Gourds pt. 2 (Tutorial included)

I have to say that these turned out a lot cuter than I expected. They were so fun to paint and decorate. I think I'm going to try to make some for our families, they are just so hilarious. I think I'll have us dress up in matching outfits for our next photo shoot with these guys.

(Sorry about the weird green spot near my eye...the red eye reduction thing got a little finicky).

If this is a project that you want to take on simply follow these instructions.

Supplies needed:
Dried gourd
Gesso
acrylic paint
paint brushes
permanent marker or black paint pen
Spray gloss

1.Start out by drawing a simple outline and sketching out what you would like your gourd to look like.

2.Coat the entire gourd in gesso and let dry. This is not necessary but if you start out with a light colored base coat they are much easier to paint.

3.Paint your gourds (they don't take too long to dry so you can do this fairly quickly).

4.Outline and add detail with a paint pen or permanent marker (I didn't like the way the gourds were looking until I got to this step, the personality really came out here. Imagine if I could actually draw!)

5.Spray the gourds with the acrylic gloss to finish.

6.Finally take a funny picture with your gourd and the person it resembles and send it to me. I'd love to see it!

Have fun!

Gourds pt.. 1

So I finally got around to painting those gourds that Beau and I got a month or so ago. So far so good. I meant to prime them first but I forgot/got impatient so I just dove straight in. I'm using acrylics and I'll spray them when I'm finished with a high gloss acrylic so they have some shine to them. It's a pretty fun project so far. I love the idea of having a gourd version of Beau and I.


More coming soon...

Craigs List Love!

So for Christmas Beau and I got a new tv! It's something we had been wanting for quite some time. Beau had this vision of our new tv placed lovingly in an armoire (that we did not actually have) so he hit up Craig's list and instantly found this beauty. He went and picked it up yesterday and I have to admit it looks pretty darn good!


Craig's List is definitely the way to go if you are ever looking for a good deal on furniture. To me it's always so much more fun to get a random piece of furniture than to be an Ikea repeat offender. I'm not saying Ikea isn't great for some things but I think we've all been to that friend's house that has so much Ikea furniture in it that you find yourself heading to the kitchen for some Swedish meatballs.

We're still weighing New Year's options. I don't know about you but I'm just not super excited about New Year's this year.

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Christmas is near!

So Beau and I will be heading down to Griffin tomorrow so this is our last pre-Christmas night at home. To celebrate I made brie en croute...yum!!! I love nights where we just eat fruit and cheese. It feels so European. I used to do this all the time when I was single; get a yummy cheese and some delicious fruits and make a meal of it. Beau thought I was crazy at first but now he's growing fond of the idea, though he prefers that there be at least a sausage or meat of some sort.

Here are a couple pictures of our Christmas tree and dear ole Frankie poo finally getting excited about the holiday now that there are some smelly dog treats wrapped and under the tree.



Merry Christmas everyone!

Jesus is the reason for the season!

I promised some crafting coming up and here it is. Last year I got the idea to make a felt nativity scene. Felt is one of my favorite things to craft with and so why not make a nativity right? Well I only got as far as the baby Jesus. I just made a couple ovals basically and stitched them together. I only made it that far because I wasn't quite sure how to make Mary and Joseph.

Then it hit me last week. Why not use the fabric tree tutorial and adjust the sizing to make the trees in to Mary and Joseph. Well it worked and here is the end result!!!

Christmas (or it might turn in to a New Year's) card

I do have one sorta crafty thing to share. Beau and I have gotten so many silly "photo cards" from our friends. Photo cards make sense to me when they feature your children, but when it's just you and your hubby and maybe a dog, it's just a bit silly. In any case as our ode to silly photo cards Beau drew us as a photo card. We'll be sending them out soon!

It's beginning to look a lot like....

well from the looks of these mislabled photos, it's beginning to look like my parents couldn't tell me apart from one year to the next. How funny is that. These Santa photos span several years and I look the exact same in each of them. This is just more proof that my look hasn't changed in close to 29 years.

So it's almost Christmas and I'm so excited but I am a little sad too. This is my very first Christmas away from my family. I am excited to see how Beau's family celebrates the holiday and just like with Thanksgiving last year I plan on bringing some of my tradition to their table.

