Remember that pillowcase?

I almost forgot to show you what I made out of this vintage pillowcase.  I was going to make a dress and was all set up when I realized the pillowcase was going to be too short for a dress…like WAY short.   Ugh.  I was finally going to make one and I was too late.  Instead, I made something way less cool and just plain practical.  It’s a  bed frame cover for my little guy.  He falls out of bed constantly so I knew it was time.


It turned out, the pillowcase was just the right size.  Trust me, I’ve been sewing a long time and this kind of thing rarely happens.

I just trimmed the end off, finished the ends, and used it for the piece that holds onto the bar.

I just finished it by adding some horizontal stitches for the bars.

No more 2 am wake-ups…at least not for the little bean falling out of bed :) Easy Peasy.

Vintage Crate Succulent Planter

I have mentioned before that I LOVE old things.  The term that is popular right now is “vintage” which sounds cool and everything but before it became “vintage” and therefore popular, it was just something old to be tossed aside.  Junk is popular again…wha?  I’m sure this will fade in time but right now I am enjoying people noticing things in my house which are “vintage” (but have been there all along).  I even have friends who never liked or purchased said old things before, that are falling in love with thrifting and hunting for good finds.  It’s fun.

Along with popularity in any area, comes higher cost.  I have been searching for many items for years that suddenly got popular and are now almost impossible to find (I say almost because I’ve been doing this awhile and know I can find them :))  I did manage to swipe a few of these crates for $5 a piece which is pretty good these days.  Most are more like $25 on Etsy and other sites.  Exciting, right?

So, I set out to make this planter concept which I originally saw at the San Diego County Fair a few years ago.  When I saw it, the concept of succulents and drought tolerant plants was just gaining popularity.  I have to admit, they are not my favorite kinds of plants, but are great for low maintenance planting.  I do wish they were prettier, but…what are you going to do?  So, I embraced them. The only thing to note about planting in this type of container, is proper moisture control.  You can add spanish moss to avoid mold or damaging your crate.  Otherwise, you should have no problems.

Enjoy with a loved one and a sunset!

Date with my sewing machine

I have a date with my sewing machine tonight (my man is gone).  Things have been pretty busy and I have been neglecting her.  So, to preserve our relationship, we are going to make this vintage pillowcase (25 cents at a garage sale) into something AWESOME and highly useful, together.  I’ll be sure to show you what happens when we are united with a good movie and some pretzel M&M’s…check back!

Store-bought flower quick change

This week is teacher appreciation week (why this is right before school gets out and not in the thick of the school-year…i dunno) and Mother’s Day is on Sunday so this is a quick and affordable free (!) little change.

I happen to be prepping some flowers for our newly minted 6 year-old’s birthday party and started twisted the wrappings around (fresh and easy has really great flowers right now, by the way).  I thought it a definite waste to throw away the stuff!!  You know, it’s that delicate paper-y stuff between the plastic outer covering and the flowers themselves.

This –^

My first instinct was to take it upstairs  and make a super fast ruffle (yes, I am that crazy), but I’ve been trying to find ways to cut back on my projects so twisting seemed more appropriate.

I simply wrapped it around and knotted it twice until it was super tight.  Remember that it’s delicate, so be careful not to tear.  I “unpeeled” the pieces of the two ends and they just unfold into the shape of rosettes. You could knot it once and it would work out, mine was just a little long for me.

Short and sweet.

You could throw in these special edition Lily Pulitzer animal crackers for good measure.

Old to New-chalkboard from an old window

For years, I have been searching for the right size window to make into a chalkboard.  I’ve seen these made many times before, but could never find one that was the right size or even worth not making myself (read: ridiculously overpriced considering the materials and time).  I finally found the perfect one a local salvage shop called Architectural Salvage (San Diegans, I’m sure you have been here as it has been around for a super long time).  I LOVE this place and would adore* having a workshop just to create from the history and craftsmanship that is kept here.  My friend, I was shopping with, actually spotted this after I had finished paying for the contents of a future project (being held up by one misfit vintage screw) and it was perfectly suited for my kitchen wall.  This same friend helped me complete this project :)  It was super-fast and a lot of fun.

*credit to my awesome husband for this great synonym for love to avoid repetition in my sentence.

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