Love Punch

Strawberries are in season and I've been using them in everything from smoothies to salads! Here's one way to use strawberries to decorate and add a little flavor to your favorite juice, sparkling water, or other beverage.

To make the strawberries into hearts, cut the stem off by cutting two slits in the top at an angle, (i try to round mine like an arch to get more of that bubble heart look, but a simple straight line will do)

then cut the strawberry in half and trip the sides to give it a sharp angle. (see photo below)

You can toss the strawberries in the pitcher just like that, or cut them into thinner slices. (I like the keep them in the halves because strawberries will absorb some of the water and get a little mushy if sliced too thin)

Awww... look how cute that is! Yay! I <3 strawberries!

Re-vamped Hanging Letter Organizer

Another renewal!

Here’s my most recent “renew”.... a hanging letter organizer that i found broken at a garage sale and believe I bought for $1.

** Tip: When hunting at garage sales or thrift stores for items to restore, ignore the color or any finishes on them! look for pieces that come apart for easy painting and reassembling! Remember, youre gonna sand and repaint everything and all you really need is a good skeleton...

Before.....

After!!!!!

To Renew this letter organizer, i took the backing off (it was just staple gunned in, as backing usually are..) lightly sanded it, primed it, and spray painted it white. Then I used scrap fabric to wrap the backing, stapled it back on, and voila! a new crisp white letter organizer with a little lime-green, mod flair!!

(also-these letter organizers a EASY to find at any goodwill and re-finishing one is a fun, quick DIY decorating project!)

Organize drawers in a snap!

So i was cruzin the 99 cent sore and came across these chip/dip serving trays. They're the perfect shape and the different sized compartments are ideal for storing loose junk and tidying up that always-messy drawer.

the 99 cent store has a BUNCH of containers and other organizational aids that are (duh) only 99 cents and, if youd like, could easily be painted or decoupaged to suit your decorating desires!

my mother always said... "messy bed-messy head..." (before)...

The calming effect that an organized drawer has ones mind is nothing short of amazing....(after!)....

A Bouquet With a Purpose!!

So I was in the bookstore.. flipping through craft books for inspiration, when I came across these simple flower pens. Im sure we've all seen them somewhere before... you know.. the pen with a big silk flower on the end?... well.. I just happen to be in the market for some tabletop decorations and thought, why not a BUNCH of flower pens... in a vase... like a bouquet! Now im not usually a fan of silk flowers but if you're like me, and one of those people who cant ever find a pen when you really need one.. this is little project is perfect! just TRY to misplace these writing utensils now! :)

Below is the (SUPER EASY) DIY guide to making your own!

All it takes is:

• A vase
• 3 or more silk flowers (the kind with the metal running through the stem..)
• florist tape
• a ball-point pen for each flower
• scissors

First, cut your flowers to your desired length (remember, you're gonna attach the pen, so make them about 1-2 inches shorter to compensate)

Next, position the flower next to the pen so about 2/3 are overlapping. Wrap with the florist tape nice and tight.

Last- stick em in your vase!I added a few decoative leafy branches for a more "natural" look.. and Voila! a Bouquet thats both beautiful and functional!

Enjoy! and never lose a pen again!!

~Sarah

A hint of Lavender as you drift to sleep...

I almost forgot one of the best parts of making your own pillows!-- The opportunity to add a little scented sachet bag before you seal up your seam!!I chose Lavender for the pillows on my bed. And boy oh boy is it a relaxing aroma!

Below are a few aromatherapy basics

(according to www.aromanaturals.net) that might help you narrow down your options when faced with the difficult "what scent do i choose" dilemma...

Lavender- especially good at calming the nervous system, relaxing the body and enabling blissful sleep.

Chamomile- Used in aromatherapy, it is at its best helping with those who suffer from insomnia.

Bergamot- does its job by relieving stress and enabling relaxation. Gives a sense of well-being.

Sandalwood- a calming agent; it relieves nervous tension and helps you relax.

Peppermint/Spearmint- used in stress reduction and meditation and can help energize and improve clarity in thinking.

Eucalyptus- can be used to alleviate symptoms of the common cold and help with breathing.

Vanilla-Scientific studies have shown that this aroma brings to mind positive and happy memories.

Enjoy! and take some clarifying breaths with your new aromatherapy (super adorable and affordable) pillows!!

Making Something out of Nothing: Scrap fabric into a dog bandana

Now, everyone says they have the cutest dog in the world... but unfortunately for everyone- I am- in fact- the winner of that award....dont believe me? ok... you be the judge....

Meet Gadget
yeah- i know.. its just ridiculous how cute that little thing is...
and seeing how shes so cute and all, its only right that she have adorable little accessories as well. Now im not your “throw a sweater on her and carry her around the mall in my juicy jumpsuit” kinda gal, but i think every dog could use a cute little bandana! its sporty, comfortable, you can dress it up- or dress it down... (ok im getting carried away...)

