New Hobby....& LOVIN' IT!!

I have always had a LOVE for antiques.  Growing up, I loved going to my grandparents house and looking at all the old furniture and trinkets they had managed to keep all these years!  Furniture was my favorite...all the intricate detail and craftsmanship...they just don't make furniture like they use too. 



Here over the past few months, for some reason friends of mine have been giving away furniture :)  Not that I am complaining one bit!!  But it has really got my creativity flowing. (not that my husband likes that, that means work for him too!)

So here is my latest project:

A friend of mines mom gave me this the other weekend!  My first thought was 'where will I put this?'  But I always find a place for something!  My youngest step sons dresser was falling apart...that cheap particle board stuff doesn't hold up very long.  So i am switching out furniture...this one in my room, my current one goes to my older two girls room & their current one goes to my step son!  See, there's always room for furniture! :)

Before

Drawers: Before

This was the only drawer with the swirl detail on it..I love it! 

BUT I took it off for now and will be making a trip to Lowe's soon t

o purchase this and add to all the drawers :)

Bottom scroll piece...LOVE!!

(not a great pic...I need a new camera to replace my phone)

These are the original drawer pulls!  There was only 4 on the

whole dresser :(  I cleaned these up and put them on the

2 upper drawers for now.  Haven't gotten any pulls for the other

drawers yet...TO DO LIST!!

Hubby didn't want it "stark white" sooooo we add a lil

bit of coca brown to it, to give it an aged/antique color

**both colors are left overs from other projects**

Drawers after 2 coats of paint (sanded 1st of course)

*sorry for bad quality of pic**

Upper drawers...LOVE the curved drawers :)

After paint

NOW...time to sand and antique these some :)

I had to put twine in the drawer holes until I get drawer

pulls...hey whatever works :)

I took a sanding block and ruffed up the edges and corners

and some on the drawer facings.  SORRY my camera

does NOT do it justice!  Very proud of this!  Will post

pics when I get the drawer pulls on!

If you want to see some awesome furniture re-do's, go visit

Liz Marie!  She is an inspiration to me...I love her work and creativity!!

xoxoxo

Amanda

**Upcoming projects:  night stand and head board re-do, built in seating and new dinning room table using current furniture and some scrap wood and re-do of my sewing table and chair**

Trying...

I am trying to learn how to sew...big step for me!!  My hubby's step mom gave me a little sewing machine..and I mean little!!  It's basically like a beginners one but I have SO many things that I want to do and I cant do it on this machine.  SO I am getting frustrated to say the least.  Its not heavy so it moves on me.  I have have been practicing on my lines and pivots and things like that to get better.  So it has helped there.  But I have came to the conclusion that I am going to buy me a REAL sewing machine next week!!  Still going to practice on this little on for a little while longer just to get the practice in.  I did actually sew pleats on it so that excited me...it doesn't take much!!
So hopefully I will be a sewing queen before too long :)

Weekend Fun...

This weekend was very busy for me!  I clean a house on Saturday mornings and this time I stayed a lil longer to get some things done since I didnt clean last weekend there.  Then came home and colored my sister-n-laws hair for her.  Then made our trip to the grocery store and back home...I was exhausted!  Then yesterday something hit me, & I scrubbed my house like a mad woman!!  I am very sore today like I was at the gym for hours or something!  But last night I managed to make some headbands for some lil girls and they turned out really good!  One was just basic...the lil girl didnt want anything too frilly or baby-ish and she loves turquoise and pink, so this is what I came up with (my daughter loves to model these!!)

I saw this looking throw different felt designs and I love owls so I def had to try to make this and I was very pleased with how it turned out!!  Josie loved it :)

Starting to sell some things now which is always exciting when people like what you make!!  I just enjoy making things and seeing what all I can come up with!



M.I.A

I have been sick lately!  My husband started with a sinus infection that he put off FOREVER since he is so stubborn!! :) Then I ended up getting the crud!!  I think I was M.I.A in my own house the past few weeks, at least it felt that way!  I am not a pill taker but I had to take something and WOW...hope I didn't embarrass myself too much at home! But, FINALLY we are over it and I can get back to making some things!!
I have to make some more butterflies and lady bugs for a friend and finish up on my own daughter's headbands they are wanting!  Busy Busy

New ones...

Been working on a few things lately and 2 of these I was very proud of.  Was a little weary at first but they turned out great and *T* loved them for her little girl! (Pics are not great...took with phone!  Need new camera ASAP!!)

Felt Button Butterfly on purple headband

Felt Lady Bug on Leaf

 Made these next two for *A*'s little girl...loving some felt of course :)

I made these next two as just a "trial"...idea popped in my head so I tried it!  I love twine...I used it a lot in my wedding and it's very rustic looking which I love! So I thought "why not us the twine as a headband and just tie it?"...turned out better than I expected!!

This is my FAV!!!  Very vintage looking!  Wore it to work and got a lot of compliments!!

