internet browser costumes

This year for Halloween there was a costume contest at my work.  My team agreed to do a joint effort costume... as internet browsers!  This must excite the inner geek in you, but if not it still turned out great and everyone loved the costumes.  They loved them so much that we ended up taking first prize in the contest.

What do you think? (left to right: IE, Safari, Opera, Firefox, Netscape, Chrome)

upcycled sweater hats

It is that time of year to start thinking about the cold mornings and ramping up your fall wardrobe.  When trying to figure out what sweaters are still good for the upcoming season, hold on to the old ratty/pilly/worn sweaters for this fun and quick project.   Cost: free Time: 30 mintues Needed: old sweater (owned) hat (owned) rotary cutter (owned) cutting board (owned) sewing machine (owned) fabric flower (optional) 1.  Cut it.  Take your sweater inside out and lay flat on a table.  Take your owned hat and line it up so the sweater's torso bottom ends and the hat's band are flush.  Trace and cut with your rotary cutter on your cutting board.  You should end up with two pseudo-half circle pieces.     2.  Stitch it.  With the exteriors of the two pieces lined up together, straight stitch  around the dome of the hat making sure to adjust your stitch/length appropriately for the thickness of the knit.  3.  Embellish it.  Turn your hat right-side out, and add your accessories if you would like.  I made some quick fabric flowers and stitched into place.  You could also use hot glue, or use a safety-pin for temporary embellishments.

painted entry table and mirror

A couple years ago, Nick and I moved into a new apartment and needed some furniture for the entryway.  We had a small budget since our savings was just blown away by the move from Indiana to Colorado.  After consulting with Craig's List, we found a petite console table that had seen better days, but they only wanted twenty bucks for it.

It was the perfect size and a nice DIY project sounded like fun.  After giving some attention to it and a silver mirror we already owned, our entryway was looking better and more functional.

To coordinate this furniture with our existing black coffee table, we went and bought matching hardware for both pieces.  It is such a quick and inexpensive way to update furniture either way.

Cost: $80 Time: 2 days Needed: console table ($20) mirror (owned) hand sander with sandpaper ($40) 32 oz black paint + primer ($15) paint brushes ($5) tarp (owned) 1.  Clean it.  Take a dry towel and wipe away any spider webs or dirt.  You may have drawer liner to rip out too.    2.  Sand it.  Place your tarp under your furniture. The sanding is usually the hardest and most exhausting step, especially if you have ornate furniture.  You will need to start with a coarse sandpaper to really get the existing stain or paint scraped off.  Be sure to get into the nooks.  The next pass you will want to swap the coarse sandpaper for a finer grain of sandpaper to basically make the wood smooth.  Go over each piece until you feel you have a good smooth foundation for your paint. 3.  Paint it.  Be sure to change into some old clothes for this part.  Tape off anything that does not need paint like the glass mirror.  Get out your brushes and wet them at the ends.  Shake up your paint before dipping into it.  Start painting away trying to keep your brush strokes going in one direction.  Cover each piece completely. 4.  Dry it.  Overnight drying is recommended, but depending on what type of paint you have you might be able to do another layer after a few hours. 5.  Repeat.  Give the furniture another coat and be sure to cover the bottom of the feet if you can.  After the drying is done, rip off any taped parts, move the pieces to their spots and add your decorative items.

meet pinterest, my wedding planner

Hi, my name is Ashly.  I have a pinterest addiction.

No, seriously, our wedding board has taken over my leisurely web surfing time.

I am a planner, but now pinterest has upped the level of planning.  I would estimate I spend at least two hours a day scouring the internet for dresses, decorations, and hairstyles all for one day.  It seems excessive, especially since the wedding is still thirteen months away.  I'm just hoping that this effort will help decision making go smoothly and provide a visualization for those who are assisting me with shopping and crafting.

I'm dubbing the look and feel 'vintage garden' for the time being.  If it is a shade of green and has a earthly feel to it, I want it on this board.   This screenshot is also a time-stamp for the board to show where I was thirteen months out.  This board will probably grow exponentially as I plan other aspects of the ceremony and reception... so stay tuned!

brooch bouquet

I have been researching wedding DIY stuff like it is my job lately.  One idea that I am fully committed to doing now is a brooch bouquet.  What a fantastic idea! It never dies, it can be passed down, it holds treasures from love ones, and it is full on bling!  Flowers are lovely, but this idea is a great new tradition I would love to start in my lineage.

