Delight Inspired

Boy Baby Shower Table Decor

2012-09-19T16:40:00.002-07:00

These are some of the poorest quality pictures and I'm sorry. ...but at least it's enough for you to get the point. maybe.

I threw a baby shower for a friend and here's a picture of the most important part of any party (besides the food): the table decor...

*I realize it's not the most fabulous party table out there. C'mon, I've seen those amazing, over-the-top tables on pinterest!...but this is good for me. Plus the food and cupcakes are missing in the pic so...

*Tablecloths: lime green twin flat sheet & light blue plastic rectangle tablecloth from the dollar store. Accessorized with light blue wired ribbon bows hung up with safety pins

*Apothecary drink jar and matching cupcake stand from Pier1 Imports (borrowed from sis)

*glass mason jar with white flowers

*light green vintage wooden organizer thingy. It's meant for pens, paper, etc. but I used it to hold the utensils and napkins

*small chalk board from World Market to display the menu

*small lime green candle just because it matched :)

*Hanging from the ceiling on clear thread are tissue paper pom poms. WAY easier than expected to make. Thanks to pinterest and Martha Stewart, I found the tutorial here.

*I typed 'paper owl' in Google images and found this super cute owl:

which belongs to someone selling them on etsy here if you'd rather buy it.

But I'd rather make my own because I can customize it with the mile-high pile of scrapbook paper I have. and love. So I copied the image into a Word doc and made it as large as I could, then printed in black and white. I traced the outside edges with a permanent marker, then used another plain white sheet of printing paper to lay over the top and trace with a pen. (you can see the permanent marker easily through the paper) Then I cut it out. (this is called making your own stencils ;)

Once I made a stencil for each piece, I used them to cut out the pieces from different scrapbook pages. I just laid it on the backside of the scrapbook paper, traced around the edges with a pencil, then cut em' out. Then I put it all together with a glue stick, put a hole in each side with a hole punch, then carefully tied some twine through it. I made 4 owls, so I had to trace and cut extra, then weaved them through the same piece of twine and hung them up with clear tacks.

Easy, but a bit time consuming. If you do it in increments, it's not so bad. And it turns out so cute, so it's totally worth it!

Sorry for the lousy pictures. I promise it looked darling in real life.

PS. I made matching cupcake toppers by printing this image I also found on Google images: Sorry I don't know who it belongs to.

*I just copied the image into a Word doc., pasted it as many times as I could fit on one page, then printed in color. I cut them all out, then drew and cut out circles from matching scrapbook paper and glued it to the back with a glue stick - of course putting a toothpick in the middle! Then stick em in your cupcakes and admire. I wish I had a picture, cuz they really turned out cute.

Baby Nursery Intro

2012-07-04T15:25:00.000-07:00

Since my last post, I've made lots of things such as duvet covers, pillows, topiary, etc., including Averi's nursery bedding (bumpers included :) and matching curtains/ruffled valance, but have yet to take pictures. I've just been too busy to post. I'm actually over her nursery decor now, ha (which is white and a light mauve with a ruffley, classy, dainty feel) and want to bring in some bold color. I change my mind a lot. Future plan: take pics and post! I have alot of friends who are preggers right now and searching for the perfect decor. That was me a year and a half ago. I searched and searched and was willing to pay for anything I fell in love with - my first (maybe only) girl HAD to have the perfect nursery. My prob was, I never found anything I liked. Everything was so over-used and over-done. I didn't want butterflies or flowers or winnie the pooh. I didn't want chocolate brown and pink. I wanted something original and special. So I gathered ideas and made my own stuff. I was pleased with how it turned out, but now my baby is getting to be a toddler and I just feel like upscaling. So I'm starting over. Only this time, I'll be sharing it online. Plus I never got to finish ALL the projects I had planned for her so this will be a good excuse to git-er-done.
Upcoming Tutes on Baby Nursery Decor:
-Baby Bumber Cover (easy peasy!)
-Ruffled Valance & Curtains (also surprisingly easy)
-Revamped Dresser (from brown to white)
-Painted Shelf & Decor
-Fitted Crib Sheet
-Crib Dust Ruffle
-Basket Liner (I already have a tute for that, but this one will be a bit diff cuz it has handles)

I already found the perf fabric at Hobby Lobby that brings in the bold color I want and ties in the 'morning mauve' color of her walls so it was a huge plus. I DON'T want to re-paint.
Excited to get started! I have many ideas, I just need to make time for them to come to life.

