I'm 23!

My birthday was this past week and it was amazing! It fell on a work day, so I really thought it wasn't going to feel like my birthday, but boy was I wrong!! Look what I walked into when I get to work the morning of...

Isn't that awesome? So even if I didn't want people to know it was my birthday, I had no choice!! There was no hiding behind this decor! I was also lucky enough to have two former co-workers come in on their day off for lunch with me. I truly miss working with them and it was SO nice to have a relaxing (long) lunch. :)  

After having THE biggest chicken salad sandwich and a cup of soup, thinking that I wasn't going to eat until later in the night, out came the surprise dessert! This mousse type cake was HUGE! Look in the photo above and see how TALL it is! Even with the three of us, there was no way we were going to finish it. But it was YUMMY! :)

When I got back from my desk--a surprise smoothie!! My manager will randomly bring me smoothies, but my birthday deserved a SPECIAL one :)

 With just a few hours left of work, I was so excited to be off and enjoy my evening. But then, a delivery! One of the bellman came by my desk with some flowers. I had NO idea who they would be from, and then I read the card--from my mom. :) The card was SO sweet and the flowers are beautiful! Turns out she wanted to make sure my work day still felt like my birthday, and it definitely did! :)

 

 Once I got home, Larry surprised me with some more flowers! I LOVE the neon fun ones and they always seem to last forever :) 

That night for dinner we went to my parents house. After a yummy chicken meal I opened gits. Craft goodies of course! I was SO lucky and excited to get the tool accessories for my Cricut as well as the Jukebox! 

 

 The night didn't stop there...After already getting into bed after a LONG day of excitement, my roommate had me get up for gifts! I got THE cutest princess card, some air fresheners (which I needed!) an AWESOME Coach clutch and a bag of Reeses (my fave!)

 

 Even though she got me out of bed, I LOVED all of my goodies! Thank you Jamie! 

 

To celebrate my birthday, some of my closest friends joined me at Blue Martini Lounge. I love going there--not only do they have YUMMY drinks, but it gives everyone a chance to dress up! As a girl, I love dressing up, but the guys aren't usually too excited about it. I was glad they all willingly participated...the girls came home to get ready and all the guys were ironing their clothes singing "T-shirt time" from the Jersey Shore! It was too funny!

Right before going out I opened my gift from Larry--a gorgeous Juicy purse that I had wanted! And from my friends Autumn & Tommy--a beautiful white Victoria's Secret sweater!

 

We started off at Blue Martini with happy hour and stayed through the beginning of the night...we had a blast!!!

 

My love <3

 The ladies :)

 

The guys :) 

Very unexpectedly as there was no one on the dance floor, Larry asked me to dance <3 SO sweet!

 We were all alone enjoying a romantic dance until the guys decided to crash it :)

 We went to Chilis afterwards for some dinner. A friend got me this ridiculously fun balloon hat! And of course, to finish the night--dessert!! We all had a blast and I was so happy the night turned out perfectly!

The following day we had dinner with Larry's mom, brother and sister-in-law, my dad and dad's girlfriend and Larry's grandmother. It was her birthday that weekend so we had a joint birthday dinner at Olive Garden to celebrate. It was good to end the weekend with a nice, quiet family dinner. To top off the evening, more flowers from Larry's father--a bouquet of pink and white flowers, 

just like I had wanted! :) 

Later in the week, I had a visitor from a fellow friend & crafter, Katie from Sew Woodsy. She brought over some delicious homemade white cupcakes and some craft goodies. I got the Wild Card Cricut cartridge, which I am SO excited to use!! It is AMAZING! As well as some Mod Podge Gold Glitter that she scored for only a dolalr at the thrift store!! :)

I truly had an amazing birthday with great friends and family and am so thankful for everyone who made it so special! <3

Wear PINK, October 15th!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness and in part with my company and local radio stations, today is the day everyone wears pink to show their support! Our company also has a property-wide Health Fair with everything from free flu shots, to medical advice, to chair massages! To take part in this important day, I made my pink shirt! Hello Pink Ruffle Shirt with lace :)

 Here are the goodies I had and intended on using. Well, not ALL of them at once, but at least the lace and possibly another trim. In the end I ended up using just the lace. I used the same idea to create this top from my original Ruffle Shirt.

I just laid the lace and ruffles vertically rather than horizontally and sewed on some lace at the bottom for an added girly touch :)

Hope everyone wore pink in support of Breast Cancer--and will continue to do so throughout the month of October!!

Witches Feet {Tutorial}

So apparently at work my Halloween candy jar just wasn't enough decor! When my manager returned from his vacation, he questioned "Where are all the decorations?!" Since I have told him that I love doing anything crafty and fun, I guess he expected more! I love a challenge, so that same night I had to get something together! $1 Store here I come! I purchased some CUTE garland and a glittery Happy Halloween sign. I also found these argyle Halloween socks that I knew JUST the perfect project for!

This project literally cost me out-of-pocket...only $1!!!!