While visiting my mother in Texas last week, I shared this with her.  She in turn shared with me my grandmother's odds and ends jewelry.  Most of the items are gold, but she assured me that if I wanted to paint them up to coordinate no one would mind.

It is a great start to the collection for the bouquet.  My plan is to have those attending the bridal shower to bring one item to include in the brooch bouquet.  If you're not sure what I am referencing, check out Pinterest's brooch bouquets.

lace empire shirt

Do you ever get those free panties from Victoria Secret?  The ones that are one size fits all? The ones that don't fit at all, but have a handful of gorgeous lace?  Good, you're going to need those and a fitted shirt to complete this project.

Basically I hated seeing that lace go to waste... therefore I made it go to waist... line.  We all have a fitted top that could use a little embellishment.  The amount and width of lace from those panties are the perfect amount to wrap around for an empire waistline.  If there is not enough you can always just wrap lace in the front to get the same effect.

Cost: Free Time: 20 minutes Needed: old fitted shirt (owned) lace waistline panties (owned) scissors (owned) sewing machine (owned) sewing pins (owned) 1.  Cut it.  Cut the lace along the seams and remove the crotch area of the panties.  Hopefully you get one piece or two pieces of lace this way.  2.  Sew it.  With either one or two lengths of lace, sew the ends together by hand with matching thread to create a circle of lace. 3.  Pin it.  Put on your shirt and place the lace in the empire waistline position (just below your ladies and inches above your natural waistline).  Mark a place for your pins after taking your shirt off or if you're really slick, pin it into place with the shirt on.   4.  Sew it again.  Line up the seams of the lace and shirt before machine sewing the lace to the shirt.  Complete the other side as well.  You will want to then take some of the matching thread and secure a spot in the middle front and middle back so the lace does not shift too much.

ie voodoo doll

There comes a day when you realize not all browsers are created equal.  Most developers discover this early on, but most users do not.  Therefore, developers must support many versions of browsers that they wish would just crawl in a hole and disappear.

This is one reason I dealt with my frustration for Internet Explorer by upcycling a blue sweater into Iggy the IE voodoo doll.  Each time an IE bug is found, Iggy gets a pin. You can also make a voodoo doll.  It does not have to be for a browser you loathe.

Cost: Free Time: 1 hour Needed: old sweater (owned) scissors (owned) cutting board (owned) sewing machine (owned) stuffing (owned - old throw pillow) white fabric paint (owned) sewing pins (owned) 1.  Draw it.  Sketch a doll outline.  Don't skimp out, the fatter you can go - the better.   2.  Cut it.  Cut out your amazing sketch and trace it onto your inside-out sweater.  Cut the front and back torso panels at the same time if you can to keep the two pieces identical.     3.  Sew it.  Keep your pieces inside-out and start sewing near the inside of one knee.  Continue sewing around his outline stopping at the other inside knee joint. 4.  Stuff it.  Push the fabric through to turn him right-side-out. Stuff him trying to fill the outer extremities first (head, hands, feet).  Keep going until he is plump and full, then hand stitch up the last section. 5.  Polish it.  Fabric paint a dead expression on his face.  Keep pins close at hand. If you're really up to it, you should make a cake to celebrate making your voodoo doll.

top ten: pinterest projects

Too many pins, not enough time.  My goal before the end of July is to conquer at least one Pinterest inspired project.   There are just too many creative ideas out there now, and so my current top ten are below (not necessarily in order).  Feel free to chime in if I did not include one of your favorites.

