Gettin' Crafty with Wine!

Finally after completing a few projects around the house, I have had time to work on some crafting projects this last week.  I LOVE Pinterest, and find myself pinning several different things whenever I get the chance to scroll through everything.  I pin recipes, quotes, those crazy e-cards, organization ideas, and just about anything that I think looks fun or makes me laugh or smile.  But, I would say that one of my largest boards is my "Interesting DIY and Crafts."  I find myself pinning things for this all of the time, and I have completed about 3 of the 139 pins on that board.  So, now that I have completed some other items on my "To Do" list, I thought that I would try one of the craft projects that I pinned when I first joined Pinterest.

The Jute-Wrapped Wine Bottle 

I know that you aren't surprised that I somehow incorporated my love for wine into a crafting project.  But, I figured I have some empty bottles laying around, and if I didn't then that is a good reason to buy a bottle of wine and enjoy it so that I can use the bottle. :)  

A few things you need for your project: 

Wine bottle - empty & clean

Mod Podge (who doesn't need this?!)

Paint brush

Roll of natural jute string

Any decor you want to add - I bought the denim flower in the scrapbook section of Hobby Lobby along with the lace and the gem for the middle of the flower. The other rosette was made from burlap.

Hot glue gun

Okay, so first thing's first.  Drink the wine and then clean the wine bottle.  I actually had some large bottles left over from some other projects that I had worked on around Christmas.  To clean the bottle, I try and peel as much of the label off as I can, but then I submerge the bottle in some soapy water and let it soak for a bit.  This usually loosens the adhesive and you can pull the majority of the label off.  However, if I can't get the label off this way, I usually use an S.O.S. pad.   These are my go to for tons of cleaning projects.  You can use the pad to scrub off the rest of the adhesive.  Once all of the label and adhesive are scrubbed off, you can let the bottle air dry or dry the bottle with a towel. 

Next, I take my brush and dip it in the Mod Podge.  I then put on a thick layer around the opening at the top of the bottle. It is best to start at the top of the bottle rather than the bottom because when you get to the sloped part of the bottle, the string will start to creep up but will stay in place because of the jute string you have already in place.  

I place the end of the jute string at an angle so that when you wrap the rest of the string around, it will cover the starting point.  Once you place your jute string on the bottle, you will have to hold it there until it sticks.  Once it sticks, you can walk away until it is dry or until it has adhered to the bottle to the point that when you  pull on the string it does not come off the bottle easily.  Then you continue to add Mod Podge to the glass, and begin wrapping your string around the bottle evenly.  It is easier to wrap if you spin the bottle and hold the jute string so that it applies a little pressure against the bottle and therefore helps it stick to the bottle.  If it appears that your string is beginning to gap some, just take your fingers and push it upward to cover the gaps, but be sure to do this all the way around so that the string remains even.  **Note: Check for gaps after a few rounds of string to be sure that you can still move the string before it dries.**

 Continue to do this all the way down the bottle.  And, don't worry if some of the Mod Podge seeps through the layers of string because it dries clear.

When you get close to the bottom of the bottle, flip the bottle over.  This part takes a little more time and can be a little sticky.  Apply a generous amount of Mod Podge to the glass and the last round of string.  Then continue to wrap your string around the bottle, but squish the new layer of string to the last layer.  You may have to hold there for a bit as you continue to wrap the string around the bottle.  When you feel as though you have covered the majority of the bottle and that you can't see the bottle itself, add some more Mod Podge, cut the jute, and press the last piece to the bottle until it remains adhered to the bottle when you move your finger.   After this, I leaned my bottle against something and let it dry completely. 

 Once the bottle is dry, it is time to glue on some bling!  I bought this lace ribbon in the scrapbook area of Hobby Lobby.  Place a little hot glue on the ribbon and press it to the bottle.  Then wrap the ribbon around the bottle, and cut it where both ends meet.  Place a little more hot glue on the other end of the ribbon and press it to the bottle.

