Miscellany Monday

I am linking up at lowercase letters for Miscellany Monday.

{1} I added the cutest new custom Instagram magnets to my etsy shop this week.  You can use coupon code, FREESHIP to get free shipping off of any order from now until the end of June.   If you have your own blog and would love a free magnet to blog about and a chance to offer a chance for one of your readers to receive 2 free magnets,  send me an email at instamagnet {at} gmail.com.

 

{2} I took a three day weekend (minus a thirty minute team meeting this morning) from work and it was much needed and fabulous.

{3} We had a busy, fun, and productive weekend. Saturday we went to Connecticut where we went outlet shopping, mall shopping, Home Goods shopping, and out to lunch. Sunday I did stuff around the house while Chris and Maddie went hiking and then we grilled out, went to Target, and then watched a movie. Today we CLEANED like crazy people and I know have a bag of clothes to donate to my cousin's daughter and two bags of assorted clothes I need to find some local organization to donate to. I also cleaned out our washer and did laundry; we went out to dinner, and went grocery shopping.

{4} Saturday night I ordered new bedding. I cannot wait for it to arrive. We went with a new duvet, duvet cover, fitted sheet (we don't use a top one) and pillow cases. I googled a promotion code and ended up getting 20% off. My goal this week is to work on a piece of art which will go over our bed once our new bedding arrives.

Source: thecompanystore.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Floral Canvas Art - The Great Pinterest Challenge

I love how this turned out.  It was another super easy Pinterest inspired project.  I started by painting an 8x10 canvas with black paint.  Then I gathered up some scrapbook paper that I already had and cut out a circle for the center and a bunch of petals.  I made my arrangement and then used some tacky glue to stick everything down.  Once that was finished, I covered it with a layer of Mod Podge. 

 

This project was inspired by this pin

http://itsdoable.squarespace.com/blog/2012/1/23/its-doablethe-flower-wall-art.html#comments

I am linking up for the Great Pinterest challege {HERE}, but I couldn't get the button to work.

Day 8 - Paint Chip Art - Canvas Monogram

I made this the other week for Madison's bedroom.  You could even make several letters on one canvas or make several canvases to spell out a word or a full name.

It was super easy to make and I love the way I turned out.

Supplies -

-any size canvas

-paint color of your choice

-paint chips in any color(s) of your choice

-mod podge

-saran wrap

Directions -

-Paint your canvas.  I used spray paint, but any craft paint would work.

-Choose your paint chips and cut them into various sized squares and rectangles.

-Draw the outline of the monogram on your canvas.

-Spread mod podge over the monogram and add the paint chip pieces until the monogram is completely covered.  Some of them should overlap.

-Cover the entire canvas with another layer of mod podge. Then cover it with saran wrap and smooth it over the canvas, this helps you make sure the paint chips are laying flat without getting the mod podge on your hands.  When everything is smooth, remove the saran wrap so the canvas will begin to dry.

-Let dry and then hang.


I swear I had scheduled this to post yesterday, but I guess I didn't.  So Day 8 and Day 9 will post today.

Fabulous Fridays

This is going to be quick.  We ordered Bridesmaids on pay per view and it starts in 11 minutes.

This morning I got up and did my usual morning routine - making a hot breakfast and packing lunches for Chris and Maddie.

After she went to school I got sucked into the original 16 & Pregnant on MTV while folding laundry.  This morning was Macy & Ryan.  I didn't really want to get ready to go volunteer at Madison's school... but I went anyways.

I got there and her teacher looked at me like I was nuts.  I swear I was supposed to be there today from 9-12, but she didn't need me until 11:30.  So I left.

I ended up at Target.

Since I had skipped breakfast I went to the Starbucks inside for a cup of heaven or otherwise known as a salted caramel hot chocolate.