The walls look pretty light in this pic, but when in the room, you can see the color better

Benefit Concert

2012-01-04T15:32:00.002-07:00

The end of 2011 was crazy busy with work, kids, house cleaning, and extended family. I did not make anything crafty. I did zero baking. I wrapped all the presents on Christmas eve. This is where I break out in song with a red curly wig singing, "Tomorrow! Tomorrow! There's always tomorrow!" only it would be "Next year! Next year! There's always next year! ..."
I did manage to sing at a benefit concert though :) It was to support Heritage Academy and their performing arts and athletics programs. Got to open for Brooke White (Former American Idle Top 5 contestant in season 7, who also graduated from H.A.) and her new band, Jack and White. I sang 'Leave the Pieces" by the Wreckers and it was a blast. My two sisters, Chandelle & Chalice, sang the harmony beautifully! Of course there were other alumni singers who also performed, including Kristina Foulias. I love her personality. She cracks me up. Thanks to Rick Dalton for putting it all together!

Rockin' out :)

silly backstage with sis, Chandelle

with Brooke White

To the New Year!

I don't want to jinx myself like I do every year by saying all the impossible goals I've set, so I'll just name a few easy ones:

Do P90X full out

Never be late to anything

Be the best wife, mom, sister, & friend ever

Make 365 crafts

Mykayla Update- Petite Powerhouse!

2011-11-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

Google search Mykayla Skinner. Check out her gymnastics here on youtube. As of late, she's been in the Arizona Republic, front page of Gilbert Republic, LDS Church News, the New Era magazine, interviewed live on Channel 12, and becoming known as the Petite Powerhouse. She made it to the National Team! There are 13 girls on, but only 8 of them will go to the Olympics. We are so proud of her and hope her dream of being an Olympic Champ comes true!

Mother-in-law, Kym, on left and little sis-in-law a.k.a Gollygol. Our oldest son, Brayden, couldn't pronounce Mykayla when he was little, so he called her Gollygol. Not sure why, but we all started calling her that, ha. More Mykayla

Read Full Article

Find her Official Website here.

Oh, the Joy of Paint Colors

2011-11-04T15:11:00.004-07:00

We like neutral colors and wanted a subtle color throughout the house. Thought it be easy picking out a simple light tan color, but there are SO many different colors! This was in every room of the house...

The light grayish looking one is called Balanced Beige, which is just a tad lighter than Tony Taupe by Sherwin Williams (SW). The green one to the left of it is called Victorian Garden by SW also (which we are using in the family room.) The tan one on the far right is Basket Beige by SW. The very first one on the left is Sandy Motif by Behr. I don't remember the other ones.

We paint matched ALL of these at Home Depot (HD) because we wanted primer in the paint and SW doesn't offer that. Plus SW paints are more expensive and we wanted to cut the paint time in half.

We thought we liked Sandy Motif and so we decided to start in the boys room (which was light blue, btw). But a little patch of color on the wall is A LOT different than an entire room. The tan color is nice, but not what we thought it would look like. It's more of a yellowish tan. So it stayed in the boys room and we chose another color for the rest of the house. (I didn't take a pic of the boys room, but I will and post that later)

We decided we wanted more of a taupe tan and were advised by a professional interior designer to go with Tony Taupe, but thought it might be a smidge too dark. So we chose to go with Balanced Beige (one notch up on the color wheel) and started in the master bedroom (which was maroon, yuck). At first, it looked like the perfect color. Then it turned grey. We didn't like it, but didn't want to paint it again, so we left it. I swear over a week, the paint curred and now it is taupe! I think it's pretty, clean, crisp, and I love it. Will look so much better too once we put up crown moulding. There was some up already, but the cut lines were so uneven, we tore it down.

(Balanced Beige by Sherwinn Williams in Satin)

...But what's weird is, the color patch in the hallway still looks grey. And we labeled each color with a pencil on the wall so it for sure is Balanced Beige. The lighting is a little different I guess, but our room never looks grey in any lighting and we have dimmer lights. Hmm.
Since we thought the walls in the master were forever grey, we picked out a different color, and went away from the greyish tans. We chose Basket Beige by SW, but again, matched at HD. I love it. I'm not a very colorful person. I like pops of color, but nothing bold. I wanted something colorfully rich, but subtle at the same time without looking brown. Can't wait to get up the crown moulding, but I'm afraid it won't be til early next year. We've got so many other projects going.

(Basket Beige by Sherwinn Williams in Satin)

Alas, I got started on Averi's nursery. I went with Mauve Morning by Behr at Home Depot in satin finish. Luckily, there was at least one room in the house without a paint color.

Before...

filthy and missing blinds are coming down.

And here is...

Mauve Morning by Behr in Satin

I wanted a light lavender something with a greyish tint and this is perfect. It goes great with the new fabric I found for only $1.50/yrd !! I know! You can't even find clearance fabric that cheap. They must have marked it wrong by mistake. ...but finders keepers, hee hee.

Pics of that later.

I looove paint and primer in one. It's de best.

These rollers at Home Depo are WON-DER-FUL. [don't pay any attention to my ugly, kid-friendly carpet] The coverage they give make painting a heckuva lot easier. Spend a little extra and go with better rollers. You'll be painting less coats if you do. You get what you pay for if you choose the crappy cheap ones. They don't paint the same.

