Miss Kopy Kat

Favorite Vignette

2012-03-01T14:55:00.000-06:00

Alison over at The Polohouse has invited

all of us to come to a party at her blog called

"Favorites On the First".

On the first day of each month she

hosts the party which has a different theme

every month. For the month of March the theme

is your favorite vignette. She said that we could

even re-post something that we had featured

before on our blog so I am going to the party

with my coral and starfish vignette from this past summer.

Under the cloche, I had a piece of each type of coral

that I had made using floral items from Hobby Lobby

and Great Stuff spray foam.

If you would like to see how to make some of

your own, here is the blog post about that:

Do It Yourself Coral

This was the first time I had used my new cloche

in a vignette. It was harder than I thought to

get everything underneath there.

In the large footed urn, I put my whimsical starfish

also made from Great Stuff.

I called them "Whimsical Starfish" because they were

no where close to being anatomically correct...

they just give the illusion of starfish.

If you would like to make some too, here is the link"

I really enjoyed this vignette all summer long.

Bring your favorite vignette (old or new) over to

Favorites On The First! Vignettes at The Polohouse blog.

It is an absolutely beatiful blog with so much inspiration.

Winter White Decorating

2012-02-29T17:59:00.019-06:00

The look of Winter whites is different than summer whites;

they are more off-whites like ivory and cream and

have more beige tints. The feel of winter white fabrics

needs to have a warm cozy touch, too.

After the Christmas decorations came down and it was time

to put the painting back over the mantle, I felt like it

was time for something different in the frame.

While I was looking in the poster/print section at

Hobby Lobby, a birch tree print appealed to me.

As it turns out, it was the basis for the rest of the

decorating in the living room for Winter.

The print got a new finish on it to try to

make it look like an actual painting.

There is a blog post about how that went

at Make A "Painting" From A Print.

To further the birch idea, I put birch branches

in the off white aged urns beside the "painting.

The battery-operated candles seemed like a

good place to expand on the birch mania.

They got birch branch disguises. The blog post

about how I did that is Faux Birch Candles.

All the various-shades-of-white candlestick holders

came out to hold up the birch candles.

The birch bark that I found was just so interesting

to me so I also piled some into the footed urn

(hoping that others would pick it up and

admire it too but I don't think that happened).

To bring some Winter White onto the upholstered pieces

in the room, I made pillows using warm and fuzzy fabrics.

There are a couple of posts on that project.

One is about the things I learned about fabric rosettes.

Size Matters...With Fabric Rosettes

Another pillow post is

Making Faux Turkish Corners on a Pillow

The cane back chair usually holds a rectangular pillow

with a needle point frog pattern on it.

The back of the frog pillow is a beige color so I just

flipped it over and hand stitched some left over

fabric rosettes onto it.

The dining area and living room are very open to each

other so I added some winter white in there too.

For a small dinner party in January I brought out a

centerpiece holder that I had purchased at Kirkland's

several years ago...

...gave it a couple of different white shades of

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint...

...and added cream colored roses and candles

for a centerpiece.

The picture above also shows tan and beige herringbone

table runners that were made for the dinner.

( I use the words "table runner" and "made" very loosely. When I realized that I couldn't get

paint splatters and other craft-related goobers off the table in time for the dinner, I rushed to

the fabric store and bought this upholstery material. I cut it into runner sized pieces

but didn't have time to actually hem the fabric. They did a good job of covering the paint,

and I don't think anyone really noticed that the runners were really just fat strips of fabric)

After the dinner, one of the runners came into the kitchen

area to be used under the terrariums and orchids.

The light color of the runner served to act as a visual break between the darkness

of the table and the brown soil in the terrariums.

There is a blog post on how to construct a terrarium in Terrariums Tips.

If you would like to see close up pictures of the white orchid in this

vignette, you can click on The Opening Orchid.

When I wasn't happy about the way the fabrics I had chosen

for the pillow rosettes was working out, another runner

got cut into smaller pieces and made into rosettes

to join the solid color ones already made.

I feel like we have hardly HAD a winter here in

Alabama this year and now Spring is upon us.

But, just like the Jimmy Buffett

song "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere", I know

that it IS Winter somewhere on earth right now.

I am sharing this post at

Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here

Fridays Unfolded @ Stuff and Nonsense

Somewhat Simple Blog Link Party @Somewhat Simple

Inspiration Friday @ At The Picket Fence

Potpurri Friday @ 2805 Blog

Bunny Hop @ Bunny Jeans

Saturday Spotlight @ Classy Clutter

Weekend Wrap Up Party @ Tatertots and Jello

Shindig Saturday @ Kim's Kandy Kreations

Masterpiece Monday @ Boogieboard Cottage

Sunday Showcase @ Under The Table and Dreaming

Faux Birch Candles

2012-02-29T17:11:00.004-06:00

When my winter living room decorating took on

a birch theme after I hung a new birch tree "painting" over

the fireplace, I decided my battery-operated candles

could dress up for the occasion and try to look birch-ish.

I don't think birch trees are native to my area.

The ones that we mostly see are brought in by

landscapers and I know them just as River Birches.

They are skinny trees so they are usually planted in

groups of three. Here are some river birches near my

house that I went to study to learn how to try to

make my candles look like birch logs.

There was some shed bark on the ground so I

gathered it up. There was not enough shed bark to
cover the candles so I looked for some paper to

mimick birch bark too. The closest I found was at

Hobby Lobby in the scrapbook section.

The paper was cut to fit around the battery

candles. The paper was only taped around the candle

since the birch disguise is only temporary. The pieces of

real birch bark were then glued to the paper.

They looked pretty good during the day but the

paper kept the "candle glow" from being seen very well.

I rubbed linseed oil on the birch bark scrapbook paper to make

the paper more transparent.

The imitation birch candles were grouped with some

actual votive candle holders made of small logs by my

son and his wife for my Christmas present a few

years ago. I'm not sure what kind of wood they used.

Some real candles in the dining room also got the

birch treatment. A fire marshall would not approve of

these little candles (with the paper being so close to an open flame)

but I never left them burning unless I was in the room.

Making the "birch" candles made me really study

the birch trees nearby and for the first time

appreciate how beautiful the shaggy bark on the trees is.

I am sharing this post over at

Repurpose Reveal Blog Party @ The Rooster and the Hen

Making Faux Turkish Corners on a Pillow

2012-02-28T21:36:00.004-06:00

I have trouble keeping enough stuffing in the sharp

corners on a traditional pillow. They start looking

like dog ears to me so usually when I make a pillow

I put faux Turkish corners on it.

It is a super easy technique that gives a pillow

a pleated and soft rounded corner.

High Street Market Blog did a post on these type

pillows and showed several pictures of the velvet ones

that are all over Kevin Sharkey's home.

Kevin Sharkey is Editorial Director of Decorating at Martha Stewart Omnimedia.

Here's a photo of him with his dogs and some of his many velvet Turkish corner pillows.

While the pillow cover is still inside out,

pinch pleat each corner with your fingers

about 1.5" to 2" away from edge.

The material of this pillow cover is felt and very stiff. A softer fabric would

make more and softer pleats.

Wrap the pinched fabric with string or

thread several times around tightly and knot.

You can use a sturdy rubber band instead of thread

to wrap the corner.

This is what your pillow cover will look like

with all the corners tied off:

Just turn the pillow cover to the right side and

put regular pillow forms inside. The pointy corners

of the pillow form fill the rounded corners up.

This pillow cover turned out too loose for the form.