We watched the Julie/Julia move the other day. How inspiring! Wouldn't it be great if blogs caught on that quickly for everyone! I thought it was so cool how their friends all gathered around for home-cooked meals so often. What happened to that? I guess Atlanta happened to that. We're all so far away (because of traffic) that it is harder and harder to get everyone together.

The other thing I loved about it was the fact that on Valentine's day all of Julia Child's friends wore these giant hear pins! I think that I'll take that idea and make us all a cool, felt Christmas pin for Beau's family for us to wear on Christmas morning.

Anyway, more crafting coming soon!

Running through the wilderness

So Beau and I have had a crazy couple of weeks. Strike that months. Among everything we've been dealing with, this year has been a serious reality check that I am a grown-up. Being grown-up means learning to deal with some not-so-pleasant things and unfortunately one of those things we've been faced with lately is loss.

I've lost three wonderful grandparents this year. My mom lost her father (my Papa) around 6 months ago. My step mother lost her mother(Mema) just a few months ago and Dec. 1st my step father lost his mother (our Gem). I'm so grateful for the memories I had with each of them. Now that those reflections are all we have to cherish they mean more than ever.

Papa: My grandfather was one of the wittiest men you ever could have met. That wit was magical when I was younger. Most of the things he said left me filled with wonder. Whenever I called he would always ask how I was doing. I would reply that I was doing good and he would say "you're looking good". That joke always made me laugh no matter how many times I had heard it.

Mema: She taught me to love all things crafty. She had a creative strain that despite not being true blood relatives, I believe I inherited from her. Mema taught me how to sew, to craft and shared with me her wonderful recipes which I treasure.

Gem: Gem was a true lady. Gem or GM as we sometimes called her loved to get dressed up, loved to visit with friends and family. I had such a wonderful last visit with Gem. My step dad and I visited her in the nursing home she had to be placed in do to her failing memory and health. She grasped my hand tight, talked, hugged and made me laugh out loud. One can't ask for a more perfect last visit.

To me grief is like a kaleidoscope, constantly changing with no way of knowing what you'll happen upon from one second to the next. One day you're laughing at a shared inside joke you had with your grandfather and the next minute you're crying just knowing that he's gone. One minute your condoling a family member when the next second, they're repaying the favor. There is beauty in the most solemn moment but it's ever-shifting design makes it hard to keep focus. I understand important thing to realize is that my grandparents are no longer suffering. My faith tells me that we will meet again. My friends and family tell me to cherish the memories.

The Bible uses several different analogies for these times in our lives: valleys, wilderness, etc. I know despite the sorrow that we are currently dealing with that this sadness is a valley that we will make it through. When troubles pile up, and the hurt gets too much to bear, that is when faith takes over. It's that single set of footsteps in the sand.

When a good friend was taken from us much too soon back in college, his sister shared a wonderful story and quote with those of us attending his service. It's times like these that I can look back at that time of anguish and know I'll make it through this too.

The first was Mother Teresa's "Anyway".



The second was this quote by St. Thomas Aquinas:
“To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.”

Both are wonderful examples of the knowledge that comes with strong religious faith and conviction. It is that faith that gets us through the tough times and it is that faith that will help Beau and I run through the wilderness.

Today is...

Our Frankie Monster's b-day!!!! She is two-years-old today (or 14 if you go by people years). I love this little pup so much and she has brought so much joy to our lives. More pictures coming soon but here is a little b-day cake that I made using this recipe. Oh but I used peanut butter to frost it instead of their suggestion (Frank love peanut butter).

Oh and p.s. it snowed here today! Nothing stuck but it did snow some big chunky snowflakes!!!

(Florida) home sweet home!

So I'm incredibly excited to be in central Florida this week visiting my family. I love my Georgia home but I miss my family so much sometimes that it hurts. It's tough being a grown-up and having to live so far away. Beau and I have spent some serious time relaxing which has been so wonderful. The only thing I'm sad about is that I didn't bring anything fun and crafty to work on while I've been here.

I also forgot to bring my camera cord so I won't have any picture uploads for at least the next week. However I do have a fun cartoon that my little bro Sean made for me.

Just discovered...really cool website

Have you ever found yourself watching a show and dying to know where the character's bag, outfit, shoes can be found in real life? Well check out Seenon.com to answer any of these major life questions :-)

This site is great! It not only tells you the item's brand and style, it also tells you where the item can be purchased. (Though I really suggest googling the item because online you can almost always find items cheaper by just doing a little Internet research.)

So what was I trying to find? This awesome Lucky Brand Abbey Road Messenger Bag which they suggested purchasing from Piperlime.com but I found cheaper at Zappos.com.

Happy Monday!

Sunday adventuring pt. 1 or Understanding how the fairy godmother turned Cinderella's pumpkin to a carriage

Beau and I had a great time up in Dawsonville today. We set out on a journey to Amicalola Falls but were lucky enough to happen upon this amazing pumpkin patch called Burt's Pumpkin Farm! I've never seen such giant pumpkins, it was awesome!

And as fate would have it they were selling dried gourds so Beau bought a couple for me to paint in our likenesses! What a wonderful day, and that was only the morning!

Pt. 2 coming soon or I love Amicalola Falls!

Pondering gourds

I'm curious if anyone has ever attempted any gourd project? Not just using the squash in cooking though Butternut Squash Lasagna does sound very appealing, but I'm more curious about craft projects. I get a daily update from this really cool website called Care 2. Random aside: Care 2 is a website committed to making a difference. No matter what your cause you'll find something about it on this site. It's amazing!

In any case, today's update had a link to this article on 10 ways to use Gourds. They had ideas ranging from bird houses to body scrubs to candles. I'd love to try some gourd projects!

In addition to the gourd projects listed in the article, I think it would be hilarious to paint gourds to look like Beau and I similar to the ones in this post (pictured below) over at one of my new favorite blogs "A Beautiful Mess".

Some adventures lead you right back home...

Beau and I had a great time enjoying this beautiful, fall weekend. On Saturday we had our last wedding of the year. Our friends Elizabeth and Adam were married and they really celebrated the wonder of the fall season through their use of autumn color and foliage. It was a beautiful celebration of their love, I only wish we had been able to stay longer.

Sunday morning, despite or best efforts to sleep in, we got up at 7:30 and made some loose plans for the day. We knew we wanted to do some adventuring but couldn't decide exactly what that would mean so we decided to set out for breakfast and make our big decisions of the day over a few cups of coffee. We ended up at a great little place only a few miles down the train tracks from our house called Trackside Grill. Now I've heard mixed reviews about this place but all I saw, tasted and experienced was delightful. In fact my only beef with the whole place was a lack of grits on a breakfast menu that boasted "new south flavor, old south charm". I'm sorry but South to me always means grits. But Beau and I loved every last bite of our meal. I definitely suggest it to anyone that's ever in the area.

We decided to set out in the Cartersville direction. This is a quaint, little town that we always pass on our way to go camping. While we weren't sure where we would go when we got there we knew we'd make the most of it. Not to mention that the drive alone makes this trip worth it. The leaves are mid-change and everywhere you look there is color. Unfortunately the thing we forgot about quaint, little towns is that they are often without much to do on a Sunday.

Literally everything we tried to do was closed from the coffee shops to the outfitters to our original idea which was to go visit the Etowah Indian Mounds. After several failed attempts to do something we decided that this adventure was to lead us right back home.

Back home we scooped up little Frankie and headed out to Beau's favorite neighborhood coffee spot called Cool Beans. We sat out on the back veranda where we were able to listen to the sounds of the band that was playing just a few shop fronts down. This is where we were meant to spend the gorgeous, autumn afternoon.

Later on I went in to super homemaker mode and got a little crafty. I made these cute little fabric Christmas trees from this great tutorial.



Finally we finished out the day with some (LOW CHOLESTEROL)Shepherd's pie. I didn't take a picture of the finished product but I has to take a least one shot of the ingredients all simmering on the stove. The autumn colors are everywhere these days even in the foods we eat.

Happy Monday everyone!

Things I'm doing these days...

So I just recently found a cool blogging group called Red Velvet Art and I'm currently a tad bit obsessed with all their cool projects and ideas. These ladies run a shop in Missouri of the same name. Missouri has never really been on my list of places to visit but I have to tell you it's creeping up there. Not only because of Red Velvet Art but they are definitely moving it up the list.

In any case, and this is a bit embarrassing to speak of, but I've always had issues with knitting. I would think I knew how but nothing I worked on ever turned out...until now. Inspired by a project I found on Red Velvet's site I decided I would try again and before I knew it, I was knitting (and purling)!