 I also bought some gems and a large denim flower from the scrapbook area.  These particular gems have prongs on the back, which I cut off with a pair of scissors.  I simply placed a generous amount of hot glue to the center of the flower, and pressed the gem onto the flower.  **Note:  I noticed that the gem actually came loose from the metal it was adhered to because of the heat of the hot glue.  However, if you press down on it and let it all cool, it will remain glued.  So, no worries if this happens to you.**

  Next, lay your bottle down so that you can continue gluing your decor to it.  Once the glue on your flower is cool, flip the flower over and apply a fairly large amount of glue to the back of the flower, and then press it onto the bottle where the two ends of the ribbon meet.  Press down until the flower seems to be adhered to the bottle.  Once the glue is cool, you have a cute finished decoration for your home!   I loved doing this because it was easy, and I have a lot of wine decor in my kitchen so it matched nicely.  Hope you enjoyed this little DIY craft idea, and if nothing else, it gives you a good reason to crack open a bottle of wine!  I like to tell my husband that I have to drink some wine so I can use the bottle or corks for a new crafting project!

   Happy Friday!

Playing Catch-Up

Well, it has been several months since I have written a blog entry, and I thought now would be a good time to update you on the last few months.  The summer was very busy, and we were out of town visiting friends and family almost every weekend.  Though I loved every second of it, I find that I have been playing catch-up on many things around the house and that many of my summer projects did not get completed.  

 First, my flower planting project was a complete failure.  I would like to blame the summer drought for this, but I am pretty sure it's just that I don't have the patience to grow things, and I obviously was not born with a green thumb.  Not only did my pretty flowers not grow, but that ridiculous invasive weed that I spent hours trying to kill returned and flourished.  I also had plenty of thistles in my yard where the neighbor has his bird feeders, so I thought I would use Roundup to kill them.  My yard then became a polka-dotted mess with brown patches in the parts that were still green.  Needless to say, my husband was not pleased with my thistle solution, and I have been told that I am not allowed to use Roundup.  I also did not get the fence stained, which was the plan, and I know that it drives my mother crazy.  Hopefully, there will be time for it next year.

I also had plans of reading a ton of books on my Summer Reading List.  I think I read a total of three.  How do people with kids have time to read?!  By the time Kaylie goes to bed, I usually work on a project or watch TV, and the next thing I know, I am asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.  But, I guess I should be proud that I read at least three books.  I am pretty sure that is three more than last year. ;) 

I also had great intentions of getting very organized around the house, but have found that I have a lot more to do than I thought! This past Saturday, I went through Kaylie's closet and found three bags of clothing and shoes that she can no longer wear because she has outgrown everything!  How does such a small person have so many clothes?  I'm not even sure I have three bags worth of clothes.  But, at least I got that much done, as I know that she will be receiving many more in the next month and a half with her 2nd birthday and Christmas!  Now, I need to start packing up toys that she no longer plays with to make room for more.  I am pretty certain that the majority of the boxes in my basement belong to her.  I think it's time to organize these and start using the attic.  I guess that is another project to add to the list. 

Though there were a few things that I didn't get done this summer, I will say that I am very grateful for all of the things that we did get to do!  I spent most of the summer with family and friends, boating, canoeing, going to the fair, going to the Brad Paisley concert, attending the 2nd Annual Cousin Baseball Game, and just spending quality time with everyone.  I was able to visit with people that I have not seen for months and some that I haven't seen in years!  I am truly blessed to have had the opportunity to have spent time with all of you! 

Now that our busy schedule has finally slowed down a little, I am working on some fun crafty projects, still getting organized, planning Kaylie's 2nd birthday party, job searching, and getting things ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I am sure it will be another busy few months, but I wouldn't have it any other way!   

So, that is a little update on what has been going on here.  I know that it wasn't all that exciting, but I hope to start posting more interesting blogs in the future.  As for now, I will leave you with a few pictures of Kaylie and all of her fun Halloween festivities.   

Kaylie very focused on painting her pumpkin.

She was very proud of herself.

The finished pumpkin.

Kaylie in her Halloween costume.  She is Foofa from Yo Gabba Gabba! 

She thinks this is the coolest hat.  She wears it around the house  constantly. 

