If Only...

When I was growing up, I desperately wanted to be Samantha from Bewitched.  

I am now convinced, I gave up on my dreams too soon.

On the days I am trying to find the time to fill my flower boxes.

I wish I could just wiggle my nose and without getting dirt under my finger nails, or breaking a sweat, or chasing after the dog that just tried to steal the flowers, my flower boxes would magically be filled.

Or on the days when I am trying to survive one of these...

I could just wiggle my nose and we could all enjoy the joys of nap time instead.

Or, when my street inevitable floods every year and for a few hours I own waterfront property...

I could just wiggle my nose and enjoy this view of the water instead.

Yes, Amy of yore, you gave up on your dream too quickly...

Finger Puppet Stand

Yesterday, I showed off Ninja finger puppets. 

My favorite way to display finger puppets, even the silent deadly kind, is on a finger puppet stand.

The steps are fairly simple.  Get some scrap wood, size depends on how long you want to make your stand.  You'll also need a dowel rod.

Optional:  You can router the edges of the scrap wood.
*You can also buy beveled plaques very similar at any hobby store for a $1-$2.

Mark your base approximately where you want the holes to go.  Using a drill press, drill holes into the base without going all the way through.  Roughly about a 1/4 of an inch depth should be enough.

Cut your dowel rod into approximately 3 inch sections.

Grab your stand, dowel rods and wood glue.

Glue the dowel rods into place.  Once in place, you may want to place another piece of scrap wood over the dowel rods.  Tap them into place using a hammer to provide a more secure attachment.  Allow plenty of time for them to dry and set.

Decide what color you want your stand to be and apply at least 2 coats of spray paint.

Place your finger puppets upon the stand and proudly display.

And, yes, we make a lot of finger puppets in this house.

Ninja Finger Puppets

If you want to make your own set of Ninja finger puppets, gather the following supplies:  felt (black, white and color of your choice for the belt), scissors, needle and thread (optional:  glue).

Using this pattern...

Cut your ninja pieces out of felt.

 

To make the Ninja eyes, place the white felt face onto one section of the ninja body.  Insert your needle, threaded with black thread, through the back of a single section of the ninja body into the white face.  Do an angled straight stitch roughly where the eyes should be.  Under the angle stitch, do a few smaller stitches to act as the eye.

Ninja eyes...the better to see you with.

To attach the ninja belt you can either glue it down OR using a needle and red thread, sew the belt onto the ninja body, tucking the flap under the belt securing it with the stitches through the belt.

Layer the ninja bodies together and do a running stitch to secure the front and the back of the ninja body together, leaving the bottom unsewn.

Of course, one ninja is never enough, so make a few.

And, yes, I have mad ninja skills with felt :)

Goodwill Hunting Roundup

Goodwill hunting roundup was almost cancelled this month.

My go to Goodwill store has undergone a makeover.  To most, the makeover was probably appreciated.  The aisles were widened.  More shelves were added.  Things became organized.

Sigh.

I have determined part of my thrifting success could be attributed to my desire to dig or hunt for what could be buried in piles.  With organized shelves, no digging is required.  All the fabulous finds are right there for all to see.

I had considered simply showing you my 'flea market find'...a vintage porcelain vase (?), made in England (and we all now, anything made in England has to be fabulous, right?).  It was missing a lid but when filled with flowers, that doesn't really matter, does it?  The tag said $7 but at flea markets you rarely pay what is on the tag.  We paid $6 for this sweet vase.

Close to giving up on Goodwill altogether, this past Friday night, I dragged my handsome husband over there.  Within 5 minutes, I spent more at Goodwill than I have all year.

I came across this bunny deviled egg platter for $3.99.  I remember seeing it being sold at Target just before Easter for $17.99.  I saw it shortly after Easter, on clearance for $9.99 and still left it sitting on the shelves.  Well, when this bunny platter followed me to Goodwill with a $3.99 price tag, I could no longer play hard to get.

Moments later, I spied this green glass footed bowl for $2.99.  It has a vintage vibe to it, though, I am not sure if it is actually vintage or not. 

For $1.99, this vintage floral platter made it's way into my hands. Sweet yellow flowers go around the border of this platter.  (Curious why I am collecting so many dishes?  I have another party to plan!).

The real reason I dragged my husband to Goodwill was because I had spotted this vintage desk through the window.  It was $39.99 so I hemmed and hawed about whether we should or shouldn't buy it. 

We walked around the store for a few minutes while I thought about the beautiful details like the dovetailed drawers, the curves and the beautiful wood detail.  

Before we decided to buy it (which we did eventually do)...

We came across a headboard for a twin bed.  Grace is still in a toddler bed, which she is QUICKLY outgrowing.  Though this headboard wasn't quite what we had in mind for her, it had potential $14.99

So, for $14.99 we decided to add this solid wood headboard to our cart as well.

Both the desk and the headboard will get a little makeover, with a little help from my friend...

And, I do believe I'll be steering clear of Goodwill, for the sake of my wallet, for a few weeks.

What treasures have you found recently?

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Happy Mother's Day

I shared this a year ago, but couldn't resist sharing it again this year... Meet Grace.  She has some very definite feelings about being a mom. 

So, to my mom, my friends, my readers and the inspirational moms whose blogs I follow...

Happy Mother's Day.  May you feel like a princess today!

Fabric Flower Corsage

Fabric flower corsages.

A perfect Mother's Day accessory for you and your little lady.

To make one of your own, gather the following supplies:  Felt, ribbon or fold over elastic, scissors, sheer or silk fabric and a hot glue gun.

Out of matching colored felt, cut 2 circles roughly 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  Continue cutting circles out of your sheer or silk fabric.  You know you have enough when carpal tunnel sets in.  Finally, cut fold over elastic enough to go around your wrist and overlap by about 1/2 an inch.  *If using ribbon, cut it long enough to go around your wrist, with excess enough to tie it closed.

Secure your fold over elastic closed with hot glue.  Glue one of the felt circles under where the elastic overlaps.  Glue the second felt circle over where the elastic overlaps, lining both felt circles up together.

Pinch the center of your sheer or silk fabric circle closed.  Dab some hot glue to the pinched closed center and glue it to your felt circle. Continue attaching the sheer fabric circles covering the felt circle until you reach the desired fullness.

Ta da!  A flower corsage that will never go bad or make your allergies act up.

Though fabric corsages don't smell as pretty as real flower corsages,

they are still guaranteed to put a smile on someone's face.

I Plead The Crafter's 5th

Have you ever wanted to just plead the fifth on your crafting abilities?

The first time I desperately wanted to plead the crafter's fifth, when my husband looked at me and said, if you can make a pillow, you can make a fitted domed circus tent.

Or was the case when my husband asked me to make custom sails for not 1 but 2 of his English pond boats.

Those points at the very top are tough.

Then, there was the chair I dragged home from Goodwill.  The chair that cost me only $3.99.  The chair I fell immediately in love with.

The chair that my husband snubbed.  Oh, I should have pleaded the crafter's fifth on that one as well.

When my husband saw how I transformed that beautiful chair, a few weeks later, he proudly showed off his latest treasures picked from the streets...for free!

To be fair, I saw the potential those chairs had.

What I didn't see coming, though looking back probably should have, was the request for me to make custom cushions for these chairs.

Sigh. 

2 cushions down, 2 more to go.

I think from now on, I'll have to remember my right to plead the crafter's fifth.