DIY Knot. Tie. Ta-Dah Necklace....

Feel like making a necklace today?

Want to see how easy it could be?

All you need...

natural cording, beads, awesome knotting skills, and imagination 

Cut your cording, 34 inches should do the trick. Center your bead....

Using your awesome knotting skills, tie a knot on each side of the center bead

Measure 1/4 inch out from that knot, on each side, and tie another knot

Add another bead, tie another knot to secure this bead

And...

TA-DAH....

Just tie it with a pretty bow in the back and

your ready to wear necklace is made!

Too easy...and so pretty!

What a Week!?!

This past week has gone by in a whirlwind! So many exciting things have happened that it still all sort of feels like a dream, and no, I'm not ready to wake up just yet!

A few weeks ago a reporter from our local paper contacted me about my business....my business?? It still shocks me that I get to call what I do a business, or work or any of that...trust me, if you had asked me this time last year if I would have ever thought a real live reporter would be asking me to talk about my business I would have told you that you were crazy!

I never dreamed that I would wake up and be so excited to go out and get the paper....

This would be my big {just turned 5 last week} helper boy. He was pretty excited too....no, not about momma being in the paper, his excitement came from being able to buy the paper all by himself, you know, because he's five now :)

My heart was literally racing when I opened up the paper....I don't know what I was expecting, but boy was I nervous. What if the reporter told the world {and by world I mean the town where I live} that I am really a crazy person. That I talk too much...that I was wearing $5 flip flops from Old Navy {because I couldn't find any other shoes anywhere in our house at the exact moment I needed to leave}....that I had spit up on my shirt and at the last minute had to throw on something kind of like a cardigan on over said shirt to hide the stain because I didn't have time to change....

whew, I was nervous....

 But when I did open the paper....this is what I saw..... 

And then....I cried. Tears of joy, and boy were there a lot of them. 

Then I sent my momma this picture with the text, "Momma, I did it!!" and I am pretty sure she cried then too...

The very idea that what I am doing now, making jewelry that makes other people happy, just absolutely blows my mind. The very idea that my friends both near and far...some that I have never even met in person were telling others about me ..... and they said so much that it meant that a reporter called....it's not very often that I am at a loss of words, but the thought of this does it to me....

Blessed, humbled and overjoyed.....and I still can't believe I get to call this a job!

You can read the full article HERE

You can even get a look at my mini-me there in the picture with me....she told me, "I just knew we were going to go into business together, and here we are in the paper together!" 

Sounds like a plan to me :)

Thank you all for following along for this crazy, fun ride! I promise to get back to posting DIY projects, tasty recipes and stories from our life...but for now....I'm still dreaming, remember ;)

The Boy in the Middle....A letter From Your Momma

My sweet, loving, patient and kind boy.....

Today is your birthday.

Five years old. The time has passed so fast. Everyone warned me that it would happen that way so I took time to slow down and watch you grow. You have a wonderful way about you that makes me smile just at the thought of you....

My sweet. loving, patient and kind boy....

You are the second child in our family. Right in the middle. You had to learn to be patient, learn to wait your turn. You realized that you would never be the "first" to do things....but you handle it all in stride. You proudly take your victories where you find them and still, ever so patiently, wait for you turn.

My sweet, loving, patient and kind boy.....

Today you are five. Five means lots of things, this is not lost on me. Five means kindergarten, a whole day of me waiting to hear about your day. Five means new friends, new adventures....

Five means I have to let you go a little. Share you with the world.

But no matter how many years go by....

You will always be 

My sweet, loving, patient and kind boy....

And I am so very, very proud to be your momma.

Happy Birthday to you, Bryce.

Love,

Momma

Psst....I'm Over Here today!

Today I am celebrating a very special friend's birthday!

To celebrate I am giving a gift to one lucky winner....

Find out more over at Handmade By Hilani's blog, and be sure to wish her a happy birthday from me too!

She's using Mod Podge.....Again

Mod Podge......

Have I told you lately, that I love you?

All a girl really needs in life is

Okay, so that might be a stretch...she also needs a good pair of jeans and someone to tell her that her butt looks good in them...

But now, I'm just getting off track...

Mod Podge and I get along great.

 So great in fact that I think I should have stock in the company by now.

This is what we did together yesterday

And to think...it all started with this little garden caddie that I picked up at Junk-N-the Trunk

To get started...I mixed up a little homemade chalk paint

{2 tablespoons unsanded grout to 1 cup flat pain}

I love this paint...no need for sanding!

I painted the entire piece an antique white

While it was drying I went in and found this awesome image of a French pastry label from the wonderful, amazing, oh so generous Graphics Fairy

Well, actually...it's the mirror image of said label...and only as I am writing this post did I realize that the wonderful, amazing oh so generous Graphics Fairy already have this mirror image ready to download.

I spent {apparently} too much time trying to figure out how to do this myself...when all along it was right there for me...oh well, at least I learned something new!

So...to transfer this beautiful image, I got out my trusty Mod Podge and, with a sponge brush, applied  an even coat over the image.

I then placed the image face down on the painted caddie and waited {not so patiently} for it to dry....

When it was completely dry, I dipped my fingers into a little water and started to slowly rub the paper away...

Taaa Daaaa....

Like magic.

Don't put your Mod Podge away just yet...

I still needed to seal it...and wouldn't you guess, I used Mod Podge for that too

I mixed in a little brown acrylic paint to some Mod Podge...the goal is that it would give it a slightly aged tinted look...

And, I think it worked like a charm.....

And there you have it....time to get out the Mod Podge!!

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