While in the dollar section looking at the Halloween stuff a lady  starts randomly talking to me.  I hate when people do this.  She went on and on how her complex makes you only have a sign on your door to say you want trick or treaters and she just isn't doing this.  She goes on and on about how she is decorating.  I nodded and muttered a few "umm hmms" and then went to the next row of dollar stuff... and then I heard her start up with someone else.  I wanted to say "Listen lady... I get it... I have no friends either... I am all alone at Target too... but unlike you I am not friend searching at Target".  I may sound like a total B*TCH... but I wasn't in the mood for Halloween decorate conversations with strangers.

I did pick these up which I read about on some blog.  YUMM-O.  I said they were for Maddie when I threw them in my cart... but I really wanted them too.

I ended up with about $95 of randomness... some sodas, some jeans for Maddie, three bags of Halloween candy, some pumpkin pie yogurt I cannot wait to try, paper plates, organic vanilla milk, etc....

Gosh... I love Target.

We went to dinner tonight.  We haven't been out to dinner at a restaurant (Subway doesn't count) in two weeks.  I think we definitely enjoyed it more than usual.  Madison told me this week she missed going to restaurants.  It was nice to relax and have someone else serve me and clean up the dishes.

Now we are about to watch a movie.  Next week I can't wait to share more about this neat DIY project I did for Madison's room.  Here is a sneak peek -

Happy Weekend!!

Displaying My Instagram Prints from Postal Pix

Today I am sharing a fun and easy project you can do to display your photos.

Yesterday I once again talked about my love for Instagram photos.  I recently found a free app called Postal Pix.  I downloaded it and within minutes transferred over my favorite Instagram prints and ordered them as 4x4 prints from Postal Pix.  The quality is great and I knew I wanted to find a way to display them in our home.  The most difficult thing was to decide which ones I wanted to display.

I had these canvases in my craft bin. They are slightly larger than 4x4 and I purchased them at Michaels many months ago from their $1 bin. They were originally made for kids and each of them have a pre-drawn design on them. However when you give them a couple of coats of paint...the design disappears. I painted them black using a cheap foam brush from Michaels.

Once the paint dried I just covered the canvas with a layer of Mod Podge using another foam brush, then centered the photo on the canvas and smoothed it down using a small piece of saran wrap... that way you don't get smudge marks on your photos.  Once that dried I gave it two more coats of the Mod Podge.

Once they were dried I hung them on an empty wall at the entrance of our hallway.  I love the way they turned out so much I did three more a few days later.  Here they all are displayed in our house -

1- My husband took this one of me.

2- Madison took these at the local farmer's market.  I made them into a collage.

3- This is a street in a place called Island Park near our house.

4- My husband took this one of Madison while peeking into her room. 

5- I took this of Madison on her first day of 7th grade.

6- My daughter Madison too this of a rose in our garden.

I cannot wait to Instagram some more and to order them from Postal Pix.  I am hooked on this fun project.

What do you think? Do you Instagram? What do you do with your photos?





 

Easy Photo Canvas Project

I need to charge my digital camera batteries so I can take decent photos... These are all from my iPhone... so I apologize for the laziness and poor photo quality.   Not to mention my photos are out of order.

I am currently obsessed with photo canvases.  Every time Groupon offers it, I get one.  We currently have 2 large ones, 1 smaller one, and 1 on the way that I have ordered.

I read somewhere online where it was super easy to make your own.  So I had two favorite photos printed off, purchased some canvases (there is a cheap art supply store by our house that has the cheapest and largest assortment), and some Mod Podge (using a 50% off coupon at A.C. moore) and was ready to go.

{The one on the left is one I ordered and the two in the middle are the new ones I finished tonight}

{Here is a closer shot.  With the second one I painted the edges on all sides with black paint to go better with the black and white photo.  This is one from our wedding.}

{This is what it looks like after you have coated it with the Mod Podge and you are waiting for it to dry}

{Here is my photo and canvas before starting}

{I used my paper cutter to trim the photo so it was slightly smaller than the canvas for the best fit}

I am going back to the store tomorrow to pick up more canvases... I am hooked on this fun and easy project.