Happy Monday!  Hope everyone has a great week!  

Keepin' It Glassy and New Projects!

Wow!  It has been a month since my last blog!  I am slacking.   Things have been busy here especially now that summer is here.  I love summer because we get to visit with friends and family, and enjoy the warm weather.  This tends to have us out on the road a couple of days out of the week, and then we are home for a few days to catch up on laundry and are out again on the weekends, but I wouldn't trade it for anything!  I love the summer!

I have also been keeping busy with a few new projects!  As many of you know, I love making decorative wine glasses, beer mugs/glasses, martini glasses and so forth.  I have been spending a lot of my extra time trying out a few new things with the vinyl and trying to be creative.  I have done some etching on bowls, baking dishes, put vinyl on sippy cups, and I tried out a little vinyl quote on one of my walls.  I love being crafty!  But, I have to admit that a lot of the creativity has come from you with new requests or ideas for me to try!  I love doing it, so keep them coming!   

Our subdivision has a festival every year, where the homeowners can come and eat and drink for free, and they have a lot of fun things for kids, as well as a band and a magician.  They also have a little tent for people who are crafty or have their own business, so I thought that this year I would do a table and try it out!   So....this last week I have been busy coming up with some cute things to sell at the craft fair, as well as had to finish a few other orders for the week.  The festival was today, and here are the things that I had to show and sell (sounds like show and tell...haha)!   

I was able to sell a couple of glasses, and I took a couple of orders which is exciting.  I will definitely be busy over the next week!   And, a HUGE THANKS to my mom and aunt for coming and hanging out with Kaylie today.  She definitely had a good time and was tired by the end of the day!

I have been keeping busy with a few other orders, and I love all of the creative ideas that are coming my way!  I hope that everyone else loves them as much as I do!  Check out a few other projects that I was working on this week. 

Sippy cups have been a very popular request this week!  And, I also finished an etched glass bowl and an order for sorority glasses. 

I have also tried a few other projects, and thought that I would share them with you. 

Etched stemless wine glass that are numbered to keep track of your glass!  Better than using a wine charm and super cute!

I recently found out about sparkly glitter vinyl, and thought I better make myself a little glass to try it out!  What do you think?  

 Frame with vinyl, and a saying for Mother's Day!  I did this one for my mom.  I just love it! 

 Sippy cups have been very popular, so I have been trying out some new decor on them!  I must say that sippy cups with no decor are hard to find, but a few people have helped me find some.   Thanks you guys!

I recently saw this quote, and thought I would try it out on my dining room wall or better known as Kaylie's playroom.  It is a little difficult to see, but it says "The Best journey leads you Home."  I tried it out in several fonts which I have seen on Pinterest.  I just love it, and it is easily removable! 

A gift I recently finished for a Couple's Shower.  Vinyl on the drink bucket and two etched glasses (one wine glass and one pilsner glass).  Loved doing this!  

So, these are a few of the things that I have been up to lately.  I have to say that my hobby is keeping me busy, which is exactly what I wanted!  I am simply loving it!  So, I ask that you keep sending me creative suggestions!   One of the next challenges/requests that I have is to make vinyl decor for KitchenAid mixers!   I can't wait to try this out.  But, I don't have a KitchenAid mixer...so I may need some help from you and you may have to try a few things out for me!  Let me know if you are interested.  I will use a less adhesive vinyl for trial purposes, so that it can be removed until I get it right! Please keep your suggestions coming!  I love all of the challenges!  

Also, I made a Facebook page for my little hobby and I have listed many items on Etsy.  I have listed the web addresses below.  Please feel free to pass them along!  I would love to get a few more "likes" on my Facebook page! 

www.facebook.com/keepinitglassy

www.etsy.com/shop/Miche2011

 Thank you all again for your orders and suggestions.  Please feel free to leave more suggestions in the comment section below.  Hoping to have some new fun items to show in the near future!  

