Vintage, Country, Farmhouse..What's trending in Home Decor?

Hey Guys, 

It's been a grip since we chatted last and I apologize. Life has been very busy this last year or so. 

Ok, so I'm sure we have all (maybe, not all but most of us) seen the Fixer Upper type TV shows? Flip or Flop, Desert Flippers, Love it or List it? Is it just me or are we seeing a farmhouse style trend just blowing up in front of us? 

Yes, we can all agree that the style may not be for everyone's tastes but it sure seems to be the majority. I can't walk into a store be it Walmart, Target, Hobby Lobby, Etsy, eBay....you get the picture! There are vintage, farmhouse, country style signs, wall hangings, porch decorations everywhere. 

Here are a few examples that I made at home, they are made from reclaimed barn/pallet wood. Hand-painted and hand-lettered. Some boards I sand down to smooth out but for this Boo sign, I wanted it to look really old school vintage. So I left the board pretty rough. Nothing was sanded down and I think it gives it a more rustic, weathered feel. 

 For this sign I sanded it down, painted the base of the wood white, then went back and hand drew the letters and pumpkins. 

 Same with the Welcome to our home/state shape sign. The entire board was sanded, painted a white base and then I hand painted the black state shape and letters. 

The Mill wood sign has a hand-painted pastel base as the sunset. Then I used black to draw out the wind/water mill silhouette. 

These are some of my favorites that I've made so far. I really love the colors, they are so fall-e! 

To make these I used either a black or copper base on the wood. The give thanks has black hand painted letters, hello fall I used white for the letters, leaf, and nut details. 

Trick or treat wood sign has a black base but I was able to leave the wood grain as the letter color. Took forever but it came out great! 

Making these signs are super fun and pretty easy once you get the hang of it. It is a fun way for me to relax and unwind. I really enjoy making things that people want in their homes or to give as a gift to a friend. 

All you need to make these wooden signs are some pallet wood, paint, paint brushes, a pencil with a good eraser. If you want a certain font? I like to use transfer paper and trace my design on that. Then place that on my board and copy it to the surface. I try to always paint my base color first. 

Just remember to have fun and be creative! If you never want to try this at home, I'd be more than happy to make you one. Just visit my Etsy store! 

Good Luck, if you make yourself one? I'd love to see it! 

Homemade Rose Water Toner

I decided to make my Mom a homemade rose water for her birthday. Personally, I love the stuff and found it to be a really good toner and it smells divine. 

Recently, I was given these beautiful roses and thought they would make excellent rose water. Having never made it before, I wasn't sure how they'd work out verses normal red roses. Which is what most people use but I am a rebel and always tend to go against the grain. :)

To make the Homemade Rosewater:
Ingredients: 

• Roses (as many as you like-I used 12 stems)
• Distilled water (enough to cover the rose petals- I used about 1.5 liters)

1. Remove petals from stems and run them under semi-warm water. You want to remove any leftover residue on the petals. 

2. Add the petals to a large pot of water and top with enough distilled water to cover the petals. Add any more than that and your rose water will become diluted. 

3. Over a medium-low heat bring the water and petals to a simmer and cover. 

4. Let it simmer for 20-30 minutes or until petals have lost their color or are a pale pink (if you use red roses.) For me, mine became a lighter peachy type color an lost all the red accents around the tops of the petals. 

5. Strain the petals to separate the petals from the water. 

6. Discard the petals and place the rose water in a glass jar to store. I used a giant Ball canning jar. 

To make a Homemade Rosewater Face Toner:

• 1 T pure rosewater (recipe above)
• about 4 T of distilled water (or enough to fill your spray bottle)
• 1 2.5 ounce spray bottle

To make:

1. Combine all ingredients in spray bottle and shake.

2. To apply: spray directly on face or spray a cotton pad and wipe face to remove any residue.

Store any extra rosewater in the fridge to help preserve it for a longer time. It keeps for a long time if stored correctly. 

Easy Fall DIY with Pinecones!

Today I have a super easy and cheap DIY for Fall! So go gather all your pinecones, a big bucket, a heavy rock, and some bleach.

 This is how they looked before I got started. 

 Once added to a big Home Depot or Lowe's bucket. Add 

one part bleach to two parts water. Use a rock to weight down the pinecones so 

they don't rise up. 

 After the first 24hrs in the bleach mixer. 

 Your pinecones will close when they are full of water. 

 Some of them I noticed even the sap was pushed out. 

 After about a week they begin to open back up and dry out. 

 This pinecone came out really white and has been drying for about 3 or 4 days! 

 Bun Bun always curious and wanting to help! :)

 Once they are completely dry, you can then use them as a decoration such as

wreaths, trees, or placed in bowls. They can also be scented! 

 This pinecone kind of looks like a flower to me! 

I don't have enough yet for a wreath or a smaller Christmas tree, so I'm using them to keep my Tinny company! :) 

Super easy to do and only took about two weeks from start to finish! Perfect for Fall!! Enjoy and have fun bleaching your pinecones! 

<3 b="" for="" jenny="" nbsp="" reading="" thanks="">

D.I.Y. Tin Man Under $30 to make!!

