Wedding Season Gift Idea

I don't know about you, but its summer, and it is wedding season.
I'm the type of person that thinks that the idea of the gift registry is phenomenal
(hey, I took total advantage of it when we got married!)
But, I also like giving origional and memorable gifts -- for any occasion!

So when I saw this adorable gifr on Pinterest from Darling Doodles, I knew that it was

a) getting pinned in my gifts board
b) It was not going in the archives, I was going to use it!

(btw: you should go check out all the other adorable stuff she has there!)

We were invited a few weeks ago to a wedding shower (aka couples shower) for my husband's superviosr. Naturally they had a registery but I didn't want to go that route.
However, I also knew that I couldn't do the "pb&j" gift basket either (they're older then the typical couples that I see getting married). I knew that it would be kind corny for them
So I thought and thought about other things that "go together"

And I came up with:
"You go together like Marshmallows & Chocolate"
and made them a S'mores basket for an "at-home" date night.

Fairly inexpersive and completely memorable!

I loaded my basket with totally adorable roasting sticks that are retractable (easy sotrage and transport!)
Graham crackers
Marshmallows
Chocolate bars
AND Reese's Cups
(if you haven't tried that yet -- you MUST. Its the whole sweet/salty/peanut-buttery thing. It's delish!)

I'm sure that I could have added in some cute cloth napkins, or lined the basket in a picnic blanket if I was thinking more clearly then (so you do that for me, OK?).

I whipped up this cute card on my computer and tucked it in.
It was a huge success of "ooohhhhs, and ahhhhhs" :)

What other combinations can you think of that would make a good gift?

P.S. I'm totally doing the PB&J one for a wedding coming up in a few weeks, for an adorable, college-aged couple!

Pinterest DIY Fringe Scarf

So I've not been feeling well lately, which has been a blast, and so was looking for something fun to do while chilling in bed today. And recently, as I mentioned in my last post, I discovered Pinterest, where I've been carefully pinning different things I want to try! And today I knocked one off the list - booyah! So here we go! You need an old t-shirt (could be really fun with a multicoloured fun pattern... this orange one I had, and love, has an expanding hole) and a good pair of scissors (I used fabric scissors).

Then, start cutting!

First, start by cutting off the top of the shirt - lose the sleeves & neck.

First cut!

Ta da!

Then, from the bottom, start cutting strips to make the fringe.

I felt very 80s doing this part hahaha

This used to be a t-shirt!

Neat, eh?

Okay, then pull a few of the fringes - I thought this was a weird step until I did it and it actually makes the fringes...I dunno...just better. hahaha So do it!

Pulling! 

Then I tied a few knots, some at the very ends, some in the middles, some part way between.... I didn't tie them all, but a few throughout.

Knotting!

And then, voila!  This is a horrid picture - I'm lounging in my bed taking my own torso shot hahaha - but you get the idea.

Ta da!

If you DON'T get the idea, see the original, with her instructions here:

http://www.lakelandlocal.com/2011/08/diy-fringe-scarf/

So, if you're like me and hanging on to your favourites full of holes, turn them into fabulous scarves and make it even MORE favourites!

Happy crafting, folks! :-) 

DIY Pottery Barn Floating Shelves, As Seen on Ana White

Holman Shelf from Pottery Barn

I like to think of myself as creative, artsy and have good design esthetic. I am not en engineer, though. So when I stumbled upon Ana White's website and blog, I was hooked. Ana is a momma from Alaska with a purpose in mind: to make great furniture like the items found in our favorite stores but for a small fraction of the price. I love making knock-offs from Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware items, so Ana and her design plans are heaven-sent. Who doesn't love a chick who knows her way around power tools? Seriously, when you have an hour or two available, go to her site and explore. And then come back and tell us what you made!

Although I totally made these shelves by myself, all the credit has to go to Ana for inspiring me in the first place. On her site she offers detailed plans (what to buy, how much to buy, and how to make it) for everyone so they too can make her Ten Dollar Ledges. Oh, did I mention her plans are FREE?

Now, this is why my small bit of expertise comes into play. I loved the 8' long floating shelves, but didn't need shelves for that large of a space. Also, since my husband works (a lot!), I knew he wouldn't be available to help hold the ledges while I attached them to the wall. In my pictures, shown are the two (2) 4' shelves instead of one 8' shelf, 2" wide shelves I made. So, I took one Ten Dollar Ledge and made two Five Dollar Ledges. Not bad, eh?

Great for Artwork and Trophies.

Shown with Ballet Photo, Play Bill and Special Knitted Doll.

Four Feet Long is the Perfect Length.

These space-saving wood shelves provide a handsome place for storage and display, and can be hung in any room of the house. Ana put her shelves in her dining room, I put mine in my children's room. What would have cost me $75/ each Floating Shelf at Pottery Barn ($150 total), I was able to make for $5 /each.

Another Knock-Off has been mastered! Thanks for looking, :) Kristen