Painting Tip:

If you need to take a break on your painting project, put your roller in a large plastic Ziploc bag and put it in the fridge. Squeeze all the air out of the bag and it will keep for a week in there. Plus you're not wasting any expensive paint by cleaning it out. You can also put them in freezer bags and freeze them for 2 months.

Tomorrow's Project-

more painting. surprise surprise.

My Home Tour

2011-10-28T16:19:00.002-07:00

Wanna see a tour of my ~~dream~~ home?

Here is my front room...

Then you waltz into the dining room...

And to your left is the kitchen...

And to your right is the family room...

Here is the boy's room...

Here is Averi's nursery...

And here is my master bedroom...

Well, this is what I want my new house to look like once we fix it up :) I had fun with OlioBoard creating these rooms just the way I want. Still want to create one for Bryce's room, the guest bedroom, and a bathroom. It's nice to have a visual of what I want each room to look like.

This site is addicting.

Exciting News!

2011-10-21T15:11:00.000-07:00

We bought our first house! Yay for no more renting!! After 3 months of waiting anxiously, everything went through. The longest and most stressful 3 months of my life. 4 kids: piece of cake. Buying a house: head full of silver!
It all worked out and we are so happy.
We didn't buy a 'fixer-upper' but the place does need some love - all cosmetic. Walls & ceilings are filthy. Non-smoking home, but it seems they had indoor food fights, and possibly shook a soda can and let it explode in one of the bedrooms. Cupboard in the kitchen is missing, cupboard in bathroom is broken, outdated light fixtures, lots of gum underneath counter top bar, kids colored all over walls, all faucets leak, and the WORST paint job ever. BUT...5 bedrooms, 2 bath, 2 living rooms, fire place/wood stove, 2 reg size pantries, 1 lrg walk-in pantry, storage shed, wood shop, chicken coop, large fenced yard, apple & pear trees, grape vines, raspberry & blackberry bushes and super nice neighbors.
We didn't have the luxury of getting the place move-in ready, so we're living there with all our stuff in boxes still. Our plan of action is to tackle one room at a time, making each room sparkle (if we don't do it now, we never will)...but with 4 little constant interruptions, it's going slower than we'd like. Plus, having to use a metal scraper to scrape gum and jolly ranchers off the ceiling may have contributed to the 8 hour-long bedroom scrubbing party. Yes, that is how long it took to clean walls, ceiling, baseboards, doors, and shelves inside closet in just ONE bedroom. Thanks to Emma Age 6. And that does not include the time it took to paint. I wanted to take a before pic of the light blue, dirty walls for proof ;) - but once I get in that 'cleaning mode' I don't want to stop.
So far, the walls, ceiling and doors all have a fresh new coat of paint. I love that new, clean feeling. ah. Once the other half of the closet is painted, we'll put up the boys' bunk beds and move on to room #2 - master bedroom.
Working on matching duvet covers for their beds and accompanying valance for the window. Need to get them a new dresser that matches their bed. The one they currently have is hideous. It was ugly to begin with, then we painted it, and its still ugly. Can you say curbside?
Pics coming soon :)

Nursery Inspiration

2011-09-15T16:56:00.003-07:00

I've been trying to decide how I want to decorate my little girl's room once we move. I've searched the Internet for a picture of the perfect nursery that I would want, but I cannot find anything. It's all so themed with flowers and ladybugs and too bright of colors for me. I guess I'm too picky. I know what I want in my mind and so I'll just have to make it myself. I'm on the lookout for the perfect fabric - maybe a damask print in lilac with a coordinating plum print. Throw in some cream colors, off-white, or white. Haven't decided. I did however, find some pictures for the inspiration of Averi Brooke's new nursery. (Yes, Averi is a girl name. Especially when you put a heart instead of a dot over the i )

love the idea/colors of this pillow and would be super easy to make

cute little table to sit next to the rocking chair. Maybe painted a distressed plum color.

this nursery is a bit too modern for me, but i like the feeling it gives. it's refreshing.

white chandelier with white pearls/beads is a must. adds such feminine charm.

Love the color on the walls- purplish gray. Also love the iron rod crib and all the fabrics.

Pearls! I have some great ideas for decorating with sweet pearls.

flowers on the side instead of being the focal point is much more my style

Excited to find the perfect fabrics and get to sewing and creating. Might be a while til it's all finished since I've got a lot going on, but I'll be posting as I go.

Jimmy Rigged Candle Making

2011-09-09T14:46:00.000-07:00

So...a blog I read made candle making look super easy. "Oh ya just melt this and pour that, and walla!" Since I had a candle that melted the wax right on top of it's own wick, I thought I'd give it a whirl and try to reuse the wax. Plus it smells amazingly tropical. You can use the microwave, but since mine had that little metal thing at the bottom of the wick somewhere inside the glass, I didn't have that option. So I ~~patiently~~ waited for the wax to melt upon my stove top over medium-low heat for 30 minutes.

candlewicks and jar...check!

