You are My Sunshine

I've had this darling plaque from AKA design pinned to my gotta make this board on Pinterest for months and months.   Here is hers - sooo darling!

AAAAND...  here is mine finally finished.   I'm super happy about it. I decided to do a fabric bunting on mine instead of painting it on.      Whatcha Think?

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A Giveaway

I just wanted to share with those of your that read my blog this awesome giveaway that is going on right now. The giveaway is for a free photo session !  Yips who doesn't want that !!!!  Here is the link to the giveaway and a few photos of my gorgeous sisters work.   Head over there now and enter.   Exciting!!!  Below is the link!

 

 

 

 

 

Ginger Snaps Photography

Yes I'm Alive - Not that You're Still there! Ha!!!

I'm not gonna say much about why I haven't blogged in over a year but I had several good reasons.  However,  I would like to start checkin  in from time to time.   I thought I would just real quick like share my Anderson family's heirloom chair.  The hubby and I recently gave it a new life.  It used to be orange and tufted.  I love orange and I love tufted but this was just out of date.    SEEEE!    yah!

 BEFORE

 

    I mostly wanted to share it to get some good opinions on what if anything you think I could add to it.   While I realllllly love the fabric and I am pretty proud of the hubby and I's job that we did on the reupholstering -  I'm not sure that I love the stark white of the wood.   What do you think ?   Should I antique it a bit with some dark stain rubbed into the cracks and dents.     ANY ideas???  

AFTER

Don't pay any attention to that spray foam in the brick vent over there.  Great work honey buns!   I'm gonna paint that - one day!!!     We've done alot of updates in this room actually.   Hubby recently put in that mantel/shelf system over my fireplace for me to break up the brick.  It's wonderful - I'll share more on that later.      

Thanks for stoppin in!!!   

Just a Little Show & Tell

I just thought I would share this super cute idea that I found. I'm sure you've seen it already. Hello, this just makes giving Valentines sooo so much more fun. Don't my kiddos look super duper cute too! I edited the pictures in Picnik - if you don't know picnik - well , you should - it is soo easy and super fun to use. I even upgraded to premium membership because i love it so much and now when I say that I LOVE YOU more than Picnik you will know that the love I have for you is big time love. Right? Right!

*Oh and don't forget to imagine the big ole sucker we will stick in their hand for their classmates!

OK, now for some Show & Tell! 

For my birthday this year my good lookin hubby made me this beautiful dresser.  It's amazing - just like him!

We got the idea for it from Ana White but like everything my hubby does he changed it up a bit.

Oh and I just wanted to share a picture of the blanket I just finished for my daughters teacher.  She just had a baby boy.  Thomas James.   I'm loving the little doggy! 

Here's my V-day decor! 

Hey eighteen25 girls looks what I did with your printable!   LOVE!

Yup and here again in my entryway hall!  Poor lighting - sorry!

 Kar, if you read this - possesion is 9/10ths of the law -  Right!  

My good friend Karen made most of the stuff you see in this picture and she said to display it at my house while she was out of town - she wanted someone to enjoy it!  Thanks lady!  You might not get it back.

Here is my living room all made up for V-day!

Don't you love that heart pillow - you can find the tutorial on how to make that over at V & Co!  Darling & super fast to make! 

xoxoxooxo

Valentine Canvas Ideas

Sooo, have you seen all the darling free printables out there in bloggy land?  Yah, its crazy good!!!

It sure makes for cheap decorating.  So, I just wanted to quickly share with you what I've done

with some of mine. Can I first apoligize for my camera - Sorry!  Now that thats outta the way have a look.

This one above is actually one I paid for but it was cheap and too fantastic to pass up.  This is where I bought it if you want one for your little self. 
OHH OH and check out all their stuff because it's just darling and like I said cheap.

This one above you can grab here at less cake more frosting.  By the way I love her blog and her hair!

Tis True! It takes alot of Moxie to pull off that hair and I think she does it sooo well!

Ok, and the one above is not for Valentines Day but it's just down right fantabulous so I must share.

It's from one of my favorite bloggers  Cheri over at i am momma hear me roar.  She has it in a couple of color options too!  Thanks Cher!  Can I call you that?  Oh and if you wanna know how to make your own she just recently did a tutorial on that too - using Picnik. 

Alright its pretty self explanitory but what I did was:

First I sent the printables to Costco - My fave because they offer Lustre finish in one hour. Don't think anyone else does that and lets face it I'm impatient.  I did mine 8 X 10 size.  Ok, then I purchased an

11 X 14 size canvas at Hobby Lobby (can find them anywhere however).  I found some cute fabric at Walmart (that doesn't happen to often) and it was polkadots so I had to have it.

