Coasters

I got my pinterest account yesterday and I have been pinning everything.  I found a great gift idea that can be purchased or even made.  What is it?  Well, if the blog title didn't give it away, it's coasters.  I always get e-mails from ABC Distributing and Lakeside.  They have some really cute items and many not so cute items.  But, every time I get a new e-mail I always look at what may be new on their websites.  I saw these and these picture frame coasters.  They are only $6.95 for a set of 6.  They make them for baby pictures and wedding pictures.
Also, you can make some really cute coasters yourself out of ceramic tile and either some felt pads or cork sheets.  And to personalize it you can decoupage a cute picture onto each tile.  Or put a picture of some words as a background on each tile and then stamp the recipients initials on each tile...then varnish over them. And if you want an easier way to create your own, you can purchase photo transfers sheets that are made to transfer to tile.  Here are a few pictures of some crafted tiles

http://stamperstacy.wordpress.com/2007/12/05/technique-tuesday-tile-coasters-part-2/

http://www.art-e-zine.co.uk/tileml.html

http://www.art-e-zine.co.uk/tileml.html

http://stamperstacy.wordpress.com/2007/12/05/technique-tuesday-tile-coasters-part-2/

Plus, if you make them yourself, you can personalize the wrapping too with a cute ribbon.  What do you all think?

Starry Night

How was everyone's hump day?  Mine was an eventful one!  I'll spare you the boring details and get to the fun and scary stuff!  So, last night I went to another Swirlz Art class.  I reserved my spot to paint Van Gogh's Starry Night almost a month ago.  The class was tagged advanced, but had a note stating that the only reason they considered it advanced was because it was a three hour class.  With anticipation and apprehensiveness I waited for May 25th to come.  As I got to Swirlz I should have known it was not going to be a good night.  The weathermen were calling for bad storms...the same ones that caused all the destruction in Joplin, Mo.  Plus, there was a car accident right in front of me.  It just seemed as if there was a dark shadow over the evening.  So, as we start to paint the first hour I struggled to keep up with the instructor and the last two hours I fell behind even more.  I ended up giving up finishing my painting within 3 1/2 hours....right when the storm hit.  So, after getting completely drenched running out to my car (shielding my painting from any damage in a trash bag).  I started to drive home....while driving a tree fell on a vehicle that was two cars ahead of me!  So, after running back out into the hurricane storm to check on the driver, I detoured 20 minutes out of my way to get home.  Once I reached my house I found out I didn't have power!  It was kind of a crappy night and almost not worth it....so with that, I will show you my painting.  Yes, it looks like a child painted it.  I am not excited about this painting at all. 

my painting after the first hour

my friend Brooke and my finished painitings

me and my friend Chris before the class started

Chris' painting after the first hour

Brooke's painting after the first hour. 

Even though I had a rough night and I didn't like my painting, it was still fun to hang out with friends!  And I learned that even though they state that the class is only advanced because of the length...I will not take it because I am not advanced!

Look what Louis created

Back in February, my husband decided he wanted to start a garden for this year.  I had mixed feelings about a garden because last year Louis' father had a garden, and it was a pain in the behind.  Every Sunday after church we would go over to his father's house to pick the vegetables in the middle of the summer.  So, when I think of a garden, I also think about sweating in my church clothes with my hair in my face and very uncomfortable.  So, after giving into my husband's plees to make a garden, I told him he will have to be responsible for it and he will have to do the picking if I did not want to.  Here are some pictures of the day he tilled the first section of the garden. 

Our yard is full of rock so here he is trying to pick up rocks

He had to till the garden five times and pick up rocks as he went.  We He ended up planting 6 heads of iceberg lettuce, 4 heads of romaine lettuce, 2 red pepper plants, 2 yellow pepper plants, 2 orange pepper plants, 3 cherry tomato plants,  2 regular tomato plants, an uncountable amount of radishes, baby corn and green beans.  Plus, he planted some squash, cantelope, watermelon, onions, and I'm sure a few other things I didn't know that he bought. 

a couple of the lettuce right after Louis planted them

So, today, Louis came skipping in more excited than a child that is about to get ice cream, with two arms full of lettuce and radishes.  He decided he would cut 1 head of iceberg lettuce and 1 head of romaine lettuce and a bowl full of radishes.  He was definitely feeling accomplished. 

Romaine lettuce

Iceberg lettuce

the two together

the dirty radishes

Let the vegetable picking season begin!

created a different nail polish color

I was going through my nail polishes yesterday, and found one of those colors that comes with the french manicure sets.  I was not a fan of this color, it was kind of a pinky iridescent color.  I only used it once before I got a different color to combine with the white tips.  I was about to throw the polish out when I had one of those "I'm being wasteful" thoughts.  I thought maybe I should just use it up just to use it.  But then I decided to mix it with another color polish.  The color I chose was by Revlon called Hot For Chocolate.  Here is a picture of me wearing it in a previous post. 

My husband hates this color!  He tells me it looks black and all goth like!  I love this color!  The only thing I don't like about this polish is it really only lasts for two days before it starts to chip.   Anyway, I added about 10 drops of this color to my ugly polish and this is the color I came up with!

I love this color!  Plus it feels like it is going to stay on longer than the plain brown one I favored!  I put it on yesterday morning and it is still looking great!  What do you all think?

Alphabet Photography

Update:  So, I have noticed that with Christmas coming up many people people are looking at this post.  I have actually found a flickr page that has many alphabet pictures on it that you  can also use if you did not want to go through everything I went through to get the pictures for your picture.  Here it is for the letters and here is the link for numbers.  Hope that helps you all out!





I was cleaning out one of my closets today, which is something I have to do on a regular basis since we live in a two bedroom house (sorry for the rant).  Anyway, I found a list I had made for Christmas present ideas that I was wanting to either make or buy for family members.  I actually had a few really good ideas this year.  One of them was something I am sure many of you have seen or even heard of.  Alphabet Photography.  There is a small shop here that sells the pictures and frames for them, but it is really expensive.  So, I figured I could do it myself for much cheaper.  I chose this one for my older sister because she is a very sentimental person.  We originally grew up in a small town in Montana and from there she has lived in Tucson and San Diego.  So, my plan was to have a picture of an object that she would be able to recognize from each location.  With the pictures I would spell out her last name which is Moore.  I purchased this picture frame from Target which had 10 spots for pictures.  What I did is spelled her last name across the top 5 spots with pictures.  Then, on the bottom 5 spots I wrote a description of what the picture above it was and where it was taken on really pretty card stock.  Now, let me just say to accomplish this I had to get a few people from all of the locations to go around and take picture.  You don't have to do this you could easily get the pictures online, but I liked that they were actually taken at each location and were exactly what I was wanting.  I do not have the pictures saved on my computer anymore, but let me show you what I am talking about for the alphabet photography.  I tried to find pictures close to what she actually had. 

This was actually pretty close to what her "M" looked like.  It is at Balboa Park in San Diego

our hometown was built up around the railroad company that our dad work for

San Diego storm drain

light post in Old Tucson

My sister loved the pictures and the picture frame!  I am planning on doing one for me when I get a chance. Oh and if your name is super duper long, make your own picture frame.  The easiest way is to buy some cheap frames that you like (preferably wood) and nail them to a piece of wood and paint them all the same color!  You can make them horizontally, vertically, you can even make them caddy wompus! And if you don't want to make it yourself, here are a few websites where you can purchase some pre-made alphabet photography here, here, and here.   Have fun with it!  What do you all think?  For more gift ideas, check out my other DIY gifts. 



 Digital Photography information Click Here!