This blog I read (really don't remember whose) said you simply dip the little metal part in the melted wax...

...and stick it down in the bottom center of your new glass. Once it dries, pour in the wax and it will stay.

Simple enough, right?

WRONG!!!

Once the hot wax touches it, it melts again! I should have known.

This is where the jimmy rigged part comes in...

I used bamboo skewers to hold the little metal knobs down on the bottom of the glass while snuggling frozen veggies to the sides to get it to cool faster. The hardest part was trying to get the stupid wicks to stay straight in the wax!

So once I got the wicks to stay a little straight, I used the skewers to hold the wicks upright while it cooled completely. (I dipped my finger in the hot wax and put a dab on each side of the wick where it meets the skewer so when it dries, it would hold it in place and I could let go.)

Once you get it just right, DON'T BUMP IT! ~~like i did~~.

Then I used my new nifty candlewick trimmers (that I pretty much got for free at that sidewalk sale) to trim down both wicks once it dried- which took another 30 minutes

I had a little wax left over and made a mini one in a tiny ketchup bottle.

Once it all cooled, I was happy.

I'm sure those of you, who actually know how to make candles, have some neat little tricks and/or gadgets to make this easy and are probably laughing at this post, but idc.

Jimmy rigged or not, it worked out eventually.

Framed Tin Magnet Board

2011-09-07T16:00:00.001-07:00

This project cost me under $7- which was just for the sheet of tin (on sale at Home Depot.)

Frame from my mom's garage, already had the ribbon, mod podge, paint,and screws.

If you want to make your own, hit up your mom's garage. or your own. or a thrift store, yard sale, whatev.

I'm sure this was nice to someone sometime, but not so much anymore. Outdated to say the least.

(Sorry to whoever painted this. Good things don't last forever, ya know?)

Which is why my mom was excited to get rid of it. Lucky for me.

Paper border? yep.

Most of it peeled right off, but for the stubborn areas, a wet washcloth dipped in fabric softener works miracles. and a butter knife :)

After I got all that ~~fabulous~~ paper off, I painted it white with a foam brush.

(Foam brushes work best if you have to paint over lots of groves.)

While waiting for the paint to dry, cut out strips of ribbon to make a border. You can use fabric, wall paper, scrapbook paper, etc. Using a foam brush, paint a layer of mod podge directly onto the artwork and lay down the ribbon. If your frame came without pretty art (lucky you), cut out a thick piece of cardboard, cork board, or thin plywood. Rub out any wrinkles or air bubbles in your border. Then paint a layer of mod podge right on top to seal it.

Once it's all painted with mod podge, let it dry. Go back and paint a second coat on your frame, if necessary.

Then make your husband drill a hole in each corner of the tin.

Unless you're one of those cool chics and can do it yourself.

Twist those screws right down into the artwork/cardboard.

Yes, it actually stays. I'm amazed too.

Then have your husband cut off the sharp ends in the back with his Dremmel tool.

Again, unless you're a cool chic.

and make your husband hold it up while you take a picture :)

...and enjoy decorating with these easy and cute magnets you can make yourself.

I'm pretty sure you can also use dry erase markers on tin, but I haven't actually tried it.

You can use for pictures, notes, whatever.

I love how it turned out.

Thanks for your help, babe.

Oh Happy Day

2011-09-06T12:24:00.017-07:00

One would think there aren't very many perks to living in a small town, but I totally disagree in a non-biased way and this proves it...
What do you get when a boutique, who sells their adorable, over-priced pottery barn style home decor inside the pharmacy, has a sidewalk sale that no one knows about?
Delight aaaaaallllll over it.
That's right.
$5 per bag, whatever you can fit in it.
$5 for whatever you can't.
Um, are you sure you only want $5 for this?
There were so many cute things, I couldn't grab it all quick enough. The best part was that it was just me. (...well, almost. two other women, but whatev) Price tags were still on everything.