I'm going to pull out the form and make the cover

a little smaller but here's how it looks for now:

Here's a close up shot of a faux Turkish corner

on a pillow I made several years ago.

These octopus pillows that I made for summer

have the faux Turkish corners.

The large square pillows on my bed also

have the same type of corner.

The faux Turkish corner doesn't change the look of

a pillow that much but it is an easy way to add

an extra detail to your square or rectangular pillows.

I am sharing this post over at

Tuesday Tutorial Link Party @ The Kurtz Corner

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

Winter Blues Wednesday @ DIY by Design

Thrifty Thursday @ Tales From Bloggeritaville

Size Matters...with Fabric Rosettes

2012-02-28T08:19:00.004-06:00

Really, I had not planned on posting anything

about how to make fabric rosettes when I began

making them for a pillow. There are good directions

on the internet already such as the blog post at

Craftaholics Anonymous

and the You Tube video by Jen of

Tatertots and Jello.

When I was buying the fabric for the pillow and the

rosettes, the only considerations I had in mind

were the texture and the colors.

I wanted warm and fuzzy feelings fabrics in colors of

ivory, cream and beige to go with my Winter White theme.

What I should have also considered

(and I'm sharing with you so you can keep

this in mind too if you make fabric rosettes)

is that the size of the length, width, and weight

of the fabric that you use makes a big

difference in the look of the rosette.

For example, in the above photo, the rosette on the left is made with a strip of felt 1" wide

and about 40" long while the rosette on the right is made from a strip of felt 2" wide and about 20" long.

They turned out about the same diameter but the skinnier and longer strip produced

a rosette with more detail.

This is a side view of the two felt rosettes:

The rosette on the left did take longer to make since it had more twists to hot glue but

I think it is prettier. If you are in a hurry or want a thicker rosette, go with a wider strip.

These rosettes were made with upholstery fabric:

Both of the rosettes were made with 18" long fabric but the smaller one was made with

fabric 1" wide and the larger one's strip was 1.5" wide.

They look like cinnamon rolls, don't they?

These rosettes are made of fleece fabric:

The length of the strip of fleece for both is 22" but the width of the smaller one is 1 1/4"

and the larger width is 3". The fleece and the felt fabric did not fray on the edges so if

you don't want a rosette with the frayed look, those would be good fabrics to use.

This is a side view of the fleece rosettes:

My least favorite rosettes were made with

a wimpy flannel fabric.

The rosette on the left was made with a 2" wide strip and the one on the right was made

with a 4" wide strip. Both the flannel strips were 22" long.

Because I was planning on putting these on a pillow,

I initially thought hand sewing the rosettes would

be better so that they would be soft.

This is a photo of the underside of some of the hand-sewn flannel rosettes.

I had cut a pile 2" X 22" strips of flannel to hand sew while I would be waiting in a doctor's office.

Not only did they take longer than I thought to hand sew, the fabric looked kind of like

strips of pre-loved tan panty hose...I was almost embarassed to be sewing them

in the waiting room. I had to wait a long time at the doctor's so I ended up with lots of

my least favorite rosette to use on the pillow. I used the hot glue method

for the rest of the rosettes when I got home.

Hand sewing the rosettes would be an option to keep in mind when

you want to make some rosettes for a project but you

are going to be at a place you would be "unplugged" and away from your glue gun

(like at a child's baseball practice, etc.)

If you are using different fabrics for your

rosettes, play with their placement before attaching them.

After I got the pillow covers made I did hand sew

the rosettes on for softness' sake. I thought the

dried hot glue might make the center of the pillow hard.

If you are going to be attaching your rosettes by hand sewing, be sure to hot glue the

rosettes only on the SIDE of the rosette while twisting and glueing and not on the

bottom like a lot of tutorials instruct. It would be hard to get the needle through the dried glue.

Like a lot of my projects, the pillows didn't turn out

as well as I thought they would. With the pillow form being

so large, I think it needs more rosettes which I may

add later. At least now I know which size of strip

to cut to make my favorite ones.

I am sharing this post at

The Inspiration Board @ Carolyn's Homework

Cowgirl Up @ Cedar Hill Ranch

Tutorial Tuesday @ Hope Studios

Rock and Share @ The Shady Porch

Uncommonly Yours @ Uncommon Blog

The Opening Orchid

2012-02-24T09:31:00.001-06:00

Orchids are such amazingly beautiful flowers.

I bought this white orchid to counter balance the

orange-y orchid (that I had purchased to try to

mimick a still life for January's

Magazine Copy Cat Challenge at Debbiedoo's)

in the terrarium/orchid arrangement in my kitchen.

I like orchids if I can find them at a reasonable price

'cause the flowers last a long time.

I try to find them with some buds left still to

bloom so I can enjoy them even longer.

This one had pretty flowers already on it

and four buds still to open up.

The pot had a shiny glaze on it which I

thought did not really go with the other items

in the collection so I painted it a clay-ish

color, then a flat white color, then sanded it down.

Here we are down the three buds left to bloom.

The next to the last orchid flower opening up...

Poor little plant...did I water you too much? not enough? your leaves are droopy.

The final bud opens as the first blooms on the

stalk shrivel up and drop off.

Such a pretty face.

I have never been able to get my orchids to re-bloom so this plant and the

orange-y one will be going to live with my friend who got a book

called "Orchids For Dummies" . Oh well, at least my terrariums are still alive.

(One of my favorite movies is "Adaptation" which is loosely,

and hilariously, based on the book "The Orchid Thief".)

I am sharing this post at

Wild About Mother Nature @ Grits and Glamour

Mardi Gras Supper

2012-02-22T02:35:00.016-06:00

Fat Tuesday just gives me some Cajun cravings.

I found some easy recipes that sounded Cajun

enough for me...they are probably far from authentic.

The subdued "Winter White" table setting

would just have to go and a much more festive

centerpiece would "reign" for our

Mardi Gras Supper.

The Rex Krewe is one of the oldest krewes

of the New Orleans Mardi Gras so

I brought the crowns that ususally live in

the bedroom out to be king of our tiny carnival.

Purple, green and gold were the original colors of the Rex Krewe. They became the official

colors of Mardi Gras in the late 1800's. Purple stands for justice, green for faith,

and gold for power. Rex has been King of Carnival since 1872.

Doublooms (coins) have been thrown from Mardi Gras parade floats since 1964. Each krewe now

have special doublooms made each year with their names and the date on them. They have

become collectables. If you want to know more about doublooms, here is a link

The History of New Orleans Mardi Gras Doublooms.

The recipes for the meal came from the website All Recipes.com.

I decided on Jiffy Jumbalaya,

Bayou's Mardi Gras Slaw, and

Super Easy Mardi Gras King Cake.

(click on colored text to take you to the recipe on internet)

I like to use "dirty rice"(easy boxed kind) with jumbalaya.

Bayou Slaw incorporates the colors of Mardi Gras

with red cabbage, yellow pepper, and green zucchini.

I made the Super Easy King Cake even easier than the

recipe I printed out. It's more of a craft project than a

recipe so I'm going to show you the steps quickly.

Get cans of cinnamon rolls with icing.

The recipe calls for 3 cans but I'm only having three people for supper so I cut back.

Undo the rolls and braid them together in sets of three.

Place your sets of roll braids in a Bundt (or tube) pan

or just stack them in a ring shape on a cookie sheet.

While your king cake is baking for about 25 minutes

(don't cook it for 50 minutes as the recipe says),

divide your enclosed icing into three bowls.

Color the icing green, yellow, and purple

with food coloring and put them in sandwich bags.

