Crocheted Creation - 4th of July Placemats

Pinterest  basically rocks my world. Just browsing, I happened upon a picture of amazing place settings! So iIfollowed the link to the FREE pattern here, ran out to Michael's and got the yarn! First off, you DEFINITELY need about twice as much blue yarn as red and white. Just an FYI. Also, the pattern is for two settings. I wanted four, so I had to double everything! The stars were tricky to understand the pattern at first, but then I made tons and would LOVE to use just the star pattern to make a mobile or something when I have a babers. Or maybe a cool abstract art thing on a canvas with blowdried crayons????? Ahhh, the ideas!  Anywho, here are some pictures! 

The first set of two I made!

An artsy close up :)

Oh falling stars, how I love you!

For the actual 4th of July, I ended up gettinng white napkins and a white tablecloth (harder than I thought to find for my small dinging room table) and put two settings on the table and two on our bar counter in the kitchen. They were a success! Woot!

DIY Creation 2 - Entertainment Center

A friend of mine posted a picture on Facebook of an old dresser she and her husband transformed into an extertainment center. So clearly I wanted to try! We needed something bigger for our TV anyway, so it was worth the shot! Here's the original dresser:

We took out the top drawers (that look like two drawers, but it's really one!) to start. Bought primer, paint, paint brushes, rollers, tarps, all that good redecorating stuff! We also had to buy a piece of plywood to put on the top of the middle drawers. After a couple coats of primer, paint, and painfully waiting almost a week to make sure it's REALLY dry, it was almost ready! Just one more step... drawer liners! With a little wrapping paper and TONS of Modge Podge, I had beautifully lined drawers! Slightly crooked since everything was too big and some were tilted, but hey, they're closed most of the time. :-p Here is the finished project, followed by what it looks like in action!

Open...

Closed...

In action! We LOVE it!

DIY Creation 1 - Bottle Cap Trays

I have taken a new fancy to not just looking through Pinterest items and dreaming of what I could do with random items in my home, but actually completing some items! This first post is for my bottle cap trays, which Pinterest and other crafty ladies had nothing to do with, actually! 

I was beginning to notice that the wooden trays I purchased at Target a couple years ago had taken a beating. Water stains, other random marks and scrapes. So I decided it was time to fix these with my Crazy Pack Rat Lady amount of beer bottle caps we had. The first one has our last initial at the focal point... in my hubby's favorite beer, of course :)

The next one is much more recent. After making some AWESOME patriotic place settings, I was inspired with my next creation! Why not do a FLAG?! So I did :)

The first time I had the "D" in there, I didn't glue each bottle cap in place. Bad idea. It looked just weird after a few months. So I redid it, just did a little bit of Elmer's in between the caps as I laid them down, and now they're stuck there! The tops are just thick plexiglass we got cut to size at Lowe's epoxied on the sides to seal it in! Here they are together (haha one with flash, one without, couldn't decide which I liked the best!)

50 Qs 9-12

To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?

I don't believe I have any control. Which is weird. Because I looooove control. There have been too many factors that have been coincidence or an act of God, that I can't say it was because of me. And I'm beginning to really love that :)

Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?

I think they're one in the same. I try to do the right things right! But overall, I'm more worried about doing the right things.

You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire. They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend. The criticism is distasteful and unjustified. What do you do?

Tell them to STFU. After letting them spill. Hey, they made me feel awkward, I'll do the same! But I'm going to let them finish so I can defend my friend, and let them know what they said that was wrong.

If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?

Take your time growing up. Childhood is over before you know it!

50 Qs 5-8

What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world?

War. Life would be so much easier without it! And I guess with that, I'd like all diplomacy to work and no reason to START any wars!

If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?

Working around animals. No doubt in my mind!

Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?

Kind of a mix of both. I don't know yet (still!) what I'd want to make a career, so I'm making my own spending money (I believe in doing that if possible) and supporting my husband in his endeavors (definitely not settling there!)

If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?

Ummm.... maybe have babies sooner??? I would probably try to succeed faster in life in some areas. And maybe would have created a bit less debt so that it wouldn't fall onto family members when I would die early.

50Qs, 1-4

How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are? 

It's a mix! When I'm hyper and playing I'm about 5 years old. When I'm out and about I'm always the mom, looking to make sure everyone is ok. And my bedtime is that of a grandma (haha or a 5 year old!)

Which is worse, failing or never trying?

Never trying. You automatically fail if you don't try, but if you DO, you have the chance to succeed :)

If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?

Fear? Money? Not sure about this one. I think everything happens for a reason. Plus, life it just about what we "like" and "don't like". It's about living, learning, becoming a better person every day.

When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?

Does me talking nonstop count??? Haha probably. I really do hate taking risks, but I love my life and where it's going. I plan to continue doing what I'm doing and live life to its fullest capacity!!

50 Qs... a new reason to post!

Thanks, Mal for posting these :) It'll get me back in the blogging mindset!

How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?

Which is worse, failing or never trying?

If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?

When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?

What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world?

If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work wouldmake you rich?

Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?

If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?

To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?

Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?

You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire. They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend. The criticism is distasteful and unjustified. What do you do?

If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?

Would you break the law to save a loved one?

Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity?

What’s something you know you do differently than most people?

How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy?

What one thing have you not done that you really want to do?What’s holding you back?

Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?

If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why?

Do you push the elevator button more than once? Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster?

Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?

Why are you, you?

Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend?

Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you?

What are you most grateful for?

Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones?

Is is possible to know the truth without challenging it first?

Has your greatest fear ever come true?

Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset? Does it really matter now?

What is your happiest childhood memory? What makes it so special?

At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?

If not now, then when?

If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose?

Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever?

Why do religions that support love cause so many wars?

Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil?

If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job?

Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing?

Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before?

When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in?

If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today?

Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous?

What is the difference between being alive and truly living?

When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right?

If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?

What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?

When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing?

What do you love? Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love?

In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday? What about the day before that? Or the day before that?

Decisions are being made right now. The question is: Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you?