 2 are made from 4"x6" frames with some decoupage and hooks:

Three of 3 Warm Accessory Organizers

The last features plastic canvas, hooks and a magnet strip:

Artists Against Hunger 9

Well, Artists Against Hunger has come and gone again.  I was only able to be there Friday evening because of work.  It was a fair turnout despite the extremely cold temperatures.  I unfortunately did not make any sales but that just means that all the cool things I made for my "Functional Facelifts" project are available for purchase at my website.

Two of 3 Warm Accessory Organizers

Here is the second which features plastic canvas for earrings, 2 hooks and 2 pegs for necklace and bracelet storage:

Decorative Memo board

Another of my favorite facelifts, a memo board of sorts with 3 clips and 2 pegs for holding keys, notes, pics, etc:

Decorative Keyring Holder

Artists Against Hunger is quickly approaching...as in 4 days from now.  So I'm wrapping up the "Functional Facelifts" projects that are almost finished.  I already installed the ones that were done and documented Sunday afternoon.  Here's a few of the stragglers, starting with a decorative keyring holder made from a wooden plaque I got from my dad decoupaged and painted:

Beige Earring and Necklace Holder

This, one of the first, "Functional Facelifts" is a very basic earring and necklace holder, just 8"x10" in size, perfect for a petite jewelry collection:

Neon Jewelry Organizer

This "Functional Facelift" posed a few problems along the way but came to completion today.  It's a pretty basic jewelry organizer popping with neon colors:

Open front Shadowbox for photo clipping

This "Functional Facelift" was the marriage of 2 pieces of would-be trash discarded by customers at work.  I measured and cut the mock litho print to fit the shadowbox exactly scoring it so the picture would line it, removed the glass and stretched crocheted cotton chains across the front.  It's purpose is for clipping pictures and/or notes as a quick, easily interchanged display case.  I love how it turned out:

Accessory Organizer

This is one of my most clever "Functional Facelifts".  At least I think so anyways.  The main frame of it was actually a cast off from another project when it turned out I didn't need it for that.  I decoupaged paper on it and added hooks, pegs, a dowel, plastic canvas, and a magnet strip for the ultimate accessory organizer.

closeup of bottom left corner

closeup of upper right corner

Little Boy Photo Clip Block

The last of the four 5"x8" wood block projects, this one themed for a little boy:

Little Girl Photo Clip Block

The third of four 5"x8" wood block projects holds 1 (or 2) 4"x6" photos themed for a little girl:

Beachy Sunglasses Frame

This is one of the first "Functional Facelifts" I made.  An open back frame with a cool paint job and a bit of ribbon makes a sweet sunglasses holder:

Decorative Keyholder

And another:

This is another of my 5"x8" woodblock facelifts.  More decoupage, paint and ribbons...It is now a decorative key and sunglasses holder:

Fun Flowery Photo Holder

Another project for "Functional Facelifts":

I got 4 of these 5"x8" wood blocks from Y's Buys awhile back for $1.99.  This one transformed via paint, decoupage, and ribbon into a cutesie photo holder that can hold 4 images (2 at top, bottom frame is 2-sided).

Argyle Mini Mirror

I've been gradually finishing off handful of projects I've been working on for the upcoming Artists Against Hunger Exhibition.  The series is called "Functional Facelifts" in which I give thrifty found objects a new look and purpose.  I want to share them one by one as I complete and then document them.  So here goes...

I found this little framed mirror at the Goodwill for $1.50.  I primed it and then gave it a few healthy coats of yellow-orange paint.  I sassed up the front with a puffy paint pattern and the sides with some decoupaged argyle paper.  It's something like 3"x12" not including the frame.  I think it's totally adorable:

 

Little Foot

Recently I decided to take my Mother's Day gift from earlier this year (the awesome one I made for myself) and my gift from my own mom and combine them into a sweet little shadowbox.

The item I made is a little salt dough impression of Skylar's foot.  It says "Skylar Helen, May 12, 2013, 13 mo."  I painted it with nail polish because I've always liked how it shines despite never using it on my fingers and rarely on my toes.  I also embellished with a ribbon and beads.  In the base of the box are 6 yellow dried roses that I received from my mom on the holiday which shares the weekend annually with the Avera Race Against Breast Cancer.

The completed project now resides on the family wall of my living room:

I also made a salt dough impression with my grandmother's hand, my mother's hand, my hand and Skylar's hand.  I baked it but I haven't decide how I'd like to paint it so it's sitting on the back burner with a handful of other projects.