When the cake comes out of the oven snip a tiny corner

off of a corner of each icing bag and squiggle it on the cake.

You could adapt this idea any time of year with

your choice of colors or just leave icing white.

You are supposed to put a tiny plastic baby in the cake after cooking but I skipped this step.

Ummm...just try to pretend that the weird color is purple.

Even though I was the Queen of Kopy Kat Carnival

(and had a plastic crown to prove it)

my daughter was Princess and wore a

purple and green fascinator just like

British princesses do.

The napkins turned out better than I thought they would.

They looked almost like tissue paper flowers.

Just open out each napkin, pinch it in the middle, add another color in a stacking

fashion till you get all three nestled together. Then

wrap a piece of decorative wire (or tie a ribbon) around the base.

Bourbon Street's most famous drink is the Hurricane.

I couldn't find the original Pat O'Brien's mix or the

signature Hurricane glass but here's my substitute.

After eating our jumbalaya and slaw...

...we pulled our party poppers which shot

tiny streamers everywhere...fun!

Then time for dessert of King Cake and Moon Pies...

Moon pies started being thrown from Mardi Gras floats

in Mobile, Alabama in 1956 when Cracker Jack boxes

were banned because of the box's corners.

Mobile actually had mystic parading 13 years

before New Orleans was even founded.

A good time was had by all.

"Laissez les bons temps rouler!"

French for "Let the good times roll!"

Sharing this post at

Tabletop Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru LIfe

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

Whatever You Want Wednesday @ Free Pretty Things For You

Cowgirl UP @ Cedar Hill Ranch

Bunny Hop @ Bunny Jeans

Winter Blues Wednesday @ DIY by Design

Look What I Made @ Kreations by Kara

Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here

Rock "N Share @ The Shady Porch

Weekend Bloggy Reading @ Serenity Now

Make a "Painting" From a Print

2012-02-18T01:19:00.016-06:00

Want a change of scenery over your mantle

or other area of your home

but don't have the budget to invest in a

new painting? Here's how you can make a

faux painting by using an art poster/print.

Select a print that fits your size requirements.

This poster/print came from Hobby Lobby. It is about the size I needed to go in an existing

frame that I had. I had to cut it down some to fit in the frame. Any text will also need to be cut

off to make it look like a painting so keep that in mind when selecting a size of print.

It also helps to "fool the eye" if the print has

a painterly look to it with visible brush strokes.

Cut a piece of foam core board to fit snugly inside the frame.

Cut the print to be the same size as the foam core.

Attach the print to the foam core with spray adhesive.

When that is dry, spray the print with a clear acrylic sealer.

Using spray adhesive keeps the print from getting wrinkles and bumps that regular glue would produce.

Spray adhesive can be a mess...I always do it outside. Wait for a low humidity day to do this step.

The sealer also helps to keep the print from wrinkling when the gel medium is applied.

When the sealer is dry, apply the gel matt medium

(found in the artist section of craft stores or in art stores).

Put the medium on in the same direction that the

brush strokes on your print are going. If your print does not

have a brush-stroke look, apply the medium as if you

were painting the objects on the print, following the

shape of the object with the brush to create stroke looks.

Be sure the matt medium that you buy is transparent. It looks white when you put it on but dries clear.

Artists use the medium to add body and texture to their paints. This is acrylic medium. It dries quickly.

You can apply the matt medium with a brush or a pallette knife.

A pallette knife is also in the artist section of craft stores. This one is just plastic. It came in

a pack of about 4 different sizes for $3. I felt very "artsy" using it. It gives a different look than

brush strokes. I think the artist of the print used a pallette knife to paint some portions of the original.

You can build up layers of the medium,

letting it dry between coats.

It's a personal preference how much/how thick you want the medium to be. Even though I was using

the heavy gel medium, it took several coats to get as much dimension as I wanted on the print.

I have seen some prints in stores with the medium applied too thick (for my taste) and in a haphazard

brush stroke manner that did not look real at all.

You could apply the medium heavier than this if you like. The piece does not scream "look at

my brush strokes!" when you come in the room but up close it does look and even feel like

a real painting.

The "painting's" birch trunks go with the Winter White Decorating look that I have in my living room now. The green

of the background goes well with my wall color.

The birch trees in my area are mostly "River Birch" and

not as large as the ones in the "painting" but I

gathered some fallen branches and bark from our nearby

birches to add to the white urns on the mantle.

After the visual overload of Christmas,

I like to see the spare-ness of branches during

the rest of Winter. Here are a few photos I have

taken recently of the beauty of branches.

Sunsets...

...and moonrise.

The frame that they birches are in was once

brown and smaller in width.

It was on a (real) painting but it looked drab.

To brighten and widen it, I painted it a couple of

shades of white and added some moulding to it.

The brown portion is the original frame. I cut the white moulding with a hand saw and

used construction glue to join the miter cuts together to make a larger frame.

Then the larger frame was glued onto the back of the brown frame.

The arrows point to the joint between

the old and new parts of the frame.

Wood putty and paint can cover

a multitude of sins.

I am sharing this post at

Potpurri Friday @ 2805

Inspiration Friday @ At The Picket Fence

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Open House Link Party @ The Answer Is Chocolate

Weekend Bloggy Reading @ Serenity Now

Weekend Wrap Up Party @ Tater Tots and Jello

Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Sundae Scoop @ I (Heart) Naptime

Saturday Seven Party @ Positively Splendid

Masterpiece Monday @ Boogeyboard Cottage

More The Merrier @ DIY Home Sweet Home

Make It Monday @ Brassy Apple

Make It Great Monday @ Etcetorize

Meet Me Monday @ You're Talking Too Much

Turn the Daunting Into The Do-able @ The Project Queen

The Sunday Showcase @ Under The Table and Dreaming

Repurpose Remodel Blog Party @ The Rooster and the Hen

How to Make Deco Mesh Wreaths

2012-02-13T19:58:00.028-06:00

Deco Mesh is a common name for

poly sinamay mesh

which is a product used extensively by

floral designers and party planners for years.

In the past, I could only purchase it from a florist

but lately it has been appearing in regular craft stores

like Hobby Lobby so that even us commoners

can obtain it for use for decorations.

It ususally comes in 21" and 5 1/2" widths

and is very reasonably priced.

There are lots of solid colors and patterns available

on the internet. In my area, I only have a limited

color selection and spotty availability to buy locally.

I did a blog post a couple of months ago about how

to use the mesh to make a garland after I found

some of the Deco Mesh in Christmas colors.

How to Make a Deco Mesh Garland.

I wanted to try to use it to make wreaths also

when the need arose for a Valentine wreath

and a baby shower wreath.

Wreath forms are available in the floral

sections of most craft stores.

The day I needed to buy these, only the smaller sizes were available.

They are reasonbly priced also...these were only about $2.50 each.

I could only find the smaller size mesh too so I guess it worked out.

Deco Mesh is a fun, showy product but

it is also see-through. You need your wreath

form to be a similar color to the mesh or

it just doesn't look as nice.

I painted my forms pink since that was the main color of mesh I was going to be using.

Here are the supplies I used for the baby wreath.

A circle wreath form

Pink chenille pipe cleaners

Decorative regular wired ribbon

Decorative paper baby outfits

Start by gathering the short end of the mesh in

an accordian fashion and keep it pinched together.

Attach it to the wreath form with a pipe cleaner.

The pipe cleaners (I think they call them "chenille stems" now a days) can be cut in half for

this project. Bend the pipe cleaner into a "U" or "V" shape,

bring the ends from the back side of the wreath,

twist it on top of the form, place the pinched mesh into the "arms" of the pipe cleaner and then

twist the ends of the pipe cleaner tightly around the mesh to hold it in place on the wreath.