So you just lay your canvas on top of the fabric and leave plenty of space around the edges to wrap to the back.  You can glue it back there or use a staple gun.   Then I just covered the canvas with Mod Podge and I also put some on the back of the print.  Now just center it and smooth it down.  I then covered mine with more Mod Podge over the picture but you certainly don't have to.  I liked it liked this but I'm kinda crazy about adding flowers to everything so I quickly made up some and hot glued the little darlins to the top corner of the canvas.

Now if you notice on one of them I used newspaper (i especially liked the crossword puzzle section) to cover the canvas edges.  Just rip up strips and Mod Podge them randomly on the edges -wrapping them around the back and front a tad bit. 

Now get to it and let me know if you do any of them.  I would love to see them. 

OH OH and LOOK what I did with Cheri's tutorial on making your own printable.  It's not as great as hers but it's my first one so I think it's OK.  I'm the new Young Womens President in my ward and this is the Young Womens Theme.  I wanted to make it for the girls so they could do their own canvas.

                                                        Also linking up to Tatertots & Jello

Ballard Knock-Off Ornament Pillow

When I got my Ballard Designs catalog in November I spotted thee most adorable Holiday pillows with some big price tags. I immediately thought I'ma gonna make those! Well, I'm sure you've already seen Jen's of Tatertots & Jello version of them - I did and Jen I love em. 

Here's mine. 

I don't have a tutorial but it's pretty easy peasy!

I just did some freezer paper stenciling for the brown ornaments & then appliqued on the other two with some decorative stitching.  Added a bit of real ribbon here and there for some texture.  VIOLA!! This pillow is super GRANDE I might add - I had to use a King Size pillow to stuff it.

Thanks for reading my blog!

Big, Big Love

participating in these link ups:

Funky Paper Christmas Trees Tutorial

So, I know that there are a few different versions of paper trees out there but, I can't resist showing you my take on the ole Paper Christmas Tree.

I decided to do a tutorial about half way through making these and so the photos are lacking but its pretty easy to grasp.  These ones below are the ones I just finished up last

night for my cute Mom.  Sorry Mom if you read this - hate to spoil your surprise. She, like myself loves fun & funky things!

I've really gone a bit crazy making these, in fact I'm doing them for teacher gifts. Here's my kitchen tree.  This is what we call the straight version - no curls on the ends of the

branches. ( if you want curls just curl the ends around a pencil) I just put this one in a pot I already had.

These ones here are the first ones I ever made & that was

about 3 years ago - I've added new ideas to my current ones

that these don't have - like the glittered bases.  However,

one thing I've always loved about these ones is the ornaments

I hung from them & the star on top.

It's an awesome project for kids too - infact let them make their

teacher gifts. My sweet girl made this one below for her

bedroom.  Love it!  No trunk on this one but still

darling!

Ok, so you are gonna need these things:

1-paper mache or styrofoam tree shape

several different fun papers ( I used 12x12)

a dowel - I used 5/16 but it don't matter

a wood base with hole drilled the size of dowel

hot glue gun

paint ( I used silver)

glitter - totally optional but Oh how it sparkles!

something fun to put atop your tree

Let's get started.  I used 12X12 sheets of paper and cut 3" X 11/2" strips from that - with no wasted paper.

Here's were my pics are lacking.   Start at the bottom of your tree form & work your way to the top.  Working with your hot glue gun now put a strip of glue across the top of one of your paper strips and glue it so that about half of the strip is hanging below your tree form. The next strip will slightly overlap the one before it.  As you

work your way up the tree stagger your strips of paper and make sure you always overlap the row below by about 1" or half of the paper length.  When you get to the top the last couple of strips will need to be wrapped all the way around the skinny point.  Just pull it tight and it will look nice. Then just glue your bobble to the top of the tree - be it star or glitter ball.

Cut your dowels to the length you want & paint them up.  I painted mine silver.  I also painted my bases silver.

I was in a hurry & wanted to skip a step and so when my paint was still wet I poured the silver glitter on.  No glue needed right.

You may have a lovely storage room for all your Christmas decor with big tall shelves but this girl over here only has a storage shed full of big rubbermaid bins - So,  I chose not to glue the dowel inside the tree base.  It perches on top of it beautifully & then I can take them somewhat apart for compact storage.  I did glue the dowel into my base however.  If you use styrofoam bases just shove the dowel up the center of that and it will hold.  By the way, I bought my paper mache trees at Craft Warehouse.  They had two sizes. 

These ones here are my vintage trees & they are a gift for my beautiful sister Amy Kate!  Hope you  like em sis! 

 While giving one of these trees is very thoughtful - I think they belong in threes. Have you ever heard the Tale of Three Trees? It's a beautiful story to share this time of year.  In fact I keep my copy right next to my three trees.  I hope you will read this story and share it with others.  I love this beautiful Christmas Holiday doesn't it just bring a happy song to your heart. 

Big, Big Love,

I'm linking up with these folks: