The Four Seasons Photo Gallery

I love taking photos of anything and everything.  And lately my favorite thing is playing around with the many fun photo editing apps.  Instead of just keeping all these great photos on my phone/computer, I wanted to display them.  This is how the four seasons photo gallery was borne.

Sorry about the not great photographs of the gallery.  It is in my little half bathroom where there is no natural light and not much space to get a great photograph.  And the wall color is actually a very pretty blue, not the less than eye pleasing gray that it appears to be here.

The frames are from Michaels and I painted them a winter white.  Originally they were ivory but I wanted a more pure white to match the vanity in the bathroom.  The coat hooks are from the Home Depot.

When I originally came up with this idea, it was with just three photos.  But as I was looking through my instagram for those photos I came across a fourth that would beatifully complete a set of seasonal photos.  I am quite happy with the outcome.

Here are the four seasons as seen in my instagram account:

I would love it if you followed me on instagram as well.

Have a great weekend.

Santa Ornament

I took an ornament making class at Archiver's last month.  We made four ornaments.  Frankly, I wasn't too excited about the class but at least one of the ornaments we made was worth repeating.  For my annual holiday cookie exchange and ornament making party, we made the santa ornament I learned in that Archiver's class.

Not only are they super cute, they are super easy too.  You could probably whip this one up yet tonight {if you have the supplies of course}.

What you need:

• Clear ornament
• Red scrapbooking paper
• Black ribbon
• Silver scrapbooking paper
• Red ribbon
• Paper trimmer
• pencil or dowel
• double sided tape
• scissor

What you do:

1. Cut the red paper into 1/4" strips.  I used a mixture of 12" and 8" lengths.  The number you need depends on how big your ornament is and how full you want it to be.
2. Roll a strip around your pencil or dowel and place your roll into the ornament.  Continue until the ornament is full.
3. Measure the black ribbon around the ornament and cut to size.
4. Cut the silver paper into a square.  Mine was a 3/4" square.  Cut two slits in the square.
5. Thread the black ribbon through the slits you made in the silver square.
6. Using the double sided tape, adhere the black ribbon with silver buckle to the ornament.
7. Use the red ribbon to make a hanger. 

Ho, Ho, Ho Merry Christmas!

Lunch Bag

I bring my lunch to work everyday.  Every. Single. Day.  And this dates back to my senior year in college when I lived off campus.  I would pack a sandwich and maybe something else {I can't remember what for sure, that was a long time ago.}  And I would eat it in the mall or on the Pentacrest {weather permitting of course.}

I've been thinking for a little while now that I needed a new lunch bag.  The homemade one I was using worked great.  Maybe the best thing about it was that it was kind of small so I was able to easily find a spot for it in our usually full refrigerator at work.  But it was time for something different.  And anyways, I moved floors at my office and the refrigerator on my new floor isn't used as much so no need to squeeze my lunch into a crowded space.  {BTW, they also bought a second refrigerator for the old floor I worked on now too.}

And this is what I made.

I LOVE it.  I'm so happy with the bright and cheery fabric I choose.  The pattern is a combination of the lunch bag and large bag from Quilts and More Winter 2006.  My previous lunch bag was made with just the lunch bag pattern.

The band near the bottom was a late addition.  I loved the lining fabric and really wanted to see more of it.  I would say it is a perfect addition.

Just for fun, I embroidered the word eat on my lunch bag.  It looks like cat, but believe me it is eat.

And for a little more whimsy, I added a fabric flower.  I've been wanting to make one for a really long time and decided this was the perfect opportunity.  I followed these easy instructions from Pink Paper Peppermint.  Again I used the fabric from the lining and a big bright yellow button.

But I took it a step further and made my flower into a pin.  I wanted to be able to remove it when I threw the lunch bag into the washer.  I simply glued a round piece of felt onto the back of the flower and then glued on a pin.

Did I mention that I LOVE my new lunch bag.  It is super bright and cheery.

I am spreading its cheer at my favorite parties.

{Not So Confidential} - November in Review

Hello friends!  Welcome to December.  If you are looking for homemade gift ideas, please visit my etsy shop, eLRBe.  All items are 75% off {shipping within the U.S. only}.  Before we get to the review, what do you think this cloud formation looks like?

