should it stay or should it go?

we have been busy busy busy this weekend. gettin' stuff done! one of the things on the "list" was to clean up the garage. blah! probably my least favorite of all house chores.

and we were going through this and that. and then our bikes. somehow we've acquired quite the collection. and it was easy for me to make the decision.."that one goes, that one goes, that one...er...well...let's keep it".

can't you just see it? maybe painted a plum, with "new" old tires, and a "new" old seat. me, cruisin' downtown beaverton, ringin' my bell, so fun!

i just want to do a little research to see if it is even worth it. because seriously, i need another project right?

any buddies out there ever refurbished an ol' bike before?

crafts for the baby girl(s)

i am a bit overwhelmed this week. i am getting not just one, but two new nieces. with all this expectation and excitement i had to do something with my hands to keep from bursting... so i got busy craftin'

here is what baby girl scott and baby girl rasmussen are getting from their dear ol' auntie:

tutus on baby girls are too cute? agreed?

a little friend

some flower clips... (this was also made into a lil headband)

ribbon covered clips

to my new girls...

with love,

auntie jess

dear readers, let me know if you are interested in any of the how to's on these little DIYs...they were all easy and fun!

DIY hair-flowers-things

i was inspired by my gals' hair  

 addison, givin' j. bieber a run for his money

mackenzie is our curly girly

 

so i thought i'd give these hair-flower-things a shot. they turned out pretty cute, were incredibly easy, and took no time in all...like maybe ten minutes. a great accessory in a bind.

step one: choose your fabric

the flowers can truly be made from scraps...i have a bit of a love affair with fabric so i had plenty on hand to choose from.

step two: cut your circles

i found (by trial and error) that the flowers look best with at least 4 layers of fabric. it also pops when you use different textures. another lesson learned is to put the busiest/smallest print fabric as the first layer, so that the larger patterned prints aren't blocked...duh! (opposite of what i did below). play around with the different sizes you cut, they do not have to be perfect circles by any means. also, using different types of scissors adds some funk. i have a sweet vintage pair of shears from my great-grandma that did the trick

step three: sew circles together

with a simple stitch through the center you can attach all the circles, but i did a large stitch and then cinched it tight and it gave it a gathered/curled-in look.

step four: add buttons

again, i have inherited half of my sewing supplies, and with it, a bunch of fun buttons. i attached the desired button with a hot glue gun.

step five: attach to hair accessories

i picked up a collection of hair things from the dollar store. i attached them with the hot glue gun, positioned asymmetrical. i am still playing around with different size flowers for the bands, so bare with me on some of these pictures. little curly likes the big girl plastic hair bands, and bieber hair girl rocks the soft ones. 

finished product:

labels

i like to label things. it must be the teacher gene or something, but life feels a little simpler when things are labeled. i wanted to label kenze's new toy bins with little chalkboard labels but couldn't find them anywhere. i wasn't really up for another DIY project, but i thought why not? at this point it is a drop in the bucket. 

DIY chalkboard labels:

(spray paint and labels from paper zone, colored chalk fred meyers)

labels, chalkboard spray paint, chalk

 first, spray labels allowing them to dry for 24 hours before use (i did two coats)

next,  write and stick

(it would have been easier to place them first, i smudged the chalk when i was placing them)

maybe i'll use the rest for a little chalkboard in her room?

better than expected

i love to make things. however, many a homemade item has been unraveled, recycled, thrown out, or started over by me. i am my own worst enemy when it comes to creating something. the perfectionist in me sees all the little goof ups and pretty soon that is all i can notice.

justin also loves to create things, so when we work on something together he tends to even out my craziness and we come out with a decent product. i had this great idea of making a patio table out of a door. we have been wanting a larger table for entertaining and i thought a door would be the perfect size, not just any door i might add, a metal door. i love the industrial look. and somehow everything fell right into place today, from the finds to the assembly everything went smooth. this is a DIY project that i am lovin'.

first stop the rebuilding center: metal door 15 dollars. (SCORE!!!!)

 (pastel blue and dirty...eeek)

next up, city liquidators: hair pin legs in vintage teal 30 dollars (plus four additional chairs to match the ones we bought last season)

(i am loving that vintage blue color and the bottoms adjust to uneven surfaces, perfect for our cracked patio)

 (the chairs)

final destination, ace hardware: heat flange (to go where the doorknob was) and screws for about a buck fifty.

 (to fill in the doorknob hole)

the process:

 (remove old hardware)

attach new awesome legs

add crazy harsh non-earth friendly chemicals to remove old paint

scrape(gently)old paint off. we had to go back and spot check

drum roll please.....

taaaa daaaa! 

we added some candles from ikea

justin also is adding a protective coat to the top to keep the metal nice. 

we also are on the search for some sweet 50's tablecloths as the table will sear your skin right off in the heat of the day.