For months I have been eyeing this DIY on Pinterest. If you are familiar with the movie "The Wizard Of OZ". It is an American musical comedy-drama fantasy film produced in 1939 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. 

The Tin Man in the movie is played by Jack Haley as Hickory / Tin Man. He's one of my favorites!! 

So, today my daughters and I got busy and put him together. It was much harder than I had, though. One because I used fishing string and after further examination, I realized that they had used washers and screws. A much easier and less hair pulling out method I'm sure. Nevertheless, we got it done!! 

For the entire progress start to finish, it probably took us with dry time about 4-5 hours. I know that sounds like a lot of time for just a tin can project but let me tell you when we finished we were so proud of ourselves. My daughter's faces made it, especially Kaitlyn. She is just in love with him. We were up pretty late getting it all done. His face and details came last. Which we really enjoyed and it was fun to be creative. 

My love is crafts or little projects. They are rewarding to accomplish and often get decorations when completed. 

To make this little guy I used normal item that can be purchased at your local grocery store and Home Depot. 

You'll need:

• Fishing String or Screws/Washers (had already)
• Spray Paint Rust-oleum in Stainless Steel
• Sharpies RED, BLACK, BROWN, and GRAY (had already)
• Yellow Funnel (1)
• Campbell's Soup Can (4)
• Refried Bean Can (4)
• Pineapple Can (1)
• Empty Paint Can and Lid (1)
• Clear Lacquer Spray Paint (had already)

First, you want to get all your cans painted with the stainless steel paint. Let dry per recommended time on the can. This took less time than expected because I live in Arizona. Everything dries fast here! 

Once painted and dried we moved on to putting him together. This took me some thinking. I wanted his arms to hang a certain way and height. So to do that I had to use a bread clip on the inside of the cans. We would adjust them to the correct height, then I'd tie up the clip and it would hold the can in place from falling down. One more reason a screw would have worked much better. 

To assemble I had my daughter stamp holes in the bottoms of them and the top of the paint lid can. Then, I took all the pieces and laid them out of the table. Doing this with fishing string was quite a headache, I won't lie but we got it done. Next time I will be using screws and washers. The only good thing about my method is that he moves. I can adjust his hat, arms, legs, and feet. With the screws it is unmoveable. 

After, all strings were strung we tied them together under the neck. Which you can't see in the pictures unless I hang him up. Then gravity takes effect and you can see all the limbs. 

The cost for the D.I.Y. craft was about $30 bucks. Soup cans cost me $1.50 ea, beans are $.89 cents, pineapple can $1.49, Funnel cost $1.89, Empty Paint can $4.99, and the Spray Paint $5.99. 

Cost Breakdown

$1.50 X 4= $6

$.89 X 4= $3.56

$1.49 X 2= $2.98 +

$1.89+

$4.99+

$5.99=

$25.41

A Very fun project that was a great way for me to spend some time with my girls and create lasting memories for them to have a lifetime, and now also a Tin Man! 

Thanks for spending time with me, talk to you soon! 

Want a fun summer activity for the kids? Keep Reading!

Everyone, big or small loves bubbles! My pitbull Diamond loves them, every kid I've ever seen loves them. They are cheap, easy to make or buy and a great way to entertain them for a few hours or minutes...depending on the child! 

My most lit one, Kaitlyn, loves to play outside and when she has bubbles it is a true must. Last year after installing our new wood floors, her and her sister spilled some bubbles in their bedroom. Floors were ruined and started to pull up, it was a big mess. So word of advice...use OUTDOORS only!! Plus be careful on slippery surfaces like concrete porches and tile. I would hate for someone to get hurt trying to have fun.  

For this Giant Bubble Recipe, you will need the following:

Water

Liquid Dish Soap

Cornstarch

Baking Soda

Bucket

Giant Bubble Wand (dollar store)

or

 A piece of tee shirt fabric, cotton. Cut into one-inch strips about 18 inches long. Tie ends together. Our wand from the dollar store broke right away and I ending up tieing the ends together and it worked just fine, even better if you ask me!  

The Giant Bubble Recipe

12 Cups Water

1 Cup Liquid Dish Soap

1 Cup Cornstarch

2 Tbsp. Baking Powder

Make sure to stir the bubble mix really well, to add all the cornstarch and baking powder. Once stirred, take outside and enjoy! We had a ton of fun playing with the Giant Bubbles and so did our dog. She is crazy about them too! 

Here are some of the results Kaitlyn got using the Giant Bubble wand, that I tied together the ends of. I had a giant wand stick that the fabric was on but broke right away. :(

Thanks for reading and I hope you have some good outdoor fun with your kiddos! 

Five Christmas Crafts, that will keep the kids busy during break!

Christmas is just around the corner and I don't know about you but soon the kids will be home for Christmas break. 

They will be bored, they will need something to do....if your kids are crafty like mine, then I've found some awesome DIY's you can do from home for relatively cheap and little mess. I'm all about little, to no clean up! 

The first one I just absolutely love and other than it being a bit time consuming, it's so easy and beautiful when completed. 