For $60 total, I got all this...
- Beautiful cream colored large ceramic bowl with the matching pitcher ($59)

- 4' 5" brand new decorative Christmas tree that sits inside a lovely piece of pottery ($120)
- Large high-quality wooden basket ($55)
- Small off-white rustic wired basket ($40)
- Fancy porcelain Santa Clause ($80)
- 2 Glass decorative bowls/vases ($30 ea)
- Glass tiered candle holder ($25)
- Wooden decorative house ($40) [sounds odd, but it's super cute. I'll have to post a pic]
- Beautiful, sparkly, Christmasy table centerpiece ($60)
- Muslin tablecloth ($50)
- Table runner ($30)
- 8 faux pears ($2 ea)
- 4 cute little xmas tree ornaments ($6 ea)
- Wooden letter 'A' ($8) - [for Averi]
- 3 small faux potted plants that sit together on a rectangular plate ($25)
- 8 classy candlesticks ($30)
- Fancy candlewic trimmer ($10)
- Reading glasses that fold up in this mini suitcase thing ($15) [I don't even use reading glasses, I just thought they were cute cause they were small, ha.]
- Wooden picture frame ($25)

I can't believe it either.
Did I luck out or did I luck out?
I should have taken pics, but I packed it all up in boxes over the weekend (except the pitcher)- now it will be like Christmas when we unpack at our new place. Yes, we're moving. Which is why I spent $60 on useless home decor. New house means new space, means new ideas, means new decor! Get my drift? If not, you'll see for yourself as I post pics of the new pad.

...got something great to post tomorrow. A lil som'n som'n I made Saturday night while the kids were sleeping. It turned out just the way I imagined it.

Til next time

Stayin' Alive

2011-07-08T15:08:00.005-07:00

My friend, Heather, wrote this and I'm stealing it from her blog. It's the only thing that perfectly describes my absence...

Staying Alive by: Heather Shill

Well, you can tell my the way I neglect my blog
I'm a wanted mom, and I miss my dog.
Kids are loud and it's gettin' warm
I can't hear when I'm on the phone.
And now it's alright, that's okay
I dare not look the other way
Please just try to understand
My house looks this way thanks to little hands.
(Chorus)
Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother
you're stayin' alive, stayin' alive.
Wake me, am I dreamin'- will someone stop the screamin'
Oh, I'm stayin' alive, stayin' alive.
Ah, ah, ah, ah,stayin' alive, stayin' alive
ah, ah, ah, ah, s-t-a-y-i-n'------a-l--i--v--e (and fade)

I found myself singing this yesterday (with her lyrics) as I was washing dishes. lol.
thanks Heather, you're so cute. and such a good mom.

PS. I do plan on posting still. Stay tunned.

Fabric Bracelets

2011-01-17T12:01:00.000-07:00

You can easily make your own bracelets with some fabric and sass.

These plastic bracelets are cute for someone somewhere I'm sure, but I think they look much better when personalized :)
All you need is fabric, fabric glue, and a bracelet for recovering.
Start by cutting out a rectangle piece of fabric. (make sure it is long enough to cover the whole thing. It's better to have it too long than too short -you can always cut off the excess later.)
Paint a layer of fabric glue right on top of the bracelet, then slowly wrap the center of the fabric around making sure it sticks to the glue, pressing out any bubbles in the fabric.

Once it's wrapped around it completely, cut off any excess fabric if necessary.

Paint a layer of glue on the inside of the bracelet and wrap the fabric, one side at a time, underneath it. Dab a little glue over the raw edge on the inside to make sure it doesn't fray later on.
Then decorate as you wish!

I glued some lace around the whole thing, then made 3 fabric flowers and hot glued them over some tulle.

This one I used ribbon and glued a lacey ruffle over it by sewing a gathering stitch. Then used some glitter glue to sass it up a bit.

These were definitely fun [and easy] to make.

2011 Planner Cover

2011-01-16T12:01:00.001-07:00

Do you have a 2011 planner yet?

My sister said she needed a new planner for xmas, so I went to the store to look for one and they were all so LAME! The fanciest one was plain black with a zipper around it. Inside this thick black planner was 12 sheets of paper - one for each month. pathetic. I've seen better ones out there, but not in my neck of the woods. slim pickins here.

So I decided to get her one that had the kind of stuff I would want in a planner: monthly & weekly calendar, to-do lists, address & contact pages, the works! It could be as boring as it wanted on the outside because I would fancy it up :)
With some patterned cotton fabric for the cover, felt for some cushion, jewels, tulle, and lace for charm (which is totally appropriate since her name is Lacey) and with the help of this rotary cutter and guide, I made a personality for that boring planner...

...and almost kept it for myself.
It even has a pocket on the inside! If she uses sticky notes as much as I do, then she'll appreciate this here pocket. Threw a pen in there too because sticky notes are useless without that, duh.

Tie some colorful tulle around a paperclip and it's great to use as a bookmark to take you straight to your schedule.

I'm definitely going to make myself one. And a few others as gifts if I have time. If I have the patience, I'll create a tutorial so you can make your own.

*Another fabulous feature is that you can take it off, wash it, and use it for the coming years. It's just a cover :) (I wouldn't put it in the dryer though in case it shrinks)

Vintage Magnets

2011-01-15T12:01:00.001-07:00

Who doesn't need more magnets? Yes, I know they say it's tacky to keep your refrigerator cluttered with papers, lists, and blah blah blah... but I say with cute magnets, who cares? I'll have one disappointed 5 year old if I remove one fridge-worthy paper creation even so much as an inch! And no, I don't plan on using all these magnets strictly for my kitchen kindergarten display board...they make a great little gift.

