It's been a while...

So, since my last post was regarding Christmas -- I might not be the world's best blogger. Yikes. One of the projects that kept me busy since my last post was designing and assembling wedding programs for my cousin's wedding. My cousin was the groom, so working on the programs ended up being a great way to get to know his fiance, Ali, a little more.

Such a beautiful couple (inside and out).

Photo by Candi Coffman Photography

I already had a fairly good sense of Ali's style and taste preferences, which is so nice when creating a custom project for someone. I knew that she was using succulents and ranunculus, which are also two of my favorites, so I definitely wanted to incorporate them into the overall design. Ali makes the sweetest cards for friends and family, so I wanted the programs to have that handmade feel, too.

The covers were printed on kraft paper, which gave a nod to the burlap and twine that were used in both the wedding and reception. I machine-stitched the programs together with a lime-colored thread. It was definitely a time-saver, when compared to other options, but gave it that nice handmade touch.

The ceremony and reception were incredibly beautiful, and it was such an honor to be included in even this small way. Congratulations, Matthew and Ali!

Photo by Candi Coffman Photography

DIY Project - Tinsel Wreath

I have to say that I have really been enjoying having the time to do some projects for myself. When I saw Ez's instructions for tinsel wreaths, I knew I had to give a try. It just looked so easy. And inexpensive. And it was! I made both wreaths for under $15 total -- and it took maybe 15 minutes for each wreath (flower included).

I made a large wreath for my front door:

And a smaller, white wreath for inside my house:

I would post instructions but, really, just follow the instructions on Creature Comforts. There is a link within that post for the wax paper flowers. They are also super easy, and very adaptable to other projects. Have fun!

Christmas Cheer!

I love Christmas. The ten+ years I spent in retail tried to kill my Christmas spirit but, happily, it did not. Not one bit. I decided that, after many weekends of making things for The Girlie Show, I would spend this last weekend making something just for fun. I don't get to do that very often, so it was nice to spend time on a project just for myself.

For the past few years I have used two small Christmas tress -- without tree skirts. I never can seem to find skirts that are a) under $100 or b) not made of completely disgusting fabric. So, I've been improvising with fabric that I had on hand the last two years. Not this year!

I bought two yards of red felt (which, in hindsight, was way too much) and whipped up two tree skirts, perfectly sized for my little trees.

This was, actually, quite easy. It does require sewing, but all you really need to know is how to make ruffles. There are great tutorials online should you need a refresher. Once I created the ruffles, I simply sewed them onto the un-hemmed circle piece using a zig-zag stitch.

Hooray!

For the Birds

First of all, let me apologize for the very poor photographs that are included in this post, especially the last one. My days have been a little packed, with very little time for re-shoots. Secondly, I know that I talked a lot about this on the old blog, but I haven't really mentioned it here. My sister and brother-in-law are adopting a little girl from Ethiopia. (Sophia Mekdes. And she's pretty much perfect). This has been an incredibly long process, so the idea that they are leaving in mere days to meet her, and hold her, and then bring her home -- it's a little overwhelming and surreal. This adoption is the whole reason that I first started pursuing visual art. I started Project 8256 to help their family grow, and in return found my passion. We are in a season of abundance and immense gratitude, and we all feel that it was very much worth the wait.

So, understandably, I've been very excited about preparing for Sophia's arrival. And, while my personal taste leans more towards clean lines and my own wardrobe is about 1% pink, I keep finding myself saying things like, "Why wouldn't a tulle skirt be a good idea for a baby?" and "Pom-pom trim would be the perfect addition for those curtains" and "More pink!"..."More ruffles!"...you get the idea. The nursery has been such a fun collaboration -- grey walls, deer, white accents, birch trees...my favorite things. We decided that the trees needed birdhouses, so I've been locked away over the last few weekends creating what I originally thought would be such an easy project. It wasn't really, but that has much more to do with my apparent desire for extremely tedious projects. But, I'm please with the result, and I hope that Sophia will love them as well.











I promise to share pictures of the finished nursery...and of the little girl who gets to live there as well.