Cute as a Button

Sep 5, 2011 by Lindsey

My dear nephew Mason is new to the world this week.

Although I couldn’t be there to meet him, I sent him a little keepsake to show him how much I love him already.

Mason reminds me of buttons. He is not only as cute as a button, but he binds his family together just like one. He is sure to be as charming, vibrant, and unique as each one of these tiny objects. This is why I made him a monogram out of some whimsical buttons.

I hope baby M loves his present! Buttons seem like a nice way to decorate a baby boy’s life! Assuming he knows they are not edible, at least…

Mason is loved. And just think -  all it took to show him that was a hot glue gun, a bag of buttons, and a memory box from Michael’s. Save the diamond-studded diapers and gold-plated bottles for Beyonce and Jay-Z’s baby!

Hope you’re feeling inspired! Love you baby M!

Lindsey

 

 

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DIY Summer Projects

Jun 15, 2011 by Lindsey

My mother hated crafting. Really. She hated anything that required more than a glue stick or a box of Crayola. In spite of this, I grew up always having an appreciation for homemade and DIY projects. I know – my mom hated cooking and crafting, and my dad hates cheese. Was I secretly adopted?? Anyways, I’m not claiming to be Martha Stewart, nor am I going to start an Etsy shop any time soon, but I wanted to show some of my latest projects to inspire you to pull out your paint brush, or ribbon, or knitting needles, and get creative!

I painted a bird house while the repair man fixed the air conditioner. If you were a bird, wouldn’t you want to live here?

I also learned how to knit (barely!). My first project was this little pink koozie. I am making a new one for Jason right now (it has a button closure on it!), but am struggling with how to put a circular bottom on it. Any knitters have tips?

I was also getting tired of my pretty ribbon wreath that I made in January, so I whipped up this one yesterday afternoon for something new, soft, and summery. All I used was yarn, hot glue, buttons and ribbon, layered around a $4.99 wreath from Michael’s. I’m not in love with this wreath, but it isn’t terrible and it’s in Vandy colors! Go Dores! (on my door! ha!)

Those are a few of my latest creations! I hope you don’t laugh at them. I’m still new at this whole domestic biz.

Hasta la Vista!

Lindsey

 

 

 

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Homemade Dog Treats

May 9, 2011 by Lindsey

I love this little pup.

She is Duckie – my little terrier mix that weighs a whopping 9.5 pounds. Her favorite activities include snuggling, running in circles, eating salty snacks, barking at inanimate objects, and snuggling. She is a real treat!

Today is her birthday. She is 3 years old. And I made her homemade biscuits.

I used Crate and Barrel’s pre-made dog biscuit mix with matching cookie cutters because I am a Sucker with a capital S who buys everything within a 2 mile radius of a Crate and Barrel. The mix contains rolled oats, flax seeds, and flour. That’s it! I am really a sucker for not making this myself from scratch, but whatever.  I added 3/4 cup of chicken broth, 1 egg, and a heaping 1/4 cup of peanut butter to make the dough.

Because the dough was so dry and flaky, I used small handfuls to cut out the shapes so they stayed moist.

Then I placed them on my favorite Sil-Pat baking sheet and put them in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes.

I imagine they came out pretty good, though I haven’t tasted one! Duckie obediently sat and did her usual round of tricks (sit, lay, shake, roll over) before getting her birthday treat.

I gave her two. I spoil her. She seemed to really like them.

Just a little puppy treat for all those dog-lovers out there! These were a cinch to make and would be a great little party treat if you were having a dog-friendly BBQ in your backyard. It made me feel like a good dog owner to recognize Duckie with these special biscuits. Three years has flown by with her!

 

Lots of love,

Lindsey the crazy dog lady

 

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104 Bottles of Wine on the Wall….

May 9, 2011 by Lindsey

I collect wine corks and store them in a drawer in my kitchen. I only do it out of habit and, after a while, the drawer was looking quite full! So, one day, I rescued the corks from the drawer, glued them to a $8 piece of wood, and made myself a little jewelry holder.

 

 

 

This project took me about three months to complete since I didn’t have enough wine corks on my first gluing attempt. It ultimately took one hundred and four wine corks to fill this board up! Over the past few months, I have excitedly been adding the last few corks to make this shabby chic jewelry holder. I just hammered in a few hooks and other hardware to make it functional for above my vanity.

Now, my messy jewelry drawer has gone from looking like this:

To this:

 

Glad I can hang that project on the shelf. Wonder what I’ll do with next year’s wine corks?

 

Lindsey

 

 

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A Pretty Little Ribbon Wreath

Feb 17, 2011 by Lindsey

I don’t craft. Ever.

Maybe its because my own Mother hated crafting (too messy). Or because I don’t have many friends who love “crafting” as much as they love “shopping” (guilty). Or because I am, you know, a law student and should be reading statutes and such.

Regardless, I harbor a deep admiration for women who can make something beautiful and ccomplex out of virtually nothing. What is classier than that?  Thus, I decided to give crafting a “go” and found this project that is super easy. Once I picked the project, I was on my way to Michael’s craft store faster than you can say “hot glue” to buy several coordinating spools of 1″-2″ ribbon, a clearance wreath made of sticks, and a hot glue gun.

Yes.. I like to craft outdoors on a Wednesday afternoon. Rough life, huh?

To make the ribbon flowers, cut a 2 foot strip of ribbon and tie a knot at one end. Wrap the ribbon tail around the knot, hot glue-ing (or fabric glue works too, apparently) as you go. I tried several different methods, patterns, and textures. I liked the results best when I wound the ribbon tightly on the inside and then fanned out the “petals” as I got closer to the edge (see the big blue one on the left). I also made leaves out of skinny green ribbon. Love it!

UUUUghhhhh this is sooo cute!!!!

You can try too! It’s so easy to do, especially with a glass of chardonnay and Modern Family on!! A homemade ribbon wreath to welcome you into the house

XO <3

Overcooked

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