The Ribbon Tree

Ribbon Tree Tutorial

The Next ones is a Paper Christmas Ornament, which from reading the tutorial, looks some what easy. 

Paper Christmas Ornaments 

Paper Christmas OrnamentsTutorial

I love, love these and would have them in the house, as decor, all year! Without the star of course! :)

Book Trees

Book Tree Tutorial

Super easy and fun crafts for your little ones. They can't feel left out! 

Ornament Candy Canes

Ornament Candy Canes

Easy, yummy, and fun! Christmas Edible Ornaments, what is better than that? 

Edibles for the tree

 Christmas Tree Ornaments Tutorial

All of these crafts and goodies are a sure fire way to keep the kids entertained this Christmas break! Plus, who doesn't love crafts you can eat? 

Merry Christmas with <3 b="">

from my family to yours! 

He Has Risen Garden, Easter Decoration.

He Has Risen Garden

I was wanting an Easter decoration that represented Jesus and not just another bunny craft. What better than an indoor garden! It's super cheap and easy to make. 

Here's what you'll need:

• Potting Soil
• Flower Pot or your choice of decorative pots, vases, etc. 
• Smaller pebbles or rocks
• One medium sized rock
• One plastic cup
• Grass seed
• Sticks or ice cream sticks and twine for crosses

1. Take flower pot and fill half way with potting soil. 
2. Place plastic cup into the soil and bury the top, while leaving the cup opening empty. You may want to slightly wet the soil for better moldability. 
3. Sprinkle grass seeds around the top of the cup and just down the sides. 
4. Arrange rocks/pebbles around the bottom of cup and base.
5. Set up the medium rock to slightly cover the cup opening, as if it had been rolled away. 


6. Make crosses (three), with glue or twine and stick in soil above the back of the tomb (cup). 

Pearl Before Swine

 The tomb and crosses represent the Bible’s Easter story. Jesus, dying on the cross for our sins and being raised from the dead to conquer death. He was placed in a tomb and three days later he rose again. 

Using real grass seed gives you a real garden. Just remember to keep the garden in a warm location with lots of sunlight and give it plenty of water every day.

Tulips in Vases and How to Choose the Right Ones.

Forcing bulbs to bloom, when used in vases, can be trickier than one might think. After doing some research on the internet, this is what I've found. 

There are two types of bulbs for indoor growing: those you need to chill and those you don't need to chill . Below, I'll explain how to tell the difference. 

Bulbs That Don't Need Chilling

These bulbs are native to warm climates, so they don't require a cooling period to trigger blooms. Amaryllis and Paperwhite Narcissus both belong in this category. 

Bulbs that Do Need Chilling

All other spring bulbs require a chilling period before they'll bloom. This includes Tulips, Daffodils, Hyacinths, Crocus, Dutch Iris and Scilla. Cool temperatures stimulate a biochemical response inside the bulb that "turns on" the embryonic flower so it starts developing. Most bulbs require 16 to 18 weeks of cold before the flower is fully formed. At that point, they're ready for light and warmth. If you cut the cooking time short, the flowers may emerge but they will probably be stunted and deformed.

For indoor blooms, the easiest bulbs are Crocus, Hyacinths, Muscari, and Mini-Daffodils. Tulips and standard Daffodils can also be forced, but they require more careful attention.

There are a few things you need to do first in order to ensure your tulips will bloom.

1. Bigger IS Always Better:

 Choose large tulip bulbs from your garden center, grocery store, local nursery or online. The larger the bulb, the bigger the bloom. Pass on discount, smaller bulbs. You will not be happy with the results.

2. Bulbs need a specific amount of cold-sleepy time. 

Most tulips need between 12-15 weeks. The cold-sleepy time will be listed on the bulb package. Each variety can vary. You can buy your bulbs and then place them in your refrigerator for this amount of time. Keep them away from apples, though. The gas emitted from fruit like apples will prevent them from blooming. So a garage fridge is a great option.  Always chill for the recommended time and never less. Chilling for less time will result in zero blooms.

Once you have bought your bulbs and stored them in a cool place for the recommended time, here's what you do next. 

1. Grab a tall vase, the taller vase will help support your Tulips when growing. 

2. Go to your local craft, hobby store or I've even found these at the dollar store. The round glass floral marbles, you can purchase them here. You can choose between clear, blue, green or multi-colored. 

3. Place marbles in a vase and set bulbs on marbles. Fill with water until just above the marbles and place in well light but the cool area of your home. 

Soon you will see the bulbs growing, once green leaves are almost to the top of your vase or just above. Depending on your vase size, you can place them in a warmer, sunnier not hot location of your home or kitchen. 

Want a way to cheat and not have to wait weeks?

1.  Buy potted bulbs from the grocery store, garden center, or local nursery. Choose ones that have not bloomed yet.

2. Empty the pot, and gently shake off all the loose soil from the bulbs, all the while, protecting the tender roots.

3.  Rinse each bulb under cool water to wash away the soil.

4.  Trim roots to 2 inches long with scissors and place in a glass vase with glass beads. Follow the rest of the directions as listed above. 

BOOM! :)

Now you have a beautiful and easy Easter decoration!