C r a f t B r e a k : K n i t t e d H e a d b a n d s

My dear Mom made all of these lovely knitted headbands for me. They are so much fun to wear! Here's a tutorial to make your own.

T u e s d a y T u n e s : G e o g r a p h e r

"Kites" by the band Geographer. Loveee it. Enjoy!

C r a f t B r e a k : C a t T o y s

Today, I made these toys for my furry little girl. Just used some felt and other fabric scraps. Stuffed them with catnip and kitty had a grand ol' time playing until she was all tuckered out. Got the inspiration for them here. 

T u e s d a y T u n e s : J o o k a b o x

One of my favorite songs from a local Indianapolis band, Jookabox. I've seen them perform at several events and art shows - always a lot of fun! Also, great album to listen to on vinyl.

C r a f t B r e a k : E l b o w P a t c h e s

I've been super excited to try adding elbow patches to one of my cardigans since I saw this post over on a "A Beautiful Mess".  Due to lack of patience and some frustration on my end, my ultra talented and crafty mom ended up doing most of the work - but hey, I cut out the hearts! 

Just mark where you want the patches to be, it helps to be wearing the cardigan when you do this. Once marked, pin on the patches and stitch them in place. I used a blanket stitch to give a nice edge to the patch.

Love how this turned out. Adds just the right touch of whimsy to an otherwise typical cardigan. 

S u n n y S a t u r d a y

Filled this gorgeous Saturday with the company of a dear friend, brunch, thrifting, whole foods shopping, cooking up one of my favorite quinoa dishes and snuggling with the kitty.  Also got quite a bit of work and school assignments done. All in all, a lovely and productive day!

S w e e t R e c o v e r y

Received this lovely and tasty delivery yesterday evening!

Silver lining to being sick? - Definitely.

C r a f t B r e a k : C a n d l e H o l d e r R e v a m p

Revamped this rusty, dusty, 50 cent GoodWill find with some suds, sandpaper, and silver spray paint.  Quite happy with the results!

T u e s d a y T u n e s : B o n I v e r

Bon Iver seems to have a knack for making beautiful music.  Love both of his albums.  Goes particularly well with a cold, cloudy, snowy day and a hot cup of coffee.  

C r a f t B r e a k : V a l e n t i n e s D a y

Although I'm definitely not one to get caught up in the Valentine's Day pageantry, (well at least not since elementary school when we all dressed up in red and gave out valentines and candy to the whole class) I did enjoy making these appliquéd felt valentines (which I gave to my parents) a couple years ago. It seemed more than appropriate to post them this week. So happy Valentine's Day! Spend it with someone you love whether its your sweetheart, a dear friend, or family.

W e e k l y G e e k y : T o o l K i t

Every girl needs a tool kit. Here is mine. My dad put it together for me shortly after I moved in to my apartment and it has come in quite handy, especially for hanging pictures, decorating, and even craft projects.  Now, I'm definitely not the handiest person when it comes to making repairs or putting things together, but I have picked up some skills over the years. Plus it's always fun to figure out how to fix something. Also quite fun to be able to tell the guys at the auto shop that I rotated the tires on my car (with guidance and help from my dad of course) and that they did not need to do it. 

And here's a great maintenance tip - speaking from experience - always keep a plunger on hand so you don't end up with a flooded bathroom at 9:30 at night and have to call the building maintenance man out at night in a thunderstorm. Thankfully, it was just running water that overflowed... and none of those other unmentionables....

O n e O f T h o s e D a y s

...and this pretty much sums up my day... 

T u e s d a y T u n e s : F u n

Holy geeze, I am currently obsessed with this song. I've been a fan of the band Fun for awhile now and this lovely combo with Janelle Monae has definitely been on repeat since I first heard it.

C r a f t B r e a k : P o m P o m F l o w e r s

Here is a quick and whimsical project.  Pom Poms can add a fun touch to your decorations and have many different applications from gift-wrapping, to flowers, to garlands. Check out a tutorial on how to make yarn pom poms here.  I used craft glue to add floral stems to my pom poms and cut out some felt pieces to add for leaves.  Definitely adds a touch of whimsy to the coffee table!

F o o d i e : C r a n b e r r y R o y a l e S o r b e t

My Dad made this Cranberry Royale Sorbet with a recipe from "Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home". I got him this book for Christmas  - which was a great find.  Not only does he like the book, I get some delicious ice cream out of it!

W e e k l y G e e k y : W i n e B o t t l e L a m p

 

     Here is a wine bottle lamp my dad made out of an extra big wine bottle. We have also made a few others using regular size bottles. These are simple to make as long as your patient while drilling the hole! You'll want to use a drill bit like the one pictured above and insert the lights through the hole. If the lights are too big to fit, you can clip the wire near the plug, add the lights from the top of the bottle and reconnect the wires. These look great in person and add a lovely glow of light!

C r a f t B r e a k : B e g i n n i n g O i l P a i n t i n g

I finally decided to take a college art class this semester so I signed up for an intro painting class.  The medium of choice is oil paints, which I have never used before.  This is the first project where we learned to mix colors to make the hues, tones, and shades. So far it's been a great learning experience! I love experimenting with new mediums and techniques so I think I will enjoy this class.  I have a feeling it will also be a bit of a challenge for me to hone my life-like painting skills but I'm excited to see what I can accomplish.