I found some great videos on the web that helped me along the way and this was one of the most helpful.

In any case,here is the end result:



I'm super happy with them and have since made a second pair for a lucky friend.

So what's next? Back to crochet, I want to make a Granny Square Afghan! And imagine my delight when this tutorial from Craft Stylish showed up in my inbox yesterday!



Hopefully I'll have an afghan by the end of the year!

Just for fun...

1. Where is your cell phone:
Next to the computer

2. Your hair:
Is growing to it's natural shade which people are digging which makes me happy!

3. Your Mother:
Lives too far away but luckily always has time to talk to me on the phone. I love her to pieces!

4. Your Father:
Lives equally far away. He's my hero and always makes me smile!

5. Your favorite food:
Hmm...I think it's soup in a bread bowl! I love that!

(This one is from Quizno's, never tried their's but it sure looks good)

6. Your dream from last night:
Too weird to discuss.

7. Your favorite drink:
Coca-cola classic and Shirley temples.

8. Your dream/goal:
I feel like I'm living my dream. I'm married to the man of my dreams, I have a great family and a wonderful job. My loftier dream: to one day own my own coffee, sweet and craft shop!

9. The room you are in:
Living room

10. What is your hobby?
Running (though not as much as I should), crafting and really anything outdoorsy with Beauseph!

11. What is your fear:
My fear is that people are losing their humanity. Does anyone care about their fellow man anymore?

12. Where were you last night:
Right here chilling with my pup Frankie!

13. Something you are not:
An artist, oh how I wish I could draw!

14. Muffins:
Are quite delicious, I should make some more of these soon!

15. Wish list items:




All these fun things and Biggest Loser for Wii (sorry I can't remember where all these pictures came from, I saved them because I thought I would add them to a Christmas list and now I don't know where to send people to get them)


16. Where did you grow up:
Mostly in Florida

17. Last thing you did:
Gave Frankie a good cuddle.

18. What are you wearing:
Lots of black and gray-black boots and stockings, gray skirt, black, white and gray top and black cardigan.

19. Your TV:
Tuned to the news.

20. Your pets:
Just one a sweet, little lady named Frankie!

21. Your friends:
Rock!

22. Your life:
is good!

23. Your mood:
content.

24. Missing someone:
My Florida family...always!

25. Vehicle:
Red Liberty.

26. Something you're not wearing:
A scarf, a scarf would have been nice today.

27. Your favorite store:
Any craft store.

28. Your favorite color:
Well that varies day to day.

29. When's the last time you laughed:
When I was on the phone with Rebecca earlier.

30. When's the last time you cried:
Hmmm...I'm sure I've cried recently but I don't really recall.

31. Your best friend:
One met me for lunch today and the other is on his way home to me.

32. One place you go over and over:
Taco Mac, we love chicken wings!

33. Favorite place to eat:
See previous answer.

34. Where do you want to be in 6 years?
I'd love for us to have a nice little home of our own and maybe have a baby or two if God blesses us with children. Basically just an extension of the life I already have, but then who wouldn't be happy with this?

My very favorite Halloween cartoon

The Great Pumpkin being on last night got me thinking about my favorite Halloween cartoon.

So normally I'm not a Garfield fan. A cat that spends all day trying to eat lasagna? Come on. Actually thinking about it from an adult standpoint it's kinda hilarious. In any case my favorite Halloween flick of all time has always been "Garfield's Halloween Adventure".



Now in addition to being addicted to lasagna, Garfield is also a huge fan of candy and this ends up getting him in trouble. But the adventures that ensue are worth a look: pirates, buried treasure and lots of great Garfield quips. Check it out on youtube.com.




What's your favorite Halloween cartoon?

Love breeds love!

So Sydney and Walker got married this past weekend! For those of you that don't know a spark was ignited at our wedding between Sydney and Walker. They had known one another since they'd been kids and all it took was seeing each other at our wedding (and some pushing from Beau) to get them out on their first date and as they say "the rest is history".

Their wedding was an absolute fairy tale! Sydney looked like she was born to be a bride and she and Walker smiled so much at one another that their cheeks were hurting by the end of the day. The decor was beautiful, Sage Hill String Band rocked and everyone was having such an amazing time that no one wanted to leave.

Here are some pictures from the weekend, enjoy!