Beautiful Things

I started using Pinterest recently, and it has made me realize how much I love beautiful things just for the sake of being beautiful. I suppose it's why I went into interior design...I believe that being surrounded by beauty can enrich our lives! Here are some of the lovely thing I'm loving today.

1. Per usual, birds and branches (or in this case, wires). I don't know if I'll ever stop being obsessed with bird silhouettes.

2. Anything ruffly! I must be going through a girly phase, because I'm addicted to flowery, ruffly, girly things and colors.

3. Terrariums are hot right now in the craft world. I have supplies to make one, but I don't think it would make a cross country move very well, so I'm holding off until we are in Colorado.

4. Chevron (obviously!). It's the new houndstooth. Remember when houndstooth was back in last year or whenever? I'm so glad we have moved on to chevron!

5. I love these faux deer heads that keep popping up everywhere. As with the terrarium, I plan to make one of these after we move.

6. I can't explain the bunting craze, but it is darling!

To see other beautiful things that have been catching my eye lately, come visit me at Pinterest!

Stuff I Made: Necklace and Earrings

I spent all day yesterday crafting away! One of my favorite little know-hows is the pom-pom. It is incredibly versatile - you can use cotton, or fabric. You can use it for jewelry, a shirt or pillow embellishment, or a headband. I like Little Miss Momma's pom-pom tutorial the best of any I've read (and I've read a lot). I made both a headband and a necklace. The headband didn't photograph well...more about that in a minute.

I also ordered these vintage looking leaves from an etsy supplier. I want to make a matching necklace, but I don't really have any jewelry making knowledge so that is a challenge that I plan to conquer eventually!
So, there are different levels of blogginess. You can tell the good blogs from the bad because the good ones have really fun, colorful graphics and professional looking photographs. The bad ones have headers that have what look like hand drawn pictures that were scanned in and either really bad pictures or no pictures at all. I think I have the cute graphics down, but unfortunately my pictures suck. I have a digital camera, but it is both crappy and packed away at this time. All of my pictures are taken on my phone and then edited in picnik. I dream of having a nice digital SLR so I can take my blog to the next level and be more like Pioneer Woman! If only they weren't so expensive!

Flower Headband

A lady at work complimented me on a headband I wore one day. When I told her I made it, she asked me to make one for her too. I attempted this with some chiffon-type fabric (since that is what mine is made of), but it turned out REALLY badly. It was hideous! Disheartened, I postponed any further attempts for awhile. Today, I was finally ready to take on the flower headband once again. This time, I used an old cotton tank top. I was unsure of what the result would be, but it turns out cotton works well! I asked little J. to be my model.

The one on the left is the original and the one on the right is the one I made today. The purple one turned out so great I sort of wish I wasn't giving it away! I guess it's a good thing I have more of the fabric left : )
If you want to join in the headband making fun you will need:

1) fabric - both flowers are recycled, one from a skirt and one from a shirt

2) a headband

3) scissors

4) hot glue

5) felt

6) a button or a brad

To make the flower, use the same method I used for the medallions in the Monogrammed Wreath only with fabric instead. I discovered the flower is sturdier if you hot glue it to a round piece of felt. Once the flower is finished, cut another felt circle the same size and put it on the inside part of the headband. Then glue that to the bottom of the felt on the flower.