All you need is some scrapbook paper...
Mod Podge, scissors, round magnets (i bought an 18 pk at walmart for under 3 bucks) , and round accent gems. You know those flattened marble things used for...not really sure what they're used for, but I see them everywhere. ?? You can buy a pound of them at the dollar store. They have all different shapes too.
This scrapbook paper was inspired by vintage nursery rhymes, but it'd also be a good idea to hit up a thrift store and buy an old vintage book with pictures or shakespeare quotes. Same idea.

Place the flat marble over the picture you want to capture, then trace around it. When you cut it out, you'll have to cut smaller than the trace-lines since the edges are rounded and you don't want the paper sticking out the backside.
Paint a thin layer of Mod Podge on the flat side of the marble.

Then place your picture face-down on top of the glue. The flat marbles I used were not perfectly round, so I had to make sure to line up the shape just right.

Make sure there are no bubbles in the paper, then paint another layer of Mod Podge over the backside of the picture. Lay flat and let dry completely.

Once dried, place a good amount of hot glue on the backside...

then place a round magnet right on top. Press down and hold until hot glue is hardened.

That's it!

You can easily create custom magnets to suit your style.

It's like looking at a mini picture blown up or reading a mini poem through a magnified glass. MARVELOUS! :)

To give out as gifts, I cut out small rectangled pieces of fabric and sewed super simple bags.

Fill it with magnets and tie some lace or ribbon around it.
Each one held about 5 magnets.

i enjoy cute ways to give simple gifts :)

Chocolate Gifts

2011-01-14T13:24:00.004-07:00

I know, I know, Christmas is over, but I haven't had a chance to post about super easy, delicious chocolate gifts yet!

...just a simple, wonderful way to decorate the average [large] chocolate bar.
A little scrapbook paper can really go a long way. I made these paper flowers from a tutorial I found on another blog. (I'll post the link later when I remember where it came from. Sorry.)
I really like this idea because you can use it for any occassion. Great for a 'just saying hello' gift to a friend or a side gift to stick in next to a birthday present.

chocolate and paper flowers make me happy.

Canvas Painting

2011-01-14T12:16:00.006-07:00

This was inspired by a picture I saw in a catalog. It was on only one canvas and looked a bit different, (not to mention over-priced), but my imagination grows. (pun intended) My husband is standing behind it holding them together, so that's why it seems crooked :)

My sister asked if I'd paint her something for her newly re-decorated living room (which turned out muy eye-pleasing) and so I thought it'd be a good idea for her xmas gift. I always underestimate how long a painting takes, (because of 3 cute little interruptions) so when crunch time came around, I stayed up until 2 am three nights in a row to finish it. (was actually kind of fun because my hubby stayed up with me and we visited while I painted) I was just glad I got it done in time to bring it down with me for the holidays.

...and my favorite part...was knowing (or believing) that she really did love it.

Next time I go to her house, I'll have to take a pic of it hanging on the wall.

Is it wrong to love your own work? Cause I love it. (I guess because it turned out much better than I thought it would).

2-Way Radio Covers

2010-12-15T10:54:00.017-07:00

This tutorial may not seem useful to many, but you can use this basic idea to make a rectangle cover for anything. My husband has some walkie-talkies and whenever we go camping or hiking, he brings them with us just in case we split up. He's VERY careful with his stuff and likes to keep everything in pretty-much-perfect condition. He sometimes thinks it's necessary to remind me not to scratch, drop, or throw things. HA! Last time we were out, I realized these little guys need covers to keep them from being scratched. (or dropped or thrown)

I used camouflage fabric and gray felt for the inner lining.

I just estimated how much fabric I would need by cutting out a square around the bottom

and did the same thing for all other sides.

Then I used the felt cutouts as patterns to cut out the same shapes from the camo fabric. Make sure to cut out two of everything since there are 2 radio's, duh!

Pay no attention to the bad sewing job. It was a bit too big, so I had to adjust it a couple times. (but all those seam lines give it extra security which is good.)

When sewing this, start by sewing the sides together first (inside out, of course), then sew the bottom square to it. It takes some maneuvering around the corners, but just go slow. Then turn it rightside in and see if the radio's fit. If it's too loose, you can turn it inside out again and sew a little closer in. It's easier to adjust if it's too big, rather than too small.

You will do this same concept with Camo fabric. Then simply slide the felt liner into the Camo cubby, fold the edges inward toward each other like in the picture, then pin in place.

I added a strap to lay over the top to keep it secure. I did this by cutting two rectangle piceces of Camo a couple inches long. I also added a layer of felt in the center to make it a little thicker. Sew around the edges, then pin the strap in place before sewing around the edge of the cover.
Sew around the edges and voila!