1. resin jewelry
   I'm especially looking into the items with major glitter since the resin can contain the herpes of the craft world.
2. lace top
   Busy patterns seem to be the way to go since they can hide your trimming and hemming mistakes.
3. stamped jewelry
   Wedding motive here - amazing as bridesmaid gifts and I also may want this for myself.
4. recycling bins
   It is time.  Nick and I have lived in Colorado for over two years. It is time to start recycling at home.
5. lace cut offs
   Partly cute/partly white-trash, but I think if executed correctly they could be the go-to item for the rest of the summer.
6. fabric transfer
   Who doesn't want to use their fave photo in some memorable way? Pillows, shirts, curtains, etc.
7. bleach t shirt (try, try again)
   Yes, the first spin with this project did not go so well.  I am hoping with a better plan and supplies that I can do a one-eighty on this.
8. contrast pockets
   Just too damn cute.
9. elbow patches
   Ditto.
10. book pages gift bag
    I admit I have wedding motives behind this project as well.  They could work great as wedding favor bags.

bead earrings

Well, I took a first step towards planning my wedding.  Nick and I decided on our colors: sage green with a dodger blue.  So what was my next step? I made some beaded earrings for my bridesmaids.  They are fairly simple in design once you have your beads picked out.

Cost: $10  Time: 15 minutes Needed: blue beads ($3) crystal beads ($3) head pins ($2) earring hooks ($2) pearl beads (owned) flat nose pliers (owned) round nose pliers (owned) diagonal cutters (owned) 1.  Stack it.  Take a headpin and start stacking your beads in an arrangement you like.   2.  Trim it.  Cut your headpin about a quarter above your beads.   3.  Loop it.  Use your round nose pliers to start bending the tip towards the beads.  You many have to reposition the pliers to get a good round loop. 4.  Hook it.  Open your earring hook's loop with your flat nose pliers.  Pop your headpin's loop in there and close it back up. Even though it costs ten bucks to get started, you'll find that you can make many sets of earrings with your supplies.  I recommend getting strands of beads with different colors and shapes to give you plenty of options.  And yes, I did lay out my supplies in a smiley face.

bermuda cutoffs

Been really trying to clean out my closet, and I have these pair of jeans I just never wore since the boot cut was just not right for me.  I thought I could get more mileage out of them if I cut them off at a length comfortable to wear this summer.

after

before

Cost: Free Time: 15 minutes Needed: old jeans(owned) cutting board (owned) rotary cutter (owned) iron (owned and optional) 1.  Try it on.  With your jeans on, take a hold of the inner leg material pinching where you would like the Bermudas to end.  Add two to three inches if you plan to cuff the ends instead of fraying them. 2.  Mark it.  Use a sharpie to mark the final measurement.  Take the jeans off and lay them flat on your cutting board.   3.  Cut it.  Use your rotary cutter to cut a straight line across one leg.  Turn your jeans over with them still flat and use the cut edge as a guide to cut the other leg. 4.  Cuff it.  Pull your Bermudas on and make sure you cut the legs evenly.  Roll the edges up twice to get a good cuff about one to two inches in size.  If you want a crisp cuff, you should iron each fold before wearing them.

my craft room

Everyone needs a room to make them feel inspired. My craft room seems to do the trick for me. I am not sure if it is the shelves of materials, wall of inspiration, or just the spanish olive paint color. Actually I suppose it is just the sum of all the things in this room.

Of course my sewing machine gets its own table and area since that is where most the magic happens.  I have my chair to work at my computer, but my stool for my sewing machine just seems to set me in the mood to create or fix something.

You'll notice the minuscule fan as well on the table because when you're sewing up a storm it gets hot!  I highly recommend one of these little gems.  There is also a laundry basket behind there to throw scraps of fabric in so it always gets used no matter the size.

A crafter probably has many tools that they need at their disposal at a moment's notice.  Therefore I have a couple of racks with big cups and hooks to keep daily tools within reach at all times.  IKEA helped with this area quite a bit.  You can replicate this structure on your own for under $20 with their bygel series.

Another great addition to anyone's craft/hobby room is a display shelf.  This is just like your parent's refrigerator growing up: a place just for you to pin up your masterpieces.  I find myself keeping holiday cards and notes from friends up there for a span of time as well.  Anything that is a positive reminder of friends, accomplishments, or memories should be displayed here.  I try to keep my photos and projects updated so the wall does not look the same every month.

missing in action

I apologize for dropping off the face of the earth for the last two weeks.

Eight family members flew into town last week to spend some time with us.  While they were staying with us Nick proposed... and of course I said yes. Queue the heavy celebrating and excessive phone calls across the states.

Things have been a little bit hectic with all this exciting activity.  We have been catching up on sleep, laundry, and life in general.  You would not believe how many towels and sheets need washed after a family visit!