If you are going to add more mesh on top of your first piece, you can leave the "arms" open.

If not, you can go on and twist the ends along the wire of the form to stabilize it.

After your first point of attachment, gather another section

of mesh a little further along the length to pinch and

attach to the form. If you want to have a "puff",

attach the gathered point close enough to your

last attachment point to have some height to it.

After you get a good idea of how close together you want your attachment points to be,

you can pre-attach some pipe cleaners to the wreath form...it is a lot easier that way.

This is the wreath from behind with one

row of the mesh applied.

Yikes! I meant to leave a "tail" to hang down at the beginning

of the attachment process but forgot so this ended

up with just one mesh tail. You could add tails separately

but if you leave extra length of the mesh at the beginning and the end,

it just one less step to do.

This is the wreath with with a second

row of mesh attached.

You could leave the wreath like this. I like to add more "goodies" to

the wreaths and make them a little more substantial looking.

I added a wire-edged ribbon also

on the wreath. It can be attached the same

way that the mesh was attached with the

pipe cleaners.

The wire wreath form had three rows of wire. I put mesh on the inside and

outside row and the harlequin ribbon to the middle row.

I just used iron on letters to spell out the

baby's name on one of the harlequin ribbon tails.

After this step, I added some paper baby onsies (actually they were cupcake toppers

with the toothpick pulled out and hot glued on. Note to self: do NOT hot glue

an item on mesh and then push against it from the mesh side with your finger...

it's MESH, not solid...major owww-ey and blister).

Completed wreath for Kaitlyn:

The mom will put this wreath on her hospital room door when Kaitlyn is born.

The Center for Missing Children advises not to put birth announcement-type

items on the outside of your home advertising that a new baby is inside.

The Valentine Deco Mesh wreath was

constructed pretty much the same way

with a few adjustments for the heart shape.

In order to keep the heart shape visible, the mesh was wired closer to the

actual shape of the wire form and did not have as much "puff".

I had some left-over 21" inch red mesh from

Christmas projects that I put on the outside

layer of the wreath form.

The cut ends of the mesh tend to look messy.

To hide the ends of the mesh, pull them

to the back of the wreath and secure

them with another pipe cleaner.

Two rows of the 5 1/2" mesh were added.

This photo is after the first row was added. Instead of puffing the mesh much, I twisted the mesh

between attachment points to add some dimension but stay close to the wreath's shape.

Even after three rounds of mesh, the wreath

seemed like it still needed "something".

I added a couple of rows of polka dot

wired-edge ribbon using the same technique

with the pipe cleaners.

I like to use wire-edged ribbon 'cause it can be "fluffed up"

if needed.

(I am linking this post to "Terrific Under Ten Tuesday" blog party.

This heart wreath would cost about $10 make: $2.50 for wreath form,

$1 for pipe cleaners, $2.50 for half a roll of pink mesh, $3 for dot ribbon.)

The way that most folks have seen Deco Mesh used

in the past is for enhancing Christmas trees.

This next wreath is similar to that because the wreath

is made of the same stuff artificial trees are made of.

This is an old wreath that I have used at the hospital nursery where I work

as part of Christmas decorations. To tie it in visually with the new Deco Mesh garlands

I made this past Christmas, I added two colors of mesh to it.

The mesh was added to the wreath with pipe cleaners

in the same way the ones above were made.

You certainly can use the actual limbs on a wreath like this to add the mesh.

This wreath was skimpy already so I didn't want to use the limbs to

attach the mesh and make it even skimpier looking.

I used the wider mesh for the first layer and left the "arms"

of the pipe cleaners open to attach the next layer.

Then the green 5 1/2" mesh was placed on top of the red.

When you are through adding elements, just pull the ends

of the pipe cleaners to the back of the wreath.

Pull the cut ends of the mesh to the back of

the wreath to hide them and secure.

A freshening up for an old wreath:

If you get an actual wreath form or work garland made for

Deco Mesh, it comes with these color co-ordinated

Christmas tree-type limbs to use to attach the mesh.

This photo was taken at a florist shop.

I actually like the look of the pipe cleaners better.

They are easier to hide.

Deco Mesh can be used for lots of different holidays

and events. An festive season in progress now at

which a lot of Deco Mesh is used is Mardi Gras.

Blogger "Mississippi Artist" of "Paint Or Dig" blog

says that in Mississippi you can find Deco Mesh

everywhere even in garden centers.

If, like me, you can't find much mesh locally,

a seemingly good internet source for Deco Mesh is

Mardi Gras Outlet.

They have lots of colors and patterns available

at reasonable prices.

I am sharing this post at

Valentine Party @ Dear Lillie Blog

Cowgirl Up! @ Cedar Hill Ranch

Tell It To Me Tuesday @ Creatively Living

Table Top Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

What's in the Gunny Sack @ Gunny Sack Blog

Take a Look Tuesday @Sugar Bee Crafts

Inspiration Tuesday @ Carolyn's Homework

Wednesday Winter Blues @ DIY By Design

Primp Your Style @ Primp

Bunny Hop Party @ sBunny Jean's Decor and More

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

It's a Party! @ A Creative Princess

Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here

Hookn' Up With HOH @ House of Hepworths

Treasure Hunt Thursday @ From My Front Porch to Yours

Thrifty Thursday @ Tales From Bloggeritaville
Look What I Made Link Party @ Creations By Kara
Blogiversary Link Party @ Crafty, Scrappy, Happy Blog
Link It Up Thursday @ These Peas Taste Funny

Submerging Flowers

2012-02-10T00:33:00.015-06:00

Want a different way to display

your Valentine roses?

I have seen pictures of elegant dinners where the

party planner/floral designer had submerged flowers

in vases but I have never seen good instructions on

how to accomplish the look. What follows are

my attempts at sinking flowers in various vases of water.

I had heard that pet supply stores had "sinkers" to

weight aquarium plants down but I was not able to

find any of those locally. To try to make an

attractive weight, I wrapped wire around a rock but

the wire kept slipping off. I finally glued the wire on

with J.B. Weld adhesive.

This adhesive works great but allow several hours or overnight for drying.

The most surprizing thing about this experiement of

submerging flowers is how much weight it takes to

sink the flower and keep to under water.

One Rock

Two Rocks

Three Rocks

Five Rocks

Five rocks to sink ONE Fugi mum!

I learned to be a little mean and push the flower down into the water

to help it sink. The weight of the water in its petals aids in keeping it down.

I wasn't sure I like the look of all that wire, so I had

the idea to glue several rocks together and tie a single

wire around the rock bundle to keep the flower down.

The J.B. Weld adhesive had worked well underwater

but it was grey when it dried.

Since I also wanted to try sea glass and clear pebbles

as weight possibilities, I got a glue I thought was

a cousin of the "weld" but dried clear. It was a

"weatherproof" glue. I learned later that "weatherproof"

does not mean "waterproof"...I'm passing that life

lesson on to you (you might have already known that).

I'm sure this glue has good applications but underwater adhesion is not one of them.

I'm trying E-6000 glue at present to make bundles, and I think it is going to work .

Another sinker material I tried was big washers

from the hardware store.

It took three of them to sink a rose.

Attach one end of a length of wire (or clear line) to your sinker then wind it up

the stem of the flower. It helps to wind the wire past a leaf stem (or stump)

to give the wire something to pull against as the flower tries to float up.

If you have a short stem, you can wrap the wire around the base of

the head of the flower.