Oh, then add some velcrow. I added velcrow by hand stitching it on.

There you go. Two covers for 2-way radios.

My husband really likes them and that makes me happy.

Mod Podged Picture Frame

2010-09-07T13:25:00.012-07:00

Goodbye plain wood!

Hello color!

First, cut small squares to fit around the frame you're going to cover and place them to your liking.
Then paint a thin coat of Mod Podge on one side of the frame and place the squares on top of the glue.
Repeat this over all 4 sides.
Once you get them where you want them, paint a layer of Mod Podge over the the top of the whole frame to seal the squares in place. Let it dry completely.
Add in your picture, attach the backing, and DISPLAY your beautiful Mod Podged frame!
*My squares aren't perfectly even, I know. I like the beauty in imperfection.

Peg Board / Craft Room Part 3

2010-09-07T13:07:00.008-07:00

Last year, I bought these 2 peg boards to display my jewelry hangars at my Art Expo. I forgot they were sitting in my mom's garage.

Now, I'm inspired to use them as the focal point in my craft room.

Since Jeremy is the pro, he painted them for me with Krylon spray paint in Bahama Sea.

(he spray painted them first with Krylon PRIMER in Gray- a MUST!)
I plan on adding a border to these - maybe with ribbon - before we hang it up at the new place.

Mod Podged Tin Can / Craft Room Part 2

2010-09-07T12:23:00.027-07:00

I'll admit, I'm addicted to these mint chocolate Pirouettes.

But ONLY because I need the can(s) for my crafts.

YA RIGHT!!

I'm Mod Podging this tin can because I need a round sturdy somethin' to hold all my paint brushes in my new craft corner.

After cutting out a piece of scrapbook paper that will fit perfectly around this tin, I painted a light layer of Mod Podge (Matte) onto the can.
Then I lined up the paper to the bottom edge of the can and wrapped the paper carefully around it making sure there were NO bubbles and leaving an inch of extra paper at the top.

Before I folded the paper over the top, I cut slits (an inch apart) around the top, then glued (under and over the paper) as I folded each section over at a time. This keeps the paper from tearing and makes a clean edge. I added a good layer of Mod Podge over just the top rim instead of the whole can - which you can do if you want.

Then I painted a nice layer of Mod Podge over the seam in the back to keep it sealed down.
To add a little something extra, I painted some Mod Podge on the backside of a piece of ribbon...
...and placed it snug on the can.
ALL DONE. A lovely tin can to hold my paint brushes. P.S. My husband drilled a hole in the back seam so I can hang it up on the peg board in my new craft corner.

Love my man and his power tools.

Mod Podge Box / Craft Room Part 1

2010-09-03T17:20:00.009-07:00

We're moving soon and one of my new projects is to create myself a craft room. Actually, a craft corner since I have to share the spare with hubby.

This is one of the many storage cubbies I'll be making and using to organize my craft supplies. It's a Mod Podged box. It was a wooden basket, but those were the days...

It came from this pile of junk I picked up at a thrift store. I'll be making these ugly useless objects into beautiful useful somethings - all toward the plan: Delight's Craft Corner
Decided to first remodel the hideous wooden basket by ripping out the handle. I had to use pliers and these tiny staples were actually a huge pain in the butt - but I worked through it.
I ripped off the ugly piece of wallpaper that was glued to the front, then picked out my scrapbook paper, and cut each piece out accordingly. Make sure they fit!
Then with a sponge brush, I painted a light layer of Mod Podge right on the wood, then place my paper pieces directly on top.
I repeated this step over the whole outside of the basket. (or box, whatever you want to call it)
Then I painted a light layer directly OVER the paper and made sure to push out any bubbles (very carefully). It can get sticky and rip up the paper if you mess with it too much.
Then I let it dry and TaDa!!!.....
A sassy Mod Podged Box - which I'll be using to organize my craft supplies.

Can't wait to move.

Round Basket Liner Tutorial

2010-08-27T10:44:00.050-07:00

It's easy to find a square basket liner tutorial, but for the life of me, I could not find a tutorial for a round basket liner. So I made one on a whim and hopefully this tutorial will you help you make your own. Obviously, you can mod this however you wish, but I was in the mood for a large bow and some simple lace.

