scarf: knit by me; belt: thrifted; earrings: my wonderful husband

 i hope you guys don't think i'm overdoing it with the cowl scarf two days in a row.  if you do, you're in for some disappointment, because this thing is Comfy with a capital "C" and i have no intention of giving it up anytime soon.  don't worry, this is just what i do.  when i first buy or make something, i want to wear it all the time for about two weeks, and then it disappears for a while.  so on the up side, you only have to endure about twelve more outfits with it.

wanna see what i did with my friday night?  well, about twenty minutes of my friday night; this one's quick and easy, folks.

i went shopping tonight for some random things (including my 30th pick!  yes, i did adhere to my original mustard long-sleeve tee idea, although the search was excruciating, which is a story for another time...) and i picked up this small cardboard block "A" from Joann Fabrics for $2 with a 50% off coupon.



from there, cut your next two pieces to place on either side of the first piece.  after doing so, glue all three pieces in place on the letter.

note:  only use a small amount of glue, and make sure it's spread evenly.  you don't want to create lumps and/or wrinkles in your paper:

this is me faking it.  i am most definitely useless with my left hand.  somebody needed righty to press the shutter.

 flip the letter back over and glue your final two pieces into place:

okay, good work!  you're done! ...kidding.

now flip your letter back over.  at this point, i recommend using a cutting mat, as you will be using the exacto knife.  that is, unless you're doubling your crafting efforts by engraving your dining room table.


yes, that's better.  now cut around all of the edges of your letter:


finally, using your brush, apply a thin, even coat of mod podge (i used a matte finish).  this will help the edges of the paper blend together more and lay nice and flat on your letter.  you may also want to use your fingers to smooth the paper over the edges of the letter.


voila!  now stand back and admire:

i have been in such a crafty crafterson type of mood this week.  the only downfall?  i've had quite literally no time, unless i want to sacrifice sleep.  and let me tell you, nobody wants me to sacrifice sleep.  that would be bad for everyone mainly my husband.

since i haven't had much home time, during my open lunch hours at work i've been scouring some of my favorite stores for some inspiration.  i can't tell you how much satisfaction i get from finding something i love and creating something similar myself for about 82% cheaper (that's a random number. no actual math has been computed here).

my favorite finds that left me pining?

can be found here

can be found here

can be found here

can be found here...but hurry!  only 2 left

i've already made my own necklace very similar to this one, based on one that was at anthropologie a few months ago.  i was just excited to find another one like it for much more than i paid to make my own:

the "marigold" (looks more like green to me) one is sold out, but you can find a violet one here

love this poof belt, which sadly is no longer being sold on their site

can be found here

my favorite find.  so beyond excited about the inspiration i've gotten from this one.  you can find it here

is anyone sensing a theme?  i feel like i'm going to start dreaming that i'm being burried alive in flowers.

all i have to say is, your mind is about to be blown by the number of tutorials that are going to come your way from these ideas.

consider yourself warned.

shut up.

etsy, just when i thought i had seen your whole hand, you go and trump me.

UmeCrafts has got to be the cutest thing i've ever seen.


all felt...amazing



anyone for a little ice cream shop?

 

or a trip to the movie?

 

this is where the shut up comes from...sushi.  i'm officially in awe.

 

and my favorite, a tea set complete with tea bag.



and what would a tea party be without chocolate covered strawberries, chocolates, cupcakes and finger sandwiches?


the best part, as far as i'm concerned?  they're patterns.  this is a crafter's dream.  i am seriously inspired. 

at only a $5 average per pattern, i plan on snatching a few of these up to make some amazing, inexpensive christmas gifts.  because i don't care what home you grow up in, play food is awesome.

as a crafter, more often than not, i find myself wanting to keep the things i make.  it's a problem, really.  especially when i'm trying to prepare for a craft show.

i. hate. budgets.  for the past four months, eric and i have been on a pretty dang strict budget to allow us to pay a lot of moolah toward the student loans that built up while i was getting the degree that i'm not using (i swear i'm not bitter.  maybe a little).  the best thing that has resulted from this budget is my love for thrifting.  i know i'm a day late and a dollar short with this frugal friday post, but i have to share.  i have been wanting for some time to do a big wall piece of plates in our dining room, as we have a very large wall that i've been struggling with since we found the house (inspiration).  i understand that it is supposed to take some time to round up a good collection, but when you've got a salvation army as great as the one by my office downtown, sometimes it only takes two trips to find ten that coordinate pretty dang well.  i know i still have a way to go before filling the wall, but here's what i've got going on so far: