Another Furniture Makeover: {Book Shelf from a China Hutch}

 Yay! Another project is out of the garage and in the house being used! ( I sort of promised my husband recently, that I would not purchase any more pieces of furniture that need a makeover...at least until all the ones we have are finished...since it kind of takes us a while to finish one. ☺)  Last Spring,we bought this great hutch with a shelf for china. We only paid $50, and it was from at least  the 1960's- maybe older. Here is the before:

 The bottom part was intended to be used as a hutch for the T.V. It still looks like it does above--we'll get it refinished sooner or later. The top piece we planned to turn into a book shelf for the boy's room. We turned it upside down, and added a few dowels and pieces of wood across the front. We primed it, painted it... (spray primer and spray paint of course)  and finally hung it on the wall. (let's just say we have some pretty cheap-o drywall in our house so we had to reinforce it w/ some screws on the outside to hold it up.) But hey- we finally have a nice bookshelf- that allows the books to face forward, so you can see which book is what.

I love it. And I'm happy that our garage holds one less project. Thanks to my awesome husband....for helping me finish it and hanging it up for me!

(Now back to nursing some sick children back to health, and disinfecting the entire house! Gotta love the flu....)

Happy Holidays!

Burlap Word Ornaments {Revamped from last year} + simple tutorial

Remember these from last year:

Well I liked them a lot. BUT... I like the revamped version I made this year even better ☺

Here it is:

Here is what I did:

Burlap Word Ornaments with Ruffle

Click here for a detailed tutorial from last year.

1. Instead of buying burlap, I bought the burlap trim that has red thread down the sides of it. I found mine at Walmart, but you can find it at any fabric store. It is very inexpensive- less than a dollar a yard. I made about 6 with one yard.

2. I stamped my letters using acrylic paint and foam stamps. If you are new to using burlap and stamps- here is a tip: not all stamps are created equal. Some stamp well on burlap and others do not at all. So you may have to do a little experimenting. Even using stamps I have used before, I still messed up a little bit and had to start over. ☺

3. For the ruffle- I ripped a 1-2 inch piece of fabric and ran a gathering stitch down one side. Then I gathered my ruffle to the right size, and hot glued it to the back.

4. Next I hot glued the twine to hang it up with. You could use ribbon or a piece of fabric for this.

Then I used a piece of muslin and hot glued it to the back- to cover everyhing up and give it a finished look!

And that is it!

So which version do you like better?

And if you have worked with burlap, what do you like to make with it?

Happy Decorating!

A Christmas Wreath {take one}

 Inspired by all the great wreaths out there- you people are amazing!!- I decided to try making my own.
This was the first time I had done these fabric rosettes- and I was in a hurry- but they are so easy and fun to do!

This was one of those- not planned- just pull stuff out- and change as you go- projects. :)

I'm not in love with it, but I love the idea! And I want to make another better and bigger one .

Thanks- to all you creative people- for inspiring me to try something new!

The Tree is Up!

 I did not participate in Black Friday this year, (I know what a shame-just kidding) !!
Instead, I watched all the really fun shows on HGTV while putting up the tree! (and HGTV might say I over-decorated my tree...but who cares. :) )  I love it!
My oldest even cleaned his room and made his bed and his brother's bed all on his own! He is such a good boy :) And then they helped me decorate the tree! Christmas is such a wonderful time of year! I love it a little too much :)

I hope you had a fabulous Black Friday and found some great deals!

I have some fun holiday posts coming up!

Happy Holidays!

thanks for reading!

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

This is a great little video with people on the streets of NYC telling why they are thankful. Even in times of adversity, we can be thankful for all that we have been given. :) Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! May we all be thankful for the wonderful blessings we have in our lives! :)

Turkey Hands + Placemats {preschool/kids crafts}

 Since Thanksgiving is mostly about eating turkey, (and being thankful-of course), we made hand-turkey place mats in preschool today. They turned out really cute and the kids can actually use them over and over! bonus :)

 I picked up some dollar place mats. We used acrylic paint to paint our hand, and then stamped our hand on the place mats. I used some of my rubber stamps to do their names beforehand. :)

We also had a little Thanksgiving Feast- a roll with butter, some turkey (a rotisserie chicken) and some homemade pumpkin pie with whipped cream. Surprisingly- most of them loved it all! We played a few little turkey games- and it was a fun little day!

I am thankful for so many wonderful things- for all of you - for reading and leaving nice comments, for all the amazing creativity that is out there- that you all share! Thank you for enriching my life through blogging. ☻ It truly has blessed my life!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Crafting with Kids: Alburquerque the Turkey

This is a fun little song you can add a turkey craft to and have a great activity for the kids at your Thanksgiving Gathering.

 Here is one Turkey Craft- construction paper, scrapbook paper, googley eyes, and a popsicle stick to make a turkey puppet

And here is the cute little song that is sung all over- your child probably already knows it!

Albuquerque the Turkey


(Tune: Oh My Darlin’ Clementine)

Albuquerque, he’s my turkey,

And he’s feathered and he’s fine

And he wobbles and he gobbles

And I’m awfully glad he’s mine.

He’s the best pet you could get yet

Better than a dog or cat.

Albuquerque, he’s my turkey

And I’m awfully glad of that.

Albuquerque, he’s my turkey

He’s so cozy in his bed

Because for our Thanksgiving dinner,

We had scrambled eggs instead.

We also did our coffee filter turkey craft in preschool this year :) Notice you can't see their faces- except for my child :) and that is obviously on purpose. You will not see my student's faces on this here blog :) -for privacy issues of course

And if you need a cute story to read to your little turkeys- make sure you check out The Turkey with the Terrible Temper- a great little story!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

End Table Makeover {in yellow}

 This table cost me $7 dollars at Goodwill. Of course- it had potential!

 I found it back in June and finally found time to finish it!  yay!

Thanks to advice and inspiration from All Things Thrifty Home, I am happy with the end result.

 I could not find a color of yellow I liked. So I decided to experiment and use machinery spray paint from Ace in Caterpillar Yellow Gloss. It worked and it was the perfect color!So in this case- I'm glad I took the risk and experimented with this paint.  The hardware was spray painted with Krylon oil rubbed bronze in Satin.

Simple steps are: clean it; prime it- we always you Bin Zinsser spray primer. It is a little more expensive than the primer you brush on-but  it is worth it.

After that dries, we spray painted the yellow. The trick with this table (half plastic and half wood) was waiting and waiting. I used about 2 cans of spray paint maybe a little bit less- and coated to twice-but I had to wait 5 days in between for the paint to cure.

 

If you want to do the glazing- adding the black into the cracks- refer to this post. It was a huge help! I bought the Faux Glaze from Ralph Lauren (about $14 for a pint that lasts forever- as you only need a little) and then I added some to an old pint of black paint. This part was very messy. I would put it on with a rag, and then using an old toothbrush, I brushed it into the cracks and grooves. Then I wiped it off with another rag and let it dry. If I thought there was too much, I used a rag with a little water on it, and wiped the extra off. It isn't perfect but good enough- since it was my first glazing job!

 And here it is in the room instead of in the garage:

I hope it doesn't look like the sun and a rainbow got together and threw up. That is not the look I was going for. Hopefully it will all come together and look nice.  I have 2 more tables and many other projects in the works. Let me know what you think- and if you have done some furniture -refinishing lately- please share- I'd love to take a peek!!

Pumpkin Pie Cake {Sweets on Sunday}

This is a family favorite and a great addition to a Thanksgiving Dinner!

Some people make a similiar version called Pumpkin Dump Cake but personally I like this recipe MUCH better and it is super easy and quick, looks like it took more time,  and is  delicious -if you love pumpkin pie like we do!

Pumpkin Pie Cake

1 box yellow cake mix

1/2 cup softened butter or margarine

1 egg

Mix well and take out 1 cup to save for the topping. Press the rest in to a 9 by 13 pan.

Filling:

1- 1 lb. 13 oz can of pumpkin

1 cup sugar

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

(or you can use one can of pumpkin pie mix)

Mix well and add:

2 eggs

2/3 cup milk

Mix until smooth and pour over the crust.

Topping:

1 cup of the cake mixture

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup melted or softened butter

(I omit the butter here and add more sugar and cinnamon. This cuts out on the fat and still makes a good topping. This is what was done in the photo. )

Mix well. Break into small pieces and add all over the top of the cake. Bake at 350 for about 50-55 minutes.

Cool and top with Whipped Topping or Cool Whip. Store leftovers in the fridge.

A few weeks ago we made this twice in the same week. What can I say- we love pumpkin stuff in our house!

Happy Sunday!

Miracle Blanket Winner and a Discount!

Thanks for all that entered the Miracle Blanket Give-a-way! It is the second one I have been able to do on this here blog- - and let me tell you it is one of the best baby things I have ever seen! I tried some others, but nothing worked like the Miracle Blanket!

The winner is... Stacia. Congrats!! She just had her 5th baby, so I'm sure she will put it to good use!  You have to respond to a posting on the Miracle Blanket Facebook Page to claim your prize!

IF you did not win but would still like a Miracle Blanket- they have graciously offered a DISCOUNT!!
The code is FALL2010 and gives you $5 off a Miracle Blanket at their website. It is good until November 16th- so don't delay!!

ON another note, I have been doing project after project around here! Just waiting for paint to dry so I can finish a few of them....:) I am planning on re-opening my etsy shop with a few fun things and car cozies.
Stay tuned....(just gotta sew sew sew a few more things..and then find time to post it all :))

Deal of the Day: Free Custom Photo Books from Snapfish

In case you missed it, Snapfish.com is offering 2 photo books FREE when you buy one. So if you have some free time today- get your free photo books! Offer ends today!

(I had to do it first to make sure it worked...and it did!)

Go HERE for the code! (it is under special offers if you go to the home page.)

Give-a-Way: The Miracle Blanket

THIS GIVE-A-WAY is not CLOSED. The WINNER will be announced tomorrow! Check the MiracleBlanket Facebook Page for a list of winners!

Give-a-way time ☻ If you have a baby or know someone who has a baby or is having a baby soon, this is a must have for a newborn! I love this blanket! I wish I could use it on my 3 year old to help him sleep through the night- ☻ Obviously- I'm kidding- since my 3 year is a little big for this :)  ...- but you know how when you have a new baby, and you wish you could just get some sleep? This little blanket really does the trick!

Last year, when my baby was a newborn, I borrowed a friend's miracle blanket. It worked so well at helping my baby sleep, that I had to get one!  Well the Miracle Blanket Company is graciously giving away another one! (retail value is about $40)

Want to win one?

Here is what you do:

1. Visit the Miracle Blanket Facebook page and add them as a favorite. (one entry)

2. Become a follower or a google reader of My Little Gems. (5 entries)

3. Leave a comment- tell me why you need a Miracle Blanket. (1 entry)

THERE IS NO NEED to leave additional comments for additional entries. Just let me know what you did for your entries in your comment. You do not need to leave a separate comment for each entry- don't do that :) Just tell me what you did in your comment and I'll figure it out :)  

This give-a-way runs until Monday at midnight, CST. Winners will be announced on Tuesday next week and have 24 hours to respond. :)

 You can watch a short video clip on how the Miracle Blanket works here.  The Miracle Blanket has been seen in many magazines and on TLC's Bringing Home Baby. It also has a Lifetime Guarantee. I think it is a must have for any one who has a baby!

Good Luck!

Toy Story 3 Coupon

If you haven't gotten your Toy Story 3 DVD/Blueray yet, get it now with this coupon at Disney Movie Rewards. Offer ends soon so don't delay!  (You might have to sign up for Disney Movie Rewards.)I love Disney Movie Rewards! This coupon gives you $8 off! And just a little note: Every time there is a Disney Kid's Movie released, there is a coupon! I always buy the DVD's the first week they come out- with the coupon. You get it for the best price that way. :) Want a better price? There is a Campbell's Soup rebate (which is on sale at Target this week) and a Battery Rebate- when you buy Toy Story 3! You can almost get it free! Click here for rebate details.
 ....(p.s. Target also had a deal if you bought the Sound of Music and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang- you get $5 off this week only)

Fun Stuff is coming...

Hi Readers-
I have a few fun posts in the works- including a few give-a-ways! Just need to wait on a few things...so thanks for your patience! Stay tuned and thanks for reading!