{What I made} Craft Projects

In case you missed it:

Hampton Weekend Bag
Flower Photo Gallery

{What I made} Yummy Eats

• Overnight Baked Apple Oatmeal with Crunchy Brown Sugar Streusel from Farm Girl's Dabbles - In my search for the best baked oatmeal, this one is the leader.
• Baked Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage from Smitten Kitchen - I'm on the fence regarding the broccoli rabe but otherwise this was AWESOME.
• Chocolate Malt Brownie Parfait in a Jar from A Spicy Perspective - I had trouble getting the brownie to bake in the jars but this was really yummy.
• Apple Cider Turkey Breast form Rachael Ray - We enjoyed this juicy turkey breast for Thanksgiving dinner.
• Wild Rice and Basmati Pilaf with Sausage from Food Network - No mashed potatoes or stuffing for our Thanksgiving, instead we had this delicious pilaf.  It was so good.
• Glazed Whole Roasted Carrots from Simply Scratch - These yummy carrots were our Thanksgiving vegetable.
• Maple Nut Baked Oatmeal from Eat, Live, Run - Another baked oatmeal this month and another really good one.

{What I read} previous count - 31

1. The Winner by David Baldacci
2. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
3. Where'd you go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
4. The Sins of the Mother by Daniellel Steele
5. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
6. The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Flower Photo Gallery

Once upon a time there was a television show called Trading Spaces on TLC.  I watched it every Saturday night.  It was from this show that I got the awesome idea of hanging pictures on a curtain wire hanging along one wall across the entire length of the room.  The idea was that you would be able to change out the photos whenever you wanted and not have to worry about nail holes all over the wall.  I decided it was time to spice up the photos I had hanging on my wire and I was inspired by all the great photo apps to fancy up some of my favorite flower photos.

I purchased the curtain wire from Ikea many years ago.  It came with some clips and I had purchased another box of them at that time as well.  And I am going to have to pick up some more of them now too because I chose more photos than I had clips for.

I selected about two dozen of my favorite original flower photographs.  Using the Camera360 app, I added the cartoon effect to them.  I'm super happy with how they turned out.  

I had so much fun playing around with it and picking just the right filter for each one.

Then I simply printed them out on photo paper on my home computer and hung them up.

Here are a couple of my favorites:

I love how this photo gallery adds so much color and fun to my guest room.

Now it will always look like a pretty summer day {even in the middle of a cold and snowy winter}.

I am sharing this project at my favorite parties.

{Confidential} - Project Board

It's been awhile since I shared the project board.  With the end of the year fast approaching I decided it was time to wipe it clean and start over.  Here's the latest and greatest project board.  How much do you think I will get done by the end of the year?

Compare to the July Project Board

Hampton Weekend Bag

I love, love, love my new bag.  It's the Hampton Weekend Bag from V and Co.

I think my favorite thing about it is the fabric - Simply Style chevron fabric also from V & Co.  The lining fabric is from the Simply Style V & Co. line as well.  My next favorite thing is how roomy the bag is.  I have been using it as my work bag.  I carry my umbrella, lunch bag, water bottle, afternoon snack and book in it.  And there will be room to add my shoes when the snow flies and I wear my boots to work {but let's not talk about that yet}.  There is an open pocket and a zippered pocket in the inside which are great features.  

The instructions are easy to follow and it is a pretty quick sew.  I made this last weekend and I would have been done sooner if I didn't have to take a break in the middle to run to JoAnn's to exchange the zipper.  The lesson there is to always look at the size of the zipper - don't just go by the color.  Oops.

Have a great weekend and don't forget to fall back tonight.

{Not So Confidential} - October in Review

Is it just me or did October seem to fly by?  I better get busy planning my annual Christmas ornament; December will be here in a heartbeat at this rate.  But let's not get ahead of ourselves.  Check out this beautiful sunrise I captured while out for a walk with my parent's dog Sasha back in mid-October.

{What I made} Craft Projects

In case you missed it:

Messenger Bag

Cut It Out Frames

Christmas Stars

{What I made} Yummy Eats

• Orchard Turkey Burgers from Iowa Girl Eats - on pretzel buns.  So good.
• Spaghetti Squash with Meat Ragu from Skinnytaste - Delicious!
• Homestyle Chicken & Noodles from Iowa Girl Eats - I'm a sucker for Reame's egg noodles.
• Caramel Apple Soft Pretzels from A Spice Perspective - Two of my favorites rolled up into one.
• Honey Pear Muffins from Two Peas & Their Pod - I grabbed a bunch of pears from my parents and made these tasty muffins.

{What I read} previous count - 29

1. When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson
2. The Racketeer by John Grisham

Christmas Stars

Is it too early for a Christmas post?  I didn't think so.  Check out these metal stars I made up last weekend.

These are simply metal stars from Michael's that I covered with scrapbooking paper using mod podge.

But don't bother rushing out to Michael's for the stars.  I haven't been able to find them anymore for the last couple of years.  I just happened to uncover these stashed away in my craft cabinet.  I had six small stars and three large ones.

I decided this last star was a little plain so I found this candle garland at Michael's to spice it up just a little.  I really like that addition.

These stars are available in my etsy shop.

I am sharing this at my favorite parties.