When I got home I pulled out some "scrap clothes" that I had just received from a co-worker and got to work!! All I used for this project was her old sweat pants and my new $1 socks! (plus my sewing machine and thread of course :) 

I started by cutting out the shape of the shoes from the sweat pants. I definitely did a couple of test drawings before I started free-hand cutting. Don't laugh--I promise, I really CAN draw! :) Make sure to cut out two of each side of the feet. Sew each front and back piece of the feet together wrong sides out, leaving the top open.

Cut off the ends of the socks to have two openings at each end and sew in the heel to "take away" the foot so that it creates one long tube. 

Flip both the feet and socks wrong side out and pin the right sides together at the openings all the way around for each foot.

Next, sew them together!! Make sure to keep pushing the sock ends to the back of where are you are sewing as to not sew the sock to itself or shut!!

PS--Don't worry, I take my pin out when I sew! I had it in to hold the fabric together so that I could take a photo :)

This is what they should look like--flat, and somewhat "not right." I feared that SOMETHING was wrong--that either the feet were too small, or the legs weren't long enough, but fear not!!

STUFF these suckers very tight and they will turn out beautifully! And forget using true"stuffing..." 

I used plastic bags and it worked perfectly--go green! :) (& cheap!)

Add your embellishments--ribbons, bling, etc! 

I tied off the open ends with rubber bands and was done! 

Now, stick them under a desk, bed, table, chair...whatever you like!

Look HOW cute they are!! I LOVE them!

Everyone in the office loves them too! 

Hahaha, they make me smile every time I see them! 

I embellished my sign with spider web ribbon and added my garland along with my candy jar and I now think it's super fun!

I think this is sufficient decor for my desk! 

And all for only $3!! :) 

Halloween Candy "Jar" {Tutorial}

I'm not too sure how many Halloween projects I am going to get to this year...for one reason, it's already October and I have SO many things going on this month, as I do every year. Work is VERY busy and very stressful these next few weeks. It is also my birthday as well as Larry and I's anniversary. So, that puts two weekends out of the picture! I also have a friend from work who wants custom accessories made for her cruise before the end of the month--that means LOTS of time sewing. We are also still working on the plans and finalizing things for the upcoming bachelorette party in the beginning of November. AND I am in charge of decor and department holiday parties, so that's a lot to organize and shop for! Not to mention I have to figure out WHAT to be for Halloween in time for the Halloween parties! Not to mention a few birthday gifts in between...I'm pretty sure I'm setting myself up for an anxiety attack! But, it's ok. I love doing it all!! :) BESIDES all that, my house is fairly small, so the main Halloween projects that I'll most likely focus on are things for the office. :)

So Halloween priority number one..candy! My first Halloween project was a candy jar for my desk. I wanted something fairly small--that way I wouldn't overload MYSELF on candy all month. I wanted nothing glass because I didn't want any accidental drops or slips off my desk--we are VERY safety aware in my company, so I'm being preventative :) And I know it's Halloween, but everything I make still has to be pretty and fun! SO, here is what I came up with.

All I used was:

Mod Podge Paper

Mod Podge Sparkle

Scissors/Paper Cutter

Ribbon

Patterned Paper

Paper Mache Box with lid

Step 1. Cut out your paper for every side of your box that you're going to cover and use a thin coat of Mod Podge to adhere it. I chose to break the main facing of the box into two horizontal pieces using two different patterned paper and a thin orange ribbon as a divider. The top green strips can only be seen when the lid is off...I did this because the lid's rim is covered with the same green paper. I then covered the green paper of the lid rim with a cute plaid ribbon and finished it off with a "Happy Halloween" paper on the top. All in all, I used 3 different patterned paper (but with 4 different looks, since I used the flip side of the paper for two of the four facing sides).   

Step 2. Let the Mod Podge dry!! I then did a thin coat of Mod Podge Sparkle over the entire box and lid! 

(I tried to get a picture of the sparkle, still can't figure out the best setting to do this with my camera!)

Step 3. Let THAT dry! Add any embellishments and you're done! I originally wanted to do a "gift bow" on top with all of my Halloween ribbon, but then I realized that my lid will probably be OFF most of the time so it would just be smushed!

It's so cute and perfect size for my desk!...and holds just the right amount of candy! :)

Bachelorette Party Invitations

I had the pleasure of working on the bachelorette party invitations for a fabulous lady from my previous job. We are planning an AWESOME full day of nothing but girl time. It's going to be a blast! Brainstorming on the cheapest route to make 25 invitations was pretty difficult--especially because the bride-to-be is such a fun and personable girl that I knew the invites couldn't be just plain old printed invites. Being on a budget didn't allow for much customization and flair either! But, with a little bit of card stock, Mod Podge Sparkle, Mod Podge Paper, and curling ribbon, this is what I came up with! :)

Such a simple but fun design. 

Using the various fonts made the card have a little bit more flair as well.