Here is a contraption for you. Four washers wired together

with three roses wired to the washer bundle...

...and sea glass to cover the contraption up.

Also attempted was a combo of rocks glued on top of a washer.

This hid the washer and supplied a base for the rocks to be attached to.

Be sure to leave the center open so that the wire/line can come up out of the center.

A big fat "fail" as a weight was to put clear weights

(like sea glass or glass pebbles) into saran wrap

or a cut down sandwich bag...

even uglier underwater than before submersion.

So here is how some of the sinkers worked:

This reminds me of the rose in "The Beauty and The Beast".

The glass vases not only magnify the flowers but create interesting

effects like the flowers being reflected on the surface of the water.

This vase used the washers as sinkers and then hiding them with sea glass.

I tried silver floral wire and gold floral wire to wind up the stems of the flowers

I think I liked the gold wire better.

Other colors of wire (found in the jewelry section of craft stores) could be used also.

I finally got the clear elastic to work but it was a lot harder to tie the knots, have the flowers

the correct height, etc. than the wire was. I originally was going to try fishing line for this

same effect but it was too thick. This is the rocks-glued-to-washer sinker.

Sometimes air bubbles would be caught on the rose petals...they looked almost like little diamonds

underwater. This rose is held by the original one-rock-one-wire sinker...it took three to hold it down.

It's not a bad look; it just has more wire around the stem of the flower.

This container is not big enough to fully submerge a flower but it could also serve

a purpose in a situation where you need a smaller arrangement.

The smaller vases could be clustered together for a bigger effect.

With the flower being weighted, it will stay where you want it in the vase

and not float willy nilly around like a similarly close cut rose in water might do.

Here is an example of where the glue did not hold the rocks together (my fault) and the flower is

free floating now. Its neighbor is still weighted down and has a more intentional look.

I moved the vases over to the dining room table

to see what they would look like maybe at a dinner.

To light or not to light...that is the question.

A contemporary look I have seen with the submerged

flowers is to also add submersible lights. I got a pack

to try them out...what do you think?

I had run out of sea glass to try to nestle the lights down so maybe they would not be so bright

(or maybe they are supposed to be like that?)

I took the submersible lights out and then just tried

good old candle light...it was a softer look.

Some random thoughts/tips:

I liked leaving some greenery on more than I thought I would.

Maybe too much greenery?

Maybe just right?

No greenery looks more contempoary (but maybe stark?)

If you use the J.B. Weld glue and want to cover the gray color

you can use finger nail polish to paint it.

This actually is a bad picture...the polish is not so shiny in real life. I got this tip from a fishing TV

show...fisherman use fingernail polish to paint sinkers on fishing line. You could choose better

colors; I wanted to buy the cheapest brand I could find to test this out and these were

the best colors I could come up with...even the cheap brand stayed on underwater.

Other types of flowers can be submerged.

Orchids are one of the most popular

but I wasn't going to buy orchids for this experiment.

On the opposite end of the cost spectrum from orchids are mum-type flowers

so if you are on a budget, these might be a consideration.

The flower does have to be strong enough to stand up to the water pressure.

This daffodil's petals just collapsed when it was tested.

If you already have the glass containers (or can borrow them)

submerging flowers is a very cost-effective way

to get a lot of bang for your buck.

The water bends the light and causes very cool effects through the glass.

I am sharing this post at these parties:

Potpurri Friday @ 2805

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

A Delightsome Life @ Blissfull Rhythm

Flaunt It Friday @ Chic On A Shoestring

Air Your Laundry @ Freckled Laundry

Free For All Friday @ Sassy Sites

Weekend Bloggy Reading @ Serenity Now

Masterpiece Monday @ Boogeyboard Bottage

Sunday Showcase @Under the Table and Dreaming

More the Merrier @ DIY Home Sweet Home

Make It Monday @ Brassy Apple

Valentine Party @ Dear Lillie

Bedazzle Me Monday @ Everything Under the Moon

Exploding Tulips

2012-02-09T17:38:00.002-06:00

My husband is not one for giving Valentine's Day gifts

so to make myself feel better about being

(most likely) flowerless on February 14th,

I purchased myself a container of tulips.

I thought these were a good buy at Costco for $10.

Not only do I get flowers now but a nice glass vase and

bulbs to plant to hopefully bloom Spring 2013

In the warmth of the sunny window,

those flowers started opening up pretty quickly.

Maybe I should have moved them to a darker location

or maybe once a tulip starts to open, it just goes quick.

Full blown here...

...and then exploding to hardly even looking like a tulip...

...but still pretty even in this stage.

Well, the tulips didn't even make it to Valentine's Day

but I enjoyed watching them open up day by day.

I'll plant the bulbs see the pink tulip blooms again when they

spring from the ground in about 12 months.

Terrarium Tips

2012-02-06T19:15:00.021-06:00

I'm not pretending to be an expert on terrariums

but I have learned some interesting tips on making

terrariums since I attempted a few for my

entry at the January Magazine Copy Cat Challenge.

I thought you might like to make a terrarium too as

a way to bring the outside in during the winter months.

This is the photo that I originally tried to copy

in the January issue of Better Homes and Gardens.

The expert inviewed for this article is Tovah Martin. She shared good ideas for making terrariums.

I couldn't find the original article online but here is a link in which she shares good plants to put in terrariums.

Another place for good basic instructions is

the E-How Terrarium Video by Willi Galloway.

Here are my favorite tips I gleaned from those sources:

Start with a clean, clear glass container that is big

enough to get your hand down inside of. Put a layer

of pebbles in the bottom of your container for drainage.

Put a 1/2 inch layer of horticultural charcoal on top

of the pebbles to keep the moist soil smelling "sweet".

Add 2-3 inches of light potting soil such as African violet mix.

Try not to get soil on the sides of the containers.

Tamp it down to remove air pockets.

Dwarf plants that like low light and high humidity are best

for terriariums. Select plants that have the same growing

requirements to go in the same container.

I was able to find tiny pots of plants at a local nursery. Disregard the big tattered fern in the background...

it is staying outside. The orchid was purchased to try to mimick the picture in the magazine.

Make a planting pocket in the soil with your finger.

Remove the plant from its pot. Remove some of the

soil from around the roots to make is easier to plant.

Set the plant in and firm the soil around it being

sure to cover the roots.

After the plant is in the container, you might break a leaf

or stem if you have to put your hand down inside.

Here are some "tools" to help to garden from above.

A funnel made from paper and tape is helpful to get more soil down near the plants

if needed without getting the soil on the sides of the container or the tops of the leaves.

A paintbrush is useful for getting any soil from planting off of the leaves

and the sides of the container.

Use a cork on a bamboo skewer to tamp down soil.

After planting, use a watering can with a long spout to

spot water each plant.

Tovah says that misters make more a mess than they

moisten the soil.

Water an open terrarium when the soil looks dry...

about every 7-10 days.

A closed terrarium can go for two weeks between waterings.

If too much condensation forms, give terrarium less light

or open the top a little for a few hours.

The NUMBER ONE reason that terrariums fail is

OVERWATERING.

The plants thrive in a terrarium with almost no help from

outside their little world. That's why they are great for

folks that don't have a lot of time to care for house plants.

You can add decorative elements to your terrarium

such as pebbles or stones...

...mosses...

...and decorative objects.

Succulent terrariums only need watering every two weeks

so they are good for very busy people.

Here are some tips for succulent terrariums:

Be sure to use a container that has a wide opening to prevent accumulation of moisture.

Put two inches of gravel in the bottom for drainage.

Use fast draining soil to plant succulents in then add a layer of sand.

Give 5-6 hours of sunlight a day.

Water every two weeks. Water should drain to bottom of container and there should

not be more than an inch of water in the gravel.

So what started as a copy cat challenge project...

...evolved into even more terrariums for my Winter garden.

My favorite new one is the planting under the cloche.

Its base is a terra cotta saucer with soil, plants, mosses

and stones added to fit within the confines of the glass dome.

I enjoyed adding pebbles and mosses to the terrariums to give them a little more color and interest.

I thought that Tovah Martin's book

"The New Terrarium" was so informative and beautiful

that I got one to share with one of you.

Just leave me a comment on the give-away blog post

that you would like to be entered in the contest.

I will have the random number generator pick

a winner on Friday, February 10 at noon CST.

I am sharing this post over at

Table Top Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

Your Cozy Home Party @Cozy Home Scenes Blog

Tell It To Me Tuesday @ Creatively Living

Make It Monday @ Brassy Apple

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps On The Porch

Tutorial Tuesday @ Hope Studios

Cowgirl Up! @ Cedar Hill Ranch and other Texas Blogs

Turning the Daunting Into the Do-able @ Project Queen

Masterpiece Monday @ Boogie Board Cottage

Anything Goes Party @ Type "A" Decorating

Wild About Mother Nature @ Grits and Glamour

Overflowing with Creativity @It's Overflowing

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

Look What I Made Link Party @ Creations by Kara

Primp Your Stuff @ Primp

Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here

Thrifty Thursday @ Thrifty Decorating

Super Sweet Thursday Party @ Fabulously Flawed

Strut Your Stuff @ Somewhat Simple

Inspiration Friday @At the Picket Fence

Terrarium Book Give-Away

2012-02-06T14:02:00.005-06:00

I had never even been interested in terrariums until

I tried to copy a picture in a Better Homes and Gardens'

article for Debbie Doos Magazine Copy Cat Challenge .

I learned so much from the expert on terrariums who was

interviewed for the magazine's article. Her name is

Tovah Martin and she has written a very informative

book on the subject of terrariums (and all their many forms)

called "The New Terrarium". The photography in the book,

by Kindra Clineff, is beautiful.

If you would like to see a peak of the book,

here is a link to Amazon's website to see some of the book.

Grab the blue button on the right side of the Amazon page to scroll down to see quite a few pages.

I have gotten a copy of the book so that I can share it

with one of you if you are interested in how to

make terrariums too. If you would like to enter to win

this copy of "The New Terrarium" just leave me a

comment below. I will use the random number generator

on Friday, February 10, 2012 at noon CST to pick a winner.
UPDATE: 21 folks entered the giveaway and the
random generator picked #8 which is Nana Diana.

I made several more terrariums

after the ones I made for the copy cat challenge.

In a blog post, Terrarrium Tips, I list the
basics from Tovah Martin on how to make a terrarium.

Terrariums are a great way to bring gardening indoors

during the colder winter months.

Sharing this post over at
Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm
Anything Goes Party @ Type "A" Decorating
Mother Nature Party @ Grits and Glamour

Daffodils In January?

2012-01-25T22:22:00.007-06:00

We have been having Spring-like weather here in Alabama

and the plants have responded accordingly.

The daffodils and other normally Springtime blooming

plants have started to sprout in January!

This is a mass planting of daffodils beside our neighborhood pond.

These daffodils got a little beat down by the heavy rains we had a couple of days ago.

There was a tornado just north of us that did heavy damage to a small community and killed two people.

Springtime temperatures bring Springtime weather too. Last April, over 200 people were killed in

tornadoes that struck North Alabama.

The Carolina Jasmine along my fence has started to bloom also.

These buds will probably be blooms in a day or two.

Baby buds with old leaves

The jasmine is full of tiny yellow buds.

These dried jasmine seed pods remind me of baby birds in

a nest with their beaks open waiting for momma bird

to bring them their next meal.

The Bridal Wreath Spirea has started to sprout new leaves.

A nearby garden center had these potted daffodils blooming too.

I'm not sure I'm ready for Spring decorating yet

(wasn't Christmas just over?) but I had to bring these

home after seeing the ones in bloom by the pond.

We will probably have some nights that go below freezing

before it actually IS Spring...I hope all the new growth

coming out now can live through it!

I'm sharing this post over at

Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here

Weekend Wrap Up Party @ Tatertots and Jello

Potpurri Friday @ 2805

Inspiration Friday @ At the Picket Fence

Anything Goes @ Type A Decorating

January Magazine Copy Cat Challenge

2012-01-22T15:36:00.000-06:00

I was inspired by an article in

Better Homes and Garden's January 2012 issue to try

to bring the outdoors inside during one of our colder months.

In the article, Tovah Martin

(who has recently written a book on terrariums)

teaches how to make your own terrariums.

She says that they are "the smallest and simplest

gardens you will ever tend".

This is a close-up photo from the magazine of the shot I tried to copy cat...

...and here is my attempt...

...and from another angle. So much light from the window made the front side of the arrangement

pretty dark in the photos. There is probably an adjustment for that but I haven't gotten that far yet

in learning how to use my new camera. I did try the flash but those photos were yucky.

The magazine photo used some "air plants" in the shot. I compensated for that

in my copy by adding some small plants in tiny pots.

The orchid is a Chaculatum Golden Pacific. The purple flower in

the dark blue pot is a Primrose in Primula Blue.

The ceramic bird (which was also in the magazine photo)

reminds us that Spring is in the not too distant future.

I am sharing this post over at

Debbiedoos Magazine Copy Cat Challenge.

How To Make a Deco Mesh Garland

2011-12-31T16:02:00.004-06:00

Deco Mesh (also goes by the name poly sinamay mesh)

has been the secret ingredient for florist

and decorators for years now. I have not seen it

available for sale even in stores that normally have floral supplies.

BUT Hobby Lobby did have a few colors this year

on their Christmas ribbon aisle and I bought

several rolls when it was 50% off.

It normally comes in rolls 21 inches wide by 10 yards long! That is a lot of length for the money.

These were normally $10 but only $5 a roll when they were on sale.

I have helped with the Christmas decorating at the hospital nurseries where I work for several years now.

A new rule this year for decorating was that if you used artificial greenery, it had to have

certification that it was fire-retardant. The greenery I had used before had no certification and I

couldn't even find new greenery that had that certification so I decided to try

something new and make garlands out of the Deco Mesh.

I looked on the internet on how to make a Deco Mesh garland.

There are "work garlands" available for about $8 for a 9 foot length but they didn't

look very complicated so I just made my own "work garlands".

The materials for the base of the garlands were

purchased from Michaels but are available other places too.

This aluminum floral wire was perfect...it was strong enough but easily to bend and cut.

The chenille stems are what we used to call "pipe cleaners".

You might find other products that work well too...this is just what was readily available to me.

The wire will show through the mesh so pick a color that will go with the mesh.

I measured out the length of floral wire needed and then

attached the chenille stems about 8" apart along the length.

This garland was 7 feet long with some extra length of wire added to the ends for

attachment purposes.

This is a base for a 3 foot garland.

Twist the stems along the wire to keep them in place.

On the garlands I wasn't in a super rush to get up, I also glued the twisted stems in place.

Gather the mesh in your hand in a folding/accordian manner.

If you want "tails" on your garland, leave some length before your gather.

Attach your gathered mesh on top of the twisted stem

and secure it by twisting the stem on top of the mesh tightly.

Gather the mesh again at a point far enough along

the length to make a "pouf" of mesh and attach it at the next stem.

