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!

Happy New Year

I came home from work on Wednesday and decided that it was time for the Christmas decorations to be put away. After the kids and I ate dinner we got right to work. They were such troopers...they were putting things away in the attic as I was busy packing the boxes and containers. Of course, everything has to be packed with care so that is usually my job. We worked until well after 10 pm but finally had it all put away! Whew!

Once that was done, I felt things looked a bit bare. Well, we can't have that can we? I then spent the next hour or so just moving things around and giving things a new home.

In September I was at a festival in Marshville and found this little gem in a ladies booth. I walked by and stared at it about a dozen times do the whole "do I NEED that....where am I going to PUT that.." but then I decided...what the heck. I have always loved the grapevine beehives and then said "but I WANT that" so as she was packing up her booth, I went back and bought it.

It sat in a corner for a while until I visited Beth at Olde Tyme Marketplace and picked up these cute lights with the brown cord. They were exactly what I needed! It's new home is in the dining room right beside the old white corner cabinet that my grandpa built 50 years ago. Love it!

Then as my mom and I were shopping a few weeks ago, I came across these cute little birds. They look old and chippy which is what makes them AWESOME! The look perfect sitting in the middle of the dining room table!
Then it hit me, I was gonna add more little birdies to the dining room. I went back to Olde Tyme Marketplace (can you tell I LOVE that store?) and picked up these oh so fabulous metal napkin holders with what else...Birds on them...

Finally, I moved this cute little hat that I bought years ago into the dining room. I reminds me of a hat my grandma used to wear so when I found one at a little shop made into a birdhouse, I just knew it was coming home with me! Well, that was a little tour of the dining room and all the little changes I made. Who knows what I will get into this weekend! I have started a mini bedroom makeover so...there is no telling what will get moved around for that!

Hope you all have a great New Years!

~Prim Blessings! Nicole ~

Christmas 2010

I hope everyone has had an amazing Christmas! I know I sure have! It has been a long time since I have blogged but I have missed it so much and finally wanted to take a little time this evening to show off some of my Christmas goodies.
For the past few years I have been making ornaments for my Christmas tree little by little. The goal was for a 100% handmade tree (except the tree itself of course). The final touch this year was some burlap that I cut and used as garland. I loved the natural look of it! A few of these items were gifts or swap wins from other bloggers that look oh so awesome on the tree! I used some red and white homespun as the tree skirt and loved how it all came together!

Also, I decided to make our stockings this year. I had been using primmed Santa hats upside down but wanted something that would coordinate more with the tree...so I made burlap stockings! I lined them with a softer fabric and added the cutest stars!

I had an old nail barrel that needed a little life to it so I bought a few cheap candy canes from the Dollar Store and covered them in some prim fabric. It was super easy... I just stained some fabric strips and glued them around the cane. Then I added some left over greenery and lights and there it was...I had a few extra strips of stained homespun left over so I just used it around a little tree that I had in my bathroom. I just put the tree in an enamelware bowl that I have had for years....

I made a few candy canes out of pine cleaners and sprinkled with Mica flakes, put them in an cute basket and added some berries that I had picked up from Olde Tyme Marketplace. Found the cutest place for it on an old scale.
I was really happy with how everything turned out this year! Kinda hate boxing it all up in the attic for another year!

I also wanted to share a few of my favorite prim gifts that I received this year! My mom found me the most wonderful prim picture. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Saltbox houses and this one was full of them...

Then my most wonderful boyfriend got me some things that any prim lover would DIE for! First is an old desk that he fixed back up ....
(See the snow falling on it!! We are actually getting a white Christmas here! It has been like 55+ years since we have had a White Christmas here! YAY!)

He also found an old mattress and cut me over 90 something bed springs! He had them in a wheelbarrow there were so many!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! I hope to be able to get back to blogging...I miss you guys! Merry Christmas and have a very safe New Years!

Prim Hugs ~ Nicole