Cut It Out Frames

My latest project was hanging some new wall art.  To do this I ordered some frames from Cut It Out.  I've seen them on a lot of blogs and decided I wanted some for myself.  I was a little surprised by how big they were but they still worked great for this.

First, I framed this super cute print I bought from this lovely etsy shop Pinwheel Designs.  I am just smitted with this saying.  The frame is the one called Chandler and I painted it in Martha Stewart satin jonquil.

I think it's a perfect addition to my craft corner.

Next I wanted to do something with a too small t-shirt I had from vacation a few years ago.  I decided to frame it with the Preston frame.

Deciding on what color to paint this was hard as I limited myself to what I had on hand.  I went with metallic blue pearl.  And I love it.

I have more art projects coming soon so stay tuned.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Messenger Bag

Don't you hate it when you make something and it doesn't turn out as wonderful as you thought it would?  That's what I would say about this bag.

This bag is actually bigger than I think I need {which never happens}.  And I got a little carried away on making the strap long.  I wish the flap was a little bit bigger.  But I'm really happy with my fabric choice though!

The pattern is from Crazy Little Projects.  Check it out if you are looking for a nice big bag.

Have a great week!

{Not So Confidential} - September in Review

I am still here.  I'm just not getting many projects done.  But don't worry, I'm wrapping some up this week so there will be more posts next month.  I promise.  In the meantime, enjoy these shots from the Como Zoo while you read what I did do in September.

{What I made} Craft Projects

Small Dog Beds

{What I made} Yummy Eats

• Easy Skillet-Barbecued Pork Chops from Tracey's Culinary Adventures - I love pork chops and I know I will be making these again.
• Sweet Corn and Sausage Chowder from Lauren's Latest - When I found some sweet corn at the farmer's market, I knew I needed to make this and it was super yummy and easy.
• Whole Wheat Pizza Pockets from 100 Days of Real Food - I was looking for a healthy pizza pocket recipe and this was a big winner.
• Chicken Meatloaf from Mountain Mama Cooks - I was a little hesitant to make this because of the cheese (not really a cheese fan) but so glad I did.  It is really good.

{What I read} previous count - 27

1. Angelina's Bachelors by Brian O'Reilly
2. Chesapeake Blue by Nora Roberts

Small Dog Beds

This past week I had visitors - my sister, brother-in-law, and their two four-legged kids, Moxie and Mogwai.  I'm not much of a pet person so having dog guests doesn't happen here much {or actually - at all}.  In an effort to disuade the dogs from sitting on the couches I made them dog beds.

I got the directions from the Winter 2009 issue of Quilts and more.  It was a simple project and a quick one.  And it seems they were well liked.

This is Moxie.  It didn't take her long at all to figure out how great the beds were.  {The beds on the couch were not my idea.  I had them on the floor...}

It took Mogwai a little longer to get used to them.

I watched them one night while my sister and brother-in-law went out to dinner.  Every time my neighbor closed a cabinet door, they raced to the door and barked.  Annoying!

And then they would return to their positions but usually they ended up swapping spots.  Ha! Apparently the white pillow is the best.

Have a good evening.

{Not So Confidential} - August in Review

Happy Labor Day!  Let's take a moment to smell the roses before recapping the month.

{What I made} Craft Projects

Kitchen Art Printable

Headbands

{What I made} Yummy Eats

• Honey Barbecue Meatloaf from Can You Stay For Dinner - I'm a sucker for honey barbecue.
• Garlic Rubbed Roasted Cabbage Steaks from Everyday Maven - I saw these cute little heads of cabbage at the farmer's market perfect for this and it was really good.
• Sweet Corn Risotto from The Novice Chef - I wish making risotto wasn't so tedious.  But it sure was good.
• Honey Wheat Bread from Buns In My Oven - As I may have mentioned before, I am always on the look out for bread recipes.  This one is a keeper.
• Cherry Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream from Baked by Rachel - My ice cream maker is getting a serious workout.
• Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream from Tracey's Culinary Adventures - I wasn't kidding about the ice cream maker getting a workout.
• Summer Vegetables with Sausage and Potatoes from Skinnytaste - I made this tasty dish with some beautiful purple potatoes from my parent's garden.
• Sweet Corn and Bacon Skillet Mac & Cheese from Iowa Girl Eats - A yummy twist on a classic.
• Blackberry Anise Ice Cream from A Spicy Perspective - Love. Love. Love
• Puff Pastry Wrapped Turkey Burger Sliders from Mountain Mama Cooks - I skipped the mango chutney because the store didn't have any and I made them more burger size than sliders but so yummy anyways.

{What I read} Previous count - 24

1. Mourn Not Your Dead by Deborah Crombie
2. I is for Innocent by Sue Grafton
3. The Lost Recipe for Happiness by Barbara O'Neal