A Little Summer Reading

I love to read! Well, let me take that back.  I like to read, but I am sure I would love it if I had more time, and if I could do it quickly.  It tends to be a bit difficult for me during the day because I am working on things around the house, as well as other projects and all the while chasing a crazy toddler.  Then I tried reading more at night since it's quiet, but found that I usually fall asleep before I finish a chapter!  So, I thought it might be fun to make a "Summer Reading List" of books that may inspire me to make more time for reading, and challenge me at the same time. I compiled a list of books that look interesting, as well as some books that were suggestions from all of you. And, since I am a "list person," I also get the excitement of trying to cross off as many books on the list as possible! Yay!  Now, I just need to add the "Summer Reading List" to my other list: "Fun Projects for Summer." Good thing I have a notebook! 

Okay, so here it goes: 

 SUMMER READING LIST 2012

1.  The Help – Kathryn Stockett

2.  Calico Joe  - John Grisham

3.  The Fault in Our Stars – John Green

4.  I Got Your Number – Sophie Kinsella

5.  Unbroken – Laura Hillenbrand

6.  A Soft Place to Land – Susan Rebecca White

7.  Eat, Pray, Love – Elizabeth Gilbert

8.  In Honor – Jessi Kirby

9.  One for the Murphy’s – Lynda Mullaly Hunt

10. On the Island – Tracey Garvis-Graves

11. The Shack – William P Young

12. Little Bee – Chris Cleave

13. Defending Jacob – William Landay

14. A Grown Up Kind of Pretty  - Joshilyn Jackson

15. A Brewing Storm – Richard Castle

16. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – Ransom Riggs

17. Slammed – Colleen Hoover (Book 1 of 2 Part Series)

18.  Point of Retreat – Colleen Hoover (Book 2 of 2 Part Series)

19. The 11^th Hour – James Patterson

20. The Innocent – David Baldacci

21. Providence – Jamie McGuire

22. The Art of Fielding – Chad Harbach

23. Carry the One – Carol Anshaw

24. Home Front – Kristen Hannah

25. The Best of Me – Nicholas Sparks

26.  Safe Haven – Nicholas Sparks

27. The Lucky One – Nicholas Sparks

28. The Choice – Nicholas Sparks

29. Dear John – Nicholas Sparks

30. Something Borrowed – Emily Giffin

31. Something Blue – Emily Giffin

32. Baby Proof – Emily Giffin

33. Love the One You’re With – Emily Giffin

34. The Heart of the Matter – Emily Giffin

35. Where We Belong – Emily Giffin (due out in July)

36. Cocktails for Three – Madeleine Wickham

Now, I know that many of you have probably read several of these books.  That is why I think that we should read the books that sound interesting, and do so in whatever order we want.  This way slow readers, like myself, won't hold up the rest of you. :)   Please feel free to suggest other books in the comment section of my blog or on Facebook.  Also, I have read all of the Emily Giffin books besides Baby Proof and her new one that is due out in July, and I love her books, so that is why I put her on the list in case some of you hadn't read any of them. You should read "Something Borrowed" before "Something Blue," but I think the rest of them are fine in any order, but please correct me if I am wrong.  It is kind of the same way with the Nicholas Sparks books.  I have read a few of them, and I tend to like his books, so I thought I would throw a couple of my favorites on here, as well as a couple I still need to read.  I also tried to include some books that were more suspenseful, rather than just a list of love stories and family dramas.  Let me know what you guys think!  And like I said, please feel free to offer other suggestions of books you may have read.   I am currently reading "A Soft Place to Land."  We will see how this goes (and how long it takes me to read it).  

Also, check out goodreads if you haven't already.  There you can sign up, rate books, and they will give you suggestions on books you may be interested in.  Thank you to Val and Jennie K for telling me about this awesome site!  I have been spending a lot of time on it!  Okay, time for me to go and get some things done, so that I have time to read later! :)  

Green Thumb, What Green Thumb?