My husband has been telling me to get rid of this broken basket for a few years now. It used to have 2 handles and all it's branches perfectly weaved, but ever since one handle broke off, the sticks have followed suit. My husband HATES this thing because every time him or the boys walk past it, it snags their clothing or scratches their leg. (I've never had a problem. jk)
So finally I decided it's time. If one more branch falls off, the whole thing will shatter into a wood pile and Jeremy will use it to start a campfire.
To start your liner, set the basket on top of your fabric and cut around the edges leaving a 1/2 inch for the seam. (or you can mark it, then cut)
Lay it down inside the bottom of the basket to make sure you have enough fabric around the edges for the seam. If you have too much, trim it down. (I had to trim mine a couple times)
I had to remove the lonely handle on mine. Once I cut through one branch, the rest came off pretty easily.
If you have uneven and sharp edges like mine, duck tape works great to even it out and smooth the edges. Since your fabric will hang over the edges, it doesn't matter what it looks like at this point. (if you like the ghetto look, you can quit after this step.)
Measure the length of one side of your basket. A measuring tape works great, but I just laid my fabric over the edge to get a feel for how much I would need lengthwise and depth-wise. (the kids ran off with my measuring tape and I was too lazy to chase them upstairs. Forgive me for not taking any measurements.)
Then I made a small snip with the scissors to mark how long I wanted it to drape over the sides. Make sure you add on at least 2 extra inches for the seam of where your drawstring will lay - depending on how thick you want it to be. You saw how big my bow is, so I needed to leave a big gap. Does that make sense?
Double up your fabric before cutting so both sides are even. Go ahead and cut your measurements (length & depth) or if you're like me, just wing it - but make sure you cut extra fabric for seams!

Once that is cut, fold it in half (hamburger style).

Then take your round piece and place it so it's half way on the edge of the bottom cut and half way off. (Sorry, this isn't a very good picture) Place it toward the left bottom edge, but leave a 1/2 inch for the seam like in the picture. Notice on the right side of the circle, there is also a 1/2 inch left for the seam (between the circle and the scissor blade). You're going to use the circle as a guide for measuring a diagonal cut upwards towards the top right hand corner. You can't really tell in the pic, but I folded over the top layer of fabric in a diagonal line and cut along that fold. Then cut through the rest of the layers so they all have the same diagonal.

Open up your fabric, and you should have 2 trapezoid looking pieces of fabric. Again, this is not a good pic, but notice how on both sides there is a diagonal cut.

Then sew down the edge of each diagonal side. Make sure the face of your fabric (on both pieces) is turned toward the inside (facing each other).

Then open up the bottom (smaller side) and pin your circle piece in place. There will be pleats throughout this when sewing, but that's okay. It doesn't have to be perfect, it's a laundry basket! Before sewing this, place it in your basket to make sure it fits. You might need to make some pinning adjustments.

Sew along the edge of the circle a 1/2 inch in, removing the pins.

Then open it up and lay it inside the basket to make sure you got your measurements correct.
Fold it evenly around the edges...
and see how on the sides, it comes to a point? Cut it!
Cut it so it is evenly round with the rest of the fabric.
Then fold the edges under and sew in place. Make sure you leave enough room for your ribbon or drawstring to go through. After seaming up the edges, I went back around and sewed on a thin piece of lace that I easily fluffed up with a Basting Stitch.
Then I sewed up a thick drawstring. More like a belt, actually. (I told you I was in the mood for a big bow!) I just cut a long strip of fabric, folded it in half with the faces touching, and sewed it all the way down. Then I folded it right-side-out with the Safety Pin Method.
Then I just cut a hole (you can sew a button hole or use no-fray glue around the hole) and weaved it all the way through, guiding the safety pin, until it came out the other end.
Check out the detail... (I just love this lace. It adds a sweet touch.)
Then fit the liner back inside your basket and tie your BIG fancy Bow.
All done.

That wasn't too hard, was it?

Mykayla Skinner

2010-08-26T13:57:00.024-07:00

I'd like to shine a light on my sister-in-law, Mykayla Skinner. She is nothing short of amazing. At only 13 years old, she has been competing around the country at the 2010 US Covergirl Classic, 2010 Arizona Elite Qualifier, 1st ever Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup, and most recently, the 2010 VISA Championships at Hartford. She works so very hard toward her goal of being on the US National Team for Gymnastics and competing in the next Olympics and we don't doubt she'll go all the way. We're all rooting for you Gollygol!

*On a side note, I want to say thank you for being such a good lil' auntie. The boys ADORE their Gollygol and get so giddy when we drive up to your house. It's so cute how much fun they have with you.

P.S. You've inspired Brayden to take his somersault to a whole new level.

Before I met Mykayla, Jeremy warned me about the "credit card" (hand swipe up my butt crack when I bend over). Sure enough, she gave me one. It just goes to show off her playful, fun-loving spirit that I hope she always has. You can't take life too seriously, after all.

For more pics of her tricks and updates on scores, check out her website.

My Lil Photography Blog

2010-08-04T15:01:00.012-07:00

Hello, my name is Delight and I'm a blogaholic.
It's true, I started another blog. LAST one, I promise. It's not as bad as you think...it's a photography site to post occassional pics I take that have nothing to do with crafts or my personal family events. Hey, I have to have SOMEWHERE to post them, right? It doesn't make sense to post pictures of random people I don't know on my craft or family blog, does it? Nope.