New Photos of Maddie By Our Wedding Photographer

My initial plan was to have our wedding photographer, Amy Sandoval Photography, take photos of the three of us outside of home before our big summer move to Rhode Island.

Well on the day she came, my husband was super sick and in bed.  So I had her just shoot Maddie.  I am so happy how they turned out.  Since my latest obsession is photos on canvas...I was excited to find a Groupon today for a 16x20 canvas {worth $124.95} from Picture it on Canvas - a place where I have ordered from before.  I just need to figure out which ones I want to order.

I also found this great tutorial from Blue Cricket Design by The Sassy Pepper on how to make your own photo canvases.  Check it out here. I am going to attempt to do this with some smaller photos to see how it turns out.

Here are some of my favorites -

Have You Heard of Small Words?

I have no idea how I first stumbled upon this blog...but it has been in my favorites for awhile.  She makes gorgeous hand painted canvases.   I am pretty sure I first heard of it from Kelly's Korner...but I am not sure.

Anyways, I LOVE her work.  I consider myself pretty creative and artistic...but her work is just....WOW!  I could never do anything quite like it.

So when she opened herself up for new orders last week... I JUMPED on it and secured spot # 49 out of 110.  She mostly does signs for children's room. Since Madison is almost 12... I doubt I will get one for her...I put my name on the list in the hopes by the time my # came up... I would be pregnant. 

If not, I can get a sign for my bakery business, order a gift for a friend, or simply pass my turn on to the next person. 

Does anyone else follow her blog that got on the list this time?

Free Canvas + Free Art = A Great Deal

One of the great blogs I follow eighteen25 posted today about a FREE canvas deal.  It isn't totally FREE, you have to pay $14.95 shipping and handling for the 8 x 10 canvas but it still works out to be a pretty great deal. 

I do not need any more photo canvases, so I quickly designed this with the initial of our last name -

The black and green will match nicely with our living room decor.  I cannot wait to receive it.  Here are a few more I did just playing around -

Let me know if you would like me to send you an 8x10 file of one of the initial designs I did above to order a canvas print for your family.  Simply post your email in a comment as well as the initial you would like me to use.

Be sure to check out eighteen25 - they have a fabulous blog that I am sure you will want to follow.

FREE Canvas Deal through Wink Flash

Ever since my wedding photos came in I have been obsessed with canvas prints.  I have purchased and used Groupons to get 2 canvas prints that are 16x24 that are hanging in my living room!!  These are the two I already have -

Today I got an email from Winkflash for a free 8x10 canvas for new customers.  I have never used them before...but I will be ordering a canvas from them this evening.  Check out the deal HERE if you are interested or use code MYFREECANVAS at checkout.  

 If you make one, leave a comment and let me know what photo you used.  You have until April 4th to make your canvas.

Here are the photos I am deciding from.  Let me know which one you like best -

Christmas Crafts

While dinner (balsamic onion grilled London broil, rice pilaf, and green beans) was cooking tonight I finished up this holiday craft I had been working on.  I painted a small 4x4 canvas I picked up for $1 and then added the dots and the R for our last name...or I may send it to my sister...her last name starts with an R too.  I added the beaded wire to the top and now its ready to hang.

I also made this the other week.  I painted the letters myself and then added the accents in lime green and red that I picked up from Michaels for around 50 cents each - they were on sale.  I had to have my friend Kara make the bow for me.  After countless google and you tube  searches I was still unable to make one myself that I was happy with.  This is my first wreath...and looking at it there are some things I wish I had done differently. Here is my Christmas wreath -

In October I made two Halloween signs.  Here they are -

I love taking a trip to AC Moore or Michaels with my weekly coupon and seeing what neat things I can make.  My new projects to start are a happy holidays sign like my Halloween one and a cute blessing ring project I saw on another blog to make with all of the cards we received from our wedding.  Do you like to make crafts? What is your favorite store to shop for craft materials at? Leave a comment and let me know.