I am the first to admit that I was not born with a green thumb.  Once in college, a friend gave me a little cactus for my apartment.  I know, a cactus is pretty much impossible to kill, right?  Not so much.  That cactus shriveled up in a matter of weeks.  So needless to say, my yard and front walk have been pretty boring and a bit weedy.  Justin and I tried planting tulips and other plants when we first moved into our house.  However, no one told us about the "bunny problem."  The first time a tulip sprouted and bloomed, it was gnawed down to a tiny little stump in the yard.  This continued throughout the spring and summer, and after many failed attempts to  deter these little critters, we finally gave up on the yard.  However, last year I just couldn't stand to look at the spot in the back yard where there was once a flower garden. It had been overtaken by weeds and thistles, so I decided this year I was going to do something about it!

So, I took a picture of this sad little area in my backyard and headed to "Contrary Mary's Specialty Plants" with camera and Kaylie in tow.

I know, what a mess, right?!  Honestly, I am a little embarrassed that I let it stay like this for as long as I did, especially when my neighbors have a yard that is overflowing with beautiful plants and yard ornaments.  Oh, and birds, but that is an entirely different discussion.  You can see a glimpse of a small portion of their yard on the right in the above picture.  I am sure they have been rather embarrassed by my mess as well.

While at "Contrary Mary's," a nice lady, who I can only imagine must be Mary, came over to help me and I promptly showed her the above picture and informed her that I needed something to spruce it up, and that I would be getting rid of the smaller shrub/bush thing.  After looking at several plants/flowers, we decided on the following: Echinacea (Coneflower) "Solar Flare," Catmint "Little Trudy," & Calamintha "Montrose White." I had also explained to the nice lady that my front yard was also in need of a lot of work.  I had told her about these hideous brittle shrubs in the front of our house that we would like to get rid of, but she informed me that we should keep some type of shrubbery in the front before planting any other type of plants.  She recommended a bright orange and red flower called Gaillardia "Lucky Wheeler" for the front yard.  I purchased three of these, but then realized when I got home that my flower garden in the back was larger than I thought, and therefore I placed the Gaillardia in front of the Catmint and therefore it became the front row.  Let's hope it all works!

Echinacea (Coneflower) "Solar Flare"

Catmint "Little Trudy"

Calamintha  "Montrose White"

Gaillardia  "Lucky Wheeler"

Next, I headed to Home Depot to purchase a digging shovel since we only own a snow shovel, as well as something to deter those pesky rabbits!  I was also going to buy mulch, but quickly realized that this was too much of a task to complete by myself with a toddler especially since last time we used mulch we needed approximately 12 bags.  While at Home Depot, I noticed that they had hanging baskets of petunias on sale and thought this would be a nice and bright addition to my little flower garden especially since the Shepherd's Hook that is there now is being used as a resting place for the neighbor's bird obsession.  After checking out, we were on our way home to get started!

Once we arrived home, Kaylie had her lunch and was down for a nap and it was time for me to get to work!      If I haven't mentioned this already, I do not own a tiller and therefore everything had to be done by hand.  I put my new digging shovel to work and quickly removed the smaller shrub, and then began digging up as much of the dirt as possible to help weed out all of the thistles and other weeds.  Also, the people who lived here before us planted Stachys byzantina, also known as "Lamb's Ear."  Note to gardeners:  If you ever think you may want to plant this, I strongly suggest you rethink it.  It is considered an invasive plant because it takes over and has a network of roots that is almost impossible to remove!  Here is a picture of it:  

Stachys byzantina "Lamb's Ear" 

The cute fuzzy leaves look so inviting, but beware!  This plant was nearly the death of me yesterday! 

After spending two hours digging, I still couldn't remove all of the roots to this evil dweller.  So, I am hoping that I uprooted enough of them to kill it or at least slow its growth for a while.  After all of the digging, I thought that the large shrub needed a little trimming since it was beginning to look more like a tree. Next, it was time to start planting all of my new plants!  This took far less time than the digging.  After planting everything, I placed all of the tags to label each plant (in case I forgot what was there), added my hanging basket and watered everything! 

I know there are still some weeds that will have to be pulled, dug up, or sprayed, but I just couldn't do any more digging at this point.   And, I will be adding mulch this weekend if the weather permits and with the help of my husband.    After the plants had dried off from the watering, I added my rabbit repellent to each plant!  