The colors for the party are purple, silver, white and black. I printed the text on white paper and Mod Podged it to the purple card stock. I then went over the wording with Mod Podge Sparkle. This is my new FAVORITE thing of all time! It adds just the right amount of bling to your project, which is PERFECT for the bride-to-be since she loves anything that sparkles! 

 (Sorry, the bling is really hard to catch on camera--and no the paper corners aren't coming off, 

that's just a bad angle with the sparkle and lighting!)

After folding in the corners, I used the prettiest curling ribbon and tied bows to secure the invites. 

Here they are!! Well, SOME of them anyway. There were 25 in total. While printing invitations would have been the EASIER (& possibly cheaper) route to go, this was still VERY cheap seeing as how I already owned the Mod Podge Paper  and white printer paper (all I had to purchase was the Mod Podge Sparkle and purple card stock--which was on sale 40% off!) All in all, I received many compliments on the invitations. I hope the bride-to-be loves them and we have a fabulous time celebrating before her big day!! :)

Desk Accessories: Mouse Pad {Tutorial}

The first thing that I wanted to create for my desk at my new job was a mouse pad. The one I had was black, old and to say the least--ugly! This was my first mini-project for my new desk and work space. This is possibly THE easiest way to create your own custom mouse pad!

Supplies:

Old mouse pad OR cork board 

Fabric

Heat-n-Bond

Fabric Scissors

Step 1. Cut your fabric to the desired size of your mouse pad (not the EXACT size or shape, just get it small enough to work with, rather than having a yard or so of fabric) Choose a fabric that is smooth...nothing with texture--your mouse has to be able to roll smoothly on the fabric. If you are not using an old mouse pad, cut your cork board to the exact desired shape and size. I used cork board (since I didn't think my company would have liked me re-vamping their supplies) and chose to do it in the shape of a circle.

Step 2. Apply Heat-n-Bond to your fabric following the package directions. Once cool, apply it to the cork board (or old mouse pad).

Step 3. After it has cooled, simply cut around the fabric along the shape of your new mouse pad and you're done!! :)

I LOVE my mouse pad at work and received tons of compliments about it.

It definitely represents my personality a lot more rather than a grungy, old black one! :)  

Dimensional Magic {Easy Bracelet Tutorial}

Here is a super cute, fun, cheap and easy piece of jewelry to make 

(for those afraid of making jewelry!)

I stumbled across this nifty bracelet and thought of a perfect project for it! :)

Dimensional Magic Bracelet

This bracelet is totally customizable! 

All it takes is a few simple steps and time to dry 

and you’ll have a cute bracelet in no time! :)

The only supplies you need are:

Mod Podge Dimensional Magic (now found at Jo-Anns!)

Bezel Set Bracelet (purchased at Hobby Lobby)

Mod Podge (or any adhesive)

Scrap fabric and/or paper

Scissors

Step 1. Trace and cut your pieces of scrap paper or fabric into little circles. I used paper AND fabric in different shades, textures and patterns (all black and white). For my first circle, I started off by tracing my circle charm from the bracelet, but made it a little bigger. I then trimmed it until it was a good fit for inside the bezel charm. I then used this as a “stencil” for all of my other fabric/paper. Cut the appropriate number of circles needed to fill your bracelet. (I removed a link from the bracelet seeing as how it was too big, so I had one less circle to fill than what it came with)

(Just a few of my cut-out circles)

Step 2. Figure out the order of your circles for how you want it to look on your bracelet. Play around! If you are doing various patterned paper/fabric, then the order of the circles CAN give it a different look! Once you’ve decided on your order, apply a SLIGHT even amount of Mod Podge (or any adhesive) to your charms and attach your paper/fabric to the inside. Let dry just a few minutes until they are all secured.

(photo is just to represent the amount of adhesive--very little needed!)

Step 3. This is the fun part! Apply your Dimensional Magic. Use a generous amount and fill to the rim of each bezel (for the best effect). Watch for bubbles! They will slowly develop as it dries. I had a hard time getting mine to go away…but with patience you can pop these suckers! I used a sewing pin…a toothpick will work just as well. 

(If this is your first time using Dimensional Magic, 

it WILL be opaque when first applied...but don't fret!)

Step 4. Let it dry!! I let mine dry overnight, but it’s pretty solid after about 3 hours. It will be opaque at first, but over time it will dry super clear and smooth

VOILA! 

Here is the finished product! :)

Shiny and clear! : )

(It is hard to see in the photo, but the white charms have various print on them)

They have many bezel set pieces of jewelry out there…

earrings, necklaces, charms--big and small!! 
Also, with an unlimited amount of fabric and paper choices... 
Your creative options are endless!


Thank you Ashley from Not Just Grannies for the bracelet mention!

On to other jewelry that I have recently made for birthday gifts!
A red, black and silver necklace and bracelet set. 

 

A pink, white and coral necklace and earring set.

The pendant can be removed so that she can wear 

just the beaded necklace by itself if she wishes!

(Please don't mind the faces--Larry was making me laugh while taking pictures!)