Let your heart be light

Hands down my favorite Christmas song is "Have yourself a merry little Christmas" from Meet me in St. Louis. I have had that song and several others on constant play for the last few weeks.
For some reason that I can't really figure out the last few years really haven't felt like Christmas. I am not sure if it is a result of growing older, being poor, or my empty uterus or a combination of all of them.
To try to remedy this we are having the best Christmas ever. We are watching tons of Christmas movies,listening to Christmas music,reading Christmas books. And Christmas decorations are all over the place. And I love it. Spirits are high and we are looking forward to spending Christmas together in our little home.

We need a little Christmas

Christmas around our house.

 

 

 

I made the printables using Picnik and I think I might be addicted! If you like 'um take 'um! Just click Here or Here.

Tis the Season for some glitter

The thing about Pintrest is that there are so many great craft ideas, and so little time to do them all.

But sometimes you find one that you just have to do. Glitter shoes!
What girl doesn't love glitter?And since I had some flats that I was about to toss I decided they could use a second life. I got the tutorial here. All in all it was pretty easy.
Here's what you need if you want to make some glitter flats .
1)glitter
2)shoes
3) Modge Podge
4)brush.
5) Some sort of glaze...But I used hair spray because hair spray is amazing.
I followed the tutorial pretty closely but I figured out that it is better to go in layers to avoid clumps. Here are some pictures from before during and after.

I am very happy with the way that they turned out and so far they are holding up pretty well. I wore them to our work Thanksgiving party and they got a ton of compliments. I am so glad I can finally mark something off my pintrest to do list.

the $12 lamp

A few years ago I fell in love with a lamp at Target. I loved it, it loved me and for about a year it sat in my living room and then on my nightstand. Then one night Audrey's killer tale knocked it over and it broke, and then I cried. I cried because this lamp was beautiful and I loved it and it cost $40 which is kind of a lot for a lamp when your 21 and super broke.

Fastforward 4 years I am at Target crusing up and down the asiles and BAM! There ismy lamp with a beautiful clearance sign on it $12.42. I snatched that thing up so quick I could not believe my good luck. It got even better when I took it to the checkout and they told me that since it didn't come with a light blub I got another 20% off which made it $9 and some change. I was wondering two things 1. since when do lamps come come with light blubs and 2.Can I please get a discount for all of the other lamps that I paid for without light blubs through the years.

Anywhoo, I took my lovely lamp home and realized that I didn't have a lampshade for it. but I did have an old red one and some left over fabric.

TA DA

I am very happy with the way that it turned out, I only wish that I had something I could use as a trim. I am also happy to report that my fabric flower makin skills have improved from my last lamp making project.

Lamp Shade redo

My latest obsession is pintrest.

I have been able to get so many great idea's for pretty much everything since I joined about 3 weeks ago. One of the things that I "pinned" was this.

Source: tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com via Whitney on

So I decided to make my own version. I already had the white lamp shade, so I hit up Joannes for some burlap and fabric glue. I also found two pre-made flowers that I liked, so I grabed those two. I tried my best to find some cute toile fabric and ended up getting some for about $1 on ebay. I ended up with this.




And here is a close up of those pretty flowers. I'm pretty happy with it. I might add some white trim but I'm not 100% sure, feeling pretty lazy right now.

Kitchen Revamp

I've been slowly working on revamping the apartment. With no money and not much time its a project that has beengoing pretty slow. But I am pretty happy with how the few things that I have done have turned out.

It all started with this picture frame, when I bought it a few years ago it was white. It had a short life as a blonde too, but then I settled on this tourquose color. Then I took some chalkboard paint and painted the glass that came with it. It took about three coats to get it to the darkness that I wanted but it was so worth it and I believe the total cost was less then $10.

I had spotted some state cutouts on etsy that I really liked but they cost money that I don't have. So I took out some scrapbook paper and an exacto knife and got to tracying. I made this one for California. I was pretty happy with the way that it turned out. I threw it in an old frame that has seen better days and viola! Total cost $2 can't beat that.

I got a little ambiouses with the next one. Kurtis served his mission in Croatia and has so many great memorys of the time he spent there. I did the same thing but this one was bit more difficult. Kurtis said that I cut out a town, but I say who cares how many people besides you will know! This one got a frame that I bought for Bunco night that no one took home so total cost was 5 bucks.

The final picture looks like this. I know that I want to paint the U but I'm not sure what color yet so it is staying white. Also I'm still looking for something to put in those little buckets. Idea's suggestions please please I beg you! Help me make my home cute.

Christmas at the Urien's

Christmas time has come to one and all even to us in our tiny apartment in Fullerton.

Since we don't have a Christmas tree,









I got a little creative with a scarf hanger



I also made sure our stockings, (even Audrey's) "we're hung with care"



And made sure to display some of my Nutcracker collection



But the star of the decorations is this awesome ribbon wreath that I made last week.

Now I just need to figure out a place to hang all of my Wizard of Oz ornaments!

Flapper Jane

This is Flapper Jane, she is the star of the new headband I made, and I really love her. I think she loves me to. We spotted each other at Joann's and she said " I really want to be on a headband." So I made these little yo-yo's and hot glued them on to a headband I covered with ribbon. YAY! All of my crafty friends are rubbing off on me.

Yes, Virginia

Remember this, well I really wasn't all that happy with it. So I redid it and gave it a little Christmas feeling.



And TA-DA



I love this quote,I love this story.I even loved the little cheesy movie that came out last year...

Crafty time and Apple pie

It has been a pretty low key week,I had yesterday and today off so I spent some time on home beautification . I've really been lusting after some new throw pillows that are listed on Etsy... But as Kurtis keeps reminding me, we are poor. So I made these two lovelies, using my famous no-sew method (glue gun). I used some freezer paper to make the stencil on the monogrammed "u" . I am not quite sure what I want to do with the other one, so the ribbon bow will have to do for now.

I also made apple pie, my favorite. Kurtis likes it to, but he prefers it without the Cheddar cheese.
My mom always says "An apple pie without cheese is like a hug without a squeeze." So we compromised it by putting the cheese in the crust. And it turned out awesome! If you have never tried apple pie with cheese, try it. I know that it will change your life, just like it did mine.

New Living Room

Last Saturday I drove my self over to the Home Depot to buy some paint, tape, paper, rollers and all of the other usual necessities for painting. I then came home and created this masterpiece!

Picture Gallery style a la Pottery Barn

Blurry picture of shelf with wedding candle holders


I know that my sofa looks a little worn; and truthfully it is but it is so comfy cozy, and I love that the slipcover only costs $11.00




And last but not least... these are not part of the decor but I felt it was important to document all of the books that Kurtis takes to school with him.



I am really not a painter and also I'm not that crafty though I would love to be. But I felt like I did a pretty good job. And to make it even better Kurtis really likes the color. So much actually that we have also painted our dinning area the same color. Pictures to follow later.