The lady from "Contrary Mary's" recommended Liquid Fence Rabbit Repellent which I found at Home Depot. I have tried everything in the last two years to deter these rabbits including moth balls, cayenne pepper, Deer Off Repellent, and cut hair and nothing has worked.  I even splurged and bought the dual action repellent, which means that not only does it smell terrible but tastes terrible as well.  These bunnies are costing me a lot of money, and I'm beginning to think they are some type of mutant bunny.  So, I sprayed all of the plants and it smelled terrible.  I should have known not to let the dog out because he immediately wanted to roll in it.  Ugh...disgusting. After a big thunderstorm last night, I thought for sure that the repellent would be washed off and my precious little plants would be eaten, but they were all still there this morning! This Liquid Fence may just work!  

Now, let's just pray that my flowers grow and bloom, and that I didn't waste my money or spend an entire day planting for nothing!  However, Justin and I noticed that a Knock-Out Rose Bush that we planted two years ago finally started blooming.  This is seriously the first time it has bloomed in two years!  Last year, I wanted to rip it out, but now I am glad that I left it alone.  Maybe this is a sign of good luck for my flower garden this year!  I hope so! 

A couple of the blooms on the rose bush. 

More buds that should bloom soon!  

Well, let's hope that the rabbit repellent and Mother Nature work together so that these flowers start growing and blooming!  This is going to be quite a challenge for me and my not-so-green thumb!  I'll keep you updated on any progress.  This week we should be adding mulch to at least make it look better.  The next outdoor projects are: landscaping the front of the house and restaining the fence.  It's going to be a busy summer! 

Being Creative and Needing Creativity

I have to admit that I love using my Cricut every chance that I get, and lately I have been keeping pretty busy!  I am always looking for a new project or a new idea.  I love the challenge and I love feeling as though I can be creative!  So over the past few weeks, I have been busy using my Cricut to make wine glasses for a Bridal Shower, personalized wine glasses, Graduation Party decorations, iron-on t-shirt designs, tumblers, bottles and a sippy cup.  I love all of the ideas that my friends have, and I love trying them all.  So, please keep them coming!  I have decided to post some pictures of my latest orders and ideas!

Here is one of the zebra print glasses.

These are graduation decorations that I recently finished.  A monogram on the front and "Class of 2012" on the back.  A group picture of the 10 of them are shown below.
 

Birth stats in a frame.  Loved doing this...and I'm thinking of doing one for Kaylie.










"Grandma's Sippy Cup"...I love these kind of glasses...I think they are so fun!
 

Here is a group shot of the Graduation Party decorations that I did for someone.  I think they are so cute!  Pay no attention to Kaylie's toys in the background!

 

More monogrammed glasses....on the left is vinyl and on the right is etched.

 




 More monogrammed glasses with different decorations.

 

 




"Mommy's Sippy Cup" glasses...I love these and will be making myself one of these!

 

Here is a plastic tumbler that I recently did for someone and one of the Bridal Party glasses that I recently finished, and these were all so fun to make!!

 




A close-up of one of the Bridal Party glasses with the peacock feather embellishment at the bottom and another zebra print monogrammed glass!

 
My first attempt at kid products...a sippy cup and a bottle.
 

Here is my adorable little cousin Jordyn in her "Tiny Tots" t-shirt for the March of Dimes.  It is iron-on vinyl.

Here is the back of the March of Dimes t-shirts.  Each kid had their name on the back. Once again, it is iron-on vinyl.  I love it!


So friends, I have two tasks for you!  In the comment section of my blog, I would love for you to answer the following questions:

1).  Do you have any other ideas for fun creative items that I can create using my vinyl?

2).  I'm in need of a fun business name for a vendor fair that I am planning on attending.  Please submit your idea of a name in my comment section or on my facebook post regarding this.  The individual who comes up with the best name will receive a free glass (wine, martini, beer, cocktail or a plastic tumbler with straw) decorated as you like!  There will be only one winner and it will be decided between the two pages (facebook and the blog).  I need all of your creative ideas!  Thank you to all of you who have ordered and who help me with these requests!  I'm always looking for new ideas!!  Next up....Christmas ornaments!