But anyways, I was up to my usual crafty business when I thought, “Geeze.. you always have so many little scrap pieces of fabric Sarah ,what should we do with all of them?...hmmm what small thing could be decorated with such a small piece of fabric?...
Lightbulb! A small pet!
ergo: Doggy Bandana!

Below is the (SUPER EASY) DIY instructions on how to make your little four-legger fashion-forward!

Step 1:
Pick out your fabric and cut it into a square. What size square you ask? well... i think the bandana should cover about 2/3 of your pets neck, so measure Fluffy’s neck, then figure out 2/3 of that (this is middle school math here peeps...), Then add about an inch to compensate for when you hem the sides under...
soo... to demonstrate....
Fluffy’s neck is 9’’ around....
2/3 of that is 6’’...
plus the 1 inch for the hem...
that means you’ll be cutting a 7x7 inch square! voila!

Step 2.
Turn edge under abut 1/2 inch and hem so you have a nice seam. Repeat for all 4 sides.

Step 3:
Fold the square in half into a triangle and sew up the side open sides starting at the corner opposite the fold.
Now don’t sew the whole side up... what I did, and found is an awesome little trick to making the bandanas last, is leave a hole big enough for my dogs collar to fit through.
That way, you just slide the collar through the bandana, there’s no need to fashion a strap or tie, and its free to move without getting tangled up on the collar!

Step 4:
Slip your collar though! now if you use a leash that attaches to your collar, you can cut a small hole in the top layer of the bandana where the ring for the leash is the stitch the edges (like a button hole).. This way the bandana will stay in place and you can still use the leash!

Now that you’re done- DECORATE!
I used some leftover rhinestones from another project and glued then on to make a “G” (for Gadget...)

Here are some other ideas that are sure to make your tail wag! Enjoy!

~Sarah





**FOLLOW UP: Heres a photo of Gadget (a little camera shy..) rockin her new bandana!!

More adorable photos to come...

Making Something out of Nothing- Pillows out of Place Mats!

Pillows have this amazing way of pulling a room together. They're great at adding a pop of color without being overwhelming,...

they soften the room, they allow you to mix textures and patterns..

basically... they're a great (and SUPER easy) way to polish off any bedroom

(or office... or living room... or guest room... or bathr-- uh, well... you get the point).

Today I was strolling through Target's dollar section (or whatever its called--- the place at the front with all the baskets of goodie

s ), and I came across some place mats for $2.50*... now- i dont have a dining room table, and have no need for place mats, but they just so happen to be the exact colors I've chosen as accents for my bedroom. (tune in for the Great Bedroom Makeover for under $150!!)

(*side note: Target has SO much kick-ass stuff right now its ridiculous! Follow-up Target review blog post coming soon!)

Sooo.... I after some examination- I discovered the place mats were double sided.... and rectangular...

"DUH!"- you say... but you know what else is double sided and rectangular? Pillow cases! these place mats were soft enough to use as pillow cases and already perfectly hemmed and sewn ... all I needed to do was add some stuffing- sew 'er up- and add 'er to the bed ensemble!

And lets not forget- those are $2.50 place mats! plus all i did was use an old throw pillow that was all flattened out and dirty (and i didnt have to go out and buy) . That brings our grand total for this project to ........

$2.50!!! (well. plus tax...)

And they wanna charge you $25.oo at pottery barn... BAH!

Below is the (SUPER EASY) DIY guide to making place mats into pillows! I encourage you to take a walk down the place mat isle next time your in a department store... and think---could I use any new throw pillows??

Step 1:

Find yo-self a place mat! Make sure you can feel both layers of fabric (and make sure they're separated!... wont really work if the two sides are fused together!) Then, grab an old throw pillow- or buy some stuffing... or buy a new pillow! Big Lots (another one of my favorite markdown stores) sells cheap-ass ones for about 3.99. Since you're not sleeping on these, who cares if theyre firm and not extra firm!

Step 2:

Tear open that old pillow and pull out the stuffing. Old stuffing will (more often than not) be flattened out and matted looking.... but by simply pulling at it and tearing it up (pull at it like an accordion... you'll get that analogy when your holding the stuffing.) you can fluff it up and make it look (almost) new!

Step 3:

Make a 3-4 inch opening by ripping the seam on the side of the place mat. Be gentle when doing this! Remember- this is the side of the pillow people are going to see! Then stuff the hole with the stuffing from the old pillow. I like a well-filled pillow... but that parts up to you!...

Step 4.

With either a sewing machine or by hand, stitch the place mat -- now pillow case--- back up!

Its easy when you just follow the marks left by the stitching that you ripped out in step 3.. you're basically just resealing it...

And thats it! Look at that! Something out of (almost)nothing!!

and just cause were on the topic of pillows-- i'll leave you with this.. A ginormous pillow fight.. that i just so happened to be in on Valentine's Day in San Francisco a few years ago....

SAN FRANCISCO GIANT PILLOW FIGHT!