DIY: Wood & String Vase

Before I jump into todays blog, take a look to the right, NEW BUTTONS! Now you can follow me on the crazy amount of social media outlets you apparently have to keep up with! I just learned about hashtagging last week, I am a super savvy hashtagger now. You may get some extra tidbits on Instagram and Twitter that seem to small to put on the blog. Pinterest is my secret love, I'm a little crazy about it, so follow me on Pinterest to keep up with all that is inspiring me at the moment! I also updated the main website as well, just a couple little things, but head over to take a look! 

I always see these wood vases / utensil holders whenever I'm in Home Goods and Target, I like them, but I thought I might be able to do something to make it a bit more interesting. I bought mine at Target on sale for about $10. I had embroidery thread left over from some past projects so I decided to use it to make a geometric pattern on the vase. The whole project takes about an hour or so. I love the almost spirograph look I ended up with!

Materials:

1. Wood Vase
2. Embroidery Thread

Tools:

1. Drill
2. Sandpaper
3. Large Needle

Process:

1. I made a stencil of a scalloped pattern, and punched out the holes so I could draw it on the vase.
2. Drill holes
3. Lightly sand to smooth edges around the holes
4. Start threading the embroidery thread through the holes in whatever pattern suits you! I did alternating starburst like patterns from the highest point of the scallops. I did the whole thing first in one color and then went over it in a second colored thread. To better emphasize the scallop shape, I threaded along the holes as well.
5. Use however you desire! As a utensil holder in the kitchen, put a glass in it and use it as a vase, or even use it as a pencil holder. Enjoy!

Including Your Dog on Your Wedding Day

1. Cake Topper   2. Save the Date Dog   3. Our Wedding by K-C Photography   4. Here Comes the Bride Boxer   5. Tandem Bike with Dog

It seems that everywhere you look, people are including their furry friends in their big day in a variety of different ways. Having done it myself, I have decided to impart my wisdom with others! Here are some tips and ideas:

Including your dog on the day of your wedding:

1. HIRE SOMEONE to pick up your dog, bring him to and from the wedding or reception so he's not stuck there the whole time. That way someone else will be responsible for the dog so you don't have to worry and can enjoy your day. They will make sure they have water, can take a walk if they need a break, etc etc. Usually dog walkers will do this if you give them specifics of what you need, and whats $100 for you and your dogs piece of mind? 
2. Only include your dog in the actual ceremony if they are super well behaved, and have the person you hired take them for a walk after they have done their job so they are not a distraction.
3. Most dogs won't be able to make it through a ceremony without whining, barking, needing to pee, etc, the better plan is to have them brought to the site where you are taking your "formal" pictures, so you can play, take some great shots with your pup, and then go on your separate ways! That's what we did and it worked out wonderfully. 

If you can't have your dog at your wedding, here are some other ways to include them:

1. Take pictures for your Save the Dates and include your pup.
2. If you are having your Wedding Invitations custom designed by a stationary designer (like me, at Wouldn't it be Lovely!) tell them you want to include your pet and they will find a way to do it that suits your style. 
3. We had a custom cake topper made (pictured above) and they made the dog look just like Lincoln! 
4. Include your dog in the decor, such as table numbers, escort cards, worked in to the design of the program etc. I've done things like this for various weddings I've designed, and it can be done in a subtle way or incorporated as a big part of your wedding. 

Human Animals

Happy Friday! It's been a long week and I'm happy to have two days of projects ahead!

So, I'm still practicing my calligraphy, enjoying using a traditional calligraphy pen. I thought I would manipulate it a bit, so I scanned it into my computer and paired it with one of my favorite pictures of our dog, Lincoln. The photo was taken by our wedding photographer. One of my bridesmaids made him an amazing little suit to match my husbands so he was dressed to the nines on our wedding day. There really is nothing funnier than an animal who doesn't act like an animal. Lincoln is the weirdest creature alive, he really can't be categorized as a dog because he has so many crazy quirks, but that's why we love him so. Have a great weekend!

Birthday Bundt Cake

This week we had a little party at work for two of my friends who had birthdays. Of course, because I always need an excuse to bake something, I offered to make the cake! I had these little wood popsicle sticks left over from another party and I decided to use them to make a little "Happy B-Day" sign. I printed out the letters and then ran them through my trusty xyron machine to turn them into stickers. Easy peasy and super cute. I also tried a new recipe, pink lemonade! It was amazingly delicious and super simple.

Backyard Dreams

As the weather gets warmer, I look out our backyard and have big dreams for what I want it to be, I'm building it little bits at a time, but here are some images that get me excited for warm summer nights!

1. Backyard Movies   2. Backyard Bowling   3. Yellow Ping Pong   4. Outdoor Shower   5. String Lights   6. Fence Torches   7. Wood Pathway   8. Fairy Homes

DIY: Chevron Patio Table

This is the first spring in our new house, so I have grand plans for the backyard! Since we have a pool, I really want the patio space to be awesome, and as we are starting with NOTHING, our budget is pretty small, which means I'm building things and redoing thrift store finds. The first project I decided to take on was the patio table. I wanted something super sturdy and substantial, I designed this table with the knowledge that I had limited tools and money at my disposal. it's 3 ft by 6 ft and standard dining table height (28inches high). Below is the tech drawing I made to  start with, and stayed true to as I was building. Other than one bashed up finger, it all went pretty easily! Total cost, about $100, time, one weekend. Full instructions are detailed below.

Materials:

1. 10 Pressure treated 2in x4in x12ft I bought I had about 6 ft left over
2. 1 Pressure treated 4in x4in x12 for the legs- only need one
3. 4 Leg brackets (they are with the deck construction materials at home depot)
4. 4 L-Brackets
5. Stainable Wood Filler
6. Outdoor Wood Stain and Protector
7. 1 box of 2.5 inch long nails
8. 1 box of 2.5 inch long screws

Tools:

1. Chop Saw (you could use a hand saw if you wanted to get a REAL good workout and spend about a month cutting wood, I highly recommend power tools for this one)
2. Palm Sander (again, you could sand by hand, but you'll be happier if you get an electric sander)
3. Screw Driver
4. Hammer
5. Spackle spreader
6. Paintbrush

Directions:

1. Cut lots and lots of 13 inch long pieces of wood with 45 degree end cuts (the top and bottom side of the parallelogram is 13 inches long) you need about 60 of them, and then little pieces to fill in the rest of the frame.
2. Cut outer frame, and screw together using L-brackets, then screw in cross structure pieces about 1.5in down from the top side of the frame so that when you set in the top pieces they are flush with the edge of the frame. 
3. Line up first full chevron and nail into each cross piece of the frame, continue up until they are all in (you may need to trim some pieces as you go for a better fit) 
4. Cut remaining pieces to fill in the frame
5. Fill all the cracks with stainable wood filler (this is where I stopped day one so the wood filler could dry over night)
6. Sand the whole top smooth!
7. Cut corner brackets for the bottom and screw them into as many parts of the frame as you can. Attach legs with leg brackets
8. Stain the sucker and you're done!!

Mossy Wedding Decor

table runner. giraffe dome, stump topper, floral, place cards, wreath

I'm loving mossy wedding decor right now. It's very versatile and depending what you pair it with, it can help create very different feelings, from rustic, to modern, to whimsical. I think I'll order some moss online and play with some different executions soon.