My husband keeps telling me to sell these.  The ones I made for *A* & *T* I did not charge for...they were my "Guinea pigs" so to speak...word of mouth goes a long way!!  But who knows...I would def sell if the interest was there!

New Projects...stoked!!

Finally got time to do somethings last night without being interrupted...which is very rare!  Sometimes I think my husband is one of my kids too! (gotta love him)


Josie was my model last night and she LOVED it! She kept asking her daddy if she was pretty and if she looked cute!! (we are def going to have our hands full with her!)


**these were taken with my phone, very bad camera on the smartphone I have, that is more dumb than smart :)**

This one is made out of felt...LOVING felt right now, so easy to work with!  I made this to match a sweater she has!

Felt Rosette's....I found it easier for me to do these than the fabric ones.  To each their own!

I am making more tonight for Lil miss *T*, her mommy is a long time friend of mine and requested I makee her precious girl some hair accessories.  Though she doesn't have much hair...headbands will be made :)

New Year...Clean Slate

I always hear people around this time of year saying that their resolution is going on a diet.  I'm not really sure how many people stick to it but it's a good plan I suppose.  I think mine are a little different for once!  Life was never meant to be easy and it sure didn't come with instructions or a manual! 
My husband and I have had it rough...financial wise, the past few years.  BUT we always seem to make it to the light!  2011 is a new year and fresh beginnings!  Never too late to make a fresh start!

Goals for 2011:

* Stay ahead financially and put back $ in savings
* Pay off my car (**BIG one**)
* Redo all the plumbing in our home--work in progress
* Finish remodeling our bathroom (that I have been without in what seems like forever)
* Build our patio before summer gets here
* Tear up carpet in the house in put down hardwoods and ceramic tile
* Start making more things by hand instead of buying (clothes, decor, personal accessories) & maybe possibly selling them
* Re-gravel the driveway or save for pavement (the ground has ate my gravel :0)
* Go back to school, even if it's just taking certificate/training classes (never too old to learn)
* Work on making an upward job move within my company (not holding my breath but will work on it)
* And most importantly...continue keeping my faith...nothing else helps me to become a better mother, friend and wife!

Working on some projects this week.  Hope to have them complete before this weekend! 
**There are 24 usable hours in everyday!**

Candace & Aliyah

Last Tuesday I took my older two daughters to have their hair cut.  I am usually the one that "trims" their hair for them.  But for sometime now they have been wanting it "chopped off" as they call it.  Well me being hesitant as I am about that...their dad and I agreed.  A family friend of ours runs her own shop in Newton, so that's were I took them.  They were so excited...me on the other hand was VERY nervous.  She cut off about 9 inches a piece on each of them...and they LOVE it!



Candace Before





Aliyah Before



All grown up

Buttons

I found some old pictures the other day and happened to run across some headbands I had made for my daughters earlier this year.  I am really bad for not taking pictures of things I make, but I'm working on that.  My older 2 have to wear uniforms to school so the only way they can express their "fashion" at school is by what they wear in their hair (they dont have restrictions on that)!

Candace's wearing her button headband

Some more colorful ones they wanted made

I also did some with bows on them.  The one in the middle is their school colors and the others were their picks of ribbon :)

Making some more this week but with fabric made flowers and feathers!  Cant wait to see how they turn out!

Some of my creations from my wedding:

Had to have "something borrowed" for my wedding so I borrowed this black flower hair clip from one of my bridesmaids and I added the black tail feathers to it

Pink and white silk carnation pomander...I placed these in the church on vintage candle holders I had in my house

Our Programs were made with pink construction paper and I printed them on regular print paper, used a hole puncher and added the brown twine

I'm not very "traditional" when it comes to weddings...I never really cared for the pillow that the ring bearers carried.  So I made this for my younger stepson to carry.  I took a piece of square foam, wrapped it with package paper, hot glued the moss, satin black ribbon and twine.  Then topped it with a silk white carnation flower

For the reception, we covered the tables with with white table linens, I used brown packaging paper as a table runner.  For the centerpieces, I spray painted cans (food cans and cat food cans...cleaned of course) with a crackle finish, hot glued brown twine around the tops and tied off in a knot, then added moss and the carnations. I found some "bling" jewels on sale in our colors and tossed them in between the centerpieces



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And last, the bouquets...made them out of silk white carnations, pink hydrangea's, green fuzzy's and added a green Gerber daisy to mine to be just a little different from the others and added black feathers

Welcome

Welcome to my blog!  I have had a few on other sites with a friend of mine (wedding/party planning) but I am on my own now!  I have been "creating" for a while now.  Started with making bows and headbands for my daughters to wear.  Then started selling them in a local boutique where I live.  I moved on from bows to other things...feathers and buttons are an obsession of mine!  I have recently started tinkering in fabrics.  Not much of a sewer but I am learning!  Also starting to crochet and knit with my older two girls! Always looking for a way to save money and not have to buy everything but instead try to make it!