Shabby Chic Clothespins

Here's a fun little project, take plain old clothespins and make them designer in minutes.

Now, many people ask me if I paint these...not hardly, it's scrap book paper. I love scrap book paper and have a TON of it. So I just chose some pages (out of about the 100 designs I have) for this project.

First- buy some clothespins, or round up some old ones around the house. 

Second- choose your paper

Third- measure and cut your paper in strips to fit both sides of the clothespin

 Last- glue them with modpodge

Here are some finished ones. I use them for notes, bag clips, paper clips, goodie bags, ect.

You could put magnets on them, or add embellishments. They are a great add on to a gift bag, and cost pennies to make. ENJOY!!

Altered Art

Have you ever seen those images or artwork where it looks like an old photo head mixed with colorful papers and materials? I've always been fascinated by them, but didn't know what they were called or how they were created. BINGO, they are called 'altered art' and they are made from cutting out the heads and or bodies of old photos. Being a photographer, I decided to 'cut' mine out in photoshop and play around.

I started by using a baby photo of my Grandma. I tinted her hair and skin and adjusted the levels.

Next I chose a background from scrap book paper.

A little photo shop magic (actually a lot) and an added flower from another paper and it's done!

After doing this one, I searched Pinterest and the web. I found awesome paper doll downloads and more creative papers. I plan on actually printing some of them off and cutting and layering them and adding embellishments. What a fun way to celebrate your history in a shabby chic kind of way.

This is another one I created with my mom's photo and some paper doll clothing.

I will post more photos as I create them.

Cookies Done Right

As a child I was always confused when my friends would come over and ask me how my mom 's cookies were so soft? My response was, "why are your mom's so hard and crumbly?"
You see, I took for granted that there is an art to cookie baking, and most people just haven't figured it out, but lucky for me, my mom had....and she passed the knowledge onto me.
In my opinion, there is nothing worse than an over baked, dry, crumbly cookie. I mean, why go to all the trouble of placing those little balls on multiple pans if you are ruining them?

So I'm going to give you some hints, and hopefully, you will not be an overdone cookie offender.

First of all DO NOT use a dark pan or cookie sheet...dark pans always cook the bottoms faster, that's why cookies, cakes and biscuits are burnt on the bottoms. I only use airbake cookie sheets.

Second, USE parchment paper. Not only is this extremely helpful and time saving, it assures the cookies a nice and easy transfer. - I recently started using this, my mom did not teach me this trick, but I wish someone would have years ago.

Third, DO NOT over bake. If the time says 12 minutes, set the timer for 10! You can always leave them in an extra minute if needed. Once the cookies START to turn golden brown on the edges or top, it's time!
Cookies will continue to bake slightly after they are removed. I let them sit for a minute or two on the pan.

Next, I slide the parchment paper right onto my counter top. Then I slide the next batch (that I balled out onto parchment while the others were baking) onto the pan for a speedy turn around. Plus, this way you are not putting your dough on a hot cookie sheet, watching the first balls melt as you fill up the pan.
After the cookies are mostly cooled on the counter, I move them to a cooling rack.

These are Peanut Butter Cookies with chocolate chips...I will post the recipe at the end.

If your cookies are totally brown or look 'done' in the oven, you have over baked them. If baked correctly, they will seem very soft and gooey to you when you take them out, but that's because of the butter used, once they cool, they will be firm enough to move and hold. - notice the few dark spots, those are the 'indicators', many people leave them in till the entire cookie is that color.

Another tip, if it's been a few days and they are starting to get stale or crumbly, put a couple slices of bread in the container. The cookies will pull the moisture from the bread.
If you want them to stay fresh, and it's a few days before you will serve them, FREEZE them as soon as they are cool. I like to use ice cream containers, with layers separated by the parchment paper I used during baking. Take them out an hour before you need them, and they will taste as fresh as the day they were baked.

Recipe for Peanut Butter-Chocolate chip cookies
1 cup butter (use real butter)
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup semi sweet morsels
 mix first 6 ingredients, add in the rest except for the morsels and beat well, fold in morsels
use a cookie dough scoop, and put one level scoop, 3 across on cookie sheet, make cross marks with a sugar dipped fork. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes

Burlap Pillows

BURLAP is trending, it's EVERYWHERE!  I recently took a trip to Kimswick, MO. Almost every gift boutique had some sort of burlap decor in it. So I decided that I really liked it and this started a burlap train I can't seem to get off of.
Today's project was inspired by some bedding I found online. It consisted of very expensive linens, but had the coolest burlap accent pillow. I then went to Pinterest for more pillow ideas. After a few ideas I headed to Walmart, where I purchased cream and regular burlap fabric, and some muslin fabric. The pillow forms there were rather pricey, so I headed next door to the Goodwill store where I picked up 2 used accent pillows for $2 ea.
Then I searched for some cool fleur de lis patterens online and found this                      http://artisanenhancements.com/stencils/fleurlaurelwithcrown/

Because I wanted to start my project immediately, I just hand painted my design on my burlap via eye to hand, off my computer monitor (it's not perfect, but close)

I cut 2 squares of fabric to fit my large pillow, painted my design with acrylic craft paint, let it dry, then sewed the 2 squares together (inside out) I also added a 3 in. muslin ruffle when I sewed it to add a soft touch to the rough burlap texture. 

I found similar pillows online for $60, I spent about $6 to make this.

Next I wanted an accent pillow in cream, so I used the same technique. But on the cream one, I did a layer of muslin behind the burlap, and as the backing, to give a reversible option and to better match the first pillow.

This one was very simple, once again hand painted, but much easier.

Together on my screened in porch.

Reverse sides.

my 'Better Homes & Garden's' shot ;)