I've missed creating and writing, so I'll be getting back to my regular posting schedule now.  Thanks!

bleach pen t shirt fail

Unfortunate things happen now and again.  Too bad the latest failure came during a great project find from Pinterest.  All the bleach pen shirt tutorials made the task look so easy, but it can end with a sad panda. Be sure to check the expiration date on your bleach pen before you try to doodle a little sketch on your colored shirt.  It is not effective if your pen is a few years old.  You just get light and inconsistent lines. Hindsight is always 20/20, but hopefully this advice might save someone's shirt for another project.  After realizing the mistake, I tried just squirting liquid bleach sporadically all over the shirt for a faded look.  This just made the shirt look old and dirty since it was originally green.   This is now officially my yard work shirt since it can't look any worse :)

t shirt headband

Alright, there have been way too many t-shirt pinterest projects floating around lately for me not to try one. I checked out Love Stitched, and she has a lovely knotted jersey headband tutorial.  I highly recommend visiting her pretty little blog.  

The only thing that I didn't follow perfectly is the closure of the headband.  I stitched up the ends so I wouldn't have to cut and glue the additional fabric into place.  This method works just as well from what I can tell.  

The headband is soft and really comfortable.  It took maybe ten minutes to make after gathering supplies.  T-shirts seem to work best.  I tried some fabric scraps, but other material does not want to stretch and flex the way jersey material does.

If you're looking for a quick and gratifying pinterest project, be sure to pin this one.

landscaping overhaul

Springtime reveals the harsh effects of the winter. Let's just say our landscaping needed some work.  We had mulch beds along our fence line.  The mulch had broken down and the weed barrier fabric was left exposed.  Nick and I decided river rock was the way to go since we had other landscaping finished that way.

So a couple weeks later about 9645 pounds of river rock was dropped in our driveway.  After a few hours of laying new weed barrier fabric and rock, we had most of the fence line done.   

I found that the stakes that come with the weed barrier fabric are unnecessary if you're laying rock.  They easily broke when pushing them into the ground.  If you just use a couple rocks to pin the corners of the fabric before you cover it, the weight of all the rock will do a fine job of keeping the fabric in place.

Now we focused our attention to the existing rock beds with the quarter of the rock pile that was left in our driveway.  Pulling up the weeds and grass was the first step, and filling in the new rock was the second step. 

Nick did a good job with the large flat pathway rocks by pulling up all the existing river rock and the pathway rocks, digging a little deeper, laying the weed barrier fabric, and filling it all back in.

Be sure to have some quality rubber grip gloves, some pruning shears for difficult weeds and baby trees, and a good flat edge shovel.  We used our sharp edge shovel as well just to double team the work and it quickly dulled, so avoid that when you can.

Overall I would say the outcome of this renovation is amazing.  Hopefully the maintenance will also be lower for the years to come as well.

kind of before	after
before	after
before	after

capri take in

One pair of my denim capris were in dire need of a new shape.  These capris probably been hanging out in my dresser for almost a decade.  They have a little flair at the ends which is not exactly what I like currently.

before

after

Cost: Free Time: 30 minutes Needed: old capris (owned) sharpie (owned) sewing machine (owned) cutting board (owned) rotary cutter (owned) 1.  Pinch it.  With your capris on, take a hold of the inner leg material pinching off the excess fabric you would like to remove keeping the seam centered.  When you are happy with the amount, mark the inside of the hem line in the front where the material was touching while pinching. 2.  Mark it.  Take the capris off and turn them inside out.  Lay the capris flat with the front side up.  Find on the inner seam where the top of your knee would be and mark that as well.  Draw a line to connect the bottom hemline mark to this new mark.  3.  Sew it.  Using a straight stitch, start at the knee mark and ease your way in going all the way to the bottom hem line mark.  Be sure to line up your bottom of the capris nicely before stitching/backstitching on the hem.  Repeat with the other leg. 4.  Trim it.  Take your rotary cutter and trim away the excess material leaving about a quarter inch to zigzag the new inner seam. 5.  Wear them.  Turn them inside out and give them a try.  You can always take more in, so starting with conservative marks and working your way in until you find a good fit is always a good idea.