friday link love.

man, am i glad it's friday. it seems like my whole little world is sick right now, and i'm just trying to stay in the game. i made progress on organizing last weekend, and hopefully i can continue the process in the next few days. in other news? i'm trying to stifle my lust for a new camera...

here are some links from the week:

i love starburst mirrors. the price... not so much. love this great diy from modhomeec.

this doily lamp makes me smile. via that's happy.

great sewing tips over on make it and love it.

everything LEB shared this idea to dye fabric lamp shades. love it. considering i have no idea what to do with a lamp in our bedroom... this just may work.

this sour cream brunch cake sounds delish. via little birdie secrets.

these pompom shoe clips are a.dor.a.ble. thanks grosgrain for making me want to make dozens of these.

loving this diy picture ledge on chez larsson. i've considered building something similar, but don't know where i'd put it...

amazing stenciled floor over on ashleyann. d would never (ever) let me do something like this, but i think it's fantastic.

okay friends... stay well!

weekly photos challenge | tired

tired::

i realized yesterday that i missed the perfect photo opportunity. my daddy bill (aka grandad) has been in the hospital a few days; visiting he and my memom is almost torture. she is so tired. he is unforgiving and older than i remember. it's been especially hard watching the people you love grow older, knowing there is an expiration for everything. wishing i had brought my camera, but wondering if i would have the courage to snap those photos i would cherish. the photos that would not be about the people, but about the crow's feet and smile lines. the twinkle that is still there after so many years.

instead i dig, pulling fond memories from my closet. these shoes that are inanimate, but have grown their own personality over a number of years. i cannot stand to wear them, but can't bear the thought of throwing them away.

i recently stumbled upon this list of 53 weekly themes over at dps (a great place to learn more about photography, btw), and while i'm not going to do the whole 365 thing, i would like to get out and photograph something new every week. i think this is a great way to start thinking outside the box and develop my photographic style (and, you know, get better).

i'll post at least one photo a week for my challenge here on the blog. since i'm a little behind, i'm going to try and play catch-up since it's only a few extra themes. also, i'll probably have a little write-up for each photo. a little prose, if you will...

friday link love.

wow, another week come and gone. i realized that my lack of posting might not entirely be my fault. you see, by the time i get home after work, there is only so much sunshine left in the day. hence, it's the sun's fault i don't have more to show you right now. you believe that, right? i've got some thoughts for posts and diy projects... hopefully i can figure some of that out this weekend while it's bright outside.

make it and love it shares a great post on freezer paper. i plan to get some of this to run through my silhouette!

i've been making a few of these felted wool roses this week... they are kind of addicting. via pretty handy girl.

i've been hearing about the wonders that are kale chips. luckily, door sixteen posted about them and reminded me to give them a try! will have to remember this at the grocery store this weekend...

loving this loft featured on desiretoinspire.

this diy bow belt is another to go on my list of things to make. via say yes to hoboken.

have a wonderful weekend!

friday link love.

sorry, i've been a bad blogger (again) this week. i've always got ideas for posts, and then BAM! it's friday and i've done nothing.

since i'll be home this weekend, i'm hoping to clean out some closets and get things a little more organized. since i brought home a slew of new clothes from last weekend's shop til you drop event, i need to get rid of some things i don't (and probably shouldn't) wear anymore.

also, i tried out my silhouette this week. about time, huh? and it. is. awesome. i will definitely post some photos of things i've cut out... but expect to see projects, my friends. i've already agreed to help cut stuff out for a baby shower and a wedding for this year, so it will get put to good use.

anyway, on to the links...

as someone who is thinking of someday building a custom home, this article about kitchen renovations is a good read. centsational girl goes over several things i hadn't even thought of.

loving these mirrored closet doors over at the lettered cottage. they make everything look so much more modern.

this bathroom before and after over on the happy home is lovely. it's amazing how different the space looks.

how cute are these cardboard faux logs? d*s always has great diy projects.

i really love the test tube spice racks i've been seeing and was reminded of how easy one would be to diy when i saw the tutorial over on dream book design.

need a cool baby shower gift? i'll be making these diy baby wipes for the next one i attend! via what can brown blog for you?

this article on altering jewelry got me thinking about a few pieces i could easily combine. i have a few bulky pieces that could be broken down and added to other pieces... over on make it and love it.

also, a few (new to me) blogs that i love:

tearing up houses

a pretty penny

bright bazaar

old brand new

have a wonderful weekend!!

friday link love.

wow, the week really went by quickly! i'm off to amarillo this weekend to hang out with family, and hopefully add to my wardrobe (aka shop til you drop).

some links from my week:

i really loved this bleaching and overdying fabrics idea ashleyann shared today. i could really see something like this in the form of pillowcases for our bedroom...

great necklace tutorial that's been upcycled from an old tshirt. i've got plenty of those hanging around... via a pretty penny.

love love love these illustrations by ricardo cavolo. found on design work life.

everybody likes sandwiches shares her favorite recipes of 2010. many of them sound amazing... you should check it out.