The mesh wanted to curl back on itself so I had to roll a lot out (don't cut) and weight it down on the end.

Work your way down the wire gathering, poufing, attaching.

Again, if you want "tails", leave some length at the end.

For transporation purposes, I rolled the tails up and secured them with a paper clip.

Here is one of the garlands above a door.

I thought the wide mesh looked better cut into thirds on the end to look kind of like curled ribbon.

I attached the garlands to the wall with Command hooks. The garland is very light weight but I bought

the 5 pound hooks anyway.

Decorative items can be placed along the garland.

I intended to put more lightweight gingerbread-themed ornaments

at the gather points and use the chenille stems to hold them in place but that never happened.

There are four of these doors along the hallway. I couldn't put any "swag" in these garlands

because we have equipment like x-ray machines going in and out the door.

For the other nursery, I used the same technique but

different colors and some layering

I used the 21 inch wide red mesh and then layered on a 10 inch wide apple green mesh on top.

These were for a very long window so I did them in 6 foot lenghts for ease of transportation.

Here is the red and green garland with some lightweight

Christmas stuffed animals attached.

I attached the animals after I got the garland up.

I liked this shot. Through the window it shows a newborn baby getting its first bath.

These stuffed animals were only about $3 each at WalMart.

On these tails, I cut the red mesh in half. The mesh curled itself and stayed curly all month.

This door only needed a 3 foot garland. With the DIY method of making a base, you can

make the garland as short or long as you need.

When I tried to approximate a cost on a 6 foot garland (without decorations and using sale price

on the mesh) it was less than $5 each. Even with the mesh not on sale, it would have been inexpensive.

I also put the deco mesh on the old wreath to tie it in with the look of the garland.

It was even easier than the garland. I will do a post on it soon.

The Deco Mesh in this post was Christmas colors but

this same technique can be used in making garland

for other holidays, birthday parties, showers, etc.

I found an online source that I have not

used but they seem to have wonderful prices and

a really good selection of the mesh and related items:

Mardi Gras Outlet

www.mardigrasoutlet.com

Just to say again, I don't know anything about this company but I will try them in the future

if I want to make some more mesh decorations. Also they have a few DIY mesh videos

that might be interesting to watch....haven't done that either.

Sharing this at

Be Inspired @ Carolyn's Homework

Primp Your Stuff @ Primp

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

Strut Your Stuff @ Somewhat Simple

"Personal Best" Posts of 2011

2011-12-30T09:48:00.012-06:00

Sometimes the blog posts that get the most "views" or

the most "comments" are not the ones that I feel the

most sense of accomplishment or expression of

originality from. I have enjoyed having my blog SO MUCH

these past few months and have gotten great ideas from

other bloggers to "Kopy Kat".

These are posts that I am most proud of due to taking an

idea from another blogger and adapting it to my life or

coming up with an original idea.

If you would like to see the original post, click on the blue lettering in the list

below to be linked to that post.

Number 10

Pennant Party Decorations

Of course, pennants are all over blogland...they are so darn cute. This post is about a party

that I needed low cost but attractive decorations for. I based the decorations on pennants

but also came up with more ways to use the darling scrapbook paper in decorating for

the party itself and in doing invitations for the party. DIY instructions are included.

Number 9

Know Your "Stats"

I was getting discouraged with blogging about five months into it because I was spending

lots of time and energy doing blog posts but not getting many "comments". Then I

discovered the "stats" tab on the Blogger dashboard...it totally changed my blog enjoyment.

I don't hear much about that "stats" tab from bloggers...they seem to be more concerned with

"comments" but this info shows that you are probably getting more "page views"

than you know about if you are not checking your stats. The "stats" pages are wonderful.

Number 8

Solar Firefly Jars

I got the instructions for the solar firefly jars from another blogger so this is a for real

"Kopy Kat" project. I think I like this project so much because I enjoyed these little

jars all summer long. I bought lots more solar lights at end-of-summer sales to do more

experimentation on...I'm trying to find an attractive way to diffuse the light. Look for

more solar firefly mason jars in 2012.

Number 7

Black Birds of a Feather...

This blog post started out as a magazine copy cat challenge at Debbie Doos' Blogging and Blabbing

and kind of mushroomed from there. It was my dining room table decoration for Halloween.

There were lots of interesting little features and the colorful bottles were eye-catching.

Number 6

More Grass Centerpieces

After growing about 40 squares of grass from seed for centerpieces at a charity dinner, I had lots

of ideas of how folks could use this very inexpensive source for decorations. After the dinner, I

brought all the grass home and showed differing ways the grass squares could be used. I felt like

Bubba in "Forrest Gump" when he was describing all the ways that shrimp could be used.

There is also a DIY on how to grow the grass (including timing, etc.) in this post.

Number 5

Old White for a New Look

This post was certainly not original...how many dressers are out there painted in Annie Sloan's

"Old White" Chalk Paint? Wanting to join the Friday Furniture Party at Miss Mustard Seed's blog

gave me the push I needed to get this dresser finally painted after putting it off for six years so this

blog post is special to me. It's very plain compared to other "Old White" dressers I have seen

on other blogs but it did get a lot of "page views" and is my #3 most viewed post.

Number 4

Fall-i-fying

Wanting to join in on other Fall blog parties got me motivated to decorate my house inside and out

this year. Fall is one of my favorite times of year so I already had plenty of "stuff" in the attic to

pull out and display. I got lots of views from other bloggers on this post and my neighbors

all commented on how much they liked the decorations outside.

Number 3

Myrtles, Milkglass, and Martha

This is another blog post that was a Debbie Doo's magazine copy cat challenge. What I love about her

idea to have the copy cat blog parties is that it does challenge me to do something I probably would

have never done otherwise. I don't know that my final product looked much like the picture in the

Martha Stewart magazine but in the process of trying to achieve the look, I discovered that

while appliance spray paint on regular glass does give the appearance of milk glass. Now when

I go in thrift stores, I keep my eyes open for items that I could spray for my "milkglass" collection.

Number 2

DIY Whimsical Starfish

Other folks may have made starfish out of spray foam but it was a new idea for me. I called the

starfish "whimsical" because they don't have the amazing detail and beauty that a real starfish has.

You can make whole batches of them for just a little money and time. This post has

the details of how I made them to use with my DIY coral.

Number 1

DIY Coral

After lusting after the beatiful faux coral in the Pottery Barn summer catalog and knowing I was not

going to spend that much money for it, I realized that some of the floral items at Hobby Lobby

had similar shapes to coral. I bought the floral items at 50% off, brought them home and painted

them in varying shades of whites. Some of them got re-configured and stuck into spray foam bases.

This post has pictures and descriptions of how I made the coral. I'm planning on adding to my faux coral collection this summer with more attempts at "Kopy Katting" nature.

I am sharing this post over at

Best Posts of 2011 @ Southern Hospitality

Year in Review @ The Blooming Hydrangea

Potpurri Friday @ 2805

Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

More the Merrier Party @ DIY Home Sweet Home

Meet Me Monday @ You're Talking Too Much

Masterpiece Monday @ Boogie board Cottage

Metamorphasis Monday @ Between Naps On the Porch

Best Posts of 2011 @ DIY Showoff

Tutorial Tuesday @ Hope Studios

My Holly Jolly Christmas

2011-12-29T17:37:00.004-06:00

To say my Christmas decorating this year did not

turn out like I had thought it would is an understatement.

I had fully intended to repeat and expand upon last

year's theme of snow/snowflakes but after I got back

home after a week of babysitting my cute

grand daughter I did not have the time or energy to

get all of those decorations out of the attic.

