Mason Jar Lamp

I am lucky enough to have a collection of aqua blue mason jars from our wedding that we used for the centerpieces. I love finding crafty projects that inspire me to find new uses for things I already have :)

{great book I borrowed from the library}

{their version}

{my version filled with seashells}

Here are the instructions from the book :

you'll need:
push-thru side out socket
25 watt or lower lightbulb
1"of threaded rod
check ring with 3/8"diameter
1"diameter rubber washer
mason jar
clip on lamp shade
drill and 3/8" diameter drill bit

1. Drill a hole into the center of the jar's lid.
2. Put your threaded rod through the hole. However high you want the bulb to be from the lamp's base is how much threaded rod you should leave above the lid.
3. From the top side of the lid, screw your push-thru side out socket onto the threaded rod.
4. Place your rubber washer on the threaded rod on the underside of the lid, then screw on your check ring. Make sure to tighten the ring to keep everything in place.
5. Fill the jar
6. Screw on the lid. You should be left with the socket pointing upward.
7. Place in your lightbulb and clip on your lampshade.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

"May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow,
and may trouble avoid you wherever you go."
-Irish Blessing

It wouldn't be a holiday without some sort of garland decoration :) I hope everyone has a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Valentines

I made a few Valentine's Day cards for our families. Before I sent them they had a quick photo shoot :)

Heart Garland

I made some heart garland with some extra doilies from my showerette to decorate our fireplace for Valentine's Day :)

Carnation Heart

Last year when we registered at Crate and Barrel for our wedding we were given this pretty glass heart bowl. On Valentine's Day last year I filled it with pink carnations and used it as our table centerpiece for dinner. I love carnations because they are inexpensive, simple, and are so pretty just by themselves :)

Seashell Frame

This weekend I was feeling crafty and decided to make a seashell frame. I painted a simple frame that I already had white and carefully used a hot glue gun to attach some seashells :)

My Treasure Chest

The day before our wedding my father in law gave me this trunk that he restored as a gift. He even placed a small gold plate engraved "Missy's Treasures" on the top of the trunk. This was such a thoughtful gift and it makes me happy to fill it with all of my keepsakes :)

Urban Belle Couture

image from Etsy

My sister just opened up her own Etsy shop, Urban Belle Couture. She created this keychain for me with pieces from her antique and vintage button collection :)

Merry Christmas!

{our table}

{placecards}

{snowflake coaster}

Just taking a break before we have dinner to say Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I'm so happy there is snow here in Colorado and that Eric is here for Christmas :)

Christmas Cards

{pretty glitter that made it possible}

In the past week or so I made a hundred Christmas cards. My mom has a newspaper and she asked me to make the cards for her customers. I also created some cards for Brooklyn Bride's card swap. I am so happy they were finished and sent this week :)

{finished Christmas cards}

Simple Gift Tags

I printed these gift tags via Vintage Glam, punched a hole in them, and used some extra ribbon from our wedding :)

Sparkly Trees

Ever since I saw Roses Petite Maison on Snippet and Ink I have been a little obsessed with glitter and with acquiring glass glitter. A while ago my mother in law gave me a painting kit with canvases, tree stencils, and paint. Instead of using paint on the canvases I was inspired to use glitter.

I lightly traced the stencils onto the canvases with pencil. Then I went over the pencil carefully with Elmer's glue and used a thin paint brush to make sure the glue covered the pencil lines. After that I sprinkled Martha Stewart's clear coarse glitter all over the glue. I decided to use them to decorate our fireplace mantle for Christmas :)

{our fireplace mantle}

{sparkly tree and inspiration for my Christmas cards}

{the stencils I used}

Let It Snow

Since there is not a lot of snow here in North Carolina I decided to make my own :) Being from Colorado and living in New England for a long time I miss the snow especially in December :(

{hanging snowflakes I made from white paper and filament string left over from our wedding}

{table centerpiece I made by placing paper snowflakes in mason jars and some aqua blue candle holders from our wedding too}

Drink Parasols From Our Wedding

I thought I'd share another project from our wedding. I followed these instructions from Martha Stewart to make drink parasols for our wedding. I created them with scrapbook paper, wooden skewers, and Elmer's glue. I also used a pencil and pint glass to trace the circle, and scissors with a decorative edge to cut them out.

It took a little time to make them all but I was so happy to see how they turned out. They were placed in our signature drink, the "Fuzzy Duck" at our wedding. We still have a few left, maybe we'll use them on our anniversary :)

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend

{Thanksgiving cards I made for my family}

Last night Eric and I came home from spending Thanksgiving with his family in New Jersey. This is the first Thanksgiving we have spent together and it was so nice. On Friday my sister stopped by Eric's parent's house to visit too :)

Happy Birthday to My Mother in Law!

{birthday banner I made for my mother in law}

{card I made too}

I think it's nice that our moms' birthdays are only a few days apart :)

Happy Birthday to My Mom!

{birthday banner I made for my mom}

{bracelet I made for my mom too}

Happy Birthday Babchi

{card I made for Eric's grandmother}

On Style Me Pretty

I was so excited to see that Abby picked my starfish boutonnieres to be part of Style Me Pretty's DIY contest last week! :)

Our Family Tree

I was inspired to make our own family tree when I saw this hand-lettered family tree from Martha Stewart.

materials
11"x14" white photograph frame
11"x14" piece of white poster board
18"x18" piece of brown cardstock
24" of ribbon
brown marker pen
double sided tape
pencil
small piece of white card stock
white gen roller pen

I began by asking my mom and Eric's mom for the names and correct spellings of our family members all the way to our great grandparents. After I received all the names I created a draft of our family tree on a piece of white poster board that I cut to 11"x14" to make sure all of the names fit in the photograph frame. Then I cut the piece of brown cardstock to 11"x14".

I started at the bottom of the piece of brown cardstock leaving a little room too put the ribbon and our family tree label. I used a white gel roller pen too write the names on the brown cardstock. My siblings' names created the trunk of the tree {Eric is an only child} and then mine and Eric's name were the first two branches. I included our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents.

After all of the names were written I let the ink dry a little before placing it in the photograph frame. Finally before placing it in the frame I wrapped a piece of aqua blue ribbon at the bottom and placed a small piece of white cardstock that I wrote our family tree on and secured them both with double sided tape. I used our family tree to decorate the fireplace mantle we were married in front of at our ceremony and now it is on the fireplace mantle in our house :)