this ikea hack is ingenious. now, if only i had an ikea nearby... found on little green notebook.

these rice krispie treat cupcakes sound both delicious and evil. i swear i will try them someday. on cupcake project.

i must make this nina ricci inspired flower sash someday. from ruby mines.

have a lovely weekend. i hope to get myself in gear and actually post some stuff this year!!

goodbye 2010, hello 2011.

as 2010 nears to a close, i've started thinking about this past year and how it has changed me. as much as i wish i had the power to change so many things that have taken place - those events have ultimately made me a different person and altered my path in life significantly. and it was not all bad this year - there were many wonderful things that happened as well! let's just say i'm ready to get 2010 behind me and start a new year.

so what do i have planned for this next year? i've written down a few things that i'd like to take charge of. because if i've learned anything this year, it's that life is fragile and you don't know what will happen tomorrow.

my health. it's not that i eat junk food all the time or don't get any exercise... but i could stand to do more than i do right now, and that will be a priority starting now.

my family. is there much to say here other than i need to spend more time with them?

my organizational skills. those need some help. i need to put on my big girl pants and purge the stuff that i really don't need and organize what i do.

my sanity. i've been feeling the urge to paint (not the walls) and i've got a few ideas in mind with where to start. art was always an outlet for me and even though it's now my job to be creative, i've still got to do my own thing every once in a while.

my house. it needs some tlc. there are still projects unfinished that are driving me crazy and i'd like to get some work done on it this year. we're not going to live there forever, and i would prefer not to wait until selling time to fix it up a little.

my blog. i am really going to try and post more content: more photography and design stuff. definitely more house updates, diys and tutorials.

what do you want to do in 2011?

diy photo calendar.

now that christmas is over, i figured i would go ahead and post a little tutorial on these fun little calendars. this idea branched from wanting to share my photography with my family, friends and coworkers. i wanted to give something useful, but pretty to look at.

the idea of a calendar had already crossed my mind when i found this martha calendar posted on another blog. i figured i could substitute the frame with a wooden block and go from there.

so, this isn't so much original, as it is borrowed and improvised. and my directions are a little vague, but it's not rocket science! and you could use whatever photo you'd like, some pretty patterned paper, cool fabric or even glue something 3d to the top.

acrylic gloss medium, metallic acrylic paint, wooden blocks (cut to 4x6), and photos, not pictured (4x6)

my father-in-law was kind enough to cut these blocks for me out of scrap wood. he also sanded everything down for me. if you own tools, this would be easy for you to do at home or the guys at the hardware store could probably cut the wood down for a price. i painted the edges and some of the top in case the photo didn't quite make it to the edge. if i had these to do over again, i would have probably stained the edges dark for a different look.

once the paint dried, i brushed acrylic medium over the top of the block, being careful not to get any on the painted sides. i handled my photos by their edges and carefully placed them on top of the glue. adjust the photo to get it in the right spot and then turn it over on top of a clean piece of paper and stack with books until dry (a few hours).

you may wonder why i didn't use mod podge... i don't have very good luck with that product, so i didn't even try it for this project. basically, i can never get it to not bubble up on me. however, acrylic medium dries clear and has an incredibly strong bond. it never once produced bubbles while i was adhering my photos, and i was very happy with the end result. feel free to use whichever adhesive you would like for this project though.

very small cup hooks and picture hangers

after your photo is glued down, now the cup hooks and hanger can be added on (technically this can be done before the glue... it's your call really).

i found the cup hooks at home depot. they were the smallest i could find anywhere, and were only sold in packages of 4. very disappointing when you need 40. basically, i measured half an inch in on the bottom edge and pushed a dent into the wood with a pen. this gave me a guide to screw the hooks into.

the picture hangers are from walmart and are sold in packs of 5. these are the type that you hammer directly into the wood. you could also glue ribbon to the back, or route out some of the wood for a more flush look. to attach these, i measured in from the sides to the middle and marked the center. i then placed the hanger over that center dot and pushed down (i kept my ruler straight across so the hanger wouldn't be lopsided) to mark my spot and then hammered them into place.

for the actual calendar, i created my own in indesign, printed them onto cardstock and had them trimmed by a friend with an industrial cutter. i used my small hole punch to create holes half an inch from the edge to match my hooks. it's not shown here, but i actually made a template to place over my calendar pages so that i would know exactly where to punch. i will try to upload/link to the calendar template so that you don't have to figure that out on your own! i just have to find it on my old computer first...

then just place the pages on the hooks, hang on your wall and enjoy... or give it to a friend! these calendars were what was packaged in this post if you need some wrapping ideas. these would be great new years gifts or just something thoughtful for a friend.

i received lots of positive feedback on the calendars i gave to my family, friends and coworkers, and i guess next year i'll need to print out a 2012 calendar for those that i've given these to! i was a little apprehensive to be giving handmade gifts to so many people, but everyone seemed to enjoy and appreciate the work that went into them.