A Fun Retreat

Last week I was invited to go to an all girls retreat at my friend's beautiful cabin. I was both excited and anxious---excited to get away for a much needed break; anxious because ALL of the other ladies are expert quilters. I wondered how I would spend my time while they pieced and sewed. Most of my projects of late have been large, involving rooms or furniture in my home. . .nothing conducive to a weekend getaway. I was at a loss as to what to do. One son suggested that I take the break to plan future projects. A friend proposed that I bring magazines or books. Both were wonderful ideas but I felt the need to be creative alongside my friends. So I threw together several things I had lying around my home, items I had purchased earlier hoping one day to try my hand at creating.While my friends cut fabric scraps for quilts I used their cutting tools to cut apart dollar store t-shirts. Using the cut apart t-shirts I made necklaces with the help of this tutorial.I learned how to "finger knit" with the help of this post. It was so easy and fun that I made a brown friendship bracelet for each lady on the retreat.I covered a metal letter "A" with moss. And used my friend's cabin decor to stage this glamor shot.While my quilting friends were busy sewing I stayed busy creating words with wire similar to one I made here. I plan to use these as gift tags. I even crafted up several of these wire "eat" signs for my friends to take home and stick in breads, cakes, or anything they're serving to family and friends.I had so much fun with my creative and loving friends! I came home energized and happy. It's amazing how a little girl-time and crafting can energize one's soul!

Have you entered to win a Cutting Edge Stencil? If not, enter HERE.

Living Room Vignettes

These are the vignettes in my living room

in the middle of the summer months.

Brass birds and oil paintings collected from thrift stores.

That's a real, live orchid that I've managed to keep living

and blooming for several months now.

I just purchased this orchid hoping to be able to keep it blooming too.

I love that it has twice the blooms.

The ceramic shell came from a Goodwill in Virginia,

the lotus flower from a thrift store in my hometown.

I love the reflective and airy look of the silver and glass

on the glass end table I found on clearance last summer.

I don't love having to clean kitty prints and dust off every week.

A little summer scene using a vintage lithograph of birds

and faux dollar store ferns.

Botanic Garden and Dollar Store Orchids

One of my favorite places to visit in the DC area is
The United States Botanic Garden. Each time I go I find different things that inspire me.

This time was no exception.

I loved these arbors with their display of living plants.I'm always inspired by water features and creeks. I have great plans to make one in my own backyard---when I get enough money, time, energy, and muscle.

There are always beautiful hydrangeas to be found.One of my favorite rooms inside is the orchid room
filled with stunning displays of orchids.I love orchids!Even though I have two living orchid plants, I couldn't resist buying a few of the silk variety
when I saw them at the dollar store, along with some reindeer moss.With a little styrofoam secured in the bottom of some thrift store vases, I just stuck in the end of the orchid (cut to length)
and filled the vase with moss.This is the version I made for my daughter
using one of her beautiful thrifted vases.

It's In The Packaging

You know how an inexpensive gift can look fabulous if you package it beautifully? The same is true with centerpieces. Because I have the opportunity to do several centerpieces a year on a very tight budget I've figured out ways to make a single flower look almost as good as a full bouquet.
First start with the vase. You've likely seen these hurricanes around blogland. They're made from a dollar store candlestick and vase. Glue the two using a strong adhesive. I've made two sets of these using different sizes of vases.Next, use an inexpensive filler which can also be purchased at the dollar store. Rocks, marbles, sea glass, all give added visual interest to a bouquet without a lot of added cash. The filler also helps anchor the flower so that one flower doesn't look so lonely. It's also good to use a flower with a larger head like a spider mum.
Finish off the arrangement by adding interest to the outside of the vase. I wanted this centerpiece to have a masculine vibe so I wrapped the vase with wide ribbon tied with twine. I sat the whole thing on top of a small mirror and a piece of hardboard (from the building supply section).

The entire centerpiece, vase and all, cost around five dollars.
It's all in the packaging!

Dollar Store Delight

My dollar store has had these small faux ferns for a few months now. I've looked at them a few times and talked myself out of buying them. Then the other day, being desperate for anything that reminds me of spring, I finally gave in. At home I promptly pulled it out of it's original container, plopped it in a clay pot and surrounded it with moss. I think it it's almost as good as these but a whole lot cheaper! Have you found anything wonderful at the Dollar Store recently?

**Enter the Scentsy giveaway.**

Blossoming Inspiration

Inspired by Susan's surprise and a trip to the dollar store,
where I spied these poppy bouquets,
I decided to create a new door display of my own. I began by rummaging through my
thrift store orphanage/storage room and discovered this
charming metal hanging pocket. I was naturally drawn to it about a year ago because
it replicates old ceiling tins.
I was thrilled to be finally giving it a purpose in my home.
I think it's the perfect poppy container! They both conjure up feelings of years gone by,
so what would be more appropriate than to finish them off with
a little burlap and vintage lace.