All of the other houses on the street had their decorations

and lights up when I returned December 12th.

I had spend the week between Thanksgiving and the day

my flight left for Colorado decorating the church

and the hospital nurseries where I work.

My house was like the black hole on the street.

Inspiration hit me when I passed an abandoned business

that had huge holly bushes that, in my opinion,

could use some pruning. Hoping not to be arrested or

kidnapped, I loaded up my car with holly cuttings.

The abandoned business also had some boxwood that needed pruning too.

I got this old wreath out of the attic, stripped it, and started layering a base of boxwood

on top of the faded artificial evergreens.

Once I got a good base of boxwood, I added some fir

branches that I brought home from the Christmas tree

lot where I purchased my tree. Then the berry-laden

holly branches topped it all off.

Finally, some sign of Christmas decorating went on the house.

I couldn't decide whether or not to add a big red bow

but I never had the time to go back and do it so

the decision was made for me.

The urns on either side of the door got arrangements of magnolia, fir, and holly but the pictures

did not do them justice so I'm not even adding them.

Early one morning I went to my secret magnolia tree

for cuttings too. I mixed all the greenery together for

a mega arrangement at the mailbox.

I had so much holly that I also stuck it in the empty-looking flower beds...

instant holly bushes with lots of red berries.

The backdoor also got a greenery arrangement.

The ONLY decorating that had been done before I

left town for my babysitting gig was a centerpiece

that I put together for Debbie's Holiday Copy Cat Challenge.

More photos of the centerpiece can be seen at Holiday Copy Cat Challenge.

I expanded on that centerpiece and added other

silver elements and more greenery. Since I had silver

out for the challenge, I dug in the attic for more silver

items. So Debbie's challenge, along with the holly, became

the theme for this year's decorations at my house.

I have loved the bottle brush trees I have seen on other blogs so I started a little collection of my own.

Holly also got added to this centerpiece.

I found these red chargers at Ross a few days before Christmas for about $1 each.

I loved the pop of color that they added to the holiday table.

Another place that got the silver and holly treatment

was the mantle.

Silver stuff from the attic got to shine this year.

Above is a night-time shot...

...it also looked good in the day time.

Not that anyone else would notice but I also tried to keep

the holly theme going even with food presentation.

We had dinners/parties Friday night through Monday night of Chistmas weekend for different

groups of family and friends. That was the most entertaining I have done back to back in a long time.

This year's Christmas tree was done in silver.

The "jolly" part of my "holly jolly Christmas" was that I got

to see so much of my family over the holiday.

Even though we have down-sized, I was happy that the house functioned well for our gatherings.

Not only did we love seeing

each other but we had lots of fun too.

The kinect game was a "jolly" way for all ages to interact.

We just put away the coffe table and had enough room for dancing games

and action games too.

So, this Christmas the decorations were sparse

but being with so much of my family

made it the best Christmas I have had in years!

I have missed having time to blog this month!

Getting back into the swing of things with parties at:

Friday Potpurri @ 2805

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Fridays Unfolding @ Stuff and Nonsense

Weekend Bloggy Reading @ Serenity Now

Tabletop Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

Holiday Copy Cat Challenge

2011-12-04T15:48:00.008-06:00

Decorating my dining room table for

the Holiday edition of

the Copy Cat Challenge

at Debbie Doos Blogging and Blabbing

is the first little bit of

Christmas decorating at my own house

that I have done this year.

My inspiration comes from "Family Circle"

December 2011 edition.

They even give the "how-to's" of achieving the look.

I had some brass candlesticks in the attic that I have not used in years that got a

metallic spray paint update. Also, I had a couple of Dollar Tree wooden candlesticks

that even got the glitter treatment mentioned in the instructions.

Here is my attempt to copy the magazine photo.

Pretty votives that were a Christmas present last year

became mini vases to hold some greenery.

An element not mentioned in the instructions,

but what turned out to be one of my favorite touches,

was the clear glass "bubbles" in the picture.

I just bought two boxes of different sized Christmas ornaments to try to copy this look.

I pulled the hanger portion of the ornament off.

The mirrored screen in the room reflects the candles' glow.

This challenge inspired me to spray paint even more items

to add to this centerpiece soon.

I'll be posting the additions when I get back from

a fun trip to Colorado to babysit my grand daughter.

I'm posting this over at

The Holiday Copy Cat Challenge @ Debbie Doo's

Table Top Tuesday @A StroUnder the Table and Dreamingll Thru Life

Holiday Tablescape Party @ The Lettered Cottage

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

Holiday Dining Block Party @ No Minimalist Here

Holiday Vignettes @ French Country Cottage

Weekend Bloggy Reading @ Serenity Now

Sunday Showcase @ Under the Table and Dreaming

Pumpkins' Last Stand

2011-11-28T16:10:00.003-06:00

My pumpkins have really served me well since the

beginning of October when I started my

Halloween decorating.

If you would like to see my Fall decorations, here is my blog post Fall-i-fying.

Then they transistioned into just Autumn decor.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it's time to say

goodbye to my pumpkins but I had one more job for

them to do on the last Saturday of November.

My favorite team is Auburn who's colors are orange and blue.

On Saturday, we were playing our across-the-state rival,

Alabama in the biggest game of our season.

Wanting to show my true colors (even though we are having

a "down" season), I realized that if I piled all my

pumpkins up outside, that makes a fairly large pile of

the color orange. Then all I did was add some blue bows

to all that orange on the front porch.

The wreath is almost all orange too so it got a bow.

The mailbox got some Auburn balloons to go with the

(faux) orange leaves and the still blooming

kinda blue-ish clematis.

Inside, I added some more Auburn colors for table-gating

before and during the game...we just watched on TV this year.

My Auburn chips and dip set.

Orange and blue beer boxes.

We like to put an orange wedge in Blue Moon beer while watching Auburn games.

I bought this beer strictly for the color of the boxes but I'm sure it will get drunk at some point.

Fun centerpiece of an Aubie the Tiger balloon.

Food was eventually added to the table too.

It's kinda confusing but Auburn's mascot is not only a tiger

but War Eagle too. The eagle flies over the field before

home games in Auburn, Alabama.

This is a picture I took of the eagle flying before the game on TV.

Here is a one minute video of the eagle flying before a game if you would like to see her in action.

We had to cheer a lot before the game 'cause once the

game got started, we didn't have much to cheer about.

This is also a picture taken of the TV while the team was coming out on the field.

This is my daughter and me with our Auburn tatoos.

Auburn did lose the game but Alabama is ranked #2 in the nation right now...

we weren't really expecting to win this year.

So farewell, my pumpkins...you will have to go now...

all the neighbors are putting up their Christmas decorations

(and some of you are, well, getting moldy).

I am sharing my Auburn table-gate setting at

Table Top Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

and

Anything Goes Party @ Type A

Miss Kopy Kat

Favorite Vignette

Winter White Decorating

Faux Birch Candles

Making Faux Turkish Corners on a Pillow

Size Matters...with Fabric Rosettes

The Opening Orchid

Mardi Gras Supper

Make a "Painting" From a Print

How to Make Deco Mesh Wreaths

Submerging Flowers

Exploding Tulips

Terrarium Tips

Terrarium Book Give-Away

Daffodils In January?

January Magazine Copy Cat Challenge

How To Make a Deco Mesh Garland

"Personal Best" Posts of 2011

Top Ten Posts of 2011

My Holly Jolly Christmas

Holiday Copy Cat Challenge

Pumpkins' Last Stand