Handstamped Clay Tags!

My newest addiction is clay tags. I LOVE THEM! There are so many uses for these and they are so cute! I started small with just small words and things and now...wowsers! I have made tags for almost everything! Gift packages, showers, decorations, you name it.

The first ones I made I had gift wrapping in mind. I thought these would put the perfect touch onto my neighbors thank you gift. My daughter just graduated on Saturday so when we got home she had left her the cutest gift on the porch. This was her "thanks".

I then moved on to sprucing up some of my prim items around the house. I made a few with pretty generic sayings on them to hang from vintage bottles, old graters, basket handles, etc. Just to give it that extra oomph! (sorry the picture is a bit fuzzy)

Recently I thought about making a few for a friends baby shower. "Evan" is to be their first child and we were looking to do something a little different. I started making a few of the clay tags to use as Balloon weights and then I plan to make more to tie around the napkins on the tables. These are going to be adorable with baby blue ribbon!

I will be sure to share many more pictures once I get them all finished with ribbons but I was on such a kick to blog I couldn't wait!

Hope everyone has a great week. I plan to be knee deep in clay to see what else I can come up with!

Happy Memorial Day!

I hope everyone is enjoying their long weekend! I know I have! My son's 15th birthday was Saturday so we had a cookout for him. Today we are going to have another cookout for Memorial Day...any excuse to cookout works for us!I didn't get too many goodies made last week with the Dancing with the Stars and Idol finalies I was busy (shhhhh). I did work a little on some soaps. I have the cutest primitive soap holder in my bathroom and usually have the aged grungy soap on there. Since I have an unhealthy obsession with stars, I thought I needed to put some "star power" in the bathroom.

I made two batches of these cute star shaped soaps. The first was the regular looking soaps. I thought guests would be more willing to use the "cleaner" looking soap! haha

The other was the old grungy looking soap.

I was so happy with how they turned out! They smell sooo good too!

Now, I wonder where else I can put some "star power!"

Candles, candles and more candles!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Mothers Day Weekend! Mine was rather eventful but I think that is becoming the norm around here!

This weekend I received an order from an Ebayer needing a rather large order of candles. I was so excited! Nothing like getting that yummy scent throughout your house .....NICE! I worked on them for a while Saturday night and finished them up Sunday afternoon. She even order a few Rose scented candles with the grubby texture! I had never made a rose grubby but there is a first time for everything!

I also made a batch of Apple Cinnamon candles ....

my favorites were the little grubby tapers....

So at the end of the day, I got to spend the day doing what I love and the house smelled amazing!

Now I just have to get busy making some cute items to put on the box of rusty bedsprings I got as a gift! Can't wait to share what I come up with!

Hurry Up Spring!!

Today was a beautiful day in the Carolinas! I have been so busy with all of my DIY projects inside I thought I would take a break and work in the yard a little. I stared at the front of the house and tried to get my list of things I needed from Lowes. I thought I had it all planned out. My plan was to find some topiary trees for the old wooden planters I have had for a few years. I have never planted anything in them that I really liked. I get to Lowes and walk around the Garden Dept forever. I saw they had pavers on sale, fencing at great prices...ooohhh I wanted to do a complete overhaul! I came back to reality quickly and remembered I was by myself and did not have my lovely assistants with me (the kids). I picked up my topiary trees and about passed out when I seen how expensive they were! So I kept walking around, the employees had to have thought I was losing my mind because I think I walked up and down each aisle 20 times! I noticed a guy with the most wonderful clearance gun marking down a whole rack of plants. As I got closer, he pulled out a rack of Ferns! He said they were having about another 40 delivered tomorrow so he had to get rid of some to make room. I had to think, where can I put them, what can I do with them?

So I kept walking and thinking and then I thought, what if I put the FERNS in the old wooden planters....would it look right? I put back the pricey topiary plants and picked up the marked down ferns. I thought I would go ahead and get a third one for the building I have out back to hang off of it. I bought all three ferns for the price of ONE topiary! I picked up some dark brown mulch and of course a new spring flag for the porch and was on my way!

The first project was just to try the ferns in the planters and let me say I LOVE THEM! This is with the new Spring flag. It says Home Tweet Home ... how cute!

This is an old milk jug full of sunflowers beside an old rocker I picked up at a thrift store for $15

about two years ago!

The favorite thing about my front porch is my swing. My brother built it for me a few years ago and I LOVE IT! I usually sit out on it and read the latest Country Sampler magazine!

Next weeks project is installing tile flooring in the kitchen. It will not be near as fun as working in the yard today that is for sure! Hurry Spring! I recently discovered a whole new list of projects I want to do outside!

Do it Yourself...

For the past few months I have become addicted to the DIY Network. They tell you how to do anything! My kids joke that they can't believe I can watch hours of DIY programming!

As I had mentioned before, I live in the home that my family grew up in. It was my grandmothers home so my mother and aunt lived here and then of course, my brothers and cousin and I practically lived here throughout the years. Needless to say, it is in need of a few updates. My ex-husband and I completed a few projects but after the split a few years ago, the progress came to a standstill. That was until I discovered the DIY Network!

I haven't blogged much late

ly because every spare hour is spent working on something around here. I started small and changed out the frosted glass on the front door to a more updated style using Gila Films. This product was so easy! The Lowes salesman assured me I could do it myself but it would be best to buy the application kit. My daughter, (my lovely assistant) and I had all 6 panes completed on the door in less than 30 minutes. I even decided to put the film on the back door so I could get rid of the dreaded blinds!

All evening I kept staring at the door and what a huge difference it made! So much light was able to come through but I still had the privacy I was wanting. From then I have been hooked on the DIY projects. I have completed numerous projects including the largest which was removing my back door, adjusting the hinges so it wouldn't scrub the floor when opened. I then decided to go ahead and paint the door and put in all new molding on both the inside and outside.

It is so bad that now when I stop in Lowes, a few salespeople ask "Nicole, what are we working on this week!" I have even started purchasing my own tools!

My favorite moment was when the salesman was helping me with the exterior door trim and asked who was I going to get to cut it for me. I told him I had a Skil saw and a Jig Saw so I would be cutting it myself. He said "Wow, here you are in a skirt talking about cutting lumber!" IPublish Post told him, "Yes, I am an accountant so I can do your taxes and then help build your house to claim on your taxes!"

I love the feeling of getting these things completed myself. I have to cut back on my DIY Network or I am going rebuild this entire house!

Next project I will try to remember to take pictures so that I can share with my handywork!